Traditional Ewenki handicrafts boost local economy in N China's Inner Mongolia

People's Daily Online) 14:27, July 16, 2024

Uran, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, introduces her sunflower handicrafts. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

In the Ewenki ethnic group's culture, "sunflower" handicrafts made from cowhide and sheepskin are common household decorations. The leather in the center symbolizes the sun, while the surrounding fur represents sunlight, symbolizing warmth and auspiciousness.

Photo shows sunflower handicrafts. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

Uran, an Ewenki herdswoman from Ewenki Autonomous Banner, Hulunbuir city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, founded her brand, Sun Girl, in 2010 with a 600,000 yuan ($82,500) investment to establish a studio.

Today, these handicrafts have gained immense popularity among tourists visiting the Ewenki Autonomous Banner, helping Uran and local artisans passionate about ethnic crafts to prosper.

Photo shows sunflower-themed handicrafts. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

Uran's daughter Aijima, born in the 1990s, returned to her hometown after university to learn the craft from her mother and assist in managing the studio.

Realizing the limited market for handmade handicrafts, Aijim diversified the product range with sunflower-themed fridge magnets, phone stands, mouse pads, and hair accessories. She also began selling handicrafts online, leading to increased popularity and business growth.

Photo shows sunflower-themed handicrafts. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

The Ewenki Autonomous Banner's ethnic cultural industrial park houses 121 enterprises and workshops dedicated to intangible cultural heritage, with 34 inheritors representing 38 diverse intangible cultural heritage projects.

Photo shows sunflower handicrafts. (People's Daily Online/Miao Yang)

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Hongyu)
Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi sign MOU on investment promotion

Xinhua) 09:04, July 17, 2024

HONG KONG, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Invest Hong Kong announced on Tuesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) online with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), pledging cooperation on investment promotion exchanges and support.

The MOU aims at fostering a closer relationship for the mutual benefit of Hong Kong and the UAE in terms of investment promotion exchanges, and their cooperation with each other in promoting both inward and outward investments in Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong.

Alpha Lau, Invest Hong Kong's director-general of investment promotion, said that the MOU marked a new milestone between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi in terms of investment promotion exchanges. Hong Kong offers an efficient, reliable business platform bringing the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world together.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi is a leading economy in the Gulf region and an important source of foreign direct investment in the world. By leveraging Hong Kong's status as the world's "super-connector," companies from Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and those from Asia can strengthen collaboration, tapping into the growing business opportunities across our two regions, Lau added.

The MOU encourages the promotion of investment between the two sides and sharing experiences in attracting foreign investment as well as best practices regarding investment promotion. It also encourages interested local companies to set up or expand their businesses within the area of the other jurisdiction and provides support to facilitate inward investment between both Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man suspected in the 2021 fatal shooting of an Illinois National Guardsman in Chicago.

Chrys Carvajal was gunned down days before he turned 20 after leaving a neighborhood Fourth of July party. Two men are accused of murdering Carvajal for the "purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the Milwaukee Kings street gang," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a release.

One of the men, Joseph "Troubles" Matos, 41, who is on the run, was indicted last month on racketeering and gun charges by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He was charged with fellow Milwaukee Kings street gang member Gary "Gotti" Roberson, 40, who has been arrested and remains in federal custody pending trial.

A warrant has been issued for Matos' arrest.

The FBI said Matos is armed and dangerous, and cautioned the public not to approach him directly.

It directs anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go to tips.fbi.gov.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Environmentalists and fishermen are pushing back against a plan from a group of scientists who want to dump more than 60,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide, more commonly known as lye, into the ocean off Cape Cod to gain an understanding of how to slow climate change.

Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth are seeking a federal permit for their project, which would start sometime this summer with a field trial program that would disperse roughly 6,600 gallons 10 miles south of Martha's Vineyard.

Woods Hole says there are two central goals to its so-called LOC-NESS project, short for "Locking away Ocean Carbon in the Northeast Shelf and Slope."

The first is to "understand potential environmental impacts of using ocean alkalinity enhancement to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere." The other is to "verify and report the amount of carbon dioxide this method might realistically remove if deployed at scale."

"While emission reductions are key to minimizing human impact on Earth's climate, it has become clear in recent years that drastic emission reductions must be supplemented by efforts to actively remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere," Woods Hole scientists wrote in their application to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Environmentalists and fishermen are not taking kindly to the proposed experiment which would continue next summer at a more drastic scale of roughly 60,000 gallons in the waters northeast of Provincetown, in the Gulf of Maine.

Friends of the Earth is one of the dozens of groups that wrote to the EPA against the project during a public comment period that closed Friday.

They highlighted how ocean alkalinity enhancementa process that adds alkaline substances to seawater to change the ph and enhance the ocean's natural carbon sinkis "under moratoria under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity due to the risks and uncertainties that these technologies entail to biodiversity and ecosystems."

"Sodium hydroxide is an incredibly dangerous substance," Friends of the Earth senior campaigner Benjamin Day told the Herald. "It causes chemical burns if it touches your skin or marine animals. We think dumping tens of thousands gallons of that into the ocean is a bad idea."

Proposals typically seen for alkalinity enhancement use minerals, like limestone, that create a "different set of problems," Day said. Sodium hydroxide presents more immediate issues, he added.

Woods Hole scientists say the project will "operate within a pH range considered safe for aquatic life (and) maintain strict environmental monitoring protocols."

Scientists will then constantly monitor the alkalinity patch, "using a suite of instruments, sensors, and sampling equipment."

"The results of these monitoring efforts will provide some of the first in-water measurements of the safety of OAE," scientists have said, "including its impacts on water chemistry, the marine food web, and larger organisms such as copepods."

Alison Brizius, director of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, says she believes the project is much needed to understand the effectiveness of marine carbon dioxide removal.

"This study has the potential to inform future work as mCDR research continues and possible commercial-scale applications are developed," she wrote in a letter to the EPA on Friday.

Fishermen across the region are afraid of how the experiment could affect their operations.

Robert Scammon, a commercial groundfish captain who has fished the Gulf of Maine and George's Bank for 37 years, said the targeted area for testing has produced 30 to 40% of his catch in that time.

Jerry Leeman, CEO and founder of the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association, added he believes the "project is being done in haste, and without proper oversight."

"Major impacts to the commercial and recreational fisheries are likely, which would cause severe economic turmoil (and loss of commercial and recreation opportunities) to the neighboring states' fisheries, in addition to the immediate test site," he wrote in a letter.

2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Chem Catalysis (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2024.101061

Organic compounds that can be sustainably and affordably mass-produced show promise as replacements for expensive metal photocatalysts, according to a new report published July 17.

Scientists from the University of St Andrews demonstrated that a family of four organic compounds originally developed as emitters for organic light-emitting diodes performed as well, and in some cases, better, than archetypal photocatalysts.

The findings are reported in the journal Chem Catalysis.

Many traditional photocatalysts contain scarce, expensive and toxic metals

Professor Eli Zysman-Colman, an expert in optoelectronic materials from the School of Chemistry at St Andrews, said, "Photocatalysis, which involves using light and a dye to start the process of making compounds, has progressed at an incredible rate over the past 15 years.

"A central issue is that many archetypal photocatalysts contain metals like ruthenium and iridium. These are scarce, costly, and toxic. This makes them unattractive for late-stage use in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

"There's a real need for viable alternatives to these metal-based photocatalysts, particularly those that show strong reactivity, which is one of the research goals of my group."

Promising alternatives

Zysman-Colman and Ph.D. student Lea Hammerling tested four boron- and nitrogen-containing multi-resonant thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) compounds as photocatalysts across a range of benchmark reactions.

Zysman-Colman said, "We identified that the intrinsic properties of these compoundstheir strong absorption in the visible part of the spectrum, the relative insensitivity of their excited states to solvent polarity, and their electron-rich characterwould make them very amenable as strongly photoreducing photocatalysts.

"We found that, when it came to their use in such reactions as pinacol coupling, dehalogenations and E/Z isomerizations, the MR-TADF compounds performed just as well or slightly better than several commonly used photocatalysts.

"This is significant: we've shown that this family of sustainable, organic materials performs competently across a wide range of transformation types.

"This should make them attractive photocatalysts for a broad range of applications, including for industries like pharma and agriculture that would prefer to have access to alternative photocatalysts to avoid trace metal contamination in the final product."

Zysman-Colman co-coordinates the PhotoReact Innovative Training Network comprising academia and industry to tackle the challenges associated with photocatalysis.

He adds, "Photocatalysis is a powerful synthetic tool that has transformed how we produce and access a wide range of chemicals, and offers the promise of a much more sustainable future for the production of these compounds."

More information: Lea Hammerling et al, Building a photocatalyst library of MR-TADF compounds with tunable excited-state redox potentials, Chem Catalysis (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2024.101061 Journal information: Chem Catalysis
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3D rendering of the probable butchery event according to a paleoartistic reconstruction. The illustration was made by modeling three-dimensional meshes, 3D digital scanning, and texturing by projection, based on the proportions of the excavated fossil materials and the results obtained in the study. Credit: Damian Voglino, Museo de Ciencias Naturales A. Scasso (Colegio Don Bosco), San Nicolas de los Arroyos, Provincia de Buenos Aires, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Cut marks on fossils could be evidence of humans exploiting large mammals in Argentina more than 20,000 years ago, according to a study published July 17, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mariano Del Papa of National University of La Plata, Argentina and colleagues.

The timing of early human occupation of South America is a topic of intense debate, highly relevant to a study of early human dispersal across the Americas and of humans' potential role in the extinction of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. This discussion is hampered by a general scarcity of direct archaeological evidence of early human presence and human-animal interactions.

In this study, researchers present evidence of butchery on Pleistocene mammal fossils from the banks of the Reconquista River, northeast of the Pampean region in Argentina. The fossils are those of a glyptodont, a giant relative of armadillos, named Neosclerocalyptus.

Statistical analysis finds that cut marks on parts of the pelvis, tail, and body armor are consistent with known marks made by stone tools, and the placement of these marks is consistent with a butchering sequence targeting areas of dense flesh. Radiocarbon dating indicates these fossils are around 21,000 years old, nearly 6,000 years older than other known archaeological evidence in southern South America.

Drawing of a Neosclerocalyptus skeleton highlighting cut-marked skeletal elements in light blue found at the CRS-10 specimen. Credit: Del Papa et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

These results fit with other recent findings that indicate early human presence in the Americas over 20,000 years ago. These fossils are also among the oldest evidence of human interaction with large mammals shortly before many of those mammals became extinct.

The authors suggest that these findings might be further supported by additional excavation at this site, further analysis of the cut marks, and more extensive radiocarbon dating of the fossils.

Miguel Delgado, the corresponding author, adds, "The study's evidence puts into question the time frame for the first human peopling of the Americas 16,000 years ago."

More information: Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum, PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304956 Journal information: PLoS ONE
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Carbon sinks and sources in global forests (Pg C year-1) expressed as the mean annual rate across the full three-decadal period 1990 to 2019. Because carbon fluxes estimated in temperate and boreal forests were based on the "stock change" method, which included carbon gains and losses (from temporarily harvested forests), the C sink estimated was a net sink. Because carbon fluxes estimated in tropical forests were based on the "flux" method, C sinks estimated were gross sinks. The tropical forest net sink, therefore, was the balance of C sinks and emissions. Credit: USDA Forest Service image by Yude Pan

Despite facing regional threats like deforestation and wildfires, the world's forests continue to be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. A new study reveals these vital ecosystems have consistently absorbed carbon dioxide for the past three decades, even as disruptions chip away at their capacity.

The study, based on long-term ground measurements combined with remote sensing data, found that forests take up an average of 3.5  0.4 billion metric tons of carbon per year, which is nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels between 1990 and 2019.

The study titled "The enduring world forest carbon sink", published in the 18 July 2024 issue of the journal Nature, highlights the critical role of forests in mitigating climate change. The study further shows that deforestation and disturbances like wildfires are threatening this vital carbon sink.

The research is co-led by USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Senior Research Scientist Yude Pan and Senior Scientist Richard Birdsey from Woodwell Climate Research Center, and includes 15 additional co-authors from 11 countries.

Key findings:

Boreal forests in the Northern Hemisphere, spanning regions like Alaska, Canada, and Russia, have experienced a significant decline in their carbon sink capacity, dropping by 36%. This decrease is attributed to factors including increased disturbances from wildfires, insect outbreaks, and soil warming.

Tropical forests have also seen a decline, with deforestation causing a 31% decrease in their ability to absorb carbon. However, regrowth in previously abandoned agricultural lands and logged areas has partially offset these losses, keeping the net carbon flux in the tropics close to neutral.

Temperate forests, on the other hand, have shown a 30% increase in their carbon sink capacity. This rise is largely due to extensive reforestation efforts, particularly in China.

"Our research team analyzed data from millions of forest plots around the globe," Dr. Pan explained. "What sets this study apart is its foundation in extensive ground measurementsessentially, a tree-by-tree assessment of size, species, and biomass.

"While the study also incorporates remote sensing data, a common tool in national forest inventories and land surveys, our unique strength lies in the detailed on-the-ground data collection."

"The persistence of the global forest carbon sink was a surprise given global increases in wildfire, drought, logging, and other stressors," according to Dr. Birdsey. "But it turns out that increasing emissions in some regions were balanced by increasing accumulation in other regions, mainly re-growing tropical forests and reforestation of temperate forests. These findings support the potential for improving protection and management of forests as effective natural climate solutions."

The study describes how certain land management policies and practices can help preserve this global carbon sink. Findings support a focus on curtailing deforestation across all forest biomes, for example, promoting forest restoration on lands that may be unsuitable for agriculture, and improving timber harvesting practices to minimize emissions from logging and related activities.

The research also highlights the limitations in data collection, particularly in tropical regions. The study calls for increased research and establishment of more ground sampling plots in these areas to reduce uncertainties in carbon estimates and improve understanding of the global carbon budget.

Forests play a critical role in combating climate change. Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is essential to mitigate climate impacts and achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets.

More information: Yude Pan, The enduring world forest carbon sink, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07602-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07602-x Journal information: Nature
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ENGRAM. Credit: Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07706-4

Genomes can now be entrusted to store information about a variety of transient biological events inside of living cells, as they happen, like a flight recorder collecting data from an aircraft.

"Our method, which goes by the acronym ENGRAM, aims to turn cells into their own historians," said Dr. Jay Shendure, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and scientific director of the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine. Shendure led the effort, together with Wei Chen, a former graduate student, and Junhong Choi, a former postdoctoral fellow. Choi is now an assistant investigator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

ENGRAM stands for enhancer-driven genomic recording of transcriptional activity in multiplex. The acronym was inspired by a neuroscience term that refers to the physical basis for a memory.

A proof-of-concept report demonstrating some of the capabilities of ENGRAM is published today, July 17, in Nature.

"ENGRAM couples each kind of biological signal or event to a symbolic barcode. This approach offers a novel method for recording and complements previously developed molecular recording techniques," said Wei Chen, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design.

This new strategy traces and archives the type and timing of biological signals by inserting this information into the genome. For example, this can include keeping tabs on the commands that turn genes on or off. Such recordings might hold clues to what occurs within stem cells to spur them into becoming different cell types. It might also offer insights into other questions about how cells operate, and how their past influences their future.

Shendure said that creating a biological record of cellular activities is an old idea. However, researchers had run into difficulties measuring more than a handful of signals in the same system, as well as in recording the order in which multiple signals occurred.

A few years ago, Choi, Shendure and their colleagues overcame some of these obstacles with a method called DNA Typewriter. With this system, researchers could write many symbols to DNA in an ordered fashion. However, the challenge remained of how to encode biological meaning to each symbol.

Multiplex recording of CRE activities with ENGRAM. Credit: Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07706-4

"DNA Typewriter is analogous to a keyboard with many symbols. With ENGRAM, we make those symbols specific to various biological signals of interest," Shendure said.

In the paper, Shendure and his team described how symbolic recording can follow the actions of non-coding DNA regions that control the protein production of neighboring genes. They also demonstrated how ENGRAM and DNA Typewriter can be combined. The scientists were able to record cell-type specific activities of dozens to hundreds of these sorts of gene-regulatory elements.

Some regions they tracked are part of gene regulatory networks behind several aspects of embryonic development. Other signals they traced mediate cell responses to stress, immune reactions to infection and cell survival.

They also applied ENGRAM to make daily recordings of mouse stem cells as they aggregated into embryonic organoids, a laboratory model of prenatal mouse development. ENGRAM might eventually help answer how, for example, a history of cell signaling events shaped the individual characteristics of a mouse embryo.

"As we were inspired by new advances in the CRISPR field for developing both the ENGRAM and DNA Typewriter systems, I imagine that these papers will inspire others to further improve genomic recording technologiessuch that maybe one day we will record the entire history of cells," said Choi.

The researchers developing ENGRAM say that work is still needed to realize what it and related genome-based recording technologies can potentially do.

"This is a strategy for capturing biological information in living systems. It is not specific to a particular field like cancer or neuroscience and hopefully will be useful across the board," Shendure said.

Shendure noted the research covered in the paper played an important role in the development of the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, a collaboration launched this past December among the Allen Institute, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the University of Washington. The project, of which Shendure serves as lead scientific director, is designing new technologies to record the history of cells over time.

More information: Jay Shendure, Symbolic recording of signalling and cis-regulatory element activity to DNA, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07706-4. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07706-4 Journal information: Nature
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University of Oregon study abroad students in Segovia, Spain. Credit: University of Oregon

U.S. Latinx students studying Spanish while studying abroad can encounter discrimination and condescending attitudes from their instructors, according to a growing body of evidence.

Those negative attitudes can be embodied and transmitted through instructional practices that result in missed opportunities for learning Spanish among students who grew up speaking Spanish, known as heritage speakers, two University of Oregon researchers have found.

Devin Grammon and Sergio Loza, both assistant professors of Spanish sociolinguistics in the UO's College of Arts and Sciences, documented how such negative attitudes affected students at one study abroad program in a paper published in Heritage Language Journal.

A comment they heard from a Spanish language instructor in the study abroad program in Cuzco, Peru, exemplified those attitudes: "Many of the students here, for example, come from (U.S.) Latino families. But they don't speak  I mean they speak Spanish, but they don't know anything about grammar. They speak Spanish very well, but no, they don't know anything about what it is, do they?"

Some instructors without the necessary training have a view that "there's something inherently deficient among children of immigrants of Latin Americans raised in the United States," Grammon said. "You saw that from the very top (of study abroad programs), from administrators to teachers, these negative attitudes playing out at different levels."

Those attitudes, and the focus on prescriptive grammar, stigmatized heritage learners' knowledge and ability in Spanish.

Grammon said he and Loza view study abroad programs and learning a foreign language as inherently beneficial for students, but they want to shine a light on the fact that study abroad programs don't always serve students well. This is especially true for students of color, especially when they're spending tens of thousands of dollars to participate, he said.

Previous studies have reported on negative study abroad experiences and limited learning outcomes for many heritage language learners who faced rampant discrimination and marginalization while abroad.

That contrasts with the treatment of white students who did not grow up speaking Spanish and who are routinely praised for any knowledge of Spanish.

Grammon and Loza's paper focuses on the use of oral corrective feedback, a common technique in which an instructor corrects a student orally during a lesson. A growing number of studies have found that such feedback can lead to poor results for heritage speakers. For example, instructors may mock and correct students' lexicon, signaling their Spanish does not conform to academic standards, resulting in heightened student anxiety as well as sensitivity regarding the notion of "standard" Spanish.

To better understand how oral corrective feedback was affecting students, Grammon and Loza studied one instructor's interactions with two Latina students from the United States during a study abroad program in Peru over 12 weeks in 2016. The program's focus was on prescriptive grammar as taught by the Royal Spanish Academy.

They found grammar correction was the overwhelming focus of oral corrections, rather than focus on vocabulary, pronunciation or perceived influences from English.

One problem that limited learning was the use of exclusionary grammar terms such as "pluperfect," "preterit," and "imperfect subjunctive." The students were unfamiliar with the terms, leading to prolonged oral corrective feedback episodes in which the students appeared to struggle to understand the feedback.

When the instructor evaluated the students' grammar, she described their use of the language as "simplistic," "nonexistent" and failing to meet expectations. Those evaluations contributed to the students' negative self-perception and caused them to withdraw from interacting with members of the host society.

In an interview with the program's administrator, Grammon and Loza found the same negative attitudes toward U.S. Latinx students. The administrator said any problems these students encountered were internal psychological ones and that such students were "arrogant," "in denial of their own Latino physical features," and "wishing to be treated like Americans."

One example where oral corrective feedback proved to be negative involved the use of the word "haiga" or "haigan." A form of is/are/have, haiga is like the word ain't in English in that it is widely used but technically incorrect.

When the students would use haiga, the instructor would simultaneously tell them that it doesn't exist and that it was widely used in the host community.

"What happens in these types of contexts, that form in particular becomes stigmatized in an academic setting," Grammon said. "It's only Latino students who are being targeted for this."

"For students, it's confusing," Loza said.

Loza, the son of Mexican American parents, said he encountered a similar dynamic when taking Spanish in college.

"In many ways it served to exclude ways I use language with my family, the way I was taught by my parents and how I talk with friends and my community," he said.

When they go home, if they speak Spanish as taught, "the educated Chicano steps back to the community and speak differently when compared to their own community. They become an outsider," Loza said.

"When you go home and speak that Spanish, your family is going to say, "We don't know who you are anymore,'" Grammon said.

Loza said he would like study abroad and foreign language programs to be aware of the issues raised in their paper and to encourage the programs to follow the type of teaching used at the University of Oregon.

"This is how you teach Spanish to Latinos who already come with Spanish from home," he said.

Said Grammon, "Not all programs are equal. Just because it's a program with a great name and reputation doesn't mean it will serve all students well unless we hold them accountable."

Many students feel stigmatized during their study abroad experiences, and have terrible experiences with their host families, Loza said.

"We're here to make sure in our corner of the universe in academia that our students have the best experiences," he said.

More information: Devin Grammon and Sergio Loza, Missed Opportunities: Oral Corrective Feedback, Heritage Learners of Spanish, and Study Abroad in Peru, Heritage Language Journal (2024). brill.com/view/journals/hlj/21/1/article-p1_3.xml
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A68a in the distance_Povl Abrahamsen. Credit: British Antarctic Survey

Scientists have for the first time taken in-situ ocean measurements during the collapse of a giant iceberg in the sub-Antarctic. These new observations reveal how ocean ecosystems may be affected if more icebergs calve due to warmer ocean temperatures around Antarctica.

The mega iceberg A-68A, which started out four times the size of Greater London, calved off the Larsen Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017. Scientists tracked the iceberg on its 4000 km journey across the South Ocean until it reached the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, where it broke up and melted over a three-month period from late 2020 to February 2021.

The results are published in the journal Progress in Oceanography.

In February 2021, a team from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and National Oceanography Centre (NOC) diverted a research ship already in the area to record how the iceberg's melting was contributing to the ocean and ecosystem of South Georgia.

The occurrence of icebergs at South Georgia is common, and shipping reports have historically recorded their prevalence in the region between the Weddell Sea and northern Scotia Sea and leading onwards to South Georgia.

The route is known as "iceberg alley" as icebergs that calve off Antarctica typically drift northwards, carried by ocean currents to the warmer open ocean. However, very few of these icebergs have been studied by scientific expeditions, which are planned years in advance and focus on specific studies rather than opportunistic science.

A satellite image of A-68A in 2021 shows it heading towards South Georgia. Credit: MODIS from NASA Worldview Snapshots

Over four days, the team on board the ship RRS James Cook were able to collect invaluable physical, chemical and biological measurements to understand what impact A-68A was having at South Georgia.

The team discovered that as A-68A melted, the layering of water within the ocean was restructured, with meltwater at the surface forcing down the underlying layers. This pushed down particulate material and phytoplankton, redistributing nutrients and micronutrients in the water. Phytoplankton that was within the iceberg's frozen mass was also found in the water around the icebergs, having melted out from the iceberg and rapidly grown in numbers.

Iceberg A-68A was the sixth largest iceberg ever recorded by satellite. As it traveled towards South Georgia, there were concerns it would ground on the seafloor and disrupt the precious marine conservation area in the region.

Geraint Tarling, co-lead author of the research and a Science Leader at BAS, says, "A-68A was a huge iceberg in comparison to most, and unusually it didn't break up on its journey. It gained a lot of media attention because it was almost as large as South Georgia itself, and we were extremely worried about how it would affect local wildlife such as nesting birds and seals trying to wean their pups."

The giant A68-A iceberg is visible from the Bridge of RRS James Cook. Credit: British Antarctic Survey

Giant icebergs are a major way that freshwater is taken from ice shelves to warmer seas as they calve, travel through the ocean and eventually melt and collapse. This process is not well understood, and the new study contributes to knowledge of this mechanism.

Sally Thorpe, co-lead author of the study and ecological modeler at BAS, says, "Climate models predict that icebergs may calve more frequently from Antarctic ice sheets in the future. So, by understanding what's happened to this one, we have a better idea of what effect they are likely to have if and when they occur at greater frequency."

She continues, "Since A-68A, other giant icebergs have arrived at South Georgia and collapsed to varying degrees. Our study provides a baseline for how icebergs may influence sensitive marine ecosystems such as that of South Georgia, and lets us untangle their impact from other oceanographic influences such as surface currents and ocean mixing."

More information: Geraint A. Tarling et al, Collapse of a giant iceberg in a dynamic Southern Ocean marine ecosystem: In situ observations of A-68A at South Georgia, Progress in Oceanography (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103297
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Artist's impression of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The actively cooled primary mirror has a diameter of 2.4 metres. It is a copy of the primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope. The scientific objectives are to explore dark matter, dark energy and exoplanets. The Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), in whose development and construction the MPIA is involved, tests a new observation technique for the search and study of exoplanets. Credit: GSFC/SVS

Engineers and scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), led by Oliver Krause, developed crucial optical elements for the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) of the Roman Space Telescope and delivered them to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the U.S.

The fully assembled and tested CGI recently arrived at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), where it will be integrated into the telescope. The CGI will test an innovative camera design that enables direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets in close orbits around distant stars. This design holds the potential for the first direct detection of a second Earth.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST) has been under development for about a decade under the leadership of NASA. The diameter of the primary mirror is 2.4 meters and is a copy of the Hubble Space Telescope's main mirror.

The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, built the crucial opto-mechanical components for one of the two scientific instruments, the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI). The CGI is a technology study that tests a new measurement design for detecting exoplanets by direct imaging.

If it reliably images gas planets similar to Jupiter close to their parent stars in the form of a point of light, as expected, the technique could be used to detect and study rocky planets like Earth with future space telescopes.

MPIA's contribution to the CGI

MPIA designed and manufactured six flight models and a further six engineering models of the Precision Alignment Mechanisms (PAM). These mechanisms, which adjust and stabilize optical components such as mirrors and filters of the CGI during observations, were meticulously crafted and rigorously tested in MPIA's workshops and laboratories. The company von Hoerner & Sulger from the neighboring town of Schwetzingen provided support during the construction phase.

Oliver Krause, head of the Infrared Space Astronomy research group, and his team have been gradually delivering these CGI core elements to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in Pasadena, U.S., since spring 2022. JPL is part of NASA and is involved in the technical development of space probes.

MPIA is a direct partner of NASA and JPL in the CGI project. Above all, NASA and JPL were impressed by the outstanding achievements in designing and producing the mechanisms for NIRSpec and MIRI, the central instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope. NIRSpec and MIRI have been delivering spectacular images and data since mid-2022.

The PAM flight models have already been installed in the CGI and extensively tested for space flight. The identical engineering models are used to verify the specifications on the ground. These include a lifetime model that has already performed over 27,000 movements, roughly twice the load of a flight model during ground tests and the mission in space.

Another milestone was the delivery of the CGI to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on 19 May 2024. The instrument will be installed in the telescope and subjected to further extensive functional and stress tests.

A camera design for the search for a second Earth

The CGI combines two common observation techniques for use in space, coronagraphy and adaptive optics, for the first time. Astronomers employ coronagraphs to block out bright objects with dedicated masks to make fainter celestial bodies in their vicinity visible.

This method already allowed the detection of exoplanets by direct imaging. However, the masks often cause considerable image artifacts around the blocked-out stars. Thus, any potential exoplanet reflecting the light of its parent star can only be reliably detected at relatively large distances.

Therefore, astronomers use this method almost exclusively to find giant gas planets, similar to Jupiter, on wide orbits around their host stars.

Reducing these artifacts is essential to finding smaller planets with narrower orbits. Therefore, the CGI is also equipped with an adaptive optics system that enables a higher brightness contrast between the star and the planet. This technology usually helps to reduce disturbances in images taken with ground-based telescopes, caused by the Earth's turbulent atmosphere.

For the CGI, this technology mitigates the distorting effects of the telescope's optical system. However, the computing power required for this is a new challenge for space cameras. Overall, the scientists should be able to detect exoplanets as close to their bright parent stars as never before, visible as a bright point of light in the image.

The CGI is designed to identify a planet whose nearby parent star is a billion times brighter, roughly equivalent to the contrast between Jupiter and the sun. Compared to today's capabilities, this corresponds to an improvement of up to a factor of a thousand. A built-in spectrograph will then facilitate research into the composition of the atmosphere of these planets.

Technology with the highest precision

To achieve this, the PAMs manufactured by MPIA must guarantee an extremely high level of accuracy and stability in positioning the optical elements such as filters, coronagraphs and mirrors over several hours.

During operation, the PAMs may not tilt by more than 40 milliarcseconds (3.6 million milliarcseconds make up one degree) over eight hours. This constraint corresponds to an angle which would allow you to perceive a person's height in Los Angeles from Heidelberg.

These requirements and the complexity of the CGI make it the most elaborate and expensive scientific instrument ever to be stationed in space. If the first tests in space are successful, the CGI will be made available to astronomers to study exoplanets.

A blueprint for future generations

If the CGI mission succeeds, optimizing the technique may qualify it for future space telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The direct imaging of a second Earth would then be within reach.

The Roman Space Telescope, initially called WFIRST (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope), is named after the astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, who led NASA's astronomical research programs for decades. Among other things, she was responsible for the scientific planning of the Hubble Space Telescope. The launch of the Roman telescope is scheduled for 2027.

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Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to research from the University of Waterloo.

Using a new method of analysis, the researchers found that a rise in temperature of 3 degrees Fahrenheit could reduce strawberry yields by up to 40%. Canada is a major importer of strawberries from California. In 2022, Canadian imports of strawberries from California were worth US$322.8 million.

"This research shows how climate change can directly impact the foods we love, emphasizing the importance of sustainable farming practices to maintain a stable food supply for everyone," said Dr. Poornima Unnikrishnan, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo.

Sustainable farming practices could include optimizing irrigation to ensure adequate water supply during heat waves, using drip irrigation and scheduling operations to avoid peak periods of hot weather as well as using shading plants and installing shade structures to mitigate heat stress.

The research team included Unnikrishnan, Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam, who is also from Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo, and Dr. Fakhri Karray, from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi. They started their analysis with strawberries because of their popularity and notoriously short shelf life. They say these results suggest potential implications for the availability of all produce imported from California.

The researchers used a model that predicts probability of yield loss by linking air temperature anomalies and strawberry yield. This process allowed for the measurement of greater variability over time and the most accurate findings to date.

"We hope the better understanding of the influence of rising temperatures on crop yield will help in the development of sustainable agriculture responses from the government and farmers," Ponnambalam said. "There is an urgent need for farmers to adopt new strategies to cope with global warming."

Strawberries are one of the most lucrative commodities for the economies of California and the United States. The 2022 market for strawberries alone was worth more than US$3 billion.

The paper, "Influence of Regional Temperature Anomalies on Strawberry Yield: A Study Using Multivariate Copula Analysis", appears in the journal Sustainability.

More information: Poornima Unnikrishnan et al, Influence of Regional Temperature Anomalies on Strawberry Yield: A Study Using Multivariate Copula Analysis, Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.3390/su16093523
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Schematic diagram of sampling Dongkemadi Glacier. Credit: Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108788

With the increasing attention on global climate change and glacier retreat, the study of glacier microbiota has gradually become an important field of research.

Prof. Zhang Wei's research team from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that the processes of sequestration, release and colonization of glacier microbes alter the diversity and structure of glacier microbial communities as well as the complexity of microbial networks.

The researchers used a Z-P plot of species topological roles to screen the keystone taxa of glacier microbial communities. The results indicated that the keystone taxa in the glacial microbial ecosystem of the Dongkemadi Glacier mainly belong to the genus Polaromonas. The findings are published in Environment International.

They demonstrated that hierarchical interactions among different microorganisms increased the complexity of the bacterialfungalarchaeal network, and this complexity increased sequentially with the processes of sequestration, release, and colonization of glacial microorganisms.

Furthermore, most keystone taxa in the glacial ecosystem are influenced by the combined properties of multiple environmental factors, suggesting that these keystone taxa are not severely lost due to sudden changes in individual environmental factors.

"As a sensitive area to climate change, the future temperature trend of the glacier area will significantly affect the structure of the glacier microbial community," said Prof. Zhang.

More information: Puchao Jia et al, Habitat changes due to glacial freezing and melting reshape microbial networks, Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108788 Journal information: Environment International
As many as 10 young individuals robbed a man during a brazen attack on a Chicago train last week.

Authorities made a single arrest of a 16-year-old boy Monday and charged him with robbery and aggravated battery of a victim 60 or older in connection with the incident, police said, according to WFLD-TV.

The victim, identified by the outlet as 63-year-old Michael Manning, said he had just finished working a 12-hour shift and was keeping to himself during the train ride home when the attackers converged on him.

"This was surreal. I think I was just so shocked. I think I kind of went numb," Manning recalled, according to WFLD.

"I knew right away that this was not going to go well, no matter what I said or did," he said. "It was like I was literally running through a gauntlet of fists."

"They just pounded on me, and I knew I had to get off this car to not die," said Manning.

Manning said he got off at the next stop, but the suspects followed and continued to beat him. They allegedly stole his debit card before hopping back on the train, leaving the battered victim beside the tracks.

Investigators are still searching for the rest of the suspects, described by police as Black males and females between the ages of 14 and 22.

"I don't understand how you can have this type of lawlessness and wanton disrespect, disregard for basic humanity," Manning criticized. "And there's no checks and balances anywhere."
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Antibacterial mechanism of Ni-IH-7 peptide nanozyme. Credit: Gao Lizeng's group

A research team led by Prof. Gao Lizeng from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a bactericidal mechanism based on nanozymes that simulate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antimicrobial enzymes (AMEs) according to biomimicry principles, and designed a dual-functional high-efficiency antimicrobial nanozyme.

Their research was published in Nature Communications on July 5.

Starting from the rational design of multi-peptide nanozymes, based on the key amino acids in the active sites of AMPs and AMEs, including histidine and cysteine, and combining peptide self-assembly and metal coordination principles, using various computational methods such as Alphafold2, molecular dynamics simulation, and density functional theory, the researchers optimized and selected a group of 7-peptide sequences IHIHICI.

The self-assembled nanozyme (AMPANs) possesses both AMP and AME functions, demonstrating specific and efficient fungicidal effects.

The researchers selected Ni(Ac) 2 -assembled peptide nanotubes (Ni-IH-7) as the research object. Enzymatic studies showed that Ni-IH-7 has phospholipase C-like activity and peroxidase-like activity.

Due to the formation of a stable secondary structure nanotube, the Ni-IH-7 peptide nanozyme exhibited good tolerance to various hydrolytic enzymes.

In addition, they found that the Ni-IH-7 peptide nanozyme could selectively bind to the mannoprotein on the surface of Candida albicans and induce lipid peroxidation, leading to iron death and hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids, thus rapidly killing the fungi.

In vitro colony smear plate experiments on vaginal discharge from patients with vaginitis confirmed that the Ni-IH-7 peptide nanozyme had good antifungal effects and the bactericidal performance was not compromised by other substances in the secretions.

This study is the first to propose the strategy of combining antimicrobial peptides with nanozymes, designing and synthesizing peptide nanozymes from scratch through computer simulation, and systematically studying their specific mechanism of killing fungi, providing insights for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs.

More information: Ye Yuan et al, Stable peptide-assembled nanozyme mimicking dual antifungal actions, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50094-6 Journal information: Nature Communications
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Scientists, from left, Ethan Coon, Phong Le, Gabriel Perez and Saubhagya Rathore, discuss flood-prone areas in the ORNL Everest visualization lab. The team developed a 3D modeling framework to more accurately assess long-term flooding hazards and population risks. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

To better predict long-term flooding risk, scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a 3D modeling framework that captures the complex dynamics of water as it flows across the landscape. The framework seeks to provide valuable insights into which communities are most vulnerable as the climate changes, and was developed for a project that's assessing climate risk and mitigation pathways for an urban area along the Southeast Texas coast.

The modeling framework offers a powerful tool for urban planning by providing robust estimates of both frequent and rare flood events. By modeling the physical processes that transform rainfall into runoff, the framework accounts for factors such as land cover, soil properties and slope of the land.

These elements, incorporated alongside population density data, provide a unique perspective on flood risk across vast areas such as river basins. This comprehensive approach is detailed in a study published in the Journal of Hydrology.

The modeling capability was developed for the Southeast Texas Urban Integrated Field Laboratory, or IFL, a DOE project using multidisciplinary science to inform pathways for climate resilience in the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas, region. The area is home to the world's largest oil refinery and is a major industrial center for the United States. Its proximity to the Gulf Coast makes the region vulnerable to flooding and land subsidencethe gradual sinking of the ground over timewith additional stressors from population density and pollution presenting multiple challenges to local decision-makers.

"This new state-of-the-art model not only estimates the streamflow magnitude of rare events such as a 100-year flood, but it also quantifies its associated flood depth, allowing us to assess the impact on the population directly," said Gabriel Perez, who co-led the work as a postdoctoral researcher in ORNL's Watershed Systems Modeling group, and is currently an associate professor at Oklahoma State University.

"That's a very unique framework, that can help us better understand how flood risk is evolving due to climate change and urbanization."

In developing such a model, "it becomes much more important to rely on the underlying physics of flooding because those are true throughout time, as opposed to a model that's calibrated under today's conditions and might not be right in tomorrow's climate or tomorrow's cities," said Ethan Coon, project co-lead, senior R&D staff, and principal investigator for ORNL's research for the Southeast Texas Urban IFL.

The new framework incorporates the Amanzi-ATS software, an integrated surface-subsurface hydrological model developed by ORNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Amanzi-ATS provides a holistic view of hydrological systems.

It captures subsurface flows, considering complex geology and soil properties, and accounts for unique topography, including the representation of water infrastructure and disturbances such as changes in land use by accelerated urbanization. Results may identify new flood-prone areas, specifically pinpointing risks for area populations.

On the 2,227-kilometer-square Village Creek basin upstream of Beaumont-Port Arthur, ORNL scientists used the framework to simulate thousands of flood events to estimate flood hazard and population flood exposure for events up to the 500-year return period. The case study relied on population estimates from the ORNL LandScan dataset, in addition to land and soil datasets, hourly radar rainfall data, streamflow measurements and a multitude of other datasets, resulting in an Amanzi-ATS model setup with nearly 1.9 million elements.

"Modeling flood events across an entire river basin with this level of detail requires immense computing power," Perez said. The model was run on the Perlmutter supercomputer at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science user facility, at Lawrence Berkeley.

Forward-looking framework

"We're able to replicate a wide range of observations, including streamflow, vegetation effects, soil moisture content and even groundwater changes. These initial results boost our confidence in capturing flood processes and enhance our ability to quantify flood changes over the coming decades. This approach is crucial to meeting the mission of the Urban IFLs," Perez said.

"What's different here is that we're not just analyzing precipitation," Coon said. "We're computing stream flows, but we're also computing inundated areas and tying that to population data so we understand what these events mean for people on the ground."

"Models calibrated mostly on precipitation have a goal of predicting conditions in the next 30 days, and that is very useful for short-term flood planning," Coon added. "But for our longer horizon, it's important to lean on physics-based models. You don't want to make a 10- or 20-year plan based on today's events and infrastructure. You need different statistics and an idea of what conditions will be in the decades ahead."

Next, the scientists will apply the new modeling capability to a larger section of the Beaumont-Port Arthur region. One of their objectives is to simulate flood responses that reflect various future climate projections and land use changes. Among the challenges will be modeling compound flooding, an event in which multiple hazards interact, from coastal storm surges to river flooding, simulating the influence of precipitation on impervious surfaces in urban corridors and how water infrastructure interacts with flood events.

The end goal, Coon said, is providing the ability for urban planners to best answer planning commissioners' questions about approaches such as wetland restoration or other full-basin integration projects. "For instance, would such an approach avoid the need to build more culverts and ditches? We want to have a tool that can respond to such scenario-driven queries," he said.

Developing mitigation solutions that are transferrableproven successful in one region that can be deployed in other statesis one of the project goals. The Southeast Texas Urban IFL is one of four field labs sponsored by DOE across the country with a mission of better understanding climate change impacts and developing equitable adaptation strategies alongside local partners. Contributing to this larger climate resilience effort is important.

"That's where the national lab participation comes in. We can help understand and facilitate that transferability. What we learn at each of the Urban IFLs can be made more broadly relevant," Coon said.

More information: Gabriel Perez et al, Advancing process-based flood frequency analysis for assessing flood hazard and population flood exposure, Journal of Hydrology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131620
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A road and major railway remain closed after a rockslide in the French Alps in August 2023 displaced 14,000 cubic meters of sandstone and shale. Credit: Pierre Bottelin

In August 2023, 14,000 cubic meters of sandstone and shale detached from a slope in the French Alps. This rockslide at La Praz closed a road and a major railway between France and Italy at least until the end of 2024.

Many systems that monitor unstable slopes depend solely on ground deformation measurements, using information about how much the surface of a slope moves to predict when it will fail completely. Such safety monitoring has been done at the La Praz site since 2006. But changes on the surface don't tell the full story about a slope's shifting stability or stiffness.

In a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, Bottelin and Baillet combined deformation monitoring data from the site with passive seismic monitoring data they collected over the 10 years prior to the landslide.

By recording the slope's ground vibrations over a decade, they gathered information about the slope's fundamental resonance frequency, or the frequency at which the ground material naturally vibrates. This frequency changes depending on several factors, including the stiffness of the ground material.

Ground deformation monitoring indicated that the slope was steady between 2012 and 2018. A 0.15-meter-wide crack then formed in 2018, and seasonal changes such as fluctuating precipitation levels contributed to minor shifts throughout the subsequent years. In 2023, the deformation rate jumped from 0.3 to 1.5 centimeters per day. Fifteen hours before the rockslide occurred, it accelerated to 20 centimeters per day.

The passive seismic monitoring revealed additional information about La Praz's behavior that surface deformation monitoring was unable to detect. In the six months preceding the collapse, the researchers detected a 24% decrease in the slope's fundamental resonance frequency, indicating that the slope was becoming less stiff.

The researchers suggest that monitoring an active rock slope's fundamental resonance frequency alongside ground deformation can provide a more complete picture of the slope's behavior and help predict collapses, which could help protect lives and livelihoods.

More information: P. Bottelin et al, Original Insights Into Rock Slope Damage Processes Until Collapse From Passive Seismic Monitoring, Geophysical Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GL109139 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters

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This story is republished courtesy of Eos, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here.
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Activists on the front lines of wildlife conservation routinely monitor news articles for information about infrastructure projects that could threaten at-risk animals. But that monitoring required more staff time than organizations on the ground could spare.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University helped ease this burden by working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature to develop a tool that monitors and identifies media articles related to environmental conservation.

Once a week, WWF India needed two full-time workers to monitor news and identify issues related to wildlife conservation, said Fei Fang, an associate professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D) at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science.

CMU researchers worked with the WWF to develop media-monitoring tools that allow staff to spend less time analyzing news about infrastructure and environmental conservation and more time advocating for and protecting wildlife.

The tools have been expanded to include media monitoring in low-resourced languages like Hindi and Nepali to gather news from communities where wildlife is especially at risk.

"We are trying to identify the news articles relevant to environmental conservation in a timely fashion for multiple languages and especially for those low-resource languages where we don't have a lot of label data," Fang said.

Fang deployed her first model, NewsPanda, in the United Kingdom, India and Nepal in 2022. On a weekly basis, the toolkit automatically detected and analyzed news and government articles written in English describing threats to conservation areas.

A pretrained large language model (LLM) classified the articles as relevant to conservation and infrastructure. The NewsPanda team created their dataset with WWF Nepal and India, labeling more than 1,000 articles. Along with scraping and analyzing the articles, NewsPanda also placed them on a map and created a bot to share articles via social media.

Workers at WWF who used NewsPanda asked Fang if her team could update this tool for articles written in local languages, like Hindi and Nepali. But staff at these organizations did not want to label 1,000 articles again to create the training data needed for these languages.

Fang said her research team needed to find a more efficient way of assisting with local media monitoring. She reached out to Lei Li, an assistant professor in CMU's Language Technologies Institute (LTI) who works on multilingual natural language processing.

"Where the text classification and information extraction technology is right now, natural language processing tools work well for high-resource languageslike English, Spanish, German, French and Chinesebecause you need labeled data to do supervised training," Li said.

"Once you want to add a new language where you don't have the annotated data, it doesn't work well. This is the exact problem we are trying to solve. We are trying to understand the text of these articles and extract the most important information in another language without much human-labeled data."

WWF Nepal agreed to help the research team develop this tool. Initially, the CMU research team tried commercially available machine translation tools, but it wasn't producing quality translations from English to Nepali. So researchers created NewsSerow, a news monitoring system that uses an LLM to summarize and classify articles written in Nepali. The tool is named after a serow, an animal found in Nepal.

The technology used to create NewsSerow isn't novel, but how the tools are put together is powerful, Fang said. NewsSerow has three modules: summarization, classification and reflection. Summarization uses GPT-3.5 turbo, an LLM similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, to summarize the information in the article in three sentences in a particular language, like Nepali.

Then, using the article's title and summary, the text is classified as relevant or not relevant to conservation with an explanation about this classification. Researchers used in-context learning in the LLM to develop the classification module.

They provided 10 examples, which included the title, summary, classification label and an explanation of the articles provided by an expert in the area. The process meant staff at WWF Nepal didn't have to label more than 1,000 articles, they just had to label 10.

Finally, NewsSerow performs a reflection, which double-checks if the tool's relevancy classification is accurate. The reflection module is optional, and researchers added it to decrease the number of false positives.

Researchers found NewsSerow performed comparably to other news summarization and classification models that required much more training data.

"That's exactly what we want to achieve. We want this workflow we built for NewsSerow to be used for other low-resource languages," Fang said "It's difficult when you want to establish a tool for a new language, but a domain expert is asked to label 300, 500 or 1,000 articles for us. It's not that hard to ask them to label 10. That's doable."

Researchers are working with WWF India to expand this tool to work on media monitoring in Hindi and other languages, and to expand to other sources such as social media.

A paper detailing the system is available on the arXiv preprint server.

More information: Sameer Jain et al, Where It Really Matters: Few-Shot Environmental Conservation Media Monitoring for Low-Resource Languages, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2402.11818 Journal information: arXiv
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

When Uber expanded into food delivery, the move was expected to bring additional revenue to the ridesharing company. It certainly did.

Since its inception in 2016, Uber Eats has experienced explosive growth. Yet this didn't come without a price. Recent research from the University of Michigan reveals that Uber Eats has cannibalized Uber's core business, reducing rideshare trip volumes for both Uber and Lyft.

The study, conducted by Yue Maggie Zhou, associate professor of strategy at U-M's Ross School of Business, and co-authors Hyuck David Chung and Christine Choi, analyzed data from New York City's rideshare and food delivery markets in 2015 and 2016, with additional tests in 2019.

They found that a 1% increase in local restaurants joining Uber Eats led to 2% fewer Uber trips and nearly 7% fewer Lyft trips. The research is posted to the SSRN Electronic Journal preprint server.

The drop in rideshare volumes is largely due to drivers switching between two services to maximize their earnings, the researchers say. Uber's expansion into the food delivery business allows drivers to use their idle time for food delivery.

When a significant number of drivers flock to the new business, the rider who requests the trip now has to wait for a longer time to be connected with the next available driver. When such experiences accumulate, the rider might decide to leave the platform, causing other riders to leave (due to direct network effects) and some drivers to abandon the platform (due to indirect network effects). As a result, the rideshare volumes dropped following the launch of Uber Eats.

"Given the network effects and the 'winner-take-all' nature of platform business, the loss of riders and drivers might be fatal to the platform," Zhou said.

Lyft also suffered from Uber Eats' impact. Before Uber launched the food delivery business, Lyft drivers interested in food delivery had to juggle multiple apps, such as Lyft and DoorDash, to avoid receiving requests from a platform while completing transactions on another.

Declining requests from a platform may lead to a lower performance rate and fewer orders assigned from the platform in the future. Oftentimes, drivers had to use multiple smartphones to manage scheduling burdens across different apps. The coordination costs of managing multiple platforms discouraged some rideshare drivers from working in the food delivery business.

With Uber's diversification into the food delivery business, Uber drivers were batched with either rideshare trips or food delivery orders when they turned on the Uber app. Drivers could choose which business to work on by modifying the settings on the Uber app instead of forgoing unwanted orders.

This not only lowers the coordination costs across different Uber apps but also minimizes Uber drivers' idle time, the researchers say. As a result, Lyft drivers may switch from working on Lyft and DoorDash to working on Uber and Uber Eats, leading to the drop of Lyft's rideshare volume.

"Our research highlights the hidden cost of Uber's diversification," Zhou said.

Annually, the launch of Uber Eats reduced Uber's potential trip volume in Manhattan by about 3.3 million trips. With an average fare of $15 per trip and Uber collecting 20%, this translates to a $10 million annual revenue loss in Manhattan. For Lyft, the impact was a 1.3 million trip reduction and a $4 million revenue loss.

To reduce cannibalization, platform businesses can increase compensation for existing services or encourage within-platform multihoming, the researchers say. For instance, Uber could increase rideshare fees for the drivers and lower prices for the riders.

Additionally, rewarding drivers who complete more rideshare trips or food delivery orders might attract new drivers or divert drivers from competitors like Lyft. Zhou also suggests lowering the coordination costs of operating across different platforms within the same platform firm to attract drivers from rival firms.

More information: Hyuck David Chung et al, When Uber Eats Its Own Business, and Its Competitors' Too: Resource Exclusivity, Oscillation, and Cannibalization following Platform Diversification, SSRN Electronic Journal (2024). DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4808752
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A team of researchers conducted a large-scale survey with a nationally representative sample in Japan to estimate their WTP for a nationwide wastewater surveillance system for infectious diseases. Their assessment using the contingent valuation method revealed that people have a mean WTP of $23.47, with a median WTP of $8.83 per household per year for the surveillance system. Using this, the national monetary valuation aggregate was found to be $497 million, which would cover the establishing and maintenance costs for the system, and also support applications of wastewater surveillance at major international airports in Japan. A progressive income tax is recommended to fund this system, so as to exempt lower-income individuals/households. Credit: Cannot be reused without permission

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased likelihood of other such outbreaks in the future warrant the strengthening of epidemic surveillance systems. Among these, continuous wastewater surveillance at wastewater treatment plants is considered more advantageous for understanding the community-level disease dynamics, as compared to clinical surveillance.

This is because such a continuous system captures the epidemic status of a larger population without any selection bias and provides higher testing capacity even during an outbreak. Moreover, such a system is relatively inexpensive. Consequently, the U.S. and most countries in the European Union have established regular wastewatersurveillance in their cities after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many other countries, including Japanwhere less than 20 cities implement wastewater monitoring for epidemic dataare still reluctant to adopt this system nationally.

This raises the question of whether a nationwide wastewater surveillance system for infectious diseases would be economically worthwhile in Japan. While cost-benefit analysis or return over investment (ROI) can help evaluate the system's economic efficiency, it is also important to understand the population's willingness to pay (WTP) for such a system in order to determine the budget allocations.

Understanding the public's WTP can also provide much-needed economic information for spearheading future discussions from a policy perspective. Consequently, a survey-based study led by Professor Byung-Kwang Yoo, from the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University and the Graduate School of Health Innovation at Kanagawa University of Human Services, estimated Japan resident's WTP for a hypothetical nationwide wastewater surveillance system for infectious diseases.

Explaining the rationale further, Prof. Yoo says, "Providing economic information to stakeholders can support the rationale behind implementing or continuing large-scale pathogen surveillance at wastewater treatment plants. For a potential future epidemic with uncertain risks, accurately simulating or predicting the wastewater surveillance system's ROI tends to be challenging. However, estimating the WTP elicited from taxpayers can overcome this challenge."

The findings of this study were published in Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology on 30 May 2024. The article was co-authored by Professor Rei Goto from Keio University, Professor Masaaki Kitajima from the University of Tokyo, Dr. Tomoko Sasaki, an independent consultant, and Dr. Sebastian Himmler from the Technical University of Munich.

For their study, the researchers conducted a large-scale online survey with a nationally representative sample of 2,457 people in Japan and gauged their WTP using the contingent valuation method.

The results of the survey suggested that around 97% of the respondents replied with a non-zero WTP. While the mean WTP was estimated to be USD ($) 23.47, the median was $8.83 per household per year for establishing and maintaining a regularized nationwide wastewater surveillance system.

Using the median value, the national monetary valuation aggregate was $497 million, which was more than the estimated potential costs for system maintenance ($33 million). In fact, the aggregated WTP would also be able to support broader applications of wastewater surveillance at major international airports in Japan.

Moreover, the survey revealed that the major predictors for WTP were income, education, age, and higher levels of awareness of disease outbreaks. Specifically, lower-income individuals/households were more likely to report a WTP of zero, and people over the age of 47 were more likely to report a higher WTP.

All in all, these results imply that most residents in Japan value a nationwide wastewater surveillance system and are willing to pay an additional annual tax of $8.83 for it, making the system economically justified for the country. To fund such a system and ease the burden of lower-income individuals/households, the researchers recommend a progressive income tax that exempts them from payments.

Concluding with the potential implications of these findings, Prof. Yoo says, "Our findings can inform and encourage Japan and other countries to launch or expand wastewater surveillance systems for infectious diseases. Governments can use our study as guidance for policy decisions and budget allocations for such a system. Moreover, even the U.S. and the EU can leverage our WTP study to justify the operations of their wastewater surveillance systems to their citizens."

More information: Byung-Kwang Yoo et al, Willingness to pay for nationwide wastewater surveillance system for infectious diseases in Japan, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1039/D4EW00332B
UPDATED, JULY 18, 9:15 a.m.: From the Warren County Department of Public Works. Closures of the following Warren County-maintained roads of 8 a.m. Wednesday:

Schroon River Road in Warrensburg, from Pucker Street to County Route 11

Federal Hill Road, Bolton (pictured last night)

Valley Woods Road, Bolton

Horicon Avenue, north of the golf course in Bolton

East River Drive, Lake Luzerne

County Route 11 in Bolton, passable in one lane but should be avoided.

Please note this list includes county-maintained roads only.

In addition, there are numerous town, Glens Falls and state-maintained roads where traffic is limited or impossible, including NYS Route 28, which remains closed in Johnsburg.

Warren County Bikeway should be avoided Wednesday, as there are multiple trees and branches down on several sections of the trail.

Residents should be aware of the possibility of additional thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon.

According to the National Grid Outage map:

14,000 remain without power in Warren County.

4,400 in Washington County

3,384 without power in southern Essex County

UPDATED, July 17, 5:30 a.m.: The National Weather Service in Albany this morning has placed eastern New York and western New England "within a marginal to slight risk for severe thunderstorms today."

In the meantime, crews are still working to restore power to Warren County, with 15,888 customers still without power this morning, and with nearly 5,000 out in Washington County, according to National Grid. The NYSEG power company is showing just a couple of their customers without power in Washington County near Salem. Nearly 3,400 customers are without power in southern Essex County, the National Grid map says.

Last evening, Tim Hardy, Washington County's deputy director of public safety, listed 83 storm-related incidents that the county is tracking. They include trees and wires down along with some fires, damaged homes and other issues.

Hudson Falls and Fort Edward appeared to take the brunt of the storm with wind gusts that reached nearly 90 mph. Still, problems from Dresden to Granville and Argyle are listed.

The list of street closures in Washington County last night included:

Fort Miller Rd, Fort Edward

North River Rd, Fort Edward

Ferry St, Hudson Falls

Street Rd at County Route 48, Argyle

County Farm Rd, Argyle

Glens Falls listed a dozen closed streets last night as part of the state of emergency.

Original post, July 16, 8 p.m.: The winds that ripped through the greater Glens Falls area, downing trees and dropping power linesat times causing fires along with the power outagessometimes hit 87 mph, though the rainfall itself was fairly typical for a summertime storm, according to Steve DiRienzo, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Albany.

We had very strong wind gusts in Glens Falls, DiRienzo said. We had a wind gusts up to 87 mph up...in Glens Falls. At the Glens Falls airport, we had gusts up to 69 mph.

We consider 58 mph severe, and these wind gusts were well over that. DiRienzo said, adding that the National Weather Service will likely visit Warren County Wednesday to survey and determine if a tornado touched down.

Shortly after the storm had blown through, Glens Falls had declared a state of emergency, listing 12 streets that were impassable due to downed power lines, flooding and downed trees.

DiRienzo said they are not sure if there was a tornado in the area, but by about 7 p.m., the weather service had not gotten a report of tornados.

At this writing, about 7:30 p.m., the National Grid outage map said that just over 18,000 were without power in Warren County, with another 6,700 without power in Washington County.

It was a fast-moving storm. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the area just before 5 p.m. Travelling east, the storm hit Glens Falls a little after five oclock, and by 6:30 the sun was shining over West Mountain.

The storm brought about 0.9 inches of rain with it to Glens Falls Tuesday, the weather service said. This amount is fairly typical for a thunderstorm this time of year, DiRienzo said. He said it is not uncommon for a storm to have one or two inches of rain this time of year.

Numerous roads throughout the region were blocked by trees or downed power lines. Emergency dispatchers were taking calls about downed trees, power lines down, fires started, and houses broken in towns from the Hadley-Luzerne area out into Fort Edward, Hudson Falls and Granville.

Don Lehman, the head of communications with Warren County, said he surveyed much of Queensbury after the storm.

Big huge trees uprooted, snapped off, Lehman said. His pictures on the countys Facebook page show many trees that had fallen on houses.

Tim Hardy, the deputy director of public safety for Washington County, asked people to be vigilant about downed trees and power lines. He said by 8 p.m. there were no reported injuries.

The Village of Hudson Falls is probably the hardest hit with all the trees and wires down, he said, but the work has been fast and sustained. The main roads are all open through the village.

Dorset Place, a side street about a mile west of Queensbury High School, was hit particularly hard.

Large trees were uprooted by the storm and flung across front yards and driveways, as if a blast of wind had come straight down the street. The damage appeared to run from north to south along the road.

The storm hit just after a tornado warning had been issued for Warren County.

I was scared, very scared, said Maggie Cafaro. There were trees across her front yard as well as on the roof. The roots of one of the trees were showing above a neat, circular hole in the ground.

A large tree crashed into the family room of Vincent Ritorto at 3 Dorset Place and also damaged an upstairs bedroom.

I had just gone into the basement, gone a couple of steps, and all I heard was boom! Ritorto said. And then I came up and heard drizzling and the water just running down into the room.It was the second severe storm to hit the area in as many days.

The Monday night storm in Glens Falls left much of the city without power for hours as crews worked to lift trees off downed lines. Although some residents, surveying the damage Tuesday morning wondered if the city had been hit by a tornado, the weather service confirmed earlier in the day that they did not believe so.

There was a strong line of thunderstorms that tracked from west to east throughout the state of New York yesterday, said Abigayle Gant, a meteorologist at the NWS Albany, speaking about the Monday night storm.

She said that winds reached about 33 mph.

We did have some stronger thunderstorms through the area that produced some strong wind gusts, but we have not received any sort of report that Im aware of this morning that there were any funnel clouds or tornadoes or anything like that.

The Tuesday afternoon storm is the same storm system which produced the strong winds in the Chicago area and out in the mid-west area Monday, DiRienzo said.

That system weakened overnight, and then with the suns heating today strengthened again, DiRienzo said in the Tuesday evening interview. So this is two days in a row where these tremendous winds have been seen and produced a lot of damage as it made its way across the country.

<&rule>

<&rdpEm><&rdpStrong>Editors Note</&rdpStrong></&rdpEm>: Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge, Nayanika Guha, and Greg Brownell contributed to the reporting. Brownell, Guha and Luke Mosseau contributed photos.
An out-of-state police officer fatally shot a person outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Tuesday.

The Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9 confirmed members of the Columbus Division of Police in Ohio were involved in the shooting.

Columbus police officers, as well as several officers from around the country, are at the RNC to support local police with security for the four-day event.

Hundreds of thousands of Republicans are reportedly in town for the convention.

It's unclear if the shooting is connected to the event.

No officers were injured.

The incident comes days after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet during a deadly attack at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Trump, 78, appeared at the RNC Monday night in his first public appearance since what authorities are investigating as an attempted assassination that left the shooter and another attendee dead.
ATLANTIC CITY  The citys cannabis gold rush continues, with the 31st site plan approval of a proposed dispensary at 1624 Pacific Ave., next door to another planned dispensary.

The Board of Directors of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on Tuesday granted minor site plan approval to Score 420 DJ Inc. for a Class 5 cannabis dispensary at the site, which was a former law office. There is no parking on site, but the business leased space for eight cars in a neighboring lot, CRDA Planning Director Lance Landgraf told the board.

At the same meeting, the board gave site plan approval to Hammerhead Manufacturing Co. NJ LLC for a manufacturing facility to turn marijuana plants into products such as edibles, what is known as a Class 2 license.

That site is at 112 Park Place, within the parking garage for The Claridge hotel, a fifth-floor section that has most recently been used for office space, Landgraf told the board.

Board member Mike Beson, who has consistently voted against cannabis applications, has asked for a running tally of the number of applications. So far, Landgraf told him, three manufacturing sites have been granted site plan approval.

So there will be two cannabis dispensaries right next to each other? Beson said.

Correct, Landgraf replied.

A CRDA vote is just one of the approvals needed for a business to start legally selling cannabis in Atlantic City, with the most significant step coming from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which is charged with licensing legal cannabis companies.

Stockton first New Jersey college to offer cannabis studies undergraduate degree Stockton University will become the first college in New Jersey to offer an undergraduate degree in cannabis studies this fall.

There are more than 150 licensed dispensaries in the state so far, with seven open in Atlantic City, in addition to one that is open only to those with medical marijuana cards. For the first quarter of 2024, statewide sales totaled more than $201 million, up 38% over the same period the year before.

Atlantic City has gone all in, establishing a sizable green zone covering much of the commercial areas of the city. That includes the Tourism District, where the CRDA holds planning and zoning authority, which is what brings the CRDA board into the picture.

There have been times at which CRDA board members have asked just how much weed will be too much, but for the most part, cannabis site plan approvals have become a routine element of board meetings. Usually, Beson is the lone no vote.

If all of the proposed locations eventually open, for which there is no guarantee, there could be several instances where competing dispensaries are located next door or nearby. Score 420 DJ is located across the street from the Carnegie Library and near the former location of The Sands casino, which was demolished in 2007.

The location is less than 1,000 feet from the other site plan approved Tuesday. Landgraf said the proposal will not result in any reduction in parking.

The first floor of the building already has a dispensary, Design 710, and it is close to the High Roller dispensary inside the Claridge. There will not be any changes to the exterior of the building.

No sales to the public will occur at the site, Landgraf said.

City officials see cannabis as an economic driver. In multiple instances, cannabis businesses have rehabilitated formerly vacant space in old buildings, and there are plans to demolish a former church at Pennsylvania and Pacific avenues to make way for a dispensary and consumption lounge.
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP  A fast-moving forest fire broke out Tuesday at a major military gunnery range in southern New Jersey, but no injuries or property damage has been reported.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded around 2:15 p.m. to the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range in Ocean County, where weapons testing had been scheduled for late Tuesday morning. It wasn't immediately clear if the testing had taken place and, if it did, played a role in the fire.

The blaze had burned roughly 600 acres by late Tuesday night. The fire is approximately 50% contained. Fire service said crews were burning brush ahead of the blaze to prevent its spread.

The range covers 9,400 acres and 60 miles of airspace, according to the New Jersey National Guard. Its used for a variety of military exercises, including weapons delivery practice for helicopters and other aircraft teams, laser training, and gunnery and munitions drills.

The range, which is secluded from roads by dense forests, is about 34 miles south of Joint Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst, one of the largest military facilities in New Jersey. It also was the scene of a 2007 fire that burned 17,000 acres and led to the evacuation of thousands of residents. That fire, which was touched off when a pilot dropped a flare into the range during a training exercise, destroyed four homes and damaged about 50 others.

The next update on the fire was expected about 10 a.m. Wednesday .
A prominent Florida real estate developer was found dead by suicide when FBI agents raided his $4.2 million waterfront home Tuesday morning to arrest him in a murder-for-hire probe involving his estranged wife, according to reports.

Sergio Pino, 67, died "from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," the FBI said, according to Miami TV station WPLG.

A SWAT team entered Pino's house in Coral Gables' swank Cocoplum neighborhood after calling out to anyone inside and getting no response, according to the Miami Herald, which cited the FBI.

Agents reportedly found Pino's body in an upstairs bedroom.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri said in a statement that the raid was part of a "search and arrest" operation tied to the murder-for-hire investigation that began in the fall, according to the Herald.

In a statement, Pino's lawyer criticized the "level of law enforcement activity" at his home, calling it "unprecedented and unnecessary, especially since we had offered to surrender him, should that have become necessary."

"Today's events mark a very tragic ending to an investigation that we were confident we could successfully defend," lawyer Sam Rabin said. "There were many rumors and allegations, but what was lacking was evidence."

Pino's house was also raided earlier this month, as was the office of his Century Homebuilders Group in Coral Gables, the Herald reported at the time.

The FBI has been investigating Pino's possible connection to assaults against his estranged wife, Tatiana Pino, and her relatives that led to the arrests of four men, the Herald said.

One of the men arrested was reportedly a household employee of Sergio Pino's.

The FBI also conducted a related raid Tuesday in Cutler Bay, where a neighbor said a man named Fausto Villar was arrested, according to the Herald.

In the U.S., the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
NEW YORK  Virginia-based Capital One said Wednesday it plans to offer $265 billion in lending, investing and philanthropy projects as part of its pending $35 billion merger with Discover Financial. The plan is designed to appease federal bank regulators, who have been initially skeptical of approving the merger, which would create the worlds largest credit card company if it goes through.

The five-year, $265 billion community benefit plan consists of several initiatives by Capital One, including a plan to lend $200 billion to low- and middle-income consumers, $44 billion in community development work and hundreds of millions of dollars to nonprofits, small businesses and minority-owned financial institutions.

Announced back in February, Capital One said it plans to buy and merge with Discover Financial Services, which will create the seventh-largest bank in the country as well as the largest credit card company. Capital One would also acquire Discovers payment network, a rare asset.

Auto thefts continue to rise in Richmond, Chesterfield The street with the most stolen vehicles in Chesterfield was Midlothian Turnpike, a busy stretch of town that includes a lot of convenience stores.

The Biden Administration has not weighed in on the Capital One-Discover merger specifically yet, but some of the major bank regulators and Democratic politicians have made public comments that large bank mergers  those over $100 billion like this deal  should be given extra scrutiny. Other non-bank mergers have also received increased scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

Further several community and consumer groups have expressed concern or alarm about the size of the merged company, feeling it might reduce competition, and how much exposure a combined Capital One-Discover has to the credit card market.

Notably, Capital One is including credit card lending as part of its plan. The McLean, Virginia-based company, which has a large presence in Goochland Countys West Creek Campus, plans to offer $125 billion in credit card loans to low- and middle-income consumers as well as $75 billion in auto lending. Historically banks would offer lending programs to small businesses and mortgages, but Capital One doesnt have a mortgage lending department to do so.

Consumer groups are expected to put heavy pressure on the Biden Administration to make sure the deal is good for consumers as well as shareholders.

The reason Capital One isnt making any mortgage commitments here has some dark irony: They quit mortgage seven years ago, breaking promises they made the last time they bluffed regulators to get a merger through, said Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a group that often works with banks to develop these community lending programs. NCRC did not work with Capital One on this plan, but has worked with Capital One in the past on similar programs when it had previous mergers.

Capital One said the plan was developed in partnership with the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, NeighborWorks America, the Opportunity Finance Network and the Woodstock Institute.

Throughout this process, we were encouraged by Capital Ones ownership of areas where it has room for improvement and openness to discussing ideas beyond its comfort zone. We look forward to continuing to work together to deliver on the plans commitments and help drive capital to the communities that need it most, said Harold Pettigrew, president and CEO of OFN.

Capital One also pledged not to close any branches as part of the merger, and to continue opening more branches in low-income neighborhoods. The bank promised to keep one third of its branches in low-to-middle income census tracts as well, with plans to open more Cafes  a type of branch that acts as a community center, coffee shop and meeting space  in these neighborhoods as well.

This plan delivers high-impact, scalable solutions for low- and moderate-income communities, and its commitments and ambition reflect the robust, candid dialogue that drove its development, said Andres Navarrete, executive vice president and head of external affairs at Capital One, in a statement.
State health officials are advising residents stay out of lower portions of the James River after they discovered a leak in a sewer pipe.

The state health department announced Wednesday afternoon that people should avoid entering the river from the Manchester Bridge at Ninth Street in downtown Richmond to Osborne Landing in Henrico County, a stretch of roughly 12 miles.

Activities that do not involve getting into the water are safe, such as fishing, boating and canoeing. Entering the river farther upstream, near Belle Isle and Pony Pasture, is also safe.

On Wednesday, state officials received word that a sewer pipe near the Pipeline Trail along the James River was leaking. Health officials determined sewage and high levels of bacteria had entered the water.

The citys Department of Public Utilities is in the process of shutting down the pipe, and the Department of Environmental Quality is taking water samples. The advisory will be lifted once bacteria levels reach an acceptable threshold.

Health officials advise that no one swim, wade, tube or kayak in the water. Ingesting contaminated water can cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and other illnesses. Sickness also can occur when contaminated water touches the ears, nose, throat and skin.

Entry points to potentially contaminated sections of the river include Great Shiplock Park and Chapel Island, Dock Street Park, Wharf Street/Intermediate Terminal, Ancarrows Landing and Osborne Landing.

The health department has seen no impact on the areas drinking water, which is sourced farther upstream. A pipe burst in Petersburg earlier this month, leading officials to advise residents boil their water. The pipe was repaired in a matter of days.

Work to stop the leak along the James River began immediately. City officials determined a pump on a 50-year-old pipe had gone off line, according to Department of Utilities spokesperson Rhonda Johnson. Crews were able to reestablish a bypass, removing the flow from the 42-inch pipe and mostly stanching the leak.

The city will begin a short-term repair by Thursday. A contractor will install large inflatable plugs to isolate the damaged line, preventing additional flow. Then a welder will seal the leak with a temporary patch.

The long-term fix will require more in-depth work, Johnson said. The pipe is elevated above the river, and access is a challenge. The city also closed the Pipeline Trail on Wednesday.

In general, health officials suggest residents observe signage posted at river access points; avoid water that has a foul odor, discolored water or dead fish; promptly wash skin with soap and water if you cannot avoid contact and seek medical care if you experience adverse health effects.

Even when pipes are functioning correctly, sewage still enters the James River. Because the city has an outdated sewer system, heavy rain causes sewers and storm drains to merge and flow into the James River. When these pipes dump sewage into the river, the problem is referred to as a combined sewer overflow.

The city is working on replacing the system, but repairs could cost more than $900 million.

The city of Richmond has a map on its website showing the points at which sewage can enter the water, and it marks if any pipes have overflown in the past two days. A period of heavy rain can cause a combined sewer overflow.

On Wednesday afternoon, all of the overflow sites were functioning normally.

Pipes along the Pipeline Trail have caused problems in the past. In July 2021, the city closed the trail for four months because of issues with the pipes.

From the Archives: The Great James River Raft Race
A Tennessee mom was allegedly driven to drown her daughter in a creek because she had a "rough day" and "wanted time alone," said police.

Brandi Elliott, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 7-year-old Piper Elliott Saturday in a Hendersonville, Tennessee creek, said authorities.

Elliott allegedly told investigators she was having a "rough day" and "wanted time alone," so she went outside, only for her daughter to follow, court documents read, WTVF-TV reported.

Piper would not "give her what she wanted," so she took her daughter across the street to a creek and held her underwater "like a largemouth bass" until she felt her "bubbling," Elliott allegedly confessed to detectives.

Elliott scolded Piper to "be quiet" as she carried out the alleged slaying, according to the documents, WKRN-TV reported.

Afterward, Elliott told investigators she realized she had done something wrong and tried to revive her daughter. Piper was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"She loved [her daughter] more than anything in the world and she was her everything," Elliott's coworker, Jasmine Emery, told the station. "It's crazy to think that [she] is gone now."

According to a GoFundMe, Piper's dad, Jon Elliott, is a military veteran who was "injured in combat" and had been hospitalized in the ICU for the past week.

"His wife and daughter seen him yesterday and Piper brought her daddy a bunch of coloring book pictures she colored for him to hang up on the wall of his hospital room, a couple of hours later, she was killed," the description read.

Elliott is due in court Friday for a bond hearing. It's unclear if she entered a plea to the charge.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Tuesday announced that a federal judge had ordered American Muslims for Palestine, a Falls Church-based nonprofit organization, to produce documents as part of an investigation by Miyares office into alleged fundraising violations and sponsorship of terrorism.

Miyares is also investigating claims that the nonprofit used funds raised for impermissible purposes,  including benefiting or providing support to terrorist organizations, he said in a statement.

Miyares did not clarify which terrorist organizations the nonprofit is alleged to have funded. In the statement, he said his office would provide no further comment on the ongoing investigation.

As part of the probe, Miyares office had issued a civil investigative demand seeking legal documents, tax and financial forms, personnel files and donor information, records show. Miyares said that American Muslims for Palestine had filed a petition to set aside the demand, but a court on Tuesday denied that petition.

American Muslims for Palestine is a national education and grassroots-based organization, dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage, according to the organizations website. A spokesperson for the nonprofit could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a previous statement, a spokesperson for the group said Miyares investigation was a dangerous  (and) defamatory  attempt to smear and silence American Muslims who speak up for Palestinian human rights.

American Muslims for Palestine is a duly registered non-profit organization that has stood up for justice here and abroad for over a decade in compliance with the law, the statement read.

The statement said issues with fundraising licensure in Virginia are common and typically resolved on a civil level. By announcing a criminal probe, Miyares is attempting to score political points with hateful extremists, the statement alleges.

American Muslims for Palestine is also the subject of a federal lawsuit in Virginia Eastern District Court. In a complaint filed July 9 on behalf of seven Americans and two Israelis, attorneys for the plaintiffs accused the nonprofit of serving as Hamass propaganda division in the United States.

The nine plaintiffs all are either survivors of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack or are related to victims of the attacks and were injured by (American Muslims for Palestines) intentional, systematic, and substantial assistance to Hamass acts of international terrorism, the complaint says.

In the complaint, attorneys cite statements made by representatives of American Muslims for Palestine and other organizations. In one such statement made Oct. 8  the day after Hamas attacks on Israel left around 1,200 people dead  American Muslims for Palestine disseminat(ed) a manifesto and plan of attack,  identify(ing) themselves as PART of a Unity Intifada, the complaint claims.

(American Muslims for Palestine)  state that they seek liberation, a real process that requires confrontation by any means necessary, including armed struggle, the complaint continues.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages in an amount to be determined by trial, court records show.

Miyares previously helped organize an effort to collect surplus tactical gear from Virginias law enforcement agencies and send the gear to Israel for use by the Israel Defense Forces.

An ethics disclosure form signed by Miyares in February shows the attorney general was given $4,050 by a Virginia Beach doctor for a trip to Israel, where Miyares visited sites of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and met with senior Israeli officials.

Miyares office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on funding for the Israel trip.

From the Archives: The Virginia state Capitol building
Canada returns more than 250 archaeological pieces to Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico  The Mexican Consulate in Montreal has returned more than 200 archaeological artifacts to the country. The pieces were recently returned by a Mexican citizen living in Canada.

The Government of Mexico, through its Consulate General in Montreal, Canada, received in restitution 257 pieces of archaeological origin. The pieces were voluntarily handed over by Mexican citizen Susana Zarco Caron, who has resided in Canada since 1968.

At the restitution ceremony, the Consul General of Mexico in Montreal, Victor Trevino Escudero, acknowledged and thanked Mrs. Zarco Caron for her interest in returning this set of heritage items to Mexico.

Based on a report issued by specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), an institution of the federal Ministry of Culture, it has been established that the archaeological assets handed over are the property of the Mexican nation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones.

Of the 257 pieces, an analysis determined that 256 are movable archaeological monuments originating from various Mesoamerican civilizations with dates that begin in the Classic period (200-900 AD) and end in the Postclassic period (1200-1521 AD). The remaining piece is of a historical nature.

The 257 archaeological pieces will join the more than 13,500 recovered within the framework of the My Heritage is Not For Sale strategy, through which the Government of Mexico has reaffirmed its commitment to recover, safeguard and disseminate cultural heritage that has been illegally looted.
Mexico makes deal with Cuba for 2,700 doctors

Mexico City, Mexico  Mexico has announced an agreement with Cuba that will add another 2,700 doctors to the country. On Tuesday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the signing of a health agreement with Cuba to add 2,700 specialist doctors to Mexicos public health system.

The doctors will be assigned to the most remote communities and are in addition to the 950 medical specialists already hired from Cuba.

I think we are doing well. I would like to reiterate that I am very grateful for the support of the Cuban people and government because they are helping us by sending us specialist doctors, Lopez Obrador said at his Tuesday morning press conference.

In addition to the 950 specialist doctors who already work in 23 Mexican states, this agreement will strengthen the operation of 282 basic, community and comprehensive hospitals located in rural or highly marginalized areas, reported the General Director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Zoe Robledo Aburto.

The newly recruited health workers will cover core specialties including internal medicine, pediatrics and emergency medicine. The workforce will thus increase from four doctors to an average of 12 in priority hospitals, where surgical interventions can now be carried out with a full staff.

In order to reverse the shortage of general physicians and specialists in the country, the Government of Mexico is promoting various recruitment calls which have resulted in the recruitment of 7,000 new health workers at the three levels of care.

Zoe Robledo Aburto, General Director of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)

We have focused on ensuring that they have a sufficient number of specialist doctors so that the services offered, which the population expects to receive, can be carried out, explained the head of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).

As part of the reinforcement plan, more than 2,800 general physicians have been hired in nearly 12,000 health centers in the country. However, 3,646 medical personnel are still needed in 27 states including Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, State of Mexico, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan and Zacatecas.
Puerto Morelos paving projects tangible improvements

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  The paving of dirt roads in various areas of Puerto Morelos provides a tangible improvement for residents says Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Munoz.

Munoz gave the green light for the start of paving work on Mario Villanueva Madrid Avenue, between streets 6 and 7. These projects are a reflection of the current administrations commitment to the development and modernization of the municipality, she said.

Munoz said the paved road will be a significant improvement for families who for years had to travel on dirt roads, which during the rainy season becomes a headache.

The paving of 1,890 square meters with asphalt concrete is an investment in the safety and comfort of citizens to ensure smoother traffic, she said. The finished road will include the application of thermoplastic paint with microspheres to improve road visibility and safety as well as the installation of speed bumps and signs.

These improvements, in addition to beautifying Puerto Morelos, offer us a safer and more efficient environment for everyone. Adequate road infrastructure is essential for economic development because it facilitates access to local businesses and improves the quality of life of the population, she explained.

Blanca Munoz said that this is just one of the many projects that will be launched to ensure that Puerto Morelos grows in an orderly manner.

Photo: Ayuntamiento de Puerto Morelos July 2024.

Axel Rosado Ramirez, the Municipal Secretary of Public Works and Services, commented that the paving of this area was a highly requested demand by the residents of the Urban Zone.

The resources to be used, he indicated, come from the Fund for Contributions for the Strengthening of Municipalities and Territorial Demarcations of the Federal District (Fortamun).
These days, the world of contemporary American poetry is less one world than many. Never has so much poetry been published; rarely have there been more camps or contingents that have little to say to each other. This is not necessarily bad news. English-language poetry is a wide tent, and there is room for many different voices, styles, audiences, themes. But the reality is that the lack of a unifying vision, a shared sense of what poetry is and what it can do, has impoverished the art. In the absence of a cultural conviction about what role poetry plays in society, the lowest-common-denominator rule applies: poetry has become, for many, synonymous with (and reducible to) self-expression.

There is, however, a small resurgence of poets and critics willing to assert that poetry is more than self-expression, that it is a high and noble art modulated by discipline, technical skill, and deep attention to the worldthat poetry is perhaps even a holy art that carries with it communal, social, political, and theological responsibilities. For decades, the champion of this view was Dana Gioia, former head of the National Endowment for the Arts and author of many books of poetry, as well as countless articles, reviews, and even libretti for various operas. In recent years, the poet, critic, and teacher James Matthew Wilson has emerged as a promising voice for this view of poetry as a high and holy art. Wilsons triple calling has uniquely positioned him to shape and lead a community that may have a significant influence on English-language poetry across America.

The Experience of an Order

The publication earlier this year of Wilsons fourth full-length poetry collection, bearing the lovely title Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds, prompted me to take a broader look at the poets oeuvre so far. Besides his four poetry collections, Wilson has written eight nonfiction bookssix of literary criticism, one of philosophy, and one of theologyin which he brings his readers attention to sadly under-read poets like Thomas MacGreevy, Timothy Steele, and Denis Devlin.

Wilson is one of those poets whose creative work has developed in step with his critical eye, and these are the poets who tend to leave a lasting mark on a cultural landscape. As he shows in two monographs from Wiseblood Books, The Catholic Imagination in Modern American Poetry (now sadly out of print) and T.S. Eliot: Culture and Anarchy, Wilsons criticism is that kind of affirmative force we encounter in figures like Eliot (clearly a model for Wilson), W.H. Auden, and Geoffrey Hill. The purpose of criticism for thinkers like these is not merely to elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of a particular poet or school of poetry; it is to illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of poetry itself, and even of language. The aspiration here is nothing less than a foray into the nature of the spoken and written word and the limits of communication.

These questions, as any good epistemologist knows, bring us into the squashy land on the very borders of theology, for the central issue is this: Can language reveal the transcendent? Or is it, by nature of being an embodied and transitory thing, essentially cut off from the permanent things (incidentally the title of one of Wilsons books of criticism)?

These may seem like mere academic flourishes, of interest to only a few particularly brainy art-lovers, but the reality is that the best poetry has walked side by side with philosophyand particularly with questions about whether we can know Godfor millennia. From its beginnings as largely religious verse through the high tragedies and sparkling comedies of Greek drama, poetry has danced relentlessly with theology: Are the gods good? Can we know them? Do they make any sense to us, or are they an entirely distant, incomprehensible Other? Is nature distinct from God? Do we human beings have power over our own destiny, or are we ruled by inexorable Fate? Its not found only among the Greeks, either; ancient Eastern poems like the Mahabharata, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Near Eastern masterpieces included in the Christian Holy Scriptures all grapple with theological and metaphysical puzzles.

With this background, it makes perfect sense to expect a poetry critic to be working from a theological and/or metaphysical foundation. It makes even more sense for a critic to evaluate a poem based on its facility in navigating the strange territory where the sublime comes into the mundane, where the transcendent makes itself evident through the immanent. From this perspective, a great poet is someone who can see both these realities clearly, who can recognize some point where they collide, and through a rare combination of great technical skill with language and sweeping imaginative power can impress upon a reader the forceand beautyof that collision.

Unfortunately, this is not what many critics demand from poets. And that is what makes Wilson a remarkable voice in todays art world: he expects this level of perception, and this aspiration, from a work, and when it is not there, he notes that absence. In The Catholic Imagination in Modern American Poetry, he urges readers to consider the Catholic imagination as something richer and more lasting that

will provide resources for adapting the radical techniques of the modernists so that they take on a resonant theological, intellectual, and ontological significance that unites artistic novelty with permanent realities.

That is a mighty cry, but interestingly Wilson does not restrict this calling to creedal Catholic poets. He believes that the Catholic vision, with its claim to see the world whole, has artistic gifts to offer all poets. In T.S. Eliot: Culture and Anarchy, Wilson offers the Catholic vision of the Anglo-Catholic poet T.S. Eliot as an antidote to the anti-theologicaland ultimately self-defeatingculture of Matthew Arnold. He summarizes Eliots poetic project as the attempt to give to the benumbed and confused modern reader the experience of religious belief, grounded in an exact theology, in the form of a work of art (emphasis added). In doing so, Wilson argues, Eliot succeeded in giving us something the most brilliant political theory cannot: the experience of an order we requireand so seldom feelin our lives.

That, in brief, is what Wilson, following in the footsteps of contemporary poets like Gioia, believe poetry can do, even today. The torch has not burned out; even now, our language is still capable of giving us  the experience of an order we require. In his own poetry, Wilson is constantly striving to do this. Through his criticism, he brings these elements to light. And through his work as a teacher, he is helping rally a community of poets who share the conviction that poetry has a close kinship with theology and the things of the soul, a kinship that influences not only poetic themes but the very structure of the poem itself. In other words, the form.

The Graciousness of Form

Form is a tricky word in the world of contemporary poetry. What used to be widely recognized as the basis of any poetic accomplishmentelements like meter and rhyme, assonance and repetition, and many othersnow runs the risk of becoming a political test. Put as crudely as possible, conservatives favor form and progressives dont (and in some instances, this disfavor becomes distaste and even denouncement).

There are obviously noteworthy exceptions to this dreadful oversimplification; in fact, the better a poet is, the less this divide is of interest at all. The best poets understand that artists have a responsibility to use all the tools available to them, from rigorous meter to free verse as delicate as a spiders web. These poets write using whatever tools the material requires, regardless of any silly quasi-political associations with different techniques. Poets follow the dictates not of ideology but of reality, which sometimes manifests the forms that frame it and sometimes conceals those forms in an illusion of disorder.

Wilson, with a jubilant disregard for trends, crafts his own poems in careful metrical, sometimes rhyming forms. In his work as a teacher, he urges his students to master the forms as a prerequisite to experimentationa tried-and-true, yet often neglected, pedagogical method. And in his criticism, he refuses to examine the ideas of a poem separate from its form.

In its way, this is a charitable act. Form is, perhaps surprisingly, deeply helpful to non-poets. When I ask non-poets if they read poetry or like any poets, Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson are almost always near the top of the list. That is in large part because these poets worked masterfully in form, which gives their poems a music, a dance, an accessibility that is often missing from contemporary verse.

Much contemporary poetry is written largely for other poets. It does some interesting things, but things that are interesting only to other practitioners of the art. It scatters words liberally across a page with little regard for traditional grammatical structures, creating little puzzles that are intriguing to other contemporary poets but off-putting to machinists, elementary school teachers, computer programmers, lawyers, retirees, landscape architects, and other people who do not spend their days looking for strange and startling new usages. (This is, of course, referring only to very good contemporary poetry; there is plenty of contemporary poetry that is simply bad, including much of the poetry were told is good.)

Readers of poetry want to be startled, sure; they want to be gripped, surprised, and moved. But they dont want to be lost. They dont want to be toyed with. Form, perhaps counterintuitively, is a gracious way to interact with these readers. A formal poem teaches a reader how to read it; it sets up the rules, as it were, very clearly, so when the poet plays a trick (like a slant rhyme or a pun), the reader can say ah ha!can catch the trick and feel like he is a part of the poems world. Free-verse poems also teach readers how to read them, but the lessons are much more subtle. Simply put, it is easier to get confused by a free-verse poem than by a formal one. In addition, it is often easier for a less experienced reader to identify an effective formal poem than an effective free-verse poem; on the flip side, it is easier for him to identify a badly done formal poem than a badly done free-verse poem.

That is the courtesy Wilson is offering his readers and is teaching his students to offer: the courtesy of an accessible poem that aspires to give readers an experience of beauty, order, goodness, and truth.

High Poetry for the Public

None of this is to say, of course, that Wilsons work ignores the ugliness of the world. Many of his poems are disturbing and difficult, following the speaker into dark places. Some offer no sign of light. But the overall experience is one of stability; there is a sense that alongside, or under, or over, or throughout the chaos, there is a beautiful structure unfolding.

Between his work as a poet, as a critic, and as a teacher, James Matthew Wilson is doing something truly remarkable: he is crafting not only an oeuvre but a community based on the conviction that poetry is, even today, a high and holy art, and one that is for all readers, not merely a handful of other poets. Wilson is still a comparatively young writer, and in the decades to come, I anticipate that his mark on American letters will prove indelible.
BLACKSBURG  Patricia Buckley Moss, a painter whose angular signature P Buckley Moss became instantly recognizable to legions of fans during a decades-long career, pursued her loves of art, family and education until the end, one of her daughters said Tuesday.

Recounting how people often asked Moss if she was still painting, Becky Ghezzi said that her mother always answered, Well, why wouldnt I be?

Moss, a Blacksburg resident known to friends as Pat, died Saturday at age 91 in Mathews, the home of another of her daughters.

Her death came days after the discovery of a suspected glioblastoma, or brain tumor, Ghezzi said.

Plans for memorial services still are being worked out and will be announced on Moss business websites and social media pages, her daughter said.

A native of New York City, Moss famously turned to painting after dyslexia  little recognized then  impaired her school work and led one teacher to label her as not proficient in anything. Trained at a city arts high school, then at Cooper Union, Moss focused on fine arts and graphic design.

Starting in the 1960s, soon after moving to Waynesboro with her first husband and five children  with a sixth on the way  Moss built a commercial and philanthropic behemoth with determinedly upbeat paintings of landscapes and animals, and stylized depictions of Mennonite and Amish life.

Moss eventually created more than 100,000 images  thats only the ones weve cataloged, Ghezzi said  and kept her work approachable and always positive. Ghezzi described her mothers attitude as, You dont need more chaos, theres enough of that going on in the world.

Wendy Nester, manager of the Moss Gallery in Blacksburg, described Moss art as whimsical and light and easy for people to understand.  You never had a dark feeling when you saw these pieces.  They just made you feel glad.

In the 1980s, Charles Kuralt dubbed Moss the peoples artist, a description that joined a long list of awards and honors in her official biography.

Today, Moss paintings, prints and other merchandise are sold by about 79 authorized dealers across the country, including galleries in Blacksburg and Waynesboro that are dedicated to her work, according to her companys website. The P. Buckley Moss Society, founded in 1987, has 26 chapters and about 13,000 members, a biography statement said.

Her P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Childrens Education, funded by donations and limited-edition artworks that Moss created, awards scholarships to students with learning differences who are seeking higher education and grants to arts teachers to help buy supplies.

In 2013, Virginia Tech named its Moss Arts Center after the artist in recognition of her $10 million donation to the university.

One of her final paintings, finished this year and titled Changing the Future, was of Techs new Corps of Cadets Leadership and Military Science Building.

Since Moss death, theres been a great outpouring from admirers, Ghezzi said.  How many lives she touched, its just amazing.

Ghezzi said that Moss, who earlier lived near Claytor Lake, moved to Blacksburg about a decade ago. Ghezzi, who had lived in Blacksburg, now lives in Italy and Moss spent much of June visiting her there.

In a June newsletter distributed by her Blacksburg gallery, Moss wrote Looking across Valdichiana from my porch in Cortona, I couldnt help but reflect on my previous trips here, especially the ones with the Moss Society. I wish you could enjoy this spectacular day with me. I am fortunate to have two of my daughters here.

It was around the time of Moss return to the United States, accompanied by her daughter Patty Moss, that there were problems that prompted a visit to a medical facility and the scan that found the suspected glioblastoma, Ghezzi said.

A notice was sent out cancelling Moss appearance at a show and open house scheduled for last weekend at her Waynesboro gallery  Ghezzi said that she thought it was the first time that her mother had missed.

Ghezzi recalled that for her and her siblings, childhood schedules revolved around art and crafts shows where her mother exhibited and sold her paintings. The high point of summer vacations was an art show in Virginia Beach, because that meant the children could enjoy a week of sand and waves, Ghezzi said.

At the art shows, Moss would routinely approach local schools to see if she could give a presentation. The schools often tried to have her speak to advanced classes, Ghezzi said. But Moss didnt want that, instead saying, Give me the worst students you have because thats what I was, her daughter recalled.

Moss drive to include art in education didnt change. When she gave $10 million to Tech, one of the largest donations that the university had received, Moss remembered an early teacher who encouraged her own artwork.

If you teach us well, we will give you gifts, Moss said during Techs public announcement of her donation.

On Tuesday, Ruth Waalkes, the Moss Centers executive director, said that Moss continued to come to events at the arts center. In May, Moss came to a senior arts student reception held as part of graduation weekend.

She really cared about the students and education, Waalkes said.

Nester said that Moss had remained very involved at her Blacksburg gallery, located in the Kent Square complex on Main Street. Moss came in every week or two to sign artwork or meet clients, Nester said.

She had a way of touching everyone, said Nester, who called Moss a second mother.

 She treated everyone with just such respect  She had time and she always had a story, Nester said.
Octavius Price tried to fit a needle and thread through a tiny hole to stitch together an owl cutout made from felt.

Dont stab yourself, his friend Arnezia Peroyrobinson said.

The teenagers made hand-sewn animals during a STEAM Power Hour at Melrose Branch Library. The weekly Tuesday evening event brings kids of all ages to work on projects related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, or STEAM.

Victoria Cobbs, the Melrose library assistant who runs the STEAM program, looked out the window as the sun sank.

Will you be walking home? she asked a teenage girl from the neighborhood. The girl said she was. Cobbs advised that the girl leave before it gets dark and let her mother know she would be on her way home.

Friday marks five years since the Melrose Library in northwest Roanoke expanded from its previous 1960s-era location into a facility with more space and materials. The branch, which is housed in a portion of the former Goodwill Industries headquarters that has become a hub in the Melrose area, has succeeded in bringing residents, grassroots organizations and government partners together to form a community center, library officials said.

Melrose is one of the best examples of how thats been really successful on multiple levels, said Sheila Umberger, Roanokes Director of Libraries.

We have a lot of buy-in from the community. This is their space and its wonderful to watch it.

The Melrose location at 2502 Melrose Ave. N.W., Suite D, has grown to be one of the citys most diverse and busiest branches, Umberger said.

The strength is the relationships we developed in planning this location, Umberger said.

Roanoke has six library branches and three e-branches across the city, each meeting needs of specific neighborhoods.

Multiple meetings with northwest Roanoke residents and partners revealed a desire for more family programs, youth involvement and workforce development from an improved library. The new library opened in 2019 and offers more flexible spacing, updated technology and an expanded book collection.

The idea for the STEAM Lab originated during the community meetings. Melrose is currently the only branch with a STEAM Lab.

We were concerned about students having access to sciences and technology and then we added the arts, so the STEAM Lab is something that grew out of that, Umberger said.

The library also partners with Goodwill Industries of the Valleys to provide workforce development for residents. Umberger, a member of Goodwills board of directors, said the library and Goodwill work closely together on initiatives for children and families.

The Melrose branch works to help prevent gun violence in collaboration with Roanoke Citys Star City Safe Program by offering more evening hours than other branch locations so youth have a place to go and something to do in the evenings.

The idea is that we provide a safe space for families to come and a place for children to choose to be, Umberguer said.

On a Tuesday afternoon, children came from around Roanoke to practice twirls during an interactive story time with Abigail Herron, a dancer with Roanoke Ballet Theatre. Herron read a childrens version of Alice in Wonderland while dressed in the character of Alice from the ballets recent production.

Children from Melrose Adventist Child Development Center attended along with people from neighborhoods in Old Southwest, Raleigh Court and Roanoke County.

It has a great representation of different cultures that some libraries dont have, Branch Manager Antinette Beane said of the Melrose Library. We give a lot of love, a lot of knowledge, but most of all kindness.

After the story was over, Herron asked the attendees to show her how they would fall down a rabbit hole, like the character Alice did in the story.

Sometimes you feel like youre flowing down a rabbit hole, sometimes it can feel like youre jumping down a rabbit hole, Herron said.

More than a dozen young children pretended to venture into a new mysterious land, jumping, twirling around and flapping their arms.

In addition to providing books and community programs, Melrose Library works to be a safe place for citizens. Beane said she runs a tight ship. She has a few basic rules: No throwing food, be respectful of each others space and no bad or derogatory language. Three strikes and youre out.

So by the third time I see you throwing food or doing something, you out.  Come back tomorrow and well try again, Beane said of rule breakers. We have got to have some type of order.

Beane has compassion for her Melrose Branch patrons because of the hardships she says they might experience at home.

Unless youre boots on the ground you just have no idea what these children go through, she said. Everybody who walks in the door is given a friendly greeting.

Beane said the Melrose Branch Library is a hub for the northwest neighborhood and place for community members to come and feel safe.

Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 11, 2023, the Roanoke Police Department reported 43 aggravated assaults or homicides where victims were hit by gunfire in the northwest quadrant, compared to single-digit numbers in the southwest, northeast and southwest quadrants of the city. In the past six months, northwest had eight of these incidents, where the other quadrants had three or less.

Outside, children played on the large, new playground built near the library by the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke for the Melrose community.

Jasmine Huff, 32, said she moved to Roanoke two years ago from West Virginia for a job as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Huff said she took her four children to the Kiwanis Club playground when she first noticed the library. They have been coming several times a week ever since.

On a Monday afternoon, Huff used a library computer researching how to get a Commercial Drivers License. As the single mother considers a second career opportunity. Her children grabbed a snack and joined an African Dance class taught in a community room through Local Colors, the Roanoke-based nonprofit that celebrates diverse cultures.

If we dont know what we want to do today, we come down, we can get a book, or we can bring our own laptop if we want to, and eat a snack, or just watch movies, Huff said. The library employees make you feel like youre at home. They are making sure the kids still have a wonderful summer, enjoying their life.

The same afternoon, in another area of the library, four teens boxed, digitally, during a weekly eSports tournament organized by Strokes of Genius, an educational service provider with a focus on technological literacy. The organization partner with Blacks in Technology for Southwest Virginia for the tournament.

The young men moved their fingers wildly as two characters on the screen threw punches.

Laquan Fuell, 18, put down his remote and got up to grab some ice cream that the library had on hand as a special treat. He also boxes at a local gym in real life and says he comes to the library to help be a mentor for young kids.

They have something to do, Fuell, said. It helps push peace.

Fuell said the library programs like eSports help keep people his age out of trouble. He also likes to spend time in the librarys music and podcast lab.

You know, get them going instead of being out in the streets and, you know, running into gun violence and stuff like that, said Fuell.

I feel like those programs can really help them and help them develop skills that they may lack in.

Umberger said there are plans for Melrose Library to expand community services through collaborations with the new facilities underway in Melrose Plaza, a major renovation that will include a grocery store, wellness center and a bank.

Its a synergy of services to give support to the community, Umberger said.

Roanoke began renovating its branch libraries beginning in 2007. The latest project is the expansion of southeast Roanokes Belmont branch, a facility that is also involved with health care initiatives in the neighborhood.

We are continually trying to keep things up to date and fresh for the community, Umberger said. So when people come in they can see a bright, happy place with good services.
ROCKY MOUNT  U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine called for an investigation into the Secret Service and praised President Joe Bidens patriotism during a campaign stop Tuesday.

In his fourth southern Virginia event of the day, Kaine spoke for more than an hour at the Harvester Performance Center, giving a speech and fielding questions, while seeking his third term representing Virginia in the Senate.

Kaine spoke in the aftermath of Saturdays assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who is also the Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election.

There definitely needs to be an investigation (into the Secret Service), Kaine said. That shouldnt have happened. That was someone too close for someone to be there without having the Secret Service control that space.

As a former Democratic vice presidential candidate  he was Hillary Clintons running mate in 2016  he reflected on his experiences with the Secret Service.

When I was on the ticket with Hillary, there would often be places where they would build covered entrances  even to walk 10 yards from a car into a building, because there were high buildings around, Kaine said. How a building only 150 yards was not left secured, Im very, very worried about that.

With fears of further political violence, Kaine called for national unity. He quoted Psalm 133, which reads, How beautiful it is when people dwell together in unity.

The psalm didnt say that we have to think the same thing, believe the same thing or say the same thing, Kaine said. But we have to be able to live next door to somebody who has a different set of opinions.

Kaine is campaigning as an increasing number of Democrats call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential election, following his first debate performance against Trump on June 27.

I believe in Joe Bidens patriotism, Kaine said. He puts the country over himself, and I have complete confidence that is what he is going to do.

 I deeply believe and have confidence in Joe Biden that if he says, Look, Ive got this, that he has got this. We dont need to stress out about it; we just need to work and make sure that we win. But I also have this confidence in Joe Biden, that if he looks in the mirror one day and says, This is the hardest job in the world and I cant really promise that I could do this for four years, hes going to tell us. Then, hes going to tell us the direction we should go  and well go in that direction.

Kaine then focused on his opponent: Hung Cao, the Republican Senate nominee. The two were originally slated to debate this Saturday, although the Virginia Bar Association canceled the event because Cao did not commit.

If you want to serve Virginians in the Senate or as the governor, (voters) are entitled to hear from you, Kaine said. I think my opponent does not want to come to the debate because he doesnt want to answer some questions that I would have for him.

Caos campaign released a statement Tuesday night, saying: We are currently in negotiations with a statewide media company for a much more visible event.

Kaine also discussed federal funding for Franklin County Tuesday, which came from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021. The program allocated $1 million for the town of Rocky Mount to improve approximately 1.5 miles of road between Booker T. Washington Highway and Main Street, along with 0.7 miles of Tanyard Road.

Weve worked really closely with the local officials here on projects of importance, Kaine said. Both Senator (Mark) Warner and I have a way that we coordinate, trying to make our case to the appropriations committees. Weve done pretty well, especially for some of the smaller Virginia communities that wouldnt normally get federal funding.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was the final candidate standing in Donald Trump's way during the Republican primaries, says she is giving her formal rival her "strong endorsement" during a primetime speech at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday evening.

The former South Carolina governor drew a mix of cheers and boos as she walked to the podium in Milwaukee.

She drew the most support during the primaries from Republicans who were wary of another possible Trump presidency.

"You don't have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him," Haley said. "Take it from me. I haven't always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree."

During the primary season Haley launch harsh criticisms against Trump including targeting his age and mental capacity.

Trump made his own derogatory remarks about Haley, such as calling her a "birdbrain" and saying people who supported her should be "permanently banned" from the MAGA movement.

President Biden tried to capitalize on the division between the two by wooing her supporters to vote for him in the November election.

The Republican National Convention continues on Wednesday with vice presidential nominee JD Vance scheduled to address delegates.

Trump, who has been sporting a bandage on his ear since he was injured in an assassination attempt over the weekend, will take the stage on Thursday.
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best travel tips to save money

How old were you when you went on your first fully-funded trip? You knowthe first trip for which you had to save up, plan an itinerary, and try your darndest to get flight tickets and accommodation bookings you could actually afford?

For me, it was during my university exchange programme in Australia. Like most people on exchange, I saw recess week as vacay time and was quick to toss the books aside in lieu of a 1-week road trip to Tasmania with 4 other students. It was my first real taste of travel outside the realm of family holidays and easily the best road trip of myat the time21 years of existence.

I thought my timeline was pretty common. But I was surprised to learn that nearly half (44%) of young adults in Singapore embarked on their first overseas trip without their parents before they turned 18, according to Skyscanners First Trip with Skyscanner report. Think about it: that means these young uns were travelling overseas on their own before they could legally watch Love Actually (rated M18)!

The same report found that 66% of Gen Zs funded their first trip with personal savings, and 54% used income from their job(s). Evidently, our young adults work hard for their travels. But saving up is only half the story of how they could afford trips at such a young agethey also needed to be financially savvy when planning their trips.

If youre gearing up for your first self-funded adventure or just looking to save some money on your next trip, I have 6 money-saving travel tips to share from 2 ladies whove walked the talk: Cyndi Hui, Travel Trends and Destination Expert at Skyscanner, and Joey Lim, Co-Founder of Sav Finance. Two of their tips saved me over $1,000 while planning for a year-end trip!

6 Best Travel Tips to Save You Money on Your Next Trip

Travel tip #1: Pick the right destination.

Based on Joeys experiences, choosing a destination dupe over a more popular and expensive counterpart could save you up to 50% of your total travel cost. Not to mention beat the crowds! Its a win-win.

My favourite destination dupe suggestion from Joey was Hoi An, Vietnam as a dupe for Venice, Italya place I visited in 2019 (pre-COVID!) and loved. The canals were as picturesque and quaint as they looked on my Instagram feed, and goshItalian gelato is to die for.

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In Hoi An, you get scenic waterways in a charming town for a fraction of the price and travel time. I tested out how much you can save in my article on destination dupes. It turns out you can save over $800 on the flight ticket and more than $2,800 on your hotel accommodation!

If you dont have your heart set on a destination, thats even betterlet your wallet take the lead. Cyndi suggests you use the Everywhere search tool on sites like Skyscanner to help you discover hidden gems.

You can choose Everywhere as a destination in your search, and see myriad countries ranked by priceclick into a certain country and you can also see cities within these countries and their corresponding lowest prices, Joey explains.

Similarly, on Google Flights, you can select Anywhere as your destination. This will display the cheapest flights to popular destinations for the travel dates you selected.

Image: Google Flights

Letting prices take you wherever they take you is perhaps the easiest way to save money on flights and hotels. If most of the options for one destination are out of your budget, just pick a cheaper one. You can go as low as you want to.

I decided to test this out on a holiday Im planning from 16 to 23 Dec 2024I want to travel at the end of the year, but be back in time for Christmas. I dont really have a travel destination in mind, but I wouldnt mind visiting Venice again. So lets look at those flight prices.

Image: Skyscanner

A flight to Venice will cost you at least $1,227and thats if you fly for a whopping 34 hours! No thanks. I would rather pay an extra $100+ for the $1,351 flight to shave off my travel time by 15 hours.

Now lets try searching Everywhere. For the same dates, here are the lowest flight prices:

Image: Skyscanner

Tempting, but I want to get out of Southeast Asia. Luckily for me, there are plenty of other options that are still much cheaper than flying to Venice.

Image: Skyscanner

I would never have thought to search for a trip to the Maldives, but it turns out that a flight there costs $523less than half the cost of a flight to Venice. I even see flights to other places in Italy from $669 (Milan). Thats a $682 discount compared to our Venice flight. Same country, wildly different prices!

Ive always wondered if the Maldives are as overrated or as beautiful as they say. So all things considered, lets lock in the Maldives for my year-end trip. I saved $828 just by changing my destination.

Travel tip #2: Pick the right time to visit.

We talked about the where, now we have to talk about the when. Even destination dupes and lower-cost travel spots can have their peak and off-peak periods. To lock in the cheapest deals, weve got to be a little fluid.

Cyndis tip is to compare flight prices across an entire month at a time instead of locking in certain dates and only searching for flights that fit them. I gave that a go and looked at flights in Nov and Dec 2024. Heres what that looked like:

Image: Skyscanner

Image: Skyscanner

I had a hunch that flights would cost more in December, but I didnt expect that stark a difference. Fortunately, I dont have too firm a plan in mind for my trip. I just know I want it to be around the end of the year so that it feels like a reward. Looking at these prices, Im happy to change my trip from December to November to save some cash. And since Im not limiting myself to, for example, only fly out on a Friday and return on a Sunday, I managed to get the price of my return flight down to $284:

Image: Skyscanner

By changing my travel dates to November instead of December, I brought the cost of my flight down from $523 to $284. Thats $239 I saved simply by moving my trip forward a month! And this way, Ill probably enjoy fewer crowds too since December is the holiday season.

ALSO READ: Travel Safety: Tips for Women, LGBTQ+, and Persons with Disabilities

Travel tip #3: Dont save too much money on flights.

Think booking last-minute cheap flights or one-way tickets is a good deal? Not always.

If you do book a last-minute flight, you may sometimes realise that the more affordable accommodations are all booked up and you are left with more expensive options, which effectively negates the savings, Joey explains. Not to forget, there are also early bird discounts.

Im booking my trip for the end of the year, so there were no last-minute deals anyway. But in case youre planning a trip really soon, dont be too quick to book your flight before you check accommodation prices.

The other factor to consider is flying budget. Flights are a trade-off between comfort and savingscan you imagine being on an 8-hour flight on a budget airline? *shudders* For Joey, the threshold is 5 hoursanything longer and shell take a full-service flight instead.

Plus, a 2023 MoneySmart survey on flight delays and cancellations found that up to 47% of travellers flights were disrupted on popular budget airlines. Only 23-35% of delayed travellers were compensated by the airlines. You may pay a higher price for flying cheap!

Travel tip #4: Consider your transportation costs first.

Interestingly, one of the first few things you might want to consider is transportation costs.

I think transportation is often the most difficult to save on because it is essential to get around on the trip and directly affects the quality of your trip and the overall experience, Joey tells me. She chooses public transport as much as possible, but even that is a fixed cost. So set aside that pool of money as one of the most non-negotiable expenses of the trip.

That makes convenience and location big factors when choosing accommodation because it affects the ease with which you can get around. Joeys strategy is to prioritise a convenient location first, then select the cheapest option in the vicinity.

I tried this out on my trip and found a hotel called Summer Beach Maldives where I can get a standard single room for under $100 a night. They offer a complimentary airport shuttle and public transportation is just 310m away.

Travel tip #5: Prioritise your types of travel spending.

Cyndi shared with me that she spoke to a young traveller who painstakingly saved up money for almost 2 months, working multiple part-time and ad-hoc jobs, in order to have enough for her first self-funded trip. Yikes. That sure was some hard-earned money. All the more you should spend money that you worked hard carefully and mindfully.

Once you have a budget for a trip, youll be faced with the decision of how to allocate your budget across categories like flights, accommodation, food, transport, fees to visit attractions, and more. Its a lot to think aboutespecially if this is your maiden self-funded voyage out of Singapore. So whats the strategy?

My personal planning process is to always choose 1 to 2 main experiences I want to get out of a trip, Joey shares. I would allow myself to splurge on that and save on all the rest. For example, I would splurge on museums and activities in Europe, private car hire in Jeju, and shopping in Seoul.

In the Maldives, popular experiences include snorkelling, diving, and boat tours. If youre lucky, youll be able to see a manta ray or whale shark up close. From my browsing online, booking these experiences can cost you anywhere from $80 to a few hundred.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by || (@oksi_tours)

Sometimes, the accommodation itself is the experience. You dont get those water villas travel influencers post just anywhere. You also dont get them for any old price. Minimally, I think youll be paying $300 to $400 a night for that kind of experienceand thats a low estimate. Any less and itll just be a beachside hotel instead of an overwater villa. The IG-worthy water villas I found all cost $600+ a night, while some can even set you back $1,500+ a night.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elnaz Golrokh (@elnaz_golrokh)

Since Im travelling alone, it doesnt make sense to book up a whole villa for myself, king-sized bed, private pool, and all. Im there on a solo trip, not a honeymoon. Plus, I love animals and would much rather spend money on activities during which I get the chance to encounter animals. Although I save hundreds by not opting for a water villa, this is more about making sure money is well spent relative to me than about saving money in absolute terms.

Travel tip #6: Money concerns go deep. Prepare yourself.

A final word of advice: there are a lot of money-related concerns when it comes to planning an overseas trip. Thats probably one reason why budget ranked as the second biggest factor (56%) for young adults when it comes to planning their first trip, according to Skyscanners First Trip with Skyscanner report.

Joey tells me that when she went for her first self-funded trip at 18, her main concerns included:

Estimating your budget : Because there were so many components to a trip (flights, accommodation, food, transportation, and activities), it was difficult to estimate total budgets, Joey shares. If youre travelling between cities, your transportation costs may be higher than expected.

Booking first, saving later : Though its tempting, avoid booking trips before saving up the full amount needed. This will just lead to you eventually needing to cut back on budgets.

Finding safe, affordable, comfortable accommodation : This often also leads to a trade-off between different categories of expenses. For example, would you stay at a dirt-cheap hostel thats out of the way and spending more on transport? Or stay at a more expensive hotel in the city and walk?

Cash or card?: You have to decide how much cash to carry with you and how much youre going to rely on credit or debit cardsbut then you deal with foreign transaction fees. I suggest you opt for a multi-currency card instead to avoid this!

Unexpected costs: Medical emergencies, lost belongings, or unplanned itinerary changes could happen anytime. One way to shield yourself from these unwanted surprises is to buy travel insurance. This will cover anything from medical bills and flight delays to stolen items and even trip cancellations.

Planning for a trip is never a walk in the park. But if you ask me, the unexpected costs and mishaps are all part of the ride. Chin up, take them in stride! Happy travels!

Know someone travelling on a budget? Share this article with them!

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Vanessa Nah is a personal finance content writer who pens articles on the ins and outs of personal loans, the T&Cs of credit cards, and the ups and downs of alternative investments. Shes a researcher at heart and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to breaking down complex finance concepts and making them easy to understand for the everyday Singaporean. When Vanessas not debunking finance myths, youll find her attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, or (most impawtently) fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled and loved kitty in the world.

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A California woman is facing murder charges after allegedly exposing her three-year-old twins to drugs laced with fentanyl just two days after their birthdays.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced the arrest of 24-year-old Jestice James on Tuesday.

"These innocent boys reportedly came into contact with fentanyl, an opioid that has wreaked havoc across our communities," Gascon said. "This tragedy is part of a disturbing trend where babies and toddlers are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid crisis."

Police responded to a home in the San Fernando Valley shortly after 11 a.m. on July 11. Paramedics attempted life-saving measures on Josiah and Jestine, who were immediately transported to a local hospital.

Josiah died later that day, while Jestine was pronounced dead on July 13.

A GoFundMe campaign set up to cover funeral and burial costs described the boys as fun-loving, goofy, and energetic babies.

"Our hearts are broken," organizer Latina Allen said.

James is currently being held on $4 million bail. If convicted, she faces life in prison.

The Los Angeles Police Department is still investigating the case.
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- Cora Fedders, her three sisters, Paige, Sadie and Kayla, and her mom, Pam sat under a tent eating Jimmy John's sandwiches, surrounded by sheep. Cora's sheep, Perry, wouldn't be judged until the next day, so for now the Fedders could cool off with the big fans pointed at the livestock around them.

"I'm not looking forward to walking," Cora said. "[Perry] doesn't walk very well."

This is Cora's fifth year in a row competing in the Sioux County Youth Fair, where the ninth grader has won multiple plaques and about 10 ribbons. But this year one major thing was different.

The Sioux County Youth Fair kicked off last weekend at a whole new location.

What used to be the Sioux Center Municipal Airport is now The Sioux County Ag Expo, the new home for the county fair, which runs through Friday.

The location change was emotional for some who had spent generations at the old fairgrounds, which had been used for the fair since 1973.

"The enthusiasm on these grounds this week is very emotional," said LeAnn Englin, the Sioux County Fair Board president. "Change is inevitable. We all know we're going to have it. Change is not easy. There were a lot of emotions last year as people walked out of the fairgrounds and for so many years and generations of family participating in growth and memories. It's the best weeks of the year, best weeks of the summer."

The fair board owned the buildings used in the original fairgrounds, but the city of Sioux Center owned the ground the buildings sat on. As the city grew and made plans for expansion, they had to take back their land to use in other ways. But when it came to finding a new place to hold the fair, everything just came together.

"We knew for a long time we had to move," said Chad Cleveringa, the Sioux County Ag Expo president. "We didn't have property or land to move to, and then our board of supervisors for the county actually stepped up and helped us purchase the 78 acres."

"There were some nights we wondered what was going to happen," Englin said. "I don't know if there was one way specifically that it happened, but it all came together, and I would say that's because of the different personalities, the different leadership roles and the people that were involved and because of the passion of everybody in the community."

For now, the fair is utilizing the buildings that came with the property, along with extra tents and fans set up to keep livestock cool. But soon new infrastructure will be set up to bring the fair to a new level.

"We've got some infrastructure started, some dirt work," said Englin. "But there are existing buildings on the ground, a very dedicated and enthusiastic group of fellow board members, and community support. There's buildings on the property that we could use and make a great County Fair out this year as a transition, and when we designed the new property, we designed it around the current buildings and location. So we can continue to use those buildings until our dream plan is finished, or to a point that we can't utilize them anymore, and they can be removed and have no effect."

The Ag Expo won't just be used for the fair each year. Although finding a new location for the fair was top priority after losing their original fairgrounds as the city expanded, their plans come with buildings that can be used for all sorts of events.

"We actually developed an Ag Expo board, which is made up of members completely outside of the fair, experts in their field, that help on the board," Cleveringa said. "And we have the same thing going on with the fundraising. We just gathered people that we thought were good for the position or professionals in what they did, and a lot of them stepped up and I want to say we've got one person from each local city that's on it. And so it's a county project."

The main thing holding back construction is fundraising. Cleveringa says once they reach 80% of their committed fundraising goal and receive 50% of the money, they'll be able to move forward with the next phase of building.

"The projects will all be phased out as the funds come in," Cleveringa said. "So, it really depends on the donors. We'll build it as fast as they want it. [The amount of phases] are unlimited right now. It just depends on what the donors do, and how the funds come in, and we'll size the project accordingly."

The first building they want to set up is the Event Barn, a multi-purpose building, to serve the community right off the bat. The Ag Expo board is excited to bring new educational opportunities to Sioux County.

"We look at farm exhibits, we look at education, we look at horticulture, we look at DNR work, we look at the opportunities in education," Englin said. "Where can we train the future and provide for all of the industry and professional development and professional businesses within Sioux County and ag."

Even without the new buildings, just being on the new land has brought plenty of excitement to the participants.

"I think the opportunity here is great," said Margo Schuiteman, the Sioux County Youth Fair Queen. "I mean, there's a lot of room for us to expand a lot of new opportunities to do a lot of fun events. The options are endless. I'm so excited."

It'll take a lot of hard work to get the new Ag Expo up and running to its fullest potential, but working hard is something the fair volunteers are used to. To them, setting up the new fairgrounds means giving new youth the opportunity to grow in the agriculture field for generations to come.

"If I told you there wasn't love, sweat and tears out here this last week, I'd be lying to you," said Englin. "But when you walk away every night, you know you're serving a community and a county and you're serving youth, you're serving the future. And somebody did that for us. So it's our job to do it for the future."
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)

Several decisions from this past Supreme Court term will radically restructure the balance of power between government agencies and corporations, between courts and congress, and between ordinary people and billionaires.

The courts decision in Loper Bright, for instancethe so-called Chevron caseoverturned 40 years of administrative law precedent in order to hobble government agencies attempting to regulate everything from food safety to air travel to the environment.

On a recent episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick spoke with Lisa Heinzerling, a Georgetown Law professor and former Environmental Protection Agency official who specializes in administrative law. Together, they examined the fundamental power shift carried out by the conservative majority this past term in overturning Chevron deference, a doctrine that required courts to defer to federal agencies own interpretations of ambiguous statutes. The enormity of the challenge for government regulators, experts, and advocates cannot be overstated. Their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Dahlia Lithwick: Justice Kagan has been sounding the alarm about whats happening to Chevron and the Hungry Hungry Hippos approach the court has had to administrative law in Loper Bright. In her dissent, Kagan writes: In one fell swoop the majority today gives itself exclusive power over every open issue, no matter how expertise-driven or policy laden, involving the meaning of regulatory law. And then, in a gut punch of a sentence, she adds: As if it did not have enough on its plate, the majority turns itself into the countrys administrative czar. I hear an echo there of Kagan writing in a 2019 case where she warned us that if this incredibly narrow view of agency authority were to be allowed to prevail, most of government is unconstitutional.

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Id love for you to explore this theme of judges as free-range administrative czarswhich we saw in the Ohio EPA case, and in the bump-stock case. We see it in the mifepristone case, and in Jarkesy from this year, the Clean Water Act case last year, and the Clean Air Act case from two years ago. This term in the aggregate feels like an invitation for not just endless, infinite litigation but endless, infinite judicial supplanting of information, of knowledge, of expertise, of science with the justices own feelings. And that supplanting only ratchets one way.

Lisa Heinzerling: Yes. That last part, about ratcheting in one way, is really important because Chevron itself could go both ways. It became more deregulatory in its later years, but it could also mean that a president of either party could really make a mark in terms of regulatory policy and their political agenda. But now you have this combination of the courts being in charge and the courts being motivated by an anti-government impulse. That impulse is the theme that runs through these cases: this distaste of the so-called bureaucrats, this distaste of the agencies and underlying itless explicitly acknowledged but also truethis distaste of Congress. The courts are really putting themselves in charge, not only by citing some words in the Administrative Procedure Act or the Constitution for this proposition or this power grab, but also by sending a signal with their attitude toward government. They dont like government very much. Theyre creating chaos in some of these decisions but not allowing anybody to create order.

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Related From Slate Elena Kagan Is Horrified by What the Supreme Court Just Did. You Should Be Too. Read More

Lithwick: Is one of the fixesassuming we cant do structural court reform in the next five minutesthat Congress could codify Chevron again by just rewriting the Administrative Procedure Act?

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Heinzerling: Technically, you should be able to draw that conclusion from Loper Bright. They didnt rule on constitutional grounds. They ruled on the grounds of what the Administrative Procedure Act says. So its plausible to argue Congress could fix that. And they wouldnt need to reify all of Chevron and the whole precedent around every single detail. Theyd need to give some deference to agencies and their interpretations in principle. Congress can do that.

My worry is that the mood of the court and some of the lower courts is such that they wont allow it. Chief Justice Roberts has an idea about what courts do and what courts have always done and what courts appropriately do, and that may not have been part of the so-called holding or the reason for the legal determination he made in Loper Bright, but boy, is it part of the background. I worry that they might take aim even at a new statute that codified Chevron. Doesnt mean Congress shouldnt try. Doesnt mean that itll happen for sure, but the mood is unmistakable.

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Lithwick: Mike Podhorzer made the good point, when Loper Bright came down, that there is this intimation that this is a huge power shift away from federal agencies, away from Congress and into the lap of the courtbut when the courts grab power away from the regulatory agencies, the big winner isnt just the courts. If youre really talking about how were going to address the climate crisis and food safety and homelessnessas Justice Sotomayor brings up in a case about why people are sleeping in parksand clean water and transportation safety and drug regulation, its not as though the ultimate regulator is actually the courts.

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The real beneficiaries are the billionaires who will dictate what those future regulations look like. In other words, this is conferring power nominally to the courts, but isnt it really just conferring power on industries and corporations that are going to be able to use huge financial advantages to dominate the regulatory and rulemaking and enforcement process? It seems to me that this is not just a win for the courts; this is just a big win for the folks who didnt want to be regulated and who are now going to be able to write their own rules.

Heinzerling: Its a good point to end on and to emphasize. One way of putting what the court is doing is: Its just serving as the vehicle to deliver those benefits to the billionaires. Could be any of the branches of this government. Right now its the Supreme Court.
Who was happiest about Donald Trumps Monday decision to pick Ohio Sen. and former ivory-tower Appalachia whisperer J.D. Vance as his vice presidential hopeful? It wasnt rural America, swing-state independents, or women voters. It wasnt the conservative intelligentsia or the Catholic hard-liners, despite Vances self-pronounced conversion. It certainly wasnt the traditional Republican donors currently opening up their checkbooks for Trump, or even Vances own Senate colleagues.

In actuality, it was the Big Tech and venture capital ambassadors who were the happiest of all. Trump had been the target of a heated effort from Silicon Valley types of all strata (well, mostly billionaires) to get Vance to the VP slot. Or, as Axios reported Monday, a secret lobbying campaign continued into yesterday morning, with Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson and tech investor David Sacks all calling Trump to try to lock in Vance.

Musk, of course, has struck up a close relationship with Trump in recent months, regularly chatting on the phone with the former president and helping to organize executives who desire to oust President Joe Biden over his pro-worker, pro-tax, and pro-regulation agenda. Excellent decision by @realDonaldTrump, Musk tweeted to the ex-president, who still hasnt returned to posting on the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Longtime VC, podcast host, and political influencer Sacks gave a Monday night speech at the Republican National Convention that, like many of his other screeds, mostly made the case against Biden instead of one for Trump. He did, however, tweet his satisfaction with Vance, praising his military service and subsequent critiques of forever wars, calling him an American patriot, with the courage to fight Americas wars but the wisdom to know when to avoid them. (Sacks tweet also erroneously implied that Vance had enlisted when the Twin Towers came down, even though he couldnt join and serve until a few years after 9/11.)

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Its not just them. The burgeoning (and amply funded) corpus of anti-regulation, anti-woke, pro-crypto, and A.I.enchanted effective accelerationists are fully taken in with Vance. On X, Oculus and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey celebrated the coming matchup of Tech Bro vs Kamala Harris, while Chamath Palihapitiyaa now-right-leaning VC who co-hosts the megapopular All-In podcast with Sacksreveled in the potential for a Bestie adjacent as the VP. (Besties refers to the four All-In hosts, who recently interviewed Trump on their show.)

JD Vance group chat admin cant determine if there were minors in it. Sounds like these kids were under good supervision https://t.co/UghjUMfQqe pic.twitter.com/ANvsb1W7TQ  mango (@Mangolith) April 5, 2024

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Why the obsession with Vance? By the time his star began to rise with the 2016 publication of his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, he had pivoted from a career in law to a Silicon Valley gig at Mithril Capital, one of Peter Thiels venture capital firms. At that time, Thielwhod co-authored an anti-multiculturalism book with Sacks in the 1990swas one of Trumps few outspoken tech-world surrogates, a position that had earned him a speaking slot at the RNC that first nominated Trump for president.

The conservative Vance wasnt fully aligned with his boss, though: He frequently criticized Trump even while attempting to explain the candidates appeal to rural Americans. He also disparaged Silicon Valley in an interview with Slate as more of a bubble than D.C. and New York, full of Richie Riches with no real sense of how frustrated and how destitute a lot of people outside of Silicon Valley are. In an early-2017 New York Times op-ed, he expressed some admiration for both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama while also hop[ing] for better policy from the new administration, a health reform package closer to my ideological preferences, and a new approach to foreign policy. Just two months later, he wrote another Times piece about why the optimism [that] blinds many in Silicon Valley to the real struggles in other parts of the country had spurred him to move back to Ohio from California.

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Although Vance may have left the Bay Area, he hadnt left his position with Thiels company and remained a friend and big fan of him. He got more involved in the VC arena, joining Steve Cases Revolution firm as a partner in managing a fund that aimed to support more startups based outside the coasts. As reporting from Business Insider has indicated, it is unclear how successful he really was at that mission.

It was clear that Vances return home was less about uplifting the hillbillies he had whitesplained to the liberal bubble with his memoir and more about seeking higher power. He teased a run for office as far back as late 2016, in a Washington Post interview about his moving plans, and floated the possibility again two years later, while joining a conservative influence group chaired by Federalist Society maven Leonard Leo. When that run for office flamed out, he dug deeper into the VC realm, starting a Cincinnati-based fund backed by Thiel and Marc Andreessen in 2020.

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The following year, Vance joined Thiel in funding the right-leaning video platform Rumbleand took money from a PAC started by Thiel to get a race going for the seat held by retiring Sen. Rob Portman. He also met Trump at Mar-a-Lago after an introduction brokered bywho else?Thiel. While shoring up his ultimately successful run, he also offered monetary support to pro-Trump organizations like American Moment that dedicated themselves to training the next generation of GOP leaders.

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The focus on Vances biography is often tied to the Hillbilly Elegy moment, which culminated in a popular 2020 Netflix movie that earned poor reviews from criticsa reception that reportedly pissed Vance off and helped curdle his resentment of the elites into a close embrace of Trump. But its also likely that Vances deeply entrenched VC career, which kept him close to Peter Thiel and away from anything resembling the rural poverty of his youth, did as much as anything to drive him into Trumpism.

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Throughout Trumps term, Thiel found an opportunity to push his brand of fever-swamp politics into the GOPs fore via the influence of Curtis Yarvinfka the authoritarian, racist, misogynyistic, techno-supremacist blogger Mencius Moldbugwho reached the Trump White House through a line with Thiel, Steve Bannon, and hyperconservative writer Michael Anton, all of whom took to Yarvins recommendations of the manosphere pundit Bronze Age Pervert (real name: Costin Alamariu).

Popular far-right Senate candidate J.D. Vance retweeting a groyper. David Carlson is a tradcath who runs a small Youtube channel, & has a history of antisemitism. He's a leader of American Populist Union, a groyper knockoff group I write about here- https://t.co/hGCA6xTWLV pic.twitter.com/52fFQxBbRn  Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) January 21, 2022

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Who else has cited both Yarvin and Alamariu as influences? Thats right: J.D. Vance, who has also taken to national conservatism, a newer form of right-wing ideology that blossomed in the Trump era. The movements adherents desire a clear break from the GOP of the pre-Trump years (and something closer to the paleo-conservatism of Pat Buchanan).

No more unnecessary foreign entanglements, like the disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan; expanded state involvement in everyday life, primarily to incentivize good Christian values like the family unit and the sanctity of birth; a much harder line on immigration; and a willingness to treat snooty liberals like the real un-American enemies they are.

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Thiels money, influence, and network did a lot to shape Vance, allow for his eventual political entry, and throw him down the rabbit hole. Allegations have long swirled on X of Vances involvement in far-right group chats with young Republicans, a tendency that has endeared him to the super-online alt-right bases of New Right activists. On X, Vance follows the far-right food-focused conspirator Raw Egg Nationalist.

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It also didnt hurt that more of Silicon Valley and the financial world lurched to the right after 2020, radicalized against social justice protests, COVID lockdowns, and the antitrust scrutiny and legal probes that came under the Biden administration. A sense of grievance afflicted onetime Biden voters like Musk and Palihapitiyaand always-radical folks, including Sacks (who arranged his pro-Trump Silicon Valley events with Vances help), were ready to capitalize on that. Meanwhile, wealthy investors like Andreessen were eager to direct their money to any sort of political influence they could muster because they knew they wouldnt get anywhere with Biden.

Whats more, Vances keen attention to both shifting sentiments among rural Republicans and the complaints from Extremely Online conservative factions allowed him to issue dog whistles that suited the increasingly deranged techies just fine. Vances longtime appreciation of Trumps antiIraq war denunciations fit with Sacks obsessions over the forever wars; his crackpot theorizing over Americas low fertility [rate] is in line with Musks pronatalism; his rants against childless cat ladies are a clear call to the manosphere devotees beholden to Yarvin, Alamariu, and Raw Egg Nationalist. (Thiel himself, for what its worth, has been sitting this election out. But at this point, he has made his impact.)

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To be clear, J.D. Vance is not a perfect fit with these weird techno-feudalist alliances. He has often praised FTC Chair Lina Khan, an avowed Silicon Valley enemy, and his backing from the anti-union Musk somewhat belies his superficial-at-best support for the labor movement. And, to the shock of his most Moldbug-like stans, he has an Indian American wife.

But what probably counts most is what Andrew Torba, CEO of the far-right social network Gab, tweeted on Tuesday: that Vance is influenceable and that plenty of our guys can be put into positions of power because hes there. Peter Thiel understood that a long time ago. Members of the oligarch class that boosted Vances fellow Ohioan elite Vivek Ramaswamywhom theyd also like to take part in a potential future Trump administrationcame to understand that. And a horrifyingly possible Vice President J.D. Vance is the result.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/brics-should-be-radical-revolutionary-step-to-oust-west-oriented-international-order---expert-1119399296.html

BRICS Should Be Radical Revolutionary Step to Oust West Oriented International Order - Expert

BRICS Should Be Radical Revolutionary Step to Oust West Oriented International Order - Expert

Sputnik International

Speaking to Sputnik, Pramod Rai, Research Fellow at the Centre for Central Eurasian Studies, Mumbai University and Assistant Professor of Political Science at Raja Rammohun Roy Mahavidyalata, Hooghly, West Bengal, shared his views on the building new world order, future of Eurasian cooperation and the new multilateral-multipolar global order.

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"BRICS+ in 2024 unites 45% of the earths land, 46% of the global population, approximately 46% of the global GDP, not less than 25% of global trade, 32% of the world output of natural gas, 43% of crude reserves, and 38% global petroleum imports. BRICS as an Organization is on an evolutionary processes of building new world order through, which is of course inclusive and without confrontation. Theres debate going on that BRICS should be a radical revolutionary step to oust the present West oriented international order. In my view, although the BRICS has been emerging as a trusted Organization, where the desire for its membership is growing, especially from the countries of global south; it still has to do much to demonstrate its full capabilities and rationality. Of course, the biggest challenge for the BRICS is not to follow or become the typical western model and mechanisms in its functioning. Not only expanding through numbers, but showing the pragmatism and getting results should be the highest goal at the present juncture. When we go through the lengthy joint declaration of BRICS, since 2009, we would get the visions, which is inclusive and avoids any confrontation with any party itself manifests, why this body should be global importance. But as the government and leaders keeps changing, there foreign policy priorities have been changed. I think, irrespective of party and leaders, the importance of BRICS would stay on the upper part, which simply cant be avoided," Pramod Rai said. According to him, the future of Eurasian cooperation would indeed massively contribute to the nature of the new multilateral-multipolar world order. Russia is an indispensable state and an influential power of the region, which of course it should be for it's greater geo-economic and geo-political interests, he added. Since China has already activated its commercial programs and policies there, India should also accelerate its moves in the region, the expert concluded."Recently, I was an attendee of BRICS Futurological Forum at Russian state University for Humanities at Moscow, where I had much interesting talks with the Iranian attendees. Our opinions and concerns are the same, although INSTC was introduced and initiated to ease and increase trade connectivity between the major cities of commercially hubs like Mumbai, Moscow, Bandar Abbas, Tehran, Astrakhan etc. Because the lack of easy and accessible trading routes have been a major hurdle for the countries like India, Iran and Central Asian Republics. But the expected result and pragmatism to get it is yet away. Countries like Iran, India, Russia and CARs should be taking the vision and mission of the INSTC to more speedy and fruitful ways. When we see Russia- India relations termed as special and privileged strategic partnership the only missing part is the absence of vibrant economic exchanges between these trusted partners. Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, would a game changer to expand the Indo-Russia bilateral trade on another level. This sea route covers approximately 5,600 nautical miles(10,300 km). As Indias energy imports from the Gulf basically comes via sea route, the proposed Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor will surely filled commercial gap between Russia and India," the scholar said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240707/american-exceptionalism-us-foreign-policy-advisors-urge-resumption-of-nuclear-testing-1119265604.html

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future of eurasian cooperation, the new multilateral-multipolar global order, brics
Four children ages 11 to 16 were arrested and charged with multiple felonies on Tuesday for allegedly battering and robbing a 63-year-old man on a train last week, the Chicago Police Department said.

As many as 10 youngsters robbed a man during a brazen attack on a Chicago train last week.

The victim was identified as 63-year-old Michael Manning by WFLD-TV.

He said he had just finished working a 12-hour shift and was keeping to himself during the train ride home when the attackers converged on him.

"This was surreal. I think I was just so shocked. I think I kind of went numb," Manning recalled to the station.

"I knew right away that this was not going to go well, no matter what I said or did," he said. "It was like I was literally running through a gauntlet of fists."

An 11-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were arrested Tuesday police said.

Each was charged with one felony count of robbery of a victim over 60 years old and one felony count of aggravated battery of a victim over 60 years old.

The suspect's names were not released due to their ages. Police said no other information was available.


https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/china-suspends-arms-control-consultations-with-us-over-sale-of-weapons-to-taiwan-1119399414.html

China Suspends Arms Control Consultations With US Over Sale of Weapons to Taiwan

China Suspends Arms Control Consultations With US Over Sale of Weapons to Taiwan

Sputnik International

Beijing has suspended consultations with Washington on arms control and non-proliferation due to US's sale of weapons to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

2024-07-17T08:35+0000

2024-07-17T08:35+0000

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"The US side continued to sell weapons to Taiwan while ignoring strong protests ... from China and taking a number of actions that seriously violate China's fundamental interests and destroy bilateral political mutual trust," Lin told a briefing. China has decided to suspend a new round of consultations with the United States on arms control and non-proliferation, the spokesman said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240606/us-state-dept-oks-sale-of-f-16-spare-parts-equipment-worth-300mln-to-taiwan-1118802257.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/ex-head-of-moldovas-gagauzia-announces-participation-in-presidential-election-1119404343.html

Ex-Head of Moldova's Gagauzia Announces Participation in Presidential Election

Ex-Head of Moldova's Gagauzia Announces Participation in Presidential Election

Sputnik International

The former head of Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah, on Wednesday declared her candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in the republic as an independent candidate.

2024-07-17T12:59+0000

2024-07-17T12:59+0000

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On December 24, 2023, incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu announced her intention to run for a second term and also asked the country's parliament to organize a referendum on the country's possible accession to the European Union. Both votes will take place on October 20. Vlah, who also leads the Platforma Moldova movement, added that her decision to run independently had been due to the opposition's inability to reach a consensus. Meanwhile, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo has confirmed he will run for president with support from ex-Moldovan President Igor Dodon's Socialist Party. Last week, the Socialists backed Stoianoglo as the opposition's single candidate, but discussions are still ongoing. The Moldovan opposition has been holding rallies against Sandu's pro-EU government since May 2022, calling on the president to step down. Critics accuse the government of the impoverished eastern European country of deepening the economic and energy crises.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240410/gagauzia-suffering-colossal-losses-from-moldovas-economic-pressure---gutsul-1117838715.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/ex-polish-defense-minister-accused-of-declassifying-defense-plan---counterintelligence-1119405816.html

Ex-Polish Defense Minister Accused of Declassifying Defense Plan - Counterintelligence

Ex-Polish Defense Minister Accused of Declassifying Defense Plan - Counterintelligence

Sputnik International

The Polish Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) on Wednesday presented to the prosecutor's office the case materials against former Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who is suspected of declassifying Poland's defense plan in the event of an attack.

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"On July 17, 2024, the head of the SKW presented to the prosecutor's office a notice of suspicion about former Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak committing a crime," the SKW said in a statement. Blaszczak is accused of declassifying part of a document containing a Polish armed forces defense plan dubbed Warta. The document described how the Polish army would defend itself from a potential attack by Russia. This part of the plan was declassified during the parliament election campaign in autumn 2023 and was used to accuse the opposition of being ready to give away a piece of Polish soil to the east of the Vistula River.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240529/poland-okays-its-weapons-to-be-used-by-ukraine-for-strikes-on-russia----1118680933.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/iran-categorically-rejects-us-intels-nonsensical-trump-assassination-plot-story-1119401428.html

Iran Categorically Rejects US Intels Nonsensical Trump Assassination Plot Story

Iran Categorically Rejects US Intels Nonsensical Trump Assassination Plot Story

Sputnik International

Former President and 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Leading pro-Trump figures warned repeatedly ahead of time that the ex-president would become a target after the failure of other attempts to force him not to run again.

2024-07-17T10:58+0000

2024-07-17T10:58+0000

2024-07-17T10:58+0000

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qasem soleimani

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tehran

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Tehran on Wednesday categorically rejected claims made in US media this week about alleged evidence of an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump.Kanaanis comments were echoed by Iranian acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in an interview with CNNs Fareed Zakaria.As you know, the Islamic Republic of Iran, immediately following the assassination of General Soleimani, tried to judicially and legally follow this assassination at Iranian courts. And at the same time, we have tried to make use of the international judicial and legal procedures in order to prosecute the perpetrators and advisors who helped in this assassination. Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make use of all legal potentials inside the country or at the international level in order to bring the perpetrators to justice, Kani said.On Tuesday, anonymous officials told mainstream US media outlets including Politico and CNN about a supposed long-term plot by Iran to assassinate Trump.Two senior US officials familiar with intelligence told Politico that the Biden administration has collected information that Iran was actively working on plots to kill Trump, and that intelligence has ratcheted up in recent months and officials have become more confident in Tehrans intentions. The sources admitted that there seemed to be no evidence of Iranian involvement in Saturdays assassination attempt.National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told the outlet that Washington had invested extraordinary resources in developing additional information about these threats, disrupting individuals involved in these threats...and directly warning Iran.CNNs sources claimed the Secret Service, which has faced grilling over its dramatic failure to adequately protect Trump or secure the rural Pennsylvania rally site, had actually increased Trumps security in the face of the supposed Iranian threat.Politico and CNNs followers on social media didnt buy the stories, calling them a ridiculous distraction, and a possible attempt by the security state to drum up support for another proxy war. Is this actual journalism or just warmongering propaganda from anonymous officials reported as fact? one person asked. You know what this tells me? The deep state did it. One hundred percent guaranteed now. Iran had nothing to do with it, one MAGA fan wrote. They ramped up the security so much random dudes on the ground had to alert them to a gunman on a roof. CNN repeats every lie the govt tells them, another wrote, pointing to Saturdays eyebrow-raising string of security failures.IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, prompting Iran to lob missiles at a pair of US military bases in Iraq and bringing Iran and the US to the brink of an all-out war. Soleimani, 62 at the time of death, was one of Irans most popular generals and public figures, and gained a celebrated status across the Middle East for his role Irans multi-decade-long fight against Islamist extremists. Trump has repeatedly bragged about personally ordering Soleimanis killing, comparing him to the late ISIS* leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose militants the IRGC had a key role in crushing in both Iraq and Syria.* Also known as IS, Daesh, Islamic State, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/us-intelligence-not-ruling-out-new-assassination-attempts-on-trump-soon---reports-1119401017.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/biden-to-blame-pro-palestine-protesters-for-climate-of-violence-after-trump-shooting--report-1119397670.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240715/secret-service-flags-rooftop-as-security-risk-days-before-gunman-targets-trump---reports-1119379394.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/is-donald-trump-elites-last-hope-to-rescue-a-dying-us-empire-1119396044.html

Is Donald Trump Elites Last Hope to Rescue a Dying US Empire?

Is Donald Trump Elites Last Hope to Rescue a Dying US Empire?

Sputnik International

As Biden struggles to project power, the former president promises to leverage imperial might in its undisguised form.

2024-07-17T04:39+0000

2024-07-17T04:39+0000

2024-07-17T04:39+0000

analysis

us

donald trump

joe biden

ted rall

israel

iran

ukraine

cia

white house

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Irans mission to the United Nations issued a statement rejecting claims the country is seeking the assassination of Donald Trump three days after an attempt on the former US presidents life at a campaign event in rural Pennsylvania.These associations are unsubstantiated and malicious, the mission said. From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice.Coming during the final year of his tenure in the White House, Trumps targeting of the Iranian military officer shocked observers and briefly prompted concerns the United States would find itself in an armed conflict with the formidable West Asian power. The real estate magnate is often characterized as a foreign policy isolationist, winning the presidency in part due to his criticism of the US-led war in Iraq. But the surprising incident demonstrated Trumps characteristic impulsiveness as well as the influence of neoconservative hawks like former CIA director Mike Pompeo in his administration.Four years later Trump is once again casting himself as an antiwar figure amid dissatisfaction with President Bidens proxy war in Ukraine, but his record of aggression towards Afghanistan, Syria, and China tells another story. Commentator Ryan Cristian joined Sputniks The Final Countdown program Tuesday to discuss the implications of Trumps candidacy and consider whether the mercurial figure is elites choice to reassert US power amid the emergence of a multipolar world.Joe Biden seems to be playing a completely different game, he mused. Basically he's running out the clock.Joe Biden has been destroying his entire administration and everything they've been planning, every amount of influence or support he had from either side, because of his support for Israel, responded Cristian. I mean, his own party in many cases calls him Genocide Joe.Although he has carved out a similar identity to Trump as a skeptic of foreign US military intervention, Vance as a strident Christian Zionist, once claiming his religious faith compels him to back the Israeli government. The idea that there is ever going to be an American foreign policy that doesnt care a lot about that slice of the world is preposterous, he once said in a speech at the Quincy Institute.Vance has signaled strong support for controversial Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has presided over the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians after Hamas October 7 uprising last year.Rall questioned why political elites seem unbothered by the prospect of keeping Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, despite mounting evidence of his unpopularity both among the broader public and within his own party.When you have this apparent effort to keep Joe Biden in no matter what, is that going to reduce voter turnout and destroy down ballot races? the host asked. Senate? Congress? Governors? City council?Why are they doing this? he wondered. They're not just destroying their chances of keeping the White House, they're shifting control of the Senate, the House and state legislators and they don't seem to have any problem with that.It is a corrupt system I will be clear. I think they're individuals. I think Pelosi, for example, hates Donald Trump. I think that's very clear. But that doesn't mean that they're not going to be driven to take larger action through lobbying and through other interests when it comes down to real things like war, right?Just three months into Trumps chaotic term in the White House, the former president enjoyed bipartisan praise in April 2017 when he lobbed a volley of missiles at targets in Syria. The former presidents insistence he would remain uninvolved in the country, where the CIA has carried out a covert dirty war for over a decade, had prompted concern over the abandonment of a crucial arena for the United States to project its imperial might.But Trumps show of force calmed those concerned over Trumps stewardship of the American empire, prompting liberal pundit Brian Williams to wax poetic on the beauty of US munitions.Figures within Americas foreign policy establishment have suggested time is running out for the United States to secure its place as the global hegemon, with some suggesting the country must go to war with China within just a few short years. The influential RAND Corporation once warned the bloody showdown must occur by 2025.With Israel struggling, the Ukraine proxy war stalling and de-dollarization continuing apace, perhaps elements of the Western ruling class are ready to once again take a chance on Trump, fully abandoning the pretense of belief in any rules-based order and brandishing US power in its raw and brazen form.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240714/trump-shooting-complicates-matters-for-struggling-biden-campaign-1119375354.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240714/you-need-a-psychiatrist-democratic-party-insiders-struggle-to-force-biden-out-1119366196.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230202/us-airmen-respond-with-shock-mockery-as-general-urged-service-members-to-prepare-for-war-with-china-1106900211.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/new-caledonia-independence-supporters-demand-withdrawal-of-french-police-1119409986.html

New Caledonia Independence Supporters Demand Withdrawal of French Police

New Caledonia Independence Supporters Demand Withdrawal of French Police

Sputnik International

The independence movement in France's overseas territory of New Caledonia is demanding the withdrawal of 3,500 police officers, gendarmes and soldiers sent by Paris in May to control unrest, the movement's leader, Laurie Humuni, said on Wednesday.

2024-07-17T18:41+0000

2024-07-17T18:41+0000

2024-07-17T18:41+0000

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Protests by supporters of New Caledonia's independence from France erupted in May, resulting in ten deaths and causing damage estimated at 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). Humuni also called for the resignation of High Commissioner Louis Le Franc and Prosecutor Yves Dupas, calling them "sources of instability." She urged the return of several independence supporters imprisoned in France for allegedly organizing the protests. On May 13, a peaceful demonstration against a voting rights bill spiraled into unrest in Noumea and neighboring towns. Protesters, including many minors, looted and set fire to stores, gas stations, pharmacies and cars. On May 16, French lawmakers voted in favor of the bill despite the ongoing unrest. On May 23, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed not to force the electoral reform in New Caledonia and gave local political parties several weeks to secure its general approval and calm down the protests. The controversial bill provides for lowering the residency bar for voting rights for people living in New Caledonia to 10 years. Pro-independence forces say it would dilute the share of the vote held by indigenous Kanak people who make up about 40% of the population. As of today, only those who were on the electoral register during the 1998 Noumea Agreement, which gave the territory a greater degree of autonomy, and their children have the right to vote.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240516/why-cant-macron-afford-to-lose-french-pacific-territory-of-new-caledonia-1118471324.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/relatives-of-israeli-hostages-slam-netanyahu-for-irresponsible-remarks-1119404640.html

Relatives of Israeli Hostages Slam Netanyahu for 'Irresponsible' Remarks

Relatives of Israeli Hostages Slam Netanyahu for 'Irresponsible' Remarks

Sputnik International

Relatives of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip demanded clarification from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in connection with media reports quoting him as saying that "the hostages are suffering, but not dying."

2024-07-17T14:02+0000

2024-07-17T14:02+0000

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On Tuesday, Israeli news portal Ynet quoted Netanyahu as saying that phrase during a security cabinet meeting when discussing the hostage deal. The Israeli prime minister allegedly said that it was Hamas who should be "feeling pressure" for that reason, and not Israel. However, the news portal also quoted him as saying that it was necessary to do everything to bring the hostages home as soon as possible. "We demand that the prime minister clarify his recent remark that 'the hostages are suffering, but not dying.' The prime minister's remarks not only deeply hurt the feelings of the hostages' families, but are also factually inaccurate and grossly irresponsible. The harsh reality is undeniable - the hostages have already been killed in captivity. More hostages could lose their lives at this very moment," the statement published by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said. The hostage deal that has been discussed in recent weeks is "the only viable option to release all hostages," the relatives added. In May, US President Joe Biden announced a plan for a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of hostages. The first stage of the deal is expected to include a six-week ceasefire in the enclave in exchange for the release of about 40 living and dead Israeli hostages. Despite several rounds of negotiations, the Israeli authorities have repeatedly said that Israel sought to continue the hostilities until all of its goals are achieved, the main of which, in addition to the release of all hostages, is the complete elimination of the Hamas movement.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/could-israeli-ruling-to-draft-ultra-orthodox-jews-weaken-netanyahu-1119151408.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/russia-hungary-to-begin-construction-of-paks-2-npps-power-units-by-end-2024---rosatom-1119406008.html

Russia, Hungary to Begin Construction of Paks-2 NPP's Power Units by End-2024 - Rosatom

Russia, Hungary to Begin Construction of Paks-2 NPP's Power Units by End-2024 - Rosatom

Sputnik International

Russia and Hungary plan to begin the construction of power units at the Paks-2 nuclear power plant by the end of this year, the engineering division of state corporation Rosatom said in a statement on Wednesday.

2024-07-17T16:43+0000

2024-07-17T16:43+0000

2024-07-17T16:43+0000

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Earlier in the day, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto held talks in Turkiye. The plans are to begin work on the construction of the nuclear units by the end of this year, the company said. It is planned that "before the end of July, a core melt localization device will be delivered to the construction site  the first large-sized cargo that will arrive in Paks from Russia."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240710/peaceful-nuclear-power-where-is-russia-building-facilities-1119327664.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/russia-ready-for-ukraine-peace-talks-with-focus-on-clear-security-agreements-1119408921.html

Russia Ready for Ukraine Peace Talks With Focus on Clear Security Agreements

Russia Ready for Ukraine Peace Talks With Focus on Clear Security Agreements

Sputnik International

Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine and European security issues and will incorporate safeguards against dual interpretations in any future European security treaty, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

2024-07-17T18:13+0000

2024-07-17T18:13+0000

2024-07-17T20:11+0000

world

sergey lavrov

volodymyr zelensky

ukraine

russia

west

un security council (unsc)

cia

nord stream

middle east

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"We are ready for negotiations, but considering the sad experience of talks and consultations with the West and Ukrainians... I hope a treaty will be reached at some stage on European security, and in this context the Ukraine crisis will be resolved," Lavrov stated during a press conference following a UN Security Council meeting.Lavrov emphasized that, unlike China, the West does not address the root causes of the conflict in its initiatives on Ukraine."This already concerns the content of the dialogue; China has very clearly indicated in its first initiative the need to start with addressing the root causes of the current crisis in Europe and to work on agreements to eliminate these causes," he said.He noted that "no one at the Copenhagen or Burgenstock meetings even mentioned the root causes."Thus, the West is trying to push through Volodymyr Zelensky's plan by all possible means.Lavrov's comments were in response to a question about Russia's possible participation in the second summit on the Ukraine conflict and the outcomes of the recent conference in Switzerland.On Russia-US Unofficial Contacts Regarding UkraineRussia and the United States have held unofficial and so-called "second level" expert level contacts to discuss issues related to the conflict in Ukraine, Minister Lavrov added.Despite the fact that the two countries are holding phone conversations from time to time, there is nothing significant in these talks, he noted."There are occasional conversations: on the phone, the head of the CIA [William] Burns met with the director of the SVR [the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service] last year on neutral territory. There are some phone conversations at various levels, but we don't see anything significant there," he said.On Russia's Readiness to Work With a New US PresidentRussia will be ready to work with any elected president of the United States, the foreign minister claimed.On Israel Seeking to Involve the US in Regional EscalationIt appears that Israels goal is to involve the United States in the escalation of tensions with Iran, the minister observed.Russia hopes the West will do everything to ensure that such ideas, "if they exist in the Israeli leadership," will remain only ideas.Moscow is doing everything to "calm down the situation," Lavrov added.On the Nord Stream ExplosionsRussia will continue seeking the truth regarding the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Lavrov said."We will pursue the truth  since I've mentioned the Nord Streams, we're going to seek the truth," he highlighted.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240704/putin-ceasefire-impossible-until-peace-talks-with-ukraine-begin-1119244925.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240617/zelenskys-disappointing-peace-summit-mirrors-russias-continuing-power---western-media-1118994797.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/us-unable-or-unwilling-to-stop-supporting-israel---lavrov-1119406220.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/russia-returns-95-soldiers-from-ukrainian-captivity---mod-1119402550.html

Russia Returns 95 Soldiers From Ukrainian Captivity - MoD

Russia Returns 95 Soldiers From Ukrainian Captivity - MoD

Sputnik International

Russia has negotiated the release of 95 of its soldiers taken prisoner in Ukraine-controlled territories, who have already returned home, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

2024-07-17T11:46+0000

2024-07-17T11:46+0000

2024-07-17T11:46+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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"On July 17, 2024, as a result of the negotiation process, 95 Russian servicepeople who were in mortal danger in captivity were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 95 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian armed forces were transferred in return," the statement said. All the released servicemen will be transported by military transport aircraft to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the statement said. The UAE provided mediation efforts during the return of the Russian soldiers from the Ukrainian captivity, the ministry added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240526/donbass-conscript-survives-after-being-tortured-in-ukrainian-captivity-1118641499.html

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Andrew Love and Melissa Davis in a scene from the Houston Shakespeare Festival's Romeo and Juliet at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park on July 26, 2007. Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle

The Houston Shakespeare Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer with performances of "Romeo & Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The free shows will be held Aug. 1-10 at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

The festival, produced by the University of Houstons School of Theatre & Dance, features a mix of nationally acclaimed artists, UH alumni and current students. "The excitement for our 50th anniversary season pulses through our shops and rehearsal studios," said Jack Young, the festival's artistic director and acting professor at UH.

"A Midsummer Nights Dream" takes the audience to an enchanted forest filled with love, magic and mischief. "Romeo & Juliet" tells the tragic story of two young lovers caught in a family feud.

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The Houston Shakespeare Festival, established in 1975 by Sidney Berger, a former UH professor and director of the School of Theater and Dance, has drawn more than a million theatergoers. The professional acting company allows UH students to learn from seasoned professionals. The festival has become a key part of Houston's cultural scene, providing high-quality performances of Shakespeare's works.

Houston Shakespeare Festival When: 8:15 p.m. Aug. 1-10 Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive Details: Free; uh.edu/shakespeare

"Were grateful for the chance to extend the legacy of all the artists who have been a part of this work for the past half-century," said Young, "and for the generosity of the people of Houston, whose support gives us all the chance to come together to share in these amazing performances."

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Tickets to the covered seating area for "Romeo & Juliet" and "A Midsummer Nights Dream" are free and can be reserved on the Miller Outdoor Theatre website. Hill seating does not require tickets. Both shows will be livestreamed on Aug. 2 and Aug. 9.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/russian-air-defenses-down-5-ukrainian-uavs-over-belgorod-voronezh-bryansk-regions-1119398759.html

Russian Air Defenses Down 5 Ukrainian UAVs Over Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk Regions

Russian Air Defenses Down 5 Ukrainian UAVs Over Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk Regions

Sputnik International

Russian air defenses overnight on Wednesday downed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over Belgorod, Voronezh, and Bryansk regions, the Russian Defense Ministry and the Bryansk governor said.

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"During the past night, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation was prevented. Air defense systems on duty destroyed one UAV over the Belgorod region and two UAV's over the Voronezh region," the ministry said. Later in the day, Voronezh Region Governor Aleksandr Gusev said on Telegram that "according to preliminary information," the attack did not inflict any damage on the ground. "Another attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with the use of UAVs has been prevented. An aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the Surazhsky district [of the Bryansk region] by the Russian Defense Ministry's air defense means. No damage or casualties have been reported," Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram on the same day.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240512/zelenskys-trademark-zakharova-denounces-western-backed-ukrainian-attacks-on-belgorod-1118397640.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/trump-allies-drafting-ai-manhattan-projects-for-defense--reports-1119399618.html

Trump Allies Drafting AI 'Manhattan Projects' for Defense  Reports

Trump Allies Drafting AI 'Manhattan Projects' for Defense  Reports

Sputnik International

Allies of Republican presidential contender, Donald Trump, are reportedly drafting "a sweeping artificial intelligence (AI) executive order" to launch a series of "Manhattan Projects" in order to bolster military technology, according to the Washington Post.

2024-07-17T09:36+0000

2024-07-17T09:36+0000

2024-07-17T09:36+0000

world

us

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joe biden

elon musk

manhattan

silicon valley

china

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pentagon

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Allies of Trump are contemplating intensifying their focus on AI research, with the aim of expanding its use in the military sector and overturning government restrictions on the technology that were implemented by the Biden administration in October 2023, according to a document obtained by the newspaper.Greater military investment in AI could benefit tech companies that presently collaborate with the Pentagon, the newspaper continued, naming in particular Anduril, Palantir and Scale, and adding that executives at those companies support Trump.Silicon Valley, once a Democratic Party stronghold, is now seeing a surge in support from the Republican camp, with a "significant chunk of the tech industry's money and power" now backing Trump, Axios reports.Some US tech companies are expressing the belief that Trump will be more beneficial for startups and innovations than Biden. This is due to the fact that Biden signed an AI executive order in October 2023, introducing government oversight on the development of the technology. "To realize the promise of AI and avoid the risk, we need to govern this technology," Biden said prior to inking the policy.The GOP is reportedly planning to repeal the order, saying it stifles innovation, according to the US mainstream press.The conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, is also involved in drafting potentially new AI policies as part of Project 2025, as per WaPo. Project 2025 calls for boosting AI research in the US while limiting China's access to the technology. While the Biden administration and some US media are tying Trump to the think tank's blueprint, the former president has publicly distanced himself from the project.The Trump team's apparent focus on AI and cooperation with Silicon Valley giants marks a change in the Republican nominee's approach towards Big Tech. The US press says the former president has been increasingly rubbing shoulders with tech powerhouses in recent weeks. In particular, he appeared on the "All-In Podcast" hosted by prominent tech investors, and then attended a fundraiser organized by former PayPal executive David Sacks, who is reportedly scheduled to speak on behalf of Trump at the convention in Milwaukee. For its part, Forbes calls Jacob Helberg, senior policy advisor to US defense contractor Palantir Technologies, "Trump's AI whisperer".In the wake of the assassination attempt, many prominent tech executives have thrown their support behind Trump and endorsed him for the presidency. Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk tweeted: "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery." Remarkably, Musk previously sounded concerned about the rapid growth of AI: "Probably none of us will have a job. If you want to do a job that's kinda like a hobby, you can do a job. But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want," he noted in May.Commenting on WaPo's findings regarding the Trump team's apparent focus on AI, the Trump campaign emphasized that any policy statements should only be considered official if they originate directly from Trump himself or an authorized spokesperson for his campaign.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/uk-soldiers-accused-of-soliciting-sex-in-kenya-after-ban-prompted-by-murder-of-21-year-old-1119395064.html

UK Soldiers Accused of Soliciting Sex in Kenya After Ban Prompted by Murder of 21-Year-Old

UK Soldiers Accused of Soliciting Sex in Kenya After Ban Prompted by Murder of 21-Year-Old

Sputnik International

The UK military has reportedly investigated 24 allegations of soldiers soliciting sex in Kenya since it was banned two years ago, a report from Declassified claims.

2024-07-17T01:11+0000

2024-07-17T01:11+0000

2024-07-17T01:11+0000

world

kenya

united kingdom (uk)

britain

rape

british army

criminal charges

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The UK military has reportedly investigated 24 allegations of soldiers soliciting sex in Kenya since it was banned two years ago, a report from Declassified claims. But this is not the first time British soldiers have been accused of committing sex crimes in Kenya.Under JSP 769: Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which banned the solicitation of prostitutes in 2022, troops were warned that sex workers are frequently trafficked, coerced or underage. But in a letter to parliament, written by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), they claimed that they could not find any evidence of transactional sex in Kenya by soldiers.However, the letter was issued after the MoD told Kenny MacAskill, a Scottish politician, that there had been three incidents despite there having been 24 allegations.According to the Declassified report, the ban on soliciting prostitutes in Kenya was first passed following the outrage of Agnes Wanjiru's murder. Wanjiru was a young Kenyan mother who was allegedly killed by a British soldier in 2012. The 21-year-olds body was found in a septic tank after she went out partying with British soldiers at a hotel in the town of Nanyuki, where the British army has a permanent garrison.In 2021, Britain's The Sunday Times newspaper reported that a soldier had admitted to his comrades that he killed Wanjiru and showed them her body. The Times said that the murder was taken to military superiors, but no further action was taken. The victims family filed a lawsuit against the British army in Kenya as well as other authorities who failed to address her murder.This year, recent reports from British media have revealed that the prime suspect behind the 21-year-olds murder is still at large in England as police and the army have failed to address the crime. At least five soldiers have identified the same man they say killed Wanjiru.Wanjirus niece, Esther Njoki has expressed her disappointment that none of the 24 suspected prostitution cases will lead to justice.Emma Norton, the director of the Center for Military Justice, said the new policy isnt working.Declassified said they visited Nanyuki a few months after the ban was passed, and asked if it was working. One hospitality worker, a barman, said there was no way UK soldiers were following that rule. And said that every night of every week they are going out with girls.CNN interviewed a group of mixed-race children who were conceived through the rape of Kenyan women by British soldiers, the women said, according to a report form mid-June.The CNN report added that mixed-race children continue to be born in remote villages where the British Army trains its soldiers. Nanyuki is where the British Army Training Unit (BATUK) is located. BATUK fell under investigation by the Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committee of Kenya's National Assembly, as of mid-June.UK military courts have a terrible track record for handling violence against women cases, as well. Military courts have a 23% conviction rate for rape, while civilian courts have a 70% conviction rate.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240717/with-friends-like-these-whats-known-about-us-nonprofit-accused-of-fueling-kenya-unrest-1119402660.html

With Friends Like These: Whats Known About US Nonprofit Accused of Fueling Kenya Unrest

With Friends Like These: Whats Known About US Nonprofit Accused of Fueling Kenya Unrest

Sputnik International

Large-scale youth-led street protests have paralyzed Kenya's capital, with over a dozen killed and hundreds injured to date amid calls for the president's resignation. This week, Nairobi accused a major US foundation of involvement.

2024-07-17T12:35+0000

2024-07-17T12:35+0000

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Kenya has been engulfed in mass protests escalating into riots over the past month over a now vetoed tax reform bill, corruption charges and allegations of police brutality. On Monday, President William Ruto, a key US ally in the region, accused the Ford Foundation, a leading American philanthropic organization of funding forces behind the protests. Heres what we know about it:Now, in Kenya, President Ruto asked the Ford Foundation this week to explain to us what they seek to gain by destabilizing Kenyas democracy, alleging that the organization has helped sponsor the anarchy facing the nation over the past month, and threatening to kick them out.The foundation has denied any involvement in the unrest. We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill, it said in a statement, assuring that its grants for civil and rights are doled out in a strictly non-partisan manner.But its not unheard of for the US foreign policy establishment and its non-state actor allies to try to rejuvenate its alliances through a process of political molting, as evidenced by processes like the 2011 Arab Spring, which in addition to US adversaries led to the ouster of key American regional allies  most notably Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, and their replacement by other forces which retained their pro-US course.

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When driver Jay Randall won the fourth race with Sweet Street Lou (1:54.4, $8.60) at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 16) afternoon, he reached the 5,000 win plateau for his career that now spans 46 years.

Randall, a resident of Ballston Spa, New York, started his driving career in 1977 at Saratoga Raceway and five years later, won the 1982 Johnny Page Award as the up and coming driver there. Over the years, Randall has switched his base of operations several times, moving to Monticello, then Yonkers and then the Meadowlands, before returning to Saratoga in 2005 where he has been a leading driver ever since.

Since 2019, Randall has split his summers by also competing at Plainridge Park and has been very successful at both tracks.

As a regular member of the Plainridge driver colony, Randall has racked up 286 wins that earned their connections over $4.1 million USD in purses. His best single year at The Ridge was 2022 when he finished third in the standings with 100 wins and just under $1.5 million USD in earnings.

The 63-year-old Randall had his single best overall season for wins in 2019 when he hung 238 victories on his competitors. Since 2018 alone, Randall has won $10.5 million USD in purses, and that while being sidelined for an extended period of time in 2021 when he was injured in a racing accident at Saratoga Raceway.

This year, Randall is tied as the seventh leading driver at Plainridge with 17 wins and is tied as the fourth leading driver at Saratoga with 75 wins.

Randall notched his 4,000th driving win in August of 2018 and surpassed $30 million in lifetime earnings in 2023. That number is now in excess of $32 million.

The feature race Tuesday was the $27,397 Open Handicap for pacing fillies and mares where recently landed New Zealand import Turn The Page N got her first North American win in her first North American start, and took a lifetime in the process.

Arizona (Brett Beckwith) led to the half in :55.2 before an outer flow formed, led by The Pantheist A (Shawn Gray), followed by Side Piece (Drew Monti) and then Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing). The Pantheist A had the lead at three-quarters before Side Piece drew alongside in the far turn. But it was Turn The Page N who tipped off cover and barrelled down the middle of the race track to gain the advantage at the line where she won in a career best 1:50.3.

Turn The Page N ($10.20) is owned by her trainer/driver Cushing, in partnership with Kevin Sywyk.

Driver Matty Athearn and trainer Jimmy Nickerson teamed up to win three races on the card to lead their respective categories for wins on Tuesday.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday (July 18) at 4 p.m.

(Plainridge Park)
All four $27,397 divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series were won by owners who also bred their two-year-old trotting fillies. Smalltime breeder Joyce McClelland took half of the events held on Tuesday, July 16 at Eldorado Scioto Downs when her horses Travel Nurse and Aunt Laura lowered their lifetime marks to sub-2:00.

Travel Nurse was the first of McClellands winners when she took the second division in 1:59.2 with Brett Miller driving. The duo got away seventh from the eight hole and was parked while Dublins Martini (Ronnie Gillespie), who was also parked, took the lead just at the :29.4 quarter from Chica Lounge (Trevor Smith). Miller was able to wrestle Travel Nurse into the four hole after Rose Of Sharon made a miscue heading to the three-eighths. Tom Power (Dan Noble) pulled first up by the 1:00.4 half and battled with Dublins Martini towards the 1:30.2 third quarter. Travel Nurse made a swift three-wide move to go around the pair and by the time the field straightened out in the stretch, was in the lead. Iwillmakeuproud AS (Tyler Smith) got up for second just a length and a half behind the leader, with Tom Power holding on for third. The daughter of Enterprise out of the Andover Hall mare Poster Pin Up won her first two qualifiers before being a starter in the Next Generation.

Aunt Laura and Chris Page took the last division in 1:59.2. The duo protected their inside position while Annie L (Hank LeVan) was parked from post eight and Bye Bye Girl (Terry Hall) was three-wide through the first turn from post nine. Once the dust settled at the :30.3 quarter, Page had Aunt Laura out and moving and the 1-2 favourite reached the top by the 1:00.2 half. Annie L pulled from the three hole and pressured the leader at the 1:30 third-quarter, but Aunt Laura won by a length and a half under a hand drive; Annie L was second and after a photo for third between four horses, Jurassic Jewel (Miller) was victorious in getting the show dough. Aunt Laura, by Uncle Peter out of the SJs Photo mare Tori Ann, won her second qualifier at Scioto before finishing second in a non-winners of one event on July 2.

Both Travel Nurse and Aunt Laura are trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and were co-bred by Richard McClelland.

Owner/breeder/trainer/driver Daren Harvey had Countonluna (pictured above) on cruise control to win the first division in 1:58.3. The pair got away third along the rail but pulled mid-way through the first turn and made the top by the :29.1 opening quarter. They hit the half in 59.1 when Jersey Janet (Ty. Smith) attacked midway down the backside heading to the 1:28.4. Countonluna, the 3-5 favourite, opened up to win by six lengths over Jersey Janet and Curious Hill (Kayne Kauffman) who was third. The winner, by Full Count out of the SJs Caviar mare DJs Caviar, is now a perfect two-for-two after winning a non-winners of one event on July 10 at Northfield park in 2:01.

In The End took the third split for owner/breeder trainer Anette Lorentzon in 2:00. Juu Dee Kaa (Austin Hanners) hit every pole first, tripping the beam in :30, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4. Tyler Smith pulled In The End second over at the half, following the cover of Countdown Queen (Kauffman). Going three-wide around the last turn, In The End won by a length over Juu Dee Kay, with Say Oui (Jeff Nisonger) finishing third. In The End is by Lionhunter out of the Enjoy Lavec mare Guilt Free and had three qualifiers under her belt before Tuesdays start.

(Scioto Downs)
Officials at Ocean Downs have pushed Wednesday's (July 17) races back 40 minutes in anticipation of continued extreme heat on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

First post time for the 13-race pari-mutuel program will now be 7:45 p.m.; the first of three non-wagering races  two divisions of the Tom Cooke Memorial and a Maryland Sire Stakes event for three-year-old trotting fillies  will take place at 7:05 p.m.

Horsepeople are advised that paddock arrival and Lasix administration times will be adjusted in kind to allow for the rescheduled post times.

(Ocean Downs Racing)
Barge 295 owners and brothers from left, Mike and Patrick Robinson discuss the history and future of the historic eatery and bar on Clear Lake Tuesday, July 9, 2024 after the barge the establishment sits on sank as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Damage to the deck and boardwalk adjacent to Barge 295 in Seabrook, is visible Tuesday, July 9, 2024, after the barge the establishment sits on sank into Clear Lake as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Damage to the deck and boardwalk adjacent to Barge 295 in Seabrook, is visible Tuesday, July 9, 2024, after the barge the establishment sits on sank into Clear Lake as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A sign painted on the wall is visible above damage to the deck and boardwalk adjacent to Barge 295 in Seabrook, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, after the barge the establishment sits on sank into Clear Lake as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Barge 295 owner Mike Robinson discusses the history and future of the historic eatery and bar on Clear Lake Tuesday, July 9, 2024 after the barge the establishment sits on sank as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Equipment tools, furinture and fixtures are visible though a broken widow at Barge 295 Tuesday, July 9. 2025, after the barge the establishment sits on sank into Clear Lake as Hurricane Beryl passed through the area bringing high waves and strong winds Monday. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Supporters of Seabrooks floating bar packed a recent City Council meeting, asking city leaders to allow the Barge 295's owners to operate a food truck in their parking lot after the bar sank into Clear Lake during Hurricane Beryl.

As of Hurricane Beryl, we are displaced, dont have a place to come and worship, said Jordan Applebee, pastor of Saltwater Revival Pirate Church which meets every Sunday morning at Barge 295.

Applebee joined dozens of other people demonstrating their support for the food truck, which would raise money for recovery and protect the livelihood of Barge 295s 30 employees.

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Seabrook City Council took no action on the matter but agreed to set a date for a special meeting to discuss whether to grant a variance for a food truck, since it would be against city code.

Initial plans to reopen as a food truck in the yard next to the barge were squashed by the city earlier due to code restrictions relating to health and safety regulations, specifically access to adequate restroom accommodations.

BUSINESSES PREPARE: As Hurricane Beryl looms, Houston small businesses are planning for summer storms

Seabrook ordinance requires food trucks to be in front of a business and located a certain distance away and comply with safety and health codes. Barge 295 was no longer considered a business after the barge sank into the water, city officials said.

A temporary variance would allow the operation of a food truck and use of temporary restrooms at the site.

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Applebee and other speakers noted that the temporary restrooms have been used at other events and locations, including during a city celebration, and at the Seabrook Boys Baseball Field.

Were not asking for anything that has never been done here before, Applebee said. As to a safety hazard, Im 37 and I have no problem using a porta potty and hand washing station.

Wayne Dolcefino, of Dolcefino Consulting, reiterated comments he had made during a rally in support of the bars owners the night before about the citys reasoning for resistance.

One of the things Ive always found  and I used the word disgusting last night  is that sometimes city governments use catastrophes, disasters, to take advantage of getting rid of businesses they do not want, he said.

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The former TV investigative reporter told council members that the nearly 200 supporters attending the rally demonstrated the depth of the feelings from the community toward Barge 295.

I think you also have to recognize that there is a thing called landmarks, said Dolcefino, adding that he was a frequent visitor of the barge when it was known as The Turtle Club.

There is a very simple solution to this  lets get past the portable bathroom excuse, Dolcefino continued. Get these folks some portable bathrooms, let them reopen, and then if you want to argue about long term things, argue about long term things.

In a statement sent via email on Monday, city officials confirmed that the owners of Barge 295 requested permission to operate the food truck in the interim, which is not permissible under the current city codes. Unfortunately, the recent hurricane caused the barge to sink, which was the primary structure for their business operations.

Patrick Robinson, who co owns the business with his brother, Mike, said Tuesday that he was hoping the city would show more support for their efforts to recover after the storm.

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Its disheartening that the city is putting the burden on us, Robinson said. I think its a way to defer responsibility of helping a local business.
Allegations that a former city councilmember sexually assaulted several women have circulated for months in Kelso and were expected to to bubble to the surface at Tuesday nights meeting.

On Tuesdays agenda, Councilmembers Jim Hill and Kimberly Lefebvre asked to discuss whether to censure Councilmember Keenan Harvey, but the council voted that night not to review the complaint.

While the agenda doesnt give specifics, Harvey said, based on emails from Hill, the request for censure relates to Harveys involvement with helping an alleged victim of Larry Alexander.

Alexander served on the Kelso council from 2015 and 2019 and is the husband of current Councilmember Lisa Alexander.

Law enforcement officers are currently not investigating Larry Alexander for any suspected crimes.

Harvey was a parole and probation officer for the Washington State Department of Corrections for three years. He said when he was approached by a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Larry Alexander, he showed her how to report the incident.

In related moves, the Alexanders sought out protective stalking orders against two constituents who have been harassing them over the allegations.

In June Lisa Alexander was granted an anti-harassment protective order against Curtis Hart  an area vigilante who uses social media to highlight locals on sex offender registries  and Christen Ellis, a woman who reported knowing of alleged crimes involving Larry Alexander to law enforcement, according to Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office records.

Neither Lisa Alexander nor Ellis responded to requests for comment before deadline, while Hill and Harvey said they were advised by the city attorney not to discuss the censuring request.

Council meeting

Hill urged the council to discuss the censuring request in a closed executive session as to avoid revealing the specifics of the allegations in public, but the council voted 5-2 against the suggestion, with Hill and Lisa Alexander in the minority.

Councilmember Mike Karnofski said the city needs to follow the process established in 2022 for handling code of conduct violations by council members. The code states that all complaints should recommend any enforcement measures to the City Council and that a censure is meant to be the result of a third offense.

The council then voted along the same lines to table the discussion until the city attorney investigates the complaint. Hill said not discussing the issue that night was a disservice to an aggrieved member of this council.

Alleged crimes

Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office records show in February a sergeant took over an investigation started by Kelso police who had received complaints that Larry Alexander sexually assaulted women at least 16 years ago.

The sergeant spoke with two of his alleged victims.

One woman said an assault occurred when she was 17 years old, around 2007, at Lower Columbia College, but the report states the victim did not want to pursue charges so the sergeant stopped the investigation.

In addition, the statute of limitation ran out for both victims to report the crimes, the report states. At the time of the alleged 2007 offense, for instance, the cutoff was three years.

Larry Alexander admits in the report he had women pose for fantasy art and a swimsuit calendar for a class project while at LCC, but said no models were minors.

Another woman told police she let Larry Alexander take photos of her when she was 18, also around 2007, at his home. She said he asked her to take off her bikini for the shoot, but she declined. The reporting officer concluded the incident does not constitute a crime.

LCC officials say Larry Alexander was never employed by the school, and there are no records of student misconduct or security incidents involving him.

In sheriffs office records, Larry Alexander attributed the allegations to political enemies and people who were upset the Alexanders nonprofit disbanded.

Protection orders

Cowlitz County District Court Pro Tem Judge Kevin Vibbert approved the civil protection orders against Hart and Ellis on June 25, according to court records obtained through a records request.

While both Alexanders had sought protection orders, the orders were granted only for Lisa Alexander.

The orders state Hart and Ellis harassed Lisa Alexander, with Hart additionally qualifying for a stalking protection order. The decision prevents either person from contacting Lisa Alexander or being within 100 feet of her, her residence and her vehicle and lasts up to a year.

Kelso Capt. Rich Fletcher said Harts order prevents him from attending City Council meetings in person when Lisa Alexander is present, adding he could still attend meetings online. Fletcher was not able to review Ellis order by deadline, but both orders include the same distance requirements.

Washington state law allows cities to remove disruptive members of the public from meetings, which Kelso tried to use in 2021 to remove an audience member who refused to wear a face mask.

Ellis

Ellis helped organize a five-person protest against the Larry Alexander across the street from Kelso City Hall during an April 2 council meeting.

A Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office report states Ellis was part of Alexanders nonprofit, ARRR Pirates, which stands for Association of Rapscallion River Rats. State nonprofit records also list Ellis and Larry Alexander as the governors for a previous version of the association that dissolved in 2015.

In her applications for the protection order, Lisa Alexander writes the unproven accusations led to her family fearing harassment in local stores, as well as the more recent ending of the nonprofit earlier this year.

Hart

Since February, Hart repeatedly used his Punisher Squad Facebook page to accuse Larry Alexander of sexually abusing multiple minors and accuse Lisa Alexander of assisting. The February sheriffs office investigation does not mention any accusations against Lisa Alexander.

Harts order specifically bars him from making any further harassing actions against her. After the protective order was approved, Hart deleted posts about the Alexanders from his Facebook page, where he posts details about sexual predators in the Kelso area that he finds in police records and sex offender registries.

A 2020 opinion by the Washington Court of Appeals found that an anti-harassment protection order could not be based solely on posting legally-obtained public records.

Hart told The Daily News he did not believe his actions qualified as harassment and has filed a motion for revision to have a different judge review and potentially overturn the order.

Hart said he has had limited contact with Lisa Alexander; he said he only attended two Kelso council meetings this year and briefly contacted her on Facebook Messenger.

Editors note: The Daily News reporter Matt Esnayra contributed to this story.
Rajasthan Centre of Advanced Technology (R-CAT) and Esri India, the leading provider of Geographic Information System (GIS) software and solutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide advanced learning opportunities for GIS technology to the youth.

R-CAT is on a mission to uplift the potential of students and young professionals. Accordingly, it has partnered with several leading technology companies including Esri India to develop and deliver globally acclaimed certificate courses in advanced technologies. These courses empower students and professionals to acquire advanced IT skills, innovate, accelerate their careers, and contribute meaningfully to the digital transformation of government departments, businesses and society as a whole.

R-CATs Collaboration with Esri India paves the way for the creation and delivery of certificate courses in globally acclaimed ArcGIS technology. As R-CATs training partner, in the first year, Esri India will train selected candidates in GIS courses along with extending support in pre-admissions counselling and placement of the trained candidates. Esri India would also facilitate globally recognized certifications for selected candidates.

Inderjeet Singh, Commissioner, IT&C and Managing Director, R-CAT said, Through this partnership with Esri India, we aim to equip our students with practical skills in geospatial technologies that are directly applicable in todays environment. The certifications will empower the learners to be well-prepared for the competitive job market. Together, we will cultivate a learning environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and a deep understanding of cutting-edge technology, ultimately empowering our students to become leaders and change-makers through the use of GIS.

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India said, Training in GIS equips students with a versatile skillset that is highly valued in the modern world. Through our association with R-CAT, we are glad to take another step toward inculcating the knowledge and skills in students to tackle complex challenges, contribute to sustainable development, and drive technological and economic growth. We are excited to create avenues for the states youth to build their GIS capabilities and be future-ready. This training is not only vital for individual career prospects but also for the advancement of society.

This partnership between R-CAT and Esri India is set to elevate the standards of professional education in GIS and open new employment avenues for students. The collaboration signifies a shared commitment to provide individuals with access to cutting-edge, industry-relevant education.
Meta has now introduced Meta Verified subscription plans for businesses on Facebook and Instagram in India. The company introduced Meta Verified for businesses last year beginning with a small test to learn how Meta can offer the most valuable subscription toolkit to help businesses achieve their goals on its apps. Earlier this year, Meta also announced the expansion of the initial test from one subscription plan to four, and last month the company followed it up with the launch of Meta Verified for businesses on WhatsApp, announced during its Conversations Conference.

The expanded Meta Verified business offering on Facebook and Instagram includes the verified badge along with enhanced account support, impersonation protection, and additional features to support discovery and connection. Together these features give businesses an opportunity to grow and support a wider variety of business needs and activities on Meta apps.

Metas enhanced offerings are based on feedback from businesses as well as market research since the company started the test last year. Business owners have told Meta that they value the ability to get verified because it helps provide credibility and gives customers more confidence to engage with them. In fact, the verified badge continues to be one of the top reported reasons for subscribing to Meta Verified.

With Meta Verified, businesses can unlock new ways to build credibility on Meta apps and grow their brand. Meta Verified now offers four subscription plans to give businesses increased options for selecting a plan thats best suited to their needs. The subscription plans in India are available for purchase only via iOS or Android at this time for businesses on Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp. Businesses have an option to either purchase Meta Verified for Facebook or Instagram or WhatsApp or do a bundled purchase for Facebook and Instagram.

All plans offer a foundational toolkit of the verified badge, account support and impersonation protection, and then each plan builds on it by offering additional features to support businesses keeping in mind where they are in their journey on Meta apps. The value of benefits across the four plans could vary depending on the businesses specific goals and activity on Meta apps.

Enhanced support is a key part of all offerings. Meta support starts with access to chat or email with agents and builds to requesting a call back from the agent to dedicated case monitoring. Similarly, a business can add more links in their Reels as they go up in plans, or access more features to enhance their profile as their presence on Meta apps grows.

Meta Verified plans for businesses start at as little as INR 639 for a single app per month and go up to INR 21,000, which is an introductory discounted rate for two apps per month.

Businesses interested in signing up can check their eligibility and begin the onboarding process from their professional dashboard in app, or by visiting Metas marketing landing page.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Distribution of 233 stations in the PPP-AR experiment. Credit: Satellite Navigation (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00141-w

Accurate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning is essential for various applications, but traditional methods like Full Ambiguity Resolution (FAR) and Partial Ambiguity Resolution (PAR) have limitations in precision and speed. These techniques often require extended convergence times and can introduce errors due to noisy observations or biased models.

Recent advancements aim to address these issues by developing more efficient algorithms. Based on these challenges, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research to improve GNSS positioning accuracy and efficiency.

A new study, conducted by researchers from Wuhan University and Peking University, and published in Satellite Navigation on 8 July 2024, introduces the Multiple Integer Candidates Ambiguity Resolution (MICAR) algorithm.

This novel approach combines FAR and PAR techniques within the Best Integer Equivariant (BIE) framework to optimize GNSS ambiguity resolution. The MICAR algorithm significantly enhances the precision and speed of GNSS positioning by exploiting multiple integer candidates.

The MICAR algorithm integrates FAR and PAR within the BIE framework to enhance GNSS ambiguity resolution. This innovative approach allows for more accurate estimation of ambiguities by leveraging multiple integer candidates, surpassing the precision of traditional FAR and PAR methods.

In experiments using simulated data from Global Positioning System (GPS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and Galileo systems, MICAR demonstrated significant improvements in convergence speed and positioning accuracy. For example, MICAR achieved convergence in just 18 minutes compared to 21.5 minutes with FAR.

Additionally, MICAR reduced horizontal positioning errors by 9.8% and vertical errors by 3.5%, showcasing its superior performance. These results highlight MICAR's potential to transform GNSS positioning by providing faster and more precise solutions, which are critical for applications requiring high accuracy.

Dr. Shengfeng Gu from Wuhan University stated, "The MICAR algorithm represents a significant advancement in GNSS positioning technology. By integrating multiple ambiguity resolution techniques, it offers higher precision and faster convergence, which are critical for applications requiring precise navigation."

The MICAR algorithm's enhanced precision and speed have far-reaching implications for GNSS applications, including autonomous vehicles, surveying, and geospatial mapping. Its ability to quickly and accurately resolve ambiguities can improve the reliability and efficiency of GNSS-based systems, leading to better performance in various real-world scenarios.

More information: Shengfeng Gu et al, Multiple integer candidates ambiguity resolution: a unification ambiguity resolution algorithm, Satellite Navigation (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00141-w

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

How can a chatbot support students in lectures and with assigned exercises? Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed the chatbot Iris, which offers informatics students personalized assistance with programming assignments.

A study has now confirmed the chatbot's success: Iris improves the understanding of programming concepts and represents a valuable complement to human tutors. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 1.

A packed auditorium with over 1,000 students. This is not a rare sight in introductory informatics lectures. To meet the needs of each individual student under these conditions, Stephan Krusche, professor of Software Engineering, and his team have been building the Artemis learning platform since 2016. It resembles well-known learning platforms, but offers more possibilities.

For example, students not only receive their assignments through the platform, but also get immediate feedback when they make mistakes or show an incomplete understanding of concepts.

Chatbot Iris: Excellent tutor

In October of last year, Stephan Krusche's team at the TUM Centre for Educational Technologies added the chatbot to the platform. Iris is based on the GPT large language model of OpenAI. It is intended to help students with assigned problems, with the support geared to their individual needs.

To adapt the system to the learning context, the chatbot operates as a so-called excellent tutor. That means that, rather than immediately suggesting the right solution or specific steps, Iris offers subtle hints or asks leading questions. This approach encourages students to think for themselves. To boost learning efficiency, the chatbot only answers questions directly relevant to the learning content.

"To test the success of Iris, we surveyed over 200 students from three introductory informatics lectures," says Patrick Bassner, a doctoral candidate at the Chair of Software Engineering.

"The goal was to arrive at conclusions on how students rate the effectiveness of the support from Iris, whether students are more comfortable asking a chatbot questions than a human tutor and whether students subjectively trust Iris."

Iris promotes learning and students' independence

The responses show that the students value Iris as a valuable support, but also that a large share of those surveyed still rely on human tutors. The chatbot understands questions well and students feel comfortable and safe when using it. Iris gives them the feeling that the chats will remain private and that they are not being judged when asking questions.

Especially in large lectures, this saves students from having to overcome their inhibitions to ask questions in front of the class. When studying for exams, the use of Iris is becoming commonplace. However, students feel confident enough to solve problems on exams without the support of the chatbot.

"The integration of Iris into Artemis has shown that AI-controlled tutors can play a valuable role in university teaching," says Stephan Krusche. "They offer personalized support that benefits learning and boosts students' ability to help themselves."

The researchers plan to further optimize the chatbot Iris and want to see it being used in other subject areas.

More information: Patrick Bassner et al, Iris: An AI-Driven Virtual Tutor for Computer Science Education, Proceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 1 (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3649217.3653543
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SwRI research engineers, from left, FJ Olugbodi, Mark Johnson and Katherine Kozan demonstrate an adversary-in-the-middle device they developed to test the cyber resiliency of ISO 15118-compliant vehicle-to-grid charging systems. With the device, SwRI identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities with electric vehicles using direct current fast-charging systems. Credit: Southwest Research Institute

Engineers at Southwest Research Institute have identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities with electric vehicles (EVs) using direct current fast-charging systems, the quickest, commonly used way to charge electric vehicles. The high-voltage technology relies on power line communication (PLC) technology to transmit smart-grid data between vehicles and charging equipment.

In a laboratory, the SwRI team exploited vulnerabilities in the PLC layer, gaining access to network keys and digital addresses on both the charger and the vehicle.

"Through our penetration testing, we found that the PLC layer was poorly secured and lacked encryption between the vehicle and the chargers," said Katherine Kozan, an engineer who led the project for SwRI's High Reliability Systems Department. The team found unsecure key generation present on older chips when testing, which was confirmed through online research to be a known concern.

The research is part of SwRI's ongoing efforts to help the mobility sector and government improve automotive cybersecurity spanning embedded automotive computers and smart-grid infrastructure. It builds upon a 2020 project where SwRI hacked a J1772 charger, disrupting the charging process with a lab-built spoofing device.

In the latest project, SwRI explored vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging technologies governed by ISO 15118 specifications for communications between EVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to support electric power transfer.

SwRI developed an adversary-in-the-middle device with a modified combined charging system to test the cyber resiliency of ISO 15118-compliant vehicle-to-grid, direct current fast charging systems. The high-voltage technology relies on power line communications (PLC) to transmit smart-grid data between vehicles and charging equipment. SwRI researchers exploited. Credit: Southwest Research Institute

"As the grid evolves to take on more EVs, we need to defend our critical grid infrastructure against cyberattacks while also securing payments to charge EVs," said Vic Murray, assistant director of SwRI's High Reliability Systems Department. "Our research found room for improvements."

The SwRI team developed an adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) device with specialized software and a modified combined charging system interface. The AitM allowed testers to eavesdrop on traffic between EVs and EVSE for data collection, analysis and potential attack. By ascertaining the media access control addresses of the EV and EVSE, the team identified the network membership key that allows devices to join a network and monitor traffic.

"Adding encryption to the network membership key would be an important first step in securing the V2G charging process," said FJ Olugbodi, an SwRI engineer who contributed to the project. "With network access granted by unsecured direct access keys, the nonvolatile memory regions on PLC-enabled devices could be easily retrieved and reprogrammed. This opens the door to destructive attacks such as firmware corruption."

However, encrypting embedded systems on vehicles poses several challenges. For instance, added layers of encryption and authentication could even become a safety hazard. A failure to authenticate or decrypt could interrupt a vehicle's functionality or performance.

This diagram demonstrates an SwRI-developed adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attack and its capability to emulate both an electric vehicle and EV supply equipment (EVSE), as well as monitor their defined attributes. Credit: Southwest Research Institute

SwRI has developed a zero-trust architecture that can address these and other challenges. It connects several embedded systems using a single cybersecurity protocol. SwRI's future EV cybersecurity research will test zero-trust systems for PLC and other network layers.

"Automotive cybersecurity poses many layers of complexity, but we are excited about these new techniques to identify and address vulnerabilities," said Cameron Mott, an SwRI manager leading SwRI's automotive cybersecurity research.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A team of Johns Hopkins researchers is reframing the discussion around autonomous vehicles. Though public trust in this technology has faltered due to high-profile testing accidents, researchers hope to rebuild public support for AVs by redirecting attention to their potential to improve social equity and help underserved communities.

"When people understand the broader positive societal benefits of autonomous vehicles, it changes their perception," said Tak Igusa, a professor in the Whiting School of Engineering's Department of Civil and Systems Engineering and a member of its Institute for Assured Autonomy.

"Our study shows that when highlighting how AVs can improve vulnerable populations' ability to get around, support for the technology nearly doubles. This tells us that the way we frame the conversation about autonomous vehicles cultivates widespread acceptance."

Igusa worked with Johnathon Ehsani, associate professor from Bloomberg School of Public Health's Departments of Health and Policy Management and Health, Behavior, and Society, on the study, which appears in Health Equity.

In previous work, the researchers explored the idea that one potential approach to increasing acceptance would be to focus on the value of AVs beyond safety to include societal improvement. To test that hypothesis, this study focused on determining whether emphasizing the benefits of AVs for those who face limited mobility and transportation access could increase support.

The team used a rigorous methodology to collect the data: More than 2,000 U.S. adults were surveyed through the National Opinion Research Center, an independent social research organization at the University of Chicago, to ensure a nationally representative sample.

Respondents were initially assessed for their support of AVs to establish a comparison baseline. Afterward, they were presented with scenarios illustrating how AV deployment could benefit individuals with lower incomes, those with visual impairments, and aging adults.

"We found that initial support for was relatively low: Only about 26% of people had positive opinions of AVs. However, when participants learned about and then considered potential societal benefits, particularly in serving vulnerable populations, support for AVs nearly doubled to 50%. This suggests that emphasizing the social value of AVs can positively influence public perception and support for their adoption," said Igusa.

The researchers believe that their findings could have a far-reaching impact. They posit policymakers and industry stakeholders could prioritize AV deployment strategies that address the mobility needs of underserved communities, thereby building trust in the technology and bridging transportation access gaps.

"Policymakers in U.S. cities saw shared micro-mobility, such as electronic scooters, as a way to improve mobility in low-income areas. When negotiating contracts with state and local governments, companies were only allowed to increase the number of scooters if they deployed a certain amount to equity emphasis areas. In the case of AVs, policymakers may consider mandating businesses to allocate a portion of their fleet to serve vulnerable and aging populations," said Ehsani.

He added that, "in the end, the public's trust and support are absolutely integral for successful deployment of AVs. Our approach may hold the key to changing those attitudes."

More information: Johnathon P. Ehsani et al, Advancing Transportation Equity and Safety Through Autonomous Vehicles, Health Equity (2024). DOI: 10.1089/heq.2023.0107
How the Philippines is destroying South China Sea's ecological environment

Xinhua) 09:11, July 17, 2024

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- For 25 years, a Philippine vessel built during World War II that was intentionally run aground at Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea has been damaging the corals along the way and polluting the marine environment.

That's just one example of the Philippines' environmental destruction in the South China Sea; other examples have included poisoning fish with sodium cyanide, blast fishing and unleashing marine waste.

A CORAL REEF CANCER

In 1999, the Philippine warship Sierra Madre rushed to the lagoon slope on the northwest side of Ren'ai Jiao, a once beautiful coral reef, and has illegally sat atop it until now.

During the grounding process, the vessel fiercely crashed, cut and scrapped the coral reef flat, causing severe damage to the corals and benthic organisms within the vessel's path, according to a Survey Report on the Damage to Coral Reef Ecosystem by Illegally Grounded Military Vessel at Ren'ai Jiao, released on July 8 by the South China Sea Ecological Center and the South China Sea Development Research Institute of China's Ministry of Natural Resources.

The old warship has long been rusty and dilapidated, but the Philippine side has insisted on sending personnel to it.

"Rust, paint, the discharge of waste oil and wastewater by the ship's personnel, the incineration and disposal of garbage, etc., continue to damage the ecological environment of Ren'ai Jiao," said Hu Guolin, director of China's Sansha Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment.

The report showed that from 2011 to 2024, the aggregate coverage of reef-building corals at the Ren'ai Jiao reef flat declined by approximately 38.2 percent. The rate of decline in the reef flat surrounding the vessel within a radius of 400 meters reached an astonishing 87.3 percent.

The concentrations of heavy metals, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and oils were significantly higher than previously recorded, said the report.

"The Philippines' illegally grounded military vessel is an environmental cancer here," said Hu.

Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, agreed. "The grounded warship is 80 years old, fixed in one place for 25 years, and there have been people on board to generate garbage, which is a typical case that contains almost all elements of similar ship contamination around the world, and it's indeed a severe cancer," he said.

DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS

The Coral Triangle, a global hotspot of marine bio-diversity in the western Pacific region, encompassing the waters of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, among others, is suffering from the actions of the Philippines.

Yang said that as an archipelagic country located at the critical position of the "Coral Triangle," the Philippines' actions are crucial to marine ecology.

However, some Filipino fishermen are not safeguarding this crucial environmental asset. Instead, they use cyanide, including sodium cyanide, a highly poisonous compound, to poison fish, causing severe damage to the marine ecological environment.

The Manila Bulletin, a Philippine news outlet, reported last year that "using cyanide in catching fish is not a Filipino discovery but an American ingenuity. A certain Bridges first used sodium cyanide to stun and capture tropical fish in 1958 in Illinois. And it happened that a Filipino aquarium fish collector learned about it."

Since the beginning of its use, over a million kilograms of toxic sodium cyanide have been deployed, Albaris Tahiluddin and Jurmin Sarri, both from the Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography of Mindanao State University, said in their paper published by a Turkish journal in 2022.

The paper, titled "An Overview of Destructive Fishing in the Philippines," said that spraying sodium cyanide solution into the sea areas where fish hide can make fish faint and fishing easier. By this method, nearly 50 percent of the exposed fish die from acute poisoning, while only 10 percent of the exposed fish are selected by fish collectors for aquariums.

Coral has also fallen victim to cyanide fishing by Filipino fishermen. As some targeted fish tend to hide in coral, the latter is inevitably sprayed with large amounts of cyanide.

Cyanide fishing "harms both target- and non-target species," and "it triggers coral bleaching by disrupting the zooxanthellae that provide nutrients to the coral," Mageswari Sangaralingam, honorary secretary of Friends of the Earth Malaysia, told Xinhua. "The physical structure of the reef will remain intact, but in fact, the coral polyps have been killed."

Blast fishing is also highly destructive. The Philippine News Agency reported in 2022 that a Filipino fisherman was killed and two others were injured while engaging in dynamite fishing in the seawater of Samar in the eastern Philippines.

"Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines," Reef Check, a public service organization, quoted marine scientist Don McAllister as saying.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Haley Loredo holds a cell phone photo of her children with their grandmother, Maria Loredo, 73, who died after a tree fell on her second story bedroom at their home in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail during Hurricane Beryl Monday, July 8, 2024, in Spring. The cell phone photo was taken Feb. 10, 2024. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Hurricane Beryls death toll in the Houston region has risen by five to at least 18 dead after the Harris County medical examiner released the latest determinations Wednesday morning.

The full list out of Harris County includes six people who died from heat exposure during the loss of power after the storm and two who fell and died while trimming trees, according to the Institute of Forensic Sciences, which serves as the countys medical examiner.

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Experts and local officials have said the number of storm-related deaths is expected to rise in coming days and weeks. Forensic examiners have begun a full account of those who have died.

Incoming cases are still being assessed, said Jasmine Jefferson, a spokeswoman for the institute, in a previous interview. A list of confirmed storm-related deaths is now available on our website and will be updated as cases are certified.

Representatives for the Galveston County Medical Examiner didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the number of deaths has increased. They previously released one case they were investigating as storm-related.

In Harris County and the surrounding counties affected by Beryl, an overlapping series of agencies investigate deaths. They must work through what counts and doesnt as a storm death, which can sometimes be complicated.

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Officials in Matagorda County are investigating a death as possibly storm-related, said Mitch Thames, spokesman for the county. A 60-year-old man was found dead in his Bay City home in the days after the storm. He was paraplegic and bedridden and lost power during the storm. His son visited him multiple times after Beryl struck to bring him water, but he was found dead from heatstroke, Thames said.

Montgomery County officials have provided few details about the three deaths there. An emergency management official said a fallen tree killed a man in his 40s while riding his tractor. Two other people were discovered dead in a tent in a wooded area in Magnolia.

In Harris County, there have been at least eight deaths reported as possibly connected to the storm.

They include a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department, later identified as Russell Richardson, 54, who was found dead in a submerged car in the floodwaters of Houston Avenue near City Hall. He died while trying to go to work, officials said.

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Fire department investigators determined a Houston house fire that killed a man was likely caused by lightning from the storm.

County officials were investigating two other deaths, including a 53-year-old man in Humble and a 74-year-old woman in Spring.

A man died after a tree fell on a home in Kings River Village in Humble, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed.

Gonzalez said the man, 53, was sitting in his home with his family, waiting out the storm, when an oak tree fell on their roof and a structure fell on the man.

Gonzalez confirmed another death after a tree fell on 73-year-old Maria Loredo in the 17400 block of Rustic Canyon Trail. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Loredo, a grandmother, was in her bedroom at the time.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Overview of Process for LLM-aided Thematic Analysis. Credit: arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2405.06919

In a pilot study, posted to the arXiv preprint server, researchers have found evidence that large language models (LLMs) have the ability to analyze controversial topics such as the Australian Robodebt scandal in similar ways to humansand sometimes exhibit similar biases.

The study found that LLM agents (GPT-4 and Llama 2 ) could be prompted to align their coding results with human assignments, through thoughtful instructions: "Be Skeptical!" or "Be Parsimonious!" At the same time, LLMs can also help identify oversights and potential analytical blind spots for human researchers.

LLMs are promising analytical tools. They can augment human philosophical, cognitive and reasoning abilities, and support "sensemaking"making sense of a complex environment or subjectby analyzing large volumes of data with a sensitivity to context and nuance absent in earlier text processing systems.

The research was led by Dr. Awais Hameed Khan from the University of Queensland node of the ARC Center of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making & Society (ADM+S).

"We argue that LLMs should be used to assistand not replacehuman interpretation.

"Our research provides a methodological blueprint for how humans can leverage the power of LLMs as iterative and dialogical, analytical tools to support reflexivity in LLM-aided thematic analysis. We contribute novel insights to existing research on using automation in qualitative research methods," said Dr. Khan.

"We also introduce a novel design toolkitthe AI Sub Zero Bias cards, for researchers and practitioners to further interrogate and explore LLMs as analytical tools."

The AI Sub Zero Bias cards help users structure prompts and interrogate bias in outputs of generative AI tools such as Large Language Models. The toolkit comprises of 58 cards across categories relating to structure, consequences and output.

Drawing on creativity principles, these provocations explore how reformatting and reframing the generated outputs into alternative structures can facilitate reflexive thinking.

This research was conducted by ARC Center of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) researchers Dr. Awais Hameed Khan, Hiruni Kegalle, Rhea D'Silva, Ned Watt, Daniel Whelan -Shamy, under the guidance of Dr. Lida Ghahremanlou, Microsoft Research, and Associate Professor Liam Magee, from the ADM+S node at Western Sydney University.

This research group began their collaboration at the 2023 ADM+S Hackathon where they developed the winning project Sub-Zero. A Comparative Thematic Analysis Experiment ofRobodebt Discourse Using Humans and LLMs.

Associate Professor Liam Magee has been mentoring the group since first meeting them at the Hackathon.

"The ADM+S Hackathon was instrumental in bringing together these researchers from across multiple disciplines and universities," said Associate Professor Magee.

"The research has been a tremendous group contribution, and I'd like to acknowledge both the efforts of the team and the logistical support of Sally Storey and ADM+S in making this possible."

More information: Awais Hameed Khan et al, Automating Thematic Analysis: How LLMs Analyse Controversial Topics, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2405.06919 Journal information: arXiv

Provided by ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society
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The world's biggest technology firms are investing billions in cloud storage facilities in Aragon, northeastern Spain.

The world's biggest technology firms are investing billions in cloud storage facilities in the northeastern Spanish region of Aragon, drawn to its abundance of renewable energy sources.

While local authorities hope to reap the economic benefits of the ever-growing data demands of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, environmentalists have criticized the vast quantities of water and power that data storage consumes.

Until recently, Aragon "was not on the map of global connectivity. But today everyone knows where it is," said Manuel Gimenez, executive director of an association grouping 170 data center firms.

At the end of May, Amazon said it was investing 15.7 billion euros ($17 billion) in the region through its AWS cloud computing division to expand its three existing data centers in Aragon, set up since 2022.

In early July, Microsoft said it was investing 2.2 billion euros in a huge data center project, raising its total investment in the region to 6.7 billion euros.

And Spanish media reports said Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, would soon follow suit.

These investments are part of a strategy by big tech companies to ramp up their storage capacities to meet the incessant demand for generative artificial intelligence, which has significant data requirements.

'Europe's Virginia'

"This is a great opportunity and we must make the most of it," said Maria del Mar Vaquero, the Aragon region's deputy leader.

She believes that Aragon's success in the field is due to plenty of cheaply available land and good links to Spain's economic centers in Madrid, Barcelona and the northern Basque Country.

This is complemented by the vast array of solar and wind farms dotted across its sunny but sparsely populated territory.

For Amazon, the fact that all its power needs can be met "with 100 percent renewable sources" helps its sustainability goals, it said, while pointing to the "institutional confidence" offered by the Aragonese authorities.

The regional government has created a dedicated department so that "red tape will not be an obstacle for these types of projects" and will establish "legal security" for companies, Vaquero said.

The aim is to convert the region into a "European Virginia", she added, referring to the eastern US state that has established itself as a global data center hub.

Environmental impact

However, the spread of data centers in the region also has detractors.

Ecologists say such installations are very costly in terms of electricity to run the equipment and water to cool them down.

While "it's difficult to have exact figures, we do know that consumption levels are huge", said activist Aurora Gomez, warning of the risks of "uncontrolled" development.

Gomez is part of a protest platform called "Tu nube seca mi rio""Your cloud is drying up my river"flagging the environmental impact of data centers.

"Spain is going to be one of the worst-hit countries in terms of climate change and desertification. We have to be very careful," she said.

Other critics cast doubt on the economic benefits of these centers, which Gimenez's data center association rejects.

"The positive impact of the data center industry on GDP and employment is obvious," Gimenez said, calling it "even larger than that of the aeronautical industry".

With fierce competition for investment between Spain's 17 regions, the Aragonese government has launched a huge 42-hectare (104-acre) technology park project on the outskirts of Zaragoza.

Although it has the sector heavyweights in mind, it is also designed to meet the needs of start-ups and public research institutions.

"In Aragon, the leading sectors have traditionally been the agrifood business, logistics and the automotive industry," said Vaquero.

But with investment pouring in, her vision is an Aragon where technology becomes "a motor for economic transformation".

 2024 AFP
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Tokyo's Haneda Airport is trialing a driverless vehicle to tow cargo containers in an attempt to get around labor shortages as the number of tourists flying into Japan soars.

The vehicle at one of the world's busiest airports can tow up to 13 tons of containers, joint developers All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Toyota Industries said in a statement.

It can pull up to six containers at a time, trundling between aircraft and airport buildings over a distance of around two kilometers (1.2 miles) with no driver in the cab.

The Level 4 vehicle, meaning that it does not require human interaction in certain settingsalthough a human driver can still request controlhas been in operation since July 1.

The trial, the first at a Japanese airport, is part of government-backed efforts to innovate the air transport industry, and the companies aim to make the vehicle fully operational by the end of next year, they said.

Another Japanese airportKansai, serving Osakaclaims never to have lost a bag, but the country faces major challenges as it seeks to double tourist numbers to 60 million by 2030.

The rapidly aging country has the world's second-oldest population and many sectors in the world's number four economy are suffering worker shortages.

This year the country's airports have reportedly already experienced aviation fuel supply problems, prompting the government last month to set up a task force.

Trials of autonomous vehicles have been implemented elsewhere in Japan, with the government allowing Level 4 self-driving vehicles on public roads since last year.

 2024 AFP
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Credit: AI-generated image

Some of the UK's most recognizable TV doctors are increasingly being "deepfaked" in videos to sell scam products across social media, finds The BMJ today.

Trusted names including Hilary Jones, Michael Mosley and Rangan Chatterjee are being used to promote products claiming to fix high blood pressure and diabetes, and to sell hemp gummies, explains journalist Chris Stokel-Walker.

Deepfaking is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to map a digital likeness of a real-life human being onto a video of a body that isn't theirs. Reliable evidence on how convincing it is can be hard to come by, but one recent study suggests that up to half of all people shown deepfakes talking about scientific subjects cannot distinguish them from authentic videos.

John Cormack, a retired doctor based in Essex, worked with The BMJ to try and capture a sense of the scale of so-called deepfaked doctors across social media.

"The bottom line is, it's much cheaper to spend your cash on making videos than it is on doing research and coming up with new products and getting them to market in the conventional way," he says.

The slew of questionable content on social media co-opting the likenesses of popular doctors and celebrities is an inevitable consequence of the AI revolution we're currently living through, says Henry Ajder, an expert on deepfake technology. "The rapid democratization of accessible AI tools for voice cloning and avatar generation has transformed the fraud and impersonation landscape."

"There's been a significant increase in this kind of activity," says Jones, who employs a social media specialist to trawl the web for deepfake videos that misrepresent his views and try to take them down. "Even if you do, they just pop up the next day under a different name."

A spokesperson for Metathe company that owns both Facebook and Instagram, on which many of the videos found by Cormack were hostedtold The BMJ, "We will be investigating the examples highlighted by The British Medical Journal. We don't permit content that intentionally deceives or seeks to defraud others, and we're constantly working to improve detection and enforcement. We encourage anyone who sees content that might violate our policies to report it so we can investigate and take action."

Deepfakes work by preying on people's emotions, writes Stokel-Walker, and when it comes to medical products, that emotional connection with the individual telling you about the wonder drug or magnificent medical product matters all the more.

Someone you don't know trying to sell you on the virtues of a particular treatment may raise suspicions. But if they're someone you've seen before on social media, television or radio, you're more likely to believe what they're saying.

Spotting deepfakes can be tricky too, says Ajder, as the technology has improved: "It's difficult to quantify how effective this new form of deepfake fraud is, but the growing volume of videos now circulating would suggest bad actors are having some success."

For those whose likenesses are being co-opted, there's seemingly very little they can do about it, but Stokel-Walker offers some tips on what to do if you find a deepfake. For instance, take a careful look at the content to make sure your suspicions are well-founded, then leave a comment, questioning its veracity. Use the platform's built-in reporting tools to voice your concerns, and finally report the person who or account that shared the post.

More information: Feature: Deepfakes and doctors: How people are being fooled by social media scams, The BMJ (2024). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q1319 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Dreome Francis, who is charged with capital murder and tampering/fabricating physical evidence in connection with the death of HC Deputy Fernando Esqueda, makes his court appearance in the 248TH District Court on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Harris County prosecutor Chris Condon listens to District Attorney Kim Ogg after the court appearance of Dreome Francis, who is charged with capital murder of a police officer and tampering/fabricating physical evidence in the death of HCSO deputy Fernando Esqueda on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Harris County prosecutor Chris Condon talks to family and friends of slain HSCO Deputy Fernando Esqueda before the court appearance of Dreome Francis in the 248TH District Court on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Judge Susan Brown addresses Derome Francis, who is charged with capital murder of a police officer, is scheduled to appear in court in the death of HCSO deputy Fernando Esqueda. 248TH District Court on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

A second man accused of killing a Harris County Sheriffs Office deputy is believed to have also shot him, District Attorney Kim Ogg said Wednesday.

The district attorney identified Dremone Francis, 26, as a second shooter after he appeared in court on capital murder of a police officer and tampering with evidence charges in the death of 28-year-old Fernando Esqueda.

Police arrested him Saturday in connection with the July 10 shooting that happened as Esqueda, working with the Violent Persons Warrant Task Force, tracked down Ronald Palmer in connection with an assault at a Little Caesars pizzeria. Palmer also shot Esqueda, authorities said.

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Investigators found about 40 bullet casings from the 13200 block of Italian Cypress Trail, where witnesses reported hearing two guns. Esqueda likely never returned fire, officials said.

A prosecutor, Chris Condon, stopped short of declaring the extent of Francis role in the shooting but noted that ammunition was found at his home that matched one of the weapons used to kill Esqueda.

Ogg said more evidence to bolster their claim that he also shot the deputy could be disclosed at a proof-evident hearing to hold Francis without bail until trial. The hearing requires prosecutors to announce their decision to pursue the death penalty against him at trial but the district attorney cautioned that could always change. Prosecutors made a similar declaration in Palmers case. Their respective hearings are scheduled for September and October.

Some law enforcement officials and loved ones of Esqueda returned to court to observe the second round of proceedings but not nearly as many who filled the room following a procession that ferried his body to a funeral home. Like on Monday, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stood to the side of the courtroom as a judge read the defendants rights.

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One of Francis defense attorneys, Lance Hamm, disclosed to the court that he visited Palmer at the Harris County Jail over the weekend and briefly discussed the case, not realizing that Palmer had since hired a lawyer. He was initially appointed to represent Palmer, records show.

Hamm and Cheryl Irvin, one of Palmers hired attorneys, told the court that they did not believe it to be a conflict of interest.
The Innocence Project launched a petition as part of its effort to prevent the execution of Robert Roberson. Getty Images

The Innocence Project, a legal organization focused on exonerating wrongly convicted people, hopes to prevent the execution of an East Texas man found guilty of killing his daughter in 2002.

On July 1, a judge set a new execution date for Robert Roberson. A jury convicted him of killing his 2-year-old child, Nikki Curtis, after doctors testified shaken baby syndrome might have been her cause of death. Roberson, whos been on death row for 20 years, has maintained his innocence.

Mr. Roberson would be the first person in the U.S. executed based on the discredited shaken baby hypothesis unless the courts or Governor Greg Abbott intervenes, officials with the Innocence Project wrote in a news release.

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According to the organization, a broad and diverse group of eminent scientists, medical doctors, faith leaders, former federal judges, best-selling novelist John Grisham and the former lead detective on the case oppose the execution of Robert Roberson. A judge set his new execution date for Oct. 17.

DECADES LATER: Texas sets execution date for East Texas man accused in shaken baby case

Organization officials argue overwhelming evidence has proved Robersons daughter died of natural and accidental causes. The group created a petition that as of July 17 had received more than 16,000 signatures from supporters hoping to stop Robersons execution.

Brian Wharton, the lead detective on the case at the time, has since abandoned his initial thoughts on it.

I testified for the prosecution and helped send Mr. Roberson to death row in 2003, Wharton told the Innocence Project. For over 20 years, I have thought that something went very wrong in Mr. Robersons case and feared that justice was not served. I have come to believe that Nikki died of accidental and natural causes and that there was no crime. I am convinced that Mr. Roberson is innocent.

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Court records show Nikki had been living with Roberson for roughly three months  after a court awarded him custody  when the incident happened. The Associated Press previously reported Roberson said his sick daughter fell from a bed, causing serious head injuries.

Medical staff at a hospital in Palestine believed the injuries she suffered likely were intentional and no accident. Nikki not only had bleeding outside her brain, but also bruises on her chin, cheek and jaw.

She died on Feb 1, 2002, with the medical examiner ruling blunt force head injuries as the cause. But in recent years, Robersons case has been at the center of a debate around science.

INMATE CAUGHT: Police find inmate who escaped from Angleton prison

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When a child dies, theres often a rush to judgment, Gretchen Sims Sween, one of Mr. Robersons attorneys, told the Innocence Project. Since 2003, each of the shaken baby syndrome premises used to convict and sentence Robert Roberson to death has been debunked by evidence-based science. The courts or Gov. Abbott must intervene to prevent an irreversible tragedy from coming to pass.

Roberson was initially set for execution in 2016, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals sent his case back to an Anderson County trial court for review. The five-year reprieve ended last year when the Court of Criminal Appeals decided the evidence submitted in Robersons appeal did not create enough doubt to overturn his sentence.

Robersons attorneys plan to file a new request to overturn his conviction.

Science now teaches that undiagnosed illnesses that affect respiration, like Nikkis pneumonia and unbraced falls that impact the head can be fatal, Sween said. What happened to Robert Roberson should not happen to any parent who is simply incapable of explaining a childs condition  especially when many trained medical professionals barely understand the phenomenon.






Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, left, listens to a student alongside Board of Managers president Audrey Momanaee during a board meeting at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, Thursday, July 16, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

About three weeks before its potential vote, Houston ISDs Board of Managers held a special meeting Tuesday to question parts of the districts plans for a $4.4 billion school bond package.

In response to dozens of questions from board members before the meeting, HISD leaders provided further details on the bond development process, the districts planned career-and-technology education investments, and plans for oversight and community engagement if the bond passes. The board, which was not initially scheduled to meet in July, is expected to vote Aug.8 on whether the bond will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The bond would allocate about $2 billion for rebuilding and renovating schools with poor facilities and learning conditions. It would also provide $1 billion for expanding pre-K, building three new career and technical education centers and technology upgrades, and $1.35 billion for lead abatement, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning improvements and security upgrades.

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Our kids cant wait. We do have some serious safety and health needs today, and if the bond passes thats one of the first projects we can work on right away state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said. Theyre resilient. Theyre just doing their thing, teachers too are also resilient and just doing good work, and really, we owe them better.

THE REPORT CARD: Subscribe to the Houston Chronicles weekly newsletter recapping HISD news

Pushback to CTE center expansion

At the boards previous meeting in June, members heard from leaders of the school bond Community Advisory Committee, who shared a report outlining more than 20 recommendations that address challenges, opportunities and questions with the largest proposed bond in Texas history.

The committee said that the district also should reconsider spending $425 million on new CTE centers and instead plan to invest its resources on renovating or rebuilding existing campuses. During Tuesdays meeting, multiple board members, including Janette Garza Linder and Cassandra Auzenne Bandy, questioned whether having a center in all four divisions was necessary.

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Im still trying to wrap my head around the need for four (CTE) facilities, Auzenne Bandy said. We have talked a lot about ensuring that our students have access to state-of-the-art equipment, facilities to make sure theyre upskilled for the future.  It seems like we are bearing the burden of maintaining a state-of-the-art CTE facility times four.

Miles said the new centers, if built, would help increase the number of students in HISD who have easy access to CTE programs that lead to high-wage careers and are prepared for college or career success after graduation.

He said HISD is building three new CTE centers because its not financially feasible to develop equitable, quality career programs at all the districts high schools. The district currently has one career center  the Barbara Jordan Career Center  in the North Division, which would see renovations if the bond is approved.

We have an obligation to help our students to be in the best position possible once they graduate, whether its going to college (or) whether they pursue the marketplace with the high-skill, high-demand, high-wage jobs, Miles said. That is the challenge that we have.

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Concerns over bond accountability

Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, left, listens to a student alongside Board of Managers president Audrey Momanaee during a board meeting at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, Thursday, July 16, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

About three dozen people spoke out against the bond proposal during public comment, with almost every speaker ending their comments with No trust. No bond. Several said they opposed the bond due to plans to co-locate 15 campuses if the bond passes, their lack of trust in Miles or concerns over financial accountability.

We dont have trust in our leaders, said Edita-Sage Bitner, a fifth-grader at Condit Elementary School. We need leaders who care about us and our teachers, who spend money carefully. Until we have that, we shouldnt approve this bond forever. No trust. No bond.

The bond proposal would allocate $580 million to move, or co-locate, students at eight schools to seven nearby, existing campuses, which would be renovated or rebuilt to accommodate the incoming students. Miles said the co-locations would allow the district to continue to serve students at campuses with low enrollment without implementing closures.

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The only issue I have with this bond is the co-location HISD elected trustee Savant Moore said in an emotional speech to the board before the meeting concluded. Those 15 schools need to be removed from this bond proposal. Im letting you know now, if they remain on bond, at a minimum of 70,000 people will vote no.  So if you want this bond to pass, take those co-locations (off.)

To address concerns about oversight and accountability, Kerri Briggs, HISDs chief of staff, said the district would establish a Bond Oversight Committee that would hold quarterly public meetings to monitor the progress of bond construction. She said the district will share the committees charter with the board before its August meeting and members will be selected in October.

Briggs said the district would engage the community by holding biannual town halls in each division to explain projects and get feedback, along with surveys and focus group opportunities. The district would also establish a bond website that would include financial reports, a dashboard and project details, she said.

In August, HISD plans to select a project management consultant who will be responsible for overseeing each project and launch a campaign to include minority- and women-owned businesses. It also will finalize project advisory teams of community members at each campus undergoing major construction who will provide input on project design, Briggs said.

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Sisters Alejandra Guardado, 11, right, and and Alaia Guardado, 7, sit with their pug Romeo just inside the door of the Southwest Multi-Service Center, located between Gulfton and Sharpstown in Houston, TX. It was the first city cooling center to open after Hurricane Beryl. Sharon Steinmann

While many school districts had already completed summer school in June, a few Houston-area districts wrap up after Hurricane Beryl caused closures largely because of power outages.

THE REPORT CARD: Subscribe to the Houston Chronicles weekly newsletter recapping HISD news

The regions largest district, Houston ISD, will not extend summer school past its July 19 end date after being closed for a week, officials said. HISD planned to host summer school for 22 days this year, but cancelations bring the district closer to last years length of 15 days.

HISD students are still eligible for grade promotion and credit if they meet summer school requirements, Deputy Chief of Communications Richard Guerra said, and the district closures are not counted as absences against them.

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The basic factor is that lesson plans had to be modified, Guerra said. We modified them to ensure that the most critical requirements were still being taught.

Guerra said 30 schools of more than 90 summer school campuses were not operational on Sunday, most of which was due to full or partial power outages. Eight campuses were added as summer school locations to relocate students. By Monday evening, there were 13 non-operational summer campuses, Guerra said. The pick-up and drop-off locations for students using HISD transportation remained the same.

SUMMER SCHOOL: Some parents point to a lack of communication from Houston ISD on summer school

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will complete summer school classes as scheduled, except for high school original and makeup credit courses at Cypress Creek and Cypress Ridge high schools, Assistant Superintendent Leslie Francis wrote Monday. Courses at the high schools have new ending days of Wednesday for makeup credit courses and Friday for original credit courses  a day extra.

Fort Bend ISD said Friday that classes for special education students receiving extended school year services will not continue due to power outages and facility damage. The district will not continue multilingual summer school for that same reason.

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Classes for credit at Marshall High School resumed Tuesday, and in-person testing for some online learning students was moved to another site, according to Fort Bend ISDs statement. Credit by exam was postponed.

Summer credit recovery students will not have to make up days due to the closures, a Fort Bend ISD spokesperson wrote. The summer school teachers will revise the curriculum content to ensure coverage of critical content within the rest of the allotted days for the program.

Katy ISD virtual school added two days to accommodate students who might have lost internet due to Beryl, a district spokesperson said.

Magnolia ISD will not have summer school students make up time. Special education students receiving extended school year services will make up time by attending school an extra hour Monday through Thursday and attending school on Friday for four hours, a district spokesperson said.

Like Houston ISD, Spring ISD will not require students to make up any days for summer school, a Sunday statement by the district reads. Seniors needing credit for graduation will still have that opportunity.

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Aldine, Alief, Cleveland, Dickinson, Galena Park, New Caney, Waller and Willis ISDs completed summer school and testing before Beryl, district representatives said. Pearland ISD said its credit recovery program completed and will not be extended.
Kacie a 5-year-old Dachshund helps to promote the Dachshund Rescue of Houston during the Houston World Series of Dog Shows at NRG Center on Saturday, July 22, 2023 in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Rudy a 5-year-old chihuahua rides around in a stroller for his first time visiting with his owner Ann Tyler, of Houston, during the Houston World Series of Dog Shows at NRG Center on Saturday, July 22, 2023 in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Patrick a Pomeranian held by owner Averie Vessel, 13, of Louisiana during the Houston World Series of Dog Shows at NRG Center on Saturday, July 22, 2023 in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Twelve-year-old Charm a Brittany, of McKinney, takes a breather on the floor during the Houston World Series of Dog Shows at NRG Center on Saturday, July 22, 2023 in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer

Despite Hurricane Beryls continued impact on the city of Houston, the show must go on  the Houston World Series of Dog Shows, that is. The event will take place at NRG Stadium starting Wednesday, July 17.

What is the Houston World Series of Dog Shows?

Attracting more than 40,000 spectators, the Houston World Series of Dog Shows brings dog lovers to one place to watch a cluster of dog shows including agility trials.

When did the Houston World Series of Dog Shows start?

The event dates back to 1978. Officials say the show started in response to the gas shortage as the Astro World Series of Dog Shows. Before the event's creation, the partners who participated hosted their own individual shows at different locations.

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How long does the Houston World Series of Dog Shows last?

The Houston World Series of Dog Shows takes place over five days. It begins on July 17 and ends on July 21.

What kind of breeds participate in the Houston World Series of Dog Shows?

According to its website, at least 150 different types of dog breeds compete in the shows.

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How much does it cost to attend the Houston World Series of Dog Shows?

The Houston World Series of Dog Shows offers free admission on Wednesday only along with parking. Patrons can buy tickets at the door or online at Ticketmaster for the remaining days:

Thursday Only

$10 Adults 13 to 54 years of age

$5 Seniors age 55 and older

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$5 Active and retired military personnel and family with ID

Free: Children age 12 and younger with an adult

Friday - Sunday

$15 Adults 13 to 54 years of age

$10 Seniors age 55 and older

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$10 Active and retired military personnel and family with ID

Free: Children age 12 and younger with an adult

What is the cost for event parking at the Houston World Series of Dog Shows?

From Thursday to Sunday, parking costs $22 per day. Attendees can park free on Wednesday.
Debt issues behind murder-suicide involving Vietnamese in Bangkok: police

By Vietnam News Wed, July 17, 2024 | 2:40 pm GMT+7

Thai police on Wednesday morning announced the preliminary results of the investigation into the case of six people found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok.

Bangkok police commissioner Thithi Saengsawang speaks at the press briefing on the case. Photo courtesy of Getty/VNA.

According to the police, one person killed five others in the room then took that person's own life. It is understood the killings stem from debt-related issues.

Thai police have also identified a seventh person, who presumably checked into the hotel rooms with the others but is yet to be apprehended. Police did stress that woman is unlikely to be connected to the deaths.

Two of the deceased were identified as Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55, both carrying US passports.

It has been reported that it was Chong who carried out the murders before taking her own life.

Four others were Vietnamese nationals, including Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

Initial investigations on Tuesday evening, when the victims were found, showed that their room was locked from the inside with no trace of physical violence.

Their bodies were transported to a nearby hospital while the luggage was moved to the Lumpini area police station.

Police at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok on the evening of July 16, 2024, where the bodies were found.

In an announcement on Wednesday morning, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed that a group of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents will arrive in Thailand to assist in further investigation, as two US citizens were among the deceased.

Six drinking cups were found at the scene, of which five were placed on the counter and one was placed on the dining table, possibly used. Photo courtesy of Khaosod.

Under the direction of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand is working closely with Thai authorities on the case, said the ministrys spokesperson Pham Thu Hang on Wednesday, while extending condolences to the victims families.

The Vietnamese embassy will also provide all necessary help for investigations and coordinate with relevant departments in Vietnam to provide support for the victims families and adopt necessary citizen protection measures.

The Vietnamese MoFA and the Ministry of Public Security are also taking urgent action to verify the identities of the four Vietnamese victims.

Once confirmed, their families will be notified and assisted in completing necessary procedures to repatriate the remains as soon as Thai authorities allow, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung.

He appreciated the prompt response from Thai PM Thavisin and high-ranking Thai police officials, who were present at the scene and held an urgent press briefing on the case.
Singapores Levanta Renewables to acquire 28.7 MWp rooftop solar project in Vietnam

By Tri Duc Wed, July 17, 2024 | 1:45 pm GMT+7

Singapore-headquartered Levanta Renewables, backed by London-based sustainable infrastructure investor Actis, is processing to acquire a 28.7 MWp rooftop solar system in Vietnams southern province of Dong Nai.

In a Tuesday statement, Levanta Renewables said the system is one of the largest single-site rooftop solar installations in Vietnam, spanning close to 200,000 square meters. The facility is related to Tien Nga JSC, a local logistics business.

The rooftop solar system of Tien Nga JSC in Dong Nai province, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Levanta Renewables.

This project aligns with Vietnams commitment to diversify its energy generation by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Dong Nai province is a prime location for renewable energy deployment, including solar, wind, and waste-to-energy projects, Levanta Renewables added.

The project can generate over 34 GWh of electricity per year, supplying green energy to state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This move underscores Levantas dedication to supporting Vietnams renewable energy goals and reducing carbon emissions.

The transaction is subject to and conditional upon certain customary conditions, including regulatory and other approvals, towards completion in the first quarter of 2025, the Singaporean firm noted.
Vietnam has two new deputy public security ministers after minister elected president

By Minh Anh Wed, July 17, 2024 | 5:09 pm GMT+7

The Vietnamese government has appointed two new Deputy Ministers of Public Security after its former Minister To Lam was elected State President in May.

The two new Deputy Ministers are Lieutenant General Pham The Tung, head of the Department of Internal Political Security; and Major General Nguyen Ngoc Lam, head of the Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes, also known as C03.

Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang (middle) congratulates his two newly-appointed deputies: Lieutenant General Pham The Tung (left) and Major General Nguyen Ngoc Lam (right). Photo courtesy of the ministry.

At the announcement ceremony in Hanoi on Wednesday, Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang lauded his two new deputies, highlighting their careers directly involving the fight against crimes.

Pham The Tung, 52, comes from the northern province of Hung Yen, the same as Minister Quang. He was promoted to deputy director of Hung Yens Public Security Department in 2014 and then chief of Bac Ninhs police force in October 2019.

Tung was appointed director of the Public Security Department of Nghe An province, which borders Laos, before getting promoted to head the ministrys Department of Internal Political Security in December 2023.

Nguyen Ngoc Lam, 51, comes from Nghe An province. He became the police chief of Quang Ninh province, which borders China, in June 2020 before heading C03 in February 2022.

During his time in Quang Ninh, Lam directed the police force to bust several major crimes, including a mineral ore smuggling ring to China in September 2020 and an illegal human trafficking ring from China to other countries via Quang Ninh.

Besides the two new appointees, the ministry has four other deputy ministers: Tran Quoc To, Le Quoc Hung, Le Van Long, and Le Van Tuyen.
Houston Methodist Hospital is seen, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Houston Methodist Hospital earned a coveted spot on the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals Honor Roll as the publication released its rankings for its top hospitals.

Houston Methodist was one of 20 hospitals from around the country to make the honor roll and the only one from Texas to make the group.

"Were both honored and excited to announce that Houston Methodist Hospital has been named The Best Hospital in Texas for 13 years in a row by U.S. News and World Report," the hospital posted on social media. "Were so happy to provide the Houston community with the highest quality care, the most advanced technology, and best patient experience for more than 100 years."

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MORE YOU KNOW: What is the Texas Medical Board? Things to know about the state agency

Houston hospitals also ranked highly in the national rankings for specific types of care.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ranked first in the country for cancer care as well as second for ear, nose and throat and ninth in urology.

At MD Anderson, our mission is clear: to end cancer, MD Anderson president WT Pisters said in a statement. This ranking reflects our relentless commitment to excellence in patient care, research, prevention and education. I am incredibly proud of our faculty, employees, volunteers and supporters who work tirelessly every day to make this possible. Together, we are making significant strides toward a future free from cancer.

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TIRR Memorial Hermann was also second in the country in rehabilitation.

We are incredibly honored that TIRR Memorial Hermann is again recognized by physicians and U.S. News and World Report as the No. 2 rehabilitation hospital nationally, and as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas, said Rhonda Abbott, senior vice president and CEO of TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Three other Houston hospitals joined Houston Methodist in the top six for Texas hospitals. Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center ranked No. 4, Memorial Hermann Hospital came in at No. 5 and Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital slotted in at No. 6.

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Houston Methodist earned national rankings in 10 categories, including top-10 designations in three categories. The hospital is sixth in diabetes and endocrinology, seventh in gastroenterology and GI surgery and eighth in pulmonology and lung surgery.
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Department of Finance in Ajman (DOF) has signed a service agreement with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) to augment the unified digital payment platform for Ajman's government, SADAD Ajman, and its digital wallet.

The aim is to provide comprehensive and advanced payment solutions that add value, contributing to enhancing the digital service experience for Ajman's government services, thereby enriching and improving user interaction.

Under the agreement, FAB and its subsidiary Magnati will collaborate to develop new solutions on the SADAD Ajman platform. This unified multi-channel payment platform handles all government transactions in the emirate, adhering to the highest cybersecurity standards. These solutions will support various payment methods such as different types of bank cards, payment points, and the Ajman wallet.

Convenience and security

Ajman government's prepaid electronic payment cards will be introduced with a variety of features and benefits, providing a higher level of convenience and security for users. The SADAD Ajman platform will also include value-added payment features, such as enabling digital wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

These solutions, facilitated by this agreement, aim to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of revenue collection processes across Ajman, making them easier and more secure for government and independent entities to receive payments from users.

Marwan Al Ali, Director General of Department of Finance in Ajman, said: "DOF is committed to adopting the latest digital technologies and innovation to serve the community and enhance the quality of life in the emirate, in line with the principles of Ajman Vision 2030 for sustainability, social cohesion, and future readiness. In pursuit of this, we are dedicated to forging strategic partnerships with leading private sector institutions to achieve outstanding results."

Digital experience

He added: "Through this partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank and Magnati, we aim to provide more advanced and secure solutions using the latest digital payment methods, enriching services provided to users and ensuring a seamless and highly efficient digital experience."

He said: "We will introduce enhancements to the infrastructure of the SADAD Ajman platform. The additional solutions we provide will enhance the efficiency of government services, meet the community's needs, ensure environmental sustainability, and support the green economy. This will encourage the adoption of digital transactions and reduce cash payments, facilitating the transition to a cashless economy in alignment with the directives of the emirate and the UAE towards a digital and sustainable future."

Abdulla Aljneibi, Managing Director & Head of Government, Sovereigns & Public Sector Coverage at FAB, stated: This partnership between First Abu Dhabi Bank and Ajman Government  Department of Finance is helping to solve a crucial challenge in government revenue collection by automating and unifying payments for essential services. The solution will have far-reaching benefits for Ajmans residents while helping to establish the emirate as a leader in providing smart government services.

According to Ramana Kumar, CEO, Magnati: Magnati is committed to enabling our partners to thrive in the digital economy by providing technology which is beneficial. From unifying government payments for residents, to improving revenue forecasting for government entities, Magnatis best-in-class solution will enable payments and collections for the public sector in Ajman. We are delighted to support Ajman Government in achieving its cashless economy strategy.--TradeArabia News Service
Xpro India Limited, part of the Birla Group and producer of dielectric films used in capacitors, is setting up its first global manufacturing unit called Xpro Dielectric Films in Ras Al Khaimah investing AED100 million ($27.2 million).

The greenfield project under way in Al Ghail Free Zone, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2025. The facility will produce 4,500 tonnes of dielectric films annually using state-of-the-art machinery. The investment will account for around 33% of the total capacity under Xpros umbrella, and create around 80 new jobs in the emirate.

From being the first mover in dielectric film manufacture in India, this is a momentous step in the companys strategy to expand its global footprint.

Global markets

Xpros Indian manufacturing facilities already meet about one-third of the domestic demand in India, and also export to western markets. The new facility will supply to markets in the USA, Europe and the Far East, demonstrating Ras Al Khaimah and UAEs robust international connectivity.

Xpro India Limited Chairman Sidharth Birla said: Our choice of Ras Al Khaimah for this expansion was significantly persuaded by its welcoming and forward-looking business climate, proximity to efficient transport hubs, and advanced infrastructure. We are optimistic about the long-term vision of our national leaders for multiplying economic and multi-faceted engagements between India and the UAE.

The vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi for Ras Al Khaimah is pragmatic and dynamic, and based on a multi-faceted approach to economic diversification, sustainable development, and improving the quality of life for its people. It is extremely appealing. The UAEs Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and its extensive network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are additional factors, allowing a unique opportunity to tap into new markets and expand our presence and market reach more effectively. We believe we have made an appropriate, informed choice for Ras Al Khaimah to shape our aspirations for a global position and recognition.

Positive feedback

Xpro India Limited Managing Director, and Xpro Dielectric Films Director, C Bhaskar added: Our choice of Ras Al Khaimah also took into account positive feedback from existing companies in the emirate and our first-hand assessments. The ever-present support from the Rakez team from day one, and their quick responses and deep insight into business needs, has been vital in ensuring our smooth set-up.

Rakez Group CEO Ramy Jallad said: We, at Rakez, are delighted to welcome Xpro Dielectric Films to our thriving industrial community. The companys decision to establish its manufacturing unit in Ras Al Khaimah highlights the strategic advantages our emirate offers global manufacturers. We are dedicated to providing a supportive business environment and comprehensive services that empower the success and growth of all our clients. We look forward to seeing the positive contributions Xpro will make to our dynamic business ecosystem.--TradeArabia News Service
Ceva Logistics, a global logistics and supply chain company, has joined forces with Almajdouie Logistics to set up a new entity in Saudi Arabia that will target industry verticals - ranging from conventional energy and petrochemicals industry to automotive, e-commerce, consumer and retail.

A unit of CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container transportation and shipping company, Ceva is based at Marseille, France while Almajdouie Logistics is headquartered in Dammam and operates over 1.2 million sq m of terminal and warehousing and an expansive fleet of vehicles and trailers.

The deal would give Almajdouie Logistics access to its global network, while Ceva would be able to build on a strong, established presence in Saudi Arabia, said the company in a statement.

The joint ventures completion, however, is subject to regulatory approvals with Ceva Logistics having majority control, it stated.

"We have worked successfully with Almajdouie Logistics over the past decade, and with the growing market in Saudi Arabia, this joint venture would strengthen our local presence," remarked Mathieu Friedberg, the CEO of Ceva Logistics.

"By combining our complimentary capabilities, the JVs customers would have access to bespoke global solutions implemented reliably by local experts," he stated.

On the new venture, CEO Mohammed Almajdouie said: "By pooling our expertise and resources through this partnership, we aim to strengthen our competitive advantage and offer an integrated and comprehensive suite of logistics services enabling us to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Kingdom's vibrant and rapidly evolving business landscape."

Once operational, the joint venture would have around 2,000 employees in the kingdom with a local fleet of more than 2,000 assets, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) has announced that its customers can look forward to another round of shop and win campaign at Zoom in August, which follows close on the heels of a season of rewards when shoppers won cash prizes, including an AED 500,000 ($136,147) jackpot.

The Group recently joined forces with Dream Dubai to reward Zoom retail chain customers with cash prizes for their loyalty.

Customers who spent a minimum of AED 25 at any Zoom store received a unique number imprinted on their receipt which qualified them for a free entry into a weekly draw of AED 20,000 cash and a Grand Prize draw of AED 500,000 via the Dream Dubai platform.

The five weekly winners were announced throughout the month of May, and on June 17, at a live event held at Times Square Center Dubai, Mitra Thapa was declared winner of the grand cash prize.

This campaign is just the beginning of an exciting summer for Zoom and Dream Dubai customers, a statement said.

June also saw the launch of the annual DSS Mega Raffle which gives customers the chance to win a 2024 Mini Cooper all through summer.

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at Enoc, said: We are excited to provide this outstanding opportunity to our valued consumers alongside Dream Dubai. This collaboration not only enhances our customers' purchasing experiences, but also demonstrates our dedication to providing great rewards and services."

Zoom has evolved as a leading UAE-brand, delivering enhanced customer retail experience and service excellence, in addition to its rewarding promotions and offers.

Located at every Enoc and Eppco service station in the UAE and serving more than 88 million customers a year, Zoom offers quick snacks and refreshing drinks in addition to a selection of everyday products.

It has expanded to over 253 stores across the emirates including 47 stores located at Dubai Metro stations, serving 88 million customers every year.

It accepts a variety of payment methods including VISA, MasterCard, ENOCPay, Nol Payment, Nol Top-up and Dubai Now. Customers can also claim points through the YES rewards programme.-TradeArabia News Service
The Texas-based chain, Whataburger, was started in Corpus Christi. When much of Houston went dark after Hurricane Beryl, a map of scattered orange Whataburger logos on smartphones indicating open restaurants provided answers for more than 2 million customers without electricity. Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle

When much of Houston went dark after Hurricane Beryl, a map of scattered orange Whataburger logos on smartphones indicating open restaurants provided answers for more than 2 million customers without electricity. The orange Whataburger logos showed consumers not only where to find a patty melt, but also where to find power.

Bryan Norton posted this discovery on X, causing a viral sensation that led to droves of Houstonians thanking him for sharing the unexpected yet accurate power outage tracker provided by Whataburgers app.

Norton, a tech worker and barbecue podcast host, said he was as prepared as possible for Beryl. He took a trip to Shreveport, La., with his wife for their anniversary a day before the storm hit Houston as a Category 1 hurricane. While searching for a Starbucks on the drive back to Texas, he discovered the coffee companys app could be used to determine which locations were open more accurately than third-party apps, like Google Maps.

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Monday evening, after the worst of Beryl was over, more than 2 million CenterPoint customers were left without power  including Norton. In search of a late-night meal, he used the Whataburger app to see if any nearby Tomball locations were open. Thats when he said he saw the map displaying Houston area locations that had power.

It was over 2 million at one point (without power); you dont visualize how widespread that is, he said. Thats what I thought was most amazing about looking at it on a map.

In the days after Beryl, Houstonians relied on the Whataburger map to determine where power had been restored. Several days later, CenterPoint provided its own map tracking the continued outage, but numerous customers complained that the map was not accurate.

By Tuesday, a little under 100,000 CenterPoint customers were still without power, and several Whataburger locations in the Houston area were still closed, according to its map.

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Whataburger Chief Marketing Officer Scott Hudler said the company is focused on getting all of its restaurants back open.

Norton said he hopes people felt a sense of optimism as more and more locations opened after the storm.

Im not the lineman. Im not the tree removal guy, he said. I dont want to make it something it isnt. I just posted something.

Were Texans, we get through this, Norton said.
The crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off Oman are still missing, the country's maritime security centre said on Tuesday, a day after the sinking was reported.

The oil tanker capsized 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah.The 16-strong crew of "Prestige Falcon" comprised 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans, the Omani centre said in a post on the social media platform X.

Separately, the centre told Reuters that the vessel remains "submerged, inverted". It did not confirm whether the vessel had stabilised or whether oil or oil products were leaking into the sea.

The vessel had been headed for the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to MarineTraffic, having departed from Dubai.

Omani authorities started a search and rescue operation at the scene in coordination with maritime officials, said Oman's state news agency as quoted by Reuters.

Indian Navys warship INS Teg has also been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with the Omani vessels and personnel to carry out search and rescue missions.
A Mills charter school broke ground Saturday at the site of its future home.

The Wyoming Classical Academy is a public charter school that opened last year. While it hopes to eventually expand to serve all students from kindergarten through 12th grade, it currently only offers kindergarten through seventh grade.

Currently located at the old Mills Elementary School, which was closed in 2017, the new location of Wyoming Classical Academy will be at the intersection of Robertson and Poison Spider roads.

The event was attended by State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder, Wyoming State Senator Charlie Scott, Mills Mayor Leah Juarez and Chad Auer, an advisor to the governor.

Before the ceremonial shoveling of dirt, each guest speaker took time to address the school and shared their remarks.

Margo Weber, a Wyoming Classical Academy student, shared how the school has taught her to be grateful rather than being wrapped up in the negatives. She used Saturday as a perfect example. She said that while they could focus on the heat, instead they should be grateful for the breeze and the celebration.

Degenfelder emphasized how important school choice is during her speech.

Thats whats so important because every single child learns differently. We cannot expect to place them all in the same box and expect great results, said Degenfelder. Because public education is so powerful, so important to the future of our country, the reason we have public education is so we can create a more perfect union.

Wyoming Classical Academy uses a curriculum from Hillsdale College. Hillsdales curriculum, often regarded as a conservative course choice, emphasizes American exceptionalism and rejects the idea that racism exists in modern society.

Wyoming Classical College also uses Singapore Math and the Orton-Gillingham reading approach.

Because Wyoming Classical Academy is a charter school, it has educational autonomy in the curriculum it chooses while still receiving state funding. Charter schools have little government oversight in Wyoming, but they are offered and encouraged to promote school choice and competition.

In Wyoming, open enrollment is offered in some counties so that parents can choose which school to send their children to rather than being bound by geographical affiliation.

Wyoming Classical Academy is tuition-free and any student can enroll. Enrollment is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If applications exceed the number of available spots, then a lottery is used.

Headmaster Matt Teterud said the school was proud to call Wyoming home.

It gets back to so much of what is good and right about America, Teterud said. As we enjoy our lives here out west, we love our open spaces, our mountains and our freedom. We value showing our children what America is all about, and how to live well in it.
TRINIDAD Petroleum Holdings Limited (TPHL) has put the matter of Patriotic Energy Services Company Limited submitting allegedly fraudulent documents in its bid to acquire the former Petrotrin refinery in the hands of its legal team.

The claim, first made by Energy Minister Stuart Young during the budget debate last Friday, was again denied yesterday by Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president Ancel Roget. TPHL stated in a media release yesterday that it had received a document submitted by Patriotic Energies in its non-binding offer for the refinery, which specifically identified as evidence a wire transfer of US$1.5 billion into a local bank, and which document identified Patriotic Energies as the beneficiary.
I am a resident of Princes Town, and I want to grab the attention of the Ministry of Educati
Arizona ranks 40th in the country for health and reproductive care outcomes for women, according to a new study released by the Commonwealth Fund.

In other categories, the state ranks 46th on coverage, access and affordability and 42nd on health care quality and prevention for women.

Womens health in the U.S. is in a very fragile state, said Joseph Betancourt, the Commonwealth Funds president. There are stark disparities in womens access to quality health care among states across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines.

The Commonwealth Fund is a foundation working to improve the quality and access of the United States health-care system. This is the groups first time creating a womens health and reproductive care scorecard.

Arizona placed 48th in the country for women ages 18-44 without a routine checkup in the past year and 49th for women ages 18-44 without a usual source of care.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has further fractured womens health care access and dramatically affected the ability of providers to treat pregnancy complications.

Those changes are important for Arizonan women, as the state also ranks 49th in the country for infants born with congenital syphilis per 100,000 live births, the study found. The state ranks 45th for the rate of women ages 15-44 per 100,000 female population to have syphilis, as well.

Part of that could be due to the states low ranking for health insurance coverage. Arizona ranks 44th in the country for the percentage of women aged 19-64 without health insurance coverage, with 13% not being covered.

More than that, however, 32% of women ages 18-44 did not have one or more person they thought of as their personal health-care provider. That puts Arizona at 49th in the country for that category.

It serves as a glaring reminder that where you live matters to your health and health care, Commonwealth Fund President Betancourt said. While some states undoubtedly are championing womens continued access to vital health and reproductive services, many others are failing to ensure that women can get and afford the health care they need.

Typically, the top performing states tended to be in the northeast, with Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island finishing on top. The fund found that typically, areas with stricter abortion bans, such as the south, tended to score worse on most womens health rankings. Mississippi, the state where the U.S. Supreme Court case to overturn Roe v. Wade originated from, ranked last on the list.

Women (in southern states) tend to experience worse health outcomes on average, had less access to care and reproductive health services than in other states and tended to receive lower quality care, said David Radley, a senior scientist with the Commonwealth Fund.

Arizona law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. While that isnt the strictest law in the nation  some states have six-week restrictions  it seems to have brought the state down in quality of care, according to the study.

Tighter limits and additional bans on abortion are certain to drive more maternal and reproductive health care providers to shut down or leave their states, deepening the crisis of access to maternity care, the report says. Abortion bans threaten Americans future access to care across all medical specialties.
Don Parker walks past the collapsed front porch at his home, that currently has just a small generator providing limited power, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in Houston. Parker lost power May 16 due to storm damage to his individual equipment that CenterPoint doesn't take responsibility for. The lights never came back on; he has applied for FEMA aid to help with repairs, he said. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced last week that it will provide financial assistance to residents living in counties affected by Hurricane Beryl. However, questions remain regarding the process, timeline and nature of the assistance FEMA is offering. Here are the details.

Who is eligible?

Residents in the following counties may apply for assistance: Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, Fort Bend and Nacogdoches.

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FEMAs aid package is designed to cover losses that are underinsured or uninsured. Residents with property insurance are still eligible, but FEMA will not offer assistance for losses already covered under their policy. However, if an applicants insurance benefits are delayed for 30 days or more, FEMA may still offer aid to support their immediate needs.

FEMA will also ensure an applicant is not receiving aid from other sources such as nonprofit organizations, donation campaigns and other community support systems.

What kind of aid is FEMA offering?

There are three main categories of disaster assistance currently available under FEMAs Individuals and Households program.

The first is Serious Needs Assistance, which is a one-time payment of $750 per household for expenses related to the purchase or replacement of food, water and other necessities. Residents who lost food or other perishable goods as a result of the blackout should select this option when filling out their request form.

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The second is for people who had to seek temporary lodging during or after Hurricane Beryl. Families and individuals who rented hotels during the storm should apply for FEMAs Displacement Assistance program, which offers reimbursement for travel and housing.

Finally, for residents who suffered extensive damage or semi-permanent displacement, FEMA is offering money for rental assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other damage related to Beryl.

How long will it take?

While its impossible to predict exactly how long it will be before residents see a check from FEMA, eligible residents generally receive payments for Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance within a month of filling out the application.

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Once filed, applicants should expect a reply in roughly a week regarding eligibility. For the May derecho storm, users on social media said they waited anywhere from one week to a little over a month from the date of acceptance before they were paid. Cindy Rivas Alfaro, a student at the University of Houston, said she waited about three weeks for assistance after the derecho.

So for the derecho, I applied May 22 and then I got the acceptance on the 28th, Alfaro said. I got the money like two to three weeks later.

Alfaro applied for Serious Needs Assistance and got $750 to replace food and other losses. She applied again after Hurricane Beryl left her family without power for close to a week. This time, she said, the process already feels quicker.

I think they approved my application within a couple days, Alfaro said. I applied July 13 and was accepted July 16.

Why are some people receiving assistance before others?

A number of factors can impact an applicants wait, according to FEMA. Insurance verification is one element, as the agency must ensure any aid it provides does not constitute a duplication of benefits under federal law. While the agency can independently verify applicants coverage, providing policy documentation can help speed up the process.

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Choosing to receive payment through mail can also lead to delays. Direct deposit payments generally post within days of acceptance, while mailed checks can take several weeks.

Additionally, residents seeking assistance for property or other significant damage will likely have to schedule a visit from a FEMA inspector before receiving payment. Depending on the scale of the disaster, the number of applicants and available staff, there may be a wait before an inspector can be dispatched.

Inspectors may not enter or evaluate a property unless the homeowner is present. Property damage, rental assistance and other major relief applicants should be on the lookout for a phone call from FEMA in the days after they submit their application. A representative from the agency will contact them to schedule the inspection ahead of time.

My application was rejected. What now?

FEMA can reject a claim for a number of reasons, but the most common is that the agency found the applicant, or someone in their household, carried an insurance policy that would constitute a duplication of benefits.

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Additionally, if an applicant lives in an area where flood insurance is mandatory and their policy lapsed, FEMA may disqualify them for failing to maintain flood coverage. If rejected, the agency will send a letter to the affected household explaining the decision and the appeals process. All applicants have the right to appeal.

Appeals must be filed by mail within 60 days of the date listed on the rejection letter. There is no standardized form for an appeal, residents must simply submit a signed letter explaining why they disagree with the decision.

The letter should also include the following information:

Applicants full name, current address and damaged dwelling address

Applicants 9-digit FEMA application number, found at the top of the determination letter

FEMA disaster declaration number, for example DR-4663-KY

Applicants signature and the date

A third party, such as a lawyer, may also submit an appeal on an applicants behalf.

Are there any FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers nearby?

Five Houston-area recovery centers offer information about disaster assistance programs and clarify updates on the status of FEMA applications. All are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Leon Z. Grayson Community Center is closed Wednesdays.
PHOENIX  Democrat Ruben Gallego is amassing a financial war chest in anticipation of an eventual general election contest for U.S. Senate against Republican Kari Lake.

And incumbent Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, not running for anything this year, has managed to spend more than $1.3 million since the last election.

New campaign finance reports suggest that Arizonans are going to be inundated with lots of commercials, signs and campaign materials, with hotly contested races up and down the ballot. And that doesnt include the money that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are likely to spend here to pickup the 11 electoral votes in what has become a swing state.

And then there are the hot-button ballot issues, ranging from abortion to border security.

All in all, AdImpact which tracks such things, predicts that, when all is said and done, $821 million will be spent in Arizona on political advertising.

Presidential politics aside, the biggest candidate spending statewide is shaping up to be the race to replace Kyrsten Sinema in the Senate. The former Democrat became a political independent before quitting, a move that cleared the field  at least on that side of the political spectrum  for Gallego to be the Democratic nominee.

So far this campaign he has collected nearly $30.6 million, including more than $9.4 million this past quarter alone. And while Gallego spent nearly $10.9 million in the past three months, he is raising it fast enough so that he still has more than $9.2 million in the bank  just slightly below where he was at the end of March.

Lake does have a primary against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, though she spends most of her time, effort and finances campaigning against Gallego. But Lake trails Gallego by a wide margin in fundraising.

She took in less than $4.4 million in the last quarter, bringing her total fundraising for the race to just above $10 million. But she also spent more than $4 million during the same period, leaving her with about $2.8 million cash on hand.

By contrast, Lamb has collected just slightly more than $2 million in the whole campaign, spent $1.7 million of that, with less than $264,000 in the bank.

Someone who does have some money to spend is Hobbs.

The incumbent governor has the benefit of having collected nearly $3.4 million since she filed her final 2022 campaign finance report. So, even with her expenditures since then, she still has $2.5 million in the bank.

Hobbs has told Capitol Media Services she wants to use some of her cash to help elect Democrats to the House and Senate this year. But she hasnt said how much she intends to use  versus save for her own 2026 campaign  and there is no indication so far of money already having left her own account to spend on other races.

So how does someone not running for anything manage to spend money?

Much of it involves the cost of raising it in the first place.

For example, Act Blue, which is a clearinghouse that Democrats can use to process donations, charges a fee. Hobbs reports she has so far paid it more than $76,000.

Then theres another $173,000 for consultants, about $100,000 for software, $72,000 for mailing expenses and more than $95,000 for office rent.

Several of the congressional races are shaping up to be expensive affairs.

Republican Juan Ciscomani in his bid for reelection in CD 6 in southern Arizona has collected nearly $4.4 million with almost $2.9 million left to spend.

Kathleen Winn, his foe in the GOP primary, has less than $43,000 available.

The winner will face off against Democrat Kirsten Engel. Without a primary foe, she has more than $3.1 million cash on hand.

There are some high-profile primaries shaping up for the state Legislature.

One of the closest watched will be in LD 17, largely in northern Pima and southern Pinal county, where Republican Vince Leach is trying to win back the Senate seat he lost two years ago to Justine Wadsack.

He has collected more than her and has about three times as much cash on hand and is getting a bit of help from Term Limits Action Arizona.

But Wadsack is getting outside help of her own from a group called Make Liberty Win in Arizona which promotes itself as trying to elect 250 liberty-defending state legislators across the country. State law allows independent expenditures as long as donors do not coordinate with candidates.

That same group also is putting cash into preserving the seats of incumbents Rachel Jones and Cory McGarr, the two Republicans seeking reelection in that district for the state House who are trying to stave off a challenge from Anna Orth. And Republican Mike Hudelson, running for a House seat from LD 16, also is a beneficiary of Make Liberty Win Arizona.

One closely watched race is in LD 1 where incumbent Sen. Ken Benett faces a challenge not only from Mark Finchem, the failed 2022 candidate for secretary of state who also used to represent the Oro Valley area in the state Legislature but has since moved to Prescott. Also trying to oust Bennett is Steve Zipperman who has more cash on hand than either of them.

And in LD 7, current Rep. David Cook is seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. Wendy Rogers who is better funded. But she faces financial headwind with an independent expenditure against her of more than $260,000 by Arizona First.

With Cook trying to move to the Senate, that has created an open House seat in the district. Incumbent Davide Marshall Sr. is seeking to be one of the two GOP nominees. But former Reps. Walt Blackman and John Fillmore also both want back into the Legislature.

It isnt just among Republicans where primaries are shaping up. Briana Ortega is trying to unseat either Consuelo Hernandez or Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, both Democratic incumbents who occupy the two House seats in LD 21.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Our elected Commissioners at the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) have the authority to create enormous value for Arizona but have declined to do so. Instead of creating value they are allowing and exacerbating avoidable damages and costs charged to ratepayers and taxpayers.

New technology is now available to replace conventional fossil-fueled electricity generation that creates heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions and loses billions of gallons of precious water to evaporation.

The emissions increase temperatures which cause increased electricity usage, healthcare issues to our low income and senior populations, extreme heat and weather events, wildfires and significant damages and costs to our communities. Because conventional generation also creates emissions that are toxic to humans, they must be located long distances from the populations they serve, requiring expensive and vulnerable transmission infrastructure that loses about 8% of the electricity during transmission. The avoidable costs to cope with those consequences are paid by ratepayers and taxpayers, individuals and businesses.

Although the fuel, operating and maintenance costs of conventional generation continue to increase as demonstrated by chronic million-dollar fuel surcharges and rate increases, the ACC continues to approve more natural gas-fueled generation (Nogales, AZ, UNES).

It is important to recognize that methane that is released when natural gas is mined is 80 times more heat-trapping than coal carbon emissions, and that suppliers would reduce methane emissions if our utilities stopped using your electricity bill revenues to purchase natural gas.

The current ACC also continues to constrain Ratepayer Competition, Self-Generation, Community Choice Aggregation, with Utilities and provide Investor-Owned Utilities with Captive Customers and Net Incomes that are greater than competitive market corporations. Our Utilities have no incentives to evolve and provide a Customer Centric Continuous Improvement Culture.

Fixed and lower cost solar electric generation and energy storage technology is now available and could be used to reduce 80% of current fossil fueled generation by 2030, to improve reliability, resilience, retain ratepayer revenues in Arizona, and to provide orders to Arizona mining companies and new semiconductor, photocell, and battery Manufacturers. Increased trade within Arizona would increase tax revenues without increasing tax rates and would create more taxpayers and ratepayers for utilities.

Solar electric/Energy Storage technologies use minimal water, fuel is free and abundant, their efficiencies continue to increase, require minimal operating and maintenance, and are technology agile, can be incrementally replaced when/if new better energy technologies become available.

Although utility scale solar systems can track the sun and generate about 20% more electricity per solar module, residential fixed mount solar with energy storage have been subsidized by other state utilities who use that capacity to satisfy peak demand when electricity is more expensive, providing benefit to all ratepayers.

Federal funds are available to fund the cost of new technology and to offset the costs of stranded conventional generation assets that the ACC charges to ratepayers, not utility shareholders that benefit from those suboptimal decisions.

Arizona has sufficient sunshine to generate 80% or more of its electricity requirements, and to provide renewable energy to other states, creating an export economy.

Per their 2023 SEC 10K report TEP generates 87% its electricity using fossil fuels, only 13% from solar and wind (Imported from New Mexico Wind Farm owned by TEP/Fortis).

The ACC needs to change its current rate/compensation structure to have utilities be responsible for ALL cost increases, direct and indirect, to encourage utilities to develop and deploy new technology and practices that reduce costs and share rate/surcharge reductions, i.e., reduce the rate by 80% of the cost reduction, allow utilities to retain 20% for 5-years, or similar.

Three of five ACC Commissioner positions are up for vote this November. Make certain that you vote and elect people that will work for you to provide affordable and reliable electricity services. Consider Polacheck, Aguilar and Hall.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays the heroine in Twisters, was raised in England, where, as she has noted, the only kind of treacherous weather is occasional thick fog. Tornadoes? That seemed like science fiction to her.

Truly. Honestly, she said. I mean, I knew they were real, but they always kind of felt a bit like a movie thing, you know? I kind of couldnt really imagine what it would be like to see one. So being here and experiencing the extreme weather, seeing the dents in storm chasers cars from grapefruit-sized hail, I think it really made me realize this is real. This is our natural world.

In Twisters, scheduled for July 19 release, Edgar-Jones is Kate Carter, a gifted storm chaser from Sapulpa with a goal of making tornado alley a safer place. She doesnt know quite what to make of Tyler Owens, an ex-rodeo star from Arkansas who became a social media sensation because of his adventures as a tornado wrangler. Owens, played by Glen Powell, risks his safety to shoot fireworks into a tornado. Just how red is his neck? Maybe theres more to him than meets the eye.

Twisters was shot in Oklahoma just like Twister, a 1996 blockbuster predecessor. Twisters cast members Edgar-Jones, Powell and Anthony Ramos were joined by director Lee Isaac Chung and producer Ashley Jay Sandberg at an Oklahoma City premiere event Monday at the Bricktown 16 Harkins Theatre. They participated in red carpet interviews and took turns addressing the seated crowd prior to the screening.

I feel a little nervous, Chung said. Im not going to lie. Of all the screenings that we might do, this is most special to me. It really feels like were bringing this film home. For me, it feels like a homecoming.

Edgar-Jones referenced a line in the film in which her character says I love Oklahoma and told the crowd she really feels that way. She said it was special to film in Oklahoma, where she was introduced to  and became addicted to  line dancing.

We all just had the greatest time shooting this movie here, Powell said. It was really, really special. I cant imagine shooting it anywhere else. I mean, we got to shoot the ultimate tornado movie in tornado alley in tornado season.

Maybe that was a little reckless, suggested Powell.

But, truly, it was just amazing how Oklahoma opened their arms to us and you guys were all incredible and we just absolutely love this place, he said. Were so proud of this movie because its about you and its about this very special place in the world that looks at the sky in a different way, with reverence and awe and love. And I think the people of Oklahoma are just different in the face of a storm and they are just different in the wake of a storm, and we are just proud to feel like we are part of this place.

Said Ramos: I think if you live in Oklahoma, you are a superhero. We had a great time. Thank you for all the love you showed us, especially this city boy from New York, from Brooklyn.

Ramos said Oklahoma provided a change of pace. Oklahoma also provided him with a first-night weather scare.

I was sitting with our director at dinner, and I had just flown in, he said. I had gotten here, and I was leaving the next day, and the windows start rattling (because of the wind). And Im seeing the doors are kind of doing this kind of (shaking) thing.

Ramos wondered if he should move away from a window seat. A waiter assured Ramos he should be fine. Was that his scariest moment in Oklahoma?

It got crazy, he said. We were in the middle of tornado season. ... I think we were here from May to July or something like that, and just in the heart of it. We had to pack up a few times because a tornado touched down probably 30 minutes from us. We had equipment fall. We had the craft tent fly away. We had to run into the cars, which they dont recommend when the tornado happens, because there was no base camp nearby. There was no place to actually hide out. I had never seen the sky turn green in my life. I can keep going.

According to production notes, the production recruited a former military meteorologist, Joel Martin to lead a squad of radar watchers who ensured the safety of cast and crew by working 24/7 to monitor shifting weather conditions.

A team of veteran film safety experts led by Lacie Mackey (Oppenheimer) crafted and enforced protocols for shutting down production and sheltering when necessary.

Unlike Edgar-Jones and Ramos, Powell had real twister experience on his resume. Raised in Austin, Texas, Powell was visiting family in Jarrell, Texas, when a tornadic storm there killed 27 people in 1997.

We were driving to my aunts ranch, he said. We got caught in the tornado. Thank God we were safe. But it was an F-5. In hindsight, that was one that you were lucky to walk away from, and it was something I definitely thought about a lot as we were making this movie.

Powell also has a Twister connection in that he has worked alongside Bill Paxton, who starred with Helen Hunt in Twister. Paxton died in 2017.

Paxton was a great pal. He was a great buddy, Powell said. He helped me during Hidden Figures to really focus on the space training and then, on this one, I just thought about him so often because, when he was shooting Twister, he did the weather report every day before set. He was obsessed with the weather. And this movie really changed his life and really made him feel a part of this community. So I really felt like that I was part of this world.

Paxtons son, James, makes a cameo appearance in Twisters.

Was the time finally right for a Twister sequel? Said Sandberg, This for us, I feel, was the right time to re-tell the story. I think its not even actually a re-telling. Its a next chapter. I feel those who love the first film will find things that feel very nostalgic. ... We have little Easter eggs planted throughout.

For instance: Edgar-Jones character attended Muskogee State University, the same college attended by the primary characters in Twister.

Sandberg suggested that perhaps next-gen moviegoers may go back and watch Twister after being introduced to the franchise via Twisters. Edgar-Jones was born two years after Twister was released.

I had heard of it, but I watched it when I knew Isaac, our director, was directing Twisters because I loved his work and I was so excited by him as a director and what intrigued him about this world of storm-chasing, she said, adding that she fell in love with Twister after seeing it for the first time.

Its a classic movie and its such a wonderful film. Its such a joyful film with such a great cast.

Chung hopes moviegoers love Twisters and, if they do, he said the No. 1 reason will be because of all these wonderful actors who we have in the story that were telling about the people in the movie. And then, No. 2, its about the tornadoes and the fun that were trying to present to the audience. We hope this movie is real a fun ride for people this summer.

This is why you make a summer blockbuster, Powell said. This contains everything you need. Its thrilling. Its adventurous. Its fun. Its funny. Its directed so well. The performances are beautiful. Its emotional. And its about the people of Oklahoma. Its about this community.

Ramos indicated that Twisters takes him back to when he first started going to the movies as a kid.

It just gets me excited, he said. It gives me that feeling that I had when I used to get excited about going to see legendary movies like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings when they were first coming out. I hope people feel that way when they go see it.
Miss Oklahoma, Lauren Frost of Wagoner, will be honored Thursday at the Wagoner History Center beginning at 6 p.m.

The meet and greet will take place at 123 S. Main. Frost was the 90th Miss Oklahoma selected in pageant history.

Frost will arrive by police/fire escort at 6:15pm. When she arrives, fans and officials will all be waiting to give her a big Wagoner welcome.

The mayor will officially induct her into the Wagoner History Center, and introduce an exhibit we have curated just for her. After her induction she will be available to sign autographs and take photos.

Frost won her crown on June 8 at River Spirit Casino Resort.
Council Member Letitia Plummer listens to Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles as he gives a presentation and discussion at the City of Houston's Committee on Economic Development meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Houston city council members attend a Prop A committee meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Council Member Edward Pollard addresses Houston ISD state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles as Miles gives a presentation and discussion at the City of Houston's Committee on Economic Development meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Residents and city officials are tired of having to be "Houston Strong, and at recent meetings have said they would prefer better hurricane response instead of being forced to survive.

The moniker, which came to life following Harvey in 2017, has historically been used as a rallying cry for resilience when disaster strikes.

But Hurricane Beryl has reigned differently. And this time, residents are more tired than ever before, the monikers meaning changing as their frustrations with the city and CenterPoints hurricane response mount.

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More than 16 residents spoke at Houston City Councils Tuesday public comment session to tell council members they were without power and angry at CenterPoint for not being better prepared.

Some had family members in senior facilities who were struggling with no plan or power. Others were upset that communities that have always been forced to be resilient and have yet to recover from past storms are back at square one.

Houston Strong found its way into the Houston City Council member chambers Wednesday morning as members sounded off on their districts storm concerns.

And one after one, Houstons elected officials said theyre tired of their constituents having to be so resilient, too.

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We are known as being Houston strong, Council Member Edward Pollard said as Wednesdays meeting adjourned. But I can tell you that it feels like Houstons tired. Houstons hot. Houstons frustrated. We tell them that we are well prepared, we are prepared for this, and then they go a week  some people plus  without power.

He continued: We have to be transparent with the public and let them know that we did not do all that we could do. From a city standpoint, were not fully mobilized. From a CenterPoint standpoint, we were not fully mobilized. We were scrambling after the fact and the city felt it.

The city now needs to do something different, Pollard said, because it had not prepared for the worst. He apologized to residents for all they had to endure this week.

We are too great of a city to have this happen over and over, Pollard said.

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Several council members cited a need for backup generators at, not only critical city facilities and cooling centers, but senior living facilities. Others warned that the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl cant continue to be whats normal.

Houston strong cannot mean that we expect our citizens to just be able to endure weeks plus without power in the summer and bounce back and expect everything to be OK, and it happen again and again, said Council Member Mario Castillo.

In the areas the city cant control, Castillo said officials had to at least make sure the city could be resilient, because residents are tired of hearing about what the city cant control, like CenterPoint.

Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly hit on gaps in where the city could be better following disasters. Council members are noticing, too, and said it was time for them to come together.

At times like this, it becomes pretty obvious what we havent done, as well as what we need to do, Council Member Willie Davis said.

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A few council members pointed out how many of their neighborhoods are still without power, and called for hardened infrastructure and utilities, not just in the city, but statewide.

Council Member Abbie Kamin said what happened after Beryl should have never happened in the first place.

This feels more like a man-made disaster than a natural disaster, Kamin said. We have to hold those accountable and we have to make sure that we have the regulatory oversight to properly harden our infrastructure and our utilities.

Council Member Julian Ramirez called first responders, council member staff and neighborhood activists who are on the ground advocating for their communities as they move past the storm the real superstars in Houstons recovery.

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The real resilience lies in our people, in the folks who live in Houston who have to deal with, time and again, events like this, Ramirez said, making note that this was the areas third disaster this year alone.

And resiliency, Council Member Tiffany Thomas said, was starting to take a toll on everyone, and that response needed to be hyperlocal.
The National Innovation Center (NIC) is cooperating with two American firms, Qorvo, Inc. and Cadence Design Systems, Inc., to train 50,000 Vietnamese semiconductor engineers by 2030.

NIC and its two U.S. partners hosted an opening ceremony for the analog integrated circuit (IC) design course and signed a memorandum of understanding on training cooperation at the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment headquarters in Hanoi on Tuesday.

During the event, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung stated that the training program aims to develop manpower for the semiconductor sector and promote a Vietnamese semiconductor ecosystem in the coming years.

Vietnam plans to invest approximately US$1 billion in training 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, a strategic initiative implemented by NIC in collaboration with universities and foreign partners.

The training program can be scaled up to 100,000 semiconductor engineers in the future, the minister underlined.

Aside from Qorvo and Cadence, Vietnam is also working with American electronic design automation company Synopsys, technology provider ARM, and semiconductor giant Marvell Technology to train semiconductor engineers.

Trinh Khac Hue, general director of Qorvo Vietnam, said that the training course will focus on the fundamental theories and practical aspects of integrated circuit design.

Qorvo engineers will directly train Vietnamese participants.

Upon completion of the course, local engineers will be proficient in using Cadence's IC design software.

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Deforestation at one of Indonesia's largest nickel processing hubs is threatening an Indigenous group that is among the country's last uncontacted tribes, rights groups allege.

Nickel is a key component in the batteries of electric vehicles, and Indonesia is both the world's largest producer and home to the biggest known reserves globally.

The government is keen to boost output, but there are growing concerns about the environmental consequences and impact on local residents.

Two NGOs told AFP that mining operations in North Maluku province are endangering the O'Hongana Manyawa people by stripping forests and pumping pollution into surrounding waters.

The Weda Bay nickel mine on Halmahera island -- by some estimates the largest in the world -- has left the Indigenous group encircled, said Syamsul Alam Agus, an advocate at the Association of Indigenous Peoples' Defenders.

"They are surrounded... their territory is controlled," he told AFP.

While some of the community have settled over decades, an estimated 300-500 people from the group maintain a nomadic, hunter-gatherer existence isolated from outsiders.

As they lose more land and sources of food, they are being forced into more human contact, potentially exposing them to novel diseases, experts said.

"The world has become apocalyptic for the O'Hongana Manyawa," said Callum Russell, an advocacy officer at Indigenous rights NGO Survival International.

They are being "forced to essentially surrender" their lifestyle and "often come out to beg for food", he told AFP.

'This is our home'

Apparent encounters between the tribe and mine workers have recently circulated on social media, sometimes going viral in Indonesia.

In one, two men hold spears as they apparently face off against workers and a bulldozer. Another shows a man and two women appearing to approach mine workers to ask for food.

AFP could not immediately verify the videos but Dewi Anakoda, a local environmentalist who describes herself as a "companion" of the O'Hongana Manyawa, confirmed they are authentic.

"It's not them entering the concession area but Weda Bay Nickel that entered their area," she told AFP.

"They have always lived in the forest. They say, 'this is our territory, this is our home. We never bother you, why do you disturb us?'"

Weda Bay began operations in 2019, with the deposits being developed by Indonesian company PT Weda Bay Nickel.

The firm is majority-owned by Strand Minerals, whose shares are divided between French mining giant Eramet and Chinese steel major Tsingshan.

According to Eramet, about 6,000 hectares of Weda Bay Nickel's 45,000-hectare concession will be mined over a 25-year period.

It says around 2,000 hectares have been "exploited", including for a nickel plant part of the sprawling Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP).

NGO Climate Rights International (CRI) this year found that around 1,400 hectares of forest had already been lost inside Weda Bay Nickel's concession.

Citing interviews with local residents, it alleged "people living near IWIP have had their land taken, deforested, or excavated by nickel companies and developers without their consent".

It said sampling of local rivers and coastal waters found contamination from heavy metals believed to be linked to mining.

Deforestation

Weda Bay Nickel, Tsingshan, Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board and its Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Eramet told AFP it is "aware" of the O'Hongana Manyawa and understands the "critical importance" of responsible mining and the well-being of Indigenous people.

It also touted the project's economic benefits, including the creation of 14,000 direct jobs and more than 1.4 million euros ($1.525 mn) in "community investment spending".

Deforestation is a longstanding problem in Indonesia, and primary forest loss jumped 27 percent in 2023 after falling for several years from a peak in 2015-2016, according to the World Resources Institute.

Much of that is linked to fires or palm oil and wood pulp plantations, but mining-related deforestation accounted for the loss of about 10,000 hectares of primary forest last year, according to conservation start-up The TreeMap.

Concerns about Weda Bay's environmental cost prompted a campaign urging German firm BASF to abandon plans with Eramet to build a nickel-cobalt refinery project in the area.

The $2.6 billion project was scrapped last month, though both firms said the decision was motivated by changing market conditions. The move does not affect existing operations.

NGOs have called on the government to set up protected areas for the O'Hongana Manyawa.

Dewi warned the development poses a threat to wildlife as well as humans.

It's "not only the O'Hongana Manyawa tribe, there are Halmahera's endemic birds, other birds, other habitats", she said.

"I think in less than 20 years our forests will be completely cleared and we will feel the lasting ecological impact."
The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court on Tuesday opened a first-instance court hearing against 24 defendants charged with smuggling more than six metric tons of gold worth US$332.9 million from Cambodia into Vietnam.

In 2022, four of them  Nguyen Thi Minh Phung, a resident in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong and Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang from neighboring Tay Ninh Province, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Giau, who lives near the Chang Riec Border Gate in Tay Ninh  established two rings to smuggle gold into Vietnam from the neighboring country as the gold price in Vietnam was higher than that in Cambodia.

One of the rings was led by Phuong. She cooperated with Giau and incited five others to smuggle 1,320 kilograms of gold bullion valued at VND1.817 trillion (US$71.5 million) from July 16 to September 28, 2022.

Phung was the mastermind of the other ring. She worked with Giau and induced 20 others to smuggle 4,830 kilograms of gold bullion worth VND6.644 trillion ($261.4 million) between August 3 and September 28, 2022.

The volume of the contraband gold was worth a combined $332.9 million.

Phung used to work at a gold shop, so she was acquainted with many people in the sector in Tay Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Cambodia.

She contacted accomplices in Cambodia to buy gold after receiving orders in Vietnam.

Cash confiscated from the defendants. Photo: Supplied

Giau was responsible for transporting gold and money for payments. She was paid $170 for a gold bar transported to Tay Ninh and VND2,500 ($0.1) per $100 banknotes moved to Cambodia.

Investigators from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security on September 28, 2022 kept track of them sneaking gold from Cambodia into Vietnam.

The investigators checked the defendants two vehicles while they were making gold delivery in Ho Chi Minh City, arrested many people, and seized 63 yellow metal bars weighing 63 kilograms together with the two vehicles.

The investigators later raided residences, workplaces, and gold shops of related people in Tay Ninh Province and Ho Chi Minh City.

They confiscated 13 gold bars weighing 13 kilograms; US$2.9 million, 63,900 euros ($69,915), 5,000 Australian dollars ($3,374), 10 million South Korean won ($7,256), 10 million Japanese yen ($63,890), and VND45 million ($1,770) in cash; computers; documents; goldsmith tools; and others.

In Vietnam, the state has the monopoly in exporting and importing raw gold to produce gold bars.

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Thai police have announced that the deaths of six Vietnamese people in a room at a hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday were related to debt conflicts, and one of them had poisoned the others with cyanide before committing suicide.

Major General Theeradet Thumsuthee made the announcement at Lumpini police station on Wednesday morning, according to the Bangkok Post.

These six Vietnamese, two of whom also carried U.S. passports, were found dead in a room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Four of the victims were Vietnamese, namely Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47 years old, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

The other two held U.S. nationality as well, including Chong Sherine, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55.

Thai police convene a meeting in Bangkok on the deaths of six Vietnamese people at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on July 16, 2024. Photo: Matichon

Among these six people, Sherine, a woman, had poisoned the others before she committed suicide by possibly drinking a toxic substance, Thailands Khaosod newspaper reported.

Police questioned the daughter of one of the victims and other witnesses, and their bank accounts became useful for the investigation, Major General Theeradet said.

The incident could have stemmed from debt issues and there is no other possibility, he stated.

The official affirmed that the culprit was among the six people because they were the only individuals who entered and stayed in the room.

One more person, the seventh Vietnamese in the case, had booked the room next to the one where the dead bodies were found, and police believe that this person is the sister of one of the six victims.

This woman left Thailand on July 10 and appeared to have nothing to do with the poisoning, police said.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (R) talks with a group of senior police officers joining the investigation into the deaths of six Vietnamese, including two with U.S. passports, at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, July 16, 2024. Photo: Khaosod

On Tuesday evening, initial investigation results showed that the victims' room was locked from the inside and there was no sign of anyone breaking into the room to kill them.

After moving their bodies to a nearby hospital, Thai police also transferred the luggage of the six victims from the hotel to the Lumpini Ward Police headquarters for examination.

Reuters quoted Thai police as saying at a press conference on Tuesday morning that cyanide poisoning could be the cause of death of the six victims.

Police added that cyanide was found in the used drinking glasses and water bottles in room 502, where the bodies had been discovered.

According to police officers, after the hotel staff brought the glasses, two bottles of hot water, milk, and a pot of tea into the room, one of the six individuals added cyanide to the drinks. The autopsy results are expected to be available the next day.

Thai police officers take the luggage of the six victims who were found dead in a room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok to an investigation agency, July 16, 2024. Photo: Matichon

Thanh and Phuong, among the victims, were husband and wife and owned a road and bridge building company in Vietnam, Krungthep Turakij newspaper quoted an initial report from the investigation team as saying, noting that they had interrogated the daughter of the couple.

The daughter said her parents came to Thailand to negotiate about an amount worth millions of Thai baht (1 million baht = US$27,875) they had lent to others.

This detail led police to believe that the couple was poisoned due to the debt negotiation failure.

Khaosod newspaper also cited police as reporting that Thanh and Phuong had repeatedly asked Sherine to repay his debt, but were unsuccessful. They were then advised to travel to Japan for debt settlement.

Five cups and a glass were found in the room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, where the six dead bodies were discovered on July 16, 2024. Photo: Khaosod

Failing to get a visa to Japan, the couple went to Thailand to meet Sherine.

In an announcement on Wednesday morning, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed that a working group from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be coming to Thailand to assist with the investigation, particularly regarding the two deceased victims who held U.S. nationality.

PM Srettha said he met Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung at the hotel on Tuesday and confirmed to the diplomat that he had directed local authorities to launch a comprehensive probe into the case to announce the results soon.

Earlier, the hotel reported that a group of seven people had reserved five rooms. Eventually, five of them checked in, with four rooms on the seventh floor and one room, numbered 502, on the fifth floor. Their check-ins were recorded at different times on July 13 and 14.

At noon on Monday, the guests of the four rooms on the 7th floor returned to their rooms and all their luggage was brought down to room 502 on the fifth floor.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (L, 2nd) speaks at the press conference held with a group of senior police officers joining the investigation into the deaths of six Vietnamese, including two with U.S. nationality, in Bangkok, July 16, 2024. Photo: Khaosod

On Tuesday afternoon, hotel staff came to the room to conduct an inspection after the victims failed to check out by noon as scheduled.

As the room door was locked from inside, the staff had to enter the room through the back door and discovered the six bodies.

The staff called police immediately and at around 5:00 pm, police officers and a forensic team arrived at the scene.

Four of the six bodies were discovered in the living area of the room, while the other two were found in the bedroom.

The dishes were found untouched in the room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, where the six Vietnamese individuals were discovered dead on July 16, 2024. Photo: Khaosod

According to Matichon newspaper, the hotel's camera footage revealed that the six individuals had earlier brought luggage into the room, and no one left the room until the deaths were discovered.

Investigators said the victims ordered six food portions from the hotel at 1:00 pm on Tuesday and there were no signs that they had touched the foods.

However, police officers found five cups and a glass containing drinks in the room and said that some of those drinks could have been consumed by the victims.

All the suspicious things in the room have been collected by police officers for their investigation.

Security surveillance camera footage of Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand shows one of the six Vietnamese dragging luggage toward a room before they were found dead on July 16, 2024. Photo: Bangkok Post

On Wednesday afternoon, addressing reporters' questions about the mass deaths, Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated that the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is closely coordinating with local authorities to verify and clarify the circumstances surrounding the victims' deaths, and to implement citizen protection measures.

The embassy is working with Vietnams Ministry of Public Security to check the identities of the victims.

We would like to send our deep condolences to the families of the victims and hope that they will soon recover from this great loss, Hang said.

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Some 700 visitors who had been stranded on Nam Du, an island off the coast of Kien Hai District in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam, for almost four days due to poor weather conditions returned safely to the provincial city of Rach Gia on Tuesday afternoon, a local official confirmed the same day.

The provincial Maritime Port Authority allowed express boat service operators to resume boat trips linking Rach Gia with Nam Du and Phu Quoc, a popular island destination in Kien Giang, after a three-day suspension caused by inclement weather in the area.

Local authorities arranged five express boat trips to bring the stranded tourists back to the mainland, according to Tran Thi Yen Oanh, vice-chairwoman of the administration in Kien Hais An Son Commune.

To support the affected tourists during their stay on the island, local tourism-related businesses provided them with free meals and room rate discounts of 30-50 percent.

An express boat transports visitors stranded on Nam Du Island off Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam to the the provincial city of Rach Gia, July 16, 2024. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nguyen Minh Thuy Tien, hailing from Can Tho City, southern Vietnam, appreciated the support that Nam Du residents had offered to the visitor and her family when they were stuck on the island.

Tien and her family traveled to Nam Du on Friday last week but the suspension of express boat services forced them to remain on the island longer than expected.

She elaborated that a local hotel owner offered her family a 50-percent room rate reduction, along with other discounts on meals and travel services.

On Saturday last week, the provincial Maritime Port Authority announced the suspension of the express boat services to Nam Du and Phu Quoc, citing bad weather conditions as the reasons.

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- Six Vietnamese people died of poisoning at a Bangkok hotel on Tuesday evening. Investigators identified the deceased as two Vietnamese individuals with U.S. nationality and four Vietnamese nationals, the Bangkok Post reported.

-- A massive whale was spotted hunting for food in the waters off the coast of Binh Dinh Province in south-central Vietnam on Monday afternoon. Many local inhabitants who caught sight of the mammal estimated the whale to be around eight meters in length and two metric tons in weight.

-- A 32-year-old woman and her three children, aged 9-13, were killed after being hit by a van when she was taking the kids on a motorcycle to her workplace in suburban Hanoi on Tuesday. The van had earlier collided with a big truck before crashing into the mother of three.

-- Some 700 visitors who had been stranded on Nam Du, an island off the coast of Kien Hai District in southern Kien Giang Province, for almost four days due to poor weather conditions returned safely to the provincial city of Rach Gia on Tuesday afternoon, a local official confirmed the same day.

-- More than 800 traffic-related accidents left 223 people dead and 539 others injured in Ho Chi Minh City in January-June. Compared to the same period last year, the number of accidents and deaths fell by 15 and 129, respectively, while that of injured people rose by 83, according to a report recently released by the local Department of Transport.

Business

-- Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh underscored the country's commitment to strengthening its cooperative relationship with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) during a reception for AIIB President Jin Liqun in Hanoi on Tuesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

World News

-- At least 23 people were killed and 13 injured in Peru on Tuesday after a bus crashed while traveling through a mountainous area, the country's interior ministry said on social media, Reuters reported.

-- Torrential rain on Tuesday triggered flash flooding in parts of Toronto, Canada's financial center, causing power outages, disrupting traffic and forcing airlines to curtail service, according to Reuters.

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Ho Chi Minh City is offering free or discounted hotel rates for night flight passengers to attract more visitors and offset summer airfare hikes, thanks to a new program by the city's Department of Tourism.

The department recently joined hands with Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, travel firms, and lodging establishments in the city to launch the program soon, it said, without elaborating on the exact date.

The program will also contribute to stimulating the travel demand in the context of increased air ticket prices during the ongoing peak of the summer travel season.

Vietnam Airlines is encouraging hotels to create package deals that include reasonably priced air tickets, particularly for flights departing before 6:00 am and after 9:00 pm.

For instance, hotels might offer a free or 80-percent discounted room rate for the first night for guests arriving on night flights, as long as they stay for at least three nights.

By July 8, 16 accommodation providers in the city had registered to participate in the program and brought forward their own discounts from 20 to 100 percent.

District 5's Dong Khanh Hotel will provide free rooms for the first night and charge normal rates from the second night.

The Myst Dong Khoi Hotel in District 1 offers a 49-percent discount for the first night, 53 percent for the second, plus daily buffet breakfast and afternoon tea every day from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, along with free pool, gym, sauna, and steam bath access.

Muong Thanh Luxury Saigon Hotel in Phu Nhuan District gives a 45-percent discount for the first night and charges full rates for the second. Guests staying at least three nights also get free airport transport from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on check-out day.

Liberty Central Saigon hotels offer a 59-percent discount for the first night and full rates for the second night.

A25 Hotel Group in Ho Chi Minh City offers two packages: 50 percent off the first night and 20 percent off the second for two-night stays, and 70 percent off the first night and 20 percent off the second for three-night stays.

Vietnam Airlines will collaborate with these 16 hotels to offer combo packages including round-trip tickets and hotel stays with discounted rates.

Other tourist destinations like Hanoi, Da Nang, and Nha Trang have also started similar programs to attract more visitors.

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China fully activates flood prevention mechanism during critical season

09:13, July 17, 2024 By Xu Keyue ( Global Times

Staff members monitor the flood water at a hydrological station in Funan County of Fuyang, east China's Anhui Province, July 14, 2024. Measures including monitoring the flood water, inspecting embankments, and ensuring flood-control materials have been taken by the authorities of Funan County of Fuyang, east China's Anhui Province, to control the "No. 1 Flood" for Huaihe River. (Photo: Xinhua)

China has fully activated a flood prevention mechanism, highlighting efforts in closely forecasting, monitoring, and early warning of the weather and water conditions, as the country enters the annual critical flood crest season from Tuesday to mid-August.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, on Tuesday, the water levels in the mainstream of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River continue to rise. Due to rainfall and upstream water inflow, 75 rivers in 10 provinces and regions including Anhui, Henan, Xinjiang, and Heilongjiang have experienced floods above national warning levels.

On Tuesday evening, the ministry launched a Level IV emergency response for flood prevention in Shandong and Henan provinces, sending two working groups to Shandong and Henan to guide the prevention of torrential rains and floods.

To gear up for the critical flood season, on Sunday, the Ministry of Water Resources held a press briefing to detail current arrangements.

According to the press briefing, four major risks are being closely monitored  the possibility of flooding in all seven major river basins; localized heavy rainfall could easily trigger flooding in small to medium-sized rivers, flash floods, and urban waterlogging; the large number of small to medium-sized reservoirs, dangerous reservoirs, and silted dams have limited capacity to withstand floods; with many water conservancy projects underway this year, some projects require construction during the flood season, increasing the risk of safety during construction.

The ministry said it will prioritize prevention, conduct timely, and accurate monitoring, forecasting, and early warning of flood situations. It stressed unified joint scheduling of control water projects in the basin to maximize overall effectiveness. Also, the ministry emphasized focusing on inspecting and defending high-risk and weak sections of embankments and dangerous areas with special attention to night patrols.

The press briefing noted that authorities will prioritize the evacuation of residents in high-risk areas, promptly relocating people in case of danger or potential risks to ensure the safety of the population.

Current weather forecasts show that over the next week, there will still be continuous heavy rainfall across the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In order to cope with the subsequent possible major floods in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and ensure flood control safety, Chinese authorities plan to seize the limited interval of heavy rainfall in mid-to-late July to speed up the reduction of water levels in the Three Gorges Dam, so that the reservoir can spare enough flood control storage capacity and prepare for the possible major floods during this critical period.

The Three Gorges Dam started flood discharges on July 10 to open up more capacity for incoming floods from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, in Central China's Hubei Province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to the current situation of the Three Gorges Dam maintaining 43,000 cubic meters per second discharge and upstream water, there is no risk of flooding in the reservoir area in the near future, the Changjiang Water Resources Commission under the Ministry of Water Resources said on Tuesday via its WeChat account.

However, individual foreign media outlets have tried to smear the function and effects of the reservoirs. In response, Chinese insiders emphasized the critical role of reservoirs in flood control and prevention during the flood season.

They explained that the effectiveness of reservoirs in flood control and prevention in China varies depending on factors such as the size of the reservoir, its location, and the amount of rainfall. In general, larger reservoirs with better management systems tend to perform well in flood control.

Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times on Tuesday that in China, there are a large number of small to medium-sized reservoirs in mountainous areas, many of which were built during the middle of the last century. These reservoirs are quite old, and some were not built to very high standards initially, resulting in a large number of unsafe reservoirs.

In recent years, the Chinese government has invested heavily in improving the infrastructure and management of reservoirs to enhance their effectiveness in flood control and prevention. This includes implementing early warning systems, improving dam safety standards, and conducting regular maintenance and inspections.

Against the backdrop of global climate change leading to more extreme rainfall, there is significant pressure on small to medium-sized reservoirs in less-developed areas, Ma noted.

Therefore, this year the water resources authorities have emphasized small to medium-sized reservoirs should operate with empty storage. Once rainfall arrives, they should not continue to operate at high water levels but rather have more space to prepare for incoming floods.

On the other hand, the large backbone reservoirs built after the reform and opening up generally have higher standards and can play a significant role in flood prevention, Ma said.

He noted while reservoirs in China have made significant contributions to flood control and prevention, there is still room for improvement to ensure their effectiveness in mitigating the impact of floods.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
Veteran and resident of Meadowcreek Village, Irby White, 94, turns on a camping light to see in the kitchen of his home on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Houston. Residents of this neighborhood are on their ninth day without power after Hurricane Beryl left thousands dealing with mass power outages. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Meadowcreek Village is one of those friendly neighborhoods where aging residents suddenly find themselves in distress.

While large swathes of the city have been brought back online, parts of Meadowcreek Village remain dark. Residents are approaching their ninth day without power, with little in the way of communication from CenterPoint and a rising sense of concern that lives are suddenly at risk in the cozy community located on the border of Pasadena and South Houston.

My main concern is our elderly citizens, said Norma Villarreal, who has lived in Meadowcreek Village since 2017. We have a lot of older people around here. Some are fighting cancer, some are on an assortment of medications. I get worried in this heat, I just dont want anything to happen to them.

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Villarreal on Tuesday stood outside the home of Irby White, a 94-year-old Air Force veteran and the unofficial patriarch of the community. Nearby stood Carol Vaughn, another longtime resident of the area and secretary of the Meadowcreek Village Civic Club.

The three often meet in Whites backyard to hear his war stories. He joined the military shortly after WWII, and his service took him to an array of countries. He said he witnessed multiple atomic bomb tests, saw the first hydrogen bomb detonate on the Marshall Islands in 1952 and survived 48 hours in the Alaskan wilderness as part of a survival training exercise.

Im not comfortable, but Im not under strain, White said with a dismissive hand wave. But Villarreal and Vaughn worry for his health, his home and the tight-knit community theyve built out of his backyard.

I dont want to say its been worrisome, but I do worry about my neighbors, and especially Mr. White, Villarreal said. He helps make things just a little bit better. Mr. White makes us laugh  he tells these amazing stories that keep us on the positive side. I hate to think about losing that. I hate to think about losing my home.

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Residents of Meadowcreek Village, Norma Villareal, 57, Carol Vaughn, 65, and Irby White, 94, cool off in the shade of White's backyard on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Houston. They've been without power for nine days. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Blackouts are a recurring problem in the area, Villarreal said. Unlike many people who live in Houston, the trios block lost power several hours prior to Hurricane Beryl. Their electricity blinked off around 1 p.m. last Sunday, and besides a brief period when it returned before the storm hit, has been out ever since.

Vaughn, who is in her 60s, said she and others in the neighborhood have tried multiple times to reach CenterPoint, but so far, the company has not provided a concrete timeline for when power will be restored. Its a problem that didnt begin with Beryl, either. She said CenterPoint vehicles have always been a rare sight in Meadowcreek Village.

They refuse to trim our trees. They refuse to come out here and fix up some of the lines that are hanging in peoples backyards, Vaughn said. Then they want all this money. Their CEOs and CFOs are already getting paid millions.

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But the Beryl blackout is only the beginning of the problems facing Vaughn and her community. Meadowcreek Village, she said, has seen better days. Squatters have seized vacant homes; the local park is unmowed and underutilized; Berry Bayou  the neighborhoods backbone  has eroded and is threatening to consume the yards of adjoining properties.

The aftermath of the storm only makes it more inviting to vagrants and troublemakers, neighbors said.

The happier times of Meadowcreek Village are etched in the smile lines of Vaughn, Villarreal and White. But these days, the emerging community snapshot includes cracked sidewalks, potholes and inert power lines dangling over neighborhood homes.

I wouldnt have lived here for 49 years if it wasnt pretty good, White said.
Air travel often sees its fair share of passengers causing inconvenience by displaying rude and offensive behavior onboard, be it in Vietnam or elsewhere.

The question remains: Should one choose to remain silent or speak up when faced with such behavior?

Gia Han, a 30-year-old resident in Ho Chi Minh City, had to suffer two passengers during a flight from the southern city to Thua Thien - Hue Province in central Vietnam.

The couple, aged over 50, laid out food, which seemed to be vermicelli and fish sauce, on their table.

Although a flight attendant asked them not to eat dishes served with fish sauce on the plane, they continued eating, Han recalled.

Some passengers showed their displeasure but kept silent.

After the meal, the man put his legs onto an unoccupied seat next to him and snored.

Han expressed sympathy, understanding that he might snore due to an illness, but she could not tolerate him putting his legs on another seat.

Despite his disregard for the flight attendant's instructions, she chose not to confront him directly.

Bui Chi Hieu, a 40-year-old resident in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, listed two groups who often make noise on flights: children and groups of family members or friends.

In the case of families with kids, he can sympathize with them as the narrow space on planes and changes in air pressure cause children to be uncomfortable and cry as a result, Hieu said.

Meanwhile, many groups of family members and friends tend to excitedly talk and laugh with each other, disregarding the comfort of those around them.

He recalled an incident when boarding a flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, where a woman shouted at flight attendants for not permitting her to stow her luggage under her seat.

Despite the flight attendants explanation, the woman insisted that her luggage contained many valuable assets.

She kept scolding for five minutes, drowning out the voice of the two flight attendants.

She refused to put her luggage in the proper area until the captain came and said softly that he would invite airport security officials to work with her.

On another flight from Ho Chi Minh City to central Da Nang City, when the aircraft was about to land, a phone suddenly rang, and a man shouted almost there" on the phone.

A flight attendant immediately rushed to him just to hear the passenger claim that he forgot to turn off [the phone].

Hieu observed a common scene where passengers hurriedly stand up, retrieve their luggage, and prepare to disembark as soon as the plane lands.

Many passengers get luggage disorderly as soon as the plane lands. Photo: Quan Nam

During a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao, an island district in neighboring Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, Hieu observed a group of passengers who were seated apart from each other. Despite this, they loudly called out and chatted with their friends.

When the airplane window shades were allowed to be opened, they enthusiastically used their mobile phones to take photos of clouds, accompanied by jovial banter.

On another flight to Thailand, Hieu sat next to a foreigner. The foreign man was reading a Japanese comic and Hieu was wearing headphones to listen to music so that he could easily sleep when someone behind him pushed his seat.

When the plane was about to land, this person did not wait for it to completely stop but stood up to grab his luggage while pressing the foreigners hair.

Faced with such situations, Hieu said that he deliberately glanced at those exhibiting impolite behavior to express his displeasure.

He believed that if they were more observant, they could adjust their conduct.

If their behavior continued to disrupt others, he noted his intention to report their actions to flight attendants.

Hieu suggested that airlines should implement stricter measures to handle such passengers.

He proposed tasking a security officer on each flight specifically with addressing disruptive behavior that disturbs fellow passengers.

Hieu recommended that passengers causing disturbance on three separate occasions should face a one-year flight ban.

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Kitty Flanagans runaway success with Fisk, initially on ABC and then globally via Netflix, took years of persistence to be commissioned.

Speaking today at the Future Vision summit in Melbourne, Flanagan revealed she had been writing characters with Helens voice for years but was having no luck.

Even ABC tried to keep her on The Weekly when she wanted to move to scripted content.

I was always on news shows, doing segments, and Ill be honest, I dont watch the news, she revealed.

I would be on The Panel or whatever it was, The Project going Heres my funny take on the news that I dont watch. And then I was picked up from that to be on The Weekly to do my funny take on the news that I dont watch. But on The Weekly I met Tom Peterson who I started collaborating with. We would produce my little segment every week.

Ive always wanted to do narrative comedy. Ive been pitching narrative scripts since my character Helen was 33, or Helen at 35, 42, 45 can I pull off 47? she said, acknowledging the passing years.

It was always a bargaining thing. My spots were very well received on The Weekly and (ABC) had the numbers. They knew that people liked my stuff. But they would say If you just do one more year, then well let you do scripted.' she continued.

Finally I just said, Im not going to do any more. Just let me do scripted or I wont do anything.

I am in a very fortunate position, that I was able to make my living as a stand up. So therefore, I got to a point where I could just say, If were not going to do it my way, were not gonna do it. People always think youre bluffing. But when youre not bluffing and you actually say, F*** it! its the best power in the world. I would never be that cocky again because COVID happened and all my live work went away!

But fortunately, we got Fisk across the line before COVID.

She added, So Id been pitching a character similar to Helen Tudor-Fisk in all manner of scripts. And then I met (Origma 45 producer) Vincent Sheehan, who said, What do you think about doing a show set in the world of probate? I said, Sounds fantastic. Whats probate?

Updated.
UK medical thriller, Malpractice, coming soon to Seven, has been renewed for a second season.

The series begins with a nightmare shift in A&E during which a patient dies, leading to Doctor Lucinda Edwards faces an investigation into her fitness to practise.

Series one had the most watched launch episode of a new drama on ITV1 in 2023 with 6.7m viewers based on 28-day viewing and has sold to more than 70 countries.

Filming is underway in Belfast with returning cast Helen Behan (The Virtues, Elizabeth is Missing) and Jordan Kouame (Scoop) reprising their roles as Dr Norma Callahan and Dr George Adjei of the Medical Investigation Unit (MIU), brought in to investigate a new doctor accused of malpractice.

Joining Helen and Jordan are Tom Hughes (Victoria, The English), Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable, Mum), Zoe Telford (Sherlock, The Lazarus Project), Hannah McClean (Blue Lights, Josh), Seraphina Beh (Polite Society, Top Boy) and Ace Bhatti (Line of Duty, Bohemian Rhapsody).

CEO of World Productions, Simon Heath, said, Grace has delved even deeper into her personal history as a Consultant Psychiatrist to deliver a both a brilliant thriller and timely look at a critical area of the NHS. Her great writing has once again attracted a stellar cast to join Helen and Jordan to tell this new story.

Season 1 will screen on Seven later this month.

What happens if you cant trust the people who hold your life in their hands? Medical thriller Malpractice combines a searing insight into the pressures and politics of hospital life with a gripping story about a damaged doctor caught up in a dangerous conspiracy. Dr Lucinda Edwards is a smart, battle-hardened doctor, but we meet her on a nightmare shift that ends in the death of an opioid overdose victim. When the patients grieving father demands an enquiry into Lucindas actions, she is plunged into a malpractice investigation, led by Dr Norma Callahan and Lucindas former colleague Dr George Adjei. While George feels this was an unavoidable tragedy, Norma is suspicious of Lucindas behaviour. As the pressure of the investigation intensifies, Lucindas confident professional exterior begins to crack. Is she hiding something?
Angola Is Very Happy With Holdings in Portuguese Firms Galp and BCP, Minister Says

(Bloomberg) -- Angola plans to remain an investor in Portuguese lender Banco Comercial Portugues SA and oil company Galp Energia SGPS SA, while it sells other assets to bolster its finances.

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Were very happy with what we have at this point, Jose de Lima Massano, Angolas minister of state for economic coordination, said in an interview on Tuesday. He called the relationship with Lisbon-based Galp and BCP very positive.

Angolan state-owned oil company Sonangol is the second-biggest shareholder in BCP with a 19.5% stake. It also holds an indirect stake in Galp through the Amorim Energia venture, which owns 36% of the Portuguese oil firm.

The southwest African nation is carrying out a massive privatization program in a bid to attract investment and reduce the role of the state in the economy. Sonangol Chairman Sebastiao Martins signaled in February that the Angolan company was facing a lot of pressure to sell its stake in BCP.

Shares of BCP and Galp have each risen more than 40% this year.

The Angolan state has sold 108 companies out of almost 200 assets earmarked for privatization, but it continues to make sense for Sonangol to retain the BCP and Galp stakes, Massano said.

These are investments that aim to maintain a balanced portfolio, he said. We dont see any need or urgency to follow a different path.

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MOSCOW (Reuters) -Belarus, traditionally a close ally of Russia, said on Wednesday it would introduce a 90-day visa-free regime for citizens of 35 European countries in a sign Minsk may be keen to ease tensions with the West.

Under the new policy, citizens of the 35 listed nations - which include Germany, Britain and France - will be able to enter Belarus without a visa and stay for up to 90 days per year.

Currently, travellers from those countries can only remain in Belarus for 30 days and must fly in via Minsk airport.

The new policy takes effect on Friday, the national border service said in a statement.

Minsk is under Western sanctions after President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and a close ally of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory to send thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022.

Lukashenko last week pulled troops who had been deployed to the border with Ukraine, signalling that tensions with Kyiv may be subsiding.

"...There are now no difficulties with the Ukrainians and I hope there will be none," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the official BelTA news agency.

Belarus has an existing 90-day visa-free regime with neighbours and European Union member states Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Latvia this week banned Belarus-registered passenger cars from entering its territory, part of a new package of EU sanctions.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva and Lucy PapachristouEditing by Andrew Osborn)
By Elvira Pollina

MILAN (Reuters) - The family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was not consulted on the decision to rename Milan's main airport after him and recognises that the timing was not good, his eldest son has said.

Milan's Malpensa Airport, Italy's second-busiest passenger airport, was officially named in honour of the centre-right politician earlier this month, barely a year after his death.

The decision was rubber-stamped by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party. Berlusconi's son, Pier Silvio, said the family was happy at any honour bestowed on his father but had had no say in the matter.

"To be blunt, the method wasn't exactly perfect, both in terms of timing and the way it was done. It was obvious it would cause a controversy," he told reporters at the headquarters of MFE-MediaforEurope, the media firm founded by his father.

"As a family, we were not involved in the process and we were informed at the very last minute," he added.

Milan's centre-left Mayor Beppe Sala led widespread criticism of the move, while opponents launched a petition to try to get the decision reversed.

"I was annoyed by the controversy, and even more by those who exploited it for political reasons," Berlusconi said, referring to Sala.

In Italy, there is usually a 10-year moratorium following someone's death before a public place can be named after them, but this was ignored in the case of Malpensa.

Many of Italy's other major airports are named after famous historical figures, such as Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport and Venice's Marco Polo airport. Palermo airport is named after two prosecutors murdered by the mafia in 1992 -- Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

The Berlusconi family is the main financial backer of the Forza Italia party, founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition.

Pier Silvio Berlusconi dismissed media speculation that he planned to emulate his father and enter politics.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Ros Russell)
Linemen tend to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Fallen power lines are seen in the East End neighborhood of Houston three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A lineman tends to fallen power lines in the East End neighborhood of Houston three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Hurricane Beryl was not the first storm to test the performance of a Texas utility company after paralyzing much of East Texas power grid.

Entergy, the utility company that serves areas north and east of Houston, became so overwhelmed during its response to a rare ice storm in 1997 that municipal employees handled live wires on their own in the companys absence. It took the company seven days to restore power to 120,000 customers during a week of freezing temperatures.

Not only was Entergys emergency response found lacking  much like critics have found CenterPoints hurricane response problematic  state regulators discovered that the company had slashed its maintenance spending, enhancing the storms natural ability to take down power lines.

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The January 1997 ice storm was certainly a severe storm that would have adversely affected even the best-maintained distribution system, the states Public Utility Commission said in a 1998 order denying Entergy millions in profits it requested. (Entergys) distribution system, however, is not the best-maintained.

The 26-year-old case shows the rare but not unprecedented mechanism that the states regulators can use to hold utility companies accountable for failures when they find them. In the wake of Beryl, it could serve as a model for how the PUC might penalize CenterPoint if it is found to have acted negligently.

CenterPoints profits are guaranteed as part of the regulated monopoly it maintains in Houston, where the utility owns the network of electrical poles and wires carrying power into homes and businesses. Yet regulators have demonstrated they have discretion to reduce those profits when a utility fails to provide adequate maintenance and service to its customers.

During an interview Tuesday, former PUC Chairman Pat Wood recalled being inundated with complaints from Southeast Texas after the 1997 storm. The regulatory investigation that followed found egregious failures on Entergys part.

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So Wood said the PUC decided to send the company a message by hitting them where it hurts: its pocketbook. The regulator rejected millions in Entergy profits, resulting in refunds to customers.

It was really clear that (Entergy) had under-resourced that corner of their system, Wood said. This was our way to get their attention, and it worked.

Whos going to step in? 

On Monday, state leaders started down a familiar path when the PUC formally launched an investigation into CenterPoints preparation and response to Hurricane Beryl, which left more Houstonians without power than any other storm in CenterPoints history. Gov. Greg Abbott directed the commission to answer whether CenterPoint was protecting Texans  or its own pocketbook?

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Abbott said that if he doesnt find CenterPoints answers satisfactory, he would argue against its profits during an upcoming rate case. Publicly-traded CenterPoints share price tumbled 7% Monday following news of the states regulatory response. In October, the PUC is scheduled to review CenterPoints latest request to pass along costs to customers for $6 billion in infrastructure investments since 2019.

When they decided to get into the public utility business, they entered a compact with their customers that they would provide high-quality service because utility service, electricity, is important to every Texan and every Texas business, PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson, recently appointed by Abbott to lead the commission, said Monday during a joint news conference with the governor.

Mayor John Whitmire speaks alongside Gov. Greg Abbott, PUC Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd during a press conference on Texas ongoing response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Beryl on Monday, July 15, 2024, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The states investigation aims to look at the quality of CenterPoints emergency response plans, its use of mobile generators and, ahead of the storm, whether the company sufficiently managed trees growing around its power lines and if it prepared its infrastructure to handle rough weather.

CenterPoint said Tuesday in a statement that it was committed to doing a thorough review of our response.

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We are committed to working together with state and local government, regulators, and community leaders both to help the Greater Houston area recover from Hurricane Beryl and to improve for the future, the company said.

Abbott also threatened to consider reducing CenterPoints service territory in greater Houston to make it smaller so maybe they can do a better job of managing it. But the likelihood of the state diminishing CenterPoints territory is low, given the complexity of the undertaking, said Alison Silverstein, an independent consultant who previously worked as a senior adviser for both the PUC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

It would seem to me to be a hollow threat, she said, noting it would be costly and could take a decade to accomplish.

Plus, she said, Whos going to step in to serve Houston?

Price to pay

Silverstein said much of CenterPoints equipment before Hurricane Beryl was relatively new, as its network grew alongside Houstons population boom over the last two decades. Additionally, storms have already forced CenterPoint to make infrastructural replacements over the years, which makes the magnitude of the destruction from this storm more puzzling.

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Silverstein worked as an adviser to the PUC chairman during the regulatory investigation that followed the 1997 ice storm. She said the investigation found bad equipment and distribution poles in terrible condition.

In case thats a factor with CenterPoint, she said regulators should be directing CenterPoint to collect damaged poles, wires and other broken equipment so that they can be documented in the investigation.

The evidence against CenterPoint would need to be robust in order to penalize the company during a rate case, as the PUC did with Entergy nearly three decades ago, Silverstein said.

You cant just do a punishment in a rate case without justification, she said. There will need to be well-considered testimony.

State law sets standards related to the frequency and duration of outages and requires utilities to report that data to the PUC, with a particular focus on ensuring some areas dont receive better service than others. Many of these guidelines were inspired by the 1997 ice storm, Wood said.

The state standards are structured to grade utilities work over time, not their handling of any single storm or outage, said Thomas Brocato, an attorney for the Gulf Coast Association of Cities, which frequently pushes back on CenterPoints rate hike requests.

Still, Brocato said, the law lets the PUC target utilities that are not providing continuous and adequate service.

Thats a pretty subjective standard, Brocato said, but it does provide the legal framework for the commission to take action if they believe the utility is not fulfilling its obligations under the law.

The commission has the tools at its disposal, he continued. Whether the commission will do so or not, I have no idea.

Wood said Entergy made improvements in the years after the 1998 rate case ate into its profits. Penalties during rate cases are rare  before the 1998 case, the previous example was in 1982, when the PUC penalized Houston Lighting & Power Co. for deteriorating management, according to Houston Chronicle archives  but the profit cuts are an effective way of reminding utilities where their priorities should be, Wood said.
Car hits Paris cafe terrace, leaving one dead and six injured

Rescue forces work at the scene after a car hit people sitting on a terrace in front of a restaurant in Paris

Rescue forces work at the scene after a car hit people sitting on a terrace in front of a restaurant in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) -A car drove into the terrace of a cafe in the 20th arrondissement in northern Paris on Wednesday evening, leaving one dead and six injured, including three in a critical state, police said.

Police said the driver of the vehicle fled the scene.

There was one passenger in the car, who tested positive for alcohol and drugs, a police source said. The passenger was not among the casualties.

France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics that start on July 26.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Dominique Vidalon, Chris Reese and Rosalba O'Brien)
By Kate Abnett and Boldizsar Gyori

STRASBOURG (Reuters) -The European Parliament strongly criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday for meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in the latest reprimand of Budapest's self-styled Ukraine "peace mission".

Orban has been rebuked by other European Union countries and leaders for surprise visits this month to Russia and Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, without EU backing.

Hungary took over the rotating six-month EU presidency this month, a role which puts Budapest in charge of organising EU meetings but does not authorise Orban to conduct diplomacy on behalf of the 27-country EU.

In a resolution, the European Parliament condemned Orban's Russia visit as "a blatant violation of the EU's Treaties and common foreign policy".

The EU assembly "considers that this violation should be met with repercussions for Hungary", the resolution said.

The resolution, which also included sections on the EU's continuous support for Ukraine, was adopted by a large majority of 495 EU lawmakers, versus 137 against and 47 abstentions.

It was not backed by lawmakers from Hungary's centre-right Tisza party. "We could not support a resolution that punishes Hungary for Viktor Orban's misguided policies," Tisza said in a statement.

"Orban met with Putin to denigrate the EU, to proclaim that he has a peace plan that nobody knows about, and to promote Russian expansionism," said Iratxe Garcia Perez, who heads the socialist lawmaker group in the EU Parliament.

The Hungarian government - which has maintained close ties to Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine - has defended Orban's trips.

"It's unacceptable to stigmatise a country for advocating diplomatic solutions," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday by Orban's spokesperson.

The EU Parliament's resolution reaffirmed the institution's support for Ukraine, and urged Hungary to lift its block on refunding EU member states for military aid to Ukraine through a fund called the European Peace Facility.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Andrew Gray, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Boldizsar Gyori. Editing by Jane Merriman and Sharon Singleton)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli forces hit areas in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least nine Palestinians, according to health officials, while Israeli tanks carried out a limited advance further into Rafah in the south.

Over the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed at least 81 Palestinians and wounded 198, the Gaza health ministry said. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its casualty count.

In Rafah, where medics said two people were killed in an airstrike, tanks carried out a raid in the north of the city before pulling back, a tactic Israeli forces have used in other areas before mounting deeper incursions.

The Israeli military said troops were "continuing precise, intelligence-based operational activity in the Rafah area". It said they had eliminated what it called a terrorist cell and a launcher that had been used to fire at troops.

It said airstrikes had struck 25 targets throughout the Gaza Strip during the past day and that troops were continuing to operate in the central area, in part to dismantle structures used to observe the soldiers.

Nine months into the war, Palestinian fighters led by the Islamist Hamas group are still able to attack Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, occasionally firing barrages of rockets into Israel.

Israel's defence minister said that the military had made significant gains and the pressure was working.

"Operations in Gaza have led to the conditions necessary to achieve an agreement for the return of hostages," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in an overnight call with his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin.

Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage in an attack on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.

On Tuesday, the military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas' military wing and killed or captured about 14,000 fighters since the start of the war, around half the fighting force estimated by the Israeli military.

At least 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive since then, Gaza health authorities say. Israel says 326 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

The U.S. military said on Wednesday that it was ending its mission to operate a temporary floating pier to bring humanitarian aid by ship to Gaza, which is facing famine. The effort will now shift to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

The pier helped route 20 million pounds of aid to Gaza but only operated about 20 days due to weather disruptions

MEDIATION EFFORTS STALLED

Diplomatic efforts by Arab mediators to halt the hostilities, backed by the U.S., appear on hold, though all sides say they are open to more talks, including Israel and Hamas.

A deal would aim to end the war and release Israeli hostages in Gaza in return for many Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Foreign leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden have urged that an end to fighting in Gaza lead to a post-war plan with a firm timeline for establishing a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and right-wing parties are against this two-state solution. On Wednesday, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a statement of opposition to establishment of a Palestinian state 68-9, saying it would pose an existential danger to Israel and perpetuate Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Wednesday, Israel released 13 Palestinians detained during the offensive in Gaza, the Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement.

Many of the hundreds of Palestinians Israel has released in the past months have accused Israeli forces of ill treatment and torture. The Palestinian Prisoner Association said nearly 20 Palestinians had died in Israeli detention. Israel denies allegations of torture.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch, which has repeatedly accused Israel's military of war crimes during its campaign in Gaza, issued a 252-page report on Wednesday on the Oct. 7 attack, accusing Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, and at least four other Palestinian armed groups of committing "numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity" during the assault.

These included "deliberate and indiscriminate attacks" against civilians, inhumane treatment and wilful killing of captives, sexual and gender-based violence, hostage taking, mutilation of bodies, use of human shields and looting.

The findings, based on interviews with survivors, rescue workers and others, echo other accounts and largely match those of a UN inquiry last month, which concluded that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war.

Hamas rejected the report as containing "lies and blatant bias" and demanded Human Rights Watch withdraw it and apologise.

"The Human Rights Watch report adopted the entire Israeli narrative," Hamas said in a statement.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo; Writing by Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Alison Williams, Tomasz Janowski and Diane Craft)
FILE PHOTO: An Italian F35 aircraft is seen on the runway during "Blue Flag", an aerial exercise hosted by Israel with the participation of foreign air force crews, at Ovda military air base, southern Israel

By Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) - Italy is planning to improve weaponry aboard some of its F35 fighter jets, a defence ministry document showed, in what analysts see as a move to secure well-stocked, up-to-date arsenals in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The document, which parliament must review by the middle of August, envisages 682 million euros ($746 million) of purchases over a 14-year period on armaments including guided bombs, missiles and 25 mm cannon rounds.

The programme comes at a time of increased defence spending by NATO members including Italy, which is separately planning a large investment on new Eurofighter jets.

Rome defence spending equals some 1.5% of GDP -- below a 2% NATO alliance target. Other European nations have sharply increased their defence budgets since Moscow initiated its war against Kyiv in February 2022.

The government document says it had already earmarked 650 million euros for its armaments programme which aimed to support operations over a hypothetical six-month period of conflict.

Alessandro Marrone, a defence analyst at Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) said it was routine for governments to replenish their arsenals, but Western nations were changing their procurement plans to be ready for large scale conflicts.

He said in the past they risked running out of ammunition in contexts including the 1998-99 Kosovo war and the 2011 military intervention in Libya, and defence authorities were aiming to avoid such a risk in future.

"They are gradually shifting their investment towards assets for conflicts with equal adversaries, like Russia, which are different from anti-terrorist or anti-guerrilla operations like those they had in Iraq and Afghanistan," he told Reuters.

($1 = 0.9142 euros)

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
By Giuseppe Fonte and Marta Di Donfrancesco

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Wednesday he hoped the European Commission would give special consideration to defence spending in assessing compliance with EU budget rules.

Speaking in the Chamber of Deputies, Giorgetti also said his cabinet colleague Raffaele Fitto, in charge of European Union affairs, was the country's candidate for a role in the new EU Commission expected to be headed by Ursula von der Leyen.

"We hope the European Commission will recognise defense spending as a relevant factor" in allowing leeway under the EU's revamped budget rules, Giorgetti said.

"It is a necessary condition for the Italian government to meet its political commitment to adjust military spending," he added.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO's European members are under growing pressure from the United States to boost their defence outlays to at least 2% of each country's gross domestic product (GDP).

In Italy, defence spending has fallen from 1.59% of GDP in 2020 to 1.46% in 2023. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at a NATO summit this month she intends to reverse the trend by raising it to 1.6% next year.

Rome was put under a so-called Excessive Deficit Procedure by the EU last month and is now negotiating a path with Brussels to reduce its fiscal gap while complying with the latest reform of the bloc's two-decade-old fiscal rules.

These set a slow but steady pace of deficit and debt reduction from 2025 over four to seven years, with the longer option available if a country undertakes reforms and investments in areas the EU prioritises.

Giorgetti's remarks come as von der Leyen is trying to convince EU lawmakers to back her for a second term as president of the European Commission.

The minister announced Fitto's candidacy before Meloni's Brothers of Italy party has said whether its 24 lawmakers will support von der Leyen in a European Parliament vote on Thursday.

Fitto "is our candidate, he's the horse that's running, we're cheering," Giorgetti said.

Fitto, one of Meloni's closest aides, is currently responsible for implementing Italy's post-COVID Recovery Plan, under which it is due to receive a total of some 194 billion euros ($212.08 billion) in grants and cheap loans from the EU through 2026.

($1 = 0.9147 euros)

(Editing by Gavin Jones)
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Middle East was briefly interrupted on Wednesday when two protesters stood with signs and yelled for the release of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstration by two women came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov began to address the 15-member body after a statement by Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan. Protests inside the U.N. headquarters in New York are rare.

Lavrov, who was chairing the meeting because Russia is the council president for July, responded: "I don't understand, speak more clearly. One of you can speak clearly to say what you want to say. I see you don't wish to do so, very well."

Diplomats in the Security Council chamber said the women, dressed in black, yelled "free the hostages." U.N. security asked the women to leave the chamber and they did so, a U.N. official said.

Israel's U.N. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protest.

The war in Gaza - a Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million people - began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages, including civilians and soldiers, back into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel then launched a ground and air assault that has killed nearly 39,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Russia, Ukraine to exchange 90 prisoners of war on Wednesday, Bloomberg reports

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian soldiers are pictured in their tanks, amid Russia's invasion on Ukraine, in Bucha, in Kyiv region

(Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 90 prisoners of war on Wednesday in a deal facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Russian and Ukrainian officials who have led previous prisoner swaps did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Last week, Ukrainian media reported that the parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets had said the government, with the help of the UAE, was planning "a big" prisoner exchange with Russia soon.

Russia and Ukraine have conducted a few prisoner swaps in the 27-month-old war that started after Russia invaded its smaller neighbour.

In the latest exchange, which occurred in June and was also facilitated by the UAE, Russia and Ukraine each handed back 90 prisoners.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Bangalore newsroom; Writing by Lidia Kelly; editing by Miral Fahmy)
FILE PHOTO: Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez attends a plenary session of the lower house of the Spanish parliament, in Madrid

By Inti Landauro

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain announced measures on Wednesday designed to curb the spread of fake news, an initiative blasted by the country's conservative opposition as an attempt to censor critical media.

"Without free media of quality, there is no democracy," Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an address to the lower house. "Without reliable and diverse sources of information, the citizens are blind."

The proposal come at a time when debate about media freedom and the policing of harmful or misleading content has intensified with the European Parliament election and other elections in Europe, India and the United States.

In Spain, like elsewhere, newer forms of news presentation such as on social platforms and on messaging and video apps are becoming more influential in political discourse and can reach audiences far larger than traditional media.

Sanchez said the rules would be aimed at all media.

They would bring Spain in line with the European Media Freedom Act approved in March. That act is designed to regulate the media but also shield journalists from state spying or being forced to reveal their sources.

The conservative People's Party questioned the timing of the bill as it comes two days before Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez is due to appear in court as part of a corruption investigation case that has been dismissed by her husband as fake news whipped up by right-wing media with the support of opposition parties.

The bill is a "law of censorship", the conservative People's Party, the largest in the lower house, said in a post on the X platform. Sanchez "now seeks to control the critical media, let's defend freedom of speech", it said.

Sanchez said the government would not give a "stamp of approval" to any media.

Sanchez also proposed requiring media to identify all shareholders with influence over editorial policy, the amounts they receive in publicly funded advertising and from third countries, and transparent audience data.

He also announced a 100 million euro ($109 million)subsidy to help traditional media to go digital.

($1 = 0.9146 euros)

(This story has been refiled to remove the repetition of 'Prime Minister' in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Aislinn Laing and Alison Williams)
A mobile power generation unit leased by CenterPoint. CenterPoint has leased 500 megawatts of mobile generation, which has cost ratepayers $800 million so far. Distributed Power Solutions told the Chronicle it sold the pictured generator before CenterPoint began leasing it and has no involvement in the utility's agreement. Submitted by CenterPoint to the Public Utility Commission CenterPoint used one of Life Cycle Power's mobile generation units, shown here, to provide power to a community center in Lake Jackson after Hurricane Nicholas in 2021. Submitted by CenterPoint to the Public Utility Commission

Over the last three years, CenterPoint Energy  the company in charge of delivering power to millions of customers in the Houston region  has spent $800 million on 20 massive generators. The hefty price tag was controversial at the time, but state regulators approved it because CenterPoint claimed the generators would keep the lights on during an extended power outage.

Last week, Hurricane Beryl led to massive outages in and around the nations fourth-largest city, leaving more than a million people in the dark for days. So, where were those generators?

It turns out that almost none of them were deployed in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the Chronicle has found  even as some 90,000 people remained in the dark as of Tuesday afternoon.

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IN BERYL'S WAKE: How Houstonians survived a week without power after Hurricane Beryl

Thats partly because even though CenterPoint has referred to the equipment as mobile generation, the vast majority of it is not actually that mobile. Fifteen of the generators  each with a capacity of 32 megawatts, big enough to power entire neighborhoods  take several days to assemble and cannot be moved without a special permit, which itself can take days to secure.

None of those generators have been put in service since CenterPoint first began renting them in 2021. Indeed, the company told the Chronicle this week that they are not for rapid response use and are not designed to be mobile, even though it has repeatedly described them as mobile in news releases, regulatory filings and memos to investors.

In Beryls wake, CenterPoint has deployed three of its remaining five large generators at a water processing plant and two senior living centers. Each of those is the size of a tractor-trailer and has a capacity of about five megawatts.

Its something that we have seen tremendous value from, said CenterPoint executive Eric Easton in an interview with the Chronicle on Tuesday. He acknowledged that the larger 32-megawatt generators have never been used, but said they serve as a crucial insurance policy for even bigger power outages.

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Houston-area leaders, consumer advocates and many trade groups disagree. They launched a fierce protest when CenterPoint first asked in 2022 to hike rates to cover the cost of leasing the generators.

But state regulators overruled them, ultimately allowing CenterPoint to recoup the cost of the generators  plus a 6.5% profit. Theyve already added about $1 per month to the average residential customers bill, and are expected to hike rates by at least another $3 a month in the coming years, records show.

The math of these things just doesnt work, said Doug Lewin, a Texas energy analyst and publisher of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter. There are far better ways to spend money to get resiliency and reliability.

The massive pieces of equipment will likely continue to be a source of controversy for CenterPoint, which has faced harsh criticism from Houston-area lawmakers and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for its response to Beryl. Abbott has directed state regulators to investigate how the utility handled the storm, including its use of mobile generation.

A worthwhile investment?

State lawmakers from both political parties supported CenterPoints decision to spend $800 million on the large generators.

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Three years ago, they changed Texas law to allow utility companies to lease mobile generators themselves. Last year, they made it easier for companies to recoup the costs of the generators, and other investments, from consumers.

Lawmakers and regulators said they believed CenterPoints arguments that the generators were one of the best ways to protect Texans from massive outages, whether from extreme weather or such as occurred during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, when almost 250 people died.

It hasnt turned out that way. In the wake of Beryl, the disconnect was made abundantly clear in a desperate late-night email plea from a senior Houston emergency response official. Transtar director Brian Mason pleaded with CenterPoint officials to help get five top top top priority critical infrastructure sites back online, saying hed repeatedly sought help and received no updates. He added that it wasnt even clear if the companys equipment could actually work at some of the sites.

City officials said Friday that most of those critical facilities operated on backup power, but none of it came from CenterPoint generators. Houston Public Works officials said all five facilities had power back by Tuesday.

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Easton said the company deployed numerous additional mobile generators after Beryl to power community centers, call centers and nursing homes. But those are all part of a fleet of much smaller generators CenterPoint obtained late last year, he said. Theyre not included in its procurement of 20 large generators.

The true cost of CenterPoints generators has almost never been discussed publicly. Previous reports pegged the price tag for consumers at $200 million. The actual number, $800 million, is buried in thousands of pages of workpapers and technical documents filed with the Public Utility Commission, which regulates power providers in Texas.

Phil King, a Republican state senator from Weatherford and a strong supporter of CenterPoints decision to lease the massive generators, said he still thinks the companys investment is worth it.

Im always astounded by the cost, too, he said in an interview. Believe me, I think everybody was surprised at how expensive this turned out to be. But youve got to look at the longevity of those generators, too. They last decades.

Still, King acknowledged that the largest and most expensive ones might deserve another look.

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We all have some questions about the large units practicality and expense, he said.

An unreasonable burden

A few years ago, CenterPoint wasnt even allowed to handle mobile generators. In Texas, the company is known as a transmission and distribution utility, which means it can only deliver electricity to customers. Other companies get to generate that power using natural gas, coal, wind and solar.

But after Uri in 2021, everyone was reeling. King says he sat down with the company and other TDUs and asked, what do you wish youd had to prevent this?

They wanted generators that they could move around during emergencies. So King authored a law that would allow them to rent mobile generators, and the Texas House and Senate both approved it unanimously.

We had over 200 people die during Uri, King said. And Im absolutely convinced that if we had had a fleet of mobile generators across the state, that a lot of those lives could have been saved.

Several companies jumped at the opportunity. But most chose to start small. Texas largest utility, Oncor  with more than five times as many customers as CenterPoint  procured just 11 megawatts of generation for $3.1 million. Only CenterPoint decided to go big and lease a whopping 500 megawatts, all for generators much larger than what Oncor acquired.

It happened fast. By December 2021, CenterPoint had already agreed to lease all the generators from a single company for $800 million, paying most of that upfront. The following year, it asked the PUC for permission to charge consumers for the cost.

Thats common practice. Utilities will often make large investments and hope to get permission to recoup them later. But this time the opposition was particularly fierce from consumer advocates, trade groups and a coalition representing dozens of cities including Houston. They asked for the State Office of Administrative Hearings, which presides over various disputes for government agencies in Texas, to step in.

The protesters said the generators werent worth the astronomical cost, but money wasnt their only concern. CenterPoint had moved quickly to choose a little-known company to provide all its generators.

Potential vendors only had two days to respond to its request for proposals. On top of that, the companys former CEO had been convicted of violating federal environmental protection laws in 2012.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings considered the protesters concerns at a lengthy hearing in the fall of 2022  and the judges found against CenterPoint.

It is unreasonable to place the burden on ratepayers of expenses imprudently incurred, they wrote.

But it was the PUC that had the final say, and four of the five commissioners voted with CenterPoint.

Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 was a devastating storm, the PUC wrote in its opinion, issued in April 2023. Given CenterPoint's experience and its long-established history with hurricanes, CenterPoint acted reasonably.

Consumers still on the hook

Since then, the state has made things even easier for CenterPoint. Last year, the Legislature allowed utility companies to ask for rate hikes even more frequently, giving members of the public less time to protest. They also allowed CenterPoint and its peers to begin deploying its massive generators not just in the middle of emergencies, but before they even hit  and to charge its customers for doing so even if they were never plugged in.

Houston officials pushed back.

These (generators) are not nimble and easy to move facilities, and they will not save lives after hurricanes, despite representations to the contrary, city officials wrote in testimony to lawmakers last year.

Ratepayers will still be on the hook for every minute that a [generator] is being stored, transported, and operated, they wrote.

Indeed, in August 2023, CenterPoint reported that it decided to stage two five-megawatt generators on Pelican Island due to concerns about an extended power outage there. It never deployed either of them, but the cost of just the staging was more than $600,000, according to disclosures made by the company to state regulators.

Experts say the money could be better spent on a host of other methods to harden infrastructure like replacing or burying power lines.

"They could have spent $800 million on infrastructure improvements, said David Power, a former utility executive who later worked for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. But it wasnt as profitable.

King, the Texas state senator, said it would all be worth it the next time the demand for power is so high the state is forced to implement rolling blackouts.

If this summer we have a few power plants that go out, and they plug in those 32 megawatt generators, theyre going to be heroes, he said of CenterPoint. Because those are going to power entire communities.

However, how useful these generators can be during increasingly more common occurrences, like hurricanes, or even during rare weather events, like Mays derecho, remains in question.

During the derecho, the company touted its use of mobile generation in various social media posts  but everything deployed had a capacity of around two megawatts or less, and so it was not part of the $800 million spent on large units, according to Easton, the CenterPoint executive.

For now, it seems like CenterPoint could use more of the smaller units. After Beryl, the company had to ask for more of them from Oncor, which supplied a handful to a cooling center, a water plant and a medical center, according to King.
Muslims in Tamil Nadu Police can sport beard: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court ruled in support of a Muslim police constable who was punished for growing a beard in adherence to his religious belief

Wednesday July 17, 2024 8:38 PM , Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai: The Madras High Court ruled in support of a Muslim police constable who was punished for growing a beard in adherence to his religious belief.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has quashed the punishment order against the Muslim police constable and remanded the matter back to the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City to pass appropriate orders by law within eight weeks.

The Court emphasized the importance of respecting the rich diversity of religions and customs in India citing the Madras Police Gazette of 1957, which says Muslims are permitted to maintain trim and tidy beards even while on duty.

Maintaining the discipline in the department does not permit the respondents to initiate punishment on employees belonging to the minority communities, particularly Muslims for maintaining a beard which they do throughout their lives, said Justice L Victoria Gowri in her judgment and noted that while the police force requires strict discipline, it shouldn't lead to the punishment of Muslims for their religious observances.

Police constable G Abdul Khadar Ibrahim filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, praying the high court to quash the punishment order issued by the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City.

Ibrahim, who joined the police force in 2009, stated that he had maintained a beard as part of his Muslim faith and has been working as a Grade I police constable since 2019. He applied for 31 days leave, between November 9, 2018, and December 9, 2018, to go for the Haj pilgrimage.

Upon his return, he applied for an extension of the leave along with a medical certificate as he had a severe infection in his left leg. He was directed to meet the assistant commissioner of police, who instead of providing leave, questioned his appearance with the beard.

Further, the deputy commissioner of police (Armed Reserve) issued a charge memo in 2019, framing counts of charges  not reporting to duty after completion of 31 days of leave and taking a medical leave from December 10 to 30, 2018, and for maintaining the beard against the mandates of the Madras Police Gazette.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police issued a punishment order against Ibrahim, stopping his salary increment for three years with cumulative effect. Later, this decision was modified by the Commissioner of Police, reducing the penalty to a two-year stoppage of increment without cumulative effect.

Ibrahim then moved to the High Court. The High Court perused the Madras Police Gazette of 1957 and observed that permission to grow beards cannot be granted to police officers other than Muslims but Muslims are permitted to maintain trim and tidy beards even while on duty.

Quashing the punishment, the court stated the norms throw light on the fact that Muslims are permitted to maintain trim and tidy beards even when on duty. Indias beauty and uniqueness lies in the diversity of the citizens beliefs, the court said.

Further, the court observed the charge of absence without leave saying Ibrahim sought medical leave after returning from his pilgrimage which should have been granted by the respondents.

The court quashed the punishment order and remanded the matter back to the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City to pass appropriate orders by law. The commissioner was directed to pass appropriate orders within eight weeks.

[The writer, Syed Ali Mujtaba, is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.]





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Shooting near Imam Ali mosque in Oman, 9 killed

Nine people, including 3 shooters, have been killed in a shooting incident during Muharram mourning near a mosque in Wadi Al Kabir area of Oman's capital Muscat Tuesday, media reports said.

Wednesday July 17, 2024 12:06 PM , ummid.com News Network

Muscat: Nine people, including 3 shooters, have been killed in a shooting incident during Muharram mourning near a mosque in Wadi Al Kabir area of Oman's capital Muscat Tuesday, media reports said.

Oman Royal Police in a brief statement, did not provide much details of the shooting incident near Imam Ali Mosque. They however confirmed the death of three attackers and said "a number" of people have been also injured in the incident.

Local media however reported that among the dead are at least 04 Pakistani expatriates.

Media reports also said as many as 50 people have been injured in the Muharram mourning shooting, majority of them are Pakistanis.

The gunmen attacked the mosque late last night during Ashura mourning, a major gathering for Shia Muslims during Muharram.

Videos shared on social media showed chaotic scenes outside the mosque as people rushed to safety.

Meanwhile, the Police officers said the security personnel responded to the incident and an investigation is now under way.

"All security measures have been put in place to deal with the situation, and procedures for collecting evidence are being completed as part of the investigation," the police statement said.





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Proud of our diversity: Minister trashes Trump VP nominees UK is Islamist taunt

Treasury Minister James Murray Wednesday rubbished Donald Trumps running mate for US Vice President J.D. Vances sarcastic remarks that it is not Iran or Pakistan but UK which is actually the first Islamist country with nuclear power

Thursday July 18, 2024 1:26 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

[J.D. Vance (L) and James Murray in a file image.]

London: Treasury Minister James Murray Wednesday rubbished Donald Trumps running mate for US Vice President J.D. Vances sarcastic remarks that it is not Iran or Pakistan but UK which is actually the first Islamist country with nuclear power.

"I dont know what he was driving at in that comment, to be honest. I mean, in Britain, were very proud of our diversity, the minister said.

Commenting on the Labour Partys recent victory in the 2024 UK Elections, J.D. Vance who has been chosen by Donald Trump as his running mate for Vice President only two days ago speaking at a convention recalled his conversation with one of his friends.

I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon, and we were like, maybe its Iran, you know, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we sort of finally decided maybe its actually the UK, since Labour just took over, he said.

Rayner rejects Vance's remarks

Vance's remarks were also rejected by UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Talking to ITV she said that Vance had said quite a lot of fruity things in the past and she looked forward to meeting him and Trump if they won the US election in November.

I dont recognise that characterisation. Im very proud of the election success that Labour had recently, she said. We won votes across all different communities, across the whole of the country, and were interested in governing on behalf of Britain and also working with our international allies", she added.

"Offensive"

Slamming Vances outrageous remarks, shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie called them offensive.

I disagree with the Labour Party fundamentally on many issues, but I do not agree with that view, quite frankly. I think its actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour Party, he said.

J.D. Vance is aligned with the right on major issues. Married to Indian-American, Usha Chilukuri, Vance was once a strong critic of Donald Trump, and had reportedly compared him to Hitler. Vance is also opposed to the U.S. support to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Vances initial rise to fame stemmed from the publication of his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. The book detailed his familys struggles with poverty, drug addiction and abuse in Middleton, Ohio, and some considered the story, according to Forbes.





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Colleges, HEIs unaware of Maharashtra govts free education for girls scheme

The colleges and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Maharashtra are unaware of the state governments scheme to provide free higher education to girl students

Wednesday July 17, 2024 5:19 PM , ummid.com News Network

Mumbai: The colleges and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Maharashtra are unaware of the state governments scheme to provide free higher education to girl students.

Announced few months before the 2024 Assembly Elections, the BJP-Eknath Shinde Sena government in Maharashtra said higher education to girl students belonging to OBCs and SEBCs, and those coming under EWS category will be free.

As per the Government Resolution (GR) dated July 09, 2024, the free education scheme is aimed at promoting women's education. The scheme was decided during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

In addition to this, the Maharashtra government also decided to waive off tuition and exam fees for orphaned students of both genders.

The decision by the Maharashtra government, though alleged by the opposition parties to be having political motives, has been received with much enthusiasm following the huge publicity campaign run by the government.

However, the staff at the colleges and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the state said they have not yet received any official communication from the government in this regard.

We only came to know about the scheme through newspapers, Office Superintendent (OS) of a leading college of Malegaon told ummid.com on the condition of anonymity.

We are completely in dark as regard to the procedure of the scheme and how actually it will work, he said.

Pay First, Get Later

He however said the impression that the entire fees of the girl students - currently enrolled in higher education institutions and those who will take admission from now on, will be waived off is wrong.

Moreover, students will be required to pay fees that should be later on reimbursed in their account by the government if all conditions fulfilled.

As per the existing schemes, for example the OBC students who are getting 50% off in their fees, they first need to pay the total fees. Half of that is later reimbursed to her or his account if s/he fills online form and submits all the necessary documents, he said.

So, based on the schemes that are currently running, we can assume that the new scheme should also work in the similar pattern. But, nothing can be said with full certainty till we receive an official notification, he said.

Ladli Behna Yojna

A week before announcing the free education for girls, Maharashtra government on July 01, 2024 also announced Ladli Behna Yojna. As per the scheme, the state government promised to pay a monthly amount of INR 1,200 to 1,500 to eligible women.

As per the scheme named, 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' (The Chief Minister's 'My Beloved Sister' Scheme) announced by the state government on July 01, 2024 women in the age group of 21 to 65 years of age are eligible for direct cash transfer of Rs 1,500 in their accounts every month.

To get benefit of the scheme, women need to fill forms along with other documents. Accordingly, a huge rush of women applying for the scheme is seen at different places of Maharashtra. However, Tehsildars, who have been made coordinators for the successful implementation of the scheme, have expressed their reservation.

In a meeting with the chief minister last week, a delegation of Tehsildars informed him about their inability to implement the scheme in their respective territories.

Ladla Bhai Yojna

Even as uncertainties surround the implementation of the free education scheme and Ladli Behna Yojna, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday July 17, 2024 announced Ladla Bhai Yojna scheme for the youth of the state.

Under this scheme, students who have completed their 12th grade, HSC, will receive Rs 6,000 per month.

Additionally, students holding a Diploma will receive Rs 8,000 per month, while those who have completed their graduation will be given Rs 10,000 per month.

Announcing the scheme, State Chief Minister Shinde said that the government will also provide financial support to the youth for apprenticeships in factories or companies where they will work.

Earlier, the government had announced the 'Mukhya Mantri Annapurna Yojana' (MAY) in the Maharashtra State Budget for the year 2024-25 tabled in the house on June 28, 2024. As per this scheme, the government promised to provide 03 free gas cylinders annually to every household.

[The featured image used here for representation is generated by AI.]





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Samsung collaborates with K-Pop icons for new Galaxy brand anthem

Samsung Electronics has collaborated with K-Pop icons TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) for the new Galaxy brand anthem

Thursday July 18, 2024 0:28 AM , ummid.com News Network

Seoul (South Korea): Samsung Electronics has collaborated with K-Pop icons TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) for the new Galaxy brand anthem.

The new Galaxy brand anthem, which was first teased at Galaxy Unpacked event last week, champions the pursuit of goals with an open mind, echoing Galaxys own core values of openness.

'Open Always Wins'

Titled Open Always Wins will feature K-Pop icons Tomorrow X Together (TXT), consisting of Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai.

Set to an energetic guitar riff, Open Always Wins is an alternative rock track featuring the powerful vocals of TXT.

Band members Soobin, Yeonjun, Taehyun and Hueningkai participated in penning the lyrics and based them on their own feelings and experience of openness, Samsung said.

Galaxy anthem teaser

TXT x Samsung - Open Always Wins pic.twitter.com/RKBAMwqMd5   (@txtarchivee) July 17, 2024

We are proud to have collaborated with our Galaxy Ambassadors, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, to create a brand anthem that encapsulates the spirit of openness authentically, said Jamie Park, VP and Head of the Experience Marketing Group, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. 

"We hope it inspires listeners to embrace openness in their own lives, and the experiences and opportunities that come with it", Jamie said.

Simultaneously with the music video release, the Open Always Wins dance challenge will kick off as well, encouraging fans worldwide to show their support and cheer for their favorite athletes.





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Rep. Brian Harrison along with 15 other Texas Republicans have asked Rep. Jasmine Crockett to resign after supporting legislation stripping former President Donald Trump of protection from the Secret Service. Houston Chronicle Staff

Sixteen Texas Republican lawmakers have asked U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to resign, citing her support earlier this year of legislation that would deny Secret Service protection to former President Donald Trump.

The request, made in a letter sent Monday, comes on the heels of Trumps attempted assassination last week.

Texans, believe that, regardless of party, Presidents of the United States of America, both current and former, must be protected, the letter reads.

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Back in April, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., introduced legislation denying Secret Service protection for convicted felons sentenced to prison. The Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act or the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act (H.R. 8081) would require prison authorities to be responsible for the protection of all inmates regardless of Secret Service protection.

Unfortunately, current law doesnt anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee  even a former President, Thompson said in a statement. It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatment  and that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them.

In May, Trump became the first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes. A New York jury found the 78-year-old guilty on 34 charges tied to him illegally falsifying records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, before the 2016 election.

During a campaign rally Saturday in Butler, Pa., a 20-year-old man fired at Trump, striking his ear. Supporters and critics condemned the shooters action and called for peace. One spectator, Corey Comperatore, died in the shooting and two others were injured, according to the FBI. Initial reports indicate members of the Secret Service agents shot and killed Thomas Matthews Crooks, who was identified as the gunman.

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The FBI continues to investigate the shooting incident at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and as potential domestic terrorism, officials said in a statement Monday. The investigation is still in the early stages.

In a post on X, state Rep. Brian Harrison demanded Crockett step down. State Reps. Briscoe Cain, Mark Dorazio, Caroline Harris Davila, Carrie Issac, Jeff Leach, Kevin Sparks, Nate Schatzline, Lynn Stucky, Valoree Swanson, Tony Tinderholt, Steve Toth, Ellen Troxiclair and Cody Vasut and state Sens. Bob Hall and Mayes Middleton added their signatures to the document.

Since you, just three months ago, sponsored legislation to remove his Secret Service protective detail, we, the undersigned current and future members of the Texas Legislature, call on you to immediately resign your position in Congress, the letter reads. You have forfeited any moral authority to represent the State of Texas.

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Crockett, along with U.S. Reps. Troy A. Carter Sr., Barbara Lee, Frederica Wilson, Yvette D. Clarke, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Joyce Beatty and Steve Cohen cosponsored the bill. The Chronicle reached out to Crocketts office, who declined to comment. On the day of the shooting, Crockett wrote, my thoughts are with Mr. Trump as he recovers on X.
HA NOI  Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung on Tuesday announced the launch of the Analogue IC Design Course, an initiative spearheaded by the National Innovation Centre (NIC), in partnership with US giants Qorvo and Cadence, aiming to enhance the workforce in the semiconductor design sector.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that course is not only the beginning of a critical training programme, but also a significant step towards Vietnamese mastery of semiconductor technology.

He stressed that this initiative is a crucial way to leverage Vietnamese human capital in the country's socio-economic development strategy.

The program aims to enhance Viet Nam's workforce capabilities in semiconductor design, addressing the country's talent shortage in this sector. It also aligns with the countrys target of training 50,000 engineers and graduates for the semiconductor industry by 2030.

Qorvo will provide senior lecturers and experts, delivering training according to US standards, while Cadence will support the initiative by supplying comprehensive software licences for semiconductor design.

Forty students will be selected from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam National University - Hanoi - and seven others will undergo a three-month intensive programme at NIC's Ha Noi campus, combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience using Cadence Virtuoso, an industry-standard software. Graduates will have internships and employment opportunities at Qorvo and other leading partner firms in the semiconductor design sector.

The partnership was solidified with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NIC and Qorvo, demonstrating a strategic commitment to advancing Viet Nam's semiconductor ecosystem through high-quality research, development and talent training.

Prior to the ceremony, Minister Dung met with Qorvo's chairman to discuss investment and collaboration strategies to foster Viet Nam's semiconductor industry.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has encouraged Qorvo and other semiconductor partners to continue investing and expanding their businesses in Viet Nam, emphasising the importance of local supply chain services and the development of R&D centers, particularly within NIC facilities.

Amid the shifting global semiconductor value chain towards Southeast Asia, Minister Dung asserted that Viet Nam has the necessary conditions to develop its semiconductor industry, including a favourable geographical location, a tech-savvy young workforce, rapidly modernising infrastructure and a conducive investment environment.

He expressed confidence in meeting the target of training 50,000 engineers for Viet Nam's semiconductor industry, with 15,000 specialising in design by 2030, bolstering both domestic and international workforce needs.

I am confident in Viet Nam's semiconductor sector. Viet Nam has the potential to become an R&D and production hub for semiconductors in the region with a robust workforce, not just 50,000 engineers but potentially hundreds of thousands, Dung stated.

Innovation is identified as one of five pillars in Viet Nam's socio-economic development strategy for 2021-30. This strategy has driven the comprehensive development of Viet Nam's innovation ecosystem, fostering research, development and technology.

Bob Bruggeworth, Qorvo's Chairman, praised Viet Nam's rapid semiconductor development and the government's decisive actions in building a local semiconductor ecosystem. He expressed confidence that NIC will become a central hub for semiconductor development in Viet Nam, highlighting the critical role of human resources in this sector.

"We will work with universities to train great engineers, both theoretical and practical here in Viet Nam," Bruggeworth said.

Qorvo is a leading global supplier of semiconductor chips for power and connectivity solutions and have a component manufacturing facility in Viet Nam. The company employs over 8,500 people worldwide, with revenues reaching US$3.8 billion in the fiscal year 2024 (April 2023 - March 2024).  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam, along with Thailand, are the two fastest growing e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia, according to the recently released report '2024 E-commerce in Southeast Asia' by Momentum Works.

Viet Nam also surpassed the Philippines to become the third largest e-commerce market in the region.

The total merchandise value (GMV) of the top eight e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia reached US$114.6 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 15 per cent.

The report showed although the macro economy still has many difficulties, the Southeast Asian e-commerce has grown continuously and this year's GMV is predicted to be double that of 2020.

Viet Nam and Thailand are the two fastest growing e-commerce markets, with GMV increasing by 52.9 per cent and 34.1 per cent respectively over the same period last year.

Vietnamese e-commerce has grown continuously with an average growth rate of 16-30 per cent per year in the past four years, the highest growth rate in the world.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is still the largest e-commerce market in ASEAN, contributing 46.9 per cent to the region's GMV.

In the Southeast Asian market, Shopee will achieve total GMV revenue of US$55.1 billion last year, accounting for 48 per cent of the market share.

TikTok Shop has become the second largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, after acquiring Tokopedia.

The commerce platform's GMV nearly quadrupled over 2022 to reach $16.3 billion in the past year.

In Viet Nam alone, TikTok Shop is currently the second largest e-commerce platform with 24 per cent market share.

The report also identified some main drivers in the e-commerce industry in the region.

Firstly, KOLs (influencers) selling online are able to navigate the e-commerce market in three markets of Viet Nam, Thailand and Indonesia. Even just one livestream session with a KOL can generate millions of dollars in revenue.

Secondly, platforms in the region have begun to adopt innovative AI applications, especially in user experience and operational efficiency.

Thirdly, sellers are also facing pressure from parcel delivery service sourcing platforms.  VNS
HA NOI  Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi held talks with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Sanwoo in Ha Noi on July 16, during which the two ministers inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two ministries in urban and social housing development.

Nghi said he believes that the MoU will make collaboration between the two ministries more substantive and effective, contributing to the growth of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The talks provided a chance for the two sides to evaluate the achievements of their cooperation since the signing of their MoU in March 2018 and discuss the future development orientations of Vietnam in general and the construction sector in particular, thus reaching consensus on the contents of their cooperation in the coming time.

Over the years, the two ministries have maintained delegation exchanges as well as information and experience sharing, while implementing Korean ODA-funded projects, including a project to establish the Viet Nam-Korea Cooperation Centre (VKC) for Smart City and Construction Technology, and another to provide technical support to improve the Vietnamese ministry's urban development planning and management capacity through building an urban planning and development information system (UPIS).

Besides, the two sides have worked together to send experts from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to the Ministry of Construction, and share knowledge and experience in social housing development, they noted.

Nghi suggested increasing delegation exchanges between the two sides to share experience in institution completion in social housing development, and asked the RoKs Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to hasten Korean ODA-funded projects for his ministry, especially in the fields of smart urban areas and social housing.

The two sides pledged to create favourable conditions for Korean firms to implement the Urban Growth Partnership Programme (UDPP) for which the LH has signed cooperation agreements with Vietnamese localities such as Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa and Binh Duong.

They will encourage Korean companies to engage in smart urban development, while providing favourable conditions for them to implement social housing projects in Vietnam under the scheme to build at least 1 million apartments for low-income earners and workers in industrial parks in the 2021-2030 period.

Nghi also asked the RoK to share experience with his ministry to help with the drafting of a Law on Urban Development.

For his part, Park said that his ministry hopes to work more closely with the Ministry of Construction of Viet Nam towards a long-term and sustainable partnership.

He said that the RoK has reached an urbanisation rate of 90 per cent, and is willing to share its experience, knowledge and technologies with Vietnam in social housing development.  VNS
HCM CITY  Most companies in Viet Nam remain optimistic about the current business environment, the Business Outlook Study 2024 has revealed.

The study, which surveyed more than 4,000 businesses in seven key markets across ASEAN and Greater China, including 525 businesses in Viet Nam found that nearly 90 per cent of businesses expressed interest in venturing overseas in the next three years.

ASEAN is the top choice, with nearly seven in 10 businesses wanting to expand in this region. Mainland China is the second key market, with 37 per cent preferring to venture into this country. Within ASEAN, Thailand is the most important businesses in Viet Nam, followed by Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

About 60 per cent of businesses surveyed said their top motivator to expand overseas is to grow revenue. Cross-border digital trade platforms are a popular means of overseas expansion, with more than nine out of 10 businesses showing interest.

However, overseas expansion is challenging due to several main barriers including a lack of customers in the new markets (41 per cent), lack of legal, regulatory, compliance and tax support (39 per cent), and difficulty in finding the right partners to work with (38 per cent).

To successfully expand into overseas markets, businesses are expecting financial support such as tax incentives or rebates (42 per cent) and funding or grants available for new markets (40 per cent).

More than 40 per cent are also looking for non-financial support, like connections to large corporate businesses that are prospective anchor clients their company can supply to in overseas markets, according to the study.

Looking forward, nearly 90 per cent of businesses surveyed expect a positive outlook in 2024 with improved business performance. To achieve this, businesses are looking to adopt digital solutions, upgrade equipment or facilities to improve productivity and diversify sales channels to drive growth.

The study found that nearly nine out of 10 businesses have adopted digitalisation in at least one department. About 41 per cent of businesses have digitalised the entire business, the highest rate in the region.

At the same time, over 80 per cent are planning to spend more on their digitalisation efforts in 2024, with most budgeting an increase of 10-25 per cent.

However, businesses expect to face several challenges, including cybersecurity concerns, lack of digital skills among employees and increased risks of data breaches.

Businesses said they want more tax incentives/rebates, connections to the right technology and solution providers and training programmes to reskill/upskill employees to adopt digitalisation.

The UOB Business Outlook Study 2024 (SMEs & Large Enterprises) aims to understand the business outlook and key expectations among SMEs and large enterprises across seven markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam, mainland China and Hong Kong.  VNS
Pianist Liao Hsin-Chiao performed Piano Concerto Bat Khuat with the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) recently, honouring the piece by the late composer o Dung.

The Taiwanese-born pianist holds a doctoral degree from Stony Brook University in New York and has performed in several well-known venues in the US such as Symphony Space and Harvard Club in New York and the Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall in Tennessee.

She has been living and working in Viet Nam since 2021.

Viet Nam News reporter Nguyen Binh spoke with the pianist about her career.

At your recent Piano Concerto Bat Khuat by late composer o Dung at Viet Nam Academy of Musics great hall, the audience went wild. How satisfied were you with your performance?

I am humbled to know that the audience enjoyed and resonated with the Piano Concerto Bat Khuat.

As the pianist, I gave my very best to the composition and the performance and enjoyed many touching moments in the music on stage together with all the musicians from the VNSO and maestro Honna Tetsuji.

Of course, in terms of performances, all musicians know that we will always feel that theres room to do better the next time, but I was happy and grateful that I had the chance to share the music with all the music lovers who came to support us, musicians, and the Vietnamese classical music that night.

It is a great loss that our composer o Dung couldnt be in the audience himself with all of us, but I hope our work has done the composition justice and hope the concerto will get to be performed more and more from this day on.

It was the first time VNSO playing Vietnamese composers' repertoire in a concert. Have you performed other pieces by Vietnamese composers?

To the best of my knowledge, this was not the first time VNSO programmed music composed by Vietnamese composers  although it was indeed a special occasion for the concert to exclusively feature Vietnamese composers music, including a few world premieres.

I was honoured to be a part of it. Before encountering the Piano Concerto Bat Khuat by late composer o Dung, I had already played a few Vietnamese compositions.

Most of them are chamber works which I have greatly enjoyed performing with my fellow musician friends here, such as the Four Vietnamese Pictures for Oboe, Piano and Percussion by o Hong Quan; Nui for Clarinet and Piano by 2 Nguyen Phuc Linh; Voi Keo Go Tren Lam Truong for Bassoon and Piano by Hoang Van; and the Sonatas (No.1, No.3, and No.8) for Violin and Piano by Nguyen Van Quy, among others.

When did you discover your passion for music?

Ever since I can remember, the sound of my elder sister playing the piano filled our house. Neither of my parents are musicians though my mother has a beautiful voice and used to sing many songs for us, however, because of my sister, I felt like I grew up in a musical family.

It was natural to have music around us constantly. Therefore, it was also natural for me to start playing the piano  I was five when I started and was lucky enough to enjoy it and be persistent about it.

Do you enjoy playing solo or chamber more?

Playing solo works and chamber music are both ways to express oneself in music. The difference in between is that in one way I can just enjoy myself and dont have to consult with someone else opinions, but in another, I have partners to discuss ideas which often gives me new lights and inspiration in music.

I love them both equally, and think its a blessing that as a musician that I still have many chances to do both.

Is there any specific repertoire that you want to learn?

Its been a little while since last time I worked on compositions from the early 20th century seriously, so I am thinking of finding compositions by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich to work on.

What do you like to do when you are not playing the piano?

I enjoy reading a lot. When there is a fully equipped kitchen, I like to bake, too. When travelling to different places, visiting museums to see exhibitions is also another activity that brings me lots of joy.

When you think about your musical development, do you also have a plan for your repertoire?

In terms of the overall musical development of my career, I generally try to balance up the repertoire I have built in both solo and chamber music playing.

I am careful to always keep learning works from all important eras throughout classical music history.

One principle I try to follow is not to dismiss any type of music easily, even when I dont know it or understand it very well. Keeping an open mind helps a musician grow  this is something I learned long ago from my mentors, and I will try my best to keep up with it.  VNS
NINH BINH -- More than 70 international beauty contestants will take part in a fashion show entitled Hello Cosmo from Viet Nam at the Ninh Binh Province's Trang An Landscape Complex, UNESCO World Heritage, in mid-September.

It is one of the activities of the Miss Cosmo 2024 beauty contest which will be held for the first time in Viet Nam by Unicorp, the company that owned the copyright and successfully organised Miss Universe Viet Nam in the last 15 years.

Miss Universe Viet Nam 2023 Bui Thi Xuan Hanh will be the host representative at contest.

It is expected that the contestants from more than 70 countries and regions will land in HCM City for the Grand Finale in late September.

Many activities will be held during the contest which will be held over several weeks, among them is a series of vibrant festivals and cultural performances -- Vivid Viet Nam -- in different provinces and cities.

The first one, Cosmo Hello from Viet Nam fashion show, is considered a warm, goodwill greeting from the Miss Cosmo organisation and the host country to the world.

Contestants will catwalk clothes and dresses in the Le Thanh Hoa Fall - Winter 24 collection which reflects a flow of Vietnamese culture blending with majestic natural beauty.

Designer Le Thanh Hoa is known for his effort to bring Vietnamese themes of beauty into each design and his creations are at traditional craft villages. Typically, silk from Ma Chau Village (Quang Nam) is the core material to many designs as a way to honour and preserve Vietnamese cultural values.

"Familiar images of rice plants, lotus flowers, mountains and the colourful natural scenery of Ninh Binh are fully recreated on my special designs which combine eye-catching forms, interesting patterns, hand embroidery technique and unique material processing," said Hoa.

"Each design is not simply a costume but also contains a story that links the past and the future. It is a way to preserve and bring traditional values into a new, modern and trendy context.

"Through this collection, I want to honour the cultural beauty, traditional craft villages and landscapes of Viet Nam, creating Vietnamese outfits that follow the world fashion trends."

In addition to the fashion show, contestants will also experience a series of exciting welcoming, cultural exchanges and heritage promotion activities.

Trang An is an intact chronicle of environmental change and human responses in the past, preserving the residential tradition of prehistoric people. The process of terrain change, geology and geomorphology spanning millions of years creates the beautiful natural landscape of this place.

Khe Coc Island in Trang An is a place that recreates the cultural living space of ancient residents. Choosing Khe Coc as the venue for the show is an idea to affirm the long-standing value of proud Vietnamese culture and history.

After Ninh Binh, many other activities will be held including Best of Viet Nam Festival in Lam ong Province and Best of the World Festival 2024 in HCM City. VNS
BANGKOK  The Land of Smiles ranks eighth globally and fourth in Southeast Asia thanks to its affordable housing and utilities, according to Personal Finance Index 2024.

The index also revealed that expats also find it fairly simple to rent property in Thailand.

Expats surveyed rated three factors on a scale of one (very bad) to seven (very good). The three factors were general cost of living, satisfaction with their financial situation, and whether disposable household income is enough to lead a comfortable life.

Viet Nam topped the rankings for the third year in a row, with 86 per cent of expats rating the cost of living favourably, compared with a global average of just 40 per cent.

Over two-thirds (68 per cent) also said their disposable household income was more than enough to live a comfortable life (versus 41 per cent globally).

Colombia soared from seventh to second place this year with 85% of foreign residents highlighting the low living costs.

Indonesia ranks third this year, with 69 per cent of those surveyed saying their incomes are more than adequate to live a comfortable life there.

Countries with the lowest cost of living for expats:

1. Viet Nam

2. Colombia

3. Indonesia

4. Panama

5. Philippines

6. India

7. Mexico

8. Thailand

9. Brazil

10. China

Overall, there was little change in the top 10 of the Personal Finance Index from 2023.

Six of the top 10 countries are in Asia: Viet Nam (1st), Indonesia (3rd), the Philippines (5th), India (6th), Thailand (8th), and China (10th). They all performed exceptionally well across the indexs three components, according to expats surveyed.

The remaining four are from Latin America: Colombia (2nd), Panama (4th), Mexico (7th), and Brazil (9th).

The Personal Finance Index polled over 12,000 expats in 174 destinations (53 countries) around the world.

Canada was ranked bottom, with more than half of respondents (53 per cent) saying their disposable household income is insufficient to live comfortably compared to 30 per cent globally.

Expats in Canada continue to face rising prices, particularly for food, rent, and mortgages.

Singapore ranked lowest in Asia (48th out of 53 countries). Three-quarters (75 per cent) of respondents rated the cost of living negatively, compared to 39 per cent globally.

The bottom 10 countries are:

44. Kuwait

45. Turkey

46. Bahrain

47. New Zealand

48. Singapore

49. Norway

50. Ireland

51. United Kingdom

52. Finland

53. Canada

THE NATION/ANN
HA NOI  Seventy years ago, the Geneva Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Viet Nam was signed, opening up a new chapter in the countrys struggle for national liberation and reunification.

Along with the 1946 Preliminary Agreement and the 1973 Paris Agreement, the 1954 Geneva Agreement was a glorious milestone in Viet Nam's revolutionary diplomacy, bearing the imprint of President Ho Chi Minhs ideology, style and art of diplomacy. It was also a vivid demonstration of the countrys bamboo diplomacy, as recognised by international experts.

Viet Nam on its way from ien Bien Phu to Geneva

In late 1953, amid tremendous shifts in the Indochinese battlefield, the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President Ho Chi Minh decided to wage a battle on the diplomatic front in conjunction with the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Offensive to put an end to the war and restore peace in Viet Nam and the entire Indochina.

On May 8, 1954, one day after the ien Bien Phu victory that echoed across five continents and shook the entire world, the Geneva Conference began to discuss the restoration of peace in Indochina.

After 75 days of complicated and intense negotiations with 31 sessions, the Geneva Agreements was signed on July 21, 1954. This, coupled with the Final Declaration on Restoring Peace in Indochina, affirmed the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Viet Nam, prevented the deployment of military officers and personnel to Viet Nam, and determined the temporary nature of military borders as well as the need for an eventual free general election, among others.

In a rally following the successful Geneva Conference on July 22, 1954, President Ho Chi Minh announced that: The Geneva Conference has concluded, and Viet Nam's diplomacy has achieved a great victory.

Indeed, while France only recognised Viet Nam as a free state within the French Union in the 1946 Preliminary Agreement, with the Geneva Agreement, for the first time in the history of our country, Viet Nam's fundamental rights of a nation, including independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, were officially affirmed in an international treaty, and recognised by countries at the Geneva Conference. This constituted an important political and legal basis for our people to continue the fight on political and diplomatic fronts, so as to subsequently liberate the South and reunite the country.

Together with the ien Bien Phu victory, the signing of the Geneva Agreement led to the successful conclusion of the Vietnamese peoples resistance war against the French colonial empire, and put a decisive end to the reign of colonialism over Viet Nam for nearly 100 years.

According to history books, the Agreement had paved the way for a new strategic phase for Viet Nam's revolution - the building of socialism in the North, and the pursuit of national and peoples democratic revolution in the South, with a view to truly achieving national independence and reunification.

Flexible yet resolute tactics key to Viet Nam's negotiation success

In a recent talk with the Vietnam News Agency, Major General Pham Son Duong, the only son of late Prime Minister Pham Van ong who headed the delegation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam to the Geneva conference, recalled what his father had told him about that memorable day.

My father said the atmosphere at that conference was very tense but he remained totally composed, adhered to principles and was also ready to switch to flexible tactics if necessary in order to best protect national interests as he remembered vividly Uncle Hos advice for him right before the negotiations, Major General Duong recollected.

The ultimate goal, Uncle Ho told my father, was to force the French to recognise the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia.

According to Major General Duong, his father walked into the Geneva Conference with utmost confidence as he was already armed with warfare analyses and preparations of response plans to cope with possible interventions of major powers, all of which Uncle Ho and his father had thoroughly discussed.

At the Geneva conference, Pham Van ong presented the eight-point stance requesting France to recognise Viet Nam's sovereignty and independence across its territory, along with sovereignty and independence of Laos and Cambodia.

The Geneva Agreement resolved the Indochina issue in accordance with the stance of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, that was establishing peace on the basis of respect for the right of national unity, independence, and democracy of the three countries in the region.

Commenting on Viet Nam's tactics in signing the Geneva Agreement, Pierre Asselin, Professor of History at San Diego State University, the US, said: In signing the Geneva Agreement, President Ho Chi Minh hoped for the best but also prepared for the worst.

Pham Van ong and other negotiators of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam faced many challenges. I think that Vietnamese diplomacy was quite shrewd and sensible in Geneva. In the final analysis, they worked and availed themselves well.

Viet Nam carried forward the spirit of independence and self-reliance during the negotiations, persistently pursued strategic goals and knew how to make principled concessions to ensure national interests, according to Professor Asselin.

This spirit was clearly stated by President Ho Chi Minh in his interview with Expressen newspaper of Sweden on November 26, 1953.

If France continues the war, the Vietnamese people are determined to carry on their patriotic war until the final victory. But if the French Government has learnt a lesson from this years-long war, and wishes to cease hostilities in Viet Nam through negotiations and settle the Viet Nam issue in a peaceful manner, then the people and Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam stand ready to welcome such intention and the foundation for the cessation of hostilities in Viet Nam is the French Governments sincere respect for Viet Nam's true independence.

Talking to Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of 70-year anniversary of Geneva Agreement, Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer from New South Wales University, Australia, said: Bamboo diplomacy was illustrated through the negotiations of the Geneva Agreement. The Vietnamese negotiators stayed steadfast on their goals of independence and freedom but flexible about how to achieve them.

Understanding the views and strategic intentions of major powers, Viet Nam handled the situation flexibly through both bilateral and multilateral meetings and exchanges during the negotiations.

In his recent address looking back on Viet Nam's diplomacy throughout the years, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasised that the signing of the Geneva Agreement, together with the ien Bien Phu victory, led to the successful conclusion of the Vietnamese peoples resistance war against the French colonial empire, and put a decisive end to the reign of colonialism over Viet Nam for nearly 100 years.

The Agreement had paved the way for a new strategic phase for Viet Nam's revolution - the building of socialism in the North, and the pursuit of national and peoples democratic revolution in the South, with a view to truly achieving national independence and reunification.

The triumphs of the ien Bien Phu campaign and the Geneva Agreement also served as a source of encouragement for oppressed nations around the world to rise up and fight for their independence and freedom. Subsequently, numerous countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America gained independence in various forms, and the movements for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress developed more intensively and extensively.

Notably, between 1954 and 1964, up to 17 African countries gained independence, and by 1967, France was forced to grant independence to most of its former colonies.  VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam received the ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkiye, which are members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), in Ha Noi on July 16.

Highlighting the important role of the OTS, which is located between and connects Asia and Europe, President Lam affirmed that Viet Nam always treasures and wishes to further enhance cooperation with the organisation as well as each of its member states.

He noted that Viet Nams traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkiye have continued to be reinforced via frequent meetings at all levels.

He asked the ambassador to keep close coordination with Vietnamese agencies to promote delegation exchanges, especially at high levels.

Viet Nam and the Turkic countries should also maintain close and effective coordination along with mutual support at international and regional forums, including the United Nations, the leader went on.

President Lam said Viet Nams economic - trade partnerships with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkiye have been growing, with bilateral trade on the rise year over year.

However, the countrys bilateral relations with the three countries have yet to match the huge cooperation potential, especially in such fields as transport, agriculture, education - training, culture, sports, tourism, locality-to-locality ties, and people-to-people diplomacy.

Viet Nam will create the best possible conditions for enterprises from the OTS countries to do business and make investment, he remarked.

He voiced his belief that with their experience and enthusiasm, the ambassadors will practically contribute to the enhancement of Viet Nams cooperation with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkiye, thereby developing bilateral relations more strongly and comprehensively.

The Party, State, ministries, and sectors of Viet Nam will also provide favourable conditions for the diplomats to have a successful term in the country, the President added.

For their part, the ambassadors said their countries attach special importance to Viet Nams role and hope to further expand bilateral cooperation, boost coordination at multilateral forums, and strengthen the Turkic countries ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the sake of each nation, as well as for peace, cooperation, and development in the two regions and the world.

Azerbaijani Ambassador Shovgi Kamal Oglu Mehdizade said that in 2024, the two countries will mark 65 years since President Ho Chi Minhs visit to Azerbaijan in July 1959, which laid a solid foundation for their traditional friendship and cooperation, particularly in oil and gas with generations of Vietnamese students receiving training in Azerbaijan and later becoming leading experts in this area.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan will organise many activities to introduce the two countries histories, traditions, and cooperation potential on this occasion, he noted.

Kazakh Ambassador Kanat Tumysh held that his countrys economic and trade links with Viet Nam have been growing dynamically, with bilateral trade increasing fast in recent years.

The two sides boast many advantages for developing partnerships in transport, aviation, education - training, tourism, and locality-to-locality connections, he said, affirming Kazakhstans readiness to create conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest.

Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador Korhan Kemik said he will exert efforts to promote the elevation of the two countries relations, along with the negotiation and signing of documents to perfect the legal framework for bilateral collaboration.

He hoped that concrete measures will be taken to raise bilateral trade from US$2.2 billion to US$4 billion as targeted by the countries leaders.

The diplomat also appreciated Vietnamese agencies, ministries, sectors support for the early opening of the Consulate General of Turkiye in HCM City, providing a cornerstone for stepping up cooperation activities in the time ahead.

The three ambassadors pledged efforts to contribute to the common goals and further intensify their countries relations with Viet Nam.  VNS
JAKARTA  Sailing vessel 286-Le Quy on of the Viet Nam Peoples Navy on Wednesday arrived in Surabaya to start a visit to Indonesia to exchange with the Indonesian Navy.

The ship carries 120 naval officers and soldiers as well as cadets from the Vietnam Naval Academy.

Welcoming the Vietnamese guests at Surabaya naval base, Marine Colonel Muhammad Taufik highlighted that the visit will bolster cooperation and exchanges between the two navies.

Head of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Naval Academy Nguyen inh Giang, expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to deepening mutual understanding and trust between the armed forces and navies of both sides.

After the reception, the Indonesian delegation boarded the vessel to exchange with their Vietnamese peers.

During the visit from July 17 to 20, the Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to engage in various exchange activities with the Indonesian Navy.

This is an opportunity for Vietnamese officers, soldiers, and cadets to improve their professional knowledge, combat readiness, and weapon handling skills; foster interaction with Indonesian counterparts, and explore Indonesian culture, history and people.

It is the second visit of the Vietnamese vessel to Indonesia. Its first trip was conducted in 2019.  VNS
Google and Microsoft have reportedly consumed 24TWh each on their electricity during 2023, a consumption that is greater than more than 100 countries.

A researcher revealed his recent power consumption study on different big tech companies and countries, revealing the amount of energy spent in 2023.

Google, Microsoft Outrank Power Consumption of Other Countries

Michael Thomas shared his analysis on X, citing that Google and Microsoft managed to consume the same amount of energy as Azerbaijan last year. Both tech companies have a revenue of around $200 billion to $300 billion as compared to the country's $78.7 billion GDP.

The tech giants also outranked countries like Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia, and Ghana which each consumed 19 TWh. Countries like Libya and Slovakia consumed slightly more power with 25 TWh and 26 TWh, respectively.

Both Google and Microsoft sit comfortably at the world's most valuable companies. The tech giants are known for their progressive steps in developing AI models, which could further increase their energy consumption in the following years.

Tech Giants Consume Too Much Power, Sparking Environmental Concerns

It is not new that tech companies use massive energy for their operations. However, the increasing power consumption could significantly affect the environmental risks brought by climate change.

The recent study by Thomas proves the insane amount of energy required to power the latest technological advancements. Companies are now invested in building data centers that could power the upcoming generations of AI.

Both Google and Microsoft have pledged to a carbon-free by the end of 2030. Big techs are now pressured to work on their sustainability and to transition to renewable energy to achieve their goals.
HA NOI  National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Wednesday for US Senator Tammy Duckworth who affirmed that the visit demonstrates the importance her delegation attaches to boost relations between the two countries and their parliaments.

The senator told the host that accompanying her this time were representatives in the fields of external affairs and economics and trade, with a hope to discuss opportunities and measures to promote strategic cooperation with Vietnam in various aspects.

Speaking highly of Viet Nam's leadership role within ASEAN, she emphasised that the US wants to increase its presence in the region and strengthen collaboration with Viet Nam to contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the area.

She expressed her belief that in the coming time, the two countries will have more meaningful and substantial delegation exchanges and activities to further enhance relations between the two countries and their legislatures, adding that there is a group of young senators in the US Congress who are continuing the work of their predecessors in nurturing and promoting the US-Viet Nam cooperation.

Regarding future collaboration opportunities, Duckworth said that the US Congress recently passed several bills aiming at opening up opportunities for cooperation between the US and other countries in manufacturing, particularly in producing electric transformers, solar panel equipment, and "super-chip" circuit boards.

The US is seeking potential partner countries in these sectors, the senator stressed, saying she believes that these are potential areas for cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, thereby contributing to economic development for each nation and promoting the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Duckworth also highlighted the potential for cooperation between universities of both countries in researching green technology, renewable energy and innovation. She shared her initiative to foster cooperation between Mekong and Mississippi rivers, aiming to collaborate on riverbank erosion control, efficient river management and use, and management of inland waterway operations.

Agreeing with the senators ideas, Phuong said that beyond traditional fields, the new sectors mentioned by the guest are potential areas for cooperation between the two countries in the future. He showed his hope that the US Congress will support and facilitate the two countries collaboration in these areas.

He affirmed that Viet Nam consistently regards the US as one of its leading important partners and values the USs consistent message of supporting a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Viet Nam.

As economic, trade, and investment cooperation is a prominent area of collaboration between the two countries, the Vietnamese NA always implements timely policies to create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including those from the US, to invest in Viet Nam, Phuong stated.

The NA Vice Chairman said he is delighted at the continued stable cooperation between the two nations in defence and security, especially in the efforts related to post-war consequences, searching for remains of Vietnamese soldiers, as well as searching and repatriating remains of US soldiers listed as missing in the wartime in Viet Nam.

He showed his hope that both sides will further enhance cooperation in these areas, and the US will assist Viet Namin raising its capacity to participate in UN peacekeeping missions, improving its capabilities in search and rescue work in disasters to address climate change impacts, and supporting the removal of Viet Nam from the list of 12 countries with non-market economies, and gradually recognising it as a market economy.

Phuong went on to say that Viet Nam considers cooperation between the two parliaments as one of the pillars in the bilateral relations, and the NA appreciates the role of the US Senate and House of Representatives and Senator Tammy Duckworth personally in having positive impacts on the ties.

As the senator is scheduled to have working sessions with representatives from several Vietnamese ministries and sectors, the NA Vice Chairman showed his wish that the two sides will continue discussing measures to realise potential collaboration opportunities and open up new chances to further promote the bilateral ties.  VNA/VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam hosted a reception in Ha Noi on Wednesday for Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo who came to say goodbye to the State leader at the end of his tenure.

The President asked the ambassador to convey regards from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and other key leaders of Viet Nam to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other key leaders of China.

The two sides rejoiced at marked strides of Viet Nam-China relations over the past years, with increased high-level exchanges and meetings, notably the China visit by Party General Secretary Trong in October 2022, and the visit to Viet Nam by Party General Secretary and President Xi in December 2023.

Viet Nam and China have established a new positioning for their relations, elevated their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and built a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, they said.

They shared the view that economic-trade-investment cooperation remains a bright spot of the bilateral ties, with Viet Nam emerging as Chinas 5th biggest trading partner, while exchanges between localities and residents have contributed to consolidating the social foundation for the relationship.

President Lam praised the diplomats significant contributions to the Viet Nam-China relationship, making it more intensive, comprehensive and practical.

For his part, Xiong congratulated the Vietnamese Party, State and people on achievements they have recorded over the past time, and affirmed that the Party, Government, and people of China steadfastly support Viet Nam's efforts in maintaining stability and prosperous development, and firmly believed that the Southeast Asian nation will successfully complete its development visions and goals as defined by the 13th National Party Congress.

On this occasion, the two sides exchanged views on the relations between the two Parties and countries, as well as major measures to continue effectively implementing high-level common perceptions reached by the two Party chiefs.

The President affirmed that developing the relations with China is always a consistent policy, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralisation, and diversification.

He suggested the two countries step up all-level exchanges and meetings, consolidate political trust, improve the quality and efficiency of collaboration across spheres, deepen cooperation between localities, and enhance people-to-people exchanges.

The ambassador also noted that China always considers its relationship with Viet Nam a prioritised direction in its foreign policy, and stands ready to promote exchanges and cooperation at all levels and in all sectors and fields.

He held that potential for cooperation between the two countries in the coming time is very huge and will certainly be intensified in the near future.

Xiong pledged that he, in any position, will continue keeping tabs on and making contributions to the China - Viet Nam neighbourliness and friendship, as well as the China - Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Regarding maritime issues, the two sides agreed to seriously implement high-level agreements and common perceptions, and better control and settle disagreements, not letting the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue affect the thriving bilateral relations, for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Transport is taking a tough stance on corruption in the vehicle inspection system, following a series of high-profile cases where inspectors were caught accepting bribes to overlook safety violations.

The Gia Lam District People's Court in Ha Noi on July 15 sentenced ten inspectors to prison for accepting bribes to pass vehicles that did not meet safety standards.

According to the indictment, the inspectors, the Centre for Vehicle Inspection (CVI) 29.02S's former employees, instructed car owners to leave money inside their vehicles, ranging from VN100,000 (US$4) to VN200,000 per vehicle.

They then collected and divided it among themselves, with the centre's director taking the largest share. The court found they had received VN426 million (US$16,800) in bribes.

Nguyen Khanh Tung, the centre's former director, was sentenced to 33 months in prison and Nguyen Khanh Hung, the centre's former deputy director, 31 months.

The remaining eight convicted were given suspended sentences of between 26 and 30 months.

The case is the latest in a series of bribery scandals involving Viet Nam's vehicle inspection system. In recent months, many other inspectors have been arrested and charged with similar offences.

The Ministry of Transport has issued a document outlining a multi-pronged approach to improve the situation, which involves consulting the Department of Science, Technology and Environment for advice on tightening controls on inspection activities.

The document also highlights the tasks for the Vietnam Register, which include reviewing and advising the Ministry on legal and technical issues related to inspection work, promoting the use of information technology in supervision and management, stepping up the training of inspectors and staying vigilant to sectors that are susceptible to bribery.

The Departments of Transport are tasked with complying strictly with the Ministry's instructions on supervising inspection activities, leveraging surveillance cameras for better monitoring and enforcement and conducting surprise inspections to root out misconduct at their provinces' CVIs.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, 275 CVIs remain active out of 295 registered CVIs in the country. In the first six months of 2024, they inspected about 2.8 million vehicles, of which more than 450,000 failed to meet technical safety standards.

With more inspectors to be tried in the coming months, the Vietnam Register is concerned about inspector shortages that could lead to vehicles lining up in CVIs, causing congestion in the system.

In response, the Ministry reveals that it is drafting a new decree amending Decree No.30 and Decree No.139 on vehicle inspection, which is expected to avert the bottlenecks.

In the first half of the year, CVIs also inspected around 1,800 railway carriages, 130 locomotives and 14,800 inland waterway vessels. Meanwhile, 200,000 new automobiles and 1,150,000 motorcycles and electric motorbikes were registered nationwide.  VNS
HA NOI  Specific policies in the development of medicinal herbs, particularly valuable and economically beneficial medicinal herbs need to be issued, as a matter of some urgency.

That was the directive came under the 86th conclusion of the Secretariat on developing Viet Nam's traditional medicine and the Viet Nam Orientally Traditional Oriental Medicine Association in the new period, recently signed by the permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Luong Cuong.

The Secretariat ordered that all levels of Party committees, authorities, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations must plan and develop areas for cultivating medicinal herbs on an industrial scale, establish a traceability system and ensure the safety of medicinal herbs.

The development of the medicinal herb industry should be linked with scientific research, production and preservation and processing chains.

Efforts should be intensified to coordinate between ministries, sectors and localities in managing medicinal herbs, enhancing quality control and resolutely fighting against counterfeit, substandard and untraceable traditional medicine products.

Furthermore, the Secretariat called for the effective implementation of Directive 24, the resolutions of the 13th National Party Congress and the Party's policies on protecting, caring for and improving the health of the people.

It should renew and enhance dissemination, education and determine the responsibility and actions of all levels of Party committees, authorities, officials, Party members and the public in developing Viet Nam's traditional medicine, contributing to preserving and promoting the national cultural heritage, the conclusion says.

The Secretariat demanded a review and completion of relevant policies and laws, continuing to concretise policies on traditional medicine, renewing the management system, diversifying and improving the quality of traditional medicine services in conjunction with health tourism.

Investment must be increased, focusing on training and developing herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners, ensuring sufficient human resources from central to local levels.

Mobilisation of social resources for the development of Viet Nam's traditional medicine needs to be strengthened, the conclusion adds.

Developing the traditional medicine healthcare system, especially at grassroots health levels, integrating traditional medicine with modern medicine, research and testing and proving the efficacy of non-drug treatment methods should be prioritised.

A comprehensive database of medicinal herbs and traditional medicines must be developed, connected with national and specialised databases, promoting the application of science, technology and digital transformation in traditional medicine.

Proactive international integration and effective international cooperation should be pursued, promoting the image and brand of Vietnamese traditional medicine and creating policies to export traditional medicine products, including high-quality human resources and non-drug treatment methods.

Participation in professional and educational associations on traditional medicine regionally and globally; support for discovering, registering and protecting intellectual property rights in traditional medicine; honouring and ensuring the rights of renowned physicians, implementing specific policies for registering and protecting intellectual property rights; and safeguarding the secrets of traditional medicine formulation are among the requirements from the Secretariat.

The Secretariat also told the Viet Nam Traditional Oriental Medicine Association and socio-political organisations to actively disseminate and provide information on Vietnamese traditional medicine, effective remedies, and treatment methods to both domestic and international populations.

Coordination with media agencies to introduce and replicate effective models and exemplary practices in traditional medicine development is necessary.

Relevant agencies have to boost the campaigns 'Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese goods' and 'Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese medicine'.

The Government has been asked to direct the issuance of documents to develop Vietnamese traditional medicine and the Viet Nam Traditional Oriental Medicine Association for the period 2025-30, with vision towards 2045.

The Ministry of Health and Viet Nam Oriental Traditional Oriental Medicine Association are tasked to closely coordinate with relevant agencies and localities to effectively implement the conclusions.

The Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education, in collaboration with the health ministry and relevant agencies are assigned to guide, supervise and periodically report to the Secretariat on the implementation of the conclusions. VNS
HA NOI - Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital, the leading healthcare facility in the north, will examine patients outside of regular working hours, until 9 pm from August 1.

Associate Professor ao Xuan Co, the hospitals director, said the medical examination hours would be expanded from 5pm to 9pm, with reception and some examination desks opened early from 5-6am to serve patients, especially those from distant locations.

This move aims to meet the recent surge in demand for health check-ups, while also achieving the goal of examining all patients during the day. Up to 10,000 patients visit the hospital every day for checkups, which causes congestion.

Departments within the hospital have taken action to alleviate the queues.

The hospital has been able to overcome its medicine and medical supply shortfall. The hospital unveiled a number of medical equipment systems earlier this year, including seven endoscopic surgical systems, 19 digestive endoscopy systems, three computed tomography scan machines, and four magnetic resonance imaging machines.

This is the first time that seven magnetic resonance imaging machines have been running simultaneously at Bach Mai Hospital. Patients who have a scan indication can essentially be scanned on the same day without having to wait, Co said.

The modern equipment meant many more patients had come in for examination and treatment, he said.

The imaging and testing department would prioritise outpatients in the morning and inpatients in the afternoon and evening.

"With these arrangements, testing results are typically received in the early afternoon, allowing most patients who travel from faraway places to return home that same day. This is a great effort to help patients save money without having to rent accommodation to wait, he said.

The hospital has also promoted digital transformation by assisting patients to register for medical examination and treatment via a hotline or app.

Every day between 2,000 and 2,500 people sign up for medical examinations via these new channels, according to Co.

Registering in advance helps to minimise crowding and waiting time is minimised. Additionally, it relieves doctors of pressure while improving the standard of medical examinations and consultations.

At the hospital, medical prescriptions have not been printed since July 8. Results of testing and scanning will not be printed from the start of August and everything will be online.

This helps save about VN30 billion per year.

Online medical records will be put on a trial basis from August, before being officially applied at all departments this year.

Online medical records help connect patient information to all relevant departments. Doctors may readily track their development and use that information to forecast and schedule additional treatments for their patients.

Each patient will get a code unique to them with the aim of creating a fully paperless system. VNS
BANGKOK  Thai police have confirmed that the six people found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on July 16, including four Vietnamese nationals, were victims of murder, not suicide.

This revelation comes as a major update in the ongoing investigation into the shocking discovery of the bodies of three men and three women in an upscale hotel in central Bangkok.

All six were Vietnamese, but two had American citizenship, Thai authorities confirmed.

The victims are identified as Chong Sherine, 56 (US citizen); Dang Hung Van, 55 (US citizen); Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47; Pham Hong Thanh, 49; Tran Dinh Phu, 37; and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

According to Bangkok police chief Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang, preliminary investigations indicate that the victims did not take their own lives but were deliberately killed.

This conclusion is based on the lack of any signs of struggle or forced entry at the crime scene, as well as the absence of external injuries on the victims' bodies.

The investigation has also revealed that the victims, who had initially booked five rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, arrived in two separate groups.

Seven individuals were initially registered for the rooms, but only five checked in, occupying four rooms on the 7th floor and one on the 5th floor.

They checked out of the four rooms in the afternoon on July 15 and gathered all their belongings into the other room, where the bodies were later discovered.

They ordered six meals to the room, but there was no indication that they had consumed any food. However, authorities did find five used teacups and one used glass, suggesting that the victims may have consumed some drinks.

One victim had a visible injury on his/her face, but the injury is likely the result of a fall and collision with a hard object and was not the primary cause of death.

Forensic teams have collected various items from the room, including food containers, utensils, and other potential evidence, for further examination.

Lieutenant General Thiti emphasised that the investigation is still ongoing, with a focus on identifying the motive behind the killings and the whereabouts of the seventh individual who was initially registered for the hotel rooms.

Additionally, the police are reviewing CCTV footage from the victims' arrival at the airport and in the vicinity of the hotel to gather more clues.

In response to the incident, the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand has dispatched officials to the scene, working closely with Thai authorities to gather information, identify the victims, and provide consular assistance to their families.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin paid a visit to inspect the scene at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in the wake of the incident, and held a press conference there.  VNS
HCM CITY  The former Vice Chairwoman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hong has been arrested for alleged abuse of power during her official duties, the police said on Wednesday.

The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into accusations of bribery and power abuse at the State-owned Viet Nam Rubber Group (VRG), and other related entities.

Hong is also facing allegations of misconduct regarding a property development project in HCM Citys District 4.

Hong, 69, previously held the position of director of the citys Department of Finance and later served as deputy chairwoman in 2005 before retiring after a decade in office.

Currently, a total of 16 individuals implicated in the case have been prosecuted, including various ex-officials at the group, for accepting bribes and breaching regulations on the management of State assets, resulting in loss and inefficiency.

These actions have been sanctioned by the Supreme Peoples Procuracy.

The investigation into the scandal remains ongoing.  VNS
HA NOI  Thai police on Wednesday morning announced the preliminary results of the investigation into the case of six people found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok.

According to the police, one person killed five others in the room then took their own life. It is understood the killings stem from debt-related issues.

Thai police have also identified a seventh person, who presumably checked into the hotel rooms with the others, but that person is yet to be apprehended.

Police did stress that woman is unlikely to be connected to the deaths.

Two of the deceased were identified as Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55, both carrying US passports.

It has been reported that it was Chong who carried out the murders before taking her own life.

Four others were Vietnamese nationals, including Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

Initial investigations on Tuesday evening, when the victims were found, showed that their room was locked from the inside with no trace of physical violence.

Their bodies were transported to a nearby hospital while the luggage was moved to the Lumpini area police station.

In an announcement on Wednesday morning, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed that a group of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents will arrive in Thailand to assist in further investigation, as two US citizens were among the deceased.

Under the direction of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Embassy of Viet Nam in Thailand is working closely with Thai authorities on the case, said the ministrys spokesperson Pham Thu Hang on Wednesday, while extending condolences to the victims families.

The Vietnamese embassy will also provide all necessary help for investigations and coordinate with relevant departments in Viet Nam to provide support for the victims families and adopt necessary citizen protection measures.

The Vietnamese MoFA and the Ministry of Public Security are also taking urgent action to verify the identities of the four Vietnamese victims.

Once confirmed, their families will be notified and assisted in completing necessary procedures to repatriate the remains as soon as Thai authorities allow, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung.

He appreciated the prompt response from Thai PM Thavisin and high-ranking Thai police officials, who were present at the scene and held an urgent press briefing on the case. VNS
HA NOI  Seven convicts in the notorious Viet A Case were proposed for sentence reductions during an appeal trial on July 17.

Phan Quoc Viet, Viet A company's former General Director, is among those appealing for reduced prison terms.

He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars during the first-instance trial, for bribing several government officials to obtain licences to sell COVID-19 testing kits at high prices during the pandemic.

During the appeal trial, heard by the Central Military Court, the prosecutor argued that the payment of VN200 million (US$7,890) in compensation for damages by Viet A and his role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic could be considered an extenuating circumstance in his favour.

The prosecutor, accordingly, proposed reducing his sentence from 25 years to 22 years.

Trinh Thanh Hung, former Director of the Department of Science and Technology for Economic-Technical Sectors and Ho Anh Son, former Deputy Director of the Military Medical Academys Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy, are other convicts who have filed appeals seeking sentence reductions.

Hung and Son were found guilty of abusing their powers as they collaborated with Viet to enlist Viet A as the Academy's project partner, enabling it to secure licences for test kit mass production.

The prosecutor proposed a reduced sentence for Hung, from 15 years to 13 years in prison, on the grounds of a Deputy Minister of Science and Technology's request, his compensation for damages and his role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similarly, the prosecutor proposed Son to be sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, down from his original 12-year term.

Another convict, Nguyen Van Hieu, former Head of the Academy's Equipment and Supplies Division, was also recommended for a reduced sentence.

Hieu was convicted of violating bidding regulations to help Viet A win bids, becoming the test kid supplier for the Academy. Viet paid Hieu more than VN3.5 billion (US$138,000) for the help.

After weighing the mitigating factors, the prosecutor proposed Hieu be under lock and key for five years, instead of seven years as ruled in the first-instance verdict.

Three other convicts recommended for reduced sentences are Vu inh Hiep, Viet A's former Deputy General Director, Le Truong Minh, former Head of the Academy's Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department and Ngo Anh Tuan, former Head of the Academy's Finance Department.

Hiep, convicted of bribing government officials to win contracts with various Centres for Disease Control, and Minh, accused of forging documents to help Viet A win the bids, were recommended to have their sentence reduced from six years to four years in prison.

Tuan, found guilty of taking Viet's money to assist him in his scheme is appealing for a two- year jail term with the sentence suspended. He was sentenced to four years at the first-instance trial.  VNS
CAN THO  The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has accepted a request from Can Tho International Airport to extend its operating hours, a move designed to help the airport meet growing demand.

Operating hours will be extended by four hours every day, from 5am to 11:59pm, effective from July 13 to September 4.

The CAAV has also requested the airport inform relevant agencies and units of the airport, as well as related parties, to coordinate operations and ensure security, safety, and efficiency.

The Viet Nam Air Traffic Management Corporation will collaborate with the airport to provide information in accordance with regulations.

Additionally, the CAAV has asked Vietnamese carriers to increase flights to Can Tho, especially on the Ha Noi  Can Tho route, and to expand new domestic and international routes to Can Tho.

The CAAV will continue to study policies to facilitate operations of Vietnamese airlines and foreign airlines to Can Tho.

Currently, there are five flight routes to Can Tho from Ha Noi, Vinh, Hai Phong, a Nang, and Con ao, with a total of 11-12 round trips each day. VNS
Amazon Prime Day has reportedly become a "major" cause of injuries to workers, according to the preliminary results of the Senate's yearlong investigation.

The e-commerce giant provided the committee with the total injury rate from Prime Day 2019, which helped the Senate draw initial conclusions.

Read Also : Amazon Revamps Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clocks Ahead of Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day Injures Nearly Half of Warehouse Workers

The data, which was disclosed to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, revealed that 45 injuries per 100 workers were recorded during the Prime Day 2019. The rate accounted for nearly half of the company's warehouse workers during the big sale event.

"Amazon continues to treat its workers as disposable and with complete contempt for their safety and wellbeing," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. He also emphasized that the situation is unacceptable and that the company has to make changes.

The report unveiled that Amazon warehouses are understaffed during its peak shopping seasons. This includes Prime Day, Black Friday, and the holiday season, wherein customers are looking forward to big discounts.

Amazon Warehouse Injuries Caused by Understaffing

During the peak shopping seasons, the employees are forced to cover an increased volume of labor without any additional support. Amazon confirmed that it has failed to meet its hiring target for the 2021 Prime Day event.

Amazon defended the accusations and stated that the company has made significant improvements over the years to prevent increased injuries. The company also refuted the claim that it was understaffed during busy shopping periods.

"It draws sweeping and inaccurate conclusions based on unverified anecdotes, and it misrepresents documents that are several years old and contained factual errors and faulty analysis," said Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson.

The e-commerce giant has previously faced scrutiny over its workplace injury rates. The alleged treatments for warehouse and delivery workers were also questioned before by federal regulators.
The information was shared at a meeting between Le Anh Duong, Chairman of Bac Giang People's Committee, and Sunwoda COO Xiang Haibiao on July 16.

Haibiao said, "Sunwoda has nearly 30 years of operation in the computer battery, phone battery, and electric vehicle battery industries. In April 2023, Sunwoda established the first company in Van Trung Industrial Park in Bac Giang. After one year of operation, the company has decided to expand its investment thanks to the favourable investment climate."

"Sunwoda will pour an additional $300 million into the manufacturing facility in Yen Lu Industrial Park. The project will employ 5,000 local workers and generate $1 billion in revenue per year. Sunwoda will continue to make additional investments in the next stages based on its upcoming growth in Vietnam," he added.

In addition, Sunwoda will build a smart park to minimise carbon emissions while applying optimised solutions to increase energy efficiency and the use of clean energy, contributing to environmental protection. The company will also utilise technology currently used in China for its production in Vietnam.

Chairman Duong noted that, "Bac Giang pays special attention to luring investors, especially those from China. At present, Chinese investors take the lead in terms of the total registered investment capital in the locality with over $6 billion, accounting for 30 per cent of the total industrial production value of the foreign direct investment sector. Their ventures have created jobs for about 200,000 workers."

"Sunwoda already runs a small manufacturing facility in Bac Giang, and plans to scale up its operations. We welcome this expansion and commit to creating the stronger conditions for the company to invest in Bac Giang," he stressed.

At the meeting, Sunwoda also signed an in-principle investment contract with Capella Land JSC, the developers of Yen Lu Industrial Park.

Chinese railway group opens ties Tracodi China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) on June 12 signed a cooperation agreement with Tracodi, a subsidiary of Bamboo Capital Group, to invest in and develop transport infrastructure, industrial park infrastructure, and social housing in Vietnam.

Chinese group proposes to build Tu Lien Bridge and Hanoi Metro Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received leaders from some of the top Chinese infrastructure and energy development firms in Beijing on June 27, including Yan Jiehe, founder of Pacific Construction Group.
A landmark European Union law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) entered into force in March, and regulators believe it will create a fairer market.

EU court rejects TikTok challenge against new EU digital rules, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

The European Commission designated six "gatekeepers" under the DMA facing the curbs: Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft -- and TikTok owner ByteDance, the only non-US company.

The EU said in May that Booking would also have to apply the law and gave the online travel agent six months to prepare for compliance.

The decision by the Luxembourg-based General Court is the first judgement on a DMA challenge by big tech, with cases lodged by Apple and Meta still pending.

"The Court dismisses ByteDance's action," it said. TikTok can appeal against the ruling within two months and 10 days of the decision.

TikTok had insisted it was the "most capable challenger" to entrenched players in the digital sphere, but the court dismissed that argument.

"TikTok had succeeded in increasing its number of users very rapidly and exponentially, reaching, in a short time, half the size of Facebook and of Instagram, and a particularly high engagement rate, with young users in particular, who spent more time on TikTok than on other social networks," the court said in a statement.

The judges acknowledged that in 2018, video sharing app TikTok was indeed a challenger but it had since then "rapidly consolidated its position and even strengthened that position over the following years" despite the launch of similar rival services.

"We are disappointed with this decision. TikTok is a challenger platform that provides important competition to incumbent players," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"While we will now evaluate next steps, we already took measures to comply with the relevant obligations of the DMA ahead of last March's deadline."

But the court determined "ByteDance met the quantitative thresholds laid down in the DMA".

For Brussels to name a company as a gatekeeper, they must fulfil certain conditions.

The criteria include having more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU and more than 10,000 yearly active business users established in the bloc.

Digital companies with an annual turnover in the EU of at least 7.5 billion euros ($8.2 billion) or a market value of above 75 billion euros also face the new curbs.

If a company violates the law, the EU can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's total global turnover. This can rise to 20 percent for repeat offenders and in the most severe circumstances, the EU can order the break-up of companies.

It is the second defeat in the courts for TikTok over the DMA. It lost a bid in February to suspend the strict new rules pending the judgement handed down Wednesday.

Big tech is not happy about the new law. Apple, contesting the DMA in the courts, has been vocal in its criticism, saying it puts users' security at risk.

US House easily passes TikTok ban bill as eyes turn to Senate The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Wednesday that would force TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or be banned in the United States.

TikTok transactions of OCOP products hit more than $4.1 million The One Commune One Product (OCOP) market initiative on the TikTok platform has reached 1.4 billion views in just a year in Vietnam, with over 800 livestream sessions.

Malaysia urges Meta, TikTok to curb harmful content Malaysia on April 9 required tech giants Meta and TikTok to come up with plans to counter harmful content online.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong last week said that Vietnam remains a magnet for foreign investors, who are planning to cultivate numerous projects in Vietnam in the near future.

Macroeconomic stability is an important factor to reinforce investors in the investment environment in Vietnam, Phuong said. The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) finds that foreign investors remain positive about Vietnams economic rise, showing their desire to continue investment here. Thereby, we can expect that the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow in 2024 will reach as much as $39-40 billion.

He elaborated that the ongoing expansion of many global-scale groups in the country still reinforces Vietnams position in the electric and electronic supply chain. These high-quality capital inflows also focus on localities that have advantages in investment attraction such as Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.

The growth in FDI of these localities in the first six months is a positive sign for our expectations of $39-40 billion in 2024, Phuong explained.

Expansion of global-scale groups reinforces Vietnams position, Phot Le Toan

This figure, if realised, is higher than that recorded in 2023, when in the face of global economic uncertainties, the Vietnamese economy still fetched $36.6 billion in FDI, up 32.1 per cent on-year.

Economic recovery, an increasingly improved business and investment climate, and the governments strong determination have helped Vietnam woo more FDI. MPI statistics showed that cumulatively as of June 20, Vietnam attracted nearly $15.19 billion, up 13.1 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

Notably, related disbursement in the first six months of the year reached $10.84 billion, representing an on-year ascension of 8.2 per cent. This is a record for the first half of a year in the last five years.

The top five localities in FDI attraction (Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, and Haiphong) reported approximately $7.7 billion, accounting for nearly half of the capital influx of the whole country.

Between January and June, the amount of capital in Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Quang Ninh reported increases of around 310 per cent, 1,230 per cent, and 308 per cent on-year, respectively.

Representatives of Phu My 3 Industrial Park in Ba Ria-Vung Tau said that in the first half of the year, the park attracted six foreign investors, with a total figure of more than $500 million. Two investors have been licensed, and the other four are completing licensing procedures.

The southern province will also continue to implement solutions to maintain the growth momentum. Le Anh Tu, deputy director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the land clearance is one of the most important pieces of work during the process to implement the projects.

Thus, in order to provide the best support for investors, the department will continue to coordinate with localities to guide in compensation and site clearance, creating clean available land to hand over to IP infrastructure developers as well as their tenants, Tu said.

According to him, in dealing with investment procedures related to land and environment, the department also strives to provide timely consultancy for each project.

For example, when tenants sign land renting contracts and implement projects, the department will urgently direct the Land Registration Office to carry out procedures for granting land ownership certificates in the fastest time, even faster than the regulations, so that businesses can immediately deploy and put the venture into operation on schedule, Tu said.

In addition, since announcing its provincial planning towards 2030 with a vision to 2050 last December, Ba Ria-Vung Tau has established a list of public and off-budget ventures and introduced investment locations in industry, seaports, logistics, urban areas, and tourism services.

According to the MPI, the FDI growth since early this year will lay firm groundwork for a continued rise in this kind of funding until the years end backed by growing confidence of investors. In addition, an FDI climb will contribute to economic growth, which is expected to 6.5-7 per cent this year.

However, Vietnam must still resolve several problems to unlock the FDI inflows in the second half of the year.

The MPI noted in its report on the situation that the country must urgently prepare skilled human resources, especially in semiconductor electronics. The second urgent mission is to overcome electricity shortages in some localities, concentrating on many electronic industry projects.

Another important task is to review procedures to simplify and shorten processing times, especially procedures after granting investment registration certificates such as construction or fire prevention permits.
Amid significant congestion recorded at major maritime hubs worldwide, Vietnam is emerging as a viable alternative. With traditional centres like Singapore in Southeast Asia under immense pressure, Vietnams ports offer a strategic option to alleviate the burden and manage the overflow of regional shipments effectively.

Vu Nguyen Hanh, editor of Vietnam Briefing at Dezan Shira & Associates

Like major shipping centres worldwide, Singapore is experiencing its worst port congestion since the pandemic. The situation, part of the broader disruption in global supply chains, is the ripple effect of various factors.

According to data from analytics firm Linerlytica, global port congestion dipped slightly from the 2.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) waiting at anchorages by mid-June to 2.24 million TEU by the end of June.

Southeast Asian ports accounted for 23 per cent of the capacity waiting for berthing slots worldwide, as ports in Asia remain a congestion hotspot. Specifically, Singapore witnessed a 45-day delay in berthing despite vessel omissions reducing the vessel queues. Neighbouring ports of Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas experienced delays of up to 2-3 days.

In China, the worst-affected ports are Shanghai and Ningbo, with delays of four and two days, respectively.

It is important to note that berthing, which typically takes less than a day, is now a prolonged process. This is particularly critical given that Singapore is the worlds second-largest container port.

The primary reason for the bottleneck in global shipping is the relentless Houthi rebel aggression and piracy attacks in the Red Sea. This has prevented vessels from routing through the area, forcing a longer navigation around Africa. The change of routes is causing ships to miss their sailing schedules and have fewer available port calls, leading to significant delays and offloading more cargo than usual when berthing at big transshipment hubs like Singapore.

Consultancy Drewry Maritime Advisors has indicated a significant 22 per cent increase in Singapores average offload volume of cargoes from January to May, indicating the scale of the issue.

Adding to the pressure, liners are now compelled to expedite their schedules to avoid the impending US tariffs on Chinese goods, including steel and medical products, set to take effect in August. These ships, which typically traverse the Strait of Malacca and dock in Singapore, are further burdening the countrys ports with additional vessels.

Leaders of DHL Global Forwarding Asia-Pacific also highlighted that the peak shipping season arrived earlier this year as firms worldwide accelerated their restocking to prepare for higher demands. According to data provider Descartes, the 10 largest US seaports recorded a 12 per cent increase in the total container import volume in May. Freight shipments from Asia to Europe are also on the rise as restocking attempts are accounted for.

Overcrowded ports of call

While redirecting entire cargo loads to alternate ports might not be feasible, liners are being advised to redistribute their cargo to less busy ports to relieve major hubs from current pressures. This approach will both reduce delays and optimise available port infrastructures.

While Singapore and other regional hubs are experiencing tension, Vietnams ports might be plausible alternatives. Bordering Thailand through the Gulf of Thailand, Vietnam boasts 3,260km of coastline and 320 ports, making it a notable trade point for both the west and east.

Among the 320 ports in Vietnam are 44 seaports with a total capacity of handling 700 million tonnes annually. In 2022, Lloyd Maritime Company from the United Kingdom ranked three of Vietnams seaports in the top 50 globally in terms of cargo throughput: Saigon Port (ranked 22nd), Haiphong (28th), and Cai Mep (32nd).

As crises disrupt global supply chains, particularly freight shipments, efforts are underway to build up port infrastructure and capacity in Vietnam to carry some of the load from China and Singapore. The Vietnamese government has significantly invested in technology and infrastructure, aiming to elevate port capacity to 400 million tonnes by 2030.

Liners may find viable ports across Vietnams different regions. The North Key Economic Zone, hosting diverse industries including manufacturing, electronics, and logistics, has two major ports: Haiphong and Vung Ang.

Haiphong International Container Terminal is a deepwater port that can accommodate container ships up to 14,000TEU. It supports direct shipping to critical markets like the United States and the EU, and it can also help alleviate the demand for product shipments through other regional maritime hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

In central Vietnam, Quy Nhon and Danang stand out as primary ports, with the latter being a deepwater port. Positioned as the terminus of the East-West Economic Corridor, the central city of Danang connects Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, and serves as the main gateway to the East Sea for the entire region.

The port also serves as a maritime hub, with over 1,700 ships traversing its waters, handling 12 million tonnes of cargo, and a container capacity of approximately 680,000 TEU. Meanwhile, Quy Nhon Port in the south-central province of Binh Dinh is easily accessible to neighbouring countries like Laos and Cambodia. It also boasts 10 maritime routes connecting to international ports like Singapore, Thailand, and Japan.

In southern Vietnam, Saigon Port, formed by a network of ports in the commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City, is one of six primary seaports in the country. Its facility is capable of handling post-Panamax ships. Known for its high productivity and cargo-handling capacity of approximately 10 million tonnes annually, Saigon Port plays a central role in the regions economic landscape.

Additionally, Cai Mep-Thi Vai, situated approximately 80km south of Ho Chi Minh City, is a deepwater port predominantly serving Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces, major production centres in southern Vietnam.

The preferred port for shipping routes to the US and EU markets still has room to accommodate more shipments, as it currently operates at only about 30 per cent of its capacity. Cai Mep International Terminal is among the select terminals in Southeast Asia capable of accommodating the worlds largest container vessels.

Looking beyond major ports

Dealing with port congestion should not be a short-term remedy, but must be part of any forward companys risk management strategy.

Various impetuses could lead to port congestion, not necessarily unforeseeable causes like the Houthi crisis. The most common factors causing overload at maritime hubs worldwide are influx from demand surges, labour or equipment shortages in port operations, time-consuming shipping customs clearance, inadequate storage facilities, weather hazards, poor infrastructure, increased spending, and reliance on manual processes.

Apart from delays and changes in sailing schedules, port congestion typically leads to cost hikes, as ships consume more fuel and resources while waiting to unload their cargo. This, in turn, culminates in higher operational expenses for shipping companies, which are ultimately transferred to consumers through higher prices for goods.

Furthermore, the chain reactions from port congestion could interfere with the flow of goods around the world, creating bottlenecks in global supply chains and resulting in product scarcity and potential economic downturns.

To prevent and address the issue early, liners should actively add buffer time to their shipping schedules while spreading out shipments to avoid long queues at high-traffic ports. Diversifying the port options for different types of cargo and vessels is also a feasible strategy, as not all ports suffer from congestion at once.

Forwarding firms should also apply software solutions to mitigate the problems, such as virtual warehousing or automated port call tools. These tools allow businesses to make informed decisions and streamline their supply chains.

Moreover, liners are advised to optimise spaces in their empty containers, monitor port operation and congestion news, opt for blank sailing to minimise losses, and consider shipper-owned containers to have greater flexibility in choosing routes and destinations.

Firms are also advised to seek expert help from consultancies, as their distinct needs may require tailor-made solutions. Lastly, port authorities, shipping companies, and logistics providers must closely coordinate to ensure smooth operations and prevent blockages.

Shipping costs continue to climb Rising logistics costs are eroding profits and forcing exporters to freeze orders, as well as revealing inadequacies in the management of foreign shipping companies operating in the waters of Vietnam.

Shipping tickers prove lucrative Uptrend freight rates, high demand for freight transport, and falling fuel prices are likely to boost shipping firms profits in the second half of 2024, as well as creating appeal for this ticker group.
This message was conveyed at the 41st International Footwear Conference (CIFA 41) on July 9 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The demand for eco-conscious production is pressing for the leather and footwear sectors, as they rank as the second highest polluting industries globally and contribute the most carbon emissions during production.

Nguyen Duc Thuan, chairman of both the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) and major Vietnamese footwear and handbag company TBS Group, underscored this point at CIFA 41. "The path forward for Vietnamese footwear producers lies in automation, AI, and a commitment to green growth, he said.

This push for sustainability coincides with stricter regulations from key import markets like the EU. In March, the EU, one of Vietnam's major buyers of leather, footwear, and handbags, introduced new requirements such as eco-designs and supply chain traceability and transparency. Additionally, from 2026, the bloc will establish the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, imposing costs on imports to encourage emission reductions and cleaner production technologies.

To meet these evolving demands, Vietnam must rapidly enhance supply chain transparency, adopting circular economy practices throughout the production chain.

"Sourcing raw materials that meet these new social and environmental standards while maintaining efficiency is a major challenge for footwear companies," Nguyen Quang Vu, chairman of the Binh Duong Leather and Footwear Association, told Binh Duong News.

The local media also noted that currently, Vietnam relies heavily on imported raw materials from China, South Korea, and ASEAN nations. To ensure traceability of quality and origin factors, the industry requires a standardised and transparent domestic supply market to foster growth, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The path forward for Vietnamese footwear producers lies in automation, AI, and a commitment to green growth.

Digital transformation also plays a crucial role. Implementing digital management systems will enhance operational efficiency and ensure product traceability, a key requirement for compliance with new regulations. Collaboration between Vietnamese footwear producers is equally important to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.

Thuan emphasised the need for bold adaptation across the industry. "From design and materials to technology investment and distribution methods, Vietnamese footwear must evolve to meet changing consumer preferences," he said.

TBS Group exemplified this commitment with its newly established handbag research and development (R&D) centre and proposed materials trading centre.

Despite challenges, Vietnam boasts a strong foundation. LEFASO statistics revealed Vietnam's position as the world's third-largest footwear producer (behind China and India) with a 1.3 billion-pair annual output and 5.4 per cent market share. As the second-largest footwear exporter globally (after China) with 1.2 billion pairs exported annually and a 7.3 per cent market share, Vietnam is well-positioned for continued success.

The Vietnamese government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade project a total export turnover of $38-40 billion for footwear and handbags by 2030. By 2035, the industry aspires to achieve sustainable and efficient development based on the circular economy model. This ambitious vision included completing the domestic production value chain, actively participating in the global value chain, and fostering the development of regional and global Vietnamese brands.

Leather industry faces challenges to maintain growth The Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) expects to face many challenges this year in its efforts to maintain growth in the industry, according to the company's chairman, Nguyen Duc Thuan. This is despite the sector overcoming many difficulties to achieve impressive export turnover in 2022.

Textiles and footwear industries face challenges Vietnamese textile and footwear businesses that participate in the supply chain are facing a slew of new possibilities and difficulties, according to industry insiders.

Footwear sector further penetrates global supply chain Vietnams footwear sector is now beginning to see positive signs after export revenue for footwear and handbags fell 11 percent year-on-year to 19.5 billion USD in 2020, making it one of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19.
The vibrant pace of life, diversity in culinary culture, and prosperity of Ho Chi Minh City have been skilfully depicted by Savoure through the design and message on each gift box as well as the exquisite flavours ranging from traditional to modern of these special cakes in this years collection.

Furthermore, good luck wishes are included in each box, the collection creates meaningful gifts for family, relatives, friends and partners. The box set includes six different designs with impressive and diverse colours, providing a plethora of choices for customers.

Inspired by the image of the Jade Rabbit on a moonlit night, the "Tho Saigon" box set launches in four colourful, cheerful and heart-warming versions, portraying interesting stories with the youthful style of the city life. Each box includes one cake (250g or 185g) priced from VND135,000 ($5.60) with a variety of flavours to choose from.

With a choice of two cake boxes (185g or 250g), customers can choose the "Phu Quy" box with a design bearing the image of a splendid peacock on a fresh and vibrant green background, or the "Phon Vinh" box with the image of a red phoenix.

Combo Phon Vinh  two cakes of 185g costs VND340,000 ($14) and Combo Phu Quy  two cakes of 250g is priced at VND525,000 ($22).

Most prominent in this year's collection, the "Sung Tuc" box depicts a picture of a bountiful harvest under the full moon with a unique dragonfly design expressing wishes for prosperity, success and happiness. Combo "Sung Tuc" with four pre-selected cake flavours (250g per cake) has a special price of VND756,000 ($31.50) per box.

Moreover, the "Sung Tuc" Box can be upgraded to the limited edition "Savoure Signature Combo" bearing the brand's signature with four best-selling flavours (185g per cake): Saigon mixed, dragon fruit with coconut and melon seeds, bamboo charcoal with molten salted egg, and passion fruit blue pea flower with tea boxes (seven packs), packed in a high-quality fabric bag, with additional gifts and a special price of only VND635,000 ($26.50) per box.

A new feature in this year's gift box set is the "Tai Loc" box with metallic material which highlights the image of a carp turning into a dragon.

The "Tho Saigon" box set

The most luxurious of Savoure Bakery's gift set is the "Thinh Vuong" box with lacquer material combined with modern designs to create a vivid picture of a pair of Koi fish in a lotus pond, bringing wishes of prosperity, luck and peace.

This Mid-Autumn Festival, Savoure Bakery offers a diverse selection of 16 cake flavours from traditional to modern, including salty, sweet, and vegetarian. The most popular cake flavours include Saigon mix, mixed scallops with truffle oil and Savoure sauce, green tea with red beans and lotus seeds, and salted egg bamboo charcoal or butterfly pea mixed with passion fruit and lotus seeds.

Savoure Bakery aims to spread loving values through specific contributions towards the community, and is accompanying the Nang Buoc Tuoi Tho Foundation throughout its many years of philanthropy activities. In particular, for each moon cake sold, an additional VND2,000 (8 US cents) will be contributed to raise funds helping disadvantaged children.

InterContinental Saigon unveils Ly Ngu Vong Nguyet mooncake collection Ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, InterContinental Saigon is presenting its 2023 mooncake collection with two elegant and sophisticated box designs.

Lotte Hotel Saigon launches mooncake collection Lotte Hotel Saigon is launching its Mau Don Phu Quy mooncake collection with the message beautiful peony, full of wealth, sending its best wishes to every family across the nation.
With its prime location and iconic design, Riverfront Financial Centre is expected to become a convergence point for prestigious domestic and international financial institutions.

Riverfront Financial Centre boasts a unique position, and is the premier tower on Ton Duc Thang street in the heart of District 1. The building is expected to become a symbol of financial activities in Ho Chi Minh City. With a fantastic view of the Saigon River, Riverfront Financial Centre brings positive energy and abundant vitality, which are sources of sustainable and prosperous values.

Thanks to its prime location, Riverfront Financial Centre offers easy connectivity to commercial buildings, large office towers, embassies, government agencies, and bustling neighbouring districts such as districts 2, 3, and 4. Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) will also make commutes more convenient from Thu Duc city and Di An city (Binh Duong) when it goes into operation. The improved connectivity is forecast to motivate financial companies and banks to increase connections, promote transactions and investments, and offer comprehensive financial services.

Riverfront Financial Centre showcases unique, modern architecture, comprising 26 floors, one ground floor, and five basement parking levels, with a total rental area of 32,010 square metres. Each floor has an average area of 1,383sq.m for low-rise storeys (L2 - L12) and 1,428sq.m for high-rise storeys (L12A - L25).

The building is designed in line with the LEED Gold standard appraised and evaluated by the United States Green Building Council to meet the requirements of energy savings, environmental protection, good air circulation, and low-emission materials.

With a focus on greenery, the building's entire exterior design is covered with transparent glass boxes to save energy, take advantage of natural light, and provide a valuable panoramic view, giving customers relaxing moments after stressful working hours.

In addition, an imported tempered glass system is equipped with two layers of sound insulation, heat insulation, and UV protection according to the strict standards of a Grade A+ office building. This, coupled with an air filtration system, creates a healthy and fresh working environment.

Riverfront Financial Centre is a modern project with state-of-the-art amenities as a Grade A+ office building. The building has 12 high-speed elevators, 24/7 security cameras, standard fire alarm and extinguishing systems, high-quality imported flooring and stone cladding materials, a 100mm raised floor system according to new office design standards, safe sanitary equipment, a security turnstile system, and a smart parking system. All amenities provide a comfortable and luxurious working environment, contributing to creating the image of a thriving business.

Furthermore, tenants at Riverfront Financial Centre will also have the opportunity to experience high-end services, such as a sky bar, restaurants, and a gym.

With a luxurious, modern working space, five-star amenities, and a friendly environment, Riverfront Financial Centre will become a symbol as a leading financial tower, contributing to laying the foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to achieve the goal of becoming an international financial hub by 2030.

Contact for rent: +84 899 455 455

VPBank is the first bank to choose Riverfront Financial Centre as its transaction office. VPBank's office headquarters are at Riverfront Financial Centre, the most modern building in Ho Chi Minh City. With its prime location and world-class design, the office tower will help the bank create sustainable, prosperous values.

VPBank highlights SMBC deal at AGM Nguyen Duc Vinh, CEO of VPBank, spoke of the significant strides made last year at the bank's AGM on April 29, despite the challenges. A highlight of the year was VPBank selling a stake to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), infusing nearly $1.5 billion into the bank and positioning VPBank for growth as the economy recovers.

VPBank's strategy to revitalise 'zero-dong bank' At its recent AGM on April 29, questions were posed about VPBank's engagement in the restructuring of financially distressed banks, often referred to as 'zero-dong bank'.
The new investment will raise the company's output to 34 new products while boosting its annual capacity from 1.21 billion to 1.57 billion items.

The expansion is part of the company's long-term plan to tap into the growing market demand for new products. Among them, electronic circuit boards, electric vehicle controllers, and ATN antennas for mobile devices are the company's flagship products.

The project is slated to be implemented next month, spanning 6.54 hectares in Khai Quang Industrial Park, Vinh Phuc province.

Partron Vina began operating in Vietnam in 2008 with an initial investment of $4 million. The company mainly engages in manufacturing all kinds of phone components, including main parts such as cameras, phone antennas, chargers, and wireless headphones.

The company has adjusted its investment capital several times, reaching $150 million in 2015. At that time, the company posted a revenue of $60 million and contributed VND1.5 billion ($59,116) to the local budget in Vinh Phuc.

Partron is one of Samsung Electronics Vietnam's key suppliers, offering high-quality products. The company also produces components for other electronics companies, such as Amazon. Partron's products are sold across several international markets, including South Korea, India, and Brazil.

The South Korean company currently runs three factories in South Korea, China, and Vietnam.

South Korean conglomerates seek investment framework for wind and gas energy At a forum in Seoul on July 1, leaders of some South Korean conglomerates expressed their desire for the Vietnamese government to establish mechanisms and provide legal and financial support to facilitate investments and the completion of wind and gas power projects.

Vietnam still a magnet for South Korean investors Vietnam remains a magnet for major South Korean investors, and a basis for them to reach out globally, nearly 10 years after a major free trade deal between the pair materialised.
On July 10, Bat Trang Museum joined Google Arts & Culture to become the first private museum in Vietnam to appear on Google's digitalised art platform.

High-quality images of over 30 artefacts created by late artisan Vu Thang during his nearly 50-year career in traditional pottery are featured on the platform. Notable among these are a collection of landscape vases depicting three regions, a pair of dragon-embossed vases commemorating 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi, and a ceramic shoe that gained attention in the Bat Trang Ceramic Shoe exhibition.

Additionally, Bat Trang Museum presents cultural stories about the 700-year-old pottery village and its people in Vietnamese and English on Google Arts & Culture.

A digital collection of Bat Trang Museum's ceramic and pottery products on Google Arts and Culture

"We hope that the story of Bat Trang pottery village and the unique legacy of artisan Vu Thang's distinctive ceramic style will reach a wider audience and inspire art and culture enthusiasts, not only in Vietnam but worldwide," said Vu Khanh Tung, director of Bat Trang Museum.

Google Arts & Culture incorporates modern features like gigapixel technology, VR, and more for comprehensive cultural experiences. Since 2011, the platform has partnered with over 3,000 cultural organisations across 80 countries, creating an accessible global cultural heritage knowledge repository.

Since 2021, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to showcase Vietnamese wonders, culture, and art. Notable projects include "Wonders of Vietnam", featuring the Trang An landscape complex and the Son Doong cave system; and "Vibrant Vietnam", highlighting cultural themes from across the country.

As a member of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, Hanoi emphasises cultural industry development. In 2022, Hanoi Party Committee issued a resolution on cultural industry development, emphasising the role of traditional craft villages and the importance of digitalisation.

In the Vietnamese government's strategy for cultural industry development towards 2030, handicrafts are identified as crucial components of culture and foundations for innovation in creative design and cultural tourism.

Hanois two more craft villages recognised as tourist destinations The administration of Hanoi recently designated two craft villages in Phu Xuyen district as tourist destinations, a move aimed to develop not only local crafts but also tourism.

Ceramics and pottery of Vietnam conquer the hearts of consumers at home and abroad Vietnams pottery and ceramics are among its long-standing and proud handicrafts, that look back onto a history of millennia. To further expose these goods to domestic and international customers, the Vietnam Value Programme promotes some of the potters and their brands as national brands.
Vietfood & Beverage  Propack Vietnam 2024 will focus on providing an environment for businesses to meet, expand partners in the supply chain, connect directly to manufacturers, and share experience and exchanges. The event will also open the way for businesses to access advanced scientific and technological achievements in food and beverage production and business.

Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Vietnam 2023

Following the success of 27 editions, Vietfood & Beverage  Propack 2024 has innovated and expanded. Specifically, this years exhibition will have a display area of up to 36,000 square metres with 1,200 booths (an increase of 40 per cent compared to 2023).

This year, the exhibition will welcome popular Vietnamese enterprises such as Masan Group, Tan Nhat Huong, Dan On, Binh Vinh, Luong Gia, Intermix, Richy, Golden Rice, DH Food, and Yilin.

In the beverage section, visitors will find Hanoi Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Joint Stock Corporation, Coca Cola Vietnam Beverage Company Limited, and Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group, among others.

A tea brand from Fujian province in China is also expected to attract a large number of customers.

In addition, the exhibition will feature pavilions from China, India, Poland, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. The Polish pavilion will be appearing for the eighth consecutive exhibition, providing a flavourful European experience. The booth run by the Russian Federation Trade Promotion Centre will be back for a second year in a row, while buffalo meat from India will feature with a series of world-famous brands including Allanasons, Mirha Exports, Rustam Foods, Al-Hamd, Fair export, and APK.

At the Taiwan pavilion supported by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), a rich culinary heritage space with dishes, beverages, delicious bubble tea, puddings, and iconic sweets from the country will be on display.

Besides food and beverages, many companies will be exhibiting the most advanced technological equipment in processing, packaging, and food and beverage labelling industry, such as Liksin Industry - Printing - Packaging Corporation, Song Hiep Loi Company, and V.M.S Trading & Engineering Co., Ltd.

There will be a series of technical seminars during Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Vietnam 2024, exploring important topics that are vital for businesses in the economic integration process.

For example, with unpredictable climate changes, the event will highlight the role of businesses in committing and taking action to protect the environment during a seminar themed "Towards Net-Zero: Strategies and Solutions for carbon reduction in the food industry".

A seminar titled "Green Packaging - The inevitable trend of food packaging" will also be held to examine the use of plastic packaging and highlight the need to convert to green packaging.

Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Vietnam 2024 will launch an additional initiative to visit and meet businesses operating in Long Hau Industrial Park. These businesses will be able to work directly with one another, exchange practical production and business experiences, and find a common voice for long-term cooperation.

Not only a place to foster valuable deals, Vietfood & Beverage - Propack Vietnam 2024 will also take advantage of the "eat" and "drink" elements to diversify and modernise activities. The highlight will be a beverage workshop titled "Sweet class Ohla  Pride in Vietnamese fruits", an opportunity for those working in the beverage industry to share the secrets of success from Vietnamese fruit.

Dedicated to food enthusiasts, a cooking class will have two topics: Sous Vide Filet Mignon food art and Beef Wellington food art.

The organiser, VINEXAD, expects valuable contracts to be signed, the circle of cooperation to be expanded, and a strong business community to be formed through the event.

Key food and beverage players acquiring new shares Merger and acquisition activity in Vietnams food and beverage market continues to pick up, as evidenced by several major transactions.

Alcoholic beverage groups urged to track trends The alcoholic beverage industry is expected to continue facing hiccups until 2024 as revenue and profit of many brands remain on the decline.
Apple, NVIDIA, and Anthropic allegedly used transcripts from over 173,000 YouTube videos to train their AI models without any permission.

Proof News' recent investigation found that the companies have obtained the dataset from a nonprofit company called Eleuther AI.

Read Also : FTC Requires Amazon to Provide More Details on Its Deal With AI Startup Adept

YouTube Video Transcripts Allegedly Help Train AI Models

Proof News shared that around 173,536 subtitles from YouTube videos were gathered from more than 48,000 channels to complete the dataset. Silicon Valley giants like Apple, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Anthropic have allegedly used the data.

The dataset featured transcripts across various content on YouTube like Khan Academy, MIT, NPR, BBC, "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and more. Materials from popular creators like MrBeast, Marques Brownlee, Pewdiepie, and Jacksepticeye were also spotted.

Proof News also clarified that the dataset is focused on supplying plain text subtitles and did not include any video imagery. The majority of the subtitles gathered were in languages like Japanese, German, and Arabic.

AI Companies Faces Scrutiny From Content Creators

AI companies have been receiving complaints and copyright infringement lawsuits due to the issue of data scraping. According to YouTube, using its data to train AI models is a violation of the platform's terms and services.

The creator of MKBHD, Brownlee, expressed that data scraping is "going to be an evolving problem for a long time." He also noted how Apple seemingly avoids being at fault due to indirect scraping.

Similarly, Anthrophic spokesperson Jennifer Martinez referred the potential violations to the authors of the dataset, also known as "The Pile." The AI company emphasized that YouTube's term only covers the direct use of the platform and that using The Pile is a different case.

Apple, NVIDIA, and other companies have not responded to the issue.
China International Capital Corporation (CICC) is witnessing more opportunities for Chinese corporate clients in Vietnam. In June, it opened a representative office in the country, expanding its presence in Southeast Asia.

Stephen Ng, head of Southeast Asia and Singapore CEO at CICC, said that in Vietnam, CICCs mission extends beyond establishing a physical presence. It aims to plant the seeds for long-term partnerships. Its goal is to integrate its expertise with Vietnams entrepreneurial spirit, empowering local businesses and connecting them with the global capital market.

We are committed to deepening our engagement, forging strategic alliances, and dedicating ourselves to the sustainable development of Vietnams economic landscape. We foresee a synergistic relationship with shared knowledge, resources, and visions, cultivating a fertile ground for mutual success and long-lasting impact, Ng said.

Vietnam benefits from China+1 policy shift, Photo: foxconn.com.vn

Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, has become a forerunner of relocation trends in the manufacturing industry, as its customers increasingly demand China+1 production. At the beginning of July, Foxconn received investment certificates for two projects worth $551 million in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, reaffirming its commitment to this diversification strategy.

According to World Investment Report 2024 published on June 20, Hon Hai Precision Industry and Samsung Electronics have reassessed their manufacturing footprint in China because of trade tensions. A significant portion of their products, especially chips and high technology electronics, are produced in fabrication plants in China and exported to the United States. Hon Hai reduced its greenfield projects in China from 23 to 6, while Samsung reduced its ventures from 9 to 1.

The report pointed out both companies have started investing in new manufacturing facilities in their home markets and in other countries such as Vietnam, India and Mexico. Hon Hai Precision Industry tripled the number of manufacturing projects in Vietnam.

At a meeting in China with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in late June, Sun Rongkun, chairman of Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock, said that the company, which currently exports its railway products to Vietnam, wants to continue to expand its exports to Vietnam, and boost cooperation in producing rail transport and new energy products here.

It also wishes to cooperate in interregional, interprovincial, and urban railway projects in Vietnam, particularly urban railway lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In terms of the China+1 strategy, Vietnam has stood out as a well-connected country compared to the likes of Laos and Myanmar. Its extensive network of free trade agreements also enhances its attractiveness as a manufacturing and export hub.

Hence, experts say Vietnam would be best advised to adapt and leverage its unique strengths by improving its infrastructure connections with China, which includes enhancing rail connections between Haiphong, Hanoi, Kunming, and Nanning, which are currently under discussion.

Meanwhile, Michael Kokalari, chief economist of VinaCapital, said there are concerns about the competition in foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction from India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

In Indonesia, there are some FDI activities going on there, mainly to produce battery metals for electric vehicles. There is also some FDI going into Malaysia, which includes higher-end microchips and also some data centres. Meanwhile, most of the FDI flows into India in recent years have been primarily to produce local items and so, for now, India is not really a threat to FDI in Vietnam.

According to a report by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of June, China is the fifth-largest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of $1.3 billion, up two-thirds against the same period last year. China also takes a lead in terms of the number of new projects, accounting for 29 per cent of foreign-led ventures.

Stephen Olson, who is a senior adjunct fellow of the Pacific Forum and visiting lecturer at the US-based Yeutter Institute told VIR that as trade tensions rise between China and the US, Vietnam a logical and attractive production alternative for China-based electronics manufacturing.

Lower labour costs in Vietnam are certainly one important factor to consider, but the Vietnamese government has also been offering tax breaks and other incentives to encourage Chinese firms to relocate. Other cost considerations are more neutral. The cost of electricity, water, and other utilities is about in the same in both countries, Olson said.

Most recently, Vietnam has been stepping up plans to set up an investment support fund to lure foreign investments. Money and financial considerations are important but they are not the only factor for multinational corporations. They will also want to see evidence that Vietnam has the skilled labour force and infrastructure to support their operations, Olson explained.

Finally, Vietnam must be careful not to get caught in a bidding war with other countries to see who can offer the highest incentives, Olson added.

Vietnam remains an attractive investment for Taiwanese firms SSI Asset Management (SSIAM) and Union Securities Investment Trust Company (USITC), a subsidiary of Union Bank of Taiwan (UBOT), have agreed to establish a cooperative relationship that covers customer development, investment funds, and the sharing of investment opportunities, and more.

Investors from Taiwan keen on diversification Taiwanese investors, especially those operating in electronics and high-tech manufacturing, are increasingly paying attention to Vietnam, to relocate or diversify their supply chains.
On July 16, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, under South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, launched the "Vietnam-South Korea Enhanced Partnership Week 2024".

Lee Ji Huyng, director of Economic and Trade Cooperation at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency

Speaking at the event, Hoang highly praised the relationship between Vietnam and South Korea, noting that in the past five years, South Korea has been one of the leading investors in Vietnam in terms of both total registered investment capital and number of projects.

As of June this year, cumulative direct investment from South Korea in Vietnam had reached nearly $87.5 billion with more than 10,000 investment projects. Of this, investment in the manufacturing and processing industry accounts for nearly 75 per cent of the total registered capital and 25 per cent of the total number of projects, said Hoang.

In the first six months alone, South Korea invested $1.4 billion, ranking fourth among 84 countries and territories, an increase of 16 per cent on-year, he added.

Vietnam continues to be a priority partner for South Korea in terms of development aid, receiving about 20 per cent of South Koreas total assistance. Priority sectors for South Korea's official development assistance (ODA) include urban transportation infrastructure, education and training, the environment, clean energy, and IT.

The number of investors participating in Vietnam is rapidly increasing. Soon, Vietnam will welcome robust investment flow from South Korea worth tens of billions of USD, Hoang affirmed.

The development cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea was emphasised during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's meeting with 14 CEOs and chairpersons of major South Korean corporations in early July.

Outlining the direction for foreign investment cooperation, Hoang stated that Vietnam will proactively attract and selectively cooperate with foreign investments. The main evaluation criteria will include quality, efficiency, technology, and environmental protection.

He said, The priority sectors for attraction will be electronics, semiconductors, renewable energy, the digital economy and digital transformation, high-tech agriculture, financial centres, innovation, and research and development. Additionally, clean land funds have been prepared, and a high-quality workforce is ready to welcome investment waves.

At the same event, Lee Ji-Hyung, director of Economic and Trade Cooperation at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, noted that Vietnam is also South Korea's third-largest trade partner, only behind the United States and China.

Through trade promotions, we expect South Korean businesses to be capable of participating in key infrastructure projects and prioritised sectors, Ji-Hyung said.

PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer acquires Korea - Vietnam Fertilizer Petro Vietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer JSC (PVCFC, ticker: DCM) completed the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in Korea - Vietnam Fertiliser (KVF) on May 17. Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment has issued a new business registration certificate for the single-member limited liability company KVF.

South Korea and Vietnam hold business forum in Seoul The South Korea-Vietnam Business Forum, co-hosted by the South Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Vietnamese Planning and Investment Ministry, was held in Seoul on July 1 to mark the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs visit to the country this week.
The report released on July 12 pointed out that industrial parks (IPs) and economic zones (EZs) account for 35-40 per cent of total annual registered FDI, or 70-80 per cent of annual registered FDI in the manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, industrial land rental fees for building a factory account for about 10 per cent of the total cost of an FDI project. Thus, the industrial property segment is expected to continue to benefit directly from stable growth of FDI.

In the first half of 2024, registered FDI reached $15.2 billion (up 13.1 per cent on-year) and disbursed FDI reached $10.8 billion (up 8.2 per cent). Bac Ninh rose to become the top province in the country for attracting registered FDI in the first half of 2024 thanks to Amkor's semiconductor material production project with additional investment of $1.07 billion.

By the end of June 2024, Vietnam had 429 established IPs with a total area of over 134,500 hectares. The industrial land market in Vietnam remains fragmented, with VSIP (a joint venture between Becamex owning 49 per cent and Sempcorp owning 51 per cent) continuing to lead with more than 7,500ha of industrial land and a market share of 5.6 per cent. Vietnam Rubber Group ranks second with over 7,000ha, accounting for a 5.2 per cent market share.

The report shows that the remaining land available for lease is limited, especially in the southern region, so companies are actively expanding their land banks. This is favouring companies with rubber plantations that are permitted to be converted into industrial land such as Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR) and Phuoc Hoa Rubber (PHR).

According to ACBS' statistics, among listed companies, Saigon VRG (SIP) has the largest remaining net leasable area (NLA) of over 1,000ha concentrated in Tay Ninh (772ha), Dong Nai (133ha) and Ho Chi Minh City (130ha). Next is Becamex (BCM) with the remaining NLA of 848ha in Binh Duong, and Viglacera (VGC) with 848ha.

In the first half of 2024, three listed companies were approved for new IPs. Viglacera (VGC) was approved to invest in Song Cong 2 IP in Thai Nguyen (296ha) and Doc Da Trang IP in Khanh Hoa (288ha), while GVR was approved to invest in Hiep Thanh IP - Phase 1 in Tay Ninh (495ha). IDICO (IDC) also received the green light to invest in Tan Phuoc 1 IP in Tien Giang (470ha).

According to CBRE, by the end of the second quarter of 2024, average land rental prices in the tier-1 market in the north (including Hanoi, Haiphong, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Hai Duong) reached $134 per square metre per remaining term (up 4.5 per cent year-on-year), while occupancy rate was 83 per cent, a slight increase compared to 82.6 per cent in the same period last year.

The tier-1 markets in the south (including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An) had an average land rental price of $173 per sq.m per remaining term (up one per cent year-on-year). Occupancy rate increased to 92 per cent compared to 85.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2023.

It is expected that land rental prices from 2024-2026 will continue to grow by 6-7 per cent per year in the north and 3-7 per cent in the south. New supply is gradually moving to tier-2 markets (Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tay Ninh and Binh Phuoc) where there are lower rents and improved traffic connections to tier-1 markets thanks to ongoing and planned expressway and ring road projects.

The trend of developing smart and ecological IPs using renewable energy and better water and waste treatment systems will become increasingly popular as manufacturing corporations try to reduce emissions and save energy to meet their net-zero commitments.

Capital flows strongly into industrial real estate As the economy is still facing difficulties, industrial real estate has become one of the most attractive sectors for investors.

Ready-built factory market on the up In the first half of 2024, the industrial real estate market continued to show positive developments.
On July 16, VinFast inaugurated three dealerships - VinFast Aseana, VinFast ESDA, and VinFast Alabang - strategically located in Manila's prime areas, showcasing electric car models VF5, VF7, and VF9.

Among these models, the VF5 is now available for purchase. Customers in the Philippines can experience and order the vehicle at VinFast dealerships and through the companys website.

Grand opening of a VinFast dealership in the Philippines

Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, general director of VinFast Philippines stated, "The simultaneous opening of our first three dealerships in the Philippines marks a significant milestone in our journey to conquer this promising electric vehicle market. The interest and support for VinFast over the past period have reaffirmed the brand's appeal and our potential in the Philippine market."

Allan Ong, general director of VinFast Aseana owner K1 Prestige Bay Motors, spoke highly of the upcoming collaboration between the two parties, suggesting that VinFast has all the necessary elements to thrive in a promising market like the Philippines.

"As VinFast's strategic partner, we are extremely impressed with the brand's rapid global expansion and enormous potential in the Philippine market. With many years of experience in the automotive industry and an extensive network of dealerships, we are confident in becoming a reliable companion, partnering with VinFast to explore and grow in this vibrant market," Ong said.

In the Philippines, VinFast will implement a market-leading after-sales policy, including a 7-10 year warranty for all models and a free battery maintenance and replacement policy if the maximum battery capacity drops below 70 per cent, applicable for battery rental options, providing peace of mind to customers throughout their ownership.

VinFast plans to continue expanding its dealership network in major centres and cities across the Philippines in 2024. This expansion aims to increase brand recognition, quickly tap into the market potential, and meet the growing demand for electric transportation in the country.

VinFast targets 2025 start in India and Indonesia VinFast has decided to accelerate the establishment of its manufacturing facilities in India and Indonesia to leverage attractive government incentives.

VinFast seeks $250 million loan from Indonesian banks for Subang Assembly plant According to a report on July 10 by Bloomberg, VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, is seeking a loan of approximately $250 million from Indonesian banks to construct an assembly plant in Subang.
One of Cameron Park Zoos oldest animals, a southern white rhinoceros, died Wednesday. The zoo has not yet announced whether it intends to acquire another rhinoceros to fill the exhibit.

Jabba, the zoos male southern white rhinoceros, was 43 years old. The median life expectancy for southern white rhinoceroses is 36.5 years, which made Jabba the fourth oldest male in zoos around the world, according to a zoo press release.

With a global zoo population of 726, there are now only three male southern white rhinoceroses older than Jabba was, with the oldest male being 47 years old, the press release says.

Southern white rhinoceroses are classified as near threatened by conservation organizations due to various threats in their native habitats, such as poaching. The white rhino is particularly vulnerable to poaching because of its relatively unaggressive nature and tendency to live in herds.

Before his death, Jabba received daily veterinary care for a chronic hoof issue due to his old age. The hoof issue meant he recently had remained off-exhibit.

Jabba was a cherished member of the Cameron Park Zoo family, known for his gentle demeanor and affectionate nature, the zoo press release says. He particularly enjoyed his morning scratches from his dedicated care team and had a fondness for oatmeal.

A necropsy was performed to determine Jabbas exact cause of death. Final results of the investigation are still pending.

Jabba was one of several animals at Cameron Park Zoo that exceeded their typical life expectancies.

Another one of the zoos senior animals, a Sumatran tiger, died earlier this year. Kucing, the zoos 15-year-old male tiger, died in June from complications secondary to treatments for lymphoma.

At the time of Kucings death, the zoo announced efforts to identify a new breeding pair of tigers to move into the tiger facility. The zoo has not yet announced whether it intends to acquire another rhinoceros to fill Jabbas old exhibit.
By David Young, PA

The aristocratic owner of Lough Neaghs bed has insisted he wants to work with Stormont to secure the long-term future of the lake.

The comments from the Earl of Shaftesbury, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, came after he met the North's Environment Minister, Andrew Muir, to discuss the ongoing environmental problems at the lough.

Noxious blooms of blue-green algae covered large parts of the lough last summer and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

The algae has returned this year.

Earl of Shaftesbury Nicholas Ashley-Cooper met Stormont Environment Minister Andrew Muir (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA)

Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40 per cent of Northern Irelands drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

The earl has already stated his willingness to explore new ownership models.

Mr Muir is an advocate of a community-based ownership arrangement similar to ones that have been successful in Scotland.

The minister has developed an action plan in an attempt to deal with the various environmental issues at the lough but the blueprint has yet to gain the required sign off by Executive colleagues.

The plan contains 37 actions, 17 of which need full Executive support.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields is believed to be a major contributory factor in the blue-green algae blooms.

Restricting the use of chemical fertilisers on grasslands would need Executive approval.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role in the blooms, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

Commenting after his meeting with the minister, the earl said: I had a constructive discussion with the minister on the issues facing Lough Neagh.

Environment Minister Andrew Muir is an advocate of a community-based ownership arrangement (Brian Lawless/PA)

We discussed the importance of his Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan which I hope will be approved by the Northern Ireland Executive as soon as possible.

I reiterated my commitment to work with his team and other stakeholders to find solutions, as I firmly believe we need to work together to secure the loughs long-term future.

Mr Muir said the meeting was very constructive.

I was pleased to hear that Nick Ashley-Cooper is fully supportive of the Lough Neagh Action Plan which is currently under consideration by my Executive colleagues and we are both hopeful that agreement is secured as soon as possible, he said.

The Lough Neagh Action Plan contains real, science-led and practical actions that can set us on a course towards long-term rehabilitation of water quality in Lough Neagh.

The Earl of Shaftesbury and I were in mutual agreement in desire to secure community ownership of the lough, however, the right structures must be in place involving relevant groups.

It will only be through a shared sense of responsibility and partnership working that we can make the real and tangible improvements to Lough Neagh that we all wish to see.

The Lough Neagh Report will, once agreed by Executive, set out planned ways to bring people together in partnership  a fundamental prerequisite to enable transfer to community ownership.

I welcome Lough Neagh Partnerships National Lottery-funded initiative to explore feasibility of future management and ownership of the lough which will play an important role as ownership issue develops.
Ricky baby!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-15/ex-trump-envoy-grenell-advocates-autonomous-zones-in-ukraine

Where were you when the international community was debating the Minsk agreements, which were aimed at just this, and Russia was advocating for the creation of a federal structure for Ukraine in order to maintain its integrity?

When you were the US ambassador in Berlin, you blatantly meddled in Russia and Germanys domestic affairs by urging the Germans to stop building the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

The Ukrainians now lack a nation and a secure future, while the Germans are without gas and the economy.

Ricky Baby?

Where were you all this time? Yes we know

Bada-boom, Bada-bing

WtR
A federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed that Minnesota's ban on 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying handguns publicly is unconstitutional, the second and largest legal blow yet to the 2003 state statute.

The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals made it almost certain that adults younger than 21 will soon be able to apply for permits to carry handguns in public with its decision Tuesday  a 27-page ruling that leaned on a pair of recent major Supreme Court gun rights decisions.

The decision comes nearly three years after a trio of gun-rights advocacy groups and three young adults sued Minnesota's public safety commissioner and the sheriffs of the plaintiffs' respective counties  Douglas, Mille Lacs and Washington  arguing that the state's age restrictions violated their Second Amendment rights.

Writing for the court, Judge Duane Benton concluded that Minnesota had failed to "proffer sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that 18 to 20-year-olds seeking to carry handguns in public for self-defense are protected by the right to keep and bear arms." Therefore, he wrote, Minnesota's carry ban is unconstitutional.

Barring an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the ruling lets stand last year's decision from U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez  a 2021 appointee of President Joe Biden  that turned on recent Supreme Court guidance that governments seeking to limit gun rights must show that their laws are "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation."

First filed in 2021, the lawsuit attracted national attention from groups on both sides of the issue  including the National Rifle Association, the Michael Bloomberg-backed Everytown for Gun Safety and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Bryan Strawser, chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a plaintiff in the suit, said in a statement after Tuesday's ruling that the decision was "a resounding victory for 18-20-year-old adults who wish to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms."

Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Bellevue, Washington, based Second Amendment Foundation, another plaintiff, added that it was "one more step in our crusade to win firearms freedom one step at a time."

Menendez last year stayed a ruling that would immediately prevent Minnesota from barring 18- to 20-year-olds from applying for permits to carry until the appeals process exhausted.

In a statement, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office must decide whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, lambasted the court's

"I am extremely disappointed in today's ruling. This epidemic of gun violence will continue unabated unless we do something about it. ... Just days ago, a 20-year-old tried to take the life of the former president of the United States. ... The people of Minnesota want and deserve solutions that reduce shootings and improve public safety, and today's ruling only makes that more difficult. Despite this setback, I remain as committed as ever to improving public safety in Minnesota by championing and defending lifesaving, common-sense gun violence prevention measures."

The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday agreed with Menendez' opinion that Minnesota had not demonstrated that its age restriction was consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation, a precedent delivered in the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling striking down New York's ban on carrying guns in public.

In his statement, Ellison lambasted that decision in that case, known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, saying the court is responsible for "opening the floodgates to litigation from gun advocacy groups looking to undo reasonable safety legislation."

"This year alone, Minnesota has experienced at least four mass shootings. ... It is extremely troubling that Clarence Thomas' misguided opinion in Bruen is preventing us from acting to protect the public from senseless violence like this."

Courts have since parsed that new guidance while considering other restrictions, such as the recently upheld ability to prevent those subject to domestic abuse restraining orders from possessing firearms in United States v. Rahimi.

"We strongly disagree with today's Eighth Circuit decision in Worth v. Jacobson," said Janet Carter, senior director of issues and appeals at Everytown Law. "Public-carry age restrictions are constitutional under any reasonable reading of the Second Amendment, especially in light of the Supreme Court's recent ruling in United States v. Rahimi."

Minnesota tried to take a historical tack in its arguments, claiming that because 18- to 20-year-olds did not possess full "civil and political rights" at the nation's founding  that was reserved for those 21 and older  they could not today be considered members of "the people" guaranteed certain gun rights under the Second Amendment.

Benton wrote that even if such a group was not included in the "political community" at common law, "they are today." He also wrote that the Second Amendment's plain text does not have an age limit, unlike age limits for serving in Congress or as president.

Minnesota explained that its carry ban was in place because 18- to 20-year-olds are not competent to make responsible decisions with guns and pose a risk of dangerousness to themselves and to others as a result. But Benton wrote that Minnesota failed to support that claim with enough evidence.

"Although we take no position on how high the risk must be or what the evidentiary record needs to show, the answer is surely more than what Minnesota's general crime statistics say," Benton wrote.
Politicians, activists, vendors and more are gathering in Milwaukee this week at the Republican National Convention. Here are some of their stories.

Republican Latinos praise Trump and the American dream at RNC reception

RNC Florida alternate delegate Faustina Guzman-Trump is not related to Donald J. Trump  I wish, she said.

Guzman-Trump came legally to the U.S. in 1981 with a college scholarship, and later married and became a citizen, she said. Now shes running for a state committee seat in Volusia County, Florida, and trying to help elect Trump.

I am the American dream, she told Wisconsin State Journal, at a Hispanic Leadership reception at Milwaukees Iron Horse hotel Wednesday. I came from Venezuela with nothing. And this beautiful nation has given me what I could never achieve in Venezuela. That's why I'm fighting.

She decried Venezuelan migrants coming into the U.S., citing two high-profile murders by Venezuelan migrants.

Because Biden opened the border, she said. I am sure there are good people coming here, but we dont know. They have to go through the process to be here legally. You cant just go through the border and expect this government to take care of you.

Speakers at the reception described sometimes feeling ostracized by fellow Latinos for being Republicans. Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue noted that some Latino leaders urged a boycott of the company because of his support for Trump in 2020. He said that regular Latinos werent behind the boycott; he blamed it on U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and the elites.

Jovita Carranza, Small Business Administration leader during the last year of Trumps presidency, told the crowd that, Hispanics continue to open small businesses at a record pace.

It's crucial to understand that small businesses require a supportive regulatory and tax environment to not just survive, but to thrive and to contribute to our economy, she said. By supporting President Trump's policies, we are supporting a future where small businesses can succeed, communities can prosper and everyone can achieve the American dream.

New York alternate delegate Edwin de la Cruz came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 1977, and was a Democrat until deciding that the party had failed immigrants and Black people in New York City. Outside the Hispanic Leadership event, de la Cruz argued with two Code Pink activists holding signs saying Refugees Welcome! and Immigrants Welcome!

I do care about immigrants, de la Cruz said, after the activists left, noting that he volunteers at migrant shelters. But he wants a better immigration system that makes it easier for qualifying people to immigrate, while blocking undocumented entries.

Im trying to flip New York. Im trying to see if I can get funding to take all these Hispanics and African Americans and immigrants and switch them over to the Republican Party, because we have nothing in common with the Democratic Party.

Im so grateful for this country, this country has given me so much opportunity, de la Cruz continued. Im not where I want to be in life but at least its given me an education, Ive been able to raise my family, its welcomed me with open arms. This country is beautiful, God bless America. At the same time, its very sad to see a country self-destruct like this. Look what happened to President Trump.

Couple pleads to bring their son home

Under a pink tent at the RNC Convention Fest, Orna and Ronen Neutra pleaded for help for their son, Omer, who was abducted on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists.

The couple was in Milwaukee to deliver a speech at the convention Wednesday night, but they stopped at the tent first. They said their visit was not about politics; and when asked what would be different if Trump was president, they said hypotheticals are irrelevant.

Both parents wore yellow hostage pins and stickers with the names of the eight American hostages still held in Gaza, black shirts with a photo of their son and and a piece of painters tape with 286 scrawled in black sharpie: the number of days since Omer was captured.

Penny Young Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America, hosted the couple. Her organization has coordinated meetings between hostage families and Republican members of Congress to help them advocate for their family members in Gaza.

Sitting beside her was Liz Naftali, whose great-niece, Abigail Edan, was orphaned on October 7 and turned four in Hamas captivity.

"We went to bed on the sixth as normal people, and we woke up on the seventh and didnt realize wed all be family," Naftali said.

The Neutras said they did not have the chance to sleep that night. When you have a son thats a soldier on the other side of the ocean, you never go to bed without checking the news, said Orna.

When they heard of the attack, they stayed up all night waiting for a call back from their son  which never came.

Omer was serving as a Lone Soldier in the IDF when he was captured by Hamas terrorists. Both Orna and Ronens parents are Holocaust survivors, so he grew up with this ethos that Israel must be strong, Orna said. He thought he needed to do his share in protecting the Holy Land.

Orna and Ronen spoke about their sons love of the NFL, his leadership positions on his high school sports teams and youth groups, and his vibrant personality.

Orna began by sharing with the enraptured crowd how she fled across the Queensboro Bridge in the wake of September 11th, 2001, with eight-month old Omer in my belly, just trying to get him out of harms way, she said.

Now, Its just insane that 23 years later hes involved with this vile terrorist attack.

After October 7, the Neutras decided to advocate for all of the Israeli hostages and share Omers story as widely as possible with any crowd willing to listen regardless of political affiliations.

Linda McMahon touts Trump and small businesses at festival stage

Former professional wrestler Linda McMahon, head of the Small Business Administration during Trumps presidency, took to the ConventionFest outdoor stage Wednesday afternoon to exhort people to get out the vote for her former boss.

McMahon, chair of the America First Policy Institute, noted that Trump is the only president inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; Trump also hosted WrestleMania events in the 1980s. McMahon is also the wife of Vince McMahon stepped down as CEO of WWE in 2022 in the midst of a sexual abuse and trafficking lawsuit and other legal troubles.

We have to re-elect Donald J. Trump, Linda McMahon told the crowd, praising the former president for reducing taxes by getting rid of regulations to really help small businesses grow. Small businesses [are] the backbone of our economy.

Stacey Schieffelin, a former model who spent decades selling cosmetics on home shopping networks, said McMahon convinced her to take a break from her own small business to help Trump get elected this year. McMahon, from Dallas and dressed in a sparkly outfit celebrating Texas, said AFPI volunteers and staff have knocked on 600,000 doors thus far, and aim to reach 10 million before the election.

Schieffelin currently serves as a senior advisor to McMahon at AFPI.

You think about WWE, it's a 50-year-old company, it's generational with their family, Schieffelin said of McMahon. She worked with everybody, it didn't matter what color or creed, it didn't matter what your belief system was, if you wanted America to prosper as a small business entity.

Schieffelin said her business did well under Trump because people had more money to spend on luxuries, but recently she felt she had to put it on hold to help save the country.

Once we get everybody back and humanity loving one another and unifying again, then I'll go back, she said. Well be one nation under God soon."

Activists push for attention to their issues

Just outside the security entrance closest to the Fiserv Forum, various activists made their points to the delegates, journalists and others. Someone dressed as a giant white rat with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for reform of federally-funded animal testing policies, a message aimed at both political parties.

Nearby, Miami Beach resident Bob Kunst sat with a homemade sign applauding Trump and Vance. He described Trump as a supporter of Israel and Biden as a supporter of Hamas, and handed out fliers seeking financial support to get to the DNC to keep spreading his message.

A small parade passed by chanting end the shame, demanding attention to the drug overdose epidemic. Participants carried cardboard gravestones bearing the names and images of loved ones lost to overdoses.

Something needs to be done, said Ann Breeding of Iowa, holding a sign commemorating her son Daniel Bailey, who died at age 29 in November 2020. She founded a non-profit called Steps of Hope to fight addiction.

They need to start hearing us, because the people with lived experiences, were the ones that get it and we know the urgency. The time is now, she said.

Convention speakers Tuesday night emphasized the fentanyl epidemic and blamed Democrats for allowing drugs across the border. But Breeding said neither party bears the blame or has done much to help. She described her politics as purple, like the Steps of Hope ball cap she wore.

People can point fingers and people can play the blame game, she said. But I'll tell you what, when you bury your kid, things change. Committees don't matter. And all of the red tape and paperwork does not matter. Lives matter.

Couple selling goods in Milwaukee witnesses Trump shooting

Dallas residents Sany D. and Jason Jaisa were selling Trump-themed merchandise at the Butler, Penn. rally where former president Donald J. Trump was shot on July 12. They said witnessing the attack only increased their support for the candidate.

All of a sudden, we see people running and screaming, yelling, Trump got shot, Jaisa recalled. He and Sany D. frantically checked their phones for updates, too far from the stage to see whether Trump was hurt. But when the former president raised his fist, their fears were assuaged.

Knowing that he popped up right away was good and eased peoples tensions, Jaisa said.

The business owner was surprised at this instance of political violence at a Trump rally, which he says are usually calm.

These people are out here to enjoy themselves and support what they believe in. And thats all it is. Theres a lot of love.

Sany D. and Jason then traveled from Pennsylvania to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where they unfurled a giant custom American flag at the edge of Turning Point Actions Prayer Vigil for America in Zeidler Park on Sunday. The two have attended over 100 Trump rallies, selling merchandise from their business, USATrumpStore.com, including bedazzled Free Trump pins and Keep America Great cowboy hats.

At the vigil, Sany D. and Jason mingled with about 100 attendees around tables littered with voter registration forms, anti-election fraud signs, and letter-writing supplies for those wanting to send well-wishes to Trump. They both believe the assassination attempt will aid the former presidents campaign bid.

I dont know if my support for Trump could get much higher, but it definitely solidified it even more, Jaisa said.

The pair added that admirers of the former president transcend any specific ideology. People need to know were not fascists, racists or nazis, said Sany D., who asked her last name not be used. She said her family immigrated to the United States from India.

The pair said they arent supporters of either Democrats or Republicans.

We dont care about either party; we just want America first, Sany D. continued.

Sylvie Kirsch is a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.
Fifth China-Croatia joint police patrol launched

Xinhua) 09:17, July 17, 2024

ZAGREB, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The fifth China-Croatia joint police patrol commenced here on Tuesday, with eight Chinese police officers joining the one-month mission in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Plitvice Lakes National Park, four of Croatia's top tourist destinations.

Addressing a launching ceremony, Qi Qianjin, Chinese Ambassador to Croatia, said a total of 30 Chinese police officers have joined the initiative since it was launched in 2018, aimed at providing security services for both Chinese and foreign tourists.

"The joint police patrol is not only a symbol of the law enforcement and security cooperation between the two countries, but also a vivid manifestation of the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations," Qi said.

Qi also expressed the hope and belief that the Chinese police "will be able to demonstrate politeness, friendliness, enthusiasm and professionalism, earning the trust and recognition of tourists and Croatian people."

For her part, Vlatka Vulic Petkovic, representative from the Croatian Police Headquarters, praised the high-level professionalism of Chinese police officers and the joint police patrols' contributions to making Croatia a safe tourist destination. She also expressed confidence in the success of this year's collaboration.

Meanwhile, Han Zhuoqi, representative of the Chinese joint patrol team, said that all the Chinese police officers will work with their Croatian counterparts to ensure success of the joint patrol mission.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Abbott, the global healthcare leader, launched its Chakkar Ko Check Kar campaign in India to bring attention to Vertigo, a commonly overlooked balance disorder, affecting close to 70 million people in India. Vertigo, characterized by the sensation of spinning, can significantly impact daily life. Through this campaign, Abbott aims to help people take control of their health and better manage the condition.

As part of the campaign, Abbott conducted a survey in collaboration with IQVIA among 1,250 individuals in India to gain insights into the challenges faced by those living with vertigo. The findings in form of an infographic attached underscore the need for increased awareness and early diagnosis. This survey is one of the initiatives Abbott is driving to encourage meaningful conversations on vertigo as part of its Chakkar Ko Check Kar campaign in India.

Taking this a step further, Abbott launched a digital campaign film, featuring Bollywood actor and UNICEF India Ambassador, Ayushmann Khurrana, who was diagnosed with vertigo in 2016 and highlights his personal journey navigating the condition. This offers a glimpse into the disorienting reality of vertigo and encourages people experiencing dizziness to take proactive measures to seek a diagnosis and care so that they can benefit from an enhanced quality of life.

Here are a few of the key survey findings:

Personal Life: Vertigo doesnt just cause spinning. It has significant impact on personal lives, with 34% cancelling important events, 33% experiencing frequent anger or annoyance, and 26% fearing damage to their relationships with family members.

Triggers: The leading triggers of vertigo are anxiety or stress (39%), travelling (34%), and changes in weather (30%).

Symptoms: Each vertigo episode can bring a range of symptoms, including headaches (52%), double vision (43%), a blackout feeling (40%), heaviness in the head (37%), and neck pain (28%).

Family Life and Travel: Vertigo can affect patients abilities to look after their family (23%) and reduces family quality time (23%). It also creates discomfort when using public transport or air travel (19%)

As part of this awareness initiative, Abbott has also initiated an online assessment tool. This is a chatbot based survey, to help people identify vertigo symptoms and support early detection.
Authored by Avinash Polepally, Senior Director (Consumer Business Head) at ClearTax

In a world of ever-changing tax laws and regulations, educating regular Indians about taxation is a significant responsibility. ClearTax has embraced this responsibility for years. Launched in 2011, the Bangalore-based tax filing portal has been a trailblazer in the fintech industry.

As another tax season approaches, ClearTax is ramping up its marketing strategies. After hosting numerous live webinars and virtual workshops with tax experts to guide customers and provide personalized advice, they have now launched the widely talked about #IdharNahiTohKidhar campaign, highlighting the simplicity of filing taxes with ClearTax.

With many adults agreeing that taxes should be part of the school curriculum, ClearTax has taken on the task of educating Indian adults about tax filing, recent tax law changes, and tips to maximize returns through their detailed blog posts and articles.

Avinash Polepally, Senior Director (Consumer Business Head) at ClearTax, stated, Our goal is not just to encourage people to experience the simplest tax filing through ClearTax but also to educate our audience on the intricacies of Indian taxation. Taxation is not a simple subject for many Indian adults, and our in-house CAs and product managers have the tough job of simplifying the nitty gritty details of the ever-changing tax laws and regulations.

This year, we are confident that our users will enjoy the portal even more as we have enhanced the product with features that even we thought were too ambitious at first.

We went through the ClearTax portal to uncover these innovative features and heres a list of new additions you can find this year.

First is their brand new AI Assistant, "Ask Neha." to accompany you through your entire tax filing process, offering 24/7 assistance for all your tax-related questions.

Then there is the One Click Capital Gain Data Import which allows you to directly import all your capital gains data from major brokers such as Zerodha, Groww, AngelOne, etc. They have also introduced an Ask Your Expert Friend Feature which allows you to invite anyone you choose to review your ITR before filing.

There are many other features like Easy-Autofill to avoid manual data entry, and Tax Saving Report which includes all the details of your ITR in a visually simplified format that you can download before completing your filing.

Our favorite was the WhatsApp filing feature that allows easy tax filing for blue-collar professionals like food delivery agents, pickup drivers, etc.

These features have simplified the process significantly and made tax filing much easier and efficient. To avoid last-minute hassles they have also been running early bird discounts for early tax filers and referral offers for existing customers.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it.
Human Mobile Devices (HMD) has announced a strategic partnership with renowned actor Jimmy Shergill as the face of its new campaign for the HMD 105 and HMD 110 feature phones. The campaign, titled 'Khoob Chalega', will be rolled out across various platforms including outdoor advertising, social media, and digital channels.

Jimmy Shergill, renowned in the Hindi and Punjabi film industries, will bring his star power to Human Mobile Devices, marking a pivotal moment in the company's effort to provide reliable and innovative communication devices to millions of Indians.

Commenting on the collaboration, Ravi Kunwar, Vice President of HMD India and APAC, expressed his enthusiasm: "We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy Shergill as the face of the Khoob Chalega campaign for HMDs 105 and 110. Jimmy's strong, resilient, and relatable persona perfectly embodies the spirit of our feature phones, which are designed to be durable, dependable, and accessible to the masses. His connection with audiences across India aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing reliable mobile experiences to all. Were confident this collaboration will resonate strongly with our target audience and take our feature phone range to new heights."

Jimmy Shergill shared his excitement about the partnership: "I'm excited to partner with Human Mobile Devices, a brand whose feature phones are known for their strength, and resonate perfectly with my own journey and values. These phones stand out for their reliability and accessibility, which are essential for everyday users. I'm excited to represent a brand dedicated to delivering quality and dependability to millions across India and look forward to what kind of innovation it brings to the table in the feature phone category."

With this partnership, HMD aims to increase brand visibility and create a buzz around its feature phone offerings. The company is focused on providing high-quality devices at competitive prices, catering to the needs of the mass market.
Authored by Ayesha Prasad Narain, AGM  Marketing, Karcher India



In todays dynamic and competitive business environment, impactful marketing is essential for capturing the attention of our target audience and outperforming competitors. At Karcher India, a leading provider of innovative cleaning solutions, we recognize the transformative power of integrated marketing campaigns in driving brand awareness, engagement, and business success. This article explores the pivotal role of integrated marketing campaigns and their potential to elevate Karcher India, especially by leveraging hyper-local activities and the heightened demand for mechanized cleaning solutions post-pandemic.

1. Harnessing Consumer Insights and the Demand for Mechanized Cleaning

Post-pandemic, consumer behaviour has significantly shifted, with heightened awareness of hygiene and cleanliness across different cohorts. By leveraging data-driven insights, we tailor our integrated marketing strategy to address the unique needs of these diverse consumer segments. Our campaigns emphasize the effectiveness and reliability of Karchers mechanized cleaning solutions, underscoring their critical role in maintaining superior hygiene standards in both residential and commercial spaces.



2. Crafting a Consistent Brand Narrative Across Channels

Integrated marketing campaigns are instrumental in creating a cohesive brand narrative across multiple touch points. By synchronizing our online and offline marketing efforts, we deliver a unified and compelling brand experience. Whether through digital channels like social media, email marketing, and e-commerce platforms or traditional mediums like print advertisements, on-ground events, and large-format stores, our messaging remains consistent. This consistency reinforces brand trust and positions Karcher India as a reliable and authoritative figure in the cleaning solutions market.



3. Optimizing Media Mix for Maximum Reach and Engagement

A well-orchestrated media mix is key to extending our brands visibility and impact. By strategically combining traditional and digital channels, we amplify our reach to a broader and more diverse audience. From impactful TV commercials and targeted online campaigns to personalized email marketing and engaging social media interactions, our multi-channel approach ensures a comprehensive brand presence. This holistic strategy enables us to connect with different consumer segments on their preferred platforms, enhancing brand resonance and engagement.



4. Hyper-Local Marketing Activities: Engaging Communities at the Ground Level

Hyper-local marketing activities are a critical component of our integrated campaigns. By focusing on community-specific initiatives, we build strong local connections and drive brand relevance at the grassroots level. Activities such as local events, partnerships with neighbourhood businesses, and region-specific promotions allow us to engage directly with consumers in their communities. This localized approach not only enhances brand loyalty but also positions Karcher as an integral part of local markets.

5. Enhancing Customer Engagement Through Multi-Touch point Strategies

Integrated marketing campaigns foster deeper customer engagement by offering multiple touch points for interaction. Consistent engagement across various channels allows us to initiate meaningful dialogues, gather valuable feedback, and build lasting relationships. Personalized email campaigns, interactive social media content, and insightful blog posts enable us to understand customer needs and provide tailored solutions. This two-way communication strengthens customer loyalty and drives long-term engagement.



6. Driving ROI with Data-Driven Decision Making

Effective integrated marketing campaigns yield measurable results and a higher return on investment (ROI). By integrating our marketing efforts, we streamline resources, eliminate redundancies, and enhance efficiency. Advanced analytics and performance tracking enable us to make data-driven decisions, optimize audience segmentation, and refine campaign strategies. This meticulous approach ensures that we allocate resources effectively, maximizing campaign impact and driving superior business outcomes.



7. Leveraging Diverse Channels: Online, Offline, and In-Store

Our integrated strategy includes leveraging diverse channels to reach consumers wherever they are. Online, we utilize e-commerce platforms to facilitate easy access to our products, complemented by targeted digital advertising and social media campaigns. Offline, we engage customers through on-ground events and activations that offer hands-on experiences with our products. In-store marketing at large-format retail outlets enhances visibility and provides consumers with immediate access to our solutions. This multi-pronged approach ensures comprehensive coverage and maximized impact.



8. Gaining Competitive Edge Through Strategic Integration

In an intensely competitive market, integrated marketing campaigns offer a distinct competitive edge. By adopting a comprehensive approach, we differentiate ourselves from competitors who may rely on single-channel strategies. Our integrated campaigns help us capture attention, create memorable brand experiences, and showcase our expertise and innovation consistently. This positions Karcher India as a leader in the cleaning solutions industry, reinforcing our reputation for excellence and customer-centricity.

Integrated marketing campaigns are a formidable tool for propelling Karcher India to new heights. By leveraging consumer insights, crafting a consistent brand narrative, optimizing our media mix, engaging in hyper-local activities, and utilizing diverse channels, we establish a robust brand presence, foster customer loyalty, and drive business growth. As we continue to deliver innovative cleaning solutions, let us harness the power of integrated marketing campaigns to connect with our audience, strengthen our brand, and pave the way for a prosperous future.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it.
A new campaign aimed at tackling addiction across India has gained significant momentum. The Nasha Mukti Indradhanush Abhiyan India was launched by the Asian Coalition for Health Empowerment (ACHE) in partnership with Doctors Against Addiction (DAAD).

The initiative has garnered widespread support from medical professionals, public health experts, and students nationwide. Over 1,000 individuals have already pledged their support, with the campaign aiming to influence policymakers and implement stricter measures to curb tobacco use and other forms of addiction.

Dr Narender Saini, Former General Secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), asserts, The Nasha Mukti Indradhanush Abhiyan India is not just a campaign; it's a movement towards a healthier future. The campaign embodies a comprehensive strategy to eradicate the grip of tobacco addiction while advocating for stricter policies to curb tobacco use and other harmful substances. The collective efforts of our dedicated healthcare professionals and the broader community in dispelling myths and fostering awareness are crucial steps toward a healthier society.

The campaign's focus extends beyond tobacco, targeting addictions like drugs, alcohol, and even smartphone overuse. It aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal-3 (SDG-3), which emphasizes ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages, embodying a preventive and curative approach to tackle the crisis.

Dr Pawan Gupta, Senior Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine, BLK-MAX Super Speciality Hospital Delhi, emphasises the campaigns comprehensive approach, saying, We are witnessing a paradigm shift. Our strategy integrates global best practices with local insights, ensuring a robust framework for tackling addiction. By uniting healthcare professionals and concerned citizens, this campaign creates a powerful voice to advocate for better health practices and policies. This holistic approach is crucial for achieving our goals and making a lasting impact on public health.

Dr. Sunaina Soni, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Subharti Medical College, Meerut, echoes, The overwhelming response from the medical community indicates the campaigns importance. The signatures we've gathered will drive significant policy changes, making a tangible difference in the fight against addiction. Through this campaign, were not just collecting signatures; were inspiring hope and accountability. Its about empowering individuals and communities to believe in and strive for a tobacco-free future.

The campaign aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. As the initiative grows, organizers hope to create a healthier, addiction-free India through policy changes and increased public awareness.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his versatile acting skills make him one of the best actors in Indian cinema. He is an actor with exceptional talent, which is well showcased in his unforgettable characters. One of his most loved characters is Chand Nawab from the 2015 blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

As the film completes 9 years, it's time to reminisce his iconic character,Chand Nawab in Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a character that acts as a catalyst and significantly advances the plotline of the movie. A struggling journalist who helps and protects Bajrangi at all costs, this iconic role garnered Nawaz praises worldwide. He received immense love not only in India but also from audiences in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Nawaz himself expressed, "I am overwhelmed by the responses that have been pouring in from all around. I am happy my character is appreciated and liked. Im hopeful this will give me a boost for my future small films!"

His on-screen chemistry with Salman Khan has been a standout feature of their collaborations in films like Kick, where they played antagonist and protagonist, respectively, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, where Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character supported Salman Khan's protagonist role. Off-screen, Nawazuddin has spoken warmly of Salman Khan's generosity and camaraderie, noting how Salman often shared dialogues and punch lines during their interactions on set. This camaraderie seamlessly translated into their performances, enriching the appeal of their on-screen partnerships.

Nawazuddin had long ago spoken about his experience of working with Superstar Salman Khan on the sets of Bajrangi Bhaijaan. He said, "Off-screen woh log bohot ache hai. Salman Khan bohot pyaare insaan hai. Bhai ka toh aisa hai ki woh khudke bhi dialogue dusre ko de dete hai ki Bhai tu bol le. Bajrangi Bhaijaan mein toh kitni saari punch lines toh mujhe dedi unhone ki Ye le, tu bol.

As Bajrangi Bhaijaan completes 9 years today, we are surely re-watching it again.Chand Nawab.
Nestle has appointed Publicis Media China to lead its media strategy across China. This includes managing Nestles media activities such as planning and purchasing for social, mobile, and performance media. The collaboration aims to enhance consumer outreach and business outcomes for Nestle's wide-ranging product portfolio in China, spanning categories like confectionery, milk powder, coffee, snacks, and beverages.

Publicis Media China secured the account after a competitive selection process, showcasing their expertise in data-driven strategies tailored to Nestles needs in China. The agency, part of Publicis Groupe which has partnered with Nestle in China for 14 years in creative and CRM services, will now integrate media and e-commerce services into its offerings. This move is expected to provide a more unified approach, supporting Nestles strategic objectives effectively.

To facilitate this collaboration, Nestle One, a dedicated team for Nestle China, has been established to ensure alignment across creative, media, and CRM functions. Implementation is scheduled to begin in August 2024, with upcoming strategies and campaigns aimed at driving Nestles business goals forward.

David Zhang, executive vice president of Nestle S.A. and CEO for Greater China, emphasized the importance of digital engagement with consumers, expressing confidence in Publicis Groupe's capabilities to strengthen customer connections through innovative digital strategies and robust data tools.

Jane Lin-Baden, Asia Pacific CEO of Publicis Groupe, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Nestles consumer-centric approach and their shared commitment to leveraging digital and data-driven solutions for sustainable growth in China.

Nestle, renowned globally in the food and beverage industry, focuses on a unified marketing strategy integrating e-commerce and digital transformation to enhance brand visibility across diverse channels
Shailendra T has resigned from iD Fresh. In a Linkedin post, he wrote : As I sign off from iD Fresh, Im leaving you all with a glimpse of iD's Parota launch in UK & Ireland. Had a great time working on this - true to iD's values and innovation - closing the innings on a high. I would like to take this opportunity to thank PC Musthafa for giving me the opportunity to work at iD Fresh. Wishing the company success and many more milestones!.

Shailendra Ts first stint with iD Fresh has started in the year 2017 as a Deputy GM, after which in 2018, he became the General Marketing Manager.

Prior to this he was the Head of Marketing at Unibic Foods. He started his career at the Micro Labs Limited, becoming the Assistant Brand Manager at United Spirits Limited later and assuming the role of Marketing Manager at Bhartiya City Developers.

He has more than 18 years of experience in the FMCG sector, holding positions at Bhartiya Urban, Diageo India, steering innovation and growth in brand management and marketing.
Shalimar Paints Ltd., a leading name in the Indian paint industry for over 120 years, has unveiled two groundbreaking additions to their Home Protect Waterproofing range: Zero Damp Advance and Zero Damp Smart. These innovative products set new standards in waterproofing, offering exceptional protection against seepage with warranties lasting up to 12 years.

Advanced Technology, Superior Protection:

Shalimar Paints' Zero Damp utilizes a fiber-reinforced elastomeric coating to create a robust shield against both internal and external water seepage. Backed by cutting-edge technology and extensive research and development, it boasts heat reflection properties, helping to lower surface temperatures and provide cooler interiors during hot summers.

#IntelligentBanoJugaduNahi: Empowering Smart Solutions

Recognizing the common tendency to rely on temporary fixes for seepage, Shalimar Paints launched the engaging #IntelligentBanoJugaduNahi campaign. Collaborating with influencers Saurabh Jain and Palak Shah, the campaign aims to educate consumers about the importance of addressing seepage proactively with effective solutions like Zero Damp.

Kuldip Raina, Director, Sales & Marketing, Shalimar Paints said: "Dampness is a problem, witnessed by almost every Indian household, particularly in areas with high humidity or heavy annual rainfall. We are pleased to announce our two innovative products in the ZERO Damp Range that will protect your spaces from internal and external seepage and solve all your problems including dampness, cracks, flaking, fungal growth, and efflorescence. At Shalimar Paints, we are committed to delivering superior solutions that underscore our dedication to providing our customers with products that not only protect but also enhance the longevity of their homes.

Speaking on the campaign, Varun Malik, Marketing Head, Shalimar Paints said: As most people do not take the problem of seepage seriously, which leads to grave damage later, we also launched #IntelligentBanoJugaduNahi campaign to raise awareness, on social media. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we believe it has successfully educated the importance of addressing seepage issues proactively.

Zero Damp Advance offers double seepage resistance, crack bridging up to 3 mm, and can endure up to 20% wall moisture, supported by a 12-year warranty. Its anti-algal and anti-fungal properties promote a healthy environment which is crucial during the rainy season, reducing fungal health risks. Alternatively, Zero Damp Smart provides affordable waterproofing with a 3-year seepage warranty and effective water damage protection. These new products were recently launched at a special event in Dubai (UAE), attended by over 300 dealers and partners.

The recent launch of these products at a special event in Dubai (UAE) with over 300 dealers and partners underscores Shalimar Paints' global reach. Their unwavering commitment to quality and innovation ensures they remain at the forefront of the evolving paint market. By continuously upgrading infrastructure, investing in R&D, and revolutionizing product offerings, they prioritize a consumer-centric approach
Taapsee Pannu is one of a kind, having carved a niche for herself in Bollywood through her own merit and talent, often choosing roles that challenge conventions and resonate deeply with audiences Her bold choices and stellar performances have earned her admiration from industry peers, critics, and fans alike.

Beyond her film career, Taapsee inspires modern women with her strong, independent virtues and fearless approach to cinema. This influence extends into the branding world, where brands across various industries recognize her magnetic appeal and authenticity. Her charm and confidence make her an ideal choice for brands aiming to connect with contemporary Indian women.

With a portfolio boasting names like Nivea, Swiss Beauty, Reebok, and Baggit, Taapsee carefully selects brands that mirror her personal values of reliability and aspiration Her endorsements are more than mere associations; they resonate deeply with her audience, reinforcing her influence and credibility.

Taapsees popularity has led brands to tailor offerings specifically to align with her appeal among consumers, especially women. For example, Van Heusen tapped into her persona to create the Working Indian Women collection, highlighting her strong and independent image.

Gaurav Khatri, CEO of Noise, highlighted Taapsees impact on branding, praising her "strong, independent virtues" and "fearless choice of roles" that resonate with todays consumers. He emphasized her "authentic charm and confidence" qualities that make her a natural fit for brands seeking to connect meaningfully with modern Indian women.

In a competitive market where consumer trust and loyalty are crucial, Taapsees endorsements offer a fresh and authentic connection. Her relatable image and impactful presence ensure she remains a sought-after figure in the branding landscape. As brands continue to align with her strong personality and relevance to contemporary women, Taapsee Pannu solidifies her position as a favorite in the branding world.
Authored by Ganapathy Viswanathan, Independent Communication Consultant

World PR Day was celebrated yesterday, July 16th, 2024, commemorating the birthday of Ivy Lee, one of the pioneers and founders of public relations. Born on July 16, 1877, Lee is considered the father of modern public relations methods. He was a strong advocate for open and frank communication with the press, representing notable clients such as the Rockefellers and the American Red Cross.

On this occasion, I shared my views on the evolution of PR and its rapid growth, especially over the last two decades. PR in India significantly took off post the 1990s and continues to grow as brands independently embrace PR strategies. My introduction to PR was during the World Public Relations Congress held in 1982, where I attended as a young student and listened to Sam Black, a renowned PR expert, address professionals in Mumbai. Additionally, my studies in Advertising and PR at K.C. College of Management Studies, and my experience with Ogilvy Financial Communication handling IPOs, further deepened my understanding of the field.

In the mid-1980s, PR was in its nascent stage with only a few companies like Ogilvy Public Relations, which managed independent clients and participated in 360-degree communication for brands requiring PR. During this period, PR efforts included press releases, press and broker conferences, and face-to-face interviews, primarily targeting business dailies and mainline newspapers due to limited media options.

Over the last two decades, PR has undergone a significant transformation,shifting from traditional media to a more diverse and dynamic landscape. The advent of the web and social media has revolutionized the Indian media environment, making brand reputation management more engaging and complex. The role of AI and ML has further transformed PR, enhancing reputation and crisis management. PR professionals now need to be more confident in using technology, backed by agility to handle crises swiftly.

Today, clients demand a positive image and measurable impact from every PR campaign, increasing the importance of accountability and talent acquisition in agencies. The technological disruption has pushed agencies to stay proactive, continuously upgrading their skills through internal and external training programs to manage client reputations 24/7. Knowledge and adaptation to new technologies are crucial for agencies to meet clients expectations.

Ultimately, ideas and content drive the industry. While technology is an enabler, it is the people who generate strong ideas and execute them flawlessly who succeed. Innovation in technology will continue at a rapid pace, requiring PR professionals to stay alert and quickly adapt to new developments.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it.
Setback to Ajit Pawar: NCP's Pune Student Wing Chief and Others Return To Sharad Pawar 2

Several Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and corporators returned to the Sharad Pawar camp a day after resigning from the Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday.

At Sharad Pawars residence in Pune, the former NCPs Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, Ajit Gavhane, was among the leaders who joined his faction.

Three other senior leaders of the NCPs Pimpri-Chinchwad unitRahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sanewho quit the party on Tuesday also joined the founders camp.

In reaction to this, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) working president Supriya Sule said that Sharad Pawar has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years, and even people from the opposition look at him with great hope.

I think many people in the party have different experiences. We have always ensured that our ideology of development remains strong. Pawar sahab (Sharad Pawar) has been continuously working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years.

We have faith in Pawar sahabs ideology, and at the same time, many people in the opposition also look towards him with great hopes, which is why people are joining him, Sule said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Gavhane said that he, along with some other party workers who have also resigned from their posts, will be seeking blessings from NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

I resigned yesterday, and today all the ex-corporators will be holding a meeting and strategizing our next moves. We will also take the blessing of Sharad Pawar, Gavhane said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

The Nationalist Congress Party split last year when Ajit Pawar led some MLAs and joined the ruling Eknath Shinde Sena and BJP government.

Gavhane claimed that the development work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.

If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been ruling PPMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). The development work here was done in the wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here, and the sitting MLA is responsible for it, Gavhane said.
Alabama child care facilities have an opportunity to get one last round of grants from a pot of federal money.

Once that money runs out, advocates say, they expect the states child care crisis to get even worse. They say they need long term investments to sustain the rapidly declining industry.

These grants have helped us keep our employees. Helped us when things breakdown, maintenance, upkeep, staff bonuses, employee insurance, liability insurance, making sure our classrooms have quality materials, Tejuania Nelson, director of education with Lighthouse Academy of Excellence and Achievement, said.

But this feels like a Band-Aid...Whats going to be the long term solution? What about making long term investments in child care?

The Alabama Department of Human Resources currently is accepting applications for Child Care Stability grants, which can be used for employee bonuses, facility maintenance, classroom materials, cleaning supplies and meals. Funds can also be used to offer tuition relief to families.

Child care workers, experts weigh in

Nelson has worked in child care since she was a teenager. She wonders how the industry will sustain itself after the small grants, which many centers have relied upon, end.

A lot of centers are going to have to start making some hard decisions. There are centers losing staff. I cant bring in new staff, Nelson said.

Without long term investments, she believes the child care industry will continue to crumble, affecting not only workers, but also parents and other industries.

I think youre going to see more child care facilities closing down, and then therell be more children at home without care Ive talked to parents that cant work because they cant find child care right now, Nelson said.

Susan Sellers, CEO of United Ability, primarily works with children with disabilities.

Sellers said she has seen child care workers leave the industry because they were not being paid a livable wage.

Why work in child care when you could work in fast food for better pay? Our staff need those extra dollars to survive, Sellers said. The bonuses kept people from leaving the child care industry and going into other fields altogether.

The child care industry and education are both struggling right now to keep people in the field because it is not an easy job. Youre handling a familys most precious giftsSometimes it doesnt pay what its worth and theyre left trying to keep their heads above water, Kim Braasch, director of Hand in Hand Early Learning Program with United Ability.

Camille Bennett, founder and executive director of Project Say Something and three child care centers in North Alabama, Focus Scope, works with centers who primarily serve low income families.

Were extremely grateful for this opportunity because it does give us that opportunity to continue bonuses for our staff, Bennett said.

Now, child care centers will have to find new ways to fill the gaps.

Even though were grateful, its also terrifying because we dont know where the money is coming from for next year, Bennett said. Its going to leave major gaps in teacher payWe need this investment to stabilize the industry so every single year we know we can get something for our teachers.

She is advocating for a state line item in the Education Trust Fund to stabilize the child care industry.

Bennett said increased funding could decrease turnover among child care workers and increase the quality and availability of centers.

How to apply for last round of grants

Award amounts will be determined based on the total number of children served by the facility or home, the number of qualifying applicants and the availability of funds.

To qualify for the grant, child care providers must be licensed and operating in good standing with the Department of Human Resources at the time they apply and receive a grant. Providers must also remain in operation for at least one year after a grant is awarded.
A Decatur man accused of killing Dustin Grimes last November in a Lawrence County home invasion was in the Lawrence County Jail with Grimes father for around two months before he was allegedly assaulted and transferred to another jail last week at the request of his attorneys.

Jordan Cesar Hernandez, 36, was apprehended on Nov. 5, the day after the alleged home invasion, after leading multiple law enforcement agencies in a chase before crashing his vehicle east of Calvary Assembly of God, off Alabama 20, according to the Decatur Police Department. Police said Hernandez shot a firearm at pursuing vehicles.

Hes making all kinds of wild accusations, and they granted him to be moved to another jail, said Lawrence County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Brian Covington. So, hes in another jail.

Karen Grimes, Dustin Grimes wife, was allegedly kidnapped during the home invasion before later escaping while being forced to withdraw money from an ATM, according to testimony from LCSO Lt. Adam Lentz at a preliminary hearing last year for Auburn Renee Moore of New Hope.

Moore, 36, and Asia Schontelle Hubbard, 27, of Decatur, are charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree robbery for their alleged roles in the home invasion. Lentz testified that Moore shared an open-marriage relationship with Dustin and Karen Grimes.

Hernandez is represented by court-appointed attorneys Tony Hughes and Jeffery Redcross, along with pro bono attorney Jennifer Olive. Last Thursday, Hughes filed an emergency motion to relocate Hernandez.

The alleged victims father is currently in the Lawrence County Jail and has made the Defendant concerned for his safety, Hughes wrote. Earlier this week, the Defendant was assaulted by two inmates because of the alleged victims family and a Co-Defendants family.

Circuit Judge Callie Waldrep ordered Hernandezs relocation on Friday. Covington on Tuesday disputed the assault allegation.

Thats what he says, he said. We have no record of it. He says theres family members of the victim in the jail, which I think the guys daddy is there, Mickey Grimes.

Jail and court records show Mickey Grimes, 67, was booked on May 9 for a bond violation. He was charged with felony DUI in July 2023 and charged again with a DUI in May of this year. He remained in Lawrence County Jail on Tuesday.

I dont think they were housed in the same pod, Covington said when asked if Mickey Grimes booking should have raised red flags. He said the jail has around four pods which hold 20-25 people each.

Every pod has security cameras, multiple cameras at multiple angles, he said. He said Hernandez was moved to the Colbert County Jail last Thursday or Friday.

Redcross was reluctant to elaborate on the specifics surrounding the alleged assault out of concern for his clients safety.

Yes, it should have raised some red flags, he said of Mickey Grimes booking. Had we known it, we would have immediately requested that he be transferred out of the jail. When we found out about it, we immediately requested that he be transferred, and the sheriff was very accommodating.

Its just one of those things where Dustins dad came in, and he was just another inmate to the intake people, and they just booked him in just like another prisoner. Nobody said anything, probably Mr. Grimes didnt say anything, and they just ended up in the same area and things happened.

Redcross said Hernandez suffered minor injuries.

Police oversight expert Michael Gennaco said the primary responsibility of a jail is to keep inmates safe and housed while they await trial. Gennaco is a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division with experience prosecuting jailers in Alabama and elsewhere. He said jail assaults are underreported.

I think the layout of the facility has a lot to do with it, he said. I think the diligence of deputies entrusted with keeping inmates safe has a lot to do with it. Usually, inmates are not in single cells, so youve got to be very vigilant in reviewing the classification history of inmates before you put them in a cell together.

Ideally, its one of the most important decisions that individuals running the jail are making, and theyre making them every day for people that are booked into the facility.

Comprehensive data on jail violence in Alabama is difficult to come by, since jails are operated by separate, local entities.

I think theres significant pressures for incarcerated people to not report it, or not support an investigation, with the culture sort of being: Well take care of this ourselves, Gennaco said. Which is not good, because that means it will likely result in more violence. And I dont know if there is enough interest in reporting out incidents, because I think, for certain people running the jail, theres a self-interest in trying to prevent information like that from getting out.

Moore was arrested in Decatur on Nov. 4 by a Morgan County Sheriffs Office SWAT team. She remained in Lawrence County Jail on Tuesday with no bond. Hubbard was indicted by a grand jury on June 14 and arrested on June 18. She was released from jail on June 20 on a $130,000 bond, according to court records. Hernandez remained in Colbert County Jail on Tuesday with no bond.

 david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.

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(c)2024 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)

Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

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A Birmingham man has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for setting fire to his fathers Indiana home, killing two pets.

U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson sentenced 34-year-old Tommy Lee Harrison Sr. to 57 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to crossing state lines to commit arson, according to the Southern District of Indiana U.S. Attorneys Office.

Harrison on Oct. 28, 2021, left Birmingham and drove to Connersville, Ind., where his father lived with his wife, children and the familys pets.

During the nearly eight-hour driver, court documents state, Harrison stopped at a Walmart in Kentucky to buy a can of black spray paint.

At 1:40 a.m. on Oct.29, Harrison arrived at his fathers Connersville home.

Harrisons father is Connersville City Councilman Tommy Lee Williams. WTHR13 television reported that Williams, his wife and children, were visiting family in Germany at the time of the fire.

Investigators said they found a racial slur spray painted in black letters on the back porch of the home.

Video surveillance from the area showed Harrison parking next door to the victims house, exiting the vehicle, placing a container on the ground, and driving away.

Harrison returned about 20 minutes later, and repeatedly drove around the residence for about 20 minutes before he backed his car into the yard.

Over the next hour, authorities said, Harrison used gasoline to light the inside and outside of his familys home on fire, destroying their master bedroom, rendering the bedrooms of the familys children unlivable, and killing two of the familys beloved pets, a cat and a dog.

Harrison also used the spray paint he bought to deface the property with a racial slur.

He then returned to Birmingham where he was arrested in early 2022.

This defendants actions had a devastating impact not only on the immediate victims, but on the community of Connersville as well, said Southern District of Indiana U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers.

Crossing state lines to commit a violent crime is a serious offense that merits a serious federal prison sentence, Myers said.

The FBI and the Indiana State Fire Marshals Office investigated the case.

A GoFundMe for the family, which raised more than $40,000 for the family before it stopped accepting donations, read:

This morning my sisters home suffered a fire that was intentionally set with the N word spray painted on their porch. Their sweet pup Roxy and cat perished but thankfully my sister, brother in law and nephews were not home at the time of the fire.

We will not let hate win!
A 23-year-old man missing since last week has been found dead in his burned vehicle in Dallas County.

Christian Moore disappeared in the early-morning hours of Thursday, July 11, 2024, from his home in Newbern.

Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Robert Turner said Tuesday Moores 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. was found Thursday in Dallas County.

The discovery was made by sheriffs deputies when they responded to a call about a burned vehicle slightly off the road.

The truck was towed to a local wrecker service.

After deputies learned of Moores disappearance, they remembered the vehicle they had towed and made the connection.

It was only after they heard about the missing person did they look into the vehicle and discover the charged remains, Turner said.

Moores remains were discovered Sunday.

On Monday, 24-year-old Aravis Arlexus Thomas, of Valley Grande, was taken into custody, according to court records made public Tuesday.

Thomas is charged corpse abuse, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree criminal mischief.

Charging documents against Thomas state that blood was found inside a Valley Grande home and allege she put Moores body and other evidence in the passengers seat of the truck and set it on fire.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely.

This story was updated to change the suspects gender from male to female.
A man was found shot to death early Wednesday inside his apartment.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Maurice Arrinjuando Turner. He was 52.

North Precinct officers just after 1:30 a.m. responded to a Shot Spotter notification in the 800 block of Jasper Road.

The gunfire detection system registered 10 rounds fired there, which is off Eighth Avenue West in the area of College Hills.

Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said when police arrived at that location they did not see anything amiss or anyone in need of help.

Then, at 1:51 a.m., police received a call of a person shot.

When officers arrived to that location, which was inside of a residence, they observed an adult may lying unresponsive on floor, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound,' Wade said.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene and pronounced Turner dead at 2:03 a.m..

His friends and family quickly arrived, desperately trying to figure out what happened to the man they said didnt bother anybody.

Birmingham police investigate a deadly shooting in the 800 block of Jasper Road in Birmingham's College Hills area.(Carol Robinson)

The preliminary investigation indicates Turner was in the kitchen when the shooter or shooters opened fire through the back door of the first-floor apartment.

The victims roommate was inside his own room when he heard shots fired.

The roommate stated that he was inside of his room and did not see anything,' Wade said, yet he heard something that sounded like fireworks and began to look around his apartment and noticed the victim lying unresponsive on the floor.

One person was detained for questioning. That person, Wade said, is not the roommate.

The slaying comes just four days after one of the most violent days in the citys recent memory.

On Saturday, seven people were killed and at least 10 others injured in two separate incidents including a mass shooting at an adult birthday party on Birminghams northside.

Having seven murdered in a day and 10 injured is probably the most tragic day in my time with the Birmingham Police Department, Police Chief Scott Thurmond said Sunday.

There are too many families who have been devastated and destroyed because of gun violence in our city, Thurmond said. Everyone in this room, to be frank, is sick and tire of it and it has to stop today.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a Birmingham mother, her 5-year-old son and her boyfriend were shot to death near the entrance to Echo Highlands Park.

Roughly six hours later, four people were killed and 10 others wounded in a drive-by shooting at a private birthday party in northern Birmingham.

Police officials said both shootings were targeted but no arrests have yet been announced.

Wednesday mornings slaying is Birminghams 91st homicide so far this year. Of those, eight have been ruled justifiable and therefore arent deemed criminal.

As of July 17, 2023, there had been 79 homicides in the city.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 114 homicides, including the 91 in Birmingham. On this date last year, there had been 111 homicides countywide.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-7777.
Athens police say a man suspected in the sexual assault of a 16-year-old has been brought back to Alabama after he was located in New York State.

According to police, Oscar Ariel Duarte Rodriguez, 36, was the suspect in a case that was reported on May 9.

Detectives looking for Rodriguez received information that he had fled to Putnam County, just north of New York City.

Rodriguez was found and taken into custody on June 27, with the help of the Putman County Sheriffs Office.

He was extradited back to Alabama Tuesday. He faces one count of first degree rape.

Rodriguez is being held without bond at the Limestone County Jail, pending an Aniahs Law hearing.

The Putman County and Limestone County Sheriffs offices assisted in the investigation.
Birmingham has a new representative headed for the Alabama State House.

Democrat Kelvin Datcher, deputy director of community development for the city of Birmingham, won a runoff election tonight to replace longtime state Rep. John Rogers.

With 831 votes, or 55 percent, Datcher prevailed in the primary runoff over pastor Frank Woodson, the president and CEO of CityServe Alabama, a network of local churches.

It is humbling and overwhelming at the same time, Datcher told AL.com at his victory party at Hemings at the Thomas Jefferson Tower in downtown Birmingham. Im just so excited to have this opportunity to serve.

Republican Carlos Crum dropped out of the race, according to the Alabama Secretary of States Office, eliminating the need for a general election.

Woodson ended the contest with 675 votes, or about 45 percent of ballots cast. Just 1,506 voters participated in the district with 34,245 registered voters, marking turnout of under 5 percent.

Its overwhelming to think that people would trust you with one of the most precious things they they could have and thats their vote to represent them and give voice to their concern, to invite me into their homes to discuss things that are important to them, that impact their family and their future, Datcher said.

The election brings a new representative to House District 52 for the first time in four decades after Rogers, once the longest-serving member of the state House, resigned and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges earlier this year. The Jefferson County district includes parts of Birmingham, Fairfield and Homewood.

This was Datchers first time seeking elected office after two decades in public service. The 54-year-old has previously served as a chief of staff to Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson when she was on the Birmingham City Council. He also worked as a policy analyst for the Jefferson County Department of Health.

At the victory party, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin embraced Datcher in celebration.

Datcher said he brings the experience needed to build a stronger relationship between Birmingham and state government.

" I really want to make sure that we have great collaboration between our local elected officials, city councilors, mayors and county commissioners and state elected officials, he said. The goal is to get them into a room, to spend time together, talk and feel comfortable sharing our own ideas and visions about what makes our community great, then moving together and speaking as one voice when we get to Montgomery.

In his victory speech, Datcher recalled his humble beginning in Harpersville in Shelby County, where his mother worked to put him and his siblings through college.

Datcher encouraged his supporters to pay it forward, by helping others as a tribute to those who helped them attain success.

You didnt get here by yourself, he said, becoming emotional as he was surrounded by supporters and family. So everyday I wake up trying to do something for somebody.
Authorities say a Madison County man broke into an apartment and sexually abused a juvenile.

Tahjyer Amir Reed, 27, of Huntsville, has been charged with first and second degree rape, first degree and second degree sodomy-strong arm, burglary and fourth degree property theft.

According to court documents, the victim was less than 16 years old but older than 12.

The incident allegedly happened July 8. Reed was arrested on July 12.

He is being held in the Madison County Jail without bond.

Reed has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 12.
Upcoming negotiations over an annual defense policy bill will see lawmakers debate a measure that would grant back pay to military officers whose promotions were delayed by the Senate.

The Senate Armed Services Committees version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which was filed last week, attempts to rectify the financial damage caused by a monthslong hold on promotions Sen. Tommy Tuberville initiated last year.

The House version of the bill, which sets priorities for the Defense Department and passed the chamber last month, makes no such effort.

Senators said they will fight in the coming months to secure language in the compromise version of the must-pass legislation that gives the more than 400 senior officers affected by Tubervilles block retroactive promotion dates and back pay.

Tuberville began his blockade in February 2023 in a bid to force the Pentagon to rescind a policy granting leave and travel cost reimbursement to troops who need to travel to obtain reproductive health care, including abortions. He eventually dropped his hold under immense pressure from members of both parties.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, of which Tuberville is a member, voted on its version of the defense authorization bill last month and the legislation now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., first introduced legislation to adjust affected service members promotions and make other administrative fixes in December. The standalone bill was co-sponsored by Tuberville and unanimously passed the Senate later that month.

Manchin on Tuesday praised the inclusion of the measure in the mammoth defense policy bill and said lawmakers need to do right by troops.

We have a responsibility in Congress to make them whole, he said. I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure the passage of our bill to compensate our troops and strengthen Americas national security.

Rounds said many of the impacted officers spent much of 2023 waiting on promotions and raises they had earned through exemplary service, often in combat zones.

At least 22 field officers awaiting their first star lost about $2,600 per month as they performed the duties of a flag officer without a corresponding pay raise, according to a fact sheet compiled last year by the Democratic staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee. About 20 general officers nominated for their second star lost nearly $2,000 per month.

This legislation would make certain they and their families receive the benefits they missed out on for several months, Rounds said.

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English News Rehashing so-called South China Sea arbitration cannot conceal rights infringement and provocation

Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 17 Juillet 2024



History and facts have proven that properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation between parties directly concerned is the best approach to maintaining overall stability in the South China Sea, while making willful and arbitrary infringement and provocation will only add obstacles to resolving relevant issues.

By Zhong Sheng, People's Daily Recently, the Philippines, in collusion with certain countries, has once again brought up the so-called South China Sea arbitration. They claimed to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, but kept exaggerating the so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration, which is illegal, null and void.



Their true intention is to persist in infringing on China's territorial sovereignty and provoking tensions in the South China Sea, using the South China Sea issue to disrupt regional peace and stability.



Rehashing the so-called South China Sea arbitration cannot conceal the Philippines' infringement of China's lawful rights and interests, nor can it change the fact that the Philippines' frequent provocations, backed by external forces, have led to tensions in the South China Sea.



The so-called South China Sea arbitration was a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding, and the so-called arbitral award is riddled with errors and biases, which have violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea.



This unilateral and malicious arbitration on the South China Sea by the Philippines eight years ago has never aimed to resolve disputes nor safeguard regional peace and stability, but rather to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the region.



The ad-hoc arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the Philippines' unilateral request had neither legitimacy nor jurisdiction, and the arbitral award rendered by it has clearly overstepped its authority and has no binding force.



China neither accepts nor participates in the South China Sea arbitration, nor does it accept or recognize the award or any claims and actions based on it. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by illegal awards.



The Philippines' treatment of this illegal award as gospel does not help resolve its maritime disputes with China, still less add legitimacy to its illegal claims in any way.



By repeatedly claiming that the arbitral award is "legally binding," the Philippines and certain countries have disregarded and trampled on international law.



The rights and wrongs in the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines are crystal clear: China's sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history and duly recognized by international treaties and accords which are not to be infringed upon by any illegal awards.



The Philippine territory is defined by a series of international treaties, which have never included

China's Huangyan Dao and any islands or reefs of Nansha Qundao.



The Philippines' illegal claims have no historical or legal basis. By repeatedly taking actions that complicate the dispute, what the Philippines truly attempts to do is expanding its illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao.



The Senate of the Philippines has approved the so-called "Maritime Zones Act," attempting to further enforce the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea by domestic legislation and illegally include China's Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, and their adjacent waters into its maritime zones.



Later, the Philippines further unilaterally submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea, which has infringed upon China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction.



These actions by the Philippines seriously violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.



Since last year, the Philippine government has breached its commitments and the common understandings with China, violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and repeatedly acted in bad faith.



It frequently infringed on Chinas rights and made provocations at sea, brought in forces outside the region to form blocs and flex muscles in the South China Sea, and spread disinformation to vilify China and mislead the international perception on this matter.



Who is provoking and causing trouble in the South China Sea? Who is violating international law and endangering peace and stability in the region? The fact is crystal clear.



Anthony Carty, a British professor of international law, said in his book The History and Sovereignty of the South China Sea Islands that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the Filipino claim to the Nansha Qundao is absurd. He noted that the so-called arbitral award violates the basic norms of the order of international relations and is part of the strategy of the United States (U.S.) and NATO to contain China.



The U.S. hypes up the so-called arbitral award as "legally binding" completely out of its hegemonic ambition of undermining regional peace and stability and containing China's development.



The U.S. has a hand in a series of actions that escalated regional tensions, including groundlessly attacking and criticizing China's legitimate and lawful actions aimed at safeguarding its rights in the South China Sea, deploying the land-based Mid-Range Capability missile system, known as Typhon, to the Philippines, and conducting joint military exercises with the Philippines.



The U.S. has covertly influenced the South China Sea arbitration and established a so-called "legal foundation" for the Philippines' territorial claims. Now it is using the Philippines as a tool to maintain the hegemony, endorse and back the Philippines' provocations that infringe upon China's lawful rights.



The U.S. actions seriously disrupt regional peace and stability and run counter to the common aspirations of the region for peace and development.



Attempting to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the U.S., the Philippines will only get itself burnt.



Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is the trend of the times and the common wish of countries in the region.



History and facts have proven that properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation between parties directly concerned is the best approach to maintaining overall stability in the South China Sea, while making willful and arbitrary infringement and provocation will only add obstacles to resolving relevant issues.



China is a staunch defender and builder of international maritime rule of law. Firmly upholding the international maritime rule of law, China does not and will never accept or recognize the so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration.



Relevant countries shall respect history, honor their commitments, stop provocations, and stop connivance. They shall return to the right track of dialogue and negotiation, and take concrete actions to uphold the authority of international maritime law and international fairness and justice.



(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)



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Gods not done with Donald J. Trump. I feel that in my bones. On July 13, I had a livestream of the presidents speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, playing in the background while I worked on something else. When I heard an agent yell, Down, down, down and looked toward the screen, and realized that President Trump was on the ground and bleeding, my heart skipped a beat. Out of habit, I dropped to my knees and began praying for his life and the life of our country  so inextricably interwoven both seemed to be in that moment.

As I started scrambling for information and turned on as many newsfeeds as possible, my attention was drawn to those comment sections and internet forums where people were reacting in real time. Lord, please save this man. God help President Trump and those around him. Jesus, we need You now. Please, God, please. There were prayers coming from everywhere. I stopped searching for updates and just started reading what people from all over the world were saying. Countless Americans and non-Americans (dare I guess tens or even hundreds of millions?) were begging the Almighty to intervene on Trumps behalf in those startling first few minutes. It was a spiritually sublime event to witness.

What can you say about such a near miss, when a bullet tracking toward the back of President Trumps skull instead tore through his upper ear? But for his unexpected head-turn in the direction of a big-screen monitor over his right shoulder, July 13, 2024, would be remembered very differently. And in that nerve-racking instant  when time slowed down and we could see blood streaked across Trumps face  there was a panicked realization among strangers around the world of how important it is that this man live. The unending stream of online prayers reflected a global awareness that his fate and our fates are right now linked. It was enough to give a person goosebumps.

I have never been entirely comfortable praising President Trump as much as I do. Its not because Im secretly one of those people who feels compelled to list the mans alleged shortcomings before giving him a compliment. Were all sinners in this world, and most observers who preface their admiration for Donald Trump with some kind of boilerplate language regarding his personality or past behavior sound more like virtue-signaling preeners to me. Instead, my hesitancy comes from a general wariness with glorifying any man or woman walking among us as something more than a mere mortal struggling against sin and evil in this world just as the rest of us do. A perfect soul has not trekked on earthly soil for two thousand years, and to pretend otherwise helps no one.

But I do believe God has a plan for all of us. I have witnessed His miracles when all seemed lost. I have followed His voice on more than one occasion to find comfort where I expected none. And I think President Trump must hear His voice, too.

I look at this man suffering blow after blow who refuses to give up. The news media call him a rapist, a Nazi, and a criminal. Donald Trump ignores them. The federal government spies on his campaign, frames him as a Russian spy, keeps him tied up with special counsel investigations, encourages Antifa terrorists to threaten his physical safety, impeaches him twice, brands him an insurrectionist, and charges him with enough felonies to put him in prison for the rest of his life. Donald Trump doesnt care.

The Democrat party demonizes him as a dictator and evil incarnate. The Republican Establishment insists that he is unfit to hold office and a threat to Americas standing with the rest of the world. The vast administrative state that controls D.C. claims that his economic policies hurt families and that his foreign policies endanger national security. The open-border advocates for illegal immigration and the race-baiting opportunists in the perpetually offended grievance industry slander him as a racist and a closet member of the KKK. Donald Trump doesnt get mad; he doesnt lose his temper; he doesnt get discouraged.

A gunman comes within millimeters of taking his life. Blood drips down his face. President Trump rises from the ground with a clenched fist held high and yells, Fight, fight, fight. This is a man of uncommon strength.

Old Guard Republicans such as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have spent the last decade telling voters that President Trump is a fraud unworthy of the American peoples support. They have portrayed him as a coward, a petty villain, and a hypocrite. They have warned over and over that Donald Trump cannot be trusted to keep his word. These two backstabbing peacocks have been wrong every step of the way.

A fraud doesnt leave a luxuriously comfortable life to hang out with the rats in D.C. A coward doesnt endure insults and malicious prosecutions when retirement from politics would be the easy thing to do. A villain doesnt work so hard to put America First when Wall Street globalists and bloodthirsty war hawks offer great bribes to politicians who put America last. A hypocrite doesnt keep a whiteboard in the White House filled with policy agenda items that must be accomplished before they land on the list labeled Promises Made / Promises Kept.

For the four years of Donald Trumps presidency, Republican voters finally had a Republican president willing to keep his word. They had a leader willing to withstand media and Establishment attacks without wilting. They had a man willing to look out for the forgotten men and women in America whom the corrupt sleazeballs of the D.C. swamp had long ago sold out. For once, they had a fighter with a real spine. It made all the difference.

All I know is that a mans character is revealed when hes tested, and President Trump has been tested time and again ever since he first descended that golden escalator in Trump Tower and upset the ruling Unipartys rot-filled applecart. Most people alive today have never seen a national leader under such relentless fire from unethical prosecutors, partisan judges, corrupt FBI and national security officials, corporate oligarchs, and news media propagandists. Most people would understand if President Trump threw up his hands and simply gave up.

Its what Romney-Ryan-type invertebrates would do. Mitt Romney couldnt even defend himself from CNN debate moderator Candy Crowley when she stepped in to save Barack Obamas bacon. Do you think that guy would stand in the breach and fight for working-class Americans if doing so meant that the Deep State would confiscate his wealth and threaten his freedom? Not a chance. Do you think he would have the mental fortitude and moral courage to raise a bloody fist in defiance of a gunman seeking to take his life? Hell no. Mitt Romney would have crawled to safety and looked for the first warm body to shield him from the next bullet.

Romney-Ryan cowardice is why the Republican Party has been called the Stupid Party or the Sell-Out Party for forty years. RINO indifference to the problems of ordinary Americans and weak-willed Republicans readiness to betray America for the perks and privileges of the globalist new world order are why President Trumps leadership has been so jarringly refreshing.

When I watched Donald Trump survive Saturdays assassination attempt and rise to his feet with vim and vigor and determination, I knew in my heart that he remains an indispensable and irreplaceable man of action. I knew that I was watching someone essential to Americas future. And millions of worried people all over the world thought the same thing. So together, we prayed.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Its beginning to look as if I was far too quick to give thanks that the Secret Service is, apparently, not as corrupt as the FBI.

Were now learning, among other things, that Trumps Secret Service detail was made up of second- and third-stringers, with more experienced agents having been pulled away to protect Dr. Jill Biden, and that even the Secret Service director is a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) hire, put in place under a doctrine that amounts to Affirmative Action on steroids, replacing meritocracy with qualifications based on identity politics.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, interviewed amid calls for her resignation, appears to be in full CYA mode in justifying her agency's failures. Her remarks suggest that she prioritized her agents safety to a ridiculous degree over the life of Donald Trump. Her claim is reminiscent of stories about police standing by out of concern for their own health and safety as people drown before them in shallow water. (Heres just one such story.) This may be a distressing trend in modern policing.

Lots of information is now surfacing that points to negligence on the part of the Secret Service. But one must wonder if the people involved were negligent in allowing the attempt to occur or if theres a much bigger, more insidious Deep State picture here, and their actual negligence was in the failure to ensure that the snipers mission was successfully completed.

Any number of aspects of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, as its being reported and explained, are beginning to stink. They stink at least as much as Joe Bidens disingenuous lament (in which he still managed to include his favorite anti-Trump references, like the Jan. 6 insurrection).

Image: Secret Service agents at work (cropped). YouTube screen grab.

Let me zero in on (and attempt to deconstruct) just one of them.

We are being told that a local Butler, PA, police officer confronted the sniper on the roof just seconds before the sniper opened fire on President Trump. We are being told that the sniper pointed his rifle at the officer, who retreated and fell, whereupon the sniper aimed his rifle back at the podium and began firing.

There used to be a joke about the difference in the way an LAPD cop confronts a suspicious person vs. the way an NYPD cop does. The LAPD cop draws his gun, assumes the Weaver stance, and says, Freeze, Turkey! The NYPD cop ambles over, with his hand resting on the butt of his holstered weapon, and conversationally inquires, Hey, Numbnuts! Whadda youse tink yer doin?

Need I point out that the LAPD method makes far more sense when the suspicious person is a guy with a rifle on a roof overlooking a political rally? The very second that the rifleman began to swing his barrel in the officers direction, the officer would have been absolutely justified in firing his weapon, which should have already been in his hand.

In his tales about the NYPD Stakeout Unit, the late Jim Cirillo (a man who survived more gunfights than Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Wild Bill Hickok combined!) told how he and his team would always call out (from their place of concealment in, say, a liquor store being robbed at gunpoint) a command such as Police!, Dont Move! or Drop the gun!

The robber was not really expected to comply (although those who did were arrested without being shot). The purpose of the command was to make the robber instinctively swing around with his gun pointed at the officers, whereupon the very last thing the criminal saw might be the muzzle flash of a stakeout squad shotgun.

And this is how the confrontation atop that Butler, PA building should have gone. Except that it didnt.

One must wonder what actually transpired on that rooftop. Perhaps the young rifleman looked the rural township flatfoot in the eye and declared, Im not the sniper youre looking for, the way Alec Guinness, as Obi-Wan Kenobe, foiled the Stormtroopers in Star Wars, causing the local yokel to say, like the late Gilda Radners Emily Litella, Never mind!

(By the way, at the beginning of that Star Wars clip, Obi-Wan utters another line, You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. He might as well have been speaking of the Obama/Biden regime or the unholy alliance of the Democrat Party and the so-called Journalism Establishment!)

Instead, were being asked to believe that the gunman pointed his rifle at the cop, causing the local LEO to retreat and fall (or flee and jump), whereupon (in an even greater stretch of credulity, we are asked to believe that) the self-appointed (?) hitman re-acquired his original target within mere seconds and commenced firing, with time to get off multiple rounds before being neutralized by Secret Service snipers, who should have had him in their sights and should have neutralized him, long before he ever squeezed the trigger.

The UKs Daily Mail provides more (and different) details about just how long the authorities were aware of the gunman on the roof and about the rooftop confrontation with the local LEO. Meanwhile, a report tells how the Fraternal Order of Police is bristling over the Secret Service apparently blaming local police for the agencys own shortcomings.

Were being told that, even once the Secret Service snipers saw the gunman on the roof, they had to determine if he was a threat before deciding to open fire. What a crock! Unless, of course, they had been instructed to allow him to complete his nefarious deed before eliminating him.

But that would be a wild-eyed, tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory, wouldnt it? Sheesh. Thatd be like believing that Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald both worked for the CIA!

The only part of this story that doesnt stink is the comment from a witness who, asked by a reporter what happened to the gunman on the roof, matter-of-factly replied, Oh, they [government snipers] blew his head off.

Im sorry, but I couldnt suppress a smile over that one.

Authors Note: Stu Tarlowe was, for more than a decade, the personal editor for the late talk radio icon, author and columnist Barry Farber; he was also, prior to contracting COVID, a well-paid staff writer for a think tank and magazine dealing in societal and financial trends. Since 2010 hes contributed over 160 pieces to American Thinker, and for the past several years he has also put out a Substack newsletter, Stus Stack o Stuff (which is by no means exclusively political). Both of these endeavors pay him not a single penny, but he would be pleased to write similar material for money.
There is an old joke that the Irish tell on themselves. It goes, Did you hear about the Irishman with Alzheimers: he forgot everything but the grudges. In the case of President Joe Biden, as his dementia worsens, he will forget everything but the lies.

If Joe Biden merely padded his stats the way Donald Trump routinely does, he could be forgiven, but Bidens lies cut deep and leave scars. It is too early to tell how much stock shooter Thomas Crooks put in those lies, but it would be naive to think that the anti-Trump mania that Biden helped foster did not influence this would-be assassin. If so, Trump would not be the first victim of this mass psychosis. That tragic place in history belongs to January 6 protestor, Ashli Babbitt.

Indeed, no major candidate has ever begun a presidential campaign with a more divisive and slanderous opening gambit than did Biden. The first words he uttered in his April 2019 video launch were Charlottesville, Virginia.

Biden continued, [Trump] said there were quote some very fine people on both sides. With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime. Right from the jump, Biden was peddling the notion that Trump was not just a bad president, but a threat to this nation.

In his first live speech -- this in Pittsburgh, just miles from Crooks home in Bethel Park -- Biden again began by speaking of Charlottesville. Folks we saw hate in Charlottesville, said Biden, we saw it again in Pittsburgh, at the Tree of Life synagogue and attack -- the deadliest in American history on a Jewish community, and we're reminded again, that that we are in a battle. We are in a battle for Americas soul.

To sell the deception, Biden shamelessly ignored Trumps earlier comment about Charlottesville, Im not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, Trump had said. They should be condemned totally. Rarely, if ever, did the media rein in Bidens dissembling.

A convenient month before the 2020 election the FBI blew open the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnap plot, a plot scandalously orchestrated by FBI agents and confidential sources. Race-baiter Biden jumped right in. There is a through line from President Trumps dog whistles and tolerance of hate, vengeance, and lawlessness to plots such as this one, said Biden on the occasion. He is giving oxygen to the bigotry and hate we see on the march in our country.

The through line of Bidens candidacy and presidency has been defaming Trump and his followers as Nazis and white supremacists. Panicked by their own propaganda, House Democrats feared the worst from Trump supporters on January 6. Just remember, were on the right side of history, Rep. Val Demings told a colleague. If we all die today, another group will come in and certify those ballots.

Something of a narcissist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez personalized her own anticipated torture at the hands of the J6 mob in a hair-raising interview she did with CNNs Dana Bash.

White supremacy and patriarchy are very linked in a lot of ways, AOC told Bash. Theres a lot of sexualizing of that violence. And I didnt think that I was just going to be killed. I thought other things were going to happen to me as well. When Bash asked AOC if she thought she was going to be raped, AOC answered, Yea, yeah. I thought I was.

The musings of Ocasio-Cortez raised no eyebrows in progressive circles. Her way of thinking, such as it is, permeates Americas newsrooms. The steady stream of toxic nonsense the media produce has clouded the minds and frozen the hearts of millions.

On January 6, 2021, the lies told by Biden and his allies had deadly consequences. When Trump supporters descended on the Capitol, more than a few police officers harbored the same fears as did Demings and AOC.

USCP lieutenant -- now captain -- Michael Byrd responded to the perceived threat with lethal force. The incident commander for the House on January 6, Byrd had positioned himself with several other armed officers behind the heavily barricaded doors to the Speakers Lobby.

At the sight of a boisterous crowd on the far side of the lobby doors, Byrd panicked. Without a word of warning, he shot and killed unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt the moment she squeezed her 110-pound body into a broken window frame. Within a minute of the shooting of Babbitt, the frightened Byrd made an astonishing radio call:

405B. We got shots fired in the lobby. We got shots shots fired in the lobby of the House Chamber. Shots are being fired at us and were sh, uhh, prepared to fire back at them. We have guns drawn. Please dont leave that end. Dont leave that end.

Byrds, of course, was the only shot fired that day. No police officers were killed or seriously injured. No members of Congress or staff were molested. In clearing Byrd of criminal action, Bidens DoJ insulted him, arguing that fear, mistake, panic, misperception, negligence, or even poor judgment do not elevate a police shooting to the level of crime. Like the Democrats in Congress, Byrd had fallen prey to the media scare stories about the MAGA hordes. As he would later tell NBCs Lester Holt, I know that day I saved countless lives, and he seemed to actually believe what he was saying.

Byrd was not the only cop to panic. Metropolitan Police Department officer Lila Morris beat the unconscious Rosanne Boyland repeatedly over the head with a stick. Boyland subsequently died. Both Babbitt and Borland were white, Byrd and Morris black. Rep. Demings is black as well. AOC is Puerto Rican. Biden and his fellow travelers had nurtured an anxiety on the left, especially among minorities, that transcended the rational.

In the wake of January 6, President Biden continued to spread his monstrous propaganda. The violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago, he said in October 2021, it was about white supremacy, in my opinion. Unchastened, he has made white supremacy the focus of his 2024 campaign.

During his disastrous debate performance in June, if he forgot most of what he was supposed to say, Biden remembered his go-to lie. What American president would ever say Nazis coming out of fields, carrying torches, singing the same antisemitic bile, carrying swastikas, were fine people, asked Biden, adding, This is a guy who says Hitlers done some good things.

We may never know what fears muddied the thinking of 20-year-old Thomas Crooks in his final days and moments. If, however, Michael Byrd thought he saved countless lives by killing Ashli Babbitt, Crooks may well have thought hed save millions by killing that Hitler-loving white supremacist Donald Trump.

Jack Cashills new book, Ashli: The Untold Story of the Women of January 6, is available in all formats.

Image: Gage Skidmore
Two stories need attention, and thats a joke of a lawsuit out of New York, and a joke of an article on evaporation.

New York Costco, with a market value of $376 billion, was slapped with a mosquito net for false advertising (fraud) and causing a great deal of economic damage to a large number of consumers for the years 20112017. Heres the story:

Costco to pay $2M in class action settlement over flushable wipes: Heres what to know Customers who bought Costcos Kirkland Signature Moist Flushable Wipes between 2011 and 2017 may be eligible for money in a class action lawsuit settlement. The lawsuit claims Costco falsely advertised their wipes as flushable, leading to damaged pipes, septic systems and other plumbing issues amongst customers. Those who bought the wipes in New York between July 1, 2011, and May 31, 2017, are eligible to be class members and have until August 9 to submit their claim. Class members are eligible to receive $1.30 per purchased product, with a maximum payment of $55.90 per household - the equivalent of 43 products.

My guess is lawyers on both sides of the litigation made out like bandits, while the consumers who suffered massive plumbing bills will be awarded anywhere between $7.50 and $55.90. What will they do with all that money? It certainly doesnt pay for their plumber, or anything else for that matter.

Is it even worth it to file a claim and pay for a stamp? Basically, it is a worthless settlement for everyoneexcept the lawyers and Costco.

I want to know: Will Alvin Bragg charge the CEO of Costco with a crime if he codes these payments as ordinary business expenses instead of as payments for fraud?

Meanwhile, a Democrat attorney general and Democrat judge in the same state charged President Trump with fraud, when there was no fraud and no victims. They pulled a number out of a hat and decided they had the right to confiscate $500 million from him for the government, which is 250 times the amount levied against Costco, despite there being more evidence of substantial damages against the corporation than Trump.

I bet Costco publicly supports left wing causes like green energy and DEIoh look, they do! From Costcos website:

We are committed, in partnership with our global stakeholders, to doing our part to avoid catastrophic climate change.  The subjects we address are multifaceted, as evidenced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we have adopted (as explained in our Sustainability Commitment introduction).  We align our decarbonization objectives with our commitments to human rights, diversity, equity and inclusion.

I wonder if the companys apparent political views had anything to do with the fact that they only received a slap on the wrist?

Now, for the second joke, from the Palm Springs Desert Sun:

Californias heatwave evaporates billions of gallons of water from reservoirs During the first nine days of July, 3,392 cubic feet per second of water  or about 2.2 billion gallons  turned into vapor and floated away into the atmosphere off the man-made Lake Shasta. During just one day  July 3  288.8 million gallons of water alone evaporated.

Why dont these investigative journalists give us the full story, and tell us how many gallons evaporate on a normal July 3rd? Why dont they tell us what impact eliminating all affordable and reliable energy (gas, coal, oil) will have on evaporation levels? The answer is clearly that facts dont matteronly a narrative to push people to capitulate to the radical green agenda.

When the green pushers tell us how rapidly the seas will rise because of melting ice, they dont seem to take account of the natural evaporation and the natural erosion at sea shores and the bottom of the ocean. Again, facts and science have never mattered, only their agenda.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
Kimberly Cheatle has been the Director of the Secret Service for less than two years. She has had a 25-year career with the Service, holding multiple positions until she was appointed by President Biden as its Director in 2022.

Based on her biography, there are signs she was a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hire.

Cheatle joined the United States Secret Service in 1995 after failing on the first try, eventually serving on Joe Biden's protective detail during the Obama administration when she was assigned to the Vice Presidential Protective Division. In 2017 and 2018, she served as deputy assistant director. Cheatle also served as special agent in charge of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, office. She became the first woman to serve as assistant Director of Protective Operations, a department tasked with protecting the president and dignitaries. She left the Secret Service in 2019 and became the head of security for Pepsico with a salary of $1.2 million annually.

During a CBS News interview in May 2023, Cheatle stated the Secret Service, which had a 48% quit rate, needed to "attract diverse candidates and give opportunities to everybody in the workforce, particularly women." She said she aims to have 30% women in the agency by 2030.

No one asked her why agents were quitting in such high numbers. Insiders claim a culture change reflecting DEI mandates that pushed out agents near retirement and inculcated new agents into the religion of DEI.

On July 13, 2024, during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Cheatle was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the 2024 Republican National Convention was to be held. In the wake of the shooting, Cheatle acknowledged the failure of the Secret Service, calling it "unacceptable."

However, Cheatle told ABC News that she would not resign from her position. This is very telling, and she shares with her staff that responsibility is never personal; it's institutional. Therefore, no one needs to take personal responsibility.

This is the heart of how DEI works. DEI is anti-individualistic, replacing personal responsibility with the collective.

The precise mechanics of Cheatle's appointment are unclear, including whether the Secret Service conducted the selection process or if the White House, specifically Jill Biden, made the decision herself. Cheatle worked on then-second lady Biden's detail.

Cheatle's tenure with the Secret Service generally consisted of mid-level management duties with little accomplishment in the field.

Cheatle frequently uses the expression "The buck stops with me," but does it?

Donald Trump's "Package," the number and kind of agents assigned to him were considered inadequate for years. Trump was a known target for individuals who may have thought they were doing God's work in killing Hitler. This was widely understood and included in the Threat Matrix, which the Secret Service considers their Bible. The Service was also very aware of an assassination threat from Iran.

The near-assassination of former President Donald Trump is failure. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said as much, according to the New York Post:

"When I say that something like this cannot happen, we are speaking of a failure," he said Monday on CNN; on ABC, it was: "A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not occur."

Not that she's the only one facing questions: According to the New York Post, she got her directorship thanks to a close relationship with First Lady Jill Biden after serving on the Bidens' vice presidential detail.

This leads one to question whether the best and brightest was the prime prerequisite for selection or the fact that Ms. Cheatle is female. If she is a lesbian, as some on the Internet claim, that checks off two boxes.

Progressives just don't get it, but we do. DEI's sole purpose is to overturn gender and racial stereotypes and force a redistribution of wealth and opportunity based on the false assumption that we are equal in ability and, therefore, should share equally in wealth and opportunity. More than half the country understands that this assumption is a logical fallacy. The rest of the DEI adherents blindly believe in it as any religious zealot or cult does. Until recently, these people did not have the power or the reach to affect the rest of us. Beginning with Obama, the ground beneath us shifted with magnetic North flipped on its axis.

According to the New York Post, former Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino stated:

I want to repeat and can absolutely confirm, the USSS Director Kim Cheatle has repeatedly turned down requests for a larger security footprint around President Trump, Bongino added. Despite knowing the threat level is catastrophic. Resign tonight.

A slew of close calls have reached the highest government level. Example: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was "livid" last year over a case in which an intruder snuck into the home of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in 2023, according to sources cited by NBC News.

Now Cheatle is telling ABC News that "the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former president" and "the buck stops with me; I am the director of the Secret Service."

She said she had no intention of resigning.

Is this taking responsibility?

It is evident to anyone observing that Progressive appointees value a social agenda over that of a particular agency's reason for existence. Whether we are talking about the military, DOJ, Homeland Security, government agencies in general, or, in this case, the U.S. Secret Service, DEI hires are undermining our country in plain sight. We must not let Trump's enemies get a second shot. Vote for Donald Trump for President!

God Bless America.

Allan J. Feifer is a patriot, author, businessman, thinker, and strategist. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com.

Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Public Domain Archive // public domain
Is there some Biden administration playbook on responding to complaints about flaming public incompetence? Since these failures happen so often, most recently in the security failure leading up to the near-assasination of President Trump, it's positively strange how similar the responses are.

The latest instance is from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who's already shown himself to be a master at mission failure as well as worming his way out of it.

In an interview with CNN, he called the Secret Service's performance Saturday "a failure" and promised an 'independent review':

He says he "looked forward" to "studying" the findings and "acting accordingly."

Meanwhile, in testimony to Congress two days ago, he delivered this:

A president was just shot and Mayorkas has 100% confidence in Secret Service leadership? Why does Mayorkas still have his job https://t.co/UwQ6LB4YKe  Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 16, 2024

That's strange stuff. The failure is unmistakeable, it doesn't need an investigation to find out if it was really a failure or not. The Secret Service, which was founded in the wake of President Lincoln's assassination had one job, and they didn't do it.

Admirals who run their ships aground or collide other ships are just about always relieved of their commands. Why wasn't Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle? Mayorkas is acting as though this was a complicated matter with lots of little nuances of interpretation that call for his "study," making this sound like some kid's term paper to follow.

Cheatle should be fired instantly if the agency is to ever regain credibility as a presidential protective operation with an elite corps of agents paid six-figure salaries. If they don't or can't do their jobs, why are they being paid for by taxpayers? The legitmacy of the entire operation is being called into question. Cheatle has had 25-plus years to learn how to do her job and she didn't do it.

In a sane world, she'd be told it's time to go.

Instead, she was given space for excuse-making, as she did yesterday to an ABC reporter, claiming that she failed to stage snipers on the assasin's rooftop because it had a sloped roof, which posed a safety hazard is laughable, given how many times snipers have been stationed on sloped roofs in the past. Ordinary roofers do it all the time. In another interview with CNN, she claimed other cops were responsible for that building, not hers.

Obviously, this is someone trying to cover her keister.

Mayorkas's weasiliness about commissioning studies along with the phony excuses of his lieutenant clearly signal that the pair of them are both incompetent and liars.

It's activity of officials on the hot seat, having failed the public trust and simply trying to get away with it. 'Look, squirrel!' ought to be the motto of this pair of incompetents.

But this isn't Mayorkas's first incompetence -- his leaving the border wide open is on a par with leaving the rooftop wide open to a sniper aiming at President Trump, nor is it the first incompetence on a wide scale seen with the Biden administration.

Scroll back to 2022.

Gen. Mark Milley, who was responsible for the disastrous Afghanistan pullout in front of the world faced no consequences for his incompetence, but like Mayorkas, called it a "failure" and pledged an 'investigation' in the wake of it, something that would merit a page 19 at news story.

Speaking of the suicide attack that killed 13 American service members, he said:

GEN. MILLEY: A couple of things. One is, as we always do on all of these things, we initiated an investigation. We're reviewing all of the video and all of that. But having said that, it -- we -- you know, what do we know, what do we don't know, what do we think sort of thing -- at the -- at the time -- and I think this is still valid -- we had very good intelligence that ISIS-K was preparing a specific type vehicle at a specific type location. We monitored that through various means and all of the engagement criteria were being met. We went through the same level of rigor that we've done for years and we took a strike. So that we did. Secondly is we know that there was secondary explosions. Because there was secondary explosions, there's a reasonable conclusion to be made that there was explosives in that vehicle. The third thing, as we know from a variety of other means, that at least one of those people that were killed was an ISIS facilitator. So were there others killed? Yes, there are others killed. Who they are, we don't know. We'll try to sort through all of that. But we believe that the procedures at this point -- I don't want to influence the outcome of an investigation -- but at this point, we think that the procedures were correctly followed and it was a (righteous strike ?).

And of course, like Mayorkas and Cheatle, he refused to resign.

Exiting the scene in disgrace or getting fired by a commander in chief who demanded just basic and minimum competence on leaving the scene without people dangling off aircraft was not an option, so he got away with it, retiring with his bloated pension, never mind the mess he left behind.

Now we see the same thing in Mayorkas, as well as his inept lieutenant, Cheatle.

They may have seen how Milley got away with it and went by his playbook for escaping accountability. Or, maybe they were briefed from the top.

Whatever it was, they cling to power in the face of failure, same as Joe Biden himself does as he seeks re-election and even Democrats are telling him to get out.

A fish stinks from the top, and there is no more illustrative example than the current mess brought on by Mayorkas.

Image: Screen shot from CNBC video via YouTube.
The legal brilliance of Justice Thomas was evident when he absolutely nailed the fatal flaw in the Biden administrations lawfare appointment of Jack Smith as special counsel in his opinion on the scope of presidential immunity.

A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone, he wrote, let alone a former president.

Soon thereafter, Judge Aileen Cannon, on very solid constitutional legal grounds, dismissed the criminal classified documents case against former President Trump.

Even AP, not Trump-friendly, captured the dramatic turn of events like this:

Defense lawyers filed multiple challenges to the case, including legally technical ones that asserted that special counsel Jack Smiths appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland violated the Constitutions Appointments Clause because it did not go through Congress and that Smiths office was improperly funded by the Justice Department. Cannon agreed, writing Monday that Garland had exceeded his bounds by appointing a prosecutor without Senate approval and confirmation and had undermined the authority of Congress. The Special Counsels position effectively usurps that important legislative authority, transferring it to a Head of Department, and in the process threatening the structural liberty inherent in the separation of powers, Cannon wrote.

Of course the normal flow of justice is to appeal a ruling and that process was put in motion by the Justice Department:

Not being a lawyer, I will enjoy the public sturm und drang of attorneys with certified Trump Derangement Syndrome who will try to capture headlines to litigate overturning Judges Cannons ruling in public.

However one does not need to have a law degree to read criminal statutes.

With the ruling, the title still being used is Special Counsel Smith when it should be Citizen Smith. Since his appointment has been ruled illegitimate, he cannot have that title, and it is only fair he reverts to Attorney Jack Smith, or simply Citizen Smith.

Once the speculative appeals process is now beginning I have a simple question: How does a private citizen appeal? That answer is as we would say, way above my pay grade.

If Judge Cannons ruling stands, both Attorney General Garland and Citizen Smith are in, as we used to say in the Marines, a world of hurt.

If it is determined that everything Citizen Smith did was unconstitutional, then the inevitable civil lawsuits by those he legally terrorized might be horrendously costly for him personally; the U.S. government would also be of interest.

The problem for Garland is even more legally perilous. It is called a violation of the Antideficiency Act:

This act prohibits federal agencies from obligating or expending federal funds in advance or in excess of an appropriation, and from accepting voluntary services. The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal employees from  involving the government in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose, unless otherwise allowed by law. 31 U.S.C.  1341(a)(1)(B).  Federal employees who violate the Antideficiency Act are subject to two types of sanctions: administrative and penal. Employees may be subject to appropriate administrative discipline including, when circumstances warrant, suspension from duty without pay or removal from office. In addition, employees may also be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both.

Since the Attorney General of the United States, our chief law enforcement officer, was found by a judge to have improperly funded this horrific lawfare effort, good luck with pleading the old dodge, I had no criminal intent. As often quotedignorance of the law is no excuse.

With respect to the very nasty damage done to innocent Americans by Citizen Jack SmithI will take lyrics from a very popular song in the Sixties, Youre a very strange man, arent you, Master Jack?

Ed Timperlake was the Senate-confirmed first Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; first for Congressional and Public Affairs and then Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Image: Andrea Widburg.
Recent observations of President Bidens Cabinet reveal a growing unease about his mental fitness to lead the country. Secretary Lloyd Austins anxious demeanor suggests a fear of being asked the critical question: is President Biden mentally fit to run this country? Meanwhile, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen has damned Biden with faint praise, describing him as effective in meetings. This tepid endorsement raises a crucial question: why arent other members of Bidens Cabinet vigorously defending his mental fitness?

One would expect that someone from the inner circle would step forward to affirm his confidence in the president. However, Secretary Antony Blinken and other key figures have remained silent. This lack of vocal support from key Cabinet members only fuels speculation and concern among the public. It also opens the door to increased scrutiny and doubt about Bidens capability to lead, particularly in critical areas of national security.

The silence is deafening and deeply concerning. Biden holds the nuclear codes, yet Lloyd Austin at Defense prioritizes political considerations over national security. If even a hint of doubt exists about the presidents capacity to perform his duties, it becomes a matter of urgent national interest. The implications of such doubts are far-reaching, affecting both domestic stability and international relations.

Cabinet members are entrusted and vested with the responsibility to ensure that the president is fit to serve, especially in national security matters. Importantly, they have the authority to invoke the 25th Amendment, which provides the legal framework for removing a president from office due to mental or physical incapacity. Their reluctance to speak out, coupled with Yellens lukewarm endorsements, signals a troubling lack of transparency and accountability. This hesitation suggests there might be more behind the scenes than what public disclosures reveal. Such a scenario is problematic because it implies a potential breach in the American publics trust in the nations leaders.

The situation highlights the importance of a robust and transparent leadership structure, especially in times of uncertainty. The public relies on the government to provide clear and confident direction, particularly regarding national security. Any indication that the leadership needs to be more fully satisfied with the presidents abilities undermines this trust and can lead to broader instability.

We cannot overlook the medias role in this scenario, either. There has been a noticeable lack of rigorous questioning from mainstream media outlets regarding Bidens mental fitness. This absence of critical inquiry further compounds the problem, leaving the public without clear answers and perpetuating a cycle of speculation and doubt. It is imperative for the media to hold leaders accountable and to seek the truth, regardless of political affiliations.

Moreover, the implications for international relations are significant. Allies and adversaries alike keenly observe the situation. Any perceived weakness or instability within the U.S. leadership can embolden adversaries and cause allies to question their reliance on American support. In a world with high geopolitical tensions, the strength and stability of U.S. leadership are paramount.

In this context, Bidens Cabinets silence is a political issue and a national security concern. It raises red flags about the administrations internal mechanisms and the presidents health and fitness to lead. Transparency and forthrightness are essential to maintaining U.S. citizens trust and ensuring the governments effective functioning.

As a police officer, I appreciate the respect most people show me, and I am grateful that there are many fine Americans who appreciate and support the work of law enforcement and other first responders who put themselves in harms way to protect and help others. But we are all fallible human beings, and none of us is above scrutiny.

Trooper Proctors suspension underscores the critical importance of impartiality in law enforcement. His conduct jeopardized a high-profile case and threatened the publics trust in the justice system. For now and in the future, it is of the utmost importance that police departments continue to enforce stringent standards of professionalism to prevent similar incidents. The integrity of our judicial system depends on it. Our nation depends on it.

In case you were wondering, the solution is not Gavin Newsom.

Michael Letts is the founder and CEO of InVest USA, a non-profit organization that supports law enforcement agencies by providing bulletproof vests to officers. With years of experience in public safety and community support, Letts is a dedicated advocate for first responders and national security.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
With every day since the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, weve gotten more facts. And with each additional fact, the governments narrativethat a weird loner without any skills, social media, or photos was the guilty partymakes less and less sense. Hanlons Razor tells us that we must never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. However, when the stupidity that allegedly characterized the United States Secret Service (USSS) becomes impossible to accept, people will start to follow Sherlock Holmess dictum: When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

The initial story was a simple one: A lone gunman sneaked onto a roof and managed to get off some shots, wounding three (including President Trump) and killing one, before a Secret Service agent took him out with a perfect headshot. That sounded reasonable.

However, in the ensuing time, a lot of strangeI mean really strangefacts have emerged. Some of the most obvious ones that I can list off the top of my head are as follows:

The gunman, who graduated from high school only two or three years ago, was known then as a terrible shot.

The gunman had no social media presence at all, a striking anomaly today.

People repeatedly warned the police that they saw a man with a gun on a shed near Trumps platform, but neither the police nor the USSS reacted.

The USSS had been aware of the shooters bizarre behavior for at least 30 minutes before the shooting itself but did nothing.

Security allowed a ladder to be positioned at the shed without responding to that fact.

Snipers had the shooter in their sights before he shot anyone.

The administration kept Trumps USSS team understaffed.

Trumps existing team, which had presumably learned to work together, was suddenly disassembled so that Jill could make an appearance at the same time as Trumps rally.

The USSS put the shed outside of its security perimeter even though (a) it was 125 yards away from Trump, which would work even for a mediocre marksman, and (b) it had a perfect sightline to Trump.

USSS Director Kimberley Cheatle said agents werent actually on the shed because the roof was sloped. Using passive voice, she explained, the decision was made to secure the building from the inside.

As Cheatle noted, there were USSS agents inside the shed, even though the roof was the perfect firing platform.

The feds were instantly able to identify the shooter by his DNA, which is peculiar because hed never been arrested, so theres no reason that his DNA would have been in law enforcement records.

Despite the above cascades of failures, Director Cheatle has not been fired and has refused to quit. That in itself is truly weird.

As I said, thats just the weirdness off the top of my head. I know theres more.

When you think of those multiple failures and judgment calls, it calls to mind what Ian Fleming wrote in Goldfinger: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

Im not accusing anyone in the Biden government of enemy action. Im not claiming any specific theory is correct. However, I am noting that, with this level of weird incompetence and easy opportunities for an assassination attempt, a lot of people are saying that the given explanations seem so impossible that many believe the only probable explanation for what happened was enemy action, with the enemy being someone (or many people) within the Biden administration.

Sean Parnell noted negligence at an incomprehensible scale:

LOOK. Here is another picture. Taken at 6:06pm. I am to the left of the USSS agent, in the front row behind Trump.

LOOK AT THIS.

When shots rang out I immediately thought building, or water tower. But you DO NOT have to be a tactical genius to see why.

Can you see now how close pic.twitter.com/mSzWTHyLSC  Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) July 17, 2024

The most prominent person to level this charge is Sean Davis, one of the founders of The Federalist and someone with a record of being data-driven and level-headed. In an essay yesterday, he charged that Bidens Team Deliberately Kneecapped Trumps Security To Allow An Assassination Attempt.

Darren J. Beattie, who worked in the White House and founded The Revolver, had an interesting question that adds to the many mysteries described above:

The question isn't just how in the hell that roof 150 yards away from Trump was unguarded



The question is also how this gunman knew that it was unguarded  Darren J. Beattie  (@DarrenJBeattie) July 15, 2024

Other theories take the same available evidence and reach even further, with the shed itself serving as the equivalent of the grassy knoll:

There is now a very credible explanation emerging that says US Secret Service agents, on orders from Kimberly Cheatle and Alejandro Mayorkas, placed a Secret Service team INSIDE the building where the "shooter" was crawling on the roof, and that the actual shots targeting #Trump  HealthRanger (@HealthRanger) July 16, 2024

And then there is this:

Biden's Department of Homeland Security, led by impeached Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, just stepped in to block the Secret Service from providing a previously agreed-to briefing to lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee.



This is not how you inspire confidence.  Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) July 16, 2024

What saddens me is that its impossible at this point in American history to discount these theories and, instead, to say that people ought to focus on the facts and remember that, sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Here, that cigari.e., the obvious answeris a lone wolf who almost got lucky.

But given what we know about the D.C. bureaucracy, whose members view Trump as an existential threat to the power they wield, its hard to say stupidity, DEI, and/or luck adequately cover Saturdays events. Weve seen the government in action against Trump, whether it was covering up Hunter Bidens hard drive or promulgating the Russia collusion hoax.

While Sally Field once gushed about Hollywood that you like me, the inversion is true in D.C.: The establishment hates Trump, and theres an open question about how far that hatred will go.

So, while I once would have characterized any theories about a malevolent government conspiracy as fringe people connecting imaginary dots with invisible lines, I no longer feel comfortable being so dismissive. Weve long known that D.C. has become corrupt in a byzantine way, and we can only hope that it hasnt adopted byzantine manners when it comes to political opponents.

Image: X screen grab.

(You can find me on Twitter here.)

UPDATE: I just posted this, and I've already got a good update:
Joe Bidens migrant crime trend continues to surge, so its only appropriate we brief ourselves on the latest developments; Ive got three in particular to mention.

Random killing sprees. Now this seems to be a theme; just two days ago I wrote a blog on federal government whistleblowers revealing the processes by which Bidens government aids the child trafficking industry, and the fact that MS-13 gang members were sponsoring unaccompanied minor children. If you recall, these thugs actually formed hunting parties to target and kill random civilians in bids to boost notoriety. But, heres another instance, from a report via Breitbart just three days ago:

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, arrested an 18-year-old Honduran migrant [Roberto Diaz] for his alleged role in a random shooting spree that left one person dead. The migrant reportedly entered the U.S. illegally by crossing the border from Mexico into Texas, according to a local news report.  The arrest of the Honduran national followed an investigation into a shooting spree that began at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Roberto Diaz and an unnamed 16-year-old juvenile allegedly began a series of random shootings that left one local resident dead and others wounded.

Now, whats even more interesting about this is that Diaz reportedly came to the U.S. in 2019, which means at the time, he would have been a minor (roughly 13 years old). Is this the typical Dreamer championed by Barack Obama? Probably. Also, heres an excellent point, made by someone in the comments:

Let me get this straight.. ..crossed border illegally.. ...obtained gun probably illegally ..murders a person which is illegal.. Mmmm..guess he didnt pass the background check.. Yet, as an American born US citizen, I must constantly prove I am a citizen, pass a background check, 3 day wait, and gun safety course to legally purchase weapon; and if [I] murdered a person just for the hell of it, would probably be up for death penalty or life in prison. Is this a great country or what?

Drunkards killing first-graders. Another Honduran! Last week, Zelvin Gomez got wasted at a party (.22 blood alcohol content) before calling it a night at 3 a.m., when he got behind the wheel of a car with his girlfriend and a six-year-old child. When Gomez and his girl got into a fight, she got out of the vehicle, and Gomez kept driving; he eventually wrecked while going 68 mph in a 45 mph zone, and the little girl, who was not buckled in, was thrown from the vehicle and crushed when it rolled over her. Theyre not sending their best now are they? I want to know how much of our money this monster has received through welfare handouts, not to mention the cost of incarcerating him and providing him with legal defense and a fair trial.

Here was the best comment from someone on the internet, and it deserves being seen:

If you sold people the opportunity to punch Mayorkas in the face for $50,000 a pop, youd close the budget deficit in about two weeks.

Colonialism revenge stabbings. For this one we have to head to Europe; an African migrant launched an unprovoked stabbing attack against a French soldier on Monday night, stabbing the latter in the back while he was on patrol in the nations capital. Heres the story, from Remix News:

A French soldier was stabbed in the back by a Congolese-born migrant at the Gare de lEst in Paris on Monday evening.  As cited by the Actu17 news outlet, a source close to the ongoing police investigation said the attackers motivation for the stabbing was retaliation for French military operations in his home country.

Oh, and what do you know, this lunatic was known by the government, having previously been involved in murdering someone:

The suspect is known to the authorities for a previous stabbing, having previously been arrested back in January 2018 in relation to the murder of a young man who was stabbed in Chatelet-Les-Halles. The Congolese migrant was declared irresponsible because of his state of mental health after the suspect was diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders, Actu17 reported.

Now, Congo received its independence more than eighty years ago, so what this man is upset about, Im not exactly sureone could reasonably infer hes angry about colonialism? Who knows. The Congo is one of the most resource-rich nations in the world, but its in utter shambles, because its full of people who think like this man here, not because of colonialism.

How dare France admit third world migrants with no redeeming qualities or attributes, money, job skills, or desire to assimilate, treat them well, and hand them everything!

Anyway, more to follow, as long as Joe Biden and his coterie of crooks hold the keys to the government.

Image: YouTube video screen grab.
OnePlus just launched a new flagship Android tablet and a mid-range smartphone. The OnePlus Pad 2 and OnePlus Nord 4 arrive with some notable upgrades over their respective predecessors. The tablet goes on sale later this month, while the phone will be available starting in August. Pre-orders are already open in most major markets.

OnePlus Pad 2 official with a bigger display, flagship Snapdragon chip

The OnePlus Pad 2 is a powerful Android tablet with Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 flagship processor under the hood. The chip is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The company has fitted the device with a 12.1-inch IPS LCD screen with 3K resolution (2120 x 3000 pixels), 144Hz refresh rate, 900 nits of peak brightness, and Dolby Vision HDR support. The screen also supports stylus input, although the new Stylo 2 stylus is a separate buy.

Made with leather-like material, the Stylo 2 offers improved grip, 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, swipe controls, and vibration feedback for a real pen-like writing experience. The OnePlus Pad 2 also has six speakers for stronger audio output. The company says the tablets audio system can emulate spatial audio. This makes it great for content consumption, though some people might find its unusual 7:5 screen ratio a bit weird when watching videos.

Like the 2023 model, the new OnePlus tablet has a 13MP rear camera, 8MP selfie camera, 9,510mAh battery, and 67W wired SUPERVOOC charging (charger included). It doesnt support wireless charging. Wi-Fi 7 is part of the package along with Bluetooth v5.4, NFC, and USB3.2 Gen1 (Type C) port. Featuring an aluminum back and aluminum frame, the OnePlus Pad 2 lacks an official IP rating for dust and water resistance, built-in GPS functionality, and a fingerprint sensor.

This tablet is 6.5mm thick and weighs 584 grams. It runs Android 14-based OxygenOS 14.1 out of the box, offering a host of AI features for enhanced productivity. OnePlus has opened pre-orders for the device. The 12GB+512GB model costs $549.99 and 499 in the UK, but you get $50 off if you pre-order now. General sales begin on July 30. If you plan to buy the Stylo 2, it costs $99.99. The Smart Keyboard is available for $149.99, while the Folio Case 2 costs $39.99.

OnePlus Nord 4 has an improved IP rating and a brighter display

The OnePlus Nord 4 5G features an identical 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display as the Nord 3. It offers a 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution (1240 x 2772 pixels), and HDR10+ support. However, the company has increased its peak brightness from 1,450 nits to 2,150 nits. It has also switched from a MediaTek processor to Qualcomms 4nm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3. The phone comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage (UFS 3.1 for the 128GB model).

The new Nord has a stronger build quality thanks to a metal unibody design (aluminum) and an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. It features a 50MP primary rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), PDAF, dual-LED flash, and 4K video recording capabilities. Theres also an 8MP ultrawide lens on the back, while the selfie camera is a 16MP unit. The OnePlus Nord 4 has dual-stereo speakers and an under-display optical fingerprint scanner.

Fueled by a 5,500mAh battery, this phone supports 100W wired SUPERVOOC charging with OnePlus including a charger in the box. Despite a chunky battery, its quite slim at just 7.9mm in thickness. Other highlights include an advanced cooling system, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.4, NFC, GPS, and Android 14-based OxygenOS 14.1 software with AI features. The company promises four generations of Android OS updates and six years of security updates for the mid-range phone.

The OnePlus Nord 2 is now available to pre-order in the UK and several other markets in Oasis Green, Obsidian Midnight (black), and Mercurial Silver colors. It costs 429 for the 12GB+256GB model and 529 for the 16GB+512GB model. Open sales start on August 8 in the UK, though sales begin earlier in some other markets. As of this writing, OnePlus hasnt confirmed its plans for a US release of the phone. If it arrives stateside, expect it to cost around $500.
After a brief hiatus, Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra or Fold 6 Slim is back in the thick of tech rumors. While there is still no clarity on the devices marketing name, evidence suggests the company is actively working on it. The rumors about its cancelation have quickly faded. A new leak now gives us a more precise timeline for the new foldables market release. Samsung reportedly plans to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra or Slim in October.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra or Slim might launch in October

Just a week has passed since Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6. But long before its arrival, we learned that the Korean firm has at least one more Fold series foldable in the works for 2024, and potentially three more. As time passed, the rumored Slim and Ultra variants turned out to be the same device. Well, at least thats what the available evidence tells us. The Fan Edition (FE) Fold, meanwhile, quietly exited the rumor mill.

All sources have been saying the same thing about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra or Slim, that it would be bigger and slimmer than the regular Fold 6. Samsung allegedly dropped S Pen support for a slimmer profile. The device is expected to pack beefier specs than the regular model, including bigger batteries and better cameras, hence its called Ultra. Some referred to it as Slim because it is slim. Itll be interesting to see Samsungs pick.

Or maybe the company wont think much. A reliable industry insider previously said that this powerful new foldable will launch as the Samsung W25 in China. The Korean firm has been launching its foldables under the W series in the country (Galaxy Z Fold 5 is Samsung W24), so thats a logical naming scheme. A new report reconfirmed the name of the devices Chinese version. Its unclear what it will be called in other markets.

The device may not arrive in many markets

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra or Slim (model number SM-F958 and codename Q6a) is Samsungs answer to the slim new foldables coming out of China. Unfortunately, it may not arrive in any other market apart from China and South Korea. The company allegedly plans to make only 400,000 to 500,000 units of the device. Maybe Samsung will launch the new foldable widely if it gets an excellent early response. If an October launch is set in stone, expect more frequent leaks in the coming months.
Under the DMA (Digital Markets Act), the EU designated a list of big companies as gatekeepers. This label requires them to meet a series of common requirements to ensure that new services can compete. TikTok is on the EU gatekeeper list, but ByteDance, its parent company, disagreed with that and appealed the decision. However, the General Court of the European Union has dismissed the appeal.

The EU General Court dismissed ByteDances appeal against the TikTok gatekeeper label

Gatekeeper services are required to meet certain requirements. For example, messaging services must support interoperability with others in their segment. Also, OS developers should let the user choose which apps to pre-install during the initial setup, and cannot favor their services over those of third parties. The EU established some conditions for companies to be designated as gatekeepers, considering the number of users, market capitalization, and influence among people.

TikTok was one of the first services on the EU gatekeeper list. ByteDance appealed the designation, but the General Court of the European Union has now ruled that the company complies with the conditions. ByteDance argued that the designation of TikTok as a gatekeeper went against the goal of the rule.

The company said that appointing gatekeepers sought to protect new emerging services from dominant companies. But, ByteDance believes that TikTok does not have a comparable position to others on the list. Among the gatekeepers are also Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft.

TikTok meets the conditions to be on the list

However, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) allows services that have more than 45 million monthly users and a capitalization of more than 75 billion euros in the EU to be designated as gatekeepers. The DMA also considers the influence of the service among people. So, TikTok meets the conditions.

ByteDance also argued that its high global market value is mainly due to its activities in China. However, the EU court considered that the company did not substantiate its arguments sufficiently. The General Court said that its high number of users in the Union reflects its financial capacity and its potential to monetize these users.

The court also uses the accelerated growth of TikTok as an argument in favor of the gatekeeper designation. They said that TikTok achieved in a short time, half the size, in terms of number of users within the European Union, of Facebook and of Instagram.

ByteDance can still try to defend itself by taking the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). This will be the last instance to which the company can resort.
A consortium led by British tycoon Mike Jatania is close to agreeing a rescue deal for The Body Shop, administrators of the stricken high street beauty chain have confirmed.

A bidding team headed by by Mr Jatanias investment firm Aurea is in exclusive talks with joint administrators at FRP Advisory, with the former chief executive of beauty brand Molton Brown, Charles Denton, being lined up to lead the management team.

In a joint statement issued by Aurea and administrators of The Body Shop International, they said it is hoped that a deal can be struck in the coming weeks.

Aurea is now going through The Body Shop books, they added.

The Body Shop fell into administration in early February after previous forecasts for how much funding it would need to keep going proved too low, leading to hundreds of job losses and dozens of store closures.

The joint administrators of The Body Shop International and Aurea said: While the deal is not yet complete, we believe the combined experience of the consortium, together with the existing management team, represents the best outcome for creditors and will ultimately ensure the long-term success of The Body Shop.

A period of due diligence will now take place, with the intention to complete the transaction in the coming weeks.

It comes after it was reported last week that Mr Jatania was nearing a deal for the chain following the recent bid deadline.

Mr Jatania previously ran Lornamead  the owner of personal care brands including Lypsyl, Woods of Windsor, Yardley and Harmony haircare  which he sold to rival Li & Fung for around 155 million

over 10 years ago.

Administrators have so far closed 82 Body Shop stores as part of a restructuring launched after the business collapsed, leaving it with 116 stores.

Around 489 jobs have also been cut as part of the shop closures, with about 270 head office jobs also axed.

The business had employed around 1,500 store workers before the administration.

The Body Shop hit the wall just weeks after European private equity firm Aurelius took control of the business, buying it from Brazilian cosmetics giant Natura & Co.

Aurelius had already agreed a deal to sell The Body Shops operations in most of mainland Europe and in parts of Asia to an international family office.

The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon as one of the first companies to promote so-called ethical consumerism, focusing on ethically produced cosmetics and skincare products.
A coroner told a trial that he feared for the safety of his family after a group of people accused of a plot to kidnap him turned up at his court looking for him.

Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, said he received a series of very bizarre letters in 2022 before receiving emails in April 2023 stating that corporal punishment may be administered.

He described the emails, which claimed to be warrants for seizure of goods and persons, as troubling and upsetting.

Mark Christopher, 58, of Forest Gate, east London, Matthew Martin, 47, of Plaistow, east London, Shiza Harper, 45, of South Benfleet, Essex and Sean Harper, 38, of South Benfleet, Essex are all on trial and all deny conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.

Mr Brookes told Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday that in an attachment to an email he was accused of detrimental necromancy, adding: I thought, this persons making no sense.

I was thinking this person, already in my mind, cant be rational, he said.

He said the attachment said that corporal punishment may be administered on the spot.

The coroner said he felt this was a security threat to my safety and later contacted police, but said he was told the risk was low.

He said there was a further ominous email on April 19 last year, before people turned up looking for him the following day  on April 20.

He said he had not been at the coroners court in Chelmsford that morning, having accompanied a family member to a hospital appointment, but was due to attend the court to preside over an inquest that afternoon.

Mr Brookes said he was warned not to come to the building and was told these are the people from the letter  theyre coming to get you.

I turned around and started driving home as fast as I could as I was fearful for the safety of my family, he said.

The coroner said he pulled over as I was upset.

Describing the email of April 19 2023 he said: What was different this time was this business of being held for a minimum of 45 days by police and thereafter to be sentenced, which was ominous.

And with all rights removed they may never enter the world private again  I didnt know what it meant but it sounded ominous.

He described reference to corporal punishment as a threat of harm, serious harm.

He said he had sent the details of the email to management at Essex County Council, and planned to send it to Essex Police.

He said he saw that the email had also been sent to the Chief Constable of Essex Police, and had been assured I didnt need to take this too seriously so felt it could wait until the next day.

Mr Brookes said that he received half a dozen or so very unusual letters in the post between March and September 2022, which then stopped.

When I opened the first one I couldnt make any sense of it, he said.

It was written in such a way it was gobbledegook, gibberish, legal sounding but not legal.

He added that the letter was very bizarre.

The first one I have to say dealing with the bereaved I deal with lots of vulnerable people having a very difficult time, said Mr Brookes.

I tried repeatedly to try to make sense  what was it they wanted from me and can I help.

But I couldnt really make any sense of it whatsoever.

He said he searched on the coroners service computer system for names of the people on the letter but there was nil result.

The court heard some of the correspondence was labelled as an affidavit, with references to the penalty of perjury and agent for artificial person.

When the initial letter came I referred it to the legal department of Essex County Council which gives legal advice to the coroners service as I thought this was odd to say the least, the coroner said.

She said she agreed she couldnt make any sense of it.

She thought this might be some fraud or scam.

He continued: It wasnt threatening, didnt think at the time.

We decided to keep an eye on it, see how many come.

We noticed they were from different individuals.

It would be hard to show what was a course of action, if you were going to argue harassment.

It seemed to us these were emanating from different individuals.

We were worried if we engaged with this it would encourage more of it.

He said the letters appeared to stop in September 2022, but an email arrived in April 2023. He said: I thought here we go again then I opened the attachment.

Asked if it caused him more alarm than the previous correspondence, he said: Yes, a lot more.

He said the first thing I did was start Googling actually and he found a website for Mark Kishon Christopher  who was named in the correspondence  which he said seemed like goggledegook again.

Michelle Brown, Essex area coroner, told jurors she had been conducting documentary inquests  from paperwork and without witnesses or family present  when four people entered the courtroom on April 20 last year.

All of a sudden these four people came in, she said.

At first I couldnt work out who they were  I told them excuse me, what are you doing, youre coming into my court?

The main gentleman wasnt wearing a hi-vis jacket, the other three were.

At first I thought they were maintenance people or something.

She said they carried on walking towards me and it wasnt until I saw the symbols on the hi-vis jackets that I realised who they were.

I knew of letters that had been received by the coroners service with those symbols on and I had read the contents of some of those letters, said Ms Brown.

I asked them to leave and this main gentleman (Christopher) who wasnt wearing the hi-vis jacket started to talk.

It wasnt a conversation, it was a script.

And it was clear from the positioning of them that they were some group and he was the leader of that group.

He said that he wanted Mr Brookes.

Ms Brown said she told them that Mr Brookes wasnt here.

He wanted me to take him to him and I said no, she said.

That carried on  he was quite insistent.

He then asked where his office was.

She said he kept demanding that I find and get Mr Brookes.

The female of the group had like, the newspaper bags, and she was instructed to throw that on the ground to seize the court, said Ms Brown.

I was told by the main gentleman they had seized the court and it was in their control.

She said she was accused of interfering with the dead by the leader.

Because there were so many of them I did feel very vulnerable and I didnt want to say anything, having read some of the things previously there wasnt really anything I could say, she said.

She said they made mention they had handcuffs and given Mr Brookes wasnt there I believed they would take me.

Ms Brown said that Martin assaulted security guard Mr McCormack and broke his glasses.

She said that they told her they would visit her and Mr Brookes at their respective homes if they did not surrender the court, and she added: Thats very worrying with family and not knowing really what they were capable of doing.

Christopher also denies sending threatening letters to Mr Brookes with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

Martin denies assault by beating of Mr McCormack on April 20 2023, and the criminal damage of his spectacles.

The trial continues.
An ad for cruise line HX Hurtigruten Expeditions (HX) has been banned for misleadingly claiming that its trips were sustainable.

The online ad in a national newspaper in March stated: Selected Svalbard cruises with free flights. Since 1896, weve been the leaders in sustainable expeditions.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint that the claim sustainable expeditions gave a misleading impression of the trips environmental impact.

The HX ad banned by the ASA (ASA/PA)

HX said the average consumer would not read the claim sustainable expeditions as including flights, and would have interpreted it to refer only to the cruise component of the trip.

That being the case, the claim would have been understood as meaning HXs expedition cruises  excluding flights  were sustainable.

They said the claim sustainable did not mean the cruises had no environmental impact whatsoever, but that it was relatively low in the context of other cruise lines.

The company said it launched the worlds first hybrid electric cruise ship, and used quiet ships to preserve the environments they visited.

They also donated cruise nights for scientific researchers to support projects that included underwater drone surveys of fish spawning grounds, penguin colony monitoring and studying humpback whale behaviour and genetics.

The ASA said sustainable expeditions was an absolute claim, which would be understood as referring to the full life cycle of an HX holiday, including travel to and from the destination.

It said air travel, such as that required to take an HX cruise, produced high levels of both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions, which were making a substantial contribution to climate change.

It said: We considered the measures taken by HX did not relate to the claim, and that because they had not taken the aforementioned emissions into account, the absolute claim sustainable expeditions had not been adequately substantiated.

Because the basis of the claim had not been made clear and we had not seen evidence based on the full life cycle of the product to support the absolute claim sustainable expeditions as it would be understood by consumers, we concluded the ad had misleadingly minimised the impact of HXs holidays and therefore breached the Code.

It ruled the ad must not appear again, and told HX to ensure the basis of future environmental claims was made clear and did not give a misleading impression of their expeditions environmental impact, and that robust substantiation was held to support them.

An HX Hurtigruten Expeditions spokesman said: Whilst we are disappointed with the outcome, we respect the ASAs role in maintaining advertising integrity.

Our team never intended to create a misleading message and remain wholly committed to championing sustainability in the expedition cruise sector.

We understand that specific wording in this standalone advert could have been clearer, and we will continue to ensure our communications accurately reflect our sustainability efforts.
Dame Mary Berry will be reunited with Sue Perkins for a new BBC Two show called Marys Foolproof Dinners.

Across six 30-minute episodes the 89-year-old will make easy dinners with a host of famous friends, including TV presenter Perkins, 54, who she appeared on The Great British Bake Off with.

Last year Dame Mary cooked with several celebrities for BBC Ones Mary Makes It Easy and reunited with Mel Giedroyc, who co-hosted Bake Off alongside Perkins, before the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4.

Dame Mary said: We had so much fun with the series last year, Im delighted were returning with six more fabulous friends to change their thoughts about cooking with new foolproof recipes.

Dame Mary Berry (Danny Lawson/PA)

Dinner is often the meal where we need most inspiration at the end of a long day or to step out of the same old recipes that we can get stuck in a rut cooking. And whats more  these really are foolproof  I cant wait to share them with you.

On the show Dame Mary will make a beef chow mein for comedian Alan Carr, a pastry-free quiche for The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman and a rhubarb plate pie for Perkins.

She will also make sriracha chicken wings and miso trout for The Repair Shops Will Kirk and a lamb stew for wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin.

Ricky Cooper, BBC commissioning editor, said: Were delighted that Mary is sharing her incredible foolproof recipes with audiences all over the UK, and in the process helping some of the nations biggest names build confidence in the kitchen.

Whether you call it dinner, tea or supper, viewers everywhere are in for a real treat.

The release date for the BBC Two show has yet to be announced.

A book of the same name is to be released on October 10.
A former senior Army officer facing a charge of sexual assault has admitted disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind.

Ex-Major General James Roddis appeared at the Bulford Military Court Centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.

His plea was accepted by the Service Prosecuting Authority and the alternative charge of sexual assault under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 was not put.

The former officer did not attend court in person and instead appeared via video-link for the plea and trial preparation hearing, accompanied by his barrister, Jane Bickerstaff KC.

Ex-Major General James Roddis appeared at the Court Martial Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire (Holger Hollemann/Alamy/PA)

Roddis spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea to a charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind under section 23 of the Armed Forces Act.

The particulars state: On April 12 2024 without her consent repeatedly played with the hair before kissing her on the lips.

Graham Coombes, prosecuting, told the court that the views of the complainant had been sought before the decision to accept the plea was made.

We have taken into account the seriousness of the offence and the live issue of consent and taken into account the views of the complainant, he said.

She has indicated she is content for it to be a disgraceful conduct count.

The plea is on a full facts basis, and it is accepted the complainant did not consent at any point to the behaviour.

Judge Advocate General Alan Large ordered pre-sentenced reports and adjourned proceedings.

The case against Roddis was not opened by the prosecution.

A sentencing date was fixed for September 5.

Roddis received a number of accolades during his military career, including a Distinguished Service Order  an award given for highly successful command and leadership during active operations.

He was made an MBE and also earned two Queens Commendations for Valuable Service in 2008 and 2017.

Until recently, he was director of strategy for Strategic Command  an organisation comprised of special forces and intelligence units among other responsibilities.

In 2014, he was commanding officer of The Highlanders  troops from the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland  who were then the last Scottish battalion to serve in a combat role in Afghanistan.

In 2021, former Major General Nick Welch faced a four-week trial at the same venue, and was then the most senior officer to face court martial since 1815.

Welch, who left the military in 2018, was convicted of a single charge of fraud in March 2021 and was jailed for 21 months for falsely claiming more than 48,000 in allowances to pay for his childrens boarding school fees.
Visitors will get a chance to experience a giant walk-in uterus where they can learn all there is to know about menstrual health when a festival of knowledge opens in Edinburgh in September.

The Wandering Womb, created by PhD student Francesca Hearn-Yeates, is one of more than 30 exhibits at this years Royal Society of Edinburgh Curious festival, which runs from September 2 to 15.

Now in its sixth year, the free festival will also feature poems composed by a computer, a conversation about feminist cities, and a panel of dinosaur experts discussing the future of palaeontology.

Ms Hearn-Yeates, who studies at the University of Edinburgh, said the Wandering Womb is for everyone, irrespective of whether they have experienced menstruation.

Over half the worlds population will or has menstruated  so why is it we still dont talk about periods? she said.

The idea behind the Wandering Womb is to give everyone the opportunity to wander into our giant walk-in uterus and learn all there is to know about menstrual health.

Whether you have never had a period, you are well-versed in the art of menstruating, or youre just at the beginning of your menstrual journey, you are welcome to come along to find out more about the biology behind menstruation and everything that goes alongside it.

University of Edinburgh PhD student Francesca Hearn-Yeates in the Wandering Womb (Stewart Attwood/PA)

It is an opportunity to learn about different menstrual health conditions such as endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Not only that, but it is also a chance for people to discover what is considered a typical period, and the signs and symptoms that suggest something might not be quite right.

The festival will also challenge visitors to tell the difference between AI-generated and human-crafted poems in the exhibit Bot or Not, which features five poems from the Scottish Poetry Library alongside five computer-generated pieces.

Bot or Not creator Sam Illingworth said: By challenging participants to distinguish between AI-generated and human-crafted poems, we aim to foster a deeper appreciation of Scottish poetry and provoke thoughtful discussion on the evolving role of technology in the arts.

Its an exciting opportunity to engage with cutting-edge AI while celebrating traditional cultural expressions.

Professor Martin Hendry, the Royal Society of Edinburghs vice-president of public engagement, said: Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburghs way of celebrating its mission to share useful knowledge with as many people as possible.

The fascinating breadth of topics that are highlighted in the programme, and the unique ways that these topics are being presented, is truly exciting to be a part of.

Each event promises to be a fun and relaxed space where everyone can learn from and discuss with leading scholars.

Whether you choose to join in person or online, everyone is welcome at this years Curious, just head to rse.org.uk/curious to browse and register for activities.
Laws to modernise the asylum and immigration system will underpin the Governments bid to launch a security border command, paid for by money saved from the scrapped multimillion-pound stalled Rwanda plan.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, announced in the Kings Speech, will establish the new Home Office unit, using counter-terror powers to fight organised immigration crime, documents detailing the plans said.

The Bill, which will apply across the UK if passed, will ensure secure and stronger borders and a properly controlled and managed asylum system, the Government vowed, as it repeated general promises to clear the asylum backlog, to end the use of hotel accommodation and increase fast-track returns for individuals coming from safe countries.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill was announced in the Kings Speech (Alberto Pezzali/PA)

Building on Labours manifesto pledges, it said existing policies had failed to deter Channel crossings or prosecute the people smugglers responsible, and our current asylum system is broken.

Withdrawing from the failed and incredibly costly Migration and Economic Development Partnership to send migrants to Rwanda would save over 100 million in future payments, as well as tens of millions of pounds in additional relocation costs for a small number of people.

But there was no mention of answering calls from campaigners to repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act or Illegal Migration Act.

However, the Prime Ministers spokesman later said: Were clear we will repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act, we will terminate the agreement.

The document setting out the Bill suggests the Government will seek a strong deterrent against migrants crossing the Channel but stops short of detailing what this could be in the absence of the Rwanda deal.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, left, previously said the Rwanda deal was dead and buried before it started (Aaron Chown/PA)

It does indicate tougher penalties for immigration crime, including introducing offences such as enabling the advertising (of) the services of a migrant smuggling group or those for the supply of materials needed to facilitate organised crime gangs.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously said the Rwanda deal was dead and buried before it started as Labour confirmed it was scrapping the deportation policy.

The arrangement is not thought to have yet formally ended and the cost to the UK Government of walking away early from the five-year deal is so far unknown.

The Rwanda government previously said it had fully upheld its side of the agreement.

Downing Street has since indicated no more cash would be sent to Rwanda.

Asked about an additional 100 million which had been due to go to the African nation as part of the previous Tory governments asylum scheme, the Prime Ministers spokesman told reporters: Yes, we are clear that that money wont be sent to Rwanda, adding, Weve been very clear that the partnership with Rwanda has finished.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is due to provide an update shortly after shes analysed all the details around both the money, the legislation and the processes.

The Home Secretarys update will also analyse the existing legislation and how it interacts with the new legislation, he said.

Launching the Border Security Command earlier this month, Ms Cooper described it as Labours first priority on migration, which was designed to crack down on people-smuggling gangs orchestrating the crossings.

A commander for the unit is expected to be appointed in the coming weeks.

It is unclear how this will differ from existing units already operating in the Home Office.

More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since Sir Keir became Prime Minister on July 5 and the Government has warned of a difficult summer ahead.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper launched a new Border Security Command to tackle Channel crossings earlier this month (Jeff Moore/PA)

The total number of crossings for 2024 to date (14,759) is 12% higher than the number recorded this time last year (13,200) and up 1% on the same period in 2022 (14,622), according to PA news agency analysis of Government data.

The Refugee Council said the Government must focus on getting the asylum system to function again, and that has to include repealing the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda Act as a matter of urgency.

Ministers can cut the number of Channel crossings immediately by expanding safe routes, including making it easier for more people to safely join their families in the UK, the charity said, adding: Now is the time for the new Government to work quickly and effectively to put in place a fair and effective asylum system, based on humanity and decency.

Other proposed bills set out in the Kings Speech promised extra powers for police watchdogs and those tasked with fighting for better victims rights.

But no mention is made in the border Bill of expanding the remit of the chief inspector of immigration and borders, a post which remains vacant after David Neal was sacked earlier this year after publicly voicing concerns about security problems at airports.

Mr Neal had previously called for more powers to better scrutinise border security.

Meanwhile, it emerged a Home Office chief tasked with setting up a unit to tackle Channel crossings for ex-home secretary Suella Braverman has resigned, with the i newspaper reporting he made the announcement just days after Labours election victory.

The Home Office said: Stuart Skeates is leaving his position of director general of strategic operations. This is a personal choice, and follows 35 years of distinguished public service in the Civil Service and military. The Home Office wishes him well for the future and is grateful for his outstanding contribution.
The Government has pledged to strengthen the UKs cybersecurity and resilience, as well as take greater advantage of data to boost economic growth, through new Bills announced in the Kings Speech.

A reported fully-fledged AI Bill was not announced during the State Opening of Parliament, but the Kings Speech set out how the Government would seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.

In response to the ever-increasing risk of cyber attacks, the new Labour Government said it would introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which would give greater power to regulators to push more firms to implement better cybersecurity defences.

It said the Bill would expand the remit of existing regulation and put regulators on a stronger footing, as well as increasing the reporting requirements placed on businesses to help build a better picture of cyber threats to the UK.

It would be joined by a new Digital Information and Smart Data Bill, which would enable new, innovative uses of data to help boost the economy.

Under the new legislation, digital verification services would be established, the Government said, which would include digital identity products to help the public quickly and securely share key information about themselves as they use online services in their everyday life.

In addition, it will create a new data preservation process that will enable coroners to get access to online information about a child when investigating their death, meaning tech firms could be forced to hand over social media profile data.

Online safety campaign Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly ended her life in November 2017 after viewing harmful content on social media, welcomed the announcement.

Mr Russell, who is chair of charity, the Molly Rose Foundation, said: We hugely welcome the Governments commitment to give a legal right to bereaved parents to access their childs data. No parent should be denied information about whether social media contributed to their childs death.

However, the Government must now go further and impose a duty of candour on tech companies that would make it an offence for them to impede, frustrate or delay a coroners investigation.

The Bill would also legislate for the creation of a National Underground Asset Register to enable planners and excavators instant, standardised access to pipe and cable data around the country.

It would also enable the creation of so-called smart data schemes, which would allow for the secure sharing of customer data, upon their request, with authorised third-party service providers.

The Government said the Bill would modernise and strengthen the data protection regulator  the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)  and that the legislation would also help scientists and researchers make better use of data for their work.

Carla Baker, senior director of government affairs for the UK and Ireland at cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, said she welcomed the renewed focus on cybersecurity and the vital role it plays in driving economic growth and building resilience among critical sectors of society.

Recent high-profile attacks targeting the NHS, defence and other critical sectors of our economy have demonstrated the impact that malicious actors can have on our national security, as well as the operation of key functions of society and our economy, she said.

Maintaining the security of the critical national infrastructure in the face of the continually changing threat landscape must be a priority, and we welcome the announcements today.

It will be vital that the Government work with industry to ensure that security requirements in the legislation are fit for purpose and strike the right balance between building resilience and fostering innovation.

If we are to achieve sustained economic growth in the UK, organisations cannot be burdened with overly prescriptive requirements. The Government must take a co-ordinated approach to developing policy interventions that protect critical sectors of society and drive economic growth, and refrain from producing guidance with overlapping or conflicting requirements.

We must build our cyber defences. The Government has to take a principles-based approach to security and ensure that security requirements are developed in a co-ordinated and sustainable manner.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will sweep away the remaining hereditary peers as the first step to reforming the House of Lords.

New legislation will end what officials called the outdated and indefensible presence of members of the upper chamber who are there by right of birth.

The Government also plans changes to the Commons, with the King setting out proposals for a modernisation committee as he opened the new session of Parliament.

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is intended as the first stage in a wider reform of the upper chamber (Henry Nicholls/PA)

An official briefing paper on the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill said that in the 21st century, there should not be almost 100 places reserved for individuals born into certain families, with the seats effectively reserved for men.

The Lords reforms under Tony Blair reduced the number of hereditary peers to 90, plus the Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain.

That was only intended as a short-term compromise, but the situation has persisted for 25 years.

Hereditary peers are also exempt from the vetting checks carried out when life peers are proposed.

Under the plans, the hereditary roles of Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain would again be exempt because of the constitutional duties they perform on state occasions.

The Government also wants to establish a modernisation committee for the Commons (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The legislation, which was promised in Labours election manifesto, is billed as the first step in a process of modernisation of the UKs political system.

Another manifesto commitment, a mandatory retirement age of 80 in the Lords, has not yet been put forward.

The Kings Speech also remained silent on Labours plans to lower the voting age to 16  Sir Keir had earlier indicated that was because the priority for his administration was putting forward measures to secure economic growth.

Delivering the Kings Speech in the House of Lords, Charles indicated there would be changes at the other end of Parliament too.

A modernisation committee of the House of Commons will be tasked with driving up standards, improving work practices and reforming procedures.

He also said the Government would strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process.

Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords, Lord True, warned against the Governments proposed plans for the upper chamber in his response to the Kings Speech.

The Conservative peer said the Labour Party had the political right to remove hereditary peers, but also a constitutional responsibility to say what follows, which he said they did not do in 1999, nor have they done today.

Referring to hereditary peer by-elections, which decide which eligible aristocrat should replace one of the 91 hereditary peers after a death, he said: No-one inherits a seat in our House anymore and no hereditary peer has the right by birth to sit and vote in this House.

Our hereditary colleagues who remain are not the port-swilling backwardsman of ancient legend, they are people we know, some of the most active among us, some of the voices we most respect.

Noting the work of hereditary peers who are dedicated frontbenchers on both sides, deputy speakers and some of our most assiduous backbenchers all around the House, he asked: Can we afford their loss?

Lord True also criticised the Governments plan to consult on introducing a retirement age of 80 for peers, arguing that we can ill-afford to lose such voices of experience and that it would mean ejecting a great deal of accumulated wisdom that makes this house different from the Commons.

He told peers that ousting both hereditary peers and those aged 80 or over by 2029 would see 390 peers cut from their ranks, including 107 crossbenchers, which is 67% of their number.

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, lamented that Labour is not planning more fundamental reform, but welcomed the proposed measures.

The Liberal Democrats leader in the Lords, Lord Newby, said: We remain of the view that all legislatures should be elected, but we accept that this Government will not move in this direction.

In the absence of fundamental reform, we welcome the plan to abolish the remaining hereditary peers and to introduce a retirement age.

I am, however, a bit worried that only a consultation is planned on the latter change. There is a well known equation that relates to Lords reform, namely that reform proposals plus consultation equals inaction.

We will therefore be pressing the Government for a speedy timetable for any consultation and for the resulting reform.

Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, said of Lord Trues concerns: Most of the issues he spoke about were actually in the manifesto, not in this Kings Speech.

And on Lord Newbys comments about a consultation, she said she thinks it is helpful for the Lords to have a chance to discuss the issue.

The new Lord Privy Seal added: Thats not about delay, I think its courtesy and consideration to make sure we get things right.
HMP Dartmoor is being closed temporarily and its inmates moved elsewhere, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

Around 175 inmates are to be evacuated from the category C mens prison in Devon over the next two weeks after the discovery of high levels of radon at the jail.

While the Ministry of Justice believes there is enough capacity to cope with the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor, the relocation of its inmates will place further strain on an already stretched prison system.

A spokesperson for the department said: Our prisons are in crisis. This is the most recent illustration of why this Government was forced, in its first week, to take urgent action to release pressure on the estate.

It is also why we are committed to building new prison places to lock up the most dangerous offenders and protect the public.

The incident comes on the same day the Government laid regulations in Parliament to reduce the amount of time prisoners must spend in jail before they are automatically released from half of their sentence to 40%.

The move  which does not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences  follows a speech by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood last week in which she warned failing to take action would result in the collapse of the prison system.

Figures published on July 12 indicated there were barely 700 places left in the adult male estate, well below the buffer the Ministry of Justice believes is necessary to ensure prisons can cope with shocks such as the closure of HMP Dartmoor.

Built in the early 19th century to hold French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, HMP Dartmoor had been slated for closure in 2023, but that decision was reversed in 2019 in the face of rising prisoner numbers.

At the end of 2023, high levels of radon  a colourless, odourless radioactive gas  led to more than 400 inmates being removed from the jail.

Prisoners had begun returning to Dartmoor at the start of July, before this latest incident forced the complete closure of the prison.

Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA), said conditions at Dartmoor had deteriorated since the decision to return prisoners to the jail, but the closure was the correct decision.

He added: The POA know this has come at the worst possible time with overcrowding and this could make matters worse, but there is no other option.
New laws set out in the Kings Speech will make it easier for the UK to potentially align with some EU rules, as the monarch confirmed the Labour Governments bid to reset the relationship with European allies.

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled his intent to repair the damage to relations with Europe caused by the Brexit wrangles, forge a new UK-EU security pact and strike a better trade deal than the botched agreement signed by Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister will kickstart efforts to change the way Britain engages with its allies across the continent as he hosts the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak ahead of the Kings Speech (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

As the King set out the Governments legislative agenda on Wednesday, he said: My Government will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdoms trade and investment relationship with the European Union.

My ministers will seek a new security pact to strengthen co-operation on the mutual threats faced by the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The package of legislation includes the Product Safety and Metrology Bill, which will make it easier for the UK to recognise new EU product regulations to prevent businesses from being laden with extra costs.

This approach marks a major shift from the previous Tory government, which placed a strong emphasis on diverging from the blocs rules.

The new Bill will provide regulatory stability by ensuring that the law can be updated to recognise new or updated EU product regulations, including the CE marking, where appropriate, to prevent additional costs for businesses.

But it also ensures the UK can end recognition of EU product regulations, where it is in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers.

Rishi Sunaks Conservative government last year already committed to retaining the EUs product safety CE mark, rather than make its own post-Brexit alternative compulsory, following calls by businesses.

The efforts of the Labour administration to prevent firms from facing additional red tape through divergence from EU rules could anger Brexiteers.

But its commitment to improving Britains trading and security relationship with the EU was welcomed by the internationalist Best for Britain campaign group.

Chief executive Naomi Smith said: The increasing threat from Russia to our east, coupled with the growing likelihood of a protectionist and Nato-sceptic US administration to our west, means Britain risks becoming economically and diplomatically adrift.

After years lost to needless and self-destructive europhobia, it is encouraging that the new Government has underlined its intent to deepen ties with our closest neighbours and allies.

However, the SNP bemoaned the lack of a plan to rejoin the EU single market or reintroduce freedom of movement.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: With no plan to reverse the damage of Brexit or properly invest in green energy, Starmer is restricting the potential for strong growth in the economy, wages and living standards.

Before the election, Labour ruled out a return to the single market, customs union or free movement.
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to get Britain building with sweeping reforms to the planning system announced in the Kings Speech as part of Labours drive to deliver 1.5 million new homes.

The Government suggested it would consult on how, not if projects should take place, with speeding up development seen as key to its mission to boost economic growth.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will seek to allow for land to be bought more cheaply for building through reforms to compulsory purchase compensation rules, which was a Labour manifesto pledge.

Owners forced to sell up will be paid fair but not excessive compensation to make way for important developments, the Government said.

It would also aim to streamline delivery of critical infrastructure by simplifying the consenting process in order to boost renewable energy projects and upgrade the national grid.

Labour has said brownfield land should be targeted first under its plans, followed by what it describes as the grey belt  low-quality areas such as disused car parks and wasteland on parts of protected land known as the green belt.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out a raft of proposals last week to build 1.5 million new homes over five years across the UK, including by reinstating compulsory housebuilding targets for local councils.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden has acknowledged the plans will be controversial but said the party is on the side of getting things built more quickly to boost home-ownership.

But shadow Commons leader Chris Philp suggested Labour was downplaying the scope of its plans, describing references to the grey belt as obviously shameless Labour spin that Peter Mandelson would have been proud of.

There are some areas of serious concern, ripping up the green belt and disempowering local authorities, a principle amongst those concerns, he told Times Radio ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

The Government said the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would seek to use development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled, unlocking a win-win outcome for the economy and for nature.

It promised to work with stakeholders and nature recovery organisations over the summer to determine the best way forward and only act where it can confirm that the measures will deliver positive environmental outcomes.

We will only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes, it says.

Where we can demonstrate this, the Bill will deliver any necessary changes.

Speaking on Wednesday ahead of the speech, Sir Keir said: We will reform the planning rules to build the homes and infrastructure the country desperately needs.

We will unlock growth and take the brakes off Britain, turning the page for good on the economic irresponsibility and pervasive inability to face the future that we saw under the Conservative government.
Shoppers will be able to buy lab-grown pet food as the UK becomes the first country in Europe to approve the sale of cultivated meat.

The Environment Department (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) gave regulatory clearance to start-up Meatly to sell its cultivated chicken pet food, the company said.

The firm called the decision a significant milestone for Europes cultivated meat industry.

Several studies into the climate impact of pet food have been published in recent years and researchers have also found potential demand for lab-grown meat products.

Owen Ensor, Meatlys chief executive said: We are proving that there is a safe and low-capital way to rapidly bring cultivated meat to market.

Pet parents are crying out for a better way to feed their cats and dogs meat  were so excited to meet this demand.

We can now continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice  ensuring we can feed our beloved pets the real meat they need and crave, in a way that is kinder to our planet and other animals.

Meatlys cultivated chicken is made by taking a small sample of cells from an egg, providing it with vitamins, minerals and amino acids and growing the cells in a container in a lab.

The firm, which has so far been backed by 3.5 million in investment, said the pet food is safe, nutritious and free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, harmful pathogens, heavy metals and other impurities.

It plans to start selling the first samples of its commercially available pet food later this year, before focusing on reducing costs and scaling production to reach industrial volumes within the next three years.

Jim Mellon, founder of Agronomics who invested in Meatly, also called the regulatory approval a landmark event for the sector.

Our pets consume huge amounts of meat every day and so this development can play a crucial part in reducing the emissions, resource consumption, and animal suffering caused by traditional meat production, he said.

The previous government had been looking to take advantage of the regulatory freedoms of Brexit by fast-tracking the approval of cultivated meat for human consumption.

The Food Standards Agency and green campaigners urged ministers to back controversial plans for speeding up the approval for regulated food products.

But other experts and activists have warned that evidence around the sustainability of lab-grown meat is limited and alternative proteins could represent a new phase of food system industrialisation, which undermines resilience and jeopardises food producers livelihoods.
Labour has revived plans to phase out smoking and impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children.

The move, which has the backing of scores of health campaigners and charities, was introduced by the last Conservative government but was shelved after the election was called.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill progressively increases the age at which people can buy tobacco so that future generations will never legally be able to do so.

It prevents anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought.

The Bill also paves the way for reforms to vaping sales and their branding to reduce their appeal to children and young people.

Flavours such as bubble gum and candy floss could also face curbs as research shows children prefer them to other flavours such as menthol.

Also included in the Bill are restrictions on the packaging and display of other products, such as tobacco pouches, that can draw children into smoking.

The Kings Speech sets out how the Bill will provide ministers with powers to regulate the flavours, packaging and display of vapes and other nicotine products.

Trading Standards officials will also be given more powers to fine retailers who sell vapes and tobacco to under-18s.

Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world and is linked to at least 16 types of the disease, including lung, bladder and pancreatic cancer.

The Government plans to restrict the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Englands Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said: A smoke-free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future.

Smoking causes harm across the life course from stillbirth, asthma in children, cancer, strokes, heart attacks and dementia.

Most smokers wish they had never started. Second-hand smoke causes harm, including to vulnerable people.

The Bill to create a smoke-free country in the Kings Speech would be a major step forward in public health.

The Kings Speech also set out how the Government will restrict the advertising of junk food to children and the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks.

#InTheNews: Legislation to raise the age of sale for tobacco, a key call of our #SmokefreeUK campaign, has just been announced in the #KingsSpeech. Smoking causes 160 cases of cancer per day and it's vital the new Government takes action to help end cancers caused by smoking. pic.twitter.com/SidDN4lKfs  Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) July 17, 2024

Cancer Research UKs executive director of policy, Dr Ian Walker, said: The Governments commitment to introduce new legislation on smoking will have a hugely positive impact on the nations health.

By raising the age of sale for tobacco products, the Government will help to prevent cancer, relieve pressures on the NHS and build a healthier future.

This bold announcement positions the UK as world-leading in tobacco control.

We now hope to see the legislation passed and implemented in full across the UK to help bring an end to cancers caused by smoking for good.

Congratulations @10DowningStreet @DHSCgovuk. The health community applauds putting phasing out smoking front and centre in the Kings Speech.https://t.co/XaQ6Szbfmw pic.twitter.com/3BdPrKxebH  ASH (@AshOrgUK) July 17, 2024

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: Todays announcement puts us in pole position to be the first country in the world to end smoking.

Smoking puts pressure on our NHS and social care system, but the greatest financial impact is the damage to our economy due to lost productivity.

The measures announced today will play a major role in helping Government achieve its ambition to halve the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and deliver productivity growth in every part of the country.

Professor Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: This is a major milestone towards realising the Governments ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history.

Stopping children and young people from starting to smoke will decrease their chance of developing preventable disease later in life.

As paediatricians, we work day in and day out to support childrens health; we are clear that children should not become addicted to nicotine and youth vaping must be tackled.

Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: Phasing out smoking will save thousands of lives, help protect the next generation from ever becoming addicted to this lethal product, and do more to narrow the unacceptably large gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions than any other single measure.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: Smoking continues to devastate the nations health, taking at least 15,000 lives in the UK every year due to cardiovascular disease alone.

Todays announcement will help to save countless lives, and we urge the Government to reintroduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament without delay.

Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is groundbreaking legislation, which over time will contribute to ending smoking completely.

People living in deprived areas are more likely to smoke, and experience higher exposure to air pollution, as well as being more likely to live in substandard housing, all of which drive poor lung health.

Taking the historic step to phase out smoking  the biggest cause of lung disease in the UK  will reduce deaths from lung conditions and ease some of the 2.5 billion burden that smoking places on the NHS each year.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said smoking is still the leading cause of preventable illness and deaths, and costs the NHS billions each year, while vaping is an ever-growing and dangerous problem.

He added: NHS programmes like nicotine replacement therapy are helping thousands of adults each year to live healthier lives and we have seen adult smoking rates drop by more than half in the last three decades.

But there is more to do which is why we welcome this public health intervention  and look forward to working with the Government to help the next generation grow up smoke and vape-free.
An Irishman who is the last known surviving fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain has celebrated his 105th birthday at a ceremony in Dublin.

Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway, who was a member of the group Sir Winston Churchill described as the few, attended an event to mark his birthday at the British embassy in the south of the city.

The event was marked with the unveiling of portraits reflecting different stages in Mr Hemingways life, which were painted by British artist Dan Llywelyn Hall.

Representatives from the Royal Air Force and Mr Hemingways family also attended the event on Wednesday.

Paintings on display as the last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway, celebrates his 105th birthday (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Hemingway made a short speech at the reception, saying: I cant talk very much as my breath doesnt allow me. But thanks so much for being here. Its made my day.

Born in Dublin in 1919, he joined the RAF in 1938, and was one of the young pilots that took part in the Battle of France.

In 1940, Mr Hemingway was recorded as destroying a German airliner, the following day he downed a German Luftwaffe but his Hurricane fighter plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and he had to make a forced landing.

He then became one of the front-line squadrons of 11 Group and responded to the daily attacks from German aircraft, which became known as the Battle of Britain.

Mr Hemingways logbook records up to five daily sorties he and the other pilots undertook in defence of the United Kingdom.

In August 1940, during hectic dogfights, Mr Hemingway was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricanes, landing once in the sea off the Essex coast and in marshland on the other occasion.

On July 1, 1941, Mr Hemingway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and in September that year, he was mentioned in Despatches.

His son, Brian Hemingway, said: I think my father was born in a time where flying was very glamorous, it is a wonderful thing to do. As an 18-year-old he joined the RAF to have a lot of fun, travel the world and of course the war intervened and he became a fighter pilot.

The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA)

In those days it was a different world. They were flying at an early age.

Imagine an 18 or 19-year-old today getting into a machine and fly it at 300mph, attacking people in dogfights which lasts seconds and it was absolute chaos.

These were kids and people, to try and appreciate what it was like, have to go back to 1938 when it was a different world. They suffered great hardships.

His entire world was the squadron. Their friendships were formed in war, which is perhaps the strongest.

People should think about what it was like to sit in a Hurricane and go up every morning, sometimes five times a day, to find the enemy and shoot them when youre exhausted.

Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall said: In creating a series of portraits, I have emphasised different character facets of Johns rich personality.

He is above all, a proud Irishman and occupies an utterly unique moment in our history  a shared history between Britain and Ireland  finding himself the final voice and embodiment of a defining period.

The portraits will be auctioned at a later date, with some of the proceeds donated to Trinity Nursing Home in Dublin, where Mr Hemingway resides.

Chief of Staff of Irish Defence Forces Sean Clancy, who also attended the event, said: As someone who was very fortunate to be born on the continent of Europe, where peace and democracy has reigned for so long, and it has reigned because weve been able to stand on the shoulders of people like Paddy and his fellow aircrew who fought bravely form 1939 to 1945.

Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Sean Clancy with Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA)

We should be forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made, so we can say we live in a peaceful world.

Unfortunately, thats been shattered in recent times.

Mr Hemingway went on to serve as an Air Fighter Controller for Operation Overlord and in 1945, he served in the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces with 324 Wing and eventually commanded 43 squadron, which served in Italy.

It was during this time that he was forced to bail out a fourth time.

While attacking enemy forces near Ravenna in April 1945, his Spitfire was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire.

He parachuted into enemy territory and with the help of Italian locals, managed to contact Italian partisans, who helped him return to his squadron.

In 1966, he became Officer Commanding RAF Leconfield and eventually attained the rank of Group Captain.
Mistreatment of gang-associated girls is just one example of why our streets need to be safer, a Labour MP has warned.

Backing the Kings Speech on Wednesday, Florence Eshalomi told the Commons she supported ministers ambitions to halve rates of violence against women and girls and to ban ninja swords through a new Crime and Policing Bill.

Ms Eshalomi represents Vauxhall and Camberwell Green in London, the capital city where police recorded 165 knife or sharp object offences per 100,000 people throughout 2023.

It came second in national league tables to West Midlands Police across Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, where Government figures show 180 offences involving knives or sharp objects per 100,000.

Now as an MP, one of the hardest conversations any of us will have are with the victims of violent crime, Ms Eshalomi said.

Ive sat in many front rooms holding grieving mothers and fathers, and they tell me about their loved ones whove been taken too soon, and with every hug and tear wiped away, I can feel their pain and the impacts that this has on the wider siblings and other family members.

Crime rips communities apart leaving too many people vulnerable and open to exploitation, and one of the areas Im proud of working on is on preventing abuse of gang-associated girls whose mistreatment is sadly just one example of why our streets need to be safer.

The Home Secretarys commitment to halving rates of violence against women and improving support for victims should be welcomed across the House.

In his speech to peers and MPs in the House of Lords, King Charles III set out the Governments ambition to bolster community policing and give officers greater powers to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Responding to Ms Eshalomis speech, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: Perhaps most powerfully of all, shes spoken about her own experience arriving at the scene of a stabbing and has rightly demanded that we never allow ourselves to become desensitised to the tragedy of knife crime.

As a fellow inner London MP (for Holborn and St Pancras), I know how much this is hurting our city, as it is towns and cities across the country.

I know how much potential is lost and how many families fear that their child could be next, so be under no doubt, turning the tide on this violence is absolutely central  a key mission that this Government of service will take on.

Lorraine Jones (left)  who lost her son Dwayne Simpson to knife crime  speaks with Idris Elba and now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on the General Election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

From the opposition benches, former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak said Ms Eshalomi was so right that MPs must not become desensitised to gang violence.

He said Ms Eshalomi had campaigned bravely against gang violence, both in the London Assembly and in this House.

Former Tory preventing abuse minister Karen Bradley turned her attention to domestic abuse and said: I think about the work I did when I was in the Home Office on the violence against women and girls strategy and the work we did to strengthen our laws on domestic abuse, and Im very pleased to see there is a bill in the address that we will be working on.

All the while, you cannot stand still on this issue. Its an issue we constantly have to keep moving on because Im afraid perpetrators get wise and perpetrators work out ways to buck the system, so Im very pleased to see that that was included.

Also Im pleased that there will be a new law on spiking (within the Crime and Policing Bill proposal), something that many, many of my colleagues were looking to introduce before we had the General Election.
Adam Schiff speaks in Burbank, California, in March. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Adam Schiff, the high-profile California Democrat and US Senate candidate, on Wednesday called on Joe Biden to end his presidential campaign, stating he had serious concerns about the presidents ability to beat Donald Trump in November.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles-area congressman joined almost 20 other congressional Democrats in asking the president to step aside. Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, Schiff said, but it was time to pass the torch.

A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November, Schiff told the newspaper.

Related: Democratic rift over Biden candidacy deepens even as party says he will be nominee

The development comes as an increasing number of Democrats express doubts about whether Biden can win in November and concerns over his age and cognitive abilities following his debate performance against Trump.

A new survey published this week found that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw. Only about three in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that Biden has the mental capability to serve effectively, the AP-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research survey also found.

Some of Bidens top donors have said that he should bow out, and have paused donations until he does so. It was reported on Tuesday that Schiff had told donors he believed Democrats would lose the presidency, and probably the House and Senate as well, if Biden remained on the ticket. I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose, the New York Times reported Schiff told donors in New York.

With Democrats in turmoil, the party backtracked on Wednesday on plans to expedite a virtual roll call to officially select Biden as its presidential nominee before August after facing opposition from several House members. The members had planned to send a letter to the DNC calling a proposal to fast-track Bidens nomination a terrible idea.

Were glad to see that the pressure has worked and the DNC will not rush this virtual process through in July, said a spokesperson for the congressman Jared Huffman, a California Democrat.

The Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, who heads the DNCs rules committee, confirmed during a press conference in Milwaukee on Wednesday morning that the roll call vote will not be conducted this month. The governors spokesperson later confirmed that the process should wrap up by 7 August.

The extended deadline buys Democrats more time for continued internal debate over whether Biden should remain the partys nominee.

For his part, Schiff said on Wednesday he would support whoever is the Democratic nominee, including Biden, and will do anything to help the ticket succeed.

There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high, he told the LA Times.
The workplace relations minister, Tony Burke, has asked the Australian federal police to investigate recent corruption allegations against the CFMEU in tandem with state police investigations and to prosecute any criminal breaches.

It is one of a number of pre-emptive responses to the allegations raised against the CFMEU in a Nine network investigation into the union, which focused on the Victorian branch.

Burke has turned to the industrial relations act to allow the general manager of the Fair Work Commission, Murray Furlong, to appoint independent administrators of the CFMEU while an investigation into the allegations is carried out.

Related:Minns calls for NSW Labor to suspend CFMEU affiliation and stop donations after corruption allegations

The number one job of any union is to look after its members, Burke said.

Thats the job of the union and the job of officials. The reported behaviour from the construction division of the CFMEU is the exact opposite of that obligation.

Its abhorrent. Its intolerable. I said over the weekend that we would take action to address these issues and we are.

After a meeting on Wednesday, the ACTU suspended the construction and general division of the CFMEU from the council of trade unions until they are in a position to demonstrate to us that they are well functioning, clean union, free of any criminal elements.

ACTU leaders Sally McManus and Michele ONeil urged the CFMEU branch secretaries to cooperate with investigations and the appointment of an administrator after Queensland branch secretary Michael Ravbar launched an attack against the Albanese government for its decision to have the Fair Work Commissions general manager appoint administrators.

The appointment of administrators doesnt take away the fact that workers will still be represented by a union. There will still be support for building workers on the job, McManus said.

Weve had experience in rare circumstances of this in the past, and its actually been a very positive experience and outcome.

McManus used the previous example of the Health Services Union (HSU) time under administration which she said saw the organisation emerge through that stronger and better.

And thats what we want to see for the CFMEU.

Burke said earlier that Furlong was the best person placed to take this action and the government would back any action that the general manager takes with respect to any division, any part of the construction division of the CFMEU. His investigation would not just be limited to the Victorian division, he said.

Burke also pre-empted criticism that an administrator was being appointed, rather than the union being deregistered, which was the action former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke took against the Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) in 1986.

When Bob Hawke took the action of deregistration, that was the toughest action you could take to clean up an organisation, Burke said, adding that the toughest action which could now be taken is to appoint an administrator.

If we simply went down the deregistration path, we would have an organisation still capable of bargaining and doing the entire business model weve been seeing reported over recent days with no layer of regulation or additional oversight that applies to registered organisations, Burke said.

It would be a gift  and I have no intention of going down that path.

If there were any legislative barriers to the action Furlong believed necessary, then Burke said the government would make it a priority to change the law, or create legislation, to enable the work.

There can be no place for criminality or corruption in any part of the construction industry, Burke said on Wednesday.

He has also asked the Fair Work Ombudsman to undertake a targeted review of all enterprise agreements made by the Victorian branch of the construction division of the CFMEU that apply to Victorian big build projects with a focus on uncovering any information on coercive behaviour.

The government has no intention of taking any action which would put at risk the terms and conditions of employment of the workers who are covered by those agreements, he said.

This is not their fault. The government will also use its procurement powers to ensure that enterprise agreements used on government-funded projects are genuinely agreed and that workplaces are free from coercion and intimidation.

Related: National menace: CFMEU construction arms suspension from Victorian Labor under way, premier says

State Labor branches have announced they will not take donations from the CFMEU, but Burke said a demand from the Coalition that the Labor party hand back moneys already donated was one of the most astonishing and absurd ideas Ive seen.

Are the Liberal party seriously suggesting that at this moment the action of the government should be that we hand money to the CFMEU? Thats what they are arguing, and I just find it, of all the things to suggest, the idea  that we should give money to the CFMEU is absurd.

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accused the government and the prime minister specifically of being weak in response to the allegations. In June 2019, shortly after becoming the leader of the Labor party, Albanese pushed for John Setka, then the Victorian secretary of the construction arm of the CFMEU to be expelled from Labor. Setka fought the expulsion, but dropped his court action against the move in October 2019.

Late last week, ahead of the airing of the Nine network investigation, Setka stepped down as branch secretary, a position he had held for 12 years.

Asked if the allegations had shamed the Labor party, Albanese said they have shamed the people involved with it.

I expelled John Setka from the Labor party within weeks of becoming leader. I have no tolerance for the sort of behaviour that weve seen from John Setka and I have no tolerance for the behaviour thats been exposed in recent days.
Tension over immigrants and asylum seekers in Ireland flared this week during a protest against an accommodation site in north Dublin. Photograph: Patrick Bolger/The Guardian

People with knives and pipes have reportedly attacked 15 asylum seekers sheltering in tents in central Dublin, forcing them to flee.

The attack happened at about 11.30pm on Tuesday night, three hours after asylum seekers from Somalia and Palestine had erected a makeshift camp on City Quay in the Irish capital, local media reported on Wednesday.

Some tents were slashed and thrown in the River Liffey after the refugees ran to a police station, a local man, who declined to be named, told the Irish Times. They were in shock, traumatised. One man had his documentation thrown in the river.

There were no reported injuries. Police said they responded to reports of criminal damage and that an investigation was under way.

Roderic OGorman, the minister for integration, said any attack on vulnerable people was deplorable and that his officials would try to ensure that anyone targeted in the incident would be offered accommodation on Wednesday.

Tension over immigrants and asylum seekers flared this week during a protest against an accommodation site for 500 people in Coolock, north Dublin. Some demonstrators carried Irish lives matter placards and scuffled with police and security guards outside the former Crown Paints factory.

Violence escalated when agitators, some masked, set machinery on fire and hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at police. A security guard was taken away on a stretcher and several police vehicles were damaged. At least 19 people were charged with public order offences.

Authorities erected large concrete blocks around the site on Tuesday. The taoiseach, Simon Harris, condemned the violence. These actions are criminal and are designed to sow fear and division. We should not accept them being legitimised in any way by describing them as protest, he said.

Since 2022 there has been a sharp increase in arson on properties across the country linked to accommodating asylum seekers, with a riot erupting in Dublin last November.

Dozens of independent and micro-party candidates ran on anti-immigrant platforms in Irelands local and European elections last month. A handful were elected.

Politicians from mainstream parties say far-right agitation has fuelled a toxic, menacing environment. On Wednesday Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Fein leader, made a complaint to police about a threat made online by a man who said he would shoot and kill her, an escalation in what she said was unacceptable abuse.
The UK still does not have an up-to-date pandemic plan or strategy - JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Like Covid-19, the next pandemic will start quietly before quickly becoming a deafening roar.

There will be reports of a cluster of unusual deaths or hospitalisations overseas, whispers of a strange new zoonotic bug and experts pontificating on whether or not its the real deal or just another flash in the pan. Indeed it could look very much like what we are seeing today with H5N1, an avian virus not dissimilar to one which caused the great Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.

H5N1 has been circulating in birds for decades but over the last few years, it has started killing all sorts of different mammals. Most recently it has spread across some 145 cattle herds in 13 US states, with at least nine farm workers becoming infected, albeit mildly. Of the 889 human H5N1 cases recorded globally since 2003, 463 were fatal.

Experts have long thought that an avian influenza of this sort is the number one pandemic threat. Until Covid-19 forced a more generic Disease X approach to risk planning, it sat at the very top of the UK Risk Register. Today, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) puts the odds of H5N1 evolving to cause human transmission  and therefore a likely pandemic  at between one-in-ten and one-in-three.

So given these increasing risks, whats the plan? What lessons has the UK learnt from Covid-19 to ensure we are ready to deal with the next one? What reforms have been put in place?

We look at each of the key areas and give the government an estimated score.

The last pandemic strategy was published in 2011  it has not been revised since - OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

The UK Pandemic Plan: 1/10

The UK does not have an up-to-date pandemic plan or strategy.

The last one was published in 2011 and has not been revised since. It proved ineffective for Covid-19 and the Covid Inquiry heard it suffered from a number of strategic or doctrinal flaws. Most importantly, the plan gave no serious consideration to how to stop a pandemic pathogen entering the UK, or how to contain it if it did.

We did not give sufficient thought to what we could do to stop in its tracks a pandemic on the scale of Covid or indeed any other pathogen, the Chief Medical Officer for England Prof Chris Whitty told the Inquiry.

Other flaws included a failure to learn from the experiences of countries in South East Asia that had had coronavirus epidemics previously and a failure to properly invest in essential services like testing and track and trace ahead of time so they could be scaled up fast enough in the event of a pandemic.

Here is a 1:50 year event, Prof Whitty told the Inquiry. Do you wish to buy the insurance for that 1:50 year event? This is the cost.

The are still no special requirements for ports and airports - Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Ports and airports: 2/10

The pandemic plans of countries like South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore which aim to stop a virus from entering as a first line of defence tend to prioritise their ports and airports.

Typically they plan for this by insisting airports have separation and isolation facilities should they be needed; that rapid testing facilities are available on-site; and that arrivals are properly registered and their movements capable of being tracked.

If a quarantine period is required, it is at ports that this process is instigated  not later in the community when it is likely to be too late.

Summing up its ports strategy, the pandemic plan of Singapore says: In the initial phase when cases are mostly overseas, efforts will be to detect and minimise importation of the disease for as long as possible to allow time to gain a better understanding of the disease and to prevent disease spread.

The UK still has no special requirements for ports and airports. The 2011 pandemic strategy simply says: In general, normal port health arrangements will apply during a pandemic.

Britain was forced to build a mass testing response from scratch because of poor planning - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Mass testing: 5/10

The UK was quick to develop a test for Covid 19 during the pandemic but its capacity to test people ran out within just a few weeks of the virus arriving. We didnt have enough machines and reagents or a system to distribute, administer and record tests.

While countries like South Korea had written mass testing into their plans ahead of time as a means of stamping out the virus should it breach its borders, the UK had to race to create one, and by then it was too late. In turn, hospitals quickly filled up, causing the government to institute lockdowns  something countries like South Korea largely avoided.

Ultimately, mass testing capacity was built up in the UK, allowing up to 800,000 tests per day, through a network of new government and private sector labs.

Yet despite the cost of building such a system on the fly, much of it has since been unravelled. If a pandemic hit tomorrow, we would all but be starting again from scratch.

The UK had no large-scale track and trace system when the Covid pandemic started - Yui Mok/PA Wire

Track, trace and isolate: 4/10

Testing people is one thing. Tracking and tracing people before safely isolating them is another.

Countries in Southeast Asia realised the importance of this after dealing with Sars and Mers and built sophisticated track and trace systems ahead of time. Like mass testing, these systems are designed to contain the spread of a virus and prevent the need for costly lockdowns.

Several countries, most notably Taiwan and Singapore, used digital systems that allow the tracking of peoples phones. These systems were enabled by emergency legislation that had been passed years in advance when it could be debated calmly and with checks and balances set around it.

The UK had no large-scale track and trace system when the Covid pandemic started. Local public health departments retained some capacity after a decade of cuts but it was quickly exhausted.

Building the system from scratch cost an estimated 37 billion. There was also no track element to NHS Test and Trace and the trace element never really got off the ground.

The system was shut down in 2022, shortly after a report by the Public Accounts Committee found the programme to be muddled, overstated, and eye-wateringly expensive and nothing new has been built since.

As the UK epidemiologist, Adam Kucharski put it on X (formerly Twitter) this week: Many European countries seem to be taking a play it by ear until the next pandemic arrives attitude to getting modern pandemic tools in place. And we all know how that ended last time.

Vaccines have traditionally been a strong point for the UK - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Vaccines: 7/10

A bright spot! With a sizable pharmaceutical industry and money to be made, vaccines have traditionally been a strong point for the UK.

On the positive side, we have a contract in place for the supply of an egg-based H5N1 vaccine from CSL Seqirus should the worst happen. This would deliver the first doses of what should be an efficacious jab within 16 weeks (3 months) of a pandemic being formally declared. The company has an end-to-end manufacturing facility in Liverpool, so supply should be secure.

The UK also retains some of the best vaccinologists in the world, expertise that means we are well placed to innovate should that be required. Several of these institutions, including the Pandemic Sciences Institute at Oxford, are funded by Cepi, the organisation behind the 100 days Mission which aims to create prototype vaccines for all the major pandemic threats ahead of time.

On the downside, the UK has no large-scale mRNA vaccine manufacturing capacity and is reliant on imports for these vaccines.

The UK is also now outside of the EU and so does not benefit from the scale of its purchasing agreements. For example, while the EU has already taken delivery of pre-pandemic jabs for H5N1, the UK is only now tendering for the same emergency vaccines.

The EU has also ramped up subsidies to vaccine manufacturers across Europe since Covid-19, the quid pro quo is that they prioritise EU countries in the event of another major outbreak. This is a new development and could disadvantage the UK in the event of another pandemic.

In the UK, several of the few vaccine manufacturing facilities are under threat for lack of state funding.

The Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) in Oxfordshire, which was designed to make the UK self-sufficient in vaccine design and manufacturing, has also been sold off and mothballed.

Experts say the NHS remains the UK's Achilles' heel for the next pandemic - Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Hospitals and nursing homes: 2/10

Healthcare capacity is the last defence against lockdowns. If hospitals and care homes become overwhelmed society shuts down.

When Covid struck, an efficiency drive meant the UK had some of the lowest numbers of acute hospital beds in the West. According to the OECD, the NHS had 2.5 acute beds per 1,000 people, compared to 8 beds per 1,000 in Germany and 5.9 in France.

Nursing homes were badly hit partly because infected NHS patients had to be emptied into them, but also because low pay meant staff circulated from home to home and because they had inadequate PPE supplies.

Experts say the NHS remains the UKs Achilles heel for the next pandemic. The waiting list now stands at a vast 7.5m and the new health Secretary has described it as being broken.

In the event of a new pandemic, lockdowns are all but inevitable - Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Lockdowns: 1/10

If H5N1 or the new strain of m-pox causing deaths among children in Congo becomes a pandemic tomorrow, UK lockdowns are all but inevitable.

The lack of a plan to contain a new virus and our limited healthcare capacity means we would almost certainly face the same result as ministers struggled to prevent the health system from collapsing.

One of the worst outcomes of lockdown was the damage it did to childrens mental health and education, with schools being closed  not to protect children  but their parents and grandparents and the wider health system.

Yet, since Covid, there have been no plans for how this might be dealt with in future. Will schools be kept open willy-nilly, and if they are closed what provision will there be for remote learning? We just dont know.

We must engage in serious discussions about how we balance considerations for children during pandemics, weighing social harms against health risks, said Prof Christophe Fraser, a Principal Investigator at the Pandemic Sciences Institute in Oxford.

People look back at Covid and say I dont want to do that again, and I 100 per cent agree, but what if we get a flu strain that heavily affects children? What then? A future plan needs to be flexible enough to be able to account for these sorts of questions.

Mr Sam Sharps of the Tony Blair Institute said he thought the UK was better placed to weather a pandemic today than before Covid but that momentum for reform was slowing.

Its not true to say were no better off than 2011, but we havent systemised those lessons in the way that other countries have done. We need to build on the lessons from the pandemic to make sure were on the best footing now.

If we are to avoid lockdowns, we need to accelerate our pandemic planning.

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Migrant children picked up at sea wait to be taken for processing, in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, 16 August 2023. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

Scores of asylum-seeking children are still missing from the UKs Home Office hotels as a new report reveals that many are likely to have been trafficked.

The most recent figures show that 118 unaccompanied children remain unaccounted for, some as young as 12. The study, released on Wednesday, is the first to conclude that children placed inside the hotels were at increased risk of trafficking, contradicting Home Office claims that the youngsters were not exploited.

Experts said the findings reinforced demands for an official inquiry into the national scandal.

The report, by the University College London (UCL) and Ecpat UK, was commissioned after it was revealed last year that dozens of asylum-seeking children were kidnapped by criminal gangs from hotels run by the Home Office. Basic checks to keep youngsters safe were not carried out in a scandal regarded among the most shameful of the last government.

The new report details interviews with professionals involved in the care of the children, including a former Home Office hotel worker who knew of three trafficking incidents from their hotel. Traffickers contacted the young people, they said, via a fake [social media] account or Facebook  [It] is not that they are naive, but when in such a bad situation, they think: OK, its the risk but this place is also bad.

Researchers found that Home Office attempts to protect the children actually drove them into the hands of criminals. Hotel staff were instructed to knock on the doors of children every hour throughout the night, especially for nationalities deemed to be of high risk of going missing, such as Albanians.

Ironically, [this was] the reason that most kids went missing, said the former Home Office hotel worker.

Seven hotels were run by the Home Office to accommodate minors who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats, many from Africa, including Eritrea and Sudan. Such hotels were in operation from 2021 until January 2024 after a high court ruling deemed them unlawful.

In total, 440 children went missing from them, with 144 not found by last November and 118 still unaccounted for in March, according the most recent update.

The reports lead author and principal investigator, Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, of UCLs department of risk and disaster reduction, said: This is a national scandal which must not be repeated. It is still not clear what attempts have been made to find those who remain missing and make sure that they are safe.

Patricia Durr, the chief executive of Ecpat UK, added: This research confirms our fears and emphasises the need for urgent action to find the missing children, and for a statutory independent inquiry to ensure this child protection scandal never happens again.

One social worker told researchers that boys from Albania were very vulnerable, very frightened due to a targeted campaign against them and concerns that they may be sent home imminently.

Related: Hundreds of potentially trafficked children abandoned by Home Office

Although the hotels for children are now closed, researchers also found significant concern that youngsters seeking asylum were being incorrectly assessed as above 18 and placed in adult hotels, where they risked sexual abuse and exploitation. Several child-protection experts highlighted safeguarding risks from children forced to share rooms with traumatised adults.

Ayeb-Karlsson added: Children who are incorrectly determined as adults are deprived of their rights to education, protection and safeguarding.

Durr urged the new government to scrap the catastrophic Illegal Migration Act, which allows the Home Office to directly provide accommodation for unaccompanied children.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The allegations in this report are very serious. Unaccompanied children in the asylum system can be extremely vulnerable and their welfare and safety should be a central concern. We will consider these findings carefully.

A new government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly, and ensures the rules are properly enforced.
Ursula von der Leyen is bidding to win a second term as president of the European Commission - Reuters/Alessandro Della Valle

The European Commission was wrong to conceal details of its multi-billion euro deals for Covid vaccines, an EU court has ruled in a blow to Ursula von der Leyen.

Mrs von der Leyen faces a European Parliament vote on Thursday to secure her appointment for a second term as president of the EU executive but the court decision risks reawakening concerns over how she secured jabs for the bloc.

She was already under scrutiny for allegedly keeping secret and deleting text messages with the boss of Pfizer over vaccine purchases in a controversy dubbed Deletegate.

Wednesdays court ruling is separate to that case but the timing is embarrassing for Mrs von der Leyen, who will miss Thursdays European Political Community summit in the UK to be at the Strasbourg vote, and is currently working to ensure she has the expected support for another five years at the head of the commission.

Green MEPs had demanded the commission publish Covid vaccine purchase agreements worth just under 2.3 billion that it negotiated in 2020-2021.

Brussels did publish the deals but redacted parts of the agreements, including the names of EU officials responsible for negotiating them. It argued that releasing the blacked-out details would jeopardise the commercial relationships with the pharmaceutical companies, notably where it came to liability and indemnification in the event of vaccine defects.

The commission also argued that it needed to keep private the identities and words used by members of its team who negotiated the deals.

A legal battle ensued, leading to Wednesdays ruling.

Mrs von der Leyen was already under scrutiny for allegedly keeping secret and deleting text messages with Pfizer's CEO over vaccine purchases - AFP/Justin Tallis

Commission failed public interest test by keeping names secret

The EUs General Court said the commission failed to show how divulging indemnification details would harm the commercial interests of the pharmaceutical groups supplying the vaccines,

It also failed a public interest test by keeping secret the names of the EU officials involved, the court said.

The court upheld in part the lawsuits lodged by those seeking access to those details and annuls the Commissions decisions in so far as they contain irregularities.

The Commission did not demonstrate that wider access to those clauses would actually undermine the commercial interests of those undertakings, the court said.

It also found that those behind the lawsuit had demonstrated the public interest of having access to the personal details of the commissions vaccine-negotiating team.

It was only by having the names, surnames and details of the professional or institutional role of the members of the team in question that they could have ascertained whether or not the members of that team had a conflict of interests, the court added.

Commission previously criticised by watchdog

The commission has until late September to lodge an appeal before the European Court of Justice if it wants to challenge the ruling of the General Court.

The commission said it would carefully study the court decision.

The ruling only partially upheld the legal action on two points and the court follows the Commission on many claims, it said.

It argued that it needed to strike a difficult balance between the right of the public... to information, and the legal requirements emanating from the Covid-19 contracts themselves, which could result in claims for damages at the cost of taxpayers money.

At this stage, the Commission reserves its legal options, it said.

In 2022, the commission said it could not and did not have to find the text messages Mrs von der Leyen exchanged with Albert Bourla, Pfizers chief executive, during the pandemic.

The existence of the messages was revealed in a New York Times investigation.

The commission refused a freedom of information request for the messages, which led to a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

In a damning report, the watchdog said that amounted to maladministration.
Donald Trump (center) and JD Vance (center right) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 16 July 2024. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

Confident in Trumps victory, Republicans focused on winning control of the US Senate

The official theme of the Republican national conventions second night was Make America Safe Again, with a focus on crime and border security. But as a series of Republican senate candidates got their turn in the spotlight on Tuesday, it was clear that a major theme of the night was helping the GOP win a majority in the US Senate. Among the featured speakers locked in competitive senate races were Kari Lake of Arizona, Eric Hovde of Wisconsin, Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Sam Brown of Nevada and Hung Cao of Virginia.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chris LaCivita, the co-manager of Trumps campaign, said the campaign was now very confident in Trumps chances of victory. We have nearly 20 paths to get to where we need to get, LaCivita said. [Democrats] have one, maybe two. Its a dramatic reversal just four years after Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to forcibly prevent the certification of Bidens victory.

If Republicans win a majority of seats in the US Senate and keep control of the US House, they will have achieved the trifecta of power in Washington. Republicans will effectively have majority control over all three branches of government, with even the increasingly partisan supreme court dominated by a majority of rightwing appointees.

Leading Democratic members of Congress are also raising concerns about Republicans taking the Senate majority, with representative Adam Schiff reportedly telling Democratic donors that he believes Democrats will not only lose the presidency if Biden continues as the partys nominee, but that they may very well lose the Senate as well.

Republicans falsely claimed Democrats rely on votes from illegals

Trump supporters were still chanting build the wall. Trump and his vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, have both said they support mass deportations, and multiple RNC speakers falsely suggested that Democrats were trying to win elections by encouraging undocumented immigrants to vote.

Florida senator Rick Scott falsely claimed it was easy for Democrats to rig elections, saying they did so by allowing all the non-citizens to vote.

Democrats decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children, Ted Cruz, the Texas senator, said in a speech in which he referenced several examples of women and girls who had been raped by undocumented immigrants. Its an echo of the remarks that Trump made at his campaign launch in 2015, when he falsely said that many Mexican immigrants to the US were rapists.

Kari Lake, the Arizona senate candidate, falsely claimed that Ruben Gallego, the Democrat she is running against, had voted to allow undocumented immigrants to cast ballots in the upcoming election, a claim that Gallegos campaign labeled a blatant lie.

Its already illegal for non-citizens to vote, and theres no evidence that it happens often: a Brennan Center study found just 30 instances of suspected non-citizen voting out of 23.5m votes cast in the 2016 general election.

Trumps criminal cases and convictions went unmentioned amid rhetoric on crime

As Republicans portrayed themselves as the party of law and order, there was little mention of the fact that their candidate has been juggling multiple criminal cases throughout the campaign and recently made history as the only former president to be convicted of felonies, in being found guilty on 34 felony counts as part of a hush-money scheme to cover up an affair.

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, they stand with the criminals, Randy Sutton, a former police officer, said in his remarks Tuesday night. In reality, though both Democrats have supported some criminal justice reforms, Biden has been an enthusiastically pro-cop Democrat for decades, and Harris was a career prosecutor who literally served as Californias top cop in her role as state attorney general. Neither of them has a mug shot or is able to continue campaigning only because they can afford bail, as is the case with Trump.

As one Republican after another linked undocumented immigrants to rape, crime and violence, they did not talk about how Trump had been found liable in 2023 of sexual abuse and defamation in a civil trial brought by magazine writer E Jean Carroll, after being accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women in alleged incidents that spanned decades.

Trump is characteristic of a much broader trend: US citizens are much more likely to be arrested for crimes than undocumented people. A recent study using data from Texas found that US-born citizens were more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes and more than four times as likely to be arrested for property crimes than undocumented immigrants.

But in less explicit ways, Trumps own legal troubles have lurked in the background of the RNC speeches, as Republicans have railed against progressive prosecutors and the media. Critical mention of Alvin Bragg, the New York district attorney who secured Trumps conviction on 34 felony counts in the hush-money case, prompted one of the loudest boos of the night. Bragg was accused of being a soft-on-crime prosecutor by a New York mother, Madeline Brame, whose son was murdered, and who accused Bragg of dismissing and reducing the charges faced by her sons killers.

In the name of unity, Trumps Republican critics kissed the ring and urged others to fall in line

Nikki Haley, one of Trumps most determined rivals in the 2024 Republican primary, took the stage at the RNC, announcing, to cheers: President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity.

Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period, Haley went on, prompting chants of: Trump! Trump! Trump!

Earlier this year, Haley publicly called Trump unhinged and diminished and said he was not the same person he was in 2016.

But on Tuesday night, both she and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, another Trump primary campaign rival, proclaimed their loyalty to Trump. Haley, in particular, urged Republicans who did not agree with Trump to nonetheless fall in line behind him in the election.

You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, she said. I havent always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often that we disagree.

Another never-Trump critic, JD Vance, who once wondered whether Trump was Americas Hitler, was named Trumps vice-presidential pick yesterday.

Despite talk of national unity at the convention, Republicans went on attack

Republican speakers at the convention continued to frame Trumps survival of an assassination attempt this weekend as a miraculous act of God, rather than blaming the attack on Biden or on broader Democratic rhetoric.

God spared President Trump from that assassin, because God is not finished with him yet, Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

But by the end of the day Tuesday, any idea that Trumps party might embrace a tone of broader national unity had evaporated, amid fierce attacks on Harris, comparisons of Biden to the corpse in the film Weekend at Bernies, and Lakes renewed attacks on the media. Lake, a former television anchor, said: I dont welcome everybody  in this room. You guys up there in the fake news have worn out your welcome.

Joan E Greve and Alice Herman contributed reporting
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, told the National Press Club the Coalitions nuclear energy plan was aimed at delaying action on climate change. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Australia is unlikely to be have nuclear reactors operating before 2050, more than a decade after the federal oppositions target, according to the chair of the Australian Energy Regulator, Clare Savage.

Her comments, made to the Australian Clean Energy Summit in Sydney on Tuesday, were echoed by the federal energy minister, Chris Bowen at the National Press Club lunch in Canberra.

Its a tactic to divert, delay and avoid action on climate, Bowen said. Its a ploy to keep coal running longer and at massive costs to reliability and emissions.

The government is seeking to exert maximum pressure on the Coalition to answer key questions about their controversial pledge to build seven nuclear plants, including how much it would cost, how long it would take and how much power the reactors would generate.

All the opposition has released is seven locations, thats it, Bowen said, adding that the next election would be a choice for Australian voters between reliable renewables or risky reactors.

Savage said Australia was probably a decade too late to go down the nuclear track. Based on her experience as a regulator, she said it would take at least two years to remove state and federal legal impediments for starters.

By the time you would have to try and build out the safety framework, the environmental framework, the market operations, the underwriting, I reckon thatd take at least  another eight years, Savage said. It would then need 15 years to build a reactor.

So thats 25 years from now, so youre probably at 2050, she said.

The oppositions energy spokesperson, Ted OBrien, told the Sydney summit the Coalition did not believe in putting all our eggs in one basket.

We have a basic position which is you do not close baseload power stations prematurely, OBrien said, adding it was economic lunacy to do so before there was adequate replacement capacity ready to go.

When it comes to renewables, we believe in the need for renewables to continue to roll out, but higher quality projects, he said.

Bowen argued in his speech that far and away the biggest threat to reliability in our grid is over reliance on ageing coal fired power stations. Over the last year, not a single day has passed without an unplanned outage at a coal power generator in eastern Australia.

Related: The Coalitions nuclear fantasy serves short-term political objectives  and its fossil fuel backers | Peter Lewis

He conceded that some Australians wanted better consultation with the government and a better idea of the benefits of hosting large-scale renewable projects in their communities.

The government has been facing large community backlash over large projects such as windfarms in several east coast regional towns, with the Coalition supporting the protests.

Bowen admitted it was a contested space, but pushed back on a key Coalition claim that the governments energy transition would require 28,000 kilometres of new electricity poles and wires.

The minister claimed the number was just 4,000 kilometres, with 900km of that already complete or under construction, and the rest at advanced planning and approval stages.

Penny Sharpe, NSWs energy minister, also told the summits she was concerned about the federal coalitions shift to back nuclear energy.

We dont have time, and we dont have the money, Sharpe said, adding her state was relying on $30bn in private investment to underpin the energy transition.

It is deeply unhelpful to have this [nuclear pledge] thrown into the middle for a plan that actually wont work, Sharpe said.

Savage wasnt the only regulator to raise doubts about the Coalitions plan at the summit. Daniel Westerman, the chief executive of the Australian Energy Market Operator, told the summit on Tuesday that CSIRO in its GenCost report had shown nuclear to be comparatively expensive, and has a long lead time.

Even on the most optimistic outlook, nuclear power wont be ready in time for the exit of Australias coal-fired power stations, Westerman said. And the imperative to replace that retiring coal generation is with us now.

According to Aemos blueprint for the grid, released last month, all remaining coal-fired power plants will be shut by 2038.
Ireland's Simon Harris and Keir Starmer drink Guinness at a meeting in the garden at Chequers. Photograph: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images

Keir Starmer has pledged to repeal the controversial Legacy Act, which offered immunity to Troubles-era crimes in Northern Ireland, and discussed replacement legislation with the Irish prime minister during a wide-ranging discussion over dinner at Chequers on Wednesday night.

In December the Irish government began a legal challenge against the UK government over the act, introduced by the Conservatives, which was opposed by all five main parties in Northern Ireland, action that is now likely to be abandoned.

Speaking to reporters after the dinner, the taoiseach, Simon Harris, said Starmer and he had agreed to work together on what the appeal of the Legacy Act might look like.

Not only now do we have the manifesto of Keir Starmers party committing to repealing and replacing the legacy act, we now have the kings speech of the prime ministers government outlining its commitment to repealing and replacing, so the prime minister and I had the opportunity to discuss that this evening, and weve also agreed to work together on what replacement might look like.

I must say, I find it so refreshing and so encouraging to hear a British prime minister now using that language, said Harris.

Starmer hopes the dinner will start a reversal, on the eve of the biggest summit of European leaders in the UK, of almost a decade of strained relations with Ireland.

He agreed to make a formal visit to Ireland on 7 September, the night of an Ireland-England Nations League football match, while Harris pledged to support the UKs attempt to reset its relationship with the EU, describing the possibility of a UK-EU summit as something that had certain merits.

Greeting Harris, Starmer said he was very pleased to have this very early opportunity to what I see as resetting, strengthening and deepening our relationship.

Harris responded: I am delighted to be here too, to congratulate you in person. It means a lot to us, a lot to Ireland.

Before the meeting the taoiseach said he was fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

The meeting took place on the eve of the European Political Community (EPC) summit, to be held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley police have restricted airspace for aircraft and drones around the palace as 45 European leaders and their 400-strong delegations descend on the Oxfordshire estate, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, on Thursday.

Related: Starmer must use EPC forum to offer hopeful vision for Europes future

All 27 EU leaders will attend the EPC summit with leaders of non-EU countries including the UK, Iceland, Norway, Kosovo, Serbia, Georgia, Andorra, Albania and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, may close the summit with a press conference, with Starmer hoping to demonstrate the very strong message EU leaders want to send to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Representatives of Nato, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe will also attend to discuss Europes position in the face of what Starmer described as Russias barbaric war, and vile smuggling gangs who traffic innocent people on perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.

Europes future defence strategy, particularly in the event of Donald Trump being elected as US president, is at the top of the agenda, followed by migration, the future of democracy and energy security.

It is understood Starmer will then attend a working group on migration to be chaired by the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama.

This week Frontex, the EUs border agency, revealed that migration had fallen by 61% on the central Mediterranean route in the first six months of the year, with sources suggesting that Tunisia was taking more interest in cracking down on people-smugglers who last summer launched between 40 and 50 boats a day to Italy.

Overall numbers have dropped by a third to 94,000, with the central Mediterranean and Balkans routes declining but a 174% jump in numbers trying to get to the Canary Islands.

Emmanuel Macron and the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, will jointly chair one of two working groups on defence and democracy. It is understood that Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general, Josep Borrell, Europes chief diplomat, and the prime ministers of Iceland, the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andorra and Finland will attend this group.

A second defence and democracy group will be chaired by the European Council chief, Charles Michel.

As well as the meeting with Harris, Starmer has a bilateral with Macron in the diary on Thursday.

Starmer and Harris committed to annual Anglo-Irish summits to develop a specific workstream to deepen and reinvigorate cooperation.
The Refugee Council, a UK-based charity, estimates that around 60,000 of the 90,000 people will be granted asylum - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe

Labour is to fast-track plans to allow 90,000 migrants earmarked for deportation to Rwanda to claim asylum in the UK.

As early as this week, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is expected to announce legislation that will enable immigration caseworkers to start processing the asylum claims of people who had been threatened with removal to Rwanda after entering the UK illegally.

The Refugee Council, a UK-based charity, estimates that around 60,000 of the 90,000 people will be granted asylum, given the profile of the countries from which most of them came.

However, officials are expected to prioritise the 30 per cent of asylum seekers from safe countries such as Vietnam, Albania, Egypt and India. Their applications are most likely to be rejected, and they could therefore be quickly deported to their home countries.

Nearly 36,000 of the migrants are housed in hotels, costing the taxpayer 2.9 million a day. Ms Cooper has pledged to start saving money straight away and aims to end such hotel use within a year.

The Tories will accuse Labour of effectively granting the migrants an amnesty, but Labour says the Conservatives have given them a hotel amnesty by failing to arrange a single flight to Rwanda and holding them in hotels.

It is understood Labour can move them into the asylum system without having to repeal Rishi Sunaks Illegal Migration Act.

This legislation decreed that any migrant arriving in the UK illegally in the past 18 months would have their claims treated as inadmissible and they would be deported to Rwanda.

However, Mr Sunak never activated two key elements of the Act  declaring their claims inadmissible and enacting powers to remove them to Rwanda.

This means Labour can leave the Act on the shelf and does not have to go through the lengthy process of repealing it through Parliament before processing the claims.

In the Kings Speech on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, pledged to fix the broken asylum system by clearing the asylum backlog, fast-tracking returns of migrants to safe countries and scrapping the incredibly costly Rwanda scheme.

The measures include a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which would give border force staff the ability to use counter-terrorism style powers to investigate and smash people-smuggling gangs.

A new Border Security Command will be funded by scrapping the Rwanda scheme, which will save 100 million in future payments and tens of millions of pounds that would have been paid for relocated migrants.

Rwanda has so far received 290 million under the agreement overseen by Boris Johnson, with just four failed asylum seekers voluntarily transferred to the African state.

Under the Governments plans, new offences will also be created to penalise social media companies that fail to remove advertisements from people smugglers selling Channel crossings.

Labour may also revive proposals to make it an offence to advertise by any means people smuggling services. Previous plans carried a maximum penalty of five years in jail. The party has further proposed precursor offences to penalise people helping to supply materials such as boats and equipment to organised crime gangs.
Aslef members have staged 18 days of strikes since the dispute started two years ago, causing huge disruption to passengers - Jason Aiden/Bloomberg

Labour will hold the first pay deal talks with Aslef, the train drivers union, for two years in a bid to end rail strikes.

Aslef said it would meet the Department for Transport (DfT) next Tuesday and was hoping for constructive talks.

Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, said during the election campaign that her party would meet the rail unions in government. It is understood that the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies involved in the row, will not be involved in the discussions.

Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, said: Were having an initial meeting with the DfT on Tuesday.

We hope, with a new Government in place, that we can have constructive talks to get a positive resolution that works for train drivers, who have not had an increase in salary for five years, and will help get our railway back on track.

Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, has said it is a priority for the Government to work with Aslef to end the dispute - Jamie Lorriman

Mr Whelan said the Conservative government and its transport ministers had put the brakes on a deal, adding: Now, with a new Secretary of State for Transport in place, I hope and think we can and will get a deal done.

Aslef members have staged 18 days of strikes since the dispute started two years ago, causing huge disruption to passengers.

Drivers across the country are paid an average of 65,000 per year for a four-day, 35-hour working week.

In a recent message on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Haigh said: Fourteen years without a workforce strategy has left our railways understaffed, reliant on voluntary working and lurching from one crisis to the next. Our urgent priority is to reset workforce relations and put passengers first.
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves must accept that growth requires taking a risk - Stefan Rousseau/PA

With the Kings Speech out of the way, Sir Keir Starmer is free to begin his mission of national renewal. Some 40 bills have been set out before Parliament in a sweeping package intended to take the brakes off Britain and create wealth for people up and down the country.

There are many problems with the British economy. We dont save enough, we dont build enough, energy is too expensive; the list of complaints is long and familiar.

Many of them, however, share a common root: the insidious little voice in the back of our heads that looks at an outcome we dislike and declares: The Government should do something about it. And for all Sir Keirs welcome focus on growth, he is still in thrall to this voice.

As the writer Ed West has noted, the morality of the British Left rests in particular on Jonathan Haidts idea of the care/harm foundation: a desire to minimise suffering and avoid cruelty. There is nothing particularly wrong with this as a lens for viewing the world: we shouldnt be needlessly cruel and we should avoid harm where we can.

The problem is what happens when we take avoiding perceived harm as our first duty above everything else.

At this point, its worth taking a look through those 40 proposed pieces of legislation being set before Parliament. Take the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. The draft published by the previous government required premises across the UK to prepare against the eventuality of a terrorist attack, with staff required to undertake terrorism protection training, managers required to conduct risk assessments and security plans drawn up.

This might make sense for Wembley Stadium; it makes rather less sense for church halls or small restaurants. The net result was a policy with an estimated net benefit of negative 2.1bn: the costs and inconvenience were so extensive that, even under the Governments own assessment, it made no sense to go ahead with it. Naturally, its been made one of the centrepieces of Labours legislative agenda.

This inability to consider trade-offs  just attempting to minimise harm no matter the cost  is endemic in British governance. It is also toxic for growth. Entrepreneurship and growth, by their nature, require taking risks. Taking risks, in turn, means facing up to the possibility of losing your shirt. And as the Government attempts to protect against that harm, it ends up shielding us with equal vigour from the prospect of prosperity.

Look, for example, at pension funds. A series of well-intentioned rules put in place to protect savers have contributed towards pension funds steadily reducing their exposure to UK equities, shutting defined-benefit schemes and pouring money into government bonds. Funds in Canada and Australia, meanwhile, are at much greater liberty to invest in assets as they see fit, snapping up stakes in British tech companies, infrastructure and housing  and outperforming British pension funds in the process.

A fair framework would weight this lower return as a harm just as real and tangible as a fund going belly-up in spectacular fashion. For British policymakers, however, it seems that costs which result from forgoing something dont register; only things which are realised have the privilege of being entered into the calculation.

Returning to the Kings Speech, we can see the fruits of this attitude time and time again.

The Employment Rights Bill, for instance, will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end the scourges of fire and rehire, make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal available from day one, strengthen statutory sick pay, establish a fair pay agreement for social care, and a lot more besides.

In the care/harm foundation, this sounds perfectly acceptable. Employers should treat workers well. Sick pay should be given from day one. And why would we want workers to be exploited? The benefits, from a Labour point of view, are clear and obvious: a transfer of surplus from greedy companies to vulnerable workers.

The argument against such legislation receives less weight, because it relies on pointing to things that wont happen as a result of passing it. Take zero-hours contracts. No doubt some people on zero-hours contracts arent treated well by unscrupulous bosses. Others, however, are working in jobs that may well simply not exist without the ability for employers to raise and lower hours to match demand.

If the flexibility creates jobs that people want to take, and destroying it ends those jobs, its difficult to say the policy is a clear good for workers, particularly when we consider the sorts of people signing up to them. If someones life circumstances make it harder to commit to regular hours, trading off flexibility for stability is clearly worthwhile, even if Sir Keir finds it distasteful.

The sort of trade-off likely to be imposed by the range of measures in the Employment Rights Bill  greater benefits and security for workers who have jobs, resulting in firms displaying greater caution in hiring  is at least contestable. It seems very likely that there will be net economic disbenefits, but an argument could at least be put together that some degree of market power or distortion means that employers will just eat the costs.

This argument is harder to make for other areas. The planning system, for instance, hands out effective vetoes to practically everyone who might conceivably have an interest in a project. The desire to avoid harm results in gridlock, with massive, tangible economic costs that far outweigh any plausible benefits.

In one notable case, permission for a new electricity interconnector between the UK and France was turned down in part because it would have led to traffic during construction and damaged the view from a Grade II listed Cottage.

For all that Sir Keir has made growth the centrepiece of his pitch to the country, he will find it all but impossible to generate unless he can overcome the idea that the Government should meddle in every decision and every transaction.

The signs are not promising. Talking at the G7, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds set out Labours pitch: Governments, he said, cannot rely on the invisible hand of the market to spur growth. That would require purposeful interaction between the state and the private sector.

In other words, yet more state intervention. When that state intervention is precisely whats standing in the way of growth, it is unlikely to solve our problems.
Nearly one-third of UK adults have sought help from a counsellor or psychotherapist in the past 12 months - Getty

The cliche is that women talk about life problems with each other, while men suffer in silence or cover up emotions with banter.

But an increasing number of therapists say that more men are opening up to professionals, wanting to feel better and make healthier choices in their lives.

I asked five therapists from Welldoing, the therapist-matching platform I founded 10 years ago, what male clients bring to the consulting room. Among a range of ages, races, beliefs, sexuality, and income, there are some strong trends in what pushes men into seeking help.

As one therapist told me: Men are no less committed than female clients once they are engaged in therapy. Indeed, many pay to talk about their lives and feelings every week for months, sometimes years.

Younger men seem to be more open about expressing emotions, but say several of the practitioners, once those over 40 start to talk, the floodgates open. Answering questions these men have never been asked before can be freeing and therapeutic, another therapist tells me.

It sets off an internal process where they open up conversations in their own relationships.

It helps that today, in the UK, theres less stigma around seeking help than there was five years ago. Nearly a third of UK adults have sought help from a counsellor or psychotherapist in the past 12 months, says BACPs most recent Public Perceptions Survey.

While the proportion of therapy clients is still weighted in favour of women, psychotherapist Simon Imrie, who sees mostly male clients in Shoreditch, London, says: We still have a horrible situation where the majority of suicides are men under 50. Addiction services are full of men. Too many men are not coping with what is going on for them and they need to know there are alternatives to how they feel. Talking about your worries and expressing your feelings is a strength not a weakness.

So, what, according to the therapists Ive spoken to, does bring men to the therapy room?

The stigma of masculinity

There is a narrative that men are at the top of the food chain, so they shouldnt need any help and should be able to figure it out for themselves, says Christian Chalfont, a Manchester-based therapist who sees many of his clients struggling with traditional masculine roles.

One of the results of the pandemic was that it shone a light on mens mental health, and the long-standing belief that men should be good, strong providers, husbands and sons. He says many of his clients have very deeply held fears of being seen as being un-masculine, or as they see it, weak.

Amy Jo Spitalier, a psychotherapist in London, sees mostly younger men in their 20s and 30s. She says the conversation is similar. We are seeing men wanting to have a more equal relationship with women. Shouldering so much of the responsibility causes massive resentment in many men. Putting parts of themselves in a cupboard, locking the stuff away that might be seen as vulnerable or emotional. She helps clients to see that without being able to be vulnerable, a true connection is impossible.

Both therapists said it was an enormous relief to their clients to be able to open up and speak without being seen as toxic males.

How to be intimate (without being sexual)

Jane Walmsley, who sees mostly mid-life men in relationships at her north London practice, says her clients often feel the absence of sex in their relationships. But that is usually related to the dynamic in the relationship, so that is where the focus will usually be.

Sometimes the issue is much more about intimacy than sex, says Imrie, who sees mostly men aged 25-45, middle class and usually working in creative fields such as acting and writing. If I dont feel like being sexual, how can I be loving? These are the kinds of subjects that can come up.

In my experience, affairs are not actually difficult for men to talk about, because they are less exposing of vulnerability. If they were having problems with performing that is harder. I am seeing that younger men can cope better talking about sex, whereas my generation (in their late 40s) relies on other managing strategies such as denial and avoidance of the issue, seeking comfort from other activities, and self-soothing with alcohol, exercise or food. If men do talk about sex and relationships, it tends to be with women, female friends and partners, not other men.

Expressing emotions, particularly anger

Psychotherapist Ayo Adesioye, who sees clients online, says: Men have not been traditionally equipped to express emotions, unlike women. Without that outlet, you are left with guys who think they are defective human beings. Like the other therapists I spoke with, she talks to clients about how to manage their emotions.

She has, in the past, counselled men who have been referred for treatment following their involvement in criminal acts of domestic violence. Currently she is seeing more clients with internalised anger. These clients are not taking their anger out on others, its completely projected onto themselves in the form of intense self-loathing and criticism.

When romantic relationships go wrong

Some men start therapy only because their partners have stipulated it, or as one therapist told me, have been wife-mandated. Adesioye is currently only seeing men in relationships, who have all come because they believe something is going wrong. I usually find there is an openness from the get-go, even if Its not easy work to get them to acknowledge the defences they have put up, and how they are really feeling.

Imrie says: Men coming to therapy are focused on needing to improve themselves. They feel there is something they are doing wrong or struggling with, and they have the desire to fix that. As therapy progresses, they realise there is nothing wrong, and the results are more about acceptance and emotional expression. All of this is reflected in how they have relationships with others, from partners, to parents, to children and work colleagues.

Family history and upbringing

Family background may not always be the impetus for seeing a therapist, but once the subject is broached, its an area that sparks rich discussion. Walmsley says: Early on in sessions, there may be more reluctance. For example, one client came along saying my wife says I have stuff from my childhood, but didnt really want to acknowledge that he believed it. But now, after nine months, we have found a lens that he can tolerate talking about this, and how his childhood has impacted on his way of being an adult.

Spitalier is trained in listening to clients talk about their childhood. Many may not have noticed until they talk to a therapist how their upbringing impacts their own behaviour. I aim to connect the past with the present, leading them to see how they may find themselves in familiar situations that dont serve them in the present. For example, they may be with someone who resembles one of their parents, or they may keep going for someone who is not available. We talk a lot about chemistry and what they are attracted to, and where that might come from. Repeating patterns of behaviour with their own children is also something that is commonly brought up.

Career-related stress and anxiety

Workplace dynamics and relationships are on the agenda for the high earners and middle-aged professionals that Walmsley sees. They want to talk about situations at work, how to navigate difficult relationships and circumstances. Most therapy clients come to talk about anxiety or depression, or both, and work is part of where that lies.

Imrie notices that some clients say they are not progressing at work in the way they expect. Its easier to admit to that, than really questioning expectations. A lot of men are highly aware of what their parents or partners expect of them, even if that is often not said directly to them. They worry that they are failing in some way. Therapists use such worries as a way to talk in detail about self-esteem, family backgrounds, and personal relationships.

Feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and shame

Shame is all about secrecy, so talking openly in therapy can be liberating, says Amy Jo Spitalier. She gives a word of caution though, that talking about it should be done sensitively, with the right timing. And it should come as much as possible from them. Men cant stand being lectured to, and as a female therapist I have to work with that.

Shame is hard for men to look in the face, especially with another man, Imrie told me. Its emasculating to feel shame and anything that links to femininity remains exposing.

Adesioye says that since she started working more with male clients, I have had to become better versed around shame. Much of it leads to talking about childhood and emotions that were never expressed or processed and turned into shame.
The newly released photo shows the suspected detonator alongside Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone and a spare battery - WPXI

A remote detonator found next to the body of Donald Trumps would-be assassin has been pictured.

A newly released photo shows the detonator, a small rectangular grey device resembling a television remote, strewn alongside a spare battery that was recovered alongside gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks phone.

Crooks attempted to shoot Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, firing eight rounds of bullets in an attack that grazed the ear of the presidential candidate, while also killing a spectator and critically injuring two others.

The recovered device suggests that Crooks attack, launched with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, could have been even more destructive.

It comes just days after reports by a police source that a car belonging to the gunman was found on Sunday parked near the rally laden with explosive material, ammunition and a bulletproof vest. CNN reported that the bombs were connected to the detonator.

Crooks  from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, about 43 miles from the site of the attempted assassination  was reportedly nicknamed the the school shooter in school.

Reports have emerged that Crooks was relentlessly bullied by his former classmates, with one labelling him an easy target as they said he was teased over his lack of hygiene.

The FBI has searched Crooks mobile phone, computer, home and car, and have interviewed more than 100 people, but officers have yet to ascertain the 20-year-olds motive for launching the shooting spree.

Crooks was registered as a Republican in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan 20 2021, the day Joe Biden was sworn into office.

The day before the shooting, Crooks went to the sportsmans club and practised on the rifle range, according to a federal intelligence briefing. On the day of the attack, he bought 50 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition for his rifle from a local gun shop and drove alone to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of the Trump rally.

He wore a grey T-shirt with the logo of a popular YouTube channel dedicated to firearms.

Witnesses and law enforcement officials say Crooks walked around for at least half an hour before climbing onto the roof of a building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds, where Trump was speaking. As spectators screamed for police to respond, Crooks opened fire, letting loose two quick bursts. A Secret Service counter-sniper fired back within about 15 seconds, killing Crooks with a shot to the head.
Mustafa Al Mbaidin hit a police officer on the head with his jacket while he was in a drunken state - BNPS

An asylum seeker who assaulted a female police officer cannot do community service because he cannot speak English and it could be against health and safety rules, a court has heard.

Mustafa Al Mbaidin, a 27-year-old Jordanian national, would need a full-time translator with him if he were to do a period of unpaid work, magistrates heard.

This could raise issues with health and safety at work laws, the court was told.

Magistrates heard that Mbaidin drunkenly pestered female joggers running along Bournemouth seafront in Dorset on May 11.

He was observed by a CCTV operator, who alerted two nearby police officers.

When one officer, Pc Selina Swan, went to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly, he shoved her, hit her on the head with his jacket and told her f--- you before running off.

Mbaidin was detained a short while later and charged with assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly.

He pleaded guilty to the charges at Poole magistrates court on Tuesday.

The court heard Mbaidin is from Jordan but came to Britain via Turkey to seek asylum.

For the past four months, he has been staying at the Roundhouse Hotel, which has a Home Office contract to house asylum seekers while their applications are processed.

Benjamin Thompson, prosecuting, said: On May 11 at 9am, the defendant went to Bournemouth beach.

CCTV in the area caught him going up to members of the public and bothering them.

These were female joggers who just wanted to get on with their exercise.

He pushed her and ran off

He was observed for 15 minutes when Pc Swan and Pc Carmichael were sent to the scene.

Pc Swan went to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly and as she tried to put him in handcuffs, he refused and pulled his arms away and said f--- you.

The defendant pushed Pc Swan in the chest and swung his jacket at her which hit her on the head.

He pushed her again in the body and ran off.

In an interview after being arrested, Mbaidin claimed he did not believe Pc Swan was a real police officer because she had acted aggressively towards him.

Mark Hensleigh, mitigating, said: The situation is that this man does not drink and on the day he did choose to drink.

When he was interviewed he said he was 10/10 drunk.

His explanation is that when he was arrested, he didnt think it was by a police officer and that is why he struggled.

He doesnt speak English, perhaps that was part of the reason why he acted the way he did when the police officer tried to arrest him.

He has lived in Bournemouth for four months.

Mbaidin was supported in court by a volunteer from a refugee organisation which he has carried out voluntary work with before.

She told the court that the drunken incident was out of character for him.

Mr Hensleigh said that his client received 9 per week and so fining him was not really an option.

He said: Unpaid work? He would need an interpreter with him at all times and there could be health and safety at work issues. Not really practical at the end of the day.

Magistrates handed Mbaidin a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of 26, which is to be paid at 2 per month.
Starmer has announced his government will introduce a bill to place stronger penalties on those found guilty of organised people trafficking. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Keir Starmer will put immigration and border security at the centre of his first summit with European leaders, as he races to agree changes to the asylum system to replace the defunct Rwanda scheme.

The prime minister will host 45 European leaders at Blenheim Palace for the European Political Community meeting on Thursday, the first opportunity for him to begin lobbying for new arrangements for dealing with asylum seekers trying to cross the Channel.

Starmer is expected to tell leaders at the summit he wants to renew Britains relations with Europe, with new border controls and an agreement on defence and security at the heart of any renegotiation.

He will introduce a plenary session in the morning during which Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, will also speak, amid growing concern among European leaders about what a second Donald Trump presidency might mean for the war in Ukraine.

Related: Starmer must use EPC forum to offer hopeful vision for Europes future

In a statement released before the meeting, Starmer said: We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future. That is why European security will be at the forefront of this governments foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.

The EPC will fire the starting gun on this governments new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people-smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putins barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe.

He will make a direct plea to his fellow leaders not to block his attempts to agree new border controls, saying: We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, added: Dangerous small boat crossings are undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings and the Tories left us with gimmick rather than grip. We will work right across Europe to tackle this problem at source, going after those profiting from this awful trade and bringing them to justice.

One of Starmers first acts in office was to scrap the previous governments plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, promising instead to focus on combatting people-smuggling gangs, particularly those operating on the north coast of France.

Last September Starmer said he would seek an EU-wide returns agreement as a long-term goal that would make European countries agree to take back people who were not granted asylum status.

In return the Labour leader acknowledged his government was likely to have to accept a quota on how many asylum seekers it took from the rest of the EU. Labour officials later said, however, this would only apply to a small number of cases such as with children who had family members in the UK.

Related: Zelenskiy expected in UK for meeting with European leaders

On Wednesday the prime minister announced his government would introduce a new bill to place stronger penalties on those found guilty of organised people-trafficking and to speed up the returns process to countries the UK deemed safe.

Starmer will follow this up on Thursday by announcing he will redeploy 100 Home Office staff to a new rapid returns unit. He will also pledge that Britain will help European efforts to combat immigration crime through organisations such as Europol and Frontex.

The prime minister will speak at the beginning of a plenary session on Thursday morning, after which he will attend a breakout session on migration chaired by the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama.

Earlier this week Frontex, the EUs border agency, revealed that migration had fallen by 61% on the central Mediterranean route in the first six months of the year, with sources suggesting that Tunisia was taking more interest in cracking down on people-smugglers who last summer launched between 40 and 50 boats a day to Italy.

Overall numbers have dropped by a third to 94,000, with the central Mediterranean and Balkans routes declining but a 174% jump in numbers trying to get to the Canary Islands.

Starmer will also host a series of bilateral meetings with European leaders including the French president, Emmanuel Macron. He is also expected to attend a meeting of the Moldova Group, which is designed to bolster the eastern European countrys sovereignty in the face of Russian interference.

On Wednesday evening Starmer hosted Simon Harris, the Irish taoiseach, for a three-hour dinner at Chequers as he seeks to reverse almost a decade of strained relations between the two countries.

Harris has already said he will support Starmers attempt to reset relations with the EU, which is in Irelands interest given the extra financial and regulatory burden that Brexit imposed on businesses trading with Great Britain, Irelands most valuable export market.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen, Harris said before the meeting.

The biggest moment of the summit could, however, come from Zelenskiy, who has decided to travel to the UK amid growing signs that an incoming Republican administration, should Trump win the US election, would reduce support for Kyiv in the war against Russia.

Officials said Zelenskiy was considering giving a press conference at the end of the summit as European leaders seek to send a message to Washington about their continuing commitment to the Ukrainian cause.
Chinese envoy urges revitalizing global development partnerships

Xinhua) 09:19, July 17, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, has called for efforts to revitalize global development partnerships.

"First, we must stay development-oriented and revitalize global development partnerships," Fu stated on Monday, on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, during the general debate of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

"Currently, global progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals has fallen far short of expectations," Fu highlighted. "We are losing years of gains in poverty eradication and facing multiple challenges of food and energy insecurity and climate change, as well as the widening global development deficit."

He emphasized that "the international community must practice multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and take joint actions to bring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development back on track."

Fu stressed that "development must be put at the center of international cooperation," calling on developed countries to "provide financial, technological, and capacity-building support to developing countries, and effectively fulfill their official development assistance commitments."

He urged the international community to "support the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international development cooperation, strengthen the synergies of development strategies between countries, and foster global development featuring benefits for all, balance, openness, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity."

Fu underscored the need to "strengthen global cooperation in poverty eradication to ensure that no country and no one is left behind."

He called for increased investment in poverty eradication, particularly in rural areas, and for the international community to "enhance policy exchanges and practical cooperation in poverty eradication."

Fu emphasized the necessity to address extreme poverty, relapses into poverty due to illness, and multidimensional poverty and urged the UN secretary-general to "establish a special envoy for poverty eradication."

To achieve zero hunger, Fu advocated for safeguarding global food security by bolstering cooperation in food production, storage, transportation, conservation and loss reduction.

He called for the promotion of "a just and reasonable international food trade order" and emphasized the role of the UN's major agricultural organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, in maintaining "the stability of the international food market."

On climate change, Fu reiterated the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and called for fully implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement.

He urged developed countries to "take the lead in significantly reducing emissions," achieve carbon neutrality ahead of schedule, and fulfill their climate finance commitments.

The ambassador also opposed "the imposition of unilateral coercive measures" and any actions that use climate change as a pretext for protectionism or building barriers to green trade.

Fu expressed high expectations for the Summit of the Future in September at the UN's headquarters in New York, hoping it would be "development-focused and action-oriented."

Fu affirmed that the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative would "continue our constructive participation in the summit's preparation and strive for a better future for all."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Keir Starmer speaks during a debate in the House of Commons after the king's speech. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK parliament/AFP/Getty Images

Keir Starmer has pledged to fix the foundations of the country for the long-term by boosting economic growth with reforms to energy and planning in Labours first kings speech in a decade and a half.

The new prime minister said the government would require patient work and serious solutions to restore trust in British politics and rebuild the country, with 40 bills in the governments new legislative programme.

The plans would also help to counter the snake oil charm of populism, he told MPs, as his new administration grapples with how to respond to the rise of the populist right.

Speaking to MPs, Starmer said his government would turn the page on an era of politics as noisy performance and return it to public service and start the work of rebuilding our country.

He said the administration was already finding new and unexpected marks of their chaos  scars of the past 14 years, where politics was put above the national interest, and decline deep in the marrow of our institutions.

But at the heart of his plans, he said, were measures to take the brakes off Britain and start to grow the economy, which he said were only the starting point for what he promised would be a lasting transformation.

The era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over, he told MPs. The challenges we face require determined, patient work and serious solutions, rather than the temptation of the easy answer.

Almost immediately, ministers will publish a bill to nationalise troubled rail companies, bringing the franchises back into public ownership as the contracts expire, in an attempt to drive up performance and productivity.

Within weeks, the government will begin radical reform of the planning system, after Starmer pledged his party would be builders, not blockers, overturning the previous governments de facto ban on onshore windfarms.

Local councils will have to adopt mandatory housing targets within months under new planning reforms, relaxed by the Conservatives last year amid pressure from backbenchers, and work together to identify regional infrastructure needs in an attempt to stop individual authorities blocking plans.

A new employment rights bill has been promised to take effect within 100 days. It will ban zero-hours contracts unless an employee requests one, and most fire and rehire practices  although unions have complained that some aspects have been watered down after lobbying from business.

It will grant workers rights such as maternity pay and sick pay from day one of their employment, making flexible working the default, and simplify the process of trade union recognition. Labour will also repeal the last governments controversial anti-strike laws.

A bill will be introduced to set up Great British Energy (GBE), another election pledge, with 8.3bn public money over the course of the parliament, defining for the first time in law that it will be an energy production company rather than solely an investment vehicle.

There had been fears within the sector that Labour would row back on plans for GBE to develop and own assets. The company is expected to be headquartered in Scotland and will own, manage and operate clean power projects.

The national wealth fund bill will set out one of the governments main wealth-creating efforts, a 7.3bn capitalised fund to spread investment, while an English devolution bill will hand more powers to local decision-makers.

Related: The Guardian view on the kings speech: a new era of state intervention begins | Editorial

However, there will be other bills designed to make a material difference to peoples day-to-day lives, which No 10 hopes will help tackle the rise of rightwing populism and start to restore faith in politics.

Starmer said of his programme: It is a rejection, in this complicated and volatile world, of those who can only offer the easy answer, the snake oil charm of populism. As the past 14 years have shown, that road is a dead end for this country.

Bills include some interventionist public health and antisocial behaviour measures such as restrictions on the sale and flavours of vapes, a progressive total ban on tobacco smoking, bans on some junk food advertising, new respect orders aimed at persistent antisocial behaviour, and direct powers to tackle the use of noisy off-road bikes on streets.

After an angry election debate over migration, the government will create a new Border Security Command and put stronger penalties in place for migrant smuggling gangs as part of the effort to curb crossing of the Channel. The government also confirmed it can stop a 100m payment to Rwanda for the scrapped deportation scheme.

Yet one glaring omission in the kings speech was a pledge to lift the deeply unpopular two-child benefit cap, despite intense pressure from Labour MPs. In an apparent attempt to keep the anger at bay, Liz Kendall, the welfare secretary, launched a new government taskforce to devise a child poverty strategy.

There will, however, be a focus on childrens wellbeing with breakfast clubs for all primary schoolchildren, a limit on expensive school uniform items and new local authority registers to make sure fewer pupils slip under the radar when they are not in school.

There was no detailed plan for adult social care, with Downing Street aides saying there was no quick legislative fix to tackle the crisis, but adding that a new fair pay agreement could help deal with staffing problems.

Starmer has said that he wants to see a more robust approach to standards in public life, adding: We are all responsible for the tone and standards that we set. His plans for a new ethics and integrity commission do not require primary legislation to put in place.

A new Hillsborough law will put a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, which the government said would address the unacceptable defensive culture prevalent across too much of the public sector.

There is also a new law to put water companies into special measures to clean up rivers, lakes and seas, with bosses facing personal criminal liability for lawbreaking and a beefed-up regulator having the power to ban bonus payments if environmental standards are not met.

Plans to end the outdated and indefensible presence of hereditary peers in the House of Lords have been introduced, but the retirement age of 80 has been delayed, along with votes for 16-year-olds, which is expected closer to the next election.

There was also an overtly political bill from Labour  a duty to consult the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) before making substantial tax changes, which former prime minister Liz Truss failed to do before her disastrous mini-budget.

Rishi Sunak, the Conservative leader, sought to push back against the government painting as bleak a picture as possible on its inheritance, adding that the economy was on an upward trajectory.

He said the opposition would hold the government to its own promises not to raise taxes beyond their manifesto, adding that it would be difficult for them to claim that things are worse than they thought and then renege on those pledges.
Sean OBrien, president of Teamsters union, speaks during the Republican national convention on Monday, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AP

The Teamsters social media account attacked its own president on Wednesday, saying unions gain nothing from endorsing the racist, misogynistic, and anti-trans politics of the far right, two days after Sean OBrien addressed the Republican national convention in Milwaukee.

OBrien spoke at the convention on Monday night in Milwaukee, becoming the first leader of the union to appear at the convention in the unions history.

Related: Teamsters president faces backlash over unconscionable GOP convention speech

OBriens meeting with Donald Trump and his convention appearance have angered some Teamsters and others in the labor movement. Joe Biden has touted himself as the most pro-labor president in American history; Trump, in contrast, has been heavily criticized by unions for his administrations anti-labor record. Anti-union groups have also criticized OBriens appearance at the convention.

The union is facing a backlash from members and progressive groups over OBriens appearance and the unions consideration of abstaining from making an endorsement in the 2024 presidential election, including from the unions social media manager.

In a now deleted tweet, the Teamsters posted a response to OBrien retweeting an op-ed by the Republican senator Josh Hawley, in which OBrien wrote: Hawley is 100% on point.

The deleted social media post said: Unions gain nothing from endorsing the racist, misogynistic, and anti-trans politics of the far right, no matter how much people like Sen Hawley attempt to tether such bigotry to a cynical pro-labor message.

The message this sends to Teamsters of color, Teamster women, and LGBTQ Teamsters is that they are not welcome in the union unless they surrender their identity to a new kind of anti-woke unionism. You dont unite a diverse working class by scoffing at its diversity.

The rogue Teamsters social media manager is a real one, holy shit pic.twitter.com/kIWyXK5UlZ  Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) July 17, 2024

The message is clear  it doesnt matter if youre a Democrat, Republican, or Independent  the working class in America must be respected, the Teamsters said in a post promoting OBriens appearance at the convention.

OBrien became president of the Teamsters in March 2022, after winning an election on being more aggressive in contract negotiations with UPS and new organizing efforts. The win came after James Hoffa, the son of Jimmy, had led the union the previous two decades.

Last year, in contract negotiations with UPS, OBrien took a hardline approach, threatening to strike before reaching a deal ahead of the contract expiration. He also made headlines over arguments during appearances at Senate hearings with Republican senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.

During his speech at the RNC convention, OBrien emphasized bipartisanship while criticizing systemic corruption and corporations.

Related: Teamsters union president calls Trump tough SOB in unprecedented speech at Republican convention

Thats why Im here today. Because I refuse to keep doing the same things my predecessors did. Today the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party, OBrien said. We will create an agenda and work with a bipartisan coalition, ready to accomplish something real for the American worker.

Ahead of the convention appearance, the Teamsters have noted they are considering making no endorsement in the 2024 presidential election. The union has endorsed Democratic presidential nominees, including Biden in 2020, since making a non-endorsement during Bill Clintons re-election in 1996. The Teamsters endorsed Bill Clinton in 1992, but endorsed George Bush Sr in 1988 and Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Its certainly a possibility on OBriens part. Im not sure what the rest of the board would do, said John Palmer, vice-president-at-large at Teamsters International. I certainly will endorse whatever Democratic candidate emerges. I dont know how many of the rest of the board would stand against OBrien if he pushed a no endorsement.

OBrien rejected criticism of his appearance at the convention.

He said: I dont care about getting criticized. Its an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican national convention. Think about this. The Teamsters are doing something correct if the extremes in both parties think I shouldnt be on this stage, he continued. The Teamsters are not interested if you have a D, R, or I next to your name. We want to know one thing: what are you doing to help American workers.

Other Teamsters members did not feel the same way, criticizing OBriens appearance for providing support and publicity for politicians who have fought against workers rights.

as an openly queer and proud member of ALU-IBT local 1, this is heartbreaking. our international union president should not speak fondly of politicians that have trampled on labor rights and queer rights alike. this is absolutely a stain on united states labor history. https://t.co/Typ8D9nIlD  David-Desyree Sherwood (@DesyreeSims) July 16, 2024

Once upon a time, I was a Teamstermy mom was a Teamster, my brother was a Teamster, and my grandfather was a Teamster.



As a proud union member it is so incredibly disappointing to see Sean O'Brien speak to a crowd at a party that does not believe in our right to organize.  Quentin Ocama, M.Ed  (@QuentinOcama) July 16, 2024

The group, Bold Progressives, have started a petition urging the Teamsters not to stay neutral in the 2024 president election, asking members to sign on to the petition.

It is misinformation for the Teamsters to stay neutral in 2024 if Trump and Republicans wont publicly match the Democratic partys strong pro-worker agenda  especially after Republicans have spent decades undermining workers and unions. No neutrality when Democrats are the clear pro-worker party, the petition noted.

The group noted it has never petitioned a major labor union before.

We have no objection to OBrien speaking at the Republican convention. But hes actively participating in 2024 misinformation by giving his stamp to Trump without calling on him to match the Democratic partys strong pro-worker agenda, the group said in announcing the petition.

Its even worse that he threatens to keep the Teamsters neutral in 2024, signaling that the parties are the same when he knows better.
Trump took to the stage displaying a bandage on his ear after the assassination attempt at the weekend - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump has signalled the US would not defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion under his presidency  because the country had grown rich by stealing US microchip production.

The Republican 2024 nominee said Taipei should pay Washington to support its defence, adding that the island nation was 9,500 miles away and doesnt give us anything.

His remarks call into question whether US support for Taiwan would continue if he won a second term, as the polls suggest, in Novembers presidential election.

Asked whether he would defend the island, which Beijing has vowed to annex, Trump declined to answer explicitly, telling Bloomberg: I think Taiwan should pay us for defence.

You know, were no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesnt give us anything.

Trump also complained that the island took all of our [semiconductor] chip business and was immensely wealthy. I mean, how stupid are we? he added.

The self-governing island produces around 90 per cent of the worlds advanced semiconductor chips, which power everything from smartphones to AI applications. It is a major supplier to some of Americas biggest companies, including Apple and Nvidia.

Washington does not diplomatically recognise Taiwan, but it is a key partner and major weapons provider to the country, and Congress recently passed with bipartisan support a military aid package worth $8 billion (6.15 billion) aimed at countering Beijing in the region.

Taiwan's military has made use of American equipment such as TOW missiles - Ann Wang/Reuters

The longstanding US policy towards the island is one of strategic ambiguity. However, Joe Biden has said on several occasions he would come to Taiwans aid in the event of an invasion.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Trump described Taiwan as the apple of President Xis eye and noted that it is 9,500 miles away from the US, while it is 68 miles away from China.

The former president said China had been very aggressive since he left office in 2021 and he wouldnt feel so secure right now if he was Taiwan.

Xi has ramped up unification rhetoric

Beijing has refused to rule out the use of force in bringing Taiwan under its control, while Xi Jinping has ramped up rhetoric about unification being inevitable.

In response to Trumps comments, Cho Jung-tai, Taiwans premier, pointed out that Taipei had steadily boosted its defence budget in recent years.

We are also clear that Taiwan-US relations have been very strong in recent years, he said.

Maintaining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region is our common responsibility and goal.

Countering a rising China is a key aim of Republicans in Congress, even among isolationists who broadly share Trumps America First approach.

Donald Trump at the RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday preparing for his keynote speech on Thursday - Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Trumps latest rhetoric around Taiwan appears contrary to that of his running mate, JD Vance.

The Ohio senator described Beijing as the biggest threat to our country in an interview this week and has said we should make it as hard as possible for China to take Taiwan in the first place.

Mr Vance was due to address the Republican national convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, his first introduction to voters on the national stage since being named the GOP vice-presidential candidate.

Former rival Haley booed as she endorses Trump

Earlier, former Trump rivals took to the podium and called for Republican unity  but received a mixed response.

Nikki Haley, Trumps former UN ambassador, received some boos from the crowd when she appeared on stage.

Ms Haley, who dropped her challenge to Trumps candidacy after losing every state but one in the early slate of contests, was a last-minute addition to the programme.

She began her speech by noting she had been invited to speak by Trump in the name of unity, and used the occasion to explicitly endorse Trump, something she has delayed doing for months.

She said: You dont have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.

Trump, who watched from a private box, sat unsmiling for most of her remarks, but let out a laugh when Ms Haley talked about their disagreements and applauded her calls for the party to come together.

On Thursday night, the 78-year-old will formally accept the GOP nomination with a keynote address.

He has reportedly altered his speech in the wake of the assassination attempt on him to focus the party on presenting a united front.

Other former Trump rivals, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also enthusiastically backed him as the party nominee in their convention speeches.

Im gonna be president, boasts Trump

The Trump campaign is increasingly optimistic of victory in November following Mr Bidens disastrous debate performance and Democratic in-fighting over the 81-year-olds electoral viability.

In his interview with Bloomberg, Trump boasted: Im doing well in the polls and Im gonna be president.

He brushed off suggestions that his criminal conviction in New York could be a concern for voters, saying he had taken in hundreds of millions of dollars since his guilty verdict.

Trump ruled out pardoning himself over the federal charges he faces if he returns to the presidency.

He also discussed his warm relations with Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, and revealed he is in occasional contact with him.

Its been a while, but I have a very good relationship [with him], he said.
Gun control activist David Hogg speaks during a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall on 11 June 2022 in Washington DC. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The assassination attempt on Donald Trump has put the former president in a category that hundreds of other Americans have been forced into in recent decades: the victim of a high-profile mass shooting.

For those whove been at the scene of public shootings or lived through the media whirlwind that followed a loved ones death to mass violence, the past week has felt like a rinse and repeat of more than a decade of this type of violence, said Christian Heyne, the chief officer of policy and programs at Brady, a gun violence prevention organization named after the former White House press secretary Jim Brady, who was shot in the head during an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Every time this type of gun violence happens, it trudges up a lot of trauma, said Heyne, whose mother was killed and father was injured in a shooting rampage in Thousand Oaks, California, in 2005. In addition to Heynes mother, a police officer was killed in the attack, and five other people were injured.

After Saturdays shooting, Heyne was brought back to the day his mother was killed and his community was terrorized. He is troubled that more people now face the trauma he has lived with for nearly 20 years.

The thing that baffles me is that we can be in this cycle of rinse and repeat but were not tapping into a conversation about how we prevent the next shooting, he added.

For many like Heyne, Saturdays shooting was a reminder of their own losses and a stark reminder that gun violence can touch anyone, including a presidential nominee surrounded by armed law enforcement. The policy solutions, they say, are the same they have asked for following every mass shooting tragedy.

The fact that a 20-year-old with an AR-15 was able to get that close to killing a previous head of state is the reason that we have to focus on the gun at the end of the day, said David Hogg, co-founder of March For Our Lives, a violence prevention group founded after 17 of his classmates were killed at their high school in Parkland, Florida.

As the news of the Trump rally flooded television, one of Hoggs first thoughts was of his mother, who he says is deeply affected by news of shootings. Then, he began calling out what he sees as the fallacy that more guns will ensure protection from mass shootings. Were not going to bulletproof our entire society, he said.

Now, he is looking forward with hope that the near-killing of the leader of the Republican party will push lawmakers to build the trust amongst themselves needed to pass gun policies at the state and federal levels.

The former president of the United States has heightened security and additional secret service, and this still happened. We need to change the conversation.

We have to have some semblance of trust between these major party political leaders, Hogg continued. Do I think Republicans are actually going to step up to the plate and do something? I dont think so. But I hope so after the crown jewel of their movement was threatened.

The only similarity Hogg saw between the Parkland shooting and Trumps assassination attempt was the deluge of conspiracies, speculation and misinformation that have become commonplace following high-profile shootings at Parkland and Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. This is America, people love conspiracy theories in general, he said.

Theres this range of public outcry that we continue to live through, echoed Mark Barden, whose seven-year-old son Daniel was one of 26 people killed in the 2012 tragedy in Connecticut. Theres sympathy, empathy, outrage and anger. Theres sadness, theres horror and fear and then conjecture.

After 12 years of advocacy through Sandy Hook Promise, the organization he co-founded with Nicole Hockley another parent whose child was killed in the attack, Barden says he has grown used to the intense news cycle that follows high-profile shootings. He has found a way to move past the ugliest parts of the post-mass shooting news cycle, he said, to focus on spreading awareness about identifying the warning signs and behaviors that often precede mass public violence.

I spend all of my intelligence and mental capital on getting people to know the signs and giving them the tools to make an intervention on themselves or somebody else, he said.

I think this could be  depending on how this unfolds  a catalyst moment, Barden said of the rally shooting in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Theres an opportunity for folks to understand that this doesnt have to be our way of life.
Rebecca McGowan could be forgiven for thinking she has already come through her toughest test as she prepares to make her long-awaited Olympic debut in Paris next month.

The 24-year-old Scot edged double bronze medallist and three-time world champion Bianca Cook to the womens +73kg slot at the end of another gruelling and emotional taekwondo selection process.

For Cook, who had set her heart on a final shot at the one major medal to still elude her, it meant heartbreak to rank alongside that of her husband, Aaron Cook, who was controversially overlooked in favour of Lutalo Muhammad for the London 2012 Games.

Rebecca McGowan (left) won selection for Paris over GB team-mate Bianca Cook (Nigel French/PA)

But McGowans surge to prominence, which included two world medals  a bronze in 2022 in Guadalajara and silver in Baku the following year  meant that ultimately there was less cause to question the choice.

And while McGowan is understandably wary of raking over the pairs long-standing heavyweight rivalry, she believes the high-level competition will stand her in good stead to go on and achieve something that agonisingly eluded Cook.

I think I overcame my biggest battle just by getting to the Paris Olympics, McGowan, who was part of the training squad that travelled to Tokyo with the team in 2021, told the PA news agency.

Ive had my hardest fights and Ive got through them. If we didnt have that level of competition (in the GB gym) we wouldnt have that drive and determination. Everyone in the gym is constantly pushing each other to be better.

McGowan credits her ascendancy during the abridged three-year cycle since Tokyo to the inspiration she gleaned from being up close and personal in the Japanese capital, where Cook fell to a narrow semi-final defeat and had to rouse herself to win a bronze medal for the second straight Games.

Rebecca McGowan is part of a four-strong GB Taekwondo squad for Paris, including Jade Jones (not pictured) (Joe Giddens/PA)

Tokyo was a fire that was lit inside me, McGowan added. I guess Id accepted that it wasnt going to be my Games, but when I was out there I told myself Id done the hard part, and I was not going to go through the same thing again in Paris.

Ive had multiple injuries in this cycle, including an operation on my hip, but despite knowing how tough it was going to be to get there, I believed in myself and with the right mindset I knew I could keep striving for more.

McGowan, who grew up in Dumbarton and is the first Scottish athlete to compete in taekwondo at the Olympics, said she had been inspired to follow in the footsteps of the domestic sports standard bearer, Sarah Stevenson, and Serbian double Olympic champion Milica Mandic, whom McGowan beat to clinch her breakthrough European crown in 2021.

Ive got early memories of watching Sarah then Milica winning the heavyweight title in 2012, and I watched that and thought, I want to be the heavyweight Olympic champion  thats what my dream was, added McGowan, the partner of fellow GB qualifier and Tokyo silver medallist Bradly Sinden.

Ive a good relationship with Milica, which is crazy  12-year-old me would never have believed it. Just like Ive been inspired by her, its nice to inspire the younger generation in Scotland, and give them someone who has been where they are, to look up to.
A symphony of fresh voices, ideas and forms have been nominated for a set of poetry awards celebrating an astonishing breadth of styles and themes.

Responses to wars in Ukraine and Gaza, toxic landlords, the opioid epidemic, the miners strike and the Met Gala are among the 20 poems shortlisted for the 2024 Forward Prizes For Poetry.

The awards have been running in the UK and Ireland since 1992, and see 10,000 awarded to the winner of the Forward Prize For Best Collection.

Eve Esfandiari-Denney is among the nominees for Best Single Poem Performed (Forward Prize For Poetry/PA)

A sum of 5,000 is given to the winner of the Felix Dennis Prize For Best First Collection, and 1,000 is awarded to the winners of the Jerwood Prize For Best Single Poem Performed and Forward Prize For Best Single Poem Written.

Over the last three decades the prizes have celebrated some of the most recognised names in poetry including Simon Armitage, Ted Hughes and Carol Ann Duffy.

This years judging panel is chaired by poet, actor and radio DJ Craig Charles, who said of the nominees: Im really thrilled to be in a position to champion all the incredible poets shortlisted.

Poetry has long been an important part of my life, and my love for it has been a driver for championing poetry on my BBC6 show.

My favourite part of this process was getting to spend intensive time with these fresh voices and my fellow judges, all professional poets.

I especially love getting to showcase the vibrant spoken word scene I love so much.

The Red Dwarf star was joined by poets Alycia Pirmohamed, Vanessa Kisuule, Daniel Sluman and Jane Clarke on the judging panel, and they praised the nominees for responding to the urgency of our times like no other art form.

Kisuule said: Judging this year has been many things, humbling, occasionally daunting and often thrilling.

I am heartened by the astonishing breadth of styles and themes that contemporary poetry currently has to offer.

The poems that stood out to me had a distinct and self-possessed voice, were unafraid to have fun and be funny even when addressing the starkest of subjects.

Our shortlisted poets are all, in their way, traversing topics pertinent to our time  climate change, precarious housing and ongoing war are just some topics that feature amongst them.

Vivid and harrowing, yet still offering us moments of tenderness and levity, the best poems told it like it is, but never devolved into dogma.

Its been a special joy to see a strong turnout for the performance poetry category, with a whole host of dynamic voices proving theres many ways to bring a poem to life on stage.

Co-executive director of the Forward Arts Foundation, which runs the prizes, Monica Parle, said she was extraordinarily proud of the shortlists.

She said: The judges steeped themselves in a trove of books from publishers big and small across the UK, as well as hundreds of individual poems.

In this list, you will find a symphony of fresh voices, ideas and forms.

These selections incisively capture the lived experience of the world today, as poetry is so immediate and capable of responding to the urgency of these times like no other artform.

Anyone who wants a compelling way to think about our times, read these books.

The nominees for the Forward Prize For Best Collection are God Complex by Rachael Allen, With My Back To The World by Victoria Chang, Goodlord by Ella Frears, [] by Fady Joudah, and Strike by Sarah Wimbush.

On the shortlist for the Felix Dennis Prize For Best First Collection are I Cannot Be Good Until You Say It by Sanah Ahsan, Inheritance by Jasmine Cooray, Food For The Dead by Charlotte Shevchenko Knight, The Wrong Person To Ask by Marjorie Lotfi, and American Anthem by Kelly Michels.

The Forward Prize For Best Single Poem Written nominees are On Hearing The Seismologist Say There Could Be An 8.5R Earthquake Near Athens by Vasiliki Albedo, A Craft Talk On The Praxis Of An August Evening by Derek Chan, Ward Of One by Cindy Juyong Ok, I Wanted To Show You A Donkey by Lisa Kelly, and The Only Other Dark Skinned Girl by Tife Kusoro.

Those nominated for the Jerwood Prize For Best Single Poem Performed are Ghazal, Screaming by Toby Campion, Nearly White Girl Girling On Behalf Of Proximity To Mammal by Eve Esfandiari-Denney, Dear John Berger by Leyla Josephine, Choose Your Own Adventure by Nasim Rebecca Asl, and What Grief Feels Like to Me by Michael Pedersen.

This years winners will be announced at a special ceremony at the opening of Durham Book Festival on October 10.
A promise to ban conversion therapy has lingered in the lobby of good intentions for far too long, Sir Keir Starmer said as he committed to a draft Bill to legislate against such practices.

The Government said its Conversion Practices Bill will deliver on a manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.

A ban on conversion therapy, which aims to suppress or change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity, was first promised in 2018, by former Conservative prime minister Theresa May.

It was later downgraded under Boris Johnsons leadership not to include transgender people, but the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak said in January 2023 that it would ban conversion therapy for everyone, including transgender people.

This did not come to pass, with the Tories saying legislation around such practices is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections.

On Wednesday, announcing that work will begin on a ban, Sir Keir said it was a promise that has lingered in the lobby of good intentions for far too long.

Former Conservative health secretary Victoria Atkins previously warned that this could be ripe territory for the law of unintended consequences, with concerns around the potential for criminalising people who are trying to support those with gender distress.

The new Labour Government has said its Bill, for England and Wales, must not cover legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling and must also respect the important role that teachers, religious leaders, parents and carers can have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

It said the Bill will propose new offences covering practices not captured by existing legislation.

It said: The Government wants to ensure that the criminal law offers protection from these abusive practices, while also preserving the freedom for people, and those supporting them, to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.

This will mean those providing medical care and support are in no way impacted by this Bill.

 We welcome the UK Governments commitment to #BanConversionTherapy in the #KingsSpeech. Weve campaigned relentlessly to ban these abusive practices. Now, we need a comprehensive bill with no loopholes and no delays.https://t.co/ER1HbfGn6O  Stonewall (@stonewalluk) July 17, 2024

Labour referred to research by LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop in 2022 which said trans people are significantly more likely to be subjected to conversion practices.

The Government has insisted there is cross-party and cross-society consensus to see conversion practices banned, and pledged to work closely with everyone and bring everyone with us in developing legislation.

News of the draft Bill was welcomed by LGBTQ+ campaigning organisation Stonewall, which said: Each day that these abusive practices remain legal, our communities are put at risk.

Noting the six-year wait since a ban was first promised, the organisation called on Labour to urgently publish a comprehensive Bill to ban these abhorrent practices once and for all.

But LGB Alliance, a charity formed in recent years to support the rights of same-sex attracted people, voiced concerns about whether, in the case of those questioning their gender, any new legislation would make it illegal for a therapist to ask a young person to consider why they want to change their body.

Dr Roman Raczka, president-elect of the British Psychological Society, said any new legislation must be very clear that it will not prevent ethical forms of therapy, which are non-directive and non-judgmental when it comes to people wanting help in exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

He added: The Government must make an explicit distinction between so called conversion therapy and normal ethical practice.

Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis suggested well-intentioned laws could result in punishing thought crime.

The MP for New Forest East said he wanted to leave a question hanging in the air, telling the Commons: Anybody who votes for this change needs to be able to answer this point  what is it that youre proposing to outlaw that isnt already forbidden under existing laws?

The danger with well-intentioned laws of this nature is that you can end up in a situation where what youre really talking about is thought crime, and 75 years after George Orwells 1984 was published  or maybe its 76 years now, technically speaking  we need to be wary of that.

Sir Julian said he disagreed with a constituent who is fanatically opposed to abortion and wants to pray internally while standing on the pavement near an abortion clinic.

But the MP added: Hes in a position where, if hes asked by the police what he is doing, if he says, Im thinking about my shopping list or Im thinking about some other domestic issue, hes fine, but if he actually admits he is praying in relation to the abortion issue he could end up being accused of committing an offence.

Be careful before you go down that road too far.
Troubles victims have hailed an important day as the King confirmed the controversial Legacy Act will be repealed.

Charles announced in his speech at the State Opening of Parliament that measures are to be brought forward to begin the process of repealing the Act.

While the entire Act cannot be repealed without something to replace it, the Government is expected to repeal the controversial policy of offering conditional immunity for Troubles crimes among first steps.

The Act, aimed at addressing the legacy of Northern Irelands past, has been almost universally opposed by parties and victims groups.

It offers a limited form of immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes in exchange for full co-operation with the truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (Icrir), and halted civil cases and inquests which were not at findings stage earlier this year.

Martina Dillon, whose husband Seamus was shot and killed in 1997, was among those who saw a fresh inquest into a loved ones death stopped due to the Act.

She said she was relieved to hear the commitment to repeal, adding ministers need to follow through quickly.

She added: Ive fought for 27 years to get truth and justice for my husband. I had an inquest under way, to then have that cruelly removed by the Troubles Act has been devastating.

All victims deserve answers and victim-centred processes. Truth and justice are not much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Michael OHares 12-year-old sister Majella was shot and killed by a British soldier on her way to church with a group of friends in 1976. He said his family believed the door for justice had been closed.

This is an important day for families like ours, who thought wed seen the door closed forever on these cases, he said.

Michael OHare with a photograph of his sister Majella, who was shot dead by the Army in Co Armagh in 1976 (Victoria Jones/PA)

Majella was just an innocent little girl who didnt deserve to be gunned down when walking along the road with her friends.

We deserve truth and accountability. Its a huge relief that that is now a possibility again, even if weve had to wait half a century. Its never too late to do the right thing.

Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart termed it as an important step toward overturning an atrocious attack on rights.

She added: Repealing and replacing the Troubles Act is necessary to right a historic wrong.

The UK Government must show a complete change in approach to the last government; listen to victims and prioritise their rights.

There must be no delay in getting the wheels of justice turning. We want to see Stormont House Agreement-plus legislated for and an urgent reinstatement of judicial processes, such as inquests, for all who need them.

Earlier this year, then shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn indicated Labour would not scrap the Icrir, which is led by retired judge Sir Declan Morgan, but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims families.

There have been legal challenges to the Act, including an interstate case by the Irish Government under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, a legal challenge by Troubles victims to the Act saw a lengthy judgment issued in February. It found conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles crimes is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn (Jeff Moore/PA)

However, the same judgment also found the Icrir to be independent and capable of conducting human rights-compliant investigations.

The new Labour Government is to stick to its General Election manifesto commitment to address legacy, aiming to find a way forward supported by victims and survivors, and which will comply with human rights organisations.

This is to include repealing the conditional immunity scheme and reversing the policy prohibiting victims and families from bringing civil claims, and set out steps to allow the Troubles-era inquests that were prematurely halted to resume.

Described as first steps, further legislation is to follow after consultation with Northern Irelands political parties and communities, and the Irish Government.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said it is very welcome that the new UK government is following through on their election manifesto commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.

I have always been clear that this Act, as it stands, is not fit for purpose, he said.

I discussed this issue with the new Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, last week, and I look forward to working with him as he takes this forward in the months ahead.

The needs of victims and full compliance with the ECHR must be at the heart of this revised approach.

A number of Northern Irelands political parties have welcomed the Governments direction.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was a decisive move by the Government to repeal this unconscionable legislation.

He added: In a society where there is so much hurt, pain and grief, it is important that the hope of justice remains.

This legislation was fundamentally flawed and morally repugnant because it extinguished that hope for many innocent victims.

We urge the Government to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors, because repeating them would only cause more emotional distress to victims and damage the work of reconciliation in our society.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson welcomed the move (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Robinson also pressed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to use his meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris later on Wednesday to press upon him the need for Dublin to open up the pathway to truth regarding the role of the Irish Government, Garda, and wider society in the Troubles.

He added: Thus far, Dublin has behaved like a spectator, lecturing us all about dealing with the Troubles yet failing to see their own shortcomings. It is time for truth from Dublin.

Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said: The British Government has said it will now begin the process of repealing the Tories shameful Legacy Act, which has failed victims and survivors.

This is a welcome commitment, and we will engage with them on the full details of their approach in the days ahead.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his party worked hard alongside Labour MPs to make the repeal of the toxic Tory Legacy Act an early commitment of the new Government in London.

He added: I am pleased that the commitment was made in the Kings Speech today and that we can look forward to progress in this parliamentary session.

This is an early demonstration from the Labour Government that they will take a radically different approach to the North than their predecessors.

Political parties and victims groups from across our society opposed the attempts to shut down paths to justice and accountability  the united campaign, led by those most affected, has driven this change.
MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Drug overdoses are a leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Among all overdose deaths, opioids were the culprit 70.6% of the time in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Nearly 30 years after the first wave of the opioid epidemic began, roughly 645,000 Americans have died from overdoses where prescription or illicit opioids were involved, according to the CDC. Current estimates indicate that between 6.7 and 7.6 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorder.

Beginning in 2013, the introduction of synthetic opioids like fentanyl and xylazine into the drug supply sparked a surge in opioid overdose deaths. According to the Department of Health & Human Services Overdose Prevention Strategy, drug overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids besides methadone have increased an astounding 103-fold since 1999 and are the primary driver of overdose deaths.

During an overdose, opioids bind to receptors in the brain that control respiratory function, leading to impaired breathing and amounting to brain damage and death due to lack of oxygen. In recent years, drugs to treat substance use disorder and prevent overdose deaths have surged in usage.

Naloxone, available as a nasal spray or injectable medication, can reverse opioid overdoses after they happen. The drug, often known by the brand name Narcan, was made available over the counter in 2023 in an effort by the Food and Drug Administration to increase accessibility. Nearly 1.7 million prescriptions of naloxone were dispensed in 2022, up from 904,000 in 2019.

Buprenorphine, however, must be prescribed by a health care provider as part of a long-term substance misuse treatment plan, often for those addicted to heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, or other opiates. Buprenorphine works by reducing withdrawal symptoms and curbing drug cravings. As a long-acting opioid, it takes more time to act on the body over a more extended period. Though it's classified as a Schedule III drug due to its addictive properties, at the correct dosage it helps give people suffering from addiction a level of stability by reducing the harms of illicit opioid misuse.

About 16 million buprenorphine prescriptions were dispensed in 2022, slightly higher than in 2019. However, as the epidemic retains its grip on the nation, medical professionals are prescribing opioids for pain relief with less frequency. The rate of opioid prescriptions for pain fell steadily between 2019 and 2022, from 46.8 per 100 people in 2019 to 39.5 per 100 people in 2022. The prescription rate for opioid treatment drug buprenorphine, meanwhile, slightly increased over the same period from 4.7 to 4.8 prescriptions per 100 people.

Part of this increased access is due to the $50 billion opioid settlement fund distributed to each state for opioid harm reduction and treatment services. Many states are in the process of determining how to deploy settlement funds; the level of access to lifesaving medications thus varies by state and their specific approach to combating the crisis.

To compare how states are utilizing these funds, Ophelia used CDC data to map the growing distribution of common medications that prevent opioid overdoses and treat substance use disorders.

Ophelia

Naloxone access grows across the US

Despite having the highest drug overdose death rate, West Virginia ranked 12th in naloxone prescriptions at 0.7 per 100 people in 2022. However, the state saw the fifth-highest growth in naloxone prescriptions, growing from 0.3 per 100 people in 2019.

Arkansas dispensed the most naloxone prescriptions, perhaps contributing to its relatively low rate of drug overdose deaths at 21.7 per 100 people. Arkansas saw the biggest jump in naloxone prescriptions, increasing from 0.1 prescriptions per 100 people in 2019 to 1.7 per 100 people in 2022.

After Arkansas, the top states for growth in naloxone prescriptions were:

- Kentucky (+0.8 per 100 people)

- South Carolina (+0.8)

- Tennessee (+0.6)

Access to naloxone grew in every state except New Mexico, where it shrank, and New Hampshire, where it stayed the same. Overall, naloxone prescriptions per resident remain much lower than buprenorphine due in part to the different purposes each drug serves.

Naloxone is used in emergencies and is not prescribed as a medication to take on a routine basis. In addition to over-the-counter purchases, the drug is distributed through public health programs and emergency care outside traditional prescription avenues. Buprenorphine, on the other hand, is dispensed only by health care providers for long-term opioid use disorder treatment to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings, often necessitating refills on a regular basis for complete treatment.

Cost is also an issue. A two-dose packet of Narcan runs just under $50 at many drugstores, and like most over-the-counter drugs, insurance doesn't cover it. While a lifesaving measure might seem worth the price tag, $50 is prohibitive for some. To help reach communities in need, there are several resources available for free naloxone supplies and emergency kits.

Despite efforts to reduce the stigma around substance-related disorders, walking into a Walgreens or CVS and purchasing overdose medication might be challenging for those with OUD.

However, the use of lifesaving treatments is imperative as the opioid epidemic continues to take its toll. Obsolete and incorrect beliefs about the nature of addiction, which liken the disease to moral failure, can prevent people from seeking help and hinder the development of health and public policies. In contrast, a punitive approach to OUD can increase drug use by dehumanizing those who need help while failing to address the underlying cause of the disease.

Ophelia

Some areas see a decline in substance misuse treatment medication distribution

Medication-based treatment has not been a first line of defense in treating opioid misuse disorder long-term. According to a study by the NIH and CDC, just over 1 in 5 adults with opioid use disorder received medication-based treatment, namely buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone, in 2021. The study also found that Schedule III, II, and unscheduled drugs, respectively, were dispensed for substance use treatment 38 times more often when it was a telehealth appointment.

West Virginia leads in prescriptions per capita, which have increased by 4.4 prescriptions per 100 residents to reach 27.2over a quarter of the state's total population. Indiana, whose capital city is a national hotspot for opioid overdoses, saw the second-highest increase in buprenorphine prescriptions, reaching 10.7 per 100 residents in 2022.

Despite having the second most overdoses due to opioids, the District of Columbia issued an average of 1.5 fewer prescriptions per 100 people. Prescriptions fell the most in Vermont by 3.1 overall, dropping from 28.6 per 100 people to 25.5 per 100 people. In 2021, the state became the first to decriminalize buprenorphine possession in limited quantities. In a promising outlook for this harm reduction strategy, Vermont is experiencing a three-year low in opioid overdose rates based on 2024 data so far.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.

This story originally appeared on Ophelia and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
MILWAUKEE  Days after Thomas Matthew Crooks put former President Donald Trumps head in the sights of an assault-style rifle, Rep. Wesley Hunt made the case to keep the AR-15 in Americans' hands.

Hunt, R-Texas, warned an audience Tuesday morning that an AR-15 ban could become a Trojan horse" that could lead to wider gun restriction if proponents on "the left" try to push the issue in the wake of the assassination attempt.

"My message to you all is to be vigilant here, Hunt said, noting assault-style rifles are responsible for a small fraction of U.S. homicides. They cannot go after our AR-15s. The second we allow them to infringe on that, we are letting the fox in the henhouse."

The attempt on Trumps life was a stunning moment in American history and in this year's presidential race. Images of the former president  hand reaching for his bloodied ear, being tackled by security, and then resurging with a victorious fist in the air  shocked the nation and have electrified his already-passionate base of supporters in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention.

Speaking at an event near the convention on Tuesday morning, gun advocates and a top Trump surrogate showed no sign of changing their tune on gun rights. In fact they doubled-down on the idea that more guns can prevent similar tragedies.

"The insinuation that we're going to just eradicate this country of guns is a ridiculous one. So you better arm yourself accordingly, Hunt said.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas waves as he enter during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.

Chris LaCivita, one of Trumps top campaign advisers, said at the same event that the former president would continue to push for gun rights despite the shooting. He cast Crooks as a rogue actor, saying 99.9% of gun owners are very responsible.

"There are so many different things you can do to curb, you know, problem individuals, as opposed to trying to ban what has clearly been defined by the Constitution as a right, LaCivita said.

Republicans in Congress have defeated multiple legislative pushes for gun control, including in the wake of high-profile mass shootings that killed young schoolchildren, and consistently have fought to preserve Americans' access to firearms.

That includes the rifle that landed in Crooks hands. In a call with reporters Sunday afternoon, FBI officials said Crooks appears to have acted as a lone wolf, using a firearm that authorities have said was purchased legally by his father.

Instead gun-rights advocates have framed the issue as a matter of personal responsibility. A moderator at Tuesdays event asked LaCivita what lessons he teaches his children regarding firearm safety and constitutional rights.

"I just taught him at a very young age: have respect for a firearm, he said of his son.

"I kept my stuff locked up, except for the one next to my bed, he continued. But, it's obviously the duty for any law-abiding citizen who wants to exercise their right, to exercise their right responsibly."

The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to gun violence, with a high concentration of firearms as well as a high rate of gun deaths per capita, compared to many peer nations.

Gun advocates rhetoric has echoed Trumps warnings, describing his own legal challenges, that they're coming after you."

"We saw one of the most protected men on the planet attacked  almost murdered. Everyday Americans dont have private security around them. Its up to them to protect themselves," said Katie Pointer Baney, who works on government affairs for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association.

Asked what needs to change, she said the country must address the underlying causes of violent crime, listing mental health, poverty and instability in the home. With so many guns in circulation its wrong to think banning a certain type of firearm would be a silver bullet, she argued.

Guns were allowed within walking distance of the RNC convention. A short-lived effort at City Hall to ban firearms within the security footprint failed because local governments such as Milwaukee are precluded under state law from enacting gun regulations more stringent than the state's. Wisconsin allows both concealed carry and open carry.

The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun, Hunt said. And that son of a bitch is now dead because a good guy with a gun shot him."

Imagine how many more lives were spared because that sniper acted and took him out immediately.

USA Todays Aysha Bagchi, Jessie Opoien, and Alison Dirr contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Arm yourself': GOP firm against gun control after Trump shooting
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Tuesday slammed former President Donald Trumps use of the term Black jobs during their debate last month as he gave an impassioned speech to the NAACP.

Speaking in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the organization's national convention, Biden made a pitch to Black voters in an effort to secure their vote as support for his reelection campaign has sagged.

Biden during his speech hit Trump for comments he made at the June 27 presidential debate, where he said that migrants were taking Black jobs and Hispanic jobs away from Americans.

Folks, I know what the hell a Black job is  its the vice president of the United States, he said to loud cheers, speaking about Vice President Kamala Harris. I know what a Black job is. The first Black president in American history, Barack Obama.

A chant of four more years, four more years broke out following his comments.

Biden added that he also nominated the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

I promised myself, I promised America, that my administration would look like America, he said.

Biden during his remarks highlighted how unemployment rate for Black Americans is at its lowest, how his administration has invested $16 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and how he is going to cut taxes for working class Americans.

During his remarks, he also announced that his administration is working to cap rent increases by 5%. But while reading the teleprompter, he misspoke saying his administration is working to cap rent raises by $55.

While Biden is still leading with Black voters in polling, his support is eroding slightly. He still holds a wide lead with Black voters over Trump.

Biden is facing continued pressure by some members of his own party to step aside in the 2024 race. However, during his remarks, the president told the crowd that he is all in.

But he did note that Harris would do a great job as commander-in-chief.

"And by the way, she's not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States, Biden said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says a Black job is the vice president of the United States
Toronto  Residents of a city just outside Toronto tell CBS News they had no idea an American company was running a major facility near their homes that may be releasing a toxic gas into the air.

The company says the facility is safe and in compliance with limits imposed by the Canadian government, but some Mississauga residents said they want to know why the Sterigenics plant was even allowed to open there, as the company has faced hundreds of lawsuits in the U.S. and on the heels of it shutting down another facility on the other side of Toronto that was found to be spewing far more of the toxic fumes than it should have been under government safety guidelines.

Sterigenics specializes in the sterilization of medical equipment for health facilities using a chemical that's a known carcinogen, though it has told CBS News  without providing evidence  that it captures virtually all of the gas before it escapes its plants.

The current facility in an industrial area of the bustling city of Mississauga has been operating for two years. It opened not long after Sterigenics shuttered its previous facility in a more densely populated Toronto neighborhood, where Canadian officials found it had released dangerously high levels of ethylene oxide gas (EtO or EO) into the environment.

The Sterigenics facility in Mississauga, outside Toronto, Canada, is seen in a May 2024 file photo. / Credit: CBS News

Now, residents and environmental groups say more must be done to ensure the plant in Mississauga isn't committing the same violations, which they argue could put people's health at risk.

Ethylene oxide risks and Sterigenics' recent history

Sterigenics is a subsidiary of Ohio-based Sotera Health. It uses EtO to sterilize medical equipment that can't be sterilized using heat, such as respirators. According to Sterigenics, EtO is widely used across North America due to its effectiveness in sterilizing heat-sensitive devices.

EtO is a colorless, highly reactive and highly flammable gas that is considered toxic by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the corresponding Canadian government agency, Health Canada. Long-term exposure through inhalation, even at minimal levels, can pose significant health risks to humans. According to the federal government agency Environment Canada's risk management strategy for EtO, "cancer is the main impact of ethylene oxide on human health."

A study conducted by Environment Canada and published in 2023 found that the first Sterigenics facility, in the Toronto inner suburb of Scarborough, had at one point released levels of EtO  a known carcinogen  into the air at a concentration of 18 parts per billion, far exceeding the level set under the agency's safety guidelines of one part per billion.

No illnesses connected to emissions from the Scarborough plant have been reported yet. Despite the national agency's air sampling results, Ontario regulators told CBS News the Scarborough plant had been in compliance with regulations before it closed in 2022.

The emissions were even higher there than the EtO levels detected at the company's facility in Willowbrook, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, which has been at the center of hundreds of personal injury and death lawsuits, as reported several years ago by CBS Chicago.

Former Sterigenics workers told CBS News Chicago the company had covered up the extent of its emissions and operated secret facilities at the Willowbrook plant. The company denied all these allegations, but the state of Illinois ordered operations to halt at the facility in 2019, the year after the U.S. EPA said it had detected a "high concentration of EtO in the nearby air."

Streigenics and its parent company agreed to pay $408 million in 2023 to settle more than 870 lawsuits related to the Willowbrook facility, though it said it had accepted the settlement to avoid spending the time and money that would have resulted from long court battles. Sterigenics has always denied any safety risks from the plant and it acknowledged to CBS News in June that there could be more lawsuits over the Willowbrook facility.

As recently as mid-May, six new personal injury lawsuits were filed against Sterigenics, alleging the company's ethylene oxide emissions in Willowbrook had caused severe health effects including multiple cases of cancer, neurological disorder, respiratory problems and one death.

Protest organizer Neringa Zymancius of Darian leads protesters in a chant in front of the of Sterigenics facility near Willowbrook, Illinois, Sept. 14, 2018. / Credit: Mark Black/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty

Sterigenics closed its plant in Scarborough, northeast Toronto, in 2022. It relocated to the new facility on the other side of Toronto, in Mississauga, within the year. The company has never explained the move.

Sterigenics says it safely uses a vital product

The potential risks posed to the Mississauga and Scarborough communities were first brought to light by an investigation carried out by The Local news outlet, in conjunction with The Narwhal, a non-profit online magazine covering urban health and social issues in Canada.

In a statement emailed to CBS News, a Sterigenics spokesperson confirmed the company uses EtO at its Mississauga facility. The spokesperson said the plant sterilizes more than three million medical devices for Canadian hospitals every

month, including surgical kits and respirators.

"Ethylene Oxide is the only sterilization method that satisfies FDA and Health Canada-approved sterility validations for many critical medical devices," the spokesperson said. "The Sterigenics Toronto facility is one of a limited number of local sterilization options that can sterilize a wide variety of products for local Canadian customers."

According to Environment Canada's guidelines on EtO, facilities that use or purchase 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) or more of the chemical annually should contain 99% of their emissions or ensure that the concentration of the chemical released into the atmosphere remains below one part per billion.

In the statement to CBS News, Sterigenics said its Mississauga facility is equipped with an emissions control system that surpasses regulatory requirements in Canada.

"These best-in-industry technologies will allow the new facility to capture and control over 99.9% of facility EO emissions, further enhancing our already safe operations," said the spokesperson. CBS News could not independently verify Sterigenics' statements about its emissions, and no government or private data are available to confirm the extent of its emissions in Mississauga.

The rear of the Sterigenics facility in Mississaugua, outside Toronto, Canada, is seen in a May 2024 file photo. / Credit: CBS News

For their investigation, the Canadian news outlets requested permission to tour the Mississauga facility, but said they were told by a company spokesperson that it was not possible due to a "commitment to confidentiality and security."

Sterigenics' neighbors voice shock and concern

The facility is located in a busy industrial area of Mississauga. A restaurant, wholesale food market and countless shops sit just a few blocks from the plant. There's a busy branch of the Canadian restaurant chain Tim Hortons within 300 yards of the facility.

Research published in 2023 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in England noted a high risk of breast cancer in women living within a six mile radius of facilities emitting EtO.

There are homes within three miles, to the north and southwest of the plant in Mississauga. CBS News spoke with several residents who live within that radius, and none said they were aware of the facility's activities or history.

"I'm surprised that this kind of facility would be permitted in this area. It's shocking," Jim Ben, who lives less than three miles from the Mississauga plant, told CBS News. "I will contact the city and my MPP (member of Provincial Parliament) and see what they have to say about it."

More than 1,000 people gather to pray every Friday at the Jami Masjid mosque, just three miles from the Stergenics facility.

"Obviously we're concerned," Kamal Syed, a member of the mosque's management team, told CBS News. "We've been here for a long time and we have a lot of people coming here, including women, children, and pregnant women."

"I think this is more of a systemic or process issue that needs to be looked at," he said, calling for "better regulation by the province or the city to have some type of impact assessment done when companies like this are moving to an area, and then understanding potential risks to the community."

"It's about the whole community, and I think the way we have to do this is we have to hold our government officials accountable and pressure them to take action on this."

"Environmental racism"?

Environmental Defence, a Canadian environmental advocacy group that collaborates with industry, government and individuals to protect communities, has said it is concerned that officials prioritize speed in issuing permits over public information and feedback in some areas, especially those with large immigrant populations.

Karen Wirsig, a senior program manager at Environmental Defence, told CBS News that while the organization had not studied Sterigenics' work specifically, its research on another industrial facility in Ontario led the group to conclude that many local residents had no idea a decades-old waste burning facility "existed or had proposed a massive expansion."

"The environmental permitting process at the provincial level prioritizes expediency for companies seeking permits over communities understanding the proposals and the potential impacts on their health and the environment," Wirsig told CBS News. "It also does not provide an opportunity to look at cumulative effects of pollution."

CBS News has seen no evidence to suggest the permitting process for Sterigenics' facilities in Ontario was rushed.

We asked the provincial Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) whether air safety tests had been carried out to verify that any EtO emissions from the Mississauga plant were within the safety guidelines.

The MECP told CBS News in a statement that the Sterigenics plant was registered on the province's Environmental Activity and Sector Registry in late May 2020 and that, "like all businesses registered on the EASR, Sterigenics was required to first assess its emissions by hiring a licenced engineering professional to prepare an Emission Summary and Dispersion Modelling report. The report indicates that emissions from Sterigenics' Mississauga facility meet Ontario's air standards for ethylene oxide."

Wirsig said her group believes provincial regulators do prioritize speed, and that, combined with a lack of evaluation of the cumulative effects of air pollution, this was leaving heavily-immigrant communities particularly vulnerable, as many residents work multiple jobs and lack language proficiency.

Wirsig said Environmental Defence had concluded that Ontario's Peel district, which includes Mississauga and the city of Brampton, where the waste facility that her group looked into is located, "is a hotspot for environmental racism."

A spokesperson for the region's public health agency told CBS News that "advancing health equity is one of Peel Public Health's strategic priorities, and we work with our community in understanding and addressing health inequities, including environmental health."

"While we understand and share the local area community's concern about ensuring that health is not impacted by ethylene oxide exposure, this falls under the mandate of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks."

"It needs to be scrutinized more"

Experts cited by The Narwhal investigation said Health Canada's guidelines are not enforceable regulations. Testing for EtO in the environment is a technical and expensive process, and CBS News' queries to provincial and federal Canadian authorities, including the MECP, show that no air testing has ever been carried out around the Mississauga Sterigenics plant to ensure those guidelines are being adhered to.

"The only way that we've seen that quality control happens at the facility level, is if somebody points out that there's an error," Fe de Leon, a researcher and paralegal at the Canadian Environmental Law Association and a member of the National Pollutant Release Inventory working group, told The Narwhal. "Unless somebody points it out, it doesn't get captured."

"It needs to be scrutinized more," she added.

CBS News contacted the province of Ontario, as well as the federal government agencies Health Canada and Environment Canada, for comment on Sterigenics' regulatory requirements and any environmental screening that has been carried out. All of the agencies referred back to the MECP.

In a follow-up statement, the MECP told CBS News it had conducted an inspection of the facility in July 2022, "to assess compliance with Ontario's environmental legislation," which "included a physical site visit and review of documentation."



There was no indication that the agency's inspection included any environmental air sampling. It said its full investigation report was available through a freedom of information request. CBS News has filed a request to see the report.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says "not even an assassin's bullet could stop" Trump in RNC speech

Gov. Glenn Youngkin says Trump told him "rewrite your speech, too" ahead of RNC

Biden on what it would take for him to drop out of race, increases Black and Latino outreach
Officials this week confiscated more than 10 tons of cocaine seized from sugar and bananas in two South America drug busts and arrested at least five people in connection to the trafficking cases.

On Tuesday, officials in Paraguay announced "the largest cocaine seizure" in the country's history, after officials discovered more than 4 tons of the drug hidden inside bags of sugar bound for Europe.

According to a news release, agents from Paraguay's anti-drug agency on Monday began unpacking containers filled with dozens of pounds of sacks of sugar at Puerto Caacupemi, a river port in the country's capital, Asuncion bordered by the Paraguay River.

Police dogs in Ecuador helped find more than six tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment headed to Germany, during a routine inspection at the Deep Water Maritime Port in Posorja, a small village in the country's south end.

Public Prosecutor's Office Attorney Alejandro Cardozo was notified and, according to the release, opened a container which showed the drugs were bound for Antwerp, Belgium. Officials said they found more than 8,000 pounds 4,013 kilos of cocaine hidden in bags with the sugar.

"This morning, three other containers linked to the scheme under investigation are being reviewed in order to rule out or obtain greater certainty about other shipments contaminated with cocaine," officials wrote in the release. "The task, which is still unfinished in terms of examination, already stands as the largest seizure of cocaine in the fight against drug trafficking in our country."

So far, officials wrote in the release, the the drugs confiscated are estimated to be worth about $240 million in street value in Europe.

Treading water for 10 hours: Man swept out to sea from NYC beach rescued by fisherman 2 miles off NJ coast

More than six tons of cocaine found hidden in bananas

The second bust took place one day earlier nearly 2,000 miles northwest in Ecuador, where police dogs found more than six tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment headed to Germany, during a routine inspection at the Deep Water Maritime Port in Posorja, a small village in the country's southern end.

According to a news release issued Monday by the country's State Attorney General's Office, police found the drugs after dogs alerted officers to their presence, and when authorities opened the containers they found 5,630 brick-shaped packages hidden under the fruit, totaling more than six tons of cocaine.

In all, police arrested five people in connection to the bust including one person who they said represented the export company responsible for the shipment. Also detained: the managers of the banana plantation where the cocaine was suspected to have been added to the shipment, and a person who drove the container to the port.

The shipment was destined for Germany, officials said, and had a street value of $224 million.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 tons of cocaine seized from sugar, bananas in South American busts
WASHINGTON  Following outcries from President Joe Biden's Democratic detractors, the Democratic National Committee is now holding off on an accelerated virtual roll-call vote this month to confirm Biden as their presidential nominee.

Yet Democrats are still sticking to a plan to virtually nominate Biden as their party's standard-bearer before Aug. 7, ahead of next month's Democratic National Convention, set for Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago.

The decision came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries both pushed the DNC to delay the nominating process, according to sources familiar with their outreach, as many congressional Democrats still hold concerns about Biden as the Democratic nominee.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, co-chairs of the DNC's Convention Rules Committee, outlined the nomination timeline in a letter to other committee members Wednesday.

House Democrats who want to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee had circulated a drafted letter Tuesday demanding that the DNC scrap plans for an expedited nomination vote  fearing it could come as early as next week  and wait instead until the convention.

More: Biden's House Democratic detractors demand DNC halt early nomination vote

The DNC is still moving forward on virtual roll-call nomination vote before Aug. 7  a decision that party leaders say is needed to avoid possible litigation that a traditional nomination at the convention could invite because of a months-long ballot dispute in Ohio and ballot deadlines in other states.

"No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track. Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November," Walz and Daughtry wrote.

President Joe Biden waves on stage during the Vote To Live Properity Summit at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024.

How the DNC arrived at calendar mess

The DNC Convention Rules Committee is set to meet Friday to discuss the nomination timeline. Democrats intend to then meet again next week to formally adopt a date for the roll-call nomination vote.

Prompting the DNC's decision in May for a virtual nomination vote ahead of the convention was the situation in Ohio, where the state's Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, had threatened to keep Biden off the ballot if he wasn't formally nominated as the Democratic nominee at least 90 days before the Nov. 5 election, per Ohio law, which meant by Aug. 7.

To fix the problem, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine convened a special legislative session and on June 2 signed legislation that changed the deadline to 65 days before the election, enabling Biden to be on the state's ballot after being formally nominated at the convention.

A group of House Democrats  many who have expressed concerns about Biden's chances to beat former President Donald Trump in the election  have argued the early nomination vote is no longer needed given Ohio's efforts to resolve the situation.

"There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month," their draft letter to the DNC said. "Stifling debate and prematurely shutting down any possible change in the Democratic ticket through an unprecedented and unnecessary 'virtual roll call' in the days ahead is a terrible idea."

More: Key moments from Joe Biden's first primetime interview since Trump's assassination attempt

Biden ally denies DNC is fast-tracking nomination for Biden

But DNC Convention Rules committee members noted that the Ohio law does not go into effect until Sept. 1, a delay they said could invite lawsuits from Republicans to keep the Democratic nominee off the ballot.

"Unless Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are selected and certified to Ohio by August 7, we are likely to face litigation about the efficacy of our filings," Walz and Daughtry said in their statement.

They also said the issue goes beyond Ohio to ensure Biden's name is on ballots in other states.

"The challenges we face with ballot access deadlines do not stop with Ohio," they wrote, singling out Washington, Oklahoma, Virginia, California and Montana as other states with ballot deadlines before or during the convention.

Walz, during a Biden campaign press conference Wednesday in Milwaukee, site of this week's Republican National Convention, pushed back at suggestions from Biden's Democratic skeptics that the DNC is trying to fast-track the nomination for Biden.

"In my opinion  I know some of these people  it's irresponsible, but it's not surprising," said Walz, a Biden ally. "I don't think they're being unnecessarily mean-spirited, but they are ignorant of the process and I say that because I was and now I know."

At least two dozen Democratic members of Congress have publicly called for Biden to withdraw from the election following a disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump that raised concerns about Biden's mental fitness and stamina. Biden has made clear repeatedly that he isn't dropping out of the race.

Among those who planned to sign Tuesday's letter calling for the DNC to scrap the virtual roll-call vote, according to Axios, was Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., who represents a swing district, and Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., who has called for Biden to end his campaign.

Contributing: Riley Beggin and Ken Tran. Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats to hold off on early nomination of Biden until next month
Did the Emmy voters get it  dare I say  right this time around?

The nominations for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday, and I don't have too much to complain about when it comes to who's up for TV's biggest awards. "Reservation Dogs"? Hallelujah, I could shout with joy for this just-ended FX comedy! "Slow Horses"? Finally, this brilliant Apple TV+ spy drama got noticed! "The Morning Show"? Well, I guess that was on TV this year, too!

If you're thinking, "Wait, didn't we already do this in 2024?" you would be right! The 75th Primetime Emmys aired this January, a delayed ceremony pushed back from September 2023 by last year's dual actors' and writers' strikes. This time around, TV shows that aired or streamed between June 2023 and May 2024 qualify. This year's second Emmy ceremony will be held Sunday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT on ABC (which hasn't named a host yet).

So now we're looking at the best of the best from the past year in TV, at least according to the Television Academy. There were snubs, there were surprises and there were some very big "finally!" moments too. Here is everything you need to know about the 2024 Emmy nominations.

Selena Gomez as Mabel in "Only Murders in the Building." The actress and singer received her first Emmy nomination for the role.

Biggest Emmy nomination surprise: Selena Gomez in 'Only Murders in the Building'

It took three seasons and five nominations for her costars Steve Martin and Martin Short (three for Short and two for Martin), but the third member of the "Murder" trio finally has a shot at Emmy gold. Fans have decried Gomez's snub for two straight years and are joyous today. And there is an argument to be made that the cartoonish performances by Short and Martin wouldn't play half as funny without Gomez's straight-man reactions.

Biggest Emmy nomination snub: Emma Stone and 'The Curse'

Showtime's "The Curse" was so very weird and also so very wonderful. Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone led the offbeat (and very disturbing) dramedy about an HGTV-like couple and the potential curse laid upon them. Oscar winner Stone delivered her second best performance of the year (after "Poor Things," of course) and at least deserved a nomination for her superb acting.

Best and most deserved Emmy nominations: All that 'Reservation Dogs' love

One of the best series of the past decade, FX's "Reservation Dogs" was ignored by the Emmys for its first three seasons. But it finally broke through for its exquisite finale, with a nomination for best comedy and best lead actor for the phenomenal DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai. I would have loved to see more love (it didn't write and direct itself), but I will happily take what I can get.

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Worst Emmy nominations: Anything and everything for 'Palm Royale'

Many of the nominees scream, "if it looks good, it must be good!" Amazon's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was all slick and edgy and philosophical but it was also very, very boring. "The Morning Show" similarly is a trainwreck of a series that gets consistent Emmy love, mostly on the goodwill its performers have garnered over their long careers. That same kind of goodwill has catapulted Apple TV+'s terrible "Palm Royale" to 11 nominations, including best comedy series and best actress in a comedy for Kristen Wiig. Look, I love Wiig and the many talented people she got to do this series, including the legendary Carol Burnett (also nominated). But this series was a cacophony of dumb plots and screechy characters wrapped up in 1960s flair with one of the most dumbfounding finales I've ever seen. That slot could have been taken up by so many great comedies from this past year, such as Peacock's "We Are Lady Parts" (always under-the-radar and underrated).

Kelsey Grammer reprised his famous role of Frasier Crane in Paramount+'s revived "Frasier" series. He did not revive the series' former Emmy love.

Looking for reliable streaming options? Check out USA TODAY Home Internet for broadband service plans in your area.

The other big Emmy nomination snubs

Kelsey Grammer and "Frasier": I may not have enjoyed Paramount+'s revival of "Frasier" even a little bit, but many fans did, and were expecting the new version of the series to continue the Emmy run of the original, which won 37 Emmys over its 11 seasons.

"Masters of the Air" (Apple TV+) : This World War II epic took years to make and was as heartfelt and stirring as the real heroes depicted by Austin Butler and a host of talented young actors. It deserved more than just three below-the-line nominations.

"The Gentlemen" and Theo James (Netflix): One of the biggest (and slickest) comedies of 2024 so far is this Netflix spinoff of the Guy Ritchie movie from 2020.

Cosmo Jarvis in "Shogun" (FX): The new adaptation of James Clavell's epic novel set in feudal Japan received quite a few nods, but supporting actor Jarvis wasn't among them. His fish-out-of-water Englishman in the middle of Japanese politics was a stirring (and often hilarious) performance.

"Manhunt" and Anthony Boyle (Apple TV+): One of the best shows of the year so far was Apple's adaptation of a nonfiction book about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. It was a shockingly fun and rollicking series that was made all the better by Boyle's stunning performance as the egotistical assassin, a star-making turn that should have been recognized.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emmy snubs list: Who should be nominated for an award but isn't?
The son of an Alabama father of seven who was fatally shot while taking money out of an ATM says the family has "long forgiven" the death row inmate set to be executed Thursday for the murder.

Keith Edmund Gavin, 64, will become the third inmate executed in Alabama this year and the 10th in the nation if his lethal injection proceeds as scheduled on Thursday. He was convicted in the 1998 death of 68-year-old William Clinton Clayton, Jr., who was a great dad and a "gentle giant," his son, Matt Joseph Clayton, told USA TODAY this week.

"I don't think anyone anticipated that his life would end this way," said Matt Clayton, who was 28 when his father was gunned down. "Certainly not his family ... It was quite shocking."

As Gavin's execution nears, USA TODAY is looking back at the crime and who William Clayton was.

Pictured is William 'Bill' Clayton Jr.

Who was William Clinton Clayton, Jr.?

Clayton, who went by Bill, was a native of Clay, Alabama, and a contract courier for Corporate Express Delivery Systems, Inc.

At 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 280 pounds, Bill was "quite a large man" but also "a bit of a gentle giant," Matt Clayton recalled.

One thing Clayton will always remember about his dad is how hard he worked to provide for his seven children and wife of 38 years

"He worked about 14 hours a day, usually from 5 o'clock in the morning until 8 o'clock at night, Monday through Friday," Clayton said. "He would work about a 10-hour day on Saturday. Really work was all that the man knew."

After William Clayton did not graduate high school, he worked many unskilled professions, including custodial work, railroad work and several driving-related jobs, according to his son. He also had learning disabilities and was "a simple man."

Matt Clayton said his mother, who is now 94 years old, lives independently and is "very healthy and very vibrant."

"It's truly been a blessing to have her around for so much of my life, particularly since my father was gone at a younger age," he said.

What happened to Bill Clayton?

On March 6, 1998, Clayton was gearing up to take his wife of 38 years out to dinner. He was driving in his Corporate Express Delivery Systems van when he stopped at Regions Bank in downtown Centre to grab some money from the ATM for the couple's date night.

Meanwhile, Gavin had driven to the region from his hometown of Chicago with his cousin, Dewayne Meeks, to track down a woman Gavin had met in the past. Gavin and Meeks arrived in downtown Centre just as Clayton went to the ATM, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

While the men were stopped at an intersection near Regions Bank, Meeks testified in court that Gavin got out of the car, walked up to the driver's side of Clayton's van and fired two shots. Meeks then drove off in his car, while Gavin got in Clayton's van  with Clayton still in it and bleeding out  and followed Meeks, court records say.

Danny Smith, an investigator with the local district attorneys office, testified that he was in the area when he heard about a shooting over the radio and that both the shooter and victim were in a white van. Soon after that, Smith spotted the van speeding and driving erratically.

A pursuit ensued for several minutes before the van abruptly stopped and the driver jumped out and fired a shot at Smith before running into nearby woods, Smith testified. Smith immediately went to the van to check on Clayton, who was "barely alive" and died shortly after at a hospital, court records say.

Gavin was convicted of capital murder on Nov. 6, 1999, largely based on his Meeks' eyewitness testimony.

Pictured is Keith Edmund Gavin. He is scheduled to be executed July 18, 2024, after being convicted on Nov. 6, 1999, for the murder of William Clinton Clayton, Jr., a contract courier for Corporate Express Delivery Systems, Inc.

Keith Edmund Gavin has shown a 'lack of remorse'

Gavin has always maintained that he did not shoot Clayton and has filed numerous appeals of his conviction and death sentence.

And while the family has forgiven Gavin, Matt Clayton said he does feel that he's shown a "lack of remorse for taking the lives of his victims."

He cited Gavin's upbringing as part of why the family has forgiven him, saying he was "born in poverty and ... raised in a crime-infested environment."

"As we look at the unfortunate events unfold during the course of his life, I think that Mr. Gavin may have been indoctrinated into gang violence at an early age, as many young people are who lacked strong male role models," he said.

He added that "it's truly sad to think about this person."

"He's facing the end of his life and most of his life has been spent incarcerated," he said. "A significant portion of his life has been spent on death row."

The death chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, on Oct. 7, 2002.

Matt Clayton said he is glad Gavin received appropriate legal representation and was "given the benefit of the criminal justice system for the series of appeals."

"The criminal justice system is there for everyone and I'm certainly pleased that all citizens are well-served," according to Matt Clayton.

Clayton, who is now 54, said he will be attending Gavin's execution at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, to "represent his family" and recognize the efforts by the state officials who "brought Mr. Gavin to justice."

"No one wants to view an execution, so let's be clear about that," he said. "However, I cannot choose to not attend given the work that has been put forth."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Family of Alabama murder victim has 'long forgiven' his killer
Thanks to some human help, a 160-pound dog injured on a steep mountain trail in Oregon last week is now safe  and heartwarming pictures captured the rescue.

Officials with Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District said the rescue took place on Saddle Mountain near Seaside, a small resort city in northwestern part of the state.

Oregon State Parks's website says it is the tallest mountain in Clatsop County.

According to a post on the fire district's Facebook page, which documented the July 12 rescue, a large Great Pyrenees was "hiking saddle mountain when he suddenly refused to keep walking."

Crews with Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District rescued a 160-pound Great Pyrenees on Saddle Mountain on July 12, 2024. According to a post on the fire department's Facebook page, the dog was hiking saddle mountain when he refused to keep walking after injuring its paws.

It was not immediately known how officials were alerted to the animal in distress.

USA TODAY spoke with District Capt. Shaunna White who did know the dog's name or age.

White said the owners were with the dog when he refused to continue on the hike.

The dog's paws were raw and cut and he needed assistance down, the district wrote in the social media post.

Photos on the department's page show crew members carrying the dog in what appears to be a stretcher down the mountain.

Crews with Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District rescued a 160-pound Great Pyrenees on Saddle Mountain on July 12, 2024. According to a post on the fire department's Facebook page, the dog was hiking saddle mountain when he refused to keep walking after injuring its paws.

Saddle Mountain: 'It's not very dog friendly'

According to the state park website, dogs are permitted on Saddle Mountain but must be on a leash at all times.

"It is not very dog friendly," the district wrote about the trail. "Over the years, we have had several calls for dogs that needed assistance off the mountain due to dehydration or cut/raw paw pads."

Dog booties recommended on the trail

The mountain trail has welded wire fencing on the ground to provide traction and stability on the trail, many of the sharp wires sticking straight up, fire officials said.

"As well, walking on wiring and rocks for an extended amount of time can be very rough on your fur baby," the post continues. "Dog booties would be recommended on this trail."

Crews with Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District rescued a 160-pound Great Pyrenees on Saddle Mountain on July 12, 2024. According to a post on the fire department's Facebook page, the dog was hiking saddle mountain when he refused to keep walking after injuring its paws.

"Just as we humans can build up calluses by incremental exposure to rough surfaces, you can do the same with your dog if you plan on frequent hikes or know theyll be walking on rougher surfaces throughout their life," the agency wrote. "Start with shorter periods of time on these surfaces to let the pad build up toughness over time."

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Firefighters carry hurt Great Pyrenees dog down Oregon mountain
Lindhome welcomed a baby via surrogate after nine years of fertility issues. Now she's married Fred Armisen and they're raising the child together

Riki Lindhome/instagram Riki Lindhome and Keaton, 2024.

When Wednesday actress Riki Lindhome was 34 in 2013, she was ready to be a mother.

But over the next nine years, she faced an uphill battle as she learned she was in perimenopause and had endometriosis, making the chances of her getting pregnant on her own more difficult.

She first started with her in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and had her eggs frozen along with donor sperm. She even gave herself hormone injections in the LAX parking lot. I thought, Oh, this isnt great. I got one egg from my retrieval, which is not a lot, says Lindhome, 45, one-half of the folk duo Garfunkel & Oates. That year, she tried two more times. But years later in February 2019, she was ready to start a family with her then-boyfriend. They thought it was best to retrieve new eggs to increase their chances of giving birth. Finally, she thought, it was her time for motherhood.

I got pregnant naturally, but that pregnancy didnt last, Lindhome tells PEOPLE in her studio office in Los Angeles. I had to terminate it at 13 weeks. The heart was growing in the wrong place with major genetic mutations. It was the longest I was ever pregnant. It was devastating, she continues, sorrowful. It was just one of the worst days of my life.

A week later, she began filming indie thriller The Wolf of Snow Hollow in Utah. I wanted to get out of my sadness and distract myself. I still had high hormones and was pretty emotional, but it was just nice to focus on something else for two weeks, she says. I needed it.

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.

Riki Lindhome/instagram Riki Lindhome and Keaton.

Related: 'I Have a Deep Hatred for the Kardashians': The Stars of 'Another Period' Don't Hold Back Their Feelings About Reality TV's Most Famous Family

For the next year, she underwent seven surgeries to fix her uterus after she aborted the pregnancy. "There was just a bunch of stuff that went wrong with [the surgery]," she adds. "The procedure was botched. They didn't get it all out. And then that started me on a surgical journey for a while."

Afterward, the couple tried again to have a child when she was 40. After two more rounds of IVF, she had one embryo to use. But before the implant stage, her boyfriend of two years broke up with her suddenly. He just came home and changed his mind about having kids, she admits. We had just bought a house together. I didnt see it coming.

But motherhood couldnt wait  as quickly as the relationship ended, her next call was to her fertility doctor in March 2020. I was like Im ready to use the old eggs,  she said. I went right into hormones and implanted immediately with donor sperm and my embryos.

"Biologically I didnt have time to collect myself, she says. I didnt have time to wait. Sadly, it didnt take, and she was out of options. I realized in that moment that I was not going to have a biological child, she exhales. It was over.

But her attempt to have a child didnt end there. She turned to domestic adoption during the pandemic. It was really hard being a single mom adopting during Covid. I did get one match, but it ended up not working out. It was a failed adoption, and it was super heartbreaking, she adds. The newborn's dad was missing, so they didnt have his permission, and I would have had to go track him down and risk having to give the baby back, and it just ended up being a fraught situation. I felt awful doing that to someone giving birth, but it just wasnt a good idea.

Ali Gradischer/Getty Fred Armisen (left) and Riki Lindhome (right) attend Portland Art Museum, June 22, 2023.

Soon after, Lindhome learned she had health conditions that made it extremely difficult for her to carry a baby. I got donor eggs and eesperm and was going to implant them, but I found out that I had silent endometriosis and perimenopause, which I didn't know. It's hard to detect and difficult to carry a baby. The only symptom I had was infertility. I thought, What am I doing? My body is telling me no. But she still hadnt given up hope.

Lindhome decided to have a child through gestational surrogacy and a donated sperm and egg she picked out online through an agency. She welcomed her son Keaton on March 1, 2022, amid her romance with her friend of 15 years, Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen, whom she fell in love with on the Wednesday set in Romania. Its not the traditional way to land a man: have a baby by yourself and move to Romania, says Lindhome. I told Fred, If you feel in your gut this is not for you, it doesnt make you a jerk.

Related: Fred Armisen Revealed as Uncle Fester in 'Wednesday' Trailer  Featuring Christina Ricci's Return

When Armisen, 57, met Keaton three weeks after his birth, he knew he wanted to be a part of his life. Three months later, Lindhome  who tells her journey to motherhood in her new musical Dead Inside, playing at the Edinburg Festival Fringe Jul. 31 through Aug. 25  and Armisen secretly got married at a courthouse in Beverly Hills.

It was insta-family, Lindhome says. It was awesome. I was expecting to be a single mom. But things changed. We had the good fortune of having the easiest, calm baby. He turned into an absolutely normal toddler, who likes cars and cleaning, she laughs. We just fell in love.

Before filming, Lindhome had told Armisen about her baby via surrogate. We started dating a few weeks before the baby was born, it was wild, she says. The last two months of the shoot, Armisen joined her on set to film. We were in this foreign country together. My brain was just telling me all sorts of stories. I could tell I was having feelings, but then I was like, Well I cant say anything. Im about to have a baby," she remembers.

"And then I thought, 'So? Why arent you allowed to say anything? Dont pre-reject yourself,' " she continues. "And so, I told him that I had feelings for him. I told him I wanted to go on a date, she says, smiling. I didnt know what would happen. I didnt even know if he was interested. I just knew I wanted to have dinner with him. I wanted to kiss him. It was mutual.

Riki Lindhome/instagram Riki Lindhome with Keaton.

Three months before their wedding, Lindhome was at the hospital waiting for her son to be born while Armisen was still filming abroad. I was crying the entire time in the adjoining room when my surrogate was giving birth, she says. I was just nervous and scared. She was having a C-section, she explains. But my God, when I finally put Keaton on my chest, we bonded. It was amazing.

Three weeks later in late March 2022, Armisen returned, and they had a heart-to-heart. I want you to really feel what you feel, she told him. Be honest about it because its a big, life-altering thing to have a baby. I didnt want to pressure him. I just told him to tell me what his heart felt, and he said, Yes.

The two continued dating and tied the knot three months later on June 1, 2022. It just felt like luck and timing, she explains. I totally think love is luck and now I think it more than ever. She says it was a natural evolution and didnt feel that rushed. It just felt kind of easy, she adds. It just felt calm and easy. But I know its not a typical relationship story.

This was Lindhomes first marriage  something she didnt ever think she ever wanted to do. She also hated weddings. For her husband, it was his third time getting hitched. I think we both knew it was going to happen. Then we were like, Well, lets do this. There was no proposal we picked our rings out together, she says.

The day before the wedding at the courthouse, Lindhome found a white spring dress at the Glendale mall and Armisen wore a suit. The only guests invited were their son and a friend to witness the ceremony. I didnt even tell my mom I was getting married, she admits. We didnt want to get pressured into having a wedding. We told no one. It was just for us.

Riki Lindhome/instagram Riki Lindhome and Keaton.

Although the two have decided on no more children, Lindhome keeps in touch with her surrogate and is grateful to her for their son. I had been through so much fertility loss and trauma, I just couldnt focus on it when I was filming, she admits. I couldnt panic. I didnt have any control. But I was so removed from it, so I didnt have to worry. I just let it happen and was able to be calm through the surrogates pregnancy while I was away. I needed that.

She claims the reason she decided to share her fertility journey and create a musical about motherhood  her first song from the show entitled Dont Google Mommy now available on Spotify is because she wanted to be a voice for womens healthcare.

Everything about it theres an undertone that its your fault, she says. But its like people who are thinking of adopting, thinking of using a surrogate, women who are doing IVF, people who are using donor eggs  Ive done it all," she says. "I can give all the pros and cons, and people have found it helpful. Its why Im doing this show. This is why I'm being so vocal about stuff. People think women  theyll reveal that they had a miscarriage, or they are struggling, but we dont really talk about it. I want to talk about it.

She continues: Everyone thinks we are supposed to be perfect and its all within our control. See, again, it's society making women believe the narrative It's your fault somehow, she adds. Even now. Even though we intellectually know it's not, there's still that undercurrent of that. I want to change it.

Now, Lindhome is ready to share her experiences, help others and close her chapter of fertility trauma. Im not ashamed that I wasnt able to carry a child. Im sad, she says. But I am done with my conception chapter. Im ready for my Mom chapter, she adds proudly. I just feel so lucky.

For more on Lindhome, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.



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Read the original article on People.
MILWAUKEE  With his ascension to the 2024 presidential ticket as Donald Trumps running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance has vaulted into the role of heir-apparent of the MAGA movement and become an instant White House contender for 2028.

Donald Trump Jr. said the nomination means theres a very high chance Vance could become president in 2028 if he and Trump win in November.

(Vance is) the one guy in that movement thats a current politician thats out there that actually, really speaks sort of to the America First people, he said at an event hosted by Axios Tuesday. It isnt like well be right back to the establishment.  Thats where our base is. Thats where the Republican Party is.

Its a remarkable twist of fate for the former Trump critic who only came into politics in 2022.

But even as the move propels Vance to the forefront of conversations about the party's future, he is far from a lock for a presidential nomination of his own, political observers say.

Fifteen vice presidents have gone on to become president, while eight ascended upon the death of the president. Just a handful were elected to the position in their own right.

JD Vance has certainly launched himself into a place of national prominence, said Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann, who oversees Republicans consequential first-in-the-nation nominating contest every four years in the Hawkeye State. If he becomes our next vice president, and I believe he will, he is in a premium spot of national leadership. But in 2028, I think we will have a robust caucus.

Vance will have a massive platform through the remainder of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he was formally nominated to the ticket Monday.

But the event is also a major showcase of up-and-coming leaders from around the country who could make their own arguments to succeed Trump as the partys standard bearer in 2028.

More: 2028 presidential hopefuls seek to make their mark at Republican National Convention

Political benefits  and drawbacks  of being the VP nominee

The announcement of Vance as Trumps running mate animated and energized convention delegates from around the country, many of whom lined up outside a Fox News studio Monday night to try to catch a glimpse of him emerging.

And the senator is already set to join Trump at a rally in swing-state Michigan this weekend  the first of many such rallies that are expected to fill the coming months ahead of the November election.

He's going to be traveling to states  the battleground states and many other states over the next four months, for sure, Republican political operative Chip Saltsman said. He's certainly going to meet a lot of new donors and all that kind of stuff around the country. So it just really elevates JD Vance into a national leader, as opposed to a senator from Ohio who's a great speaker and smart guy.

But Saltsman, who was a senior adviser to former Vice President Mike Pences 2024 presidential primary campaign, knows that a VP post doesnt always pave the way for a successful independent presidential run.

Pence was a loyal second-in-command to Trump until he broke with the former president over the certification of the 2020 election  a decision that prompted some of Trump's supporters to call for Pence to be hanged as they marched on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pence became a pariah for some members of the party  ostracized both by those who felt he didn't do enough to stand by Trump and by those who felt he was too deeply intertwined with him. Pence failed to gain traction as a candidate and ended his presidential bid well before the first nominating contest.

Still, Saltsman said, he doesnt believe there are pitfalls unique to serving as Trumps vice president.

But generally, vice presidents are required to cede the limelight and their own vision for the country in favor of the presidents, he and others said.

The biggest problem for him is that he would have to take a backseat to President Trump, said Lara Brown, author of, Jockeying for the American Presidency: The Political Opportunism of Aspirants.

She said its also true that sometimes the political winds shift well before a vice president or vice presidential candidate ever gets the chance to forge their own path.

You know, Paul Ryan was an up-and-coming member of the House, somebody with deep policy knowledge, she said. I think there was every expectation that he would have a very long political career. And certainly, I think Paul Ryan represented the future of the Republican Party in 2012 when Mitt Romney selected him (as his running mate). I don't think anyone believed that in 2016 the Republican Party would take such a populist turn.

Former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024.

The best thing Vance can do to boost his stature within the party is to amplify and execute Trumps message, Saltsman said. That can help Vance endear himself to the MAGA base and give him a head start on 2028.

But it's not the only thing that matters, he said. Because there's lots of people that are going to be helping amplify and execute that message, everybody from on the Senate floor to members of the House to governors out in their own states doing their own thing.

JD Vance isnt the only Republican who could lay claim to a post-Trump party

Other could-be candidates are also laying the kind of groundwork that might ultimately lead to a White House run.

On Tuesday, entrepreneur and 2024 primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with the Iowa delegation to the RNC. He greeted the group warmly after holding more public events in the state than any other 2024 contender.

I feel like we built a family in Iowa, he said during his speech, stopping afterward for hugs and photos with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and the states Republican elected officials.

Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who has made repeated visits to Iowa over the past two years, also spoke to the group Tuesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to join them Wednesday. And Kaufmann plans a private sit-down with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week.

Prominent speakers at the convention include U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who considered a run in 2024, and Tim Scott of South Carolina, who did run. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, former U.N. Ambassador and 2024 contender Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy and DeSantis rounded out the second night of speeches.

Almost always it takes really about four to eight years to win the party's nomination and to win the presidency, Brown said.

She pointed to then state Senate candidate Barack Obamas 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention in Boston that helped propel him into the national conversation.

It was literally that night and that speech where he essentially laid down the marker for any delegate or party insider that was not sold on a Hillary Clinton candidacy (in 2008) that he should be the one they look to, Brown said. And that's where I would actually argue that, in 2004, John Edwards lost the nomination.

Barack Obama, candidate for a Senate seat in Illinois and one of the keynote speakers of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, addresses delegates in Boston, Massachusetts on July 27, 2004.

She said these moments of opportunity, well before politicians become candidates, can help cement their place in the minds of voters.

That's why I would say JD Vance's speech, I do think is going to be very important, she said.

Vance is expected to address the convention Wednesday.

In Iowa, party chair Kaufmann said Republicans have been clamoring to hear from Vance well before he was put on any vice-presidential short lists, and he said his team has an open invitation to swing by.

Iowa Republicans said Tuesday after Trumps announcement of Vance that they believe the Ohioan will be well received in their home state as the party looks to the future.

I think he resonates very well in Iowa, said U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents Iowas Third Congressional District. I mean, this is the reality, we get the opportunity not only to showcase what Trump has brought, but I think he's ushering in a new chapter. This is one of the reasons why we're in Milwaukee. We literally get to help write the page of what's going to be the future of America.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-IA, speaks to the crowd during the Roast and Ride program Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

David Barker, a well-known Iowa Republican and convention delegate, said Tuesday that he thinks Vances youth and energy are appealing qualities in a candidate of any kind.

Iowans are always interested in presidential politics, he said. So I don't think it's too early at all to start talking about who can step up to lead in 2028.

USA TODAY reporter Zac Anderson contributed to this report.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: JD Vance is now the MAGA heir-apparent and a favorite for 2028
Comedian Jon Stewart will speak to former Fox News host Bill OReilly during a special live edition of "The Daily Show" on Tuesday after he canceled the airing of his Monday show following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump over the weekend.

Stewart and "The Daily Show" confirmed the Tuesday live airing in a statement on X.

"The Daily Show" was originally set to broadcast directly from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18. Stewart was expected to host a live show on Thursday once the RNC had concluded.

"The Daily Show" posted on X on Tuesday afternoon, saying: "Tuesday just got a case of the Mondays. @jonstewart is back tonight to cover the RNC!"

Here is what viewers need to know ahead of the special live edition of "The Daily Show."

Tuesday just got a case of the Mondays. @jonstewart is back tonight to cover the RNC! pic.twitter.com/hHmQTAQZDS  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 16, 2024

When will 'The Daily Show' air?

The special live edition of "The Daily Show" will air Tuesday on Comedy Central at 11 p.m. ET.

Jon Stewart on Comedy's Central's "The Daily Show" on April 8, 2024.

How can people watch 'The Daily Show?'

Viewers can watch the special live edition of "The Daily Show" by tuning into the Comedy Central channel through their TV providers.

The episode will also be available to stream for Paramount+ subscribers on Wednesday.

How will appear on 'The Daily Show' on Wednesday and Thursday?

Scott Galloway, an NYU Stern School of Business professor, entrepreneur, podcast host and author, will be a guest on Wednesday's edition of the show, according to a release from Comedy Central.

"The Daily Show" will be hosted by the News Team on Thursday, go live following the closing night of the RNC as part of its "Indecision 2024 coverage," and air at 11:30 p.m. ET, Comedy Central said.

The Daily Shows News Team includes comedians Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, and Desi Lydic alongside Dulce Sloan and Lewis Black with new additions Troy Iwata, Grace Kuhlenschmidt and Josh Johnson.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Stewart hosts Bill O'Reilly on live 'Daily Show': How to watch
Renly Andreasen sits in his car seat while his mother drives in an illustration provided by Kids and Car Safety to demonstrate how children can easily be left inside hot cars.

An Arizona man facing a murder charge in the hot car death of his 2-year-old daughter was "distracted by playing video games" and "regularly" left all three of his children alone in a car, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.

Christopher Scholtes, 37, was putting groceries away and playing video games after leaving the toddler in the car for hours amid triple-digit temperatures last week at the family's home in Marana, a town about 100 miles south of Phoenix, court documents show. He's now facing second-degree murder and child abuse charges.

Scholtes told police that his daughter was fast asleep in the car by the time he got home from running errands, telling police that he "did not want to wake her up," court documents show. Scholtes left the car running with air conditioning and "wanted her to remain in the vehicle while she slept," he told police, according to the documents.

The A/C automatically shuts off after 30 minutes, something Scholtes knew, the documents say.

Scholtes didn't realize he had forgotten about leaving his daughter in the hot car until after his wife Erika returned home from work a couple hours later, asking where the toddler was. The couple found the 2-year-old unresponsive and "still strapped in her child restraint system."

They began to perform "life-saving measures" on the girl but were ultimately unable to wake her. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Here's what to know.

Child left in vehicle for multiple hours

Scholtes arrived back at home around 12:53 p.m., a minute after his two other children, ages 5 and 9, arrived at the home. He is seen in video surveillance footage walking from the vehicle to the house by himself, according to court documents.

"Video surveillance obtained does not show Christopher checking on his vehicle or daughter" before Erika got home from work a little after 4 p.m., court records say.

"When she asked where the 2-year-old was, he began to check the rooms of the home and then realized he had left her in the vehicle," according to court documents. A 911 call was placed minutes later.

"The reported temperature was 109 degrees at the time of the call ... Christopher knew that he had left his 2-year-old daughter in the vehicle," court documents state.

No attorney was listed for Scholtes in court records and his number is unlisted. USA TODAY left a message at a number listed for his wife.

A car seat pictured in a vehicle.

Hot car deaths: Child hot car deaths could happen in any family: Tips to prevent summer tragedy

Man admits to wrongdoing over text, faces charges

While the 2-year-old was being transported to the hospital, Scholtes received multiple text messages from Erika, saying that she had reminded him multiple times to "stop leaving them in the car."

Scholtes apologized, writing: "Babe I'm sorry! ... Babe our family. How could I do this. I killed our baby, this can't be real."

Multiple electronics, including a PlayStation, were seized by authorities as part of the ongoing investigation, according to reporting by an ABC affiliate. Scholtes' 2023 Acura MDX was also taken by Marana Police Department detectives, the outlet reported.

A preliminary hearing has been set for Thursday, Aug. 1, which is when official charges will be announced, according to Pima County Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shawndrea Thomas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona dad distracted by video games as daughter died in hot car: Docs
The legal team representing Pvt. Travis King, the US soldier who ran across the border from South to North Korea last year, is in plea negotiations with military prosecutors, according to Kings attorney.

King was expected to appear for a preliminary hearing in a military court, on Tuesday at Fort Bliss, Texas, but it was delayed according to a spokeswoman for the Armys Office of Special Trial Counsel. The spokeswoman said the delay was requested by Kings defense counsel and OSTC didnt object. Rosenblatt told CNN in a phone call on Tuesday that while his team sent the email requesting the delay, it was the result of a joint request from both sides as negotiations are ongoing.

We are negotiating a resolution and because of that, no need to have the [Article 32 hearing] right now, Rosenblatt said, adding that the Article 32 hearing has been delayed for two weeks and would likely not be necessary if a plea agreement is reached.

King is facing eight charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, possession of child pornography, assaulting a noncommissioned officer, and disobeying a superior officer. His case was taken over by the Armys Office of Special Trial Counsel  a new office within each of the military services that handles the prosecution of crimes such as murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and domestic violence  on July 10, the spokesperson for the office, Michelle McCaskill, told CNN.

Rosenblatt declined to provide details of the plea agreement which was first reported by Stars & Stripes.

A spokesperson for OSTC declined to comment on the possibility of a plea deal but said prosecutors did not object to delaying the Article 32 hearing.

Roughly a week before fleeing into North Korea in July 2023, King had been released from a detention facility in South Korea, where hed been held over after an October 2022 incident in which he allegedly pushed and punched a victim in the face at a club in Seoul. The day he crossed the border into North Korea, King was supposed to have boarded a flight back to Texas, but he instead left the airport after US Army escorts left him at the security checkpoint.

King was returned to US custody last September.

Since his return, Rosenblatt said King spent three weeks at the Defense Departments reintegration center, run by US Army South in San Antonio, Texas. He then went to Fort Bliss; when he arrived, Rosenblatt said, King was ordered into pre-trial confinement where he has remained since October 18.

He is now being held in a detention center in New Mexico that is run by a company contracted by the Army, Rosenblatt said.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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Ohio police officers who were in Milwaukee to help with security at the Republican National Convention shot and killed a 43-year-old man Tuesday who local authorities said had knives in both hands and was trying to attack another man.

The officers from Columbus, Ohio, saw a man with two knives involved in an altercation with an unarmed man and went to intervene, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference.

The suspect refused commands to drop the knives and charged the other man, and five officers opened fire, killing the assailant, according to the chief.

Someones life was in danger, Norman said at the news conference. These officers, who are not from this area, took (it) upon themselves to act to save someones life today.

Two knives were recovered at the scene, Norman said. Authorities believe the initial altercation was not related to the convention.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman speaks during a news conference about the police shooting on July 16, 2024. - Alex Brandon/AP

The shooting came a day after the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and just days after former President Donald Trump was injured in an attempted assassination. Law enforcement officials have set up extensive security measures around the convention at the Fiserv Forum.

The shooting happened on the conventions outer security perimeter, within the zone where their officers were assigned, Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant said in a statement.

The chief released video from the body-worn camera of one officer involved in the shooting.

The 31-second video, which begins partially blurred, starts with the officers engaged in a briefing before turning their attention to an altercation involving two men nearby.

Hes got a knife. Yes he does, one officer says in the video.

They immediately draw their weapons and run toward the altercation, yelling at the armed man, Drop the knife! the video shows.

As the officers come near, one man holding something in each hand appears to move toward the other man, the video shows. The officers then shoot at the moving man, and he falls to the ground, the video shows.

Man identified as Samuel Sharpe Jr.

Samuel Sharpe Jr., 43, was fatally shot by police on Tuesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. - Sharpe Family

Samuel Sharpe Jr., 43, is the man fatally shot by police on Tuesday, his sister Angelique Sharpe told CNN.

She said her brother lived in a tent across the street from where the shooting happened. Although shes not sure what led to Tuesdays altercation, she said on Saturday and Tuesday her brother had told his family that some other men had been threatening to kill him and his dog.

I saw the bodycam video. If they were concerned about him having a knife, then tase the guy and take away the knife and figure out whats happening, Angelique Sharpe said. When youre in a physical altercation and youre fighting for your life, youre in that moment. They didnt even give my brother time to react to their commands.

Sharpes sister, who lives in Milwaukee and is a small business owner, told CNN her brother was a devout Bible reader who lived with his mother until January, when he moved out with his dog to live among unhoused people and spread his faith.

He wanted to move down there to read the Bible and share with them that God hasnt forgotten about them, and he wanted to let them know that even though society has forgotten about them, God hasnt forgotten about them, she told CNN. He was a really loving and compassionate person. When he would get money, he would give it away to other people. He was a chill guy who loved God.

Sharpe is survived by his mother and sister.

Mayor and activists react to police shooting

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the shooting was a tragedy that appears to be justified.

Any officer in that same situation where they witness somebody whos going to cause death or serious bodily harm to somebody with a gun or, in this case, with a knife  not just one knife, but two knives  would have taken the exact same action to preserve life, Johnson told CNNs Ryan Young.

The force from Columbus is in Milwaukee to assist with security for the Republican National Convention, but Johnson said the incident had no connection to the convention.

Johnson, a Democrat who has endorsed President Joe Biden for the upcoming election, said Trump called him Tuesday to express appreciation for the citys public safety efforts hosting the convention.

Last year, the US Department of Justice released recommendations for reform of the Columbus Division of Police following a nearly two-year review of its policies. The division requested the review after facing multiple controversies, including criticism over its management of racial justice protests in 2020 and deadly police shootings, including those of Andre Hill and MaKhia Bryant.

The recommendations were aimed at strengthening the police departments relationship with the community and included longer training periods for officers and technology improvements.

The fatal shooting sparked anger and criticism by local activists.

At an evening news conference held by people calling for police accountability, activist Alan Chavoya said, Were not even two days into this RNC and we have a casualty. How is that possible? And guess what, as always, no answers from the MPD. No transparency, no accountability.

We want answers, we want to know why was there an out-of-state police officer in this area in the first place, Pastor Radontae Ashford of the Infinite Church said at the news conference. Theres only two reasons  that any of us that even live in Milwaukee would even be in this area, either for something helpful or something harmful.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin called for a full and transparent investigation into what led up to the shooting.

More than 4,000 additional law enforcement officials are in Milwaukee for the RNC, and weve long feared how this heavy police presence could increase the risk of deadly police encounters, especially by out-of-state officers who dont know and arent accountable to our community, the statement from Executive Director Melinda Brennan read. We offer our condolences to the friends and family of the person killed.

CNNs Andy Rose and Eric Levenson contributed to this story.

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"Project 2025" is not being featured on the main stage of the Republican convention this week, but an active debate about it on the sidelines could still shape the GOP approach to taxes.

That, in turn, could influence how much you and Americas biggest companies pay to Washington in the years ahead.

The sprawling 922-page "Project 2025" was developed by the influential Heritage Foundation and includes a range of plans, including ideas that would dramatically pare back Americas progressive income tax system and shift some of the tax burden onto lower-income Americans.

The document also outlines novel ideas that could gain attention and move beyond conservative tax circles in the months ahead, including a plan for tax-sheltered "universal savings accounts."

At their convention this week, many Republicans sought to focus on their much shorter party platform. That 16-page document promises to make the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts permanent but offers few additional policy details.

But Heritage's efforts were also very much in evidence in Milwaukee and have been a keen focus of political observers after a calamitous debate performance from President Joe Biden and other recent developments seemed to increase the odds of a second Trump term.

Republicans are also seeing their chances improve when it comes to gaining seats on Capitol Hill, which would be crucial to implementing their agenda.

A Heritage Foundation welcome sign is seen at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport to greet delegates arriving for the Republican National Convention. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) (Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images)

Paul Dans is the executive director of Project 2025. He has also been a prominent presence this week and helped lead a six and a hour hour "Policy Fest" put on by Heritage on Monday.

The goal of the Project 2025 is to "bring our movement together," Dans said as the gathering kicked off.

Blueprint for 'a new conservative President'

The project began two and a half years ago as an ambitious effort to both outline detailed policy plans and also compile pre-vetted lists of conservative loyalists ready to quickly staff "a new conservative President," as the Project 2025 book puts it.

The plan is also being eagerly promoted by Biden and his allies for what they call "dangerous" ideas it contains on a range of issues from abortion to reshaping the workforce of the federal government.

"The last thing we need is a president who spent four years in office putting corporations first and the rest of us last, getting back into office to repeat the process on steroids," Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler told reporters this week, also on the sidelines of the GOP convention.

Trump has distanced himself from the effort and called some of the ideas "absolutely ridiculous." However, the effort is run by close allies of the former president who could have prominent roles in a second Trump administration.

On the campaign trail, Trump has been silent on many of these tax ideas. But the proposals are top of mind among many in the party, including Stephen Moore, a top Trump confidant who co-authored the tax section.

In an appearance this week on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid podcast, Moore focused mostly on criticizing Biden plans when the subject turned to taxes.

"We vastly simplified the tax code," he added of the Trump-era tax cuts he helped get enacted in 2017, saying he felt the move had positive economic effects.

"I'd like to see some further cuts," he said of his own preferences.

Moore offers a much more detailed plan in the Project 2025, where he proposes taking things much further both in terms of GOP efforts to simplify and further cut.

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally in Doral, Florida, on July 9. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) (GIORGIO VIERA via Getty Images)

A critical eye to Americas progressive income tax system

The plan was first published as a book back in 2023, and the section on tax policy that begins on page 695 was authored by Moore, William Walton, and David Burton.

It puts forth an overall case that the tax code needs to be simplified and taxes lowered to promote economic prosperity and fund a "limited" government.

Moore is a particularly influential figure in Trumps orbit. He advised Trump throughout his presidency and was nominated in 2019 to serve as a governor of the Federal Reserve, but his candidacy was stalled by bipartisan resistance in the Senate.

Perhaps the most far-reaching idea in the Project 2025 proposal would dramatically scale back Americas progressive income tax system.

America currently has seven tax brackets and a complex web of deductions and individual credits. That would be replaced by just two rates in this plan  15% and 30%  as well as a rewritten tax code "that eliminates most deductions, credits and exclusions."

The 30% rate would kick in at $168,000  to coincide with the point when payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare stop. The idea is to create essentially a flat tax: 15% plus payroll taxes for wages under $168,000  and then 30% for those above.

Writer and economist Stephen Moore addresses the Faith & Freedom 2024 Road to Majority Conference in Washington on June 22. (CHRIS KLEPONIS/AFP via Getty Images) (CHRIS KLEPONIS via Getty Images)

The effect of such a change would clearly be a simpler April filing season for everyone.

But it would also mean a tax increase for less well-to-do Americans who often pay well below 15% and benefit from many existing deductions. The richest Americans currently pay a rate of 37% and so would be likely to see their tax bill decrease.

The left-leaning Center for American Progress has analyzed the plan and estimated that a middle-class family with two children and an annual income of $100,000 would pay $2,600 in additional federal income tax under the plan.

On the other side of the income spectrum, a married couple with two children and earnings of $5 million would enjoy a $325,000 tax cut, the group estimates.

The plan would also implement a tax cut for corporations with a repeal of Biden-era taxes on stock buybacks and financial statement income.

It would also reduce the corporate tax rate  which it describes as Americas "most damaging tax"  to 18% from its current level of 21%.

Trump has offered similar ideas from a recent proposal of a 20% rate when speaking to CEOs to a 15% rate in a Bloomberg interview published this week, while acknowledging of that lower rate "I think that would be, you know, thatd be hard."

A novel new idea: Universal savings accounts

Project 2025 also includes an array of lesser-publicized but nonetheless intriguing ideas that could reshape Americas relationship with taxes and savings.

One such idea would allow taxpayers to put aside money in an account that would then grow tax-free and could be withdrawn at any time.

"The tax treatment of these accounts would be comparable to Roth IRAs," reads the plan.

In a recent conversation with Yahoo Finance, Heritage Foundation budget expert Richard Stern brought up the savings account idea as one that is actively under discussion within the group and could perhaps be a backup plan of sorts if there isnt an appetite for other higher-profile tax efforts.

If other ideas don't prove politically palatable, Stern asked rhetorically, "can we channel some of that into getting these investment accounts?"

Stern notes that the savings idea might be more popular than cutting corporate taxes and is "a way of alleviating some of this pressure where it really helps low- and middle-income families to save."

Staffers at the Project 2025 tent talk to potential voters at the Iowa State Fair in August 2023 in Des Moines. The Project 2025 effort is being led by the Heritage Foundation think tank. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

'A hot topic'

Project 2025 has plenty of other concepts clearly top of mind among many Trump allies who could be in a position this time next year to make policy.

There are business-friendly ideas to make temporary business tax credits signed into law by Trump in 2017 permanent, as well as to limit taxes on business losses.

There are also ideas to lessen the "tax bias against wages" and implement a cap on what benefits employers can offer without taxes.

The plan also mentions an idea that has been floating around conservative circles for years: a national sales tax.

The document also takes aim at the Internal Revenue Service, calling it an "increasingly politicized agency."

Tax collectors have been the target of GOP ire for years, especially after Joe Biden signed into law a wave of new funding for the agency to go after tax cheats.

Without calling for the abolishment of the IRS  as some conservatives have done  the plan calls for cultural and management changes while revoking that $80 billion in additional funding.

Which of these ideas will advance beyond the pages of this document very much remains to be seen.

For now, Stern said, "I wouldn't necessarily bet" on things like universal savings accounts "being a hot topic" at the remainder of this week's convention or in the campaign to follow.

But the ideas are clearly positioned for a close look in the months ahead if there is indeed a second term for Trump.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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After water overtopped a reservoir dam and forced residents of a small Illinois city to evacuate Tuesday morning amid fears the structure could rupture, local officials now say the situation is under control.

Extensive rain on Monday and Tuesday ran over the top of the dam and flooded downstream, which forced the evacuation of residents in Nashville, Illinois, said Alex Haglund, a spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriffs Office.

An estimated 200 residences were considered endanger and at risk of flooding, Haglund said in a news release. First responders helped evacuate residents in the downstream area  some of whom reported waist-high water in their homes  including one woman who required a rescue, Haglund said.

While the immediate danger to those downstream from the dam has been managed, there are still multiple road closures in the area, the release stated, including on Interstate 64 between the Nashville and Ashley exits. Residents are encouraged to stay off the roads, if possible.

Residents are allowed to return to the evacuated areas at this time, if they are comfortable doing so, the Washington County Emergency Management Agency said in a Tuesday night Facebook post.

The agency said the US Army Corps of Engineers had assessed the reservoir for safety, noting, The secondary dam reacted as designed, helping prevent a full dam failure. However, they did note that repairs to the Nashville IL Reservoir will be required, sooner rather than later, to maintain the integrity of the dam.

Local officials had warned the rupture could happen at any moment.

Attention the failure of the Nashville dam is imminent. Please evacuate your home at this time  you need evacuate now! the emergency management agency said in a hasty Facebook post Tuesday morning.

Washington County was under a flash flood warning until 4:30 p.m. CT after the region received over 5 inches of rain in six hours, according to radar estimates from the National Weather Service office in St. Louis.

That level of rain approaches 100-year rainfall frequency  the type of downpour statistically likely to happen only once every century  according to weather records.

Extreme rainfall events like these are becoming more common, and they illustrate the effects of climate change. As the planet warms from fossil fuel pollution, the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, which can then be released as intense rainfall.

After the heavy rain Tuesday morning, another round of heavy precipitation is possible for the region overnight, with a potential break in the heaviest rain later Tuesday afternoon and evening.

There have been no injuries or deaths due to this emergency.

Nashville  home to 3,105 people, according to the US Census Bureau  is in southeast Illinois, about 50 miles east of St. Louis.

On July 26, 2022, a secondary dam on the city reservoir was breached after over four inches of rain fell near Nashville in less than 12 hours, causing a 6-foot breach and flooding nearly 40 acres of land between Ashley, Illinois, and Nashville, according to Washington County records.

CNN has reached out to officials in Nashville and Washington County for updates.

This is a developing story and has been updated.

CNNs Eric Zerkel, Christina Zdanowicz, Sara Smart and CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller contributed to this report

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Day three of the Republican National Convention centered around vice presidential candidate JD Vance as he introduced himself to Republicans as Trump's running mate.

The day was held under the theme of "Make America Strong Once Again."

Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at the convention hall to watch his running mate make his national debut. Other notable speakers included Trump's son and granddaughter and several Gold Star families who expressed their support for the former president.

Despite calls for unity, several speakers spent time bashing President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats on several issues including immigration, crime and Israel.





Latest Developments





Jul 18, 12:24 AM

JD Vance delivers keynote address

PHOTO: Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance gestures as he speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 17, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

Ohio Sen. JD Vance delivered his first speech as Trump's running mate, speaking at length about the former president, including the assassination attempt over the weekend.

"As we meet tonight, we cannot forget that this evening could have been so much different," he started. "Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning."

He urged people to watch the footage of the shooting to get a sense of Trump's character.

"When Donald Trump rose to his feet in that Pennsylvania field, all of America stood with him," he said.

Vance said the Trump he has gotten to know is tough, "but he cares about people."

"He can stand defiant against an assassin one moment and call for national healing the next," he said.

PHOTO: Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He said he is "humbled" and "overwhelmed with gratitude" to officially accept the Republican nomination for vice president and his message to the party is: "We love this country and we are united to win."



Vance got in a few jabs at Biden. He referred to the president as a career politician who, when Vance was in the fourth grade, supported NAFTA, "a bad trade deal that sent countless jobs to Mexico."



He said Biden's economy has given Americans an "inflation crisis."

PHOTO: Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He said America needs a leader who "answers to the working man" and "won't sell out to multinational corporations, but will stand up for American companies and American industries."



"President Trump represents America's last, best hope to restore what it lost and may never be found again," he said.



Trump's vision, Vance said, is "so simple yet so powerful."



"We are done catering to Wall Street. We will commit to the working man," he said. "We are done importing foreign labor. We are going to fight for American citizens and their good jobs and their good wages."



"We are done buying energy from countries that hate us. We are going to get it right here from American workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio and across the country," he continued.



If elected, he said he will be a vice president who "never forgets where he came from."



"I pledge to every American, no matter your party, I will give you everything I have, to serve you, and to make this country a place where every dream you have for yourself, your family and your country will be possible once again," he said toward the end of his speech.





Jul 17, 11:33 PM

People leaving as Vance continues speaking

PHOTO: Republican vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)



Vance is still speaking, but many people are leaving their seats and moving around, some exiting the arena altogether..





Jul 17, 11:20 PM

Crowd cheers for Vance's mother and her sobriety

PHOTO: Beverly Vance on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)



In his speech, JD Vance touched on being raised by his grandmother as his mother struggled with addiction.



"I'm proud to say that tonight my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober," he said, as the crowd gave his mother a standing ovation and chanted, "JD's mom."





Jul 17, 11:14 PM

Crowd engaged, but a little flat as Vance speaks

PHOTO: Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance gestures as he speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 17, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)



At times, the crowd joined into chants of "Joe must go" or "memaw" -- but they're not as enthusiastic as they've been other times this convention, despite the arena being a packed house tonight.



Many people remain seated as he speaks, even some the delegates on the floor.





Jul 17, 10:59 PM

As Vance criticizes Biden, crowd says 'Joe must go'

As Vance went after Biden as a "career politician" and slammed his support for various trade deals over the years, the crowd joined in a "Joe must go" chant.



"I agree," Vance said.





Jul 17, 10:56 PM

What to know about Usha Chilukuri Vance

Usha Chilukuri Vance, J.D. Vance's wife, is expected to introduce her husband as makes his first speech since being named Donald Trump's running mate.



The daughter of Indian immigrants, Chilukuri Vance is an experienced lawyer who has worked for major judicial figures, during her career.



She previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when he sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Judge Amul Thapar, when he was U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

PHOTO: Sen. J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance look on as he is nominated for the office of Vice President on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Chilukuri Vance worked at the firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen, until Monday when she resigned from her position, not long after Vance was named Trump's vice presidential pick.

MORE: Who is Usha Vance? JD Vance's wife leaves law firm after Trump VP announcement

The couple met while they were students at Yale University Law and married in 2014. They have three children.



-ABC News' Leah Sarnoff and Katherine Faulders





Jul 17, 11:51 PM

Usha Vance touts husband before his big speech

Usha Chilukuri Vance was the penultimate speaker of the night and talked personally about their relationship and his work in the Senate.



Chilukuri Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants, talked about how despite their differences she and her husband approached those differences with "curiosity and enthusiasm."

PHOTO: Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of J.D. Vance speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

"Before I knew it, he had become an integral part of my family. A person I could not imagine living without. The JD I knew then is the same JD you see today. Except for that beard," she said to a laughing crowd.

PHOTO: Usha Chilukuri Vance arrives to introduce her husband, Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, on third day of the Republican National Convention, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Evan Vucci/AP)

MORE: Who is Usha Vance? JD Vance's wife leaves law firm after Trump VP announcement

"It is safe to say that neither JD nor I expected to find ourselves in this position. But it is hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream," Chilukuri Vance added as the crowd changed "JD."



"I am grateful to all of you for the trust you have placed in him and in our family," Chilukuri Vance said.





Jul 17, 10:48 PM

Crowd on their feet as JD Vance takes the stage

As Usha Vance introduced her husband, attendees rose out of their seats to give the vice presidential nominee a standing ovation as he walked out to the song America First.





Jul 17, 10:47 PM

This is the biggest speech of Vance's life

Vance is about to speak in primetime at the RNC, live on all three big networks as well as cable news. The stakes are high, as this is the first impression many Americans will have of him. According to a recent YouGov poll, 43 percent of Americans don't have an opinion of Vance -- probably because many of them are hearing about him for the very first time. This speech will be step one in (he hopes) building a positive reputation for himself.



-538's Nathaniel Rakich





Jul 17, 11:47 PM

Donald Trump Jr.: 'On Nov. 5, we will fight with our vote'

After introducing his daughter, Kai Trump, at the RNC, Donald Trump Jr. praised the teen for her "incredible work" then said, "Now back to business."



He began his speech addressing the assassination attempt on Trump at Saturday's rally.



"Just days ago, something that once seemed unimaginable became a terrifying reality," he said. "My father came under literal fire as an incredible patriotic rally turned into a tragedy. On a field in Butler, Pennsylvania, a brave firefighter died, others were injured, and as those bullets rained down, we came millimeters away from one of the darkest moments in our nation's history."

PHOTO: Donald Trump Jr., son of former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He then went after the Biden administration.

"Remember 'Build Back Better?' Instead, we got broke, bumbling Biden," he said. "Nothing is built, nothing is back, and nothing is better. Bridges are collapsing, our credibility is crumbling and our money is worth less and less every single day."

With a photo of Trump with his fist raised at the rally following the shooting on display, Donald Trump Jr. led the crowd in a chant of "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"And we will fight. We will fight. We will fight with our voices. We will fight with our ideas and on Nov. 5, we will fight with our vote," he said, positing the election as a choice between "America first" and "America last."

Click here to read the rest of the blog.
This is a KFF Health News story.

Rural regions like the one surrounding this southern Iowa town used to have a lot more babies, and many more places to give birth to them.

At least 41 Iowa hospitals have shuttered their labor and delivery units since 2000. Those facilities, representing about a third of all Iowa hospitals, are located mostly in rural areas where birth numbers have plummeted. In some Iowa counties, annual numbers of births have fallen by three-quarters since the height of the baby boom in the 1950s and '60s, when many rural hospitals were built or expanded, state and federal records show.

Similar trends are playing out nationwide, as hospitals struggle to maintain staff and facilities to safely handle dwindling numbers of births. More than half of rural U.S. hospitals now lack the service.

MORE: Baby boom or baby bust? Pandemic could have lasting effect on birth rates.

"People just aren't having as many kids," said Addie Comegys, who lives in southern Iowa and has regularly traveled 45 minutes each way for prenatal checkups at Oskaloosa's hospital this summer. Her mother had six children, starting in the 1980s, when big families didn't seem so rare.

"Now, if you have three kids, people are like, 'Oh my gosh, are you ever going to stop?'" said Comegys, 29, who is expecting her second child in late August.

PHOTO: Obstetrician and gynecologist Taylar Swartz uses an ultrasound scanner to check the health of Addie Comegys' baby on May 30, 2024. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)

These days, many Americans choose to have small families or no children at all. Modern birth control methods help make such decisions stick. The trend is amplified in small towns when young adults move away, taking any childbearing potential with them.

Hospital leaders who close obstetrics units often cite declining birth numbers, along with staffing challenges and financial losses. The closures can be a particular challenge for pregnant women who lack the reliable transportation and flexible schedules needed to travel long distances for prenatal care and birthing services.

The baby boom peaked in 1957, when about 4.3 million children were born in the United States. The annual number of births dropped below 3.7 million by 2022, even though the overall U.S. population nearly doubled over that same period.

West Virginia has seen the steepest decline in births, a 62% drop in those 65 years, according to federal data. Iowa's births dropped 43% over that period. Of the state's 99 counties, just four -- all urban or suburban -- recorded more births.

Births have increased in only 13 states since 1957. Most of them, such as Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, are places that have attracted waves of newcomers from other states and countries. But even those states have had obstetrics units close in rural areas.

MORE: Post-pandemic baby boom and fertility consults via Zoom: How COVID-19 is affecting pregnancy plans

In Iowa, Oskaloosa's hospital has bucked the trend and kept its labor and delivery unit open, partly by pulling in patients from 14 other counties. Last year, the hospital even managed the rare feat of recruiting two obstetrician-gynecologists to expand its services.

The publicly owned hospital, called Mahaska Health, expects to deliver 250 babies this year, up from about 160 in previous years, CEO Kevin DeRonde said.

"It's an essential service, and we needed to keep it going and grow it," DeRonde said.

Many of the U.S. hospitals that are now dropping obstetrics units were built or expanded in the mid-1900s, when America went on a rural-hospital building spree, thanks to federal funding from the Hill-Burton Act.

"It was an amazing program," said Brock Slabach, chief operations officer for the National Rural Health Association. "Basically, if you were a county that wanted a hospital, they gave you the money."

PHOTO: The Mahaska Health hospital in Oskaloosa, Iowa, includes a building built in 1928. The facility was expanded in the 1960s, during a rural-hospital building boom fueled by federal incentives. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)

Slabach said that in addition to declining birth numbers, obstetrics units are experiencing a drop in occupancy because most patients go home after a night or two. In the past, patients typically spent several days in the hospital after giving birth.

Dwindling caseloads can raise safety concerns for obstetrics units.

A study published in JAMA in 2023 found that women were more likely to suffer serious complications if they gave birth in rural hospitals that handled 110 or fewer births a year. The authors said they didn't support closing low-volume units, because that could lead more women to have complications related to traveling for care. Instead, they recommended improving training and coordination among rural health providers.

Stephanie Radke, a University of Iowa obstetrics and gynecology professor who studies access to birthing services, said it is almost inevitable that when rural birth numbers plunge, some obstetrics units will close. "We talk about that as a bad event, but we don't really talk about why it happens," she said.

Radke said maintaining a set number of obstetrics units is less important than ensuring good care for pregnant women and their babies. It's difficult to maintain quality of care when the staff doesn't consistently practice deliveries, she said, but it is hard to define that line. "What is realistic?" she said. "I don't think a unit should be open that only delivers 50 babies a year."

MORE: Teen births in US fall to record low, as overall total drops by 2%: CDC

In some cases, she said, hospitals near each other have consolidated obstetrics units, pooling their resources into one program that has enough staffers and handles sufficient cases. "You're not always really creating a care desert when that happens," she said.

The decline in births has accelerated in many areasin recent years. Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor and demographer at the University of New Hampshire, said it is understandable that many rural hospitals have closed obstetrics units. "I'm actually surprised some of them have lasted as long as they have," he said.

Johnson said rural areas that have seen the steepest population declines tend to be far from cities and lack recreational attractions, such as mountains or large bodies of water. Some have avoided population losses by attracting immigrant workers, who tend to have larger families in the first generation or two after they move to the U.S., he said.

Katy Kozhimannil, a University of Minnesota health policy professor who studies rural issues, said declining birth numbers and obstetric unit closures can create a vicious cycle. Fewer babies being born in a region can lead a birthing unit to shutter. Then the loss of such a unit can discourage young people from moving to the area, driving birth numbers even lower.

In many regions, people with private insurance, flexible schedules and reliable transportation choose to travel to larger hospitals for their prenatal care and to give birth, Kozhimannil said. That leaves rural hospitals with a larger proportion of patients on Medicaid, a public program that pays about half what private insurance pays for the same services, she said.

PHOTO: Obstetrician Taylar Swartz visits with patient Addie Comegys and her husband, Jeff Comegys, who had traveled 45 minutes to the Mahaska Health hospital in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for a prenatal checkup. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)

Iowa ranks near the bottom of all states for obstetrician-gynecologists per capita. But Oskaloosa's hospital hit the jackpot last year, when it recruited Taylar Swartz and Garth Summers, a married couple who both recently finished their obstetrics training. Swartz grew up in the area, and she wanted to return to serve women there.

She hopes the number of obstetrics units will level off after the wave of closures. "It's not even just for delivery, but we need access just to women's health care in general," she said. "I would love to see women's health care be at the forefront of our government's mind."

Swartz noted that the state has only one obstetrics training program, which is at the University of Iowa. She said she and her husband plan to help spark interest in rural obstetrics by hosting University of Iowa residency rotations at the Oskaloosa hospital.

Comegys, a patient of Swartz's, could have chosen a hospital birthing center closer to her home, but she wasn't confident in its quality. Other hospitals in her region had shuttered their obstetrics units. She is grateful to have a flexible job, a reliable car and a supportive family, so she can travel to Oskaloosa for checkups and to give birth there. She knows many other women are not so lucky, and she worries other obstetrics units are at risk.

"It's sad, but I could see more closing," she said.

Rural hospitals built during baby boom now face baby bust originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Special counsel Jack Smith said Wednesday that he is appealing a judges decision to throw out the indictment against Donald Trump concerning his handling of classified documents.

The special counsel team filed a notice of appeal, the initial procedural mechanism that sets the appeal in motion, on Wednesday, just two days after US District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the prosecution and well ahead of the 30-day deadline the prosecutors faced for bringing the appeal.

This means the shock ruling would be reviewed by judges from the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals based in Atlanta.

The two-page filing from Smiths team did not indicate whether the prosecutors will seek to speed up the appeals process.

Though the appellate court is conservative-leaning, with half of the full-time judges being appointed personally by Trump, some of its rulings have defied the courts ideological tilt.

A three-judge panel ruled against Cannon on a critical legal matter earlier in the Trump documents investigation. The three GOP appointees on that panel unanimously overturned her decision to appoint a special master to review the materials that the FBI seized during their raid of Mar-a-Lago in summer 2022.

In another notable ruling, the appeals court last year unanimously rejected former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows attempt to move his Georgia election subversion criminal case to federal court. That decision was penned by a conservative judge who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.

Cannon in her ruling on Monday had said that Smiths appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, warranting the dismissal of the case against Trump.

Another court will weigh the legality of special counsels

Cannons dismissal decision brought to an end  at least for now  the criminal proceedings that had been inching along in her Fort Pierce, Florida, courtroom since the charges were brought last summer.

The former president was charged with 32 counts of unlawfully retaining national defense information and another eight counts related to his alleged obstruction of the federal probe into the documents. Smith additionally charged two of Trumps employees  his personal valet, Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira  for allegedly assisting in the obstruction scheme.

The case was one of four criminal cases brought against the former president last year. Unlike the other cases, which relied on somewhat novel legal theories targeting Trumps conduct in the 2016 and 2020 elections, the documents case was seen as more straightforward for how it resembled prosecutions the Justice Department brings routinely against current and former government officials who mishandle sensitive documents.

But prosecutors encountered many hurdles in how Cannon presided over the case, culminating in her bombshell ruling on Monday invalidating Smiths appointment. Her decision was at odds with the rulings of judges across the country that rejected attacks on the legality of special counsel appointments.

But Cannons legal rationale  in which she concluded that Congress had not passed any laws giving Attorney General Merrick Garland the authority to appoint a special counsel like Smith  was foreshadowed by a concurring opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the high courts recent presidential immunity case. Thomas raised similar concerns about the constitutionality of Smiths appointment, though no other justices joined him in the concurrence, which he wrote in a dispute arising from the election subversion case Smith election brought in Washington, DC.

The entire Supreme Court may eventually be forced to weigh in, particularly if the 11th Circuit agrees with Cannon, which would stand to create a so-called circuit split with a previous ruling from the federal appeals court in DC upholding the departments use of a special counsel. Absent a move to speed the appeal in the Trump documents case, it will likely take several months for the appeal to play out in the Atlanta-based appeals court.

This case will be the first instance that the 11th Circuit, which oversees federal appeals from Florida, Alabama and Georgia, confronts the question.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of execution less than an hour before a Texas inmate was set to die by lethal injection, a "devastating" development for the family of the victim in the case and a "hopeful" one for the man who got the reprieve.

Ruben Gutierrez, 47, was scheduled to be executed Tuesday just after 6 p.m. CT before the high court issued the stay pending a lower court ruling regarding the inmate's arguments over DNA testing.

Though it wasn't immediately clear how long the delay would be, or even whether it would ever go forward, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Hannah Haney told USA TODAY shortly after the ruling: "There will not be an execution tonight."

Shawn Nolan, Gutierrez's attorney, said the stay would get him and his client one step closer to proving something they have known all along.

"Mr. Gutierrez has been requesting DNA testing for more than a decade to prove he did not kill the victim in this case," Nolan said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Nolan says he and Gutierrez are "hopeful" that now the court has stepped in to stop the execution, they will be able to "ultimately accomplish the DNA testing to prove that Mr. Gutierrez should not be executed now or in the future.

Here's what you need to know about the case:

Ruben Gutierrez is set to be executed for his participation in the robbery and murder of an elderly woman on Tuesday, July 16.

Ruben Gutierrez's conviction and DNA testing argument

Gutierrez was sentenced to death in the 1998 murder of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison, a retired schoolteacher described by her nephew in an interview with USA TODAY as a pillar of the community and someone "everybody loved."

Gutierrez acknowledged planning to rob Harrison but has always maintained he was outside her house when the two men he was with went inside. He says that he never thought things would turn violent and that DNA testing could exonerate him, something he has been repeatedly denied during the appeals process.

Saenz disputed Gutierrez's claims, telling USA TODAY last week that his efforts were merely a delay tactic. His office wrote in court records this month that "Gutierrez purposefully forewent DNA testing at his trial in 1999."

"And he has leveraged that strategic decision for the last 20 years to delay enforcement of his sentence," they said.

Saenz was "very disappointed, very sad and very upset" for the family after Tuesday's delay and told USA TODAY that they are "revictimized" every time Gutierrez has been able to delay the punishment that was imposed on him legally.

Gutierrez has been issued seven death warrants since 2018 and spent more than 575 days on death watch, his attorneys have said. Each time, his execution has been called off, largely over clerical issues.

"Here we go again," Saenz said Tuesday. "We did this four years ago and I found that to be very disheartening to the family. And here we are four years later. Deja vu. It's sickening to the family. They get revictimized over and over again. When is it going to stop?"

Saenz says he "will continue to fight" until Gutierrez is held accountable.

"All that does is reinvigorate me," he said. "All that does is motivate me to double down and to do what I have to do to so that someday, in the near future, the Harrison family will see justice for Escolastica, which is what they've been waiting for and wanting now for 25 years."

Ruben Gutierrez's execution stay is 'devastating,' nephew says

Harrison's nephew Alex Hernandez was waiting for the execution to begin when he received a phone call from Saenz about 20 minutes before the lethal injection. Saenz informed him of the last-minute stay.

"It was just devastating," Hernandez told USA TDOAY. "It's like: Come on, you know. This is the third time we've jumped through all their hoops and done everything that they've asked. And now you're telling us that it's not going to happen. I mean it's just numbing, devastating, unbelievable.

"I feel just defeated. I know it's not over yet, but at this moment I feel defeated."

Hernandez thought he was going to be able to lay the case to rest, but instead has continue to live with the memory of what happened to Harrison, who was his beloved "Aunt Peco."

"If it had gone through, I would've gone home, prayed over it, thought about it for a while put it to rest, think about my Aunt Peco and be happy now that all this is done and move on with my life," he said. "But now I have to think about her killer again every day."

Hernandez questions why his family has yet to receive justice and wonders whether they ever will.

"When's it going to happen? Why hasn't it happened yet? Is going to happen ever?" he said. "He was convicted. How are you telling me 'Look at the case again'? For what? It doesn't make sense."

Hernandez believes Gutierrez's pleas for DNA testing are bogus and says he believes Gutierrez is just trying to "buy time."

"He's scared to die. He left crying. He left the room crying in tears, saying 'Thank God,'" he said. "How do you think my aunt felt being stabbed 13-14 times with screwdrivers by people she was acquainted with? How do you think she felt?"

Robert Harrison and Escolastica Harrison attend sister Estella Cuellar Perez's 1986 wedding.

Escolastica Harrison enjoying retirement when attacked at home

Harrison was enjoying retirement after decades of juggling her job as a schoolteacher and managing a trailer park that served as a "stepping stone" for struggling residents, Hernandez told USA TODAY.

At the time of her death, another of Harrison's nephews, Avel Cuellar, had been living with her to help her around the trailer park after her husband died. Gutierrez, a friend of Cuellar's, hung around Harrison's trailer park often, drinking and socializing.

Gutierrez, a 21-year-old married father of two at the time, befriended Harrison and would run errands for her, eventually learning that she kept a lot of cash in her home, according to court records.

Gutierrez and two other men  Rene and Pedro Garcia  went to Harrison's home to rob her on Sept. 5, 1998.

The accounts of what happened in her home that night vary. Gutierrez says he waited outside and had no idea things would get violent. Regardless, Harrison ended up face down in a pool of blood after having been beaten and stabbed about 13 times, court records say. Though Gutierrez thought Harrison had $600,000 in the home, it's unclear how much money the men made away with. Prosecutors say it was at least $56,000.

Hernandez said it was his mother's dying wish that he make sure Gutierrez is executed. He had been set to be among the witnesses at Tuesday's execution.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court halts Texas execution of Ruben Gutierrez
Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost crossed the finish line alone in Superdevoluy to win Stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France on Wednesday.

The victory was Carapazs first career Tour de France stage win. The 31-year-old has now completed the coveted career Grand Tour triple with six previous stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

"This victory means everything!" Carapaz said. "Ive been trying to get it since the start of the Tour."

Carapaz made history as the first Ecuadorian man to win a Tour stage.

Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost wins stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France.

"I'm proud to be here and represent all of America in the best possible way," Carapaz said.

Approaching the foot of the Alps, a four-man breakaway of Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Bob Jungels (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) made the first decisive move approximately 35 miles into the race. Unable to join the first group, Carapaz, alongside Wednesdays runner-up Simon Yates of Jayco AlUla, led a second 48-rider breakout group in hot pursuit. As the race entered the Alps, Carapazs strength on the climbs proved too much to handle and the Ecuadorian reached the finish 37 seconds ahead of Yates.

"It was a very difficult day, with a lot of attacks, but in the end, a large group formed, I was able to come out at the right time and I managed to get this result which I will remember forever, Carapaz said. "I really made the most of the moment."

The leading general classification trio of Tadej Pogacar, Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard and Belgiums Remco Evenepoel continuously tested each other on the final summit climbs, with Evenepoel prevailing and gaining 10 seconds on Pogacar and 12 on Vingegaard. The general classification leaderboard remains unchanged, though, as Pogacar retains the yellow jersey with a three-minute-and-11-second lead over second-place Vingegaard.

Evenepoel said his attention was focused on maintaining his position in the general classification standings rather than gaining ground on the pair ahead of him. The Belgian 24-year-old has already established a clear eight-minute-and-21-second lead in the white jersey standings, awarded to the best young rider.

"I took back 10 seconds from Tadej and Jonas, but that wasnt the goal, Evenepoel said after Stage 17. I remain focused on my place on the podium. I'm good where I am, but it allowed me to gain a little time on those behind me."

The battle for the green jersey is also nearing its close with current wearer Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Intermarche-Wanty gaining one point on second-place Jasper Philipsen. Girmays lead of 33 points should be enough to secure the Eritreans win with just mountainous, hilly and time-trial stages remaining before the July 21 finale in Nice.

Girmay, who sustained injuries after crashing at high speed on the approach to yesterdays finish line, said his knee and elbow, which needed stitches yesterday, were in pain throughout todays stage. However, Girmay said he is motivated now more than ever to have a strong finish to the Tour.

"You have to show the fighting spirit and if you are mentally strong nothing can stop you, Girmay said. "I already said to my team yesterday, Dont worry its not yet finished and well give it everything, just fight until Nice."

Tour de France Stage 17 results

Position Rider Times Gap 1 Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) 04h 06' 13'' - 2 Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla) 04h 06' 50'' + 00h 00' 37'' 3 Enric Mas (Movistar) 04h 07' 10'' + 00h 00' 57'' 4 Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) 04h 07' 57'' + 00h 01' 44'' 5 Oscar Onley (Team DSMFirmenich PostNL) 04h 07' 57'' + 00h 01' 44'' 6 Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) 04h 08' 49'' + 00h 02' 36'' 7 Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) 04h 08' 51'' + 00h 02' 38'' 8 Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) 04h 08' 52'' + 00h 02' 38'' 9 Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) 04h 08' 52'' + 00h 02' 38'' 10 Alex Aranburu Deva (Movistar) 04h 08' 52'' + 00h 02' 38''

TOUR DE FRANCE: Recap, results and standings after Stage 16

Tour de France general classification standings after Stage 17

Position Rider Times Gap 1 Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 70h 21' 27'' - 2 Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) 70h 24' 38'' + 00h 03' 11'' 3 Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) 70h 26' 36'' + 00h 05' 09'' 4 Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) 70h 34' 24'' + 00h 12' 57'' 5 Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) 70h 34' 51'' + 00h 13' 24'' 6 Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS Grenadiers) 70h 34' 57'' + 00h 13' 30'' 7 Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) 70h 37' 08'' + 00h 15' 41'' 8 Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) 70h 39' 18'' + 00h 17' 51'' 9 Derek Gee (Israel - Premier Tech) 70h 39' 42'' + 00h 18' 15'' 10 Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) 70h 40' 02'' + 00h 18' 35''

Tour de France jersey standings after Stage 17

Yellow (general classification) : Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

Green (points classification): Biniam Girmay (Intermarche - Wanty)

Polka dot (mountains classification): Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates); worn by Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in second place

White (young rider classification): Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)

Yellow numbers (teams classification): UAE Team Emirates

Golden numbers (combativity award): Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ)

Tour de France Stage 18: How to watch, schedule, distance

Date: Thursday, July 18, 2024

Location: Gap to Barcelonnette (France)

Distance: 111.5 miles (179.5 km)

Type: Hilly stage

Streaming: Peacock, FuboTV

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesnt influence our coverage.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tour de France standings, results after Richard Carapaz wins Stage 17
BANGKOK (AP)  Initial autopsy results showed traces of cyanide in the blood of six Vietnamese and American guests at a central Bangkok luxury hotel and one of them is believed to have poisoned the others over a bad investment, Thai authorities said Wednesday.

The bodies were found Tuesday in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, a landmark at a central intersection in the capital busy with malls, government buildings and public transit.

The six had last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room Monday afternoon. The staff saw one woman receive the food, and security footage showed the rest arriving one by one shortly after. There were no other visitors, no one was seen leaving and the door was locked. A maid found them Tuesday afternoon when they failed to check out of the room.

Upon entering the room, hotel staff found that food ordered from the previous day was left untouched, with some servings of fried rice still under plastic wrap. While the food was untouched, several used teacups were on a nearby table, next to two thermoses.

Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan, chief of the Thai police force's forensic division, said there were traces of cyanide in the cups and thermoses police found.

Initial results from autopsies of the six bodies, performed at Bangkoks Chulalongkorn Hospital, were shared later Wednesday. Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, head of the forensic medicine department at Chulalongkorn Universitys medical school, said at a news conference that there was cyanide found in the blood of all six, and a CAT scan showed no signs of blunt force trauma, reinforcing the hypothesis that they had been poisoned.

Chulalongkorns dean of medicine, Chanchai Sittipunt, said the team knew enough from the cyanide to determine it was likely the cause of death.

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals, and said they were three men and three women. Their ages ranged from 37 to 56, according to Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkok deputy police chief. He said the case appeared to be personal and would not impact the safety of tourists.

A husband and wife among the dead had invested about 10 million baht ($278,000) with two of the others, and that could be a motive, said Noppasin, citing information obtained from relatives. The investment was meant to build a hospital in Japan and the group might have been meeting to settle the matter. Police say one killed the rest but did not say which of the six was the suspect.

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang said Tuesday that four bodies were in the living room and two in the bedroom. He said two bodies appeared to have tried reaching for the door but collapsed before they could.

Noppasin said Wednesday that a seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was a sibling of one of the six and left Thailand on July 10. Police believe the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.

The Vietnamese and United States embassies have been contacted over the deaths, and the American FBI was en route, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said.

This wasnt an act of terrorism or a breach in security. Everything is fine," he said.

Trairong said a mass suicide was unlikely because some of them had arranged future parts of their trip, such as guides and drivers. He added that the bodies being in different parts of the hotel room suggested they did not knowingly consume poison and wait for their deaths together.

U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Matthew Miller in Washington offered condolences to the families of the dead. He said the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and would communicate with local authorities. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Thai counterpart Tuesday, but Miller said he thought that call happened before the deaths were reported and he didnt know if it came up in their conversation.

The five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan is one of Bangkok's landmark hotels. The eponymous Erawan Shrine that sits on the corner of its block has been a major tourist draw ever since it was erected on the advice of astrologers during the hotel's construction in 1956 to ward off bad karma.

Visitors worship the shrine, requesting divine intervention on issues from relationship troubles to exam preparation. The shrine was the target of a 2015 bombing that killed 20 people and injured more than 100.

In 2023, Thailand was rocked by reports of a serial killer who poisoned 15 people with cyanide over a span of years. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, or Am Cyanide as she would later be called, killed at least 14 people who she owed money to and became the countrys first female serial killer. One person survived.
The pairing is a "necessary and important step" to save the red-fronted macaw, a Twycross Zoo employee said

getty Two red-fronted macaws (stock image)

At Twycross Zoo, love is literally in the air!

The zoo and conservation charity in Leicestershire, England, is taking blind dating to the next level to save a species of parrot whose population is dwindling, it announced in a press release on July 8.

The red-fronted macaws  a rare and endangered species of parrots native to Bolivia  recently arrived at the facility and were paired off in hopes that they breed, per the release. They came from different U.K. zoos, the male from Scotlands Edinburgh Zoo and the female from Welsh Mountain Zoo in Wales.

Related: 'Potty-Mouthed' Parrot Named Pepper Looking for a New Home: 'He Swears  but Only a Little'

According to the American Bird Conservancy, the species, a national symbol of pride and identity in Bolivia, is experiencing a rapid population decline. With less than 300 in the wild, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has them categorized as "critically endangered, Twycross noted.

But if a love match arises at the English zoo, everything could change.

Rhys McKie, a Twycross employee who was working at Edinburgh Zoo when the male macaw was born, said that its always an exciting day when a new animal arrives. However, given the importance of the birds' prospective union  plus his reunion with the male  their entrance is particularly special.

getty Two red-fronted macaws (stock image)

"When he hatched last year, it was the first time in over 15 years that the species had been successfully bred at the zoo, McKie, an assistant bird curator, said of the male macaw. So, to now give him a home at Twycross Zoo where he will continue the conservation journey and hopefully breed more of this rare species, is very momentous for me.

Related: 4 of the Worlds Most Endangered Wolf Pups Born at the St. Louis Zoo: 'Each Birth Is an Achievement'

Twycrosss director of conservation, Dr. Rebecca Biddle, underscored the significance of the birds potential offspring.

Im delighted to welcome a brand-new breeding pair to the zoo, Biddle said. Im so proud to see Twycross Zoo leading the way for the conservation of this incredibly important species.

Bringing the birds together to hopefully facilitate breeding further down the line, she added, is a necessary and important step to save this species.

As of Tuesday, July 16, Twycross Zoo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's inquiry about the parrots' romantic status.

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.

Regardless of whether sparks fly between the birds  which the zoo dubbed its hottest new couple  McKie said he is excited for visitors to soak in their beauty.

The species stands out for their bright red forehead of feathers and long blue-green tail," he said, adding that in the wild, the birds can only be found in a small semi-desert, mountainous region of Bolivia, making them unique amongst macaws.

Im looking forward to our visitors getting the chance to see them and our other stunning parrot species in our parrot habitat, he added.



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When Nicole and Casey welcomed their firstborn after years of infertility, they were overjoyed. Their miracle baby, Teddy, was a dream come true. But Casey was also nervous about the big surprise he had in store for Nicole.

Watch the video above to see a new dad shock his wife with a gift from the heart!

Nicole and Casey's story began in Texas, where they met in a high school college prep class. Their connection was instant. After navigating a long-distance relationship through college, they moved to Florida together. When they returned to Texas, Casey was ready to propose. Along with the ring, he surprised Nicole with a thoughtful book documenting their journey.

I feel like that was the beginning of his writing, said Nicole. He's always been quite the writer and would always write me poems and really cute things in high school.

After they married, the newlyweds couldnt wait to start a family, but the road ahead was rocky.

After struggling with infertility for years, the couple decided to move across the country to Boston to seek the best IVF doctors. Without the support of their friends and family, all they had was each other.

The process was challenging and emotional for both of them, but the hardest part for Casey was seeing Nicole go through the IVF treatment. The medication and hormone injections made her sick many times.

"There was a lot of low points physically and then emotionally and spiritually, Casey said. "Having to see her go through that was pretty tough for me."

When they learned they were expecting a baby, Casey decided to expand upon the book he had written for his proposal. What began as a single chapter evolved into a charming childrens book, crafted with dedication and love.

On the night Teddy was born, Nicole and Casey sat together in the hospital room after putting Teddy to sleep. Nervously, Casey asked Nicole if she'd like to share a bedtime story.

So much time and effort went into the book," he said. "I was hoping she would like it.

For Nicole, the gift was beyond special for her. I feel like you hear about women getting push presents and they get these extravagant, expensive gifts, she said.  But I feel like this is something that just takes it to a whole other level.

Nicole hopes the book will create a community and provide hope for others struggling with infertility.

There's a community of women and couples that go through it all the time, Nicole said. And I think the book really shows that.

Watch the video below to hear more from Casey and Nicole about their emotional journey!

Humankind is your go-to spot for good news! Click here to submit your uplifting, cute, or inspiring video moments for us to feature. Also, click here to subscribe to our newsletter bringing our top stories of the week straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wife sheds happy tears over husband's ode to their long-awaited baby
He may not like it, but President Joe Biden has a new messaging strategist: Republicans.

After Saturday's shooting at a Donald Trump rally that wounded the former president and Republican nominee, a host of Republicans have accused Democrats and President Biden of engaging in dangerous rhetoric, blaming them for the attempt on Trump's life.

Tired of Democrats calling them autocrats, dismissing their policies as a threat to democracy and being blamed for violent political rhetoric, these Republicans see a chance to flip the script on Biden and his main campaign message.

Trump's newly named vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, immediately blamed Biden Saturday night in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Today is not just some isolated incident," Vance wrote less than two hours after Trump was shot. "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."

Today is not just some isolated incident.



The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.



That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.  J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 14, 2024

Law enforcement is still investigating and say the shooter's motive is still unknown.

For months, a central message of Biden's campaign has been that putting Trump back in power threatens American democracy. But some Republicans are hoping that fallout from the shooting muffles the Biden campaign's message.

"He gave a speech about national unity the other night, and yet his only campaign message so far has been histrionics around the threats to democracy, so he faces a fork in the road with two poor choices," said Vivek Ramaswamy, a one-time presidential candidate and former potential VP pick. "One is doubling down on his histrionics, in which case he's not following his own advice. The other alternative is he doesn't have a campaign message."

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter is dead after injuring former U.S. President Donald Trump, killing one audience member and injuring another in the shooting.

On CBS News, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller faulted Biden for pivoting back to his campaign message after addressing the shooting.

"Even when you look at Joe Biden, as he was talking about how terrible it was, this assassination attempt, then he immediately started pivoting to things like J-6th, Paul Pelosi," he said. "Lets put all of that aside, lets go and focus on what we do to actually help people now."

More: RNC 2024 live updates: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio set to give speeches

On Monday, Biden in an NBC News interview acknowledged he made a "mistake" by saying in a private call with donors it was time to put a "bullseye" on Trump, but he pushed back on the idea that calling Trump a threat to Democracy led to harm.

"How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?" Biden said. "Look, I've not engaged in that rhetoric. Now, my  opponent has engaged in that rhetoric."

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker speaks at a Biden-Harris press conference on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

In a Tuesday morning press conference, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said it isn't enough to just call for cooling inflammatory rhetoric.

"In this time, look for leaders that lead with love. Look for people that don't just say, 'tamp down the rhetoric.  Support the people that know that even though you don't vote for me, you're not my enemy, he said.

Trump's role in helping foment the current divisive rhetoric can't be simply wiped away as the GOP tries to set a new tone for the election, said Barbara Perry, co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at University of Virginias Miller Center.

"Based in Charlottesville, I am only too aware that the 45th presidents first year in office was marked by a Nazi invasion of this university town and that his last month as president saw a MAGA invasion of the U.S. Capitol to overturn the 2020 election results," Perry said. "Violence begets violence."

Trump has frequently attacked Biden and his administration and has called for retribution against critics throughout the election cycle. He's said that there'd be a "bloodbath" if he lost the 2024 election, pledged to pardon rioters charged with injuring police officers while attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, mocked a hammer attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband and repeatedly called for his critics to be tried.

It's  not violent rhetoric to warn that Trump is a threat to our democracy and wants to be our dictator, said David Cay Johnston who has written several books on Trump.

Will Republicans' new messaging tactic work?

Associate Professor of Political Science at Roanoke College Justin Garrison wasn't surprised Republicans are trying to dictate what it is acceptable for Biden to say.

"Theres a political advantage to be had if you can control the (opposing) partys message, he said.

For decades, both parties campaigned on the common ground that America is inherently a good place to live, he said. But since 2016, he's seen a shift to the point where every election is a battle for the "soul of America," rather than the best route to making the country better.

More: Donald Trump Jr says his father is a changed man after shooting, expects him to 'moderate'

He's not sure that a middle ground is possible when both parties have drawn such a stark contrast.

"The rhetoric at times is apocalyptic, and there is no super hero movies where the end of the world is moderate, Garrison said.

A redefining moment for Donald Trump?

Delegates in Milwaukee hope a change in rhetoric from Biden would give Trump an opportunity to redefine himself to voters.

A lot of the country, people who don't pay attention like we do, they just see him as evil because that's all they hear from the idiot box all day," Al Couillard, 65, of Florida said. "You know President Biden, when he got sworn into the office, he promised the country that he was going to be a unifier. And then he gave the red speech with the red flags behind him, he constantly calls us a threat to democracy and MAGA friends. I've been around a long time, and I haven't seen a Democratic Party so divisive to the rest of the country."

Delegates cheer former President Donald Trump during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.

Dehumanizing rhetoric in general has gone too far, Robert Morgan, 30, of Manhattan said.

I just feel that the demonization of Donald Trump has gotten to levels that contributed to a climate where clearly somebody who was mentally unstable might have thought that this was a good idea," Morgan said.

It also perhaps resets the conversations in their own lives as well.

"I have people in my personal life that used to be very good friends that won't even talk to me because they know where I'm standing politically," Jon Gruber, 60, of Altoona, Iowa, said. "That's just crazy."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP sees Trump shooting as a chance to block Biden campaign message


Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the Opposition, especially the Congress, for creating false narratives in the country over employment generation. He said that those creating false narratives are enemies of the countrys development.

Modi was on his first visit to Mumbai after taking the oath of office for the third term. He laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects related to the road, railways and port sectors worth more than '29,400 crores.

Accusing the Opposition of creating negative perceptions about the country through their false narratives, Modi said, They are enemies of investment and infrastructure. They are enemies of Indias development.

Referring to a report by the RBI over employment generation in the country, the Prime Minister said that despite the Covid pandemic, record employment has been generated in the country.

Recently, the RBI has published a detailed report over employment. As per this report, around 8-crore new jobs have been generated in the country in the last three to four years. These figures have silenced those who have created false narratives. These people who create false narratives are enemies of investment. They are enemies of infrastructure development. They are enemies of India's development. Their every policy is aimed at betraying the youth and preventing employment. Now, they are being exposed. The people of India are now rejecting all their lies, Modi said.

The PM said that both small and big investors have enthusiastically welcomed the third term of his government. He noted that a stable government will work with triple speed in its third term.

Inaugurating the Indian Newspaper Society's secretariat, INS Towers, in Mumbai, Modi said the media's natural role was to create discourse by discussing serious issues.

He said the role of newspapers was crucial in the journey to Viksit Bharat in the next 25 years and appealed to Indian publications to enhance their global presence.

Modi expressed confidence that India will soon become the third-largest economy and spoke about how the nation has become the leader in digital payments.

The projects launched by the PM include the 11.8 km Than-Borivali tunnel project worth '16,600 crore, tunnel work at Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) worth over '6,300 crore, Kalyan Yard remodelling and Gati Shakti multi-modal cargo terminal at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai. The Prime Minister also dedicated new platforms at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and the extension of platforms (10 and 11) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Modi launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana with an outlay of around '5,600 crore. It is an internship programme that will provide '10,000 per month stipend to interns during the internship.

The Prime Minister said that Maharashtra possesses a glorious history, an empowered present and dreams of a prosperous future. Highlighting the states role in making India a developed nation, he said that the power of industry, agriculture and the finance sector made Mumbai the financial hub of the country.

I aim to use the power of Maharashtra to transform it into an economic powerhouse of the world. Make Mumbai the fintech capital of the world, he said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated K.P. Sharma Oli on his appointment as Nepal's Prime Minister and expressed hope for strengthened ties and expanded cooperation between the two countries.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi wrote, "Congratulations @kpsharmaoli on your appointment as the Prime Minister of Nepal. Look forward to working closely to further strengthen the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries and to further expand our mutually beneficial cooperation for the progress and prosperity of our peoples. @PM_nepal."

Responding to Prime Minister Modi's congratulatory message on his appointment as Nepal's prime minister for the fourth time, Oli thanked the Indian leader for his warm wishes.

Thank you, Prime Minister @narendramodi for your warm congratulations. I am committed to working closely with you to strengthen Nepal-India relations for our mutual benefit. Together, we can elevate our historic ties to new heights, the newly appointed prime minister said on X.

Oli, the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), has been appointed Prime Minister amidst a coalition with the Nepali Congress, which has traditionally maintained strong ties with New Delhi.

Despite Oli's pro-China image, this coalition introduces a dynamic where New Delhi will closely monitor Kathmandu's policies while Beijing seeks to bolster its influence in the region.

During Oli's previous tenure as Prime Minister in 2020, India-Nepal relations were strained when Nepal unveiled a new map claiming parts of India's Uttarakhand state - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipu Lekh - as its own. New Delhi objected to this move, causing diplomatic tensions. However, following Oli's loss of power, the two nations have since reached a "general understanding" to address the border dispute through dialogue and to avoid politicising such issues.

Despite these past tensions, India has continued to focus on development assistance and deepening power sector cooperation with Nepal. Significant infrastructure projects are underway, including the Arun III hydropower project, the Gorakhpur-Butwal 400 kV cross-border line, and various Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) and railway projects such as the Jayanagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar rail links. These projects build on previous successes like the ICPs in Biratnagar and Birgunj, as well as the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline, South Asia's first cross-border petroleum product pipeline.

Further strengthening financial connectivity, the launch of the RuPay card in Nepal two years ago marked another step towards closer economic ties between the two countries.
Mumbai: A day after he criticised Sharad Pawar over the Maratha reservation issue, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday met the NCP founder. Mr. Bhujbal held deliberations for over 90 minutes at Pawars Silver Oak bungalow in Mumbai. He denied that he is trying to leave the Ajit Pawar faction and said that he approached the NCP founder only to discuss a solution for the situation that has arisen in Maharashtra due Maratha activist Manoj Jaranges demand for reservation under the OBC category.

I did not meet Mr. Pawar as a minister or for politics. I approached him to seek his support to calm down the situation that has arisen in Maharashtra due to the Maratha versus Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation issue. The situation is so tense that both the communities are boycotting each others establishments. They are neither buying goods from each other, nor attending weddings, Mr. Bhujbal said after the meeting.

The meeting came a day after the Ajit Pawar factions rally in Baramati, where Bhujbal, where Mr. Bhujbal accused Sharad Pawar of trying to add fuel the the fire over the reservation issue. Without naming Sharad Pawr, Mr. Bhujbal had said that the Opposition leaders did not attend the all-party meeting called by chief minister Eknath Shinde because of a phone call from Baramati.

When Pawar was the chief minister, he implemented the Mandal commission recommendations and had resolved the issues of OBCs in the state. As a senior leader in the state, we expect him to participate in resolving the current situation. He was not feeling well, so I had to wait for him. After we spoke to him, he said he will look into the matter after his health improves. He has agreed to take the initiative and discuss the issue with CM Eknath Shinde and other important leaders in the state, the minister said.

There was no prior announcement about Mr. Bhujbals meeting with the NCP founder. Therefore, when he reached Silver Oak, there were speculations that the minister was again trying to switch sides and join the Sharad Pawar faction.

However, later it emerged that he had sought Sharad Pawars appointment after the discussions with Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. The four leaders met after the Silver Oak meeting.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that his party would conduct a survey for all 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra even though it is going to contest the election in alliance with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. In fact, he said, all three parties will conduct their separate surveys for all seats and the deliberations over seat sharing will be held after considering all three surveys.

Ajit Pawar further said that the Mahayuti government will soon appoint 12 legislative council members from the government quota. The seats have remained vacant for over four years. On November 6, 2020, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government approved a list of 12 candidates and later shared it with the governor for approval. However, then-governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari did not approve the list. Now, the Mahayuti government will submit a new list to governor Ramesh Bais. Once the Maharashtra cabinet clears the proposal of 12 names to be appointed as MLC from the governors quota, it will get accepted soon, Ajit Pawar said.

The government will also fill the post of chairman of the legislative council, which has been vacant for two years, since Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar retired on July 7, 2022. It is learnt that all three ruling parties have staked a claim for the post. The chairman will be appointed after the appointment of 12 MLCs and before the Assembly elections, which are expected to be held in October this year.
Mumbai: Both houses of the Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday unanimously passed a proposal to request the Central Government to rename seven local railway stations in Mumbai. As per the proposal, Marine Lines railway station will be called Mumbadevi, Charni Road will be named as Girgaon, while Cotton Green will be named as Kala Chowki. Other stations also include Dockyard Road (Majhgaon), Curry Road (Lalbaug), Sandhurst Road (Dongri) and Kings Circle (Tirthankar Parshvanath).

Meanwhile, senior Congress legislator Dr. Nitin Raut demanded in the legislative Assembly to rename Dadar station as Chaityabhoomi.

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Dada Bhuse moved the proposal in the Council earlier in the day. The proposal was unanimously passed by the Council as names of most of the stations were given by the British and have no local relevance.

In the evening, Mr. Bhuse moved the same proposal in the Legislative Assembly, which also passed.

Taking a part into the discussion, Dr. Raut said that since the state government has been requesting the central government to change the names of several railway stations in Mumbai, it should urge the central government to change the name of Dadar station as Chaityabhoomi, which is the cremation place of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The senior Congress legislator told this newspaper that the followers of Dr. Ambedkar had been demanding to rename Dadar station as Chaityabhoomi for a long time. The government should request the central government in this regard as Dadar also houses the residence of Dr. BR Ambedkar. In addition to this, Dr. Ambedkar was cremated at Chaityabhoomi, which has been a place of worship for his lakhs of followers. The BJP-led Mahayuti government does not have respect for Dr. Ambedkar. Therefore, they did not respond to my demands in the House, Mr. Raut said.

In 2016, the state government passed a similar proposal to rename Elphinstone Road as Prabhadevi. In 2018, the central government approved the demand and the station on the western line is now called Prabhadevi.
Do Indians have freedom of religion? Meaning, do they have the right to invite others into their faith and the right to easily leave their faith? The Constitution says yes, but the laws say no. India is an unusual nation where propagation is both a fundamental right and a criminal offence. A fundamental right is defined as one that enjoys a high level of protection from encroachment by the State. But Article 25 (right to freely profess and propagate religion) doesnt enjoy such protection.

In effect, the Constitution tells us we are free to propagate but when we do so the police shows up and takes us away. On July 11 this year it was reported that the Allahabad High Court rejected the bail of a man named Shriniwas Rav Nayak with the observation that the Constitution confers on each individual the fundamental right to profess, practice and propagate his religion. However, the individual right to freedom of conscience and religion cannot be extended to construe a collective right to proselytise.

On the subcontinent, Nepal doesnt allow conversions, while Pakistan has the same phrasing as India does, with the same restrictions. There is no real freedom of religion in Pakistan, just as the honest observer will conclude there isnt in India. But this is not what was intended by those who wrote the Constitution.

The Constituent Assembly debate on religious freedom happened on December 6, 1948. It came after meetings of the Minorities Committee and the Committee on Fundamental Rights, which discussed the issue in detail and produced a text, which is today Article 25. It reads: Right to freedom of religion: Subject to public order, morality and health and the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.

The key word here is propagate, which the dictionary defines as to spread and promote, and to breed. The context in which the word was debated by Indias Constituent Assembly was of conversions, specifically by Christians.

Gujarats K.M. Munshi, the Hindu conservative, was part of a group that arrived at the text and he said of the word propagate that: I know it was on this word that the Christian community laid the greatest emphasis, not because they wanted to convert people aggressively, but because the word propagate was a fundamental part of their tenet. And so long as religion is religion, conversion by free exercise of conscience had to be recognised. People must not fear the idea of a right to propagate, Munshi said, because whatever conversions take place are only the result of persuasion and not because of material advantages.

Note that conversion was always accepted as the reason for propagation.

In the Interim Report on Fundamental Rights dated May 1, 1947, Frank Anthony had spoken to the committee and said: My community (he was an Anglo-Indian) does not propagate. We do not convert, nor are we converted. But I do appreciate how deeply, how passionately millions of Christians feel on this right to propagate their religion. Anthony, the founder of a school network around India, congratulated the majority for retaining in spite of its contentious character the words to propagate, a right which is regarded as perhaps the most fundamental of Christian rights.

T.T. Krishnamachari said Dalits became Christian because of the status it gave them, that Hindu reform would deter such conversions, and that the right to propagate also applied to Hindus and Arya Samaj members who were free to carry out their conversion activities, which they called Shuddhi.

The point here is that the meaning of the word propagate was understood by all as the right to, in Munshis words, persuade people to join their faith. That is, to convert. But what would happen instead in India, as we see around us, is that the State would step in to not only the right to propagate but also the individuals right to change his/her religion.

The only opposition in the Constituent Assembly came from a 26-year-old man from Odisha, who wanted the word propagate removed. This was Loknath Misra, brother of Ranganath Misra, who would later become Chief Justice of India, and uncle of Dipak Misra, also to become Chief Justice. Loknath Misra said he didn't have any problem with propagation. If people should propagate their religion, let them do so, he said, but only I crave, let not the Constitution put it as a fundamental right and encourage it. His opposition also came from an understanding of the right to propagate as meaning the right to convert.

V.P. Bharatiya, writing in the Journal of Indian Law Institute in 1977, says the specificity in the debates gave the impression that the inclusion of the word propagate creates a specific fundamental right to convert.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar was present in the debate but did not speak. He said he had nothing to add to what the others had said in defence of the right to propagate. It must be noted that Ambedkars original draft submitted to the Constituent Assemblys committees bore the words: right to profess, to preach and to convert, within limits compatible with public order and morality. He was satisfied that propagate meant the same thing. He would himself leave Hinduism and convert to Buddhism along with more than three lakh other Dalits in Nagpur on October 14, 1956.

Beginning in the 1970s, Indias judiciary and police began instituting a series of practices that have resulted in where we are today: a nation whose Constitution gives citizens freedom of religion but whose establishment disallows it through indiscriminate use of criminal law.
The Union governments order vesting more powers with the lieutenant governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir virtually bypassing elected government raises doubts on its commitment to the restoration of democracy and installation of a popular government there. It would also question the present dispensations reading about the issues that keep Jammu and Kashmir on the boil.

The government, by amending rules framed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, has empowered the lieutenant governor to make decisions on crucial matters such as police and all-India services officers and granting sanctions for prosecution in various cases. Key decisions, like in all states, used to be taken by the ministries concerned before they reach the governor for approval. Now the proposals will be routed to the L-G directly through the chief secretary. The L-G has also got the power to make key appointments related to the administration of the law including that of the advocate-general and other law officers.

The government may argue the changes as simple amendments to the transaction rules which are issued to avoid ambiguity. It may, however, be remembered that the Union government has repeatedly made its intention known to the public to hold elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and restore statehood to the UT. It is under obligation, as per the order of the Supreme Court, to the restore statehood at the earliest and the Election Commission of India is to hold elections to the Assembly by September 30 this year. Once the UT got its statehood back, the powers of the governor will be those which have been prescribed in the Constitution for the governors of all Indian states. It is therefore for the government to come up with a better, pliable interpretation for the present move.

However, on a pessimistic note, it appears that the latest step aligns smug with the governments unrealistic and ad hoc approach to the problems of the border region. The NDA leadership had been harping on the presence of Article 370 in the Constitution as the root cause of all the problems in Jammu and Kashmir and its abrogation would be the silver bullet for all its ills. The Article was in fact an article of faith between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and India but the saffron alliance would have none of it, and it went ahead and hollowed it out. Five years later, it has been proved that Article 370 had little or no role in the troubles there; in fact, the tragedy continues to play out. Terrorists continue to strike at their will and with increased local support; Indian soldiers continue to lay their lives in protecting their own fellow citizens; pilgrimages have become more dangerous an affair now. This, despite the fact that the people of Jammu and Kashmir live in an open jail under surveillance. This is a zero-sum game.

While the security situation has worsened, peoples faith in the democratic process has increased many-fold as is evidenced in the record participation of people in the recently held Lok Sabha election. In fact, solutions to the problems Jammu and Kashmir presents lie not in the outdated, myopic, sectarian and unpopular stock of the saffron brigade but in the democratic and constitutional processes. It is time the government realised that India is not a country that can be ruled by decrees, and it applies to Jammu and Kashmir which is very much part of India.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer on assuming charge after the remarkable victory of the Labour Party in the just concluded elections. During their conversation, the two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of the long-pending India-UK free trade agreement and bilateral ties. Modi has invited Starmer for an early visit to India.

The ministry of external affairs, in a statement, said that during the conversation, both leaders recalled the historic relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UK.

The two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK free trade agreement. Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community to the social, economic and political development of the UK, the two sides agreed to continue to promote close people-to-people ties Both leaders agreed to remain in touch, the foreign ministry statement added.

Modi also extended an invitation to Starmer for an early visit to India as the two leaders agreed to remain in touch, the statement said.

After the conversation, Modi, in a post on X, wrote, Pleased to speak with @Keir_Starmer. Congratulated him on being elected as the Prime Minister of the UK. We remain committed to deepening comprehensive strategic partnership and robust India-UK economic ties for the progress and prosperity of our people and the global good.

The Labour Party of the UK registered one of the biggest wins by defeating the Conservative Party and returning to power after 14 years. Given their turbulent relations and differing views in the past, India and the UK, under the Labour Party, will need to give a fresh start to their bilateral relationship. Especially given that the Labour Party had in 2019, under the leadership of Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, passed a motion seeking the deployment of international monitors in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian government had seen this as interference in its internal matter and issued a strong statement against the motion. The motion had angered the Indian diaspora too, which since then has aligned largely with the Conservatives.

Five years later, Starmer tried to placate the Indian diaspora and undo the damage done under Corbyn, who was later expelled from the Labour Party. During his poll campaigns for the just-concluded general election, Starmer had extensively reached out to the Indian diaspora and even visited a Hindu temple in London. His election manifesto specifically mentioned his partys commitment to pursue a new strategic partnership with India.

Labour will build and strengthen modern partnerships with allies and regional powers. We will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security, education, technology and climate change, the partys manifesto said.

Much has changed between 2019 and 2024. The Labour Party this time has a record 26 Indian-origin MPs. Yet, the partys views on immigration, Jammu and Kashmir and the free trade agreement remain to be seen.
Protests escalated in Diwaniyah and Najaf due to power supply shortages at a time of record heat (50 Celsius). The police responded with tear gas and live ammunition, and many fear a repeat of the mass protest of 2019. In Nasiriyah, China is set to build a civilian airport to handle 2.5 million passengers a year, boosting its partnership with Iraq.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  This summer is shaping up to be scorching hot in Iraq and the weather is not the only factor. The latest cuts in power supplies amid the intense heat with temperatures regularly approaching  and exceeding  50 degrees, is reaching a boiling point in a country where people are already very critical of their leaders.

The latest protests took place over the weekend, but more are expected this week, especially in the cities of Diwaniyah and Najaf, in central and southern Iraq, where activists and young people have set tyres on fire while police have resorted to tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds.

According to the independent Al-Sumaria TV station, hundreds of locals joined the demonstrations Sunday evening in Diwaniyah, complaining of unfairness and favouritism in the distribution of electricity in the area.

The demonstration began in the Shmiya district and the demonstrators blocked the Diwaniyah-Najaf road in protest against the deterioration of services and the power outage," a security source is quoted as saying.

The next day, similar scenes were repeated in the Shafiiyya district, where more tyres were set on fire.

Ammar al-Khazaaly, an activist who took part in the Diwaniyah protests, told Middle East Eye that ordinary people also took to the streets to denounce police "repression", and the use of tear gas and live ammunition, which caused "minor injuries".

At present, the extent of the unrest is lower than in October 2019, when protests shook the country, with weeks of blockades and a harsh crackdown by central authorities, but popular anger is still palpable.

These protests are regional - in each region there are their own protests, but lately, activists and others have joined forces. The numbers are lower than in previous protests, but they are still large and might escalate.

Unrest has not spared Najaf, especially in Haidariya, while in Ghamas, which is located between Diwaniyah and Najaf, protesters were injured by live ammunition.

Videos of protests in recent days show protesters chanting slogans, including no one can beat the Husseiniyah revolution!" a reference to the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed whose martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala in 680 is a symbol of struggle.

The Al-Sabah newspaper cited the Diwaniyah governorate office saying they were trying to achieve a "reliable" electricity supply. For now, residents have to put with repeated outages, with only two hours of electricity supply.

Protests against outages have become commonplace in the country during the summer months, especially since the end of the war against the Islamic State has made public gatherings less dangerous.

Although Iraq is resource-rich, a combination of corruption and crumbling infrastructure has left many without electricity, vital in one of the hottest places on Earth in the summer.

Environmental groups warn that due to climate change, much of the country could become uninhabitable in the coming years while the demand for investment in infrastructure to cope with rising temperatures will only increase.

At the same time, the prospect of mass protests like in October 2019, put down with brutality by the police and then "frozen" by the COVID-19 pandemic, will increase.

To build up infrastructure and links, Iraq is finalising a contract with a Chinese company to build a new airport in Nasiriyah, in the south of the country, further proof of Chinas growing interest in the Middle East.

The Iraqi Ministry of Transportation confirmed the deal to build the airport with China State Construction Engineering while a contract to build another airport was signed with Turkeys Kiklop Design Hertz Insaat.

The Nasiriyah airport, which should be ready by 2025, is set to accommodate 2.5 million passengers per year with a 25-kilometre road to connect it to the rest of the province.

Currently, a military airport is serving the city but no passenger flights are available at present.

China is the main buyer of Iraqi crude and Chinese companies currently manage two-thirds of the country's oil production.

In 2019, Iraq and China signed an "oil for construction" agreement, whereby infrastructure projects would be funded by the sale of 100,000 barrels of Iraqi oil per day to China.
by Mathias Hariyadi

Head of State Widodo also intervened in the affair, with a public criticism of the actions of members of the moderate Muslim organisation. Leader Nu apologised for the incident and called the choice of timing and manner inappropriate. The country's leadership confirmed its support for the Palestinian cause.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Controversy has flared up in Indonesia, fuelled by President Joko Widodo himself, who has not spared public criticism regarding the trip to Israel by five representatives of the Nahdlatul Ulama (Nu), the country's most important (moderate) Muslim organisation. The clash, and the accusations, were exacerbated by the delegation's meeting with Israeli Head of State Isaac Herzog, after which the movement's leader addressed his fellow citizens with a public apology.

Officially, Jakarta has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, but thousands of Indonesians - mostly Christians and Catholics - visit the Holy Land for pilgrimages or spiritual trips, others (but fewer) for holidays or business. Israeli visas can be easily obtained by all Indonesians thanks to the travel agencies at the Israeli embassy in Singapore. Nevertheless, even today, any visit to Israel by Indonesians, especially if characterised by meetings with local politicians or institutions, is viewed with suspicion, if not open hostility, and is a harbinger of criticism.

Attacks that have not spared the delegation of the moderate Muslim movement and have prompted its president to issue a public apology for what he calls an incident. In a press conference held yesterday at the organisation's headquarters in downtown Jakarta, Yahya Cholil Staquf said: As Nu president, I want to apologise for the visit of our five nahdliyin (members and followers) to Israel and for their initiatives in the country. The moderate Muslim leader, in an implicit reference to the war in Gaza, added that we fully recognise and admit that such a visit at this time is not appropriate.

The five nahdliyin received by President Herzog in his office, although the date on which it took place is unclear, are: Zainul Maarif, Munawir Aziz, Nurul Bahrul Ulum, Syukron Makmun and Izza Annafisah Dania. Speaking to the Indonesian media, Staquf recalled that his visit to Israel in 2018 was also met with criticism, albeit in a personal capacity, well before he took office as Nu leader and in a peaceful atmosphere after meeting with Muslim religious leaders and seeking their views. On that occasion, he had met with the then (and current) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Indonesia's leading interfaith activist Abdurrahman Wahid o Gus Dur also travelled to Israel in person in 1994. Before leaving for Tel Aviv, Gus Dur also paid a courtesy visit to senior Nu clerics, asking for their opinions. The visit, Staquf continued in his speech, did not cause any uproar within Nu, as Gus Dur shared his plan to visit Israel with the senior clerics and reported to them on his meetings with his Israeli counterparts on interfaith movements. While the visit of the five nahdliyin fits into a profoundly different framework from those of 2018 and 1994.

The dispute is also an opportunity to confirm Jakarta's strong support for Palestine and its cause. Nu leader Ulil Abshar Abdalla, despite his moderate political stance on many issues, argues that such a visit is not an appropriate gesture at this time when the Jewish state is waging a brutal war against Hamas in Palestine. According to its political stance on international issues, but especially on Palestine, Indonesia has always morally and politically supported its independence, as well as supporting the two-state solution as the way to end the regional conflict.

This rigid position was also reiterated yesterday by President Jokowi. Interviewed by the local media and showing deep irritation, the leader harshly criticised the trip of the five Nahdliyins and the meeting with Israeli President Herzog. Regarding the trip, kindly ask the Nahdlatul Ulama and not me, Jokowi said, finally recalling that Indonesia's foreign policy on the Palestinian issue has always been very clear: to support the independence of the Palestinian nation.
by Joseph Masilamany

The Home Minister claimed that all deaths in detention recorded since 2022 were due to health reasons. The Bar Council expressed concern over the claims and called for independent investigations. Between 2011 and 2021, 430 deaths in custody were recorded.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) - Malaysia's Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has been criticised by the Lawyers' Council for claiming that there have been no deaths in custody or in migrant detention centres since he took office. According to the minister, all deaths in custody that have occurred since 2022 have been due to health issues.

Statements towards which the Bar Council expressed concern. First, it is essential to determine whether the inmates died within the detention facilities or in a hospital setting. The location of their death is significant in understanding the conditions and care provided within the detention environment, reads a statement released to the media.

Next, we must examine the adequacy and timeliness of the medical care these individuals received. Were they promptly attended to by qualified medical professionals and was the necessary treatment administered without delay? The health and safety of detainees should be a priority and any lack of medical care must be identified and rectified."

Under the provisions of the Criminal Code of Malaysia, the task of determining the cause of death of a detainee rests solely with the medical examiner. In the case of a death in custody, an investigation is required.

This practice was established by a resolution adopted by the Malaysian Bar Council during its 76th General Assembly in 2022. The rule stipulates that the coroner may visit the site and body of the detainee and initiate preliminary investigations. At the same time, police and officials should refrain from making public statements about deaths in custody. Instead, the government should annually publish data on suspicious deaths, deaths in custody and cases presented by the coroner.

"No one should be proud of the absence of suicides or assaults when deaths in custody continue to occur due to health problems. The goal must be to achieve zero deaths in custody, said the Bar Council.

Lawyer M. Visvanathan also urged the government to establish a court dedicated to the investigation of deaths in custody at a remembrance event for victims of custody deaths in Kuala Lumpur. Visvanathan was involved in the death case at Sentul police station in 2009. According to the legal expert, the courts dealing with these cases also deal with other issues. These deaths must be investigated in a transparent manner to give people confidence, he added. Visvanathan's remarks followed those of Ng Yap Hwa, president of the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement, who also spoke at the event. There are many cases of deaths in custody, but no investigation, said Ng.

In 2009, Teoh Beng Hock, the former assistant to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Shah Alam's Plaza Masalam, a few hours after arriving for questioning.

A coroner's inquest in 2011 issued a verdict of suspicious death. His family appealed: three years later, the Court of Appeals annulled the verdict and ruled that Beng Hock's death was caused by multiple injuries, the result of unlawful acts by unknown persons.

To this day, the saga of Teoh Beng Hock has not yet ended, while his family and members of civil society continue to demand answers about his death, but the authorities refuse to accommodate their protests. On Sunday, Beng Hock's family and friends, as well as members of civil society, held a memorial service for him and other victims of death in custody. It was the commemoration of the 15th year since Beng Hock's death.

A study by the Law Enforcement Integrity Commission recorded 430 custodial deaths in Malaysia between 2011 and 2021.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

In a vademecum aimed in particular at workers from Central Asia all the behaviour to avoid in order not to suffer the measure, specco accompanied by a ban on re-entry for a period of between 3 and 5 years. A further 20 new articles of the Administrative Code have been added to the offences already reported directly by the police.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - In recent days, the Russian Ministry of the Interior has presented a bill to further expand the list of grounds on which a foreigner can be expelled from the Russian Federation by an administrative court decision. They are in addition to those that lead directly to deportation for criminal reasons reported directly by law enforcement and security services. Journalist Alija Khamidullina of Asia-Plus summarised them for the many migrants from Central Asia who are most affected by these measures.

Expulsion is generally decided for violations of the legislation regulating the status of migrants in Russia, and is associated with a ban on re-entry into the country for a period of between one year and indefinitely (usually a term of between three and five years is decided). Some articles of the Administrative Code provide for compulsory repatriation, others leave the decision to the courts. The grounds for immediate deportation, which are specified by the new legal measures, are illegal drug trafficking, the use of drugs without a prescription, propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and sex change, especially in the case of minors, propaganda of paedophilia, violation of the rules of entry into the Federation or the regime of stay on its territory, illegal work in Russia and refusal of repatriation already decreed.

With regard to the reasons that may lead to repatriation by decision of the judges, they are explained first of all as violations of the regime of the state borders of Russia, especially in the border areas and places of access to the federal territory, and failure to comply with whatever restrictions are decided with regard to the various activities carried out within the Federation. In addition, expulsion is decided when certain violations are repeated, concerning the rules of residence in the Federation and non-compliance with the time limits for obtaining a driving licence, one of the rules least respected by many drivers or taxi drivers of Central Asian origin.

However, since January this year, there have been changes in the administrative code that provide for the possibility of avoiding expulsion by paying fines or being assigned to compulsory work. This is the case when one has been in Russia for a long time, for family reasons, especially if there are minor children, if one has a fixed salary and a home of one's own, for regular payment of taxes, law-abiding behaviour and other cases at the discretion of the judge, who has the power to assess these and other circumstances based on inner convictions.

The new law, however, introduces 20 new articles in the code, which carry the penalty of expulsion from Russia. These concern reneging on orders given by a public official of the police or other law enforcement agencies, handing over false information to migrant registration offices, acts of vandalism and minor violence, public demonstration of Nazi or extremist symbols, use of firearms outside the established norms or in places not intended for them, appeals to terrorist or extremist activities on internet networks or in other forms, and other issues.

Khamidullina explains in detail all these circumstances, not only to help avoid deportation, but above all to avoid being punished with a ban for several years on re-entry into Russia, which would really make it difficult to organise the lives of those who have no other resources besides work migration in Russia. Advice is also given on how to appeal in the face of such punishments, taking advantage of the assistance of groups and associations present on Russian territory, in particular to help Central Asian citizens in this period of great restrictions, and persecution, even very little motivated.
Today's news: Police in Laos rescue 17 girls (as young as 10) from sex slavery for Chinese tourists; UN report denounces "institutionalized" forced labor in North Korea; Six Vietnamese men poisoned in a Bangkok hotel room; Recruitment among ultra-Orthodox begins next week, clashes in Tel Aviv; Hindu group offers prayer for Trump's "health" after attack.

OMAN

Nine people were killed, including three attackers, and nearly thirty were injured, in the attack on the Shiite mosque of Ali bin Abi Talib in Oman on the evening of 15 July. A rare episode of bloodshed in the Sultanate, which resulted in the death of at least four Pakistanis, an Indian and a policeman. The Islamic State (IS, formerly Isis) claimed the action in a message on Telegram.



LAOS

Police discovered and rescued 17 underage girls - including three as young as 10 years old - after searching three houses in the tourist city of Luang Prabang, leading to the arrest of four people. The young girls, on average between 14 and 17 years old, came from rural areas and were recruited by deception with job offers in hotels and restaurants in the city, then made sex slaves for Chinese tourists.



NORTH KOREA

The UN denounces a deeply institutionalised system of forced labour in North Korea, which in some cases could amount to slavery. The report analyses the Pyongyang regime's control and exploitation of an extensive and multi-layered system of forced labour that emerged from 183 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 with victims and witnesses who fled the country today abroad.



THAILAND

Six people died in a luxury hotel room in Bangkok. According to police, they may have been poisoned after "ingesting cyanide concealed in tea" in a murder-suicide case over debt issues. The victims, two of whom had dual Vietnamese-American nationalities while the remaining four were Vietnamese, were guests of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.



ISRAEL

Starting next week, the Israeli army (IDF) will begin the recruitment process among the ultra-Orthodox, who were hitherto exempt from military service but can now be enlisted following the Supreme Court ruling in June. Following the announcement, heavy clashes occurred yesterday in Tel Aviv between ultra-Orthodox protesters and police forces.



INDIA

A Hindu group that celebrates Donald Trump s birthday every year in Delhi prayed for his safety after he was attacked, saying he is the only leader who can rid the world of radical Islam. Dozens of people attended the Hindu Sena (Hindu Army) ceremony, with the goddess of power and protection (Baglamukhi) next to the image of the US presidential candidate.



RUSSIA

President Vladimir Putin signed the final amendments to the Tax Code of Russia, abolishing the 13% flat tax and introducing progressive taxes for individuals as of 1 January 2025. Increases are expected for those earning more than 200,000 roubles a month (more than 2,000 euro) or 2.4 million roubles a year, with an increase of up to 20-25% on company profits.



ARMENIA - CHINA

Direct air connections between Armenia and China will soon be opened, as announced after the meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan and Beijing's ambassador to Yerevan, Fan Yun, at the end of his mission to Armenia. The aim is to give a great boost to the development of tourism and economic and trade relations between the two countries.
by Sumon Corraya

Demonstrations over the controversial quota system have mobilised thousands of young people, angered also by the prime minister who referred to them as razakar", i.e. Bangladeshis who collaborated with Pakistan in 1971. Six people die in violent clashes with police and the Awami Leagues student wing. Christian leaders back quotas to protect the most marginalised, but acknowledge they can be reformed.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  At least six people have been killed  two in Dhaka, three in Chittagong and one in Rangpur  following student protests against government job quotas. The unrest began earlier this month, reaching new highs with police and supporters of the ruling Awami League intensifying their attacks against demonstrators.

Remarks on Sunday by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have exacerbated the situation. At a press conference, she said that the government could not introduce a merit system because of constraints imposed by the courts.

The prime minister further fanned the flames of protests by referring to protesters as "razakar", a pejorative term that refers to Bangladeshis who collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 War of Liberation.

In response to the mass unrest that broke out yesterday in various parts of Bangladesh, including the capital, all universities have been closed indefinitely, while students have been ordered to leave residence halls after the University Grants Commission (UGC) instructed the vice-chancellors of public and private universities.

Secondary and higher education institutions, including schools, colleges, madrasas, technical institutes, and polytechnics, have also been closed.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the Awami Leagues youth wing, has been accused of attacking protesters at several universities in at least seven districts outside Dhaka and Chittagong.

At least 68 people were injured in clashes in Faridpur, Barisal, Jhenaidah, Kishoreganj, Dinajpur, Rajshahi College, and Naogaon Government Medical College.

Students are demanding that the prime minister retract her words, and find a resolution to the crisis that does not benefit the relatives of independence fighters as the current system does.

The ongoing protests represent the first significant challenge to Hasina's government since she secured a fourth consecutive term last January.

BCL president Saddam Hussain also referred to student protesters as "ghosts of the Razakars".

Movements will come and go, but Chhatra League will remain. Every incident will be remembered and addressed, he said.

Currently, there are no ordinary students participating in the quota protests. They do not seek a solution; instead, they aim to reintroduce 'Razakar politics' by misleading the students," he added.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police raided the central office of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), the main opposition group, in Nayapaltan, Dhaka. Seven members of BNP-affiliated organisations, including Chhatra Dal, were arrested.

Explosions were reported in front of the office around 11.30 pm and police recovered from the BNP central office about 100 homemade explosives, petrol bottles, batons and 60 weapons.

Prominent Christian leaders also oppose students' demands.

Recently, the student society has been agitating for the abolition of the quota system, said in a joint statement Nirmol Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA), and its secretary general, Hemant Corraya.

In 2018, following the demands of the student society, the government cancelled the quota system, and in 2021, some children of freedom fighters filed a writ in the High Court against it, they added.

On 5 June, the High Court ruled that the abolition of the quota system violated the constitution. Since then, protests flared up again.

It is very regrettable that, in the name of the movement, students are humiliating, defaming, and demeaning freedom fighters, Rozario and Corraya said.

The quota system is designed to create equality by dispensing benefits, recognised around the world. While acknowledging that reforms can be considered, they insist that the quota system should not be abolished altogether, as it benefits marginalised groups.
17 July 2024 12:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Zara Araz

In the realm of energy geopolitics, Azerbaijan's recent experience with natural gas imports from Turkmenistan highlights significant economic and strategic developments. According to recent data, Azerbaijan's import of natural gas from Turkmenistan plummeted by a staggering 49% in the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. This decline underscores pivotal changes in both pricing dynamics and strategic considerations for Azerbaijan.

Between January and May 2024, Azerbaijan imported 294.8 million cubic metres of natural gas from Turkmenistan, amounting to a total payment of 44.2 million US dollars. This starkly contrasts with the corresponding period in 2023, when Turkmenistan supplied 583.5 million cubic metres and Azerbaijan paid 86.9 million dollars. The sharp decrease in both volume and expenditure signals a significant reevaluation of energy procurement strategies by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's natural gas imports from Turkmenistan are facilitated through Iran, where Turkmenistan exports gas that is then transferred to Azerbaijan based on an exchange agreement established in Ashgabat in November 2021. This strategic framework, involving three regional players, highlights the intricate geopolitical balancing act in the Caspian region, with energy security and supply reliability at its core.

Initially agreed upon to supply 1.5-2 billion cubic metres annually, the gas transportation from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan via Iran saw operational adjustments, increasing from 5-6 million cubic metres per day in early 2022 to 7 million cubic metres per day by March that year. Subsequent negotiations in June 2022 led to a doubling of annual gas supplies, further cementing the strategic ties between Iran and Azerbaijan in energy cooperation.

The economic landscape further reveals a fluctuating price scenario. Until December 2022, Azerbaijan purchased natural gas from Turkmenistan at $140 per 1,000 cubic metres. However, by May 2024, this price had escalated to $150 per 1,000 cubic metres. This upward trend in procurement costs is compounded by contrasting market conditions, particularly in Europe, where natural gas prices have shown a marked decline, significantly impacting Azerbaijan's revenue. In the first five months of 2023, Azerbaijan realised an average income of $759 per 1,000 cubic metres, contrasting starkly with a reduced $348 per 1,000 cubic metres in the corresponding period of 2024.

Looking ahead, Azerbaijan faces critical decisions regarding its energy-sourcing strategies and economic resilience amidst volatile global energy markets. The decline in natural gas imports from Turkmenistan prompts a reassessment of energy diversification policies and potential shifts towards more cost-effective and stable sources.

In conclusion, Azerbaijan's recent downturn in natural gas imports from Turkmenistan underscores broader economic and strategic recalibrations within the region's energy dynamics. As global energy landscapes continue to evolve, Azerbaijan's adaptive strategies will be pivotal in navigating uncertainties and optimising its energy security and economic stability.

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17 July 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

In the current era of modern challenges and anticipated shifts in energy balance, the imperative to enhance the deployment of renewable and clean energy sources, and establish "green energy" pathways, stands as a pivotal global agenda item. Transitioning towards sustainable energy involves substituting conventional energy resources with reclaimed energy sources, thereby embodying the essence of "green energy".

Azerbaijan underscores its commitment to this transition as a key priority within its energy policy framework. The country's climatic conditions offer extensive opportunities for the generation of green energy, with significant roles assigned to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across various sectors of the economy. In recent years, the burgeoning development of SMEs in the green economy sector has been particularly noteworthy.

Playing a crucial role in augmenting the involvement of SMEs in the green economy, the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) under the Ministry of Economy has been pivotal. The agency extends support to the advancement of alternative energy initiatives in Azerbaijan aligned with national priorities up to 2030. Small and medium entrepreneurship has been earmarked as a strategic objective in the medium-term socio-economic development strategy, emphasizing its pivotal role in driving economic growth and employment within the country.

In response to Azernews's inquiry, SMBDA highlighted that applying "green technologies" not only encompasses critical elements such as environmental conservation and public health, but also holds significant relevance across various business dimensions. Adherence to these principles enables enterprises to enhance their competitive edge, expand export potential, and attract foreign investments.

Furthermore, "green SMEs" are emblematic of resource-efficient business practices. Recent data reveals that SMEs in Azerbaijan incurred approximately 360 million manats in annual fuel costs and 170 million manats in electricity expenses in 2022, reflecting a consistent upward trend compared to 2019.

" Thus, compliance with these criteria allows enterprises to enhance competitiveness, increase export potential, and particularly attract foreign investments. On the other hand, 'green SMEs' also signify resource-efficient business practices. According to the 2022 results, SMEs' annual fuel costs amounted to approximately 360 million manats, with electricity costs totaling 170 million manats. These figures show a continuous increase compared to 2019".

The agency reported that between 2019 and 2022, SMEs saw their fuel and electricity costs rise by around 45% and 40%, respectively.

"Of course, this increase can be attributed to the growing number of SMEs during that period, but overall, it underscores the importance of adopting energy and raw material-efficient technologies and practices. Therefore, implementing green mechanisms can yield significant benefits for SMEs in terms of boosting productivity, competitiveness, and profitability."

SMEs have the opportunity to drive green transformation and benefit from the 'green economy': "Traditionally, the primary focus of environmental issues was on large enterprises, known as major emitters of greenhouse gases. However, it is estimated that 80% of global emissions of these gases occur within the supply chains of large enterprises, where small enterprises often play a dominant role in providing essential services for production processes."

Interestingly, other sources indicate that 70% of global waste is generated by the SME sector: "In general, while SMEs individually may not be major carbon emitters, considering the collective emissions potential of this segment, which comprises approximately 90% of global businesses, emphasizes their significant role in achieving global green objectives."

Furthermore, "green behaviors" encompass two pivotal directions: first, reducing environmental impacts and adapting to climate change across diverse sectors such as construction, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, and energy, where SMEs play a substantial role; second, creating infrastructure resilient to natural disasters, providing business training and consultancy services, expanding forestry, and conducting research and development activities, where SMEs continue to make significant contributions.

Thus, fostering "green behaviors" among SMEs will continue to be crucial. This entails reducing environmental impacts, enhancing climate resilience across sectors, and promoting sustainable business practices. By embracing these principles, SMEs in Azerbaijan and globally can further amplify their contributions to a sustainable future, ensuring economic prosperity alongside environmental preservation.

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17 July 2024 12:35 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has expressed its intention to acquire a controlling stake in "Azer-Turk Bank" OJSC, Azernews reports citing SOCAR.

This development was highlighted during the recent Supervisory Board meeting led by Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The meeting commenced with a comprehensive presentation on the "Extraction and Development" business segment, focusing on recent achievements and outlining future objectives for continued success in this area.

Following this, the board reviewed the current status of SOCAR's "New Operating Model," emphasizing the progress made in enhancing the company's management structure and advancing human capital development.

A significant agenda item was the proposal for SOCAR to acquire 51% of Azer-Turk Bank's shares. The board discussed the strategic importance of this acquisition and planned subsequent steps for its implementation, alongside other important issues on the agenda.

Established in 1995, Azer-Turk Bank OJSC has an authorized capital of 50 million manats. Its current ownership structure includes the State Committee for Real Estate Issues, representing the Azerbaijani government, with a 75% stake. Turkish "Ziraat Bank" holds a 12.37% share, "Ziraat Bank International" owns 1.08%, "AzRe Tekrarsigorta" OJSC holds 6.55%, and "Gala Hayat Sigorta" OJSC possesses a 5% share.

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17 July 2024 14:18 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov recently met with a delegation led by Roland Price, the World Banks Regional Director for the South Caucasus, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Energy.

The meeting focused on advancing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Bank in the energy sector. Key topics of discussion included the development of initiatives to enhance the countrys energy transmission network and facilitate the integration of green energy sources. The discussions also covered ongoing projects related to solar and wind power plants spearheaded by the Masdar company.

Representatives from Azerenerji OJSC were also present at the meeting, contributing to the dialogue on the future of Azerbaijans energy infrastructure and sustainability efforts.

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This year marks the 530th anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijani poet and thinker Muhammad Fuzuli, Azernews reports.

The poet took an exceptional place in the development of the literary and artistic thought of Azerbaijan and had an important influence on the literature of the Near and Middle Eastern countries.

A virtual book exhibition has been prepared at the Republican Youth Library in order to promote Fuzuli's literary legacy.

The project focuses on Fuzuli's poetry, valuable opinions of prominent people about him and much more.

At the virtual book exhibition, extensive information was provided about the his works, including poems and ghazals written in Azerbaijani, Arabic and Persian languages, short abstracts of more than 20 books. The exhibition is posted on the library's official website.

A traditional exhibition called "Muhammad Fuzuli- 530" was also organized in the library. Books about Fuzuli, the bibliographic bulletin "Genius Azerbaijani poet Muhammad Fuzuli - 530" prepared by the library staff are displayed at the exhibition.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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17 July 2024 18:21 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijan's cultural centre, Shusha City, will host Vagif Poetry Days on July 17-19, Azernews reports.

The event is co-organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture Ministry.

Well-known figures of literature, culture, and science, as well as poets and writers from the Turkish republics visiting Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, will participate in the Vagif Poetry Days.

As part of Vagif Poetry Days, events will be organised in various historical and cultural places in Shusha, including the Molla Panah Vagif Museum Mausoleum Complex, restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, as well as the House of Khurshidbanu Natavan, in front of the Shusha City Executive Authority and the Shusha Hotel and Congress Centre.

On January 14, 1982, the mausoleum of the great poet and statesman Molla Panah Vagif (1717-1797) and the House of Poetry were inaugurated in Shusha with the participation of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

It was at that event that National Leader Heydar Aliyev supported the initiative of the Azerbaijani literary figures in this direction and gave an instruction to hold the Vagif Poetry Days.

The festival of speech and art was organised for the first time in July 1982.

The Vagif Poetry Days, which have a forty-two-year history, are being organised for the fourth time in Shusha city, which was freed from occupation.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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17 July 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

A new pandemic can start in the world at any moment.

According to Azernews, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this during his speech at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations body, which prepared the draft agreement on the prevention of the pandemic in Geneva.

"The current H5N1 epidemic reminds us that the next pandemic can come at any moment," said the Director General of the WHO.

He called the document prepared by the Inter-Governmental Negotiations organization "agreement of generations" and noted the relevance of the work carried out by this organization. "Completing the negotiations this year will be a historic event," Gebreyesus stressed.

The results of the work on the document are expected to be finalized at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025 or at a special session of the Assembly, which may take place by the end of 2024.

Earlier, on July 11, Gebreyesus, at a press conference in Geneva, drew attention to the latest cases of infection recorded in Cambodia and the United States and called on all countries to strengthen control over bird flu. He also mentioned the need to vaccinate risk groups, especially people over the age of 60 and medical workers against COVID-19 at least once a year.

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17 July 2024 10:56 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

On July 17, the first Congress is being held in Baku, organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe and supported by the Baku Initiative Group, with the participation of leaders from more than 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Antilles, who suffer from French colonialism, Azernews reports.

The idea of holding the Congress belongs to political parties and movements fighting for the independence of France's overseas territories.

Three organizations from the Dutch colonies of Bonaire and Saint Martin are participating as honorary guests in the Congress.

The two-day Congress will provide participating parties with the opportunity to discuss ways to achieve tighter organization in their struggle for independence, as well as to coordinate result-oriented activities to overcome French colonialism by creating a unified platform. Representatives of the colonies will also discuss the most effective experiences and strategies in their struggle for self-determination.

The Congress will contribute to raising international awareness about the numerous crimes and illegal actions committed by the French government against the indigenous peoples of these territories and will draw attention to the problem of colonialism, which remains one of the scourges of the 21st century.

It should be noted that the Baku Initiative Group was created on July 6, 2023, in Baku during the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, chaired by the Republic of Azerbaijan, under the theme "Towards the Complete Eradication of Colonialism." For a year now, the Group has been supporting the just struggle for freedom of peoples suffering from colonialism. In this regard, the BTG has already organized about 15 international conferences. Four of them were held at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, one in Istanbul, and the others in Baku.

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17 July 2024 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Brotherly Azerbaijan will always have a special place in our hearts, Azernews reports citing the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, as he said during a meeting in Nicosia with a group of family members of the martyrs of the Second Garabagh War.

The leader of the Turkish Cypriots expressed his pleasure in meeting with the relatives of Azerbaijan's heroes. According to him, relations between the TRNC and Azerbaijan have reached an important level.

"These achievements have been made possible with the support of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," the politician said

Ersin Tatar highlighted the growing importance of solidarity and unity among Turkish states, as well as the development of trade and political relations, against the backdrop of globalisation processes. He stressed: "I particularly consider the establishment of connections among the youth of Turkish states to be very important. The young generation of our countries should get to know each other better and strengthen their ties."

The TRNC President mentioned that during the 44-day Patriotic War, Turkish Cypriots prayed for their Azerbaijani brothers. Addressing the guests from Azerbaijan, Ersin Tatar said: "The loss of people who are dear to us deeply saddened the Turkish Cypriots, but the victory in the Garabagh War became a bright page in history. Remember that martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland do not die. We will not forget, and we will not let the martyrs be forgotten. They sacrificed their lives to reclaim their native lands. This Victory has further strengthened Azerbaijan."

He recalled that there are also many martyrs in Cyprus. "Our people do not forget the martyrs. They live in our hearts forever," said Ersin Tatar.

Sevinc Orucova, the head of the "Victory" Public Union for Supporting the Families of Azerbaijani Martyrs, in turn, noted the importance of developing relations between the public structures of Azerbaijan and the TRNC.

The visit of the members of the martyr families to Nicosia will continue until July 28.

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17 July 2024 17:57 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijan Film Agency has hosted a commemorative event to mark the 115th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding film director Niyazi Badalov, Azernews reports.

Supported by the Culture Ministry, the photo exhibition reflecting the film director's life, was demonstrated at State Film Fund. A video about the film director was also screened as part of the event.

In his speech, director of the State Film Fund, Honoured Art Worker Jamil Guliyev, hailed Niyazi Badalov's great role in the history of Azerbaijani documentary cinema.

Jamil Guliyev also noted that rare director's script belonging to him is preserved in the fund's museum.

Honoured Art Wworker and film critic Aydn Kazimzade shared his memories about Niyazi Badalov. He recalled that the prominent film director made up to 40 documentaries.

The film critic pointed out that the portraits of the war heroes of the Second World War and its aftermath occupy a special place in the director's work.

Through his films, Niyazi Badalov reflected the image resolution of the war and the rear front with unique colours.

Doctor of Philosophy in Philology Firudin Qurbansoy said that the film director put his heart into his films, which is felt in every screen work.

Speaking on behalf of the director's family members, Doctor of Philosophy in History Esmira Javadova thanked the State Film Fund for organising the event.

In conclusion, Niyazi Badalov's documentaries "His name was Serafino" and "Relay" were shown to the guests of the event.

Niyazi Badalov is regarded as one of the founders of Azerbaijani documentary cinema.

The film director produced dozens of short documentaries and newsreels for magazines like Soviet Azerbaijan, Young Generation, News of the Day, Across the Country of Soviets, etc.

Badalov also took part in dubbing Soviet films. He taught film technology at the acting department of the Azerbaijan State Theater College.

Over his life, Niyazi Badalov produced dozens of films, including General Hazi Aslanov (1945), Muhammad Fuzuli (1958), M.F. Akhundov (1962), People's Poet Samad Vurgun (1965), Island in the Mountains (1971), Bridge Over the Caspian Sea (1988), and others.

Niyazi Badalov was also a member of the Union of Cinematographers of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Honoured Art Worker Aydin Kazimzade stressed that the outstanding filmmaker contributed to the formation and development of Azerbaijani documentary cinema.

Next, the audience enjoyed Niyazi Badalov's films-150 years. Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Island in the Mountains, and Relay Race.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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17 July 2024 19:58 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The strengthening of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel has become more evident in recent years. These relations are primarily manifested in the economic, energy, and military sectors and hold strategic significance for both countries.

In the economic sector, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is accompanied by an increase in trade turnover. Azerbaijan is an important energy supplier for Israel, particularly in terms of oil and gas exports. Israel, in turn, provides support to Azerbaijan in the fields of agricultural technologies, water management systems, and high technologies.

In the military sector, there is also significant cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel. Israel exports modern military technologies and weapons to Azerbaijan, which enhances Azerbaijan's defence capabilities and serves as an important factor for regional security.

This close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel worries Armenia. Armenia believes that the military relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, especially the arms sales that help modernise the Azerbaijani army, will change the regional power balance. Additionally, economic and energy cooperation is seen as a threat to Armenia's economic security.

In his comment to Azernews on the issue, Dean Shmuel Elmas, Geopolitics and Energy Analyst in the Israeli most popular financial newspaper, Globes, and M.A student for International Relations and Maritime Strategy at Haifa University stated that Azerbaijan-Israel relations seriously concern Armenians.

Armenia is the main regional partner of Iran, and therefore the Armenians see the Israeli-Azerbaijani historic ties as a threat. So, it is natural for Armenia to be jealous about this burgeoning relations. Moreover, we know how significant the Israeli-made weapons and ammunition are for the Azerbaijani armed forces and their recent conflicts with Armenia, he said.

The expert brought attention to the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Israel is the best partner of Azerbaijan in our region, and we know the great relations between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Netanyahu, he noted.

The analyst stressed that Israel hosts so many intelligent Azerbaijani students that are part of the bright Azerbaijani future.

Let's take the education sector as an example. Israeli education companies help Azerbaijan improve its technology education. At the same time, we have amazing Azerbaijani students in Israel that I've met, and I know that they are a major part of Azerbaijan's bright future. I can give examples of Raphael Nabizade and Said Omanov, whom I know personally, the expert said.

The expert also discussed the options for the Armenians in the sphere of education.

While we know the top-class level of the Israeli universities, what are the options for the Armenian next generation? Tehran University? That's why I am sure that with the leadership of Ambassadors Mukhtar Mammadov and George Deek, other new mutual records are near, he noted.

The expert emphasized that despite all this, the Armenians are still criticizing Azerbaijan-Israel relations.

They are trying over and over again, in the U.S., Israel, and elsewhere. In Hebrew, we usually say "A barking dog doesn't bite". So they make noises, but when you are making noise - You don't work. This is what is all about. The basis of the Israeli-Azerbaijani relations is hard and long mutual work. This is why the relations are so successful.

It should be noted that the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel is carried out in accordance with the national interests of both countries and holds strategic significance. Although this cooperation increases Armenia's concerns, it strengthens the positions of Azerbaijan and Israel on regional and global levels. Time will show how these processes will develop in the future, but current trends indicate that the relations between these two countries will further strengthen.

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17 July 2024 18:43 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

A series of educational events on the topic "Ensuring Citizens' Voting Rights" were held by the Northern Regional Centre of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Quba and Gusar in connection with the extraordinary elections to the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

At the events, attended by local youth and public representatives, the head of the Regional Centre, B. Afandiyev, provided information on the provisions of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the organisation of the voting process, the rights and duties of observers, the functions of election commission members, voters' rights, and other issues. He stated that a series of events were being conducted by the Ombudsman's Office to educate the population about voting rights.

At the end, questions from the participants were answered.

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17 July 2024 17:09 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The Lithuanian government has proposed Kestutis Vaskelevicius as the new ambassador to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

K. Vaskelevicius currently works as the head of the International Relations and European Union Group at the Government Office and has previously held various diplomatic positions in other Lithuanian embassies.

During the meeting, the diplomat stated that as an ambassador, he will work towards closer relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan.

According to him, the aim will also be to assist in the development of bilateral relations, economic, cultural, and academic cooperation.

K. Vaskelevicius cited COP29, which will be held in Baku this November, as a specific task.

If the President of Lithuania approves his candidacy, the diplomat will start his new position in August.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 July 2024 15:40 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

A Memorandum of Understanding on expanding cooperation in the field of gas supply was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Slovenia's largest natural gas supply company, "Geoplin", Azernews reports, citing SOCAR.

It was reported that SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf met with Slovenian Minister of Environment, Climate, and Energy Bojan Kumer today.

During the meeting, it was noted with satisfaction that energy sector relations between Azerbaijan and Slovenia have thrived. The emphasis was placed on the wide potential for cooperation in natural gas supply.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
In a scene that reminds one of the communist East Germany of the early 1950s or of Nazi Germany after 1933, a large group of masked police raided the offices of the large sovereintist magazine "Compact" and shut it down. This was done on the orders of the Social Democrat German Interior Mnister Nancy Fraeser. and she tipped off government supporting media so they could film it. It was oddly appropriate that the officers enforcing this totalitarian decree wore ski masks, a mark of a criminal. She also took to social media to crow about her action.

This comes days after a TV personality on Germany's government broadcast station spoke spprovingly of the assassination attampt on President Trump on-air and nothing was done about it.

Compact supports German sovereignty and opposes an "ever closer union" in the EU. Politically they support the major opposition party, the populist right Alternativ fur Deutschland (AfD). AfD leaders were quick to denounce this suppression of free speech and feedom of the press by the globalist parties running the German government. This suppression of freedom of the press came on the heels of major gains by AfD in the recent European parliament election and major losses by all the parties in the globalist coalition government.

Leading German Constitutional lawyer and former cabinet minister in a CDU government Robert Scholtz said the raid and closure violated Article 5 of the German Constitution, known as the Basic Law. "Freedom of opinion enjoys such a high Constitutional status that it cannot be undermined by an executive decision", he ceclared. Yet it has been and the key will be whether these totalitarian globalists get away with it.

Compact rose to prominence from its steadfast opposition to the Covid lockdowns.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/german-govt-launches-massive-crackdown-right-wing-press-freedom

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-bans-right-wing-magazine-in-a-blow-to-press-freedom/

https://rmx.news/article/massive-press-crackdown-in-germany-government-bans-compact-magazine-in-unprecedented-move-police-search-publishers-home-in-early-morning-raid/

Freedom of Speech and freedom of the press is under serious attack by the globalists throughout Europe, and this is just the latest example
Two major companies announced today that they are backing off from DEI, the racist and Marxist program that sets quotas for hiring and promotion based on quotas instead of qualifications. Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon of the Beatles describes those supporting DEI as "Dumb Evil Idiots".

Robby Starbuck's anti-woke crusade that recently brought down DEI completely at Tractor Suppy was in the early stages of targeting John Deere, and Deere has preemptively abandoned much but not all of the DEI at its compnay. It has announced it is cutting off funding to gay pride events such as transgender promotions to 3 year olds. taking identity politics out of employee groups and materials, and not insisting on gender identity pronouns at the workplace. Starbucks says this is only a half measure and called on customers to keep the pressure on.. He is pushing for total eradication as happened at Tractor Supply.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/he-did-it-again-robby-starbucks-anti-woke-crusade-results-deere-pulling-back-dei-policies

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced that due to "changing busness needs", it had disbanded its corporate DEI team.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2024/07/17/pink-slips-for-the-woke-microsoft-eliminates-dei-team-amid-changing-business-needs/

Why then, is Beaufort County Community College still stuck in this radical and racist DEI rut?
The ASC market continues to grow quickly as more procedures migrate to the outpatient setting. Heres five recent moves from the five biggest players in the industry:

1. USPI (Dallas):

USPI, owned by healthcare giant Tenet, is the largest ASC chain in the U.S. USPI:

Operates more than 535 ASCs across 38 states.

Employs more than 11,000 physicians.

Holds a 7.1% market share.

Is led by president and CEO Brett Brodnax since 2018.

Recent big move: In the first quarter of 2024, Tenet acquired 45 ASCs and sold nine hospitals for net proceeds of $4 billion to invest in the ambulatory space.

2. SCA Health (Deerfield, Ill.):

Optum-owned SCA Health is the nations second-largest ASC chain. SCA Health:

Operates 320 ASCs as of 2023

Employs 9,200 physicians

Makes up 5.3% of ASC market share

Is led by CEO Jason Strauss, a 15-year veteran with SCA.

Recent move: In March, Optum announced plans to acquire bankrupt Dallas-based Steward Health Care's physician group, Stewardship Health, but the deal fell through in June.

3. AmSurg (Nashville, Tenn.):

Amsurg was owned by Envision Health until 2023 when the parent company filed for bankruptcy. AmSurg:

Operates 256 ASCs.

Holds 4.1% of ASC market share.

Employs 2,000 affiliated physicians.

Is led by Jeff Snodgrass, CEO and president, appointed to that position in November 2023.

Recent move: Under the restructuring agreement, AmSurg bought all ASCs held by Envision for $300 million. Pacific Investment Management Co., a creditor, is AmSurg's majority owner.

4. HCA Healthcare (Nashville):

HCA runs their ASCs through their HCA Surgery Ventures line. HCA:

Owns 124 surgery centers and, 326 urgent care clinics

Employs 45,000 physicians

Posted $17 billion in revenue and $1.8 billion in income in the first quarter of 2024

Sam Hazen serves as CEO, holding the position since 2019.

Recent moves: In April, HCA sold Los Angeles-based West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, which includes a freestanding ASC, to UCLA Health. Later that same month, HCA and healthcare real estate development company NexCore Group partnered to build an ASC in Orem, Utah.

5. Surgery Partners (Brentwood, Tenn.):

Surgery Partners is the only publicly traded ASC company remaining in the market. Surgery Partners:

Owns 192 ASCs

Employs 4,000 physicians

Saw revenue increase by 8.1% to $2.74 billion in 2023

Is led by CEO Eric Evans

Recent moves: This year, it has partnered with Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health to develop ASC joint ventures across the state. The company also acquired Kansas Spine & Specialty Hospital in Wichita, Kan.
Here are seven lawsuits involving kickback allegations from the last month, as reported by Becker's.

1. Quintan Cockerell, a medical marketer in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., was sentenced to two years and five months in prison and ordered to pay more than $59 million in restitution for his role in a scheme that defrauded federal healthcare programs.

He conspired with others to create and market expensive compounded medications that were intended to be tailored for individual patient needs, but instead designed formulations to maximize reimbursements. Pharmacy owners and others paid kickbacks to Mr. Cockerell and others, who recruited physicians to write prescriptions for the medications, including by creating investment opportunities.

2. Kingsley Chin, MD, reached a civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that he violated the False Claims Act. Dr. Chin, who founded SpineFrontier, was accused of paying kickbacks to spine surgeons who consulted with the company.

3. Former Georgia insurance commissioner John Oxendine was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for participating in a scheme that billed private insurers for alse claims.

The scheme, which took place after Mr. Oxendine left office, billed private insurers for over $3 million in false claims. Mr. Oxendine would give a presentation to physicians at Dr. Gallups' practice pressuring them to bill medically unnecessary tests. The lab, Next Health, paid a 50% kickback to Mr. Oxendine and Dr. Gallups from net profits it made from the false claims.

4. Home health companies Guardian Health Care, Gem City Home Care and Care Connection of Cincinnati agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle claims they provided kickbacks to physicians and assisted living facilities for Medicare referrals.

From 2013 to 2022, the three companies, along with their owner, Evolution Health, allegedly provided lease payments and other benefits in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries. The companies, which operate in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, then allegedly billed Medicare for the home health services provided to the referred patients.

5. A federal judge denied a motion to dismiss claims that the former president, CFO and partial owner of Cardiac Imaging violated Stark law. The Justice Department filed a complaint in February alleging Rick Nassenstein played a central role in a scheme in which the company paid referring cardiologists exorbitant fees to supervise PET scans from at least 2017 through June 2023. Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on June 11 denied the motion to dismiss the allegations.

6. Whitefish, Mont., physician Ronald Dean, MD, pleaded guilty to participating in a $39 million Medicare fraud scheme. From January 2022 to July 2023, Dr. Dean signed prescriptions for durable medical equipment and COVID-19 tests for patients who did not need them. Two telemedicine companies would then bill Medicare for the costs and Dr. Dean would receive kickbacks.

7. David Young, MD, a physician from Fredericksburg, Texas, was convicted for submitting more than $70 million in fraudulent claims for orthotic braces and generic tests. Dr. Young submitted tests for more than 13,000 beneficiaries.
Manitowoc, Wis.-based Renovo Health opened the door to a new direct-pay ASC that aims to cut out the need for payers, WeAreGreenBay.com, the website for WFRV Local 5, reported July 16.

The facility will offer surgery, endoscopy and infusion specialties.

The center is led by Steve Borene, MD, and Josh Johnston, MD, and aims to cut out the need for insurance and offer affordable surgical care.



"We set ourselves apart through our excellent staff, as well as through our pricing structure," Dr. Johnston told WFRV. "Our direct-pay pricing structure allows us to pass on cost savings to employers and patients in a dramatic fashion."
Huma, a global healthcare artificial intelligence company, completed a series D funding round of more than $80 million, bringing the company's valuation to nearly $1 billion, according to Bloomberg.

With the new funding, the company launched the Huma Cloud Platform, which offers no-code configuration of regulated disease management tools. The platform has pre-built modules and device connectivity capabilities. It can also host and deploy diagnostic and predictive AI algorithms to advance care delivery and research.

The company aims to combine its platform with next generation AI models to enhance its offerings and support small startups as they launch digital solutions. The company aims to be a faster and cheaper solution to competitors, focusing on project or venture success instead of scaling technology and management regulations.

"We are here to accelerate the adoption of digital and AI across care and research, and we do that by making the building of digital health solutions for care and research easy," said Dan Vahdat, founder and CEO of Huma. "We like to think of Huma Cloud Platform much like Shopify but for digital health instead of e-commerce. We believe when digital and AI are scaled, they become affordable for both the poor and the rich. This will help us transition medicine from being reactive to proactive.

More than 3,000 hospitals and clinics have used Huma's technology to engage and screen 35 million people worldwide. The U.S. business has grown with new reimbursement codes and its remote patient monitoring product for respiratory cases has 140,000 contracted lives. Huma doubled its revenue year over year and aims to become profitable in 2024.

AstraZeneca was among the investors in the series D funding round.
Eleanor Slater Hospital in Cranston, R.I., has named its interim chief medical officer to serve in the position permanently. It also has hired a chief nursing officer.

Sue Ferranti, DO, was selected as CMO after serving in the position on an interim basis since January, according to a July 12 news release from the hospital. She stepped into the permanent role July 14. Dr. Ferranti has worked at the public facility for more than 20 years and has held various leadership roles, including as interim CMO on four occasions.

"[Dr. Ferranti] has a long-term commitment to the hospital and its missions and values, as well as the revitalization of the hospital, and she is committed to helping this work move forward," Brett Johnson, CEO of Eleanor Slater, said in a news release shared with Becker's.

Kimberly Kane, MSN, APRN, who is currently the assistant medical director at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, will assume her new role as CNO next month. She is an on-call nurse practitioner at Foxboro, Mass.-based Wellpath.

Since 2022, two chief medical officers have resigned from the hospital after less than a year in the role. Eleanor Slater has been the subject of controversy in recent years and has faced numerous probes related to patient safety. The state has invested millions to renovate the facility, with some upgrades slated to be complete in mid-2025.
Providence COO Erik Wexler has been selected as the organization's next president and CEO, bringing with him more than three decades of healthcare experience.

On Jan. 1, Mr. Wexler will succeed Rod Hochman, MD, who is retiring after 45 years in healthcare, including 17 with the Providence family of organizations.

"I'm feeling inspired and extremely grateful to continue to serve at Providence," Mr. Wexler told Becker's. "I've been here for eight years, and being at Providence is a calling for me in so many ways, in particular to serve by the sides of our caregivers, our clinicians and our physicians to advance health and wellness to all those that we serve. It's a very special honor, and I'm truly humbled by this opportunity."

Mr. Wexler joined Providence, a 51-hospital organization with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif., in 2016. Before becoming COO, he was president of operations and strategy for the health system's southern region, and he also previously served as regional chief executive for Providence Southern California, according to a health system news release.

Outside of Providence, Mr. Wexler has held other leadership roles, including as chief executive for Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's Northeast Region, the release said.

In conversation with Becker's, he discussed his tenure at Providence and specific initiatives with which he has been involved.

He specifically pointed to integration of Providence St. Joseph Health in California via a unified executive team.

"We were able to do that in a way that allowed us to advance the care we provide to the community to create fidelity and unity among our caregivers, our leaders and, in particular, in a way that expanded our footprint and served more of the poor and vulnerable, which we have committed ourselves to," Mr. Wexler said.

He also referenced his and Providence's efforts to advance health equity, diversity, equity and inclusion. This work has included forming the first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council in California as well as implementing Providences $50 million commitment to health equity efforts.

"We have a real opportunity to advance the platform we have to make healthcare a right and not a privilege in the United States," he said.

Other priorities for Providence that Mr. Wexler noted include bringing back joy to the practice of medicine; caring for caregivers, clinicians and physicians so they can do the best job possible, in part by reducing administrative burden; and reducing the health system's climate impact. In terms of leadership style, he said he is committed to servant leadership.

"Somebody that is approachable, that trusts our caregivers, is empowering to those that serve our patients and their families," he said. "But also a leader who is out in the field."

Mr. Wexler currently spends about 120 to 150 days each year in the field to understand the challenges and opportunities at Providence. He said he plans to continue that effort, and listening and learning tours are among the first things he will implement over the next six months.

"As much as I know Providence, I want to reintroduce myself and use all that I know as a piece of learning about where we need to go," he said. "And I believe having a fresh set of eyes and an open ear will allow me to be an effective leader."

Dr. Hochman gave Mr. Wexler advice about the commitment he is making.

"He has reminded me to enjoy the important work we do and to also find balance in our lives as leaders, so we are renewing ourselves so we can serve those that are depending on us," Mr. Wexler said.

"This is really important advice because we can find ourselves every minute of the day beholden to the important work we do. But if we don't renew and refresh, then we may not be able to serve in the best way possible. So I take that to heart, and I've committed to him that I will do that as effectively as I possibly can."










A bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would allow for new physician-owned hospitals.

The Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act was introduced by Michael Burgess, MD, (R-Texas), Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), and Vincent Gonzalez (D-Texas), on July 11, amending aspects of the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 to ease the ban on physician-owned hospitals.

The bill aims to expand healthcare options for patients and allow physicians to continue practicing medicine, according to a press release posted on Dr. Burgess's website. The bill stipulates physicians could open a hospital in a rural area where there isn't another hospital for 35 miles, or 15 miles in a mountainous area. It would also allow existing physician-owned hospitals to grow and expand services.

"Having owned my own practice, I understand the critical importance of affordable healthcare prices and timely access to high-quality care," said Dr. Burgess. "I am honored to lead this bipartisan legislation with my fellow members to ensure that rural patients across America receive the care they need."

Medical and specialty societies are lining up to support the legislation. Bruce Scott, MD, president of the American Medical Association, applauded the group's efforts to allow for some new physician-owned hospitals.

"With consolidation on the rise in all areas of healthcare leading to higher costs, it's crucial that Congress pursue policy solutions to increase competition, especially among hospitals," said Dr. Scott in the news release, later noting, "This balanced approach will undoubtedly usher in high quality healthcare across the country, especially in rural areas."

Adam Bruggeman, MD, advocacy council chair of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons is one of the supporters as well.

"Rural hospitals provide essential healthcare services to millions of Americans, but they continue to face immense financial pressures and workforce shortages that threaten their viability," he said. "This legislation would provide a targeted solution to empower physician-led hospitals in underserved rural areas. It would represent an incremental and reasonable step that would expand options for maintaining access to care when a rural community is at risk of losing its hospital."
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez has launched an investigation into Las Cruces, N.M.-based Memorial Medical Center over alleged essential medical care denial, the state's justice department reported July 16.

The allegations claim that the hospital violated New Mexico law by refusing to provide treatment to indigent cancer patients, denied patients medical services and failed to screen patients for financial assistance.

"Memorial Medical Center was surprised to learn of this investigation by Attorney General Torrez during his press conference today," a spokesperson for the hospital said in a July 16 statement shared with Becker's. "We remain committed to expanding access to care and being a good community partner in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County and will be cooperating fully with this investigation."

Initial reports point to the hospital possibly denying care or requiring upfront and full payments from multiple patients who are Medicaid-eligible or uninsured. Many of the patients who were denied care by the hospital were forced to find treatment in other cities like Albuquerque.

Should these alleged care denials be proven, the hospital could be in violation of the New Mexico Indigent Hospital and County Health Care Act, the New Mexico Patients' Debt Collection Protection Act and the Unfair Practices Act, the release said.

"We intend to conduct a thorough investigation into how these patients were treated and well be taking a close look at how the acquisition of this hospital by a private equity firm may have resulted in a management system that seems to prioritize profits over patients," Mr. Torrez said.

The state's justice department is asking patients who had similar experiences and were treated at Memorial Medical Center or other hospitals to come forward with their experiences.
Police are investigating how illicit drugs are reaching patients at Oregon State Hospital after preliminary screenings found at least two patients at the psychiatric facility tested positive for drugs, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported July 16.

In an email to staff obtained by local news outlets, Sara Walker, MD, interim superintendent and chief medical officer of the Salem-based hospital, said evidence suggests illicit drugs "may have come in through the mail" and that Oregon State Police are investigating.

In the July 12 email, Dr. Walker said "multiple patients" were found to have amphetamines and buprenorphine in their systems after preliminary drug screens, which were performed after staff noticed changes in their behavior. One patient tested positive for suboxone, which contains buprenorphine, and another tested positive for methamphetamines. Buprenorphine is a synthetic opioid used to treat pain and opioid use disorder, though it carries a high risk for addiction and dependence.

Dr. Walker's email confirmed additional tests "have been sent out for confirmation and drug verification," but hospital officials declined to say how many test results are pending, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. For now, the facility is holding the mail of patients involved, and a spokesperson said mail handling policies are being reviewed.

Per the hospital's current policy, staff members are permitted to open mail in front of patients when they believe it may contain contraband.

"The intent is not to obstruct patients getting mail, and we also need to ensure that what they receive is safe," a spokesperson told the news outlet.

News of the police investigation comes after a patient's death in May, suspected to be caused by a fentanyl overdose. After that incident, the hospital paused in-person visits. A spokesperson said the visit pause remains in place as the facility works to revise visitor screening protocols and policies for how staff monitor visits.
Amid a nationwide push to educate, train and hire more nurses at the bedside, and faster, Rhode Island passed a law that allows new nurses to practice before their NCLEX results are known. But patient safety is a concern.

The bill was signed into law June 29 by Gov. Daniel McKee as part of a larger healthcare initiative and brought on by a statewide need for more nurses.

"This bill mimics a previous pandemic gubernatorial executive order to accelerate the employment and readiness of new grads while they are awaiting their NCLEX results," Donna Policastro, RN, a retired advanced practice nurse and presently the consultant executive director and lobbyist for the Rhode Island State Nurses Association, an affiliate of the ANA, told Becker's.

The previous initiative took patient safety into account by allowing this after the nurse received orientation and onboarding from their employers, Ms. Policastro explained.

"It proved to be successful and so a coalition of healthcare employers, nursing schools, ANA-RI and [the Organization of Nurse Leaders] wholly supported this bill," she said.

New nurses are already assigned preceptors as they begin their work at a hospital, so allowing nurse graduates to begin practicing while they wait to take the NCLEX or wait for results would not mean they are practicing without oversight. And under the new law, nurse graduates can begin to practice before taking and while awaiting NCLEX results, but they must become licensed within 90 days.

"Allowing graduates of accredited registered nursing schools the opportunity to begin their on-the-job training and orientation while the results of their licensure exams and applications are pending promises to bring registered nurses, who remain in critical demand throughout Rhode Island, into the workforce faster by alleviating some of the administrative constraints they have traditionally faced upon graduation," Anitra Galmore, DNP, RN, BSN, chief nursing officer and COO of South County Health in Wakefield, R.I., told Becker's.

"We are confident this new law will help bolster the registered nursing workforce with new grads without compromising the quality of care delivered by registered nurses," Dr. Galmore added.
Health systems are increasingly pursuing joint venture partnerships to improve care quality and expand access. Joint ventures centered around the development, acquisition or operation of ambulatory surgery centers are gaining significant traction as healthcare continues to migrate from hospitals to outpatient settings.

Outpatient surgery is the top service line for joint venture partnerships this year, according to a VMG Health survey of health system executives, including CEOs, CFOs and COOs. Survey results have been backed up by news of multiple health systems partnering with one of the many ASC chains vying for market growth.

Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health is the latest system to form a joint venture in the ASC space. The system partnered with Atlas Healthcare Partners "to develop, manage and scale our ASC network quickly and effectively," according to Mark Mariani, MD, vice president of MultiCare Surgery Centers.

Atlas also has ASC joint ventures with Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Corewell Health and Phoenix-based Banner Health, which has expanded its ASC network from eight to 30 centers over the last five years.

Banner, a 30-hospital system, invested in Atlast in 2022 and aims to grow the number of ASCs in its network to 50 by the end of 2025.

The investment was "a logical next step to help the company scale and grow into a larger national partner for other health systems as well," Banner Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Scott Nordlund said. "Banner's decision to invest in Atlas aligns us at the management company level in addition to the regional joint venture and local ASC levels and creates a unique surgery center management company focused on creating strategic partnerships with health systems including ASC network development, investment and operations."

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners  which owns and operates more than 180 ASCs, surgical hospitals, multispecialty practices and urgent care facilities across 33 states  has partnered with several health systems over the last 18 months to build and acquire ASCs.

In February, the company entered the Indiana market through a joint venture with Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health. Surgery Partners and Parkview aim to "work with physicians to build and acquire ASCs with a focus on increasing access outside of Parkview's core service area," according to a Feb. 20 news release shared with Becker's.

Other health systems Surgery Partners has ASC joint ventures include Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, Dallas-based Methodist Health and Columbus-based OhioHealth.

Another ASC company, Compass Surgical Partners, plans to launch a joint network of ASCs with Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health and partnered with Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health to develop more than 30 ASCs across multiple states.

"Our view, over time, is that more complex procedures will come out of the hospitals," Sean Rambo, president of Compass, told the Triangle Business Journal in a May 2023 interview. "Health systems are wanting to catch up and use this strategy to expand outside of hospital walls."

Health systems are skating to where the puck is going.

Commercial payers are revamping policies to push providers and patients out of the hospital and into ASCs, where procedures can be performed at a lower cost, and, arguably, at a higher quality. Patients also prefer ASCs over hospital outpatient departments for reasons including reduced cost, improved patient experience, faster access and shorter stays, according to a survey conducted by The Leapfrog Group.

United Surgical Partners International, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, has been bullish on outpatient growth and is the largest ASC chain in the country, with 512 ASCs and 25 surgical hospitals spanning 38 states.

In the first quarter, Tenet sold nine hospitals while USPI acquired 45 ASCs. Tenet has reduced the number of hospitals it operates to 49, while USPI aims to have more than 600 ASCs by 2025.

"The transactions that we have executed on have established the dawn of a new era for Tenet," CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said during the health system's April 30 earnings call.

Tenet's biggest competitors in the ASC arena are Optum's SCA Health and AmSurg, which have about 320 and 256 ASCs, respectively. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare follows further behind with more than 150 ASCs.

Most nonprofit health systems are still working on improving their operating margins after a tumultuous few years. Systems with larger outpatient care networks are faring better than those with smaller footprints, according to Kaufman Hall. Outpatient and ASC growth is expected to be a top priority for health systems for the foreseeable future as financial recovery continues and growth plans get back on track.

"Our biggest growth is in outpatient care. Some think we are only a hospital system, but only about 46 percent of our business is from our hospital sector today," New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling told Becker's. "The more you expand ambulatory and grow in the right locations, the more you increase market share, which brings more of the necessary inpatient care back to your hospitals."
Denver-based Lowry Family Health Center received a practice-based health education grant for its international physicians program, which aims to alleviate the physician shortage across the state.

The Colorado Works for International Physicians program trains international medical degree-holders to practice in the U.S., according to a July 16 news release from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who recently met with physicians in the program.

International medical graduates with MD-equivalent degrees in the clinical readiness program train at Denver Health for nine months, gaining experience through inpatient and outpatient clinical rotations, lectures and residency interview preparation.

There is a high demand for healthcare professionals in Colorado, with 123 areas facing shortages and a "projected deficit of 3,000 physicians by 2030," the release said.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has awarded more than $18.8 million to fund 23 programs across the state.
The Center Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Care & Research and St. Charles Health System, both based in Bend, Ore., have signed a letter of intent to expand their relationship to counteract decreased access to orthopedic, neurosurgical, physical medicine and rehabilitation medicine in the area, NBC affiliate KTVZ reported July 17.

"The number of orthopedic surgeons in Central Oregon has decreased dramatically in the past 18 months, making access to necessary care a significant burden for patients and their families," the orthopedic center said in a news release shared with KTVZ.

While the Center has tried to fill gaps on its own, it is having difficulty recruiting and retaining staff.

The Center and St. Charles intend to seek an emergency exemption from the Oregon Health Authority's Health Care Market Oversight review process in an attempt to quickly stabilize care for the community, the report said.

The Center currently employs 27 physicians, 27 advanced practice providers and approximately 200 support staff across three clinic locations and multiple outreach clinics. Currently, it can take up to six months to schedule an initial orthopedic evaluation with a total joint replacement surgeon and another six months to schedule surgery at the Center.

St. Charles Bend is a level 2 trauma center and is dependent on having a network of orthopedic and neurosurgeons available to provide on-call coverage for trauma surgeries when needed.

"Physicians from the Center have been active members of the St. Charles medical staff for decades," Christopher Healy, DO, a surgeon at the Center, told the news outlet. "St. Charles is the right partner as they are the leader in healthcare in our area and will help provide stability to musculoskeletal care in the region."

The Center and St. Charles Health System said they intend to put together a transition plan to quickly provide the best access to care for patients in the region, the report said.
Two other NI eateries featured on the list of top fish and chip shops

John Long's has been ranked among the best in the UK by The Times

A popular Belfast city centre chippy has been named on a list of the best fish and chip shops in the UK, along with two other Northern Ireland spots.

The Times hailed John Longs on its list of 23 of the UKs best fish and chip shops.

The Belfast restaurant  which has been serving the tea-time staple for over a hundred years  was praised by The Times for its lightest of batters.

Fish and chips at Long's fish and chip shop, Belfast

The critics also noted the historic chippy is a favourite of some of Northern Irelands most notable figures including Eamonn Holmes, who previously revealed he would make it his last supper meal were he given just days to live.

Other celebrity fans of the citys longest established fish and chip shop include actors Brendan Fraser and Sean Bean, as well as the band members from Take That.

The Times added: "Thats how revered this Northern Irish chippy is, despite not being on the seaside and a 20-minute walk from the harbourfront.

"If Holmes is fit and well, look out for other celebrity patrons instead, including Sean Bean and Dara O Briain."

The newspaper also praised the use of locally sourced ingredients at John Longs, adding: Its popularity is all down to the fresh fish  landed at Kilkeel  and the lightest of batters, the recipe for which hasnt changed in 104 years.

Then there are the traditional pasties (battered minced pork with onion and potato), an old Belfast staple, because people like it the way it is, and you dont change the wheel.

Belfast Telegraph restaurant reviewer Joris Minne recently declared the chippy as exceptional and unmatched.

He added: [The] chips are outstanding: crispy, golden, full of flavour and, when eaten with mushy peas, the perfect partner for the brittle, battered haddock or cod.

John Copeland of Long's fish and chip shop in Athol Street, Belfast

John Longs wasnt the only NI chippy praised by the Times, with Little Wolf in Strangford and Mortons in Ballycastle also getting a mention.

Little Wolf was praised for its crispy batter, flaky fish and fat chips.

The paper encouraged readers to travel to Strangford in order to try the fish and chips offered in Little Wolf, adding: Its actually worth missing the Strangford-to-Portaferry water shuttle to get your hands on one of Little Wolfs fish suppers.

"Anyway, therell be another ferry along in 30 minutes, giving you time to take your hot parcel of haddock down to the harbour edge and watch the next boat coming in along Strangford Lough.

The Times also recommended trying Little Wolfs pizza: Children and fussy eaters will appreciate the alternative menu of wood-fired pizzas for which Little Wolf is as renowned as its fish and chips.

Mortons in Ballycastle was praised for the excellent customer service: A chippy owned by a fisherman sounds like an excellent concept, and it has worked a treat for the little shed by the Marconi memorial on Ballycastles harbour.

John and Kevin Morton inherited the fishing business established by his grandfather more than a century ago, bringing North Atlantic catches into the harbour and selling it on.

"But when proliferating supermarkets threatened to destroy the business, he diversified, opening a quayside fishmonger and a chippy.

The Times encouraged readers to stop in at Mortons while enjoying some of NIs best sites: A chippy that rivals the Giants Causeway, the Bushmills distillery and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge as an Antrim coast wonder. Its takeaway-only, but wander around the back for picnic tables on the harbour arm.

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024
County in SW China's Guizhou addresses rock desertification, develops green industries

People's Daily Online) 09:34, July 17, 2024

Guanling Buyi and Miao Autonomous County in southwest China's Guizhou Province has significantly reduced the area of rock desertification through persistent efforts and developed green industries.

Photo shows the hybrid giant napier grass on a mountain in Jinlong village, Xinpu township, Guanling Buyi and Miao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Guanling county committee)

Zuo Luolian is a 36-year-old monitor at a monitoring station for water and soil conservation in Guanling. The monitoring station has set up six experimental plots with different vegetation to study soil erosion. It collects samples and uploads relevant data after testing and analysis to a provincial-level database for more targeted rock desertification control.

The Guizhou Provincial Water Resources Department established the Guanling monitoring station. Li Guangming, an official in Guanling, explained that the station is being used to compare the effectiveness of various types of vegetation in conserving water and soil. It has allowed for the building of a database that gives research institutes both inside and outside the province the ability to collaborate. This collaboration makes rock desertification control more science-based.

Zuo has observed that the data accumulated over the past years shows that grasslands are most effective at water and soil conservation, followed by tall trees and fruit trees. He added that the data is used not only for rock desertification control but also to develop related ecological industries.

"Since 2019, our focus has shifted from quantity to precision in rock desertification control. We have explored a path of more targeted treatment that considers both local conditions and the development of industries," Li said.

Since 2005, Guizhou has used satellite remote sensing technology for monitoring and conducting rock desertification surveys every five years. Starting in 2024, Guizhou will change to annual updates on rock desertification data. This will include lists of grass and tree species that have both positive and negative effects to allow for more precise guidance on rock desertification control.

Guanling is one of the regions most severely affected by rock desertification in Guizhou. In the county, 42.5 percent of the land was once plagued by rock desertification.

The county first adopted a model that combined the goals of afforestation and conserving water and soil to combat rock desertification, said Zhao Shouping, deputy director of the water resources bureau of the county.

Zhao explained that cypress trees were planted on slopes and ditches were built on steeper slopes. The county managed to increase the survival rate of cypress trees from 30 percent in the first year of planting to over 85 percent in the seventh year, said Pan Wencheng, head of the forestry bureau in Guanlian county.

From 2015 to 2022, the rock desertification area in Guanling decreased by 412 square kilometers, or 61.86 percent. The forest coverage rate in the county has increased from 45.42 percent in 2015 to 59.12 percent now. The county has been designated as a demonstration zone for the comprehensive treatment of rock desertification in Guizhou.

In 2018, Wang Zeping hailing from Yichang city in central China's Hubei Province came to Xinpu township in Guanling to grow citrus trees and other fruit trees on the rocky mountains.

In early 2023, Wang's trees bore fruits, and the yield reached 75,000 kilograms. This year, Wang expects the yield to double, with the output value potentially exceeding 10 million yuan ($1.37 million).

Yang Zhiwei, a villager in Longtan village in Guanling, has grown loquat trees on the rocky mountains. Yang earns over 50,000 yuan annually from loquat cultivation alone. He has also actively participated in several rock desertification control projects in the county.

Guanling has promoted the cultivation of the hybrid giant napier grass, a high-yielding grass variety that is effective in controlling rock desertification and ensures a stable food supply to Guanling cattle, a fine yellow cattle breed in Guizhou. The county has explored a development model of green industries including the farming of Guanling cattle and the planting of napier grass.

Currently, Guanling has grown forage grass on 155,500 mu (10,366.7 hectares) of land, with the output value per mu reaching 3,000 yuan. Additionally, 100,000 mu of barren hills and slopes have been improved through grass planting.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
DUP leader welcomes decisive move to repeal legislationSDLPs Colum Eastwood said move shows Labour are taking radically different approach to Northern IrelandSinn Fein MP John Finucane said his party will engage with Labour on the full details of their approach

King Charles has confirmed the new Labour Government will go ahead with plans to begin the process of repealing and replacing the controversial Northern Ireland Troubles Act.

During the Kings Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles III said: In consultation with all parties, measures will be brought forward to begin the process of repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy and Reconciliation Act 2023.

The Kings Speech, which is written by the government, outlines the new Labour Governments plans.

The controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act by the Conservatives, which came into effect last September, could offer potential immunities to those accused of killings during more than 30 years of sectarian violence.

It also brought a halt to civil litigation and inquests not completed by the cut-off date of May 1.

While the entire Act cannot be repealed without something in place to replace it, the Government is expected to repeal the controversial policy of offering conditional immunity for Troubles crimes.

The Act was met with widespread criticism from victims organisations, all of NIs political parties and the Irish Government.

Reacting to the Kings Speech, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said his party welcomed the decisive move to repeal this unconscionable legislation.

"This legislation was fundamentally flawed and morally repugnant because it extinguished that hope for many innocent victims, he said.

As the Government now embarks on a new process of dealing with the past, the DUP will remain consistent in the principles we have always adopted on the issue of legacy.

"Firstly, the door to justice must remain open, and secondly, there is no equivalence between the innocent victim of terrorism and the perpetrator of terrorism.

Mr Robinson also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to use his upcoming meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris to press upon him the need for Dublin to open up the pathway to truth regarding the role of the Irish Government, Garda, and wider society in the Troubles.

Sinn Fein MP John Finucane, whose father Pat was shot dead by the UDA in front of his wife and children at their north Belfast home in 1989, said the shameful Act has failed victims and survivors.

This is a welcome commitment [to repeal and replace the Act], and we will engage with them on the full details of their approach in the days ahead, he added.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the decision to replace the Act shows the new Labour Government will take a radically different approach to the north than their predecessors.

"Political parties and victims groups from across our society opposed the attempts to shut down paths to justice and accountability - the united campaign, led by those most affected, has driven this change, said the Foyle MP.

Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood said her party will be keen to see timely progress on a full-scale replacement which carries the confidence of local people, especially victims and their families.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll added that the Act must be replaced with legislation that will afford bereaved families justice.

Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart, said repealing and replacing the Troubles Act is necessary to right a historic wrong.

The Pat Finucane Centre, which represents bereaved families, said it looks forward to early discussions about repealing this repulsive Act.

Relatives 4 Justice added: This is encouraging. But families will be vigilant. Only human rights compliant investigations and measures will be acceptable to them.

"They have suffered repeated harms from repeated and deliberately failed processes.

Secretary of State Hilary Benn said the Government is committed to addressing the legacy of the Troubles in a way which can command the support of communities, and which complies with our human rights obligations.

The Conservative Government described the Act as an attempt to draw a line under Northern Irelands troubled past.

It involved the establishment of an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) where self-confessed perpetrators who fully cooperate with the legacy body may be offered immunity from prosecution.

Earlier this year, then shadow Secretary of State Mr Benn indicated they would not scrap the ICRIR, which is led by retired judge Sir Declan Morgan, but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims families.

In February, the High Court ruled that the immunity provisions and ending of civil actions breaches the European Court of Human Rights.

Appealing those findings, counsel for the former Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris insisted it was a parliamentary-endorsed attempt to achieve reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024
Police came under attack for a second night in south Belfast (PA)

A man has been arrested after police came under attack for a second night in south Belfast.

The arrest of the 38-year-old came after the incident in the Broadway area.

Police came under attack with petrol bombs, paint and bottles by a crowd of an estimated 40 young people, described as being in their young teens.

A number of roads in the area were closed during the disorder on Tuesday evening.

Members of the public and motorists in the area on Wednesday morning were urged to exercise caution because of rubble on the streets.

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Lindsay, the PSNIs district commander for Belfast, said no injuries have been reported.

Once again we are thankful that no police officers or members of the public were injured, however, we must be clear, this disorder, which lasted into the early hours of this morning, is completely unacceptable, he said.

We estimate that around 40 people, most of whom were young teens, were involved and I would urge those young people, and their parents or guardians, to really take time to think about what the consequences of this behaviour could be. The implications for your future could be immense.

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He said local officers will patrol the area on Wednesday night, and police will also continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to prevent further disorder and disruption.

I would encourage local people to report any and all incidents of anti-social behaviour  the more we know, the more we can do to support people and take positive action. Please call us on 101, or 999 in an emergency, he added.

The Police Federation, which represents ranks-and-file officers, condemned the attacks on police.

Chairman Liam Kelly said: This behaviour that we have seen over two nights in the Village-Broadway area is wholly destructive and pointless.

People living in the immediate area of this disorder have had their lives turned upside down with damage caused to properties.

Police Federation chairman Liam Kelly condemned the attacks on officers (Peter Morrison/PA)

Thankfully, our officers have escaped injury in these vicious attacks. They have succeeded in holding the line and restoring peace to this area.

There is no excuse for the violent scenes we have witnessed or the wilful and mindless targeting of officers who are doing their best to protect the entire community.

This street disorder has to stop. Nothing can be gained by rival groups inflicting such upheaval on families living in this area.

Our officers will continue to maintain the rule of law and conduct professional policing operations until the gangs engaged in this street violence desist.
Parts of the UK are set to experience a mini heatwave, with temperatures across Northern Ireland expected to climb into the low twenties.

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued as the mercury is expected to rise to around 30C in other parts of the UK from Thursday to Sunday.

But Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: It will be quite a bit cooler for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where temperatures may be 18C or 19C, or maybe a bit lower, where that rain persists on the west coast.

The hot weather comes as parts of the country have already experienced well in excess of Julys average rainfall figures despite only being halfway through the month.

A Met Office spokesperson said NI had 47% of Julys average rainfall between July 1 and 15. England had 97%, Wales had 65% and Scotland 49%.

Nicola Maxey of the Met Office said: There are quite big regional differences, but overall its looking like a wet month so far.

There is a caveat that, with a dry couple of weeks, by the end of the month things could even themselves out.

Wednesday saw temperatures in many areas in NI reach up to 20C, but the outlook for Friday through to Sunday so far seems to be rather unsettled, with showers or, especially on Saturday, longer spells of occasionally heavy rain.

A warm Friday has been forecasted, but it will get cooler again over the weekend.

Looking further ahead to the end of this month and into August, the national forecaster says there will be some hints of drier spells.

However, low pressure may continue to affect NI at times, bringing cooler, wetter and windier conditions.

Though difficult to predict a long-range forecast, meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey has reassured the public that the weather predictions do not mean it will be raining every day.

Last month saw temperatures remain in the early teens  the last time the first 10 days of June were that cold was in 2020. Compared to June last year, NI was enjoying daily temperatures of around 20C.

Experts explained that the below-average temperatures were due to the Atlantic jet stream bringing in cool air from Iceland and Greenland.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Hayter said: The position of the jet stream, which is a ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere, is often the driving force behind the weather we experience in the UK.

In recent weeks, the jet stream has been either directed towards the UK or shifted further south, which has predominantly brought cooler air over the UK, with frequent incursions of some unseasonable winds and rain.

For warm weather in the UK in summer, youd tend to see the jet stream shifted further north, which allows the possibility of warmer air to drift over the UK from the south.

Unfortunately for those who like the warmth, we have only had brief periods where this pattern has been present in summer so far.

While theres much uncertainty in the forecast at this range, there are some subtle signs of a more settled spell possibly developing, at least for a time, in the second half of July.

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024
Police deal with disorder in the Village area of Belfast on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

A man has been arrested following a second night of rioting in south Belfast.

The man (38) was arrested as the Broadway area of south Belfast saw another night of disorder last night with paint, bottles and a number of petrol bombs thrown at police.

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Lindsay, District Commander for Belfast, said: Once again we are thankful that no police officers or members of the public were injured however we must be clear, this disorder, which lasted into the early hours of this morning, is completely unacceptable.

"We estimate that around 40 people, most of whom were young teens, were involved and I would urge those young people, and their parents or guardians, to really take time to think about what the consequences of this behaviour could be. The implications for your future could be immense.

On Monday and Tuesday night officers came under sustained attack by crowds of around 40 people at Glenmachan Street close to the Broadway roundabout.

Children as young as seven were involved in throwing bricks, bottles, masonry, and petrol bombs at police lines during six hours of disorder that saw several police vehicles damaged and officers covered in paint.

Police deal with a second night of disorder on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

Police had been on the ground in the area from 2pm yesterday (Tuesday), however officers came under attack shortly after 7pm when masked youths gathered in the Village area of the city.

Officers in riot gear responded, containing the group inside Glenmachan Street.

Images from the disorder show older males encouraging young children, some thought to be aged seven to get involved.

Calm was restored to the area around 1:45am today (Wednesday).

A PSNI spokesperson said at around 7am: All road closures in south Belfast have been lifted this morning following last night's disorder; however debris remains on the roads as the clean-up operation continues. Please exercise caution if travelling in the area, and seek an alternative route if possible.

Masked man seen encouraging child to riot in south Belfast

On Monday evening, officers responded to reports of running battles between youths from the Village and St Jamess areas of the city close to the Broadway Roundabout.

On arrival, officers were pelted with masonry and paint bombs.

The incident, which spanned several hours, worsened around 8.30pm when officers were forced to close the off-slips from the nearby Westlink.

Petrol and paint bombs were thrown at officers and vehicles by groups of young people.

The windscreens of three cars were shattered and splattered with paint with some damage also caused to police vehicles.

Police managed to corner a majority of the youths, most masked; in the nearby Glenmachan Street where officers and members of the public once again came under attack.

Police attacked with petrol bombs and fireworks during night of disorder in Belfast

At the height of the operation, more than 13 police Land Rovers were visible on Broadway roundabout with a police drone monitoring the situation from overhead.

As the night progressed officers once again came under attack from petrol bombs, bricks, and bottles as they monitored the crowds movements in the side streets.

Calm was restored shortly after 1am when youths dispersed as the police drone was brought down to change its batteries.

Chief Superintendent Lindsay added: Local officers will continue to patrol the area tonight to prevent anti-social or disorderly behaviour and detect those involved. We will also continue to work alongside our partner agencies, local representatives and the community.

I would urge the young people who have been involved and their parents or guardians to seriously consider the impact of their actions on the local community, but also on their own futures. These actions have serious consequences. My message is simple, walk away and dont get involved in any trouble.

I want to thank local community representatives who worked with us to restore calm and minimise the impact on the local community, he said.

Police deal with disorder in the Village area of Belfast on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

The anti-social behaviour plagued roundabout, which sees weekly running battles involving local youths, has been at the forefront of weekly neighbourhood policing operations.

Earlier this month several UVF flags were erected on the roundabout along with an Eleventh night bonfire bearing All Taigs Are Targets and ramblings about the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News.

South Belfast MLA Kate Nicholl said she was disgusted by what happened.

For the second time in a week, we have seen police officers attacked, this time with petrol bombs in South Belfast, the Alliance representative said.

I am disgusted, disappointed and angry at this. What possesses people to go out and carry out such attacks on those who are there to protect us? My thoughts are with all the officers who were attacked in this horrendous incident and I am thankful none were injured.

Those involved have done nothing but bring misery and disruption to residents, workers and anyone else affected. These sorts of incidents are not wanted by the vast majority of people here.

If anyone has any information on those involved in this, I urge them to take it to police immediately.

In June, police said a vehicle and police officer had been struck by objects after they attended the area.

During the incident, police responded to reports of a female staff member being threatened at a local community farm.

Posting to social media in June, staff at St James's Community Farm said incidents of this nature have become a regular occurrence in recent weeks.

About 10 male youths attacked our farm with bricks. They got into the animal field and verbally threatened a female member of staff, they posted on Facebook.

This has been a regular occurrence for the last three weeks. We have had wooden pallets that the goats use taken and burnt and the goats playground damaged.

The animals were terrified last night with the bricks hitting the metal of our building.
Its use to cover Black mans face on social media unbelievable

Andy George, president of the Black Police Association in the UK.

A senior police officer from Northern Ireland has criticised the Metropolitan Police for using an offensive emoji on social media in a photograph it posted of a Black man.

The force published an image of a Black man being stopped by two officers and covered his face with an ace of spades emoji which concealed his identity, along with a post alerting followers of heightened police presence in the Edmonton, north London, area.

You may have noticed significant police presence around Edmonton, said the post, published on Thursday.

Andy George, a serving PSNI officer and President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), said it is unbelievable that the emoji was used, given that the word spade is a well-documented derogatory slur for Black people.

Posting on X, he said: Unbelievable that an Ace of Spades was used to cover the face of a Black person stopped by police.

The incident comes after the Metropolitan Police was found to be institutionally racist in a recent report by Lady Louise Casey, which was commissioned in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.

It also comes after a number of investigations into Black people for using emojis and other imagery to make political points.

Michael Morgan, social commentator and content creator, said: The institutionally racist Met Police love to arrest and charge us over emojis we use and placards we hold.

Its been a while since anyone has dared call me a spade to my face. Imagine seeing this in 2024. Im livid.

The Met Police deleted the post and issued an apology on Friday.

We apologise for several posts which appeared on this account last night, it posted through one of its local branch Twitter/X accounts.

An inappropriate emoji was used and we know this has caused offence. We are speaking to the officer involved and professional standards colleagues.

The spade slur dates back to at least 1919. Linguistic experts have written extensively about how the term is derogatory towards Black people, steeped in racist comparisons between the symbols black colour and Black peoples appearance.

This criticism of the Met Police follows concern regarding highly publicised police investigations into Black and Asian peoples use of online images, such as a raccoon emoji and Daffy Duck GIF, across social media.

When approached for comment, Chief Inspector Rob Gibbs, who is responsible for neighbourhood policing in Enfield, said: We apologise for a post which appeared on Enfield social media accounts on Thursday evening.

An inappropriate emoji was used and we know this has caused offence. We are working hard to raise standards and build trust with our communities.

We understand this has not been to the standard that you or we expect. We are speaking to the officer involved.

This matter has also been shared with professional standards colleagues to advise on next steps.
Charlotte, Ashleigh, Brodie and Jack Elliott enjoy the warmer weather at Helens Bay, Co Down, earlier this year

With only six weeks of summer left there is still hope that Northern Ireland will enjoy some spells of warmer and sunnier weather, according to the Met Office.

Towards the end of this month and the beginning of August, there will be some hints of drier spells.

However, low pressure may continue to affect Northern Ireland at times, bringing cooler, wetter and windier conditions.

For the next 30 days, we can expect temperatures to remain relatively warm, with days that will see the sun out with some clouds and rain.

While difficult to predict a long-range forecast, meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey has reassured the public that the weather predictions do not mean it will be raining every day.

Last month saw temperatures remain in the early teens  the last time the first 10 days of June were that cold was in 2020. Compared to June 2023, NI was enjoying daily temperatures of around 20C.

Experts explained the below-average temperatures were due to the Atlantic jet stream bringing in cool air from Iceland and Greenland.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist David Hayter, said: The position of the jet stream, which is a ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere, is often the driving force behind the weather we experience in the UK.

In recent weeks, the jet stream has been either directed towards the UK, or shifted further south, which has predominantly brought cooler air over the UK, with frequent incursions of some unseasonable winds and rain.

For warm weather in the UK in summer, youd tend to see the jet stream shifted further north, which allows the possibility of warmer air to drift over the UK from the south.

Unfortunately for those who like the warmth, we have only had brief periods where this pattern has been present in summer so far.

While theres much uncertainty in the forecast at this range, there are some subtle signs of a more settled spell possibly developing, at least for a time, in the second half of July.

As for the rest of this week, today will see mainly bright and sunny spells and a maximum temperature of 21C.

The Met Office said tomorrow will bring outbreaks of rain, with further showers on Friday mainly in the west, with brighter spells in the east.

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024
Government accused of facilitating a cover-up by locking victims files away

A man whose son was murdered by the UVF has urged the Labour Government to go further by scrapping the Legacy Act in its entirety rather than repealing parts of it.

Raymond McCord (22) was found beaten to death in a quarry at Ballyduff, Newtownabbey, in 1997.

Following confirmation in the Kings Speech that the Legacy Act will be repealed, his father, also named Raymond McCord, said he was disappointed as he was led to believe that the bill would be scrapped.

Mr McCord added: The whole lot needs to go. Its as simple as that.

The new Government has committed to repealing the conditional immunity scheme of the Act.

That was the most controversial part of the legislation, which gave immunity to former soldiers and paramilitaries for acts committed during the Troubles.

This was removed from the legislation earlier this year as a result of a High Court judgment.

The Government has said it will reverse the policy prohibiting victims and their families from taking civil claims and it will set out steps to allow the resumption of Troubles-era inquests.

It will also explore options to strengthen the independence of Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

Mr McCord said he recently chaired an event at which Sir Declan Morgan, chief commissioner of the ICRIR, appeared and the whole audience rejected the ICRIR.

This November will mark the 27th anniversary of Mr McCords death and his father has questioned why families cannot have a normal inquest.

He added: Raymonds case has started, then over the years been adjourned and adjourned  not through our fault but the state not disclosing documents, the police not playing ball with us and other bodies in the state.

Make no mistake, this comes from Downing Street. The British Government is frightened of what will be exposed at inquests, particularly in my sons inquest where collusion was proven and accepted by the OLoan report in 2007.

He said emails to Hilary Benn, the new Secretary of State, about a meeting have been ignored and that he believes hes afraid to meet us because he knows were steadfast on this ICRIR issue.

Clive Eagleson, whose father, John, an RUC officer, was killed by the Provisional IRA in Cookstown in 1982, said the Legacy Act was a total letdown.

He believes there has been undue focus on the security services and that everybody responsible for Troubles murders should be held accountable.

Mr Eagleson added: For too long we have watched inquest after inquest and it all seems to be one-sided, in my view.

He added: I want truth and justice for my family and all innocent victims. For too long weve been put in the corner. They should be top priority, with a lot more guidance from victims.

The Republic of Ireland Government also has to stand up and play a part in accountability too.

Michael OHare with a photograph of his sister Majella, who was shot dead by the Army in Co Armagh in 1976 (Victoria Jones/PA)

Michael OHares 12-year-old sister Majella was shot and killed by a soldier on her way to church with a group of friends in 1976. He said his family believed the door for justice had been closed.

This is an important day for families like ours, who thought wed seen the door closed forever on these cases, he said.

Majella was just an innocent little girl who didnt deserve to be gunned down when walking along the road with her friends.

We deserve truth and accountability. Its a huge relief that that is now a possibility again, even if we have had to wait half a century. Its never too late to do the right thing.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was a decisive move by the Government to repeal this unconscionable legislation.

He added: In a society where there is so much hurt, pain and grief, it is important that the hope of justice remains.

This legislation was fundamentally flawed and morally repugnant because it extinguished that hope for many innocent victims.

We urge the Government to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors, because repeating them would only cause more emotional distress to victims and damage the work of reconciliation in our society.

Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said: The British Government has said it will now begin the process of repealing the Tories shameful Legacy Act, which has failed victims and survivors.

This is a welcome commitment and we will engage with them on the full details of their approach in the days ahead.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his party worked hard alongside Labour MPs to make the repeal of the toxic Tory Legacy Act an early commitment of the new Government in London.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said it is very welcome that the new UK Government is following through on their election manifesto commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.

An NIO spokesperson said it would be irresponsible to remove the Act in its entirety without anything to replace it.

"The NI High Court has found the ICRIR to be independent and capable of conducting human rights compliant investigations, but the Government will explore options to strengthen its independence."

Speaking to BBC NI, Secretary of State Hilary Benn said: "Everyone agrees you need information recovery as well as continuing investigation, and I've said that the success of the Independent Commission will depend on how it does its work and what families have to say. Because in the end, families will be the judge of whether the system works."

News Catch Up: Wednesday 17th July 2024
Up to 42 murders have been linked to suspect, who was arrested in sting operation

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has cancelled a visit to a Kenyan township today amid a continuing police operation following the arrest of a suspected serial killer.

The remains of nine women were found 300 metres from a police station in Kware, near Nairobi, where Mr Martin was due to visit an Irish-aided health centre.

The serial killer is believed to be responsible for 42 murders, with some victims understood to be former clients of the health centre.

It is a shocking story, Mr Martin said last night. I think we have to await further details and background to this, but its quite shocking.

One of the strongest contributions we make through our development humanitarian aid is to support women, and that was one of the reasons I was going to the health centre, which was established many years ago by the Medical Missionaries of Mary.

The news emerged following the arrest of Collins Khalisia (33), who police say has admitted killing 42 women and disposing of their bodies at the Kware dump. However, local reports also include claims he may have been coerced into confessing.

The suspect was trapped in a night-time sting operation as millions watched the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain on TV.

An hour after the final whistle, police surrounded a bar in Kayole as customers were still discussing the match, storming in to arrest one of them.

Khalisia is suspected of dismembering his victims after killing them, with some body parts tipped into what the Kenyan media is calling the Quarry of Death.

He told us he killed his wife out of bitterness, that he chopped her up. He is a person full of vengeance and hatred

The suspected murders began in 2022, with the last victim believed to have been killed last Thursday.

Staff at the health centre knew some victims and were shocked at the news, with the local police advising Irelands ambassador to Kenya that further raids would take place in the township in a crackdown on gang violence, and shootouts were possible.

Police said they had tracked Khalisia, who made a brief appearance in court yesterday, through his use of mobile phones seized from the victims.

Criminal investigation chief Mohammed Amin said a particular mobile signal had been on their radar, belonging to Josephine Mulongo Owino, one of the victims. It was being used for money transfers.

That number led detectives to the suspect, Mr Amin said. He told us he killed his wife out of bitterness, that he chopped her up and dumped her at Kware. He is a person full of vengeance and hatred.

Moments before his arrest, police said he was actively luring another victim, a woman identified only as Susan, who has made a police statement.

We believe that this machete is the one that the suspect was using to dismember his victims

Nine bodies had been retrieved from one location by Monday evening, with police saying they have confirmed the presence of many more.

The dump site is within 500 metres of the health centre Mr Martin was due to visit.

Also found were 24 SIM cards, 10 phones, one laptop, a separate hard drive, a machete and 12 nylon sacks, along with rubber gloves, a handbag, nylon ropes and assorted documents.

We believe that this machete is the one that the suspect was using to dismember his victims. We are likely to arrest more people because we believe he was not acting alone, Mr Amin said.

By last night, a second man was in custody. He had a phone belonging to a victim.

Mr Martin confirmed he was told he could no longer visit a facility that we fund and support, which provides extraordinary supports to women and young girls, in particular, in terms of their health.

He added: That such an atrocity, multiple atrocities, could have occurred close to that centre is quite shocking.

There are obviously security challenges here, as there are elsewhere, but we must keep on working and supporting efforts to improve the situation all round.
The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA)

An Irishman who is the last known surviving fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain has celebrated his 105th birthday at a ceremony in Dublin.

Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway, who was a member of the group Sir Winston Churchill described as the few, attended an event to mark his birthday at the British embassy in the south of the city.

The event was marked with the unveiling of portraits reflecting different stages in Mr Hemingways life, which were painted by British artist Dan Llywelyn Hall.

Representatives from the Royal Air Force and Mr Hemingways family also attended the event on Wednesday.

Paintings on display as the last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway, celebrates his 105th birthday (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Hemingway made a short speech at the reception, saying: I cant talk very much as my breath doesnt allow me. But thanks so much for being here. Its made my day.

Born in Dublin in 1919, he joined the RAF in 1938, and was one of the young pilots that took part in the Battle of France.

In 1940, Mr Hemingway was recorded as destroying a German airliner, the following day he downed a German Luftwaffe but his Hurricane fighter plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and he had to make a forced landing.

He then became one of the front-line squadrons of 11 Group and responded to the daily attacks from German aircraft, which became known as the Battle of Britain.

Mr Hemingways logbook records up to five daily sorties he and the other pilots undertook in defence of the United Kingdom.

In August 1940, during hectic dogfights, Mr Hemingway was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricanes, landing once in the sea off the Essex coast and in marshland on the other occasion.

On July 1, 1941, Mr Hemingway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and in September that year, he was mentioned in Despatches.

His son, Brian Hemingway, said: I think my father was born in a time where flying was very glamorous, it is a wonderful thing to do. As an 18-year-old he joined the RAF to have a lot of fun, travel the world and of course the war intervened and he became a fighter pilot.

The last known Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA)

In those days it was a different world. They were flying at an early age.

Imagine an 18 or 19-year-old today getting into a machine and fly it at 300mph, attacking people in dogfights which lasts seconds and it was absolute chaos.

These were kids and people, to try and appreciate what it was like, have to go back to 1938 when it was a different world. They suffered great hardships.

His entire world was the squadron. Their friendships were formed in war, which is perhaps the strongest.

People should think about what it was like to sit in a Hurricane and go up every morning, sometimes five times a day, to find the enemy and shoot them when youre exhausted.

Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall said: In creating a series of portraits, I have emphasised different character facets of Johns rich personality.

He is above all, a proud Irishman and occupies an utterly unique moment in our history  a shared history between Britain and Ireland  finding himself the final voice and embodiment of a defining period.

The portraits will be auctioned at a later date, with some of the proceeds donated to Trinity Nursing Home in Dublin, where Mr Hemingway resides.

Chief of Staff of Irish Defence Forces Sean Clancy, who also attended the event, said: As someone who was very fortunate to be born on the continent of Europe, where peace and democracy has reigned for so long, and it has reigned because weve been able to stand on the shoulders of people like Paddy and his fellow aircrew who fought bravely form 1939 to 1945.

Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Sean Clancy with Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway (Brian Lawless/PA)

We should be forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made, so we can say we live in a peaceful world.

Unfortunately, thats been shattered in recent times.

Mr Hemingway went on to serve as an Air Fighter Controller for Operation Overlord and in 1945, he served in the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces with 324 Wing and eventually commanded 43 squadron, which served in Italy.

It was during this time that he was forced to bail out a fourth time.

While attacking enemy forces near Ravenna in April 1945, his Spitfire was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire.

He parachuted into enemy territory and with the help of Italian locals, managed to contact Italian partisans, who helped him return to his squadron.

In 1966, he became Officer Commanding RAF Leconfield and eventually attained the rank of Group Captain.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he is pleased to have the opportunity to reset the UKs relationship with Ireland.

The Prime Minister made the comments in a brief bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris at Chequers before the two leaders have dinner together at the country house.

Sir Keir said: I am very pleased to have this very early opportunity to, what I see as resetting, strengthening and deepening our relationship.

Mr Harris responded: I am delighted to be here too, to congratulate you in person.

It means a lot to us, a lot to Ireland.

Mr Harris is the first international leader to visit the UK since Sir Keir was elected as Prime Minister.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Simon Harris and Sir Keir Starmer enjoy a pint of Guinness at Chequers (Carl Court/PA)

It was confirmed in the Kings Speech on Wednesday that the Labour government will repeal the Legacy Act.

One of Sir Keirs first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

Mr Harris had said in advance that he expected to discuss Northern Ireland and the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during his meeting with the Prime Minister.

The meeting between the two leaders is taking place on the eve of a major summit of European leaders at Blenheim Palace.
Waterstones has apologised after a terrifying antisemitic book was found on the shelves of a major bookshop in Ireland.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which inspired senior Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, was discovered in Waterstoness subsidiary Hodges Figgis in Dublin, Ireland, before a customer complained and it was removed.

Consultant Daniel Epstein-ODowd, 28, was left horrified after he claimed he found the anti-Jewish text for sale under the shops Judaism section while shopping with his wife.

He told The Independent: It was horrifying to see a text that incited violence against Jews across the world be sold so openly, let alone for it to be included in the section on Judaism as if it was some authority on the Jewish faith.

If we had not spoken up, that book could have been picked up and dangerously prejudiced a persons entire world view on the Jewish community and faith.

A Waterstones spokesperson told The Independent it did not stock the book and it was investigating why it was on the shelves of the Dublin bookshop.

Published in 1903, the book was written by Russian Sergei Nilus and fabricated a series of meetings by Jewish leaders plotting to rule the world by manipulating the economy and controlling the media. During the 1920s and 1930s, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion played a role in the Nazis propaganda campaigns.

The Nazi party published at least 23 editions of the text between 1919 and 1939. Following the Nazis seizure of power in 1933, some schools used the book to indoctrinate students.

Oliver Sears, of Holocaust Awareness Ireland, said: This book has made a terrifying contribution to the persecution and murder of Jews.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion has no place in a post-Holocaust world. It is beyond belief a copy was found in the section of Jewish interest in Hodges Figgis.

It is imperative that Hodges Figgis understand [the texts] contribution to the destruction of Jewish communities in the 20th century and its ongoing influence on antisemitic conspiracy theories.

A Waterstones spokesperson told The Independent: We do not stock and make every possible effort not to make available online the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, and other antisemitic books of this sort.

From time to time, new editions or texts are listed by publishers or print-on-demand platforms and our filters fail to exclude them.

In such circumstances, we remove them immediately that we become aware of them. In this case, we have removed the listing from Hodges Figgis and apologised for not having noticed ourselves that the book had been listed.

This should not have happened and we are investigating how our filters may be improved to work more reliably in the future.
Around 5% of children aged between five and 16 are thought to have conduct disorder in the UK (PA)

A common mental health disorder associated with disruptive behaviours such as fighting, bullying and rule-breaking in children could be spotted in brain scans, a study suggests.

Scientists have found distinct structural differences in the brains of children who have conduct disorder (CD), an under-recognised condition also associated with lying, stealing, skipping school and a lack of remorse.

The findings, published in journal The Lancet Psychiatry, are based on brain scans of nearly 2,500 children in what the team said was the largest study of its kind.

Lead author Dr Yidian Gao, from the School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health at the University of Birmingham, said their research provides the most compelling evidence to date that CD is associated with widespread structural brain differences.

Scientists said that while it is still unclear what causes these differences, they suspect childhood adversities such as maltreatment may play a role.

Dr Marlene Staginnus, joint lead author from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, said: Although we dont yet know how the differences that we have identified could be used to improve treatment for children with CD, it is clear that children who have this disorder cannot simply be labelled naughty.

Around 5% of children aged between five and 16 are thought to have conduct disorder in the UK.

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, it is much more than ordinary childish mischief or adolescent rebelliousness, with long-lasting and extreme aggressive behaviours.

Although associated with a high burden for families and societies, conduct disorder is one of the least researched psychiatric disorders, scientists said.

To find out more, an international team led by the University of Birmingham analysed the brain scans of 1,185 children diagnosed with conduct disorder and 1,253 without the condition.

Results showed the surface area of the brains outer layer, the cortex, was significantly reduced in children with conduct disorder, the researchers said.

The areas deep within the brain, associated with functions such as emotion regulation, language and reasoning, were also lower in volume, they added.

The researchers said they did not find any significant differences between girls and boys with conduct disorder, although boys are more likely to be diagnosed.

Some of the brain differences associated with conduct disorder were similar to those previously found in children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), the team said, but there were also other features distinct to conduct disorder traits, such as lack of empathy or guilt.

Dr Staginnus said: Given that CD is such a significant contributor to our global mental health burden, we really need to see investment in research at similar levels to that of ADHD and autism.

Dr Stephane De Brito, from the Centre for Human Brain Health at the University of Birmingham, said: There is a lot of work examining potential risk factors for CD, but it is still unclear what are the causes of those brain structural differences in young people with CD.

We suspect that early adversities, for example, experiences of childhood maltreatment might play an important role.

And by understanding how CD links to later issues, including criminality in adulthood, but also anxiety and depression, we start to see how important it is to understand and help young people with CD and their families.
Labour says GB Energy will help to reduce energy bills (PA)

The Scottish Secretary says Labour is rolling up our sleeves, as the Kings Speech confirmed the Governments intentions over a GB Energy Bill and stronger relationships with devolved administrations.

In the first legislative programme of the newly-elected Labour UK Government, there was also a commitment for a National Wealth Fund to invest in the green industries of the future.

A total of 24 out of the 39 Bills in the Kings Speech are expected to affect Scotland at least partially.

Prominently, the Great British Energy Bill is aimed at creating a clean energy transition which will bring down prices for consumers.

Ian Murray said Labour is rolling up its sleeves and delivering change (Tejas Sandhu/PA)

The monarchs speech said the legislation would set up a publicly owned clean power company headquartered in Scotland, which will help accelerate investment in renewable energy such as offshore wind.

Briefing notes stated GB Energy would be capitalised with 8.3 billion in new money in the current session of Parliament.

The exact location of GB Energys headquarters is not expected to be revealed until later in the process.

Sir Keir Starmers Government also pledged to strengthen its work with the devolved administrations and will set up a new Council of the Nations and Regions to bring different levels of government together.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the Kings Speech will deliver for all four nations of the UK and all four corners of Scotland.

He said: We have a bold and ambitious legislative programme which will ensure we deliver on our mandate.

Our plans will deliver growth and jobs for our economy. It will establish GB Energy, a publicly owned energy generation company which will create jobs and cut bills for good, and establish a National Wealth Fund to invest in the industries and jobs of the future.

Mr Murray also highlighted the promises on improving workers rights, such as increasing the minimum wage to a real living wage.

He continued: We have been clear that we want to reset our relationship with the Scottish Government, and to work together to deliver better outcomes for people.

Our rail ownership Bill will ensure that ScotRail is kept in public hands, and we want to work with the Scottish Government to pass laws that will reduce the availability of addictive vapes to young people.

We promised change. This Kings Speech demonstrates we are rolling up our sleeves and delivering that change.

The SNPs Stephen Flynn said the speech was a missed opportunity (Michal Wachucik/PA)

However, the SNP said the speech was a missed opportunity to deliver change.

Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: People in Scotland voted for clear and substantial change at Westminster, and the Labour Government was handed a huge mandate to deliver it, so its bitterly disappointing that they have thrown that opportunity away.

While some of the small measures announced are welcome, they fail to deal with the major challenges facing the UK. There was no plan to eradicate child poverty, no plan to tackle the cost of living and no plan to end Tory austerity and boost NHS funding.

And with no plan to reverse the damage of Brexit or properly invest in green energy, Starmer is restricting the potential for strong growth in the economy, wages and living standards.

For Scotland, there was no plan to deliver the maximum devolution that Labour promised during the independence referendum and, despite promising to abolish the House of Lords for more than a century, they are only planning to tinker around the edges.

Scotlands Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said she looks forward to early and meaningful engagement on UK Bills.

She said: The Prime Minister has said he wants to reset the relationship with the Scottish Government, respect the devolution settlement and work constructively together.

I am pleased to see this approach reflected in the Kings Speech, and we will support the opportunities it presents to improve the lives of people in Scotland.
A new report has found that thousands of men die prematurely each year due to poor diet, lack of exercise and late diagnosis (Alamy/PA)

More than 133,000 men die early every year in the UK, often from preventable illnesses, according to a new report.

Two in five of all men die too young, while those living in the most deprived regions are 81% more likely to die prematurely than those in the wealthiest, according to the charity Movember.

Its new report found the health of men in the UK is worse than in many other wealthy countries.

A boy born in the UK in 2021 can expect to live to 78.7  four years less than a girl, more than three years less than boys in Switzerland, 2.6 years less than boys in Australia and 1.3 years less than boys in Ireland, it said.

The charity argued the leading causes of death, such as lung cancer and heart disease, could be prevented by cutting out smoking, reducing alcohol intake, eating well and attending health screening and appointments.

Furthermore, in England and Wales, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20 to 34, and the suicide rate generally is three times higher for men than women.

The report highlighted how men are less likely to have healthy lifestyles than women, and are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

They are also less likely to attend health screening appointments and check-ups with their GP, putting them at risk of late diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer.

Polling for the study found 64% of men wait more than seven days before visiting a doctor with symptoms, while 48% believe it is normal practice to avoid health check-ups. Less than 40% take up the offer of an NHS health check for which they are eligible.

Urging the Government to launch a dedicated mens health strategy, Movember said tackling the main preventable diseases in men could have saved the UK 9.4 billion in 2023 alone.

Michelle Terry, chief executive of Movember, said: The report findings should serve as a wake-up call to the unacceptable state of mens health across the UK.

For too long, mens health has been relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations. Mens health doesnt exist in a vacuum.

If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, and better support the men in our lives, real change is needed urgently.

We need to invest in education, health system reform to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated mens health strategy if we truly want to make progress.

The report found men living in Birmingham Ladywood are, on average, more than 3.5 times as likely to die prematurely (before the age of 75) than men living in Beckenham in Greater London.

Overall, men living in the 10 constituencies with the highest premature death rates are almost 3.5 times more likely to die early than men living in the 10 constituencies with the lowest.

Movember is also calling for the appointment of a dedicated national clinical director for mens health in England and a minister for mens health in Scotland to mirror appointments in womens health.

Supporting the campaign, Alastair Campbell, former Downing Street director of communications, co-host of The Rest is Politics and mental health campaigner, said: For too long, this country has been going backwards on policies that directly support mens health.

In mental health specifically, although there has been real progress in attitudes and awareness, the services and policies to tackle depression and anxiety have been going in the opposite direction.

The new Labour government has a bright opportunity to be bold and change the face of mens health  and this starts with a mens health strategy.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: It is the mission of this Government to get the NHS back on its feet so it is there for everyone.

We know men can be reluctant to engage with health and other support services.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness and we encourage anyone to speak to their GP if they have concerns about their mental or physical health.

Prevention is better than cure so this Government will also shift the focus of healthcare from simply treating sickness to supporting people to live longer, healthier lives.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has already met child poverty charities, who are calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished (Jeff Moore/PA)

Ministers charged with tackling child poverty have already faced calls to scrap the two-child benefit limit before their new taskforce has even met for the first time.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall met child poverty charities on Wednesday morning to hear their views ahead of the announcement of the new taskforce that will develop Labours promised child poverty strategy.

But on the same day, many of those charities reiterated calls to abolish the two-child benefit cap that affects some 1.6 million children.

They included Save the Children, which described the limit as cruel, and members of the Childrens Charities Coalition, who called the cap devastating.

Labour has faced consistent pressure to scrap the limit since before the election, from charities and its own backbenchers, with some reported to be considering backing an amendment to the Kings Speech calling for the policy to be abolished.

Calls to abolish the two-child limit come against the background of rising child poverty, with more than four million children now living in low-income households.

But the party leadership has so far resisted such calls, claiming the fiscal situation means the cap cannot be abolished unless economic growth is secured first.

Instead, the Government announced a new taskforce shortly after the Kings Speech on Wednesday to look at all the available levers we have across government to deliver the ambitious child poverty strategy promised in Labours manifesto.

Led by Ms Kendall and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, the new taskforce is expected to meet for the first time in the coming weeks.

The official announcement said the group would consider levers related to household income as well as employment, housing, childrens health, childcare and education, but made no mention of the cap.

(PA Graphics)

Sir Keir Starmer said ministers would leave no stone unturned in their efforts to give every child the best start in life.

He said: For too long children have been left behind, and no decisive action has been taken to address the root causes of poverty.

This is completely unacceptable, no child should be left hungry, cold or have their future held back.

Ms Kendall said tackling child poverty was vital and urgent work and promised to turn the tide on rising poverty levels.

Dan Paskins, of Save the Children UK, welcomed the announcement of the taskforce as a signal of intent, but added that the strategy would not be credible without abolishing the two-child cap.

He said: With 1.6 million children impacted by this cruel and unfair policy, the two-child limit punishes children just for having siblings.

Scrapping it could immediately lift half a million children out of poverty and would be the first major step to deliver on the aims of the child poverty taskforce.

Wednesdays Kings Speech contained no mention of the child poverty strategy, with the announcement of the new taskforce coming shortly afterwards (Aaron Chown/PA)

Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said the taskforce was a welcome first step but added scrapping the cap has to happen in the Governments first budget.

She said: The two-child limit is driving up child poverty more than any other policy, children need it to be removed as a priority.

Several opposition parties have also called for the cap to be removed, with some expected to join Labour rebels in trying to amend the Kings Speech to include the proposal.

Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain said it was right that the Government is looking at how best to tackle the scourge of child poverty and urged ministers to listen to charities.

She said: Scrapping the two-child cap would be the quickest and most cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty and bring long-term benefits to our society and economy.
The parents of a nine-year-old girl who was shot in east London have said their daughter may never speak or move properly again (James Manning/PA)

The parents of a nine-year-old girl who was shot in east London have said their daughter may never speak or move properly again.

The youngster was eating dinner with her family at a restaurant in Kingsland High Street, Dalston, on May 29 when a lone motorcyclist fired a number of shots towards the building.

She remains in a critical condition 49 days after the attack.

Three men sitting outside the restaurant  aged 37, 42 and 44  were also shot but were discharged from hospital a few days later.

A photograph of the motorcyclist police want to speak to, captured from behind and taken just before the incident happened (Metropolitan Police/PA)

In a statement from the family, released via the Metropolitan Police, they said: We are devastated about what has happened. Our daughter remains stable but in a critical condition.

She only went there for ice cream and now we do not know if we will ever get our daughter back to being the smart, funny girl that she was before and whether she will be able to ever speak or move properly again.

They added: We need our child back and we are all praying for her full recovery.

The update on the little girls condition came as the Metropolitan Police released new photographs of a motorcyclist they want to trace in connection with the shooting.

The three images were captured in the Dalston area, before and after the incident.

A photograph, taken just before the shooting in Dalston, of the motorcyclist police want to trace (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, lead for policing in the London Borough of Hackney, said: I am making a renewed appeal for information relating to the shooting in Hackney, on Wednesday 29 May, which left three men injured and a nine-year-old girl in a critical condition.

Our investigation team has been working tirelessly to piece together what happened and to identify the dangerous individuals responsible for this shocking and indiscriminate act of violence.

They are now in a position to release images of a suspect on a motorcycle that they are working to trace. We believe the motorcycle has been in the Peckham and Crystal Palace areas.

Police believe the motorcycle involved in the Dalston shooting has also been in the Peckham and Crystal Palace areas (Met Police/PA)

Mr Conway added: Anyone who saw this motorcycle or who can help us identify the rider is urged to contact us immediately.

Whoever this person is, they are dangerous and must be removed from our streets.

Mr Conway said the Met are investigating a critical line of inquiry  a potential link to organised criminal networks originating in Turkey.

The nine-year-old girl who was injured was simply out having dinner with her family. She remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition, he said.

You might be a friend, partner or a family member of someone that you suspect may be involved. I urge you to search your heart to understand if your loyalty to friends or associates extends to covering up for an innocent child being shot.

 Anyone who may have information about the shooting or the events leading up to it is urged to call Crimestoppers or to speak to police.
A heatwave across southern Europe forced authorities in Greece to close the Acropolis for several hours on Wednesday and two firefighters died while putting out a fire in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, Italian authorities said.

Italy added Palermo, Sicily, to the list of 13 cities in the country with a severe heat warning. Elderly people in the city of Verona were urged to stay indoors, while sprinklers were set up to cool passers-by.

Greeces Culture Ministry ordered the closure of the Acropolis  the countrys biggest cultural attraction  from midday for five hours.

Tourists shelter from the sun in front of the Sforzesco Castle in Milan, Italy (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Tourists hoping to visit the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis queued early in the morning to beat the worst of the heat, while the Red Cross handed chilled bottled water and information fliers to those waiting in line.

We got it done and got out quick, said Toby Dunlap, who was visiting from Pennsylvania and had just toured the Acropolis. But its hot up there, it really is. If you dont come prepared, youre going to sweat.

Meteorologists said the hot air from Africa was forecast to continue through until Sunday, with heatwave temperatures expected to peak at 43C (109F).

In Albania, the heat led the government to reschedule working hours for civil servants, making it easier for some to work from home.

Neighbouring North Macedonia struggled with dozens of wildfires that had broken out in the previous 24 hours.

A woman poses for a photo in front Caryatid statues as smoke from a fire rises up in the background during a hot, windy day at Acropolis hill in Athens (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

One major blaze stretched across nearly 30km (21 miles). Firefighting aircraft from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania and Turkey responded to the countrys call for assistance.

In western Turkey, firefighters  aided by more than a dozen water-dropping aircraft  managed to bring a wildfire near the town of Bergama under control several hours after it ignited.

The cause of the blaze, which was fanned by strong winds, was not immediately known.

The municipality of Turkeys largest city Istanbul issued a heat warning on Tuesday, saying temperatures would rise between 3-6C (37-43F) above seasonal norms until July 28.

Several Spanish cities, including Granada and Toledo, are bracing for temperatures as high as 44C (111F) forecast for later in the week in the countrys hottest spots in the south.
Marine Le Pen has described the state of France as a quagmire (Thibault Camus/AP)

With nine days to go before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, Frances far-right leader Marine Le Pen said that the deeply divided country is in a quagmire after chaotic legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament.

France has been on the brink of government paralysis since elections for the National Assembly earlier this month resulted in a split among three major political groupings: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, President Emmanuel Macrons centrist allies and Ms Le Pens far-right National Rally party.

The New Popular Front won the most seats but fell well short of the majority needed to govern on its own.

Frances National Assembly is due to sit for its first session of the new government on Thursday (Aurelien Morissard/PA)

The leftist coalitions three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, have urged the president to turn to them to form the new government. Yet they are feuding over whom to choose as prime minister.

Mr Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers but asked Mr Attal and other government members to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed.

There is no firm timeline for when Mr Macron must name a new prime minister, and it is not yet clear when he will do so.

We are in the middle of a quagmire, Ms Le Pen said on Wednesday, a day before the new parliament is to meet.

Ms Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate and a leading far-right figure in France, blamed both Mr Macron and the left for the post-election chaos.

She criticised Mr Macron for failing to explain when he plans to replace Mr Attal.

The French people do not know what is happening, Le Pen said in an interview with BFM TV.The opening session of the 577-member National Assembly, Frances powerful lower house of parliament, is scheduled for Thursday.

The leftist alliance was hastily formed to run in the recent national legislative elections, which were called by Mr Macron after his centrist allies suffered a massive defeat by Ms Le Pens National Rally in the June vote to the European Parliament.

It was a gamble Mr Macron made seeking to prevent the far right from gaining power.

Leaders of four parties in the leftist alliance are calling on centrist and other left-wing lawmakers to form a republican dam in the National Assembly that would prevent Ms Le Pens National Rally from getting any leading positions in the parliament.

Voters, they argued in a statement on Wednesday, have given them an extremely clear mandate to firmly oppose the extreme right and its rise.

Ms Le Pen accuses the left and Mr Macron of anti-democratic behaviour by denying her partys elected officials important positions in the parliament.

The left-wing alliance is doing enormous harm to democracy, she said.
The rioting has been condemned by Police Federation chair Liam Kelly as wholly destructive and pointless

Police deal with a second night of disorder in south Belfast on July 16th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)

A 38-year-old man has been arrested after violence continued in south Belfast last night.

The past two nights have seen disorder in Glenmachan Street in the Village area.

On Monday over 30 petrol and paint bombs were thrown at police, while the windscreens of three cars were shattered and splattered with paint.

Police attacked with petrol bombs and fireworks during night of disorder in Belfast

A majority of the rioters appeared to be children and young teens.

Footage and images taken by the Belfast Telegraph showed a firework being thrown at a police land rover and a masked man encouraging a child to partake in the violence.

Why are these violent demonstrations happening, could this disorder spread to other areas, and why are adults encouraging children to get involved?

Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph visuals editor Kevin Scott, who has been in the area over the past two nights.
A French Republican Security Corps (CRS) riot police officer stands in front of Kanak pro-independence supporters in Noumea, New Caledonia, on July 11, 2024.

A bloc of Pacific island leaders on Wednesday condemned Frances illegitimate handling of the U.N-mandated decolonization of its Pacific territory New Caledonia and called for a further referendum on independence.

In a statement, the five member Melanesian Spearhead Group  Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the pro-independence FLNKS of New Caledonia  also denounced Frances militarization of New Caledonia after deadly riots erupted in May.

Ten people have died in violent protests sparked by French government plans to unfreeze the territorys electoral roll and dilute the vote of the Kanak indigenous people. The unrest resulted in billions of dollars in economic damage and the deployment of thousands of French police and special forces.

We are of the strong view the conduct was not in accordance with the U.N. principles allowing a fair and unfettered process to be expressed by the indigenous peoples concerned, in particular the obligation of the Administering Power, the MSG leaders said on the sidelines of a meeting of Pacific leaders in Japan in what they called their Tokyo Statement.

[We] therefore regard the conduct and result as illegitimate, null and void.

Under the 1998 Noumea Accord peace agreement that set out a path to give New Caledonias Kanaks greater political power, three referendums on independence were mandated between 2018 and 2021, the first two resulting in modest majorities to remain with France.

A contentious third vote was boycotted by the independence movement because it was unilaterally brought forward by the government of French President Emmanuel Macron during the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted campaigning. The resulting low voter turnout returned an overwhelming yes to remain with France.

The MSG leaders said dialogue and a new referendum overseen by the U.N. was the political solution to guarantee the lasting peace we are all seeking.

BenarNews has contacted the French High Commission in Noumea about the MSG statement but has not received a response.

We need regional support to bring some stability and return Kanaky to normalcy, FLNKS spokesperson Jimmy Naouna told BenarNews.

Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders met on the sidelines of the 4th Japan-Pacific Island Countries Economic Forum in Tokyo on July 17, 2024. [Philip FONG/AFP]

Last months unrest was the worst political violence in the Pacific territory located between Australia and Fiji since the 1980s.

Overnight, as clashes entered a tenth week, a historic church was torched in the Kanak strong-hold of St Louis on the outskirts of the capital Noumea. It followed a week-long operation by 350 French police with armored personnel carriers to remove roadblocks and reopen a key road that runs through the community.

The Federation des Industries de Nouvelle-Caledonie has estimated the economic cost of the crisis to be 265 billion CPF francs (U.S.$2.6 billion).

Kanaks comprise about 40% of New Caledonias 270,000 people but they are marginalized in their own land, with lower incomes and poorer health outcomes than Europeans who make up a third of the population and occupy most positions of power in the territory.

French control of the territory gives the European nation a significant security and diplomatic role in the Pacific as the United States, Australia and their allies push back against Chinas inroads in the region. New Caledonia also has valuable nickel deposits that are among the worlds largest.

Ahead of French National Assembly elections earlier this month Macron shelved the electoral changes that sparked the protests.

The unexpected winners in the snap poll, the left-wing New Popular Front alliance, have not yet been able to form government, while Macron remains president.

The leader of the largest bloc in the NPF alliance, Jean-Luc Melenchon, called for an end to neocolonialist behavior in New Caledonia Kanaky during the election campaign.

The poll resulted in FLNKS candidate Emmanuel Tjibaou  the son of assassinated pro-independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou  securing the groups second ever seat in the legislature since 1986. The MSG leaders point to his win as further grounds for another referendum.

The transfer to France of seven arrested pro-independence activists to face trial over the rioting in May was criticized by the MSG as not helpful to create a harmonious and peaceful environment.

The Melanesian leaders are also requesting a joint U.N.-MSG mission to New Caledonia to assess the situation and warn they may take the issue to the U.N. General Assembly when it meets in New York in September.
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When all is said and done, BSCs Boeing, Boeing is a reasonably diverting evening of theater.
UPDATE: Will Vice President Kamala Harris, now running for president, attend a Pittsfield campaign event on Saturday?

PITTSFIELD  A major Democratic campaign fundraiser is planned for Pittsfield on July 27 to support the Biden-Harris ticket.

And, much to the pleasant surprise of its local organizers, Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to be the guest speaker. Harris will be joined by noted historian and author Heather Cox Richardson.

The event features performances by an array of superstars  James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax.

In a recent Eagle interview, Taylor said he had cleared most of his concert schedule in the months ahead to perform in support the Democratic ticket, wherever hes asked.

The Biden Victory Fund, organizers of the fundraiser, lists former Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife Diane, former Pittsfield Mayor Evan Dobelle and his wife Kit, and former state Rep. Sherwood Guernsey among its members.

Evan Dobelle served as chief of protocol in President Jimmy Carters administration; Kit Dobelle was Rosalyn Carters chief of staff and chief of protocol.

Interviewed from Nantucket, where he was winding up a vacation, Guernsey  former chairman and a current member of the Berkshire Democratic Brigades and current president of the Rural Freedom Network, a Political Action Committee (PAC), a grassroots media organization supporting Democratic candidates  described the event as a fundraiser for the Biden-Harris ticket.

These days, you have to raise a lot of money, unfortunately, in order to have a viable campaign, Guernsey said. People got together months ago to try to figure that out, and there was a real desire to do this.

Guernsey cited organizers Joel and Patty Ellis for successfully connecting with Taylor, Ma and Ax.

The idea was to make this a really big event, Guernsey said, and I got in touch with the administration folks to see who we could get.

He was pleased to learn that Harris was willing to come, since this is a pretty big event and we hope to fill up the place.

Its been a long time since weve got somebody from the administration that high up to the Berkshires, Guernsey pointed out. Its really exciting to get her here.

He voiced hope that as many people as possible can join us to listen to her give an up-front and personal rendition of whats going on in this country and how the Biden administration is so totally the opposite of whats going on in Milwaukee right now, where the Republican National Convention is winding up on Thursday night with a speech by former President Trump. Vice-Presidential nominee J.D. Vance, senator from Ohio, was scheduled to speak Wednesday night.

It is as extreme as it can be, so we need to push back on that, Guernsey said.

Michelle Obama delivered a rousing speech at Pittsfields Colonial Theatre on Aug. 3, 2012, in support of President Barack Obamas re-election campaign. She spoke before a capacity crowd of 780 in a 30-minute, off-the-cuff speech interrupted more than 50 times by applause, cheers and whoops, The Eagle reported the next day.

Hillary Clinton appeared in front of the Colonial in 1998 to support the theaters restoration campaign.

The time of the July 27 event remains to be firmed up, though it will be in the afternoon, and the location remains undisclosed, at least for the time being.

Tickets starting at $100 are available through EventBrite.
From the July 17, 1957, Eagle

Eagle Archives, July 17, 1957: The real 'Mr. Roberts' of U.S. Navy fame could be the son of Lenox selectman
On the second-to-last day before a school-run summer program wrapped up for the year, Pittsfield students took a school bus to Beartown State Forest for a field trip. One student didn't return, leaving the community grasping for answers.
'A different way' to approach policing: Pittsfield police program pairs clinicians with officers to help those in crisis
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NORTH ADAMS  Just a month after the last regular day of classes  ever  at the current Greylock Elementary School building, the city is fast approaching a decision on building a new one.

Tuesday marked further progress toward a new school, as the School Building Committee voted formally to recommend that the City Council vote to finance the $65,362,859 estimated cost of a new Greylock Elementary School.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey urged committee members to lobby for the move when they can.

Everyone is worried about their taxes going up, she said. Unfortunately, you cant do a project of this size without some financial impact.

The City Council will have to review the proposal twice  once next week and once in August. There will be two public forums held in August by the school district before its put to citizens for a vote in a special election.

City taxpayers ultimately will decide whether the proposal goes forward, and whether they want the city to foot its share of the bill  20 percent of the total cost. Macksey said the city is aiming for a September vote.

The City Council is holding a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the City Council chambers to consider the project. Macksey implored committee members to attend, bring friends and family and show support.

Its an exciting night, its really the first night we publicly showcase this project to the City Council, Macksey said. Some of them have participated in our meetings, some of them have not, and are seeing this project for the very first time.

Mondays meeting presents an opportunity to look into our crystal ball, as Macksey put it, to discuss the tax and general impact of the new school.

Tuesdays vote, a formal nudge to move the process along, comes after the Massachusetts School Building Authority approved the project's scope and budget last month.

North Adams Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Malkas said Tuesday that the MSBA approval concludes the design phase, and the district has now shifted focus to the securing funding and local approval.

The school district's forums are scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Greylock Elementary School, and at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at Brayton Elementary School. According to the district, the forums will provide "valuable insights" into the proposal, including its design, construction timeline and associated costs. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take guided tours, which Macksey said Tuesday may showcase some of the buildings' current negatives.

The School Building Committee also discussed videos explaining the project to parents and stakeholders.

If a new Greylock School does come to fruition, its up to the school building committee what happens to Brayton Elementary. It could turn into space for town offices, or classrooms for adult education, sharing room with Berkshire Community College.

In 2020, Malkas presented a potential budget that forecasted the possibility of grade reconfiguration between two schools and that of a school closure. Greylock was accepted on the state repair list in 2019, after years of attempts by the city.

The building, on Phelps Avenue, has not been renovated since 1955. The roof is old, there are issues with rain and flooding, and its become a financial liability, according to the district.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Romans 13:1).

Politics and Christianity are strange bedfellows, indeed. Even so, there seems to be a now full-grown trend to tie religion into the context of politics.

Over the past few years, there has been a great deal of public attention and discussion given to the concept of Christian Nationalism. Of course, as with so many other subjects, that discussion throws up immediate barriers and arguments, with the line drawn by ones political persuasion. People seem to fall on one side or the other  liberal or conservative  with accusations thrown back and forth.

Society has even resorted to labels and name-calling. Right-wing. Left-wing. Both are intended to be derogatory labels aimed at dismissing the opinions and viewpoints of the person so labeled. Christian nationalist; woke; racist; socialist; fascist; communist. All terms with the same double-sided intent to insult and dismiss.

The term Christian Nationalism itself seems to stem from a politician by the name of Marjorie Taylor Greene who stated in a mid-2022 interview that We need to be the party of nationalism and Im a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists. And the gauntlet was thrown down, as it were. Following that, several other religious and political leaders have expressed some level of support for the term  despite the fact that there really is no clear definition of what the term even means or what the politician intended.

It might surprise some that, despite the attention, according to a Pew Research Center survey in September 2022, less than half of U.S. adults have even heard the term Christian Nationalism and have any idea what it means. However, as Christ-followers, it would seem important that we do understand the term and, more importantly, recognize how the division impacts the church and our mission to create disciples of Christ Jesus.

It is important that we see how true Christianity has been hijacked by so-called Christian Nationalism.

What Is Christian Nationalism?

Purely by definition, Christian Nationalism focuses on the morals of society through a political process  such as legislating criminal and civil laws that reflect Christian or biblical views. The core argument is that America was founded as a Christian nation and the government should take active steps to keep it that way.

Those who support Christian Nationalism use the argument to combat, in particular, pro-choice and LGBTQ advocates. As support for those two issues has risen over the past decade, so has the division. Of course, those on the other side of the political argument weaponize the term and use it to, as said, insult and dismiss the view as bigoted, misogynist, racist, homophobic, and others. They view Christian Nationalism as theocracy.

As we all know, our country was in fact founded on the freedom of religion. That freedom has often been misinterpreted and misapplied as separation of church and state  which is actually derived from a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802, to a Baptist church in Connecticut; it is not contained in the Constitution. Yet that has not prevented those who oppose Christianity  or any religion, for that matter  from using that argument. The term separation of church and state has been used as a weapon  with many unaware of its exclusion from the constitution. It seems impossible today to state ones Christian faith without being labeled a Christian Nationalist  used as a vehement insult  by those of a differing viewpoint.

The Reverend Billy Graham once wrote this: Even where persecution isnt an issue, an upsurge in secularism and religious intolerance is apparent, and religion has been scorned and removed from public life.

It is absolutely true that Christianity has been under attack worldwide. I read recently that more Christians have been persecuted and killed for their faith in the last 100 years than in all the previous centuries combined since the time of Christ. In present day, however, many who call themselves Christians are politically on fire  perhaps seeking a political resource as a fall back, or as a protection against the persecution.

Graham continued this way, Another reason is the rise of militantly antireligious political systems.

So the question then is, should we or should we not support Christian Nationalism? Are we, as the true church, called to a life of active politics? What would  no, what did Jesus do?

Related article: 3 Ways Our Faith Influences Our Politics

A Biblical Perspective

One of the first truths we learn as Christian believers is that nothing is outside of the purview of God. Nothing. In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves (Romans 13:1-2).

There is no authority except that which God has established. When Paul wrote those words, Nero was the emperor and as evil as they come. In fact, Nero ultimately would put Paul to death. Yet, Paul still held that God himself had established Neros authority.

Throughout Biblical history, God used people such as Nero  and Nebuchadnezzar, and Pontius Pilate, and Herod, and Pharaoh during the time of Moses. Daniel too taught that God controlled the leaders of the worlds nations:

The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people (Daniel 4:17).

This truth ought to paint a reality for all believers that politics is nothing more than a method God uses to accomplish his will. Yes, evil men will abuse their political power and conduct evil, but even this God uses for his own purposes (Romans 8:28). Gods message throughout Scripture is that he is sovereign over all things. All things. As followers of Christ, we must hold on to the deep belief that God takes people  even non-believers  and puts them in positions of power to fulfill his will. Not our will  his.

By the way, that includes both Joe Biden and Donald Trump. As I write this, we approach the 2024 election. Whichever one happens to win, we must recognize that as Gods will  and God will use that to fulfill his purposes, regardless of outcome.

Gods plans for this country are going to happen  regardless of what we believe or say or do.

But what should our role be now, today? More importantly, what are the dangers of Christian Nationalism?

4 Dangers of Christian Nationalism

1. Freedom of Religion Goes All Ways

Freedom of religion does not apply only to Christians and Christian faiths. It also applies to Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists  you name it. Atheists, too. And yes, Atheism is a religion  one that has every right to live here, to believe as they choose to believe, and to celebrate their faith.

Each of these groups must vote according to their personal values and beliefs. Of course, that means Christians. Even more so, we have an obligation to fulfill our duties as citizens, to ensure that we vote and that our vote reflects our Biblical values regarding the sanctity of life and sanctity of marriage.

2. Lack of Grace

As followers of Christ, we are called to live differently than the rest of the world. We are called to grace, not hate. We are called to love others  even those with whom we disagree. Yet, simply look around  look at social media  and see the vitriol that accompanies political discussion. Love for our country cannot exceed the love we show to our neighbors, and those with whom we disagree politically are also our neighbors.

Philip Yancey, in his book What is So Amazing About Grace, called it noxious ungrace. Yancey witnessed firsthand the hatred and threats toward Bill Clinton, raised Southern Baptist, from those who called themselves believers.

And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).

If we carry more anger and more contempt than we do compassion for lost people  then perhaps we remain lost. Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, basically said, Hey, if youre doing all the right things, but for all the wrong reasons you havent learned anything. If you dont have love for others, then you gain nothing (v. 13:1-3 author paraphrase).

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

3. Christianity Is for Christians

We cannot expect non-believers to behave as believers do. We cannot force faith on anyone through legislating behavior. How would that be any different from Shariah law?

If the grace of Jesus Christ teaches anything, it is that our actions and behavior  our works  accomplish absolutely nothing to save our souls. They serve nothing for the kingdom of God. Nothing. Imposing morality is absolutely contradictory to our mission  to sacrifice our lives for the sake of others. Jesus came to fulfill the law, and thus rendered it obsolete (Hebrews 8:13).

And we know that all are saved by grace and not by dictated behavior. We must not only preach and teach this, we must also exemplify it in our actions and attitudes toward others.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith  and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God  not by works, so that no one can boast (Romans 2:8-9).

4. A Barricade to Non-Believers

Perhaps the most critical of all is the barricade to non-believers built by the term Christian Nationalism. Our great commission as followers of Christ is to create disciples. How can we do that if we immediately render the listener deaf and blind to the gospel? If we are choosing to demand behavior changes before giving them a reason to believe  a reason to give themselves to Christ  then we have lost before we started.

We cannot share the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus if all we do is point a finger of blame, exclaiming Youre wrong! Youre a sinner!

Trying to alter the political landscape to a legalist, nationalist view of Christianity becomes a barrier rather than a magnet. Simply read the gospels and you will find that all kinds of sinners were immediately attracted to Jesus  not because of his labeling them sinners, but rather because of the love he showed before telling them to sin no more.

Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin (John 8:11b).

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus life and death were served under incredibly evil regimes  both on the Roman side, as well as the Jewish side. Julius Caesar, Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate  all political leaders who seemed to have no aversion to using evil means to accomplish their goals and wiping out any opposition to their rule.

At the time, the Jews were expecting a Messiah who was a military leader, someone who would lead a rebellion against Rome and free the Jews from slavery. Yet, Jesus did none of that. In fact, Jesus was asked about paying taxes to Caesar, in hopes to trick him into committing a crime against Rome  his response stunned many in the crowd:

Then Jesus said to them, Give back to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods (Mark 12:17).

During the time of Jesus, it was a practice of Roman families to take an unwanted child and leave that child on the side of a road to die. Christians of that era would pick up those children and raise them as their own. Yet, Jesus said not a word about these acts. He said not a word about the political climate of the time. So while it is admirable for us to attempt to save the lives of children through legislation  failing that, perhaps we ought to look at other means to help mothers considering abortion and help the children  both born and unborn.

We are called to live differently than the rest of the world. We are called to keep our focus on loving God and loving our neighbors. We are called to proclaim the gospel to a dark and broken world. We must recognize that our government  any government  cannot save us. Only Jesus Christ can do that.

Do we really believe we can legislate against any sin and make everything okay? Change peoples hearts? If people will rebel against the laws of God, why would the laws of man be any different? Not one person would be saved through a change of behavior as the result of legislation. Not one.

We are called to set our minds on Christ Jesus. On Gods kingdom. We are called to a higher standard than the laws of men.

Lets keep the first thing first. Lets work on changing hearts  and by changing hearts, we might just change our nation and the world.

Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth (Colossian 3:2).

Photo credit: Getty Images/Hleb Usovich

Grandchamp is an author and speaker. His book, In Pursuit of Truth, A Journey Begins, is an easy-to-read narrative that offers answers to the most common questions new believers and non-believers have about Jesus Christ (Amazon.) Greg speaks on living out our faith in our daily lives  and on creating true disciples of Christ.

Greg doesnt pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else  in pursuit of truth.

Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.
The men who tended cattle in Gerar took issue with Isaacs cattle herders as they tried to dig a well. They claimed that the water was theirs (Genesis 26:20), so Isaacs men moved along to another spot and dug once more.

But here again, the locals argued with them (v.21). Isaac moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land (Genesis 26:22).

Isaacs men did not fight. Their need for water would have been urgent, but they were also moving in on territory where the locals felt threatened. Although the Philistines actions appear spiteful and unjust, Isaacs men chose not to argue, but instead persevered until they could find water over which there would be no quarrel.

One writer opines that our societys obsession with speaking has crowded out any positive value of silence. Yet, our Lord masters the art of the silence for us, so that we might speak better for him and so that our words may be conformed to his words.

Isaacs silence might call to mind the silence of Christ in front of his accusers. Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed (Matthew 27:13-14). On the third day, Jesus resurrection spoke more loudly than any words could have. Three wells, three days: God will always bring forth water in dry places for his people (Isaiah 41:18).

Photo credit: Getty Images/FabrikaCr
Usage of anti-asthma inhalants/nebulisers in asthma & COPD management has grown by at least 1.2x in the past 10 years

SMSRC & Group (Medclin Research and Synaegis), one of Indias leading healthcare research, intelligence & consulting organizations, has published findings on major disease trends prevailing in India, and how they are currently being managed by healthcare providers. The study reveals that Diseases of the Respiratory System as the largest disease area in India.

The study was conducted on the basis of MAT Feb 2024 prescription audit - de identified and aggregated data, of more than 10,700 doctors over a 15-year period. Doctors in the sample were distributed across all key specialties, across 80+ cities/towns of India. This is a first of its kind real world evidence-based study from an Indian context.

According to the publication, Diseases of the Respiratory System is the largest disease area in India, constituting 15.3% of all Rx of total patients with diseases in India.

Endocrine & Metabolic diseases (e.g. Diabetes and others) is at second place with 13.5% share of Rx of all patients, followed by GI related diseases and circulatory diseases (hypertension, cholesterol etc) as the next ranked disease area.

Respiratory diseases that constitute of various upper/lower respiratory tract diseases, are treated via the following therapeutic class of medicines - antibiotics, cough & cold preparations, pain relievers and respiratory products. Respiratory products constituting of anti-asthma tablets, syrups, inhalers and nebuliser categories are one of the fastest growing therapeutic class of medicines in India.

Further, within Diseases of the Respiratory System, URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection) constitutes 27% of the share in 2024 and is the largest type of respiratory diseases. However, over the past 10 years COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) - 6% of all respiratory diseases) and Running Nose (an upper respiratory tract condition) have been the relatively faster growing respiratory diseases.
ARCHIVE - According to the EU court, the EU Commission provided too little information about the coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa Keystone

According to a ruling by the EU Court of Justice, the EU Commission has breached EU law by withholding information on multi-billion euro coronavirus vaccine contracts.

SDA

The judges in Luxembourg ruled that the Brussels authority had not granted sufficient access to documents, particularly with regard to possible conflicts of interest and compensation rules for vaccine manufacturers. The ruling can be appealed before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

During the pandemic, the EU Commission negotiated and concluded contracts for hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of the Member States in 2020 and 2021. The procedure was repeatedly criticized because the contracts were only partially made public or because there were delays in the delivery of the vaccine. The European Public Prosecutor's Office, among others, is investigating the matter.

In 2021, MEPs and private individuals applied for access to the contracts. However, the EU Commission, led by German CDU politician Ursula von der Leyen, only granted this access in part. Parliamentarians and private individuals therefore took legal action and have now been partially vindicated. The ruling comes one day before the vote in the European Parliament on a second term of office for Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President.

The court objected to the fact that the EU Commission had not sufficiently justified why extensive access to the clauses on compensation rules would harm the commercial interests of companies. The EU Commission had also refused access to the documents with reference to the protection of people's privacy. However, the plaintiffs had duly demonstrated the special purpose of the public interest in the publication of the data: Namely, it could only be verified that there was no conflict of interest if the names and professional roles of the persons involved in the contracts were available.

SDA


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Essilorluxottica signe un accord de 1,5 Md$ pour acquerir la marque Supreme

(Reuters) - Essilorluxottica a annonce mercredi avoir signe un accord avec VF Corporation en vue d'acquerir la marque Supreme pour un montant total de 1,5 milliard de dollars comptants (1,38 milliard d'euros).

Le groupe lunetier indique que la cession devrait etre finalisee avant la fin de l'annee.

Par ailleurs, dans un communique distinct, EssilorLuxottica a annonce mercredi la signature d'un accord avec Heidelberg Engineering portant sur une prise de participation de 80% dans le groupe allemand specialise dans les technologies de diagnostic et de visualisation chirurgicale numerique, ainsi que dans les solutions informatiques d'ophtalmologie medicale.

(Redige par Augustin Turpin, edite par Zhifan Liu)
Une voiture percute une terrasse a Paris, des blesses

Une voiture percute une terrasse a Paris, des blesses













17 juillet (Reuters) - Une voiture a percute une terrasse dans le XXe arrondissement de Paris, faisant plusieurs blesses dont trois grievement, rapporte mercredi le Parisien. (Redige par Camille Raynaud, edite par Nicolas Delame)
A number of asylum seekers are filing reports at Pearse Street Garda Station following an attack on their tents last night.

It is reported that the 15 men fled the quays in Dublin City Centre after people arrived with weapons.

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At 11:40pm last night around eight to 10 people descended on the area where some of the men were sleeping, while others stood outside their tents.

It is understood this group of 15 had made their way from Phibsborough a few days ago after being moved on from another makeshift camp there.

Last night, this same group of men allegedly had their tents slashed by knives and pipes. Many had their documents thrown into the River Liffey.

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Discarded Irish passport application forms and tent instructions pictured this morning on City Quay. Photo: Collins.

Gardai in Pearse Street responded to the reports of criminal damage and investigations are ongoing with statements being given this lunchtime.

This comes as 2,4000 asylum seekers remain without any accommodation here at the moment.

One local publican said she spoke to the asylum seekers who were forced to leave.

In a post on Instagram she said: "I was at the pub because a group of international protection applicants were attacked on the quays with knives and pipes tonight and, having run full pelt to the Garda station were left for hours while nothing was done to respond to this violence.

She said they were told that they had no choice but to go back on to streets that have been made more hostile the last few days.

"We are all optimistic they will get accommodation offers soon. It is an abject failure of every member of this government that we are repeatedly ignoring our humanitarian obligations and re-traumatising people by having IPAs sleeping in tents on the streets," she said.
The aristocratic owner of Lough Neaghs bed has insisted he wants to work with Stormont to secure the long-term future of the lake.

The comments from the Earl of Shaftesbury, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, came after he met the North's Environment Minister, Andrew Muir, to discuss the ongoing environmental problems at the lough.

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Noxious blooms of blue-green algae covered large parts of the lough last summer and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

The algae has returned this year.

Earl of Shaftesbury Nicholas Ashley-Cooper met Stormont Environment Minister Andrew Muir (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA)

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Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40 per cent of Northern Irelands drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

The earl has already stated his willingness to explore new ownership models.

Mr Muir is an advocate of a community-based ownership arrangement similar to ones that have been successful in Scotland.

The minister has developed an action plan in an attempt to deal with the various environmental issues at the lough but the blueprint has yet to gain the required sign off by Executive colleagues.

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The plan contains 37 actions, 17 of which need full Executive support.

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Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields is believed to be a major contributory factor in the blue-green algae blooms.

Restricting the use of chemical fertilisers on grasslands would need Executive approval.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role in the blooms, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

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Commenting after his meeting with the minister, the earl said: I had a constructive discussion with the minister on the issues facing Lough Neagh.

Environment Minister Andrew Muir is an advocate of a community-based ownership arrangement (Brian Lawless/PA)

We discussed the importance of his Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan which I hope will be approved by the Northern Ireland Executive as soon as possible.

I reiterated my commitment to work with his team and other stakeholders to find solutions, as I firmly believe we need to work together to secure the loughs long-term future.

Mr Muir said the meeting was very constructive.

I was pleased to hear that Nick Ashley-Cooper is fully supportive of the Lough Neagh Action Plan which is currently under consideration by my Executive colleagues and we are both hopeful that agreement is secured as soon as possible, he said.

The Lough Neagh Action Plan contains real, science-led and practical actions that can set us on a course towards long-term rehabilitation of water quality in Lough Neagh.

The Earl of Shaftesbury and I were in mutual agreement in desire to secure community ownership of the lough, however, the right structures must be in place involving relevant groups.

It will only be through a shared sense of responsibility and partnership working that we can make the real and tangible improvements to Lough Neagh that we all wish to see.

The Lough Neagh Report will, once agreed by Executive, set out planned ways to bring people together in partnership  a fundamental prerequisite to enable transfer to community ownership.

I welcome Lough Neagh Partnerships National Lottery-funded initiative to explore feasibility of future management and ownership of the lough which will play an important role as ownership issue develops.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and British prime minister Keir Starmer are expected to discuss Northern Ireland as well as the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during their first face-to-face meeting since the UK general election.

Mr Harris said the meeting would also be used to discuss the shared aim of a reset in British-Irish relations.

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The Taoiseach is travelling to Chequers where he will meet Mr Starmer over dinner.

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Mr Harris said: The invitation extended to me by Prime Minister Starmer to meet with him at Chequers is a strong signal of the value he attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead.

I look forward to getting to know the Prime Minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

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The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

One of Keir Starmers first actions as prime minister was to invite Simon Harris to a meeting (Benjamin Cremel/PA)

Mr Starmer has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

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One of Mr Starmers first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

During the phone conversation the two leaders committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations with urgency and ambition.

A statement from the Taoiseachs office said: As well as discussing bilateral relations, it is expected that the Taoiseach and Prime Minister will discuss Northern Ireland and international issues, including the situation in Gaza and in Ukraine.

The Taoiseach will update on current EU priorities and the leaders will share perspectives on EU-UK relations.

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The meeting is expected to allow both leaders to re-affirm their respective commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, and the resolve of both governments to furthering reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Mary Lou McDonald urged Simon Harris to use his meeting with Keir Starmer to push for a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane (Damien Storan/PA)

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to use the meeting to press the case for a public inquiry into the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane.

Mr Finucane was gunned down by loyalist paramilitaries inside the family home in north Belfast in 1989.

For years, the Finucane family has campaigned for a public inquiry, after several examinations of the case found state forces colluded in the murder.

Earlier this month, a Court of Appeal ruling in Belfast gave the new government three weeks to state how it would carry out an investigation into the lawyers death which is compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ms McDonald said: In 2019, the Supreme Court in London declared that previous investigations commissioned by successive British governments into the murder of Pat Finucane by loyalists to have failed to meet the standards required by Article 2.

For decades now, Geraldine Finucane and her family have led a dignified campaign for truth and justice, seeking a public inquiry into her late husbands murder.

Pat Finucane was murdered at his home in north Belfast in 1989 (PA)

The Sinn Fein president added: Regrettably, the British government has not adequately or sufficiently responded to that 2019 Supreme Court judgment, forcing Mrs Finucane to fight a series of legal battles.

In the latest case last week, the Court of Appeal set out a timetable for action, requiring the British government to respond within three weeks and agree to an Article 2 compliant investigation into Pat Finucanes murder.

I have written to the Taoiseach to urge him to raise the matter directly with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when they meet and to urgently press the case for a public inquiry to be held which is long overdue and decision time draws near.
Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Leo's departure

Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he will not contest the next general election.

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Mr Varadkar's legacy will be a topic for the future, but for now, his departure is the latest erosion of the Fine Gael old guard.

He is the 14th TD from the party who will stand down at the next election.

Mr Varadkar joins the likes of former tanaiste Simon Coveney, and former ministers Josepha Madigan, Richard Bruton, Charlie Flanagan, Michael Creed and Joe McHugh.

Announcing his decision, Mr Varadkar said: I have been an elected representative for more than 20 years and have been elected on five occasions, first to represent the Castleknock/Blanchardstown area on Fingal County Council and subsequently to represent Dublin West in Dail Eireann in four consecutive elections.

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It has been the privilege of my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve my community and my country as a councillor and a TD.

I have decided that the time has come for me to explore new options and opportunities.

I have never seen myself as a career politician and I am keen to see how I can make my contribution to society in other ways.

While Government continues to insist it will serve its full-term until March, all indications point towards an autumn general election.

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Fine Gael will be very busy in deciding what councillors and party figures will fill the boots of their departing TDs.

Coolock unrest

The attack on the former Crown Paints factory site in Coolock is just the latest incident of violence and arson on a building earmarked for refugees in the last year.

At the site on the Malahide Road, anti-immigration protesters set a number of fires, one of which burnt a JCB digger, injured a security guard and threw objects at gardai.

A number of petrol bombs were thrown and public order units brought the situation under control. A number of people have since been arrested and charged.

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It is just the latest of over 20 incidents of arson at sites earmarked for asylum seekers over the past year.

In January, Niamh McDonald of the Hope and Courage Collective (an organisation that monitors far-right and anti-immigrant activity), told BreakingNews.ie that her organisation had documented over 20 arson attacks on buildings that had been earmarked for refugee accommodation in the past year.

In May, an RTE Prime Time Report said the figure of arson attacks now stood at 27 incidents.

A lack of engagement with communities has often been cited as the cause of tensions over the housing of migrants.

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However, locals with legitimate concerns are often targets of far-right, anti-immigrant figures who look to stoke violence.

Taoiseach Simon Harris labelled the latest incident in Coolock as "pure thuggery".

"I am somewhat perplexed that this morning that I still hear in media and political discourse a reference to protesters.

"To be clear, when you decide to use a petrol bomb, you lost your right to be called a protester.

"Im not quite sure why we have decided to, in any manner or means, legitimatise in any way, shape or form the actions of people who engaged in sheer thuggery yesterday evening and try to harm the men and women of An Garda Siochana, disrupt a community and cause utter chaos.

"I want to pay respect to the people of Coolock, people who called for calm, and indeed people who cleaned up after others came to their community to cause chaos," the Taoiseach said.

"Everybody knew this facility was going to be used to provide shelter for migrants. People can agree or disagree, but no amount of community engagement is required to tell somebody not to throw a brick, not to set a digger on fire, not to harm a security guard, not to put the men and women of An Garda Siochana in danger."

"I've had it up to here with this 'whataboutery'," he said.

"We will continue to communicate better with communities  good, decent people across the country who want to talk about legitimate issues.

"There's such a role for that, every community has a right to be engaged with, [but] what we saw last night was such a distance away from my question about community engagement.

"It was sheer thuggery. It should be called out as such, and I want to really thank the Gardai for the very swift action they took in a very difficult circumstance that amounted to many arrests."

Council of State

President Michael D Higgins has taken the uncommon step of convening the Council of State over the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024.

While the Bill contains a number of undoubted positives, including allowing Defence Forces members to engage with trade unions, it also has highly controversial elements which some argue amount to a "gagging order".

The Bill is likely to be sent to the Supreme Court for consideration.

Abroad

In the UK, prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is taking shape, and Simon Harris will visit the UK's new leader on Wednesday.

Mr Harris has expressed hope that the new government will lead to a renewal in Anglo-Irish relations.

In the US, the country continues to reel from the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.

Mr Trump has not let it slow him down, as he appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandaged ear, and announced JD Vance as his 2024 running mate.

Mr Vance, a former Trump critic who once suggested the former US president was "America's Hitler", is an isolationist who shares many of Mr Trump's policy beliefs.

The assassination has temporarily paused talk around US president Joe Biden's future, but prominent figures in the Democratic Party are now resuming calls for him to stand aside in favour of vice president Kamala Harris.
President Michael D Higgins has signed the Governments Defence Bill into law after it had been referred to the Council of State to discuss its constitutionality.

A spokesman for the president said having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence Bill, Mr Higgins signed it into law.

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The meeting of the Council of State took place in Aras an Uachtarain on Monday to examine legislation to regulate Defence Forces representative associations.

The Council discussed whether the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 should be referred by the president to the Supreme Court, on whether specific provisions are repugnant to the constitution.

President Higgins this afternoon convened a meeting of the Council of State at Aras an Uachtarain for the purpose of his hearing from the Council regarding the constitutionality of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024. pic.twitter.com/Svoy64034k Advertisement  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) July 15, 2024

Mr Higgins asked the council about sections 11 and 24 of the Bill in particular, and whether the interference with constitutional rights is disproportionate.

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Section 11 prohibits a member of the Permanent Defence Forces from making a public statement or comment in relation to political matters or Government policy while they are in uniform, or otherwise identifiable as a member of the Defence Forces, without prior authorisation from their commanding officer.

It would also prohibit them from attending a protest under the same circumstances and stop them from canvassing for a political organisation or addressing a meeting of such a society.

While Section 24 would now allow the Defence Forces to associate with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, it would prohibit associated bodies like ICTU from calling for or encouraging industrial action within the military.

President Michael D Higgins, having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024, and having considered all the options available to him, has today signed the Bill, a spokesman said.

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Former taoiseach Enda Kenny, left, and ex-chief justice Susan Denham joined Taoiseach Simon Harris for the meeting of the Council of State (Maxwells/PA)

The president followed the passage of this Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas, and has listened carefully to the debate and the issues raised.

The president has also considered the views expressed by the members of the Council of State at the meeting convened at Aras an Uachtarain on Monday July 15, regarding the constitutionality of the Bill, in relation to two sections in particular.

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When considering any piece of legislation, the president must be cognisant of Article 34.3 of Bunreacht na hEireann, which provides that no court can question the validity of any legislation following a referral by the president to the Supreme Court, and the capacity of a putative litigant on a fact-based rather than abstract grounds has to be taken into account.

The presidents decision to sign this legislation thus does not close off any actions sought by any member of the Defence Forces, or their representative association, to challenge the provisions of the Bill in the future.

Those who sit on the Council include former taoiseachs Leo Varadkar, Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny, and Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Former chief justices Susan Denham and Frank Clarke also attended, as well as ex-presidents Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning, activist Sinead Burke and Senator Jerry Buttimer are also members.
British prime minister Keir Starmer has said he is pleased to have the opportunity to reset the UKs relationship with Ireland.

Mr Starmer made the comments in a brief bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris at Chequers before the two leaders have dinner together at the English country house.

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He said: I am very pleased to have this very early opportunity to, what I see as resetting, strengthening and deepening our relationship.

Mr Harris responded: I am delighted to be here too, to congratulate you in person. It means a lot to us, a lot to Ireland.

Simon Harris and Keir Starmer talk during a bilateral meeting at Chequers. Photo: Carl Court/PA

Mr Harris is the first international leader to visit the UK since Mr Starmer was elected as prime minister.

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The relationship between Dublin and London has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

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It was confirmed in the British kings speech on Wednesday that the Labour government will repeal the Legacy Act.

One of Mr Starmers first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

The meeting between the two leaders is taking place on the eve of a major summit of European leaders. Photo: PA

Mr Harris had said in advance that he expected to discuss Northern Ireland and the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during his meeting with the prime minister.

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The meeting between the two leaders is taking place on the eve of a major summit of European leaders at Blenheim Palace.
A Tipperary woman who died following a collision between a car and van along a notorious road blackspot on the N80 on Monday night is to be laid to rest on Saturday.

Denise OMeara (33) from Portroe, Nenagh, Co Tipperary was driving an Audi A4 car which was involved in the incident that occurred along the N80 in the townland of Ballintrane, Ballon, Co Carlow at 6.51pm.

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The two men from Co Wexford who were travelling in the Mercedes van were airlifted to two hospitals in Dublin in a serious condition.

Ms OMeara was treated by emergency services at the scene, but passed away from her injuries.

The two men, one aged 34, is in a stable condition in the Mater Hospital and the other aged 45 was taken to Tallaght Hospital where he remains.

The road has now reopened following an examination by Forensic Collision Investigators. The N80 is the main vehicular artery between the M9 Motorway and Rosslare Euro Port.

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Ms OMeara is survived by her parents Denis and Maura, sisters Caitiriona and Eimear, brother Declan and her partner Calum.

Her Requiem Mass will be held at St Marys Church Portroe at midday on Saturday followed by burial in Castletown Graveyard, Castlelough, Co Tipperary.

So far this year 105 people have lost their lives on the nation's roads.

Garda Superintendent Anthony Farrell from Carlow Garda Station is appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

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Supt Farrell explained that he and his team of gardai are focusing on members of the public who may have been using this part of the roadway around the time of collision between 6.15pm and 7pm.

He continued: Motorists may have been travelling towards Carlow or Ballon at the time and might have noticed either vehicle, a White Audi A4 171D or indeed the White Mercedes Vito Van, 172WX.

They might have dashcam footage, or could have seen either vehicle pass while travelling. If anyone has information to support our garda investigation, please contact Tullow Garda Station on 059-9151222, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Supt Farrell has also appealed to members of the public not to share footage from the crash scene on social media.

"Gardai are also aware of a number of images being posted on social media platforms post-collision. This is not helpful to the Garda investigation, but more importantly to the family, friends and community who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

"I would ask people who have posted those images to take them down immediately.
Troubles victims have hailed an important day as the British government confirmed the controversial Legacy Act will be repealed.

Britain's King Charles announced in his speech at the state opening of the UK parliament that measures are to be brought forward to begin the process of repealing the Act.

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While the entire Act cannot be repealed without something to replace it, the British government is expected to repeal the controversial policy of offering conditional immunity for Troubles crimes among first steps.

The Act, aimed at addressing the legacy of the Norths past, has been almost universally opposed by parties and victims groups.

It offers a limited form of immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes in exchange for full co-operation with the truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (Icrir), and halted civil cases and inquests which were not at findings stage earlier this year.

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Martina Dillon, whose husband Seamus was shot and killed in 1997, was among those who saw a fresh inquest into a loved ones death stopped due to the Act.

She said she was relieved to hear the commitment to repeal, adding ministers need to follow through quickly.

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She added: Ive fought for 27 years to get truth and justice for my husband. I had an inquest under way, to then have that cruelly removed by the Troubles Act has been devastating.

All victims deserve answers and victim-centred processes. Truth and justice are not much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Michael OHares 12-year-old sister Majella was shot and killed by a British soldier on her way to church with a group of friends in 1976. He said his family believed the door for justice had been closed.

This is an important day for families like ours, who thought wed seen the door closed forever on these cases, he said.

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Michael OHare with a photograph of his sister Majella, who was shot dead by the Army in Co Armagh in 1976 (Victoria Jones/PA)

Majella was just an innocent little girl who didnt deserve to be gunned down when walking along the road with her friends.

We deserve truth and accountability. Its a huge relief that that is now a possibility again, even if weve had to wait half a century. Its never too late to do the right thing.

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Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart termed it as an important step toward overturning an atrocious attack on rights.

She added: Repealing and replacing the Troubles Act is necessary to right a historic wrong.

The UK government must show a complete change in approach to the last government; listen to victims and prioritise their rights.

There must be no delay in getting the wheels of justice turning. We want to see Stormont House Agreement-plus legislated for and an urgent reinstatement of judicial processes, such as inquests, for all who need them.

Earlier this year, then shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn indicated he would not scrap the Icrir, which is led by retired judge Declan Morgan, but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims families.

There have been legal challenges to the Act, including an interstate case by the Irish Government under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, a legal challenge by Troubles victims to the Act saw a lengthy judgment issued in February. It found conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles crimes is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn (Jeff Moore/PA)

However, the same judgment also found the Icrir to be independent and capable of conducting human rights-compliant investigations.

The new British government is to stick to its manifesto commitment to address legacy, aiming to find a way forward supported by victims and survivors, and which will comply with human rights organisations.

This is to include repealing the conditional immunity scheme and reversing the policy prohibiting victims and families from bringing civil claims, and set out steps to allow the Troubles-era inquests that were prematurely halted to resume.

Described as first steps, further legislation is to follow after consultation with Northern political parties and communities, and the Irish Government.

A number of Northern Irelands political parties have welcomed the British governments direction.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was a decisive move by the [British] government to repeal this unconscionable legislation.

He added: In a society where there is so much hurt, pain and grief, it is important that the hope of justice remains.

This legislation was fundamentally flawed and morally repugnant because it extinguished that hope for many innocent victims.

We urge the Government to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors, because repeating them would only cause more emotional distress to victims and damage the work of reconciliation in our society.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson welcomed the move (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Robinson also pressed British prime minister Keir Starmer to use his meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris later on Wednesday to press upon him the need for Dublin to open up the pathway to truth regarding the role of the Irish Government, Garda, and wider society in the Troubles.

He added: Thus far, Dublin has behaved like a spectator, lecturing us all about dealing with the Troubles yet failing to see their own shortcomings. It is time for truth from Dublin.

Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said: The British government has said it will now begin the process of repealing the Tories shameful Legacy Act, which has failed victims and survivors.

This is a welcome commitment, and we will engage with them on the full details of their approach in the days ahead.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his party worked hard alongside Labour MPs to make the repeal of the toxic Tory Legacy Act an early commitment of the new government in London.

He added: I am pleased that the commitment was made in the Kings Speech today and that we can look forward to progress in this parliamentary session.

This is an early demonstration from the Labour government that they will take a radically different approach to the North than their predecessors.

Political parties and victims groups from across our society opposed the attempts to shut down paths to justice and accountability  the united campaign, led by those most affected, has driven this change.
Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into more than 50 reports of fraud on both sides of the Irish border over two years.

The probe was launched by the PSNI and An Garda Siochana following complaints that victims had sold goods such as machinery, but did not receive payment.

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The PSNI carried out searches in the south Armagh area on Tuesday.

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A spokesperson said: We searched two properties in the Crossmaglen and Mullaghbawn areas and made two arrests.

Two men, aged 47 and 34, were both arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including theft and fraud by false representation.

Both men have since been released on bail pending further enquiries into the investigation.

A number of items including a sum of cash and mobile phones were also seized and will now undergo further forensic examination.

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Gardai searched a premises in the Monaghan area and seized plant machinery.

Detectives from our Serious Crime Branch arrested two men, aged 47 and 34, in the south Armagh area today, Tuesday 16th July, as part of a cross-border operation with An Garda Siochana into multiple reports of fraud. They have since been bailed. More here: https://t.co/k198gHFCeW pic.twitter.com/QoQhw654p6  Police Newry, Mourne and Down (@PSNINMDown) July 16, 2024 Advertisement

The PSNI spokesperson said: This proactive policing operation is part of our ongoing investigation into over 50 reports of fraud on both sides of the border spanning a period of two years.

In each case the victim has agreed to sell items, such as machinery, quads and coal, and the buyer has used a stolen or cloned credit card, or provided a screenshot of a fake or cancelled bank transfer.

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The goods are then handed over but the victim did not receive the money.

We hope todays operation shows the community that we take these reports extremely seriously.

Our investigation is ongoing and we encourage anyone who believes they are a victim of this type of crime, or who has any information which may assist us, to call police on 101.
The violence in Coolock, 30 large buildings identified for asylum seekers, and Leo Varadkar's decision not to run in the next general election are among the stories on Wednesday's front pages.

Amid heightened tensions after the attacks at a site earmarked for asylum seekers in Coolock, The Irish Times reports 30 buildings across the country have been identified for refugee accommodation.

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The Irish Examiner leads with the unrest in Coolock, while Leo Varadkar's decision not to contest the general election also makes the front page.

A Department of Housing review has found the State should help developers build more homes for rent, the Irish Independent reports.

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Cork's head of policing has insisted the city centre is safe, The Echo reports.

The Irish Daily Star leads with a story on an alleged far-right plot to murder former taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

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Wednesdays front page pic.twitter.com/Wgv8W5WVCx  Irish Daily Star (@isfearranstar) July 17, 2024

The Irish Sun, Irish Daily Mail and The Herald all lead with the Coolock incident.

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Today's front page of The Irish Sun pic.twitter.com/SyCAymCcxU  The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) July 17, 2024

Read all this and lots more in Wednesday's Irish Daily Mail. pic.twitter.com/TBIM0PZJlG Advertisement  The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) July 17, 2024

In the North, the Belfast Telegraph reports the Orange Order chief has purchased an old Belfast courthouse which he plans to develop into a hotel.

A GAA safeguarding review launched a year ago is 'still being considered', The Irish News reports.

Today's #frontpage



GAA safeguarding review of a year ago 'still being considered'



120 SEN children 'no school place'



Orchard's colourful fans getting ready for a big day out at All-Ireland decider pic.twitter.com/C3Tzuos8Gs  The Irish News (@irish_news) July 17, 2024

Domestic and foreign politics take centre stage on the front pages of Wednesdays UK newspapers.

Sir Keir Starmer plans to reduce powers to oppose new home or infrastructure builds by locals with his take the brakes off Britain scheme, reports The Times.

Wednesday's TIMES: Locals will lose right to block new homes#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/AtYoEssoDh  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) July 16, 2024

The move aims to accelerate development and address housing and infrastructure needs, writes the Daily Mail, with residents only able to debate how, not if homes are built.

Wednesday's DAILY MAIL: PM: Only debate will be 'how not if' we build#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/ttmiXU7dZM  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) July 16, 2024

The Guardian focuses on the weeks of political deadlock coming for the Welsh government as Vaughan Gething quits as first minister after months of political infighting.

THE GUARDIAN: "Turmoil For Labour In Wales After Gething Resigns As First Minister"@PeterWalker99 / @JamieGrierson lead the front page.

IN FULL: https://t.co/ckcnPYfWSV

Moves for VAUGHAN GETHING to step down follows months of scandal.#TheGuardian#IBPapers#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/14krkDg34G  ANDY GIBSON / InformingBritain.com on  (@AndyGibsonTV) July 16, 2024

The Telegraph leads on Boris Johnsons plea to Donald Trump, with the former UK prime minister urging the US presidential nominee not to abandon Ukreaine after Mr Trump chose a running mate who is a vocal opponent to Americas involvement in the conflict.

Wednesday's DAILY TELEGRAPH: Johnson asks Trump to stand by Ukraine#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/RqXD3afwSX  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) July 16, 2024

The Financial Times reports Donald Trumps new vice presidential pick has cemented European fears that a second term under Mr Trump would increase tariffs, reduce trans-Atlantic security ties, and end US support to Ukraine.

Wednesday's FT UK EDITION: Trump's choice of Vance as deputy fuels fears for security ties#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/YF0OEEfpzj  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) July 16, 2024

The i splashes on UK chancellor Rachel Reeves push for a better relationship with the European Union in order to boost growth and to avoid potential tax hikes in the UK.

THE I: "Reeves Pushing For Brexit Reset To Help Boost UK Economy"@HugoGye leads @TheIPaper.

RACHEL REEVES is pushing for a better relationship with the EU in a bid to boost Britain's economy and avoid need for tax hikes or spending cuts.#TheI #IBPapers#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/5gmRnoeycY  ANDY GIBSON / InformingBritain.com on  (@AndyGibsonTV) July 16, 2024

The Daily Express says senior Tories are criticising Labour for not having a clear plan to stop migrant boats, likening the situation to Christmas  come early for people smugglers.

Wednesday's DAILY EXPRESS: So how exactly will you stop the boats, Sir Keir?#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/DLFlmFbThx  Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) July 16, 2024

Metro splashes on a public letter to outgoing England manager Gareth Southgate, thanking him for giving the Three Lions its pride back.

The Daily Mirror dubs Southgate a man of honour, while calling the BBCs overhaul of Strictly Come Dancing desperate in a bid to save the programme.

Lastly, the Daily Star uses its front to look forward to what it believes is the best choice to replace Southgate as England manager: Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

The New York Times leads with a story on US senator Bob Menendez being found guilty in a high-profile corruption trial.
Heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan have killed at least 40 people and injured nearly 350 others, Taliban officials said.

Among the dead in Mondays storm were five members of the same family when the roof of their house collapsed in Surkh Rod district, according to provincial spokesperson Sediqullah Quraishi.

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Four other family members were injured.

Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesperson for the public health ministry, said the 347 injured people had been brought for treatment to the regional hospital in Nangarhar from Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, and nearby districts.



Hundreds of people were taken to hospital in the city of Jalalabad (AP)

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About 400 houses and 60 electricity poles were destroyed across Nangarhar, Mr Quraishi said.

Power was cut in many areas and there were limited communications in Jalalabad city, he said. The damage was still being assessed.

Abdul Wali, 43, said much of the damage occurred within an hour. The winds were so strong that they blew everything into the air. That was followed by heavy rain, he said. His four-year-old daughter received minor injuries.

Aid organisations rushed supplies and mobile teams.

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International Rescue Committee Afghanistan director Salma ben Aissa said her group was conducting assessments and providing emergency health services.



The storm caused landslides, destroying homes across the region (AP)

She said: The continuation of climate-induced disasters in Afghanistan ought to be cause for grave concern: decades of conflict and economic crisis has meant that the country has faced setback after setback as it tries to find its feet.

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The sad reality is that without a massive increase in support from donors and the international community, many more will lose their lives.

In May, exceptionally heavy rains killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan, according to the World Food Programme.

Separately, the official Taliban news agency Bakhtar reported that at least 17 people were killed and 34 others injured when a bus overturned on Tuesday morning on the main highway linking Kabul and Balkh in northern Baghlan province.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but poor road conditions and careless driving are often blamed for such incidents in the country.
The EU's second-highest court has criticised the European Commission for a lack of transparency over Covid-19 vaccine contracts four years ago, a day before a key vote on Commission head Ursula von der Leyen's bid for a second term.

Some MEPs have been highly critical of the Commission's handling of the multibillion-euro contracts, and in particular for not disclosing text messages between von der Leyen and the boss of drugmaker Pfizer about one of the contracts. The Commission says she did not keep the messages.

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The Commission signed deals with Covid vaccine supplies AstraZeneca, Sanofi, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, BioNTech, Pfizer, Moderna and others at the height of the pandemic.

Some European Parliament lawmakers asked for access to the documents to understand the terms and contracts. However, the Commission provided only partial access and redacted some of the documents, saying this was done to protect commercial interests and the decision-making process.

The lawmakers took their grievances to the Luxembourg-based General Court and judges on Wednesday upheld their challenge.

"The Commission did not give the public sufficiently wide access to the purchase agreements for Covid-19 vaccines," they said.

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"The Commission did not demonstrate that wider access to those clauses would actually undermine the commercial interests of those undertakings," the court added. It also rejected the EU executive's privacy arguments.

The Commission said the court had "only partially upheld the legal action on two points" and that it had recognised the EU executive had the right to protect some clauses in the contracts.

"In general, the Commission grants the widest possible public access to documents, in line with the principles of openness and transparency," it said in a statement.

"In these cases, the Commission needed to strike a difficult balance between the right of the public, including MEPs, to information, and the legal requirements emanating from the Covid-19 contracts themselves, which could result in claims for damages at the cost of taxpayers' money."

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It said it would study the court's judgments and their implications and reserve its legal options. It can appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe's highest.

The Commission should now be more open about its decision-making procedures, said lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak, who together with colleagues took the complaint to the court.

"This ruling is significant for the future, as the Commission is expected to undertake more joint procurements in areas like health and defence," she said.

"The new Commission must now adapt their handling of access to documents requests to be in line with todays ruling."

The European Parliament is due to vote on Thursday on von der Leyen's bid for a second five-year term.

The European Ombudsman in 2022 accused the Commission of maladministration for not disclosing von der Leyen's text messages with Pfizer chief Albert Bourla.

The New York Times has sued the Commission over its failure to release the text messages.
Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the event, police said.

Milwaukee Police chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference that five police officers from Columbus, Ohio opened fire on the man after he ignored commands to drop the knives and then charged at an unarmed person.

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Two knives were recovered from the scene, he added.

Police body camera footage from the incident depicted two officers on bikes noticing the armed man.

They can be heard directing him to drop the two blades whilst approaching on foot. The man could be seen not complying and instead moved closer to another unarmed person.

At this point, the two Ohio officers opened fire.

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Someones life was in danger, Mr Norman said.

These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someones life today.

Police investigate the shooting near King Park (Alex Brandon/AP)

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Thousands of police from numerous jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide additional security for the Republican convention, which began on Monday.

However, the shooting fueled anger from locals who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighbourhood at all, as the incident happened about a mile or so away from the convention site.

The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukees mayor and a spokesperson for the conventions joint command centre, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.

A cousin and others identified the man killed as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe.

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Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention.

About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Mr Sharpe was killed.

They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed.

What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?

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Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.

Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighbourhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter.

Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to de-escalate the situation.

David Porter, who said he knew Samuel Sharpe and is also homeless, was angry that officers from outside of Milwaukee were in his neighbourhood.

If Milwaukee Police Department would have been there, that man would still be alive right now, Mr Porter said.

Mr Norman said 13 officers who were part of a bicycle patrol from Columbus were within their assigned zone having a meeting when they saw the altercation.

The officers observed a subject armed with a knife in each hand, engaged in an altercation with another unarmed individual, Mr Norman said.

They only fired after the armed man ignored multiple commands and moved towards the unarmed man, he added.

This is a situation where somebodys life was in immediate danger, he said.
Boris Johnson has insisted Donald Trump would help to protect democracy against aggression after discussing Ukraine in a meeting with the Republican presidential nominee amid concerns about his threats to weaken US support for Kyiv.

The former UK prime minister also said Mr Trump had responded with sheer indomitability following the assassination attempt against him at the weekend.

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The two men met on the fringes of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for around half an hour, over which period Mr Johnson said Ukraine was discussed at length.

It was great to see president Trump, who is on superb form following the appalling attempt on his life, he said.

Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life. We discussed Ukraine and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy. pic.twitter.com/OEVZPZsRE1 Advertisement  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 16, 2024

I noted the courage, resilience and sheer indomitability with which he has responded.

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We discussed Ukraine at length and I know that he will give the strong and decisive leadership necessary to protect democracy against aggression.

Mr Trump has expressed scepticism about Nato in the past, and his threats to reduce US support for Ukraine during the presidential election campaign have stoked fear in some Western capitals.

Mr Johnson, who has cited Britains aid to Ukraine after Russias invasion in 2022 as one of the key achievements of his leadership, previously said he endorsed the Republicans presidential bid as long as he backed Kyiv.

If he does the right thing and backs the Ukrainians, and I believe he will, a Trump presidency can be a big win for the world, he wrote in his Daily Mail column.

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Sir Keir Starmers Labour government has said it will work with whoever the US electorate returns to the White House, but senior figures were on Tuesday forced to push back against widely criticised remarks by Mr Trumps running mate.

British deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said she did not recognise that characterisation after JD Vance described Britain under Labour as the first truly Islamist country with a nuclear weapon, while defence secretary John Healey suggested nobody in Britain would recognise that caricature.
With nine days to go before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, Frances far-right leader Marine Le Pen said that the deeply divided country is in a quagmire after chaotic legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament.

France has been on the brink of government paralysis since elections for the National Assembly earlier this month resulted in a split among three major political groupings: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, President Emmanuel Macrons centrist allies and Ms Le Pens far-right National Rally party.

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The New Popular Front won the most seats but fell well short of the majority needed to govern on its own.



Frances National Assembly is due to sit for its first session of the new government on Thursday (Aurelien Morissard/PA)

The leftist coalitions three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, have urged the president to turn to them to form the new government. Yet they are feuding over whom to choose as prime minister.

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Mr Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers but asked Mr Attal and other government members to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed.

There is no firm timeline for when Mr Macron must name a new prime minister, and it is not yet clear when he will do so.

We are in the middle of a quagmire, Ms Le Pen said on Wednesday, a day before the new parliament is to meet.

Ms Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate and a leading far-right figure in France, blamed both Mr Macron and the left for the post-election chaos.

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She criticised Mr Macron for failing to explain when he plans to replace Mr Attal.





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The French people do not know what is happening, Le Pen said in an interview with BFM TV.The opening session of the 577-member National Assembly, Frances powerful lower house of parliament, is scheduled for Thursday.

The leftist alliance was hastily formed to run in the recent national legislative elections, which were called by Mr Macron after his centrist allies suffered a massive defeat by Ms Le Pens National Rally in the June vote to the European Parliament.

It was a gamble Mr Macron made seeking to prevent the far right from gaining power.

Leaders of four parties in the leftist alliance are calling on centrist and other left-wing lawmakers to form a republican dam in the National Assembly that would prevent Ms Le Pens National Rally from getting any leading positions in the parliament.

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Voters, they argued in a statement on Wednesday, have given them an extremely clear mandate to firmly oppose the extreme right and its rise.

Ms Le Pen accuses the left and Mr Macron of anti-democratic behaviour by denying her partys elected officials important positions in the parliament.

The left-wing alliance is doing enormous harm to democracy, she said.
Relatives of passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine have gathered in Australia and the Netherlands to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives.

Half of the victims of the tragedy on July 17 2014 were Dutch.

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Hundreds of family members  who read out the names of all the victims  joined the Dutch king, politicians and diplomats at an event at a memorial in the Netherlands close to Schiphol, the airport that was the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777s point of departure.



A Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air rocket launched from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels destroyed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 (AP)

Its a black day, said Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his daughter and son, Frederique, 19, and Robert-Jan, 18, along with their grandparents.

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Whats very important is that we mentioned the name of the loved ones  and its very important that we remember them, he added.

The Dutch foreign ministry said in a statement: Ten years on, the grief remains profound. The Netherlands remains determined to seek truth, justice, and account and accountability for the downing of Flight MH17.



The tragedy claimed 298 lives (AAP Image via AP)

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An international investigation concluded that the Buk missile system that destroyed MH17 belonged to the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and was fired from territory controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.

The investigation concluded the missile was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down.

Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility.

In 2022, a Dutch court convicted in absentia two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist for their role in the jets downing.

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Dutch King Willem Alexander with Piet Ploeg lay flowers during the commemoration at the national monument in Vijfhuizen, Netherlands to mark the tenth anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 (Phil Nijhuis/AP)

Commemoration services took place in the Netherlands, Australia and the site of the crash in the Russia-controlled part of the Donetsk region, as the war in Ukraine raged on.

Australian attorney general Mark Dreyfus represented his country at the Dutch memorial site, where 298 trees were planted to commemorate each victim and sunflowers, like those that grew at the crash site, were sown.

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Many of the families arriving for the service also carried sunflowers, laying them next to trees. Flags of the countries that lost citizens hung at half-staff next to a field of blooming sunflowers.

Paul Guard, whose parents, Roger and Jill Guard, were among 38 Australian citizens and permanent residents killed, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp: I dont think anyone intended to bring down a passenger plane.

So in that sense, Im heartbroken that the conflict continues.



Russia has always denied being behind the destruction of the plane (AP)

But I think that a lot of families would really have just liked an acknowledgement that what happened was wrong and that Russia should not have been waging war.

Ukraines general staff said in a statement published on Facebook: Although the court formally found Russian puppets guilty, the Kremlin authorities led by Putin and his accomplices are behind this crime.



A 10-year commemoration ceremony took place at a monument near Schiphol, the airport  where the doomed flight took off from for Kuala Lumpur (AP)

Russia continues to be pursued under international law by the Netherlands through the European Court of Human Rights and by Australia and the Netherlands jointly through the International Civil Aviation Organisation Council (ICAO) over its alleged role in bringing down MH17.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong told the service in Canberra that she was appalled that Russia had withdrawn from the ICAO proceedings in June.

The case will continue and we will not be deterred in our commitment to hold Russia to account, she told the gathering.

The Netherlands was home to 196 victims. As well as Australia, victims also came from Malaysia, Indonesia, the UK, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, the US and South Africa.

An international investigation initiated by the UN Security Council by the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia concluded that the Buk missile system that destroyed MH17 belonged to the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade.

The investigation concluded the missile was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down.

Malaysia reiterated its commitment to seek justice and hold those responsible for the tragedy accountable.

The Government of Malaysia is resolute that the process must pursue truth, justice and accountability, the transport ministry said in a statement.
More than four tonnes of cocaine have been found stashed inside a shipment of sugar bound for Belgium in the biggest ever drugs bust in Paraguays history.

President Santiago Pena told journalists that the record discovery, code-named Operation Sweetness, added to a string of very sad episodes in Paraguay that have transformed the strategically located nation into a key drug trafficking hub in the region.

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Mr Pena expressed hope that the seizure, valued at roughly $240 million (220 million), would disrupt the cocaine trade. He added that police are pursuing those responsible.

It is the largest drug seizure in the countrys history (AP)

I think it sends a signal to organised gangs not to use Paraguay as transit; theyre going to find authorities that are determined and working in a coordinated way, Mr Pena said, promising further efforts to boost port security.

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Gangs are not going to be able to avoid all the controls that we are implementing.

On Monday, agents from Paraguays anti-drug agency, known as Senad, started unpacking the shipping containers filled with 88lb sacks of sugar at Puerto Caacupemi, a river port in the capital, Asuncion.

On Tuesday they were still sorting and weighing the cocaine concealed inside the cargo.

It was not immediately clear where the drugs originated.

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Unlike nearby Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, Paraguay does not produce cocaine. But in recent years the small landlocked nation has grabbed headlines as a smuggling haven  for cigarettes and luxury goods in addition to drugs  as cartel bosses devise new routes to reach new markets.

The haul is valued at 240 million dollars (AP)

That has spawned corruption and even violence in a country previously unaccustomed to drug violence.

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Some of the biggest cocaine busts in Europe, especially in Antwerps port in Belgium, have been traced back to Paraguays bustling river ports where deliveries can slip under the radar.

Geographically, Paraguay has a strategic position for organized crime in the sense that we are located near the largest cocaine producers in the world, Francisco Ayala, the spokesperson of Senad, said from the port where authorities inspected the haul of cocaine.

It has a globally recognised river traffic system  its perfect.
Australian actor Naomi Watts leads Australias nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, recognised for her stunning performance as American socialite Babe Paley in the critically acclaimed Feud: Capote vs The Swans.

She is joined by Elizabeth Debicki, who is nominated in the supporting actress category, for her performance as Diana, Princess of Wales, in Netflixs drama The Crown.

Naomi Watts and Elizabeth Debicki are leading Australias nominations in this years Emmys Awards.

The nominations for what will be this years second Emmy awards (more on that in a moment) were a mix of familiar faces and arrivistes, ranging from category stalwarts such as Saturday Night Live and RuPauls Drag Race, to brassy newcomers like Baby Reindeer and Shogun.

Australian creative directors Patrick Clair and Raoul Marks were nominated three times in the same category  main title design  for their work on the Amazon series Fallout, Apple TVs Silo and the Netflix drama 3 Body Problem.
The number of birds striking wind turbines could be drastically reduced by simple fixes such as painting one blade black, while technology to detect eagles and stop turbines spinning has paid dividends in Tasmania.

While the claim that offshore wind farms kill whales is false, there are genuine fears about the toll on birds from onshore and offshore wind projects.

A British study published in Global Ecology and Conservation in April 2023 suggests larger birds of prey such as eagles are vulnerable to collisions with turbine blades. While they have good vision, they are often focused on the ground searching for prey.

A wedge-tailed eagle in flight in Australia. Credit: Auscape

There have been cases of wind turbines killing birds of prey in Australia, including endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles.
Setka said he had proudly served this union in the capacity of an official for close to 40 years and as secretary for the past 12 years. These stories have been constant, and while Ive been the target of many of them, enough is enough. The ongoing false allegations continually do nothing but harm the work this great union does for its members. John Setka leaves a CFMEU meeting in Melbourne last month. Credit: Eamon Gallagher Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded to news of the resignation with good. But the allegations are not confined to the actions of the controversial former union boss.

Loading Bikies and crooks in the construction industry The first of the explosive reports, published on Saturday, included secret surveillance vision revealing how bikies, criminals and underworld figures had infiltrated the building industry. Many of the bikies and criminals acting as CFMEU delegates are employed on federal and state government-funded projects, particularly Victorias $100 billion Big Build road and rail infrastructure program, amid a systemic failure of policing agencies to combat the problems. Setka caught on tape delivering threatening message to rival

On Sunday, vision was published of Setka making a menacing nighttime visit to the home of CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis to dump a suitcase scrawled with a message attacking the official as a dog. Skourdoumbis has been fighting for several years to separate his arm of the CFMEU, which covers manufacturing, from the Setka-controlled construction division. The suitcase that CFMEU assistant national secretary Leo Skourdoumbis says John Setka left on his driveway. The footage also showed another top union official boasting about how the CFMEU secretly controls the Big Build program in Victoria and can block companies from government sites. Secret audio shows the alleged CFMEU kickback plan

Further audio uncovered by this masthead captured an undercover sting operation, recording self-styled CFMEU fixer and business consultant Harry Korras claiming he could funnel large cash payments and regular kickbacks to his good friends in the CFMEU. In return, he said, the union would push favoured firms onto construction sites involved in the Big Build program, which is being funded by both the Victorian and federal governments. Korras comments recorded on tape contrast with his strong denials to this masthead that he had ever arranged CFMEU agreements in return for union payments. He said he didnt have a clue about the building industry. Asked by this masthead if he had ever helped a company get a CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreement in return for union kickbacks or payments, Korras said: Absolutely not. The fallout: Union officials and governments respond

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said on Monday that he would lead the clean-up of the affected branches and placed the Victoria-Tasmania branch into administration, followed by the South Australian branch on Wednesday. We have zero tolerance for criminality. Anyone found to have engaged in criminal conduct while representing the CFMEU will be identified and removed, he said in a statement published online on Monday. However, he praised Setka and defended the union overall, saying it will never tear down an official who is doing a good job for construction workers simply because they are seen as unsavoury by people who have never set foot on a site. We will never turn our backs on people who want to help workers, regardless of their past, he said.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the CFMEU should act to expel anyone accused of criminal conduct from the ranks of the union. CFMEU flags fly from a crane near the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Tuesday. Credit: Peter Rae Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and NSW Premier Chris Minns have both moved to suspend the CFMEU from the state Labor parties and called for a pause on political donations from the union. They have also backed calls to sack prominent figures under criminal investigation. The federal government announced on Wednesday that an independent administrator would be appointed to take control of the union. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Bourke said he had written to the AFP asking it to investigate allegations. The federal opposition called for the union to be deregistered and for the federal government to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Additionally, Victorias truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, will probe allegations that First Nations workers have been mistreated on building sites, following revelations that the CFMEU banned Indigenous firms that werent aligned with the construction union. Other key players under fire Besides Setka, two other senior members of the union have come under fire: Derek Christopher, who is positioning to replace Setka as the Victoria-Tasmania leader, and NSW branch boss Darren Greenfield. Christopher received about $200,000 in free labour and supplies from major building companies and remains the subject of an ongoing police corruption probe. He has not been charged and there is no suggestion an offence has been committed. Meanwhile, video surfaced of Greenfield allegedly being passed a $5000 bundle of cash as part of a suspected kickback deal involving money traded for union backing. Greenfield has been charged over the issue and is defending the case, which remains before the courts. There is no suggestion that Greenfield is guilty.
One of six children, she was born Veronica Anne Agius into a Roman Catholic family on December 28, 1940 and was brought up in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Her father was a lieutenant colonel.

The establishment of the MAA also came after then-prime minister Julia Gillard in 2010 issued a public apology to Australian women in a similar situation.

Veronica Smith, who has died aged 83, endured decades of sadness and trauma after being forced to give up her daughter for adoption in 1965; in 2010, she co-founded Movement for an Adoption Apology (MAA) to campaign for a formal apology from the British government to the many unmarried mothers railroaded into giving up their children in the postwar years.

After education at the Ursuline Convent in Surbiton, she trained as a nurse and was working at Butlins holiday camp in Bognor Regis when, aged 24, she became pregnant during a short relationship with a Redcoat, one of the Butlins entertainment troupe. I went to a GP and he said all he could offer me to try to end the pregnancy was a douche, then he told me to have a hot bath and drink gin. It didnt work, she told the Daily Mail.

I wrote to my elder sister. A letter came back, saying: Dont worry. Its sorted. And I remember the train journey to Victoria. I was crying, scared. I had no idea what would happen.

Her sister had booked her into a Catholic Crusade of Rescue hostel in South London, in effect a corrective institution for unmarried pregnant girls, where she scrubbed floors as a penance for her sins. There, like the others at the hostel, she was expected to knit bootees, a hat, leggings and a matinee jacket for the baby she would have to give away.

Veronica Agius (later Smith) as a young nurse: her sister found her a place at a Catholic Crusade of Rescue hostel, effectively a corrective institution for unmarried pregnant girl Credit: Courtesy of family.

My elder sister and mother told me: Daddy must never know about this. The disgrace would kill him, she had said. I honestly felt if Id murdered someone it might have been more acceptable. Id committed a mortal sin and in the eyes of the Catholic Church, Id never go to heaven.
Next week, hundreds of Australian athletes and media types will descend on Paris for the Olympic Games. And CBD has a word of caution  dont mention the submarines.

Nearly three years since former prime minister Scott Morrison tore up a submarine contract with the French to pursue the AUKUS pact, earning the ire of Emmanuel Macron, some of our Gallic friends are still not over it, despite the Albanese governments success in warming the Franco-Australian diplomatic relationship.

Federal Labor MP Patrick Gorman.

This memo wasnt received by fresh-faced Labor assistant minister to the prime minister Patrick Possum Gorman (yes, that is his middle name), who was attending a Qantas soiree to celebrate the airlines new direct Perth-to-Paris flight, held at the Australian embassy a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower.

Australia learned that getting submarines from France to Australia is very difficult. While Qantas made getting aircraft from France to Australia look very easy, he said.
Police have arrested a man on the run in relation to a violent stabbing in South Perth on Wednesday afternoon that has left one person in hospital.

Cannington detectives took the man into custody after he was found near the Como Bowling Club.

The victim, a man in his 30s, is currently in receiving medical treatment in hospital for serious injuries, believed to be from a knife. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Emergency crews were quick to respond to the incident, closing Canning Highway southbound from Douglas Avenue to South Terrace in South Perth as officers respond to the incident at around 2.40pm.
This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU.

Labor cannot afford to hesitate on union corruption when so many voters know the party is deeply conflicted by its financial ties to the CFMEU and top officials.

Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke have made the right decision by moving to appoint an administrator to most parts of the CFMEU in a bid to stop criminal conduct, but this can only be the start of a long project to clean up the union.

Workplace Minister Tony Burke addressing the media on Wednesday. Credit: AAP

The prime minister and employment minister will be exposed to a political penalty if there is any hint they are being too soft on corrupt union officials.

That is because Peter Dutton has such a powerful line of attack when he makes union conduct about the cost of living.
This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles and federal Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke have urged CFMEU state divisional secretary Michael Ravbar not to fight their bid to appoint independent administrators to his union branch and two others.

As police examine the unions activities in several states, and it continues to picket Brisbane building sites, Ravbar lashed out at the state and federal Labor governments for taking action against the CFMEU instead of the construction companies he claimed were the real crooks.

While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was visiting Brisbane on Wednesday, Ravbar publicly accused the Labor leader of being selective about his interest in criminal associations and willingly ignorant about our industry.

CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar organised protests against senior Labor MPs in Queensland over the industrial manslaughter laws. Credit: Glenn Hunt

Albanese has panicked and soiled himself over some unproven allegations in the media, Ravbar said in a statement.
Cruisers go it alone for many reasons. Some dont have a partner or friends with the time, budget or interest to set sail, while for others, its a choice to embrace quality me-time at sea and in port.

Whatever the motivation, solos are now in good company, as the cruise industry jumps on the party-of-one trend with single cabins, price promotions and opportunities to meet new people.

Some me-time cruising solo. Credit: Oceania

Twice as nice, not twice the price

Be aware that some cruise lines require solo travellers to pay a single supplement, which often means they will pay the same, if not more, than the price of two people sharing.
Deir Al-Balah: Israeli airstrikes killed more than 60 Palestinians in southern and central Gaza overnight and into Tuesday, including one that struck an Israeli-declared safe zone crowded with thousands of displaced people.

Recent airstrikes have brought a constant string of deaths of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, even as Israel has pulled back or scaled down major ground offensives in the north and south.

Palestinians gather near the bodies of relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of Deir al-Balah. Credit: AP

Almost daily strikes have hit the safe zone covering some 60 square kilometres along the Mediterranean coast where Israel told fleeing Palestinians to take refuge to escape ground assaults. Israel has said it is pursuing Hamas militants who are hiding among civilians after offensives uprooted underground tunnel networks.

Tuesdays deadliest strike hit a main street lined with market stalls outside the southern city of Khan Younis in Muwasi, at the heart of the zone that is packed with tent camps. Officials at Khan Younis Nasser Hospital said 17 people were killed.
Assigning tasks that are low value without context to the benefit it produces often results in low-value work. Its essential to remember that this is work that you did not want to do and have instead outsourced to another.
Grass industry thrives in N China's Inner Mongolia

People's Daily Online) 10:16, July 17, 2024

In 2023, the total amount of land dedicated to grass seed cultivation in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reached 265,000 mu (about 176.67 square kilometers), with an annual grass seed production capacity of over 5 million kilograms.

In the same year, the region cultivated 21.72 million mu of forage grass and the output value of the grass industry chain reached 80.21 billion yuan (about $11.02 billion), ranking first in China in both grass production and output value.

Grass seeds are on display at the seed industry center of Inner Mongolia M-grass Ecology and Environment (Group) Co., Ltd. (People's Daily Online/Miao Yang)

At the seed industry center of Inner Mongolia M-grass Ecology and Environment (Group) Co., Ltd., located in Hohhot, researchers work on registering, screening, and collecting grass seeds.

"We carry out a comprehensive process, including registration, selection, dehydration, testing, packaging, storage, and monitoring of the seeds. Depending on the purpose and duration of preservation, we store the collected germplasm resources in different temperature-controlled facilities," explained Zheng Lina, head of the Germplasm Resources and Testing Center of the company.

The germination rates of the stored seeds are regularly checked every five to 10 years. If any seeds show a decrease in germination rates, they are quickly reproduced and their updated versions are preserved. This scientific method of seed preservation guarantees that the majority of seeds can be stored for decades, hundreds, or even thousands of years.

Currently, the company's resource bank houses 60,000 samples of germplasm resources from 2,200 different plant species, 150,000 seed samples, and 1.5 million soil samples, guaranteeing the availability, suitability, and security of ecological restoration and grass-fed livestock industry in Inner Mongolia.

Photo shows the Chilechuan Grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Meng Jiashu)

Grass not only grows on grasslands but also in the sky. In the aerial pasture of Otog Banner, Ordos city, the air is filled with the fragrance of fresh grass. Rows of neatly arranged grass cultivation trays are placed on automated seedling racks. With the aid of artificial lighting, temperature and humidity sensors, automated sprinklers, and liquid circulation systems, the grass flourishes.

"After seven to eight days of hydroponics, the seeds can sprout into green grass. The production is continuous, ensuring that cattle and sheep have access to fresh grass even during grazing bans and winter," said Hasi Batu, who oversees the grass cultivation facility.

The aerial pasture grass cultivation facility effectively solves the issue of out-of-season fresh grass supply in the local area, providing a solution to the challenges faced by local farmers and herders in accessing affordable and timely grass feed.

Photo shows automated seedling racks in a grass cultivation facility situated in Otog Banner, Ordos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Additionally, it saves costs related to land, feeding, and labor, and promotes the implementation of grassland ecological restoration systems such as grazing bans and grass-based livestock farming.

So far, the grass cultivation technology has been applied in 11 demonstration sites throughout Inner Mongolia. Together, these sites have produced a total of 15,000 tonnes of fresh forage grass.

Animal husbandry is a characteristic and advantageous industry in the Hinggan League of Inner Mongolia. The area has found a solution that helps to preserve the balance between protecting grassland ecosystems and developing animal husbandry.

A grass feed factory in Ali Der'er Modern Grass Industry Processing and Logistics Trading Park, Horqin Right Front Banner of Hinggan League, boasts 52 advanced pieces of machinery. It incorporates cutting-edge technology and patented techniques in its production process, being able to produce 50 tonnes of fully mixed feed per day.

Photo shows grass feed processed at a grass feed factory, located in Ali Der'er Modern Grass Industry Processing and Logistics Trading Park in Horqin Right Front Banner of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

"The grass feed produced here is not only highly palatable but also rich in nutritional value. This exceptional quality ensures that cattle and sheep achieve an absorption rate of over 75 percent," said Ke Xin, head of the factory. Currently the factory's products cater to the needs of approximately 600,000 sheep within a 50-kilometer radius, Ke added.

At the site, ecological products like tableware and kitchen utensils are on display. The products, made from rice husks, show how what was once waste from the grass industry can now be used to create durable and environmentally friendly goods that further extend the industrys product chain.

Prioritizing ecology and pursuing green development has become a conscious choice among the people of Inner Mongolia. With concerted efforts from all sides, a new chapter is being written on the development of the grass industry, embarking on a path where ecological, social, and economic benefits are unified.

Photo shows green products made from rice husks at a grass feed factory in Ali Der'er Modern Grass Industry Processing and Logistics Trading Park, Horqin Right Front Banner of Hinggan League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Miao Yang)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
So far this year, it seems we have recorded very similar vacancy rates compared to the same period in 2023. However, there are some exceptions such as Melbourne, which is up slightly from 2023 levels, as well as some regional exceptions such as the Gold Coast, which is now recording the highest level of vacancies since 2020.
Tata Steel is strengthening its new cold rolling milling (CRM) complex in Kalinganagar, Odisha, to serve domestic and world markets and maintain its leadership position in automotive steel, said a senior executive.

A large part of the steel from the complex, which has an annual capacity of 2.2 million tonne (mt) and was commissioned in FY23, is meant for the automotive segment.

Work on continuous annealing and galvanising lines  crucial processing systems for automotive grades of steel  is underway. The systems are expected to be commissioned in the next few quarters.

New cold
Despite their critical role in human civilization, agriculture and food systems often lack robust digital infrastructure. Historically, stakeholders rarely had access to the kind of agri-intelligence needed to make informed decisions.

Here comes Cropin Technology: a global agtech company that is addressing this gap by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). The firm on Wednesday announced the launch of Sage, the real-time agri-intelligence solution powered by Google Gemini.

Cropin Sage converts the worlds agricultural landscape into a proprietary grid-based map with options of 3x3 meters, 10x10 meters, or 5x5 kilometres. The firm said this delivers data and intelligence with unprecedented scale,
The fintech industry, which has been caught between the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) higher scrutiny and a severe funding winter, is looking at Budget 2025 with hope.

The industry is seeking a favourable tax framework for startups, along with exemption and incentives to reduce their capital costs.

Players that Business Standard spoke to said they expect better clarity on guidelines by regulators such as the RBI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), among others.

Fintech players have called for a lower tax deducted at
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has asked institutions to display their seat matrix for NEET-UG counselling 2024 on its official website.

According to the MCC, these institutions have until July 20 to publish their seat details on the website (https://mcc.nic.in/). Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

Data from the Ministry of Health show that Tamil Nadu leads in the number of MBBS seats (5,275) in government medical institutions. It is followed by Maharashtra (5,125 seats). Overall, India offers a total of 108,940 MBBS seats. This information comes at a time when around 2.3 million medical aspirants are waiting for the Supreme Court's decision on the NEET 2024 retest and cancellation.

The MCC has issued a notification urging institutions to upload their seat information promptly to ensure the timely completion of the seat allotment process.

In its official announcement, the MCC said, Institutes participating in UG Counselling 2024 are hereby informed that the intramcc portal for the contribution of UG seats is open now. Hence, institutes are requested to start entering their seats on the portal at the earliest so that the process of seat contribution can be completed timely.

The Supreme Court has scheduled the NEET-UG 2024 case hearing for July 18. On Monday, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala directed that all new petitions and those pending in the high courts be transferred to the apex court for a consolidated review.

The NEET-UG 2024 counselling will take place in four phases starting in late July. This process is the final step for medical college admissions. Candidates will be admitted to undergraduate medical programmes based on the All India Merit List of qualified candidates, which is determined by their All India Rank in the NEET (UG) 2024 merit list. The admissions will strictly follow the current reservation policy and will be based solely on the merit list's All India Rank within the relevant categories.

NEET-UG row: CBI to interrogate the accused

Last week, the Patna High Court granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody of 13 individuals arrested by the Bihar police in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case. The central investigative agency will interrogate these suspects in custody and confront them with the alleged ringleader, Rockey alias Rakesh Ranjan, who was arrested last week.

The agency sought custody of 13 individuals who were arrested by the state police and subsequently placed in judicial custody after a brief police remand.

However, on July 2, the Exclusive Magistrate, CBI, Patna, rejected the CBI's plea, stating that the statutory period for seeking police custody within the first 15 days of the arrest had expired. The CBI then challenged this order in the high court, arguing that it had taken over the investigation in June and should be allowed to examine the suspects arrested by the state police.
Kwatra, a career diplomat, has previously served in China, the US, in Modis office and as Indias envoy to France. Image: Wikipedia

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen



India has nominated retired diplomat Vinay Kwatra as its next ambassador to the US, months before the country heads to a pivotal election, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kwatra, who retired as Indias foreign secretary earlier this month, will look to bring certainty to the India-US relationship as countries brace for a possible change in administration after Novembers US elections. An immediate priority of Kwatras will be to reach out to officials who could play an important role in India-related policy in the next administration, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

India and the US have been growing closer for the past two decades, including under the previous Trump and current Biden administration. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former president Donald Trump shared a good rapport and held a joint rally in the US in 2019.

Kwatra, a career diplomat, has previously served in China, the US, in Modis office and as Indias envoy to France before his tenure as the top bureaucrat in the foreign ministry. The position of Indias ambassador to the US has been vacant since Taranjit Singh Sandhu completed his tenure in January.

Indias Ministry of External Affairs didnt comment when asked about the appointment. An announcement is expected soon after formalities in the US are complete, the people said.

India-US ties have strengthened under Modi, with India seeing the US as a partner in standing up to a more assertive China. At the same time, India has pursued a foreign policy much in line with its decades-old stance of not aligning too closely with any great power. India has, for example, maintained its long-standing ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, with Modi visiting Moscow earlier this month.

The US meanwhile sees India as a key bulwark in Asia to an increasingly powerful China, but the relationship has at times appeared to frustrate Washington. It has chastised India over alleged human rights violations and treatment of minorities and the relationship has been rocked by recent allegations that New Delhi tried to assassinate a US citizen for advocating a separate homeland in India for the country Sikh minority.

Despite that, the USIndia relationship has a strong business and geopolitical logic behind it but needs constant nurturing especially with any new administration, the people familiar said.

New Delhi is hoping to make rapid progress under a critical and emerging technology sharing initiative which includes the manufacturing of jet engines and semi-conductors in India.
As a panel of senior ministers deliberates on the need to review curbs on exports of some rice varieties, data shows that since outbound shipments saw restrictions in July-August last year, the non-basmati segment has suffered more than basmati exports.

Sources said the panel is expected to soon deliberate on a few suggestions to ease the export curbs on some rice varieties due to higher-than-required stocks in the central pool.

The panel, some observers feel, may also postpone the decision to ease the export curbs till a firm picture emerges on the latest kharif paddy sowing.

Already,
The Karnataka Cabinet has added a twist to a controversy roiling Indias business community by mandating a reservation for locals in private-sector jobs. The Bill, which has now been put on hold, mandates 50 per cent reservation for locals in management and 75 per cent in non-management positions. Unsurprisingly, this proposal has evoked a sharp response from businesses in Bengaluru, the centre for information technology, startups, global capability centres (GCC) and pharma industries  all racehorses for the Indian economy. The National Association of Software and Services Companies has already issued a statement expressing disappointment and sought
Taiwan's government has made defence modernisation a priority, including developing its own submarines, and has said many times the island's security rests in its own hands. | Photo: Reuters

''Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence as it does not give the country anything,'' US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said, sending shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC down on Wednesday.

"I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 per cent of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defence," Trump said in interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on June 25 but published on Tuesday.

Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp "You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything," he said.

TSMC is the dominant maker of advanced chips used in everything from AI applications to smartphones and fighter jets, and analyst believe any conflict over Taiwan would decimate the world economy.



Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai, responding to Trump's comments, said Taiwan and the US have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, and is dedicated to bolstering its defences.



"Taiwan has steadily strengthened its defence budget and demonstrated its responsibility to the international community," he said at a routine news conference in Taipei.



"We are willing to take on more responsibility; we are defending ourselves and ensuring our security." The US is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier, but there is no formal defence agreement. The US is however bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.



Taiwan's government has made defence modernisation a priority, including developing its own submarines, and has said many times the island's security rests in its own hands.



Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has complained of repeated Chinese military activity over the past four years as Beijing seeks to pressure the democratically governed island which rejects China's sovereignty claims.



US President Joe Biden has upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the US would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held US position of "strategic ambiguity".

Washington and Taipei have had no official diplomatic or military relationship since 1979, when the US switched recognition to Beijing and terminated a mutual defence treaty.



There was no immediate reaction from TSMC which is currently in its quiet period ahead of its second quarter earnings report on Thursday.



TSMC SHARES DOWN



Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple and Nvidia supplier, fell more than 2 per cent early on Wednesday morning trade. The broader market was down around 0.4 per cent.



"Trump's comments were plainly blunt. We see it as political rhetoric," said Allen Huang, a vice president at Mega International Investment Service, "TSMC is an excellent company, and it has won out in the market over many rival companies in the United States."



TSMC is spending billions building new factories overseas, including $65 billion on three plants in the US state of Arizona, though it says most manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.



Taiwan also has a backlog worth some $19 billion of arms deliveries from the United States, which US officials and politicians have repeatedly pledged to speed up.



Since 2022, Taiwan has complained of delays in deliveries of US weapons such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers focused on supplying Ukraine to help it battle invading Russian forces.



In April, the US Congress had passed a sweeping foreign aid package which includes arms support for the island, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and US partners in the Indo-Pacific.



China held two days of war games around the island shortly after President Lai Ching-te took office in May, saying it was "punishment" for his inauguration speech, which Beijing denounced as being full of separatist content.



But China has also been using grey zone warfare against Taiwan, wielding irregular tactics to exhaust a foe by keeping them continually on alert without resorting to open combat. This includes sending balloons over the island and almost daily air force missions into the skies near Taiwan.



China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, who says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future, has repeatedly offered talks but been rebuffed.





(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yuva Sur Sartaj is a premier platform for young (15-30 year olds) aspiring Hindustani Classical musicians, set to be judged by renowned artists like Kaushiki Chakraborty, Rahul Deshpande, and Sanjeev Abhyankar

Interested participants in India can register on https://yuvasursartaj.in/



Winners of Yuva Sur Sartaj 2024 will not only receive cash prizes, but also financial support to continue their classical vocal training and mentorship. There will be three prizes in each age group, 15-22 years and 23-30 years. While the winner will receive Rs. 1,50,000 along with an additional Rs. 1,50,000 for mentorship, the 1st runner-up will receive Rs. 1,00,000 plus Rs. 1,00,000 for mentorship, and finally, the 2nd runner-up will receive Rs. 50,000 plus Rs. 50,000 for mentorship.
On a busy Sunday afternoon, in front of a global audience of motorsport enthusiasts, The Indy Autonomous Challenges (IAC) self-driving AV-24 racecar set the record for the fastest autonomous Hillclimb at the Festival of Speed. The AV-24 is piloted by an AI Driver developed by Team PoliMOVE-MSU (Politecnico di Milano and Michigan State University).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716347266/en/

The IAC AV-24, a racecar driven by AI, sets autonomous record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. (Photo: Business Wire)

The AV-24 performed a series of three runs during the iconic festival. The record was broken during their third and final run up the Goodwood Hill where the racecar reached a top speed of 111.2 mph (179 kph)and a finish time of 66.37 secs. The record-setting run can be watched here. The previous record has been held by Roborace since 2019 when their DevBot 2.0 autonomous car clocked a 66.96 sec time at a top speed of 101.16 mph (162.8 kph).

Goodwood is known for its unforgiving narrow course, lined with hay bells and limited run-off space. Attempting an autonomous hill climb at the Festival of Speed required absolute control of grip and slippage from the AV-24s Bridgestone racing tires as well as precision mapping and localization in a GPS limited environment resulting in a higher than usual reliance on the AV-24s Luminar Iris lidars.

The IAC and PoliMOVE-MSU teams worked closely with Bridgestones tire engineers to optimize performance ahead of the Hillclimb including traveling to Bridgestones European Technical Center and European Proving Grounds in Rome. The team also had the unique chance to explore each step of tire production and test how impactful tire performance is on track.

Paul Mitchell, Chairman and President of the IAC: For three years, the IAC has been pushing the boundaries of high-speed autonomy and setting new records along the way. The Goodwood Hillclimb is a historic backdrop with huge crowds and a global audience that is now aware of the potential of self-driving vehicles to be safely deployed on roads in the future.

Professor Sergio Savaresi, PoliMOVE-MSU Team Principal: This challenge represents an important milestone for autonomous mobility. This weekend we overcame significant challenges posed by a complicated track and temperamental weather patterns. Thanks to the exceptional work and skills implemented by our engineering team and tire performance ensured by our Bridgestone racing tires, we made history by showing the public that safe and high-speed vehicular autonomy is possible even in adverse conditions. Our record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will inspire confidence in future autonomous driving applications.

Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) added, Bridgestone is proud to support the PoliMOVE-MSU team in this incredible achievement at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024. We are committed to partnering with the IAC and its inspiring student engineers to continue testing and improving autonomous technologies in record-setting runs like this and beyond. Motorsports are part of Bridgestones DNA, always have been and always will be. And what really matters is that we take the learnings from experiences like this and apply them to the sustainable mobility solutions we develop for society and our customers.

Visuals and footage including of the IACs Autonomous Hillclimb can be found here.

About the IAC: The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is a non-profit corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) that organizes racing competitions among 10 university-affiliated teams representing 18 universities from around the world. Teams program AI drivers to pilot fully autonomous racecars and compete in a series of history-making events at iconic tracks. The IAC is working to establish a hub for performance automation in the state and is harnessing the power of innovative competitions to attract the best and the brightest minds from around the globe to further state-of-the-art technology in the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles. The IAC started as a $1 million prize competition with 31 university teams signing up to compete more than three years ago, representing top engineering and technology programs from 15 U.S. states and 11 countries. Follow the IAC @IndyAChallenge on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube.

About Bridgestone: Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 130,000 people globally, conducting business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716347266/en/
ICSA sheep chair Willie Shaw has once again criticised meat processors for continuing to pull sheep prices.

For yet another week, factories are making indefensible cuts to base prices for lamb. We know the demand for our product is out there, despite what the factories claim, he said.

Throughput so far this year is down and is expected to remain down for the rest of the year. Combined with lower production levels throughout the EU, this tells us that these week-on-week price cuts are completely unjustified and are nothing more than cynical power moves by the processors to bring prices down, said Mr Shaw.

We are receiving reports from our members that quotes have dropped by as much as 50-60c/kg this week. This amounts to more than 40/hd over the last few weeks, he added.

At last weeks National Fodder and Feed Security (NFFSC) meeting, there was a call put out to the industrys major players to support farmers as input costs remain high and cashflow on farms is becoming a real issue.

What we need now is for meat processors to heed that advice and start treating their suppliers more fairly  not try to put us out of business at every opportunity, said Mr Shaw.

Mr Shaw also said that Irish sheep farmers are continuing to receive a raw deal compared to their European counterparts.

Latest figures from Bord Bia show that prices here are lower than in Great Britain, Spain and particularly France, where prices are 1.30/kg higher than what Irish farmers are getting. This price disparity is totally unjustified.
Kenneth Fox

A number of asylum seekers are filing reports at Pearse Street Garda Station following an attack on their tents last night.

It is reported that the 15 men fled the quays in Dublin City Centre after people arrived with weapons.

At 11:40pm last night around eight to 10 people descended on the area where some of the men were sleeping, while others stood outside their tents.

It is understood this group of 15 had made their way from Phibsborough a few days ago after being moved on from another makeshift camp there.

Last night, this same group of men allegedly had their tents slashed by knives and pipes. Many had their documents thrown into the River Liffey.

Discarded Irish passport application forms and tent instructions pictured this morning on City Quay. Photo: Collins.

Gardai in Pearse Street responded to the reports of criminal damage and investigations are ongoing with statements being given all to men this lunchtime.

This comes as 2,4000 asylum seekers remain without any accommodation here at the moment.

One local publican, Seaneen Sullivan said she spoke to the asylum seekers who were forced to leave.

In a post on Instagram she said: " I was at the pub because a group of international protection applicants were attacked on the quays with knives and pipes tonight and, having run full pelt to the Garda station were left for hours while nothing was done to respond to this violence.

She said they were told that they had no choice but to go back on to streets that have been made more hostile the last few days.

"We are all optimistic they will get accommodation offers soon. It is an abject failure of every member of this government that we are repeatedly ignoring our humanitarian obligations and re traumatising people by having IPAs sleeping in tents on the streets," she said.
Vivienne Clarke

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to Monday's violent disorder in Coolock in Dublin.

An incident room has been set up in the local Garda Station and officers are in the process of collating and harvesting CCTV and social media images from the disturbance.

Anyone who has information, including on the people involved in organising the events, is being asked to come forward.

Meanwhile, The chief executive of Doras, the independent organisation working to promote and protect the rights of people from a migrant background in Ireland, John Lannon, has called for every effort to be made to bring the people involved in violent incidents in Coolock to justice.

The Government needs to bring the people who are orchestrating the violence to justice, not allow them to continue to damage communities and put peoples well-being, lives at risk, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

The Government also needs to do is to pay more attention to their messaging around the rights of asylum seekers and the State's obligations to them, he said. They also need to ensure timely, constructive community engagement when these centres are being opened

Mr Lannon said as he was not an expert on policing he could not comment on how the gardai should go about their work, but there were people orchestrating the violence, they were spreading misinformation, much of which was visible on social media, that needed to be addressed.

There needs to be constructive engagement from the social media companies to ensure that the lies and the misinformation are not being spread or are not seeping into communities. We also need to ensure that there's timely, constructive community engagement in the run up to preparation of new accommodation centres, but doing this in a constructive way, working with the groups that want to make the communities work, that want to welcome refugees, and ensuring that there is a way to deal with voices that are very loud and attempt to undermine and destabilise our communities and make life difficult for everyone.

What we're seeing now is something that's been developing over a while. It's worrying, it is particularly frightening for asylum seekers, for communities that are experiencing the violence. Immigration is now being used to push other agendas. Misinformation is being spread about people seeking protection, about people working to support them, about politicians.

Far-right element

There is a far-right element behind this, it's being organised. And that's one of the most worrying things. We know that immigration, whether it's voluntary or forced, is a reality that can't be avoided in today's world. We see communities are changing for lots of reasons, but in many cases they're struggling to cope with those changes. There are people we see that are feeling excluded or left behind when it comes to how often we see the anger, but the problem is that innocent people are being targeted, and that's not going to lead to constructive outcomes for anyone.

The protests are certainly causing increasing levels of distress and worry amongst refugee communities. And I'd say most migrant communities in general, theyve seen the content. It's getting posted on social media, including some very racist material, threats of violence, that sort of thing. That's even more troubling for people from a refugee or migrant background. We are hearing more and more of this from the migrant communities we support.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Taoiseach Simon Harris and British prime minister Keir Starmer are expected to discuss Northern Ireland as well as the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during their first face-to-face meeting since the UK general election.

Mr Harris said the meeting would also be used to discuss the shared aim of a reset in British-Irish relations.

The Taoiseach is travelling to Chequers where he will meet Mr Starmer over dinner.

Mr Harris said: The invitation extended to me by Prime Minister Starmer to meet with him at Chequers is a strong signal of the value he attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead.

I look forward to getting to know the Prime Minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

One of Keir Starmers first actions as prime minister was to invite Simon Harris to a meeting (Benjamin Cremel/PA)

Mr Starmer has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

One of Mr Starmers first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

During the phone conversation the two leaders committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations with urgency and ambition.

A statement from the Taoiseachs office said: As well as discussing bilateral relations, it is expected that the Taoiseach and Prime Minister will discuss Northern Ireland and international issues, including the situation in Gaza and in Ukraine.

The Taoiseach will update on current EU priorities and the leaders will share perspectives on EU-UK relations.

The meeting is expected to allow both leaders to re-affirm their respective commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, and the resolve of both governments to furthering reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Mary Lou McDonald urged Simon Harris to use his meeting with Keir Starmer to push for a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane (Damien Storan/PA)

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to use the meeting to press the case for a public inquiry into the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane.

Mr Finucane was gunned down by loyalist paramilitaries inside the family home in north Belfast in 1989.

For years, the Finucane family has campaigned for a public inquiry, after several examinations of the case found state forces colluded in the murder.

Earlier this month, a Court of Appeal ruling in Belfast gave the new government three weeks to state how it would carry out an investigation into the lawyers death which is compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ms McDonald said: In 2019, the Supreme Court in London declared that previous investigations commissioned by successive British governments into the murder of Pat Finucane by loyalists to have failed to meet the standards required by Article 2.

For decades now, Geraldine Finucane and her family have led a dignified campaign for truth and justice, seeking a public inquiry into her late husbands murder.

Pat Finucane was murdered at his home in north Belfast in 1989 (PA)

The Sinn Fein president added: Regrettably, the British government has not adequately or sufficiently responded to that 2019 Supreme Court judgment, forcing Mrs Finucane to fight a series of legal battles.

In the latest case last week, the Court of Appeal set out a timetable for action, requiring the British government to respond within three weeks and agree to an Article 2 compliant investigation into Pat Finucanes murder.

I have written to the Taoiseach to urge him to raise the matter directly with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when they meet and to urgently press the case for a public inquiry to be held which is long overdue and decision time draws near.
By Jacob Freedland and Jonathan McCambridge, PA

British prime minister Keir Starmer has said he is pleased to have the opportunity to reset the UKs relationship with Ireland.

Mr Starmer made the comments in a brief bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris at Chequers before the two leaders have dinner together at the English country house.

He said: I am very pleased to have this very early opportunity to, what I see as resetting, strengthening and deepening our relationship.

Mr Harris responded: I am delighted to be here too, to congratulate you in person. It means a lot to us, a lot to Ireland.

Simon Harris and Keir Starmer talk during a bilateral meeting at Chequers. Photo: Carl Court/PA

Mr Harris is the first international leader to visit the UK since Mr Starmer was elected as prime minister.

The relationship between Dublin and London has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

It was confirmed in the British kings speech on Wednesday that the Labour government will repeal the Legacy Act.

One of Mr Starmers first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

The meeting between the two leaders is taking place on the eve of a major summit of European leaders. Photo: PA

Mr Harris had said in advance that he expected to discuss Northern Ireland and the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during his meeting with the prime minister.

The meeting between the two leaders is taking place on the eve of a major summit of European leaders at Blenheim Palace.
By Rebecca Black, PA

Troubles victims have hailed an important day as the British government confirmed the controversial Legacy Act will be repealed.

Britain's King Charles announced in his speech at the state opening of the UK parliament that measures are to be brought forward to begin the process of repealing the Act.

While the entire Act cannot be repealed without something to replace it, the British government is expected to repeal the controversial policy of offering conditional immunity for Troubles crimes among first steps.

The Act, aimed at addressing the legacy of the Norths past, has been almost universally opposed by parties and victims groups.

It offers a limited form of immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes in exchange for full co-operation with the truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (Icrir), and halted civil cases and inquests which were not at findings stage earlier this year.

Martina Dillon, whose husband Seamus was shot and killed in 1997, was among those who saw a fresh inquest into a loved ones death stopped due to the Act.

She said she was relieved to hear the commitment to repeal, adding ministers need to follow through quickly.

She added: Ive fought for 27 years to get truth and justice for my husband. I had an inquest under way, to then have that cruelly removed by the Troubles Act has been devastating.

All victims deserve answers and victim-centred processes. Truth and justice are not much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Michael OHares 12-year-old sister Majella was shot and killed by a British soldier on her way to church with a group of friends in 1976. He said his family believed the door for justice had been closed.

This is an important day for families like ours, who thought wed seen the door closed forever on these cases, he said.

Michael OHare with a photograph of his sister Majella, who was shot dead by the Army in Co Armagh in 1976 (Victoria Jones/PA)

Majella was just an innocent little girl who didnt deserve to be gunned down when walking along the road with her friends.

We deserve truth and accountability. Its a huge relief that that is now a possibility again, even if weve had to wait half a century. Its never too late to do the right thing.

Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director Grainne Teggart termed it as an important step toward overturning an atrocious attack on rights.

She added: Repealing and replacing the Troubles Act is necessary to right a historic wrong.

The UK government must show a complete change in approach to the last government; listen to victims and prioritise their rights.

There must be no delay in getting the wheels of justice turning. We want to see Stormont House Agreement-plus legislated for and an urgent reinstatement of judicial processes, such as inquests, for all who need them.

Earlier this year, then shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn indicated he would not scrap the Icrir, which is led by retired judge Declan Morgan, but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims families.

There have been legal challenges to the Act, including an interstate case by the Irish Government under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, a legal challenge by Troubles victims to the Act saw a lengthy judgment issued in February. It found conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles crimes is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn (Jeff Moore/PA)

However, the same judgment also found the Icrir to be independent and capable of conducting human rights-compliant investigations.

The new British government is to stick to its manifesto commitment to address legacy, aiming to find a way forward supported by victims and survivors, and which will comply with human rights organisations.

This is to include repealing the conditional immunity scheme and reversing the policy prohibiting victims and families from bringing civil claims, and set out steps to allow the Troubles-era inquests that were prematurely halted to resume.

Described as first steps, further legislation is to follow after consultation with Northern political parties and communities, and the Irish Government.

A number of Northern Irelands political parties have welcomed the British governments direction.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was a decisive move by the [British] government to repeal this unconscionable legislation.

He added: In a society where there is so much hurt, pain and grief, it is important that the hope of justice remains.

This legislation was fundamentally flawed and morally repugnant because it extinguished that hope for many innocent victims.

We urge the Government to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors, because repeating them would only cause more emotional distress to victims and damage the work of reconciliation in our society.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson welcomed the move (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Robinson also pressed British prime minister Keir Starmer to use his meeting with Taoiseach Simon Harris later on Wednesday to press upon him the need for Dublin to open up the pathway to truth regarding the role of the Irish Government, Garda, and wider society in the Troubles.

He added: Thus far, Dublin has behaved like a spectator, lecturing us all about dealing with the Troubles yet failing to see their own shortcomings. It is time for truth from Dublin.

Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said: The British government has said it will now begin the process of repealing the Tories shameful Legacy Act, which has failed victims and survivors.

This is a welcome commitment, and we will engage with them on the full details of their approach in the days ahead.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his party worked hard alongside Labour MPs to make the repeal of the toxic Tory Legacy Act an early commitment of the new government in London.

He added: I am pleased that the commitment was made in the Kings Speech today and that we can look forward to progress in this parliamentary session.

This is an early demonstration from the Labour government that they will take a radically different approach to the North than their predecessors.

Political parties and victims groups from across our society opposed the attempts to shut down paths to justice and accountability  the united campaign, led by those most affected, has driven this change.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into more than 50 reports of fraud on both sides of the Irish border over two years.

The probe was launched by the PSNI and An Garda Siochana following complaints that victims had sold goods such as machinery, but did not receive payment.

The PSNI carried out searches in the south Armagh area on Tuesday.

A spokesperson said: We searched two properties in the Crossmaglen and Mullaghbawn areas and made two arrests.

Two men, aged 47 and 34, were both arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including theft and fraud by false representation.

Both men have since been released on bail pending further enquiries into the investigation.

A number of items including a sum of cash and mobile phones were also seized and will now undergo further forensic examination.

Gardai searched a premises in the Monaghan area and seized plant machinery.

Detectives from our Serious Crime Branch arrested two men, aged 47 and 34, in the south Armagh area today, Tuesday 16th July, as part of a cross-border operation with An Garda Siochana into multiple reports of fraud. They have since been bailed. More here: https://t.co/k198gHFCeW pic.twitter.com/QoQhw654p6  Police Newry, Mourne and Down (@PSNINMDown) July 16, 2024

The PSNI spokesperson said: This proactive policing operation is part of our ongoing investigation into over 50 reports of fraud on both sides of the border spanning a period of two years.

In each case the victim has agreed to sell items, such as machinery, quads and coal, and the buyer has used a stolen or cloned credit card, or provided a screenshot of a fake or cancelled bank transfer.

The goods are then handed over but the victim did not receive the money.

We hope todays operation shows the community that we take these reports extremely seriously.

Our investigation is ongoing and we encourage anyone who believes they are a victim of this type of crime, or who has any information which may assist us, to call police on 101.
Rehashing so-called South China Sea arbitration cannot conceal rights infringement and provocation

10:25, July 17, 2024 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Recently, the Philippines, in collusion with certain countries, has once again brought up the so-called South China Sea arbitration. They claimed to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, but kept exaggerating the so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration, which is illegal, null and void.

Their true intention is to persist in infringing on China's territorial sovereignty and provoking tensions in the South China Sea, using the South China Sea issue to disrupt regional peace and stability.

Rehashing the so-called South China Sea arbitration cannot conceal the Philippines' infringement of China's lawful rights and interests, nor can it change the fact that the Philippines' frequent provocations, backed by external forces, have led to tensions in the South China Sea.

The so-called South China Sea arbitration was a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding, and the so-called arbitral award is riddled with errors and biases, which have violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea.

This unilateral and malicious arbitration on the South China Sea by the Philippines eight years ago has never aimed to resolve disputes nor safeguard regional peace and stability, but rather to deny China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the region.

The ad-hoc arbitral tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the Philippines' unilateral request had neither legitimacy nor jurisdiction, and the arbitral award rendered by it has clearly overstepped its authority and has no binding force.

China neither accepts nor participates in the South China Sea arbitration, nor does it accept or recognize the award or any claims and actions based on it. China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by illegal awards.

The Philippines' treatment of this illegal award as gospel does not help resolve its maritime disputes with China, still less add legitimacy to its illegal claims in any way.

By repeatedly claiming that the arbitral award is "legally binding," the Philippines and certain countries have disregarded and trampled on international law.

The rights and wrongs in the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines are crystal clear: China's sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history and duly recognized by international treaties and accords which are not to be infringed upon by any illegal awards.

The Philippine territory is defined by a series of international treaties, which have never included China's Huangyan Dao and any islands or reefs of Nansha Qundao.

The Philippines' illegal claims have no historical or legal basis. By repeatedly taking actions that complicate the dispute, what the Philippines truly attempts to do is expanding its illegal occupation of some islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao.

The Senate of the Philippines has approved the so-called "Maritime Zones Act," attempting to further enforce the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea by domestic legislation and illegally include China's Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, and their adjacent waters into its maritime zones.

Later, the Philippines further unilaterally submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on the extent of its undersea shelf in the South China Sea, which has infringed upon China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

These actions by the Philippines seriously violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

Since last year, the Philippine government has breached its commitments and the common understandings with China, violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and repeatedly acted in bad faith.

It frequently infringed on Chinas rights and made provocations at sea, brought in forces outside the region to form blocs and flex muscles in the South China Sea, and spread disinformation to vilify China and misled the international perception on this matter.

Who is provoking and causing trouble in the South China Sea? Who is violating international law and endangering peace and stability in the region? The fact is crystal clear.

Anthony Carty, a British professor of international law and author of The History and Sovereignty of South China Sea, said that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the Filipino claim to the Nansha Qundao is absurd. He noted that the so-called arbitral award violates the basic norms of international relations and is part of the strategy of the United States (U.S.) and NATO to contain China.

The U.S. hypes up the so-called arbitral award as "legally binding" completely out of its hegemonic ambition of undermining regional peace and stability and containing China's development.

The U.S. has a hand in a series of actions that escalated regional tensions, including groundlessly attacking and criticizing China's legitimate and lawful actions aimed at safeguarding its rights in the South China Sea, deploying the land-based Mid-Range Capability missile system, known as Typhon, to the Philippines, and conducting joint military exercises with the Philippines.

The U.S. has covertly influenced the South China Sea arbitration and established a so-called "legal foundation" for the Philippines' territorial claims. Now it is using the Philippines as a tool to maintain the hegemony, endorse and back the Philippines' provocations that infringe upon China's lawful rights.

The U.S. actions seriously disrupt regional peace and stability and run counter to the common aspirations of the region for peace and development.

Attempting to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the U.S., the Philippines will only get itself burnt.

Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is the trend of the times and the common wish of countries in the region.

History and facts have proven that properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation between parties directly concerned is the best approach to maintaining overall stability in the South China Sea, while making willful and arbitrary infringement and provocation will only add obstacles to resolving relevant issues.

China is a staunch defender and builder of international maritime rule of law. Firmly upholding the international maritime rule of law, China does not and will never accept or recognize the so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration.

Relevant countries shall respect history, honor their commitments, stop provocations, and stop connivance. They shall return to the right track of dialogue and negotiation, and take concrete actions to uphold the authority of international maritime law and international fairness and justice.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
FourBridges Capital Advisors announced today that Available Plastics, Inc. has been sold to a group of private investors. FourBridges acted as the exclusive investment banker to Available Plastics and negotiated and structured the transaction on behalf of owner Suanne Yarbrough.Officials said, "Founded in 1978, API is a Huntsville, Alabama-based plastics manufacturer, specializing in extrusion and injection molded products. API produces an extensive range of PVC products for diverse applications, from PVC pipes, cores and tubing to a variety of custom injected molded parts and fittings.API's offerings cater to a wide variety of end markets including construction, manufacturing, and utilities. The company was started by Ms. Yarbroughs father, Dr. Louis Brown."We were pleased to work with Suanne and the team at API on finding a buyer that met the financial objectives of a transaction as well as the personal objectives relating to employees and the legacy of the company, said FourBridges Managing Director Andy Stockett. We are pleased to know that CEO Keven Cook and Operations Manager Anthony Peavy will remain with the company and be positioned to take it to the next level.API operates out of a 120,000 square foot facility, with eight extrusion and three injection molding lines with a capacity of 12 million pounds of product annually. The company has 46 full time employees.Legal advisors to Available Plastics were George Smith and Daniel Culpepper of the Huntsville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.
Hamilton County Sheriffs Office deputies in pursuit of a suspect in a road rage incident, used the PIT maneuver to stop the fleeing car when it was traveling the wrong way on Interstate 75 Wednesday morning.Deputies were advised of an active road rage incident occurring on Lee Highway at approximately 7 a.m. Deputies quickly located the two vehicles involved in the incident in the parking lot of a business at Old Lee Highway and Apison Pike.When deputies attempted to intervene, a gold Nissan Armada fled the scene headed west on Apison Pike.The vehicle turned south on the northbound I-75 North exit ramp traveling the wrong way. Due to the fleeing vehicle traveling south in the Northbound Lane, a deputy forcibly stopped the Armada with his patrol unit utilizing a PIT maneuver before any innocent civilians suffered injury or property damage.Once the PIT maneuver was conducted, the suspect fled on foot into the nearby woods on the side of the interstate. After a brief struggle, the subject was taken into custody. The suspect, later identified as 48-year-old Jeremy Jermaine Boston, was discovered to have active warrants out of Hamilton County for aggravated assault and failure to appear as well as an active warrant out of the city of East Ridge for a drug-related offense.Sheriff Austin Garrett said, This suspect clearly showed no regard for the safety of other motorists and the quick action of this deputy in locating and ultimately stopping this vehicle clearly saved lives. My deputies are trained to perform PIT maneuvers effectively, efficiently and professionally. Let me be clear, the HCSO will not tolerate individuals who choose to endanger the public, commit crimes and/or flee from law enforcement. We will remove you from our roadways to protect the citizens we serve.In addition to the active warrants, Boston will be charged with the following in connection to the incident: felony evading, misdemeanor evading, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, drug paraphernalia, wrong way on a one-way street, and speeding (80 mph in a 40 mph zone).
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett encourages all registered Tennessee voters to utilize the early voting period for the Aug. 1 State and Federal Primaries and the County General Elections as a safe and secure way to cast their ballots.

We want all registered Tennessee voters to make their voices heard during the early voting period, said Secretary Hargett. I encourage them to make a plan and cast a ballot during early voting.

Early voting runs through Saturday, July 27. Registered Tennessee voters can find hours and polling locations, view sample ballots, and more by visiting GoVoteTN.gov or downloading the Secretary of States free GoVoteTN app.

Registered Tennessee voters will likely experience shorter wait times during early voting than they would see on Election Day, said State Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. Now is the time for registered voters to take advantage of the convenience of early voting.

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A driver's license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government, or the federal government can be used even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.

Citizens can view early voting turnout data, see a list of candidates, view a sample ballot, and download the GoVoteTN app by clicking here. For more information, you can also visit GoVoteTN.gov or contact the Division of Elections toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.
Hunting and trapping date back to the indigenous peoples who first inhabited the local area, and even to this day, people venture to private and public lands to harvest small and big game. The US Forest Service allows hunting on 650,000 acres in 10 Tennessee counties, TVA provides 175,000 acres, and TWRA makes over 7,000 acres available to the public for hunting. However, not all public land is open to hunting. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is closed to all hunting and trapping.

On April 16, William Edward Lough of Trenton, Ga., and Jonathan Daniel Plaster of Rossville, pled guilty in federal court to the illegal taking of wildlife. Both men were issued fines by U.S. Magistrate Judge Steger. The investigation spanned several years and involved multiple interviews, hours of surveillance, and a search warrant to solve the case.

Both men were involved in the illegal hunting and taking of two white-tailed deer that were transported from Tennessee into Georgia. The original prohibited acts in the incident included charges from both state and federal officers which consisted of hunting in a closed area, hunting without a license, falsifying records, violating the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Restriction, firearm possession by a prohibited person, providing a false statement, and destruction of a natural area.

In recent years, the Lookout Valley, Tennessee, portion of the national military park has seen an increase in illegal hunting activity. The area surrounding Lookout Creek has seen the most illegal activity.

If you are in any portion of the national military park and see or hear illegal hunting activity, call 911 and inform them of your location. On-duty law enforcement rangers will be dispatched to that area.

For more information about Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706 866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423 821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch.



www.nps.gov
The idea for the Mill Line Trail was brewing for 20 years, so waiting a few extra months for a ribbon cutting probably didn't seem too long to those who worked to make it a reality. The trail was opened to the public back in March and on Wednesday, Dalton leaders joined with residents and champions of the project to celebrate the completion of its first stage.

Construction on the Mill Line Trail began last summer. The project created nearly 1.5 miles of 10-foot wide paved trail along Mill Creek connecting Haig Mill Lake Park with the old Eagle Walk Trail. The project has been talked about for more than two decades, however, dating back to a plan that called for the creation of "the green hat" - a nature park at Haig Mill Lake atop the north end of Dalton and a system of green spaces throughout the city. That plan stayed on the drawing board for many years and the "green hat" nickname faded away before the creation of Haig Mill Lake Park in 2018.

"This was something that Ive looked forward to for a long time," City Administrator Andrew Parker said. "This day is really 20 years in the making. I had a mayor of another city tell me recently that the seeds we plant today might not come to bear fruit until 10 years, 20 years from now. Thats why youve got to constantly be looking forward."

Mr. Parker credited Dalton philanthropist Paul Belk with having the vision for the Mill Line Trail. Belk donated the land for the project nearly 20 years ago along with his late business partner Horace Sewell. Parker and other city leaders thanked Belk during Wednesday's ceremony. Leaders also recognized the King family of Dalton and the Mashburn Foundation who donated land easements for construction of the trail.

"You are one of the strongest encouragers of good things happening in Dalton," Mayor Annalee Sams told Mr. Belk. "Thank you, and please stay after us to keep good things happening in Dalton."

"Dont, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up," Mr. Belk said when he addressed the gathering. "Thats Winston Churchills quote that I just quoted, and thats what it took to get this park."

City leaders waited for the completion of the finishing touches such as signage, markers, and benches before holding a dedication ceremony for the trail. Much of the work to install those finishing pieces was made possible through grants from the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia. Officials thanked them on Wednesday, along with Believe Greater Dalton and the Chamber of Commerce who both championed the project.

"This is not just about recreation, this is economic development in a very big way," Dennis Mock said during the ceremony. Mr. Mock is a member of the City Council and was Mayor of Dalton when Haig Mill Lake Park was completed. "If youll notice when cities like Atlanta and some of the bigger cities put in walking and biking trails, economic development happens all around those trails and thats happening here."

City leaders emphasized on Wednesday that they aren't done with the Mill Line yet. The vision for the project is to connect Haig Mill Lake with downtown Dalton. Completing the trail connection is one of the projects on the 2024 SPLOST that voters approved earlier this year.

"Hopefully pretty soon those plans will start to come together and eventually, I hope that this thing will go all the way down to Al Rollins Park and well have a spine trail all throughout the City that folks in any location can enjoy," Mr. Parker said.

"I think a little bit bigger," Mr. Mock said. "Eventually, Id like 'the green hat' to have an arm to reach up to Rocky Face Ridge, have a leg down to Riverbend Park, and lets spread this thing out and go all the way with it."

Parking for the Mill Line Trail is available off of Chattanooga Avenue in a lot just south of the Georgia Department of Labor. The trail can also be accessed from Mallard Road. Haig Mill Lake Park is located at 652 Haig Mill Lake Road and the hiking trail connects to the Mill Line Trail at the southeast corner of the lake.
The Northside Neighborhood House is seeking donations of new school supplies for its annual Back To School distribution. Focused on supporting families living in north of the Tennessee River, the NNHs annual Back To School Shop provides the opportunity for students enrolled in elementary, middle and high schools across northern Hamilton County to shop for their classroom needs at no cost.Top items needed for this years distribution include Post-It Notes, Expo markers, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, Clorox Wipes, ear buds, one-inch binders, Scotch tape, Ziplock bags, washable markers, loose leaf notebook paper and glue sticks.All items must be new and never used.With Tennessees Tax-Free Weekend happening July 26-28, its a great time to help us stock up on our most requested items, said Meghan Creecy, NNHs chief of staff. This is an important distribution for the students. Having the necessary school supplies on the first day is critical for school year success, she added. Items can also be purchased from an Amazon Wish List and shipped directly to NNH.All donations must be received by the NNH by July 31. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to NNHs main agency office at 211 Minor St.Officials said, "The Northside Neighborhood House has been focused on empowering residents north of the Tennessee River to create thriving communities across northern Hamilton County since 1924. From ensuring individuals are housed with working utilities to supporting students in achieving academic success, the NNH focuses on creating relationships and connecting individuals to supports that aid them in creating stability for themselves and their families."
Malvern Panalytical announces it has agreed to acquire Micromeritics** - a leader in analytical instrumentation for the physical characterization of particles, powders, and porous materials.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia (USA), Micromeritics technologies enable the comprehensive characterization of particles by detailing their size, count, surface properties and behavior, for fundamental research, product development and production quality control. Malvern Panalytical offers a diverse range of physical, structural, and elemental analysis products.

When combined with the comprehensive suite of analytical technology at Micromeritics, Malvern Panalytical will provide the broadest material characterization offering in the market, offering a single suite of integrated instruments from a single manufacturer to support the entire customer workflow. This combination will improve customer workflow efficiency and enable deeper analytical insights.

This acquisition is for an upfront consideration of $630 million plus a deferred element up to $53 million. Micromeritics has a strong financial track record, delivering a sales CAGR of 17% between 2021 and 2024E, with sales expected to grow beyond 2024.

As part of the acquisition, Terry Kelly, President and Chief Executive of Micromeritics, has agreed to join the Group as President of Malvern Panalytical. Terry will be a key member of the Spectris Scientific leadership team.

Derek Harding, current CFO at Spectris and soon-to-be President of Spectris Scientific, said: Together, Micromeritics and Malvern Panalytical provide a unique opportunity to create a leading and highly differentiated position and a fully integrated offering in material characterization.

Micromeritics is an excellent business with a strong track record of growth and innovation and excellent future growth prospects. It will be a great addition to Malvern Panalytical and will strengthen our position in a number of key end markets benefiting from long-term, secular and sustainability growth trends, as well as accelerating sales of each others offerings. We look forward to welcoming the Micromeritics team and providing our customers with a wider portfolio of market leading solutions, helping to enhance their processes and productivity.

Terry Kelly, President and CEO at Micromeritics, said: "Micromeritics is a world leader in particle characterization. Our market-leading technologies are used daily in the labs of the worlds most innovative companies and institutions. Our end markets are strong and growing, and we have a robust new product pipeline. The integration with Malvern Panalytical is powerful. Together our companies will be able to unlock more answers for customers and provide expert applications and technical support that cannot be matched by any other company. The last four and a half years have been an exciting period of growth for Micromeritics, it was a great partnership with SFW Capital. The acquisition by Malvern Panalytical is a perfect fit for our technologies, our customers, and most importantly our people."

This announcement follows the recent acquisition of SciAps by Malvern Panalytical, whose handheld portfolio used in the field complements Malvern Panalytical's existing range of laboratory and benchtop equipment.
A research team from the University Alliance Ruhr, Germany, has found a catalyst that can be used to convert ammonia into the energy carrier hydrogen and the fertilizer precursor nitrite. The production of hydrogen and the production of fertilizer have so far been separate chemical processes. With the new approach, the team from Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen is demonstrating that the two can be combined on a laboratory scale. The Bochum-based group led by Ieva Cechanaviciute and Professor Wolfgang Schuhmann reports on the results together with Bhawana Kumari and Professor Corina Andronescu from the University of Duisburg-Essen in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition from 23 June 2024.

Hydrogen can be produced by splitting water (H 2 O) into hydrogen (H 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ) using electrical energy. To make this process sustainable, the energy should come from renewable sources. This can only be done in a country where there is plenty of space for wind power and lots of sun for photovoltaics, for example in Namibia, explains Wolfgang Schuhmann. In order to build an economy based on hydrogen in Germany, it must therefore be imported from distant countries. The crux of the matter is that a lot of energy is needed to liquefy hydrogen for transport, as it only becomes liquid at extremely low temperatures of minus 253 degrees Celsius or high pressures.

Ammonia is easier to transport than hydrogen Alternative concepts therefore envisage converting hydrogen into ammonia at the production site, as this becomes liquid at minus 33 degrees Celsius. It also has a higher energy density. A tanker full of liquid ammonia would transport around 2.5 times more energy than a tanker full of liquid hydrogen, explains Schuhmann. Finally, ammonia would have to be converted back into hydrogen at the point of use. This is usually done using the reverse Haber-Bosch reaction, in which ammonia (NH 3 ) is converted into nitrogen (N 2 ) and hydrogen (H 2 ). Of the two products, however, only the hydrogen can be utilized profitably.

Double the hydrogen yield We therefore had the idea of combining the reverse Haber-Bosch reaction with a second electrolysis of water to produce a product that can easily be used for the production of fertilizer, such as nitrite or nitrate, instead of nitrogen, explains Ieva Cechanaviciute. In this reaction, ammonia (NH 3 ) and water (H 2 O) are consumed to produce nitrite (NO 2 -) and hydrogen (H 2 ). In contrast to the reverse Haber-Bosch reaction, the hydrogen output is doubled and instead of non usable nitrogen, mainly nitrite is produced, which can be further processed into fertilizer.

For the reaction, the team used gas diffusion electrodes into which ammonia can be fed as a gas. This had never been done before, explains Wolfgang Schuhmann. Ammonia was always used in dissolved form.

Overcoming the thermodynamic canyon One challenge for the researchers was to find a suitable catalyst with which their idea could be realized. This is because the starting material NH 3 tends to convert into nitrogen due to the very strong nitrogen-nitrogen triple bond and not into nitrite. We first had to bridge this thermodynamic Grand Canyon, explains Cechanaviciute. In earlier work, the team had already experimented with multi-metal catalysts, which proved to be suitable for this purpose. They were able to convert 87 per cent of the transferred electrons into nitrite. The team also managed to avoid oxygen as an undesirable by-product of water electrolysis.
In Indonesia, a prehistoric painting of a narrative scene has been found to date back at least 51,200 years ago. It is the oldest known example of figurative cave art in the world. Figurative artwork refers to art that depicts animals, humans, or objects from real life; they are not abstract.

The painting is not just the earliest piece of figurative art, but it is also the oldest example of visual storytelling. It is located in a limestone cave called Leang Karampuang on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Narrative cave art shows that the painter(s) is/are conveying more information about images than just individual static imagesthey are telling us how to look at them in association, said Maxime Aubert, a co-author of the study from Griffith University in Australia. We, as humans, define ourselves as a species that tells stories, and these are the oldest evidence of us doing that.

Aubert and his colleagues used a new approach called laser-ablation uranium-series (LA-U) imaging to analyze the cave art at Sulawesi and determine the age of similar works in the Maros-Pangkep region.

Their approach was based on a technique known as uranium-series dating, which researchers have utilized in the past to study deposits of calcite on the art in the areas limestone caves.

According to Aubert, the new LA-U series technique will revolutionize rock art dating. It has proven to be more accurate, allowing his team to reach the earliest layers of calcium carbonate that had formed on the art.

The researchers dated the painting at Leang Karampuang to 51,200 years ago. The painting depicted a scene with three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig.

The previous earliest example of cave art in the world was a painting of a pig from the Leang Tedongnge site in Maros-Pangkep. It dates back to around 45,500 years ago.

In the latest study, the researchers also examined a painting from the Leang Bulu Sipong 4 site in the same region. Before, the uranium-series method dated it to at least 43,900 years ago.

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A new study has found that most people believe artificial intelligence (AI) models, such as ChatGPT, have conscious experiences just like humans. This belief could have significant implications for legal, moral, and ethical approaches to AI.

Experts in science and technology reject the idea that AI models have consciousness or self-awareness the way humans and some animals do.

However, as AI models improve, they have begun to display what might look like signs of consciousness to a casual observer.

For example, the Claude 3 Opus model was recently launched, and its intelligence surprised researchers. It was self-aware and had advanced comprehension skills.

While most experts deny that current AI could be conscious, our research shows that for most of the general public, AI consciousness is already a reality, said Clara Combatto, the lead author of the study and a professor of psychology.

In the new study, researchers from the University of Waterloo in England asserted that the perception of consciousness in AI is just as important as whether or not they are actually sentient, especially in terms of the future of AI usage and regulation.

They asked 300 citizens of the United States to report how often they used large language models (LLM) like ChatGPT and to read a short description of ChatGPT. Then, they asked questions about whether mental states could be associated with it.

Over 67 percent of the participants thought there was the possibility of self-awareness or phenomenal consciousness in AI.

Phenomenal consciousness is the feeling of what its like to be you. Its a rich experience of the world that includes what we see, hear, touch, taste, and think.

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In 1982, Sheila Wysocki and Angela Samota met on their first day of college in Dallas, Texas. They shared a room together and would go on to become best friends.

However, two years later, Angela was brutally murdered, and Sheilas life was changed forever. The killer was never caught until Sheila got the case reopened decades later.

Angela, also known as Angie, was described as friendly and vivacious. In addition, she was extremely intelligent and was one of the only girls in the computer science and electrical engineering department. She had a bright future ahead of her. Unfortunately, her life ended far too soon at the age of 20.

One night in 1984, Angela decided to go bar hopping with two friends, Russell Buchanan and Anita Kadala. They left at around one in the morning. After she drove her friends home, she stopped by her boyfriends apartment and then headed home.

Shortly after she arrived at her own apartment, a stranger knocked on her door. He claimed that he needed to borrow her phone and use the restroom. She let him in and called her boyfriend. They got disconnected, and she didnt answer the phone.

So, her boyfriend drove to her place. The door was locked, and when he knocked, no one answered. He used a mobile phone in his truck to contact the police.

When the police entered Angelas apartment, they found a gruesome and bloody scene laid out in front of them. She had been assaulted and stabbed 18 times. Her heart had basically been cut out of her chest. The traumatic death of her friend led Sheila to drop out of college.

Russell Buchanan became the main suspect in the murder. The police asked Sheila to have dinner with him to see if his story rang true. Russell had told the police that he traveled to Houston to visit his parents later that weekend. He didnt hear about the murder until he returned to Dallas days later. He told Sheila the same thing.

Even though Russells story matched up, police still suspected him of the crime. But they never got the evidence they needed to charge him. Eventually, he left the country to go to graduate school. The investigation hit a wall, and the killer remained free.

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Photography by JoMando Cruz for Christianity Today

Trying to get comfortable, I shifted my head on the hard table. How is this volume? asked a voice through my earbuds. I made a thumbs-up signal for the technician on the other side of the glass wall.

I exhaled and clutched the remote with the emergency exit button as the table retracted into the narrow MRI tube. I hoped that multiple doses of anxiety medicine would help me fight off a panic attack for the next half hour.

Seven years prior, in 2008, I had graduated from high school and left home for college. At the time, I considered myself a Christian. I was baptized at 14 and attended church on and off through high school, but my faith was nominal and insufficient to weather the storm I was about to create.

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In college, I started living by an increasingly self-centered ethic. Whatever was going onparties, classes, workI wanted to do it best. I wanted to be the most successful, interesting, and important person in the world. The more self-oriented my life became, the more highly I thought of myself and the more I subscribed to intellectual arguments against the existence of God.

By my early 20s, I was a staunch atheist. I thought I knew God did not exist and thought I saw all the fallacies in Christianity. I ridiculed Christians outwardly on several occasions and inwardly on countless others.

As I pursued personal glorification, my health began to decline. I suffered my first panic attack at 19 years old. It was unlike anything I had ever endured. My heart raced, my face burned, my blood ran ice cold, and the inside of my body tried to rip through my skin.

It is difficult to describe how desperate, overwhelmed, and irrational I felt during panic attacks. I remember one that came inside a minivan breezing down the highway. In that moment, I thought I would have been safer throwing myself from the moving vehicle.

As my panic attacks became more frequent and less predictable, an ever-present anxiety took hold of my life, and my physical health deteriorated further. My throat felt swollen to the point where I worried about breathing. My hands, feet, and face alternated between tingling, burning, and going numb. Muscles began twitching involuntarily. My legs buzzed so badly when I was trying to sleep that I would walk on my apartment complexs treadmill in the middle of the night. My testosterone plummeted, my lymph nodes swelled to alarming proportions, and I broke out in shingles.

By my final semester of law school in 2015, I was terrified, desperate for relief and answers, bouncing from doctor to doctor and self-medicating to make it through life. When I finally got my MRI, the imaging came back cleanyet another inconclusive test that left the doctors guessing.

That May, I graduated and began studying for the bar exam. I took the summer off from work and adopted a rigid schedule of studying, exercise, and sleep. The regimented lifestyle kept me preoccupied, and I found some reliefbut only temporarily. During the three-month wait for my exam results, anxiety retook control.

I fixed my hope on two things: passing the bar exam and proposing to my girlfriend, Hannah. A few months later, within an eight-day stretch, both went as planned. I was thrilled but also deeply concerned. My anxiety had not improved, and a new fear crept in: The two dreams that dominated my life had come to fruition, and if those hadnt brought peace, then what could? I began despairing that I was incapable of fulfillment.

Then something strange happened.

Before our wedding, Hannah and I lived downtown at the epicenter of urban revitalization in San Antonio. Countless times, as we browsed nearby restaurants, coffee shops, and a farmers market, we passed a small building labeled Pearl Street Church. Every Sunday, smiling people lined up outside, covering the sidewalk and spilling over the bike lanes into the street.

One day, I suggested to Hannah that we should attend the church. I had no intention of believing in anything. I anticipated emotion-evoking music and a social-club vibe. I also suspected Hannah wanted to attend church, and if I went with her, it would boost my respectability as a future husband.

We attended our first 6 p.m. service sometime in late 2015 or early 2016. When we entered the building, I steered us to the least crowded section in the back, but I could not hide. Numerous people came up and greeted us in the minutes before the service, and the lead pastor welcomed us with an enthusiastic smile. When he walked onstage to deliver the message, I was skeptical, guarded, and ready to shred him in my mind. But he shocked me.

His sermon explored Genesis 22, in which God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son. This was one of the Bible stories I would cite as an atheist to debunk the faith and ridicule Christians. Why would a supposedly loving God demand that someone kill his child as part of a test? I would ask.

But that evening, as the pastor spoke, my eyes were opened. Gods instruction to Abraham was not a pointless or sadistic test; it prophetically foreshadowed the work of Jesus. It was Gods way of showing the inestimably high price he would pay for our salvation. And in the end, God did not require Abraham to pay that price but chose instead to pay it himself.

Leaving the church that evening, I knew my intellectual arguments against God and the Bible were not as ironclad as I had imagined. I was still an atheistor at least highly skeptical. But the gospel the pastor preached was not the straw-man religion I had grown accustomed to attacking. It was something else, something I did not understand, something that left an ineffable impression of truth upon me. I needed to learn more.

Over the next few months, I read through the New Testament and several apologetics books, and Hannah and I attended the same church service each Sunday. All the while, anxiety continued to plague me, and I felt myself approaching a breaking point.

It came in April 2016, about four months after we had started attending church. It was 2 a.m., and I was having another sleepless night. I got out of bed and spread my yoga mat on our living room floor. I tried to stretch the buzzing and twitching out of my legs, but there was no improvement. After several minutes, I gave up and fell face down on my mat.

I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. I was tired of trying and failing to carry the overwhelming burden of my own expectations. I was tired of the parade of physical ailments and the cold flood of anxiety. I was tired of fear and, most of all, tired of being tired. In that moment, face down on my yoga mat in the middle of the night, I was prostrate in every sense of the word.

Then, for the first time in years, I prayed. I prayed the only words I could think of: Thy will be done. I prayed those words over and over until I found the energy to pray in more detail. I even prayed that if God willed for me to die, then his will be done.

Everything changed that night. Philippians 4:67, which I encountered months later, captures the shift:

Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

The peace of God changed my life. It gave me power over anxiety and fear, and my body began to heal as joy and hope replaced depression and despair. Three years later, my father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at 55. Had this happened when I was an atheist, it would have destroyed me. But I was armored with Gods peace, and God provided the courage I needed to support my father and encourage him with the Good News.

Kyle Zunker is the author of Amazing Courage: Letters to My Father on Conquering Fear through Faith and a blog dedicated to helping people understand faith.
The author and sociologist gets to the roots of the American crisis.

This episode was recorded before the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. What is it that binds Americans together as a nation? Thats the question that Russell Moore and his guest, sociologist and professor James Davison Hunter, address on this episode of The Russell Moore Show. With political violence on the rise in America and around the world, Hunter helps us understand the roots of the crisis. They discuss the differences between consensus and solidarity, while pondering how humans tend to come alive in times of disaster and yet the COVID-19 pandemic produced opposite effects. Their conversation spans history, politics, and religion as Moore and Hunter observe the current state of affairs within evangelicalism. Hunter and Moore talk about the lineage of culture wars and shifts in Christian presence in higher education. Hunter explains why he talks about culture in terms of weather and climate, as the two consider hotly contested social issues such as homosexuality, marijuana, and abortion. Tune in for an episode that asks deep questions, navigates complex answers, and finds reason to hope. Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Do you have a question for Russell Moore? Send it to questions@russellmoore.com. Click here for a trial subscription at Christianity Today.

The Russell Moore Show is a production of Christianity Today Executive Producers: Erik Petrik, Russell Moore, and Mike Cosper Host: Russell Moore Producer: Ashley Hales Associate Producers: Abby Perry and McKenzie Hill Director of Operations for CT Media: Matt Stevens Audio engineering by Dan Phelps Video producer: Abby Egan Theme Song: Dusty Delta Day by Lennon Hutton
Home News 4 churches connected to Civil Rights Movement could make UNESCO World Heritage List

Four churches in Alabama and Georgia are among 11 national Civil Rights Movement sites that the U.S. government could nominate for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List.

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Tuesday that the National Park Service was authorized to prepare potential nominations for Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia; 16th Street Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama; and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Other Civil Rights Movement sites being considered for nomination are the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Anniston, Alabama; Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; Monroe Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas; the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home in Jackson, Mississippi; the Robert Russa Moton High School/Museum in Farmville, Virginia; and the Lincoln Memorial and Grounds in Washington, D.C.

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"The U.S. sites that mark the civil rights movement are integral in helping us tell a full and complete story of American history," Haaland said. "We are honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of preserving these stories as part of our enduring effort to pursue a more perfect union. A nomination of these sites to the World Heritage List would further recognize the pain, redemption and healing associated with these historical sites and honor the civil rights heroes who bravely sat, marched and fought to secure equality for all Americans."

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, A-Ala., praised the selection of the five sites in her state that are being considered for recognition by UNESCO.

"As a daughter of Selma and Representative of Alabama's Civil Rights District, I take very seriously my role as a protector of our rich Civil Rights legacy, which is why I have made it a top priority to secure federal funds and protections for Alabama's historic civil rights sites" Sewell said in a statement.

"I am thrilled that these five locations are moving through the process of becoming UNESCO World Heritage sites. Such a designation, if approved, would ensure that what happened here in Alabama will be a part of world history for generations to come."

According to the FBI, at around 10:24 a.m. on Sept. 15, 1963, a dynamite bomb exploded in the back stairwell of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in downtown Alabama. The blast killed four African American girls on the other side of the wall and injured more than 20 inside the church. The bombing was treated as an act of racial hatred as the church was a critical civil rights meeting place and had frequently faced bomb threats.

Reacting to the news Wednesday, Rev. Arthur Price Jr., who leads the 16th Street Baptist Church, told The Christian Post that he was humbled that the federal government is considering his church and others for nomination.

"Let me just say that we're deeply honored by the [consideration for] nomination," Price said. "For years, international visitors have stopped by to tour 16th Street Baptist Church. So gaining [UNESCO] World Heritage designation will probably increase our international visibility and help spread our story around the globe. As a site where we are historically conscious, we join members of our community working for racial justice."

Price said he was not surprised the church and its story would have such global significance.

"I have been here for 22 years. And when we look at some of the people that visit the church, we get people from Europe, from Australia, from Japan, from China, from India, who make a pilgrimage here to learn about the history of the Civil Rights Movement, and especially what happened to 16th Street Baptist Church," he said.

Price noted when the revered anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and told about the progress made in Birmingham, he stated that if Birmingham could change, South Africa could change.

"There are people around the globe that have studied the Civil Rights Movement, and who empathize with what went on here some 61 years ago, when a terrorist bombed the church and killed four little girls," Price said.

In order to be selected for UNESCO's World Heritage List, "sites must be of outstanding universal value" and meet at least one of 10 selection criteria.

Price said he doesn't know all the inner workings of how UNESCO sites are ultimately selected. Still, he believes the church is comparable in significance to the Grand Canyon and other sites already on the list.

"If it's strictly based on what our church means in history, I would advocate that the same way people want to see the Grand Canyon, or the Sphinx or the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower. People actually make a pilgrimage to Birmingham, Alabama, which is in the South, to see the 16th Street Baptist Church, a site where it literally changed the trajectory of American history," he said.

Price made it clear that the Civil Rights Movement is a faith movement.

"The Civil Rights Movement was indeed a spiritual, faith movement led by spiritual and faith leaders with Dr. Fred Shuttlesworth at Bethel, whose house was bombed and church was bombed and who asked Dr. King to come to Birmingham to desegregate the parks and schools," Price explained.

"When you think about the Montgomery [Bus] Boycott, Dr. Martin Luther King led that Montgomery boycott ... from the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as surely was a faith movement, using the Exodus motif that God was going to deliver his people to freedom."

He said that all the churches are in agreement with the Civil Rights Movement sites being nominated for recognition by UNESCO because they are all chapters in a powerful story of survival.

"We believe that the civil rights story is a complete story with all of our sites," Price said. "If it wasn't for Dexter, then you don't have Bethel. If you don't have Bethel, you don't have 16th Street. If you don't have Ebenezer, you don't have any of this. So all of the sites recognize that we are chapters of the civil rights story, and that these chapters would be incomplete without the other sites."
Home News Dr. Ben Carson quotes Isaiah during RNC speech, says God shielded Trump from death 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper'

Dr. Ben Carson quoted from the prophet Isaiah during an address Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and expressed his belief that former President Donald Trump was supernaturally protected from death last weekend.

"Like many of you last week, I watched with horror as the events unfolded in a Pennsylvania field," Carson said in reference to the failed assassination against Trump at his rally last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ben Carson Brings Down the House with Epic Trump Tribute



I saw President Trump, a dear friend, escape death by mere inches. And my thoughts immediately turned to the book of Isaiah that says, No weapon formed against you shall prosper.



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Thomas Mark Crooks, 20, fired off six to eight rounds toward the former president several minutes into his speech, but managed only to graze his right ear before Trump ducked for cover. His shots killed Corey Comperatore, 50, who was killed while shielding his daughter, and injured two others.

"I saw President Trump, a dear friend, escape death by mere inches," Carson told the convention. "And my thoughts immediately turned to the book of Isaiah that says: 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper.'"

Carson also suggested Trump has not only prevailed against every stage of opposition leveled at him, but that the actions of his enemies have often had the opposite of their intended effect.

"Let me tell you the weapons that they used," Carson said. "First, they tried to ruin his reputation, and he's more popular now than ever. And then they tried to bankrupt him, and he's got more money now than he had before. And then they tried to put him in prison, and he's freer and has made other people free with him."

"And then last weekend, they tried to kill him and there he is over there alive and well," he added, indicating to the VIP box and prompting applause from the crowd as Trump stood up.

Carson went on to say that he believes Trump's life was narrowly spared by an act of God.

"I have no doubt that God lowered a shield of protection over President Trump, and I join millions of Americans and thanksgiving for President Trump's safety. And I encourage you to join me in praying each day for his continued protection," he said.

Carson, who ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP primary but went on to serve as his secretary of housing and urban development, also noted that he got to work closely with Trump during his presidency and attested to his intelligence and compassion.

The retired neurosurgeon also lamented what he perceived as the receding influence of faith in the U.S. and the declining American dream.

"I feel blessed that I've been able to live the American dream, but my story is moving further out of reach in America," he said. "Today, the lessons my mother taught me  like hard work and the value of well-rounded, patriotic education, and faith in God above all else  are being forced out of the public square."

"But we're all here today because we know we can bring these things back," he added.

Carson closed his speech by referencing French political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville's observations on American society in the 19th century, and how it relates to the present. Despite being "duly impressed" by the American government, entrepreneurship, and high literacy, Carson noted that Tocqueville was most impressed by American faith and morality.

"The thing that impressed him the most was when he went to our churches and he heard those inspirational sermons from the pulpits that inspired a ragtag bunch of militiamen to defeat the most powerful army in the world and gave the American people a moral face," Carson said to raucous applause.

"And he concluded in his two-volume set Democracy in America with these words: he said, 'America is great, because America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.' It is our job to make America good. And let's do this by re-electing President Trump so we can make America great. Thank you."
Home News Colorado officials face potential legal action after forcing pro-lifer to leave Senate gallery

A free speech advocacy group has threatened to sue Colorado Capitol officials over an incident last year when they removed someone from the gallery because he was wearing a pro-life sweatshirt.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) sent a complaint letter on Tuesday to officials over the alleged mistreatment of Jeffrey Hunt.

At issue was an incident on March 21, 2023, when Hunt was forcibly removed from the Senate gallery for wearing a Colorado Christian University shirt that read Pro-Life U, a nickname of the private academic institution.

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The letter was addressed to Stephen Rosenthal, House Chief Sergeant-At-Arms; Frank Lombardi, Senate Chief Sergeant-At-Arms; and Benjamin Trujillo, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms.

The Capitol Gallery Rules ban on political pins and apparel violates the First Amendment, stated the FIRE letter. When the government seeks to silence political expression, it bears a heavy burden to justify its censorship. The Capitol Gallery Rule cannot meet that high bar.

Suppressing silent, nondisruptive political expression is not a permissible  let alone compelling  interest in a state capitol. And a rule prohibiting nondisruptive political expression in a public gallery is not reasonable in light of the purpose of the gallery  ensuring Colorados legislature is open and accessible to members of the public interested in pending legislation.

Hunt explained in a statement released by FIRE on Tuesday that he was shocked when I was asked to leave the senate gallery simply for wearing a pro-life sweatshirt.

I felt like I was being targeted for expressing my American right to free speech. My goal with this case is to make sure this type of censorship doesn't happen to anyone else, especially in the heart of our states democracy, he added.

In addition to being a talk radio host and a former employee of CCU, Hunt has also written a few op-eds that have been published by The Christian Post.

Cindi Markwell, the secretary of the Senate, explained in a statement given to Westword back in 2023 that the shirt prohibition came in response to the contentious debate over a set of three abortion-related bills.

"These bills drew both pro-life and abortion rights constituents," Markwell told Westword at the time. "In accordance with custom and practice and as stated on the signage posted on each side of the Senate gallery, no apparel can be worn expressing political statements. The purpose of the policy is to avoid conflict between opposing sides on any particular issue."
Home Books We are in a fight: Dr. Ben Carson says America needs a revival of traditional nuclear families

Accomplished neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson had written a new book in which he stresses the need for the United States to have more traditional nuclear families.

Titled The Perilous Fight: Overcoming Our Culture's War on the American Family, the former United States Department of Housing and Urban Development secretarys latest book was released Tuesday by Zondervan.

In an interview with The Christian Post in advance of the books release, Carson said he wrote it because I was extremely concerned about what's going on in our country.

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I don't want to just sit around and complain about it. I want to make sure that people understand that we are in a fight, Carson said. This country was born in a crucible of controversy and violence, and it was a very difficult fight. And it was very unlikely that we were going to win, but we did, because of our value systems, because of our faith that we had.

What is the foundation of our strengths? Its our families, and we cannot be brought down militarily, but we can be destroyed from within, and that's exactly what's happening to our society. I want people to see what's going on.

In CP's interview with Carson, he also spoke about his time in the Trump administration, and why the nuclear family is under attack in America. The following is an edited transcript from that interview.

CP: Many conservative social commentators have written books warning about the decline of the traditional family unit in America. What makes your book different from these other works?

Carson: Because I encourage people to use their influence.

Everybody has a sphere of influence. And we've been told, for instance, from the time that you were a child, there are two things that you don't talk about in public, that's religion and politics.

Those are the very things we need to be talking about, because if we're going to be fundamentally changed into something else, they want to do that in darkness. They want to do that under the cover. They don't want you talking about it and exposing what they're doing.

I talk about in the book, for instance, if you look at the congressional record of January 10, 1963, and Congressman Herlong from Florida read into it the 45 goals of Communism in America.

This was over 60 years ago, and a lot of the stuff you see going on like gaining control of the school systems and the teacher's unions, so you can indoctrinate the kids, gaining control of the media and Hollywood, so that you can manipulate the thinking of the people, driving wedges between parents and children, taking authority away from parents, it goes on and on.

People, I think, don't really understand that this has been going on for a long time, its the reason that [Nikita] Khrushchev [the first secretary of the Communist Party] told [President] Eisenhower over 60 years ago, "Your grandchildren's children will live under our system and we won't have to fire one shot." That's what's going on.

If we don't understand what's going on, how are we going to fight it?

CP: In the book, you talked about the dangers of government overreach when it came to the traditional family unit. You were in the Trump administration. Do you believe that administration made any good headway in helping to counter the attacks on the traditional nuclear family?

Carson: Absolutely.

The first thing we had to do in the Housing Department is create some fiscal responsibility. There had not been an audit for eight years, you couldn't do an audit, even though it's required of every federal agency of every year because there were so many material defects.

We had to fix that. You probably noticed about a year-and-a-half into the administration we started hearing those stories about fiscal mismanagement at HUD. That then allows you to do things, to enhance the programs for self-sufficiency.

There are a lot of people on Capitol Hill who don't want people to be self-sufficient. They want them to be dependent on the government. So, that's part of the fight right there; but a lot of our efforts were directed toward helping people to become self-sufficient. They look at the opportunities on how somewhere between 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were lifted out of poverty.

When you get the private sector to actually invest and ameliorating those deteriorating environments. Those are the kinds of things that actually work.

CP: Along those lines, you talked in the book about a program you helped oversee at HUD that involved giving grants to churches located in needy communities, known as the Mustard Seed program. What do you believe makes a local church a better helper to the poor than the government?

Carson: Remember, before the government became big and invasive, who took care of the indigent? Who took care of the widows and the disabled? It was the churches, and they did a very good job of it, probably a much better job than the government.

So, we recognize that and we said, "there are some churches that are doing very good work, let's help them." Instead of going in and requiring them to jump through a lot of hoops and making life difficult for them, and making them competitive, let's support what they're doing and expand it.

CP: In Chapter 9, you outlined certain things that parents should do to help protect their children from harm, one of them was "minimizing outside influences." Are you concerned that such advice could lead parents to keep their children away from external ideas that might actually be beneficial?

Carson: I've visited a lot of private schools  which are exploding right now, as you probably know  and homeschool networks. And, they're concerned about the very negative influences that coming into children who have undeveloped brains, children who have a natural tendency to be curious, children who are very suggestable. And when you take in those children and you're feeding ideas into their head that "you might not actually be a girl" or "you might not actually be a boy," that "you are a racist no matter what you do," that "you're an oppressor," "you're a victim," those are extremely unhealthy things to do to a child who has a developing brain.

I think many parents have rightly discerned that and decided that they want to keep their children away from those kinds of influences.

But, at the same time, they're exposing their children to a lot of good things. They go on field trips, they have all kinds of people come in and talk to the children. And they're able to control that, and that's the difference: parental control. Because what's happening in our society right now is the Marxist philosophy that children also belong to the government, and they get to control what's going on. That's ridiculous.

I read a story just yesterday about an Indiana couple where the courts decided that even though they were not abusing their child, they were not neglecting their child, that the child could be taken away from them because the parents refuse to use the child's preferred pronouns.

This is crazy and these are the kinds of things that destroy society. There's just no good thing that comes from that, and these are the kinds of things that I pointed out in the book.

Traditional nuclear families that work the right way have tremendous benefits for the children.

CP: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Carson: I want them to recognize that we are in a fight, who we're fighting, and that they are an important part of that fight.

Don't stand on the sidelines. You cannot be the land of the free if you're not the home of the brave. You can't be afraid to be canceled, you can't be afraid to have somebody call you a nasty name, but if we're going to succeed as a nation, we need to recognize that we became the pinnacle nation in the world because of the values, the Judeo-Christian values that we have. The family values that we have, the community values that we have.

It is not a coincidence that we're declining very rapidly as we throw those things away. We have a choice to make, but everybody has to be involved, not as a spectator, but as a participant.
Home News Elon Musk moves X, SpaceX out of California for banning schools from requiring parental notification

Billionaire Elon Musk will shift business operations for his companies X and SpaceX out of California, calling a new state law prohibiting school districts from requiring teachers to tell parents their children identify as members of the opposite sex "the final straw."

In a Tuesday post on X, his social media platform, Musk said that "because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas."

Musk reposted another post expressing concern about California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval of Assembly Bill 1955 Tuesday. The post shared by Musk asked the rhetorical question, "So the state is the parent now?"

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"I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children," Musk added.

In a follow-up post Tuesday, Musk indicated that the headquarters for X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, will also move to Texas, setting up a new office in Austin.

Musk commented on concerns about public safety in California and San Francisco in particular, remarking, "Have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building."

Assembly Bill 1955 was approved by the Democrat-controlled California Senate in a 29-8 vote and the Democrat-controlled California Assembly in a 61-16 vote last month. Both votes fell along party lines, with all support for the measure coming from Democrats and all opposition coming from Republicans.

The legislation declares that employees and contractors of a "school district, county office of education, charter school, or state special school for the blind or the deaf shall not be required to disclose any information related to a pupil's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil's consent unless otherwise required by state or federal law."

Additionally, the bill condemns "policies that forcibly 'out' pupils without their consent," warning that they "remove opportunities for LGBTQ+ young people and their families to build trust and have these conversations when they are ready."

The measure comes in response to local school districts enacting policies requiring school officials to inform parents when their children express a desire to change their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.

One district that has passed such a policy is the Chino Valley Unified School District. Sonja Shaw, a Christian mother who is president of the district's school board, has staunchly defended the policy by asserting that "No one's outing anybody."

"If a child is asking for the school district to now call them by another sex's name or go into the other sex's restroom, we will notify the parents," she said in a June video. She insisted that if a "kid is coming out," parents "have a right to know."

On Tuesday, China Valley Unified School District filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging the law violates the rights of parents. In a statement to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for Newsom said, "AB 1955 preserves the child-parent relationship" and "California law ensures minors can't legally change their name or gender without parental consent, and parents continue to have guaranteed and full access to their student's educational records consistent with federal law."

Parental notification policies like the one implemented in the Chino Valley Unified School District come at a time when school districts have faced lawsuits for keeping parents in the dark about efforts to "socially transition" their children.

At least 1,040 school districts nationwide, representing 18,335 schools with more than 10.7 million students, have policies that tell district personnel they can or should keep a student's gender identity status hidden from parents, according to an August 2023 report from the advocacy group Parents Defending Education.

In a May letter opposing Assembly Bill 1955, the parental rights advocacy group Students First California insisted that "notifying and involving parents in something as paramount as when a school takes an active role in socially transitioning a child is critical for the well-being of children and for maintaining trust between schools and parents."

Students First California President Jonathan Zachreson warned that the bill would do "the opposite by prohibiting schools from enacting or enforcing policies to bring parents into the process of supporting their own children and would strengthen policies meant to keep secrets from parents." He also predicted that if passed, the legislation would "erode trust between schools and parents and further exacerbate enrollment issues schools are facing."

LGBT advocacy group Riverside Pride praised AB 1955 as "a significant step forward in protecting the privacy and dignity of LGBTQ+ youth" that "addresses the critical need for safeguards that prevent the involuntary disclosure of a student's sexual orientation or gender identity, which can lead to devastating consequences, including discrimination, harassment, and even family rejection."

"Studies consistently show LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented among young people experiencing homelessness, with mistreatment, fear of mistreatment or being kicked out due to their LGBTQ identity being some of the leading causes," Riverside Pride's statement reads.

The group contends that a "supportive and understanding school environment" has a "profound impact" on the "mental health and academic success of LGBTQ+ students," concluding that AB 1955 "not only reinforces California's commitment to equality and inclusion but also empowers educators to create a more respectful and safe atmosphere for all students to thrive."
Home News FBI unlocks Trump shooter's phone, investigating motives behind assassination attempt

The FBI says it has successfully unlocked the phone belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who nearly assassinated former President Donald Trump last weekend, and is investigating his electronic devices to determine a possible motive for the shooting.

In a press release updated Monday, the FBI shared that its technical specialists had accessed Crooks' phone, and they are continuing to analyze the shooter's electronic devices.

The agency announced that searches related to the suspect's home and vehicle are complete. The bureau has conducted over 100 interviews with law enforcement personnel, event attendees and other witnesses.

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"The FBI has received hundreds of digital media tips, which include photos and videos taken at the scene, and we continue to review incoming tips," the bureau reported, urging anyone with relevant information to contact the agency. "While the investigative work continues, FBI victim services personnel have offered assistance to the victims of Saturday's incident."

During a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, the 20-year-old fired a rifle from an elevated position a couple of hundred yards away from the event. Crooks slightly injured the former president, who was escorted from the rally by law enforcement and Secret Service members. Two rally attendees were also wounded in the shooting, and one attendee was killed.

While reports indicate that the gunman was a registered Republican, federal campaign finance records show he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project.

The investigation into Crooks' electronic devices has yet to reveal a motive. Four senior officials told NBC News that more than a dozen guns were found at the Crooks' family home.

Crooks' father reportedly called the police because he had noticed his son was gone and three of his rifles were missing, according to NBC News. The call was made after his son had opened fire at the rally. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks after the 20-year-old fired several shots.

Local and federal law enforcement sources told The Washington Post that local police informed the Secret Service they lacked the resources to station an officer outside the building owned by Agr International where the gunman positioned himself. The building was located just outside of the security perimeter.

Many of the shooter's former classmates at Bethel Park High School expressed shock at Crooks' actions. One former classmate, Jameson Myers, told CBS News this week that he didn't think Crooks was "capable of anything I've seen him do in the last few days."

"When I did speak with him, he just seemed like a normal boy who was not particularly popular but never got picked on or anything," Myers said.

According to Myers, he had once been friends with Crooks in elementary school, but the pair went their separate ways by the time they reached high school. Myers, a former member of the high school's varsity rifle team, recalled that Crooks had tried out for the rifle team his freshman year of high school but didn't make the junior varsity roster. The former classmate said that Crooks did not try out for the team again.

Another former high school classmate, Jason Koehler, said that he remembered Crooks was bullied for his appearance and often wore a COVID-19 mask even after restrictions had been lifted. Koehler also recalled seeing Crooks sitting alone in the cafeteria before class started.

Mark Sigafoos, who had two classes with Crooks in high school, doesn't recall ever witnessing anyone bullying his former classmate. Sigafoos remembered Crooks as a smart kid.

"This is one of the things that is being misconstrued  he was not some type of loner trench coat wearer. And I will say he was definitely nerdy, for sure, but he never gave off that he was creepy or like a school shooter," Sigafoos said. "He seemed like he wouldn't hurt a fly."
Home News Rachel Morin's brother blames Biden's 'open borders' for his sister's murder by illegal immigrant

The brother of Rachel Morin, a mother of five who was raped and killed by an illegal immigrant last year, accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of allowing people like the man who murdered his sister to enter the country and "victimize the innocent."

Michael Morin spoke on the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, describing his deceased sister as a "joyful, accomplished athlete and mother of five."

The 37-year-old woman was murdered by an illegal immigrant last August while exercising on a trail that Morin said his family frequently explored in rural Harford County, Maryland, north of Baltimore.

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"This beautiful trail was to us a safe place where we pushed our babies in strollers, where we walked together as a family, where my wife and I got married," Morin said.

"Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, but there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother," Morin continued. "My sister's death was preventable. The monster arrested for killing my sister entered the U.S. unlawfully."

The man arrested for killing Rachel Morin, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also wanted in El Salvador for murder, according to the Tulsa Police Department. The man fled to the United States and reportedly assaulted a 9-year-old girl and her mother in Los Angeles during a home invasion. At some point, Hernandez made his way to Maryland.

The authorities believe that Hernandez hid in a trail adjacent to the one Rachel was walking when he attacked the woman and killed her before fleeing the state.

The FBI worked with Tulsa Police to locate the migrant, and authorities eventually found Hernandez at a bar. Hernandez initially tried to lie about his identity and the crimes he had committed, according to the report.

During his speech, Michael Morin blamed his sister's death on the Biden administration's border policies, saying that it has allowed for "open borders."

"Joe Biden and his designated border czar Kamala Harris opened borders to him and others like him, empowering them to victimize the innocent," he said. "Yet, to this day, we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. They never apologized."

Michael Morin praised former President Donald Trump for calling his family and offering to meet with them.

"We need real leadership back in the White House," Morin said. "What has gotten us through this unthinkable loss is our faith in Jesus Christ. And as brutal as the murder of my sister was, I pray that her killer will find Jesus Christ."

Reports about the murders of young women like Morin and 26-year-old Laken Riley have fueled discussions about the Biden administration's border policies and how to address illegal immigration.

In February, police arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra in connection with the murder of Riley, a nursing student whose body was discovered on the University of Georgia campus.

Ibarra entered the country illegally through El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, and he was reportedly released into the country due to overcrowding at migrant detention centers.

Riley was murdered while jogging around the University of Georgia campus. The authorities later determined that she died from blunt force trauma.

The June murder of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was strangled to death by two illegal immigrants in Houston, Texas, has also raised similar concerns. The suspects, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Pena, had previously been detained and released by U.S. Border Patrol just weeks before the child's murder.

"Martinez and Pena both entered the U.S. illegally without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement explained in a statement shared with media.

"On March 14, Martinez was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Pena was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear the same day he was apprehended."
Home News 4 things to know about Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of Trump's VP pick

Following former President Donald Trumps selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, the Republican lawmakers wife has received renewed attention now that her husband, if elected, would become the second in command.

Usha Chilukuri Vance and her husband have been married since 2014. She is an accomplished attorney and the daughter of Indian immigrants.

In a Monday announcement posted to Truth Social, Trump revealed that he chose Ushas husband as his vice president after lengthy deliberation. Trump highlighted Vances military service and educational background, promising that his running mate will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.

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Now that Trump has officially declared Vance his running mate, the Republican lawmakers wife has been thrust into the national spotlight alongside him.

Here are 4 things to know about Usha Chilukuri Vances childhood, career and married life:
Home Opinion If God is obvious, why evangelize?

Gods self-disclosure impacts humankind unlike any other phenomenon. Everyone experiences it, but reacts differently. Some have reacted by positing that God is in everything; some believe that God is a useful but imaginary being; some have had the audacity to say that humanity created God. There are other perspectives, but what underscores all is a necessitated human reaction of its innate compulsion of God.

Moreover, the Gospel presents a plausibility and persuasibility insomuch that a recipient of its message will surely experience conviction. By now, unbelievers reading this are already thinking of how to disagree in order to escape the path towards accountability to God. That itself is also a reaction to the inescapable phenomenon of God.

At any given moment, writes distinguished psychologist Paul C. Vitz, or at least at many times, every person can choose to move toward, away from, or against God.[1] Thus believers should exercise thoughtful evangelism, especially in todays culture wherein people are easily offended. By personal experience and good reason, I believe that the Gospels message of grace remains the only hope for humankind.

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When God said, You shall have no other gods before me (Ex. 20:3), it wasnt a revelation to emphasize that He exists. No, it was commanded so that our reactions towards Him would remain singly on the path to redemption, fulfillment, and truth. A preference for other gods (i. e., objects perceived as of ultimate value as the love of money, hedonism, self-aggrandizement, etc.) can never be justified because God is foundational to our existence and seeking replacements will be futile attempts to achieve ultimate fulfillment.

A pioneer of American Atheist was William J. Murray, the son of the founder, Madalyn Murray OHair. In My Life Without God, he highlighted his mothers determined belligerence against God. She was fond of saying, I love a good fight ... I guess fighting God and Gods spokesmen is sort of the ultimate, isnt it?[2] In the book, he repeatedly notes how she sought to replace God with her selfish behaviors. She made it her mission to despise God. His own reaction to God changed when in his early 30s he discovered Christ. He has never looked back and continues to serve in Christian ministry. As Vitz analyzed, every person can choose to move toward, away from, or against God. Perhaps the reactions towards God from the founder of American Atheist were extremely radical and atypical. Nevertheless today the Gospels message and its implied accountability to God continue to provoke antagonism towards Christian faith, albeit not in the extremes of Madalyn.

Gods invitation remains open: Come now, let us reason together ... though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Genuine evangelism has always been about sharing the Good News that Gods grace is for real and explaining how people can enter into a living relationship with their maker.

The regenerated position of being a child of God is a distinct experience that uniquely places believers in a profoundly personal relationship with Him. In his epoch-making theological treatise, Knowing God, J. I. Packer put it this way:

What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination, and lays hold of our allegiance, and this the Christian has, in a way that no other man has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God? [3]

Once the grace of God has been tasted and peace is established with the Almighty all else becomes incomparable. Gods grace captures a believer unlike anything else and so evangelism should become the communication of desiring grace for others as they react to God.

Another common reaction to the Gospel is to say to a Christian that the decision to accept Gods grace may be good for you, but not for me. It's been 2,000 years of attempts to relativize Gospel claims, but Gods grace has proven to be efficaciously timeless. Pilate tried to escape his own personal conviction by washing his hands before the crowd and saying, see to it yourselves (Matt. 27:24). He also tried to relativize Christ, Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ (Matt. 27:22)? That question has produced more books than any other subject.

In contemporary culture, I believe the challenge to evangelism is the negative stereotyping of the Christian faith. Stereotypically, people perceive Christianity as having to attend weekly church meetings, reciting prayers, having a narrow worldview, and restricting ones lifestyle to dos and donts. We must endeavor to show that the Gospel is freedom, fulfillment, and unspeakable joy. And you will know the truth, Jesus promises, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). Therefore, Paul writes, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). Did Jesus and Paul purposely fabricate claims to try and make people feel good? Did they have huge egos that required authority over others? Were they themselves deceived? If so, by whom or what? No, they were encouraging people towards the way, the truth, and the life.

Gospel promises persist in fulfilling themselves indiscriminately within contemporary believers. We should be encouraged to continue to communicate them, even in a culture steeped in stereotypical caricatures of Christianity and wherein sophisticated escape mechanisms are commonplace. The Gospel is powerful and its grace will surely materialize in those who wholeheartedly call upon the Lord Jesus. Its a sure thing.

I am so grateful for the brave Christians who years ago shared the Gospel with me on a hot summers evening in downtown Toronto, and I often wish I had accepted Gods grace even earlier. Their evangelistic efforts have borne great fruit in my life, and with the Spirits help I will continue to encourage thoughtful and intelligent evangelism. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:23).
Home Opinion One of the strangest verses in the Bible: Jude 9

Without question, one of the strangest verses in the Bible is Jude 9: But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke you! Questions have long swirled around this verse, and the death and burial of Moses in general.

The canonical record of the death and burial of Moses is shrouded in mystery in Deuteronomy 34. Verse 1 says, Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan. A few verses later, verses 5-6 add, So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. After seeing the Promised Land from afar, Moses died alone in the presence of the Lord. Then something mysterious happened: Moses did not have a normal funeral and burial. The text says that He  presumably Yahweh  buried Moses in a secret grave. Nothing in this chapter mentions the devil, Michael, or a dispute about Moses body.

The mysterious nature of Moses burial proved to be fertile soil in which Jewish speculations and legends would grow. One source of discussion was a Jewish work entitled The Assumption of Moses. Another Jewish text called The Testament of Moses also mentions these events, although scholars are divided on whether these were two separate works or the same work under two different titles. Whatever the case, the text of these writings is incomplete, and the part that refers to Moses burial has been lost.

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To complicate matters further, Jude might never have seen these writings and could have been referring to an oral tradition familiar to his original readers. Regardless of the specific source, we can conclude that Judes readers knew about this tradition since Jude assumes they understand what he is discussing without further context.

Does that mean that the original text or tradition Jude references was the inspired Word of God? No, just because the Bible quotes a non-inspired text or refers to an oral tradition not found in Scripture does not mean those texts and traditions were inspired by God. The Bible is a historical book, which means it will include historical facts that may be found in other writings or traditions. The biblical writers were moved by the Spirit to include those non-inspired texts or traditions in the inspired text of Scripture because those texts or traditions were historically accurate and reflected the truth God wanted to communicate in that portion of Scripture about that historical event. Therefore, we can conclude that Judes inclusion of this story about Michael and the devil is historically reliable since the Spirit of God moved Jude to include it in the New Testament as a historical account. The way it is worded in Jude is exactly as the Spirit wanted it to be articulated so that we have a true description of what happened.

After Moses death, there was a dispute about his body that arose between the devil and Michael the archangel. But why? The most plausible explanation comes from Richard Bauckham, who argues that the devil disputed with Michael about the body because Moses was a sinner. Furthermore, Moses was not just any sinner, but he was a murderer. In Exodus 2:12, Moses killed an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrews. The devil therefore laid claim to Moses body, and such a claim was meant to be not only over Moses body but over his soul. Because Moses had so flagrantly violated the law of God, he stood condemned. This explanation comports well with what we know of the devil, who is also called the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12:10.

The dispute in Jude 9 was not merely an argument, but the Greek words Jude employs speak of a legal battle. The devil was laying legal claim to Moses based on Moses sin. We see something similar in Zechariah 3:1. Joshua the High Priest of Israel is standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan stands at the right hand of Joshua to accuse Joshua of sin before the Lord. This accusation was not unfounded, for Zechariah 3:3 tells us that Joshua was standing before the Lord in filthy garments, representative of his sin and guilt before the Lord. Satans claim appeared to be legally valid at first because Joshua was indeed a sinner who deserved condemnation. God, however, provided Joshua with festal robes, replacing his guilt with the Lords own justifying righteousness. In a similar fashion, the devil is making a legal claim against Moses, that Moses deserves to be condemned for his sin. Such an accusation against the servant of the Lord demands a clear response.

Michael, who is described as one of the chief defenders of the people of God in Daniel 12:1, responds to the devil, but perhaps not in the way we might expect. Jude tells us that Michael did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment. Michael did not presume to step into Gods role as the one who judges the wicked. Although he was the archangel with so much power among the hosts of Heaven, Michael recognized God had prescribed limits to his authority  limits that he must respect for the honor and glory of the Lord.

Michaels response, The Lord rebuke you, is identical to what the angel of the Lord said to Satan in Zechariah 3:2, indicating that this tradition was closely linked to that account as well. This response, as Thomas Schreiner has noted, does not mean that Michael is asking the Lord to give Satan a verbal dressing down. Instead, Michael is calling upon the Lord to render His righteous judgment in the legal dispute over Moses body. Michael is asking the Lord both to vindicate His servant Moses and to condemn the accuser of the brethren, the devil.



Michaels response models a true and proper faith in Gods justice. The one who believes God will judge righteously need not condemn the wicked, not even the devil, nor does he need to vindicate himself. Instead, he can rest, knowing the Lord Himself will vindicate His people and condemn the wicked.

Michaels humble trust in Gods justice stands in stark contrast to the false teachers who are described as revilers. They reject authority, and revile angelic majesties, and they revile the things which they do not understand. They do not tremble to take the place of God by establishing themselves and their opinions as the standard of judgment, and they arrogate to themselves the prerogative to justify and to condemn based on their imagined standard of righteousness.

True believers by contrast live humbly before God, recognizing that our role is not to establish the standard of righteousness or to judge whether others have achieved that standard. Our responsibility is to submit to Gods standard of righteousness, to proclaim it according to His Word, and to leave the final judgment of others where it belongs  in the hands of the one true Lawgiver and Judge.

This mysterious passage proves quite relevant and powerful, reminding us humbly to obey our Lord by faith, resting in the truth that the Judge of all the earth will do what is right. Furthermore, it provides immense comfort to the believer. The devil will accuse us of sin and guilt, but our Lord has overcome our sin and guilt at the cross, so that none of his accusations against us will stand. We have been clothed with Christs righteousness, and all our filthy garments were buried in a grave that no one will ever find.
Home News Christian photographers lawsuit against law forcing her to work gay weddings revived

A federal appeals court panel has revived a lawsuit filed by a Christian photographer against a New York law that would force her to service same-sex wedding ceremonies.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Friday that Emilee Carpenter's lawsuit over New York's public accommodations law could continue.

Circuit Judge Alison Nathan, a Biden appointee, authored the opinion, writing that the lower court must consider Carpenter's free speech claims "to determine whether the application of the law at issue actually compels Carpenter's expressive conduct, rather than nonexpressive conduct that imposes an incidental burden on speech."

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Nathan urged the court to reconsider Carpenter's claims in light of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. The high court ruled 6-3 last year that Colorado could not force a Christian website designer to build websites celebrating gay marriage.

"Following 303 Creative, we conclude (as the Defendants also concede) that Carpenter has pled sufficient facts to plausibly allege a free speech claim," wrote Nathan.

"Carpenter has plausibly stated a compelled speech claim because the Accommodations Clause of New York's Human Rights Law requires her to extend her photography services to same-sex weddings."

The appeals court panel denied Carpenter's request for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law against her, instead deciding to "remand to the district court to consider the application for preliminary injunctive relief on a developed factual record."

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization helping to represent Carpenter and the group that argued the 303 Creative case on behalf of the website designer, praised the panel decision.

"The U.S. Constitution protects Emilee's freedom to express her own views as she continues to serve clients of all backgrounds and beliefs," said ADF Legal Counsel Bryan Neihart in a statement.

"We urge the district court to uphold this freedom and follow Supreme Court precedent so that Emilee can speak and create consistent with her convictions. That freedom protects Emilee and all Americans regardless of their views."

In April 2021, Carpenter filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. The district court ruled against Carpenter that December, with Judge Frank Geraci, Jr. concluding that "New York has a compelling interest in ensuring that individuals, without regard to sexual orientation, have equal access to publicly available goods and services, and that the Accommodation clause is narrowly tailored, as applied to Plaintiff, to serve that interest."

"As a result, even if the Accommodation clause compels speech or expressive association in a manner that implicates Plaintiff's free-speech and free-association interests, the provision survives strict scrutiny," wrote Geraci, an Obama appointee.

"New York's public accommodation laws are neutral. By only bringing an as-applied challenge, Plaintiff virtually concedes that the laws are facially neutral.  She raises no non-conclusory factual allegations that the laws were enacted with any kind of religious (or anti-religious) motivation."
Home News Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on 16 charges in federal corruption case

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has been found guilty on 16 charges related to corruption. He's now facing the possibility of serving decades in prison.

A jury found the former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee guilty Tuesday on all 16 counts that he faced, which included bribery, wire fraud, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, extortion, and obstruction of justice.

In addition to Menendez, 40-year-old Wael Hana of Edgewater, New Jersey, and 66-year-old Fred Daibes of Edgewater, New Jersey, were also convicted by the jury of assorted charges.

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U.S. Attorney Damian Williams released a statement shortly after the verdict was released, saying that the corruption trial was about shocking levels of corruption and politics for profit.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, Williams stated. Because Senator Menendez has now been found guilty, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end.

Corruption isnt costless: it erodes public trust, and it undermines the rule of law. Thats why were so committed to fighting it, regardless of political party.

Sentencing for the three men is scheduled for Oct. 29. For his part, Menendez plans to appeal the decision, according to The Hill, with the senator claiming that I have never violated my public oath.

I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent, Menendez said outside the courthouse, as reported by The Hill.

Last year, federal prosecutors accused Menendez and his wife of taking large bribes in the form of cash and gifts from Hana, Daibes, and a third businessman who pled guilty before the trial began, with authorities arguing that the businessmen profited from Menendezs influence.

Amid the legal proceedings, multiple Democrat members of Congress have called on Menendez to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

As Leader Schumer appropriately said, Senator Menendez should do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign, stated Durbin after the verdict was released.

Last month, Menendez announced on his Facebook page that he had enough signatures to run for reelection to his Senate seat, doing so as an independent Democrat candidate.

It displeases me to have to go this route, thanks to overzealous prosecutors, but I will do what must be done to continue to uphold my oath of office for my constituents, he said.

Despite what is portrayed in the press, my innocence continues to be laid out in court. As I have said before; I have committed no crime. I am more confident than ever that New Jerseyans and the rest of the American public will see me exonerated of what I am being accused of, and I will be reelected to the Senate once again.
Home News Did Tucker Carlson, 'prophet' Brandon Briggs predict assassination attempt on Trump? Justin Peters says Briggs' claim is not fulfilled prophecy

Several months before a gunman attempted to assassinate former President and 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday, conservative media personality Tucker Carlson and a pastor identified as "prophet" Brandon Briggs, predicted that an attempt would be made on Trump's life.

Speaking last August on Adam Corollas daily podcast, a clip of which was shared on YouTube, Carlson said, permanent Washington had tried and failed to stop Trumps political rise in 2024 so he expected an attempt to be made to assassinate the former president.

What do you think the future holds? Is it, I don't know, are they going to let Trump be president? Corolla asked Carlson.

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The conservative political commentator contended that the political establishment in Washington finds something about Trump so threatening they are determined to keep him out of the oval office for a second term, even if it means taking his life.

I mean, look, they protested him. They called him names. He won anyway. They impeached him twice on ridiculous pretenses. They fabricated a lot about what happened on January 6th in order to impeach him again. It didn't work. He came back. Then they indicted him. It didn't work. He became more popular. Then they indicted him three more times and every single time his popularity rose, Carlson said.

So, if you begin with criticism then you go to protest, then you go to impeachment, now you go to indictment and none of them work, what's next? I mean, graph it out, man! We're speeding toward assassination, obviously, Carlson warned. No one will say that, but I don't know how you cant reach that conclusion, you know what I mean? They have decided, permanent Washington, both parties have decided that there's something about Trump that's so threatening to them they just can't have him.

Justin Peters of Justin Peters Ministries, said, God is always working; He is never not working, but he doesnt believe God miraculously intervened to turn Trumps head, though He did protect Trump who will not die before Gods appointed timing.

Addressing Carlson's assertion over 10 months ago that those in power would try to assassinate Trump, which was followed by an actual attempt on the former president's life last Saturday, Peters posited, Does this make Tucker Carlson a prophet? No! he said. "This makes him someone who offered an educated guess and a quite reasonable one. This is not a fulfilled prophecy.

In March, Briggs, during an interview with Steve Cioccolanti & Discover Ministries, said God gave him specific chilling details about the assassination attempt on Trumps life as well as a dark time that would come with his presidency.

I saw a red wave coming out of Michigan and then I saw Oklahoma, and there were embers of people and  they had torches all throughout Oklahoma. And they were raising up these torches that looked like fire and they were bringing forth a new patriotism upon the nation  and it just kept spreading like fire all throughout America, Briggs said.

And I saw Trump rising up, and then I saw [an] attempt on his life, that this bullet flew by his ear. And it came so close to his head that it busted his  eardrum, Briggs claimed.

Peters, a cessationist, contends that Briggs claim, despite appearing to be "similar to real events," is also not fulfilled prophecy. "Anytime a prophecy seems to be, might have been, at least tangentially fulfilled"  some people believe it.

Briggs prophecy is not fulfilled prophecy" because, he said, "it is a general prophecy.  If youre wanting to kill a presidential candidate  your only option is a gun  some distance away  the most obvious target is his head. That is the highest percentage of a kill shot, Peters explained, stressing that its a difficult subject for people to talk about but Briggs claim is just an educated guess.

Heres the next reason why his prophecy is not a true prophecy, because it is, in fact, a false prophecy, because Briggs said the bullet would come close to his head, close to his ear, so closer that it would burst his eardrum. Thats not what happened," Peters stressed.

The bullet didnt just zip past his head close, not making contact. It actually did make contact with President Trump. It hit his ear, so the bullet did make contact  it made contact with his flesh. So, he got that wrong. And then, when he said it would burst his eardrum, well, that didnt happen either. So God did not give him this vision. This is not a true prophetic vision. If God were truly giving him a real prophetic vision, it would have been much more specific about the date and exactly what would happen.

In a statement on Truth Social after the attack, Trump said, I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman in the attack, as well as audience member Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief, were killed during the attack. David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, were also injured.

Briggs noted in his vision, he saw Trump fall to his knees during the attack and he started worshiping the Lord. He got radically born again during this time frame.

People say he's saved now, but he becomes really on fire for Jesus for what I saw coming, Briggs said.

Peters also refutes Briggs claim that Trump was radically born again after he instinctively crouched down to evade the gunfire. He (Trump) didnt stand back up and start praising Jesus. Donald Trump is not a Christian, Peters maintained.

He predicted Trump would go on to win the presidential election in November, but it would be followed by an economic crash worse than the Great Depression.

There will be a great economy crash. I saw they had a great econom[ic] crash worse than the Great Depression and the Lord warned me about this. It would be a great dark time. But I saw paddles coming upon Americas soil like a shocking of the soil and I saw Donald Trump praying in  the Oval Office and he was weeping before the Lord with his hands on his head.
What happens to church property if evangelical congregations leave the Church of England?

Why do evangelical churches leaving the Church of England because of its revisionist direction of travel have to find new venues and their ministers have to move out of their vicarages?

Ian Blaney, solicitor and partner at Westminster-based law firm, Lee Bolton Monier-Williams, explains the legal position: "Clergy and congregations wishing to leave the Church of England will struggle to take the land and buildings of their church with them. The church building of a parish church and any churchyard is very likely to be vested in the vicar or rector, but in a way that does not allow the vicar or rector to transfer the property or to take it with him or her.

"These are normally consecrated which, additionally, means they are held under a tight leash under ecclesiastical law. That much is not likely to cause too much surprise. Parsonage houses - vicarages and rectories - are also held by the vicar or rector but, again, with very limited powers of disposal. No disposal can take place without various consents, such as from the bishop, having been obtained."

He says church halls are in a different category. They are normally "parish" property entrusted in the Parochial Church Council (PCC) or the vicar and churchwardens.

"However," he says, "the custody of the land is with the relevant diocesan board of finance. Funds and movable property might be easier to transfer, but will either be held by the churchwardens or the PCC on trust for Church of England purposes, which means that a churchwarden or PCC trustee might find themselves personally liable if they transfer assets out to a body which is disaffiliated with the Church of England."

He concludes: "All in all the situation is very different to that which prevails in the United States where there has been much litigation around ownership of church property between bodies disaffiliating with the Episcopal Church.

"In England, ecclesiastical and charity law is likely to make transfers out very difficult. That doesn't prevent clergy, churchwardens and PCC members staying in Church of England structures in name only while subscribing to a different polity, but disciplinary and other systems are likely to be enforced against them eventually, depending on the appetite of the diocese to do so."

London Diocese recently did have such an appetite, getting an eviction order to remove Rev Paul Williamson from his vicarage after he stayed in it six years beyond his retirement age.

These legal realities were why a conservative evangelical minister and members of his congregation in Cornwall had to leave their building when they decided to leave the C of E. In 2019 a group from Fowey Parish Church, led by their vicar Philip de Grey-Warter, formed Anchor Anglican Church under the auspices of the global orthodox network, GAFCON.

This was after the C of E's House of Bishops in 2018 issued 'pastoral guidance' allowing clergy to use baptism liturgy when "approached by transgender people requesting a way of marking this transition in their lives". According to its website, Anchor meets in the Fowey Gallants Sailing Club.

Philip de Grey-Warter says: "We know the church is people, not buildings or institutions. We know this from the Scriptures, from our heritage in the 39 Articles (of Religion - the Anglican doctrinal standards) and in the experience of church planting in recent years. Buildings may be useful, but they're not essential. God's people will always find ways to gather and we have proved the Lord's faithfulness in his provision of places to meet."

He and his wife were able to buy a house in Fowey: "We bought a house in October 2019 at the top of the town - actually much better located than the vicarage, because it's in amongst people in the new-build housing estate. We had sought to leave well and the diocese had offered us six months in the Vicarage if required but, as it transpired, we only needed three weeks beyond our resignation."

He adds: "Like many clergy, we had some savings for retirement housing which we were able to use, and we were helped by a generous donation too."

A spokewoman for Truro Diocese, which includes the parish of Fowey, said: "Vicarages are usually retained in case we need them for another vicar but it will depend on what the deanery plan is for the area in question. Sometimes they are rented out if we have no one needing them in the short term."

She added: "We didn't ask Philip to leave. Philip left to set up his own church. Those in the congregation who identified with his theology went with him. Those that didn't, stayed. It doesn't happen often but it does happen."

The financial resources of evangelical ministers and congregations who may decide to leave the C of E in the coming years vary but sacrificing their buildings is certainly part of the cost for orthodox Anglicans who take that decision.

Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire. From 2017 to 2019 Lee Bolton Monier-Williams acted for the PCC he chaired.
Japanese cloud service and data intelligence firm, Fujjitsu, has formed a strategic alliance with Cohere, a Toronto and San Francisco-based enterprise AI company known for its focus on security and data privacy, to develop and provide secure, cutting-edge generative AI solutions for Japanese enterprises.

This collaboration focuses on building large language models (LLMs) specifically tailored for the Japanese language, empowering businesses to enhance customer and employee experiences, the companies said in a statement.

The model, tentatively named Takane is expected to be released in September 2024.
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ActionAid Logo

ActionAid UK has reported making some progress towards becoming an anti-racist organisation, after an internal review in 2021 found that some staff had experienced systemic racism.

In 2021, ActionAid UK undertook an anti-racism audit which found that staff who identified as people of colour or within the Black and ethnic minority community felt less valued, supported and empowered than their white colleagues.

In light of the findings, the charity pledged to begin addressing and dismantling systemic racism within ActionAid UK in 2022 but this was delayed to 2023 due to high turnover in the charitys board and senior management team.

In its recently published annual report , ActionAid UK said that anti-racism and decolonialisation is an overarching objective that ran through all its work last year.

Meanwhile, the charity recorded a deficit in 2023 as its income fell by 11% to 53.3m due to a reduction in funding from Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeals.

Becoming an anti-racist organisation

ActionAid UK said in its 2023 annual report that progress towards being an anti-racist organisation has begun.

This progress, the charity wrote, creates a risk of harm to staff of colour and continued work is needed to strengthen the relationship between staff, senior management and the board of trustees.

It cited work to mitigate the impact on staff by engaging specialist staff wellbeing services, undertaking a roundtable process to promote healing and trust and developing an action plan to address shortfalls identified within the organisation.

ActionAid UK created a decolonisation committee to oversee the implementation of recommendations from its anti-racism work and changed how it uses imagery.

As an organisation ActionAid UK is committed to moving away from traditional charity imagery that depicts people as helpless, desperate and without dignity, its report reads.

Instead, we commission women photographers worldwide to shine a spotlight on their own communities in an authentic way, emphasising humanity, individuality, agency, courage, and hope.

This year, the charity said it intends to develop overarching principles for its work on anti-racism and decolonialisation which will guide operational areas and approaches including its funding models, brand and identity, research, policies and partnerships.

Drop in income

ActionAid UKs annual report shows that its total income fell by 11% last year to 53.3m, following an increase of 20% in 2022, while its total expenditure fell from 58.1m to 54.7m.

The decrease in income was driven by a fall in funding from DEC to 6.73m in 2023 compared with 12.7m in 2022 (which included 11.5m from the Ukraine Emergency Appeal) and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on fundraising activity.

Committed giving decreased by 1.4m to 25.9m.

Fundraising income from committed giving, donations, appeals and legacies fell from 37.6m to 35m, despite achieving the second-highest level of legacy income ActionAid UK has ever raised.

Whilst income from DEC did fall, we still received allocations of 4.5m for the Turkey/Syria appeal and a further allocation of 2.1m for Ukraine, the report reads.

Also, even though our supporters continued to feel the impact of the cost of living crisis in the UK, they continued to show their incredible generosity as we raised 2.8m on the emergency appeals that we ran during the year for the humanitarian crises in Turkey/Syria, East Africa, Morocco and Gaza.

Meanwhile, grant and contract income rose by under 2m to 10.9m (2022: 8.9m), largely due to an increase in grants from trusts, foundations and corporates of 1m, and income from the ALM-FGM contract increasing by 1m to 1.6m (2022: 600,000).

ActionAid UK raised a total of 40.4m across public fundraising against a budget income of 39.6m.

Safeguarding cases closed

On safeguarding, ActionAid UK said it closed 19 incident management processes last year, with incidents raised between 2020 and 2023.

Some 11 reports were carried over into 2024, and the subjects of concerns in these processes consisted of 11 ActionAid staff, two partner staff and seven other ActionAid representatives.

The report says that in 16 of these processes, a formal investigation was possible, with the consent of the survivor, while in 13, cases disciplinary action was taken.

In three cases, individuals not employed directly by ActionAid UK breached the charitys sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse policies and were dismissed.

Measures were put in place to prevent rehiring, the report reads.

It adds: ActionAid was unable to investigate three reported incidents due to a lack of knowledge about the identity of the survivor and the subject of concern, a survivor withdrawing consent, a survivor wishing for ActionAid to take action; but they did not wish for ActionAid to investigate the concerns.

Where we cannot carry out a full investigation, we will always look at ways of using the complaint to identify areas of focus, including changing behaviours, culture and abuse of power through training and awareness-raising, improvements to policies and procedures and enhancing the way in which we support survivors.
By ink drop/ Adobe

Eight third sector organisations have been included in Stonewalls Top 100 Employers 2024 , the LGBTQ+ charity has said, which is the same number as reported last year.

Charities on the list, which recognises a commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ staff, include St Mungos, Touchstone, Victim Support, NHS Confederation, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Kings Fund and the Action Group.

The top ranked organisation overall was legal firm Linklaters, followed by De Montfort University and HSBC UK.

Private sector organisations made up 54% of the list while public sector organisations accounted for 38%.

Colin Macfarlane, director of programmes and income at Stonewall, said: Implementing inclusive practices and policies is vital for employers who wish to attract and retain top LGBTQ+ talent.

The Workplace Equality Index draws participants from diverse industries and were incredibly proud to see so many third sector organisations in the Top 100  all of whom understand that inclusivity is the future and are leading the way in this vital change.

By championing LGBTQ+ staff, these employers are fostering a happy and motivated workforce and contributing to a UK where LGBTQ+ people can thrive as their true selves.

Its Workplace Equality Index is a voluntary tool which allows workplaces to measure their progress in building an inclusive environment for gay, lesbian, bi and trans employees in their UK operations, allowing them to identify the steps they can take to build a more equitable workplace.

The Telegraph recently reported that some of Stonewalls Top 100 employers from 2023 have said they do not want to be included in this years rankings.

Be mindful of the wider context

Kevin Taylor-McKnight, founder and campaigner at CharitySoStraight, told Civil Society: It's good to see that there are some third sector organisations doing well in this year's index. But disappointing that there isn't greater representation.

However, times are tough, and in tough economic times, many programmes that are seen as 'non essential', are often dropped. So, EDI programmes, like the Stonewall Equality Index, are of course optional, and come with a cost, and time investment, so when charities are faced with tough decisions, often participation in programmes like this gets axed.

We must however, remain mindful of the wider context that charities are operating in, and the growth of the culture wars weve seen over the last few years, and recognise how pervasive this hostile environment is, and how it impacts our sector.

Taylor-McKnight added that Stonewall has been under a relentless attack from the right-wing press and social commentators.

He said: We shouldn't underestimate the impact these attacks have, and how they are likely to influence charity trustees' appetite for what they might see as risky or potentially newsworthy activity.

I would go further than that however, and say that based on conversations we have had with several charities, we know they are facing internal pressure to contract, when it comes to activities promoting equity for minoritised communities.

This manifests in a number of ways, everything from internal staff groups campaigning for prioritisation of their gender-based rights, through to recruitment of trustees who are known to have anti-trans views.

But Im not entirely without hope, and it's been good to see some organisations in the sector push back against the right-wing agenda, and boldly speak out, clearly articulating their values.

So, with a change of government, I'm hopeful, but not yet convinced this 'anti-woke' trajectory will begin to change, and I say I have considerable doubts because they haven't exactly got off to the best start regarding the wider LGBTQIA+ community.

Kings Fund delighted

The Kings Fund wrote on social media that it was delighted to feature for the second year running.

It said: The awards recognise employers committed to supporting LGBTQ+ staff, creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

Were grateful for the recognition of the hard work done by our teams to create this inclusive working environment. We will continue to do this work and look for ways we can improve.

This year, several charities which were on the 2023 list were not mentioned, including Wellcome and Mind.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
A U.S. judge rejected Build-A-Bear Workshops effort to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that its Skoosherz plush toys were unauthorized knockoffs of Squishmallows, the popular plush toys made by a unit of Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway.

In a decision on Monday, U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton in Los Angeles said it would be particularly inapt to dismiss Kelly Toys lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, in light of the apparent similarities between the products.

The judge cited online accounts associated with Build-A-Bear where users posted comments such as so now ur making squishmallows? and Cmon plagiarism when discussing Skoosherz.

This case is not an instance where the works are so dissimilar by plain sight that any person observing them could confidently conclude that they do not share substantial similarities, Staton wrote.

Related: Build-A-Bear, Maker of Warren Buffetts Squishmallows Face Off in Court

Build-A-Bear and lawyers for the St. Louis-based company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Moez Kaba, a lawyer for Los Angeles-based Kelly Toys and its parent Jazwares, said: We look forward to continuing to vigorously pursue our claims against those who infringe our clients intellectual property rights.

Created in 2016, Squishmallows exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a TikTok sensation and winning fans like Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian.

They have been part of Buffetts Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate since Berkshire bought Jazwares parent, the insurance holding company Alleghany, in October 2022.

Kelly Toys accused Build-A-Bear of intentionally undermining its goodwill and causing confusion by copying Squishmallows look and feel, including simplified Asian style Kawaii faces and velvety velour-like fabric.

Build-A-Bear introduced Skoosherz in January, in anticipation of Valentines Day, saying they were uniquely styled for optimal hugging benefits.

It is separately suing Kelly Toys in St. Louis federal court, seeking a declaration it did nothing wrong.

Build-A-Bear claimed it based Skoosherz on its existing plush animals, and its advertising left no doubt who made them.

Both lawsuits were filed on Feb. 12.

The cases are Kelly Toys Holdings LLC et al v Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-01169; and Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc v Kelly Toys Holdings LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, No. 24-00211.

(Reporting by Stempel in New YorkEditing by Matthew Lewis)
A once in 200-years storm dumped 11 inches of rain over four hours on the central Massachusetts town of Leominster in September, washing away culverts, creating a sinkhole that swallowed cars at a dealership and flooding the city council chambers with sewage.

Damages to public infrastructure in Leominster exceeded $24 million, but the federal government denied a request for reimbursement to fix everything from dams to sanitation mains, and rejected Governor Maura Healeys bid for a major disaster declaration for impacted counties in the center of her state. And last month, Healey said the US Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down her appeal.

The perception of most is FEMA is there when you get into large scale events  they are going to help you, said Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, who is now weighing how to pay for both a new elementary school that was planned before storms hit and the damage they caused. Practice self reliance. If you are waiting for the federal government to help, lower those expectations.

Leominster joins a growing roster of municipalities that FEMA has denied aid to as it copes with natural disasters that are increasing in frequency, strength and costs. Just this month, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest-forming Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. The agency is stretched thin with a record number of billion-dollar catastrophes and a mission thats expanded to cover Covid-19 and the migrant care crisis. And its captive to a hyper-partisan federal budget process that risks letting its primary relief fund run dry for a second year in row.

President Joe Biden declared 71 major disasters last year, the most since the start of the pandemic. At the same time, FEMA also denied 14 requests, the most since 2016. FEMA said the damage in Leominster was not of such severity and magnitude as to warrant the designation of Public Assistance.

Already this year, the US has been hit by 15 weather and climate disasters each costing at least $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There were a record 28 such billion-dollar storms last year.

The number of disasters FEMA actively managed during the height of the last hurricane season more than doubled to 71 from 2016, according to the Government Accountability Office. After 2017, its daily deployment jumped to about 7,100 workers from about 3,300 before then, the GAO said. And FEMA has been about 6,000 workers short of staffing goals, according to most recent estimates.

FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund could be depleted by mid August without additional money from Congress, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Associated Press last month. The fund faces a more than $6 billion deficit without supplemental appropriations, according to its most recent monthly report.

Last year, the Disaster Relief Fund was forced to halt payments for about a month  the first time it had to do so since 2017  for thousands of projects not considered immediate as it was running out of money. For example, funding was delayed for projects related to past hurricanes and wildfires.

If FEMA funding doesnt grow at the same rate of disasters, something is going to give, said Sarah Sullivant, a managing director at S&P Global Ratings. These disasters are getting more costly. It will require more funding for FEMA. If that funding is not forthcoming, we are talking about long-term state and local governments being on the hook for more.

FEMA said its working with the administration and Congress to ensure sufficient funding is available. If that doesnt come through, the agency will ensure resources are available to support ongoing lifesaving and life sustaining activities.

Most people may not realize FEMA is managing 500 open disaster declarations going back to sometimes 20 years to Hurricane Katrina, Chris Currie, director of the homeland security and justice team for the GAO, said during a March Congressional hearing. While FEMA is always going to prioritize response efforts and lifesaving efforts, the impact that this has is really on the long tail and recovery projects that FEMA manages.

Although federal aid is often marshaled to help communities in the aftermath of major disasters and immediate live-saving aid isnt in doubt, the surging financial toll is spurring more and more questions about whether FEMA can keep up.

FEMA cant be all things to all people, said Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Scott Perry during the hearing, adding that states should be shouldering a larger share of disaster aid.

In Massachusetts, the state stepped in to help pay for fixes to public facilities in Leominster after FEMA rejected its claim, though FEMA approved individual assistance to help residents who suffered flood damage. Governor Healey in June announced the state was giving $5 million in aid to local communities. Earlier this year, she also proposed a new state Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund to prepare Massachusetts for quick response to natural disasters.

Traditionally natural disasters have had limited impacts on municipal budgets because FEMA has largely served as a backstop since the agencys creation under President Jimmy Carter. But the rising number and costs of disasters have fueled concerns in a corner of Wall Street that lends money to local governments to build roads and schools and sewers and town halls.

Situations such as the one facing Leominster have come to be known as a disaster gap, said Tom Doe, founder of Municipal Market Analytics.

A reliance on federal funding is expected to be inadequate in future years because of outsized demands on FEMA while the federal deficit continues to rise, Doe said. State and local governments will be forced to finance necessary projects to reduce the negative consequences from climate events.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
GM CEO Mary Barra and former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty have a lot in common, from overcoming early obstacles in childhood to rising through the corporate ranks to become CEOs of blue-chip, century-old companies. They are professional peers, and friends, and were brought together for the inaugural CNBC Councils: Leaders' Library, as a result of Barra's recommendation of Rometty's book, "Good Power."

The wide-ranging conversation held on Monday in New York City with CNBC's Leslie Picker covered how Barra and Rometty embody power in the workplace, leading companies through transformations, and bridging economic and social divides in the U.S. In addition, the business icons discussed how their own view of being a "woman" leader has changed over the course of their careers.

Often being the only women in the room in manufacturing and technology engineering roles at major corporations led them to shy away from gender as they climbed the corporate ladder. But now, as women at the top of their respective fields, Barra and Rometty's thinking on the topic of female leadership has evolved.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation.

Overcome your hesitation to lead with 'woman'

It may seem logical that with so few women in high-profile CEO roles  even today it is only about 10% of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500  female CEOs might be inclined to highlight gender as part of their success, but both Barra and Rometty say they shied away from leading with gender early in their careers  or even mentioning it. They now say that was a mistake. They believe leading with "woman" is critical to showing the way forward for the next generation of leaders in a world where the gender disparity in the C-suite remains wide.

Rometty said she began embracing her identity as a woman in the workplace when people began recognizing her as a role model. "People can't be what they can't see. And I finally realized that I was being selfish by saying, 'no, no, don't look at me for being a woman, don't ever look at me for this.' Then I finally started to embrace it. ... I talk about our differences, that we can leave a memory and a mark," Rometty said. "It's worth noticing that you notice there's not many of them."

Barra ultimately had a similar awakening. She rose from the ground floor in manufacturing, and said in early roles it was easy for her to overlook being the only woman. But as she climbed to the C-suite, comments on her identity increased, a situation that made her uncomfortable. Barra recalled asking people, "Can we talk about something else, because I'd like to think I got here because of my skills and abilities and contributions, not just that I'm a female."

Barra changed her perspective as she witnessed the impact her identity had on other women in the workplace. "When I got the CEO job, people would come up to me, and they'd say, 'So you're the first female CEO of an auto company?' ... But then I had the same situation [as Rometty], when someone came up to me after a meeting or something and said, 'You know, my daughter is now working hard at math and science in middle school, because she wants to be like you.' And then I'm like, okay, I get it. I get it."
While social connections are proven to keep you sharp and happy as you age, it's just as important to stay mentally active whether or not you're around people.

Respondents who were socially isolated and lonely had the greatest decline in memory. But loneliness alone, not social isolation, had the second greatest affect on memory.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo followed four groups of adults during a six-year period to see how loneliness and social isolation affected memory loss. Participant categories included those who were socially isolated and lonely, those who were only socially isolated, those who were only lonely, and those who were neither.

Being alone is not the greatest risk to memory loss, a new study found . However, feeling lonely is.

"Brains never complete their wiring," said Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, psychologist and neuroscientist, during "The Science of Aging Smarter" class.

And your brain's ability to change its neuron wiring, also called plasticity, lasts your entire life. This means you can learn new skills at any point.

One way to improve your brain plasticity is to try new things.

"Any time you encounter something you didn't anticipate or you didn't predict, and it's possibly useful in the future, your brain is gonna attempt to learn it," Barrett said. "And learning is plasticity."

Activities like traveling, learning a new language, or reading a book can all improve your brain health.

Physical activity can also stimulate brain cell growth, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist and dean of the New York University College of Arts and Science, told CNBC Make It.

"Forms of activity that require strategy will work your prefrontal cortex more," she said.

Of course, having stimulating social connections isn't altogether useless. In fact, meeting new people can improve your brain plasticity, as well.

"All of these things are metabolically challenging now," Barret said. "But they're like an investment in a healthier, stronger you."

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Photo: Jaromir Chalabala / Getty

LONDON  The evidence linking smartphone use with mental health harms in children is growing and one grassroots organization in the U.K. is supporting parents who are refraining from giving their kids the devices. Smartphone Free Childhood, founded by Daisy Greenwell and Clare Fernyhough in February, set up various group chats for parents locally across the U.K. and grew to over 60,000 members in a few weeks, according to its website. Interest in the movement is driven by concerns about the normalization of children with smartphones. By the age of 12, 97% of children in the U.K. have a mobile phone, according to Ofcom, a government-approved regulator for the use of communication services in the U.K. Meanwhile, in the U.S., 42% of children had a smartphone by the age of 10, climbing to 91% by the age of 14, according to a 2021 report by Common Sense which surveyed 1,306 young people in the U.S. between the ages of eight to 18. Parents are giving their children smartphones in an increasingly online world for various reasons including entertainment purposes, to keep track of their location, and to stay in touch with them when they leave the home. However, studies and experts highlight this is opening up the door to social media and possible mental health harms. SFC aims to unite parents who are not giving their children smartphones to alleviate the peer pressure and isolation they might feel.

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Its success has seen it expand internationally with groups set up in the U.S., Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and various other countries. Just days after the SFC campaign was launched, the U.K. government  at the time led by the Conservative Party  issued new guidance prohibiting the use of smartphones in schools and during break times. Some places in the U.S.  like Los Angeles, and the states of Florida and Indiana  have issued bans on mobile phones in schools. Other independent organizations are being set up globally including Austin-based Wait Until 8th, Unplugged in Canada, No Es Momento in Mexico, and the Heads Up Alliance in Australia. However, some academics and scientists remain unconvinced that smartphones and poor mental health are linked. Psychology professor Christopher Ferguson told NBC News earlier this year that society tends to react negatively to new technologies and its potential harms from TVs to video games and more recently, AI.

Amplified mental health issues?

Young people reported worse mental health outcomes the earlier they acquired a smartphone, a Sapien Labs study published last year found. The study used data from 27,969 1824-year-olds which was obtained between January and April 2023 across 41 countries including North America, Europe, Latin America, Oceana, South Asia, and Africa. Some 74% of female respondents who got their first smartphone at age six reported feeling distressed or struggling, per the study. However, this decreased to 61% for those who acquired their first smartphone at age 10, and 52% for those who were aged 15. For male respondents, the percentage feeling distressed or struggling reduced from 42% for those who got their first smartphone at age six, to 36% for those who got their first smartphone at age 18. Young people who acquired their first smartphone at an older age reported better mental wellbeing including fewer problems with suicidal thoughts and feelings of aggression, and reduced issues with being detached from reality. These findings are mobilizing parents to take action, said Zach Rausch, a research scientist at New York University Stern School of Business and lead researcher for Jonathon Haidt's number one New York Times bestseller "The Anxious Generation."

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"The mass migration into a phone-based childhood has been really harmful to young people," Rausch told CNBC Make It in an interview. "The research has been building and the evidence of harm has become stronger and stronger year after year," he added. "The lid has been taken off of the box and parents see that other parents are speaking up about this so we're seeing this wave of parents coming together." Rausch said it's the combination of smartphones with social media that is particularly lethal for youngsters. The UK Millennium Cohort Study, which follows the lives of approximately 19,000 young people born in the U.K. between 2000 and 2002, found a high correlation between social media use and depressive symptoms including low self-esteem, online harassment, and poor body image. "When smartphones and social media really came together, it created this whole new way of interacting with each other," Rausch said.
Shares in Adidas were slightly higher on Wednesday after the company announced it would hike its full year 2024 earnings guidance following better-than-expected preliminary results for the second quarter.

Adidas rose nearly 5% after markets opened on Wednesday before paring gains to around 2% by the market close.

The German sportswear company on late Tuesday said it was now expecting its operating profit to reach around 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) across full-year 2024, up from the previously expected 700 million euros.

Adidas said its revenues rose 11% in the second quarter, compared to the previous year.

Excluding sales of the struggling Yeezy line in both year, currency-neutral revenue rose 16% in the quarter, Adidas noted. Adidas in January announced that it would not write off most of its unsold Yeezy inventory and would instead sell the remaining shoes.

Adidas collaborated with the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, on the Yeezy line, but cut ties with him after a series of anti-semitic remarks.

"Within its guidance, the company assumes the sale of the remaining Yeezy inventory during the remainder of the year to occur on average at cost. This would result in additional sales of around  150 million and no further profit contribution during the remainder of the year," Adidas said Tuesday.

Operating profit increased to 346 million euros in the second quarter of the year, far higher than the 176 million recorded in the same time period a year earlier, Adidas said Tuesday.

The company had already hiked its 2024 outlook once this year after releasing its first-quarter results, which also beat expectations. The sportswear brand in April said that its operating profit for the first three months of the year came in at 336 million euros, compared to 60 million posted in the same quarter a year earlier.
The Reuters Tankan manufacturing index came in at +11, up from +6 in the previous month. However, confidence among non-manufacturers dipped from +31 to +26.

Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 reaching an all-time high, while an increase in business optimism among large Japanese manufacturers lifted Japanese stocks.

Separately, Japanese authorities likely intervened in the currency market last Thursday and Friday, spending a total of 6 trillion yen ($37.9 billion) over the two days, according to Reuters.

The yen is currently at 158.36 against the U.S. dollar. The currency weakened to 161.82 last Wednesday before strengthening to as much as 157.41 the following day.

Japan's Nikkei 225 declined 0.43% to close at 41,097.69, while the Topix rose 0.37% to end at 2,915.21.

Australia's benchmark index closed the day 0.73% higher at 8,057.9. Gold miners Northern Star Resources and Bellevue Gold rose more than 3% and almost 2%, respectively. Evolution Mining and Newmont Corporation climbed more than 2%.

South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.8% to 2,843, while the small-cap Kosdaq lost 1.21%, closing at 829.41.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 0.15% in its last hour of trade, while China's CSI 300 rose marginally to end the session at 3,501.58.

The Taiwan Weighted Index fell 0.77% after a report cited U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense.

"I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defense," Trump said in interview with Bloomberg Businessweek in June that was published on Tuesday.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said that Taiwan was keen on being "more responsible" for its defense, and is steadily increasing spending, Reuters reported.

Shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC fell as much as 2.36%.

HSBC Holdings announced on Wednesday that it has appointed Georges Elhedery as group CEO, with effect from Sept. 2. Elhedery, who is the company's chief financial officer, will replace Noel Quinn. The bank's Hong Kong shares were marginally down.

Singapore's non-oil domestic exports dropped more than expected in June, marking a fifth straight month of declines. They fell 8.7% year on year compared to a 1.2% decline expected by economists polled by Reuters.

On a month-on-month basis, Singapore's non-oil domestic unexpectedly dropped 0.4%, compared with a expectations of a 4.1% growth.
ASML logo is seen at the headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, June 16, 2023.

ASML previously forecast second-quarter net sales of between 5.7 billion euros and 6.2 billion euros. Net sales fell 9.5% year-on-year, while net income dropped by 18.7%. This was narrower than the falls logged last quarter .

ASML sources 49% of its sales from China  highlighting how much of a risk such export curbs would pose to the firm.

Though ASML beat expectations, shares of the firm sank 11% on Wednesday amid a global slump in semiconductor stocks, as a Bloomberg report said the Biden administration is considering a wide-sweeping rule to clamp down on companies exporting their critical chipmaking equipment to China.

ASML reported second-quarter earnings and sales that beat forecasts, as interest in artificial intelligence chips drives up demand for the Dutch firm's critical semiconductor making equipment.

Net bookings  a key metric for the market, marking orders for ASML machinery  totaled 5.6 billion euros in the June quarter, rising more than 24% year-on-year.

The Dutch firm is one of the most important semiconductor companies in the world, producing tools known as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are required to manufacture the most advanced chips.

ASML has previously called 2024 a "transition" year as it expects the semiconductor industry to start to recover after a tough 2023. The company kept its outlook for the full year unchanged. ASML now said it forecast third-quarter net sales of between 6.7 billion euros and 7.3 billion euros. Analysts had expected the company to forecast revenue of 7.6 billion euros in the third quarter.

"While there are still uncertainties in the market, primarily driven by the macro environment, we expect industry recovery to continue in the second half of the year," ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said in a statement.

"We see 2024 as a transition year with continued investments in both capacity ramp and technology. We currently see strong developments in AI, driving most of the industry recovery and growth, ahead of other market segments."

Some of the world's biggest chipmakers are building new semiconductor manufacturing plants such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Samsung in the U.S.

"The industry expects to be in a cyclical upturn in 2025. As a result, we need to prepare for a number of new fabs that are being built today across the globe. Those fabs will be spread geographically and are strategic for all our customers. They are all scheduled to take our systems," Fouquet said in a pre-recorded video addressing the company's earnings.

AI remains a "relatively small part" of ASML revenues, according to Ben Barringer, technology analyst at Quilter Cheviot. "But that's going to grow very significantly over the next little while," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe."

ASML also faces geopolitical headwinds. Following pressure from the U.S., the Dutch government last year introduced curbs on the export of advanced semiconductor equipment, amid U.S. pressure to cut Beijing off from key chipmaking tools. The measures also impact the ASML offerings, although China has never received an ASML EUV machine.

ASML previously said that export restrictions would impact 10% to 15% of it's China sales this year.

But China remained a critical part of ASML's business in the second quarter, accounting for 49% of sales, the same as the previous quarter.

As semiconductor stocks across the board have rallied this year, ASML has also seen its share price lifted 44%.
Roadshow for 1st China Commodity Fair Australia held in Sydney

13:46, July 17, 2024 By Quanjiao Wang ( People's Daily Online

A roadshow for the first China Commodity Fair Australia (CCF Australia) is held in Sydney on July 12, 2024. (Photo/Wang Jue)

A roadshow for the first China Commodity Fair Australia (CCF Australia) was held in Sydney on July 12, 2024. Nearly 100 representatives from the political and business circles of China and Australia attended the event.

The roadshow aimed to showcase CCF Australia, which will be held for the first time at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) from September 26 to 28, 2024.

Beyond presenting fair highlights and preparation progress, the roadshow also sought to deepen exchange and trade cooperation in the consumer good industry between China and Australia.

Liu Dianxun, director general of the Trade Development Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, delivers a speech at a roadshow for the first China Commodity Fair Australia (CCF Australia) in Sydney, Australia, July 12, 2024. (Photo/Wang Jue)

Liu Dianxun, director general of the Trade Development Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said that through the fair, Australian consumers will have the opportunity to access more high-quality Chinese products, enriching their choices. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises will gain a deeper understanding of the Australian market demands, discovering more business opportunities.

Liu expressed confidence that with the joint efforts of all parties, cooperation in the field of consumer goods between China and Australia will be taken to new heights, bringing more tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

Ye Wei, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydneydelivers a speech at a roadshow for the first China Commodity Fair Australia (CCF Australia) in Sydney, Australia, July 12, 2024. (Photo/Wang Jue)

Ye Wei, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney, said that high-level exhibitions like CCF Australia can promote continuous and in-depth exchanges between the business communities of China and Australia, ensuring that economic and trade relations remain a driving force in China-Australia relations.

Ye believes that this exhibition will serve as an important platform for the comprehensive display of Chinese consumer products in Australia. It will also provide Australian consumers with a significant opportunity to understand and appreciate Chinese consumer products right at their doorstep.

Damian Meduri, associate director of Global Markets (Greater China) with the New South Wales Government's international trade and investment group, delivers a speech at a roadshow for the first China Commodity Fair Australia (CCF Australia) in Sydney, Australia, July 12, 2024. (Photo/Wang Jue)

"I'm looking forward to seeing more than 400 Chinese companies exhibit their latest goods, including in technology, at the International Convention Center in September," said Damian Meduri, associate director of Global Markets (Greater China) with the New South Wales Government's international trade and investment group. There will also be opportunities for Australian companies to engage and showcase their products to potential partners and buyers, he added.

CCF Australia is organized by the Trade Development Bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, co-organized by Zhejiang Broad International Convention & Exhibition Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Trade Promotion International Conference & Exhibition Co., Ltd., Shanghai International Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd., and Shandong Better Exhibition Engineering Co., Ltd., and strategically supported by Messe Frankfurt.

The first edition is expected to gather nearly 400 Chinese companies, covering an exhibition area of over 10,000 square meters, making it the largest specialized consumer goods exhibition in Australia with Chinese participants.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, at Harry Reid international airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., July 17, 2024.

President Joe Biden said in an interview airing Wednesday that he might reconsider his decision to stay in the race against Donald Trump if a medical condition emerged.

"Is there anything that you would look to you, personally ... to say, 'If I see that, I will reevaluate?'" BET host Ed Gordon asked Biden in an interview conducted Tuesday.

"If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, 'You got this problem, that problem,'" Biden replied, according to a video clip shared Wednesday ahead of the broadcast.

Biden, 81, has come under increasing pressure from members of his own party to withdraw from the race following his disastrous debate with Trump, 78, in late June.

Earlier Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who is heavily favored to win one of the powerful state's two coveted Senate seats in November, urged Biden to step aside.
President Joe Biden is preparing to endorse significant proposals to reform the Supreme Court and notified some members of Congress about his intentions last weekend, three sources familiar with the plans said Tuesday.

The proposals under serious consideration include legislation to establish term limits for justices and establishing an updated code of ethics that would be binding and enforceable, a source said. The policies, which haven't been finalized, may be rolled out in the coming weeks, which would be a new approach for a president who has long been skeptical of restructuring the Supreme Court.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment.

Biden told lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus during a virtual meeting Saturday that he had been consulting constitutional scholars on the matter for more than a month, according to a person familiar with the discussion.

"I'm going to need your help to and advice on how we should be doing what I'm going to be doing there. Want to make sure we have a closer working relationship, because we're in this together," Biden told the lawmakers, though he didn't get into specific policy substance, the source said.

The Washington Post first reported Biden's plans.

Two other sources told NBC News that Biden told the lawmakers he will come out for big reforms, without giving them details, but that members on the call understood him to be referring to term limits and ethics rules. The call took place Saturday before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

"Look, it's not, it's not hyperbole to suggest Trump is literally an existential threat, an existential threat to the very constitution of democracy we, we say we care about. And I mean if this guy wins, he's not, and now, especially with that Supreme Court giving him the kind of breadth of  I don't need to get into the Supreme Court right now  anyway, but I need your help," Biden said, according to a source who provided this excerpt.

Changing the structure of the Supreme Court would require Congress to make a new law. That's extremely unlikely while Republicans control the House, as the party is pleased with the 6-3 conservative majority it has built on the high court.

But the proposals could become a useful messaging device for Biden on the campaign trail. And if Democrats sweep the election, they may have a fighting chance of passing. Democrats have rallied voters against the Supreme Court, citing unpopular rulings like the elimination of federal abortion rights and a spate of recent reports detailing apparent ethical lapses among some of the justices.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to the media as he exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024 in New York City.

WASHINGTON  Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has told allies that he will resign from Congress after being convicted on federal corruption charges, two people directly familiar with those conversations tell NBC News.

Menendez, who had been defiant for months in the face of calls from dozens of Senate Democrats to resign, appears to have finally relented after the guilty verdict and growing threats to expel him if he refused. His announcement would end a three-decade career in Congress that included a powerful committee chairmanship, writing major legislation and two criminal trials over allegations of corruption.

Among those who urged him to resign were Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Menendez's friend and fellow New Jersey Democratic senator, Cory Booker.

"In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," Schumer said in a statement after Menendez's latest corruption trial ended in guilty verdicts.

The senator was convicted Tuesday on 16 federal counts related to using the power of his official position to enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit the Egyptian and Qatari governments. In exchange, the couple received lavish bribes, including "cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value," prosecutors said.

If Menendez does step down, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who was among the first Democrats to call for Menendez to quit, will appoint a senator to temporarily finish out his term, which ends in January 2025.

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw are running in the November general election to take Menendez's Senate seat.

Menendez's political career dates back nearly four decades to the mid-1980s, when he became mayor of Union City. He eventually served for 13 years in the House before ascending to the Senate in 2006. He had two stints as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a post he relinquished last year after his indictment. But he remained a voting member of the panel and in the full Senate, even while he was accused of abusing his power to benefit foreign governments.

Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were charged in September with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, according to the initial indictment against him.

Weeks later, he was charged in a superseding indictment with accepting bribes from a foreign government and conspiring to act as a foreign agent. Menendez "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt," the indictment alleged.

Menendez denied the allegations against him, arguing in a statement that he was facing "an active smear campaign" and that prosecutors "misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office." He has since said he will appeal his conviction.

In public remarks in September, he said the $480,000 in cash investigators had found squirreled away in envelopes hidden around his house was money he'd saved over decades to be used "for emergencies."

In 2015, Menendez was also indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from allegations that he accepted favors from a wealthy Florida optometrist, including travel, accommodations and political contributions. The case ended in a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors in 2018 opted not to retry Menendez after the judge overseeing the case tossed out some of the original counts.

Menendez is the first sitting senator in U.S. history to be indicted on two unrelated criminal allegations, according to data compiled by the Senate Historical Office.

The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez was one of the Senate's most prominent advocates for overhauling the immigration system and co-authored the "Gang of 8" bill in 2013, a bipartisan immigration overhaul that passed the Senate and died in the House. Last year, he introduced a framework to reform immigration programs that included creating new pathways to citizenship amid ongoing concerns about the number of migrant crossings along the southern border.
Pictured here is a Zeekr electric vehicle charging station in Dongguan, Guangdong province of China, on Nov. 14, 2022.

European Union governments exposed divided views on the merits of EU tariffs on imports of China-built electric vehicles in a non-binding but still influential vote, sources with knowledge of the vote said on Tuesday.

The European Commission, which oversees the bloc's trade policy, has set provisional duties of up to 37.6% on EVs imported from China to counter what it says are unfair subsidies and has canvassed EU member views in a so-called advisory vote.

A dozen EU members voted in support of the tariffs, four voted against and 11 abstained, the sources said.

The Commission is expected to take this into account when deciding whether to follow up with definitive duties in what is the EU's highest profile trade case yet.

If it does advocate duties at the end of its investigation, they will come up for a binding vote among the EU members and would be imposed unless a qualified majority of 15 member countries representing 65% of the EU population vote against.

If the voting pattern of the advisory vote were repeated, definitive duties, typically applicable for five years, would then enter force.
LONDON  European stocks closed lower Wednesday, continuing negative sentiment seen in the previous two trading sessions as technology stocks plummeted.

The regional Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed 0.43% lower, with most major bourses in the region falling and sectors trading mixed.

European tech stocks plunged 4.4%, mirroring a sell-off seen across the Atlantic, where the Nasdaq Composite retreated 2% in early deals. U.S. stocks were broadly lower as investors continued to rotate out of megacap tech stocks into the broader market.

Shares in Dutch semiconductor firm ASML meanwhile tumbled 10.9%, as its second-quarter earnings beat was offset by a global drag on chip stocks from reports of tighter export restrictions from the U.S.
Former Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro holds a press conference before turning himself into a federal prison on March 19, 2024, in Miami, Florida.

Peter Navarro, the former Trump trade advisor who was convicted of defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, is set to speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday  just hours after his release from jail.

Navarro, 75, served about four months in a federal prison facility in Miami. He was sentenced after a federal jury in Washington, D.C., found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with the House select committee.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Navarro's requests to get out of jail early while he appealed his sentence.

Navarro's official social media account confirmed just before 10 a.m. ET that he had left prison and was en route to Milwaukee, the host city of the convention.

"The best is yet to come!" a post from his X account declared Wednesday morning.
Paintings by Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam on May 11, 2010. Van Meegeren became known for his forgeries, particularly of works by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. Robin Utrecht | AFP | Getty Images

Art forgeries are more common than you might think, but stories about them often stay underground. That's according to lawyer Helen Mulcahy, a partner at legal firm Fieldfisher who specializes in art and fraud. "They often don't come to light," Mulcahy told CNBC by video call. "Reputation in the art market is so important  not many people like to go to court," she said. Cases are often settled in private in part because of the "embarrassment factor" for a buyer. Mulcahy advises wealthy clients on the checks they need to make when buying art, including attribution and provenance  namely, who has owned an artwork and when and where it has exchanged hands. Such information is detailed in exhibition records, auction catalog references, certificates or other documents. "Provenance also should describe the medium, the dimensions, the date it was made. And sometimes it's not always the artist, it might be attributed to the artist, it might be the school, the circle of, so there'll be sort of levels down," Mulcahy said. Checking provenance is relatively straightforward on the primary market, where collectors buy from a living artist's studio or representative, but less so on the secondary market, which refers to the resale of works.

Buyer beware

Tom Rooth, an artist and dealer who spent more than a decade at high-end auction house Christie's and left in 2017, said he sees fakes frequently. "I see them the whole time. You know, I can go onto an auction website now [and be able to] spot fakes  they are sort of everywhere," he told CNBC by phone. "[It was] a great training to work for an auction house because  you get emailed images, by people of their paintings, asking for valuations. You're so used to seeing pictures on a screen and ascertaining whether they're by the artist or not," Rooth said. He also spoke about having a sense that something is inauthentic, a sentiment shared by contemporary art dealer Jack Roberts. "Rather than assuming an artwork is legitimate, you have to be able to 'prove' its authenticity  When purchasing, anything that feels 'not quite right,' no matter how small, would stop me buying," Roberts told CNBC by email. "Where there [are] high value items involved (art/fashion/jewelry, etc.) there will be people out there trying to fraudulently make money," Roberts said. And, if an artist was prolific and has a large market, "fakes will be more common," he said. Adam Szymanski, an art advisor and researcher based in Toronto, Canada, said there's "a lot of due diligence" done by the art industry to authenticate work when undertaking transactions. "That said, there are a serious number of inauthentic works that circulate, particularly among deceased artists," he told CNBC by phone. In the case of native Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau  who has been called the "Picasso of the North" and died in 2007  his forgers were prolific. Last year, more than 1,000 forged paintings were seized by police in Ontario after a long investigation that led to the arrest and sentencing of Gary Lamont, who oversaw their production. Criminal profits made by Lamont and others could be as much as $100 million, according to a report by the Smithsonian Magazine.

Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau in a 1977 photograph. In 2023, more than 1,000 forged Morrisseau paintings were seized by Toronto police. Graham Bezant | Toronto Star | Getty Images

Szymanski said the scandal had "dampened" the market for Morrisseau's art: his pieces regularly fetch around $40,000, but several works by "comparable" artist Jean-Paul Riopelle's sold at auction for more than $1 million in November. "There's so much fear in the market, as you can imagine, because no one wants to purchase inauthentic work. People are confused," Szymanski said.
There is a growing sense that he will win the race for the White House, so I got up early on Tuesday to start at what a Trump administration might mean for our portfolio. I started by ranking stocks by their exposure to China because I know that Trump really does not care for China at all, never has. I know this not just from the rhetoric you might be familiar with but also from my early interviews with him when "Mad Money" started and from my time with him as a judge on "The Apprentice." I had written up, very specifically, what Trump could mean for Nvidia , one of our long-time favorites, which does 14% of its business in China. My concern: What if Trump says he doesn't want Nvidia chips sold in China because he finds out that lots of our military technology is based on Nvidia gaming semis? It's the truth. There goes that 14% of Nvidia's business. Of course, Nvidia can live without China right now because of all the business it has in the rest of the world. But it's not something you want to see. It doesn't help the price-to-earnings multiple. Then right when we are in the middle of Tuesday's "Mad Money" production, it comes over the tape that Trump might want 60%  hey, he might want 100%  tariffs on China imports. That could cause China to retaliate in a way that may hurt Nvidia sales in China anyway regardless of anything Trump does specifically to China and Nvidia's relationship with the Chinese government. There goes that first draft, I said to myself. But then, just as I am finishing the show, out of the corner of my eye I see on the TV that Trump isn't sure that he has a duty to protect Taiwan. Holy moly. Nvidia's chips are made by Taiwan Semiconductor . What does he mean there may be no duty? Who can own a stock of a company where its chips are all made on an island next to China that has implicit protection from the U.S.  protection that may go away if Trump is elected? Okay, now it is real bad and I am mentally ripping up everything I have written and I am beginning to wonder do we have to trade Nvidia, sell a lot of it, perhaps, because it may not be safe to own a stock that is levered to Taiwan. But then, as we stand down and I am back in my office, I read that what Trump is doing is trashing Taiwan, accusing the country of taking all of our semiconductor manufacturing away, and what he is really saying is that unless Taiwan pays for protection from a Chinese invasion he isn't going to defend them. What will the Chinese think now? What if Taiwan won't pay? Does he give up the implicit guarantee? It's hard enough to defend Taiwan but, at least, the Chinese had been intimidated by Trump about not going after Taiwan in his first presidential go-round with China. I understand from very good sources that not long after he took office Trump told the Chinese to keep their hands off of Taiwan  or else. So now, in one 14-hour period, we go from figuring that Trump is willing to defend Taiwan and make sure that Taiwan Semiconductor, which makes the chips from Nvidia, will get protected by Trump if he is elected, just like last time, to where Trump accuses Taiwan of stealing our semiconductor manufacturing so they need to pay for our military protection. Our terrific "Mad Money" staff sees that I am downcast on the way out of the office and Regina Gilgan, our amazing executive producer, who has been with me from the beginning of our 19-year run, wants to know what's wrong. I lay it all out, and she reminds me that a market hates uncertainty more than just about anything. So I ask you Club members, do you think anything is less certain than the Nvidia-China story I just laid out to you? Don't you think there could be hundreds of stories just like this when it comes to stocks and the market? We all think that Trump's so much better for business than Biden. Correct? We all think we know what will happen to stocks under Trump. They go higher. Right? But think about this. I know President Biden from way back during the "Kudlow & Cramer" days in the early 2000s. He used to tell me he was proud that he owned no stocks. He used to revel in the fact that he was the poorest senator out of 100. I know, definitely not a Club member. The one thing that Biden has not done, though, is be unpredictable about issues like semiconductors. He has a very sensible policy, executed by Gina Raimondo, his excellent commerce secretary, that has tried to revive the semiconductor manufacturing industry in this country. He doesn't want us to be too beholden to Taiwan precisely because China could invade it and we may not be able to stop them. The Chinese government believes Taiwan is their sovereign land. Biden doesn't want protection money. He doesn't want to punish those who stole our semi manufacturing because it isn't true. We simply don't have enough engineers to build the foundries they have in Taiwan. They are a most reliable friend and a secret behind our semiconductor greatness. In that sense, the market will take Biden's certainty over Trump's uncertainty any day of the week. Let's not forget the stock market has been fabulous under Biden, and consistency, even if it is consistently bad, can be gamed. How am I supposed to game this craziness. I want to be of value to you and Trump makes it pretty darned hard. That's not the end of the world but what it means is that the political risks under Trump are myriad and they can impact your portfolio aplenty. Whim is a political risk. Trump and Vance could be whim times two. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance embrace on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. Callaghan O'hare | Reuters
Increased shipments of Apple's iPhones will be a key "volume driver" for the supply chain, according to Morgan Stanley. Consumers have been replacing their iPhones less often  an average of every five years from 3.7 years in 2021, according to the bank. But the situation is set to change, with Apple Intelligence predicted to be a "key iPhone replacement driver." Apple announced its Apple Intelligence feature , its take on generative artificial intelligence, last month. It will support only the 2023 iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro, not the regular iPhone 15, and is already said to be able to help drive new iPhone upgrades when it launches this fall. "iPhone shipments increase is a genuine volume driver to the supply chain for 2H24 onward, especially after muted shipment strength in the past two years," Morgan Stanley said in a July 14 report. The bank estimates that 215 million iPhones will be shipped in 2024, with the number set to rise 9% year on year to 235 million units in 2025. If iPhone shipments do improve in the next few quarters, Morgan Stanley believes key beneficiaries in Asia will include Hon Hai , Largan , Luxshare , Genius , AAC and Foxconn Industrial Internet . That's thanks to their large revenue exposures to the iPhone. It raised its price targets for several stocks in the Apple supply chain. Here are some of the key beneficiaries it named. The bank likes Taiwan-listed Hon Hai the most for its dual growth drivers of iPhone assembly and AI servers. "We expect Hon Hai to retain its iPhone assembly share at ~63%, given its solid time-to-market delivery and accelerated output from new production sites in India," said Morgan Stanley analysts. They estimate its iPhone assembly revenue will grow 13% year on year in 2025 and 10% year on year in 2026. Morgan Stanley said Luxshare's Apple exposure is 70% to 80% of its total revenue, given key component upgrades for the iPhone's AI features. "Luxshare remains a good proxy to play the upcycle of Apple hardware devices," the bank said. Foxconn Industrial Internet will continue to supply titanium metal casings for the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models at its Zhengzhou and Ganzhou plants in China, according to Morgan Stanley's supply chain checks. That, along with the firm's "rapid progress" in AI data center infrastructure offering, will drive up its profit by 27% year on year in 2025 and 14% year on year in 2026, said Morgan Stanley. Largan reported first-quarter revenue that was below expectations but Morgan Stanley believes that was the trough. "The 2H24 shipment outlook looks more promising, though, with more larger-size and high-end new products. Therefore, we think the trough gross margin will represent an attractive buying opportunity," the bank said. Morgan Stanley said Genius has a "good chance" of making a breakthrough in the periscope high-end lens segment in the second half of this year. That could boost its competitiveness, the bank said. The bank said that a couple of "recovery drivers" for AAC could unfold this year. That includes a "continual improvement" in yield and margin for wafer level glass, a lens technology produced by AAC.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez discusses the nexus of public safety, mental health and adverse child experiences during a news conference following a summit in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.

New Mexico's attorney general announced an investigation Tuesday into Memorial Medical Center, the Las Cruces hospital operated by Lifepoint Health, to determine whether the facility, highlighted in a recent NBC News report, violated state laws by turning away indigent and low-income patients seeking care.

The attorney general, Raul Torrez, said his office is examining Memorial's patient policies for compliance with a state law and the hospital's performance under the New Mexico statute governing provision of care to needy patients.

At the news conference announcing the investigation Tuesday, Torrez said he had just met with patients, as well as providers at Memorial, to discuss their concerns.

"It is apparent to me that the management of this facility has failed to place the well-being and safety and care of their patients in the proper place and in the proper priority," he said. "It is apparent to me that decisions have been made from a standpoint that is seemingly motivated by profit, by maximizing the bottom line and without due respect and due regard to patients under their care." He also warned hospital management not to retaliate against anyone speaking out about its practices.

An NBC News report last month described allegations that Memorial Medical Center turned away cancer patients under its operator, Lifepoint Health, which was acquired by Apollo Global Management, the New York-based private-equity firm. Physician records and interviews with 13 patients detailed denials of care by the hospital or demands of upfront payments to secure treatments.

Barbara Quarrell, a former nurse at Memorial, is one patient who said the hospital turned her down for care after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. She recounted her story at the attorney general's announcement.

Quarrell told NBC News she is encouraged by the attorney general's investigation. "It's about time," she said. "At Memorial, it's all about the money; it's no longer about the patients. Why are they even in health care if it's not about patients?"

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the hospital said, "Memorial Medical Center was surprised to learn of this investigation by Attorney General Torrez during his press conference today. We remain committed to expanding access to care and being a good community partner in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County and will be cooperating fully with this investigation."

Before publication and broadcast of the report in June, Memorial told NBC News it does not deny care, but two of its top officials called to apologize to two patients who had told NBC News that they were turned away.

A spokeswoman for Apollo did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Lifepoint Health, the operator of Memorial, oversees the country's largest chain of mostly rural hospitals  62 acute care facilities in 16 states. Lifepoint is a subject of two U.S. Senate inquiries, along with other health care companies owned by private equity, NBC News has reported. The investigations aim to assess the profits Apollo and other firms reaped in the deals and whether they harmed patients and clinicians. Apollo has said it is cooperating with the inquiries.

Although Lifepoint runs Memorial, the facility and the land it sits on are owned by the city of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. Denying care to patients could violate the 40-year lease Memorial struck with the county and the city in 2004. The lease says the facility must generally continue providing care to "those unable to pay the full cost of healthcare services rendered to them."

About 225,000 people live in Dona Ana County, the urban and rural region Memorial serves, and almost 15% have no health insurance, recent census figures show. About 23% of county residents live in poverty, compared with 11.5% nationwide.

One focus of the state investigation, Torrez said, is whether Memorial misrepresented its health care services for needy patients. The hospital's most recent annual report to the community said: "Delivering care to all of our neighbors, regardless of their ability to pay, is foundational to our mission and our commitment to our community."

Torrez is also investigating whether Memorial violated a New Mexico law governing financial assistance programs for patients. The Patients Debt Collection Protection Act requires hospitals to screen for financial assistance, he said, adding that "patients who are turned away without screening would constitute a violation of the law." Some of the patients NBC News interviewed for the June report described being denied care without being screened to determine whether they could use financial assistance.
Jeremy Allen White arrives for the launch of the third season of the TV show "The Bear" at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 25, 2024.

Since its debut in 2022, "The Bear" has received plaudits for its depiction of life in high-stress restaurant kitchens. The series, whose second season just broke an Emmy record by garnering 23 nominations, has made audiences and critics alike fall in love with the team at its fictional Chicago restaurant. In its third season, which sees Jeremy Allen White's Carmy working to make his newly-opened fine dining restaurant a success, the focus is on the financials as much as it is on the food. Carmy is forced to constantly answer questions about his restaurant's spending, with a new character introduced to audit The Bear's spending. But just how accurate is the show's depiction of the business-side of fine dining? CNBC Make It spoke to industry experts to find out. Nick Anderer, a New York City chef who, like Carmy, came up working under some of the industry's most skilled chefs before striking out on his own, says that he saw parts of his own experience reflected in the show. He owns and operates Anton's in the West Village with his wife and business partner Natalie Johnson and is in the process of opening a new restaurant, Leon's, in Union Square later this year. "As a chef-owner, I have to think about the numbers constantly," Anderer tells CNBC Make It. "It definitely is not all about the food. That's something that's very hard for a chef to swallow."

You can't just think about being an artist. You have to think about being a businessman. Nick Anderer Chef

What rings most true to Anderer about this season of "The Bear" is the amount of time the characters spend assessing the costs of the smallest details in the restaurant, from the color of the napkins to the amount of microgreens used during a service. Seemingly small decisions like these can make or break a restaurant's razor-thin profit margins. "It's death by 1,000 cuts," he says. "Add up the expensive soap you're using, the toilet paper, the c-folds, the candles, the linens, the China, glass and silver and the breakage of the China, glass and silver over the course of time, all those little things where no single item seems like it's too expensive. Over the course of time, if it flips, it destroys your profit margins." "You can't just think about being an artist," he adds. "You have to think about being a businessman. The sooner you can do that, I think, the better chef you can actually become because you've created a sustainable business." Kelly Macpherson, the chief technology and supply chain officer at Union Square Hospitality Group, agrees that the show's representation of a restaurant's balancing act between the realities of its budget and the goal of its chef feels true to life.

Nick Anderer and Natalie Johnson outside of Anton's in New York City. Nick Anderer
PricewaterhouseCoopers is considering slashing up to half its financial services auditing staff in China, two people with knowledge of the matter said, as a regulatory investigation and an exodus of clients darken business prospects.

The move follows Chinese regulators' scrutiny of PwC this year for its role as the auditor of troubled property giant China Evergrande Group , which, in turn, triggered the exit of some clients.

PwC's financial services auditing operation employs at least 2,000 people across mainland China with main hubs in Beijing and Shanghai servicing clients such as banks, insurers, and asset and wealth managers, said the sources, who sought anonymity.

The firm, with 781 partners and nearly 19,000 employees in mainland China as of last September, according to its website, is also mulling laying off about 20% of the staff in other auditing teams and non-auditing business lines, they added.

PwC's China businesses range from consulting to tax services, besides auditing. The size of the cuts in its financial services auditing unit and other business lines is being reported for the first time by Reuters.

PwC China's layoffs started last week, and the overall target is expected to be met over a period of time, said the sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to media.

"In light of changes to the external environment, we are making some adjustments to better optimize our organizational structure to align with market demand," a PwC spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) appears on "Meet the Press" in Washington D.C., Sunday July 7, 2024. William Plowman | Nbcuniversal | Getty Images

California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to exit the 2024 presidential election contest. Schiff in a statement said that he had "serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November." "While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch," said Schiff, the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat from California who is a strong favorite to win in November. "And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election," said Schiff, who is a close ally of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the powerful California Democrat who previously served as House speaker. A source familiar with Pelosi told CNBC on Wednesday that Schiff's statement was "news to her" and that he "did not consult her before." But Schiff did notify Biden's campaign about the statement before releasing it to media outlets, a source told NBC News.

Politico on Tuesday reported that Pelosi has offered to talk to members of Congress who wanted to discuss their concerns about having Biden as the Democratic nominee. In an interview last week on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Pelosi refused to endorse Biden as the nominee, saying "It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run ... We're all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short." Schiff's statement came a day after The New York Times reported that he had warned Democratic donors during a meeting Saturday in Long Island, New York, that the party would be likely to lose its existing majority in the Senate and fail to gain control of the House of Representatives if Biden is the presidential nominee. "I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose," Schiff reportedly told donors. Schiff is one of the most prominent Democrats to publicly call on Biden to exit the race on the heels of the president's disastrous debate performance in late June against Trump, the Republican nominee. Biden has been adamant since that debate in saying he will not drop out, despite concerns that his mental acuity has deteriorated during his three years in the White House. The president last week said he would not abandon his candidacy unless polls show "there's no way you can win," adding, "No poll shows that." Schiff in his statement said that Biden "has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history," and that the president's "lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.



"But our nation is at a crossroads," Schiff said. "A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November."
Investors may want to exercise some caution with this year's leading artificial intelligence stocks, according to Bank of America. "History shows the winners from new tech booms are often the broad economy, not early investor benefactors," wrote Jared Woodard. "Credit spreads say the stock rally is unstable, flashing the biggest warning since the dotcom bubble." The investing and ETF strategist anticipates some profit-taking in megacap technology stocks during the second half as investors become "impatient for an AI killer app" or more revenues. He notes that just four stocks account for 50% of returns in global equities since 2021. Stocks have rallied this year as investors mount bets on popular AI names such as Nvidia and megacap technology. The ongoing surge from late 2022 has lifted major averages to new highs, while also fanning some fears of an impending bubble. NVDA YTD mountain NVDA year to date "The narrow U.S. market rally, premised as it is on extended capex cycles and quiescent capital, looks shaky," Woodard said, noting that profit growth expectations for stocks within AI ETFs have dropped 16 points from a peak in February. "Investors are getting restless." For Nvidia in particular, he noted that each new chip reduces the value of some of its older investments. Shares of the leading chipmaker have rallied more than 140% this year. "No one denies the computing power," Woodard wrote. "But after one last frenzied rally around the latest chips, investors may come to doubt the near-term economics." Woodard views AI as the latest example of new technologies over the years that have boosted productivity but struggled to swiftly recover their investment. Referring to railroad growth in the 1800s and the internet craze in the 1990s, he notes that the reward didn't come until after the bubble burst. Given this backdrop, Woodard expects long-term investors to potentially fare better in "reliably underpriced" areas relative to the S & P 500. This includes small-cap value stocks, utilities, energy and banks. He also favors regional investing in areas such as India and Latin America.
Vice presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) is accompanied by relatives after speaking on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024.

The third day of the Republican National Convention focused on foreign policy and military issues, and featured the first speech that Sen. JD Vance of Ohio delivered as the running mate of former President Donald Trump.

Vance's speech portrayed Trump as "America's last best hope to restore what  if lost  may never be found again."

"From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the Financial Crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again," Vance said. "That is, until President Donald J. Trump came along."

The RNC's theme for the night was "Make America Strong Once Again."

Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania over the weekend, has long expected to face President Joe Biden in November's election.

But several new developments on Wednesday evening suggested Biden's path to the nomination could be getting rockier.

As the convention was getting underway in Milwaukee, the White House announced that Biden tested positive for Covid.

Shortly after that, new reports emerged that key House Democrats have had difficult conversations with Biden in recent weeks about his path to victory.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a leading California Democrat who is favored to win a Senate seat in November, became the latest lawmaker Wednesday to call on Biden to exit the race, and allow another candidate to run against Trump.

Biden has adamantly refused to drop out of the contest since his disastrous debate against Trump in late June.

CNBC's TV and digital reporters covered the convention and the rest of the 2024 campaign's developments live from Milwaukee, Washington, and New York City.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.

WASHINGTON  House Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans are calling for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle days after a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

"I'm going to call for resignation " Johnson, R-La., said during an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. "Look, I think it's inexcusable.  Her explanation to the media that there was a slant on the roof, so there was safety concern  it doesn't wash. And I think she's shown what her priorities are."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Johnson's top lieutenant, called for Cheatle to resign a day earlier.

Johnson's call for resignation came just hours before top law enforcement officials are expected to brief House and Senate lawmakers in separate, unclassified virtual briefings about Saturday's shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where suspected gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump as he addressed rally-goers. One spectator was killed and two others were seriously injured. Trump suffered an injury to his ear.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate, as well as Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe are on the list of briefers. Cheatle is not listed on the House briefer list but appeared on the Senate list.

The House Oversight Committee said it plans to subpoena Cheatle if she refuses to appear at a public hearing on Monday focused on the security breach.

In the Fox News interview, Johnson also said he will create a special House task force to investigate the shooting and security breakdowns when lawmakers return on Monday, an effort to streamline multiple congressional investigations.

"The reason we're going to do it that way is because that is a more precision strike. It goes quicker, there's not a lot of the procedural hurdles, and it will have subpoena authority for that task force as well," Johnson said. "It will be compiled of Republicans and Democrats to get down the bottom of this quickly so the American people can get the answers that they deserve."

Lawmakers have numerous questions about Saturday's stunning assassination attempt. The most critical, perhaps, is why was the roof of a building within 150 yards of Trump was not secured by the Secret Service or local law enforcement. They also want to know why Secret Service snipers on another roof in the area didn't engage the shooter until after Crooks had fired multiple times.

Speaking to ABC News this week, Cheatle said she would not resign but declared: "The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service."

She said that Secret Service was responsible for securing the inner perimeter of the rally, while local law enforcement were responsible for securing the area outside the rally, which included the building accessed by Crooks.

Cheatle has had inconsistencies in her public remarks. Cheatle told ABC News that local police were inside the building whose roof the gunman used. A Secret Service official then told NBC News on Wednesday that the local SWAT team was not in the building, but rather was in another building in the same complex.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told NBC News on Wednesday that Cheatle's reference was to the AGR Glass "building," which is a large manufacturing complex made up of interconnected dwellings.

This raises new questions about the level of planning and communication between the Secret Service and the local law enforcement officials and whether the local team was in the best position to secure the outer perimeter or whether the local sniper team could have had an even better view of the roof the shooter used if they were perhaps in a building that looked down on the roof.
Special counsel Jack Smith makes a statement to reporters about the 37 federal charges returned by a grand jury in an indictment of former U.S. President Donald Trump on charges of unauthorized retention of classified documents and conspiracy to obstruct justice as Smith speaks at his offices in Washington, U.S. June 9, 2023.

Special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday filed a notice appealing the stunning decision earlier this week by Florida court federal Judge Aileen Cannon that dismissed the criminal classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.

Smith's appeal, which was expected, will be heard in the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta, which reviews cases arising from Florida federal courts.

Cannon on Monday tossed out the case against Trump and two co-defendants, ruling that Smith's appointment to prosecute cases involving the former president violated the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Trump was charged in the case filed in Florida Southern District Court with retaining hundreds of classified government documents at his Mar-a-Lago club residence after leaving the White House in January 2021, and with trying to hide them from government officials who sought their return.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Smith, said Wednesday, "We have no comment beyond the filing itself at this time."

Carr on Monday had said that Cannon's dismissal of the case "deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel."

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump's campaign, in a statement said, "As we move forward in uniting our nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the lawless indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL of the Witch Hunts. The Democrat-led Justice Department should drop these politically motivated, election interference efforts against President Trump immediately."

The appeal is likely to end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, regardless of how the 11th Circuit appeals court rules.

Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee, is separately charged by Smith in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., with four felonies related to his attempts to undo his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

If Trump is elected this November, he would be able to order his attorney general to terminate the federal prosecutions against him.

Cannon in her ruling Monday said that Smith's appointment was not legal because the Constitution says that "Officers of the United States" must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She also found that the open-ended funding for Smith's prosecutorial office violated the appropriations clause of the Constitution.
Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Chip stocks  Several large chip stocks fell after Bloomberg News reported that said the Biden Administration is considering clamping down on companies that are exporting their chipmaking equipment to China. Nvidia fell 6%, while ASML slid 11%. AMD slipped 8%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company tumbled about 7%. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) was down roughly 6%. Elevance Health  The health insurer slipped 6.4% after issuing its earnings guidance for the full year. Elevance expects adjusted earnings of at least $37.20 for 2024, while analysts polled by FactSet called for $37.28 per share. Second-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue came in slightly ahead of estimates. Charles Schwab  TD Cowen downgraded shares of the financial services company to hold, pushing the stock down 9%. The firm cited Charles Schwab's "ongoing mixed execution" and its potential balance sheet shrinkage as some catalysts behind the new rating. Qualcomm  The semiconductor stock slipped nearly 8% after HSBC downgraded the company to hold from buy, saying Qualcomm has a "lackluster" artificial intelligence PC narrative and could possibly miss its fourth-quarter revenue targets. J.B. Hunt Transport Services  The freight company's stock price fell 7% after its second-quarter results missed Wall Street's estimates. Earnings came out at $1.32 per share, falling short of analysts' expectations of $1.52 per share, per LSEG. Revenue for the period was $2.93 billion, also less than analysts' calls for $3.04 billion. Omnicom  Shares of the corporate communications company fell 8% despite beating revenue expectations for the second quarter. Omnicom posted adjusted earnings of $1.95 per share, which came out in line with analyst forecasts polled by FactSet. The company's revenue of $3.85 billion beat a forecast that called for $3.83 billion. GitLab , Datadog  Shares of software development tool provider GitLab jumped 7%. Reuters, citing people familiar, reported that the firm was exploring a sale after receiving acquisition interest from firms, including from cloud monitoring company Datadog. Shares of Datadog slid 7%. Five Below  Five Below shares sank 22% and headed for their worst day in more than four years after the company cut its guidance and announced the departure of its CEO. Several Wall Street firms also downgraded the value retailer following the news. UnitedHealth Group  The health-care stock added 4% after the company posted a second-quarter earnings and revenue beat. Jefferies upgraded the stock to a buy rating from hold, applauding its cost-savings measures that could lead to a "superior '25 setup." Johnson & Johnson  Shares gained nearly 4% after the pharmaceutical company posted a top and bottom line beat in the second quarter. Johnson & Johnson reported adjusted earnings of $2.82 per share on $24.45 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by LSEG had forecasted $2.70 earnings per share on $22.31 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the company lowered its full-year adjusted earnings guidance to a range of $9.97 to $10.07 per share, versus consensus estimates of $10.45 per share, according to FactSet. U.S. Bancorp  The bank rose more than 4% after a stronger-than-expected second quarter. U.S. Bancorp reported earnings of 97 cents per share, including a hit from a regulatory assessment. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting 94 cents per share. Net interest income ticked up compared to the first quarter. V.F. Corporation  The apparel, footwear and accessories company advanced 7% after eyewear group EssilorLuxottica announced an agreement to acquire its Supreme brand for $1.5 billion in cash. Sweetgreen  Shares of the salad chain restaurant fell 5%. The decline came even after UBS initiating coverage of the stock with a buy rating under the belief that Sweetgreen could generate revenue growth of 15% or more.  CNBC's Jesse Pound, Hakyung Kim, Samantha Subin, Lisa Kailai Han and Michelle Fox contributed reporting.
Check out the companies making headlines in premarket trading. Chip stocks Some of the largest semiconductor stocks were lower following a Bloomberg News report that said the Biden Administration is contemplating stiffer trade restrictions over concern that U.S. companies are giving China too much access to domestic semiconductor technology. Nvidia pulled back 4.4%, while Taiwan Semiconductor and AMD declined 4.7% and 4.1%, respectively. ASML , which sells semiconductor equipment for chipmakers, sank more than 8% on the news which overshadowed better-than-expected quarterly results. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) was nearly 4% lower. Five Below  Shares of the discount retailer plummeted more than 15% after the company slashed its second-quarter outlook and announced the departure of CEO Joel Anderson. A slew of Wall Street firms including Evercore ISI, Morgan Stanley, Truist and Mizuho Securities all downgraded Five Below following the news . US Bancorp -- The bank stock rose more than 1% after second-quarter earnings topped expectations. US Bancorp reported 97 cents in earnings per share, compared to a StreetAccount estimate of 94 cents per share, according to FactSet. J.B. Hunt Transport Services  The freight company pulled back about 3% after second-quarter results missed Wall Street's estimates. The firm reported earnings of $1.32 per share on revenue of $2.9 billion, while analysts polled by FactSet forecast a profit of $1.48 per share and $3 billion in sales. The company also noted increased insurance and equipment costs despite trimming operating expenses. V.F. Corporation  Shares jumped 6.8% after eyewear group EssilorLuxottica said it agreed to acquire the Supreme brand from V.F. Corporation for $1.5 billion in cash. The transaction is set to close by the end of 2024. Omnicom Group  The corporate communications company slipped more than 3% despite reporting stronger-than-expected second quarter revenue. Omnicom notched earnings of $1.95 per share excluding items, which was in line with analyst forecasts polled by FactSet. The company's revenue of $3.85 billion beat a forecast that called for $3.83 billion. GitLab , Datadog  Shares of the DevOps software company soared more than 14% following a Reuters report that the firm was exploring a sale after receiving acquisition interest from firms including Datadog . Shares of the latter slipped more than 3%. Johnson & Johnson  Shares fell marginally on the back of disappointing full-year earnings guidance. The company expects earnings per share in a range of $9.97-$10.07, down from a prior guidance of $10.57-$10.72. Analysts polled by FactSet expected guidance around $10.45 per share.  CNBC's Sarah Min and Jesse Pound contributed reporting
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is vying for another White House mandate, said he thinks that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense, claiming that the country "doesn't give us anything."

His comment was in response to a question on whether he would defend Taiwan against China, as part of an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published Tuesday.

Beijing considers democratically governed Taiwan as a part of its territory, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously said reunification with the mainland was "a historical inevitability."

Trump said, "Taiwan should pay us for defense."

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything," he added.

Trump, a Republican, appeared to link his comments to Taiwan's semiconductor industry, which is one of the most advanced in the world.

"[Taiwan] did take about 100% of our chip business," Trump said without providing evidence.

The Semiconductor Industry Association has said Taiwan manufactures 92% of advanced microchips.
United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks during a press conference at the Secret Service's Chicago Field Office on June 4 2024 in Chicago, Illinois, ahead of the 2024 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

A U.S. Secret Service official on Wednesday said that a local Pennsylvania police SWAT team was actually in another building than the one whose roof was used by a would-be assassin to shoot at former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The Secret Service official's new account contradicts a prior claim by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle that the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Crooks, was on top of the building containing the SWAT team near Trump's campaign rally in the town of Butler.

Also Wednesday, a source familiar with the shooting probe told NBC that local police saw Crooks with a range finder, which is used to measure shooting distances, and that they had informed the Secret Service they were looking for Crooks with that device before Trump took the stage at the rally.

The new disclosures come a day after news that the Secret Service before Saturday's shooting boosted security for Trump when it was told of a plot to kill him by Iran's government.

The disclosures are certain to increase already sharp questions about whether the Secret Service acted appropriately in arranging security for the rally, which ended when Crooks fatally shot one attendee and wounded two others as he narrowly missed killing the Republican presidential nominee Trump.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia pledged to collaborate on civilian space research and exploration in a bid to strengthen joint work between the allies, NASA and the State Department said in a Tuesday statement.

The two nations signed a framework agreement for cooperation on areas including aeronautics, education and Earth science.

The agreement also noted the importance of the Artemis Accords, signed by the U.S. in 2020 and Saudi Arabia in 2022. The accords committed to a "transparent, safe, and responsible exploration of space," according to the State Department.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson signed the agreement representing the U.S., while Saudi Space Agency CEO Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi signed on behalf of the kingdom.

"Building on my visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, I look forward to strengthening our cooperation for the future of exploration," Nelson said. "We are living in the golden era of exploration  one that is rooted in partnership. This new agreement outlines how we'll work together, and explore together, for the benefit of humanity."

Nelson in May visited Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi officials from the government and the Saudi Space commission to discuss civil space cooperation as part of the U.S.-Saudi partnership, NASA said.

Saudi Arabia's government set up the Saudi Space Commission in 2018 with the aim of developing the kingdom's capabilities in the field of space and growing private sector involvement.

The commission describes itself as "actively working on the development and expansion of the space sector" as part of the kingdom's broader Vision 2030, which seeks to modernize the Saudi economy and diversify its revenue streams away from oil.
We are buying 100 shares of Advanced Micro Devices at roughly $163.58. Following the trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 300 shares of AMD, increasing its weighting in the portfolio to about 1.5% from 1%. Semiconductor stocks are taking a beating following news that the Biden administration could be looking to clamp down even harder on chip exports to China. That's being compounded by comments from former President Donald Trump, who told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense. He also claimed that the self-governed island "did take about 100% of our chip business." Taken together, the comments raised questions about Trump's support for Taiwan, should he be elected in November. Many U.S. semiconductor companies  including AMD and our other two chip holdings, Nvidia and Broadcom  don't manufacture their own chips. They design them, and then rely on companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for the actual production. Against that backdrop, the selling pressure in the chip cohort Wednesday is understandable. However, we must also be mindful that the export restrictions are nothing new and there is still so much demand in the United States that any additional restrictions are unlikely to materially impact earnings in the near term. Moreover, Trump may be talking tough about Taiwan, but he also sees himself as an America-first president. He can't simply sacrifice great, important to national security names like Nvidia, Broadcom and AMD. Much of the earnings growth we expect to see this year and next is tied to these names and their ability to secure supply. Trump also tends to grade himself against the stock market's performance, and harming the semiconductor industry won't help. With all that in mind, we are stepping in and picking up additional shares of AMD. As noted in yesterday's buy , we're in the third day of the market rotation out of tech stocks that began on Thursday; we're not counting Monday's surprise swing back. Rotations like this typically last about three days, which would put us at the tail end of it. We still see plenty of earnings growth ahead for AMD, as its MI300x AI accelerator chip supply improves and consumers look to refresh their PCs. This rotation is why we started out small, because we wanted to do exactly this, buy into the decline and lower our overall cost basis with each purchase. Should we continue to move lower, we still have plenty of room to further build the position. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
If youre planning on joking about the president getting assassinated, you better make sure its funny

No, were not here today to talk about the time you wound up in jail at home because you cracked a joke about your sister-in-laws hairdo. Nor are we here to talk about how some unpopular remark derailed a comics career. Were here to talk about actual legal punishments levied against people for their humor.

Leaders dont like it when you mock them, you see. Not even when you come up with such witty jokes as...

5 God Might Speak to the World Through a Burning Bush The law bans you from threatening the presidents life. Theres a special law against it, above and beyond any other law just for threatening people in general. An additional law further bans you from threatening other people under Secret Service protection, including former presidents and presidential candidates. So, this week, following an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, many wondered: Am I allowed to joke about this, or will that send the FBI to my door? Don't Miss As it happens, a joke about assassinating the president is not the same as a threat. It is legal to jokingly call for a presidents assassination, which is why Groucho Marx was not arrested for saying, I think the only hope this country has is Nixons assassination in 1971, despite Nixon not being the most forgiving man. But if you do deliver such a joke, and you arent Groucho Marx, you might have trouble convincing authorities that you were joking. Ahead of George W. Bushs visit to Sioux Falls in March 2001, South Dakota man Richard Humphreys was heard saying the following at a bar: God might speak to the world through a burning Bush. He thought it was funny, the man would later say. The joke here referenced the Biblical Yahweh speaking to Moses through a flaming bit of bramble. Humphreys was also prophesying someone dousing the president in lighter fluid and striking a match. Sebastien Bourdon Technically, the Biblical bush remained unburnt, so this wouldnt hurt the president. The bartender phoned the police (a violation of the bartender code), and a prosecutor would go on to argue, It wasnt a joke. It wasn't funny. Humphreys was sentenced to 37 months in prison, for what were confident the FBI would have concluded wasnt a true threat if they sat the man down and had a few beers with him. Advertisement

4 Now I Can Die Like Jesus Joseph Muller was a priest in the German village of Gro Dungen. In 1943, he was visiting an ailing parishioner, and he decided to comfort him with a joke about death. In the joke, a soldier is dying, and he asks a nurse to show him pictures of whom he was dying for. The nurse laid down portraits on either side of him, one of Adolf Hitler and one of Hermann Goring. Now I can die like Jesus Christ, said the soldier. The joke here is that when Jesus was crucified, there were men on the crosses on either side of him, both bandits. So, like Jesus, the soldier would die between two criminals. Advertisement via Wiki Commons If you understood the joke, you receive full absolution. Mullers own son reported him to Nazi officials for this. As weve learned today, governments hate clever Biblical references, so they arrested the priest. They convicted him of the crime of Wehrkraftzersetzung (undermining defense force) and executed him. We guess that meant he did die like Jesus.

3 Hitler Is a Mongolian A few years earlier in Germany, joking about the Nazis didnt mean a death sentence. In 1932, Hitler was not yet chancellor, and Fritz Gerlichs paper Der gerade Weg was able to speak out about the Nazi threat. Then, one July day, he put out an article with this headline: Does Hitler Have Mongolian Blood? Hitler didnt look Aryan, said the article. In addition to lacking an Aryan soul, he lacked the facial features of an Aryan, as his nose looked distinctly Mongolian. This was not a genuine attempt to undermine Hitler by questioning his heritage but satire, mocking the Nazi obsession with racial purity. Advertisement Advertisement Markus Siedler If he actually meant it, this would, of course, be highly offensive to Mongolians. You could get away with writing this in Germany  in 1932. But then the Nazis did take control, and they didnt forget Gerlich. They arrested him and took him to Dachau, where they killed him. They informed his wife of his death by mailing her his bloodstained spectacles. We just gave you two stories about the Nazis, and theres a good reason for that. Its because the Nazis were double bad. The other reason is, today, with debates over censoring Nazis, some people interpret calls for free speech as Nazi sympathy. So, lets quickly remember that Nazis have never supported freedom of speech. If you rank everyone in history by how much they support free speech, the Nazis would comfortably tie for last place.

2 Comedy Advertisement Sometimes, people feel the need to protest with humor even though they dont have the capacity to construct an actual joke. Consider what happened in 1949, in the Soviet Union. The nation held elections, but the ballot presented just one option: the candidate from the Communist Party. A beekeeper named Ivan Burylov didnt feel very keen on participating in this farce. On his ballot, he just wrote the word comedy. via Wiki Commons Try this in yourself, and theyll just count it as a vote for the incumbent. He didnt mean this as a public protest. This was supposed to be a secret ballot. Still, that didnt stop the Militsiya from later figuring out whose ballot that was  and from sending Burylov to a gulag for the next eight years. Advertisement We dont know what happened to him after that. We choose to believe the Jason Statham film The Beekeeper was based on his later adventures. Advertisement
This week sees the release of Twisters, the second entry in the Twister saga that no one really wanted or needed. I mean, the first movie came out so long ago that audiences were positively blown away at the sight of a CGI cow flying through the air, as if it were something from Avatar or a train pulling into a train station.

While the co-writer of Twister, the late Michael Crichton, may have gone to great lengths to create the plot lines for novels like Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain and The Great Train Robbery, for the tornado-based blockbuster he admitted that he borrowed heavily from a TV documentary and a classic screwball comedy.

Don't Miss

Reportedly, Crichton became fascinated with tornadoes after seeing them discussed in an episode of NOVA, the long-running PBS science show. But while he and his wife Anne-Marie Martin, who co-wrote Twister, discussed the possibility of writing a movie about scientists chasing tornadoes for years, they werent able to come up with a story. (And Crichton couldnt simply have the tornado scientists murder a bunch of rare apes with lasers, because hed already covered that territory with Congo.)

Then Martin had an idea: Why not borrow from a screwball comedy? Specifically, she suggested taking inspiration from His Girl Friday, and crafting Twister as a love triangle taking place amid great stress.

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"As soon as I heard the idea, I saw the whole picture," Crichton claimed.

His Girl Friday is, of course, the 1940 Howard Hawks film starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell as a newspaper editor and his newly-engaged journalist ex investigating a murder. Adapted from the play The Front Page, which had already been turned into a movie by that point, His Girl Friday memorably turned the story of two heterosexual dudes into a romantic comedy. Its mostly remembered for Grant and Russells chemistry, and its effortless rat-a-tat dialogue, which was presumably more realistic in an era when everybody had a gallon of coffee followed by a carton of cigarettes for breakfast.

Twister does employ a similar setup, albeit gender-swapping the leads (its Bill Paxton who has a fiancee) and setting the story in the world of storm-chasers. Also its way less funny. Crichton and Martin wrote the screenplay by acting out the roles, improvising their dialogue and jotting down what they came up with.

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The reason why we know so much about the writing of Twister is because Crichton was forced to divulge his process under oath, following a lawsuit that accused the author and his wife of plagiarizing a screenplay called Catch the Wind.

The jury ultimately sided with Crichton and Martin after deliberating for just two hours. And since most everyone involved with His Girl Friday was dead by that point, he probably assumed he was in the clear on that front.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab has informed its employees in the United States that the company will begin winding down its US operations starting July 20, according to a report from Zero Day.

The companys decision comes after the US Department of Commerce chose in June to ban the sale of Kaspersky Labs software in the country after what the agency described as a lengthy and thorough investigation, which found that the companys continued operations in the United States presented a national security risk.

All US-based Kaspersky positions will be eliminated as a result of the ban, Kaspersky officials told Zero Day.
Photo: Michael Clifford/

Jenni Kayne, the California design brand known for $500 cashmere cardigans and $5,000 linen bed frames in the same aggressive neutrals, bought a farmhouse in Tivoli. It announced this week that it was opening the Jenni Kayne Farmhouse in the upstate village and has, of course, furnished it in allJenni Kayne fineries  from the Hampton Counter Stool to the Hudson Glass Candle. Its part showroom, part spa (also using Jenni Kayne wellness products, naturally).

Tivoli was a natural fit for this kind of thing with upstate becoming even more of a luxury-real-estate playground in recent years. (Upstate New York has always been on our radar, the chief executive officer of Oak Essentials, the companys beauty brand, told Womens Wear Daily.) The 2,150-square-foot farmhouse has four bedrooms, all shoppable, three baths, an open chefs kitchen, a pool, and a sauna. The property will also include the Oak Wellness Club in an adjacent greenhouse. You can ogle nesting baskets until youre ready to pass out, then revive yourself with facials and acupuncture.

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Photo: Michael Clifford/Jenni Kayne

Kayne is now something of a real estate flipper out in California. Along with her husband, Richard Ehrlich, a luxury real estate broker, she has been buying up houses to convert, temporarily, into Jenni Kayne experiences and then sell at a hefty markup. First there was Jenni Kayne Lake House, an airy four-bedroom on Lake Arrowhead, two hours outside of Los Angeles, that the pair appears to have bought in 2019 for $1.1 million and sold less than a year later for $1.7 million. Theres also Jenni Kayne Hillside Haven in Brentwood and Jenni Kayne Ranch in Santa Ynez, all shoppable, from the couches to the house itself. (The ranch was bought for $950,000 in 2020 and sold two years later for $6 million.)

The space will open this fall, just in time for all the rich people returning from their summer beach houses to buy some expensive cashmere throws for their rustic farmhouses.
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Trigger warning: this column may contain several politically incorrect opinions. In particular, Keir Starmer should ignore all the hand-wringing and lobbying  and stick to his guns on the two-child benefit cap.

Not only does it make sense financially  saving the Exchequer billions  it also makes sense culturally and politically.

Truth is, having children is becoming a luxury. The only people who can afford to have big families these days are either the very wealthy  or those who are happy to milk the welfare state for every last penny.

For the middle-classes, two is usually as far as they can stretch. Three is a real push  especially if both parents work, which is invariably the case.

Under the two-child cap, parents cannot claim child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children

Its virtually impossible to buy a home on a single salary, and childcare is often insanely expensive. Many young couples are swearing off having children altogether.

A friend of a friends daughter is getting married next weekend. She and her fiance have already agreed that they wont have children. They just dont see a world in which its financially viable  not in a way that doesnt severely impair their quality of life, anyway, or force them to rely on handouts.

No wonder the birth rate among middle-class couples is plummeting: it just doesnt add up for them.

Which is a disaster waiting to happen, since the middle-classes provide this countrys financial backbone. Without them, and their hard-working progeny, there will be no one to pay for everyone else.

Its also why having lots of children has become a kind of status symbol. The world is full of bankers (rhyming slang) flexing their loins as a way of asserting their financial dominance, their sprawling broods testimony to their financial success.

At the other end of the scale, its the same story  but without the gloss. There is a culture of baby-daddery which not only goes uncriticised, is also positively glorified in some circles.

Far from being a cause for concern (or dare I say it, embarrassment), a mans ability to impregnate as many women as possible without accepting any responsibility for the outcomes, now hardly raises an eyebrow. Especially since the taxpayer picks up the tab.

The rich pay their own bills, and if they want to spend their money on armies of little Johnnies and Mirandas, thats their business.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to scrap the two-child benefit cap, introduced by the Conservatives in 2017

But for children whose parents  or parent  have no other means of support, its up to the state to provide it.

And rightly so. No child should have to suffer as a consequence of their parents poor choices, even if far too many do. It the mark of a civilised society that every child should have an opportunity in life, regardless of their background.

But its not always that simple. For years, and especially under the last Labour government, a system that was intended to help people in times of hardship morphed into a kind of career choice  one that positively incentivised people to turn children into commodities to reap state benefits.

It was a clever ruse to lock in Labour voters, rather like Tony Blairs open borders approach with immigrant communities.

But while limitless child benefits gave Labour a political advantage, it didnt necessarily translate into an advantage for those receiving them.

On the contrary, it made things worse, breeding a long-term culture of state dependency that straddled multiple generations and devalued whole communities, as well as stifling ambition and leading to a raft of other problems. Depression, obesity, substance abuse, gangs: ever-decreasing circles of hopelessness and lack of aspiration.

The introduction of the two-child cap was part of a wider attempt by the Conservatives to reverse those social trends and reduce reliance on a vast and unaffordable welfare state.

In simple terms, the cap prevents parents from claiming universal credit or child tax credit for a third or subsequent children, with a few exemptions.

One of the reasons the Tories came to power in 2010 was because many voters felt short-changed by what they perceived as a culture that rewarded failure and penalised hard work.

But those days are now gone. The Tories have been discredited, and the two-child cap has been cast by lobby groups on the Left as a wicked tactic dreamt up by George Osborne in one of his more sulphurous moments to spread misery throughout the land.

Which it never was. Sure, it saved money, but it was also about trying to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their life choices.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Sir Keir said he would ideally ditch the two-child limit, but he has since U-turned

The real problem with it is that it hasnt really achieved the desired effect. People are still having kids they cant afford, and they are still the kind of people who already place the highest burden on the welfare state.

The only area where its made any sort of difference is among the struggling middle-classes, who have  as they always do  tightened their belts and crossed their legs accordingly.

Thats what makes the cap such a questionable policy: not the fact that its a Tory one, but simply because it doesnt achieve the desired outcome.

Nevertheless, it would be madness now for Keir Starmer to cave in and reverse it. Politically, especially, it makes no sense. The blame for this rests firmly on the shoulders of the Tories, and thats something he can exploit.

Its one less tough decision for him to make  and there are going to be plenty in the weeks and months to come. Ultimately, you want people to make choices which are sensible for them as well as sensible for the country.

Having more than two children is a choice in the modern world. Contraception is widely available and we are not living in an era of high infant mortality. There is no need to have as many children as possible on the basis that only half of them will survive.

And the principal argument of the Left  that the policy disproportionately penalises ethnic minorities who often have larger families  is both patronising (assuming that they are incapable of making informed decisions for themselves), but its also racist, when you stop to think about it.

There is a fine line between state dependence and state assistance. If you take the view  as many do  that having children is a civic duty, then it follows that the state would want to help those who do.

But I would argue that a far better way of doing that is to make it easier for parents to support their families themselves  via better access to good, affordable childcare provision and extended school hours, for example, and better maternity support  than by just indiscriminately paying more people to have more kids.

What we want is a system that helps struggling families  while discouraging bad parents. There are already far too many Arthur Labinjo-Hughes  the six-year-old killed by his stepmother and father during Covid  now lying in tiny graves, victims of pea-brained monsters. Not everyone deserves to be a parent.

Far too many people romanticise having children. They use parenthood as a means of self-validation  when it is emphatically not.

Having a child is the greatest and most serious responsibility you will ever undertake, and a job every bit as demanding.

If people want large families, thats their business. But in a world of tough financial choices, the taxpayer must draw the line somewhere. If you cant afford to look after your kids, in other words, dont have them in the first place.

This is an important test for Keir Starmer. What he decides will be the biggest indicator yet of whether he is a serious man capable of making hard decisions  or whether hes just another people-pleaser.
There is a temptation for Britain to look at the shocking assassination attempt on Donald Trump and consider it a uniquely American problem.

After all, we have no prevalent gun culture. Political discourse is many magnitudes more toxic there than here. But we have no room for complacency.

In the past decade alone, Britain has mourned the loss of two MPs  Sir David Amess and Jo Cox  both murdered by extremists.

And no British election has been more blighted by intimidation and harassment than this years campaign, mostly from male pro-Palestinian activists.

In recent years the crimson-faced intolerance for those possessing different opinions has made discussion not just difficult but, in some quarters, dangerous.

Trump's first appearance since a rally in Pennsylvania, where he sustained injuries from an alleged bullet grazing his ear

A young woman threw a milkshake at Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, during a campaign event in Clacton-on-sea, Essex this June

Far too many people are becoming comfortable with political figures being assaulted in public, for instance milkshakes being hurled at Nigel Farage.

Such attacks are not edgy, or amusing. They deserve severe and exemplary punishments. For a functioning 21st century democracy, this is positively unhealthy.

It dissuades many from playing a part in politics. It behoves us all to rein in the demonising language that many consider an acceptable substitute for calm, reasoned debate.

Hampering growth should the copious leaks prove well-founded, Labours first Kings Speech will relentlessly focus on economic growth.

There will be new housebuilding targets and a radical overhaul of planning in favour of infrastructure development.

So far, so promising. But much of Sir Keir Starmers programme for government seems designed to kill off jobs, strangle business and thwart productivity.

Laws to extend workers rights, give the unions more power, pile red tape on to firms, and ban new oil and gas drilling will cause nothing but economic harm.

While the IMF is not always the most reliable of crystal-ball gazers, it is troubling for Labour that its growth forecast for next year remains unchanged at 1.5 per cent.

Sir Keir Starmer on July 5th, the day he delivered his first speech as Prime Minister

Sir Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy at the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, USA in July

The danger is that prosperity could be sacrificed on the altar of Labours socialist, statist instincts and Net Zero zealotry.

Dodgy migrant deal with 1,100 people in dinghies gatecrashing Britain since Labour took office, ministers warn we face a difficult summer.

So Sir Keir reportedly hopes to forge an alliance with Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in a bid to tackle illegal migration.

But how will he persuade her to help? Offer to accept even more migrants, of course!

From what Sir Keir has let slip, the UK would receive perhaps tens of thousands of asylum seekers a year from the EU in exchange for Brussels taking back those who arrive here in small boats.

However, Europe would almost certainly send us many more migrants than it accepted in return.

Yes, such a deal might physically stop the boats. But it would hugely increase the asylum burden on our society

Cervical cancer is usually curable if detected early. The problem is that too often it is not, and nearly 1,000 women in Britain each year die.

Yet many miss smear tests because they cant get an appointment or find the check-up uncomfortable. But there is now a new weapon.

Giving women testing kits to use at home substantially boosts screening. This will inevitably save lives  and spare more families the agony of losing mothers, wives and daughter.
Jewelry influencer Jewels with Jules has been documenting the Ambani wedding - and shocked her followers when she ended up actually attending the over-the top nuptials and showing off the lavish ceremony from within.

New York City-based gemstone wholesaler Julia Hackman Chafe, better known as Jules to her 206,000 TikTok followers, shared multiple videos showing off the most extravagant jewelry worn at the wedding.

The wedding was held in Mumbai on Saturday, and boasted an A-list guest list, including Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra, John Cena, and Nicky Hilton.

Anant Ambani, who's the son of the 13th richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani, married pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant.

To find out exactly how much some of the most lavish jewelry at the wedding cost, FEMAIL spoke to Olivia Landau, founder and CEO of the educational diamond blog The Clear Cut.

Jewelry influencer Jewels with Jules has been documenting the Ambani wedding - and shocked her followers when she ended up actually attending the over-the top nuptials

Anant Ambani, who's the son of the 13th richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani, married pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant

New York City-based gemstone wholesaler Julia Hackman Chafe, better known as Jules to her 206,000 TikTok followers, shared multiple videos showing off the most extravagant jewelry

In another video, Jules showed off all of the elaborate jewels guests wore during the first night of the festivities, starting with Priyanka Chopra, who was in a mix of diamonds and rubies

Olivia told DailyMail.com that in the video Jules posted of Shloka Mehta wearing an elaborate necklace as well as earrings and a nose ring, she appears to be wearing 450 carats of diamonds, which would cost millions.

'Based on the video, the earrings would approximately cost $1 million and the necklace would costing over $4 to 5 million,' Olivia said.

Ashley Taylor, who owns Taylor Custom Rings and designs pieces with her husband in Carlsbad, California, estimated the necklace could've easily cost $25 million, and her whole heart diamond set could've been more than $30 million.

'As Jules mentioned in the video, heart shaped diamonds are very rare and especially difficult to scale to similar sizing which really makes her look stand out,' Olivia added.

Commenters were curious about the unique pieces, calling the heart diamond set in particular 'violently iconic' and writing, 'Dying to know what Lorraine Schwartz's insurance policy looked like for all the jewels she had on loan for this one event.'

In another video, Jules showed off all of the elaborate jewels guests wore during the first night of the festivities, starting with Priyanka Chopra, who was in a mix of diamonds and rubies from Bulgari.

Olivia said that her look would cost several million dollars - and while her watch might not stand out, it's the most unique piece she's wearing with a halo of diamond and rubies, which would cost several hundred thousand dollars.

'Another show-stopping piece featured in this video is Shanaya Kapoor's dazzling jewels wrapped around her head and hair,' Olivia said, estimating the Bollywood star's jewels would also cost a few hundred thousand dollars.

Jules documented some of the most extravagant jewelry seen at the Ambani wedding in India

Kim Kardashian's 150 carats of diamonds on her headpiece and necklaces were another supremely flashy look - which Olivia valued about $4 to 5 million

Not everyone on TikTok was impressed with the reality star's jewelry, with one person jesting, 'and still next to the Ambani jewels it look poor'

Many commenters adored the diamonds, with one raving, 'I think this is one of Kim's best jewelry looks ever!!!!!!'

Kim Kardashian's 150 carats of diamonds on her headpiece and necklaces were another supremely flashy look from jeweler to the stars Lorraine Schwartz - which Olivia valued about $4 to 5 million.

Kim wore a 35-carat marquise-cut stone suspended from a 55-carat chain along with a 23-carat pear-cut diamond on a 40-carat chain, as well as two pear-shaped diamonds.

Ashley thought Kim's bling might be closer to $15 million, considering the quality grades and that they were larger diamonds, along with her headpiece and earrings.

'The marquee diamond on her necklace alone is around $2 million,' Olivia estimated.

Not everyone on TikTok was impressed with the reality star's jewelry, with one person jesting, 'and still next to the Ambani jewels it look poor' and another asking, 'Was it borrowed from them? I know she's rich but.'

Many commenters adored the diamonds, with one raving, 'I think this is one of Kim's best jewelry looks ever!!!!!!' and another saying, 'She was absolutely stunning she looks like a princess.'

When FEMAIL reached out to Jules, she joked the jewelry at the event would be worth millions and said, 'There are no jewels in the world this crazy.'
A money expert has revealed how anyone can become a millionaire without any 'hard work' - and he said it all comes down to a simple mindset shift.

Josh Kaufman, a best-selling author and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to teaching others 'how successful businesses really work,' recently sat down with Steve Bartlett on his The Diary Of A CEO podcast to share some of his knowledge.

The finance guru, who is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, claimed that every company shared the same basic 'foundation.'

And he insisted that anyone could launch a triumphant business and get rich if they master it.

According to Josh, it comes down to asking a few 'simple, straightforward, and useful questions.'

A money expert has revealed how anyone can become a millionaire without any 'hard work' - and he said it all comes down to a simple mindset shift

Josh Kaufman (left), a best-selling author and entrepreneur, recently sat down with Steve Bartlett (right) on his The Diary Of A CEO podcast to share some of his knowledge

When looking to launch a company, he said people should ask themselves, 'How is this business creating value?

'How does it attract the attention of people who might want or need what this business provides?

'How does it convince people to pull out their wallet or credit card and give the business money?

'How does the business deliver the value that it is promising to its paying customers?

'And most important, is it making enough to make all of the time and energy and effort that's being put into the business by the owner and the employees worthwhile?'

'That's the essence of finance. Understanding business in this very systematic way is a superpower,' he added.

Josh explained that 'every business from the smallest startup to the largest corporation in the world' is based on understanding the importance of these inquiries.

'This is the foundation of every business plan that has or ever will exist because each of these parts is universal, essential, and fundamental,' he continued. 'You have to answer these questions.'

And the finance guru claimed that every company shares the same basic 'foundation' - and he insisted that anyone could launch a triumphant business and get rich if they master it

According to Josh, it comes down to asking a few 'simple and straightforward questions,' like, 'How is this business creating value?' One of Josh's books are seen

He said that even those who aren't starting their own companies can benefit, because thinking in this way can help you land the perfect job.

'By having this framework in your head, by understanding these things and being able to ask these questions, by being able to know what's important and what's not and think like an owner or an operator is what owners and operators, executives and managers are looking for in terms of people to hire,' dished the author.

Josh told Steve that he thinks becoming wealthy is 'achievable' for anyone, whether they have experience in the business world or not.

'It comes down to answering those fundamental questions - how are you going to create value that someone else in the world wants or needs?' he concluded.
A student claimed she 'nearly had a heart attack' when told her Starbucks was 6.75 - only to be slammed by social media users for buying from the chain in the first place.

Sophie Greenfield, who lives in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was 'shocked' after being charged 6.75 for a large Creme Brulee Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso from a Starbucks in Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire, last week.

The 25-year-old popped out for a takeaway drink while she was house sitting and decided to try a coffee from the Starbucks summer menu which launched in April.

Forgetting to check the price, the student was surprised to discover the 'ridiculous' cost but felt too 'embarrassed' to change her order so forked out the money anyway.

Taking to TikTok, Sophie filmed herself sitting in her car with the takeaway espresso captioned '6.75 for a drink is disgusting', which has now gone viral with 93,300 views.

Sophie Greenfield, who lives in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, claimed she 'nearly had a heart attack' when told her Starbucks was 6.75 - only to be slammed by social media users for buying from the chain in the first place

In the clip, the 25-year-old holds up the drink and can be heard saying 'that is ridiculous. I almost had a heart attack'.

Many users branded the student 'embarrassing' in the comments and blamed her for not checking the price before she paid - though others agreed the high cost was 'shocking'.

However dozens of commenters piled in to slam Sophie for even buying from Starbucks in the first place, following customer boycotts linked to Israel's war in Gaza.

Sophie said: 'It's crazy. It was ridiculously priced. I've never paid anything like that before.

'I hadn't tried the drink since it first came out. I didn't look at the price and just ordered the drink. When the price came up, I was shocked. I nearly had a heart attack.

'I almost asked to change my drink because that's a lot of money for a coffee. But I felt like I couldn't because the server had already put it through the till. I felt a bit embarrassed.

'Starbucks all charge different prices for their drinks but that's the most expensive one I've ever had. I can't believe people are going to spend that much.'

Sophie was 'shocked' after being charged 6.75 for a large Creme Brulee Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso from a Starbucks in Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire, last week

Dozens of commenters piled in to slam Sophie for even buying from Starbucks in the first place, following customer boycotts linked to Israel's war in Gaza

Many users branded the student 'embarrassing' in the comments and blamed her for not checking the price before she paid - though others agreed the high cost was 'shocking'

The 25-year-old, who has always been a Starbucks fan, revealed she is no longer able to factor the rising coffee costs into her student budget and now makes her own caffeinated drinks at home.

Sophie said: 'I haven't been back since. I've just been making my coffee at home. I invested in a coffee machine and just buy the pods.

'You get so much more for your money that way. It's more of a treat now than a regular occurrence.

'It wasn't a case of not being able to afford the drink even though it was a shock. Moving forward I'll definitely think twice before ordering.

'It's not something that I can factor into the budget anymore. I used to be able to. A lot of students are in a much worse position than I am. It's a once in a blue moon thing.

'I do think Starbucks is the most expensive out of all of the chains. I wouldn't say that their quality is any different. I feel like some people go to Starbucks for the name.

Taking to TikTok , Sophie filmed herself sitting in her car with the takeaway espresso captioned '6.75 for a drink is disgusting', which has now gone viral with 93,300 views

The 25-year-old, who has always been a Starbucks fan, revealed she is no longer able to factor the rising coffee costs into her student budget and now makes her own caffeinated drinks at home

'I think they use that position and their reputation to put the prices up because they know that young girls and teenagers will still buy it.'

Many users took to the comments to brand the student 'embarrassing' for complaining about the expensive drink.

One user said: 'This is so embarrassing.' Another user said: 'Why do people order things without checking the price first? And the act shocked when they get the bill.'

A third user said: 'That's because you are going to a chain coffee place.'

A large number of commenters suggested it was her own fault as they believed she should be 'boycotting' the chain.

One said: 'Maybe if you boycotted, you'd save that 6.75 like every other person that's boycotting.'

Another added: 'Serves you right for going to Starbucks, hope they charge you more when you go next.'

But other users agreed with her that the price was 'shocking'. One user said: 'The prices are getting insane.'

A second user said: 'Starbucks have gone up so much I used to pay 4.75 for a large.' A third user said: 'It's shocking.'

Sophie said: 'I thought the negative comments were valid but they didn't really phase me to be honest. I just thought 'I'm going to order the drink I want'.

'I just wanted a coffee and it was the first coffee shop near me. I went in for the convenience. I ordered the drink I knew I'd like and didn't think much about it.

'I had some people commenting saying it was because I ordered syrups but I didn't add anything extra. Everything was already included for this order specifically.'

Starbucks said that the drink comes in three sizes with 'tall' being the smallest, while the size of beverage ordered by the customer is their largest offer of a 'venti' at 591 ml [just over one pint].

They said that beverage and food prices reflect local operating costs and factors and will vary by location.
Queen Camilla looked visibly touched as schoolchildren in Guernsey sang happy birthday to her yesterday afternoon.

The royal celebrates her 77th birthday today and will appear in public again today for the State Opening of Parliament in London.

The King and Queen visited Les Cotils at L'Hyvreuse, in Saint Peter Port yesterday - where they met primary school children from Sark school.

During the engagement, the children sang happy birthday to Queen Camilla in Sercquais, which is derived from Norman French.

The children were accompanied by a teacher, who played the guitar during the performance as they held onto their Union Jack flags.

Pictured: Queen Camilla looked visibly touched as schoolchildren in Guernsey sung happy birthday to her yesterday

The Queen - who was wearing a royal blue coat dress by Fiona Clare and six-strand pearl necklace - looked touched as she was serenaded by the primary school children.

Afterwards, Camilla turned to one of the event's hosts and said: 'I recognised the tune but not the language!'

The royal then walked over to the group and said: 'Thank you very much children, that was very kind.

'That was your special language, wasn't it?'

Following their performance, Camilla then posed for a photo with the children, who then presented her with a poster filled with birthday wishes.

The children also gifted her a map of Guernsey which had their school pinpointed on it.

Camilla proudly held up the poster and beamed while excited schoolchildren looked on.

According to the BBC, less than 3.3 per cent of Guerseny residents were able to speak Sercquais in 1998.

Queen Camilla - who turns 77 today - poses with local school children during a visit to Les Cotils at L'Hyvreuse

The royal then walked over to the group and said: 'Thank you very much children, that was very kind.

Queen Camilla beamed as she held up a poster containing personalised happy birthday messages from the pupils of Sark School in Guernsey yesterday

The Queen, who turns 77 today, was also gifted a map by the pupils, which pinpointed their school on the island of Guernsey

While the Queen carried out her engagements this afternoon, royal fans noticed she was sporting a bandage on her ankle.

Aides said she has suffered an 'slight ankle sprain' while on neighbouring Jersey - where the heavens opened for the royal visit - yesterday.

The white dressing was clearly visible as she and King Charles arrived in St Peter Port to be greeted by huge crowds and blue skies.

Admiring one ladys flat shoes, Camilla joked: I wish I had a pair of those.

The royal explained that she had caught her heel as she was walking and pulled the ligament. Its quite sore, she said.

She also referred to her birthday today saying that she wouldnt have the chance to put her foot up and rest it as she will be at the State Opening of Parliament.

The official ceremony will see King Charles read out prime minister Sir Keir Starmer's pledges for the next parliament after his Labour Party won a landslide victory in the General Election on July 4.
Women's lifestyle brand SheerLuxe has been slammed by fans for their 'disgraceful' new AI editor and overlooking 'real women of colour' for the role.

The London-based brand, which boasts 467,000 Instagram followers, unveiled their new fashion and lifestyle editor Reem, who is powered by AI, yesterday afternoon.

In an introductory Instagram post, the SheerLuxe team shared a digitally altered photo of Reem having a 'catch up meeting' with their editor Charlotte Collins.

The post also featured a glimpse inside the bot's work bag, her current favourite makeup products and a selfie of Reem 'wearing' a pink Mint Velvet co-ord.

However, the post was met with outrage from fans - who argued the brand should have hired a real woman of colour for the role instead of creating an AI bot.

Pictured: SheerLuxe's editor Charlotte Collins (right) has a 'catch up meeting' with their new lifestyle and fashion editor Reem, who is powered by AI

Although SheerLuxe has not revealed the AI editor's ethnicity, fans have speculated that she is meant to be Arab - as Reem is a common name in the Middle East.

One follower commented: 'This is incredibly weird and also insulting. Its essentially taking away a job from an Arab woman when we are already under-represented and/or misrepresented in media.'

Another added: 'Would love to understand the reasoning behind choosing an Arab woman for an AI enhanced team member. Did anyone actually think about the message this sends out?''

Meanwhile, a third sarcastically wrote: 'ChatGPT please make the most perfect Arab looking woman, with the perfect brown skin and call her Reem. But dont worry we will control the brown girls narrative instead of hiring one!'

A fourth asked: 'Is Reem supposed to be a virtually created woman of colour??'

'This could have been a funny joke on April 1st,' a fifth said. 'But right now I dont see anyone laughing. Whatever is going on here is actually really disturbing.'

What's more, others claimed that Reem was perpetuating a 'ridiculous beauty standard' and argued SheerLuxe had missed an opportunity to showcase a 'relatable' woman.

A critic added: 'If you have to do this please don't set such a ridiculous beauty standard. Create a normal, average woman who empowers and represents us as we really are, and doesn't leave all our daughters feeling that they are totally inadequate.

The post also featured a glimpse inside the bot's work bag, her current favourite makeup products and a selfie of Reem 'wearing' a pink Mint Velvet co-ord

Women's lifestyle brand SheerLuxe has been slammed by fans for their 'disgraceful' new AI editor Reem (pictured)

The post was met with outrage from fans - who argued the brand should have hired a real woman of colour for the role instead of creating an AI bot.

'This is the opposite of empowering women. Shame on SheerLuxe.'

'Come on. This AI member of staff was created exactly how you wanted her to look and you STILL couldnt make her larger than a size 8? Very very telling,' another added.

Jumping to their defence, one supporter wrote on SheerLuxe's latest Instagram post: 'I dont understand why people are so pressed about a bot?'

'Grow up and move with the digital time. Sheerluxe are a digital platform - innovation is at the core of who they are and what they represent. This is tech genius and Im here for it!!!'

Last night, SheerLuxe's founder Georgie Coleridge Cole - who has also set up SheerLuxe Middle East - responded to the backlash on the brand's Instagram Stories.

Speaking from their London office, the CEO said Reem was created by a Saudi designer who approached SheerLuxe with the idea.

She said: 'Today we launched our AI-assisted, virtually created new SheerLuxe contributer called Reem and let's just say, our followers have been quite vocal on what they think about her.

'I have to add that she was created by a Saudi woman who approached us and said she had created a bot and [asked if she] could contribute to SheerLuxe.'

Pictured: SheerLuxe founder Georgie Coleridge Cole attending the second day of Royal Ascot in June

SheerLuxe's founder Georgie Coleridge Cole - who has also set up SheerLuxe Middle East - responded to the backlash on the brand's Instagram Stories

Reem has divided SheerLuxe's fans - with one writing: 'This is the opposite of empowering women. Shame on SheerLuxe'

Georgie then went on to say how she had been wanting to experiment with AI and stressed that no one on the SheerLuxe team had been made redundant.

The founder continued: 'She is powered by probably about eight of the SheerLuxe team so there's a lot of work that goes into her.

'But who knows what the future of AI and bots looks like? But we didn't get to where we are with following the crowd.'

Georgie signed off by saying Reem was an 'experiment' but stressed how excited she was for their new 'editorial spin'.

She concluded: 'She's got a sort of persona and a character that we can follow and be true to and hopefully some people might like what they see and like her recommendations.'

As well as setting Reem up with her own Instagram page, SheerLuxe also published an article yesterday introducing their new AI editor.

Describing her personal style, the AI bot said: 'Elevated, polished, fashion-forward and a little bit extra. I like classic items combined with something a bit unexpected  like a big shoulder or a killer accessory.'

Sharing her style rules, Reem continued: 'First, no outfit is complete without jewellery; invest in accessories; if in doubt, add a shoulder; incorporate vintage where possible and finally, dont shy away from colour  admittedly this one isnt the easiest, but Im trying to take a leaf out of [SheerLuxe colleague Nana Acheampong's] book.'

Femail has contacted SheerLuxe for comment.
King Charles appeared to get frustrated at a page boy tending to his robe as he attended the State Opening of Parliament at the House of Lords today.

The monarch, 75, seemed to abruptly pull his hand back when his regalia was being put in place ahead of the event.

While his helper attempted to place the fabric around the Sovereign's Throne, the royal looked to take matters into his own hands as he flipped the material out.

It is not clear if Charles was cooperating with the young boy or simply feeling exasperated by his - undoubtedly heavy - ensemble ahead of the King's Speech today.

His young helper was William Sackville, the grandson of the 11th Earl De La Warr, who made his debut as one of King Charles' Pages of Honour this morning.

A close up photo of the moment also seemed to show a scrutinising Charles looking down at the ornate, albeit bulky, clothing.

King Charles appeared to get frustrated at a page boy tending to his robe as he attended the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords today

Earlier this week, the monarch didn't appear to be in high spirits as he snapped at an aide to help his wife - while she struggled to get her coat on amid battling wind and rain in Jersey.

Camilla, who today turns 77, was meeting members of the public in St Helier as part of a two-day visit to the Channel Islands with her husband Charles.

At one point the royal couple braved the rain and strong winds as they watched a military parade through the town.

But after popping up a perspex umbrella, the Queen struggled to get her arm through her coat.

Charles, who was also holding an umbrella, then attempted to help with wife out - before a turning to an aide to ask for help.

The monarch looked visibly annoyed at the struggle to get the coat on, before the aide helped Her Majesty slip her arm through the coat.

It comes after Camilla was whisked away from her engagements after a security scare.

The royal had to make a quick exit from an ice cream van in Weighbridge Place where she was sampling the local delights when a member of her security team rushed over and told her the visit was being cut short.

Charles has delivered his speech at the Palace of Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer set out his vision for Britain

The monarch, 75, seemed to abruptly pull his hand back when his regalia was being adjusted ahead of the event

Thankfully, the scare turned out to be a false alarm and Their Majesties were soon able to continue with their planned programme of engagements.

Buckingham Palace did not comment officially but it is understood there was a 'small issue of concern'.

An investigation was initiated but it turned out to be a false alarm. Sources said every precaution was taken and the programme resumed shortly afterwards. It does not appear anyone was arrested.

Members of the public including children who had been due to meet them were taken to the hotel so they could meet Their Majesties personally instead.

Queen Camilla donned a turquoise belted dress upon arrival in the Channel Island - but added a waterproof trench coat and umbrella to her ensemble to take the rain into account.

However, as the couple arrived via red carpet onto a stage in the Royal Square in St Helier, where an official welcoming ceremony was carried out before a sitting of the Royal Court and the State Assembly, Camilla realised she still had her waterproof layer on.

Charles pictured sat in the Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords chamber, during the State Opening of Parliament

Making his first King's Speech under a Labour government, the monarch said the legislative programme would be based on 'security, fairness and opportunity for all' as he set out measures on illegal migration, housing, planning, workers' rights and railway nationalisation

The King travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster to deliver his address in the House of Lords on a day packed with pomp and ceremony as the new Parliament

Pictured: Charles wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State as he reads the King's Speech alongside Queen Camilla

In a comical clip as she stood with King Charles to be officially greeted by delegates, the Queen, in one swift move, jerked back her shoulders to shake off the coat.

As the coat fell behind her in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, the Queen continued to stand to attention as if nothing has happened - and regained composure in an instant.

However, her quick change was spotted by King Charles, 75, who couldn't help but smile as he watched her lose the coat.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Charles has delivered his speech at the Palace of Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer set out his vision for Britain.

Making his first King's Speech under a Labour government, the monarch said the legislative programme would be based on 'security, fairness and opportunity for all' as he set out measures on illegal migration, housing, planning, workers' rights and railway nationalisation.

The King travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster to deliver his address in the House of Lords on a day packed with pomp and ceremony as the new Parliament.

After King Charles was seen snapping at an aide in Jersey, how the monarch's impatient side has reared its head during public appearances

King Charles set tongues wagging among royal fans during his visit to the Channel Islands this week after he appeared to lose his temper - but it's not the first time one of the monarch's snappier moments has been caught on camera.

It's just one of many of the royal's 'spicy' moments over the years - including his notorious comments about BBC Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell in 2005 when he called the journalist an 'awful man' under his breath during a press conference and photo opportunity on the ski slopes at Klosters.

In 2022, Charles vented his frustration at a leaky pen while signing the visitors book at Hillsborough Castle - telling courtiers he 'can't bear this bloody thing'.

Just a few days earlier, the King furiously motioned for an aide to move an ink pot as he signed documents when he was proclaimed the new King.

Meanwhile, last year a frustrated King Charles moaned 'we can never be on time' as he waited in coach outside Westminster Abbey ahead of his Coronation, lip readers claimed.

Here FEMAIL looks at Charles' most fiery moments over the years - which happened in view of the whole world...

Camilla's Coat

Charles got cranky with an aide who didn't think to help Queen Camilla as she struggled to get her coat on yesterday

Charles got cranky with an aide who didn't think to help Queen Camilla as she struggled to get her coat on yesterday.

Camilla, who turns 77 today, was meeting members of the public in St Helier as part of a two-day visit to the Channel Islands with her husband Charles.

At one point the royal couple braved the rain and strong winds as they watched a military parade through the town.

But after popping up a perspex umbrella, the Queen struggled to get her arm through her coat.

Charles, who was also holding an umbrella, then attempted to help with wife out - before a turning to an aide to ask for help.

The monarch looked visibly annoyed at the struggle to get the coat on, before the aide helped Her Majesty slip her arm through the coat.

Seething on the slopes

In 2005, Charles, William and Harry held a brief press conference and photo opportunity on the slopes at Klosters

BBC's long-serving Royal Correspondent, Nicholas Witchell asked an agreed question as to how the Prince of Wales felt about the forthcoming wedding

In 2005, Charles, William and Harry held a brief press conference and photo opportunity on the slopes at Klosters.

Surrounded by cameras, journalists and microphones, the BBC's long-serving Royal Correspondent, Nicholas Witchell asked an agreed question as to how the Prince of Wales felt about the forthcoming wedding.

Charles gave a somewhat unhelpful answer - 'I'm glad you've heard of it' - then sitting next to his sons, expanded on his true feelings.

'I hate doing this....Bloody people. I can't bear that man anyway. I mean, he is so awful, he really is. I hate these people.'

However privately he thought he had been speaking, Charles's words were caught by a microphone on the slopes and subsequently broadcast to the world.

The Prince of Wales's' spokesman at the time, Paddy Harverson, explained the situation later: 'Nicholas was in the firing line when the prince was expressing his general frustration at the paparazzi and it boiled over at the first person to ask a question.

'It wasn't personal. He does regret saying it. He really didn't mean to take it out on Nicholas.'

Leaky pen

In 2022, the King blasted a leaking pen that threatened to ruin his mood just hours after the then new monarch was warmly embraced by the people of Belfast

In 2022, the King blasted a leaking pen that threatened to ruin his mood just hours after the then new monarch was warmly embraced by the people of Belfast.

Charles, who sat inside the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, appeared flustered by dripping ink as he tried signing a book towards the end of his visit.

Charles, who had lost his mother Queen Elizabeth just days earlier, complained about the pen he was using to sign his name, announcing he 'can't bear this bloody thing' as he appeared to furiously rub the ink from his fingers.

The Queen later suggested it was leaking and asked for a replacement, as the King briskly turned on his heels and left the room flanked by aides.

The faulty instrument was swiftly removed and replaced by flustered courtiers before Camilla sat down to sign the book herself from inside the historic residence.

The clip began with Charles asking what the date was, as he prepared to sign a visitors book in front of cameras.

Venting his frustration as the pen begins to malfunction, the King exclaimed: 'God I hate this [pen]' as he handed it over to the Queen Consort.

He added: 'I can't bear this thing... every stinking time'.

Ink-gate

King Charles' was caught up in another snappy moment as the monarch suddenly gestured furiously to one of his aides to remove a pot of ink

A few days before the leaky pen situation, Charles' was caught up in another snappy moment as the monarch suddenly gestured furiously to one of his aides to remove a pot of ink.

As he went to sign the historic Proclamation, the King frantically motioned to an aide to move a pen box from his desk, which viewers described as 'far too small' for the huge document and stationery.

Despite the gravity of the moment, viewers could not help but find the apparent difficulty the King had with the pen amusing.

Charles asked a nearby aide to get the box off the table so he could sign the second part of the large document.

The fountain pen set he used to sign the momentous document was a gift from his sons Princes Harry and William.

Some viewers joked the new King 'stole' the pen after spotting him put it in his pocket before taking it out again.

Tongue-in-cheek observations and memes have already flooded social media following the awkward moment.

One said the table holding the documents 'was about the size for balancing a TV dinner on'.

Another viewer said: 'Well that's the next step. Extraordinary to witness. King Charles a little flustered with the pen situation.'

Meanwhile one said Charles's apparent 'fury' at the awkward situation was 'the highlight' of the Proclamation signing for him.

Coronation frustration

The royal complained that 'we can never be on time' as he waited in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach ahead of his Coronation, lip readers claimed in May 2023

The royal complained that 'we can never be on time' as he waited in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach ahead of his Coronation, lip readers claimed in May 2023.

The monarch was caught on camera speaking to Queen Camilla inside the coach after they arrived five minutes early at Westminster Abbey and ended up waiting in their coach outside.

Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton and children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were said to have been late and ended up having to join the King's procession through the church because they were unable to overtake to get ahead of him.

Lip reader Jacqui Press, who studied footage of Charles earlier on during the carriage procession, told MailOnline that she believed he said: 'I'm worried about time, I mean it's been longer this time and, well, erm, I mean look! I know.'

Another lip reader told Sky News that the King said: 'We can never be on time. Yes, I'm... this is a negative. There's always something'.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were supposed to arrive and be seated before Charles and Camilla, according to the Coronation's official order of service.

Instead, they arrived after Charles, meaning the King first had to wait in his carriage before he finally walked into the Abbey ahead of his eldest son.

Most of the 2,300 guests - including world leaders, royal dignitaries, celebrities and everyday heroes - had already taken their seats inside the church two hours before the ceremony began.

Presidential pique

King Charles appeared to briefly lose his patience when he tried to get President Joe Biden to move along during their meeting at Windsor Castle last year

King Charles appeared to briefly lose his patience when he tried to get President Joe Biden to move along during their meeting at Windsor Castle last year.

Biden appeared reluctant to end his conversation when Charles tried to get him to stop talking during their inspection of the Welsh Guards in the middle of a welcome ceremony.

A hands-on Biden grabbed Charles' arm as they embraced and shook hands, then put his hand on his back during their lap of the quadrangle.

He also clutched the handrail to get on stage for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner after forcing Charles to wait for his SUV to drive through the castle.

The pair smiled and joked during the formalities, and ushered each other around the grounds of the historic castle, before holding talks on climate change.

At one point, the monarch tried to get Biden to keep walking while he spoke to one of the guards. The president stood and kept chatting while the King tried, and failed, to get him to keep moving.

Charles then appeared to direct his anger at the guard before walking away with the president.
The Duchess of Wellington caused quite a stir in the House of Lords at the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament today.

King Charles may have delivered a historic speech but the elegant tiara and brooch worn by the Duchess - officially known as Princess Antonia Elizabeth Brigid Louise Mansfeld of Prussia - also garnered much attention.

The historic headpiece was, according to Tatler magazine, first worn by Lady Elisabeth Hay, the 2nd Duchess of Wellington, who was Queen Victorias Mistress of the Dress and the daughter-in-law of the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Today, the 69-year-old minor royal, who was dressed in a sophisticated white lace dress with pristine cream gloves, looked every inch a Duchess, finishing the look with a pair of large drop pearl earrings.

But many may wonder who this mysterious royal is and her link to The Firm.

Dressed in a sophisticated white lace dress along with cream gloves, large pearl drop earrings and a dazzling brooch, Antonia, 69, looked every inch a Duchess at the State Opening of Parliament today

Close connections: The Duchess of Wellington guided King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, on a visit tp The Royal Ballet School White Lodge campus in Richmond Park in 2016

The Duchess of Wellington is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria through her father, Prince Friedrich of Prussia.

Antonia's mother, Lady Brigid Guinness, is also the daughter of 2nd Earl of Iveagh, Rupert Guinness.

During the Second World War, Lady Brigid worked as a nursing assistant and tended to Prince Friedrich, who was hurt in a tractor accident.

The couple fell in love and married just a couple of years later in 1945 in in Little Hadham in Hertfordshire.

Prince Friedrich renounced his German nationality to become a British citizen under the name von Preussen. They had Antonia in April 1955, along with her twin brother Rupert.

Her father died in mysterious circumstances when the twins were just 10 years old, after he was found drowned in the River Rhine while staying at his Reinhartshausen castle in Erbach, Germany.

The Duchess of Wellington studied at Cobham Hall School, an all-girls private school in Kent, and attended Kings College shortly after and got a degree in English.

On 3 February 1977, she married Charles Wellesley, now the Duke of Wellington, at St Pauls Church in Knightsbridge, London. He is the eldest son of the 8th Duke of Wellington and is both a businessman and also sits in the House of Lords.

The lavish nuptials were attended by the then Prince Charles, Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.

Princess Antonia and Charles went on to have five children, Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, Lady Honor Victoria Wellesley, Lady Mary Luise Wellesley, Lady Charlotte Wellesley and Lord Frederick Wellesley.

Antonia and the late Princes Diana are seen pictured at a Guinness Trust Project in Manchester in 1991

The Duke and Duchess of Wellington pictured at the wedding of their daughter, Lady Charlotte Wellesley, in 2016 - the couple have five children together

The then Prince Charles and then Duchess Camilla are shown around by the Duke and Duchess of Wellington during a visit of the Battlefield and the Lion's Mound in Belgium in 2015

In 2008, Antonia was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and then went on to be elected as a Fellow of Eton College.

Their aristocracy and status are not to be underestimated, as she has remained close with members of The Firm.

There are pictures of Princess Antonia at a Guinness Trust Project in Manchester alongside the late Princess Diana in 1991.

The Duchess became Chairwoman of the Royal Ballet School in 2009, serving until December 2019.

She took the pleasure of showing the the Prince Charles around the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge campus in Richmond Park in 2016.

And the Duke and Duchess of Wellington attended King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation on 6 May last year and were given the role of carrying Queen Mary's crown during the regalia procession of the Queen.

In 2023, the couple were also invited to be by Charles and Camilla's side at the first day of Ascot, signifying their importance to the Monarch.
Royal fans have been left rolling their eyes after a mobile phone went off just before the King's Speech today.

The Monarch, 75, addressed MPs and peers in the House of Lords in London this morning for the first time since Labour's landslide election win.

The ceremony and the delivery of a speech by royalty can be traced back as far as the 16th century.

But a technological mishap before the event began served as a stark reminder that today's world is very different to the days of the 16th century when the first State Opening of Parliament was carried out - as someone's phone ringtone sounded throughout the historic building.

The room remained silent as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in lavish royal regalia, including the Robe of State and glitzy Imperial State Crown, encrusted with jewels.

A mobile phone ringtone could be heard echoing in the historic building today as King Charles sat down

The ceremony and the delivery of a speech by royalty can be traced back as far as the 16th century

It was also caught on camera, with footage showing King Charles sitting down on the throne alongside his wife Queen Camilla - who is celebrating her 77th birthday today - and several of his trusted Pages of Honours for the historic occasion.

Several Pages of Honour helped arrange the King's robes. Wearing traditional uniforms, schoolboys William Sackville, Ralph Tollemache, Alfred Wellesley, Guy Tryon, William Keswick and Arthur Elliot helped the King and Queen settle for the historic occasion.

However, just as they finish arranging Charles' robe, a mobile phone can be heard ringing for a couple of seconds, before it is swiftly turned off.

The Monarch then said: 'My Lords, pray be seated,' before the entire room sat down on their chairs.

This embarrassing moment did not go unnoticed by royal fans, who pointed it out on X, formerly known as Twitter.

One joked: 'Oops mobile phone went off during state opening of Parliament. I think that's treason.'

Another penned: 'Mobile phone going off as King Charles is seated on his throne in his robe in the House of Lords, very 21st century Britain.'

The Monarch, 75, addressed MPs and peers in the House of Lords in London this morning for the first time since Labour 's landslide election win

The Monarch then said: 'My Lords, pray be seated,' before the entire room sat down on their chairs

This embarrassing moment did not go unnoticed by royal fans, who pointed it out on X, formerly known as Twitter

A third said: 'A mobile phone goes off inside the House of Lords as his Majesty the King arrives to open Parliament.'

However, this is not the first time a phone has interrupted the House of Lords.

Last year, Labour peer Lord Woodley apologised after his device rang and played the Mission Impossible theme tune, just after they introduced Lord Douglas Miller.

In a statement in Parliament, Lord Woodley said: 'Could I first of all apologise to the Speaker and particularly to our new lord Douglas Miller for my phone going off. I've never been so embarrassed in all my life. I'm sincerely sorry.'

Members of the public have also been frustrated by the use of mobile phones by MPs and Lords in the Houses of Parliament,

One stated: 'They set these rules for others. It's clear it's a problem for them. They should follow the same rules they set others.'
Thousands of men are dying prematurely in the UK every week because of society's failure to take their health seriously, a damning report warns today.

The Real Face of Men's Health report says two in five men (39 per cent) die younger than they should, meaning 133,000 a year are lost too soon.

Many could have been saved with improved access to screening for diseases such as prostate cancer or by breaking the taboos that delay them coming forward for care, it adds.

Others would have lived longer if they had received help to improve their lifestyles, including cutting back on alcohol, junk food and smoking  and doing more exercise.

Men are less likely to attend health screening appointments and check-ups with their GP than women, putting them at risk of late diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease

Internet personality Sam Cornforth and former TOWIE star Pete Wicks partnered with Movember ahead of testicular cancer awareness month in April

The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride in London raised money and awareness for Movember in May

The charity Movember claims men's health has been 'relegated to the sidelines' and says its report should serve as a 'wake-up call' to the unacceptable state of men's healthcare in the UK.

It is calling for a dedicated men's health strategy to reverse a decline in men's life expectancy and a dedicated national clinical director for men's health, mirroring an existing role for women.

The report highlights how the health of men in the UK is lagging behind most other wealthy nations and lays bare the devastating impact of the crisis crisis on men and their families.

A boy born in the UK in 2021 can expect to live to 78.7, which is four years less than a girl.

It is also three years less than boys in Switzerland, 2.6 years less than boys in Australia and 1.3 years less than boys in Ireland.

FIVE RULES FOR MOVEMBER RULE ONE Once registered at movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. RULE TWO For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must Grow and groom a moustache. RULE THREE Don't fake it. No beards, no goatees and no fake moustaches. RULE FOUR Use the power of the moustache to create conversation and raise funds for men's health. RULE FIVE Each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman. Source: Movember Advertisement

In England and Wales, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20 to 34, and the suicide rate generally is three times higher for men than women.

The report reveals men are less likely to have healthy lifestyles than women, and are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

They are also less likely to attend health screening appointments and check-ups with their GP, putting them at risk of late diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

New polling for the study shows two thirds of men (64 per cent) wait more than a week with symptoms before visiting the doctor, while a third (31 per cent) will wait over a month.

And when men do seek help, healthcare systems are inadequately prepared to provide them with 'engaging, appropriate, and effective care', the report notes.

Many men (62 per cent) say they want to leave their practitioner or have left a previous one, due to a lack of 'personal connection'.

Some 48 per cent believe it is normal practice to avoid health check-ups, with less than 40 per cent taking up the offer of an NHS health check for which they are eligible.

The report reveals men are deterred from seeking help because of 'stigma' or 'traditional masculine norms', which suggest they should 'man-up' and endure pain or risk being ridiculed by women for having 'man flu'.

Movember said tackling preventable diseases in men could have saved the UK 9.4 billion in 2023 alone  enough to cover the costs of nine of England's biggest hospitals.

Researchers stress the impact is felt beyond men themselves, with their mostly female partners often forced to act as carers when they fall ill and then left to grieve once they die.

Michelle Terry, chief executive of Movember, said: 'The report findings should serve as a wake-up call to the unacceptable state of men's health across the UK.

'For too long, men's health has been relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations. Men's health doesn't exist in a vacuum.

'If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, and better support the men in our lives, real change is needed urgently.

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Graph shows: The rate sperm concentration is falling globally from samples collected from 1972 to 2000 (orange) and since 2000 (red)

'We need to invest in education, health system reform to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated men's health strategy if we truly want to make progress.'

The report found men living in the ten constituencies with the highest premature death rates are almost 3.5 times more likely to die early than men living in the ten constituencies with the lowest.

It says: 'Twenty years of campaigning in men's health has taught us that everyone has a story to tell.

'Stories of men not knowing their risks. Not paying attention to their physical and mental health.

'Accounts of men leaving it too late to speak to a healthcare professional, or simply having a poor experience when they do.

'Everyday, we hear from men themselves but also their wives, mothers, sisters, partners, mates, neighbours, children, teachers and doctors.'

It adds: 'This report outlines the state of men's health across the UK and makes clear the benefits that could ripple through families, communities and societies if we improved men's health  including billions saved by preventing avoidable conditions in men and improvements to the day to day lives of men and those closest to them.

'Men's health impacts each and every one of us and we invite policymakers to be part of the story for positive change.'

William Roberts, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: 'Too many men are dying too young and too many men experience poor health due to preventable conditions.

'It is critical that we address the underlying causes of poor men's health. Men's health affects us all and we need to see it as critical part of a healthy nation.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'It is the mission of this government to get the NHS back on its feet so it is there for everyone.

'We know men can be reluctant to engage with health and other support services.

'Asking for help is not a sign of weakness and we encourage anyone to speak to their GP if they have concerns about their mental or physical health.

'Prevention is better than cure so this government will also shift the focus of healthcare from simply treating sickness to supporting people to live longer, healthier lives.'
Health officials are raising the alarm over the rise of six 'silent killers' in the US that are becoming resistant to the drugs typically used to treat them.

A new CDC report on antimicrobial resistance threats found infections with six hard-to-treat germs had risen at least 20 percent throughout the Covid pandemic compared to 2019 and infections remained elevated through 2022, the latest year data was available.

Of particular concern was the rise of one antifungal-resistant fungus that can cause severe illness and often spreads in healthcare facilities. Cases of this, Candida auris, surged five-fold from 2019 to 2022.

Officials estimate 29,400 people died from anti-microbial resistant infections in 2020, but admitted this was likely a major underestimate due to under-reporting  and said the 2019 tally of 35,000 deaths a year was likely more accurate.

The increase is fueling concerns that deaths from these once-treatable germs will rise as the drugs used to tackle them stop working.

Lorrie McCreary, 86, contracted Candida auris when she was moved to a rehabilitation unit at Baycare St Anthony's Hospital in St Petersburg, Florida

The above table shows how infections shifted between 2019 and 2022 in the US

Antimicrobial-resistant infections are those that can't be treated with standard medications.

The CDC's latest report looked at seven hospital pathogens and found infections with six of them were elevated compared to the years before the Covid pandemic.

Of the six, five are drug-resistant bacteria and one is a drug-resistant fungus.

They include Carbapenem-resistant enterobacterales (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida auris (C. auris).

MRSA was the only drug-resistant pathogen out of the seven for which cases remained stable from 2019 to 2022.

Poor infection control practices  such as not washing hands or changing personal protective equipment between patients  runs the risk of these bugs spreading within a hospital and even outside of the facility.

Additionally, overuse of antibiotics makes it more likely the pathogens become drug resistant because it promotes the survival of resistant strains and facilitates their spread as other non-resistant types are eliminated.

The CDC said in its report: 'The pandemic undid much of the nation's progress on antimicrobial resistance, especially in hospitals.

'The US must continue to invest in prevention-focused public health actions to combat antimicrobial resistance.'

The above shows how antibiotic-resistant infections spreads in the US and between countries

Officials said Covid may have driven the surge via longer hospital stays, a shortage and increased stress on staff and resources and impaired infection control measures.

These would have made it easier for multi-drug resistant bacteria to spread in hospitals, they said, raising the risk of more infections.

The above shows how a bacteria or fungus may fight off an antibiotic and gain immunity, rendering the medication obsolete

Officials were particularly concerned about the fungus C. auris, which can cause sepsis, they said cases were up nearly five-fold over the same period.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection and triggers severe inflammation that causes organs to shut down.

Up to a third of patients who suffer from the condition do not survive.

Among the patients to catch C. auris in the wake of the pandemic was Lorrie McCreary, who died from the infection in June 2022.

The 86-year-old was originally admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, and appeared to be recovering well.

But her condition rapidly deteriorated, causing her doctor to run a battery of tests which revealed the fungus  that she is believed to have caught while in the hospital, likely from an oxygen tube.

It triggered a fatal chain of events, leading to sepsis, kidney failure and a deadly stroke.

Her daughter Sharon, 61, said she felt her mother would still be alive if she hadn't caught the infection.

For MRSA, there are more than 80,000 cases and 11,000 deaths each year in the US, data shows.

For the report, the CDC analyzed data on seven antimicrobial-resistant infections submitted by hospitals and labs around the country.

The report also found that during the Covid pandemic, almost 80 percent of hospitalized Covid patients received an antibiotic from March to October 2020.

This was initially due to the difficulties in distinguishing Covid from community-acquired pneumonia in the early days, officials said.

But antibiotics will not work against Covid because they are designed to target bacteria and not a virus.
DIY smear tests are set to be rolled out on the NHS after they were found to substantially boost screening uptake, potentially saving thousands of lives.

The self-testing kits are expected to revolutionise cervical cancer diagnosis after the biggest study yet found they would reach a million more women every three years.

The test could be sent in the post or collected from a GP surgery, allowing women to collect samples in the comfort of their own homes.

Health officials said the groundbreaking new method would likely save the lives of thousands of women who have either delayed or never been screened.

In the first national screening programme trial by Kings College London, researchers found it could reach an additional 400,000 women in England every year.

Cervical screening uptake has been declining over the past two decades, with nearly a third of women in England not taking up their most recent test.

The self-testing kits like this one (pictured) are expected to revolutionise cervical cancer diagnosis

Many younger women, in particular, are not responding to invitations, with fears over the test causing pain or embarrassment

Just 67.2 per cent of girls were fully vaccinated in 2021/22, down from a high of 86.7 per cent in 2013/14. Some 62.4 per cent of boys, who have been offered the jab on the NHS since 2019, were jabbed in the most recent school year, NHS data shows

NHS cervical screening data, which goes back to 2011, shows uptake was at its highest that year (75.7 per cent) and has fallen over time

Experts said it could help to turn cervical cancer into a rare disease in the UK.

Cervical screening uptake has been declining over the past two decades, with nearly a third of women in England not taking up their most recent test.

Many younger women, in particular, are not responding to invitations, with fears over the test causing pain, embarrassment and a lack of convenient appointments being blamed.

In the new trial, more than 27,000 YouScreen kits were issued from 133 GP practices in north and east London to women, aged 25 to 64, who were overdue screening, either through the surgery or by post.

Easy to use, the swab detects human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer.

Women used a vaginal swab  like a long cotton bud  to take their sample either at home or in their GP practice.

Of the 10,849 women offered a kit when speaking to their family doctor about something else, 85 per cent accepted and 6,061 (56 per cent) returned a self-sample.

Those who took the test at home were able to post their kit to a laboratory for free.

Half (52 per cent) of all those who returned a self-sample were at least two years overdue screening, including women who had never previously been screened.

The researchers said routine rollout of the kits in England could increase screening coverage from 70 to 77 per cent.

Lead investigator Dr Anita Lim, from Kings College London, said: Self-sampling has been hailed as a game-changer.

It is crucial we make cervical screening easier . . . to help protect more people from this highly preventable cancer.

The YouScreen trial has given us the evidence we need to demonstrate that self-sampling helps get more women screened.

The NHS invites women for screening every three to five years depending on their age, or more frequently if HPV is detected.

The evidence suggests self-sampling tests are similarly good at detecting pre-cancer cells as the standard cervical screening test taken by a doctor or nurse.

The Department of Health and Social Care said last night: This trial shows a groundbreaking new way to screen for HPV, potentially saving the lives of thousands.

Cervical cancer symptoms to look out for include unusual vaginal bleeding, pain during sex and lower back or pelvic pain

Thousands of women are still diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, leading to 685 deaths in England annually. Around half of women (51 per cent) survive 10 years or more after diagnosis. Diagnoses are most common among women in their thirties

52 per cent of all those who returned a self-sample were at least two years overdue screening, including women who had never previously been screened

The NHS invites women for screening every three to five years depending on their age, or more frequently if HPV is detected.

There are about 3,300 new cervical cancer cases  and 850 deaths  in the UK every year.

Last night, Professor Peter Sasieni, head of the research group at Kings College London, said: We are well on our way to turning cervical cancer into a rare disease in the UK.

YouScreen showed this simple test is popular with both women and GP practices and could boost screening participation by over a million over three years.

Other countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark and Sweden have already introduced the self-testing kits, according to the research published in the eClinicalMedicine journal.

Deborah Tomalin, NHS director of screening and vaccination, said: The NHS will now be working with the UK National Screening Committee to consider the feasibility of rolling this out more widely across England.
Since I was diagnosed with osteoporosis last autumn, my life has taken surprising turns. But I didn't expect it to lead to me - and my Mum - meeting the Queen in the Morning Room at Clarence House. I was invited because of my campaigning in this newspaper to raise awareness of the deadly bone disease, in particular to help people to receive an early diagnosis by making Fracture Liaison Services available throughout the country. At the reception, I was presented with a certificate of appreciation in the presence of Her Majesty. I felt a surge of pride standing by her and when she expressed 'huge thanks' for the work this paper has done. 'It really has put osteoporosis on the map,' she said. 'Can I just plead with you to keep going it makes an enormous difference to a lot of people who would otherwise go undiagnosed.' By that point, I was buzzing.
Britain's top medical institutions and charities today unanimously hailed a 'major milestone' as Keir Starmer vowed to create a smoke free generation.

Under the Prime Minister's proposal unveiled in the King's Speech, anyone born after 2009 will be banned from ever buying cigarettes.

There had been uncertainty in the medical community after July's general election quashed any hopes of the historic bill put forward by Rishi Sunak, passing before the previous Parliament.

But health experts said the 'bold announcement' now 'positions the UK as world leading in tobacco control' and would 'save countless lives'.

Yet not all were supportive with critics branding the move as nanny-state, a 'killjoy' and 'unevidenced'.

Under the Prime Minister's proposal unveiled in the King's Speech, anyone born after 2009 will be banned from ever buying cigarettes. Pictured, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak on their way to hear the speech today

Health experts said the 'bold announcement' now 'positions the UK as world leading in tobacco control' and would 'save countless lives'. Pictured, the King delivering the speech in the House of Lords today

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Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health president, Professor Steve Turner, said: 'This is a major milestone towards realising the government's ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history.

'Stopping children and young people from starting to smoke will decrease their chance of developing preventable disease later in life.

'As paediatricians, we work day in and day out to support children's health.

'We are clear that children should not become addicted to nicotine and youth vaping must be tackled.

'We now need MPs from across the new parliament to use the historic opportunity before them to support this bill when introduced and help protect our children's and nations' long-term health.'

HISTORY OF SMOKING POLICY IN THE UK 2004: Ireland bans smoking in enclosed public places, including pubs, clubs and restaurants 2006: Scotland implements smoking ban on indoor public spaces 2007: England, Wales and Northern Ireland bring in indoor ban. In England, smoking is banned in almost all enclosed public spaces and the NHS goes smoke-free. Legal age to buy cigarettes raised from 16 to 18 2008: Cigarette companies told to feature pictorial health warnings on packets 2010: Government announces it will enforce tobacco display ban and consider plain packaging for tobacco products 2015: Smoking in cars with children banned in England and ban on the display of tobacco in small shops comes into force throughout the UK 2017: Government issues target to reduce smoking prevalence among adults to 12 per cent or less by 2022 2019: Department of Health publishes plans to make England smoke-free by 2030 2020: Menthol cigarettes are banned in the UK and EU Advertisement

Cancer Research UK's executive director of policy, Dr Ian Walker, added: 'The government's commitment to introduce new legislation on smoking will have a hugely positive impact on the nation's health.

'Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death in the UK and is responsible for 160 cancer cases per day.

'By raising the age of sale for tobacco products, the government will help to prevent cancer, relieve pressures on the NHS and build a healthier future.

'This bold announcement positions the UK as world leading in tobacco control. We now hope to see the legislation passed and implemented in full across the UK to help bring an end to cancers caused by smoking for good.'

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, also said: 'Today's announcement puts us in pole position to be the first country in the world to end smoking.

'Smoking puts pressure on our NHS and social care system, but the greatest financial impact is the damage to our economy due to lost productivity.

'The measures announced today will play a major role in helping government achieve its ambition to halve the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and deliver productivity growth in every part of the country.'

Sunak's original plan, which Labour had already committed to introduce, means smoking would not be banned outright.

Anyone who can legally buy tobacco now will be able to continue to do so if the Bill becomes law.

It will raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco by one year every year from 2027 and is expected to lead to 1.7million fewer people smoking by 2075, including stopping up to 115,000 cases of strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases.

However, possession of cigarettes among adults under this new legal age of sale won't be illegal meaning, in theory, people could tobacco products overseas and then bring them back to the UK for personal use.

The law would also hand ministers power to restrict the flavours and promotion of vapes in an effort to thwart the UK's child e-cig epidemic.

This could change how nicotine-laden vapes are displayed in shops, moving them away from other products such as sweets.

They would be limited in flavours and sold in plain, tobacco-style packaging.

Council officers will also be given powers to dole out 100 on-the-spot fines to shops caught breaking the rules.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2023 health report showed 12.7 per cent of Brits over the age of 15 smoke cigarettes daily, far higher than the US and New Zealand, the latter of which recently introduced a similar phased smoking ban

According to the research platform Our World In Data, 13.7 per cent of New Zealanders smoked in 2020 compared to 15.4 per cent of Brits and 23 per cent of Americans

Campaigners have long blamed predatory manufacturers for the ever-growing crisis, claiming they are intentionally luring kids in with colourful packaging, compared to highlighter pens, and child-friendly flavours such as bubblegum and cotton candy

Figures show how the proportion of kids using e-cigarettes has exploded amid the decline of traditional smoking, with more than a third of 16 to 18-year-olds now regularly inhaling them.

For comparison, less than one in 10 were doing so a decade ago.

This is despite sales of vapes to under-18s being banned, with anyone caught flogging them to children threatened with fines and prosecution by Trading Standards.

Campaigners have long blamed predatory manufacturers for the ever-growing crisis, claiming they are intentionally luring kids in with colourful packaging, compared to highlighter pens, and child-friendly flavours such as bubblegum and cotton candy.

Mr Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said: 'Smoking remains the largest cause of cancer so we strongly welcome the reintroduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the King's Speech.

How dangerous is smoking for the heart? How does tobacco damage the heart? Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels. While nicotine - a highly addictive toxin found in tobacco - is heavily linked with dangerous increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Smoking also unleashes poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood - reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart. How many people does smoking kill? Smoking is known to kill more than seven million people across the world each year, including 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke. But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Advertisement

'The Bill has the potential to save many lives and reduce the need for surgery.'

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, also added: 'Smoking continues to devastate the nation's health, taking at least 15,000 lives in the UK every year due to cardiovascular disease alone.

'Today's announcement will help to save countless lives and we urge the Government to reintroduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament without delay.'

However, critics of the policy said it was doomed to fail.

Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the right-wing thinktank, the Institute of Economic Affairs described the policy as a 'killjoy' adding simply that: 'Prohibition doesnt work'.

'Cigarette prohibition won't work and will have obvious unintended consequences,' he said.

'It risks the creation of a mass criminal black market with more underage sales.'

He added that alternative proposals would make more sense: 'Raising the smoking age to 21 would achieve the Governments objectives without fuelling the black market quite so much.

'In his rush to get the legislation through, Sunaks Government failed to carry out a serious impact assessment and included a range of products that it makes no sense to ban, including cigarette papers and heated tobacco.'

On vapes, Mr Snowdon added there was a need for clarity on Labour's plans.

'Mr Starmer should remember that all anti-vaping policies are, in effect, pro-smoking policies.

'The most important thing is that they leave e-cigarette flavours alone. Flavour bans are prohibition by the back door.'

Maxwell Marlow, director of research at the Adam Smith Institute, added that the bill wasn't based on 'evidence'.

'The proposed Black Market Charter that is the generational smoking ban could empower criminals to sell tobacco to younger people who would be turned away from shops,' he said.

A smoking ban was initially recommended in a Government-commissioned report last year by ex-children's charity chief Javed Khan.

He warned that that without urgent action, England would miss it's 2030 'smoke-free' target, defined as less than 5 per cent of the adult population smoking, by at least seven years, with the poorest areas of the nation not meeting it until 2044.

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As of February, a total of 1,009 reactions to vapes have been recorded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Here are the 10 most common reports

A shocking MailOnline investigation last year even uncovered vapes resembling sweets and high street stores selling the devices next to chocolate and fruit gummies

The plans are believed to have been inspired by a sweeping crackdown planned by New Zealands previous government.

But in November, the country's new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced he was ditching the 'world first' plan, with the U-turn instead funding tax cuts.

Both Germany and Ireland have outlined their own proposals to place restrictions on vapes, with Berlin chiefs currently considering an outright ban on disposable e-cigs.

Separately, Australia has put in place measures to make vapes available only to those who have prescriptions.

Smoking rates in the UK are now the lowest on record, at 12.9 per cent  or around 6.4million people.

Rates have been on an overall decline for years leading some critics to question if a ban was necessary.

Sunak's Government previously defended pursuing the ban, despite opposition from within its own ranks, by wielded stats showing how smoking costs the economy 17bn a year through lost productivity and knock-on effects to the NHS.

For comparison, tobacco duties generate around 10billion annually, funds which would likely go up in smoke as a result of the ban.
READ MORE: I'm an extreme sleepwalker - what I've done at night frightens me

A mother in Wisconsin almost choked to death after eating an entire box of chocolate cake rolls while sleepwalking.

Christian Owens, 41, started sleepwalking as a side effect of the postpartum anxiety medication she began taking after the birth of her then 15-month-old daughter.

However, soon after she started taking the prescription she found she was eating in her sleep and in 2018, while stuck in a dream state, Ms Owens unknowingly devoured a whole box of swiss rolls before heading back to bed.

But after not chewing them properly, a piece of the pastry 'suffocated' her. Ms Owens was just minutes from death when her grandmother, 84-year-old Elinda Owens, awoke four hours later and found Ms Owens in bed with blue lips.

She quickly began CPR to save her granddaughter's life.

Ms Owens is one of the millions of Americans who suffer from sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), which involves preparing or eating food while sleeping but having no memory of it.

Doctors have dubbed it a 'horrendous' condition that 'has the worst impact on people's lives,' as it leads to weight gain and severe mental distress.

Christian Owens, 41, unknowingly ate a whole box of chocolate swiss rolls in her sleep, causing her to nearly choke to death

Ms Owens' grandmother, Elinda (left, with Ms Owens) saved her life by performing CPR for six minutes. Ms Owens had just minutes to live

Sleep-eating is a parasomnia, an abnormal or unusual behavior during sleep, like walking, talking, experiencing night terrors and engaging in sexual activity while asleep.

Ms Owens believes her SRED is a side effect of her postpartum anxiety medication. According to the Cleveland Clinic, drugs that put patients into a sleepy or hypnotic state, like insomnia medications, can trigger SRED and other parasomnias.

Several forms of anxiety medication have also been shown to increase drowsiness and put patients into a sleepy state.

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'The medication would make me sleepy, and I'd wake up in the middle of the night and I wouldn't be aware that I was awake,' Ms Owens said.

Though it wasn't the first time she had found herself sleep eating, because she didn't chew the food properly this time, the rolls traveled to her lungs instead of her stomach, a process called aspiration.

This causes trouble breathing, which could turn fatal if not caught in time.

'It's like it went down the wrong pipe. I basically suffocated, and it caused my heart to stop,' Ms Owens said.

By the time Ms Owens' grandmother found her, her lips had turned blue.

Elinda, a retired nurse, performed CPR for six minutes, breaking three of her granddaughter's ribs in the process.

The mother-of-five only remembers waking up in the ICU, where she spent several days on a ventilator, which was breathing for her.

'I had a little bit of brain damage to my short term memory, so it made it hard to remember things and memorize things, but other than that, I made a full recovery,' she said.

Part of a sweet roll had traveled to Ms Owens' lungs instead of her stomach, causing her to have trouble breathing

Ms Owens woke up in the hospital on a ventilator, completely unaware of what had happened

Cleveland Clinic estimates between one and five percent of American adults have some form of parasomnia. This is a range of roughly 2.5million to 13million people.

There is no exact estimate on how many people eat when they sleep.

Dr Carlos Schenck, a professor and senior staff psychiatrist at the Hennepin County Medical Center at the University of Minnesota, told CNN that of all parasomnias, 'sleep-related eating disorder has the worst impact on peoples lives.'

'These people have disinhibited eating almost every night. They gain weight. They feel miserable in the morning. It affects their whole life and is just horrendous.'

He noted when a person sleep eats, their brain craves foods that satisfy the body's need for gratification, which includes ultra-processed foods like candy, cakes, and chips.

'You dont have any control, you dont have any restraint,' he said. 'People can consume foods theyre allergic to and then have an allergic reaction. Its rare, but it happens.

'And because they choose foods like peanut butter, chocolate, leftover banana cream pie or pasta  fattening, overly processed comfort foods  they can develop or aggravate their diabetes or hypertension.'

The condition is typically treated by preventing access to food at night, such as with locks, managing stress, and practicing good 'sleep hygiene.' This means avoiding caffeine, screens, and alcohol before bed to promote restful sleep.

Six years later, Ms Owens hails her now 90-year-old 'superhuman' grandmother for saving her life.

'It was all because of my grandmother,' she said. 'When they told me what happened, it was a big shock.

'I was so incredibly grateful. My grandparents basically raised me, and my grandmother has always been my hero, but that took it to another level.'
They might look like familiar candies, cookies and chips that are staples in most American households.

But these 'copycat' products are laced with psychoactive drugs that can kill in high doses and are especially dangerous for children.

They contain delta-8 THC, a synthetic chemical that mimics the effect of marijuana and are sold in vape shops and convenience stores.

Today, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to the sellers of five products, including Trips Ahoy! and Stoneos, saying the makers had shown a 'complete neglect for consumer safety'.

There has already been spikes in accidental overdoses of cannabis in people who accidentally ingest edibles designed to look like regular sweets.

The above shows the five products that the FDA is warning consumers not to eat, saying they look just like popular candies - but are laced with THC

Mother Catherine Buttereit, from North Carolina, revealed her son fell ill after accidentally eating 40 THC-infused candies when he mistook them for Skittles

Delta-8 THC can cause hallucinations, vomiting, loss of consciousness, hospitalization and even death in rare cases.

Because it takes over an hour for the effects to kick in after ingesting them, there is high risk of overdosing, experts say.

In January this year, a six-year-old boy was hospitalized after he ate 40 THC-infused gummies that his parents mistook for freeze-dried Skittles.

His mother, Catherine Buttereit from North Carolina, said her son was in 'excruciating pain' and spent hours in the hospital with a freezing chest, burning head and stomach that felt like it was in knots because of the 'snacks'.

FDA principal deputy commissioner Namandje Bumpus said: 'Inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products... that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it.

'As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of delta-8 THC products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating a complete neglect for consumer safety.'

She added: 'The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of US consumers by... taking action when companies sell products that present a threat to public health.'

The companies behind the products are: Hippy Mood, Earthly Hemps, Shamrockshrooms.com, Mary Janes Bakery Co. LLC, Life Leaf Medical CBD Center and GrowGod LLC.

Each has 15 days to withdraw the products from sale or risk facing legal action from the agencies.

The above image shows the THC-infused candies bought by the mother, who mistook them for freeze-dried Skittles

And above is pictured the shop where she bought them, which did not even ask for her ID or warn her that the products contained THC

A spokesperson for Earthly Hemps, which sold Dr Blaze Slushers, told CNN they had not sold any of the products listed within the last year.

The others did not respond to requests for comment.

It comes after the agencies also issued a warning last year over six other products, which it also said closely resembled popular candies.

Copycat food products that contain THC are extremely concerning to officials because they fear people could accidentally overdose on them, risking a range of adverse effects.

The products are also often easily purchased and readily available to youngsters  with packaging that is almost indistinguishable from many popular snacks.

At least one child has died after overdosing on delta-8 THC edibles.

In the two years to 2022, the National Poison Control Centers said they handled 10,448 adverse events from eating edibles containing THC.

Of these cases, 77 percent were among those aged 19 years old or younger and 65 percent were due to unintentional exposure.

Of those who ate the products unwittingly, 91 percent were children.

Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said: 'Companies that market and sell edible THC products that are easily mistaken for snacks and candy are not only acting illegally, but they are also putting the health of young children at risk.

'Those that prioritize profits in front of children's safety are at serious risk of legal action.'

In the Buttereit family's case, the boy's mother said they had been duckpin bowling in Charlotte's South End when her son requested the snacks.

He asked for them  sold in a package labeled 'Freeze Fried Zkittlez'  saying he had never seen freeze-dried Skittles before and was keen to give them a go.

'I said, "Of course, yeah, that looks cool. Let's try it." And he handed me the bag and I handed it to the cashier, she punched it in and we finished up the transaction, the mother told The New York Post.

'I was never asked for an ID. I was never informed of what I was purchasing.'

He started showing symptoms after wolfing down the candy, but Ms Buttereit only called emergency services after he told her that his water tasted 'disgusting'  which she had once heard was a warning sign for poisoning.

It was at that point when the family read the back of the packet of the candies, and found they were laced with THC.
It's almost too good to be true. A doctor you've seen on TV for decades telling you about a new revolutionary product on social media that big pharma prays you don't find out about and that could cure your ailments.

But all is not as it seems. Scammers are using AI technology to fake videos of famous TV doctors like Hilary Jones, Michael Mosley and Rangan Chatterjee to push their products to the unsuspecting public on social media.

A new report, published in the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ), warned of the growing rise of so-called 'deepfakes' as research suggests up to half of us can no longer tell them apart from the real thing.

Deepfaking uses AI to map a digital likeness of a real-life human being onto a video of a body that isnt theirs.

They've been used to create videos of politicians to make them seem inept and even for corporate heists and now they're being used to sell you dodgy 'cures'.

Some of the clips unearthed in the investigation include those of the late Dr Michael Mosley, who died last month in Greece, appearing to promote a diabetes cure on Facebook.

Another video features a robotically voiced Dr Hilary Jones on ITV's Lorraine appearing to claim a blood pressure medication cures issues in eight out of 10 cases.

The videos are fake, and not endorsed by anyone whose appearances and voices have been appropriated by fraudsters to sell dodgy counterfeit drugs.

Scammers are increasingly using AI technology to fake videos of famous TV doctors like Hilary Jones, Michael Moseley and Rangan Chatterjee to push their products to unsuspecting member of the public on social media

A modified clip of Dr Hilary Jones appearing on Lorraine appears to show him advocating a new type of blood pressure drug - but the clip is completely fake, made using AI

Dr Jones is only one TV physician caught up in the trend, with a deepfake video of him endorsing a blood pressure cure spreading on Facebook earlier this year.

And as Dr Jones himself knows it's far from the only example.

'Some of the products that are currently being promoted using my name include those that claim to fix blood pressure and diabetes, along with hemp gummies with names like Via Hemp Gummies, Bouncy Nutrition, and Eco Health,' said.

Mail health guru Dr Mosley, who died last month in Greece, and Dr Chatterjee of Doctor In The House fame, have also been used to generate such clips.

While the technology used to create deepfakes has been around for years early versions were flawed and often made mistakes with ears, fingers or failing to match audio and a subject's lip movements, alerting people to their fraudulent nature.

But it has since made massive strides, and though research is limited data suggests that up to half of people now struggle to tell them apart from the real thing.

Retired medic John Cormack, who worked with the BMJ on the report, described scammers latching onto the reputation of respected doctors to hawk their products as 'printing money'.

'The bottom line is, its much cheaper to spend your cash on making videos than it is on doing research and coming up with new products and getting them to market in the conventional way,' he said.

Regulators also seem powerless to stop the trend.

Practising doctors in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council which, if a medic is found to have breached standards expected of medical professionals, can suspend them from working or even strike them off entirely.

The voice and likeness of the late Dr Michael Mosley has been cruelly exploited by scammers trying to sell fake diabetes drugs through deepfake videos

In this example, a faked version of Dr Mosley is used to promote a questionable medication to people with diabetes

The AI-generated Dr Mosley even advocates for people to 'forget about insulin' or other standard forms of diabetes treatment

But, they have no power to act on fake videos of doctors and while impersonating a doctor is a crime in the UK the murky world of the internet makes tracking who to hold account almost impossible, especially if they are based overseas.

Instead medics like Dr Jones say it's the social media giants that host this content, and ultimately make money by doing so, that need to take action.

'Its down to the likes of Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, to stop this happening,' he said.

'But theyve got no interest in doing so while theyre making money.'

Responding to the BMJ report a Meta spokesperson said: We will be investigating the examples highlighted by The BMJ.

'We dont permit content that intentionally deceives or seeks to defraud others, and were constantly working to improve detection and enforcement.

'We encourage anyone who sees content that might violate our policies to report it so we can investigate and act.'

At the moment medics like Dr Jones have to take matters into their own hands.

Dr Jones, a frequent guest on shows like Lorraine , employs a company to track deepfakes featuring him and try to purge them from the internet.

But he added the scale of the problem only appears to be getting worse.

'Theres been a big increase in this kind of activity,' he said.

'Even if theyre taken down, they just pop up the next day under a different name.'

The report concludes by saying what makes deepfakes so insidious is how they play on people's trust, tapping into a familiar face which has offered good and sometimes life-changing health advice in the past to con worried patients.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee of BBC documentary Doctor In The House fame has also been caught up in the trend

WARNING. THIS IS A SCAM BY CRIMINALS TRYING TO STEAL MONEY. PLS SHARE.



This is frightening, it's the first deep fake video scam I've seen with me in it. Govt & regulators must step up to stop big tech publishing such dangerous fakes. People'll lose money and it'll ruin lives. https://t.co/ZzaBELg1kg  Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) July 6, 2023

Outside of the world of medicine, budgeting expert Martin Lewis' likeness has been used by scammers to advocate for dodgy investments - prompting Mr Lewis himself to tell people not to be taken in.

People who see a video they suspect of being a deepfake are advised to first examine it carefully to avoid any 'boy who cried wolf' scenarios.

If they are still suspicious try to independently contact the person the video claims to feature through a verified account, for example.

If still suspicious consider leaving a comment questioning its veracity to hopefully make others also take that extra step of analysis.

People can also use social media's in-built reporting tools to flag both the video and person who posted it in a bid to get it removed.
New York City health officials are on high alert after detecting measles at a migrant shelter in Brooklyn.

Two people have tested positive for the highly contagious disease at the Clinton Hill shelter, which houses around 3,000 migrants seeking legal entry into the US.

Officials at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are coordinating with local hospitals and have quarantined the patients on a single floor of the facility.

Asylum seekers are not required to be immunized when they reach the US, meaning many may not be up to date on vaccinations the CDC considers essential.

The cases come on the heels of another in a Chicago migrant shelter in May, where a single case led to an outbreak of 57 cases in the city. Outbreaks of other diseases have also been recorded in migrant shelters across the US in recent years.

The Hall Street migrant shelter in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is shown. Two people there have been diagnosed with measles. Photo courtesy of Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY

The cases in New York come on the heels of another in a Chicago migrant shelter in May, where a single case led to an outbreak of 57 cases in the city. There have also been cases of tuberculosis reported in shelters across the city

Critics of the Biden administration have seized on outbreaks at detention centers to criticize what they have described as a porous southern border.

Customs and Border Protection apprehended a record 2.5 million migrants in 2023 but some estimates say more than 8.4 million have arrived since Biden took office.

The ages of the patients at the Hall Street migrant shelter in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, have not been made public.

Measles is particularly dangerous for children, who have more vulnerable immune systems and are more likely to suffer severe effects such as brain inflammation leading to brain damage and pneumonia.

Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said Friday night: The Health Department and Health + Hospitals are coordinating to ensure that anyone whos been exposed gets the support and resources they need.

While measles may be an extremely contagious virus, the risk to the community is low as most New Yorkers are vaccinated against it.

Asylum seekers are not required to be vaccinated against measles when they reach the US.

Most countries in Central America where many migrants originate, including Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama have MMR vaccination rates that exceed 90 percent.

Venezuela's vaccination rate meanwhile is much lower at 82 percent.

Asylum seekers are not required to be immunized when they reach the US, meaning many may not be up to date on vaccinations the CDC considers essential

Many experts and Republican lawmakers have blamed the influx of migrants at the southern border for the spread of contagious diseases

But crowded conditions in migrant shelters are feared to be hotspots for infections.

The NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation operates the public hospital system in New York City, which includes hospitals like Bellevue Hospital and Kings County Hospital Center, located in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively.

Taxpayers fund these hospitals through city, state, and federal funds. The public hospital system also relies on patient revenue and government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare for additional funding.

Brooklyn City Council Member Crystal Hudson, who represents the area where the shelter is located, was outraged that the city rebuffed her efforts to provide vaccines to all shelter residents.

She said: Our request for a vaccination van at an on-site resource fair organized by my office on June 1 was denied.

For months, I have been demanding more resources for our new neighbors at Hall Street. But refusal to provide a vaccination plan, coupled with the lack of a citywide plan to right-size shelter populations and allow shelter stays beyond 30- and 60-days has led us here today.

Migrants pictured at a makeshift shelter in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, where many are being moved to. There has been an outbreak of measles and tuberculosis linked to the shelter

The two cases, which do not qualify as an outbreak, must include three cases, come amid a spike in measles in New York City, with 11 cases reported in 2024 as of July 12, according to the citys health department.

Thats up from just one case last year, which came after three years without any cases.

The city saw a massive outbreak in 2019 mostly among ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland county. A total of 605 cases were reported that year.

Migrant shelters have also seen outbreaks of flu, Covid, and tuberculosis over the years, including several cases of TB in Chicago shelters.

Dr Vasan, the health commissioner, has said in the past that President Biden's lax border policies so far have led to an influx of migrants bringing contagious diseases including TB, polio, and Covid into the country.

Meanwhile Republicans have expressed their disdain for Biden's border policies and their perceived links to contagious diseases.

The Republican National Committee said: 'BIDEN'S AMERICA: "Chicago now has more cases of measles than the last 14 years COMBINED" amid the flood of illegals to the Democrat-run city.'

And Richard Grenell, a Republican who served as acting director of National Intelligence in 2020, said: 'Joe Biden's open border is a health crisis, too. Diseases we had under control are coming back...Tuberculosis breaks out at Chicago migrant shelters following measles cases.'

Dozens of migrant families are seen arriving from Texas at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York in September 2023

The US is seeing an uptick in measles cases that has concerned public health officials, especially given lagging vaccination rates among children

Border apprehensions and expulsions by CBP have soared since 2020, when they reached a record low at around 57,000. In 2023, though, that number spiked to 2.5 million.

And preliminary data from 2024 suggests numbers by the end of the year could exceed that. Already, encounters between border patrol and migrants have hit 1.8 million at the Southwest border.

The number of apprehensions reached a record high in December of 2023 with nearly 250,000 encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico, according to government statistics.

That was the highest monthly total on record, overshadowing previous peak of about 224,000 encounters in May 2022.

The surge during the Biden administration comes after the President campaigned on amnesty for undocumented immigrants, particularly those seeking asylum from gang violence and, in Venezuelas case, an authoritarian government marked by corruption and human rights abuses.

But since voters have recoiled over what millions perceive as overly lenient, while Republicans in Congress have come to charge the Biden administration with overseeing an open border that allows migrants to enter the country unchecked.

However, illegal crossings have declined over 50 percent in the six weeks since the President used his executive authority to enhance the asylum screening process to weed out those who may pose a threat to public safety and put systems in place to quickly remove people who do not have a legal basis to remain here.

According to Troy A. Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, the executive actions have led to a 29 percent decrease in U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions from May to June, a more than 50 percent drop in the seven-day average from the announcement to the end of the month, and has doubled the rate of removing noncitizens from Border Patrol in June.
Women are starting IVF too late, with the average age reaching 35 for the first time, the UKs fertility regulator has warned.

Increasing numbers are turning to egg-freezing to delay motherhood, despite success rates declining with age.

A report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority found women starting fertility treatment are now typically six years older than those having their first babies naturally.

The trend  which lowers the chances of IVF working  has been blamed on long NHS waiting lists, Covid delays and the prohibitive costs of private treatment.

It comes as rocketing numbers of women are also using IVF to become single parents with 3,548 attempts in 2022 compared to 1,953 in 2019  an 83 per cent leap.

The average woman had their first child aged 29 in 2022, six years younger than those trying IVF for the first time

Using previously frozen eggs and embryos to try for a baby years later is the fastest growing fertility treatment in the UK

Those in same sex couples also increased by more than a third from 1,628 to 2,200 over the same period, according to the annual report.

Using previously frozen eggs and embryos to try for a baby years later is the fastest growing fertility treatment in the UK, the authors note.

Julia Chain, chairwoman of the HFEA, warned fertility treatment is not a guarantee of having a baby.

She said: IVF success rates continue to improve, but as the chance of a birth rapidly decreases with age, early access to fertility treatment is crucial for those who need it.

Our data shows the average age of patients starting treatment for the first time is now nearly six years older than the average age at which women in England and Wales gave birth to their first child.

It is important to seek advice about fertility issues so that, if treatment is needed, patients can access it as soon as possible to reduce delays.

Despite the rising age of patients, IVF advances have seen the overall pregnancy rate using fresh embryo transfers and patient's own eggs increase from 21 to 31 per cent, between 2012 and 2022.

Currently, the fertility treatment has a success rate of up to 40 per cent. Around a third of IVF cycles among under-35s resulted in a live birth in 2019 in the UK. Yet this dropped to just 4 per cent in over-44s

While conception rates vary for individual women, statistics from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence show fertility levels generally begin to fall off by the late 20s and then rapidly decline from the mid-30s onwards

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows the average age of mothers in England and Wales has increased since the 1970s, now reaching 30.9 years as of the latest figures

Women aged 18 to 34 had the highest pregnancy rate per embryo transferred at with more than four in ten (42 per cent) a success.

This fell to 34 per cent in those aged 35 to 37  now the greatest proportion of patients  26 per cent in 38 to 39-year-olds, 16 per cent aged 40 to 42 and nine per cent in 43 and 44-year-olds.

Egg freeze success rate hits 26 percent

Freezing eggs to use in fertility treatment years later has similar success rates to routine IVF, a major study suggests. In the countrys largest ever analysis of the practice, researchers tracked the outcome of almost 30,000 eggs that were frozen at the London Womens Clinic between 2008 and 2022. They found the treatment had an overall live birth rate of 26 per cent, with success highest among those who had their eggs frozen under the age of 35. This compares with success rates of 31 per cent of fresh embryo transfers, according to the latest figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The study analysed treatment outcomes for 299 patients who had frozen their eggs and returned for fertilisation and pregnancy, typically around two years later. These resulted in 93 clinical pregnancies and 77 healthy live births, according to the findings published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online.





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While these figures are all significant improvements, up from 22, 17, 10 and five per cent respectively  experts urged couples to try to start treatment sooner, to maximise their chances of success.

Office for National Statistics figures show the average woman had their first child aged 29 in 2022, six years younger than those trying IVF for the first time.

Egg freezing and storage also increased 81 per cent overall from 2,576 cycles in 2019 to 4,647 in 2022  five per cent of the total.

The HFEA data shows the average birth rate following IVF also increased from 18 per cent to a preliminary figure of 24 per cent over the decade.

However, the proportion of IVF cycles funded by the NHS has fallen to 27 per cent, compared to four in ten a decade earlier.

Fewer than a quarter (24 per cent) of attempts are funded by the NHS in England, compared with over half (53 per cent) in Scotland and a third (34 per cent) in Wales.

Treatments declined across most regions with East Midlands having the largest decrease in NHS funded cycles from 1,451 to 753 (48 per cent) over the three-year period.

Yorkshire and the Humber had the largest increase rising from 1,009 cycles in 2019 to 1,183 in 2022.

Sarah Norcross, director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), said it was appalling less than 25 per cent of fertility treatment is NHS-funded in England.

She said: 'For many women in England, accessing NHS-funded fertility treatment can take at least two years. And that's before taking account of additional delays, for example if a woman needs to lose weight to be eligible.

'Those not eligible for NHS treatment will then look for ways to finance private treatment, during which time they won't be getting any younger.

It is hardly surprising, then, that the average of women having their first cycle of IVF is increasing.

An NHS spokesperson said: While these decisions are legally for local health commissioners, it is absolutely right that they provide equal access to services according to the needs of people within their areas.
Spare a thought for poor Rishi Sunak. How he must be kicking himself for holding the General Election when he did.

Less than two weeks after his government was slaughtered in the polls, along comes the International Monetary Fund with an update prime ministers would give their back teeth for.

According to the IMFs latest economic survey, Britain is likely to grow by 0.7 per cent this year and that is expected to more than double to 1.5 per cent next year.

Whats more, the UK is set to outstrip its major European rivals next year: growing faster than the 1.3 per cent forecast for Germany and France, and 0.9 per cent for Italy.

Eco targets: The move to transition towards net zero by 2030 will raise costs for households and business

Among the wider G7, Britain will outpace Japan which is forecast to grow just 1 per cent next year.

They say one mans loss is another mans gain. And so Sunaks bad timing has turned out to be. Sir Keir Starmer is in luck, and must be delighted with the IMFs prognosis.

This level of growth is still low, but at least the uptick suggests the UK has broken out of its rut. After Mays gross domestic product boost, the UK has grown by 1.5 per cent so far this year  the fastest stretch since pre-Covid days.

Yet Starmer shouldnt smile too soon. He wont make his big manifesto pledge, which was to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7.

He has some catching up to do: the US is forecast to grow at 1.8 per cent while Canada leads the pack at 2.4 per cent.

Britain may be out of its rut but we are still trapped in a high debt, high tax and low growth vicious circle. Labour claims the cycle can be broken by scrapping planning rules, its bizarre National Wealth Fund and a blizzard of other measures.

Most damaging of all is the messianic move to transition the energy system towards net zero by 2030.

This will raise costs for households and business, leaving the country vulnerable to costly imports from volatile countries, if not blackouts, and may yet prove to be Labours Achilles heel.

No wonder economists are still so gloomy: Labours proposed levers are nowhere near powerful enough to fire up the economy or make it easier for young businesses to thrive.

Bloombergs monthly survey of 56 forecasters for the UK shows they see growth at 0.8 per cent this year  a little higher than the IMF  but only 1.3 per cent next year.

They are also sceptical about Labours claim it can turbo-charge the economy over the longer term.

If Chancellor Rachel Reeves is to stick to the fiscal rules, she will have to change tack. And tax. As she has pledged not to tax working people, the money has to be found elsewhere.

The oil and gas industry which already pays taxes of 75 per cent  is an obvious one to pluck.

So are other wealth taxes such as raising capital gains taxes or removing the exemption which allows family-owned firms not to pay tax on the value of the firm if the owner dies so it can be passed on.

Industries, jobs and communities would be destroyed overnight with such reckless taxes. My colleague Patrick Tooher has been to Aberdeen to discover what a devastating impact another tax raid would have on the oil industry and the region: 100,000 jobs lost along with 30billion of investment.

One oil industrialist compares doing business in the UK to war-torn Libya, but at least the Libyans wanted oil. Reeves should be careful what she wishes for.
The sell-off among luxury stocks shows little signs of slowing.

On another bleak day for the sector, Cartier owner Richemont and Hugo Boss became the latest fashion brands to sound the alarm over weak demand.

It came days after British firms Mulberry and Burberry ousted their chief executives after poor performance.

Richemont, which also owns Chloe and Van Cleef & Arpels, said group sales rose 1 per cent to 4.2billion in the first quarter to the end of June.

Sales in Asia Pacific plunged by 18 per cent in the period as strong sales in South Korea and Malaysia failed to offset a huge slump in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Out of fashion: A Hugo Boss Fashion show. On another bleak day for the luxury goods industry, Richemont and Hugo Boss became the latest brands to sound the alarm over weak demand

At the same time, Hugo Boss issued a profit warning amid weak demand in China and Britain.

The German brand lowered its profit forecast for 2024 from between 362million and 399million to between 294million and 362million.

And Burberry  which on Monday issued a profit warning and scrapped its dividend  was hit by four broker downgrades.

Shares in Richemont fell 3.1 per cent while Hugo Boss tumbled 7.5 per cent to its lowest level since May 2021.

Burberry shed another 5.3 per cent, or 39.4p, to 704.6p, and has now lost half its value this year.

The FTSE 100 fell 0.2 per cent, or 18.06 points, to 8164,9 but the FTSE 250 was up 0.1pc, or 11.66 points, to 21,213.79.

Water companies sank into the red after the industry regulator widened its investigation into sewage spills.

Stock Watch - Trufin Shares in Trufin fell after Lloyds ended an agreement with one of its firms. The AIM-listed holding company for three specialists in fintech and lending said the British bank signed a five-year deal with Satago in July 2022. But Lloyds has now exercised its right to terminate the agreement that saw the London-based fintech license its software platform for some of the banks customers. Shares dived 34.7 per cent, or 26.4p, to 49.6p.

Ofwat added four firms  including Severn Trent (down 4.8 per cent, or 125p, to 2473p) and United Utilities (down 3.7 per cent, or 38p, to 997p)  to its investigation amid concerns they are also failing to minimise pollution.

The watchdog said this is the largest and most complex investigation it has undertaken with all 11 water firms in England and Wales now involved. South West Water owner Pennon dropped 4.5 per cent, or 29.5p, to 620.5p.

Credit scorer Experian still expects sales to grow between 6 per cent and 8 per cent in the financial year following a 7 per cent rise in the first quarter to the end of June. Shares dipped 2 per cent, or 73p, to 3567p.

Spectris is to buy US-based materials analysis firm Micromeritics for 485million. The precision instrument specialist could also receive an extra 41million in performance-related payments for this year and 2025. Shares rose 2.6 per cent, or 80p, to 3118p.

Rio Tinto came under pressure after reporting weaker-than-expected iron ore shipments in the second quarter to the end of June.

But the miner was cleared by regulators to develop its joint iron ore project in Guinea. Shares fell 2.3 per cent, or 121p, to 5071p.

Sosandar plans to open stores in Marlow and Chelmsford in September. The fashion retailer racked up a 300,000 loss in the year to the end of March despite a profitable second half. Shares fell 2 per cent, or 0.2p, to 10.05p.

Publisher Bloomsbury reported a strong start to its financial year. It said business had performed well in the four months to June 30 and it expects annual results to meet forecasts of 319.3million of revenue and a 37.6million profit.

However, shares fell 0.6 per cent, or 4p, to 710p.
The boss of Ocado has urged disgruntled shareholders to keep the faith as the group posted rising sales and narrower losses.

Tim Steiner said investors should have belief in the online supermarket and technology firm despite shares falling almost 90 per cent in less than four years.

Im not concerned about investors losing confidence because they shouldnt be losing confidence, he declared. Weve got a clear plan and were executing that clear plan.

Setbacks in the rollout of its robotic warehouses with overseas partners as well as concerns over progress at its joint venture with Marks & Spencer have set alarm bells ringing.

Setbacks: Ocado boss Tim Steiner (pictured with partner Patrycja Pyka) said investors should have belief in the online supermarket and technology firm

Even analysts at Bernstein, long-term supporters who described themselves as one of the last bulls standing, turned on the company this week and declared: The jam tomorrow story is now less jam, more tomorrow.

They cut their rating on Monday, sending Ocado shares down 10 per cent on its worst day in two years.

The sustained sell-off since their peak in 2020 during a Covid boom has sparked speculation it could become a takeover target or shift its listing to New York.

But yesterday beleaguered investors cheered some sorely-needed good news after sales rose 12.6 per cent to 1.5billion in the six months to June 2.

Half-year losses narrowed to 154million from 289.5million last time around.

This sent shares up 20 per cent in early trading, though they gave up some of the gains to end the day up 5.9 per cent, or 20.1p, at 360.5p.

John Moore, senior investment manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin, said Ocado finds itself at a crossroads as to whether its turnaround plan will succeed.

There is a lot of ground to make up to get to where many analysts hoped it would be. Some self-help will be required to meaningfully reverse the share price decline of the past three years.

Steiner told investors there would be no immediate dash to the New York stock exchange, but did not rule it out.

He said: I think the London market can be tough for some companies. In the future, as a global tech company, could you consider other markets?

You could. Right now were a UK-listed plc and I have no immediate plans to change that.

There was little by way of an update about a row over payments between Ocado and M&S, but Steiner said they are continuing to engage constructively.

Ocado says M&S owes it a final 190.7million instalment as part of the 750million 50-50 tie-up agreed in 2019.

But M&S bosses say they should not have to pay as the venture has failed to hit targets.
Babcock enjoyed bumper earnings growth last year despite continuing to incur high losses from a legacy shipbuilding contract.

The defence contractor said its underlying operating profits jumped by 34 per cent to 238million in the year ending March thanks to strong demand from the nuclear, land, and aviation industries.

Organic revenues grew 11 per cent to 4.4billion, driven by strong 29 per cent growth in its nuclear division. The land unit was up 17 per cent.

Profitability was impacted by a 100million loss on a 2019 deal to build five Type 31 general-purpose frigates for the Royal Navy.

Walking on water: Defence contractor Babcock said its underlying operating profits jumped by 34 per cent to 238million in the year ending March

It posted another 90million loss from the legacy contract last year owing to major engineering and labour costs, but the group still managed to boost core profits by around 60million.

In addition, Babcock's underlying free cash flow more than doubled from 75million to 160million, which it credited to a solid operational performance and 'the timing benefits of early customer receipts'.

The London-based company achieved this while contributing an extra 35million towards lowering its pension deficit.

Babcock said this helped one of its pension funds become self-sufficient two years faster than expected and should reduce its total pension shortfall repair payments to around 40million per annum.

Like other defence giants, Babcock has benefited from governments ramping up military spending in response to elevated tensions across Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Global defence expenditure increased by 7 per cent to a record $2.4trillion in 2023, which was the steepest rise since 2009, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Just last November, Babcock gained a 120million deal to build Dreadnought-class submarines, a 750million contract for infrastructure upgrades at the Devonport naval base, and a seven-year agreement to maintain equipment at French military bases.

Since then, it has struck contracts to refit HMS Victorious, train the British Army's armoured vehicle operators, and manufacture weapons systems for South Korean Navy submarines.

The new deals helped raise the London-based firm's contract backlog by 9 per cent year-on-year to 10.3billion in March.

Over that same period, Babcock bolstered its organic revenue by 9 per cent and cut its net debt by 129million to 435.4million.

It has also reinstated dividends after cancelling them during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, declaring an interim payment of 1.7 pence per share and a final dividend of 3.3 pence per share for the 2024 financial year.

Babcock International Group shares were 1 per cent down at 5.33 on Wednesday morning, although they have still risen by nearly three-quarters over the past year.
The Los Angeles man accused of dismembering his wife and her parents before attempting to dump their remains in the trash has agreed to the appointment of Britney Spears's former conservator as the guardian of his three children, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Samuel Haskell IV, 36, is currently locked up at LA's notorious Twin Towers Correctional Facility as he awaits trial for allegedly murdering Mei Li, 37, and her parents Gaoshan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, in the November horror attack.

The couple, who lived in a $2.5million six-bedroom home in Tarzana, had three children  all of whom are now in the care of his sister Mary Lane Haskell, 34.

But court papers exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com show Haskell has signed off on Jodi Montgomery being appointed the children's temporary financial guardian in May  a decision due to be confirmed in a hearing in August.

Samuel Haskell IV, 36 - pictured during a hearing in February - remains in custody at LA's notorious Twin Towers Correctional Facility as he awaits trial for allegedly murdering his wife and parents-in-law last November

Mei Li shared three children with Haskell. They are currently in the care of his sister

Montgomery has also petitioned to be named the administrator of Mei's estate  which includes the family home, which the mom-of-three purchased in 2020.

Although Haskell's name was added to the deeds in 2022  meaning he owns a fifty percent share in the property  he will not be allowed to touch the proceeds from any sale due to California's 'slayer statute' if he is found guilty of Mei's murder.

The law, which applies in most US states, bans killers from inheriting any of their victim's possessions  which means everything will go to the couple's children.

Montgomery has also been appointed the special administrator of Mei's probate estate which enables her to deal with problems connected to the home, including security.

According to court papers, the property  vacant since November  has been trashed since the murders, with documents noting it 'has been broken into multiple times, items have been taken, and a small fire was set within the premises.'

On Friday, workers were seen changing the locks at the property and a neighbor confirmed to DailyMail.com that the house had previously been vandalized by thieves making off with some children's toys, among other items.

Montgomery was appointed as Spears's personal conservator in 2019 and briefly took control of her finances when dad Jamie had to step away due to illness.

Although he later resumed control, Montgomery remained responsible for Spears, 42, herself until her 13-year conservatorship was terminated in November 2021.

Court papers exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com show Jodi Montgomery  Britney Spears's former conservator  was appointed the children's temporary financial guardian in May and has petitioned to be named the administrator of Mei's estate

Samuel Haskell IV has been charged with her murder as well as the deaths of her parents, mom Yanxiang Wang, 64, and dad Gaoshan Li, 72 - whose bodies have still not been found

The 37-year old mother's remains was wrapped in a plastic bag and found in November by a transient who was digging through a dumpster not far from where the Haskells lived

Afterwards, Montgomery said she was pleased with the decision and offered to help Spears in the future if needed.

She said in a statement: 'Throughout the conservatorship, Ms. Montgomery has been a tireless advocate for Ms. Spears and it has always been her goal to give Ms. Spears a path towards the termination of her conservatorship. That day is now here.

'Ms. Montgomery is happy to continue working for Ms. Spears and assisting Ms. Spears in her freedom, independence, growth, wellness, and happiness outside of the conservatorship.'

Haskell, who is the son of Hollywood agent James Haskell III, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Mei and her parents. He has frequently appeared shirtless in court and was placed on suicide watch in the aftermath of his arrest.

That came after a homeless man discovered Mei's headless torso in a dumpster in Encino, a few miles from the couple's home.

The bodies of Mei's parents have still not been found.

Mei's friends previously told DailyMail.com she had been wanting a divorce for at least four years but feared her husband's powerful agent father would persuade courts to give him custody of their three sons, aged six, eight, and 12.

Neighbors also told DailyMail.com of Haskell's obsession with weapons and said he kept a large collection of them inside the home.

Montgomery has also been appointed the special administrator of Mei's probate estate which enables her to deal with problems connected to the home, including security

On Friday, workers were seen changing the locks at the property and a neighbor confirmed to DailyMail.com that the house had been vandalized by thieves making off with some children's toys, among other items

Court papers revealed the now-vacant property has been trashed since the murders and 'has been broken into multiple times'

'He had an obsession with weapons,' neighbor Elle Benami said. 'He had a samurai sword and a crossbow.

'He did martial arts. I think he was a black belt and he would go to Japan to do martial arts.'

'The kids could play here at my house or usually in the front lawn. I was ok with the kids playing in their front lawn,' added Benami, who feared something could accidentally happen with so many weapons in the house.

Haskell's sons even bragged to other neighborhood kids that they had weapons in the house, something their doting mother Mei was not fond of.

Benami added: 'Would I say that they seemed like a happy couple? No, but I definitely didn't expect anything like this. I never could have imagined what happened.'

According to prosecutors, Haskell dumped the human remains in the trash after making a previous attempt to get rid of them by hiring four day laborers to remove bags containing the body parts.

One worker revealed that he was paid $500 to remove three large trash bags  adding that Haskell claimed they were filled with rocks before later pretending the body parts were 'Halloween props'.

The accused murderer is the son of former top Hollywood agent Samuel Haskell Sr and former Miss Mississippi Mary Donnelly-Haskell. Dolly Parton was among Haskell's clients

'When we picked up the bags, we could tell they weren't rocks,' he said, noting that the bags were soft and soggy.'

He and his co-workers looked inside the bags and inside they saw 'body parts, a belly button.'

He added: 'I was astonished. Of course, I felt bad. We had been tricked.'

The men then returned the bags and the money to Haskell's home, telling him they did not 'want to be involved.'

The workers went straight to law enforcement and informed the California Highway Patrol and the police.

According to court papers, later that day, Haskell 'was allegedly observed and photographed a short distance from his home disposing [of] a large trash bag into a dumpster in the 16000 block of Ventura Boulevard.'

The bag was later found to contain Mei's headless torso.

Haskell is next due in court on Thursday.
When Donald Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, it thrust the conservative Republican and his family into the international political spotlight.

The 39-year-old former venture capitalist, veteran and bestselling author of the memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' entered Washington politics less than two years ago when he was elected the junior Senator from the Buckeye state in the 2022 midterms.

Republicans on Monday praised the MAGA favorite as the next generation of the GOP who would bring young conservatives into the fold and dismissed his limited government experience.

Democrats blasted him as someone who will enable the former president to enact an 'extreme MAGA agenda' if they are elected.

Former President Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance on Monday, July 15, at the Republican National Convention after Trump announced Vance as his VP pick earlier in the day

Vance was once a fierce Trump critic who called the ex-president an idiot and reprehensible. He even compared the ex-president to Hitler. Now, the senator is one of Trump loyalist supporters and his vice presidential pick.

As Trump's number two, he will have the former president's ear if they win in November. So where does Vance actually stand on the issues?

Immigration

Vance has said he would oppose any effort to grant amnesty to immigrants who come to the country illegally. He has also called for finishing a wall along the border.

The Ohio senator supports Trump's plan for a mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants. He said on Fox News on Monday 'we have to deport people who broke our laws' and said 'I think we start with the violent criminals.'

He has argued for stricter border measures both in terms of security and as a way to help U.S. workers.

Abortion

Vance opposes abortion in nearly all cases including rape or incest. He has said there should be exceptions only in cases where the mother's life is in danger.

The Ohio senator praised the overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court while he was running for Senate. His campaign website stated: 'Ban Abortion.'

In an interview with CBS News in May, Vance refused to say where he stood on what he believes should be the standard on federal abortion limits. During his Senate campaign he said he would vote for a 15-week abortion ban if elected.

Vance opposed the ballot measure in Ohio to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution which passed last year.

He also voted against the Democrats-led bill to protect access to IVF.

In recent months however there appear to have been efforts to soften his abortion staff on his Wikipedia page and personal websites.

JD Vance campaigning in Ohio as he ran for Senate in the 2022. He ran on a platform where he was against abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother was in danger and said he would support a 15-week federal abortion ban

Ukraine

Vance has been a skeptic of the war in Ukraine and has called for the U.S. to stop providing support for the country in its war with Russia after Russia invaded.

He opposed the national security bill earlier this year that provided additional provisions for Ukraine.

While the Ohio Senator has praised the Ukrainians in their fight, he has suggested that European countries should foot the bill and warned against the U.S. funding a war without a clear end.

'Ive got to be honest with you, I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other,' he once said in a podcast interview while running for the Senate.

Middle East

While Vance has opposed U.S. funds for Ukraine, he has been a strong supporter of Israel throughout its war in Gaza. He told Fox News Monday night that Israel should get the war over with 'as quickly as possible.'

'Our goal in the Middle East should be to allow the Israelis to get to some good place with the Saudi Arabians and other Gulf Arab states, Vance said in a May interview with CNN. 'There is no way that we can do that unless the Israelis finish the job with Hamas.'

The difference Vance has argued between aide for Israel and Ukraine is Israel has an achievable objective.

Senator JD Vance has opposed the U.S. providing additional funding to Ukraine but has backed providing funding for Israel in its war against Hamas

January 6

Vance said while running for the Ohio Senate seat that be thinks the election 'was stolen from Trump. He has also pushed back on the accusations that Trump played a role in inciting the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Vance also has said earlier this year that if he had been vice president, he would have bowed to Trump's demand not to certify the 2020 election.

'If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there,' Vance said in an interview with ABC News.

When asked earlier this month if he would accept the results of the 2024 election by NBC News, Vance said 'so long as its a free and fair election... of course we will.'

Economy

The Ohio senator has veered away from some of the economic policies Republicans have taken for years when it comes the trade, unions and taxes.

He has signaled support for raising the minimum wage when he joined other Republican senators introducing a bill that would raise the wage while also mandating e-verify to ensure it goes to legally authorized workers.

Vance has called for broad tariffs on goods coming especially from China. He told CBS News last month 'we need to protect American industries from all of the competition.'

Senator Vance with wife Usha as they arrive on the floor during the first day of the Republican National Convention after he was picked as Trump's running mate

Vance is expected to support Trump's push to extend provisions of the tax law passed during Trump's first term in office. But earlier this year he introduced bipartisan legislation to limit tax breaks for large mergers.

In 2021, the senator even called for tax hikes on corporations as business leader planned to respond to voting law changes in Republican states.

LGBTQ Rights

While running for Senate, Vance said he would have opposed legislation that codified the right of same-sex couples to marry.

He said the 'religious liberty piece of this is very bad' according to Mission America.

Child care

Before running for Senate, Vance posted that universal child care is a 'massive subsidy to lifestyle preferences of the affluent over the preferences of the middle and working class.'
Essential items recommended by Australians for visa-free travel to China

People's Daily Online) 13:56, July 17, 2024

Chloe, an Australian girl, has a strong affinity for China. It has been a year and a half since her first trip there, and she has been longing for the scenery and cuisine ever since. With China recently including Australia in its list of nations granted unilateral visa exemption, Chloe has decided to embark on a new journey to China. This time, she aims to be more independent and less reliant on friends for financial matters.

To accomplish this goal, Chloe obtained a UnionPay card from the Bank of China. With the card, she can now independently book flights to China and reserve local accommodations. Her itinerary includes visiting Chongqing to admire its distinctive architecture and savor authentic hotpot, as well as visiting Xi'an to see the famous Terracotta Warriors she heard about in high school. Her friend informed her that UnionPay cards can also be used within Australia, making it easy for her to shop at supermarkets and pay for taxis with card payments.

UnionPay credit cards are now accepted in China and over 180 countries and regions worldwide, offering services such as cross-border settlement, ATM cash withdrawals, online shopping, and other transactions. In March, China UnionPay launched the "Operation Splendid 2024" promotion, designed to provide comprehensive services for international visitors to China, from pre-trip preparations to arrival procedures. UnionPay is making continuous improvements to networks, products, and services to make payment experiences more convenient and secure for international travelers.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
New York, US (PANA) - The UN Security Council on Wednesday convened an open debate on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which continues to be marked by immense suffering - compounded now by a complete breakdown of law and order - and a humanitarian system on the brink of collapse
Tesco has installed artificial intelligence-style locked security cabinets in the alcohol aisles to stop shoplifters nicking booze.

The technology works by asking shoppers to use a digital touchscreen and complete a 'four-step process' to open the cabinets, which contain premium spirits.

Believed to be called the Freedom Case, the anti-thieving gadgetry has the ability to track when items have been removed, how often the cabinet has been opened and for how long.

It can also send alerts to staff if 'suspicious behaviour' is detected.

The process is similar to a glorified doorbell, where shoppers touch a screen, which is answered by security and the cabinet opens.

Makers Indyme say the unit uses AI and built-in sensors to identify potential thefts.

But Tesco denies facial recognition or the taking of photos is used to operate the cabinets.

It is understood to have been rolled out across a handful of larger Tesco stores, including Purley, Croydon, south London.

Premium products such as olive oil have also been slapped with security tags, with brazen crooks strolling out of stores after filling their bags with unpaid-for groceries.

A Tesco store in Purley, south London, is using the new technology to prevent customers from simply picking up a bottle of alcohol from the shelf

The anti-thieving gadgetry has the ability to track when items have been removed, how often the cabinet has been opened and for how long

Tesco says the technology has been rolled out in a handful of stores, and said it does not use facial recognition

Customers have to go through a four-stage process to gain access to the cabinets

But shoppers are far from happy with the new anti-shoplifting technology with one branding them 'obnoxious' from Tesco and another saying the retailer is 'tyrannical'.

Broadcaster Lorraine King wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Popped into Tesco to buy a bottle of champagne for my friend's birthday and was confronted with this.'

Another poster added: 'I would guess the security guard is looking at a camera rather than it being facial recognition but still, very obnoxious by Tesco.'

Mary N-T said: 'With police no longer bothered about shoplifting this is what supermarkets have to do.

'Thieves are walking into shops and brazenly taking booze off the shelves and walking out, tags and all.'

Tesco is trialling a new cabinet for alcohol in a small number of its larger stores as part of additional security measures to help reduce theft

Premium products such as olive oil have been placed in special casing in an attempt to stop them from being stolen

Sammie Lloyd said: 'Tesco is becoming more tyrannical, with their use of technology. This is not good.'

Recent research from the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) annual survey found the amount lost to shoplifting in the latest year was the highest ever recorded.

Shoplifting cost retailers about 1.8 billion in the latest year, the first time it has surpassed the 1 billion mark, the BRC said.

Some retailers said the cost of living crisis changed the number of items being stolen from one or two items, to many.

The boss of John Lewis, Dame Sharon White, previously said that shoplifting had become an 'epidemic' with a rise in organised gangs looting stores.

Martyn James, an independent consumer champion, said: ' Is there a sadder indictment of society than this - the fact that buying a bottle of booze is now like getting into a high-end luxury jewellers?

'If the epidemic of shoplifting and aggressive customer behavior is not dealt with firmly and definitively, then we face a future where everything we buy is behind bars or plastic screens.

'That's not a future I want to live in.'

Tesco declined to comment.
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night is formally burying the hatchet with his two toughest 2024 primary rivals - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Amb Nikki Haley.

Both DeSantis and Haley will address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Tuesday night as the GOP pushes a 'unity' message in the aftermath of Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump.

Haley's spokesperson said last week as the former South Carolina governor was releasing her delegates to Trump that the ex-U.N. ambassador hadn't been invited to the Milwaukee fete. Early reports also suggested that DeSantis had been snubbed.

But now both Haley and DeSantis have primetime speaking slots - meaning Trump will likely be in the audience during their speeches

Haley was the last Republican hopeful to stay in the primary race after DeSantis bowed out after his embarrassing performance in Iowa and then a hail mary campaign trip to Haley's home state of South Carolina.

Former President Donald Trump's ex-rival Nikki Haley performs a sound check onstage at the Republican National Convention Tuesday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis participates in a Moms for Liberty event Tuesday in Milwaukee ahead of his convention speech as former President Donald Trump pushes to unify the party

DeSantis immediately backed Trump as he bowed out, despite the former president ridiculing him for months.

Trump dubbed him Ron 'DeSanctimonious' and 'DeSanctus' and alluded to the mini-scandal - that the Florida governor was secretly wearing high heels.

At a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Trump said he thought DeSantis was 'wearing ice skates.' 'And I'm not wearing lifts, either, by the way. I don't have six-inch heels.'

Haley, who came in third place in Iowa, stayed in the race another five weeks - irritating Trump with her persistance.

She was unsuccessful in beating Trump in New Hampshire, whose independent-minded voters were most likely to hand her a victory.

That night Trump unleashed on his former Cabinet member, caling her an 'imposter' and telling his crowd of supporters she had a 'very bad night.'

The ex-president grew even more frustrated when Haley stayed in after the late February South Carolina primary, as she lost her home state by 20 points.

Haley finally dropped out of the Republican presidential primary in early March after a disappointing Super Tuesday performance where she lost 14 states to Trump - winning just Vermont.

She initially declined to endorse Trump.

As other states held primaries, Haley continued to garner protest votes - including around 157,000 votes in the battlegound state of Pennslyvania.

But as she assumed her new position at the Washington think tank, the Hudson Institute, she finally endorsed the former president.

'As a voter, I put my priorities on a president who's going to have the backs of our allies and hold our enemies to account. Who would secure the border  no more excuses,' she said at the Hudson Institute.

'Trump has not been perfect on these policies, I have made that clear many, many times. But Biden has been a catastrophe. So I will be voting for Trump,' she said.

As of now, it appears Haley is only delivering a speech at the four-day convention and heading back out.

DeSantis has several appearances throughout the convention.

Before his main stage remarks on Tuesday, DeSantis participated in a Moms for Liberty town hall on the sidelines of the Convention.

The panel members for the Giving Parents a Voice conversation also included Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and the attorneys general for Louisiana and West Virginia.

After speaking on the Fiserv Forum stage to promote Republican Unity on Tuesday evening, DeSantis will attend on Wednesday morning a breakfast with the Florida delegation.

Also on Wednesday, the Florida governor is slated to speak at an Iowa Republican Party Lunch in Milwaukee.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is a close ally of DeSantis and endorsed his Republican primary bid against Trump.

That, however, didn't do much good, as Trump walloped both DeSantis and Haley in the Iowa caucuses in mid-January.
Milwaukee business owners say they are leaning toward backing former President Donald Trump over Joe Biden this election as the MAGA frenzy descends upon their city.

A number of business owners and managers with locations closely situated to the Republican National Convention exclusively talked to DailyMail.com.

From fine art appraisers to fine beer distributors, the entrepreneurs say that the crowds flocking to the four-day event at Fiserv Forum have been good for business, but others closer to the security perimeter have not been so lucky.

Some of these business owners have yet to make a decision about who they will support in November, but very few plan to back President Joe Biden.

'I'll be voting, voting Republican,' Erik, a beer and spirits distributor, told DailyMail.com outside the back of his truck while making a shipment Tuesday morning.

Erik, a beer and liquor distributor, said the RNC has been good for business and that he is backing Donald Trump for president in 2024

'I deliver beer to local restaurants and bars and grocery stores, liquor stores around around town, and we've seen a lot of extra volume come from the traffic that's made their way into Milwaukee for the event, and it's good for business.'

'I think we've erased a lot of progress that it's made, been made over the last eight years with this last administration, and it's not been good,' Erik said.

Called Trump's presidency 'very strong' and said he liked Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as a running mate for the former president.

Down the street a man who has worked for 50 years in the fine art industry, Bill, told DailyMail.com that he too is supporting Trump.

'I'm a long time conservative, long time Republican, and been a supporter of Donald J. Trump, so that's easy for me,' he said.

Bill, an owner of a Milwaukee fine art appraisal business, told DailyMail.com he will vote for Donald Trump in November

President Donald Trump, with a bandaged ear from nearly being assassinated, celebrates after announcing JD Vance as his running mate

He said he had been watching the RNC festivities, adding 'it was so emotional last night to watch him come out on the floor.'

'After watching his near death experience, to see him up about - I'm getting choked up even thinking about it - the man is a strong, he's fighter, and I'm not sure many people could do what he did, having had a near fatal bullet pass inches from your brain.'

Some stores have notably put up anti-Republican messages near the convention.

One business blocks away from the Fiserv Forum posted a sign in their window reading 'Welcome Future FAKE Electors :).'

Bill said that move was 'pretty stupid.'

'Any business that doesn't support both points of view is cutting off half their business, that's pretty stupid.'

But when he reflected on how the RNC has impacted his shop, he said its been slow, but expressed optimism about traffic might improve later this week.

Someone tagged TRUMP on a business blocks from the RNC that pointedly is anti-Republican pic.twitter.com/z64GSsR5J7  Jon Michael Raasch (@JMRaasch) July 16, 2024

Security fences surround the Pfister Hotel where Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is staying in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 14, 2024,

'In some respects, it's slowed, but in some respects, we've enjoyed a lot of curious people looking in,' Bill said. 'So you never can tell what develops from that.'

Like the art purveyor, those close to the eight-foot fences surrounding the former president's hotel say they are still hopeful more customers will roll in as the barricades make it difficult.

Allison, the manager of a breakfast joint called Brunch It Up, said the tsunami of customers expected by local businesses has actually been a smaller wave than anticipated.

'We expected an initial rush from the amount of people coming to town. However, with all of the roads blocked off by us, so we're right next door to the Pfister [Hotel], where Donald Trump is staying, so all the roads are blocked off.'

She continued saying the business 'has taken a massive hit.'

'We had like half the sales last week, and this week is not looking much better, but we're hopeful that we start to bring in some of the crowds as RNC starts.'

When pressed on who she is backing in November, she said she has yet to make up her mind.

'I am still undecided, just waiting to see, kind of what comes up with the conventions coming up. I think the Democratic one is in August, so kind of seeing what comes out of both of those.'

Allison said that the RNC has not brought in as many customers as she thoughts, adding she hopes traffic will ramp up as the event continues

Connor, a 20-year-old Milwaukee gift shop manager said he too is still up in the air on who he will vote for in his first election.

'I don't really have much of a political party that I affiliate with. You know, I'm 20, so I've never voted in a presidential election.'

'This will be my first one, so I still have some stuff to consider before the election comes up.'

He also said he has not seen Trump yet despite running a shop a block away from where he is staying.

'He hasn't walked in here,' he said. 'I think they're being pretty private with him. Obviously, he got shot recently, so I don't think he'll probably stop by.'

Around the corner from Connor's gift shop, Emerald, the owner of a restaurant called Diverse Dining Market, also said business has been slow.

Emerald declined to share who she plans on voting for in November, but confirmed that she has made up her mind on which candidate she likes

'So surprisingly, I haven't seen a lot of people,' she told DailyMail.com. 'We have gotten occasional reporters in. We've gotten some of the security for Trump at the Pfister, but just not a lot of people.'

'We kind of average about 20 customers a day since we've been open, but here, just yesterday, it was significantly less than that, hoping for a better day to day. But like I said, haven't seen a lot of people so far.'

She said despite some other businesses turning their noses up at Republicans, she is happy to host them at her restaurant, saying every dollar counts/

'We are all the way for green,' she said with a smile. 'In fact, our whole focus of our business is inclusivity. So we want customers to come in and do business. We hope they enjoy what they have when they come in, and so we hope to see more people before the week is out.'

When asked if she is throwing her support behind Trump or Biden - she declined to share which candidate she is supporting, though she did reveal 'My mind is definitely made up as to so what I'm gonna who I'm gonna vote for.'
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call 1-800-273-8255

Real estate mogul Brandon Miller killed himself by inhaling exhaust fumes while his influencer wife was touring Europe with their two daughters, friends and law enforcement sources have told DailyMail.com.

Troubled Miller, 43, waited until his family had left town for a weeks-long luxury vacation before getting into his car and running the engine until it filled their garage with toxic gas.

The build-up triggered a carbon monoxide alarm which alerted the fire department in Southampton, New York, and sent a notification to Miller's wife Candice Miller, founder of the lifestyle blog Mama & Tata.

The socialite pal of Ivanka Trump missed the July 1 warning because she was asleep at her $2,000 per night hotel in Italy's ultra-chic Amalfi coast, a friend told DailyMail.com.

She awoke to learn her husband  heir to a real estate empire but battling mounting debts and multiple lawsuits  had been found unconscious at their $8million mansion in Water Mill, an exclusive Hamptons enclave.

Candice Miller's real estate mogul husband Brandon Miller, 43, died in hospital two days after inhaling toxic fumes at the couple's Southampton home on July 1, DailyMail.com has learned

Miller had gotten into his car and ran the engine until it filled their garage with toxic gas. He was later found unconscious at the $8million mansion in Water Mill, an exclusive Hamptons enclave, after the build-up triggered a carbon monoxide alarm

DailyMail.com understands that a wealthy friend arranged for shaken Candice, 42, and their two girls to fly back to the US on a private jet.

They arrived in time to say their final goodbyes before Miller was taken off life support at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and declared dead on July 3, according to a well-placed source.

'They are amazing, sweet girls who loved their dad so much. This is absolutely devastating for all of them,' the source added.

The Town of Southampton Police Department refused to share details of Miller's suspected suicide but a law enforcement source confirmed the cause of death was asphyxiation.

Friends say once-gregarious Miller had battled depression and put on weight in recent months as he faced mounting legal problems and struggled to maintain his family's gilded lifestyle.

He and Candice spent weekends on Long Island and the bulk of their time at a $47,000-per-month rental on Park Avenue in New York City's Upper East side.

The couple's opulent lifestyle, awash with designer clothes, decadent cocktail parties and costly vacations, was showcased on Candice's painstakingly choreographed social media pages.

She and her sister Jenna Crespi created Mama & Tata, Candice (the mama) combining forces with Jenna (tata, the aunt) to 'impart our insights on how to be a great mom while maintaining beauty, style and glamour in everyday life.'

Miller, who was married to influencer wife Candice since 2009, waited until she had left town with their two daughters for a weeks-long luxury vacation in Europe

Friends say once-gregarious Miller had battled depression and put on weight in recent months as he faced mounting legal problems and struggled to maintain his family's gilded lifestyle

Candice and her sister Jenna Crespi created Mama & Tata, Candice (the mama) combining forces with Jenna (tata, the aunt) for their lifestyle blog

'Candice spent money like water. She would get an $800 facial once a week, she had a private chef. She spent thousands on flowers for each of her dinner parties,' the source added.

'Her wardrobe was all Miu Miu, Prada, and shoes and bags from The Row. She spent another thousand every month on her Tracy Anderson membership and private training sessions.

'Everything she did was captured by a professional photographer to project this perfect lifestyle. All of that costs an absolute fortune.'

Behind the scenes, Ivy league graduate Miller had become embroiled in multiple lawsuits posing questions about his honesty and the true state of his finances.

His dad Michael Miller founded Real Estate Equities Corporation in 1978, developing more than 20 million square feet of malls, plazas and luxury condos throughout the US and accumulating a reported personal wealth of $74million.

But he also bequeathed his son a huge debt when a former business associate named Donald Jaffe filed a lawsuit in New York following Michael's 2016 death claiming he was owed $5.9million in unpaid loans.

The 2019 complaint claimed the Millers borrowed funds for a building project in Tribeca where Brandon and Candice would later occupy a swank penthouse that became the backdrop for many of her glitzy Instagram posts.

The money also covered a mortgage on Brandon's five-bed waterfront spread in Water Mill but he 'flatly denied' any knowledge of the pact and insisted his father had directed a longtime employee, Christine Frangipane, to forge his signature.

The marina claims Miller never 'responded nor acknowledged' a notice in October 2022 informing him he owed nearly $40,000. Miller's alleged debt eventually grew to $55,205.76, per the legal filing

Miller, pictured with his daughters on his wife's lifestyle Instagram account, was being sued for more than $221k by two companies at the time of his death

When Miller tried to get the case tossed, New York Supreme Court Judge Andrew Borrok wondered why he had been paying Joffe back in installments for the previous four years if the loans were fraudulent.

'It is more than a little bit curious that Ms. Frangipane remains in Brandon's employ', he further noted, prior to the case being settled in 2022.

That same year TD Bank sued Miller and his mom Barbara, claiming they made a series of fraudulent transfers to prevent the bank from collecting on a $2.1million debt that Michael owed on an outstanding mortgage.

Further suits cast doubt on whether Miller could afford the jet-set lifestyle carefully curated for his wife's online followers.

Interior Marketing Group sued Miller in April for $102,730 for failing to pay for 'high-end living, dining and bedroom furniture and various accessories.'

The disputed inventory included 'dining and family room fixtures, area rugs, table lamps, bedroom desks and chairs, credenzas, bedframes [sic], pillows, draperies and sheers and artwork.'

He had also 'refused to return' $64,000 worth of items that were used to furnish the Park Avenue apartment, the filing claimed.

Miller was being sued in the Hamptons for $55,205 for unpaid bills dating back to 2022 by the Lighthouse Marina, where he moored his boat, MillerTime.

Pals had sensed tension in the Millers' 15-year marriage as fitness fanatic Candice began to post more images without her husband

Candice deleted her @mamaandtata Instagram page before Miller's death hit the news. She's not been back online and has not commented about it publicly

Pals sensed tension in the Millers' 15-year marriage as fitness fanatic Candice began to post more images without her husband.

He was no longer photographed at her side at glittering social events where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Wendy Deng, Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, and Eve Jobs, daughter of Apple founder Steve Jobs.

This past Father's Day she paid tribute to her own father but made no mention of Brandon. He appeared stressed, tense and visibly heavier, friends say.

Rumors swirled of fresh legal woes and an impending foreclosure on the couple's Long Island property without ever being substantiated.

Candice and the girls set off this summer for Europe without him, spending around two weeks visiting Majorca in Spain's Balearic Islands, where the trio stayed at the five-star La Residencia hotel.

They moved on to Italy's glamorous yachting hub, Capri, where the trip was cut tragically short by news of her husband's suspected suicide.

'She had posted something saying how excited she was about going on a girls' trip for the first time since she got married,' the source said.

'That struck people as strange because Brandon had gone along on all these trips in the past. Then she suddenly stopped posting all together.'

Candice deleted her @mamaandtata Instagram page before Miller's death hit the news. She's not been back online and has not commented about it publicly.

Friends say she is being comforted by her family away from the glare of social media.

'It's a tragedy. She's been completely silent. Everyone is just wishing her and the girls the best,' our source added.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide Prevention hotline on 988 - or 1-800-273-8255 - or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org
If Monday was the resurrection, with talk of miracles and divine intervention when a bandaged Trump made his first public appearance after being shot, then Tuesday was the healing.

At the second day of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, the former president was lauded by former opponents who months ago called him unhinged or rubbished his election prospects.

'America has an amazing ability to self-correct,' said Nikki Haley, Trump's last primary opponent.

'In this moment, we have a chance to put aside our differences and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country.'

It was healing. Up to a point.

Nikki Haley called Trump 'unhinged' on the campaign trail. Now she says she is proud to endorse him. She was one of several former rivals who called for a new unity in the party

Boos rang through the arena when the former South Carolina governor walked on to the red, white and blue convention stage.

They were quickly drowned out by the determined applause of other delegates who wanted to hear her speak. This after all was not a decorum-busting rally crowd of the MAGA base, but state delegations made up of elected officials and party workers who know what it takes to win the election in November.

So they roared their approval when Haley offered her 'strong endorsement' of Trump. He was watching proceedings from the 'family suite,' son Eric on one side, running mate Sen. J.D. Vance.

Leslie Rossi was not among the cheerers. She stood in silence.

'Don't talk to me about that woman,' said the Pennsylvania delegate, famous the world over as the proprietor of Trump House, a merchandise store and meeting place.

Rossi couldn't forgive her for walking on Trump during his administration, when she served two years as permanent representative to the United Nations.

'She's a quitter,' she said.

But for the most part Haley charmed the crowd. It was almost an audition for a new role under Trump as she set about appealing to the undecideds to put aside their doubts about the former president, just as she had.

'Our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander-in-chief,' she said. 'Joe Biden has failed this country.'

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump attends the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Haley received an awkward welcome but won over her doubters with a defense of Trump

As Haley left the stage, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrived to a much warmer welcome

Trump sat with his eyes slitted for the start of the address, looking impassive, much as he did when he was on trial in New York.

But even he was won over, standing at times to clap and looking moved by her endorsement, eyes brimming with gratitude.

There were no boos when she finished just cheers and applause. It was not exactly deafening, but it least the crowd did not stand and turn their backs on her as they did to Sen. Ted Cruz after he had fought Trump to the bitter end for the nomination eight years ago.

Everything changed on Saturday, when an assassin's bullet sliced through Trump's ear.

A different Trump has been on display at the convention, flashing a new mix of gratitude and vulnerability.

For the second night running he was received with a thunderous roar, which he returned with a clenched fist salute.

'When we get the president walking in it's like God Almighty walking in,' said George Bochetto, an alternate delegate from Pennsylvania.

Trump looks out into the crowd during the second day of the convention

Sen. Ted Cruz was another former rival who spoke on Tuesday. In 2016, the convention crowd turned their backs on him after a bitter race for the presidential nomination

He was not alone in seeing something spiritual unfold. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas and his former press secretary, said Trump's survival was a reminder that God was not finished with the nation.

His daughter-in-law Lara Trump quoted Proverbs: 'The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.'

In front of her delegates mingled in the aisles. Two were dressed as American troops from the Revolutionary War. Brick Suit guy, known for his wall patterned suit, was in his usual spot with the California delegation.

The Texas delegates were easily spotted in their Stetsons and giant belt buckles. One man matched a seersucker suit with a top hat adorned with an image of Lincoln.

And one trendsetter arrived with his ear patched up with paper in a homage to Trump.

The Trump uniform of navy suit, white shirt, red tie has a new accessory - the ear patch

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis followed Haley on to the stage to offer confession and seek absolution.

His war on woke put him on firmer ground with the faithful, and he was rewarded with on a heartier welcome.

'Donald Trump has been demonized, he's been sued, hes been prosecuted  and he nearly lost his life,' he said.

He also provided one of the biggest laughs.

America cannot afford four more years of a "Weekend at Bernie's" presidency,' he said, referencing a comedy about two friends trying to pretend their murdered employer was still alive.

Trump loved it, throwing back his head and laughing heartily.

Other moments were more somber. One of themes of the night was insecurity, with speeches from a mother who lost her 15-year-old son to fentanyl, a man whose sister was killed by an illegal immigrant, and a mother who felt powerless when two of the people accused of killing her son were let off by the Manhattan attorney general.

Sen. J.D. Vance prepares for his speech on Wednesday evening after being announced as Trump's running mate. He is seen here with Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle

The crowd erupted in the loudest boos of the night when Madeline Brame named the prosecutor, Alvin Bragg. He was the prosecutor in Trump's hush money case and a hate figure among Republicans.

It was a reminder that Trump's new found focus on unity runs only so far.

When one of the themes of the night is attacking Democrats for failing the nation on public safety, there is little room for a message of national unity.

At a time when the nation's polarization is fueling worries that political violence is on the rise, the convention is about uniting around Trump to better defeat President Joe Biden.

The boos for Haley were nothing to worry about, said Leigh Brown, from North Carolina who sported red Republican elephants on her earrings. Nothing but the remnants of a bitter primary that would be forgotten in time.

'I think there's just some hurt feelings,' she said.
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has slammed Jack Black's band Tenacious D after a member made a joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Band member Kyle Gass caused controversy on Sunday night during a performance at the ICC Theatre in Sydney, when Black brought a birthday cake out and asked him to make a wish, prompting Gass to reply, 'Don't miss Trump next time.'

This was a crude reference to how the bullet fired by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks just missed Trump's head and instead hit his ear as he spoke at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Showgrounds in Pennsylvania.

Despite eliciting laughter from the 9,000-strong crowd, the comment received widespread backlash, causing Jack Black to cancel the band's Australian tour.

Rudd, who is now Australia's ambassador to the United States, said the joke made him 'physically ill' and that it was just not funny.

'It makes me feel sick someone would joke about violence. Physically ill,' Rudd told news.com.au.

'People might think it's a bit of 'funny haha' at a concert to run off at the mouth off about this stuff. It's not.'

Jack Black 's Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass made an divisive comment about Donald Trump's attempted assassination (pictured L-R, Kyle Gass, Jack Black and John Spiker)

'It's about threats to physical life, it's about the near assassination of a former and prospective President of the United States, depending on the votes of the American people,' Rudd said.

'It's about the murder of innocent civilians and two people being seriously wounded.'

Rudd added the band members of Tenacious D needed to 'grow up' and 'find a decent job'.

Black, who is widely known for his roles in the films School of Rock and Kung Fu Panda, claimed he was 'blindsided' by his bandmate's comments.

In a post to social media, the actor confirmed that the band was canceling all its remaining Australian shows.

'I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,' Black wrote.

'After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.

'I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.'

Gass also issued his own statement on Tuesday: 'The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake'.

'I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.

'What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I profoundly apologize to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused.'

Australia's ambassador to the US, and former prime minister, Kevin Rudd (pictured on the right at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee) claimed Gass' remark made him feel 'physically ill'

Black claimed to be 'blindsided' by his bandmate's comment

Meanwhile, United Australia Senator Ralph Babet has called for the American rock duo to be deported from the country following Gass' remark.

Babet, who is an avid Trump supporter, condemned Gass' remark as 'evil' and that wishing for the death of a president was 'not a joke'.

He described Trump as the 'soon-to-be 47th President', despite the fact Trump is still in the running against President Joe Biden ahead of the November 2024 election.

'Tenacious D should be immediately removed from the country after wishing for the assassination of Donald Trump at their Sydney concert,' Babet said in a statement.

'I condemn in the strongest possible way the call to political violence by Tenacious D in Sydney on Sunday.

'To advocate or wish for the assassination of a President is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

'This was not a joke, he was deadly serious when he wished for the death of the President.'

Babet also urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to denounce Tenacious D and support his call for the band's deportation.

'I call on the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately.

'Anything less than deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump, the 45th and soon-to-be 47th President of the United States.

'Allowing Tenacious D to remain in Australia after calling for the death of a President is unthinkable, and it affirms the weakness of our current Prime Minister.'

Australian Senator Ralph Babet called for both Black and Gass to be deported from the country in the wake of the wake of the joke
An Australian brewery has gone into voluntary administration as the cost of living crisis claims another venue.

Lotus Beer Co, which runs Valhalla Brewing in Geelong, Victoria, has become the latest craft beer company to fall victim to tough economic times.

Scott Andersen and Matthew Kucianski of Worrells have been appointed as the administrators and the first meeting of creditors will be held next week.

'In the past two years we have seen almost every aspect of running a small business become more expensive  in particular ongoing increases in rent, insurance premiums, and essential expenses such as fuel, electricity, ingredients, and freight,' Lotus Beer Co's founding director Scott Hunt told Daily Mail Australia.

'Then on the other side of the ledger we have a massive decline in spending at our hospitality venues over the past 12 months.'

Mr Hunt said Sales at the brewer's original Union Street taproom in Geelong are down 50 per cent on the same time last year.

'And sales at the new brewhall at the Federal Mills are less than 50 per cent of what we believed was easily achievable when we signed the lease two years ago,' he said.

The director said the ongoing legacy of Victoria's 2021 lockdowns is a large part of the reason for the sharp decline in hospitality spending.

Cost of living pressures have led to yet another Australian brewery going into voluntary administration (stock image)

'Since the end of lockdowns in 2021, many people have not returned from working from home. Or if they have it is only for two or three days a week,' he said.

'We are simply not seeing people come out for a drink after work like they used to; particularly on Fridays which used to be our busiest time of the week.

'This, along with cost of living pressure, is what is doing so much damage to the hospitality industry.'

Mr Andersen echoed Mr Hunt's concerns, saying 'we understand Lotus entered voluntary administration due to rising cost of living pressures'.

He said this 'ultimately led to a reduced demand for the company's products whilst it was also experiencing increased costs of production in operating its businesses'.

As with the owner, the administrators are 'hopeful that we can find the right buyer or investor to keep the business moving into the future'.

'This is a difficult time for everyone involved, and we will do our utmost to support all stakeholders throughout the process,' Mr Andersen said.

'Our team is committed to ensuring that the process is conducted in a professional and transparent manner, and that all parties are kept informed of developments as they arise.'

Australia's brewing industry has faced serious economic headwinds in recent years, with those affected often blaming the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for their troubles, along with inflation pressures.

In March, Gold Coast-based Black Hops Brewing went into voluntary administration due to mounting tax debts.

Lotus Beer Co director Scott Hunt (pictured) said the rising cost of rent, ingredients, power and a fall in people spending money had led to the company going into administration

'This decision has not been easy to make, however, the path the ATO has taken with the business has left the company in a position where there was no alternative,' the brewery said at the time.

The award-winning Deeds Brewing in Melbourne also entered into voluntary administration in March.

Since the start of 2024, small and medium breweries including Big Shed, Hawkers and Golden West have all entered administration.

They followed other outfits such as Ballistic, Parched, Wicked Elf and Running With Thieves which collapsed during 2023.
Lidia Thorpe has backtracked on a photo of herself wearing a Hamas-style headband, saying she didn't realise it was linked to the terrorist group.

The firebrand independent senator from Victorian attracted heavy criticism on Tuesday afternoon when she posted the controversial selfie on X.

In the photo, Ms Thorpe - who openly supports Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel - could be seen smiling while holding a mug and wearing a green headband that said 'I love chocolate milk' in Arabic script.

The caption, alongside two chocolate bar emojis, read: 'I wholeheartedly support this message. I hope you do too!'

Users were quick to condemn the senator for posing with the green headband, which was near-identical to the kind often worn by Hamas terrorists and supporters.

Ms Thorpe had removed the photo from her profile by Wednesday morning, but not before her critics reposted screenshots all over the social media platform.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Thorpe explained she was gifted the headband and did not realise it resembled garments worn by Hamas.

'This was intended as a lighthearted post about chocolate milk to the many Arabic speaking people I have met and worked with in my career,' she said.

Pictured: The now-deleted photo Lidia Thorpe posted on X on Tuesday afternoon

By Wednesday morning, the photo had been deleted from the social media platform (pictured)

'When I realised that people drew a connection that was not at all intended and became upset, I deleted the post.

'I didnt mean to cause harm or distress, and I apologise to those who were upset by it.

'My advocacy around Palestine is about pushing for peace and an end to the violence were seeing every day.'

She then called on the Australian government to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and pledged to focus on those issues.

When she first posted the photo on Tuesday, she was heavily criticised by X users who accused her of 'dressing up' as a terrorist.

Others slammed the post as offensive and divisive.

Pictured: Members of terrorist group Hamas wearing green headbands

Social media users were quick to condemn the firebrand senator for posting the photo

One user said: 'Shame on you Lidia Thorpe.'

Another wrote: 'A politician in a democratically governed country, puts on a terrorist costume. What a strange personality Lidia Thorpe is.'

A third user wrote: 'Lidia Thorpe just posted a picture of herself with a H*mas headband ... Supporting the "H*mas message" is supporting a genocide against all Jews. This is appalling.

Ms Thorpe is an Indigenous activist who was a member of the Greens until 2023 when she became an independent representing the Blak Sovereign Movement.

On Monday, she addressed a 'free Palestine' rally in Melbourne, comparing the violence in Gaza to the attempted genocide of Indigenous Australians by European settlers.

'As blackfellas in this country, we know what it's like to be targeted by the coloniser, every minute of every day,' she told the crowd.

'And as soon as we step one foot wrong... their boot is on our neck.

'We become the perpetrator, we become the enemy for standing up against the genocide, for standing up against an injustice.'

Senator Lidia Thorpe has openly supported Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel

Lidia Thorpe is pictured at the Mid-Winter Ball earlier in July, wearing a pro-Palestine dress with the divisive phrase 'from the river to the sea

She mentioned newly independent Western Australian senator Fatima Payman, who dramatically resigned from the Labor Party earlier in July over its failure to take a proper stance on the conflict in Gaza.

Ms Payman claimed she had been ostracised by the Labor caucus for speaking out about the issue, and defied party bosses to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Parliament.

'Look at Senator Payman and how she was treated every day when she crossed that floor,' Ms Thorpe told the crowd on Monday.

'But I can tell you now, with Senator Payman on the crossbench, we are going to hold them all to account.'

At the parliamentary Midwinter Ball on July 3, Ms Thorpe arrived in a pro-Palestine dress with the divisive phrase 'from the river to the sea embroidered down the front.

The dress also had a blood-stained look at the bottom, while her handbag carried the slogan: 'Love Harder.'
Elon Musk is moving both SpaceX and X headquarters out of California and into Texas over the liberal state's new gender identity laws.

The 52-year-old billionaire announced the major move on Tuesday, saying Gov. Gavin Newsom's signing of a law that bans California school districts from notifying parents if their child is transgender was 'the final straw.'

'Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California to Starbase, Texas,' he wrote on X.

'I did make it clear to Gov. Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.'

Musk later added that the social media site will also be moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Austin, saying he has 'had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building.'

Elon Musk, 52, announced on Tuesday he is moving Space X and X out of California in favor of the Lone Star state

He went on to suggest 'many will follow' and noted in a follow-up post that 'Doug Leone of Sequoia Capital publicly voiced his support for Trump six weeks ago.

'Silicon Valley has shifted,' Musk said.

The billionaire has already moved Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin after Alameda County officials would not let him re-open the plant under coronavirus restrictions - despite Newsom announcing that manufacturers could restart operations.

He followed through on the promise about a year later, lauding Texas' lack of an income tax and the abundance of housing in the area - though he announced he would still maintain Tesla's 'engineering headquarters' in California.

Musk himself had even moved to the Lone Star state in 2020 after living in California for two decades and has already been in the process of moving SpaceX to Texas as he spoke out against California's liberal policies.

He cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom's decision to sign a controversial bill that bans California school districts from notifying parents if their child is transgender as the 'final straw'

He has rallied against the use of preferred pronouns - often mocking the practice on social media and dismissing it as part of a 'woke' agenda that is dangerous for society.

Musk is the father of a trans daughter from whom he is estranged, and he blames her California private school education for making her politically far left and turning her against him.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been on the opposite side, however, often championing these woke ideals - even though he, too, has moved his family out of one of the state's largest cities and into an exclusive area.

On Monday, he enacted a law that blocks public school districts from requiring staff to notify parents when their children change the pronouns they use in class.

It reversed decisions in more conservative school districts that ordered teachers to notify parents if a student changed their name or pronouns, or requested to use facilities or participate in programs that didn't match their official gender.

He said SpaceX will now move its headquarters from Hawthorne, Calif. to Starbase, Texas

Musk said he had previously spoken to the California governor about his woke policies, warning that it may force businesses to leave the state

Democratic state officials who pushed for the law, argued that students have a right to privacy, and that some LGBTQ+ students live in unwelcoming households and need protection from their own parents.

Trans activists also argued that such guidelines are vital, as some kids need protection from their old-fashioned parents who won't accept their desire to change sex.

But parents have since hit out at the policy, telling DailyMail.com the law would encourage more school districts to implement their own secret sex change policies and leave moms and dads unable to trust teachers.

They say they should instead be kept in the loop about their child's gender identity.

'This is a five alarm fire ethically and legally because it excludes parents from knowing vital information about their own child's school records,' said Erika Sanzi, from the campaign group Parents Defending Education.

'If a school facilitates the gender transition of a minor without notifying parents, they are engaged in a psychosocial intervention without parental consent.'

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, will now be moving from San Francisco to Austin

Announcing the decision, Musk said he has 'had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building'

Some conservative California lawmakers have also blamed Newsom for the tech companies' departures.

'Gavin Newsom's anti-parent agenda isn't just bad for families - now it's doing serious damage to California's economy,' Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told the Sacramento Bee.

'With the highest unemployment rate in the nation, you'd think our governor would be doing everything possible to protect jobs.

'Instead, he's pandering to extremists in his party by cutting parents out of their kids' education and driving even more businesses to pack up for other states.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Newsom's office for comment.

But in an apparent swipe at the billionaire on his own platform, the governor reposted former President Donald Trump's Truth Social post from 2022 bashing electric vehicles and Musk.

The former president claimed in the post that Musk visited him in the Oval Office asking for help 'on all of his many subsidized projects' and telling him he was a 'big Trump fan and Republican.

'I could have said "drop to your knees and beg," and he would have done it,' Trump wrote at the time.

Newsom, though, wrote that the tycoon - who has endorsed Trump for president - has since 'bent the knee.'
The Conservatives are set to use their party conference to hold hustings between the final two leadership candidates.

Senior Tories will meet tomorrow in a bid to finalise the timetable for the contest, and are expected to fire the starting gun for nominations within days.

Candidates will reportedly spend the summer setting out their pitches before MPs whittle them down to just two in September.

Hustings would be held during the party's annual conference in Birmingham, which starts on September 29, before members are given a vote.

A source from the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers last night insisted that 'all options' remained on the table.

Senior Tories will meet tomorrow in a bid to finalise the timetable for the contest, and are expected to fire the starting gun for nominations within days. Pictured: Rishi Sunak (centre) meeting with members of the 1922 Committee in the Houses of Parliament

Rishi Sunak has indicated that he is happy to stay on as leader for a short period, but is waiting for the 1922 Committee to set out a timetable for the contest before deciding when to stand down

The committee's executive is expected to meet again today before discussing the contest with the party board tomorrow.

Leadership contenders have already begun trying to win over the support of colleagues, hosting 'at home' drinks receptions and canvassing support over coffees in Parliament.

MPs expected to throw their hat in the ring include Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly.

Rishi Sunak has indicated that he is happy to stay on as leader for a short period, but is waiting for the 1922 Committee to set out a timetable for the contest before deciding when to stand down.

Yesterday, 1922 Committee treasurer Sir Geofrey Clifton-Brown said party members would have the final say on the next Tory leader.

He also said there was a need to act 'with some speed, not undue haste', telling GB News: 'Firstly, we are the official opposition, so we need a leader in Parliament that can start to do Prime Minister's Questions and have a permanent team so that every stage we are challenging this new government.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) is expected to throw her hat in the ring for Tory leadership

Kemi Badenoch (pictured) is expected to put herself forward for Conservative party leader

James Cleverly (pictured) is also expected to put himself forward as the next leader of the Conservative party

Suella Braverman (pictured) is also expected to put herself forward as a leadership contender

'But more importantly than that, I think there needs to be somebody amongst our own members and our own Members of Parliament who will actually start to lead us in the direction that he or she wishes to go, leading up of course until the next election .'

The Times reported that there are concerns the party will face significant financial difficulties if the contest drags on, with donors likely to hold off giving money until Mr Sunak's successor has been chosen.

But several senior figures have warned the party not to rush into a leadership election even if it means appointing an interim leader  arguing that prospective candidates should be tested by members during the autumn conference.

While some urged Mr Sunak to remain in post as leader of the opposition until a successor is chosen, others pointed to the example of Harriet Harman, who took on the interim Labour leader role in 2010 and 2015 while the next leader was decided.

Former Business Secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'There is no rush, no one will be listening to the Conservatives for a bit so having a final debate at the Party Conference could be about the right time with a vote completed shortly afterwards.'

Another ex-minister currently on the Tory backbenchers said: 'I don't think we should rush this. My preference is for us to caucus for a bit and see who emerges as the favourites rather than rush into an ungainly multiple-candidate circular firing squad.

'We could have an interim leader if needed. Labour did it with Harriet Harman. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.'

Alexander Stafford, former party vice-chair, said: 'With Labour's support relatively skin deep, there is every chance of us winning in 2029 with the right leader. The wrong leader might lead to us being pushed out of even being the Official Opposition.

'It's crucial we try and test all candidates.'
The Welsh Labour government is set to scrap its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced.

Ken Skates, the Welsh transport minister, admitted 'errors have been made' with the scheme, which is set to be reverted in September this year with the introduction of new guidance across the country.

This will allow local authorities to raise the speed limit to be back to 30mph on certain roads 'outside urban centres and rural residential roads with no nearby facilities'.

They will also be increased on major routes, such as bus corridors, with minimal cyclist and pedestrian traffic and on some urban roads.

It comes after more than half a million signatures were added to a Senedd petition opposing the divisive policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

The Welsh Labour government is set to scrap its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced. Pictured: A vandalised 20mph sign on Sloper Road in Cardiff

A 20 mph speed limit sign in Wales which has been sprayed black by vigilante drivers rebelling against the introduction of new speed limits

A woman holds a sign during a protest against 20mph speed limits on September 23

Skates told the the devolved Senedd parliament: 'Errors have been made, but the new guidance will enable us to correct them, and it's my hope that [with] this guidance we will begin to see the process this autumn of changes to 20mph areas.'

He added that while the speed limit on some routes could also be reduced, the number of these is 'likely to be dwarfed, though, by the number of roads that would revert back from 20 to 30.

'That process will begin in the autumn,' he said.

'Signage changes, I imagine, will be made by the end of this year, going into the next calendar year.

'And it's my hope and expectation that by this time next year, it will be settled.'

Skates revealed that it would cost 5 million to revert the roads back to 30mph, which is just under a sixth of the 32 million it cost for the original scheme.

The policy was introduced in September last year, with the promise that lower speed limits would lead to fewer collisions and people injured.

The Welsh Government provided funding to Wales' 22 councils for new signs required to alert drivers of the speed limit.

It has seen fierce opposition from the Conservatives in the Senedd, who have branded it a 'waste of time and resources'.

Mark Drakeford's (pictured) Welsh Labour Government introduced the new go-slow limit last year

The new policy has been incredibly unpopular with certain quarters of the Welsh population

A 20mph road sign that has been defaced in Cwmbran South Wales

He said that while the policy had been in Labour's manifesto during the last Senedd election, he understood that people in Wales 'lead busy lives' and do not 'spend their evenings flicking through the programme for government'.

Earlier this year vigilante drivers rebelled against the introduction of the 20mph speed limits after groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country.

Since September, there have been multiple reports of 20mph signs being vandalised across Wales, with one sign in Carmarthenshire having been snapped in half, while others have been sprayed in black paint to hide the 20 figures.

Carmarthenshire County Council said it was becoming 'increasingly concerned' after 'a spate of incidents' towards roadsigns - including 20mph ones.

Gwent Police figures show two recorded incidents of vandalism to speed signs since September, leading to one person being arrested and charged.

The force recorded eight incidents of speed limit sign vandalism in the five years before that.

Groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country including this one in the village of Froncysyllte

Since the law went into force, Monmouthshire Council reported 22 incidents of vandalism to its 20mph signs.

All councils said Welsh Government funding for new signs cover anticipated repair costs.

The Welsh scheme to reduce the default speed limit for 'restricted roads' from 30mph affects 7,700 miles of road.

The speed limit reduction to 20mph affects 'restricted roads' - those with 'street lights spaced no more than 200 yards apart, usually located in residential and built-up areas'.

According to its own impact assessment, the 'main economic dis-benefit' of the new regime 'relates to increased journey times from lower average vehicle speeds'. It states that this could result in an economic hit of up to 9 billion over 30 years.

But the then Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the 20mph speed limit would save lives and the cost was 'outweighed' by reduced impact on the NHS and emergency services.

Mr Drakeford has said 'the evidence is incontrovertible' that 'driving more slowly in built-up urban areas saves people's lives' and that it will save the NHS in Wales 92 million as a result.

He cited a similar scheme in Spain, saying it had cut urban deaths by 20 percent.

MailOnline spoke to some motorists when the scheme was introduced in September last year who did not share Mr Drakeford's optimism.

Drivers in Wales defacing the 20mph road signs in protest of Mark Drakeford's new policy

Groundworker Kevin Khan, 52, said his journey from Caerphilly into the city centre was already an hour due to traffic.

He said: 'They need to stop it but they won't. It's just dictator Drakeford imposing his will on us again.

'It's terrible decision. Traffic is already so bad that we're going nowhere fast. I spend my mornings stuck in it. It's a huge pain in the a***.

'I can't see that it will make anything safer. What will make people safer is if they learn how to look properly before crossing a road.'

Businessman Jason Pritchard, 32, needs to drive to carry tools and workers for his dry lining company in South Wales and said the limits will be 'a nightmare'.

Father-of-four Jason said: 'I agree with it around schools and places like that but I don't see the point on some of these main roads.

'From 30 to 20 is a big jump and will double journey times for some people and traffic is already bad enough.

'I leave early in the mornings so I can beat the traffic, I leave around 6am and my journey from the Rhondda takes about 30 minutes, but on the way home I get stuck in it all and it takes an hour. That's only going to get worse now.

'I'd like to get the train to work and some of my employees already do, but you can't when you have tools to carry or you might have to go elsewhere to pick something up - and it's not like I can cycle either.

Groundworker Kevin Khan, 52, said his journey from Caerphilly into the city centre already takes an hour due to traffic

Chris Kenward, 31, says he expects more people turn to the benefits of electric bikes

'I don't think it will make much of a difference to safety either. I think you will see more frustrated drivers and that can be dangerous.

'The more time I spend in my car costs me more, makes my day longer, and takes me away from my family.'

Electrician James Gregg, 27, of Burnham on Sea, was working in Cardiff and commuted in his van.

He said: 'I need the van for work and it takes me all over the South West and Wales there are more of these 20 zones and drivers need better signage.

'I think reducing all 30s down to 20 is ridiculous. I think it will only mean people spend more time in their cars.

'In some areas where they put the 20 limits are pointless.'

Rugby club worker Stacey Chappell, 37, of Ely, Cardiff, said: 'The reduction is bad for traffic which is bad enough anyway. You're stuck in traffic and people on bikes are going faster than you.

'I can't get a bike because I have to take my children to school and carry stuff with me and I don't think I would get one anyway, I wouldn't feel safe.

'You can't get public transport because it is so unreliable and so I feel I have to drive.'

Food courier Sridhar Yellu, 27, said traffic is so bad in central Cardiff already that he couldn't do his job using a car - and his electric bike is a far quicker way to travel.

Food courier Sridhar Yellu, 27, says traffic is so bad in central Cardiff already that he couldn't do his job using a car

Grandmother Suzanne Stephens is in favour of the new 20mph policy as she thinks it will save lives

He said: 'I work within a three-mile area but if I had to do it with a car I would get stuck in traffic.

'My bike has a top speed of 15mph but it is much quicker for me to pick up from a restaurant, deliver to a customer and get back again, than if I had a car.

'If I used a car to make the same journeys then everyone's meal would get cold by the time I got there.'

Chris Kenward, 31, works at Cardiff's Electric Bike Shop, and expected more people to turn to the benefits of electric bikes with the speed reductions.

He said: 'If you add a motor to your bike you can get to work and do your daily commute without breaking a sweat, that's one of the advantages.

'There is currently a 15.5mph speed limit on the bikes so although they're not quite as fast as a 20mph limit they are not far off.

'We are seeing more interest now in cargo bikes which you can fit two children's seats to the back of so more people are doing the school run in them which may increase with the new limits.

'The more bike lanes in Cardiff will speed up bike travel around the city but some of them at the moment are not very well looked after and even as an experienced cyclist it can still be scary riding in traffic.

'The roads are already busy and traffic is bad around the city centre - and that's before the introduction of 20mph.'

Speaking to MailOnline, Nicola Ryder (pictured), 55, a carer for the elderly in Swansea, said: 'It won't stop the boy racers but will impact on ordinary people going about their day

Pensioner Vivienne Moore (pictured), 73, of Townhill, Swansea, said: 'I've just driven to the shops from m my home two miles away and other drivers were beeping their horn at me because I was doing 20mph

University lecturer Cerys Hillier (pictured), 32, from Swansea, said: 'I get it, they have lowered the speed and for safety reasons but there are a lot of factors they've not taken into account

Swansea schoolteacher Will Rees (pictured), 30, said that while the new measures make sense in built-up areas and schools, he thinks 'busy throroughfares' should remain 30mph zones

Grandmother Suzanne Stephens, 59, however agreed the scheme would save lives.

She said: 'I'm all for it. I drive all the time but if it makes it safer for people then I don't have a problem.

'I do the school run but even if it takes a bit more time then I don't mind. Safety and safety of children is all that counts.'

Nicola Ryder, 55, a carer for the elderly in Swansea, said: 'It won't stop the boy racers but will impact on ordinary people going about their day.

'I'm okay because I only look after three people a day and I can juggle it. But some of my colleagues are on the clock and the new speed limit will affect them.

'If there was a referendum, people would vote no. We pay our taxes but we weren't consulted on this - the people in the Senedd just tell us to do as we are told.'

Pensioner Vivienne Moore, 73, of Townhill, Swansea, said: 'I've just driven to the shops from m my home two miles away and other drivers were beeping their horn at me because I was doing 20mph.

'If you ask me, they should have lowered it to 25mph, that would have been far more sensible.'

And university lecturer Cerys Hillier, 32, from Swansea, said: 'I get it, they have lowered the speed and for safety reasons but there are a lot of factors they've not taken into account.

'I'm concerned about greater emissions, taxi fares going up for people without cars.'

Swansea schoolteacher Will Rees, 30, said that while the new measures made sense in built-up areas and schools, he thought 'busy throroughfares' should remain 30mph zones.
Refused to pay the fee saying it was exorbitant

A Sydney property manager is taking a former tenant to a tribunal because she refused to pay for professional cleaners at the end of her lease.

The tenant, Sally Coleman, insists she did everything right, spending days meticulously cleaning the property after vacating.

'We spent days mopping the floors, we cleaned every single window downstairs, upstairs,' she explained in a video posted to social media.

'We scrubbed every toilet, every bathroom, wiped every shower. We mowed the lawns, clipped the front hedges.'

However, when the agent visited for the end-of-lease inspection, they noticed minor issues such as dusty cupboards and tiny hairs on the floor.

As a result, the property manager called in a professional to clean the house again.

The cleaners charged $1,100, which Ms Coleman refused to pay.

'I obviously disagree with this because we spent days cleaning this property, we went all out.'

Ms Coleman argued that the photos taken by the agent during the inspection, which were meant to support the need for professional cleaning, actually illustrated that her cleaning job was good enough.

Former Triple J host Sally Coleman (pictured) stated that she meticulously cleaned the property after vacating at the end of her lease. Despite this, her real estate agent brought in professional cleaners and billed her $1,100

Ms Coleman and her housemates spent days cleaning their home for the final inspection, only for the agent to point out minor flaws with her clean

Ms Coleman revealed that her and her housemates' bond, totalling about $6,500, is now being withheld until the tribunal finalises the matter.

'It's essentially being held to ransom until we sort this out,' she said.

'So I know this is wrong, I know that they can't do this.'

Many Aussies sympathised with Ms Coleman's plight.

'I'm an ex-property manager. They should have given you an opportunity to go back and clean what they pointed out first. They should have not just sent cleaners in,' one explained.

'Your bond is not held by the real estate agent, it is held by the Rental Bond Authority for this exact reason.

Ms Coleman claims the real estate agent said the toilet was not clean

She said the agent highlighted this speck of dirt as a reason for requiring professional cleaners

'Take your photos and condition report with you to the tribunal. Mention that they did not give you an opportunity to fix any problems yourself first. Good luck.'

A second added: 'We went to tribunal and won. The agents bet on you being threatened and backing out, but don't be. Just keep your cool and stick to the facts.'

A third agreed and said: 'Tribunals more often than not rule in favour of the tenant they can see what's going on.'

A fourth said: 'I've found they'll do this when you don't use the 'recommended' cleaner they're getting a kickback from.

'I've had it happen when I used a different professional cleaner, just not the one they wanted me to use.'

Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com
A 'dystopian' capsule 'apartment' is being offered as a solution for Sydneysiders who cannot find or afford even a small unit due to the city's housing crisis.

Listed for $300 per week, the pod-like space in inner city Haymarket is described as a 'unique accommodation solution' for renters searching for a 'cost-effective long-term living' option.

The 'ultra modern' capsule - so small that an adult must crouch inside - is located inside the Space Q Capsule Hotel on George Street.

Images show the capsules are stacked and only arm's length from adjacent 'rooms'.

The space comes with a single and double-bed option, USB charging ports, a TV and a safe to store small personal items, according to the listing.

Renters would have to use communal bathrooms, kitchen, and living spaces and there are lockers to store personal belongings.

While the agent describes the capsule as the 'next generation of fresh, affordable, long-term accommodation', Sydneysiders questioned whether it meets 'minimum standards of living'.

'Calling it an apartment is a bit of a stretch,' one Facebook commenter said.

A capsule apartment is being listed for rent for $300 a week in Sydney

The capsule is located within Space Q Capsule Hotel on George St in Haymarket

Would-be renters have access to a communal living space, kitchen and bathroom

'These are okay for a night of cheap accommodation ... but it's not very liveable long-term,' another wrote.

After staying in the capsule for just one night, one woman said is it 'definitely not suitable in the long term'.

'The capsule was in a room with 5 other capsules. Also one of the showers in the bathroom didn't work and someone had vomited in the other one,' she said.

PropTrack data reveals Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia to rent, with the median rent climbing by more than $150 per week over the past year.

In March, national vacancy rates dropped to a record low of 0.7 per cent.
A former White House and CIA official has been indicted on charges she worked as an unregistered agent of South Korea's government in exchange for luxury goods and other gifts.

Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean policy positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their U.S. counterparts, according to an indictment made public on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.

In return, the South Korean intelligence officers allegedly provided Terry with Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more than $37,000 in 'covert' funding for a public policy program on Korean affairs that she ran.

Terry's alleged work as an agent began in 2013, two years after she left U.S. government employment, and lasted a decade.

She is now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, according to the think tank's website, and an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea.

Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean policy positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their U.S. counterparts, according to an indictment made public on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court

Terry did not immediately respond to a request for comment but her lawyer, Lee Wolosky, denied the charges in a statement.

'These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.'

'In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf.'

'Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake,' he added.

The Council on Foreign Relations put Terry on unpaid administrative leave, and will cooperate with any investigation, a spokeswoman said.

South Korea is not a defendant. Its Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The office of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan did not immediately respond to similar requests.

Terry is still a frequent guest on TV, radio and podcasts, having appeared with Kaitlan Collins on CNN as recently as last month, and has testified multiple times before Congressional panels.

Terry is still a frequent guest on TV, radio and podcasts, having appeared with Kaitlan Collins on CNN as recently as last month, and has testified multiple times before Congressional panels

Terry (pictured right) attends the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall last February

Born in Seoul and raised in Virginia, Terry was a senior CIA analyst from 2001 to 2008, and director of Korean, Japan and Oceanic Affairs at the NSC from 2008 to 2009 under Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama.

She now lives in New York, her biography says.

The indictment charges Terry with failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and conspiring to violate that law.

It says she acknowledged in a voluntary June 2023 FBI interview that she was a 'source' for South Korea's intelligence service, 'meaning that she provided valuable information.'
Former MasterChef judge and celebrity chef George Calombaris has copped another blow with his stint at a popular Sydney restaurant over after just five months.

Melbourne-based Calombaris only took over the reigns as creative partner at the beloved Greek restaurant Alpha in Sydneys CBD in March.

The restaurant changed operators last month when the Public Hospitality Group exited and it was taken over by Con Dedes of Dedes Waterfront Group.

Dedes told the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday that Calombaris will not be continuing at Alpha after they 'agreed mutually not to join forces.

He added Calombaris 'lightened up the menu' at Alpha and the restaurant would follow in that direction.

He said Calombaris' dishes would disappear from the menu in coming weeks.

Calombaris said that although Dedes is a brilliant operator, the new situation 'just didnt match'.

'I love Sydney, and I loved my time at Alpha,' Calombaris said.

George Calombaris (pictured) has parted ways with Alpha restaurant in Sydney's CBD

On his brief stint at Alpha, Calombaris said, But I feel like Ive been teased. I wouldnt say I was upset, I was saddened.

But it did open up other opportunities. Sydney is definitely on my agenda, Calombaris said.

Calombaris didn't elaborate on the other opportunities, but hasn't ruled out working with another venue in the Public Hospitality Group's portfolio.

His departure from Alpha comes after his career was disrupted by numerous personal controversies over recent years.

His MAdE group, which had 22 companies, collapsed in February 2020 after being ordered by the Fair Work Ombudsman to pay workers millions in unpaid penalty rates.

In 2019, Calombaris was ordered to repay $7.8million in unpaid wages to 515 current and former members of staff.

He was fined $200,000 for underpaying his staff between 2011 and 2017 and lost his hospitality company Made Establishment, to liquidators.

The dishes of George Calombaris will disappear from the menu of Alpha restaurant in Sydney's CBD (pictured) in coming weeks

Calombaris was personally hit with a $200,000 penalty for the wage rorts but always insisted the underpayments were simply a mistake he blamed on inexperience.

He said the payment error was detected after the company made a self-report, but the publicity that followed made it impossible to keep his businesses afloat.

'We apologise to all our affected team members, past and present  as it is our people that make our restaurants great, and it is our priority to ensure all of our employees feel respected, rewarded and supported in their roles,' he said in a statement.

Last year Calombaris banned a patron from his restaurant after the customer left a scathing one-star review complaining about the lack of Greek staff.

They claimed they had the 'worst dining experience ever' after booking six weeks in advance.

The customer said their table waited 45 minutes for their food after the manager forgot to put their order through.

'Practically none of the staff were Greek (inc the Manager who was of Indian descent) and the menu didn't reflect what has been posted online. Calombaris - this place is a joke and you've certainly got a few people fooled.'

But Calombaris hit back in a fiery Instagram post, telling the diner they were never welcome in his restaurant again.

'Won't lie. I am 99 per cent a very positive human. But this is horrible,' Calombaris wrote.

'Yes, we made a mistake with your order. We are humans. And yes, my manager is Indian. You know who you are guys. You're not welcome ever to [the restaurant]'.
All 11 water firms in England and Wales are under scrutiny by Ofwat as part of a major investigation into sewage pollution in rivers.

The water regulator said it showed 'how concerned we are about the sector's environmental performance'.

Ofwat announced it had served formal enforcement notices on four remaining utilities firms - Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities - who up to now had not been investigated.

It means the firms may have breached their obligations to protect the environment, which could lead to fines.

Ofwat opened a major investigation in November 2021 into the companies' sewage treatment works.

All 11 water firms in England and Wales are under scrutiny by Ofwat as part of a major investigation into sewage pollution in rivers

Every major English water company has reported data suggesting they have discharged raw sewage when the weather is dry - a potentially illegal practice (file pic)

Total hours water companies in England leaked sewage into rivers, lakes and the sea in 2023 shown by the areas they cover

It has handed fines amounting to more than 300million in recent years to the companies it found to have breached their legal duties.

The regulator has already taken out enforcement cases against Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water, with extensive investigations ongoing.

It is also still monitoring Southern Water following a previous enforcement case in 2019.

Every major English water company has reported data suggesting they have discharged raw sewage when the weather is dry - a potentially illegal practice.

Water companies can release untreated sewage into rivers and seas when it rains to prevent it flooding homes, but such spills are unlawful when dry.

David Black, Ofwat's chief executive, said: 'The fact that Ofwat now has enforcement cases with all 11 of the wastewater companies in England and Wales demonstrates how concerned we are about the sector's environmental performance.

'This is the largest and most complex investigation Ofwat has undertaken.'

Ofwat has handed fines amounting to more than 300million in recent years to the companies it found to have breached their legal duties (file pic)

The regulator has already taken out enforcement cases against Thames Water, as well as Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water, with extensive investigations ongoing

But Mr Black said the regulator wants to conclude the cases 'as quickly as possible', so that the sector can focus on spending 88billion as part of its latest plan to 'deliver cleaner rivers and seas'.

United Utilities said in a statement: 'We understand and share people's concerns about the health of the environment and the operation of wastewater systems, including combined sewer overflows.'

Severn Trent said it had 'committed to going further and faster than anyone else in the sector' in relation to tackling sewage overflows.

Both firms said they would 'work constructively' with Ofwat in its investigation.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the Government will need to 'get to grips with' sewage and pollution

A spokesman for the Government's Environment Department said: 'We will never look the other way while water companies pump sewage into our waterways.

'That is why we welcome the enforcement action announced today.

'The new Government will go even further to clean up Britain's rivers, lakes and seas.'

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government will need to 'get to grips with' sewage and pollution, while Environment Secretary Steve Reed proposed new measures to reform the sector and 'fix our broken sewage system'.

It followed Ofwat setting out new plans aimed at delivering a 44 per cent reduction in spills from storm overflows compared to levels in 2021.

United Utilities said in a statement: 'We understand and share people's concerns about the health of the environment and the operation of wastewater systems'.

A spokesperson for Hafren Dyfrdwy said the firm would 'ensure that we will not be the reason for any unhealthy rivers in Wales by 2030' and would be 'rapidly reducing' polluting spills.

Severn Trent said it recently announced a programme worth 1bn to reduce its impact on rivers to 'almost zero by 2030'.

Dwr Cymru said it 'will not shy away from the challenges facing us'.
Was it terrifying ignorance or outrageous cynicism? Either would explain the recent remark by JD Vance, Donald Trump's new pick for vice-president, that Britain is now effectively an 'Islamist state'.'

What is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon?' Vance wondered, during a speech at the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC last week.

His answer was the UK, now that Labour has won power.

It seems scarcely plausible that this bright graduate of Yale Law School actually believes that Sir Keir Starmer's victory this month puts us on a par with Iran, Afghanistan or Pakistan.

But Vance's remarks are not based on fact. They reflect prejudice, partly recycled from hard-Right scaremongers in Britain, and partly designed to appeal to similar sentiments in the U.S.

They also fit squarely into the Trump campaign's 'America First' worldview, in which allies  even Britain  are seen as unreliable freeloaders.

Rather than expecting leadership and protection from the United States, the message goes, these countries should look to their own security.

Fix your borders. Sort out your defence. Don't expect us to bail you out  or protect you when the invaders come knocking.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump appears with vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Monday

People clear rubble at the building of one of the largest children's hospitals of Ukraine earlier this month

Russia's president Vladimir Putin (pictured)

Trump and his team see the world in bleak, dog-eat-dog terms. Every country should put its national interest first.

Every dollar or bullet that goes to allies is one less for the vital task of defending the U.S.

Make no mistake, Vance's appointment is a black day for European security and bad news for the rules-based international order.

Trump's new running mate likes to highlight the principle of 'scarcity': America does not have enough weapons for its own defence, he told a stunned audience at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year.

It, therefore, cannot afford to send any more to Ukraine, which is fighting what he calls a 'border war' where no American interest is at stake.

Vance sees the conflagration in Ukraine as an unwinnable distraction. That beleaguered country will pay the most immediate price if Vance and Trump win the White House in just over 100 days' time.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Butler on July 13

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump appears with vice presidential candidate JD Vance

An attendee wears pants featuring the face of former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Signs in support of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump

Vance, pictured with his wife, Usha, on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention

But we in Britain will be living in a much more dangerous world, too.

The Atlantic Charter, forged between U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in the darkest days of World War II, and exemplified by the DDay landings of 1944 and the Berlin Airlift of 1948, has kept us safe for decades.

We have benefited hugely from our position as America's closest military ally, on everything from access to high-tech weapons to intelligence sharing.

While we have a nuclear deterrent, we have scrimped on defence, like most other Nato countries, knowing that in a crisis Uncle Sam will have our backs.

That looks unlikely now. The dithering of President Joe Biden's administration and last year's political deadlock in Congress over aid to Ukraine have undermined U.S. credibility.

Attendees hold signs during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

An attendee at the Trump convention walks through the lobby of the Fiserv Forum

US Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Dave McCormick speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention

Trump is ready to wield the death-blow. If he wins on November 5, America could abandon its role as the world's policeman and champion of freedom and democracy in every hemisphere.

What might that mean in practice? Assume that Vance gets his way and Vladimir Putin bludgeons Ukraine into accepting a ceasefire.

According to intelligence estimates, Russia would be ready to wage a new war against a Nato country within as little as two years.

The bleak truth is that the 32-country alliance, which has just celebrated its 75th anniversary, can defend itself only with the support of its biggest member, the U.S.

True, many Nato allies have state-of-the-art fighter jets and warships to resist an onslaught from the East.

But these weapons will be useless once their high-tech munitions run out. The Kremlin may hope that Russia can win a war with the West once it has withstood the early barrage.

Worse, most Nato countries lack air defences to deal with the bombs and missiles now raining down on Ukraine. Britain's 1,000-strong force in Estonia, for example, is a sitting duck if Russia chooses to target the Baltic states.

An attendee wears a Wyoming Trump Country hat during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention

An attendee wears Trump earrings outside of the Fiserv Forum on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention

Attendees hold signs supporting Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance

If Putin tries to menace Britain, we are vulnerable, too. A recent report described our air and missile defences as 'negligible'.

If any of our Type 45 destroyers are working and in home waters, they might be able to protect London. Our six Sky Sabre short-range systems could defend a handful of vital military and infrastructure targets.

Beyond that, we would suffer the same, or a worse, fate than Ukrainian city-dwellers.

The picture across our conventional armed forces is dismal. For all the brass-hats' bravado, they are under strength, ill-housed, under-trained and poorly supplied. Our planes lack pilots. Our ships are shamefully unseaworthy.

Our shrivelled Army cannot even deploy a single war-fighting division.

Our security relies too heavily on our last-ditch nuclear missiles: doomsday weapons that we would use only after the country was already devastated.

That is why this isolationist shift in American politics is so desperately worrying.

A delegate places hand on heart during pledge of allegiance on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention

Donald Trump Jr., Vice President nominee JD Vance and Kimberly Guilfoyle stand on the stage ahead of day two of the Republican National Convention

For now, the U.S. plugs the gaps in Europe's defence and deterrence. On a recent visit to Poland and Lithuania, I saw scores of men and women in U.S. Army fatigues. They are part of a big American force in Poland  a country fast emerging as Europe's real military heavyweight. Warsaw spends 4 per cent of its GDP on defence, double the Nato benchmark, and is ready to raise it further.

Shamefully, a third of alliance members fail to meet even a puny 2 per cent target.

In any case, 2 per cent is not nearly enough to upgrade members' armed forces after years of neglect, let alone to fight a hot war with Russia, to say nothing of China.

And bridging the deficit left by American withdrawal from Europe would require more.

Understandably, European stinginess infuriates the Americans. For decades, Washington has been warning its allies to spend more.

Rather than do that, we paid our dues by sending our armed forces to fight and die in U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But the Trump team has no truck with this. It regards those wars as costly failures. It feels no moral obligation to us for our part in them.

The big question now is how far a Trump-Vance administration would actually follow up on its isolationist, protectionist rhetoric.

In truth, and wiser heads on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon know this, America needs allies. Its ability to constrain, compete with and confront Beijing depends on Washington's international credibility.

Sacrificing decades-old security ties with Europe is unlikely to impress nervous regional allies like Japan and South Korea.

A nuclear free-for-all  in which both friends and foes scramble to acquire atomic weapons in the wake of an American retreat  would make the world a far more dangerous place.

Our best hope is that Vance, like Trump in his previous administration, believes that tough talk will finally make the Europeans shape up.

If our foes have not scared us into taking defence seriously, then perhaps our biggest ally can.

How shameful and dangerous that Britain's safety and freedom should rest on such a fragile assumption.

Edward Lucas is the author of The New Cold War: Putin's Threat To Russia And The West.
Ministers last night admitted that there is 'more to do' to toughen up online safety laws after Ofcom was accused of being too soft on tech firms.

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government was committed to 'building on' the flagship Online Safety Act passed by the Conservatives last year.

Charities have pushed for the legislation, which is intended to make social media platforms safer by protecting children from harmful content, to be strengthened further.

More than 20 groups including the NSPCC, Barnado's and the Molly Rose Foundation have said Ofcom is failing to fully implement the law.

They claimed draft rules issued by the regulator fail to 'bring about the changes that children need and deserve, or that parents, parliamentarians and civil society expect'.

Ministers last night admitted that there is 'more to do' to toughen up online safety laws after Ofcom was accused of being too soft on tech firms

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government was committed to 'building on' the flagship Online Safety Act passed by the Conservatives last year

'We must see a shift in the regulator's approach to ensure it is implementing a regulatory regime which prioritises children's safety and can grapple with the full scale of risk to children online.

'Ofcom must go further and use its full powers to demand bold and meaningful change from tech companies.'

Mr Kyle told The Times that online safety was an 'absolute priority' for ministers.

Branding Ofcom's rules a 'significant and positive shift' in the area, he added: 'We are committed to working with campaigners, charities, industry, and the regulator to achieve this goal.

'I met many of these campaigners in my first week as a cabinet minister and I commit to working with them and Ofcom to ensure the act is delivering the protections it promised and building on it where necessary.'

In May, Ofcom drafted guidelines warning social media platforms that they could be named and shamed  and banned for under-18s  if they fail to comply with new online safety rules.

But child safety advocates have suggested that there are significant loopholes in the codes of practice issued.

Measures that could be taken include turning off notifications for young children, banning streaks or limiting the number of videos they can see in a day.

They have also called for firms to address the risk around live-streaming, which carries a greater risk of exploitation.

In May, Ofcom drafted guidelines warning social media platforms that they could be named and shamed  and banned for under-18s  if they fail to comply with new online safety rules, but child safety advocates want the new legislation to go further

Dame Melanie Dawes (pictured), the head of Ofcom, said the regulator was looking at how AI could help to detect harmful content online

Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, said: 'As we consult on these proposals, we're listening carefully to all the feedback we receive from valued experts - including children themselves.

'We'll finalise our 'first edition' codes within a year so we can start enforcing the new laws quickly.

'And this is just the start  we're already looking at how we can strengthen them in the future as our evidence grows, such as using AI to detect harmful content.

'If platforms fail in their duties to protect children, we'll have a broad range of enforcement powers at our disposal to ensure they're held fully accountable for the safety of their users.'

Ofcom's consultation on the draft codes of practice ends today.
The leader of an Eastern European neo-Nazi group has been charged in a plot to have a follower dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish kids in New York City.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21 year old from the Republic of Georgia, was arrested pursuant to an Interpol Wanted Person Diffusion in Moldova on July 6.

On Tuesday, a federal grad jury in Brooklyn indicted him on four counts including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence following an FBI-New York Joint Terrorism Task Force Probe.

'As alleged, the defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his Neo-Nazi ideologies,' said US Attorney Breon Peace.

'His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals.'

An eastern European neo-Nazi leader has been charged in a plot to have a follower dress up as Santa Claus to hand out poisoned candies to Jewish children

Prosecutors say Chkhikvishvili - who went by the nicknames Michael, Mishka, Commander Butcher and Butcher - leads the Maniacs Murder Cult, an international extremist group based in Russia and Ukraine.

The group adheres to a 'neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems "undesirables,"' federal prosecutors claim.

Its goal is to upset social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos.

The group has spread into the United States, and Chkhikvishvili was arrested after he unwittingly tied to recruit an undercover FBI agent.

The undercover agent asked the cult leader in September 2024 whether there was an application process to join the group, a criminal complaint says.

Chkhikvishvili then allegedly replied, 'Well yes, we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.'

He then went on to advise that 'poisoning and arson are [the] best options for murder' and suggested he consider a larger 'mass murder in the United States.

Chkhikvishvili also suggested the undercover cop choose 'low-race targets.'

Michail Chkhikvishvili unwittingly sent an undercover agent tips to carry out the scheme

By November, Chkhikvishvili allegedly began scheming a 'mass casualty event for New York City on New Years Eve.

'The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn,' prosecutors said.

He then drafted step-by-step instructions on how to carry out the scheme, writing in a November 2 missive that the undercover agent should use delivery services or pay with cash to buy the poisons and the chocolate candies.

'After giving around poisoned candies to many racial minorities and traitors, just go to [a] taxi, pay to go somewhere where you will have alternative clothes... and burn Santa clothes and equipment,' Chkhikvishvili allegedly wrote in the message.

Along with the message, prosecutors say the neo-Nazi provided the undercover cop with manuals on creating and mixing poisons and gases.

He also allegedly told the undercover agent to specifically target the Jewish community, noting, 'Jews are literally everywhere' in Brooklyn.

He advised that the undercover agent have some clothes stashed away, and that he burn the Santa suit after doling out the poisoned candies

It seems Chkhikvishvili had high hopes for the plan, intending for it to be a 'bigger action than Breivik,' referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in 2011.

'Once you do poison attack, I'll do message against US government,' he allegedly wrote to the undercover agent in November as he repeatedly asked for status updates.

'MMC will become bigger than al Qaeda once it drops.'

When New Year's Eve passed without any hate attack, prosecutors said he switched the plan to focus on poisoning children on 'some Jewish holiday.'

Prosecutors say Chkhikvishvili leads the Maniacs Murder Cult, an international extremist group based in Russia and Ukraine

Prosecutors also claim that since September 2021, Chkhikvishvili had distributed a manifesto entitled Hater's Handbook, in which he states that he has 'murdered for the white race' and is 'willing to bring more chaos in this rotten world

'Our main goal is to spread flames of Lucifer and continue his message of ethnic cleansing, great drive or purification,' the handbook said, according to the criminal complaint.

It would go on to encourage readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass murders targeting racial minorities, prosecutors say.

'The document describes methods and strategies for committing mass 'terror attacks,' including, for example, using vehicles to target "large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades" and "pedestrian-congested streets,' they claim.

'It specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.'

Chkhikvishvili would even allegedly tell others he committed hate crimes while living with his grandmother in Brooklyn in 2022 - bragging to the leader of the Feurkrieg Division, another neo-Nazi group, that he tortured and tried to kill an elderly Jewish man.

Investigators later determined that Chkhikvishvili had worked for a Brooklyn-based rehabilitation facility and was employed by an Orthodox Jewish family to care for a now-deceased man.

'I got paid to torture dying Jew,' he allegedly bragged in a message to the other neo-Nazi leader, sharing photos from the elderly man's hospital bed.

But the feds are not accusing Chkhikvishvili for the man's death, noting they spoke to family members of the deceased who said he 'had been sick for some time.'

Chkhikvishviliv is now facing a maximum of 20 years in prison for solicitation of felonies, conspiring to solicit violent felonies, distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and transmitting threatening communication.

It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Under normal circumstances an Australian ambassador to the US who has called a Presidential candidate 'nuts', accusing him of 'rancid treachery' and claimed his first term as President was the 'most destructive' in history would be instantly ruled out serving under such a person.

But this year's presidential showdown between Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden is anything but normal.

Rudd's colourful and condemning commentary about Trump pales into insignificance alongside what Trump's recently announced vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance previously said about his new boss.

In 2016 he claimed Trump was shaping up as 'America's Hitler'. It's hard to be more critical than that about a presidential nominee.

Suffice to say Vance walked back from those remarks as he sought to climb the Republican ladder during an era in which The Donald has become all powerful within the Republican party.

Rudd's penchant for colourful language is well known. He's previously described the Chinese as 'rat f**kers' and allegedly let rip at an Australian airforce attendant who messed up his onboard meal.

Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd and wife Therese Rein pose with US President Joe Biden. Rudd is now scrambling to establish ties to Donald Trump's camp

But our former PM and now-Ambassador to the US apparently draws the line at rock stars making ill timed gags about political assassination attempts.

When Tenacious D band member Kyle Gass 'wished for the death of the president' during an onstage birthday celebration at a concert in Sydney over the weekend, Rudd took his opportunity to dial up the outrage.

He said the comments were 'sick' and the successful musician should 'grow up and find a decent job'.

In making his wish, no doubt spurred on by crowd laughter, Gass added: 'Don't miss Trump next time'.

'That someone would joke about violence just makes me physically ill', Rudd claimed.

I wonder if the outrage brigade is as critical of Trump's many references to violence in recent years.

For example during the 2016 campaign Trump jokingly told a crowd in Iowa 'I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters'.

Does that remark also make Rudd 'physically ill'? Or does his stomach only selectively play up when it suits him?

He's in good(ish) company dialing up the outrage. Palmer United Party Senator Ralph Babet said that the musician should be deported for the comments. The band has since cancelled its Australian tour.

Frontman Jack Black appears to have ended his 30 year collaboration with Gass because of the off-colour joke, announcing an end to the pair working together.

Trump said Gass's comment about the Donald Trump assassination made him feel 'physically ill'. Trump is seen above with bandaged ear at the Republican National Convention

Kyle Gass's crass joke caused a split in his relationship with Tenacious D frontman Jack Black (left and right)

Meanwhile, Rudd has proudly declared that he's becoming a text message pest, using his pliable thumbs to build a relationship with the new Republican VP candidate.

I'm sure Vance could pick Rudd out of a line up if called on to do so.

Rudd is in full suck up mode now, aiming to ensure his viability as ambassador no matter who wins another four years in the Oval Office.

'What I've been doing is just head down, tail up, really, since I arrived about a year or so ago, engaging with the likely members of a future Trump administration', Rudd said.

And for good reason. Trump hasn't exactly been glowing in his reflections on Ambassador Rudd. Earlier this year Trump suggested that Rudd may not long for the world of DC politics:

'I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he's not the brightest bulb, but I don't know much about him. If he's at all hostile, he will not be there long.'

If the Democrats find a way to win, under Joe Biden's leadership or a new younger candidate instead, Rudd is confident he already has the relationships to successfully represent Australia on that side of the partisan aisle.
Six people found dead in a luxury hotel in Bangkok this afternoon may have ingested poisonous cyanide in their tea.

The victims, two of whom had dual Vietnamese-American nationality while the remaining four were Vietnamese nationals, were found inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel at around 5pm local time on Tuesday.

They are thought to have died after ingesting cyanide, according to local newspaper Matichon, while one officer claimed the bodies were foaming at the mouth.

Another local outlet, Thai PBS, reported the tea and coffee cups inside the room had all been used, but there were plates of food that remained untouched.

An image released by the Royal Thai Police, seemingly shows a body lying next to the uneaten meals left on a table in the hotel room.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had earlier dismissed reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting.

'There is no sign of a shooting,' the official told Reuters, without elaborating further.

In this photo released by the Royal Thai Police, a body apparently lies next to a table with a tea cup and untouched meals on it, in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok

Tea cups in the room (pictured) had been used but meals delivered by room service were untouched, police said. It is thought the victims may have consumed cyanide in their tea

Another angle of the table of uneaten food in the crime scene room

Police also released this photo of the Bangkok hotel room where the bodies were found

Thai police officers secure the area during investigations after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok

Police cars are parked outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 16

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin talks to media (L) next to the National Police chief Police General Torsak Sukvimol (R) during a press conference after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Bangkok police chief Lieutenant General Thiti Sangsawang said there were three males and three females.

Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an officer from the Lumpini police station said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release information.

The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Thiti said.

Police are still looking for the seventh person included in the booking, Thiti said at a news conference at the hotel.

He said there were no signs of a struggle. The residents of the room where the bodies were found were supposed to have checked out earlier Tuesday and their luggage had already been packed, he said.

The bodies were discovered by a maid who went to the room after they failed to check out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said.

There was food that had been ordered earlier from room service that was left uneaten, but drinks had been consumed, Thiti said.

He would not confirm a cause of death, but said the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff.

Immigration officers arrive to the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Policemen inspect after an incident, in which six bodies were found at a hotel in Bangkok on July 16, 2024. Six people believed to be Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans were found dead in a hotel room in central Bangkok on July 16

Police are seen at the hotel conducting investigations this evening

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Police and media wait outside the entrance of the hotel as investigations continue

The bodies were discovered at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel located in the popular Ratchaprasong Intersection of Bangkok

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said U.S. officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin immediately ordered an investigation into the deaths this evening and personally visited the hotel to discuss the case with investigators.

Thailand's economy is heavily reliant on tourism and Thavisin said he does not want the mystery deaths to negatively impact the country's image as a welcoming destination for holidaymakers.

'Hotel staff found their bodies in a room around 5pm (1000 GMT) today,' the police source told Reuters.

He denied initial reports that the six had been killed in a shooting, saying the investigation was currently focused on a 'link with a toxic substance.'

Pending the results of autopsies, 'Our hypothesis is that they ingested something that killed them,' Thavisin said.

Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.

In a statement, the police said they were still investigating the scene and cause of death, but added there appeared to be no signs of fighting, struggle or robbery at the hotel.

The incident comes as Thailand looks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of Southeast Asia's second largest economy.

'The prime minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,' the Thai government said in its statement.

Thavisin himself refused questions from the press as he arrived at the hotel earlier, instead making a beeline directly for investigating officers who whisked their leader away from prying eyes for private discussions.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where it is believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024

Police block media from entering the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Visitors stand outside of the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand

Five bodies were reportedly discovered inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, with the sixth lying by the door, at around 7:30pm local time

The entrance to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is seen in this general view

The Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is among Thailand's most luxurious and sought after tourist accommodations with a reputation for its service.

Located in the Ratchaprasong district - a highly frequented shopping and commercial area in the Thai capital - the hotel is a five-star venue replete with decadent interiors, a huge outdoor pool, a gym and spa complex and a highly rated restaurant.

It offers sweeping views of the city and besides the commercial attractions is also located adjacent to the Erawan Shrine, a notable religious site known for attracting tourists.

Hotel administrators are yet to comment on the incident.
The mother of twin toddlers is facing murder charges after her three-year-old sons died from alleged exposure of drugs laced with fentanyl.

Jestice James, 22, was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child abuse after her twins - Josiah and Jestine- were found unresponsive at their home in Canoga Park, Calif. on July 11.

The three-year-old twins were unresponsive when paramedics arrived at the apartment where James was with her boyfriend and her family.

The boys were rushed to a nearby hospital, but family members said it was too late. Josiah, the older of the twins, died later that night, while Jestine died two days later.

Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told DailyMail.com James' case is the first in Los Angeles County where a parent has been charged with deaths related to alleged fentanyl overdose, which is becoming a 'disturbing trend'.

Jestice James, 22, with her twins Jestine, left, and Josiah, right. The young mother has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child abuse/endangerment under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily harm or death, according to prosecutors

Jestine, left, and Josiah, right, were always full of energy and loved to give hugs, their cousins said

The veteran prosecutor would not go into detail as to how the twins were exposed to fentanyl pending the ongoing investigation.

However, Hatami said there has been four other similar cases of children exposed to fentanyl in LA County within the past six months.

'Children are out most vulnerable,' Hatami said. 'They don't buy fentanyl and they don't smoke it. Adults are doing that but it is the innocent children who are paying the ultimate price. It's unacceptable.

'When it comes to fentanyl exposure, we need to do everything we can to protect the innocent children.'

James looked visibly distraught as she appeared at a Van Nuys courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, while a handful of her family members sat in the court audience.

The young mother struggled to hold back tears as her mother, LaTina Allen, mouthed, 'I love you,' to her from across the courtroom.

James will remain in county jail in lieu of a $4 million bail. She is scheduled to appear back in court July 31 once an attorney is assigned to her case.

The young mom, seen here on an Instagram post, could face life in prison if found guilty of the charges

Paramedics who responded to the 911 call to the family's Canoga Park apartment found the twins unresponsive

Family members who attended Tuesday's hearing said James is a doting mother who would not place her beloved sons in any harm.

They boys recently celebrated their birthday and were at the beach during the July Fourth holiday celebrating with family.

The twins were rushed to a nearby hospital on July 11. Josiah, the older twin, passed away the same day while his brother died two days later

'Juju' and 'Jojo' just celebrated their third birthday on July 9. 'They still had a long life to live but unfortunately they were taken to soon, too young,' one family member said

Family photos obtained by DailyMail.com showed a smiling James with her two boys.

Josiah, the older of the two, was a curious boy who was 'very smart' and always inquisitive, said Allen.

Although Jestine was the younger brother, he always 'made sure his older brother Jojo was OK because he was a little bit bigger', their grandma said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe for funeral costs for the boys.

Hatami said most fatal opioid exposure of children happens at the family home.

'Home should always be the safe place for a child, but most unintentional pediatric exposure to illicit fentanyl happens in the child's home. We need more education, more awareness and more accountability regarding the dangers of fentanyl as it relates to innocent babies and toddlers.'

The twin's godmother, Regina Holmes, said their family is heartbroken over the young boys' deaths and are also grappling with their mother's 'terrible decision'.

'This is really hard for the family,' Holmes said. 'We want to bring awareness about fentanyl.

'We want anyone who has a family member, friend or associate who is indulging in that particular drug to know that it is a fatal drug. We lost Juju and Jojo.'
A hotel worker is accused of killing an Aussie couple and their relative on holiday in the Philippines because he allegedly 'wanted to get back' at his employers who fired him from his job, investigators have revealed.

David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, a Philippines-born Australian citizen, and their daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, were found dead at The Lake Hotel, at Tagaytay in the country's Cavite province, southwest of Manila.

Hotel staff made the discovery on July 10 when the trio failed to check out of their room.

All three victims were reportedly found lying face-down with their hands and feet bound and tape over their mouths.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven M Capagcuan revealed a man 'surrendered' to officers at 1.38am on Wednesday in relation to the murders.

The 33-year-old man, known under the alias 'Ronel', was a former employee at the hotel, according to the Cavite Police Provincial Office report.

'The course of the investigation revealed that the suspect took revenge against the hotel's management for his termination from employment, which led to the tragic killing of the victims,' the report said.

Mr Capagcuan told reporters that Ronel worked as the hotel's swimming pool cleaner and 'wanted to get back at the hotel management for his dismissal'.

Suspek sa pagpatay sa Austalian, kinakasamang Pinay at manugang nito sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay City, hawak na ng pulisya@News5PH @onenewsph pic.twitter.com/LpGmbPl8c1  Hannibal Talete (@HannibalGeneral) July 16, 2024

A man suspected of killing an Australian couple and their relative while they were holidaying in the Philippines surrendered himself to police (pictured)

Police explained the man (pictured) was a disgruntled former employee at the hotel where the bodies were found

Tagaytay city Mayor Abraham Tolentino and Capagcuan presented the suspect at news conference.

The man was ushered into the room in handcuffs and was wearing a hooded jacket, dark sunglasses and a black face mask.

Mr Capagcuan explained the suspect 'surrendered' himself to authorities after police attended his home in the province of Batangas, near Tagaytay, on Tuesday evening.

The development comes after police spent the last week searching for a man who was spotted on CCTV footage exiting the room on the day of the alleged murders.

Hotel security camera vision showed the man leaving the room dressed in a black hood jumper, maroon shorts, sneakers and carrying a black backpack.

Mr Capagcuan said the suspect was identified by at least three hotel employees based on the images captured by the security cameras.

It is understood police are planning to charge the suspect with murder and robbery, after he allegedly admitted to taking Mr Fisk's watch and shoes following the attack.

According to local media reports, hotel security guard Rodney Parahinog passed the man at 6am on Wednesday at the resort's entrance gate and asked him where he was going.

Mr Parahinog said the man replied that he was a guest and was holding a key card for Mr Fisk's room.

Pictured: Australian national David James Fisk, 57, his Philippine-born Australian wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55

The three murder victims are pictured, left and centre, with another family member (right) during Mr Fisk's visit to the Philippines with partner Lucita Barquin Cortez

Tagaytay city Mayor Abraham Tolentino (centre) apologised to the family of the victims and to Australia for the brutal murders that happened in his city

On Friday, Mr Fisk's family released a statement sharing their grief as they pleaded for answers about the horrific deaths.

'The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare,' the statement read.

'We pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter and just pray for their safe return to Australian shores.

'David's daughters, local known and loved residents in the Sutherland Shire, ask on behalf of their family that the media respect our privacy in this incredibly difficult and tragic time and we will be making no further comment.'

The family have set up a GoFundMe to assist with 'support getting justice for all loved ones involved' and will be used to 'help ease the financial stress and burden that will arise from this incredibly difficult time'.

Mr Fisk's body will be repatriated to Sydney, while both women will be buried in the Philippines, with the government to pay for their funeral service and burial.
Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle's bizarre statement that her agency didn't properly secure a building used by a would-be assassin to shoot at Donald Trump because of a sloped roof is falling flat with a former top FBI official.

'I think this sort of micro-excuse for this and that just rings hollow,' former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told DailyMail.com, hours after Cheatle floated the excuse.

'Im looking at that rooftop. Nobodys saying you have to have somebody on the rooftop. You need to have eyes on the rooftop 100 percent of the time,' he said.

'If theyre too scared to climb up on top of the roof, just keep your eyes on it,' added Swecker, who was brought in to conduct an independent review following the murder of Army Private First Class Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood in 2020 and served at the FBI under Robert Mueller.

Nor was he persuaded by Cheatle's sloped roof angle. 'That just sounds like excuses,' he said, noting that the shooter was able to scale it.

Swecker cautioned the agency against avoiding blame and urged a prompt, independent inquiry.

'Theyre blaming without really coming out and blaming them,' he said, noting statements that pointed to the role of local law enforcement in helping to secure the area before the the shooter got off multiple rounds, wounding Trump and resulting in the death of one attendee and the injury of another.

Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle is already facing calls to step down amid what some are calling a 'massive security failure'

'Its one of the myriad excuses they came up with. Ultimately, the Secret Service is responsible for the whole thing. Thats their job. This is the agency whose whole mission is the protective detail.'

Although President Biden and a range of observers have credited the agents who rushed Trump from the stage with bravery and quick thinking, Swecker pointed to one other potential lapse. He said agents shouldn't have yielded to Trump's decision to respond to the crowd and make a fist  a move he nevertheless called brilliantly astute.

'You get the protectee out of the danger zone immediately, just like they did with Reagan. Hes someone whos no longer president. Kick his ass and get him in the car,' he advised.

He asked what would have happened if it had been an Iranian cell or a highly professional carrying out the attempt rather than a 20-year old who was a bad shot.

'It was a brilliantly astute thing for him to do. But from a protection standpoint there wouldnt have been the opportunity. They had five Secret Service agents on that side of him. And his head popped up like a lollipop. They would have blown his head off. This was an amateur protection scheme,' he said.

Cheatle continues to face political pressure, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling for her to go, with a new congressional probe being formed and the Department of Homeland Security announced it will conduct its own probe of the shooting.

Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker blasted the Secret Service for making 'excuses' and was unpersuaded by Kimberly Cheatle's comments about a 'sloped roof'

The pushback comes hours after embattled Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle has revealed the fateful and bizarre reason why her agency failed to put an agent on the roof gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks used to carry out an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Cheatle, who is facing calls to resign over the massive security failure, said Secret Service officials planning security for Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania considered the warehouse 147 yards away from where Trump spoke to be a risky position for stationing an agent.

Chilling new details have revealed that a team of local police snipers were inside the building when the 20-year-old Crooks opened fire, shot Trump in the ear and killed a member of the rally crowd.

Crooks managed to evade cops and Secret Service three times, even though he had been deemed 'suspicious' and could have been on the roof for up to 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger.

Witnesses also begged law enforcement to act when they saw him clamber onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but the lapse in security meant he was able to carry out his bid to take the 45th president's life.

The mistakes that led to Trump being inches away from being killed sparked calls for Cheatle to step down, but she has refused and has now given a baffling explanation as to why there wasn't a presence on the roof that had a clear line of sight to Trump.

Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle has come forward with her first interview since the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, blaming a sloped roof as the reason to try to secure the building from the inside

'That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,' she told ABC News in an interview Tuesday.

'And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.'

What transpired instead was a security nightmare: Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to scale the building and secure his own position, while law enforcement struggled to locate him even amid pressing warnings from members of the Trump crowd. But there wasn't sufficient time to act on the tips, she explained.

'The shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion,' Cheatle said. 'Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president.'

She was referencing claims by witnesses that they alerted law enforcement about the threat, but agents weren't able to eliminate the threat in time. Officials have pointed to the initial responding officer, who lifted himself up on the roof only to lower himself back when his own life was threatened.

A government sniper positioned behind Trump while he was speaking took out the would-be assassin, but only after he began firing.

Cheatle told ABC News her first reaction to the shooting was 'shock.'

She also said the Secret Service was aware of the security vulnerabilities presented by the building Crooks took a sniper's position on to aim at Trump. However, a decision was made not to place any personnel on the roof  even though security experts have said a primary responsibility of law enforcement would be to secure elevated areas near a high level protectee.

She also continues to resist calls that she step down over the incident, even while taking responsibility for her agency.

'The buck stops with me,' she said.

'It was unacceptable,' she told ABC. 'And it's something that shouldn't happen again.'

Ex-FBI special agent Kenneth Gray told DailyMail.com on Monday that the Secret Service 'really screwed up' at the rally on Saturday and that efforts to hire more women in field roles may well have played a role.

Republican officials gathering in Milwaukee have been calling for tough scrutiny of the agency even as the feds are implementing tighter security measures around Trump and other protectees.

Somebody, somewhere has a really, really a lot of serious questions to have to answer, House Judiciary and Weaponization committee member Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota told DailyMail.com.

Cheatle's decision to avoid questions until now has also drawn astonishment. She was not present at the initial press conference headed by the FBI.

The probe set up by President Joe Biden after the incident is being overseen by the Justice Department, not Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service.

'That speaks volumes, former House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz told DailyMail.com.

President Biden was asked by NBC Monday whether he has confidence in the Secret Service.

'I feel safe with the Secret Service. But look ... what we did see was the Secret Service who responded risked their lives responding. They were ready to give their lives for the president. The question is should they have anticipated what happened. Should they have done what they needed to do to prevent this from happening? That's the question that's an open question.'

He didn't respond directly when NBC's Lester Holt asked him if the agency suffered a 'massive security failure.'

Republicans preparing to grill Cheatle have already focused on her own background. Before being appointed by President Biden in 2022, she worked for PepsiCo as senior director in Global Security. She worked for 25 years in the agency and in the Vice Presidential Protective Division.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Ky.) on Fox News has called her a 'diversity hire.'

'You know she was working at Pepsi before this. I know she was a former CIA Secret Service agent, but still, this is what happens when you dont put the best players in,' he said.

Cheatle came in to steady an agency that has been rocked by a series of scandals.

'Somebody really dropped the ball. Youve got a DEI person, a DEI initiative person who heads up our Secret Service,' he said, using the abbreviation for diversity, equity and inclusion.

On Monday night it was revealed a local team of police snipers team saw Crooks scouting their command post three times in the minutes before the shooting began.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, seen here in a 2021 photo, was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved the assassination attempt

Three police marksmen from Beaver County were using the single-story AGR International building as their watch-post when the would-be assassin chose it as his place to shoot from, CBS reported.

A law enforcement official told the channel said that no action was taken after one of the snipers first spotted Crooks looking up at the roof of the building in Butler, Pennsylvania , just 130 yards from where the president would speak.

The sniper then radioed to a command post after seeing Crooks take out a rangefinder.

But no further action was taken before Crooks reappeared a third time, this time wearing a backpack and disappearing from sight as he walked to the back of the building.

A further radio report relaying the information was submitted by the sniper team who did not realize that Crooks was now scaling their building.

Bullets fired from a manufacturing building roof, right, into the rally, seen left, show just how close Crooks had managed to get the former president

A chance turn of Trumps head, not the swift response of those snipers, is what made the difference between a grazing glance of the bullet Crooks fired and a fatal shot

Eight members of the Beaver County Police Department had been tasked with securing the outer perimeter of the rally, while the Secret Service concentrated on the rally itself.

Pittsburgh's WPXI reported that a Beaver officer took a photo after seeing Crooks on the roof at 5.45pm, by which time he had already been photographed on the ground by a colleague.

The final radio report by the three-strong sniper team prompted State police to send reinforcements to the building but it was not until 6.11pm that one climbed onto the roof and saw Crooks with his rifle.

The officer from Butler County was forced to retreat when Crooks aimed his AR-style weapon at him, and it was seconds later that the killer unleashed up to eight shots, killing Pennsylvania fire chief Corey Comperatore, critically injuring two others and hitting Trump in the right ear.

It is not clear whether Crooks had the rifle on him when he was first seen outside the AGR International factory building, or if he stayed on the roof for the whole time.

Extraordinary photos and video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show just how breathtakingly close Crooks, got to his target.

Crooks, 20, came within inches of killing President Trump Saturday, as the former president addressed supporters during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Chillingly some images show a ladder, hidden by dense shrubbery, propped against the side of the AGR building, leading directly to the rooftop across which witnesses later told law enforcement they saw Crooks scramble.

The images of the strategically placed ladder have emerged as Secret Service admit they did not sweep the building where the shooter took his position, but instead entrusted that role to local law enforcement officers.

Now, these compelling images hammer home the handful of yards  barely 150 - that stood between the former president and his would-be assassin.

Crooks had parked his vehicle near the rally site in Butler on Saturday before he scaled the roof of a nearby industrial manufacturing building.
The two young men who died while swimming at a popular Queensland waterfall have been identified.

Emergency services rushed to Millaa Millaa Falls, approximately 90km southwest of Cairns, around 8.55am on Tuesday after reports two men had not resurfaced after going for a swim.

The pair were identified as Indian students Chaitanya Mupparaju and Surya Teja Bobbaon on Wednesday morning.

A spokesperson for the victim's families, Surya Mangapati, said they were 'shattered' beyond words.

'We are deeply saddened to share the devastating news of the recent accident that claimed the lives of two promising young students from India, Chaitanya Mupparaju and Surya Teja Bobba,' she said via GoFundMe.

'Their lives were cut short in a tragic incident that happened in ... Millaa Millaa falls ... leaving their families and loved ones shattered beyond words.

'Their untimely departure has left a void that can never be filled.

'In this time of profound grief, we are coming together to support their families during this unimaginably difficult period.

The two young men who died while swimming at a popular Queensland waterfall have been identified

'Your generous contributions will help alleviate the financial burden of funeral expenses and provide some measure of relief as they navigate through this heartbreaking loss.'

The Cairns' branch of the Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin was assisting their families to bring their bodies back to India.

Initially, the police believed that the men, aged 28 and 29, had jumped from the waterfall.

However, it was later determined that they had entered the water at ground level and tragically drowned.

'Inquiries at this stage lead us to believe that two men entered the water from the shore. They did not jump from the rocks,' Inspector Jason Smith said.

Chaitanya Mupparaju (pictured) died while swimming at Millaa Millaa Falls

Surya Teja Bobba died while swimming at the waterfall

'It appears that one man got into difficulty and that a second man has then come to render him assistance, and unfortunately, both men perished.'

A third man who was with the swimmers suffered cold and shock and was helping police with the investigation.

The swimming capabilities of the men will form part of a report prepared for the coroner.

'It was a bright, sunny day, and this has been a tragic event and our hearts go out to the family of the men involved,' Insp Smith said.

The waterfall has reopened to the public.
President Biden's Department of Homeland Security has opened an investigation into the Secret Service after 'massive security failure' in Trump assassination attempt.

According to the DHS Inspector General website, the agency has an 'ongoing project' open into the Secret Service's mishandling of Trump's Saturday rally where he was shot by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

It's Counter Terrorism and Homeland Threats division is handling the 'new' investigation.

The investigation will 'evaluate the United States Secret Service's (Secret Service) process for securing former President Trump's July 13, 2024 campaign event.'

Meanwhile, there has been increasing scrutiny on the 'massive security failures' that allowed Crooks to take a shot at Trump and Republicans have opened a series of investigations on Capitol Hill.

Van Orden went on: 'Put yourself in the shoes of that that 20-year-old trying to kill him. Since the time he was 11 or 12, he has been hearing all those vitriolic lies about the president'

It does not appear that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was connected to the Iranian plot

Rep. Derrick Van Orden is demanding the House set up a 9/11 style emergency panel to investigate the Trump assassination attempt, which he blamed on rhetoric from the media and Democrats.

'I hope [the shooting] changes the mood with the press,' Van Orden said in an interview with DailyMail.com at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in his home state of Wisconsin.

'For over a decade, the press in collusion with the Democrat Party used to be the left wing Democrats now became mainstream. For over a decade they've been saying that Trump is a Nazi. He's Hitler. He is fascist, he's gonna destroy democracy. He's against all American values. President Biden said it's time to put a bullseye on President Trump.'

Van Orden went on: 'Put yourself in the shoes of that that 20-year-old trying to kill him. Since the time he was 11 or 12, he has been hearing all those vitriolic lies about the president.'

I hope [the shooting] changes the mood with the press,' Van Orden said in an interview with DailyMail.com at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in his home state of Milwaukee

'What else would make a 20-year-old climb a roof the roof knowing that for sure he's gonna get killed by taking a shot at the president other than the fact that he had been radicalized by the left wing part of the Democrat party that turned mainstream and has been projected to him since he was 11 by the media?'

While the shooting prompted bipartisan condemnation and calls to tone down rhetoric, some Republicans were quick to point fingers at liberal hyperbole about Trump.

'Democrats and liberals in the media have called Trump a fascist. They've compared him to Hitler,' Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on X.

'This isn't some unfortunate incident,' Scott's post continued. 'This was an assassination attempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left.'

USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle claims there was no presence on top of the building where Crooks shot at Trump because it had a 'sloped roof'. Pictured: Police stand on the slanted roof where the body lay of would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks

The now-deceased gunman was a 20-year-old Pennsylvania local. He was a registered Republican who had made a small donation to the Biden campaign.

Van Orden said the Secret Service had 'failed' that day in Butler, Pa., but refrained from calling for anyone to be fired.

'When your one job is to make sure the former president does not get shot, and the former president gets shot, there's clearly a problem - you have failed your primary mission.'

Van Orden said he's implored Speaker Mike Johnson to 'not handle this the way Congress normally handles things.'

'There's actually four different committees that have jurisdiction. I don't want a whole bunch of committees doing their own little thing.'

'We have to have a special commission that's comprised of members of those committees and other members with subject matter. expertise. We need to get this together very soon. And it needs to be completely completely open. Meaning the American people have to see everything we're doing every person we're talking to every piece of information that we have, so that they understand what the heck is going on.'

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., echoed the calls for a select post-9/11 style committee to probe the assassination.

'As a former SEAL who has set up perimeters for US and European heads of State and as a former protectee, I can say without a doubt the Select Committee to investigate failures of security and the attempted assassination of President Trump must go forward. While other bodies carry out their inquiries, it is critical for the integrity of the investigation and the trust of the American people that a commission made up of select members of the House, Senate, White House and Supreme Court is empowered with the same - if not more - rights and access to information as the 9/11 Commission,' he wrote on X.

'Many Americans rightfully do not trust the same agency that has been politically investigating and harassing Trump with investigating his near death.'

On Monday night Oversight Chairman James Comer led his committee in demanding a list of all law enforcement personnel who were on the ground at the time of the shooting, all audio and video recordings in Secret Service, all communications between agents and more.

Comer also revealed the Secret Service blew off a request for a closed-door meeting with lawmakers on Tuesday - though Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to appear before the committee on Monday.
Women infatuated with convicted double-murderer Wade Wilson have written desperate letters to a judge, hoping to persuade him to spare his life.

Wade Wilson, 30, was convicted of slaughtering two Florida women during an hours-long crime spree on the same night in October 2019 in Cape Coral, with his appearance drawing widespread interest in his case.

Dubbed the 'Deadpool Killer' as he shares a name with the Marvel character, Wilson was found guilty for the deaths of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, who prosecutors said he murdered 'for the sake of killing'.

Now, women are bombarding Lee County Circuit Judge Nicholas R. Thompson with letters pleading for Wilson's life after a jury voted for him to face the death penalty.

'As someone who cares unconditionally for Wade, I have deeply reflected on the gravity of the situation and impact of your decision,' one woman from Visalia, California wrote, according to WINK.

Women infatuated with convicted double murderer Wade Wilson have written letters to Lee County Circuit Judge Nicholas R. Thompson pleading for his life after a jury voted for him to face the death penalty

Judge Nicholas Thompson will make the final decision on whether Wilson will be sentenced to death on July 23

Following a just one-hour and 45-minute deliberation on June 25, jurors voted 9-3 in favor of the death penalty for Melton's murder and 10-2 for the slaying of Ruiz, meeting the State's law requirement of at least eight jurors in favor.

Judge Thompson will now make the final decision on July 23.

Another woman from Canada told the judge she's noticed that Wilson looks 'healthier' in prison.

'If you look past his tattoos to his face structure since being in prison and medicated he is healthier, his face is fuller compared to his booking picture where his face is gaunt, pale and he looks unhealthy,' the mother-of-two said.

A woman also asked the judge to 'impose a lighter sentence that reflects the possibility of recovery and rehabilitation.'

The Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits judges from considering ex parte communications or other communications outside the presence of the parties concerning an impending or pending matter.

DailyMail.com contacted the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida for comment.

Wilson was convicted over the murders of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, who prosecutors said he killed 'for the sake of killing'

A woman also asked the judge to 'impose a lighter sentence that reflects the possibility of recovery and rehabilitation.' (pictured: Wilson in court on June 3)

Wilson was also convicted of a number of charges, including the battery of his ex-girlfriend Melissa Montanez, 41, the burglary and theft of two homes, and the grand theft auto of Melton's car.

He began on the afternoon of October 6, 2019, when he met Melton at a live music bar and went home with her.

The stone-cold killer was arrested on October 8, where he remained behind bars without bail until he was found guilty of the murders

Wilson strangled her to death inside her home in Cape Coral the next day, where her body was found.

The same day, Ruiz was reported missing after she was seen being asked for directions by Wilson while on her walk to work.

He was driving a car he stole from Melton's home after he murdered her, which Ruiz got into before she was also strangled to death.

In testimony from Wilson's father, it was said that he went on to 'run her over until she looked like spaghetti.' Ruiz's body was found three days later in a field behind a Sam's Club.

The 30-year-old felon also drove to Fort Myers in Melton's car and attacked Montanez.

The stone-cold killer was arrested on October 8, where he remained behind bars without bail until he was found guilty of the murders.

In testimony from Wilson's father, it was said that he ran Ruiz over 'until she looked like spaghetti.' Her body was found three days later in a field behind a Sam's Club

Wilson strangled her to death inside her home in Cape Coral, Florida after meeting her at a live music bar

Wilson added a number of tattoos since he was arrested, and his face includes several Swastika's, menacing Joker-like mouth tattoos, and a neck tattoo reading: 'Bred for war.'

Jurors voted to send him to death row, with Wilson seen in courtroom footage appearing emotionless as he learned his fate.

Wilson's father Steven Testasecca, 46, said in his testimony that Wilson had been adopted as a baby because he and the killer's mother were teenagers when they had him.

He said his contact with his son had been 'sporadic' since they reconnected when he turned 18, but said Wilson contacted him on October 7 after he killed Melton and Ruiz.

'He said, 'I'm a killer,'' Testasecca said, adding that he initially believed his son was merely telling him a 'story.'

'He's a good storyteller,' he testified. Later that day, after another phone call, he said it dawned on him that his son was telling the truth.

Testasecca said his son then went into gory details of how he killed the two women, including how he choked Melton after she fell asleep.

Ruiz was also still breathing when she was repeatedly run over by Wilson, Testasecca said he was told.

'He was excited,' he said. 'He was wanting me to feel the same way he was feeling... he would've done it again.'

Apparently a bloodied Wilson then went to a restaurant owned by an acquaintance and told them of the killings. When the owner threatened to call 911, Wilson is said to have fled, later breaking into the home of Fanny and Kent Amlin, a retired couple who were out of town.

He was reportedly found inside the home with a number of White Claw alcoholic seltzers.

In heartbreaking victim impact statements following Wilson's trial, Melton's cousin Samantha Catomer, Zane Romero, 19, one of Ruiz's two sons, faced him.

'Kristine will never experience motherhood, a role she was born to play,' Catomer said.

Zane said his mother was murdered just days before he was set to debut in his school marching band, which he said she was looking forward to.

'I never got to see her in the crowd,' Romero said. 'My mom will never get to see me get married.'
Iran's reported plot to assassinate Donald Trump is alarming but not surprising, Republicans say, adding that Biden needs to make clear an attempt would be an act of war.

The Secret Service ramped up security around Donald Trump after receiving intelligence of an Iranian assassination plot in the weeks before he was shot at the Pennsylvania rally, a bombshell report revealed Tuesday.

Despite the heightened security, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Mathew Crooks was still able to climb on a roof just 130 yards away from the former president and open fire with a clear line of sight.

The staggering would-be assassination plot by the hostile nation, first reported by CNN, raises more questions about the Secret Service and the massive security failure that led to the attempt on Trump's life.

And the devious plot comes as no surprise, House Republicans told DailyMail.com, who are calling on President Joe Biden to step up and send a message to Iran.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13

'The Iranian regime has a longstanding history of targeting U.S. nationals on American soil, including former Trump officials,' House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul told DailyMail.com.

'I am deeply alarmed by recent reports that the Iranian regime may now even be plotting against former President Trump. A swift and thorough investigation into these allegations is needed.'

'The Biden administration must promptly release its findings to the American public,' the Texan added.

Another important chairman, Mike Turner of the House Intelligence Committee, also sounded the alarm.

'This is based upon a known and continuous and existing threat from Iran to President Tump and members of his cabinet,' he said on CNN Tuesday afternoon.

Biden needs to make clear to Iranian leadership, like Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pictured above, that any attempts to kill U.S. officials will constitute an act of war

Any attempt by Iran to assassinate President Trump would be an act of war.



Today, I spoke with @ErinBurnett on @CNN about the known and continuous threat that Iran has posed towards senior U.S. government officials. pic.twitter.com/PLV733NE8G  US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) July 16, 2024

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo needs security over death threats from Iran despite being out of office for years, Turner said

'President Biden needs to make clear this would be an act of war that clearly Iran would pay a horrible price for any attempt to attack Donald Trump.'

'We have known, and it's been publicly acknowledged for some time, that Iran has known and existing threats to Donald Trump and his former cabinet members.'

But the Secret Service's reaction to the report and their subsequent failed security for Trump during his Butler, Pennsylvania, show the agency needs a shake up.

'It's just unexplainable,' Turner said of Crooks' nearly fatal shots at Trump. He also said an immediate review needs to take place.

'It appears that his secret service is in shambles,' he added. 'Clearly they have not risen to the occasion.'

Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com the report has caused him great concern, particularly because of the lax security protocols at the U.S-Mexico border.

'We have a Department of Homeland Security that has left our border completely open despite the fact that we know known terrorists are coming across the border,' he said.

'They want an open border, so what this means, in the context of what we've seen over the weekend, is very dangerous.'

'Certainly the foreign threat attached to that because of our open borders is very concerning.'

The increased amount of known terrorists crossing into the U.S. should be a major concern in assassination plots against leaders like Trump, Cloud said

Two migrants cross the Rio Grande into the U.S. on July 10, 2024

He said the Secret Service Director should resign, saying it would be 'the only proper response of honor.'

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told DailyMail.com that the Iranian plot to kill Trump is far from shocking.

'Sadly, it's not a surprise the Iranian regime is the central area of terrorism for the world,' he said. 'They support Hamas. They support Hezbollah, they support every group that hates Israel and hates the United States of America.'

He particularly laid blame on the Biden administration's relationship with Iranian leaders.

'So why the Biden administration continues to have this somewhat inexplicable affinity for creating relationships along with Iran is very, very disturbing to everybody as well.'

'You know, they lifted sanctions on Iran when they came into office,' he said, adding the policy decision filled Iranian coffers with billions of dollars.

'So the Biden administration has done a horrible job handling Iran, if fueling their ability to enact terrorist actions around the world, and Iran is targeting American leaders.'

'I just hope we, we have the fortitude to eliminate them before they have any chance to eliminate us,' he said.

It does not appear that Saturday's shooter is connected to the Iranian plot.

Crooks, 20, shot Trump in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday before he was taken out by U.S. Secret Service.

The new report of enhanced security around the former president could raise even more questions after Republican outcry ensued on how Secret Service failed to detect the would-be assassin before he opened fire at the rally.

Trump pumps his fist as he is escorted off stage by Secret Service

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has faced calls to resign over the massive security failure and claims there was no presence on top of the building where Crooks shot at Trump because it had a sloped roof.

Ever since the attack that took out Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran has vowed revenge. The attack took place under Trump's presidency in January 2020.

Officials who worked on national security in Trump's administration have had tight security teams since then.

And in March, the FBI posted a notice seeking information on an alleged Iranian spy the agency believed is 'involved in plots to kill current and former US government officials.'

U.S. authorities were provided intelligence from a source in recent weeks detailing the Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, multiple people briefed on the situation told CNN.

In a statement on Sunday, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the agency recently 'added protective resources and capabilities to the former President's security detail.'

Trump's campaign has received multiple warnings more recently about their outdoor rallies because it poses higher risks than indoor events that have controlled access points to the venue.

But sources claim these warnings were more general in nature and did not specifically disclose the threat from Iran.

The roof where Crooks was positioned to try and assassinate Trump was just 147 yards from where Trump was speaking on stage.

It does not appear that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was connected to the Iranian plot

USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle claims there was no presence on top of the building where Crooks shot at Trump because it had a 'sloped roof'. Pictured: Police stand on the slanted roof where the body lay of would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks

While local police snipers were inside the manufacturing building, none were on top because of the sloped roof, Cheatle claims.

'That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,' the Secret Service chief told ABC News in an interview Tuesday.

'And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.'

Witnesses pleaded for law enforcement to act when they saw Crooks climb onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but the lapse in security allowed him to remain there for up to 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger.

The mistakes that led to Trump nearly escaping death sparked calls for Cheatle to step down, but she has refused.

Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump does not appear to be connected to the Iranian plan to carry out their own attacks against the former president and now officially the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

Crooks was a registered Republican who in 2021 donated to a group backing President Joe Biden. He graduated high school in 2022 in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania and was described as a loner who was bullied.

The gunman was neutralized by agents seconds after he shot Trump in the ear.

He killed one rally goer, former fire chief and father-of-two Corey Comperatore, 50, and critically injured two others  David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74.

Iran has vowed revenge ever since the January 2020 attack under President Trump that took out Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qasem Soleimani (pictured)

The FBI released a notice in March for an alleged Iranian spy they say is behind the plot to assassinate current and former government officials in retribution for the death of Soleimani

Just four months before Saturday's attempt, the FBI posted a notice requesting information on an alleged Iranian spy it believed to be involved in assassination plots.

Majid Farahani, 42, is accused by the FBI of plotting revenge killings after Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a Trump administration-led attack.

The FBI claims Farahani is acting on behalf of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence.
Donald Trump gave his former rival Nikki Haley a standing ovation at the end of a rousing speech in which she offered him her full endorsement.

The show of unity at the Republican National Convention came three days after Trump miraculously survived an assassination attempt, and he still sported a bandage where a bullet ripped through his right ear.

In his private box at the pumped-up Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump listened as his former opponent in the 2024 race called on the GOP to 'put our differences aside'.

Initial boos for the former South Carolina Governor were quickly drowned out by applause as she lambasted Kamala Harris and urged the GOP to get behind Trump in the aftermath of the horrifying assassination bid.

Haley was part of a line up that included another of Trump's ex-opponents, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and everyday Americans impacted by border crime and the opioid epidemic.

The former president laughed delightedly when DeSantis mocked Joe Biden's sleep schedule and said the U.S. could not take four more years of his 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency'.

Donald Trump gave his former rival Nikki Haley a standing ovation at the end of her rousing speech giving him her full endorsement in a show of unity at the Republican convention

Haley dropped her criticisms of Trump and gave him her full support in the general election battle with Biden.

She also admitted that 'you don't have to always agree with him to vote for him' and thanked him for his 'gracious invitation' to speak on Tuesday night.

'Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement,' she said to thunderous applause.

'Our country is at a critical moment. We have a choice to make. For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris. After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true.'

'No president can fix all our problems alone,' she said. 'We have to do this together.'

'America has an amazing ability to self-correct. In this moment, we have a chance to put aside our differences and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country.'

She took the stage just after Trump made yet another WWE-style walkout during night two of the Republican National Convention.

The jumbotron showed the former president fist pumping and smiling as he walked from the tunnels backstage to the convention lower bowl.

A brief video montage of Trump dancing to the The Village People's YMCA set the awaiting fans alight with excitement and joy.

Flashing red, white and blue lights and a roar of support greeted the former president as he emerged to his VIP box full of family, friends and his most loyal supporters.

The former president rises from his seat and applauds on the second night of the Republican National Convention, where his former rivals called for the GOP to get behind him

US Senator from Arkansas Tom Cotton introduces his son Daniel Mark Cotton to Trump in the private box at the Fiserv Forum

Trump speaks to his son Eric, who earlier in the evening claimed Secret Service 'incompetence' almost cost his father his life

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump points to the crowd as he arrives on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Boos for the former South Carolina Governor were quickly drowned out by applause as she criticized Kamala Harris and urged the GOP to get behind Trump in the aftermath of the horrifying assassination attempt

'Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement,' she said to thunderous applause

Day two of the GOP Convention saw many popular Republicans take the stage: Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and more.

The speakers have decried Biden's border policies, the president's age and a vision of a renewed America under the leadership of Trump.

One surprising guest, former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley - who had a bitter primary with the former president before backing out - received massive boos as she took the stage.

She turned the crowd around later in her speech, saying that you don't have to 'agree with Trump 100 percent' to vote for him.

The alternative - Biden and Harris leading - is way worse, she explained.

Trump enters the lower bowl of the RNC Tuesday evening

He gave his loud supporters a fist pump of encouragement while still wearing a bandage over his ear where a bullet ripped through the skin

The crowd broke out in loud applause as he made his entrance

Trump took a seat next to his freshly minted VP pick JD Vance

The crowd roars as Trump raises his fist alongside son Eric and his running mate J.D. Vance

Her calls for unity and consolidation around Trump marks the 45th president's total control over the Republican party.

She also sought to strengthen party unity admits growing international threats.

'Our foreign enemies win when they see Americans hate each other.'

'They see that today, whether its on college campuses or in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania. But we can conquer those fears with strength and unity.'

She also spoked about the precarious position Americans find themselves in with inflated prices and social unrest.

'Our fellow Americans are fearful right now,' she said. 'Families are suffering from inflation and wages that dont keep up with prices.'

'Young people are being indoctrinated to think our country is racist and evil. The Jewish community is facing an obscene rise in antisemitism.'

'Too many minorities are trapped in communities devastated by crime.'

The crowd initially gave Haley loud boos when her name was announced on the loud speaker

By the end of her remarks and endorsement of Trump, RNC attendees gave the former ambassador a warm applause

A strong primary challenger who tried to paint Trump as a lawbreaking, rule-defying, bully, Haley was not able to convince voters of her promise to 'Make America Normal Again.'

But her reception by the former president, who gave her a kind applause and smile, may have - at least for the moment - quashed the beef between the two GOP powerhouses.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earned a chuckle out of Donald Trump and massive cheers during his 'unity' speech on Day Two of the Republican National Convention.

Trump's former 2024 rival said America can't afford another term with the country being run like a Weekend at Bernie's, referencing the movie where a work group turns their deceased boss into a puppet to pretend he is still alive.

'Let's send Joe Biden back to his basement and let's send Donald Trump back to the White House!' DeSantis said at the top of his remarks at the Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

DeSantis joins other Republicans who do not think President Joe Biden is in charge of running the country and say he is not mentally or physically fit for another term in office.

The Florida governor spoke at the Convention following remarks by fellow Republican primary candidate Nikki Haley. Both appeared at the request of Trump, who wanted to show unity within the GOP after officially becoming the nominee for November's election just two days after an assassination attempt.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got a chuckle out of Donald Trump during his remarks on Day Two of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday

'Our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander-in-chief,' DeSantis said. 'Joe Biden has failed this nation.'

'As a citizen, as a husband and as a father, I am alarmed that the current president of the United States lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office,' he said. 'Our enemies do not confine their designs to between 10am and 4pm. We need a commander-in-chief who can lead 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.'

DeSantis added the zinger: 'America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernie's presidency.'

Trump, who was shown on the jumbotron at Fiserv Forum, chuckled at DeSantis' joke with a flat-mouthed smile.

'That's great,' he appeared to say.

'Let's be honest here,' Desantis continued. 'Biden is just a figurehead. He's a tool for imposing a leftist agenda on the American people.'

'America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernie's presidency,' DeSantis said, referencing the movie (pictured above) where a group turns their deceased boss into a puppet to pretend he is still alive

At the zinger, Trump was seen smirking and giving a flat-lipped smile. He appeared to say, 'That's great'

Much like the movie, MAGA Republicans claim that Biden is a 'puppet' for those really running the country behind the scenes.

DeSantis and Trump have had a rocky relationship over the years.

It was Trump who helped propel DeSantis into the spotlight and earn him his first primary victory that led him to being governor of Florida in 2018.

But when Trump made it clear it would be a 'betrayal' for DeSantis to run against him in the Republican primary, the governor still launched his bid.

Now, after dropping out of the race before the New Hampshire primary election day, DeSantis is back on Team Trump and backing his bid for president.
ACTU boss Sally McManus has been repeatedly pushed to reveal what she knew and when about alleged criminal behaviour in the CFMEU in a fiery ABC TV exchange.

Following reports of bikies acting as union delegates, including one earning $250,000 a year as a health and safety officer, Ms McManus told 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson that she had 'heard rumours' about CFMEU's relationship with bikies.

Before the reports were aired over the weekend, the controversial CFMEU head John Setka resigned from the union secretary position he had held for 12 years.

As a photo of Ms McManus smiling alongside Mr Setka and his then wife Emma Walters reemerged, the Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary said she was not aware of alleged criminal behaviour in the CFMEU.

'I had heard rumours around the place but after (the) 60 Minutes (program), it's well and truly on the table about what is happening,' she said on Tuesday night.

'And once you know that organised crime is actually in a union, you've got to take measures to do everything you can to get rid of it.'

Ferguson pushed her on what she did when she heard those 'rumours about the involvement of organised crime in the construction division of the CFMEU?'

But Ms McManus rejected that categorisation, saying that she 'never heard rumours of organised crime being involved.

ACTU head Sally McManus is pictured with John Setka of the CFMEU and his then wife Emma Walters

'There were Facebook posts of people that people allege were bikies or used to be bikies.'

Ms McManus said she raised those issues with the 'relevant leaders' of the CFMEU at the time and 'made it very clear that there's no place for this in our union movement'.

This didn't satisfy the tenacious Ferguson though, who persisted with her tough line of questioning.

'Did you do anything more than just raise the existence of Facebook pages? Did you report them to police or other authorities,' she asked.

'At that time there was no allegations of any wrongdoing. The allegations of wrongdoing came out on Sunday night,' Ms McManus replied.

Ferguson again pushed back, in even stronger terms.

'Are you saying in those reports you heard and the action you took, no further detail was brought to you or to (CFMEU national secretary Zach) Smith about the involvement of members or associates of bikie gangs in the activities of the CFMEU?'

Ms McManus said 'No information whatsoever was brought to me about that before the allegations had been aired by (60 Minutes).'

But the 7.30 host still did not let up, asking if the ACTU boss had 'been ignoring allegations made against the CFMEU because you were fearful of the union's power and influence'.

'Of course not,' an angered Ms McManus said. 'Here I am saying we will stand up against organised crime.'

When Ferguson continued to press the point, Ms McManus said 'I've given you those answers', adding 'Sarah, it might surprise you (but) I don't know much about bikie gangs ...

'That's not my area of expertise. When people have pointed out a Facebook post that's got a picture of someone in it that they alleged was connected to this or that, I raised that immediately with people. I didn't know myself whether that was true.'

There was a mixed response online to Ferguson's dogged pursuit of the story by repeatedly rephrasing the same question.

'Sarah Ferguson proved she's a real journalist. We would not be having this conversation if she had raked Dutton over the coals, would we,' one person wrote on X.

ABC's Sarah Ferguson (pictured) was dogged in her interview with the ACTU's Sally McManus on Tuesday night

CFMEU boss John Setka (pictured) stepped down from his role last Friday night

Another wrote that 'Sarah Ferguson is a treasure ... No matter the political background we should hold our parties and organizations to account for wrong doing.'

But some thought the ABC host was too strident and went too far.

'It was a train wreck for Sarah Ferguson. Not for Sally McManus,' one person wrote.

Another wrote that Ferguson 'persisted in pushing unfounded assertions'.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden said he was 'assaulted' by an anti-Israel protester at the Republican National Convention (RNC) who was later arrested.

'While standing in line to enter an event at the RNC today, I was assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK,' Van Orden said.

Code Pink, the rabble-rousing liberal activist group, is a fixture on Capitol Hill, these days often confronting politicians over Israel policy.

The Wisconsin Republican added that a police officer witnessed the incident and arrested the protester.

'This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this.'

The confrontation occurred just days after former President Donald Trump was shot at a Butler, Pa. rally.

Nour, in pink keffiyeh, a Palestinian organizer with CODEPINK, talks with police outside the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, where she got into a scuffle with Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden on July 16, 2024

She allegedly tried to get inside for a breakfast when the confrontation ensued

'Republicans have been intimidated and targeted for years including the attempted assassination of President Trump and we will no longer standby and allow lawlessness,' Van Orden went on.

Earlier Tuesday, police officers shot dead a knife-wielding man in a hail of bullets less than a mile from the convention. The incident was not believed to be related to the convention.

Van Orden, meanwhile, is demanding the House set up an emergency panel to investigate the Trump assassination attempt, which he blamed on rhetoric from the media and Democrats.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden said he was 'assaulted' by an anti-Israel protester at the Republican National Convention (RNC) who was later arrested

A demonstrator with CodePink protests in support of Palestine and in opposition to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 16, 2024

'I hope [the shooting] changes the mood with the press,' Van Orden said in an interview with DailyMail.com at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in his home state of Milwaukee.

'For over a decade, the press in collusion with the Democrat Party used to be the left wing Democrats now became mainstream. For over a decade they've been saying that Trump is a Nazi. He's Hitler. He is fascist, he's gonna destroy democracy. He's against all American values. President Biden said it's time to put a bullseye on President Trump.'

Van Orden went on: 'Put yourself in the shoes of that that 20-year-old trying to kill him. Since the time he was 11 or 12, he has been hearing all those vitriolic lies about the president.'

Donald Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the GOP convention on Sunday - the day after an attempt on his life

'What else would make a 20-year-old climb a roof the roof knowing that for sure he's gonna get killed by taking a shot at the president other than the fact that he had been radicalized by the left wing part of the Democrat party that turned mainstream and has been projected to him since he was 11 by the media?'

While the shooting prompted bipartisan condemnation and calls to tone down rhetoric, some Republicans were quick to point fingers at liberal hyperbole about Trump.

'Democrats and liberals in the media have called Trump a fascist. They've compared him to Hitler,' Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., posted on X.

'This isn't some unfortunate incident,' Scott's post continued. 'This was an assassination attempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left.'

The now-deceased gunman was a 20-year-old Pennsylvania local. He was a registered Republican who had made a small donation to the Biden campaign.

Van Orden said the Secret Service had 'failed' that day in Butler, Pa., but refrained from calling for anyone to be fired.

'When your one job is to make sure the former president does not get shot, and the former president gets shot, there's clearly a problem - you have failed your primary mission.'

Van Orden said he's implored Speaker Mike Johnson to 'not handle this the way Congress normally handles things.'

'There's actually four different committees that have jurisdiction. I don't want a whole bunch of committees doing their own little thing.'

'We have to have a special commission that's comprised of members of those committees and other members with subject matter. expertise. We need to get this together very soon. And it needs to be completely completely open. Meaning the American people have to see everything we're doing every person we're talking to every piece of information that we have, so that they understand what the heck is going on.'
A major Brisbane home renovation company has gone under, leaving behind 35 unfinished projects and owing millions of dollars to creditors across the country.

Paul James Galvin, owner of Brisbane-based AQWA Constructions, filed for bankruptcy on April 25, with $2.8 million in debts to over 100 creditors across Australia.

The company was launched in 2002, promising to be a 'one-stop shop' for Brisbane homeowners looking to improve their properties.

Bill Cotter from Robson Cotter Insolvency, appointed as the trustee, found that the businesses collapsed due to excessive borrowing and legal action.

'It is apparent the construction businesses operated by the bankrupt grew very quickly over the period of several years during and following the Covid-19 period, and a combination of under-capitalisation, poor accounting practices, increasing labour and material costs and lack of management oversight and control, have likely contributed to the ultimate failure of the business,' Mr Cotter said in the report.

'In any event, it is quite difficult to pinpoint precise dates of insolvency and our investigations are ongoing in relation to same.'

The construction company held a QBCC builder's license from 2015 until it was cancelled in June 2024 after the bankruptcy filing.

Mr Cotter added that the license cancellation means AQWA Constructions will not be able to complete the 35 unfinished projects.

Paul James Galvin, owner of Brisbane-based AQWA Constructions, filed for bankruptcy on April 25, with $2.8 million in debts to over 100 creditors across Australia

'All affected homeowners are recommended to contact QBCC to determine where claims may be available to them under the home warranty insurance policies,' he said.

AQWA Construction's website remains active despite the bankruptcy.

The website spruiks the company as having staff who 'pride ourselves on being a highly experienced renovation company that specialises in high quality and affordable home renovation services'.

'We take the pain out of full home renovations  planning it all under one roof.

'AQWA Constructions is a one-stop home renovation company that offers all types of building and landscape works.'

AQWA Construction's collapse is just the latest for the Queensland and Australian construction industry as the prices of materials and sub-contractors soar while locked into low-price contracts with customers.

A News Corp investigation found that the number of construction businesses going bankrupt has surged by a staggering 194 per cent in the past two years.

The struggling construction industry has had a devastating ripple effect on thousands of homeowners, subcontractors, and suppliers across the state.
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Eric Trump has slammed embattled Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle over the failed assassination attempt on his father.

Cheatle has claimed an agent was not stationed on the roof where gunman Thomas Michael Crooks opened fire because it was sloped and there was a 'safety factor that would be considered'.

She is now facing calls to resign over the massive security failure that enabled crooks to climb onto a building just 140 yards from where the former president was speaking to thousands of fans.

A bullet ripped through Trump's ear and retired fire chief Corey Comperatore was killed in the crowd when Crooks inflicted carnage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

'My father almost lost his head because of that incompetence,' Eric Trump told Fox News at the Republican convention on Tuesday night.

'My 4-year-old daughter could have walked up that roof. It's infuriating, it's an act of God he survived.'

Eric Trump has slammed embattled Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle over the failed assassination attempt on his father

Eric revealed earlier that he was watching his father's rally with his children when the horror unfolded at 6:11pm on Saturday evening.

He then phoned the former president while he was in the hospital under observation.

The Secret Service has since been under intense scrutiny, and on Tuesday Cheatle suggested there wasn't a presence on the roof - which had a clear sightline to Trump - because of safety concerns.

Cheatle admitted officials planning security for Trump's rally considered the warehouse 147 yards away from where Trump spoke to be a risky position for stationing an agent.

Chilling new details have revealed that a team of local police snipers were inside the building when the 20-year-old Crooks opened fire, shot Trump in the ear and killed a member of the rally crowd.

Eric Trump hugs his father in the private box of the Republican convention, three days after the failed assassination attempt

Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle has come forward with her first interview since the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, blaming a sloped roof as the reason to try to secure the building from the inside

Cheatle is facing calls to resign over the massive security failure that enabled crooks to climb onto a building just 140 yards from where the former president was speaking to thousands of fans

Crooks managed to evade cops and Secret Service three times, even though he had been deemed 'suspicious' and could have been on the roof for up to 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger.

Witnesses also begged law enforcement to act when they saw him clamber onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but the lapse in security meant he was able to carry out his bid to take the 45th president's life.

The mistakes that led to Trump being inches away from being killed sparked calls for Cheatle to step down, but she has refused and has now given a baffling explanation as to why there wasn't a presence on the roof that had a clear line of sight to Trump.

Ex-FBI special agent Kenneth Gray told DailyMail.com on Monday that the Secret Service 'really screwed up' at the rally on Saturday and that efforts to hire more women in field roles may well have played a role.

BREAKING: @EricTrump says his father almost lost his head because of @SecretService incompetence. pic.twitter.com/hDoNzfsj2B  Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) July 17, 2024

The crowd roars as Trump raises his fist alongside son Eric and his running mate J.D. Vance

Republican officials gathering in Milwaukee have been calling for tough scrutiny of the agency even as the feds are implementing tighter security measures around Trump and other protectees.

Somebody, somewhere has a really, really a lot of serious questions to have to answer, House Judiciary and Weaponization committee member Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota told DailyMail.com.

Cheatle's decision to avoid questions until now has also drawn astonishment. She was not present at the initial press conference headed by the FBI.

The probe set up by President Joe Biden after the incident is being overseen by the Justice Department, not Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service.

Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event

'That speaks volumes, former House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz told DailyMail.com.

President Biden was asked by NBC Monday whether he has confidence in the Secret Service.

'I feel safe with the Secret Service. But look ... what we did see was the Secret Service who responded risked their lives responding. They were ready to give their lives for the president. The question is should they have anticipated what happened. Should they have done what they needed to do to prevent this from happening? That's the question that's an open question.'

He didn't respond directly when NBC's Lester Holt asked him if the agency suffered a 'massive security failure.'
Tony Abbott has appeared at a memorial in Parliament House soon after getting potentially cancerous sunspots removed from his face.

The former prime minister, 66, was seen with a number of painful looking red spots on his face and scalp as he gathered with his peers in Canberra on Wednesday to mark 10 years since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down, killing all 298 passengers - including 38 Australians.

The scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit with a Buk missile fired by Russian-aligned forces while flying over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.

Mr Abbott, who was PM at the time, famously threatened to 'shirtfront' Russian President Vladimir Putin following the attack and still believes Moscow should take responsibility for the tragedy.

Speaking with ABC Radio before the memorial service on Wednesday, he said: 'I frankly, should have done more than shirtfront him, because that was probably the only way to stop him.

'Russian missile batteries don't wander into neighbouring countries by accident - this sort of thing only happens if it's been authorised from the very top.'

Daily Mail Australia can confirm Mr Abbott's sores were caused by sunspot removal treatment, which is a method of cancer prevention.

Doctor Parisa Fatemeh Arianejad, a dermatologist with Aurora Dermatology in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia that sunspots are pre-cancerous lesions.

Tony Abbott is pictured during the MH17 memorial service at Parliament House on Wednesday

Tony Abbott is pictured, left, with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts on Wednesday

'There is a four per cent chance that these will change to cancer in five years, so when we see sunspots, we need to treat them,' she said.

While she wasn't sure what treatment Mr Abbott had, Dr Arianejed believes he may have had photodynamic therapy.

The treatment involves a cream that is applied to the skin to increase sensitivity, before light energy is used to kill the cells.

The treatment causes temporary inflammation, but eventually the skin heals completely.

Other treatments involve freezing or burning the sunspot, or removing the lesions surgically.

'The risks will increase as you you get older, but there are other factors as well - like if you're born in Australia, you had sunburn as a child, or you don't wear sunscreen,' she said.

Mr Abbott, a former triathlete, managed to maintain a rigorous outdoor exercise regime throughout his time as the nation's leader.

Tony Abbott is an exercise enthusiast who has competed in triathlons. He is pictured after a swimming competition on 2012, two years before he was elected prime minister

Tony Abbott is pictured, second left in the front, on an expedition with member of the Royal Fire Brigade last year

Sunspots: What you need to know Doctor Parisa Fatemeh Arianejad said: 'You should watch out for any rough area over the face and the back of the hand, ears, or any other sun-exposed areas.' 'If a patient was a smoker, the lips are important. 'If they find a tender area which is red and rough, or if it has bleeding then it's time to see a dermatologist. The risk of skin cancer increases with age, and is largely caused by frequent sun exposure. Advertisement

His workouts involved 50 minutes of cardio, which was either an outdoor run, bike ride, or an ocean swim.

Mr Abbott didn't mention his skin treatments while speaking with ABC Radio on Wednesday, instead focusing on the MH17 tragedy.

'Russian President Putin owes the families of the dead an apology and compensation, because, plainly, this aircraft was brought down in the pursuit of Russia's geopolitical objectives in Ukraine,' he said.

'Yes, it was a tragedy but it was worse than that. It was an atrocity. '

Reflecting on the anniversary, Mr Abbott recalled the fiery exchange when he met with Mr Putin for the first time following the downing of the flight at the 2001 APEC Summit in Beijing.

He recalled the Russian president saying Ukrainians were all fascists and brought the plane down themselves as 'some kind of provocation'.

'Then [Putin] said that Ukraine had no right to exist.'

Mr Abbott said they were heading back into the conference when Putin turned around, grabbed his elbows and tried to shake him, before pushing him away and saying: 'Look, you are not a native Australian, but I am a native Russian'.

He continues: 'So it was pretty obvious to me, right back then, what he was on about. I just think it's a pity that more wasn't done to help the Ukrainians.'
Terrifying body camera footage captured the moment Ohio police shot and killed an armed suspect just outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The Columbus police, who were in Wisconsin to help with the beefed-up security for the event after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, were seen in the footage congregating at a parking lot less than a mile from the venue on Tuesday.

One of the officers on the scene was giving a briefing on the abortion protests outside the convention site, noting the two sides were 'butting heads with each other' and there was 'stuff directed towards the event,' when someone shouted, 'He's got a knife, yes he does.'

The other cops then turned around and spotted a shirtless man wielding two knives, and proceeded to run after him, yelling 'Hey, drop your knife, drop your knife.'

The man - who has since been identified as Samuel Sharpe Jr. - appeared to stop for a moment, before lunging at another shirtless man with knives in both his hands.

Shocking body camera footage caught the moment Columbus, Ohio police shot and killed a homeless man outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee

The cops then opened fire, and Sharpe Jr. was pronounced dead on the scene.

The shooting is not believed to be connected to the convention, but law enforcement is at a heightened state of alert in the aftermath of the attempt on Trump's life over the weekend.

Columbus Mayor Anthony J. Ginther said police decided to release the body-worn camera footage in the interest of transparency, claiming that it 'shows that Columbus' officers acted in accordance with their training to prevent physical harm to a potential victim,' the Columbus Dispatch reports.

'Columbus officers were guests in Milwaukee, but they take an oath to protect and serve, wherever and whenever they are called to serve,' he said, adding that the city will support 'a full and thorough investigation of the events that transpired in accordance with local policy and local law.'

'We continue to defer to the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team for further updates on the status of the investigation,' the mayor said.

As assistance to the Milwaukee Police Department, the officers from Columbus were required to follow its standard operating procedures on use of force.

The five officers involved in the shooting have been sent back to Ohio.

If matters rise to the level of probable cause for a crime, it will be referred directly to Milwaukee police or an external law enforcement agency for investigation.

The Columbus police were in Wisconsin to help with the beefed-up security for the event after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump

The officers involved in the shooting have since been sent back to Ohio

Initial reports suggested the dead man was homeless, had been involved in a fight with another homeless man, and was a user of crack cocaine.

Witnesses said the man was known by the nickname 'Jehovah,' and lived in an encampment with dozens of other homeless people.

Shelly Sarasin, co-founder and director of Street Angels, said her outreach group goes to the encampment every Monday with mobile shower units.

Sharpe, whom friends said was a homeless veteran in his 40s, began using the shower in April and decided to use it just one day before he was fatally shot.

As he was leaving the facility, Sarasin recounted, Sharpe kept saying, 'I love you guys.

'We might be the last people he said that to,' Sarasin said, noting his death will impact the roughly 70 other homeless people in the area.

'He was a person. He was a human,' she said.

'This is more trauma on top of trauma for those who knew him and still live here.'

The shooting happened outside the perimeter policed by the Secret Service, near a social services building in the early afternoon

The shooting happened outside the perimeter policed by the Secret Service, near a social services building in the early afternoon.

More than 100 cops swarmed the scene near North 14th and West Vliet Streets in the aftermath.

Inside the convention, the theme of the day was 'Make America Safe Once Again.'

It came just days after a would-be assassin shot Trump in ear during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The gunman, Thomas Crooks, 20, was shot dead by Secret Service. One rally attendee is deceased and two others were injured.

Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Trump decided he would still be going full steam ahead to Milwaukee for the Convention.

He will end the week as the official GOP presidential nominee.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley told Fox News Sunday after the shooting the day prior that 'in terms of the physical sense, the arena is set. The security is here'

U.S. Secret Service requires that protesters and others who intend to demonstrate at the convention register and sign-up for the Demonstration Speakers Platform and Parade Route.

Those registered are required to remain in the designated First Amendment zone.

The Parade Route allows groups to move and march to express their views, while the Speakers Platform gives demonstrators a time slot for an opportunity to make remarks and speeches about their cause.

The platform and parade route are 'both within sight and sound access of the Republican National Convention,' according to USSS.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley told Fox News Sunday that 'in terms of the physical sense, the arena is set. The security is here.'

'We feel very comfortable that we're working with the Secret Service, we're working with 40 different law enforcement agencies in terms of what that security is going to look like,' he added.

During a press conference on Sunday, USSS said 'we're not completing any changes to our operational security plans for this event.'

'We're confident in the plans that we have and we are moving forward with those plans,' they added.
Karen Read, the woman accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, has listed her colonial-style home for $849,900- just two weeks after her case was declared a mistrial.

Read, 44, dubbed 'America's happiest murder defendant' for her blithe courtroom behavior, was told on July 1 that jurors were unable to agree on whether she'd deliberately killed Officer John O'Keefe with her SUV in January 2022.

Days after the end of a contentious nine-week trial where Read alleged that she was the victim of a wide-ranging plot to frame her, jurors voted 12 - 0 in favor of acquittal for murder, according to court documents filed by the defense.

They also voted unanimously to acquit her of leaving the scene of an accident where there was injury or death but remained deadlocked 9 - 3 in favor of her being guilty of vehicular manslaughter.

Read, a former professor at Bentley College, was living in her four-bedroom at the time of O'Keefe's death. Her realtor, Richard Rocci, revealed she now wants another family to have it.

Karen Read, 44, the woman accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, has listed her Mansfield, Massachusetts home for $849,900. (pictured: Read smiling in court on July 1)

The massive home is more than 2,000 square-feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Read has made sure to keep the home updated over the years

'Ms. Read has not been living in Mansfield since last year and now wishes for another family to enjoy the property she spent many years enhancing,' Rocci of RE/MAX Platinum told Boston.com.

The massive Mansfield home is more than 2,000 square-feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The 'meticulously maintained' home built in 1972 also comes with a large driveway, double-garage, a large fireplace, and is located 30 miles outside of Boston, according to Zillow.

Rocci explained how Read has made sure to update the home over the years.

'Shes definitely put a lot of time and money into it. The house has a lot of charm. The brick fireplace, the beams, its just really warm,' he explained.

The home is fit with a spacious 'sun-drenched kitchen', two living rooms, and three additional bedrooms and two full bathrooms on the second floor.

On the evening of O'Keefe's death, he and Read had been drinking with a group of friends at the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton, around 14 miles south of Boston, and were invited to his friend Brian Albert's home for an afterparty.

The couple had been dating for two years at the time of O'Keefe's death. He was found outside in the snow at his friend's Brian Albert's home

Read, who prosecutors say drank several alcoholic drinks beforehand, decided to drop her boyfriend at the afterparty before she went to his home - that O'Keefe shared with his orphaned niece and nephew - to sleep at around 1am.

Court documents revealed that the couple had been bitterly arguing for weeks beforehand, and on the night O'Keefe died, Read left him a voicemail calling him a 'f****** loser', and telling him: 'John, I f****** hate you.'

Officer John O'Keefe had been serving in the Boston Police Department for 16 years

The couple had been dating for two years at the time of O'Keefe's death. He had been serving in the Boston Police Department for 16 years.

According to Read's version of events, she woke up at 4am to find that the late officer never returned home, leading her to frantically drive out to try and find him.

After finding O'Keefe's body outside Albert's home around 6am on January 29, 2022, which party attendees claimed he never entered, first responders on the scene alleged that Read repeatedly told them she hit him while in a panicked state.

Vehicle data also found that Read reversed her SUV for 62 feet at 24mph near to Albert's home. O'Keefe's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma and hypothermia, with pieces of Read's taillight found around his body, prosecutors said.

In his closing argument two weeks ago, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally said the claims that Read was framed was little more than 'rampant speculation.'

Read and her attorney, Alan Jackson, laugh after recess at Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham on May 2. He has maintained that she was framed for her late boyfriend's death

Lally also pointed to hair and DNA from O'Keefe found on the rear end of Read's SUV.

The defense countered that the taillight was actually broken by Read when she left in a panic to find O'Keefe when he never returned home.

This included security video shown at trial showing Read clipping O'Keefe's vehicle as she backed out of her home to search for him.

Read claimed that attendees at the afterparty beat him to death, and her attorneys presented phone data that showed O'Keefe's phone climbed dozens of steps at the time he was allegedly struck.

Her attorney, Alan Jackson, claimed that these steps could have been the basement of Albert's home. Albert was never charged with any wrongdoing.

Read's attorneys added that although first responders claimed Read spoke of hitting O'Keefe at the scene, they claimed this evidence was falsely given at a later date and not said at the time.

A forensic engineer was brought in to evaluate the case, who testified that if O'Keefe had been struck by a vehicle at over 20mph he would expect to see more severe injuries.

The reason why the jury was unanimous on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident and split on the charge of manslaughter lies in the question of Read's intent.

In order to be guilty of leaving the scene of an accident where death or injury is present, the driver must be aware that someone was maimed or killed.

The jury agreed that Read, who was accused of leaving her boyfriend for dead in the snow outside a friend's house, was ignorant of O'Keefe's plight.

Protestors wearing pink as a show of support for Read lead a judge to issue an order barring any clothing or accessories that could be perceived as encouraging, and banned them from coming within 200 feet of the courthouse

If Jackson succeeds in his bid to push the double jeopardy issue, Read could still be retried on the charge of vehicular manslaughter.

The charge of manslaughter, however, does not hinge on intent, and all prosecutors are required to prove is reckless conduct.

If Jackson succeeds in his bid to push the double jeopardy issue, Read could still be retried on the charge of vehicular manslaughter.

When her trail began, Read received a slew of support from true crime fans who camped outside the courthouse with signs reading 'Free Karen Read.'

Many took to wearing pink as a show of support for Read, leading a judge to issue an order barring any clothing or accessories that could be perceived as encouraging, and banning them from coming within 200 feet of the courthouse.

Others have been seen protesting against Read with signs that say 'Karen Read killed a man!' and 'Karen Read is guilty!'

DailyMail.com contacted Rocci and Jackson for comment.
A celebrated Melbourne restaurant has closed its doors for good after more than three decades in business.

Miyako Japanese Cuisine and Teppanyaki, located at Southbank, took to social media on Sunday to announce the closure and thank patrons for their support.

There was no reason given for the restaurant shutting down but other venues which have recently closed in Melbourne have cited a 'perfect storm' of high running costs, fewer customers and an oversupply of venues.

The Yarra riverside restaurant, located on the top floor of the three storey Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, served up 'Japanese cuisine with a French influence'.

'It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Miyako,' management said.

'We want to extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and patronage over the past 27 years since 1997.

'Serving you has been our greatest pleasure and thank you for all the wonderful memories.'

The venue, which had a four-star rating on TripAdvisor, joins fellow Melbourne foodie favourites Izakaya Den, Rosetta, Gingerboy, Pie Thief, Mali Bakes and La Porchetta which have closed in the last four months.

Melbourne's Miyako Japanese Cuisine and Teppanyaki has closed it's doors for good

The popular restaurant at Southbank announced the closure on social media on Sunday

Social media users responding said they were shocked as they responded to the restaurant's announcement on Instagram and Facebook.

'We're sorry to see you go! We were regular customers and enjoyed the food, sake and wonderful service,' one person said.

'My boyf and I went for our 1st date, and returned for yearly anniversaries, sad to see you close, thank you for your excellent food and hospitality,' another person said.

'Food was always excellent, as was the service,' one wrote.

The owners are yet to announce their next move and if it will be another Melbourne hospitality venue.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the business for comment.

The restaurant was popular among locals and visitors after bursting onto the Melbourne dining scene in 1997
A major airline will give women the option of not sitting next to men in a world first.

From August, low cost Indian carrier IndiGo will allow female travellers to check online the gender of the person they are sitting next to.

This will allow women to book seats next to other women if they wish to not be seated next to men.

Men will not be shown the gender of the passengers when booking their seats.

IndiGo is a codeshare partner of Qantas and the airline is used by Australians when travelling to India and within the country.

The novel idea came from an IndiGo survey that asked female passengers what would make travel more comfortable for them.

Separating the sexes on transport is not uncommon in India with local trains having female-only carriages.

In 2018, Qantas told staff to use 'gender appropriate' terms and avoid saying 'husband and wife' because it may offend the LGBTQA community.

Low-cost Indian airline IndiGo will give female passengers booking online the chance to choose seats next to other female passengers

The new seating strategy came out a survey IndiGo conducted asking female travellors what make them feel more comfortable flying

The airline also told employees to stop using words such as 'honey, darling and love' because they have the capacity to offend.

An information package was sent to staff by People and Culture group executive Lesley Grant.

'Always using the terms 'husband' and 'wife' can reinforce the idea that people are always in heterosexual relationships,' the information pack read.

'In the same way, always referring to 'mum and dad' can make many families feel excluded  both same-sex couples and single-parent families.'

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said it was political correctness that had 'gone over the top'.

'I've been on hundreds of Qantas flights over many, many years now. Qantas staff are very good people,' he said at the time.

'They are decent, sensitive people, they've got to deal with just about every possible type of person, and they don't need this kind of nonsense, they really don't.'

IndiGo is one of India's largest airlines with more than 2,000 domestic and international flights daily.
The wife of a former firefighter who was killed when a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump has revealed the details of her heartwarming phone call with the Republican nominee.

Helen Comperatore wrote on Facebook that Trump called her Tuesday to offer his condolences for her husband, Corey, who died a hero as he tried to protect her and their daughter in the moments after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire.

'He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead,' she posted.

'I told him the same thing I told everyone else. He left this world a hero and God welcomed him in,' Comperatore wrote. 'He did not die in vain that day.'

Helen Comperatore, the wife of a former volunteer firefighter who was killed when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally over the weekend, said the former president has called her

She described Trump in the Facebook post as being 'very kind'

Helen's post came just one day after she said she refused to take President Joe Biden's phone call.

'I don't talk to Biden,' she said. 'I didn't want to talk to him. My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him,' she told the New York Post.

She added that she has no 'ill-will' towards the president.

'I'm not one of those people that gets involved in politics,' she told the Post.

'I support Trump, that's who I'm voting for, but I don't have any ill-will towards Biden.

'He didn't do anything to my husband, a 20-year-old despicable kid did.'

Corey Comperatore, 50, died a hero as he tried to protect his wife and daughter from the gunshots on Saturday

Helen said she and her husband, who were high school sweethearts, were on the verge of celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary when they headed to Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

'Me and the kids were all there as a family,' she said. 'He was just excited. It was going to be a nice day with the family.'

Corey, 50, eagerly shared his plans on X.

As the shots rang out, Corey sprang into action to shield his wife and daughter from the gunfire. But the rally turned into a tragedy when Crooks opened fire from a rooftop just 130 yards away from where Trump was standing.

'He's my hero,' his wife, Helen Comperatore, told the Post. 'He just said "Get down!" That was the last thing he said.'

He was then shot in the head.

Helen has said she did not take a condolence phone call from President Joe Biden as she described her husband as a 'devout Republican'

Corey was described Sunday as a 'girl-dad' who had just turned 50 years old

An emergency room doctor at Donald Trump's rally revealed how he performed CPR on Comperatore after he was hit by a bullet intended for the former president.

'I heard the shots. I thought it was firecrackers begin with. Somebody over there was screaming 'he's been shot he's been shot,''' said the man who had blood splattered all over his white USA shirt. 'So I made my way over. I said I'm an emergency department physician. Let me help you.'

'The guy had spun around was jammed between the benches and a head shot here,' he told CBS News.

'So I got him together so I got people there really helpful. I did CPR chest compressions as well.'

But the 50-year-old was later pronounced dead.

Helen said she now wants America to remember Corey as a 'very loving husband'

Helen said she now wants America to remember Corey as a 'very loving husband.'

'He was a simple man, but he put his wife and kids first all the time,' she said. 'I did nothing here. I didn't lift a finger. He did everything.'

Trump was also shot in the right ear by Crooks, who opened fire with an AR-style rifle from a roof 130 yards from the MAGA event.

The former president was seen grabbing at his head and ducked as screams front terrified onlookers ran out.

He then stood, pumped his fist and chanted 'fight, fight, fight' as Secret Service rushed him off stage and into a motorcade.

An investigation into the shooting is now underway, as officials question how the gunman was able to set up his AR-style rifle just over 100 yards from the former president.

The former president has gone onto appear at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Meanwhile, the former president has gone onto appear at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When he walked out on stage on Monday - barely two days after surviving an assassination attempt - the former president was greeted with chants of 'fight, fight, fight.'

The former president wore a bandage on his right ear where the bullet fired by Crooks ripped through his skin.

It could have been his wake, but after officially securing his nomination and anointing Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, Trump arrived for a celebration.

He was not on the speaking schedule but stayed to watch the final speeches of the night.

'They wanted tonight to be his funeral,' said Angie Wong, a delegate from Florida, as the strains of 'God Bless the USA' died away.

'Instead they got the Super Bowl of politics: A nomination and a VP pick.'
A woman sent her boyfriend a text message saying 'help' before she was allegedly sexually assaulted by an Uber driver during an early morning trip, a court has been told.

Mohamad Pili-Bake, 48, was arrested in May, six days after he allegedly sexually assaulted the young woman inside his car at a suburban park.

The court was told that Pili-Bake picked the woman up after she finished work in Sydney's inner west about 7am before driving to her home where he asked to kiss her.

Supreme Court Justice Richard Cavanagh told the court on Wednesday that while in the car, the woman sent her boyfriend a message saying: 'Help. Uber outside.'

The woman says she 'froze in fear' and alleges Pili-Bake began kissing her without her consent, the court was told.

The Birrong man then drove her to a park where the woman alleges she was sexually assaulted in the back seat.

Pili-Bake claimed that any sexual contact was consensual, his barrister Ian Lloyd told the court on Wednesday.

It was not in dispute that sexual intercourse took place, Mr Lloyd said.

SYDNEY AIRPORT

The Iranian-born man on Wednesday morning watched on from Long Bay Correctional Complex, wearing prison greens, as his application to be released on conditional bail was denied by the NSW Supreme Court.

He has been charged with sexual intercourse without consent and sexually touching another person without consent and faces a maximum of 14 years in jail if convicted.

Justice Cavanagh described the Crown prosecution case against Mr Pili-Bake as 'strong', and he noted a letter from the woman in which she said she had been hospitalised as a result of the incident and feared for her safety if he was released.

The court was told that immediately afterwards, she reported the alleged sexual assault to her mother and police and was taken to hospital where she was treated.

Police argue their case is supported by GPS data, CCTV, partial admissions made by Pili-Bake as well as credible evidence from the woman, the court was told.

Pili-Bake claimed that when he had driven her home, the woman was asleep in the front seat and when she woke she asked to be driven to a second location, where she fell asleep again, the court was told.

Mr Pili-Bake said he went into the back seat to rest while he waited for the woman to wake and when she did she went into the back seat and engaged in sexual activity with him.

'He says the encounter lasted less than 10 minutes and during the whole event the complainant kept falling asleep and waking up and whenever she woke up she continued to engage in sexual activity with him,' Justice Cavanagh said.

'He says the encounter was unwanted by him and he attempted to refuse the advances.'

Supreme Court Stock

Mr Lloyd proposed strict bail conditions, including that Pili-Bake report daily to police, not work as an Uber driver but be allowed to work as a baker, provide a surety, abide by a curfew and wear an ankle monitoring bracelet.

He had no criminal history, the court was told.

The Crown opposed the bail application, partly on the grounds that he was a risk of fleeing to his native Iran where his parents still live.

Mr Lloyd argued that Pili-Bake had immigrated to Australia as a refugee in 1999 and had strong community ties to Sydney, including with his ex-wife and family, arguing he was not a flight risk.

'The tracking bracelet is there as a strict condition of the bail and I don't have to tell Your Honour about the tracking bracelet. Although there's been the odd case where they've been cut off, that's the very odd case,' Mr Lloyd said.

'One of mine, Mr Lloyd ... He was found in a boat in Darwin,' Justice Cavanagh replied, in reference to a man whom he had released on bail.

Justice Cavanagh denied Pili-Bake's bail application, saying: 'I'm not satisfied any of the proposed conditions sufficiently ameliorate the concerns that I have.

'As I have emphasised, this is a case which, on the face of it, appears to be a strong prosecution case. In circumstances in which the applicant was supposed to be dropping the complainant at her home, he's obviously aware of her home.'

Pili-Bake will return to court later this month.
A tiny superannuation organisation that few outside its members have ever even heard of was the top performing super fund in the 2023-2024 financial year.

Mine Super, which, as the name suggests, serves coal miners and other high-risk occupations, topped research firm Chant West's annual list for the second year running, growing by 10.7 per cent.

Joining it on the top spot were retail super funds Colonial First State and Insignia, with three other funds in the top 10 also growing by more than 10 per cent.

Chant West said that 'despite the uncertain economic and geopolitical backdrop, super funds have posted another excellent financial year'.

The median across all funds was 9.1 per cent for their growth options, which are investment options with 61-80 per cent in growth assets, with most default MySuper options being in this category.

'International shares were the greatest contributor, surging 21.5 per cent over the year, led by the strong performance of the tech sector,' Chant West senior investment research manager Mano Mohankumar said.

'It's not surprising that the better-performing super funds generally had higher allocations to those asset classes.'

While not reaching the same heights, Australian shares also had a healthy year, returning 11.9 per cent.

A tiny superannuation organisation that few outside its members have ever even heard of was the top performing super fund in 2023-2024 financial year. Stock image

International shares surged 21.5 per cent over the year. Stock image of Australian currency

Mr Mohankumar said all asset classes were in positive territory for the year, except for unlisted property (not listed on a market such as the ASX), which is struggling with plummeting office and retail real estate valuations after the pandemic.

The top 10 performing growth funds over the decade to June 30, 2024 were all industry super funds, which are run to benefit their members, not the interests of external shareholders.

Retail funds, which return profits to shareholders, did well in the past two years, but industry funds offered better long-term growth, Chant West found.

Mr Mohankumar said customers should consider long-term returns more than short-term given that superannuation is an investment for retirement.

He cautioned, though, that median returns of 9.1 per cent 'shouldn't be thought of as normal', that the past year had been a very good one.

The median return for most super funds is generally around 3 to 4 per cent plus CPI over 10 years, equating to around 6 per cent per annum.

The 2023-2024 financial year was the 13th positive return in the past 15 years.
A top union boss has accused Anthony Albanese of soiling himself after the prime minister confirmed another CFMEU branch would be placed into administration.

The Albanese government will legislate to ensure an external administrator can be appointed to overhaul the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) after a string of bombshell allegations this week.

The Victorian arm of the CFMEU has already been placed into administration and boss John Setka has resigned, with NSW set to follow suit.

When Mr Albanese was told of Mr Setka's resignation he replied 'good'. He previously removed Mr Setka from the ALP in 2019 while Opposition leader.

The PM confirmed in Brisbane on Wednesday that Queensland's CFMEU would also be put under administration, sparking a fiery press release from secretary Michael Ravbar claiming Labor and Mr Albanese were panicking over the allegations.

'The Albanese Labor Government has opened the gates of hell for tens of thousands of workers as he scrambles to shield the big end of town and his Labor mates from scrutiny about links to the criminal underworld,' the statement said.

'By appointing unelected administrators to run the CFMEU, Albanese is attempting to strip thousands of building and construction workers of effective representation when they need it most.

'Albanese has panicked and soiled himself over some unproven allegations in the media. Workers can see that Albo has lost control and the country is being run by buffoon breakfast show hosts and talkback radio shock jocks.

The PM confirmed in Brisbane on Wednesday that Queensland 's CFMEU would also be put under administration, sparking a fiery press release from secretary Michael Ravbar

When Mr Albanese was told of Mr Setka's resignation he replied 'good'. He previously removed Mr Setka from the ALP in 2019 when opposition leader

'I will defend the integrity of the CFMEU every day of the week. If Albanese or any other politician want to properly investigate criminality, they should start at the top, not the bottom.'

The general manager of the Fair Work Commission will investigate after a series of allegations into the construction arm of the union have been made public since the weekend.

The allegations include that criminal underworld figures and bikies were acting as delegates on behalf of the CFMEU and kickbacks were sought and taken by some members in exchange for beneficial treatment on CFMEU controlled sites - many of which are taxpayer funded projects.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told reporters on Wednesday: 'I do believe these actions are best taken by the regulator but any action to appoint an administrator will be supported by me as minister'.

Mr Burke also said he had asked the Fair Work Ombudsman to undertake a targeted review of all enterprise agreements made by the Victorian branch of the construction division of the CFMEU that apply to Victorian big build projects.

'I stress on this, we're seeking information on coercive behaviour - the government has no intention of taking any action which would put at risk the terms and conditions of employment of the workers who are covered by those agreements,' Mr Burke said.

'This is not their fault.'

Mr Burke said had been unaware of the latest allegation before they were made public.

'The organised crime issue - it was published as an exclusive, that's because this was new information.'

Mr Burke dismissed deregistering the CFMEU, saying it was no longer the 'toughest action' a government could take against a union.

The Fair Work Act also allows deregistered entities to act as a 'red union,' which allows them to bargain on behalf of workers, which would negate some of the reason for registration.

John Setka (pictured with former wife Emma) resigned from the CFMEU last Friday night

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told reporters on Wednesday: 'I do believe these actions are best taken by the regulator but any action to appoint an administrator will be supported by me as minister'

'That capacity was not around when the Builders Labourers Federation was deregistered (by former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke),' Mr Burke said.

'If we simply went down the deregistration path, we would have an organisation still capable of bargaining and doing the entire business model we've been seeing reported over recent days with no layer of regulation or additional oversight that applies to registered organisations.'

Mr Albanese said the government had acted 'swiftly' and decisively to ensure the administrators for the Victorian, NSW and Queensland branches of the CFMEU.

'That's appropriate. We're not waiting. We've been decisive,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane.
The Globe Theatre has issued a trigger warning that Shakespeare's renowned Antony and Cleopatra contains 'depictions of suicide, violence and war'.

Theatre-goers are also warned that the play, which starred Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film, is discriminatory to black women as it features misogynoir references' - a combination of 'misogyny' and 'noir'.

The production, which runs between August 4 and September 15, will star Nadia Nadarajah and will be performed in English as well as British Sign Language.

It marks the latest in a string of Shakespeare productions that have been advertised with trigger warnings.

A Globe production of Julius Caesar, which depicts the fatal stabbing of the Roman dictator, warned its audiences that the play would include 'depictions of war, self-harm and suicide, stage blood and weapons including knives.'

Similarly a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, also at the threatre on London's south bank, warned that the fairy-tale-like play contained 'language of violence, sexual references, misogyny and racism'.

The Globe Theatre has issued a trigger warning that Shakespeare's renowned Antony and Cleopatra contains 'depictions of suicide, violence and war'

The production, which runs between August 4 and September 15, will star Nadia Nadarajah (pictured) and will be performed in English as well as British Sign Language

Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 movie of Cleopatra

Other trigger warnings that have been put ahead of some of Britain's most renowned plays and pieces of literature, with theatre audiences being warned of violence, abuse, bereavement, loud noises and even references to smoking.

It has led to an outcry from directors, actors and producers in the field who have slammed the 'ludicrous' warnings, telling anxious audience members simply to avoid plays if they are concerned about watching potentially distressing content.

Gregory Doran, director emeritus at the Royal Shakespeare Company and its former artistic director, commented on trigger warnings while addressing an audience at London South Bank University.

He spoke with students in a Q&A session following a keynote lecture on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, during which someone asked him for his thoughts on trigger warnings.

Mr Doran revealed that he 'hates' audience warnings. According to The Stage he said: 'How do you do [content warnings] for Titus Andronicus? You just don't come. Don't come if you are worried, if you are anxious  stay away.'

Titus features scenes of rape and violence as prisoners take revenge on a Roman general and his children.

Earlier this year actor Ralph Fiennes called to end trigger warnings at threatres suggesting that some audiences had become 'too soft'.

He told BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: 'We didn't used to have trigger warnings.

'There are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things, but I think the impact of theatre is that you should be shocked and you should be disturbed.

'I don't think you should be prepared for these things and when I was young we never had trigger warnings before a show.'

Gregory Doran, who became artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2012 and held the position until 2022, has blasted trigger warnings for audiences

Doran was addressing an audience in a lecture about Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus which features physical and sexual violence

The actor added that he would get rid of trigger warnings but would keep notifications about strobe lighting, and other props that could damage a person's health, in place.

'Shakespeare's plays are full of murder and full of horror, and as a young student and lover of the threatre I never experienced trigger warnings like oh by the way in King Lear Gloucester's going to have his eyes pulled out,' he said.

'Theatre needs to be alive and in the present. It's the shock, it's the unexpected, that's what makes the theatre so exciting.'

Last year, Sir McKellen blasted trigger warnings after he ridiculed the signs at his own play Frank and Percy at The Other Palace in London.

A warning has been placed on the theatre's website saying the show contains strong language, sexual references and discussions of bereavement and cancer.

The 84-year-old said: 'Outside theatres and in the lobbies, including this one, the audience is warned 'there is a loud noise and at one point, there are flashing lights', 'there is reference to smoking', 'there is reference to bereavement'.'

He added: 'I think it's ludicrous, myself, yes, absolutely. I quite like to be surprised by loud noises and outrageous behaviour on stage.'

Bosses of the London's world-renowned Shakespeare's Globe were also slammed in 2022 after they provided warnings ahead of Shakespeare's centuries-old play Julies Ceasar.

Ralph Fiennes, who is currently starring in Shakespeare's Macbeth, recently called for the end to trigger warnings

Last year, Sir McKellen blasted trigger warnings after he ridiculed the signs at his own play Frank and Percy at The Other Palace in London

Bosses of the London's world-renowned Globe threatre were slammed in 2022 after they provided warnings ahead of Shakespeare's centuries-old play Julies Ceasar

The Roman dictator was famously stabbed to death inside the halls of Rome's senate which is a scene that features in the modern production of Shakespeare's classic.

But the Globe - which is on the site of the Bard's original playhouse - alerts the audience before performances that the show will contain 'stage blood and weapons including knives.'

It warned: 'Content guidance: Depictions of war, self-harm and suicide, stage blood and weapons including knives.'

Actor Christopher Biggins blasted the theatre: 'Do we have to have signs for everything under the sun. It's a joke. What they are trying to do is insulting to the mentality of theatre-goers.'

Former minister Ann Widdecombe added: 'You don't go to see Romeo and Juliet if you want a light-hearted evening.'
Police confirmed traces of cyanide were found in the cups and in the bodies of six people found dead in a central Bangkok luxury hotel yesterday, with Thai police believing one of them carried out the murder-suicide.

The victims, two of whom had dual Vietnamese-American nationality and four Vietnamese nationals, were found slumped inside a five-star hotel room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan at around 5pm local time on Tuesday.

A husband and wife among the dead had invested money with two of the other victims, suggesting that money could be a motive, said Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkok deputy police chief.

The investment, worth millions of Baht, was meant to build a hospital in Japan and the group might have been meeting to settle the matter.

'We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime,' Noppasin added.

Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsang said: 'This was not self harm, but someone caused the deaths. We are tracing every step since they got off the plane.'

The deceased - three males and three females aged between 37 and 56 - had last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room on Monday afternoon.

Forensic police chief Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan said a mass suicide was unlikely because some of the victims had arranged future things for their trip, such as guides and drivers.

He added that the bodies were not grouped in the same place - some were in the bedroom, some in the living room - suggesting that they did not knowingly consume poison and wait for their death together.

In this photo released by the Royal Thai Police, a body lies next to a table with a tea cup and untouched meals on it, in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok

Tea cups in the room (pictured) had been used but meals delivered by room service were untouched, police said. It is thought the victims may have consumed cyanide in their tea

Another angle of the table of uneaten food in the crime scene room

Police also released this photo of the Bangkok hotel room where the bodies were found

Five of the dead who had checked in at the hotel were named by police as females Sherine Chong, Thi Nguyen Phuong and Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan. Two dead men were Dinh Tran Phu and Hung Dang Van.

The sixth, who was not registered to stay with them, has not been named.

Officers said a seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was identified by police as a sibling of one of the six victims, who left the country on July 10. Police believe the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three men and three women fuelled wild rumours, with several local media outlets initially reporting a mass shooting incident.

But photos released by police of a bloodless crime scene showed plates of untouched Thai food, and two spiked thermos flasks and cups.

The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Thiti Saengsawang said.

Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an officer from the Lumpini police station said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to release information.

Police said there were no signs of a struggle, and that the residents of the room where the bodies had seemingly already packed their luggage in anticipation of their checkout.

Thai police officers secure the area during investigations after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok

Police cars are parked outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 16

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin talks to media next to the National Police chief Police General Torsak Sukvimol during a press conference after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang speaks during a presser at Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where six foreign nationals were found dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024

Members of the media film a forensic police layout of the room where six people were found dead the day before allegedly due to poisoning, during a press conference at Lumpini Police Station in Bangkok on July 17, 2024

The bodies were discovered by a maid who went to the room after they failed to check out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said.

He added the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin immediately ordered an investigation into the deaths and personally visited the hotel yesterday to discuss the case with investigators.

Thailand's economy is heavily reliant on tourism and Thavisin said he does not want the mystery deaths to negatively impact the country's image as a welcoming destination for holidaymakers.

Thavisin added the crime was 'a private matter', unrelated to national security, and should not affect the lucrative tourist sector.

'Hotel staff found their bodies in a room around 5pm (1000 GMT) today,' the police source told Reuters.

He denied initial reports that the six had been killed in a shooting, saying the investigation was currently focused on a 'link with a toxic substance.'

Pending the results of autopsies, 'Our hypothesis is that they ingested something that killed them,' Thavisin said.

Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.

A Thai police officer secures the area during investigations after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand

Chief of the Police Forensic Science Office Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpan

Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Thiti Sangsawang is speaking as National Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol is looking on during a press conference after an incident in which six bodies are found at a hotel in Bangkok

Immigration officers arrive to the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Policemen inspect after an incident, in which six bodies were found at a hotel in Bangkok on July 16, 2024. Six people believed to be Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans were found dead in a hotel room in central Bangkok on July 16

Police are seen at the hotel conducting investigations this evening

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Police and media wait outside the entrance of the hotel as investigations continue

The bodies were discovered at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel located in the popular Ratchaprasong Intersection of Bangkok

Police in an official statement said they were still investigating the scene and cause of death, but added there appeared to be no signs of fighting, struggle or robbery at the hotel.

The incident comes as Thailand looks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of Southeast Asia's second largest economy.

'The prime minister ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,' the Thai government said in its statement.

Thavisin himself refused questions from the press as he arrived at the hotel yesterday, instead making a beeline directly for investigating officers who whisked their leader away from prying eyes for private discussions.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok.

The Vietnamese and United States Embassies have been contacted over the deaths, and the American FBI is involved in the investigation, said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

When asked if the news would affect a conference with the Russian Energy Minister at the hotel later today, Srettha said it was unlikely. 'This wasn't an act of terrorism or a breach in security, everything is fine.'

Thai authorities are keen to improve the image of the kingdom, whose reputation as a safe tourist destination sometimes takes a hit when grisly crimes are reported.

In 2023, the country was rocked by reports of a serial killer who had poisoned 15 people with cyanide. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, or 'Am Cyanide' as she would later be called, poisoned 15 people who she owed money to and became the country's first female serial killer.

The country has played host to many other sordid and high-profile criminal cases, such as that of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, nicknamed 'The Serpent' and linked to at least two dozen murders - mostly of tourists - in the 1970s.

More recently, the son of a Spanish actor was accused of killing and dismembering the body of a renowned Colombian plastic surgeon on the tourist island of Koh Phangan.

The verdict in the trial is expected in the coming weeks.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where it is believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024

Police block media from entering the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Visitors stand outside of the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand

Five bodies were reportedly discovered inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, with the sixth lying by the door, at around 7:30pm local time

The entrance to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is seen in this general view

Last October, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at the Siam Paragon mall in the same area as Tuesday's mass poisoning, killing three people.

The shooting came just days before the anniversary of a massacre at a nursery in northern Thailand that left 36 people dead and amid government efforts to bolster tourist numbers.

Some 28 million people visited Thailand in 2023, up from 11 million the year before, but still well down from the 40 million who came in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic hammered the kingdom's vital tourism sector and arrivals have not bounced back as quickly as officials hoped.

Officials hope to hit 35 million visitors in 2024, with a target of $55 billion in revenue.

The scene of yesterday's dark discovery, the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, is among Thailand's most luxurious and sought after tourist accommodations with a reputation for its service.

Located in the Ratchaprasong district - a highly frequented shopping and commercial area in the Thai capital - the hotel is a five-star venue replete with decadent interiors, a huge outdoor pool, a gym and spa complex and a highly rated restaurant.

It offers sweeping views of the city and besides the commercial attractions is also located adjacent to the Erawan Shrine, a notable religious site known for attracting tourists.

Hotel administrators are yet to comment on the incident.
The death of a young woman in her 20s after she received a Covid-19 vaccine could progress to a full coronial inquest.

Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald told the involved parties that she would tighten the reins on expert reports being filed to the court, as mountains of medical information piled up.

Natalie Boyce, 21, died in March 2022 at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, five weeks after receiving a Moderna vaccine booster.

At a mention hearing in court on Wednesday, Moderna Australia lawyer Jesse Rudd said an expert they had been working with required further medical information.

The professor had requested information about symptoms observed by a rheumatologist who saw Ms Boyce for her lupus in 2018.

Ms Fitzgerald allowed Moderna's request but said she would be reluctant to chase further such material going forward, telling lawyers 'these sorts of requests will be scrutinised'.

'There's lots of paper,' the coroner said of the mounting material filed for the case.

Ms Fitzgerald was hesitant to obtain more information and reports 'when we already have so many materials', describing the situation as 'chasing the rabbit down this hole'.

Natalie Boyce died in March 2022 after received a Moderna vaccine booster

'If this continues on the current trajectory, this could lead to an inquest,' Ms Fitzgerald said.

Lawyers for Ms Boyce's family opposed Moderna's request on the grounds the doctor saw the young woman for lupus four years before she died.

'The significance of lupus is addressed in all the reports,' Mr Rudd said.

Lawyers for Mulgrave Private Hospital were also granted an application to be excused as an interested party.

Nurses at the hospital were employed staff but the doctors were private contractors, lawyer Sarah Faraone said.

Lawyer for the Boyce family, Shannon Finnegan, opposed the hospital's request.

'My client objects to Mulgrave on the basis it was the triage process that was so slow,' Ms Finnegan said.

Natalie Boyce died from myocarditis. She spent the last three weeks of her life unconscious.

Ms Fitzgerald said the hospital's actions 'would be looked at' but excused the hospital as an interested party.

Ms Boyce's GP had also been excused as an interested party in the previous months, the court was told.

Ms Boyce was studying at Deakin University. She spent the last three weeks of her life unconscious. Her death certificate lists myocardial infarction with subacute myocarditis as the cause.

When she was 15, Ms Boyce was diagnosed with an uncommon blood clotting disorder that affects about one-in-2000 people.

Ms Boyce's mother, Deborah Hamilton, previously told a parliamentary inquiry that she believed her daughter would be alive if she had not received the Covid-19 vaccine booster.

'Had we known that there were risks there would have been no way that I would have allowed Natalie to receive another vaccine and I know that she would not have had it either,' Ms Hamilton told MPs in Canberra in 2023.

Ms Boyce fainted, had a fever, stomach pain and vomiting, the day after getting her booster

The day after getting the Moderna booster, Ms Boyce fainted, had a fever, stomach pain and vomiting. Her condition deteriorated over trips to doctors and several different hospitals.

Ms Hamilton has blamed both the vaccine mandates and 'medical negligence' from Victoria's health system.

Ms Boyce was encouraged by her part-time employer to get vaccinated and required a vaccination to go to the university campus.

Parties represented in court on Wednesday were Triple Zero Victoria, Moderna, Ms Hamilton, Monash Health, Mulgrave Private Hospital, Alfred Health and Eastern Health.

The matter will be back before the Coroner's Court for another mention hearing in October.
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King Charles III has returned to Buckingham Palace after delivering Sir Keir Starmer's plans for Britain at the historic State Opening of Parliament in what was the first speech from the throne under a Labour government for 14 years.

The 75-year-old monarch saluted from his horse-drawn carriage as he and Queen Camilla were welcomed back to the royal residence with the national anthem, drawing a day of pomp, pageantry and centuries-old tradition to a close.

Sir Keir's new Labour government used the King's Speech to say they would 'fix the foundations of this nation' but conceded that 'rebuilding our country will not happen overnight'.

Charles and Camilla - who is celebrating her 77th birthday today - set off from Buckingham Palace at 11am before they were escorted by the Household Calvary for a resplendent horse-drawn procession down The Mall.

The King and Queen, dressed in their finest royal regalia, were then taken to Parliament in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, pulled by six grey horses in the glorious sunshine.

They arrived to gun salutes, bell chimes and cheers from royal fans as they were welcomed through the gates of the Sovereign's Entrance - a doorway that is reserved for the monarch. They did, however, have to go past a pocket of anti-monarchy protesters who held up placards which said 'Not my King' and 'Down with the Crown'.

The union flag was lowered at the Palace of Westminster and replaced by the Royal Standard to signify the presence of the monarch.

The King and Queen then entered the House of Lords just before 11.30am, where they led a royal procession holding each other's hands before taking their seats on their thrones.

The historic day is made up of a series of bizarre yet memorable rituals, including the role of Black Rod - the senior official responsible for maintaining order at the House of Lords.

Black Rod Sarah Clarke made her way to the House of Commons to fetch MPs at around 11.30am before having the door slammed in her face. She then knocked three times with a ceremonial staff to gain entry, where she called upon the MPs to follow her back to the Lords.

Black Rod acts as secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain, with responsibility for major ceremonial events in the Palace of Westminster.

The position is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of a selection panel chaired by the Lord Speaker. In 2018, Ms Clarke became the first female Black Rod in the position's 650-year history.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle led MPs to the Lords, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer walking alongside Conservative leader Rishi Sunak. The pair chatted and laughed as they left the Commons together - less than two weeks after Sir Keir took over from Mr Sunak as Prime Minister.

As MPs took their seats, Charles, sitting in the Sovereign's Throne which is slightly taller than the Queen's, then started unveiling Sir Keir's plans for Britain in his speech. His speech ran to 1,421 words, making it the longest monarch's speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2003.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are pictured leaving the Houses of Parliament before heading back to Buckingham Palace

King Charles saluted from his horse-drawn carriage as he and Queen Camilla were welcomed back to Buckingham Palace

King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, sits alongside Queen Camilla, wearing the George IV State Diadem before reading the King's Speech

King Charles reads out the speech in the House of Lords Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament

On a day filled with gold, grandeur and centuries of tradition, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived by carriage for the State Opening of Parliament

King Charles and Queen Camilla walk through the Royal Gallery on the day of the State Opening of Parliament

King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the Royal Gallery during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster

King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, reads the King's Speech from the The Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords chamber

Queen Camilla, on her birthday, walks alongside her husband King Charles and is followed by her right-hand woman, the Marchioness of Lansdowne (back left)

Black Rod Sarah Clarke carries out the unusual tradition of collecting the MPs but not before having the door slammed in her face

She bangs on the door three times with a ceremonial staff so that she can fetch the MPs and bring them back to the House of Lords

Members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a 41 gun salute from Green Park, to signal the start of the State Opening of Parliament and King's Speech

King Charles reads Labour's speech ahead of a new parliamentary session. He is pictured alongside Queen Camilla

Charles and Camilla both looked spectacular as they donned their regal robes and walked through the House of Lords

MPs and Lords listen as King Charles III reads out his speech from the The Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords chamber

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak share a laugh at the State Opening of Parliament

King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, and Queen Camilla, wearing the George IV State Diadem

The King and Queen were seen holding hands as they led a royal procession before the King gave his speech

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arriving for the State Opening of Parliament after a resplendent horse-drawn procession down the Mall

Queen Camilla wearing the Diamond Diadem arrives at the Houses of Parliament

King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart Buckingham Palace as they travel to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament

This is the moment that King Charles and Camilla arrived at Westminster on Wednesday

King Charles III salutes the Life Guards as he and Queen Camilla depart Buckingham Palace

Queen Camilla is celebrating her 77th birthday today

The Imperial State Crown is carried through the Norman Porch ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

Queen Camilla - who is celebrating her 77th birthday - travels down The Mall in a horse-drawn carriage with King Charles during the State Opening of Parliament

Anti-monarchy Not My King protesters demonstrate as King Charles III and Queen Camilla ride past in their carriage

A carriage carrying Sir George Michael Zambellas leaves Buckingham Palace

Members of the Household Cavalry arrive at Buckingham Palace ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

The Imperial State Crown and The Sword of State, are taken in Queen Alexandra's State Coach to the Houses of Parliament

Crowds wait near Buckingham Palace, to view King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave

The Imperial State Crown, The Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance, are taken in Queen Alexandra's State Coach to the Houses of Parliament

Members of the House of Lords dressed in their ceremonial red robes sit in the House of Lords Chamber

The King said the Government's programme will be 'based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all.'

Sir Keir outlined a blizzard of around 40 bills in the new government's maiden legislative programme, with the PM vowing to deliver 'real change that transforms lives'.

The measures include a major overhaul of the planning system, renationalising the railways, a Net Zero push, a truancy crackdown and bringing Channel smuggling gangs under terror laws.

Who is Black Rod? Black Rod is the senior official responsible for maintaining order at the House of Lords. The most recognised task is banging on the door of the House of Commons with a ceremonial staff during the annual State Opening of Parliament to summon MPs to hear the monarch's speech. To symbolise the primacy of the Commons, the door is slammed in Black Rod's face, and the holder of the office is required to bang three times before the door is opened. Black Rod acts as secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain, with responsibility for major ceremonial events in the Palace of Westminster. The position is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of a selection panel chaired by the Lord Speaker. The earliest known reference to Black Rod's role in the State Opening of Parliament stretches back to 1641, when the then Black Rod entered the Commons without his rod and without being called in. Furious MPs took exception to this behaviour, sparking the tradition that continues to this day. The role of Black Rod is far older. The earliest reference to it -as the Usher to the Order of the Garter - is in letters patent from 1361. Advertisement

Charles and Camilla left the Palace of Westminster at around midday. The departure of the King from Parliament officially starts the new parliamentary session, paving the way for MPs to get back to work in the House of Commons.

Charles was wearing his Admiral of the Fleet Royal Naval Number 1 Dress with cap and sword. In the Robing Robe at the House of Lords, Charles put on the Imperial State Crown and his crimson Robe of State, which was made for his grandfather George VI's coronation in 1937.

The Queen was wearing an off white silk crepe embroidered dress by Fiona Clare, George IV State Diadem, a diamond collet necklace, diamond Van Cleef and Arpels earrings and a diamond bracelet.

Camilla's famous George IV State Diadem was worn countless times by the late Queen during her reign and was probably the most well recognised of all her pieces of jewellery.

It is composed of four diamond pave-set crosses pattee alternating with four bouquets of rose, shamrock and thistle. Set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds, it was made for George IV's extravagant coronation in 1821 and Elizabeth II usually wore it for her journey to and from the State Opening.

Camilla was dressed in her crimson Robe of State, which was made for Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, in the Robing Room.

The King and Queen were taken to Westminster in the black and gilded Diamond Jubilee State Coach - the newest in the Royal Mews. It has shock absorbers to stop it from swaying, and heating, internal lights and power windows. It was used by the King and Queen on their journey to their coronation in 2023.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment led the procession, with the Queen Alexandra's State Coach carrying the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and Sword of State.

The crown weighs 2.3 lbs (1.06kg) and has nearly 3,000 stones - including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and five rubies.

Among its jewels is the Black Prince's Ruby - one of the late Queen's favourite gems - as well as the Cullinan II diamond and a large oval sapphire known as the Stuart Sapphire.

Charles also wore the priceless crown on his return journey to the palace after his coronation, but he was crowned in the 17th century golden St Edward's Crown.

The King's bodyguards kicked off the day steeped in tradition and history by carrying out a ceremonial search of the cellars of the Palace of Westminster.

The Yeomen of the Guard ventured underneath the palace in search of explosives, continuing a tradition that dates back to the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Back then, Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes was discovered beneath Parliament guarding enough explosives to blow King James I and the rest of the English aristocracy to smithereens.

Another tradition sees a Member of the Commons 'taken hostage' in Buckingham Palace while the monarch attends Westminster. This dates back to when the monarch and parliament's relationship was more strained, meaning the King wanted assurances he wouldn't be harmed while in Westminster.

The King's carriage escorted by The Sovereign's Escort of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment as he arrives at Westminster Palace

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment troopers as they line the stairs inside the entrance to the House of Lords at Westminster Palace

The Welsh Guards Band marching to their position outside Westminster Palace

King Charles III and Queen Camilla look out at anti-monarchy activists on Whitehall

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, former prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, listening to the King's Speech

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey (centre) listening to the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner listens to the King's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament

King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, and Queen Camilla, wearing the George IV State Diadem

Sarah Clarke, Black Rod, walks towards the House of Lords to carry out one of the strange traditions at the historic event

King Charles wears the Imperial State Crown on the day of the State Opening of Parliament

House of Commons of Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle being prepared for the State Opening of Parliament

Sir Keir Starmer leaving No 10 Downing Street for the big occasion

The Imperial State Crown is carried in the Royal Gallery on the day of the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster

Guards gather outside the Houses of Parliament on the day of the State Opening of Parliament

The Sovereign's Escort of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, arriving at Westminster Palace, during the State Opening of Parliament

A member of the House of Lords holds a programme for the State Opening of Parliament

Queen Alexandra's State Coach outside Buckingham Palace, London

Major General James Bowder, Grenadier Guards, rides along The Mall

The military procession outside the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

Member of the House of Lords take their seats in the Lords Chamber

Guards arriving at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords

The King's Bodyguard the Yeomen of the Guard take part in a Ceremonial Search in the House of Lords Chamber

King Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown, and Queen Camilla, wearing the Diamond Diadem, walk through the Royal Gallery

King Charles sits down in the Sovereign Throne before delivering a speech for Sir Keir Starmer's government

King Charles was wearing his Royal Navy outfit. He is pictured here leaving the Houses of Parliament after the state opening

The Sword of State arrives at the Houses of Parliament

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla walk through the Royal Gallery, watched on by MPs and Lords

The State Opening of Parliament is a day filled with pomp and pageantry

Members of the House of Commons, including Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh, Stuart Andrew and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper

The Honourable Artillery Company pass by Buckingham Palace at the Queen Victoria Memorial ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

The Yeomen of the Guard take part in a Ceremonial Search - one of many rituals that take place at the State Opening of Parliament

The Band of the Grenadier Guards on parade at the Queen Victoria Memorial

Member of the House of Lords take their seats in the Lords Chamber

Princess Antonia, Duchess of Wellington waits for the start of the State Opening of Parliament

Members of The Royal Air Force Regiment on parade at the Queen Victoria Memorial

The Yeoman of the Guard take part in the Ceremonial Search ahead of the King's Speech

King Charles III's speech will set out the agenda of the UK's first Labour government for 14 years

This year's hostage is Samantha Dixon, the Labour MP for Chester North and Neston.

Who is Black Rod? Black Rod is the senior official responsible for maintaining order at the House of Lords. The most recognised task is banging on the door of the House of Commons with a ceremonial staff during the annual State Opening of Parliament to summon MPs to hear the monarch's speech. To symbolise the primacy of the Commons, the door is slammed in Black Rod's face, and the holder of the office is required to bang three times before the door is opened. Black Rod acts as secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain, with responsibility for major ceremonial events in the Palace of Westminster. The position is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of a selection panel chaired by the Lord Speaker. The earliest known reference to Black Rod's role in the State Opening of Parliament stretches back to 1641, when the then Black Rod entered the Commons without his rod and without being called in. Furious MPs took exception to this behaviour, sparking the tradition that continues to this day. The role of Black Rod is far older. The earliest reference to it -as the Usher to the Order of the Garter - is in letters patent from 1361. Advertisement

It was Jo Churchill, former MP for Bury St Edmunds and Vice Chamberlain of HM Household, last year.

Amid the splendour of the traditional state opening, ten members of Youth Demand were arrested in Westminster on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance after the protest group stated it planned to disrupt.

On social media the Metropolitan Police said: 'Last week, Youth Demand said they planned to disrupt the event.

'An hour ago, officers arrested 10 of them in Westminster on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.

'A further 20 to 25 have now gathered in Victoria Embankment Gardens and further arrests are being made.'

Last week the group called for supporters to assemble at Victoria Embankment Gardens on Wednesday morning in protest over Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

During the King's Speech, Charles outlined Labour's plans to 'take the brakes off Britain.'

Reading out the speech from his throne, Charles said: 'My Lords and Members of the House of Commons.

'My Government will govern in service to the country.

'My Government's legislative programme will be mission-led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all.

'Stability will be the cornerstone of my Government's economic policy and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules. It will legislate to ensure that all significant tax and spending changes are subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Bills will be brought forward to strengthen audit and corporate governance, alongside pension investment.

'Securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission. My Government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost-of-living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities. My ministers will establish an industrial strategy council. It is my Government's objective to see rising living standards in all nations and regions in the United Kingdom.

Charles and Camilla sit on their thrones, wearing their robes for the day of pomp and pageantry

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (left) and former prime minister Rishi Sunak (right) lead MPs through the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament

Reform MP Nigel Farage walks through the Central Lobby at the Palace of Westminster

Anti-monarchy Not My King protesters demonstrate as King Charles III and Queen Camilla ride past in their carriage

A ceremonial search of the Houses of Parliament cellars by the Yeomen of the Guard

The search for explosives are carried out by the King's bodyguards at the Houses of Parliament

Members of the Life Guards make their way out of the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace after taking part in a Rank and March Past following the State Opening of Parliament

Soldiers stand by as King Charles III and Queen Camilla return to Buckingham Palace

King Charles III looks up as he reads the King's Speech, as Queen Camilla sits beside him

Queen Alexandra's State Coach, carrying the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of State, returns to Buckingham Palace

Members of the Welsh Guards march out of the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace

King Charles and Queen Camilla walk out of the Houses of Parliament with their arms linked

MPs including Sir Ed Davey, Defence Secretary John Healey, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were present

House of Commons of Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle being prepared for the State Opening of Parliament

Members of the Guard of Honour, provided by members of the Welsh Guards, stand outside Buckingham Palace

Police arrest a protester in Victoria Embankment gardens as Youth Demand call a pro-Palestine protest at the state opening of Parliament

Another protester is spoken to by police as Youth Demand tried to interrupt the historic day

'My ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing. They will also pursue sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies.

'My Government is committed to making work pay and will legislate to introduce a New Deal for Working People to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights.

'It will seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.

'My Government believes that greater devolution of decision-making is at the heart of a modern dynamic economy and is a key driver of economic growth, and my ministers will introduce an English Devolution Bill.

'Legislation will be introduced to give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities. This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities.

'A Bill will be introduced to allow local leaders to take control of their local bus services. My ministers will bring forward legislation to improve the railways by reforming rail franchising, establishing Great British Railways and bringing train operators into public ownership.

The King's Speech ran to 1,421 words, making it the longest monarch's speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2003

King Charles III and Queen Camilla travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach back down The Mall

King Charles III and Queen Camilla set off from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament

Soldiers riding back down The Mall after the State Opening of Parliament at Houses of Parliament

King Charles III and Queen Camilla wearing the Diamond Diadem depart the Houses of Parliament

The King's Speech was the most legislation-heavy speech for nearly two decades, with its 40 Bills being the highest number to be announced at a State Opening since 2005

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (R) and Shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt walk through the Member's Lobby of the Houses of Parliament

Members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment leave the Buckingham Palace

King Charles III reads the King's Speech in the House of Lords Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament

Members of the Blues and Royals make their way out of the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace

Royal fans gather for the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster on Wednesday

There was a group of anti-monarchy protesters gathering nearby too. They held placards which said 'Down with the crown'

Police marksmen on the roof of Buckingham Palace, ahead of the King's Speech

A team of police officers patrol the Whitehall area ahead of the historic day

Union Jack flags hang in Parliament Square in Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

Met Police officers are seen patrolling Whitehall, with Big Ben visible in the background

Police officers perform a search on Whitehall in Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

Sir Keir, who became Prime Minister after Labour's historic landslide win earlier this month, has said the party's plans will 'take the brakes off Britain'

'Taken together these policies will enhance Britain's position as a leading industrial nation and enable the country to take advantage of new opportunities that can promote growth and wealth creation.

'My Government recognises the urgency of the global climate challenge and the new job opportunities that can come from leading the development of the technologies of the future. It is committed to a clean energy transition which will lower energy bills for consumers over time.

'A Bill will be introduced to set up Great British Energy, a publicly-owned clean power company headquartered in Scotland, which will help accelerate investment in renewable energy such as offshore wind. Legislation will be brought forward to help the country achieve energy independence and unlock investment in energy infrastructure. A Bill will be introduced to support sustainable aviation fuel production. My Government recognises the need to improve water quality and a Bill will be introduced to strengthen the powers of the water regulator.

'My Government will seek to strengthen the border and make streets safer. A Bill will be introduced to modernise the asylum and immigration system, establishing a new Border Security Command and delivering enhanced counter-terror powers to tackle organised immigration crime. Legislation will be brought forward to strengthen community policing, give the police greater powers to deal with anti-social behaviour and strengthen support for victims.

'Measures will be introduced to improve the safety and security of public venues and help keep the British public safe from terrorism. My Government will bring forward plans to halve violence against women and girls.

'My ministers will seek to raise educational standards and break down barriers to opportunity. Action will be taken to get people back in employment following the impact of the pandemic. A Bill will be introduced to raise standards in education and promote children's wellbeing. Measures will be brought forward to remove the exemption from Value Added Tax for private school fees, which will enable the funding of 6,500 new teachers. My Government will establish Skills England which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart, and my ministers will reform the apprenticeship levy.

'Legislation will be introduced to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no-fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession. Draft legislation will be published on leasehold and commonhold reform.

'A Bill will be introduced to establish an independent football regulator to ensure greater sustainability in the game and strengthen protections for fans.

'My Government will improve the National Health Service as a service for all, providing care on the basis of need regardless of the ability to pay. It will seek to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision for young people. It will ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health. My ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the 21st century.

'A Bill will be introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes. My ministers will also legislate to restrict advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to children. A draft Bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices.

'My Government will take steps to help rebuild trust and foster respect. Legislation will be brought forward to introduce a duty of candour for public servants. A Bill will be introduced to establish a statutory Armed Forces Commissioner to act as a strong independent champion for our gallant armed forces and their families.

'Legislation on race equality will be published in draft to enshrine the full right to equal pay in law.

'My Government will strengthen its work with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland so that the best outcomes possible are delivered for citizens across the United Kingdom. My ministers will establish a new Council of the Nations and Regions to renew opportunities for the Prime Minister, heads of devolved governments and mayors of combined authorities to collaborate with each other.

'My Government will continue to support the political institutions and devolved government in Northern Ireland. In consultation with all parties, measures will be brought forward to begin the process of repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

'Measures to modernise the constitution will be introduced, including House of Lords reform to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords. My ministers will strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process.

'The Government will propose a modernisation committee of the House of Commons, which will be tasked with driving up standards, improving work practices and reforming procedures.

'My Government will ensure a strong defence based on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (Nato) common values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Its commitment to Nato will remain unshakeable. It will maintain a strong armed forces, including the nuclear deterrent. To ensure that the United Kingdom's defence capabilities are matched to the changing nature of global strategic threats, my Government will conduct a strategic defence review.

'My Government will continue to give its full support to Ukraine and its people and it will endeavour to play a leading role in providing Ukraine with a clear path to Nato membership.

'My Government will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdom's trade and investment relationship with the European Union. My ministers will seek a new security pact to strengthen co-operation on the mutual threats faced by the United Kingdom and the European Union.

'My Government will play its part in trying to secure long-term peace and security in the Middle East. It is committed to a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

'Later this week, my Government will host the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace.

'The Queen and I look forward to our visit to Samoa alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October, and our visit to Australia.

'Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

'My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, other measures will be laid before you.

'I pray that the blessing of almighty God may rest upon your counsels.'

As well as being the longest monarch's speech at the state opening since 2003, it was also the most legislation-heavy speech for nearly two decades, with its 40 Bills being the highest number to be announced at a State Opening since 2005.

The text of this year's speech took 12 minutes and 44 seconds for the King to read out loud, more than a minute longer than last year's speech, which took him 11 minutes and 29 seconds to deliver.

It was the longest text, by word count, since the 1,448-word speech delivered by Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the 2003 State Opening of Parliament.

The longest monarch's speech since the Second World War occurred in November 1999, when the late Queen had to deliver a speech containing 1,751 words.

The text, which took more than 15 minutes to read out, came midway through Tony Blair's first Labour government.

The 40 Bills in this year's speech - 36 full Bills and four draft Bills - is the highest number to be outlined at a State Opening since 2005, when 50 were announced (44 full Bills and six drafts).

The 2005 speech followed the third successive general election victory by Labour under Tony Blair.

The packed legislative programme for the first session of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government is a marked contrast to the final session of the last Labour government under Gordon Brown, which began in November 2009 with a Queen's Speech that contained just 13 Bills.

This year's speech ranks as the seventh longest, by word count, since the end of the Second World War.

The longest monarchs' speeches since 1945 have all been under Labour prime ministers, with Tony Blair's 1997-2001 government accounting for three of the top five.

Among the five shortest speeches is the first one delivered by the late Queen, which took place in November 1952 and was just 799 words long.

The shortest speech since the war occurred in November 2009, totalled just 735 words and took six-and-a-half minutes to deliver.
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King Charles has delivered his speech at the Palace of Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer set out his vision for Britain at the State Opening of Parliament which included building more homes and renationalising the railways.

Making his first King's Speech under a Labour government, the monarch said the legislative programme would be based on 'security, fairness and opportunity for all' as he set out measures on illegal migration, housing, planning, workers' rights and railway nationalisation.

The King travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster to deliver his address in the House of Lords on a day packed with pomp and ceremony as the new Parliament officially opens.

Our live coverage has ended but see below for a full recap
It was December 1945 and Albert Pierrepoint had the biggest job of his life on his hands  literally.

Britain's hangman  the methodical killer who handled his tools of the trade with dexterity  had been sent to Germany to execute 13 depraved Nazi war criminals.

Chief among them was Josef Kramer, who in almost his last act as commandant of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp had executed 22 defenceless inmates with a submachine gun.

Irma Grese, a 21-year-old guard, carried a whip which she used to beat inmates to death.

Dr Fritz Klein - a 55-year-old Romanian medic - had worked beside Kramer at Auschwitz and then Belsen. The rabid anti-Semite chose who would be forced to work and who would die.

The others on Pierrepoint's list included Juana Bormann (she kept a pack of dogs who would be set on prisoners) and Elizabeth Volkenrath, who as commandant of the women's camp at Auschwitz would beat inmates to death with her fists.

All of the murderers had been condemned to death at the Belsen trials in Luneburg, Germany. They were just a handful of the 200 Nazis who Pierrepoint ultimately dispatched.

A month after hanging the Belsen war criminals, Pierrepoint executed American-born traitor William Joyce, who became known as Lord Haw-Haw for his relentless broadcasting of Nazi propaganda.

It was December 1945 and Albert Pierrepoint (above) had the biggest job of his life on his hands  literally. Britain's hangman  the methodical killer who handled his tools of the trade with dexterity  had been sent to Germany to execute 13 depraved Nazi war criminals

In almost his last act as commandant of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Josef Kramer (left) executed 22 defenceless inmates with a submachine gun. Dr Fritz Klein chose who would be forced to work and who would die

This week, barrister and TV star Rob Rinder said he changed his anti-death penalty stance after finding out about Pierrepoint, who hanged a Nazi responsible for his grandfather's torture.

Mr Rinder's Jewish ancestors  great grandparents, four great aunts and a great uncle  were murdered at Treblinka death camp during the Holocaust.

His grandfather, Morris Malenicky, escaped the death camps because he was a teenager and able to work, so he was forced into slave labour at Buchenwald concentration camp.

Mr Rinder found out about Pierrepoint while researching his latest programme, Britain Behind Bars: A Secret History.

Having discovered that Pierrepoint dispatched one of Buchenwald's commanders, who was 'responsible for torturing my grandfather', Mr Rinder said: 'It changed my view (against capital punishment).

'It made me less confident (and see) that the issues are complex.'

Pierrepoint had worked as a greengrocer before following in the footsteps of his father and uncle in becoming an executioner.

At the end of 1945, Britons were fresh from hearing of the war crimes carried out in Nazi Germany's execution camps.

Irma Grese (left), a 21-year-old guard, carried a whip which she used to beat inmates to death. Juana Bormann she kept a pack of dogs who would be set on prisoners

Elizabeth Volkenrath was commandant of the women's camp at Auschwitz before moving to Belsen. She would beat inmates to death with her fists

Radio and newspaper reports of the horrors at Belsen  first reported by Richard Dimbleby on the BBC  had shocked the nation.

Press interest in Pierrepoint's trip to Germany was enormous. He described the pack of reporters who followed him to his plane as 'about as unwelcome as a lynch mob'.

For his special role, Pierrepoint was given the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

The condemned were being held in a row of tiny cells that had been constructed by the Royal Engineers.

Kramer had served first as an SS guard at Dachau. By 1940, he was assistant to Rudolf Hoss at Auschwitz in Nazi-occupied Poland.

He was put in charge of the gas chambers and would later describe at his trial how 80 women 'began to scream' when Zyklon-B cyanide gas started to kill them.

He said: 'I put in a small amount of salt through a tube and looked through a peephole to see what happened.

'The women breathed for about a minute before they fell to the floor. I had no feelings in carrying out these things because I had received an order.'

Kramer moved to Belsen in Germany in December 1944. As the camp's commander, he was dubbed the Beast of Belsen by inmates.

Any prisoners who failed to respond instantly to an instruction would be clubbed, whipped or shot to death.

Klein both divided prisoners between those who would live and die and also selected naked women for the SS brothel.

Nazi murderers Josef Kramer and Irma Grese, pictured, were hanged at Hameln, Germany, by Albert Pierrepoint on December 13, 1945

Defendants at Belsen War Crimes Trial in Luneberg, Germany (Grese is number 9 and Volkenrath is number 7)

He cited his duty as a doctor as: 'My Hippocratic oath tells me to cut a gangrenous appendix out of the human body.

'The Jews are the gangrenous appendix of mankind. That's why I cut them out.'

When Belsen was liberated by British troops, Klein tried to pose as a charity worker by wearing a Red Cross armband.

After survivors pointed him out, he was forced to dig mass graves.

Pierrepoint said the blonde Irma Grese was 'as bonny a girl as one could ever wish to meet.'

A fellow guard claimed that Grese killed at least 30 people a day. Like Bormann, she kept dogs that were trained to tear people apart.

Volkenrath, who later worked Belsen, was, according to survivors, 'the worst-hated woman in the camp'. The 26-year-old devised a punishment that she called 'making sport'.

It involved forcing inmates to exercise until they collapsed.

A month after hanging the Belsen war criminals, Pierrepoint executed American-born traitor William Joyce (above), who became known as Lord Haw-Haw for his relentless broadcasting of Nazi propaganda

Pierrepoint spent much of his day at the prison where the inmates were held preparing the nooses for each of them.

Each rope was measured to ensure that the condemned would fall the correct distance to break their necks cleanly.

With each execution audible to the other prisoners, Pierrepoint arranged for the women to be hanged first, so they would suffer less.

On Friday, December 13, he first hanged Volkenrath. He then moved on to Grese. He later wrote in his autobiography: 'She walked into the execution chamber, gazed for a moment at the officials standing around it, then walked to the centre of the trap where I had made a chalk mark.

'She stood on this mark very firmly and, as I placed the white cap over her head, she said in a languid voice, "Schnell".'

After the third woman was hanged, Pierrepoint paused for a cup of tea. Then Kramer was executed.

It was dark by the time the last of the 13 bodies were removed from their rope.

It was then that officials realised only 12 coffins had been supplied. So the last body was wrapped in hessian sacking before burial.

In late 1946, Pierrepoint and his wife took over a pub outside Manchester that was called Help The Poor Struggler.

He would continue in his role as Britain's chief executioner for another ten years, but always refused to discuss his work.

In his autobiography, Pierrepoint admitted that he did not believe in capital punishment. He died in 1992 aged 87

Other people he hanged included serial killers John Christie and John Haigh, who was known as the 'Acid Bath Murderer'.

He also dispatched Ruth Ellis, who was the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

Last year, the notebook in which Pierrepoint recorded the name, age, height, weight and remarks about the neck type of each of those he hanged was sold at auction for 12,400.

In his autobiography, Pierrepoint admitted that he did not believe in capital punishment. He died in 1992 aged 87.


BRS hails SC order on inquiry commission against KCR Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has hailed the Supreme Courts direction to the Telangana government to substitute retired Patna High Court Chief Justice L. Narasimha Reddy as the one-man Commission of Inquiry probing alleged irregularities in the power purchase agreements made during the tenure of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Satyameva Jayate! Political vendetta and victimization have limits. The Supreme Courts decision reaffirms that victimization cannot endure for long, said Rama Rao on Wednesday in his reaction to the Supreme Court order.



The judicial court has made landmark remarks on the misuse of power in KCR garu's case Soon, the people's court will also deliver a similar judgment The court of the Almighty, too, will punish the Congress for its malicious campaign Truth alone triumphs!, Rama Rao posted on X.



A Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Tuesday passed the direction after Justice Reddy decided not to step down as the head of the Commission of Inquiry.



The Supreme Court directed the state government to issue a notification substituting Justice Reddy for another as the Commission of Inquiry.



Chandrasekhar Rao had filed the appeal alleging bias against Justice Reddy. He alleged that the Congress government in the state constituted the Commission out of political vendetta.



The apex court took exception to the fact that a press meeting was held by Justice Reddy on an ongoing and confidential inquiry.



Following the courts observation, Justice Reddy decided to step down and conveyed his decision to the bench through his counsel.



KCR had filed the appeal in the Supreme Court after the Telangana High Court had refused to stay further proceedings by the Commission of Inquiry.



The state government issued an order on March 14 constituting the Commission to investigate the power purchase agreement with Chhattisgarh and the construction of the Bhadradri and Yadadri Thermal Power Plants during the BRS government.




A much-loved father-of-two has died in a freak accident while working on his car.

Johnathan ONeill, 49, was tinkering with his vehicle on the driveway of his home in Lambton in Newcastle in the NSW Hunter region when the car came off its ramps and crushed him on July 13.

The tradie, who worked as a steel fixer, was freed from underneath the car by paramedics but could not be saved.

His devastated family, who have so far raised more than $3,500 for his funeral, said his death was 'very sudden and heartbreaking'.

He has been remembered as a loving father, brother, uncle and son.

'Johnathan was loved and cared for by many people,' his nephew Luc Holmes told 7News.

'He was a great bloke who loved helping others no matter the situation.

'Our family is definitely struggling with this sudden and traumatic loss.'

Johnathan ONeill (pictured), 49, was tinkering with his vehicle at his Lambton home in Newcastle when it came off its ramps and crushed him

His devastated family, who have so far raised more than $3,500 for his funeral, said his death was 'very sudden and heartbreaking'

Mr O'Neill was also an avid Brisbane Broncos fan and named his dog after his beloved NRL team.

Mr Holmes has also thanked everyone who has rallied around the family and donated.

'We are very grateful with all the support and help people have shown us during this terrible time,' he wrote on the fundraiser.

'We would like to thank everyone for all of the support we have received and the kindness they continue to give.

'We appreciate all the kindness and generosity of the community and we want everyone to know that their support and condolences do not go unseen.'

Police are investigating Mr ONeills death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Johnathan O'Neill has been remembered as a loving father, brother, uncle and son

In 2019, Australias consumer watchdog warned that 120 Aussies died during DIY car repair incidents.

Tragically, many people, including some experienced mechanics, have been crushed and killed while working under their car, said Mick Keogh, Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions deputy chair.

Mr Keogh, who revealed that most deaths occurred among men aged 40-49, encouraged people to only work on cars on flat ground and never to get underneath a car that is only supported by a jack.
A 5ft 2in investment banker who sued her surgeon for 1million after undergoing leg lengthening surgery which she said made her life hell has received a 'substantial' out-of-court payout.

Harvard graduate Elaine Foo, 49, had always been 'self conscious about her height' and decided to go under the knife after 'experiencing bullying' whilst working on Bank of America Merrill Lynch's trading floor in London, the High Court heard.

She was operated on by Dr Jean-Marc Guichet - known as 'the father of leg-lengthening' - in 2016, undergoing drastic procedures to increase the length of her thigh bones, and therefore overall height.

The procedures involved Dr Guichet sawing her thigh bones in half, hollowing out the marrow along a foot-long length inside each bone and inserting telescopic metal rods, held in place by pins.

But Ms Foo later sued, calling the surgery a 'car crash' and claiming she went through five years of hell, unable to walk without the aid of crutches due to Dr Guichet's alleged blunders.

Dr Guichet denied any issues she experienced were his fault.

Elaine Foo (pictured left with her legal team) leaves the High Court in London all smiles after settling her million-pound claim against her leg surgeon

Dr Jean-Marc Guichet - known as the 'father of leg lengthening' -has agreed to pay a 'substantial' sum to Elaine Foo, his former patient

Dr Jean-Marc Guichet's eponymous leg lengthening device inside the femurs of a patient

But now after a week-long trial, the surgeon - without any admission of liability - has agreed to pay Ms Foo a 'substantial' secret sum to settle her claim against him.

Richard Baker KC, for Ms Foo, told Judge Anthony Metzer KC that Ms Foo moved to London in 2011, working for Merrill Lynch until 2016, and 'was a driven, hard-working, high-flyer'.

'Throughout most of her adult life, the claimant was self-conscious about her height and had investigated the prospect of undergoing surgery to make her taller,' he said.

'The claimant underwent a leg lengthening procedure advertised by the defendant.

'Despite the fact that the claimant embarked upon surgery many might regard as extraordinary, she did so for very real personal reasons due to issues she had encountered in her life in relation to her height.

'She was the subject of bullying and victimisation at Merrill Lynch, leading to depression,' the barrister said.

The rods inserted into her legs during the operations were designed to increase their length gradually via a ratchet mechanism, pulling the two cut halves of the bone gradually apart, with the healing bone filling the gap in between and increasing leg length.

Ms Foo had claimed Dr Guichet caused her left leg to painfully fracture due to defects in the way he carried out his surgery, and also claimed the rod inserted in her right leg - known as a 'Guichet nail' after its inventor - extended 'accidentally' by itself, leaving her with a short left leg 'dangling 16cm (6in) off the ground' when she stood up.

Ms Foo, 49, claimed the surgery left one of her legs 'swinging 16cm (6in) off the ground'

Dr Guichet poses with the Guichet nail used in leg lengthening surgery

The trial was held at the High Court in London (pictured) before the parties agreed on a settlement

Her problems with the surgery were eventually resolved and she can now walk normally - as well as being around four inches taller than her previous 5ft 2ins, the court heard.

But she sued the surgeon, claiming over 1million in damages for pain, care and lost earnings over the five-year period it took to resolve the issues.

Dr Guichet however denied all fault and claimed amongst other things that Ms Foo was to blame for her right leg ending up longer, insisting she deliberately lengthened the nail herself, contrary to his instructions.

In the witness box, Ms Foo told the judge that, when she signed up for the operation, she was shown a document setting out the potential complications which could result from going through with the radical procedure.

'It ran to six pages. It was like studying for your driving licence, except you are signing up for a guaranteed car crash,' she said.

She also told the judge that at one point post-operation, the difference in the length of her legs was so profound that when she stood up 'the other leg was swinging 16cm off the ground.'

Rob Sowersby, on behalf of the surgeon, denied that the difference in her leg lengths had been as much as that, and denied any negligence on the doctor's part.

How does leg lengthening surgery work? The procedure involved Dr Guichet sawing Ms Foo's thigh bones in half, hollowing out the marrow and inserting a telescopic metal rod, held in place by pins. The rods are designed to increase their length gradually by a ratchet mechanism, pulling the two cut halves of the bone gradually apart, with the healing bone filling the gap in between and increasing leg length. Advertisement

'Ms Foo alleges that the fracture on the left side and delayed bone regeneration on the right resulted from negligence on Dr Guichet's part, and that the nail in her right femur was faulty and kept lengthening without any deliberate action on her part,' he said.

'Dr Guichet's case is that there was no negligence, that the fracture and delayed bone healing were unfortunate non-negligent complications that Ms Foo was warned of before surgery, and that the limited right-sided bone regeneration was aggravated by Ms Foo's undisclosed use of anti-depressants and by her deliberately extending the nail in her right leg beyond the agreed length.'

He said Ms Foo had 'frequently declined' to follow her surgeon's advice and had neglected her rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

After a week in court however, Dr Guichet agreed to pay his former patient what Mr Baker described as a 'substantial sum' to settle her claim against him.

After being told of the secret settlement, Judge Metzer told Ms Foo: 'These cases are understandably very strongly felt and I'm extremely pleased that the parties have reached a settlement.

'Now you can move on from this. It can't have been easy for you.

'Equally Dr Guichet, whose reputation is important to him - it can't have been easy for him too,' he added.

Mr Baker told the judge that the question of who pays the costs of the case has yet to be agreed.

Ms Foo declined to comment outside court afterwards.
One of Britain's worst cowboy builders who scammed more than 50 homeowners out of nearly 650,000 has been ordered to pay back just 108.

'Thorough menace' Lawrence Martin 'took advantage' of vulnerable customers who have called the small fee a 'slap in the face'.

The 'fundamentally dishonest' 36 year old was jailed for five years in February as he pressured clients into paying tens of thousands of pounds in deposits to ensure work could begin, before declaring more and more work needed doing as costs soared.

It was heard his victims included one woman who was having work done to help her dying father in law.

'Thorough menace' Lawrence Martin 'took advantage' of vulnerable customers who have called the small fee a 'slap in the face'

Martin was jailed for five years for his 'disgraceful conduct' at Southampton Crown Court. Pictured: Chrissie Bacon's house

The court has ruled that Martin will be allowed to practice as an electrician upon his release. Boarded up windows at Chrissie Bacon's home

Damage and poor work at customer Chrissie Bacon's home that Lawrence Martin worked on

One couple lost more than 110,000 as a result of his fraud, while dozens of heartbroken victims were left with wrecked homes and empty bank accounts as their life-savings were cleaned out in a campaign of fraud which lasted a 'very long time'.

Martin - who had no official roofing qualifications - demanded more and more money, despite no job ever getting finished, telling one customer 'you got more chance of winning the lottery' than getting a refund.

Over a near five year period, the father of four left customers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in tears and some even having to change the locks to stop him returning, it was heard.

The work that he did do was so shoddy, many cancelled the rest, demanded a refund and had to fork out thousands more on professionals to fix the damage he had done.

After admitting two counts of fraudulent trading and one of fraud Martin was jailed for five years for his 'disgraceful conduct' at Southampton Crown Court, Hants.

Now, at a confiscation hearing at the same court, Martin was ordered to pay back just 108.96, with his company told to pay 1.

During the hearing, prosecutor Ethu Crorie said 108.96 is the only available money to confiscate, adding that both accounts used by Martin are due to be closed by the bank.

Martin must pay in 56 days or serve an extra 14 days in jail.

The Bacons spent their life savings on the work and even had to remortgage their home before forking out an extra 46,000 to repair the incomplete work. Pictured: Their property

Martin's clients included a widow, those with disabilities, and the family of a terminally ill man

Cracks and holes in the walls of Chrissie Bacon's property, one of Martin's clients

Victim Judith Kipling was duped out of her and her husband's life savings of 32,500 after hiring Martin to build a wet room at their home in Southampton.

Speaking after Martin's confiscation hearing, Mrs Kipling said it was a 'slap in the face'.

'It was supposed to be justice', she said.

'We all knew we would never get anything back from him, but it beggars belief.

'It does not feel like justice at all.

'Lawrence is prolific, so when he gets out, he will do it again.

'Obviously, the court hasn't taken this seriously - I am stunned.'

At his sentencing in February, Mr Crorie told the court his offending was split in two periods - while sole director of Eastleigh-based firm CLJ roofing and when he continued with his own personal bank account, between January 2018 and October 2022.

His vulnerable clients included a widow, those with disabilities, and the family of a terminally ill man.

When consumers complained, Martin made excuses including references to the imminent death of his mother, problems with suppliers, workers, other consumers and vehicles.

The work was either not completed or was done so poorly that remedial costs were incurred.

The court heard 'took advantage of the consumers' vulnerability' by stating that if they continued to complain he would walk off the job and refund them money.

He also 'frequently' stated he would be refunding money - but the majority didn't actually receive anything.

'When he did refund people, it was, it seems, only with a view to having them remove negative reviews from various sites,' Mr Crorie added.

Martin, of Southampton, acquired many of his customers through the Rated People website.

His work was so bad it caused one homeowner's brother to stop talking to him after he recommended Martin's services.

One family, who live in Chandler's Ford, were told 'you got more chance of winning the lottery', when they sought a refund of 8,500.

Chrissie and Mark Bacon, who spent 44,000 on a garage conversion to house her terminally ill father-in-law, have been left with incomplete work by Martin after hiring him in the summer of 2021.

The 52 year old was hoping to have her father-in-law at home for Christmas with them, but he died without being able live out his final days with his family and described hiring Martin as 'a very expensive and painful mistake'.

Mark and Chrissie Bacon had dreams of converting their garage so Mr Bacon's dying father Richard could spend his final days with them and his grandchildren

Richard Bacon died waiting for Martin to finish the garage conversion

The damage from at customer Chrissie Bacon's house from Martin's appalling work there

Chrissie and Mark Bacon, who spent 44,000 on a garage conversion to house her terminally ill father-in-law, have been left with incomplete work by Martin after hiring him in the summer of 2021. Pictured: Their home

One couple, from Alresford, near Winchester, lost 48,794 and had to spend a further 40,000 fixing the mess he had made.

Sharon Netley and partner Paul Harris came off worst, losing out on 92,668 and spending 22,000 on remedial costs.

Martin told Mr Harris that if Facebook comments were removed and the complaint to Trading Standards was withdrawn then he would refund the 50,000 - which he never did.

For Martin, Jennifer Brenton said his trading 'was not fraudulent from the outset'.

However, she admitted Martin - who is trained as an electrician and not in roofing - was 'erroneously' identifying work to be done.

Judge Peter Henry told the crook: 'The impact upon those has been substantial, not just in terms of financial loss but in terms of health, anxiety and depression and work they have had to do to get their premises repaired properly.

'Serious, detrimental harm has been caused by you - your consumers have incurred considerable costs.

'Your disgraceful conduct persisted over a very long time.

'You defrauded over 50 victims, you used bullying and aggressive behaviour to your customers, including using a false identity in order to continue to perpetrate fraud, after CLJ ceased to exist.

'People like you are a thorough menace - not only giving the building industry a bad name but for causing victims devastating injury.'

Martin was also made subject of a 10 year Criminal Behaviour Order, barring him from any kind of building/roofing work. He will however be allowed to practise as an electrician upon his release.
Senator Linda Reynolds had a win in her defamation case against Brittany Higgins, with the WA Supreme Court forcing Ms Higgins to reveal who is responsible for administering her $2.4million Commonwealth settlement.

Senator Reynolds brought the action against Ms Higgins as part of her defamation case against her former staffer.

The senator is seeking damages over social media posts she and her husband David Sharaz made, which the senator claims damaged her reputation.

Talks to settle the matter have failed, with the court on Wednesday hearing that Senator Reynolds will see a copy of the Brittany Higgins Protective Trust to find out the trustee in the event the proceedings go in her favour.

The court heard Ms Higgins established the trust a day after she signed a deed of settlement with the Commonwealth of Australia in December 2022.

The settlement was part of a personal injury claim submitted by Ms Higgins over allegations she had been sexually assaulted by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House.

Ms Higgins was awarded $2.4million in compensation as part of that claim.

Martin Bennett, Senator Reynold's lawyer, told the court the trust was set up to protect Ms Higgins from any potential future creditors, including his client.

Senator Linda Reynolds had a win in her defamation case against Brittany Higgins

The senator is seeking damages over social media posts Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz made, which the senator claims damaged her reputation

He said an article published in Daily Mail Australia on August 21, 2023, talked about how Ms Higgins had been running out of money when she received a '$3million lifeline'.

He said it was easy to draw an inference that the trust was created to protect Ms Higgins from creditors when a person had cried poor, then received a financial lifeline which was placed in a protective trust.

He said Ms Higgins must have known the potential for future action against her because of untruths she allegedly told the Commonwealth in her personal injury claim.

'You do not need to be a creditor, it can be a future creditor, which falls squarely within the law,' he said.

Mr Bennett also told the court that Senator Reynolds had made a complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission about the compensation payment made to Ms Higgins.

He said the senator told the commission that the money should be given back to the Commonwealth and that she wanted a finding made against the people who authorised the 'extraordinarily fast payment.'

The court heard that Ms Reynolds was excluded from mediation talks that led to the compensation payment being made to Ms Higgins in December 2022.

Mr Bennett told the court that the Commonwealth had taken over the proceeding and refused to let Senator Reynolds attend the mediation or defend herself.

He said it was the conduct of Labor ministers Katy Gallagher and Mark Dreyfus and how they dealt with the compensation payment that needed to be investigated by the commission.

Linda Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett. Picture: NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Representing Ms Higgins, Rachel Young SC argued that the senator's actions were based on speculation and there was no intent to defraud creditors.

Ms Young said the trust was set up on December 14, 2023 to hold the proceeds of the Commonwealth payment, not what was suggested in media articles.

Ms Young argued that the senator's claims that the trust was established to protect Ms Higgins from other creditors such as the Commonwealth, Penguin Random House and Bruce Lehrmann was also speculation since no other claims had been made against her client.

She said the senator's argument that she was a future creditor was without merit and there was no evidence other than speculation.

'She relies on the fact that she commenced action against Mr Sharaz in Jan 2023, so what,' she said.

'She then relies on her defamation proceeding against Brittany Higgins, the publications sued upon were made at earliest on July, 4 Jul 2023.

'It is not an irrelevant factor to think about the time intention formed, how can any intent be formed to defraud Senator Reynolds when publications had not even been made.'

Ms Young also argued that since no finding had been made in the defamation case that it was premature to obtain a copy of the trust.

She said it presumed the senator's defamation proceeding would be successful, and in the case it was successful then there were processes in place.

'This is an attempt to get a document to bring an action brought to early which may never come to arise,' she said.

In his ruling, Chief Justice Damien Quinlan said that Ms Higgins was at least indebted to Senator Reynolds for costs, which would not become due and payable until the end of the defamation proceeding.

He made orders for pre-action discovery allowing Senator Reynolds to obtain a copy of the trust but it must remain confidential between the senator and her lawyer.

Outside of court, Mr Bennett said it was a good result for his client who was about to embark on a very expensive trial.
New footage has revealed the dramatic seconds that followed the ex-President Donald Trump being shot in the head with Secret Service agents seen bundling him off the stage and into his vehicle with just a single hand shielding his head.

Just mere moments after Thomas Crooks, 20, made his assassination attempt on the presidential candidate at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday night, chaos unraveled as security agents scrambled to get the 78-year-old to safety.

It comes as the Secret Service have been heavily scrutinized for their efforts in rescuing Trump that day - as the scenes turned to havoc after agents bafflingly removed the former President's shoes and stumbled over each other as they attempted to protect him with just their bodies.

In the new footage, Trump is seen shockingly being able to raise his head and address the crowd, and is scrambled off the stage completely exposed as some agents were not tall enough to give him proper protection - despite there being at least nine of them present during the operation.

This has raised the fears and concerns that if there had been a second shooter present that night, they would have had a clear line of sight as the fumbling agents allowed Trump to emerge from their cover and fist pump the air - twice.

New footage shows the seconds following the chaotic shooting of former President Donald Trump before he is dashed off stage

A team of at least nine Secret Service agents swarmed around Trump as they relocated him from the stage to his armored Chevrolet

With no other form of head protection, one officer was seen shielding the politician's head with just his bare hand, moments after he had been shot in the ear

The new eye witness footage first shows an agent wearing a black suit and shades running over to Trump's black armored Chevrolet and holding open the door in wait of the former president's arrival from off the stage.

The camera then pans to the red stage looking over hundreds of bewildered rally goers as Trump is bundled to the ground and shielded with the human bodies of at least nine agents.

Two armed cops in black and camouflage protective gear also dashed up onto the stage as they communicated with the Secret Service agents and assessed a safe route to get Trump to safety.

Tensions rose while the agents reluctantly lifted the wounded politician, with Trump supporters cautiously looking around and speaking with officers as they attempted to work out just what had happened.

After a few seconds of commotion from the crowds, Trump is seen fully lifted and in a standing position with several agents swarmed around him.

But this doesn't stop the former president from defiantly raising his fist in the air, and memorably shouting 'Fight!' to the crowd, before pumping his fist three times.

The gesture sent the crowd wild as they were seen in the footage jumping into the air and cheering for the injured candidate.

Trump's show of strength did not last long, however, as the Secret Service moved quickly to bundle him down the steps of the stage.

As the group rushed through the walkway, decked in the American flag and between frantic fans, they huddled around the bleeding ex-president before one raised a single hand to shield Trump's head.

The former president was scrambled down the stairs of the stage but was fully exposed

Trump safely made it back to his car before he was dashed off to hospital for treatment to his gunshot wound

He defiantly raised a first into the air in a show of strength that drove the crowd wild before he was sped away from the campaign rally

No other form of shielding or protection was used to cover his head as he ducked down and ran towards his car surrounded by his eager team of security personnel.

Finally, as he makes it to the door of the vehicle, Trump raises his fist one last time in a courageous address to the crowd before he is shoved into the back seat and dashed off to hospital.

On Sunday, the shooter was identified by the FBI as Thomas Crooks - a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

He was gunned down by the Secret Service moments after he fired at least eight shots in the direction of the former president.

This raised serious questions around whether the two teams of Secret Service snipers had completely failed to spot the shooter until it was too late and how Crooks was able to fire that many shots before he was taken down.

A witness to the assassination revealed he warned Secret Service agents about a man with a rifle on a nearby roof minutes before they opened fire.

The witness, named Greg Smith, told DailyMail.com that he saw the suspected gunman climb into a rooftop outside the event, and was bewildered by the lack of action from agents.

'Im thinking to myself 'Why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage,'' he said. 'The next thing you know, five shots ring out.'

The Secret Service also came under heavy scrutiny after video emerged of agents taking off the former president's shoes and tossing them to the side mid-operation.

Initially dazed, Trump told agents: 'let me get my shoes, let me get my shoes' as he got up from the ground.

The video, posted by WBEN covers an angle previously unseen amid the chaos from behind Trump as he spoke.

Trump himself has also seen the bizarre side of the incident, confirming what was visible on the video clip in the first interview he gave after the shooting.

'The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,' he said.

But Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said on Monday night that she would not resign despite mounting calls for her to step aside over the huge lapses that led to one of the most horrific acts of political violence in history

Thomas Crooks, 20, was identified by the FBI as the shooter on Sunday. He was gunned down by the Secret Service just moments after firing at least eight rounds in Trumps direction and hitting him in the ear

Police personnel stand over the body of Thomas Matthews Crooks on a rooftop near the Trump rally on Saturday

As Trump pumped his fist to the crowd he shouted 'Fight!' which caused the crowd to jump to their feet and cheer him on

Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event

A remote detonator was seen next to Thomas Crooks' body and cellphone after he was shot dead

It emerged through federal campaign finance records that the gunman was a registered Republican who had previously made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021 - Biden's Inauguration Day.

Explosive devices were later found in his vehicle and home after his father, Matthew Crooks, 53, legally purchased the AR-15 that his son used to attempt to assassinate Trump.

The gunman killed one rally goer, revealed to be Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two - including David Dutch, 57, a marine veteran.

Although his assassination attempt was unsuccessful, Crooks opened fire on Trump but only managed to graze his ear.

Crooks, who graduated high school just two years ago, parked his vehicle near the rally site in Butler on Saturday before scaling to the roof of the glass building and targeting the former president.

Authorities claim that after police received multiple reports of suspicious packages near where the shooter parked his car it prompted them to dispatch bomb technicians.

It was today revealed that a remote detonator was found on the would-be assassin's body alongside his cell phone after he was shot dead.

A picture first published by Pittsburgh's WPXI showed a rectangular grey device with a keypad similar to a television remote control, alongside the gunman's cellphone.

The station also published a picture of Crooks, clad in the t-shirt of popular YouTube channel Demolition Ranch, taken by a law enforcement agent, minutes before the shooting took place.

Channel 11s Nicole Ford, who obtained the exclusive photo, revealed that law enforcement agents saw Crooks outside of the the single-story AGR International building from which he shot the ex-President.

This new development comes as Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle faces fresh questions after local law enforcement officials directly contradicted her claim that a Beaver County sniper team was stationed in the very building from which Trump was shot.
A vicious row between neighbours has erupted in Sydney's south-west, with disgusting allegations of racism, intimidation and harassment being aired by both sides online.

The mud-slinging, which is believed to be between ex-neighbours on a street in Liverpool, has allegedly been raging for almost a year but has spilled over into social media in recent days.

A family, who Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name, have accused a Muslim mother and her two adult children of a litany of stomach-churning acts, including smearing human faeces in their mailbox, hurling hot water in their face and calling the police over false allegations their father was pointing a gun at them.

A video of the police response to the gun allegation, which has attracted almost two million views on social media, shows the father of the family being forced to lie on the ground by armed police officers responding to the incident.

One of the daughters can later be heard berating a female police officer about the allegedly heavy-handed response to the 'false allegations'.

We have to investigate it, okay?', the female cop responded.

'Like you guys reported that they put s*** on your door.'

It's understood that officers have been called to the street on multiple occasions by both families involved in the ugly dispute, wasting hours of police time.

A family have accused a Muslim mother and her two adult children of a litany of stomach-churning acts, including smearing human faeces in their mailbox, hurling hot water in their face and calling the police over false allegations their father was pointing a gun at them

The supposed victims, who are Hindu, claim that the alleged persecution is driven by religious bigotry and have shared racist, threatening messages they allegedly received from their ex-neighbours (pictured)

In another sickening act of harassment, the neighbours allegedly left a soiled tampon on a religious shrine outside their front door.

The supposed victims, who are Hindu, claim that the alleged persecution is driven by religious bigotry and have shared racist, threatening messages they allegedly received from their ex-neighbours.

No one will believe you when we make ur life hell,' one message said.

It added: Theres no place in Australia for n***** like u.

'Next time maybe dont pray to disgusting idols. Next time someone might do something worse.

A video of the police response to the gun allegation, which has been viewed almost two million times on social media, shows the father of the family being forced to lie on the ground by armed police officers responding to the incident

In another sickening act of harassment, the neighbours allegedly left a soiled tampon on a religious shrine outside their front door (pictured)

'Hindus are not human and I will keep reminding you until the day you DIE.'

They also accused them of making them feel 'trapped and violated' in their own home.

The family have since moved to another residence in nearby Liverpool where they claim the abuse has continued.

'Our terrible ex-neighbors, who relentlessly abused us, have discovered our new address after about six months of peace,' one of the family members wrote on social media last week.

'They are now harassing and stalking us daily... Its overwhelming, and unfortunately, we have received no help from the police. I am at a complete loss.'

However, the alleged perpetrators have taken out apprehended violence orders against the supposed victims.

The other family has now hit back, claiming that their former neighbours smeared faeces in their mailbox (pictured), threw water in their faces and harassed them at all hours at night

They have also now hit back, sharing their own side of the events online.

They claim that their former neighbours also smeared faeces in their mailbox, threw water in their faces and harassed them at all hours at night.

A video, which has been viewed over 2.1 million times, shows a smashed rear car window and footage of the neighbours allegedly throwing water at them.

The ex-Hindu neighbour despite they moved six months ago, they still wont leave the Muslim family and keep coming back,' the caption to the video reads.

Daily Mail Australia has approached NSW Police and both families for comment.
Labour has accused Donald Trump's pick for vice president of presenting a 'caricature' of Britain after an astonishing outburst claiming the UK would be the first 'truly Islamist' state with nuclear weapons.

Defence Secretary John Healey hit out at Ohio senator JD Vance, who was chosen as Mr Trump's running mate on Monday night, over comments in an address to the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC last week.

Saying he had to 'beat up on the UK', he told the conference he had been discussing with a friend which would be 'the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon'.

He said: 'We were like maybe it's Iran, maybe Pakistan kind of counts, and then we sort of decided maybe it's actually the UK since Labour just took over.

'But to my Tory friends, I have to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this.'

But both Labour and Tory figures criticised the comments, with former Conservative minister Andrew Bowie calling them 'offensive'.

Mr Healey told Sky News: 'I don't think anyone here in Britain would recognise that caricature here.'

Defence Secretary John Healey hit out at Ohio senator JD Vance, who was chosen as Mr Trump's running mate on Monday night, over comments in an address to the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC last week.

Saying he had to 'beat up on the UK', he told the conference he had been discussing with a friend which would be 'the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon'.

Mr Vance said: 'We were like maybe it's Iran, maybe Pakistan kind of counts, and then we sort of decided maybe it's actually the UK since Labour just took over. 'But to my Tory friends, I have to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this.'

Pushed on whether it was offensive, Mr Healey replied: 'Well, politics is controversial. You know, President Trump is controversial. It should be no surprise he's picked somebody who's also controversial as a running mate.

'But, in the end, who the American people elect to be their president and vice-president is for them.'

Mr Healey said there had always been a 'very close alliance' between the UK and US.

The Labour government would 'work with whoever the American people elect as their leaders', he stressed.

'This strong relationship at the heart of NATO... has seen through some ups and downs of political cycles on both sides of the Atlantic before,' he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner yesterday described the remarks from Mr Vance as 'fruity', adding that she did not 'recognise that characterisation'.

Bowie, the shadow veterans minister, said he 'absolutely' disagreed with the claim that Labour was creating an 'Islamist country'.

He told Times Radio: 'I disagree with the Labour Party fundamentally on many issues, but I do not agree with that view, quite frankly. I think it's actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour Party.'

Despite Mr Vance's comments about Labour, Foreign Secretary David Lammy is reported to have good relations with the senator, has met him multiple times and praised his memoir, Hillybilly Elegy, saying it 'reduced me to tears'.

In an address to the Hudson Institute in Washington in May, Mr Lammy described Mr Vance as his 'friend', saying he was 'right to say we in Europe have a problem that we need to fix with higher defence expenditure'.

But the selection of Mr Vance, a former US marine who previously opposed Mr Trump, could still pose a challenge for the new Labour Government if Mr Trump returns to the White House.

As well as his comments about the UK and Labour, Mr Vance has backed attempts by the US Republican Party to end support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

In the same speech at the National Conservatism conference, he criticised the decision to send Ukraine 'hundreds of billions of dollars of weaponry with no obvious end in sight and no obvious conclusion or even objective that we are close to getting accomplished'.

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, former chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said Mr Vance's selection 'only cements the need' for the Government to set out a firm timetable for spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, rising to 3%.

She said: 'Old certainties can no longer be taken for granted and firm action is needed to ensure our own, and European, security.'

However Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage said that Mr Vance was a 'full-on Conservative', adding: 'He was talking to a conservative conference, and he was a bit tongue in cheek in what he said. But it raises quite a big fundamental question.'
A prisoner who was jailed for brutally attacking a massage parlour boss with a rubber mallet died after a 'heated' row with her inmate partner, a watchdog has said.

Imogen Mellor, 29, and her lesbian partner went on the run - like Thelma and Louise in the 1991 film - with their pet hamster after she assaulted massage parlour boss Kevin Garfoot with a rubber mallet.

She was sentenced to 21 months for theft and unlawful wounding following the vicious assault in January 2018.

However only a few months into her time behind bars in HMP Styal - a woman's only prison near Wilmslow, Cheshire - Mellor was found unresponsive in her shared cell.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) concluded her death was 'self inflicted' and happened following an argument believed to be about her drug use with Prisoner A.

Imogen Mellor, who attacked a massage parlour boss with a rubber mallet, was found unresponsive in her cell following a heated argument with an inmate

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) concluded her death was 'self inflicted' and happened following an argument believed to be about her drug use with Prisoner A

Several attempts to resuscitate Mellor were made, but she died in hospital at 10.30pm on July 4, 2018, according to the PPO.

Mellor from Lancashire was said to be 'dependent emotionally' on Prisoner A who was described as her 'absolute life'.

Prison staff were not aware of her row with the fellow inmate, and the ombudsman determined 'there was little to indicate that Ms Mellor was at imminent risk of suicide'.

The report added: 'I do not consider that staff at Styal could have predicted that. Ms Mellor intended to take her own life when she did.'

However another inmate told the investigator Mellor revealed she 'felt a bit low' the week prior as she would soon be released without Prisoner A.

The investigation also determined the standard of clinical care provided to her was 'equivalent to that which she could have expected to receive in the community, especially for her mental health and support for substance recovery'.

The report by Kimberley Bingham, Acting Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, said: 'Around 3.00pm on 4 June 2018, Ms Mellor had a heated argument with her partner, and returned to her residential house.

'Her partner shouted up at Ms Mellor's room window but, when Ms Mellor did not respond, she alerted an officer who went to Ms Mellor's room. She was then said to have been found 'unresponsive'.

'While Ms Mellor had some risk factors for suicide and self-harm, we are satisfied that in the days leading to her death, there was nothing to indicate that she was at increased risk.

'Staff were not aware that she had argued with her partner, and we do not consider that they could have foreseen her death.'

Before being jailed Mellor and her previous partner Zoe Hickey (pictured left) were jailed after they went on the run with their hamster after Mellor attacked Mr Garfoot in 2018

The prisoner was described as Mellor's 'absolute world'. Mellor also told another prisoner she was feeling low about being released without Prisoner A

The PPO report stated Mellor's death was the first 'self-inflicted death' at the prison since 2016.

There have been two self-inflicted deaths afterwards in 2019. Two further prisoners died in 2020 from natural causes, according to the PPO.

HMP Styal has the capacity to house up to 486 women, with several different residential units.

This includes 16 different houses which hold around 20 women in various shared cells.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
A young woman who knocked out one friend, stamped on the head of another and vowed to 'boot the baby' out of a third after the crumbling of their all-female friendship group has been locked up for two years.

Mia Johnson, then just 19, confronted Melina Holmes, Chelsy Aspin and Alisha Carter outside a Tesco Extra store before punching Melina in the face and then beating Chelsy until her face looked like a 'bloodbath.'

Later she repeatedly rang Alisha - who was 33 weeks pregnant with her first child - calling her an 'ugly duckling' and saying her boyfriend no longer wanted her.

One message said: 'Just because you're pregnant do you not think I will smack you in your face no. I will come and boot the baby out of you.'

When quizzed Johnson, now 20 formerly of Stockport, Greater Manchester, blamed her behaviour on a 'difficult upbringing' and said she had little 'support' beyond the age of 17.

At Chester Crown Court she pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and to two malicious communication offence.

Mia Johnson (pictured) pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and to two malicious communication offence

Johnson punched and stamped on the head of Chelsy Aspin (pictured) until her face looked like a 'bloodbath' and vowed to 'boot the baby' out of Alisha Carter (right)

When quizzed Johnson (above) blamed her behaviour on a 'difficult upbringing' and said she had little 'support' beyond the age of 17

The defendant mouthed 'I love you - I will ring you' to a man in the public gallery as she was led to the cells.

The court heard the four women had all been friends but they fell out over undisclosed reasons with Johnson vowing on Snapchat to 'smack the wig' off Miss Aspin.

Matters came to a head on August 10 last year when Johnson spotted Miss Aspin, Miss Holmes and Miss Carter outside the Tesco supermarket at Handforth Dean retail park near Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Prosecuting, Miss Nardeen Nemat said: 'She aggressively walked towards Miss Aspin and fearful of what the defendant may do, Miss Holmes positioned herself in front of Miss Aspin, to protect her.

'But the defendant punched Miss Holmes to the face and it appears she lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

'The defendant can then be heard to say to Miss Aspin 'Last time I said to you on Snapchat, next time I see ya, I am going to smack your wig.

'The defendant then punched Miss Aspin to the face and head at least five times, grabbed her hair and pulled her to the ground.

'Once she was on the ground the defendant then proceeded to continue to punch Miss Aspin to the face and stamped on her head at least ten times, before the defendant was dragged away by others.'

The court was shown footage of the incident taken on a mobile phone. Johnson was allowed to leave the court room while it was being shown as she was said to find it too upsetting.

On the footage, Johnson, who was wearing a grey t-shirt and black leggings, can be seen to approach the young women Miss Holmes and Miss Aspin, dressed in black and as if going on a night out.

The court was shown footage of the incident taken on a mobile phone

On the footage, Johnson, who was wearing a grey t-shirt and black leggings, can be seen to approach Miss Holmes and Miss Aspin

Miss Holmes is seen standing in front of Miss Aspin and Johnson then erupts shouting: 'Why are you laughing?', before swinging punches at Miss Holmes.

She initially punches the air but when she connects, Miss Holmes appears to be knocked out.

Johnson can be heard shouting 'I smacked you and you dropped' before she starts berating Miss Aspin.

She then slaps Miss Aspin several times around the head, grabbing her hair as she continues to hit her.

The defendant then drags Miss Aspin to the floor, where she repeatedly punches the victim in the head, before proceeding to stamp on the same body part.

Her friends pull her away, but she can be seen trying to get back to Miss Aspin who is lying motionless on the floor with blood on her face.

Miss Nemat added: 'Miss Aspin describes that her face was like a bloodbath. There was blood coming from her nose and the back of her head.

She sustained bruising to the face, nose, right arm and left leg. At the time of making her statement she was intending to go to the doctors, as she suspected she was concussed. Miss Aspin describes in her statement feeling 'scared and intimidated.'

'It was a prolonged and persistent assault and the defendant only stopped when she was physically pulled away and even then, appears to be trying to go back to Miss Aspin.

'When she is told she is being filmed she eventually leaves. The assault was also premeditated and a weapon or weapon equivalent was used, a shod foot.'

Matters came to a head on August 10 last year when Johnson spotted Miss Aspin, Miss Holmes and Miss Carter outside the Tesco supermarket at Handforth Dean retail park near Wilmslow, Cheshire (above)

Seven days later on 17 August 2023, Miss Carter (pictured) was with her boyfriend Jaydon Wharton when she received several voice notes on her mobile phone from the defendant, saying he did not wish to be with her,

Johnson also spoke to Miss Carter on the telephone and told her that she would 'come and boot' her baby out of her

Seven days later on 17 August 2023, Miss Carter was with her boyfriend Jaydon Wharton when she received several voice notes on her mobile phone from the defendant, saying he did not wish to be with her, and adding: 'Just because you're pregnant do you not think I will smack you in your face, no.'

She also spoke to Miss Carter on the telephone and told her that she would 'come and boot' her baby out of her.

On August 30, 2023, the defendant contacted Mr Wharton and told him she was going to smash their house up.

She also sent Mr Wharton screenshots of a conversation with another person and told him: 'Oh God tell her to delete it before I punch the baby out of her, the ugly duckling.'

When arrested Johnson who currently lives in Leeds answered 'No comment' to all questions asked.

Her barrister Adam Wakins said: 'It was a shocking and deeply unpleasant assault and my client is the first to recognise that. But with respect to my client, there is example evidence of immaturity in the presentence report.

'When one reads her mitigation, when one reads something of her upbringing, there is a slow development of social attitudes and a slow development of maturity.

'That is not that surprising considering her difficult upbringing despite the efforts of her aunt and uncle to pick up the pieces.

'She left school with a handful of GCSEs and began a period of time and paid employment but has had very little support beyond the age of 17. She behaved awfully over that two to three week period in August of last year, but there has been nothing since then.'

In sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Anthony O'Donohoe imposed a restraining order banning Johnson from contacting Miss Aspin for five years.

He told her: 'You have been running wild and subjecting yourself to harm as well as being in a position where you have inflicted harm on others.

'The gravity in this case lies on what you were attempting to do. The footage is short, violent, upsetting and is indeed shocking. It is surprising that the injuries were not more serious considering what you did.'
Drone footage has revealed the shocking extent of the latest landfall at a beauty spot on Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Lulworth Cove, located near the landmark Durdle Door, saw a dramatic landslip in February earlier this year.

Aerial footage of the secluded pocket shows how the cove is now partially cut off due to the build up.

Raw, white rock can be seen down the grassy cliff face and piled into the clear blue water of the curved bay.

The shocking images show the extent of the huge rockfall at the beauty spot that happened on February 18.

Lulworth Cove, located near the landmark Durdle Door, saw a dramatic landslip in February earlier this year

Aerial footage of the secluded pocket shows how the cove is now partially cut off due to the build up

A sign, pictured, dating to early July warns of active cliff fall in the area

Lulworth Cove is visited by thousands of people each year who come to see the panoramic views and clear waters on the World Heritage Site.

It is also located nearby East Cliff, which is known for featuring in drama series Broadchurch.

Nearby Durdle Door is also a popular spot and features a stunning natural limestone arch.

A Lulworth Cove spokesperson told MailOnline how there has not been any major landfall since the February incident but that small sections of rock have fallen over time.

Soon after the slide earlier this year the Lulworth Cove area experienced a spree of wild weather and a local cafe was declared structurally unsafe.

A spokesperson for the Lulworth Rangers told the Dorset Echo at the time: 'February is often a month with severe changes in environmental conditions, making the cliffs more prone to landslips as frozen material may thaw quickly, and heavy rainfall undermines stability too.

Shocking images show the extent of the huge rockfall at the beauty spot that happened on February 18

Lulworth Cove is visited by thousands of people each year who come to see the panoramic views and clear waters on the World Heritage Site

'The cliffs at Lulworth Cove are showing signs of instability. Small slips like this have been happening all morning. Take care at the base and top of cliffs and check tides to ensure you don't inadvertently put yourself in harm's way.'

It comes as further along the Jurassic Coast - Burton Bradstock - also saw significant rock fall in April.

Images of the rockfall show boulders the size of double-decker buses resting on top of a 50ft pile of debris that has blocked the popular beach.

The mass shift of rock opened up discussion over the possibility of using barriers to help support cliff faces.

A Lulworth Cove spokesperson told MailOnline how there has not been any major landfall since the February incident but that small sections of rock have fallen over time

Soon after the slide earlier this year the Lulworth Cove area experienced a spree of wild weather and a local cafe was declared structurally unsafe

Nearby Durdle Door (pictured) is also a popular spot and features a stunning natural limestone arch

Baroness Brown, member of the UK climate change committee argued that although we must protect public safety the 'last thing you want to do is to be putting in place engineering structures' as 'all those things are unsightly,' she previously told BBC Radio 4.

Professor Ian Townend at the University of Southampton also previously argued that it is 'highly likely' that putting in erosion protection to the cliff will just lead to further problems.

The area experienced the significant rockfall after a battering from Storm Kathleen, which saw 600 tons fall of the cliff face in April.


Ukraine's entry into NATO a delayed declaration of war: Russian official A senior Russian official said that Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be not just a direct threat to Russia but a delayed declaration of war, local media reported on Wednesday. Russia does not pose a threat to NATO, has no plans to attack NATO member countries, and certainly does not aim to harm their residents, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, was quoted as saying.



Any attempts to advance hostile interests in Ukraine or other countries close to Russia will continue to be met with appropriate resistance, he said.



"The more such attempts there are, the tougher our responses will be. Whether the entire planet will be torn to shreds as a result depends solely on the prudence of the other side," he added.




Labour today outlined its plan for a 'smoke-free UK' as it relit Rishi Sunak's progressive tobacco ban.

The former Tory PM's plan to prevent children born after January 1 2009 from ever purchasing cigarettes under an age limit which moved every year was killed off when he called the early election.

But Labour ran on a manifesto pledge to reintroduce it alongside tough news rules to prevent vapes and other nicotine products being marketed at children.

The King's Speech today outlined plans for a Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Though Labour's huge majority means that it will almost certainly become law it is likely to become a major dividing line in the race to become the next Conservative Party leader.

Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who are all expected to run to replace Mr Sunak, voted against it at an early stage in the last Parliament after Tory MPs were given a free vote.

The King's Speech today outlined plans for a Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Though Labour's huge majority means that it will almost certainly become law it is likely to become a major dividing line in the race to become the next Conservative Party leader.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2023 health report showed 12.7 per cent of Brits over the age of 15 smoke cigarettes daily, far higher than the US and New Zealand, the latter of which recently introduced a similar phased smoking ban

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However, the chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said it would be 'a major step forward in public health'.

'A smoke-free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future,' he said.

'Smoking causes harm across the life course from stillbirths, asthma in children, cancers, strokes, heart attacks and dementia. Most smokers wish they had never started. Second hand smoke causes harm including to vulnerable people.'

The Bill will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009.

The legislation would not ban smoking outright, as anyone who can legally buy tobacco now will be able to continue to do so if the Bill becomes law.

It will raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco by one year every year from 2027, will lead to 1.7million fewer people smoking by 2075.

The law would also hand ministers power to restrict the flavours and promotion of vapes in an effort to thwart the UK's child e-cig epidemic.

This could change how nicotine-laden vapes are displayed in shops, moving them away from other products such as sweets. They would be limited in flavours and sold in plain, tobacco-style packaging.

Council officers will also be given powers to dole out 100 on-the-spot fines to shops caught breaking the rules.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: 'Today's announcement puts us in pole position to be the first country in the world to end smoking.

'Smoking puts pressure on our NHS and social care system, but the greatest financial impact is the damage to our economy due to lost productivity.

'The measures announced today will play a major role in helping government achieve its ambition to halve the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and deliver productivity growth in every part of the country.'
Once seen as a peaceful Scandinavian welfare state, Sweden is becoming the European Union's gun-homicide capital as terrifying gangs bring death and terror to the country.

Deadly violence linked to feuds between criminal groups has escalated in recent years against the backdrop of high levels of migration into Sweden.

Mafia groups abroad branded the country a 'haven' for their activities, while organised crime groups have infiltrated business sectors and discovered ways to smuggle in military-grade weapons.

It comes as two British men were shot dead in a suspected 'gangland hit' in Sweden's coastal city of Malmo last weekend before the car was set on fire - with police probing links between the deaths and gang violence in the country.

The driver and passenger were found in the gutted remains of a Toyota RAV4 that had been rented in Denmark and driven across the border to Sweden.

Their bodies were recovered after firefighters were called to the scene of a blaze on a dirt road in the Fosie industrial estate in Malmo on Sunday.

Goran Adamson, a political consultant and associate professor with a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE), told MailOnline: 'You can see a very close correlation between migration and increasing crime rates.

Two Brits were shot dead in a rented car and set on fire in Sweden last week after hiring the vehicle in Denmark. Images show forensics officers investigating the scene

A lorry is seen carrying the burnt out car, wrapped in a plastic sheet, away from the scene

Police officers in Malmo cordon off the scene at the Fosie industrial estate, where the car was discovered with two bodies inside

Officers can be seen moving plastic bags from inside the car at the scene

Backlash against immigration has in the past led to clashes between groups and police (pictured in 2022), who have been swamped with trying to crack down of rising levels of gang violence

Police vans on fire amid clashes between protesters and police in 2022

'An area can be seemingly peaceful on the surface, but the reason can be that the tribe [...] or gang has won. So the Swedish police of course have decided not to intervene.

'Just the fact that an area is calm is not always reassuring.'

He added: 'Sweden is changing rapidly and it's not really feasible what's going on.'

The country's share of non-western population grew from 2 percent to 15 percent within the space of 20 years.

Mafia groups abroad called the country a 'haven' for their criminality, while organised crime groups found ways to sneak military-grade weapons into the country.

In September 2023 more than 40 violent episodes and 12 deaths were recorded in just 20 days - earning the moniker 'Black September'.

In all of 2023, 53 people were killed in shootings across Sweden, which is home to around 10.5 million people. In 2022, that figure stood at 62 - and Stockholm's per-capita murder rate was roughly 30 times that of London's.

The killings have turned Sweden, seen for many years from the outside as a peaceful Scandinavian welfare state, into the European Union's gun-homicide capital.

Gangsters carry out personal vendettas against each other - or hire youngsters to commit the crimes.

Almost half the suspects in the gun-related murders in 2022 were aged between 15 and 20 - youths who have been groomed by gangs that are largely run by second-generation immigrants.

Mr Adamson previously told MailOnline that there is a clear link between migration and the gang crime in Sweden.

Pointing to his 2020 study 'Migrants and Crime in Sweden in the 21st Century', he said someone with a migrant background can be two, three or even four times more likely to be involved with or a suspect in criminal activity than an average Swede.

'When some people say there is no connection between migration and crime, they are not telling the truth,' he said, adding: 'The data from the crime prevention agency tells us this [...] these are just the bare bones statistics.'

Smoke billows from burning tires, pallets and fireworks during clashes of police with few hundred protesters in the Rosengard neighbourhood of Malmo, Sweden, in August 2020

Police are seen at the scene of an explosion in Uppsala on September 28, 2023. The blast killed 24-year-old Soha Saad

He added: 'In the suburbs, there is a lot of shooting and a lot of killing going on and it's mostly gang related. I would say 99 percent gang related.

'When someone is shot - if someone who is under 20 - is shot or two people are shot in a suburb of Stockholm, you can almost count on them being members of one gang who are killing members of another gang, but these are still young guys.'

The British citizens found dead in Sweden on Sunday are understood to have been shot before the car they were in was set on fire, local media reported.

As police begin their manhunt, pulling in several people for questioning, authorities fear that more violence could follow, according to local media, as they refuse to rule out a connection to gang violence.

Rickard Lundqvist, press spokesperson for police region South, on Sunday confirmed the probe.

Police confirmed they are now working with foreign police on the case.

They are now asking for tips about the burned out car as they try to piece together what happened.

'We are interested in talking to people who have seen the car.

'It's about a black Danish-registered Toyota of model RAV4,' said Kerstin Gosse, spokesperson for the Swedish Police Authority.

They are now asking anybody who saw the car between 11.30am and 2pm on Sunday, July 14 to get in touch.

'We are working hard with various measures in this investigation to bring clarity to this,' she said.
Labour has vowed to get tough on crime by outlining measures in the King's Speech to crack down on shoplifting, ban ninja swords and make spiking a criminal offence - but there is no proposal to take action of crossbows.

A new Crime Bill will introduce 'stronger measures' to tackle low-level shoplifting following a surge in retail thefts and bring in the specific offence of assaulting a shopworker.

This will include reversing the so-called 'shoplifters' charter' introduced in 2014, under which the theft of goods under 200 is considered 'low value'.

Labour today pledged to strengthen community policing and introduce new 'Respect Orders' - which resemble Tony Blair's failed anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOS) - to target people causing a nuisance in their communities. They also plan to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last week she was urgently looking at whether to clamp down on crossbows after Carol Hunt, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters were shot dead in their family home.

The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt to kill the late Queen with a crossbow, but the weapons were not mentioned in today's King's Speech.

Labour today vowed to ban 'ninja-style' swords. Pictured is a weapon taken off London's streets last year

There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, no requirement for a licence and they appear to be readily available to buy online.

But it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or own one, and anyone carrying a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse faces up to four years behind bars.

The previous government also had plans in place to tighten laws on so-called zombie knives and machetes, but it stopped short of proposing an outright ban on ninja swords.

Labour said it will also introduce 'strict sanctions' on senior executives of online companies who illegally sell knives.

It has made a general pledge to halve serious violence over the next decade.

Other measures outlined in the speech include making assaulting a shop worker a specific criminal offence, and measures to tackle low-level shoplifting.

Figures released in April showed the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police had risen to the highest level in 20 years.

The move to create a separate offence follows a long-running campaign from major retailers and Conservative backbencher Matt Vickers amid rising violence against retail workers.

Paul Gerrard, Co-op director of campaign and public affairs, said the plans mark 'a seismic shift in the crackdown on retail crime' and will make it easier for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminals.

The Government also plans to tighten laws around spiking - there has been a long-running debate over whether it should be made a specific criminal offence.

There are plans to introduce 'respect orders' to target anti-social behaviour which would ban offenders from town centres in a bid to stamp out public drinking and drug use.

It is unclear whether these would work alongside existing notices and orders or mark a return to anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), previously used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and still used in Scotland.

There are plans to bring in new powers to tackle the use of off-road bikes, and to create an anti-social behaviour lead in every local council area, with a duty on the authority to tackle the issue.

Labour has responded to calls by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services Andy Cooke for increased powers.

The watchdog will be given greater scope to intervene in failing police forces and will bring in mandatory national vetting standards.

It will also set up new national standards for procurement, shared services and specialist functions to save money.

The speech says the Government will get neighbourhood police and police community support officers (PCSOs) back on the beat in local communities, but does not specify how this will be done.

A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023. The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003

Two shoplifters brazenly steal products from a Boots store just yards from a police station - as helpless staff watch on

Labour has previously pledged to recruit 13,000 more PCSOs.

The Government also put forward measures designed to boost support for victims under the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill.

Labour was elected 'on a promise to deliver a justice system that puts the needs of victims first', a document detailing Bills announced in the King's Speech said.

Key proposals revive those set out under the previous government to force criminals to attend sentencing hearings so victims can see them 'face the consequences of their actions', while paedophiles will be banned from having parental responsibilities and face restrictions on changing their names.

Last year campaigners and victims' families welcomed promises of laws to give judges powers to compel offenders to attend court after a string of killers, including child murderer Lucy Letby, refused as their punishment was handed down.

While the details of the latest measures are yet to be set out, previous proposals indicated custody officers would have the power to use 'reasonable force' to ensure those awaiting sentencing appear in the dock or by video-link, and those convicted could face an extra two years behind bars if they ignore the judge's instruction.

Earlier plans to see changes to the law so paedophiles convicted of serious sexual offences lose parental rights over their children have been reignited after they never came to pass under the previous government.

Current rules allow some offenders the right to be included when making important decisions about their children's education, health and travel, with some mothers forced to pay for legal action to prevent paedophile ex-partners from influencing their children's lives, MPs warned earlier this year.

The plans for the Bill also promise broadly to cut delays to justice amid backlogs of cases waiting to be heard in criminal courts, as well as a general pledge of making sure victims of crime and anti-social behaviour 'get the support they deserve'.

Part of this will involve giving the Victims' Commissioner extra powers so they can 'hold the system to account for the needs of victims not being met'.

Alluding to a manifesto pledge on associate prosecutors - who handle uncontested magistrate court cases for the Crown Prosecution Service - the document also hints at plans for the lawyers to be allowed to work on more types of 'appropriate' cases.

The Government also promises to 'deliver on our manifesto commitment to fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts at every crown court'.

Labour's vow to 'take back the streets' follows worrying rises in street-level offences including knife crime and shoplifting.

Official figures show that knife crime rose by 7 per cent in the year to December 2023.

In the year to March 2023, 82 per cent of teenage homicide victims were killed with a knife, compared to 73 per cent in the previous year.

There was no mention in the King's Speech of a plan to clamp down on crossbows. The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt by Star Wars obsessive Jaswant Singh Chail to kill the late Queen

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (seen today, left) previously said she was urgently looking at whether to clamp down on crossbows after Carol Hunt, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters were shot dead in their family home

Meanwhile, shoplifting has risen to the highest level on record amid complaints the crime has been effectively 'decriminalised'.

A total of 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023, up by more than a third (37%) from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.

The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Retail bosses have accused ministers of allowing shoplifting to become effectively decriminalised, with many police forces failing to attend the majority of reports and failing to gather any evidence when they do.

Under 40 per cent of shoplifting reports were attended by the Met between April 2022 and April 2023, recent figures revealed.

In his speech to Parliament, King Charles said today: 'Legislation will be brought forward to strengthen community policing, and give the police greater powers to deal with antisocial behaviour.'

Labour has also promised to bring forward Martyn's Law, which is focused on improving security at public venues and named after Manchester Arena bombing victim, Martyn Hett.

A bill, which would have required venues to prepare for terrorist attacks, was dropped in May.
Fourteen high school students in Japan were rushed to hospital on Tuesday after consuming "super spicy" potato chips.

Around 30 students ate the fiery snack, which was brought to school in Tokyo by one of their classmates, according to The Japan Times.

The incident unfolded when several students began experiencing severe nausea and acute pain around their mouths shortly after eating the crisps, prompting immediate emergency calls to the fire department and police.

Among those affected, 13 girls and one boy were taken to the hospital. Fortunately, all were conscious and reportedly only had minor symptoms.

The snack in question, known as "R 18+ curry chips," is produced by Isoyama Corp.

Fourteen high school students in Japan were rushed to hospital on Tuesday after consuming "super spicy" potato chips, named R 18+ curry chips

The company issued a public statement and apologised for 'any convenience' to customers, while expressing wishes for the students' speedy recovery.

Isoyama Corp's website is decorated with warnings regarding the extreme spiciness of the chips, which are infused with ghost pepper - or bhut jolokia - one of the world's hottest chillies, originating from northeastern India.

Other products containing extreme levels of spice listed on the website include: 18+ Curry Ramen, 18+ Chili Pepper, 18+ Chocolate and 18+ Curry (Dangerous).

The website strictly advises against anyone under 18 consuming the hot pepper products and cautions even seasoned spice enthusiasts to approach with care.

The company explicitly advises not eating the chips alone and warns of potential side effects such as diarrhoea if consumed excessively.

Individuals with high blood pressure, weak stomachs, or cuts on their fingers are strongly advised against trying the snack.

A warning on Isoyama Corp's website regarding the intense heat of its products reads: '"No eating for those under 18!!" is the catchphrase of the spicy 18+ series! Recommended for those who like spicy food!

"However, because it is so spicy, please do not eat it if you have high blood pressure, are in poor health, or have a weak stomach."

Isoyama Corp's website is decorated with warnings regarding the extreme spiciness of the chips, which are infused with ghost pepper

In one video , shared by Japanese user @3xl_kuma, he tries a single crisp, chewing it a number of times before quickly appearing to wince in pain

X owner Elon Musk also weighed in on the trending snack

Reports suggest that one student brought the chips to school 'for fun,' unaware of the potential consequences.

This led to a wave of reactions on social media, notably TikTok, with users posting a "spicy meter" to illustrate the intensity of the chips and sharing videos of their own painful experiences consuming the product.

In one video, shared by Japanese user @3xl_kuma, he tries a single crisp, chewing it a number of times before quickly appearing to wince in pain while clenching his fists as his eyes water and skin turns red.

X owner Elon Musk also weighed in on the trending snack by responding to a tweet reporting the news about the high school students, saying: 'They must be next-level spicy!'

It comes as doctors warn that fans of a popular type of super-spicy ramen could be at risk of a kidney problem that can trigger blood poisoning, after a woman was sent to the emergency room after consuming a pot of Buldak ramen.
Gavin Newsom clapped back at Elon Musk on X after the tech billionaire announced that he will move both the social media platform and his SpaceX headquarters to Texas over the California governor's new gender identity laws.

Newsom on Tuesday wrote on the social media platform: 'You bent the knee,' along with a screenshot of a 2022 Tweet by Donald Trump criticizing Musk.

This was in response to 52-year-old Musk's decision to move the X and SpaceX headquarters to Texas after he said that Newsom's signing of a law that bans California school districts from notifying parents if their child is transgender was 'the final straw'.

'Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California to Starbase, Texas,' he wrote on X.

The two are now caught up in a war of words, as Musk retaliated on Wednesday by commenting on Newsom's X post: 'You never get off your knees'.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has clapped back at tech billionaire Elon Musk after he said he would move X and SpaceX headquarters to Texas after Newsom passed new gender laws

Elon Musk, 52, announced on Tuesday he is moving SpaceX and X out of California as he disagrees with Newsom's newest gender laws

Elon Musk and California Governor Gavin Newsom are caught up in a war of words after the billionaire announced that he will move SpaceX and X headquarters to Texas over Newsom's new gender identity laws

Musk had previously said: 'I did make it clear to Gov. Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.'

Musk later added that the social media site will also be moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Austin, saying he has 'had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building.'

Newsom's post included Trump's Tweet about the tech billionaire, where the former president suggested he was the reason for musk's success.

'When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it's electric cars that don't drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he'd be worthless, and telling me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, 'drop to your knees and beg,' and he would have done it,' Trump wrote back in 2022.

Musk had also suggested on Tuesday that 'many will follow' and noted that 'Silicon Valley has shifted.'

Gavin Newsom's Tweet in response to Musk's announcement that X and SpaceX headquarters will move from California to Texas

Newsom's post included Trump's Tweet about the tech billionaire, where the former president suggested he was the reason for musk's success. Musk recently endorsed former US president Donald Trump following his assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday

The billionaire has already moved Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin after Alameda County officials would not let him re-open the plant under coronavirus restrictions - despite Newsom announcing that manufacturers could restart operations.

He followed through on the promise about a year later, lauding Texas' lack of an income tax and the abundance of housing in the area - though he announced he would still maintain Tesla's 'engineering headquarters' in California.

Musk himself had even moved to the Lone Star state in 2020 after living in California for two decades and has already been in the process of moving SpaceX to Texas as he spoke out against California's liberal policies.

The tech billionaire's plans to move X and SpaceX headquarters out of California to Texas has sparked concerns about hundreds, if not thousands, of people losing their jobs, ABC7 News reported.

Musk has rallied against the use of preferred pronouns - often mocking the practice on social media and dismissing it as part of a 'woke' agenda that is dangerous for society.

Musk took to X to say SpaceX will now move its headquarters from Hawthorne, Calif. to Starbase, Texas

Musk said he had previously spoken to the California governor about his woke policies, warning that it may force businesses to leave the state

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, will now be moving from San Francisco to Austin

Musk is the father of a trans daughter from whom he is estranged, and he blames her California private school education for making her politically far left and turning her against him.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been on the opposite side, however, often championing these woke ideals - even though he, too, has moved his family out of one of the state's largest cities and into an exclusive area.

This comes after the billionaire CEO officially endorsed Trump as his pick for president following Saturday's shooting calling the Republican former president 'tough'.

Musk, who is the world's richest person, posted the endorsement with a video of Trump with blood on his face pumping his fist after multiple shots rant out at his presidential rally.

The posts cemented Musk's shift towards right-wing politics and hands Trump a high-profile backer in his quest to return to the White House in the November 5 election.

'I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,' Musk posted on his social media platform X.
Police believe that a US citizen is responsible for a dark murder-suicide that left six people, including herself, dead in a luxury Thai hotel room after they drank coffee laced with cyanide.

Sherine Chong, 56, is thought to have poisoned herself and five other people after she accrued huge debts related to an investment in a hospital in Japan, according to police sources cited by Vietnamese media.

She had allegedly convinced a married couple and two other victims among the dead to pour funds into the project, but they had reportedly lost some 10 million baht - roughly $280,000 or 215,000 - as a result.

The deceased - three males and three females of Vietnamese origin aged between 37 and 56 - had last been seen alive when food was delivered to their room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan on Monday afternoon.

They were found dead 24 hours later at 5pm local time on Tuesday having been poisoned by Chong while meeting to discuss the debt, investigators believe. The hotel door was locked from the inside and staff have no record of any visitors.

Post-mortem tests confirmed traces of cyanide were found in the cups and in the bodies of the victims, two of whom - including Chong - were American citizens.

'We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime,' said Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkok deputy police chief.

Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsang said: 'This was not self-harm - someone caused the deaths. We are tracing every step since they got off the plane.'

Sherine Chong, 56, is thought to have poisoned herself and five other people after she accrued huge debts related to an investment in a hospital in Japan , according to police sources cited by Vietnamese media

In this photo released by the Royal Thai Police, a body lies next to a table with a tea cup and untouched meals on it, in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok

Tea cups in the room (pictured) had been used but meals delivered by room service were untouched, police said. It is thought the victims may have consumed cyanide in their tea

Police said there were no signs of a struggle, and that the residents of the room where the bodies had seemingly already packed their luggage in anticipation of their checkout

Another angle of the table of uneaten food in the crime scene room

Police also released this photo of the Bangkok hotel room where the bodies were found

Forensic police chief Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan said a mass suicide was unlikely because some of the victims had arranged future things for their trip, such as guides and drivers.

He added that the bodies were not grouped in the same place - some were in the bedroom, some in the living room - suggesting that they did not knowingly consume poison and wait for their death together.

Five of the dead who had checked in at the hotel were named by police as females Chong, Thi Nguyen Phuong and Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan. Two dead men were Dinh Tran Phu and Hung Dang Van.

The sixth, who was not registered to stay with them, has not been named.

Officers said a seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was identified by police as a sibling of one of the six victims, who left the country on July 10. Police believe the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three men and three women fuelled wild rumours, with several local media outlets initially reporting a mass shooting incident.

But photos released by police of a bloodless crime scene showed plates of untouched Thai food, and two spiked thermos flasks and cups.

The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Thiti Saengsawang said.

Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an officer from the Lumpini police station said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to release information.

Initial post-mortem results said the bodies contained cyanide and had purple lips, suggesting they had been poisoned and suffered from oxygen deprivation.

Police said there were no signs of a struggle, and that the residents of the room where the bodies had seemingly already packed their luggage in anticipation of their checkout.

Thai police officers secure the area during investigations after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok

Police cars are parked outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 16

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin talks to media next to the National Police chief Police General Torsak Sukvimol during a press conference after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang speaks during a presser at Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where six foreign nationals were found dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024

Members of the media film a forensic police layout of the room where six people were found dead the day before allegedly due to poisoning, during a press conference at Lumpini Police Station in Bangkok on July 17, 2024

The bodies were discovered by a maid who went to the room after they failed to check out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said.

The staff saw one woman receive the food the day before, and security footage showed the rest arriving one by one shortly after. There were no other visitors, no one was seen leaving and the door was locked.

Thiti added the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin immediately ordered an investigation into the deaths and personally visited the hotel yesterday to discuss the case with investigators.

Thailand's economy is heavily reliant on tourism and Thavisin said he does not want the mystery deaths to negatively impact the country's image as a welcoming destination for holidaymakers.

Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.

Chong is said to have visited Thailand some five times on a US visa.

Vietnam's foreign ministry confirmed four of the dead were Vietnamese nationals and its embassy in Thailand was coordinating closely with authorities.

'We hope that the victims' families soon overcome this great loss,' foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok.

Police said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had assisted with the investigation.

The Vietnamese and United States Embassies have been contacted over the deaths, and the American FBI is involved in the investigation, said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

A Thai police officer secures the area during investigations after six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand

Chief of the Police Forensic Science Office Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpan

Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Thiti Sangsawang is speaking as National Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol is looking on during a press conference after an incident in which six bodies are found at a hotel in Bangkok

Immigration officers arrive to the Grand Hyatt Erawan where six people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Policemen inspect after an incident, in which six bodies were found at a hotel in Bangkok on July 16, 2024. Six people believed to be Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans were found dead in a hotel room in central Bangkok on July 16

Police are seen at the hotel conducting investigations

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Police and media wait outside the entrance of the hotel as investigations continue

The bodies were discovered at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel located in the popular Ratchaprasong Intersection of Bangkok

The incident comes as Thailand looks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of Southeast Asia's second largest economy.

'The prime minister ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,' the Thai government said in its statement.

Thavisin himself refused questions from the press as he arrived at the hotel yesterday, instead making a beeline directly for investigating officers who whisked their leader away from prying eyes for private discussions.

When asked if the news would affect a conference with the Russian Energy Minister at the hotel later today, Srettha said it was unlikely. 'This wasn't an act of terrorism or a breach in security, everything is fine.'

Thai authorities are keen to improve the image of the kingdom, whose reputation as a safe tourist destination sometimes takes a hit when grisly crimes are reported.

In 2023, the country was rocked by reports of a serial killer who had poisoned 15 people with cyanide. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, or 'Am Cyanide' as she would later be called, poisoned 15 people who she owed money to and became the country's first female serial killer.

The country has played host to many other sordid and high-profile criminal cases, such as that of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, nicknamed 'The Serpent' and linked to at least two dozen murders - mostly of tourists - in the 1970s.

More recently, the son of a Spanish actor was accused of killing and dismembering the body of a renowned Colombian plastic surgeon on the tourist island of Koh Phangan.

The verdict in the trial is expected in the coming weeks.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where it is believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024

Police block media from entering the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024

Visitors stand outside of the Grand Hyatt Erawan where 6 people were confirmed dead after an incident in central Bangkok on July 16, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand

Five bodies were reportedly discovered inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, with the sixth lying by the door, at around 7:30pm local time

The entrance to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is seen in this general view

Last October, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at the Siam Paragon mall in the same area as Tuesday's mass poisoning, killing three people.

The shooting came just days before the anniversary of a massacre at a nursery in northern Thailand that left 36 people dead and amid government efforts to bolster tourist numbers.

Some 28 million people visited Thailand in 2023, up from 11 million the year before, but still well down from the 40 million who came in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic hammered the kingdom's vital tourism sector and arrivals have not bounced back as quickly as officials hoped.

Officials hope to hit 35 million visitors in 2024, with a target of $55 billion in revenue.

The scene of yesterday's dark discovery, the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, is among Thailand's most luxurious and sought after tourist accommodations with a reputation for its service.

Located in the Ratchaprasong district - a highly frequented shopping and commercial area in the Thai capital - the hotel is a five-star venue replete with decadent interiors, a huge outdoor pool, a gym and spa complex and a highly rated restaurant.

It offers sweeping views of the city and besides the commercial attractions is also located adjacent to the Erawan Shrine, a notable religious site known for attracting tourists.

Hotel administrators are yet to comment on the incident.
There was joy in Wales as the Labour government scrapped its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced.

Wales' Transport Secretary Ken Skates had admitted that the policy was so unpopular even his own family had signed the petition against it.

Natasha Asghar, the Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, welcomed the news - but said the changes must be brought in quickly.

She said: 'While I appreciate that Labour and the Cabinet Secretary appear to be listening to the public on 20mph, it is unclear who will be seeing these changes and how quickly they will be implemented.

The failure of this experiment makes it much less likely that there would ever be a 20mph blanket limit in England.

And many took to X to express their delight that the policy is now dead.

Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, has criticised the Welsh government's handling of the 20mph policy

There was joy in Wales - and on Twitter/X - as the Labour government scrapped its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced

One X user responds to the 20pmh speed limit scrapping, saying he would like to see a 'cancellation of pending prosecutions and rescind all points/fines'

Another user refers to Vaughan Gething resigning yesterday as first minister and the leader of Welsh Labour over a series of controversies

Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, critiques the Welsh government's handling of the 20mph policy

Though in Scotland, Humza Yousaf was still discussing implementing the ban in Scotland before he was ousted in May this year.

'Councils, who are already stretched due to Labour's budget cuts, will be left to sort out the mess the government has made of their 20mph policy and I cannot see there being many significant changes as a result.

'5 million is being given to councils in Wales, who have to bid for funding and there does not seem to be a timeline in place, which will undoubtedly lead to sheer frustration for drivers from all corners of Wales.'

Celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr Loophole' Freeman - famous for helping celebrities beat traffic cases - has welcomed the news.

He said: 'Ever since its inception I've called for Wales to scrap 20mph speed limit... Pleased to hear this now happened. Shame [this] doesn't create a legally binding precedent for [the] rest of [the] country. But hopefully good sense will prevail.'

Celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr Loophole' Freeman has welcomed the news of the scrapping

The lawyer said he had been calling for the scrapping since its inception, and that he is 'pleased' it has finally come about

Meanwhile, Cllr Andrew Morgan, leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, said: 'These are not easy decisions for councils and safety remains our priority. There will need to be a high level of confidence that, if and where the limit is raised back to 30mph, it will not result in the very risks the policy was designed to mitigate.'

The transport minister admitted 'errors have been made' with the scheme, which is set to be reverted in September this year with the introduction of new guidance across the country.

This will allow local authorities to raise the speed limit to be back to 30mph on certain roads 'outside urban centres and rural residential roads with no nearby facilities'.

They will also be increased on major routes, such as bus corridors, with minimal cyclist and pedestrian traffic and on some urban roads.

It comes after more than half a million signatures were added to a Senedd petition opposing the divisive policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

The Welsh Labour government has scrapped its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced

A 20mph speed limit sign in Wales, which has been sprayed black by vigilante drivers rebelling against the introduction of the speed limits

A woman holds a sign during a protest against 20mph speed limits on September 23

Skates told the the devolved Senedd parliament: 'Errors have been made, but the new guidance will enable us to correct them, and it's my hope that [with] this guidance we will begin to see the process this autumn of changes to 20mph areas.'

He added that while the speed limit on some routes could also be reduced, the number of these is 'likely to be dwarfed, though, by the number of roads that would revert back from 20 to 30.

'That process will begin in the autumn,' he said.

'Signage changes, I imagine, will be made by the end of this year, going into the next calendar year.

'And it's my hope and expectation that by this time next year, it will be settled.'

Skates revealed that it would cost 5 million to revert the roads back to 30mph, which is just under a sixth of the 32 million it cost for the original scheme.

The policy was introduced in September last year, with the promise that lower speed limits would lead to fewer collisions and people injured.

The Welsh Government provided funding to Wales' 22 councils for new signs required to alert drivers of the speed limit.

It has seen fierce opposition from the Conservatives in the Senedd, who have branded it a 'waste of time and resources'.

Mark Drakeford's Welsh Labour government introduced the new go-slow limit last year

The policy has been incredibly unpopular with certain quarters of the Welsh population

A 20mph road sign that has been defaced in Cwmbran South Wales

He said that while the policy had been in Labour's manifesto during the last Senedd election, he understood that people in Wales 'lead busy lives' and do not 'spend their evenings flicking through the programme for government'.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis told Mail Online: 'This decision will please a great many drivers in Wales, but it's a shame so many roads that should have always remained at 30mph were unnecessarily converted to 20mph.

'More public money now needs to be spent changing signs back at time when funds are already stretched.

'We are very supportive of 20mph limits being implemented in places where there's a greater presence of pedestrians and cyclists as they are proven to reduce road casualties, but when used on roads that are clearly better suited to 30mph, there's a risk drivers don't obey the limit and their effectiveness is undermined.

'Among those who admit to speeding on 20mph roads, RAC research shows half (50%) of drivers say they do so because they feel the limit is inappropriate. This compares to just 28% of drivers who say they exceed the 30mph limit for the same reason.'

Earlier this year vigilante drivers rebelled against the introduction of the 20mph speed limits after groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country.

Since September, there have been multiple reports of 20mph signs being vandalised across Wales, with one sign in Carmarthenshire having been snapped in half, while others have been sprayed in black paint to hide the 20 figures.

Carmarthenshire County Council said it was becoming 'increasingly concerned' after 'a spate of incidents' towards roadsigns - including 20mph ones.

Gwent Police figures show two recorded incidents of vandalism to speed signs since September, leading to one person being arrested and charged.

The force recorded eight incidents of speed limit sign vandalism in the five years before that.

Groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country including this one in the village of Froncysyllte

Since the law went into force, Monmouthshire Council reported 22 incidents of vandalism to its 20mph signs.

All councils said Welsh Government funding for new signs cover anticipated repair costs.

The Welsh scheme to reduce the default speed limit for 'restricted roads' from 30mph affects 7,700 miles of road.

The speed limit reduction to 20mph affects 'restricted roads' - those with 'street lights spaced no more than 200 yards apart, usually located in residential and built-up areas'.

According to its own impact assessment, the 'main economic dis-benefit' of the new regime 'relates to increased journey times from lower average vehicle speeds'. It states that this could result in an economic hit of up to 9 billion over 30 years.

But the then Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the 20mph speed limit would save lives and the cost was 'outweighed' by reduced impact on the NHS and emergency services.

Mr Drakeford has said 'the evidence is incontrovertible' that 'driving more slowly in built-up urban areas saves people's lives' and that it will save the NHS in Wales 92 million as a result.

He cited a similar scheme in Spain, saying it had cut urban deaths by 20 percent.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said: 'Drivers completely understand and approve of 20 mph streets that protect sites of local importance such as schools, GP surgeries and residential homes.

'However, the protection of these highly valued community assets can become diminished with more expansive 20 mph zones.

'Whenever there are significant changes proposed within local communities, we always advocate that thorough consultation with residents and businesses are carried out.'
No dogs are allowed in the pub as Frosty taunts them with meows

This foul mouthed parrot has amassed quite the fanbase taunting humans and animals alike - but his owner insists it's how the bird shows love and affection.

Nineteen-year-old African grey parrot, Frosty, was only 18 months old when he made his first appearance at the Vyvyan Arms Hotel in Camborne, Cornwall.

However in the 17 years he has been living with owner Scott Sowden, 57, the potty-mouthed parrot has firmly earned his celebrity status.

And it isn't only locals who adore the outspoken animal, visitors trek from across Britain just to hear an insult.

Scott said: 'Frosty was originally my mother's and was purchased from a local breeder here in Camborne.

Frosty (pictured) has firmly earned his celebrity status attracting visitors far and wide to the Cornish pub with his foul-mouthed antics, with his favourite word being 'w****r'

His owner Scott Sowden (pictured) claimed the bird has become so popular one person even offered him 3,000 for the pet

'She was allergic to the dust given off by Frosty and she gave him to us about 17 and a half years ago.

'His favourite word is 'w***er', it's affectionate. We had the Conservative club in the other week, 12 of them sat on tables next to him and he wouldn't stop saying it.'

Frosty has become quite popular thanks to his 'cheeky' reputation - often making visitors laugh and attracting fans of all ages.

His cheeky notoriety has cemented his fame at the boozer, with some offering the pub landlord an eye-watering 3,000 for the bird.

'The locals and most residents love him. Quite a few have wanted to buy him!

'Frosty has a couple come in every Friday and sit with him and gives him treats and another couple comes in on Saturday's.

'People just start laughing when he goes on one, especially when they hear him for the first time.

'He will also take the micky out of you coughing and laughing.'

The chatty parrot is also loved by the hotel staff too, including Scott's wife, Billy, 55, with whom he has run the pub for nearly 30 years.

Billy has been at the Vyvian Arms for 38 years as she was previously the licensee and barmaid before they took it on.

The couple say their parrot's humour knows no bounds - as Scott revealed no one is safe from Frosty's taunts.

He said: 'We don't allow dogs in, but on the occasion we do Frosty doesn't really like them and he will torment them by meowing.'

Though Scott says many amusing memories come from times Frosty has not sworn - as he recalls

Frosty originally belonged to the pub landlords mother, however she was allergic to the pet's dust

However no one is safe from Frosty's taunts with his favourite word being 'w*****'

'We don't allow dogs in, but on the occasion we do Frosty doesn't really like them and he will torment them by meowing,' Scott said

The parrot is a regularly visitor of the Vyvyan Arms Hotel (pictured) which he has ran alongside his wife Billy for nearly 30 years

'One night we had a duo band (Two for the Road) here and we had a back drop in front of Frosty.

'They started up with their first number and stopped because of feedback, one of the guys, Andy, got down on his knees and started checking out the wires.

'They started singing again and stopped again as there was more feedback - and then started singing again and they stopped again - while on his knees, Andy said there's nothing wrong with the wires.

'Then we heard Frosty shrieked out just like feedback and that was the cause of it. Everyone was in stitches.'
Four members of a 'cult' stormed Essex Coroner's Court, attempted to 'condemn' the building and tried to kidnap the senior coroner, a court heard.

Three men and a woman have denied the attempted kidnap and false imprisonment of Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes at the Chelmsford-based court in April last year.

Mr Brookes said he feared for the safety of his family when a group of people accused of a plot to kidnap him turned up at court looking for him.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Mark Kishon Christopher, 58, of Claremont Road, London, was the leader of a group called 'Federal Postal Court', which rejects the authority of the UK government and all relevant administrations.

A jury heard Christopher had broadcast on the social media website Rumble on April 17, 2023, 'inciting' his followers to storm and 'condemn' the coroners' court in Essex.

Christopher, along with Matthew Dean Martin, 48, of Dennington Road, London, Sean Andrew Dudley Harper, 38, of Benfleet Park Road, Benfleet, and Shiza Harper, 45, also of Benfleet Park Road, all deny conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and sending letters to cause distress.

Additionally, Martin denies assault by beating and criminal damage in relation to an incident with a security guard on April 20 at coroners court which resulted in his glasses being broken.

A coroner is appointed by the state to oversee inquests which take place to examine the deaths of members of the public if so required, determining who the person was, and when, where and how they died.

Prosecuting, Allistar Walker said: 'Mark was the self-appointed leader and chief judge of England all members of the group called 'Federal Postal Court', or 'Court of the People'.

Mr Walker described the movement as having a 'significant following' online and that it was an 'anti-establishment protest, cult or conspiracy theory'.

It claims to have jurisdiction over all courts and corporations. The group was created by a man now deceased but now controlled by Mark.

The requirement of members to the group is through an online subscription to 'alleviate [their] mortgage and debts.' Mr Walker said Mark Christopher wanted to 'show fraud' in the world, with members being offered training and a 'university course', with people being able to transfer funds to them online.

Mr Walker said during interviews Sean and Shiza Harper claimed to be 'students' of Christopher, with Sean Harper and Matthew Martin obtaining the rank of 'Sheriff' and Shiza 'postal inspector'.

The jury heard the group were devoted to trying to shut down official buildings such as courts, with the group targeting Essex Coroners' Court in Chelmsford and Southend County Court, with the express wish to detain and take Coroner Brookes to Chelmsford Police Station, with Mark Christopher claiming the coroners court was carrying out 'detrimental necromancy'.

Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, said he received a series of 'very bizarre' letters in 2022 before receiving emails in April 2023 stating that 'corporal punishment may be administered'.

Pictured: Matthew Martin (brown coat), Sean Harper (blue shirt) and Shiza Harper (black dress) outside Chelmsford Crown Court

Three men and a woman have denied the attempted kidnap and false imprisonment of Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes (pictured) at the Chelmsford-based court in April last year

He described the emails, which claimed to be warrants 'for seizure of goods and persons', as 'troubling' and 'upsetting'.

The coroner said he 'felt this was a security threat to my safety' and later contacted police, but said he was told the 'risk was low'.

He said there was a further 'ominous' email on April 19 last year, before people turned up looking for him the following day - on April 20.

He said he had not been at the coroner's court in Chelmsford that morning, having accompanied a family member to a hospital appointment, but was due to attend the court to preside over an inquest that afternoon.

Mr Brookes said he was warned not to come to the building and was told 'these are the people from the letter - they're coming to get you'.

'I turned around and started driving home as fast as I could as I was fearful for the safety of my family,' he said.

The coroner said he 'pulled over as I was upset'.

Mr Brookes told the trial he received half a dozen letters between March and September 2022, describing them as 'gibberish'.

Asked if it caused him 'more alarm' than the previous correspondence, he said: 'Yes, a lot more.'

He said the 'first thing I did was start Googling actually' and he found a website for Mark Kishon Christopher - who was named in the correspondence - which he said 'seemed like goggledegook again'.

Christopher also denies sending threatening letters to Mr Brookes with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

Mr Walker continued: 'He [Christopher] broadcast to his followers on the social media called Rumble three days before they entered the coroners' court. He called on his followers with him to shut down the coroners' court and administer corporal punishment if needs be.

'The four members went in person intending to detain and take away the coroner. In other words, pursuant to an agreement between them to seize him, move him and detain him.'

Mr Walker said the defendants were 'serious' in their actions and the prosecution 'takes them seriously as well'. He said the court staff, including Coroner Brookes and Michelle Brown, were left 'distressed' by the actions.

Michelle Brown, Essex area coroner, told jurors she had been conducting documentary inquests - from paperwork and without witnesses or family present - when four people entered the courtroom on April 20 last year.

Ms Brown repeatedly asked the group to identify themselves, mistaking them for maintenance workers as three of them were wearing hi-vis jackets.

She said they 'carried on walking towards me' and 'it wasn't until I saw the symbols on the hi-vis jackets that I realised who they were'.

'I knew of letters that had been received by the coroner's service with those symbols on and I had read the contents of some of those letters,' said Ms Brown.

'I asked them to leave and this main gentleman (Christopher) who wasn't wearing the hi-vis jacket started to talk.

She said the group asked for Mr Brooke and asked where his office was. However, Mr Brooke was not in court at that time.

'The female of the group had like, the newspaper bags, and she was instructed to throw that on the ground to seize the court,' said Ms Brown.

'I was told by the main gentleman they had seized the court and it was in their control.'

She said they 'made mention they had handcuffs and given Mr Brookes wasn't there I believed they would take me'.

Ms Brown said that Martin assaulted security guard Mr McCormack and broke his glasses.

She said that they told her they would visit her and Mr Brookes at their respective homes if they did not surrender the court, and she added: 'That's very worrying with family and not knowing really what they were capable of doing.'

Matthew Martin filmed the encounter, with footage played to the jury showing Christopher ordering coroners' court staff 'not to interfere with my sheriffs'. Christopher could also be heard saying the court was practising 'detrimental necromancy' and that people were 'not dead on paper'.

Coroner Brown can be heard in the footage asking the defendants 'not to resort to violence', before further security arrive.

Mr Walker said Martin was arrested at the scene while the other three defendants were arrested at Southend County Court later the same day, where they had also attempted to 'condemn' the court building.

The jury was also told the defendants had brought handcuffs with them, although they were never used and they never saw Coroner Brookes.

The jury was told Sean Harper had sent messages prior to the incident saying that Mark Christopher 'wants someone in cuffs today so we will see mate'.

The trial continues.
A driver broke down in tears as he watched footage which allegedly shows him dragging a young tradie alongside his speeding ute during a fit of road rage.

Bradley Wilkinson, 39, allegedly got into an argument with landscaper Rhyce Harding, 27, when both men were driving to work on the morning of June 20.

Police allege Mr Wilkinson 'intentionally and forcefully' grabbed the younger man's arm through his window and held him against the ute as he 'accelerated harshly'.

CCTV footage appears to show Mr Harding, who was wearing high-visibility work attire, being dragged alongside the ute as it sped down Jersey Rd in Blackett, in western Sydney.

Police allege the 27-year-old tradie was dragged for around 100m before Mr Wilkinson finally released his hold and Mr Harding was he was fatally run over by the ute's rear tires.

He was treated by NSW Paramedics but died at the scene.

Police claim Mr Wilkinson fled the scene without stopping to check on the younger man.

He has been charged with manslaughter, failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, negligent driving (occasioning death), and dangerous driving occasioning death - drive manner dangerous.

Rhyce Harding (pictured) died on Jersey Rd in Blackett last month

A man allegedly dragged a young tradie alongside his speeding ute during a fit of road rage

The 39-year-old wore a green prison tracksuit and made the sign of the cross as he faced Mount Druitt Local Court on Wednesday.

His lawyer Javid Faiz applied for Mr Wilkinson to be released on bail after more than three weeks behind bars on remand.

He submitted Mr Harding had grabbed onto his car with both hands and his client had acted in self defence and 'out of fear' when he accelerated down the street.

He relied on a 15-second video taken by a witness, who had been driving behind the two men when they stopped and Mr Harding approached Mr Wilkinson's ute.

In a sworn statement, the witness said she saw Mr Harding 'looking very angry' and shouting as he tried to open the driver's side door of Mr Wilkinson's ute.

The witness claimed she saw Mr Harding grab onto the ute with both hands, but didn't see Mr Wilkinson engage with him or act aggressively.

Magistrate James Gibson noted the witness was 'a considerable distance' of two car lengths away from the altercation.

'It was certainly blurry and it was impossible ... to determine whether what (the witness) said was in fact the case,' he said of her video.

Mr Faiz said the phone video was 'crucial' because it demonstrated the weakness of the prosecution case.

The court was also shown CCTV footage from along Jersey Rd which the prosecution allege shows Mr Wilkinson 'driving erratically' before he grabs Mr Harding.

Rhyce Harding was the victim of an alleged road rage attack

The 39-year-old began crying as the video was played to the court which showed him undertaking Mr Harding at speed and crossing into his lane while navigating a roundabout.

A second clip appears to show Mr Wilkinson's white ute undertaking the young tradie at speed and cutting him off before Mr Harding brakes suddenly and sounds the horn.

Police prosecutor Effie Aronis tendered documents which revealed there had previously been 'reports and concerns regarding the defendant's driving behaviour'.

The court heard the documents were intended to indicate Mr Wilkinson had a 'tendency' to 'involve himself in road rage incidents'.

Ms Aronis noted his history demonstrated he was 'someone who perhaps has a tendency to act in a violent manner' and would pose a risk to the community if released on bail.

She said the CCTV footage and the accounts of two eyewitnesses formed the basis of a 'strong prosecution case'.

'It appears to have been a road rage incident which unfortunately cost an innocent person their life,' the police prosecutor said.

'That is a tragic set of circumstances and one which the community would denounce.'

Mr Faiz said his client was willing to comply with strict bail conditions including home detention, ankle monitoring, and the deposit of a $20,000 surety.

Mr Wilkinson agreed he would not occupy the driver's seat of a car and would not drink alcohol if he were granted bail, his lawyer told the court.

'It's a very serious matter. He understands the position he's in,' Mr Faiz said.

Mr Gibson noted the bail conditions 'are the strictest conditions he can offer.'

He said the CCTV footage shown in court seemed to suggest Mr Wilkinson was 'driving in an aggressive fashion' before the altercation with Mr Harding.

Police allege the fatal incident took place on Jersey Rd in Blackett

The magistrate said the 39-year-old 'must have known there must have been a very significant collision' when he allegedly ran over the young tradie and failed to stop.

'I can't be persuaded it's anything but a strong prosecution case,' he said.

'It's a very serious offence which constitutes a significant risk to the community.'

Mr Wilkinson hung his head in his hands and sobbed as Mr Gibson denied his application for bail.

He will remain behind bars until August, when the matter returns to court.
Sharing Good News about Alumni of South Carolina State University!

Capt. Patrick Burkett

Class of 1999

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region welcomed Capt. Patrick Burkett as the sector's new commanding officer during a recent change of command ceremony in Baltimore.

The ceremony was held at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and was presided over by Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, commander, Fifth Coast Guard District.

Burkett reports to Sector Maryland-National Capital Region after previously serving as the chief of the 13th Coast Guard Districts Prevention Division from July 2021 to June 2024.

Previous operational assignments include Prevention Department head, Sector Jacksonville; executive officer, Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh; investigating officer, Sector Hampton Roads, and marine inspector, Sector New Orleans and Sector Miami.

Burkett is a 1995 graduate of Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School and a 1999 graduate of South Carolina State University and the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative.

He also served as the Coast Guard liaison to Military Sealift Command, in which he was the primary advisor to the MSC commander to ensure vessel readiness for over 130 naval auxiliary vessels tasked to sustain global warfighting capability, provide combat support, and humanitarian aid around the globe.

The area of responsibility for Sector Maryland  National Capital Region spans the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay north of the Virginia-Maryland line and its tributaries, as well as Ocean City and offshore Atlantic Ocean providing maritime safety, security, and environmental protection for the region.

Michael Allen

Class of 1982

Mr. Michael A. Allen, a 1982 graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in history education, has been selected as a member of the Legacies of Enslavement Advisory Panel.

The Scott Trust Legacies of Enslavement program is a 10-year restorative justice initiative launched in March 2023 in response to the Guardian founders connections to transatlantic enslavement. It is being designed and carried out in consultation with descendant communities in the US, Jamaica, the UK and elsewhere, centered on long-term initiatives and meaningful impact.

The initial act of the program was an apology, in recognition of the role the Guardian founder, John Edward Taylor, and his business backers played in slavery, which was a crime against humanity.

The program will incorporate a range of restorative justice actions focused on descendant communities and spanning apology and acknowledgment, truth-seeking and telling, and reparative actions.

Allen joins such eminent researchers as Professor Olivette Otele, a distinguished research professor of the legacies and memory of slavery at SOAS, University of London; Dr. Matthew Smith, professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at the University of London; and Professor Keith Magee, a senior fellow and visiting professor in cultural justice at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.

Allen grew up in Kingstree, South Carolina, and began his public career with the National Park Service in 1980. He served as the education specialist and site manager for the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site for 12 years, and was later appointed community partnership specialist for the Fort Sumter group.

In 2007 he became the executive director for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. As a result of groundbreaking efforts by Allen and the community, the Reconstruction Era National Monument (now the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park) was established in Beaufort County, South Carolina, by presidential proclamation in 2017.

Allen has been involved in several other projects designed to engage new audiences in understanding and appreciating African and American history. He was a founding board member of the International African American Museum (IAAM), which opened in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2023.

You can read more about Allen's latest achievement here.

Dr. Monifa McKnight

Class of 1999

The University of Maryland College of Education has named former Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight as its inaugural Deans Fellow and Superintendent in Residence, effective Aug. 23. According to the University of Maryland, the new position has been created to help strengthen partnerships between the college and PK-12 schools across the state.

She previously served as the superintendent and deputy superintendent of MCPS, the largest district in Maryland, where she provided strategic vision and oversaw the education of more than 160,000 students.

McKnight received an Ed.D. in educational policy and leadership from the University of Maryland. She also holds a M.S. in education and administration and supervision from Bowie State University and a B.S. in elementary education from South Carolina State University.

Bridget Brown

Class of 1996

Bridget Brown has been named assistant principal of Kingstree Middle Magnet School of the Arts. A native of Florence, Brown has been an educator for over 25 years, with experience in middle and high school.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business education from South Carolina State University, a master's degree in technology in education from Lesley University, a master's degree in educational leadership from Winthrop University, and a certificate of online teaching for K-12 from Clemson University.

Brown spent 17 years at her alma mater, Wilson High School, teaching CTE courses and serving as department chair, mentor teacher, committee advisor, and evaluator.

Before joining Williamsburg County, she worked as an assistant principal in Florence County School District Five.

Whitley Cheeseboro

Class of 2012

Orangeburg County School District announced that Whitley Cheeseboro has been named assistant principal of Edisto Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year.

Cheeseboro brings experience and a strong educational background to her new role. She served as an elementary school teacher from 2012 to 2021 and has been a math interventionist since 2021.

Cheeseboro holds a specialist degree in educational leadership from Liberty University, a masters in teaching elementary education from South Carolina State University, and a bachelors in history from the University of South Carolina Columbia.

Corey Haynes

Class of 2003

Corey Haynes has been named assistant principal of Orangeburg County's Lake Marion High School for the 2024-25 school year.

Corey Haynes joins Lake Marion High School with a diverse background in education and student services.

His previous roles include coordinator of student services in Allendale County School District, academic retention specialist/counselor at Claflin University, student concerns specialist for the School District of Charleston County and director of operations for the School District of Osceola County Public Schools in Florida.

He holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice from South Carolina State University and a master's degree in counseling from Webster University.
The son of murdered Muriel McKay has hit out at police for barring the killer from the site where he revealed he buried her 54 years ago, saying, 'Why would you not have the man who has now admitted to burying her here to help find her?'

Distraught Ian McKay, who has been invited by the Metropolitan Police to witness a five-day excavation at Stocking Farm, Hertfordshire, has expressed his anger at the police for not allowing one of her killer's Nizamodeen Hosein to help in the search for his mother's remains.

Hosein, who was jailed in 1970 and, after 20 years released before being deported to his native Trinidad, has revealed to Ms McKay's daughter Dianne McKay, 84, that he buried her three foot from a fence at the farm after he and his brother had kidnapped and later murdered her for ransom demands.

Mr McKay, 82, who flew from his home in Australia to attend the excavation said: 'It seems to me a nonsense that Nizam is not here.

'The fact he's a convicted criminal is hard for us to swallow but he has served his sentence. Why would you not have the man who has now admitted to burying her here to help find her?'

Muriel McKay's daughter, Dianne (pictured, left), has for years fought to learn the truth of her mother's murder and travelling to Trinidad with her son Mark Dyer (right) to speak with one of her killers, Nizamodeen Hosein (centre)

Muriel McKay's son Ian (right) and her grandson Mark Dyer (left) speak to the press as they joined police in the search for her body at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire

The search by the Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police is the third for the kidnapped wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's deputy, Alick McKay.

Nizam and his brother Arthur had plotted to kidnap the wife of Mr Murdoch, who had just bought The Sun newspaper, but bungled the crime.

Muriel, who was 55 at the time, had been kidnapped from her home in Wimbledon, London, by the brothers Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein, and her son Ian he spent six weeks answering their phone calls with ransom demands in December 1969.

After seeing the police efforts, Ian McKay was concerned that police had not brought Hosein over from Trinidad.

'I'm just concerned. If there was gold treasure you would certainly use the man who buried it to tell you where it was,' he told The Times.

Muriel McKay's son Ian McKay (Right) and her grandson Mark Dyer who have visited the farm

'I wonder if there's some form of prejudice, the police blame the Home Office. Policing is not the easiest job in the world to do, but I would certainly explore every possibility.'

The Metropolitan Police had previously told the family that it was considering cooperating with Hosein in the fresh hunt but the decision would rest with the Home Office because he had been deported.

Family members of Muriel McKay, including her grandson Mark Dyer, have joined police at the dig for her body at a farm, more than half a century after she was last seen.

Her abductors took her to Stocking Farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire  then known as Rook's Farm and where Arthur was living  and demanded 1 million. But attempts to hand over some money failed and she was never seen again.

Son Ian and grandson Mark Dyer walked with members of the police search team at Stockings farm as they were shown around the search site

Mark arrived at the farm yesterday with Ian, 82, who described it as a 'place of horror'

Police were spotted yesterday making preparations ahead of an extensive dig of the farm in Stocking Pelham

A digger was seen inside a barn where officers with spades were also seen forming part of the team

The brothers were later jailed for life for blackmail, kidnap and murder following a trial at the Old Bailey which made UK legal history as the first conviction of its kind without the victim's body.

A search of the farm took place at the time and another in 2022, although neither elicited any evidence of Mrs McKay's remains.

Nizamodeen, 75, has since provided fresh information after being contacted by his victim's daughter, Dianne, 84, and her son Mark Dyer, 59, leading to the excavation of a site this week.

Mark arrived at the farm yesterday with Dianne's brother Ian, 82, who described it as a 'place of horror' and revealed he was 'apprehensive' about the visit and had deliberately 'stayed away' from the site previously.

Asked if he was prepared for the possibility of his mother finally being found, he told the Mail: 'I will have to tell you at the end of the day.'

Ian, who travelled from his home in Australia, also expressed anger that detectives had not allowed Nizamodeen to fly in from his native Trinidad to aid the five-day joint operation between Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police.

Mrs McKay was 55 when she was kidnapped from her home in Wimbledon in 1969 by brothers Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein in the mistaken belief she was the wife of Rupert Murdoch

Extensive searches have taken place at the farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire, where police traced her in 1969

Police have begun a fresh dig for the remains of Muriel McKay, who was murdered

'It seems to me a nonsense that Nizam is not here,' he said.

'The fact he's a convicted criminal is hard for us to swallow but he has served his sentence. Why would you not have the man who has now admitted to burying her here to help find her?'

Mr Dyer, whose mother may fly in from her home in Majorca later this week, agreed, saying: 'What he did was disgusting but we need him here. Not having him for the 'grand finale' is bonkers.'

Speaking to The Sun, her son said: 'I don't know how I feel. It has been a place of evil and terror for me.

'The reason I have not been to England for so long is because I have these feelings that are of horror.

'I feel it is a day of apprehension for us.'

Alick McKay died in 1983 without ever having closure. Before his death, he said: 'All I want to know is where my wife has been buried so that I can go and place some flowers.'

Arthur Hosein died while serving time but his brother was eventually freed and deported to Trinidad, where he handed over new details to Dianne and Mark when they flew there in January.

He claimed mother-of-three Mrs McKay was given powerful sedatives and died from a heart attack after watching a television appeal from her family.

Crucially, he also said she was buried in her coat in a 5ft-deep hole dug at a dung heap before shovelling soil and grass on top of her.

The last search of the farm was near the spot but police have revealed they didn't realise how large the dung heap had been.

Photos released yesterday showed a small digger excavating several feet down inside a barn which covers part of the spot indicated by Nizamodeen.

Brothers Arthur (left) and Nazamodeen Hosein (right) were found guilty of her murder. Arthur died in prison in 2009, while Nizam was deported after serving a 20-year-prison sentence

The abduction is believed to have involved a case of mistaken identity - with the kidnappers intending to seize Anna Murdoch, first wife of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (pictured)

Police searched the farm in 2022 (pictured), but Hosein claims they searched the wrong area

Alick McKay is pictured making an appeal from his home in Wimbledon for the safe return of his missing wife in January 1970, with son Ian and daughters Jennifer (left) and Dianne (right)

Gloved officers then moved in and carefully cleared away more dirt with trowels that was taken away in wheelbarrows by colleagues. Around 20 specialist officers are involved.

An area outside the barn will also be examined.

Police have said they remain concerned about inconsistencies in Nizamodeen's account but agreed to look in a limited search area. They expect to remain until Friday but could stay longer if they believe it is warranted.

Met Police Commander Steve Clayman said before the latest search: 'Other areas have been highlighted as being of potential interest and it is these that we will search.

'The main area is where a manure heap once stood  we know now this was larger than we previously thought and therefore that area was not entirely searched in 2022.

'While we do have concerns about inconsistencies in the account by Nizamodeen Hosein, for completeness we want to do this.'

However, the family have been told that this will be the last attempt to find Mrs McKay as 'it would not be proportionate to carry out any further searches or investigations'.

Blue tents have been set up at spots around the farm and a large number of police vehicles are present.

A public footpath through the 12-acre site has been closed off.
Neighbors of Donald Trumps' shooter Thomas Crooks' big sister have described her as 'really friendly' and 'hardworking', as they described how her 'scrawny' brother helped her move into her apartment.

A neighbor of Katie Crooks, Thomas' older sister, spoke about how the woman, who juggles two jobs, moved into the apartment building in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, three years ago, with the help of her brother.

Speaking to New York Post, the unnamed neighbor said: 'The person who helped her, I couldn't tell if it was a male or a female.

'A couple of days later I asked if it was one of her siblings and she said it was her brother. The one who shot Trump He was real scrawny.'

He added that Katie was a 'real go-getter' who worked as a janitor at a local high school, as well as a server at a restaurant.

Pictured: Katie Crooks, Thomas Crooks' older sister. She was described as 'hard-working' and 'friendly' by a neighbor

2021 photo provided by Bethel Park School District shows student Thomas Matthew Crooks who graduated from Bethel Park High School with the Class of 2022, in Bethel Park, Pa. Crooks was identified by the FBI as the shooter involved in an assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday. The 20-year-old was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper

Cleary exhausted, father of Thomas Crooks, Matthew Crooks, opened the door to several members of the FBI who entered the unassuming brick home shortly before 10am

She was also described as a 'real friendly' and a 'nice girl'.

'I couldn't say a bad word about her', the neighbor added.

Like her brother, Katie is a registered Republican, but their father is a registered Libertarian.

She was also reportedly seen exiting her red Hyundai Kona on Monday night and bringing luggage into the Crooks' family home in Bethel Park.

Since Saturday's assassination attempt, in which Thomas opened fire at former president Trump while he addressed the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas' family have largely kept out of the public eye.

Katie Crooks is said to work two jobs - as a janitor at a high school, as well as a restaurant server

On Monday law enforcement turned up at the Crooks family home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

FBI Agents are seen on Monday knocking on all the neighbors' houses around the shooters home in Bethel Park as they interviewed locals

Thomas' father, Matthew, 53, was seen for the first time on Monday since his son was shot dead by a sniper after he attempted to assassinate Trump.

He was pictured at the modest three-bedroom family home in Bethel Park while federal investigators visited at the beginning of this week.

Clearly exhausted, his eyes showing the strain and the trauma of the past few days, Crooks opened the door to several members of the FBI who entered the unassuming brick home shortly before ten oclock.

It was barely 48 hours since the Crooks familys world was torn apart with the shocking events of Saturday afternoon.

Speaking to CNN in the immediate aftermath of his sons identification, Matthew, who works as a licensed behavioral therapist specializing in rehabilitation, appeared completely at a loss as he struggled to make sense of what he had just been told.

Reached by the network late Saturday night, he said he was still trying to figure out what the hell is going on', but said he would wait until I talk to law enforcement before speaking about his son.

He and the rest of the shooters immediate family have not spoken publicly since. Crookss mother, Mary Elizabeth, 53, is also a behavioral therapist.

Crooks is believed to have used an AR-15 purchased by his father some six months earlier and both men are understood to have been members of Clairton Sportsmens Club in Clairton, Pennsylvania.

FBI agents visited with the Crooks family for a matter of minutes before proceeding to work their way up and down the neighborhood speaking with residents.

According to a bio by Matthew when he registered a coat of arms, he was born in Pittsburgh and his father had owned a barber shop while his mother was an accountant.

A chance turn of Trumps head, not the swift response of snipers, is what made the difference between a grazing glance of the bullet Crooks fired and a fatal shot

He writes that he 'attended local universities' before later working in social services as a counselor, before naming his two children Katie and Tom.

Near neighbors were asked to leave their homes as it was reported that explosives and other items were removed from both Crooks's van and his family home.

Crooks had parked the vehicle near the rally site in Butler on Saturday before he scaled the roof of a nearby industrial manufacturing building.

A chance turn of Trumps head, not the swift response of nearby snipers, is what made the difference between a grazing glance of the bullet Crooks fired and a fatal shot.

Father of two Corey Comperatore, 55, a volunteer fire chief, has been named as the audience member who died shielding his family from the gunfire.

Two other audience members who were hit, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver were both in stable condition.

Crooks was killed by USSS seconds after opening fire on the former president and presumed Republican presidential nominee.
Former British Marine Pen Farthing is a man who has the Commando spirit writ through him: he never gives up. But a year after miraculously escaping the bloody chaos of Kabul, with 171 cats and dogs from his animal rescue charity as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, he was one push away from doing just that  giving up entirely.

I was in a despair so total that I couldnt see how to live with it, he tells me.

The reason for his despair? Following his courageous campaign to airlift the charitys animals and workers to safety, as the Taliban seized control of the capital, he found himself caught up in the middle of an atrocious smear campaign that cruelly accused him of putting pets before people and British soldiers lives at risk.

There was online abuse, death threats and even some of his Royal Marine brothers turned against him, condemning him as a coward who should never wear the green beret.

The former Marine smiles alongside Kaisa Farthing at an Afghan 'wedding' celebration thrown for them by friends in Kabul

He lost colleagues, friends and, hardest of all for him to bear, his marriage to his Norwegian wife Kaisa, 34, which came totally out of the blue.

I thought I had the world and then I didnt. It had all gone, says Pen. The day before, we were in Norway together at this amazing sauna. I had to fly back [to the UK] for something on the Monday and Kaisa was joining me at the end of the week.

We kissed and cuddled at the airport. I said, I love you and she said, Ill see you on Friday.

I got on the plane and turned my phone off. When I turned it on in the baggage hall at Heathrow, there was a message from her saying it was over. Ive never heard from her since that day  not once.

Pen, 55, tells me the weeks that followed were just a blur. Tears, wine, rum  lots of rum. Staring at the screen of his phone hoping for a message from her. None ever came.

After four weeks of moping around and not getting anything done, colleagues at Nowzad, the charity he founded, suggested he should take some leave, so he went climbing in the Tyrol mountains in Austria.

Rumours were flying that Pen was friends with then prime minister Boris Johnson and that it was Boris who gave clearance to Operation Ark. Pen has never much as spoken to him on the phone, let alone met him.

So many times while climbing, I thought, What if I just ended it? Sitting on a ledge with nothing but hundreds of feet of air beneath me, one push and it would all be over. I just didnt see a way forwards. The flak we were getting. The lies.

The Royal Marine instructor whod told my godson I was a coward and shouldnt wear the green beret. I thought if I just let go...

Pen Farthing, the founder of animal charity Nowzad, strokes two rescued puppies in Afghanistan

He reaches his arms in the air and sways backwards to demonstrate: Then I wont have to think about it any more. Itll be done and Ill have peace.

You know by the pain on his face hes back in those mountains, but he pulls himself up. In the end he couldnt do it. I couldnt give up, he says.

Today Pen is much changed from the newly married 51-year-old who watched shooting stars on a balcony in Kabul with Kaisa, before the return of the Taliban.

The couple had met there in 2019 when Kaisa was working for an NGO and married two years later.

Last winter he shut himself away in his Exeter home to write his account of Operation Ark, as his mission to rescue the charitys cats, dogs and 67 members of staff and their immediate families became known around the world.

He says it was a therapy of sorts. People were telling me to write the book for a long time but, after Kaisa, I didnt want to bring all the memories back up. Then, when I did start, I couldnt find a publisher. No one wanted it. They said my brand was too toxic.

Eventually we found one who was prepared to take a chance. I got it all out. Its done. Ill no longer have people asking, Hows your beautiful wife? or Are you the clown who put pets over people?

Operation Ark was about people and animals. Our 67 members of staff and their immediate family are now in the UK. We got them out on September 11, 2021. We never abandoned them.

People can read the book and actually understand what we went through  and all because the British government was so incompetent [evacuating Kabul] that it would rather drag a man through the mud than admit its mistakes.

He shakes his head.

I first met Pen two days after the plane carrying 77 cats and 94 dogs finally took off from Kabul International Airport, on August 27, 2021.

The city was falling apart as the Taliban roamed the streets with Kalashnikov assault rifles and Pen had to wait in an airport hangar for 24 hours for diplomatic clearance.

Anyone who could was making frantic calls to whoever might be able to help him out of the hellhole.

Outside, chaos had been unleashed, and 13 US servicemen and 170 Afghans had been killed in a suicide bombing attack the day before. Was there a hotline to the prime minister? As Boris himself said; Total rhubarb.

Indeed, Pen was eventually granted clearance so close to the wire that there wasnt a single British soldier left at the airport when his charter plane landed in Kabul.

Forty-eight hours later he was red-eyed with exhaustion when, owing to Covid restrictions, I met him in the grounds of a quarantine hotel in Oslo after hed offloaded the animals at Heathrow with staff from the airports animal reception centre.

Kaisa was there too, but contact was not permitted. Shed managed to get out a week earlier. Shed been employed by a non-government organisation mentoring young Afghan women and could have been shot  or worse  if shed stayed.

The day they were reunited, I could see it took every ounce of Pens self-control not to give Kaisa a hug. She was, he says, the love of my life.

Both were totally unprepared for what would come next. The smear campaign against Pen began within minutes of his plane leaving the runway.

Pen says his Norwegian ex-wife Kaisa left him unexpectedly through a text message and that he has no heard from her since

There were reports his animals were disease ridden and would have to be put down. Not true. Claims hed abandoned his staff. Again, not true. Allegations British soldiers had been diverted from evacuating civilians, including the many brave interpreters who assisted the British army, to deal with Nowzads animals. Another lie.

Operation Ark was about people and animals, it was never pets before people, Pen says. As I entered the airport, the charity was texting the Foreign Office saying we had about 100 seats on our charter plane and offered to give them to anyone who was stranded. Nobody responded. That was the third time wed offered spare seats for evacuees. Id also offered them in person at the airport.

My take on it was that ensuring no evacuees took up those spare seats guaranteed the headline would be Pen Farthing leaves as the only passenger on a chartered flight with his dogs  seats that could have been used to evacuate desperate interpreters  rather than about the s*** show that was going on in Kabul.

The campaign against him continued apace, deflecting attention, he says, away from what were later condemned as the serious systemic failures of the catastrophic Afghanistan evacuation by the Foreign Office.

Two weeks after the evacuation, Nowzad received a letter from the Charity Commission saying it was being investigated for improper use of charity funds.

Because were an animal charity we were being told we shouldnt have spent money on people even though we were getting our staff out of a country that was about to go back to the Dark Ages. Wed been completely transparent about it when we asked people to donate.

After rescuing animals in Operation Ark, Pen found himself caught up in the middle of a smear campaign that accused him of putting pets before people and British soldiers lives at risk

'The next day the BBC ran the story that Nowzad and Pen Farthing were being investigated. Literally within days of that story going out, people were emailing us saying they were going to stop their donations. Everything was turning to s*** and we hadnt done anything wrong.

Pen and Kaisa had intended to remain in Norway to recover from the ordeal of leaving Kabul, but Pen knew he had no choice but to return to the UK.

They went to their newly-bought home in Exeter which they intended to renovate but had never seen. It was a mess, with peeling wallpaper and damp everywhere. Meanwhile, the online abuse and non-stop questions from the Charity Commission came thick and fast.

We [the charity] were fighting fires constantly. The pressure just kept coming. Kaisa and I had planned to spend a year or so in England to do up the house while we sorted out my visa to live in Norway post-Brexit.

Ill always remember looking at her when we were coming back here saying, Well explore England. Ill take you out. Ill show you places. Well go climbing. But we didnt do anything. Absolutely nothing.

I was totally focused on what was happening with the charity. Usually, we have trustee meetings three or four times a year but we were having them on Zoom every night. Youd finish getting frustrated about the day then youd look at the house and it was just s***. How do you solve all these problems? Open a bottle of wine. It makes things seem a little bit easier.

I was struggling. It was just like, drink, go unconscious, fall asleep tired and stressed not knowing what the hell tomorrow was going to bring.

Pen began receiving death threats over email, phone and on social media after he airlifted animals out of Afghanistan

Few could have imagined how truly hellish his life was going to become until a whistleblower gave evidence to a cross-party committee of MPs less than four months after his heroic escape from Kabul.

Former Foreign Office civil servant Raphael Marshall said he believed British soldiers lives were put at risk in order to bring Nowzads animals into the airport and that the charitys staff had been prioritised above British Army interpreters.

Pen began receiving death threats. We were getting emails, phone calls, messages on social media saying, How dare you put British soldiers lives in danger? Or I know where you live scumbag  watch your back. It was absolutely crazy.

Id get incredibly angry about it  incredibly upset and hurt. Id crack open a bottle of wine and plop myself in front of the TV or go down the pub instead of doing something with Kaisa.

There was no real conversation in the evenings. Id be sat there literally arguing with everybody on Twitter. I couldnt let it lie. I didnt register at the time how annoyed Kaisa was getting. She started going back to Norway. I was so blinkered at the time I couldnt see what was happening to us.

Then in June 2022 he received that text from Kaisa as he landed at Heathrow.

The Foreign Affairs select committee never discovered who, in government, authorised Operation Ark.

The facts are, that on August 25 the then Defence Secretary Ben Wallace tweeted, at the extraordinary time of 1.33am, that the charitys staff had been cleared to be evacuated to the UK. But, to this day, no-one, not even Pen, is any the wiser as to who gave that clearance.

In January a letter signed by Boris Johnsons parliamentary private secretary, the former MP Trudy Harrison, came to light, confirming that the staff and animals had been cleared for evacuation by the Foreign Office, which, many claimed pointed the finger firmly at the Prime Minister.

Pen says: She was a supporter of the charity. We asked her to write an official-looking letter to show at Taliban checkpoints. I could hardly rock up and show the Taliban a copy of [Defence Secretary] Ben Wallaces tweet could I? Again, he shakes his head. There have been so many lies. So much deceit.

Indeed, in May 2022, Nowzad was exonerated by the select committee which reported: At no point [during the evacuation] were animals prioritised over people ... our civilian military on the ground were never diverted from evacuating civilians in order to deal with Nowzads animals.

Last winter Pen shut himself away in his Exeter home to write his account of Operation Ark

Similarly, after a ten-month investigation, the Charity Commission cleared Nowzad, which Pen still runs, of any wrongdoing. But by then, Pens marriage was over.

Kaisa just left everything, he says. All her stuff was still hanging up in the cupboard. Even her grans jewellery was left in a little box. She hadnt planned it. For whatever reason that day, she said, Im not coming back.

I tried for months to reach her  to find out why. We hadnt even had an argument. Even her father said he didnt know. He said she wouldnt talk about it and, if I went over there, she wouldnt see me.

You know it still saddens him but less so with the passing of time.

Maybe we were just in a bubble in Afghanistan. Then, suddenly, we came back and it was just the stress of the aftermath. If wed been going climbing and exploring the mountains and Id still been doing my charity stuff He shrugs. But obviously all of that fell apart.

It says much about Pens character that hes able to say this without bitterness.

Im no longer losing sleep and Im not going to get stressed any more because I literally almost drank myself to death and did something stupid on a mountain, he says.

I have a personality that keeps me fighting. I wonder how many others are thrown under the bus by the government and never get back up.

* Operation Ark published by Claret Press is available from Amazon and all good bookstores priced 12.99.
Tourists have been captured racing for the best spots at the poolside at hotels in Spain as the summer sunbed wars have begun.

Dozens of towel-holding holidaymakers can be seen charging towards the sunbeds after patiently waiting for the gates to open at 8am at the popular Spring Hotel on Tenerife.

The prime spots by the pool were snapped up in seconds as sunseekers threw towels and clothes onto the loungers to reserve them.

The comical footage was posted on TikTok with the words: 'The only thing that lets this hotel down. Queuing for the gates to open at 8am.'

A second video posted on the platform showed holidaymakers grabbing their spots at a hotel on Spain's Costa Dorada on the mainland.

Dozens of towel-holding holidaymakers can be seen charging towards the sunbeds after patiently waiting for the gates to open at 8am at the popular Spring Hotel on Tenerife

Just a minute after the gates to the pool opened, holidaymakers had already reserved nearly all of the sun loungers after racing for the best spots

A second video posted on the platform showed holidaymakers grabbing their spots at a hotel on Spain's Costa Dorada on the mainland

One person said: 'Literally running for it. We thought it was hilarious.'

Last week tourists were filmed holidaymakers filmed running for sun beds in another early morning free-for-all.

In 2023, the same hotel hired a security guard to break up fights as Brits got up before dawn to battle other holidaymakers for sunbeds.

And it seems the Sunset Beach Club hotel in Benalmadena on the Costa Del Sol is still one of the worst battlegrounds for spats over sunbeds.

Hundreds of Brits are forced to queue from the early hours if they want to be in with a chance of a lounger.

A video posted on TikTok showed dozens of holidaymakers running to claim a lounger. One person said on the platform: 'My idea of hell.'

This comes after a Dutch woman sick of people hogging the best spots by the pool at a Turkish resort decided to take matters into her own hands and removed towels from sun loungers that had already been occupied the night before.

While it's not clear who laid the towels down, sunbeds have been the focal point of countless battles between the likes of British and German tourists vying for top spots at European resorts.

After just a few seconds, most of the prime spots next to the pool at the Costa Dorada hotel were snapped up

This comes after a Dutch woman sick of people hogging the best spots by the pool at a Turkish resort decided to take matters into her own hands and removed towels from sun loungers (pictured above) that had already been occupied the night before

And as this furious vigilante shows, it seems the Dutch are just as riled by those who unfairly hog prime loungers.

The woman, who goes by the username effi.sxx on TikTok, was walking past the pool of a Turkish resort at 2am when she noticed that a whole row of sunbeds had already been taken up by other hotel guests who had put down their towels and other belongings to claim their spot.

Fed up with their selfish behaviour, the woman decided to teach them a lesson and removed their towels from their poolside seats.

A video posted on her TikTok account shows the woman removing the yellow hotel towels from the loungers, as well as other objects left by tourists, including pool toys and sandals.

'Why not just do it the honest way? First come, first served', the woman captioned the video.
Businesses voiced alarm at plans for dramatically boosted workers' rights today with warnings that a swathe of staff could be sacked before the new rules take effect.

The King's Speech included a vow to a right to flexible working from 'day one' as well as immediate access to sickness and parental leave and protection from unfair dismissal.

Labour has committed to sweeping away zero hours contracts, while unions have reacted with glee at the scrapping of Tory restrictions on the chaos that can be caused by strikes.

However, the FSB said small business were 'increasingly worried' about the proposals driving up 'costs and risks' of giving people jobs.

Lawyers pointed out the government, workers and business have little idea how the proposals will work in practice. They highlighted the risk of 'unintended consequences' such as mass sackings of people with shorter service just before the measures come into force.

The New Deal for Workers was being championed by Angela Rayner, but has seemingly been given to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

The King's Speech included a pledge to ban zero hours arrangements, but after protests from businesses and people who benefit from the terms it has been watered down.

The New Deal for Workers was being championed by Angela Rayner, but has seemingly been given to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds

Only 'exploitative' deals will be targeted.

The government is vowing to end so-called 'Fire and Rehire' and 'Fire and Replace' practices.

Parental leave, sick pay and unfair dismissal protection would also be made available from the first day in a job.

Flexible working is also being made the 'default', but there is a caveat that this is only 'as far as is reasonable' rather than a right.

The Tory government's reforms of union powers, including minimum service standards in areas like rail, will be abolished.

The process of getting recognition for unions in workplaces will also be 'simplified', although there are few details.

The King said the Government would 'ban exploitative practices' as part of a new package of workers' rights.

Under the new Bill, a Fair Work Agency will be established to strengthen enforcement of workers' rights.

There will also be a new fair pay agreement in the adult social care sector to establish national terms and conditions and fair pay rates, as well as a 'genuine' national living wage which removes 'discriminatory' age bands.

The Government said the measures represent the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation and will improve the lives of working people across the country, stressing that ministers will work in partnership with unions and business.

A draft Equality Bill was also announced, enshrining in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, making it easier for them to bring unequal pay claims.

Unions responded with delight to the plans.

But the FSB's Tina McKenzie said: 'It is small businesses which take on those furthest from work and who must be the solution to labour market participation. Small firms must be given the right platform to recruit those out of work, create new jobs, and expand. There was nothing on this today, which suggests early signs of complacency on the need to back small businesses to resolve economic inactivity.

'The Government has before pledged to consult widely and openly on measures it has announced, and FSB will be working intensely on this over the coming months, and helping our community to deal with the more difficult challenges.'

Beverley Sunderland, a partner at Crossland Employment Solicitors, said: 'There is a marked difference between making sweeping promises in an election manifesto, and understanding the detailed reasons why perhaps this is not as easy as it might appear to be to the untrained eye.

'They will need employment law experts who understand all of the twists and turns and case law and not leave it to civil servants who do not have that experience.

'There is also the spectre of unintended consequences. If the law changes to include day one employment rights (subject to a probationary period) then there is the very real possibility that all those employees currently under two years' service, where the employer is undecided about them, will be dismissed before any new laws come in.'

Ross Meadows, Partner at Oury Clark Solicitors, said: 'The Labour Government's plan to introduce day one employment rights will have massive implications for employers.

'The changes are likely to necessitate rigorous hiring practices and comprehensive onboarding to mitigate the risk of immediate legal disputes.

'Employers will need to invest in robust HR policies and training to ensure compliance and avoid potential litigation. This change will increase operational costs and administrative burdens.

'Smaller businesses are likely to face greater challenges adapting to these requirements, potentially affecting their competitiveness and financial stability. It could lead some employers to engage Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs) and Employers of Record (EORs) rather than employing staff directly. The PEO/EOR would take on all the employment/HR responsibilities and mitigate the risks associated with direct employment, including potential unfair dismissal claims.'

Luke Johnson, a serial entrepreneur and the former chairman of Pizza Express, said Labour's new rules would stifle economic growth.

He told MailOnline: 'More regulation will make Britain a less attractive place for investment.

'The government say securing economic growth is their fundamental mission. More red tape will do the opposite. Unfortunately this proposed slate of legislation will add plenty of bureaucracy and make life harder for businesses.'

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'The steadfast commitment to start delivery of the New Deal for Working People within 100 days will significantly improve the lives of workers after 14 years of vicious anti-trade union legislation from the Tories.'

Mr Reynolds' business department is expected to steward the New Deal for Workers

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: 'These achievements are down to pressure from the trade union movement and we will continue to articulate what is in the best interests of railway workers and working people as a whole.

'We will also continue to actively engage with the Government on the pay issues in our sectors which can be resolved quickly.'

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This King's Speech begins the process of repairing and rebuilding Britain after 14 years of chaos and decline.

'Whether its boosting workers' rights, launching GB Energy, or bringing our railways back into public ownership, this is a serious statement of intent.

'Working people need  and want  a Government that will deliver meaningful change and be on their side.'
The Secret Service's director Kimberly Cheatle has been slammed for her 'stupidity' and 'BS excuse' that snipers were not present on the roof used by would-be assassin Thomas Crooks because it was 'too sloped'.

Speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, Cheatle claimed that agents were not positioned on top of the sloped building, deeming it too dangerous - despite images from the scene showing Secret Service snipers set up on a sloped roof behind where Trump was delivering his speech.

Former Army Ranger Sean Powell was among those who registered his outrage with Cheatle's 'BS excuse' a rage filled tweet.

'Holy s***. A sloped roof? That is a total BS excuse,' he wrote.

'Our snipers used to set in on mountain tops in Afghanistan. On the down slopes if need be. The stupidity of this statement explains so much of why s*** hit the fan that day. Absolute incompetence,' he added.

Following Cheatle's bizarre comments, a former US senator from South Carolina, Jim DeMint also weighed in saying: 'This sad excuse about defies believability.'

Speaking to ABC News, Secret Services director Kimberly Cheatle bizarrely claimed that Secret Service snipers were not placed on the roof that Thomas Crooks used in his assassination attempt on Donald Trump because it was 'too sloped'

Cheatle's claims were heavily criticized as it was spotted that the snipers who were located on the left building had set up on a slanted roof too, behind Trump's podium, while Crooks was located on the right

The roof of the building Thomas Crooks was on was left without Secret Service snipers in a decision that has left many calling for Cheatle to resign

Secret Service sniped pictured at the Saturday rally set upon a sloped roof near where Trump was delivering his speech

Instead of placing her snipers on the roof of the American Glass Research Building in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks fired from, she made the decision to secure the building from the inside.

'That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point,' she claimed.

'And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.

'And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside,' she added.

Thanks to Cheatle's decision, Crooks managed to evade cops and Secret Service three times, even though he had been deemed 'suspicious' and could have been on the roof for up to 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger.

Witnesses also begged law enforcement to act when they saw him clamber onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but the lapse in security meant he was able to carry out his bid to take the 45th president's life.

But now, her comments have been heavily criticized by members of the public, with many dubbing the theory a 'total BS excuse' that 'defies believability'.

The lapse in security allowed would-be assassin Crooks to evade both police and the Secret Service, despite being flagged as suspicious.

Witnesses reported seeing Crooks climb onto the sloped roof with his father's AR-style semiautomatic rifle, but security officials failed to act in time to prevent any harm coming to the former president.

'The snipers above President Trump were on a sloped roof so why couldn't they secure the sloped roof that the assassin was on?'

'She should have been fired days ago. We need accountability'.

Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg added: 'Ironically, the snipers who were behind Trump during the rally were on a sloped roof, she is b*********** and getting away with it'.

As the public outcry surrounding Cheatle's comments rages on, conversations about how she obtained her position within the agency are also beginning to emerge.

It has been said it is largely due to her close relationship with first lady Jill Biden that she was able to land her role as director of the agency.

Four sources close to President Biden's family, including people who interacted with Cheatle during the Obama-Biden administration, told the New York Post she was well liked by the future first lady and her most senior aides, including top adviser Anthony Bernal.

'Cheatle served on Dr. Biden's second lady detail and Anthony pushed for her,' a Democratic insider said.

'I heard at the time she was being considered for director that Anthony had pushed her forward as an option,' another source added.

Republicans preparing to grill Cheatle have already focused on her own background.

Before being appointed by President Biden in 2022, she worked for PepsiCo as senior director in Global Security.

She worked for 25 years in the agency and in the Vice Presidential Protective Division.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Ky.) on Fox News has called her a 'diversity hire.'

'You know she was working at Pepsi before this. I know she was a former CIA Secret Service agent, but still, this is what happens when you dont put the best players in,' he said.

The director of the 159-year-old agency, Kimberly Cheatle, (pictured, right) has already been called to appear before the House Oversight Committee to be grilled

Trump was shot in the ear around 10 minutes after he took to the stage

He was seen with blood across his face on Saturday

Hours after Trump was shot, House Speaker Mike Johnson called for a full investigation into the attack, promising that Congress would hear testimony from Cheatle soon.

'THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY,' Johnson wrote on X.

'The American people deserve to know the truth. We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.'

Cheatle also told ABC News her first reaction to the shooting was 'shock.'

She said the Secret Service was aware of the security vulnerabilities presented by the building Crooks took a sniper's position on to aim at Trump.

However, a decision was made not to place any personnel on the roof  even though security experts have said a primary responsibility of law enforcement would be to secure elevated areas near a high level protectee.

She also continues to resist calls that she step down over the incident, even while taking responsibility for her agency.

'The buck stops with me,' she said.

'It was unacceptable,' she added. 'And it's something that shouldn't happen again.'

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who opened fire on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday

Police personnel stand over the body of Thomas Matthews Crooks on a rooftop near the Trump rally on Saturday

Ex-FBI special agent Kenneth Gray told DailyMail.com on Monday that the Secret Service 'really screwed up' at the rally on Saturday and that efforts to hire more women in field roles may well have played a role.

Republican officials gathering in Milwaukee have been calling for tough scrutiny of the agency even as the feds are implementing tighter security measures around Trump and other protectees.

Somebody, somewhere has a really, really a lot of serious questions to have to answer, House Judiciary and Weaponization committee member Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota told DailyMail.com.

Cheatle's decision to avoid questions until now has also drawn astonishment. She was not present at the initial press conference headed by the FBI.

The probe set up by President Joe Biden after the incident is being overseen by the Justice Department, not Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service.

'That speaks volumes, former House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz told DailyMail.com.
A student who fell ill after being injected with a needle on a night out has welcomed plans for a new spiking law.

Lily Jackaman, 22, said a planned clampdown on the cruel craze, where a person has their drink secretly plied with alcohol or drugs or is injected, would help victims and act as a strong deterrent for perpetrators.

Miss Jackman, who is studying for a Masters in audio, radio and podcasting at Goldsmiths' College in London, told MailOnline: 'It is too late for me in my case, but I hope the new law will give comfort to victims.

'I hope that they will know they are within their rights to report it to police, and that police and emergency services will know what to do.'

The King outlined the new Government's forthcoming legislative agenda when he attended the State Opening of Parliament today, citing measures to improve the safety and security of public venues, and strengthen the law to improve the police response to spiking.

It is not currently a specific offence, although it can be prosecuted as an assault - something campaigners say is not widely known or understood by victims or emergency services.

Lily said she felt sick, dizzy and was slurring her words - despite drinking just two pints of cider - after being spiked with a needle, and said her concerns were initially dismissed as anxiety

Lily, a Masters student at Goldsmiths, was said by doctors to have been injected with a tranquiliser while in a nightclub with friends in 2022

But the Government believes making it a standalone offence, punishable by a lengthy prison term, could finally act as a proper deterrent amid concerns spiking is becoming more prevalent.

Lily was out with friends in Surrey in March 2022 when she was injected shortly after entering the venue.

She said: 'We were on the dancefloor and I wanted to get a drink.

'As I got to the bar, I felt a scratch on my right arm.

'There was a lot of information in the press at the time about spiking, and I recognised the feeling of having an injection - it is very distinct.

'Alarms bells went off in my head so I immediately sent a text to my friends who were on the dancefloor, telling them I thought I had just been spiked.

'I went outside with them to get some fresh air because my head was spinning and I was feeling really dizzy. The site of the spiking on my arm was irritated, I was feeling nauseous and I started to get a headache.'

The Government believes making it a standalone offence, punishable by a lengthy prison term, could finally act as a proper deterrent amid concerns spiking is becoming more prevalent

More than 8,500 reports of spiking were made last year to 39 police forces that responded to a freedom of information request. That compares with 1653 in 2018

Lily, who lives in east London, said she and her friends went to see paramedics at the venue to explain what happened.

But she was shocked when staff turned her away, told her to stop worrying, and to go home to sleep it off where her condition deteriorated.

The next morning, Lily said she woke with 'one of the worst hangovers' of her life - despite having only drunk two ciders all night.

'I had a dead arm, like from an injection, the room was spinning and I was sick. I felt something was not right,' she said.

Lily phoned the non-emergency 111 service, who advised her to go to hospital.

But, as with the night before, Lily was simply told to go away.

'They dismissed me at A+E and told me to go to the police,' she said.

'They didn't do any blood tests or anything like that.'

But a friend was insistent that something was wrong with Lily, and took her to a different hospital where doctors confirmed she had likely been spiked with a tranquiliser.

Lily took comfort in the fact she had finally been 'taken seriously' - and hopes a new law will do even more to reassure victims.

Confusion, hallucinations and suddenly acting paranoid are among the signs that a person's drink has been spiked

Colin and Mandy Mackie set up the Spike Aware UK charity, and have campaigned for a specific spiking offence

'The venue said it was just anxiety, then the first hospital turned me away,' she said.

'It was a relief that someone had finally taken me seriously, and that is what I think this new law will do.

'It was so important that someone listened and took it seriously. I would not have gone to the second hospital if my friend had not insisted because I did not want another professional turning me away.

'It was so discouraging that the venue said it was just my anxiety. I had two ciders, I shouldn't be slurring my words and be unsteady on my feet.'

She said the second hospital's diagnosis promtped her to call police, who were 'fantastic, very empathetic'. But despite carrying out DNA swabs, seizing evidence and checking CCTV, they were unable to find the suspect.

'The new law, I think it will help in terms of the medical staff,' Lily said.

'I think I was lucky in terms of the police because I know people have reported being spiked and they were basically dismissed.

'I know people have had their drinks spiked and been spiked with needles. It is really prevalent.

'It isn't just in the night-time economy, it can be in someone's house, anywhere.

'After seeing the CCTV at the venue, I think clubs need to invest more in it, so it is easier to see what's happening.

'I feel much more confident (with the new law) in the fact that if people are spiked they will get the care they deserve.

'The police and emergency services will work to one procedure, they will know what to do better than now, when there is no specific law, meaning things are a bit hazy in terms of legally and medically. A new law will place a duty on emergency services to take it seriously.'

She added: 'There has been a lot of coverage about this new law, and I think that it will deter perpetrators because the law is catching up, people will see they can go to prison for it.

'A new law will encourage so many more victims to tell someone immediately. Spiking is massively underreported, and a new law will help,' she said.

'The paramedics at the nightclub didn't know what advice to give.

'I have spoken to the venue since and they have changed their security staff and brought in new checks on people's bags, patting down customers as they enter. It's not every time, but it is massively improved on what was before.'

Campaigner Colin Mackie, who founded the charity Spike Aware UK, said he backed a new spiking law.

He said: The number of victims reporting being spiked is growing. A new stand alone offence will give even more victims the confidence to come forward, safe in the knowledge that spiking is a fully recognised crime.

'Victims will feel more secure, that they'll be taken seriously and confident that they'll get the advice and support they need at a difficult time.'

Figures based on Freedom of Information Act responses from police forces in England and Wales last October found there were more than 8,500 reports of spiking made in 2022, compared with around 1,650 in 2018.
A German scientist behind a Swiss 'suicide capsule' designed to carry out assisted dying has declared he will 'probably one day use it' as he defended the device at a press conference today.

The Sarco, short for sarcophagus, would enable the euthanasia patient inside it to press a button and die 'within seconds', according to the company behind it, Exit Switzerland.

The case - which looks like something out of a sci-fi film and has been described as the 'Tesla of euthanasia' - fills with nitrogen to starve the occupant of oxygen, rendering the patient unconscious before they die.

Authorities in Switzerland's Schaffhausen and Valais Cantons have issued bans on the device and warned that anyone assisting someone to use the pods could face jail time, according to Swiss media reports.

But scientist Florian Willet, 47, said the capsule had undergone extensive instrument testing, while lawyer Fiona Stewart said the device is not prohibited under Swiss law, in spite of individual cantons issuing bans.

Willet later added he 'will probably use the Sarco myself instead of living through my last days in a miserable state while seriously ill'.

Its creator, controversial assisted dying advocate Dr Philip Nitschke, claims his invention could allow users to die swiftly and painlessly, but warned: 'Once the button is pressed, there is no way back.'

Fiona Stewart, Member of the Advisory Board and COO of the 'Last Resort', a Switzerland's human rights non-profit association focused on assisted suicide, presents the Sarco suicide capsule in Zurich on July 17, 2024

This photograph shows the Sarco suicide capsule, during a media event

The 3-D printed coffin-like Sarco suicide machine, can be activated from the inside by the person intending to die, by filling the capsule with nitrogen, which induces hypoxic death to the occupant

Australian doctor Philip Nitschke (R), founder of the euthanasia organization Exit International, speaks next to Florian Willet

Fiona Stewart (L), Member of the Advisory Board and COO of the 'Last Resort', a Switzerland's human rights non-profit association focused on assisted suicide, presents the Sarco suicide capsule in Zurich on July 17, 2024

This photograph shows the Sarco suicide capsule, during a media event

Public Prosecutor Peter Sticher warned of 'serious consequences' for Nitschke for 'inducement and aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons'.

In a letter obtained by Swiss media, Sticher said: 'There is no reliable information about the method of killing.

'[It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process.'

Prosecutors in Schaffhausen say that under section 115 of the canton's penal code, it would be impossible to establish who was responsible for the killing and as a result blocked the device's introduction.

The ban followed after Nitschke revealed in an online forum on June 10 that Sarco's deployment in Switzerland was expected 'in the next few weeks.'

He said: 'The machine can be towed anywhere for the death.

'It can be in an idyllic outdoor setting or on the premises of an assisted-suicide organisation, for example.'

While the Australian researcher claims that his device would give people the chance to end their lives in a 'peaceful' way, pro-life groups have warned that the sleek, furturistic looking pods 'glamorise suicide'.

Sources told Swiss media that Exit Switzerland's preparations to introduce the pods were largely complete, and said a candidate for the first euthanisation had been selected.

It is unclear who that patient is and Dr Nitschke and his team have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

In an interview with MailOnline last year, Dr Nitschke explained how his invention works.

'The person will climb into the machine, they will be asked three questions and they will answer verbally - 'Who are you?', 'Where are you?' and 'Do you know what happens if you press the button?'

'And if they answer those questions verbally, the software then switches the power on so that the button can then be pressed.

'And if they press the button they will die very quickly.

The Sarco, short for sarcophagus, would enable the euthanasia patient inside it to press a button and die 'within seconds', according to the company behind it, Exit Switzerland

Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke, the man behind the Sarco

An early version of the Sarco Pod, which can be operated internally and works by reducing oxygen levels. No one has yet used it. The final prototype is in the finishing stages of being prepared

Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke is a former physician and head of the voluntary euthanasia campaign Exit International

'When you climb into Sarco the oxygen level is 21 per cent but after you press the button it takes 30 seconds for the oxygen to drop to less than 1 per cent,' he said.

The doctor's plans to use Sarco for the first time caused uproar from 'pro-life' organisations, including CARE.

James Mildred, its director of engagement, said: 'Philip Nitschke's device has been condemned by a broad range of commentators.

'Many people feel that it trivialises, and even glamourises, suicide.

'We believe that suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent in every circumstance. There are ethical ways to help human beings that don't involve the destruction of life.'

Sarco's creators said in 2021 that it had passed legal review in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal and hundreds of people use the services of organisations such as Dignitas and Exit (a separate group to that of Dr Nitschke) every year.

But Kerstin Noelle Vokinger, a Professor of Law and Medicine at the University of Zurich, said previously that Sarco may need to be certified under the country's medical devices act, which it is not.
A flash con-artist, who was at the centre of Britain's biggest ever cyber scam has been ordered to pay back 2 million or spend up to 21 years behind bars.

Feezan Hameed Choudhary, 33, was jailed for 11 years in 2016 for leading a fraudulent enterprise that conned 750 RBS and Lloyds customers out of 113million.

Dubbed 'The Voice', the fraudster would put on Scottish, English and Welsh accents to trick victims out of their hard-earned cash over the phone.

Posing as staff from anti-fraud departments, the gang of hustlers would convince victims to hand over their bank details and would drain their accounts - a scam known as voice phishing, or 'vishing'.

Brazen Choudhary would then splash the stolen millions on parties with pop stars, luxury holidays in Dubai and shopping sprees at high-end stores such as Harrods.

Feezan Hameed Choudhary (pictured) , who was at the centre of Britain's biggest ever cyber scheme, has been ordered by a judge to pay 2 million or face another eight years behind bars

Choudhary spent millions on supercars, Harrods shopping sprees and parties with popstars

The convict, who was based in Glasgow personally sole at least 6.5 million.

A judge has ruled today the crook must repay the 2 million within three months or eight years would be added to his sentence in default.

But Choudhary has only paid back 773,443 and claims he has nothing left.

Prosecutors allege he still has assets, including a property worth more than 1 million in Pakistan and a house in Glasgow worth 103,000.

Andrew Bird, defending, said the value of the Pakistani Rupee had plummeted significantly, and that any assets Hameed does have would be worth less.

He explained the con-artist had been given the opportunity to take part in a documentary being produced by Hello Halo TV.

'He has had an offer from a TV documentary. He might receive 50,000 but they would not pay him directly because they have a policy of not paying criminals. The production company would pay against his order,' he told the court.

'If he had the 1.3 million odd that the prosecution claims that he's got why on earth would he not pay 326,558 to get out of prison?'

Judge Adam Hiddleston ruled that if the 2 million was not paid, an additional eight years would be added to his sentence.

In 2017 two-and-a-half years was added to his original 11-year sentence after he ran an identical scam from behind bars.

With an added eight years for failing to pay back the sum in full, Choudhary could be in jail for up to 21 years.

'The defendant has demonstrated through his evidence that he does have access to hidden assets,' he said.

'I am not satisfied that he demonstrated that which he needed to an adequate standard.'

It is unclear when the fraudster's release date would be, he would serve the extra eight years consecutively after his original 11-year sentence.

Hameed told Southwark Crown Court he has been on a 'spiritual journey' after meeting an Iman whilst behind bars.

Feezan Hameed Choudhary on a Dubai holiday where he posed with a tiger

'It's been nine years. I've lost a lot. I have been on a spiritual journey. Money is not everything. This is not happiness. It's fake happiness,' he said.

'I could have got married and had kids.'

The conman's 'vishing' scam was unearthed in the midst of several police raids in West Midlands and Glasgow.

Prior to his life in jail, the con-artist flaunted his stolen wealth, gloating with social media pictures with exotic tigers, celebrities such as Pakistani pop star Bilal Saeed.

He bragged about how he could pay a team of valets to polish his fleet of custom Porsches.

Hameed also owned several luxury motors including a Bentley and a Lamborghini with the scam making more than 3million a month.
These are the two Britons who are missing feared dead in Sweden - after a hire car they rented was found burned out with two bodies inside it.

The pair are London-based travel agents Juan Cifuentes and Farooq Abdulrazak whose families have reported them missing.

The corpses were recovered after firefighters were called to the scene of a blaze on a dirt road in the Fosie industrial estate in the coastal city of Malmo on Sunday.

Police in Sweden say the Toyota RAV4 set ablaze on an industrial estate in gang-scarred Malmo was the same car rented by Juan, 33, and Farooq, 37 - and they have not been seen since driving away in it.

Authorities are in the process of formally identifying both bodies but families of the men are fearing the worst.

Farooq Abdulrazak (left) and Juan Cifuentes (right) are believed to be the two men found

The men are believed to have travelled to Denmark before heading to Sweden for business

Juan (L) and Farooq (C) travelled to Denmark together before heading on to Sweden

Forensic teams are working to confirm the identities of the Brits found in Sweden

A relative of Juan Cifuentes confirmed this morning: 'The car that was found is the one that Juan and Farooq rented.

'The Swedish police have been in contact with us and are providing updates on the situation.

'They believe the two men in the car are possibly Juan and Farooq but the bodies are yet to be identified.

'I have read reports that the two men found in the car had been shot.

'That is not something that we are aware of at this time. The police have not told us that.

'All we know at the moment is that Juan and Farooq travelled to Denmark and then on to Sweden for a business trip.

'They'd been due to return on Sunday before the Euro final but they didn't come home and nobody has seen them for a few days.'

It is believed that the two men flew to Denmark on Sunday and rented a car at Copenhagen Kastrup airport before driving across over the Oresund Bridge to Sweden where their burnt out car was found in the city on Malmo.

Earlier Rickard Lundqvist, press spokesperson for police region South, confirmed that there was an investigation - but said there was no suspect at present.

Police only identified that the victims were not Danish 'since it was a Danish-registered car'.

Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet later reported that the victims were British.

And Swedish police confirmed they are working with foreign police on the case.

Aftonbladet reported today that two British businessmen feared murdered had flown from Heathrow airport in London to Copenhagen's Kastrup airport.

At Kastrup, one of the two Britons is said to have been photographed when he rented a car - the same car that was later found burnt out.

Two Brits were shot dead in a rented car and set on fire in Sweden after hiring the vehicle in Denmark. Images show forensics officers investigating the scene

Farooq (pictured) and Juan were meant to come home on Sunday before the Euros final

Farooq (pictured) and his friend have not been seen since driving away in a rental

The Foreign Office said previously it was supporting the families of two British men reported in Sweden after the bodies were found in a burned-out Toyota in an industrial estate in Malmo on Sunday.

The driver and passenger, who are believed to be British citizens, were found in the gutted remains of a car that had been rented in Denmark and driven across the border to Sweden.

Firefighters discovered the body when responding to the scene of a blaze on the Fosie industrial estate.

Police said they had not yet identified the bodies, but that forensic testing would take place this morning.

Horrifically, the victims are understood to have been shot before the car was set alight, local media reports.

Police are treating the incident as a double murder.
Former San Francisco school board member Ann Hsu, ousted by voters two years ago in the wake of racist comments about Black and brown students, said she will run again in November. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Former San Francisco school board member Ann Hsu, ousted by voters two years ago in the wake of racist comments about Black and brown students, has filed to run again in November.

The announcement this week shocked the citys education community and added yet another level of intrigue and turmoil to an already polarizing November school board election as the district stands on the precipice of financial collapse.

Hsu was an active supporter of the school board recall that upended the district during the pandemic and was tapped by Mayor London Breed to replace one of the three recalled members.

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Hsu is a late addition to the list of candidates. She made a formal announcement of her candidacy Thursday morning, said Quincy Yu, her campaign manager.

I am here to serve students and their families and stay out of politics, Hsu said in a statement Wednesday.

Most of the candidates filed in April, and Hsu never expected to be among them, Yu said.

She decided to enter the race recently after seeing what she believes is a lack of experience among some of those running as well as political intrigue, including endorsement deals between the teachers union, board member Matt Alexander and three moderate candidates.

Shes seeing politics play instead of putting students first, Yu said.

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So far, 12 people have filed to run for the four open seats, including one incumbent, Alexander. Incumbents Jenny Lam, Mark Sanchez and Kevine Boggess are not expected to run.

The news of Hsus candidacy, first reported by the San Francisco Standard, swept across the city Wednesday morning, with a variety of reactions.

I cant say I saw this coming, but also Im not totally surprised, said Meredith Dodson, executive director of SF Parent Action, a policy and candidate-focused grassroots organization. A lot of parents feel undermined by the negotiated endorsement deal with Matt Alexander, and they lost trust in candidates they were excited about. Looks like that effectively created a bit of an opening in the race. Ultimately, we just want to see the candidates most focused on kids win this November.

Some consider Hsu an unwelcome distraction.

I think what the district desperately needs at this moment is for the superintendent and the school board to work closely together and bring the community along because there are some awful decisions to make, said former school board member Rachel Norton. Whether you support Ann Hsu, and I did when she was appointed by Mayor Breed, shes a polarizing figure.

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More polarizing is not at all what the school district needs at this point.

The coming school year will be among the most challenging the citys school board has ever faced. The current school board is expected to vote on school closures before the winter break and then in the new year needs to overcome a more than $100 million deficit after already cutting 1,000 positions and trimming spending. State advisers already have spending control over the seven board members, but insolvency remains a real possibility.

The four who win in November will start their terms in January, amid the implementation of closures and budget cuts and layoffs.

In a highly political and polarized situation where theres a ton at stake, a nasty campaign or a bitterly fought campaign, its going to create serious wounds that will have to heal very quickly so a new board can hit the ground running, Norton said. If I were a sitting school board member right now, I would be worried about how we keep things moving forward while folks get up to speed.

Hsus candidacy is also surprising because she appeared to turn her focus elsewhere after losing her seat: She opened a tiny private school last year in San Francisco focused on a classical curriculum.



I wanted to start a school because I feel like our public school education system is failing our kids, Hsu told the Chronicle in March.



Hsu said in the spring that she planned to build her private school into a franchise that would eclipse the citys public school system, which faces declining enrollment, budget woes and worried families.

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Her campaign manager highlighted that role, saying it would serve her well if she returns to the public sector.

She has spent the last years serving low-income monolingual families, several of whom are single-parent families, Yu said. Shes seen firsthand what they need.

One of her strongest past supporters doubted her ability to run a private school while also helping to oversee the district if she wins.

Ann Hsu accomplished a lot during her short tenure on the school board, including restoring merit admission to Lowell High School, said Siva Raj, who led the recall effort. However, shes now running a private school and that puts her in direct conflict with the role of a school board commissioner.
The grieving daughters of an Aussie who was allegedly murdered alongside his wife and her daughter-in-law in a Philippines hotel room have said they won't stop fighting until they get justice.

David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, a Philippines-born Australian citizen, and their daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, were found dead at The Lake Hotel, at Tagaytay in the country's Cavite province, southwest of Manila.

A pool cleaner who worked at the hotel is accused of killing them in a warped act of revenge on his employers.

Mr Fisk was due to walk his daughter, Lacinda, down the aisle next month but the wedding has now been postponed.

'We have been living and will continue to live a nightmare until any of this makes sense', Lacinda Fisk told Nine News through tears.

'For someone to take our father away from us so cruelly... it just doesn't make sense.'

'We won't stop fighting until we find out why, and we won't stop fighting until we have justice for our father and Lucita.'

Lacinda's sister Brittany said the alleged crime had left her' really angry and scared'.

Lacinda Fisk and her sister Brittany have vowed won't stop fighting until they have justice

David James Fisk, 57, his wife Lucita Barquin Cortez (pictured together) and their daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez, 30, were found dead at The Lake Hotel at Tagaytay south-west of Manila

'I don't want this to happen to anyone else,' she added.

Adding to their heartbreak, the sisters claim that most of their information had come from media reports rather than the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs.

'My poor sister having to make the phone call and then her poor fiance on Thursday having to make the phone call to let me know how they actually died like ... no one should have to deal with that,' Brittany said.

Her sister had to call DFAT to confirm media reports that the suspect had been found.

'I understand that there's obviously a due process, but it just didn't seem right,' Lacinda told The Age.

'It doesn't seem fair that we're having to continually push for these answers when you would hope that they would want to help us.'

The sisters pray that their many questions will be answered and that their father's body will soon return home.

'This is not something that happens in real life and I just think, 'Why was my poor father caught up in this?' It doesn't make sense,' Lacinda added.

'No one should have to receive a phone call [saying] that their father has been murdered overseas and still just be so in the dark.'

Mr Fisk was due to walk his daughter, Lacinda, down the aisle next month but the wedding has now been postponed (pictured, left to right: Lacinda, Brittany and their allegedly murdered father David)

Hotel staff made the horrifying discovery on July 10 when the Mr Fisk, his wife Ms Cortez and her daughter-in-law failed to check out of their room.

All three victims were reportedly found lying face-down with their hands and feet bound and tape over their mouths.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven M Capagcuan revealed a man 'surrendered' to officers at 1.38am on Wednesday in relation to the murders.

The 33-year-old man, known under the alias 'Ronel', was a former employee at the hotel, according to the Cavite Police Provincial Office report.

'The course of the investigation revealed that the suspect took revenge against the hotel's management for his termination from employment, which led to the tragic killing of the victims,' the report said.

Mr Capagcuan told reporters that Ronel worked as the hotel's swimming pool cleaner and 'wanted to get back at the hotel management for his dismissal'.

Suspek sa pagpatay sa Austalian, kinakasamang Pinay at manugang nito sa isang hotel sa Tagaytay City, hawak na ng pulisya@News5PH @onenewsph pic.twitter.com/LpGmbPl8c1  Hannibal Talete (@HannibalGeneral) July 16, 2024

A man suspected of killing an Australian couple and their relative while they were holidaying in the Philippines surrendered himself to police (pictured)

Police explained the man (pictured) was a disgruntled former employee at the hotel where the bodies were found

Tagaytay city Mayor Abraham Tolentino and Capagcuan presented the suspect at news conference.

The man was ushered into the room in handcuffs and was wearing a hooded jacket, dark sunglasses and a black face mask.

Mr Capagcuan explained the suspect 'surrendered' himself to authorities after police attended his home in the province of Batangas, near Tagaytay, on Tuesday evening.

The development comes after police spent the last week searching for a man who was spotted on CCTV footage exiting the room on the day of the alleged murders.

Hotel security camera vision showed the man leaving the room dressed in a black hood jumper, maroon shorts, sneakers and carrying a black backpack.

Mr Capagcuan said the suspect was identified by at least three hotel employees based on the images captured by the security cameras.

It is understood police are planning to charge the suspect with murder and robbery, after he allegedly admitted to taking Mr Fisk's watch and shoes following the attack.

According to local media reports, hotel security guard Rodney Parahinog passed the man at 6am on Wednesday at the resort's entrance gate and asked him where he was going.

Mr Parahinog said the man replied that he was a guest and was holding a key card for Mr Fisk's room.

Pictured: Australian national David James Fisk, 57, his Philippine-born Australian wife Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55

The three murder victims are pictured, left and centre, with another family member (right) during Mr Fisk's visit to the Philippines with partner Lucita Barquin Cortez

Tagaytay city Mayor Abraham Tolentino (centre) apologised to the family of the victims and to Australia for the brutal murders that happened in his city

On Friday, Mr Fisk's family released a statement sharing their grief as they pleaded for answers about the horrific deaths.

'The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare,' the statement read.

'We pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter and just pray for their safe return to Australian shores.

'David's daughters, local known and loved residents in the Sutherland Shire, ask on behalf of their family that the media respect our privacy in this incredibly difficult and tragic time and we will be making no further comment.'

The family have set up a GoFundMe to assist with 'support getting justice for all loved ones involved' and will be used to 'help ease the financial stress and burden that will arise from this incredibly difficult time'.

Mr Fisk's body will be repatriated to Sydney, while both women will be buried in the Philippines, with the government to pay for their funeral service and burial.
Minutes before convicted murderer Ruben Gutierrez was due to receive a lethal injection for his role in the murder of an 85-year-old woman in 1998 in Texas, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution.

Gutierrez, 47, was convicted in 1999, when he was 21, of killing Escolastica Harrison with a screwdriver inside of her trailer park home in the town of Brownsville, just north of the Mexico border on Texas' Gulf Coast.

He maintained his innocence, claiming he was not inside of the home at the time. Gutierrez has admitted to taking part in the attempt to rob Harrison of $600,000 she saved and stored at home because of a mistrust of banks.

The Supreme Court must now decided if Gutierrez and his legal team can bring their appeal to the highest court in the land. The case was previously brought to the wider public's attention when Kim Kardashian appealed to Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot to halt the execution.

He was set to die at 6:00 pm local time on July 16. The ruling came at 5:40pm. He was in a holding cell when prison warden Kelly Strong told him about the stay.

'He was visibly emotional,' prison spokeswoman Amanda Hernandez said, adding he was not expecting the court stay. 'We asked him if he wanted to make a statement but he needed a minute.'

The nations high court issued the indefinite stay shortly before inmate Ruben Gutierrez was to have been taken to the death chamber of a Huntsville prison

Gutierrez was condemned for the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison, shown here alongside her husband at a family wedding

Kim Kardashian became involved in Gutierrez's case in 2020 and celebrated his earlier stay of execution on social media

Gutierrez pictured with his wife, Nicie, in 2020. Nicie has been a constant advocate for her husband's innocence

'He turned around to the back of the cell, covered his mouth. He was tearing up, speechless. He was shocked.'

She said Gutierrez then prayed with a prison chaplain and added: 'God is great!'

Gutierrez legal fight has been ongoing since 2009 when he began seeking post-conviction DNA testing. His lawyers maintain that DNA evidence will prove that he was not in the home at the time of the killing. Two others are charged in the case.

He has had several previous execution dates in recent years that have been delayed, including related to having a spiritual adviser in the death chamber.

In June 2020, Gutierrez was an hour from execution when he got a stay from the Supreme Court.

At the time of his trial, prosecutors said the killing of the mobile home park manager and retired teacher was part of an attempt to steal more than $600,000 she had hidden in her home because of her mistrust of banks.

'The application for stay of execution of sentence of death presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is granted pending the disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari,' the Supreme Court's ruling states.

'Should the petition for a writ of certiorari be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically. In the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the stay shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court.'

The reality star-turned-criminal justice reform advocate celebrated the news on social media

His attorneys argued that various items recovered from the crime scene - including nail scrapings from Harrison, a loose hair wrapped around one of her fingers and various blood samples from within her home - have never been tested.

'Gutierrez faces not only the denial of (DNA testing) that he has repeatedly and consistently sought for over a decade, but moreover, execution for a crime he did not commit. No one has any interest in a wrongful execution,' Gutierrezs attorneys wrote in their petition to the Supreme Court.

Shawn Nolan, an attorney for Gutierrez, expressed pleasure with the court's decision late Tuesday. 'We are hopeful that now the Court has stepped in to stop this execution, we can ultimately accomplish the DNA testing to prove that Mr. Gutierrez should not be executed now or in the future,' Nolan said in an emailed statement.

Prosecutors said Gutierrez was attempting to steal more than $600,000 that Escolastica Harrison had hidden in her home when he killed her

Prosecutors have said the request for DNA testing is a delay tactic and that Gutierrez was convicted on various pieces of evidence, including a confession in which he admitted to planning the robbery and that he was inside her home when she was killed.

Gutierrez was convicted under Texas law of parties, which says a person can be held liable for the actions of others if they assist or encourage the commission of a crime.

In their response to Gutierrezs Supreme Court petition, the Texas Attorney Generals Office and the Cameron County District Attorneys Office had said state law does not provide 'for postconviction DNA testing to show innocence of the death penalty and, even if it did, Gutierrez would not be entitled to it.'

Lower courts have previously denied Gutierrezs requests for DNA testing.

Authorities said Gutierrez befriended Harrison so he could rob her. Prosecutors said Harrison hid her money underneath a false floor in her bedroom closet.

Two of Harrison's nephews and three of their friends were to have witnessed the execution. They declined to comment on the court's reprieve.

Police charged three people in this case: Rene Garcia, Pedro Gracia and Gutierrez. Rene Garcia is serving a life sentence in a Texas prison while Pedro Gracia, who police said was the getaway driver, remains at large.
An editor at a major news outlet wants the press to stop using the iconic photo of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump because it represents 'free PR' for his campaign.

The unnamed editor told Axios that sharing the historic photo of the former president standing after he survived the attempt on his life is 'dangerous despite how good it is.' Their outlet wasn't named either, but it said to receive millions of regular readers.

Liberal-leaning Axios reported that multiple unnamed photographers told them they were worried the image taken by Pulitzer winner Evan Fucci could turn into 'photoganda' by the Trump campaign to 'further their agenda, despite the photographers' intent of capturing a news event.'

One photographer said the photo could become a 'propaganda machine' and make Trump a 'martyr.'

An editor at a major news outlet wants the press to stop using the iconic photo of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump because it represents 'free PR' for his campaign

The photograph of a bloodied Donald Trump with his fist in the air and an American flag looming in the background is quickly emerging as the pivotal image of Saturdays shooting.

Video of the assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally filled television screens before it was even clear what had happened.

Yet the work of The Associated Press Evan Vucci, Gettys Anna Moneymaker and Doug Mills of The New York Times  whose picture caught apparent evidence of a bullet whizzing past Trumps head  proved the enduring potency of still photography in a world driven by a flood of moving pictures.

Liberal-leaning Axios reported that multiple unnamed photographers told them they were worried the image taken by Pulitzer winner Evan Fucci (pictured) could turn into 'photoganda'

Trump grabbed his right ear as the first shots rang out at 6:12pm

Vuccis image, one of many he took on Saturday, could also have political implications from many directions  as indelible images often do in the days and years after seismic events happen.

'Without question, Evans photo will become the definitive photo from the (assassination) attempt,' Patrick Witty, a former photo editor at Time, The New York Times and National Geographic told the Associated Press.

'It captures a range of complex details and emotions in one still image  the defiantly raised fist, the blood, the agents clamoring to push Trump off stage and, most importantly, the flag. Thats what elevates the photo.'

Authorities are still working to figure out how 20-year-old Thomas Crooks was able to nearly shoot Trump in the head.

Police snipers returned fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at the campaign event

So far, there has been no public disclosure the shooter left any writings, suicide note, social media screed or any other indicator explaining his reasons for targeting Trump.

A law enforcement official briefed on the ongoing investigation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Crooks phone had not immediately yielded any meaningful clues related to motive, or whether he acted alone or with others.

Crooks political leanings were also hazy. Crooks was registered as a Republican in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on January 20, 2021, the day Democratic President Joe Biden was sworn into office.
A notorious armed robber who has refused to eat for the last two weeks after a prison transfer has been rushed to hospital.

Anthony John Smith, 44, began his hunger strike on July 3 after he was transferred from Yatala Labour Prison to a Port Augusta corrections facility more than 300km away from his family.

The long-time inmate was sent back to Yatala amid fears his protest could lead to a death in custody, but he continued his hunger strike after being denied regular family visits and to raise awareness of Aboriginal deaths in custody.

'Anthony's requests are reasonable, he seeks accommodation in a single cell in F Division and to return to his original regimen that allowed regular visitation and communication between him, myself, and our children,' his partner told Seven News.

'The importance of maintaining these family connections cannot be overstated, especially considering our children's special needs and the significant role a present father plays in their lives.'

It is understood that Smith was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital on Wednesday.

His family have claimed that they've been kept in the dark about his current condition and that Smith hasn't been allowed to .

They've have previously expressed concerns for his welfare, claiming he has been struggling both mentally and emotionally.

Anthony John Smith (pictured) went on a hunger strike after he was moved from Yatala Labour Prison to Port Augusta

It's understood that Smith was rushed Royal Adelaide Hospital on Wednesday

'He was on his seventh day without food, struggling both mentally and emotionally (and) his wellbeing has been at high risk for days,' a relative posted online last week.

'This situation is about more than just a transfer, it highlights the ongoing injustices and inhumane treatment he has endured.'

Smith is 24 years into his 30-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to a string of armed robberies committed in 1999 and 2000.

He was just 19 when he robbed the Buckingham Arms hotel at Walkerville.

He became the states most wanted man after he escaped custody while visiting his sick father in hospital.

He robbed two banks while on the run before he was eventually captured.

Smith was refused parole in 2021 after completing his 18-year non-parole period.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the Department for Correctional Services for comment.
A British bride-to-be is in critical condition after the battery of an e-scooter exploded, causing the ceiling of a Paris nightclub to collapse during her hen do.

Ffion Price, 28, was celebrating in the French capital earlier this month when the 'horrific' accident at the popular Pachamama club occurred, injuring three people.

A scooter being stored on the fourth floor of the building exploded, causing parts of the club ceiling and walls to collapse.

Ffion, of Brynmawr, south Wales, has remained in hospital in Paris since the July 6 horror, and is receiving treatment for a fractured skull, a fracture in her ear, and a bleed on the brain which required immediate surgery and a stay in intensive care.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family member to support Ffion and her fiance, so far pooling more than 12,800.

The page says Ffion and her family are 'distraught' as they wait on positive news ahead of their planned wedding next month.

Ffion's family are hoping they can help her as she prepares to return home for her wedding

Ffion is expected to stay in hospital for at least another week, the family say, expressing hopes the money raised will help make Ffion's return 'as comfortable as possible... so she can marry the love of her life in just six weeks'.

Monique Prince, her cousin, said that the 'freak and horrific' incident 'turned what should have been one of the best weekends of her life upside down'.

As many as 607 people have already sent money to help Ffion in her recovery, sharing touching tributes and best wishes in her recovery.

Ffions fiance Chris Dunne, 29, said on Facebook that he was 'overwhelmed by the support off everyone'.

'We can't thank you enough,' he wrote, adding: 'So proud of her'.

The collapse of a wall at the Pachamama Paris nightclub - near the historic Place de la Bastille - on a busy Saturday night left three injured and dozens more shaken late on July 6.

Some 140 people are believed to have been partying in the club when a scooter battery on the fourth floor exploded and brought down part of the building.

People all the way down on the ground floor were injured from the blast, Le Parisien reported at the time.

Two people were injured, bruised and treated without being taken to hospital, while Ffion required more comprehensive care.

The owner of the scooter was later questioned by police and the club forced to shut its doors around 2:50am.

The owner said they planned to reopen the following weekend and, at the time of writing, the club is listed as being open.

Chris said he was grateful for the support and that he was 'so proud' of Ffion

Revellers were left 'traumatised' by the shock collapse, Sortir a Paris reported at the time.

The blast was reported to have caved in a section of wall, sending plaster debris out across the atrium onto the first floor.

The owner claims it was this debris that caused the injuries, Le Parisien reported.

Workers attended the scene the next day to clear rubble and prepare the club for reopening within the week.

Pachamama is a club and restaurant on the rue de Faubourg Saint Antoine near Place de la Bastille.
A Colombian national who is accused of murdering two men while he was a 'guest' in their home before dumping their remains in suitcases on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol is to face trial in April next year.

Yostin Andres Mosquera, 34, is charged with the murders of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, between July 8 and 10.

Police discovered the victims' bodies in suitcases after receiving a report of a man acting suspiciously on the bridge just before midnight last Wednesday.

Further remains were found at the victims' flat in London on Friday, where Mosquera had been staying as a 'guest', a court heard.

A court sketch of murder-accused Yostin Andres Mosquera. The Colombian national, who has been remanded in custody, is accused of murdering two men and dumping their remains.

Mosquera (left) has been charged with two counts of murder after human remains were found in Bristol and London. Police have named the two victims as 62-year-old Albert Alfonso (centre) and 71-year-old Paul Longworth (right)

Mr Alfonso and Mr Longworth had lived together at their flat in Scott's Road, Shepherd's Bush, and according to the Met Police, the accused was known to both victims and had been staying with them for a short while.

His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft, the Recorder of London, denied bail today at the Old Bailey and remanded Mosquera in custody until his plea hearing at the same court on October 2.

While a provisional trial date was set for April 14, 2025, he said he hoped that this could be brought forward.

Appearing in court via a video link from Belmarsh Prison, Mosquera, wearing a white t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

The Columbian national was assisted by a Spanish interpreter.

Meanwhile, outlining the case, Prosecutor Teresa Hay confirmed that Mosquera had been a 'guest' at the home.

She revealed that officers had encountered a 'scene of blood' at the victims' flat on Scott's Road.

She told the Old Bailey: 'Shortly before midnight last Wednesday, two suitcases were found on Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

'When those suitcases were examined, they contained human remains.

'Information on one of the suitcases linked it to an address on Scott's Road in London.

'Officers attended that address with a search warrant and discovered further human remains and what appeared to be a scene with blood.

A forensics tent set up on Clifton Suspension Bridge where two suitcases full of human remains were found

Mosquera (pictured) appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with two counts of murder. A judge at the Old Bailey today set a provisional trial date of April 2025

'In the meantime, an image taken of the man who deposited the suitcases was circulated and at 2:15am on July 13 Mr Mosquera was located and arrested at Bristol Temple Meads train station.

'It appears that he had been a guest of the two people who have been identified as the deceased.'

Judge Lucraft set a provisional trial date for next April but said they will try to move it forward.

'We have been advised that the custody time limit expires on January 13, 2025, so we will try to secure a trial within that even if that means moving to another court rather than the Old Bailey,' Judge Lucraft said.

'However, I provisionally set the trial for April 14, 2025.'

Victims Mr Longworth, who was British, and Mr Alfonso, who was originally from France but had British citizenship, had previously been in a relationship and still lived together in Scott's Road.

The Met said that evidence in the investigation has not so far pointed to a homophobic motive.

However, the murders have been classified as a hate crime under national guidelines.

Mosquera (pictured with Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth) was arrested in Bristol in the early hours of Saturday, July 13

A manhunt was launched after suitcases containing human remains were found on Clifton Suspension Bridge (pictured)

In a statement released on Monday (July 15), Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said: 'My thoughts are first and foremost with Albert and Paul's loved ones who are coming to terms with this terrible news.

'While we do not believe either of them had any close family, we have identified other next of kin who have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. We are continuing to try and identify any extended family members.

'I know that this awful incident will cause concern not just among residents in Shepherds Bush but in the wider LGBTQ+ community across London.

'I hope it will be of some reassurance that whilst enquiries are still ongoing and the investigation is at a relatively early stage, we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the two murders.

'Officers have worked with the pan-London LGBTQ+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG) since the identity of the two victims and their sexuality was established. Their advice, expertise and support for the investigation has been extremely valuable.

'We will continue to work with them, and with other partners including local IAGs, as the investigation and the policing response continues.'
A British trainee barrister has disappeared while on holiday in Palma, the capital of the Spanish island of Majorca, after his family said they received an unsettling message from him one week ago.

Ben Ross, 26, from from Golborne near Wigan, has not been seen since he vanished on July 10, having moved to the sun-soaked island in June.

The legal trainee had initially planned to visit a friend in Majorca and later decided to extend his stay over the summer after picking up a temporary job.

But he was left penniless, keyless and without a passport after his bag was stolen while he took a swim in the sea on July 6, according to his mother Felix Robinson.

She revealed to Manchester Evening News earlier this week that she was trying to organise a bank transfer to support her son when Ben sent her a 'peculiar email' on July 10, telling her that he was 'not in a good place'.

Hours later he disappeared and has not been heard from since, with Felix stressing that Ben has a history of mental health illness and was previously sectioned at a facility in Liverpool just last year.

Ben Ross, 26, from Wigan (pictured with mother Felix Robinson), has not been seen since he vanished on July 10, having moved to the sun-soaked island in June

The trainee barrister had initially planned to visit a friend in Palma, Majorca, and later decided to extend his stay over the summer after picking up a temporary job

Felix is now planning to fly to Majorca herself to aid in search efforts, describing the days since July 10 as 'torture'.

'Like any mother, no matter what age your children are, they are still your children. I just need to know my son is safe and well.

'The last few days have been torture. Please, if anyone has seen Ben, even if it's just for a second, let the authorities know. We need to find him,' she said.

Ben's whereabouts are currently unknown and Spanish police are conducting a search of Palma and the surrounding regions for the 26-year-old.

The Foreign Office are supporting his family and are 'in contact with local authorities'.

Felix said she has also been in contact with LBT Global, the overseas charity supporting Jay Slater's family.

Ben's disappearance comes as investigators in Tenerife confirmed they had found the body of 19-year-old Brit Slater, who disappeared exactly one month ago today.

The teenager, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, vanished following a night out on the Spanish island, prompting a huge search operation involving police, volunteers and family members which spanned almost a month.

On Monday morning, the Spanish Civil Guard tragically discovered a body with the apprentice bricklayer's possessions and clothing, near to where his phone last pinged.

The Canary Islands High Court of Justice later revealed: 'Fingerprinting confirms that the body belongs to Jay Slater and the death was due to multiple traumas compatible with a fall in the mountainous area.'

Amid questions over how a body was missed for 29 days, Jay's family say they can 'appreciate the remoteness' of the area and say he 'would most likely have been killed instantly'.

A family spokesman told MailOnline before the hearing: 'The whole family is absolutely broken. They are devastated. It's not the outcome they were hoping for.

'Initially they thought how could he be so close and yet be missed but now having seen the location they appreciate the remoteness of it and there is no criticism of the search.'

A body found in the hunt for Jay Slater has been confirmed as the missing teenager, a court spokesperson said

Jay Slater with his mother Debbie Duncan

Jay vanished on the island of Tenerife on June 17, prompting a huge search effort which involved police, volunteers, family members and even TikTok sleuths.

The apprentice bricklayer was attending the three-day NRG music festival with friends before his disappearance.

Video from the early hours of June 17 shows Jay partying the night away at Papagayo nightclub in the tourist resort of Playa de las Americas in the south of the island.

At around 5am, Jay left the Veronicas strip and got into a Seat Leon hire car with convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, 31, and Qassim's unnamed friend, who he had met earlier on the holiday.

They travelled to Qassim's 40-a-night Airbnb, Casa Abuela Tina, in the remote village of Masca - around an hour's drive away from Playa de las Americas.

While in the car Jay sent a Snapchat message to his friends boasting that he had just stolen a 12,000 Rolex watch from a reveller and was going to sell it for 10,000.

At Casa Abuela Tina, Jay posted a picture on Snapchat at 7.30am of him standing in the doorway of the property having a cigarette - with the location tagged as being in Rural de Teno park, near Masca.

Half an hour later, the teenager decided to try and make his way back to his accommodation and was spotted at a bus stop outside the Airbnb.

After missing a bus, he called his friend Lucy Law between 8.15am and 8.30am, telling her he was attempting to walk back to his accommodation - a journey that would take around 11 hours.

In the frantic last phone call, Jay said he had 'cut his leg' on a cactus and had 'no idea where he was'.

Lucy said her friend told her he was 'lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1 per cent'.

Jay's phone ran out of battery shortly after with his phone last pinging in the Rural de Teno park at 8.50am.

At around 9.04am, Jay was reported missing and his friends spent the day searching but to no avail.

It is believed he fell down a mountainside shortly after his disappearance, but his body was not recovered for 29 days.
This is the moment a crazed knifeman lunged at three police officers and slashed them with a blade, before one cried out 'I've been stabbed'.

PC Maverick Reddington was one of the three cops knifed by thug Mark Fox, 35, after emergency services received a call following concerns for his safety.

Officers are seen sprinting into the property in Billingham, County Durham, where they discovered Fox holding a knife against a terrified woman's throat.

PC Reddington can be heard ordering him to 'put the knife down, put the knife down' before Fox suddenly turns around and launches himself at three of the officers while making slashing movements with the blade.

Moments later Fox can be heard screaming 'get down then' before PC Reddington screams out in pain.

PC Maverick Reddington (left) pictured with PC Holly Grey at the National Police Bravery Awards in London

Fox (pictured) was jailed for 11 years and eight months at Teeside Crown Court on Monday

In terrifying bodycam footage, Fox was seen with a large knife approaching three officers

While other officers handcuff Fox, PC Reddington calmly radios his control room to tell his superiors about the attack. He is heard calmy stating: 'I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed.'

Fox was charged with knifing PC Reddington, PC Holly Grey and another officer on June 2.

He later pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and was found guilty of two counts of wounding with intent following a trial.

On Monday he was jailed for 11 years and eight months at Teeside Crown Court. The three Cleveland Police officers have since been honoured for their bravery.

PC Reddington, who was stabbed under the armpit, described the scene as 'absolute bedlam'.

He said: 'I tried to defend myself with a baton to back him off, but there was a flurry of knife swings. I later realised my stab vest was covered in slash and stab marks. It was only down to pure luck that the knife missed my major organs.'

PC Grey was stabbed in the leg and another officer suffered a slash wound.

PCs Sam Handley, Rachael Dack, Cara Crosby and another unnamed officer were also involved in trying to disarm the man.

Superintendent John Wrintmore, said: 'Police put their lives at risk every day by protecting members of the public and attacks such as this one are both shocking and truly disgraceful.

Officers bundle on top of Fox after he stabbed PC Reddington in the arm

Terrifying footage showed fox clutching onto a female officer as he brandished a large knife

Fox is seen clutching a large knife in his hand before he charges at officers

'This was a terrifying incident for our officers who have been fully supported throughout this horrific ordeal.

'Fox's actions on this day were extremely dangerous and reckless and this level of violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances.'

The three officers were honoured at the national Police Bravery Awards in London.

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Mark Webster said: 'Our officers put their lives on the line every day to protect members of the public and attacks such as this are appalling.

'The bravery and resilience these officers showed to arrest an armed offender in the face of imminent danger was truly inspiring. They are a credit to themselves and the entire force.

'They represent the very best of Cleveland Police and we all could not be prouder of them. I'm so pleased they have been recognised for their heroic actions.'

Cleveland Police Federation Secretary Carl Baker said: 'This was a hugely alarming incident at which all officers showed immense bravery and courage to detain the offender and protect the public who were present.

'Three officers received stab and slash wounds. It is only due to pure luck that one officer was not fatally stabbed, as the wound just missed a lung and major arteries.

'This shows once again that officers will put their lives at risk and go above and beyond to protect the communities they serve.

'I am immensely proud to call these officers my colleagues. They have once again shown the true values of policing.'
Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure from Labour backbenchers to ease the two-child benefit cap to help ease child poverty after it was left out of the King's Speech.

The Prime Minister is refusing to lift the benefit restriction on cost grounds after inheriting a stagnant economy.

Last month, before winning the election, Sir Keir said he would scrap the policy 'in an ideal world', but added that 'we haven't got the resources to do it at the moment'.

However demands for action and the prospect of a Labour rebellion grew last week as statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed a record number of children are now affected by the controversial policy.

Leftwing Liverpool MP Kim Johnson has said she will table an amendment to the King's Speech to try to have the cap lifted - a measure unlikely to succeed.

And today fellow Socialist Campaign Group member Zarah Sultana said: 'Our new government must prioritise tackling child poverty. That's why I am supporting Kim Johnson's amendment to the King's Speech, calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.

'This would immediately lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. Let's make it happen.'

In what was seen as an attempt to see off critics, Sir Keir announced the launch of a new Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office shortly before the King's Speech.

The Prime Minister is refusing to lift the benefit restriction on cost grounds after inheriting a stangnant economy.

Leftwing Liverpool MP Kim Johnson has said she will table an amendment to the King's Speech to try to have the cap lifted - a measure unlikely to succeed.

And today fellow Socialist Campaign Group member Zarah Sultana said: 'Our new government must prioritise tackling child poverty. That's why I am supporting Kim Johnson's amendment to the King's Speech, calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.'

Led by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, it will 'consider how we can use levers related to household income as well as employment, housing, children's health, childcare and education to improve children's experiences and chances at life'.

Sir Keir said: 'For too long children have been left behind, and no decisive action has been taken to address the root causes of poverty. This is completely unacceptable - no child should be left hungry, cold or have their future held back.

'That's why we're prioritising work an ambitious child poverty strategy and my ministers will leave no stone unturned to give every child the very best start at life.'

He said Ms Kendall this morning met with senior figures from Save the Children, Action for Children, Barnados, the TUC, the End Child Poverty Coalition, Resolution Foundation and UNICEF.

But on the same day, many of those charities reiterated calls to abolish the two-child benefit cap that affects some 1.6 million children.

They included Save the Children, which described the limit as 'cruel', and members of the Children's Charities Coalition, who called the cap 'devastating'.

Labour has faced consistent pressure to scrap the limit since before the election, from charities and its own backbenchers, with some reported to be considering backing an amendment to the King's Speech calling for the policy to be abolished.

Calls to abolish the two-child limit come against the background of rising child poverty, with more than four million children now living in low-income households.

But the party leadership has so far resisted such calls, claiming the fiscal situation means the cap cannot be abolished unless economic growth is secured first.

Instead, the Government announced a new taskforce shortly after the King's Speech on Wednesday to look at 'all the available levers we have across government' to deliver the 'ambitious' child poverty strategy promised in Labour's manifesto.

In April a total of 1.6m children were living in households across Britain affected by the 2017 Tory policy - which means only the first two children in most households are eligible for Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit - up 100,000 in a year.

About half (52 per cent) were in families with three children, 29 per cent were in households with four and 19 in homes with five or more children.

London was home to the most households affected (69,000) while the least-affected region was the North East (20,000).

Campaigners said the majority of large families would be pushed below the poverty line over the next five years by the two-child benefit cap, which costs them some 3,500 a year.

The SNP criticised the King's Speech as a 'missed opportunity' that failed to deliver measures such as scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: 'While some of the small measures announced are welcome, they fail to deal with the major challenges facing the UK. There was no plan to eradicate child poverty, no plan to tackle the cost of living and no plan to end Tory austerity and boost NHS funding.'
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Former Donald Trump aide Peter Navarro caused a frenzy on the third night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee as he spoke to the crowd just hours after he was freed from prison.

The newly-released Navarro was part of a line-up of MAGA favorites including Ronny Jackson and Matt Gaetz who took the stage before running mate J.D. Vance's primetime speech.

Trump is set to return to the convention floor, just days after surviving an assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Follow all the latest political developments with DailyMail.com
Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institutes Global Conference on May 6 in Beverly Hills. Apu Gomes/TNS David Sacks speaks onstage on the first day of the Republican National Convention on Monday in Milwaukee. Some Silicon Valley tech investors are going all-in for Trump, in a shift away from President Joe Biden and the Democrats. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Silicon Valley companies have often embraced liberal politicians in the past, but the selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a former San Francisco venture capitalist, as the Republican vice presidential nominee shows just how far some of the regions best known moneymen  many of them onetime Obama supporters  have flipped to supporting Republicans and Donald Trump.

A growing number of venture capitalists, including some who got their start at electronic payments giant PayPal, are voicing their support for Trump and lavishing him with cash. Among the most prominent are David Sacks and, most recently, Elon Musk.

Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, who runs his own investing firm called Social Capital, jointly host an influential podcast called All-In that recently featured Trump as a guest. They have both embraced MAGA, holding a Trump fundraiser at Sacks San Francisco mansion in June with a minimum entry fee of $50,000.

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Palihapitiya used to support Democrats and reportedly donated $1.3 million over the decade prior to 2021 to Democratic candidates.

Sacks spoke at the Republican National Convention on Monday, trashing his domicile as a cesspool of crime, homeless encampments and open drug use, which he placed squarely at the feet of Democrats.

On Saturday, after a would-be assassins bullet grazed Trump, Musk endorsed the former president and his campaign after previously supporting Democratic causes. Musk  currently the worlds richest man  is the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX and the executive chairman of X (formerly Twitter).

The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk will donate a staggering $45 million per month to the pro-Trump America PAC, though Time magazine reported Musk replied to the story with a fake gnus meme. The 2-month-old PAC has already spent more than $6 million in support of Trumps campaign.

Not all conservative donors are sold on Trump. Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, has pulled back on political donations after sinking $1.25 million into the 2016 Trump campaign and speaking at the Republican National Convention that year. Keith Rabois of the firm Khosla Ventures has said he is not a Trump fan and is instead focusing on electing Republicans to the U.S. Congress.

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The rightward shift among some investors is a contrast to recent political positions taken by many big Silicon Valley companies. Giants such as Apple, Airbnb, Cisco and Google, for instance, grabbed headlines with their donations to social justice causes in the wake of George Floyds murder, burnishing their lefty political bona fides, especially among their often liberal employees.

But for the moneymen, a driving motivation appears to be concern that Democrats are more likely to regulate emerging technologies such as crypto-currencies and artificial intelligence, whereas Trump could knock down restrictions.

Case in point: The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Trump allies have already begun drafting an executive order that would promote the use of AI in military and other security applications. Their aim is to jettison regulations on the technology, including an executive order the Biden administration put in place urging that AI be developed in a safe, measured fashion.

Billionaires such as Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, founders of the influential VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, have been outspoken in their view that efforts to control AI could smother its development and give an edge to rivals such as China. They outlined their political views in a recent podcast that Musk pinned to his X account, and reportedly plan to donate to the pro-Trump super PAC.

Still, some Silicon Valley luminaries remain to the left of center. The namesake of Rabois firm, billionaire investor Vinod Khosla, hosted Biden at his home earlier this year for a fundraising event and has publicly supported the president and lambasted Trump in private and online.

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Reid Hoffman, the co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, wrote in a Medium post that Sacks support of Trump awkwardly regurgitates pro-Trump groupthink.

Hoffman pointed to Trumps felony convictions and what he called a thriving U.S. economy as reasons to hand Biden another term. He said that the chaos of Trumps failed border wall and family-separation policy, as well as his ban on Muslims, were examples of his shortcomings on immigration that would only get worse if he were reinstalled in the Oval Office.

Sacks is defending this tantrum-throwing toddler, Hoffman said of Trump. If you want order at the border, elect leaders who can work together to deliver. Americas border does better with competence and patriotism than with criminality and chaos.
A Salt Lake City Diocese is begging for a relic that belonged to one of the most famous New Testament figures to be returned after it was stolen.

A bone fragment smaller than a fingernail belonging to Mary Magdalene was stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City on July 10.

'The relic, I believe, is not recoverable. It is lost,' Father Martin Diaz told DailyMail.com Wednesday. 'We have looked around the neighborhood and in neighboring garbage bins to no success.'

'We have a fairly good idea who took the relic, and I don't believe he even remembers he was here,' he said in a press release.

Cathedral staff discovered the relic was missing after finding the reliquary - the box that holds the special item - was shattered on the ground.

'The best understanding is that the person who took the relic once outside realized it was not worth anything so discarded it in a garbage bin or onto the grass,' Diaz told DailyMail.com.

A bone fragment smaller than a fingernail belonging to Mary Magdalene was stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City on July 10

Cathedral staff discovered the relic was missing after finding the reliquary - the box that holds the special item - was shattered on the ground

The religious institution contacted police and is currently offering a $1,000 reward for information regarding the missing item.

The church has owned the relic since 1918, and it is woven into a red cloth that is imprinted with a fleur-de-lis pattern that was glued onto cardboard and placed inside a bronze and glass reliquary, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The reliquary usually takes 'two people to move,' and Diaz says the precious item has 'no monetary value whatsoever.'

'In that sense, it's both worthless and priceless at the same time,' he told ABC 4. 'For us, there is no price and it just breaks your heart to have something that is so precious to the community just, in a sense, desecrated.'

Mary Magdalene is a figure from the New Testament of the Bible and one of Jesus' most well-known followers

Although Diaz doesn't believe the person had 'any knowledge' of 'what they were doing,' he said the missing relic has caused 'such hurt and pain in the community.'

The diocese's second bishop, Joseph Glass, brought the relic back from France in 1918, alongside a second relic that is from Christ's cross.

But it's more than just Diaz who misses the special relic, Cristina Rosetti, a religious studies expert, told The Tribune she was 'devastated' to hear the news and that it created a 'wound' for the church.

The Salt Lake institution is the only cathedral in the country that is named after the devoted follower of Jesus

Although Diaz said the church could 'get another relic in Rome,' he admitted that it wouldn't be from Magdalene, as those are rare to come across.

'We are losing a connection to Bishop Glass, to our precious history,' he said.

'The next step is to request a relic of Saint Mary Magdalene from the Vatican office for relics,' he told DailyMail.com.

The Salt Lake institution is the only cathedral in the country that is named after the devoted follower of Jesus.

Mary Magdalene is a figure from the New Testament of the Bible and one of Jesus' most well-known followers.

Magdalene stayed with Jesus through the crucifixion and was present at his tomb.

She was also the first person Jesus appeared after his resurrection.
'Unfit for our nation's highest office', 'America's Hitler' and 'reprehensible' aren't traditional labels for an aspiring running mate to attach to his party's standard bearer.

But it's worked for Senator J.D. Vance.

On Wednesday evening, the Ohio native will address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as the GOP's presumptive vice presidential candidate completing his transformation from self-declared 'Never Trumper' to MAGA diehard.

And political insiders say it is because of his once savage criticism of Trump that he has emerged as one of the party's most effective advocates.

'I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a**hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler,' Vance privately wrote to a friend on Facebook in 2016.

On Wednesday evening, JD Vance (pictured right) will address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as the GOP 's presumptive vice presidential candidate completing his transformation from self-declared 'Never Trumper' to MAGA diehard.

Vance studied at Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha Vance (pictured right).

After Trump defeated Hillary Clinton to become president, the Marine veteran, Yale law school grad, best-selling author and Silicon Valley venture capitalist doubled down, writing in a since-deleted tweet: 'In four years, I hope people remember that it was those of us who empathized with Trump's voters who fought him the most aggressively.'

But skip forward four years and it was Trump batting away Vance's advances and openly mocking him at a rally to support the then-candidate's Ohio senatorial campaign.

'J.D. is kissing my a**. He wants my support so bad,' Trump told the pro-Vance crowd. 'Yeah, he said some bad things about me, but that was before he knew me and then he fell in love.'

Trump's remarks drew a collective wince, as Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock told CNN: 'He made J.D. Vance look like a mouse, not a man. It was humiliating.'

However, Republican commentator and consultant Scott Jennings, who has worked alongside Vance as a political pundit, told DailyMail.com there's much more to this story.

'He provides the best defense and intellectual argument for Trumpism and MAGA,' said Jennings. 'He's really good on television and he's really good at being a surrogate.'

Over the past several years, Vance has shown he's more than willing to spar with Trump's detractors, even on the most controversial topics.

As recently as February, Vance jousted with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, who pressed him over whether he would have certified the results of the 2020 election as Vice President Mike Pence did.

'I know you guys are obsessed with talking about this,' he fired back, before launching into a laundry list of perceived problems with the 2020 election, including mainstream media and social media censorship of criticism of Biden.

After graduating from Middletown High School, Vance enlisted in the US Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq for six months in late 2005 as a combat correspondent in the Public Affairs divisions.

Vance also did not shy away when he was asked in May about a New York civil court jury determining that Trump sexually abused journalist E Jean Carroll nearly three decades ago.

'I think fundamentally the lawsuit is about something that happened 25 years ago,' Vance told CNN host Wolf Blitzer. 'It's a "he said, she said" situation, and I trust my friend and the guy that I've known and gotten to know.'

Then on Saturday, almost immediately after Trump narrowly survived a failed assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania political rally, Vance pointed the finger squarely at Biden.

'Today is not just some isolated incident,' he tweeted. 'The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.'

His comment provoked intense backlash with former Republican Congressman and fierce Trump critic Adam Kinzinger saying the remarks should 'disqualify him' from becoming Vice President. Though, it may have been exactly what the Trump team wanted on the airwaves.

'What a campaign has to do every day is communicate, every day they have to create content,' Jennings told the Mail. 'Vance's communication skills are going to be invaluable. He is going to be the chief surrogate for the ticket.'

So who is J.D. Vance - a skilled newcomer and potential heir to the MAGA movement or a craven political chameleon?

Vance grew up in some of America's most poverty-stricken places  ping-ponging between the hollers of Appalachia in Jackson, Kentucky and the declining towns of the Rust Belt in Middletown, Ohio.

His parents divorced when he was 6 years old  when his mother told him that he'd never see his dad again. 'It was the saddest I had ever felt,' he wrote in his best-selling, award-winning memoir Hillbilly Elegy. 'Of all the things I hated about my childhood, nothing compared to the revolving door of father figures.'

In 2016, Vance published 'Hillbilly Elegy' and began to build his public profile, appearing on television as a de facto expert on America's struggling white working-class.

For the rest of his young life, Vance lived primarily with his grandmother 'Mamaw' in Middletown while his mother battled opioid addiction.

After graduating from Middletown High School, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq for six months in late 2005 as a combat correspondent in the Public Affairs divisions.

He wrote about the experience, describing it as the most defining period in his life  and recalled a life-changing encounter with a shy Iraqi schoolboy during a community outreach mission amid the Iraq War.

'I gave him a small eraser, his face briefly lit up with joy before he ran away to his family, holding his two-cent prize aloft in triumph. I have never seen such excitement on a child's face,' Vance wrote.

That moment, Vance recalled, pushed him to come to grips with the resentment he carried from his difficult upbringing.

'I began to appreciate how lucky I was: born in the greatest country on earth, every modern convenience at my fingertips, supported by two loving hillbillies, and part of a family that, for all its quirks, loved me unconditionally.

'I resolved to be the type of man who would smile when someone gave him an eraser. I haven't quite made it there, but without that day in Iraq, I wouldn't be trying.'

When Vance returned home from his deployment, he attended the Ohio State University, graduating with a degree in political science and philosophy. He then went on to study at Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha Vance.

They married in Kentucky in 2014 and went on to have three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel(not pictured), moving to San Francisco in 2015 where Vance went to work for billionaire Peter Thiel's investment firm, Mithril.

'She seemed some sort of genetic anomaly, a combination of every positive quality a human being should have: bright, hardworking, tall, and beautiful,' he wrote.

They married in Kentucky in 2014 and went on to have three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, moving to San Francisco in 2015 where Vance went to work for billionaire Peter Thiel's investment firm, Mithril.

In 2016, he published 'Hillbilly Elegy' and began to build his public profile  appearing on television as a de facto expert on America's struggling white working-class.

Vance moved back to Ohio and co-founded a Cincinnati-based venture capital firm Narya, which focused on promoting technology start-ups in America's heartland.

The couple bought a 5,000-square-foot Victorian Gothic house on the east side of Cincinnati for $1.4 million, before reportedly adding a second $1.5 million home in Alexandria, Virginia, to their portfolio in 2023.

Usha Vance's political leanings are unclear, but she was reportedly a registered Democrat until at least 2014 and has been described by colleagues as a liberal or moderate.

Regardless, Trump has reportedly taken a shine to her.

Last month, Trump asked Usha how she liked political life. When she gave a noncommittal answer, Trump quipped that his wife Melania hated it too, making Usha laugh, according to The New York Times.

In February 2021, Silicon Valley heavyweight Peter Thiel brokered a meeting between Trump and Vance at Mar-A-Lago, as the political novice ramped up his Senate run. The get-together appeared to start poorly as Trump sat behind his desk with a pile of research that documented all of Vance's past criticisms of the former president.

Vance reportedly apologized and then surprised Trump by not asking for his endorsement. Trump was reportedly drawn in by Vance's physical appearance, repeatedly commenting on his 'beautiful blue eyes', trim physique and fitted suits.

Since that meeting Vance has become an outspoken Trump advocate and defender, winning the former president's endorsement and powerful allies in the Trump family.

'J.D. is a great and loyal guy who has become a genuine friend,' Don Trump Jr. told DailyMail.com recently. 'His entire life story is the embodiment of the American dream, but he never forgets where he came from.'

Vance's political and social stances have also shifted with time.

He referred to abortion as murder last year and ran on a 15-week abortion limit platform in 2022 but has since softened his stance to more closely resemble Trump's position that states should determine abortion limits and make reasonable expectations for rape, incest and the life of the mother.

One of his former close friends from Yale, Sofia Nelson, who is transgender, told The New York Times that Vance had brought home-baked treats round after they underwent top surgery.

But then Nelson said their friendship broke down after he supported an Arkansas bill opposing transgender care for minors, and now they no longer speak.

Usha Vance's political leanings are unclear, but she was reportedly a registered Democrat until at least 2014 and has been described by colleagues as a liberal or moderate.

Whatever beliefs Vance now holds  either about Trump or the critical issues facing America - he has certainly been welcomed back into the MAGA fold.

Vance has also criticized America's support of Ukraine in their war against Russia and has called for continued backing of Israel.

Jennings conceded that some of Vance's views  particularly his isolationist bent  will rub some in the party the wrong way: 'He's not a traditional conservative. He's got interesting politics that are not orthodox Republican views.' Though, Jennings said, 'Vance arrives at his positions in a thoughtful way - he arrives at them honestly.'

Whatever beliefs Vance now holds  either about Trump or the critical issues facing America - he has certainly been welcomed back into the MAGA fold.

Perhaps, like that shy boy he encountered as a Marine in Iraq, J.D. Vance is showing Donald Trump how truly grateful he can be.
An asylum seeker who assaulted a female police officer cannot do community service because it would be against health and safety rules, a court heard.

Jordanian national Mustafa Al Mbaidin cannot speak English and would need a full-time translator with him if he were to do a period of unpaid work which would raise 'issues' with the health and safety at work laws, his lawyer argued.

Instead the 27-year-old was fined 26 for the offence of assaulting an emergency worker which he will pay at a rate of 2 a month.

Magistrates heard Al Mbaidin drunkenly pestered female joggers running along Bournemouth seafront in Dorset on May 11 this year.

Jordanian national Mustafa Al Mbaidin cannot speak English and would need a full-time translator with him if he were to do a period of unpaid work which would raise 'issues' with the health and safety at work laws

Instead the 27-year-old was fined 26 for the offence of assaulting an emergency worker which he will pay at a rate of 2 a month

For the past four months he has been staying at the Roundhouse Hotel which has a Home Office contract to house asylum seekers while their applications are processed

He was observed by a CCTV operator who alerted two nearby police officers.

When one of them, PC Selina Swan, went to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly he shoved her and hit her on the head with his jacket.

He told her 'f**k you' before running off.

Al Mbaidin was detained a short while later and was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly.

He pleaded guilty to the charges at Poole Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court heard Al Mbaidin is from Jordan but came to Britain via Turkey seeking asylum.

For the past four months he has been staying at the Roundhouse Hotel which has a Home Office contract to house asylum seekers while their applications are processed.

Benjamin Thompson, prosecuting, said: 'On May 11 at 9am the defendant went to Bournemouth beach.

'CCTV in the area caught him going up to members of the public and bothering them. These were female joggers who just wanted to get on with their exercise.

'He was observed for 15 minutes when PC Swan and PC Carmichael were sent to the scene.

'PC Swan went to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly and as she tried to put him in handcuffs he refused and pulled his arms away and said 'f..k you.'

'The defendant pushed PC Swan in the chest and swung his jacket at her which hit her on the head.

'He pushed her again in the body and ran off.'

Magistrates heard Al Mbaidin drunkenly pestered female joggers running along Bournemouth seafront (pictured) in Dorset on May 11 this year

He pleaded guilty to the charges at Poole Magistrates' Court (above) yesterday

In an interview after being arrested Al Mbaidin claimed he did not believe PC Swan was a real police officer because she had acted aggressively towards him.

Mark Hensleigh, defending, said: 'The situation is that this man does not drink and on the day he did choose to drink. When he was interviewed he said he was 10/10 drunk.

'His explanation is that when he was arrested he didn't think it was by a police officer and that is why he struggled.

'He doesn't speak English, perhaps that was part of the reason why he acted the way he did when the police officer tried to arrest him.

'He has lived in Bournemouth for four months, staying at the Roundhouse Hotel. He is Jordanian who came here having left Turkey.'

Al Mbaidin was supported in court by a volunteer from a refugee organisation who he has carried out voluntary work with before.

She told the court that the drunken incident was out of character for him.

Mr Hensleigh said that his client received 9 per week and so fining him was not really an option.

He said: 'Unpaid work? He would need an interpreter with him at all times and there could be health and safety at work issues. Not really practical at the end of the day.

'I ask you to deal with him by way of conditional discharge.'

Magistrates handed Al Mbaidin a 12 month conditional discharge and told him that if he gets in trouble again in that time he will be dealt with for this offence and any fresh matter.

They told him to pay a victim surcharge of 26 which is to be paid at a rate of 2 per month.
A fisherman is fighting for life in an induced coma after his boat was hit by a whale off the coast of Western Australia.

Grandfather John Craike, 69, and his son Ry, 39, were injured when their fishing boat collided with a whale on Tuesday night.

Emergency crews were called shortly before 7pm after the incident occurred about 18km off the coast of Kalbarri in the state's mid-west.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) believed the vessel was moving at the time of impact.

It took about an hour for marine rescue teams to find the injured pair's boat and escort the vessel back to shore, the ABC reported.

The pair were treated by paramedics and taken to Kalbarri Hospital to assess their conditions.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service flew John to Royal Perth Hospital early Wednesday, where he remains in an induced coma.

It's understood he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Grandfather John and his son Ry Craike, 39, were injured when their boat collided with a whale on Tuesday evening

Marine rescue teams found the boat (pictured) and escorted it back to shore

His son was taken to Geraldton Hospital in a stable condition and has since been discharged.

It's unknown what species of whale the boat collided with.

'It's definitely not something that happens all the time,' DFES District Officer Simon Miller told Nine News.

This comes a day after an alert was issued because an injured whale had attracted sharks to Jakes Point, a popular beach in Kalbarri.

A number of dead whales have also washed up on WA beaches in recent days.

The Department of Transport is investigating the incident.
A self-proclaimed sheriff of a homeless encampment in Portland was brutally murdered while allegedly trying to stop an argument between two campers.

Kenny Housman, 73, was stabbed to death on Clinton Street just after midnight on Monday.

A relative claimed he was attempting to intervene in a fight between two homeless people before one of them allegedly knifed him in the throat.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene but he was released from custody and has not yet been charged with a crime.

Housman previously said he was trying to stabilize the homeless encampment in the area by screening people before they set up a camp.

Kenny Housman, a self-proclaimed sheriff of a homeless encampment in Portland, was brutally murdered while allegedly trying to stop an argument between two campers

The 73-year-old was stabbed to death on Clinton Street just after midnight on Monday

A relative of Housman said he was intervening in an argument between two homeless people before he was murdered.

He added that two other men came to hold down the suspect until police arrived.

Michael Zamora, who lives in an RV in the area, told KATU News: 'They yelled Mike! This guy is beating up Kenny in the street, and I yelled what?

'I put my shoes on. By the time I got there, Kenny was stabbed and bleeding profusely.

He is still trying to process what happened and added: 'He did things to try and help them out and he didnt have to die.'

Housman lived on Clinton and decided to help make the neighborhood safer as more homeless people set up tents and vehicles to camp there.

He decided to appoint himself as sheriff and would screen people before providing them with support once approved.

A relative claimed he was attempting to intervene in a fight between two homeless people before one of them allegedly knifed him in the throat

Police arrested a suspect at the scene but he was released from custody and has not yet been charged with a crime

Housman previously said he was trying to stabilize the homeless encampment in the area by screening people before they set up a camp

'When they pull up with a piece of junk, I don't want you here,' he said. 'If you pull up with a decent trailer that you obviously own- maybe even have put plates on it - I want you here.'

Housman owned the block of property having purchased it in 2019 and he did not allow loud generators or late-night parties.

'Thanks to my efforts catalytic converters, few of them are stolen, gas, few of it is stolen, because you don't want those kinda people that steal catalytic converters and gas, you don't want them on your street,' he said.

'If there are those kinda people, then you have to take steps to get them out.'

But some residents in the area were concerned about his approach and believed he made things too comfortable.

DailyMail.com has contacted Portland police for comment.
The body of a mother-of-three who went missing on her way to a 'job interview' about spying on the young wife of a gas station owner was found in Rio de Janeiro on Monday after a 10-day search.

Camille Monteiro, 21, was allegedly beaten by a man she was traveling with before her body was abandoned in the brush next to Mage River Highway, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said.

Monteiro had been approached by her nightclub coworker Joao Valente about taking photos proving a 70-year-old gas station owner's 24-year-old wife was cheating on him, police said.

Valente was reportedly acting as a middle man alongside his old friend Ednalvaro Maia, a former military cop who told investigators he accompanied Monteiro to the interview.

He believes she was killed because she scammed another woman who sought revenge by setting up the attack. Authorities have reservations about that version of events, but their request to arrest Valente and Maia was rejected by a court.

Camille Monteiro, 21, went missing on her way to a 'job interview' about spying on the young wife of a gas station owner was found in Rio de Janeiro on Monday after a 10-day search

Rio de Janeiro Civil Police was led by former Military Police officer Ednalvaro Maia, who was hired to help find a person willing to take photos of a 24-year-old woman allegedly cheating on her 70-year-old husband, to the site where Camille Monteiro's body was dumped

Maia claim he fled their vehicle after a man wearing a suit got in and began to attack Monteiro. When he returned to the site the following day he saw the young woman's body wrapped in a duvet.

Monteiro, who lived in the northern Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Anchieta, left her home July 5 for the interview that was arranged to take place in the city center.

She contacted her aunt two hours later and left an audio message to let her know that she would be meeting a friend and that she would be running an errand in the west side neighborhood of Campo Grande.

Days after the disappearance, the family visited the nightclub where Valente worked to get information regarding Monteiro's whereabouts.

Authorities also visited the the club and discovered Monteiro's underwear at the scene, as well as condoms.

Camille Monteiro reportedly went on a job interview to spy on the 24-year-old woman, who was allegedly cheating on her 70-year-old husband. A former cop who was interrogated by the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said he accompanied her on the interview, but got out of the car during the ride when another man entered the car and started slapping her

Camille Monteiro leaves behind three children - the youngest is only eight months old

During the interrogation, Valente told investigators that the former cop instructed him to shut down his cell phone and destroy the SIM card.

'It went wrong! I went to look for the girl and she wasn't there!' the former cop texted the janitor, according to police reports. 'Turn off the phone and break the chip.'

Monteiro's mother, Janina Monteiro, 39, told Brazilian news outlet O Dia that they were not aware that kind of job her daughter was going to interview for.

Camille Monteiro's youngest child is just eight months old.

'She was full of life, an incredible mother who did everything for her children, so much so that she left home in search of a job, which we didn't know what it was, to try to provide a better life for her children,' Janina Monteiro said.

'I always helped her with everything, I never let her lack anything and I always supported her, but unfortunately they did this to my little girl.'
A Nashville mother admitted that she drowned her daughter because the seven-year-old would not leave her alone, according to authorities.

Brandi Elliot, 33, was charged with first-degree murder and denied bond after she allegedly drowned her daughter Piper in Drakes Creek in Hendersonville on Saturday.

She reportedly told police she had been having a bad day and Piper would not give her what she wanted  'time alone.'

That's then she decided to take Piper to a shallow area in the greenway and held her under the water until bubbles emerged.

Elliot told the child to be quiet as she held her under water 'like a largemouth bass,' as reported by WKRN.

Brandi Elliot was charged with first-degree murder and denied bond after she allegedly drowned her daughter Piper in Drakes Creek in Hendersonville

Elliot reportedly said she only realized what she had done after it was too late and tried to revive Piper with CPR.

Elliot reportedly told the child to be quiet as she held her under water 'like a largemouth bass'

Police said a family are witnesses in the probe; they have started a memorial along the greenway for Piper, and want to turn the area into 'Pipers Pathway.'

Elliot claimed in court on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with postpartum depression when her daughter was two but was not currently under medical care.

'When my daughter was two, I kind of lost it like I did this time,' Elliott said in court.

'I had postpartum depression and they gave me medicine for it. I was having a really bad time with sleeping.'

The mother allegedly told police she had been having a bad day and Piper would not give her what she wanted  time alone'

Her attorney and the state both said on Tuesday that they did not want her mentally evaluated at this time.

The accused killer has no criminal records and works at McDonald's.

Elliot told the judge that her husband was living with a disability.

Prosecutors have said they are considering the death penalty for Elliot if she's convicted.

Elliot cried as she told the judge that her husband Jon, a veteran, was living with a disability

A GoFundMe has been set up for Piper's father Jon Elliot, who is a military veteran and was injured in combat, according to the organizer Kip Ziemer.

The page reads: 'Jon will be needing as many donations as possible for the funeral arrangements, and basic everyday needs, he only get a small disability check each month.'
Families of the 13 service members who were killed during the botched Afghanistan withdrawal are supporting Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention.

The families spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, minutes before Trump's arrival to the arena on night two of the convention.

Their kids were among the 13 Americans and some 170 Afghans who died days later when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in August 2021. To date, not a single Biden administration official has taken responsibility for the loss of life.

Darin Hoover, who lost his son Taylor Hoover, a 31-year-old Marine Corps staff sergeant in the attack, said he wants to ensure 'what happened to our kids never happens again' by getting Trump reelected.

'Sure, war is hell and we're going to lose some,' he continued, 'but not in the manner that our kids were lost.'

'I'm here because Trump speaks for me, he speaks for my morals, my beliefs. He speaks truth,' Taylor's sister Coral Doolittle told DailyMail.com.

The families spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Herman Lopez said 'Joe Biden has dropped the ball' and there is no longer 'trust' in his administration

'We are here to support Trump because we need a change. We need somebody that cares for veterans, our military, our military families...and we know that he's gonna do it for us,' added Kelly Barnett, Taylor's mother.

'I'm supporting Trump because in the last three years and my son has been gone, we have tried to reach out to him President Joe Biden and he's yet to even return our calls or asked us to meet with us,' Alicia Lopez, mother of Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, disclosed.

She said in the 'almost three years that we've lost our children,' President Trump has been the 'only one who has come to us and asked us how we're feeling and asked us how we're doing.'

Her husband Herman Lopez said 'Joe Biden has dropped the ball' and there is no longer 'trust' in his administration.

'We need a leader that we can have confidence in,' he continued.

Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of 23-year-old Sgt. Nicole Gee, told DailyMail.com that she's supporting Trump because he supports 'our veterans and armed service members.'

'The current administration has turned their back on them,' but not Trump, she said who wouldn't let the Taliban harm 'one hair on one head of a U.S. service member.'

Their kids were among the 13 Americans and some 170 Afghans who died days later when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in August 2021

Trump wouldn't let the Taliban harm 'one hair on one head of a U.S. service member'

Cheryl Jules added: 'As soon as Trump left it all went to hell and our kids are dead because of that'

Cheryl Juels, aunt of Gee, added: 'As soon as Trump left it all went to hell and our kids are dead because of that.'

'He's a strong leader...our enemies don't fear us, they're all working together and it's only a matter of time until we end up in a third world war.'

She added that 'it didn't matter' to [Biden] when their childrens' caskets were coming off the military plane.

Biden came under heavy criticism after video of him checking his watch at the dignified transfer ceremony for the slain military service members from Afghanistan in Dover, Delaware.

When asked by DailyMail.com about Biden's terrible gaffe during the debate that 'no service members have died' under his watch, Shamblin said he 'disregards' the military.

'Our enemies don't fear us, they're all working together and it's only a matter of time until we end up in a third world war'

'It didn't surprise us at all, it's just more lie that he just says out there,' Jules stated.

She called it 'disgusting' that the Biden administration left its Afghanistan allies and partners behind during the withdrawal.
A cyber security student has been jailed after creating malware targeting government websites while living with his parents.

Amar Tagore, a third year university student, offered buyers the malicious software to disrupt corporate and state-run websites, while living with his parents in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire.

The 21-year-old supplied a tool used by hundreds of online customers to carry out Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attacks which forced users to take their websites offline, and made nearly 45,000 from his crimes.

He also provided technical support to those who bought the cyber-attack software, which he constructed and sold, according to The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

Tagore, a third-year cyber security student, was jailed for 21 months at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to computer misuse charges and a breach of proceeds of crime legislation.

Amar Tagore was convicted of creating, selling and supporting an online computer system with the capability of bringing down websites

Police were alerted after the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) suffered regular DDoS attacks at a Jobcentre site in Braintree, Essex, between May 12 and August 18 2022, the court heard.

Officers identified a suspect whose mobile phone was found to run a program called Myra which was running two different attack commands towards DWPs computer system, according to COPFS.

The Myra home page and its IP address were then traced to Tagore.

The website provided different Myra packages including a normal one for beginners, and a VIP package giving users a larger network increase and complex vector structures.

Another VIP+ package stated it had access to all add-on packages for full accessibility to the network. Specialised with your attack suite to meet any desires.

Officers carried out a search of the house Tagore shared with his parents in November 2022 and found him logged into a Myra VI terminal window through two large monitors and was using commands which allowed another user to use two separate attack methods, the court heard.

Analysis of Tagores laptop revealed 73,347 search references including the word Myra, with another 1,131 found on his mobile phone.

A financial investigation found that between January 2020 and November 2022, Tagore earned 44,433 from the sales of his malicious software.

Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at COPFS, said: Amar Tagores criminal conduct had the potential to cause serious disruption to government-affiliated and commercial websites all over the world.

He made tens of thousands of pounds through the sale of his malicious software and technical expertise.

But he is now paying the price for his criminal conduct, and we are already taking steps to recover his criminal benefit under proceeds of crime legislation.

This investigation involved domestic and international partners and reflects the worldwide nature of cybercrime investigations which does not stop at traditional borders.

COPFS is committed to fighting cybercrime at all levels and to protecting our communities and businesses from the effects of such criminality.

Tagore will now be subject to confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation.
Two people are dead and two children are injured in hospital after a fire ripped through a home in Blackpool.

Four fire engines on blue lights rushed to the blaze in Peter Street at 2.40am today where 'screaming and a big bang' was heard.

A woman in her 20s died at the scene, while a man, also aged in his 20s, was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Two children were also taken to hospital with police saying one of them is 'very poorly'.

One local, who did not wish to be named, told The Gazette a neighbour smashed through a window to save one of the children.

They said: 'I woke up because I could hear screaming and a big bang but I didn't know what was going on at first.

'A neighbour smashed a window to get one of the children out of the house. It's awful.'

Two people are dead and two children are injured in hospital after a fire ripped through a home in Peter Street, in Blackpool

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and no arrests have been made by Lancashire Police

Lancashire Police is keeping an 'open mind' as it launched a joint investigation with the fire service.

A few neighbouring properties had to be evacuated with police saying some displaced people are being supported by Blackpool Council.

No arrests have been made and the road has been cordoned off between Victory Road and Selbourne Road. It is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.

Chief Superintendent Mike Gladwin said: 'This incident has resulted in two people losing their lives and my thoughts are with their loved ones at this extremely distressing time.

'I know this tragic news will be met with great sadness in the local community and people will want instant answers.

The cause of fire is not yet known and no arrests have been made.

Speaking at a press conference at the scene, Ch Supt Gladwin said the dead were the parents of the injured children.

He said: 'We understand they lived in the property and are the parents and their children.

'We have evacuated a small number of properties while we conduct our investigations.'

He added: 'However, there are grieving loved ones still trying to come to terms with this devastating news.

'With that in mind, I would ask for patience and that people avoid unhelpful and upsetting speculation.'

A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said 'At 2.35am on Wednesday, July 17, four fire engines from Blackpool, South Shore, and Bispham fire stations attended a fire involving a domestic property on Peter Street in Blackpool.

'Crews used three hose reels, six breathing apparatus, and two positive pressure ventilation fans to fight the fire. Fire crews remain on the scene.'

Anyone who saw or captured anything suspicious on their CCTV, doorbell or dashcam in the Peter Street area in the early hours of Wednesday should call 101, or report it via Lancashire Constabulary's website, quoting log 97 of July 17 2024.
Behind China's growing appeal to international travelers

Xinhua) 07:59, July 17, 2024

CHANGSHA/SHANGHAI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Jin Yeong-deg, a 72-year-old man from the Republic of Korea, opened his Korean payment app Kakao Pay and showed the QR code to the cashier. Within seconds, the scan was complete, and he successfully purchased his items.

This would be a very ordinary transaction in the Korean cities of Seoul or Busan, but it actually took place in Zhangjiajie, a tourist city in central China's Hunan Province.

"Traveling in Zhangjiajie is very convenient," said Jin. "I didn't expect to be able to use mobile payments here just like a local."

This was Jin's second visit to the breathtaking landscape of Zhangjiajie -- home to the real prototype of the floating mountains in the Avatar -- and he saw significant changes since his first trip in 2004.

According to the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 of the World Economic Forum, China ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for travel and tourism.

Tourists from the Republic of Korea visit the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, May 30, 2024. (Photo by Deng Daoli/Xinhua)

TRAVEL MADE EASY

According to a recent survey conducted by Beijing Foreign Studies University, among 714 foreign tourists from 103 countries, 86 percent of those who have visited China believe the payment experience has become more convenient. The vast majority of these tourists used mobile payment methods.

By the end of 2023, China's mobile payment penetration rate had reached 86 percent, the highest in the world. Foreigners can now easily bind their overseas bank cards with Alipay or Tenpay, China's two major payment apps, thanks to simplified mobile payments.

In the first half of this year, foreign card transactions using mobile payment platforms surged 6.65 times from the previous year to nearly 37.4 million, according to data from Chinese online payment clearing house NetsUnion Clearing Corporation.

The apps also enable convenient transportation for foreign tourists.

Spanish couple Miguel and Irena Rodriguez Jimenez used Alipay to take the subway in Shanghai and book ride-hailing services.

"Some warm-hearted locals helped us download the app and register," said the wife. "It was a bit complicated at first, but now we can use it adeptly."

A police officer answers questions about visa-free entry permits for foreign passengers at the border check section of Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

GATE OPENING WIDER

China is welcoming more tourists with new visa policies.

On Monday, China expanded its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 entry ports. Foreign nationals from 54 countries, including the United States, Canada and Britain, are eligible for the policy for short-term travel and business visits.

The country is also piloting visa-free travel for ordinary passport holders from more than a dozen countries, including France, Spain, Australia and Poland, allowing them to enter China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit.

Data from the National Immigration Administration showed that the number of foreigners visiting China in the first half of this year exceeded 14.6 million, an increase of 152.7 percent compared with the same period last year. Of these, more than 8.5 million, or 52 percent, entered visa-free, a 190 percent increase year on year.

Eva Gajewska is the manager of a travel agency in Warsaw, Poland. Since the visa-free policy started, she has received lots of phone calls asking about tours to China.

"In the past, a visitor usually spent about 100 U.S. dollars for the visa to China, and had to wait for seven days," she said, hailing the new policy a "long-awaited" move. The company is now designing new routes to offer their clients more choices for their China trips.

Edward Iglesias, a 61-year-old Australian tourist, embarked on a 17-day tour of China, starting from Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Having applied for his visa before the policy change, he felt the new policy would definitely make things easier for travelers.

With simplified entry procedures, Iglesias plans to recommend China as a tourist destination to his friends, praising its "nice people and beautiful scenery." He expressed a desire to return when the weather is cooler, "maybe in autumn or spring."

Foreign tourists pose for a photo in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, or Qiniandian, at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, July 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Many visitors have changed their perspective on China after their visits of the country.

Colombian tourist German Raigosa was visiting China with his family for the first time. "It's surprising to see the public transportation, and how clean the cities are compared to other cities like New York," said the 71-year-old father.

"I didn't know that Chinese people are so nice," added his 29-year-old daughter, Susana Raigosa. "I was surprised at how little I knew about these cities."

Arnr Herrmann from New Zealand returned to Shanghai 28 years after his first visit. "Back then, I only remember seeing the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower as the landmark," said the leader of a 60-student group. This time, he marveled at China's development and the juxtaposition of both historical and modern buildings in the metropolis.

"We are impressed by the cleanliness of all the places," said Samuel Juara from Mexico via WeChat, which he downloaded for his trip to China. "The respect from all the people and their willingness to help, the amount of electric cars and beautiful buildings, the electronic advances and communicating measures ... are very impressive."

This photo taken on May 28, 2024 shows a payment service center for foreign tourists of the Bank of China at the Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Yujie)

New measures are being implemented across China to better serve international travelers in tourism cities. For instance, the Bank of China's Zhangjiajie branch has upgraded the airport's self-service currency exchange machines. These machines now accept over 20 currencies, including Australian dollars, up from six previously.

Chinese customs authorities have made declarations easier for foreign passengers by using mobile phone apps. "Foreign tourists can now complete their arrival process and pass through customs in just 30 minutes," said Liu Jinbo, director of Zhangjiajie Customs. He added that the average clearance time for inbound passengers is expected to drop further to under 10 minutes by the end of September.

"You will know how beautiful China is only after you visit the country," said Shin Young-yun, a team leader with Korean travel agency Modetour.

"China is a very safe and lovely country, which I have recommended to my compatriots. I know many of them who have visited once would like to go there again," he added. "Hopefully in the future more Koreans, more foreigners, can visit and see the real China."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Young woman in China's Henan brings wealth to villagers

People's Daily Online) 15:29, July 17, 2024

Zhang Guifang, a young woman in Sanjia village, Shilin township, Hebi city, central China's Henan Province, has brought prosperity to her fellow villagers after she returned to her hometown.

In December 2020, Zhang, who ran a B&B business in north China's Tianjin Municipality, answered the call to revitalize the place where she was born. She was then elected as Party chief and villagers' committee head of Sanjia village.

She soon found that the village was deep in debt and had no major industries. However, she decided to do something new to bring hope to the village.

Zhang then came up with the idea of painting the walls in Sanjia village to turn the village into a big "B&B hotel," which was questioned by many villagers.

She invited a painter born in the 1980s to draw beautiful pictures on the walls of houses in the village. She also led villagers to clear the trash and renovate houses and streets, making the village clean and tidy.

Zhang Guifang (1st from right) and villagers hold pumpkins in Sanjia village, Shilin township, Hebi city, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/Li Yang)

The village's beautiful wall paintings gradually attracted some visitors from urban areas. Zhang invited locally famous vloggers and reporters to the village to enhance its image.

On June 16, 2021, Sanjia village made its first appearance in newspapers as a village featuring colorful wall paintings. Shortly after, the village attracted the attention of more media outlets both from and beyond the province.

"Our village's fame increased significantly, becoming an internet-famous tourist attraction," Zhang said.

One month after the news report, a heavy rainstorm hit Hebi city, and the situation in Sanjia village was particularly serious, where farmlands, roads and houses were damaged, and electricity was cut off. Zhang held fast to her position to fight the floods and worked with a charity organization in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province to collect disaster relief materials worth 900,000 yuan ($123,850) for the village. Later, Zhang and her colleagues helped collect relief materials worth nearly 4 million yuan for the village and Shilin township.

After that, Zhang raised 240,000 yuan online for post-disaster reconstruction and secured a program to assist 50 households with elderly residents in the village.

After these efforts, Zhang was accepted and recognized as a capable leader, and was honored by the municipal government.

She has since secured 1 million yuan for drought and disaster mitigation, 800,000 yuan from the Hebi Charity Federation to construct roads, and 2.34 million yuan to build tap water pipelines in the village.

In early 2023, Zhang proposed creating a distinctive collective economy demonstration project for Sanjia village to higher authorities. The idea was to open an account on popular short-video platform Douyin to tell the village's stories and promote the local culture, customs, and daily life of villagers to attract investment. The project was approved and higher authorities gave a 500,000 yuan fund.

In March 2023, Zhang posted her first video on the account, sharing her story of returning to the village to serve as its leader and how she led villagers in improving the living environment, resolving debt problems, and developing industries. The account attracted 100,000 followers within 12 hours after the video was released. So far, the account has garnered over 460,000 followers, more than 150 million views and over 3.6 million likes.

Seizing on the opportunities presented by the popularity of the account, Zhang began to hold livestreams and sold over 15,000 kilograms of millet produced in the village via livestreams in a week. A new energy vehicle company established a cooperation agreement with Sanjia village, engaging in activities like donating agricultural machinery. The village also cooperated with a businessman to plant pumpkins, bringing over 300,000 yuan in income from jobs to villagers in the first year of cooperation.

Zhang was awarded the Henan Youth May Fourth Medal, the highest honor for outstanding young individuals in the province, in 2023 for her efforts to promote the rapid development of Sanjia village by leveraging the internet.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
An Oakland woman was among six people killed by cyanide poisoning in what officials suspect was a murder-suicide. Jacom Stephens/Getty Images

An Oakland woman was among six people poisoned to death by cyanide in a Bangkok hotel in what police are now investigating as a possible murder-suicide stemming from a financial dispute, according to multiple news reports.

Sherine Chong, 56, had booked the room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan where the six victims  all of Vietnamese descent  were found dead Tuesday, a report from the Washington Post said, citing comments that Bangkoks deputy police chief, Noppasin Poonsawat, made during a news conference Wednesday.

Property records link Chong to a three-story house in Oaklands Tuxedo neighborhood, just below Interstate 580. She appeared to be alone in Room 502 when hotel staff delivered food, milk and tea at around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Post report said. Police reviews of CCTV footage showed the other five people entering the room shortly thereafter.

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When a housekeeper knocked on the door later after Chong didnt check out, she found the six people unresponsive, their food untouched and a few dishes still covered in cling wrap. Autopsies showed traces of cyanide in their blood. Investigators also found the deadly substance in the tea cups, Poonsawat told reporters.

Attempts to reach Chongs relatives were unsuccessful Wednesday. One person hung up when contacted by a Chronicle reporter.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department acknowledged the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok and said the agency is closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance.
A 'greedy' mortgage broker who killed his wife at their 1.2 million home to pay off a 'surging mountain of debt' was convicted of her murder today.

Robert Hammond topped up the couple's life insurance payments despite defaulting on other financial commitments before strangling Sian shortly after they had sex.

He then dialled 999 to call an ambulance to their home in the upmarket village of Histon, near Cambridge, and 'put on an act', claiming he had found her not breathing after she went to bed alone.

But a police investigation found his debts spiralled to 300,000 and he had been 'telling lies' to keep creditors off his back, including inventing a bogus cancer diagnosis.

'While the Hammonds were no doubt very wealthy, with numerous properties, and were held in high regard by many, the defendant found himself in a hole, not just about the debt and money but the status that brought them,' prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC said while opening the case last month.

Sian Hammond (pictured) was strangled to death by her husband Robert

Robert Hammond, 47, murdered his wife of more than 20 years, Sian on October 30 last year in an attempt to clear his spirally debt

'From the outside, Sian and the defendant were a happy couple with two children, living in an affluent part of the city, and had a lot going for them.

'But the police investigation has revealed the defendant faced a surging mountain of debt and financial pressures that you may think led him to act as he did.'

Hammond was convicted unanimously of murder and will be sentenced on Tuesday.

His wife's family paid tribute to her, saying: 'Sian was one of the friendliest people you could have the pleasure of meeting and she will be sorely missed by many.'

Hammond, 47, called the emergency services just before 2am on October 30 last year and claimed he had found his wife of more than 20 years face down on the bed and not breathing.

Part of the call was played to jurors in which he could he heard being told to perform CPR and at one point claimed she had fallen off the bed.

But this was the first step in covering up the injuries she received when she was strangled, the prosecutor said, describing it as 'part of his facade, his act playing the grieving and anxious husband'.

A paramedic also questioned whether CPR had taken place as he arrived ten minutes after the 999 call was received and Mrs Hammond's body was described as being already cold.

Robert Hammond (pictured) topped up the couple's life insurance payments despite defaulting on other financial commitments before strangling Sian shortly after they had sex

Sian Hammond (pictured) was strangled by her husband shortly after they had sex

Police were called to the detached house and noticed suspicious 'bruises and marks' but it was only a week later that a post-mortem examination found Mrs Hammond had numerous abrasions and bruises around her head.

There was also pinprick haemorrhaging to her face and neck indicating there had been 'pressure to the neck'. Injuries to her hands suggested they were caused defending herself.

CCTV at the house showed no one else had entered or left the house on the night she died.

Detectives found Hammond owed 200,000 to Legal and General and another large sum to HM Revenue and Customs.

During a conversation with a staff member at Legal and General who was chasing payment, he gave her a sob story about how his wife had died and they had been in the process of divorcing.

But he changed his story when interviewed by police and said they were 'happily married'.

Mrs Hammond was found dead at her 1.2million detached home that she shared with her husband

Sian with her two daughters and her husband Robert before he strangled her to death

Mr Paxton said the divorce was possibly a 'secret they had kept and added to the tension between husband and wife'.

In a further conversation with the Legal and General employee on November 3, Hammond asked whether the firm would review the interest on his debt balance when he received a 450,000 life insurance payout.

'Sian had been dead barely a week and this was on the defendant's mind. He had his eyes on the prize of the pay-off,' Mr Paxton said.

'We say the defendant saw Sian's death as his way out of the debt crisis he was in.'

The court heard the couple, who have two teenage daughters and had been earning a combined 90,000 a month, had recently separated their businesses.

Sian, 46, was principal and director of Lime Tree Financial Services based in Cambridge, while her husband, who denies murder, runs Hammonds Mortgage Services in Huntingdon.

Speaking after the conviction, Detective Inspector Richard Stott, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: 'Once the investigation progressed, it showed Hammond to be a competent liar and the large debts and financial pressures he was under became clear.

'His greed and fear of losing his public standing led to him murdering his wife to benefit from her life insurance and to continue hiding his debt and lies.'

Hammond boasted about his sexual exploits with his wife after coldly texting friends to inform them she had died.

In his message, he said: 'I wanted you to hear from me that Sian passed away last night in her sleep.

'Been a tough day. Can you let the other halves know please? I don't need anything, just want you to know.'

Deborah Bevis, who met Mrs Hammond 15 years ago when their children were at the same school, said she and her husband were shocked at the message and 'didn't believe it'.

They went round to see Hammond three days later and he told them he had gone to Aldi to buy steak for dinner before doing a workout in their home gym.

Sian was also very sporty and had treated their sex like a 'workout', he added.

Prosecutor Mr Paxton said to Mrs Bevis: 'He said he and Sian had a cwtch  it's a Welsh word for cuddle  and James [the name Hammond was known by] told you he had sex with Sian and he described Sian as like a gym bunny and that Sian had used it as a workout.'

'Yes, I think he said that,' she replied, adding it was not normal for him to discuss their sex lives.

Mrs Bevis described the defendant as a 'funny, sociable, nice man' and that he had appeared calm and made no mention of financial difficulties.

Hammond's daughters Lauren and Katie were in court earlier this week during the judge's summing up and were in tears at one point as they mouthed words to him through the glass of the dock.

The couple had been together since they were 17 and the defendant insisted during the trial they were happy together and had never cheated on each other.

'Even though we were married for a long time, she made me feel special,' he said.

Asked whether he had actually performed CPR on her after calling 999, he told the jury: 'I 100 per cent did. I wanted to give her the best chance she could have.'

The wife killer cried crocodile tears as medics told him they couldn't do anything for her and asked him if he wanted to be with her as they pronounced her dead.

He continued working on the day of her death and afterwards, messaging one colleague at 8am about arrangements for a client's mortgage.

Hammond also contacted a tenant at one of his properties about a problem with a broken radiator and messaged his personal trainer to say he couldn't make an appointment.

Asked by the prosecutor if it was 'business as usual' after Sian's death, he responded: 'I didn't want anyone to lose their home.'

He added: 'I'm not motivated by business, money and greed. I do not drive flash cars. Your opinion of me is wrong.'

But in a message to a friend, he complained: 'I'm in bits mate. We were doing 90,000 a month [ie earning that much each month], the kids were happy and we were getting on well.'
A doctor accused of sexually assaulting two women has been charged with the rape of a third patient.

Ahmed Al-Sudani, 45, was arrested at a medical centre at Arncliffe, in Sydney's south, on Friday after police received reports of sexual assaults involving two patients.

Police said on Wednesday further investigations had revealed he allegedly raped another patient in June.

The 45-year-old doctor has been charged with two further offences of sexual intercourse without consent and sexual touching without consent.

He was already facing allegations he sexually touched a 28-year-old woman during a consultation on June 4 and raped a 19-year-old woman during a consultation on June 26.

Two interim apprehended violence orders have been taken out on behalf of the complainants.

Sydney doctor Ahmed Al-Sudani, 45 (pictured during his arrest) has been charged with the rape of a third patient

Al-Sudani was granted bail in Sutherland Local Court last Friday after promising to pay $1million if he breached any conditions.

He paid a $200,000 deposit to the court towards the sum.

The 45-year-old has been banned from acting as a medical practitioner and surrendered his passport to police.

However, his release from Sydney's Silverwater Jail was put on hold until later on Wednesday while prosecutors decided whether to appeal the magistrate's bail decision.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
A glamorous Oklahoma woman is racing to break down barriers by becoming the first female speedway in her city and by opening a welding shop to inspire young girls.

Emme Hughes, 21, of Enid, has spent the past 12 years racing and finally took home her first win on June 1 at Enid Speedway in the Sport Mods/B-Mods division, where she was the only female in the race.

'I felt very excited,' Hughes told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. 'It was nerve-wracking, but at the same time, [I had] an adrenaline rush.'

It was only the sixth time she had raced her mirror-less B-Mod car, as she used to drive sprint cars until recently when her 78-year-old grandfather and former racer, Ted Shepard, grew too sick to work on her car.

So her father, Shawn Hughes, got her the B-Mod car and the rest is history.

Emme Hughes, 21, of Enid, has spent the past 12 years racing and finally took home her first win on June 1 at Enid Speedway in the Sport Mods/B-Mods division, where she was the only female in the race

'I felt very excited,' Hughes told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. 'It was nerve-wracking, but at the same time, [I had] an adrenaline rush.' It was only the sixth time she had raced her B-Mod car, as she used to drive sprint cars

Although Shepard was too ill to attend her race, he was 'super ecstatic' to learn she had won her first race.

'He said: "I knew you would do that soon,"' Hughes recalled. 'He just believed in me more than I'll ever know.'

Her grandfather used to race cars at Enid Speedway and is well-known in their town of 50,000.

'I can't go anywhere without someone saying: "Are you Ted Shepard's granddaughter?' Hughes said with a laugh.

The 21-year-old Oklahoman grew up in a big racing family and often missed birthday parties and other youthful rights of passage because she was too busy at the track, but she doesn't regret it as it brought her family closer.

She even had a racetrack in her backyard growing up to allow herself to 'focus on my sport' and become a 'driven person.'

These skills now help protect her when male racers get a little too upset that a female is participating in the sport.

At the age of 18, Hughes opened her welding shop, EH Metal Works - which specializes in making cattle guards, art pieces, and signs - with the help of her grandfather, who also owned a welding company

She remembers spending a lot of time in Shepard's old Dodge truck, eating donuts, and listening to Reba McEntire on the way to her grandfather's shop - the place she learned to weld at the ripe age of six

'I have been yelled at,' she told DailyMail.com, revealing that roughhousing and fights are normal at racing events. 'I can't help that I'm a female in a male-dominated field.'

But she'll take the misdirected criticism to keep empowering young girls to chase their dreams.

At the age of 18, Hughes opened her welding shop, EH Metal Works - which specializes in making cattle guards, art pieces, and signs - with the help of her grandfather, who also owned a welding company.

She remembers spending a lot of time in Shepard's old Dodge truck, eating donuts, and listening to Reba McEntire on the way to her grandfather's shop - the place she learned to weld at the ripe age of six.

With the help of his old equipment and business advice, Hughes took off to build her own company and hasn't looked back. She now has three employees and is working on setting up workshops to help young girls and boys to learn the basics of being an entrepreneur and a welder.

Her father, Shawn Hughes, got her the B-Mod car and the rest is history

And she plans to keep winning races to show young girls they can do it too.

'All I do is eat, sleep, work, and race,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I hope to do this the rest of my life.'

And she isn't afraid of bringing a little pink into a traditionally male-dominated space.

'Staying in my feminine energy while I'm doing something that's considered a male-dominated industry. I just love it, to be able to embrace myself,' Hughes told KOMO News.

'Continuing to be the modern-day Rosie the Riveter, you know?' she continued. 'If any little girls want to come to my shop and learn, please. I would love it.'
Cruise liners may decide to boycott popular destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, if anti-tourism protests and 'violent attitudes' towards holiday-makers continue to escalate.

The warning has been issued by leaders of the Cruise Lines International Association which says there are many other ports across the world willing to take tourists without protests.

'Tourismphobia is not only a problem in Spain, but also in France and other Mediterranean countries, but visitors are increasingly sensitive and the violent attitudes that have been seen in places like Barcelona have an impact on the destination's reputation,' said Marie Caroline Laurent, CLIA's European director, during a visit to Madrid.

The CLIA says it does not anticipate a drop in turnover due to the continued demonstrations in the Canary Islands, the Balearics and Spanish mainland destinations. In fact, the cruise industry forecasts an increase in capacity of ten per cent in the next five years.

What it could envisage, however, is a major change to the destinations cruise liners travel to, favoring 'tourist-friendly' locations.

An anti-tourism placard is seen during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain

People attend an anti tourism protest under the motto 'Enough! Let's put limits on tourism' organized by different civil society groups in Barcelona earlier this month

Holidaymakers have been met with anti-tourist graffiti on Tenerife as frustrated locals claim they only 'drink cheap beer, lay in the sun and eat low quality food' - but holidaymakers hit back bragging they 'pay their wages'

Alfredo Serrano, CLIA's director in Spain, said there are countries like Saudi Arabia and others in the area that are making 'million-dollar investments' in boosting their tourism sector and welcoming tourists with open arms.

'As the dialogue with the Barcelona council is complicated, for example, it will result in cancellations and discontent among tourists,' the two representatives said at a press conference.

They made an appeal for authorities to stop 'demonising' tourism and start to manage cities in a more efficient way.

The CLIA says it is already thinking about changing cities where tourists arrive within Spain.

'The infrastructure is ready,' the association has indicated. 'All that is needed is for those responsible for the country's tourism promotion to offer foreigners to visit other attractive cities such as La Coruna, Ferrol, Almeria, Alicante, Cartagena or Cadiz, where more and more ships dock.'

Hostile protestors squirted water guns at tourists eating in popular spots in Barcelona earlier this month

Numerous holiday destinations in Spain, including Tenerife, and in the Balearics, which include Mallorca and Ibiza, have seen demonstrations over the last few months and more are planned.

Protesters say they are not against tourists but want numbers limited because of the impact on roads, beauty spots, the beaches and affordability of housing for locals.

Most of the protests have been peaceful but Barcelona has come under fire for demonstrations last week when tourists were sprayed with water and firecrackers were set off in hotel foyers, scenes described by the authorities as 'unacceptable'.

The Canary Islands have already called for an urgent national pact across Spain in defence of tourism.

The popular holiday destination, which includes Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, says the brand of the islands and Spain as a whole is being dented by the protests over mass tourism.

Government leaders in the Canaries says Spain has to take a united stance against the escalating situation and reverse the 'negative stance.'

And they warn scenes in Barcelona last week when tourists were sprayed with water should be regarded as 'very worrying'.

Calling for united action at national level, Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica de Leon said: 'We need strategic policies on the tourism sector to be implemented in Spain and tourism activity to be defended and not put at the centre of problems that have nothing to do with the reality of tourism.'

'It is necessary to prevent the Canary Islands brand and the Spain brand from being affected by this type of mobilisations.'

She has called on the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to promote 'a pact in defence of tourism'.

'We have been talking about tourism in a negative sense, there have been demonstrations in the Canary Islands that have spread to the rest of the territory,' she said.

'It is necessary to prevent the Canary Islands brand and the Spain brand from being affected by this type of demonstrations, not so much those held in the archipelago, but also the 'image' transmitted in the Barcelona demonstration on July 6th. This should be very worrying to the Spanish tourism brand.'

And she added: 'In Europe we are the Canary Islands but in the rest of the world we go under the umbrella of Turespana.'
Two baby-faced schoolboys who murdered a 14-year-old air cadet after he was 'exploited' into dealing cannabis have today been unmasked by a judge.

Kyle Dermody was also just 14 when he stabbed his former friend Nathaniel Shani in the neck following a row over drugs.

He was last month given a life sentence after being convicted of his murder alongside Trey Stewart-Gayle, who was only 13 and armed with a screwdriver.

After Dermody produced a knife, Stewart-Gayle told him to 'do it', their trial heard.

Following an application by the media, a judge today lifted a ban on publishing their names, saying there was a 'substantial public interest' in understanding how such young children could commit a fatal knife attack.

Nathaniel Shani, 14, (pictured) was fatally stabbed in the neck by a former friend following a row about stolen cannabis

The young air cadet planned to meet Trey Stewart Gayle (pictured) for a one v one fight over stolen cannabis

Kyle Dermody, (pictured) who was Nathaniel's former friend before they fell out, fatally stabbed the teenager last September

Mrs Justice Ellenbogen previously said that 'sadly it is no longer shocking' for such a young child to be murdered by boys of his age.

Detectives have previously revealed how Nathaniel's tragic death last September illustrated how easily children from loving, supportive families can be sucked into a deadly inner-city underworld.

Nathaniel's devastated parents  who police say could not have known about his brief and tragic foray into a world of criminal gangs  have called for a 'total ban of carrying knives in our streets' and stiffer sentences.

They have urged schools to inform parents about concerns that their children were involved in crime so they could take 'responsibility' for keeping them out of trouble.

The case came after two 12-year-old boys became Britain's youngest murderers since James Bulger's killers after a being found guilty of stabbing Shawn Seesahai, 19, to death in a park in Wolverhampton.

A pupil at Manchester Communication Academy, Nathaniel took pride in his role as an air cadet, shining his shoes and ironing his shirt to make sure he looked the part.

A photograph released by his parents showed his delight at celebrating his 14th birthday with a card celebrating the 'amazing journey' through life that the family envisaged for him.

But unbeknown to them, he had been sucked into a criminal underworld of dealing drugs in the north Manchester neighbourhood of Harpurhey where the family lived.

On the day of his killing, September 15 last year, Stewart-Gayle had stolen cannabis from a friend of Nathaniel, the trial heard.

The court heard Nathaniel 'viewed himself as a hard kid' who was 'interested in a reputation that matched that' so was focused on recovering the stolen drugs

Nathaniel pictured on 14th birthday with a card celebrating the 'amazing journey' through life that the family envisaged for him

Nathaniel  said in court to have 'viewed himself as a hard kid' who was 'interested in a reputation that matched that'  was determined to recover the drugs.

An arrangement was made for a 'one v one fight' at a shopping precinct to 'sort things'.

Stewart-Gayle  armed with a screwdriver  was accompanied by Dermody, who had been friends with Nathaniel before they fell out.

During the confrontation, unarmed Nathaniel punched Dermody, who produced a knife and stabbed him to the neck.

Stewart-Gayle told Dermody to 'do it' after he had produced the weapon.

Nathaniel was seen clutching his neck after being knifed, before collapsing in the square.

His devastated friends lied to police that it had been an argument about money, but detectives recovered Snapchat messages which revealed the true story.

After both were convicted of murder following a trial at Manchester Crown Court, the pair were given life sentences last month.

Dermody, now 15, will serve a minimum term of 13 years in custody while Stewart-Gayle, now 14, will have to serve a minimum of 10 years.

Ruling that the media could name them, High Court judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen said: 'The public will wish to know the identities of those who commit such a serious offence in seeking to understand how it is that children of that age can do so.

Nathaniel was stabbed in the Harpurhey neighbourhood (police pictured at the scene) of north Manchester, where he lived with his mother and sister

Pictured: Forensic officers at the scene of the stabbing in September last year

Pictured: Tributes left to Nathaniel at the scene in Harpurhey, Manchester

'Knife crime in general and the circumstances of this particular case are matters of substantial public interest.'

When she sentenced them, the judge said: 'That a boy of his age should have met his death by boys of a similar age is a tragedy - sadly it is no longer shocking.'

Paying tribute, at the time, the victim's parents said: 'Nathaniel will be missed for many reasons, he was such a courageous young boy, charming with a great sense of humour, loving and caring who loved jokes and laughs, when he was inspired seeing Three Stooges' comedy team first time.

'Until his death, Nathaniel was never angry or mad at anyone.

'When he is bored, he will just crack a joke and every one would just burst into instant laughter whether it's at home or in school or playground.'

Describing the 'life-changing' impact of losing their son in such a traumatic way, they added: 'It's like a dream and that when we wake up, Nathaniel will be in his room sleeping.'

Among their demands are a 'total ban of carrying knives in our streets', insisting parents 'take responsibility' for ensuring children don't carry knives, and requiring schools to disclose any concerns.

'More powers need to be given to police to pin down those carrying knives, prosecute and award longer sentences,' they added.

After the sentencing, the lead detective on the case, Det Chf Insp Gina Brennand, of Greater Manchester Police, revealed that the dealer who provided Nathaniel with the drugs has since been locked up for drugs offences.

She said investigators had established that Nathaniel had only been involved in drug dealing for about two weeks before he was murdered, with messages showing he had been told he could move onto selling cocaine if he did 'well' with cannabis.

'That street level exploitation, I would say, has led to Nathaniel's murder,' she said.

'Had the drugs not been stolen, the fight would never have taken place.

'That person has been the catalyst for Nathaniel's murder, and his parents would say that.'

DCI Brennand claimed Nathaniel and his friends were victims of 'child exploitation', saying 'they don't have the skills to know otherwise'.

'They might think it's cool, but they're not.

'They're just acting for someone else and being exploited. It happens every day, on streets of inner cities in the UK. And this is why children start to carry knives.

'It's awful, absolutely awful, it's devastating.

'These are vulnerable children who can't make decisions, who might want some money for a new pair of trainers, and so they start doing things because someone has approached them.'

She said Nathaniel's parents had responded by asking themselves 'What could we have done?' and 'What have we missed?'

'At least we could tell them that as far as we're aware, from Nathaniel's phone evidence, this is such a short period, just 14 days before he died that he started to get involved in dealing cannabis.

'They will always look at whether they could have done anything to prevent it, but they didn't know.

'It was such a short period of time, this is what makes it even more tragic.

'His own parents hadn't had the chance to become aware of what he was doing. They are mortified that they didn't know.

'What we've said to them as a team is that you'd have been lucky to know.'

Following his death, the Greater Manchester wing of the Royal Air Force Cadets said it was 'extremely shocked and deeply saddened at the death of Nathaniel, who was a bright and popular young man'.

His parents have called for stiffer sentences on knife crime as well as a total ban of carrying knives in our streets

Asked what could be done to curb the scourge of knife crime, DCI Brennand said police could not tackle it alone.

'You need parents and families involved, you need council CCTV to be in the right place, you need security in the streets in the form of places where children can't hide, you need education at school,' she said.

'It seems to me that it doesn't matter how many children die from a knife wound from someone of a similar age, week in week out in the UK. That is not a preventative message to the children.

'I think the children might be the best people to ask how you stop it.

'I bet those who saw Nathaniel die won't carry a knife anymore.'
Hamas-led armed groups who were joined by Gaza civilians committed numerous war crimes against Israel during the deadly attacks on October 7, a global human rights group has said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Wednesday that said the actions of the Palestinian fighters, who killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others during the attack, met the international legal definition for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

At least five Palestinian factions took part in the attack, and were joined by civilians from Gaza, the group said.

The report found that they engaged in war crimes and violated international law by killing, torturing, taking civilians hostage, looting and committing crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence.

The New York-based rights group said its researchers were unable to independently verify claims of sexual violence and rape but that they relied on a separate report by a special UN envoy who found 'reasonable grounds' to believe Hamas fighters committed sexual violence during the attack.

Israeli festivalgoers run for their lives through the desert after being warned of an incoming rocket attack just as Hamas invaded the country on October 7

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian, center, from Kfar Azza kibbutz into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak on October 7. firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday

Israeli troops inspect the ravaged site of the weekend attack on the Supernova desert music Festival by Palestinian militants near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel on October 10, 2023. Hamas gunmen killed around 270 revellers who were attending an outdoor rave music festival in an Israeli community near Gaza

The 230-page HRW report focuses only on the October 7 attacks and does not examine actions taken by Hamas or Israel during the subsequent war in Gaza.

More than 38,400 people have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments in Gaza since the war began, according to the territory's Health Ministry.

The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The militants committed a crime against humanity because they launched a 'widespread attack directed against a civilian population', said Belkis Wille, an associate director at HRW who arrived in Israel days after October 7 and spent a month researching the attack with local staff.

The researchers examined Palestinian attacks on 26 civilian sites in southern Israel, including kibbutzes, cities, two music festivals and a beach party, and they spoke with nearly 100 survivors, as well as 50 experts and first responders.

Burnt cars are left behind at the site of the weekend attack on the Supernova desert music Festival by Palestinian militants, near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel, on October 10, 2023

Amid the sheer destruction in Be'eri kibbutz, the community's nursery was found to have pools of blood after Hamas terrorists tore through on October 7

A street in kibbutz Kfar Aza is seen on October 27 - 20 days after Hamas stormed the area

'The killing of civilians and taking of hostages were all central aims of the planned attack and not actions that occurred as an afterthought or as a plan gone awry, or as isolated acts, for example, perpetrated by unaffiliated Palestinians from Gaza,' Ms Wille said.

After reviewing hundreds of photos and videos, the researchers determined that the majority of the Palestinians who took part in the attack were affiliated with armed groups and were not random civilians who took advantage of the open fence.

'That was a claim that was made very early on - it was made by Hamas in order to distance its own fighters from the abuses, and it was made by Israel to justify attacks on civilians in Gaza,' she said.

HRW observed footage of fighters, including those in civilian clothes with no military insignia, communicating with walkie-talkies and taking orders from commanders, leading them to conclude that those who carried out the worst abuses, especially in the early hours of the attack, belonged to armed factions.

In a nine-page response to the HRW report, Hamas said the Qassam Brigades planned and led the October 7 attack, not the Hamas political movement, and that fighters were instructed not to target civilians.

Children's toys and personal items lie on the bloodstained floor of a child's bedroom, following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri

Personal belongings lie among the debris of a house destroyed during the October 7 attack by Hamas militants in kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip on October 18

Troops remove the bodies of victims, killed during an attack by Hamas terrorists in Kfar Aza

HRW said they found the Hamas response 'false' and that 'the intentional killing and hostage-taking of civilians was planned and highly co-ordinated'.

The organisation called on Hamas to immediately release the approximately 120 hostages and bodies of hostages still being held in Gaza, and for all sides to adhere to international law and agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible.

HRW has a strained relationship with Israel, which it has accused of violating international law in multiple cases.

In April, an HRW investigation found that an Israeli strike in October in central Gaza which killed 106 Palestinians constituted a war crime because there was no apparent military target.

The group also accused Israel of violating international law by striking residential buildings in Lebanon with white phosphorus, a chemical munition.

The Israeli military said it upholds international law regarding munitions and that it used white phosphorus as a smokescreen, not to target civilians.

Thousands of Israelis gather at the "United We Bring Them Home" rally in Hostages Square on May 18th, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The rally called special attention to the hostages that are still being held hostage in Gaza and call for their immediate release
A friend of two Brits missing in Sweden fear they may have been killed in a 'carjacking gone wrong' after two bodies were found in a burnt our Toyota SUV.

Father-of-two Juan Cifuentes and newly-wed Farooq Abdulrazak, both from North London, went missing on a 'business trip' to Denmark and Sweden over the weekend.

But hours before they were due home on Sunday, cops found two bodies inside the burning remains of a Toyota RAV4 on an industrial estate near Malmo in Sweden.

A friend of the pair said both men ran an online travel agency and had travelled to Copenhagen from Heathrow on Saturday, hired a car and were planning on driving across the border to Sweden to meet with hoteliers.

He told MailOnline: 'From what I've heard from the families, Swedish Police are looking into whether there was an incident just as they crossed the border from Denmark.

'There seems to have been an attack on the car, a carjacking gone wrong and potential robbery.'

Investigators have been reserved in sharing details about the ongoing probe, though are said to be interested in a third man believed to have been in contact with the victims before the tragedy.

In the last known surveillance pictures of the victims before their disappearance, a third, unknown man is seen with them in the car, according to local media.

Farooq Abdulrazak (left) and Juan Cifuentes (right) are believed to be the two men found

The men are believed to have travelled to Denmark before heading to Sweden for business

A lorry is seen carrying the burnt out car wrapped in a plastic sheet

Police are now said to be investigating whether the attack was a carjacking gone wrong

Police are working tirelessly to try to work out how the victims died, and were planning to speak to several people ahead of more forensic testing this morning.

It is believed the two men, London-based travel agents, crossed from nearby Copenhagen into Denmark in a rented Toyota, last seen travelling past the Oresund Bridge toll station on Sunday afternoon.

The bodies of two men were discovered by firefighters attending the scene of a burning Toyota RAV4 matching the description on a dirt track in an industrial estate in Malmo later that day.

Authorities said they believed the victims had been shot before the car was set alight.

'Somehow the car has ended up on a deserted piece of land on the outskirts of Malmo,' the pair's friend told MailOnline.

'We haven't been told how yet, it may have been driven there by one of the thieves.

'To hide their tracks, the criminals have then torched the car and fled.

'Two bodies were found inside that vehicle and it's feared they are Juan and Farooq. Although we don't know where in the car exactly they were found.'

The friend said Swedish police and Interpol are now looking into whether any possessions were stolen.

It was previously reported that police were working with Interpol, though they declined to say in what capacity at first.

'As far as we know Juan and Farooq were due to meet with hoteliers and tourism officials in Sweden to discuss possible business ventures with their travel website.'

Local media has also picked up on a third person said to be visible in surveillance photos from before their disappearance.

Sydsvenskan reported that there may have been another person in the car with them when they arrived in Sweden.

Forensic teams are working to confirm the identities of the Brits found in Sweden

Firefighters arrived at the scene of the inferno in Malmo to find bodies already shot

Authorities are reportedly working with Interpol on their probe into the horror

Juan and Farooq's identities were revealed earlier today when a relative of Juan confirmed they had rented a car matching the description in Denmark with plans to head east on a business trip.

Both lived in Finchley, North London and attended Finchley Mosque.

Juan had two daughters, aged three and eight, and Farooq only got married three months ago.

The friend added: 'The community who meet at the mosque are very tight-knit and we are all shocked and saddened by this.

'Juan and Farooq were highly-respected, loving people who would help anyone who needed it.

'I'm numb with grief at the moment, I don't know really what else to say. Their loss is felt deeply.'

'The Swedish police have been in contact with us and are providing updates on the situation,' a relative to Juan told MailOnline earlier today.

'They believe the two men in the car are possibly Juan and Farooq but the bodies are yet to be identified.

'I have read reports that the two men found in the car had been shot.

'That is not something that we are aware of at this time. The police have not told us that.

'All we know at the moment is that Juan and Farooq travelled to Denmark and then on to Sweden for a business trip.

'They'd been due to return on Sunday before the Euro final but they didn't come home and nobody has seen them for a few days.'

Earlier Rickard Lundqvist, press spokesperson for police region South, confirmed that there was an investigation to identify the bodies found in the car - but said there was no suspect at present.

Police only identified that the victims were not Danish at first 'since it was a Danish-registered car'.

Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet later reported that the victims were British.

And Swedish police confirmed they are working with foreign police on the case.

Aftonbladet reported today that two British businessmen feared murdered had flown from Heathrow airport in London to Copenhagen's Kastrup airport.

At Kastrup, one of the two Britons is said to have been photographed when he rented a car - the same car that was later found burnt out.

Two Brits were shot dead in a rented car and set on fire in Sweden after hiring the vehicle in Denmark. Images show forensics officers investigating the scene

The police are understood to be working with Interpol in their investigations

Farooq (pictured) and Juan were meant to come home on Sunday before the Euros final

Farooq (pictured) and his friend have not been seen since driving away in a rental

The Foreign Office said previously it was supporting the families of two British men reported in Sweden after the bodies were found in a burned-out Toyota in an industrial estate in Malmo on Sunday.

The driver and passenger, who are believed to be British citizens, were found in the gutted remains of a car that had been rented in Denmark and driven across the border to Sweden.

Firefighters discovered the body when responding to the scene of a blaze on the Fosie industrial estate.

Police said they had not yet identified the bodies, but that forensic testing would take place this morning.

Horrifically, the victims are understood to have been shot before the car was set alight, local media reports.

Police are treating the incident as a double murder.
They were a generation of young men left traumatised by the horrors of the First World War.

In an era when mental health was poorly understood, many of the soldiers from the Great War were left to shoulder the burden of what they had witnessed.

But a fascinating insight has been given into those who were offered help after details of their therapy were found among the possessions of a nurse who worked at a war hospital in Glasgow.

The album from 1917 was kept by Jean Thomson and includes artwork created by shell-shocked soldiers as she encouraged them to draw to aid their rehabilitation.

It is now due to be auctioned in aid of a veterans charity after being found in a locked trunk during a house clearance.

Jean Thomson, right, with her husband Arthur and daughter Nancy on Arran in 1951

The nurse worked at Merryflats Military Hospital in Govan, which later became the site of the Southern General Hospital

Ms Thomson worked as a nurse at the Merryflats War Hospital in Govan, where she was involved in pioneering work to treat what is now known as post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

She went on to qualify as a doctor in the 1920s and married fellow doctor Arthur Browning, who she met at Glasgow Medical School.

The 107-year-old album also sheds light on the character and sense of humour of the heroes sent into a war that cost the lives of around 40 million people, both military and civilian.

One tongue-in-cheek cartoon depicts a badly injured soldier telling a nurse: I feel a lot better today and her replying and youre looking much better too.

The collection was found by Ms Thomsons granddaughter Alison Jean Rutherford when she was clearing out her mother Nancys house following her death in 2022.

Ms Thomson encouraged soldiers to draw sketches reflecting their war time experiences

A sketch titled 'everybody's girl' by one of the soldiers being treated by Ms Thomson

She said: My mother never showed me this album, though she gave me several rolled bead necklaces and explained how they were made by the soldiers and often given to the nurses.

I found the album in an old trunk full of family papers that I took from her house after she died.

'Luckily I had the key.

It seemed right to share it more widely, and I will make a donation to the Poppy Appeal from any money raised.

The wartime album will now go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbyshire, next week and is expected to fetch between 70 and 100.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: Page after page is taken up by sketches and words put there by heroes from the trenches.

This sketch of a couple enjoying a stroll was also uncovered in the album

One soldier used humour to try and make light of his terrible wounds

Jean encouraged patients to draw and write to aid rehabilitation. She worked with soldiers whod suffered shell shock through battle stress.

Symptoms included tremors, loss of sight or hearing and extreme fatigue.

Other WW1 mementos include necklaces made for Jean by injured soldiers from beads and rolled paper.

This may sound odd but after suffering wartime horrors creative tasks proved beneficial.

'In fact, embroidery was used as a therapy for injured WW1 soldiers.

The War Office feared it would feminise them but the skill not only aided convalescence, some made a living through embroidery after the war.

Creativity and its ability to focus the brain is a wonderful thing. It is, no doubt, why one soldier painted a vase of flowers in Jeans album.
A Connecticut family has revealed their horror at seeing two drunk machete-wielding gunmen run at them in a local community park.

Mom Mara Anderson was throwing around a frisbee with her husband and seven-year-old son Rayden when the 'irate' men started sprinting at them from the nearby woods. They immediately fled and hid in their truck.

'It was so scary, and it's overwhelming talking about it because nothing like this happens in this town,' Anderson told WFSB.

The family was charged at by the men on a park's recreation fields in Columbia, a Connecticut town of just over 5,000.

'All of a sudden, they just start sprinting at us full out and irate, where he's swinging his machete around,' Anderson added.

The Anderson family, with seven-year-old Rayden pictured front and Mara Anderson pictured next to her husband

Benjamin Deleon-Chach, 43 and Fabian Simaj-Tum, 53, allegedly charged at the Anderson family while under the influence of alcohol

After the family was safe in their car, they called 911 and helped authorities locate the suspects.

At around 3 pm, state police apprehended two men on Route 66 after they allegedly left the park.

They were identified as Benjamin Deleon-Chach, 43 and Fabian Simaj-Tum, 53.

Both were arrested and charged with second degree breach of peace, while Deleon-Chach was also charged with driving under the influence, failure to drive in the correct lane and driving without a license.

It is unclear why the men ran at the family in the park, but Anderson wrote on Facebook that they were 'clearly not sober.'

Investigators believe they had been trying to catch crawfish at a nearby creek.

Mara Anderson speaks to WSFB near the playground where they were playing frisbee on Monday before the men ran at them

Anderson hugs her son. She said the men that ran at them in the park were 'clearly not sober.'

An overhead shot of the fields the family was enjoying their Monday afternoon at. The playground can be seen in the top right

The two men told police they brought the machetes to protect themselves against the 'multiple' snakes they encountered.

Their vehicle was pulled over in 'contained items consistent with the individual stories,' according to an arrest report by the state police.

They were both released on $1,000 bond and are due to appear in court on July 31.

Young Rayden described his terror at watching the events unfold.

'It was very scary, I was crying and stuff I want to know whats happening, so I feel comfortable coming back to the park,' he said.

Young Rayden tells WSFB reporter Dylan Fearon about his terrifying experience, saying: 'I want to know whats happening, so I feel comfortable coming back to the park'

Anderson warned parents to keep their eyes open to potential dangers, even in areas that appear secure

His mom added: 'Yes, it was scary for us but I want parents to be prepared no matter what,' she said. 'There are people out there with crazy motives.'

She also took to her Facebook on Wednesday to further clarify what happened, saying her family wasn't 'attacked' by the men.

'We were simply ran at by them. Being at a kids park, and spotting two drunk men holding and waving weapons is a red flag,' she wrote.

She said officers also told her one of the men was four times above the legal intoxication limit when they were pulled over.

'I understand if they were actually fishing for crawfish, and using the machetes for snakes,' she wrote.

'But carrying and displaying ANY WEAPON under that level of intoxication ON A KIDS' PLAYGROUND AREA while running in a family's direction is NOT OKAY.'
The Labour government's decision to scrap its blanket 20mph speed limits in Wales just a year after they were introduced has sparked hope for the rest of the UK.

Wales' Transport Secretary Ken Skates admitted the policy was so unpopular even his own family had signed the petition against it.

Celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr Loophole' Freeman - famous for helping celebrities beat traffic cases - has said the celebrated decision will hopefully have a knock-on effect on the rest of the UK.

Welcoming the news, he said: 'Ever since its inception I've called for Wales to scrap [the] 20mph speed limit... Pleased to hear this now happened.

'Shame [this] doesn't create a legally binding precedent for [the] rest of [the] country. But hopefully good sense will prevail.'

Drivers across the UK previously shared their misery after the 20mph speed limits were imposed by their local councils - with drivers forced to crawl from A to B.

Celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr Loophole' Freeman has welcomed the news of the scrapping

A woman holds a sign during a protest against 20mph speed limits on September 23

Natasha Asghar, the Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, also welcomed the news - but said the changes must be brought in quickly.

She said: 'While I appreciate that Labour and the Cabinet Secretary appear to be listening to the public on 20mph, it is unclear who will be seeing these changes and how quickly they will be implemented.'

The failure of this experiment makes it much less likely that there would ever be a 20mph blanket limit in England.

And many took to X to express their delight that the policy is now dead.

Though in Scotland, Humza Yousaf was still discussing implementing the ban in Scotland before he was ousted in May this year.

Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, has criticised the Welsh government's handling of the 20mph policy

There was joy in Wales - and on Twitter/X - as the Labour government scrapped its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced

One X user responds to the 20pmh speed limit scrapping, saying he would like to see a 'cancellation of pending prosecutions and rescind all points/fines'

Another user refers to Vaughan Gething resigning yesterday as first minister and the leader of Welsh Labour over a series of controversies

Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister, critiques the Welsh government's handling of the 20mph policy

'Councils, who are already stretched due to Labour's budget cuts, will be left to sort out the mess the government has made of their 20mph policy and I cannot see there being many significant changes as a result.

'5 million is being given to councils in Wales, who have to bid for funding and there does not seem to be a timeline in place, which will undoubtedly lead to sheer frustration for drivers from all corners of Wales.'

Cllr Andrew Morgan, leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, said: 'These are not easy decisions for councils and safety remains our priority. There will need to be a high level of confidence that, if and where the limit is raised back to 30mph, it will not result in the very risks the policy was designed to mitigate.'

The transport minister admitted 'errors have been made' with the scheme, which is set to be reverted in September this year with the introduction of new guidance across the country.

The lawyer said he had been calling for the scrapping since its inception, and that he is 'pleased' it has finally come about

This will allow local authorities to raise the speed limit to be back to 30mph on certain roads 'outside urban centres and rural residential roads with no nearby facilities'.

They will also be increased on major routes, such as bus corridors, with minimal cyclist and pedestrian traffic and on some urban roads.

It comes after more than half a million signatures were added to a Senedd petition opposing the divisive policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Skates told the the devolved Senedd parliament: 'Errors have been made, but the new guidance will enable us to correct them, and it's my hope that [with] this guidance we will begin to see the process this autumn of changes to 20mph areas.'

The Welsh Labour government has scrapped its blanket 20mph speed limits just a year after they were introduced

A 20mph speed limit sign in Wales, which has been sprayed black by vigilante drivers rebelling against the introduction of the speed limits

He added that while the speed limit on some routes could also be reduced, the number of these is 'likely to be dwarfed, though, by the number of roads that would revert back from 20 to 30.

'That process will begin in the autumn,' he said.

'Signage changes, I imagine, will be made by the end of this year, going into the next calendar year.

'And it's my hope and expectation that by this time next year, it will be settled.'

Skates revealed that it would cost 5 million to revert the roads back to 30mph, which is just under a sixth of the 32 million it cost for the original scheme.

The policy was introduced in September last year, with the promise that lower speed limits would lead to fewer collisions and people injured.

The Welsh Government provided funding to Wales' 22 councils for new signs required to alert drivers of the speed limit.

It has seen fierce opposition from the Conservatives in the Senedd, who have branded it a 'waste of time and resources'.

Mark Drakeford's Welsh Labour government introduced the new go-slow limit last year

The policy has been incredibly unpopular with certain quarters of the Welsh population

A 20mph road sign that has been defaced in Cwmbran South Wales

He said that while the policy had been in Labour's manifesto during the last Senedd election, he understood that people in Wales 'lead busy lives' and do not 'spend their evenings flicking through the programme for government'.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis told Mail Online: 'This decision will please a great many drivers in Wales, but it's a shame so many roads that should have always remained at 30mph were unnecessarily converted to 20mph.

'More public money now needs to be spent changing signs back at time when funds are already stretched.

'We are very supportive of 20mph limits being implemented in places where there's a greater presence of pedestrians and cyclists as they are proven to reduce road casualties, but when used on roads that are clearly better suited to 30mph, there's a risk drivers don't obey the limit and their effectiveness is undermined.

'Among those who admit to speeding on 20mph roads, RAC research shows half (50%) of drivers say they do so because they feel the limit is inappropriate. This compares to just 28% of drivers who say they exceed the 30mph limit for the same reason.'

Earlier this year vigilante drivers rebelled against the introduction of the 20mph speed limits after groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country.

Since September, there have been multiple reports of 20mph signs being vandalised across Wales, with one sign in Carmarthenshire having been snapped in half, while others have been sprayed in black paint to hide the 20 figures.

Carmarthenshire County Council said it was becoming 'increasingly concerned' after 'a spate of incidents' towards roadsigns - including 20mph ones.

Gwent Police figures show two recorded incidents of vandalism to speed signs since September, leading to one person being arrested and charged.

The force recorded eight incidents of speed limit sign vandalism in the five years before that.

Groups trashed more than 150 signs across the country including this one in the village of Froncysyllte

Since the law went into force, Monmouthshire Council reported 22 incidents of vandalism to its 20mph signs.

All councils said Welsh Government funding for new signs cover anticipated repair costs.

The Welsh scheme to reduce the default speed limit for 'restricted roads' from 30mph affects 7,700 miles of road.

The speed limit reduction to 20mph affects 'restricted roads' - those with 'street lights spaced no more than 200 yards apart, usually located in residential and built-up areas'.

According to its own impact assessment, the 'main economic dis-benefit' of the new regime 'relates to increased journey times from lower average vehicle speeds'. It states that this could result in an economic hit of up to 9 billion over 30 years.

But the then Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the 20mph speed limit would save lives and the cost was 'outweighed' by reduced impact on the NHS and emergency services.

Mr Drakeford has said 'the evidence is incontrovertible' that 'driving more slowly in built-up urban areas saves people's lives' and that it will save the NHS in Wales 92 million as a result.

He cited a similar scheme in Spain, saying it had cut urban deaths by 20 percent.
A bicyclist rides near a small homeless encampment along the fence surrounding 598 Brannan St. as a new residential building at 555 Bryant St. is seen under construction in the background in San Franciscos Central SoMa district. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Regarding S.F. neighborhood was supposed to become an extension of downtown. Instead, its in a deep freeze  (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, July 15): This story alludes to the presence of homeless people in a dehumanizing way as evidence of the neighborhoods failure.

Those experiencing homelessness and their trash-strewn encampments, tents and shopping carts piled high with bicycle parts are labeled as a problem but never as people.

It doesnt seem to have occurred to anyone quoted, or to the reporters, that these are struggling human beings you could maybe help.

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In my neighborhood, some of us donated trash bags to our homeless neighbors, who graciously accepted them. We ended up with cleaner sidewalks.

It was a simple act of care responding to the reality that, when someone is so poor they have no better option than to camp on the sidewalk, they are focused on survival and dont have a budget for trash bags.

I empathize with Central SoMa business owners whose bet on a booming neighborhood didnt pan out. They have had rotten luck. So have our neighbors who ended up homeless.

San Francisco has recovered from worse, but recovery requires us to show care and help one another, with or without new development.

Scott Feeney, San Francisco

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City can do better

I did not mean to imply that all, or even a majority, of the homeless people in San Francisco come from outside the city. I am aware of the studies showing that people become homeless for a myriad of reasons and that most were previously housed in our state.

However, to say that nobody comes here seeking services, alluded to in the editorial I cited, or that busing doesnt occur, which happens, does a disservice to those who end up on our streets by discounting their lived experiences.

Despite Cusics disgust with me, I would venture that our opinions are not that different.

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Regardless of how homeless people got here, I do not want to deny services or housing to anyone and never made such an argument. And, for all the money being spent, the people of our city deserve better.

Scott Tcheng, San Francisco

Equal time for Trump

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, President Joe Biden said he wanted to bring the temperature down, and he did just that.

Trump gave lip service to a promise to pivot to unity. One day later, in response to the horrifying ruling dismissing the charges in the stolen documents case, he called for the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts  the January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.s Zombie Case, the New York A.G. Scam, Fake Claims about a woman I never met (a decades old photo in a line with her then husband does not count), and the Georgia Perfect Phone Call charges.

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And now, the entire Republican National Convention delegation chanting fight, fight, fight mimicking Trumps words. Is that turning the temperature down?

Will the media devote as many words to these crazed rantings as it did to casting doubt over Bidens fitness for the presidency?

There is so much that the Chronicle and much of the rest of the media arent reporting on. This one-sided reporting is contributing to the possible end of our democracy.

Lesley Mattos, San Francisco

Join in unity

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

A citizens wish: Donald Trump and President Joe Biden publicly shake hands before meeting, one-on-one, in private.

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Afterward, both publicly pledge to tone down the rhetoric, each stating that the other man is neither a Hitler nor a communist.
Donald Trump might not be preparing to accept the Republican nomination this week in Milwaukee had he not turned his head to look at an immigration statistics chart during his now infamous rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, this past Saturday.

Seconds after the ex-president turned from the podium, crazed gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire, wounding Trump in the ear and killing retired fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50.

Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was formerly Trump's physician, was quoted by The New York Times as saying that Trump believes it was the fact that he was talking about the southern border crisis that saved his life.

'He goes, "The border patrol saved my life." He said, "If I hadn't pointed at that chart and turned my head to look at it that bullet would have hit me right in the head.'

Crooks was swiftly gunned down by Secret Service counter snipers but questions linger about the agency's security protocols in the wake of the shooting.

A shocking new animation shows just how close Trump came to death has the bullet whizzed past his brain and impacted his ear.

With so many questions remaining surrounding the shooting, including Crooks' exact location, this illustration is based on what is known at this time.

Your browser does not support iframes.

However, it was only Trump's ear that was damaged.

'I'm not supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be dead. By luck or by God, many people are saying it's by God, I'm still here,' Trump later told his hometown newspaper The New York Post.

For his part, Trump credited the Secret Service with how they handled the evacuation when speaking to the Post saying they did a 'fantastic job.'

'It's surreal for all of us,' he added.

A veteran of Israel's Special Operations Aaron Cohen reiterated this view in an interview with Fox News.

'Snipers are typically trained to shoot into the cerebral cortex of the cerebellum at the top of the brain stem,' he said.

'It incapacitates you, it keeps your hands from moving.  Its about the distance of the shot. One hundred thirty yards. Thats a putt. Anyone can put a two, two, three, optic on a target from that distance and hit it. Its not a difficult shot to make.'

'The fact that he just happened to be turned this way with that shot coming in is what saved his life,' Cohen added.

Meanwhile, Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has been slammed for her 'stupidity' and 'BS excuse' that snipers were not present on the roof used by would-be assassin Thomas Crooks because it was 'too sloped'.

Speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, Cheatle claimed that agents were not positioned on top of the sloped building, deeming it too dangerous - despite images from the scene showing Secret Service snipers set up on a sloped roof behind where Trump was delivering his speech.

Former Army Ranger Sean Powell was among those who registered his outrage with Cheatle's 'BS excuse' a rage filled tweet.

'Holy s***. A sloped roof? That is a total BS excuse,' he wrote.

'Our snipers used to set in on mountain tops in Afghanistan. On the down slopes if need be. The stupidity of this statement explains so much of why s*** hit the fan that day. Absolute incompetence,' he added.

Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas quoted Trump as remarking on how him turning to point at an immigration chart probably saved his life

Trump was shot in the ear around 10 minutes after he took to the stage

Cheatle's claims were heavily criticized as it was spotted that the snipers who were located on the left building had set up on a slanted roof too, behind Trump's podium, while Crooks was located on the right

Crazed gunman Thomas Crooks' motives are still being investigated by authorities

Following Cheatle's bizarre comments, a former US senator from South Carolina, Jim DeMint also weighed in saying: 'This sad excuse about defies believability.'

While former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino claimed Thomas Crooks' vantage point was due to be covered but no one showed up while the agency's director Kimberly Cheatle received backlash for her 'BS excuse' that the roof was 'too sloped' for snipers.

The political TV and radio commentator, who worked as an agent for over a decade, on Tuesday told Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast Triggered that the rooftop spot where Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate the former president should have been occupied by law enforcement.

'According to my source, that roof was supposed to be a police post... [there] was so supposed to be someone there,' Bongino said from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The former president announced Ohio Sen JD Vance as his VP pick Monday

J.D. Vance slammed the 'dishonest' media on Wednesday when he held his first campaign fundraising event since joining the Trump ticket.

He demonstrated the attack dog credentials that impressed Donald Trump in front of about 200 supporters gathered at a science center on the shores of Lake Michigan.

'The media keeps on saying they want somebody to tone down the temperature,' he said.

'Well, Donald Trump got shot and he toned down the temperature. That's what a real leader does.'

Wednesday is veep day. Later in the evening the 39-year-old hits prime time, delivering the Republican convention's big speech of the day as he is launched on the American public.

Donald Trump's running mate Sen. J.D. Vance spoke at a fundraiser on Wednesday. Later in the day he will deliver a primetime address as the campaign introduces him to the nation

Although he is known for his punchy defense of Trump and hardcore MAGA views, the speech will be his introduction to a wider public. He is expected to set out his military servicehe was a Marine who spent time in Iraqand talk about his family and tough upbringing.

But first came the VIP event at Milwaukee's Discovery World, where guests were offered Maine lobster rolls alongside crab and artichoke dip.

Vance brought reminders of his humble background, walking out to the banjo bluegrass of Merle Haggard's 'America First.'

He said he would have to be careful not to give away any details of the evening's big speech.

'I joked with the president that I'm very excited about this evening, and hopefully I don't screw it up, but if I do, it's too late. He made the bet, right? It's official now,' he said to laughter.

He said he planned to fire up the crowd and make the case for Trump to be reelected.

'The guy who actually connects with working people in this country is not fake Scranton Joe,' he said. 'It's real President Donald Trump.'

He promised to hang around after his speech for selfies and to chat with supporters. Then he apologized politely to a handful of journalists at the back of the room before launching into his attack.

'The media has lied more aggressively, and slanderously about a guy who keeps on coming through it,' he said.

'He keeps on persevering. He keeps on fighting. President Trump has taken everything that they've thrown at him.'

Wednesday is Veep day. Vance will deliver the big speech at the Republican convention in Milwaukee later in the day. His wife Usha will also speech

Vance will address delegates on Wednesday evening. He is seen here during a walkthrough on Tuesday, checking out the stage and lectern in the Fiserv Forum

Vance's wife Usha will take the stage to address the convention before her husband

Vendors have done a healthy trade in merchandise at the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The shooting on Saturday, he said, just emphasized the difference between the media caricature and the real man.

Vance got the nod 48 hours later, beating out more experienced hands Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov Doug Burgum of North Dakota.

Since then it has been a week of new experiences.

Within hours the Trump campaign released an image of his name being pasted on to the side of an aircraft beneath the former president's branding.

His security detail has been beefed up. Black SUVs with government plates were seen outside his home at the start of the week.

And on Monday he walked into the convention hall soon after being anointed Trump's running mate to an ecstatic reception from the party faithful.

Trump campaign aide Jason Miller released an image of Vance decals being added to a plane

Vance with Trump at the Fiserv Forum on Tuesday night before they listened to former rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis address the convention

Vance's tough upbringing, the son of an addict mother in southern Ohio, is a message that will connect with a broad swath of heartland America but he is not widely known outside his home state.

His wife Usha, the daughter of immigrants from India, will also speak as the Trump campaign in what is effectively the hard launch of their vice presidential pick.

Vance lacks political experience and was only elected to the Senate two years ago.

But the Yale Law School graduate packs intellectual heft, and is seen as the sort of VP who could help build out Trump's instinctive politics with a philosophical framework.

Vance's close relationship with Trump's eldest son Don Jr. and his slick television appearances helped him to the role.
After the attempt on Donald Trumps life in Pennsylvania on Saturday, US politics descended into chaos  and so, too, did the more outlandish corners of the internet, with armchair theorists spinning out increasingly wild conspiracies.

Many of their fantastical claims quickly took on a life of their own, spreading like wildfire and spawning hundreds of variants. By Tuesday, conspiracy content about the shooting had been viewed over 200 million times on X, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

The questions abound: Was Trump really shot? Was the whole thing staged? Was it an inside job?

(Spoiler alert: Yes he was, no it wasnt, and no!)

Here, DailyMail.com explores  and debunks  some of the biggest conspiracies about the shooting

As shots rang out at the Trump rally in Butler, the former president quickly lifted his hand to his ear and ducked down to the ground, before being swamped by Secret Service agents.

Fake blood

As shots rang out at the Trump rally in Butler, the former president quickly lifted his hand to his ear and ducked down to the ground, before being swamped by Secret Service agents.

When he got back to his feet, raising a fist triumphantly, blood could be seen dribbling through his fingers, smeared across his ear and down to his chin.

Of course, this was all the product of an incredible near miss. One of the shooters bullets had been headed directly for the side of Trumps skull  but at the last moment, he had turned his head to the right and the bullet had narrowly clipped his ear.

Some internet sleuths weren't convinced, however, and instead wildly claimed that the whole attack was staged by the Republican party as a PR stunt to win the election.

The angle [Trump] was in makes me wonder if its a set up with a blood pod in his hand [that] he burst when he grabbed his ear, one Reddit user remarked.

Another suggested that the shooter was a plant and had used a BB gun or rubber bullet to create convincing shots but not risk fatal injury.

Both suggestions are of course entirely fake. Apart from anything else, neither account for the obvious fact that both a member of the rally audience and the shooter himself were shot dead.

The FBI is investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt with hundreds of direct witnesses including journalists and photographers.

In fact, in one photo a live bullet is clearly visible passing behind Trumps head.

Law enforcement officials have also recovered an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle from the roof of the nearby building the shooter positioned himself on.

Plant in the crowd

As skeptics poured over footage of the rally, some honed in on one woman, sat in the stands directly behind Trump as he gave his speech.

Wearing sunglasses, a white shirt and a black hat, she seems innocuous at first. But alarmists insisted there was something strange, sinister even, about the way she reacted after the shooting started.

As bullets cracked over the crowd and everyone else, including Trump, dropped to the floor in terror, the woman appears calm, seeming to pull out her phone to record the attack.

Gunshots ring out and her first instinct is to very, very calmly pull out her phone and film the whole spectacle. Does that seem like normal behavior to you? one social media user asked.

Another even suggested that the woman could be seen to nod before the before the first shot, claiming that she was an accomplice to the shooter.

The woman in question has not yet been identified, but there is no suggestion she was in any way involved in the shooting.

Watching the rally footage in full, it is clear that she already has her phone in her hand when the attack begins.

Contrary to the conspiracist narrative, she does indeed drop low to the floor, though continues to film the shocking moment, like many other crowd members.

In a world where everyone has a smartphone, filming a tragedy as it unfolds is hardly unusual behavior any more.

As skeptics poured over footage of the rally, some honed in on one woman, sat in the stands directly behind Trump as he gave his speech.

Smiling security agents

After the attack, one striking image went viral online: it appeared to show security agents grinning as they formed a protective ring around the injured former president.

In the picture, a bloodied Trump pumps his fist in the air amid a swarm of Secret Service agents. Three of the agents seem to be smiling.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, I would think their expressions would be grim and determined. Now, if it was a staged event, these expressions would make more sense, one social media user observed.

However, while the image was indeed alarming, explanation quickly emerged.

The Associated Press, who took the original photo, issued a clarification: the image had been maliciously edited to fake the agents smiles.

In the original and unedited photo, as you can see here, the agents are all clearly all not smiling.

In the original and unedited photo, as you can see here, the agents are all clearly all not smiling.

Deep State involvement

A familiar specter of conspiracy circles has reared its ugly head: the so-called Deep State.

Imagined as a clandestine body of influential members of government, military and establishment elites, the alleged Deep State is often accused of secretly manipulating the world to its own gain.

Authorities believe the shooter (pictured here after the assassination attempt) acted alone and there is currently no evidence he had any accomplices.

In this case, conspiracists were quick to claim the shadowy, make-believe group were behind the shooting, alleging the attack was a failed attempt to eliminate Trump.

The theory was shared widely, including by notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who took to X to say we are in the middle of a Deep State hot coup.

Jones also claimed they will try again.

Others openly pointed the finger at President Biden, with Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) sensationally posting from his personal X account that Joe Biden sent the orders.

There is no evidence that Biden  or any group  was involved in the attack on Trump.

Authorities believe the shooter acted alone and there is currently no evidence he had any accomplices.

Trumps heeled shoes

After Trump got back to his feet following the attack, he could be heard making an unusual request.

Let me get my shoes, let me get my shoes, he said to his security detail, as they tried to rush him off the stage to safety.

Footage later emerged showing Trumps smart black shoes being knocked off his feet as the Secret Service piled onto with force. One agent then threw them off the back of the stage, presumably to avoid any trip hazards as they evacuated the former president.

As one of the shoes bounces onto the grass, an insole can be seen flying out.

In one of the more harmless but bizarre conspiracies to have emerged, skeptics have claimed that the reason Trump was so desperate to get his shoes back is because he was concerned his secret would be discovered: he wears height-boosting insoles.

Theorists have alleged that the insoles are so-called invisible lifts, which slot into shoes and can offer the wearer a few extra inches of height.

Like the others, this theory is also bogus. Trump says he is 6 3 and insoles are often worn in shoes for comfort or to support the foots arch.

Trumps request for his shoes likely has a more innocent explanation.

As one Reddit user put it: The reaction to wanting his shoes is a very normal reaction. Adrenaline is pumping and when in a confusing situation you try to make sense of whatever doesnt seem right and try to gain control which can sometimes be the most unimportant things (like getting your shoes back on).

After Trump got back to his feet following the attack, he could be heard making an unusual request. Let me get my shoes, let me get my shoes, he said to his security detail, as they tried to rush him off the stage to safety.

Female accomplice' to shooter

As footage taken by crowd members of the shooter, Thomas Crooks, perched on the roof of the nearby warehouse emerges, conspiracy theorists have highlighted one clip they claim is suspicious.

In the video, an unnamed woman appears to be shouting at the gunman, just before he launches his attack.

Theorists claim she screams: Crooks. What are you doing? Get over here. Get down.

The clip quickly went viral on social media, with some claiming it is clear evidence of an accomplice.

But other viewers have debunked the theory, explaining that the woman is in fact shouting Ross not Crooks.

The video is an auditory hallucination, where a listener hears a word they are primed to expect by context  in this case knowing the shooters name was Crooks.

Try watching the footage for yourself, imagining both names  whichever name you are holding in your mind, you will hear. The effect is quite spooky.

The ducking agent

Trump's security team have come under intense scrutiny in the days following the shooting. That an attempt could be made on the former presidents life is an undoubted failure by the Secret Service.

But some conspiracy theorists have taken honest criticism of security measures a step further, accusing one agent of being a 'traitor to the Union'.

They have pointed to a viral clip which shows a male agent in the seconds before the shooting behind the stage.

In the video, and moments before the attack, he can be seen ushering people away from behind the stage, while appearing to hold himself in a ducked position, as if anticipating that the shooting was about to begin.

Sharing the video on X, one used said: 'That secret service agent not only knew but he ducked seconds before. What's his name? He's a traitor to the Union.'

There is no evidence, however, that the agent was in any way involved in the shooting. Analysis of the footage shows him ducking after shots ring out, not before.

A simple explanation for ushering of people out from behind the stage is that he likely had to keep the area cleared for safety reasons. His hunched position was doubtless to keep himself out of any camera shots during the rally.

It's all about aliens!

Some conspiracists have not been content with Earth-based theories and have had to go even further with their wild claims.

UFO filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee told The Daily Star this week: 'It sounds a bit out there but I do believe that this attempt may have been due to the fact that, if elected President again, Trump would release the full truth about UFOs.'

Lee also suggested some nefarious actors may have wanted to stop the former president from releasing information on an alleged affair between JFK and Marilyn Monroe.

It's hard to know where to start with this one, but needless to say, there is no evidence to support any of these claims.
A teenage boy who was struck by lighting while doing yard work in a thunderstorm is lucky to be alive - and told of the horrific moments after and the scars that remain.

Daniel Sharkey was cutting his neighbor's lawn in Altamonte Springs, Florida at around 5pm on Monday when he was hit.

He immediately fell to the ground and was rolling around in agony when concerned residents rushed to help him.

'I woke up, I was on the ground. I was trying to scream, and I was unable to,' he told WFTV.

Sharkey was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with intense chest pain and he has suffered scars on his arms from the electricity that pierced through his body.

A teenage boy who was struck by lighting while doing yard work during a storm is doing 'remarkably well'

Daniel Sharkey was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with intense chest pain and he has suffered scars on his arms from the electricity that pierced through his body

Footage of the incident shows Sharkey working on the lawn outside before he was struck by lighting.

The clip cuts to him rolling on the ground in extreme pain with concerned neighbors rushing to help him.

A woman is heard screaming: 'Call 911, I'm coming!'

'I was weed-trimming and the next thing you know I was on the ground,' Sharkey said.

'I was trying to finish up. I was about to head back to my truck, and suddenly, I woke up face down in a puddle,' he told WESH.

'There was no warning. There was no "get out of the way." It was just instantaneous.'

Neighbor Angelina Tolbert said: 'I saw him laying on the ground and I yelled to my son "Oh my God, Daniel has been hit by lightning!"'

Daniel Sharkey was cutting his neighbor's lawn in Altamonte Springs at around 5pm on Monday when he was hit

He immediately fell to the ground and was rolling on the floor in agony when concerned residents rushed to help him

Doctors said the nearby tree saved the teenager's life as it absorbed most of the shock and he could have died if the bolt struck just a few inches over.

Tolbert described Sharkey's recovery as miraculous. 'Hes definitely got some angels with him for sure,' she said.

'Im just happy that if karma is a thing, it ended up on my side this time,' he said.

The teenager has been described as someone who loves to help and he regularly seen volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank.

But he said he is not finished earning cash this summer with his yard work.

'I mean, Ive got 20 people that expect their grass cut, and if not there, Im sure Ill have a lot of annoyed customers,' Sharkey added.
Labour's first King's speech in 14 years was a historic moment for the party as Keir Starmer boasted he will be bringing in a 'new era' for the country.

With around 40 bills being announced including a major overhaul of the UK planning system, the renationalization of Britain's railways and the introduction a centralised GB Energy body, there was plenty for the nation to ponder over.

But the Prime Minister's new policies on smoking and conversion therapy seem to be the most divisive among the public.

Some believe the plan to introduce an age limit for buying cigarettes couldn't come soon enough, while others think it is unlikely to work and will cause a black market for underage smokers.

The ban on conversion therapy for gay and transgender people however was more well received, with people arguing the practice has no place in modern day society.

Keir Starmer speaks during a debate in the House of Commons after the opening of Parliament

King Charles sat alongside Queen Camilla delivering the King's speech at the State Opening of Parliament

Jason Lee, 53, a former graveyard digger, is a lifelong Leicester local. He said: 'Too many people, young people, are still smoking. I never did, all my friends smoked, but I never did. I support that.

'Vaping and everything I don't support that either.

'A lot of children were suffering with chest problems, restrictive breathing, stuff like that. It's not a good thing.

'I think this a great thing, absolutely.'

On the conversion therapy ban, he said: 'Conversion therapy, they're treating it as an illness or a disability.

'When you are born gay or lesbian it's a natural thing, but they're treating it like it's a disease.

'They somehow magic you, Christian's or whatever, they can somehow get it out of you. It's wrong.

'It's the 21st Century. I mean in today's world nothing surprises me.'

Andrew Davies, 44, lives in New York but is originally from Leicester and was showing his son the city.

Jason Lee, 53, a former graveyard digger, who is a lifelong Leicester local

Andrew Davies, 44, lives in New York but is originally from Leicester and was showing his son the city

Dad-of-two Andrew, who works as a researcher at a law school, said on the smoking ban bill: 'I couldn't be more pleased.

'I'm 44-years-old and was in my 20s the smoking ban in public places came in. I think it improved life a lot.

'This is a hardcore behaviour that I'm glad to say is decreased by those measures.

'Having a ban on people being able to purchase things through increasing ages is fine by me. I think the lives of others has been improved by following those rules.

'I don't mind people having the choice to do what they want with their own body.

'I have no problem with them being less accessible.'

On conversion therapy, Andrew said: 'That couldn't happen too soon as far as I'm concerned.

'Conversion therapy, as far as I can tell, does a lot of harm to people who are subjected to it and I think it has no place in civilised society.

'I'd be delighted to think that as a society we are becoming more and more open to people of different gender experiences living among us and don't find any need to feel like those people are sick and need treatment, because they don't.

'I've been living in the United States myself for a long time and these things are still in places in some places near us. Do I think it's barbaric? Yes I certainly do.'

Fine art student Jack Livingstone, 22, said: 'I think we have certain evidence to say that cigarette smoke, not necessarily nicotine, is a carcinogenic, it's going to cause cancer and it's something we should have banned a long time ago.

'It makes sense. I don't there's enough evidence, enough research done into things (vapes), I think they're too new.'

Fine art student Jack Livingstone, 22, said of the smoking ban: 'It makes sense. I don't there's enough evidence, enough research done into things (vapes), I think they're too new.'

On conversion therapy, Jack said: 'It's kind of a shame that it's not already banned. It's similar with cigarettes where it causes more harm than good.

'I don't think you can actually repress sexuality, it's not something you can learn out.

'As a country, we're quite an early adopter to gay marriage but then I think ever since then we've seen an increase of, as people have got more accepting, people are quite the opposite and a lot less bigoted than they used to be.'

Ann Matthews, 72, had travelled to the city with her husband Brian, 71, via their canal boat.

On the new cigarette bill Ann, a former university academic, said: 'Well I think it's a good thing but I'm not certain how it's possible to actually implement it.

'People thought it was bad when they stopped being able to smoke in restaurants, people thought various other things about smoking were bad.

'Basically, a lot of people no longer smoke. We're becoming a smoke-free country. I think it's worth a try, if it works.

'Vapes look like a safe-alternative, but people are finding increasingly that they're not.

'I think anything addictive is a bad thing and if it's easy for children to access it, it's a bad thing.

'My parents both died from smoking related illnesses, it's a horrible thing.'

On conversion therapy, Ann said: 'Absolutely in agreement with banning it. I think people should be allowed to grow up as they are.

Ann Matthews, 72, had travelled to the city with her husband Brian, 71, via their canal boat

'You're forcing people to deny what they deem to be true about themselves, it's basically wrong.

'I think it's a good bill to ban that type of thing. I'm in favour of banning it.'

Sheena Komisarcsuk, 44, works in social care. The mother-of-one said: 'It's definitely a good idea. It should have been banned a long time ago. It's not good for the health, they need to really get the smoking numbers down.

'Loads of children I see are getting vapes and really not helping them with their growing, their development stage because they're doing it at an early stage in life, so it will just cause them harm in life later on.'

On the conversion therapy bill, she added: 'Yeah definitely (should be banned).

'People should have their own right to their choice if they want that and we shouldn't force people into anything.'

Residents of Middlesbrough have slammed Labour's plans to ban smoking after it was announced during the King's Speech today.

Science teacher Louise Driffield is a smoker but thinks the law will create more problems in Britain.

The 40-year-old said: 'It's not going to work in my opinion. They should concentrate on educating young people about the dangers of smoking.

'There's a lot of information out there nowadays but they still should have a choice.

Sheena Komisarcsuk, 44, works in social care. The mother-of-one said of the conversion therapy ban: 'It's definitely a good idea. It should have been banned a long time ago.

'I'm addicted but there wasn't as much information around when I was younger and you didn't think much about it.

'As soon as you take something away and say you can't have it, then it becomes more desirable.

'There will be illegal fag houses on council estates where people are still doing it.

'I think it's the same for cannabis. If they legalised that then we wouldn't have the same problems we have with it in our society now.'

Louise did however agree with other aspects of the announcement.

'The conversion therapy should definitely be banned though,' she added.

'You're born how you're born and it's not a choice who you have feelings for and the things you like.

'Younger people should be encouraged to feel how they feel, not to change who they are.'

Patricia James, 70, a retired nurse, also slammed the smoking bill but agreed with Sir Kier Starmer on other points.

She said: 'I'm surprised about the smoking one and I think it's ridiculous.

'Smoking will go underground and there will be cigarette sellers on the black market and the kids will be smoking god knows what.

'We should be forgetting about this law coming. I don't think it's going to work.

'Who's going to police it? I can't see society becoming smoke free.

Patricia James, 70, a retired nurse, slammed the smoking bill but agreed with Sir Kier Starmer on other points

Sheena and Patricia both agreed that the smoking ban was not going to work

'I agree with other parts of the speech like having more community police on the streets.

'But they should be given more powers and authority to enforce the law.'

Catherine Calvert, another retired nurse, thinks the smoking legislation is nonsense.

The 75-year-old said: 'I think the smoking ban is awful and a ridiculous idea.

'Sunak lost the plot when he originally came up with the idea and now Labour are carrying it on.

'Fair enough, stop kids from doing it but if adults want to smoke they should be able to

'Of course they shouldn't smoke where people are eating but everyone has a right to do it if they want to.

'I do like other parts of the speech though. It will be better to have the railway and bus services nationalised.

'I use the buses all the time and I think it is a good idea because it was better when it was nationalised.

'Trains aren't very reliable at the moment so they need to be better run.

'I also think there's not enough opportunities for people in Middlesbrough so I agree with trying to bring in the Children and Wellbeing act.

'I despair about the town centre because there's nothing for the kids to do.'

However, community worker Louise Mitchell thinks the speech was a positive step forward for the nation.

The 37-year-old said: 'I don't believe in conversion therapy so it should banned.

Catherine Calvert, another retired nurse, thinks the smoking legislation is nonsense

However, community worker Louise Mitchell thinks the speech was a positive step forward for the nation

'If you are gay or transgender that's who you are as a person. I don't believe in the culture of changing that.

'I've known people who have tried going to church to not be gay but it is in their genes so it's wrong.

'A little girl or boy doesn't know what they want to be or how they feel about things until they get older.'

Louise also agreed with the smoking ban and clamp down on vapes.

She said: 'My grandfather had emphysema so I've been through it and I've witnessed other people die from lung cancer.

'People who want to start smoking should be introduced to hospital patients.

'It's an addiction and it's not healthy. It also costs the NHS a lot of money.

'We need to educate young people about what it does to the body and the teeth so I think it's a good thing.

'I also do think immigration police should be given more powers as said in the speech.'

Former DPD worker Thomas Graham, 26, who vapes, said: 'I totally agree with Labour bringing in the smoking ban.

'I feel like if the Government are cracking down on smoking and vaping it can only be a good thing.

'Having said that I hope it wouldn't then go to a black market. But that's what they would have to clamp down on.

'I only vape because I'm trying to stop smoking but kids do use the fruity flavours, which is wrong.'

Former DPD worker Thomas Graham, 26, who vapes, said: 'I totally agree with Labour bringing in the smoking ban.'

Thomas added: 'The conversion therapy doesn't affect me and my life but people should be allowed to feel how they want.

'I think it's wrong to target younger people with this sort of stuff. They should be allowed to express themselves.

'I do agree with trying to improve the rail and bus services.

'Towns need public transport and it's important that we maintain them and make them more affordable.'

Residents in Gravesend also reacted to the new policies which came under two weeks after Labour won a 171-seat majority in the general election.

Ross Clarke, 65, a semi-retired bricklayer in the Kent town, said: 'It takes away people's free will doesn't it.

'I started smoking quite late in my 30s and didn't go through the peer pressure of it either. But they should have the choice of being able to do it.

'I think there's many other things that the Government should be doing before this. There's much more important things to be getting on with.

'On the proposed conversion therapy ban, Ross added: It's forcing people to live with feelings they might not want without any intervention.

'People should be able to do what they like.'

Ross Clarke, 65, a semi-retired bricklayer in the Kent town, said the smoking ban 'takes away people's free will'

Ewan Peen, 19, smokes and agreed that it's a good idea to implement a ban

Engineer Dave Selway, 36, agreed with both the proposed policies.

The professional said: 'Yes it's probably a good thing that they are banning smoking. It's not very good for you. And they intervene on all sorts of health things these days.

'You've got to have some health guidelines and doing the ban is definitely encouraging people to be healthy.

'I don't agree with conversion therapy so its probably good they're banning it. I think therapies don't really exist for that sort of thing. You are who you are. People should just be left alone.'

Retired railway worker and Gravesend resident Tony Seabright, 78, said that he started smoking when he was in his late 40s and then gave up when they increased the VAT on the products.

Tony said: 'It means we stop them before they try and be big and grown up and start smoking. It's fair enough. It's no good for them.

'I smoked and then gave up because it just got too expensive.

'Conversion therapy sounds like a load of rubbish to be honest. I don't criticise anyone that's gay or lesbian or whatever.

'People can live their own lives. But that sort of thing sounds like rubbish.

'Each to their own.'

Retired railway worker Tony Seabright, 78, said that he started smoking when he was in his late 40s and then gave up when they increased the VAT on the products

Student Jenty Powell, 18, reached voting age just two days after the general election

Student Jenty Powell, 18, reached voting age just two days after the general election on July 4.

The switched-on youngster will start a politics degree at the University of Sussex in September.

Despite not being enfranchised, the Gen Z politics nut said she had a lot of opinions on the new Labour government.

Jenty said: 'I think the smoking ban may be solving a problem that isn't a massive thing. Before vaping became a thing it may have been a thing that kids cared about.

'But vaping is much more popular so it's solving a problem that isn't really there anymore.

'Smoking is too expensive for kids today anyway.

'But the conversion therapy ban had to happen. I'm a lesbian so it's important to me personally. After section 28, I think it was like a lingering thing from that sort of time.

'The Tories had a lot to say about wokeness and gender ideology. And I think Labour has some work to do to fix that.'

Will Allen, 18, agree with both of the Labour government's new policies.

Decorator Will said: 'It's a very good idea. I smoke and they're just bad for you, aren't they.'

Will's friend Ewan Peen, 19, also smokes and agreed that it's a good idea to implement a ban.

Cycle park worker Ewan said: 'It's a good idea. It's a mistake to start and it will stop people.'

On the announced restrictions on conversion therapy, the pair agreed the move was good.

Will Allen, 18, agree with both of the Labour government's new policies

Mother pals Amy Martin, 48, and smoker Beth Bone, 47, also agreed with the smoking ban

Ewan said: 'It's out of date to think that you can change someone like that. It's just stupid.'

Mother pals Amy Martin, 48, and smoker Beth Bone, 47, also agreed with the smoking ban.

Mother-of-one Beth said: 'I'm surprised they've done it. The tax revenue has always been something that the Government love.'

Mother-of-four Amy added: 'But it's a good thing because it stops young people getting addicted. Nicotine is a drug.'

On the conversion therapy ban, steadfast Beth said: 'I don't believe that it works that way. You can't whack the gay out of someone. And they probably don't look after the wellbeing of the person either.'

Amy said: 'I don't know a lot about it but I agree that it should happen so the ban is probably good.'
Republicans celebrating former President Donald Trump's decision to select Sen. J.D. Vance as a running mate, are eagerly anticipating a debate between the Ohio Senator and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Vance will formally accept his nomination as Trump's running mate Wednesday evening at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Harris and Vance spoke on the phone on Tuesday after the vice president's first attempt to contact her new rival on Monday went to voice mail.

The call was cordial, according to reports, and both candidates agreed to a debate.

But that is only the first step in a set of negotiations of details that have have yet to be confirmed.

Both campaigns agreed in May to a proposed debate hosted by CBS for either July 23 or August 13. At the time, Trump also proposed a vice presidential debate on Fox News.

The Biden campaign Wednesday also floated August 12 as an additional date for a debate with Vance.

Republicans are eagerly anticipating a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and their nominee for vice president JD Vance

Representatives of both the Biden campaign and the Trump campaign did not return DailyMail.com requests for comment about setting a debate date.

In the meantime, energized Republicans are previewing a debate matchup where they expect Vance to easily beat the vice president.

'He's going to do very very well, I've served with both of them,' Sen. Steve Gaines (R-MT) told DailyMail.com at the convention. 'I'd be concerned if I'm Kamala Harris facing J.D. Vance.'

Conservative Political Action Conference Chairman Matt Schlapp also dismissed Harris as a threat to Vance.

'Kamala seems like a low information vice president to me so I think we're gonna do okay,' he said to DailyMail.com.

Schlapp recalled that as a senator, Harris was 'formidable' during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, but that as vice president she had not performed well.

'Ever since that moment, she just seemed stupid,' he said. 'So I don't want to be overconfident, but it's not making me sweat.'

Rep. Byron Donalds told DailyMail.com that the prospects for Harris were 'not good,' for the vice president, because 'J.D. is knows how to debate, he's talented.'

Former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said that Vance would easily win a debate with Harris during an interview at the convention.

But Ramaswamy left open the possibility of whether Harris would even still be running for vice president at that point in the campaign.

Harris, he noted, could conceivably be running for president as a replacement for Biden.

'I think it will be, if it's Kamala Harris, I think that JD will mop the floor but we will see if it's Kamala Harris or not,' Ramaswamy told Sky News.

Vance, who is 20 years younger than Harris and has only been a senator for a year has less political experience than Harris, who Republicans frequently dismiss as a lightweight with little political experience.

But Harris allies are not dismissing his debate abilities.

On CNN in June, former communications director for Harris Ashley Etienne warned the Harris campaign not to underestimate Vance, calling him the 'greatest threat.'

'I mean, hes an incredible debater,' she said, adding, 'I think hes just got a quality about him where hes super smart and sharp and quick-witted.'

Harris supporters point to her famous debate moment during the 2020 presidential primary where she challenged then-Vice President Joe Biden on racial issues, sending him into a spiral that threatened to damage his campaign.

As a 2020 rival for the Democratic nomination for president, Kamala Harris savaged Joe Biden during the debates

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debated in 2020 but it was upset after a fly landed on Pence's head

They also point to Harris' matchup with Mike Pence, arguing she was winning the debate with the Indiana governor until a fly landed on his head and stayed there for over two minutes while he was speaking and making it the most memorable point of the night.

'Shell do beautifully,' Democratic strategist Johnny Palmadessa said, citing Harris' debate experience. 'The stress is really on Senator Vances plate ... I have to imagine the nerves will hit him.'

But Harris struggled to respond to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's savage attack on her law enforcement record during the 2020 presidential debate, a clip that delights Trump supporters.

Trump supporters have long believe Harris to be incompetent, as clips of her 'word salad' moments from her first few years as vice president have gone viral online.

Democrats relish the opportunity during the debate to attack Vance on critical campaign issues like abortion and immigration to paint him as a dangerous radical.

But Vance successfully navigated those issues during his senate debates.

Vance successfully made a thoughtful case to voters throughout the zany Republican Senate primary debates in Ohio, emerging as the winner in 2022.

Despite his record of criticizing Trump, Vance conceded he was wrong about the president and voted for him.

'All of us say stupid things, and I happen to say stupid things very publicly,' he said during a March 2022 debate with his Republican rivals, who were more fervent supporters of the president.

JD Vance competed in debates during his race for Senate with Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)

J.D. Vance accused Democrat Tim Ryan of prompting 'scumbags' to attack his biracial children

Fans of Vance point to clips of him speaking about the pro-life issue in a compassionate way that resonated during his Senate debate with his Democratic rival Rep. Tim Ryan, who tried to portray him as a dangerous radical MAGA Republican.

At the time, Ryan pointed to his comments on the 'great replacement theory' on immigration, accusing him of being a racist or even 'white nationalist.'

Vance, whose wife is the child of Indian immigrants, has repeatedly dismissed those accusations as 'disgusting,' as he is the father of 'biracial children.'

He accused Ryan of prompting 'scumbags' online to attack his family.

'We are sick of it,' he said referring to his family in a 2022 debate with Ryan. 'You can believe in a border without being racist.'
Joe Biden was hit with a brutal new poll on Wednesday that showed a majority of Democrats want him to drop out of the presidential race even as the party prepares to lock up his nomination.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 65% of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race and let the party nominate a different candidate. It also found only 3 in 10 Democrats are confident in his mental capacity to serve as president.

The results undercut Biden's claim that 'average Democrats' want him to remain in the race and only 'the elite' want him out.

Biden has spent the past two weeks trying to quell the rising tide against him. But the poll, conducted since his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, shows he has not been able to convince Democrats to stay in his corner.

A brutal new poll shows a majority of Democrats want Joe Biden out of the race

He argues many voters aren't paying attention to the race yet.

'The point is, we're just getting down to gametime right now,' Biden told BET News in an interview on Tuesday.

The poll provides some evidence that Black Democrats are among Biden's strongest supporters, with roughly half in the survey saying he should continue running, compared to about 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats.

The poll also shows the differing support that Biden and Trump have among their parties: only 37% of Democrats think Biden can win while 72% of Republicans think Trump can.

Meanwhile, Democrats will nominate Biden for re-election in a virtual roll call, but will delay setting a date for the delegate vote after many Democrats raised objections to the planned process.

The new date for the delegate vote will be the first week of August, shortly before the convention begins in Chicago.

The party's Rules Committee said they intend to have Biden's nomination completed by Aug. 7 in order to avoid any risk of a legal challenge to placing him on the ballot in Ohio.

A letter from the co-chairs of the party convention's rules committee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Leah Daughtry, a longtime Democratic Party official, says that no virtual voting will begin before Aug. 1.

'No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track,' they write in the letter, according to the New York Times. 'Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November.'

The two leaders sought to reassure the party after a House Democrats restarted their coup against the president.

Democrats became concerned after Joe Biden's performance in the first debate against Donald Trump

The lawmakers' challenged the original timeline for Biden's virtual nomination, which would have him locked in as the nominee in the next few weeks.

Under the party rules, the vast majority of the more than 4,600 delegates to the party convention are bound to vote for Biden on the first ballot, regardless of when that vote takes place.

Biden cannot be forced out and must choose to voluntarily stand down.

He is showing no sign he will exit.

'Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?' the president told NBC News. 'I listen to them.'
The former general tasked with tackling small boat crossings has quit just days after the arrival of the new Labour government.

Stuart Skeates, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was recruited last April to set up Suella Braverman's Illegal Migration Operations Command.

He stepped down last Thursday in what the Home Office described as a 'personal choice' - dealing a blow to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper as she scrambles to come up with a plan to tackle a surge in crossings.

Labour has scrapped the Tories' Rwanda scheme and vowed to tackle small boat crossings by creating a new unit, the Border Security Command, which will have 'enhanced counter-terror powers' to fight smuggling gangs.

James Cleverly, the shadow Home Secretary, today leapt on Mr Skeates' departure as evidence this initiative was 'doomed to fail'.

Stuart Skeates, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was recruited last April to set up Suella Braverman's Illegal Migration Operations Command

Lt General Skeates was previously commander of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (pictured with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi)

James Cleverly , the shadow Home Secretary, today leapt on Mr Skeates' departure as evidence that Labour's plans to tackle small boat crossings were 'doomed to fail'

'Labour's Small Boats Command is in disarray,' he wrote on X.

'Nobody will take the job on, because they are doomed to fail without our Rwanda deterrent.

'Top civil servants know this, and so do the people smugglers.'

Mr Skeates sent civil servants two mass emails announcing his departure, according to the i.

One of the emails suggested he would go 'immediately', but he is now reportedly expected to stay on for a period to oversee the transition to Labour's new Border Security Command.

One civil servant told the newspaper: 'The whole thing shocked us because, despite starting on the wrong foot, Stuart has been championing facts and evidence and taking decisions and suggestions based on that.

'Many thought Stuart would be the new small boats commander.'

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Stuart Skeates is leaving his position of Director General of Strategic Operations. This is a personal choice, and follows 35 years of distinguished public service in the Civil Service and military.

'The Home Office wishes him well for the future and is grateful for his outstanding contribution.'

The effort to find a candidate to lead the Border Security Command is still underway.

Dozens of migrants were intercepted crossing the English Channel in dinghies on Monday

Former Met counter-terror chief Neil Basu had been expected to apply for the 200,000-a-year role, but he is said to have declined because he is 'no civil servant'.

In the King's Speech today, Labour said it would give the organisation 'enhanced counter-terror powers' to catch and prosecute organised criminals who are bringing migrants into the UK illegally.

The measure has been dismissed as a 'gimmick' by Tories, who argue only measures like the Rwanda scheme - which Sir Keir confirmed today has been ditched - were enough to break the smugglers' business model.

Building on Labour's manifesto pledges, the King's Speech said existing policies had 'failed' to deter Channel crossings or prosecute the people smugglers responsible, and 'our current asylum system is broken'.

Withdrawing from the 'failed and incredibly costly Migration and Economic Development Partnership' to send migrants to Rwanda would save 'over 100 million in future payments', as well as 'tens of millions of pounds' in additional relocation costs for a small number of people.

The document setting out the Bill suggests the Government will seek a 'strong deterrent' against migrants crossing the Channel but stops short of detailing what this could be in the absence of the Rwanda deal.

It does indicate tougher penalties for immigration crime, including introducing offences such as 'enabling the advertising (of) the services of a migrant smuggling group' or those for the 'supply of materials needed to facilitate organised crime gangs'.

Launching the Border Security Command earlier this month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as Labour's first priority on migration, which was designed to crack down on people-smuggling gangs orchestrating the crossings.

A commander for the unit is expected to be appointed in the coming weeks.

It is unclear how this will differ from existing units already operating in the Home Office.

Ms Cooper admitted yesterday that the number of small boat crossings remain at crisis levels as figures showed 427 people made the crossing in seven boats on Monday.

That took the number who have arrived under the new Labour government to 1,185 since July 8.

A Cabinet read-out said: 'The Home Secretary said that small boats crossings were at a record high in the first half of the year and indicated a difficult summer ahead.

'Tackling illegal migration was, therefore, an important part of our European reset, where the Government is working with European partners and agencies, including Europol, to tackle criminal gang networks and work to disrupt supply chains and illegal migration upstream.'

The Tories jumped on Ms Cooper's comments, saying her 'gimmicks' for stopping the boats were 'a waste of time' and that Sir Keir's alternative plan puts too much 'faith' in the European Union to stop illegal crossings.
A 56-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged murder of his 15-year-old girlfriend, authorities in the northeastern Brazilian city of Monteiro announced.

Gilson Cruz is suspected of shooting Maria dos Santos during an argument at his home on Sunday and immediately fleeing the state of Paraiba.

However, authorities were able to track the movement of his vehicle through traffic cameras and apprehend him 187 miles away in Caruaru, a city in the nearby state of Pernambuco.

Paraiba Civil Police detective, Savio Siqueira, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Cruz and dos Santos were drinking when he fired his weapon at her.

'He shot more than once,' he said. 'He made sure he actually hit her in a way. That there was no way she could survive.'

Brazilian 15-year-old Maria dos Santos was allegedly shot dead by her 56-year-old boyfriend, Gilson Cruz, during an argument at his home Sunday in the northeastern city of Monteiro

Maria dos Santos, 15, was allegedly shot dead by her boyfriend Gilson Cruz, who had hired her two years ago to work at his bakery. The teen had told her mother in an audio message that he had hit her in the face with a gun, but was afraid to report him to the police

The teen's mother, Maria Lucia dos Santos, told law enforcement investigators that Cruz first met her daughter almost two years ago after he hired her to work at his bakery.

She told police that she found out that Cruz was allegedly having sex with the minor after he moved her into his home.

The family was aware that Cruz allegedly physically abused Maria dos Santos and reported the incident to the police, but Siqueira said that authorities didn't have any incident reports on file.

G1 obtained a copy of the audio of a message sent by the teenager to her mother in which she claimed Cruz hit her in the face with a gun.

'He's tried to do a lot of things to me, right? Like, he threw a gun at my face, blew my head off, then I had to go to the emergency room and get stitches, a lot of things,' Maria dos Santos said.

The teen, however, didn't call the police because she was afraid of the repercussions.

Santos didn't call the police after several alleged incidents of violence because she was afraid of the repercussions

'But I never had the courage to report him. Like, you know, the courage to hurt him and my parents, you know?' dos Santos said in the audio.

Maria Lucia dos Santos told TV Paraiba that she was planning on traveling from her home in Sao Paulo to take her daughter back.

'She wanted to get out. she tried. She studied at one school all day, and then went to another. And she couldn't, because he was messing everything up,' she said.

'There were times when she couldn't talk because she was afraid, I could tell she was afraid during the phone call.'

Maria Lucia dos Santos said that Cruz often broke her daughter's cell phones and she once spotted bite marks on her daughter's hands.

She said that Cruz would often call her via video while he was with her daughter in bed.

'He didn't respect me, he would make video calls so I could see him with her in bed, and then I would hang up,' Maria Lucia dos Santos said. 'She said he was the one who forced me to see all of this. He did this to destroy us.'
The Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., wants the Director of the Secret Service to resign after former president Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally on Saturday under her watch.

The rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulted in the shooting of the former president and the murder of former firefighter Corey Comperatore despite a massive Secret Service presence.

'Im going to call for a resignation,' for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Johnson said on Fox News Wednesday morning. 'Look, I think it's inexcusable.'

Johnson also revealed he is setting up a bipartisan task force to investigate the shooting.

He said the special task force would be a 'precision strike' to get to the bottom of how a former president and current presidential candidate could have been so easily targeted.

The Speaker of the House Mike Johnson , R-La., wants the Director of the Secret Service to resign after former president Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally on Saturday under her watch

'I'll be setting up on Monday a task force a special task force within the House,' Johnson said. 'And the reason we're going to do it that way is because that is a more precision strike.'

Johnson explained that the task force would go quicker than setting up a select committee, saying there will be less 'procedural hurdles' that way.

'It goes quicker, there's not a lot of the procedural hurdles and we'll have subpoena authority for that task force as well.'

The speaker said subpoena power for the task force is imperative because Biden administration officials could try to intervene.

Specifically, Republicans are worried that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas - who is Cheatle's boss - could step in to avoid her appearing before the Oversight Committee on Monday.

'We're hearing rumblings this morning that Mayorkas may not allow her to attend,' Johnson said.

United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to testify before Congress next week

Donald Trump pumps his fist after getting shot as his Secret Service escort him away from the podium during his Butler, PA rally on Saturday

Cheatle is also expected to appear before the House Homeland Security Committee next week.

Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray have also been invited to testify before that panel.

'It is imperative that we partner to understand what went wrong, and how Congress can work with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again,' the committee's chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said in a statement announcing the meeting.

But despite Mayorkas and Wray getting tied up in the tragic ordeal, ultimately Cheatle is responsible for the former president's security.

'Obviously the buck does stop at her desk,' he said.

Within hours of the shooting, the speaker had a phone call with Mayorkas to discuss the horrific event.

'He did not have satisfactory answers at that time,' Johnson said of the secretary's briefing.

The Butler Farm Show, site of a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump

Secret Service snipers stand guard over former President Trump just before he was shot

Image of shooting suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks

U.S. Secret Service agents surround the stage as other agents cover Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally,

New footage shows the Secret Service protecting Trump while escorting him out of the rally

The Republican also disclosed that he had spoken with top brass at the FBI and the National Security Council about the assassination attempt in Butler.

'Let's just put it that way, the answers have not been forthcoming,' he said of the conversations.

'I think they're gathering data,' he continued. 'We're going to do it as well.'

'We have to have accountability for this. It was inexcusable.'

The DHS Inspector General is also conducting an internal investigation into the assassination attempt.
Donald Trump arrives at court in New York on April 16 during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments to a porn star Justin Lane/AFP/Getty Images

In May, Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 counts of trying to influence the 2016 election illegally  by making a hush money payment to a porn star.

Though he complains about how unfair this and other prosecutions have been, in truth, Trump has enjoyed incredible advantages compared to the typical person arrested and prosecuted for a crime.

How would Trump be treated if he werent rich and powerful?

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Lets begin with the obvious: A federal judge Trump appointed just dubiously dismissed 40 charges against him only weeks after the Supreme Court decided that prosecutors may not use testimony or private records involving official acts while in office as evidence against him.

Trumps original sentencing date for his New York convictions  for which he faces prison time  has been postponed from last Thursday until Sept. 18 to consider this latter ruling. Though his convictions involved acts before his election, and thus are not official, one of his former advisers did testify  Communications Director Hope Hicks. The judge will consider whether her testimony is a roadblock.

Beyond the unique benefit of being a former president, Trump enjoys other advantages over most defendants.

White-collar crime represents only 3% of criminal prosecutions. Thats not because there is little white-collar crime, but because these crimes are investigated differently than street crime. Gathering enough evidence to prosecute demands a labor-intensive investigation requiring skill, time and expertise. Unlike street crime, the target of a white-collar investigation is typically made aware of prosecutorial intent and can hire a lawyer before they are even arrested or charged.

After an investigation, the prosecution files charges. Once a court case begins, the accused is entitled to a lawyer. If you are rich, you hire a lawyer. But most people who face criminal prosecutions are too poor to access a lawyer until they are appointed one by the court.

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Public defense is a proven safeguard against police and prosecutorial misconduct, wrongful convictions and systemic inequality. Yet, while the American Bar Association recommends that defenders of the indigent be limited to no more than 150 clients per year, caseloads can be five times higher.

Trump benefits from the unusual luxury of having several hand-picked attorneys devote their efforts entirely to him. To obtain such robust counsel, the former president supplemented his already deep pockets by securing funding for his defense from a political action committee. His attorneys had more resources than the prosecution; that is not the norm. Public funding for prosecution averages three times that of funding for defense. Nationwide, prosecutor offices receive about $3.5 billion more in funding than public defenders. Across California, public defender offices have 82% less money than district attorney offices.

At the first court appearance, the court considers if the accused may be released or held in jail. Because many jurisdictions use a cash bail system, someone with a higher bail than they can pay is held in jail pending their trial. Trump was not made to pay bail; he was released in New York on his personal promise to appear in court. In Trumps civil fraud case, however, an insurance company owned by billionaire supporter Don Hankey put up $175 million pending an appeal of the $454.2 million judgment secured by the New York Attorney General.

Almost 2 million people are incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons right now, and 1 in 4 of them are awaiting trial. About 400,000 people are held in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay the bail set for them. Bail is set on average two times higher for people of color than it is for white people. If an accused with children remains detained, they may lose custody of their kids and may even face termination of parental rights.

A defense lawyer will typically fight for a speedy trial because their clients are often in jail pending a decision. Most people charged with crimes  90% to 95%  plead guilty largely because of the pressures placed on them by pre-trial detention.

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Trumps lawyers, meanwhile, routinely push for delay, in part to give themselves more time to mount the best case possible  a luxury thats feasible only because their client is free. Most individuals facing four cases like Trump would be forced to admit to some guilt in exchange for a reduction in charges. Only someone who is released and has nearly unlimited financial resources could even contemplate fighting each case independently.

Unlike Trump, a defendant held in detention pre-trial will continue to be incarcerated while they await their sentencing. In California, there is a backlog of individuals who have been detained since arrest, have been convicted and are still awaiting their sentencing  which may or may not include prison time.

Because most defendants accept a plea offer and admit guilt, they lose the right to appeal any potential mistake at trial. Appeals are also limited by time and circumstance. Appeals are also harder to win for defendants than trials. Fewer than 10 % of appeals overturn a conviction. In criminal cases, the leading causes of wrongful convictions are misidentification and false confession.

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

No matter your political leanings, I hope youll consider the power disparity in our criminal justice system. Across our country, people convicted of crimes are unable to remain with their families, unable to choose a lawyer who they wish to represent them and unable to fight their case at trial because of the incredible pressure to plead guilty. Trump is an exceptional defendant, not solely because he was and wants to be president.
Jay Slater's heartbroken family may face a week-long wait to bring the teen's body home from Tenerife - as they plan to fly home with him on the same flight 'together'.

The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire was found at the base of a ravine near the village of Masca on Monday at 10am almost a month after he disappeared.

He has been formally identified following the discovery of his body in the Baranco Juan Lopez valley, where is believed to have lain for four weeks as he tried to walk home after a night out.

Assistance abroad charity LBT Global is assisting the family - mother Debbie Duncan, father Warren Slater and brother Zak - in arranging Jay's return to Britain - but there may be a wait of up to a week for the youngster to come home.

Matthew Searle, chief executive of the non-profit, believes the Spanish authorities have completed their post-mortem and have no further examinations to carry out.

It comes as:

Jay Slater was found in a ravine in the west of Tenerife almost a month after he went missing following a night out

He was found in the Barranco Juan Lopez valley, where he had embarked on a walk back to his hotel some 11 hours away

His mother, Debbie Duncan, who travelled to Tenerife hoping to find her son alive

Jay's brother Zak and his father Warren Slater, who also travelled to the island and helped with searches

A handwritten message from Jay's mother Debbie Turner attached with a blue peg to one of the bouquets

A message from Jay's big brother Zack which reads 'Love you little bro' and 'I'll look after Mum and Dad'

Another moving message pegged to a post by Jay's father Walter Slater reads: 'To my Boy, Love Dad, Always, XXXX'

Mr Searle told BBC News: 'There is so much to do, and obviously when you're in a foreign country, and you don't speak the language, and you've got no-one around you to help really, and you're in the position that Jay's parents are in... it's just not the kind of thing that you cope with, it's just overwhelming.'

He added that the goal was for Jay's family to travel with him when he is eventually repatriated - the cost of which will either be met by insurance or by using the proceeds of the GoFundMe fundraiser set up to aid the search.

'It's always nice for them to say we have literally brought him home together,' he added.

Jay's family had travelled to Tenerife in the hope of finding him alive, with Warren and Zak pictured aiding searches in the valley.

Instead of bringing him home alive, the grief-stricken clan have had to leave tributes to the young man close to the spot where he died, with messages describing him as a 'beautiful boy' and 'forever young'.

Bunches of white chrysanthemums and roses were left beside a large rock on a path overlooking the ravine in Tenerife where the body of the 19-year-old was found on Monday morning.

A handwritten message from his mother Debbie Turner attached with a blue peg to one of the bouquets said: 'To my beautiful boy. I'm so sorry we never found you. I miss you so much. You will be forever young and forever missed. Love you so much, Mum'.

Another moving message pegged to a post by Jay's father Walter Slater read: 'To my Boy, Love Dad, Always, XXXX'.

A third handwritten message from Jay's brother Zak written in faltering handwriting was attached to a single white rose.

It read: 'Love you little bro. Never in a million years did I think I'd be doing this. I'll look after mum and dad. Hope you're partying up there with granddad. Hope to see you again some day. Rest easy bro, I love you, Zak XX'.

Jay pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan

Yesterday tearful mourners gathered in Jay's hometown of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, where they released blue balloons in his memory

They released balloons outside the West End Methodist Church ahead of a service held with the blessing of Jay's family

Balloons released from West End Methodist Church yesterday as a vigil was held for Jay

Jay was on his first-ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he went missing in Tenerife

Volunteers searching for Jay in Masca after the teenager went missing

The Guardia Civil released video footage of the search efforts undertaken to find Jay. A helicopter was called in to help with the recovery of his body

Jay had disappeared in the early hours of June 17 following a night out at the NRG music festival in the resort of Playa de las Americas.

He had left his friends and went off with two men, one of whom is a convicted drug dealer, who drove him back to their Airbnb accommodation on the outskirts of the village of Masca, around 20 miles away.

The men he went back with were deemed 'not relevant' to the investigation by Spanish police.

While in the car, he allegedly sent a Snapchat message to his friends boasting that he had just stolen a 12,000 Rolex watch from a reveller and was going to sell it for 10,000.

He later shared a photo on his Snapchat account, which showed him standing at the doorway of a house shortly after 7am.

Around an hour later he called his friend Lucy Law, telling her that he was 'lost in the mountains with one per cent battery and no water' and had missed a bus back south to his accommodation in Los Cristianos.

He claimed he had set off on foot to try and get back to his hotel, despite it being around 11 hours away.

MailOnline later found a witness who revealed that he had walked north out of the village, instead of taking the winding road south towards Los Cristianos.

Local residents have speculated that he may have decided that it might have been quicker for him to find the coast and walk back along it, rather than trek along the winding road back through the mountains.

They have claimed that he may have left the road and headed down a track into the Juan Lopez valley after catching a glimpse of the sea in the distance.

But he would have found the path coming to an abrupt end after half a mile, leading to him scrambling down a slope before reaching rocky outcrops at the end of the valley nearest the coastline.

It is believed that he tried to climb up a ridge to carry on trying to reach the sea before stumbling and falling into the ravine.

The 40-a-night remote Airbnb in the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

Jay Slater's final Snapchat at the remote Airbnb before he went missing. It is not the same Snapchat as the one where he 'admitted to stealing an expensive watch'.

Jay Slater is alleged to have posted on Snapchat that he had stolen a 12,000 Rolex watch from a reveller and planned to sell it for 10,000 (stock image of a Rolex watch)

Jay's family released this image of the teenager as they appealed for sightings before he was tragically discovered this week

Volunteers gathering ahead of the final 'massive search' for Jay Slater at the end of June, which was called off by Spanish police the following day

A local man who climbs in the area and asked not to be named said: 'It is extremely dangerous terrain.

'I have been in the area, but only with proper ropes and equipment. There is a ravine with tall cliffs and sheer rock faces either side.

'You can walk along ridges and there are places that you have to climb, but an inexperienced person could easily fall.'

His disappearance captured the attention of social media sleuths and TikTok armchair detectives - prompting pleas from his loved ones to stop sharing cruel conspiracy theories.

A large-scale search for Jay was called off on June 30 - but the Spanish Civil Guard, together with mountain rescue experts, continued searching for Jay away from prying eyes.

Search teams took nearly four weeks to find him as the area of the ravine is so inaccessible.

It led to Monday's tragic discovery - but, at long last, some answers for Jay's anguished loved family.

Police released a video showing the challenges associated with recovering Jay's body - with searches seen scrambling down rough terrain and a helicopter that was used to recover his body flying overhead.

Spanish authorities confirmed Jay's identity with fingerprinting - but his possessions, including identification documents, were found with him.

A preliminary post-mortem concluded that he had sustained injuries consistent with a fall from a large height, including broken bones.

The Canary Islands High Court of Justice confirmed that his body was found near the village of Masca.

At a court hearing on Tuesday, a spokesman said: 'Fingerprinting confirms that the body belongs to Jay Slater and the death was due to multiple traumas compatible with a fall in the mountainous area.'

Spanish authorities have refused to say whether Jay was found with the Rolex he is alleged to have stolen from a fellow reveller.

Yesterday, tearful mourners gathered in Oswaldtwistle to honour the 19-year-old, setting off balloons before a service at the West End Methodist Church held with the family's blessing.

In remarks reported by ITV, minister Matt Smith said: 'We come together to support each other. Weeks ago I shared a passage with you: "A light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it".

'Today it might feel that the darkness has overcome us but today we also stand together and say that we will remember Jay. His light will never go out. We will remember him.'

Jay's friend Lucy Law, who was the last known person to speak to him during a phone call on June 17, issued a tribute on her Instagram page.

She said: 'Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was (sic) one of a kind Jay and you'll be missed more than you know.

'I'm sure you'll "have your dancing shoes polished and ready" waiting for us all. We all love you buddy. Fly high.'
Labour has been warned that its plan to reform workers' rights could lead to higher unemployment because firms will be reluctant to take on new staff if they run the risk of being sued.

The King's Speech included a vow to give employees a right to flexible working from 'day one', as well as immediate access to sickness and parental leave and protection from unfair dismissal.

Labour has also committed to sweeping away zero hours contracts, while unions have reacted with glee at the scrapping of Tory restrictions on the chaos that can be caused by strikes.

But the Tories and businesses claimed the Government was running the risk of unintended consequences, citing the higher unemployment rate in France, where workers have more protections.

In his response to the King's Speech, opposition leader Rishi Sunak told MPs: 'In this country, our employment rate is far lower than the European average and that is thanks, in part, to our flexible labour market.

'I would urge the party opposite not to impose new burdens on businesses that business leaders themselves have warned of the unintended consequences of those plans.

'That they could lead to firms being less likely to invest, less likely to hire and so increasing unemployment in the long term.'

And shadow business and trade secretary Kevin Hollinrake suggested hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants might think twice about taking 'the risk of somebody putting in a claim to an employment tribunal' days after being taken on if they feel they are badly treated.

The Federation for Small Businesses said firms were 'increasingly worried' about the proposals driving up 'costs and risks' of giving people jobs.

Responding to the King's Speech, Rishi Sunak told MPs: 'In this country, our employment rate is far lower than the European average and that is thanks, in part, to our flexible labour market'

The King's Speech included a vow to give employees a right to flexible working from 'day one', as well as immediate access to sickness and parental leave

Labour's 'New Deal for Workers' was being championed by Deputy PM Angela Rayner , but has seemingly now been given to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds

Lawyers pointed out the Government, workers and business have little idea how the proposals will work in practice.

They highlighted the risk of 'unintended consequences' such as mass sackings of people with shorter service just before the measures come into force.

Labour's 'New Deal for Workers' was being championed by Deputy PM Angela Rayner, but has seemingly now been given to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

The King's Speech included a pledge to ban zero hours arrangements, but after protests from businesses and people who benefit from the terms it has been watered down. Only 'exploitative' deals will be targeted.

The Government is vowing to end so-called 'Fire and Rehire' and 'Fire and Replace' practices.

Parental leave, sick pay and unfair dismissal protection would also be made available from the first day in a job.

Flexible working is also being made the 'default', but there is a caveat that this is only 'as far as is reasonable' rather than a right.

The Tory government's reforms of union powers, including minimum service standards in areas like rail, will be abolished.

The process of getting recognition for unions in workplaces will also be 'simplified', although there are few details.

The King said the Government would 'ban exploitative practices' as part of a new package of workers' rights.

Under the new Bill, a Fair Work Agency will be established to strengthen enforcement of workers' rights.

There will also be a new fair pay agreement in the adult social care sector to establish national terms and conditions and fair pay rates, as well as a 'genuine' national living wage which removes 'discriminatory' age bands.

The Government said the measures represent the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation and will improve the lives of working people across the country, stressing that ministers will work in partnership with unions and business.

A draft Equality Bill was also announced, enshrining in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, making it easier for them to bring unequal pay claims.

Unions responded with delight to the plans.

But the FSB's Tina McKenzie said: 'It is small businesses which take on those furthest from work and who must be the solution to labour market participation. Small firms must be given the right platform to recruit those out of work, create new jobs, and expand. There was nothing on this today, which suggests early signs of complacency on the need to back small businesses to resolve economic inactivity.

'The Government has before pledged to consult widely and openly on measures it has announced, and FSB will be working intensely on this over the coming months, and helping our community to deal with the more difficult challenges.'

Beverley Sunderland, a partner at Crossland Employment Solicitors, said: 'There is a marked difference between making sweeping promises in an election manifesto, and understanding the detailed reasons why perhaps this is not as easy as it might appear to be to the untrained eye.

'They will need employment law experts who understand all of the twists and turns and case law and not leave it to civil servants who do not have that experience.

'There is also the spectre of unintended consequences. If the law changes to include day one employment rights (subject to a probationary period) then there is the very real possibility that all those employees currently under two years' service, where the employer is undecided about them, will be dismissed before any new laws come in.'

Ross Meadows, Partner at Oury Clark Solicitors, said: 'The Labour Government's plan to introduce day one employment rights will have massive implications for employers.

'The changes are likely to necessitate rigorous hiring practices and comprehensive onboarding to mitigate the risk of immediate legal disputes.

'Employers will need to invest in robust HR policies and training to ensure compliance and avoid potential litigation. This change will increase operational costs and administrative burdens.

'Smaller businesses are likely to face greater challenges adapting to these requirements, potentially affecting their competitiveness and financial stability.

'It could lead some employers to engage Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs) and Employers of Record (EORs) rather than employing staff directly.

'The PEO/EOR would take on all the employment/HR responsibilities and mitigate the risks associated with direct employment, including potential unfair dismissal claims.'

Luke Johnson, a serial entrepreneur and the former chairman of Pizza Express, said Labour's new rules would stifle economic growth.

He told MailOnline: 'More regulation will make Britain a less attractive place for investment.

'The government say securing economic growth is their fundamental mission. More red tape will do the opposite. Unfortunately this proposed slate of legislation will add plenty of bureaucracy and make life harder for businesses.'

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'The steadfast commitment to start delivery of the New Deal for Working People within 100 days will significantly improve the lives of workers after 14 years of vicious anti-trade union legislation from the Tories.'

Mr Reynolds' business department is expected to steward the New Deal for Workers

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: 'These achievements are down to pressure from the trade union movement and we will continue to articulate what is in the best interests of railway workers and working people as a whole.

'We will also continue to actively engage with the Government on the pay issues in our sectors which can be resolved quickly.'

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This King's Speech begins the process of repairing and rebuilding Britain after 14 years of chaos and decline.

'Whether its boosting workers' rights, launching GB Energy, or bringing our railways back into public ownership, this is a serious statement of intent.

'Working people need  and want  a Government that will deliver meaningful change and be on their side.'
A diabetic grandmother who died at a slap therapy retreat 'would have lived' if the healer didn't have such an 'unwavering conviction' in his methods, a court heard.

Hongchi Xiao could have saved Danielle Carr-Gomm if he persuaded her to take her insulin when she was dying, prosecutors today alleged.

Giving his closing statement after a two-week trial, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC told jurors Xiao is guilty of manslaughter as he knew she was dying.

A court heard 71-year-old Mrs Crr-Gomm died in 2016 after stopping taking her insulin over the course of a four-day workshop run by Xiao, having been on the course to try to get rid of her type one diabetes.

Mrs Carr-Gomm saw Xiao, 61, as a 'messenger sent by God' and believed he could cure her type diabetes - despite nearly dying on his Bulgaria workshop months before.

Xiao is accused of her manslaughter after he allegedly refused to call for help despite her becoming gravely ill and 'howling' from pain.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old diabetic woman, was left 'howling in pain'

Hongchi Xiao, 61, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter

It was heard previously that the practitioner has an 'unshakeable' belief that Western medicines are 'evil' and doctors 'brainwash' people into taking it.

He claimed Mrs Carr-Gomm's worsening condition was a 'healing crisis' because there is 'darkness before dawn breaks'.

Xiao, a practitioner of paida lajin - which involves patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly - is said to have known of the fatal risks of a type 1 diabetic not taking their insulin.

This is because Mrs Carr-Gomm became extremely unwell at his previous workshop and because a six year old boy died during another of his retreats.

Following Mrs Carr-Gomm's death at the workshop at Cleeve House in Melksham, Wilts, in October 2016, Xiao is now on trial at Winchester Crown Court, Hants, and denies manslaughter.

Today, delivering his closing speech, prosecutor Mr Atkinson KC told jurors Xiao should have known what was happening to her.

Of her deteriorating condition, he said: 'Danielle Carr-Gomm was frail, weak, frothing at the mouth and delirious.

'She was nauseous and worse than before, very active, restless and moving about on her bed.

Footage shows Xiao performing slapping therapy at a seminar he hails as a cure for diseases

Xiao had written a book on Paida Lajin in which he stated that 'doctors are brainwashed'

The three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court (above) continues

'[She] was desperately unwell. It might be said it might not mean that it was obvious she would die.

'But Mr Xiao had seen all of this before - vomiting, unsteadiness, instability and he knew what it meant with no insulin and the effect of no insulin.

'You may conclude he knew he needed to call for urgent medical help.'

The court heard earlier that Mrs Carr-Gomm's condition became so bad after ditching insulin that she was seen to be 'vomiting, tired and weak'.

She was heard crying and howling in pain, and was found 'alone in bed, pale, sweaty, drooling at the mouth and unable to talk'.

Mr Atkinson KC said responders would have been able to test her blood glucose levels 'incredibly quickly' and ascertain what was wrong with her to help 'turn her around'.

However, he said Xiao didn't call for help: 'Not because he didn't have a chance to, because he didn't have the inclination.

'His view in his book was that you shouldn't give up halfway through fasting when you had a healing crisis - the state of suffering was necessary to embrace the new life, the healing effect would be greater when there was no medication involved.'

Mrs Carr-Gomm wrote a testimonial for Xiao and described him as a 'messenger sent by God'

He said Xiao's 'unwavering conviction' in paida lajin caused him to prefer his methods as opposed to seek medical help.

'There was no one better placed than him to realise the need. He breached his duty of care for Mrs Carr-Gomm.'

Mr Atkinson KC said Xiao should have known better after the death of the boy at his Australia workshop.

'The important thing to consider here is what you may conclude he would have learned from those events,' he said.

'And what would have been reasonable for someone who had those experiences.'

He said Xiao had attempted to 're-litigate' his 2019 manslaughter conviction in Australia during this trial and blame the boy's parents.

'No one else at Cleeve House had any knowledge because they had no involvement with what happened to [the boy. It was only this defendant that did.

'The defendant's knowledge put him in a position to know that medical help would make a difference.

'Had he acted, you may conclude, when the signs were there, she would have lived.

'But he didn't and that failure contributed to the fateful outcome - you can conclude his breach made a significant contribution to her death.'

Hongchi Xiao, 61, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial accused of manslaughter

Mrs Carr-Gomm, died at Cleeve House (pictured) in Seend, Wiltshire, in October 2016

He said Xiao did have 'influence' over Mrs Carr-Gomm and her insulin-taking habits.

'Whilst she made decision to stop, she could have been persuaded to [restart],' he said.

'It was after the defendant told to eat and drink she changed her mind. It took time, it took patience, she did accept what she was advised to do by him.

'No one told her to take her insulin - no one says that except him. Being persuaded to take her insulin would have saved her.'

'He could have said 'be careful', he could have said it was a bad idea, he could have said 'remember what happened last time'.

'Instead, the evidence says he said 'well done'. Had he tried, he could and would have persuaded her, but he didn't.

'And the chance to make a difference with self administered insulin was lost and the chance was missed.'

He said Xiao put his 'entrenched beliefs ahead of Mrs Carr-Gomm's welfare'.

'Such a catalogue of fundamental failure, a disregard for the serious, failure and necessary is more than just a mistake, even a bad one.

'It was truly exceptionally bad. It was gross, it was criminal.'

Xiao denies manslaughter. The trial continues.
Torrential rains and flash flooding in parts of Arkansas have caused houses to be swept away and prompted urgent evacuations.

The southern US state has received about 11 inches of rain as of today leading to multiple washed-out and broken bridges - particularly near Yellville in central Marion County.

Sheriff Gregg Alexander has confirmed that 86 people were evacuated from the Creekside Nursing Home in Yellville after residents were left standing in about four feet of water inside the property.

As a result, the National Weather Service has issued a rare flash flood emergency warning, especially in Marion County, as heavy rains continue to cause catastrophic damage.

Torrential rains and flash flooding in parts of Arkansas have caused houses filled with locals to be swept away and prompted urgent evacuations

Officials have advised drivers to use caution and turn back from areas filled with water when traveling

Furthermore, thousands of acres of cultivated land has submerged in White and Woodruff counties, according to the service.

Numerous automated rain gauges and local observations have indicated that creeks and rivers are still flooding or are rising, including Crooked Creek, Sylamore Creek, Cadron Creek, Little Red River, Buffalo River and the Upper White River.

Multiple county roads have also been completely washed out with water levels along low water crossings remaining dangerously high.

The city of Flippin has been forced to issue a warning and ask its 1,300 residents to avoid city streets today morning on Facebook.

The southern US state has received about 11 inches of rain as of today leading to multiple washed-out and broken bridges - particularly near Yellville in central Marion County.

Videos shared by locals shows debris from what looked to be a house flowing down a water-filled Anglers Trout Dock located north of Mountain View.

Shocked onlookers could be standing by as pieces of the structure flowed down after surrounding areas received over 10 inches of heavy downpour.

In another short clip, medical equipment was seen covered in muddy debris throughout a vacant nursing home.

Viewers could also see a heavy stream of water speedily flowing near the property.

A foot bridge is completely destroyed with large amounts of damage to the street

Numerous automated rain gauges and local observations have indicated that creeks and rivers are still flooding or are rising, including Crooked Creek, Sylamore Creek, Cadron Creek, Little Red River, Buffalo River and the Upper White River

'Our city streets are flooded and not safe!!! Use extreme caution!!,' the post read.

Flippin Mayor Heath Hogan also said that people living in the Seawright Motel had to been evacuated to a nearby FEMA building after the guesthouse was flooded.

Despite gradual subsiding, additional rainfall of about two to four inches may be possible, depending on exactly where the heaviest storms stall.

Officials have advised drivers to use caution and turn back from areas filled with water when traveling.

Despite gradual subsiding, additional rainfall of about two to four inches may be possible, depending on exactly where the heaviest storms stall

The city of Flippin has been forced to issue a warning and ask its 1,300 residents to avoid city streets today morning on Facebook

This comes a month after dangerous, heavy rainfall swamped the streets of Florida in some of the worst weather to hammer the state in years.

The storm turned several roads in south Florida into rivers and lakes, forcing locals to abandoned their cars and wade through the water.

Interstate 95 soon reopened after the Florida Highway Patrol closed parts of the major artery after much of it was left underwater.

Governor Ron DeSantis had declared a state of emergency for five counties as residents prepared to weather more heavy rainfall.
He fled the scene and later blamed his fiance for the collision

CCTV footage shows the chilling moment a driver left his fiance to die in the middle of the road after wrecking his Audi S3 in a 120mph crash on a residential street.

Cameron Jones, 30, went on the run after the high-speed crash and was jailed for 10 years for killing his girlfriend Demi Leigh Mabbitt.

Jones, who was a banned driver, was driving an Audi S3 at motorway speeds on residential roads that were 20mph, before the car crashed into a boundary wall.

In an attempt to cover his tracks, Jones blamed Ms Mabbitt for the collision, and told witnesses: 'I need to get the guy who was driving the car' and 'My missus just crashed the car.'

Demi, 25, was thrown 27 metres from the ruined car and died from her injuries a week after the crash.

CCTV footage shows Jones' excessive speed and the moment he was caught fleeing the scene. One motorist estimated he had driven at speeds between 100 to 120mph.

The car aquaplaned and crashed into a boundary wall due to his excessive speed, the wet road conditions, and insufficient tread on the rear tyres.

Chad Pop, a motorist who saw the aftermath of the incident described the scene as 'like a bomb had gone off' and 'there were car parts everywhere'.

CCTV footage captured the moment Jones fled the scene of the crash which killed his girlfriend

Demi Leigh Mabbitt (pictured), 25, died from her injuries a week after a horror crash in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, on April 5

Cameron Jones (pictured) left Ms Mabbitt in the wreckage of his crashed Audi and was jailed for 10 years for killing her

Another witness found Demi lying on the side of the road with 'serious' injuries - and performed CPR until she was taken to hospital.

Jones then fled the scene, leaving Demi alone who suffered extensive injuries - and tragically died seven days later.

Abigail Jackson, prosecuting, said that Demi was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and assessed as having an 'extensive head injury.'

She was treated by the critical care team but her condition became 'worse' and an ultrasound scan of her heart showed abnormalities.

She was pronounced dead on by 12 April at 11.20am - a week after the crash.

Three weeks after the incident, Jones eventually surrendered himself at a police station on April 28 of this year.

During a police interview, he answered no comment to all questions, but admitted he was the driver of the Audi.

CCTV footage showed Jones driving the car and him fleeing the scene, and DNA evidence from the car corroborated that he was the driver.

Jones was captured on CCTV speeding down a residential street at speeds of around 100 to 120mph

Ms Mabbitt had been in the front seat of Jones's white Audi A3 when it crashed on the Swansea Road at around 11.45pm

Her dad Paul Mabbitt read a statement on behalf of his family who have been 'torn apart' by her death in court.

Through tears he described Demi as a 'wonderful' daughter, granddaughter, sister, auntie and cousin

He said she 'had the most amazing laugh and put a smile on everyone's face.'

He told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court Demi and Jones had been dating for four years - although they did 'not approve' go him.

Speaking directly to Jones, he said: 'You have taken Demi from my family and, for that, I will never forgive you.'

Demi's sister Gemma described her as 'my little best friend' and said 'she was the best sister with a heart of gold.'

She added: 'She trusted too much and fell for the wrong person.'

The crash happened on Swansea Road in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, on April 5 at around 11.45pm.

Jones, of Merthyr, admitted death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured, and causing death by driving whilst disqualified

CCTV footage showing how fast Jones was travelling around residential areas

Jones went on the run after the high-speed crash and was jailed for 10 years for killing his girlfriend Demi Leigh Mabbitt

Ms Mabbitt paid tribute to his daughter, saying: 'Our beautiful girl was taken far too soon, there are no words to describe the heartache and pain we are feeling'

He also pleaded guilty to being driver of a vehicle fail to stop after a road accident, and driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident fail to report that accident.

Andrew Davies, defending, said Jones understands the 'incurable hurt and pain of his actions' and is 'devastated by the consequences of his driving.'

Judge Jeremy Jenkins told Jones that his actions were 'deliberate and dangerous,' adding: 'You did not seem to have any regard for Ms Mabbitt or her condition.'

He added that his actions 'were inhuman and self centred' and that Jones showed 'total cowardice' by running away.

Jones was sentenced today at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court to 10 years.

He is also disqualified from driving for 10 years.

The judge thanked Demi Mabbitt's family, saying: 'Thank you for the dignity you have shown during these difficult proceedings.'

Ms Mabbitt's father Paul said previously 'there are no words to describe the heartache' the family is going through and she 'will never be forgotten'.

The heartbroken father added: 'On the 12th of April our family were left devastated when our beautiful Demi Leigh Mabbitt lost her fight for life after being hurt in a car accident.

'Demi was a wonderful daughter, granddaughter, sister, auntie and cousin. She was a kind gentle soul, though not the eldest or youngest she was the boss the glue that held our family together and a fighter right till the end.

'Our beautiful girl was taken far too soon, there are no words to describe the heartache and pain we are feeling.

'Our girl will like on through memories and will never be forgotten.

'As a family we would live to offer our sincere gratitude to all the staff at Cardiff ICU for Demi's care and support given to the family, also thank you to all family friends and neighbours for flowers cards and support during this most difficult time.'
Joe Biden revealed the one reason he would exit the presidential race as more and more Democrats call for him to step aside.

He said it would take his doctor telling him directly that he had a medical condition that made that necessary.

'If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,' Biden said in an interview with BET news.

The president's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, has said Biden, 81, is mentally and physically fit to serve as commander-in-chief.

But Democrats have questioned Biden's fitness to serve since his debate performance against Donald Trump, where he fumbled for words and at times stared blankly into the camera.

President Joe Biden revealed to BET News what it would take for him to drop out of the race

Biden, meanwhile, has repeatedly changed the conditions on what it would take for him to step aside.

He told ABC News he would only drop out only if the 'Lord almighty' told him to. At a press conference in Washington D.C., he said he would stay in the race unless aides came to him with proof that he could never win.

In his interview with BET's Ed Gordon Biden said for the first time that he had expected to 'move on' from the presidency and 'pass it on to somebody else' after one term but decided to run again because he believed his 'wisdom' and experience would help heal the country.'

'You may remember Ed, I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought I would be able to move on from this and pass it on to somebody else,' Biden said. 'But I didn't anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom.'

He added that 'there's more to do, and I'm reluctant to walk away from that.'

The full interview with BET is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Biden was hit with a brutal new poll on Wednesday that showed a majority of Democrats want him to drop out of the presidential race even as the party prepares to lock up his nomination.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 65% of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race and let the party nominate a different candidate. It also found only 3 in 10 Democrats are confident in his mental capacity to serve as president.

The results undercut Biden's claim that 'average Democrats' want him to remain in the race and only 'the elite' want him out.

Biden has spent the past two weeks trying to quell the rising tide against him. But the poll, conducted since his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, shows he has not been able to convince Democrats to stay in his corner.

Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention

He argues many voters aren't paying attention to the race yet.

'The point is, we're just getting down to gametime right now,' Biden told BET News in an interview on Tuesday.

The poll provides some evidence that Black Democrats are among Biden's strongest supporters, with roughly half in the survey saying he should continue running, compared to about 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats.

The poll also shows the differing support that Biden and Trump have among their parties: only 37% of Democrats think Biden can win while 72% of Republicans think Trump can.

The poll comes as Democrats will nominate Biden for re-election in a virtual roll call, but will delay setting a date for the delegate vote after many Democrats raised objections to the planned process.

The new date for the delegate vote will be the first week of August, shortly before the convention begins in Chicago.

The party's Rules Committee said they intend to have Biden's nomination completed by Aug. 7 in order to avoid any risk of a legal challenge to placing him on the ballot in Ohio.

A letter from the co-chairs of the party convention's rules committee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Leah Daughtry, a longtime Democratic Party official, says that no virtual voting will begin before Aug. 1.

'No matter what may be reported, our goal is not to fast-track,' they write in the letter, according to the New York Times. 'Our goals are to uphold our tradition of transparency, our commitment to an effective nominating process that delivers a nominee on all state ballots, and ultimately to set our nominees on a path to victory in November.'

The two leaders sought to reassure the party after a House Democrats restarted their coup against the president.

Democrats became concerned after Joe Biden's performance in the first debate against Donald Trump

The lawmakers' challenged the original timeline for Biden's virtual nomination, which would have him locked in as the nominee in the next few weeks.

Under the party rules, the vast majority of the more than 4,600 delegates to the party convention are bound to vote for Biden on the first ballot, regardless of when that vote takes place.

Biden cannot be forced out and must choose to voluntarily stand down.

He is showing no sign he will exit.

'Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?' the president told NBC News. 'I listen to them.
Two asylum seekers who targeted a reveller for his 25,000 Rolex in Londons West End walked free from court today.

Egyptian Yousef Garef and Algerian Amin Abdelkadar were both spared jail and handed community orders on Wednesday. Both admitted to robbery.

The pair, attacked Kris Smith at around 2am in Soho, London on July 21 last year, seizing his gold Rolex Day Date watch.

Garef, 21 grabbed Mr Smith's timepiece, while Abdelkadar, 25 covered his mouth to stifle his cries, as he screamed 'Don't take my watch! Don't take my watch!'.

Donna Longcroft, prosecuting, said: Mr Smith was approached by a male on an e-scooter, who was keenly interested in his watch.

Yousef Garef, 21 and Amin Abdelkadar, 25 have both walked from court free with community orders after targeting a man's gold Rolex wristwatch in Soho, central London in July last year

Police in central London have posed as victims in order to catch watch robbers in the act

About 30 minutes later the victim was walking along Dean Street in Soho.

He turned right onto Old Compton Street, and was approached by a male in a white bucket hat, who introduced himself as Yousef.

They walked along Old Compton Street towards Wardour Street. Another male followed and spoke to Garef.

Garef grabbed the right hand of the victim and put his hand over the watch... Abdelkadar hugged the victim and covered his mouth as Garef tried to take the watch.

The victim was shouting: Dont take my watch! Dont take my watch!

Police detained the attackers moments later and the watch was recovered after it fell from Garefs pocket.

Judge Adam Hiddleston told the pair: You followed and attacked a member of the public with the intent of stealing from him a valuable watch. Such offending has become a scourge of the West End. They have become an all too frequent occurrence in the past few years.

These offences took place in the early hours of the morning. You were both acting as part of a group and you were targeting high value property.

In a bid to tackle watch thefts in the capital, plain clothes officers have posed as victims wearing luxury pieces to catch thieves in the act.

In January, the Met Police released footage of a sting operation, showing the moment undercover officers were pounced on by hooded thugs ripping watches from their wrists, before being caught by back-up officers.

The innovative tactic is said to have halved robberies in some areas, having removed prolific attackers from the streets.

Gang members attempt to steal a luxury watch from an undercover police officer in a sting operation in central London

The new tactic, shown above, is said to have halved robberies in some areas as prolific offenders have been removed from the streets

Abdelkadar was handed a two-year community order and Garef was given a three-year community order.

Both will have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 40 hours of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

They will also be subject to a six month curfew between 9pm and 6am and must reside at the Home Office Asylum Centre in Islington.

The men were issued with a five year criminal behaviour order and will not be allowed to enter the western half of the City of Westminster or have any contact with one another.

Any friendship you may have formed ceases now, Judge Hiddleston added.
Leading Democrat congressman Adam Schiff has issued a stunning call for Joe Biden to exit the presidential race.

Schiff became one of the most high-profile Democrats to publicly sour on Biden amid spiraling concerns over his age in the wake of a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last month.

'While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch,' Schiff said in a statement on Wednesday.

'And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election,' he continued.

Schiff, a senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and close ally of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, is running for the Senate to represent California.

He also led the first impeachment inquiry into Trump.

Rep. Adam Schiff called on President Biden to exit the presidential race and 'pass the torch'

'Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better,' his statement provided by his campaign read.

'But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November," he continued.

'But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high,' he added.

President Biden speaking on July 16 at the Prosperity Summit in North Las Vegas

His statement comes as a brutal new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 65 percent of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race and let the party nominate a different candidate.

It also found only 3 in 10 Democrats are confident in his mental capacity to serve as president.

The results undercut Biden's claim that 'average Democrats' want him to remain in the race and only 'the elite' want him out.

Biden has spent the past two weeks pushing back on the rising tide against him. But the poll, conducted since his disastrous debate with Trump, shows he has not been able to convince Democrats.

Schiff is one of twenty Democratic lawmakers to say Biden should step aside so far including 19 House members and Vermont Senator Peter Welch.

The avalanche of concerns about the president within his party quieted somewhat this past week after an assassination attempt on Trump, but the slow drip of officials saying it is time continues.

Meanwhile, Democrats will nominate Biden for re-election in a virtual roll call but will delay setting a date for the delegate vote after many Democrats raised objections to the planned process.

Co-chair of the party convention's rules committee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, was asked about the roll call on Wednesday in Milwaukee. He said it needs to be done by the 15th of next month but said it won't happen before August 1.

The convention runs August 19 through 22 in Chicago.
HMP Dartmoor is being closed temporarily closed after a radioactive gas was found inside some of the cells.

Around 175 inmates are to be evacuated from the category C men's prison in Devon over the next two weeks after the discovery of high levels of radon at the jail.

While the Ministry of Justice believes there is enough capacity to cope with the temporary closure of HMP Dartmoor, the relocation of its inmates will place further strain on an already stretched prison system.

Although the move will not apply to prisoners convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences.

The incident comes on the same day the Government laid regulations in Parliament to reduce the amount of time prisoners must spend in jail before they are automatically released from half of their sentence to 40 per cent.

HMP Dartmoor is to close temporarily after high levels of radon were discovered at the jail

Around 175 inmates are to be evacuated from the category C men's prison (pictured) in Devon over the next two weeks after the discovery of high levels of radon at the jail

Figures published on July 12 indicated there were barely 700 places left in the adult male estate, well below the buffer the Ministry of Justice believes is necessary to ensure prisons can cope with shocks such as the closure of HMP Dartmoor.

Built in the early 19th century to hold French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, HMP Dartmoor had been slated for closure in 2023, but that decision was reversed in 2019 in the face of rising prisoner numbers.

At the end of 2023, high levels of radon  a colourless, odourless radioactive gas  led to more than 400 inmates being removed from the jail.

Prisoners had begun returning to Dartmoor at the start of July, before this latest incident forced the complete closure of the prison.

Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), said conditions at Dartmoor had 'deteriorated' since the decision to return prisoners to the jail, but the closure was 'the correct decision'.

The incident comes on the same day the Government laid regulations in Parliament to reduce the amount of time prisoners must spend in jail. Pictured: Keir Starmer during the state opening of Parliament

He added: 'The POA know this has come at the worst possible time with overcrowding and this could make matters worse, but there is no other option.'

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: 'Our prisons are in crisis. This is the most recent illustration of why this Government was forced, in its first week, to take urgent action to release pressure on the estate.

'It is also why we are committed to building new prison places to lock up the most dangerous offenders and protect the public.'
A 23-year-old American citizen who claimed to be a spy told police his driving was 'definitely not safe' after he allegedly crashed into a nurse's car in England leaving her with severe injuries, according to court documents.

Isaac Calderon is accused of seriously injuring Elizabeth Donowho after allegedly striking her car head-on on the A4103 near Shucknall, Herefordshire on July 31 last year after overtaking several cars whilst at the wheel of a Honda Accord.

Ms Donowho was left unable to walk for six weeks after the crash and has been told that she will never fully recover from her injuries; she has also been unable to return to work.

After being arrested and ordered to appear in court on a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on December 1 last year, Calderon was able to flee Britain days before his trial despite being deemed a 'flight risk'.

He was arrested in Texas and appeared in court on Monday. He remains in custody in the US.

A newly unsealed complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, seeking his arrest and extradition to the UK, have revealed new details of the American's interview with West Mercia Police following the incident.

American citizen Isaac Calderon has been arrested and is facing an extradition hearing that could see him returned to the UK to face dangerous driving charges

Nurse Elizabeth Donowho, who suffered serious injuries after her car was allegedly struck head-on by a vehicle driven by Calderon

Ms Donowho was unable to walk for six weeks after the crash. She shattered her sternum and both ankles (pictured right: screws in one of her ankles)

The documents, obtained by MailOnline describe the American appearing to admit to West Mercia Police that his driving was 'definitely not safe' - swearing as he is shown dashcam footage that 'clearly captures' the collision.

Calderon is said to have admitted to police that he had only bought the saloon car six days before the crash and that he had no previous experience of driving a car with a manual gearbox.

And while he said he had been driving on UK roads in rental cars for three months before the crash, he allegedly admitted he was 'not at all' familiar with road markings and traffic directions in the UK, saying: 'I get mixed up on the signs all the time.'

Calderon is alleged to have told officers the car did not have insurance, and that he had been vaping behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

And asked if the car had an MOT, Calderon - who suffered a concussion and a broken arm in the incident - said in his interview: 'I don't know what that is, so probably not.'

Eyewitness statements obtained by police claim Calderon was travelling in excess of the A4103's 50mph speed limit, and crossed over solid white lines - which indicate a 'no overtaking' zone - as he attempted to pass other cars.

As he was shown footage of the crash, Calderon is said to have repeatedly exclaimed 'S***'.

Asked if his driving was dangerous, he said he had 'no other way to describe it'.

Calderon is said to have told a police constable interviewing him he would remain in the UK until March 2024, but left the UK on a plane on November 25 2023.

In a witness statement supplied to support the extradition bid West Mercia Police officer PC Richard Watkins, who interviewed Calderon, said: 'He remembered the crash and accepted that his driving was definitely not safe.'

Ms Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, suffered multiple fractures in the crash - including both ankles, her sternum and her right hand.

Police previously told the mental health nurse that Calderon had been carrying out work 'associated with the secret service' and was working on matters 'that might come under the Official Secrets Act'.

Court documents state that he is a member of the armed forces in an unspecified capacity, and was carrying a Uniformed Services Army Card in his name. He had been living with family in Humble, Texas when he left the UK last year.

His father, Manuel Calderon, told Sky News last year Isaac was part of the American National Guard and served 'a few weeks a year'.

And in December, Calderon's own uncle Jonathan told the Daily Mail he should return to face justice.

He said Calderon may have 'freaked out' but urged him to fly back to Britain because there is 'no honour in running'.

The A4103 at Shucknall, Herefordshire, where nurse Elizabeth Donowho suffered serious injuries in a car crash allegedly caused by Isaac Calderon

Ms Donowho has been unable to return to her job as a nurse and will never fully recover from her injuries

West Mercia Police was told by Calderon in a police interview that he intended to stay in the UK until March 2024. He fled the country in December last year

Elizabeth Donowho walks at the side of the road close to where the crash that injured her took place in July last year

In a short statement released after being informed of Calderon's arrest, the spokesman for Ms Donowho, Radd Seiger, told the PA news agency: 'It is almost a year since Elizabeth suffered the crash which very nearly took her life.

'We do not know why the extradition process has taken so long but we are delighted to see that it is now under way and we look forward to Mr Calderon being returned to the UK shortly so that he can face our justice system.

'He is of course innocent of the charges he faces until proven otherwise.'

He told the BBC this week: 'Much will depend on what Mr Calderon decides to do.

'If he doesn't defend the (extradition) request, there's no reason why he shouldn't be put on a plane immediately.'

It has been reported that there are no issues surrounding diplomatic immunity in Calderon's case.

He faces up to five years in prison if he is extradited to the UK and convicted of the alleged offence.

The case has been compared to that of Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US spy who killed motorcyclist Harry Dunn, 19, in a head on crash in the UK in August 2019 before fleeing to America.

She eventually admitted death by dangerous driving and was handed a suspended sentence - but appeared in court remotely from the US.

Mr Seiger, who represents Ms Donowho, also represented Harry Dunn's family during the Sacoolas case.
Several apartments line the streets as seen from the offices of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. The state Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to remove a measure from the November ballot targeting the L.A. nonprofits political activity. Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press

The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to remove from the November ballot an initiative backed by apartment owners that would prohibit one man, a wealthy health care executive and supporter of rent control, from spearheading future ballot measures. The court declined to take up the executives legal challenges before the election but could consider them if voters approve the initiative, Proposition 34.

The initiative does not identify its adversary, Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. But if a medical organization met certain financial standards  which, by all indications, are met only by Weinsteins foundation  it would be required by Prop. 34 to spend 98% of its funds on health care.

The foundation, cofounded by Weinstein in 1987, is based in Los Angeles and is the nations largest AIDS organization. According to its website, it serves more than 1.5 million patients in 45 nations, with more than 730 clinics providing care regardless of a patients ability to pay.

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Despite its nonprofit status, the foundation collects $2 billion a year in revenue, mostly from pharmacies and clinics it operates. It has been sued in multiple courts by tenants alleging poor conditions in apartments the foundation owns.

Weinstein crossed paths with property owners as an advocate of rent control. He linked it to health care in a court filing, saying his foundation advocates for housing affordability because secure and stable housing is vital to positive health outcomes.

He has tried, unsuccessfully so far, to roll back the Costa-Hawkins Act, a 1995 California law backed by apartment owners that prohibited local governments from limiting rents on single-family homes, condominiums and new apartment units.

Weinsteins 2018 initiative, Proposition 10, would have repealed Costa-Hawkins. His 2020 measure, Prop. 21, was somewhat more limited and would have allowed local governments to enact rent control for older housing units and those owned by large companies. Both were rejected by nearly 60% of the voters.

He is making a third attempt this November with Prop. 33, which would again seek to repeal Costa-Hawkins and allow local governments to enact rent control.

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It will be Weinsteins last chance on the issue if voters approve the next measure listed on the ballot, Prop. 34.

Sponsored by the California Apartment Association and allied groups, Prop. 34 would limit the financial activities of any operator of a drug program that has spent more than $100 million in 10 years on projects other than direct care of patients and has operated multi-family housing with more than 500 serious health or safety violations.

The only organization that fits that description is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Prop. 34, if approved, would require the foundation to spend 98% of its funds on direct patient care  effectively prohibiting Weinstein from using foundation revenue to sponsor any future state or local ballot measures.

The initiative is an attempt to muzzle a political adversary through a carefully targeted measure that will apply to one and only one regulatory target, Beverly Grossman Palmer, an attorney for Weinstein and his organization, said in a filing with the state Supreme Court.

She argued that Prop. 34 is a bill of attainder  constitutionally forbidden legislation designed to punish an individual or group without a trial  and should be removed from the ballot or returned to an appellate court for immediate review of the legal issues.

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Lower courts have denied review of Weinsteins claims, saying they could be taken up after the election.

That has been the usual practice in California courts. But last month the state Supreme Court unanimously removed from the November ballot a business-sponsored initiative that would have required voter approval for any increase in state or local taxes or fees. The court said it was so far-reaching that it would be a revision of the state Constitution, which cannot be done by initiative.

In support of Weinstein, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog told the court that Prop. 34 is a poorly veiled attempt by the California Apartment Association to silence a political adversary. If it is allowed to be put to the voters, no organization in the future will be safe from similar retribution by monied opponents.

But lawyers for the apartment owners said their goal was to require health care organizations to spend their funds on patients, not politics, and denied they were targeting Weinstein. They said their initiative, which they have titled the Protect Patients Now Act, has been endorsed by patient-advocacy groups including the San Francisco Womens Cancer Network, the Defeating Epilepsy Foundation and the California Senior Alliance.

Sean Welch, attorney for the ballot measures sponsors, told the court that Prop. 34 is aimed at halting abuses of a federal program that allows health care providers to obtain drugs at a discount to provide to low-income patients and then seek full reimbursement from private insurers or the government.

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The initiative imposes requirements on state-licensed health care entities that divert large sums of (program) revenues  over $100 million in any 10-year period  toward purposes unrelated to direct patient care and have operated residential housing in a manner that jeopardizes public health and safety, Welch wrote.

The court issued a one-sentence order Wednesday denying review, with no indication of a dissent from any of its seven justices. Jacki Schechner, spokesperson for the AIDS Health Care Foundation, said afterward that pre-election challenges to ballot measures have a very high bar and that the constitutional challenges remain unresolved.

We are confident that the voters will see through this obvious revenge initiative and vote it down, she said.

But Nathan Click, spokesperson for the Prop. 34 campaign, said the initiative would simply ensure accountability and transparency for how public health care dollars are spent. The fact that AHF, a billion-dollar pharmaceutical giant, is fighting so hard against basic transparency requirements should cause Californians great alarm.

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After a bullet grazed former President Donald Trump's ear on Saturday, Republicans see the November election as their 'Manifest Destiny.'

'We see this as a divine election, as an election of destiny,' Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wis.

The belief that God spared Trump so that he could win the election has brought a sense of unity to the party not seen in a long time.

'There's an even greater air of positivity around with my colleagues' after the shooting, Moran said.

'I think everyone has come to the floor with gratitude, and with a renewed sense of purpose. And I thought yesterday was the best day one of a convention I have ever seen,' Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told DailyMail.com.

After a bullet grazed former President Donald Trump 's ear on Saturday, Republicans see the election as their manifest destiny

Donald Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the GOP convention on Sunday - the day after an attempt on his life

'The energy level is high. The appreciation for God's sparing President Trump's life is certainly noted. It was awesome to see so much activity on the floor, and really such a sense of unity.'

Trump himself has embraced the prophet-like status Republicans have bestowed on him.

'It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,' the former president posted on X.

'The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount,' Trump said, adding that he'd only turned his head to look at a sign.

'If I only half-turn, it hits the back of the brain. The other way goes right through. And because the sign was high, I'm looking up. The chances of my making a perfect turn are probably one tenth of 1 percent, so I'm not supposed to be here.'

'[Trump] sees the divine hand of providence involved in that and I do, as well all of us do,' Speaker Mike Johnson said in an interview with DailyMail.com. 'God has given him a chance ... to unify the country.'

Even former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley's speech Tuesday night only had a few lone boos. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got a warm reception from the crowd.

For the first time ever, a Teamsters president addressed the RNC.

'I think that the Democrats are very deflated this week, and the unity you're seeing on the Republican side is going to continue,' said Moran.

It comes as a relief to House Republicans who for the entire Congress have been dealing with chaos - attempts to oust their speaker, near-physical fights, floor paralysis, failed party-line legislation and spending bill crises.

'Finally we're not the ones shooting ourselves in the foot,' one House Republican relished. 'We're going to let the Democrats eat their own.'

The former president has not seen a major bump in polling since the shooting. But Republicans hope it will mobilize supporters to vote like never before.

'I would crawl through broken glass to vote for Trump,' one previously Trump-skeptical Republican aide told DailyMail.com after the shooting.

A new Reuters poll after the shooting showed Trump beating Biden 43 to 41 percent, with a three point margin of error, a similar lead to what he'd had before the shooting.

Corey Lewandowski, political operator and Trump's 2016 campaign manager, said the shooting had convinced Republicans to focus less on 'vitriol' and more on policy.

'I think people are really excited. I think the Saturday tragedy of a man losing his life because he went to a political rally and a president, a former president, his getting shot has really changed the thought process about what's important in life,' he told DailyMail.com.

'I think the shooting has humbled some people to realize the vitriol, the rhetoric  going after the other side is important  but I want to go home and see my family at night too. So let's lay out our vision for America.'
A stunt pilot killed in a horror crash at a former RAF airfield has been pictured for the first time.

Flight instructor Aidan Grimley, 65, died after his small plane crash-landed at Spanhoe Airfield, near Corby, Northants.

The 'legendary wingman', understood to be a married father from Alderley Edge, Cheshire, passed away at the scene on Saturday, July 13.

The crash is being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), who will probe the circumstances and cause of the incident.

Tributes have also been paid online to the expert stunt pilot, who was described as being one of the country's leading aerobatic instructors.

Aidan Grimley, 65, (pictured) died in a horror crash at a former RAF airfield on Saturday

The 'legendary wingman' died after his small plane crash-landed at Spanhoe Airfield, (pictured from above) near Corby, Northants

Paramedics and police scrambled to the former RAF field shortly before 1pm after receiving emergency calls about a light aircraft crash.

Mr Grimley was the only person in the aircraft and declared dead at the scene.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the British Aerobatic Academy confirmed: 'Very sadly Aidan had an accident on Saturday.

'He had a few hours off work so flew up to Spanhoe solo to see a friend and had terrible accident.

"He was a really brilliant pilot and instructor and a great friend, much loved by so many, a unique character totally devoted to flying and aerobatics and will be very sadly missed."

Flying instructor Captain John Sham, a former fighter pilot with the Royal Malaysian Air Force, said on Instagram: 'Today, I mourn the loss of another cherished comrade, a legendary wingman whose spirit soared through the skies.

'This morning brought the heartbreaking news of my dear pilot friend from the UK, who tragically lost his life in an accident.

'As I navigate this journey of aviation, I find myself grieving yet another loss. While my heart is heavy with sadness, I am profoundly grateful for the time I shared with him as a friend and as an exceptional aerobatic instructor.

'His wisdom during my airshow training will forever resonate with me: 'Aerobatics is like an orchestrasometimes aggressive, sometimes graceful. It's all in how we conduct it. Keep it simple and safe, yet always impressive.'

Mr Grimley, (pictured) understood to be a married father from Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was the only person in the aircraft and declared dead at the scene

Tributes have also been paid online to the expert stunt pilot, including from flying instructor Captain John Sham (pictured with Mr Grimley)

Mr Sham added: 'To all my fellow pilots, let this be a reminder to remain strong and united, keep soaring, and prioritise safety in all we do. Never give up. Let the sacrifices of all our fallen aviation heroes be the cornerstone of our purpose here on earth.

'Aidan Grimley, I will carry your memory in my heart always. Each airshow will stand as a tribute to your impact on my life. I am honoired to have known you, and I will miss you dearly. Farewell, my friend. May you be at peaceful rest.'

Pupils trained by Mr Grimley remembered him as a 'brilliant instructor' and an 'exceptional person'.

Martin O'Grady commented on Facebook: 'This is devastating news. I loved flying with Aidan. He was so completely relaxing to fly with and gave me lots of confidence. And on the ground he was great fun, with lots of stories, laughter and joy. He will be greatly missed and so very sorry for his wife and young child.'

Arjan Vlietman posted: 'So devastated to hear about the loss of Aidan.

'He has been fundamental to my aerobatic flying and an inspiration as a true aviator. His skills, cheerfulness and motivation to teach were unlimited.'

And Umberto Izzo added: 'Aidan is a huge loss he was the best pilot, mentor, instructor I had the privilege to know and overall he was a great person and a really good friend.'

Posting a video on social media, fellow pilot Onno Hoevers wrote: 'To the family, British Aerobatic Academy and all friends of Aidan Grimley: in addition to all the fine words and pictures last days hereby a short video of us after landing.

'I recorded the week before several aerobatic flights from the backseat of the Extra200 for debriefing purposes.

Posting a video on social media, fellow pilot Onno Hoevers (pictured with Mr Grimley) shared a short video from his last flight with Mr Grimley on June 1 this year

Mr Hoevers said in his tribute: 'I recorded the week before several aerobatic flights from the backseat of the Extra200 for debriefing purposes...I think and hope it would be appreciated for all the [sic] see and hear his voice to remember him'

'On Saturday the 1st of June, I had my last flight with Aidan before I visited that weekend the Duxford Airshow.

'I think and hope it would be appreciated for all the [sic] see and hear his voice to remember him.'

Spanhoe Airfield, also known as RAF Spanhoe, was opened in 1943 and used during World War Two by both the British and United States air forces.

Since 1947 the site, which lies around 80 miles north-northwest of London, has been deployed only very occasionally by the armed forces and is largely used for agriculture purposes although one runway remains.

Anyone who may have information that could help with the investigation is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 242 of 13/07/24.
The mother of a Colombian actress let two men inside her home, where they tied her up, assaulted her and then stole her money.

Actress Johanna Fadul shared surveillance footage on her Instagram showing the suspects meeting her mother, Maria Fadul, at the gate as her two pet dogs briefly ran outside the Bogota residence on Tuesday.

In the video clip, Maria Fadul can be seen giving the perps a tour of the two-story home before she was terrorized.

'I'm going to show you the faces of these miserable people. I need you to help me report them,' Johanna Fadul said in the video. 'Today it was my mom, tomorrow it could be anyone. This country is horribly insecure.'

The actress, who is best known for her role in the hit series 'Sin senos No Hay Paradiso' (Without Breasts There Is No Paradise), told Semana that the incident comes just two weeks after a man visited her mother's neighbor and expressed interest in buying her home.

Two men robbed the home of the mother of Colombian actress Johanna Fadul in Bogota, Colombia on Tuesday. The suspects went to the residence to meet with Maria Fadul and express their interest in buying the home, which has been listed for sale. Instead, they assaulted her and threatened her with a knife and gun before fleeing with $2,700 and valuables

Colombian actress Johanna Fadul is asking the public for help in identifying two men who assaulted and robbed her mother inside her home in Bogota, Colombia on Tuesday

The same individual also managed to visit Maria's house and both agreed to stay in contact regarding a prospective sale.

'Today this man called her and said that two other people also wanted to see the house because they were interested in doing business, that's why she let them come in,' Johanna Fadul said.

The concerned starlet said that the suspects threatened her mother with a gun and a knife and then forced her into a bathroom, where they tied her up to a chair.

A frightened Maria Fadul eventually relented and told the suspects where they could find $2,700 in cash.

The suspects also left the home with several computers, cell phones and even the keys to the house.

Surveillance camera still image of one of the two suspects who walked into the home of the mother of Colombian actress Johanna Fadul and robbed her on Tuesday after threatening her with a knife and a gun and tying her to a chair

The Bogota Metropolitan Police said that an operation in underway to locate and arrest one of the two men wanted for a robbery at the home of Maria Fadul, the mother of Colombian actress Johanna Fadul

They also wanted to steal her vehicle, but fortunately, it was at a local mechanic's shop being serviced.

Johanna Fadul, who is presently away from Colombia, accused government leaders of failing to ensure the safety of its residents.

'It is a helplessness that one does not know what to say, nor what to think,' she said. 'It is very upsetting, it is very sad that in such a beautiful country, with such beautiful people, and because of three who are on the podium, the country is the way it is,' she said.

'And since they do not suffer what the people really suffer, well, what does it matter to them because in the end it is not with them?'

Bogota Metropolitan Police commander, colonel Pedro Saavedra, said that an operation was launched to identify and locate the two individuals.

'Our uniformed officers have all the operational and technological capabilities to be able to capture these people, with material evidence such as videos,' he said in a statement.

The latest crime stats released by Bogota authorities showed that 2,651 home robberies were reported in the first six months on 2024, a decrease of 36 percent compared with the same period last year.

DailyMail.com reached out to Johanna Fadul and her representatives for comment.
A ritzy California town home to the rich and famous has voted to implement street addresses after a century without them.

Carmel-by-the-Sea - which has boasted residents such as Brad Pitt and Doris Day - had no street addresses since it was incorporated in 1916, and homeowners there would identify their properties by describing them.

The lone building with an official address in the quaint beach town is the post office where community members come to collect their mail.

However, the city council vote to change the 107-year-old rule on July 9 after citizens expressed their concerns.

'There are safety issues here. This is a life-and-death situation in my life and my family,' resident Deanna Dickman said at the council meeting.

Carmel-by-the-Sea - which has boasted residents such as Brad Pitt and Doris Day - had no street addresses since it was incorporated in 1916, and homeowners there would identify their properties by describing them

However, the city council vote to change the 107-year-old rule on July 9 after citizens expressed their concerns

'I want a street address that people can find it on GPS and get there and my wife can get the medication she needs.'

Resident Todd Muck advocated for making the change because he works from home and needs an official address to get better internet.

'We cannot use our Wi-Fi enabled phone calls to our sales service because we don't have a street address and that's an FCC requirement for for those utility providers,' he said.

'That simple addition of a street address whether we have it on our wall and our on our house or not would allow us to make crystal clear calls from our house.'

Other residents complained of not being able to sign up for credit cards and government documents because they do not have an address.

'Please Implement street addresses I spent four days of my life in May trying to prove to five different insurance companies that I really have a house and it exists here in the city of Carmel but it was just impossible for them to find it,' one person said.

Opponents felt implementing the change would take away from the charm and quaintness of the town.

'As far as ambulance response goes, we have a two to three minutes response time. Nobody's going to die because of the lack of ambulance servicing, we have our own ambulance,' Carmel Mayor Dave Potter told KSBW.

The city council vote to change the 107-year-old rule on July 9 after citizens expressed their concerns

The lone building with an official address in the quaint beach town is the post office (pictured)

'I think it's a critical topic that we should put to rest really. Let's go ahead and say it, are we going to do something about it or keep it the way it is. I think status quo is not a bad thing sometimes.'

Ultimately, the city council voted 3-2 to start the next steps in the implementation process of an official numbered street address system.

The village in Monterey County has long been a favorite hangout for Hollywood's elite and was famously presided over by Clint Eastwood as mayor in the 1980s.

His youngest daughter, Morgan, married Tanner Koopmans in a glamorous ceremony on Eastwood's sprawling ranch in Carmel-by-the-Sea in June.

Brad Pitt bought a $40 million home there in 2022 and other residents have included Michael Nesmith, Doris Day, Betty White and James Ellroy.

Monaco real estate titan Patrice Pastor has bought up at least 15 iconic properties in the seaside village.
The family of a man who stole a bike when he was a teenager and remains in prison nearly 20 years later due to an old law have said they don't know where he is.

Wayne Bell was locked up for robbery when he was 17 years old and remains behind bars aged 34, due to a sentence of imprisonment for public protection - which was abolished by the courts.

His mother and sister told Manchester Evening News they've lost contact with him and don't even know which prison he is in now.

Their father's last wish as he fought a losing battle with cancer was to speak to Bell one last time - but this went unfulfilled as he died in April 2020.

Wayne Bell was locked up for robbery when he was 17-years-old and remains behind bars

Bell remains behind bars aged 34, due to a sentence of imprisonment for public protection - which was abolished by the courts

What is an IPP sentence?

The indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) was introduced in England and Wales by Home Secretary, David Blunkett in 2005. The new sentence - introduced as part of the Blair government's drive to be 'tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime' - was intended for people considered 'dangerous' but whose offence did not merit a life sentence. Offenders were set a minimum term (tariff) which they had to spend in prison. After they had completed their tariff they could apply to the Parole Board for release, with the requirement of proving they were no longer a threat to the public. If they were released, they would remain on licence, with the potential of being returned to custody. The sentences were abolished in 2012, but nearly 3,000 people remain in prison on them with no idea when they will be released. In 2022, a Justice Committee report found they were 'irredeemably flawed'. While release under an IPP is based on being able to prove you have been successfully rehabilitated, the Committee found that inadequate provision of support services inside and outside of prison has led to a 'recall merry-go-round'. It also found that IPP sentences cause acute harm to those subject to them, with the prospect of serving a sentence without an end date causing higher levels of self-harm as well as a lack of trust in the system that is meant to rehabilitate them. Advertisement

His sister Alana Bell, 33, said the family haven't heard from him in over two years and they 'don't even know if he's alive'.

Around 17 years ago, Bell punched a man and stole his bike in Manchester. He was sentenced in 2007 and was among one of the first convicts to be handed a new type of sentence.

Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences - introduced in 2005 - was later abolished for being 'unjust'.

Those in receipt of them were handed minimum terms but after their few years in prison were up, they had to convince the Parole Board they were safe enough to be released back into the community.

However, they weren't given access to rehabilitation courses to do so.

When he was a teenager, Bell played the trumpet and wanted to become a mechanic. But he started getting into trouble at school and ended up being expelled.

At 17, Bell was convicted at Manchester Crown Court and told he would serve four years before the Parole Board would consider releasing him but successive hearings deemed he couldn't be managed safely.

So as time went on he lost hope of ever being released and started getting in fights behind bars. With each brawl, his chances of persuading the board diminished even further.

Speaking to MEN before his death, Bell's father Carl said: 'I honestly thought he would be coming out. I thought he would be in there a couple of years.

Wayne has watched murderers and rapists come and go in and out of prison. He just hit someone and took their bike. The sentence really doesn't fit the crime.'

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice in March revealed that almost 3,000 people are still behind bars on IPP.

Many inmates are already over their maximum term, some by over a decade, say campaigners The Institute of Now.

IPP is said to have cost the taxpayer 500 million already and could rise of 1billion by 2028.

Their father's last wish as he fought a losing battle with cancer was to speak to Bell one last time - but this went unfulfilled as he died in April 2020

At least 88 people given IPPs have already committed suicide in prison, with the number feared to be much higher, due to the difficulty of recording how many have killed themselves while on licence in the community.

IPP was introduced in England and Wales in 2003, as part of the Criminal Justice Act, originally intended to protect the public from dangerous offenders whose crimes did not merit a life sentence.

When it was abolished in 2012 the change was not retrospective meaning thousands are still subject to the sentence.

The Ministry of Justice told MEN: 'The prison system is in crisis and we recognise the significant impact this is having on our whole justice system.

'It is right that IPP sentences were abolished. The Lord Chancellor is committed to working with organisations and campaign groups to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken to support those still serving IPP sentences.'

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It comes after Labour announced new measures to crackdown on the prison overcrowding crisis in the King's Speech today.

Foreign prisoners who make up just 12 per cent of the UK's prison population could be deported in a bid to tackle the issue.

The plan to fast-track removals of foreign criminals is expected to free up around 5,000 places.

Other measures could include early removals of criminals before they fully serve their sentences.

Foreign prisoners could be exported to their home countries through transfer deals, and lower level offenders could be expelled from Britain, according to The Telegraph.

Last week The Prison Governors' Association, which represents 95 per cent of prison governors in England and Wales, warned that jails were due to run out of space within days.

At the end of March this year there were 10,422 foreign nationals in British jails, up from 10,148 the year before. This is about 12 per cent of all prisoners - each costing the taxpayer 47,000.
Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, her first public address on camera about the shooting since it took place on Saturday.

Harris addressed the attempt on Trump's life prior to a roundtable event on abortion rights roundtable discussion in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

'As we all know it was a heinous horrible and cowardly act,' she said. 'My husband Doug and I are thankful he was not seriously injured.'

Harris said her thoughts turned to Trump's wife Melania, as she indicated she was concerned for her.

'That day as soon as we saw what was happening we said a prayer for his wellbeing,' she said. 'And our thoughts immediately turned to Melania who we have met and their family.'

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke publicly about the assassination attempt of Donald Trump

First Lady Melania Trump attends a campaign event for her husband Donald Trump

Harris and Melania Trump both attended former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's funeral in November.

The vice president shared her common concern about family members who serve in public office.

'The bottom line is that no one should have to fear the safety of a loved one because they serve in public office,' she said.

Harris reminded Americans of the traditions of a peaceful democracy but said it was important to keep campaigning on the issues.

'Violence is never acceptable ... at the same time, the hallmark of American democracy is a strong competition of ideas,' she said.

Harris' remarks appeared to be a reset of her campaign narrative, after she had disappeared from the campaign stage for three days after the Trump shooting.

Harris accused Trump of 'gaslighting' voters by claiming he only wanted abortion rights to be handled by individual states, evoking the history of the cause of the Civil War.

'First of all any of the historians here will know what that means when we start pushing state's rights but let's put that aside,' she said.

The vice president's public profile has risen as more Democrats express concerns about Biden running for reelection, after his disastrous debate performance and concerns about his age.

Harris would be the first in line to replace Biden, if he stepped down, and Democrats already appear open to the idea.

A YouGov/Economist poll released Tuesday showed that 79 percent of Democrats supported Harris being the Democratic nominee if Biden steps aside.

President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) urged Joe Biden to abandon his presidential campaign

On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for Senate in California, called for Biden to step aside from his reelection bid.

'A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,' Schiff said in a statement.
A 47-year-old Connecticut teacher has been arrested after she was accused of performing sexual acts and 'lapdances' on a 13-year-old boy.

Luisa Melchionne, a married school guidance counselor at Nathan Hale Middle School was taken into custody after an investigation revealed inappropriate messages and cash transfers between her and the middle-schooler.

Melchionne - who has children of her own - has been charged with second-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Police said they received an anonymous call about the accused having an inappropriate relationship with a student in early April.

Soon after, they received 17 screenshots of alleged text messages with explicit photos and money transactions between Melchionne and the student.

Luisa Melchionne, a school guidance counselor was taken into custody after investigation revealed inappropriate messages and cash transfers between her and the middle-schooler

According to the arrest report, the relationship had begun when the child was in seventh grade and supposedly ended when he changed schools.

During investigation, detectives discovered that the accused would perform sexual acts, lapdances in her office and ask for nude pictures from the child.

She would also give him money for 'Uber rides and food' through Apple Pay at times - most notably, she gave him a $100 one Christmas.

According to the report, Melchionne would only use her office phone to contact the child since she was afraid her husband would catch her if she used her own.

But the accused's attorney has denied all such accusations and said that despite their severity, she is entitled to the 'presumption of innocence'.

During investigation, detectives discovered that the accused would perform sexual acts, lap dances in her office at Nathan Hale Middle School and ask for nude pictures from the child

'Luisa is still very much entitled to the presumption of innocence. These are just accusations.

'What we do know is that these charges are being brought against a devoted wife and mother who has dedicated over 20 years to her profession, and its going to take some time to investigate this case.'

In a statement, Norwalk Public Schools said the safety of its students is its first concern.

'Norwalk Public Schools is cooperating with the Norwalk Police Department's investigation and has no further comment,' said Emily Morgan, a spokesperson for the district.

She is being held on a $500,000 bond and has since resigned from the school.
I HAVE a vivid, 1972 memory of my grandfather having a swim. The more remarkable because it was in the wild Atlantic - well, Shawbost bay - on the west side of Lewis.

And because he was already in his 82nd year. But he was a remarkable man in many respects. A veteran of the Great War. Much travelled in his youth. And, having enjoyed some time there, was desperate by 1924 to make a new life in the United States.

Unfortunately, the lass up the New Shawbost road on whom he had set his heart made plain she had not the slightest interest in relocation to Detroit, and would only change her last name to MacLean if they stayed where they were.

So my grandfather gave up his Michigan dreams and, instead, invested his amassed savings in a bus, which in that carless Hebridean era a century ago was pretty well a licence to print money.

Paddling at a deserted beach can be an invigorating experience

But, while he had particular rules about it - he would never take a dip before August, nor after New Year, the ocean in these intervening months being at its warmest - he still enjoyed his sea-swimming, as close to the US of A as he would ever be again.

And I remember that whenever I go for a paddle, often at the self-same beach.

I dont mean in bucket-and-spade silliness: trunks and a knotted hanky atop my head. Rather, sensible shorts and a sturdy, barefoot stride along the surf, the waves washing about my legs, the dogs bouncing ecstatically around me.

Its an extraordinarily grounding, invigorating sensation. The sand dissolving and reshaping itself about my toes, better and more cleansing than any foot-spa.

The scent of the ozone, the intoxicating ions, the thunder of the breakers, the lament of the oystercatchers and the indignant rebukes of the Arctic terns.

The immediate challenge, of course, is getting barefoot to the water, having divested myself of socks and shoes (and sensibly hiding them) before making my dainty way over tarmac and grassland, boulders and shingle and sand.

The cold water is always a challenge: immersive sea-contact this far north, like surfing or swimming, commands a wet-suit. The trick, for the manly paddler, is to stand still for a minute or two, knee-high, till your circulation takes stock of the situation and sorts itself out.

Thereafter, paddling is a positive pleasure. Not that it is without its alarms, like the day I stepped onto a distinctly annoyed sand-eel.

We had a full and frank exchange of views. The only real hazards are broken glass - not an issue, thankfully, on most island beaches - or a horrid little creature called the lesser weever fish.

This has sharp, sharp spines in its dorsal fin and on its gills - all attached to poison-sacs. One website speaks darkly of its upturned, grumpy mouth.

The pain is usually described as excruciating as the spines embed into the human flesh and discharge their venom, pants the British Marine Life Study Society.

The pain is at its most intense for the first two hours when the foot goes red and swells up and is then it feels numb until the following day with irritation and pain that may last for up to two weeks...

Fortunately, I have only ever seen one of those varmints, when helping with a fishing-party in the Narrows of Raasay many years ago and when a visiting angler did his best to land one. I had the greatest difficulty convincing him what it was, on no account to handle it and instead to shake it off his hook.

There are rather more charming visitors, like the shoal of whitebait I once met or the tiny, luminous host of elvers in a sea-pool near the Butt of Lewis, all the way to the Hebrides from the far Sargasso Sea.

One becomes rather a connoisseur of beaches for paddling. When I lived in Harris, the fabled Luskentyre was my favourite, especially in December frost and when the water was warmer than the air.

I can also recommend Traigh Eais, on the west side of Barra, and - as the absolute Le Mans for the determined paddler - Traigh Mhor in North Tolsta, a mile-long tract of the softest silvery sand (and where, a year ago, there was a tragic mass-stranding of pilot whales.)

By the time you have waddled the length of that and back, you will have the calves of a carthorse.

Its difficult to convey the full joy of paddling. Doubtless the childlike joy of going barefoot. The elements of sea and sand and sky. Mindfulness, I suppose.

And, certainly, an eerie timelessness. The waves at Shawbost have not stopped beating in millennia. They were pounding rhythmically before my grandfather headed off, in the Royal Naval Reserve, to tangle with the Kaiser.

They have been surging, without rest or cessation, in the fifty years since we buried him and when, in due course, my own remains are brought to the same coastline, they will be resounding still.

And you recall one dark, local Gaelic proverb: the waves have some mercy, but the rocks have no mercy at all.

In the days when crews of island men went fishing in great rowboats, and with no more protective clothing than traditional woollen geansaidhs, there were terrible disasters.

Like the 1868 day when tragedy struck off Vatisker point, drowning - among others - one Donald Smith, 34.

His widow was left to raise their four children - and the great-grandchildren include Donald Trump, who may well have been named for that lost fisherman.

My mother is old enough to remember all sorts of stuff being washed up on the Shawbost strand, as the Battle of the Atlantic raged in those dark years of the war.

An old man I knew vividly recalled mines detonating regularly at the cliffs of Dalmore and, in not a few of our coastal cemeteries, you will still see that bleak granite marker - A SAILOR OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. KNOWN UNTO GOD.

I really dont know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, a thoughtful young American, and hero of that same war, once mused, except I think its because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, its because we all came from the sea.

We are tied to the ocean, John F Kennedy concluded, and when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came.

I did once, in the blazing summer of 1999, motor to Shawbost determined actually to swim.

I duly changed into appropriate togs and splashed about clumsily in the rising tide, my eyes stinging in the brine and the cold a shock in my ears, till after ten minutes or so I thought the better of it and lurched to shore to towel myself dry.

A family picnicked near by and I recognised the patriarch at a glance. Leod Leodaidh Murray, long the local postmaster, a child of the Great War and a hero of the Second.

He recognised me too.

Ha, said the beaming Leodaidh. Your grandfather was a better swimmer than you.
A group of Ugandan children have gone viral after sharing a recreation of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Days after the horrific, near-fatal shooting shocked the world, the group of children, led by TikToker Blud Ug, revealed how far around the globe the shocking images have spread as they mimicked the chaotic - and now infamous - scenes.

Using wooden rifles and a lectern made of plastic crates, the Ugandan children satirically reproduced the shooting as the child playing Trump pumped his fist in the air and yelled, 'Fight.'

The clip has racked up millions of views across social media, with viewers noting that it shows how 'the whole world' stopped and watched the assassination attempt.

A group of Ugandan children have gone viral after sharing a hilarious recreation of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump

Using wooden rifles and a lectern made of plastic crates, the Ugandan children satirically reproduced the shooting as the leader pumped his fist in the air and yelled 'fight'

In the footage, the group of children used the real audio from Trump's shooting, as the one mimicking the former president stood behind a makeshift lectern in front of other kids.

As the shots rang out in the audio, the 'mini Trump' Secret Service detail imitated the response from his security by quickly encircling him with faux wooden rifles.

The child then pumped his fist in the air and mouthed 'fight,' just as Trump did in footage that swept the globe from Butler, Pennsylvania.

And just as Trump lifted his fist another time as he was being bungled into an SUV by Secret Service, the young Ugandan boy kept up the act by continuing his impersonation to the end.

The children hilariously mimicked the Secret Service's reaction to the shooting

While the assassination attempt sparked widespread panic and raised concerns over the safety of public figures in America, viewers used the video to joke about the huge reaction the original footage received.

'People forget that the whole world watches what happens in America,' one person commented.

'That moment touched something primal and deep,' another said.

'I don't yet think we are aware of the profundity of it being witnessed so widely and immediately around the globe.'

As the 'mini Trump' pumped his fist in the air, his 'Secret Service' encircled him and hustled him away

The Trump impersonator continued pumping his fist in the air as the clip came to an end

The kids recreated images of Trump's near-assassination that quickly became iconic

Commenters also took the opportunity to compare the footage of the Ugandan children to an array of conspiracies and scandals surrounding the assassination attempt.

As scrutiny falls on the Secret Service reaction, one chimed in: 'It's sad that the children in Uganda do it better than the SS.'

'The Secret Service would do better hiring these kids,' said another.

The spotlight on the Secret Service comes as the agency's chief, Kimberly Cheatle, has come under mounting pressure to resign following the chaotic episode.

As questions swirl over why her agency failed to put an agent on he roof where gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from, she offered a bizarre explanation.

She said Secret Service officials planning security for Trump's rally considered the warehouse 147 yards away from where Trump spoke to be a risky position for stationing an agent.

'That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,' she told ABC News in an interview Tuesday.

'And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.'

Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle is already facing calls to step down amid what some are calling a 'massive security failure'

Chilling new details have revealed that a team of local police snipers were inside the building when the 20-year-old Crooks opened fire, shot Trump in the ear and killed a member of the rally crowd.

Crooks managed to evade cops and Secret Service three times, even though he had been deemed 'suspicious' and could have been on the roof for up to 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger.

Witnesses also begged law enforcement to act when they saw him clamber onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but the lapse in security meant he was able to carry out his bid to take the 45th president's life.
A 10-year-old boy died after a horrific jet ski crash near a summer camp for the Middle Tennessee Boy Scouts, cops said.

The collision, the second accident on Old Hickory Lake in just three days, happened near Boxwell Reservation Camp, 25 miles upstream from Nashville, on Tuesday.

Each jet ski had a child onboard, along with a staffer from the Boy Scouts of America-partnered camp.

A 19-year-old woman, who was piloting the boat the 10-year-old boy was on, was also injured from the crash.

The boy was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries, and his identity has yet to be released by officials.

A 10-year-old boy died after a horrific jet ski crash near a Middle Tennessee Boy Scout camp, cops said

'At approximately 4:30pm, a tragic jet-ski accident occurred on Old Hickory Lake near Boxwell Reservation,' the Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America & Tennessee National Guard said in a joint statement

'At approximately 4:30pm, a tragic jet-ski accident occurred on Old Hickory Lake near Boxwell Reservation,' the Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America & Tennessee National Guard said in a joint statement.

'[It resulted] in the death of a 10-year-old camper of a National Guard family, and the injury of a 19-year-old Boxwell staff member, who were participating in the Tennessee National Guards annual Youth Development Week.

'We are all devastated and heartbroken over the tragic accident and doing everything possible to care for all those involved and affected by providing counseling and support to the families, campers, and staff,' the bulletin went on.

'Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with the families suffering this great loss and we grieve with them in this trying time.'

The statement went on to say how the Texas National Guard and the local council of the Boy Scouts of America were 'working closely' with first responders and law enforcement, as they vet the incident further.

No injuries were reported for either person on the other jet ski, which was also piloted by a Boxwell staffer.

No one involved in the crash had been identified as of Wednesday morning, as safety procedures on the lake where hundreds of thousands of Scouts of all ages flock to each summer have come under scrutiny.

The crash took place Tuesday, after two jet skis on the lake near Boxwell Reservation Camp inexplicably collided. The campsite is seen here

No one involved in the crash had been identified as of Wednesday morning, as safety procedures on the lake where hundreds of thousands of Scouts of all ages flock to each summer have come under scrutiny. Pictured: A Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America meeting

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is still investigating Tuesday's incident

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said it is the third boating-related death on the lake this year alone, and the second incident involving a crash in the past week.

Both the water vessels, moreover, were owned by Boxwell, as Scout Executive/CEO of the Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America, Larry Brown, is said to be cooperating with law enforcement at this time.

On Saturday, a woman was injured and flown to a local hospital after another jet ski-related incident on the lake.

Afterwards Hendersonville Fire Chief Scotty Bush said the womans arm had become wrapped up in a rope, leaving her severely injured.

She had been on a float being pulled by a boat when someone piloting a jet ski allegedly hit the rope, causing her to get tangled and injured.

Officials on Tuesday said she remains hospitalized but is in stable condition, with no criminal charges so far filed for either incident.

As of publication, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is still investigating Tuesday's incident.
President Joe Biden speaks at a 2024 Prosperity Summit on Tuesday in North Las Vegas. Many Democrats are urging the party to abandon its plan to hold a virtual nomination before the Democratic National Convention. Ronda Churchill/Associated Press

WASHINGTON  As concerns over President Joe Bidens candidacy continue to cause conflict within the Democratic Party, many Democrats are urging the party to abandon its plan to hold a virtual nomination before the Democratic National Convention. Its not clear whether theyll prevail.

Ohio initially planned to require candidates to be nominated by their parties by Aug. 7 to appear on the states ballot, a requirement that conflicted with the partys scheduled convention in late August. The Democratic National Committee changed its rules in May to allow for the party to virtually nominate Biden ahead of the convention.

Ohio, however, later passed legislation pushing the deadline to Sept. 1, after Democrats hold their convention in Chicago. That led many Democrats to believe a virtual vote was no longer necessary, but when they were informed the virtual nominating process would proceed in late July, some decided to take action.

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The DNC announced Wednesday that it will push back the virtual roll call vote to Aug. 7, but that has not necessarily satisfied those who believe the process should take place in person at the convention.

When Ohio changed its law, most Democrats assumed that we would not be doing a virtual roll call because there was no longer a reason, Rep. Jared Huffman of Marin told the Chronicle. Then the DNC started moving to jam it through this week.

More than 30 Democratic lawmakers, led by Huffman, began circulating a letter among themselves opposing the planned virtual roll call nomination. The lawmakers differ in their stances regarding Bidens candidacy, but say there is no need for the process to take place ahead of the convention because of the change in Ohio law. Moving ahead with the earlier timeline, they contend, would stifle legitimate debate over the nomination.

The effect of this would have been to accelerate the nomination of President Biden by more than a month, and that just struck a lot of people as a power play to squelch debate, to put to rest any consideration of a change at the top of the ticket, Huffman said.

Bidens disastrous performance in a June 27 debate against 78-year-old former President Donald Trump kicked off a panic about the 81-year-old presidents fitness for another term, which has only escalated despite Bidens assurances that hes up to the job. He has repeatedly insisted he plans to stay in the race, but Democrats are still discussing whether he is the best candidate for their party.

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Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new AP-NORC poll, undercutting his claim that the average voter still supports his candidacy. More than 20 lawmakers have called for Biden to drop out, including Rep. Adam Schiff, Democrats nominee for a California Senate seat, on Wednesday.

Democrats are completely united in our desire to beat Donald Trump and in believing that this is a must-win election. But we still have lots of opinions on how to get this campaign on a winning track, Huffman said.

After news of the Huffman-led letter leaked Tuesday, debate over the virtual nominating process trickled into public view.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to drop out of the race, said on Wednesday the DNC should nominate its presidential candidate in person at the convention. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also reportedly pushed for the virtual nomination to be delayed.

North Dakota Democratic Party Chair Jamie Selzler said the DNC should not move forward with the virtual nomination process. As an elected member of the DNC I will not be supporting this, and encourage the Rules Committee to keep the nomination and roll call at the Convention, she posted to X on Tuesday.

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Three former chairs of the DNC, however, urged members of the rules committee to support a virtual nomination vote. Two of them  Donna Brazile and Howard Dean  have publicly defended Biden in recent weeks.

A virtual convention is necessary to ensure Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appear on the ballot in every state and in the District of Columbia without basis for legal challenge, Brazile, Dean and Terry McAuliffe said in a letter this week. They expressed concerns that Republicans could challenge or prevent the nominees from appearing on some states ballots.

The DNC plans to continue with the virtual nominating process, but will not do so until early August. Several Democrats, including current DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, said that even with the change in Ohio law, they expect Republicans to litigate the issue and need to proceed with nominating Biden before Aug. 7.

Pushing back the virtual nominating process to early August will allow Democrats time to evaluate whether there is a credible legal basis for doing so, Huffman said, or whether its just playing politics to lock in the ticket and render the convention ceremonial.
Police officers fear they could be disciplined if they breach the forces chilling LGBTI policies that leave staff running scared of discussing the issue.

One officer has claimed a recent push to inform staff of the forces Transitioning at Work policy has led to fresh fears that bathrooms and changing rooms will no longer be single sex.

A leaked internal memo, featuring the branding of Stonewalls Diversity Champions programme tells staff that anyone who tells us they are transgender must be supported to come to work in their chosen gender.

The officer, who asked not to be named, said his bosses were shocked that police HR, otherwise known as People and Development, sent a strong message that trans-identified staff must not be outed.

He said this warning against disclosing the gender identity of colleagues comes with the threat of a gross misconduct hearing.

Police Scotland is encouraging officers to attend gay pride parades in return for pay or time off

He added: Police Scotland have decided to run with their 2019 Stonewall branded policy that allows anyone who is transitioning to use the bathrooms and changing rooms of the sex they are living as... despite knowing the EHRC 2023 guidance.

So in effect all Police Scotland bathrooms and changing rooms are mixed sex. And they have sent a strong message to those who have raised the issue that we better not accidentally out a trans officer or well face a gross misconduct inquiry.

The controversial trans -inclusive LGBTQ+ charity has seen a string of organisations quit the scheme amid concerns over its hardline stance on gender identity.

Earlier this year, the Scottish parliament joined the Cabinet Office, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Ofsted, Channel 4 and the BBC in ending its diversity champions membership.

He referenced the case of ex-police officer Harry Miller, who won a legal challenge against a national policy for forces to record gender-critical views as non-crime hate incidents in 2021.

He said: The Miller verdict talks of hate incident recording as having a chilling effect on free speech. This stuff has the same effect, along with gross misconduct threats.

Former Scottish Police Federation chief Calum Steele said it was frankly pitiful of Police Scotland to enforce a self-ID policy and said: The police service of Scotland is not just wrong ethically and morally, it is wrong legally.

Officers say there are growing concerns among the ranks that they could face disciplinary action for breaching Police Scotland's strict LGBT policies

He said: Were it not for the impact this tin-eared policy will have on women officers, this whole sham would be laughable. For the service to be so dogmatic in its promotion of this approach, at this time, and in direct opposition to EHRC guidance, and an emerging wealth of case law shows just how out of touch it is increasingly becoming.

Threatening misconduct against officers standing up for their rights is frankly pitiful and shows that the service has nothing but brute force to support its ridiculous policy

It follows the news that Police Scotland will be paying officers to participate in gay pride parades, a shift from recent years that have seen participation of off duty officers.

The service is among the only crime or emergency service organisations to offer either a day of duty or a a day back for officers, with the British Transport Police, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service, Civic Nuclear Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence Police welcoming participation on days off or abstaining entirely.

The National Crime Agency however offers volunteers a day off in lieu or pay for the hours of attendance that make sure the agency is visible as an ally to the public we protect.

The Scottish Police Federation union yesterday said this set a dangerous precedent.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: We must create an inclusive and fair working environment, free from discrimination, which meets the needs of our diverse workforce.

All officers and staff are encouraged to provide feedback through their relevant associations as we consult on the development of our Transitioning At Work policy in line with current legislation.

Disclosure of personal information such as gender, disability and sexual orientation is a breach of GDPR and would be dealt with under conduct regulations.
You will struggle to find a bobby on the beat, but dont worry - you might well spot one taking part in a gay Pride event near you.

As the Mail revealed yesterday, officers in Scotland will be paid to take part in these parades, despite the force cutting back on fighting crime.

They are being urged to represent the overstretched force at LGBT events - in exchange for either pay or a day off in lieu.

Volunteering to march  proudly displaying a Pride badge issued by Police Scotland  might prove to be a career boost.

Former Chief Superintendent at the College of Policing Dave Marshall

As a chief inspector, I was once asked by my boss why I had never marched at a Pride event.

I simply stated that I did not believe this to be an effective use of my own time - or of taxpayers money.

There were some raised eyebrows, and the subtext was fully understood: move with the times, Dave, because it doesnt look good.

But policing isnt about activism  or shouldnt be  and top brass should leave the virtue-signalling to politicians, and let their officers get on with the day job.

Im not saying that at one point in history  and that time is thankfully long in the past  that campaigning for gay rights was not an important and necessary cause.

But we now have a situation where policing is overtly involving itself in supporting Pride events - with officers often marching in full uniform.

Some even dance around with fellow participants - appending rainbow-coloured Pride badges and flags to police vehicles and premises.

One argument is that such behaviour shows the police are in touch with wider social issues - and that participating in Pride events demonstrates that officers have a sound social conscience.

Another school of thought - the one I have always supported - is that regardless of the social cause in question, whether its gay rights, Black Lives Matter (BLM) or Scottish independence, policing should remain neutral and impartial.

Police Scotland has been criticised for paying officers to attend pride marches amid cutbacks to crime-fighting

When George Floyd died at the hands of a white police officer in the U.S. back in 2020, many UK-based activists rapidly took to the streets in protest and to call for an end to unarmed black people being killed by white police officers - purporting it to be some kind of out-of-control epidemic here in the UK.

Before long, the streets of London were subjected to the disruption caused by large-scale BLM protests which, on occasion, saw violence directed towards the police.

To my utter disbelief, we soon witnessed Metropolitan Police officers taking the knee in front of baying crowds of BLM activists - in an apparent display of solidarity.

Not only were officers putting themselves at extreme physical risk by kneeling in front of BLM protestors, but in doing so they were also actively taking part in a political demonstration - and thus were displaying an abject lack of political neutrality.

In 2018, the British Transport Police (BTP) announced that it would no longer allow its police vehicles to display poppy decals leading up to Remembrance Day commemoration events in November.

When challenged on the decision, a senior BTP officer stated that the force had made the decision as it did not want to show support for one charity over another.

This was coincidentally around the same time that several woke activists were calling for an outright ban on poppies - as they considered them to glorify war.

Interestingly, the BTP continued to allow the display of the LGBT Pride rainbow flag decals on some of its police vehicles all year round - seemingly having no problem promoting this cause over the nations war dead.

Police Scotlands leadership under Police Scotland chief Jo Farrell have continued to promote the organisations involvement in certain social justice causes - most notably in LGBT activism.

We now have a situation where many senior leaders within the service - themselves a product of this obsession with diversity and the indulgence in identity politics - are actively encouraging such behaviour among the rank-and-file.

But the public are no fools - and the appetite for such displays is rapidly diminishing.

Why are officers in full uniform able to actively participate in Pride events when Police Scotland struggles to undertake its most basic requirements, including responding to reports of minor crime?

Can Ms Farrell and her team seriously justify such acts of collective self-indulgence while public confidence in the police service is so rapidly going down the plughole?

Police Scotland must surely focus on providing the best service to its communities regardless of sexual identity - for that is surely what the public expects.

*Dave Marshall is a former Grampian Police constable and an ex-Chief Superintendent at the College of Policing and the British Transport Police. He is author of The Fall of Policing, available on Amazon.
Sir Keir Starmer will today meet Britains former Brexit foe Donald Tusk as he fires the starting gun on resetting relations with the European Union.

The Prime Minister will use a summit in Oxfordshire to urge European leaders to leave Brexit wounds in the past and push for deeper cooperation to tackle small boats crossings.

Thursday's summit, which is being hosted by Sir Keir at Blenheim Palace, will be attended by 45 European leaders and is expected to be dominated by illegal migration.

It will also focus on energy security and defending democracy amid the war in Ukraine.

Yesterday it was claimed that Foreign Secretary David Lammy will use the summit to push for a deal which would see Britain spend more foreign aid in a bid to stem the flow of dinghies reaching British shores.

Sir Keir Starmer is to push for deeper cooperation to tackle boat crossings as part of a reset of relations with the European Union at the European Political Community summit in Oxfordshire on Thursday

Sir Keir will meet Polish PM Donald Tusk, a former president of the EU Council, on the margins of the summit

45 European leaders will attend the summit on Thursday, which is expected to be dominated by illegal migration

Bloomberg reported the plan involved 100million initially being handed over to European countries to spend on initiatives that would incentivise migrants not to try and reach the UK.

Sir Keir will meet Polish PM Mr Tusk, a former EU Council chief, on the margins of the summit.

He was one of Brussels original architects of the post-Brexit trade deal struck with ex-PM Boris Johnson and constantly taunted Britain over its exit from the bloc in 2020.

Sir Keir is expected to have one-to-one meetings with several other leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

He will also meet Italys premier Giorgia Meloni, who has taken a tough line on migration and who Sir Keir sees as a key ally for reaching a bloc-wide deal on better tackling illegal crossings.

The Prime Minister will meet several other leaders including French president Emmanuel Macron

Sir Keir will also meet Italian prime minister Georgia Meloni, who sees the Prime Minister as a key ally for a bloc-wide deal on tackling illegal crossings

Last night Sir Keir said: The EPC will fire the starting gun on this governments new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putins barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe.

We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.

In an apparent call to leave Brexit wounds in the past, he added: We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future.

But shadow home secretary James Cleverly hit back, saying the boats will keep coming because Labour has scrapped the Tories flagship Rwanda deportation scheme.
This is the moment police descended on Donald Trump shooter Thomas Crookss van which he had abandoned on a side road near the Butler, Pennsylvania, fairground on which the former presidents rally was held Saturday.

Obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com the footage clearly shows officers searching the battered white vehicle from which they removed explosives after they were led across fields to its location by their K9 unit.

Local resident Cheyenne Thoma whose husband Billy recorded the scenes told DailyMail.com, We could hear the dogs barking across the fields. They picked up his scent apparently and thats what led them to the van.

Thoma revealed that investigators had later asked for footage from the familys ring doorbell only to learn that it had not been recording earlier that day.

Another told DailyMail.com that they had not realized who the van belonged to or its significance to the shocking events of Saturday afternoon until much later.

Officers searched the battered white vehicle from which they removed explosives after they were led across fields to its location by their K9 unit

Local resident Cheyenne Thoma whose husband Billy recorded the scenes told DailyMail.com that the dogs had picked up his scent

The homeowner who asked not to be named said, We were just told it was a suspicious vehicle and that was that. Its really shocking to think how close it all was to us.

Other footage recorded by Thoma shows the white vehicle, its back doors apparently damaged with primer applied, being taken away on a tow truck in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Crooks, seen here in 2021 climbed onto the roof of a building near the the rally and shot Trump, while also killing retired volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore

A police cruiser follows on as investigators carried out what were the very early stages of the ongoing investigation into Crooks, 20, his motivations and just how he managed to get close enough to fire what was so very nearly a fatal shot at former President Trump.

After law enforcement took down the would-be assassin, a remote detonator was found alongside his cell phone.

A picture first published by Pittsburgh's WPXI showed the detonator, a rectangular grey device with a keypad similar to a television remote control.

The 20-year-old has also since appeared in disturbing footage taken just an hour before he unleashed a volley of shots on the Trump rally.

In the harrowing clip, Crooks does not appear to be holding the AR-style rifle that he had used to shoot Trump through the ear.

The cameraman said he had been trying to capture the large crowd waiting to watch the Republican nominee speak, but later realized he had caught a more terrifying detail in the background.

Crooks is believed to have been firing from about 165 yards when his bullet struck Trump in the right ear. The former president is seen in the immediate aftermath of the shooting

The last picture of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, taken less than an hour before he was shot and killed by a Secret Service marksman. It was circulated to law enforcement as a suspicious sighting at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania

Trump was still wearing the bandage on his wounded ear when he appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday

After law enforcement took down the would-be assassin, a remote detonator, seen here, was found alongside his cell phone

It has also since emerged that the gunman's father called cops on the day of the shooting after Crooks didn't return from a routine trip to a local gun range.

While his concerned family made calls to cops, Crooks climbed onto the roof of a building near the the rally and shot Trump, while also killing retired volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore.

Crooks had told his boss he needed the day off from work Saturday and gave colleagues a final chilling message: That he would be back on Sunday.

Crooks is believed to have been firing from about 165 yards when his bullet struck Trump in the right ear.

The latest bombshell developments raised more questions about the massive security failures that led to the attempted assassination of the former president.

The FBI said they were investigating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism but the absence of a clear ideological motive led conspiracy theories to flourish.

Investigators believe that Crooks acted alone and have confirmed that there is no social media presence that would indicate the attack was politically motivated.
London's Burning and Grange Hill star John Alford has been charged with alleged sex offences involving a child.

The 52-year-old has been accused of a total of six offences and was charged last year, police have confirmed.

The actor, whose real name is John Shannon, is facing four allegations of sexual activity with a child, one of sexual assault and one of sexual assault by penetration.

He was charged with the offences on July 16 2023, Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed in a statement to MailOnline, following an investigation by the force's Specialist Sexual Offences Investigation Team.

The offences were allegedly committed in April 2022.

London's Burning and Grange Hill star John Alford has been charged with sex offences involving a child

Alford was best known for his role as fireman Billy Ray in ITV firefighting drama London's Burning

He got his start appearing as Robbie Wright in Grange Hill at the age of 13 - appearing on the anti-drugs single Just Say No

Alford also had parts in other programmes - seen here in a bit-part role on The Bill as Steve Weller opposite Rene Zagger

Alford also had a short-lived pop career, with three singles in the UK top 40 in 1996

Alford appeared at St Albans Crown Court on September 26 last year, where he pled not guilty.

He will return to St Albans Crown Court in December for a trial scheduled to last seven days, with a pre-trial review scheduled for November.

The charges were confirmed by the Crown Prosecution Service in a separate statement to the PA news agency.

Glasgow-born Alford first starred as Robbie Wright in school drama Grange Hill when he was just 13 years old in 1985.

He landed the role after training at Anna Scher's stage school in north London alongside Sid Owen and Patsy Palmer who starred in EastEnders, and briefly appeared in ITV sitcom Now and Then before joining Grange Hill.

However, he struggled with fame at a young age after leaving the school drama at 17, reportedly spending thousands of pounds on alcohol and gambling.

In 1999, he was reported to have confessed to drinking up to 18 bottles of beer and nine shots of spirits a night.

He later became a fan favourite when he played fireman Billy Ray in ITV drama London's Burning from 1993 to 1998.

The father-of-two starred on the show at the height of its popularity when it pulled in more than 18million viewers a night.

The show became ITV's third longest-running drama behind only Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Alford also enjoyed several top 40 hit singles, produced by Stock/Waterman, following his TV success.

Glasgow-born Alford first starred as Robbie Wright in school drama Grange Hill when he was just 13 years old in 1985

He is pictured here starring in London's Burning alongside Ben Onwukwe

(L-R) Steven Houghton, Richard Walsh, Clive Wood, Michael Garner, Andrew Kazamia, Zoe Heyes, Ben Onwukwe, Glen Murphy and John Alford in London's Burning in 1996

John Alford (left) as Robbie and George Christopher (right) as Ziggy starring in Grange Hill

His debut song Smoke In Your Eyes reached No13 in the charts and saw him perform on Top Of The Pops.

He quit acting for a time, working as a scaffolder and a minicab driver, but returned to acting at the turn of the millenium.

Alford appeared in the film Mike Bassett: England Manager and reality programme Trust Me: I'm a Beauty Therapist in 2001 and 2003, before getting bit parts in Casualty and The Hatton Garden Job.
Labour's workers' rights revolution will cost jobs and choke growth, ministers were warned last night.

Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to 'unlock growth and take the brakes off Britain'.

But the Prime Minister was warned that a radical package of employment rights championed by his deputy Angela Rayner could have the opposite effect.

Unveiled in Labour's first legislative programme for 14 years, the new French-style laws will give employees a string of rights from their first day in the job, including the right to work from home, access to sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal.

Flexible working practices, such as 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts, will be banned and employers will be forced to pay a higher minimum wage to younger workers.

Ms Rayner's plan  dubbed the Red Revolution  also rewards Labour's union paymasters by scrapping a string of anti-strike laws and 'removing unnecessary restrictions on trade union activity'.

New equality laws will also force firms to provide the Government with an annual audit of how much ethnic minority and disabled workers are paid.

Tory business spokesman Kevin Hollinrake said yesterday's King's Speech 'made clear that Labour's union paymasters come before the British public'.

Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) boasted he is bringing a 'new era' today after unveiling a King's Speech which would take control of rail, energy and the planning system

The Prime Minister has been warned that a radical package of employment rights championed by his deputy Angela Rayner could 'cost jobs and choke growth'. Pictured: Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan (centre) joins train workers on the picket line at Euston station in London

Flexible working practices, such as 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts, will be banned and employers will be forced to pay a higher minimum wage to younger workers (stock)

Angela Rayner's plan  dubbed the Red Revolution  rewards Labour's union paymasters by scrapping a string of anti-strike laws and 'removing unnecessary restrictions on trade union activity'

He added: 'This King's Speech was nothing but a unions' charter that will stifle investment, cut productivity, and burden small businesses.

In the biggest legislative programme for years, the Prime Minister:

Signalled a return to big government, with plans to nationalise the railways, take control of bus services and enable the state to buy up energy plants Revived plans for a ban on gay conversion therapy, despite warnings it could criminalise parents, teachers and doctors Confirmed plans to boot hereditary peers out of the House of Lords Pressed ahead with proposals to scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme Centralised the planning system, with a warning to communities they would be able to object only to 'how, not if' new housing and infrastructure is built in their area Advertisement

'These French-style regulations will damage our economy, which is showing signs of recovery.'

In a damning assessment, the Federation of Small Businesses said small firms were 'increasingly worried about the developing employment rights package'.

Policy chairman Tina McKenzie said: 'More than nine out of ten small employers say they are concerned about the prospect of increased costs and risks when they employ people, and there were no commitments within this to look after small employers who will struggle the most.'

The Prime Minister vowed to replace 'snake oil populism' with 'determined, patient work and serious solutions'. He said the new Employment Rights Bill would 'level up workers' rights, so every person has security, respect and dignity at work'.

But Rishi Sunak urged the new government not to impose 'new burdens on businesses' which could have 'unintended consequences'.

'They could lead to firms being less likely to invest and less likely to hire,' he said.

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of S4 Capital, said: 'The devil will be in the details, but it will make employers more hesitant to hire.' Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins said Sir Keir had 'opened the floodgates for disaster'.

But Unite union boss Sharon Graham welcomed the package, saying it was 'key to rebalancing the relationship between employers and workers, making work fairer'.

Additional reporting: Martin Beckford and Leah Montebello

What Labour manifesto pledges were not included in the King's Speech?

Despite containing a massive 40 new bills, the King's Speech did not include some of Labour's flagship manifesto pledges  the most glaring omission being the commitment to lower the voting age.

The party's manifesto states: 'We will increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy, by giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections.

'But there is no legislation in the first parliamentary session to introduce the major reform, although the King did say: 'My ministers will strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process.'

The Government insists the move will still be introduced before the next General Election due in five years' time, suggesting the focus this time was on growing the economy.

Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak on their way to hear the speech in the House of Lords chamber today

The King delivering the speech in the House of Lords today with Queen Camilla by his side

The monarch, flanked by Queen Camilla, outlined a blizzard of around 40 bills in the new government's maiden legislative programme

Yeomen of the Guard carry out the ceremonial search of Parliament before the arrival of the monarch

The centuries old traditions were played out in Parliament today as the Houses reconvened after the election

The King leaves Buckingham Palace on his way to the Houses of Parliament to deliver his speech

Some on the Left criticised the lack of immediate action with Green MP Sian Berry saying: 'Our 16 and 17-year-olds need a real voice and need those measures in this Parliament.'

But others welcomed the delay after concerns that Labour was trying to 'rig' future elections by enfranchising an estimated 1.5 million teenagers, most of whom would likely be Left-leaning.

A Conservative spokesman said: 'Labour only wanted to give 16-year-olds the vote for their own political gain, so it's good to see that this has been delayed. Young people become an adult on their 18th birthday  with that, you get the right to get married, buy a pint and vote. Labour must make sure they have a proper consultation before they push ahead with any changes to electoral law.'

Commons Leader Lucy Powell told the BBC there were 'plenty of big bills that didn't make it' this time around and insisted it remained 'absolutely a manifesto commitment'.

Sir Keir and Mr Sunak led MPs walking from the Commons to the Lords to hear the monarch's speech read out

Labour's proposals were set out in a 26-page document earlier this year

Asked if 16-year-olds would be able to vote in the next General Election, she replied: 'I hope so. That's the intention.'

And Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told a podcast last night: 'We hold to our manifesto commitments, what you'll understand is that there's a question of timing and timetabling of various measures.'

Labour's manifesto had also pledged 'immediate modernisation' of the House of Lords.

But while the removal of hereditary peers was included in yesterday's programme, the promised 'mandatory retirement age' of 80 was not.

Rishi Sunak, now Leader of the Opposition, told the Commons: 'I welcome the news that the Government has paused on their plan to force members of the other place to retire at 80.'

He pointed out that Prime Minister Sir Keir had only just nominated Dame Margaret Beckett for a peerage, even though she is already 81.
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said that J.D. Vance needs to use his address tonight to sell his compelling personal story to voters.

'I think most people don't know him to be very honest,' Lewandowski told DailyMail.com.

'He's an American success story grew up in abject poverty,' the political operative went on. 'Twenty years ago, this guy was living in squalor.'

Vance grew up poor in Ohio. His mother suffered from drug addiction and he was raised largely by his maternal grandparents.

He graduated high school to become a U.S. Marine for four years, before getting an undergraduate degree at Ohio State University and a law degree at Yale.

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said that J.D. Vance needs to use his address tonight to sell his compelling personal story to voters

In 2016, three years after graduating law school, he wrote the memoir that put him on the map, Hillbilly Elegy.

Now 39, he is a senator from Ohio and Trump's vice presidential pick.

'Only in this great country can you do that. And so I think what you're going to hear is his success story,' Lewandowski went on.

'And I hope that he articulates that under a Trump Vance administration, over the next four years, more people will be able to achieve the American dream.'

Now two Ivy League-educated populist Republicans - with Trump and his University of Pennsylvania degree - will face off against two non-Ivy Democrats.

In 2016, three years after graduating law school, he wrote the memoir that put him on the map, Hillbilly Elegy.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn agreed that Vance's rags-to-riches story would help sell the American dream.

'I think J.D. has one of the most intriguing life stories of any senator,' the Tennessee Republican told DailyMail.com. 'He is just about a perfect nominee.'

She said Vance would bring a 'younger, more libertarian' type of voter into the Republican Party.

Vance has been staunchly against Ukraine aid since the start of the war and argues the U.S. needs to firmly refocus its defense focus on East Asia.

Other more centrist senators were less enthusiastic about Vance as a Trump's pick - though they avoided outright criticism.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he was 'pulling' for North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and not J.D. Vance.

But his selection brings 'younger voters' to the GOP Party, which is an asset moving forward.

Cramer called Vance an 'honest intellectual populist,' with a smile. 'He'll be a fine running mate, and make a fine vice president, and president if necessary.'

'I think most people don't know him to be very honest,' Lewandowski told DailyMail.com

Vance is a vastly different pick than who Trump chose under Lewandowski in 2016 in former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence placed a much higher priority on international alliances and supporting Ukraine.

'Vance means that we're never going to let Americans be forgotten. That we're always going to advocate for ordinary Americans and make sure that they have a good opportunity here in this country,' Bernie Moreno, Ohio Republican Senate candidate, told DailyMail.com.

'We're not going to ship our jobs overseas. We're not going to fight other countries wars. We're not going to rip off American taxpayers for their own personal benefit. I think it solidifies the party of this is the party of a new generation of American leaders.'
A North Carolina city council was forced to hold an emergency meeting after one of its members made a shocking post about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Following the shooting at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Henderson Councilwoman Geraldine Champion took to Facebook to express her doubts about the authenticity of the shooting.

'Now the taxpayers have to pay for a fake shooting he staged,' she wrote.

In another post she called the shooting 'FAKE NEWS' because nobody ran in the immediate aftermath, according to screengrabs shared by the popular Libs of TikTok X account.

City officials have since said she displayed 'inappropriate behavior for a councilmember,' and the city council convened briefly on Wednesday to discuss its social media policy, WRAL reports.

Henderson, North Carolina Councilwoman Geraldine Champion made a shocking Facebook post about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump

She took to Facebook in the aftermath of the shooting to express her doubts about its authenticity, calling it 'staged' and 'FAKE NEWS'

City Manager Terrell Blackmon did not explicitly connect Wednesday night's agenda to Champion's post at the meeting, but he noted there was a gap in the city's existing social media policy.

'There's a social media policy that applies to employees, but it does not apply to the mayor and council,' he explained.

Blackmon, the Henderson city attorney and mayor are now working on a new policy in response to recent events, the city manager said.

'I believe adopting a specific social media policy for our council is essential,' Blackmon said.

The city council ultimately voted unanimously at the short 10-minute-long meeting to adopt a new social media policy.

Until it goes into effect, though, any policy violations would be addressed through the existing code of conduct.

Det. Sgt. Brandon Richardson was suspended from his position after he posted that the gunman was 'only about an inch from making America great again'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Champion for comment.

The city council meeting came just days after a police officer in another North Carolina town was suspended for posting his reaction to the assassination attempt.

Det. Sgt. Brandon Richardson, a 24-year veteran of the Tarboro Police Department, wrote that 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was 'only about an inch from making America great again.'

The former president was shot in the ear - turning his head at a vital moment to read a chart showing an increase in illegal immigration.

Richardson's post has since been deleted and his Facebook account was made private.

But Chief of Police Rick Mann issued a statement on Monday saying that Richardson was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

'We take this matter very seriously, as it does not reflect the values and standards of our department,' he wrote on Facebook.

'We understand that such incidents can affect public trust, and we are dedicated to handling this matter with the seriousness and accountability it deserves.'

Mann noted that the department took 'immediate steps to address this situation,' including putting Richardson on administrative leave and launching an internal investigation to 'determine the context and details surrounding the post.'

The department will also examine its own social media policy.

The former president was shot in the ear - turning his head at a vital moment to read a chart showing an increase in illegal immigration

He pumped his fists and chanted 'fight, fight, fight' as Secret Service agents led him off the stage

Richardson has since issued an apology on his own Facebook page, CBS 17 reports.

'My attempt at dark humor was completely out of line and in poor taste,' he wrote.

'I realize now that my words were not only inappropriate, but also deeply offensive to many of you. For that, I am truly sorry.'

He then went on to say he takes full responsibility for the post, and asked those reading his apology to 'keep Mr. Trump and his family in our thoughts as he heals from this physical and mental wound.'

As the gunfire rang out on Saturday, the former president was seen grabbing at his head and ducked as screams front terrified onlookers ran out.

He then stood, pumped his fist and chanted 'fight, fight, fight' as Secret Service rushed him off stage and into a motorcade.

An investigation into the shooting is now underway, as officials question how the gunman was able to set up his AR-style rifle just over 100 yards from the former president.
A father-of-six jumped to his death from the 20th floor of a luxury hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

J. Michael Cline, the 64-year-old co-founder of movie-ticketing firm Fandango, leaped from The Kimberly Hotel, landing in a courtyard on the third floor, on Tuesday morning.

Cline's business had struggled during the pandemic which saw movie theaters shutter or forced to follow restrictions on the number of audience numbers allowed for almost two years.

Cline, who was a 'serial entrepreneur' and managing partner at the startup-funding firm Accretive, is said to have left a note before taking his life.

The contents of the note were not made public as of Wednesday.

J. Michael Cline, the 64-year-old co-founder of movie-ticketing firm Fandango, leaped from The Kimberly Hotel, landing in a courtyard on the third floor, on Tuesday morning

Cline's body was brought out from a courtyard in the hotel and taken away by the New York Medical Examiner

Cline's wealth saw him owning several multi-million dollar homes in the Hamptons on New York's Long Island, Greenwich, Connecticut and Palm Beach, Florida.

One of the homes include a $20.75 million lakefront mansion that he purchased during the pandemic in December 2020, reports the Palm Beach Daily News.

In recent years, Fandango had struggled after movie theater attendance was essentially non-existent during the pandemic.

The firm attempted to pivot to streaming but reported a loss in profits in 2023.

Cline was described as a 'serial entrepreneur' in a profile by Fordham University

Cline also sat on the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Cline is seen taking part in a discussion with business students at Fordham University

Cline jumped from the 20th floor of the hotel and landed in a courtyard area on the third floor

A body bag containing Cline is seen being wheeled out onto the sidewalk on Tuesday

The New York Medical Examiner was quickly on the scene on Tuesday morning

The luxury hotel is situated on East 50th Street near Lexington Avenue

Cline, who had been married to wife, Pamela, for almost 30 years graduated from Cornell University and obtained an MBA from Harvard University.

In a profile by Fordham University, he was described as a 'serial entrepreneur' and as someone who 'helped to who inspired students'.

Cline also sat as the executive chairman of Juxtapose - another firm which specializes in funding startups.

If you or anyone you know needs help, you can reach Samaritans NYC at 212-673-3000 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386.

For confidential assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988 or click here.
A 36-year-old man has been shot dead in a quiet Liverpool suburb, sparking fears from locals over 'gun crime' in the area.

The victim, who has not yet been named, was shot in 'appalling and tragic incident' on Quarryside Drive, Kirby around 6.35pm on Wednesday, Merseyside Police said.

He was treated at the scene by emergency responders and transported to hospital, where he died shortly after. His next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specialist family liaison officers.

A heavy police presence and cordon remain in place at the scene as crime scene investigators are carry out their forensic examinations.

The shooting has prompted concern amongst locals, with one claiming they are 'afraid to walk out alone' and another alleging violence in the community has them 'wanting to move'.

A 36-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was shot on Quarryside Drive, Kirby around 6.35pm on Wednesday

A 36-year-old man has been shot dead in the quiet Liverpool suburb of Kirkby this evening, sparking fears from locals over 'gun crime' in the area

Merseyside Police launched a murder investigation, which they say 'still in the very early stages', after the victim was shot this evening.

Officers are currently working to determine motive and who was involved in the shooting.

They have appealed for any witnesses to come forward and asked residents to check their CCTVs, doorbell cameras and dashcams for any footage that could help with their investigation.

'A murder investigation is underway this evening following an appalling and tragic incident in which a man has lost his life after he was fatally shot,' Detective Superintendent Mark Drew said in a press release.

'Our thoughts first and foremost are with his family, who are trying to come to terms with his loss.'

Meanwhile, locals say the act of violence has left them feeling very afraid.

One resident told The Liverpool Echo: 'What I'm fearful of is that there are always kids out in the street. I feel sorry for the community. Every one of us is afraid to walk out alone.'

Another resident, who has been living in Kirkby for three years and 'seen it all', said it is a 'good community' but has questioned: 'Why should everyone live in fear? I've been wanting to move because of it.'

Det Supt Drew also slammed the violence in the area, saying there is 'no room for guns on the streets of Merseyside' and vowed to 'do everything within our power to ensure those responsible are brought to justice'.

The victim was treated at the scene by emergency responders and transported to hospital, where he died shortly after. His next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specialist family liaison officers

'My message to those involved in gun crime and serious organised crime is clear  Merseyside Police will never rest, we are relentless in our pursuit of those involved,' he said.

'Information from the public is vital if we are to breakdown the organised crime groups who bring misery to our streets and I would appeal to anyone who has information to come forward.

He continued: 'I completely understand that speaking up could be daunting, but when people are willing to support the police we will ensure every possible avenue is progressed to protect them.'

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call 101 or DM the force at @MerPolCC on social media, quoting log number 830 of 17.

Det Supt Drew noted that those who do not feel comfortable contacting the force directly can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

'We need to know who is involved in gun crime and where those guns are being stored,' he added.
Shira Stein is the San Francisco Chronicle's Washington correspondent, covering California's role in national politics and policy from the nation's capital. She writes about issues that matter to California residents  like housing, abortion and LGBTQ rights  and California's influence on Congress and the White House. She was the primary chronicler of the last year of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's life, including her health, familial financial feud, and death.

Shira was born and raised in the Bay Area and now lives in Washington, D.C. She joined the Chronicle in 2022 after spending four years as an award-winning health care reporter for Bloomberg Law, where she was key in its coverage of the Covid-19, the fall of Roe v. Wade and health costs. She is a graduate of American University and interned at the Washington Post, Bloomberg Law and the Colorado-based Durango Herald.
A teenage prisoner took his own life two years after the Scottish Government pledged to stop sending children to the facility where he died.

Jonathan Beadle, 17, was found dead on Saturday at Polmont Young Offenders Institution just weeks ahead of his sentencing hearing.

The teenager is the latest youngster to die at the Falkirk facility, with Katie Allan, 21, William Brown, also known as William Lindsay, 16, and 20-year-old Jack McKenzie having also taken their own lives at the centre.

Last night there were renewed demands to shut the wing that houses children.

Beadle had been sent to Polmont after being convicted of acting in a disorderly manner and being in possession of weapons with intent to assault and murder a 16-year-old girl.

William Lindsay, 16, died at Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2018

Katie Allan, 21, was found dead in her cell at Polmont

Polmont Young Offenders Institutio in Stirlingshire

While the case was ongoing he stayed in a secure childrens unit before being moved to Polmont. The teenager died at the facility around three weeks before his sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, on August 2.

Yesterday, Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, HM Chief Inspector for Prisons in Scotland, said: Every death of a family member is a tragedy, and the loss of a child is unimaginably agonising... and when they die in state care, that adds to the distress.

Ms Sinclair-Gieben has previously said sending 16 and 17-year-olds to Polmont  especially those not yet convicted  was a breach of their human rights.

In March 2022, the Scottish Government said under-18s would no longer be sent to young offenders institutions. The Children (Care and Justice) Bill  which sets out that those under 18 will no longer be sent to prison  received royal assent last month.

Siobhian Brown, minister for victims and community safety, said: We are working with the Scottish Prison Service and secure accommodation providers to commence these provisions shortly.

Ms Allan was jailed for 16 months for dangerous driving

Linda and Stuart Allan, the parents of Katie Allan

The decision on whether to detain a child remains with the independent judiciary.

Fiona Duncan, formerly chairman of the Independent Care Review, said: Getting an alternative plan in place for each child is still achievable today, so that no child is in prison. The wing of HM YOI Polmont that houses children must be closed as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force. It says children should not be held in prison but, when necessary, in secure care.

Police said there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances regarding Beadles death and a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will now be called.

A joint inquiry into Allan and Lindsay, who were found dead in their cells in separate incidents in 2018, is expected to publish its findings later this year.

Speaking at the first day of the FAI at Falkirk Sheriff Court earlier this year, Katie's mother Linda Allan told a prison officer Ms Allan 'was being berated by fellow inmates' on the day of her death.

An FAI into McKenzies death was announced after he took his own life in 2021. A Scottish Prison Service spokesman yesterday said: Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities, is a tragedy.
Male MPs have been told they must wear a tie if they want to speak in the House of Commons.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has tightened the rules after they were relaxed by his predecessor John Bercow.

In a statement to MPs yesterday after the King's Speech, Sir Linsday said: 'I say to the Honourable Gentlemen, wear a tie or you might not catch my eye.'

The dress code for MPs has changed over the years, but members are now expected to wear 'business-like attire'.

In 2017, Mr Bercow said it was not necessary for this to include ties after then-Lib Dem MP Tom Brake asked a question tieless.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has tightened the rules after they were relaxed by his predecessor John Bercow, warning MPs that they won't 'catch his eye' if they don't wear a tie

Mr Bercow said: 'I think the general expectation is that members should dress in businesslike attire.

'So far as the chair is concerned... it seems to me that as long as a member arrives in the House in what might be thought to be businesslike attire, the question of whether that member is wearing a tie is not absolutely front and centre stage.'

But last autumn, Sir Lindsay changed the 'Rules of Behaviour and Courtesies in the House of Commons' to say men were 'expected' to wear a tie.

He updated the wording to say: 'As with the language used, the way in which Members dress should demonstrate respect for their constituents, for the House and for the institution of Parliament in the life of the nation.

Sir Lindsay changed the rules last autumn to state that men were 'expected' to wear a tie in the chamber

'Members are expected to wear business attire in and around the Chamber. Jeans, chinos, sportswear or any other casual trousers are not permitted.

T-shirts and sleeveless tops are not business attire. Smart/business shoes are expected to be worn. Casual shoes and trainers are not appropriate.

'Men are expected to wear a tie and jackets must be worn. It is a privilege to serve as a Member of Parliament and dress, language and conduct should reflect this.'

In 2011, former Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi apologised after a novelty tie he was wearing began to play a tune while making a Commons speech.
A lifeguard and the council he worked for were today found guilty of the manslaughter of a British schoolgirl who drowned during a school trip to France.

Jessica Lawson, 12, from East Yorkshire, died after a plastic pontoon in a lake near Limoges overturned in July 2015.

On Wednesday, judges sitting at the city's Appeal Court ruled swimming supervisor Leo Lemaire, 30, was criminally responsible for the 'manslaughter through a clearly deliberate violation of an obligation of providing safety or prudence', along with Liginiac Town Hall.

Lemaire was sentenced to eight months in prison  all suspended  while the council in the French town where the tragedy happened was fined 20,000, the equivalent of just under 17,000.

Jessica Lawson, 12, from East Yorkshire, died after a pontoon in a lake overturned

Jessica with her father and mother Brenda Lawson. The couple chose to move to Portugal after Jessica's death because it was a place they had never visited with her

Leo Lemaire arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France. Judges criticised Lemaire  who had denied any wrongdoing  for his 'lack of vigilance' on the day of the tragedy

From left to right: Daisy Stathers, Chantelle Lewis and Steven Layne were all acquitted

Both parties were also ordered to jointly pay damages to Jessica's parents, Tony and Brenda Lawson, who now live in Portugal.

These amounted to 40,000 (33,000) for 'moral damage', 15,000 (12,000) for 'anxiety', and the same amount for the 'suffering' the family endured.

Judges criticised Lemaire  who had denied any wrongdoing  for his 'lack of vigilance' on the day of the tragedy.

And they said the local council was particularly negligent in not putting up signs 'warning of the dangers of swimming off the pontoon,' according to the judgement.

A criminal prosecution originally followed Jessica's death but, in October 2022, teachers Chantelle Lewis, Daisy Stathers and Steven Layne  all from Wolfreton School, near Hull, which Jessica attended  were acquitted on charges of manslaughter caused by gross negligence.

So too was Lemaire, who was on duty at the time of the accident in the Liginiac lake.

This led to Jessica's devastated family complaining about the verdict, saying they wanted someone to be held responsible for her death.

Steven Layne arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France. He was one of three teachers cleared of manslaughter

Daisy Stathers arriving at court in France. Trial judge Marie-Sophie Waguette acquitted the British teachers of any wrongdoing

Chantelle Lewis arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France. The British teachers declined to comment when contacted via the East Riding of Yorkshire Council

A new trial was held at the Limoges Court of Appeal between May 30 and 31 this year, which Jessica's parents attended.

Confirming Wednesday's verdict, a court spokesman said the original acquittals of Lemaire and the local authority, were reversed, while all the teachers were again found 'not guilty'.

During the trial, Lemaire insisted that he was used to seeing the orange pontoon overturn, and it was not considered dangerous.

'I grew up right next to this stretch of water,' Lemaire told the court. 'I can't count the number of times I went there and saw the platform turn over with swimmers on top of it, and there was never an accident.'

A photograph of the pontoon full of swimmers was shown in the court using a projector, as Lemaire said: 'Yes, of course, I watched them, but no-one was jostling, or shouting more than usual. They were laughing, and I had the entire swimming area to scan.'

The original trial, held in Tulle, heard how Jessica  the youngest pupil in the school party  was was hit on the head when the pontoon flipped over.

Jessica Lawson (pictured) died while swimming in a lake near the city of Limoges in 2015

Mr Lawson with Jessica. Mr Lawson and his wife set up the 'Jessica Lawson Foundation' to offer support to bereaved parents, and to keep the name of their beloved daughter alive

She was rescued from beneath the float by the lifeguard, and then airlifted to hospital in Limoges, but medics could not save her.

Prosecutors had originally called for Ms Lewis, Ms Stathers and Mr Layne, as well as Lemaire, to be jailed for three years.

There were a total of 24 British pupils aged 12 to 17 in the water, along with one teacher, with two others monitoring from the shore.

Following the start of the appeal trial, Jessica's 63-year-old father, Tony Lawson, said: 'Nine years ago I put my daughter on a school bus and she was not returned to me and I still don't know why.

'After the first hearing I didn't want to speak out, but now, I have chosen to speak out because I still don't really know what happened.

'Why can't I, as Jessica's father, ask some simple questions of the people who had my daughter in their care?'

Mr Lawson said he and his wife 'lost everything' following Jessica's death and emigrated to Portugal from Britain in 2017 to try to rebuild their lives.
President Joe Biden posted a bizarre tweet saying 'I'm sick' shortly after testing positive for COVID, leaving America guessing as to the seriousness of his condition.

Three minutes later, he added: 'of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election.'

He then asked for money to help 'defeat Trump'.

The confusing posts came as Biden, 81, was forced to cancel a speech in Las Vegas while trying to fight back against widespread calls for him to drop out of the race.

He took the COVID test when he started getting a runny nose and a cough.

Later, he gingerly boarded Air Force One, using the shorter of the two sets of stairs, for a flight home to Delaware to begin isolation.

Biden, who was not wearing a mask, gave a thumbs up from his limousine - 'The Beast' - before boarding, and said: 'I feel good'.

The White House physician said the president was feeling 'general malaise'.

The West Wing added that Biden is vaccinated and boosted, and took a dose of Paxlovid on Wednesday afternoon.

President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID and has been forced to cancel a campaign speech in Las Vegas. He is pictured on Wednesday greeting a supporter in a Mexican restaurant

Earlier on Wednesday he had been speaking to supporters at a restaurant in Las Vegas as Democrat calls for him to step down from the 2024 presidential race snowballed.

In an interview this week Biden said he would only drop out if doctors told him to and there was a medical reason that made it necessary.

'If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,' Biden said in an interview with BET news.

The president's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, has said Biden is mentally and physically fit to serve as commander-in-chief.

But many Democrats have questioned Biden's fitness to serve since his debate performance against Donald Trump last month, in which he fumbled for words and at times stared blankly into the camera.

Biden, meanwhile, has repeatedly changed his stance on what it would take for him to step aside.

He told ABC News he would only drop out only if the 'Lord Almighty' told him to. At a press conference in Washington D.C., he said he would stay in the race unless aides came to him with proof that he could never win.

I'm sick  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 17, 2024

of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election.



And if you agree, pitch in here.https://t.co/V93cYUUFQu  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 17, 2024

As he boarded Air Force One maskless for the flight back to the East Coast to begin isolation, he gave a thumbs' up and said: 'I feel good'

A COVID-positive Biden walks past Navy personnel as he takes the shorter stairs up to Air Force One for the flight from Las Vegas to the East Coast

In an interview with BET, Biden said for the first time that he had expected to 'move on' from the presidency and 'pass it on to somebody else' after one term.

But he decided to run again because he believed his 'wisdom' and experience would help heal the country.'

'You may remember, I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought I would be able to move on from this and pass it on to somebody else,' Biden said.

'But I didn't anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom.'

He added that 'there's more to do, and I'm reluctant to walk away from that.'

The 81-year-old president was forced to cancel an appearance during a campaign trip after a taking a test when started getting a runny nose and coughing

Biden takes a selfie with a supporter in the restaurant just hours before testing positive for COVID

Janet Murguia, the CEO of Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS, announced Biden's positive test as she confirmed he would not be appearing at a scheduled event in Las Vegas.

She said : 'Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding. Regrettably I was just on the phone with President Biden.

'And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon.

'The President has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for COVID. So of course we understand that he needs to take the precautions that have been recommended and he did not obviously want to put anybody at risk.'

It is the third time Biden has tested positive for COVID.

The first time was on July 21, 2022, when he had mild symptoms.

He tested positive again nine days later in a 'rebound'.

Biden also sent the 'I'm sick' message to supporters in a fundraising email.

He then added: 'P.S. On a more serious note, I did just test positive for COVID today. But dont worry too much about me.

'Im doing just fine, and Im still as committed as ever to holding Donald Trump and his rich cronies accountable. Thanks for standing with me.'

In a statement White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: 'Earlier today, following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19.

'He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms.

U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Harry Reid international airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., July 17, 2024

President Joe Biden gives a thumbs up as he arrives to board Air Force One at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas

'He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.'

She said he would 'continued to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.'

The Presidents doctor, in a statement, said Biden had presented with 'upper respiratory symptoms' including a 'runny nose' and 'cough with general malaise'.

The doctor said: 'He felt okay for his first event of the day but, given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus.

'Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals.

'His symptoms remain mild.'

He added that Biden's temperature was normal.
Gulf War veterans suffering from a debilitating and baffling illness for decades was likely caused by exposure to biological and chemical agents during the war.

They finally have an explanation after world-first research unearthed a likely cause for Gulf War Illness (GWI), also known as Gulf War Syndrome.

It is a multi-symptomatic disorder that has affected veterans since their deployment in the war between 1990 and 1991.

As many as 33,000 British veterans could be living with the syndrome, with symptoms like PTSD, chronic fatigue, joint pain and headaches.

Sarin gas released when troops destroyed caches of Iraqi chemical weapons during the Gulf War is the likely cause of the so-called 'Gulf War Syndrome' affecting a quarter of a million veterans

The map of shows the locations of major chemical weapons storage facilities bombed on the night of January 18 and 19 1991 and the location of US military units and sites of sarin and other chemical weapon detections on January 19 to 21

WHAT IS GULF WAR SYNDROME? Gulf War syndrome refers to the unexplained illnesses occurring in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, night sweats, memory and concentration problems, difficulty finding words, diarrhoea, sexual dysfunction and chronic body pain. Around 33,000 soldiers in the UK and 250,000 in the US have complained of a collection of unexplained and chronic symptoms. There is no specific treatment for the condition. A new US Government-funded study claims to offer the 'most definitive' proof that the destruction of Iraq's cache of chemical weapons is responsible. January 1991's explosions, centred around cities Muthanna and Fallujah, released sarin  a lethal nerve-agent  into the air. The man-made gas, allegedly used in Syria, usually kills but the doses inhaled by Western armed forces patrolling the country was diluted. Dr Robert Haley, who has been investigating the syndrome for 28 years, said the quantities were still enough to make people ill, however. Advertisement

The illness affects between 25 and 32 per cent of the nearly one million veterans from 41 countries who served in the war.

Many of the defence service men and women were exposed to anti-nerve agent drugs, insecticides, nerve agents and depleted uranium.

Researchers from Griffith University in Australia say the illness is likely caused by intense exposure to hazardous biological and chemical agents and the effect they have on cell structures.

Cell structures within the human body are sensitive and vulnerable to these agents, causing faulty cell function.

Author of the study Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik says the research has found integral cell structures that transport calcium are defective in veterans.

Calcium within cells is a signalling molecule that regulates essential functions such as muscle contraction, nerve function and hormone secretion.

'Our study reveals a crucial dysfunction in cell ion channels, specifically the transient receptor potential ion channels, in veterans with GWI,' Professor Marshall-Gradisnik said.

'This discovery is a significant step forward in understanding this baffling and complex illness.'

For Gulf War veteran and illness advocate Ian Allwood, being believed is a huge step.

'This research is life-changing for the Gulf War vets,' he said.

'For those in the veteran community that have been suffering, this is the first step in identifying a causal factor.

'This is groundbreaking research that will hopefully open pathways to treatment for the often-debilitating symptoms.'

Fellow author Etianne Sasso says the findings are crucial in demystifying the illness and offers scientific evidence validating the condition for long-term sufferers.

'This breakthrough in understanding the cause of GWI now provides hope for researchers to be able to develop new treatments to improve the future for our veterans,' Ms Sasso said.
A woman accused of murdering an elderly woman and dumping her body in a river has appeared in court.

The woman, 49, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where her lawyer Sharon Healey successfully asked the court to suppress her client's identity.

Reporters were ejected from the courtroom to allow the alleged killer's lawyer to address the magistrate in private about protecting his client.

The woman was arrested on Tuesday after the body of a elderly woman was found with a bag tied over her head and her legs bound by plastic in the Maribyrnong River.

The unidentified woman's body was discovered floating in the river in Flemington on Sunday morning by a local fisherman who said the woman was badly bruised.

Homicide Squad detectives arrested the single mother and a 15-year-old boy from West Footscray, with the pair were both interviewed by police.

While the boy was released without charge, the woman was charged with murder and remanded in custody to appear.

Police believe the women were known to each other.

The woman's body was discovered in the Maribyrnong River in Flemington on Sunday

The matter is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday where media organisations will fight the court-imposed gag order.

Meanwhile, detective are continuing to appeal for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the areas around Glasmis Rd in West Footscray or Smithfield Rd in Flemington near Lynchs' Bridge between 12pm on July 12 and 10.30am on July 14 to come forward.

'Police are also keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in those areas during that time,' they said in a statement.

Detectives are also investigating the discovery of a man's body, which was found floating in the same river just 90 minutes prior in Footscray.

Police have confirmed the man's death is not linked to the death of the woman and is not being treated as suspicious.

He is yet to be formally identified.

Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
The links between the criminally tarnished CFMEU and the popular Cbus superannuation fund - with almost a million members - is sounding alarm bells in Canberra.

The Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is battling allegations of corruption, criminal ties, bikie office holders and thuggery, yet still has strong links to Cbus, and the Albanese government's $10billion social housing plans.

Cbus, which has 930,000 Australian members and $94 billion under management, has three board members with close ties to the CFMEU.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, an Opposition frontbencher, said that alone should be cause for concern for members.

'We shouldn't have a system where people's retirement savings is being used for political purposes, certainly not for purposes like supporting thuggish behaviour, bikies, organised crime, and that's what I think is happening,' he said.

'People's hard-earned money is being used to underpin Mafia-like behaviour.'

Cbus also has a stake in the Albanese government's Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) which plans to build 30,000 homes in five years to address the country's home shortage.

Cbus, with its strong CFMEU influence and run by former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan, has already committed $500million of members' funds to investing in the HAFF.

However the scandal has now prompted calls for Cbus to be locked out of the social housing fund entirely, jeopardising its investment strategy.

'The Labor government in Canberra is trying to get the Cbus super fund to help them with the housing crisis,' Senator Bragg told Sydney radio 2GB broadcaster Chris O'Keefe on Tuesday.

'Labor is making housing worse because all their solutions are how they can send more money off to the vested interests at the unions rather than build more houses.

'The organisation's been ostracised from the labour movement but they're still okay to apparently help the government on housing - it stinks.'

Senator Bragg argued Cbus was conflicted because it would be charging higher building costs in constructing the public homes, costing taxpayers and reducing the profits of members.

'These are the people trying to bugger it up - they're the people making it more expensive to do construction in Australia,' he said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has also questioned why the CFMEU is permitted to have such strong involvement that will determine the retirement savings of almost a million Australians.

'Why are foxes being allowed to sit in charge of the henhouse?' she said in a statement on Tuesday, describing the situation as a 'racket' to enrich unions with 'taxpayer-guaranteed returns'.

Australia's embattled construction union is also behind one of the nation's largest industry super funds and its property development arm is a major player with Labor's multi-billion dollar social housing plans (pictured is former Victorian secretary John Setka)

Labor leaders around Australia are now distancing themselves from the CFMEU, after John Setka quit as Victorian secretary following reports bikies had been recruited as health and safety officials.

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke on Wednesday announced the CFMEU's construction division would be placed into independent administration but he stopped short of pushing for the union to be deregistered like the Builders Labourers Federation was in 1986.

That means the Fair Work Commission will have government support to take over the CFMEU.

'The number one job of any union and its officials is to look after its members,' Mr Burke said.

'The reported behaviour from the construction division of the CFMEU is the complete opposite of this. It is abhorrent and it is intolerable.'

The CFMEU last month won a 21 per cent pay rise over four years for its Victorian members.

Mr Swan's deputy chair Rita Mallia is president of the CFMEU's New South Wales branch.

The CFMEU is a key shareholder in Cbus, a superannuation fund with 930,000 members and $94billion under management, and has key construction union members on its board

The Cbus board also has prominent CFMEU members including former national construction secretary Dave Noonan (pictured) and the union's former Australian Capital Territory boss Jason O'Mara who was previously accused of threatening to run businesses out of town

The Cbus board also has prominent CFMEU members including former national construction secretary Dave Noonan and the union's former Australian Capital Territory boss Jason O'Mara, who was previously accused of threatening to run businesses out of town.

In another twist, Cbus board member Denita Wawn, who is also chief executive of Master Builders Australia, has called for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman to investigate the CFMEU.

The employer representative on the Cbus board told Daily Mail Australia putting the CFMEU's national office in charge of the Victorian branch was a weak response.

'A self-appointed internal investigation simply won't cut it,' she said.

'We need to see fully resourced ACCC and FWO investigations alongside an interstate police strike force.'

The CFMEU's Victorian branch is now in administration, under the control of the national office, but its website promotes Cbus.

The super fund's wholly-owned development arm Cbus Property built 1 William Street in Brisbane where Queensland government ministers now have their offices.

Despite its Labor connections, Queensland's former Liberal National Party government led by Campbell Newman gave Cbus the $653million tender in 2012, with the 260-metre high tower opening in October 2016.

Cbus delivered strong returns for its members in 2023-24 with SuperRatings data showing balanced option funds had 11.4 per cent growth, which was better than the industry average of 8.8 per cent.

It was initially known as the Building Unions Superannuation Scheme when it was formed in 1984.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cbus and Mr Burke for comment on Senator Bragg's assertions.
Despite bookings by Australians to visit Bali increasing in the past year, older travellers appear to have turned their back on the island.

Aussie tourists aged over 55 are making up a low 22 per cent of bookings to the Indonesian holiday destination, which is a whopping 37 per cent decline on bookings by this group in 2023.

Overall visits to Bali have gone up year-on-year by 45 per cent, but the increase has been driven primarily by families, Travel Weekly reported.

The 'Island of the Gods' is experiencing a 71 per cent rise in family visits this year.

And for those who think Europe is the place to be this winter, think again.

Bali is Australia's number one international destination for escaping the colder months, making up nearly a quarter of all overseas flights.

The uptick in visitors becomes more noticeable in the months of July and August, with booking numbers 95 per cent higher than the figure in September and October.

The recent darling destination for Aussies, Japan, is now only making up 2 per cent of all family bookings, according to new data from Webjet.

Bali (pictured) is Australia's number one international destination, and has seen a boom in winter bookings

Older Australians have turned their back on Bali with flights booked by over 55s down by 37 per cent compared with last year (stock image)

Bali bookings are also nearly 200 per cent higher than flights booked to Thailand's Ko Samui island and over 150 per cent higher than trips confirmed to Fiji.

And while the convenience and short distance to Bali from Australia could be one reason families are drawn to the island, the current cost of living squeeze is also likely to be a factor.

Currently, a return Jetstar flight to Bali for one week in August is $705, with flights for the same dates to Tokyo costing $1,649.

However, when it comes to those aged over 55, the cost of living may have impacted travel even more.

National Seniors Australia Older Peoples Responses to the Rising Cost of Living January 2024 report said nearly 60 per cent of over 50s surveyed said travel was 'a lot less affordable' now.
Texas Roadhouses's rolls are an American institution  but health influencers claim to have exposed their dark side.

Brendan Oxford, who has 245,000 followers, warned the pre-dinner bites are a gimmick to make you order more food.

That is eating highly-processed, sugary bread can make your blood-glucose levels spike and then dip quickly, making some people feel hungrier after eating them.

The video has been viewed by more than 386,000 people, but the theory is hardly new.

Health and food influencer, Brendan Oxford warned his followers to stay away from Texas Roadhouse's bread rolls. He warned that they're simple carbs that make you order more food

A series of TikTok videos shared earlier this year has offered similar warnings for people to stop eating bread.

The tactic is one used by many restaurants that could be used as a way to stimulate the diner's appetite or could simply be a historical custom.

Bread before dinner has been a tradition for hundreds of years when taverns would use a bread basket as an inexpensive way to help guests fill up more quickly.

Texas Roadhouse has said that its rolls are baked fresh every five minutes to offer diners an unlimited amount paired with its special cinnamon butter.

Just one roll contains 227 calories, eight grams of fat and 28 grams of carbohydrates, which may not seem like much, but the numbers add up when you have two or more.

While the butter, made mostly of fat, should counter act the insulin spike, diners typically consumer more bread than the spread.

Oxford explained in a TikTok video that the Texas Roadhouse rolls are simple carbs that turn to sugar in your body, which raises your body's blood sugar levels.

'When your blood sugar goes up, your body secrets insulin to bring it back down,' Oxford continued, noting that a main task of insulin is to regulate blood sugar.

That is true for diabetic patients, specifically those with type 1 who need insulin shots to regulate their glucose levels.

When you consume carbs, such as bread, your body breaks them down into sugar, which moves into the bloodstream and increases levels.

Andy Daly, a nutritional specialist at Omni health and wellness center, echoed Oxford's claims, telling Women&Home: 'Eating bread, particularly refined white bread, can lead to a surge in insulin which followed by a crash can make you feel hungry again sooner.

'It may also disrupt your appetite regulation, potentially leading to overeating during the main meal.'

Texas Roadhouse's bread rolls (pictured) turn to sugar in your body and when this goes up, your body's insulin levels go up to try to regulate it and bring it back down

However, Daly suggested that swapping out any white bread for multi-grain could avoid a supercharged appetite.

Oxford continued to explain that once you eat rolls before your meal, your body continues to crave more carbohydrates and leads you to ordering desert even after feasting on a Prime Rib and two side dishes.

But it's not the case for everyone, as some people commented on Oxford's video saying they have no problem ignoring the dessert menu at the end of their meal.

Daniel Amen, an American doctor who runs a mental health clinic, also shared that pre-meal items affect the brain and make it harder for people to control their urges.

Amen claimed that consuming bread releases serotonin into the brain, making you feel happier and calmer.

The chemical eventually drops, leaving people searching for that high - and they do so by filling their stomachs.

All white bread can act in this way and has been linked to becoming habit-forming and borderline addictive.

A 2013 study revealed that eating white bread stimulates the regions of the brain that are involved in reward and craving, which 'is also linked to substance abuse and dependence,' the study's lead author Dr David Ludwig told The Sourdough School.

Research published in the journal Appetite found that people who ate white bread consumed 500 more calories at their next meal.

It's important to note that everything in moderation is okay, according to Julie Jones, a professor emeritus of food and nutrition at St. Catherine University.

'Carbs aren't the enemy,' she told The Washington Post, adding: 'Overconsumption, of anything, is the enemy.'

So next time you sit down at Texas Roadhouse, you might want to firmly ignore and decline the dessert menu or avoid the bread basket altogether.
NASA reports that a screaming, 34,000 mile-per-hour meteor blazed past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on Tuesday, incinerating itself above the city.

New Yorkers and even the residents of nearby states reported feeling an earthquake-like rumble and hearing a loud 'boom' Tuesday morning  as the bright and plunging fireball burned itself into oblivion an estimated 29 miles above midtown Manhattan.

Multiple government agencies leapt into action to identify the mysterious, rattling explosion, including NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office and the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center.

But NASA noted there was evidence for an alternative explanation.

'There are reports of military in the vicinity around the time of the fireball,' the space agency said, 'which could explain the shaking and sounds reported to the media.'

NASA reports that a screaming, 34,000 mile-per-hour meteor blazed past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on Tuesday, incinerating itself above the city. New Yorkers and even the residents of nearby states reported feeling earthquake-like rumbles and hearing a loud 'boom'

But NASA noted there was evidence for an alternative explanation. 'There are reports of military in the vicinity around the time of the fireball,' the US space agency said, 'which could explain the shaking and sounds reported to the media'

Despite NASA's caveat, however, Pentagon officials told NBC New York that neither the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), nor any other US military sensor network, had tracked anything that could explain the witness reports.

Astronomer and lead for NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office, Bill Cooke, issued a statement on the limited facts about the event that are currently known.

According to Cooke, the daylight fireball was first spotted at 11:17am local time near Greenville Yard, a freight rail yard located at the Port of New York and New Jersey.

'The fireball was first sighted at an altitude of 49 miles above Upper Bay (east of Greenville Yard),' Cooke said.

'The meteor descended at a steep angle of just 18 degrees from vertical,' he continued, 'moving a bit east of North at 34,000 miles per hour.'

The NASA official thanked amateur sky-watchers with the American Meteor Society whose data 'permitted a very crude determination of the trajectory of the meteor.'

Trackers with the nonprofit scientific group, founded in 1911, noted as many as 20 possible meteor sightings between 11:16 and 11:20 am. The society's unconfirmed fireball reports were spread across the tri-state area, from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut  and beyond into Delaware and Maryland.

'It just caught my eye: a fireball just streaming through the sky,' eyewitness Judah Bergman told local news. 'I couldn't believe it.'

Astronomer and lead for NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office, Bill Cooke, said the daylight fireball was first spotted at 11:17am local time near Greenville Yard, a freight rail yard located at the Port of New York and New Jersey: 'moving a bit east of North at 34,000 miles per hour'

'It just caught me eye: a fireball just streaming through the sky,' eyewitness Judah Bergman told the local NBC news affiliate. 'I couldn't believe it.' Above, a still from the 1998 film Armageddon, in which space rocks threaten the Earth, including the city of New York

Despite resident accounts of physical rattling and shaking along the fireball's path  reportedly from northeast New Jersey and Staten Island, New York  the USGS stated in an official statement that it recorded no evidence of an earthquake.

'An examination of the seismic data in the area showed no evidence of an earthquake. The USGS has no direct evidence of the source of the shaking,' the federal agency's National Earthquake Information Center said.

'Past reports of shaking with no associated seismic signal have had atmospheric origins,' the USGS advised, 'such as sonic booms or weather-related phenomena.'

One explanation for the presumed or alleged meteor's notably loud and earthshaking racket may have stemmed from the unusually thick summer air.

As the chief meteorologist for local affiliate WABC-TV, Lee Goldberg, noted, this July's record heat would help sound reverberate through the air.

During high temperature days, air molecules move more quickly and collide more frequently in their heated or 'excited' state  which allows the sound waves that ripple through these molecular collisions to spread more quickly and more powerfully.

NASA officials cautioned that its own assessment of the fireball sightings this Tuesday was 'uncertain' and based on only 'a few eyewitness accounts.'

'There is no camera or satellite data currently available to refine the solution,' the space agency's meteoroid office acknowledged.

Cooke's team at this NASA office, however, vowed to continue gathering information in order to confirm these witness reports, so as to finalize its investigation of the case.

No meteorite impacts or landings, at least according to NASA, were produced by Tuesday's event.
Eric Trump, son of former President Donald Trump, mocked Vice President Kamala Harris during a meeting with California Republicans during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

MILWAUKEE  Kamala Harris has been vice president for nearly four years and many Republicans still refuse to pronounce her name correctly.

Its COMMA-La. Not Ka-MAL-a, as many mispronounce.

That sign of disrespect is unlikely to ebb, even after Harris has served more than two decades in public office. It will be the least of Harris problems as Republicans ramp up their attacks on her this week in anticipation that she could become the Democratic nominee if President Joe Biden steps down in the face of concerns about his cognitive ability to do the job, much less defeat Donald Trump.

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For all of the Republicans talk about unity in wake of the failed assassination attempt of Trump, that temperance doesnt include Harris.

Or, as Trump described the vice president earlier this month in a hot mic moment he posted on his social media platform: Shes so bad, shes so pathetic, shes just so (expletive) bad.

Those attacks will come into focus Wednesday, when Harris counterpart, Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, an Ohio senator, addresses the Republican National Convention.

The Harris jabs in and out of the convention this week have been frequently laced with the misogyny and racism that many women and people of color have long faced in the workplace. Starting with the argument that they didnt deserve to get the job.

Kamala Harris, because she got her position on attributes that do not relate to merit, is also incapable of being the President of the United States, also-ran Republican presidential nominee Vivek Ramaswamy said this week at a Heritage Foundation policy conference outside the convention.

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Quick review: Harris was twice elected district attorney of San Francisco, twice elected California attorney general, was elected to the U.S. Senate and as vice president. She has objectively more experience in elected office  by far  than Vance, who has just served two years in the Senate, and Trump.

Ramaswamy, meanwhile, ran for president after never having served in office. He dropped out after finishing fourth in the only contest he ran in, the Iowa caucuses.

During a speech Tuesday to the California delegation, Eric Trump, the former presidents son, mockingly thanked Californians for giving us Ka-MAL-a Harris. I blame every single one of you for giving us Ka-MAL-a Harris, Trump said as the audience roared with laughter.

Eric Trump mocked Harris for being named the administrations A.I. czar. (Shes not the administrations point person on artificial intelligence though she has given major speeches on it.)

I dont think Kamala Harris could spell A.I., Trump said, as the California audience laughed loudly again.

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Eric Trump might not want to continue this line of intelligence bashing. And not just because the satirists on Saturday Night Live regularly mock the Georgetown University graduate for being dim.

In 2022, when New York Attorney General Letitia James was investigating the business practices of the Trump Organization, Eric Trump complained to Fox News host Sean Hannity that It violates the Constitution, its unethical, its wrong, and you dont need to take it from me.

Investigating and prosecuting companies is within the purview of an attorney general. And James was vindicated last September when a judge found that the company deceived banks and insurers by overvaluing Trump's assets and net worth to secure deals and loans.

San Francisco venture capitalist David Sacks mined this line of attacking Harris intelligence Monday when he told delegates at the convention, We can replace the Biden-Harris cabal with a president who is strong and smart rather than sleepy and senile. Or in her case, clueless and embarrassing.

Former California state Sen. Tony Strickland is looking forward to a debate between Vance and Harris. In an interview this week on the convention floor, Strickland praised Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School, for being so articulate, I think hes going to do very well.

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And Harris?

Democrats are in a quagmire right now because, quite frankly, I dont think Ka-MAL-a Harris has the chops to be vice president, Strickland, a delegate from Huntington Beach, said. Shes weak. Shes always underperformed on the ballot.

Not really. Other than Harris narrowly winning her first attorney general race over Republican Steve Cooley and needing to go to a runoff to win her first district attorney campaign, she has handily won all her races. She did, however, drop out of the 2020 presidential race, after she was polling fourth in her home state.

Thomas Homan, Trumps acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticized Harris assignment to address the root causes of illegal immigration, another topic Republicans have long seized on. Harris is one of many Biden administration officials who take responsibility for the chaotic and overwhelming situation at the nations southern border.

Ka-MAL-a Harris was a failure as border czar, Homan said after speaking at the Heritage event, even though that was not her assignment. She says she was looking for the underlying reasons. All she had to do was walk down the hall to the Oval Office and theres the underlying reason right there.

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Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, another vanquished GOP primary challenger, warned Tuesdays audience that a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris.

Kamala had one job: To fix the border, Haley said, as the audience booed. Now imagine if she has to run the whole country.

Other non-politicians blamed Harris for her border responsibilities.

Former Southern California resident Anne Fundner, whose 15-year-old son died in 2022 after taking fentanyl-laced pills, tearfully told the delegation Tuesday that I hold Joe Biden, Ka-MAL-a Harris, the border czar  what a joke!  Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son. (None among Biden, Harris and Newsom support open borders.)

If Harris becomes the nominee, her criminal justice positions will be targeted, too. The career prosecutors positions have shifted over the years from tough on cannabis-related crimes to favoring less policing and more alternative ways to achieve public safety. Over her career, she has whipsawed between progressives deriding her as a cop, and conservatives railing on her for being a progressive prosecutor.

On Tuesday, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird recalled a comment Harris made to the New York Times in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd murder by the Minneapolis police.

Democrats like Harris use words like reimagine the police,  Bird told the convention delegates Tuesday. Theyre probably imagining more DEI programs for the police. Harris even said putting more cops on the street wouldnt make communities safer.

Harris full quote to the Times is a bit more nuanced.

It is status quo thinking to believe that putting more police on the streets creates more safety. Thats wrong. Its just wrong, Harris said. You know what creates more safety? Funding public schools, affordable housing, increased home ownership, job skill development, jobs, access to capital for those who want to start small businesses, or who are running small businesses in communities.
Despite appearances, Friday 13 2029 will be an extraordinarily lucky day for humanity, as an Empire State Building-sized asteroid skims by Earth.

Scientists now believe that space rock 99942 Apophis' close call with Earth could be the best opportunity to learn how to avoid a catastrophic asteroid collision.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced funding for the Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (Ramses) which will attempt to follow the asteroid during its flyby.

With Apophis rapidly approaching Earth, the ESA will need to launch its new spacecraft in just four years to make it to the asteroid in time.

But, if they can pull off this daunting task, watching how the Apophis reacts to Earth's gravity could reveal the secret to deflecting deadly asteroids.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced funding for the Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (Ramses) which will try to accompany the asteroid as it makes its flyby

Ramses (pictured) will attempt to observe how the asteroid is squished and pulled by the tug of Earth's gravity to learn more about how asteroids are affected by external forces

When astronomers discovered that Apophis was on a direct course towards Earth in 2004, the scientific community was understandably concerned.

Just 10 years ago, in 1994, scientists watched in awe as chunks of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slammed into Jupiter with unbelievable force.

This raised the uncomfortable question of what humanity could do if Apophis made a similar collision with our own planet.

Thankfully it was discovered in 2021 that Apophis would miss Earth on its 2029 and 2036 flybys, but for many, the distance might be too close for comfort.

Apophis will pass by Earth at a distance of just 20,000 miles (32,000km) - equivalent to one-tenth the distance from Earth to the Moon.

At that distance, Apophis will be closer than the geostationary communication satellites and will be visible to the naked eye in clear, dark skies for around two billion people across much of Europe and Africa and parts of Asia.

The asteroid 99942 Apophis is predicted to pass by Earth in a close flyby on April 13, 2029. The asteroid will be so close that it will be visible to the naked eye on clear nights (stock image)

As shown in this diagram, the asteroid 99942 Apophis will skim by Earth at just 20,000 miles (32,000km) - one-tenth of the distance to the Moon

While that might seem like a terrifying prospect, it is a truly fantastic opportunity for science.

Dr Patrick Michel, director of research of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, says: 'There is still so much we have yet to learn about asteroids but, until now, we have had to travel deep into the Solar System to study them and perform experiments ourselves to interact with their surface.

'For the first time ever, nature is bringing one to us and conducting the experiment itself.'

During the closest moments of its flyby, Apophis will be close enough to Earth that it will start to be shaped by the planet's intense gravitational pull.

Dr Michel explains: 'All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface.'

The Ramses spacecraft will attempt to rendezvous with Apophis before it reaches its closest point to Earth and follow it throughout its journey.

After being discovered in 2004, radar images taken in 2021 (pictured) revealed that Apophis would not hit Earth but rather skim past at a distance close enough for the rock to be shaped by Earth's gravity

Then, using a suite of scientific equipment, Ramses will take the first ever recordings of what happens to an asteroid as it passes by Earth.

The spacecraft will conduct a thorough before and after survey of the asteroid's shape, surface, orbit, rotation, and orientation.

Importantly, by seeing how these change throughout the flyby, scientists will be able to learn how asteroids react to external forces.

That knowledge will be key to any future missions that aim to deflect dangerous asteroids from Earth's orbit.

Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's Planetary Defence Office, says: 'A reconnaissance mission would be launched first to analyse the incoming asteroids orbit and structure.

'The results would be used to determine how best to redirect the asteroid or to rule out non-impacts before an expensive deflector mission is developed.'

Just like NASA's Osiris-Rex mission (pictured), Ramses will attempt to approach Apophis to gather information about how the asteroid is changed by Earth's gravity

Space agencies around the world are already investigating ways that incoming space rocks can be diverted away from a hazardous course.

IN 2022, NASA's Dart Mission slammed a spacecraft into the side of the asteroid Dimorphos to see whether it would be moved by the impact.

Later this year, the ESA's planetary defence mission Hera will launch to investigate the aftermath of the collision.

However, Ramses will not be travelling to Apophis alone as NASA's own mission is already on its way to the asteroid.

Last year the space agency's Osiris-Rex mission successfully recovered chunks of rock from the 4.6 billion-year-old asteroid Bennu.

Having completed its original mission, NASA announced that the same spacecraft would now try to rendezvous with Apophis in 2029 under the new name Osiris-Apex.

NASA will also send the same spacecraft used in Osiris-Rex (pictured) to rendezvous with Apophis about a month after it passes by Earth to investigate the aftermath of its flyby

Osiris-Apex will arrive at Apophis about a month after it has passed by Earth which will allow scientists to study the aftermath of its flyby in greater detail.

However, the ESA says that the data gathered from Apophis is only part of how the mission will better prepare humanity against threats from space.

In order to get to Apophis before it reaches Earth the craft will need to launch in just four years - an extremely tight schedule by the standards of space travel.

Simply getting a craft into space quickly to learn more about an incoming asteroid could prove the difference between catastrophe and diverting the space rock in time.

Dr Moissl adds: 'Ramses will demonstrate that humankind can deploy a reconnaissance mission to rendezvous with an incoming asteroid in just a few years.

'This type of mission is a cornerstone of humankinds response to a hazardous asteroid.'
It's not too hard to embarrass a teenager.

But a new study may have helped them reach new levels of mortification - as it required them to sing karaoke and then watch the videos back.

As part of research into the origins of blushing, 40 16-20-year-olds first took part in a karaoke session.

Participants sang four songs: 'Hello' by Adele, 'Let it go' from Frozen, 'All I want for Christmas is you' by Mariah Carey and 'All the things she said' by tATu.

These songs were chosen because several music experts judged these songs to be very difficult to sing  ensuring that participants would be embarrassed watching themselves singing them.

It's not too hard to embarrass a teenager. But a new study may have helped them reach new levels of mortification - as it required them to sing karaoke and then watch the videos back (stock image)

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As they were shown the videos of themselves and others singing their cheek temperature  an indicator of blushing  and brain activity were measured.

The results revealed that blushing was stronger when participants watched themselves sing.

What's more, brain activity suggested this was linked to heightened self-awareness, rather than worrying about what others thought of them.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B the team, from the University of Amsterdam, said: 'Darwin proposed that blushingthe reddening of the face owing to heightened self-awarenessis "the most human of all expressions".

'Yet, relatively little is known about the underlying mechanisms of blushing.

'The results showed that blushing is higher when watching oneself versus others sing.

'These results are in line with recent proposals suggesting that blushing might be triggered by a sudden surge of alertness when socially exposed.'

The study comes shortly after research revealed that getting red in the face might not be a uniquely human trait.

The results revealed that blushing was stronger when participants watched themselves sing (stock image)

But according to scientists in France, hens also turn a shade of rouge during 'negative situations of high arousal'.

In the study, chickens were either fed a delicious treat of mealworms or captured by one of the researchers while cameras recorded their faces.

The chickens were found to go a little red when they were happy.

However, the scientists found that they got the most colour when they were flustered or agitated.

Chickens have a lot of blood vessels close to the surface of the skin in their faces so the skin becomes bright red when blood flow increases.
The cold gaze of Russia's cruellest tyrant falls upon us 440 years on from his death, after scientists rebuilt his face from his skull.

Ivan the Terrible, Russia's first tsar, transformed his country into an empire, expanding its borders eastwards into Siberia, and south to the Caspian.

But he's better remembered for his barbarity, having his subjects variously quartered, boiled alive, impaled, roasted, drowned under ice, and torn apart by horses.

He's even said to have beat his own son to death, enraged after he was confronted for striking the prince's pregnant wife, causing her to miscarry.

For all his infamy, however, the tsar's true face is lost to history  with one faded engraving perhaps the only depiction of him from his lifetime.

The cold gaze of Russia's cruellest tyrant falls upon us 440 years on from his death, after scientists rebuilt his face from his skull

Ivan the Terrible, Russia's first tsar, transformed his country into an empire, expanding its borders eastwards into Siberia, and south to the Caspian. But he's better remembered for his barbarity, having his subjects variously quartered, boiled alive, impaled, roasted, drowned under ice, and torn apart by horses

Who was Ivan the Terrible? Ivan Vasilevich, known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death in 1584. During his long reign, Russia expanded from a state to an Empire, taking in vast regions such as Siberia. Ivan the Terrible was the first ruler to be crowned Tsar of All Russias and was a fearsome leader - hence his name. He gave aristocrats substantial military power, creating the handpicked thousand, but also had a reputation for cruelty towards the upper classes. For example, in the Massacre of Novgorod, that lasted five weeks, Ivan sent the Oprichnina - a secret police set up to execute and confiscate the property of disobedient nobles - to plunder and terrorise villages under certain aristocrats' control. Historical sources describe a complex personality - an intelligent and devout man who was given to fits of rage, resulting in the killing of his chosen heir, Ivan Ivanovich, for example. Historians have long debated Ivan the Terrible's impact on Russia. He made changes to Russia's governmental structure, including the creation of the Oprichnina, which diminished the power of the boyars to create a more centralised government, while securing a stable autocracy. Acquiring territory boosted Russia's power and trade with Europe, but led to future wars, such as a conflict with Turkey. His love of architecture and literature added to Russia's cultural heritage, but his economic legacy is generally thought to have been a disaster. The Tsar raised taxes to cover military costs, but drained the country of men and resources in his quest for expansion, leading to the Time of Troubles, which included a famine that killed a third of the population - some two million people. Advertisement

Now we can look upon his icy visage for the first time in centuries, after a scientific reconstruction of his face was made from his skull.

The tsar's grave was excavated in 1963 by Soviet scientist Mikhail Gerasimov.

Cicero Moraes, lead author of the new work, said: 'According to Dr Gerasimov's study, it appears that Ivan indulged in a disorderly life of excessive eating and alcohol abuse.

'This must have worsened his condition in his last years.

'This is in contrast to the appearance he had when younger, when he was described as tall, with beautiful hair, broad shoulders, strong muscles, and a pleasant face.

'An interesting fact is that they found a large amount of mercury in his body, which made some suspect poisoning.

'But given the habits of the time, it may have been used as a treatment for some health problem.'

The final face represents a combination of several approaches.

One method involved using data from living donors to reveal the likely thickness of the tsar's skin at different places across his skull.

Another technique used was anatomical deformation, in which the face and skull of a living donor was digitally altered until it matched the dimensions of Ivan the Terrible.

'The final bust was a combination of all this data,' said Mr Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert, calling it a 'strong and determined' likeness.

He continued: 'It was a very interesting experience, as it involved not only facial approximation, but the study of the tsar's history.

'I found sources that affirmed the epithet of 'terrible' and others with different evidence, indicating that the fame may have been exaggerated, for example, by enemies and adversaries.'

A depiction of Ivan the Terrible from his lifetime was revealed by multispectral imaging in 2017, on the cover of a book called the Apostle, published in 1564.

And though it's too faded to make a comparison with the new reconstruction, Mr Moraes said the face he created was a good match for a previous reconstruction by Dr Gerasimov himself.

He said: 'After finishing, I compared the faces and, although we used different approaches composing the busts, the results were very similar.

'They only differ in the lower lip and chin region.'

We can look upon his icy visage for the first time in centuries, after a scientific reconstruction of his face was made from his skull

Ivan the Terrible, who reigned as Ivan IV, was just three when he rose to power after the death of his father.

His mother initially ruled as regent, but five years later she too would die  allegedly by poisoning  and the boy would become a pawn in the power struggle between competing noble families.

In remarks attributed to the tsar, he says of this time that he and his brother lived like 'vagrants and children of the poorest'.

Animals apparently bore the brunt of his wrath, and he's said to have pulled the feathers from live birds, and thrown cats and dogs out of windows.

But by age 13 he was ready to shake off his captors.

At a feast in 1543, he had Andrei Shuisky  the power behind the throne  arrested and put to death, with legends recounting that he was torn apart by dogs.

A period of relative peace followed, but as he entered his 30s, Ivan IV was plunged into paranoia by a double blow.

First his wife died in 1560, apparently by poisoning.

Then, four years later, his close friend Andrei Kurbsky defected to the other side during a war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Another technique used was anatomical deformation, in which the face and skull of a living donor was digitally altered until it matched the dimensions of Ivan the Terrible

Though it's too faded to make a comparison with the new reconstruction, Mr Moraes said the face he created was a good match for a previous reconstruction by Dr Gerasimov himself

Ivan IV tried to abdicate, citing the treachery of the aristocracy, but the court was unable to rule without him and begged him to return.

As his price, he demanded the right to execute perceived traitors and confiscate their estates without interference.

He also decreed the creation of the oprichnina, a vast portion of Russia where he could rule with absolute power.

Backed by his own personal guard, the Oprichniki, he brutalised the territory, executing anyone who fell foul of his paranoid zeal.

In 1570, the tsar had up to 15,000 people killed in Novgorod  then Russia's second city  in a massacre so brutal that the city never regained its pre-eminence.

One legend, perhaps apocryphal, says he also blinded the architect who built St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow so that he could never build anything so beautiful again.

He died aged 53, in 1584, during a game of chess, and was interred at the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Russian capital.

Having murdered his heir, Ivan Ivanonich, the tsar was succeeded his second son, Feodor Ivanovich.

Uninterested in politics, Feodor I left others in charge and died childless, ending the Rurik dynasty and plunging Russia into a period of crisis and lawlessness dubbed the Time of Troubles.

Mr Moraes published his study in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.
Scientists are one step closer to unlocking the secrets to anti-aging.

They announced the development of a holy grail drug that switches off a protein linked to accelerating old age, finding the treatment extended the lifespan of rats by 25 percent.

In just 25 weeks following the therapy, the animals had a lower risk of cancer, no gray hair, improved vision and better muscle functionality.

The 75-week-old animals, equivalent to a 55-year-old human, lived for an average of 155 weeks, compared to the 120 weeks for those not treated.

Humans inherited the protein, called interleukin-11, from fish some 450 million years ago.

The gene has been linked to chronic inflammation, organ tissue scarring, metabolism disorders, muscle wasting and cardiac fibrosis.

The 75-week-old animals, equivalent to a 55-year-old human, that received the drug (right) lived for an average 155 weeks, compared to the 120 weeks of those not treated (left)

'These findings are very exciting,' said Professor Stuart Cook, who was co-corresponding author, from the UK's Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science (MRC LMS).

'The treated mice had fewer cancers, and were free from the usual signs of ageing and frailty, but we also saw reduced muscle wasting and improvement in muscle strength.

'In other words, the old mice receiving anti-IL11 were healthier.

'While these findings are only in mice, it raises the tantalizing possibility that the drugs could have a similar effect in elderly humans.

'Anti-IL-11 treatments are currently in human clinical trials for other conditions, potentially providing exciting opportunities to study its effects in ageing humans in the future.'

Professor Cook told BBC that while the trial is not yet completed, the data has suggested that the drug is safe for humans.

The team conducted two experiments for their research, the first genetically modified rats to eliminate IL-11.

The deletion extended animals' lifespans by more than 20 percent on average.

However, the 'dramatic' results were seen when they injected an anti-IL-11 drug, which stopped the protein from causing age-related effects in the body.

The team designed a holy grail drug that switches off a protein linked to accelerating aging, finding it extended the lifespan on rats by 25 percent

Both male and female rats had an increased lifespan of up to 25 percent.

Not only did the treatment offer protection against chronic illnesses, and age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, the therapy also reduced the rate of telomere shortening.

Telomeres are the caps that sit at the end of each chromosome, holding them together.

As we get older, the telomere wears down and gets shorter, leading to illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

'Our aim is that one day, anti-IL-11 therapy will be used as widely as possible, so that people the world over can lead healthier lives for longer,' Professor Cook said.

'However, this is not easy, as approval pathways for drugs to treat aging are not well-defined, and raising funds to do clinical trials in this area is very challenging.'

The researchers have been investigating IL-11 for many years and in 2018, they were the first to show that IL-11 is a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory protein, overturning years of incorrect characterization as anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory.

The drug is being trialed in patients with lung fibrosis, which occurs when the lungs become scarred and make it difficult to breathe

Professor Cook said that while the trial is not yet completed, the data has suggested that the drug is safe for humans

'This project started back in 2017 when a collaborator of ours sent us some tissue samples for another project,' said Assistant Professor Anissa Widjaja, who was co-corresponding author, from Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.

'Out of curiosity, I ran some experiments to check for IL-11 levels.

'From the readings, we could clearly see that the levels of IL-11 increased with age and that's when we got really excited!

'We found these rising levels contribute to negative effects in the body, such as inflammation and preventing organs from healing and regenerating after injury.

'Although our work was done in mice, we hope that these findings will be highly relevant to human health, given that we have seen similar effects in studies of human cells and tissues.

'This research is an important step toward better understanding ageing and we have demonstrated, in mice, a therapy that could potentially extend healthy ageing, by reducing frailty and the physiological manifestations of ageing.'
The sun has released more than a dozen powerful streams of energized particles toward Earth in the last 24 hours, sparking warnings of radio blackouts.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an alert on Wednesday, showing a 65 percent chance radios, aviation communication and satellite operations could be disrupted this week.

The agency reported blackouts over parts of the Pacific Ocean and other regions on Wednesday morning.

NASA told DailyMail.com that Earth can also expect more solar flares in the weeks to come.

NASA captured a powerful flare on Tuesday, exploding out of the bottom right of the sun's surface. The strongest flares have come from sunspot AR3738, a huge, dark region of strong magnetic fields on the sun's surface

Solar flares are blasts of electromagnetic radiation that explode out from sunspots - there are at least 12 active sunspots currently on the sun's Earth-facing side.

When solar flares erupt, they send radiation blasting away from the sun's surface at the speed of light.

Depending on where it erupts from, that radiation can wind up on a collision course toward Earth.

The streams of energy are categorized into lettered groups based on how big they are, with X being the most powerful, followed by M, C, and the weakest, B.

Only X and M flares are strong enough to affect Earth, causing communication disruptions.

When it arrives, it electrically charges the upper atmosphere, which can trigger radio blackouts.

'This is the time when you get the most sunspots, and they start getting larger,' Dean Pesnell, project Scientist at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, told DailyMail.com.

But, 'as AR3738 rotates out of view, the sun may settle down quite a bit,' for a couple days to a week, Pesnell said.

Even after this week's activity calms down, the sun will remain at solar maximum into 2025.

That means we'll likely see more sunspots like form, grow, and emit solar flares this year.

Over the last several days, scientists have been tracking radio blackouts around the globe triggered by a period of intense solar activity.

The agency reported blackouts over parts of the Pacific Ocean and other regions on Wednesday morning

In the last 24 hours alone, the sun has produced 14 solar flares.

The strongest flares have come from sunspot AR3738, a huge, dark region of strong magnetic fields on the sun's surface.

This sunspot is starting to rotate out of Earth's view, but it's going out with a bang.

On Tuesday at 9:26am ET, Sunspot AR3738 emitted an X flare, the strongest class of solar flare.

Tuesday's X flare caused a strong radio blackout mostly over the Atlantic Ocean, but also across much of Africa, Europe, and parts of North and South America.

The sun's activity has remained high after that X flare, with a series weaker M flares and C flares.

Those M flares have triggered minor radio blackouts over the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii and northern India.

And there's a good chance that more are coming.

In the next 24 hours, the chance for M flares is 70 percent, and the chance for X flares is 25 percent, according to experts at EarthSky.org.

This heightened activity is the result of solar maximum, the part of the sun's 11-year cycle when solar activity is at its peak.
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A hotly anticipated affordable perfume is being compared to a high-end Tom Ford scent, leaving shoppers raving about the dupe natural scent.

Recreation's new LOST IN DUSK ($119) perfume attracted a waitlist of over 12,250 shoppers, ahead of its release and early reviews have said it is better than Tom Ford's Vanille Fatale ($405) which costs more than four times the price.

Australian celebrities like Elle Ferguson, Martha Kalifatidis, Eileen Cassidy, and Tina Provis are also long-time fans of Recreation and a number of influencers have shared rave early reviews about the latest scent.

'I wore this today and a woman followed me down the street to ask what it was! Divine,' said influencer Cathy Evans.

Shoppers were treated to a sample of the new affordable luxury perfume, which is described as 'hypnotic and decadent' during the brand's EOFY sale last month and were quick to rave about the new scent.

'I love LOST IN DUSK! It smells like Tom Ford's Vanilla Fatale, but better,' an enthused beauty fan wrote.

Shoppers are obsessed with Recreation Beauty's new LOST IN DUSK ($119) perfume - and it's an exact dupe of high-end Tom Ford scent Vanille Fatale ($405)

The new fragrance has been described as a brand new take on classic vanilla fragrances, with multidimensional spices where seductive saffron and spicy myrrh melt with coffee and tender plum. It is an unapologetic head turner.

'LOST IN DUSK took almost three years to create,' Nedahl Stelio, founder of Recreation, told FEMAIL.

'There was a lot of back and forth between the perfumer and I, as I work with world renowned, international perfumers to create all of our scents.

The unique scent has been described as a brand new take on classic vanilla fragrances

'I'm not a fan of traditionally sweet vanilla perfumes and I wanted a fragrance that was sexy and sophisticated.

'LOST IN DUSK is a spicy, sexy vanilla with a hint of amber and whiskey. It's sultry and sophisticated, perfect for a night out with notes of vanilla, saffron, amber, spices, bergamot, oakmoss. It's beyond beautiful and completely addictive.'

Customers were able to sample the striking scent at the brand's EOFY sales and have since been sitting by their phones waiting for it to go on sale.

Beauty lovers shared their thoughts on the brand new scent online.

'LOST IN DUSK. Bravo! It's simply divine,' one wrote.

'I'm obsessed with all of Recreation's perfumes - they're so long lasting and make me smell great,' a fan said.

Nedahl Stelio, founder of Recreation, started her natural fragrance brand when she realised there was a gap in the luxury perfume market

Aussie mum Nedahl began her natural fragrance brand after a difficult journey to motherhood saw her ditch chemical products in favour of more natural ones. It was during this time that she realised that there was a gap in the luxury perfume market.

'I'd been using all-natural products for nine years, ever since I struggled to get pregnant and I cut chemicals out of my life.'

'Perfume is one of the worst offenders but there was no clean, luxury perfume on offer. That's when I knew I had to create something that was as safe as it was beautiful and luxurious. And so, in 2019, Recreation was born.'

Recreation's highly anticipated bottle already has over 12,250 shoppers on the waitlist

The award-winning fragrance house based in Bondi Beach, Sydney and all of Recreation's ingredients are ethically-sourced, vegan, and cruelty-free with no animal products used.

Shoppers are also drawn to Recreation's custom glass bottles with sustainable packaging designed to reflect the Bondi sunset.

The packaging insert is made from sustainable bamboo - which is a world first.

To shop LOST IN DUSK or the full Recreation range, click here.
Would you feel at ease on a passenger plane with only one pilot at the controls?

Aircraft manufacturers and airlines are hoping passengers will come around to the idea  because they're keen for a new era of flying to begin in which airlines will have only one pilot in the cockpit during the cruise phase of the flight.

Passengers have not warmed to the idea, and nor has the piloting community, with the European Cockpit Association spreading awareness about the push for one-pilot flight decks via a new advertising campaign.

A series of ads will appear between 20 and 27 July at Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Belgium, warning passengers that reducing the number of pilots in the flight deck once a plane has taken off is a safety risk  tantamount to flying with no pilots at all.

The posters are part of the 'OneMeansNone' campaign, which warns passengers that 'flying with just one pilot is like flying on a pilotless flight'.

The European Cockpit Association is spreading awareness about the push for one-pilot flight decks via a new advertising campaign

The ECA continues: 'Planes, especially large commercial ones, require multiple pilots for safe flying. Flight safety relies on a team of pilots sharing tasks and working together.

'Their roles include flying the plane, monitoring the flight, managing automation, and addressing any risks in a complex and changing environment. If a pilot becomes incapacitated or unwell, there would be no one else in the cockpit to swiftly take control. Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) are a gamble with your safety.'

It adds: 'Airlines are pushing to replace pilots with automation to reduce personnel costs and possibly increase their profits.'

Captain Otjan de Bruijn, ECA President, said: 'We hope this campaign is a conversation starter, showing in a graphic way just why we need at least two pilots in the cockpit.

'Faced with the prospect of Reduced Crew Operations, both pilots and the passengers are obviously on the side of safety.

'A plane has multiple backups  two engines, two generators  for a reason. One pilot is simply not enough to address emergencies and ensure that all flight aspects are in order.

'We cannot let airlines' commercial interests get in the way of passenger safety.'

Captain Otjan de Bruijn, ECA President, said: 'A plane has multiple backups  two engines, two generators  for a reason. One pilot is simply not enough to address emergencies and ensure that all flight aspects are in order.' Above - stock image

Who is pushing for one-pilot flights?

Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways have all expressed an interest, but with passenger buy-in and acceptance low, they're not shouting from the rooftops about it.

The main push is coming from manufacturers Airbus and Dassault.

The ECA says: 'Currently, regulatory and industry standards mandate the necessity of having two pilots at the controls of a large commercial plane.

'However, manufacturers such as Airbus and Dassault are actively pursuing the elimination of one pilot from the flight deck during the cruise phase.

'This proposal, also known as "extended Minimum Crew Operations" (eMCO), is being evaluated by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Its approval would lead to significantly diminished flight safety, with one pilot leaving the flight deck for several hours during the cruise phase, while the other remains at the controls.'

Airbus argues that one pilot in the cockpit will mean more rest for pilots and smoother operations.

It states: 'Extended Minimum Crew Operations enables the flight crew to better organise their presence in the cockpit during the cruise phase, thanks to additional automated functions. Pilots can thus achieve a better balance between working and resting time on long-range flights.'

Airbus is keen to push eMCO for the A350, which Christophe Cail, operational advisor to head of product safety and test pilot at Airbus, told Aviation News, is 'the only platform that allows for this technology - there is no other aircraft that can support this evolution'.

Amy Leversidge, General Secretary of UK pilots' union Balpa, said: 'Balpa pilots are clear that the safety of every airline flight starts with at least two well-trained, experienced, and rested pilots on the flight deck.

'Removing pilots from the flight deck is a gamble with safety. Manufacturers should be working on new systems that enhance and improve safety and work on advancements around environmental sustainability, which is the real challenge facing the industry.

'We have recently carried out a survey of our members  97 per cent of over 1,000 respondents said that reduced crew operations concepts will reduce flight safety.'
Fans have accused the ABC dating show of fakery after watching episode two

The Bachelorette viewers are convinced the show is 'staged' after spotting what they took to be a massive clue in the latest episode as they furiously accused producers of manufacturing drama.

The ABC dating series aired its second episode of season 21 on Monday, which saw bachelors Aaron Erb and Devin Strader sensationally clash as they fought for Jenn Tran's affection.

Their explosive feud reached fever pitch when Aaron, 29, snidely gifted Devin, 28, a book on 'self-growth' which in turn reminded audiences of the time his twin brother Noah Erb was given a similar token by Bennett Jordan in season 16.

Viewers refused to buy into the latest scene and branded it 'fake' after they struggled to find proof that the book - Principles for Self-Growth by Dr Brandon O' Conner  actually exists.

Upon closer inspection, they even spotted a spelling mistake on the spine, leading to the conclusion that it had been created by producers specifically for the show.

The Bachelorette viewers have been left convinced that the show is completely staged

In scenes that aired in episode two, Aaron Erb gifted Devin Strader what appears to be a fake book on self-growth

'There's no way Bachelor producers didn't plan this,' wrote one viewer on X.

'That book scene between Devin and Aaron is giving stagedthose two are likely cool irl now,' another said.

A third wrote: 'My favorite part of The Bachelor is when they talk about book. It's books like these that you quite literally cannot find a copy of online that are always about "emotional intelligence".

'These are the books mediocre straight men read if they're reading at all.'

A fourth said: 'If I had a nickel for every time one man gives another man a book on emotional intelligence, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.'

'These guys going after Devin for "interrupting" the group date as if producers didn't set the whole thing up, as they do every season to manufacture fake drama,' another said.

A sixth added: 'I'm sorry ABC - I can't watch this season - everyone seems fake including the Bachelorette - something feels off this season and I just don't buy into it - I wonder what the ratings are.'

On Reddit, one user posted: 'It was definitely a fake book. Someone noticed that the producers misspelled a word on the spine then googled it and the book doesn't exist.'

Principles for Self-Growth by Dr Brandon O' Conner does not garner any results when searched for online

Devin (pictured) was handed the gift after he whisked bachelorette Jenn Tran away on what was meant to be a group date

DailyMail.com has contacted a representative for The Bachelorette for comment.

Aaron and Devin's explosive feud was initially sparked when Devin whisked Jenn away for some ice cream during what should have been a group date.

In the scenes that followed, Aaron pulled his costar aside and presented him with the surprise present.

Aaron said: 'Honestly, I'm supportive of you and I have a little something to give you.

'I brought this with me. It's something that I've read a few times. It's helped me grow as a person.

'I want to give it to you because I want to see you win. I'm wishing you the best, be careful how you handle yourself.'

Tensions ran high as Devin and Aaron competed for Jenn's attention in Melbourne

Viewers accused production of manufacturing the drama on social media

While Devin accepted the gift, he was secretly fuming behind the scenes and vented his frustration in his confessional.

'I don't know what his deal is, especially with the book,' he raged.

'That's his M.O, passive aggression. He wouldn't say that I lack emotional intelligence, so he gives me a book on emotional intelligence.

'That was his petty way to say I got the last shot at Devin.'
Rebecca Gayheart has two children with ex Eric Dane: Billie Beatrice Dane, 14, and Georgia Geraldine Dane, 12.

On Tuesday the Jawbreakers actress shared with E! News that Billie is heading to high school in the fall.

'She's a teenager, she's starting high school next year,' the 52-year-old shared. She's just a good girl, I have to say.'

Gayheart filed for divorce from Eric in 2018 after 14 years of marriage.

She also said she has put her kids first. 'I took a decade off from working to be home with my kids,' Rebecca explained. 'They're like, :But what do you do, mom?" And I'm like, "OK, I need to show them what I do."'

She will next be seen in the show Nickels with Rob Riggle.

Rebecca Gayheart has two children with ex Eric Dane : Billie Beatrice Dane, 14, and Georgia Geraldine Dane, 12. On Tuesday the Jawbreakers actress shared with E! News that Billie is heading to high school in the fall. Seen on July 12 in Hollywood

Billie, Eric and Georgia at the Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere in Los Angeles in May

She also said her kids were great at supporting her career and being a single mom.

'They are making it easy on me so far,' Rebecca told the site. 'But I should knock on some wood.'

The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star (she played Brad Pitt's wife) quipped, 'Do we have any wood anywhere?'

The star added: 'I need to work so that they get that they need to work and that women have to get out there and carve out a career and, like, go after it.'

During the pandemic Rebecca said she was 'pretty much solo.'

She said the global health crisis made it 'difficult' for her and Eric to co-parent.

She said: '[I've been parenting] pretty much solo. With the pandemic and the social distancing, [it] has been difficult. But they've been here with me so that's been good. [It's] very consistent that they've been in one place.'

'She's a teenager, she's starting high school next year,' the 52-year-old shared. She's just a good girl, I have to say.' Gayheart filed for divorce from Eric in 2018 after 14 years of marriage. She also said she has put her kids first. 'I took a decade off from working to be home with my kids,' Rebecca explained

Dane and Gayheart with their kids at the 16th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in 2017

The Scream 2'star says things haven't been easy, as she's also been trying to keep track of her mental health whilst staying at home amid the pandemic.

She added: 'My kids and I were [recently] bickering and I was screaming at them. I was like, "Why am I doing this? This is ridiculous."'

During her time at home with her daughters, Rebecca has been making sure to spend time educating them on important topics, and says she's been discussing homelessness with them recently.

Rebecca - who also takes her children to donate their leftover food to food banks - told Us Weekly magazine: "They're like, 'Why wouldn't someone help them? You're supposed to help people in need."

'It's complicated. It's very hard to get children to understand because it is a very complicated issue. No one has a perfect solution, but I always say it starts at home.'
The shock move came after Kyle wished Trump had been killed in assassination

The actor, 54, announced on Tuesday the comedy band's tour had been axed

Jack Black swiftly pulled the plug on Tenacious D's tour in a desperate bid to avoid being ousted from Hollywood and jeopardizing his upcoming movies, an insider has claimed.

The School of Rock actor, 54, announced on Tuesday that the comedy band's tour had been axed and that all of their 'creative plans' are on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass, 64, said he wished Donald Trump's would-be assassin hadn't missed.

Jack was blindsided by Kyle's comments and quickly scrambled to conduct damage control in order to save himself from 'career suicide' and derailing his standing in the industry.

'Jack Black is still best friends with Kyle Gass,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'He wasn't expecting the jab that Kyle made about Trump and with his standing in Hollywood, he had to lock this controversy down instantly.

'Though Jack was surprised by it and even surprised by the reaction, he made sure to get ahead of it.

Jack Black quickly cancelled Tenacious D's tour in a desperate bid to save his standing in Hollywood, an insider told DailyMail.com

Jack, 54, announced the tour had been axed and that all of their 'creative plans' were on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass sparked controversy with a comment about Donald Trump

'Jack isn't looking to be cancelled and by ending the tour and stepping away from it all and Kyle's joke, he is hoping that people will quickly forget it.

'There are so many huge movies Jack is attached to right now and to derail that would be career suicide. We will see Tenacious D again, but it could be years from now.'

Jack currently has three movies in post-production, including the upcoming sci-fi action-comedy Borderlands, which is slated for release later this year.

He plays the lead in the live-action film based on the video game Minecraft, alongside Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks which is due in cinemas on April 4, 2025.

He will also be sharing the screen with Keegan-Michael Key in new Christmas comedy, Dear Santa, which follows a young boy who accidentally sends his wish list to Satan.

Kyle, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, is said to be fearing for his friendship with Jack.

'Kyle never wanted it to get to this point, obviously,' the insider said. 'He genuinely feels bad about the fallout.

'He thought it was a throwaway line during a show, but it has taken a life of its own and he is accepting his current fate.

'He just hopes that people will forgive him and that it won't impact his friendship with Jack.'

While on stage, Kyle expressed he wished Trump's would-be assassin hadn't missed

Tenacious D was on stage in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday when Jack brought a birthday cake for bandmate Kyle and asked him to make a wish.

At the time, Kyle replied: 'Don't miss Trump next time.'

The crowd mostly responded with cheering and laughing, with just a few disappointed reactions.

Following the show, Jack spoke out against his bandmate in a statement.

'I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,' he wrote. 'I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.

'After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.'

The remark referred to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday

Kyle, who issued an apology, has since been dropped by his talent agency

Kyle, who has since been dropped by his talent agency, also issued his own statement on Tuesday, writing: 'The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.

'I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.

'What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I profoundly apologize to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused.'

Jack and his band were on the Spicy Meatball Tour, which kicked off in May and was set to wrap in October.

They had already completed dates in US and Europe and were due to perform in various cities across Australia and New Zealand before returning to the states for more shows.

They are also scheduled to hit the road in October before Election Day to raise voter awareness as part of Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan non-profit organization.

They were scheduled to play five dates in college towns, most of which have sold out, including Columbus, Bloomington, Madison, Kalamazoo, and State College, Pennsylvania.

Last month, Jack delivered a speech that went viral at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden

The band has not confirmed if the plug has been pulled on these dates. All proceeds were to be donated to Rock the Vote.

Australian senator Ralph Babet joined a chorus of outraged voices and asked for the band to be deported following Kyle's controversial comments.

In the wake of the shooting that killed one spectator on Saturday, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, to carry out the shocking attack.

The FBI said they were investigating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by the Secret Service led conspiracy theories to flourish.

The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone.

Last month, Jack delivered a speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for president Joe Biden, in which he endorsed the leader.

The event, which raised more than $30million, was also attended by former president Barack Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand.
The view of the Richmond Bridge from Point Molate Beach Park in Richmond. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Point Molate in Richmond, a scenic but embattled stretch of shoreline once slated for a 1,260-unit housing development, will become a new regional park along San Francisco Bay.

On Tuesday, the East Bay Regional Park District announced it had signed a letter of intent with the city of Richmond and the Guidiville Rancheria of California tribe to acquire an 80-acre property there for $40 million, which would secure it as a nature park indefinitely. The formal transfer is expected no later than Jan. 15, according to the park district.

Point Molate has been called the most beautiful part of San Francisco Bay no ones ever heard of,' Richmond Council Member Gayle McLaughlin said in the announcement. We are now at the point where everyone will come to know Richmond as home to an amazing world-class park at Point Molate.

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A stones throw from the Richmond Bridge and a hill away from the Chevron refinery, Point Molate juts off of San Pablo Point like a thumb, a 1,400-foot-long pier extending from its tip. It is home to a decommissioned naval fuel depot and a defunct century-old winery. South of the point, land wraps into a beachy cove and rises into a 500-foot-high ridge with panoramic views of the North and East bays.

The area had long been tagged for development. Twenty years ago, it was due to become the site for a tribe-owned casino and more recently for high-end housing that would have made adaptive use of historic worker cottages and Winehaven winery buildings.

A development plan to build homes at Point Molate fell through after being challenged in court. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

But a series of lawsuits derailed those plans.

Two years ago, after one development proposal fell through, the Guidiville Rancheria was able to purchase the relevant property at Point Molate for just $400  the result of a pre-existing settlement agreement, according to Richmondside.

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Last year, a successful legal challenge filed by citizens groups and the Sierra Club found that the housing project proposal ran afoul of the California Environmental Quality Act, according to the Sierra Club.

Turning the land into a nature park stems from a common vision and partnership between the tribe and park district, according to Guidiville Tribal Chairman Donald Duncan. A critical part of this transaction is the Park Districts commitment to advancing the Tribes legacy of conservation and responsible land management, he said.

A 1.5-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail is slated to be built along its shoreline, according to the park district.

Few opportunities remain to create significant parkland in the Bay Area, especially in the Richmond region, the park district wrote in its announcement.
It's unclear how much of the former billionaires fortune remains

He also allegedly has tax liens on multiple companies and properties

West reportedly has two years of unpaid property taxes on a Wyoming ranch

Kanye West's financial issues have seemingly become even more dire as his tax bills have allegedly risen above $1 million.

The rapper now owes additional property taxes on a Wyoming ranch, according to the US Sun.

According to Park Country records viewed by the publication, West's firm Psalm Cody Ranch LLC was due to make two payments of $2,780.33 and $2,966.66 on property taxes for his Monster Lake Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, in May of this year, but it has so far not paid the taxes.

West  whose ex Amber Rose gave a controversial speech at the Republican National Convention this week  purchased the ranch for $14 million, and he has had it on the market for the last three years before recently selling it.

Those sums add to a mountain of debts, including four tax liens on Yeezy Apparel amounting to $934,033 in total.

Kanye West's unpaid tax liability has reportedly risen above $1 million, the US Sun reported on Tuesday. He reportedly owes additional property taxes on a Wyoming ranch; pictured in March in LA

The 47-year-old rapper's properties have also allegedly been hit with multiple tax liens, including liens of $101,093 on two of his Los Angeles properties.

A legal insider who spoke to the US Sun regarding West legal entanglements claimed that West may use his non-payment as a way to establish 'control'  both over his employees and those seeking to extract funds from him.

Earlier in July, it was reported that West's attorney Brian Brumfield had dropped him as a client and withdrawn from two lawsuits he had been representing the rapper in, according to court documents.

He claimed in filings that West 'will not speak to counsel' and 'refuses to pay counsel as well.'

The legal insider said that 'Dealing with him in a lawsuit is impossible,' as 'there's no compromise or reasonable behavior from him or his attorneys, who get barely any direction from him, so just keep the suit rolling  and keep billing him.'

'After dealing with his team for years, they like to retain unpredictable control, money seems not to be the ultimate priority, but making the other side sweat,' they continued. 'It's sticking the middle finger up to the courts and showing that this lawsuit means absolutely nothing to Kanye.

'It makes any legal action protracted and difficult,' the insider added.

Although failing to pay his bills may be a strategy the former hitmaker uses, it's unclear how much of his fortune  which was once valued at over $1 billion  still remains.

Much of that money was tied up in stock and business deals that disappeared after companies including Adidas dropped him in the wake of repeated antisemitic statements West made.

Adidas ceased selling his lucrative Yeezy shoes amid the controversy, and now there appears to be trouble at his Yeezy fashion company.

According to Park Country records viewed by the publication, West's firm Psalm Cody Ranch LLC owed two payments of $2,780 and $2,966 on property taxes for his Monster Lake Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, in May of this year; pictured in February in Milan

He also allegedly has four tax liens on Yeezy Apparel amounting to $934,033, as well as liens of $101,093 on two of his Los Angeles properties; pictured in February in LA

Adding to his financial woes is the chaos at Yeezy. After opening Yeezy.com and slashing his clothing prices to $20 across the board, the site is now blank and says it is not accepting new orders

Earlier this year, all of the items sold by the fashion house were discounted  sometimes severely  to just $20.

And now Yeezy's website is simply blank, aside from a small batch of text reading: 'YZY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ONLINE PURCHASES UNTIL ALL EXISTING ORDERS ARE FULFILLED.'

It adds that there are '2500 ORDERS REMAINING,' as of July 16.

The site was inundated with orders after West introduced it in a Super Bowl ad and announced the $20 price, including on items originally sold on his website for hundreds of dollars.

He claimed in a follow-up social media post that the site has seen $19.3 million in sales from the burst of activity.

The site reportedly went on to earn $70 million in the first quarter of 2024, according to the US Sun.

Although the closing of the site is believed to be a temporary move, the lack of any products on sale will reportedly still cost the Monster rapper millions in lost revenue.

The chaos with the site appears to mirror the disorganization behind the scenes at Yeezy.

West reportedly originally hired designers and other creative talents on contract, primarily from Los Angeles, but amid his controversies in recent years he has begun hiring primarily freelancers, many of whom are based in the UK.

He has reportedly hiring designers from the London-based fashion apparel firm Mowalola, although they continue to work at their original employers with its apparent blessing.

The firm's namesake, Mowalola Ogunlesi, was previously the designer of the Yeezy's disastrous line for Gap, but she left to start her own company, though she continued to design some of West's wife Bianca Censori's scandalous ensembles.

West has also switched from hiring LA-based designers on contract to hiring UK-based freelancers and focusing on bringing in students and interns; pictured June 9 in Narita, Japan

Among West's designers are freelancers employed by London-based fashion apparel firm Mowalola. The designer Mowalola Ogunlesi previously led Yeezy Gap and continued to design Bianca Censori's outfits after starting her own firm; West and Censori seen in February in Milan

She has credited West with helping to make a 2023 fashion show in London possible thanks to his funding.

According to the US Sun, at least six designers for Mowalola are also working as freelancers for Yeezy.

West is also allegedly seeking designers with few qualifications. He is reported accepting students, interns and early-career designers with little experience to work at Yeezy.

His fashion company has even begun advertising for designer hires on Craigslist and other social media sites, rather than working through standard industry channels.
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Lauren Manzo's ex, Vito Scalia, has found new love.

Vito, 37  who filed for divorce from the reality TV star, 36, last September  is now dating entrepreneur Dominique Valenti, with photos of him on her Instagram dating back to August 2023.

Dominique has shared a number of loved-up snaps with the restauranteur, including clips of the pair kissing. The images also show off Vito's new slimmed down figure.

In March, Dominique  who, like Vito, has a daughter  wished him a happy birthday with w a sweet photo of them cozied up and a touching caption.

'Happy Birthday to the most amazing gift I ever received! You're simply the best and there is no other way to put it! Anyone that knows you loves you and if they don't.. definitely their loss Thank you for being my best friend!' she wrote.

Lauren Manzo's ex, Vito Scalia, 37, has found new love with entrepreneur Dominique Valenti; Vito and Dominique pictured together in March

The pair have been dating for months, with photos of him on her Instagram dating back to August 2023; Seen in a post from February

Vito filed for divorce from Real Housewives of New Jersey star Lauren, 36, last September after eight years, citing 'irreconcilable differences'; The former couple pictured together in 2014

In February she shared a gushing Valentine's Day post.

'Happy Valentine's Day to the most amazing man that I know! Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep! Thank you every day over and over for coming into my life and making my soul come alive.'

'I knew you existed on this planet and you are everything a woman could ask for my complete package. Thank you god for you and for the family you come from! Its all and everything I couldve ever asked for.'

Another post in March showed the couple on what appeared to be a date night, with Dominique looking chic in a black mini dress and heels.

Meanwhile Vito showed off his trimmed down physique in a blue button-up shirt, a navy blazer and blue jeans.

Dominique kept her caption short and sweet, adding only a red heart and a sparkling emoji to the photo.

She also recently included him in a Father's Day post, where she shared snaps of her father and Vito together.

Another post in March shows the pair in the kitchen, with Vito wearing a chef's apron.

'Behind every strong and successful woman is a tired man that cooks for her. Happy Womans Day! Dont forget to appreciate the men behind us that keep us going,' Dominique wrote in the caption adding the hashtag 'my love.'

Vito has also been included in a number of posts where Dominique advocated for Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic disorder her daughter suffers from.

Dominique  who, like Vito, has a daughter  has shared a number of loved-up snaps with the restauranteur, which showed off his new slimmed down figure

In February she posted a gushing Valentine's Day post, writing, 'I knew you existed on this planet and you are everything a woman could ask for my complete package'

In a birthday post in March she wrote, 'You're simply the best and there is no other way to put it! Anyone that knows you loves you and if they don't.. definitely their loss'

Another post in March shows the pair in the kitchen. 'Behind every strong and successful woman is a tired man that cooks for her,' Dominique wrote, adding the hashtag 'my love'

Vito has also been included in a number of posts where Dominique advocated for Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic disorder her daughter suffers from

She also recently included him in a Father's Day post, where she shared snaps of her father and Vito together

In one post she thanked Vito for his help, calling him, 'My partner, best friend, love of my life!'

She added, 'You make the best out of life everyday! You wake up happy and your soul is just pure love! I appreciate your help, your love, and your presence and the fact that youre totally a Disney Dad!'

The new romance comes as Vito and Lauren's divorce is still going on. As of last month, there have been no new filings in the case.

Vito filed for divorce last year, following an eight-year marriage.

In October, Lauren addressed her divorce and said the marriage 'has been done for a very long time' and that the divorce was something the couple had decided on together.

Scalia cited 'irreconcilable differences' with Manzo in divorce documents he filed in New Jersey September 5, The Sun reported.

Scalia said in court docs that he and Manzo had ongoing problems 'for a period of at least six months,' which led to 'the breakdown of their marriage.'

The documents - which were served to Manzo September 29 - said that it had been 'apparent that the marriage should be dissolved,' as 'there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.'

The new romance comes as Vito and Lauren's divorce is still going on. As of last month, there have been no new filings in the case

In October, Lauren addressed her divorce and said the marriage 'has been done for a very long time' and that the divorce was something the couple had decided on together

The exes are parents to daughter Marchesa, six

The former couple are parents to daughter Marchesa, six.

Days after Manzo had been served with the divorce docs, The Sun reported, a lawyer representing the reality star told the court that he would represent her in regards to future legal proceedings in regards to custody and support.

Manzo's lawyer said that he was overseeing 'all financial related issues, including, without limitation, alimony, equitable distribution, and counsel fees,' the outlet reported

The Sun reported that Scalia had submit to the court a Marital Settlement Agreement this past July, ahead of the divorce filing.

Manzo, who revealed earlier last year she has lost 80 pounds, touched on the topic of her marital discord indirectly this past summer when a fan asked her on social media about where Scalia had been.

Manzo said that she was 'allowed to keep aspects of [her] life private, especially after having a child,' according to The Sun.

The Sun reported that 'it appears the former couple still lives together in Wayne, New Jersey,' as their addresses listed in divorced documents were identical.

The pair initially exchanged vows in June of 2015 at St. Cyril's Church in New York City, followed by a reception at The Brownstone Restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey.

The pair initially exchanged vows in June of 2015 at St. Cyril's Church in New York City

The proceedings were filmed and broadcast on Bravo.

Scalia addressed rumors of marital discord in January of 2018, telling Page Six that murmurs of a split had been 'absolutely not true.'

He subsequently said in a Facebook post: 'We just dont put our relationship on social media and people cant seem to understand that. We are perfect!!!!!!'

Scalia and Manzo initially crossed paths through Manzo's brother Albie, who was a classmate of Scalia's at Fordham University; and got engaged in November 2013.

Lauren is the daughter of former RHONJ star Caroline Manzo, and appeared on her spinoff Manzo'd with Children during its three-year run on Bravo from 2014 to 2016.
Tiger King director Eric Goode's new series will pull back the curtain on Tonia Haddix, the self-proclaimed 'Dolly Parton of chimps.'

Goode was one of two directors on the hit Netflix show Tiger King, which followed the battle of wills between big cat trainer Joe Exotic and animal rights activist Carole Baskin - culminating in his going to prison for hiring a hitman to kill her.

Now in the HBO docuseries Chimp Crazy, Goode is presenting the bizarre tale of Haddix, an animal dealer who kept seven chimpanzees for use in showbiz.

The most famous was Tonka, who starred with Alan Cumming in the 1997 film Buddy - and whom Haddix said she would 'give my life for' in a new teaser for Chimp Crazy.

When Haddix was ordered to give up her chimpanzees to an animal sanctuary, she sensationally claimed Tonka had died, only for him to be found alive in a cage in her basement nearly a year later.

Tiger King director Eric Goode's new series will pull back the curtain on Tonia Haddix, the self-proclaimed 'Dolly Parton of chimps'; Haddix pictured in the teaser

'Tonka and I just found each other,' cooed Haddix in the teaser over footage of her playing with the ape: 'and Tonka loved me as much as I loved Tonka.'

She declared: 'It was meant to be. It was just natural. It's like your love for God. And I'll do anything to protect that primate.'

Cryptic footage then played of what looked like armed law enforcement raids - hinting at the legal drama that unfolded around Haddix' venture.

'I would give anything that I have possession-wise up for that child. I would give my life for him, and that's exactly what I did, to be honest,' said Haddix eerily.

The saga began when animal activists took aim at the Missouri Primate Foundation, where chimpanzees were bred for sale, either into showbiz or as exotic pets.

People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) filed suit against the organization over the living conditions of the primates.

Some of the chimpanzees were moved into Haddix' care in 2018, whereupon PETA also took her to court over the quality of life she was providing them.

PETA scored a victory in 2021 when it was permitted to take Haddix' chimpanzees away from her and off to an sanctuary.

Goode was one of two directors on the hit Netflix show Tiger King, which followed the battle of wills between big cat trainer Joe Exotic (pictured) and animal rights activist Carole Baskin

The most famous of Haddix' chimpanzees was Tonka, who starred with Alan Cumming in the 1997 movie Buddy; Cumming and his chimp pictured together at the premiere in 1997

Haddix is pictured in news footage around the time of her scandal (left), while Parton, whom she compared herself to, is pictured playing Glastonbury in 2014

'Tonka and I just found each other,' cooed Haddix in the teaser over footage of her playing with the ape: 'and Tonka loved me as much as I loved Tonka'

I would give anything that I have possession-wise up for that child,' said Haddix eerily: 'I would give my life for him, and that's exactly what I did, to be honest'

When Haddix was ordered to give up her chimpanzees to an animal sanctuary, she sensationally claimed Tonka had died, only for him to later be found alive in her basement

However, the tale took a bewildering turn when PETA attempted to retrieve the primates that July and Tonka was nowhere to be found.

Haddix astonishingly claimed Tonka had died months earlier of heart failure and that she had cremated his body in a backyard firepit.

However allegations began swirling that Tonka was actually alive, to the point even Alan Cumming got involved in the search for his old Buddy co-star.

Cumming offered a $10,000 reward to whoever found Tonka, prompting PETA to add an extra $10,000 of their own into the bargain.

Tonka was ultimately discovered in a cage in Haddix' basement, allegedly with a 60-inch TV and a tablet device available for his use, according to Rolling Stone.

Haddix was ordered to pay PETA $224,404.24 for lying about Tonka's death, which constituted perjury and submission of false information to a court.

PETA further accused Haddix of making an appointment to have Tonka euthanized, which she staunchly disputed, insisting the appointment was only a check-up.
Christina Hall is quickly putting her marriage to Joshua Hall behind her after it was revealed Tuesday that they're divorcing.

In wake of the split news, the HGTV star, 41, has deleted the couple's wedding photo from her Instagram.

She shared the stunning image in September 2022 after they tied the knot for a second time in front of family and friends in Maui that month.

It showed Christina and Joshua  who legally wed in October 2021  embracing while kissing at the altar as the sunset over the ocean behind them.

In the caption, she called Joshua her 'dream man' and gushed that their nuptials were 'amazing.'

Christina Hall is quickly putting her marriage to Joshua Hall behind her after it was revealed Tuesday that they're divorcing; Christine seen in July 2023

'My dream man on the dreamiest island. Maui holds a special place in my heart. What an amazing night filled with love,' she wrote.

Now, the link to Christina's IG post brings up a blank screen with an automated Instagram message that reads: 'sorry, this page isn't available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.'

As for Joshua, he still has up the wedding announcement post that he shared on September 10, 2022 - days after their Maui ceremony.

Instead of photos of the couple at the altar, Joshua shared a group photo of the bride and groom hanging with their massive wedding party at a resort pool.

He gushed over being able to marry 'the best friend I could ask for' and joked in a follow-up post: '"I give [the marriage] six months."'

TMZ reported that Christina and Joshua had filed for divorce after three years of marriage on Tuesday, July 16, citing irreconcilable differences.

The outlet claimed that the Christina In The Country TV stars submitted their paperwork in Orange County, California on Tuesday. The ex lovebirds stated July 8 was their first day of separation.

Joshua is asking for alimony from Christina and does not want to have to give her any money, the site added.

It was also claimed that Joshua has asked the court to 'divvy up what was theirs respectively before they got married.'

In wake of the split news, the HGTV star, 41, has deleted the couple's wedding photo from her Instagram; Christina and Josh seen on their September 2022 wedding day

The link to Christina's IG post brings up a blank screen with an automated Instagram message that reads: 'sorry, this page isn't available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed'

She shared the stunning image in September 2022 after they tied the knot for a second time in front of family and friends in Maui that month

The reality TV stars wed in October 2021 in Maui, Hawaii and have no children together.

This will be a third divorce for Christina who was previously married to Tarek El Moussa (2009-2018) and Ant Anstead (2018-2021).

This comes after Christina and Joshua signed on to star on the 2025 HGTV renovation show The Flip Off with her ex Tarek and his new wife Heather Rae El Moussa.

Christina and Tarek built a home-flipping empire during their show Flip Or Flop which lasted 10 seasons. But it ended after a very publicized divorce.

This year they have been working together again on the new spinoff called The Flip Off with Tarek's wife Heather and Christina's now estranged spouse Joshua.

The show is set to air on HGTV in early 2025 with a two-hour premiere.

'During the series, Tarek and Christina, along with Heather and Josh will compete to see who can find, buy, renovate and flip a house for the biggest financial gain (and a chance at major bragging rights),' HGTV said on its site.

Christina and Joshua seemed to be doing well earlier this summer as they were seen with her children in Instagram posts.

In March they were seen holding each other and kissing when on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

TMZ reported that Christina and Joshua had filed for divorce after three years of marriage on Tuesday, July 16, citing irreconcilable differences

This comes after Christina and Joshua signed on to star on the 2025 HGTV renovation show The Flip Off with her ex Tarek El Moussa and his new wife Heather Rae El Moussa

The outlet claimed that the Christina In The Country TV stars submitted their paperwork in Orange County, California on Tuesday. The ex lovebirds stated July 8 was their first day of separation; seen in 2022

They were also pictured kissing in the ocean.

'Weekend getaways to Cabo with you are my favorite.  (love how it worked out & we traded couple pics on the beach with a professional photographer @allysimonsphoto),' she wrote in her caption as she pointed out she was staying at the Montage in Santa Maria Bay, Los Cabos San Lucas.

Josh also posted: 'Still going strong03/202403/202303/202203/2021. Cred: @ruthfernandez5.'

Christina then responded to his post: 'Stilllll love you & Cabo .'

Last year they were seen with all three of her kids.

She has daughter Taylor, 12, and son Brayden, seven, with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa, who is now wed to Heather Rae El Moussa of Selling Sunset fame.

And Christina also has son Hudson, three, with ex-husband Ant Anstead, who now romances Renee Zellweger.

'Family vacation last week. Not ready (but ready) for kids to go back to school,' she said in her caption.

Last year he gushed over her on her birthday.

'Happy 40th Birthday to my absolute stunner of a wife!' shared the hunky TV star who appears with her on her shows.

'This woman has accomplished so much, inspired so many and continues to impress me daily.

'I can't say enough about what an absolute force she is and what she is capable of.

'Christina is about to make her 40's the best decade of her life and looking better than ever while doing it!

In March Christina and Joshua were seen holding each other and kissing when on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

He shared, 'Still going strong03/202403/202303/202203/2021. Cred: @ruthfernandez5.' Christina then responded to his post: 'Stilllll love you & Cabo '

They were seen in a family photo last year with all three of her kids

'I'm a lucky man and thank my lucky stars that she chose me to take this ride with her that is now our life. Ride or die baby, love you more than anything .'

And she made a post too.

'Had the best 40th birthday celebration thanks to my husband and best friend,' Christina wrote on Instagram of her spouse.

'I walked into the most incredible party where they thought of everything and made all my champagne dreams come true.

'I feel very lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

'Going into this new decade my goal is to slow the f*** down,' she continued. 'Enjoy the small moments and not rush through life. Take it easier on myself and mostly have fun and enjoy the ride.'
Celebrity chef Manu Fieldel had fans scratching their heads this week after he posted an image to Instagram that featured a very bizarre detail.

The My Kitchen Rules star, 50, shared a photo of staff preparing for service at his recently opened bistro at the Red Lion Hotel in Rozelle, Sydney.

'Day 3 at our new and already busy Bistro @redlionrozelle and even my business partners are on the tools,' Manu captioned the post, tagging partners Shane Richardson and Danielle Willis.

The picture showed Shane polishing silverware, but a trick of perspective made it seem as though a staff member, bending down next to Shane, was actually a miniature person bein cradled in Shane's hands.

'Why does it look like he is holding a human head?' one follower questioned, while another offered up a similar: 'I honestly thought he was holding a manfaced-newborn.'

The hilarity didn't stop there, with another fan chiming in with: 'Im so glad I came to the comments to find I wasnt the only one wondering why this guy was holding a tiny adult in a tea towel above a little silver dish.'

Manu's new bistro opened doors earlier this month and occupies the upper level of the almost two centuries old establishment which recently underwent a $1.5million renovation.

Manu helms the restaurant with his decade-long friend Jamie Gannon, who is the group executive chief of the pub's owner Laundy Hotels.

Celebrity chef Manu Fieldel had fans scratching their heads this week after he posted an image to Instagram that featured a very bizarre detail

The menu features beloved recipes from his own family archives.

Speaking to Time Out, Manu said he wanted to create a homely feel with the French Bistro.

'I want guests at Bistro Red Lion by Manu to forget the outside world and feel as though they're dining at my home, enjoying a good bottle of wine,' he said.

Manu opened his first restaurant, Aperitif in Kings Cross, with Miguel Maestre in 2011, but it shut its doors after 12 months.

He went on to launch his own French bistro LEtoile in Paddington, which stayed open for six years before his work on MKR forced him to close it down.

He then went into business with George Calombaris' MAdE Establishment and launched Le Grand Cirque in South Yarra, Melbourne which only lasted four months.

In 2018, he closed the doors on his World Square restaurant Duck In Duck Out, which boasted an all-duck menu, after one year in operation.
Actor Jackson White announced the passing of his father Jack White in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old actor posted a collection of images of his late father, who was a drummer, while paying memorial in an emotional caption.

'This guy taught me everything,' said White, who plays Stephen DeMarco on the Hulu drama opposite girlfriend Grace Van Patten, 27. 'We had ups and downs, as a man has with their father. But in the end it was just love ... hes not in pain anymore.'

White, whose mother is actress Katey Sagal, 70, went on to list a number of memories he shared with his late father, praising his abilities as a drummer.

'He was an open book, a fighter, genuinely the funniest person my sister and I knew, and single handedly invented the loudest most powerful back beat of any drummer Ive ever seen,' White said.

Actor Jackson White, 28, announced the passing of his father Jack White in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Pictured in LA in 2022

The actor posted a collection of images of his late father, who was a drummer, while paying memorial in an emotional caption

He continued: 'And we get to remember him, 6 foot 4 with a denim shirt and a Starbucks muffin, driving us around, teaching us every important song ever written.'

White said he was 'wearing his [late father's] shoes every day,' adding, 'not a metaphor he had really cool shoes.'

White wrapped up the emotional post in saying, 'Big Jack White. 1954-2024. I love you dad forever.'

White's mother Sagal had been married to the musician from 1993 to 2000, coinciding with part of her run on the comedy Married... with Children, which ran from 1987-1997.

She added in the comment thread, 'Beautiful Jackson and Beautiful Sarah I will always be grateful to your dad for you! Thank you Jack. Finally free.'

Jessie's Girl artist Rick Springfield took to the site July 7 paying memorial to White, who he described as his 'long time friend, cohort, passionate musician, loving crazy boy, fiery drummer, and deep soul.'

Springfield, 74, said that White died 'surrounded by his beautiful family' and that he and his spouse Barbara Porter had visited White, who was in hospice treatment, earlier this month.

'He was on all the drugs you are allowed to take on your way out and was thankfully feeling no pain,' White said. 'He was funny and loving and we talked for over two hours. It was such a great conversation and Jack was the driving force, still.'

White posted an emotional memorial to his late father, with his mother Katey Sagal chiming in with words of support

White shared a series of vintage shots of his father, including one on the water

White and Sagal were pictured at an August 1993 event in Studio City, California. They had been married from 1993-2000, and welcomed two children

Rick Springfield paid memorial to White, who he described as his 'long time friend, cohort, passionate musician, loving crazy boy, fiery drummer, and deep soul'

The Jessie's Girl artist shared his memories of his late friend and bandmate

White said his father 'single handedly invented the loudest most powerful back beat of any drummer Ive ever seen'

White and his mother Sagal were pictured at an event in October of 2019 in LA

Springfield added that White had been his drummer 'for different stretches between 1976 and 2002,' and had encouraged him to tour on three occasions.

'Hed say "Come on man! Lets put a band together!"' Springfield said. 'Among his many famous lines was "I hit things for a living."'

Springfield described his late friend and bandmate as 'a complex man, damaged, ferocious, cantankerous, loving, and above all, a good good soul.'

Springfield wrapped up his memorial in saying, 'God speed sweet JDub. I will miss you and know that your life left its mark on me, in a good way. You are the man.'

In addition to his work on Tell Me Lies, Jack has been seen on shows such as SEAL Team, The Middle and Mrs. Fletcher; and in films such as Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Ambulance and The Space Between.
Jules Robinson is due to give birth to her second child with husband Cam Merchant any day now.

And on Tuesday, the Married At First Sight star, 42, showcased her huge baby bump as she passed her due date.

In a video shared to Instagram, Jules revealed she was posing for a lavish photoshoot last week while this week she is struggling to walk.

The reality star cradled her huge baby bump as she walked around her house after spending two hours cleaning.

'So much can happen in one week! Spent two hours cleaning for the cleaner this afternoon and now this is me! BUT if anything can bring on this birth I think it may just be having my mid Reno house cleaned,' she wrote.

'I feel so much better! And like ahhhhh baby can come now ! My house is still upside down and I'm laying down but it is what it is!'

Jules has been counting down the days until she gives birth.

The salon owner and shapewear entrepreneur recently spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her pregnancy just weeks ahead of her due date, and candidly revealed she is already planning for baby number three.

Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson showed off her huge baby bump as she struggled to walk after passing her due date

'We want to have another baby,' Jules enthused, adding: 'Who knows? If you think there's a will, there's a way.'

'Whatever that will be like, we will make it happen. I said that before a couple of years ago [before getting pregnant the second time].'

The flame-haired influencer, who recently released her first book titled Ask Jules, also shared the unique method she used to fall pregnant at age 41 after three years of trying.

Jules and Cameron were seriously considering IVF before she managed to conceive naturally - a feat she largely credits to Ayurvedic medicine.

In a video shared to Instagram, Jules revealed last week she was posing for a lavish photoshoot while this week she is struggling to walk

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian wellbeing practice that claims to help patients achieve balance through food, herbs, meditation, yoga and detoxing.

'I discovered Ayurvedic medicine about two years ago, and when I sat down with the specialist, it just became very clear that there was no way that my body was going to make a baby,' Jules explained.

Jules said she 'never lost faith' after years of trying for a baby, and had learned the importance of slowing down and focusing on her own needs during the process.

'It's really important message that as women we do need to take care of ourselves, you know?' Jules told Daily Mail Australia.

'So much can happen in one week! Spent two hours cleaning for the cleaner this afternoon and now this is me! BUT if anything can bring on this birth I think it may just be having my mid Reno house cleaned,' she wrote

'It's just been a very big part of my life for the last 12 months. Like, putting my oxygen mask on first before someone else. When you're an entrepreneur and you're busy, you're doing a million things, and you're a mum, it's very easy to not put yourself first.'

Jules and Cameron fell in love in front of the cameras during series six of MAFS in 2019 before getting married for real in November that year.

The pair welcomed son Oliver in September 2020 and in March Jules announced she was expecting her second child.
Love Island stars Shaq Muhammad and Tanya Manhenga appeared to confirm their rumoured split on Tuesday.

The reality stars, who met during the winter series of the ITV2 dating series in 2019, have both unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Tanya, 24, sparked concern she had split from Shaq, 26, who is currently on holiday with pal Dami Hope, after she deleted all traces of him from her social media.

The pair, who met five years ago, moved into together just six months after leaving the villa.

At the time Tanya shared a picture of them holding up the keys in their new kitchen, writing: 'WE HAVE A NEW HOME.

Love Island stars Shaq Muhammad and Tanya Manhenga appeared to confirm their rumoured split on Tuesday

The reality stars, who met during the winter series of the ITV2 dating series in 2019, have both unfollowed each other on Instagram

'Guess there's no escaping now. Have to thank God always for this next step in our lives. Looking forward to this next chapter.'

Shaq and Tanya were scheduled to appear on Sunday night's AfterSun but failed to appear.

Their appearance was first revealed over a week ago in TV guide listings which stated: 'Maya Jama is joined by Indiyah Polack, Sam Thompson, Chris Taylor and ninth series favourites Tanya and Shaq to unpack all the action from the Love Island villa.'

The show went ahead without them but no explanation was given - further fuelling fears the pair have split.

MailOnline have contacted Shaq and Tanya's representatives for comment.

The news comes months after Shaq and Tanya sparked engagement rumours earlier this year during a romantic holiday in Tanzania.

During the lavish holiday, Shaq celebrated Tanya's birthday with an extravagant display consisting of a candlelit beach dinner at sunset.

Fans were quick to share that they thought the display was for an engagement but clearly aware of the lengths he had gone to, Shaq captioned the post: 'This is just her birthday imagine when I propose.

Thank you for helping me in making my baby's birthday one to remember.'

Tanya, 24, sparked concern she had split from Shaq, 26, who is currently on holiday with pal Dami Hope, after she deleted all traces of him from her social media

The pair, who met five years ago, moved into together just six months after leaving the villa

Shaq and Tanya were scheduled to appear on Sunday night's AfterSun but failed to appear

Tanya and Shaq then tucked into a luxury four course dinner, including lobster, before waiting staff carried over a birthday cake adorned with sparklers.

Fans were convinced the display looked like Shaq was going to propose, despite him teasing that an engagement would be even bigger.

Tanya and Shaq found fame on series nine of Love Island in South Africa in January 2023, where they made it to the final. The series was won by Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan.

It comes after, Tanya took a swipe at Love Island bosses over the way she was edited on screen.

'I've watched more than she's watched and based on the things that I know and how it was perceived, Tanya's not like that. She's not this big bad villain that everyone thinks she is,' Shaq said.

'She's honestly the nicest, kindest girl that I've ever met and I wouldn't be with her if that wasn't the case,' he added in an interview with the Daily Star.

Tanya said: 'We never got picked because we were actually decent and they could tell how I am because they know how I am, but then obviously on screen it was a completely different thing, so yeah I do think we got edited pretty bad because that's not me.'
Kate Hudson put on a stylish display as she was joined by fiance Danny Fujikawa, during a relaxing stroll in New York City on Tuesday.

The Almost Famous, 45 - who recently enjoyed a family lunch date with daughter Rani, five, and Fujikawa - made her way through the bustling streets of the Big Apple with the musician, 38, as they stopped by Yves Saint Laurent in Soho.

The mother-of-three embraced 90s fashion in a mint green-colored slip dress that contained a white lace trim and was held up with thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders.

Hudson slipped into a pair of colorful, Nike sneakers that were secured with laces to stay comfortable during the daytime outing.

Her blonde locks were parted in the middle, and pulled back into a ponytail, preventing any loose strands from falling onto her face.

Kate Hudson, 45, put on a stylish display as she was joined by fiance, Danny Fujikawa, during a relaxing stroll in New York City on Tuesday

A dark green, cross-body bag was placed on her right shoulder to hold a few items she needed.

The star opted for minimal accessories to allow her outfit to be the main focal point, and added a pair of fashionable shades to protect her eyes from the sunshine.

Danny - whom she became engaged to in September 2021 - strolled closely next to the actress for the casual, romantic outing.

The music artist donned a pair of dark pink shorts as well as a short-sleeved, navy-patterned shirt that was buttoned at the front.

Fujikawa completed his ensemble by donning a pair of sneakers and placed a cap on top of his head.

The couple began dating in late 2016, and announced their engagement in fall 2021 - but have yet to officially tie the knot or hold a wedding ceremony.

Earlier this year in May, Hudson gave an update on her wedding plans during an interview on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live.

'I think we'll get married soon,' Kate revealed, but added, 'I just don't want to plan a wedding, it's such a bummer.'

The Almost Famous made her way through the bustling streets of the Big Apple with the musician as they stopped by Yves Saint Laurent in Soho

The mother-of-three embraced the 90s in a mint green-colored slip dress that contained a white lace trim and was held up with thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders

Andy then suggested that the beauty 'make someone else plan it,' with Kate adding, 'But I want the party. I love a party.'

'It's like, if I'm gonna do it again, I want, you know, I want it to be a fun party. But yeah. The planning part and everything is so expensive now, it makes me insane.'

The How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days star then jokingly said, 'I'll be like, "Just put one flower in a vase." They're like, "It's $50,000."'

Kate and Danny share daughter, Rani, five - while Hudson also shares son Ryder, 20, with ex-husband, Chris Robinson, and another son, Bingham, 13, with ex and Muse frontman, Matt Bellamy.

Her latest outing on Tuesday comes shortly after Hudson was spotted grabbing lunch with her mini-me daughter, Rani, and Fujikawa.

They stopped by Bar Pitti restaurant in Manhattan - just hours before the actress performed at Webster Hall. Back in May, she notably dropped her debut album titled, Glorious.

The LP contained a total of 12 tracks, including the songs Talk About Love and also Live Forever.

Kate - who has starred in a variety of projects in Hollywood during the course of her career thus far - opened up about stepping onto the stage to perform in front of a live audience.

Earlier this year in May, Hudson gave an update on her wedding plans during an interview on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live

Kate and Danny share daughter, Rani, five - while Hudson also shares son Ryder, 20, with ex-husband, Chris Robinson, and another son, Bingham, 13, with ex and Muse frontman, Matt Bellamy

'This is still new to me. But once I start singing, within the first 10 seconds, I just feel totally calm,' she revealed while talking to Variety last month in June.

'I think it's just being completely present. You know, nerves or anxiety means you're thinking about something either before or after, but if you're totally present, it kind of washes all of that away.'

She also discussed releasing music in her 40s, rather than earlier in her career while opening up to the publication.

'When it comes to this, though, it felt so vulnerable that if I would've done this in my late twenties, I think it would've been very hard for me to not sort of get carried into what people were saying.'

'And at this age and where I'm at in my life, I don't have that same fear of rejection anymore. I really just want to share it.'

Hudson added, 'I recognize that you're not gonna win everybody over. But I can't be led by that fear, or else I just would never put art into the world...'

Last week on Friday, the actress performed at Webster Hall - two months after she notably dropped her debut album titled, Glorious

'This is still new to me. But once I start singing, within the first 10 seconds, I just feel totally calm,' she revealed while talking to Variety last month in June; seen last week in NYC

Her fiance, Danny, also helped write songs on the album as well as produced the LP. On the topic of the couple collaborating, she said, 'Danny and I just write really well together.'

'We'll sit on a Sunday and I'll have my guitar and then he'll grab a guitar and he'll be like, "That was interesting. What are you doing?" And then we'll write a song.'

'It's such a wonderful thing to have in a partner, you know? But he is super laid back and cool. And I'm the bossy one...It's been really wonderful for our relationship. Talent is very attractive.'

Following her performance at Webster Hall last week, Kate took to the stage once again to belt out tracks during a surprise appearance in Montauk, per Harper's Bazaar.
Julie Bishop has grown her hair again.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, 67, unveiled her latest look as she attended the 10-year anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on Wednesday.

She is now sporting a longer bob after rocking an edgy cropped hairstyle at Fashion Week in May.

Looking incredibly chic with her fresh hairdo, the Minister for Fashion kept warm in a long black coat.

Julie's sleek new look comes after it was recently revealed she is dating Perth motorcycle rider Stephen Gray, with the couple appearing to have been together for several months.

Julie first shared photographs with Stephen to her Instagram back in July 2023, but little is known about her partner.

His Facebook profile features one picture of him proudly standing behind a cafe-racer style motorcycle, clad in a black leather jacket.

Julie Bishop has unveiled a longer bob (left) after experimenting with an edgy cropped style (right)

He also shared photos of a yellow Ducati bike parked along the harbour as he appears to be a keen motorcycle rider.

Julie's name and 'partner' Steve Gray appeared together on the guest list for the Australian Grand Prix's Glamour on the Grid event.

However, the former deputy Liberal Party leader did not attend as she was instead back in her home town of Perth.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, 67, unveiled her latest look as she attended the 10-year anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on Wednesday

The couple recently travelled to South Australia for a 'fabulous outback adventure' together.

In a video shared to her Instagram account, Julie put together a montage of images and clips from their outback holiday and tagged Stephen.

It comes almost two years after her ex David Panton, 62, allegedly dumped her over dinner in Sydney in July 2022, putting an end to their eight-year relationship.
Bystanders watch at Eddy and Larkin streets as an EMT responds to a man who overdosed in February 2022 in San Francisco. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Worried about someones safety on the street? When in doubt, call 911.

Thats what city officials are telling San Franciscans to do when they witness unhoused people in medical emergencies or believe a drug user may be overdosing.

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Its part of a new educational campaign promoted by the citys Department of Emergency Management aimed at giving residents a sense of when and when not to call 911. The campaign comes as San Francisco sees abysmal emergency response times  among the slowest recorded in at least six years  along with a spike in overdose deaths from fentanyl and an unhoused population on the streets that the city is struggling to move inside.

It also lands amid frustration from residents and merchants, who often want to help those in crisis as well as cut down on tents and chaotic sidewalks, but arent sure how to do so amid the citys byzantine and overlapping network of street outreach teams.

The city is now asking concerned citizens to be health monitors and potential life-savers.

San Francisco is setting up a new educational campaign to tell citizens what to do when they see someone experience a medical crisis on the streets. San Francisco Department of Emergency Management

Francis Zamora, spokesperson for the citys emergency department, said the city will put up ads inside and outside Muni buses, along business corridors and on social media. He said the goal is to eventually hold a series of community meetings and buy up billboards and newspaper ads. The total cost of the initial phase of the program is about $200,000, money the department received during recent budget negotiations.

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We want people to know its OK to call 911 if youre worried about someones safety, Zamora said. So if you see an encampment or debris while walking the sidewalk, or you want to connect someone to food resources, call 311 for that. If youre not sure what to do, call 911 and our highly trained dispatchers will know.

Knowing what to do in an emergency and looking out for others is a very San Franciscan thing to do, said Felanie Castro, harm reduction manager at Glide Memorial Church.

Its gotten to the point where we need as many people aware and able to stabilize someone as we can get, Castro said. Its sad that the nature of the world today is that this is happening more often, but since it is its better to be equipped than not be.

SFNext is Chronicle coverage devoted to the citys most vexing problems. To become involved: Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com

Many residents, businesses and nonprofits have Narcan or naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, but the city is still facing a tidal wave of fentanyl, as one official described it.

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As of August, San Francisco was on track to record the most overdose deaths in its history. Since 2019, over 2,000 people have died from overdoses in San Francisco, with 473 overdose deaths recorded this year.

The campaign started after the city kept getting the same question: If I see someone passed out on the street, what do I do?

The answer is simple: Call emergency services if you see someone with a bad injury or an open wound or someone who looks like theyre overdosing, and call 311 for non-emergency situations like tents blocking the sidewalk or general questions about helping unhoused neighbors.

Zamora said its imperative for the city to educate its residents to avoid bogging down the system with non-emergency calls. Many people were calling 911 for non-emergencies, he said.

Some residents are hesitant to call 911 when they see someone in a psychiatric crisis or struggling with a drug overdose. They may be worried the city will send police officers to respond, and they have concerns about criminalizing addiction or those with mental health concerns. Especially in Black and brown communities, some residents may not trust that officers have the best interests of those on the streets at heart or that cops have the proper training to respond.

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Zamora wants residents to know that the 911 dispatcher service is independent of the police department and will use police alternatives when appropriate, whether for a potential overdose or a mental health crisis.

The Get Involved calendar Search for public meetings on top San Francisco issues so you can add your voice.

Still, health experts agreed that the citys new strategy of asking residents to help decrease overdoses and help unhoused neighbors is a smart idea and could help increase the effectiveness of 911 dispatchers who will ideally deal with fewer non-emergency calls after the public awareness campaign.

Dr. Dan Ciccarone, an addiction medicine specialist at UCSF, said the citys fentanyl crisis is going to require multi-faceted solutions that include getting city residents involved.

Any solution that moves the needle in the right direction should be pursued, Ciccarone said. Enlisting the public doesnt cost a lot of money and it means wider eyes and wider concern and compassion. Its on all of us to help.

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At the same time he blasted the citys policies around sweeping homeless encampments and arresting drug users, which he said increases the chance of overdose. People recently released from jail or prison face a risk of opioid overdose 10 times greater than the general public, according to researchers.

Studies show coercion doesnt work, and show me any evidence that a harsh approach leads to anything positive, Ciccarone said.

The average San Franciscan is also pretty confused about whom to call for help. Thats partly because the city has 15 street teams tasked with helping unhoused people get off the streets and offering drug and mental health treatment. Supervisors have long questioned their effectiveness and whether the teams can be consolidated.

In a YouTube video thats part of the education strategy, the city runs through the street crisis teams and introduces street outreach team members to the public.
Jennifer Lopez looked somber on Tuesday as she took a bike ride on the day of her second wedding anniversary  with her husband Ben Affleck nowhere to be seen.

The Out Of Sight star, 54, was pictured in the Hamptons in New York as she got some fresh air while dressed in casual overalls, even as she and the 51-year-old actor and director are rumored to be heading toward divorce.

On the same day, Ben was pictured on the other side of the country at his office in Los Angeles, as he appeared to be taking care of business.

Jennifer was notably pictured wearing her wedding ring on as she took a ride on a Linus bike, after Ben was seen sporting his band back in California on the same day.

The cross-country outings happened just days after the couple put their Beverly Hills Mansion on the market for a whopping $68 million, which only spurred fears of a potentially impending divorce.

Jennifer Lopez looked somber on Tuesday as she took a bike ride on the day of her second wedding anniversary  with her husband Ben Affleck nowhere to be seen

The 54-year-old actress took a ride on a Linus bike in the Hamptons in New York on Tuesday, even as her husband Ben was back in LA amid rumors of an impending divorce

She looked as if she had been doing housework earlier in the day day due to her paint-splattered off-white overalls, which hung loosely on her trim frame.

Jennifer appeared to have on a white tank top underneath, and she wore a simple set of brown flip flops that highlighted her brilliant white nails.

She completed her ultra-casual look by tying her brunette locks back in a messy bun, with strands whipping about in the breeze, and she also wore a pair of large hoop earrings.

Earlier on Tuesday, Jennifer was seen enjoying a car ride in The Hamptons with her manager Benny Medina.

The sightings come exactly two years after the couple first tied the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022. They said 'I do' again in a more lavish ceremony the following month in Georgia of 2022.

But the duo were spotted on opposite ends of the countryas they marked their second anniversary apart.

A smiling Ben was spotted suited up once again as he arrived to his office in Los Angeles, carrying a large iced coffee and a duffel bag.

The star looked stylish wearing a crisp white button down beneath a sharp navy blue suit.

The actor and director, 51, was seen arriving at his office in LA in a suit earlier on Tuesday while carrying a duffel bag

Jennifer looked as if she had been doing housework due to her paint-splattered off-white overalls. She wore them with a white tank top and brown flip flops

The actor was also seen wearing his wedding ring as he arrived to the office.

He rocked a freshly-shaven complexion and flashed a smile as he made his way into the lot.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Jennifer was seen going for a drive in a convertible with her long-time manager Benny Medina.

Her manager drove the classic vehicle through the Hamptons as JLo sat beside him with her sunglasses on.

It comes several days after Ben's daughter Violet Affleck was spotted bonding with Jennifer.

The duo were seen walking with their arms around one another during an outing in Southampton, New York.

They were also joined by Violet's friend, actress Cassidey Fralin.

A source told People that Jennifer 'seemed to be very happy shopping with Bens daughter. She had a big smile on her face.'

She was still wearing her wedding ring, as was Ben back in LA, despite the fact that they haven't been pictured together in over a month

A second insider shared that the duo was shopping at Roller Rabbit in East Hampton, NY, where they were 'surrounded by people' and appeared' unfazed' when they exited the store.

The outing comes on the heels of rumors that Jennifer and Ben are experiencing marital issues two years after they first tied the knot in 2022.

The couple spent the Fourth of July weekend apart, as the This Is Me... Now star celebrated in the Hamptons with her family and friends while the Deep Water actor stayed in Los Angeles.

Ben spent time with his and ex-wife Jennifer Garner's three kids, Violet, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.

On Thursday, it was revealed that their $60.85million Beverly Hills marital home had been put on the market publicly, per TMZ.

Back in June, the pair tried to quietly offload the 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom mansion to no avail.

The MLS listing notes that the house was renovated within the last four months, hence the $3 million spike in the asking price.

Earlier this summer, reports surfaced that Jen and Ben have been living apart for 'months,' amid speculation that they are headed for divorce.

Affleck's daughter Violet was seen with his wife Jennifer Lopez in South Hampton, New York, on Sunday

Ben was seen without his wedding ring on Tuesday and resides at a rental home near his children's mother, while Jennifer recently took a solo vacation to Italy.

Ben was seen without his wedding ring on Tuesday and resides at a rental home near his children's mother, while Jennifer recently took a solo vacation to Italy.

'Ben continues to live at the Brentwood rental. Hes been there for about two months now,' an insider told the outlet. 'He seems okay. Hes been at his office every day and seems focused on work. Hes also spending time with his kids.'

But the Shotgun Wedding actress did wish her other half a Happy Father's Day.

'Our hero. Happy Father's Day,' she gushed over a black-and-white photo of Ben with a white heart emoji in an Instagram Story.

The duo also recently attended Violet's high school graduation together.

Meanwhile, in May, sources told People Jennifer and Ben's marriage 'is not in the best place at the moment.'

The Monster-in-Law alumna shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex Marc Anthony.

It comes amid rumored troubles in Affleck and Lopez's marriage; pictured February 2023

Meanwhile, Us Weekly claimed on Wednesday that there is a 'sliver of hope' that Ben and Jennifer could get back together.

'Jennifer suggested they just take time to figure it out,' the source said.

It was also added that Bennifer 2.0 'still havent made a decision' regarding splitting.

'They are going through so much individually and as a couple,' another source told Us. 'They may take some time to see if this complicated moment can resolve itself and they come back to each other [as] better people.'
Savannah Chrisley compared the legal plights of her parents Todd and Julie Chrisley to that of former President Donald Trump during a brief speaking spot at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old reality starturnedpodcast host gave a speech blasting the prosecution and conviction of her parents, who were initially sentenced to a combined 19 years in federal prison.

She appeared in front of a massive police badge backdrop as she complained that the reality fixtures were 'persecuted' due to their 'public profile and conservative beliefs.'

She claimed their allegedly unfair treatment was similar to Donald Trump's, after he was convicted in New York State of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to efforts to conceal payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels.

Chrisley was dressed in a sleek ribbed white sweater with half-length sleeves, and she contrasted it with a set of green relaxed-fit slacks.

Savannah Chrisley compared the legal plights of her parents Todd and Julie Chrisley to that of former President Donald Trump in her Republican National Convention speech on Tuesday

The 26-year-old reality starturnedpodcast host gave a speech blasting the prosecution and conviction of her parents, who were initially sentenced to a combined 19 years in federal prison; Todd and Julie Chrisley pictured in 2017 in Las Vegas

She wore her blond hair in a wavy shoulder-length bob, and she accessorized with multiple gold bracelets and a silver luxury wristwatch.

Chrisley addressed the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one day after Trump selected J.D. Vance, a US senator representing Ohio, to be his running-mate.

At the top of her speech, she opened with two numbers, before quickly revealing their significance.

'72600019 and 72601019, these may be just numbers to you but to me, they're my whole heart,' she began, according to The Tennessean. 'These numbers are my parents' identification numbers in our federal prison system.'

Chrisley went on to describe the US justice system as 'two faced,' and she claimed that it targets 'Christians and conservatives that the government has labeled extremists or even worse.'

In 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted of federal felony bank fraud and tax evasion charges, with Julie also being found guilty of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.

They had been accused of defrauding banks of $30 million in fraudulent loans.

The Chrisleys had previously been cleared of tax evasion charges in the state of Georgia, before being convicted on the federal charges.

In her RNC speech Chrisley said an 'Obama-appointed judge' had called her parents the 'Trumps of the South,' seemingly intended as an insult.

However, Chrisley said she considered it a 'badge of honor.'

She urged convention attendees and viewers to 'Just look at what they're doing to President Trump.'

'All while, let's face it, Hunter Biden is roaming around free and attending classified meetings,' she continued, without further clarifying the contrast she was indicating.

Chrisley addressed the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one day after Trump selected J.D. Vance , a US senator representing Ohio, to be his running-mate

Chrisley was dressed in a sleek ribbed white sweater with half-length sleeves, and she contrasted it with a set of green relaxed-fit slacks

She wore her blond hair in a wavy shoulder-length bob

She accessorized with multiple gold bracelets and a silver luxury wristwatch

At the top of her speech, she opened with two numbers, before quickly revealing they were her parents' prison ID numbers

Chrisley went on to describe the US justice system as 'two faced,' and she claimed that it targets 'Christians and conservatives that the government has labeled extremists or even worse'

In her RNC speech Chrisley said an 'Obama-appointed judge' had called her parents the 'Trumps of the South,' seemingly intended as an insult, but she said it was a 'badge of honor'

She posed in front of a massive police badge while complaining that her parents' sentences were unfair. In 2022, they were convicted of federal felony bank fraud and tax evasion charges

After Trump's 34 felony convictions, he faces a maximum of four years in prison, though legal experts say it is unlikely that a first-time offender would be sentenced to prison time, particularly for a non-violent offense.

His sentencing date has been postponed to September 18, and Trump is expected to appeal his conviction.

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was convicted of three federal felony gun charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. However, he is also expected to receive a much lighter sentence as a first-time offender.

A sentencing date has not been determined yet, but it will likely be set for sometime in October, as pre-sentence reports in Delaware typically take around four months to complete.
Rebecca Judd showed off her incredible figure as she gave an insight into her balmy annual family trip to Broome, Western Australia, on Tuesday.

The AFL WAG, 41, took to her Instagram Stories to share a video of herself and her daughter Billie, ten, heading out for dinner together.

For the outing, Bec put her toned abs on display in a $550 co-ord set from Sabo, made up of a blue patterned crop top, matching trousers and an oversized shirt.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a pair of white sandals and kept her essentials in a black handbag.

The former model shielded her eyes with chunky shades as she walked hand-in-hand with her beloved daughter.

Billie looked every inch Bec's mini-me in a blue summer dress and white sunglasses as they headed out for dinner together.

Bec and her AFL star husband Chris, 40, are currently spending time in Broome with Billie, their son Oscar, 12, and twins Tom and Darcy, eight, on their annual WA holiday.

The Jaggad co-founder has not shied away from keeping her fans up to date with the lavish trip, sharing sun-soaked snaps of herself by the pool and at the beach.

Rebecca Judd showed off her incredible figure in a blue co-ord set as she held hands with her daughter Billie, ten, during her annual family trip to Broome, western Australia, on Tuesday

Their family trip comes after Bec recently recalled the moment she met her husband Chris for the first time during her modelling days in Bangkok.

Earlier this month, she posted a video of herself tanning while she answered fans' burning questions about her life.

In the video, she showed off her incredible figure in a black strapless bikini while applying her Spray Aus tanning mousse and dishing on her romance with Chris, 40.

She said she met the footy star when she was just 20 years old during a visit back home to Perth while she was living and modelling in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bec said she was out drinking with her friends at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel when she laid eyes on Chris for the first time and immediately knew she liked him.

She confessed she wasn't very confident talking to men at the time, but decided to approach Chris and they quickly hit it off.

'It's weird, I didn't really have lots of boyfriends growing up and I was very, very, very picky and I saw him and I was like ''damn! I like him'',' she said.

Bec and her AFL star husband Chris, 40, are currently spending time in Broome with Billie and their son Oscar, 12, and twins Tom and Darcy, eight, on their annual WA holiday (all pictured)

'I was a bit drunk, I had a load of red wine so I was quite confident because I didn't really used to be confident with guys.

'I went over, started chatting to him - I won't tell you what happened that night.

'I liked him straight away. Like really, really liked him straight away. That's it, we met at The Cot and the rest is history.'

The couple went on to tie the knot on December 31, 2010, at Melbourne's Albert Park and now share four children together.
Kate Mara joined a number of stylish stars, including Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart, at the Giorgio Armani Mare 2024 Collection Pop Up on Tuesday.

The Fantastic Four star, 41, was a vision in a pale blue slip dress with sparkling accents while attending the event, which took place at Little Beach House Malibu.

She accessorized with a dark clutch and wore her brunette tresses slicked into an elegant braid.

The actress was also joined by her husband Jamie Bell, 38, who looked handsome in a black suit paired with sneakers.

The stunning couple  who've been married since 2017 and have two children together  were seen sharing a tender look, and had their arms wrapped around each other.

Kate Mara, 41, joined a number of stylish stars, including Camila Mendes, 30, and Lili Reinhart, 27, at the Giorgio Armani Mare 2024 Collection Pop Up on Tuesday in Los Angeles

Camila, 30, looked sophisticated in a beige high-neck silk dress with a black belt cinching in her waist.

Her dark tresses were swept up in a stylish updo, with just a loose strand left to frame her face.

She added height to her look with strappy gold heels.

Meanwhile Lili, 27, took the plunge in a low-cut sheer black gown with a sultry neckline.

Her blonde hair was elegantly pulled into a sophisticated updo.

She wore delicate glam accentuating her naturally stunning visage.

Lili and Camila were also spotted posing with 65 star Ariana Greenblatt, 16.

Ariana wowed in a blue and white silk ensemble. She wore her raven tresses in a straight style, cascading down her shoulders.

The Fantastic Four star was a vision in a pale blue slip dress with sparkling accents while attending the event, which took place at Little Beach House Malibu

The actress was also joined by her husband Jamie Bell, 38

She accessorized with a dark clutch and wore her brunette tresses slicked into an elegant braid

The stunning couple  who've been married since 2017 and share to children together  were seen sharing a tender look, and had their arms wrapped around each other

Jamie looked handsome in a black suit paired with sneakers

Camila was elegant in a beige high-neck silk dress with a black belt cinching in her waist

Lili sizzled in a low-cut sheer black gown with a sultry neckline

She wore delicate glam accentuating her naturally stunning visage

The star's blonde hair was elegantly pulled into a sophisticated updo

Lili and Camila were also spotted posing with 65 star Ariana Greenblatt, 16, who wowed in a blue and white silk ensemble

She wore her raven tresses in a straight style, cascading down her shoulders

Lili also mingled with Chase Stokes, 31, and Christopher Briney, 26, at the pop-up

Chase looked dashing in a white shirt tucked into black pants

Lili also mingled with Chase Stokes, 31, and Christopher Briney, 26, at the pop-up. Chase looked dashing in a white shirt tucked into black pants, while Christopher sported a navy suit.

Ginnifer Goodwin, 46, cut an effortlessly cool figure in a white button-up shirt paired with wide-leg jeans.

The Big Love star accessorized with pointed heels and a black clutch. Her hair was styled in a chic mohawk.

She was joined by husband Josh Dallas, 45, who looked cool in a black t-shirt tucked into grey pants.

The pair have been married since 2014.

Katharine McPhee, 40, was also in attendance, and looked lovely in a sparkling blue dress.

Model Lauren Wasser showed off her cool style in a patterned suit and unique feet-shaped gold shoes.

Also present was Henry Golding, 37, and his wife Liv Lo, 39.

Liv looked chic in a shimmering cropped pastel jacket and a pleated skirt.

Ginnifer Goodwin, 46, cut an effortlessly cool figure in a white button-up shirt paired with wide-leg jeans

The Big Love star accessorized with pointed heels and a black clutch

She was joined by husband Josh Dallas, 45, who looked cool in a black t-shirt tucked into grey pants

Katharine McPhee, 40, was also in attendance, and looked lovely in a sparkling blue dress

She was seen posing with Elsa Collins at the event

Model Lauren Wasser showed off her cool style in a patterned suit and unique feet-shaped gold shoes

She accessorized with sunglasses

Also present was Henry Golding, 37, and his wife Liv Lo, 39

The actor looked handsome in an all-white outfit

His hair was closely cropped in a buzz cut

Edgar Ramirez, 47, kept it casual cool in a navy ensemble

She paired the outfit with a pale pink clutch.

Meanwhile the actor looked handsome in an all-white outfit.

Liv and Henry tied the knot back in 2016.

Actor Edgar Ramirez, 47, kept it casual cool in a navy ensemble for the event.

The Giorgio Armani Mare 2024 Collection Pop-Up is a temporary retail space with the brand's latest swimwear and beachwear collection. Mare means 'sea' in Italian.
Jon Gosselin, who was part of TLC's lineup from 2007 to 2010, offered advice to Alec Baldwin ahead of the actor's new reality show on the network.

Drawing from his experience, Jon candidly cautioned Alec and his wife Hilaria about filming their large family for television.

Jon starred in Jon & Kate Plus 8 with his then-wife, Kate Gosselin, and their eight children, while Alec  whose Rust manslaughter case was dismissed  and Hilaria are now spotlighting their seven children.

'I'd say, "Don't do it," Only because you've already made it, you're an amazing like award-winning actor,'" Jon explained of what he might say to Alec, per his interview with ET on Monday.

'I did it for the money in the beginning 'cause I didn't know how I was gonna support my family,' he added of his reality show resume. 'I sometimes have regrets because they [the kids] didn't sign a contract, I signed the contract.'

Jon Gosselin , who was part of TLC's lineup from 2007 to 2010, offered advice to Alec Baldwin ahead of the actor's new reality show on the network; (pictured 2018)

Drawing from his experience, Jon candidly cautioned Alec and his wife Hilaria about filming their large family for television

He added: 'Look at the nuclear fallout that happened [to our family]'

In the past, Jon and some of his children have discussed how they feel the show contributed to the breakdown of their family and a lasting estrangement.

Jon and Kate have twins, Mady and Cara, aged 23, and sextuplets: Alexis, Aaden, Hannah, Collin, Leah, and Joel, all aged 20.

While Hannah and Collin have distanced themselves from their mother publicly, the other six children maintain a close relationship with Kate,

'I feel like [the fallout] was more on the network side and being taken advantage of versus the decisions we made because we feel like they forced us into those decisions,' added Jon.

Last month, Alec and Hilaria announced the TLC show, which will is being billed as a peek into their home life alongside their seven children: Carmen, 10, Rafael, eight, Leonardo, seven, Romeo, six, Eduardo, three, Maria, three, and Iliaria, 20 months.

The couple 'open up their lives for the first time and bring everyone in to join in the non-stop love, laughter and drama,' per a press release.

In October 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing a cross-draw maneuver with the revolver when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty and claims the gun accidentally fired after he pointed it toward Hutchins and pulled back the hammer, when it fired.

Last week, the judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico dismissed the case, saying the prosecution made errors in handling certain bullets that were regarded as evidence, and argued that the mistakes 'impacted the fundamental fairness of the case.'

Jon starred in Jon & Kate Plus 8 with his then-wife, Kate Gosselin, and their eight children, while Alec and Hilaria are now spotlighting their seven children

'I'd say, "Don't do it," Only because you've already made it, you're an amazing like award-winning actor,'" Jon explained

He added: 'Look at the nuclear fallout that happened [to our family]'

Prosecutors have argued that a state workplace safety investigation, which found serious violations on set, was incomplete, untrustworthy and should be prohibited from the trial.

In April of this year, Hannah Guttierez-Reed, the armorer on set, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins's death and sentenced to 18 months.

The night before the incident, six members of the camera crew quit because of their concerns over safety.

The jury heard that Baldwin commissioned director Souza to write the script, which he owned the rights to. Baldwin was the lead actor on the movie and was also a producer.

The court heard that Baldwin himself made the set unsafe by waving his gun like a 'pointing stick' at people.

The Baldwins is set to premiere in 2025 on TLC, and showrunners have 'already factored the trial into their storylines and production,' a source told The New York Post on Wednesday.

In October 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing a cross-draw maneuver with the revolver when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza (seen on set of Rust)

The FBI conducted an accidental discharge test on the gun by striking it from several angles with a rawhide mallet, eventually breaking the gun.

Baldwin has twice been charged in Hutchins's death. Prosecutors dismissed an earlier charge, then refiled it after receiving a new analysis of the revolver that Baldwin pointed at Hutchins.

Since the 2021 shooting, the filming of Rust resumed but moved to Montana under an agreement with Hutchins's husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer.

The completed movie has not yet been released for public viewing.
Bethenny Frankel flaunted her summer-ready body in a stylish swimsuit as she spent time by the pool with her teenage daughter, Bryn, in new Instagram photos shared on Tuesday.

The TV personality, 53 - who recently reunited with her former Real Housewives Of New York City co-star Jill Zarin - struck a few poses as she soaked up the warm sun during a getaway to the Hamptons.

In a few images, the star showed off her toned figure wearing a blue, halter-styled bikini top as well as matching bottoms.

Her dark locks naturally flowed down past her shoulders while a lavender-colored hat was placed on top of her head.

Frankel accessorized her look with flashy bracelets on her right wrist as well as a watch on her other. A dainty necklace was also added as well as fashionable, black shades for a final touch.

Bethenny Frankel, 53, flaunted her summer-ready body in a stylish swimsuit as she spent time by the pool with her teenage daughter, Bryn, in new Instagram photos shared on Tuesday

In a few images, the star showed off her toned figure wearing a blue, halter-styled bikini top as well as matching bottoms

Bethenny paused for a spontaneous photo session while standing near the edge of a rectangular-shaped swimming pool.

Lounge chairs could be seen surrounding the pool, while the glistening water of the ocean stretched out in the distance.

Her 14-year-old daughter, Bryn, could also be seen joining her mother for the relaxing summer day and cuddled with an adorable pup.

Frankel also took another snap to show the view of the scenic ocean as well as the swimming pool that had a comfy inflatable chair floating on top.

Lastly, the reality star included a photo in the Instagram carousel as she laid a kiss on her daughter's cheek who flashed a cheerful smile towards the camera.

In the caption of her post, Bethenny penned to her followers, 'Pool daze with the Peanut,' referencing to her daughter's nickname.

The media personality - who currently boasts 3.4 million Instagram fans - shares Bryn with ex-husband, Jason Hoppy.

Frankel - who was slammed for saying the Hamptons are 'not only for rich people but also minorities' - and Jason were married from 2010 until she filed for divorce three years later.

Her dark locks naturally flowed down past her shoulders while a lavender-colored hat was placed on top of her head

Her 14-year-old daughter, Bryn, could also be seen joining her mother for the relaxing summer day and cuddled with an adorable pup

Lastly, the reality star included a photo in the Instagram carousel as she laid a kiss on her daughter's cheek who flashed a cheerful smile towards the camera

After reaching a custody agreement in 2014, they reached a financial settlement two years later. The divorce was officially finalized in 2021.

In 2018, Bethenny began to date real estate developer, Paul Bernon, 45, after meeting on a dating app, and the pair became engaged in 2021.

However in May, it was revealed that the two had separated back in March - but the reality star 'kept' the $1 million engagement ring.

A source told Us Weekly that 'it just wasn't going to work' between the pair after being together for six years. 'They are so different  he's an under the radar kind of guy.'

Following the separation - which took place in March - Bernon moved on with Olivia Culpo's sister, Aurora, 35.

Earlier this month, she broke her silence over her ex-fiance dating a younger woman on her Just B podcast.

'Last week, I started to see my name in headlines being portrayed as the jilted ex who had been upgraded from, that my ex had moved on from me with a younger woman.'

She continued, 'It regurgitated the continuous narrative that he is a very under the radar person who had now gotten serious with someone, had a girlfriend, met her family, met her kids.'

The media personality - who currently boasts 3.4 million Instagram fans - shares Bryn with ex-husband, Jason Hoppy

However in May, it was revealed that the two had separated back in March - but the reality star 'kept' the $1 million engagement ring; Frankel and Bernon seen in 2022 in Santa Monica

'She had met his kids. He was in a serious relationship. He had bought her presents, and they were a new unit.'

Bethenny told her listeners that she was 'really happy' following the split, and said she did not want to be portrayed as 'some sort of spinster that's just home crying.'

However, the mother-of-one opened up about trolls accusing her of being jealous of her ex's new relationship at the time. 'It was definitely shocking, and it's embarrassing.'

'Hearing about your ex-fiance committing to another woman shortly thereafter on their first date, and then being inside their relationship, hearing about their sex and their gifts and meeting each other's kids, and the level of commitment was gutting.'

Also during the episode, she said, 'I'm proud of myself, and I'm proud of the way that I handled it.'

'I think this woman has learned a lot, too, and I think that everybody lost in this situation because their actions cost them their relationship, which was brand-new, and who knows what would've happened?'

Shortly after Bethenny broke her silence, it was revealed that Paul and Aurora had split after only a few months of dating.

The star has been keeping busy during the summer season and following her split from Bernon.

Earlier this month, she broke her silence over her ex-fiance dating a younger woman on her Just B podcast

While spending time in the Hamptons, Bethenny also had the chance to reunite with her former RHONY castmate, Jill Zarin

While spending time in the Hamptons, Bethenny had the chance to reunite with her former RHONY castmate, Jill Zarin.

The two had a special reunion as they grabbed dinner - with their daughters also joining in for the fun.

She uploaded memorable snaps from the evening as Frankel posed with Bryn, Jill and her daughter Ally Shapiro, 31.

'Cheers to the next generation,' she typed out in the caption, followed by the hashtags: ''#motherdaughter, #daughterlove, #mommyandme, #hamptons, #weekend, #girlsrule #rhony.'

Bethenny also revealed that she aborted a date not long after flaunting her outfit for fans that she had planned to wear on Monday.

However, after showing off the stylish look, she updated her followers that she was 'Not going on the date' and would 'explain later, bye!'

Bethenny also revealed that she aborted a date not long after flaunting her outfit for fans that she had planned to wear for the outing on Monday

However, after showing off the stylish look, she updated her followers that she was 'Not going on the date' and would 'explain later, bye!'

Earlier on Tuesday, Frankel explained that she made the decision to abort the date with a finance guy 'because he's not my physical type' upon seeing him from a distance with a friend that he was grabbing drinks with before.

She also discovered that he was staying with the friend in the Hamptons, but did not own a home there, although she initially had been led to believe so.

However, throughout the night, the finance guy and his pal kept hopping around to different towns to find a 'place more cool.'

'It seems like your friend and you are looking for a lot more in your life than a restaurant,' she said. 'It seems like you're searching for something... block, peace out, abort, not wasting an outfit.'
Nick Cave has opened up about the death of his sons Arthur and Jethro as he spoke of how grief can bring you back 'tougher'.

The Australian musician and actor, 66, tragically lost two of his sons in the space of seven years.

In 2015, his son Arthur, 15, died after taking LSD for the first time and 'freaking out' before falling 60ft from a cliff near his home in Brighton.

Seven years later, in 2022, Nick's son Jethro, 31, who had schizophrenia and battled drug addiction, died in Melbourne two days after he was released from jail and two months after violently assaulting his own mother.

Asked of his grief, Nick told Mojo magazine on Tuesday: 'There's a sort of resilience, I've really noticed this in my wife. When you are broken apart, you come back tougher.

Nick Cave has opened up about the death of his sons Arthur and Jethro as he spoke of how grief can bring you back 'tougher' (Pictured with Jethro in 2006)

In 2015, his son Arthur, 15, died after taking LSD for the first time and 'freaking out' before falling 60ft from a cliff near his home in Brighton (Pictured are Nick with his twin sons Arthur [right] and Earl [left])

'When the worst happens, other things don't feel as important any more.'

The Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds star, known for hits such as Into My Arms and One More Time With Feeling, moved to Los Angeles soon after Arthur died with his wife Susie and Arthur's twin Earl because they were 'triggered too much' by living just down the road from where it happened.

The tragedy was widely reported and Nick said previously that this resulted in him being 'forced to grieve publicly'.

An inquest into Arthur's death heard that the teenager, who also had cannabis in his system, was 'completely disorientated' as he stumbled off a cliff into the sheer Ovingdean Gap near Brighton.

Police said the teenager was tripping out so badly he 'couldn't feel what was real and what wasn't real any more' and in a final message to a friend he said: 'Where am I? Where am I?'.

In the minutes before the teenager died he was spotted by motorists as he 'zig-zagged' along the grass on the edge of the cliff before climbing over a safety fence and toppling over, it was said.

Another of the popstar's sons, Jethro Lazenby, died in Australia in May 2022 just days after being released from jail.

The 32-year-old had been behind bars for kneeing his mother in the face during a row over cigarettes - leaving her 'bruised and bleeding'.

The Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds star moved to Los Angeles soon after Arthur died with his wife Susie and Arthur's twin Earl (Nick and Susie pictured in January 2023)

An inquest into Arthur's death heard that the teenager, who also had cannabis in his system, was 'completely disorientated' as he stumbled off a cliff (Pictured are Nick, Susie, Arthur and Earl in 2007)

Police said Arthur (pictured) was tripping out so badly he 'couldn't feel what was real and what wasn't real any more'

Speaking days before his death in court, Jethro's lawyer revealed he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that affected his judgement.

The troubled man, who had spent years in and out of custody as his life spiralled out of control in a haze of illicit drugs, had been facing more criminal charges when he was found dead in a $100-a-night motel in Melbourne.

Speaking on his blog The Red Hand Files, where Nick answers questions from fans, in June, he replied to a woman whose daughter was killed.

He wrote: 'A parent should never have to bury their child, it makes no sense, it sits outside the natural order of things.

Another of the popstar's sons, Jethro Lazenby, died in Australia in May 2022 just days after being released from jail (Nick and Jethro pictured in 2017)

The 32-year-old (pictured in 2010)had been behind bars for kneeing his mother in the face during a row over cigarettes - leaving her 'bruised and bleeding'

'Yet here we are, you and me, living within these ghastly vacuums left behind by those we have lost.

'I love your honesty in laying bare the biblical-sized fury we sometimes feel toward a world that has the audacity to keep on turning, regardless of our suffering.

'How dare the world be so beautiful, we think. These are the divergent feelings of grief.'
Strictly Come Dancing may soon run out of male professional dancers after the dramatic exits of Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice.

The BBC series is experiencing a noticeable lack of male talent after the Italian dancers sensationally left the show following reports of tension with their former celebrity dance partners Zara McDermott and Amanda Abbington.

To make matters worse, some of Strictly's most memorable male dancers have quit or been moved to the judging panel in recent years.

After the dramatic departures of Graziano and Giovanni, only seven men remain; Carlos Gu, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzim, Vito Coppola and Aljaz Skorjanec who is returning after a two-year break.

The gender imbalance is stark as the show will have ten female pro dancers on its books with the return of Amy Dowden for the upcoming 20th annivesary series.

Strictly Come Dancing may soon run out of male professional dancers after the dramatic exits of Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice

It was announced on July 9 that Aljaz Skorjanec is returning to Strictly after it was confirmed Giovanni would no longer be part of the line-up

Unless more male dancers are brought in to even things out, securing female celebrity talent for the upcoming series may prove difficult.

Some of the most recent men to quit the dancefloor including Anton Du Beke, Kevin Clifton and AJ Pritchard.

After being with the show since series one, Anton joined the judging panel for series 19 in 2021 and has remained there since.

Kevin Clifton quit the show after the 2019 to pursue a career in musical theatre.

It ended up being a case of bad timing however as the Covid-19 pandemic caused theatres around the country to shut only a few months later.

Kevin later admitted it was 'difficult' to watch the BBC show the following year with him no longer being there.

He told The Huffington Post: 'Strictly Ballroom was sort of the catalyst, but to be honest, Id been talking to [Strictly Come Dancing] about leaving for about a year' with the star saying he had done 'everything' he could possibly do on the show.'

The show suffered another blow in 2020 when AJ Pritchard quit after four years to become a TV presenter alongside his brother Curtis.

Graziano was axed from the show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott during last year's series

Three former dance partners, including actress Amanda Abbington, instructed lawyers to make 'serious complaints' about Giovanni Pernice's conduct

A statement released at the time said: 'After four years on Strictly Come Dancing, AJ has decided the time is right to leave the show and follow his dreams to explore opportunities in the presenting world alongside his brother Curtis.

'AJ would like to thank the team at Strictly and everyone at the BBC for giving him such a brilliant opportunity.

'AJ would also like to send his love and gratitude to all who have followed and supported his career.

'He is excited for you all to join him on the next chapter of his journey.'

Luckily, Strictly still has some stalwart male dancers they can count on for the upcoming series.

Gorka Marquez is the longest serving male pro at present, having been with Strictly for an impressive nine series.

Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones have both been part of the show for the last six series, Kai Widdrington for four and Carlos Gu and Vito Coppola for three.

It was announced on July 9 that Aljaz Skorjanec is returning to Strictly after it was confirmed Giovanni would no longer be part of the line-up.

Aljaz, 34, who welcomed a daughter Lyra with his partner Janette Manrara in July last year, said he hoped to make the one-year-old proud following his two year hiatus from the BBC show.

Appearing on The One Show, he said: 'I could not be more ecstatic to be back with the Strictly family! This year is such a special one for this legendary show, I cant wait to be a part of it and make my return to the dancefloor.'

Kevin Clifton quit the show after the 2019 to pursue a career in musical theatre

The show suffered another blow in 2020 when AJ Pritchard quit after four years to become a TV presenter alongside his brother Curtis

Anton Du Beke left his role as dancer to join the judging panel in 2021

Strictly bosses have announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking from the show.

Graziano, 30, was axed from the show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during last year's series.

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington and two other former celeb partners.

Now, bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

Luckily, Strictly still has some stalwart male dancers they can count on for the upcoming series including Neil Jones (left) and Johannes Radebe (right)

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'

It came following MailOnline's exclusive reports that the BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Graziano is taking legal action against the broadcaster.

Graziano believes he should have been 'supported and helped' with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island Zara.

But a BBC insider told the Mail: 'Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?'

Graziano, who allegedly 'kicked and hit' Zara, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.

A friend of the professional dancer said: 'There are questions over their [the BBC's] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes. He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.'

This paper revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him.

The group expected him to be sacked instantly. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse towards Zara was allowed to continue. Graziano was even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.

A source from the show said: 'There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.'

It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara  nine months after their initial complaint  that he was fired.

They presented it to BBC HR executives investigating dancer Giovanni Pernice, following claims from his 2023 partner, actress Amanda, that he bullied her in training.

Giovanni denies the claims and quit the show last month.

Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano's shock sacking

The Mail revealed he has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Graziano wrote on Instagram over the weekend: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.'

The Mail revealed he has hired a lawyer and publicist in a bid to come out of the scandal as unscathed as possible.

Zara, who now presents documentaries for the BBC, is said to have been 'too frightened' to put a complaint in at the time, but is co-operating with investigators at present.

Zara 'passed out' during Strictly rehearsals with her partner Graziano and was left sleeping on the floor from tiredness.

In a resurfaced video posted on the professional dancer's Instagram Story, Zara can be seen napping on the floor of the dance studio as she attempted to get some rest after an exhausting training session.

Zara previously shared a gushing post about her time on the show and her partner.

In the caption, she shared: 'From the day I met you Graz, you told me every day that I am strong, beautiful and confident. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know that we were meant to be friends for life.

'You have taught me so much about myself and our laughter every single day has brought me so much joy. I never got bored of spending over 12 hours a day with you, and your work ethic has inspired me beyond words.

'You made me believe in myself in those moments that I absolutely didn't and the bond we have built is truly an unbreakable one.'

Zara has since deleted the post. However, she still has pictures and videos with Graziano on her feed.

According to The Sun, BBC bosses were presented with video of Graziano's actions on Thursday, before speaking to Zara ahead of the weekend and finally sacking the Italian on Monday.

Previously, Graziano's fans and famous friends had rallied behind him, including fellow Strictly stars Katya Jones, Susannah Constantine (pictured) and Catherine Tyldesley, who liked and commented on his Instagram post announcing his departure

However, Catherine - who was partnered with Johannes Radebe in the show in 2019 - has now removed one of her more supportive comments

A source told the publication: 'Graziano has held up his hands and admits his behaviour was extreme and unacceptable. He knows there is no return and quite rightly. Yet why was no action taken sooner to nip this situation in the bud?

'Graziano feels if he had received proper support and some sort of anger management training, an escalation could have been prevented.

'For the Beeb's part, Graziano was not the only dancer being spoken to and they had absolutely no idea about the alleged kicking  which it is claimed happened twice  and as soon as they were alerted, they took decisive action and fired him.'

They added: 'Graziano is in bits. He is being monitored 24/7 by his wife Giada and mum who has moved in to take care of him.

'This whole Strictly fiasco is getting increasingly toxic, and the BBC finds itself trying to complete an investigation while overseeing duty of care to all.'

While a BBC insider insisted: 'There was no procrastinating. The video evidence was completely and utterly undeniable.

'It only showed one incident, but it quickly became apparent from talking to Zara that verbal and physical abuse allegedly took place multiple times. She was incredibly brave.'

Amanda Abbington, left the competition mid-way through the series, citing personal reasons after weeks of rumours about a feud with Giovanni (pictured during rehersals)

In 2016, former Love Island host Laura Whitmore said she 'cried every day' and felt 'uncomfortable' while training with Giovanni

As more shocking allegations have come to light over Graziano's sacking, there has been a marked difference in public support for him.

Previously, his fans and famous friends had rallied behind him, including fellow Strictly stars Katya Jones, Susannah Constantine and Catherine Tyldesley, who liked and commented on his Instagram post announcing his departure.

However, Catherine - who was partnered with Johannes Radebe in the show in 2019 - has now removed one of her more supportive comments.

The Corrie star originally wrote: 'What noooo' before adding: 'You are the kindest, incredibly talented, most gentle man... I'm so sorry. Sending you so much love x'.

But now the second gushing comment has been deleted, with only the first remaining on Graziano's post.

The message on Graziano's Instagram reads: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

'While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn't allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.

'There's more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.'

Meanwhile, both Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson have since unfollowed Graziano, but she still follows his wife, Giada Lini.

Fellow Italian Giada, who also danced as a professional on Strictly, has yet to speak out about her husband's untimely departure.

It is the latest blow suffered by the BBC show, which is still watched by more than ten million people, as allegations against fellow Strictly star Giovanni Pernice are still being investigated.

Graziano joined Strictly in 2018 and was last year partnered with Love Island star Zara but they were eliminated in week six.

He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-final with actor Kym Marsh.

It has heaped further turmoil on Strictly, which is deemed to be the jewel in the Corporation's crown and is still watched by more than ten million people.

Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.

It means that Giovanni, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, faces an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including actress Amanda Abbington, instructed lawyers to make 'serious complaints' about his conduct.

It also threatens to damage Strictly, the BBC's biggest Saturday night success story since The Generation Game.

Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary

A television source told the Mail: 'This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years and the whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.

'Amanda's complaints have started something massive, it has opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven't been happy with.

'It is all a big headache for the BBC, it is about to celebrate a massive milestone with its 20th anniversary.

'Having the Giovanni complaint has been a big enough issue, but now it looks like there is more to be scrutinised and looked into.'

Sources close to Pernice say that he fully expects to be exonerated.
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff has weighed in on the 'distressing' misconduct probes currently plaguing the show.

The Russian dancer, 46, who starred on Strictly from 2009 until 2015, shared her thoughts on the sacking of Graziano Di Prima and probe into Giovanni Pernice.

Graziano was sacked after five years on Strictly in the wake of claims that he hit and kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott. It came after Amanda Abbington's allegations that Giovanni 'bullied' her during rehearsals.

Speaking on Lorraine on Wednesday, Kristina said that during her time on the show the vetting procedure of prospective professionals' experience and character was rigorous.

But she shared concerns that those procedures are not as thorough now, and questioned the teaching ability of current professional dancers on the show.

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff weighed in on the 'distressing' misconduct probes currently plaguing the show when she appeared on Lorraine on Wednesday

The Russian dancer, 46, who starred on Strictly from 2009 until 2015, shared her thoughts on the sacking of Graziano Di Prima

'All of these situations are very distressing now for a lot of Strictly fans to read and for someone who worked on the show for eight years, for me,' Kristina said.

'It's very disturbing, it's very upsetting. That statement from Zara for me as a woman, was heartbreaking. That she actually suffered so much stress and abuse.'

Kristina said that when she applied to be on the show in the noughties, she went through a serious vetting process.

The dancer flew from the US to be interviewed for 45 minutes on camera, and had to demonstrate her teaching style for the Cha Cha Cha and Waltz using a runner as a pretend student.

Kristina - who is engaged to her former celebrity partner Ben Cohen - then returned to America and filed huge amounts of paperwork detailing her certification regarding various dance styles, as well as teaching qualifications and character profiles.

'I think this process isn't there anymore,' she said.

She had 10 years of experience teaching dance by the time she was being hired for the show, something she feels may be lacking in the current cast.

Kristina said: 'All of the pros from my years on the show, we all came from competitive backgrounds. We all were teaching - and teaching for some time - so we had that experience of teaching people.'

Speaking on Lorraine on Wednesday, Kristina said that during her time on the show the vetting procedure of prospective professionals' experience and character was rigorous (Kristina pictured with former celebrity partner and now-fiance Ben Cohen in 2014)

Kristina shared concerns with Lorraine that strict procedures are not as thorough now, and questioned the teaching ability of current professional dancers on the show

Kristina said that when she applied to be on the show in the noughties, she went through a serious vetting process (Pictured with celebrity partner Simon Webbe in 2015)

She said that while some of the professionals on the show now might be great dancers, the job is mainly to teach in a way that a celebrity can understand and that helps them flourish.

'That is the main job, not that you can stand on your head and do cartwheels in a group number,' she added.

'That's all well and good but at the end of the day it is about teaching ability and I think some of the pros who are very young, they probably don't have the teaching experience.'

After months of being bombarded with calls from agents begging for their clients to be given a place in the Saturday night favourite, Stefania Aleksander, the show's long-serving booker, has usually signed up at least six or seven celebrities, whose names inevitably find their way into the public domain.

This time round, however, it's been quite a struggle, the Mail revealed on Tuesday  despite it being Strictly's 20th anniversary year.

Insiders at the Corporation said they are having problems recruiting females in particular, especially high-profile ones - a first in its rich history - amid the fall out from probes into behaviour.

'Usually it is the women who are more keen,' a television executive connected to the series said. 'Not only is it an opportunity to get dressed up but appearing on Strictly is also much more fortuitous for females' careers than men's.

'But word has got around that it isn't exactly a walk in the park, so getting them has a been a lot more challenging.'

Graziano was sacked after five years on Strictly in the wake of claims that he hit and kicked his celebrity partner Zara McDermott

The scandal comes on the heels of Amanda Abbingtons allegations that Giovanni Pernice bullied her during rehearsals

The show, according to inside sources, is in 'meltdown' and the upper echelons of both Strictly and the wider BBC have been locked in meetings over the weekend as they attempt to work out how they can survive the scandal.

One said: 'There have been many conversations about how this is dealt with but the immediate problem is this year's cast... There has been lots of swearing and frustration.'

The scale of the crisis is illustrated by the fact that  by this time last year  Zara, former newsreader Angela Rippon and TV presenter Angela Scanlon had already signed up for the show. Finalist Layton Williams had also agreed to appear and Les Dennis was on the verge of doing so. All these names had leaked into the public domain but this year no high-profile female's name has yet been mooted.

'It is starting to feel a little bit dire,' says the insider. 'It was supposed to be smashing this year, it's such a big series. There is huge pressure.'

In a bid to generate interest and make the show more appealing to would-be contestants, the BBC yesterday unveiled a three-point plan to make rehearsals safer.

From now on, a production team member will be present during training, contestants and professionals alike will be given additional support via welfare producers and 'further training' will be given to the production team and crew.

The move was announced as Zara broke her silence on the scandal, which not only saw Graziano hit and kick her but repeatedly verbally abuse her.
She is known for her bouncy blonde locks and perfectly stylish appearance.

However Olivia Attwood looked worlds away from her usual glamorous appearance as she took to Instagram with a very candid selfie on Tuesday.

The TV personality, 33, looked a little bit rough as she shared a makeup free snap after her flight to Glasgow was delayed on Monday evening.

Olivia and her team were delayed until 10pm at the airport before they were then made to wait for a further two hours on board the plane after it was announced it was cancelled.

Unable to fly to the Scottish city, the former Love Islander was up at five am to catch the train as she shared the candid snap.

Olivia Attwood looked worlds away from her usual glamorous self as she poked fun at her tired appearance with a candid makeup free selfie after a travel nightmare on Tuesday

The star also shared a mirror selfie from the lift as she made a sad face writing: ' I haven't been home in 10 days I'm going to cuddle my little gang so hard tonight'

She joked with her followers: 'Then up at five am to make it to Glasgow in time... I never post pics like this next one lol but it's too good not to...

'My face on two hours sleep.... one hour before I'm due on camera. (And no I don't travel with glam for documentaries'.

Olivia looked dishevelled in the picture as she pouted make up free with her hair unstyled as she wrote: 'LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLL'.

She added: 'I can only apologise for what this lens captured today. But the people I interviewed were amazing and so considerate of our unbelievable time pressures'.

The star also shared a mirror selfie from the lift as she made a sad face writing: ' I haven't been home in 10 days I'm going to cuddle my little gang so hard tonight'.

Sharing some more snaps from the train she posted some pictures of her and her team as they tucked into some snacks as she joked: 'Working in tele - How glam'.

Directing her fans to her latest fashionable grid post she teased: 'Regularly scheduled presentable content on the grid'.

The candid snaps come after Olivia admitted being a motorsport grid girl 'saved her life' as she reflected on her career after landing her most recent presenting role.

Olivia and her team were delayed until 10pm at the airport before they were then made to wait for a further two hours on board the plane after it was announced it was cancelled

She added: 'I can only apologise for what this lens captured today. But the people I interviewed were amazing and so considerate of our unbelievable time pressures'

Sharing some more snaps from the train she posted some pictures of her and her team as they tucked into some snacks as she joked: 'Working in tele - How glam'

She also shared a snap of her and her team stuck in a huge queue trying to get a taxi from the airport after their flight was cancelled

She has recently graduated from dating show contestant to TV presenter and has recently landed a hosting job with ITV as the presenter of a brand-new dating series.

Now fronting documentaries, hosting her own podcast, So Wrong It's Right, and becoming a regular panellist on Loose Women, she has come a long way from 'living out of a suitcase' while working for Monster Energy.

Olivia began her career as a gird girl aged 19, a job which she now admits 'changed' everything.

In 2018, walk-on grid girls were axed from Formula One as the motorsport followed the move within darts to get rid of glamour women because it is not in keeping with their 'brand values'.

Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Times, she explained: 'That job saved my life. I travelled the world, it gave me discipline, I met amazing people, so to me itd be pretty sad to think someone else wouldnt get that opportunity.

'As soon as Id decided what I wanted to do, I became relentlessly focused on that. Every decision Ive made over the last five years has been about a bigger picture.

'Theres always going to be someone prettier than you, someone smarter than you or whatever, but I can outwork anyone.'

This year, Olivia landed a hosting job with ITV as the presenter of a brand-new dating series, MailOnline revealed in May.

The TV personality began her career as a gird girl aged 19, a job which she now admits 'changed' everything

She has graduated from dating show contestant to TV presenter and has recently landed a hosting job with ITV as the presenter of a brand-new dating series (pictured on Love Island in 2017)

The former Love Island star is currently filming the show in Greece, which features couples who are experiencing issues in their relationships because of men behaving badly, with Olivia helping to change their ways.

In November, MailOnline revealed she had been offered a six-figure deal to front the series, which has been predicted to be the next big thing since Love Island.

A TV source revealed: 'Olivia is over the moon, she could have never predicted after starring on Love Island as a contestant to one day be presenting her own dating series.

'She is working with a full ensemble cast and filming has already started in Greece, she is loving every second of it so far.'
A man in San Francisco stands doubled over, a position taken by many users while under the influence of opioids such as fentanyl. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Its become a ubiquitous sign of the fentanyl crisis unfolding on San Franciscos streets: scores of seemingly comatose drug users slumped over in extreme positions.

Examples of the fentanyl fold have been plastered on social media for years as San Francisco continues to try to get a grip on a highly visible opioid epidemic that claimed the lives of more than 800 people last year.

The effects of fentanyl can be deadly, and prolonged use can cause long-term health problems for users, even if they quit. But the reason for the fentanyl users distinctive fold witnessed across urban America has been elusive and difficult to explain.

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The Chronicle spoke to fentanyl users and medical professionals in an effort to better understand this particular effect of fentanyl use.

A fentanyl user for the past two years, Jeff Barlow tried to explain why users tend to double over in such extreme angles.

During the fold, Barlow said, your brain and body are at odds.

Barlow, sitting last week outside the San Francisco Public Library in the Civic Center, gestured to a man nodding off after taking a hit of the deadly substance. He told the Chronicle that the drug puts you in a sleep-dream state and often you dont even know youre like that.

Its like falling asleep in class, said Barlow, 50. You blink your eyes and 20 minutes go by. Youre kind of half-in and half-out of consciousness.

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Jeff Barlow, 50, relocates his belongings while carrying his dog, Moo Moo, outside the San Francisco Main Library. Originally from Fresno and a former teacher, Barlow became addicted to painkillers after suffering injuries from motocross racing and now uses fentanyl daily while living on the streets with his partner. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Barlow said he became addicted to opioids in 2001 after a doctor prescribed him painkillers following an operation. Hes overdosed on fentanyl 14 times, and his partner, Karie Williams  who is not a user  has saved him with Narcan many times.

Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, UCSF professor of addiction medicine, said what he calls the nod is a common side effect of opioid use.

Its not much different than the experience of being in a boring lecture and falling asleep, Ciccarone said. Its a version of losing consciousness. But not to the point of losing consciousness  theyre still conscious.

These nods have always happened to varying degrees with other opioids, particularly heroin. The nods with fentanyl, however, seem to be more extreme, Ciccarone noted. And its often a sign that a person has taken too strong a dose, he said.

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What youre witnessing is the balance point between passing out  when you lose all muscular control and are on the floor  versus some small remnant of consciousness that is keeping the person upright, he said.

Fentanyl, which can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin, can induce this low point of consciousness, which is believed to be euphoric, Ciccarone said.

As opioids get stronger, the nod gets deeper, he said. The dials are just being turned down. Consciousness, breathing, muscular control are going down  and this is just one of the visible signs of it.

Frederick Smith, 43, said he finds himself in the fent fold about two or three minutes after taking a hit of fentanyl. The position has made his knee and foot problems worse. He said hes in excruciating pain because he doesnt realize he is in that position until it starts to hurt his body  so he does more fentanyl.

I take it because it helps with the pain on my knee and my foot, he said. But it makes everything worse.

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Fentanyl user Alan Vetter has also found himself in the loop of pain and pain relief. He smoked a cigarette as the sun baked the Tenderloin sidewalk in front of him.

When asked about the fentanyl fold, he said, You mean that? referring to a man next to him who was standing but doubled over at the waist.

I see it every day.

Vetter said he has used fentanyl for about a year and a half and has found himself in that extreme bent-over position countless times. For him the drug was the only way he could get relief for his injured back and hernia.

Thats the only way you get relief, he said of the drug. I start getting my back cramping and I get sleepy, so I just start to nod off. Next thing I know Im almost on the floor.

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Vetter said people who use fentanyl end up in those positions so much that you end up losing control of your body and get stuck there.

UCSF orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alexos Theologis, who specializes in the spine, said some people probably slump because of muscular issues. But going into the fentanyl fold position too much over a long period of time can cause severe damage to the spine, neck and back muscles, he added.

Theologis said theres nothing in the use of fentanyl itself that will cause people spinal problems, but such prolonged folding can lead to chronic issues.

The postures I see  are very, very disabling, Theologis said. We have studies that demonstrate these postural changes (are)  among the most disabling medical conditions anybody can experience. Its similar to cancer treatment and pain associated with cancer.

He said the fentanyl fold falls into the umbrella of a severe spinal deformity that can cause functional disability and can drive mental anguish. He said hes not sure whether its 100% reversible, but physical therapy and surgery can help people regain their ability to remain upright after spinal deformity.
Graziano Di Prima admitted he called Zara McDermott 'rubbish' in re-surfaced interview as he detailed his tough training regime.

The professional dancer, 31, was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing this week over reports he 'hit and kicked' the TV personality, 27, during rehearsals last year.

Zara has since been seen with only three toenails left, her feet 'bleeding' and 'passed out' on the floor as images of her in training have come to light once more.

Now, in a re-surfaced interview from October, Graziano discusses the regime he undergoes with the celebrity contestants while speaking to Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson on his Hits Radio UK show.

In the clip he explained: 'The thing for me, every season I try to make a friend, because this person needs to feel comfortable in the room with me, because they've never danced before for example, and we dont know each other.'

Graziano Di Prima, 31, admitted he called Zara McDermott 'rubbish' in re-surfaced interview as he detailed his tough training regime

The professional dancer was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing this week over reports he 'hit and kicked' the TV personality, 27, during rehearsals last year

Graziano added: 'We are forced to spend all day together. You need to understand that Im just teaching you.

'Everything Im saying is not personal, it's about how you move. Im not telling you that youre rubbish in life!'

MailOnline has contacted Graziano Di Prima's representatives for comment.

In a resurfaced video posted on the professional dancer's Instagram Story, Zara can be seen napping on the floor of the dance studio as she attempted to get some rest after an exhausting training session.

Taken on October 25 just days before the pair were eliminated from the show in week six, Graziano waited for her to wake up as he captioned the snap: 'She asked me 5 minutes break'.

Later reposting the clip, after her slumber, she seemed to joke: 'I think I've clocked about 50k steps already today with this routine. Give me a break pls' alongside a laughing emoji.

Months after the show, Zara also revealed that she only has three toenails after losing them during the competition.

While training for Strictly, Zara shared a photo of her nasty foot wounds including one on her big toe, she wrote: 'Half my toe has come off tbh.'

Zara has since been seen with only three toenails left , her feet 'bleeding' and 'passed out' on the floor as images of her in training have come to light once more

Now, in a re-surfaced interview from October, Graziano discusses the regime he undergoes with the celebrity contestants while speaking to Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson (pictured on Hits Radio UK show)

Graziano says: 'Everything Im saying is not personal, it's about how you move. Im not telling you that youre rubbish in life!'

During an interview last year, Zara revealed the reason behind her agonising injury, that left her feet 'bleeding' was her gruelling training sessions.

She said at the time it was a tough ride during rehearsals when Graziano made her wear 'men's shoes' which left her feet sore and cut.

Speaking at the Who Cares Wins awards, Zara said: 'Graziano told me not to go for the heels but to dance in men's shoes at the start.

'I told him, 'It's not working, I need to take them off' and he said, 'No, no you're fine'.

'I said honestly it's hurting and I took them off and my feet were bleeding. I was like, 'I told you I am not being dramatic!'

Zara has been open about her injuries and has more recently been wearing a Aircast Boot after having a stress fracture in her tibia.

In March, the bombshell shared a health update on Instagram ahead of a hospital visit, she penned: 'This evening I'm heading to the hospital because while I was away I got some news from my Dr about my tibia fracture.

'The good news is that there is some small evidence of healing! Yay!

'However he said he can see that the bone surrounding the fracture is under a lot of tension/pressure... whatever that means?

'Surgery is still an option but I've opted for the most natural route which is to try and help it heal on its own...'

In another post, Zara explained her injury further and asked followers for advice.

She penned: 'So I have quite a significant stress fracture in my tibia that isn't healing. It stretches pretty much the entire width of my bone.

'The professor who operated on me back in December has advised that I am likely to need further surgery where they put metal screws and plates above and below the fractured area to fuse it together.

'I'm just weighing up whether to crack on and go ahead with the surgery or wait and hope that it starts to heal on its own. If it doesn't, then I will need to have surgery in 3-6 months anyway.'

During an interview last year, Zara revealed the reason behind her agonising injury, that left her feet 'bleeding', was due to partner Graziano's training

A photo of her 'passed out' during rehearsal with Strictly partner Graziano in a 'resurfaced' video from last October has also come to light

After Graziano shared the video of her napping Zara was quick to hit back by claiming she had done 'double the workload' of her professional partner

Zara broke her silence after Graziano was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing over reports he 'hit and kicked' her on Tuesday.

The Love Island star wrote on Instagram that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara begain. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni was taking place.

Zara broke her silence after Graziano was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing over reports he 'hit and kicked' her on Tuesday

The star wrote on Instagram that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'distressing incidents'

Both Zara and her boyfriend Sam Thompson have since unfollowed Graziano, but she still follows his wife, Giada Lini (Zara and Sam pictured)

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

I have wrestled with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly meas a lot. Love, always. Zara.'

Insiders have now revealed that Graziano is already packing up his life in the UK and plans to start again in Italy alongside his wife Giada, a fellow dancer who stars on the Italian version of Strictly.

A source explained how the dancer, who is planning to sue the BBC following his sacking, has gone into hiding, claiming: 'Graziano is petrified and in a bad place'.

'He is being supported by his wife Giada and they are planning to pack up and move back to Italy. This has killed his career dead and he knows it,' the insider told The Sun.

'Going back to Italy for a new beginning is what is best for him and Giada.'

Graziano, who was due to compete in his seventh series of Strictly before his sacking, is taking legal action against the BBC, MailOnline revealed on Monday.

The BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima is taking legal action against the broadcaster.

The Sicilian dancer believes he should have been 'supported and helped' with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island star Zara.

But a BBC insider told the Mail that the broadcaster will fight back, explaining: 'Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?'

Graziano, who allegedly 'kicked and hit' Zara, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.

Graziano, who was due to compete in his seventh series of Strictly before his sacking, is taking legal action against the BBC , MailOnline revealed on Monday

Graziano shared a statement reading: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime'

A friend of the professional dancer said yesterday: 'There are questions over their [the BBC's] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes.'

'He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.'

MailOnline revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him.

The group expected him to be sacked instantly. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse towards Zara was allowed to continue. Graziano was even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.

A source from the show said: 'There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.'

It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara nine months after their initial complaint  that he was fired.
Graziano Di Prima's wife has responded to Zara McDermott's statement about reports the Strictly star 'hit and kicked' her.

Graziano, 30, was axed from the BBC show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara, 27, during last year's series.

And on Tuesday, the Love Island star broke her silence as she took to Instagram to explain that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of', there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'.

Following her statement, Graziano's wife Giada Lini has shown her support for her husband by unfollowing Zara on Instagram.

Zara is still following Giada, despite unfollowing Graziano when his sacking was announced. Her boyfriend Sam Thompson was quick to follow suit.

Graziano Di Prima's wife has responded to Zara McDermott's statement about reports the Strictly star 'hit and kicked' her

Graziano, 30, was axed from the BBC show last week over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara, 27, during last year's series

Zara wrote in her statement: 'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports,' Zara begain. 'Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.'

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it.'

'I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.'

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to worth with.

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredible distressing to watch.

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead, it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni Pernice was taking place.

Following her statement, Graziano's wife Giada Lini has shown her support for her husband by unfollowing Zara on Instagram

Graziano married Giada in a lavish ceremony in Sicily in 2022, seven years after they got together

Zara has since broken her silence after Graziano was sacked from Strictly over reports he verbally and physically abused her

'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC , I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

I have wrestled with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly meas a lot. Love, always. Zara.'

Just two weeks before his firing, Graziano gushed over how his wife Giada Lini and Zara had shared a friendship.

Asked about how the married couple navigate the Strictly 'curse' in an interview with OK! magazine, Giada said that cheating can happen anywhere, but the important thing is trusting your partner.

MailOnline revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him

Zara wrote that 'my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events'

And revealing that the couple had socialised with Zara outwith the training studio, Graziano added: 'We always include our dance partners and go for dinner and get to know each other.'

The dancer had also said that he and Giada were thinking about starting a family in the interview - weeks before he was fired and 'fled the UK to Italy to start a new life'.

Of having children, Graziano said: 'We are both dancers and I always say to my wife, when she feels ready I am always here to support her.'

Graziano married Giada in a lavish ceremony in Sicily in 2022, seven years after they got together.

MailOnline revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him.

The group expected him to be sacked instantly. They are said to be furious that their complaints were ignored, meaning the abuse towards Zara was allowed to continue. Graziano was even signed on for the upcoming 2024 series of Strictly.

Following the drama, Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers

A source from the show said: 'There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.'

It was not until staff got hold of a video allegedly showing Graziano repeatedly hitting Zara nine months after their initial complaint  that he was fired.

Insiders have also revealed that Graziano is already packing up his life in the UK and plans to start again in Italy alongside his wife Giada, a fellow dancer who stars on the Italian version of Strictly.

A source explained how the dancer, who is planning to sue the BBC following his sacking, has gone into hiding, claiming: 'Graziano is petrified and in a bad place'.

'He is being supported by his wife Giada and they are planning to pack up and move back to Italy. This has killed his career dead and he knows it,' the insider told The Sun .

'Going back to Italy for a new beginning is what is best for him and Giada.'
Matt Damon and his wife Luciana put on a loved up display as they explored Copenhagen hand in hand on Tuesday.

The Bourne Identity actor, 53, and the former bartender, 47, looked smitten as they walked around the Danish capitals historic Strget area.

He cut a casual figure in some blue jeans, a dark jumper and slip on black vans.

Luciana looked incredible as she stepped out in black leather skirt, a black jumper and some black stilettos.

Their trip comes just days after Matt seemed more in love than ever with his wife of nearly 20 years on Monday while on vacation in the celebrity destination Mykonos, Greece.

Matt Damon and his wife Luciana put on a loved up display as they explored Copenhagen hand in hand on Tuesday

The Bourne Identity actor, 53, and the former bartender, 47, looked smitten as they walked around the Danish capitals historic Strget area

He put his arms around the beauty as they took a dip in the ocean during a sunny afternoon.

His spouse looked toned in a black bikini as Matt slipped into men's swimming shorts while wearing a cap and sunglasses.

The Air star and his wife hit the beautiful island every year with their children, but this years trip got off to a shaky start when the Damons had to evacuate their hotel after a bomb threat that turned out to be fake over the weekend.

The Mykonos Police Sub-Directorate took immediate action after receiving an anonymous email falsely claiming explosive devices had been placed in four beach bars across Mykonos.

Matt and Luciana share four daughters: Alexia, 25 - who Luciana had from a previous relationship - Isabella, 18, Gia, 15, and Stella, 13.

Alexia was four when Matt met her mom in a crowded nightclub in Miami, Florida, back in 2003.

The actor reportedly hid behind the bar with Luciana to escape fans.

She told Vogue Australia in 2018: 'Matt's story is that he saw me across the room and there was a light on me. And I'm like: "Yeah it was a nightclub  there were lights everywhere!"

Their trip comes after Matt seemed more in love than ever with his wife of nearly 20 years on Monday while on vacation in the celebrity destination Mykonos, Greece

'He says, "Oh I saw you and I really wanted to talk to you."

'But I was like, 'I can't, I have a four-year-old daughter, I'm not going anywhere...and that was one of the things he loved, that I had a daughter.

'He said, "I love that you're a mum and that's your priority". Some guys might have been different, they might think it's complicated, but for him it wasn't.'

The couple got engaged in September 2005 and wed nearly three months later in a private civil ceremony at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.

When his first child, Isabella was born, Matt said it changed his life.

He told the UK's Sunday Express: 'I really used to have no life outside movies. I'd work all day, go to the gym and go to sleep.

'Now I have a place to be so I come home after work.'
READ MORE: Jeopardy! viewers are left in uproar as show is pulled off air just MINUTES before the final

Jeopardy! viewers wasted no time in poking fun at Drake after his feud with Kendrick Lamar made it into one of Ken Jennings' clues.

During Tuesday night's episode, the 50-year-old host asked contestants Isaac Hirsch, Erika Stromerson, and Jay Fisher a question about the rappers' infamous beef from the category titled, Diss-Track-Tions.

Ken said: 'In May 2024, these two competitors went back and forth with tracks like Family Matters and Meet The Grahams.'

Nine-day reigning champion Isaac correctly buzzed in with Drake, 37, and Kendrick's names and was awarded $800, as viewers were left in hysterics that the hip-hop powerhouses were referenced on the beloved gameshow.

On Instagram, one laughed: 'Drake getting cooked by Jeopardy?!?!?'

Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings asked a question about Drake's infamous feud with Kendrick Lamar in the latest episode of the ABC game show

The clue tickled viewers at home who cheekily quipped that Drake 'can't catch a break'

Another joked: 'The boogeyman is everywhere... Drake can't catch a break.'

A third enthused: 'Jeopardy's hip-hop clues are some of the best we've had in years.'

'Obviously you can't have a diss track category without mentioning Drake and Kendrick,' a fourth said.

Over on X, another added: 'Not Kendrick and Drake's beef becoming a Jeopardy clue!'

A second said: 'Kendrick Lamar & Drake's beef being a question on Jeopardy just tickled me.'

Drake and Kendrick, also 37, two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years.

Since things turned sour, they have continued to release numerous back-and-forth diss tracks about each other.

Their explosive feud was reignited in October of last year when Drake and J. Cole released their song First Person Shooter referring to themselves and Kendrick as 'the big three.'

Ken said: 'In May 2024, these two competitors went back and forth with tracks like Family Matters and Meet The Grahams'

Kendrick and Drake, both 37, went back and forth in May with several diss tracks

Jeopardy! viewers were entertained by Ken's question and declared it 'the best in years'

Kendrick seemingly took issue with this, which he expressed in an uncredited verse on Metro Boomin and Future's track Like That, which dropped on March 26.

On the song, he threw multiple lyrical jabs at both Drake and J Cole, furiously rapping the stand out line: 'Motherf**k the big three, n***a, it's just big me.'

In April, Drake released Kendrick diss track Push Ups, taking aim at the rapper's small feet in the track's promo art, which featured only a size 7 shoe tag.

He also hit out with Taylor Made Freestyle, where he used the AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Kendrick's idols, to go after him.

However, it resulted in a cease and desist from Tupac's estate.

At the end of the month Kendrick responded with Euphoria - a six-minute-long diss track, taking shots at his rival.

The feud entered new territory in May, when Kendrick released 6:16 in LA, which is a parody of the Canadian musician's famous timestamp songs such as 4 PM in Calabasas, which he released in 2013, and his song from last year, 8 AM in Charlotte.

Jeopardy! contestant Isaac Hirsch correctly answered Ken's clue

Drake continued the ongoing beef by releasing a diss track called Family Matters - responding to Euphoria and 6:16 in LA.

Mere minutes after Drake released his song, Kendrick fired back with Meet the Grahams, his third diss in a week.

On his quick-witted rebuttal, Kendrick suggested that the rapper has a secret daughter.

Days later, he made serious accusations about Drake on the track Not Like Us.

In the song, the Compton-born rapper appeared to accuse Drake of being a pedophile, along with another member of his crew.

It was released on YouTube with what appeared to be a graphic of Drake's home covered with red sex offender symbols.

In the lyrics, the Pulitzer Prize winner hit out at the hitmaker and members of his October's Very Own (OVO) crew.

'Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young,' Kendrick raps, encouraging others to 'hide your little sister from him.'
The neighbor who attacked Charlie Sheen at his Malibu home is seeking to overturn the case, citing 'incompetency' despite previously pleading no contest.

Electra Poag Schrock, 48, is hoping to 'clear her name', DailyMail.com has learned, now claiming she was unfit to stand trial at the time, due to 'mind-altering' medications she was forced to take in custody following her arrest.

The blonde practicing Buddhist was accused of trying to strangle the TV star, 58, after he opened the door of his relatively modest second-floor apartment at the Malibu complex on December 20.

She is due back in court on Thursday.

Schrock, who was living in a rented two-bedroom unit on the third floor, was arrested that day and charged with 'felony assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury' over the altercation in the upscale star-studded California coastal enclave.

Charlie Sheen's Buddhist neighbor Electra Schrock is pictured during a December 26 hearing at LA Superior Court days after she was arrested for assaulting the actor at his Malibu apartment

Sheen, 58, was attacked by his neighbor after opening the door of his apartment on December 20

An initial charge of 'assault with a deadly weapon with force' was dropped.

Divorcee Schrock originally pleaded not guilty during her initial arraignment on December 26.

She changed her plea to no contest three weeks later and received two years of formal probation with conditional release to a residential treatment program for substance abuse for 90 to 120 days.

But in a court declaration last week, Schrock formally withdrew her plea, due to 'pharmaceutical contraindications directly causing incompetency to stand trial'.

In the document, dated July 9 and obtained by DailyMail.com, Schrock states she suffered medication interactions  including 'uncontrollable body convulsions and hallucinations'  after being forced to take antipsychotic drugs while held in custody at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, 14 miles south of downtown LA.

'I was administered Haloperidol which caused my body to quickly develop severe uncontrollable body convulsions, also known as Parkinsonism, with mild hallucinations,' she said in the declaration.

'Refusal to take medication was not an option, for if I did not comply with Lynwood CRDF staff I was treated with indignity; remaining in [a] 'suicide gown' with my breasts exposed multiple times in Van Nuys Courthouse and Lynwood CRDF.'

Months after her arraignment, Schrock has formally withdrawn her no-contest plea, due to 'pharmaceutical contraindications directly causing incompetency to stand trial'

Schrock and Sheen were neighbors at a gated rental complex just off Pacific Coast Highway in the upscale celebrity coastal enclave

On January 2, days before pleading no contest, Schrock says she then spoke to her public defender concerning the 'graveness' of her health and medication interactions, after which a health examination was requested.

According to the documents, Schrock was no longer taking Haloperidol by January 13, upon her 'absolute refusal to continue causing my body unbearable amounts of strain and my mind to remain in an altered state.'

She claims that from then on she was unknowingly given anti-tremor drug Cogentin, causing her to develop 'severe hallucinations restricting the ability to perceive reality logically and rationally'.

The administration of the drug continued until January 18  the day before she signed her plea  'upon realization' she had an allergy to the drug, the declaration states.

Schrock was released from custody on January 19 and entered a Los Angeles treatment facility.

'Electra is hopeful the court will accept her plea withdrawal so she can have a chance to clear her name,' a close friend tells DailyMail.com.

In the wake of the incident, prosecutor Nicole Flood told the court Sheen had been left 'quite fearful' following the altercation.

In her July 9 declaration, Schrock states she suffered medication interactions  including 'uncontrollable body convulsions and hallucinations'  after being forced to take antipsychotic drugs in custody

She also revealed Sheen had stitches on his body at the time, and during the tussle with Schrock one stitch had 'come out.'

The Hollywood actor was granted a protective order requiring Schrock to stay away from him for 10 years.

Since completing 90-days of rehab on April 21, Schrock and a business partner have opened Malibu Castaway, a consignment store on the Pacific Coast Highway.

'We hope to serve the Malibu community, as well as tourists and foreigners,' Schrock told The Malibu Times.

'Just like the people of Malibu, our store focuses on quality. Many locals here have treasures from all over the globe. Unique celebrity memorabilia as well as film scripts, books, and art.

'We want people to feel confident and content casting off their well-heeled goodies.'

She added: 'I was also in the news a while back regarding an incident with Charlie Sheenthat's not this story though.'
Ola Jordan has shown her support for Strictly Come Dancing's new duty of care protocol, just hours before shocking footage of her husband James emerged.

The BBC show announced plans to introduce chaperones during training, and the appointment of two new welfare producers, after Graziano Di Prima, 30, was axed over reports he verbally and physically abused his celebrity partner Zara McDermott.

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice, 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50, and two other former celeb partners.

Former professional Strictly dancer Ola appeared to be in support of putting chaperones in place, as she wrote on X: 'So apparently the couples on Strictly are now going to get chaperones. Im all for this as it will also protect the pro dancers. BUT.. that could be the end of the Strictly Curse'

Now, shocking footage has emerged of former professional dancer James Jordan - Ola's husband - telling his partner he would 'drag her across the floor and scream at her' if she forgot her moves.

Ola Jordan has shown her support for Strictly Come Dancing's new duty of care protocol, just hours before shocking footage of her husband James emerged

Former professional Strictly dancer Ola wrote on X: 'So apparently the couples on Strictly are now going to get chaperones. Im all for this as it will also protect the pro dancers'

Shocking footage has emerged of former pro dancer James Jordan - Ola's husband - telling his partner he would 'drag her across the floor and scream at her' if she forgot her moves

Ola, who shares four-year-old daughter Ella with James, shared her social media post just a few hours before the James footage was released.

The clip, which was filmed during the fourth series back in 2006, shows him rehearsing with actress Georgina Bouzova.

He also says to her 'kill you' as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn't care what pain she is in. He is also seen throwing a chair across the training studio.

Jordan, who left Strictly in 2012 after appearing on eight series, also banned Ms Bouzova, who formerly starred on BBC medical drama Casualty, from eating sweets and chocolate and would only allow her to buy pineapple and ham when they visited a supermarket together.

The video, which emerged just days after Graziano Di Prima was sacked for allegedly hitting and kicking his partner Zara McDermott , was shown on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two at the time with its then host Claudia Winkleman introducing it to viewers.

Half way through the clip the show returned to the presenter who made light of the behaviour by describing Jordan, husband of another former Strictly pro Ola Jordan , as 'an extraordinary human being.'

The video, which is being shared across social media platform TikTok opens with Jordan telling Ms Bouzova that he was a 'force to be reckoned with' before ordering her to 'move that f***ing foot.'

Ola, who shares four-year-old daughter Ella with James, shared her social media post just a few hours before the James footage was released

Former professional dancer James Jordan was paired with actress Georgina Bouzova for the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing

In the clip he also says to her 'kill you' as he demands she stands on one leg and insists that unless she has physically broken a rib he doesn't care what pain she is in

Explaining why he is working the star so hard, he then says: 'Unless she's actually physically broken a rib, I don't care...kill you, stand on your left leg. Unless her feet are bleeding, I don't care. If they're sore, dance through it.'

Appearing to be surprised by 46-year-old Jordan's outbursts, Ms Bouzova then asked: 'I forget, what will you do?'

He replies: 'I drag you across the floor and then scream at you when get up..'

Later in the clip Jordan tells Ms Bouzova that she should lose weight. She told the camera: 'Basically, he thinks I'm a bit of a porker,' to which he replied: 'I said you no chocolate, no crisps. Every time I see you, you're eating chocolate.'

She then asked if she looks fat to which he said no but when she asked: 'Do I look like I could do with losing a bit of...' he replies: 'Yes.'

On Monday Jordan weighed into the Di Prima scandal, writing on X: 'Just seen another pro dancer is not coming to Strictly - again for apparent abusive behaviour. What is going on?'

The video emerging comes after claims by The Sun newspaper that there is a third former professional dancer whose name has been given to Carter-Ruck, the law firm representing Amanda Abbington. There is no suggestion the dancer is Jordan.

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan left Strictly in 2012 after appearing on eight series

In the clip Mr Jordan also banned Ms Bouzova, who formerly starred on BBC medical drama Casualty, from eating sweets and chocolate and would only allow her to buy pineapple and ham when they visited a supermarket together

Little more is known about the person's identity, and the BBC are said to be unaware of who or what they are accused of.

Strictly sources say that they suspect that the story is being 'whipped up' by former Sherlock star Ms Abbington who is awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation by the BBC after accusing her partner Giovanni Pernice of bullying her during rehearsals.

Meanwhile, there have been accusations levelled at the BBC by Strictly staff for not reporting the scandal accurately on its own airwaves.

On Tuesday evening, the Radio 4 news programme said that Di Prima had denied hitting or kicking Ms McDermott and on Wednesday morning, the Today programme used the term 'tough training methods' to describe his behaviour towards the former Love Island contestant.

Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced that they would be introducing 'additional steps to strengthen welfare and support on Strictly Come Dancing.'

A statement from the corporation said: 'Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that.'

It comes after after Graziano Di Prima was sacked for hitting and kicking his partner Zara McDermott (pictured together in October 2023)

It came just weeks after Giovanni Pernice , 33, was suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda Abbington, 50

The new measures include a member of the production team being present during training room rehearsals at all times, and increased support for both celebrity contestants and the professional dancers.

A Celebrity Welfare Producer and a Professional Dancer Welfare Producer will both be appointed to fulfil these added duties, and further training will also be delivered for the production team and crew.

Kate Phillips, BBC's Director of Unscripted, said: 'Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act.

'Concerns that have arisen have been fundamentally related to training and rehearsals. The decisive steps we have taken and are announced today, act to further strengthen the welfare and support in place for everyone involved with this production.'
Jennie Garth looked somber as she was seen publicly for the first time after the passing of her longtime friend and 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty.

The actress, 52, was seen stepping out solo on Tuesday in Hollywood, just three days after Shannen's death at age 53 from breast cancer.

Jennie paid tribute on Sunday, one day after her death, via her Instagram, writing a heart-wrenching note along with two throwback pictures together.

'I am still processing my tremendous grief over the loss of my long time friend Shannen, the woman I have often described as one of the strongest people I have ever known,' she wrote in the tribute.

Shannen passed away on Saturday, after a nine year battle with breast cancer.

Jennie Garth looked somber as she was seen publicly for the first time after the passing of her longtime friend and 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty

The actress, 52, was seen stepping out solo on Tuesday in Hollywood, just three days after Shannen's death at age 53 from breast cancer

'Our connection was so real and honest. We were so often pitted against each other but none of that reflected the truth in our real relationship which was one built on mutual respect and admiration.

'She was courageous, passionate, determined and very loving and generous. I will miss her and will always honor her deeply in my heart and in my memories. My heart breaks for her family and Bowie and all the people who loved her,' she wrote.

Shannen was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and went into remission in 2017.

The cancer returned in 2019, and she announced it in 2020, revealing that she had stage 4 cancer and that it spread to her brain.

Shannen's publicist Leslie Sloane announced her death on Sunday via a statement: 'On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.

'The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.'

Shannen was 'surrounded by some of her very close friends' in the 'last few hours' before her tragic passing.

The actress died on Saturday while with her loved ones, and was 'in a place where she was comfortable and sleeping and transitioning,' her friend, oncologist Dr. Lawrence D. Piro told People magazine.

She was given 'a lot of care and support' while surrounded by her 'select group' of friends and family with her, as well as her beloved dog Bowie.

'It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving. The hardest thing about this was that she wasn't ready to leave because she loved life,' Dr. Piro added.

Shannen passed away on Saturday, after a nine year battle with breast cancer.

Jennie and Shannen starred in the hit 90s series Beverly Hills, 90210, alongside Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering; Shannen pictured with Jason Priestley, Ian Ziering and Jennie Frth in a promotional still from 1990

Jennie and Shannen starred in the hit 90s series Beverly Hills, 90210, alongside Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering.

Fellow 90210 co-star Jason Priestley said: 'Shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Shannen. She was a force of nature and I will miss her. Sending love and light to her family in this dark time.'

Brian Austin Green, who also starred in 90210, said: 'Shan. My sister... You loved me through everything. You were a big part of my understanding of love. I'll miss you more that I know how to process right now. Thank you for the gift of you.'

Tori Spelling said: 'I don't have outward words yet. But WE knew and that's what matters.'

Gabrielle Carteris, who played Andrea in the iconic series, also remarked about Luke in her Shannen tribute.

'I know Luke is there with open arms to love you,' in her tribute, as reported by People.

Luke died at age 52 in 2019 from a stroke.

Just this past February, Doherty got emotional when she shared about the time she learned of Perry's death while attending a panel at MegaCon Orlando.

It was shocking,' Doherty said of the loss of her former co-star and friend.

'I have a very visceral reaction whenever someone brings up Luke because as someone with cancer and a really horrible cancer at stage 4  I thought I would be the first to go. So when it was Luke, it really just sent me for a tailspin.'

Heartbroken over his loss, Doherty finally found the strength to share a tribute to Perry on social media the day after he died.

'Yesterday morning I got a phone call that devastated me,' she began in the caption with obvious emotion to her words.

Shannen passed away on Saturday, after a nine year battle with breast cancer; pictured May 25, 2010

Jennie paid tribute on Sunday, one day after her death, via her Instagram, writing a heart-wrenching note along with two throwback pictures together

'I am still processing my tremendous grief over the loss of my long time friend Shannen, the woman I have often described as one of the strongest people I have ever known,' she wrote in the tribute

Just this past February, Doherty got emotional when she shared about the time she learned of Perry's death while attending a panel at MegaCon Orlando; seen in a promotion shoot from 1992 with Luke Perry

Luke died at age 52 in 2019 from a stroke

'I'm struggling with this loss and am having a hard time with my thoughts. But, my heart goes out to his family and friends who were blessed by his light in their (and mine) lives. Processing this is impossible right now.'

It turns out she and Perry wanted to create some new onscreen magic together, and were trying to find the right production to work on together.

'There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general,' Doherty said, before revealing, 'Luke and I were working on show ideas for us. We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives.'

The actress was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and went into remission in 2017.

he added, 'I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second.'

During that same interview with People in 2019, the Memphis, Tennessee native revealed that she last saw Luke Perry when 'they met up for lunch' only a few weeks before his death.

'I walked in and there he was, smiling, with his dog Penny and her bed under the booth, happy as can be,' she recalled. 'I will never forget  and will miss  Luke looking at me with that smile of his saying  "Shan."'

While attending a 90210 panel at RewindCon Chicago, weeks before his death in 2019, Perry heaped high praise on Doherty, telling the audience, 'None of us are up here today without Shannen.'

Doherty and Perry starred together on Beverly Hills, 90210 for the first four seasons of the hit series from 1990-1994; Perry would stay for two more seasons and then leave, only to return for the finale 10th season; they starred with Ian Ziering, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, and Gabrielle Carteris

'There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general,' Doherty told People during an interview in 2019, soon after sudden Perry's death

Luke and Shannen pictured in a promo still from the nineties for 90210

He proceeded to share, 'The reality is that she was a very big part of the success of the program. She taught me a lot and I'm just really glad she was there for me as a scene partner.'

They also connected after her cancer diagnosis and they 'picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained in tact.'

She described him as a 'smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love.'
Harry Connick Jr is still close with his Hope Floats co-star Sandra Bullock.

The Grammy winning multihyphenate, 56  whose three adult daughters recently opened up about their dating problems  revealed on Wednesday that he keeps in touch with the 59-year-old actress.

It has been 26 years since their romantic film debuted,

He told People they 'still keep in touch' and that 'just meeting Sandy, getting to know her' was his favorite part of filming.

'She's just amazing,' said the actor, whose movie Find Me Falling debuts on Netflix on July 19.

In the 1998 film, Bullock and Connick played lovers that find their way to each other after her character suffers a devastating heartbreak.

Harry Connick Jr revealed on Wednesday that he keeps in touch with his Hope Floats co-star Sandra Bullock, 26 years after filming the romance movie

He told People they 'still keep in touch' and that 'just meeting Sandy, getting to know her' was his favorite part of filming; seen in 1998

'She's a very special person,' he went on about the actress. 'I loved doing that movie with her and I loved everything about it, but coming away from that with her as a friend was definitely my favorite part.'

The actor also shared that The Blind Side star maintains a friendly relationship with his wife, Jill Goodacre Connick, and their three daughters: Georgia, 28, Kate, 26, and Charlotte, 22.

Sharing how they chat, he said: 'She's busy and I'm busy, but when we do talk or text each other, it's always great to hear from her.'

In 2018, the father-of-three recalled the moment Sandra, who co-produced the film, told him he would play her counterpart in Hope Floats.

'She starts unbuttoning her shirt, and she starts raising her shirt up,' Connick told People. 'On her stomach was written, "You got the part."'

According to co-producer Linda Obst in 2018, the brunette beauty was '100 percent' involved in all aspects of the project, including casting Connick for the role.

'She was excited about him from the idea through the first audition,' Obst said to E! News. 'He was Sandra's first choice, and because chemistry has a lot to do with that, her vote was crucial.'

The movie marked the first made under the actress's production company Fortis Films.

Sharing how they chat, he shared: 'She's busy and I'm busy, but when we do talk or text each other, it's always great to hear from her'; seen in 1998

'She's a very special person,' he went on about the actress. 'I loved doing that movie with her and I loved everything about it, but coming away from that with her as a friend was definitely my favorite part'; seen in 1998

According to co-producer Linda Obst in 2018, the brunette beauty was '100 percent' involved in all aspects of the project, including casting Connick for the role; seen in 1998

Bullock has gone on to star in Bullet Train, Bird Box, The Unforgiveable, Gravity and Minions; seen in 1998

Since the romance was released, Bullock has gone on to star in Bullet Train, Bird Box, The Unforgiveable, Gravity and Minions.

Connick acted in When Harry Met Sally, Dolphin Tale, Fear of Rain and Copycat.

The Louisiana native has won various Grammys and Emmys as well as sold over 30 million records worldwide.
Justin Long made a very TMI confession about a disastrous case of food poisoning that involved his wife Kate Bosworth.

The actor, 46, revealed he once soiled the bed he was sharing with Kate after he became ill during a trip to Mexico City.

Recalling the incident on the podcast, PIE With Kurt Sutter and Katey Sagal, Justin went into detail about how Kate, 41, assisted him after disaster struck.

'I was hooked up to an IV, and she was having to follow me to the bathroom with the thing,' the actor - who was recently seen in New York with Kate - said.

'It was like Dumb and Dumber. I was just, like, really comically unloading, and then, at one point that night, I woke up, and there's no other way to say it, I can't dance around it, I had s**t the bed. I had s**t the bed and she was in the bed.'

Justin Long has revealed how he soiled the bed with Kate Bosworth by his side during a disastrous case of food poisoning; pictured in New York

Fortunately, Kate was incredibly compassionate, reminding Justin of just how 'lucky' he was to have her.

'She was, like, two feet away from me with this IV bag,' he said. 'And she was holding it so patiently, and she was like: "Everything's fine." And I thought about how much I loved her. I was like: "I just love this person, I'm so grateful to this person."'

'She was not judging, not making me feel weird, or bad, and I just felt so lucky, you know?'

Interestingly, Justin even thought the moment was 'romantic.'

'I was s**tting my brains out, and she was looking at me lovingly, and I thought: "This is really romantic."'

'She convinced me to take a shower after I had been, you know, s**tting the bed all night,' he continued. 'And so I did. You know where all you want to do is be in bed? But I got myself in the shower, I cleaned off, and then she was on the phone with the doctor, and she saw me.

'I could count on one hand how many times she's had a judgmental approach to something that I was doing. But I saw her watch me get into bed, back into bed, into the same bed, onto my side. I was avoiding the spot, but I was still getting back into my filth.

'And she looked at me and she said, "What are you doing?" and I said, "I'm just getting back into bed." And she said, "Don't do that. Go on my side,"' he added.

Justin, pictured 2023, went in-detail into the incident

Bosworth and Long first connected while filming a movie in 2021 but did not go public with their romance until January 2022.

That spring, he admitted he wanted to talk about their relationship, but also felt 'protective' over their privacy during an appearance on the Viall Files podcast.

'I want to scream it from the rooftops, but I also want to be protective. It's sacred,' he explained.

Last April, they announced their engagement, and the following month Long began referring to Bosworth as his 'wife.'

During an episode of his Life Is Short podcast, the He's Just Not That Into You actor had been talking about filming his project, Barbarian, in Bulgaria, and how Kate had flown to visit him on set.

Long and Bosworth married last year after going public with their romance in 2022

'I was there while I was like really falling in love with my now-wife,' he told his guest, fellow actress Kate Sedgwick. 'She came to visit and I had never been comfortable withset visits.'

'I like to separate the relationship... But, yeah, I loved having her there and we just had the most magical time. It helped me having her there. She'd help me with scenes. It was the best,' he stated.

A source informed Page Six later in May 2023 that the couple tied the knot at the Rockaway Hotel located in Queens, New York.

'It was a very low-key ceremony. Onlookers thought it was an engagement photo shoot of some sort - not an actual wedding,' the insider explained to the outlet.

The pair had previously stayed at the hotel when Kate had collaborated with the surf brand, Roxy, for a photo shoot.

'They fell in love with the vibe of the hotel, and they decided to get married the next day right then and there!'

A separate source also opened up to People about the 'impromptu' nuptials, and stated, 'After they got engaged, Kate couldn't wait to marry Justin. She knew that she never wanted a big wedding. She just cared about being married.'

'They kept talking about eloping. They ended up having an impromptu and casual wedding a few weeks ago. It was perfect. She is thrilled to be married to Justin.'
Rav Wilding is dating former colleague Rebecca Mason, following his shock split from wife Jill Morgan.

The BBC Morning Live presenter, 46, announced on Instagram in April that he and his estranged TV producer wife secretly separated last year after 12 years together.

And just several months after revealing his marriage split, it appears Rav has moved onto Surrey Police detective Rebecca.

The new couple have posted a slew of cosy snaps on their Instagram accounts together at weddings, inside the studio, dinner dates and car journeys.

According to The Sun, Rav and Rebecca first met in 2020 when Jill was pregnant with their daughter Poppy.

Rav Wilding, 46, is dating former colleague Rebecca Mason, following his shock split from wife Jill Morgan

The BBC Morning Live presenter announced on Instagram in April that he and his estranged TV producer wife secretly separated last year after 12 years together (pictured in 2020)

A source told the publication: 'They actually first worked together years ago when he was presenting Ill Gotten Gains and they've got the same agent too.

'The whole team at Morning Live know they're together, especially since Rav and Rebecca went to Michelle Ackerley's hen do a month or so ago.

'All of their colleagues are happy for them. The producers and other experts have commented on a few of their posts saying how they make a great couple.'

Rebecca often appears on Morning Live to speak about online romance fraud and scams.

Addressing his marital split in April, Rav wrote on Instagram: 'For those asking questions... myself and @jillmorganx amicably separated last year.

'Our focus is co-parenting our hugely loved and beautiful daughter.'

The couple tied the knot in May 2017 in Barbados, and went on to welcome three-year-old daughter Poppy.

Jill is a television producer, who has worked on Loose Women, Top Gear and Children In Need.

And just several months after revealing his marriage split, it appears Rav has moved onto Surrey Police detective Rebecca

The new couple have posted a slew of cosy snaps on their Instagram accounts together at weddings, inside the studio, dinner dates and car journeys

Rav and Rebecca first met in 2020 when Jill was pregnant with their daughter Poppy

Addressing his marital split in April, Rav wrote on Instagram: 'For those asking questions... myself and @jillmorganx amicably separated last year. Our focus is co-parenting our hugely loved and beautiful daughter.'

Rav proposed to her after only seven months of dating in 2012 while on holiday in the Caribbean.

A month before he popped the question, he gushed about their future, saying: 'It is early days for us but I'm very happy. I would like kids in the future, yeah. We'll just have to see what happens.'

They were forced to cancel their nuptials however, after Rav sustained an injury while training for Splash! in December 2013.

The former soldier underwent surgery after snapping the hamstring tendons in his left leg during a somersault dive for the now defunct ITV diving show.

His injuries meant he did not appear on the show, fronted by Tom Daley, and he later sued the producers, claiming his career was derailed as a result.

Rav and Jill had been due to have their wedding in the summer of 2015 but were forced to postpone, with Rav saying: 'It breaks my heart that Jill and I had to cancel our wedding.

'She has been so supportive during this whole ordeal and all I want to do is show my commitment to her, and even that's been taken away. It's on hold indefinitely at the moment until we can get back on track.

In November 2019, he announced that they were expecting their first child together in a post on social media which read: 'We have some exciting news!

The couple tied the knot in May 2017 in Barbados, and went on to welcome three-year-old daughter Poppy (pictured)

Jill is a television producer, who has worked on Loose Women, Top Gear and Children In Need. Rav proposed to her after only seven months of dating in 2012 while on holiday in the Caribbean (pictured together in 2019)

They were forced to cancel their nuptials however, after Rav sustained an injury while training for Splash! in December 2013

In June 2020, he announced the birth of their baby girl and her sweet name, with a snap of the couple taking her home from the hospital (pictured)

Before his relationship with Jill, Rav famously dated Big Brother star Chantelle Houghton from 2010 until 2011 (pictured together in December 2010)

The pair's relationship broke down after they were snapped having a furious and public row in London's Richmond Park (pictured)

'Our family is expanding and baby Wilding is due to make an appearance next year! Its been a long hard journey... but we got there in the end.'

Then in June 2020, he announced the birth of their baby girl and her sweet name, with a snap of the couple taking her home from the hospital.

He wrote: 'She is here and she is perfect! . . Introducing Poppy Rose Wilding 02.06.20'.

Before his relationship with Jill, Rav famously dated Big Brother star Chantelle Houghton from 2010 until 2011.

The pair's relationship broke down after they were snapped having a furious and public row in London's Richmond Park.

They had appeared the picture of contentment as they shared a bottle of champagne lounging on the grass, before getting into a fiery argument.

The Crimewatch star was seen angrily shouting at Chantelle, leaving the reality star in floods of tears.
Google AI search products can return some false or strange results. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, wants answers on how Google AI works and what the company is doing to fix the deficiencies. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, doubled down on his efforts to expose how artificial intelligence programs work, demanding detailed information from Google about the back end of its experimental AI Overview search results feature.

The tool gobbles up highly-ranked web pages, and then uses AI to summarize them for a reader. But multiple highly-publicized instances of the program going awry have raised concerns about the features penchant to push false or misleading information.

Google is not the only company working on AI-powered search summaries, and others building the burgeoning technology have been accused of ingesting copyrighted articles and regurgitating them without attribution.

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The AI Overviews feature is intended to provide an AI-generated snapshot with key information accompanied by web links, Schiffs letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai said. However, reporting has already found the feature to provide misleading information from a wide range of untrustworthy sources.

The letter was also signed by Rep. Henry C. Johnson, Jr., D-Ga., Rep Donald S. Beyer Jr., D-Va., Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass.

In the letter, lawmakers asked for details including how Google fact checks the AI Overview results, how users are warned the results might be incorrect, and how health-related results are generated.

Examples of the program running awry, also cited in Schiffs letter, include it citing satirical online content to recommend the right number of rocks to ingest daily, and putting forth the falsehood that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

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Google declined to comment directly on the letter, but referred to a blog post from May it posted about issues with its AI Overview.

In the post, Google Vice President and head of search Liz Reid argued that in some cases the technology was returning results for questions that didnt have much high quality data to pull from. For example people had not really been asking about eating rocks until the screenshots of that search went viral online, Reid said, so when someone put that question into Search, an AI Overview appeared that faithfully linked to one of the only websites that tackled the question.

Googles program and startup competitors such as San Franciscos Perplexity cite the sources they pulled the information from below their search results. But those searches do not drive traffic or revenue for those sites, creating yet another threat to publishers revenues.

A California state bill is seeking to compensate publishers when sites like Google profit from their content. Google has removed links to California news sites in response. When Australia passed a similar bill, Facebook removed news from users feeds entirely, while Google decided to pay some publishers.

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Longtime close friends Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon will be going head-to-head in September.

The Hollywood A-list actress were both nominated for Emmy Awards on Wednesday morning for their Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.

And the blonde beauties are in the same category: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series.

Jennifer, 55, plays Alex Levy while Reese, 48, stars as Bradley Jackson on the show about the culture behind a network broadcast morning news program.

Also in the category are Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age, Maya Erskine for Mr & Mrs Smith, Ana Sawai for Shogun and Imelda Staunton for The Crown.

It is a fiercely competitive category as all of the nominees are critically acclaimed and are on hit shows.

Longtime close friends Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon will be going head-to-head in September. The Hollywood A-list actress were both nominated for Emmy Awards on Wednesday morning for their Apple TV+ series The Morning Show

Jennifer, 55, plays Alex Levy while Reese, 48, stars as Bradley Jackson on the show about the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program

The ladies have been nominated for Emmys many times in the past.

Jennifer was nominated in the same category for the same show in 2020. She won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2022 for playing Rachel Green on Friends.

Rese was nominated in the same category for The Morning Show in 2022. She won an Emmy for producing Big Little Lies in 2017.

The 2024 Emmy nominations for The Morning Show also include Best Drama Series, four women in the Best Supporting Actress category (Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee, Karen Pittman and Holland Taylor), two Best Supporting Actor nods (Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass), a Best Guest Actress nomination (Marcia Gay Harden), and Best Directing (Mimi Leder).

The Morning Show is now filming its fourth season in Los Angeles.

On July 8, Aniston alerted her Instagram followers she was back at work. She, Reese and Tig Notaro were on the set of season four of The Morning Show.

'Let @themorningshow season 4 games begin, Here we come!' wrote Aniston as she added two red heart emojis. Tig plays Amanda Robinson.

It has been reported that Julianna Margulies will not return to the Morning Show but Jon Hamm is. Jeremy Irons has also reportedly been added to the cast.

Meanwhile, Jennifer said in June that Reese is like a sister.

'We have a real interesting relationship. It's like we're family for sure,' Aniston told the audience at the panel discussion which included her The Morning Show co-stars Karen Pittman, Notaro, Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, Mark Duplass, and Nestor Carbonell.

Witherspoon was unable to attend the event.

'We love to hate each other, and we love to love each other, and I think that's sort of a really fun dynamic that Reese and I get to play,' the Emmy winner said of her character Levy and Witherspoon's Jackson.

Aniston, Reese and Tig Notaro were on the set of season four of their hit Apple TV+ series The Morning Show on July 8

The pals and co-stars first met in 2000, when Witherspoon had a guest spot in two episodes of Friends playing Rachel's little sister Jill. 'She was just so effortlessly affable, bubbly, and sunny. Weve been friends ever since,' Witherspoon told Harper's Bazaar in 2019

'And, of course, we would like to be together forever, I would think. I hope, but ... we really don't know what's going to happen.'

Aniston and Witherspoon have been enjoying a family-style relationship since 2000, when Witherspoon, then an up-and-coming actress, played Rachel Green's little sister Jill on two episodes of Friends.

'We met on the set of Friends,' Witherspoon told Harper's Bazaar in 2019.

'I played her sister. I was 23 years old and had just had a baby. I was nursing Ava on set, and Jen just kept going, "You have a baby?" I was like, "I know, its weird,"' she said.

The versatile actress and producer said Aniston 'was so sweet to me. I was really nervous, and she was like, "Oh, my goshdont worry about it!" I marveled at her ability to perform in front of a live audience like that with no nerves.

'They would change all the lines and she was just so effortlessly affable, bubbly, and sunny. Weve been friends ever since.'

Karen Pittman, Tig Notaro, Billy Crudup, Jon Hamm, Mark Duplass and Nestor Carbonell took part in the panel with Aniston. Witherspoon was unable to attend

Where their on-screen friendship will take them in season four of The Morning Show is anyone's guess.

Alex was dealing with her betrayal of on-screen boyfriend Paul Marks, played by Hamm, who wanted to buy UBA and sell off pieces of the network.

Bradley and her brother, Hal, were off to talk to the FBI about their roles in the January 6 insurrection.

'I think the big question this year is, who and what can you trust?' said showrunner Charlotte Stoudt.

'Can you trust your co-workers? Can you trust your own eyes? Can you trust what you see in a world of AI and defects? It's a tricky world,' she explained.

'I mean, just look at the headlines. We just take it from the headlines. Honestly, because that's our inspiration. It's the real life.'
Christina Hall's fans and followers were shocked when she and her husband Josh Hall filed for divorce on Monday.

And part of that confusion may have been due to the fact that Christina  who was seen for the first time since the split in images exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com  had shared what she considered the 'secret' to keeping her marriage strong just three days before the couple filed for divorce.

In a story published July 13, she claimed that 'keep[ing] communication open' was an essential part of a success union while talking to E! News, though the interview occurred prior to her birthday on July 9.

But in the wake of the divorce filings, Christina, 41, has apparently been deleting memories of her brief marriage to Josh.

She stepped up the memory wipe when she deleted an Instagram post detailing how she and the 43-year-old realtor fell in love, according to People.

Christina Hall, 41, spoke about the 'secret' to her strong marriage to Josh Hall with E! News just days they filed for divorce on Monday

In her recent E! News interview, Christina praised the importance of 'being communicative' with a partner to keep a relationship strong, and she also stressed the importance of 'having alone time when we can, whether it's date night, going on little trips  just things like that.'

The advice wasn't exactly revolutionary or counter-intuitive, but according to Christina, that's part of its charm.

Couples who don't have issues focusing on communication and prioritizing 'alone time' are likely on solid footing.

However, it's not clear if she felt as if those qualities accurately described her marriage at the time.

However, she certainly sounded as if she was at a good place in life.

'I love where I live,' she gushed in reference to her enormous Newport Beach home. 'I love my family, I love doing these shows. So I feel like everything's going really well.'

But statements about what she hoped for the future that read as innocuous at the time took on a darker tone in the wake of her divorce filing.

'I need things to be more peaceful and calm,' she said, adding that she wanted to focus on living in the moment. 'And just overall, less chaos, less drama.'

She added: 'I'm used to chaos. I don't get stressed. Most of those things are out of my hands'

Christina also said that she and Josh had been clearing out their home days earlier of non-essential possessions.

'We're in a good rhythm right now, and I want it to stay that way. Just peace, calm, fun and as little chaos as possible,' she concluded.

She also appeared to have deleted a July 2021 Instagram post (pictured) in which she spoke fondly of her early months with Josh out of the spotlight and how much she feared their relationship going public

In her recent E! News interview, Christina praised the importance of 'being communicative' with a partner to keep a relationship strong

Following the divorce announcement, People reported that Christina had deleted an Instagram post describing key early moments in her relationship with Josh, though it wasn't clear when exactly it had been deleted.

The post, which featured a moody photo shot from behind of Josh embracing Christina under a beach shelter, was posted in July 2021, just a month after she had finalized her divorce from her second husband Ant Anstead.

In her lengthy caption, she wrote that she met her future husband when she 'wasn't in a state of fear or fight-or-flight.'

The Flip Or Flop star added that she had been disconnecting from social media when she met Josh.

'The synchronicities hit us so hard and fast they were impossible to ignore,' she said of their instant connection. 'I felt immediately crazy protective over him and wanted to keep him for myself and get to know each other before the tornado [of media attention] hit.'

The romance had a special quality, because they had 'a few solid months' out of the spotlight to solidify their connection before the relationship was revealed to the public.

Christina said she 'loved every second' of that secret time together.

She noted that she was writing her post two days after she and Josh had been photographed catching a plane ahead of her 38th birthday.

'When I saw a camera behind us at the airport my heart started beating out of my chest and my hands shaking  And not for me but for him,' she said of her future husband.

She also stressed the importance of 'having alone time when we can, whether it's date night, going on little trips  just things like that'

But statements that seemed innocuous at the time took on a darker tone after her divorce filing. 'I need things to be more peaceful and calm,' she said, adding that she wanted to focus on living in the moment. 'And just overall, less chaos, less drama'

In their divorce filings, Christina and Josh listed July 8 as their date of separation.

Both partners are reportedly asking for spousal support from the other person, while neither wants to pay their partner.

In his documents, Josha had requested that the court 'divvy up what was theirs respectively before they got married.'

Christina's first marriage was to Tarek El Moussa, with whom she began starring in the popular HGTV series Flip Or Flop. After getting together in 2005, they married in 2009.

Their show documented their attempts to buy up houses on the cheap and then gut and remodel them, all while betting that they would be able to resell the homes at a profit.

The series, which ran for 10 seasons, overlapped with major family stressors for the couple, including when Tarek was diagnosed with thyroid and testicular cancer, which required him to undergo radioactive iodine therapy.

Things took a dark turn in May 2016 following an altercation at the couple's Yorba Linda home involving a gun.

At the time, it was reported that police had responded to a call about a 'possibly suicidal male with a gun.'

Police located Tarek with a gun on a trail near the couple's home and escorted him back, and he later claimed that the incident was 'blown out of proportion,' as he said he only had the handgun for protection.

Tarek filed for divorce in early 2017, and it was finalized the following year. The couple shared two children: daughter Taylor, 13, and son Brayden, eight.

In early 2018, Christina began dating the British television presenter Ant Anstead, and they were married by December of that year.

Christina and Tarek met back in 2005, tied the knot in 2009 and divorced in 2018 after separating in 2016; seen in 2017

Christina met British TV presenter Ant Anstead shortly in 2017 and they wed in December 2018. They split in 2020, a year after welcoming son Hudson, three; seen in 2019

Josh Hall proposed to Christina in September 2021 and they eloped a month later. The marriage was revealed in April 2022, and they later had a destination wedding in Maui in September 2022; seen in July 2023

In September 2019, she welcomed her only child with Ant, their son Hudson, four.

But almost a year later, Christina announced that they were divorcing, and it was finalized by June 2021.

She met Josh in the spring of that year, and he proposed in September 2021.

They were married in October, but didn't confirm the marriage until April 2022, and they went on to have a bigger destination wedding in Maui, Hawaii, in September 2022.
Graziano Di Prima is working on a remote vineyard in Sicily earning just 6-an-hour after being sacked from Strictly Come Dancing, MailOnline can reveal.

The professional dancer, 31, was axed from the BBC show over reports he 'hit and kicked' his former partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals last year.

After fleeing the UK to go back to his native home in Italy with his wife Giada, a fellow dancer who stars on the Italian version of Strictly, Graziano 'has taken a job on a farm, ploughing fields, living with cows and picking grapes'.

The Italian pro, 30, is 'digging ditches and clearing wood' according to pals in a bid to ignore the 'noise' sparked by his shock departure from Strictly.

He is only speaking to two people - his mother Giovanna and wife Giada - and is not looking at social media or the internet as he concentrates on 'getting his head straight' as his inner circle admit 'he's in a bad place'.

A friend told MailOnline that Graziano appreciates his career in the UK is over following the scandal, but there is hope he can resurrect his profession within dance as 'that's what his body is built for'.

The friend said: 'Graziano has gone back to basics working on the land.

'He's totally alone in the field digging ditches and clearing wood, a standard practice to prevent fires, working for a minimal sum but it's not about the money.

'Manual labour is what he grew up doing, since he was eight-years old.

'It's about keeping his mind active and a distraction technique from the toxic fallout of his departure from Strictly.'

Graziano Di Prima, 31, has reportedly gone back to working his 6 an hour job in Sicily after he was sacked from Strictly Come Dancing

The professional dancermwas axed from the BBC show over reports he 'hit and kicked' his former partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals last year

Graziano is being encouraged to 'focus on the now' given his career in the UK appears over after his sacking.

The friend added: 'He's been told to concentrate on his mental health, as he is in a bad place.

'There's a real push for him to eat healthily and sleep well, he really needs to knuckle down and think of himself right now

'Who knows what the future will hold, hopefully it can still be in dance as that's why his body is built for - it's all he knows.

'But for now Strictly is firmly at the back of his mind. He accept that he will never grace the Strictly dance floor again. He has lost everything.'

Graziano's shock departure was confirmed on Saturday when Strictly bosses announced he would not be taking part in the upcoming series following his altercation with Zara, his 2023 series partner.

He's been accused of 'spitting and hitting' the former Love Island star, 27, during training sessions.

The investigation into his behaviour was triggered by Strictly's bid to clean up the show after fellow Italian Giovanni Pernice was accused of abusive behaviour by his 2023 dance partner Amanda Abbington, which resulted in him leaving the show. Giovanni denies the claims.

According to show insiders, video footage of Graziano mistreating Zara gave bosses no choice but to cancel his contract.

Addressing his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

'Respecting the BBC HR process, I understand it's best for the show that I step away.'

After fleeing the UK to go back to his native home in Italy, Graziano 'has taken a job on a farm, ploughing fields, living with cows and picking grapes'

Zara broke her silence on the allegations last week, as she took to Instagram to share that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

Graziano 'has told pals he is mentally shot' after a video emerged of his behaviour to Zara inside the rehearsal room

MailOnline revealed that Strictly production staff raised concerns about Graziano's conduct last year, but bosses only went as far as to issue quiet warnings to him

Zara shared that while much of her time on Strictly 'was everything I could have dreamt of' inside the training room with Graziano there were 'particular incidents which are incredibly distressing'

He continued: 'While there are aspects of this story involving external influences that I can't discuss at this time, I remain committed to being strong for my family and friends.

'I wish the Strictly family and the BBC nothing but success in the future.'

He concluded the post: 'I also want to thank everyone who has supported my career, both professionally and personally. When the time is right, I will share my story.'

Zara broke her silence on Tuesday, admitting she was scared to come forward and report Graziano over fears for her 'future'.

Also writing on Instagram, she said: 'I felt it was right that I post something regarding the recent media reports. Strictly is one of the most magical shows on TV and one that I dreamt of being on since I was a little girl.

'When I was invited to be a contestant on the show it really was a childhood dream come true. I fully understood the level of commitment and hard work that Strictly was going to be and I dedicated everything to it. I am a resilient person and I was fully prepared to put in whatever it took.

'And so much of my Strictly experience was everything I could have dreamt of. The entire production team and everyone behind the scenes as well as my fellow contestants were so amazing to work with

'However, my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events, as well as videos of particular incidents which are incredibly distressing to watch.'

Zara explained that she didn't report the incidents at the time as she was 'scared' of backlash.

Instead it was junior production staff who came forward to share what they had witnessed as the investigation into pro dancer Giovanni Pernice was taking place.

A source from the show told MailOnline: 'There were multiple occasions where both physical and verbal attacks were made. It was more physical than verbal, but all of it was dreadful.'

Zara continued in her statement: 'I have wrested with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming,' Zara wrote on Instagram.

'But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

Zara wrote that 'my experience inside the training room was very different. Reports have been made about my treatment on the show and there were witnesses to some events'

'I have wrestled with the fear of opening up - I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming. But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.

'The culture within our society makes it difficult for people to speak up especially in a a world where social media opinions and voices are so loud. This is something I've seen through working with countless women on my documentaries.

'I would like to thank the BBC and BBC Studios for their swift action and incredibly high level of support, as wel as everyone who has reached out to me - it really truly meas a lot. Love, always. Zara.'

Graziano, who was due to compete in his seventh series of Strictly before his sacking, is taking legal action against the BBC, MailOnline revealed on Monday.

The BBC has vowed to fight back after it was revealed that Strictly Come Dancing star Graziano Di Prima is taking legal action against the broadcaster.

The Sicilian dancer believes he should have been 'supported and helped' with his behaviour after bosses warned him about his treatment of former Love Island star Zara.

But a BBC insider told the Mail that the broadcaster will fight back, explaining: 'Why would any workplace, particularly one paid for by the public, offer support to someone who acted in an undoubtedly abhorrent manner?'

Graziano, who allegedly 'kicked and hit' Zara, argues that he was not given any advice on how to deal with the pressure of competing in the show.

A friend of the professional dancer said yesterday: 'There are questions over their [the BBC's] procedures, and how they operate behind the scenes.'

'He [Di Prima] believes that there is a lot of pressure on professionals to get nines or tens to entertain the audience.'

Addressing his exit from the show, a 'devastated' Graziano wrote on Instagram over the weekend: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

'While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn't allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.

'There's more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.'

Graziano joined the cast of professional dancers on Strictly in 2018.

He was previously paired with presenter Vick Hope, Loose Women star Judi Love and in 2022 he reached the quarter-final with actor Kym Marsh.

Confirming his departure, the BBC spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
No this is not a glitch in the space-time continuum. Actor Ncuti Gatwa came face to face with his on-screen alter ego, Doctor Who, as he unveiled his waxwork figure and a Whoniverse-inspired set at Londons Madame Tussauds.

After appearing as the Time Lord for one season, the 31-year-old worked in collaboration with makers of the waxwork to be immortalised forever in the statue which will be available to visit from July 19.

Dressed in the Gatwas costume from the 2023 Christmas Special episode in which he was first launched as the Doctor Who, the waxwork beams while standing with its right arm pressed against its chest.

The outfit is 1960s inspired with a 140 calf-length leather coat, a striped zip-up cardigan and a 220 pair of trainers from the 155-year-old luxury British brand, Grenson.

When he met the finished product, Gatwa enjoyed interacting with his look-a-like feigning conversation and taking selfies and pictures of it.

Actor Ncuti Gatwa has come face to face with his on-screen alter ego, Doctor Who , as he unveiled his waxwork figure and a Whoniverse-inspired set at Londons Madame Tussauds

After appearing as the Time Lord for one season, the 31-year-old worked in collaboration with makers of the waxwork to be immortalised forever in the statue which will be available to visit from July 19

The wax workers had gone to extraordinary detail, down to chipped polish on his finger nails.

Hailed as the Doctor for a new generation with his extravagant costumes, Gatwa became the first black actor to take on the role.

Russell T Davies, the showrunner, also visited the attraction to unveil the new specially crafted Doctor Who immersive set.

It comes after the shows future was questioned, despite filming for the fifteenth series already starting, after the fourteenth failed to attract viewers and resulted in underwhelming ratings.

An ambitious deal with Disney - rumoured to be worth $100million - meant each episode is aired on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Fridays to appease US viewers before being broadcast on its traditional Saturday teatime slot on terrestrial television.

It meant a slump in viewers overall despite the BBC contract with the American media giant intended to revitalise the show with lavish special effects and Davies, 61, stated the deal would finally put the show, Up there with your Star Wars, your Marvel stuff.

Instead, the final episode attracted only 2.02million viewers - a sharp drop from Jodie Whittakers final outing as the first female Doctor, which was watched by 3.7million in real time.

The highly anticipated season 14 final episode titled Empire Of Death, left Whovians wanting more.

Dressed in the Gatwas costume from the 2023 Christmas Special episode in which he was first launched as the Doctor Who, the waxwork beams while standing with its right arm pressed against its chest

The outfit is 1960s inspired with a 140 calf-length leather coat, a striped zip-up cardigan and a 220 pair of trainers from the 155-year-old luxury British brand, Grenson

Hailed as the Doctor for a new generation with his extravagant costumes, Gatwa became the first black actor to take on the role.

Ncuti seemed thrilled with the results as he snapped selfies with the wax work

Its grand ending, which revealed who Ruby's mother is, landed on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday and the episode was broadcast on BBC One at 6.40pm.

But for fans who could not wait for the big reveal, the long painstaking wait proved to be a disappointment.

Flocking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Doctor Who fans shared their devastation of the finals as they were left asking, 'is that it?'

One user penned: 'Rubys mother reveal is probably the worst reveal I've ever seen in this show. So disapointed.'

'I'm sorry but the revelation of who Ruby's mother was, was lame'.

'Was that it?'

Since 2023's Christmas special, the sci-fi series teased the 'mystery' of Ruby Sunday's origins (Millie Gibson).

And across seven episodes, an array of hints were dropped in the storyline as to the identity of Ruby's unknown mother.

But after weeks of anticipation, viewers were largely dissatisfied to learn that Ruby's mother is just an ordinary woman named Louise.

The episode revealed that Louise had left her daughter at the church gates in a panic when she was 15 years old.

But many have slammed the reveal as being hugely anticlimactic.

Previous instalments have portrayed the mysterious mother figure as a haunting, hooded figure.
Bianca Censori donned another daring outfit for lunch with her husband Kanye West at the historic Chateau Marmont.

The Australian architect, 29, opted for an incredibly clingy top - minus the trousers - for lunch with Kanye in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Bianca - who was seen leaving little to the imagination on Monday - sported thong underwear and finished off the minimal yet jaw-dropping look with a tan cap.

Bianca's look was complete with a pair of classic black heels.

In contrast, Kanye was covered up with a black hooded sweatshirt and coordinating trousers.

Bianca Censori donned another daring outfit for lunch with her husband Kanye West at the historic Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Wednesday

The couple headed to the historic hotel for lunch

The Flashing Lights rapper followed after Bianca as they seemingly entered the establishment.

While still revealing, Bianca's look is a little more covered up than the daring outfits she has been sporting as of late.

The outfit she sported to the Chateau was certainly more modest than the one she wore on Monday.

That day Bianca bared it all in a jaw-dropping look while heading to a tanning salon in Los Angeles.

The Australian architect exposed her breasts in a completely see-through netted top as she made her way to the Melrose Tanning Company salon, opting not to wear a bra.

Bianca, who is known for her X-rated looks, coordinated the barely-there top with a pair of tiny beige underwear and heels.

A camouflage print hat shielded her short brunette hair as she confidently strutted back to her car post-tanning session.

The revealing look pushed boundaries and could potentially be considered indecent exposure under California law. California Penal Code Section 314(1) makes it a crime to intentionally expose your genitals or naked body in a public place, or anywhere else where someone could be offended or annoyed.

An indecent exposure charge usually results in a misdemeanor for a first-time offense.

The maximum penalty is six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, and mandatory registration as a sex offender for at least ten years.

The Flashing Lights rapper wore a black sweatshirt and matching trousers

He followed his wife as they seemingly entered the building

West also appeared to be wearing just socks

It came following news that restaurateurs have vowed to ban the controversial couple from entering their eateries, after Censori stepped out in another revealing ensemble on Saturday.

Censori shocked onlookers when she dined out in Los Angeles with Kanye in a barely-there bra top.

Bianca left little to the imagination in the tiny top that only just managed to protect her modesty as she arrived at a local barbecue restaurant with the rapper.

'If I am the owner of any establishment that these two intend to enter, I will tell them due to respect for my customers, you are not allowed to enter,' one restaurateur wrote.

Bianca accessorized the attention-getting look with a fashionable cap

While still revealing, Bianca's look is a little more covered up than the daring outfits she has been sporting as of late

Censori is no stranger to a head-turning look

'I wouldn't have them in my restaurant. Totally inappropriate and not a good role model for young children to see this out and about. What is wrong with them?' another agreed.

'She looks absolutely ridiculous. How can any decent restaurant accept a customer wearing that? Even the main supermarkets have signs up in summer advising that tops must be worn for hygiene purposes when shopping as topless men were going in. This is so much worse,' one said.

'You used to get refused entry due to dress codes to a restaurant if you didn't wear a tie, How times have changed, now you can enter and dine almost naked,' a third wrote.

Another commented: 'No self respecting restaurant owner or manager should be letting them enter with her dressed like that UNLESS they, in advance, pay to book out the whole restaurant so it is their own private venue while they are there.'

One agreed, adding: 'I do not understand why any decent restaurant would let them over the door dressed like that.'
Rebel Wilson's new film The Deb will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival after she accused the producers of blocking the movie from premiering.

The Australian actress, 44, alleged in an Instagram video last week her movie was set to premiere on the closing night of the 2024 TIFF, but claimed producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden were trying to prevent the comedy's debut at the prestigious event.

She also accused the producers of 'bad behaviour' on set and branded them 'vile and disgusting'.

In turn, the producers of Wilson's film claimed the allegations are 'false'.

Wilson has announced on Instagram that The Deb will be shown on the closing night of the festival in September.

'Beyond grateful that The Deb will be shared with audiences in Toronto this September!' she wrote on Wednesday.

'Thank you TIFF for the selection of a film so close to my heart, a film I've fought to make as a first time female director - to the cast and crew, and to my awesome fans, thank you for your continued love and support! Let's go to Toronto!!'

Ghost, Cameron and Holden have launched a lawsuit against the actress, accusing her of 'bullying', vindictive behaviour, 'shirking her responsibilities' as a director by disappearing from set for extended periods and repeating a fictitious claim Ghost had sexually harassed a lead actor in the film.

Rebel Wilson 's new film The Deb will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival after she accused the producers of blocking the movie from premiering

The trio are represented by Johnny Depp's former attorney Camille Vasquez and seeking more than $35,000 in damages.

Rebel took to Instagram on Friday to lambast the suit - sharing a snap from filming and writing: 'It's not defamation if it's the TRUTH (those 'producers' who I mentioned in my last post have just filed a defamation suit against me...

'Let our cool movie play at Toronto and stop messing about with a rubbish defamation suit against me!'

The complaint for defamation obtained by DailyMail.com reads: '[Wilson] has a history of fabricating false and malicious lies to hide her own lack of professionalism and advance her own self-interest.

'This lawsuit is about holding Rebel accountable for her attempts to bully Plaintiffs into conceding to her unreasonable demands by spreading vicious lies without regard for the irreparable damage her reckless words would cause on the hard-earned personal and professional reputations of Plaintiffs.'

'For years, Rebel has played the affable funny girl on the big screen and, off screen, portrayed herself as a champion of other female artists and whistleblower against abusive conduct within the film industry.

'This public persona, however, is a farce. Rebel is a bully who will disregard the interests of others to promote her own.'

Another shock claim levied by the producers is that Wilson hired a young writer - Hannah Reilly - to develop a screenplay for The Deb - before attempting to steal credit for herself.

The suit reads: 'She granted a young artist a scholarship to develop a screenplay for 'The Deb' (the 'Film'), and then tried to claim writing credit for herself.

'And, when Rebel did not get her way in business negotiations with the Plaintiffs concerning 'The Deb' (including the writing credit), Rebel tried to intimidate Plaintiffs into giving her what she wanted by leveraging her persona and platform, with many millions of followers, to spread malicious lies about the Plaintiffs.'

Wilson has announced The Deb will be shown on the closing night of the festival in September

The plaintiffs allege they 'took a chance on Rebel' who is a 'novice' to directing and producing but claim 'she flatly refused to collaborate with Plaintiffs' and exhibited 'reckless conduct.'

The complaint says: '[Wilson] absconded from the Film for months at a time, behaved unprofessionally with employees of the Film, and repeatedly made unauthorized and improper disclosures about the Film.

'But, because Rebel shirked her professional obligations to the Plaintiffs, the Film, and everyone dedicated to its success, she started flailing and inventing problems to obfuscate her own failures.'

The lawsuit claims the dispute between Wilson and the producers erupted when Wilson 'sought to seize writing credit for the Film from Reilly, a young, upcoming writer and Rebel's own scholarship recipient, notwithstanding a binding decision from the Australian Writer's Guild that such credit belongs to Reilly.'

Reilly was awarded full credit by the Australian Writers Guild on the The Deb following an appeal, the suit says. Wilson was granted an 'additional writing by credit' on the script, which she was allegedly left dissatisfied with.

'Rebel also fought for credit with the writers of the music for the Film, and demanded that Plaintiffs provide her a record label with an external music group (a demand which was well outside of Plaintiffs' power to provide).

'Rebel's goal in these several disputes was to get credit for work she did not do, and to overshadow young, upcoming artists who truly deserved the credit.'

A demand letter sent by Wilson to the producers in June and obtained by Variety sees the actress claim she was forced to sign over rights under 'duress' by the producers, who she says 'resorted to physical intimidation and threats of sabotage throughout production.'

The producers have denied in their defamation suit.

She alleged in an Instagram video last week her movie was set to premiere on the closing night of the 2024 TIFF, but claimed producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden are trying to prevent the comedy's debut at the prestigious event

The suit further alleges that when Wilson 'did not get her way in these disputes' she 'revived a fictitious story about Ms. Ghost sexually harassing a lead actor in 'The Deb' that has absolutely no basis in reality, as the actor that is the subject of this defamatory tale has repeatedly confirmed.

'In addition, Rebel claimed, without any basis, that Ms. Ghost and Mr. Cameron were embezzling from the Film's budget. These statements are false, and Rebel knew they were false at the time she made.'

The plaintiffs claim Wilson knew the actress at issue had 'repeatedly and unequivocally denied any form of wrongful conduct by Plaintiffs, but Rebel doubled down on her false story to promote her own selfish interests in her disputes with Plaintiffs, without regard for the Plaintiffs or the young, upcoming lead actress who she dragged into the center of her malicious scheme.'

They state $22million had been invested in The Deb by the summer of 2024 and it was selected to premiere at the closing of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The suit reads: 'but Plaintiffs had to consider carefully whether to proceed with marketing the Film while it was embroiled in numerous credit and licensing disputes instigated by Rebel.'

The suit states the producers 'continuously attempted' to resolve their issues with Wilson but claim she 'attempted to force the issue and bully them into capitulating to her other unreasonable demands by leveraging her popularity on social media to spread these malicious and baseless lies about Plaintiffs to her 11 million Instagram followers.

'This was a vindictive attempt to destroy Plaintiffs' reputations with what she knew were demonstrably false statements.'

The producers claims Wilson's alleged conduct has caused 'severe financial, professional, and reputational harm' to them and jeopardized the success of the film.

'Additionally, taken with her prior spurious allegations against Ms. Ghost, Rebel's recent statement also carries the unmistakable defamatory implication that Ms. Ghost committed sexual harassment against the lead actress of the Film, and that Ms. Ghost has a 'history of doing this kind of thing.'

Now, Ghost, Cameron and Holden have launched a lawsuit against the actress, accusing her of 'bullying', vindictive behavior, 'shirking her responsibilities as a director and repeating a fictitious claim Ghost had sexually harassed a lead actor in the film

The producers said Wilson 'has run this playbook one time too many' and had 'jeopardized the success of the film, as Rebel's statements carry the clear and unmistakable defamatory meaning: that [the producers] criminally embezzled funds from the film.'

'Each and every one of these insinuations is patently false and easily disproven, for instance, by the examination of the Film's financial records and the sworn testimony of the Film's female lead.'

The suit concluded: 'Rebel must be held accountable for her outrageous conduct.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Wilson's representatives for comment.

Wilson had claimed in her video: 'You know sometimes you try so hard in life and you don't know what to do, well that is the situation. You might have noticed I did a post a week ago about the first film that I directed, that I am so proud of, The Deb.

'It is a little Australian musical which is awesome. It got selected for closing night of the Toronto Film Festival which is the best platform to be a first time female director, it's huge.

'To have the joy of the movie being selected is one thing but to have the business partners turn around and say the movie can't premiere is beyond devastating. Why are they saying this? Why are they stopping it?'

Wilson then claimed: 'This dates back to October last year where I discovered bad behaviour by these business partners. They are producers of the film, their names are Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden.'

'I reported their bad behaviour when I found out.'

Wilson claimed since reporting the problems, she has been met with 'absolute viciousness and bad behaviour.'

She said she managed to finish the film but alleged the producers have told her she can't release it.

'This is work of hundreds of people and this behaviour is absolutely vile and disgusting,' Wilson continued.

'I will speak the truth and warn people about people in the industry that are not behaving ethically. That is my dilemma if that movie doesn't play at Toronto, it's because of these absolute f**kwits.'

'RW's allegations are false, defamatory, and disappointing,' a spokesperson for the producers told Deadline.

'Her self-promotional claims are clearly intended to cause reputational harm to the individuals who have supported her directorial debut film The Deb  a joyous movie that we're very proud of and are looking forward to sharing with audiences.

'For her to promote a false narrative to advance her own agenda undermines the film and all the people who worked on this project.'

Another shock claim levied by the producers is that Wilson hired a young writer to develop a screenplay for The Deb - before attempting to steal credit for herself

The Deb, which stars Wilson and comedian Shane Jacobson, centres on a country school girl getting ready for her debutante ball.

The film will also feature actress Natalie Abbott from the ABC series Aftertaste, as well as newcomer Charlotte McInnes.

Locations include country towns such as Carcoar, Blayney, and Orange, as well as Sydney.

Last October, Rebel revealed that she turned down major offers in the States, so she could make her directorial debut Down Under.

'If I was directing a movie it was only going to be in Australia because that's authentic to me,' Rebel told The Daily Telegraph at the time.

'I didn't want to do the studio ones I was offered in America because I didn't feel like I had that heart connection,' she explained.
Christina Hall covered up a rumored engagement ring tattoo as she stepped out on Wednesday amid her split from Josh Hall.

The TV star, 41, who is divorcing third husband Hall, 44, is no stranger to a heartfelt inking and showed off what appeared to be a new tattoo on her wedding finger this week - before covering it up with a Band-Aid.

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, the star sported a bandage on her ring finger as she attempted to put her marital split behind her

She also showed off a cryptic tattoo of a heart-shaped lock on her hand - which appeared to be in the process of being removed.

Hall got an infinity symbol tattooed on his wedding finger before their untimely split - and Christina's apparent tattoo sparked speculation the pair had got matching body art in happier times.

Christina Hall covered up a rumored engagement ring tattoo as she stepped out on Wednesday amid her split from Josh Hall

The TV star, 41, is divorcing third husband Hall, 44, after less than three years of marriage - Seen in July 2023

Christina displayed a mystery inking on her wedding finger earlier in the day

Christina previously revealed a sliver of the ink underneath her wedding bands in July 2023 - with Josh debuting his matching ink on a trip to Cabo in 2022.

The duo were due to film The Flip Off with Christina's ex Tarek El Moussa and his wife Heather Rae Young but a source told US Weekly: 'They're moving forward with the show without Josh.'

They added that Christina and Joshua's split wasn't 'sudden,' as the pair 'have had issues for a while.'

A source dished to PEOPLE that Josh and Christina 'had issues in the marriage for quite some time' before Tuesday's divorce filing.

This comes exactly four months after Josh declared on Instagram that he and his wife were 'still going strong' after tying the knot in October 2021.

TMZ claimed that the Christina In The Country TV stars submitted their paperwork in Orange County, California on Tuesday. The ex lovebirds stated July 8 was their first day of separation.

Joshua is asking for alimony from Christina and does not want to have to give her any money, the site added.

It was also claimed that Joshua has asked the court to 'divvy up what was theirs respectively before they got married.'

The reality TV stars wed in October 2021 in Maui, Hawaii and have no children together.

This will be a third divorce for Christina who was previously married to Tarek El Moussa (2009-2018) and Ant Anstead (2018-2021).

Christina previously revealed a sliver of the ink underneath her wedding bands in July 2023 - with Josh debuting his matching ink on a trip to Cabo in 2022

In exclusive DailyMail.com photos, the star sported a bandage on her ring finger as she attempted to put her marital split behind her

She also showed off a cryptic tattoo of a heart-shaped lock on her hand - which appeared to be in the process of being removed

The star was enjoying some retail therapy amid her split

The star wore a T shirt, skinny jeans and boots for the evening

The star showed off her ring finger tattoo on Wednesday

The couple are seen in happier times during their Cabo break in 2022

This comes after Christina and Joshua signed on to star on the 2025 HGTV renovation show The Flip Off with her ex Tarek and his new wife Heather Rae El Moussa.

Christina and Tarek built a home-flipping empire during their show Flip Or Flop which lasted 10 seasons. But it ended after a very publicized divorce.

This year they have been working together again on the new spinoff called The Flip Off with Tarek's wife Heather and Christina's now estranged spouse Joshua.

The show is set to air on HGTV in early 2025 with a two-hour premiere.

'During the series, Tarek and Christina, along with Heather and Josh will compete to see who can find, buy, renovate and flip a house for the biggest financial gain (and a chance at major bragging rights),' HGTV said on its site.

Christina and Joshua seemed to be doing well earlier this summer as they were seen with her children in Instagram posts.

In March they were seen holding each other and kissing when on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

They were also pictured kissing in the ocean.

'Weekend getaways to Cabo with you are my favorite. (love how it worked out & we traded couple pics on the beach with a professional photographer @allysimonsphoto),' she wrote in her caption as she pointed out she was staying at the Montage in Santa Maria Bay, Los Cabos San Lucas.

Josh also posted: 'Still going strong03/202403/202303/202203/2021. Cred: @ruthfernandez5.'

Christina then responded to his post: 'Stilllll love you & Cabo.'

In March they were seen holding each other and kissing when on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

He shared, 'Still going strong03/202403/202303/202203/2021. Cred: @ruthfernandez5.' Christina then responded to his post: 'Stilllll love you & Cabo '

They were seen in a family photo last year with all three of her kids

She has daughter Taylor, 12, and son Brayden, seven, with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa , who is now wed to Heather Rae El Moussa of Selling Sunset fame - pictured 2016

Last year they were seen with all three of her kids.

She has daughter Taylor, 12, and son Brayden, seven, with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa, who is now wed to Heather Rae El Moussa of Selling Sunset fame.

And Christina also has son Hudson, three, with ex-husband Ant Anstead, who now romances Renee Zellweger.

'Family vacation last week. Not ready (but ready) for kids to go back to school,' she said in her caption.

Last year he gushed over her on her birthday.

'Happy 40th Birthday to my absolute stunner of a wife!' shared the hunky TV star who appears with her on her shows.

'This woman has accomplished so much, inspired so many and continues to impress me daily.

'I can't say enough about what an absolute force she is and what she is capable of.

'Christina is about to make her 40's the best decade of her life and looking better than ever while doing it!

'I'm a lucky man and thank my lucky stars that she chose me to take this ride with her that is now our life. Ride or die baby, love you more than anything .

And she made a post too.

'Had the best 40th birthday celebration thanks to my husband and best friend,' Christina wrote on Instagram of her spouse.

Christina also has son Hudson, three, with ex-husband Ant Anstead , who now romances Renee Zellweger - pictured 2019

'I walked into the most incredible party where they thought of everything and made all my champagne dreams come true.

'I feel very lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

'Going into this new decade my goal is to slow the f*** down,' she continued. 'Enjoy the small moments and not rush through life. Take it easier on myself and mostly have fun and enjoy the ride.'
Angelina Jolie wants ex-husband Brad Pitt to drop his lawsuit against her regarding the center of their legal drama - Chateau Miraval winery - via her lawyer Paul Murphy.

The actress, 49, wants him to 'end the fighting,' after he sued her for selling her half of the winery in October 2021 for $67 million, according to People magazine.

Angelina asked that Brad, 60, disclose any third-party communication he had after their private plane ride in 2016 - during which she said he allegedly became violent and abusive, which he has vehemently denied and was cleared of - leading to the demise of their marriage.

During the plane ride, it was alleged that he had an argument with son Maddox - and the FBI investigated the matter and cleared Brad of any wrongdoing.

Brad's lawyer said her request was 'intrusive' and a 'sensationalist fishing expedition,' per the outlet.

Angelina Jolie wants ex-husband Brad Pitt to drop his lawsuit against her regarding the center of their legal drama - Chateau Miraval winery - via her lawyer Paul Murphy

His lawyer asked the judge to deny it.

In February 2022, Brad sued Angelina for selling their Chateau Miraval Winery, their French winery and the place they tied the knot.

They had 50/50 ownership, and Angelina sold her portion to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler. The holding company in control of her Miraval share is called Nouvel.

He requested the sale to be voided and sought monetary damages and legal fees however the sale went through on October 5, 2021.

In June 2023, Brad filed an amended complaint regarding her sale of her share of the winery.

His lawsuit for the sale of her portion of the winery is still ongoing.

Brad claims that Angelina went against their verbal agreement about their winery, but she claims that didn't let him buy her out because she didn't want sign his NDA - which was part of the deal, according to People.

Her lawyer, Paul Murphy, claims that Brad 'tried to punish and control Angelina by demanding a newly expanded NDA to cover his personal misconduct and abuse.' per the outlet.

'Those actions are central to the proceedings. We are not at all surprised Mr. Pitt is afraid to turn over the documents demonstrating these facts,' Murphy said.

'When Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong,' Murphy said in the paperwork, per People.

The movie stars, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 16, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Vivienne, 16.

Jolie adopted Maddox in 2002, then Zahara in 2005, a year after she'd met Pitt while the pair filmed Mr and Mrs Smith. He was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time.

They then adopted Pax together in 2007, and had biological kids Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne afterwards. Pitt adopted all of the kids before they got married in 2014.

They married in August 2014 after 10 years together but Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016.

The actress, 49, wants him to 'end the fighting,' after he sued her for selling her half of the winery in October 2021 for $67 million, according to People magazine; seen in happier times - November 2015

Brad, 60, and Angelina, 48, reportedly disclosed their finances to the other party, according to TMZ , which signals the end of a divorce settlement; Brad and Angelina pictured snuggling up January 7, 2008 at the 13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards in Santa Monica

At the time, Angelina chose to file 'for the health of the family,' according to the Associated Press, and asked for physical custody of the children.

Jolie filed for sole custody after filing for divorce following the alleged incident on the couple's private plane.

By the end of September 2016, she was granted the full physical custody according to a judge, with Brad having visitation rights.

Two months later, Brad filed his response, requesting joint and physical custody of the children.

By December 2016, Brad filed - but was later denied - a request to seal the custody related documents.

In January 2017, they released a joint statement revealing that they signed an agreement to keep their court documents confidential.

The judge ordered Angelina to help repair Brad's relationship with their children and he was given more time with them.

However, in August 2018, Angelina accused Brad of not paying any 'meaningful child support, with Brad's lawyers filing a response one day later, claiming he's paid her $9 million since their split.

A judge granted them both legal single status on April 12, 2019, while the couple continued to finalize their divorce.

Brad was granted joint custody by private Judge John Ouderkirk in May 2021 but Angelina challenged it.

A California appeals court disqualified the judge in July 2021, agreeing with Jolie in that the judge, Judge John Ouderkirk, did not sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt's attorneys.

Lawyers for the star filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court after the disqualification of Judge John Ouderkirk effectively voided the joint custody ruling, according to People.

In Pitt's petition, lawyers claim that elimination of Ouderkirk 'effectively upended the constitutionally authorized temporary judging system in California' and subsequently 'throws open the door to disqualification challenges at any point during a case, even if the party raising the motion has long been on notice about the alleged grounds for disqualification.'

The movie stars, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 15, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and Vivienne, 15; seen November 8, 2011 in Tokyo

In addition, lawyers for the actor allege that Jolie was 'made aware of Judge Ouderkirk's significant professional history with Pitt's counsel from the very start,' yet did not seek disqualification until years later.

The joint custody ruling was then vacated after his removal.

Brad is currently romantically involved with Ines de Ramon, the ex-wife of actor Paul Wesley.
Johnny Depp has revealed four tarot-inspired artwork pieces including one that features his ex Vanessa Paradis on Thursday.

The Hollywood actor has paid tribute to Vanessa, who is the mother of his two children Jack and Lily, by creating a piece of art calling The Empress.

Johnny said: 'It looks like a crown that has weathered storms. It shows a certain courage and strength of commitment. the Crown has been through a lot; she still shines.'

Through this artwork, the Pirates Of A Caribbean star captured Vanessa seated in a stoic pose, he added: 'I know who she is inside. She's magnificent. She's pragmatic. She's practical.'

Johnny and Vanessa were together for 14 years before their breakup in 2012. Despite being together for over a decade and starting a family, the couple never married but remain 'very close'.

Johnny Depp has revealed on Thursday four tarot-inspired artwork pieces including one that features his ex Vanessa Paradis

The Hollywood actor has paid tribute to Vanessa, who is the mother of his two children Jack and Lily, by creating a piece of art calling The Empress (pictured 2005)

The other three pieces of art are called, The Lovers, The Emperor, and Strength.

He revealed that his piece, Strength, was inspired by a large-scale painting Johnny created when expecting the birth of his first child with Vanessa.

The actor has said that the maternal instincts he saw in Vanessa made him explore ideas of inner strength when painting, stating that 'a veil was lifted' when he became a parent for the first time.

For his third piece, Johnny went onto described, The Lovers as 'the beginning of the story' which reflects a balance between masculine and feminine, conscious and subconscious.

The actor said that the male figure who holds the rose is warding off danger and 'protecting' the female. The work evokes an equilibrium beyond purely romantic love.

Meanwhile The Emperor piece is powerful and was inspired by a work Johnny created while filming Jeanne du Barry in Versailles.

The father-of-two said the piece 'represents ignorant power. I certainly.. wouldn't dare put my own face as an emperor. Never. I made 'The Emperor' somewhat faceless because if you put the Emperor next to the Empress who do you trust?... The Empress'.

Johnny concluded by saying the four pieces, that work individually or as a set, 'represent a reading for me that I lived but also activating all the characters that I've played throughout my life.'

Johnny said: 'It looks like a crown that has weathered storms. It shows a certain courage and strength of commitment. the Crown has been through a lot; she still shines'

Through this artwork, the Pirates Of A Caribbean star captured Vanessa seated in a stoic pose, he added: 'I know who she is inside. She's magnificent. She's pragmatic. She's practical'(pictured 2004)

The other three pieces of art are called, The Lovers, The Emperor, and Strength

Johnny and Vanessa were together for 14 years before their breakup in 2012. Despite being together for over a decade and starting a family, the couple never married but remain 'very close' (pictured 2004)

Ian Weatherby-Blythe, Managing Director of Castle Fine Art, said: 'This latest collection from Johnny Depp is perhaps his most revealing and evocative. The four artworks are clearly deeply personal and showcase Johnny's formidable skills as an artist.'

The artworks will go on sale from 2pm in the UK on July 18, exclusively at www.castlefineart.com and their nationwide UK galleries.

It comes after Terry Rossio, a longtime writer and producer on the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, stunningly remarked that Johnny would be welcome back for a future instalment of the film series.

Johnny was jettisoned from his lead role as Jack Sparrow amid the blizzard of controversy that resulted from ex Amber Heard's abuse allegations.

Now, however, Rossio has exclusively told DailyMail.com he 'wouldn't even hesitate' to bring the 'beloved' Depp back into the fold for another Pirates movie.

'Johnny Depp isn't the issue. The issue is: is there a story worthy? Is the script good? Can it be directed well? Can the finances of it be worked out? Those are the issues. The issue has nothing to do with Johnny,' said Rossio, 63.

A few weeks earlier an insider revealed Johnny was 'in really good spirits' and 'bears no animosity toward anybody' as his comeback continues.

'He's focused on moving forward. He's keeping busy. Theres a lot of good distractions, so there's not that much time to be reminiscing on that darker period.'

Johnny spent years as a pariah in Hollywood amid his highly publicized legal battles with his ex-wife Amber Heard, 38, whom he is pictured with in 2014

Terry Rossio, a longtime writer and producer on the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, has said Depp would be welcome back for a future instalment; pictured in the latest film in 2017

The insider added: 'Theres been a release of the old and embarking on this new chapter. Hes feeling better about where he is in life.'

He was 'very excited' for the US release of Jeanne du Barry, which served as 'a good challenge' for him as he 'did the entire film in French,' the source told People.

Depp was purportedly 'taking advantage of being in this better headspace. Theres a lot of good energy, and he surrounds himself with a good group of people.'

Heard had to pay him $1 million after losing the defamation case that he brought against her when she accused him of physical abuse.

Their lurid 2022 trial unfolded in the headlines, with Depp accusing Heard of having left feces in his bed as a bizarre prank on her 30th birthday.

After the trial ended, Heard sold her home in Yucca Valley, California for a reported $1.1 million and moved to Madrid with her daughter Oonagh, three.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley has gone on a tirade against Channel 10 after her dramatic exit from I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Australia.

The 70-year-old claimed she was 'lied' to ahead of her decision to sign up for the Channel Ten reality show in 2023.

The TV icon told Tammin Sursok on her podcast The Sh*t Show, that 'promises' were made to her before she agreed to go into the jungle.

'[Ten] came to me and promised me this, this and this  and I had nothing else to do at the time,' she claimed.

'I got promised a bunch of stuff and they lied. And so instead of being in there, the three weeks I committed to, I got out in three days. They lied.'

Kerri-Anne said she 'didn't want to go into' what producers had promised her and joining the show was 'the dumbest thing' she's ever done.

'I'm even dumbfounded that I said to myself after I've gone, oh my God. I avoided exactly what happened for 10 years,' she continued.

'If I had thought about it for one more nanosecond and the things that were said to me were not said to me, I wouldn't have done it in a heartbeat.'

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has gone on a tirade against Channel 10 after her dramatic exit from I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! Australia

Kerri-Anne claimed she always 'thought I was pretty bulletproof, and then you get wounded and move on. But no  dumb, dumb, dumb  and lies. Thats what I put it down to.'

Channel Ten declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

Kerri-Anne sensationally left the jungle after MAFS star Domenica Calarco branded her 'the most self-centered b**** she's ever met' during a fiery spat.

It later emerged Dom also called KAK a 'c**t' for refusing to participate in an eating challenge - although this moment was edited out of the broadcast.

The 70-year-old claimed she was 'lied' to ahead of her decision to sign up for the Channel Ten reality show in 2023

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph's Sydney Confidential shortly after her exit, Kerri-Anne was upset over quitting within the first week of the show, but she 'loved' living in the camp with some of the 'fabulous' famous faces.

'I am very disappointed that I couldn't stay,' she said, adding that the challenges were strenuous.

Kerri-Anne admitted that she'd never camped before and 'never wanted to' until she entered the jungle, but noted that she'd learned a lot about camping life.

The TV icon told Tammin Sursok on her podcast The Sh*t Show , that 'promises' were made to her before she agreed to go into the jungle

She also addressed Dom's 'hurtful' comments before her exit.

'I am a tough old bird but that doesn't mean what people say aren't hurtful,' she added.

'I also just wanted the camp to know I am not a horrible person. But you can't have regrets as it's not how life works.'

The TV veteran's time on the series came to an end after only four days in the South African jungle.
Another Northern California warmup begins today. Heres how hot it will get. Baron/Lynx

A low-pressure system, which aided in the demise of Californias heat wave and resulted in several days of Sierra Nevada thunderstorms, will lift toward the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday.

The thunderstorms, and associated dry lightning, sparked fires throughout California last weekend, including four separate blazes in the Sequoia National Forest. This system will introduce a dry lightning and fire threat to parts of drought-plagued Washington and Idaho on Wednesday.

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The low-pressure system even had an impact on the Bay Area weather Monday and Tuesday. Widespread morning clouds extended to the inland valleys, and a cooler air mass kept temperatures near seasonal normals. Highs were generally in the 60s at the coast, 70s near the bay shoreline and near 80 inland the past two days.

Temperatures are forecast to gradually increase across the Bay Area through Friday as an area of high pressure builds back in. Wednesdays temperatures are expected to be about 5 to 10 degrees higher than Tuesday: in the mid-80s to near 90 inland, mid-70s to mid-80s along the bay shoreline and 60s to low 70s at the coast.

On Thursday, triple-digit temperatures are forecast to return to the Central Valley. By Monday, Redding will again surpass the 110-degree mark, while Sacramento and Vacaville could reach 105. Parts of the North Bay and East Bay may even flirt with temperatures near 100.

The National Weather Service expects well above-normal temperatures to return to the West this weekend and continue through the following week. Weather Prediction Center

Even hotter weather is possible over the weekend into early next week; however, the highest temperatures will be in the Central Valley and Mojave Desert.

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Wednesday breakdown

San Francisco: Another day of morning cloud cover and afternoon sunshine is expected across the city. Highs will reach the low to mid-60s west of Twin Peaks and the mid- to upper 60s in the Mission District, SoMa, downtown, North Beach and the Marina. Mission Bay and Portola may approach 70 degrees. Gusts of 10 to 20 mph are expected in the afternoon, strongest near the water. Lows will be in the mid-50s with a return of partly to mostly cloudy skies overnight.

North Bay: The North Bay will experience the biggest warmup of any Bay Area region. Clouds should be quicker to burn off, and a warmer air mass and shallower marine layer means Wine Country temperatures are expected to climb to the 80s. Highs will be close to 90 in eastern Solano County and near 70 along the coast and in Sausalito. Lows will be in the 50s with the best chance of clouds near San Pablo Bay, and along the coast.

East Bay: Morning stratus clouds will burn off quickly for a sunny afternoon. Temperatures are predicted to increase about 5 degrees across the East Bay. Bay-facing locations will reach the mid- to upper 70s, while the inland valleys should climb well into the 80s to near 90 in Walnut Creek. Gusts of 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon and evening will be strongest atop hills and near the water. Lows will be in the upper 50s with scattered clouds near the bay.

Pacific Coast and Peninsula: On Monday and Tuesday, clouds unexpectedly cleared along the coast, and Wednesdays pattern signals at least partial clearing. Highs should reach the low 60s in Daly City, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, but more rapid clearing means temperatures may go higher. Temperatures will be well into the 70s, perhaps close to 80, in Redwood City, but a stronger sea breeze may keep San Bruno in the upper 60s. Gusts up to 30 mph are possible in the afternoon. Lows will be in the mid-50s.

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Christie Swadling has left fans baffled with her latest Instagram post.

The controversial influencer took to social media on Tuesday to share some jaw-dropping snaps of herself posing up a storm on the beach near the Newcastle Ocean Baths.

She put on a busty display in a plunging white crocheted mini dress from Beginning Boutique as she knelt down on the golden sand and lounged on a picnic blanket.

Christie accessorised the sultry look with a simple beaded necklace and swept her golden locks back in a white bow.

However, fans were left distracted by one notable detail, as they questioned why she had brought a bowl of lemons to the beach with her.

In one photo, Christie posed next to a bouquet of pink roses, a large book and a ceramic bowl filled with four lemons, one of which had been cut in half.

Fans were left baffled by her bizarre use of props on the beach, with one commenting: 'Why you bringing a bowl of lemons to the beach?'

It comes after Christie broke her silence on her rumoured split from fiance Joel Price after he was served with a restraining order and charged with domestic violence-related common assault.

Christie Swadling took to social media on Tuesday to share some jaw-dropping snaps of herself posing up a storm on the beach near the Newcastle Ocean Baths

However, fans were left distracted by one notable detail, as they questioned why she had brought a bowl of lemons to the beach with her

Fans took to the comments section as they questioned why she had brought a bowl of lemons to the beach with her

Joel, 38, was served an interim Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) by NSW Police on behalf of Christie, 27, in April. He has pleaded not guilty to the assault charge.

The matters were last mentioned in court on Tuesday, May 14, and will be heard in the same court on August 6.

Amid the news, the fitness blogger, based in New South Wales, took to TikTok to assure her her fans that the pair hadn't broken up despite the AVO.

Not wearing her engagement ring, she told fans in the video: 'I can't believe I'm still getting questions about this, but it's about the current - apparent - breakup with Joel and I.

'Publicly, it seems to me there's two main theories in why this is. First one is I haven't been wearing my ring. The second one is, I have not been uploading any posts or anything with my fiance Joel.

It comes after Christie broke her silence on her rumoured split from fiance Joel Price after he was served with a restraining order and charged with domestic violence-related common assault

'Just FYI, if you have an engagement ring, you should not be wearing it in the shower, gym, or cleaning. So I take them off for all three.'

'Secondly, my partner literally works for the mines,' she went on. 'He's the most busiest motherf***er I've ever met in my entire life. He sometimes works seven days a week, 16 to 18 hour days.

'B***h, I ain't got no time to take photos of him. And the days that he is home or we do have like spare moments, I don't really want to f***ing spend it getting content with him. We just want to be present.'

The pair began dating in 2020 before Joel got down on one knee and proposed the following year.
Tasha Ghouri showed off her toned abs in a sexy blue halterneck dress as she shared a gallery of snaps from her sunny getaway to Spain on Tuesday.

The Love Island star, 25, stunned in the watercolour-inspired halterneck outfit which featured a hues of green, purple, and more.

Tasha carried a large warm silver tasselled clutch and looked over her shoulder as she confidently strode down a quiet street.

She finished her look with a pair of low-heeled lilac sandals which featured beautiful white flowers.

She accessorised with stacks of silver bangles and she enjoyed a stroll on the beach in the final snap of her post.

Tasha Ghouri, 25, showed off her toned abs in a sexy blue halterneck dress as she shared a gallery of snaps from her sunny getaway to Spain on Tuesday

The Love Island star stunned in the watercolour-inspired halterneck outfit which featured a hues of green, purple, and more

She carried with a large warm silver tasselled clutch and looked over her shoulder as she confidently strode down a quiet street

The lovely photos were no doubt taken by Tasha's boyfriend Andrew Le Plage, a former real estate agent.

Now back in the UK, Tasha and Andrew, 29, celebrated their two-year anniversary in Spain on Saturday, and they marked the occasion with a sweet Instagram selfie.

Along with Dami Hope and Indiyah Pollack, Tasha and Andrew are the only other couple still together from series eight of Love Island.

The series' winners, Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti, both 29, split for a second time in June.

Earlier in July, Tasha flaunted her sensational physique in sexy blue and pink lingerie as she posed for a new Ann Summers campaign.

She modelled up a storm in her lacy undergarments, flanked by models of differing physiques.

Another set from the sex toys and lingerie company's new Camille range featured pretty lace detailing and silk straps and the bra showcased Tasha's ample cleavage.

For another look, Tasha showed off the Smoulder in Shimmering collection where she wore a sheer cut-out pink bodysuit.

Tasha finished her look with a pair of low-heeled lilac sandals which featured beautiful white flowers

She accessorised with stacks of silver bangles and she enjoyed a stroll on the beach in the final snap of her post

Now back in the UK, Tasha and Andrew, 29, celebrated their two-year anniversary in Spain on Saturday and marked the occasion with a sweet Instagram selfie

In June, Tasha stunned in a cream dress and pink-grey fascinator at Day 1 of The Royal Ascot at The Harrogate Mindful Drinking Bar.

Tasha wore a the figure-hugging seashell-inspired short-sleeved dress with a high neckline and an asymmetric hem.

The bar was a product of Ascot and Harrogate Spring Water collaborating to protect racegoers from overindulgence.

The Bar asks attendees to double up on water and drink alcohol in moderation and sells a 0% alcohol cocktail named The Lemon Royale Spritz.
The beloved tractor firm John Deere has backtracked on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the face of opposition and a damaging boycott from farmers and conservatives.

The company said in a statement it would drop 'socially motivated messaging' and 'diversity quotas and pronoun identification' and distance itself from 'cultural awareness parades.'

The $61 billion-a-year firm had come under fire over sponsoring a Pride event for children as young as three and other DEI efforts, even as it shuttered plants and sacked American workers.

'Our customers' trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere,' the company posted on X on Tuesday.

'We fully intend to earn it every day and in every way we can.'

John Deere, which makes tractors, construction vehicles, mowers, and snowmobiles, is the latest all-American brand to drop its DEI policies

The backlash against John Deere echoed a similar boycott against Tractor Supply, a retail chain, and last year's high-profile campaign against Bud Light over a tie-up with a trans influencer, which cost the beer-maker millions in lost sales.

Supporters of DEI efforts say they help get more women and minority talent into companies, but critics call them an irritating box-ticking exercise that often blows back on straight, white men.

Pictured: John Deere CEO John May made $26.7 million in total compensation last year

Critics had slammed John Deere for supporting the Little Rainbow Run at the Capital City Pride event last month in Des Moines, Iowa, which involved toddlers in the LGBTQ+ festivities.

The firm also embraced new-wave gender ideology, including staff training sessions on the 'genderbread person,' which drops traditional notions of sex in favor of the gender spectrum.

John Deere's website urged staff to 'use their personal pronouns' in email signatures, saying it is a 'sign of mutual respect' for people who do not identify with their biological sex.

The site also referred to 'strengthening the diversity of our workforce' and the need for 'inclusiveness, so every employee can make the greatest impact as their true self.'

Robby Starbuck, a filmmaker and 2022 GOP House candidate for Tennessee, launched a pressure campaign against the firm last week, saying managers had 'forgotten who their customers are.'

The company announced its DEI reversal this week on X, saying it wanted to keep 'customers' trust and confidence.'

John Deere was under fire for sponsoring a fun run for kids as young as three at the Capital City Pride event last month in Des Moines, Iowa.

The company website makes several references to 'diversity,' 'inclusivity,' and the use of preferred pronouns

The company reportedly runs including staff training sessions on the 'genderbread person,' which casts aside traditional notions of sex in favor of the gender spectrum.

In its statement, John Deere did not refer to Starbuck, saying instead it was 'listening to feedback.'

In reversing its DEI policies, the 185-year-old firm, which has 83,000 employees across more than 30 countries, said it would focus messaging on agriculture, hunger and other issues related to its brand.

That means dropping its support for Pride and other 'cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events,' said the statement.

The company's so-called Business Resource Groups, which separate employees along racial, gender and sexual identity lines, would be scaled back, said the statement.

Training materials would have 'socially motivated messages' erased, and diversity quotas and rules on pronoun use would stay off the table, the statement added.

Starbuck responded to the statement by calling it 'another huge win in our war on wokeness.'

'BUT I don't think this is enough for customers to go back,' Starbuck posted on X.

'Customers want to hear that DEI policies are entirely gone.'

The backlash against John Deere, which is known for its leaping deer logo, come as the company sparks outrage by laying off American workers and moving more of its agricultural equipment manufacturing to Mexico.

Since October 2023, more than 1,000 John Deere workers have either been laid off or pushed into an early retirement across several plants in Iowa and Illinois.

Inside a John Deere plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, where over 100 jobs were cut this year

Robby Starbuck, the filmmaker and 2022 Republican House candidate for Tennessee, is on a mission to defeat wokery in corporate America

The tractor maker has been laying off staff and shifting operations to Mexico

More than 10,000 workers at John Deere went on strike for five weeks in 2021. They won a 10 percent raise for hourly earners and increased retirement benefits

John Deere's Harvester Works facility in East Moline, Illinois, where 225 workers were indefinitely laid off in October 2023

In many instances, production that these US workers were responsible for has been shifted to new locations in Mexico.

The criticism marked the latest in a series of conservative-led boycotts against well-known brands that embrace progressive policies, which have hit Bud Light, Target, Cracker Barrel, Tractor Supply, The North Face, and many others.

Portrait of John Deere, the man who founded the company that bears his name to this day

Many companies that embraced DEI policies in the wake of the cop killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in May 2020 have stepped back from them for fear of irking conservative customers.

For some, DEI schemes are important and necessary, as they can help to overcome historical racism and sexism and make it easier for people of all backgrounds to get ahead in education and work.

Critics say it's a form of reverse discrimination that unfairly blows back on straight, white men.

Others say DEI schemes may be well-intentioned, but seldom achieve their desired goals and often make things worse by stirring up divisions in offices and classrooms.

John Deere, which is almost exclusively known for its green tractors and iconic leaping deer logo, was established nearly two centuries ago in 1837.

In its early days, it produced self scouring steel plows, which revolutionized farming and replaced the inferior cast iron plow that got stuck in sticky soil.

Now, John Deere, which still bears its founder's name, manufactures everything from tractors, construction vehicles, mowers, and snowmobiles.

The company is headquartered in Moline, Illinois.
A Minnesota woman has revealed how multiple car insurers have denied her coverage - because of the specific make and model of her vehicle.

State Farm and Progressive both told Erin Walters they won't offer her insurance on her 2019 blue Hyundai because of 'high theft rates' associated with the car.

Thieves target the model due to its lack of an immobilization system, which makes it easy to steal.

After being a loyal State Farm customer for five years, Walters tried to renew her policy last week only to be rejected.

'I was shocked that State Farm was denying me,' she told WCCO News. She added that she would never have bought the Hyundai had she been aware of the issue.

She is now urging Hyundai to issue a recall of the vehicles and install anti-theft software.

Erin Walters, a Minnesota woman, recently found out her 2019 blue Hyundai Elantra isn't eligible for car insurance with State Farm or Progressive

Walters is pictured inside her car, the first new vehicle she's been able to buy in 30 years

State Farm released a statement to WCCO explaining in more detail why Walters and other customers won't be getting coverage for certain Hyundai and Kia models, another car brand that's prone to theft.

'State Farm has stopped accepting new customer applications in some states for certain model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles because theft losses for these vehicles have increased dramatically. This is a serious problem impacting our customers and the entire auto insurance industry,' a spokesperson said.

'We take seriously our responsibility to manage risk and the impact of excess claim costs on all our customers. In this case, it became necessary to take action to protect our policyholders and our business.'

Walters was initially happy with her car as it was the first time she had been able to buy a new vehicle in 30 years.

But now that she can't drive it without breaking the law.

Between 2011 and 2021, nearly 10 million Kia and Hyundai cars sold in the US were not equipped with immobilizers and could therefore be started easily and primitively with just a flat head screwdriver and a USB cable.

Once a thief pulls off the plastic steering column shroud, they can then rip out the keyed ignition barrel and use the end of a USB cable to rotate a square tab and start the car. The cable is not used to transfer any data.

Since there's no immobilizer, there is nothing to stop the car from then firing up.

Because of this critical design flaw, videos showing teenage vandals breaking into these cars and driving off with them have gone viral.

Walters poses next to her new car shortly after she bought it

Walters said she has to spend four hours a day at the minimum trying to find a car insurance policy now that State Farm rejected her

State Farm cited 'theft losses' when explaining why it has been denying insurance claims for certain Kia and Hyundai models

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The phenomenon is so common that they're now referred to as 'Kia Boys,' and these carjackings by inexperienced, thrill-seeking drivers often have deadly consequences.

In 2022, four teenagers including a 14-year-old mother were killed after a stolen Kia Sportage was crashed in Buffalo, New York.

For Walters, all of this means she has to spend four hours a day at minimum searching for a company that will insure her car.

'I've never cried over a car before,' she said.

When she tried to get insured with Progressive, it too said her car was uninsurable.

'Thank you for shopping with Progressive - based on vehicle information we are unable to offer you a policy due to high theft rates,' the company told her when she applied.

State Farm has previously declared 105 Kia and Hyundai models 'ineligible' for insurance because of the high rate of carjackings.
A recall of cucumbers sold at Walmart stores across three states has been issued over listeria outbreak concerns.

Wiers Farm Inc, an Ohio based distributor has voluntarily recalled cucumbers shipped to select stores in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

The company made the recall out of 'out of an abundance of caution' after listeria monocytogenes was detected during 'routine sampling,' the Food and Drug Administration said in the recall notice.

The bacteria can cause listeriosis, which can be fatal to the elderly, young children and the immunocompromised.

There are two affected products - whole cucumbers with the packing date June 5 printed on the packaging, and bagged salad cucumber labelled with the dates June 5 and June 6.

Wiers Farm Inc, an Ohio based distributer has voluntarily recalled some of its cucumbers

The products are sold at some Walmart stores n Michigan, Indiana and Ohio

'This product was not grown or harvested by Wiers Farm. It was sourced from out of state, then handled and distributed by Wiers Farm,' the FDA notice said.

'Wiers Farm is coordinating closely with regulatory officials in connection with the recall.

'The potential contamination was discovered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) through routine sampling.'

The product is already past its shelf life and should therefore be out of distribution the FDA explained.

However, anyone who still has the products should not eat them but throw them away.

No illness is yet to have been reported in association with the recall.

The effected products include 'Wiers Farm 2 lb bagged Salad Cucumber'

Listeriosis symptoms may last from days to several weeks and vary depending on the severity of the illness.

Some people with more minor symptoms may experiences a fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the FDA notice.

If the infection is more severe patients can experience a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Any consumers who have consumed the product and are experiencing symptoms is urged to seek medical attention.
Goa is looking forward to tap new and emerging markets through participation in global trade fairs after international tourism was affected due to the Russia-Ukraine war and other problems, minister Rohan Khaunte said on Wednesday.

During COVID-19, the international footfall in Goa was only 33,000, which has now increased to 4.5 lakh for this particular year (calendar year), Tourism Minister Khaunte said in the state assembly.

Responding to a question raised by Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai in the assembly, he said after the COVID-19 pandemic, the perception about tourism in the state is changing, taking it away from beaches.

Sardesai said Goa spent Rs 63 crore in the last four years (on various events), including Rs 29.84 crore to promote the state within the country.

Former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had emphasised on the pre-audit of roadshows and that accountability parameters should be framed, he said.

Khaunte said after the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism department in 2022 decided to change the perception of Goa beyond beaches as earlier the impression about the coastal state was only about its beaches and party life.

We needed to see that quality people come in. Since 2021-22, Goa tourism board headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant discussed about the emerging markets and tapping of new markets, he said.

Problems with the UK market and the Russia war impacted international tourism to a big extent, the minister said, adding the Israel military campaign (in Gaza) also resulted in a dip in the number of tourists from that country.

We had to ensure that we tap the emerging markets like South East Asia, South Asia, the US, UAE and Germany, he said.

The state tourism department participated in the WTM (World Travel Mart) London, ITB, Berlin, IITF and other events, Khaunte said.

We are presenting ourselves to the world through these events where players from the emerging markets also come, he said.

Earlier, only Goa used to participate in these events but now Ladakh and states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka are attending the international marts, he noted.

During the events, we have serious B2B and B2C trade meetings. The minutes are placed before an empowered committee before we decide the next course of action, he added.
Prime Minister Modi's visit to Moscow highlights significant gains for India on strategic, economic, and diplomatic fronts, despite Western reservations

Despite a concerted campaign by the US and Western countries to isolate Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, several nations, including India, have prioritized their national interests. This has allowed President Putin to bolster Russia's economy, with India's $65 billion worth of crude oil imports playing a crucial role in mitigating the impact of US-imposed sanctions.

India maintains close strategic ties with the United States, yet it has become the second-largest importer of Russian crude oil after China. This alignment with Russia serves as a counterbalance to US influence. In recognition of this support, President Putin awarded Prime Minister Modi the Order of St. Andrew.

The US, as expected, reacted by urging India to ensure that any resolution to the Ukraine conflict respects the UN charter and Ukraine's territorial integrity. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasised the importance of these principles in international engagements with Russia.

In this context, experts view Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow through multiple lenses, highlighting significant gains for India on strategic, economic, and diplomatic fronts:

India's geopolitical strategy significantly revolves around balancing China's rising influence. Strengthening ties with Russia serves as a counterbalance to China's aggressive posturing in the region. The visit underscored mutual interests in ensuring a multipolar world order, acting as a strategic buffer against unilateral actions by any major power, including China.

Strategic Gains:

A key highlight of Modi's visit was the reinforcement of India-Russia defense ties. Historically, Russia has been one of India's most reliable defense partners. Discussions around the S-400 missile defense system and potential future collaborations in defense technology were central to the visit, enhancing India's military capabilities and contributing to regional stability.

Western sanctions against Russia have led it to seek stronger ties with non-Western countries, including India. Both India and Russia advocate for a multipolar world order, balancing US influence. Modi's visit reflects India's independent foreign policy, maintaining strong ties with both the US and Russia.

Energy security is a cornerstone of India's economic policy, and Russia plays a critical role with its vast oil and natural gas reserves. Modi's visit focused on long-term supply agreements, investments in energy infrastructure, and collaboration in nuclear energy projects, ensuring a stable and diversified energy supply for India. Boosting bilateral trade and investment was another focal point. Despite historical ties, trade volumes between India and Russia have not reached their full potential. The visit aimed to address this by exploring new trade avenues in sectors like pharmaceuticals, information technology, and agriculture, promising long-term benefits for both economies.

Modi's visit signifies a reaffirmation of traditional alliances. Reinforcing ties with Russia offers India a more balanced foreign policy amidst the US's increasingly transactional approach.

The visit likely included discussions on expanding cooperation in space exploration and nuclear technology, fostering innovations that benefit both nations. Cybersecurity is crucial in the digital age. Modi's visit likely explored collaboration in these fields, ensuring both nations can safeguard their digital infrastructures and harness economic benefits.

(Writer is a political analyst; views expressed are personal)
The opposition can leverage parliament debates to engage with their constituencies but they often waste this opportunity by walkouts and protests

It is difficult to understand, especially since parliamentarians, appeared to overlook an essential of their vocation. That is, that the legislature usually does not take much time. The rest of the session is the opportunity for the opposition to demonstrate their talent and commitment through television. The ruling party or parties do not need the legislature except to have bills passed and enacted into law. If there are no laws that need to be passed urgently, the government and ruling party can do without the legislature virtually for an entire year. Of course, there remains the presenting and passing of the Budget, which can be legitimized only by the legislature, particularly the Lok Sabha.

What has been stated hitherto has been well demonstrated by the state assemblies in India. They pass the odd bill once in a while, and the annual budget is the other essential item of business during the year. Most state legislative assemblies meet for three or four days at a time. Otherwise, for the few times they have to statutorily meet, each session is seldom for more than three or four days. However, the members of the legislative assemblies (MLAs) draw their pay and perks for the entire term of the legislative body.

This applies to Parliament too, although it has the budget, monsoon and winter sessions, which are long enough.In short, to restate, most of the time the legislatures can work for the benefit of the opposition members, who can display their skills, knowledge, familiarity and touch with their constituencies. With the advent of full-time coverage by television channelsSansad TV being a prominent onea great advantage has fallen into the hands of the Opposition. This is a boon for them; it is a free and constant medium to, as it were, communicate with their constituencies.

This institution was introduced around the time I was in Parliament. Back then, most Members who spoke made full use of the television channels by speaking for as long as possible. During the question hour between 11 am and 12 pm, only five or six questions and their answers could be completed, instead of all twenty. The reason was that those who had asked the questions spent as long a time as possible over asking their supplementary question, which was a privilege to the Member(s).

The ruling party/parties have a better opportunity of exposure than opposition parties generally get. Yet, the opposition mindlessly throws away a lot of the session time by walking out, protesting otherwise, compelling the Speaker to adjourn the House for several hours or even the rest of the day. July 2 was another example when the Prime Minister rose to thank the President for her inaugural speech. For well over two hours, groups of opposition members took turns shouting slogans in an attempt to drown the Prime Ministers address to Parliament, or perhaps even to prevent him from speaking. Little do they realize that most television channels were telecasting his speech live, duly cutting out the sloganeering.

The only people who could hear the PMs speech being disturbed by slogans were the Members of the Lok Sabha. All that the slogan-shouting Members gained was a reputation of being wasters, as members who cost the taxpayer a lot, merely to put in negative effort to try and prevent the Prime Minister from being heard.Each session and day of Parliament cost several crores of rupees. Each Member of Parliament costs several lakh rupees a year to serve the country and its people, and not to prevent Parliament from functioning. There are many better ways of protesting, such as, such as wearing black bends on ones sleeves, sometimes wearing black caps, or sometimes, dressed fully in black. Members can also refuse to take their seats for the entire day, instead, occupying the adjacent aisles for the duration of the session, as a mark of protest, but let the work go on. This would assure all the people, including their constituents that they are spending money on the functioning of Parliament with its thousands of employees constructively and in the interests of the nation.

They should realize that the British departed from India long ago, and such negative activities have no place in our country anymore. Let it be borne in mind that being elected to Parliament (or the state legislative assemblies) is a national duty more than the privilege it has come to be mistakenly understood. What we have witnessed over the two days of July 2 and 3 portends ill for the institution of democracy, which everyone, from the opposition parties to the media and academia, not to forget their cheerleaders overseas, keeps shouting is under threat in India. But where is the real threat to democracy coming from? This needs to be clearly understood.No democracy can be threatened because its electorate gives a clear mandate for stable governance for a developed economy and a better future. It is the cavalier fashion in which certain partiesand political families living in a sense of entitlementtreat Parliament and its protocols and rules that are emerging as the real threat to democracy.

(The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal)
Accepting events as they happen brings a great sense of calmness

Aeons ago in ancient China lived an old farmer who worked on his land for several years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, a group of neighbours came to commiserate with him. Such misfortune, the agitated group of villagers reacted. Maybe, the farmer replied nonchalantly. A few days later the horse returned, accompanied by three wild horses. Another group of villagers approached the house of the agriculturist to sympathise. Maybe, replied the aged farmer.

The following day, the farmers son tried to mount one of the untamed horses and was thrown off. The strapping youngster broke his leg. The overwrought neighbours once again queued up to offer their sympathies at this misadventure. Maybe, was the desultory answer yet again.A few days later some military personnel swooped on the village to draft young men. Looking at the incapacitated stripling, he was disqualified from being recruited. The exuberant neighbours congratulated the old grazier on the turn of events. Maybe, was the laconic reply yet again. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has succinctly elucidated the significance of the aphorism, to accept people and situations as they are in his teachings.

The 4 Ds of Abnormal Behaviour

Abnormal behaviour can be construed as behaviour that is disturbing (socially unacceptable), distressing, maladaptive (or self-defeating) and often the result of distorted thoughts (cognitions) as per Wikipedia.There are four strains in this abnormal behaviour. These are deviance, dysfunction, distress, and danger.Deviant behaviour is usually different, extreme, and unusual and could even include bizarre behavioural patterns.The second in the series is distressing behaviour.

People who are related to such individuals feel unpleasant and unsettled in their presence. Dysfunctional behaviour discommodes the patient to such an extent that it acts as a deterrent in his day-to-day functioning and behaviour and interferes with his range of activities. Five specific patterns of anxiety disorders fall into this category. The first is termed General Anxiety Disorder. This is a prolonged, vague, quite inexplicable fear having no objective basis, accompanied by hypervigilance, and attached motor tension of the brain. Next is what in quotidian parlance is called panic disorder. These are none other than perpetual and frequent anxiety attacks which are accompanied by psychological symptoms such as breathlessness, palpitations, a trembling feeling, dizziness and even a sense of total loss of control over the self.

Next in the line of mental disorders are phobias. Humans have irrational phobias such as Acrophobia (fear of heights), Glossophobia (fear of addressing an audience), Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), and Aviophobia (fear of flying). In such situations, a human being is preoccupied with a wide range of thoughts, which are normally irrational.

Last, but no less distressing  on this ill-fated checklist is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These individuals suffer repeated and recurrent nightmares, flashbacks, impaired concentration, and emotional numbing which invariably follows traumatic or stressful events.Our country is plagued by three major issues namely, addictions, womens issues, and psychological disorders. Generally, citizens approach tantriks, babas, and quacks hoping for a miraculous cure. It is paramount to meet a qualified medical practitioner. The first step to recovery is medication under the expert guidance of a doctor.Next, after a period of treatment, it would be prudent to contact self-help groups, which sustain the treatment. For instance, undergoing the Happiness Course of the Art of Living, where one learns the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique which harmonises the body and thought. No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again, said Gautama Buddha.

(The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living; views are personal)
Life in Kerala, especially in Hindu homes, will become sedate for the next 32 days from 16th July 2024. The day marks the beginning of Malayalam month Karkkadaka (in synch with the month of Sravan) and Hindu homes and temples in the State would reverberate with "SreeRama, Rama! Rama!, SreeRamachandra! Jaya, SreeRama!Rama!Rama! Sree Rama bhadra! Jaya.." the lyrics from Adhyatma Ramayana, a version of the great Indian epic Valmiki Ramayana.

Every morning or evening, the family patriarch or the eldest member of the family recites the chapters from the epic and explain to the next generation the meaning of what has been written in Ramayana.

Though there are Rama Charita Manas and Valmiki Ramayana, the Keralites follow the Adhyatma Ramayana, believed to have been composed during the 13th century. What makes Adhyatma Ramayana different from Valmiki Ramayana is its portrayal of Lord Rama as God incarnation. The Valmiki Ramayana characterizes the Lord as an ordinary human being.

According to Adhyatma Ramayana, Lord Rama was born in the month of Karkkadaka with Punarvasu as his birth star. Saroj Bala, an Indologist and author of repute has substantiated the birth details of Rama with planetarium software. She has used the details given in Valmiki Ramayana and a comparative study with planetarium software and astronomical data established that what the Sage has written in his work scientifically match.

Keralas fascination with Adhyatma Ramayana dates back to many centuries, much older than the claim for Ram Janmabhumi Temple. Perhaps, K K Nair, the then district magistrate of Ayodhya, got his passion for Ram Temple because of his daily recitation of Ramayana, according to monks in Kuttanadu region where he was born.

Karkkadaka is the period that brings copious rainfall to Kerala thanks to the South West Monsoon. The monsoon is at its fury for the whole month sending the daily wage earners to starve as they are left with no income.

The hunger and poverty force them to devotion and what is the best recourse other than Ramayana, asked Swamy Chidanandapuri, the spiritual head of the Sanatanis in the State.

Another monk, Swami Ranganathanada, in his work Eternal Values for a Changing Hindu Society has said that Ramayana is read regularly in Indonesia, the country with largest Muslim population!
The Trinamool Congress has scoffed at the BJP for demanding the imposition of Manipur-like disturbed area laws in the State saying, in the wake of humiliating defeats one after the other the saffron party was betraying all the signs of madness.

Suvendu Adhikari is asking for imposition of Disturbed Areas Act in Bengal  let them do so and see the consequence  they will lose whatever trifle seat they have won in the recent elections  the demand itself shows that they are a decaying force and very soon they will change into a signboard, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said adding, Suvendu is making such demands in order to maintain his credibility before his bosses in Delhi it clearly showsthat he is short in confidence after the resounding defeat he cannot digest the electoral loss.

Consequent to the ongoing post-poll political violence, massive rigging in the recently concluded by-elections and a general drop in the law and order situation of the State Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari earlier demanded the imposition of disturbed areas laws in theregion.

The way our people were stopped from voting in the by-elections  the way the booths were looted  and the way the police stood a silent spectator  it clearly showed that there is no law and order in Bengal  the way our workers are being attacked everyday it is clear that there is no rule of law here  I will not demand Presidents Rule in the State  instead of that we will want that Bengal be declared a disturbed area much like Manipur  that is the only way to control the law and order situation, Adhikari said.

We will observe July 21 as Ganatantra Hatya Divas. Millions of people could not vote  only a particular community was allowed to vote and others were restrained from going to the booths  we will organize mass movements taking along the people who could not vote, he said alleging how in the by-polls, nearly 50,000 people in Raiganj could not vote and how 70,000 people in Ranaghat and 10,000 people at Bagda constituencies were prevented from voting ... they have murdered the democracy at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee  this iswhy we are asking for Disturbed Areas Act to be imposed in Bengal much the way it is in Manipur.

Announcing a series of programmes to counter the hype around the July 21 Trinamool Congress Martyrs Day, Adhikari said we will observe the day as Ganatantra Hatya Diwas (Murder of Democracy Day).

The TMC observes July 21 as its Martyrs Day because it was on this day that several party workers were killed in a police firing at Esplanade in Kolkata more than three decades ago.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then the State Youth Congress president, was on this day leading thousands of people  in an anti-infiltration march  towards the iconic Writers Buildings insupport of her demands for voter identity cards for the citizens complaining.
Security forces have mobilised a large number of troops to pin down the foreign terrorists on the prowl in the Dessa forest area of Doda. Four Army personnel, including one Captain, were martyred in the fierce gunfight in the same zone late Monday night following which these searches were launched across the hilly areas. It is learnt the terrorists had fled the area after targeting the Army personnel.

According to local reports, while the joint teams were combing the area a brief exchange of fire took place on two occasions within a span of three to four hours late Tuesday night.

The alert Village Defence Guards (VDGs) reportedly opened fire on observing suspicious movement outside their village, while two explosive shells were recovered from the Gandoh area.

The exchange of fire was first reported at Kalaan Bhata at 10.45 pm on Tuesday and then near Panchan Bhata at 2 am during the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in the Desa forest area.

Despite the challenging terrain and weather conditions, efforts are underway to track down and neutralise the terrorists who have links with the banned Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Meanwhile, two explosive shells were recovered during a separate search operation in the Sinoo forest area of Gandoh in Doda district.

Sinoo Forest witnessed a day-long encounter on June 26, resulting in the killing of three foreign terrorists and the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including a US-made M4 carbine.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Army said it had been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists.

The had infiltrated from across the border and were moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.

All formations of the Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue, the Army had said.

In Jammu, the Congress party Wednesday announced that it will launch an agitation against the alleged failure of the BJP-led government to check growing terror activities and its decision to give unbridled powers to the Lt Governor ahead of the assembly polls in the Union Territory.

Addressing media persons in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani said, The agitation will start at the state level and be taken to the district and block levels in the coming days.

We will also press for the restoration of statehood before the Supreme Courts September 30 deadline for the holding of Assembly elections, Wani told reporters here.

Criticising the BJP for destroying the historic state over the last 10 years of its rule at the Centre, Wani said Jammu was cleared of militancy during the Congress-led UPA government but the BJP has completely failed to provide security to the people who are gripped by fear due to the revival of terrorism.

When they (BJP) were out of power before 2014, they were asking Congress that you have an army, paramilitary and police and why you are not able to wipe out terrorism. Today, I am asking the same question as terrorism is back in Jammu region, he said.

While campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls that concluded recently, the BJP made tall claims about ending terrorism to mislead the people and get their votes, he said, adding that nearly a dozen terror attacks have taken place in the Jammu region this year. Congress wants terrorism to end so that the people of Jammu and Kashmir can live in peace, he added.

Another senior Congress leader Dr. Karan Singh said it is a matter of grave concern that the terrorists have now started to focus on Jammu. There is no doubt that it is a matter of grave concern. For years, terrorists executed their actions in the Kashmir valley. With great difficulty and courage, they were brought under controlIt seems that now they have started focusing on Jammu, he said.

Singh further suggested the reattachment of the Jammu Division of the Army with the Northern Command located in Nagrota from the Western Command to make one single unit.

We have lost several of our jawans and people in the last 6 months This is a very serious matterThis means that the administration doesnt have full control over the situation.

Senior AICC leader and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Bharat Singh Solanki said,11 terror attacks in the past 78 days and the killing of over 50 soldiers since October 2021 across the Jammu region have created a fear psychosis among the people.

We are concerned about the prevailing security situation. The prime minister, home minister and defence minister have no words to express grief over the loss of lives including that of civilians and pilgrims, he said.

He said all the claims of wiping out terrorism by the BJP after coming to power in 2014 have fallen flat as it has completely failed to tackle the security situation.
The Congress-led Karnataka Government on Wednesday landed in soup after the Cabinet first approved a controversial Bill mandating first 100 per cent reservation in private firms then revising it to two slabs for Kannadigas and finally put on hold facing backlash for 48 hours.

The reservation in private firms for Group C and Group D posts was made public by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and later he deleted it, sharing another rectified post clarifying that the Cabinet approved the Bill to fix 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries and other organisations in the State. The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held on Monday.

The move, however, did not gone down well with industry leaders and late evening Government sources said the Bill which was to be tabled in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday has been put on hold now. Sources said the Congress high command from New Delhi had to intervene given the sensitivity of the matter in the Bill as the State including the silicon city Bengaluru has a population from north India and else part of the country.

The Cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a Bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for C and D grade posts in all private industries in the state. We are a pro-Kannada Government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of the Kannadigas, the CM said in a social media post and then deleted it and replaced with another message.

It is our Governments wish that Kannadigas should be given an opportunity to lead a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada Government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of Kannadigas, he said.

Karnatakas move is similar to a Bill introduced by the Haryana Government, mandating 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs to the residents of the State. It was, however, struck down the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 17, 2023.

According to sources, the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 will be tabled on Thursday in the Assembly.
Still to recover from the Opposition MahaYutis poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Ajit Pawar-led ruling NCP suffered another jolt on Wednesday, as its Pimpri unit chief Ajit Gavahane and three other leaders quit the party, ahead of their joining the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar) on July 20.

Apart from Gavahane, three other leaders who quit the ruling NCP (AP) and announced their decision to join the rival Sharad Pawar-led NCP are NCPs Pimpri-Chinchwad Students Wing chief Yash Sane, former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar.

Gavahane, Rahul and Pankaj submitted their resignations to NCP state President Sunil Tatkare. Sane had sent in his papers to the NCP Student Wing President Prashant Kadam earlier this week.

The resignations by four NCP (AP) leaders come a year after Ajit Pawar rebelled against Sharad Pawar, brought about a dramatic split in the parent party and joined the BJP-led MahaYuti Government in the State.

Confirming his resignation from the Ajit Pawar-led party, Gavahane said: I have quit the NCP. I have submitted my resignation to state party president Sunil Tatkare

Declining to spell out as to which he was heading to, Gavahane said: You will know which party I am joining I wont reveal anything today.

However, his close aides confirmed that he and other leaders would join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on July 20.

The resignations by four NCP (Ajit Pawar) leaders should be seen in the light of the fact that the Pimpri-Chinchwad, a twin satellite city of Pune, has been the bastion of Ajit Pawar for the past three decades.

Gavahanes decision to quit the NCP (AP) stems from the fact that party president Ajit Pawar bluntly refused to field him as a party candidate from the Bhosari constituency in the impending Assembly polls on the ground that the Bhosari had been won twice by BJPs Mahesh Landge.

Informed NCP (AP) sources said that Gavahane had recently met Ajit Pawar who asked him: Why should our party contest Bhosari seat? Because it is a BJP from where its candidate had won twice

Gavahane and Landge have been arch political rivals for several years. They have fought elections against each other in the party.

The reason for Gavahanes move to join the NCP (SP) is that Sharad Pawar has reportedly assured him that he would field him as party candidate from Bhosari.

Gavahane and three other NCP (AP) leaders are expected to join the NCP (SP) at a function to be held at Pimpri-Chinchwad on July 20 in the presence of partys national chief Sharad Pawar.
With an eye on the Assembly elections later this year, the Haryana government on Wednesday announced a 10 percent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of constables, forest guards and jail wardens, along with quotas in other posts. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also said that the government will provide interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh if any Agniveer wishes to set up their own business.



"In direct recruitment to posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and special police officer made by the state government, there will be a 10 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers," He said at a press conference.

He said that in Group C and D posts, an age relaxation of three years will also be given. "However, for the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be five years," Saini added. In direct recruitment for Group C civil posts, there will be a five per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers, the chief minister said.



He also announced sops for industrial units employing Agniveers. "If any industrial unit employs an Agniveer at a salary of more than Rs 30,000 per month, then our government will give that unit an annual subsidy of Rs 60,000," Saini said. Saini also announced that Agniveers will get arms licences on priority.



The Agnipath military recruitment scheme, introduced by the BJP government at the Centre in June 2022 for short-term induction of personnel in the armed forces, has faced severe criticism from several quarters, including opposition parties. In the run-up to the recently held Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said in Haryana's Mahendragarh that the Agniveer scheme would be scrapped and thrown in the dustbin if the opposition INDIA bloc came to power.



Victims of hit-and-run Accidents to get cashless Treatment in State



To provide assistance to the victims of road accidents in the State, the Chief Minister said that a new scheme has now been started on the lines of the Central Government. Saini said under this scheme, such victims will be provided free cashless treatment facilities as well as compensation in hit-and-run accident cases. The time limit for the process of application of compensation and payment to the victims has also been fixed. He said under this scheme, the expenditure will be borne from the Haryana Road Safety Fund. Apart from this, a district-level committee will also be formed to properly implement this scheme at the district level. The Chief Minister said an order for payment of compensation will be issued within 15 days of submission of the report by the Inquiry Commissioner. After this, compensation will also be paid within 15 days.



Inaugurates first phase of Asia's largest modern apple, fruit, and vegetable market in Pinjore



In another event, Saini inaugurated the first phase of Asia's largest modern apple, fruit, and vegetable market in Pinjore and provided several benefits for the welfare of farmers and traders. To boost business in the modern apple, fruit, and vegetable market in Pinjore, the Chief Minister also announced the reduction of market fees from 1 percent to 0.5 percent. Besides this, he also announced the expansion of the Haryana Mukhyamantri Kisan Evam Khetihar Mazdoor Jiwan Suraksha Yojana, 2013, increasing the upper age limit from the current 10 to 65 years to now 10 to 75 years. The Chief Minister said that previously, no compensation was provided for accidents caused by lightning strikes on farmers and farm labourers. Now, such accidents will also be covered under this scheme. He said that under the Atal Kisan Mazdoor Canteen Scheme, government has decided to open 100 canteens in the state to provide subsidised meals at Rs 10 per plate throughout the year to farmers and labourers. So far, 48 canteens have been operational. He further announced that other canteens will also be opened soon.
Delhi Police on Wednesday apprehended a 19 year old accused in the Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital firing case where a 32 year old dentist was shot dead by a teenager inside the ward of the hospital in a case of mistaken identity.

The accused, who is the third arrest in the case, has been identified as Moin is a resident of Ghaziabad's Loni. "He is among the main conspirators and was involved in the recce before the firing incident. He has conducted recce for continuous 4 days of the hospital along with his associates Ayan, Aman and Shavez," DCP Shahdara Surendra Choudhary said.

Earlier, the police on Monday nabbed two accused, 20 year old Faiz from Loni in Uttar Pradesh and Farhan from Delhi's Chauhan Banger area, but said they did not fire the shots on Sunday evening.

However, they provided logistic support to the main accused. Moin is the brother of Faiz and was present with him at the apartment of Faheem, associated with the Hasim baba gang, who was the mastermind of the incident.

While Faiz provided that vehicle used in the commission of offence, Moin was involved in hiding the motorcycle.
The Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested two persons with 7 kg heroin and five pistols. According to preliminary investigation, the accused were directly in touch with some Pakistan-based smugglers and were supplying consignments of weapons and drugs across the state after they were trafficked from across the border via drones.



A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act. Those arrested have been identified as Gurmukh Singh, a resident of Bhura Kona in Tarn Taran and Jagwant Singh of Mehdipur in Tarn Taran, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The police also recovered five live cartridges and five magazines from their possession.



DGP Yadav said the police received a tipoff that two smugglers were going to deliver a weapon consignment near Muhawa village in Amritsar's Gharinda area, acting on which checkpoints were put up in the area. The duo who were coming in a car were intercepted and arrested after five pistols and ammunition were found in their possession, he added. During questioning, the accused told the police that along with weapons, they had also retrieved heroin, which they had hidden near their house.



Following their disclosure, the police raided a location shared by the duo and recovered 7 kg heroin. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Satinder Singh said investigations are on to establish the backward and forward linkages in this case and identify those whom the arrested persons were to deliver the weapon consignment. The police will also initiate the procedure to forfeit the illegally acquired property of the arrested smugglers under the NDPS Act, he added.



3 members of Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang held in Punjab



Punjab Police have arrested three associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi and US-based Goldy Brar gang in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police. The police also recovered two pistols along with six cartridges from the accused who have been identified as Gurpreet Singh of Bhikhi in Mansa, Maninder Singh alias Munshi of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and Harcharanjit Singh of Bir Khurd village in Mansa. All the accused have criminal histories with cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, and the Arms Act, among others registered against them.

DGP Yadav said that acting on reliable inputs, a team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force apprehended Harcharanjit, who was wanted in an attempt to murder case, in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police. During interrogation, Harcharanjit revealed that he was working on the directions of notorious gangster Manpreet Singh alias Manna, who tasked him to help Gurpreet and Maninder to eliminate a member of a rival gang. Gangster Manna, who is currently lodged in Rupnagar jail, is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.



Following Harcharanjit's disclosure, police launched a manhunt to nab both the accused and managed to arrest them from Mansa Road in Bathinda, the DGP said. Further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he added. DGP Yadav also thanked DGP Rajasthan for the support to Punjab Police in the inter-state operation.
Delhi Industries Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday held a meeting with representatives of factory owners' associations from 27 industrial areas at Secretariat to discuss the government's plans to revamp those areas.

The senior AAP leader assured trade organisations during the meeting that the AAP led Delhi Government is very serious about the development and maintenance of 27 unplanned industrial areas.

He mentioned that the government has been working with trade organisations for a long time to develop these areas and has come up with a scheme for their revamp. "Under this scheme, 90 per cent of the costs associated with the layout plan for the development of these industrial areas will be borne by the Delhi Government, while 10 per cent will be borne by the factory owners," he stated.

During the meeting, Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI) Chairman Brijesh Goyal requested the minister to consider reducing the high fee for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) map approvals in these 27 unplanned industrial areas. Goyal highlighted that there are 29 authorised industrial areas and 27 unplanned industrial areas in Delhi. Factory owners from these unplanned areas have requested the government to include the cost of MCD map approvals under the scheme. Bharadwaj agreed to this demand and instructed officials to consider a policy where map approval fees are in line with the government's scheme.
Nitin Gadkari reviews road projects related to Haryana in New Delhi



Chandigarh: To accelerate the development of highway infrastructure in Haryana, several road projects related to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will now be expedited. A review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi regarding road projects related to Haryana. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini attended this meeting. In the meeting, discussions were held on issues related to removing the Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, preparing a new ring road for Kurukshetra, and connecting Jewar International Airport to Faridabad-Ballabgarh Bypass from Mohna. Saini suggested that garbage waste and fly ash from electricity plants could be more effectively utilised for road construction. He said that applications can be made on the portal of the Haryana government for soil-related works in National Highway projects, and efforts will be made to fulfill the availability of soil.



Agniveer scheme should be completely abolished: Hooda



Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said that 10 percent reservation in Group-C and 20 percent reservation in Group-D in the departments of the Central Government is already fixed for ex-servicemen. In such a situation, there is no justification for the announcement of giving 10 percent reservation to Agniveers in the security forces. This seems to be an announcement by the BJP to mislead the people, he said and added that the Agniveer scheme should be completely abolished and 100 percent of the youth recruited should get a chance to serve in the Army.



Three-day forensic training program launched for public prosecutors



Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the first-of-its-kind three-day training program for the state's public prosecutors (District Attorneys and Additional District Attorneys) today. The program focuses on forensic analysis and other aspects of criminal justice delivery. On June 29, an agreement was signed between the Haryana Government and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, to enhance, facilitate, and strengthen collaborative activities in forensic and prosecutorial training, research, and forensic sample testing. As part of this initiative, the training course was launched today at HIPA, Gurugram. Initially, 26 District Attorneys and Additional District Attorneys participated.



ACS Anurag Agarwal appointed as in-charge of Bhiwani district



Chandigarh: Haryana Government has assigned Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary of the PW (B&R), Architecture, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, as the in-charge of Bhiwani district. He will take on this role in addition to his current duties, replacing Pankaj Agarwal, Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana. An order to this effect has been issued by Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad. As per the orders, he will review projects worth Rs 25 Crores and more of the district.



Hry Govt reschedules "Hariyali Teej" restricted Holiday



Chandigarh: The Haryana Government on Wednesday announced a change in the observance date for the restricted holiday of "Hariyali Teej". The holiday will now be observed on August 7 instead of the previously scheduled September 6.



Sri Chaitanya Launches SCORE Exam in Chandigarh and Panchkula



Chandigarh: Sri Chaitanya inaugurated its Outstanding Achiever Reward Examination (SCORE) at its Chandigarh and Panchkula campuses. This exam is recognized as a promising scholarship-cum-talent search examination, providing an extensive platform for students to showcase their abilities and earn rewards. SCORE, on 6th October 2024, aims to identify and nurture young talent by offering scholarships, cash prizes, consolation prizes, and exceptional mentoring and career guidance from subject professionals. With over 7 Lakh students registered for SCORE 2023 across India, this initiative serves as a crucial stepping stone for students aspiring to excel in prestigious exams like JEE Main, JEE Advanced, NEET, and Olympiads. Register at www.srichaitanyascore.com.



CM's insincerity caused financial chaos in Punjab: Bajwa



Chandigarh: The economic condition of Punjab has plunged into chaos under the Aam Aadmi Party regime, charged the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday. Bajwa accused the AAP Government of mishandling Punjabs finances with sheer insincerity. Bajwa criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's recent efforts to address the states financial woes. CM Mann met with 16th Finance Commission chairman Arvind Panagariya in New Delhi and previously consulted former economic advisor Arvind Subramanian for economic revival strategies, he pointed. Following the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Mann seems to have woken up to the fiscal crisis, Bajwa stated. Had the CM worked diligently earlier, Punjab wouldn't be in this rush. His arrogance and immaturity have led to this financial crunch, he added.



PSPCL, Mandi Boards green initiatives aim to preserve environment, reduce carbon footprint



Chandigarh: The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has installed innovative Solar Trees in Patiala city. These installations are projected to generate 52,000 units of electricity annually, offsetting 41 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, an environmental impact equivalent to planting 1,015 fully matured trees. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce the carbon footprint and promote green energy solutions in Punjab, said the state Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, while lauding the efforts of both PSPCL and P unjab Mandi Board at a function organized by the latter to distribute free plant saplings under the second phase of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Haryaval Lehar. The 'Solar Trees' project and our widespread tree planting efforts are significant strides towards realizing Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's vision of a cleaner and greener Punjab, he said.



Punjab to soon start recruitment of district, tehsil Social Justice and Empowerment Officers



Chandigarh: Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Department is set to initiate the recruitment process for District and Tehsil Social Justice and Empowerment Officers, aiming to strengthen its operations. Making the announcement during a review meeting, the Minister in-charge Dr Baljit Kaur instructed the officers to organize awareness camps within a month to educate the public on various schemes run by the department. The Minister also directed the officials to coordinate with the Additional Deputy Commissioners to take action under the Adarsh Gram Yojana and to submit reports within 15 days after utilizing the outstanding funds under various schemes.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday claimed that submissions by the CBI counsel in state High Court proves that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the mastermind of the alleged excise policy linked money laundering scam and asserted that there is a strong bond between him and Pakistan's political setup.

"After Wednesday's Court Hearing, it's clear that on one hand Arvind Kejriwal is the main mastermind of liquor scam and on the other hand, there is a strong bond between Kejriwal & Pakistan's political setup," Sachdeva alleged.

Delhi BJP chief claimed that the CBI counsel on Wednesday convincingly presented in court that Kejriwal is the mastermind of Delhi Government's Liquor Scam and it was on his direction that wholesale liquor dealers commission was raised from 2 per cent to 12 per cent which resulted in reported massive kickbacks to the ruling AAP.

"Secondly the trail of 45 crores kickbacks going to AAP for Goa elections too stands out very clear. Thirdly it stands clear that liquor scam's prime accused Vijay Nayyar was allowed to live in a government bungalow in close proximity to CM House on the instructions of Kejriwal himself," he said.

Sachdeva said that the way Kejriwal's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi cited the case of a former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan going on some court in Pakistan while pleading for Kejriwal's Bail clearly establishes that there is a close bond between Kejriwal's politics and Pakistan's political setup.

"It's pertinent to mention here that during the recent Lok Sabha elections a former Pakistan Minister lauded Kejriwal and gave statement appealing to Delhi voters for Kejriwal," he alleged and stated that Kejriwal's counsel cited the example of Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan's case in a Pakistan's court and equated Kejriwal's case to Imran Khan's case calling them cases of political harassment.

"A counsel cannot give a statement in court without his client's concurrence and statement of Singhvi relating Kejriwal and Imran's cases shows that there is a strong bond between Kejriwal and Pakistan's political setup," he said.
Senior Congress leader and former Jamshedpur MP Dr. Ajoy Kumar has launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, accusing it of rigging every competitive exam in the country. Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Ajoy alleged widespread corruption and manipulation in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, implicating top officials and political leaders.

Dr. Ajoy urged the media to employ the Right to Information Act (RTI) to uncover the exact marks of candidates related to BJP leaders. If the media uses the RTI to find out the exact UPSC exam marks of those candidates who are relatives of BJP leaders, they will be shocked. Everything will come out in the open, he said.

He further referenced the recent NEET exam paper leak scandal, highlighting the adverse effects such incidents have on the aspirants, particularly those from middle-class families. "If the central government is involved in such scams, where will the children of middle-class families go, as they are heavily dependent on such exams?" Dr. Ajoy questioned, emphasizing the reliance of many on these exams for a fair shot at education and employment opportunities.

Dr. Ajoy specifically cited a case involving an IAS officer from Pune, who allegedly secured an 800th rank in the UPSC exams under suspicious circumstances. "An IAS officer from Pune getting 800th rank and IAS cadre is a big question for UPSC and the central government," he remarked, suggesting that such instances are indicative of deeper systemic corruption.

Concluding his address, Dr. Ajoy stated, This makes it clear how much corruption is prevalent at the centre under the NDA government. His statements have stirred significant controversy, with calls for a thorough investigation into the alleged malpractices within the UPSC and other competitive exams.
After getting bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court a day before, Farmer activist Navdeep Singh walked out of Ambala Central Jail in a case registered in connection with farmers' February 13 'Delhi Chalo' march and was honoured by various farmers' outfits on Shambhu border in Punjab on Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the day, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that the Haryana Police detained a few farmer leaders who had gone to Ambala to bring Navdeep Singh to the Shambhu border to honour him after his release from jail.

However, they were released in the afternoon, he said.



Navdeep Singh, a native of Jalbera village near Ambala, was arrested by the Haryana Police from Mohali on March 28 on various charges, including rioting and attempt to murder. He walked out of jail after almost four months on Tuesday evening.



Navdeep Singh became famous as the "water cannon man" after he climbed atop a police water cannon in November 2020 during the farmers' agitation against the now-repealed farm laws. On February 13 this year, farmers from Punjab led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha began a march to Delhi to press their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.



They were stopped by the Haryana Police, who had set up barricades, including cemented blocks, on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway. The farmers had then clashed with police personnel. They have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points along the Punjab and Haryana border ever since.



On July 10, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Haryana government to open the barricades at the Shambhu border within a week on an "experimental basis". The court also directed the Punjab government to ensure that the protesters gathered in its territory are "duly controlled as and when the situation so requires".



The Haryana government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order. The top court will hear the matter on July 22.
Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and urged him to expedite release of pending funds for effective disaster management in Himachal Pradesh.

Apprising Shah about the vulnerability of Himachal Pradesh to natural disasters, Sukhu requested him to release Rs 9,042 crore as financial assistance, which was recommended by a central team in a post-disaster assessment, a statement issued here said.



The assessment was carried out after the state witnessed one of its worst natural disasters during last year's monsoon, triggered due to excessive rain resulting in flash floods and landslides. He said the funds are pending with the ministry and they are required urgently as the monsoon has already arrived in the state.



The chief minister also informed Shah that Rs 61.07 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund for financial year 2019-20 as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission was due to the state. He also requested the home minister to grant speedy approval to a project worth Rs 125.84 crore submitted to the Union Ministry under National Disaster Mitigation Fund.



Sukhu underlined the need to set up national disaster response force (NDRF) campuses in the state and urged to begin their construction in Mandi, Rampur and Nalagarh. He also demanded appropriate action against unauthorised possession and encroachment on state government's land in the inter-state boundary between Lahaul Spiti and Ladakh at Sarchu and Shinkula.



Urges Gadkari to declare two Himachal roads as National Highways



Sukhu also urged Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari to declare the 39.20 km Ranital-Kotla and 41.50 km Ghumarwin-Jahu-Sarkaghat roads as National Highways. He also requested the release of Rs 172.97 crore for the restoration of various state roads damaged by flash floods and landslides during the last monsoon season. The affected roads include Kullu-Manali, Mandi-Kamand-Katola-Bajaura, and Chail-Gohar-Pandoh.



The requests were made during a review meeting of National Highway Projects chaired by Gadkari. Highlighting the importance of road transport in Himachal, Sukhu said that no new National Highways have been declared in the state for the past eight years. He said the restoration of these roads is crucial as they ease traffic congestion on National Highways and were vital during the monsoon season when many stretches of the Kullu-Manali Highway were damaged.



He stressed the importance of the Shimla-Mataur National Highway, which connects eight districts to the state capital and neighboring states. Sukhu requested uniform upgrades to four-lane standards and also said that 69 National Highways had been declared, with alignment reports for 58 NHs submitted for approval in 2018-19. He urged for a speedy review and approval of these reports.



In response, Gadkari assured appropriate action on the raised issues and directed contractors to ensure timely completion of works. State Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh was also present at the meeting.
In a surprise move, the Uttar Pradesh government late on Tuesday night shunted out Hapurs Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma and attached him to the police headquarters.

Minutes later, the Additional Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Agarwal was also removed. He too was attached to the police headquarters.

The action created a controversy as the decision has been taken when the Kanwar Yatra is going to begin on Monday.

Kumar Gyananjay Singh, posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Ghaziabad, has been made Superintendent of Police of Hapur.

Sources said that not DySP and some junior officers would also face the music soon.

Besides, Rajesh Kumar (II), posted in the Anti-Corruption Organisation in Lucknow, has been shifted as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Ghaziabad.

Though the officials claimed the transfer of SP and ASP of Hapur to be routine, sources confirmed that the action was taken after the principal of the private medical college in Hapur made a complaint against these officials to a very senior leader of the ruling party.

The sources said that on Tuesday, a person called on Dial-112 and alleged that his patient admitted in Rama Medical College and Hospital had been held hostage. On this, a police team reached there. There was a scuffle with the inspector and the management of the hospital over the issue.

It is alleged that the officials and doctors of Rama Medical College and Hospital misbehaved and pushed a sub-inspector. After this information, SP Abhishek Verma sent ASP Rajkumar Agarwal to the spot. He met the Rama Medical College and Hospital management and got the issue settled by making the policeman sit with them. At the same time, no complaint was given in this matter by the person who called on Dial-112. Hence, no case was registered.

Sources said that as the police allegedly put undue pressure and even threatened to take the hospital officials to the police station, they immediately got in touch with a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and made a complaint.

The sources further said that ADG Meerut Zone was asked to submit a report in the matter immediately on Tuesday night and after receiving his findings, the government shunted out both SP and ASP of Hapur.

The sources said that now preparations were also underway to take action against the circle officer and inspector.

Some senior officials, who faced action, claimed that the CCTV footage should be retrieved to find out the truth behind the incident. They denied any misbehavior with the hospital authorities.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla has said that along with accelerating the pace of development, harmony with the environment is very important.

It is the responsibility of the present generation to ensure that the coming generation gets various natural resources like water, air, soil etc in good condition. Working continuously towards environmental conservation along with development is important and essential in the era of climate change problem.

He said that the government is continuously working in this direction. Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla released the book "Birds of Bhopal" based on authentic information of various species of birds found in Bhopal by The Nature Volunteer organization at Hotel Jahanuma Palace Bhopal.

It is noteworthy that this book is dedicated to late PM Lad, a retired officer of the Indian Forest Service. Late Lad has done remarkable work in the field of bird conservation. Deputy Chief Minister Shukla presented a copy of the book to late Lad's wife Kamla Lad.

In the book, 312 species of birds have been documented, including local birds and migratory birds found in Bhopal. Environmental protectors work as a guide on the path of developmentThe Deputy Chief Minister said that if natural resources are damaged due to avoidable reasons for development works or for infrastructure development, then the government has made provisions to compensate for it.

The government is sensitive in this direction. The Deputy Chief Minister praised all such nature volunteers and institutions including TNV who are working in the direction of environmental protection and said that environmental protectors work as a guide like a shield on the path of development.

Participation of every citizen is necessary for environmental protection. Continuous efforts are important for public awareness. Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silavat, Additional Chief Secretary Forest Ashok Barnwal, Principal Secretary Tourism Shivshekhar Shukla, Forest Force Chief Shri Aseem Srivastava, Padma awardee and President of TNV Bhalu Mondhe and senior journalist and Vice President of TNV Abhilash Khandekar along with TNV officials, intellectuals and volunteers working in the direction of environmental protection were present.

Bhopal has the potential for International Birds FestivalTourism Principal Secretary Shukla underlined the potential and possibilities of organizing national and international level bird festivals in Bhopal and called upon voluntary organizations to make efforts to create public awareness in this direction. Forest Force Chief Srivastava said that books on wildlife and biodiversity prepared by experts provide authentic information, which is extremely useful in the efforts being made towards environmental conservation.

Senior journalist and TNV Vice President Abhilash Khandekar mentioned the ornithologists and efforts that contributed to the creation of the book "Birds of Bhopal". He mentioned various topics of cooperation from the government towards environmental conservation.
Piplani police have arrested two absconding accused who were promoting religious conversion, three women were arrested earlier by the police on Sunday.

During this, two of their companions managed to escape from the spot. On Wednesday, the police arrested both the absconding accused. Both are originally from Kerala. The police are busy interrogating them.

At the same time, the police investigation revealed that two of the three women arrested have themselves converted to Christianity. One woman converted only two months ago.

The woman told the businessman that she would give him Rs 20 lakh if he embrace their religion.

When asked, the women said that they are telling the goodness of their religion. Kokta resident Dhanveer Singh Thakur runs a parts shop in Shiv Nagar. He said that he was standing outside his shop on Sunday evening. Then he saw three women and two men explaining something to the people of the colony with pamphlets in their hands.

The complainant reached the women and started talking to them. When I asked them what they were doing here, the women told me that they were Christians and were telling people about the goodness of their religion. I asked them what is the benefit of adopting their religion.

Then one woman replied that they will be given Rs 20 lakh. One woman said that she herself converted two months ago... she has been given a good house to live in and cash money. Her children are being educated in a good school. They also told me that if I adopt their religion, my children will be given free education in a good missionary school.

After this, I kept listening to their conversation along with other business associates. Meanwhile, the police was called from the nearby Anand Nagar police post. After this, the three women were handed over to the police. While the two youths fled after seeing the police coming.

The police have registered a case on the complaint of Kokta resident Dhanveer Singh Thakur.

SI Santosh Raghuvanshi said that the police started the investigation as soon as the complaint was received. On verification on the spot, the allegations of the complainant were confirmed. Propaganda related pamphlets were found with the women. The names of the arrested women are Mary Vastwal, Mary Masiha and Suman Masiha. Two other accused Chandrabhan and Badaprasad managed to escape from there. Both were arrested on Wednesday.

The police have registered a case against all five people under the sections of the Religious Freedom Act. All the three accused women are nuns. Two of them are from Bhopal and one from Narmadapuram. Mary and Suman themselves had also informed about being converted during interrogation.

Pamphlets, religious books and literature like diaries have been seized from the possession of the women. The absconding accused are being searched. A case has been registered against all the five accused under the Religious Freedom Act. The three arrested women have been released on bail after giving them notice.
For the effective prevention of mosquito-borne diseases during the monsoon season this year, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has been mobilising its efforts across all 53 wards in the City.

During the monsoon season, a drive to curb diseases has been started from July 2. Efforts to control an outbreak of vector borne diseases is carried out all through the year, they are just intensified during the rainy season. At Present, there are eight teams which are doing door to door surveillance in all the wards and are also creating awareness amongst the residents regarding these diseases. Spraying of larvicide and pesticide for adults mosquitoes is also being carried out on a regular basis, said Dr Kiran Kumari, Assistant Public Health Officer.

The civic body has deployed four personnel with knapsack spray machines in every ward to spray larvicide in all drains. As many as eight teams and a rooster have also been dedicated to ensure that every area in the City is covered. Pamphlets are also being distributed among the residents in all the wards.

The teams have been instructed to visit every house covering roughly about 15- 20 houses per day and check for any abandoned garages, stagnant water in utensils or broken pots, unused tyres, destroy larvae and also create awareness among the people.

A surveillance with the Health Department has also been started to keep a check on diseases like dengue, chikungunya and other vector borne diseases.

A weekly report is also being taken from Sadar Hospital and RIMS regarding dengue and chikungunya. So far no cases have been reported in the City, added the official.

Residents across the City can file complaints if any on the official RMC app- Smart Ranchi Official available for both iOS and android devices and also register on the toll free number 18005701235.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday performed puja at a temple in Pandharpur town of Solapur district on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi'.

He prayed to Lord Vitthal for abundant rain in the state that would help farmers, a statement from Shinde's office said.

The CM performed the puja along with his wife Lata Shinde.

As a long-standing tradition, the chief minister of Maharashtra offers prayers at the famous temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi every year.

Warkari couple Balu Ahire and Ashabai, hailing from Nashik, performed the ritual alongside CM Shinde in the early hours of Wednesday.

Lakhs of 'warkaris' (devotees of Lord Vitthal) congregated in Pandharpur from different parts of Maharashtra and neighbouring states for the celebration.

On Tuesday, Shinde said the development of Pandharpur temple town will be carried out only after consulting residents, ensuring no decision is imposed on them.

He stressed on the need for a comprehensive development of the town.

Notably, the Mahayuti government is planning to develop Pandharpur on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA / Key word(s): Half Year Results/Change in Forecast

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA: Very strong business performance in first half of 2024 / Henkel raises its FY earnings outlook



17-Jul-2024 / 14:02 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Dusseldorf, 2024-07-17T13:30+02:00 (CEST)

Very strong business performance in first half of 2024 / Henkel raises its FY earnings outlook

Dusseldorf  Based on preliminary figures, Henkel achieved a very strong business performance in the first half of the year, exceeding market expectations, particularly with regard to the adjusted return on sales and adjusted earnings per share.

Due to the very strong development so far and factoring in the expected business development in the remainder of the year Henkel has raised its outlook for the earnings development in 2024 again. This is mainly due to higher profit expectations in the Consumer Brands business unit, while at the same time increasing investments in marketing to support innovations. The outlook still considers the expectation of higher prices for direct materials in the second half of the year.

Preliminary business results for the first half of 2024

According to preliminary figures, Henkel generated sales of 10,813 million euros in the first half of 2024. This corresponds to good organic sales growth of 2.9 percent. Growth in both business units was driven by a positive price development (+2.5 percent). At Group level, volume development, which continues to be influenced by the portfolio measures in the Consumer Brands unit, was slightly positive (+0.4 percent) and also showed a sequential improvement compared to the first quarter of 2024. In nominal terms, sales were down by -1.0 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, in particular due to the sale of business activities in Russia and to negative foreign exchange effects while the recently closed acquisitions of Seal for Life and Vidal Sassoon contributed positively.

Adjusted operating profit (adjusted EBIT) rose by 28.4 percent to 1,610 million euros in the first half of the year, compared to 1,254 million euros in the same period of the previous year. The adjusted return on sales (adjusted EBIT margin) also increased significantly by 340 basis points to 14.9 percent. Adjusted earnings per preferred share rose to 2.78 euros in the first half of 2024. At constant exchange rates, this corresponds to an increase of 32.9 percent compared to the first half of 2023.

Sales in the Adhesive Technologies business unit amounted to 5,475 million euros in the first half of 2024. Organic sales growth was at 2.0 percent. This development was driven by a price component of +0.2 percent and volume growth of 1.8 percent. Thus, the business unit showed a sequential improvement in volume development compared to the first quarter of 2024. Adjusted operating profit rose by 21.8 percent to 933 million euros in the first half of 2024, compared to 766 million euros in the same period of the previous year. The adjusted return on sales increased significantly by 300 basis points to 17.0 percent.

The Consumer Brands business unit generated sales of 5,266 million euros in the first six months of 2024. Organic sales growth amounted to 4.3 percent. This development was driven by a price component of +5.1 percent. Primarily due to continued portfolio optimization measures, volume development was negative at -0.9 percent. However, it showed a sequential improvement compared to the first quarter of 2024. The adjusted operating profit amounted to 753 million euros and was therefore 34.7 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year. The adjusted return on sales increased significantly by 390 basis points to 14.3 percent.

Outlook for 2024

Henkel now expects the following sales and earnings development for fiscal 2024:

Organic sales growth : 2.5 to 4.5 percent (unchanged) Adhesive Technologies: 2.0 to 4.0 percent (unchanged) Consumer Brands: 3.0 to 5.0 percent (unchanged)

: 2.5 to 4.5 percent (unchanged) Adjusted return on sales : 13.5 to 14.5 percent (previously: 13.0 to 14.0 percent) Adhesive Technologies: 16.0 to 17.0 percent (unchanged) Consumer Brands: 13.0 to 14.0 percent (previously: 12.0 to 13.0 percent)

: 13.5 to 14.5 percent (previously: 13.0 to 14.0 percent) Adjusted earnings per preferred share (EPS): Increase in the range of +20.0 to +30.0 percent at constant exchange rates (previously: +15.0 to +25.0 percent)

Further expectations for 2024

The following expectations for 2024 remain unchanged compared to the updated outlook from the beginning of May 2024:

Acquisitions/Divestments: neutral impact on nominal sales growth

Translation of sales in foreign currencies: negative impact in the low to mid-single-digit percentage range

Prices for direct materials: flat development 1

Restructuring expenses of 250 to 300 million euros

Cash outflows from investments in property, plant and equipment and intangible assets of between 650 and 750 million euros

1 Compared to the previous year's average

Henkel will report on further details of the business development in the second quarter and the first half of the year on August 13, 2024, as planned.

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Further information regarding financial instruments issued by Henkel

Company: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA Contact: Heinz Nicolas

Department: CLC / Telephone: +49 211 797 4516

Email: heinz.nicolas@henkel.com Address: 40191 Dusseldorf, Deutschland Henkel Preferred Share: ISIN DE0006048432 // WKN 604843 Henkel Ordinary Share: ISIN DE0006048408 // WKN 604840 Listing: Regulated market (Prime Standard), all eight German Stock

Exchanges

For further financial instruments see www.henkel.com/ir

Disclaimer

This information contains forward-looking statements which are based on the current estimates and assumptions made by the corporate management of Henkel AG Co. KGaA. Forward-looking statements are characterized by the use of words such as expect, intend, plan, predict, assume, believe, estimate, anticipate, etc. Such statements are not to be understood as in any way guaranteeing that those expectations will turn out to be accurate. Future performance and the results actually achieved by Henkel AG Co. KGaA and its affiliated companies depend on a number of risks and uncertainties and may therefore differ materially from the forward- looking statements. Many of these factors are outside Henkel's control and cannot be accurately estimated in advance, such as the future economic environment and the actions of competitors and others involved in the marketplace. Henkel neither plans nor undertakes to update any forward-looking statements.

This information includes  in the applicable financial reporting framework not clearly defined  supplement financials measures that are or may be alternative performance measures (non-GAAP-measures). These supplement financials measures should not be viewed in isolation or as alternatives to measures of Henkels net assets and financial positions or results of operations as presented in accordance with applicable financial reporting framework in its Consolidated Financial Statements. Other companies that report or describe similarly titled alternative performance measures may calculate them differently. Explanations of financial measures used can be found in the Annual Report of Henkel (available at https://www.henkel.com/investors-and-Analysts/financial-reports/annual-reports), in particular in the Combined Management Report.

This document has been issued for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute an investment advice or an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.
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July 16, 2024: Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg has regularly developed and sold lots of innovative weapons. The latest is NOMAD, a 29-ton self-propelled tracked air defense system vehicle that complements the older stationery or towed NASAMS system. The NOMAD vehicle has a payload of nine tons and a range of 600 kilometers on one load of fuel. The NOMAD vehicle is a modified version of the Norwegian army ACSV, or Armored Combat Support Vehicle that was designed for a crew of two and up to twelve passengers. The ACSV can be configured for other uses, like adaptation for use by NOMADs.

NOMAD is armed with four ready-to-launch Sidewinder missiles. This missile was designed for use by aircraft but has been adapted for ground launch several times. These Sidewinder missiles have a range of 20 kilometers. The NOMAD radar can spot targets out to 50 kilometers. There is also an optical spotting device with a laser range finder. This is used with the.50 caliber/12.7mm machine-gun mounted in an RWS (Remote Weapons System) that can be operated inside the NOMAD vehicle by the crew of three personnel. The aimed range of the 12.7mm machine-gun is 2,000 meters. NOMAD is most effective against UAVs (Unmanned aerial vehicles), cruise missiles and helicopters.

Kongsberg is delivering six NOMAD vehicles to the Norwegian military and some of these are probably headed for use in Ukraine. The older Kongsberg NASAMS system is already used in Ukraine. NASAMS is far superior to the similar Russian Buk M1 system Ukraine and Russia use. NASAMS is a system developed by Norway in the early 1990s and entered service in 1998. Norway pioneered the use of American AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as surface-to-air weapons and developed the fire control and launcher equipment needed to make it all work. It was a simple but very effective use of air-to-air missiles for air defense. Other air-to-air missiles have been used for ground-based air defense systems but the Norwegian version is seen as the best of the lot. Norway has six NASAMS batteries for its own defense. Eleven other nations, like Hungary, Spain, Holland, Chile, and the United States, Finland and Lithuania also use NASAMS and the system is still in production.

The NASAMS was initially developed for the Norwegian Air Force by Norwegian firm Kongsberg, in cooperation with American partner Raytheon, which produces AMRAAM. A major upgrade, NASAMS 2, officially entered service in 2007 and since then it has gained interest in more nations.

NASAMS popularity is due to a truly open architecture that, unlike competing systems, allows NASAMS to be used with a wide variety of radars. Initially NASAMS used the American made MPQ-64 Sentinel radar but some customers requested a system that can work with different radars and air-to-air missiles. NASAMS has been tested and configured to work with more than 25 different radar systems and can fire just about any air-to-air missile that can be fired from NATO aircraft. All that is required is modifications to the size and electrical connections in the NASAMS launcher cells and software modification of the fire control system. Since NATO has long-established standards for NATO weapons, NASAMS takes full advantage of this.

So far NASAMS has been configured with AIM-120 AMRAAM (together with the longer-range ER variant), AIM-9X Sidewinder and the European IRIS-T. The last one is an interesting story. Norway has a big stock of IRIS-T for their F-16 fighters but the new Norwegian F-35 is not compatible with IRIS-T, so they decided to use this very modern European missile as an anti-aircraft missile in NASAMS systems. This example clearly shows how flexible this system is while the competitor systems are tied to a limited number of missiles and radar.

Ukrainians were eager to obtain and use NASAMS because of its reputation. NASAMS is far superior to the similar Russian Buk M1 system Ukraine and Russia use, or anything else in its class. NASAM systems began arriving in Ukraine during November 2022 and, by late 2023, there were eight NASAMS batteries in Ukraine. In 2024 there will be more NASAMS for Ukraine as well as longer range AMRAAM ER missiles for it. NASAMS has been very effective against Russian missile attacks, often intercepting all the Russian missiles headed for an area defended by a NASAMS battery. The impact of NASAMS on Russian missile attacks led the Russians to try and detect and destroy NASAMS batteries or components of batteries. As of early 2024, only one NASAMS battery has come under heavy Russian attack and lost some components. So far NASAMS has intercepted several hundred Russian missiles and UAVs. The latest version of NASAMS has a missile range of 50 kilometers and a target detection radar with a range of 120 kilometers. The older and larger Patriot system has a missile with a range of 120 kilometers. NASAMS systems are more compact and mobile than Patriot and the Ukrainians have found that NASAMS and Patriot systems complement each other. In Ukraine Russia is having a difficult time finding worthy targets that are not defended by NASAMS, Patriot or both.

NASAMS was a system developed by Norway in the early 1990s and entered service in 1998. Norway pioneered the use of American AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as surface-to-air weapons and developed the fire control and launcher equipment needed to make it all work. It was a simple but very effective use of air-to-air missiles for air defense. Other air-to-air missiles have been used for ground-based air defense systems, but the Norwegian version is seen as the best of the lot. Norway has six NASAMS batteries for its own defense. Eleven other nations, like Hungary, Spain, Holland, Chile, and the United States, Finland, Lithuania, and Ukraine also use NASAMS, and the system is still in production.

A typical NASAMS battery consists of 12 launcher vehicles, each carrying six missiles, eight radar vehicles, one fire control center, and one tactical control vehicle. NASAMS does not provide protection for a large area because the max range of its missiles is 30-50 kilometers while range of battery radar target detection is up t0 160 kilometers. NASAMS batteries will be used to protect major cities. NASAMS is being used alongside existing Ukrainian S300 systems and American Patriot batteries Ukraine received as well. Patriot is especially effective at intercepting ballistic missiles.
Dear Comrades, commissars, Bolsheviks, unions, biased civil-servants, today I outline our collective 10-year communist plan for Soviet Britain. The Labour Politburo which makes up most of the House of Commons, and implanted Labour House of Lords will implement my plan for the entirety of the country. Yes, there may be partisans and capitalist bourgeois interlopers who may disagree with my 10-year communist plan, but these treacherous venal capitalist scum will be routed from their ratholes and thrown from the parapets of Soviet Britain into the all consuming fires of Marxist outrage.

Comrades, I have sequestered the imperialistic puppet parasite King of Britain to read out the 10-year communist plan in the Duma today. Yes, he is a simple fucking puppet, a relic of the past, as well as being a parasitical drain on our Soviet nations peoples soviet bank, but for now he is of use to us. Give it a few more years, and we will string the lot of them up and display them for the public to see hanging from the windows of Buckingham Palace. We will then gut their palaces of their stolen artefacts and allow the people to desecrate these places of imperialistic thievery.

As well as giving full power to the unions, who will wreak havoc on the last remaining capitalist remnants of socialist Britain, I must thank the biased civil service who have always supported our soviet Labour cause whilst in exile. It was because of your intransigence and determination to sabotage the Conservative scum for decades that helped their downfall. We will reward you with even higher pension plans and expense packages.

Our first order of operations is to build over the green fields; the babbling brooks, the quaint villages of Britain and in their place supplant large concrete grey blocks to house the millions of immigrants who will continue coming to Britain under its open door policy. After all, in the sham soviet elections, we always need our voter base, and illegal immigrants who we grant citizenship without any checks, are a good start.

The House of Lords Hereditary Bill will ensure that all toffs are turfed out and replaced by Labour soviet commissars and people with names like Chakrabati.

The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill will ensure more surveillance to protect the peasants and proles from themselves. Yes, it is for your own protection that we will increase all surveillance. If we hear any proles who say anything out of sorts about soviet Britain or me, your supreme leader, then you will find out what happens to you. Our Gulags in the north of Britain will soon be bristling with your bodies as you are re-educated, thirty or forty years at a time.

I announce the British Railways Bill. I dream of soggy cheese and tomato sandwiches and dirty dishwater cups of tea. Hurrah! We are bringing back British Rail. Cattle carriages may or may not transport the proles from one place to another, that is, if the trains even bother to fucking turn up in the first place.

I have put in place my loyal Stasi Rottweiler comrade Milliband to oversee Labours WEF Trilateral Commission Net Zero Bill. This very simple plan involves impoverishing Scotland especially by cutting off their oil revenue, and impoverishing Britain by punishing road users who own and use vehicles that are powered by petrol. Along with high tax rises, council tax increases and the huge cost of importing gas from other countries, which I might add causes invariably more carbon emissions, living in Britain will become even more intolerable.

The new Pensions Bill was a pet project of mine. You may have a pension that is worth something today. Thank you for saving and working for years to make a lovely pension pot for our soviet Labour Party. We will take every penny out of your pension so you do not have to bother about retiring unless you are a comrade of the party or commissar of the civil service. Thank you proles for your money, now fuck off and get back to work until you drop dead in the streets penniless.

The Private Schools Bill. This one is a class war speciality, a vengeful declaration of soviet beauty. We hate you privileged scum who work hard all your lives in order to send your lazy bourgeois progeny to private schools. No! Under soviet Britains Labour Party, you will be taxed out of existence, so that only high party members will have the ability to send their kids to private schools. The rest will be thrown amongst the squalid, overcrowded comprehensives and oversubscribed crumbling primary schools.

All in all, comrades, if the proles have money now, they will not have any tomorrow as the soviet hand of the Labour Party will upturn the citizens and empty their rubles into party coffers.

Thank you for voting in the sham election where only 20% of the country voted for us, and goodnight suckers!
July 16, 2024: For its war in Ukraine Russia has mobilized forces from all over Russia. For example, aircraft at the complex of naval and air bases in northwestern Russias Kola Peninsula around Murmansk province regularly take off and fly south to launch long range missiles at targets in Ukraine. The distance from Murmansk to Ukraine is about 2,600 kilometers. The Russian Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31K fighter bombers can fly most of the distance and then release their long range air-to-ground missiles at targets in Ukraine. These flights are over Russian territory so there is no risk of losing aircraft for Ukrainian air defense systems.

Nearby Norway, Finland and Sweden are another story. These three nations are NATO members and all are upgrading their military facilities adjacent to Russian territory in Murmansk province. In this area the borders of Norway, Finland and Sweden are all adjacent to each other as well as Russia. The increased activity at Russian air, naval and land bases to support the Russian forces in Ukraine is very visible. The Russian Northern Fleet is based in this region and infantry units assigned to provide its security have disappeared since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian ground forces suffered heavy losses and most of the Northern Fleet security forces were sent to Ukraine and most were killed or wounded. The departed Northern Fleet ground security force troops have not been replaced. The Northern Fleet had to improvise a security force from naval personnel and some local civilian watchmen. Norway, Finland and Sweden are not threatening Russian forces but are increasing air, land and naval forces based in the area. This means more F-35 fighters, P-8 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and ground based air defense systems like the Norwegian made NASAMS.

NATO forces fly air patrols off their coasts and send naval patrol vessels to coastal waters near Russia. All this surveillance of Russian operations around the Kola Peninsula is seen as assistance for Ukraine by local NATO members who provide military support for Ukraine.

The 41-ton MiG-31K fighter-bomber is a Cold War era aircraft produced from 1975 to 1994. About 500 were built and some were modified for long-range bombing missions. This K version was modified for long range missions and about a dozen of these are now involved in attacks on Ukrainian targets.

When the Ukraine War started in 2022, Russia had the second largest, after the United States, fleet of 123 heavy bombers. These included fifteen 275-ton Tu-160s, 66 126-ton Tu-22M3 and 42 propeller-driven 188-ton Tu-95MS. Russia used these bombers sparingly against Ukraine in 2022, despite the unique capabilities of these aircraft. All can carry lots of unguided bombs and are the only aircraft that can carry some models of anti-ship and cruise missiles as well as the few extremely heavy unguided bombs. There are two reasons for not using these bombers decisively, as in frequently, against Ukrainian forces. The main reason was money. There was less cash for the defense budget since 2014, when Ukraine sanctions began. Sanctions intensified in 2022. This meant less money to maintain heavy bombers, which cost up to $60,000 an hour to fly. Theres no money for major repairs and replacing a destroyed heavy bomber was not going to happen. Because of that Russia has not used the heavy bombers inside Ukraine except in a few instances when there were no nearby Ukrainian air defense systems.

Since the war began in 2022 Ukraine has managed to prevent Russia from gaining air supremacy. This was partly due to the Russian EW (Electronic Warfare) effort being less formidable than Ukraine expected. That means only Russian fighter-bombers operate over Ukraine, and not that frequently because they are often shot down and carry far fewer bombs than the heavies. If the heavies were used over Ukraine regularly there would be major damage done to Ukrainian military capabilities despite all the weapons sent by NATO nations.

While less capable than American heavy bombers, which have better defensive electronics and all the guided bombs and missiles they need, the Russian heavy bombers are remarkably capable because of upgrades and less frequent peace-time use.

The Tu-160 heavy bomber is roughly equivalent to the U.S. B-1. It is the most recent heavy bomber and was selected in 1977 as the answer to the American B-1A, which was still in development. The U.S. canceled its B-1A in 1977 because it was too expensive and work on the new B-2 stealth bomber was underway. In 1981, problems with the B-2 caused revival of the B-1 as the less expensive version with costly features removed. The result was the 216-ton B-1B model. A hundred of these were built and the last of these were supposed to be retired in 2024. The new B-21 is replacing the B-1B and that process is expected to take until 2036.

Russia has not been so quick to cancel heavy bomber projects and made that work by implementing regular upgrades whenever they could afford it. When the Cold War ended in 1991, the heavy bombers were an early victim of the diminished defense budget. Many heavy bombers were stationed in areas that became new nations belonged to those new nations. These bombers were not needed by their new owners and the ones still in Russia could not be maintained. Since the late 1990s Russia has been refurbishing their heavy bomber fleet. Priority was given to the Tu-160s, as these were able to carry a dozen of the new Kh-101 cruise missiles each, or lots of smart bombs. Entering service in 1984, the Tu-160 is the most modern bomber the Russians have. There are also 63 Tu-95MS strategic bombers, a 1950s design propjet, and 117 smaller Tu-22M3s developed in the 1970s. The Russians have not been able to upgrade their bombers as much as the U.S. has improved their 1950s era B-52s. The Russian bombers are expensive to operate, in part because the engines last less than a third as long as Western ones. The Russian heavies require larger crews. The Tu-160 had the same tortured, and expensive, development as the American B-1. Because of the expense, only 41 of 100 planned Tu-160s were built.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, 19 of those were in Ukraine, which took possession, but did nothing with them. Left outdoors, the Tu-160s rusted away, but in 2000 eight of the remaining Ukrainian Tu-160s, plus 600 missiles used by Tu-160s, were sent to Russia in payment for natural gas debts. Currently 15 of the original 36 Tu-160s remain in flying order. The rest are used for spare parts. The Tu-160 is a large, swing-wing aircraft. It weighs 275 tons and can carry up to 40 tons of bombs and missiles, but usually carries nine tons on missions of up to 14,000 kilometers. It has a crew of four and entered service in 1987.

Far more Tu-95s and Tu-22s were built during the Cold War and it was cheaper and easier to get more of these back into shape by the end of the 1990s. This was demonstrated in the Russian Far East where heavy bombers began to reappear. Russian air activity has grown enormously since 2017 after two years of declining sightings by Pacific coast neighbors. This is largely the result of more heavy bombers and maritime patrol aircraft being based on the Pacific Coast. Increased activity by American carrier task forces as well as South Korean and Japanese warships gave the Russian warplanes something to keep an eye on and they did. Russian aircraft incursions that trigger sending up jet fighters because foreign warplanes are coming too close to your air space were way up in this region. Japan is the most common target and at one-point annual Russian incursions surpassed Chinas. The formation of a new heavy bomber division on the Pacific coast saw far more activity all over the western pacific by Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. The Tu-160s were also active after 2007 but made longer flights over the Atlantic Ocean and the Russian Arctic. Some flights were also made to Cuba and Venezuela. These flights were highly publicized because Russia could not afford to make many of them.

All Russian heavies operated near or over Syria, launching guided missiles at ground targets. Tu-22M3s carried out some saturation bombing missions in Syria. In 2022 the heavies suffered their first combat losses. On October 7th two Tu-22M3s were destroyed by a Ukrainian weaponized UAV that attacked the Tu-22 base 220 kilometers north of Ukraine. Russia denied the loss but commercial satellite photos showed two damaged and burned-out Tu-22s. By 2024 Ukraine had used UAVs to attack more Russian air bases, some of them hundreds of kilometers inside Russia. These attacks have destroyed a growing number of Russian bombers, which is why bombers have been moved to more distant bases, like the ones on the Kola peninsulas near the Norwegian border.
July 17, 2024: The White Sea in Russias extreme northwest is a large 90,000 square kilometer body of seawater with an average depth of sixty meters. It is the southern inlet of the Barents Sea surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of the internal waters of Russia. This makes the While Sea ideal for conducting sea trials for new nuclear submarines, like the fifth Yasen class submarine named Arkhangelsk. This submarine was built at the Sevmash shipyard near the port city of Severodvinsk on the White Sea. This is the only shipyard in Russia building nuclear powered submarines. Yasen-Class SSNs (nuclear powered attack submarines) are the Russian answer to the American Virginia class. The Virginias are a more recent design while the Yasen is a late Cold War effort that had some tech upgrades in the two decades it took to build the first one. This Yasen entered service in 2014, followed by a second and third in 2021.The fourth Yasen entered service in 2023. In 2024 the fifth one is now undergoing sea trials in the White Sea.

With five Yasens completed there are still seven more on the way, if the Russian shipbuilding budget can pay for it. Each Yasen costs over $700 million. The first Yasen entered service in 2017 and currently only four have been completed and seven more are being built. Thats all Russia can afford. The first American Virginia Class SSN entered service in 2004. So far 24 have been built, with ten more under construction and plans to eventually, in the 2030s, have 66. Each Virginia costs $1.8 billion.

The 13,800-ton Yasens were built after the Cold War but are updated Cold War era designs armed with Kalibr anti-ship or cruise missiles and ten torpedo tubes (eight 650mm and two 533mm). What Russia has not been able to do is keep up with silencing and detection (sensor) tech. American sub commanders are not being overconfident about all this but base their assessments on growing opportunities for the quieter American SSNs, especially the Virginias, to detect a Russian SSN (or diesel-electric boat) and stalk it for days or weeks without ever being discovered.

This was a Cold War practice and how the U.S. Navy discovered, in the 1980s, that the latest Russian SSNs were much quieter. But there are few of them and now improved American sensors make them easier to detect. The U.S. was apparently able to detect and stalk the Yasen, getting a good sense of how much quieter it is, but apparently not enough to avoid detection by the Virginias. As improved as Yasen is, it had lots of problems getting into service.

Russian submarine building has been on life support since the Cold War ended in 1991. Many subs under construction at the end of the Cold War were canceled, and the few which avoided it spent a decade or more waiting for enough money to resume construction. The first Yasen crew was put together in 2007 and then spent years training and waiting. The crew of 85 finally got their new boat in 2014, after record delays and time spent in the shipyard getting tweaked. Subsequent Yasens did not take as long to complete but there are still only five of them compared to 22 American Virginians in service. The Virginias have a crew of 135. Russian nuclear subs have always relied more on automation so their subs could have smaller crews.

Another difference between Virginia Class SSNs and the new Russian submarines is that the Yasens are SSGNs, meaning they carry more missiles launched from their larger 650mm torpedo tubes. The Yasens are larger, displacing 13,800 tons submerged compared to 7,800 tons for the Virginias, except the last ten Black 5 boats which will displace 10,200 tons each. The Block 5 Virginias also carry more cruise missiles launched from twelve vertical tubes. The Yasens carry VLS tubes for 40 missiles and 24 torpedoes for its ten torpedo tubes.
The owner of Lough Neagh Earl of Shaftesbury has said he has held constructive discussions with Stormont's environment minister over issues affecting Lough Neagh.

The earl, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper travelled to Belfast on Wednesday to meet some key stakeholders.

This news comes after the Lough Neagh Partnership warned harmful blue-green algae was "back with a vengeance".

The algae can be a risk to human and animal health.

There have been calls for him to transfer ownership into public hands.

The earl said there was a need to "work together to secure the loughs long-term future" and added his talks included highlighting the importance of a Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan.

Blue-green algae is visible around the popular Antrim Lough Shore walking area

Mr Muir's plan includes 20 actions his Department will take to "improve water quality, address the challenges in Lough Neagh and tackle blue green algae".

The Earl of Shaftesbury said he "reiterated his commitment to work with his team and other stakeholders to find solutions".

The Lough is the UKs largest freshwater lake. It supplies about 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water.
Communities across Derry are set to benefit from National Lottery funding.

The funding comes as part of an announcement of over 2 million of grants from The National Lottery Community Fund to provide support and services to local people across Northern Ireland, to improve their lives.

One of the organisations receiving funding is Repair and Share Foyle which is using a 20,000 grant to create a tool and equipment library and deliver repair workshops for the local community. The project will encourage people to share skills and resources and reduce waste.

Caroline McGuinness-Brooks, Managing Director, Repair and Share Foyle, said: We're absolutely buzzing about this award as it enables us to give our Library of Things the best start ever. We're excited to settle into our new home at RathMor Business Park and can't wait to kickstart the sharing economy model here in Derry, where residents can choose to borrow rather than buy new.

Treehouse Creche in Derry also received a 15,700 grant to run activities to celebrate their 35th anniversary. The project will make improvements to their play areas, organise outings for children and their families, and hold a community celebration event. The project will also run training for staff and parents to build their child development skills.

The Verbal Arts Centre is using a 19,443 grant over one year to support children aged 6-10 years old to settle into their new homes with their new foster parents. The project will train foster parents to use storytelling and communication techniques to start conversations with children in their care and help the families to connect.

Thanks to National Lottery players, 30 million a week is raised for good causes like these across the UK, including Foyle Parents and Friends Association, known as The Tuned In Project. They are using a 20,000 grant over two years to run summer schemes for children and young people with learning disabilities and complex needs. Activities will include exercise classes, outings and craft workshops, bringing young people with similar needs together to learn new skills, improve their confidence, build new friendships and give parents vital respite time.

Dromboughil Community Association, based outside Dungiven, has been awarded a 20,000 grant over two years to run a community fridge and a programme of craft and wellbeing classes. The project will bring the local community together to socialise, learn new skills and reduce food waste and food poverty.

Aideen ONeill, Project & Funding Coordinator, Dromboughil Community Association, said: We are delighted to have received this funding from the National Lottery Community Fund towards our extensive class programme here in our community centre. This project will bring tremendous benefit to our local community promoting health and wellbeing and reducing the impact of social isolation through a variety of art, crafts and exercise classes and workshops. We are very grateful to the National Lottery community fund and its players for making the continued success of our programme possible.

Lifestart Foundation in Derry has been awarded a 155,169 grant to provide support to new parents to cope with pre-natal and post-natal issues affecting them and their children. Over three years the project will run parent and child group sessions in Strabane, Derry, Omagh, Antrim and Dunmurry, to bring families together to share their experiences and concerns in a safe, nurturing environment and receive support from trained facilitators. The sessions will also run activities to improve the bond between parents and their children while promoting positive parenting and supporting child development. The project will reduce loneliness, improve mental health and help parents build connections with other parents and within their own communities.

Other organisations being funded include ARC Fitness Ltd, Aughabrack & District Community, Brighter Ballymagorry Development Group, Eglinton Womens Institute, Galliagh Residents Association, Gallaigh Womens Group, Hillcrest Trust (Top of the Hill) Ltd, Leafair Community Association Ltd, Lifestart Foundation Ltd, Lisnafin/Ardnalee/Trust Cross-Community Development Association, Pennyburn Youth Club, and REACH Across.

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: Im looking forward to seeing the difference these grants make across Northern Ireland thanks to the charities, community organisations and voluntary groups which are doing vital work every day to support people in their community.

As we approach the 30th Birthday of the National Lottery later this year, celebrating these new awards is a great way to thank National Lottery players who raise this money, which is going back into communities, to strengthen them, and improve lives.

For more information on National Lottery funding visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland.
A project that brings pets to visit isolated patients is among a raft that have received a welcome boost from National Lottery funding.

Some 115 grants totalling 2 million, including for Pets As Therapy as well as the Horn of Africa Peoples Aid, have been awarded from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Some 95% of the new grants are considered smaller sums under 20,000.

Pets As Therapy received a 19,600 grant to expand its service in Northern Ireland, where volunteers and their pets visit people of all ages in care homes, hospices, hospitals and schools.

Matthew Robinson, head of income generation and marketing for Pets As Therapy, said the funding will allow them to expand their service.

Visits from our volunteers and their wonderful pets improve health and wellbeing and reduce loneliness and isolation, not only for the people they visit, but also for the volunteers themselves, he said.

This funding will allow us to recruit and train more volunteers, coordinators, and pet assessors to expand our service to over 100 locations across NI.

We currently have 85 trained volunteers, but we have 30 on a waiting list which we can now train and coordinate to make regular visits to vulnerable people in the community, including in hospitals and care homes.

What's your dog's vibe?Do they love spending time with new people the never met before?Getting fussed all over?Do they enjoy simply being there for people and children to either read to them or being gently stroked?https://t.co/QPK6vKjYHw  pic.twitter.com/GJJkMVRVow  Pets As Therapy (@PetsAsTherapyUK) July 10, 2024

He said some of those who they visit may not receive any other visitors, and so these special visits from friendly pets can be the highlight of their week.

Pets As Therapy dogs also visit children in schools which helps promote a relaxing and nurturing environment, he said.

We know young people can improve their literacy skills and confidence through reading to the dogs.

The Horn of Africa Peoples Aid Northern Ireland (HAPANI), in Belfast is also receiving around 20,000 to upgrade its facilities and run courses for young people to learn digital skills.

Suleiman Abdulahi, founder/managing director of HAPANI, said they will deliver the investment over the next two years.

A lot of our young people dont have a computer, printer or Wi-Fi at home, which is needed for homework and accessing online services, so they come to us for support, he said.

Thanks to this funding well be able to provide access to this technology which most of us take for granted.

Our computer suite is very out of date, so well upgrade our equipment and deliver enhanced training courses so young people can gain essential digital skills to help reach their potential.

Meanwhile, in Londonderry, Repair and Share Foyle have received a 20,000 grant to create a tool and equipment library and deliver repair workshops for the local community.

Other projects to benefit from the latest round of grants also include Diverse Youth NI, Templemore Retirement Group, Dromboughil Community Association, FND Matters NI, Treehouse Creche, Lilac Cancer Support, Happy life Together, LGBTQ+ Womens Group Newry and Good Morning Ballymena.

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland director of the National Lottery Community Fund, said she looks forward to seeing the difference the grants will make.

From improving digital skills for young people, to people sharing resources and equipment to reduce waste, these charities, community organisations and voluntary groups are doing vital work every day to support people in their community, she said.

As we approach the 30th birthday of the National Lottery later this year, celebrating these new awards is a great way to thank National Lottery players who raise this money, which is going back into communities, to strengthen them, and improve lives.

For more information on National Lottery funding visit tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland.
Stormonts Finance Minister has pressed Chancellor Rachel Reeves on the need for additional funding for public sector pay awards in Northern Ireland.

Caoimhe Archibald said the meeting on Wednesday was a chance to reset relationships with the Treasury.

Ms Archibald was joined by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on the virtual meeting, the first with the Chancellor since Labours general election victory.

Public finances in Northern Ireland have been under strain for several years, with Stormont parties consistently appealing for more funding for the region.

Ms Archibald said: I welcomed the opportunity to have a meeting with the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves and look forward to having a constructive relationship working together to deliver the necessary funding to deliver the best possible public services.

However, I did express concerns about our overall finances and the need for additional funding for public sector pay awards, including to meet pay review body recommendations.

While good progress has been made in relation to the fiscal framework, work must continue as a priority and our finances must be put on a sustainable footing.

Certainty of funding is crucial for effective planning and delivery of public services.

I look forward to resetting relationships with the Chancellor and working together in the time ahead to deliver the public services that we need.

Ms ONeill said she made the case for fair funding for health, education, and public services during the meeting with the Ms Reeves.

In a social media post, she said: People here work hard and pay their taxes, they rightfully deserve access to first-class public services.

I will continue to work together with all parties to have the backs of workers and families, and to stand up for our public services.

Really positive engagement today with our Chancellor @RachelReevesMP  we agreed on the need for economic stability, investment in our public services and vision for transformation to ensure excellent public services. I raised need to work together as UK to find shared solutions. pic.twitter.com/UljzqzeJ6H  Emma Little-Pengelly BL (@little_pengelly) July 17, 2024

On a post on X, Ms Little-Pengelly said it had been a a really positive engagement.

She added: We agreed on the need for economic stability, investment in our public services and vision for transformation to ensure excellent public services.

I raised need to work together as UK to find shared solutions.
by Austin Bay July 17, 2024

"See something, say something." After the 9/11 disaster, that phrase served as a terse marching order for alert American citizens willing to help stop terror attacks on U.S. soil.

"See something, say something" is superb national security advice. 9/11 demonstrated America is under attack. Every citizen can contribute to the defense effort.

On Saturday, July 13, several alert citizens attending a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, saw a young man lurking near a building adjacent to the fairground where presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump intended to deliver a speech. The young man was later seen on the building's roof.

Local and Global Security Point 1: Per 9/11, concerned citizens on the ground provided The See. Several informed law enforcement officers. Hence Point 2: Citizens provided The Say.

Good citizens also provide evidence. I've seen perhaps 10 different clips from phone videos of the man on the roof. One video may have been shot as early as 5:45 p.m. EDT, but that's not clear.

This is: The videos are damning glimpses of a suspicious man on the roof of a building authorities now report is 410 feet from the podium where Trump was scheduled to speak.

WPXI Channel 11 Pittsburgh (NBC TV affiliate) now has an online timeline for Thomas Matthew Crooks' attempted assassination of Trump. The timeline documents the crowd's See and Say. Trump took the podium at 6:03 p.m. EDT and began speaking. At 6:09 p.m., many citizens (scores?) in the audience began shouting to law enforcement personnel, pointing to the man on the roof.

At 6:11 pm, Crooks opened fire.

Point 3: The citizens provided time enough for alert Secret Service and local law enforcement personnel to act to stop the shooter.

But they didn't. Not before Crooks wounded Trump, critically wounded rally attendees James Copenhaver and David Dutch, and killed Corey Comperatore, a fireman. Mr. Comperatore may not have been Crooks' target, but his murder makes Crooks a successful assassin.

Secret Service snipers then killed Crooks.

Secret Service snipers are elite American paramilitary personnel. But their shots were too late.

The Secret Service agents around Trump protected him with their bodies. They did their duty.

Yet the evidence for Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security operational laxity and bureaucratic incompetence is mounting, to the point intentional neglect by senior DHS officials becomes a malign but plausible explanation. I'm not pushing that, but the possibility must be considered and investigated.

DHS directs the Secret Service. The Secret Service relies on the FBI and local law enforcement agencies for assistance in preparing for a visit by the president, vice president, speaker of the House and other senior officials as assigned. In a presidential campaign, bona fide major candidates receive Secret Service protection. (Which is why DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' refusal to provide Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with protection was jaw-droppingly stupid. I understand RFK Jr. now has protection. He should have had it starting Jan. 1.)

My point: Presidential protection within the U.S. is a multi-jurisdictional effort, one requiring federal-state-local cooperation.

I suspect the imperious Mayorkas has made it a federal-state-local struggle, by neglect if not by intention.

An old proverb speaks to the difficulty of finding the rare and concealed amid the normal and visibly numerous: finding the needle in the haystack. Nine years ago, after two terrorists murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California, I wrote a column about the difficulty of finding the assassin's dagger in the haystack.

A terrorist can select from a range of targets "distributed" throughout an area. They can attack geographically dispersed targets, a hospital in Nevada or a bus going to Yankee Stadium. The defense cannot protect everything.

But presidents and presidential candidates are known, specific targets. Their movements are planned and protected -- or should be protected.

Mayorkas and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle failed to execute fundamental duties. They should resign immediately.
Qualcomm, Microsoft join forces to revolutionize PCs in the AI era

From Qualcomm to Microsoft, tech giants are launching marketing campaigns around AI PCs, promising to embed artificial intelligence features into notebooks and desktops. This strategic move is key to Qualcomm's re-entry into the PC processor market, marking an attempted comeback after a previous unsuccessful venture.

Qualcomm acknowledges the need to bolster its brand promotion and support PC manufacturers with marketing efforts. Analysts suggest this is crucial because, for decades, the PC industry has relied heavily on Intel's promotional prowess.

The iconic "Intel Inside" campaign is widely regarded as one of the most successful component brand marketing initiatives ever, conditioning consumers to view brand stickers on computers as symbols of quality. Intel even successfully promoted sub-brands, such as the 2003 launch of Centrino NB, which drove explosive growth in notebook demand due to its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.

Challenges and skepticism in the AI PC market

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding AI PCs, significant challenges remain. Market research firm IDC predicts that by 2026, AI PCs will still account for only about 20% of new PC shipments. Moreover, it's estimated that a mere 3% of PCs shipped in 2024 will meet Microsoft's AI PC processing power requirements.

Market analysts remain skeptical about the AI capabilities in notebooks, believing that practicality will be limited.

Apart from Microsoft, few software manufacturers are developing AI load optimization functions to utilize the new AI chips built into these PCs. The risks are high for many companies involved. Qualcomm claims it's ready to challenge Intel's dominance in the PC sector, while manufacturers like Dell and HP hope AI PCs will rekindle consumer interest.

However, companies must avoid overhyping AI PC performance to prevent repeating the short lifespans of past initiatives like Windows Mobile OS or detachable screens.

Nevertheless, even with current limited functionality, AI PCs could trigger a wave of new high-priced purchases. Many consumers, enterprises, and schools drove a surge in notebook purchases during the early days of the pandemic, and these devices have not yet been upgraded. Dell CEO Michael Dell stated in May that new AI features would help guide buyers toward higher-end products.

Another major selling point of AI PCs is their potential for longer battery life compared to traditional Windows notebooks. Qualcomm claims that its Arm-based chips can last several days without charging. Industry analyses support this, noting that battery life, rather than AI capabilities, remains the primary selling point for notebooks at present.

As the tech industry gears up for this new wave of AI-enhanced computers, only time will tell whether AI PCs will truly revolutionize computing or if they'll join the ranks of overhyped tech trends of the past.
Room for more than Nvidia: Jim Keller rejects costly HBM, pushes for affordable AI chip designs

Chip guru Jim Keller has expressed confidence that more companies will emerge to fill gaps in the AI market, as even Nvidia cannot meet all the demand.

Keller, CEO of the Canada-based AI chip design firm Tenstorrent, has observed that due to the high cost of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), many companies, including his own, are seeking alternative solutions.

According to Nikkei Asia, Keller highlighted that as AI applications expand into smartphones, electric vehicles, and cloud services, more firms are looking for more affordable solutions. He believes the market leaves ample room for new competitors even with Nvidia supplying a big chunk of the market.

Alternatives to HBM

Keller emphasized that predicting the best application for AI, or its scale, is challenging. Thus, Tenstorrent's strategy is to develop technology adaptable to a wide range of products.

The company's Galaxy system claims to operate at three times the efficiency of Nvidia's DGX while costing 33% less. This is partly achieved by the factor of not using HBM.

He noted that HBM designs are time-consuming and expensive, and many companies are looking for more suitable memory solutions. Despite the existing scale of the HBM industry, he anticipates that any market impact from firms seeking alternatives will take years to materialize.

In typical AI chip setups, GPUs require high-speed data transfer capabilities of HBM when executing processes. Tenstorrent's chip design significantly reduces this transfer demand.

Keller believes that in certain AI development areas, Tenstorrent's chips could replace the roles traditionally played by GPUs and HBM.

Less is more

Keller has consistently addressed the high cost of AI hardware, seeing it as an entry point for startups like Tenstorrent to challenge giants like Nvidia. He previously suggested that Nvidia could have saved US$1 billion in developing its Blackwell GPU by using Ethernet interconnect technology.

Wei-han Lien, Tenstorrent's Chief CPU Architect, shared similar views with DIGITIMES Asia previously, emphasizing the firm's more pragmatic and economical ethos leads to more cost-effective system designs with superior computing power than Nvidia's.

Lien stated, "Customers do not need to pay Porsche or Ferrari prices to run their Generative AI models; they simply need the most cost-effective cars that run as fast." Lien anticipates that the current trend for expensive hardware will fade and the market will eventually stabilize.
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Taoiseach Simon Harris will have his first meeting with the new UK prime minister Kier Starmer later this Wednesday.

The Taoiseach travels to the UK this Wednesday, July 17, for a meeting of the two leaders at Chequers, Mr Starmer's country retreat.

The pair are expected to discuss ways to improve Anglo-Irish relations during a "working dinner" with their respective staffs.

Mr Harris said: The invitation extended to me by Prime Minister Starmer to meet with him at Chequers is a strong signal of the value he attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead.

I look forward to getting to know the Prime Minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

The meeting will take place this evening following the UK's official state opening of parliament and the king's speech, and comes ahead of a meeting of leaders from across Europe for the European Political Community Summit in Oxfordshire on Thursday, July 18.
An Garda Siochana says its officers are currently "harvesting" social media images and CCTV footage in order to catch those responsible for violent and public disorder in Coolock on Monday.

Protests escalated in the area on Monday as people gathered to demonstrate against the planned revamp of the old Crown Paints warehouse for use as accommodation for asylum seekers.

Machinery was set on fire while a number of Garda vehicles were also damaged during the day of disorder in Coolock. Gardai are working to track down those responsible after already bringing 15 people before the courts on Monday evening.

A statement confirmed: "An incident room has been established at Coolock Garda Station and a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed.

"An Garda Siochana is in the process of collating and harvesting CCTV and social media images from the events on Monday, July 15, 2024.

READ NEXT: Shocking scenes as JCB set on fire at protest against Dublin asylum centre

"An Garda Siochana wishes to acknowledge the significant volume of support received from the public to date including calls to Coolock Garda Station, the Garda Confidential phone number and receipt of images and videos from members of the public.

"An Garda Siochana is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed these incidents to come forward.

"Any road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) who were on the Malahide Road or surrounding areas on Monday 15th July 2024, between 9am and 8pm, are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

"An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to any person with any information on the events on Monday or has any information on persons organising or involved in Mondays events to contact the Garda investigation team.

"The Garda investigation team can also be contacted at Coolock Garda station at 01 666 42000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station."
Leo Varadkar has revealed there were times when he was fearful for his own safety during his tenure as taoiseach.

The former Fine Gael leader, who announced he will not be contesting the next general election, said that he never let security threats bother him.

It comes following reports that gardai increased his security in 2022 following heightened security threats.

Mr Varadkar also said that he instructed gardai not to give him too much information about potential threats as he did not want to be distracted from his work.

The TD for Dublin West confirmed on Tuesday that he would not contest the next general election.

Mr Varadkar, 45, announced he would resign as taoiseach and Fine Gael leader in March, saying he felt he was no longer the right person to lead his party.

He then described his decision as both personal and political.

He was succeeded as party leader and taoiseach by Simon Harris in April.

Asked if there were times he feared for his own safety, Mr Varadkar said: There were a number of times.

On the night of the Dublin riots, I was advised not to go home and I didnt. I stayed somewhere else. But I never let that bother me.

One thing I would have asked the gardai was not to advise me or give me too much information about security threats unless I really needed to know for some reason.

I didnt want to be distracted by potential security threats or always looking over my shoulder, so I asked that they not give me detailed briefings unless there was some particular reason to do so, and I think thats probably the right decision.

I think I was very fortunate that I was able to lead a relatively normal life during my time as taoiseach and in politics.

Now I want to lead a very normal life, and Im kind of grateful for that.

Ive spoken to people who are heads of government in other countries, or people who are senior politicians in other countries, and some of them cant even go to a restaurant because they have to shut down the whole restaurant or the block. Some of them cant go to the shops, cant go to the cinema and really do live in a security bubble.

Im really grateful that wasnt the case for me, and largely isnt the case for in Ireland yet, like of course there are security threats to politicians, but its still a relatively safe country.

Speaking on RTE Radio 1s Today with Claire Byrne on Wednesday, he said he knew that a rise in the far right would make its way to Ireland.

Ireland is a normal European country, and almost every country in the European Union has experienced high levels of migration, big increases in the number of asylum seekers in recent years.

Were not unique in any way, in fact were just one of the last to experience it.

Up until recent years, the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland would have been well below the European average. Its only now hitting or exceeding the European average in the last two or three years, and weve seen across Europe and across the western world that when that happens there is a backlash.

We did our best to plan for it, but its not something thats easily preventable. It is something that has to be managed.

Mr Varadkar said he believes it is a phase that the western world is going through.

There are a lot of people who either struggle to understand or oppose or cant cope with the way the world is changing, economically, demographically, becoming more globalised, becoming more interconnected, and theres going to be a backlash against that. But the future isnt theirs, he said.

He added: So what we see where theres a backlash against migration around the world, whatever the problem is gets blamed on the migrants.

In Ireland, one of our biggest problems is, of course, the housing shortage. So the migrants get the blame. In other countries its crime, in other countries where theres high levels of unemployment, the migrants are taking our jobs.

Even in Greece, where there were forest fires that were blamed on the migrants. Go back in history, the plague was blamed on Jewish people and on migrants.

Throughout history, people blaming the other, the people that dont look like me, dont behave like me, dont speak like me, they must be the cause of all my problems, and we have to call it out for what it is.

Thats not to say that people dont have genuine concerns. When the population increases dramatically, it puts pressure on services, but blaming migrants or people who look different, behave different, for all my problems or the countrys problems, thats not right and not based on fact.
By BOB MARTIN

Eagle Times Staff

CLAREMONT, N.H.  Severe thunderstorms rolled through the city of Claremont and surrounding communities on Tuesday evening, with Meteorologist Derek Schroeter saying that the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine was monitoring the damage.

Weve been monitoring a line of severe storms that tracked all the across upstate New York, through Vermont and New Hampshire, Schroeter said on Tuesday night. Before the storms moved into New Hampshire there were wind gusts being measured of upwards of 70 or 80 mph.

Glens Falls, New York, which is due west of Claremont, reported wind gusts of 87 mph. Utica, New York reported 79 mph, as well. Peterborough, New Hampshire reported gusts of 60 mph. He did not have wind speeds reported for Claremont or the surrounding region as of Tuesday night.

Schroeter explained that there was a north/south flowing line of storms ranging 100 miles. It extended from Lebanon down into central Massachusetts. It was a moving west/east line of storms. Just before 9 p.m., Schroeter said storms were moving through Rockingham County but rain had ended throughout the rest of the state and the event would be finished up around 10 p.m.

We had numerous reports in Claremont and Keene of widespread trees on wires and trees on buildings, he said. Those were the two major towns that got hit and those were the first reports that weve been able to sift through.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Claremont, Lebanon and Newport until 7:15 p.m., and there were warnings of wind gusts reaching 70 mph. The notification said that pea sized hail and a tornado was possible.

Schroeter said they had not seen any confirmation reports of tornadoes with the line of storms, but he said they will be looking at any video footage that may indicate otherwise. He added that the history of the line of storms that went across New England were primary thunderstorm winds.

There is some significant damage out there, but the history and continuity suggests that it was produced by strong thunderstorms, Schroeter said. I cant say one way or the other, because we are still in the middle of the event.

He added, A lot of people are seeing significant damage, but we have multiple measurements of wind gusts of 70 mph.

Schroeter said reports over the next day or two will bring to light what the storm actually entailed.

Posts on the Whats Up, Claremont Facebook page indicated that there may have been a microburst as there were high winds and heavy rain for a short time. It was swift and damaging, as the Claremont Motorsports Park reported being hit hard. They posted photos of the aftermath, and put a call out to the public to help with cleanup to prepare for races over the weekend. There was structural damage on the property, wires down, trees broken, roofs partially ripped off, fencing destroyed and debris strewn about from the storm.

The Claremont Police Department also alerted the public through social media that Claremont Safety Services were responding to several trees being down. The area of Main Street between Spring and North Street was temporarily closed on Tuesday evening.
By BOB MARTIN

Eagle Times Staff

CLAREMONT, N.H.  Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was in town on Tuesday morning to listen to some jazzy jams and tour the Claremont Creative Center, which recently benefited from a $2.3 million grant that she helped secure that will go toward phase two of a building project.

Its great and has so much potential, Shaheen said of the center located at the historic former location of the Claremont National Bank at 56 Opera House Square. Its really going to be exciting to come back and see it finished.

Shaheen and a room full of members of the community got a chance to listen to the sounds of GRAMMY Award winning violinist Ernesto Villalobos and bassist Erick Alfaro of the Villalobos Brothers, and Stevens High School sophomore Cody Butson on piano. The trio played a few tunes as the crowd made their way to the seats, and they even worked in an unnamed number that Alfaro wrote specifically for the day when Shaheen arrived.

The $2.3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending is for building renovations and upgrades for educational purposes, focused on the youth in Claremont and the surrounding area. The funds she secured are part of $103 million for projects and priorities across the state that she pushed for.

Claremont Creative Center Executive Director Melissa Richmond was on-hand to give Shaheen the tour and also speak about what goes on at the center. She said that these funds will specifically go toward the second phase of renovations, which involves putting in an education center on the top floor, professional artist center on the middle floor, and a culinary center on the bottom. This is a long process, and expects that it will be completed in a year or so.

Shaheen, who has experience playing the clarinet, said she values what the arts bring to the community in a variety of facets. The Claremont Creative Center is a spot for educational enrichment, a chance to see quality music and performing arts, and also be an economic driver for surrounding restaurants and businesses, she noted. She said she was delighted to be able to help support the center, and happy to see that the funds she pushed for were being put to good use.

This is a great project to restore an architecturally significant building, she said. Also having the opportunity for children to be able to benefit from music and take advantage of the space, and when out have students like Cody, you can see what a difference it makes for them. Also theres the economic benefit. Having something in the center of Claremont that can attract people in walking distance is really impressive for the community.

Shaheen explained that they try to get out information to stakeholders across the state, including non-profits and municipalities, to apply for the grant. That day she spoke to Chief Brent Wilmot about funding for the dispatch center, she said.

Shaheen is a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.

Projects are reviewed by Shaheens office and are distributed to the Appropriations Committee, who decide which organizations to fund. It then has to go through both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for approval.

The senator sat alongside Richmond, Claremont Development Authority Board member Tom Rock, and Mayor Dale Girard to speak with the public who gathered before the musicians. The audience consisted of stakeholders invested in the center, as well as other interested community members.

Shaheen said the arts contribute to the economy in communities and allow children to get involved. She pointed out that the pandemic showed that having an outlet to the arts and being able to participate and listen to music is vital.

Richmond founded the Claremont Creative Center in 2008 and it has come a long way since. She explained that it started as a concert series but it became clear early on that in order to have a robust relationship with music in the community, they needed to dive into the educational aspect. In 2011 the Youth Arts Enrichment Initiative was created for this purpose. There is no financial barrier to anyone due to donations funding their projects.

The former location was in a gorgeous church in West Claremont, but logistically it was not working for their needs, Richmond explained. Ten years ago, they created a partnership with the CDA, as they knew the city couldnt financially contribute. By teaming up, they brought fundraising together. This was put on hold due to the pandemic, but since then have gained fantastic business sponsors. The space has been occupied since May 1, but there is still a lot to be completed. This is where funding like this grant comes in.

Richmond said there are plans for a humanities program in the fall, have the Off Broad Street Players there, working with the Opera House and Dartmouth College, and more.

We are now in a different universe where we can actually do what we need and hire the people we need, Richmond said. It is becoming a true community creative space.
MORE than 2.5m has been spent so far on costs associated with the Cork Luas project, as the wait continues for the emerging preferred route (EPR) to be announced.

A breakdown of the money spent from 2020 through to the end of last month was supplied by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to the Labour Party in response to a parliamentary question (PQ).

A total of 2,536,957 has been spent so far with the largest spend of 965,520 occurring in 2022.

Work on the project commenced in October 2020 with 77,077 spent that year, followed by a spend of 571,500 in 2021.

Last year, 922,860 was spent on costs associated with the project, with no money spent so far this year according to the PQ response.

The Cork light rail project seeks to provide a high-capacity public transport corridor connecting Ballincollig in the west to Mahon Point in the east via the city centre.

In the recent PQ response, the Transport Minister said a public consultation for this project will launch "in the coming months".

The EPR had been expected to be revealed before the end of 2022.

However, this was delayed. It was then expected to be published in July last year, but was further stalled to facilitate the additional work on the city centre section.

Speaking to The Echo, newly elected Labour Party councillor for the citys South East ward Peter Horgan said he believes there is a growing sense of exasperation over the delays in announcing the EPR.

People just dont believe its going to happen and thats the problem with delays, he said.

I would like to see a light rail network for Cork.

Speaking at a council meeting this month, Mr Horgan said the public should know how the EPR will fit in with the 11 proposed sustainable transport corridors as part of BusConnects Cork.

We do need the CEO down from the NTA to answer honestly the questions that are coming up from the communities, that are coming from us in this chamber," he added.

A spokesperson for the NTA said work on identifying a precise route for the proposed Luas system for Cork is "progressing".

"Transport Infrastructure Ireland, in collaboration with the NTA and in consultation with Cork City Council, has been doing some additional work on the city centre section of the proposed route in advance of the publication of the Emerging Preferred Route.

"BusConnects Cork is liaising closely with the team working on the proposed Luas Light Rail system to ensure consideration is being given as to how both systems complement each other," the spokesperson said.
The Gas Networks Ireland Cork BHAA 5k road race returns for the eleventh year this year.

Due to ongoing works on the Marina, the 5k race will be held this year on the Blackrock - Mahon Greenway on Wednesday at 8pm.

The event starts at 8pm on the Greenway near the old Blackrock railway station and will head towards Rochestown, over the flyover and finish at the Blackrock Castle car park.

This year's race marks a significant step towards inclusivity, with the BHAA organisation in collaboration with Gas Networks Ireland introducing the first-ever visually impaired category.

Gas Networks Irelands Interconnector Operations Manager, Liam Murphy, who has organised this annual race for the past 11 years, said: As part of our commitment to inclusivity, this year's race will be the first BHAA race to include a visually impaired category. We've always welcomed para-athletes to participate, and we hope to continue to offer an event that caters to everyone.

Registration for the race opens at 6:30pm at Cork Boat Club, which will also host post-race refreshments and the prize giving ceremony.

Entry fees are 5 for registered runners and 10 for non-registered runners, the first 500 entries will receive a free Gas Networks Ireland long-sleeve dry-fit t-shirt.
A Cork artists exhibition is currently touring across South Korea.

Laura Noonan is a self-taught artist and curator from Cork, whose work explores female representation through ragdolls.

Her exhibition Bordolle was shipped to Seoul, South Korea, in June where it remains in situ at the Jaegun Art Museum until August at which time it will move to Bank Art Fair in Gangnum, South Korea.

The ragdoll itself first appeared at the turn of the 20th century and established ideologies around femininity. Although these ideologies have evolved, the connotations the ragdolls incite linger in Barbie and Polly Pockets and other toys for girls.

The work argues that like women, ragdolls are malleable objects.

Using found objects to explore ideas around The Body, the imagery attempts to express the complexities built into female identity and our understandings of femininity. The ragdolls portrayed in the images are a symbol of innocence, constancy, and uniformity.

The artist works predominately with lens-based fine art and acrylics.

Having spent a decade and a half abroad in the UK and Canada, Noonan recently returned to her home town of Cork to take on the role of partnerships and development director at Cork Opera House while continuing to create and exhibit her artwork.

Laura began her art practice in 2016, defined by a fragmented style with sometimes unsettling imagery to depict societys evasive masks and layers, while simultaneously casting a stark light on the human condition.

In addition to her practice, Laura has developed arts-based programming across Ireland, the UK and Canada, ranging from student mentoring initiatives and workshops to art competitions, artist talks, and launches.

Ms Noonan was recently nominated in the Rising Star category of Network Corks Businesswoman of the Year Awards.
Cork city centre is a safe place and is open for business, the head of policing in the city has said.

Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, who is in charge of the Cork City garda division, told The Echo that more needed to be done to address the impression that the city centre was unsafe.

There is a perception in the city, by some, that the streets of Cork city are not safe, but our crime stats and anecdotal information would tell us differently, he said.

However, the perception is something that we need to tackle collectively.

Last year, then lord mayor, Fine Gael councillor Deirdre Forde, said she felt unsafe in some parts of the city at night.

Chief Superintendent Myers said he wanted to reassure people that they could come into the city centre without being intimidated.

With that in mind, we have our community policing unit focused a lot in the city centre, we have our city centre policing unit, and weve put extra resources into the city centre, focusing on high visibility, and reassuring the community that Cork city is a safe place.

Chief Supt Myers conceded that resources would always be an issue.

We got seven new guards to Cork there the week before last, said Chief Supt Myers.

I could do with a lot more, but its my job to manage the resources we have.

Last year, gardai in the Cork City division dealt with 88,183 incidents, the Chief Superintendent said, and so far this year they have dealt with 49,007.

Lots of those are very minor, trivial matters, but somewhere in those are sexual offences, assaults, assaults causing harm, mental health cases, suicides, serious injuries, traffic accidents, drink-drivers, drug-drivers, domestic violence, he said.

He said that Corks crime statistics compared favourably to other cities, adding: At the moment our crime figures are up 26%, but as regards serious crime, were doing exceptionally well.

We havent had a murder in Cork so far this year. Last year we had six murders in the division. Armed robberies are almost non-existent.

The crime drivers are thefts, burglaries, robberies.

Last year saw 494 arrests for public order offences, which was up 8%, and 476 arrests for drunkenness offences, up 3%.

Crimes against the person were down 7%, while sexual offences were down 11%. Fraud and economic crime were down 19%.

However, thefts from shops were up 27% in the division, and up 23% in the city centre alone, while burglaries were up 4%.

After a summer of concerts and matches, Mr Myers said that, from a policing perspective, things couldnt have gone smoother.

Its the aftermath, really, of events that cause us trouble, people going over town drinking and acting the maggot, antisocial behaviour, but were well used to that, said Chief Supt Myers.

Policing is not solely a garda matter, he said, and An Garda Siochana work on a daily basis with numerous stakeholders across the city, because we know we cant do it on our own.

Chief Supt Myers said he still loves his native city: Theres a good vibe around town, theres a lot of tourists in the city, you can see them pulling their trolleys and their bags around Patrick St and Oliver Plunkett St and MacCurtain St. Its a fabulous place. If you go over town of an evening, its a lovely place.
The Cork senior hurlers may not quite be able to say God is on their side, but if the parishioners of the North Cathedral have anything to do with it, they may well be able to claim the Almighty for the subs bench on Sunday.

The Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne has been decked out in red and white flags all week, in anticipation of the Cork teams match against Clare in Sundays All-Ireland hurling final, and parishioners have been keen to show their support too.

Kathleen Murray told The Echo that there is a great buzz around the parish, and the senior teams progress has given everyone a real boost.

Its some achievement to get to the final, and were all really proud of them, she says.

Were all praying for them, so hopefully well do it on Sunday.

Mick Batt reckons the Rebels have a good chance of a win, and he intends to be watching.

I think theyll do it. I dont know where Ill end up watching the match on Sunday, but there could be a pint involved alright, he says.

Some parishioners are away for their holidays in sunnier climes, he adds, but the word has come back that theyll be watching by the pool in their red and white togs. Not that heat is an issue in Shandon at the moment, he says.

Tis roasting inside the cathedral with all the candles lit, we dont need any central heating for the Irish summer the amount of candles weve lit for the Cork team, he says.

If theres power in prayers, they should do it no bother.

Fr John ODonovan is administrator of the cathedral with the past nine years, but he said he has been in the northside a lot longer, and he is a big hurling fan.

As you know, Glen Rovers is in our parish, and I cant forget the ladies either, so its very important that we show support to both clubs, and Glen Rovers have three guys on the Cork team, which is a huge achievement.

Fr ODonovan said the priests in the Cork Cathedral family of parishes always like to show their support for local teams whenever they can.

Fr Kevin, Fr Jilson, Fr Shinu, Fr Marius, and Fr Sean are all big supporters of the Cork team, he said.

This is a great occasion for Cork, so naturally enough, we decided to put out the Cork flags in support of the hurling team, especially on this great occasion of reaching the hurling final.

Asked if he intends to put in a word with the man upstairs before Sunday, Fr ODonovan responds with a laugh.

I suppose like most priests in Cork, we will be saying a few extra prayers on Sunday alright, he says.

Asked whether the Dublin-born Bishop Fintan Gavin will be showing his support on Sunday, Fr John replies: Well, he has to wear red, doesnt he?
Gardai arrested a teenager and charged him with a firearms charge and a count of causing criminal damage following an investigation of an alleged incident at a house in Carrigaline on Monday evening.

Garda David Shannon arrested 18-year-old Conor Farrell of 9 Ferney Court, Carrigaline, County Cork, and brought him before Cork District Court today.

The teenager was charged with two counts and when cautioned that he did not have to reply but that anything he might say would be written down and could be given in evidence he made no reply.

He was charged that on Monday July 15 at his home at Ferney Court, while committing an offence, namely criminal damage, in the course of a dispute, he produced in a manner likely to intimidate another person an article capable of inflicting serious injury, namely a black handgun, contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.

The second charge was that he intentionally or recklessly caused criminal damage to a 400 flatscreen television at the family home.

Both charges refer to July 15 at the house at Ferney Court in Carrigaline.

Garda David Shannon said there was a garda objection to bail being granted to the accused.

Diarmuid Kelleher solicitor said there was no application for bail today.

Mr Kelleher applied for a court direction to the prison authorities that the teenager would be given whatever psychiatric attention he may require in prison.

Judge John King acceded to that application.

Conor Farrell was remanded in custody to appear at Cork District Court again on July 24. His court appearance on that date will be by video link from prison.

Other than the alleged weapon being referred to as a black handgun there was no other description of it in court.
Tanaiste Micheal Martin has expressed his wish that Rory Gallaghers Strat guitar be reunited with Cork.

The instrument is to be auctioned in London later this year for between 700,000 (834,000) and 1m (1.19m).

The Cork South Central TD has pledged to explore means by which the State can purchase the legendary Fender Stratocaster.

Speaking at an official visit to Cork earlier this week, Mr Martin recounted memories of the musician being honoured at a civic reception at Cork City Hall during the now Tanaistes term as lord mayor of Cork in 1992.

I have very fond memories of when he played in the Everyman Theatre and his brother, Donal, was there on the night. I asked Donal would Rory mind being honoured tomorrow.

Donal said he was extremely shy and that he shied away from all these kinds of public events, but he did come in and we had a small group of about 40 people. I have very fond memories of that day in Cork City Hall, Mr Martin said.

The leader of Fianna Fail said he would speak to the arts minister about the possibility of securing the guitar as a cultural artefact for Cork.

I would love if we could, obviously. I will talk to Catherine Martin and see whats possible, but it would be lovely if we could get that guitar back on Leeside.

The guitar has its origins in Ballyphehane, when Michael Crowley, of Crowleys Music, of No.1 Friar Street, sold the Stratocaster to Mr Gallagher.

The music store has been kept alive by Michaels daughter, Sheena, who now runs Crowleys Music.

Having heard Mr Martins comments, the shop owner took to Facebook to share her delight.

You have heard the great news, I am sure, about the State now trying to find a way to buy the Rory Gallagher Strat. So, the chances of it staying in Ireland have now increased massively.

She shared a photo of her late father alongside the instrument and said: He knew when he sold it to Rory that something major was going to happen.

He was so happy to sell the Strat to Rory. He knew it was the best possible match.

Ms Crowley is running a GoFundMe page to purchase the guitar and return it to Cork.

To everybody who cares where Rory Gallaghers Strat ends up, Rory Gallagher lived in several places throughout his short life. He loved Donegal and Derry, but above all he loved Cork. There is a reason he is buried in Cork. He spent most of his life in Cork. Walking the streets of Cork, studying the great musicians of Cork, jamming with his friends in Cork, forming bands with musicians in Cork.

He bought his most-absolute favourite possession in Cork, and he bought it from a friend, Michael Crowley. The Strat spent most of its life in Cork up until Rorys passing. Rory would want the guitar to come home to Cork.

The GoFundMe page has, at the time of writing, raised just over 20,000.

Ms Crowley shared an excerpt from an interview by photographer/music journalist Bob Hewitt with Donal Gallagher several years ago.

When Donal was asked what will happened to Rorys Stratocaster, he said: Its looked after, but the difficulty is, its so revered and so sought-after. The insurance value has just gone through the roof. Instinctively, it should be in Cork.
Cork City has been selected to host the 2025 European Maritime Day in what has been described as a unique and valuable opportunity to showcase Corks potential in hosting future global events.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan said it was fitting that the EUs flagship annual maritime event would take place in Cork, which is known for its maritime history.

Established in 2008, European Maritime Day acts as the EU meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth.

At the core of European Maritime Day is a two-day conference, which is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 delegates.

Speaking to The Echo about the significance of this event for Cork City, Cork Chambers director of public affairs, Cathal McSweeney, said the choice of Cork as host city for European Maritime Day 2025 demonstrates a recognition of Corks importance as a maritime haven, and offers us the opportunity to showcase our maritime infrastructure, industry and history to the European maritime community.

He said European Maritime Day 2025 will provide an immediate boost to the local economy, and provides an opportunity to showcase Corks potential to host events on a global scale. The event also provides a unique and valuable opportunity to showcase Corks potential for future investment in maritime and other sectors, as well as Corks capacity to host events on a global scale.

As a vibrant, welcoming and well-connected port region, Cork is already an attractive location for hosting national and international events.

However, it goes without saying that the delivery of a purpose-built events ventre would provide a welcome addition to the cultural and economic infrastructure already in place in the city.

Cork Business Association president Aaron Mansworth echoed this sentiment. He said the prestigious event is a significant vote of confidence in Corks capabilities and its maritime heritage and will bring considerable benefits to Cork.

He said the event will not only benefit members, but also showcase Cork as a prime destination for future events.

An event of this magnitude highlights the critical importance of having a dedicated events centre in Cork.

The development of an events centre is essential for sustaining the momentum of growth and ensuring that Cork remains competitive on the global stage.
Musician, podcaster, and mental health activist Niall Breslin will make a welcome return to Sea Church in Ballycotton on Saturday evening with his acclaimed The Voice to the Small show.

Bressie, as he is known to his legions of faithful fans, is no stranger to Sea Church, having previously brought his Where Is My Mind? podcast to the intimate East Cork seaside venue.

Saturdays gig promises to be a soul-stirring evening of carefully crafted soundtracks, curated visual, stories and spoken words, celebrating the small voices that have big impacts.

As if the big man himself wasnt enough of a draw, Bressie will be supported on the night by Driven Snow, comprised of husband and wife duo Kieran McGuinness and Emily Aylmer. The couple will be familiar faces to many Irish music fans as former members of Delorentos and Republic of Loose.

Sea Church general manager, John Kidney, said the gig was part of a packed summer line-up at the venue, which includes a gig by Eleanor McEvoy on Friday evening.

Tickets for The Voice to the Small, which gets underway at 9.30pm, from https://seachurch.ie/, priced at 35.
An intoxicated man accused of putting his grandmother in fear by grabbing her phone and 60 cash from her hand, claimed in court that she agreed to meet him and offered him a loan, but she responded Oh my God! at his claim.

Garda John Kerins objected to bail being granted to the accused man based on the seriousness of the allegations.

The bail application was heard at an in-camera hearing of Cork District Court because of the nature of the charge  putting his grandmother in fear, in breach of a safety order.

On the morning of July 6, she was visiting her daughter and she went outside. He grabbed her phone and 60 in cash, leaving her in fear, Garda Kerins testified.

When the 27-year-old was arrested later in the day, he was in an intoxicated state and was in possession of his grandmothers phone. This has been returned to her.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said that the lady made complaints against her grandson in the past, he was put into custody, she got a break from him, and then withdrew her complaints.

Judge Dorgan said she was familiar with the case and remarked: He is grand when he is sober.

Mr Collins-Daly said, She will always forgive him. The problem is when he is taking drugs. He is hoping to get into Coolmine.

Garda Kerins said: I believe there would be further issues if he was granted bail.

The defendants grandmother said in court, He always says he is going for treatment. He doesnt go for treatment. He goes off getting drugs. He was down the North Main Street out cold. I am sick of him. He is telling me one thing and doing another thing. I cant do that life no more with him.

The defendant said by video link from prison he did not just turn up and take the cash and phone from his grandmother. I was invited up.

She said: He was not.

He said: I asked for a loan of money. She is saying I grabbed it.

She said: Oh my God!

Judge Dorgan said: I am refusing bail.

The judge remanded him in custody until July 29 on the charge of breaching the safety order. From a previous court hearing involving the same parties, Judge Dorgan recalled from the grandmothers evidence: She said she loved the bones of him but hated his behaviour.
Vivienne Clarke

Siptu organiser Geoff McEvoy has said that recent events in Coolock have highlighted the staff shortages and under-resourcing of the Dublin fire service.

Dublin Fire Brigade had been called to the former Crown Paint factory in Coolock, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

Because of the location, the initial suspicion was that this was an industrial fire. So the response was appropriate to what would be needed for an industrial fire. That was three fire trucks, high rise ladder and a district officer. And of course, when they get there, they find that actually they were caught in the midst of a confrontation between a group of individuals and An Garda Siochana.

"And just as we saw at the Dublin riot back in November, the particular nature of that situation, the heightened tension, the risk of violence meant that the fire crews weren't able to extinguish that fire, which turned out to be just in a digger. But they weren't able to extinguish that fire as quickly as they would have been. So those resources then were tied up at that location for much longer than was necessary.

This incident highlighted two problems which have dogged the service for years, he said.

Those two problems are one - under resourcing, short staffing and poor quality information about the risks that are out there in the city.

So when I talk about the first one - under-resourcing and short staffing, I mentioned that there were three fire trucks at that scene, but that day there were already four trucks that were what we call off the room. In other words, not available for service because of short staffing. So with three trucks at the scene, seven not available. That's right. Four not available. That's seven in total that weren't available for the rest of the city for the duration.

"That's the guts of half the fleet. So that means the city, they're only covered by half of the fleet for the whole rest of that incident. And that creates a risk to firefighters and to the public, because that means that if there is another incident, which there was, trucks are going to have to respond from further afield. And that creates delays and delays create additional risk. And we say any additional risk to the public or to firefighters is unacceptable.

Mr McEvoy said that negotiations were ongoing for a new overall staffing figure.

We reckon there's possibly about 100 more staff that are needed. And to be fair, there has been recruitment over the past two years. The problem is getting better. It was much worse two or three years ago and we have seen improvements, but there's still a way to go.

"And one of the big concerns we have, for example, is that the Public Appointments Service have apparently informed the city council that they're not available to run a recruitment competition into the fire brigade. And we don't understand how the Public Appointments Service is not available to run a recruitment competition in an essential frontline emergency service.

While there had been some recruitment, the issue was the massive hole that needed to be filled because of years of non-recruitment, he added.
Sarah Slater

A Tipperary woman who died following a collision between a car and van along a notorious road blackspot on the N80 on Monday night is to be laid to rest on Saturday.

Denise OMeara (33) from Portroe, Nenagh, Co Tipperary was driving an Audi A4 car which was involved in the incident that occurred along the N80 in the townland of Ballintrane, Ballon, Co Carlow at 6.51pm.

The two men from Co Wexford who were travelling in the Mercedes van were airlifted to two hospitals in Dublin in a serious condition.

Ms OMeara was treated by emergency services at the scene, but passed away from her injuries.

The two men, one aged 34, is in a stable condition in the Mater Hospital and the other aged 45 was taken to Tallaght Hospital where he remains.

The road has now reopened following an examination by Forensic Collision Investigators. The N80 is the main vehicular artery between the M9 Motorway and Rosslare Euro Port.

Ms OMeara is survived by her parents Denis and Maura, sisters Caitiriona and Eimear, brother Declan and her partner Calum.

Her Requiem Mass will be held at St Marys Church Portroe at midday on Saturday followed by burial in Castletown Graveyard, Castlelough, Co Tipperary.

So far this year 105 people have lost their lives on the nation's roads.

Garda Superintendent Anthony Farrell from Carlow Garda Station is appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Supt Farrell explained that he and his team of gardai are focusing on members of the public who may have been using this part of the roadway around the time of collision between 6.15pm and 7pm.

He continued: Motorists may have been travelling towards Carlow or Ballon at the time and might have noticed either vehicle, a White Audi A4 171D or indeed the White Mercedes Vito Van, 172WX.

They might have dashcam footage, or could have seen either vehicle pass while travelling. If anyone has information to support our garda investigation, please contact Tullow Garda Station on 059-9151222, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Supt Farrell has also appealed to members of the public not to share footage from the crash scene on social media.

"Gardai are also aware of a number of images being posted on social media platforms post-collision. This is not helpful to the Garda investigation, but more importantly to the family, friends and community who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

"I would ask people who have posted those images to take them down immediately.
A key pain point for e-commerce merchants expanding their sales to cross-border markets is dealing with international customer returns.

However, handling unwanted products from foreign customers does not have to be a deal breaker for expanding sales. E-commerce marketing platforms can help retailers solve fulfillment and manage returned products.

Cross-border returns management firm ReturnBear offers an ideal remedy. It optimizes the entire lifecycle of retailers international e-commerce returns, giving customers a localized return experience while reducing merchants logistics costs.

Expanding your customer base into foreign markets is worth the effort of lining up logistical support. Why leave that potential revenue growth untapped?

Globally, the cross-border e-commerce consumer market is valued at US$793 billion and has compounded an annual growth rate of 25.1% since 2022. A significant portion of that market resides in Europe, valued at $631 billion and rising, with over 540 million mostly affluent consumers.

According to ReturnBear CEO Sylvia Ng, Canadas e-commerce market hit $82 billion last year, while Australia and the U.K. reached $30 billion and $196 billion, respectively.

While merchants can try to solve reverse logistics problems on their own, a lack of visibility prevents many of them from succeeding, she offered.

You cant optimize what you cant see. So it all comes down to solving the lack of visibility in returns, Ng told The E-Commerce Times.

She added, Expanding into new markets is not only about revenue. It is also about brand evolution, diversification, and gaining a competitive edge.

Optimizing Cross-Border Returns to Maximize Profits

How much annual revenue can a company lose by not optimizing its cross-border returns? Ngs short answer is telling: A lot!

Shipping is expensive, especially when it is cross-border, she continued. The typical express shipping label back to the U.S. from Canada, the U.K., or Australia is more than $20.

Many brands lose their margin from the original sale at that expense. If they choose to cover the cost of return shipping, they could end up at a net loss, she noted.

Plus, retailers might not be able to sell the returned product again. If the sale was a seasonal or fad item, inventory value may also be lost.

Ng noted that addressing this costly issue requires monitoring and optimizing reverse logistics. The first step is for merchants to create a comprehensive return journey map and consolidate data in a central system.

They will want to track the full return journey, including when the customer requests the return, when the customer drops the item off or gets it picked up, when the item is in transit, and when it arrives back at the store or warehouse, she explained.

Once this map is available, merchants can focus on using the insights gathered to identify optimization points.

How It Works

To simplify the optimization process, merchants can use an end-to-end solution like ReturnBear. Otherwise, according to Ng, theyll be patching together various solutions and having to invest a lot of effort on the data front to collect all necessary information.

ReturnBears process automates returns and exchanges through a portal that eliminates manual review and approval for every return request. A vendor needs only set its return policies; ReturnBear does the rest.

The system helps retailers reduce refunds by encouraging customers to exchange purchases or opt for store credit and bonuses to keep them shopping.

Ng explained that this solution covers both software and logistics, letting retailers avoid the hassle of putting together their own systems.

Better CX, More Sales

ReturnBear becomes a merchants single contact for all returns needs, from customer service to optimization insights.

Other solutions focus solely on the financial impact of returns, such as reducing costs or retaining revenue. ReturnBear optimizes for an improved customer experience (CX). It provides package-free, label-free, instant refunds at staffed drop-off locations.

This framework results not only in improved CX but can also increase sales. The consolidation at the locations and hubs cuts costs by over 40% and reduces emissions for a greener planet.

It is a simplified, efficient, and sustainable solution for managing product returns for cross-border clientele, maintained Ng.

Combating Cross-Border E-Commerce Abuse and Fraud

Ng warned that managing costly product return hassles is not the only potential barrier to selling across borders. Abuse and fraud by purchasers can also be deadly for unprepared retailers.

According to the National Retail Federation, those two realities resulted in $101 billion in losses in the U.S. alone last year. Dealing with fraud is especially difficult when goods have to cross an international border, said Ng.

This presents a pressing challenge as more online merchants begin to sell abroad, she cautioned.

For example, last October, the FTC reported that 30 years ago, less than 1% of fraud reported was cross-border. In 2022, more than 11% of reports were cross-border.

Accuracy Matters

There is no single secret to success in cross-border selling. Merchants must get many things right to succeed.

What works well in the merchants base country of operation may create conflicts across borders. Sellers must address different cultural expectations and norms. For example, lockers are prevalent in the U.K. for returns but are not used as much in North America.

Taxes, duties, and compliance requirements demand precise accuracy. Different markets have different regulations.

Brands need to understand these to become profitable. I encounter many retailers who do not make a lot of sales in Canada until they figure out how not to burden consumers with duties because nobody wants to do drawback paperwork if they need to make a return, Ng offered, noting her company is headquartered in Toronto.

Managing Costs, Customs, Competition in Global Markets

Deciding to attract more sales by offering free shipping can erode profits. Depending on a countrys population density, shipping costs can be much higher than what is customary in the U.S.

For instance, Canadas average package of a few clothing items costs 9 to 14 Canadian dollars to send across the country. In the U.K., it is significantly less, maybe 1 or 2 pounds, observed Ng.

Brands will have different competition in certain foreign locations. It is important to understand those well, she added.

For example, FIGS sells scrubs for doctors and nurses. In some markets, health care institutions provide scrubs, while in other places, doctors and nurses purchase them for themselves.

Language and localization can also be tripwires. For example, in Canada, there are areas where French is the predominant language. Ng advised that serving customers in their local language will improve sales.

Best Practices Bring Better Profits

Ng recommends that merchants start by doing their homework to understand the intricacies of international markets. That includes researching cultural nuances and consumer behavior.

For instance, Canadian consumers might prioritize eco-friendly products. U.K. shoppers might be more inclined toward faster shipping options.

This research can help merchants inform their strategy and tailor offerings to meet the specific needs of each market, she observed.

Ng also suggested merchants adopt a test-and-learn approach by iterating based on feedback and performance. Many merchants find it effective to start by selling on established marketplaces to gauge local preferences before investing in direct-to-consumer channels.

For example, a Chinese retailer might test the waters on Amazon in the U.S., or a U.S. retailer might begin on Walmart in Canada. This method allows for gradual adaptation and learning.
(Photo: UK Parliament)Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister.

Keir Starmer is the new prime minister of the United Kingdom after his Labour Party won a landslide victory in the July 4 British general election and before his win he said his party owes a huge debt to Christianity.

Sir Keir, as he is called due to being a knight of the British realm, led his center-left Labour Party to a huge majority in the parliamentary election, defeating Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, ending its 14 years of rule.

Despite saying he does not adhere to a particular faith, Starmer spoke warmly of his personal experiences with the Christian community.

"When I was young, my mother was very sick. I remember that the people in our community who really cared for her and looked after her right up until the day she died were the people from her church."

Still, Donald Trump's running mate as Vice-President in the coming US presidential election, J.D. Vance, had sparked outrage after remarking that the UK under the Labour government is an "Islamist country," The Week reported on July 17.

He had been speaking at a conference for UK Conservatives, Vance said he was discussing with a friend which country would be the first "truly Islamist country with nuclear weapons."

Vance answered, "Maybe it's Iran, maybe Pakistan kind of counts, and then we sort of decided maybe it's actually the UK since Labour just took over."

Yet before the UK election, in an appeal for the Christian vote, Starmer, as party leader, acknowledged that Labour owes a "huge debt" to Christianity and its traditions.

More to Methodists than Marx

He told Premier Christian News that the party owes more to the Methodists than to Karl Marx.

He asserted that the Labour Party shares "key values" with Christianity and will support churches' efforts to help "rebuild the country."

Premier asked why Christians should vote Labour on July 4.

"It's sometimes said that the Labour Party owes more to Methodism than it does to Marx. It's certainly true that the history of the Labour Party owes a huge debt to the Christian tradition," said Starmer.

"My namesake Keir Hardie, the founder of the Labour Party, used his skills as a lay preacher to talk powerfully about the injustices people faced," said Starmer

He noted, "You don't have to be a person of faith to recognize the real difference that faith can make in our communities. So often it's faith groups that have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in their local communities."

He said churches reach into the cracks that people fall through in our society and help to pull them out.

Churches and Christian charities do fantastic work across the nation through food banks, debt advice, toddler groups, education, youth work, social care, housing support, wellbeing programs, and other services too numerous to mention.

"Churches provide people with the help they need," said Starmer

"That's why a Labour government will support them and work with them."
Sunwoda plans to build its first consumer battery plant in Viet Nam, which is another overseas investment plan after investment plans in Hungary and Morocco.

CLS reporter noted that the company's investment plans in Hungary and Morocco are to build power battery factories, while Viet Nam is positioned in consumer batteries.

Sunwoda announced that the company plans to set up Viet Nam Liwei Co., Ltd. through its subsidiary Hong Kong Xinwei, and invest in the construction of Viet Nam Liwei consumer lithium battery factory project, with a total investment of no more than 2 billion yuan.

In fact, Sunwoda has set up a wholly-owned grandson company Sunwoda Viet Nam Co., Ltd. as early as April last year, with a registered capital of 4 million US dollars. The companys business scope includes production, processing and assembly of lithium batteries for mobile phones, laptops and other electrical and electronic equipment.

Sunwoda said that as an emerging market economy, Viet Nam has undertaken more consumer electronics capacity transfer in recent years, and the relevant industrial chain supporting facilities are also constantly improving, which can better meet the needs of the company to build overseas production bases.

It is reported that Sunwoda is engaged in the R&D and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, with product types including consumer batteries, electric vehicle batteries, and energy storage systems, accounting for 59.64%, 22.55%, and 2.32% of revenue in 2023, respectively. Consumer batteries are its main business.

Sunwoda disclosed the half-year performance forecast on the same day, and it is expected to achieve a net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies of about 767 million yuan to 899 million yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 75%-105%. The company said that in the first half of this year, the company's business plan was carried out in an orderly manner. With the increase of marketing efforts, the company's main business income grew steadily in the first half of the year, and the improvement of profitability led to a corresponding increase in performance.

Source: CLS
As far as the EU is concerned, TikTok requires strong, ongoing regulations. The EU's General Court dismissed an action brought by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, which argued that the platform shouldn't be considered a "gatekeeper" under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The designation came in September 2023, and ByteDance filed to undo it just two months later.

ByteDance had painted TikTok has an up and comer EU market, citing pushback through the development of Reels and Shorts  the General Court disagrees: "Although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years, despite the launch of competing services such as Reels and Shorts, to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size, in terms of number of users within the European Union, of Facebook and of Instagram."

ByteDance had argued that TikTok was not dominant in the EU market, citing Instagram's Reels and YouTube's Shorts as meaningful competition. The General Court disagreed, writing that "although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position ... to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size ... of Facebook and of Instagram."

The General Court added that TikTok meets the qualifications set out to be a gatekeeper: a 75 million ($82 million) global market value, over 45 million monthly active end users and over 10,000 yearly active business users across the EU over the last three years.

The DMA went into effect in March and prohibits gatekeepers  including Alphabet, Meta, Amazon and more  from favoring their own platforms or forcing users to stay inside their company's ecosystem. ByteDance has just over two months to launch an appeal with the Court of Justice, the EU's highest court.
Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump and youngest son Barron Trump were no-shows on the first two nights of the ongoing Republican National Convention.

Just two days after Saturday's shocking attempt on his life, Trump appeared with a bandage over his ear at the convention, where he was formally nominated as the GOP presidential candidate for the 2024 election.

Trump was joined by his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as well as his youngest daughter Tiffany Trump. Also in attendance were Don Jr.'s fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle and Eric's wife Lara Trump, who is also the co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Lara spoke at the convention Tuesday, while Don Jr. is slated to give a speech Wednesday. Neither Melania nor Ivanka -- who have both largely stayed away from Trump's 2024 campaign -- are on the list of speakers for the event, according to USA Today.

RELATED: Donald Trump Dead And Funeral Searches Surge After Apparent Assassination Attempt Leaves Him Injured

Melania, Ivanka and Barron have been noticeably missing from the convention so far, causing social media users to speculate on their absence.

The entry "Where's Ivanka?" became a trending topic on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday after a photo surfaced of Tiffany, Don Jr., Eric, and their respective partners posing with Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, on the second night of the convention.

A number of X users also asked, "Where's Melania?" and "Where's Barron?"

Some users shared their theories behind the absence of the former senior White House adviser, the ex-first lady, and her only son.

"Neither of them want anything to do with this," one person claimed of Melania and Ivanka. "I don't blame them."

"[Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner] made their money, time to bounce when the goings good," another speculated.

"I keep telling people the more that comes out about [Saturday] the more this smells even worse -- and it may not come out this week, or next week or next month but there's a reason his daughter and wife want nothing to do with this," another claimed.

However, there's still a chance Melania, Ivanka and Barron will appear during the last two nights of the Republican National Convention.

USA Today reported that Ivanka and Kushner may attend the event Thursday -- when Trump is expected to formally accept the nomination.

While they have not made an appearance at the GOP convention thus far, both Ivanka and Melania spoke up in support of Trump after he was injured in the shooting at his Pennsylvania rally Saturday.

In a post on X Saturday, Ivanka decried the "senseless violence" and wrote, "I love you Dad, today and always."

Melania, in her own statement, called the 20-year-old gunman "a monster" and described her husband as "the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times."

The Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday and will conclude on Thursday, when Trump is expected to address delegates and his supporters.
3

La Junta asegura que este viernes se "va a saber de que se tienen que preparar" los estudiantes andaluces para la PEvAU
UPDATE: July 26 at 3:53 p.m.

The USDA announced the fire that blazed 15,167 acres near Helena since July 9 is completely contained as of Friday afternoon.

At this point, there is no heat coming from anywhere near the control lines of the fire where barriers were constructed to stop the spread of the flames, according to the USDA release. Towards the center of the burned area, however, some areas will still smolder until more rain comes down.

Keeping that in mind, smoke--and ash that looks like smoke--might still appear in the fire area until it's completely out.

Crews will be moving out of the area and the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest will continue to monitor it.

All National Forest lands are still closed within the fire perimeter, including Bar Gulch Cabin, the Never Sweat trailhead and the Cave Gulch trailhead.

UPDATE: July 22 at 6:05 p.m.

The Horse Gulch fire outside of Helena is 92% contained Monday morning, Operation section chief Brandon Cichowski said in an update just after 11 a.m.

A DNRC report stated the low quality in the area of the Horse Gulch fire is largely a result of Canadian fires, not Horse Gulch.

Crews today worked on the north and west edges of the fire, extinguishing residual heat along the way.

UPDATE: July 21 at 1:20 p.m.

Containment of the Horse Gulch Fire south of York significantly increased over the weekend, reaching 80% contained Sunday morning.

The size slowly grew to 15,167 acres. The cause remains under investigation but is believed to be human.

The weather conditions that caused the fire to rapidly grow since July 9 remain persistent, pushing the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest into stage 1 fire restrictions over the weekend.

Vigilante Campground remains closed as it is within the forest closure, but other campgrounds have since reopened.

UPDATE: July 19 at 7:40 p.m.

Horse Gulch Fire is about 53% contained and has officially burned over 15,000 acres. The cause is still under investigation but is believed to be because of humans.

UPDATE: July 19 at 12:30 p.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire is 40% contained as of Friday morning and has reached 14,935 acres burned.

Evacuation warnings were lifted for all residents last night, July 18, around 6 p.m., according to the Lewis and Clark Couty Sheriff's Office, but traffic restrictions will remain on Jimtown Road between Riverside Road and Trout Road, as well as on Black Bear Road because of heavy emergency vehicle traffic. Only residents are allowed in these areas. Canyon Ferry Road is open to through traffic. Drivers are asked to go slow to avoid conflicts with the emergency vehicles.

The actual burn area, the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and the BLM Butte Field Office areas are still closed to everyone except for emergency personnel.

UPDATE: July 18 at 10:01 a.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire experienced minimal growth overnight Wednesday and remains at 14,250 acres with 32% containment Thursday morning.

The Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team said the crews' main focus is patches of unburned fuel within the fire's boundary, which could result in embers lighting spot fires outside the established containment lines.

There was an increase in fire activity in the southwest portion of the fire with a flare-up happening.

In order to keep the fire in its perimeter, overnight crews monitored and secured lines to focus on mopping up residual heat.

Crews will focus on burning interior pockets Thursday due to the possibility of embers lighting up spot fires outside the established containment lines--they will monitor and secure line along Jimtown Road and on the west portion of the fire.

Firefighters will continue tactical firing operations to the north, in the Bar Gulch are.

On the east flank, crews will build and enhance hand line along the edge of the fire in the Hellgate Gulch area.

In the south area, crews will keep monitoring and conducting mop-up operations within the fire perimeter and figure out which areas need suppression repair.

Winds are forecasted to move from the west-northwest to the northeast, creating more ideal conditions to strengthen and secure control lines.

A structure protection group will keep working to evaluate homes for defensible space and improving control lines in the Magpie Gulch area to make it more difficult for fire to reach structures.

UPDATE: July 17 at 10:16 a.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire has increased to 14,250 acres and is 23% contained Wednesday morning.

The following is a press release from the Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team:

CURRENT STATUS AND PLANNED ACTIONS

Yesterday on the north flank of the fire, crews conducted tactical firing operations in the afternoon from the established control line to the fire's edge, which widened fire lines and generated an expected smoke plume. Crews also successfully established dozer lines around a spot fire situated outside of the northern perimeter of the fire. Concerns remain on the east flank, just south of the Cave Gulch Fire burn in 2000, where the fuel loads are more susceptible to rapid fire spread. To address this, aerial resources dropped retardant along the fire perimeter to prevent fire spread. Crews also responded to and extinguished a new  acre spot fire near Hellgate Gulch Road. To the west, crews held and improved fire line along Jimtown Road northwards to the 4136 Road.

Overnight, crews on the northern flank continued tactical firing operations from established dozer lines to the fires edge, reducing combustible materials to strengthen fire lines.

Today, the primary mission is to hold control lines where the firing operations occurred yesterday and last night. On the south flank of the fire, crews will continue improving, mopping up, and cold trailing control lines to extinguish residual heat sources. With active fire behavior, Magpie Gulch remains a primary area of focus, with suppression efforts aimed at reinforcing control lines to halt fire spread. The Structure Protection Group will continue to patrol and monitor structures throughout the fire area and assess the need for fuel mitigation around structures.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

A chance of thunderstorms are forecast, with the possibility of gusty winds, lightning, and light rain, but without beneficial impact to the fire. Temperatures will be in the low 90's with humidity in the teens. SE winds with gusts up to 20mph may cause spotting where slope and fuels align.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

Evacuations (UPDATED): Effective 7/15/24, all evacuation orders transitioned to evacuation warnings, allowing residents of homes and RVs back into their properties. Under evacuation warning, residents should be prepared to leave if conditions change. Sheriff - Lewis & Clark County (lccountymt.gov)

Road Closure: Canyon Ferry Road remains closed to non-residents from Canyon Ferry Village to the Broadwater County line. Campground Closure: Campground closures include Hellgate, Court Sheriff, Chinamens Gulch, and Riverside.

Forest Closure: The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest updated their forest closure. It can be found at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest - Home (usda.gov) BLM Closure: The Butte Field Office has issued a closure on BLM lands near the fire area. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/mthlf-horse-gulch-fire/signed-blm-area-closure-07-14-2024

UPDATE: July 17 at 8:07 a.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire has grown to 13,442 acres and is 23% contained as of Wednesday morning.

According to the Horse Gulch Fire information page on Facebook, crews reached 23% containment after successfully finishing fire operation at the top of Cave Gulch Tuesday night.

More active natural fire behavior was noticed in Bar Gulch Tuesday, creating significantly more smoke in contrast to the past few days.

The fire lines remained secured and there is no immediate threat to nearby communities.

UPDATE: July 15 at 8:50 p.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire has grown to 12,917 acres as of Monday evening, but the fire finally has some containment at 10%.

According to the Horse Gulch Fire Facebook page, starts at the southern portion of Jimtown Road going east along the southern fire boundary to Horse Gulch Road. This area being contained is "reasonably expected" to stop the fire from spreading.

UPDATE: July 15 at 12:57 p.m.

The evacuation order status for the Horse Gulch Fire has downgraded to evacuation warning status as of Monday at 1 p.m.

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office said on social media residents are allowed to go back to their properties, including temporary RV residents, but they should remain prepared to leave if conditions change.

Public campgrounds are still closed.

Because all roads remain congested with fire traffic, residents are asked to stay on their properties unless for necessary travel, such as work commutes, groceries and doctor's appointments.

Residents are asked to avoid the fire at all times--unauthorized people found off property or in the fire area will be cited.

Anyone with further questions may call LCSO's non-emergency phone number at 406-447-8285 or the Horse Gulch Fire information line at 406-924-3858.

UPDATE: July 15 at 9:15 a.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire is burning an estimated 12, 797 acres with zero-percent containment Monday morning.

The following is a press release from the Norther Rockies National Incident Management Team:

CURRENT STATUS

Yesterday, crews and aerial assets were successful in containing two large spot fires that took root outside the fire area during the wind event on Saturday afternoon. Hand line was started in the steep terrain between the 693B1 Road and 425 Road, to tie in with dozer line that is nearly complete up Neversweat Gulch towards the 4136B Road. Along the fires southern edge, crews continued to strengthen the existing line. Progress was made to build and reinforce fire line from Jimtown Road to York and that has been holding well. The Structure Group worked on assessing and protecting properties threatened by potential fire activity. Aerial resources were busy most of the day, delivering 80,000 gallons of retardant, 70,000 gallons of water by helicopter, and 300,000 gallons of water by Super Scoopers. In order for all these aerial drops to be effective, it is essential for there to be resources on the ground that can back them up by going in after the drop cools the flames and digging line. Otherwise, the water/retardant burns off and the fire continues on its way. The night crews worked to strengthen lines and patrolled the perimeter, watching for spot fires. Today, crews and equipment will be bridging the gaps between existing fire line and reinforcing the lines by cooling the edge and cold trailing. Cold trailing is a process where firefighters line up in a grid and physically touch the ground, inspecting for any hidden areas of heat. When they find heat, they will dig it out, mix it with cool soil and add water when it is available, so no trace of heat remains. This process is necessary before any portion of the fire edge can be declared contained. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, aid suppression efforts by applying fire to back burn when appropriate and by using infrared cameras to identify areas of heat near the perimeter that need attention.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

Yesterday, high cloud cover shaded the fire and moderated fire activity. Humidity got down into the lower teens and temps were in the lower 90s across the fire area. Today, temps are expected to trend a few degrees cooler while humidity continues to decrease. Winds are expected to be lighter than they have been with afternoon gusts around 15mph. There is no Red Flag Warning issued for today.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

Evacuations (UPDATED): Effective 7/14/24, the evacuation order for the area from Jimtown Road to Hellgate Gulch Road south of Canyon Ferry Road will transition to an evacuation warning. This area will be open to residents only, proof of residency required. https://www.lccountymt.gov/Emergency-Management/HORSEGULCH-FIRE-Information

Road Closure: Canyon Ferry Road is closed at Canyon Ferry Village to the Broadwater County line. Campground closures include Hellgate, Court Sheriff, Chinamens Gulch, and Riverside.

Forest Closure: The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has issued a road, trail, and aarea closure order, which can be found at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest - Home (usda.gov)

BLM Closure: The Butte Field Office has issued a closure on BLM lands near the fire area. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/mthlf-horse-gulch-fire/signed-blm-area-closure-07-14-2024

UPDATE: July 14 at 2:30 p.m.

These residents must remain on their own property and be prepared to leave if conditions change, but they can travel in and out of the area for work, doctor appointments, etc.

Residents are not allowed to venture into evacuated areas and if they are found in evacuated areas, they may be issued a citation.

Other areas previously evacuated remain under evacuation order, meaning Jimtown Road to Hellgate Canyon Road, north of Canyon Ferry Road and Jimtown Road To York to Vigilante Campground. Campgrounds within the original evacuation are still closed. For more detailed information on evacuations and closures, you can visit the link here

UPDATE: July 14 at 10:00 a.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire reached 12,797 acres burned as of Sunday morning.

The Sheriff's Office did escorts to private property on the morning of July 14, 2024, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., according to the official government website here.

Residents were allowed 15 minutes to gather personal property or tend to animals at their property.

Remember, the Closure Order is still in place for the National Forest System lands around the fire, per Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest.

UPDATE: July 13 at 11:00 a.m.

Fire Growth:

The Horse Gulch Fire reached 11,607 acres burned as of Saturday morning. With winds calming through Friday night, the growth was not very large.

Resources for those in need and information about how to donate to help can be found in the previous update of this article below.

Sheriff Leo Dutton explains how a cow pie could ignite new fires:

Recreation Advisories

People are allowed to recreate in the Canyon Ferry and Hauser Lake areas but should be aware and out of the way of scooper planes and helicopters, as Hauser is the main water source to be carried to burning areas.

Drones Not Permitted

Sheriff Leo Dutton would like to remind people not to fly drones anywhere near the fire area. When drones are in the air, firefighting planes cannot fly. He also warned drones are at risk for being shot down.

Rights to stand your ground

Property owners have a constitutional right to defend their properties. Sheriff Dutton explains their first priority is keeping everyone safe, which leads to evacuation orders. With the areas of grass and pine needles being so dry, something like a cow patty that's been smoldering can be enough to ignite a new fire, emphasizing the fragility of the landscape in these conditions as well as the importance of evacuating.

Evacuations are still in place for the same areas.

On the Canyon Ferry side:

Canyon Ferry Road from Jimtown Road to Hellgate Gulch, approximately a mile and a half into Broadwater County

All roads between Jimtown Road to Broadwater County Line, both north and south of Canyon Ferry Road

Hellgate Campground is closed

On the York side:

All of Jimtown Road

York Road from Jimtown Road to Vigilante Campground

All feeder roads from the York/Jimtown intersection to Vigilante Campground

Officials Speak at Horse Gulch Town Hall, July 12:

Map of Horse Gulch Fire Evacuations as of July 12:

UPDATE: July 12 at 4:27 p.m.

At this time on Friday, the following areas are currently under evacuation and those leaving the areas will not be allowed to re-enter for reasons other than short life-sustaining visits. The fire reached 11,510 acres as of 3 p.m. Friday.

Evacuations and closures

On the Canyon Ferry side:

Canyon Ferry Road from Jimtown Road to Hellgate Gulch, approximately a mile and a half into Broadwater County

All roads between Jimtown Road to Broadwater County Line, both north and south of Canyon Ferry Road

Hellgate Campground is closed

On the York side:

All of Jimtown Road

York Road from Jimtown Road to Vigilante Campground

All feeder roads from the York/Jimtown intersection to Vigilante Campground

All areas managed by the Forest Service in the Big Belt Mountains are closed from Confederate Gulch north to the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness.

Helena Community Bands Together to Offer Resources for those affected

For those in need of assistance in finding shelter, the Montana Disaster and Emergency Service asks you call 1-406-215-1514.

The Helena community is coming together to help those whose homes and families are being affected by the Horse Gulch fire.

Locals have launched a Facebook group where people can post ways they are able to help or requests for help in the areas of food, water, coolers, temporary housing for pets and livestock, and more.

Church turns into shelter for evacuating families:

The Red Cross also has their evacuation shelter set up at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Helena where they're providing water, food and support to people in need.

Donations Needed for Fire Workers and Evacuees:

For those looking for a way to help out with the fire and emergency evacuations, United Way LCA says financial donations to trusted nonprofits are the most useful way, as it helps purchase more precisely what is needed, when it is needed. Tax deductible receipts can be provided.

United Way recommends Community Organizations Active in Disaster through the Helena Area Community Foundation. Donations are accepted online or with cash or check at 901 North Benton Ave.

United way will also take cash and check donations at 75 East Lyndale.

Donations to the Rural Fire Council can be made online as well.

For those wishing to donate physical items rather than money, Safeway at 611 North Montana Ave. is accepting water, snacks, and Gatorade donations.

Horse Gulch Fire has already cost $1.3 million as of Friday:

UPDATE: July 12 at 8:57 a.m.

The following is a message from Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton:

"Because of the fire situation, we are only allowing people to enter the fire area for life sustaining materials. And for a very short time. Do not show up wanting to just go look at your house. Sorry, time does not allow us to do that. If you need life sustaining Items or something of that nature we will do our best to help. We are evaluating these on a case by case basis. You can contact the Lewis & Clark County Dispatch who will relay to our commander the request that phone number is 406-4478293. Follow two prompts to get to dispatch."

Latest info from Friday, July 12:

UPDATE: July 12 at 6:20 a.m.

Fire Growth:

The Horse Gulch Fire has grown to 10,849 acres and remains zero-percent contained as of Friday morning.

Northern Rockies Coordination Center Information Officer Sara Rouse told NonStop Local the plan since the start of this fire has been to minimize fire spread onto private property and structures.

There are more than 200 firefighters working the fire using different resources including engines and aircraft.

Additional Updates:

Crews have built a fire line on the west and south ends of the fire.

Rouse said visibility will allow for aerial support Friday.

There is concern about fire growth and hot and dry weather conditions.

Currently, no structures have been lost in this fire.

Gianforte gives update on Horse Gulch Fire, Friday, July 12:

What to know when evacuating a fire:

EVACUATIONS:

Other evacuations include:

 Canyon Ferry Road - from Jimtown Road to the Broadwater County line;

 All roads north and south of Canyon Ferry Road between Jimtown Road to the Broadwater County line

Canyon Ferry Road is closed at Canyon Ferry Village to the Broadwater County line.

Suggested Safety Measures from Commissioner Troy Downing:

Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Troy Downing spoke with NonStop Local about what to do in the event of evacuating from a wildfire.

Downing stressed if you're in danger, your life is much more important than any of your stuff.

People who are not in danger and do not need to evacuate at this time, now is a good time to start taking care of things to make it easier if there is a loss.

Downing suggests people speak with their insurance agent to make sure they have enough replacement cost coverage.

People should take inventory of their belongings, and Downing suggests the easiest way to do that is take a video, walk through your property including closets, start taking pictures of serial numbers.

In the event of a loss, keep records and receipts of anything covered by insurance to make it easier to make claims in the future.

Downing said the most important thing is to be safe.

People with questions may call the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance's office at (406) 444-2040 or visit csimt.gov.

UPDATE: July 11 at 5:38 p.m.

Horse Gulch Fire burns over 7,500 acres, Thursday, July 11

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff issued an evacuation from Jimtown Road and York Road up to Vigilante Campground. Anyone in this area must evacuate as soon as possible.

UPDATE: July 11 at 5:06 p.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire has now burned over 7,500 acres and remains zero-percent contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the DNRC Interactive Fire map.

UPDATE: July 11 at 12:50 p.m.

The Horse Gulch Fire has increased to approximately 2,000 acres and remains zero-percent contained as of Thursday morning.

A release from Northern Rockies Incident Management said a human caused the fire.

Photo Gallery: Horse Gulch Fire burning near Helena reaches 7,500 acres

Fire Growth and Response Efforts:

A large portion of the growth happened in the south to east Wednesday afternoon and into early Thursday morning.

Firefighters spent the night to build and reinforce fire line along the south end of the fire to protect private land.

Crews will be working to minimize fire spread onto private land to the south and west Thursday.

Crews with heavy equipment and multiple types of aircraft will work to secure previously built fire line on the southern portion of the fire, north of Canyon Ferry.

On the western side of the fire, crews will build and reinforce control lines near Jim Town Road and continue north to link the northwestern part of the fire.

Weather conditions are forecasted in the 90s with possible erratic wind gusts and slight chance of thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

Current evacuations:

 Canyon Ferry Road - from JimTown Road to the Broadwater County line;

 All roads north and south of Canyon Ferry Road between JimTown Road to the Broadwater County line

Canyon Ferry Rd is closed at Canyon Ferry Village to the Broadwater County line.

Current closures:

The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest issued a road, trail, and area closure.

 In general, the closures are southeast of the York Gulch Road/Forest Service System Road 4136, to northwest up to and including the Avalanche Creek Road/Forest Service System Road 359, bound on the north by Magpie Mountain ridge line and bound on the south by the National Forest System lands boundary.

UPDATE: July 11 at 9:59 a.m.

Current closures:

Lewis and Clark Sheriff Leo Dutton says that several roads have been blocked off due to the Horse Gulch Fire. Closures include:

Jim Town and Canyon Ferry

Canyon at Broadwater Line

Canyon Ferry and Cave Gulch

Canyon Ferry and Water Dance

Magpie and Canyon Ferry

UPDATE: July 11 at 6:53 a.m.

Fire Growth:

The Horse Gulch Fire has grown to about 1000 acres and remains 0% contained as of Thursday morning.

Fire moved to Type 3 Incident:

Lewis and Clark Sheriff Leo Dutton told NonStop Local incident command is moving to Type 3, and the danger with moving from Type 1 incident command to Type 2 or 3 miscommunication or missed opportunities--Dutton said they will be watching for that.

Evacuations:

Dutton said LCSO has evacuated the Cave Gulch area and some people have stayed.

"The other difficulties is those people are not staying in their house and they're getting out and driving around, and the people who stayed are not cooperating," Dutton said. "If you stay, you can do that if you own the house, but you can't be out moving around because people who left are counting on us to keep your property safe."

UPDATE: July 10 at 3:58 p.m.

The Cave Gulch area has been given an evacuation notice by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff.

A pre-evacuation notice was issued for those in the Horse Gulch area at 2:45 p.m.

UPDATE: July 10 at 3:40 p.m.

Firefighting community mourns death of wildfire pilot in Horse Gulch Fire

Fire Growth:

The Horse Gulch Fire is now burning an estimated 600 acres as of Wednesday at 3:00 PM, and the fire is still 0% contained.

Plane crash:

At around 12:15 PM, a wildland firefighting plane crashed on the scene of the fire. The plane was piloted by one person working on controlling the fire. The pilot's condition is not yet known.

UPDATE: July 10 at 8:54 a.m.

Fire Growth and Response Efforts:

The Horse Gulch Fire is now burning an estimated 200 acres as of Wednesday morning.

A Type 3 incident commander will be taking charge of the fire Tuesday morning.

The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said on social media the fire is anticipated to be very active due to expected hot, dry and windy conditions.

Numerous crews, engines and aerial equipment are trying to contain the fire.

Officials with Montana DNRC, Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department and York Volunteer Fire Department, Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Office will advise if evacuations are needed.

People are asked to avoid the Cave Gulch and Jim Town areas at this time.

Original Coverage: July 10, 2024 at 9:54 am

HELENA, Mont. - A wildfire is burning in the Horse Gulch area, south of York Wednesday.

The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest said the fire grew from 10 acres to 168 acres Tuesday night due to strong winds.

At this time, there are no evacuation orders in place.

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office asks people do not call 9-1-1 for information.
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21 killed in bus accident in southern Peru

Lima, July 16 (UNI) At least 21 people were killed and nearly 20 others injured in a passenger bus accident in the southern Peruvian region of Ayacucho on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The interprovincial bus went off the road in the district of Paras, Cangallo province, Ayacucho region, and fell into a ravine about 200 meters deep, said Jhonny Rolando Valderrama, head of the National Police Road Protection Division, as reported by the state news agency Andina.

"Unofficially, there would be 21 deceased people," Valderrama said, adding that about 40 passengers were on the bus.
Scientists could finally prove aliens exist using a combination of AI and super-scopes.

Scientists could finally prove aliens exist using a combination of AI and super-scopes

Researchers from Earths biggest programme aimed at detecting the existence of extra-terrestrials are set to unveil powerful new innovations at their annual conference in Britain on Thursday (18.07.24.)

Lead project scientist Dr Steve Croft from the Breakthrough Listen scheme told The Guardian ahead of its meeting in Oxford: There are amazing technologies that are under development, such as the construction of huge new telescopes in Chile, Africa and Australia, as well as developments in AI.

They are going to transform how we look for alien civilisations.

Until now, we have been restricted to looking for signals deliberately sent out by aliens to advertise their existence. The new techniques are going to be so sensitive that, for the first time, we will be able to detect unintentional transmissions as opposed to deliberate ones and will be able to spot alien airport radar, or powerful TV transmitters  things like that.

Among the new alien-hunting instruments to be announced in Oxford are the Square Kilometre Array  made up of hundreds of radio telescopes now being built in South Africa and Australia.

There is also the Vera Rubin Observatory that is being constructed in Chile.

The telescopes will be the worlds most powerful radio astronomy facility.

And the observatory will be able to image the entire visible sky every three or four nights  and is expected to help discover millions of new galaxies and stars.

Dr Croft added: We know that the conditions for life are everywhere, we know that the ingredients for life are everywhere.

I think it would be deeply weird if it turned out we were the only inhabited planet in the galaxy or in the universe. But you know, its possible.
Angelina Jolie wants Brad Pitt to "end the fighting" over their winery.

Angelina Jolie is asking Brad Pitt to drop his lawsuit against her over their winery

The 49-year-old actress and Fight Club star Brad, 60, have been locked in a battle over the ownership of their $500 million winery, Chateau Miraval, after she sold her stake following the end of their marriage in 2016 but now her lawyer has revealed that she is keen for him to drop the lawsuit against her.

Paul Murphy, who is acting as lawyer for the 'Maleficient' star, explained in a statement given to People on Wednesday (17.07.24) that Brad "tried to punish and control Angelina by demanding a newly expanded NDA to cover his personal misconduct and abuse."

As part of his lawsuit, Brad is suing Angelina for selling her stake, seeking monetary damages, and legal fees, and for the sale to be voided but Murphy insisted that Angelina - who has Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne, and Knox with her estranged husband - just wants to "heal" their family as she proposes to end it all.

He said: "Those actions are central to these proceedings. We are not at all surprised Mr. Pitt is afraid to turn over the documents demonstrating these facts

"While Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong."

In May, Angelina was ordered to turn over eight years worth of non-disclosure agreements relating to her winery dispute.

It was ruled that Angelina had to produce all non-privileged documents in her possession, custody, or control that are responsive to a request by Brads side to show any of the papers she has signed.

A source from Brads team told Page Six the latest ruling was a crushing blow after Angelinas side had previously argued in court papers that turning over her previous NDAs as prat of the case would be expensive, wasteful, unreasonable and abusive.

Angelinas lawyers also previously argued in court documents turning over other NDAs she has signed would be an invasion of privacy for other parties.

Its understood the documents would include NDAs with Hollywood employers, brands and employees
Glen Powell is studying for his college degree via Zoom.

Glen Powell is studying for a degree

The 'Twisters' actor is just a few units away from graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, but his working commitments mean he can't regularly attend classes, so he is mostly doing "distance learning".

He told IndieWire: "Im not going to be sitting in a class with other students on the regular.

"Im basically going to be coming back because I have to finish up, but Im going to be shooting 'The Running Man' in the fall.

"So Im going to be in London, but I am going to be going back for proctored exams. So, theyre letting me figure it out [with] distance learning.

"And Im obviously going to be coming in, Zooming in for classes and whatnot, but I have to be back for the proctored exams. So, were figuring that out for two or three times a semester, Ill come back for all my stuff."

Glenn praised 'The Running Man' director Edgar Wright for being accommodating of his study schedule.

He added: "Edgar has been very nice about letting me finish my degree in the middle of his massive movie."

The 35-year-old actor admitted the filmmaker has always been at the top of his wish list for people he wanted to work with.

He said: "I had a wish list of directors that I wanted to work with in 2008 when I moved out to LA that I sent my agent at the time  and Edgar Wright is literally number one. Im such an Edgar Wright man. And so, the fact that I get to work with him right now is just so damn cool."

Asked if Edgar knows about his list, he added: "Yeah, I made a bit of an 11th-hour plea to him on the job.

"To just let him know, anybody thats ever worked with me knows, youre never going to outbeat my work ethic on stuff.

"But sometimes its just a good reminder for a filmmaker to know, hey, when we get in the trenches, Im going to serve it up. Im going to deliver.

"And Im going to deliver for you because not only do I take this job seriously, but Im also just a fan, and you dont want to disappoint your heroes  Edgar has also become a friend in the last few years. So thats been really fun for us to finally get in the trenches together."
Joe Manganiello promised Sofia Vergara that he would "never leave" her if she didn't want kids.

Joe Manganiello split from Sofia Vergara earlier this year but claimed her reasons for divorce were simply untrue

The 47-year-old actor split from Sofia - who already has Manolo, 32, with her first husband Joe Gonzalez - earlier this year after almost a decade of marriage and while she claimed that it all came to an end because he wanted children and she did not, he has claimed that is not the case.

He told Men's Journal: "Thats simply not true. We did try to have a family for the first year and a half. And we had a huge conversation right out of the gate during the first month we dated. I said, If you're done with kids, then I understand. Just tell me, and I'll know what this is, and that's okay. But that wasn't the case with her. And I swore to her that I would never leave if it didn't work out. And I didn't.

"That wasn't inevitably why everything ended. It's because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens."

Joe's comments come after 'Modern Family' actress Sofia, 52, claimed explicitly that the whole reason for the divorce was because she was hesitant to become an "old mom", although she insisted that she has no problem with anyone who chooses to become a parent later in life.

She told Spanish publication El Pais: My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didnt want to be an old mom.

"I feel its not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but thats not for me anymore.

"I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and Im ready to be a grandmother, not a mother. So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children. I'm also in menopause - it's the natural way of things."
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has launched a bid to have her case dismissed after Alec Baldwin's trial was thrown out.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has launched a fresh bid for freedom

The 26-year-old armourer was jailed for 18 months in April after being found guilty in charges connected to the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of 'Rust' but after the 66-year-old actor's case was dismissed last week due to prosecutors failing to fully disclose evidence, her lawyer has made new moves for her to be freed.

Jason Bowles filed an expedited motion in the New Mexico courts on Tuesday (16.07.24) to see Hannah's case dismissed, or for her to receive a new trial as soon as possible.

According to documents obtained by Deadline, citing "egregious prosecutorial misconduct", he wrote: Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez-Reeds conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring that the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system that has been watched all over the world.

The State withheld bombshell exculpatory evidence that it had a constitutional obligation to disclose and that would have resulted in a fundamentally different trial and likely a different outcome.

In the alternative to an outright dismissal or at least a new trial, the Court should grant Ms. Gutierrez-Reeds already filed motion for immediate release pending appeal."

The filing alleged there was more evidence "suppression" than previously known and demanded Kari Morrissey be removed as Special Prosecutor for the misconduct that has been found, and the violations committed in Ms. Gutierrez-Reeds case.

However, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has backed Morrissey to stay in position.

Her office said: There is no better advocate than Kari Morrissey to see the Hannah Gutierrez-Reed cases through, and her appointment and oath are still in place."

Alec was left stunned on Friday (12.07.24) when judge Mary Marlowe Sommer threw out the case after his legal team argued prosecutors had hidden evidence relating to the death of the cinematographer.
Tom Sandoval is suing Ariana Madix for accessing explicit videos of Rachel Leviss on his phone.

Tom Sandoval sues Ariana Madix

Ariana, 39, discovered Tom, 40, had been cheating on her with their 'Vanderpump Rules' co-star Rachel, 29, when she found messages between them on his cell phone and now Tom is suing Ariana claimed she obtained access to his phone and viewed the videos without his "permission".

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Tom is alleging that Ariana made copies of the video and distributed it to Leviss and third parties against his authority.

Ariana's attorney, Jordan Susman, said in a statement: "It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix. From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing. Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices.

"If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair. For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself. Even months after the New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval 'the most hated man in America,' he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image. Ms. Madix is confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims."

In February, Rachel sued Tom and Ariana, accusing them of eavesdropping, revenge porn and an invasion of privacy.

Tom's attorney, Matthew Geragos, said in a statement: "While Tom Sandoval accepts responsibility for his affair, he strongly denies the allegations of the lawsuit filed by Rachel Leviss against him and Ms. Madix. In order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved, we filed a cross complaint on behalf of Mr. Sandoval. This customary legal action was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party. We aim to resolve this legal dispute with upmost respect towards all parties involved.
The euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world in May this year were worth 241.5 billion (~$262.8 billion)a decrease of 0.5 per cent year on year (YoY), according to Eurostat. Imports from the rest of the world to the zone stood at 227.6 billion (~$247.71 billion)a fall of 6.4 per cent YoY.

The first estimates of euro area balance showed a 13.9-billion ($15.13-billion) surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the world in May compared with a deficit of 0.4 billion (~$0.435 billion) in the same month last year.

The euro area goods exports in May were worth $262.8 billiona 0.5-per cent YoY drop, while imports fell by 6.4 per cent YoY to $247.71 billion, leading to a trade surplus of $15.13-billion. Extra-EU goods exports in May were worth $235.78 billiondown by 0.6 per cent YoY, while imports fell by 6.2 per cent YoY to $225 billiona surplus of $10.57 billion.

In May, the euro area surplus decreased by 0.3 billion month on month (MoM) from 14.2 billion to 13.9 billion. This was due to a decrease of surplus for machineries and vehicles (minus 1.7 billion) and chemicals (minus 1.3 billion) partially offset by an increase in other manufactured goods (plus 2.6 billion).

In the first five months this year, the euro area recorded a surplus of 84.9 billion, compared with minus 21 billion in the corresponding period last year. The euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world during the period rose to 1,194.5 billionan increase of 0.5 per cent YoY, and imports fell to 1,109.7 billiona YoY decrease of 8.3 per cent.

Intra-euro area trade fell to 1,090.6 billion in January-May 2024down by 5.2 per cent YoY.

The European Union (EU) balance showed a 9.7-billion ($10.57 billion) surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the world in May 2024, compared with a deficit of 2.6 billion in May last year, an official release said.

Extra-EU exports of goods in May this year were worth 216.3 billion ($235.78 billion)down by 0.6 per cent YoY. Imports from the rest of the world to the bloc stood at 206.5 billion ($225 billion)down by 6.2 per cent YoY.

Between January and May this year, extra-EU exports of goods rose to 1,068.8 billionan increase of 0.7 per cent YoY, and imports fell to 994.7 billiona decrease of 9.3 per cent YoY. As a result, the EU recorded a surplus of 74.2 billion, compared with a deficit of 36 billion during the corresponding period last year.

Intra-EU trade fell to 1,707.1 billion in the five months, a drop of 4.2 per cent YoY.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The sudden surge in the ocean freight container shipping market is hitting its peak as importers push back against spiralling spot rates, according to Xeneta, whose data shows average spot rates from the Far East to US East Coast increased by 3.7 per cent on July 15 to stand at $10,045 per 40-ft equivalent shipping container (FEU).

Into the US West Coast, spot rates increased by 2 per cent to stand at $8,045 per FEU.

The sudden surge in the ocean freight container shipping market is hitting its peak as importers push back against spiralling spot rates, Xeneta said. Spot rates are up by 150 per cent on trades between the Far East and US east and west coasts since April end. The trend will be hailed by shippers, but it does not mean an end to their troubles, Xeneta said.

This implies spot rates are up by almost 150 per cent on these trades since the end of April. The latest hikes are far smaller compared to July 1, when rates rose by 22 per cent into the US East Coast and 12 per cent into the US West Coast, the Norway-based ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform said in a note.

This suggests a growing level of available capacity in the market and shippers can once again start to play carriers off against each other, instead of feeling they need to pay whatever price they are offered to secure space. As the balance of negotiating power starts to swing back towards shippers, we should see spot rates start to come back down, Emily Stausboll, Xeneta senior shipping analyst, said.

On the trades from the Far East into the United States, the market mid-high (and high) spot rates have remained almost flat during July, indicating the high end of the market is no longer spiralling.

A flat market mid-high means a growing number of shippers and freight forwarders no longer feel they need to pay spot rates at the upper end of the market to ensure their containers are transported. This is the first crack in the dam because it means carriers are no longer dictating which containers to load, but rather having to lower rates to secure volumes, she said.

"If these carriers want to compete and retain market share, then they need to lower their own prices, she noted.

The market is also reaching a peak on front-haul trades from the Far East to North Europe and Mediterranean where average spot rates increased by 4.7 per cent and 3.5 per cent on July 15 to stand at $8,480 per FEU and $8,150 per FEU respectively. This is less than the increases of 17 per cent and 10 per cent on July 1.

Signs of the spot market reaching a peak will be welcomed by shippers, but it does not mean an end to their troubles. Port congestion is easing, more ocean container shipping capacity is becoming available, and it looks likely the frontloading of imports seen earlier this year will mean a slacker traditional Q3 peak season then there would have otherwise been, Stausboll said.

However, spot rates remain up by just under 400 per cent from the Far East into the US West Coast since mid-December last year, by more than 300 per cent into the US East Coast and 455 per cent into North Europe. Perhaps the market has reached a peak, but shippers are still paying hugely elevated costs, she noted.

The basic cause of the market spike this year is the conflict in the Red Sea, she said, adding that unless there is a large-scale return of container ships to the Suez Canalwhich seems unlikely at presentthen the situation cannot be fully resolved.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
United Nation, July 17 (UNI) Russia and Belarus collaborate with the highest efficiency at the UN, like true allies, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Yuri Ambrazevich told Sputnik.

Colleagues in the missions cooperate, in my opinion, with the highest efficiency. We dont have any problems, misunderstandings, disagreements - we are true allies, Ambrazevich said on Tuesday.

The deputy foreign minister added that Moscow and Minsk also regularly interact at the level of foreign ministers, maintaining constant contact at various forums.



UNI/SPUTNIK ARN
Lalique Group SA / Schlagwort(e): Vorlaufiges Ergebnis/Aktienruckkauf

Silvio Denz veroffentlicht provisorisches Endergebnis des offentlichen Kaufangebots an die Publikumsaktionare von Lalique Group



17.07.2024 / 06:45 CET/CEST

Veroffentlichung einer Ad-hoc-Mitteilung gemass Art. 53 KR

Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent / Herausgeber verantwortlich.





MEDIENMITTEILUNG - Ad hoc-Mitteilung gemass Art. 53 KR



Medienmitteilung (PDF)

Media release (PDF)

Communique de presse (PDF) Zurich, 17. Juli 2024 - Silvio Denz, Mehrheitsaktionar der in der Kreation, der Entwicklung, der Vermarktung und dem weltweiten Vertrieb von Luxusgutern tatigen Lalique Group SA (SIX: LLQ), hat heute nach Ablauf der Nachfrist des offentlichen Kaufangebots fur alle sich im Publikum befindenden Namenaktien von Lalique Group (mit Ausnahme der Aktien derjenigen Aktionare, welche sich verpflichtet haben, ihre Aktien nicht in das Angebot anzudienen) das provisorische Endergebnis veroffentlicht. Gemass heutiger Mitteilung von Silvio Denz betragt dessen Beteiligung an Lalique Group - unter Berucksichtigung der von ihm und den mit ihm in gemeinsamer Absprache handelnden Personen gehaltenen sowie der ihm im Rahmen des freiwilligen offentlichen Kaufangebots angedienten Lalique-Group-Aktien - per Ende der Nachfrist am 16. Juli 2024, vorbehaltlich des Vollzugs des Angebots, insgesamt 57% aller Lalique-Group-Aktien. Die Ankeraktionare Muller Handels AG Schweiz, Dharampal Satyapal Limited, Hansjorg Wyss sowie Claudio Denz, welche zusammen 42.67% der Lalique-Group-Aktien halten, haben mit Silvio Denz, wie bereits mitgeteilt, je separate Nichtandienungsvereinbarungen abgeschlossen und beabsichtigen, an Lalique Group auch nach der beabsichtigten Dekotierung beteiligt zu bleiben. Das freiwillige offentliche Kaufangebot wird voraussichtlich am 19. Juli 2024 vollzogen. Samtliche Informationen zum offentlichen Kaufangebot stehen auf der Website des Anbieters unter www.silviodenz-offer.com zur Verfugung. Medienkontakt

Lalique Group SA

Elle Steinbrecher

Head of Communication & PR

Grubenstrasse 18

CH-8045 Zurich Telefon: +41 43 499 45 58

E-Mail: elle.steinbrecher@lalique-group.com Lalique Group Die Lalique Group ist ein Nischenunternehmen, das auf die Kreation, Entwicklung, Vermarktung und den weltweiten Vertrieb von Luxusgutern spezialisiert ist. Die Geschaftsbereiche umfassen Parfum, Kosmetik, Kristall, Schmuck, hochwertige Mobel und Lifestyle-Accessoires sowie Kunst, Gastronomie und Hotellerie, erlesene Spirituosen und Weine. Das im Jahr 2000 gegrundete Unternehmen beschaftigt rund 810 Mitarbeitende (Vollzeitaquivalent) und hat seinen Hauptsitz in Zurich. Die Marke Lalique, von der die Gruppe ihren Namen ableitet, wurde 1888 in Paris durch den Glasmachermeister und Schmuckdesigner Rene Lalique gegrundet. Die Aktien der Lalique Group (LLQ) sind an der SIX Swiss Exchange kotiert. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.lalique-group.com . This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of Lalique Group and it does not constitute a prospectus or a similar notice within the meaning of articles 35 et seqq. or 69 of the Swiss Financial Services Act. Complete terms and conditions of the offer are set forth in the offer prospectus which was published on 31 May 2024 (the "Offer Prospectus"). Holders of shares in Lalique Group are urged to carefully read the Offer Prospectus because it contains important information about the offer. This announcement is not for publication, release or distribution in or into or from any jurisdiction where it would otherwise be prohibited and does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in such countries. Please also refer to "Legal Disclaimers" below. Legal Disclaimers Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature or which relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described herein will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. The offeror undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason. Important Additional Information This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any registered shares or other equity securities in Lalique Group, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefor. This release is not part of the offer documentation relating to the tender offer. The terms and conditions of the tender offer have been published in the Offer Prospectus. Shareholders of Lalique Group are urged to read the tender offer documents, which are or will be available at www.silviodenz-offer.com. Certain Offer Restrictions The public tender offer (the "Offer") is not being and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in any country or jurisdiction in which it would be considered unlawful or otherwise violate any applicable laws or regulations, or which would require Silvio Denz or any of the companies controlled by him to change or amend the terms or conditions of the Offer in any way, to make an additional filing with any governmental, regulatory or other authority or take additional action in relation to the Offer. It is not intended to extend the Offer to any such country or jurisdiction. Any document relating to the Offer must neither be distributed in any such country or jurisdiction nor be sent into such country or jurisdiction, and must not be used for the purpose of soliciting the purchase of any securities of Lalique Group SA by any person or entity resident or incorporated in any such country or jurisdiction. The communication is not being made by, and has not been approved by, an authorised person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in the United Kingdom. Reference is made to the Offer Prospectus published today for full offer restrictions and an overview of certain key differences with U.S. tender offer procedures and laws. Notice to U.S. Holders Shareholders of the Company in the United States (the "U.S.") are advised that the registered shares of Lalique Group SA ("Lalique Shares") are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange and that the Company is not subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and is not required to, and does not, file any reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") thereunder. The Offer is being made for the registered shares of the Company, a Swiss company whose shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd. ("SIX"), and is subject to Swiss disclosure and procedural requirements, which are different from those of the United States. The Offer is being made in the United States pursuant to Section 14(e) of, and Regulation 14E under, the Exchange Act, subject to the exemption provided under Rule 14d-1(c) under the Exchange Act for a tier I tender offer (the "Tier I Exemption"), and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Swiss law. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, Offer timetable, settlement procedures, waiver of conditions, timing of payments and procedural requirements that are different from those applicable under U.S. tender offer procedures and laws. Holders of Lalique Shares resident in the United States (each a "U.S. Holder") are urged to consult with their own legal, financial and tax advisors (including with respect to Swiss law) regarding the Offer. To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulations, the Offeror and its affiliates or its brokers and its brokers' affiliates (acting as agents for the Offeror or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time after the date of this Offer Prospectus and during the pendency of the Offer, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly purchase or arrange to purchase Lalique Shares or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for Lalique Shares. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Switzerland, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. Holders of the Company of such information. In addition, the financial advisers to the Offeror may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of the Company, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities. To the extent required in Switzerland, any information about such purchases will be made public in Switzerland in the manner required by Swiss law. In particular, the financial information, any financial statements or figures included or referenced in this Offer Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable accounting standards of, or recognized in, Switzerland, which may not be comparable to the financial statements or financial information of U.S. companies. The Offer is being made to U.S. Holders on the same terms and conditions as those made to all other shareholders of the Company to whom an offer is made. Any informational documents, including this Offer Prospectus, are being disseminated to U.S. Holders on a basis comparable to the method that such documents are provided to the Company's other shareholders. As permitted under the Tier I Exemption, the settlement of the Offer is be based on the applicable Swiss law provisions, which differ from the settlement procedures customary in the United States, particularly as regards to the time when payment of the consideration is rendered. The Offer, which is subject to Swiss law, is being made to U.S. Holders in accordance with the applicable U.S. securities laws, and applicable exemptions thereunder, in particular the Tier I Exemption. To the extent the Offer is subject to U.S. securities laws, those laws only apply to U.S. Holders of Lalique Shares and will not give rise to claims on the part of any other person. U.S. Holders should consider that the Offer Price for the Offer is being paid in CHF and that no adjustment will be made based on changes in the exchange rate. It may be difficult for the Company's shareholders to enforce their rights and any claim they may have arising under the of U.S. federal securities laws, since the Offeror and the Company are located in a non-U.S. jurisdiction, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of a non-U.S. jurisdiction. Company shareholders may not be able to sue the Offeror or the Company or their officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of the U.S. securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel the Offeror and the Company and their respective affiliates to subject themselves to a U.S. court's judgment. The receipt of cash pursuant to this Offer by a U.S. Holder may be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes and under applicable U.S. state and local laws, as well as foreign and other tax laws. Each holder of Lalique Shares is urged to consult his or her independent professional advisor immediately regarding the tax consequences of an acceptance of the Offer. Neither the SEC nor any securities commission of any State of the U.S. has (i) approved or disapproved of the Offer; (ii) passed upon the merits or fairness of the Offer; or (iii) passed upon the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of the disclosure in relation to the Offer. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

Ende der Adhoc-Mitteilung
Company developing its innovative InDx Implant System for thumb base joint arthritis

Focused on a painful and disabling condition with increasing prevalence in patient population

Funds to support clinical programs, regulatory submissions and future commercialisation

Loci Orthopaedics Ltd, an orthopaedic medical device company, today announced the successful closing of an oversubscribed 12.8 million Series A financing. The financing round was led by new investors Seroba, Johnson Johnson Innovation, JJDC, Inc., (JJDC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716457443/en/

InDx Implant System (Photo: Business Wire)

Loci Orthopaedics develops novel technologies that target major unmet clinical needs in orthopaedics extremities. The company's primary device, its patented InDx Implant System, is an innovative, evidence-based implant for thumb base joint arthritis. Thumb base joint arthritis is a highly and increasingly prevalent condition which is estimated to actively affect up to 5% of the US and EU population and 100 million people worldwide1. The InDx implant replicates the functional biomechanics of the thumb base joint, with the aim of restoring natural motion for those affected by this painful and disabling condition. InDx's novel design could address the limitations of current thumb implants which are often unsuccessful and are prone to both dislocation and movement post implantation.

The Series A financing will enable the company to augment the initial clinical investigation, which indicates positive preliminary results, and develop additional clinical data to support regulatory approval applications and future commercialisation in different geographies.

In October 2023, Loci Orthopaedics successfully completed enrolment of a 15-patient clinical study for its InDx Implant System. The Thumb Hemi-Arthroplasty with Natural Kinematics study is designed to evaluate the surgical implantation of the device as well as improvements in pain, grip, and quality of life for those affected by thumb base joint arthritis. Results from the clinical study are expected to be published later this year.

Dr Brendan Boland, Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson, commented: "Thumb base joint arthritis is a painful and disabling condition with a significant unmet clinical need for an effective, evidence-based, surgical solution. With a growing patient population, our InDx Implant System has the potential to provide surgeons and patients with a less invasive and more effective treatment for this condition. This funding will enable us to expand our clinical programs, submit regulatory approval applications in the US and EU and accelerate our efforts towards future commercialisation."

Barry Russell, CEO, added: "The company is excited to work with three very experienced and well-respected investment groups to help the company bring a promising new solution to market to help the many currently underserved patients and their surgeons with a joint sparing treatment option."

Maud Lazare, Head of Investor Relations at Seroba, commented: "Orthopaedics extremities is one of the fastest growing areas in orthopaedics, so it is great to work with a company whose innovative solutions may positively disrupt the future treatment landscape for one of the most frequently performed surgeries in this space."

Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, commented: "We are very happy to participate in this funding round. Loci Orthopaedics is disrupting the treatment landscape for one of the most frequently performed surgeries in orthopaedics extremities. The EIC's unique financing approach, combining grants and equity, provides Europe's most promising companies with means to develop and scale up their businesses in Europe."

1 Zhang Y, Niu J, Kelly-Hayes M, Chaisson CE, Aliabadi P, Felson DT. Prevalence of symptomatic hand osteoarthritis and its impact on functional status among the elderly: The Framingham Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2002 Dec 1;156(11):1021-7. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwf141. PMID: 12446258.Y

About Thumb Base Joint Arthritis

Most activities that involve grasping or pinching are possible because of the thumb's remarkable range of motion. Dexterity, however, comes at a price an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA) in the first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, where the thumb meets the trapezium bone in the wrist. Thumb arthritis is common with aging and occurs when cartilage wears away from the ends of the bones that form the joint at the base of the thumb.

Thumb arthritis can cause severe pain, swelling, and decreased strength and range of motion, making it difficult to do simple tasks, such as turning doorknobs and opening jars. Treatment generally involves a combination of medication and splints. Severe thumb arthritis might require surgery. It is estimated that 5% of the population have symptomatic thumb base joint arthritis which causes significant hand pain and has a major negative impact on quality of life1

About Loci Orthopaedics

Loci Orthopaedics was founded by Mr Gerry Clarke and Dr Brendan Boland as a concurrent spin-out from the University of Galway (Ireland), University College Cork (Ireland) and KU Leuven (Belgium). The company develops orthopaedic technologies to meet major unmet clinical needs with a primary focus on the orthopaedics extremities market. The company focuses on evidence-based design to ensure that its technologies are physiologically optimal to restore natural movement for superior clinical outcomes. Following the Series A financing, to date the company has raised over 22 million in grant and equity financing. See more information at www.lociorthopaedics.com.

About Seroba

Seroba is a European life sciences venture capital firm based in Dublin, Paris and Milan, investing from its fourth Fund. We focus on value creation through backing cutting-edge Biotech and MedTech innovation that will transform the treatment of unmet medical needs. Our team has deep industry and operational experience and an extensive global network. We like to work with entrepreneurs who share our passion for success and for investors who share the same goal of improving human health while driving financial returns. Follow our story at www.serobavc.com.

About EIC Fund

The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is an agnostic Fund: it invests across all technologies and verticals, and all EU countries and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance. The European Investment Bank acts as investment adviser to the EIC Fund. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716457443/en/

Contacts:

For additional information, please contact Dr Brendan Boland.

T: +353 91 863 775

E: brendan@lociorthopaedics.com

Media Contacts

FTI Consulting

Paddy Berkery Rugile Nenortaite

T: +353 86 602 5988 +353 86 277 9905

E: LociOrthopaedics@fticonsulting.com
Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der

zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial.



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Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird.



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Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor.

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Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - In an ongoing expansion of services, LinkDaddy announces the addition of new cloud storage platforms, for a total of 15 major providers as part of the firm's Cloud Authority Backlink service.

More details can be found at https://linkdaddy.com/cloud-authority-backlinks.

LinkDaddy

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LinkDaddy now offers three Cloud Authority Backlink packages. The firm intends to make high-authority backlinks accessible for all types of business, and pricing is therefore designed with affordability in mind.

"Having a diverse range of high-authority backlinks is a widely recognized technique for improving SEO performance," Tony Peacock, CEO of LinkDaddy, explained. "However, backlinking on cloud hosting tech giants is a relatively new and unique method, so we can help clients gain a competitive edge."

As part of the enhanced Cloud Authority Backlink service, LinkDaddy works with a team of professional writers to develop personalized content on behalf of each client. Content campaigns are then combined with unique HTML pages, which are published across the portfolio of cloud hosting platforms, establishing a network of interconnected backlinks.

For additional information please see: https://linkdaddy.com/cloud-authority-backlinks.

In addition to the backlinks themselves, LinkDaddy states that the latest content marketing campaigns are developed with SEO in mind, focusing on industry-specific keywords and/or the locations that clients want to target. The firm's decision to use professional writers came from a desire to create high-quality materials that form a meaningful connection with target audiences.

The latest Cloud Authority Backlink service can work alongside several other programs offered by LinkDaddy, such as dofollow SEO backlinks, local SEO backlinks, Click-Through-Rate (CTR) manipulation, and business directory listings.

LinkDaddy is currently fostering several additional cloud provider partnerships, with further updates expected in the near future. Headquartered in Florida, the firm has established over 11,000 backlinks for approximately 2,850 clients since its formation in 2019.

Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://linkdaddy.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216616

SOURCE: Plentisoft
EQS-News: invIOs GmbH / Key word(s): Miscellaneous/Patent

invIOs selects INV501 lead candidate to progress into IND-enabling studies in glioblastoma and melanoma



17.07.2024 / 10:00 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





invIOs selects INV501 lead candidate to progress into IND-enabling studies in glioblastoma and melanoma

invIOs has filed patents for its novel small molecule program, INV501, which shows strong activation of tumor-specific T cells

Preclinical testing in melanoma and breast cancer successfully completed; IND-enabling toxicology studies in preparation

Pre-clinical testing in glioblastoma is being conducted under a collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Vienna, Austria, 17 July 2024: invIOs GmbH ("invIOs"), a privately held biotechnology company developing novel therapies for cancer, today announced that the company has selected a lead candidate from the INV501 compound family to bring forward in development. Initially, the compound will be evaluated as a potential treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, as well as for melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer. The identified target is clinically validated and is involved in immune activation. For competitive reasons, the target is not being disclosed at this time.

The INV501 family of compounds was identified as part of a phenotypic screen for substances that can activate T cells. Members of the compound hit series can induce elevated levels of T cell activation markers and killing capacity in the presence of the T cell's target antigen. The INV501 clinical candidate compound was selected based on extensive medicinal chemistry and pharmacological testing. It belongs to a compound class which is orally available showing favorable bioavailability for a potent immune therapy. invIOs has filed patents covering INV501 and its applications.

Data previously presented at the 2023 Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) show that INV501 can selectively enhance tumor-reactive cytotoxicity in preclinical in vivo model systems, resulting in prolonged survival even beyond the end of treatment. Pharmacokinetic investigation in higher species further supports translatability into a clinical setting and the compound demonstrates highly accurate anti-tumor dose-responses in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, INV501 candidate compound is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, making it a promising candidate for the treatment of brain tumors, including glioblastoma.

invIOs is planning to conduct IND-enabling toxicology studies, and manufacturing under GMP conditions is in preparation.

"We have reached a significant milestone in selecting our clinical candidate to bring forward in development, and we are eager to explore the potential of INV501. The preclinical results seen to date are compelling in terms of both efficacy and safety, and the ability of INV501 to cross the blood-brain barrier and initiate anti-tumoral immune reactions is particularly promising," commented Romana Gugenberger, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of invIOs. "Our collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a testament to the strength of our science and enhances our research efforts as we work together to bring new hope to seriously ill cancer patients."

The preclinical work in glioblastoma with INV501 is being conducted as part of a previously announced collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), led by David Reardon, MD, Clinical Director, Center for Neuro-Oncology at the DFCI and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Reardon is a world-renowned expert in brain cancer, particularly glioblastoma research and treatment. The research group will evaluate INV501 alone and in combination with the current standard of care (temozolomide or radiation) or anti-myeloid therapies in preclinical glioblastoma models. Depending on the outcome, further studies to understand the mechanisms of action of INV501 will be conducted.

"We have made excellent progress with INV501, and I am excited about the significant strides we are making towards bringing this promising immuno-oncology approach to patients. We are encouraged by Ligand Pharmaceutical's recent commitment to invest up to USD 4 million in invIOs, which further validates our innovative approach to cancer treatment. Based on this commitment, we have just commenced a fundraising process to further advance our pioneering treatment approaches in the field of immuno-oncology and bring us closer to providing new hope to patients in need;" added Peter-Llewellyn-Davies, CEO and CFO of invIOs.

About invIOs

invIOs is a privately held biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, focusing on the discovery and development of novel therapies for cancer. The invIOs team leverages deep expertise in immune system activation to develop individualized and targeted approaches against solid tumors. invIOs is advancing a pipeline of three programs encompassing small molecule and cell therapy approaches.

EPiC, invIOs' proprietary cell therapy platform, enables rapid treatment of patients in an out-patient setting. EPiC is a technology platform that allows the creation of personalized cell therapies based on localized processing of a patient's fresh immune cells. The first asset from the EPiC platform, APN401, is in Phase 1 clinical trials against various solid tumors. The second asset, INV441, is being developed against glioblastoma and is in preclinical . The third EPiC program, INV451, is a novel CAR-T cell approach against lung cancer being developed with the Medical University of Innsbruck.

INV501 is a novel small molecule candidate that can selectively enhance T cell mediated anti-tumor immune responses. INV501 is currently in preclinical testing and has demonstrated preclinical proof of concept with strong data in multiple solid tumor indications after oral administration. A lead candidate compound for clinical development has been declared and is undergoing IND-enabling studies.

For further information, please visit www.invios.com and connect with us on LinkedIn .

Contacts

invIOs

Peter Llewellyn-Davies

CEO/CFO

T +43 1 8656577 0

Email: investors@invios.com

MC Services AG

Dr. Cora Kaiser, Dr. Regina Lutz

T +49 89 210 228 0

US: Laurie Doyle

T +1-339-832-0752

Email: invios@mc-services.eu

17.07.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Egypt, German FMs discuss regional crises over phone

Cairo, July 17 (UNI) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional crises with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday in a phone conversation, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty highlighted that the current regional conditions proved the pivotal role of Egypt, stressing that the two countries' collaboration is important given Egypt's weight in the region and Germany's role in Europe and the international arena.

He reviewed the Egyptian endeavours in mediating the negotiation process to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, stressing the necessity of exerting pressure on the Israeli government for the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions regarding ending the war and delivering humanitarian aid and the importance of continued German support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
ANCHORAGE, AK / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Arctic IT Government Solutions (AITGS), a subsidiary of Doyon Technology Group, is proud to announce its acceptance into the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program. This certification enhances Arctic IT Government Solutions' ability to compete for federal contracts and grants in the government contracting sector.

"As a new subsidiary of an Alaska Native Corporation, we are thrilled to achieve our 8(a) certification," said President of Arctic IT Government Solutions, Steve Schmitz. "This is a significant milestone, reflecting our commitment to excellence and our dedication to deliver innovative cloud business applications designed to transform how federal agencies serve their constituents."

The SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program is a robust nine-year program created to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. It offers a unique and valuable opportunity for Arctic IT Government Solutions to partner with various government agencies, providing a wide range of IT services and solutions that meet the evolving public sector needs.

"Leveraging the benefits of the 8(a) program allows our family of companies to expand our service offerings and drive growth," said Thomas Mercer, President of Doyon Technology Group. "This status strengthens our ability to support the federal government with cutting-edge IT solutions and exceptional service, and to support Doyon, Limited's ongoing mission to support their shareholders through economic development."

Arctic IT Government Solutions provides advanced technology services to government agencies, including business application modernization, program management, and strategic planning. With the 8(a) certification, the company is poised to enhance its contributions to the federal sector.

About Arctic IT Government Solutions

Arctic IT Government Solutions (AITGS) is a leading provider of information technology solutions for the federal government. As a subsidiary of Doyon Technology Group, Arctic IT Government Solutions is dedicated to driving innovation and efficiency in public services. With a deep commitment to enhancing transparency and accessibility, we harness cutting-edge technology to empower government agencies. Our solutions enable seamless communication and collaboration, ensuring citizens have easy access to vital information and services. For more information about Arctic IT Government Solutions and its services, please visit arcticitgov.com.

About Doyon Technology Group

Doyon Technology Group, a subsidiary of Doyon, Limited, an Alaska Native Corporation, was established in 2023 in Anchorage, Alaska to manage the Doyon portfolio of technology companies: Arctic Information Technology (Arctic IT), Arctic IT Government Solutions, and designDATA. Each company offers a variety of technology services including managed services, cybersecurity, and professional software implementations and support for Microsoft and ServiceNow cloud business applications.

Contact Information

Mary Gasperlin

Director of Marketing and Communications

mgasperlin@arcticit.com

9076021003

SOURCE: Arctic IT Government Solutions

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Copper Fox Metals Inc. (TSXV: CUU) (OTCQX: CPFXF) (FSE: HPU) ("Copper Fox" or the "Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Desert Fox Mineral Mountain Co. ("Desert Fox"), are pleased to provide results of a recently completed sampling program and an update on the permitting process related to obtaining a drilling permit on its 100% owned Mineral Mountain porphyry copper property (2,692.4 ha) located within the Mineral Mountain Mining District, Arizona.

The Mineral Mountain Mining District occurs within a northeast trending porphyry copper belt and is located approximately 25 kilometers ("km") (15 miles) southwest from Rio Tinto and BHP's giant Resolution porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit and approximately 25 km northeast of Taseko's Florence porphyry copper deposit.

Highlights

The field portions of the archeological, cultural and biological investigations required to complete the Environmental Review ("ER") have been completed (see news release dated May 22, 2024). Results are being compiled.

The ER and Solicitation of Public Comments on the Plan of Operations is expected to take approximately four to six months to complete with an estimated cost of US$45,000.00. The estimated timeline and costs are subject to change contingent on amendments to the scope of work that could be requested by either Federal or State authorities.

Utilization of "fertility" indices supports the porphyry potential of the Laramide age Mineral Mountain intrusive and has extended the potential strike length of this mineralized trend approximately 3 km to the northeast.

Indicators of distal to proximal hydrothermal activity related to porphyry style mineralization have been identified within Targets 1, 2 and 3 (see news release dated April 11, 2024).

Elmer B. Stewart, President, and CEO of Copper Fox, stated, "We are pleased with the progress of the Environment Review process and having the baseline data in hand, allows SWCA to transition to compilation and interpretation of the data sets. In addition to advancing the Environmental Review process, our recent work has expanded the porphyry potential of the Mineral Mountain district by at least 3 km to the northeast and suggests the introduction of several phases of molybdenite mineralization during emplacement of the porphyry system."

Permitting Process

The collection of the baseline data for the archeological, cultural and biological investigations required for the ER is completed. Further discussion has resulted in the BLM recommending that the Acuna Cactus survey area be reduced from the initial 400 plus acre area to approximately 88 acres focused on the potential disturbed areas around the proposed drillhole locations.

Exploration

The recent program was completed to locate surface indications of hydrothermal activity indicative of a buried porphyry system in the areas overlying Targets 2 and 3 and "ground truth" a late-stage intrusive identified by the 2022 airborne magnetic survey within Target 1 (see news release dated April 11, 2024). Analytical results for the sampling completed on each target are shown below.

Target Sample ID Host Rock Cu

(ppm) Mo

(ppm) Ag

(ppm) Comments 1 MM-01-24 Bi-qtz-diorite 9600 759 14.8 Disseminated malachite and molybdenite 1 MM-02-24 Bi-qtz-diorite 1485 2.96 1.29 Sericite veins, disseminated pyrite 2 MM-04-24 Granite 18.25 1.02 0.24 Hematite veins, Plagioclase-K-spar veins 2 MM-05-24 Bi-hbld-qtz Monzonite 35.2 2.75 0.13 Inner propylitic zone (tremolite-actinolite), porphyritic texture 2 MM-06-24 Qtz Monzonite 9.86 0.86 0.08 2 MM-07-24 Bi-granodiorite 7.13 1.1 0.02 Qtz-Kspar-magnetite veins 2 MM-08-24 Bi-granodiorite 51.5 1.32 0.07 Qtz-Kspar and qtz veins, porphyritic texture 3 MM-09-24 Bi-qtz-Monzonite 17.45 0.68 0.03 Qtz-Kspar and qtz-calcite veins, 3 MM-10-24 Bi-diorite 6760 3.77 3.48 Disseminated malachite, chlorite and qtz-sericite veins

Notes: Qtz=quartz, K-spar=hydrothermal potassium feldspar, Bi=biotite, hbld=hornblende, ppm=parts per million

The three geophysical Targets are underlain by an intrusive suite consisting of porphyritic and non-porphyritic biotite diorite, hornblende-biotite granodiorite, biotite hornblende granodiorite, quartz monzonite and late-stage granite intrusives. Results of the recent field program are outlined below.

Target 1: The interpreted intrusive is a mineralized chlorite-sericite altered biotite-quartz diorite with disseminated secondary copper and molybdenite mineralization that returned an elevated Rhenium concentration of 0.46 ppm.

Target 2: The center of this target is located approximately 1,000 meters ("m") northeast of Target 1 and the recent program located additional occurrences of secondary copper mineralization, quartz-sericite and hydrothermal magnetite veins.

Target 3: The center of this area of higher chargeability is located approximately 1,200 m southwest of Target 1. The recent program located secondary copper mineralization, quartz-Kspar, quartz-calcite, chlorite and quartz-sericite veins, all indicators of hydrothermal activity associated with a porphyry copper system.

Fertility Indices

Magma "fertility" is commonly used to distinguish between potentially productive versus barren magma suites. The use of trace elements and zircon geochemistry can be used as a pathfinder for porphyry Cu  Mo  Au deposits by identifying distinctive chemical signatures, indicative of the fertility of the parent magma (Yong 2016).

The main intrusive phases in Targets 1, 2, and 3 exhibit strong positive Eu/Eu/SiO2, La/Yb/Si02 and V/Sc/SiO2 ratios like known porphyry copper deposits and are considered prospective to host porphyry copper mineralization. The small Laramide age, biotite-hornblende granodiorite intrusive located approximately 3 km northeast of the Mineral Mountain intrusive also yielded positive Eu/Eu/SiO2 and La/Yb/Si02 ratios, thus extending the prospective mineralized trend at least 3 km further to the northeast.

Analytical Method and Sampling Procedure

Geochemical analyses of representative outcrop samples were completed by ALS Canada Ltd. ("ALS") located in Vancouver, British Columbia using ASL codes; ME-MS61L by ICP-MS, MS61L-REE REE, ME-ICP06 and OA-GRA05 for LOI determination. ALS has an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 UKAS (ref 4028) accreditation. Vancouver Petrographics Ltd., located in Langley, British Columbia completed the petrography description of selected rock samples.

Elmer B. Stewart, MSc. P.Geo., President, and CEO of Copper Fox, is the Company's non-independent, nominated Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed and approves the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release.

About Copper Fox

Copper Fox is a Tier 1 Canadian resource company focused on copper exploration and development in Canada and the United States. Copper Inc. and Desert Fox Copper Inc. Its wholly owned subsidiaries being Northern Fox Copper Inc. and Desert Fox Copper Inc., are the 100% ownerships of the Van Dyke ISCR project, and the Mineral Mountain and Sombrero Butte porphyry copper exploration projects all located in Arizona, the 25% interest in the Schaft Creek Joint Venture with Teck Resources Limited on the Schaft Creek copper-gold-molybdenum-silver project and the 100% owned Eaglehead polymetallic porphyry copper project each located in northwestern British Columbia. For more information on Copper Fox's mineral properties and investments visit the Company's website at www.copperfoxmetals.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Elmer B. Stewart

President and Chief Executive Officer

For additional information contact: Fidel Montagu at investor@copperfoxmetals.com or 1-844-464-2820

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and forward-looking information within the meaning of the Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words "believes," "may," "plans," "will," "anticipates," "intends," "budgets," "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "projects" and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding; surface sampling; trace element and zircon geochemistry; indications of hydrothermal activity; the presence of blind porphyry copper mineralization; the Environmental Review; and "fertility" indices.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, Copper Fox and its subsidiaries have made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things: the geological advice that Copper Fox has received is reliable and is based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with industry standards; and the reliability of historical reports. While Copper Fox considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause Copper Fox's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: surface sampling; trace element and zircon geochemistry and fertility indices may not represent porphyry style mineralization; the indicators of hydrothermal activity may not be representative of porphyry copper mineralization; the chargeability targets may not contain significant porphyry style copper mineralization; the Environmental Review may not be completed as planned or at all; the financial markets and the overall economy may deteriorate; the need to obtain additional financing and uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals.

A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing Copper Fox is disclosed in Copper Fox's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedarplus.ca. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and Copper Fox disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events, or developments, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216683

SOURCE: Copper Fox Metals Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Bayridge Resources Corp. (CSE: BYRG) (OTC Pink: BYRRF) (FSE: O0K) ("Bayridge" or the "Company") has received the final deliverables from Geotech for the airborne VTEM Survey recently completed at its 11,142 ha Constellation uranium project in Canada's Athabasca Basin region and is pleased to report a number of magentic and electromagnetic anomalies have been identified (Figure 1). The data package has been sent to in3D Geoscience Inc., for interpretation and priority ranking of the anomalies in advance of late Q3 surface exploration ground truthing in advance of H1 2025 drilling. Bayridge is fully funded to undertake the surface exploration and follow up drilling with the completion of its recent financing (see April 17th, 2024 NR).

Figure 1 Constellation Project VTEM B-Field Z Component Channel 30, Time Gate 0.880 ms

(Electromagnetic anomalies are warm colors yellow through pink)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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"The Bayridge technical team is very pleased to see the positive initial results from the VTEM survey," commented President & CEO, Saf Dhillon. "We will let the experts at in3D Geoscience further define and rank the magnetic and electromagnetic anomalies for our fully permitted and fully funded Q3 exploration program as we work to make the next basement-hosted uranium discovery in the area," he continued.

The Company is also pleased to announce it has received its Level I Exploration permit for Constellation.

The Constellation property has favourable geology for basement-hosted unconformity-style uranium deposits. The regional geology and magnetics have defined structural lineaments trending NNW and ESE, which could represent structural conduits between the Archean granite inlier and graphitic metasediments that have been mapped on the property. These types of structural zones typically act as pathways for hydrothermal activity. Historical NE-trending conductors have also been outlined on the property, but are under-explored and un-drilled. Strong EM conductors are proven targets associated with unconformity and basement-hosted uranium mineralization in and around the Athabasca Basin.

Bayridge is earning up to an 80% interest in Constellation through a series of cash payments, share issuances and exploration expenditures over the next 4 years. Constellation is located 60 km southwest of the Key Lake Mine, and is accessible via helicopter or float plane, with potential winter road access from Highway 914.

R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC) and a Consultant and Advisor to the Company, is the Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.

About Bayridge Resources Corp.

Bayridge Resources Corp. is a green energy company advancing its portfolio of Canadian uranium and lithium projects. The 1,337 ha Waterbury East project is located 25 km northeast of the Cigar Lake Mine in the northeastern Athabasca Basin region. Geophysical surveys have identified a 7km long conductivity corridor where mid-2000's drilling highlighted faulted and altered basement rock with local uranium enrichment. Large sections of this corridor remain untested. The 11,142 ha Constellation project is located 60 km south of the present-day Athabasca Basin edge in an area of significant exploration activity for basement hosted uranium. Historic airborne radiometric, electromagnetic, and magnetic surveys identified electromagnetic conductors associated with magnetic lows. The 4,413 ha Sharp Lake project, located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario, hosts peraluminous S-type muscovite bearing pegmatite bearing granites in contact with metasediments. Preliminary sampling has highlighted anomalous rare-element values, potentially indicative of lithium mineralization.

Forward-looking information

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding Geotech's engagement, the scope and timing of Geotech's services and the Company's exploration plans at Constellation. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change..

The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216780

SOURCE: Bayridge Resources Corp.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Argyle Resources Corp. (CSE: ARGL) (FSE: ME0) commends the recent decision by the Canadian government on June 10, 2024 to include silicon on the Critical Minerals List. This designation underscores silicon's pivotal role in various high-tech and green technologies, positioning it as a strategic resource essential for national security and economic stability.

Silicon, a fundamental component in semiconductors and solar panels, plays a crucial role in advancing innovation across multiple industries, including telecommunications, electronics, and renewable energy. Its inclusion on the critical elements list reflects its irreplaceable value in supporting technological advancements critical to global competitiveness and sustainability efforts.

"In addition to the inclusion of silicon on the Canadian 2024 Critical Minerals List, we are pleased to note that silicon was previously added to the United States List of Critical Materials for Energy in 2023," said Jeff Stevens, CEO of Argyle Resources Corp. "This dual recognition underscores silicon's essential role in driving the next wave of technological advancements."

In conjunction with this milestone, the Company is pleased to announce its intent to pursue a Technical Report 43-101 on its silica assets located in Quebec. This report will provide a comprehensive assessment of the mineral potential on its properties and the potential economic viability of these assets, further solidifying the Company's commitment to transparency and strategic development in the silicon sector.

"The Technical Report 43-101 will enable us to showcase the potential value of our silica assets in Quebec," added Jeff Stevens. "Upon completion, this will mark a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance our position as a key player in the silica/silicon supply chain in North America."

The 2024 Critical Minerals List identifies minerals vital to the economic and national security interests of Canada. This inclusion provides strategic guidance for policymakers and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of securing a stable supply chain for silicon amid global market dynamics.

Argyle Resources Corp remains committed to advancing sustainable practices and technological innovation within the industry. The company's engagement of the National Institute of Scientific Research ("INRS") to conduct the 2024 summer and fall exploration programs on the Company's silica assets in Quebec demonstrates the commitment to potentially identifying domestic high-grade silica and could position the Company to meet the growing North American demand, spurred by silicon's new critical mineral status.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

'Jeffrey Stevens'

President & CEO

George M. Yordanov, OGQ., P.GEO., an Independent Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical information reported in this news release.

About Argyle Resources Corp.

Argyle Resources Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring, staking and evaluating natural resource properties in North America. The Company currently holds an option to acquire up to 100% of the Frenchvale Graphite Property located in Nova Scotia, Canada and owns 100% interest in the Pilgrim Islands, Matapedia and Lac Comporte quartzite silica projects in Quebec, Canada. Argyle is engaged in a research partnership with the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS), a high-level research and training institute funded by the Quebec government to conduct exploration programs on the Company's silica projects. The Company was incorporated in 2023 and its head office is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Argyle Resources Corp. actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Although Argyle Resources Corp. believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of Argyle Resources Corp. to implement its business strategies; competition; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216813

SOURCE: Argyle Resources Corp.
Leader in Next-Generation Identity Solutions Strengthens Customer Trust and Operational Efficiency for Europe's Multi-Mobility App FREENOW

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Incognia , the innovator of next-generation identity solutions for secure digital experiences, is announcing a new partnership with FREENOW , Europe's multi-mobility app with taxis at its core. This partnership marks Incognia's debut in Europe and expands its footprint to nearly 190 countries worldwide.

The global ride-hailing market is expected to reach $215 billion by 2028, with Europe representing over 10% of this projected growth. FREENOW operates in 9 markets and over 150 cities, offering the largest vehicle choice in Europe. Through the partnership, FREENOW will leverage Incognia's cutting-edge technology as part of its platform security strategy, further demonstrating the company's proactive approach to fraud prevention and commitment to protecting its growth initiatives from misconduct.

"We are committed to making urban mobility more efficient, safe, and reliable," said Ashu Singhal, Chief Product and Technology Officer at FREENOW. "Partnering with Incognia enables us to deliver this value, ensuring our platform remains a trusted choice for our users across Europe. As we continue to grow, having innovative identity solutions is essential to maintaining the trust and satisfaction of both passengers and drivers."

Incognia's device identification technology protects FREENOW against potential fraud by verifying that new user and driver accounts are legitimate. Incognia's device fingerprinting solution ensures marketing and growth efforts are focused on trusted new users by detecting risky behaviour and fake accounts. With Incognia in place, FREENOW can concentrate on efficient and sustainable growth and profitability.

"At Incognia, we believe that fraud prevention is a key enabler of business growth. Our technology provides superior protection against scams without adding friction for good users. This allows businesses like FREENOW to focus on evolving and delivering customer satisfaction," said Andre Ferraz, CEO and Co-Founder of Incognia. "We are excited to bring our advanced solutions to the European market and support FREENOW in delivering secure and reliable mobility services."

After securing $31 million in funding earlier this year to enhance fraud prevention across web and mobile platforms, Incognia is now supporting FREENOW's success with 99.9% accurate device fingerprinting, enhanced by location intelligence and tamper detection.

About FREENOW

FREENOW is Europe's multi-mobility app with taxi offering at its core, available in 9 European markets and over 150 cities. FREENOW users can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, PHV, carsharing, car rental, eScooters, eBikes, eMopeds and public transport. FREENOW partners with numerous mobility brands and aggregates their offering with the ambition to make urban mobility more efficient and sustainable without adding new vehicles on the street. The Germany-based company is backed by the BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility. FREENOW is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann. Visit our Website for further information and download the FREENOW app for iOS or Android .

About Incognia

Incognia is the innovator of next-generation identity solutions that enable secure and seamless digital experiences. With its persistent device fingerprint solution, Incognia combines best-in-class device recognition signals, location analysis and tamper detection for frictionless user verification and fraud prevention. Incognia's customizable risk assessment and actionable insights empower companies in food delivery, ride-hailing, marketplace, and financial services to protect their reputation, retention and revenue. For more information, visit Incognia.com .

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/incognia-and-freenow-announce-strategic-partnership-to-safeguard-urban-mobility-users-302198666.html




MILAN, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting taking place in Reggio Calabria, the President of the MERMEC Group and Angel Holding, Vito Pertosa, urged future leaders of the European Union to promote the ERTMS railway signalling system, in the context of green transport.



"I would like to pose a question to the European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and at the same time express my hope," said the President of the MERMEC Group and Angel Holding, Vito Pertosa, speaking today at the G7 Industry Stakeholders Conference in Reggio Calabria, an official side event to the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting. "The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)," he continued, "which is no longer just a European but an international standard, is still struggling to spread widely, despite having achieved all the goals hoped for at this time: environmental sustainability, because it is green; social sustainability, because it brings people and goods closer together and costs less for those lagging behind in technology, and because there is less excavation work and faster implementation. It also increases GDP by focusing on infrastructure. It increases the frequency of trains on the same route with total safety, elevates the technological level and significantly simplifies the transit of trains between countries." "We therefore hope that the centrality of this programme will be reaffirmed in the inaugural speech of the future President of the European Commission," concluded Pertosa.

In response, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis stated: "Interesting observation by President Pertosa, which I will bring to the attention of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move)."

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4152e15a-8410-40a2-9bd1-69c3a6b58809
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Electric Metals (USA) Limited ("EML" or the "Company") (TSXV:EML)(OTCQB:EMUSF) is pleased to announce it will present at the Battery & Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference July 23rd. The Company will also host 1x1 meetings with investors during the event.

DATE: July 23rd through July 26th, 2024

PRESENTATION: July 23rd, 12:30 PM Eastern

REGISTRATION LINK: Battery & Precious Metals Investor Conference Website

To schedule a meeting with management, please register for the conference. If attendees cannot join the live presentation during the conference, an archived webcast will also be available after the event.

About Electric Metals (USA) Limited

Electric Metals (USA) Limited (TSXV:EML)(OTCQB:EMUSF) is a US-based mineral development company with manganese and silver projects geared to supporting the transition to clean energy. The Company's principal asset is the Emily Manganese Project in Minnesota, which has been the subject of considerable technical studies, including National Instrument 43-101 Technical Reports - Resource Estimates. The Company's mission in Minnesota is to become a domestic US producer of high-value, high-purity manganese metal and chemical products to supply the North American electric vehicle battery, technology and industrial markets. With manganese playing a critical and prominent role in lithium-ion battery formulations, and with no current domestic supply or active mines for manganese in North America, the development of the Emily Manganese Project represents a significant opportunity for America, the State of Minnesota and for the Company's shareholders.

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

For further information, please contact:

Electric Metals (USA) Limited

Brian Savage

CEO & Director

(303) 656-9197

or

Valerie Kimball

Director Investor Relations

720-933-1150

info@electricmetals.com

SOURCE: Electric Metals (USA) Limited

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Usha Resources Ltd. ("USHA" or the "Company") (TSXV:USHA)(OTCQB:USHAF)(FSE:JO0), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce that the Company has executed an option (the "Option" or "Option Agreement") with Abitibi Metals Corp. ("Abitibi" or the "Optionor") for the right to purchase an undivided 100% interest in the Southern Arm property ("Southern Arm" or the "Property", Fig. 1).

Highlights:

Southern Arm hosts a ~7.3 km copper-gold trend along the regional-scale Bapst fault within the volcanic rocks of the Brouillan-Fenelon Group, which hosts the nearby Selbaie Mine (~15 km W) and B26 Deposit (~16 km SW) and is prospective for polymetallic VMS-style mineralization.

Multiple drill targets identified including "Hollywood" where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that is open along strike.

The Property is situated in a region famous for its endowment in precious and base metals. Notable nearby projects include: ~16 km from the high-grade B26 Copper deposit, which hosts an indicated resource of 6.97 Mt at 2.94% Cu Eq (1.32% Cu, 1.80% Zn, 0.60 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag) and an inferred resources of 4.41 Mt at 2.97% Cu Eq (2.03% Cu, 0.22% Zn, 1.07 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag; and ~15 km from the Fenelon Gold Project, which hosts as indicated resource of 2.4 Moz Au and inferred 1.7 Moz Au; and ~15 km from the historic Selbaie mine, which produced 53 Mt at 0.96% Cu, 1.9% Zn, 0.58 g/t Au, 40.7 g/t Ag.

Exploration targets at Southern Arm were produced by the Abitibi Metals technical team, who will be acting in an advisory role as the Company progresses the proposed exploration strategy . Fully funded drill program planned for Fall 2024.

The Southern Arm Option was negotiated following payment of US$75,000 by Stardust Power, Inc. (MC $675M) pursuant to the Letter of Intent granting the right to earn up to a 90% interest subject to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty in Usha's Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project for total consideration that could total up to US$26,025,000 over five years inclusive of payments comprising US$1,525,000 cash, US$750,000 stock, US$15,750,000 stock or cash at Stardust Power's election, and a work commitment of (US$8M).

The full details of the LOI are included in Usha's press release dated May 17, 2024. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions. The Company cautions that there is no guarantee that the Definitive Agreement will be completed.

Deepak Varshney, CEO of Usha Resources, commented: "We are very excited to partner with Abitibi Metals on Southern Arm, which establishes Usha as a diversified metals company in North America with an opportunity to develop a company-making asset in the best mining province in Canada. Through their rigorous systematic exploration approach, we are starting with a 7 km+ trend with multiple targets including Hollywood, where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that remains open. We look forward to working with the Abitibi team to advance Southern Arm and plan on completing a fully funded maiden drill program this coming Fall."

Figure 1 - Regional Claim Map

Southern Arm Property Details

The Property comprises 76 claims totaling more than 42 km 2 in the deposit-rich Abitibi mining camp (Fig. 1). The Property contains geology favourable for polymetallic VMS-style mineralization (Fig. 2) and historic drill logs documented brecciated felsic exhalite horizons that underwent chlorite and sericite alteration associated with elevated Zn values [i] (Fig. 2).

It is situated on the eastern side of the Brouillan pluton and the bedrock geology is dominated by the volcanic rocks of the Brouillan-Fenelon Group, which also host the nearby Selbaie Mine and B26 Deposit. These rocks are situated along the regional-scale Bapst fault, which represents a splay of the Southern Detour deformation and is associated with Zn, Pb Ag, Mo and Cu mineralization along trend.

The property hosts a ~7.3 km conductive trend with multiple drill targets already identified including "Hollywood" where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that remains open.

Figure 2

Terms of the Agreement

Pursuant to the Option Agreement, the Company may acquire a 100% interest in the Property by issuing an aggregate of 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company and completing $2,000,000 of work expenditures as indicated in the table below:

Payment Shares Work Commitment Signing 2,500,000 1, 2 - 1st Anniversary 2,500,000 2 - 2 nd Anniversary - 2,000,000 Total 5,000,000 $2,000,000 Notes Payable within fifteen (15) days from receipt of approval to the Agreement from the Exchange (the "Approval"). Shares of the Company are to be issued at a deemed value based on the Discounted Market Price at the time of issuance.

The Company has granted to the Optionor a 2% net-smelter returns royalty (the "NSR") on the claims making up the Property with no historical royalty.

The transaction contemplated, including the issuance of the shares, is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture (the "Exchange"). The shares will be subject to the applicable hold periods in accordance with securities laws in Canada and exchange policies.

Qualified person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Deepak Varshney, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical reports provided by the optionors were reviewed by the qualified person. The information provided has not been verified and is being treated as historic non-compliant intercepts.

About Usha Resources Ltd.

Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality critical metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes Southern Arm, a copper-gold VMS project in Quebec, Jackpot Lake, a lithium brine project in Nevada and White Willow, a lithium pegmatite project in Ontario that is the flagship among its growing portfolio of hard-rock lithium assets. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0.

USHA RESOURCES LTD.

For more information, please call 778-899-1780, email info@usharesources.com or visit www.usharesources.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements:

This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry.

The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

[i] Mercier, D., de Corta, H. and de Cabissole, B. (1995) Rapport d'une campagne de forage propriete SG3; GM54389, Energie et Ressources naturelles Quebec.

SOURCE: Usha Resources Ltd.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Vitruvian Partners today announces that Tassilo Arnhold has joined the Partnership and the global leadership team for financial services.

Arnhold joins Vitruvian from AnaCap, where he spent the past ten years leading numerous successful buyout deals and most recently co-running the firm as a Managing Partner. Mike Risman, Managing Partner of Vitruvian Partners, said, "We are delighted to welcome Tassilo to Vitruvian. He will strengthen our financial services efforts globally in a co-leadership role, and add to our business services and technology capabilities. His outstanding investment track record speaks for itself. It's rare to have the opportunity to partner with such a senior and experienced leader in our industry. Tassilo has integrated with our Partnership seamlessly and we look forward to continuing to build our firm together."

Tassilo Arnhold commented, "I am grateful to my colleagues at AnaCap for the experience of recent years and am now excited to join the Partnership and financial services leadership team at Vitruvian Partners. Vitruvian has an industry leading track record and a unique strategy in buyouts and growth capital which has served investors and entrepreneurs well since their inception. I look forward to contributing my experience in financial services."

Arnhold will be based in Vitruvian's London office.

About Vitruvian Partners

Vitruvian is an independent private equity firm headquartered in London with offices in London, Stockholm, Munich, Luxembourg, Madrid, Miami, Mumbai, San Francisco, Singapore, and Shanghai. Vitruvian focuses on growth buyouts and growth capital transactions. It has a unique dynamic situations investment strategy that it operates in four sectors: information technology, financial services, life sciences healthcare and business services. Vitruvian Funds have backed over 90 companies and have assets under management of approximately 16 billion. Notable investments to date include global market leaders and innovators in their field such as Just Eat, EasyPark, Voxbone, Global E, CRF Health, Wise, Darktrace, CFC, and Trustpilot.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717290788/en/

Contacts:

Any queries please contact:

siobhan.loftus@vitruvianpartners.com

damian.reece@instinctif.com
Highlights

Gladiator has recommenced drilling high-grade copper skarn targets at the Chiefs trend, Whitehorse Copper Belt.





This drilling constitutes the first holes of Gladiator's planned Phase 1, 13,000m, summer drilling campaign targeting high-grade copper skarns throughout the Whitehorse Copper Belt with the dual strategy of:

1)Advancing to resource definition at:

Cowley Park: Establish initial drilling framework for inferred resource drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect.





Establish initial drilling framework for inferred resource drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect.

Chiefs trend: Highlight further high-grade, near-term copper resource potential by testing southern target area.

2)Exploration Drilling at:

Arctic Chief: Highlight continuity of high-grade near surface copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.





Highlight continuity of high-grade near surface copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.

Best Chance: First drill test of outcropping high-grade, magnetite-Copper skarn mineralisation and test continuity of mineralisation between target and Arctic Chief.





First drill test of outcropping high-grade, magnetite-Copper skarn mineralisation and test continuity of mineralisation between target and Arctic Chief.

Cowley Park: Targeting upside potential for further Copper-skarn mineralisation at Cowley Park.





Targeting upside potential for further Copper-skarn mineralisation at Cowley Park.

Cub trend: Highlight continuity of high-grade, near surface, copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.

Gladiator is fully funded for the aforementioned drilling campaign with $10m cash on hand following the recent successful closing of a $9m financing.

Gladiator CEO, Jason Bontempo commented:

"Following the successful closing of the Company's $9m private placement, Gladiator is now fully funded for its Phase 1, 13,000m summer drilling campaign which will be testing exploration targets and extensions to the known areas of mineralisation to demonstrate the near-term resource potential of lead prospect areas including Cowley Park, Arctic Chief, Best Chance and the Cub trend."

"We have recently recommenced drilling at the Chiefs trend following up recently reported high grade copper assays where mineralisation remains open in all directions with some holes finishing in high grade copper-gold mineralization."

"Next, we will move to our recently permitted Arctic Chief prospect for our maiden drilling campaign to test high-grade near surface copper and gold mineralisation. Hudbay historically mined small tonnages of high-grade outcropping skarn mineralisation at Arctic Chief but did not drill test for size and extension."

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSXV: GLAD) (OTCQB: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("Gladiator" or the "Company"), following the successful conclusion of its $9 million financing, provides an update on its exploration strategy and activities at the Whitehorse Copper Project. Drilling has now commenced targeting significant widths of unmined, copper-gold skarns at the southern strike extent of the historic Chiefs trend.

Exploration Strategy

Gladiator's planned Phase 1, 13,000m, summer drilling campaign will be targeting high-grade copper skarns throughout the Whitehorse Copper Belt with the dual strategy of:

1-Advancing to resource definition at:

Cowley Park: Establish initial drilling framework for inferred resource drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect.





Establish initial drilling framework for inferred resource drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect.

Chiefs trend: Highlight further high-grade, near-term copper resource potential by testing southern target area.

2 - Exploration Drilling at:

Arctic Chief: Highlight continuity of high-grade near surface copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.





Highlight continuity of high-grade near surface copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.

Best Chance: First drill test of outcropping high-grade, magnetite-Copper skarn mineralisation and test continuity of mineralisation between target and Arctic Chief.





First drill test of outcropping high-grade, magnetite-Copper skarn mineralisation and test continuity of mineralisation between target and Arctic Chief.

Cowley Park: Targeting upside potential for further Copper-skarn mineralisation at Cowley Park.





Targeting upside potential for further Copper-skarn mineralisation at Cowley Park.

Cub trend: Highlight continuity of high-grade, near surface, copper and gold mineralisation for future resource drilling.

Drilling will be complemented by planned geophysical programs including Induced Polarization, Electromagnetic and Magnetic surveys to help refine drill targeting in the prospect areas and highlight undiscovered areas of exploration potential.

Commencement of Drilling at the Chiefs Trend

Assay results returned from 20 holes for 3,581m at the Chiefs trend earlier in the year confirmed the extensive high-grade mineralization highlighted by Gladiator's data compilation of historical drilling (refer to news release 16th Nov 2023 and 5th March 2024). Mineralization remains open in all directions with some holes finishing in high-grade copper and gold mineralization due to difficult ground conditions. Copper - gold mineralization highlighted from this drilling includes:

LCG-009: 11m @ 1.67% Cu and 0.63 g/t Au from 194m.





from 194m. LCG-009D1: 20.44m @ 2.17% Cu and 0.34 g/t Au from 221.6m to EOH.LCG-009D2: 8.7m @ 2.06% Cu and 0.13 g/t Au from 167m





from 221.6m to EOH.LCG-009D2: from 167m LCG-003: Recovered core @ 2.71% Cu and 1.39 g/t Au within a 13.75m mineralized zone from 256m to end of hole (approximately 270 m) that failed in 0.25m @ 2.76% Cu and 0.28 g/t Au.





mineralized zone from 256m to end of hole (approximately 270 m) that failed in LCG-001D1: 22m @ 1.41% Cu and 0.28 g/t Au from 208m.





Au from 208m. LCG-001: 6m @ 1.56 % Cu and 1.06 g/t Au from 213m and 16m @ 1.29% Cu and 0.61 g/t Au from 249m.





from 213m and from 249m. LCG-001D2: 10m @ 0.83% Cu and 0.19 g/t Au from 62m, 4m @ 1.03 Cu and 0.19 g/t Au from 84m and 10m @ 1.35% Cu and 0.51g/t Au from 196m.

This drilling defined unmined, near surface magnetite-copper skarn mineralization over more than 600m's of strike north of the historical mining operations at Little Chief.

As part of the broader strategy to define near term resource potential in the area, Gladiator recently commenced drilling in the Chiefs trend targeting southern extensions to known mineralization including the Southern Up Dip, Southern Strike and Down Plunge Target areas in the south and looks forward to updating the market in the coming weeks of results (refer to Figure 1 below for details).

Figure 1: Three-Dimensional interpreted view of the known mineralized extents at the Little Chief and Middle Chief mine developments, with schematic UG development & open cut development showing areas of historical production and unmined mineralization and highlighting targets currently the focus of exploration drilling.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/216807_75dd4772f45f4a69_002full.jpg

Historical drilling at the Chief trend prospects was selectively sampled for copper only. Given the recent significant gold intervals returned from these initial assay results, Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits including gold, silver and molybdenum which were proven significant contributors to the economics of historic operations at Little Chief.

Cowley Park - Exploration Drilling

Recent geological modelling of the Cowley Park prospect has identified multiple areas of significant exploration upside (refer to NR May 28th, 2024) which will be the subject of planned exploration drilling this summer (refer to Figure 1 below) including:

Southeastern Extension: The interval in CP-159 represents the most south-easterly intercept of copper skarn mineralization to date with mineralization remaining open under cover.





The interval in CP-159 represents the most south-easterly intercept of copper skarn mineralization to date with mineralization remaining open under cover. Northeastern Extension: The most north-easterly copper-skarn intercept at Cowley Park is 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, including 13.72m @ 5.41% Cu (19-CP-08) with mineralization remaining open to the east under cover.





The most north-easterly copper-skarn intercept at Cowley Park is 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, including 13.72m @ 5.41% Cu (19-CP-08) with mineralization remaining open to the east under cover. Sub Parallel Trends: Additional, unexplored sub-parallel trends under cover indicated by initial drilling including 10m @ 1.23% Cu from 204m in CPG-015.





Additional, unexplored sub-parallel trends under cover indicated by initial drilling including 10m @ 1.23% Cu from 204m in CPG-015. Western Extension: Recent mapping undertaken at Cowley Park has identified a significant fault that may have displaced the main mineralized body on the western side, opening up significant potential for the mineralization to extend west.





Recent mapping undertaken at Cowley Park has identified a significant fault that may have displaced the main mineralized body on the western side, opening up significant potential for the mineralization to extend west. Depth Extensions: Mineralization remains open at depth with the deepest intervals drilled to date, including 14.33m @ 1.22% Cu from 130.15m (18-CP-03) including 5m @ 2.78% Cu, remaining open at depth.

Figure 2: Plan map of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Select recent and historical drill results with a cumulative Copper%*m of >40 highlighted. Map shows recently identified areas of exploration upside from geological modelling.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/216807_75dd4772f45f4a69_003full.jpg

Arctic Chief & Best Chance- Exploration Drilling

The Company has recently undertaken reconnaissance, prospecting and sampling of outcropping Cu-Au skarn mineralization proximal to the Arctic Chief historical mining pits (refer to NR dated November 2nd 2023and July 31st, 2023). This work has identified multiple prospect areas over more than 2.4km of strike, mostly undrilled and which remains open in all directions (refer to Figure 3 below). These areas will be the focus of summer drilling campaigns in the area.

Figure 3: Plan map of the Arctic Chief Area with recently identified copper-gold skarn targets identified. Recently collated historical drill results with a cumulative copper%*m of >40 highlighted. In addition, all recent surface rock chipping completed by Gladiator geologists as part of the summer exploration campaign is shown.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/216807_75dd4772f45f4a69_004full.jpg

At Arctic Chief itself two historic shallow open cut pits (East & West) that are less than ~40m deep exploited very high-grade ore near surface ~4km to the NW of the Historic Little Chief Mine & Processing Facility. According to Watson1 (1984), Artic Chief reported production totaling 202,000 tonnes of copper ore grading 1.4% Cu and 1.0 g/t gold". Watson 1984 - "The Whitehorse Copper Belt - A Compilation".

https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011InfoTab

In addition to the historic Arctic Chief area of operations, multiple high priority prospects have been identified withing the 2.4km of mineralized strike. including the Best Chance prospect where previously unreleased and unmined historical drill intersections with mineralization remaining open along strike and at depth, best results include:

BCH-024: 15.94m @ 3.19% Cu from 29.96m





BCH-023: 46.27m @ 1.0% Cu from 24.38m





BCH-022: 16m @ 1.6% Cu from 25.15m





BCH-029: 14.94m @ 1.75% Cu from 27.43m





BCH-010: 10.36m @ 2.56% Cu from 93.09m

QA / QC and Data Verification

Drilling completed by Gladiator was irregularly spaced to test parts of the mineralised systems, holes were directionally surveyed utilising a North Seeking Gyro direction tool. Drill collars were or are to be subsequently surveyed utilising a high-accuracy RTK DGPS system.

Upon drilling of diamond core Gladiator undertakes geological logging, marking up of lineal length of the core, recording core recovery, Geotech measurements such as RQD's and undertakes core photographs.

Based on the geological logging, core is then marked up for sampling with a new sampling ticket that matches the submitted sample for analysis at the start of the sample interval, the drill core is then cut in half utilizing a core saw equipped with a diamond saw blade. The core samples are then sent for analysis and the remaining half core retained for future reference. Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) or known blank material is placed within the sampling sequence at a nominal sampling rate of 1 in 20 samples to monitor the Laboratory. Samples are submitted to the ALS Global Laboratory (Canada).

Samples subject to this release were crushed to 70% less than 2mm before pulverizing to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Samples were then analysed by ALS method ME-ICP61 (Aqua Regia with ICP-MS finish), with over limits for Cu analysed by method CU-OG62 (Aqua Regia with ICP-MS finish). As part of this process, Gladiator also captures the required sampling metadata to potentially utilize the core and analysis for any future requirements if deemed acceptable. The QA/QC meets the current required standards under reporting instruments, such as NI-43-101. At this point the Company regards the data collected from this exercise as reliable for the purposes of identifying mineralization and future exploration targets and may be used to inform future drilling and exploration campaigns.

For information regarding QA/ QC and Data verification for the Historically Reported Intercepts, please refer to the Company's release dated 18th January 2024 "Gladiator Commences Drilling at the Middle Chief Copper Prospect", or the Company's release dated 16th November, 2023 "High-Grade Copper Mineralization Identified at Middle Chief & Class 1 Permit Extension Granted". Please note the Company believes that the historical drill results do not conform to the presently accepted industry standards.

The historical mineral resources discussed in this press release were calculated using mining industry standard practices for estimating Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves prior to the implementation of the current CIM standards for mineral resource estimation (as defined by the CIM Definition Standard on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves dated May 10, 2014). The reader is cautioned not to treat them, or any part of them, as current mineral resources or reserves. An independent Qualified Person ('QP'), has not done sufficient work to classify the estimate discussed as current mineral resources or reserves and therefore the estimate should be treated as historical in nature and not current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The historical resources have been included simply to demonstrate the mineral potential of the Whitehorse Copper Project. A thorough review of all historical data performed by a QP, along with additional exploration work to confirm results, would be required in order to produce a current mineral resource estimate for each of the key prospects. For greater certainty, the Company confirms that it does not have a current mineral resource on any part of its Whitehorse Copper Project.

Where Copper Equivalents have been stated, Assumptions of the pricing are referenced in the tabulated results and recovery is assumed to be 100% as no metallurgical data is available. The following equation was used to calculate copper equivalence:

References:

Watson P.H. (1984) The Whitehorse Copper Belt - A Compilation. Yukon Geological Survey, Open File 1984-1.(https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011InfoTab)

Tenney D. (1981) - The Whitehorse Copper Belt: Mining, Exploration and Geology (1967-1980). (https://ia802508.us.archive.org/18/items/whitehorsecopper00tenn/whitehorsecopper00tenn.pdf)

Qualified Person

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and approved by Kell Nielsen, the Company's Vice President Exploration, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.

Private Placement

Gladiator also announces the final closing of its non-brokered private placement raising gross proceeds of C$9,115,504 (the "Offering").

The Offering consisted of the issuance of 12,643,450 Charity Flow-Through common shares (the "Charity FT Shares") at a price of C$0.61 per Charity FT Share and 3,507,500 Non-Flow-Through common shares (the "NFT Shares") at a price of C$0.40 per NFT Share.

Gladiator will use the proceeds of the Offering to fund its continued exploration program at its Whitehorse Copper Project in the Yukon including:

"continued diamond drilling of advanced prospects Cowley Park and Chiefs Trend with the intention of establishing a maiden initial inferred resource" and

"new exploration drilling at potential high-grade copper targets along the Whitehorse Copper Belt defined from historical drilling and aeromagnetic surveying."

In connection with the closing of the Offering, the Company cash paid finders' fees totaling C$158,280. The securities issued under the Offering are subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada expiring four months and one day from June 24, 2024, and are subject to certain closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Charity FT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act")). An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the Charity FT Shares will be used to incur eligible resource exploration expenses which will qualify as (i) "Canadian exploration expenses" (as defined in the Tax Act), and (ii) as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act) (collectively, the "Qualifying Expenditures"). Qualifying Expenditures in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the Charity FT Shares will be incurred (or deemed to be incurred) by the Company on or before December 31, 2025, and will be renounced by the Company to the initial purchasers of the Charity FT Shares with an effective date no later than December 31, 2024.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Jason Bontempo"

Jason Bontempo

President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information". Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information.

Forward-Looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised; the speculative nature of exploration and the stages of the Company's properties; the effect of changes in commodity prices; regulatory risks that development of the Company's material properties will not be acceptable for social, environmental or other reasons; availability of equipment (including drills) and personnel to carry out work programs; and that each stage of work will be completed within expected time frames. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216807

SOURCE: Gladiator Metals Corp.
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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to announce that it has issued a final tranche of 555,556 units ("Units") under the Fully Subscribed Private Placement detailed in a 26 June 2024 News Release ("Private Placement"). A total of 13,136,847 Units at a price of $0.27 per Unit have now been issued for total gross proceeds of $3,546,949 ("Proceeds"). Each Unit consists of one fully paid common share and a half purchase warrant. Each whole warrant (a "Warrant") shall entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share at a price of $0.50 for a period of 3 years after the closing of the Private Placement.

A Form 62-103F3 Required Disclosure by an Eligible Institutional Investor has been filed on SEDAR in connection with the Private Placement.

Proceeds will fund continuing exploration at the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project, where the Company recently reported results from the third drillhole of its maiden program ( refer 23 May 2024 News Release ) including:

801 m @ 0.40% Cu, 0.51 g/t Au, 2.87 g/t Ag (from 54 to 855m (EOH)) including 518 m @ 0.53% Cu, 0.73 g/t Au, 3.45 g/t Ag (from 192 to 710) including 176 m @ 0.71% Cu, 0.74 g/t Au, 4.86 g/t Ag (from 192 to 368) including 64 m @ 0.75%, 1.2 g/t Au, 4.60 g/t Ag (554 to 618m) including 32m @ 0.64% Cu, 0.71 g/t Au, 4.54 g/t Ag (642 to 674m)



In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid aggregate finder's fees of $176,580 and issued 654,000 finder's warrants.

Any securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period, in accordance with securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD INVESTOR CONTACT

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph van den Elsen | Joseph@pampametals.com

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a copper-gold exploration company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges.

In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option and Joint Venture Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G. Mr. Orrego G. is a Geologist, a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego G. is a consultant to the Company.

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Myriad Uranium holds a 75% earnable interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project which saw US$78m (2024$) in exploration and development expenditures by Union Pacific during the 1970s.

Union Pacific drilled approximately 2,000 boreholes, discovered 7 uranium deposits, and developed a 6-pit mine plan at Copper Mountain, estimating resources of between 15.7 and 30.1 Mlbs eU3O8 and estimating the further potential of known and speculated targets within the project area to be over 65 Mlbs. These estimates are historical and not yet current under NI 43-101.

Myriad intends to bring these historical resources current under NI 43-101 and, if possible, go beyond them, initially focusing on the 'High Grade Zone' of the Canning Deposit (see Figure 1) which hosts the largest estimated historical resource at Copper Mountain.

A ground magnetometer survey is now underway over 571 acres at Canning. Line spacing is 25 metres along a total of 104.8 line-kilometres. The magnetometer survey will be followed by an 84-hole exploration drill program later this summer.

The goal of the drill program is to begin converting the large historic uranium resource at Copper Mountain into current categories under National Instrument 43-101.

Myriad's CEO Thomas Lamb commented: "The Copper Mountain Uranium Project has a very large historical resource and significant expansion potential. The goal of this season's program is to begin bringing those pounds current under NI 43-101. Thanks to considerable review work conducted since 1982 by Anaconda (ARCO), Neutron Energy (now enCore), and several leading consultants, we now have a much better understanding of the project's mineralisation than Union Pacific had, and we believe there is significant potential to increase historic grades and volumes and discover new large deposits."

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has initiated a ground magnetometer survey over the Canning Deposit, at the centre of the 4,206 acre Copper Mountain Uranium Project, located in Wyoming, U.S.A. Myriad Uranium is planning to follow up the ground magnetometer survey with an 84-hole exploration drill campaign to commence later this summer.

Myriad Uranium holds a 75% earnable interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project which underwent US$78m (2024$) in exploration and development expenditures by Union Pacific during the 1970s, including more than 2,000 boreholes, and the discovery of 7 uranium deposits and numerous prospects. Union Pacific developed a 6-pit mine plan focused on the Canning Deposit based on estimated historical resources across the 7 uranium deposits (excluding other historical prospects and past producing mines) of 15.7 to 30.1 million pounds ("Mlbs"). Union Pacific estimated the further potential of known and speculated targets within the project area to be over 65 Mlbs. These estimates are historical and not yet current under

NI 43-101.

The principal goal of Myriad Uranium's geophysical survey program and upcoming drilling program is to convert the large historic uranium resource at Copper Mountain into current categories under National Instrument 43-101. With important insights drawn from review work since Union Pacific's drilling, Myriad's field program will also aim to re-assess the mineralisation associated with steeply dipping structures that are believed to run from surface or near-surface to a depth well beyond what was generally the maximum depth of historic drilling by Union Pacific during the 1970s, which was approximately 183 metres. These structures, and their associated fracture zones, which were relatively poorly understood by Union Pacific, are known to host higher grades of uranium and thought to continue to considerable depth.

Ground Magnetometer Survey

A team from Geophysique TMC has been deployed to carry out a ground magnetometer survey over the Canning deposit area. The aim of the survey is to delineate the aerial extent of known favourable structures and to help identify and delineate other structures with zones of intense fracturing and brecciation. Variations in magnetic intensity are expected to arise from several factors including varying degrees of alteration and weathering in the fracture stock (slight to total destruction of magnetic minerals), the presence of mafic dikes and metasedimentary xenoliths of Precambrian age scattered throughout the area, varying depths of burial of quartz monzonite (horsts, grabens and tilted blocks), or variations in primary concentrations of magnetic minerals in the stock, all of which could demonstrate an association with uranium mineralisation.

The survey is planned to cover an area of approximately 231 hectares (571 acres) at 25 m line spacing in the north-south orientation (with 250 m east-west tie lines) along a total of 104.8 line-km.

Figure 1: Planned ground magnetic survey lines over the Canning Deposit area



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6301/216793_myriad%20july%2017%2C%202024%20image%201.jpg

Drilling

The Company has applied for permission to drill. BRS Engineering based in Riverton, Wyoming, has prepared and submitted a Drilling Notification to Wyoming's Department of Environmental Review, and related archaeological and ecological surveys are underway. Subject to a successful application, the Company plans to commence drilling at Copper Mountain later this summer.

The focus of the 2024 field program will be the "High Grade Zone" along the north side of the Canning Deposit, which is associated with the Canning Fault zone (see Figure 2). In a March 5, 2024 news release viewable here, the Company reported grade intervals relating to 82 boreholes drilled into western portion of this area by Union Pacific during the 1970s. The reported intervals were derived from cross-sections drawn by Anaconda (ARCO) during 1996-1997. The drilling encountered uranium mineralization in intervals of up to 291 feet and grades of up to 3850 ppm eU3O8. Some of these holes were terminated in mineralization.

Figure 2: Planned Drill Grid at the Canning Deposit's High-Grade Zone



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6301/216793_myriad%20july%2017%2C%202024%20image%202.jpg

The Company's goal is to report a maiden mineral resource estimate by the end of Q1 2025 and then continue drilling the project intensively.

Myriad's CEO Thomas Lamb commented: "The Copper Mountain Uranium Project has a very large historical resource and significant expansion potential. The goal of this season's program is to begin bringing those pounds current under NI 43-101. Thanks to considerable exploration work conducted since 1982 by Anaconda (ARCO), Neutron Energy (now enCore), and several leading consultants, we now have a much better understanding of the project's mineralisation than Union Pacific had, and we believe there is significant potential to increase historic grades and volumes and discover new large deposits."

A total of 84 boreholes (56 by reverse circulation and 28 by diamond core drilling) are planned to fully test the high-grade zone of the Canning deposit. An average depth of 500 feet per borehole is budgeted, but some holes will be selected to drill to 1,000 feet or more to test the deeper parts of the high-grade zone, which is known to be fault-controlled.

Historical Estimates

While Myriad Uranium has determined that the historical estimates described in this news release are relevant to the Copper Mountain Project area and are reasonably reliable given the authors and circumstances of their preparation, and are suitable for public disclosure, readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on these historical estimates as an indicator of current mineral resources or mineral reserves at the project area. A qualified person (as defined under NI 43-101) has not done sufficient work to classify any of the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and Myriad Uranium is not treating the historical estimates as a current mineral resource or mineral reserve. Also, while the Copper Mountain Project area contains all or most of each deposit referred to, some of the resources referred to may be located outside the current Copper Mountain Project area. Furthermore, the estimates are decades old and based on drilling data for which the logs are, as of yet, predominantly unavailable. The historical resource estimates, therefore, should not be unduly relied upon.

Inherent limitations of the historical estimates include that the nature of the mineralization (fracture hosted) makes estimation from drill data less reliable than other deposit types (e.g, those that are thick and uniform). From Myriad Uranium's viewpoint, limitations include that the Company has not been able to verify the data itself and that the estimate may be optimistic relative to subsequent work which applied a "delayed fission neutron" (DFN) factor to calculate grades. On the other hand, DFN is controversial, in that the approach is viewed by some experts as too conservative. Nevertheless, it was applied in later resource estimations by Union Pacific relating to Copper Mountain.

In order to verify the historical estimates and potentially re-state them as current resources, a program of digitization of available data is required. This must be followed by re-logging and/or re-drilling to generate new data to the extent necessary that it is comparable with the original data, or new data that and can be used to establish the correlation and continuity of geology and grades between boreholes with sufficient confidence to estimate mineral resources.

Qualified Person

The scientific or technical information in this news release respecting the Company's Copper Mountain Project has been approved by George van der Walt, MSc., Pr.Sci.Nat., MGSSA, a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr van der Walt is employed by The MSA Group (Pty) Ltd (MSA), a leading geological consultancy providing services to the minerals industry, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has more than 20 years industry experience and sufficient relevant experience in the type and style of mineralisation to report on exploration results.

The information and interpretations thereof are based on the Qualified Person's initial review of historical reports, which were recently obtained by the Company. The information did not include original data such as drilling records, sampling, analytical or test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written documents. Therefore, the Qualified Person has not reviewed or otherwise verified the information and has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Qualified Person considers the information to be relevant based on the amount and quality of work undertaken and reported historically. A more thorough review of any available original data will be undertaken and reported on in more detail in future releases.

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Union Pacific is estimated to have spent C$117 million (2024 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here. A recent detailed update with Crux Investor can be viewed here. The Company's presentation can be viewed here.

Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc., and an 80% interest in uranium exploration licences in Niger. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216793

SOURCE: Myriad Uranium Corp.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") announced today the latest desorption test results for rare earth elements (REE) from the Target IV Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) deposit at the PCH project in Goias, Brazil. A total of 182 samples from 17 Reverse Circulation (RC) drillholes were sent to ALS Laboratories in Lima, Peru (ALS) and the results consistently confirmed the REE IAC mineralization style on the majority of Target IV developed over the Ipora Granite and representing improved recoveries of Magnet Rare Earth Oxides (MREO) and Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO) as expected.

Stephen Burega, President, stated, "The combination of the significant size of mineralized area, high grades, good recoveries and rapid desorption, confirm the attractiveness of the deposit as an eventual world-class project. With each batch of desorption tests, we further our overall understanding of the nature of the IAC mineralization found at the PCH project, and we are very excited by the increase in recovery rates."

Highlights

Discrete desorption interval samples from RC drillholes located on Ipora Granite lithology (see Map 1) returned recoveries up to:

47.72% TREO on drillhole PCH-RC-029 from 5 to 6 metres.

TREO on drillhole PCH-RC-029 from 5 to 6 metres.

67.18% HREO on drillhole PCH-RC-045 from 6 to 7 metres.

HREO on drillhole PCH-RC-045 from 6 to 7 metres.

58.85% Dy+Tb on drillhole PCH-RC-049 from 3 to 4 metres.

Dy+Tb on drillhole PCH-RC-049 from 3 to 4 metres.

81.67% Nd+Pr on drillhole PCH-RC-034 from 3 to 4 metres.

The most significant recovered desorption intercepts for the main mineralized zone were: PCH-RC-034 8m@32.92% TREO; 49.18% HREO; 57.29% NdPr; 46.22% TbDy from 3m. PCH-RC-049 4m@29.92% TREO; 51.87% HREO; 49.46% NdPr; 46.74% TbDy from 3m. PCH-RC-045 4m@23.09% TREO; 53.77% HREO; 32.47% NdPr; 43.32% TbDy from 4m. PCH-RC-048 5m@25.89% TREO; 39.80% HREO; 48.13% NdPr; 36.58% TbDy from 0m. PCH-RC-076 5m@27.97% TREO; 51.74% HREO; 46.49% NdPr; 45.14% TbDy from 3m. PCH-RC-014 5m@24.91% TREO; 45.64% HREO; 48.36% NdPr; 38.53% TbDy from 0m.





The results of the main mineralized zone and from the full drillhole length from all tested drillholes are presented in Table 1 below. The full set of results are available through this LINK.





Desorbability results were conducted by ALS using an Ammonium Sulfate solution at 0.5M, pH2, for 20 minutes at room temperature.





A comparison of 11 ALS and previously reported results from AGS Laboratories in La Serena, Chile (AGS) using Ammonium Sulfate 0.5M, pH4, 20 minutes, and room temperature (See May 6th 2024 press release) from the same drillhole intervals has been completed which shows a high correlation and consistency between the results (Table 2).

Stephen Burega, continued, "Our work programs for the upcoming quarter include ongoing auger drilling and desorption testing on the 4 newly identified targets (See press releases May 14th, 2024 and May 22nd, 2024) which combine for a total area of over 2,500 hectares as well as planning for the development of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of Target IV and the Buriti Zones."

Andre Costa, VP Exploration for Brazil, commented, "We have achieved a more comprehensive desorption testing method which covers the full length of drillholes situated on Ipora Granite. These results give us more confidence and a clear 'signature' for the IAC mineralization, and we have every expectation based on this signature that similar mineralization can be expected on the newly discovered PCH project targets - Maia, Electra, Taygeta and Merope."

HOLEID FROM TO TREO HREO PrNd TbDy TREO D HREO D PrNd D TbDy D TREO REC HREO REC PrNd REC TbDy REC ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm % % % % PCH-RC-014 0.00 12.00 857.62 118.36 158.58 14.72 151.27 35.75 52.75 3.67 12.28 22.87 22.82 19.00 PCH-RC-014 0.00 5.00 1362.53 161.21 244.38 20.26 341.30 77.88 120.52 8.06 24.91 45.64 48.36 38.53 PCH-RC-019 0.00 7.00 1205.01 145.32 245.24 19.11 115.58 29.40 38.94 3.17 10.95 21.23 17.95 17.72 PCH-RC-019 1.00 3.00 757.15 103.58 160.45 13.43 170.21 34.82 61.63 4.00 22.67 33.85 38.93 30.09 PCH-RC-029 0.00 16.00 755.24 150.18 151.32 17.81 174.01 54.80 55.01 6.01 20.80 33.37 30.74 30.80 PCH-RC-029 0.00 9.00 932.90 168.80 183.12 20.56 264.09 76.83 85.39 8.58 29.38 43.89 45.12 40.99 PCH-RC-034 0.00 13.00 1281.79 218.99 250.52 26.69 266.78 90.90 92.97 10.04 26.64 43.79 47.78 40.69 PCH-RC-034 3.00 11.00 1461.31 261.55 296.54 31.67 339.72 114.41 121.56 12.68 32.94 49.18 57.29 46.22 PCH-RC-036 0.00 5.00 1341.38 177.20 242.14 21.39 198.98 43.46 72.14 5.35 19.05 24.76 35.25 25.84 PCH-RC-036 1.00 4.00 1077.44 165.20 190.51 18.80 207.61 44.56 77.10 5.40 22.27 26.96 41.97 28.78 PCH-RC-037 0.00 9.00 1494.76 164.56 273.83 19.22 204.75 55.00 72.07 6.08 12.54 29.93 22.78 28.79 PCH-RC-037 1.00 5.00 2040.81 212.33 373.46 24.41 371.33 97.89 132.71 10.70 20.48 46.26 37.63 44.46 PCH-RC-040 0.00 15.00 3933.60 273.98 760.80 38.81 224.86 70.74 77.90 8.60 9.26 29.00 18.48 26.26 PCH-RC-040 5.00 12.00 2362.08 256.08 484.68 32.96 236.03 86.11 76.27 9.64 11.88 33.83 18.20 29.89 PCH-RC-042 0.00 11.00 737.02 117.34 140.21 14.01 109.22 29.83 38.33 3.40 14.50 24.59 26.45 23.91 PCH-RC-042 1.00 5.00 791.41 121.86 156.57 14.35 201.63 45.50 74.61 5.24 24.63 36.15 46.09 35.68 PCH-RC-043 0.00 12.00 1992.65 151.59 348.49 19.00 292.78 61.06 106.60 6.55 14.20 37.59 29.01 32.37 PCH-RC-043 1.00 8.00 2218.37 175.15 418.05 21.68 382.00 79.10 140.05 8.37 17.40 44.45 33.73 38.20 PCH-RC-044 0.00 11.00 1432.77 131.39 251.61 16.37 177.07 44.78 60.52 4.57 12.74 29.94 22.99 25.01 PCH-RC-044 2.00 8.00 1424.13 147.33 287.15 18.03 234.08 58.73 80.97 5.81 16.64 34.14 28.07 28.13 PCH-RC-045 0.00 12.00 1333.04 204.77 244.66 27.56 214.32 92.65 61.29 9.74 14.24 36.33 22.10 28.91 PCH-RC-045 4.00 8.00 1578.77 300.87 331.44 39.35 383.41 174.98 109.68 18.35 23.09 53.77 32.47 43.32 PCH-RC-047 0.00 10.00 1364.18 211.15 265.64 25.76 282.46 83.61 103.67 8.73 18.12 33.72 34.40 29.18 PCH-RC-047 3.00 9.00 1650.59 269.69 334.35 32.66 376.54 112.17 138.91 11.62 22.00 38.69 40.76 33.26 PCH-RC-048 0.00 7.00 792.58 133.50 150.53 16.49 175.33 53.07 59.95 5.68 22.03 38.24 39.03 33.65 PCH-RC-048 0.00 5.00 798.86 134.65 143.37 16.23 205.77 55.95 72.67 6.12 25.89 39.80 48.13 36.58 PCH-RC-049 0.00 9.00 910.76 177.63 174.75 20.59 227.44 81.56 77.59 8.60 22.86 41.57 38.97 37.96 PCH-RC-049 3.00 7.00 1014.89 210.94 208.00 24.15 322.83 115.91 111.49 12.03 29.92 51.87 49.46 46.74 PCH-RC-076 0.00 10.00 1278.40 170.45 243.34 21.40 251.95 69.52 85.20 7.50 20.27 38.05 35.81 33.49 PCH-RC-076 3.00 8.00 1336.27 204.89 273.64 24.98 374.44 106.46 128.27 11.31 27.97 51.74 46.49 45.14 PCH-RC-077 0.00 18.00 1058.82 134.81 189.89 15.88 142.34 42.49 47.86 4.16 11.22 27.55 19.88 22.59 PCH-RC-077 2.00 8.00 1373.45 187.05 275.25 22.64 327.72 87.08 117.49 8.68 23.29 45.50 41.64 37.63 PCH-RC-146 0.00 7.00 1932.86 265.62 396.18 33.77 271.27 99.69 96.21 10.26 13.16 34.98 22.47 28.64 PCH-RC-146 3.00 6.00 2206.46 338.78 504.89 42.22 411.81 163.22 144.35 16.13 17.80 47.17 27.18 37.44

*Total Rare Earth Oxides: TREO = Y2O3 + Eu2O3 + Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + La2O3 + Ce2O3 + Pr2O3 + Nd2O3 + Sm2O3

*Heavy Rare Earth Oxides: HREO = Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + Y2O3

*NdPr = Nd2O3+Pr2O3

*DyTb = Dy2O3+Tb4O7

*Element to Oxide Conversion Factor - Cerium Ce2O3 1.1713" Dysprosium Dy2O3 1.1477, Erbium Er2O3 1.1435, Europium Eu2O3 1.1579, Gadolinium Gd2O3 1.1526, Holmium Ho2O3 1.1455, Lanthanum La2O3 1.1728, Lutetium Lu2O3 1.1371, Neodymium Nd2O3 1.1664, Praseodymium Pr2O3 1.1703, Samarium Sm2O3 1.1596, Terbium Tb2O3 1.1510, Terbium Tb4O7 1.1762, Thulium Tm2O3 1.1421, Yttrium Y2O3 1.2699, Ytterbium Yb2O3 1.1387

* Desorbability results were conducted using Ammonium Sulfate at 0.5M, pH2, for 20 minutes.

Table 1 - Full length and main desorption zone (bold) recovery results of all drillholes tested. To view the full list of results, please click here.





Map 1 - Listing of RC drillholes entirely tested for REE desorption from Target IV.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/216810_689dbf0c7448b920_001full.jpg





HOLEID FROM TO La2O3 Ce2O3 Pr2O3 Nd2O3 Sm2O3 Eu2O3 Gd2O3 Tb4O7 Dy2O3 Ho2O3 Er2O3 Tm2O3 Yb2O3 Lu2O3 Y2O3 U Th LAB PCH-RC-047 6 7 71.38 6.16 20.96 88.87 19.29 4.21 13.06 2.1 11 2.14 6 0.83 5.94 0.9 80.97 0.26 0 AGS PCH-RC-047 6 7 85.73 7.98 26.69 118.97 22.21 4.39 16.71 2.32 12.85 2.51 7.11 1.05 6.39 0.95 98.29 0.57 0.5 ALS PCH-RC-047 7 8 40.06 9.19 12.18 54.54 12 2.75 8.26 1.28 6.81 1.33 3.87 0.55 3.88 0.59 55.46 0.03 0 AGS PCH-RC-047 7 8 51.37 16.11 17.44 82.35 15.54 3.11 11.35 1.54 8.58 1.75 5.1 0.76 4.62 0.71 73.53 0.62 0.94 ALS PCH-RC-014 3 4 94.94 0.61 14.71 55.11 8.2 1.79 5.99 0.81 4.04 0.76 1.91 0.23 1.37 0.2 40.76 0.04 0 AGS PCH-RC-014 3 4 223.42 5.61 42.26 177.29 23.89 4.74 19.02 2.53 12.68 2.54 7.38 0.82 4.92 0.72 108.83 1.02 1.15 ALS PCH-RC-014 4 5 66.62 0.57 11.21 42.55 6.44 1.38 4.59 0.63 3.05 0.58 1.5 0.18 1.08 0.16 30.05 0.06 0 AGS PCH-RC-014 4 5 90.77 2.2 17.97 78.5 10.58 2.09 8.34 1.09 5.49 1.11 3.21 0.36 2.19 0.32 48.38 0.54 0.43 ALS PCH-RC-029 3 4 107.76 0.71 17.61 64.17 10.57 2.32 7.04 1.01 4.81 0.87 2.22 0.27 1.65 0.23 35.07 0.44 0 AGS PCH-RC-029 3 4 155.4 2.06 28.09 115.12 16.93 3.5 12.74 1.75 8.63 1.61 4.59 0.53 3.19 0.44 53.97 2.72 1.58 ALS PCH-RC-037 4 5 53.43 6.02 10.07 38.52 7.39 1.71 5.83 0.98 5.26 1.02 2.69 0.34 2.23 0.34 43.07 0.05 0 AGS PCH-RC-037 4 5 52.54 7.73 13.93 52.37 9.27 1.93 8.46 1.23 7.02 1.38 3.81 0.52 3.02 0.46 53.84 0.32 0.32 ALS PCH-RC-040 4 5 34.07 1.01 6.09 24.55 4.04 1.01 2.84 0.4 1.88 0.34 0.81 0.1 0.6 0.09 14.9 0.08 0 AGS PCH-RC-040 4 5 62.16 2.94 17.97 78.5 12.93 3.11 10.18 1.41 7.52 1.23 3.28 0.41 2.47 0.34 35.56 2.41 0.92 ALS PCH-RC-040 14 15 19.67 1.04 4.65 23.89 6.04 2.15 6.85 1.08 5.61 1.02 2.44 0.27 1.6 0.24 42.91 0.03 0 AGS PCH-RC-040 14 15 28.03 8.23 11.57 67.77 15.71 5.19 17.75 2.53 13.49 2.22 5.61 0.64 3.66 0.5 70.35 0.99 0.48 ALS PCH-RC-045 1 2 13.22 0.78 1.96 6.87 1.09 0.22 0.76 0.1 0.51 0.09 0.24 0.03 0.2 0.03 4.36 0.04 0 AGS PCH-RC-045 1 2 18.94 3.05 3.94 15.63 2.73 0.49 1.94 0.27 1.39 0.25 0.72 0.09 0.6 0.09 7.44 0.63 0.69 ALS PCH-RC-047 6 7 71.38 6.16 20.96 88.87 19.29 4.21 13.06 2.1 11 2.14 6 0.83 5.94 0.9 80.97 0.26 0 AGS PCH-RC-047 6 7 85.73 7.98 26.69 118.97 22.21 4.39 16.71 2.32 12.85 2.51 7.11 1.05 6.39 0.95 98.29 0.57 0.5 ALS PCH-RC-047 7 8 40.06 9.19 12.18 54.54 12 2.75 8.26 1.28 6.81 1.33 3.87 0.55 3.88 0.59 55.46 0.03 0 AGS PCH-RC-047 7 8 51.37 16.11 17.44 82.35 15.54 3.11 11.35 1.54 8.58 1.75 5.1 0.76 4.62 0.71 73.53 0.62 0.94 ALS

Table 2 - Comparison between 11 interval samples assayed from ALS and the previously announced AGS desorption testing.

On March 1st, 2024, the Company announced its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on Target IV and the Buriti Zone (Click here for the Press Release), and the companion NI 43-101 technical report on the PCH Project was filed on April 16th, 2024. (Click here for the Press Release)

QAQC

Reverse Circulation (RC) drillholes are vertical and reported intervals are true thickness. The material produced from drill holes are sampled at one metre intervals, resulting in average sample sizes of 10-25 kg. Quartering of the material was performed at Appia's logging facility using a riffle splitter and continued splitting until a representative sample weighing approximately 500g each was obtained, bagged in a resistant plastic bag, labeled, photographed, and stored for shipment.

The bagged samples are sent to the ALS laboratory in Goiania, Goias for initial preparation and sent to Lima Peru for final analysis. In addition to the internal QA/QC of the ALS Lab, Appia includes its own control samples in each batch of samples sent to the laboratory.

Quality control samples, such as blanks, duplicates, and standards (CRM) were inserted into each analytical run. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples is two standard, one duplicate and one blank, introduced in each batch which comprises full-length hole(s). The rigorous procedures are implemented during the sample collection, preparation, and analytical stages to insure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results.

All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of RC samples were provided by ALS, a Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the ME-MS81 analytical method that uses lithium borate fusion prior acid dissolution and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Major Element Oxides were done using ME_ICP06 analytical method using lithium borate fusion and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Desorption analysis with ME-MS19 analytical method with samples being leached with a solution of Ammonium Sulphate at 0.5 molar, pH 2, room temperature for 20 minutes. The leached solution content was analysed using ICP-AES/ICP-MS.

The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, current Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil, with more than 29 years of relevant experience. Mr. Costa is a APEGS Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and a Fellow of Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG), a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia)

Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Appia has 136.8 million common shares outstanding, 145.5 million shares fully diluted.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, visit www.appiareu.com

As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages.

To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216810

SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.
Patient monitoring platform to deliver tools and time to help patients across 40+ care sites

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) a global leader in health technology and Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), one of the nation's largest Catholic health systems, today announced a multi-year strategic collaboration for patient monitoring. Putting BSMH clinicians in control, the collaboration will reduce the digital burden on staff and give them more time to spend with patients.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716028105/en/

An ICU patient is monitored with a Philips IntelliVue bedside patient monitor (Photo: Business Wire)

The partnership provides access to the latest Philips monitoring innovations, including a scalable patient monitoring platform that integrates patient data and provides vital insights. It will standardize patient monitoring for BSMH's 49 hospitals, reducing costs through a predictable payment model and enabling further reinvestment in innovation.

"This collaboration is part of our commitment to drive improved healthcare quality while reducing costs and addressing healthcare issues facing entire communities," said Jodi Pahl, Chief Nursing Officer for workforce experience and nursing outcomes, Bon Secours Mercy Health. "This 10-year journey will bring innovations that will transform care delivery."

BSMH provides patients care more than 11 million times annually through its network of more than 1,200 care sites, 60,000 associates and 49 hospitals serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as Ireland.

"With implementation occurring over the next three years, followed by seven years of maintenance and updates, we're positioned to be at the leading edge of technology," said Pahl. "This uplifts our Mission to improve the health and well-being of our communities and supports our commitments to innovation and stewardship."

Julia Strandberg, Chief Business Leader, Connected Care at Philips said: "This partnership is a testament to BSMH's focus on strong clinical engagement and our combined commitment to improving the patient and staff experience. As BSMH's clinical technology partner, we're leaning in to understand their needs and apply innovative technologies that can improve patient outcomes. BSMH is committed to bringing quality care to more people by eliminating time-consuming data roadblocks for their staff."

About Bon Secours Mercy Health

Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) is one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry's quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours Mercy Health provides care for patients more than 11 million times annually through its network of more than 1,200 care sites, which includes 49 hospitals. In 2023, BSMH provided more than $600 million dollars in community investments across five states, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to health care for our patients in need. In addition to charity care, BSMH invests in programs that address chronic illness, affordable housing, access to healthy food, education and wellness programs, transportation, workforce development and other social determinants of health that directly affect the communities we serve. The Mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of its communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit https://bsmhealth.org/.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips' patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately 69,100 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716028105/en/

Contacts:

Philips North America

Silvie Casanova

Tel: +1 781 879-0692

Email: silvie.casanova@philips.com

Bon Secours Mercy Health

Emma Swann

Tel: +1 804 837-0413

Email: Emma_swann@bshsi.org
CAMDEN, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / In a commitment to furthering its partnership with Cooper University Health Care and bolstering essential services for the Camden community, Subaru of America, Inc., has announced its continued support of $30,000 for durable medical equipment and transportation services to continue to fuel Cooper's mission. This donation, part of the Subaru Loves to Care initiative, aims to provide access to vital medical equipment to Camden City residents.

The funds are designated for durable medical equipment, including blood pressure monitors, glucometers, scales, wheelchairs, walkers, and canes to help patients manage their chronic health conditions at home and prevent the need for emergency department visits or hospitalizations. The funds will also provide hundreds of Camden residents with roundtrip transportation to assure patients who do not have medical transport get to their appointments safely on time to Cooper facilities.

"We are most grateful to our Camden neighbor, Subaru, for their support of Cooper over the years. We look forward to our continued partnership as we work together to be a positive force in Camden's growth and prosperity," said Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD, JD, MBE, co-CEO of Cooper.

"This generous contribution by Subaru to Cooper's community programs demonstrates our shared commitment to addressing health care disparities and making a tangible transformation in the lives and health of patients living in Camden," said Kevin M. O'Dowd, JD, co-CEO of Cooper.

"Being able to assist in Cooper's dedicated efforts to helping our Camden community get and stay healthy is exactly what Subaru Loves to Care is all about," said Erica McLeod, corporate social responsibility manager, Subaru of America, Inc. "Too many neighbors with chronic health conditions can experience unexpected out-of-pocket costs associated with medical treatments, and this funding should alleviate some of the burdens on our community members most in need."

The Subaru Loves to Care initiative is the health-focused philanthropic pillar of the Subaru Love Promise. Cooper has been the recipient of numerous charitable donations from Subaru over the years. The automaker has previously donated four vehicles to the Cooper EMS program, provided funding to the Children's Regional Hospital at Cooper and contributed to The Cooper Foundation's Pink Roses Teal Magnolias event for women's cancer.

"Without corporate partners such as Subaru in our community, we could not do what we do at Cooper," said Lisa Morina, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer at The Cooper Foundation. "We are most grateful for the ongoing collaboration between our two organizations to help make a meaningful impact in the lives of our Cooper patients and the communities we serve."

The donations to Cooper are part of Subaru Loves to Care, the health-focused philanthropic pillar of the automaker's Love Promise vision to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru. To learn more about Subaru Loves to Care, please visit subaru.com/care.

###

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About The Cooper Foundation

The Cooper Foundation supports the patients, services, research and educational programs of Cooper University Health Care, one of the largest health systems in southern New Jersey. By partnering with the community, we help Cooper thrive and do more for the people of South Jersey - from the River to the Shore and beyond. Generosity allows Cooper to deliver research that leads to cures, growth and development that transforms communities and care that goes beyond the ordinary for patients and their families. Learn more by following The Cooper Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Flickr, and foundation.cooperhealth.org

Diane Anton

Corporate Communications Manager

(856) 488-5093

danton@subaru.com

Wendy A. Marano

Cooper University Health Care

(856) 904-1688

marano-wendy@cooperhealth.edu

Adam Leiter

Corporate Communications Specialist

(856) 488-8668

aleiter@subaru.com

Subaru of America, Inc., as part of its Subaru Loves to Care initiative, donated $30,000 to The Cooper Foundation for the third year in a row supporting Camden-based patients receiving treatment at Cooper University Health Care. Pictured from left to right: Christina Valente, Love Promise Community Commitment Manager, Subaru of America, Inc., Danielle Castiello, Clinical Operations Director, Cooper University Health Care, Max Kursh, Director for Community and Population Health, Cooper University Health Care, Dina Mathews-Laurendeau, Director of Development, The Cooper Foundation, and Erica McLeod, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Subaru of America, Inc.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Subaru of America, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Subaru of America, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/subaru-america-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Subaru of America, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Regulatory News:

TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) announces that its subsidiary TotalEnergies EP Nigeria signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Chappal Energies for the sale of its 10% interest in the SPDC JV licenses in Nigeria.

SPDC JV is an unincorporated joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (55%), Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (30%, operator), TotalEnergies EP Nigeria (10%) and NAOC (5%), which holds 18 licenses in the Niger Delta.

Under the SPA signed with Chappal Energies:

TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will sell to Chappal Energies its 10% participating interest and all its rights and obligations in 15 licenses of SPDC JV, which are producing mainly oil. Production from these licenses represented approximately 14,000 barrels equivalent per day in Company share in 2023;

TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will also transfer to Chappal Energies its 10% participating interest in the 3 other licenses of SPDC JV which are producing mainly gas (OML 23, OML 28 and OML 77), while retaining full economic interest in these licenses which currently account for 40% of Nigeria LNG gas supply.

The transaction was concluded for a firm consideration of USD 860 million. Closing is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

"TotalEnergies continues to actively manage its portfolio in Nigeria, in line with its strategy to focus on its oil offshore and gas assets. After the launch of the Ubeta gas development on OML58 license last month, this divestment of our interest in SPDC JV licenses allows us to focus our onshore Nigeria presence solely on the integrated gas value chain and is designed to ensure the continuity of feed gas supply to Nigeria LNG in the future", said Nicolas Terraz, President Exploration Production of TotalEnergies.

About TotalEnergies in Nigeria

TotalEnergies has been present in Nigeria for more than 60 years and employs today more than 1,800 people across different business segments. Nigeria is one of the main contributing countries to TotalEnergies' hydrocarbon production with 219,000 boe/d produced in 2023. TotalEnergies also operates an extensive distribution network which includes about 540 service stations in the country. In all its operations, TotalEnergies is particularly attentive to the socio-economic development of the country and is committed to working with local communities.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.

@TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717798450/en/

Contacts:

TotalEnergies

Corporate Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
LONDON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Libyan Investment Authority ("LIA") confirms that an investigating magistrate in Brussels recently decided to lift the national, European and international arrest warrants issued on 21 December 2021 against Mr Ali Mahmoud Hassan, C.E.O. of the LIA, stating that they had become "pointless" insofar as the latter had been heard in December 2022.

Last year, in an unprecedented decision, the Red Notice linked to the international warrant was lifted by the Commission of Control of Files (CCF) of Interpol in 2023 as the warrant seemed "politically motivated".

These decisions relate to the investigation opened on 10 September 2015 as a result of the civil party complaint lodged by Global Sustainable Development Trust ("GSDT"), which is trying to obtain payment for a debt it claims against the Libyan State and to which the LIA is unrelated.

The LIA has maintained throughout that the arrest warrants were politically motivated and is pleased that justice has now been served with this latest legal ruling.

The LIA and its C.E.O. are represented by Mr Kalilou Fadiga (Harding's Mitchell Sollicitors), Mr Christophe Marchand and Mr Stephane Jans (JusCogens law firm) and Mr Anthony Rizzo (Akalex).

Notes to Editors:

About the LIA:

The Libyan Investment Authority is the National Sovereign Wealth Fund in Libya, established in 2006, It is considered the largest Sovereign Wealth Fund in Africa, as it manages assets worth more than $68.4 billion in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

Its mission is to preserve the wealth of the Libyan people entrusted with the Authority for management and development to ensure a prosperous future for the coming generations.

In 2020, the London Court of Appeal confirmed that Dr. Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohammed is the sole legitimate CEO of the LIA. See the judgement here.

For more information about the LIA, visit its website: https://lia.ly/en/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/jus-cogens-gsdt-vs-libyan-investment-authority-302199373.html
Leya, a pioneer in AI-driven legal technology, is thrilled to announce the successful raise of $25 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Redpoint Ventures, with participation from existing investors Benchmark, Y Combinator, and Wayfinder Ventures, with the new addition of Alt Capital.

Leya was founded on the belief that lawyers should be freed from manual, repetitive tasks to focus on impactful, strategic work. By leveraging cutting-edge AI, Leya makes lawyers more productive while delivering higher-quality results. This mission has driven the company from its inception in a student dormitory, through initial explorations of BERT models for Swedish legal sources, to its current status as a leader in legal tech innovation.

"Our journey has been fueled by a relentless obsession with enhancing legal productivity," said Max, co-founder of Leya. "From our early days at Mannheimer Swartling to our trips to San Francisco, we've been driven by a vision of a more delightful, AI-powered way of working in legal. This funding will allow us to accelerate even faster, as it comes off the back of our previous round just two months ago."

Leya's platform integrates seamlessly with law firms' documents, playbooks, templates, and external legal sources. It assists lawyers with specific tasks related to reviewing, searching, and drafting, such as filling in transaction checklists, creating key terms reports, and writing memos to name a few. By providing intelligent support, Leya enables legal professionals to handle legal work quickly and efficiently.

This new funding will accelerate Leya's product development and growth, as seen by its recent entry into the UK with its announcement with Bird Bird and their collaboration with legal data provider FromCounsel. This comes off the back of several other key partnerships already established across the European continent.

"The pace at which Leya is adding features and scaling is incredible," said Jacob Effron, Partner at Redpoint Ventures. "Max and the team have done a fantastic job making the product easy-to-use and valuable for lawyers across different parts of their work. AI is going to change the legal industry and we think Leya has the right combination of team, product and vision to drive that change."

"Leya is enabling legal professionals across industries to leverage the latest innovations in AI to serve their clients better and improve productivity," said Chetan Puttagunta, General Partner at Benchmark. "The customer reception for Leya has been outstanding with enterprises and law firms of all sizes adopting Leya as a core part of getting their legal work done."

About Leya

Leya is an AI-driven platform designed to revolutionize the legal industry by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing the productivity of legal professionals. Founded in 2023 and backed by Redpoint, Benchmark and the prestigious accelerator Y-Combinator, Leya combines AI with a deep understanding of legal workflows to deliver innovative solutions that transform how lawyers work.

For more information, visit Leya's Website

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717535543/en/

Contacts:

max@leya.law
Comprehensive Toolkit Helps B2B Sales and Revenue Teams Find the Right Solution to Accelerate Pipeline Growth

Revenue Grid, the revenue intelligence pioneer, today announced the release of a new Revenue Intelligence Buyer's Guide. "Accelerate Revenue Velocity with Revenue Intelligence: A Guide to Choosing the Right Solution" is a comprehensive toolkit designed to help B2B sales and marketing leaders, procurement and IT professionals, and anyone involved in revenue operations (RevOps) navigate the path to the correct revenue intelligence solution.

"The RevOps landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, largely due to rapid technological advancements in AI, data integration, and security," said Tara Pawlak, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Revenue Grid. "These changes are also driving the emergence of revenue intelligence as a must-have solution for any company striving for growth and market leadership. Revenue Grid's comprehensive buyer's guide cuts through the noise to help organizations choose the right revenue intelligence solution to maintain a healthy pipeline and accelerate revenue velocity."

Transforming RevOps with Revenue Intelligence

Finding the right revenue intelligence platform for each organization involves multiple stakeholders who must align on common goals and address myriad challenges and questions. Revenue Grid's Revenue Intelligence Buyer's Guide is designed to simplify the process and help organizations make the best selection for their growth targets.

Revenue Grid's new guide details the trends in RevOps, discusses how to identify and involve stakeholders in the buying decision, and describes critical use cases for revenue intelligence, essential features and functionality, and metrics for success. The Revenue Intelligence Buyer's Guide will help educate individuals and teams about the benefits and implementation of revenue intelligence. It will also provide the knowledge needed to secure buy-in across an organization and effectively activate its revenue pipeline.

To download the free Buyer's Guide now, please visit https://go.revenuegrid.com/revenue-intelligence-buyers-guide.

About Revenue Grid

The pioneer in revenue intelligence, Revenue Grid delivers proven, market-leading solutions that enhance sales performance and expand revenue generation. Its platform provides 360-degree activity data capture, actionable insights, streamlined workflows, and custom sales strategies. Setting the benchmark in data security for regulated industries, Revenue Grid's data capture technology is the first of its kind, native to Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. The result: sales and revenue leaders gain clearer pipeline visibility, leading to more accurate sales forecasting and accelerated revenue growth, with an ROI multiplier of nearly 300X in the first six months. More information can be found at www.revenuegrid.com.

Media Contacts

Revenue Grid - North America

Denise Styerwalt

Trier and Company for Revenue Grid

Email: denise@triercompany.com

Phone: +1 408-406-9726

EMEA

Michael Harrington

Email: michael@triercompany.com

Phone: +011-44-770-090-0061

# # #

SOURCE: Revenue Grid

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Psyched Wellness Ltd. (CSE: PSYC) (OTCQB: PSYCF) (FSE: 5U9) (the "Company" or "Psyched"), a life sciences company focused on the production and distribution of health and wellness products derived from the Amanita Muscaria mushroom, is pleased to update the markets with the latest list of specialty retailers that have signed on to sell Calm.

In addition to the previously announced retail partners, Erewhon, Central Markets, Good Earth Markets, and Market of Choice, we are pleased to share that Calm will be available at Harmons locations in the United States. Harmons is a Utah based upscale supermarket chain, with a strong focus on high-quality products. Calm will be on shelves at 16 of their locations across the state. To support this new partnership, Psyched has engaged with UNFI, the largest wholesale distributor of health and specialty food across the United States and Canada.

"As part of our ongoing strategy to increase sales and awareness, we are pleased to update the street on our retail and distribution partnerships," says Jeff Stevens, CEO of the Company. "Our strategy continues to be focused on working with a select group of specialty retailers that offer their customers the highest quality products. As the first, legal for human consumption Amanita Muscaria derived products in the United States, maintaining this strategy separates and elevates Psyched Wellness from the other Amanita Muscaria vendors in market."

Appointment of Kyle Nazareth as Chief Financial Officer

The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Kyle Nazareth as its Chief Financial Officer effective July 17, 2024.

Mr. Nazareth brings over a decade of experience in managing public companies, advising on capital market transactions, and providing financial stewardship. He is the Chief Financial Officer of Branson Corporate Services, a Toronto-based firm focused on providing fractional services, strategic financial consulting, and financial compliance consulting at a high quality and on a cost-efficient basis. Mr. Nazareth brings a proven track record of success in providing extensive finance and capital markets expertise to clients in high-growth sectors.

Mr. Nazareth will succeed Mr Keith Li, who has served as the Company's CFO since January 2020. The Company would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Li for his role and effort over the past few years.

Psyched Wellness continues to grow their route-to-market partnerships, throughout the nation. If you are interested in distributing/listing Calm or Fly (agaric) please reach out to sales@psyched-wellness.com.

Visit psyched-wellness.com for more information about ordering the product directly.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Psyched Wellness Ltd.:

Psyched Wellness Ltd. is a Canadian-based health supplements company dedicated to the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods. The Company's objective is to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category. The Company is in the process of developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the ability of the Company to develop Amanita Muscaria-derived products; the safety of Amanita Muscaria consumption and the safety and purity of any extracts thereof; and (ii) the uses and potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria.

Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to continue to develop its mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods; continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; and the continued growth of the Company.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to the Company's operations; competition within the psychedelics market; risks with respect to the safety of Amanita Muscaria consumption and the safety and purity of any extracts thereof; and the risk that there is no potential benefit of Amanita Muscaria consumption.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216831

SOURCE: Psyched Wellness Ltd.
Thai court to give verdict on main opposition party dissolution

Bangkok, July 17 (UNI) Thailand's Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday it will deliver its verdict for a case seeking to disband the main opposition Move Forward Party on Aug. 7.

The judges agreed that the case is a dispute on legal technicalities and there is enough evidence to make a ruling, the court said in a statement.

The case came after the country's Election Commission petitioned the court to dissolve the Move Forward Party over its efforts to amend the royal defamation law, claiming campaigning on the issue had violated the constitution.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQB:APXCF) ("Apex" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce it has commenced a field exploration program at its Cap Project (the "Project") located in east-central, British Columbia, near the community of Prince George, BC. The Cap Project covers a large carbonatite complex which is considered highly prospective for both niobium and/or Rare Earth Element (REE) mineralization.

The ongoing activities entail prospecting, geological mapping, rock and soil sampling to confirm previously identified niobium mineralization in both historical surface samples and drilling. The exploration work is expected to outline areas prospective for follow-up drill testing.

Historical results include:

Large oval aeromagnetic anomaly, interpreted to correlated with a carbonatite igneous unit, that may be associated with a larger alkalic complex;

One outcrop sample and three boulder samples of carbonatite collected from within the aeromagnetic anomaly returned: 0.77% Nb2O5,3.38% Nb2O5, 0.96% Nb2O5, and 0.74% Nb2O5 respectively;

A single drill hole along the southeast margins of the anomaly from 2017 returned 0.51% Nb2O5 over 4.01m (Drill Hole CAP17-004).

Figure 1: Apex Critical Metals Cap Property in British Columbia.

The field exploration will be completed by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta. Exploration activities are anticipated to last approximately three weeks and will expand upon a pre-existing soil grid that demonstrated niobium anomalies which correlated with the eastern margin of the known magnetic and radiometric anomaly. Field crews will continue to prospect near the previously identified carbonatite boulders and outcrops. Previously identified outcrop exposure was limited to drainage systems, with much of the Project area covered by thick soil profiles and/or glacial till.

There are approximately 600 carbonatite complexes known worldwide, with a very high ratio demonstrating significant enrichment in a variety of commodities including: Niobium, Tantalum, Rare Earth Elements, Phosphate, Copper, and Gold. Notable mines developed in carbonatite systems include: Araxa, Catalao I, Niobec, Bayan Obo, Mt Weld, Cargill, and Palabora.

Qualified Person; Historical Estimates

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Nate Schmidt, P. Geo., who is an Qualified Person (QP) as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The QP and the Company has not completed sufficient work to verify the historical information on the CAP Property, particularly regarding historical exploration, neighbouring companies, and government geological work.

About Apex Critical Metals Corp.

Apex Critical Metals Corp.is a Canadian exploration company specializing in the acquisition and development of high potential rare earth elements (REE's) and niobium properties. Apex Critical Metals is publicly listed on the CSE, and its common shares currently trade under the symbol "APXC".

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

APEX CRITICAL METALS CORP.,

Sean Charland

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 604.681.1568

Email: info@apexcriticalmetals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the Offering including, the closing date of the Offering, the potential participation of insiders in the Offering and the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering. Forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the receipt of regulatory approval for the Offering, if required. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Apex Critical Metals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Americas Generators, a leading provider of commercial, mobile and industrial generators, is proud to announce its 30th anniversary. Since its founding in 1994 by David Johnston, Americas Generators has been at the forefront of delivering high-quality power solutions across the globe.

Americas Generators 30 Year Anniversary

Starting as a seller of used equipment, Americas Generators quickly evolved and began manufacturing Triton Power Generators in 2001, known for quality, durability, and performance. As a veteran-owned business, Americas Generators has built a reputation for its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Over the past three decades, the company has grown from a small startup to an industry leader, serving a diverse clientele that includes federal agencies, commercial enterprises, and industrial clients.

"Our journey over the last 30 years has been marked by relentless dedication to our staff, customers, and continuous innovation," said Eric Johnston, CEO of Americas Generators and son of founder David Johnston. "From the very beginning, our goal has been to provide reliable and efficient power solutions. Reaching this milestone is a testament to the hard work of our team and the trust of our customers."

Americas Generators has distinguished itself through its use of top-tier components and a focus on maintaining a robust inventory for both the North American and international markets. The company manufactures and stocks non-emission certified, UL2200 EPA Certified and Tier 4 Final Generators, ensuring compliance with the highest industry standards.

The company's product range includes custom generators, trailers, and fuel tanks, tailored to meet the unique needs of their clients. Americas Generators offers fully customized power solutions, providing flexible and reliable options for any power requirement. Their nationwide dealer network ensures that customers receive unparalleled support and service.

Throughout its history, Americas Generators has remained committed to the community and the industry. The company has donated generators during hurricanes, supports FEMA and consistently delivers during critical times of need.

"Our success is deeply rooted in our values of quality, integrity, and service," Eric Johnston added. "We are proud to be a veteran-owned business that gives back to the community and contributes to the industry's advancement."

As Americas Generators celebrates this significant milestone, the company is poised for future growth and innovation. With plans to expand their product offerings and continue their leadership in the power generation industry, the future looks bright. The company is constantly growing, adding new team members to better serve its expanding customer base.

"Thank you to our customers, partners, and team members for being part of this incredible journey. Here's to the next 30 years of powering the world together," Johnston concluded.

Contact Information

Yamile Carpio

Marketing Manager

ycarpio@gopower.com

3055926800

SOURCE: Americas Generators

View the original press release on newswire.com.
CHICAGO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global digital pathology market is expected to grow from USD 1.1 billion in 2024 to USD 2.0 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 13.1%. The digital pathology market is primarily driven by the increasing adoption of digital pathology solutions by healthcare providers and laboratories, alongside the global expansion of telepathology services, which improves access to expert pathology services in remote or underserved areas. This growth is supported by advancements in technology, including whole-slide imaging (WSI), image analysis software, and artificial intelligence (AI), which enhance diagnostic precision and operational efficiency. However, integrating digital pathology systems into existing laboratory workflows remains a challenge. The rise of AI and machine learning applications presents significant opportunities, aiding pathologists in identifying abnormalities and improving treatment strategies. The market ecosystem includes entities delivering digital pathology solutions to end users, with software being the fastest-growing segment due to advancements in AI and machine learning. Human pathology registers the highest growth rate driven by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases like cancer. The drug discovery segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, benefiting from digital pathology's ability to analyze vast datasets accurately. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are the largest end users, utilizing digital pathology for extensive research and development. North America dominates the market due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure and significant investment in healthcare technologies. Key market players include Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Danaher Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., PathAI, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

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DANAHER CORPORATION (US): Leader in Digital Pathology Solutions

Danaher Corporation, through its subsidiary Leica Biosystems, has established itself as a strong player in the digital pathology market, offering a comprehensive portfolio from biopsy to diagnosis across radiology, pathology, surgery, and oncology. Strategic partnerships have significantly bolstered its market position. In March 2023, Danaher partnered with Paige, a global leader in digital pathology solutions and clinical AI applications, to enhance digital pathology workflows in hospitals and laboratories. The company also collaborates with the European Society for Digital and Integrative Pathology (ESDIP) to promote digital pathology adoption across Europe, fostering continuous growth and innovation in diagnostic technologies.

KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. (Netherlands): Prominent Player in Digital Pathology

Philips is a prominent player in the digital pathology market, offering solutions that enhance efficiency, collaboration, and diagnostic accuracy for pathologists globally. Philips' digital pathology solution transitions pathologists from traditional microscopy to digital workflows, achieving efficiency gains of 15-20% per case. By digitizing pathology processes, Philips facilitates remote and collaborative environments, addressing the global shortage of trained pathologists and enabling multidisciplinary collaboration. Their solution supports remote consultation, real-time case sharing, and multidisciplinary discussions among clinical teams, enhancing comprehensive patient care. With insights from over 300 customers and 20 hospital pathology laboratories, Philips continually refines its solution to meet diverse healthcare provider needs.

HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K. (Japan): Key Player in Digital Pathology

Hamamatsu Photonics has solidified its position in the digital pathology market, achieving an annual growth rate of 4.4% in medical-bio instruments from 2021 to 2023. The company's strategic developments in expanding its digital pathology product portfolio and significant R&D investments are set to propel its growth. In March 2023, Hamamatsu signed a major distribution deal with Siemens Healthineers to provide imaging slide scanners for digital pathology in the Americas and Europe. This partnership aims to bridge the gap between radiology and pathology, enhancing patient care through advanced diagnostic imaging solutions. Hamamatsu's commitment to innovation underscores its role as a key player in shaping the future of digital pathology.

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Product Segmentation: Digital Pathology Scanners Lead

The digital pathology market is divided into scanners, software, and storage systems. In 2023, the scanner segment captured the largest market share, driven by increasing demand for accurate and timely diagnoses alongside a growing volume of pathology cases worldwide. Government approvals for digital pathology scanner systems, such as Roche's VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner, further boost this segment's growth. Technological advancements, regulatory support, and enhanced diagnostic capabilities are key factors driving heavy investment and adoption of digital scanners.

Type Segmentation: Human Pathology Prevails

The market is categorized into human pathology and veterinary pathology. In 2023, the human pathology segment dominated, fueled by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases globally. This segment's prominence is attributed to its diverse diagnostic needs, the increasing burden of diseases, the integration of AI for improved diagnostic capabilities, and supportive regulatory frameworks that promote the adoption of advanced digital pathology solutions.

Regional Insights: Europe Expected to Grow Rapidly

The digital pathology market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe is anticipated to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, driven by the adoption of AI-based pathology tools across various NHS trusts in the UK. Initiatives like collaborations with international firms, including Sectra, and substantial government investments, such as the USD 57 million allocated in 2020 for digital pathology and imaging AI, underscore Europe's commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure. These efforts are expected to facilitate faster, more accurate diagnoses through automated image analysis and telepathology capabilities.

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Related Reports:

In Vitro Diagnostics Market

Tissue Diagnostics Market

Molecular Diagnostics Market

Immunohistochemistry Market

Anatomic Pathology Market

Get access to the latest updates on Digital pathology Companies and Digital Pathology Market Share

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Stillwater, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - A transformational gift from the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation has established the Thoma Scholars Program at Oklahoma State University.

This innovative scholarship program aims to empower exceptional young leaders in underserved rural areas. It will award life-changing scholarships to students in Northwest Oklahoma, West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, enabling them to earn a college degree without debt.

"The Thoma Scholars Program represents our commitment to providing students from rural areas the opportunity to fulfill their potential," Carl and Marilynn Thoma said. "As Oklahoma State alumni, we are excited to launch this initiative in partnership with OSU - a place we know has the right environment to help develop the next generation of leaders."

The Thomas' commitment to helping rural students succeed traces back to their Oklahoma roots. Carl grew up in the panhandle in Cimarron County, while Marilynn is from nearby Woodward County. As such, the Thomas deeply value rural communities and the high-character people they produce.

The creation of the Thoma Scholars Program is inspired by the strong work ethic instilled by their parents and grandparents, aiming to help students from similar backgrounds achieve success through hard work and perseverance.

Approximately 20 students will be selected to join the program's inaugural cohort. Once fully matriculated with 20 students per class, the Thomas' commitment of up to $2 million per year will be one of the most impactful scholarship programs at OSU.

"It's fitting that one of OSU's most significant awards is coming from self-made, hardworking entrepreneurs who got their start at OSU, the best land-grant university in the country," said Blaire Atkinson, president of the OSU Foundation. "It's a testament to their high character and love for the university that they're paying it forward."

The scholarships will ensure every scholar is provided a best-in-class opportunity for education and cover the cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing and meals, books and other educational expenses. It will also allow each recipient to study abroad. Along with financial aid, each Thoma Scholar will be admitted into The Honors College, benefitting from personalized mentorship and support within a program that is nationally recognized for its outstanding curriculum and coursework, innovative K-12 outreach program, and robust experiential learning program.

Applications will open in fall 2024 for high school seniors within eligible rural counties who will graduate in spring 2025.

"On behalf of the OSU family, we thank Carl and Marilynn Thoma for their generous gift," OSU President Kayse Shrum said. "The Thoma Scholars Program will afford more rural students access to an OSU education, allowing them to achieve their academic goals and chase their dreams. In alignment with our land-grant mission, these students will be poised to serve as the next generation of servant-leaders equipped to address society's most important challenges."

After successful careers in brand management and private equity, the Thomas established the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation in 1986 to fulfill their passion for philanthropy. The Thoma Foundation recognizes that the arts and education enhance lives and communities. It makes art collection-related grants, as well as lending and exhibiting its collection. The foundation focuses its education funding on the rural Southwest, striving to foster leadership, innovation and equal opportunity.

The Thomas have a long partnership with Oklahoma State. They have supported a variety of needs across OSU's campus, including the Learning and Student Success Opportunity Center, the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Distinguished Chair in Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Carl Thoma Distinguished Clinical Professorships in Entrepreneurship, and a new named position focused on the arts.

Further, the Thomas are Patron donors to The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, visionaries and founders of the Wine Forum of Oklahoma, and in 2010, they both were inducted into the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame, the university's highest honor.

"Empowering students from rural areas to excel in higher education is not just a mission - it's our passion," the Thomas said. "The Thoma Scholars Program honors the resilience and determination of those from rural communities by investing in their future and preparing them for success."

For more information on eligibility for the Thoma Scholars Program, visit https://honors.okstate.edu/thoma-scholars-program.

About the OSU Foundation

The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

About Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 34,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 100 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 275,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.

About the Thoma Foundation

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation was founded on the knowledge that access to the arts and education enhances lives and communities. The Foundation focuses its education funding on the rural Southwest, offering scholarship opportunities to the greater Texas Panhandle and surrounding rural areas. Through these giving programs, the Thoma Foundation strives to foster leadership, innovation and equal opportunity.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216837

SOURCE: Oklahoma State University
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, July 17

For immediate release

17 July 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announce that it has today purchased 156,122 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 836.72 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 49,280,080; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 175,711,223.

The figure of 175,711,223 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / FedEx Corporation

Originally published in FedEx's 2023 FedEx Cares Report

Integrating mental health and psychosocial support into emergency response

Mental health and psychosocial support are critical parts of effective and sustainable first responder programs. With support from FedEx, International Medical Corps (IMC) created the Principles of Psychological First Aid (PPFA) training to equip first responders with the skills to compassionately support affected individuals and families. Yvonne Groenhout, an ICU nurse and IMC first responder, is one of 5,000 global medical professionals trained on PPFA. The PPFA training enabled Yvonne and so many others to spot people struggling in the aftermath of an emergency and provide them with the support they need to recover and stay healthy.

Restoring access to care after tornado destroys clinic

After a tornado ravaged the Delta Health Center in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, Heart to Heart International (HHI) stepped in to help. With support from FedEx, HHI deployed a disaster team, mobile medical units, and a portable clinic to ensure medical care continuity. The clinic staff, now equipped with secure facilities, aided storm victims and reached elderly patients in remote areas.

This has given us such an advantage as we work to continue to improve our disaster response efforts. Maddy Langemach Disaster Response Specialist for Heart to Heart International

Helping to fund the Grassroots Revolution in Canada

With support from FedEx, GlobalMedic delivered 50+ tons of aid across Canada as part of its Grassroots Revolution - a suite of programs that address chronic emergencies. The deliveries included food, medical supplies, and hygiene items for Hurricane Fiona victims in Atlantic Canada, support for domestic Emergency Food and Hygiene Hub programs, and fire skid units for British Columbia's forest fire relief. FedEx Canadian volunteers chipped in to help, assembling food kits for survivors across the region.

No-cost trainings bolster disaster management capabilities within at-risk communities

Team Rubicon aids communities worldwide in disaster preparedness. FedEx helps fund expert exercises, led by FEMA-trained practitioners, to stress-test plans, identify deficiencies, and bolster response capabilities. From simulations to nuclear disaster drills, Team Rubicon empowers communities of all sizes to face any calamity.

I get to help train communities to better respond, and FedEx helps get us there before that worst day happens. Greg Ramoni Exercise & Field Leadership Manager, Team Rubicon

A long-term collaboration to deliver aid in Chile

FedEx delivered 40 tons of aid across Chile in 2023 in partnership with Desafio Levantemos Chile. Together we supported rehabilitation projects in fire and f lood-hit areas including rebuilding the Rural Medical Station in Santa Juana. With a network spanning 400 Chilean cities, FedEx has signed on to facilitate charitable transportation for Desafio Levantemos Chile on a regular basis.

FedEx has been one of our strongest logistical allies in dozens of emergencies since 2012. They help us to be more efficient and faster in the transportation " of donations, reaching more families and entrepreneurs who need to get back on their feet. Ignacio Serrano Executive Director of Desafio Levantemos Chile

All hands on deck to support Turkey after the earthquake

On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey near the Syrian border, followed by aftershocks up to 7.5 magnitude. Tragically, over 50,000 people died, with significant damage to infrastructure including destruction of many homes, businesses, hospitals, and utilities. Nine million individuals were directly affected and three million were displaced.

FedEx is committed to helping the many communities impacted by the earthquakes during this incredibly difficult time. We are inspired by the heroic work of first responders and humanitarian organizations and grateful to use our global network to donate flights, logistics support, and aid to advance recovery, rebuilding, and relief in the region. Raj Subramaniam FedEx President and CEO

FedEx receives OTHERS Award

FedEx received the OTHERS Award from The Salvation Army, recognizing our commitment to humanitarian efforts worldwide. Named after William Booth's succinct telegram urging service to others, the award highlights the FedEx donation of 22 mobile feeding units to Salvation Army locations globally. This gesture reflects our company's ongoing dedication to disaster relief and aiding communities in need.

Within hours of the earthquake in Turkey, FedEx began our multidimensional response:

Donated $100,000 to the Red Cross to aid recovery efforts in Turkey and Syrian communities

Delivered critical humanitarian supplies from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport to Malatya, Turkey, on behalf of the Istanbul Governorship and local municipality

Flew five consecutive flights from February 17 to 21, which delivered approximately 230 metric tons of relief supplies including tents, blankets, baby items, household supplies, and hygiene kits

Provided shipping support for Canadian disaster-relief organization GlobalMedic, including the delivery of AquaResponse3 Water Purification Units

With the help of FedEx, Water Mission shipped five of its Living Water Treatment Systems to Turkey to provide emergency safe water access to those impacted by the devastating earthquakes

Worked with World Central Kitchen to ship a deployable kitchen unit, kitchen supplies, and operations kits from Madrid, Spain, and Capitol Heights, Maryland, U.S., to Adana, Turkey

FedEx Cares team members in Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Slovenia collected items for the local Red Cross/Red Crescent societies and donated approximately 885 kilos of supplies including new warm clothes and shoes, blankets, hygienic materials, and family tents

Read more

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.



View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: FedEx Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: FedEx Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
SACRAMENTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / River City Bank (the Bank) reported net income of $17.2 million, or $11.66 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which compares favorably to the $14.4 million, or $9.65 per diluted share, for the same period in 2023. Net income was $35.9 million, or $24.29 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2024, which compares favorably to the $27.3 million, or $18.28 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The Bank's earnings for the first six months ended June 30, 2024, represented a healthy 16.6% return on equity capital and 1.41% return on assets. The Bank's book value per share rose to $310 as of June 30, 2024, from $261 per share as of June 30, 2023.

RCB Blue

RCB Blue square

Significant items impacting quarterly net income for June 30, 2024, and the same period in 2023 include the following:

Higher loan balances - Average loan outstandings in the current quarter were $520 million higher than the prior year quarter, helping to increase net interest income by $5.0 million over the same period in 2023 despite rising deposit costs.

Increased cash and investment balances - Average cash balances grew by $331 million and average investments balances grew by $118 million, when compared to the same period in 2023. The increased balances, at higher yields, provided a $9.7 million increase in income from cash and investments versus the prior year quarter.

Deposit growth - Average deposits grew by $946 million compared to the same period a year earlier, supporting the Bank's loan growth while reducing higher cost borrowings and increasing liquid assets.

The provision for credit losses on loans for the current quarter of $3.0 million was lower than the $6.5 million that was recorded for the prior year quarter. The Bank continues to add provision for credit losses as the loan portfolio grows. During the quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Bank did not experience any actual credit losses and the Bank's Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans was a robust 2.60% of Gross Loans as of June 30, 2024.

The Bank crossed an important milestone in our history as we ended the quarter with over $5 billion in total assets. "Our customers continue to appreciate the value the Bank provides with over 50 years of consistently exceptional service as evidenced by our significant growth in total deposits from $3.6 billion at June 30, 2023, to $4.5 billion as of June 30, 2024," said Steve Fleming, president and chief executive officer. "The Bank's balance sheet remains highly liquid with $377 million in cash and $726 million in high-quality short duration investments (investment portfolio effective duration of only one year). At the same time, our loan quality remains pristine with virtually no delinquencies or non-performing loans. We believe we can continue to grow our commercial real estate loan portfolio as we focus on loans secured by multi-family, retail, and industrial properties, as well as expanding our geographic footprint to other western states outside of California. We will remain diligent with our monitoring of potential impacts to the office segment of our commercial real estate loan portfolio from the reduction in demand as employers continue to provide work-from-home opportunities for their employees."

"The Bank's high-quality investment securities portfolio continues to perform well with relatively small unrealized losses of 1.7 percent and there are no investment securities categorized as held-to-maturity," said Brian Killeen, chief financial officer of River City Bank. "Operational efficiency remains a core competency for the Bank, as evidenced by our 26 percent efficiency ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2024."

Shareholders' equity for River City Bank on June 30, 2024, increased $29 million to $447 million, when compared to the $418 million as of Dec. 31, 2023. The increase was driven by growth of the current year's retained earnings. The Bank's capital ratios remain well above the regulatory definition for being Well Capitalized with a Tier 1 Leverage Ratio of 8.7% as of June 30, 2024.

Additionally, Steve Fleming announced that the Bank's board of directors has approved a cash dividend of $0.37 per common share to shareholders of record as of July 25, 2024, and payable on Aug. 8, 2024.

ABOUT RIVER CITY BANK:

Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past seven years, River City Bank is the Sacramento region's premier business bank with assets of over $5 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer, and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, concierge-like level of service, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with an office in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Contact Information

Pamela Hansen

VP/Director of Marketing and Events

pamela.hansen@rivercitybank.com

7075484292

Related Files

Q2 2024 earnings data

SOURCE: River City Bank

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Energy Plug Technologies Corp. (CSE: PLUG) (OTCQB: PLGGF) (FSE: 6GQ) ("Energy Plug" or the "Company"), an energy technology company dedicated to innovation and sustainability, is issuing this corporate update to highlight key activities and outline the Company's near-term objectives.

Highlights:

Initial Battery Energy Storage System ("BESS") Client: Energy Plug has signed its first battery storage deal with Ximen Mining Corp. on June 11, 2024 with the plan to have the first unit installed in September, 2024.





Energy Plug has signed its first battery storage deal with Ximen Mining Corp. on June 11, 2024 with the plan to have the first unit installed in September, 2024. Malahat Battery Technologies Gigafactory: A limited partnership between the Company and Malahat Nation has been formed. Ground has been broken and the site development is currently underway with a ground blessing scheduled for August, 2024.





A limited partnership between the Company and Malahat Nation has been formed. Ground has been broken and the site development is currently underway with a ground blessing scheduled for August, 2024. MOU signed with Siemens Canada Limited ('Siemens") on July 3, 2024 .





. The Company has been working with BC Hydro to develop a pole-based battery product for the utility and intends to launch the pilot program in BC in Q4 2024. Utilities represent 80% of the BESS market worldwide according to McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting company.

SOURCE: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/enabling-renewable-energy-with-battery-energy-storage-systems





to develop a pole-based battery product for the utility and intends to launch the pilot program in BC in Q4 2024. Utilities represent 80% of the BESS market worldwide according to McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting company. Strategic Partnerships:

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Power Touch Corp. on July 9, 2024.

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Power Touch Corp. on July 9, 2024. Strategic Partnerships:

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Anasis Tech LTD. on July 10, 2024.

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Anasis Tech LTD. on July 10, 2024. Strategic Partnerships:

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with METAENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD. on July 15, 2024.

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with METAENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD. on July 15, 2024. Strategic Partnerships:

Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Enwind Power Co Ltd. on April 24, 2024.





Energy Plug entered into an MOU with Enwind Power Co Ltd. on April 24, 2024. Market Focus: Strategic focus on targeting utilities, commercial and industrial companies, data centers, and artificial intelligence applications.





Strategic focus on targeting utilities, commercial and industrial companies, data centers, and artificial intelligence applications. Grant Programs : Energy Plug and Malahat Nation has submitted, or is in the process of submitting, key grant applications to support the development of projects and products.





: Energy Plug and Malahat Nation has submitted, or is in the process of submitting, key grant applications to support the development of projects and products. BCSC: The Company worked with the regulators in Q1/Q2 to address the concerns of the regulators regarding the Company's public disclosure record.

Initial BESS Client

As announced by our news release dated June 11, 2024, we are excited to initiate our project with Ximen Mining Corp. where we'll be installing a solar power-connected 20kWh Lithium-Iron Phosphate battery application in phase one, helping the mining company avoid black and brownouts while reducing their overall diesel consumption helping with its net-zero targets. We will continue to share updates on our progress with this client.

Malahat Battery Technologies Gigafactory

In December 2023, we announced an intended partnership with Malahat Nation to build a gigawatt factory on Malahat Nation land on Vancouver Island. This project will target a production capacity of one gigawatt hour of Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery production per year. With the joint venture now finalized, we will be blessing the ground in late August with an aim to begin construction in Q4 2024, with a projected completion date in Q4 2025. The potential opening of this factory would mark a notable step in helping spur economic activity in the Malahat region while also making a statement for indigenous corporate partnerships.

Siemens MOU

The Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens. The parties agreed to collaborate on manufacturing services for the gigafactory facility, including software for integration with utilities and control systems and factory management, and hardware development, including automation hardware, electrical substation components and distribution equipment, factory monitoring and infrastructure, and components for integration with products. Future collaborations with Siemens may also include further research and development related to electric vehicle chargers, large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), distributed battery programs and microgrid utility programs.

Strategic Partnerships

Recently, we announced a collaboration under an MOU with Enwind Power Co Ltd., a Taiwanese electrical engineering and battery sciences company aiding us in R&D and product development for North American markets. This partnership will be crucial for securing safety certifications such as UL and CSA. This collaboration links our activities with those of the innovative ecosystem of Taiwan and we look forward to strengthening these ties to help navigate recent US tariff announcements on Chinese battery and EV products.

METAENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD. ("METAENERGY")

The Company signed a memorandum of understanding with METAENERGY. METAENERGY specializes in Utility Scale, Grid Management, and Advanced Energy Management software. The parties intend to enter into a binding agreement for the exclusive license of the Utility Scale, Grid Management, and Advanced Energy Management software.

Anasis Tech Ltd. ("Anasis Tech")

The Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anasis Tech. Anasis Tech specializes in the Advanced Power System Analysis and Design of Energy Management as it relates to varying Battery Chemistries in residential, commercial, and industrial scale Battery Energy Storage Systems. The parties intend to enter into a binding agreement for the exclusive license of their EMS technology.

Power Touch Corp. ("Power Touch")

The Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Power Touch Corp. Power Touch is a Taiwan-based company specializing in electronic application solutions. With over 12 years of industry experience, Power Touch has emerged as a leader in Internet Data Centre and Cryptocurrency mining sites, hardware manufacturing, system and chip design and hardware supply collaborating with top international electronic corporations such as Foxconn, Wistron, Asus, Gigabyte, and Acer. Additionally, Power Touch is an approved vendor with Foxconn and Asus. The parties intend to enter into a binding agreement that would provide Power Touch with power allocations for Internet Data Centres for AI, Compute, and Crypto Mining. The power will come from Battery, Energy, and Independent Power Programs that Energy Plug is involved with in Canada and abroad.

Other Updates

Energy Plug has retained Renmark Financial Communications Inc. ("Renmark") on May 16th, 2024, an arm's length party to the Company, to provide investor relations services for the Company, including investor communications, distribution of corporate information, and market research and feedback.

Additionally, we are currently in several discussions with global integration partners that are expected to help implement the installation of battery storage systems, as well as software vendors to partner with us in providing Energy Management System (EMS).

Personnel Updates

Over the course of the past few months, we have strengthened our team with notable additions such as Shawn Hensen as our technical advisor for our Gigafactory. We have also strengthened our indigenous leadership with the addition of Jonathon Redbird as an operating board member and indigenous relations. Mr. Hensen brings extensive industry experience, having worked at Tesla, Rivian and Toyota leading engineering teams and building gigafactories. Mr. Redbird has a substantial background in Canada's technology and energy sectors. Adam Morand, a Metis member from Alberta with a rich history in manufacturing and technology sectors, has also recently joined our board of directors.

Colin Doylend - Corporate Affairs

Colin has 20 years of experience in partnerships and government affairs, implementing over 200 agreements for Indigenous communities, industry, and government.

Chris Barnes - Operational Leadership

Chris has over 15 years of experience in renewable energy and technology, Chris has led large-scale operations and innovative wind and solar projects totalling nearly 400MW.

Benjamin Chen - Product Quality & Safety

Benjamin joined Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which is a safety science company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, in 2000, served as Commercial and Engineering Manager for Energy Storage Systems and eMobility in Greater China, and developed the battery repurposing standard, now UL 1974.

As we continue to build our team, we have recently put out a job posting for a Director of Product and Systems Architecture to lead both our hardware and software product initiatives.

Market Focus

We continue to keep our eyes on the battery storage market, its growth potential and key segments. Through our analysis, we have decided to put our focus toward targeting North American utilities, data centres and various commercial segments as our priority markets.

In Canada, the top 3 largest utilities account for 47% of the market (in terms of number of residential customers). Through ongoing discussions with Canadian utilities we have validated product-market fit for microgrid and grid stability applications. Additionally, access to the residential market would potentially open up upon solidifying utilities contracts.

The exploding growth of Artificial Intelligence technologies creates an unprecedented demand for energy. For example, training the GPT-3 model used enough electricity to power 130 US homes for a year. This growth in AI is driving the number of data centres to grow exponentially as they are projected to consume 13% of the world's electricity by 2030. Energy Plug plans to focus on the data centre segment to support the growth of AI and the required computing power sustainably.

To serve these markets, our developing product suite includes: utility microgrid (both pole mount and pad mount), commercial pad mount and rack units and residential battery units; all emphasizing certification, safety, and insurability.

Grant Programs

Energy Plug and Malahat First Nation have submitted, and are in the process of submitting, to several grant programs including CICE, Enercan, Strategic Innovation Fund and the BC Jobs Fund. Given our efforts to strengthen Indigenous relationships, make an impact in energy transition, and support improvements to the climate, we feel grant funding is an aligned strategic activity to build the foundation of our business.

Milestones

As we move forward, we have defined the following milestones for 2024 and 2025:

Malahat Gigafactory Ground Blessing

Growth Financing

Energy Management Partnership Signed

Beachhead Customer Signed

First BESS Installation

First 1MW of BESS sold

Gigafactory Operational

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "will", "proposes", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", "aim", or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding any objectives and strategies of the Company) are forward-looking information.

The forward-looking information in this news release includes but is not limited to the statements about intended strategic partnerships with indigenous communities across Canada, future researched developments, planned partnership with Malahat First Nation and intention to build a gigafactory on Vancouver Island, the Company's market focus and the Company's key milestones.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various risk factors. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investment in the securities of the Company is risky.

The risk factors related to the forward looking information include but are not limited to the ability to obtain financing, and any necessary permits; ability to procure the plant and equipment, ability to build the battery assembly facility, ability to hire staff, ability to secure suppliers of batteries and obtaining batteries at desired prices, supply chain disruptions, technological obsolescence, changing government, plans, policies regarding clean energy, batteries, electric vehicles and other electric transportation devices, elimination or reduction of government subsidies for electric vehicles and other electric transportation devices, solar panels and wind power installations, and potential war conflicts which may disrupt supply of the components required to produce batteries.

The material assumptions used to develop forward-looking information include, but not limited to: general business and economic conditions, financial markets conditions, the Company's ability to fund its operations through financings and joint ventures, procurement of consulting, technical and related services and supplies on favourable terms, attraction and retention of key staff members, market demand for the Company's products, growth prospects in the market for its products, accessibility of raw materials and battery pack supplies to meet market demand, facility profitability, timing of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and authorizations required to execute the Company's planned business objectives, the anticipated terms of the consents, permits and authorizations necessary to carry out the planned operations and the Company's ability to comply with such terms on a cost-effective basis, and the ongoing relations with the industry regulators.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216874

SOURCE: Energy Plug Technologies Corp.
FDA approves progression of Galvani's splenic neuromodulation therapy to the randomized, controlled stage of clinical feasibility testing in rheumatoid arthritis after review of initial patient safety and effectiveness.

Dr. Raolat Abdulai is joining Galvani as Chief Medical Officer to spearhead the company's clinical pursuit of its splenic therapy and wider therapy platform.

Galvani Bioelectronics, a clinical-stage therapeutics company formed through a strategic partnership between GSK and Verily Life Sciences to develop targeted neuromodulation therapies, today announced it is recruiting the randomized, controlled stage of a clinical feasibility study for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This progression has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following review of safety and initial effectiveness from a first group of patients.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717729913/en/

Picture of Dr. Raolat Abdulai (Photo: Business Wire)

Patients with active RA who have had inadequate response to multiple prior targeted therapies can enroll in the study in multiple areas in the US including New York City (NY), Dallas-Fort Worth (TX), Austin (TX), San Antonio (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Portland (OR), Altoona (PA), and Hagerstown (MD) as well as in Amsterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

The investigational treatment is the first in the clinic to directly stimulate the splenic nerve and Galvani's therapeutic platform is the first to electrically stimulate nerves specific to individual visceral organs central in disease.

To lead clinical development on the back of this positive initial clinical readout, Dr. Raolat Abdulai will join the company as Chief Medical Officer in August. Dr. Abdulai joins from Sanofi where she was global clinical lead for the development of Dupixent (dupilumab) across multiple indications, including a recent first approval for a biologic in COPD in the EU.

"I'm delighted to welcome Raolat. She brings great leadership, deep expertise, and critical experience in developing transformational immunology therapies. This comes at a pivotal time for the clinical development of the full potential of our lead therapy and wider therapy platform," said Dr. Kris Famm, President and CEO of Galvani.

"I am thrilled to be joining Galvani at this critical point. The company's platform has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat disease. I look forward to working with Kris and the Galvani team to bring this technology to patients," said Dr. Abdulai.

About splenic neuromodulation

Targeted splenic nerve stimulation directly generates nerve signals to the spleen which have been shown preclinically to shift immune cells there from pro-inflammation to inflammation-resolving states1,2. The immune cells may then, as they circulate, reach sites of injury in disease, for example the joints in RA. The clinical studies underway investigate whether this will lead to the reduction or resolution of the inflammation and associated pain for patients, as has been seen preclinically3

To learn more about splenic nerve stimulation for RA, visit https://www.consideraterastudy.com/ and NCT05003310 (US NL) or NCT04955899 (UK NL).

About Galvani's therapy platform

Resulting from a major research and development effort over the last seven years, the Galvani Bioelectronics platform is centered around the world's first minimally invasively implanted neurostimulator. It has been tailored for stimulation of nerves to visceral organs and is easily programmed by the treating physician via a wirelessly connected tablet. Patients can also monitor and control their therapy and charge their implant wirelessly.

The Galvani Bioelectronics platform is available for investigational use only and is not approved for use outside of clinical studies. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

About Galvani Bioelectronics

Galvani Bioelectronics is a pioneering research and development company dedicated to bringing bioelectronic therapies to patients. The company was formed through a partnership between two global healthcare companies, GSK and Verily Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Galvani is developing therapies through implant-based direct modulation of specific neural signals to organs central in disease. These therapies are designed to be safe, precise in their therapeutic effect, and minimally invasive in their delivery through use of small and efficient wireless electronics and keyhole surgery. Connected software will ensure that patients and physicians can effectively control and optimize the therapy. For more information, visit www.galvani.bio.

___________________________

1 Donega, M. et al. Human-relevant near-organ neuromodulation of the immune system via the splenic nerve. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 118, (2021)

2 Sokal, D. M. et al. Splenic Nerve Neuromodulation Reduces Inflammation and Promotes Resolution in Chronically Implanted Pigs. Front. Immunol. 12, 649786 (2021)

3 Guyot, M. et al. Apical splenic nerve electrical stimulation discloses an anti-inflammatory pathway relying on adrenergic and nicotinic receptors in myeloid cells. Brain Behav. Immun. 80, 238-246 (2019)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717729913/en/

Contacts:

Media contacts:

media@galvani.bio

USA: +1 (877) 613-9001

UK: +44 (0)800 368 8514
Q2 Production of 16,255 Gold Equivalent Ounces ("GEO") vs 11,204 GEO in Q1, 2024.

High-Grade ore from Calandrias Norte and continued ramp-up at Heap leach operations are supporting strong quarterly production.

MDN 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate are expected to be announced shortly.

Balance sheet continues to improve, with approximately US$10m in current liabilities repaid since Year End 2023.

Significant cost reductions have also been made to reduce corporate expenses substantially.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") announces production results for the second quarter of 2024 ("Q2 2024") from the Minera Don Nicolas Mine in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina ("MDN"). Full second quarter financial results are expected to be released in August 2024.

Q2 Operating Highlights

Q2 2024 production of 16,255 GEO vs 11,204 GEO in Q1, 2024.

Production for April of 6,641 GEO, May 5,486 GEO and June of 4,128 GEO (harsh winter conditions).

Ramp-up of production from the Las Calandrias heap leap project continues, producing 421 GEO in April and ramping up to 943 GEO for June despite harsh winter weather conditions.

Focus remains on delivering cashflow and rebuilding the balance sheet with significant progress made towards debt reduction during the quarter.

Operational results presented for Q2 2024 showed a marked improvement over the previous quarter as the full exploitation of the Calandrias Norte high-grade open pit was achieved in addition to the continued ramp up of the heap leach operations. Production results for June saw a modest decline due to harsh weather conditions which saw the closure of most roads in Santa Cruz and the closure of Comodoro Rivadavia airport for several days. Heavy snow impacted the transportation of high-grade ore to the mill and reduced mill throughput. That said, this material is expected to be processed in the coming months, supporting production levels going forward. The performance of the Heap leach during this period continues to improve despite the harsh weather and bodes well for the ramp-up to full commercial production, which we expect to occur in Q3/2024 as the weather improves. Performance of the crushing circuit at the Calandrias Sur Heap Leach Project continues to improve, allowing the placement of more ore on the heap leach pad during the quarter, which is key to delivering higher sustained production rates. Recovery rates are in line with expectations given ore on the pad to date. Production from the Heap Leach improved from 491 GEO in April to 985 GEO in May. It maintained close to these levels in June at 943 GEO despite extremely wet and cold conditions that affected leaching kinetics. Additional crushing capacity is being added via the addition of a mobile crushing unit that has recently been delivered to the site and is set to double overall crushing capacity at Calandrias Sur to around 10,000 tpd to support an increase in production in the latter part of the year doubling capacity to around 4,500 ounces per month.

The Company has also made significant progress in improving its working capital position during the quarter, partly due to the cashflow generated by high gold prices and strong production but also from proceeds received under the sale of an option on the Monte Do Carmo project to a subsidiary of Hochschild, which was approved by shareholders on 27th June 2024. At quarter end, the Company has reduced overall current liabilities (payables, loans, and amounts due to the Sellers) by approximately US$10MM from the beginning of the year, with further declines expected in the coming quarters, strengthening the overall financial position of the company. The Company has also seen a significant reduction in costs and corporate overhead to help to improve overall profitability for the future.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman commented, "Production in the second quarter rebounded significantly from access to the high-grade ore at Calandrias Norte and a strong performance of both the CIL plant and the new heap leach facility. While conditions towards the end of the quarter impacted short term production levels, we are encouraged with the performance of the heap leach, which maintained production despite the wet conditions. With production levels expected to remain around the current level in Q3 we continue to execute on our plan to reduce debt levels and strengthen the balance sheet, and we expect to exit the coming months in a much stronger operating position."

Table 1. Key Operating Information

Update on Cease Trade Order

With the filing of the second quarter financials, the cease trade order on Cerrado common shares has now been revoked. The company is currently working with the TSX Venture Exchange to approve the resumption of trading which is expected in the near term.

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high-purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, contributing to the decarbonization of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Chairman

Mike McAllister

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado, the grade of ore being transported to the mill, the potential ramp up of production as winter conditions dissipate, the potential for additional crushing capacity being that may be added with the addition of a mobile crushing unit, the performance of the heap leach pad and CIL plant, anticipated production in Q3 and anticipated timing for the resumption of trading the Company's common shares in Canada over the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
AI/ML Innovations Inc. ("AI/ML" or the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB:AIMLF)(FWB:42FB) is pleased to announce that that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") on July 17, 2024. The Company accepted subscriptions on this final tranche of 10,230,000 units at a price of $0.05 per unit, for gross procees of $511,500. The Company paid finders fees to a qualified finder of $26,477.60 and issued 529,550 broker warrants, which are on the same same terms as the warrants forming part of the Units.

Each Unit is comprised of one Common Share and one Warrant which will be exercisable into one (1) Common Share of the Company (each a "Warrant Share"). Each Warrant will have a term of three (3) years and will entitle the holder to purchase one (1) Warrant Share at a price of $0.10 per share following the closing date, subject to the Company's right to accelerate expiry upon 30 days' notice if the shares trade at $0.25 for a for a period of at least 30 consecutive trading days.

The Company raised a total of $971,500. A total of 19,430,000 Units and 946,550 broker warrants were issued pursuant to the Financing.

Securities issued on this closing are subject to a statutory hold period until November 18, 2024.

The Company intends to use net proceeds of the Private Placement for working capital requirements.

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com .

For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or info@aiml-innovations.com.

About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (70% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (22% ownership commitment by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE)

accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Clayton, Missouri--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM) ("Perimeter" or the "Company"), producers of PHOS-CHEK long-term fire retardant and other high-quality firefighting products and specialty chemicals, announced today it will release its financial results for the second quarter 2024 on Thursday, August 1, 2024, before the market opens.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day. The presentation will be led by CEO Haitham Khouri, CFO Kyle Sable, and Head of Investor Relations Seth Barker.

The live webcast of the call can be accessed through Perimeter's investor relations website at https://ir.perimeter-solutions.com/ and as follows:

When : Thursday August 1, 2024, at 8:30 AM (ET)

Dial-in Number : 877-407-9764 (Toll-Free), 201-689-8551 (Toll) (No access code needed)

Conference Name : Perimeter Solutions Second Quarter 2024 Earnings Call

Materials Available At : https://ir.perimeter-solutions.com/

Replay Available : Thursday, August 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024 (11:59 PM ET)

Replay Number : 877-660-6853 / 201-612-7415

Internet Access : https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=rXSJtabW

About Perimeter Solutions

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM) is a premier global solutions provider, producing high-quality firefighting products and specialty chemicals. The company develops products that impact critically important issues of life - issues where there often is no room for error and the job doesn't offer second chances. At Perimeter, we characterize the solutions we develop as 'Trusted Solutions that Save' - because it underscores what we are trying to accomplish for our customers and the world at large. Perimeter Solutions produces major brands known throughout the world like PHOS-CHEK and FIRE-TROL retardant, foam concentrates and gel products; AUXQUIMIA and SOLBERG firefighting foam concentrates; and BIOGEMA extinguishing agents and retardants. For more info on how we use our experience, responsibility, and integrity to deliver trusted solutions that help improve firefighting performance, visit: www.perimeter-solutions.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216909

SOURCE: Perimeter Solutions
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - T2 Metals Corp. (TSXV: TWO) (OTCQB: AGLAF) (WKN: A3DVMD) (FSE: WJ6) ("T2" or the "Company") announces that at its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held July 17, 2024, the shareholders of the Company re-elected Mark Saxon, Nick DeMare, Dusan Berka and Amanda Dahl as directors of the Company. The shareholders also passed all other resolutions including an ordinary resolution to ratify the existing stock option plan, pursuant to which the Company may grant stock options up to 10% of its issued and outstanding common shares at the time of the grant.

Following the Meeting, the Board appointed Mark Saxon as President & CEO and Nick DeMare as CFO and Corporate Secretary of the Company. Nick DeMare, Dusan Berka and Amanda Dahl were appointed to the audit committee.

Mark Saxon, CEO of T2 Metals Corp. said, "We thank our shareholders for their support during this exciting period for the Company as we move towards a major drilling program."

About T2 Metals Corp (TSXV: TWO) (OTCQB: AGLAF) (WKN: A3DVMD)

T2 Metals Corp is an emerging copper and precious metal company enhancing shareholder value through exploration and discovery. The Company continues to target under-explored areas, including the Sherridon, Lida, Cora and Copper Eagle projects where post-mineralization cover masks areas of high geological prospectivity in the vicinity of major mines.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set out in this news release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in certain cases, information provided or disseminated by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, and that information obtained from third party sources is reliable, they can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such risks include uncertainties relating to exploration activities. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/216930

SOURCE: T2 Metals Corp.
Slope, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a B2B payments platform, raised $65M in funding.

The round was led by J.P. Morgan Payments, with participation from Y Combinator, Jack Altman, and Max Altmans new fund, Saga. As part of the funding, J.P. Morgan will also provide a debt facility.

The company intends to use the funds to scale operations.

Led by CEO Lawrence Lin Murata, Slope provides a B2B payments platform for enterprise companies, offering order-to-cash automation using AI tools that power checkout, customer and vendor risk assessment, embedded short-term financing, and payment reconciliation. It uses generative AI to empower B2B checkout, customer and vendor risk assessment, payment reconciliation, and cash management, driving digital transformation.

Slope will join the J.P. Morgan Payments Partner Network, which delivers end-to-end payment experiences through an ecosystem of third-party applications that can grow businesses faster.

FinSMEs

17/07/2024
Lakshya and Raghav Juyals Kill has been largely promoted and praised for its action by the makers and international critics. For them, this isnt the form of filming or storytelling they have experienced in any Hindi film prior. Produced by Dharma Productions, the film is now being remade in Hollywood.

However, multiple reports suggested it would be remade in India too but Dharma Productions has refuted such claims:

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The conflict is simple. A woman is in danger. The man she loves is a commando. Who else will do the rescuing? The visceral and unflinching violence could be discomforting and dangerous for viewing, but the film revels in its ugly bloodbath and bone-chilling close-ups. The more you suffer, the closer youre filmed. But Nagesh and his co-writer Ayesha Syed dont reduce the men on the other side of law as caricaturist cartoons. They weep, they scream, they are brutally bruised, and they too suffer from a state of anger and anxiety. But Kill is also marred by a sea of cliches that heap up consecutively towards the end. The villain wastes his time monologuing and reminding the hero how he massacred the lady he passionately loved.

We have mostly adorned celluloid action heroes like Chulbul Pandey and Bajirao Singham. Last year, we got what was marketed as an unforgiving and unabashed action film called Animal . The 20-minute stretch that unfolds in that hotel room or the climatic battle between a misogynist and a monster was all that we had in the name of mayhem. With Kill, Hindi cinema takes a giant leap with audacity knowing no bounds. And who wouldve imagined this could be an offering from the man who only filmed a slap in the name of violence in his films- Karan Johar. So for all those who thought Animal reeked of violence, this discomforting debut vehicle reduces that blockbuster to a Disney cartoon.
Thousands of students are protesting across Bangladesh against a court order reinstating a 30 per cent quota to families of war veterans. The stir, which has been ongoing for weeks, has now turned violent, leading to at least five deaths and hundreds of injuries. The government has closed public and private campuses indefinitely read more

Students clash over a quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh on 15 Julu. Police fired tear gas and charged demonstrators with batons overnight during violent clashes between a pro-government student body and student protesters. AP

Universities across Bangladesh have erupted in protests. The demonstrations have turned violent  at least five people have died and hundreds of others have been injured, as students raise their voices against job quota.

The government has cancelled classes in public and private campuses across the country. It has also decided to close medical, textile, engineering and other colleges affiliated with the universities until further notice, according to bdnews24, Bangladeshs leading news publisher.

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We take a look at the reason behind the protests and how the situation has escalated.

Why are students protesting in Bangladesh?

The protests in Bangladesh started on 1 July, days after a decision by the Bangladesh High Court to reinstate a 30 per cent government job quota for descendants of those who fought in the countrys 1971 war of independence.

Thousands of students from government and private universities in the country are demonstrating against the quotas, fearing that they will be deprived of opportunities if 30 per cent are reserved for family members of war veterans. While protesters support reservation for other marginalised groups like women, ethnic minorities and the disabled, the demand is that the quota of kin of freedom fighters be scrapped.

Students clash over the quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 15. Police have fired tear gas and charged with batons overnight during violent clashes between a pro-government student body and student protesters. AP

We are not against the quota system in general, but we want the 30 per cent quota for the descendants of 1971 freedom fighters to be abolished, Nahid Islam, the coordinator of the anti-quota protests told Reuters. Government jobs are the only hope for many young people in Bangladesh, and this quota system is depriving them of opportunities.

Many of the protesters are also concerned about the accuracy of the list of veterans families, believing that some might unfairly benefit from the provision. They argue the quota is discriminatory, and should be replaced with a merit-based system. They also say it benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement.

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This quota system was abolished in 2018 by Hasina after widespread protests in Bangladesh. The June 5 court order, which said the abolition was illegal, has again angered the youth.

Government jobs are sought-after in the country because they pay well. More than half of the positions are reserved for certain groups.

Who is behind the protests?

The protesters claim that they are not aligned with any political group. According to a report in Al-Jazeera, the movement has come to be known as the Students Against Discrimination movement.

Thousands of students from Dhaka University in the capital and Chittagong University have joined the anti-quota stir. It has also spread to other universities in the country.

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Fahim Faruki, a protester and third-year international relations student at Dhaka University, told the publication that students organised the protests through a Facebook group and were not backed by any political organisation.

How did the protests turn violent?

During a press conference on Sunday, Hasina was asked about the student protests and the quota system. She responded by saying, If the grandchildren of freedom fighters do not receive [quota] benefits, who would get it? The grandchildren of Razakars?

Razakar is a derogatory term in Bangladesh, referring to those who collaborated with the Pakistani military during the 1971 Liberation War. It is considered a betrayal of their country.

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Students clash over the quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, on July 15, 2024. The anti-quota protests, which have been going on for weeks, have taken a violent turn. AP

The Bangladesh PMs comments were considered demeaning by student protesters, further angering them.

On Sunday night, thousands of students marched through the Dhaka University campus chanting the slogan, Who are you? Who are you? I am Razakar, I am Razakar. It is an adaptation of the famous chat during the Liberation War, Who are we? Bengali, according to a report in Scroll.in.

Students across Bangladesh took to the streets with mass procession in respose to PM Hasina's framing of quota reform protesters as heirs of Rajakar (Collaborators who aided Pakistan in '71)



Chant "Who are you, who am I? Rajakar, Rajakar" filling the air nationwide. #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/M157oZ7Qqx  Mehedi Hasan Marof (@MehediMarof) July 14, 2024

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On Monday, clashes broke out at Dhaka University between protesters and members of the student wing of the ruling Awami League party, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), leaving more than 100 students injured, police said.

Violence spread overnight to Jahangir Nagar University in Savar, outside Dhaka, and was reported elsewhere around the country on Tuesday, reports The Associated Press (AP).

At Jahangir Nagar University, demonstrators gathered in front of the vice-chancellors residence early Tuesday when they were attacked by BCL activists and police, say witnesses. Over 50 people were treated at a nearby hospital, with at least 30 suffering pellet wounds.

Abdullahil Kafi, a senior police official, told the countrys leading English-language newspaper, Daily Star, that protesters attacked police and that officers retaliated with tear gas and blank rounds. He said up to 15 police officers were injured. However, the protesters have accused the BCL and police of instigating the violence, reports AP.

Of the five reported deaths, one was in Dhaka and three others, including a pedestrian, in Chattogram. Media reports also said that a 22-year-old protester died in Rangpur.

On Wednesday, students will hold funerals in absentia across the country for victims of Bangladesh. They will march carrying coffins as a token protest, announced Asif Mahmud, a leader of the Student Movement Against Discrimination, reports bdnews24.

How has the government responded to the stir?

The government has deployed riot police on campuses and paramilitary troops in several districts amid rising tensions.

After Sundays protests, Hasina asked if the agitators, who referred to themselves as Razakars understood the history of Bangladesh well. They did not witness the bodies lying in the streets, yet they feel no shame in calling themselves Razakars, the PM said. She also asked if students were aware of the role of Pakistani collaborators in the 1971 genocide and the abuse of women during the Liberation War.

Police fired tear gas and charged with batons overnight during violent clashes between a pro-government student body and student protesters. There have been at least five deaths and hundreds of injuries, leading the government to close public and private campuses. AP

Several ministers also echoed similar views. Those who proclaim I am a Razakar have demonstrated themselves to be the true Razakars of this era, Bangladesh Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury wrote on Facebook on Sunday. They disregard both the court and the government.

Last week, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan requested the students not to block streets unnecessarily and go back to their respective institutes. The students are crossing their limits, he said at a press conference.

What has the opposition said?

The protests have taken on a political dimension. The countrys main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its student wing have called for marches on Wednesday to protest the attacks on the anti-quota protesters.

What can we expect next?

A student hides underneath a vehicle amid violent protests against quota at a university outside Dhaka. AP

The government has been unable to quell protests. Experts have warned that the governments heavy-handed response and failure to address the grievances of protesters could only lead to more anger and instability in the country.

Asif Nazrul, a law professor at Dhaka University, criticised the governments response, suggesting it was eager to suppress the protests and had found a convenient pretext, reports Al-Jazeera.

The government needs to find a way to listen to the students concerns and find a fair solution to this quota issue, Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, chairman of Research and Policy Integration for Development told Reuters. Resorting to violence and labelling the protesters as anti-national forces is only going to exacerbate the situation and deepen the divisions in Bangladeshi society.

With inputs from agencies
Six Indian states including Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, and Delhi are considering running a pilot project that will allow online deliveries of low-alcohol beverages such as beer, and wine via online food delivery platforms like Big Basket, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zomato. Currently, online alcohol delivery is only available in West Bengal and Odisha, and industry executives have reported a 20-30 per cent increase in sales read more

Several Indian states, including New Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala, are considering pilot projects to permit home delivery of alcohol through online platforms like Swiggy, BigBasket, Zomato, and Blinkit.

In a transformative move for Indias food and beverage industry, leading online food delivery platforms like Blinkit, Big Basket, Swiggy, and Zomato may soon start delivering drinks right to your doorstep.

According to a report by The Economic Times, six statesKarnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, and Delhiare considering running this initiative as a pilot project. Currently, online alcohol delivery is only available in West Bengal and Odisha.

This experimental initiative will initially focus on delivering low-alcohol beverages such as beer, wine, and liqueurs.

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Whats driving this move, and will it really help boost sales? Lets take a closer look.

The drive for convenience

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the shift toward online shopping and home delivery. With consumers becoming accustomed to getting goods delivered to their doorsteps, this trend further paved the way for food delivery platforms to expand their offerings to include alcoholic beverages.

West Bengal began experimenting with home delivery of liquor in June 2020, initiated by the state beverage corporation through an e-retail app.

Swiggy, Spencers, and a few other platforms joined the initiative and it soon proved to be a hit.

A local who regularly ordered his drinks through Spencers had told the newspaper, I am doing it through Spencers and its hassle-free.

Home delivery orders accounted for around 15 per cent of counter sales, a leading retailer in Kolkata told _The Times of India.

_

According to retail industry executives, online deliveries have resulted in a 20-30 per cent increase in sales in West Bengal and Odisha. Image fore Representation. PTI

Similarly, other states including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Assam had temporarily allowed alcohol deliveries under strict conditions but despite these restrictions, the initiative met was with success.

According to retail industry executives, online deliveries have resulted in a 20-30 per cent increase in sales in West Bengal and Odisha so far.

Although these permissions have since lapsed, some local platforms in Maharashtra continue to offer delivery services.

Whats driving the expansion?

This is to cater to a growing expat population, especially in larger cities, changing profiles of consumers who perceive moderate alcohol-content spirits as recreational drinking along with meals, and women and senior citizens who have flagged buying from traditional liquor vends and shop-front experiences as unpleasant, an industry executive as quoted in The Economic Times report.

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In May 2021, ISAWI, in partnership with LocalCircles, a social media platform, conducted a survey on liquor deliveries covering 33,000 respondents across eight cities. About 81 per cent consumers in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad said that they would like to use home delivery services citing convenience, brand availability, and safety as the reasons to justify their response.

The state authorities are now gathering feedback from e-commerce platforms and spirits manufacturers about the potential benefits and drawbacks of online alcohol delivery.

The positives

Dinker Vashisht, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Swiggy, emphasised the benefits of the online delivery model, noting that it ensures end-to-end transaction records, age verification, and adherence to limits.

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Further, online tech stacks synchronise with regulatory and excise requirements, ensuring adherence to timings, dry days, and zonal delivery guardrails, he told The Economic Times.

According to an executive, online delivery services can implement strict age verification and compliance measures, potentially offering more controlled and regulated sales than traditional retail outlets. This can help prevent underage drinking and ensure responsible consumption. Image for Representation. PTI

In West Bengal, customers must complete a one-time instant age verification process by uploading a picture of their valid government ID and a selfie for authentication. They also face a cap on order quantities set by the states excise laws.

Rahul Singh, Chief Executive of the pub chain The Beer Cafe, echoed these sentiments, stating in The Economic Times, that online home deliveries of liquor will ensure responsible and regulated alcohol distribution while also enhancing consumer convenience, driving economic growth, and keeping in line with global trends.

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The response from the industry and breweries has also been welcoming. Industry executives noted that makers of beers and wines, such as United Breweries with its Kingfisher brand and AB InBev, which owns Budweiser, have shown significant interest in home delivery of beers. This trend is particularly appealing as beers align well with grocery shopping habits, especially among consumers in metropolitans.

The challenges

The implementation of online alcohol delivery proposals remains a challenge for delivery platforms as multiple political backlashes, perception challenges, and pressure from physical retail bodies continue to hinder their operations.

HipBar, one of the major e-commerce players for home delivery of alcohol, began its operations in Karnataka in 2021, however, its services ceased because of certain local lobby pressures, its founder Prasanna Natarajan told The Times of India. The company had even filed a case in the Supreme Court.

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He further said that is an uphill battle when it comes to building operations in wide swathes of the country because the rules of operating in different markets differ greatly.

The implementation of online alcohol delivery proposals remains a challenge for delivery platforms as multiple political backlashes, perception challenges, and pressure from physical retail bodies continue to hinder their operations. Image for Representation. File Photo

Theres a fear of what happens when underage people buy it, or what happens when theres domestic violence because of reckless consumption. Theres also a concern that duties will be evaded and the direct channel to the customer gets exploited because the government stands to lose the Rs 3 in levies they get for every rupee a manufacturer makes, Natarajan had told the newspaper.

Undoubtedly, there are hurdles to overcome. Still, this pilot project across several Indian states is an exciting prospect for businesses and consumers alike. If successful, this move could set a precedent for other markets and industries to follow.

With input from agencies
A long-simmering dispute between Mauritius and the United Kingdom over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean has finally ended after the Keir Starmer-led government announced it is giving up its sovereignty claim in a deal to secure a military base. Lets take a closer look at the 50-year-old dispute read more

A demonstrator demanding her return to the Chagos Islands in the Diego Garcia archipelago shouts during a protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London, 2008. Reuters

The United Kingdom has finally agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The Chagos Islands is an archipelago of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean.

This is a seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law, the statement from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth read as per BBC.

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The treaty will also address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians it added.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the agreement secures the UKs strategically-important military base at Diego Garcia, the largest in the chain of islands, for the future.

The UK government said without the deal the secure operation of the military base would be under threat, with contested sovereignty and legal challenges, including through various international courts and tribunals.

As part of the deal, the UK will retain sovereignty of Diego Garcia for an initial period of 99 years.

It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the UK, as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner, Lammy said.

The development comes three months after External Affairs Minister S Jaishnkar had reaffirmed Indias support for Mauritius in the sovereignty dispute.

I would like to again assure you today that on the issue of Chagos, India will continue its consistent support to Mauritius in line with its principal stand on decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, Jaishankar, during a two-day visit to Mauritius, had said.

The trip was one of his first bilateral engagements since he reassumed charge of the ministry in the Narendra Modi 3.0 government.

But what exactly was the Chagos Islands dispute about?

What was the UKs role in it?

Lets take a closer look

The Chagos Islands

The Chagos Islands or the Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives. The Chagos Archipelago spreads out across 250,000 square miles, an area the size of Texas; taken together, the islands have a landmass the size of Manhattan.

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A report in The Atlantic states that the islands were chanced upon by Portuguese navigators in the 16th Century. They mapped the islands and gave some of them the names that they retain even today. The Dutch came next; however, they didnt stay.

Diego Garcia, largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain in 1966. File image/Reuters

Later, it came into the possession of France as well as Mauritius and Reunion. The French gave names to more of the islands. They imported enslaved workers from Madagascar and Mozambique, and later brought workers from southern India, to labour in the coconut plantations. After the defeat of Napoleon, Great Britain acquired Chagos and Mauritius.

Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been inhabited; it serves as a military base to the US and houses 2,500 American-military personnel and temporary foreign workers, mostly Filipino.

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Chagos dispute between UK and Mauritius

Mauritius has for decades claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, arguing that it has been a part of its territory since at least the 18th Century, till the United Kingdom broke the archipelago away from Mauritius in 1965 and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from the Seychelles in the region to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. In June 1976, after the Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom, the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches were returned by the UK.

It was during this time that the UK forcibly removed thousands of Chagossians from their homelands and sent them more than 1,600km (1,000 miles) away to Mauritius and the Seychelles, where they faced extreme poverty and discrimination.

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After Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968, the UK refused to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius claiming that the island was required to accommodate the United States desire to use certain islands in the Indian Ocean for defence purposes.

As per a report by The Print, the UK threatened Mauritius that it would not grant it independence, lest they conceded to the demand of Chagos. And it seems that it worked with then Premier of Mauritius Seewoosagur Ramgoolam conceding.

Then in 1980, Ramgoolam, as the then-prime minister, asked for the territory to be restored to Mauritius at the United Nations General Assembly.

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Years and years of dispute

The dispute between the two continued for decades. However, it was in 2015 that Mauritius initiated legal proceedings in these matters against the United Kingdom in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in the Netherlands.

In the 2015 matter, the Permanent Court of Arbitration came down heavily against the UK, stating that London had failed to give due regard to Mauritius rights and declared that the UK had breached its obligations under the (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). The ruling also called out the UK for deliberately creating a marine protected area in the waters surrounding Chagos Islands in 2010.

Chagossian Islanders and their supporters arrive at the Court of Appeal in central London in 2007. The two sides have been disputing over the islands for years, but no outcome has been achieved. File image/AFP

However, nothing changed after the ruling and successive Mauritian governments continued negotiations with the UK government, also pursuing legal avenues. In 2019, the matter reached the UNs highest court of justice  the International Court of Justice. Port Louis had argued that it had been coerced into giving the islands to the UK as part of colonial occupation of the country, a move, it stated, that was in breach of UN resolution 1514 that was passed in 1960, which specifically banned the breakup of colonies before independence, reported the Indian Express.

The ICJ then ruled in its favour, ordering the UK to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as rapidly as possible. However, the United Kingdom Foreign Office said that the ICJ ruling was an advisory opinion, not a judgment and claimed that the defence facilities on the British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy.

In November 2019, after Britain missed the six-month deadline to hand over Chagos, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said the UK was now an illegal colonial occupier.

He followed it up by saying that the UK and US lectured countries to respect human rights, but they are champions of double talk. They are hypocrites. Shame on them when they talk about human rights and respect, he added.

In the same year, the United Nations General Assembly also backed a motion condemning Britains occupation of the remote Chagos Islands. While the US, Hungary, Israel, Australia and the Maldives backed the UK in the vote, 56 countries abstained, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Romania. Other European allies including Austria, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland voted for the UK to relinquish sovereignty.

What had the UK said?

Britain had continuously defended its occupation of the Chagos Islands, arguing that Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the archipelago and we do not recognise its claim.

And as recently as January this year, Britains Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, ruled out the resettlement of former inhabitants of the Chagos Islands. He suggested that a return to the islands was now not possible for Chagossians who were forcibly displaced by the British government in the 1960s and 1970s.

Now, however, the UK led by Keir Starmer has taken a U-turn on its stance.

With inputs from agencies
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiahs now-deleted post on X about 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies stirred a massive row. The state government has now issued a clarification but industry leaders are still concerned. Heres why read more

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a bill reserving jobs for locals in the private sector. File Photo/PTI

The Karnataka governments decision to reserve jobs for locals in the private sector has created a stir. Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs post on X on 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies led to backlash, prompting him to delete the post.

A bill mandating reservation for locals has been approved by the Karnataka Cabinet. Now, the government has clarified amid criticism from industry leaders.

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What is going on? Lets understand.

What did the Karnataka CM post?

On Tuesday (July 16), Siddaramaiah posted on X that the Karnataka Cabinet has green-lit legislation mandating private industries to hire only Kannadigas in group C and D jobs.

The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make it mandatory to hire 100 per cent Kannadigas for C and D grade posts in all private industries in the state. It is our governments wish that the Kannadigas should avoid being deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada and should be given an opportunity to build a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of Kannadigas, the chief minister had reportedly written.

He took down the post on Wednesday after it spurred a backlash.

The Karnataka CM posted a fresh tweet on Wednesday (July 17) with revised reservation figures.

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Labour minister Santosh Lad also later clarified, stating that the state government is trying to introduce a bill to give preference to locals in private jobs.

At management (level), it has been decided to provide reservation to 50 per cent of the people. At the non-management level, it has been decided to provide work to 70 per cent, he told ANI.

#WATCH | Karnataka Labor Minister Santosh S Lad clarifies on CM Siddaramaiah's tweet (that appears to be deleted now).



He says, "At management (level), it has been decided to provide reservation to 50% of the people. At the non-management level, it has been decided to provide pic.twitter.com/xKrSNQTY0T  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

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The labour minister said that if companies are unable to hire suitable skilled candidates from within the state, they could then fill the post with a non-local applicant.

If a particular skill is not available, people can be outsourced and they can be given work here. But the government is trying to bring in a law to give preference to locally available skills, he told the news agency ANI.

As per India Today, the proposed bill does not mention the 100 per cent reservation for Group C and D posts.

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ALSO READ: Stampede-like situation in Mumbai over jobs: Is India facing an employment crisis?

What does Karnataka govts bill say?

The Siddaramaiah-led government passed the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 on Monday.

The bill reserves 50 per cent of management positions and 70 per cent of non-management positions for Kannadigas in the private sector.

As per PTI, the bill states, Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories.

A local candidate is defined in the proposed bill as an individual born in Karnataka, residing in the state for 15 years, and can speak, read, and write Kannada legibly, according to an India Today report.

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The applicants must possess a secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language. If they do not have it, they have to clear a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the nodal agency notified by the government.

It also states that if qualified local candidates are not available, the industries and establishments should collaborate with the government to train Kannadigas within three years.

If there are not enough local applicants, companies may apply for relaxation.

Such orders passed by the Government shall be final: Provided that, the relaxation provided under this section shall not be less than twenty five per cent for management category and fifty per cent for non-management categories, the proposed bill says.

Any employer or manager of an establishment who fails to comply with the provisions of the bill would be liable for a penalty between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000.

Row over Karnataka reservation bill

Industry leaders have criticised the Karnataka governments decision, saying it would discriminate against those from outside who want to work in the state.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, executive chairperson of biopharmaceuticals company Biocon Limited, wrote on X, As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy.

Mohandas Pai, chairman of Aarin Capital Partners and former finance chief at Infosys, wrote on social media: The bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the Constitution.

Swarna Group Managing Director Chi VSV Prasad pointed out the labour shortage, urging the state government to take a call after analysing the industry situation.

keeping such restrictions will only ultimately end in stopping all infrastructure projects and the industries also will be closed if such compulsions are imposed So my view will be that our government should give preference to groups C and D Kannadigas. But, if we dont get, then what is the alternative you have to suggest?, he was quoted as saying by India Today.

IT industry body Nasscom has asked the state to withdraw the bill. It flagged concerns that the decision could hamper the growth of the tech industry, impact jobs and force companies to relocate.

The state government has assured it will consult with the industry and address their concerns.

Amid the backlash, Karnataka commerce & industries minister MB Patil said the government will hold wider consultations. We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries, he said.

Karnataka is a progressive state, and we cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialisation. We will make sure that everyones interests are safeguarded," Patil said.

Karnataka Minister for Electronics Priyank Kharge said the labour department, which introduced the bill, is yet to consult with the industry, the Minister of Industry and the Department of Information Technology.

He said it will have wider consultations with the industry and there was no need to panic.

Karnataka is the 4th largest technology cluster in the world and are leaders in the country in many verticals.



We are No. 1 in India Innovation Index



1st in IT service exports



Top 3 in FDI inflows



We have 40% share in Electronics Design in India



In Machine Tools https://t.co/Sh2fJkE5rG  Priyank Kharge /   (@PriyankKharge) July 17, 2024

I am sure that before coming up with the rules of the bill, they will have due consultations with the respective ministries and more importantly, a wider consultation with the industry. So there is no need to panic. We are going to safeguard the jobs for the state as well as encourage investments in the industries with their consultation, Kharge stated.

With inputs from agencies
A controversy erupted over the construction of a replica of Uttarakhands centuries-old Kedarnath temple in Delhi. The concerns of those protesting are multi-fold. The seers and priests of Kedarnath believe replicating a sacred Jyotirlinga defies religious traditions. They argue the original shrines hold a unique place in Hindu culture and this goes against established practices read more

The holy shrine of Lord Shiva in Uttarakhand, Kedarnath Temple, is back in the news.

A controversy erupted over the construction of a replica of the centuries-old Himalayan temple in Delhi.

While the temple is being constructed in the National Capital, the protest is taking place in Uttarakhand.

Heres all we know about it.

The replica of Kedarnath temple

The Kedarnath temple replica is being constructed in Hiranki, Burari, on three expansive acres of land by the Shri Kedarnath Dham Trust, Burari.

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According to the trust, the temple is being built since the original Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand is closed for six months each year due to harsh weather conditions.

The temple trust even claimed it would be an exact replica, using similar architecture and materials, according to Business Today.

The trust, overseen by its founder-president, Surinder Rautela, is the owner of the plot and will also bear the construction cost of around Rs 12 crore, the report claimed.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the groundbreaking and stone-laying ceremony of the temple on July 10.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami attends Shri Kedarnath Dham Bhoomi Poojan, in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/hhbVrsNuEa  ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2024

The trusts administrative head, Jitendra Sulara, said on Tuesday, that the construction of the shrine is expected to be finished by the end of 2026, as per The Times of India.

The original temple, located at a high altitude in the Himalayas of Uttarakhands Garhwal region, is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, sacred representations of Lord Shiva. The temple is also among the four sacred Hindu shrines, comprising the Char Dham, the others being Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

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The protest

The seers and priests of Kedarnath, along with many religious leaders and citizens of Uttarakhand, are vehemently opposing the project.

They also launched a three-day protest from July 12-15, shouting slogans against the state government, according to PTI.

Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan President Swami Darshan Bharti alleged it was being done under a conspiracy and appealed to the believers of Sanatan to stall the project.

Misusing the name of Baba Kedar is a sin. I appeal to all sanatanis to wake up and foil this conspiracy, he said.

As per TOI, the opposition Congress in the state has accused CM Dhami and the ruling BJP of undermining the sanctity of the ancient shrine.

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Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairperson Ajendra Ajay said, The state government has nothing to do with the construction of the temple in Delhi. It is being done by an organisation named Kedarnath Trust. The state government has offered no financial assistance in its construction. The chief minister attended the stone laying function on the invitation of some seers and public representatives as it was a religious ceremony.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Regarding the controversy over the Kedarnath temple being built in Burari, Delhi, Ajendra Ajay, President of Shri Badrinath- Kedarnath Temple Committee says, "The Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with this temple. The Chief Minister had attended the pic.twitter.com/OGjGsAnOnm  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 15, 2024

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However, the apex body overseeing the twin shrines, warned of legal action against the trust in Delhi if it went ahead with plans to construct the shrine replica.

Ajay said, We have received complaints about individuals and organisations forming trusts in the name of Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines and collecting money to construct temples, hospitals, ashrams, etc. Some are even using apps to collect money on the pretext of organising online prayers at the two shrines. We will take all legal action possible.

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The reason

The concerns of those protesting are multi-fold.

The priests believe replicating a sacred Jyotirlinga defies religious traditions.

They say the original shrines hold a unique place in Hindu belief, and replicating them goes against established practices.

They argue that bringing a stone from Kedarnath Dham to Delhi disrupts the sacred tradition associated with the temple. They declared there is and will always be only one Kedarnath Dham, and it cannot be replaced by any other temple.

Congress workers burn an effigy during a protest against the construction of the Kedarnath Temple in Delhi, in Dehradun, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. PTI

Constructing a temple in the name of Kedarnath Dham in Delhi is showing disrespect to the sanctity of the centuries-old Himalayan temple revered by generations of Hindus, said Umesh Posti, who is linked to the association of priests in Kedarnath, told PTI.

Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand, alleged a gold scam in Kedarnath and that there would be another one in Delhi.

He told ANI, There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath 12 Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran, along with their name and location When the address for Kedarnath is in the Himalayas, how can it be in Delhi? There are political reasons behind this. Political people are entering our religious places. There is a gold scam in Kedarnath, why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kilogrammes of gold is missing from Kedarnath. No inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this? Now they are saying they will build a Kedarnath in Delhi; this cannot happen.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On Kedarnath Temple to be built in Delhi, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand alleges, "There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath... 12 Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran with name and location... When the address for Kedarnath is in pic.twitter.com/ZnvCNtztrO  ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2024

Acharya Satyendra Das, Head Priest of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, told PTI, There are 12 Jyotirlinga, Kedarnath Ji is among them. It is in Uttarakhand, and it holds supreme powers. The powers of 12 Jyotirlinga is incomparable, hence, people go there to seek blessings.

If another temple is coming up (in Delhi) with the same name, it will not be in 12 Jyotirlinga. People wont get the same result at a replica temple. It is not appropriate to make another temple in the name of Kedarnath, if it has to come, it should have a different name. There is only one Kedarnath Temple and it will remain so.

VIDEO | "There are 12 Jyotirlinga, Kedarnath Ji is among them. It is in Uttarakhand, and it holds supreme powers. The powers of 12 Jyotirlinga is incomparable, hence people go there to seek blessings. If another temple is coming up (in Delhi) with the same name, it will not be in pic.twitter.com/N9ORZ7bBDd  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 16, 2024

Responding to these, Sulara countered, There are several Vaishno Devi temples across India. There is a Badrinath temple in Mumbai. There is even a Kedarnath temple in Indore. Why cannot we build one here?

It is not against Sanatan Dharma to build a temple. But it cannot be compared with the original in Kedarnath because we dont have a Jyotirlinga. This is just another Shiva temple.

Rautela, too, contended, This is nothing new and we fail to understand the controversy, while also contemplating the removal of the word Dham to avoid confusion.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Regarding the controversy over the Kedarnath temple being built in Burari, Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust founder Surendra Rautela, says, "If sentiments are being hurt by naming the temple to be built in Delhi as Kedarnath Temple, then the trust will change pic.twitter.com/TVmGhsEhlu  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 16, 2024

With inputs from agencies
British MP and former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has reportedly thrown her hat in the ring to succeed former UK PM Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party. As the Tories faced an onslaught in the recent UK general election, Patel managed to retain her seat from Witham in Essex. UK media reports that she is expected to formally announce her intention to run by the end of the week read more

Priti Patel walks on the day of the Britain's Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, UK, October 2, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Priti Patel, the former United Kingdom home secretary, has decided to enter the Conservative Party leadership race after being urged to run by fellow MPs, reports by various UK media outlets suggest.

Patel, who has been the MP for Witham in Essex since 2010, retained her seat this month during the UK general election with a reduced majority of 5,145. This marks the first time the 52-year-old has made a bid for the leadership, joining a contest expected to include Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, and possibly Suella Braverman, among others.

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Who is Priti Patel?

Born on March 29, 1972, in London to Gujarati parents who fled Uganda in the 1960s, Patel was educated at Watford Grammar School for Girls. She earned an economics degree from Keele University and pursued postgraduate studies in British government and politics at the University of Essex.

Before her political career, Patel worked at Conservative Central Office and in the private sector, including roles at Weber Shandwick and Diageo.

Then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel speaks during a statement on Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda in London, UK, June 15, 2022. UK Parliament

Patels political journey began in earnest when she was elected as MP for Witham in 2010. She achieved ministerial rank in 2014 and has since held several key positions, including Exchequer Secretary to the UK Treasury, UK Minister for Employment and most recently the UK Home Secretary.

Her right-wing stance is reflected in her voting record, including her opposition to gay marriage and advocacy for tougher immigration policies.

How is Priti Patel preparing for her bid?

Patel has already assembled a campaign team funded by high-profile Tory donors.

She has hired a respected member of the House of Lords as her campaign treasurer and brought on board former advisers and Conservative Campaign Headquarters staff experienced in past leadership elections, reported UKs The Telegraph.

Priti Patel attends the Britains Conservative Partys annual conference in Manchester, UK, October 2, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Patels backers believe she is the only candidate who can unite the party and garner support from a broad spectrum of Conservative MPs.

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A source close to Patel told The Telegraph, Priti has kept a low profile and done her best to support others, she feels colleagues also need time to digest the general election result and dont want posturing in the media from prospective candidates.

Does Priti Patel have a chance?

Patels political career has been marked by both achievements and controversies. Serving as International Development Secretary under former UK PM Theresa May and then UK Home Secretary under Boris Johnson, she has faced scrutiny for her conduct.

In 2020, Johnsons adviser on standards, Alex Allan, ruled that Patel had unintentionally breached the ministerial code, citing instances of shouting and swearing. Johnson, however, rejected the findings and expressed full confidence in Patel.

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Then-UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and then-UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak attend a reception to celebrate the British Asian Trust, at The British Museum, in London, Britain, February 9, 2022. File Image/Reuters

Despite this, Patel offered a fulsome apology but argued she was not adequately supported by the UK Home Office at the time.

Patel has also played significant roles in addressing crises such as the London Bridge and Streatham stabbing attacks, as well as implementing a new points-based immigration system post-Brexit. Her stance on immigration and law enforcement, alongside her right-wing policies, aligns with the views of many within the party.

Who is Patel going to face?

Kemi Badenoch, currently the favourite to succeed former UK PM Rishi Sunak as leader of the Tories, has caused concern among some MPs with her outspoken comments about Sunak and Braverman following the Tories general election defeat. Badenoch has foundations in Nigeria and has also spent time in the United States growing up.

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Badenoch criticised Sunak and accused Braverman of having a very public nervous breakdown. While Badenoch is popular with Conservative Party members, some MPs doubt her ability to appeal to centrists and feel she lacks experience, reported The Telegraph.

Then-UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch speaks during her press conference at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, Britain, March 18, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Other potential candidates include Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, and Robert Jenrick. Tugendhat, who came a distant fifth in the 2022 leadership race, is expected to confirm his run within weeks.

The failure of Penny Mordaunt to retain her seat means the moderate wing of the party may now rally behind these figures, though none have the profile of Patel.

When will Rishi Sunak vacate the post?

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The rules and timeline for the leadership contest will be determined by the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs, which recently appointed Bob Blackman as its new chair. Candidates need to secure the backing of enough MPs to make it into the final two, who will then be voted on by party members.

While some senior Tories advocate for a swift contest to avoid further damage to the partys public image, others suggest a more prolonged process to allow candidates to present their visions thoroughly.

Rishi Sunak turns away after speaking outside 10 Downing Street before going to see King Charles III to tender his resignation in London, on July 5. Sunak and his Conservative Party lost the general election held July 4, to the Labour Party. File Image/AP

UK Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell proposed that Rishi Sunak should remain as leader until November to provide stability, reported Sky News.

Also Read: Is Rishi Sunak California-bound after crushing UK election defeat?

Mitchell highlighted the need for a debate at the Conservative Party conference and referenced Michael Howards delayed departure in 2005, which eventually led to David Camerons leadership and electoral victories.

With inputs from agencies
Six people, comprising four Vietnamese nationals and two US citizens, were found dead in a luxury hotel room in central Bangkok, and Thai police believe they likely drank from tea and coffee cups laced with cyanide following a dispute over bad investments. Why is the lethal poison an instant killer? read more

A screen shows a picture from the crime scene with teacups in which cyanide was found, during a presser following a case of six foreign nationals who were found dead in a room in a plush Bangkok hotel at Lumpini Police Station, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 17, 2024. Reuters

Six guests, comprising four Vietnamese nationals and two Vietnamese Americans, were found dead in a locked hotel room at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, Thailand. Initial autopsy results revealed traces of cyanide in their blood, pointing to poisoning as the cause of death.

The victims, three men and three women aged between 37 and 56, were last seen alive on Monday afternoon when food was delivered to their room. Security footage showed them arriving one by one, with no other visitors entering or leaving the room.

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When they failed to check out, hotel staff discovered their bodies the next day. The food from the previous day was untouched, but several used teacups and two thermoses were found on a table, which later tested positive for cyanide.

Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan, chief of the Thai police forces forensic division, confirmed the presence of cyanide in the cups and thermoses. Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang stated that the victims likely did not consume the poison knowingly, as their bodies were found in different parts of the room, indicating they did not wait for death together.

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during a presser at Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where six foreign nationals were found dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024. Reuters

While police suspect one of the six poisoned the others, the exact individual responsible has not been identified. This wasnt an act of terrorism or a breach in security. Everything is fine, said Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Not the first Thai high-profile case involving cyanide

A recent case is that of Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, Thailands first female serial killer. In 2023, Sararat was charged with poisoning 15 people over several years, killing 14 of them. Her victims were often people she owed money to, and she used cyanide to settle her debts. Sararats ex-husband, Witoon Rangsiwuthaporn, faced charges of fraud but denied knowledge of the murders.

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Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn was arrested after suspicions arose over the death of her friend Siriporn Khanwong. The two had met to release fish at a pier in Ratchaburi when Siriporn suddenly collapsed and died. An autopsy revealed cyanide traces in Siriporns body. Media reports accused Sararat of leaving the scene instead of helping as bystanders tried to revive Siriporn. Following her arrest, more families reported similar sudden deaths after meeting Sararat.

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, a suspect in over a dozen murders, is escorted by police officers at a police station in Bangkok, Thailand, April 26, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Victims included Sararats friends, a former partner, and police officers. The case prompted police to investigate other suspicious deaths with similar symptoms across five provinces.

Cyanide poisoning is not new, with several high-profile cases in history. One of the most infamous is the Tylenol murders in Chicago in 1982, where potassium cyanide-laced painkillers resulted in several deaths. The perpetrator was never caught, but the case led to significant changes in product safety and packaging.

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Cyanide: The deadly poison

Cyanide is a fast-acting toxin with a notorious reputation in both historical and recent cases of poisoning. It binds to the iron atom in cytochrome C oxidase in the mitochondria of cells, inhibiting aerobic respiration by preventing cells from using oxygen to produce energy molecules.

Also Read | Beware: Fruits and vegetables with a poisonous side you may not know about!

This leads to the rapid death of heart muscle cells and nerve cells, causing symptoms like headache, dizziness, weakness, confusion, and fatigue, progressing to respiratory failure, convulsions, and death.

How cyanide poisons

In essence, cyanide inhibits the bodys ability to utilise oxygen at the cellular level. The cyanide ion (CN-) binds to the iron atom in cytochrome C oxidase within the mitochondria, preventing the enzyme from functioning correctly. This enzyme is crucial for the final step in the electron transport chain of aerobic cellular respiration.

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Plates of food in the hotel room where six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, Thailand. Royal Thai Police

Without the ability to use oxygen, cells cannot produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy carrier in the body. This rapid cessation of ATP production leads to cell death, particularly in tissues that rely heavily on aerobic respiration, such as the heart and brain.

Symptoms of cyanide exposure

Exposure to cyanide can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Inhalation of high doses of cyanide gas causes immediate unconsciousness and death. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, confusion, fatigue, low blood pressure, unconsciousness, convulsions, slow heart rate, lung damage, respiratory failure, and coma. Death typically results from respiratory or heart failure.

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The lethal dose of cyanide varies depending on the compound and method of exposure. Approximately half a gram of ingested cyanide can be fatal for a 160-pound adult. Inhaled cyanide is more dangerous than ingested cyanide, and immediate medical attention is critical for survival.

Treatment and prevention of cyanide consumption

Small amounts of cyanide can be detoxified by the body, such as cyanide from cigarette smoke or certain foods. However, larger doses require immediate medical intervention.

A general view of Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, which believed that at least six people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024. Reuters

Treatments for cyanide poisoning include the administration of antidotes that detoxify cyanide or bind to it. One common antidote is hydroxocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12, which reacts with cyanide to form cyanocobalamin, excreted in the urine. Inhalation of amyl nitrite may also aid breathing in victims of cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Also Read: 10 foods you should never eat raw

Prevention of cyanide poisoning involves careful handling and storage of cyanide-containing substances, avoiding exposure to industrial processes involving cyanide, and awareness of potential sources of cyanide in foods and the environment.

With inputs from agencies
A foreign policy specialist, who previously worked for the CIA, has been indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government. Sue Mi Terry promoted South Korean policy positions and shared nonpublic US government information allegedly in exchange for luxury goods  a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat  and dinners at Michelin-star restaurants read more

Sue Mi Terry, then director at Bower Group Asia, speaks on a "Crisis on the Peninsula: Implications for the US - Korea Alliance" panel at the Asia Society in New York, US, June 19, 2017. File Image/Reuters

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and senior official at the White House National Security Council has been indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for South Korea.

The indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Terry accepted luxury goods and expensive dinners in exchange for advocating South Korean government positions during media appearances, sharing nonpublic information, and facilitating access for South Korean officials to US government counterparts.

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The luxury items included Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, and dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants. Additionally, Terry allegedly received over $37,000 in covert funding for a public policy program focused on Korean affairs. These activities reportedly began in 2013, two years after she left US government employment, and continued for a decade.

Who is Sue Mi Terry?

A Korean-American international relations scholar, Sue Mi Terry has been a prominent figure in the realm of East Asian affairs. Born in Seoul around 1972, Terry moved to the United States at age 12 after her fathers death from liver cancer.

She was raised in Hawaii and Virginia, eventually earning her B.A. in political science from New York University in 1993 and a PhD in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 2001.

Terrys career in the US government spanned from 2001 to 2011, where she served as a senior analyst on Korean issues for the CIA and later as director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Also Read | Inside story: CIA document admits USSR pipped US in THIS key region in Cold War era

Post-government, she held roles at various think tanks, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Wilson Center, and Columbia Universitys Weatherhead East Asian Institute. Throughout her career, she has been recognised as an expert on North Korea, South Korea, and Japan.

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Sue Mi Terry is married to Max Boot, a columnist for The Washington Post, and they reside in New York. She has been a frequent guest on TV, radio, and podcasts, and her insights have been widely quoted in media regarding East Asian politics.

What are the allegations against Sue Mi Terry?

The indictment claims that Terrys covert work included passing handwritten notes from a private June 2022 meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about US policy toward North Korea. Terry admitted to the FBI in a voluntary interview in June 2023 that she served as a source for South Korean intelligence, providing valuable information.

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In a particularly notable allegation, the indictment states that Terry invited congressional staffers to a happy hour in DC, which was secretly funded by South Korean intelligence. The event, nominally hosted by the South Korean Embassy, allowed South Korean officials to potentially recruit US congressional staffers.

Embassy of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in Washington DC. Wikimedia Commons

The indictment highlights that Terrys alleged activities compromised the integrity of her expert testimonies before Congressional panels between 2016 and 2022, as she failed to disclose her covert work with South Korea. The charges against her include failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiring to violate the law.

Furthermore, Terrys interactions with a Korean Foreign Ministry official in March 2023 allegedly involved her drafting an op-ed with information provided by the official, which was later published on The Washington Posts website without disclosing the Korean governments involvement.

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What has the defence said?

Terrys lawyer, Lee Wolosky, strongly denied the allegations, stating, These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.

He highlighted the fact that Terry had not held a security clearance for over a decade and her views had been consistent, often critical of the South Korean government. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake, Wolosky added.

South Korea is not a defendant in the case.

The Council on Foreign Relations, where Terry served as a senior fellow, placed her on unpaid administrative leave and pledged full cooperation with any investigation, reported Washington Post.

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Honored to be rejoining @cfr_org in NYC as senior fellow for Korea studies. Thanks to @mikefroman, @JamesMLindsay & @shannonkoneil for the opportunity. Looking forward to joining a talented team, working on issues related to the Korean Peninsula & NE Asia. https://t.co/xTp2NujJtu  Sue Mi Terry (@SueMiTerry) March 20, 2024

The Wilson Center confirmed Terrys involvement in their Korea Program and Asia Program but stated they were not a target of the investigation.

With inputs from agencies
Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been immediately recalled to the IAS academy in Mussoorie, an unprecedented move in light of the many controversies surrounding her. As she now awaits future action, heres a guide to the rules governing civil servants and how they apply to the 32-year-old Maharashtra cadre officer read more

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer, has been making headlines since last week for her alleged misuse of power and submission of fake disability and OBC certificate.

Controversy seems to go everywhere with IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar. After initially being transferred, now the training of the 32-year-old 2023 Maharashtra cadre officer has been put on hold and she has been immediately recalled to the IAS academy in Mussoorie. Khedkar, who seems to be controversys child, has been instructed to join the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, latest by July 23.

Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre, who heads the General Administration Department, issued a written order to Dr Khedkar informing her recall to LBSNAA. As per a letter from Deputy Director and In-Charge Establishment, dated September 16, 2024, it is informed that LBSNAA, Mussoorie, has decided to keep your District Training Programme on hold and immediately recall you for further action. Therefore, you are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of State Government of Maharashtra, Dr Gadre stated in the brief one-page letter.

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As the row surrounding Khedkar refuses to die down, we take a closer look at what happened so far and what are the rules for IAS officers.

Khedkars training paused

On Tuesday (July 16), the news came that the government had put Puja Khedkars IAS training on hold and ordered her to return to the LBSNAA by July 23. Khedkar has also been relieved from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government.

LBSNAAs decision to cut short Khedkars training comes close on the heels of a report submitted by the Maharashtra government to it about Khedkars conduct.

Reacting to the news, Former Pune Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band told the Indian Express, I have never during my career or even after that heard such a thing as it happened in case of Puja Khedkar. The way everyday information is coming to light reveals that there is more to it than meets the eye. The UPSC needs to thoroughly investigate the matter and take a quick decision so that no one dares repeat such an act.

Echoing similar shock, former Maharashtra Deputy Director (Audit) Digambar Nemadi in the same Express report said, I have also in my tenure with the state government never come across anything like this It is very unfortunate and something that should not have happened. Now options before the UPSC is to once again thoroughly verify her claims of disability certificate and non-creamy layer certificate.

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Another senior government official told The Print that Khedkar could be dismissed from the IAS if it is found that she has, indeed, submitted a false OBC non-creamy layer certificate along with reportedly forged disability certificates.

Puja Khedkar has been instructed to join the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, latest by July 23. ANI

Rules for civil servants

But why has her training been paused? Has Puja Khedkar broken the rules governing the IAS cadre?

All IAS officers, along with those from the Indian Police Services and Indian Forest Service, are governed by the AIS (Conduct) Rules from the time they are allotted their service, and start their training.

As per AIS (Conduct) Rule 3 (1) states, Every member of the Service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and shall do nothing which is unbecoming of a member of the Service.

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The rules further state that officers must not use their power to secure the employment of any family member in any private or non-governmental organisations.

Later, in 2014, a few sub-rules were added about officers conducting themselves with the highest ethical standards, integrity, honesty, political neutrality, accountability, transparency, sensitivity to people, especially weaker sections, and good behaviour towards people. Furthermore, officers should take decisions solely in public interest declare any private interests relating to his/her public duties not place himself/herself under any financial or other obligations to any individual or organisation which may influence him/her not misuse position as civil servant and not take decisions in order to derive financial or material benefits for self, family or friends.

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The rules also prohibit civil servants from accepting gifts from near relatives or personal friends. And gifts worth above Rs 25,000 should be reported.

There are also separate rules for trainees during their probation period. Probationary IAS officers, such as Puja Khedkar, are entitled to a fix salary and allowance during their training period. However, they are not eligible for special powers enjoyed by IAS officers  such as an official car with a VIP number plate, official accommodation, an official room with adequate staff, and a constable.

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As per Rule 12, probationers can be disqualified if the trainee has been found ineligible for recruitment or unfit to be a service member. They can also be disqualified if they neglect their studies or duties or their conduct isnt worthy of the service. This is decided by the Centre after holding a summary enquiry.

The rules also provide for submission of fake certificates for availing of the OBC quota and the Physically Handicapped (PH) reservation. As per the law, if a candidate is found to have submitted fake certificates, he/she should not be retained. However, the civil servant can challenge his/her dismissal in court before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the National OBC Commission. As per an Indian Express report, this is applicable to all even if the person is not a probationer and has been confirmed.

The luxury car, used by controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar by allegedly installing a red beacon light on it illegally, confiscated by the police, in Pune. PTI

The many controversies of Puja Khedkar

Khedkar, a trained doctor who hails from Maharashtras Pune has been in the limelight since last week. She first hit national headlines last week when she was transferred from Pune to Washim following complaints of alleged misuse of power.

While in Pune, she allegedly made repeated calls to the office of the Collector, demanding a separate office, residential quarters, an official car, and staff. In his report to the General Administration Department, the Pune Collector said the trainee officer was told that she was not entitled to such facilities during probation, and accommodation would be provided to her as per norms.

On joining, she then removed the nameplate of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More from his office, and even rearranged furniture there, as per a report in The Hindu. She also used her private luxury car with a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, and a Government of Maharashtra sticker during her probation.

As per the rules, these perks are not available to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period. Following these allegations, Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

As these allegations made news, concerns were also raised about her disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates. If this wasnt bad enough, her parents also became the subject of scrutiny, as they went missing. The police have been unable to trace the parents in a land dispute case registered against them after a video of her mother threatening a farmer with a pistol in Pune district went viral.

#Watch | An old video showing trainee IAS officer #PujaKhedkar's mother threatening a group of men with a gun in her hand has surfaced online, adding to the troubles of the junior officer.



Read Here: https://t.co/TO5uL0VOrx pic.twitter.com/eN6vxCg1QD  NDTV (@ndtv) July 12, 2024

She also has found herself in deeper trouble as discrepancies were found over her name. She used two different names  Khedkar Puja Deeliprao and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar during civil services exams.

When asked to respond to the various allegations against her, Khedkar on Monday said that the truth will prevail after she makes a submission before the central committee. My job here as a probationer is to work and learn and that is what I am doing. I cannot make any comments on that, she said.

The experts of the government (committee) will decide. Neither I nor you (media) or the public can decide, Khedkar added.

Whenever the decision of the committee comes, it will be public and open to scrutiny. But right now I dont have any right to tell you about the investigation going on, she said.

Asked if she is being targeted, Khedkar said, Everybody knows what is going on. The Indian Constitution is based on the fact that you are innocent till proven guilty, she said. So proving me guilty by media trial is wrong on everybodys part, she added.

With inputs from agencies
While both parties usually nominate their candidates at their respective conventions, this isnt the case this year for the Democrats. President Joe Biden is set to be nominated in a virtual vote in late July  weeks before the partys Chicago convention in August. But what do we know about the virtual vote? How will it work? Why is this happening? read more

US president Joe Biden has come under increasing pressure to bow out of his re-election campaign.

Despite everything that has happened these past few weeks, Joe Biden is still set to clinch the Democratic nomination.

While both parties usually nominate their candidates at their respective conventions, this isnt the case this year for the Democrats people in the know told Reuters.

Biden will be nominated in a virtual vote in late July  weeks before the partys Chicago convention in August.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, the decision was made far before Bidens terrible performance in the first debate.

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But what do we know about the virtual vote? How will it work?

Lets take a closer look:

What do we know?

How the entire thing will be pulled off remains unclear, those in the know including Chicago party officials told Reuters.

Aaron Regunberg, a member of the steering committee for Democratic group Pass the Torch, called the virtual vote a terrible idea.

Regunberg said the move would deeply undermine the morale of Democrats  delegates, volunteers, grassroots organisers, donors and ordinary voters  at the worst possible time.

Biden is under increasing pressure to bow out of his re-election campaign.

Questions over his physical and mental fitness have persisted since the debate.

However, Biden has repeatedly said he remains the best option at beating Trump.

He said that only the Lord Almighty can convince him to quit.

Bidens campaign aides, meanwhile, have said Trumps assassination attempt will reduce the pressure on the president to step aside.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, the decision was made far before Joe Bidens terrible performance in the first debate. Reuters

They say going ahead with the roll call would formalise Bidens nomination.

However, confusion abounds about how this virtual process will be carried out even as senior leaders focus on salvaging Bidens candidacy, sources said.

There does not appear to be any well-defined push to rally delegates around any other candidate ahead of the virtual vote.

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What was the point of the early nomination?

The idea was to get around an Ohio law that could have kept Biden from the ballot if he wasnt officially nominated by August 7.

The Democrats convention is on August 19.

But Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on June 2 signed a bill extending the deadline to August 31.

Which means Biden will appear on the Ohio ballot even if he is nominated at the Democratic convention.

But a virtual vote has other advantages.

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Namely that it offers no chance of a battle on the convention floor that could humiliate the current president and even further destabilise the campaign.

Whats the process?

The Democrats credentials committees are slated to meet on July 19 and 21 to iron out the process.

Any virtual nomination process is likely to happen within days of those meetings, officials said.

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Some officials with the Democratic National Committee and the Biden campaign said they expect a retread of 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Democrats held a virtual roll call that featured state officials backing Biden against the video backdrop of American landscapes.

Others said the early nomination process will be much less dramatic, with delegates filling out online voting forms.

Either way, Democrats plan to do a traditional roll call at the August convention with a mix of pre-recorded messages and live action, even though the formal nomination will have already taken place.

Who chooses the nominee?

The Democrats will have 4,532 delegates, or party representatives, at the Chicago convention.

This includes 3,788 pledged delegates and 744 superdelegates.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, needs to win a majority of the pledged delegates  around 1,895  on the first roll call.

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However, if Biden does not win a majority of the delegates, another round of voting will begin.

Now, superdelegates will enter the fray.

These representatives are free to choose whomever they like.

Biden has already won over 3,900 delegates during the Democratic primary.

While pledged delegates are expected to support Biden, there remain differing opinions on whether they are bound to support him.

Democratic National Committee officials have been making calls to delegates in recent days to identify any potential problems, officials told Reuters.

The delegates are expected to be given three options: support Biden, uncommitted or leave blank, according to party officials. All the delegates Reuters spoke to said they plan to support Biden.

On Thursday, Biden was asked about concerns that delegates will defect.

Obviously theyre free to do whatever they want, but they  I get overwhelming support, Biden said. Its not going to happen.

What if Biden bows out?

The DNC would then have to select a new candidate during a special session.

The members are divided roughly equally between men and women as well as various constituency groups including labour leaders, LGBTQ representatives and racial minorities.

Of the total, 75 are appointed at-large by the chair, while the rest are elected in their respective states.

With inputs from Reuters
Indias child immunisation level is yet to reach the pre-pandemic stage as the national programme missed nearly 1.6 million children for vital vaccines in 2023, a latest global immunisation report released by UNICEF and WHO revealed. It further said India has the second-highest number of zero-dose children, trailing behind Nigeria. The sources from Union Health Ministry, however, said the report did not consider the countrys massive population into account, and called the comparison flawed read more

The latest WHO report revealed that in 2023, 1.6 million children in India did not receive a single dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine or the measles-containing vaccine (MCV). Image for Representation. Reuters

Three years post-pandemic, Indias child immunisation level is yet to reach the pre-pandemic stage as the national programme missed nearly 1.6 million children for vital vaccines in 2023, a latest global immunisation report released by UNICEF and WHO revealed.

In 2021, India had the highest number of zero-dose children worldwide, with 2.7 million children missing essential vaccinations due to the COVID-19 induced lockdowns that disrupted vaccination programmes. Although Indias global ranking has improved since then, it still remains the second-highest country for unvaccinated children trailing only Nigeria, with 2.1 million zero-dose children recorded in the same year.

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In response to the alarming report, sources from the countrys Union Health Ministry dismissed the findings and called the comparison flawed. They further reaffirmed the countrys commitment to reducing the number of zero-dose children.

Heres a closer look at what the WHO report and the governments response

What did the WHO report say?

The latest WHO report revealed that in 2023, 1.6 million children in India did not receive a single dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine or the measles-containing vaccine (MCV).

The DTP vaccine, typically administered around two months of age, saw an increase in missed doses from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023, with India accounting for 11 per cent of these missed vaccinations. Nigeria led the list at 15 per cent, with other countries including Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan also noted for high numbers of unvaccinated children.

In 2021, India had the highest number of zero-dose children worldwide, with 2.7 million children missing essential vaccinations due to the COVID-19 induced lockdowns that disrupted vaccination programmes. Although Indias global ranking has improved since then, it still remains the second-highest country for unvaccinated children. Image for Representation. Reuters

The report also highlighted that 6.5 million children globally did not complete their crucial third dose of the DTP vaccine.

The latest trends demonstrate that many countries continue to miss far too many children, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russel said.

Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia echoed similar concerns calling for urgent and accelerated action.

Vaccination numbers for Measles

India is among the 10 countries that account for 55 per cent of children globally without the measles vaccine. The proportion of vaccinated children in India stands between 90-94 per cent in 2023.

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The countries with most measles zero dose children are a mix of those with large birth cohorts, weak health systems, or both, the report noted.

Measles, a vaccine-preventable viral disease, predominantly affects young children. It manifests with flu-like symptoms and characteristic rashes all over the body. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia and brain inflammation, which can be fatal.

In 2019, India, along with other countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region, adopted the goal of eliminating measles and rubella by 2023. However, an assessment found that nearly 75 per cent of districts were far from meeting this target, leading the government to defer the deadline, which till date remains unset.

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WHO said India and other South Asian countries should strengthen efforts at all levels, with tailored approaches at sub-national levels, to identify and immunise unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children. File photo/Reuters

No child should fall sick or die of any vaccine-preventable disease when safe and effective vaccines exist to protect them against these deadly diseases, emphasised the WHO South-East Asia regional director.

The health body further said that India and other South Asian countries should strengthen efforts at all levels, with tailored approaches at sub-national levels, to identify and immunise unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.

The response

On Wednesday, the Indian government responded sharply, disagreeing with the findings and calling the health bodys comparison between countries flawed.

India is followed by 19 other countries, including Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Angola, Pakistan, Somalia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Mexico, South Africa, Mali, DPRK, China, Guinea, and Myanmar, which were prioritised in the Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) based on their number of zero-dose children in 2021.

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However, the sources from the Union Health Ministry told PTI that the WHO report failed to take into account Indias massive population while comparing childrens vaccination data with other countries.

Even though India has the second highest (number of) zero-dose children in the world, it accounts for 0.11 per cent of the countrys total population, said official sources adding that The comparison is flawed as the base population has not been taken into consideration.

They further asserted that India is steadfast in its commitment to reduce the number of zero-dose children and highlighted that the countrys antigen-wise coverage is better than the world average for all antigens in 2023.

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In December 2023, the ministry in a statement said, it that intensified Mission Indradhanush (catch-up vaccination campaign) offered the vaccine to all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children with missed or due doses of vaccines. Image for representation. PTI

Indias DPT1 (Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine) coverage, a proxy for zero-dose, is 93 per cent, whereas the global average is 89 per cent. Thus, India is 4 per cent better than the world, the source said.

Indias DPT3 coverage, a proxy for under-vaccinated, is 91 per cent, compared to the global average of 84 per cent, making India 7 per cent better than the world. Additionally, Indias MCV1 (Measles zero dose) coverage is 92 per cent, whereas the global average is 83 per cent.Thus, India is 10 per cent better than the world, source was quoted as saying by PTI.

All efforts are being made to reach these zero-dose children. A special zero-dose plan has been implemented, stated the health ministry sources.

_

With input from agencies_
The upcoming budget, expected to be released in late July is likely to prioritise welfare schemes while maintaining fiscal prudence, according to reports. The government plans to maintain a fiscal deficit target of 5.1% of GDP for the current financial year, with a medium-term objective of reducing the deficit to below 4.5% of GDP by fiscal year 2026 read more

Food and fertiliser subsidies in the interim budget accounted for about 8% of India's total spending of 47.66 trillion rupees during the fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2025.

Indias total spending on food and fertiliser subsidy is expected to reach 3.88 trillion rupees, a 5 per cent rise from the estimate in the interim budget unveiled by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman before the parliamentary elections earlier this year.

The country is likely to spend 2.25 trillion rupees ($11.97 billion) on food subsidies this financial year, four government sources told Reuters, up around 11 per cent from the interim budget estimate in February due to higher spending on the support price for farmers.

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Interim budget estimates will be replaced by a new budget from Prime Minister Narendra Modis government that will be presented on July 23.

Food and fertiliser subsidies in the interim budget accounted for about 8% of Indias total spending of 47.66 trillion rupees during the fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2025.

In the interim budget, two sources told Reuters that the food subsidy bill was estimated at 2.05 trillion rupees. The increase since then is largely due to a rise in the price at which the government buys rice and wheat from domestic farmers, one of the sources said.

Meanwhile, the government is likely to stick to its previous estimate of 1.64 trillion rupees for the fertiliser subsidy, Reuters quoted two of sources as saying.

With inputs from agencies.
Accusations against DGP RR Swain raises questions about adherence to the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, which mandate political neutrality for public servant read more

Even as Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti went ballistic against Jammu and Kashmir DGP RR Swain, accusing him of being more busy fixing things politically, the circumstances leading to this situation are worth noting.

He (Jammu and Kashmir DGP RR Swain) is more into how to crush PDP and how to harass the people, Mehbooba told ANI, demanding, the DGP should have been sacked by now. She further alleged that the DGP was treating the local people in the Kashmir Valley as Pakistanis.

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#WATCH | Srinagar, J&K: PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti says, "There is no accountability. By now the heads should have rolled. The DGP should have been sacked. Almost 50 soldiers have lost their lives in the last 32 months... The current DGP is busy fixing things politically. His job pic.twitter.com/Y1HaywhJpL  ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024

We do not need a fixer here, we need a DGP. We have had many DGPs from outside here earlier as well. They have done good work. No one worked on communal lines but today it is done on communal lines. Employees are being sacked on charges of corruption. Most of them are from the majority community. The incumbent DGP has alienated the local people. He is treating them as Pakistanis, the PDP supremo stated.

Both the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Conference expressed strong objection to the police chiefs remark, labelling it as inappropriate and disrespectful to the sacrifices of their party workers.

By making this statement, the DGP has insulted the great sacrifices of National Conference leaders like Maqbool Sherwani, who kept misguiding Pakistani raiders for two days to facilitate the Indian Armys landing in Kashmir in 1948, as well as that of Mohammed Yusuf Halwai, who refused to follow the diktats for a blackout by terror groups on Independence Day in 1989, NC Kashmir zone chief Nasir Sogami told PTI.

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The NC leader stated that there can occasionally be individuals who stray from the norm within political parties, as well as among police and other security agencies. He emphasised that these instances are outliers and should not define the whole. He added that making such careless remarks only serves to diminish the sacrifices made by the people and aids adversaries across the border.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir criticised the statement made by the Jammu and Kashmir DGP, stating that it was irresponsible for a senior officer in his position. Mir emphasised that political parties had played a constructive role in the recent Lok Sabha election by encouraging public participation, which he deemed crucial for democracy and the Constitution.

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Senior CPM leader MY Tarigami remarked that the DGP should confine himself to his own position, while Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone characterised the DGPs comments as displaying disdain and contempt towards democracy.

DGP Swains remarks and context

Amid strong criticism from political parties directed at the Director General of Police of the Union Territory, the central question arises whether the remarks by the Jammu and Kashmir DGP, which provoked a response from the PDP chief, were politically motivated. On Monday, DGP Swain asserted that during the insurgency, Pakistan had infiltrated crucial sectors of civil society in Jammu and Kashmir, with mainstream regional parties allegedly nurturing leaders associated with terrorist networks for their own political advantage.

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According to an ANI report, DGP Swain addressed students at the Orientation programme at the Indian Institute of Management, stating that Pakistan had successfully infiltrated various sectors of civil society due to the influence of mainstream or regional politics in the Valley. He mentioned that there was substantial evidence indicating that many individuals engaged in contradictory behaviours, which perplexed and intimidated both the public and security forces.

Swain further noted that it had become customary to visit the homes of slain terrorists and publicly express sympathy. He highlighted that while the elimination of new recruits in terrorism was permitted and implicitly encouraged, those involved in recruitment and financing were never scrutinised. Additionally, he remarked on the arrest and imprisonment of SP rank officers alongside terrorists for crimes they had not committed.

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Certainly, everyone has the right to their opinion. Who is correct or wrong is a separate issue. The crux of the matter lies in whether the DGP should be making such public statements, especially directed towards political entities, albeit without naming any specific party. Those well-versed in politics easily discerned the targets of his remarks.

All India Services Conduct Rules and DGPs actions

According to Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968, Every member of the Service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and shall do nothing which is unbecoming of a member of the Service. It further mentions in Rule 3(1) (1A) (ii) that every member of the Service shall maintain political neutrality.

DGP Swains statement can be readily viewed as political ammunition for parties opposed to those rooted in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.

Again, Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968 states that every member of the Service shall maintain integrity in public service and act with fairness and impartiality and not discriminate against anyone. It also states that the individual will perform and discharge his duties with the highest degree of professionalism and dedication to the best of his abilities.

Moreover, according to Rule 5 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968, No member of an All India service shall be a member of, or be otherwise associated with any political party or any other organisation which takes part in politics, nor shall take part in, or subscribe in aid of, or assist in any other manner, any political movement or political activity.

At first glance, DGP Swains statements appear to contradict the rules stipulated in the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968. The message conveyed is detrimental to both society and the government. In the present climate, garnering support from local residents is crucial and such remarks are likely to further alienate them.

Need for government intervention

While this situation has clearly taken on a political dimension, it is essential for the government to address it not only through political means but also in accordance with established rules and regulations. Setting the right tone now is crucial to prevent escalation into a more acrimonious dispute.
Jaishankar arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday on a two-day visit, one of the first countries he was visiting in his current term as External Affairs Minister. read more

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Mauritius top political leaders, including Opposition leader Arvin Boolell, and discussed deepening India-Mauritiuss partnership with the island nation.

It underscores the strength and depth of our bilateral ties. It is also an opportunity to underline Indias unwavering commitment to its special and enduring partnership with Mauritius, said Jaishankar who arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday on a two-day visit, one of the first countries he was visiting in his current term as External Affairs Minister.

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Jaishankar discussed with Boolell the Mauritius-India relationship and its significance for the prosperity and well-being of the Indian Ocean region.

Welcome his support for the continuous strengthening of our ties, Jaishankar posted on X.Boolell, who was born in an Arya Samajist Indo-Mauritian family in Port Louis, is the son of former leader of the Labour Party and former Deputy Prime Minister Satcam Boolell.

Pleased to meet the Leader of Opposition Dr. Arvin Boolell.



Discussed the   relationship and its significance for the prosperity and well-being of the Indian Ocean region.



Welcome his support for the continuous strengthening of our ties. pic.twitter.com/iGufihjqgz  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2024

He also met Xavier Luc Duval, the leader of the Parti Mauricien Social Democrat.Good exchange of views on deepening India-Mauritius partnership, Jaishankar said on X.

Glad to meet Xavier Luc Duval, Leader of the Parti Mauricien Social Democrat.



Good exchange of views on deepening   partnership. pic.twitter.com/ejfFvx4q2B  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2024

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He also met former prime ministers Paul Berenger and Navin Ramgoolam.Good to meet former Prime Minister Paul Berenger. A lively conversation on contemporary global issues. Value his support for India-Mauritius relations, Jaishankar said.

Good to meet former Prime Minister Paul Berenger. A lively conversation on contemporary global issues.



Value his support for   relations. pic.twitter.com/aIFRJWnng1  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2024

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Berenger served as Prime Minister of Mauritius from 2003 to 2005.A pleasure to meet with former Prime Minister @Ramgoolam_Dr this morning.Discussed our longstanding bilateral partnership and the broad-based desire for its further growth. Appreciate his expression of support for India-Mauritius ties, he wrote on X.

Ramgoolam, whose ancestors migrated to Mauritius from Bihar, served as Prime Minister for the first time from December 1995 until September 2000. On 5 July 2005, he became prime minister for a second term. He was re-elected Prime Minister in 2005, serving till 2014.
The Delhi Hight Court on Wednesday reserved order on Kejriwals plea challenging his arrest by the CBI in connection with the excise policy case. The court also reserved the order on interim bail of the Delhi Chief Minister and fixed July 29 as the date for regular bail plea hearing read more

Arvind Kejriwal has been in Tihar jail since April 1. File Photo/PTI

The Delhi Hight Court on Wednesday reserved order on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals plea challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the excise policy case.

The court also reserved the order on interim bail of the Delhi Chief Minister and fixed July 29 as the date for regular bail plea hearing.

#UPDATE | Delhi HC reserves order on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest by CBI in the Excise case. Meanwhile the Court also reserved the order on Interim bail of Arvind Kejriwal.



The Court fixed July 29, for regular bail plea hearing. https://t.co/gzStybA6vN  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

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Kejriwals senior counsel not only assailed his arrest by the CBI but also sought his release on bail in the case.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who conducted the proceedings on a holiday on account of Muharram, heard the arguments advanced by the lawyers of Kejriwal and the CBI and reserved its order on the petitions.

During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, termed his arrest by the CBI an insurance arrest to stop him from walking out of jail.

It is unfortunately an insurance arrest. I have effectively three release orders in my favour (in the ED case) under very stringent provisions These orders show that the man is entitled to be released. He would have been released but for this insurance arrest, he contended.

Asserting that Kejriwal was not a terrorist but the chief minister of Delhi, Singhvi said his arrest was not as per the mandate of the law and being the chief minister, he was entitled to bail.

On behalf of the CBI, advocate DP Singh opposed the two pleas of Kejriwal and said terming the arrest an insurance arrest was unjustified.

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Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The chief minister, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial courts order was stayed by the high court.

On July 12, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving the formulation and execution of the policy.

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According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to licence holders.

With inputs from agencies
The Narendra Modi-led NDA government will present the Union Budget for the third time next week. Since 1860, India has witnessed 77 regular or full budgets and 15 interim ones read more

While technically the budget of 1860 was Indias first budget, the country saw its first such exercise as a free nation on November 26, 1947, three months after independence. At that time, the document was presented by Indias first Finance Minister RK Shanmukham Chetty. Wikimedia Commons

A Britisher with a full English text of the document read out the first Indian budget to his fellow Englishmen in the Parliament. This was in 1860 when India witnessed its first budget ever. This year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the 93rd budget on July 23.

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government will present the Union Budget for the third time next week. Since 1860, India has witnessed 77 regular or full budgets and 15 interim ones.

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With the final preparations for the budget afoot, heres a look at Indias first-ever budget.

Who presented Indias first budget?

Before the country attained independence from the British Raj, the budget in colonial India was presented by Scottish economist James Wilson in 1860.

A Liberal politician who was also a businessman, Wilson served as one of the members of the Indian Council, responsible for its finances and offering advice to the Viceroy of India.

The administrative structure was such that the budget was presented exclusively in English, making little to no sense to locals in India.

While technically the budget of 1860 was Indias first budget, the country saw its first such exercise as a free nation on November 26, 1947, three months after independence.

At that time, the document was presented by Indias first Finance Minister RK Shanmukham Chetty. This was, however, an interim budget that was meant for only seven months.

An economics graduate from Madras Christian College, Chetty was vested the important portfolio by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He is also the person who coined the term interim budget which later became a standard practice in India during general election years.

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What was the first budget like?

Significant in most ways, Indias first budget paved the way for the future of the countrys economy.

Unlike today when budgets are presented at 11 am, the first budget session of independent India was held at 5 pm.

As a young country, India at the time was reeling under protests and riots owing to the partition. This did not stop FM Chetty from successfully presenting the budget.

It was decided in this budget that both India and Pakistan would operate with the same currency until September 1948.

Chetty allocated Rs 92.74 crore to defence out of the total budget of Rs 197.39 crore for expenditures.

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One of his first remarks while presenting the budget was, I rise to present the first budget of a free and independent India. This occasion may well be considered as a historical one, and I count it as a rare privilege that it has fallen to me to be the finance minister to present this Budget."

Nehru also presented a budget

A lesser-known fact about the history of Indian budgets is that prime ministers have also presented the document in the parliament in the past. This includes Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who presented the Union Budget in 1958 after the then finance minister T. T. Krishnamachari was forced to resign from the cabinet.

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Other prime ministers who took the finance ministers platform to present the budget include Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

When budget was printed in Hindi

In 1955, a notable milestone was achieved as the Union Budget became the first to be printed in both Hindi and English. This pivotal decision was spearheaded by Finance Minister CD Deshmukh, who understood the importance of ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all citizens.

Deshmukh was a staunch advocate of prudent financial management, prioritising government spending within available resources and steering clear of excessive debt. Additionally, he played a key role in strengthening the Reserve Bank of India, bringing about reforms in the financial sector.
The Indian Navys destroyer INS Teg, which is currently conducting an operational turnaround in the area, was dispatched to provide SAR support at short notice, according to officials read more

According to officials, the Indian Navy's P8I is also helping with the hunt for survivors

A merchant vessel (MV) with thirteen Indian crew members on board collapsed, prompting the Indian Navy to send its warships and aircraft to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation towards Ras Madrakah, Oman.

The Indian Navys destroyer INS Teg, which is currently conducting an operational turnaround in the area, was dispatched to provide SAR support at short notice, according to officials.

According to officials, the Indian Navys P8I is also helping with the hunt for survivors.

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There are reportedly 16 crew members on board the MV, consisting of 3 Sri Lankans and 13 Indians.

The MV had capsized about 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah, Oman on July 15 and search and rescue efforts in coordination with Oman Authorities are in progress since July 16.

The search and rescue by Indian and Omani naval assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea and strong winds. Indian Navys long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in search for survivors.
The suspended professor has been barred from taking classes pending inquiry and is asked to mark his attendance at the chief proctor office until further order. The students have alleged the professor used uncouth and uncivilised language against them during a lecture and also made sexual overtures read more

The Jamia Milla Islamia has suspended a professor and ordered inquiry into complaints of sexual harassment against him by four PhD scholars, one of whom had to cancel her admission.

The officiating Vice Chancellor of the university, Mohammad Shakeel, ordered the suspension of the professor using his emergency powers and placed the inquiry before the Internal Complaints Committee of the university, an order said.

The suspended professor has been barred from taking classes pending inquiry and is asked to mark his attendance at the chief proctor office until further order.

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The students have alleged the professor used uncouth and uncivilised language against them during a lecture and also made sexual overtures.

According to the suspension order dated July 16, four Ph.D scholars of Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, JMI, have levelled allegations and made specific complaints of sexual harassment, non-cooperation, disrespectful behaviour, undisciplined, uncouth and uncivilised language used by the professor. In view of the above and considering the seriousness of the matter as one of the students (name not disclosed) has even got her Ph.D. admission cancelled because of such conduct of the professor, the varsity order read.

The accused professor could not be reached for his response.

The order also bars the professor from leaving the city without approval from the competent authority during the suspension period, the order stated.
Among the 28 leaders who have quit Ajits NCP are Ajit Gavahane, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, student leader Yash Sane, and two former corporators, Pankaj Bhalekar and Rahul Bhosale read more

Maharashtras ruling Mahayuti alliance is glaring at more trouble as 28 leaders from Ajit Pawars NCP joined his uncle Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party on Wednesday.

The defection comes amid an internal crisis within the Mahayuti that includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The alliance suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha elections.

Among the 28 leaders who have quit Ajits NCP are Ajit Gavahane, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, student leader Yash Sane, and two former corporators, Pankaj Bhalekar and Rahul Bhosale.

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The development comes after cabinet minister and senior NCP leader from Ajits faction Chhagan Bhujbal met Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai this week. It also comes months ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Sharad Pawar, in a press conference, said, Bhujbal came to meet me. I had a fever. I took two days off. I was told that he has come, that he has been waiting for an hour and does not want to leave. After that, I met him and he spoke to me at length. He asked me to work together to improve the social environment in Maharashtra, to work together in the states interest.

Sharad Pawars nephew Ajit Pawar split from NCP in 2023 following which he joined the ruling Mahayuti alliance where he was vested the position of deputy chief minister, a post that he shares with BJPs Devendra Fadnavis.

Will keep happening

Talking about the recent defections, Bhujbal said, When the elections are near, it is normal that people go from here to there or there to here. They think that they will not get the ticket so they want to contest from another party This will keep on happening for the next 3-4 months.

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#WATCH | Nashik, Maharashtra: On Several Ajit Pawar-led NCP leaders and Corporators from Pimpri Chinchwad joining Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP, Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal says, "When the elections are near, it is normal that people go from here to there or there to here. pic.twitter.com/CRhXgIsJgA  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

Doors still open for Ajit Pawar?

As he welcomed the many leaders who joined NCP SP today, Sharad Pawar made it clear that if his nephew Ajit ever wants to come back to the folds of the party, the decision will rest on the entire NCP SP and not just him.

There is a place for everyone in the house. I will not take personal decisions in the party, Pawar said.
The saffron party secured 36 seats in Uttar Pradesh as compared to the INDIA blocs 43. A reshuffle within the state party lines has been in buzz for quite some time with senior leaders from Uttar Pradesh holding key meetings with the partys top brass read more

Uttar Pradesh might be getting a new BJP State president after Bhupendra Chaudhary reportedly offered to resign from the post following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

The development comes after talks of a possible structural rejig within the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state gained momentum after its poor show in the Lok Sabha elections.

The state unit of the party is also looking at a cabinet overhaul.

The saffron party secured 36 seats in Uttar Pradesh as compared to the INDIA blocs 43. A reshuffle within the state party lines has been in buzz for quite some time with senior leaders from Uttar Pradesh holding key meetings with the partys top brass.

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Who met whom?

To put things into perspective and highlight the ongoing changes, heres a list of UP BJP leaders who met the top brass over the past couple of days:

UP BJP Chief Bhupendra Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP President JP Nadda

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met UP Governor Anandiben Patel

PM Modi discusses issues with Chaudhary

During his meeting with PM Modi, Chaudhary is learned to have briefed him on the partys organisational matters. Sources said the meeting lasted for about an hour.

After his meeting, the BJP UP Chief took responsibility for the partys poor performance in the state and offered to resign from the position.

Yogi vs Maurya

To make things more uncomfortable within the party, there is also a rift going on between CM Yogi and Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Rumours of sparring between the two leaders became so steadfast that the central BJP had to ask them to forget their differences and focus on upcoming bypolls, according to a report by News18.

Reportedly, Maurya has skipped multiple cabinet meetings chaired by Yogi in the past one month, giving rise to indifference between the two.

The meeting between Maurya and Nadda on Tuesday was a result of this infighting.
The BJP considered abolishing income, sales, and excise taxes to attract middle-class voters ahead of the 2014 general elections, proposing a bank transaction tax as a replacement. However, internal disagreements and practical concerns led the party to abandon these radical reforms in favour of more measured tax rationalisation read more

In the lead-up to the 2014 general elections in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) explored radical tax reforms, including the abolition of income, sales, and excise taxes.

This consideration aimed to appeal to the middle class and urban voters by promising significant economic changes. However, internal disagreements and practical concerns ultimately led the party to abandon these proposals.

Initial proposal and vision

On December 10, 2013, the BJP expressed interest in abolishing income, sales, and excise taxes, with the possibility of including this proposal in its vision document for the upcoming general elections. Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who was heading the party panel for drafting the partys India Vision 2025 document, Apple about the ongoing deliberations.

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We were talking about tax, and although we have not decided yet, a good presentation came before us. There is a suggestion of complete abolition of income, sales, and excise tax, Gadkari said at a political function.

Gadkari elaborated on the potential benefits of the proposal, stating that the total revenue of the country was Rs 14 lakh crore, with 1.5 lakh bank branches operating across India. He suggested that replacing these taxes with a 1-1.5 per cent expenditure or transaction tax could generate revenue of approximately Rs 40,000 lakh crore.

This new tax system would reduce bureaucracy, as those 3.5 lakh people who are using beacons of various colours now will not be required anymore as no tribunals or commissioners will be needed."

Further developments and public engagement

On December 25, 2013, Gadkari reiterated the BJPs interest in the proposal during a gathering of traders, stating that the party would consider abolishing several taxes, including income tax, sales tax, and excise tax, to combat black money and eliminate Inspector Raj. He explained that a transaction tax on bank transactions could significantly increase revenue.

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If these transactions are carried out through banks, then our total revenue should go up to Rs 40 lakh crore as against the current revenue of Rs 14 lakh crore, Gadkari said.

Gadkari emphasised that the proposal was still under consideration, and no final decision had been made. He encouraged public debate on the issue and noted that the BJP had received around 10,000 suggestions on various topics for the India Vision 2025 document.

The senior BJP leader also mentioned another proposal to exempt 3.29 crore taxpayers from filing income tax returns and a plan to combat fake currency through the use of special fibre made from plastic or jute.

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A think tank and its presentation

The proposed reforms about abolishing income tax had been suggested by ArthaKranti, a Pune-based study group specialising in tax matters, and were endorsed by some BJP leaders, including Subramanian Swamy and Nitin Gadkari.

On January 2, 2014, the anti-tax group ArthaKranti presented their ideas to senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Yashwant Sinha, and Gadkari.

Jaitley and Sinha voiced strong opposition, with Jaitley cautioning that the changes could unfairly tax the poor and Sinha suggesting that such reforms would regress Indias tax system to ancient times.

Internal disagreements and practical concerns

Despite initial enthusiasm, by January 10, 2014, the BJP appeared to be reconsidering the sweeping tax reforms. Senior BJP leaders Jaitley and Sinha were at the forefront of efforts to discard the proposal, arguing that replacing income tax with a bank transaction tax could blur the distinction between the rich and the poor.

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Jaitley, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, The proposed changes could blur the distinction between the rich and the poor. The poor would end up paying the same amount of tax as the rich."

Narendra Modi, then BJPs prime ministerial candidate, acknowledged the need for new tax reforms without specifying any measures. At an event organised by Baba Ramdev, who incidentally was a voice favouring abolishing personal income tax, Modi said, Time demands a new tax reform."

Gadkari argued that a bank transaction tax could offset the revenue loss from abolishing income tax. If we apply around 1 or 1.5 percent of expenditure or transaction tax, then we will get revenue of Rs 40,000 lakh crore, he said.

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However, Jaitley and Sinhas opposition highlighted the potential risks of such a drastic change, including its impact on the poor and the challenge of distinguishing between different income levels.

As prime ministerial candidate, Modi, too, didnt seem convinced with such a drastic idea.

Final decision and alternative proposals

By January 15, 2014, it was clear that the BJP would not pursue the abolition of income tax. Modi called for reforms to address tax terrorism but did not commit to eliminating income tax. Instead, the BJP pledged to rationalise and revamp the tax system if elected to power. A senior BJP leader then said, The scrapping of income tax is out of the question, as it was never our idea."

The BJP continued to explore various tax reforms, with proposals for a uniform transaction tax being considered.

The UPA government had previously proposed the Direct Tax Code Bill to replace the outdated income tax law. This bill maintained the income tax exemption limit at Rs 2 lakh for individuals but introduced a fourth tax slab with a 35 per cent rate for those earning over Rs 10 crore annually. The BJPs parliamentary standing committee, led by Yashwant Sinha, recommended raising the exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh and revising the tax slabs.

The BJPs tentative move to abolish income tax was ultimately abandoned due to internal disagreements and practical concerns. The partys leadership, however, recognised the need for tax reforms but chose a more measured approach, focusing on rationalising and improving the existing tax system rather than implementing sweeping changes.
The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump reflects the desperation and extreme measures that can arise in a polarised political landscape read more

Democratic elections are a surreal exercise; you have only as many ethical ways to outperform your opponent. You conduct rallies, tarnish their political image, delegitimise them, spread fake news, or even go to the extent of shaming their support base, calling them a basket of deplorables. But when these dont work, what more could you do?

For starters, you turn to political revengeyou start with rigging the elections, silence them, unconstitutionally disempowering their freedom of speech, filing false cases, investigating them, locking them in jail, or attacking their fundingand, unfortunately, these retaliatory actions have become an unwritten norm across the democratic spectrum of the international system. But the question is, where do you draw the line?

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The assassination attempt on former American president Donald Trump serves as a powerful wake-up call, highlighting the dangerous depths that politics of revenge can reach in todays highly polarised world. And more importantly, its a moment for self-introspection for the American political system, which is almost always in a hurry to give unsolicited advice and comment on the internal affairs of nations across the world.

This incident underscores the erosion of democratic norms and the increasing acceptance of extreme measures as political tools. In a democracy that prides itself on upholding the rule of law, freedom of speech, and the right to peaceful dissent, resorting to violence and intimidation marks a significant departure from these foundational principles. The use of political revenge not only undermines the integrity of the electoral process but also jeopardises the very fabric of democracy, eroding public trust in political institutions and processes.

The implications of such an assassination attempt extend beyond the immediate threat to an individual. It reflects a broader trend of escalating political violence and extremism, fueled by deep-seated ideological divisions and a climate of intolerance. Left-wing extremism, in particular, has been on the rise, characterised by increasingly aggressive tactics aimed at silencing opposition and achieving political ends through coercion and intimidation.

The normalisation of these extreme measures signals a disturbing decay in democratic discourse and governance. When political actors resort to such tactics, it not only delegitimizes their cause but also perpetuates a cycle of violence and retribution, further entrenching divisions within society. This creates a perilous environment where political disagreements are no longer resolved through debate and dialogue but through acts of vengeance and retribution.

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Whats also interesting and warrants serious discussion is the timing of this attack. The last couple of weeks have been peculiar in American politics, with the Trump-led GOP clearly gaining an edge by all parameters, especially after the first presidential debate on June 27, 2024.

Polls indicated a shift in favour, suggesting that his campaign was gaining momentum. Could the shift in dynamics potentially explain the desperation and extreme measures employed by some of his detractors or their radical base? In fact, Bidens own core support base seemed disillusioned, and there were widespread questions about his fitness for office. The traditional left-wing media in the US even started talking about Bidens successor.

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This sudden shift in the political landscape has left many questioning the motives behind such extreme actions. Was the attack a desperate attempt to halt Trumps resurgence, a reflection of deeper political animosities, or an act by radical left-wing elements within the political spectrum? These questions underscore the gravity of the situation and the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The disillusionment within Bidens support base cannot be ignored either. Concerns about his health and leadership capabilities have fueled speculation and uncertainty. When mainstream left-wing media outlets start discussing potential successors, its a clear indication of the instability and lack of confidence within the party. This internal turmoil, combined with the external pressure of a resurgent Trump campaign, creates a volatile political environment ripe for extreme actions.

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It would be naive and dishonest not to discuss the intentional unleashing of left-wing extremism in the US for political mileage by the ruling party. Giving credit where its due, the left wing in the US has been successful in creating an image of Trump as a fascist, demagogue, and perpetual threat to the foundation of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In this polarised atmosphere, the role of the American media cannot be overlooked either. The medias portrayal of political figures and their actions can either exacerbate tensions or help to bridge divides.

The sensationalism and bias in media coverage often contribute to polarisation, fueling extremist sentiments and justifying extreme actions. The medias responsibility to provide balanced and objective reporting is more critical than ever in these times of heightened political tension.

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In the latest development, the liberal media has again failed to recognise the severity of this attack, deliberately undermining the incident with dismissive terms like popping sounds, loud noises, and chaos at rally. This downplaying of violence not only distorts the reality of the situation but also perpetuates a dangerous narrative that minimises the threat posed by political extremism and the medias role in it, irrespective of ideological inclination. Having the spine to call a spade a spade is the fragile pedestal that sustains media integrity. Thats journalism 101.

In conclusion, the timing of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, amidst a critical juncture in the electoral campaign, raises significant concerns about the state of American democracy and, most importantly, an urgent call to look within. It reflects the desperation and extreme measures that can arise in a polarised political landscape. As the nation navigates this challenging period, it is essential to prioritise democratic values, ensure the integrity of the electoral process, and promote a culture of civility and respect. This moment serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy and the urgent need for collective action to safeguard its principles.

The author is a research assistant at the Department of Public and International Affairs in City University of Hong Kong (CityU). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who tried to shoot Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, was 20 years old. Thankfully, the former president survived the attack. We know that nobody in the US establishment likes Donald Trump. Nobody knows how he really feels about the wars going on in Ukraine and Gaza. And how he would deal with the military-industrial complex. And whenever someone becomes inconvenient to a lot of important people, there is always a 20-year-old somewhere who comes along with a gun.

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Consider what happened over a hundred years ago in Sarajevo, a romantic little town on the edges of central Europe. Today the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo hardly strikes you as the kind of place where the history of the 20th century began. But that is exactly what happened. In June 1914, the city was being visited by Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire. For some time now, the young Archduke had been advocating for more rights for minorities in the country, such as the Serbs. This had alarmed the old guard of the empire. The Archduke had also fallen out with his uncle, the emperor Franz Joseph, over his marriage to Sophie, who was a commoner in their eyes. The emperor had allowed the wedding only after Franz Ferdinand had agreed that his children would never ascend the throne.

In comes Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old student and somewhat ironically, a Serbian nationalist. As the Archdukes car takes a wrong turn and goes down the streets of Sarajevo, the engine stalls suddenly. Princip steps forward and fires two bullets with his .380 calibre pistol. The dying words of the Archduke were, Sophie, dont die please, live for our children.

The assassination was a relief for the Austro-Hungarian elites, including the emperor himself. Better still, it gave them the perfect excuse to go to war with Serbia and its biggest backer Russia. Germany joined the war on the side of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Britain and France entered the war against Germany. This is how it all began: the First World War, the flawed peace of Versailles, the Second World War, the end of empires, the Cold War, everything.

Something similar saved face for many of the world powers even in 1942. After being defeated by Nazi Germany in 1940, France had transformed to a new regime that collaborated with Hitler. But when allied forces landed in French North Africa in 1942, the top French commander Francois Darlan quickly changed sides and joined them. In return, the Allies appointed Francois Darlan as High Commissioner. This turned into a huge embarrassment for US President Roosevelt, as well as for British Prime Minister Churchill. Because America and Britain had in effect appointed a fascist to run what was supposedly liberated territory. Are we fighting the Nazis or sleeping with them, one American newspaper commenter asked pointedly. The appointment of Darlan was also a headache for Charles de Gaulle. At the time, De Gaulle was in exile outside France. He was hoping to lead France once Germany was defeated. If the West recognised Darlan as the leader of France, where would that leave him?

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That is where 20-year-old Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle comes in. On Christmas eve in 1942, the young man broke into Darlans palace and shot him dead. He was tried quickly the next day, which was Christmas. He was executed by firing squad in the early hours of December 26, even as most people would still have been celebrating the holiday.

That is the other thing about these 20-year-old assassins. They usually do not live very long after the act, to tell stories. In the case of the shooter in Pennsylvania last week, it is surprising that the Secret Service noticed him on the roof only after the crowd at the rally did. But once he had fired those bullets at Trump, the US Secret Service brought him down immediately.

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Lee Harvey Oswald was 23 years old when he assassinated President John F Kennedy. Oswald also did not live very long after the act. Two days later, he was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas police department by a local businessman named Jack Ruby. We will never know what Rubys real motive was. That was 1963. In any case, the United States government has still not declassified all the JFK files. Why exactly? Everyone who could have had anything to do with the assassination is probably already dead. But then, institutions live longer than people.

Just to be clear, we are not suggesting any conspiracy theories. We would never do that. We have only jotted down some coincidences. About the 100-year-long history of the 20-year-old assassin. Because history keeps repeating itself.

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Abhishek Banerjee (@AbhishBanerj on X) is an author and columnist. Karuna Gopal (@KarunaGopal1 on X) is President, Foundation for Futuristic Cities. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
For a long time, the US has enjoyed its role as the sole superpower, but now, taking its position for granted, it has gone into slumber, with China poised to make a significant shift in global power dynamics read more

Many recent studies indicate that China leads US in global competition for some key emerging technologies. There are others who put it that No. Chinas is not surpassing America in technology, but it is America that is getting left behind. Since 1979 China has not fought a war. The US is the most warlike nation in the history of the world. As the self-appointed global policeman, US has been busy at wars for many decades and spending trillions of dollars. China has been utilising the time and money in developing technologies and military power. Where do the two stand?

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World Intellectual Property Indicators 2023

The report on World Intellectual Property (IP) Indicators 2023, indicates that innovators around the world submitted a record high of nearly 3.5 million patent applications in 2022. IP applications worldwide were 3,457,400 and China had 1,619,268 which was 46.8 per cent of the global figures. The US at 594,340 had 17.2 per cent, and Japan with 289,530 had 8.4 per cent. Chinas patent office granted 14.7 per cent more patents in 2022 than in 2021, marking a third consecutive year of double-digit growth. Also as in 2022, China had the highest number of patents in force, accounting for approximately a quarter of the world total. The stock of pending applications at Chinas patent office nearly doubled, growing from around 1.3 million in 2021 to approximately 2.6 million in 2022. China led in all categories including utility models, trademarks applications, and industrial designs applications.

What is notable is the broad geographical base of this growth. Among the top five offices, patent applications at both the IP office of China and the European Patent Office outstripped the global average. The US returned to growth for the first time since the pandemic. Among the top 20 global IP offices, there were double-digit increases at the offices of South Africa, India and Indonesia. For India, this is the sixth year of growth in a row, with patent filings surging by a quarter in 2022, the fastest increase since 2005. Notable rises were also recorded at the offices of Algeria, Colombia, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.

China leads US in key emerging technologies

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a security think tank, study indicates that China has a significant lead in 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies. ASPI tracked the most-cited scientific papers, which it said are the most likely to result in patents. The Western democracies are getting left behind in research output, in defence, space, energy and biotechnology. In some fields, all of the worlds top 10 research institutions are based in China. China has very clear lead in high-impact research especially under government programs.

Interestingly, the study, funded by the US State Department, found the US was often second-ranked, although it led global research in high-performance computing, quantum computing, small satellites and vaccines. The report suggest greater collaboration between democratic nations to create secure supply chains and rapidly pursue strategic critical technologies.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, a government research body, ranked first or second in most of the 44 technologies tracked, which spanned defence, space, robotics, energy, the environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and quantum technology.

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Over the past five years, China generated 48.49 percent of the worlds high-impact research papers especially in aero- engines, and hypersonic technology, areas that it considers important for its defence. China is pushing greatly ahead in photonic sensors and quantum communications. China could soon have monopoly in many fields including synthetic biology, where it produces one-third of all research, as well as electric batteries, 5G, and Nano-manufacturing.

Chinas surprise breakthrough in hypersonic missiles in 2021 could have been identified earlier if the world had tried to monitor Chinas advanced research.

Chinas technology approach

West continues to claim that Chinese diaspora has been a significant contributor, and Chinas research is greatly backed by knowledge gained overseas. While that may be true, but China has been spending huge amounts in backing academic research. A large number of students are enrolled in high-technology domains.

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In the 1980s and 1990s, the Chinese government launched the 863 Plan and the Strategy for Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education, which greatly promoted Chinas science and technological progress. The 863 program was funded and administered by the government to stimulate the development of advanced technologies in a wide range of fields so as to make China independent from paying for foreign technologies.

Later Chinas 973 Program, the National Basic Research Program was meant to achieve technology and strategic edge in various scientific fields and especially the development of the rare earth minerals industry.

The development of key strategic technologies plays a vital and consequential role. By 2049, China aims to emerge as a global leader in three strategic technologies, identified by President Xi Jinping as critical for Chinas national rejuvenation: space, AI, and quantum communications and computing.

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Rare earths and semi-conductors

Rare earth elements, a group of 17 metalsare used in defense technologies, including missiles, lasers, vehicle-mounted systems such as tanks, and military communications. They are also used in computers, televisions, and smartphones, along with various clean energy technologies.

At present China produces 60 percent of the worlds rare earths but processes nearly 90 percent, which means that it is importing rare earths from other countries and processing them. This has given China a near monopoly. The US has been aware of this vulnerability but has meaningfully acted only in the last few years. State-owned Chinese enterprises are acquiring lithium, cobalt, nickel and other metal deposits around the world to create the basis for large-scale manufacturing of lithium batteries.

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The Chinese semiconductor industry, including integrated circuit design and manufacturing, forms a major part of Chinas information technology industry. China is currently the worlds largest semiconductor market in terms of consumption and represented 31.4 per cent of worldwide final sales or $180 billion out of $574 billion in 2022. US still makes billions in China chip sales. However, a large percentage are by multinational suppliers.

High-speed rail and solar energy

The US is lagging behind in high-speed rail and solar energy. Some blame it on USs strong aviation and automobile industry and lobby. China needs to move 1.4 billion people, many of who cannot afford air travel. Global experience shows that high-speed rail is more convenient and comfortable than flying for travel distances within 800 kilometres. Chinas aviation industry still depends on West. China also has little Oil and natural gas.

Similarly, the US is the worlds largest producer of fossil fuels and controls global energy markets. The only impetus for Americans to develop clean energy comes from environmental groups and political commitment. Lastly Chinas decision make is more with Communist Party than lobbies.

Electric vehicles

The US was the innovator of electric vehicles (EV), and Tesla Inc. is the clear leader in this field. Yet among the top five EV companies two today are Chinese. Former US president Donald Trump had publicly opposed electric vehicles. Eight million EVs were sold in China in 2023. Comparatively, just 1.2 million were sold in the US.

Tesla has six gigafactories, four in US, one each in Germany and China. Teslas factory in Shanghai, China, builds Model 3 and Model Y cars and has a capacity to ship more than 7,50,000 cars annually. In 2023, the Shanghai factory produced half of the worlds Teslas. The efficiency of this factory is equal to the combined production capacity of Teslas other three factories. Tesla also has a Supercharger Factory in Shanghai. In China, Tesla got regulatory approvals three times faster than in US. But production at the Shanghai factory is being cut as it faces competition from local EV companies like BYD. But currently, Tesla relies on Chinese companies for most of its batteries.

China accounts for 68% of the worlds high-speed charging stations which are run by state-owned enterprises which do not need to pursue profits. In China, electric vehicles are given priority for license approval.

6G Communications

6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the successor to 5G cellular technology. 6G networks will be able to use higher frequencies than 5G networks and provide substantially higher capacity and much lower latency. China has made significant strides in the telecommunications industry and is planning to become a global leader in 6G technology. China has already launched an experimental satellite to test terahertz signal transmission, a step toward 6G. It is projected to cement the long-awaited Internet of Things (IoT) future.

According to a joint survey conducted by Cyber Creative Institute and news media company Nikkei Asia, 40.3 percent of the 20,000 6G global patents belong to China. The US ranks second, with 35.2 percent of the filings. China is thus a strong contender for mastering 6G technologies before everyone else.

Space and military technologies

China has nearly caught up with US in space technologies and is fast increasing its numbers and capability in space. China is still about a decade behind the US in military and civil aviation technologies. China just inducted the third aircraft-carrier, US has 12 supercarriers. China continues to struggle with aeroengines.

Higher education

Chinese universities charge about $1000 per year and even at reduced income levels, is highly affordable. Public universities in the US charge $12,000 to $30,000 per year. Percent of college students in science-engineering-technology is 40 percent in China versus 15 per cent in US. Percent of foreign students in US University technology-science-engineering graduate programs is 75 per cent.

US-China technology competition

The scale and speed of Chinas recent technological advancements have raised concerns in the West. For US, other than economic and security concerns, there are fear that rise of an autocratic closed society would impact on liberal values and global good governance. As the Chinese technology market increasingly decouples from those of the US and the West, China could start setting divergent norms and standards thus dividing the global technology segment that was hitherto dominated by American-set standards.

Chinas technological investments are guided by desire to expand international influence and enhancing military capabilities. Chinas cost of research and production remains lower and thus its products can compete with advantage in underdeveloped and emerging markets.

US wants to hold on to its leading position, but does not have an autocratic government push, and depends more on private enterprise innovation. The US Department of Defence (DOD) needs to get its act right and drive innovations through focused research and funding.

What options must US adopt are varied and complex. Sustaining the status quo is not considered tenable. The US has begun taking measures to guard sensitive technology leakages. America has ability to develop democratic coalitions to accelerate innovations.

Where does China score over US

Larger population, smart people, lesser salaries, are some of the advantages China has. Interestingly, unlike US, China pays much more to engineers than doctors and lawyers. The smartest Chinese students go into engineering. China has a strong technology interested in leadership. The Chinese Science Academy and Chinese Engineering Academy report directly to the President of China and advise him when necessary. China has been building the equivalent of almost one university per week. They dominated the graduate market. China produced 4.7 million STEM graduates a year.

Nearly two-thirds of Silicon Valley tech workers are first-generation, that means they are immigrants. China graduates 8 times more STEM students than the US, India 4 times, and Russia, with half US population, graduates as many as US. Policies to restrict Chinese students have still to take effect. The percent of GDP from direct manufacturing is 18 per cent in US versus 40 per cent in China.

China is ahead of the US in producing renewable energy, has the Worlds fastest supercomputer (Tianhe-2), and dominate in AI applications. China may have developed a quantum radar that can spot stealth planes.

Who is winning the tech competition?

The global impact and reach of American companies like NVIDIA, Amazon, Apple, OpenAI, Boeing, Lockheed, Microsoft, Meta, TSMC, Tesla and Google, shows clear US technological innovation advantage. Compare this to top Chinese tech companies Tencent, Huawei, Alibaba Group, Pinduoduo, Meituan, Baidu, BOE Technology and SMIC.

While China has a large number of AI scientific articles and patents, the US maintains a strong foothold in advanced AI developments. Clearly the US companies have much higher global presence and visibility.

Yes when it comes to the number of patents, academic publications, leading educational institutions, or multibillion-dollar companies, China is catching up or overtaking. The competition is a multidimensional and involves technological, economic, military and political elements. The us has a penchant for turning research into impactful, scalable innovations. Meanwhile, Chinas advantage of younger and larger demography has also started withering.

Chinas Continuity and Planning

China AND Chinese companies talk of decades ahead plans. Most American companies mostly look at 3 to 4 quarters ahead. Single party, China also has better continuity in policies. 2500 years later they still follow Confucius and Sun Tzu. For centuries, China has been the most populous, prosperous, advanced society. Chinese people think that last two centuries of British and American dominance has been an aberration.

Way ahead

The Chinese reform since 1978 rank as one of the most extraordinary economic transformation in history involving industrialization, marketization, urbanization, and globalization all occurring at the same time. There is that famous saying God made this world and rest everything is made in China. Also China does not have a competitive political party system.

For long, we have heard that Made in China stands for bad quality. That Chinese steal technology. Reality is that China produces different products for different markets. US made a mistake in 1980s to set up production in China and even shared technologies. China is known for using all means for intellectual property theft. Many countries are considering visa screening to limit illegal technology transfers and instead favour international collaboration with allies. Also put in place actions stop the illegal transfer of technology to China.

US has for long enjoyed being the sole superpower. It started taking its position for granted and gone into slumber. China is going to make that change. It is a wakeup call. In some ways, the competition between the two tech-giants is healthy for innovation. Multi-polar world has its own advantages.

The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
His story is compelling and unusual, in the sense that poor white men, especially from the deliberately forgotten but vast Rust Belt of midwestern America are hardly ever the stuff of rousing narratives in the US today read more

Vances rise to the top in the Republican Party cannot but be heartening to that silent majority, whom only Trump has addressed in recent times. (Image: Reuters)

The takedown of JD (James David) Vance by the US commentariat within hours of his nomination as the Republican Partys Vice Presidential nominee for the November 2024 election was expected. The speed at which any semblance of restraint and balanced analysis has been abandoned in favour of a no-holds barred attack on the youngest ever veep nominee since Richard Nixon over 70 years ago was surprising, though. Why does he inspire such animosity from liberals?

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His story is compelling and unusual, in the sense that poor white men, especially from the deliberately forgotten but vast Rust Belt of midwestern America are hardly ever the stuff of rousing narratives in the US today. In the era of DEIdiversity, equity and inclusionVance is an outlier. Yet his biographical book Hillbilly Elegy was a New York Times bestseller, giving an inkling that the US is not just the rainbow nation that some in the media likes to portray it to be.

All candidates in the fray to join the main contender on a Presidential ticket are not only minutely vetted, what they bring to a campaign is assessed intently. Donald Trumps closest advisors must have scrutinised the pros and cons of the junior Senator from Ohio before bringing him aboard despite Vances triple disadvantagebeing white, male and a conservative. His only saving grace in the grudging opinion of the partisan media may be his Indian-origin wife Usha.

But Vance actually does fit the DEI bill, though not in the way acceptable to the liberal consensus. He came from a poor family, had an addict mother and a broken home leading him to be brought up by his maternal grandparents, whose surname he later took. He beat the odds to excel in high school, served in the Marines (including a stint in Iraq in 2005), returned to graduate summa cum laude (with highest merit) from Ohio State University and then completed law from Yale.

As the sales of his book portend, Vances life story must be inspirational to many more Americans than mainstream media discourse may imply. It should be remembered that though the Black/African-American segment has a poverty percentage of 21% (in 2022), as over 70% of Americans are white, even a rate of 9.5% (also in 2022) in that cohort means there are more poor whites than poor blacks in the US. Yet they appear to be a forgotten political demographic.

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Vances rise to the top in the Republican Party cannot but be heartening to that silent majority, whom only Trump has addressed in recent times. Making Vance his running mate reiterates his commitment. That at 39 Vance is a shade less than half of Trumps age (78) and much less than half of President Joe Bidens age (82) may also appeal to Millennials and those even younger. This year, GenZ and Millennials comprise 48.5% of eligible voters; by 2028, they will cross 50%.

The generational leap within the Republican Party that Trump appears to be effecting is significant given this statistic. More so if his young veep nominee also aims to become the partys presidential candidate in 2028. The younger speakers at the Republican National Convention at Milwaukee after the delegates had confirmed the Trump-Vance 2024 ticket on Monday indicated that the mercurial presidential nominee has correctly read the straws in the wind.

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Vance has much of the impulsiveness and spontaneity that appeals to the young. His unequivocal stance on Ukraine, for instance, might resonate among Americans who do not want continued US involvement there. Opinion polls tend not to accurately reflect the gamut of American society, but even so, support for Ukraine has declined to 58%, down from 66% approval in August 2022. On every aspect of the war, young Americans are less concerned than older ones.

His provocative statements may also appeal to young audiences. At a conference of Conservatives held in Washington DC last week (also attended by Indian delegates) Vance quipped, for instance, that Britain may be the first truly Islamist country to have nuclear weapons, now that the Labour Party is in government. The importance of Gaza (ruled by the Islamist Hamas) in the UK elections and the rise of a group called The Muslim Vote makes outright denials difficult.

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Vance could be the proverbial stalking horse within the Beltways ossified political system in a potential second Trump administration, given that now aged 78 and having survived an assassination attempt, the protagonist himself is a visibly mellowed personality. If Vance is indeed a junior Trump, he can be guided to accomplish the latters project to transform the government and set the Republican party firmly on the Make America Great Again (MAGA) path.

No wonder Trumps old foes within the Republican Party eco-system are being sought out to make critical comments on his veep pick. Hence, much publicity has been given to arch Trump-baiter Jennifer Horn, for example, who quit the party in her home state New Hampshire but recently posted on X, JD Vance was the least experienced, least qualified, most obsequious, psychopathic, servile candidate on the list. Perfect choice for Trump. Rotten choice for America.

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That Vance will be given no quarter as the presidential race nears the last lap is also clear from the number of times his criticism of Trumpback in 2016as being an idiot, reprehensible and even Hitler, is also being repeatedly brought up. The intention is obviously to sow discord and dissent inside an increasingly upbeat Republican Party that senses the Democrats are hamstrung by President Joe Bidens stubborn refusal to step aside in favour of someone younger.

But that gambit could backfire, as former Republican presidential nomination contender Vivek Ramaswamy has pointed out. The very fact that Vance was not a Trump cheerleader in 2016 but came round to believing in him puts the young Senator in the best position to convince other similarly disinclined voters to change their views and votes. Interestingly, the Vances are friends with and Yale classmates of Ramaswamy, and one of their children is named Vivek too!

What the liberal potshot brigades have not perhaps considered is Ushas role as Vances main counsellor and helpmate. Her being a registered Democrat (at least up to 2014) and a litigator in an avowedly woke law firm even as she fell in love with, married and supported an outspoken, conservative rags-to-riches Republican weaves a compelling narrative that there are no absolutes in life or politics. That is the message Trump would want the Vances to disseminate.
Law AB 1955 bans school districts from requiring schools to notify parents if their child requests a change in their preferred pronouns. Musk has a personal connection to the issue here. He has an estranged relation with one of his children who is transgender read more

In 2021, Musk relocated Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas. However, just a few years later, Tesla had to relocate its global engineering headquarters back to California due to challenges in finding top-tier engineering talent willing to work in Texas. Image Credit: Reuters

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he will relocate the headquarters of his companies, SpaceX and X, from California to Texas.

This decision comes in response to a newly enacted gender identity law in California that Musk views as detrimental to families and businesses.

Law AB 1955

The new law, known as AB 1955, was passed by the legislature in response to policies implemented by local school districts like those in Chino Valley and Temecula. Supporters of the new California law, including LGBTQ+ advocates, argue that it is designed to protect young people who may not find support for their gender identity at home and claim that the law is aimed at protecting the privacy and safety of transgender and non-binary students.

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These districts had passed rules requiring teachers to inform parents when students socially transition at school by changing their names or pronouns. The passing of AB 1955 into law has sparked a major backlash among anti-transgender groups on social media, particularly on X, which Musk owns.

The law, which was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, essentially bans school districts from requiring schools to notify parents if their child requests a change in their preferred pronouns. AB 1955 also makes California the first state in the US to implement such a law.

In a series of tweets, Musk criticised not only the new law but also the broader conditions in California. He mentioned safety concerns about violent drug addicts near his office, suggesting that such issues contribute to the unwelcoming environment for businesses. However, it should be noted that as troubled as California seems to be, some of the leading aerospace companies are based out of the state.

Moving to Texas

Musk expressed his frustration with this law and several others he believes are harmful, stating that this was the final straw. He announced on X that SpaceXs headquarters would move from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.

In a follow-up tweet, he added that his social media company, X, will relocate its headquarters to Austin, Texas. Musk elaborated that he had previously warned Governor Newsom that laws like this would push families and companies out of California.

Musks estranged relation

Musk also has a personal connection to the issue here. Musk has an estranged relation with one of his children who is transgender, a situation that has been previously reported by Axios.

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The law prevents schools from disclosing a students gender identity without their consent, which advocates say is crucial for the safety and well-being of transgender and non-binary youth.

Finding employees in Texas a challenge?

Critics of Musks decision argue that the move to Texas was likely planned regardless of the legislation and that he is using the law as a convenient justification. They also point out Musks contentious relationship with his eldest child, who reportedly faced conflict with him after coming out as transgender.

The impact of relocating SpaceXs headquarters from Southern California, a crucial hub for defence contractors and the aerospace industry, is yet to be fully understood. Southern California has long been home to major companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon, which play a significant role in the regions economy and workforce.

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This is not the first time Musk has moved one of his companies to Texas. In 2021, he relocated Teslas headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas. Musk himself also moved his personal residence to Texas.

However, just a few years later, Tesla had to relocate its global engineering headquarters back to California due to challenges in finding top-tier engineering talent willing to work in Texas.

Musks decision to move SpaceX and X highlights ongoing tensions between Californias progressive legislative agenda and the business climate in the state. As these relocations proceed, the broader implications for Musks companies, their operations, and their business relationships will become clearer. The move also raises questions about the future of California as a hub for innovation and technology, as well as the balance between protecting individual rights and maintaining a favourable business environment.
Both Microsoft and Inflection AI have maintained that their agreement is not exactly an acquisition and that Inflection AI remains an independent entity, operating on its own, without any interference from Microsoft read more

The UK competition watchdog has officially started investigating Microsofts hiring of employees from start-up Inflection AI, marking an escalation in global regulatory scrutiny of technology companies investment activities.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Tuesday that it has sufficient information to initiate an inquiry into Microsofts hiring of certain former Inflection AI employees and related arrangements with the start-up.

This formal merger inquiry follows an earlier phase where the CMA sought public comments on the Microsoft-Inflection AI relationship, amid broader concerns about mergers and acquisitions in the rapidly evolving AI sector. The CMA set a deadline of September 11 to escalate its investigation further.

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Microsoft has defended its actions, stating it believes hiring talent fosters competition and asserting that its dealings with Inflection AI should not be categorized as a merger. The tech giant has committed to cooperating fully with the CMAs inquiries.

In March, Microsoft paid $650 million to acquire key personnel from Inflection AI, including CEO Mustafa Suleyman, a co-founder of Googles DeepMind, and also secured licensing rights to its technology. Inflection AI, originally focused on consumer AI with its chatbot product Pi, shifted its business model to enterprise AI software after most of its workforce moved to Microsoft.

The transaction has raised eyebrows among regulators and legal experts who argue it resembles an acquisition but circumvents formal merger regulations. In April, the CMA sought public input on whether partnerships like Microsofts with Inflection AI should fall under UK merger rules.

Both Microsoft and Inflection AI have maintained that their agreement is not exactly an acquisition and that Inflection AI remains an independent entity, operating on its own, without any interference from Microsoft.

This scrutiny is part of a broader trend where major tech companies investments in AI start-ups have come under regulatory review in the US, EU, and UK. Microsoft recently stepped down from its board observer role at OpenAI, and Apple followed suit, amid increasing regulatory scrutiny over tech investments in AI start-ups.

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In June, the European Commission indicated it might launch an antitrust investigation into Microsofts partnership with OpenAI, shifting focus away from traditional merger control rules. Similarly, the US Federal Trade Commission has begun examining investments by major tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in generative AI start-ups.
Six people were killed Tuesday in clashes around the country as rival student groups attacked each other with hurled bricks and bamboo rods, and police dispersed rallies with tear gas and rubber bullets read more

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed Wednesday to punish those responsible for killing six people in ongoing student protests over civil service hiring rules, hours after police forcibly dispersed a funeral ceremony to mourn the dead.Six people were killed Tuesday in clashes around the country as rival student groups attacked each other with hurled bricks and bamboo rods, and police dispersed rallies with tear gas and rubber bullets.The worst day of violence since demonstrations against public sector job quotas began this month prompted Hasinas government to order the closure of schools and universities nationwide until further notice.Hasina, whose administration is accused by protesters of misusing the quota scheme to stack coveted government jobs with loyalists, condemned the killings and insisted that perpetrators would be brought to justice.

I condemn every murder, she said in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening, after a day of clashes between police forces and demonstrators.

I firmly declare that those who carried out murders, looting and violence  whoever they are  I will make sure they will be given the appropriate punishment.

Her speech did not assign responsibility for Tuesdays deaths, but descriptions from hospital authorities and students given to AFP earlier suggest at least some of the victims died when police fired non-lethal weapons to quell demonstrations.

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Earlier around 500 protesters staged a public funeral ceremony at the capitals prestigious Dhaka University, carrying six coffins draped with the red and green national flag to symbolise those killed the previous day.

But riot police had already cordoned off roads leading to the campus with barbed wire and stopped the procession with tear gas volleys and stun grenades soon after it began.

Domino effect

Students at the university had spent Tuesday night scouring dormitories and expelling pro-government classmates in what they said was a bid to end the violence.

Members of the student wing of Hasinas ruling Awami League party had clashed with demonstrators over the previous two days, resulting in at least 400 injuries on Monday.

When students were killed yesterday, it caused massive anger, Dhaka University masters student Abdullah Mohammad Ruhel told AFP.

It was like a domino effect. The female students started kicking out the Awami League students first, then the male dormitories followed.

Others on campus told AFP that all members of the governing partys youth wing had been ordered to leave their dorms, and those who refused were dragged out.

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The government told every school and university in the country to shut indefinitely late Tuesday, soon after deploying paramilitary forces in several big cities to restore order.

Police later raided the headquarters of the countrys main opposition party in central Dhaka, arresting seven members of its student wing.

Detective branch chief Harun-or-Rashid told reporters that officers had found a cache of Molotov cocktails and other weapons at the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) offices.

Internet users around Bangladesh reported widespread outages of Facebook, the main platform used to organise the protests.

Online freedom watchdog Netblocks said multiple internet providers in Bangladesh had completely restricted access to the social media platform in the wake of Tuesdays crackdown.

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Protests nonetheless continued around the country on Wednesday, with police firing tear gas to disperse another demonstration blocking a highway outside Barisal, the southern citys police commissioner Jehadul Kabir told AFP.

Our protests will also continue no matter how much violence they can unleash on us, Dhaka University student Chamon Fariya Islam told AFP.

Cant get work

Near-daily marches this month have demanded an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the countrys 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

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If you are a university student in todays Bangladesh, you would know how dangerously uncertain your future is, Asif Saleh, the director of one of Bangladeshs largest charity BRAC, wrote on Facebook in response to the unrest.

My inbox is flooded with requests seeking jobs. If I go to a village, fathers will tell me, I spent so much to educate my son, but he cant get work.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International and the US State Department have both condemned this weeks clashes and urged Hasinas government not to crack down on peaceful demonstrators.
The companys website contains numerous warnings about the chips, which are labeled R 18+ curry chips due to their intense spiciness. It advises that individuals under 18 should not consume them and cautions even those who enjoy spicy food to eat with care. The chips are made with ghost peppers, known as bhut jolokia, one of the hottest chili peppers in the world read more

Fourteen high school students in Tokyo were hospitalised on Tuesday after consuming super spicy potato chips, according to police. Approximately 30 students ate the chips after one of them brought them to school.

Soon after, several students reported nausea and severe mouth pain, leading to emergency calls to the fire department and police, as per a BBC report. The affected students, 13 girls and one boy, were taken to the hospital but were conscious and exhibited only minor symptoms.

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Isoyama Corp, the manufacturer of the chips, issued an apology for any inconvenience caused and wished the students a speedy recovery. The company has not yet responded with any other statement, as per the report.

The companys website contains numerous warnings about the chips, which are labeled R 18+ curry chips due to their intense spiciness. It advises that individuals under 18 should not consume them and cautions even those who enjoy spicy food to eat with care. The chips are made with ghost peppers, known as bhut jolokia, one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.

Isoyama Corp also recommends not eating the chips alone and warns that they may cause diarrhea if consumed in excess. The company explicitly advises against consumption by those with high blood pressure, sensitive stomachs, or cuts on their fingers.

Reports indicate that one of the students, a boy, brought the chips to school just for fun. Reactions on social media included a spicy meter to illustrate the chips heat and videos of users describing their painful experiences. Notably, X owner Elon Musk commented on the situation, noting that the chips must be next-level spicy.
The proposal comes at a time when debate about media freedom and the policing of harmful or misleading content has intensified with the European Parliament election and other elections in Europe and the United States. read more

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an address to the lower house said Without free media of quality, there is no democracy,. Representational Image

Spain announced measures on Wednesday designed to curb the spread of fake news, an initiative blasted by the countrys conservative opposition as an attempt to censor critical media.

Without free media of quality, there is no democracy, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an address to the lower house. Without reliable and diverse sources of information, the citizens are blind.

In Spain, like elsewhere, newer forms of news presentation such as on social platforms and on messaging and video apps are becoming more influential in political discourse and can reach audiences far larger than traditional media.

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Sanchez said the rules would be aimed at all media.

They would bring Spain in line with the European Media Freedom Act approved in March. That act is designed to regulate the media but also shield journalists from state spying or being forced to reveal their sources.

The conservative Peoples Party questioned the timing of the bill as it comes two days before Sanchezs wife Begona Gomez is due to appear in court as part of a corruption investigation case that has been dismissed by her husband as fake news whipped up by right-wing media with the support of opposition parties.

The bill is a law of censorship, the conservative Peoples Party, the largest in the lower house, said in a post on the X platform. Sanchez now seeks to control the critical media, lets defend freedom of speech, it said.

Sanchez said the government would not give a stamp of approval to any media.

Sanchez also proposed requiring media to identify all shareholders with influence over editorial policy, the amounts they receive in publicly funded advertising and from third countries, and transparent audience data.

He also announced a 100 million euro ($109 million)subsidy to help traditional media to go digital.
Addressing Republican National Convention, Nikki Haley said, When Barack Obama was president, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. With Joe Biden as President, Putin invaded all of Ukraine. But when Donald Trump was President, Putin did nothing read more

Nikki Haley after addressing the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Source: AFP.

Nikki Haley, who was Trumps first significant Republican rival in the US election 2024 race, has now come out in full support of him, and said, Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period."

Trump has officially been elected as the Republican nominee for the 2024 US presidential election. while praising him, Haley, former Governor of South Carolina, claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attack Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough."

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When Trump was President, Putin did nothing

When Barack Obama was president, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. With Joe Biden as President, Putin invaded all of Ukraine. But when Donald Trump was President, Putin did nothing. No invasions, no wars. That was no accident. Putin didnt attack Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough, Haley said in her address at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee..

A strong president doesnt start wars, a strong president prevents wars, she asserted.

#WATCH | Addressing the 2024 Republican National Convention, in the presence of Donald Trump, Republican leader Nikki Haley says, "I will start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement."



She further adds, "When Barack Obama was president, pic.twitter.com/tUIUZE0ynw  ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

US is at critical moment

Haley further said, Our country is at a critical moment. We have a choice to make. For more than a year I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris. After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true."

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If we have four more years of Biden, or a single day of Harris, our country will be worse off. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump, she added.

Haley, who has also served as a UN ambassador, praised Trumps foreign policy during his previous presidency.

At this moment, we have a chance to set aside our differences, and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country, she said.

Our foreign enemies win when they see Americans hate each other. They see that today, whether its on college campuses or in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania. But we can conquer those fears with strength and unity, Haley emphasised in her speech at the convention.
The European Commission, which oversees the blocs trade policy, has set provisional duties of up to 37.6 per cent on EVs imported from China to counter what it says are unfair subsidies and has canvassed EU member views in a so-called advisory vote read more

European Union governments exposed divided views on the merits of EU tariffs on imports of China-built electric vehicles in a non-binding but still influential vote, sources with knowledge of the vote said on Tuesday.

The European Commission, which oversees the blocs trade policy, has set provisional duties of up to 37.6 per cent on EVs imported from China to counter what it says are unfair subsidies and has canvassed EU member views in a so-called advisory vote.

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A dozen EU members voted in support of the tariffs, four voted against and 11 abstained, the sources said.

The Commission is expected to take this into account when deciding whether to follow up with definitive duties in what is the EUs highest-profile trade case yet.

If it does advocate duties at the end of its investigation, it will come up for a binding vote among the EU members and would be imposed unless a qualified majority of 15 member countries representing 65 per cent of the EU population vote against it.

If the voting pattern of the advisory vote were repeated, definitive duties, typically applicable for five years, would then enter force.

However, the large number of abstentions reflects wavering among many EU members, aware of the Commissions arguments that trade must be on a level playing field, but also mindful of the risk of a trade war with China. Beijing has threatened wide-ranging retaliation.

German carmakers, which made a third of their sales last year in China, have urged the EU to drop tariffs, which would not only apply to Chinese producers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC but also to China-built cars of Western automakers such as Tesla and BMW.

In the vote, France, Italy and Spain supported the tariffs, while Germany, Finland and Sweden abstained, government sources said.

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A German source said that its abstention was in the spirit of critical solidarity with the Commission. Finland had doubts whether it was in the EUs interests, given that not all European car manufacturers favoured measures, an embassy official said.

Swedish trade minister Johan Forssell said that dialogue between the Commission and China to find a solution would be very important.

The Commission will continue its investigation for another three months.

In one sign of compromise, the European Commission has signalled that it may consider a lower tariff for BMW, opening a new tab for China-made electric Mini and Volkswagens, opens new tab Cupra Tavascan, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
The Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times quoted unnamed analysts suggesting that the RIMPAC exercise is evidently targeted at China, being the only country the US views as an enemy read more

China and Russia have begun live-fire maritime exercises in the South China Sea. This development comes as the two countries have increasingly aligned their military and economic strategies in response to a barrage of US sanctions.

The Russian-Chinese naval exercise, dubbed Maritime Cooperation - 2024, kicked off with an opening ceremony in the Chinese port of Zhanjiang. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the start of the drills via a statement on the Telegram messaging app. The exercises follow closely on the heels of a joint naval patrol in the north Pacific, which featured a detachment from Russias Pacific Fleet.

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The timing of these drills is particularly significant, coinciding with the ongoing US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercisethe largest maritime exercise in the world. This parallel activity seems to set the stage for a maritime face-off of sorts.

A face-off in the high seas?

The Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times quoted unnamed analysts suggesting that the RIMPAC exercise is evidently targeted at China. The analysts pointed to the exercises focus on sinking the USS Tarawa, a retired 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship. This is notable because China is the only enemy of the US that operates a similarly sized amphibious assault ship in the Asia-Pacific region. Some experts further speculated that the US and its allies might be preparing for a potential scenario where China could use such a ship in an assault on Taiwan.

RIMPAC, held biennially, this year gathers the armed forces of 29 countries for five weeks of training. The exercise aims to bolster multilateral relations and enhance readiness to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

It is interesting to note that China, which participated in RIMPAC in 2014 and 2016, was disinvited in 2018 amid escalating regional tensions. It did not receive an invitation for this years event.

This years RIMPAC unfolds amid intensified regional frictions, as reported by Al Jazeera. The US has ramped up its multilateral interregional partnerships, forged new defense agreements, and expanded its military capabilities across the Asia-Pacific. Concurrently, China has heightened its military activities around Taiwan and engaged in repeated confrontations with the Philippines over contested islands and shoals in the South China Sea.

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Russia, too, has upped its regional presence. In the past two months, President Vladimir Putin has made prominent visits to China, North Korea, and Vietnam, signaling a robust pivot towards Asia.

No official confirmation

As of now, there has been no official confirmation on whether China and Russias live-fire drills are explicitly intended as a counter to RIMPAC. When asked if the China-Russia exercise was a direct response to RIMPAC, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder remarked, Ill let them speak to the rationale behind their exercises. Its of course something that we monitor closely, and well continue to do.

This face-off in the South China Sea underscores the broader geopolitical chess game playing out in the region, with major powers vying for strategic supremacy and influence.

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With inputs from agencies
Bob Menendez, son of Cuban immigrants in New Jersey, rose to be a Democratic party senior, US Senator, and the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. For years, he served as the chief of the powerful Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Now, he has been found guilty on accepting bribes read more

Influential Democrat politician Robert Bob Menendez was found guilty on all counts in a corruption trial. It has all but spelt the demise of his decades long political career.

How did Bob Menendez rise from being the son of Cuban immigrants in New Jersey, to a Democratic party senior, US Senator, and the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? And how did he fall from grace- accused, and now convicted, of accepting bribes for using his position to benefit vested interests?

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Heres a look.

A young, rising star

Menendezs political career began at the tender age of 19. In 1974, driven by a desire to fight for student rights, he secured a seat on the Union City Board of Education. This early victory marked his first foray into politics.

In about a decades time, in 1986, Menendez had taken on the entrenched political establishment of his hometown, emerging victorious as the Mayor of Union City. His tenure as mayor was marked by efforts to root out corruption. This period solidified his reputation as and paved the way for his ascent to higher office.

In the House of Representatives

In 1992, Menendez transitioned to the national stage, winning a seat in the US House of Representatives for New Jerseys 13th District. His time in the House saw him become a prominent voice on immigration, national security, and working-family issues. Menendezs influence grew steadily.

Trouble in the powerful Foreign Relations Committee

Menendezs career reached a historic milestone in 2013 when he was sworn in as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, becoming the first Latino to lead this powerful body.

His tenure as chairman, however, was marred by legal troubles. In 2015, Menendez stepped down from this role after being indicted on charges of accepting bribes from a Florida eye doctor. Although the case ended in a mistrial, it marked the beginning of a series of legal battles that would haunt his career.

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By 2018, Menendez was back as the Democratic leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He became a vocal critic of the Trump administrations foreign policy. By 2021, Menendez had reclaimed his position as chairman, demonstrating his enduring influence in Washington.

Fall from grace: Cash, gold, and a Mercedes

The real unravelling of Menendezs political career began with a dramatic raid on his New Jersey home in 2022. FBI agents discovered nearly $500,000 in cash, gold bars worth $150,000, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible. These findings led to bribery charges that have since resulted in his conviction.

The charges alleged that Menendez accepted substantial bribes between 2018 and 2022 in exchange for using his political influence to benefit three New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian government. Prosecutors claimed that Menendez provided sensitive information to aid an Egyptian-American businessman in maintaining his monopoly, receiving cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in return.

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Prosecutors painted a damning picture of Menendezs conduct, with U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stating, This wasnt politics as usual. This was politics for profit. The conviction of Menendez and his co-conspirators, Egyptian-American Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, marks a significant chapter in the battle against political corruption.

In July 2024, Menendez was found guilty on all counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction of justice. The verdict came after just three days of jury deliberations.

Calls for resignation

The fallout from Menendezs conviction has been swift and severe. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow Democrat, called for his resignation, stating, In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy echoed this sentiment, urging the Senate to expel Menendez if he refuses to step down.

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A tarnished legacy

Menendezs legacy, once defined by his rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of political power, is now irrevocably tarnished. His vow to appeal the verdict offers a glimmer of hope, but the weight of the evidence and the calls for his resignation suggest that his political career is nearing its end.

From a story of the realisation of the American Dream, it has now become a cautionary tale about the perils of power and the corrosive influence of corruption.

With inputs from agencies
One of the targeted groups was Black Axe, one of the most prominent criminal networks in West Africa. Black Axe operates in cyber fraud, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and is responsible for violent crimes both within Africa and globally, the agency added read more

In a global operation targeting West African organized crime groups across five continents, police arrested 300 people, seized $3 million and blocked 720 bank accounts, Interpol said Tuesday.

Operation Jackal III, which ran from 10 April to 3 July in 21 countries, aimed to fight online financial fraud and the West African syndicates behind it, the agency said in a statement.

The volume of financial fraud stemming from West Africa is alarming and increasing, said Isaac Oginni, director of Interpols Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre. This operations results underscore the critical need for international law enforcement collaboration to combat these extensive criminal networks.

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One of the targeted groups was Black Axe, one of the most prominent criminal networks in West Africa. Black Axe operates in cyber fraud, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and is responsible for violent crimes both within Africa and globally, the agency added.

Black Axe used money mules to open bank accounts worldwide and is now under investigation in over 40 countries for related money laundering activities, the agency said. The suspects include citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Nigeria and Venezuela.

In Argentina, following a five-year investigation, the police cracked down on Black Axe and seized $ 1.2 million in high-quality counterfeit banknotes, arrested 72 suspects and froze approximately 100 bank accounts.

Interpol, which has 196 member countries and celebrated its centennial last year, works to help national police forces communicate with each other and track suspects and criminals in fields like counterterrorism, financial crime, child pornography, cybercrime and organized crime.

The worlds biggest  if not best-funded  police organization has been grappling with new challenges including a growing caseload of cybercrime and child sex abuse, and increasing divisions among its member countries.

Interpol had a total budget of about 176 million euros (about $188 million) last year, compared to more than 200 million euros at the European Unions police agency, Europol, and some $11 billion at the FBI in the United States.
Iran strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack against Trump, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said, while Irans mission to the United Nations called accusations of a previous plot to kill the former president as unsubstantiated and malicious. read more

Iran on Wednesday rejected what it called malicious accusations by US media implicating it in an attempt to kill former US president Donald Trump.

Iran strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack against Trump, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said, while Irans mission to the United Nations called accusations of a previous plot to kill the former president as unsubstantiated and malicious.

The United States received intelligence from a human source in recent weeks regarding an Iranian plan to assassinate former president Donald Trump, CNN reported on Tuesday.

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Two US officials told the Associated Press that the US Secret Service and the Trump campaign were made aware of the Iranian threat, prompting a surge in resources and assets, which ultimately did not prevent Saturdays attack.
Despite an upgraded economic forecast from the IMF, Chinas Third Plenum prompts scrutiny over its priorities: bolstering Xi Jinpings leadership image or addressing the nations economic downturn? read more

Despite the International Monetary Fund revising Chinas 2024 economic growth forecast up to 5 percent in its latest World Economic Outlook update from the 4.6 percent predicted in April, the same enthusiasm is lacking on the ground as growth is slowing and becoming more unbalanced.

Xinhua news agency reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revision on Tuesday is mainly due to a rebound in private consumption and strong exports in the first quarter.

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According to the statement, resurgent domestic consumption in China drove the positive growth in the first quarter, assisted by what appeared to be a temporary increase in exports that belatedly reconnected with last years rise in global demand.

No enthusiasm on ground

The Wall Street Journal in a piece said that China faces multiple economic challenges as consumers are curbing their spending, the housing market remains depressed, local governments are heavily in debt and foreign investors are withdrawing their funds. This comes at a time when the country is dealing with a rapidly ageing population. Economists believe that an increased focus on manufacturing is unlikely to resolve these issues and may even worsen relations with the US and other countries.

It is unlikely that in the ongoing plenum which endorse Xis vision will pay heed to Western calls for more balanced growth driven by increased Chinese consumption. Economists warn that failing to boost domestic spending on global goods and services could lead to more trade disputes.

Real estate woes continue

Moreover, Chinas real estate crisis, now in its third year, began when Beijing imposed stricter regulations on developers to control excessive borrowing. Previously, the property sector and related industries contributed up to a quarter of Chinas annual economic output, but they are now a significant drag on the economy, with property investment declining by 10.1 per cent in the first half of 2024.

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Property has long been a crucial driver of growth, propelling China to its status as the worlds second-largest economy. However, in 2020, regulatory measures aimed at curbing excessive borrowing and speculation tightened access to credit. Since then, the sectors leading firms have been burdened with mounting debt and stalled construction projects.

According to AFP, ratings agency Fitch recently projected a 15-20 percent decline in the value of new home sales this year, highlighting a dampening trend in homebuyer sentiment.

Depressing numbers

Chinas economy experienced a 4.7 per cent year-on-year growth in the second quarter of 2024, according to official data released on Monday. This growth rate fell short of the 5.1 per cent forecasted by analysts polled by Bloomberg.

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In detail, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the GDP increased by 5.3 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, followed by a 4.7 per cent rise in the second quarter.

Retail sales, a significant indicator of consumer activity, also showed a decline, growing by only two per cent in June compared to 3.7 per cent in May, as stated by the NBS.

Xi at Third Plenum

Chinas ruling Communist Party began a four-day meeting on Monday to formulate a strategy for achieving self-sufficient economic growth amid heightened national security concerns and restrictions on access to American technology. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged party members to demonstrate unwavering faith and commitment to his overarching strategy, despite international investment banks lowering their growth forecasts for China.

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The gathering in Beijing, known as the Third Plenum, is taking place against a backdrop of increasingly complex and challenging domestic and international environments, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. This meeting is expected to outline the countrys development plan for the next five to ten years.

Despite the ongoing Third Plenum, concrete steps to revive the economy have been sparse. Instead, Chinese media has been effusive in its praise of President Xi.

Xinhua praised Xi Jinping as a statesman, thinker, and strategist, emphasising his significant role in Chinas reform initiatives. The agency noted that Xi has consistently taken on the major responsibilities of reform and personally reviewed and revised all key plans.

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Describing Xi as another outstanding reformer in the country after Deng Xiaoping, Xinhua highlighted the differing historical contexts faced by the two leaders. While Deng was tasked with transforming a poverty-stricken China, Xi inherited a nation that had become the worlds second-largest economy. However, many of the factors that fuelled Chinas rapid development, such as cheap labour, were beginning to wane.

The Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times highlighted that President Xis recent statements on reform and opening-up during significant gatherings offer valuable insights on the meetings tone, Chinas reform priorities and the overarching objective of advancing Chinese modernisation through deeper reforms.

The real concern is would these reforms be effective for China and globally acceptable?
Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said the man was shot by five members of the Ohio police department after he refused the commands and charged an unarmed man read more

A man who was wielding two knives near the Republican National Convention (RNC) has been shot and killed by cops in Ohio after he refused police commands. The swift action was taken within days after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The team of Ohio police, which is in Wisconsin for the convention, spotted the man merely a few blocks away from the RNC, wielding a knife in each hand.

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At a news conference, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said the person was shot by five members of the Ohio police department after he refused the commands of cops and charged an unarmed man.

Someones life was in danger, Norman said, adding that, These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someones life today.

A large team of police personnel from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the RNC that began Monday and concludes Thursday.

Who was the knife wielding man shot by police?

As per a report by the New York Post, the suspect was a homeless man who was mentally distressed. Eyewitnesses said they heard eight shots fired, while some even said that the man was shot in the back as he attempted to run away from the security forces.

He was identified as Samuel Sharpe, and used to reside in a nearby tent area where several homeless people seek shelter.

Shooting of man sparks anger among residents

The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the site of the convention.

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Soon after hearing the shots being fired, Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site, with many expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention.

Residents of the tent encampment where Sharpe lived also expressed anger over the involvement of the Ohio police department. They said he would still be alive if Milwaukee police had handled the issue.

They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed.

What are you doing in our city, shooting people down? Sharpe said her cousin, who she identified as Samuel Sharpe, lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.

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David Porter, who said he knew the man and is also homeless, was angry that officers from outside of Milwaukee were in his neighbourhood.

If MPD would have been there, that man would still be alive right now, Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.

Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighbourhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to deescalate the situation.

In a separate incident, a man carrying an AK-47 pistol was arrested near the site of the RNC by Capitol Police officers and Homeland Security Investigations.

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He wasnt carrying any valid gun permit, and authorities grew suspicious of his attire, which included a ski mask and a tactical bag which contained an AK-47 pistol and a loaded magazine. His identity has not been revealed yet.

With inputs from agencies
The Philippines and China agreed during the recent meeting on the need to restore trust and rebuild confidence to better manage disputes read more

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard stand alert as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. Source: REUTERS.

The Philippines and China have agreed to set up new lines of communication to improve their handling of maritime disputes, according to a document and a Philippine diplomatic source, as ties sour over clashes about territory in the South China Sea.

The two countries have traded barbs repeatedly over jurisdiction in the contested South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by support of defence ally the United States, challenges Chinas permanent presence around strategic features inside Manilas exclusive economic zone.

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Three communication channels would be established specifically for maritime issues, according to the source, who provided a document with highlights of an Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms, which was signed on July 2.

China has always been committed to working with the Philippines to properly address maritime issues through dialogue and consultation, Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a briefing when asked about the agreement.

The two countries have agreed to further strengthen the dialogue on sea-related communication between diplomacy and the maritime police, so as to jointly safeguard the stability of the maritime situation and the overall situation of China-Philippines relations, Lin added.

The foreign ministries of China and the Philippines and the Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond on Wednesday to separate requests for comment on the matter.

The first channel would be used by representatives to be designated by their leaders, with the other for respective foreign ministries at ministerial or vice-ministerial level, or their designated representatives, according to the document.

The third would involve their respective coast guards which will be set up once the corresponding MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the coast guards is concluded, the document said.

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The source, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak on the issue, said the Philippine foreign ministry was discussing with its Chinese counterpart guidelines to govern the implementation of the arrangement, which follows a June 17 clash between rival vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of frequent standoffs.

Challenge to China

The Philippines last month accused Chinas coast guard of intentionally ramming and deliberately puncturing navy boats and seizing weapons to disrupt a resupply mission to troops stationed on the vessel grounded at the shoal, seriously injuring a Filipino sailor who lost a finger.

China said the Philippine vessel had illegally intruded on its territory and had deliberately and dangerously approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision.

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The agreement on communications channels is not the first, with the two sides establishing a line between respective maritime offices.

Antonio Carpio, a former Philippine Supreme Court justice, and a prominent advocate of Manilas maritime claims, expressed scepticism over the communication lines because that will not resolve the dispute.

We dont know if they will answer when we call, so we will have to wait, Carpio said. It is good to have that but we should not expect miracles out of that.

The Philippines and China agreed during the recent meeting on the need to restore trust and rebuild confidence to better manage disputes.

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The Philippine resupply missions, often accompanied by media, have riled China, which sees the Second Thomas Shoal as part of its territory, despite being 1,300 km (808 miles) off its mainland and within Manilas EEZ.

Beijing maintains it has sovereignty over most of the South China Sea based on its old maps and has deployed hundreds of coast guard vessels deep into Southeast Asia to assert its claims, disrupting offshore energy and fisheries activities of other neighbours, including Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has refused to recognise a 2016 international ruling that concluded Beijings claims have no basis under international law.

The United States has backed the Philippines over the clashes, condemning what it calls Chinese aggression, while underlining its ironclad commitment to a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty under which it must defend its former colony if attacked. China has accused the United States of interference.

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While China claims almost all of the vital waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam lay claims to parts.
The mosque attack came at a time when Shiites were marking Ashura, an annual day of mourning that commemorates the seventh-century death in the battle of Imam Hussein, regarded by the sect as the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed read more

The Indian Embassy in Muscat on Wednesday said that it is keeping a close watch on all the developments related to the shooting at a mosque that killed one Indian national and injured two others. Meanwhile, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shiite mosque.

The mosque attack came at a time when Shiites were marking Ashura, an annual day of mourning that commemorates the seventh-century death in the battle of Imam Hussein, regarded by the sect as the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed.

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In a statement, the Indian Embassy said, Embassy is closely following up the well being of the resident Indian community in the aftermath of the shooting incident in Muscat city on July 15. The Embassy conveys its sympathies with the families of those who have tragically lost their lives in this incident.

Furthermore, the Indian Envoy to Oman, Amit Narang spoke to the families of the victims. The victim who died from the attack has been identified as Basha Jan Ali Hussain. The Embassy has offered full support to repatriate the mortal remains of Hussain back to India.

ISIS claims responsibility

On Tuesday evening, the terror group announced that three suicide attackers opened fire on worshippers at the mosque. They engaged in a gun battle with Omani security forces that lasted through the night until morning, according to Reuters. The group additionally released a video purportedly showing the attack on the Telegram messaging app.

The three gunmen behind the attack were killed and police officers have concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting, it said.

It gave a toll of six killed, including a police officer. It said 28 people from various nationalities were wounded, including rescuers and paramedics.

The foreign ministry in Islamabad said at least four Pakistanis were killed.
The announcement followed a landmark Supreme Court order for young religious men to begin enlisting for military service. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men read more

The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday  a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government.

The announcement followed a landmark Supreme Court order for young religious men to begin enlisting for military service. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men.

The exemptions created resentment among the general public in Israel, especially after more than nine months of war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The army summons is the beginning of a monthslong enlistment process that could be difficult to enforce if there is large-scale refusal to comply. The army did not say when it expects ultra-Orthodox men to begin serving or how many it expects to enlist.

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The court ruled that the system of exemptions, which allow religious men to study in Jewish seminaries while others are forced to serve in the army, was discriminatory. Ultra-Orthodox leaders say religious study is equally important for the countrys future and that their generations-old way of life will be threatened if their followers serve in the army.

Netanyahus government relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose changes to the system. Religious leaders have not said what steps they will take. If they leave the ruling coalition, the government would likely topple and the country would be plunged into early elections two years ahead of schedule.

Past attempts to enlist ultra-Orthodox men have triggered mass protests in ultra-Orthodox communities.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men blocked a main highway in central Israel for several hours on Tuesday in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. Police on horseback pushed the crowd back, and officers dragged protesters away. Police said nine people were arrested.

The army is not an army for fighting. Its an army with indoctrination against religion, said Yona Kay, a protester. Therefore our children, our boys  and I have a son over here  will not go to the army, not for one minute.

On Monday night, dozens of ultra-Orthodox surrounded the cars of senior military commanders who were meeting with local rabbis in Bnei Brak to discuss an ultra-Orthodox unit in the army. The crowd threatened the officers, calling them murderers and throwing bottles, according to Israeli media.
The Islamic States history of targeting Shiite mosques is attributed largely to its stringent Sunni ideology, which labels Shiites as heretical. The group has targeted Shia ceremonies, processions and worshippers in several nations, including Afghanistan and Pakistan read more

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on the mosque in Oman. Image used for representational purpose/Reuters

Terrorist group Islamic State confirmed its responsibility for the attack on Tuesdays attack on Shiite mosque in Oman. The assault had resulted in the death of at least nine people, including one Indian national. At least four Pakistani nationals were also killed in the attack. It also marked a rare breach of peace in the affluent oil-producing Sultanate.

The attack, wherein bullets were rained down on the crowd at Muscats Ali bin Abi Talib mosque, happened in the Wadi al-Kabir area close to an international school and leisure facilitie. Omani authorities reported injuries to 28 individuals of diverse nationalities, and including members of the security forces.

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This incident has sparked concerns over a potential resurgence of Islamic State activities. The group had been significantly subdued post-2017 by international military efforts led by the US.

Why does IS attack mosques?

The shooting took place on the night of the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, when Shia Muslims participate in rituals to commemorate the eve of Ashura. Ashura is a significant observance commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in a seventh-century battle.

According to BBC, Islamic State has repeatedly targeted Shia ceremonies, processions and worshippers in several nations, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it has never before claimed an attack in Oman, where the Shia are a minority.

The groups history of targeting Shiite mosques is attributed largely to its stringent Sunni ideology, which labels Shiites as heretical. This theological schism has fueled numerous attacks, particularly during significant Shiite observances such as the Muharram rituals commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a key figure in Shiite history.

Islamic States history of targeting Shiite mosques arises from its stringent Sunni ideology, which labels Shiites as heretical. This theological schism has fueled numerous attacks, particularly during significant Shiite observances such as the Muharram rituals commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a key figure in Shiite history.

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This latest attack in Oman, a nation where Shiites form a minority, represents a new geographical expansion of Islamic States campaign against what it perceives as deviant forms of Islam.

With inputs from agencies
Sikh Republican leader Harmeet Dhillon was on Tuesday trolled on social media for reciting Ardas, a Sikh prayer, at the Republican National Convention, with Christian fundamentalists and ultra-conservatives saying she was offering prayers to a foreign god read more

Sikh Republican leader Harmeet Dhillon was on Tuesday trolled on social media for reciting Ardas, a Sikh prayer, at the Republican National Convention, with Christian fundamentalists and ultra-conservatives saying she was offering prayers to a foreign god.

However, many, including the Republican leaders, also hailed it as a notable moment of cultural and religious representation by a party thats seen as predominantly white, conservative, and Christian.

Dhillon recited the opening part of the Ardas in Gurmukhi before praying in English for America, the American voters, and thanking God for protecting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from an attempted assassination.

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After Dhillon came under fire from a section of those who deemed the prayer as anti-Christian and blasphemous, the Republican leader took to X, saying that she was blocking a few people.

Blocking quite a few people  Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) July 16, 2024

Calling her act blasphemous, an X user named George said, ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ.

ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/Vxiq4NSZdi  George (@BehizyTweets) July 16, 2024

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Others accused Dhillon of being a pagan and termed the Sikh blessing witchcraft.

How about you get deported instead, you pagan blasphemer.



God saves our president and the RNC mocks him with this witchcraft. pic.twitter.com/pAa0S6tQeV  Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) July 16, 2024

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How about you get deported instead, you pagan blasphemer. God saves our president and the RNC mocks him with this witchcraft, far-right political activist Lauren Witzke posted on X.

One of the X users said its okay to worship freely, but one should refrain from promoting non-Christian religion at the GOP convention.

Another X user said reciting a Sikh prayer at the RNC was embarrassing.

Meanwhile, several people also came out in support of Dhillon saying that the hatred directed towards Dhillon is totally misplaced.

The hatred directed toward @pnjaban is totally misplaced. America has always respected minority faith groups, provided that they acquit themselves as good citizens and respect the religion of the majority. You can read George Washington's letter to the Jews from 1790. pic.twitter.com/DIukur3JeS  Christopher F. Rufo  (@realchrisrufo) July 16, 2024

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America has always respected minority faith groups, provided that they acquit themselves as good citizens and respect the religion of the majority, X user Christopher F Rufo said.

In an interview to the New York Post, Dhillon expressed gratitude towards the positive response she received saying, Overall, while the voices of haters can be amplified artificially online, I would say the vast majority of the response to my prayer by mainstream Republicans has been positive, and Im grateful for that.

Dhillon further said that the RNC delegates had approved her of offering the prayer.

Do not portray me as a victim. Yes, there are definitely some negative comments online, but members of the RNC, delegates at the RNC in the Trump campaign approved of me doing this prayer, Dhillon said.

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We ran the script by them, and no one has expressed regret for that, she added.

With inputs from agencies
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that 1,348 Russian soldiers were being held in Ukrainian captivity, and that Russia had detained 6,465 Ukrainian POWs. Exchanges have taken place sporadically throughout the conflict. In a rare instance of direct talks between officials from Moscow and Kyiv, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said her office met with a counterpart from Ukraine at the exchange read more

Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap. File Photo

Russia and Ukraine have released a total of 190 captured soldiers in the latest prisoner exchange between the two sides, officials in Moscow and Kyiv announced Wednesday.

Thousands of POWs have been freed in more than 50 individual exchanges throughout the war  an area where the two sides have been able to strike rare agreements since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russias defence ministry each said Wednesday that 95 of their soldiers had been freed.

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We continue to bring our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity, Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

He said the exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

As a result of a negotiation process, 95 Russian servicemen have been returned, Russias defence ministry said on Telegram.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that 1,348 Russian soldiers were being held in Ukrainian captivity, and that Russia had detained 6,465 Ukrainian POWs.

Exchanges have taken place sporadically throughout the conflict.

In a rare instance of direct talks between officials from Moscow and Kyiv, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said her office met with a counterpart from Ukraine at the exchange.

The first such meeting took place at an exchange in June, Ukraines human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets told AFP at the time.

The officials discussed joint humanitarian actions, including those related to the reunification of families, Moskalkova said.

Kyiv accuses Russia of having forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainian children from territory which came under Moscows control, and is working to secure their return.

Moscow says children were moved for their own protection.

Several have been returned, including through deals brokered by Qatar.
Police suspect that one of the dead was behind the poisoning and was driven by crushing debt, according to a report read more

Plates of food in the hotel room where six people were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, Thailand. Image Courtesy: Royal Thai police

Police investigation into the death of six people, whose bodies were found by housekeepers at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok late on Tuesday, has revealed that they were poisoned by drinks laced with cyanide.

According to a BBC report, police suspect that one of the dead was behind the poisoning and was driven by crushing debt.

Initial tests had detected cyanide - a deadly chemical that interferes with the bodys ability to use oxygen - in a tea flask, six cups and in the blood of one of the dead men, reported The Guardian.

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The deceased were Vietnamese, and two had American citizenship, according to the Thai authorities, who said the FBI was assisting with the investigation.

Thai police indicated that the poisonings took place on Monday afternoon, following a room service delivery of food and English tea to their fifth-floor room at the hotel in the commercial district.

According to The Guardian, citing Noppasin Poonsawat, the deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, when the room service staff arrived, only one of the six individuals  a 56-year-old woman  was present. She accepted the food and drinks and informed hotel staff that the tea didnt need to be served.

Shortly thereafter, CCTV footage captured all six members of the group gathering outside their room and entering it, marking the last time they were seen alive, added the report.

It all started after 13:57 (on Monday]), after the hotel staff brought six teacups, a milk pot and two flasks into the room. We found cyanide on the six cups. According to CCTV, there was no one else  apart from the six members of the group  going inside the room, and none of them were seen coming out, after 14:17," The Guardian quoted Noppasin as saying.

The group of three women and three men was found dead late on Tuesday afternoon, when a member of the housekeeping staff found them after they missed their checkout time.

Upon discovery, the plates of food they had ordered remained untouched and were still wrapped in clingfilm. Their luggage was packed, and a police search overnight revealed no illegal materials inside.

The Vietnamese nationals were identified as Thi Nguyen Phuong (46), her husband Hong Pham Thanh (49), Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan (47), and Dinh Tran Phu (37), while the US citizens were identified as Sherine Chong (56) and Dang Hung Van.

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Authorities are reviewing extensive CCTV footage to reconstruct the timeline of their stay in Bangkok.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the FBI was assisting in the investigation due to the involvement of two American citizens.

Srettha clarified that the incident was not linked to terrorism and assured that a scheduled meeting with the Russian energy minister at the same hotel on Wednesday was unlikely to be affected.

The incident is not related to terrorism or lack of security measurement, so I think everything will go as schedule, he was quoted as saying.

According to BBC, police had initially been searching for a seventh person included in the groups reservation who did not check in. However, on Wednesday, authorities confirmed that this seventh individual was the younger sister of one of the women, who had returned to Vietnam before the incident occurred.

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The married couple within the group, who operated a construction company in Vietnam, had lent 10 million baht ($278,025) to another member for a business venture involving a hospital project in Japan, added the report, citing police.

A financial dispute over the money had emerged.

Further details regarding the amount of cyanide consumed were anticipated to be disclosed on Wednesday afternoon.

A spokesperson from the US State Department said they are closely monitoring the situation and [we] stand ready to provide consular assistance.

This incident is not the first high-profile case involving cyanide in Thailand.

Last year, a Thai woman accused of using cyanide in multiple poisonings was charged with 14 counts of murder, marking one of the countrys most severe suspected cases of serial killings.

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With inputs from agencies
TSMC is the dominant maker of advanced chips used in everything from AI applications to smartphones and fighter jets, and analyst believe any conflict over Taiwan would decimate the world economy read more

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is seen during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. AP

Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence as it does not give the country anything, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said, sending shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC down on Wednesday.

I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defence, Trump said in interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on June 25 but published on Tuesday.

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You know, were no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesnt give us anything.

TSMC is the dominant maker of advanced chips used in everything from AI applications to smartphones and fighter jets, and analyst believe any conflict over Taiwan would decimate the world economy.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai, responding to Trumps comments, said Taiwan and the US have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, and is dedicated to bolstering its defences.

Taiwan has steadily strengthened its defence budget and demonstrated its responsibility to the international community, he said at a routine news conference in Taipei.

We are willing to take on more responsibility; we are defending ourselves and ensuring our security.

The U.S. is Taiwans most important international supporter and arms supplier, but there is no formal defence agreement. The U.S. is however bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Taiwans government has made defence modernisation a priority, including developing its own submarines, and has said many times the islands security rests in its own hands.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has complained of repeated Chinese military activity over the past four years as Beijing seeks to pressure the democratically governed island which rejects Chinas sovereignty claims.

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U.S. President Joe Biden has upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held U.S. position of strategic ambiguity.

Washington and Taipei have had no official diplomatic or military relationship since 1979, when the U.S. switched recognition to Beijing and terminated a mutual defence treaty.

There was no immediate reaction from TSMC which is currently in its quiet period ahead of its second quarter earnings report on Thursday.

TSMC shares down

Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the worlds largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple and Nvidia supplier, fell more than 2% early on Wednesday morning trade. The broader market was down around 0.4%.

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Trumps comments were plainly blunt. We see it as political rhetoric, said Allen Huang, a vice president at Mega International Investment Service. TSMC is an excellent company, and it has won out in the market over many rival companies in the United States.

TSMC is spending billions building new factories overseas, including $65 billion on three plants in the U.S. state of Arizona, though it says most manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.

Taiwan also has a backlog worth some $19 billion of arms deliveries from the United States, which U.S. officials and politicians have repeatedly pledged to speed up.

Since 2022, Taiwan has complained of delays in deliveries of U.S. weapons such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers focused on supplying Ukraine to help it battle invading Russian forces.

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In April, the U.S. Congress had passed a sweeping foreign aid package which includes arms support for the island, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.

China held two days of war games around the island shortly after President Lai Ching-te took office in May, saying it was punishment for his inauguration speech, which Beijing denounced as being full of separatist content.

But China has also been using grey zone warfare against Taiwan, wielding irregular tactics to exhaust a foe by keeping them continually on alert without resorting to open combat. This includes sending balloons over the island and almost daily air force missions into the skies near Taiwan.

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China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, who says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future, has repeatedly offered talks but been rebuffed.
Kremlins military offensive in Ukraine  and the barrage of sanctions it triggered  effectively sealed Russia off to most would-be Western travellers, seriously knocking the countrys tourism industry read more

People walk across Red Square near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in central Moscow, Russia September 21, 2022. Source: REUTERS.

Alexandra Kulikova used to come across plenty of different European languages on the streets of Saint Petersburg, the iconic city founded by Peter the Great as Russias window to the West.

You could hear English, French or Italian being spoken everywhere and we were always full, Kulikova, the co-owner of a chain of apartment rentals in the city, told AFP.

But the Kremlins military offensive in Ukraine  and the barrage of sanctions it triggered  effectively sealed Russia off to most would-be Western travellers, seriously knocking the countrys tourism industry.

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Russia is now looking to visitors from Asia and the Middle East to fill the void.

I see huge numbers of Chinese groups, Arabic tourists travelling with their families, Indians, Kulikova said.

But they must be very rich, because they stay in luxury hotels, not in apartments, she added.

That has put pressure on her business, including previously hotly sought apartments offering breathtaking views over the golden-domed St. Isaacs Cathedral in the heart of the city.

Reorganisation

Alongside a political climate that has grown even more hostile and unwelcoming towards the West and Westerners, sanctions and logistical difficulties have further complicated travel.

Direct flights with the European Union, Britain and the United States have been suspended.

And Visa and Mastercard bank cards cant be used inside Russia.

All that has combined to spark a reorganisation of tourism towards the East, said Sergei Kalinin, who heads an association of guide-interpreters in Saint Petersburg.

During the first quarter of 2024, almost half of all foreign tourists who visited Russia came from China  an estimated 99,000 of 218,000.

Around 8,400 came from Germany  the most of any Western country  down two-thirds on the numbers that visited in 2019, according to Russias Association of Tour Operators.

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A lot in common

In the former imperial capital  famed for its grandiose palaces and picturesque canals  the transformation is stark.

At a Saint Petersburg train station on a long summer evening, groups of mostly Chinese tourists were rushing to catch night trains departing for Moscow.

Russia is an interesting country, and now its easier to get here. There are electronic visas, Liu Yitin, a 60-year-old waiting to board told AFP.

There are many tourist sites in Russia, and our countries have a lot in common, Yitin added.

China has become Russias most important political and economic ally amid its offensive in Ukraine, and the two leaders  Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping  regularly embrace each other as old friends on the world stage.

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While Western governments have strongly advised their citizens against travelling to Russia, Beijing has issued no such warning, and Chinese tourism to Russia has grown exponentially.

There are many Chinese (people) who want to visit Moscow, said Xia Kosinai  a young Chinese guide in Moscow who was leading a group of some two dozen on a trip from Shanghai.

They only know Russia from television, she told AFP.

Because of the fighting in Ukraine, they are a little afraid. But everything is fine once they arrive in Russia, she said.

Not very optimistic

Amid isolation in the West, Russias authorities have sought to facilitate more travel opportunities with citizens from so-called friendly nations.

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Moscow is eyeing up visa-free travel with Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries and wants to increase direct flights to China and Iran, the Russian economy ministry has said.

Saint Petersburg has also boosted its own marketing.

City officials travelled to trade shows in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu in May, after hitting a spate of similar events in India.

They hope to visit 16 major trade fairs this year across Asia, the Middle East and former Soviet states, the city said.

Despite all these efforts, many in the industry say Russia still faces an acute shortage of tourists.

Its not like it used to be, said Maria Khilkova, a tour guide in Saint Petersburg.

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Even with the Chinese (tourists) there is no big tourist flow, it cant be compared to what it was like before Covid, she said.

The city has become heavily reliant on internal tourists instead.

Foreigners represented only six percent of the approximately nine million who visited Saint Petersburg in 2023.

Before the pandemic they accounted for half.

Im not very optimistic, said Khilkova.

It will take at least five years for everything to recover.
Representative Adam Schiff became the first Democrat heavyweight to publicly call on US President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race read more

While Schiff, a key congressional Democrat, praised Biden, he doubted that the 81-year-old incumbent could defeat Donald Trump -- a threat to "the very foundation of our democracy." Reuters

Amid growing calls for Joe Biden to step down from the presidential race, Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday became the most heavyweight Democrat so far to publicly urge the US President to end his reelection campaign.

In a statement, Schiff said, While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

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While Schiff, a key congressional Democrat, praised Biden, he doubted that the 81-year-old incumbent could defeat Donald Trump  a threat to the very foundation of our democracy.

A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November, Schiff added.

Who is Adam Schiff?

The Californian, who is expected to win a Senate seat this November, is one of the partys most influential members and a key ally in the legislature for the White House.

He served as chairman of the House intelligence panel when Democrats had the majority in 2019 and shot to nationwide prominence as lead prosecutor during then-president Trumps first impeachment trial.

Democrats will lose if Biden stays in race

A report by the New York Times quoted sources as saying that Rep. Schiff privately told Democrat donors that the party could suffer substantial losses if President Biden sticks to his narrative of him being fit enough to run for the top post.

I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose. And we may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House, Schiff said.

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Two-thirds Democrats want Biden to withdraw

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new poll, sharply undercutting his post-debate claim that average Democrats are still with him even if some big names are turning on him.

The new survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, conducted as Biden works to salvage his candidacy two weeks after his debate flop, also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, down slightly from 40 per cent in an AP-NORC poll in February.

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Biden lashes out at Democrats

Meanwhile, Bidenm, tired of being questioned about his fitness to rerun, lashed out at Rep. Jason Crow after he told him that voters are concerned about his vigour and strength.

According to a report by CNN, Biden even told Crow that he doesnt want to hear that crap as the latter was telling him about how the US president is being perceived on the global stage.

With inputs fro agencies
The announcement comes just after the 10-year mark since the militant group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria. At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the United Kingdom where it attempted to enforce its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates read more

The U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that the Islamic State group is trying to reconstitute as the number of attacks in Syria and Iraq is on track to double those of the previous year.

IS has claimed 153 attacks in both countries in the first six months of 2024, CENTCOM said in a statement. According to a U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasnt allowed to speak publicly on the matter, the group was behind 121 attacks in Syria and Iraq in 2023.

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The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability, CENTCOM said.

The announcement comes just after the 10-year mark since the militant group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria. At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the United Kingdom where it attempted to enforce its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates.

Militants also killed thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority and kidnapped thousands of women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual abuse and human trafficking.

A coalition of more than 80 countries, led by the United States, was formed to fight IS, which lost its hold on the territory it controlled in Iraq and 2017 and in Syria in 2019, although sleeper cells remain in both countries and abroad.

Iraqi officials say that they can keep the IS threat under control with their own forces and have entered into talks with the U.S. aimed at winding down the mission of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq.

The talks come at a time of increased domestic tensions over the U.S. military presence.

From October to February, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched regular drone attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, which they said was in retaliation for Washingtons support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza and were aimed at forcing U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq.

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Those attacks largely halted after three U.S. soldiers were killed in a strike on a base in Jordan, near the Syrian border in late January, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

On Tuesday, two Iraqi militia officials said they had launched a new drone attack targeting the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. It was unclear whether the attack had hit its target. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Communist Party of China is currently debating what could be Chinas economic policy for the next five years at the Third Plenum that ends on Thursday. However, Xi Jinping is being haunted by the ghost of Deng Xiaoping, whose reforms set China on the path of economic glory and the current Chinese president is seen to be reversing those policies read more

The Third Plenum, a key event in Chinas political calendar, is underway (July 15-18), marking a significant moment for President Xi Jinping. Xi is definitely looking to consolidate his position in the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) when he is facing pressures from a sluggish domestic economy and growing international flak over his aggressive expansionist policies.

The CPC takes major decisions at several plenums  seven in all. The first plenum decides the partys national leadership, the second provincial leadership, the third economic policies and so on.

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Traditionally held every five years, this assembly is crucial for setting economic policy directions. It was supposed to be held in 2023 but was delayed. As the event unfolds at the Third Plenum, Xi finds himself under the looming shadow of Deng Xiaoping, the architect of Chinas modern economic reform and opening-up era.

Typically, CPC events are meticulously planned, with outcomes often decided well in advance. However, the delay of the Third Plenum suggests intense political manoeuvring behind the scenes. Under Xi Jinping, who wields considerable autocratic power, such delays are rare and indicate significant internal discord.

The ghost of Chinas reformer

In the run-up to the Plenum, state propaganda has been vigorously promoting Xis personality cult, drawing parallels between Xi and Deng Xiaoping. A state-produced documentary, Leading a New Journey, has been prominently featured at the assembly, highlighting Xis supposed visit to Anhui province in 1978 to study the household contract responsibility system.

The reported Anhui study was a key moment in Chinas march to market economy under Deng. Facing the growing impression that Xi is reversing Dengs reformist ideas, the current narrative is intended to cast the Chinese president as the heir to the progressive communist stalwarts legacy of economic reform.

Some China watchers also doubt the authenticity of the story that Xi visited Anhui province for the claimed story. They say that the story of Xis visit is largely a fabrication, much like Dengs use of the Anhui system to legitimise his own reforms. Despite this, the state media is working overtime to reassure the public that Xi is committed to continuing Dengs reforms, even as fears grow that Xi is steering China back towards a more centralised, Maoist economic model.

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Has Xi abandoned Dengs legacy?

Since taking office in 2013, Xi has increasingly played down Dengs achievements. For example, Deng valued improved relations with the West as he planned opening up Chinas economy. He was convinced China could not grow in isolation and with an adversarial relation with the West. However, China-West relations have significantly deteriorated under Xis leadership.

While Xi claims to uphold Dengs legacy, his actions often suggest otherwise. Critics argue that Xis policies are a departure from Dengs market-oriented reforms, signalling a return to a top-down, state-controlled approach.

The economic reality

Chinas current economic challenges starkly contrast with the era of robust growth initiated by Deng. Despite state efforts to promote new quality productive forces and technological advancements, ordinary Chinese citizens face economic hardships, including plummeting housing prices, rising living costs, and high unemployment rates.

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Official statistics report an overall unemployment rate of 5%, but the reality is likely much higher, especially among the youth. Economic uncertainty has been exacerbated by the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Echoes from history

This is not the first time that Xi is fighting the shadow of Deng Xiaoping. In 2018 when the last Third Plenum was held, Xi faced similar dilemmas when his policies were seen to be failing to address Chinas economic challenges. The property market, like today, showed signs of trouble as major developers struggled to maintain sales, despite aggressive promotions.

China was reporting a slowdown in economic growth. One of the quarters recorded the slowest pace of growth since the global financial crisis of 2008. Xis administration responded with stimulus measures  these moves led to a ballooning national debt, raising concerns about long-term financial stability. It was soon hit by the Covid-19 outbreak in the later part of 2019.

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To consolidate his power and address economic issues, Xi has often invoked Mao-ist tactics. His anti-corruption campaign and moves against prominent billionaires like Alibabas Jack Ma have been viewed as a broader effort to to be seen by the public as someone who is trying to close the gap between rich and poor.

A peep into the future

The Third Plenum is expected to focus on technologically focused growth. The Chinese economy continues to be in bad shape, with comparisons being made between Xis policy of geopolitical advantage and Dengs reforms that brought economic prosperity to the Chinese people.

The geopolitical heft that China under Xi has got practically means nothing to the ordinary Chinese people, who are struggling to cope up with the rising cost of living, housing prices, unemployment and delayed wages.

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Foreign Policy quoted a recent study as saying that the Chinese public increasingly believes the economy is rigged against them under Xi. The Third Plenums policy announcements are unlikely to assuage these concerns.

This comes against the backdrop of reports that Xi has set 2035 as the target year for fixing income inequalities in China. Some view this as a target up to which Xi wants to rule China. He would be 82 by then. Deng Xiaoping was 83 when he demitted office.
Multinational trade show organizer Media Fusion has announced the inaugural edition of CyberSec India Expo 2025. The two-day expo is set to happen between June 11 and 12, 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.

The expo will feature an innovation showcase, conference, workshops, a start-up zone, hackathons, and cybersecurity awards, encouraging knowledge sharing, sparking fresh ideas, and recognizing excellence.

Further, the expo is aimed at gathering industry experts, including CTOs, CIOs, CISOs, security professionals, ethical hackers, and other stakeholders.

The CyberSec India Expo 2025 aims to strengthen Indias digital infrastructure, which is prone to cyber-attacks. According to a recent report by Microsoft, India ranks among the top three most targeted countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, accounting for 13% of cyber-attacks.

Therefore, this expo will play a crucial role in bringing Indias cybersecurity industry together to confront cyber-attacks, data breaches, and financial fraud. Further, it will showcase innovative solutions that will address current cybersecurity challenges.

Regarding the announcement, Taher Patrawala, Managing Director, Media Fusion said,
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
Nathan graduated with his journalism degree from Auburn University in 2017. After growing up in the flatlands of rural Alabama with his parents and older sister, Nathan enjoys Western Colorado's natural resources and recreational opportunities. He currently covers education and business for The Daily Sentinel.
Fri Friday

86 /53

Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the low 50s.
July 15 U.S. Central Command Update

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | July 15, 2024

USCENTCOM

July 15, 2024

Release Number 20240715-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed five Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), three over the Red Sea and two over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

It was determined these UAVs presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.

Additionally, Iranian-backed Houthis launched multiple attacks against MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israel-owned, Monaco-operated tanker vessel in the Red Sea carrying vegetable oil from Russia to China. Iranian-backed Houthis used three surface vessels in this attack, one uncrewed surface vessel (USV) and two small boats. No damage or injuries have been reported at this time.

Later, Iranian-backed Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, over the Red Sea toward MT Bentley I. No damage or injuries have been reported at this time.

Separately, Iranian-backed Houthis attacked MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, Greek-operated crude oil tanker with a USV in the Red Sea. The USV caused damage, but MT Chios Lion has not requested assistance. No injuries have been reported at this time.

This continued reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. USCENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities.

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Data on interceptions of aircraft completed near the Baltic States' borders on July 8-14, 2024

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-07-15

International cooperation

On July 8-14 fighter aircraft of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Detachment were scrambled three times to intercept aircraft of the Russian Federation violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, no patrols in international airspace over the Baltic Sea were conducted.

On July 10 fighter jets of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission Detachment were scrambled to intercept two SU-30 flying from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad through international space. The aircraft had no pre-filed flight plan, their onboard transponders were switched on, the crews were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

On July 12 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two SU-30SM flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia through international airspace. The aircraft had no pre-filed flight plans, the onboard transponders were switched off, the crews were maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

On July 12 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two SU-30SM flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad via international airspace. They had no pre-filed flight plan, the onboard transponders were switched off, the crews were maintaining radio communications.

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Humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti requires urgent international action, aid officials say

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

PORT-AU-PRINCE/NEW YORK, 15 July 2024 -- Haiti's multifaceted humanitarian emergency needs urgent attention and strategies beyond emergency, three senior UN and EU officials said today as they wrapped up a four-day visit to the country.

Representatives from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, and the European Union's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) saw firsthand the impact of ongoing violence that has upended Haitians' daily lives.

"What Haitians want the most is peace, that will allow them to return to school, to farm their fields, to access basic services such as going to a hospital", said Edem Wosornu, OCHA's Operations and Advocacy Director.

As clashes in the country continue, more than 578,000 Haitians are displaced, and nearly 5 million are facing acute hunger nearly half of the Haitian population with 1.6 million at risk of starvation. The violence has crippled Haiti's agricultural sector - a key source of income for families - and disrupted education and health care: More than 900 schools have been closed since January; and in the capital Port-au-Prince, nearly 40 per cent of all in-patient health facilities are out of service. The violence has generated loss of income of families who used to be economically independent, crippling their ability to sufficiently feed them and provide healthcare. The majority of displaced families with school age children don't know if they will return to school.

Ms. Wosornu - alongside UNICEF Director for Emergency Operations Lucia Elmi and ECHO Director Andrea Koulaimah - met with Haitian officials, including the new Prime Minster Gary Conille, as well as authorities in the cities of Les Cayes and Gonaives. They stressed that the international community must continue to support Haiti's Government in providing life-saving aid and development assistance.

"Millions of families are yearning for an end to this relentless violence. It is critical to step up protection services for women and children - who are bearing the brunt of this crisis - and scale up humanitarian assistance for those in need", UNICEF's Director for Emergency Operations, Lucia Elmi, said.

The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Haiti calls for $674 million. More than halfway through the year, the appeal is less than a quarter funded. The cost of inaction would be too high if humanitarian response is not collectively scaled up now in support of the Haitian population. Despite the challenging security situation, international and national humanitarian partners have managed to find solutions to access and assist the population throughout the country.

However, while humanitarian aid is vital, the officials also stressed that the country's challenges are grounded in years of under-investment in basic social services and that humanitarian aid is a temporary fix that can't solve the country's deep-rooted, structural problems.

"We need the humanitarian response to be anchored into sustainability, that the humanitarian response serves as a steppingstone to durable, sustainable recovery actions", the EU's humanitarian Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Andrea Koulaimah, said. "We call on the international community not to miss this unique momentum and to step up their efforts and mobilize resources to address the pressing humanitarian and development needs".

****

Contact:

OCHA: Yvon Edoumou, +50937021757, edoumou@un.org

UNICEF: Gessika Thomas, +50947503125, gethomas@unicef.org

ECHO: Hilaire Avril, M +507 6330 9572, Hilaire.Avril@echofield.eu

15 July 2024

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Kentucky Guard attends leader engagement with Djibouti

By Maj. Michael Reinersman July 16, 2024

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti -- Kentucky National Guard senior leadership arrived in Djibouti to celebrate 47 years of independence during a key leader engagement June 25-27. Kentucky leadership attended Djibouti's Independence Day parade and met with Djiboutian and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) leaders as part of the State Partnership Program (SPP).

"The parade was well organized and ran very smoothly. It was great to attend their 47th Independence Day celebration., said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Haldane Lamberton, adjutant general of the Kentucky National Guard. "I'm hoping other Guardsmen get the opportunity to attend the independence or the military day parade in the future."

Lamberton and U.S Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Withers met with both General Taher Ali Mohamed, Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) Chief of Staff, and Col. Fouad Elmi Waiss, Commander of Central Material, to discuss future military engagements between the two forces.

The meeting at the FAD International Relations Building allowed conversations for continuity of military-to-military events. They covered a range of topics, including crisis management response to flooding and earthquakes, Military Occupational Specialty functional area engagements and the development of a multiyear agenda. Additionally, they evaluated previous engagements and discussed the practicality of Guard units conducting annual training events with participants from FAD in Djibouti.

All leaders believe these discussions are crucial for enhancing military cooperation and preparedness.

"It's almost been 10 years and we will keep the momentum of sharing knowledge." said Gen. Taher Ali Mohamed.

Kentucky National Guards' State Partnership Program with Djibouti began in June 2015. The partnership has been proven itself to be an efficient and economical program for developing partner capacity.

Lamberton added, "plans will be starting to hold a celebration next year to recognize the 10th anniversary of our partnership with FAD."

Over the years, the partnership between the Kentucky Guard and FAD has been enhanced by the logistical support of CJTF-HOA at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.

Kentucky leadership met U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Justin A. Kubu, Deputy Commander, CJTF-HOA, and staff at CJTF-HOA headquarters to discuss SPP and engagements. The meeting between high-ranking officials highlights the enduring relationship in Djibouti and the mutual benefits of the program.

"Part of building relationships is reaching out to the commands that are operating in your area." Said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dan Cooper, Director, Kentucky State Partnership Program. "The only SPP partnership in Africa that has a two-star command structure resides in Djibouti. And that is unique."

CJTF-HOA conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and coalition interests, primarily in the East Africa region. The command is critical to U.S. Africa Command's efforts to build partner capacity to counter violent extremists and address other regional security partnerships. Headquartered at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, the command works against malign actors to strengthen collective security forces and respond to crises to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

"CJTF-HOA can maintain a lot of continuity between engagements because they are physically in the country. We have the ability to sustain and amplify each other's efforts," said Cooper.

CJTF-HOA operates under U.S Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The SPP supports combatant commanders and chief of mission security cooperation objectives and DOD policy goals.

Sgt. Maj. Withers is a member of USAFRICOM Enlisted Professional Working Group, and said these engagements and meetings are not just intended for high-ranking individuals.

"Future SPP engagements located in Djibouti are in the works to get a better understanding of the FAD's enlisted personnel and perspectives from SETAF (U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa) and CJTF-HOA on an NCO instructor course" said Withers.

U.S. Army Maj. Eric Green, a bilateral affairs officer for the Kentucky State Partnership Program, added "we want to build relationships at all levels."

About CJTF-HOA

Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and partner interests.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

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US, Italy conduct staff training exercise ahead of exercise Saber Junction 2024

By Sgt. Alisha Grezlik July 16, 2024

VICENZA, ITALY -- Soldiers from the Vittorio Veneto Division, Italian Army, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade participated in a weeklong staff exercise with U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) to prepare for exercise Saber Junction 2024 (SJ24).

The exercise, held at Caserma Ederle, June 24-28, focused on fostering a collaborative environment and enhancing the interoperability of Italian and U.S. forces for the upcoming training event at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany.

Italian Col. Andrea Fiorentini, the commander for the Vittorio Veneto Division during SJ24, expressed the significance of the training.

"This exercise is a crucial opportunity for us to align our forces to the warfighting scenario," Fiorentini said. "Given the current geopolitical environment, understanding and practicing real-world fighting skills are essential. The hands-on training and integration with the 173rd are invaluable."

U.S. Army Maj. Corey Plymel, the 173rd Airborne Brigade brigade planner for SJ24, also highlighted the importance of the partnership.

"Building relationships between the brigade and division headquarters is critical," Plymel said. "We're learning from each other's NATO experiences and practices, which is vital for seamless operations during Saber Junction."

Members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and SETAF-AF live and train in Vicenza, and often work closely with their Italian allies to enhance their overall joint readiness. Local military leaders from both countries emphasize training that irons out differences in tactics, techniques and terminology.

U.S. Army Maj. Kevin McMahon, a planning officer (G35) with SETAF-AF and acting battle captain for the staff exercise, underlined the collaborative nature of the training.

"This staff exercise is designed to prepare all involved units and build strong relationships before the main event," he said. "Learning from each other's experiences and refining our battle rhythms are key positive outcomes. In-person interactions are the best way to establish these connections."

The exercise provided a platform for refining operational procedures and integrating various unit standard operating procedures (SOPs). McMahon shared that understanding different units' SOPs and learning how to integrate airborne operations into their plan has been one of the best parts of the exercise.

"It's my first time working with the 173rd and visiting JMRC, and I'm looking forward to seeing the site and how it operates," he added.

The Vittorio Veneto Division's role as the headquarters for Saber Junction is part of its broader commitment to supporting NATO initiatives and enhancing multinational cooperation. This training marks a significant step towards attaining initial operational capability. By continually honing their joint skills, the units will achieve full operational capability for NATO by the end of 2024.

SJ24 will see participation from numerous nations, including Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

SETAF-AF continues to provide a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and offer scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe. The exercise underscores the enduring military partnership between Italy and the U.S., strengthening interoperability and readiness for future missions.

About Saber Junction

Saber Junction is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of U.S. Army units to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating Allied and partner nations. For more news, video and imagery from Saber Junction see: DVIDS - Saber Junction (dvidshub.net)

About 7th Army Training Command

7th ATC provides dynamic training, preparing forces to execute Unified Land Operations and contingencies in support of the Combatant Commands, NATO, and other national requirements. The 7th ATC is a unique institution; efficiently and effectively providing innovative multinational training solutions for an uncertain future.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.

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July 16, 2024

Transcript

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder

MAJ. GEN. PAT RYDER: All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Just a couple of things at the top. Then I'll get right to your questions. Yesterday Secretary Austin welcomed Singapore Minister of Defense Ng to the Pentagon for a bilateral meeting, during which they reaffirmed the longstanding defense partnership between the United States and Singapore.

The two leaders discussed opportunities to expand bilateral force posture cooperation and the importance of expanding joint training and interoperability. The officials emphasized the strength of US-Singapore collaboration on emerging technologies, as demonstrated by the signing of a US-Singapore Statement of Intent for Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Cooperation by the US Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence officer and the Singapore Deputy Secretary for Technology.

Secretary Austin and Minister Ng reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the historic momentum in the US-Singapore Defense Partnership and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. A readout of the call has been posted to defense.gov.

Finally, I know many of you have been following the status of the JLOTS humanitarian mission, or temporary pier. At this time, the temporary pier remains in Ashdod and a potential re-anchoring date has not been set. As we've said, the pier has always been intended as a temporary solution, and it will conclude its mission soon. But as of today, I don't have any announcements to make in terms of when the mission will officially conclude. Very aware of the press and public interest, and we'll be sure to provide updates as appropriate.

And with that, happy to take your questions. We'll go to AP, Lita.

Q: Thank you, Pat. Pat, do you know if there is any US military involvement at all in Ashdod as they try to get more aid in through that port? Is there any US involvement at all in any of that?

GEN RYDER: So, we'll have more details to follow in terms of, you know, next steps. As far as Ashdod goes, as you know, we have a convoy management board that's situated there with Lieutenant General Frank. In terms of US military presence at Ashdod in terms of accepting aid, moving it, I'm not aware of any -- any activity at the moment, other than to say, again, you know, we -- we are aware that aid has moved through Ashdod, and -- and we have delivered aid to Ashdod for onward distribution. But, again, we'll have more details to provide for you in the future.

Q: Just on -- just on that point, has the aid -- is there any aid on the floating dock that is offshore of Gaza, or has all of that aid been delivered now to Ashdod?

GEN RYDER: I'd -- I'd have to take that question. I don't know the answer to that.

Okay. Yes, sir.

Q: Thank you, sir. Two questions. One, during the NATO summit in Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India was in Moscow meeting and greeting with President Putin of Russia. They have discussed so many issues between India and Russia, including military pact and also situation in the Middle East war going on, and also, of course, the Russia and Ukraine war. And Prime Minister Modi offered many options there and both leaders, that this war in the Middle East should be end because the interests of India of course in many ways. And also at the same time, war between Russia and Ukraine, also in the interest of India to end this war also. So where do we go from there? NATO was meeting here, and they were meeting there at the same time.

And where do we stand as far as US India military to military relations into this connection also?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. Well, as you heard me say last week, India is a strategic partner, and we look forward to continuing to develop that partnership. When it comes to Ukraine and Russia's illegal occupation and invasion of Ukraine. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it's up to Ukraine to decide when they are ready to negotiate for peace.

And right now, our focus continues to be on working with Ukraine to provide them with what they need to defend their country and defend their sovereignty and take back territory. But at the end of the day, there's no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.

Q: And second--sorry. Second, sir, if a lawmaker or senator acting as a foreign agent of the United States and have been found guilty by the New Jersey grand jury, Senator Bob Menendez is now as far as a military connection because he was found guilty in connection with those countries that he was acting as foreign agent. Those countries have military to military relations with the United States. So in any way that this meeting or military to military relation will be affected in any way because of a guilty?

GEN RYDER: Yeah, as it relates to Senator Menendez, I don't have anything to provide. I'd refer you to Department of Justice on that. Karla?

Q: Thanks. Just first to follow up on the situation with the pier, are there any additional airdrops going on or does DOD assess that there's still a great need for humanitarian assistance? Is there anything going on in the interim while we're waiting for the pier?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. I don't have anything to announce at the moment in terms of airdrops. Of course that's a capability that we maintain but nothing to announce specifically on that. When it comes to humanitarian assistance for Gaza, we know that there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance. Of course USAID is the lead for the US government in terms of working with the international community and the DOD is supporting their efforts.

So we'll continue, obviously, to maintain close contact as we have all along with USAID, on that front to ensure that we're doing our part to support those efforts.

Q: OK. Thanks, Pat. And then just a couple questions on the country of Georgia. Following Noble Partner being canceled, are there any other cancellations? Has every mil-to-mil operation been put on hold for the time being? There's supposed to be some sort of celebration at the end of August. Has that been put on hold?

Can you give us any other updates?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. I'm not tracking any other cancellations at this time.

Q: OK. And then I guess, does DOD see Georgia still as a US friendly ally or does it see it moving towards Russia at this point?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. I mean we'll continue to partner with Georgia and defense forces, and we'll continue to look for ways to strengthen Georgia's ability to safeguard its sovereignty and maintain its territorial integrity. The decision to cancel the exercise was not taken lightly. We place great consideration on the extensive value that allies and partners add to exercises such as Noble Partner.

And so we're going to continue to look forward to future opportunities to cooperate with allies and partners. So I'll leave it there. Let me go to Constantine.

Q: Thanks, Pat. So CNN is reporting that remnants of two US made munitions were used in an Israeli missile strike on Sunday on a school in central Gaza. Does the Pentagon have a reaction or comment to that report?

GEN RYDER: I mean, I've seen the press reports, but I'd have to refer you to Israel to talk about their operations.

Q: OK. And just more broadly, this isn't the first time that reports like this have come out. Does the Pentagon leadership feel like it's doing an adequate job of making sure that the weapons we give Israel are not used in incidents such as this?

GEN RYDER: Well, look, I mean, we've been very clear to our Israeli partners on our view as it relates to mitigating civilian harm. And I think there's something I would hope we could all agree on. This war is undoubtedly tragic, way too many civilians have died. It's

heartbreaking to see the images that we see and that's, I think, a reason, a main reason why you see the US government working so hard to obtain a ceasefire between the factions that are fighting here.

When it comes to the IDF operations, we continue to urge them both publicly and privately to take civilian harm mitigation into account. We know that they need to do more on this front and we're going to continue to communicate that to them. I would also say though that Hamas bears some responsibility for this as well, in the sense that they continue to embed among the civilian population.

And if they truly cared about the Palestinian population, one has to ask why they continue to build command and control nodes, barracks, armories, tunnels underneath the city and put themselves in places where there's active military operations. So I'll just leave it there. Janne.

Q: Thank you, General. I have two questions. At the US and South Korea summit last week, the two countries issued a joint statement on nuclear deterrence and approval of nuclear operational guidelines. Does the approval of nuclear operational guidelines refer to new guidelines that will enable the US and South Korea to jointly respond to nuclear weapons in an emergency situation on the Korean Peninsula?

GEN RYDER: Well, I think, again, our alliance with the Republic of Korea is ironclad and we've been very clear that when it comes to extended deterrence, the United States makes available all of its capability to support the defense of the Republic of Korea. Of course, this is a defensive alliance. We're not seeking to go to war, obviously, in the region and we're seeking regional security and stability and that will continue to be our focus.

Q: Thank you. And onto China. China and Russia are conducting joint maritime exercise, including live fire. Do you see this as training aimed at the RIMPAC exercise?

GEN RYDER: I'll let them speak to the rationale behind their exercises. It's of course something that we monitor closely, and we'll continue to do. Let me go to the phone here real quick. Heather, from USNI.

Q: Hi. Thank you so much. So USS Dwight D. Eisenhower just returned from a nine month deployment that everyone is calling unprecedented. So two questions. Based on what you're seeing or what the Pentagon has seen since February of 2021, does the Secretary of Defense predict that these extended deployments are going to become the norm?

And then if so, and based on what's already been happening, what resources is the Pentagon offering the Navy in order to bolster up resilience among sailors who are stuck on a ship for nine months?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. Thanks, Heather. So I won't speculate or get into hypotheticals about the duration of deployments. I mean as you know, the US military maintains a wide variety of capabilities that enable us to respond to a wide variety of contingencies around the world. In other words, we are able to surge assets to where they're needed most to support our national security interests and our obligations around the world.

And so in the Red Sea area right now, we continue to see Houthi aggression impacting the innocent lives of mariners and the freedom of navigation through that important waterway. So we'll continue to work with the international community toward that end. And as for Navy personnel, confident that Navy leadership will continue to look at doing everything it needs to do to take care of our sailors and their families as they conduct these important missions around the world.

Let me go to Jeff Schogol, Task and Purpose.

Q: Thank you. The Coast Guard recently rescued Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, and I was wondering if any DOD assets were involved in the rescue, like satellites, Seal teams, aircraft?

GEN RYDER: Thanks very much, Jeff. I will have to take that question. I don't have any information on that. All right. Let's come back to the room here. Yeah. I'll come to you and then to Tony.

Q: Thank you, sir. [Inaudible] from Airway News TV Pakistan. Yesterday, eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and dozens of them injured in a terrorist attack, a terrorist organization affiliated with the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility. Do you have any comments, any condolence about that?

GEN RYDER: Well, certainly, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those soldiers that were lost. I know that as we've talked about in the past, Pakistan is in a tough fight at times when it comes to fighting terrorists in the region. And so, certainly saddened to -- to hear that.

You know, when it comes to counterterrorism, the US and -- and Pakistan have worked together in the past, and we continue to discuss ways that we can work together. And so, I'd just leave it there.

Q: The Pakistani government and Pakistani military is -- is asking for US support. Pakistani military is asking for modern American weapons to deal with the situation because, according to them, all the terrorists in Afghanistan using American weapons left by US forces. I know US forces left those weapons for Afghan forces, but somehow they are in the

hands of terrorists right now. So, are you going to consider to provide modern American weapons to Pakistan?

GEN RYDER: Yeah, I don't -- I don't have anything to announce. As you know, we do maintain a -- a security cooperation relationship with Pakistan. And so, I'm -- I'm sure that those discussions are happening via those mechanisms to look at Pakistan's requirements and -- and what the US can do to support. So --

Q: I have another question. It is about the assassination attempt on President Trump. I don't know if US military is involved in the investigations. But do you think that any foreign country involved in this kind of assassination attempt to create disturbance in this country? We have -- watching a lot of news stories on the media that maybe any foreign country -- because we -- recently we have seen that a foreign government and foreign intelligence agencies involved in the assassination attempt on US citizen here in New York and also in Canada. So, do you think that any foreign country can perform this?

GEN RYDER: Yeah, I mean, as it relates to the attempted assassination of former President Trump, I -- I would point you to Secretary Austin's statement over the weekend condemning the violence, has absolutely no place in our democracy. As it relates to that attempt, I'd have to refer you to the FBI and the Secret Service for any questions on -- on the investigation.

Q: [Off mic] reporting on Iran, that maybe --

GEN RYDER: Yeah, I've seen those reports. I'd have to refer you to -- to DHS or DOJ for any questions on that. Thank you.

Tony?

Q: A couple hardware questions. The House Oversight and Accountability chairman today wrote Secretary Austin demanding V-22 accident documents going back a couple of year -- two, three years. He's threatening subpoena if they're not -- if they're not produced. This has been a long-running controversy with that subcommittee. Do you have any comment on that in terms of providing documentation that the committee is asking for on this highly controversial aircraft?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. Well, first of all, I'd -- I would just say up front that the department remains committed to the safety, health, and the well-being of all of our service members.

We have worked very hard to accommodate the House's -- the House Oversight Committee's requests. We've provided more than 3,500 pages of documents. In addition, representatives from the V-22 Joint Program Office and the military departments provided a briefing to committee staff in March, and the department made multiple officials, including

the commander of Naval Air Systems Command, available to testify at the committee's hearing last month on the safety of the V-22 Osprey. All that to say we will continue to work with the committee to accommodate their requests, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensuring the safety of all of our aircraft platforms, including the V-22 Osprey.

Q: And a less contentious hypersonic weapons question. Last week at the NATO summit, the White House and NATO put out a statement saying that, starting in 2026, the US's Army -- the Army's multi-domain task force will start fielding long range fires, to include the now developmental hypersonic weapon that the US is working on. On June 28th, you put out a press release saying that the weapon successfully completed what they call an end to end test.

My question is this. How close is this weapon to being deemed operationally suitable for production and eventual fielding? Will there be more tests, or was this the one big one that it had to pass for a graduation?

GEN RYDER: Yeah. So, with regards to hypersonics, we will continue to develop a range of hypersonic base programs, and we'll work to accelerate development and testing on these programs. As you highlight, the Navy and the Army did recently complete a flight test of a hypersonic missile from the Pacific Missile Range in Hawaii. That test provided data on the performance of the conventional prompt strike and the long range hypersonic weapon.

For reasons of operation security, I'm not going to be able to get into details on future tests. I will say, though, that we remain committed to developing these hypersonic capabilities that support the national defense strategy.

Q: You guys have spent like $12 billion over the last five years trying to develop this capability. You can't say whether this was the graduation test or whether there will be subsequent tests to prove it out more?

GEN RYDER: What I would say is that the test marked a step forward for those programs. And I'll just have to leave it at that.

Q: Not its graduation, but a step forward?

GEN RYDER: I'll just -- a step forward, and leave it at that. Thank you.

Sir?

Q: Thank you, General. Regarding to the escalation on the border of Lebanon, do you still believe that escalation could lead to the wider war? Do you have still this concerns? And do you think that the politic -- or diplomatic solution still exists? And what's your message to the -- both parties there?

GEN RYDER: Well, sure, I -- I think that a diplomatic solution does remain possible. So far, we have not seen a wider regional conflict. Tensions do obviously remain along the Israel-Lebanon border, and so we continue to stay in constant communication with -- with Lebanon, Israel, and others in the region to ensure that -- that -- that this does not become a broader conflict. Of course, the -- the concern here is the risk of miscalculation, which could spark a wider conflict that no one wants. So, we'll continue to stay very focused on that.

Q: General, do you believe that the -- any ceasefire deal could be -- reflect in a positive way to that escalation on -- of this area exactly?

GEN RYDER: Well, it's -- it's difficult to get into hypotheticals or speculate. But I think, again, what we would like to see is a ceasefire in Gaza so that we can restore calm and we can start to get humanitarian assistance in there. Certainly I think that would contribute to more positive outcomes in the region and a reduction of tensions. So, again, we'll continue to work toward that end.

Let me go to Charlie. Welcome to the briefing room, Charlie.

Q: Thank you, General. If I understood correctly, you mentioned the word about re-anchoring the pier at the top of today's session. Sources tell us what's actually being discussed is pulling the plug and dismantling the pier, and that may happen in the next couple of days. Where are we on that decision making?

GEN RYDER: Yeah, what I -- what I said was that a potential re-anchoring date has not been set, and we've said all along that this is going to be temporary and that it will conclude its mission soon. But as of today, I don't have any announcements to make in terms of when the mission will officially conclude. And when we do have information in that regard, we'll certainly be sure to let you all know.

Q: There's no window you can estimate?

GEN RYDER: Well, no, I -- I don't have a window, other than soon, you know? And -- and part of the discussion, of course, here is taking into account weather states, taking into account the requirement to deliver humanitarian assistance. Again, the most specific I can get right now is we anticipate that the mission will conclude soon. I just -- I don't have a date to give you right now. So, keep you posted.

All right. Thanks very much, everybody. Appreciate your time today.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3840816/

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July 16, 2024

Release

DoD Chief Digital and AI Office Hosts First GIDE Industry Insights Forum

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), in partnership with the Office of Under Secretary of Defense Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), conducted the first Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE) Industry Insights Forum. The one-day event, held at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, VA, highlighted collaborative opportunities for private industry to address the DoD's artificial intelligence (AI) needs, while amplifying the significance of the CDAO's recent GIDE iterations.

"The GIDE Industry Insights Forum is a crucial event to communicate with government and industry leaders the needs of the Department of Defense to spur innovation and scale AI and digital capabilities," remarked Dr. Radha Plumb, CDAO. "Working with our industry leaders allows for quicker innovation by identifying the best industry solutions and technology to bring into our enterprise infrastructure to support the warfighter."

The GIDE Industry Insights Forum featured plenary sessions and networking opportunities to spur engagement and collaboration between government and industry leaders, from traditional and non-traditional industry, to solve some of the Department's digital challenges. The GIDE Forum focused on key Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) development lessons learned over the iterations of GIDE 5-11 in 2023 and 2024. The event also included presentations from OUSD R&E's Joint Fires Network (JFN) and CDAO acquisitions, which highlighted the role of the new Open Data and Applications Government-owned Interoperable Repositories (Open DAGIR) program to onboard capability.

Open DAGIR is CDAO's approach to scaling data, analytics, and AI capabilities by establishing a multi-vendor ecosystem to enable industry and government to integrate data platforms, development tools, services, and applications in a way that preserves government data ownership and industry intellectual property. The GIDE Forum is a key step to enabling Open DAGIR by communicating with Industry.

"The GIDE Industry Insights Forum validates the CDAO's commitment to incorporating innovation from academia and businesses at every level into its AI capability and talent pool." remarked Bonnie Evangelista, acting deputy CDAO for acquisitions.

The CDAO plans to host similar events in the future to deepen industry engagement and to build on Open DAGIR. Historically, "Industry Days" and similar events have proven to strengthen commercial partnerships and enhance understanding of the DoD's technology and talent needs, enabling the progression of AI initiatives.

About GIDE

GIDE 1-4 were facilitated by the Northern American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command to lead rapid innovation in DoD critical capabilities alongside other combatant commands. In 2023, GIDE transitioned to OSD/CDAO with GIDE 5, expanding collaboration across combatant commands and international partners.

About the CDAO

The CDAO became operational in June 2022 and is dedicated to integrating and optimizing artificial intelligence capabilities across the DoD. The office is responsible for accelerating the DoD's adoption of data, analytics, and AI, enabling the Department's digital infrastructure and policy adoption to deliver scalable AI-driven solutions for enterprise and joint use cases, safeguarding the nation against current and emerging threats.

For more information about the CDAO, please visit our website at ai.mil. You can also connect with the CDAO on LinkedIn (@ DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office) and X, formally known as Twitter (@dodcdao). Additional updates and news can be found on the CDAO Unit Page on DVIDS.

About the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military's technological advantage.

About the Defense Innovation Unit

As the only Department of Defense (DoD) organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military at commercial speeds, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) accelerates the DoD adoption of commercial technology at speed and scale in order to deter major conflict or win, if forced to fight. With offices in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Mountain View, and Washington, DC, DIU connects its DoD partners with leading technology companies across the country.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3839865/

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July 16, 2024

By David Vergun, DOD News

U.S. Goal in Middle East Is Easing Tensions, Finding Diplomatic Solutions

The United States would like to see a ceasefire in Gaza, an easing of tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and a cessation of Houthi aggression in the Red Sea area, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, who spoke to the media today.

The U.S. is working hard to obtain a ceasefire in Gaza, he said, which would allow humanitarian aid to flow in.

"This war is undoubtedly tragic. Way too many civilians have died. It's heartbreaking to see the images that we see," Ryder said.

The U.S. has been very clear, both privately and publicly, to its Israeli partners on the need to mitigate civilian harm in Gaza, the general said. "We know that they need to do more on this front, and we're going to continue to communicate that to them."

However, Hamas bears some responsibility for loss of life as they continue to embed among the civilian population, he said.

There is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza. The Defense Department will continue to support the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is the lead for the U.S.'s work with the international community, he said.

Regarding the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore temporary pier, which had been used to provide humanitarian support for Gaza, it remains in Ashdod, Israel, he said.

A potential re-anchoring date has not been set. The pier has always been intended as a temporary solution, and it will conclude its mission soon although no date has been set, the general said.

On the Israel-Lebanon border, a diplomatic solution remains possible, he said. Thus far, there hasn't been a wider regional conflict, although tensions do remain.

"We continue to stay in constant communication with Lebanon, Israel and others in the region, to ensure that this does not become a broader conflict. Of course, the concern here is the risk of miscalculation, which could spark a wider conflict that no one wants," Ryder said.

Houthi aggression continues in the Red Sea area and that impacts the lives of innocent mariners and freedom of navigation, he said.

In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed five Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles, or UAVs  three over the Red Sea and two over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, according to a Centcom statement yesterday.

It was determined these UAVs presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure, the statement said.

Additionally, Iranian-backed Houthis launched multiple attacks against the MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israel-owned, Monaco-operated tanker vessel in the Red Sea carrying vegetable oil from Russia to China. Iranian-backed Houthis used three surface vessels in this attack, one uncrewed surface vessel and two small boats. No damage or injuries have been reported at this time, according to Centcom's statement.

Later, Iranian-backed Houthis launched an antiship ballistic missile from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, over the Red Sea toward the MT Bentley I. No damage or injuries have been reported at this time, said the statement.

Separately, Iranian-backed Houthis attacked the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, Greek-operated crude oil tanker with a USV in the Red Sea. The USV caused damage, but the MT Chios Lion has not requested assistance. No injuries have been reported at this time, said the statement.

This continued reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of citizens from a third country who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.

Centcom will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities, said the statement.

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July 16, 2024

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

Brown Meets With Key Leaders in Philippines

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., today discussed ongoing efforts to further strengthen the longtime U.S.-Philippine alliance as he met with key leaders in Manila, Philippines.

Brown took part in a series of engagements with Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Ano, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. during his first visit to the Philippines as chairman.

The leaders discussed bilateral security assistance and the importance of maritime domain awareness. They also shared their assessment of the regional security environment and the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to a summary of the meetings.

"The U.S.-Philippines Alliance has upheld peace and security in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years with a shared vision of transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes," the summary reads.

Brown also visited a U.S. rotational access site designated as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The sites are designed to strengthen combined training, exercises and interoperability between the two countries.

In a reflection of both countries' commitment to deepening ties, the U.S. and the Philippines added four new rotational sites in 2023 as part of an expansion of the EDCA, which was first signed in 2014. That brings the total to nine sites under the agreement. Brown, who first visited the Philippines in 1987 as a junior officer, said he has watched the partnership grow over the past nearly 40 years and further accelerate in more recent years.

"I do see that the relationship is gaining momentum," Brown said yesterday ahead of the visit. He added that Philippine relationships with other regional allies are also growing.

"I think it's a positive trajectory," he said.

Brown's visit to the Philippines was the first stop on a multiday visit to the Indo-Pacific where he will build upon U.S. investments in partnerships throughout the region.

It is his second visit to the Indo-Pacific region since taking office.

Robust partnerships with key regional allies remain central to the United States' approach to advancing the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific amid increased competition with China, the United States' pacing challenge, and threats posed by North Korea.

These partnerships are accelerating throughout the region. The U.S. has made significant strides in deepening U.S.-South Korean security cooperation and extended deterrence. It is outlined under the April 2023 Washington Declaration, which marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and recommits to developing an ever-stronger mutual defense relationship.

The U.S. has also led efforts to deepen trilateral cooperation with Japan and South Korea grounded in a commitment to advance a shared vision of peace and prosperity, as outlined during the August 2023 summit among President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David.

NATO has also expanded its partnership with key allies in the Indo-Pacific. The transatlantic alliance hosted high-level meetings with key partners in the region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea at this year's NATO summit in Washington.

Later this week, the chairman will travel to Japan to meet with senior government officials and military leaders for discussions on regional deterrence and security cooperation. Brown will also meet with U.S. service members stationed at Yokota Air Base.

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July 16, 2024

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

Immersive Program Arms DOD, Builds Acquisition Professionals' Innovation Skills

The Defense Department is looking for the next cohort of acquisition professionals seeking to expand their careers with the tools and insights needed to harness commercial technology innovation.

Applications for the fiscal year 2025 Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program  a 12-month immersive fellowship offered in collaboration between the Defense Innovation Unit and Defense Acquisition University  are open through early August.

The two organizations launched ICAP in 2022 after recognizing the need to keep pace with commercial product cycles and adopt best practices for commercial procurement within DOD.

The program combines virtual classroom training and experiential learning covering other transaction, or OT, authorities through DAU's Defense Acquisition Credentials program.

Those authorities provide federal contracting officers with the flexibility needed to leverage cutting edge commercial technologies offered by nontraditional defense contractors.

Participants also gain experience on leveraging DIU's Commercial Solutions Opening, or CSO, process and receive first-hand knowledge of the commercial sector.

"To meet the strategic imperative we face as a nation, the DoD needs innovation-fluent contracting officers and dual-fluency talent across the workforce," said DIU Director Doug Beck. "The experience and skills these fellows are learning is essential to complementing the DoD's more traditional defense acquisition pathways with disruptive tech-sector innovation with the focus, speed and scale required."

Cohorts work alongside a DIU contracting officer and project team and commercial solutions providers on a variety of projects.

The program was designed around four key goals:

Educate and provide top DOD contracting officers with experience on how to effectively acquire innovative commercial technologies from nontraditional defense contractors.

Provide experience and insight into how the commercial market operates and what drives an organization to do business with the government and DOD.

Empower change agents and arm contracting officers with the relevant tools and knowledge to craft acquisition, contracting and negotiation strategies that can effectively incorporate commercial technology and nontraditional vendors into DOD's acquisition ecosystem.

Furnish organizations with trained contracting officers who can also train others to be fluent in the innovation ecosystem and network with their counterparts in other service components.

"Each year the ICAP program continues to set a high bar for future cohorts and achieves  and exceeds  our goal to provide innovation-fluent contracting officers," said DIU's Acquisition Director Cherissa Tamayori.

"We are excited to continue to provide the environment to learn firsthand how to leverage the OT authority, how to acquire novel commercial technologies  and to have ICAP fellows be change agents in the use of flexible acquisition methods within their organizations," she said.

DIU and DAU recognized the first cohort to complete the program last October. The current cohort of acquisition professionals is expected to complete their capstone projects in the coming months.

As this year's ICAP reached the halfway point, participants emphasized the value of the program in enhancing their careers as acquisitions professionals and further propelling innovation within DOD.

"As an ICAP fellow, my eyes have been opened to an entirely new way of doing business that I had no idea was even authorized," said Brittany Harris, a senior procurement analyst for the Air Force Installation Contracting Center, in an interview for Defense Acquisition Magazine.

"Alternative authorities and CSOs are the way of the future in federal acquisition," she said.

Tianna Seaman, a contracting officer at the Naval Information Warfare Center, said participating in ICAP has provided exposure to the strategic objectives of both the department and the commercial sector and underscored the importance of keeping end results in mind throughout the acquisition process.

"DIU and their defense mission partners are breaching innovation in a manner never seen before in the DOD," Seaman said. "For companies, the goal is not just obtaining the prototype agreement; rather, it is putting their best and brightest teams on the projects at the best competitive prices to win the prototype, successfully completing the prototype, and noncompetitively entering into another agreement for full-scale production."

"The end state for both the companies and DOD is obtaining those production agreements to scale the technologies and provide the innovative solutions to the warfighter," she said.

Program administrators will competitively select up to six contracting officers for the next iteration of the program set to begin in October 2024.

The opportunity is open to DOD civilians and military professionals.

For more information:

https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/immersive-commercial-acquisition-program-icap

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United Arab Emirates: 3rd High-level Political Dialogue with the EU held in Brussels

European External Action Service (EEAS)

16.07.2024

Brussels, Belgium

EEAS Press Team

The 3rd High-level Political Dialogue between the European Union and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was held in Brussels on 15 July. This meeting further consolidated the comprehensive EU - UAE partnership.

The two sides engaged extensively on the EU - UAE bilateral relationship and their common efforts to further deepen it in areas of mutual interest. The discussion also touched upon human rights, countering money laundering, and terrorism financing, as well as circumvention of sanctions. The two sides reconfirmed their commitment to continue engaging constructively on global issues of mutual interest and concern, including within the ambits in the United Nations and other multilateral fora.

As regards current regional and international developments, the discussion focused on the war in Gaza, the prospects of the Middle East Peace Process, the situation in Lebanon, in Yemen, the Red Sea, as well as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

The Dialogue was co-chaired by Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service for Political Affairs Enrique Mora and the UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Special Envoy to the EU, Lana Nusseibeh.

The next High-Level Political Dialogue will take place in Abu Dhabi.

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Fatah, Hamas reported to meet in China, 'showing nation's constructive role'

Global Times

By Yang Sheng Published: Jul 16, 2024 09:46 PM

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that China will work together with all parties within Palestine to promote reconciliation, amid reports that representatives of Fatah and Hamas are due to meet again in Beijing within days. Experts said that China's stance on justice for the Palestine issue has been well recognized and supported by different groups within the country, and that intra-Palestinian reconciliation will help Palestine deal with Israel and solve the ongoing crisis more effectively.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks at a routine press conference on Tuesday in response to a question on a report claiming that senior officials from Hamas and Fatah will hold dialogue for reconciliation in Beijing from July 20 to 21.

"China always supports Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and solidarity through dialogue and consultation and stands ready to provide platforms and opportunities for all Palestinian factions to carry out dialogue for reconciliation," Lin said.

The spokesperson noted that "the direction of our effort is the same as that of other relevant parties, and we would like to strengthen communication and coordination with them to work together for realizing Palestine's internal reconciliation."

Reuters reported on Monday that Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and Fatah, "will hold unity talks in China in July," two senior Hamas and Fatah officials told Reuters on Monday, as they try to resolve deep divisions.

According to the Times of Israel on Tuesday, Hamas and Fatah have agreed to meet in Beijing this month in "a renewed bid for reconciliation," and the Hamas delegation is "to be headed by its Qatar-based political chief Ismail Haniyeh," while the Fatah representation "will be led by deputy head Mahmud Alul," Fatah sources said.

The two factions also met in China in April to discuss reconciliation efforts to end around 17 years of political splits amid the ongoing bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Efforts since 2007 by Arab countries, led by Egypt, have so far failed to end power-sharing disputes between Hamas, which runs Gaza, and the Fatah movement, which makes up the backbone of the Palestinian Authority, said the Reuters report.

Li Xinggang, a research fellow at the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "as a firm supporter of the independence of Palestine, China has always upheld an objective, fair and just stance to solve the Palestine issue, and this has been widely supported and praised among factions within Palestine."

China will always play a constructive role in the process of fundamentally and effectively solving the Palestine issue, and contributes its wisdom to promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Middle East, Li noted.

Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that due to the split between Fatah and Hamas, it is difficult for Palestine to engage with other countries with one voice, and this also add obstacles for finding the solution of the ongoing crisis in Gaza. "So an intra-Palestinian reconciliation could be the first step for all parties to seek a political settlement between Palestine and Israel," he said.

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Oil tanker targeted in Red Sea

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Yemeni armed forces published on Tuesday images of targeting an oil tanker that violated the ban on the entry of ships into the ports of the occupied territories.

According to al-Masirah news network, the war information headquarters of the Yemeni armed forces showed the images of the operation targeting the oil tanker "CHIOS Lion" in the Red Sea using a drone aircraft.

This headquarters announced that the said ship was attacked in the Red Sea after it ignored the ban on the entry of ships into the ports of the occupied territories.

General Yahya Saree, the spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced on Monday night about several operations of the Yemeni armed forces.

He announced that in the first operation, the Bentley ship was targeted in the Red Sea with several drones, drones and ballistic missiles.

"In the second operation, the oil tanker "CHIOS Lion" in the Red Sea was targeted by a drone aircraft," he added.

General Saree went on to say that the third operation was a joint operation with the Islamic resistance of Iraq, during which the ship "Olvia" was successfully targeted in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Everywhere in Gaza is a potential killing zone: UN chief

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has reacted to the continued atrocities of the Israeli regime in the Gaza Strip, warning that all places in the besieged area are unsafe for Palestinians.

"The extreme level of fighting and devastation in Gaza is incomprehensible and inexcusable. Nowhere is safe. Everywhere is a potential killing zone", Guterres wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday.

The UN chief called on all parties to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

"It is high time for the parties to show the potential courage and political will to finally reach a deal."

The Israeli regime has in recent weeks stepped up its attacks on different parts of Gaza, including areas where displaced Palestinians are taking shelter and even areas designated by the regime as humanitarian zones.

On Sunday, the director of the information office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza said that 190 of the agency's facilities in the besieged territory had been destroyed since the start of the war.

Inas Hamdan said that UNRWA shares coordinates of its centers with the Israeli regime on a daily basis, yet there is no safe place in Gaza, she added.

The UN official made the remarks a day after the Israeli regime killed 110 Palestinians on al-Mawasi and Shati refugee camps in Khan Yunis and Gaza City respectively.

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EU top diplomat opposes blacklisting UNRWA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell has said that the EU rejects attempts aimed at blacklisting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA.

"We reject any attempts to label UNRWA as a terrorist organization. How can a United Nations' agency be considered a terrorist organization?" Borrell said on Monday at a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Brussels.

The top EU politician added that the bloc "will continue, along with other international donors, supporting and funding UNRWA."

Back in May, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset approved a draft law declaring UNRWA as a terrorist organization, accusing the UN agency's staff of being involved in Hamas' October 7 Al-Aqsa Operation, without giving any evidence.

Following the Israeli move, many countries, mainly Western states and led by the United States, cut funds to UNRWA. A number of them however resumed their funding after the accusations were proved wrong.

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3 Israeli settlers injured in West Bank retaliatory attack

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Palestinian resistance fighters have opened fire at a vehicle of Zionist settlers in the occupied West Bank, wounding three people.

According to Palestinian media outlets, the incident happened early on Tuesday near the village of Ramin located 15 km east of the city of Tulkarm.

following the anti-Zionist operation, the regime's military cordoned off the area and began searching the villages of Ramin and Beit Lid.

Tulkarm and its surrounding villages have been a flashpoint area in the past several years amid anti-Israel operations by Palestinian resistance fighters who say the operations are in response to brutal violence by the Israeli regime's forces and settlers.

Violence has further increased in Tulkarm and other regions of the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its war on Gaza in early October.

On Monday night, various areas of the West Bank were the scene of clashes between Palestinians and the occupation forces.

Palestinian resistance fighters opened fire on an Israeli soldier in Qalqilya. And in Tubas, Palestinians attacked vehicles of the occupation forces with explosive weapons.

A young Palestinian man was martyred by Israeli forces in Al-Bireh city. Clashes also took place in village of Sa'ir, northeast of al-Khalil known as Hebron.

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Yemen conducts 3 operations against Israel-bound ships

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced on Monday night that the country had carried out three more "successful" operations in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean against commercial ships bound for occupied Palestine.

According to the website of Yemen's Al-Masirah network, Saree said, in the first operation, vessel Bentley I was targeted in the Red Sea with several unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), drones and ballistic missiles.

In the second operation, the oil tanker Chios Lion was targeted in the Red Sea with a UUV, the spokesman further said.

The third operation, which was conducted jointly with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, involved an attack on the ship OLVIA that was successfully hit in the Mediterranean Sea, Saree added.

The spokesman reiterated that those ships were targeted because they had violated a Yemeni ban prohibiting vessels from entering ports in the occupied territories.

He also said that the latest operations were carried out in support of the Palestinian people and in response to the Israeli regime's massacre of people in Al-Mawasi refugee camp in Gaza's southern city of Khan Yunis.

Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the latest Yemeni operations in its official X account.

CENTCOM also said that its forces had destroyed five Yemeni drones, three over the Red Sea and two over Yemen.

It claimed that the unmanned aerial vehicles had presented "an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region."

Following the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Yemeni Armed Forces initiated conducting drone and missile attacks on ships affiliated with the regime and its advocates, especially the US and the UK in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Yemen says its maritime operations will continue until the regime stops its aggression on Gaza.

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Hezbollah member killed in new Zionist attack on Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah has confirmed the martyrdom of yet another of its member along with several other people in the Zionist regime's attack on southern Lebanon on Monday night.

According to IRNA, citing the media of the Lebanese Resistance Forces, Hezbollah announced that "Amer Jamil Dagher" nicknamed "Abbas", was martyred for the sake of Quds.

He was 60 years old and a resident of Bent Jbeil, a city in the south of Lebanon that was targeted by Zionist regime's warplanes late on Monday.

Lebanese sources previously announced that 3 civilians were martyred and 2 others injured in this attack.

These attacks followed Hezbollah's operations against the military positions of the Zionist regime.

Hezbollah retaliates deadly Zionist attack

Meanwhile, Hezbollah carried out fresh retaliatory attack, raining down rockets on Zionist positions in the northern occupied Palestine in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to the Al-Mayadeen news network, more than 50 rockets were fired from the Lebanese side toward the occupation regime's positions in the Al-Jalil region.

Zionist media confirmed that at least 13 rockets were launched only toward the town of Kiryat Shmona.

These attacks, according to a resistance statement, were carried out in response to the Zionist regime's attack on southern Lebanese city of Bint Jbeil, during which a Hezbollah member and three civilians were killed and two others were injured on Monday evening.

According to IRNA, the Zionist regime, which has faced defeat on the battlefield with Hezbollah, is bombing residential areas in southern Lebanon and the border with occupied Palestine to compensate for its defeats.

A day after Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, and the Zionist regime's full-scale attacks on houses and medical centers in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in a coordinated measure with Palestinian resistance group Hamas started targeting the military bases of Israel in the north of the occupied Palestine.

Hezbollah has been targeting the regime's military and spy installation as well as bases and barrack with its missiles and drones but Zionists target residential areas resulting in killing of civilians.

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Excerpt from PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the State Ceremony for the IDF Soldiers who Fell in Operation Protective Edge

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches

The 37th Government

16.07.2024

Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks today, at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, at the state memorial ceremony for IDF soldiers who fell in Operation Protective Edge:

"The operational logic of Operation Protective Edge was a product of the conditions of the unique strategic reality at that time. We conducted a double campaign to strike Hamas, both militarily and diplomatically, and this is what we are vigorously doing today, on a far greater scale, and we are determined on a decisive outcome.

The monstrous massacre on October 7 reshuffled the deck. It requires a very different operative concept that takes into account Iran's efforts to strangle us in a chokehold on seven fronts.

Today more than ever, we are in the midst of an enormous campaign for our very existence. On one side is the fanatic Iranian regime which threatens to destroy us, as a step toward taking over the Middle East, from where it will be able to threaten the entire world. On the other side is the democratic and free Israel that is determined to defend its home.

We have no intention of losing this confrontation. We will continue to rebuff the efforts to harm us by Iran and its proxies. We will continue to strike - with uncompromising force - those who rise up to destroy us. We will settle accounts with all those who are carrying out this terrorist assault, down to the last of them. We will bring down Hamas's regime of evil. We will thwart every future threat to the State of Israel from Gaza. We will return home all of our hostages.

Hamas is under pressure, which is increasing because we are striking it. We are targeting its senior commanders and eliminating thousands of terrorists. It is under pressure because we are standing steadfast on our just demands despite all the pressure.

This is exactly the time to increase the pressure even more in order to return home all of the hostages, the living and the deceased, and to achieve all of our objectives in the war.

We will increase the pressure on Hamas and we will return everybody: The hostages of October 7, as well as Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, and Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed."

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PH, US military chiefs tout strong ties, discuss cooperation

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 6:10 pm

MANILA -- The strong military ties between the Philippines and the United States got a further boost following the visit of US Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles Brown Jr. on Tuesday.

Brown met with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials, led by Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

"The meeting underscored their commitment to (the) Philippine-United States' long-standing military alliance. Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral defense cooperation, strengthening joint military exercises, and addressing regional security challenges," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

The officials discussed future initiatives to bolster defense relations and foster greater interoperability.

"Our alliance with the United States remains a cornerstone of our national security. Through continued collaboration and mutual support, we fortify our defense capabilities and ensure the stability of our region," Brawner said.

The AFP and US Armed Forces also continue to engage in various joint activities, including training exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, further solidifying their partnership and readiness to respond to contingencies. (PNA)

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BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing.

Under the theme "RE-shape: Digital Heritage Driven by Technological Innovation," and featuring two parallel sessions, the four-day symposium will focus on the new technologies and models of digital heritage, with multiple panels and events scheduled.

Over 300 representatives from 20 countries and regions are attending the symposium, where more than 100 professional reports and cases covering various fields will be presented and discussed.

Addressing the opening session, Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, said that he believes the pioneering discussions held at the symposium will have a positive impact on the development of cultural heritage, science and technology, education and other areas, and bring significant value to society.

Xie Bing, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, said the rapid development of digital technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for the conservation of cultural heritage. He extended his welcome for more countries to join the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia for further exchanges and cooperation in that regard.

A signing ceremony was also held during the opening event for the China-Greek Joint Laboratory on Digital Heritage, involving a number of entities from both China and Greece.

The first CHCD was held in 2010.
Navy: Effects of PH-China talks on WPS tensions yet to be seen

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 4:22 pm

MANILA -- The effects of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting between the Philippines and China have yet to be seen as far as easing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is concerned, a ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official said on Tuesday.

"We are monitoring continuously the number of ships in the WPS. Based on the numbers for the past one month, we have seen a decrease. Last week, we (had) 94, the previous week 95, this week 104, so that's only a very slight increase compared to the previous month. If ever this is related to the BCM talks, it remains to be seen," PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

Based on the PN's monitoring from July 9 to 15, the number of Chinese vessels spotted in WPS features include nine China Coast Guard vessels, one People's Liberation Army Navy ship, and 94 maritime militia vessels.

Trinidad also maintained that Manila's actions are always meant to de-escalate tension in the WPS even without the BCM.

"We will continue the RORE (rotation and resupply) missions, we will continue our maritime air surveillance flights. We will continue securing our features and the integrity of the national territory in the WPS. Again, we have never been escalatory in our actions. The Chinese Communist Party's actions in the WPS (have) been escalatory," he added.

Asked whether there are changes in China's behavior due to the BCM, he said this will be known during Manila's next RORE mission.

Manila's last RORE to BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) was held on June 17, which was disrupted by the China Coast Guard and maritime militia.

A sailor of the PN lost his right thumb while Chinese troops damaged the Philippines' two rigid-hull inflatable boats and looted assorted gear, equipment, supplies, and even firearms.

During the 9th meeting of the BCM on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila on July 2, Manila and Beijing agreed to continue discussions to find a "mutually acceptable resolution" to WPS issues. (PNA)

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FA-50PH jets to 'dogfight' with Thai 'Gripen' in Pitch Black 2024

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 3:13 pm

MANILA -- Philippine Air Force (PAF) FA-50PH "Fighting Eagle" light jet fighters and their pilots are scheduled to "dogfight" with Royal Thai Air Force's (RTAF) JAS-39 "Gripen" aircraft on Tuesday, as part of the ongoing "Pitch Black" exercises in Darwin, Australia.

"Upcoming today, we are going to have dissimilar aircraft combat tactics with the Thailand Air Force (RTAF) with their Gripen (multi-role fighters)," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a press briefing at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Tuesday.

Dissimilar aircraft combat tactics refer to air combat training where two different air platforms oppose each other in a drill.

These activities will boost the air defense capabilities of the PAF fighter pilots.

It is also useful in training for the interception of unidentified or hostile aircraft that might enter Philippine airspace.

Incidentally, the PAF is also looking at acquiring Swedish SAAB-made "Gripen" to beef up the FA-50PH fleet along with Lockheed Martin F-16 jet fighters.

For this year's 'Pitch Black", the PAF deployed four FA-50PHs and a C-130 tactical transport along with 162 personnel for the exercise which will run from July 12 to Aug. 2.

Castillo also said such drills are ongoing as "fighter aircraft operations" with different countries are part of the drills' goals.

Aside from this, "Pitch Black" participants are preparing for "large force deployment" where there will be at least 100 hundred aircraft in the air, she added.

These planes will also conduct "defensive and offensive maneuvers" while taking part in these exercises.

Castillo earlier said this is the first time the PAF has deployed military aircraft to an international exercise.

This year's 'Pitch Black' drills would also involve field training exercises, flight integration training, and training on large force employment. (PNA)

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PH, Australia armies kick off 'Exercise Carabaroo 2024'

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 10:08 am

MANILA -- The Philippine Army (PA) and its Australian Army counterparts on Monday formally kicked off the month-long Exercise Carabaroo 2024 in the latter's northern city of Darwin.

In a statement Tuesday, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the Australian Army's 1st Brigade hosted this year's edition of the drills.

"It forms part of the broader architecture of Exercise Predator's Run 2024 which is dubbed the Australian Army's most significant littoral training activity of the year," he added.

The PA deployed a 125-member contingent for the event.

Meanwhile, Army and Marines contingents from the United States, United Kingdom, and Timor Leste are also participating in the exercise which tests the concept of deployment of a Light Littoral Brigade on Australia's northern coast.

Littoral refers to areas near shores or a coastal region.

The PA delegation  led by Governance and Strategy Management Office (GSMO), 5th Infantry Division (GSMO, 5ID) Chief Col. Jesus C. Pagala  is comprised of selected General Staff and personnel of the 5th Infantry Division, Training and Doctrine Command, Army Artillery Regiment, Army Signal Regiment, Army Support Command, Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), First Scout Ranger Regiment, and Combat Engineer Regiment.

The Philippine and Australian governments signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in May 2007 as the basis for defense cooperation between the two nations. (PNA)

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Army: Talaingod ruling to deter groups luring youth to insurgency

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 10:06 am

MANILA -- The government will not hesitate to apply the full force of the law to persons and groups exposing the youth to deceitful and dangerous ideologies, the Philippine Army (PA) spokesperson has said.

The remark was made after the Tagum Regional Trial Court Branch 2, in a July 5 decision, convicted former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, and 11 others of child abuse over a case involving 14 minors in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

"It sends a clear message that individuals who exploit and endanger the lives of IP (Indigenous Peoples) children by exposing them to false and dangerous ideologies will be held accountable under our laws," Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said in a statement late Monday.

He added that the PA remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all Filipinos, particularly vulnerable groups that are often targeted by deceitful beliefs.

"This landmark decision stems from their orchestration of the (November) 2018 incident in Talaingod, Davao del Norte when they transported 14 minors who are part of indigenous peoples (IP) communities under the guise of a 'rescue mission'," Dema-ala added.

The ruling is proof of the country's functional justice system, he said.

The group was accused of holding 14 students at the Salugpungan Ta'tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLCI) where they supposedly held a solidarity mission.

Also found guilty were Ma. Eugenia Victoria Nolasco, Jesus Madamo, Meriro Poquita, Maricel Andagkit, Marcial Rendon, Marianie Aga, Jenevive Paraba, Nerhaya Talledo, Ma. Concepcion Ibarra, Nerfa Awing and Wingwing Daunsay. (PNA)

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Navy missile boat gets battle system upgrade

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 16, 2024, 9:39 am

MANILA -- One of the Philippine Navy's most capable surface combatants, fast attack interdiction craft BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901), got more potent as its "battle net" (BNET) system got a significant upgrade from Israeli defense manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

"This upgrade was validated through a comprehensive sea trial near Manila Bay and Cavite City, involving PG-901 and five other ACPGs (Acero Class Patrol Gunboats)," the BRP Nestor Acero said in a Facebook post Monday night.

It added that the sea trial was held on July 4, which tested the connectivity and communication range of the upgraded BNET system, focusing on voice, chat, and video feed relay. No other details on the systems upgrade were provided for security reasons.

"The results exceeded baseline specifications, confirming the upgrade's success. This enhancement significantly boosts the ACPG fleet's operational capabilities, ensuring improved connectivity and real-time communication for modern naval operations," the post read.

The PN now has six Acero-class gunboats in service, with the BRP Nestor Acero as the lead ship.

The first two Acero-class gunboats, the BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902), were delivered in September 2022 and commissioned two months later.

The third and fourth FAICs, the BRP Gener Tinangag (PG-903) and BRP Domingo Deluana (PG-905), were delivered in April 2023 and commissioned the following month.

The fifth and sixth were named the BRP Herminigildo Yurong (PG-906) and BRP Laurence Narag (PG-907), respectively, and were commissioned on May 21 this year.

All six Acero-class gunboats were named after Medal of Valor awardees.

The remaining three Acero-class gunboats are expected to be constructed and delivered within the next two years. (PNA)

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Israel killed 539 displaced Palestinians in UNRWA facilities since October

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 5:54 PM

At least 539 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on facilities run by the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees sheltering the displaced across the Gaza Strip since early October.

UNRWA said at least 1,708 people have also been wounded in the facilities during that period.

The number provided by the agency only runs through mid-July, so it does not include Israel's killing of at least 23 displaced Palestinians at al-Razi School in central Gaza on Tuesday.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 73 people were also wounded.

The school had been turned into a center for sheltering the displaced since Israel started its barbarous campaign in Gaza in early October.

Ever since such facilities have become home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians fleeing the Israeli war machine.

UNRWA said virtually 70% of its schools in Gaza have been attacked by Israel.

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Kenya: Renewed anti-government protests leave one person dead

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 4:45 PM

Renewed clashes between police and protesters in Kenya have left one person dead in the east African country.

Media reports on Tuesday said at least one person was killed in the fresh anti-government protests across Kenya.

Anti-riot police were deployed in large numbers in Kenya's capital, firing tear gas at several dozen protesters gathered in Nairobi's city center.

Police clashed with demonstrators, killing one protester in the coastal city of Mombasa, Reuters reported.

20-year-old university student Emmanuel Giggs Tata reportedly suffocated after police fired teargas to disperse a crowd near Mwembe Tayari along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue in Mombasa on Tuesday evening. Tata's family said he was heading home with his friends when he was caught in the running battles.

Earlier, thousands of young anti-government protesters had marched through the popular tourist destination.

Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The Nation reported similar marches in at least 23 of Kenya's 47 counties.

Continuous nationwide youth-led anti-government protests against President William Ruto broke out a month ago across Kenya over proposed tax hikes in the government's 2024 Finance Bill.

The protests continued even after Ruto withdrew the legislation and dismissed almost all of his cabinet members.

The Tuesday protests appeared to be some of the biggest in the country since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26.

The protesters, who are calling for systemic changes in the government, now want Ruto himself to resign.

The protest leaders say they aim to eradicate corruption in the government, while also addressing the issue of poor governance.

At least 50 people have been killed so far in the deadly clashes between police and protesters, according to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

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Houthi: Yemenis humiliate US, spare no effort in supporting Palestine

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 4:16 PM

The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement says Yemenis have humiliated the United States, sparing no effort in supporting Palestine against Israel.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi made the remarks during a televised speech on Tuesday, saying the resistance manifested by the Yemeni nation in support of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip forced a US carrier to exit the Red Sea in humiliation.

He was referring to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was ordered by the US military last week to withdraw from the Red Sea following a deployment lasting several months in an attempt to curb Yemeni military operations against Israeli-affiliated vessels.

"After the expulsion of its aircraft carrier, America turned to involving its Saudi agent to push it into serving the Israeli enemy more than it already does. Our people's turnout last Friday was massive and great, as millions flocked to the squares to show the world their steadfastness in support for the Palestinian people despite every agent's will," Houthi said.

He also urged Saudi Arabia to "listen to our people's warnings and to cease its erroneous path of supporting the US and Israel."

"Allah has humiliated the modern-day arrogant tyrant, the US, at the hands of our people," Houthi stated.

He said "with God's will, the tyranny of the US's agents will be broken, and their capabilities will be destroyed by the hands of His faithful servants."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Ansarullah leader once again said the Yemeni nation supports Palestinians in Gaza, emphasizing that Yemen would never leave Palestinians alone against their enemy.

"We will spare no effort in supporting the Palestinian people. We will continue to support and back Gaza in coordination with other support fronts and the free people of the nation," Houthi said.

"Our operations will continue with missile barrages, drone strikes, and naval operations in escalation until the Israeli enemy ceases its aggression on Gaza and lifts its siege on its people."

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched the barbarous campaign in Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.

Houthi was speaking on the occasion of Ashura, when Shia Muslims are taking part in mourning rituals for Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam, who was martyred along with his 72 companions in the Battle of Karbala in southern Iraq in 680 AD after fighting courageously for justice against the much larger army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I.

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Israel's restrictions on movement in al-Khalil hurdle to 'essential services': ICRC

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 3:11 PM

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has denounced intensified restrictions imposed by the Israeli regime in the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, describing them as a hurdle to "essential service."

The ICRC made the remarks in a post on X on Tuesday, as Palestinians continue to live with significant movement restrictions in the "H2" restricted area of the city for more than 20 years.

"The restrictions of movement in part of al-Khalil's Old City known as H2 make it difficult, and sometimes impossible for Palestinians to access essential services," the ICRC said.

It went on to say these restrictions have left an impact on "basic services many need daily to survive," affecting all aspects of their lives.

This has prompted the ICRC to work with the local community to install solar panels on the rooftops of affected households.

"This helps them generate income by providing power to other residents in the community, and have improved access to electricity," it said.

Located in the center of al-Khalil, one of the largest cities in the occupied West Bank, the Old City was divided into Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas, known as H1 and H2, following the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994.

The Old City of al-Khalil is home to roughly 160,000 Palestinians and about 800 aggressive Israeli settlers who live in compounds heavily guarded by the Israeli occupation forces.

Since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza, the regime's brutal crackdown on the West Bank has also escalated, resulting in near-daily raids into villages and cities across the occupied territory.

Nearly 550 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since early October, when the barbarous campaign in Gaza began.

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Israel attacks 'safe areas' in Gaza again, kills 50 Palestinians: Health officials

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 3:04 PM

Israeli airstrikes on places designated to be "safe" for the displaced have once again killed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip's southern and central areas, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry said in a statement the regime's forces killed at least 17 people in an attack on an area of tents housing displaced families in Khan Younis.

The attack on the Attar area of the Mawasi refugee camp in Khan Younis also wounded more than two dozen people.

Four members of a family, including two children, were also killed in Khan Younis.

In the historic Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the regime's forces bombed a school housing displaced Palestinians, killing at least 23 people, the ministry said.

The airstrike hit the al-Razi School  run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees UNRWA. At least 73 people were wounded, according to the ministry figures.

The school shelters displaced Palestinians.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said in a statement that journalist Mohammed Mishmish and his son Baraa "ascended to martyrdom in the Nusseirat massacre today."

Mishmish's martyrdom has brought the total number of journalists killed in the territory since October 7, 2023 to 160, according to the statement.

Later in the day, five more Palestinians were killed in an attack on a house in Rafah in the far south.

The areas that came under attack by the regime's forces on Tuesday are located within the "humanitarian safe zone," where Israel has told Palestinians to seek refuge amid its barbarous campaign in Gaza.

Gaza health authorities said in their latest update on Tuesday that Israel had killed at least 38,710 people across the territory since early October.

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Israel killed at least 9,240 Palestinian students since October: Education ministry

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 10:55 AM

More than 9,000 students have been killed and more than 15,000 others wounded in the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, reports the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The official Palestinian Wafa news agency, citing the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, reported on Tuesday that a total of 9,241 students had been killed and 15,182 injured since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on October 7, 2023.

The Ministry reported that over 9,138 students were killed in the Gaza Strip, while 14,671 others were injured there.

With Gaza's education system decimated, some 620,000 school-age Palestinians are out of school and more than 88,000 students are unable to enroll in universities, according to the ministry.

In West Bank, 103 students were killed, 505 injured and around 357 students were detained during the nine months of war.

The report also indicated that a total of 497 teachers and administrators have been reported killed, with 3,426 others injured in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

In the Gaza Strip, a total of 353 educational institutions, including government schools, universities, university buildings, and 65 belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA), were targeted in bombings and acts of vandalism.

Out of these buildings, 139 suffered severe damage, 93 were completely destroyed, and 133 government schools in the Gaza Strip were repurposed as shelter centers, according to the report.

In the West Bank, 69 schools and five universities have been attacked and vandalized.

The bloodshed in Gaza's schools-turned-shelters, which Israel alleges are used by Palestinian resistance movement Hamas as hiding spots, has been a recurring scene throughout the war.

Only in the past 10 days, five UN-run schools have been hit by Israel forces, UNRWA posted on social X platform.

UNRWA in its recent report said that its facilities in Gaza had been attacked by Israel 453 times since the war began last October, and that more than 500 people sheltering in its buildings had been killed. The UN has also said that 80 percent of schools in the territory have been destroyed or damaged.

UNICEF, the UN children's agency, has recently described the number of wounded children as "staggering" in Gaza.

Israel's war has killed at least 38,713 people, including nearly 16,000 children, in Gaza since early October last year. Tens of thousands have also been wounded.

Some 21,000 children are also missing while 17,000 have been orphaned.

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July 15: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 6:54 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 38,700 Palestinians and injured more than 89,000 others so far, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Monday, July 15, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on July 15:

- Detonated a missile left by enemy forces on two Merkava tanks surrounded by a number of regime soldiers near roundabout 17 in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on July 15:

- Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles on the supply line in the Netzarim axis with mortar shells.

- Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military jeeps with a barrage of standard 60-caliber mortar shells around the Awadallah intersection in the middle of Yabna camp, south of Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip.

- Targeted a group of Israeli soldiers inside a residential apartment at the Awadallah Junction in the middle of Yabna camp, south of Rafah City, with a TPG shell.

- Engaged in fierce clashes using machine guns and anti-tank missiles with Israeli soldiers in the middle of Yabna camp in Rafah City, southern Gaza Strip.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on July 15:

- Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces invading Yabna camp north of Rafah City, southern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of mortar shells.

- Engaged in fierce clashes with a group of Israeli forces storming the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices.

Hezbollah's operations on July 15:

- Targeted Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Pranit Barracks with missiles.

- Targeted surveillance equipment at the Rahib site with guided missiles.

- Targeted the Al-Samaqa site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba with artillery shells.

- Targeted the Kiryat Shmona settlement with dozens of Falaq and Katyusha rockets.

Yemeni military's operations on July 15:

- Targeted the ship "BENTLEY I" in the Red Sea with drone boats, aerial drones, and ballistic missiles.

- Targeted the oil tanker "CHIOS Lion" in the Red Sea with a naval drone.

- In a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, targeted the "Olvia" container ship in the Mediterranean Sea with a barrage of drones.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on July 15:

- Launched a barrage of drones and an Arqab advanced cruise missile towards Haifa and Umm Al-Rashrash (Eilat) in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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'Inexcusable devastation': UN chief urges immediate ceasefire in Gaza as genocide rages

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 7:22 AM

The United Nations secretary general has called for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, calling the devastation and deaths in the war-battered territory "inexcusable."

Antonio Guterres in a social media post on Monday described the extreme level of fighting and devastation in Gaza as "incomprehensible and inexcusable."

"It is high time for the parties to show the political courage and political will to finally reach a deal," UN chief wrote.

Nowhere in Gaza is safe, Guterres said, adding that everywhere is a potential killing zone.

Earlier on Monday, the UN chief also condemned an Israeli airstrike on the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, a designated "humanitarian zone" for displaced Palestinians, stating that he was "shocked and saddened" by the attack, which "underscores that nowhere is safe in Gaza."

The Gaza Ministry of Health said that at least 90 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and more than 300 others wounded after Israelis airstrikes on the al-Mawasi refugee camp on Saturday.

The UN agency's schools and shelters across the Gaza Strip are filled with displaced Palestinians hoping for some protection, though they know nowhere is safe.

Israeli forces have consistently targeted schools and shelters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), leaving thousands homeless and causing numerous casualties and injuries.

On Sunday, the Israeli forces targeted a school run by UNRWA in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least 15 people and injuring 80 others.

"It speaks volumes to the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law because to date 190 - one, nine, zero - of UNRWA's facilities in Gaza, most of which serve as shelters for displaced people, 190 have been damaged during the conflict, killing more than 500 people inside them," UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said.

She stated that more than 1,600 individuals have been injured in attacks on buildings protected by international law, as they seek shelter at UNRWA facilities for protection under a UN flag.

Over nine months into the Israeli war, large areas of Gaza are now devastated and face severe shortages of essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine due to a crippling blockade.

The war has so far claimed the lives of nearly 38,664 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 89,097 besides turning almost the entirety of the Palestinian territory into a scene of utter devastation.

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Top EU Officials To Boycott Meetings Held By Hungary; Orban Says Trump Ready To Act

By RFE/RL July 16, 2024

European commissioners will boycott informal meetings held by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and instead will send lower-level bureaucrats for the duration of Budapest's six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, the European Commission announced after Orban's unsanctioned meetings with Russian and Chinese leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

"In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the [European Commission] President [Ursula von der Leyen] has decided that the Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council," Eric Mamer, von der Leyen's chief spokesman, announced on X.

Furthermore, "the College visit to the [Hungarian] Presidency will not take place." Mamer added. The College is the European Commission's leadership and consists of the 27 commissioners.

Hungary protested the announcement, with Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka, accusing the commission of "cherry-picking" institutions and members states that it wants to work with.

"The EU Commission cannot cherry pick institutions and member states it wants to cooperate with. Are all Commission decisions now based on political considerations?" Boka wrote on X.

The commission's move comes after an unconfirmed report in Politico that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell plans to convene the bloc's foreign ministers for his own "formal" council meeting at the same time that Hungary has scheduled a similar gathering in August.

Orban, whose country took over the EU presidency on July 1, flew to Moscow on July 5 and then to China, without informing the bloc ahead of time, purportedly to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine with Putin and Xi.

Orban, who has maintained friendly relations with Putin, has been at odds with the rest of the EU, voicing his opposition to sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

Following his talks with Putin at the Kremlin, Orban told a news conference that his trip represented a "first step to restore dialogue" between the warring parties.

On July 16, Orban sent a letter to EU leaders, a copy of which was seen by RFE/RL, saying that while the United States is "at the moment heavily preoccupied with the presidential campaign," former U.S. President Donald Trump is ready to act "immediately" as a peace broker if he beats incumbent Joe Biden in the November 5 vote.

"I can...surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, (Trump) will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this," Orban, a longtime Trump supporter, wrote.

Orban added that Biden was "making immense efforts" to remain in the race and suggested he was "not capable of modifying the current U.S. pro-war policy." Meanwhile, a Trump victory would shift the financial burden between Washington and Brussels when it comes to supporting Ukraine, with Europe coming out on the worse end of the deal.

"Our European strategy in the name of transatlantic unity has copied the pro-war policy of the U.S. We have not had a sovereign and independent European strategy or political action plan up to now. I propose discussing whether the continuation of this policy is rational in the future. In the current situation we can find a window of opportunity with a strong moral and rational basis to begin a new chapter in our policy," Orban said.

Orban ended the letter by proposing discussions to initiate talks with China on the next Ukraine peace conference, reopening "direct lines of diplomatic communication with Russia," and the launch of a "coordinated political offensive towards the Global South whose appreciation we have lost concerning our position on the war in Ukraine resulting in the global isolation of the transatlantic community."

Orban's self-styled peace mission has been harshly criticized by both the EU and the United States.

In a reply to Orban's letter seen by RFE/RL, European Council President Charles Michel said the rotating presidency "has no role in representing the Union on the international stage and received no European Council mandate to engage on behalf of the Union" in Moscow and Beijing.

Michel also rejected Orban's claim that the council has a "pro-war policy," insisting that it is "quite the opposite" and reiterating that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is exercising its legitimate right to self-defense. He added that there can be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine taking part.

The White House joined in on the criticism, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the visit "will not advance the cause of peace and is counterproductive to promoting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence."

With additional reporting by Rikard Jozwiak

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/orban-leyen-mamer-putin-xi- borrell/33038087.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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NATO's Military Expansion Into Asia-Pacific Aims to Disrupt ASEAN Structure - Lavrov

Sputnik News

20240716

NATO's military infrastructure is advancing into the Asia-Pacific region to undermine the existing architecture centered around ASEAN, stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

He highlighted the statements of NATO leaders about the alliance's leading role in the Asia-Pacific region and its spreading dominance there.

"NATO's military infrastructure is advancing into the Pacific region with an obvious goal: to undermine the ASEAN-centric architecture, which has been built over many decades based on principles of equality, mutual interest, and consensus," Lavrov said at a UN Security Council meeting.

According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the US and its allies are forming new military blocs in the region, such as AUKUS, which brings together Australia, the UK and the US.

 Sputnik

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Deputy Secretary Campbell's Meeting with Transition President Oligui Nguema

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

July 16, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met today with Gabon's Transition President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. Deputy Secretary Campbell received an update on Gabon's democratic transition and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting Gabon's efforts to implement an inclusive and transparent political process culminating in free and fair elections. The two officials agreed to take concrete steps to deepen and expand the bilateral relationship based on shared priorities, including economic and social development, maritime and border security, environmental conservation and security cooperation.

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Secretary Blinken's Call with Thai Foreign Minister Maris

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

July 16, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to congratulate him on assuming his new role. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Maris reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership, as well as the U.S. commitment to the broader Indo-Pacific region. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed ways in which the United States and Thailand can continue to contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and around the world.

Secretary Blinken further thanked the Foreign Minister for Thailand's support of the June 6 joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. They agreed to continue to work together towards a comprehensive ceasefire deal that would allow the release of the hostages, including Thai nationals, and significantly increase the levels of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza. The Secretary noted that he looks forward to working with the new Foreign Minister on both opportunities and challenges that impact our two nations.

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UN and EU humanitarians appeal for more support for Haiti

16 July 2024 - The multifaceted humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti requires urgent international attention, three senior aid officials from the United Nations and the European Union have said, wrapping up a four-day visit to the Caribbean country where they saw firsthand how ongoing gang violence has upended people's lives.

"What Haitians want the most is peace, that will allow them to return to school, to farm their fields, to access basic services such as going to a hospital," Edem Wosornu, Operations and Advocacy Director with the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said in a joint statement issued on Monday.

Ms. Wosornu visited Haiti alongside Lucia Elmi, Director for Emergency Operations at the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Andrea Koulaimah, Director for Latin American and the Caribbean for the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

More Kenyan officers arrive

As clashes continue in Haiti, more than 578,000 people are displaced, and nearly five million - roughly half the population - are facing acute hunger, with 1.6 million at risk of starvation.

Last October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to assist the beleaguered national police force in quelling the gang violence.

Kenya offered to lead the non-UN mission and international media report that another 200 of its police officers have arrived in Haiti, joining some 400 already there.

The violence has crippled Haiti's agricultural sector - a key source of income for families - and disrupted education and healthcare. More than 900 schools have been closed since January, while in the capital, Port-au-Prince, nearly 40 per cent of all in-patient health facilities are out of service.

Impact on families

Furthermore, families who used to be economically independent have now lost income, thus affecting their access to food and healthcare. Most that have been displaced do not know if their children will be able to return to school.

The humanitarian delegation held meetings with senior Haitian officials, including new Prime Minister Gary Conille as well as authorities in the cities of Les Cayes and Gonaives.

They stressed that the international community must continue to support Haiti's Government in providing life-saving aid and development assistance.

"Millions of families are yearning for an end to this relentless violence. It is critical to step up protection services for women and children - who are bearing the brunt of this crisis - and fast-track humanitarian assistance for those in need", Ms. Elmi said.

Shortfall in aid

Back in February, the UN and partners launched a $674 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti, but at the midpoint of the year it is less than a quarter funded.

The cost of inaction would be too high if response is not scaled up now, the statement warned, noting that international and local humanitarian partners have managed to find solutions to both access and assist Haitians throughout the country despite the challenging security situation.

While underlining the vital importance of humanitarian aid, the statement also stressed that Haiti's challenges "are grounded in years of under-investment in basic social services and that humanitarian aid is a temporary fix that can't solve the country's deep-rooted, structural problems."

The humanitarian response must be anchored into sustainability and serve as a "steppingstone to durable, sustainable recovery actions," said Ms. Koulaimah.

"We call on the international community not to miss this unique momentum and to step up their efforts and mobilize resources to address the pressing humanitarian and development needs."

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UNRWA Situation Report #121 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 11-14 July 2024, is valid as of 14 July 2024 at 22:30

UNRWA

16 Jul 2024

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

Israeli Security Forces (ISF) airstrikes reportedly hit southern and central areas of Gaza as humanitarians and partners continued to treat people impacted in a strike on Al Mawasi in southwest Gaza on Saturday that reportedly left at least 90 killed and around 300 injured. Strikes by ISF continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. ISF ground offensive continues to expand, with new evacuation orders issued for all of Gaza City, deepening the humanitarian crisis and further destabilizing humanitarian aid flows.

Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator (DHC) and Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza released a statement describing his visit to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis on 13 July. The health care facility was overstretched with not enough medical beds, hygiene equipment and a lack of full services due to limited fuel and electricity. He urgently called for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the release of all remaining hostages.

According to the UN, up to 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced up to 10 times.

14 INGOs released the Gaza Humanitarian Snapshot detailing the deterioration of access for humanitarian supplies into Gaza, the restriction of movement of humanitarian staff and supplies within the Gaza Strip, and the worsening safety and security of humanitarian workers and healthcare workers with 274 aid workers killed and over 500 healthcare workers killed. According to the 14 NGOs, since early May the Karem abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing has been designated as the primary crossing for humanitarian cargo, but in reality only a small amount of aid is entering due to the following reasons: 1. Active fighting and insecurity around the crossing; 2. Deteriorating law and order, in part due to Israeli attacks on the police force, leading to a breakdown in public order; 3. Lack of visibility and predictability on the situation at the crossing which is hardly accessible for NGOs and UN, making retrieving items very complicated.

The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be found below:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

As of 14 July, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October is 197.

[1] Birth under bombs: 9 months of hell - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 8 July 2024, 553 Palestinians, including 131 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Between 8 and 14 July there were at least 196 recorded ISF search and arrest operations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. More than 140 Palestinians including Palestine Refugees were detained by the ISF during this period.

During this period, five Palestinians were killed including three children. One of the fatalities was the result of an exchange of fire between Palestinian Security Forces (PSF) and Palestinians in the vicinity of Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin city, in the northern West Bank, on 13 July. On 14 July, in central Israel a Palestinian from East Jerusalem was shot and killed after an alleged ramming attack against a group of ISF personnel wherein four were reported injured.

ISF and Israeli settlers' violence and harassment targeting Bedouin and herder communities in Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills, persisted throughout the week. On 8 July, ISF demolished a school and three houses belonging to Palestinians and uprooted trees. On 14 July, Israeli settlers installed three caravans in the Ar Rakeez area of Masafer Yatta, reportedly to expand the Avigayil settlement.

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USS Carney visits Quebec, Highlights Maritime Security and Partnerships

US Navy

16 July 2024

From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet

QUEBEC CITY, Canada -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) visited Quebec City, Canada, for the Rendez-vous naval de Quebec, July 3-8, 2024.

This event welcomes multinational Navy ships to Quebec City, connecting their crews with the local community, offering public tours of ships, and highlighting the value of naval service, maritime presence and interoperability between allies and partners. This was the first Rendezvous naval de Quebec in seven years.

While in Quebec, Carney held tours and hosted more than 4,100 guests during two public tour days. Visitors toured the weather decks, including the forecastle, boat deck, missile deck, and flight deck. Carney Sailors explored Quebec City, visiting the Chateau Frontenac, Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica-Cathedral, Citadelle de Quebec, and Montmorency Falls.

"It is wonderful to have had the opportunity to be part of the ships that came together this year. Our crew had a fabulous time in Quebec and really enjoyed the opportunity to speak to sailors from different Navies," said Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson, commanding officer of USS Carney.

Several other warships participated, including the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337), Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel HMCS William Hall (AOPV 433), Royal Navy ice patrol ship HMS Protector (A173), and French Navy amphibious assault ship FS Rhone (L9005).

Carney hosted distinguished guests, including United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, Consul General of Quebec Danielle Monosson, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Manon Jeannotte, Vice Adm. Doug Perry, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Commander Vice Adm. Angus Topshee, and RCN Rear Adm. David Patchell, vice commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet.

"This is the U.S. Navy's most battle-tested warship, with the most battle-tested crew since World War two," said Perry. "After returning from a dynamic combat deployment to the Red Sea and operations through the Mediterranean, their presence in Quebec this week is a clear demonstration of the value our Nation places on relationships and strategic partnerships. Carney is a testament to freedom in action, and there is no better place to celebrate the 248th year of American Independence than on this ship."

The warship participated in Rendez-vous naval de Quebec 2024 after returning from an eight-month combat deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation, where the ship destroyed 51 Houthi and Iran-launched weapons, including land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, and unmanned systems. Additionally, Carney conducted two defensive strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, destroying 20 targets, and successfully destroyed one Iranian-launched medium-range ballistic missile.

Carney is capable of conducting prompt and sustained combat operations at sea and equipped to operate in a high-density multi-threat environment.

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USS Carney Visits Newport, Shares Warfighting Experiences

US Navy

16 July 2024

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) visited Naval Station Newport, July 11-15, engaging with various training and education commands to share lessons learned from the crew's September 2023 to May 2024 independent deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

Part of a series of scheduled stops, Carney's visit offered an opportunity for personnel from commands such as the U.S. Naval War College (NWC), Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC), Naval Station Newport, the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) and Officer Training Command Newport (OTCN) to learn from the crew's warfighting experiences in an operationally demanding environment.

"Carney's crew are battle-tested warfighters who proved themselves to be tenacious, resilient and lethal," said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, president of NWC. "The opportunity to learn firsthand of their experiences, successes and challenges is priceless in training and educating the next generation of tactical, operational and strategic leaders for our Navy."

Throughout the ship's 235 day deployment supporting maritime stability and security in defense of U.S., Allies, and partner interests, Carney conducted 51 engagements against Houthi-launched weapons, including land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, and unmanned systems. Carney was also the first ship in the area to intercept Houthi attacks against Israel in October 2023.

The visit included Carney crew members engaging students at SWSC's Surface Warfare Officer School, discussing ship handling, tactical employment of weapon systems, and damage control and engineering through visits to the ship and exchanges at the schoolhouse.

"What a tremendous opportunity for my staff and students to engage with the crew, learn, and receive firsthand knowledge from a ship with real-world combat experience, just home from the front-line - showcasing the warrior toughness inherent in every Navy Sailor," said Capt. Joe Baggett, commanding officer of Surface Warfare Schools Command. "Through direct coordination with Carney while in-port Naval Station Newport, SWSC took advantage of every opportunity to gather and leverage these warfighting lessons to make us better as we train and ready sea-bound Surface Warriors."

The ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson, also delivered a lecture to NWC and SWSC staff, faculty and students; U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen; and personnel from other local commands, in NWC's Spruance Auditorium. As part of NWC's Lectures of Opportunity (LOO) series, the discussion centered on Carney's operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aiden, intercepting ballistic missiles and UAVs and conducting defensive strikes into Yemen.

Robertson credited the crew's readiness with the quality of training the crew received prior to deployment.

"We trained as realistic as possible and threw a bunch of curveballs at the team," he said. "And I think that really paid dividends, because we did get the deployment that nobody expected."

He added that the crew's success validated the efficacy of Navy training programs and investments made into the education and development of Sailors.

"We're validating that everything we're training to is really preparing the teams, the ships and the strike groups to go out and do their missions and have success."

Tours of Carney were also offered, providing additional opportunities for personnel stationed onboard Naval Station Newport to interact with the crew.

Carney Sailors also had the chance to enjoy the local community and attractions in Newport while on liberty during the port visit.

The U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations, continues to provide international maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

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Israeli airstrikes kill about 60 in southern, central Gaza

By VOA News July 16, 2024

Israeli airstrikes have left about 60 people dead across southern and central parts of Gaza, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory, as Israel seeks to root out Hamas militants it accuses of hiding in densely populated areas.

The Israeli air force reportedly hit approximately 40 targets, which included military infrastructure and buildings containing explosives.

Hamas has accused Israel of scaling up recent attacks in an attempt to undermine a cease-fire deal that the United States has been pushing for. Israel maintains that the attacks are an attempt to eliminate Hamas.

Separately, Israeli officials announced on Tuesday that they will begin to send draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to fight in the war in Gaza. They were exempt until a Supreme Court ruling in June.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties in its coalition.

The decision is expected to cause some tension within the country, with protests previously taking place when the government attempted to enlist ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.

Israeli military forces have been conducting air and ground offensives in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's terror attack on Israel on October 7 of last year.

Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured more than 250 hostages in their attack that sparked the war in Gaza. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 116 hostages, including 42 that the military says are dead.

Both sides agree the assault in Gaza has killed more than 38,200 people. Israel says the majority of the dead are combatants. The Hamas-run health ministry says 38,500 have died, the majority of them women and children, but it does not estimate how many of the dead were combatants. The airstrikes and ground attacks have injured more than 88,800 others, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population are displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.

Airstrike hits house in refugee camp

Meanwhile, Gaza's health officials say the bodies of five Palestinians were recovered after an Israeli airstrike on a house in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, while hospital officials in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah reported three people were killed in an airstrike. The Associated Press says one person on the street was killed and at least six others wounded.

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike near the border that separates Syria and Lebanon killed Mohammed Baraa Katerji, a Syrian businessman with close ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime. Reports say Kateriji was killed while in a vehicle traveling along the highway linking the two nations.

Katerji, an oil tycoon, was sanctioned by the United States for facilitating trade between Assad's regime and the radical Islamic State group.

Questions remain about the fate of the head of Hamas' military forces, who was the target of an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. Local health officials say at least 90 people were killed in the strike on al-Masawi, located on the outskirts of Khan Younis, which Israel had previously declared a safe zone for scores of Palestinians who have been displaced by the war.

Israel says the strike targeted Mohammed Deif, considered the mastermind behind the group's October 7 raid on southern Israel.

Work toward cease-fire continues

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been working to broker a cease-fire deal but have yet to achieve a new agreement that includes a halt in fighting and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The White House said Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks with their Israeli security counterparts for a meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group.

In addition to discussions on countering Iran's threats to Israel, the two sides "discussed developments in Gaza and progress towards a cease-fire and hostage release deal. The Israeli side affirmed its full support for the deal as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, G7, and countries around the world." The G7 refers to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.

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US, Latin American grouping aims to confront economic problems

By Celia Mendoza July 16, 2024

The problems of rising poverty and decreasing productivity in Latin America will be on the agenda when the foreign ministers of 12 regional countries convene in Washington on Wednesday, a U.S. State Department official said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken aims during the talks to "tackle" those challenges and work toward making the Americas "the world's most economically competitive region," said Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

The ministers represent members of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, established two years ago to "achieve concrete results for the middle class, workers, and historically marginalized groups" by deepening economic integration and creating good paying jobs, Nichols said, speaking at a briefing this week.

"Through this partnership, we will work together to build resilient supply chains, reinvigorate our region's economic institutions, and invest in our workers, our infrastructure, and our strategic industries - whether through semiconductors or clean energy, or medical supplies or the critical minerals needed for our modern economy."

Nichols pointed out that the United States is Latin America's largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment. In 2023, U.S. trade with Latin America and the Caribbean totaled over $1.1 trillion, and Mexico displaced China as America's top trading partner.

Nevertheless, he said "poverty rates are rising in Latin America, productivity has lagged, and income inequality remains a serious problem. The pandemic demonstrated to us and to our regional partners the importance of developing more diversified and reliable supply chains closer to home."

Lisa Kubiske, a former U.S. ambassador to Honduras and former deputy assistant secretary of state, said that in the past two years, the member nations have been able to close gaps in their free trade agreements and address structural issues that thwart broad-based economic growth.

At a summit in November, she said, the leaders of the 12 countries directed their ministers to develop three tracks: trade, finance and foreign affairs. On the foreign affairs front, the group has engaged "on clean hydrogen, entrepreneurship, rule of law and transparency, smart agriculture, peaceful uses of space" and other issues, she told journalists at a briefing.

The president of the Inter-American Development Bank and the deputy CEO of the Development Finance Corporation have been invited to a lunch with the ministers. There will also be two side events, one hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and another hosted by the Council of the Americas.

The founding members of the group are Barbados, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay. Their leaders will meet again next year in Costa Rica.

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Israeli airstrikes target Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

By VOA News July 17, 2024

Israeli forces carried out airstrikes Wednesday in southern Lebanon in the latest attacks targeting Hezbollah militants.

Israel's military said its strikes focused on Hezbollah infrastructure, and that Israeli forces also used artillery fire to respond to Hezbollah threats in the area.

Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel, with the Israeli military saying it intercepted some rockets while others fell into open areas without any damage or casualties.

The cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have raised concerns about an enlarged conflict in the region with Israeli forces also battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the Israel-Hezbollah fighting during a phone call Tuesday, the U.S. Defense Department said.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that the defense chiefs also talked about a temporary pier the United States erected on the Gaza coast to provide another avenue for bringing in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians. The pier has experienced a number of issues, including rough seas that caused it to be detached, and Austin told Gallant that the effort will be shut down soon.

"The secretary stressed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance through all land crossings and supporting aid deliveries to Ashdod Port in Israel for onward distribution in Gaza," Ryder said.

The Pentagon said Austin also "reaffirmed the shared desire of ensuring the enduring defeat of Hamas and securing the safe release of all the hostages held captive by Hamas."

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages still held in Gaza, along with a halt in fighting and a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.

Hamas took about 250 people hostage and killed about 1,200 people during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 38,700 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population are displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.

Israeli officials announced Tuesday they will begin to send draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to fight in the war in Gaza. They were exempt until a Supreme Court ruling in June.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties in its coalition.

The decision is expected to cause some tension within the country, with protests previously taking place when the government attempted to enlist ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 16 July 2024 - Day 874

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the Russian Government is developing a system to prevent potential draftees to the Russian military from leaving the country. On 11 July 2024, the Russian independent media organisation Meduza reported that the Russian government is implementing an 'information exchange system' between the Ministry of Defence and the Federal Security Service (FSB) to pass details of potential conscripts to the FSB Border Guard Service and prevent them fleeing the country. Reportedly the system is to be fully functional before the Autumn 2024 draft. Russia carries out two conscription drafts each year, drafting in over 250,000 personnel annually to serve one year of compulsory military service.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians left the country after the announcement of a partial mobilisation in 2022 and these were disproportionately concentrated among the young and highly educated, causing knock on effects to the labour market. The implementation of this system is likely intended to prevent a smaller scale repeat of this during the annual draft cycle, and in the event of a further wave of mobilisation.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that tn total, 86 combat clashes have taken place since the beginning of this day.

Russian zagarbniki launched three missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, and also 46 air strikes, dropping 82 Kabi. In addition, the Russians used 417 kamikaze drones to impress and carried out more than 3,000 shells on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces five times attacked the defensive borders of Ukrainian units near vovchansk and deep.

In the Kupyansky direction, Russian forces carried out offensive assaults nine times in the areas of Sinkivka, Novoselivka, Pi any, Berestovoye and Andriyivka. Ukrainian defenders repelled six attacks, three more are currently ongoing.

In the Lyman direction during the day Russian zagarbniki six times unsuccessfully attacked the positions of Ukrainians near Nevsky and Makiyivka.

In the Siversky direction, Russian forces came in the areas of Verkhnyokamiansky, Northern and Pereiznogo. Defenders of the Ukrainian land stopped eight attacks of Russians, another battle continues.

In the kramators komu direction, there are currently two confrontations near klish iivka.

In the Toretsky direction, Russians attacked the defense forces seven times near the Northern, Toretsk and New York. Ukrainian soldiers have stopped six Russian attacks, one attack continues.

Russian zagarbniki showed the greatest activity in the Pokrovsky direction. Since the beginning of this day, the Russians have tried 19 times to break through Ukrainian defense near the settlements of Vozdvizhenko, Novooleksandrivka, Kalinove, Progres and Novoselivka the First. The three clashes are still ongoing.

Russia suffers significant losses - today in this direction 192 occupiers were defecated, 74 of them - irrevocably. Also destroyed a tank, two armored machines " Tiger ", two UAVs " Lancet " and one " Supercam ". In addition, the BTR, a tank, two MT-LB and a car were damaged.

In the Kurakhiv direction, Russia is also active-17 times attacked Ukrainian positions near Krasnogorivka, Georgiyivka, Konstantinivka and Paraskoviyivka. According to the information, the two fights continue.

In the vremivs komu direction, the zagarbniki carried out offensive actions near the vodanogo and konstantinivka. Eventually, during the two clashes, we suffered failures.

In the Pridniprovsky and Orihivsky directions, all efforts of the Russian occupiers to suppress Ukrainian units from the occupied positions were also unsuccessful.

In other directions, the situation has not experienced significant changes.

Today is worth celebrating the soldiers of the 46th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, who effectively destroy the Russian enemy, inflicting heavy losses in live force and equipment.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 42nd Mechanised Brigade, 125th Territorial Defence Brigade, and 13th National Guard Brigade near Volchansk, Staritsa, Liptsy (Kharkov region).

Five attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 92nd Assault Brigade and 36th Marines Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two pickup trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 44th, 66th, 115th mechanised brigades, 143rd, 144th infantry brigades, 103rd, 127th, and 241st territorial defence brigades near Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Krasny Liman, Kirovsk (Donetsk People's Republic), and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 112th Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 545 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, four 122-mm D-30 howitzers, three UK-made 105-mm L-119 howitzers, and four field ammunition depots.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 24th, 28th, 30th, 54th mechanised brigades, 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 79th Air Assault Brigade, 46th, and 81st Airmobile Brigade near Grigorovka, Verkhnekamenskoye, Nikolayevka, Katerinovka, Zaliznyanskoye, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).

One attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 5th Assault Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 560 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, three 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and three U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzers.

One Anklav-N electronic warfare station, one Khortitsa-M electronic warfare station, and seven AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 32nd, 41st, 47th, and 110th mechanised brigades, 57th, and 59th motorised infantry brigades near Vozdvizhenka, Gnatovka, Timofeyevka, Selidovo, Sherbinovka, and Toretsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

Six counter-attack launched by units of the AFU 31st, 151st mechanised brigades, 68th Infantry Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 320 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, nine motor vehicles, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one Khortitsa-M electronic warfare station.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 48th, 72nd mechanised brigades, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, and 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Neskuchnoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Rizdvyanka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 145 Ukrainian troops, six motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one French-made 155-mm CAESAR howitzer, one 155-mm UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152-mm Giatsint-B howitzer, one Osa SAM combat vehicle, and one Nota electronic warfare station.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 123rd, and 126th territorial defence brigades near Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), Burgunka (Kherson region), and Kherson.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 120 Ukrainian troops, one tank, seven motor vehicles, two U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one Anklav-N electronic warfare station, and two field ammunition depots.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 124 areas during the day.

Air defence units shot down six U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, seven U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 28 unmanned aerial vehicles, and one Yak-52 aircraft with an installed machine gun of the Ukrainian Air Force.

In total, 628 airplanes and 277 helicopters, 27,650 unmanned aerial vehicles, 552 air defence missile systems, 16,594 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,378 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 11,982 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 23,739 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 17 July 2024 - Day 875

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that that day, Russian forces concentrated his efforts on the Pokrovsky and Toretsky directions. There have been 24 combat clashes in both at this time.

Since the beginning of the day, 118 combat clashes were recorded, Russian forces made 43 air strikes (used 58 KABs) and 605 kamikaze drones strikes, carried out 3230 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops.

In the Kharkiv direction, 16 Russian attacks were repelled. 11 of them are near Globokoye, the others are in the Vovchansk district. As of now, since the beginning of the day, the Russian zagarbniki has lost 94 servicemen killed and wounded. In addition, 13 artsystems, four vehicles, a combat armored vehicle and two special equipment units were destroyed and damaged.

In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 10 Russian attacks in the areas of Pi any, Berestovoye, Andriyivka and Sinkivka.

Six Russian unsuccessful attempts to advance in the direction of Grekivka, Makiyivka, Terniv and Torsky were recorded in the Lyman direction this day.

In the Siversky direction, the Russian occupiers suffered losses at seven attempts of assaulting Ukrainian positions near Verkhnyokamiansky, Rozdolivka and Viiymka.

In the Kramators komu direction, the total number of Russian attempts to improve the tactical position increased to four. The battle near Andriyivka is ongoing, other attacks have been repelled. The situation is under control.

In the Toretsky direction, 23 attacks of Russian terrorists have already stopped, one fight is still ongoing. All the Russian efforts were directed to the areas of North and New York today. The Defense Forces respond adequately to the actions of assailants, taking necessary measures to exhaust their offensive potential.

As in the previous day, Russia today focuses significant efforts on the Intercession direction. Russian zagarbniki made 24 attempts to push Ukrainian defenders out of occupied positions. Concentrated efforts near novooleksandrivka and novoselivka the first.

Russian forces expensively paid for today's activity. According to the specific information, the Russian aggressor has lost 304 persons killed and injured. Destroyed BTR and BMP occupiers, cannon, four motorcycles, MT-LB and five cars. In addition, eight more artsistem, one bmp and 15 cars suffered significant damage.

In the Kurakhivsk direction there were 12 Russian attacks near Georgiivka, Paraskoviivka and Krasnogorivka. The battle is ongoing near the last, and all other attempts of the opponent to advance have been stopped. The situation is under the control of Defense Forces.

In the vremivs komu direction, there were three boezitkna. Russian assaults swarmed in the areas of konstantinivka and novodarivka.

In the Orihiv direction, the units of Ukrainian troops repelled 7 Russian attacks in the directions of Verbove - Mala Tokmachka and Nesteryanka - Novoandriivka. Six attacks repelled, one more - in progress. The situation is under control.

In the Pridniprovsk direction, units of Ukrainian troops repelled 3 attacks of the enemy on the left bank of the Dnieper.

In the rest of the destinations, the situation is without much changes at this time.

Ukrainian warriors track the movement of Russian units and effectively use the means of fire. Today, the soldiers of the 47th separate mechanized brigade "Magura", should be celebrated, who confidently withhold the pressure of Russian occupation troops and inflict tangible losses to the aggressor.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Sever Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of AFU 57th mechanised infantry, 107th and 113rd territorial defence brigades close to Volchansk, Veterinarnoye, and Krugloye (Kharkov region).

One counter-attack launched by units of the AFU 92nd Assault Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 170 Ukrainian troops, two pickups, one U.S.-made M198 howitzer, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, and two Anklav electronic warfare systems.

One AFU ammunition depot was eliminated.

The Zapad Group of Forces' units continued to capture more advantageous lines and positions.

AFU 44th, 115th, 116th mechanised, and 1st national guard brigades were hit near Sinkovka, Berestovoye (Kharkov region), Stelmakhovka, and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by units of the AFU 110th Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 650 Ukrainian troops, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, and 12 motor vehicles.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, one Ukrainian-made RAK-SA-12 MLRS, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one D-30 howitzer, and one Anklav electronic warfare station were eliminated.

Three ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces hit AFU 72nd mechanised, 5th assault brigades near Konstantinovka and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 610 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one UK-made 155-mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, two 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, two UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzers, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, two 152-mm Msta-B howitzers, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers were eliminated.

Two AFU ammunition depots were eliminated.

The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and hit units of AFU 47th mechanised, 95th air assault, 109th territorial defence brigades close to Novosyolovka, Druzhba, and Rozovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

One counter-attack launched by units of the Lyut Assault Brigade was repelled during the day.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 325 Ukrainian troops, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers.

The Vostok Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of AFU 72nd mechanised, 21st national guard brigades, and the 48th Separate Assault Battalion of the Territorial Defence Forces near Ugledar, Oktyabr, and Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 125 Ukrainian troops, ten motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 gun, and one Nota electronic warfare station.

The Dnepr Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of AFU 141st infantry, 128th mountain assault, 112th and 121st territorial defence brigades close to Pyatikhatki, Zherebryanka (Zaporozhye region), Sadovoye, and Mikhaylovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 100 Ukrainian troops, one tank, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, three U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and three Anklav electronic warfare stations.

Three AFU ammunition depots and one military hardware depot were destroyed during the day.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have hit one depot of missile and artillery weapons as well as manpower and military hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 136 areas.

Air defence systems shot down one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, two U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 59 unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, 628 airplanes and 277 helicopters, 27,709 unmanned aerial vehicles, 552 air defence missile systems, 16,602 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,379 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 12,013 field artillery guns and mortars, and 23,772 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Treasury Sanctions Cartel Accountants, Announces Joint Notice on Timeshare Fraud in Mexico

U.S. Department of the Treasury

July 16, 2024

Treasury Takes Coordinated Action Against Cartel Fraudsters Targeting U.S. Owners of Timeshares in Mexico, Including the Elderly

WASHINGTON a Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Mexican accountants and four Mexican companies linked, directly or indirectly, to timeshare fraud led by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). Concurrently, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Notice, jointly with OFAC and FBI, to financial institutions that provides an overview of timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico associated with CJNG and other Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations.

"Cartel fraudsters run sophisticated teams of professionals who seem perfectly normal on paper or on the phone - but in reality, they're money launderers expertly trained in scamming U.S. citizens," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "Unsolicited calls and emails may seem legitimate, but they're actually made by cartel-supported criminals. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Treasury and our partners are deploying all tools available to disrupt this nefarious activity, which funds things like deadly drug trafficking and human smuggling, and we encourage the public to use our resources to stay vigilant against these threats."

CJNG, a violent Mexico-based transnational criminal organization, traffics a significant proportion of the illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs that enter the United States. OFAC coordinated this action with the Government of Mexico, including its financial intelligence unit, Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), as well as U.S. Government partnersaFinCEN, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

These transnational criminal organizations operate call centers in Mexico with scammers impersonating U.S.-based third-party timeshare brokers, attorneys, or sales representatives. The scammers target and defraud U.S. owners of timeshares in Mexico through complex and often yearslong telemarketing, impersonation, and advance fee schemes, including timeshare exit, re-rent, and investment scams. Victims of timeshare fraud in Mexico are often targeted again after these scams in re-victimization schemes where perpetrators impersonate U.S.-based law firms and U.S., Mexican, and international authorities. The victims often send payments to the scammers through wire transfers via U.S. correspondent banks to Mexican shell companies with accounts at Mexican banks or brokerage houses (casas de bolsa) before the ill-gotten funds are further laundered in Mexico through additional shell companies and trusts (fideicomisos) controlled by cartel members, their family members, or third-party money launderers, such as complicit accountants and other professionals.

The joint Notice provides the methodologies, financial typologies, and red flag indicators associated with timeshare fraud in Mexico to help financial institutions identify and report suspicious activity to FinCEN and law enforcement. Financial institutions with customers who are victims of timeshare fraud in Mexico are encouraged to file a complaint with federal law enforcement to activate FinCEN's Rapid Response Program to potentially interdict and recover the fraudulently stolen funds in partnership with Mexico's UIF.

ORIGINS OF CJNG TIMESHARE FRAUD

Over a decade ago, Mexican attorney and businessman Omar Aguirre Barragan (Aguirre)anow deceasedalearned how to conduct timeshare fraud from Puerto Vallarta-based fraudsters, including Americans. In about 2012, Aguirre educated CJNG about timeshare fraud and sought its support in taking over this highly lucrative scheme from rivals in Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere. Eventually, CJNG took more direct control and cut out Aguirre as an unnecessary middleman.

EXPOSING AND DISRUPTING CJNG TIMESHARE FRAUD

In 2023, OFAC announced three actions sanctioning a total of 50 individuals and entities linked, directly or indirectly, to CJNG's timeshare fraud activities. On March 2, 2023, OFAC sanctioned eight Mexican companies pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059. On April 27, 2023, OFAC sanctioned seven Mexican individuals and 19 Mexican companies pursuant to E.O. 14059. On November 30, 2023, OFAC sanctioned three Mexican individuals and 13 Mexican companies pursuant to E.O. 14059.

Building on the three actions taken in 2023, today OFAC sanctioned additional Mexican individuals and companies pursuant to E.O. 14059 that are linked, directly or indirectly, to CJNG's timeshare activities. These individuals and entities are located in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, which is a CJNG strategic stronghold for drug trafficking and various other illicit activities.

Today, OFAC sanctioned Mexican accountants Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon (Arredondo), Xeyda Del Refugio Foubert Cadena (Foubert), and Emiliano Sanchez Martinez (Sanchez) pursuant to E.O. 14059 for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for on behalf of, directly or indirectly, CJNG, a person sanctioned pursuant to E.O. 14059. These Puerto Vallarta-based accountants assist CJNG's timeshare fraud activities and have familial relationships with previously designated persons. Arredondo is the half-sister of senior CJNG member Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon (a.k.a. "El Tarjetas"), whom OFAC designated pursuant to E.O. 14059 on June 2, 2022. Foubert is Sanchez's spouse and is the sister of Manuel Alejandro Foubert Cadena, a Mexican attorney linked to CJNG's timeshare activities whom OFAC designated on November 30, 2023.

Also today, OFAC sanctioned four Mexican companies pursuant to E.O. 14059: Constructora Sandgris, S. de R.L. de C.V.apurported to be engaged in wholesale tradeafor being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Arredondo, a person sanctioned pursuant to E.O. 14059. Additionally, OFAC sanctioned Pacific Axis Real Estate, S.A. de C.V. and Realty & Maintenance BJ, S.A. de C.V.apurported to be engaged in real estate activitiesafor being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Foubert, a person sanctioned pursuant to E.O. 14059. Finally, OFAC sanctioned Bona Fide Consultores FS S.A.S., an accounting firm, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sanchez, a person sanctioned pursuant to E.O. 14059.

OTHER ACTIONS AGAINST CJNG

On April 8, 2015, OFAC sanctioned CJNG pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking. On December 15, 2021, OFAC also designated CJNG pursuant to E.O. 14059. In other actions, OFAC has sanctioned numerous CJNG-linked individuals and companies pursuant to both the Kingpin Act and E.O. 14059 that were engaged in various commercial activities and multiple individuals who played critical roles in CJNG's drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. Many recent actions have focused on CJNG's strategic stronghold of Puerto Vallarta. OFAC has sanctioned the following senior CJNG members based in Puerto Vallarta: Carlos Andres Rivera Varela (a.k.a. "La Firma"), Francisco Javier Gudino Haro (a.k.a. "La Gallina"), and the aforementioned Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon (a.k.a. "El Tarjetas"). These three individuals are part of a CJNG enforcement group based in Puerto Vallarta that orchestrates assassinations of rivals and politicians using high-powered weaponry.

FBI INFORMATION ON TIMESHARE FRAUD

According to FBI, approximately 6,000 U.S. victims reported losing nearly $300 million between 2019 and 2023 to timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico; however, this figure likely underestimates total losses, as FBI believes the vast majority of victims do not report the scam due to embarrassment and other reasons. Timeshare fraud scammers may impersonate U.S. or Mexican government authorities, including OFAC.

For more information, please visit FBI's timeshare fraud resource page or view FBI New York's public service announcement video featuring a victim of timeshare fraud.

Victims of timeshare fraud are encouraged to file a complaint with FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center by visiting https://www.ic3.gov. For elderly victims, financial institutions may also refer their customers to the Department of Justice's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 14059 and the Kingpin Act. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.

Today's action is part of a whole-of-government effort to counter the global threat posed by the trafficking of illicit drugs into the United States that is causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually, as well as countless more non-fatal overdoses. OFAC, in coordination with its U.S. government partners and foreign counterparts, and in support of President Biden's Unity Agenda, will continue to hold accountable those individuals and businesses involved in the manufacturing and sale of illicit drugs.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list.

More information on the individuals and entities designated today.

View a chart on the entities designated today.

###

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Pakistan says 4 nationals killed in Oman attack

By Ayaz Gul July 16, 2024

Pakistan said Tuesday four of its nationals were killed and 30 others injured in an unprecedented gun attack targeting a Shi'ite Muslim minority mosque in Oman's capital, Muscat.

Omani authorities said, based on initial reports, the shooting resulted in the killings of four worshipers and injuries to "several others" in the otherwise peaceful Sunni Muslim-majority sultanate. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

In a statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry condemned what it said was "the dastardly terrorist attack." It added without elaborating that Islamabad was "heartened" that Oman's authorities had "neutralized" the assailants.

The ministry said that Pakistan's embassy in Muscat was in contact with Omani authorities "for the identification and repatriation of the mortal remains" of the slain Pakistanis. It added that Pakistani Ambassador Imran Ali is also visiting local hospitals to inquire about the well-being of injured Pakistani nationals.

"The Royal Oman Police have responded to a shooting incident that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area," a Muscat police statement said. It said that "all necessary security measures and procedures have been taken to handle the situation" following the attack.

"The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident," police wrote on social media platform X.

"Pakistan has offered all possible assistance to Omani authorities in the investigation and in bringing to justice those responsible for this heinous crime in this holy month of Muharram," the Pakistani statement said.

The U.S. Embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and canceled all visa appointments on Tuesday. The embassy wrote on social media platform X, "U.S. citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news, and heed directions of local authorities."

Video verified by the AFP news agency shows people fleeing near Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots ring out.

A voice can be heard saying "Oh God" and repeating "Oh Hussein," referring to the imam who Shi'ites view as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad.

The area where the shooting occurred was reportedly still cordoned off later on Tuesday, preventing journalists from accessing the mosque.

Shi'ites this week mark Ashura, an annual day of mourning that commemorates the seventh-century battlefield martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

Oman officially has a population of four million, with 40% of them expatriate workers.

Some of the information for the story came from AFP.

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Government invests in Bendigo with new Bushmasters

The Hon Pat Conroy MP

Minister for Defence Industry

Minister for International Development and the Pacific

16 July 2024

The Albanese Government is continuing to support local jobs in Bendigo with a $45 million contract to build an additional 15 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles.

Thales Australia will build the Bushmaster vehicles in Bendigo, supporting hundreds of jobs in the local economy and many more jobs across the supply chain in Victoria.a

This contact will continue Bendigo's more than 20-year history of producing these iconic vehicles that have seen service around the world.

The additional 15 Bushmasters will facilitate command and control of Army's High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) long-range fires regiment. This supports the Albanese Government's $1.6 billion investment to accelerate the delivery of the first land-based long range fires capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), ensuring the ADF is equipped to deter potential threats and keep Australia safe.

Since coming to office, the Albanese Government has invested over $200 million in Bendigo for an additional 93 locally made Bushmasters.

The iconic Bushmaster is currently in use in nine countries and is world renowned for its high level of protection and mobility for troops. In particular, it has seen commendable service in Ukraine through medical evacuation, command and control, and fire support roles as part of Ukraine's efforts against Russia's unilateral, illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

"I am delighted to be back in Bendigo to announce a further $45 million investment in the region, with the production of an additional 15 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles.

"This additional investment in Bendigo is another example of the Albanese Government's commitment to a future made in Australia.

"Protected vehicles such as the Bushmaster are part of the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities in the Albanese Government's Defence Industry Development Strategy, and this announcement shows we are supporting the Australian defence industry to deliver our priorities."

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Defence rapid response training starts in Northern Australia

Issued by Defence Media

16 July 2024

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has commenced Exercise Austral Shield 2024 around Derby in Western Australia, Darwin in the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland, and Christmas Island, to practice its ability to defend our region and rapidly deploy to Australia's north.

The exercise enables the ADF to contribute to the collective security of the Indo-Pacific through a persistent presence in Northern Australia and ability to project power and deploy forces into remote areas.

Exercise Director, Brigadier Damian Hill, AM, said the scenario requires the rapid response of full-time and ADF Reserve personnel from 2nd (Australian) Division to form Joint Task Force 629.

"This will comprise of security and response forces from the 13th Brigade, 11th Brigade and Regional Force Surveillance Units, who will deploy as part of an integrated Joint Task Force alongside other air and maritime assets," Brigadier Hill said.

"The ADF's contribution to Exercise Austral Shield supports our shared vision of a peaceful region and makes a meaningful contribution to collective security.

"The nature of Exercise Austral Shield means local residents in these locations are likely to see increased military activity in their community.

"In order to get the most realistic training for our people, we will be using public areas and residents may observe simulated weapons fire or military vehicle traffic.

The public is encouraged to watch any of these activities, however we ask that they keep a safe distance and abide by directions from local authorities.

Exercise Austral Shield 2024 will conclude on 28 July 2024.

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Italy's flagship debut at Pitch Black

By Flying Officer Shanea Zeegers

16 July 2024

In an historic first, the Italian Navy's flagship, the aircraft carrier Cavour, has arrived in Australia to participate in Exercise Pitch Black, representing a significant milestone for Italy's naval operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Cavour, measuring 244m long and equipped with advanced aircraft, including the F-35B and AV-8B Harrier II Plus, underscores Italy's commitment to enhancing its military capabilities and strengthening international partnerships.

Commanding Officer Cavour Captain Milos Argenton highlighted the strategic importance of Italy's participation in Pitch Black, emphasising the exercise's role in fostering interoperability and readiness in a challenging operational environment.

"This is the first time that Italy has joined Exercise Pitch Black and the first time an aircraft carrier has participated," Captain Argenton said.

"The Cavour has travelled across the Atlantic and around Africa, but this is the first time it has travelled into the Indo-Pacific region.

"It is a multi-capable ship that accommodates over 600 people, 13 jets and two NH90 helicopters."

Underlining the significance of this deployment for Italy's national interests and economic ties in the Indo-Pacific, the Italian Navy has also brought the Alpino frigate for the duration of Pitch Black.

Carrier Strike Group Commander from the Italian Navy, Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, expressed enthusiasm about Pitch Black and its importance for Italy.

"Exercise Pitch Black is a milestone as we declare our initial operational aircraft capability, working alongside Australia. Learning to fly and work together is a massive achievement," Rear Admiral Ciappina said.

"Being a part of this exercise is already a great success. By bringing partner nations together, we grow our mutual knowledge, relationships and friendships."

With personnel deployed in Darwin, the Italian Navy aims to enhance operational readiness and expand collaborative efforts with allied forces, including the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy.

Captain Dario Castelli, responsible for Cavour's Air Wing operations, said the Italian Navy was aiming to increase its sortie generation rate and enhance interoperability with international partners.

"Exercise Pitch Black represents a milestone, as it is the largest aerial exercise the Italian Navy has ever participated in," he said.

Cavour's participation in Pitch Black symbolises Italy's commitment to global security and collaborative defence efforts. Naval forces from various nations converge in Australia to engage in joint training and this operational exercise.

"Exercise Pitch Black is a huge opportunity for us to explore with many international partners, allies and friends," Rear Admiral Ciappina said.

"I feel very honoured to represent Italy, the Italian Navy and the crews of the Carrier Strike Group.

"We are here ready to train together and grow our knowledge with our partner nations."

Pitch Black promises to enhance military readiness and serve as a testament to the enduring partnerships and shared values among nations committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

"We thank Australia for welcoming us and letting us work together," Captain Argenton said.

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New software ensures a safer flight

By Flying Officer Xavier Szegi

16 July 2024

The Government's focus on Australian industry capability has resulted in the delivery of an Australian-developed software Weight and Balance Tool (WBT) for Air Force's fleet of P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

Weight and balance for the P-8A is complex due to in-flight weight changes, which result from the employment of sonobuoys, torpedos, anti-ship missiles, survival life rafts and the conduct of air-to-air refuelling.

Demand for a new WBT became critical after 11 Squadron raised a safety risk with functionality within the previous WBT software. As a result, Surveillance and Response Systems Program Office (SRSPO) initiated a tender process for a tailor-made contracted solution.

Fleet Aeronautics - a Brisbane-based software development company - was awarded the contract, having developed similar software for commercial aircraft. Fleet Aeronautics produced a bespoke application, specific to the Air Force P-8A.

Critical to the project's success was the highly collaborative engagement between Fleet Aeronautics, P-8A operators, the US Navy, SRSPO and sustainment partners within Boeing Defence Australia and QinetiQ.

The WBT was released to 11 Squadron in December 2023 and received positive feedback from operating crews.

P-8A pilot Flight Lieutenant Jordan Cook, of 11 Squadron, said: "The improved WBT has refined how the squadron manages aircraft loading, offering enhanced accuracy and efficiency to ensure safe flight operations".

Boeing Defence Australia P-8A technical pilot and Air Force Reserve P-8A operator Angus Wheeler said, from an operator perspective, the WBT improved safety, increased reliability and provided a simple ease-of-use solution.

"The introduction of the WBT enables crews to easily navigate and monitor the aircraft envelope during all phases of flight. This, in turn, reduces pilot workload and increases capability," Mr Wheeler said.

P-8A aircrew feedback from in-service use of the WBT has provided a scope for version 2.0 of the application. SRSPO is currently leading the contracting effort to incorporate these version 2.0 improvements and to provide a mechanism for future agile in-service updates.

The success of Fleet Aeronautics' WBT highlights the benefits of engaging and harnessing Australian industry to achieve a high-quality and fit-for-purpose result. This demonstrates the skills, agility and capability within Australian industry to support Defence needs.

The WBT's success has now drawn interest from the wider international P-8A community and there is potential for it to be introduced to other P-8A fleets. This highlights that Australian industry has the skills to develop capabilities that benefit the global Defence environment.

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Xiconomics in Practice: Key meeting to have profound significance for China, world

Global Times

By Wang Cong and Feng Fan Published: Jul 16, 2024 11:09 PM

In one of his most recent public remarks regarding the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Beijing on July 8 that China will further deepen overall reform and promote high-quality development and high-level opening up, which will provide new opportunities and create new momentum for China-Hungary cooperation. The remarks succinctly highlighted the focus of the critical session and its profound significance for both China and the world.

The third plenary session, which is commonly referred to as the third plenum, officially kicked off on Monday and will run through Thursday. As many in China and around the world are closely following the meeting for major reform measures for the world's second-largest economy, Xi's recent remarks on reform and opening-up at various major meetings provide a crucial window into the tone of the session, the priority of China's reform agenda and the overall goal of further deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization.

China's institutional advantage with the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee also inspires confidence in the Chinese system and China's development, experts also noted.

While detailed reform measures won't be unveiled till after the conclusion of the closed-door meeting, experts interviewed by the Global Times said the recent discourse by the top leader indicated that the session will draw a blueprint for reform on all fronts, with a focus on improving China's governance system and capacity, removing the ideological and institutional barriers and resolving deep-seated institutional challenges and structural issues, so as to promote high-quality development and advance Chinese modernization.

Xi attaches great importance to comprehensively deepening reform, calling reform a "driving force for development," and under Xi's leadership, China will continue to unwaveringly deepen reform and expand opening-up, which will help ensure China's high-quality development, while tackling risks and challenges arising from rapidly shifting global geo-economic situations, according to the experts.

Vision on deepening reform

Since a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on April 30 decided to hold the third plenum in July, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has made important remarks regarding reform at various occasions, setting the tone for the ongoing session.

The Political Bureau meeting, chaired by Xi, further elevated the position of reform for the CPC and set the focus of reform. The whole Party must put reform in a prominent position and deepen reform in all respects with a focus on promoting Chinese modernization, the meeting said. More specifically, the meeting said that further comprehensive reform should be led by reform of the economic system, with advancing social equality and justice and improving people's well-being as both the starting point and the ultimate goal, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC leadership has set a very clear path for reform that aims to both ensure sustained development and improve governance capabilities, according to Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin School of Administration.

"The goal is to achieve high-quality development and realize national rejuvenation through advancing Chinese modernization," Cong told the Global Times, noting that under such a grand goal, the third plenum will focus on institutional and systemic reforms that address various challenges to pave the way to achieving the goal.

While chairing a symposium in Jinan, East China's Shandong Province, on May 23, Xi said that China should take resolute steps to remove the ideological and institutional barriers hindering the advancement of Chinese modernization, and double down on its efforts to resolve deep-seated institutional challenges and structural issues.

Economic system reform should start from meeting realistic needs and tackling the most urgent matters, and should advance theoretical and institutional innovation in the process of solving practical problems, he added, according to Xinhua.

Xu Baoli, a research fellow at the research center of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said China's reform focuses on addressing its own challenges to promote economic development, while expanding opening-up to the outside world.

"The key to reform is solving problems, and China has been focused on continuously solving its own problems," Xu said, pointing to China's efforts to build an advanced industrial system and boost innovation so as to achieve self-reliance. Meanwhile, to succeed, China must also mobilize all sectors, including private enterprises and foreign businesses.

China has also been stepping up efforts to bolster its scientific and technological innovation capabilities and support private and foreign businesses, key themes that are expected to be highlighted by the ongoing third plenum, analysts said.

While presiding over the fifth meeting of the Central Commission for Deepening Overall Reform (CCDOR) on June 11, Xi stressed the importance of driving innovation with further opening-up, perfecting the system and mechanism for opening-up in the science and technology sector, and improving the globally-oriented innovation system to actively integrate into the global innovation network. The CCDOR meeting reviewed and adopted several documents, including Guidelines on Improving the Modern Corporate System with Chinese Characteristics, which aims to foster more world-class enterprises.

Deepening reform, opening-up instills confidence

Since taking the top office more than a decade ago, Xi has attached great importance to comprehensively deepening reform, which has not only underpinned China's high-quality development over the past decade or so despite global challenges, but also signaled continuous efforts to further deepen reform and expand opening-up in the future that will ensure China's continuous high-quality growth.

During the two sessions in March, Xi sounded the clarion call for reform during the country's annual key political season, dispelling concerns about whether China's reform is "stagnating," or its economy is "losing steam."

Over the past decade, more than 2,000 reform measures have been rolled out, which helped, among a slew of social and economic achievements, China to more than double its economy since 2012, cementing China's global status as a major growth driver, according to Xinhua.

Xi has said that "reform and opening-up is always an ongoing task and will never end." And the Political Bureau meeting on April 30 also said that China's reform must continue in the face of complex international and domestic situations, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial changes, and the new anticipation of the people.

As China is at a critical juncture marked by both domestic and global risks and challenges, including an ongoing economic transition and rising global tension and competition, China will further accelerate reform to address those challenges, experts said.

"The purpose of reform is to resolve problems, and amid many lingering challenges, China's reform will always be ongoing," Cong said, noting that there will always be new problems and new challenges in the process of development, and reform is the way to tackle these challenges and problems.

Continuously deepening reform requires confidence in the Chinese system. An article by Xi published by the Qiushi Journal on Tuesday said that there will be no courage to further reform without unwavering confidence in the system.

"Deepening reform needs institutional confidence," Xu said, noting maintaining self-confidence and self-reliance and further deepening reform at its own pace will spur innovation and bolster self-strength.

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China, Russia navies wrap up joint patrol, start live-fire exercise in South China Sea

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: Jul 16, 2024 08:15 PM Updated: Jul 16, 2024 10:36 PM

Chinese and Russian navies recently wrapped up a joint naval patrol that stretched from northern Pacific waters to the South China Sea, meanwhile, the sea phase of a live-fire exercise between the two navies started, as experts expect the joint operations to enhance the two navies' interoperability in dealing with maritime security threats.

The navies of China and Russia successfully wrapped up their fourth joint maritime patrol, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

A China-Russia joint naval formation started the joint patrol in waters to the south of Jeju Island, made a transit through the Osumi Strait and sailed south through the West Pacific before entering the South China Sea via the Balintang Channel, CCTV reported.

Consisting of the Type 052D destroyer Yinchuan, Type 054A frigate Hengshui from the Chinese side and the corvette Sovershenny from the Russian side, the joint patrol formation practiced training courses including VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) and helicopter cross-deck landing in the northern and western waters of the Pacific Ocean. China's Type 903 comprehensive replenishment ship Weishanhu also joined the formation and provided replenishment during the patrol.

Sailors from the two navies worked closely, tacitly and efficiently and completed the scheduled missions, the report said.

In a concurrent event, the China-Russia Joint Sea-2024 exercise entered the sea phase after participating warships set out from the naval port in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province on Monday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy said in a release on Tuesday.

The China-Russia warship formation is scheduled to hold a three-day maritime exercise practicing live-fire training courses, including stationary defense, joint reconnaissance and early warning and joint search and rescue as well as joint air defense, the PLA South Sea Fleet said.

The joint formation for the exercise consists of the Type 052D destroyer Nanning, Type 054A frigates Xianning and Dali from the Chinese side, and the corvettes Gromkiy and Rezkiy as well as the Irkut oiler from the Russian side, according to the PLA Navy.

Since Zhanjiang, where the joint exercise started from, is a coastal city along the South China Sea, and the joint patrol also concluded in the South China Sea, it means that there are at least 10 Chinese and Russian warships operating in two joint formations simultaneously in the region, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Such joint naval activities will enhance the two navies' interoperability and capability in tackling maritime security threats in the region, the expert said.

While the PLA Navy stressed that the China-Russia joint patrols do not target any third party and are not related to current international and regional situations, the AP said in a Monday report that the China-Russia naval cooperation came on the heels of "China's latest tensions with NATO allies last week."

Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that it is totally baseless to link the China-Russia naval cooperation to "confronting NATO."

China and Russia have held multiple editions of Joint Sea exercises since 2012, and their joint maritime patrols were held four times since 2021, showing that such China-Russia joint naval operations are routine, observers said.

The two countries' navies are practicing defense and rescue-oriented training courses that do not have strategic or operational implications, unlike the US-led RIMPAC exercise that blatantly set US' competitors as imaginary enemies, Zhang said.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on July 16, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-07-16 19:39



Hubei Media Group: It's reported that the China-Europe Railway Express recently departed from Wuhan for this year's 10,000th trip, which came 19 days earlier than it did last year. The train is expected to arrive in Germany over ten days later, about 30 percent quicker than ordinary trains. What's your comment?

Lin Jian: I also noted the good news. Since early this year, the China-Europe Railway Express has run 10,000 trips and shipped over one million TEUs of goods, up by 11 percent year on year. The number of trips through the west, middle and east major routes rose by 13 percent, 20 percent and 5 percent respectively year on year. The number of trips on the south route saw a 15-fold increase from a year ago. The express service has contributed significantly to the stability of the international industrial and supply chains and China-Europe trade and business ties.

The China-Europe Railway Express is a "steel camel" that runs across the continent and a "golden train" loaded with development opportunities. Up to now, the service arrives in 224 cities in 25 European countries and connects over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. A large number of companies specializing in cross-border trade and supply chain service have established presence along the routes. Over 100 logistics companies have set up shop in Duisburg, Germany, adding over 20,000 jobs. Local companies in Tilburg, the Netherlands, have expanded their international business because of the huge cargo volume brought by the express. A local employee said, "The China-Europe Railway Express gives us wings to fly." With its fast, safe, high-quality and stable service, the China-Europe Railway Express has become a signature brand of Belt and Road cooperation. The railway transports over 50,000 types of goods in 53 categories, with 17 time-tabled freight trains per week. It provides faster access to more quality Chinese-made products abroad at lower freight rates and new trade corridors for customers and businesses who wish to enter the Chinese market.

The China-Europe Railway Express spans over 10,000 kilometers on the Eurasian continent and benefits millions of households. It will continue to make the world a better connected place and deliver better, more cost-effective and safer service to power the global economy and write the modern-day legend of the Silk Road.a

Shenzhen TV: The National Bureau of Statistics yesterday released latest economic figures. In the first half of this year, China's GDP grew by 5 percent year-on-year. Analysts say that given the complex and severe external circumstances, the 5 percent growth has not been an easy feat and means more opportunities for the world. What's your comment?a

Lin Jian: Yesterday there was a similar question about China's latest economic figures. The statistics released by competent authorities were quite comprehensive. Anyone who is interested may check out those figures in detail.

In the first half of this year, macro indicators of China's economy generally maintained the momentum of steady growth. China's GDP expanded 5 percent year-on-year and surpassed RMB 60 trillion. The secondary industry and tertiary industry grew 5.8 and 4.6 percent year-on-year respectively, contributing 43.6 and 52.6 percent respectively to economic growth. In terms of the "troika" growth drivers, the contribution of the final consumption expenditure to growth was 60.5 percent, that of the gross capital formation 25.6 percent and that of the net exports of goods and services 13.9 percent. The total value of imports and exports of goods was RMB 21.2 trillion, setting a new record compared with the same periods of previous years. The nationwide per capita disposable income of households registered a real growth of 5.3 percent year-on-year. I believe we all have this feeling that judging by this scorecard, the Chinese economy did a pretty good job in the first half of 2024. Despite the rising instability and uncertainty in the global economy, China's economy withstood the pressure and played an important role as an anchor and source of strength.

Through steady efforts, our economy achieved both expanded output and better quality in the first half of this year. This has laid solid ground fora hitting our growth target for the whole year. Our economy continues to benefit from a solid foundation, strong resilience, enormous potential and robust driving forces. The long-term trajectory of our economy remains steady and sound, the momentum of high-quality development remains strong, and our commitment to high-standard opening up remains as solid as ever. With the reassuring performance in the first half of this year and the sustained dynamism generated by deeper reforms on various fronts for high-quality development, we have the determination, capability and conditions to effectively upgrade the growth quality and achieve reasonable expansion of the size of our economy. We have full confidence in the future of China's economy.

Bloomberg: Donald Trump's vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance earlier this morning described China as the "biggest threat" to the US. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment?

Lin Jian: We are always opposed to making China an issue in US elections.

TV Asahi: The Chinese Embassy in the DPRK said yesterday that Ambassador Wang Yajun met with Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), who was visiting the DPRK. Is China planning to provide food assistance to the DPRK with the FAO?aa

Lin Jian: Aside from the readout released by the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK, I have nothing to add.

AFP: We have learned that senior officials of Hamas and Fatah will hold dialogue for reconciliation in Beijing from July 20 to 21. Could the Ministry confirm this information? Who will attend this dialogue? And what will they discuss?aa

Lin Jian: China always supports Palestinian factions in achieving reconciliation and solidarity through dialogue and consultation and stands ready to provide platforms and opportunities for all Palestinian factions to carry out dialogue for reconciliation. The direction of our effort is the same as that of other relevant parties, and we would like to strengthen communication and coordination with them to work together for realizing Palestine's internal reconciliation. As for your specific question, if there is anything to share, we will release it when appropriate.

CRI: On July 12, local time, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2743, which extends the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). China voted in favor of the draft. China has no diplomatic relations with Haiti. What's China's consideration behind its vote?

Lin Jian: Over the years, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has worked responsibly and constructively with the international community on the question concerning Haiti. Together with other Security Council members, China supported the adoption of Resolution 2743 extending the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, sending a positive message of continued international support for the people of Haiti. After the meeting, the Haitian side expressed thanks to the Chinese side and appreciation to China's constructive role. They also expressed willingness to maintain contact and communication with China. China stands ready to continue working for the restoration of stability in Haiti and support the people there in seeking a "Haitian-led, Haitian-owned" comprehensive settlement.aa

Reuters: Yemen's Houthis targeted three vessels yesterday in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. According to US military, one of the vessels that was attacked is said to be carrying vegetable oil from Russia to China. Could the Ministry comment on this?

Lin Jian: I am not aware of what you mentioned about the vessels. Let me say broadly that China opposes harassment of civilian vessels and believes that the shipping lanes in the Red Sea should be kept safe in accordance with international law. That said, we also call for an early end to the conflict in Gaza to create necessary conditions for cooling down the situation in the Red Sea.

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North Korea's use of forced labor 'deeply institutionalized': UN says

The report called on Pyongyang to abolish the use of forced labor and end any form of slavery.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.07.16 -- North Korea's use of forced labor has become "deeply institutionalized" and, in some cases, serious human rights violations have been committed in the process that could amount to the crime against humanity of enslavement, a U.N report said.

The country has maintained an "extensive and multilayered" system of forced labor as a means of controlling and monitoring its people and there is "the widespread use of violence and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" by officials to discipline workers who fail to meet work quotas, said the United Nations Human Rights Office in a report Tuesday on North Korea's use of forced labor

The report was based on 183 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 with victims and witnesses of such labor exploitation, looking at six distinct types of forced labor, including labor in detention, compulsory state-assigned jobs, military conscription, and work performed by people sent abroad by Pyongyang to earn currency for the country.

The U.N. cited various testimonies from victims of the country's forced labor system, including individuals forbidden to leave their worksites and a female worker who was sexually abused by a political guidance officer.

One woman interviewed for the report, who had been subjected to forced labor in a pretrial holding center, described how, if she failed to meet her daily quota, she and the seven others in her cell were punished.

"The testimonies in this report give a shocking and distressing insight into the suffering inflicted through forced labor upon people, both in its scale, and in the levels of violence and inhuman treatment," U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Liz Throssell said at the biweekly a press briefing in Geneva.

"People are forced to work in intolerable conditions - often in dangerous sectors with the absence of pay, free choice, ability to leave, protection, medical care, time off, food and shelter. They are placed under constant surveillance, regularly beaten, while women are exposed to continuing risks of sexual violence."

The report added forced labor not only provides a source of free labor for the state but also acts as a means for the state to control, monitor and indoctrinate the population, calling on Pyongyang to abolish its use and end any forms of slavery.

"Economic prosperity should serve people, not be the reason for their enslavement," said Throssell. "Decent work, free choice, freedom from violence, and just and favorable conditions of work are all crucial components of the right to work. They must be respected and fulfilled, in all parts of society."

The office also urged the international community to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing international crimes, calling on the U.N. Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.

South Korea welcomed the report, urging the North to follow its recommendations.

"We hope that this report will raise international awareness of the severe human rights situation in North Korea and strengthen international efforts to improve human rights conditions in North Korea," the South's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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North Korean diplomat commended by Kim Jong Un defects to South Korea

Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to the South since 2016.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.07.16 -- A North Korean diplomat who had been stationed in Cuba defected to South Korea last year, Seoul's spy agency said Tuesday, joining a small but growing number of defections by the North's elite in recent years.

Ri Il Kyu, who had served as the counselor of political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba, entered the South in November with his family, said South Korea's National Intelligence Service without providing further details.

Ri, 52, who joined the North's foreign ministry in 1999, had been serving as the political counselor at the Cuban embassy since April 2019. His role included preventing the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba, according to Ri's interview with the South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo.

In February, Seoul and Havana forged formal ties in a move that was widely seen as a setback to Pyongyang, which has long boasted about its brotherly ties with the Caribbean country.

In 2013, while working at the Cuban embassy, Ri negotiated with Panama to release the North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang, which was detained for carrying surface-to-air missiles and fighter jet parts. For his efforts, he received a commendation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chosun Ilbo reported.

But Ri told the newspaper that he made the decision to defect out of "frustration and anger" over what he called an "unfair work evaluation" at the North's foreign ministry and its refusal of his request to receive medical treatment in Mexico.

"Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea. Disillusionment with the North Korean regime and a bleak future led me to consider defection," the South Korean daily quoted him as saying.

Ri is the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to South Korea since Thae Yong-ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in the United Kingdom, defected in 2016.

Other notable defections include Jo Song-gil, the acting ambassador to Italy in 2019, and Ryu Hyun-woo, the acting ambassador to Kuwait, who held the ranks of first secretary and counselor, respectively.

Tae, who served as a lawmaker from 2020-2024 in South Korea, welcomed Ri's arrival by describing Ri as a "Cuba expert" who compiled many documents on Latin American issues reported to the North Korean leader Kim.

"I hope that we, former North Korean diplomats, work together for reunification to make come true North Korean officials' and residents' dream for their children to live freely in the Republic of Korea," said Tae in a statement, calling South Korea by its official name.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification, around 10 North Koreans with "elite background" defected last year, the largest number since 2017, although border controls reduced the total number of North Koreans entering the South last year to about one-sixth of what it was in 2017.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Forced labor in North Korea cited as possible crime against humanity

By Lisa Schlein July 16, 2024

A report by the United Nations human rights office Tuesday accuses the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of widespread forced labor, which in some instances "may constitute a crime against humanity of enslavement" under international criminal law.

"The testimonies in this report give a shocking and distressing insight into the suffering inflicted through forced labor upon people, both in its scale and in the levels of violence and inhuman treatment," Volker TArk, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement to coincide with the release of the report.

"These people are forced to work in intolerable conditions, often in dangerous sectors," he said. "They are placed under constant surveillance, regularly beaten, while women are exposed to continuing risks of sexual violence."

The report is based on various sources, including 183 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 with victims and witnesses of forced labor who managed to escape and now live abroad.

"The strength of this report is that it is based on a large amount of first-hand information," James Heenan, representative of the U.N. human rights office in Seoul, told journalists in Geneva, noting that North Korean officials "are fully aware of our concerns."

According to the report, people in North Korea are controlled and exploited through an extensive and multi-layered system of forced labor that "provides a source of free labor for the state and acts as a means for the state to control, monitor and indoctrinate the population."

The report identifies six forms of forced labor, which are "institutionalized" through the country's prisons system, schools, compulsory state-allocated employment, military conscription, "Shock Brigade deployments" and a system of overseas labor.

"Perhaps the most concerning is the forced labor extracted from people in detention," Heenan said. "These detainees are systematically compelled to work under the threat of punishment or physical violence under inhumane conditions, with little food or health care and disproportionate work quotas."

Given the almost total control over the civilian population of detainees, the widespread extraction of forced labor in North Korean prisons may "in some instances reach degrees of effective ownership over individuals which is an element of crimes of inhumanity and of enslavement," he said.

The report finds that the state assigns every North Korean to a workplace after completing school or military service. It says military conscripts, who must serve 10 or more years, are "routinely forced to work in agriculture or construction," which is described as "hard and dangerous, without adequate health and safety measures."

A former nurse who worked in the surgery department of a military hospital during her compulsory service told U.N. investigators that "most soldiers who came to the clinic were malnourished and came down with tuberculosis, since they were physically weak and tired."

Another state-organized system of forced labor mobilizations comes in the form of so-called "Shock Brigades" a state-organized groups of citizens forced to carry out "arduous manual labor," often in construction and agriculture.

"These people are very often sent very far away from their homes to complete projects under state supervision. It can go on for months. It can go on even for years during which workers are obliged to live on site, with little or no remuneration," Heenan said.

"The conditions described in the Shock Brigade are indeed shocking," he said. "Little concerns for health, for safety. Scarce food, scarce shelter, and punishment for failure to meet quotas."

The report says citizens who are sent to work overseas and earn foreign currency for the government "lose up to 90 percent of their wages to the state." It says they also lose all freedom of movement. "They are kept under constant surveillance, their passports are confiscated, and they live under appalling conditions, with almost no time off."

Heenan said there also is a very worrying, appalling situation of child labor in the country, with "children as young as 10 being drafted into forced labor."

Authors of the report say children are "requested to volunteer extensive periods of their day" to work on farms and in mines, collect wood in the forests, repair railroads and participate in many other initiatives, "which interfere with their rights to education, health, rest and leisure."

The U.N. human rights report calls on the North Korean government to "abolish the use of forced labor and end any forms of slavery." It urges the international community to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing international crimes and calls on the Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.

Heenan said North Korean authorities "did not comment" on the report, which was sent to them. However, he added that human rights colleagues in Geneva and other parts of the U.N. system regularly engage with the government. "We do talk to the DPRK."

"We monitor, we report, but we also engage, and we hope that that engagement will improve some of these issues," he said.

In his statement, High Commissioner TArk noted that "Decent work, free choice, freedom from violence, and just and favorable conditions of work ... must be respected and fulfilled."

He said, "Economic prosperity should serve people, not be the reason for their enslavement."

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Federal Chancellor Scholz' press conference at the NATO Summit

Germany - Federal Government

"The alliance is strong and united, and it therefore remains true that NATO is indispensable to our security," said Federal Chancellor Scholz on Thursday night, at the concluding press conference of the NATO Summit in Washington.

Transcript of press conference

Friday, 12 July 2024

Further support for Ukraine, deterrence and defence strategies and a deepening of partnerships in the Indo-Pacific were the key issues discussed at this year's NATO Summit. The heads of state and government of the 32 NATO member states gathered in Washington D.C. for three days to celebrate the alliance's 75th anniversary and make decisions in some important matters.

"NATO has responded to the change in times and has achieved a good deal, but - and I want to say this very clearly - there is still a lot to do," said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a press conference at the end of the summit on Thursday. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz went to Washington together with Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The most important points from the Federal Chancellor's press conference:

Strengthening NATO's eastern border: In order to strengthen the eastern border, Germany is going to station a permanent brigade in Lithuania. For next year, the Federal Armed Forces are going to provide 35,000 soldiers at the highest level of readiness of NATO.

In order to strengthen the eastern border, Germany is going to station a permanent brigade in Lithuania. For next year, the Federal Armed Forces are going to provide 35,000 soldiers at the highest level of readiness of NATO. Permanent stationing of American weaponry in Germany: In a joint statement issued on the fringes of the NATO Summit, Germany and the USA decided that US conventional weapons for deterrence and defence would be stationed on German soil once again in future.

In a joint statement issued on the fringes of the NATO Summit, Germany and the USA decided that US conventional weapons for deterrence and defence would be stationed on German soil once again in future. Support for Ukraine: As further support for Ukraine, the NATO partners decided on a package of five weapons systems. Furthermore, new NATO command based in Wiesbaden is to coordinate support for Ukraine in future.

As further support for Ukraine, the NATO partners decided on a package of five weapons systems. Furthermore, new NATO command based in Wiesbaden is to coordinate support for Ukraine in future. Strengthening NATO: The alliance aims to step up cooperation between the European Union and NATO. One of the objectives is to promote standardisation.

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Acting FM: Iran's new gov't foreign policy based on strengthening multilateralism

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

New York, IRNA -- Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said that new approach and foreign policy of the elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran focuses on strengthening multilateralism.

"I would like to emphasize the new approach and foreign policy of the elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which focuses on strengthening multilateralism in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law," Bagheri Kani said in a statement addressing the Security Council High-Level Ministerial Meetinga "Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order".

The full text of Bagheri Kani's statement is as follows:

Mr. President,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate the Russian Federation for assuming the presidency of the Security Council and organizing this timely initiative. Effective multilateralism is essential for ensuring international peace and security. We stress the importance of these initiatives in highlighting the need for multilateralism and underscoring the harmful consequences of selfish unilateralism.As a founding member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its commitment to effective multilateralism, grounded in international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Allow me, Mr. President, to take this opportune occasion to share a few thoughts on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

1) The United Nations was created not only "to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war" but also "to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples...", among others. These and other lofty purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter could only be achieved through multilateral cooperation. Unilateralism is antagonistic both to peace and to justice.

2) Sovereign equality of States is the basic tenet of the United Nations system. This is based on the core principle of self-determination of every nation according to which they are entitled to decide their own destiny. The "prohibition of the use of threats or force", and "peaceful settlement of disputes", as well as "non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries", are all purposed to protect sovereign nations from foreign aggression and to secure friendly relations among them. Unilateralism negates the United Nations' basic tenets and fundamental principles. Unilateralism is an invitation to injustice, confrontation, and war.

3) The United Nations, as the greatest symbol of multilateralism, is exposed to woes of unilateralism. Regrettably, the Security Council has been abused by certain permanent members for their self-centered political or strategic agendas. On the one hand, they have leveraged the Council to exert pressure on other independent sovereign states and paralyzed the same body from any act to stop aggression and breach of the peace by their allies. Again, a very outstanding example is the United States' decades-long vetoing of any meaningful decision to stop the Israeli regime's persistent genocide of Palestinians and its frequent aggressions against nations of the region. I wish to emphasize that Iran's support and solidarity with resistance groups in the region is legitimate under international law and aims to end aggression and occupation. The resistance serves as a response to unilateralism and the biased support extended to the Israeli occupying regime, which is committing acts of genocide in Gaza and Palestine.

4) Multilateralism entails respect for the division of mandates among UN organs. The Security Council's encroachment on issues beyond its mandate risks the integrity of the Charter. According to Article 25 of the Charter, the Council's power is not limitless or arbitrary. It cannot override customary international law and international treaties. The unjust resolutions imposed against Iran during 2006-2010, based on unfounded claims by the United States about Iran's nuclear program, were in clear violation of Iran's rights under NPT and at the cost of my people's fundamental human rights. Those responsible for these unlawful sanctions cannot evade accountability for the suffering inflicted on our people.

5) Unilateral coercive measures in the form of extraterritorial sanctions continue to showcase a blunt inhumane manifestation of radical unilateralism. The United States and its Western allies that reinforce those sanctions must be held accountable for untold suffering, death, and destruction they have caused on the targeted nations, including my own people.



Mr. President, distinguished delegates,

The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism, with a clear example being its constructive contribution to the conclusion of the JCPOA.

This successful multilateral initiative addressed an unwarranted crisis and unfounded concern from the West regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program, aiming to lift the illegal and unjust sanctions imposed on the Iranian nation. However, this multilateral process encountered a significant challenge due to the unilateral actions of the United States and its allies.

The U.S. unilateral and unlawful withdrawal from the agreement exemplified unilateralism in the international arena, causing harm to all parties involved Equally important, Iran's good neighborliness policy highlights the importance of multilateralism in resolving common concerns and challenges.

In this context, Iran pursues regional dialogue and cooperation to create an environment where resources can be devoted to the progress and development of the region for the benefit of all. Strengthening partnerships and cooperation for collective security and sustainable development in the region will be the cornerstone of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the new approach and foreign policy of the elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which focuses on strengthening multilateralism in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.

His Excellency, Dr. Pezeshkian, the elected President, has recently outlined his primary foreign policy strategy, which aims to open new horizons and foster friendly relations with other nations based on dialogue, cooperation, equality, and mutual respect. This strategy places particular importance on neighboring countries and the broader region, as well as on maintaining constructive relationships with other states.

Mr. President,

As Secretary General has underlined, global challenges could be "solved only through respect for international law, adherence to global commitments and the adoption of appropriate frameworks of multilateral governance". The Islamic Republic of Iran echoes this call and welcomes initiatives to further promote respect for international law. Multilateralism is key in this regard. We believe this is the only way to establish a safe, just, and inclusive environment where all nations can enjoy sustainable peace and thrive.

Thank you for your attention.

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EU imposes sanctions on extremist Zionist individuals, entities

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

New York, IRNA -- The European Union has imposed sanctions on five Zionist individuals and three entities citing "serious and systematic violation of human rights" of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

According to Al Jazeera English, in a statement, 27-member European Union stated on Monday that the violation of Palestinian human rights includes "abuse of the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental integrity, the right to property, the right to private and family life, to freedom of religion or belief and the right to education".

The move which is taken under the European Union's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, also include Baruch Marzel, for "openly calling for an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians",

Today's designations also include Tzav 9, an Israeli group of violent activists founded in January 2024, regularly blocking humanitarian aid trucks delivering food, water and fuel to Gaza. Tzav 9's actions include violent protests, attacks against food trucks and the destruction of food.

Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the extremist organization Lehava, and Isaschar Manne, founder of the unauthorized Manne Farm outpost in the South Hebron Hills are also on the EU blacklist.

Those listed under the sanctions regime are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to the natural persons listed.

According to IRNA, Britain had previously announced that it had sanctioned extremist Zionist figures and groups over their violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Recently, the United States has also sanctioned a number of Zionist settlers which prompted the European Union to consider imposing sanctions against the extremist Zionist settlers who continuously attack Palestinians.

European countries including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Malta and Spain have backed the move to impose sanctions on extremist Zionist settlers.

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It's now West's turn to prove honesty in interaction with Iran: Interim FM

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 6:42 PM

Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani says the recent presidential election was a testament to national stability, and that it is now the West's turn to positively react to the constructive developments in the country.

Bagheri Kani, who is in New York to participate in two debates of the UN Security Council on Palestine and multilateralism, made the remarks in an interview with Newsweek on Tuesday.

"Holding elections in less than 50 days, during which time security was established, as well as the election of Dr. [Masoud] Pezeshkian as the president of my country represent constructive messages for the sake of regional and global stability and peace," the senior Iranian official said.

"And we believe now is the time and turn of other countries to constructively and positively react to these significant developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

Bagheri Kani said the people's participation, transparency in the election process as well as high-level security demonstrate stability in Iran.

"We believe the other side now needs to prove honesty for interaction and, of course, to open a new chapter. We have been always very honest and serious. And we will be like so when it comes to ensuring interaction with international actors."

Bagheri Kani also said if the United States wishes to open a new chapter, then it "should respect the choice of the Iranian people and the election."

Iran's election was called early after President Ebrahim Raeisi lost his life in the helicopter crash of May 19.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian interim foreign minister said the participation of Iran at the highest level in the two Security Council meetings "indicates the significance the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches to multilateral mechanisms and to the pivotal role of the United Nations when it comes to establishing stability and promoting peace in the world."

He said it was necessary for the Security Council to use every means and capacity to make the Israeli regime end its genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip, and even resort to force given the failure of diplomacy to cut Israel's atrocities.

Bagheri Kani also said it is the responsibility of all countries to ensure a serious and effective effort to help the innocent people of Gaza and to stop the Israeli atrocities "unconditionally, fully and permanently."

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Iran's Islamist rulers silent on attempted assassination of Trump

By Michael Lipin July 16, 2024

Iran's Islamist rulers have made no public comment on the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump in the three days since the shooting attack on the man whom they have long seen as their nemesis and targeted with threats of vengeance since he left office.

The only references in Iranian state media to Saturday's attack on Trump have been articles citing details of the shooting at his election rally in Pennsylvania, showing images of the aftermath and amplifying conspiracy theories about whether it was real or staged.

Iran has threatened revenge against Trump and his key aides for carrying out the January 2020 assassination of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike. It was part of what Trump called a campaign of "maximum pressure" against Tehran for its nuclear and other perceived malign activities.

Since then, one of the most explicit threats against Trump has come from Amir Ali Hajizadeh, aerospace chief of Iran's top military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He told state TV in February 2023 that "we are looking to kill Trump" to avenge Soleimani.

There is no indication of Iranian involvement in the Trump rally shooting, with U.S. authorities naming only one suspect, the 20-year-old American male shooter whom U.S. Secret Service personnel shot and killed at the scene.

CNN reported on Tuesday that the Secret Service had increased security around Trump "in recent weeks" in response to an alleged Iranian assassination plot that U.S. authorities purportedly learned about from intelligence attributed to an unidentified "human source."

The Washington Post and New York Times published their own reports on the alleged Iranian threat, sourcing it to unnamed U.S. officials.

Iran's U.N. Mission in New York told VOA the accusations are "unsubstantiated and malicious."

"Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," the mission said in a statement.

U.S. Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi responded to the CNN report by telling VOA that his security agency and others are "constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed."

"We cannot comment on any specific threat stream other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly," Guglielmi wrote.

One of the Iranian state media reports highlighting conspiracy theories about Saturday's incident was published by the IRGC-run Tasnim news agency on Sunday.

It published a collage of photos of the bloodied former president with a superimposed three-word headline in Persian: "Blood and pig."

Other state media articles published photos of Trump defiantly raising and pumping his fist to his supporters after Secret Service agents helped him to get back on his feet.

Shahram Kholdi, an Iranian Canadian teacher of Middle East history at Canada's University of Waterloo, discussed Iran's state media coverage of the shooting in the Tuesday edition of VOA's Flashpoint Global Crises program.

The following interview transcript is edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Why would Iran allow its state media to publish photos of the wounded former president showing what many Americans see as his triumphant stance in the face of danger?

Shahram Kholdi, University of Waterloo, Canada: The Iranian regime's hardcore supporters in the Basiji paramilitary force and the IRGC a the people who are willing to kill and die to keep this regime in power a they don't see what you see as a positive. They see the weakness, they see division in the American masses, they see fractures in the U.S. democratic system. And the regime actually uses those pictures of Trump to reinforce this propaganda trope that the U.S. is a facade of a democracy, that there is something more sinister happening behind the scenes.

We should not be surprised to see the Iranian regime's propaganda machine focus on such sinister scenarios in the next few weeks. Even though their propaganda machine is heavily equipped and well-manned, it has been only a few days since the shooting, and it takes time for them to churn out these kinds of stories.

VOA: Given Trump's record of being tough on Iran, does the Iranian leadership have any fear that highlighting his survival of an assassination attempt will boost his election prospects and return him to power?

Kholdi: Iranian officials are fearful of that. There has been an atypical restraint by officials who are generally quick to react and make all sorts of preposterous statements on such occasions. They did not do so this time. They are on their toes right now.

The regime's Chinese and Russian allies may have assured Tehran that if Trump is reelected, they will protect its interests in any negotiations with him.

President Joe Biden's failure to stop U.S.-sanctioned Iranian oil being from exported to China, and to stop Iran from assisting Russia's war effort in Ukraine, also has emboldened the regime.

But on the other hand, given the prospect of the Islamic republic once again facing the massive pressure campaign that Trump previously imposed on it, with a massive reduction in Iranian oil production and exports and interceptions of tankers, I think the regime is erring on the side of caution in its response to the assassination attempt. But the Chinese and Russians may have advised them to do so. I wouldn't attribute that to any impeccable wisdom on their part.

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Readout of U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group

July 15, 2024

Today at the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and a senior Israeli interagency delegation for a meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group. They were joined by senior representatives from their respective foreign policy, defense, and intelligence agencies. The discussion centered on countering Iran's threats to Israel and the broader region. Mr. Sullivan affirmed President Biden's ironclad commitment to Israel's security, including in the face of ongoing and reckless attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah. He emphasized that Israel has every right to defend itself against these attacks, and affirmed U.S. support for a diplomatic resolution that permits Israeli and Lebanese families to safely and securely return to their homes. They also discussed developments with respect to Iran's nuclear program, and discussed mutual coordination on a series of measures to ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon. Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Blinken, Mr. Dermer, and Mr. Hanegbi also discussed developments in Gaza and progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The Israeli side affirmed its full support for the deal as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, G7, and countries around the world.

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Netanyahu intends to destroy Israel: Opposition leader

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jul 16, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Israel's opposition leader Benny Gantz, who recently resigned from the regime's war cabinet, has said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to destroy Israel.

According to the Palestinian Sama news agency on Tuesday, Gantz lashed out at Netanyahu for his policy on the release of Israeli captives still held in Gaza.

He said that Netanyahu wants to release the captives but he is worried about taking a political risk and "enemies" see this reality.

Gantz also blamed the prime minister for what he called weakening Israel prior to the October 7 Al-Aqsa Operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement.

He said that the judicial reforms made by Netanyahu, which increased his power and took place prior to the Gaza war, were "a judicial coup" that weakened Israel.

Gantz also pointed out to efforts made to remove Netanyahu from power, saying that he is interested to take the post.

Netanyahu is facing growing criticism from Israeli politicians and public over his handling of the Gaza war and his refusal to reach a deal with Hamas to release the captives, amid internal conflicts with other Israeli officials.

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Japan-Germany security cooperation troubles North Korea, China

By Christy Lee July 16, 2024

North Korea and China are watching for possible regional impacts from Japan's recent enhanced security cooperation with Germany.

This weekend, Japan will hold joint drills with Germany around the Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. Spain is slated to join them there, while France will join Japan next week for drills over Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture bordering the Pacific Ocean.

At a joint press conference in Berlin late last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said defense cooperation will be enhanced by the planned visits of German aircraft and frigates to Japan and of a Japanese training fleet to Hamburg this summer.

North Korea slammed the security cooperation as "collusion" that crossed a "red line" and is "reminiscent of the Second World War," according to North Korea's state-run KCNA on Monday.

"The defeated war criminal nations are in cahoots to stage a series of war games escalating the regional tensions," KCNA continued.

Kishida said Japan hopes to work with Germany "to deal with the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea as well as China's moves related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine," according to Nippon.com, a news agency based in Tokyo.

Kishida and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed in Berlin on Friday to boost their security cooperation after attending a NATO summit in Washington. It was Kishida's first trip to Germany as prime minister.

Pact enters into force

Also on Friday, a military supply-sharing pact that aims to exchange food, fuel, and ammunition between Japan and Germany entered into force. The agreement was signed in January.

Beijing said the cooperation between Japan and Germany should not create tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA on Monday that "cooperation between countries, including military and security ties, should not target any third party or harm their interests."

Maki Kobayashi, Japanese cabinet secretary for public affairs, told VOA's Mandarin Service during the NATO summit that Japan has been working "very closely" with NATO countries on security issues and joint exercises.

"China has been saying there is an attempt at creating NATO in Asia, which is not correct," she said.

Rather, she said, Japan has been seeking closer ties among like-minded countries "to share situational analyses and also align some policies" in support of an international order based on the rule of law.

In Berlin, Kishida and Scholz also agreed to enhance economic security including safeguarding the resilience of supply chains for key items such as critical minerals and semiconductors.

Cooperation seen two different ways

In Washington last week, the leaders of NATO and four Indo-Pacific countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, discussed how to ramp up their combined defense capacity.

"A union of defense industrial bases between NATO and IP4 countries would have significant and positive implications for international peace and stability," said Matthew Brummer, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

"Japan has recently moved to provide surface-to-air missiles to the United States, which then sends them to Ukraine," he added.

In December, Tokyo agreed to ship Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to backfill U.S. inventory after taking a major step away from its pacifist self-defense policies and easing its postwar ban on the export of lethal weapons.

"In general, the NATO-IP4 cooperation is a good thing, since it symbolizes the recognition that both the Indo-Pacific theater and the European theater are linked," Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp, visiting fellow of the Asia Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations based in Berlin said via email.

However, she continued, "Strengthening NATO-IP4 ties could exacerbate tensions with China and Russia, who may perceive this cooperation as a containment strategy," and encourage countries like North Korea to align more closely with them.

Adam Xu contributed to this report.

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Junta deploys first round of military recruits to Myanmar's frontlines

The new soldiers are headed to brutal conflict zones after only 3 months of training.

By RFA Burmese 2024.07.16 -- The first round of soldiers recruited under Myanmar's controversial military draft law have completed their training and are being deployed to the frontlines of the junta's war against rebels in the country's remote border areas, their family members said Tuesday.

The deployment marked the latest chapter in the junta's bid to shore up its forces amid heavy losses against various ethnic armies and rebel militias since its 2021 coup d'etat, prompting the junta to enact the People's Military Service Law in February.

Under the law, men between the ages of 18 and 35 and women between 18 and 27 can be drafted to serve in the armed forces for two years.

The announcement triggered a wave of assassinations of administrators enforcing the law and drove thousands of draft-dodgers into rebel-controlled territory and abroad.

The military carried out two rounds of conscriptions in April and May, training about 9,000 new recruits in total. A third round of conscription began in late May, with draftees sent to their respective training depots by June 22.

The first batch of recruits completed their three-month training on June 28, and family members told RFA Burmese on Tuesday that the new soldiers were sent to conflict zones in Myanmar's Rakhine and Kayin states, and Sagaing region, beginning in early July.

While the junta has never said how many recruits were trained in the first group, a mid-April report by the Burmese Affairs and Conflict Study, a group monitoring junta war crimes, indicated that it was nearly 5,000 young people from across the country.

"My husband told me that orders from [the junta capital] Naypyidaw directed the deployment of new recruits from training batch No. 1 to conflict-affected areas, including Rakhine state," said Nwe Nyein, the wife of a new recruit from Ayeyarwady region.

"They [the junta] had previously said that new recruits under the People's Military Service Law would not be deployed to the frontlines," she said. "However, I am worried because my husband was sent to the remote border areas."

Nwe Nyein said that the second batch of recruits are expected to complete their military training on Aug. 2 and reports suggest that they will also be sent to the frontlines.

Used as 'human shields'

A resident of Myanmar's largest city Yangon, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said that some people close to him had been injured in battles in northern Shan state and have since returned home.

"A young man from our town was shot in the arm, but he never underwent an operation to remove the bullet," the resident said. "He also said that almost all the new recruits sent to the frontlines had been killed, and their families didn't even receive their salaries."

In southern Myanmar's Tanintharyi region, residents told RFA that the junta is deploying new recruits to battle.

Min Lwin Oo, a leading committee member of the Democracy Movement Strike Committee-Dawei, condemned the deployment of new recruits with only short-term military training, suggesting that they are being used as "human shields."

Flagging morale

Former Captain Kaung Thu Win, who is now a member of the nationwide Civilian Disobedience Movement of former civil servants that left their jobs in protest of the military's power grab, told RFA that the junta urgently needs more soldiers, and he expects that nearly all new recruits will be sent to the frontlines.

"About 90% of these new forces will be dispatched to the battlegrounds, regardless of whether they engage in combat [with rebel groups] or target people [civilians]," he said. "Their [the junta's] main objective is to ensure they have more soldiers equipped with guns."

Kaung Thu Win also said that the junta faces many challenges in its propaganda efforts to persuade new recruits to fight, but is also increasingly unable to trust its veteran soldiers as losses mount.

Than Soe Naing, a political commentator, slammed the junta over the reported deployment and echoed the former captain's assessment of the military's low morale.

"Young people are being sent to die after ... [mere] months of military training," he said. "Even veteran soldiers in their 60s who have been sent to the battlefield have lost their motivation."

5 years of service?

The junta has yet to release any information about the deployment of new recruits to the frontlines.

Meanwhile, although the People's Military Service Law states that new recruits must serve for a total of two years, reports have emerged that the junta is telling soldiers that they will have to fight for five.

Junta officials have publicly denied the reports.

Attempts by RFA to contact the office of the chairman of the Central Body for Summoning People's Military Servants in Naypyidaw for further clarification went unanswered Tuesday.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar junta steps up security in Mandalay as fighting spreads across region

Two are dead, including a child, following an airstrike as the junta battles for control of Mogoke town.

By RFA Burmese 2024.07.16 -- Junta forces have tightened security in Myanmar's second-biggest city, Mandalay, while shelling civilians elsewhere in the region, after coming under renewed attack from an alliance of insurgent forces battling to end military rule.

A shell killed a seven-year-old boy and a woman in her 30s after it exploded in a residential area of Mandalay region's Mogoke town on Monday evening, residents told Radio Free Asia Tuesday.

Another four-year-old girl and a 60-year-old woman, as well as a woman and man both in their 30s, are in critical condition, said one Mogoke resident, asking to remain anonymous for security reasons.

"A child and a grandmother were seriously injured by shrapnel that hit them in the neck," he said. "It was not easy to send them to the hospital, so they were treated at home by people who have some medical knowledge."

The shells were fired from a junta camp on Strategic Hill in eastern Mogoke, a ruby-mining town about 200 km (120 miles) north of Mandalay city.

Over half the town's population has fled after fighting intensified between junta troops and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, which has taken control of western Mogoke, residents said.

The TNLA is part of an alliance of three ethnic minority insurgent forces known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance. The alliance launched an offensive last October, codenamed Operation 1027 for the date it began, and pushed back junta forces in several regions.

After a five-month ceasefire ended on June 25, the TNLA, and allied forces attacked junta camps in Madaya, Singu and Mogoke townships in Mandalay region, and Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Nawnghkio and Lashio towns in Shan state to the east.

Stepping up Security

The TNLA and its allies have also turned their attention to junta bases near Mandalay region's capital, causing the military to step up security in Mandalay city, residents said.

One city resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. told RFA that after Operation 1027 resumed in late June, the junta had increased the number of outposts around Mandalay and its historic palace.

"We're getting a sense that the areas around the palace are more secure. They also installed heavy weapons on top of Mandalay Hill and also on Yankin Hill," he said. "Security has been increased a lot. If there was a place with four or five soldiers before, there are about 10 soldiers now."

Troops are also stationed on top of high-rise buildings in the city's Chanmyathazi township, one resident said, also asking for anonymity to protect his identity.

"The junta troops are stationed on the top floors of Ma Ma-29 and No. 49 buildings," he said, adding that soldiers also occupied buildings in the Myayenanda, and Aungpinlel neighborhoods, as well as Mandalay's industrial zone. "The troops asked residents to leave in order for soldiers to be stationed there."

Army personnel are also stationed in Inwa (Inn Wa) town, 32 km (20 miles) south of Mandalay city, which is close to a junta air force base, he added.

On Monday, the junta closed the Mandalay-Madaya Road after fighting with allied rebel forces near Madaya township's Kyauk Ta Dar village, which is just 27 km (17 miles) away from Mandalay city.

According to the Mandalay People's Defense Force, the group had captured 25 junta camps in Madaya township and 11 in Singu township as of July 7.

RFA called Mandalay region's junta spokesperson Thein Htay for more information on increased security and the attack on Mogoke, but he did not answer phone calls.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Activists say Rohingya refugees are hounded in India

By Shaikh Azizur Rahman July 17, 2024

Since entering India in 2017, Rohingya refugee Noor Mohammad and his wife have been forced to move at least a dozen times to escape unsafe conditions in the refugee camps and to avoid deportation.

Over the past seven years, shanties where they lived were destroyed twice when unexplained fires swept through Rohingya refugee camps in the northern Indian cities of Jammu and Nuh.

"Hindu leaders ordered us to vacate different areas a number of times in north India. They also threatened to retaliate with violent consequences if we disobeyed them," Mohammad told VOA this week from an unidentified city in southern India.

"The police arrested some Rohingya on charges of illegal entry into India. To evade arrest and possible deportation with my children and wife, I kept moving from one area to another. Now, I have taken shelter in an urban slum and have gone underground," said Mohammad, 37, who migrated to India following a military crackdown in Myanmar that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

For more than 50 years, minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring countries, including Bangladesh and India, to escape persecution and discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. But in recent years in India, the Rohingya refugees have been detained by police for illegal entry and threatened with deportation.

Last week, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on India to end the arbitrary detention and forcible deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, where they would "risk being subjected to serious human rights violations and abuses."

In a statement issued on July 2, the U.N. committee said it was "concerned about reports of arbitrary mass detention of the Rohingya, including children, in inadequate conditions, and in some cases without due process or access to legal representation."

According to a 2019 UNHCR estimate, over 40,000 Rohingya refugees were in India, including around 22,000 who are registered with the U.N. agency. The refugees mostly work in menial jobs and live in decrepit shack colonies.

India has not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and views Muslim Rohingya refugees as "illegal immigrants," although the Rohingya have mostly lived peacefully in the country for decades.

But the refugees began facing resistance after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014. In 2017, in the northern Indian city of Jammu, the BJP and other Hindu right-wing groups launched a campaign demanding the ouster of all Rohingya living in a nearby refugee camp.

Although no police record in India has linked the refugees to any terrorist or criminal activities, on social media, Hindu nationalist groups label the Rohingya as "terrorists" and "jihadists," and have for years demanded their expulsion from India.

In the past seven years, India's Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly asked state governments to identify and deport all Rohingya "illegal immigrants" to Myanmar, where a widening civil war has brought new violence to their homeland in Rakhine State.

According to rights activists, around 800 Rohingya, including women and children, are currently in Indian jails and detention centers after being charged with illegal entry. So far, only 18 Rohingya refugees have actually been sent back to Myanmar since 2021.

Some rights activists argue that the deportations are illegal under Indian law.

Ujjaini Chatterji, a New Delhi-based lawyer, said that even though India is not a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, India's constitution guarantees "the right to life and personal liberty, along with the right to equality before law" for every person, including noncitizens, within the territory of India.

"The Foreigner's Act, 1946, defines an illegal migrant who can be deported by the executive in India; however, the Rohingya are not illegal migrants. They are, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) circulated by the Union of India dated 20 March, 2019, 'foreigners claiming to be refugees,' and they cannot be either detained or deported without their claims being assessed within the timeframes as per the SoP," Chatterji told VOA.

"This is not being followed by the authorities, and detentions are happening without a fair assessment of the refugee claims."

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said that while the Rohingya are among the most persecuted communities in the world, "instead of treating them with empathy, Indian authorities and ruling political leaders have incited hate against them."

"There is an ongoing conflict in Rakhine State. Most governments struggle when it comes to protecting refugees, but deporting them when their lives will be at risk not only violates international law but basic decency," Ganguly told VOA.

"The Indian government should instead be working with partners, including ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations], Bangladesh and others to ensure that Myanmar can have a rights-respecting government, and the Rohingya refugees can safely return."

An official from the Indian Home Ministry in New Delhi that handles refugee-related matters declined to comment on Rohingya issues.

Bangladeshi author and rights activist Farhad Mazhar said that Rohingya refugees are being hounded in India largely because they are Muslim.

"BJP, the ruling party of India, supports the Hindutva forces that aim to turn India into a Hindu-only country. The party openly discriminates against Muslims," he said, noting that a recently enacted measure offering citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from neighboring countries does not apply to Muslims.

"The world identifies the stateless Rohingya as the most persecuted minority in the world. Yet India is nonchalant about the plight of the Rohingya community from Myanmar simply because they are Muslim," Mazhar said.

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Pakistan: Attack on northwestern health facility killed 5 civilians, 2 soldiers

By Ayaz Gul July 16, 2024

Pakistan said Tuesday that a militant attack on a rural medical facility in a northwestern volatile region early in the morning resulted in the deaths of at least five civilians and two soldiers.

The military's media wing reported that two female health workers, two children, and a security guard at the facility were among the victims of the "terrorist" attack in the militancy-hit Dera Ismail Khan district.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, or ISPR, said that Pakistani security forces in the vicinity "effectively engaged" the assailants, killing three of them and losing two soldiers in the ensuing clashes.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, but authorities suspected the outlawed Pakistani Taliban carried it out.

The ISPR announcement came just hours after it confirmed the deaths of at least eight soldiers in a pre-dawn militant raid against an army base in the nearby garrison town of Bannu on Monday. It stated that security forces killed all 10 assailants in the ensuing hours-long gunfight.

The military statement asserted the deadly raid was orchestrated by "terrorists" based in neighboring Afghanistan.

"The attempt to enter the cantonment was effectively thwarted by security forces personnel, which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the cantonment," the ISPR said.

It added that the vehicle-born suicide bombing destroyed a portion of the wall and damaged adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of the eight soldiers.

Militants allied with the globally designated terrorist group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, took responsibility for the assault shortly after it started.

Multiple security sources in the area reported that the attack had also injured dozens of soldiers. Local police and witnesses said that the intensity of the blast shattered nearby homes, injuring several civilians.

In its statement on Tuesday, the military denounced the attack as "a heinous act of terrorism." It noted that Islamabad "has consistently raised its concerns" with and asked Afghanistan's Taliban government "to deny persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists."

It warned, without elaborating, that Pakistan "will take all necessary measures as deemed appropriate against these threats emanating from Afghanistan." Earlier this year, Pakistani fighter planes bombed suspected TTP targets in Afghan border areas following a dramatic surge in attacks in Pakistan.

Bannu and adjoining districts in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have particularly witnessed almost daily TTP attacks, targeting military and police forces since the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan three years ago.

Pakistan maintains TTP leaders and fighters are being increasingly facilitated by the de facto rulers of Afghanistan. The Taliban government dismisses the charges, saying TTP is an internal problem for Pakistan to deal with.

UN findings

TTP is known to have publicly pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. It provided shelter on Pakistani soil and recruits for their Afghan ideological allies to help them wage insurgent attacks against the U.S.-led NATO troops for years until U.S. and international forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban seized power there.

A new United Nations report released earlier this month described TTP as "the largest terrorist group" operating in Afghanistan, noting that it had intensified its terrorist activities in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover.

"TTP continues to operate at a significant scale in Afghanistan and to conduct terrorist operations into Pakistan from there, often utilizing Afghans," said the report by the U.N. sanctions monitoring team. It estimated that TTP had "6,000-6,500" fighters based in Afghan territory.

"Further, the Taliban have proved unable or unwilling to manage the threat from Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan...Taliban support to TTP also appears to have increased," the U.N. report stated. "The Taliban do not conceive of TTP as a terrorist group: the bonds are close, and the debt owed to TTP is significant," the report added.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the U.N. report in a statement over the weekend. He claimed that no "foreign groups" operate in the country, nor are "any individuals or entities" being allowed to threaten other countries from Afghanistan.

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Washington-Seoul alliance is a 'nuclear alliance,' US official says

By Eunjung Cho, Young Gyo Kim July 17, 2024

A high-ranking U.S. official stressed Tuesday that the U.S.-South Korea alliance is a "nuclear alliance," reinforcing the South Korean government's description of the two allies, after the United States and South Korea signed new deterrence guidelines last week.

Vipin Narang, U.S. acting assistant secretary of defense for Space Policy, told VOA's Korean Service in an exclusive interview that "when we formally extend nuclear deterrence to our allies, it is a nuclear alliance, and South Korea is an example of that."

Narang explained that it would be similar to what the United States has with the European allies through NATO.

"NATO publicly says, for example, that so long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will be a nuclear alliance. And the relationship with ROK, similarly, is a formal extension of U.S. nuclear," he said, referring to South Korea with the abbreviated form of its official name, the Republic of Korea. "We commit to defend South Korea with all capabilities."

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said earlier on Tuesday in a Cabinet meeting that South Korea's alliance with the United States has been upgraded to a "nuclear-based alliance," adding that the U.S nuclear assets will now be "specially assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula" under the newly agreed guidelines between the two allies.

On Thursday, Yoon met U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, reaffirming their commitments to the Washington Declaration unveiled in 2023, which outlines the two countries' commitment to engage in deeper dialogue and information sharing to strengthen nuclear deterrence efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

According to the joint statement released after the two leaders' latest meeting, Biden reiterated that the U.S. commitment to extended deterrence to South Korea is backed by "the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear."

In line with such a move, Narang, who co-chairs the Nuclear Consultative Group, a bilateral body set up by the United States and South Korea under the Washington Declaration, met his South Korean counterpart, Cho Chang Lae, in Washington last week and signed "the United States and Republic of Korea Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula."

The guidelines, according to the Department of Defense, provide principles and procedures to assist policymakers and military officials of both countries "in maintaining an effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture."

Narang emphasized that the guidelines would help the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) evolve in accordance with the threats by the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

"The guidelines document is the not the end, it's the beginning, and sort of sets up the NCG as an enduring body," he said. "The NCG is a living body, and the work streams evolve with the threat environment and the capabilities, just as North Korea's capabilities continue to expand and diversify."

However, he made it clear that only the U.S. president will be able to authorize the use and employment of U.S. nuclear weapons, while underscoring Washington and Seoul will be approaching the extended deterrence "as equal partners."

"We have extended deterrence relationships. We need conventional support from our allies," he stressed.

His remarks come amid growing skepticism in South Korea over the U.S. extended deterrence, especially after Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact, which indicated Moscow's willingness to engage in full-fledged military cooperation with Pyongyang.

An increasing number of South Korean people are calling for South Korea's own nuclear weapons, arguing that the U.S.-ROK alliance's existing deterrence strategy would not be enough to protect South Korea from the possible attacks from North Korea, if it joins hands with Russia.

The acting assistant secretary of defense gave a strong warning against South Korea having its own nuclear weapons.

"It would be in violation of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty)," Narang said, adding that South Korea would probably face international sanctions.

He also suggested that Seoul would be "an international pariah" and would become vulnerable to North Korea's nuclear attacks during the time it is pursuing nuclear weapons.

Experts in Washington remained cautious about what the new guidelines could mean for the extended deterrence for South Korea.

"It shows that the United States is taking seriously South Korea as a partner in all aspects of defense," said Scott Snyder, president of Korea Economic Institute of America.

Snyder told VOA's Korean Service on Tuesday that the decision to employ a nuclear weapon should be made in a closely integrated manner between Seoul and Washington.

"If it's not integrated, the alliance will fail," he said.

He added that the decision will heavily depend on the U.S. inclination.

Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation, told VOA's Korean Service on Tuesday that it is difficult to see the U.S.-South Korea alliance as a "nuclear alliance."

"If South Korea has been given a role in planning the nuclear options, yes, but the U.S. has been implying that that hasn't occurred," Bennett said.

"If they are a nuclear alliance, then it ought to describe in what way it's a nuclear alliance - is South Korea being included in planning how nuclear weapons will be used? That's what President Yoon asked for. It's not clear to me."

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Russia may have shared US arms info with China: lawmakers

The claim comes as Beijing and Moscow hold joint naval drills.

By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.07.16 -- Moscow may have shared information with Beijing about the capabilities of American weapons systems it has encountered in its invasion of Ukraine, a group of U.S. lawmakers say.

The claims, which were made in a letter to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, came as the Chinese and Russian navies carried out joint training drills off China's southern coast.

Signed by Reps. John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are the lead Republican and Democrat, respectively, on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, the letter asks how much Russia has shared with China about countering U.S. arms systems.

America has provided about $53.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2020, including artillery, drones and air defense systems, according to the State Department.

"As the United States and our NATO allies continue to stand with Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression, recent reports have detailed alarming levels of Russian adaptation that have undermined the effectiveness of several U.S. weapons systems," the letter says.

It also points to Sullivan's remarks during last week's NATO summit that it was wrong to assume China's extensive material support to Russia to aid its defense industrial base was being offered "for free."

"Rather," the letter continues, "we should anticipate and indeed operate under the assumption that Russia is passing information about vulnerabilities or counters to American and allied weapons systems to [China] in support of its 'no limits' partnership."

A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council did not respond to a request for comment about the claims.

Joint drills

The letter follows growing concerns about the growing military cooperation between Russia and China, which many in the U.S. defense community say has its own plans to invade Taiwan.

At their summit in Washington last week, the 32 member nations of NATO issued a sternly worded statement labeling China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war effort and calling for it to end the support.

Just days later, Beijing and Moscow launched joint naval exercises off China's southern coast, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The drills, which are taking place off the coast of the city of Zhanjiang, near the border with Vietnam, will include "anchorage defense, joint reconnaissance and early warning, joint search and rescue, and joint air defense and missile defense," Xinhua reported on Monday.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, did not respond directly to questions from Radio Free Asia about any information sharing between Russia and China but defended the closer relations between the two countries amid the Ukraine war.

He said the United States should stop "maliciously speculating and hyping up the 'China threat'" and drop its "zero-sum" mindset.

"China-Russia cooperation has no limits, but it does have a bottom line, that is the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, the international law and basic norms governing international relations. These are the guidelines for China to deal with relations with any country," Liu said.

"On the Ukraine crisis, it is quite clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fueling the fight and inciting confrontation," the spokesperson added.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Russian-Chinese naval patrols complete in South China Sea

16.07.2024

The Russian-Chinese naval patrols have completed in the South China Sea.

At the finishing stage, the corvette Sovershenny of the Pacific Fleet and the ship detachment of the PLA Navy comprising of the destroyer Yinchuan, the frigate Hengshui, and the universal logistics vessel Weishanhu underwent drills on escorting a vessel in closed sea. In the course of this episode, they organised comprehensive defence for one of the ships which was crossing narrow water.

Also, the Russian-Chinese detachment of ships trained to replenish stocks on the move from the supply vessel Weishanhu by four-point bearing.

In just 15 days, the Russian and Chinese ships have patrolled a total of about 4,800 nautical miles in the Asia-Pacific region. The crews of the two countries trained to act in various formations, practised anti-submarine missions, and repelled air attacks of a mock enemy.

For Reference:

The joint patrols are intended to strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China, to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, to monitor offshore zone and to protect the facilities of the Russian Federation and People's Republic of Chine.

The first joint Russian-Chinese naval patrols were held in 2021; the event has been held annually since then.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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On first day of Maritime Interaction 2024 naval exercise between Russian Navy and PLA Navy, sailors from two countries practise anti-submarine warfare and conduct artillery firings

16.07.2024

The maritime part of the Maritime Interaction 2024 naval exercise between the Russian Navy and the PLA Navy began with an anti-submarine episode, during which joint efforts in the waters of the South China Sea detected and destroyed one submarine of the mock enemy. In the course of practical operations, the combat crews of the Russian and Chinese ships fired rocket-propelled bombs.

Next, ships of the Russian Navy and PLA Navy conducted artillery firing against mock naval targets.

The joint detachment of Russian and Chinese ships is represented by the corvettes 'Gromkiy' and 'Rezkiy' of the Pacific Fleet, three warships and one auxiliary vessel of the PLA Navy. The Maritime Interaction 2024 Russian-Chinese exercise is being held from 15 to 17 July in the South China Sea.

For reference: The first joint naval exercise between the Russian Navy and the PLA Navy was held in 2005 in the Yellow Sea. Since 2012, it has been held on a regular basis in various regions.

Press Service of the Eastern Military District

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Russian Navy Holds Live-Fire Exercises Near Coast of Sevastopol

Sputnik News

20240716

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) - The Russian Navy is holding live-fire exercises off the coast of the city of Sevastopol, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Tuesday.

"Tentatively from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. [from 07:00 to 11:00 GMT] on the outer stead in the area of Kozacha bay the fleet will conduct training with firing from various types of arms," Razvozhayev said on Telegram.

He added that everything was calm in the city during the drills.

A Sputnik

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/07/16

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1. Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Monday to Tuesday, Jul. 15-16

2.PLA activitiesis

18 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's eastern and southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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Taiwan to host 'unscripted' drills aimed at simulating China invasion

By William Yang July 16, 2024

Taiwan hosts a series of military exercises and drills next week that will include preventing attacks on key airports and ports, and testing the ability of troops to respond to scenarios similar to a hypothetical invasion from China.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense says the annual Han Kuang and Wan An exercises, between July 22 and July 26, will focus on "unscripted and real combat drills." They will include drills such as shelter-in-place and air defense drill alerts.

The exercises come as China increases military pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing views as part of its territory. Beijing has vowed to unify the democratically ruled island with China, by force if necessary.

When Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office in May, China conducted a blockade-style military exercise around Taiwan, aimed at testing its ability to "seize power." Beijing has also increased the number of military aircraft, naval vessels and coast guard vessels operating near Taiwan.

On July 11, Taiwan's defense ministry said it detected 66 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island within 24 hours, the most sorties on a single day in 2024. A day before, Taipei said it detected China's aircraft carrier Shandong sailing through waters near Taiwan to join military exercises in the western Pacific.

Unscripted drills

Unlike Han Kuang exercises in the past, some analysts say this year's exercises will be closer to actual combat as authorities will not announce simulated scenarios before the exercises.

"This year's drills are unscripted exercises and the goal is to let the Taiwanese military develop capabilities to respond swiftly in real combats," Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told VOA by phone.

He said another aim of the drills is to boost troop morale and the public's confidence in the military's capabilities.

During the live-fire segment of the exercises, the defense ministry will test the troops' defense capabilities during nighttime to ensure they can make decisions independently and follow the rules of engagement even after losing contact with central command.

"As the Chinese military enhances its combat capabilities at night, Taiwanese troops also need to possess the ability to be prepared to fight at any hour of the day," said Chieh Chung, a military researcher at the National Policy Foundation in Taiwan.

Since the Chinese military may try to disrupt communication between the Taiwanese troops through large-scale information and electronic warfare, Chieh told VOA that it's important for Taiwan to ensure its forces "have the capabilities and will to fight independently in combat when they lose contact with central command."

To prevent invading Chinese troops from seizing critical infrastructure across Taiwan, the military will conduct anti-landing drills at 12 airports, ports, and beaches near key political and economic centers.

Apart from Taiwan's main international airport in Taoyuan, the harbor at the mouth of the Tamsui River in northern Taiwan will be another important location where the Taiwanese military will conduct a river defense exercise, after a Chinese man drove a speedboat into the harbor in June.

China has increasingly deployed fighter jets and aircraft carrier groups toward eastern Taiwan, an area traditionally used to protect Taiwanese troops and home to two important air bases. In response, this year's exercise will include runway repair, restoration of combat power, and air force countermeasures.

Su said the drills aim to ensure the Taiwanese military is capable of conducting "multi-point simultaneous defense" rather than concentrating on defending one particular item of infrastructure.

"These exercises are simulated based on a potential Chinese military invasion, during which the Chinese troops may likely focus on seizing airports, seaports, and beaches around Taiwan," he told VOA.

Strengthening civil defense

Apart from strengthening Taiwanese troops' capabilities in actual combat, Taiwan will also conduct the annual air defense exercise across the island.

While last year's drills focused on shelter-in-place and evacuation drills in districts, this year's air defense exercise will include the dissemination of alerts about missile and rocket attacks.

According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, alerts will be sent to Taiwanese people through text messages. The messages will include links to maps that inform them about the locations of nearby shelters.

In addition to the regular 30-minute drills, during which people need to shelter in place and vehicles have to stop moving, local governments and civil defense organizations will conduct a separate 30-minute drill setting up wartime disaster relief and shelter stations.

This year's exercise will also simulate storing ammunition in strategic, underground places near battlefields as part of the effort to strengthen Taiwanese troops' sustainability during combat. The ministry said this could reduce the risks of ammunition being damaged during combat while enhancing the troops' combat sustainability.

Su said while Taiwan's air raid shelters are already well-equipped, Taiwanese authorities should consider drawing up plans to transform some shelters into hospitals or spaces to store essential supplies. "These steps can further strengthen Taiwan's civil defense," he told VOA.

Some analysts say that while this year's exercises reflect Taiwan's attempt to modernize the training schemes, it's important for the military to keep adjusting the exercises based on patterns emerging from China's military activities.

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New era for defence: government launches root and branch review of UK Armed Forces

A review has been commissioned by the Prime Minister and will be overseen by the Defence Secretary, and headed by Lord Robertson.

16 July 2024

Strategic Defence Review to ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad.

Review has been commissioned by the Prime Minister, will be overseen by the Defence Secretary John Healey, and headed by Lord Robertson - reporting in the first half of 2025.

It is to be Britain's review - not just the Government's - so will consult serving military, veterans, MPs of all parties, industry, and academia.

A root and branch review of UK defence has been launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer today to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad for decades to come.

The Strategic Defence Review will be delivered at pace and report in the first half of 2025, with work starting immediately in recognition of the urgency of the threats facing the UK. It comes as the Defence Secretary John Healey argues that "at the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. The Review will strengthen the foundations for this new mission-driven Government."

With a new era requiring a new type of review, the Strategic Defence Review will be headed by three external Reviewers in a first-of-its-kind for UK defence:

Lord Robertson - Former Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General (Review lead)

Dr Fiona Hill CMG - Foreign policy expert and former US presidential advisor

General Sir Richard Barrons - Former Commander Joint Forces Command and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff

The Reviewers will be supported by a Defence Review Team of senior high level experts from inside and outside Government and will engage widely across the defence community. Submissions will be invited until the end of September from serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, the defence industry, the general public, academics, Parliament, and our closest allies and partners, especially in NATO.

Today's announcement is the next step following a successful NATO Summit in Washington, where the Prime Minister reaffirmed his "serious commitment" to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence and to the Alliance.

Amid war in Europe after Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and global threats increasing, the review will consider the threats Britain faces, the capabilities needed to meet them, the state of UK armed forces and the resources available. It will ensure a 'NATO-first' policy is at the heart of Britain's defence plans.

Defence Secretary, John Healey will oversee the Review and the Reviewers will regularly update him, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor on progress. The Defence Review Team will be supported by a Secretariat from the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure. I promised the British people I would deliver the change needed to take our country forward, and I promised action not words. That's why one of my first acts since taking office is to launch our Strategic Defence Review. We will make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected, that defence spending is responsibly increased, and that our country has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK's resilience for the long term.

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

At the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. Hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue. Meanwhile, we need to be clear eyed about the threats we face, with the world becoming more volatile and technology changing the nature of warfare. In response, our armed forces need to be better ready to fight, more integrated and more innovative. We need clearer accountability, faster delivery, less waste and better value for money. The Review will ensure that Defence is central to the future security of Britain and to its economic growth and prosperity. This new era requires a new type of review that moves at pace. The Prime Minister and I will therefore draw on both external military, industrial and foreign policy experts, and those from inside Government, to help set the path for Britain's defence for the next decade. Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

Lead Reviewer Lord Robertson of Port Ellen said:

Twenty-five years after the armed forces restructuring in 1998, it is an honour to lead a review overseen by John Healey, to help shape our military for the new century. The world is a more dangerous place and to combat the evolving threat we need a new approach. We also will need a new type of Review, which delivers quickly but also includes the views and voices of those from all parties, all parts of the defence family and a spectrum of our partners and allies.

The Strategic Defence Review will seek to:

Put personnel across defence at the heart of future defence work. *Ensure that the UK continues to lead in NATO.

Strengthen UK homeland security.

Bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent.

Adapt military services and equipment programmes to meet requirements.

Help drive the guiding principle of One Defence

Our Armed Forces continue to stand ready to defend the UK and protect our interests at home and abroad - whether through around-the-clock nuclear submarine patrols, quick-reaction fighter jets prepared to swiftly launch 24/7 or thousands of soldiers deploying on international exercises. And Britain's defence depends on tens of thousands of others out of uniform in government, industry and wider society.

However, threats to our safety and security have multiplied and diversified in recent years, including greater conventional threats, cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns, requiring an in-depth look, conducted at pace, at how we can best meet those evolving threats.

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New Defence Secretary sets out commitment to AUKUS to drive regional British growth

New Defence Secretary, John Healey, has set out Britain's commitment to the AUKUS partnership as an important driver of jobs and growth.

16 July 2024

Defence Secretary and Australian Deputy Prime Minister tour UK military steel production plant.

Site supports hundreds of local skilled jobs with bright future under AUKUS.

Steel components from Sheffield to be used on future UK and Australian nuclear-powered submarines.

New Defence Secretary, John Healey, has set out Britain's commitment to the AUKUS partnership as an important driver of jobs and growth in Yorkshire and across the UK.

Joined by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, on a tour of a key military steel supplier in Sheffield, the pair saw first-hand how the business is benefiting from AUKUS - the trilateral defence and security partnership between the UK, US and Australia.

John Healey today reaffirmed the UK's staunch commitment to AUKUS and the jobs and growth it can deliver for Britain.

The AUKUS submarine programme will generate 7,000 additional British jobs. At its peak, there will be over 21,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programmes in the UK supply chain.

The visit comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, with the leaders outlining their commitment to the strong AUKUS partnership.

Australia and the UK are close partners, working together on the most pressing global security issues. The two ministers also discussed UK-Australian cooperation to support Ukraine, our close coordination in the Indo-Pacific and our joint commitment to ensuring the AUKUS partnership fully delivers its potential.

Defence Secretary, John Healey said:

Working with allies and partners is fundamental to our security and so it is a pleasure to host my Australian counterpart within my first fortnight as Defence Secretary. The UK and Australia are the closest of friends and our work through AUKUS is testament to this. Sheffield Forgemasters is a shining light of UK industry that helps boost global security and employs skilled staff from the local community. This is just one example of how our hugely important partnership with our Australian and American partners can help drive jobs and growth across Britain.

Sheffield Forgemasters manufacture specialist steel parts used in critical UK defence programmes, including highly complex, nuclear-grade steel components for nuclear-armed submarines. Their parts will also be used in future UK and Australian conventionally armed, nuclear-powered, submarines - known as SSN-AUKUS - which will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.

Deputy Prime Minister for Australia, Richard Marles said:

Australia and the United Kingdom's relationship is enduring and forged in deep history. Be it under the defence and security cooperation agreement, or the work we continue to achieve under AUKUS, we are modernising our partnership. And importantly, we continue to work together on our support for Ukraine and to support a global rules-based order.

Opportunities through the AUKUS supply chain for British industry could be worth billions across the coming decades, supporting thousands of jobs in both countries.

Sheffield Forgemasters is fully owned by the Ministry of Defence, employing around 650 skilled workers, with more than A900 million invested to date to modernise and expand the business. Both the UK and Australian governments have made hundreds of millions of pounds of joint investment into the infrastructure and capability of the business. This investment shows the commitment both governments are making in the region and to the wider UK supply chain supporting the AUKUS endeavour. Latest statistics show A330 million is spent annually with the defence industry in Yorkshire & The Humber, with more than 2,500 jobs supported.

The tour at Sheffield Forgemasters followed Richard Marles visiting HMNB Clyde in Scotland to see first-hand how the UK operates its nuclear submarine base, including exposure to an Astute Class submarine and the UK approach to the operation, maintenance and regulation of these attack vessels.

Just last week the first three Royal Australian Navy officers graduated from the Royal Navy's Nuclear Reactor Course at HMS Sultan in Gosport. The graduates will now go on to serve in Astute-class submarines side-by-side with the Royal Navy to gain first-hand at-sea experience with naval nuclear propulsion technology.

Their success marks a significant milestone in developing the skilled workforce needed to operate Australia's future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability being developed under the AUKUS partnership.

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Britain launches review of 'hollowed-out' military

By VOA News July 16, 2024

Britain said Tuesday it will review its military strategy to ensure it is prepared for what officials called a "deadly quartet" that includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

"We live in a more dangerous and volatile world," new Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. "My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defenses, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure."

Former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson is leading the review. Fiona Hill, a former U.S. presidential adviser, and General Richard Barrons, a former director of operations for the U.K. armed forces, are assisting in the effort.

The announcement comes a week after a NATO summit where leaders highlighted concerns about China, Iran and Russia.

Starmer Tuesday reiterated a commitment to increase Britain's defense spending to 2.5% of GDP, up from its current level of about 2.3%.

A report from the review is scheduled for the first half of next year.

"Hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue," British Defense Secretary John Healey said in a statement. "Meanwhile, we need to be clear eyed about the threats we face, with the world becoming more volatile and technology changing the nature of warfare."

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.

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Ukraine: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

European Council / Council of the European Union

Council of the EU

Press release

16 July 2024 12:00

On 17 July, we honour the memory of the 298 innocent people, including 80 children, of 17 nationalities who lost their lives in the downing of 'Malaysia Airlines' Flight MH17 ten years ago. The ten-year commemoration brings back very painful memories. We renew our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims.

The European Union reiterates its full support for all efforts to establish truth, justice and accountability, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2166.

On 17 November 2022, the District Court of The Hague sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for their role in the downing of Flight MH17. The European Union emphasises that the evidence presented by the Joint Investigation Team in the proceedings before the Dutch District Court, and submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation. No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law.

The European Union reiterates its call on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility in this tragedy and to cooperate fully in serving justice.

The European Union takes note of the proceedings initiated by the Netherlands against the Russian Federation at the ECHR, as well as the proceedings initiated by Australia and the Netherlands before the ICAO Council, which are important steps towards achieving truth, justice and accountability.

This statement is issued on the 10th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, commemorated on 17 July 2024.

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The Foreign Minister: Ukraine is Latvia's priority in development cooperation

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

16.07.2024

In a meeting with participants of a development cooperation project, "Friendship Bridge Riga-Nizhyn", the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba BraAe, underlined that Ukraine is Latvia's priority in development cooperation: more than a half of projects approved in 2024 are related to Ukraine. A special focus is placed on the Chernihiv Region.

The MinisterofForeignAffairs,BaibaBraAe: "For nearly two and a half years, Russia has been waging a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine day in, day out, incessantly launching attacks on civilians, civilian facilities and strategic infrastructure. Ukraine and its people are not giving up, and besides fighting for their freedom and independence, Ukraine is on its path to membership of the European Union and NATO. Ukraine and every one of its citizens must know that we remember them and fight for them every day in all possible formats and with all available instruments - Latvia is one of Ukraine's most trustworthy supporters. It is important, in the context of war, not to lose faith and morale, and to continue on the course of European integration that has been adopted. The development cooperation project, "Friendship Bridge Riga-Nizhyn", is one of the practical instruments of support used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including to provide informative and psycho-emotional support to Ukrainian educators - they have a critical role to play in educating the society and building its resilience."

This is one of the development cooperation projects in Ukraine, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of the project is to help Ukrainian people cope with the consequences of the Russian military aggression through fostering long-term bilateral contacts and organizing the visits of Ukrainian representatives to Latvia, including the provision of informative and psycho-emotional support to Ukrainian educators and municipal employees from the city of Nizhyn in Chernihiv Region.

The delegation from Nizhyn has arrived in Latvia this week to participate in the kick-off events of the project, as well as to hear a course of lectures on mentoring for psychological support.

About the "Friendship Bridge Riga-Nizhyn" project

The project envisages preparing employees of educational institutions and local government authorities for submission of EU projects.

The project makes it possible to provide essential support to educators of the city of Nizhyn and local government employees through organizing training in the field of eurointegration and EU project development. It also fosters building new contacts between Nizhyn and Riga, as well as exploring the potential for new projects to be implemented in the future.

The project is coordinated by the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.

Total financing for the project amounts to EUR 66 817.55 (EUR 56 197 as a grant; EUR 10 620.55 - as co-financing from the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency).

Latvia's support to Ukraine

According to data collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, total support by Latvia (the state and society) to Ukraine amounts to 1% of GDP, or approximately EUR 770 million (figures for June 2024).

Development cooperation

Under bilateral development cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is supporting 13 grant projects in Ukraine in 2024 for a total amount of EUR 643 751.69 (36.15% of the total bilateral development cooperation budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Projects are carried out in the following areas: psycho-emotional support to women; rehabilitation; microsurgery; financial supervision; forensic expertise and war crimes documentation; the development of small and medium-sized enterprises; European integration and EU law; agriculture; auditing; and human rights.

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Latvia to make a contribution in support of Ukrainian medical institutions

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

16.07.2024

On 16 July 2024, the Government approved a draft legislative act advanced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "On the allocation of financial resources from the State Budget Programme 'Contingency Fund'", which aims to ensure EUR 100 000 in funding towards Latvia's support for the functioning of Ukrainian medical institutions in the war conditions. By this Cabinet Order, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is being authorised to make a contribution on behalf of Latvia to support the work of Ukrainian medical institutions. The funds will be used for their reconstruction and medical equipment supply, their functioning and treatment of patients.

Considering current developments, the payment will be made through a single responsible United Nations agency, such as the World Health Organization or the United Nations Office for Project Services, or via the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.

In addition, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and embassies, collects information regarding the urgently needed medicine, medical products and equipment, and work is under way on organising yet another shipment of donations to the Ukrainian health-care institutions. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Latvia has been assisting Ukraine bilaterally with medical devices, medicines, ambulance vehicles, and other medical equipment and materials.

Since the beginning of its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has been persistently carrying out attacks on civilian facilities, including hospitals. The World Health Organisation has verified 1,878 attacks affecting health-care facilities, personnel, transport, supplies and patients.

On 8 July 2024, Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital, Okhmatdyt, and the ISIDA centre for women's health and family planning. A number of patients and doctors from both medical facilities suffered injuries or died in the strikes. Those attacks have caused serious disruption to the functioning of medical facilities and placed additional burden on other Ukrainian hospitals.

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A Decade After MH17, Persistent Pain And 'A Warning More Relevant Than Ever'

By Aleksander Palikot July 16, 2024

For Piet Ploeg, it has been a decade of mourning and efforts to punish the perpetrators, but the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is "something one can never get over."

Ploeg's brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were among the 298 people aboard MH17 when a Russian missile hit the airliner and brought it down on July 17, 2014, drawing global attention to what was then a three-month-old war in the Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, between Russia-backed fighters and Kyiv's forces.

Russia was quick to deny its role in the downing of the Boeing 777 and launched a major disinformation campaign, but journalists and open-source sleuths poked massive holes in Moscow's arguments. In 2016, international investigators concluded that MH17 was shot down by a missile fired from a Russian Buk launcher, which was brought into territory held by anti-Kyiv forces and spirited back across the border into Russia shortly afterward.

With the 10-year-old war raging after the full-scale invasion in February 2022, claiming tens of thousands of new victims and further undermining international order, the downing of MH17 is "a warning more relevant than ever," Hyunduz Mamedov, a former deputy prosecutor-general who represented Ukraine on the Dutch-led Joint Investigative Team (JIT) that investigated the tragedy, told RFE/RL.

In November 2022, a court in the Netherlands convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist leader of murder for their roles and sentenced them, in absentia, to life in prison. The fourth defendant, a Russian who was the only suspect represented by defense lawyers at the trial, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

The probe did not establish exactly who fired the missile. That is "an unanswered question that hinders the grieving," Ploeg, chairman of the MH17 Disaster Foundation, which represents families of victims, told RFE/RL.

In February 2023, prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said the investigation was ending despite "strong indications" that Russian President Vladimir Putin was personally involved -- that he "decided on supplying the Buk" to the Russia-backed forces in the Donbas.

"For years we have been trying to demonstrate the Kremlin's effective control and responsibility in this case," Mamedov said. "The reluctance of our partners to qualify Russia's hybrid aggression as a war against Ukraine ended only after...Putin launched the full-scale invasion."

Both Mamedov and Ploeg are pinning high hopes on the cases brought against Russia by Ukraine and the Netherlands at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

In January 2023, the Strasbourg-based court said the cases over alleged human rights violations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and the shooting down of flight MH17 are "admissible," signaling that it believes Russia can be held liable for rights violations in the Donbas.

Another legal avenue to hold Russia accountable is a case at the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which Ukraine has accused Russia of violating an anti-terrorism treaty by funding anti-Kyiv forces in Ukraine. But Mamedov considers it less promising.

The top UN court, also in January 2023, found that Russia violated elements of a UN anti-terrorism treaty, but declined to rule on allegations that it was responsible for the shooting down of MH17, stating that violations of law against funding terrorism only applied to monetary and financial support, not to supplying weapons or training.

"The international community must punish the perpetrators, from the person who pushed the button to the person who bears ultimate responsibility," Mamedov told RFE/RL.

As the war persists, many Ukrainians and backers of Ukraine are anxious not only about its course but also about the chances of holding Russia responsible for a lengthening list of alleged war crimes.

"The case of MH17 is proof that unpunished evil returns in many times greater magnitudes," Roman Lyubiy, a Ukrainian film director and creator of Iron Butterflies, which the Berlinale festival called a "sober yet poetic" documentary about MH17, told RFE/RL.

The 2023 film combines archival footage and interviews with video art and performance to draw parallels between past and present.

"Back in 2014 the whole world learned about the war in Ukraine, but we were not able to control the narrative about it," Lyubiy said. "We need to change that if we want to see Russia facing its own Nuremberg trial in the future."

On July 8, nine days before the 10th anniversary of the downing of MH17, a Russian missile struck a major children's hospital in Kyiv, killing two people and wounding more than 50, including children.

"Russia again showed its ruthless face of a state that does not care about human rights and is indifferent to truth," Ploeg said following the attack.

He is not sure its victims will see justice.

"Through the last decade, I learned that the international law is quite clear, it is international politics that are making things difficult," he said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mh17-plane-downing-russian- missile/33038538.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Former NATO Assistant Secretary-General: We Shouldn't Be 'Carving Up Somebody Else's Country'

By Vazha Tavberidze July 16, 2024

At a summit in Washington on July 9-11, NATO announced a major aid package to support Ukraine's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and said that Kyiv was on an "irreversible path" to membership.

That membership, however, is still likely a long way off. While the alliance has bolstered Ukraine's defenses, the United States, Germany, and other member states have indicated that Ukraine will not be offered membership as long as the country is at war.

A native Briton with a background working for the Ministry of Defense, Patrick Turner served as NATO assistant secretary-general from 2018 until 2022. In an interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Turner discusses Ukraine's bid to join NATO, the alliance's recent summit, and the claim of Donald Trump, the former U.S. president and Republican presidential nominee, that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.

RFE/RL: I wanted to ask about the U.S. political climate at the moment and all the recent developments that have been happening [with the U.S. presidential election race and questions about U.S. President Joe Biden's fitness for another term.] All of that cast a rather large shadow over the entire proceedings at the NATO summit in Washington. How much of a headache is that for the rest of the alliance? How could this affect the eventual outcome for Ukraine?



Patrick Turner: I'd say it's true that the American political debate, or crisis -- however you might term it -- tactically was a bit of a distraction during the summit. But it didn't affect the actual outcomes of the summit.... Europe, the rest of the world, are anyway waiting with more than considerable interest for what the outcome of the election in November is going to be.... I'd say on the NATO front, there is recent NATO polling evidence which shows strong support for NATO across the alliance and including in the U.S.

There continues to be strong support for NATO in Congress on both sides of the political aisle. There was strong support, thinking of Ukraine, actually from both sides of the political aisle when there was eventually a vote on the supplemental funding. So, I am rather confident, and I certainly have been hearing my old boss, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general, being confident that irrespective of the outcome of the U.S. election, there will be good support for NATO.

[Stoltenberg] said, if we're thinking what would happen in the case of a second Trump presidency, he said in the case of the first Trump presidency -- and I was there during that time -- the focus was especially on defense spending. And [then] President Trump said -- and in my view, he was right to say -- it is not reasonable to expect American taxpayers to care more about defending Europe than European taxpayers.

So, if there are a large number of allies who are not meeting their commitments and their obligations, then that's unacceptable. And, indeed, it was unacceptable. So now you have 23 out of 32 allies...who have already got to 2 percent [of their gross domestic product spent on defense], and the remaining allies have plans to get to 2 percent. So, we're not in all respects where we need to be but much closer....

On support to Ukraine, I'm not going to make a prediction on how things might look here next year, what exactly that might mean. But my experience over the years is that some of the things said on a campaign trail, or quite a few of the things said on a campaign trail, don't necessarily translate into facts and policy. So, let's wait and see.

So far, support to Ukraine has been pretty unified and much stronger than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would ever have counted on. And I count on that continuing to be the case. The package put together at the summit this week is a good signal of that, and it's designed to be a longer-term signal rather than just an interim signal for the next six months.

RFE/RL: If I might press you further on the much-talked-about plan of former President Trump and his statements that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Is that something that will end up being left on the campaign trail? Or do you think it will be enacted? And if it were to be enacted, what would it look like?



Turner: I can't speculate on behalf of somebody else as to what that might mean in practice. I can imagine that some of that rhetoric may continue in the coming months. What is super clear now -- and has been made as explicit as it could possibly be -- is that Russia is not in the mood to negotiate. And they've been making clear this week during the summit that their strategic intent is to dismember Ukraine, for Ukraine as a separate country to cease to exist.

They very deliberately targeted one of their most vicious attacks in Ukraine on a hospital where children were being treated for cancer, so you can't imagine worse than that. [The Russians] were saying as clearly as they could: If anyone among you is dreaming of negotiating, then it's not a dream that we share.



And on the Ukrainian side, Ukrainian friends have been saying that we're not going to be engaging in discussions about losing Ukrainian territory or ceding Ukrainian territory. [And] there was a very successful, in terms of the degree of support for Ukraine, peace conference in Switzerland last month....



I don't like hypotheticals, but if negotiating with Putin were to mean making it even plainer than now that there is no path to victory, only a path to defeat [for Russia], and saying that more means will be used to achieve that, then I'd be in favor of that kind of negotiation. But I'm not sure whether that is what is meant. But more pressure on Russia, more clarity that there is no way that they're going to achieve their objectives, would only be a good thing.

RFE/RL: When you say that Russia demonstrated that it's not interested in negotiating, incidentally, President Putin recently spoke about this proposal from former President Trump and said that we don't know what it entails, but we at least know that he's being honest about it, that his intentions are honest. They are saying that they don't want to negotiate now. But would that preclude the possibility of them being more interested, more keen on negotiating, if there was a change of administration?

Turner: So far, whenever Russia has said we might be interested in talking or we have a peace proposal -- [or] for that matter when China came up with a peace proposal -- the proposals mean we get to keep what we've taken. So that's not a peace proposal.



RFE/RL: Would you consider such a solution unthinkable and absolutely unacceptable for a future Trump administration?



Turner: I can't see how it is an acceptable outcome [for Ukraine]. The friends of Ukraine, NATO allies, the summit this week, have said we will never recognize Russian annexations in Ukraine.* So not Crimea, not the Donbas, not territory currently occupied beyond the Donbas. So we will never recognize [Russian annexations].



NATO and NATO allies have been in this position before. I think there were over 50 U.S. statements while the Baltic states were occupied: We will never recognize that the Baltic states are part of the Soviet Union; they are independent countries. So, it may be that we're going to be in the position for many years, and we will never recognize [Russian annexations].



So, no, I think a path to carving up somebody else's country is not a path that we should be traveling on. And were it our own country, were it the U.K. -- I'm British -- or Germany or France or the U.S., we would not be willing to contemplate that path. But, as ever, we will have to see what the future holds....



Ukraine has been amazingly clear and resolute. They've held the line in an extraordinary way against a much larger and more capable adversary. Russia suffered incalculable losses that would be politically impossible to bear in any of our countries. And Ukraine is showing no signs of saying, "We've had enough." I think they've been successful in revamping conscription in Ukraine and making sure that they continue to be able to fight. So, I think it is clear that we should continue to support them.



RFE/RL: Would it still be fair to say that diplomatically, or rather politically, [the recent NATO summit] has been another instance of kicking the can down the road when it comes to Ukraine's NATO membership?



Turner: Yes, I think on a number of issues covered by the summit, it's almost a holding position. So, on defense spending, there could have been a raising of the level of ambition or the level of commitment. The reality is the Europeans allies and Canada have spent 18 percent more this year, so that's extremely impressive. But there could have been a move to sign up for a 2.5 [of GDP defense spending] percent target, for example, so theoretically that will be thought about next year. There could have been a clearer long-term financial commitment to Ukraine, and that will be thought about next year. There could have been a bolder approach to inviting Ukraine [to join NATO], but for some obvious [U.S.] domestic political reasons that was never likely to be the case this year.

In a way, some of these issues are deferred but, in each case, there has been some progress.... If you step back, it's not surprising, given particularly the upcoming election here in the U.S., that some of these issues have been treated in a short-term rather than longer-term way.



RFE/RL: There was also another thing that was mentioned [in the final NATO summit communique]: China being an enabler of Russia. It is one thing to mention it; it is another to hold [China] accountable. Have there been any steps made in that direction?



Turner: So the [NATO] secretary-general has been saying publicly for some months that China is, in effect, a major enabler of the largest war in Europe since World War II and that China cannot ride two horses at the same time: both be an economic partner -- or partner in other senses -- of our countries on the one hand and, on the other, be the key enabler in terms of providing dual-use capabilities to arm Russia to engage in a huge war against Ukraine. And [he has said] that there will need to be consequences....

RFE/RL: Do you think we'll see these consequences in the short term?



Turner: The language in the statement issued by the summit on China is strong, and it's not just the secretary-general saying it, and it's not just an individual NATO ally saying it -- it's all 32 allies with their range of views on China, and there [really] are different views. But [it's] a strong statement on China's really unacceptable behavior in a number of domains: aggressive actions, cyberactivities, activities in space, disinformation, attempts to gain control of critical infrastructure. And then this language about [China] being a key enabler for Russia.

So, that is a strong statement by NATO, probably the strongest to date. Does that mean that the allies will actually take action in the near term to ensure that there are consequences? I don't know, but it certainly increases the pressure on themselves to take action to ensure there are consequences. And I think there will be more of a mood [to go] in that direction.



If you go back a few months, certainly a year, [NATO's] public narrative was: We're watching to see if China is arming Russia. The statement now says, in effect, yes, China is arming Russia, not by providing finished weapons systems but by providing key components, which enable Russian production of weapons systems.



So, I would say that the political pressure to act has gone up substantially. Sitting in Washington, the mood on China is pretty tough on both sides of the political aisle. There's almost competition between the Democratic and Republican sides to be tougher on China. In a way, especially for European countries, [there are] some difficult choices, and the EU has perhaps been more hopeful for longer than the U.S. on being able to find ways of having a slightly more cooperative relationship with China.

Now it's clear that they -- along with Iran and North Korea -- are [in] a pretty bad club, a very bad club to be in, and they are enabling Russia. I think the pressure to take measures is materially increased.

*CORRECTION: A previous version of this story mistakenly referenced the Friends Of Ukraine advocacy network.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-patrick-turner- nato-trump-putin-russia/33038789.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukrainian Court Grants Bail To Senior Military Officer Who Reportedly 'Coordinated' Nord Stream Sabotage

By RFE/RL's Russian Service July 16, 2024

The Ukrainian law firm Katerynchuk, Moor & Partners said on July 15 that a court of appeals in the Kirovohrad region had granted bail of 9 million hryvnyas ($218,000) to Special Forces Colonel Roman Chervinskiy, who was described by The Washington Post in November as a "coordinator" in the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines.

Chervinskiy was arrested in April last year on a charge of abuse of power. The charge was linked to the failed hijacking of a Russian plane, which, according to the investigation, led to a Russian missile attack on the Kanatove airfield in the Kirovohrad region in July 2022 that killed one Ukrainian military serviceman and wounded 17 others.

Chervinskiy is accused of planning and implementing the hijacking without the permission of his supervisors, which Chervinskiy denies. He calls the case against him "political retaliation" for criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

In November last year, The Washington Post described Chervinskiy as a decorated officer in the Ukrainian military with "deep ties" to the country's intelligence services, saying that he "played a central role" and was the "coordinator" of the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipelines.

The report alleged that Chervinskiy "took orders from more senior Ukrainian officials, who ultimately reported to General Valeriy Zaluzhniy," who was Ukraine's top-ranking officer at the time.

It quoted Ukrainian and European officials and "other people knowledgeable about the details of the covert operation."

The Washington Post said that, through an attorney, Chervinskiy had rejected accusations that he was involved in sabotage.

The explosive charges that were detonated on the pipelines in September 2022 caused massive leaks and were seen as a dangerous attack on European infrastructure half a year into Russia's full-scale invasion.

Western officials initially blamed Russia for the blasts, which all but destroyed the twin pipelines. Moscow blamed the United States and its allies saying it had no reason for blowing up an energy link vital to bringing its supplies westward.

Nord Stream is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom and had supplied millions of Europeans with gas.

It was seen as a major effort by Moscow to bypass Ukraine in the transit of Russian gas westward.

The United States had warned for years that the pipelines were a security risk for Germany and other European nations, making the countries' beholden to Russian energy exports.

With reporting by The Washington Post

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-chervinskiy-bail-nord- stream-sabotage-natural-gas-pipeline/33038290.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Strikes, Heat Wave Force More Power Restrictions On Ukrainians

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 16, 2024

Ukraine's national electricity distributor Ukrenerho announced on July 16 that emergency shutdowns will continue in several regions amid difficulties caused by ongoing Russian attacks on power infrastructure and a spell of hot weather that has pushed consumption to record levels.

Ukrenerho said that the equipment at one of its energy facilities failed overnight, further reducing production capacity.

Four rounds of electricity shutdowns are scheduled for July 16, with the first one starting at 10 a.m. local time, Ukrenerho said in a statement on Telegram.

"The emergency shutdowns are scheduled throughout the day in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kirovohrad regions," Ukrenerho said, adding that work was already under way to repair the affected energy facility, without specifying its location.

Ukrenerho stepped up the use of rolling blackouts to consumers as recently as last month with Russia increasingly targeting infrastructure using missile and drone attacks.

A heat wave that has seen temperatures of up to 40 Celsius and above in many places on the European continent has also impacted consumption in Ukraine.

The latest round of rolling blackouts comes a day after 446 cities, towns, and villages in six Ukrainian regions were cut off due to weather conditions.

Amid stepped-up Russian air attacks on power and cities, Ukrainian drones have struck deeper inside Russia, damaging energy facilities critical for Moscow's military effort, mainly oil installations.

On July 16, the interim governor of Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, Aleksei Smirnov, said a Ukrainian drone strike had set an electric equipment plant on fire in the town of Korenevo, located some 25 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

"None of the workers were injured," Smirnov said, adding, that the blaze at the low-voltage equipment plant was extinguished by fire crews.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 13 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one drone over the Kursk region. Ukraine has not commented on the Russian claims.

In a separate development, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announced on July 16 that their power-grid operators have signed an agreement to separate from the Soviet-era joint power grid known as BRELL, which is controlled by its Russian operators.

The agreement was announced by Lithuania's Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kursk-korenevo- drone-smirnov/33038013.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation General of the Army Valery Gerasimov visits Vostok Group CP in special military operation zone

16.07.2024

Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces / First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General of the Army Valery Gerasimov has visited the command post (CP) of the Vostok Group of Forces in the zone of the special military operation.

The Chief of General Staff received a report from the Commander of the Vostok Group of Forces and Group's officers at the CP on the current situation in the area of responsibility and the progress of combat missions.

At the end of the visit to the command post of the Vostok Group of Forces, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov noted the success of the Group's servicemen, who distinguished themselves in liberating Urozhaynoye, and set the tasks for further actions.

At the command post of the Vostok Group of Forces, Chief of the General Staff General of the Army Valery Gerasimov was presented with samples of combat robotic systems, which are successfully used during assault actions.

At the end of the visit to the command post of the Vostok Group of Forces, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov presented the servicemen, who distinguished themselves while liberating Urozhaynoye, with state awards and thanked them for their bravery and valour demonstrated during the combat mission.

After the award ceremony, Chief of the General Staff spoke with the officers and soldiers, who took part in liberation of Urozhaynoye. They told how the assault of Urozhaynoye was prepared and conducted.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Russian Air Defenses Take Down Ukrainian Yak-52 Jet, Six ATACMS and 28 Drones in Major Strike

Sputnik News

20240716

Operational-tactical aviation, drones, missile troops, and artillery units of the Russian Armed Forces targeted Ukrainian personnel and equipment in 124 areas over the past day.

Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted a host of Ukrainian jets, missiles and drones over the past day, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

"Air defense systems shot down: six US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, two French-made Hammer guided bombs, seven US-made HIMARS rockets, 28 unmanned aerial vehicles, and a Ukrainian Yak-52 aircraft with a machine gun installation," the statement said.

Since the start of the special operation, 628 Ukrainian military aircraft, 277 helicopters, 27,650 UAVs, 552 anti-aircraft missile systems, 16,594 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,378 MLRS combat vehicles, 11,982 field artillery and mortars, and 23,739 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed.

In a separate development, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 500 soldiers in battles with Russia's Yug Battlegroup in the past 24 hours.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 560 servicepeople, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, three cars, three 152-mm D-20 guns, a 122-mm self-propelled artillery installation Gvozdika, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and three US-made 105-mm M119 howitzers," the ministry said.

Russia's Zapad Battlegroup repelled one Ukrainian counterattack, making Kiev lose 545 soldiers, while the Tsentr Battlegroup fought off six Ukrainian counterattacks in which Kiev lost up to 320 soldiers in battles, the ministry said.

Ukraine also lost up to 230 soldiers in battles with Russia's Sever Battlegroup, the ministry added.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine and Moldova Coordinated Positions on Negotiation Process Towards EU Membership

President of Ukraine

16 July 2024 - 19:43

Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva met with Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Moldova Cristina Gherasimov.

Ihor Zhovkva commended the humanitarian assistance and support of the first Peace Summit by Moldova. He also thanked Cristina Gherasimov for her visit to Ukraine almost immediately after the countries held their first meetings within the framework of the bilateral screening.

"This is a very important message that once again shows that Ukraine and Moldova are moving side by side towards EU membership," said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

Ihor Zhovkva and Cristina Gherasimov discussed priorities, tasks and plans for the near future regarding the negotiation processes for Ukraine's and Moldova's accession to the European Union.

The interlocutors coordinated further joint steps that will contribute, in particular, to the advancement of the negotiations and the work of the teams.

Special attention was paid to the importance of strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.

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Humanitarian Support and Assistance in Preparing for the Winter Period: the President Met with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

President of Ukraine

16 July 2024 - 19:26

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The Head of State thanked the High Commissioner for supporting Ukraine.

"We appreciate today's announcement of a new UNHCR assistance package worth USD 100 million to prepare Ukraine for the winter. Considering the constant shelling of energy facilities, this is very important assistance," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasized that our country needs additional support to restore destroyed housing and arrange shelters in schools and hospitals so that Ukrainians can return home.

Filippo Grandi recalled that this is his fifth visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The UN High Commissioner noted that during such visits he aims to show donors what is really happening in Ukraine so that they will continue allocating funds to help Ukrainians. He revealed that he had already visited some of the districts in Kyiv that were bombed last week and the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Filippo Grandi praised the launch of a new information portal "Ukraine is home" that, with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will provide the necessary information to Ukrainians planning to return home.

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Some Much-Needed Negotiations Are Scheduled for This Week, Including Those on Weapons - Address by the President

President of Ukraine

16 July 2024 - 18:59

Dear Ukrainians!

Briefly about this day. Today I held a meeting of the Staff; I also spoke with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Barhylevych, Minister of Defense Umerov, Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Budanov, and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Maliuk. They reported on all the main directions on the frontline - from the hottest, such as the Pokrovsk direction, to those that are currently calmer but still require attention and proper supply. We are working very thoroughly on all of this, both in terms of weapons deliveries, which means fulfilling our existing agreements with partners, and ensuring fast logistics for each announced package, and also of weapons production in Ukraine - this is an absolute priority, and every month it should be felt that Ukraine is becoming more independent in terms of weapons supply. They also reported today on the manning of our brigades, and I thank everyone involved in this process. We have the necessary dynamics, and we must do everything to ensure that the formed brigades can give us more potential for rotations and support for those on the forefront.

I also held a meeting today on our international work: some much-needed negotiations are scheduled for this week, including those on weapons.

And one more thing that is definitely worth mentioning. I signed two documents today. The first is a decree on honoring our warriors with state awards. 266 surnames. Warriors from various units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. They all fully deserve our respect. And the second document - I have initiated a draft law that is capable of restoring justice when it comes to who we honor and who has lost the right to any respect from Ukrainians as a result of their own actions. This is a draft law on amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and other legislative acts of Ukraine on revoking state awards for popularizing or propagandizing the aggressor state or committing other illegal actions against Ukraine. This applies to those who have received state awards of Ukraine, including the title of Hero of Ukraine, the Order of Merit and others, but have chosen not to side with Ukraine, have chosen the enemy and are currently supporting Russia in one way or another, or even reside on its territory. We need a legal mechanism to actually deprive such persons of all state awards of Ukraine and honorary titles. The only "title" they deserve is that of traitors. And their "reward" will be accountability to Ukraine and our people for everything they have done against Ukraine, against our state, against our independence. I ask the Verkhovna Rada to consider this draft law in the near future.

I thank everyone who is fighting and working for Ukraine! I thank everyone who is helping!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Russia reports destroying 13 Ukrainian drones

By VOA News July 16, 2024

Russia's military said Tuesday its air defenses destroyed 13 Ukrainian aerial drones, while officials in Ukrainian regions along the border with Russia reported damage from Russian shelling.

The Russian Defense Ministry said nine drones were destroyed over the Rostov region, where officials said the Ukrainian attacks caused no casualties.

Russia also reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod, Kursk and Voronezh regions, as well as over the Black Sea near Russia-occupied Crimea.

In Kursk, Governor Alexey Smirnov said a Ukrainian aerial attack caused a fire at a factory that produces electrical devices in the town of Korenevo. No workers at the site were hurt, Smirnov said on Telegram.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Tuesday on Telegram that Ukrainian attacks damaged buildings in several villages and injured at least eight people.

Ukraine's military said Tuesday it destroyed two attack drones and eight reconnaissance drones.

Serhiy Lysak, governor of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, posted on Telegram that Ukrainian air defenses downed a Russian drone in the area overnight.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that Russian shelling hit the region and a Russian missile attack damaged two hangars and several other buildings.

Officials in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions also reported Tuesday that their areas had come under Russian shelling.

On Tuesday, Britain initiated a review of its armed forces, led by former NATO chief George Robertson, who cautioned that the world is confronted with a "deadly quartet" of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

This assessment, commissioned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly after his return from a NATO summit, will outline a strategy to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP.

The Ministry of Defense announced that the Strategic Defense Review would commence "immediately in recognition of the urgency of the threats facing the U.K." with a report expected in the first half of 2025.

At the NATO summit in Washington last week, Starmer reiterated the U.K.'s backing for the Western military alliance and emphasized its "strong commitment" to allocating 2.5% of its GDP for defense.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin responded cautiously to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apparent invitation for a future peace summit, stating that Russia needs to clarify Kyiv's intentions before engaging in discussions.

Zelenskyy mentioned on Monday that Russia should participate in a second summit concerning the war in Ukraine, marking a shift from last month when Kyiv excluded Moscow from a high-level peace conference in Switzerland.

"The first peace summit was not a peace summit at all. So perhaps it is necessary to first understand what he means," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to the Zvezda television channel.

The summit was in June at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. The two countries are vastly different in their positions regarding the terms for a potential peace agreement to end the conflict, which has persisted for more than two years.

Moscow maintains that it must retain all territory it currently occupies, which amounts to 20% of Ukraine, while Kyiv demands the withdrawal of all Russian troops from its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

On Monday, Washington voiced its support for Ukraine's choice to invite Russia to a second summit but raised concerns about Moscow's willingness to engage in discussions.

Before last month's summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to negotiations and would declare a cease-fire immediately if Kyiv surrendered the territories Moscow claims.

There is increasing concern in Kyiv regarding the long-term direction of the conflict, especially considering Russia's recent military advances and the possibility of Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential election in November.

On Monday, Zelenskyy expressed that he was "not worried" about the chance of Trump winning, affirming his reliance on continued support from the United States, Ukraine's largest financial and military supporter.

On Tuesday, EU finance ministers criticized Hungary, emphasizing during heated discussions in Brussels that supporting Ukraine should be a priority during its presidency of the bloc.

Hungary's actions have frustrated its EU partners, particularly following Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent visit with Putin in Russia.

In response, Brussels announced on Monday that senior European Commission officials will not visit Hungary for meetings throughout its six-month EU presidency.

Tensions were high as about 20 finance ministers criticized Hungary during their regular meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson expressed anger and disappointment over the start of Hungary's EU presidency, particularly after Orban's visit to Moscow, which she deemed an insult to Ukraine and the other EU member states.

Orban's described his trip to Moscow on July 5 as a "peace mission." He has also traveled to Kyiv and Beijing and met with Trump.

Hungary's EU partners were upset that Orban seemed to leverage his presidency to legitimize his international visits.

While Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga outlined seven priorities for the presidency, the lack of a strong commitment to supporting Ukraine was met with criticism.

Dutch Minister Eelco Heinen emphasized the importance of unity among EU nations in their backing for Ukraine, a stance Hungary has previously hindered by blocking sanctions against Russia and aid for Ukraine.

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Interview: More Patriots and F-16s for Ukraine, but no deep strikes in Russia

By Ostap Yarysh July 16, 2024

In May, the United States gave Ukraine permission to strike Russian targets just across the border using American-provided weapons. This decision enabled Ukrainians to better defend against Russian attacks in Kharkiv and other Ukrainian regions. However, the permission did not extend to the deployment of long-range weapons like ATACMS missiles, which the U.S. has also been providing to Ukraine.

Although Ukrainian authorities have been appealing for more flexibility to strike inside Russia, for now, the U.S. policy remains unchanged, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder told Voice of America in an interview.

He also talked about efforts to find more Patriot air defense batteries for Ukraine, F-16 fighter jets, and establishing the command center in Germany that would help Ukraine in its effort to join NATO.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

VOA: President Biden announced that the U.S. and its allies will provide Ukraine with additional Patriot batteries and air defense systems. The U.S. will transfer one additional Patriot battery. How long will it take to deliver to Ukraine? Is there any timeline, and will it require additional training for Ukrainian soldiers?



Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: As you know, air defense for Ukraine has been a priority area for Secretary Austin and the U.S. government for a while now. If you go back more than a year ago, this is something we've been talking about: how best to get Ukraine the air defense capabilities that it needs in order to protect its people and its sovereignty.

For operation security reasons, I'm not going to be able to go into the deployment timelines other than to say, as always, we're going to work with our Ukrainian partners to get that capability there as quickly as possible. And certainly, we'll leave it to Ukrainian officials to talk about when those systems arrive and when they're operational.

Needless to say, we understand the urgency, as evidenced by Russia's horrific missile strikes last week, one of which hit a children's hospital in Kyiv. So this is something that will continue to be incredibly important for us.

VOA: Secretary (Lloyd) Austin said that F-16 fighter jets are being transferred to Ukraine as we speak. Once they arrive, they will undoubtedly become the prime target for the Russians. Will the United States help Ukraine maintain those aircraft and, more importantly, protect them from potential Russian attacks?

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: Well, look, the F-16 is an incredible capability. It's a high-tech system that requires very specified training, not only on how to operate it but on how to maintain and sustain it.

The Ukraine defense contact group (UDCG) Air Force capability coalition has been working very hard with Denmark and the Netherlands in the lead with the U.S. as a tri-chair to look at not only making sure that Ukrainian pilots are getting the training but also that Ukrainian maintainers are being trained on the sustainment of those systems, and how best to operate them in the threat environment that Ukrainian pilots will face.

VOA: President Zelenskyy calls on the United States to lift all existing restrictions on longer-range weapons, especially ATACMS. Is this off the table, or is this something that you're talking to the Ukrainians about, and this approach might be adjusted?

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: As you highlight, we continue on a very regular basis to talk with our Ukrainian partners in terms of what their needs are when it comes to protecting Ukrainian sovereign territory and taking occupied territory back. Every step of the way, we have worked with the Ukrainians to understand their needs and to try to evolve requirements in terms of the support needed to help protect sovereign Ukrainian territory.

In fact, just recently, as you know, we authorized the use of U.S. munitions across the border in support of counterfire, defensive strikes.

But our policy hasn't changed in terms of long-range strikes. I think it's important to understand here that we don't want to see unintended consequences and escalation to make this a broader conflict that extends beyond Ukraine. And that's something that I think we all need to think about and take very seriously.

Never at any point, though, do we underestimate the threat that Russia poses to Ukraine. So we're going to continue to work with Ukraine, and we're going to continue to ensure they have what they need to protect their sovereign territory and their people.

VOA: How exactly could the situation escalate? It did not escalate after the recent permission from the U.S. to strike across the border.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: I think in that case, what we're talking about is just common sense in terms of if you're being shot at from across the border, or if they're forming troops up to conduct attacks, for example, into Kharkiv, it makes sense to be able to enable Ukrainians to fire back.

But again, you have to look at the second and third-order effects in terms of potential escalation if targets inside Russia are struck that don't necessarily have a strategic impact or could have unintended consequences in terms of escalation.

So throughout the duration of this conflict, we work very closely with Ukraine and our partners throughout Europe to prevent a wider war. The U.S. is not at war with Russia. We don't seek conflict with Russia, but we fully support Ukraine's right to defend itself, and we'll continue to work with Ukraine to make sure that they can do that.

VOA: General, could you tell us more about the new command center in Wiesbaden, Germany? When will it begin operating? Who's going to be in charge of it, and how exactly will it coordinate the joint effort to support Ukraine in the long term?

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: As you highlight, NATO announced that it will be initiating a three-star command in Wiesbaden that will help with the coordination of training and security assistance for Ukraine. This will be complementary to and supportive of the Ukraine defense contact group, so those two mechanisms will be able to work together to support Ukraine.

As Ukraine continues to develop and build its forces, this will, in many ways, be focused on interoperability so that in the future, when Ukraine is in a position and NATO Allies achieve consensus, it will be in a much better position to join NATO.

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10 years since downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17

Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Joint media release with:

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, Attorney-General, Cabinet Secretary

17 July 2024

Today marks 10 years since the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and the tragic loss of 298 lives, including 38 people who called Australia home.

Ten years on, those killed that day remain in our hearts and in our purpose. Our thoughts are with their loved ones - the passing of time does not diminish the pain of their loss.

We acknowledge and remember the courage and resilience shown by those who responded to the disaster. We recognise the Australian Federal Police, Defence Force and Australian Transport Safety Bureau personnel whose work was central to the thorough and painstaking investigation.

Australia remains steadfast in our commitment to seeking truth, justice and accountability from those responsible for this horrific act of violence.

In November 2022, the District Court of The Hague found Russians Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy, and Ukrainian separatist Leonid Kharchenko guilty for their involvement in the downing of Flight MH17 and the murder of all 298 on board.

Australia has imposed sanctions against these three, as well as Sergey Muchkaev who commanded the Russian Brigade that provided the surface-to-air missile that shot down Flight MH17.

The Court unequivocally and conclusively established Russia's responsibility for the downing of Flight MH17.

Australia continues to call for the Russian Federation to take responsibility for the role it played and to cooperate to ensure these perpetrators serve their sentences.

Australia and the Netherlands are pursuing accountability through a dispute against the Russian Federation in the International Civil Aviation Organization Council.

Today, the Foreign Minister will host a memorial service with victims' families, along with first responders, investigators and officials, at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Attorney-General will attend an event in the Netherlands hosted by the MH17 Air Disaster (Next of Kin) Foundation with representatives from victims' families and loved ones.

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We must defend the UN Charter: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on multilateral cooperation.

16 July 2024

The world of 2024 looks very different to the world of 1945, but the challenges we face are no less stark.

More countries globally are engaged in conflicts than at any time since the Second World War, we are facing a climate crisis and scientific and technological breakthroughs are raising new questions, which we need to answer.

A UN fit for the 21st century is vital to meet these challenges. I would like to make three points:

First, we need reinvigorated systems that are more inclusive and more responsive to deliver on important priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals and international financial architecture reform.

That is why the UK is committed to making a success of the Summit of the Future in September and realising its potential to set a new, ambitious course for the UN.

We also recognise that members sitting around this table need to be more representative of the world today and that is why we have long supported Security Council reform.

Second, we need to ensure that this Council delivers on its mandate to uphold international peace and security.

We regret that recent Council resolutions 2735 and 2736 calling for a ceasefire deal in Gaza and de-escalation in and around El Fasher in Sudan have yet to be fully implemented.

We call on all parties to do their utmost to see these resolutions implemented to prevent further human suffering.

We as Council members also have a responsibility to uphold our own commitments.

It is therefore vital that the Russian government stops sourcing weapons from DPRK in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and ceases its attempts to disrupt UN efforts in Africa, including by stopping Russian proxies targeted actions against MINUSCA.

Third, we must defend the UN Charter.

President, while you tell us how you believe the world order can become more just, democratic and sustainable, your military is systematically bombing civilians in Ukraine in an unprovoked war of aggression and in flagrant violation of the UN Charter.

What is just about trying to annex another country's land? What is democratic about trying to subjugate another country's people? What is sustainable about waging a war that has killed or injured over 500,000 of your own people?

The war in Ukraine is a stark reminder of what kind of world order Russia really wants - a world where might is right, and powerful countries can bully and invade other countries with impunity.

The UK does not accept such a world. We will continue to stand staunchly behind Ukraine. We will support its aspiration for a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter and international law, and its demand for accountability.

We will continue to be a tireless advocate for effective multilateralism and for the principles at the heart of the UN Charter.

I thank you.

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AMAZONAS, Brazil, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brazil Potash Corp. (Brazil Potash or the Company) is excited to announce the formation of an advisory board to provide further sector, Brazil country and investor relationship expertise as the Company advances the Autazes potash project (the Project) to construction. The advisory board will be Chaired by Mayo Schmidt and includes the following highly notable individuals: Katia Abreu, Luis Adams, Helio Diniz, Maria Claudia Guimaraes, Cidinho Santos, and William Steers.



The following is some background on the vast experience brought by Brazil Potashs Advisory Board.

Mayo Schmidt  former Chairman & CEO of Nutrien, former CEO Viterra, and former CEO Hydro One

Mr. Schmidt has led a distinguished career that includes global multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, building high performance teams, transformational leadership and initial public offerings of private companies. In 2022, Mr. Schmidt retired from Nutrien Inc., the largest potash producer globally with ~US$25 billion market capitalization, having served as Chairman of the Board and transitional President & CEO. In 2018, Mr. Schmidt was appointed by Agrium as Chairman of the Merger Committee between Agrium and Potash Corporation leading to the formation of Nutrien Inc.

Mr. Schmidt is also the former President, CEO and Director of Viterra Inc., which he grew from a market capitalization of $54 million to $7.3 billion in less than ten years through a series of 24 acquisitions establishing a presence in 14 countries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Schmidt held a number of key management positions, largely in the agricultural sector working for companies such as General Mills Inc. and ConAgra Inc.

Katia Abreu  Former Brazil Minister of Agriculture & Senator

Mrs. Abreu is a Brazilian businesswoman, cattle rancher and politician. She was Brazils Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply from 2003-2007 and Senator for the state of Tocantins from 2007-2023. In 2018, as part of Ciro Gomes' campaign, she was a candidate for Vice President of Brazil. Mrs. Abreu is the former head of the largest farm lobbying group in Brazil, the National Agriculture and Livestock Confederation, which represents more than one million producers across 27 states.

Luis Adams  Former Brazil Attorney General

Mr. Adams is a Partner in the Litigation, Arbitration and Compliance practice at Tauil Chequer Advogados, associated to Mayer Brown law firm based on Sao Paulo, Brazil. Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Mr. Adams was appointed by Brazil President Lula to be the Attorney General in October 2009 and he remained in this position under subsequent President Dilma until March 2016. As Attorney General, Mr. Adams led major cases in the judiciary including coordination of an environment agreement between the Brazilian Government and Samarco, Vale and BHP. Mr. Adams also has extensive tax experience, having worked as counsel for the Federal Treasury at the Brazil Ministry of Finance for 24 years.

Helio Diniz  Founder of Brazil Potash

Mr. Diniz has 40 years of experience with exploration and mining activities and is one of the founders of Brazil Potash where he served for several years as Managing Director. Mr. Diniz started his career with GENCOR South Africa where he was involved in the evaluation and development of the Sao Bento gold mine in Brazil which operated for 25 years. In 1999 he joined Noranda Mining as country manager Brazil and following the merger of Noranda and Falconbridge Ltd his team discovered the world class Araguaia Nickel Deposit (over 100 million tonnes, 1.5% Ni). He then went on to work for Xstrata (now Glencore) as Managing Director Brazil. He left Xtrata in 2007 and joined Forbes & Manhattan Inc. to set up several companies, such as potash  Brazil Potash, phosphate  Aguia Metais, gold  Belo Sun Mining and oil shale  Irati Petroleo e Energia Ltda. Currently he is the founder, President and Director of Lithium Ionic.

Maria Claudia Guimaraes  Former Executive Officer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Brazil

Mrs. Guimaraes has 36 years of experience in the financial markets having served as Managing Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BankBoston. She also held senior management positions at ING Bank N.V. and ABN AMRO Bank, always focusing on the mining & metals, oil & gas and energy sectors. Mrs. Guimaraes is an independent director at Patria Latin American Opportunity Acquisition Corp and previously served as an independent director at multibillion dollar market capitalization companys such as Petrobras. Mrs. Guimaraes was a partner of the KPC multi-family office, which was sold to Brainvest Wealth Management in 2023. Mrs. Guimaraes is the founder of Baoba Investimentos, who act as a strategic and financial advisor for companies.

Cidinho Santos  Former Senator for Mato Grosso State (largest farming region in Brazil)

Mr. Santos is a Brazilian investor and businessman focused on the agricultural sector. Mr. Santos represented the state of Mato Grosso in the Federal Senate from 2012 to 2019 and served three terms as Mayor of the Municipality of Nova Marilandia located in Mato Grosso State. He is the co-owner of two successful Brazil-based agricultural companies, Unibras Industria e Comercio de Biodiesel Ltda. and Unioa Avicola Agroindustrial Ltda. Unibras Industria e Comercio de Biodiesel Ltda. is involved in the production of biodiesel whereas Unioa Avicola Agroindustrial Ltda. is a poultry processor.

William Steers  Former Director of Petro Rio S.A. & Docs Investimentos S.A. Brazil

Mr. Steers has over 30 years of experience in capital markets and project development primarily in Brazil. He was a director and senior manager at Docas Investimentos S.A., a Brazilian investment group involved in real estate, ship building, telecommunications, and oil and gas. Additionally, Mr. Steers has served as an independent director at several natural resource companies including Petro Rio S.A., Brazils largest independent private oil and gas company.

Brazil Potashs Executive Chairman Stan Bharti commented, Brazil Potash has assembled a very impressive advisory board with extensive depth of networks in the fertilizer sector, Brazils government and the investment community that will contribute meaningfully to transitioning our construction ready Autazes Project into the next major potash producer. Each advisory board member is a skilled leader with a strong network that will provide good advice and insights to our international board of directors with majority having on-the-ground presence in the heartland of Brazils farming community, Mato Grosso.

Having domestic Brazilian potash production is expected to be game changing for global food security given Brazil is one the worlds largest net exporters of agricultural goods but is exposed as the country imports over 95% of its needs when potentially one of the worlds largest potash basins is sitting in its backyard being developed by Brazil Potash.

About Brazil Potash

Brazil Potash has advanced its large-scale development stage potash project to a near construction ready state. Brazil is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing consumers of potash but imports 98% of its needs at high cost. As a result, over 1.3 million tonnes of Greenhouse Gas emissions are unnecessarily generated from maritime transportation and potash production in jurisdictions with higher emission factors. Brazil Potashs sylvanite ore body is in Brazil beside a major river, which management anticipates will enable the company to extract, process and deliver potash for the same cost that importers pay for transportation alone. The company has completed a feasibility study, EISA and obtained the majority of the permits required for project construction.

For more information, please contact:

Brazil Potash Investor Relations

info@brazilpotash.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements and are based on the reasonable expectations, estimates and projections of the Company as of the date of this press release. The words plans, expects, or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, or will be taken, occur or be achieved and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Brazil Potash advisory board, the roles and expertise of the advisory board members, the status of the Companys project, government regulation and environmental regulation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
SAN DIEGO, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of purchasers or acquirers of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW) (Lamb Weston or the Company) common stock between July 25, 2023 and April 3, 2024, inclusive (the Class Period), charging the Company and certain current and former senior executives with violations of the federal securities laws.



Lamb Weston investors have until August 12, 2024 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Lamb Weston class action lawsuit.

If you purchased Lamb Weston common stock between July 25, 2023 and April 3, 2024, and suffered substantial losses, and you wish to obtain additional information or serve as lead plaintiff in this lawsuit, you may submit your information and contact us here: https://dicellolevitt.com/securities/lamb-weston/.

You can also contact DiCello Levitt partner Brian OMara by calling (888) 287-9005 or at investors@dicellolevitt.com. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

No Case Has Been Filed and No Class Has Been Certified. Until a case is filed and a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice.

Case Allegations

Lamb Weston is a large producer of frozen potato products, which the Company sells to restaurants and retailers around the world, including to McDonalds, which is one of its largest customers.

On July 25, 2023, Lamb Weston announced the completion of the design of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system that the Company would work to implement across its operations. The new ERP system was critically important to Lamb Weston, and it would drive efficiency through increased automation and interface with the most important aspects of Lamb Westons business and operations, including, among other things, inventories and customer order shipments. According to the Company, the ERP system would drive efficiency through increased automation.

As alleged in the Lamb Weston lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, Lamb Weston emphasized that, through the design of the Companys new ERP system, Lamb Weston had strengthen[ed] [its] operational infrastructure. The Company also claimed that it had experienced only the usual bumps in the implementation of the system and told investors that its guidance for fiscal 2024 accounted for the financial impact of the systems deployment.

According to the Lamb Weston lawsuit, these and similar statements made throughout the Class Period were false. Unbeknownst to investors, Defendants knew of, or recklessly disregarded, significant problems in the functionality of the new ERP system that would impact its successful implementation. Notwithstanding those problems, Lamb Weston proceeded with the implementation, knowing that a premature launch would negatively impact its business and operations. As a result, the Companys statements concerning its business, operations, and prospects, including its financial guidance for fiscal 2024, lacked a reasonable factual basis. As a result of Defendants misrepresentations, shares of Lamb Weston common stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period.

On April 4, 2024, Lamb Weston disclosed that it experienced significant challenges in its transition to the new ERP system. The disastrous roll-out caused the Company to lose $135 million in sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 and necessitated a $330 million reduction to its sales guidance for the full fiscal year. As a result, the price of Lamb Weston common stock declined by $19.59 per share, or over 19%.

About DiCello Levitt

At DiCello Levitt, we are dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, civil and human rights, and mass tort litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases  whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise  for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations  and our capital  on the line for our clients.

DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and Trial Innovation Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. The New York Law Journal also recently recognized DiCello Levitt as a Distinguished Leader in trial innovation. For more information about the Firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit www.dicellolevitt.com.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Media Contact

Amy Coker

4747 Executive Drive, Suite 240

San Diego, CA 92121

619-963-2426

investors@dicellolevitt.com
NEW YORK, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) between May 3, 2023 and April 30, 2024, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 10, 2024.



SO WHAT: If you purchased CVS Securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the CVS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=24975 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 10, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the forecasts CVS used to determine plan premiums were ineffective at accounting for medical cost trends and health care utilization patterns; (2) as a result, CVS was likely to incur significant expenses to cover cost increases that were not accounted for in the CVS forecasts and thus not covered by plan premiums; (3) accordingly, CVS had overstated the profitability of its Health Care Benefits segment; (4) contrary to defendants assurances, the revenues generated from CVS other primary segments were insufficient to offset the negative financial impact of the increasing expenditures within the Health Care Benefits segment; and (5) as a result, CVS public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.



To join the CVS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=24975 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

case@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
NEW ORLEANS, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until August 5, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG), if they purchased the Companys shares between November 3, 2021 and August 1, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.



What You May Do

If you purchased shares of Scotts and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-smg/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by August 5, 2024 .

About the Lawsuit

Scotts and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 2, 2023, the Company disclosed disappointing financial results including a decline in quarterly sales for fiscal third quarter of 6%, a decline in gross margin by 420 basis points, as well as a cut to fiscal year EBITDA guidance by a staggering 25% and a $20 million write down of pandemic driven excess inventories.

On this news, the price of Scotts shares fell by $13.58 per share, or 19%, from a closing price of $71.44 per share on August 1, 2023, to a closing price of $57.86 per share on August 2, 2023.

The case is City of Hialeah Employees Retirement System v. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, No. 24-cv-03132.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nations premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients  including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors  in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 960

New Orleans, LA 70163
Melbourne, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Green, a global battery energy storage company, has achieved planning consent from the South Australian Government for its first two grid-scale battery energy parks in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia.

The Limestone Coast Energy Park assets will consist of a 0.5GW / 1.5 GWh battery energy storage system developed and constructed in two phases over the next 36 months. Once operational they will significantly strengthen the regions grid stability.

As part of the approval process and to minimise local impacts, Pacific Green engaged with numerous independent specialists to assess a wide range of environmental, technical and heritage aspects as well as undertaking targeted stakeholder and community consultation. Construction of the energy parks will commence towards the end of this year, with the first phase expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.

Pacific Green is committed to working with local suppliers and with a local workforce throughout the construction phase, wherever possible. The company has launched a supplier portal and will host a local supplier networking morning in the coming weeks. Interested parties are encouraged to visit: www.pacificgreen.com/aus/community/supplier for more information.

The Limestone Coast Energy Parks mark the first set of assets of an 8.5GWh development pipeline of battery energy parks Pacific Green is rolling out throughout Australia. Leveraging its significant experience building out battery energy parks in the UK and Europe, the company is aiming to be one of Australias leading developers, and to help accelerate the countrys transition to renewables by building a multi-gigawatt platform nationwide.

Tom Koutsantonis, Minister for Energy and Mining, Government of South Australia commented: It's encouraging to see more private sector investment in energy storage. An increase in storage will provide greater capacity at peak times, extending the availability of electricity generated by cheap renewables. It's also particularly pleasing that Pacific Green has chosen the South East of South Australia for its project - greater diversity of storage locations will strengthen our security of supply and reliability.

Joel Alexander, Managing Director & CEO, Pacific Green Australia commented: This is a major milestone for the Limestone Coast Energy Park assets, and we are pleased that the South Australian Government has recognised the rigorous assessment and community consultation work we have undertaken to date. We look forward to re-engaging with the local community to maximise the tangible economic benefits of the Limestone Coast Energy Parks and to ensure funding and local contracting opportunities are open to all relevant groups. This is a positive and exciting start to an exceptional pipeline of Australian projects to come.

Scott Poulter, Chairman & Group CEO, Pacific Green commented: We are very pleased to begin our first development at Limestone Coast in South Australia. With so much local and Government support, this milestone announcement will be one of many to come over the next years as we build out our 8.5GWh pipeline, across Australia.

Poulter added: Australia is witnessing one of the worlds fastest growth renewable energy markets, so it is critical that battery energy storage grows at the same pace to support the grid networks expansion of renewable generation.









About Pacific Green:

Pacific Green is a global leader in grid-scale battery development, currently operating and developing a portfolio of projects across the world. The company has established a strong presence in Australia with battery storage projects in development in South Australia and Victoria.

Pacific Green is dedicated to creating a cleaner environment for our communities. We do this by delivering innovative energy storage solutions that enable Australias net-zero transition. We also partner with communities where we deliver projects to develop wider social value beyond our core business.

For more information, visit Pacific Greens website: www.pacificgreen.com/aus/
Dublin, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2019 - 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The India Communication Platform as a Service Market size is estimated at USD 0.81 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 2.46 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 24.83% during the forecast period (2024-2029).



The Indian CPaaS market is driven primarily by increased digital customer engagement, cloud encryption, and digital transformation. A communication platform as a service (CPaaS) is a cloud-based delivery architecture that enables businesses to add real-time communication capabilities. CPaaS, a cloud communication technology, is primarily used to improve customer communication channels.

Key Highlights

The WhatsApp Business API and chatbots are the most visible CPaaS use cases. Text messaging, call-based help, and video-based services can all be integrated into the same application with CPaaS. The company is aware of future issues as everything is linked in the back end. The company is also aware of the buyer's previous communication history when a client contacts the firm and can even get to the heart of a problem and solve it. This, of course, increases the efficiency of transactions and can improve the customer experience.

Numerous cloud-based APIs are used more frequently by CPaaS providers since they offer tremendous value. These are made available to developers as pre-packaged plugins or as a component of integration modules so they can integrate messaging, audio, video, email, and other OTT into their applications. This platform uses a pay-as-you-go system for ads, allowing companies to only pay for the services they utilize. As there is no significant expenditure needed to create an infrastructure or develop software, it makes the business asset lighter. As a result, CPaaS is becoming more and more popular among enterprises.

Technological innovations carry a value that works in multiple sectors. Smart shopping assistants are expected to be better at making purchase suggestions based on the user's browsing history. The software would provide accurate, real-time translations, reducing the need for expensive multilingual customer support representatives. APIs would provide CPaaS video chat technology and AI capable of facial recognition to turn any phone or webcam into a biometric security checkpoint. Chatbots would also continue to grow in scope and capacity, allowing multiple businesses to deploy teams of automated service reps made entirely of bots.

Over the past year, global communication has changed. Always-on consumers drive expectations, and businesses work harder to adapt to these rapid changes in a customer-centric manner. Flexibility, seamless connectivity, and multichannel commercial communication are becoming increasingly important. The transition to a contemporary digital platform is fueled by communications-platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) services, allowing businesses to adapt to changing client needs. Implementation challenges in the ecosystem are expected to hinder the market growth.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the rise in the requirement for CPaaS services, many startups entered the market to capture significant shares. In June 2022, following the widespread use of the WhatsApp chatbot during the last two years of the pandemic, WhatsApp India and the Centre planned to expand this bot's features to include dedicated medical opinion for cancer consultation online, as well as electronic history capturing of patients. Solutions, such as X-Ray Setu, an automated system that aids in interpreting chest X-rays from low-resolution photos provided over WhatsApp, are also in the works.

CPAAS in India Market Trends

SMEs to Witness Significant Growth

The SME sector in India is recognized as the foundation of the country's economy, accounting for 45% of industrial output, 40% of exports, 60 million jobs annually, 1.3 million new jobs annually, and the production of more than 8000 high-quality goods for domestic and international markets.

The Udyam registration platform registered 12,201,448 MSMEs as of November 25, 2022, according to the data from the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, replacing the previous procedure of registering for a Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum. Microbusinesses made 11,735,117 (96.17%) of all registered businesses, while small companies made 426,864 (3.49%) and midsized businesses made 39,467 (0.32%).

For CPaaS providers, the enormous and rapidly expanding market for SMEs in India offers a significant chance to expand their operations across the ecosystem. A fantastic platform for SMEs is CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service), which enables businesses to create, manage, and use applications without dealing with the hassle of setting up and maintaining communication infrastructure. It includes a modern customer management platform, redundancy, and multi-layer data security, allowing users complete control over the platform.

Due to the concentration of Indian MSMEs in smaller towns and cities, there is an increased requirement for multilingual communication with their clients. With the help of CPaaS, small business owners can communicate with their clients in various languages without the expense or requirement for specialized translators or translation tools.

In addition to assisting MSMEs in maintaining relationships with their current clients in their local areas, CPaaS also enables them to connect with potential clients in India. Cloud and AI-enabled communication solutions allow MSMEs to connect with potential clients in multiple markets with personalized messaging, utilizing numerous channels since digital is rapidly becoming a significant component of business operations for enterprises of all sizes in India. MSMEs may scale their communications strategies up or down as necessary with CPaaS, allowing them to develop and expand at their rate. The investment money that would have been spent on growth and lead-generating services is reduced.

The investment cost is crucial for SMEs when deploying any technology solution. They can profit from a customized, AI-enabled contextual communications platform with CPaaSwithout investing capital in new infrastructure. If they have any apps, they can easily incorporate them into those and other systems via APIs. CPaaScan increases marketing initiatives' return on investment (ROI) by up to 25% while lowering the cost of engagement for MSMEs by 30%.

Retail and E-commerce is Expected to Hold Significant Market Share

India is now a mobile-first economy, and rapid mobile and digital adoption have altered consumer engagement and brand interactions. They demand better end-to-end tailored experiences along with more options to pick from. Customers expect all offers to be individualized, according to ~52% of them. Organizations have been utilizing conversational commerce and other technologies to keep up with these shifting consumer demands, particularly when integrated with cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.

The requirement for conversational commerce may also be measured by looking at how willing customers are to use chatbots in their purchasing trips. The research found that 81% of the 15% of customers who used a retail chatbot to make purchases stated they would do it again. However, creating CPaaS capabilities that are simple to combine with SaaS solutions may help conversational commerce succeed.

The Indian e-commerce sector is expected to grow by 21.5% and reach USD 74.8 billion in 2022. The recent increase in digital literacy has resulted in a surge of investment in e-commerce businesses, leveling the playing field for new companies to establish their bases and generating novel patterns to challenge established behavior. The CPaaS market in India is further fueled by increased investment in retail and e-commerce.

Moreover, the pandemic altered the retail sector, resulting in regrettable store closures and anxiety regarding the future of the in-store experience. Retailers struggled initially but eventually changed course to serve clients through cutting-edge methods efficiently. For all players, big or small, digital-first and omnichannel experiences have become a need. The industry turned to CPaaS for welcome email-based programs, more intelligent voice-based IVR and customer service solutions, and conventional SMS initiatives.

According to Global Agriculture Information Network, in 2022, there were around 13 million retail grocery stores in India. Within the category, this encompassed traditional and new retailers. While there has been a constant growth in numbers since 2013, it primarily comprises traditional stores. The rise in the retail stores would increase the demand for the studied market, and the retailers may send the product discount rate and any seasonal sales through messages.

CPAAS in India Industry Overview



The India Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) Market is moderately fragmented, with major players like Twilio Inc., Tanla, Route Mobile, AMD Telecom (Routee), and Netcore Cloud, among others. Players in the market are adopting strategies such as partnerships, mergers, innovations, investments, and acquisitions to enhance their product offerings and gain sustainable competitive advantage.

Key Topics Covered:



1 INTRODUCTION



2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET INSIGHTS

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Market



5 MARKET DYNAMICS

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rising Demand for the Pay-per-use Model to Minimize Capital Spending

5.1.2 Exponential Increase in the Uptake of CPaaS Based Solutions over other Adjacent Models, such as UCaaS

5.1.3 Growing Demand for Low Code Enablement to Make Enterprises CPaaS Highly Usable for Customer Operations, Service and Marketing

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Implementation Challenges

5.3 Industry Ecosystem Analysis

5.3.1 Pure-Play CPaaS

5.3.2 Enterprise-Grade CPaaS

5.3.3 Telco-Driven CPaaS

5.3.4 Service Provider-Based CPaaS

5.4 Key Trends

5.4.1 Streamlining of Payment Collection Process with Automated Calls and Texts

5.4.2 Serverless Deployments

5.4.3 Advent of Machine Learning and AI

5.4.4 Omnichannel Communication through Bots

5.4.5 Security and Privacy Paradigm

5.5 Analysis of Pricing and Business Model



6 MARKET SEGMENTATION

6.1 By Organization Size

6.2 By End-user Industry



7 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

7.1 Company Profiles

Twilio Inc.

Tanla

Route Mobile

AMD Telecom (Routee)

Netcore Cloud

Telnyx LLC

ACL Mobile Limited (Sinch)

Sendbird Inc.

Gupshup Inc.

MessageBird Inc.

Infobip Ltd

Plvio Inc.

8 FUTURE OUTLOOK



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2hos88

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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BEIJING, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since the successful completion of the Scarborough General Hospital project in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO) in 2012, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) has steadfastly expanded its footprint in the healthcare sector across Latin America. To date, CRCC has delivered nine landmark healthcare facilities in TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, each marking a significant milestone in the nations medical infrastructure.

A flagship project, completed in September 2019, is the Medical Linear Accelerator installation at the St. James Medical Complex. This endeavor exemplifies CRCCs diversified operational strategy in the country. As the first public hospital in TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO to be equipped with advanced radiotherapy equipment, the St. James Medical Complex now houses one of the worlds most sophisticated cancer-fighting technologies. It offers new treatment options for cancer patients, marking a milestone in the medical sector across the entire Eastern Caribbean region.

Dr. Kellie Alleyne-Mike, a physician at the medical complex, explained its benefits: Compared to the previously utilized cobalt-60 treatment machine, the electronic linear accelerator delivers superior therapeutic outcomes with reduced side effects. Its precision in targeting tumors enables the delivery of more efficacious radiotherapy while minimizing collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissues. It not only elevates patients quality of life but also alleviates the burden on their families.

Since the commissioning of this advanced equipment in 2020, the complex has witnessed a dramatic increase in its daily cancer treatment capacity, rising from 8-10 patients to over 30. In the context of rising global rates of non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer, forging partnerships with experienced entities like CRCC is invaluable for developing nations such as TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. These collaborations not only transform patients lives but also drive positive change across the entire healthcare landscape of our country, Dr. Mike added.

As China and TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO commemorate the momentous 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, CRCC is actively spearheading pragmatic cooperation between China, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, and other Caribbean nations in critical sectors including infrastructure and healthcare. CRCC has reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, while deepening its engagement in the Latin American market to further advance local economic and social development.





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f6a4c72e-cfe5-480e-b20b-e6127e326fdb

Company: China Railway Construction Corporation Limited

Contact Person: Wen Kai

Email: wenkai@crcc.cn

Website: https://english.crcc.cn/

Telephone: 010-52688232








VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Groundworks, the nations leading and fastest-growing foundation and water management solutions company, announced the hire of Mike Midgett as its new chief service officer. In this role, Midgett will lead the Groundworks service division, furthering its commitment to a lifetime partnership with homeowners in the protection of their homes. Midgett will use his 35 years of experience in home services to further the divisions best-in-class customer service and maintenance to homeowners who choose Groundworks and its brands for their waterproofing, foundation repair and concrete needs.



I am honored to bring my experience in home services to Groundworks as we evolve our service division, said Midgett. "Groundworks has done excellent work serving homeowners across North America. My goal is to invest time and resources into this division to help those homeowners maintain their systems for years to come and bring new development and culture opportunities for all service employees.

Mike Midgett brings a track record of high growth and improved customer service to Groundworks. He most recently served as the chief sales and marketing officer for American Residential Services, where he grew service lines in heating, cooling, indoor air quality, and plumbing for both residential and commercial customers. Before that, Midgett was the chief sales and marketing officer of Direct Energy, a subsidiary of Centrica, where he led the sales, brand, and customer experience functions for a billion-dollar home services arm including One Hour Heating and Air, Mister Sparky, and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

Midgetts addition further solidifies Groundworks recurring business and strengthens its position to support customers with incremental home projects in the future. His extensive experience in leading sales initiatives in the home services industry makes him the ideal candidate for improving the growing service division at Groundworks.

As Groundworks continues its rapid expansion in North America, Mikes successful track record in home services will be an incredible asset to our team, said Matt Malone, founder and CEO at Groundworks. Our service division has experienced tremendous growth over the past three years. Mike will bring strategic leadership to that division for further growth.

Midgett earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from California State University, Stanislaus and Master of Business Administration in finance from Duke University. He will operate out of Groundworks second corporate location in Dallas, Texas.

About Groundworks

Groundworks, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., is North Americas leading and fastest-growing foundation and water management solutions company. Founded in 2016, Groundworks companies provide foundation and water management solutions, including foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, plumbing, gutter installation, and concrete lifting services, as well as offer soil stabilizing solutions for residential and commercial projects. Groundworks combined brands have helped over one million homeowners protect and repair their most valuable asset: their homes. Groundworks operates over 71 offices across 36 states as well as in Canada. It is a seven-time recipient of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies and was named to the Inc. 2023 Best in Business list.

For more information about Groundworks, visit https://www.groundworks.com/, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Media Contact

John Thornton

Chief Marketing Officer

John.thornton@groundworks.com

Debbie Erhman

FINN Partners

Deborah.ehrman@finnpartners.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/343a82c8-9f5a-476d-b0c0-d2d0b4f10c78
Lake City, Colo., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

A decade ago, therapists sounded the alarm about the looming rise of climate grief and eco-anxiety, but their warnings were largely ignored by mainstream society. That didnt stop individuals like Kate Schapira, author and climate activist, from helping communities cope with feelings of climate anxiety. And like Lucy did with her Psychiatry Booth in the Peanuts cartoon, this climate activist offers help in public spaces with her Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth.

Join Schapira for an empowering event, Climate Anxiety Unmasked, hosted by the Next Generation Influencer Group (NGIG) on July 23, 12 PM ET. In this virtual event, Schapira will share practical coping exercises from her latest book, Lessons From the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to find solidarity, support, and actionable steps towards managing climate anxiety. Secure your spot for the event and take charge of your emotional well-being amidst global change. Plus, registered attendees will be entered for a chance to win one of three signed copies of Lessons From the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth.

Click here to reserve your free seat today!

About Green Builder Media

Green Builder Media is North Americas leading media company focused on green building and sustainable living content. With a comprehensive suite of content marketing, digital, social, and print media options, high-profile demonstration projects, market intelligence, data services, and live events, Green Builder Media offers a blend of visionary and practical information covering a broad spectrum of topics, including decarbonization, electrification, smart home technologies, energy efficiency, intelligent water, indoor air quality, resilient housing, renewables, and clean transportation.













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IRVING, TX, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scouts and leaders from Scouting America joined Senate and Congressional leaders in Washington last week to highlight the importance of programs for the nations youth and discuss the positive impact these youth programs have on our communities.

Building on 114 years of serving Americas youth and their families, Scouting Americas goal is to provide young people with a safe environment where they can learn meaningful life skills and have fun, educational experiences, fostering their growth as future leaders.

There is no better program in the nation to instill leadership and good character in our youth than Scouting America, said Congressman Glenn GT Thompson of Pennsylvania, co-chair of the Congressional Scouting Caucus and himself a Distinguished Eagle Scout Award recipient.

Washington officials were joined by Scouting America youth in the Cub Scout and Scouts BSA programs, as well as members of the Venturing, Exploring and Sea Scout programs. Bringing real excitement and competition to the meeting, Cub Scouts from Pack 98 of National Capitol Area Council provided a Pinewood Derby track and cars for officials to race. Special guest NASA astronaut and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award recipient Mike Fossum immediately picked-out the Space Shuttle Pinewood Derby car and challenged all Cubs Scouts to race.

For over a century, Scouting America has provided the nation's premier program for character development and values-based leadership training for more than 130 million young men and women, said Roger Krone, president and chief executive officer of Scouting America. We want to thank our elected officials for their unwavering support for advancing the mission of Scouting, and we look forward to another century of working together.

About Scouting America

Scouting America provides the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be Prepared. For Life.

Scouting America welcomes all of Americas youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently more than 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country.

To learn more about Scouting Americas mission, visit Scouting.org.

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Dublin, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Opportunities in the Global Prepared Meals Sector 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global prepared meals sector was valued at $133 billion in 2023 and is forecast to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% during 2023-28, and reach $181.6 billion in 2028.

The Americas represented the largest region in the sector in 2023, with a value share of 44%, followed by Western Europe with 27%. In 2023, ready meals was the largest category, accounting for 71.9% of overall global value sales, distantly followed by pizza and meal kits at 24.8% and 3.3%, respectively. The top five companies in the global prepared meals sector together accounted for a combined value share of 28.4% in 2023.

The sector was led by Nestle, which held a value share of 13.6%, followed by Conagra Brands with 5.7% and Nissin Foods Holdings with 4.2%. Hypermarkets & supermarkets was the leading distribution channel in the global prepared meals sector in 2023, with a value share of 67.5%, followed by convenience stores with 19.9%.



This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the global prepared meals sector, analyzing data from 106 countries:

Sector overview: Provides an overview of the current sector scenarios in terms of ingredients, manufacturer claims, labeling, and packaging. The analysis also provides a regional overview across five regions-Asia-Pacific, MEA (MEA), the Americas, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe-highlighting sector size, growth drivers, the latest developments, and future challenges for each region. This data includes both on-trade and off-trade data.

Change in consumption: Provides an overview of consumption changes in the prepared meals sector over 2018-28 at global and regional levels.

High-potential countries: Provides risk-reward analysis of the top high-potential countries in each region based on market assessment, economic development, governance indicators, sociodemographic factors, and technological infrastructure.

Reasons to Buy

Manufacturers and retailers seek latest information on how the market is evolving to formulate their sales and marketing strategies. There is also demand for authentic market data with a high level of detail. This report has been created to provide its readers with up-to-date information and analysis to uncover emerging opportunities of growth within the prepared meals sector.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the countries in the region, covering the key challenges, competitive landscape and demographic analysis, that can help companies gain insight into the country specific nuances.

The analysts have also placed a significant emphasis on the key trends that drive consumer choice and the future opportunities that can be explored in the region, than can help companies in revenue expansion.

To gain competitive intelligence about leading brands in the sector in the region with information about their market share and growth rates.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Sector Overview

Global Overview

Americas Overview

Asia-Pacific Overview

Eastern Europe Overview

MEA Overview

Western Europe Overview

Prepared meals: Global Challenges

Shift in Food Value Share Patterns

Change in Value Share in the Overall Food Industry, 2023-28

Reasons for Shift in Value Share

Change in Consumption Levels: Americas, 2018-28

Change in Consumption Levels: Asia-Pacific, 2018-28

Change in Consumption Levels: Eastern Europe, 2018-28

Change in Consumption Levels: MEA, 2018-28

Change in Consumption Levels: Western Europe, 2018-28

Identifying High-Potential Countries by Region

Identifying High-Potential Countries by Region

Methodology - Identifying High-Potential Countries

Country Deep Dive

High-Potential Country Analysis

Future Outlook

Health & Wellness Analysis

Health & Wellness Analysis - Global & Regional

Competitive Environment

Leading Companies by Value - Global

Leading Companies and Brands Share Analysis - Global

Leading Companies and Brands Share Analysis by Region

Competitive Landscape - Market Analysis

Key Brands - Ready Meals

Key Brands - Pizza

Key Brands - Meal Kits

Market Share of Private Labels

Private Labels' Share Analysis by Region

Private Labels' Share Analysis by Category

Key Distribution Channels

Share of Key Distribution Channels - Global and Regional Level

Key Packaging Formats

Growth Analysis by Key Pack Material and Pack Type

Growth Analysis by Closure Type and Primary Outer Type

Select Industry Metrics

Global Patent Filings

Global Job Analytics

Global Deals

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:

Nestle

Conagra Brands

Nissin Foods Holdings

Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel

General Mills

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v92may

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EB5 Capital is pleased to announce the first individual I-526 petition approval for an investor in its Rivergate (JF28) project. An I-526 approval is a significant step in the EB-5 immigration process as it qualifies the investor and their eligible immediate family members for conditional permanent residency in the United States. The approved petition was filed with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in June 2021 prior to the enactment of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA).



Less than 20 miles outside of Washington, DC, Rivergate (JF28) is a seven-story 318-unit multifamily development located in Woodbridge, Virginia, along the banks of the Occoquan River. EB5 Capital funded $15 million in the project as a preferred equity investment, raised from 30 investors representing a variety of nationalities. The project opened to the public in 2023 and created more than 600 jobs.

We are pleased to have received the first I-526 approval for this project, said Juline Kaleyias, Vice President of Business Development at EB5 Capital. Rivergate (JF28) was our final pre-RIA project that was awaiting investor approvals from USCIS. This significant milestone underscores our commitment to providing exceptional EB-5 qualifying investment opportunities to investors.

To date, EB5 Capital has raised foreign investor funds across approximately 40 EB-5 projects throughout the United States, including 12 multifamily developments in the Washington, DC area. Rivergate (JF28) is EB5 Capitals 30th project which has reached the conditional green card stage for foreign investors going through the EB-5 immigration process. Now that the first petition has been approved in Rivergate (JF28), additional I-526 petition approvals are anticipated in the coming months.

About EB5 Capital

EB5 Capital provides qualified foreign investors with opportunities to invest in job-creating commercial real estate projects under the United States Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5 Visa Program). Headquartered in Washington, DC, EB5 Capitals distinguished track record and leadership in the industry has attracted investors from over 75 countries. As one of the oldest and most active Regional Center operators in the country, the firm has raised over $1 billion of foreign capital across approximately 40 EB-5 projects. 100% of our investors funds are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance prior to their deployment into our projects. Please visit www.eb5capital.com for more information.

Contact:

Katherine Willis

Director, Marketing & Communications

media@eb5capital.com
RALEIGH, N.C., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kitchen Cabinet Distributors (KCD), one of the nations largest and fastest-growing distributors of kitchen and bath cabinetry, announced today the relocation and expansion of its corporate headquarters to a new building in Raleigh, NC. The purpose-built 195,000 sq. ft. office and distribution center features state-of-the-art facilities and will add capacity to accommodate KCDs continued growth in the region.

Kitchen Cabinet Distributors, one of the largest distributors of ready-to-assemble cabinetry in the United States, announces its expansion in Raliegh, NC.

Raleigh has been our home for 17 years, and we are excited to continue supporting the community and our customers, says Randy Goldstein, CEO of Kitchen Cabinet Distributors. This move provides us with the opportunity to upgrade our space and deliver an improved experience for our dealers and team members.

The new facility is nearly twice as large as KCDs existing Raleigh headquarters and features an expanded showroom for customers to preview the companys product offering.





The new Kitchen Cabinet Distributors headquarters. Located in Raleigh, NC.

As in our other distribution centers in Orlando, Houston, and Reno, our new headquarters in Raleigh will integrate best-in-class technology to deliver service that continues to exceed our customers expectations, says Glen Wegel, Vice President of Operations. The technology and systems that we have in place across our distribution network ensure our customers receive their cabinets on time and complete, every time.

With capabilities for shipping both ready-to-assemble and fully assembled cabinets, the upgraded Raleigh facility is well-positioned to support KCDs commitment to delivering the shortest, most dependable lead times in the industry along with world-class customer service.





Kitchen Cabinet Distributors Raleigh facilities are upgraded to support their commitment to world-class customer service.

KCDs new headquarters will open in August 2024 and employ nearly 100 people in the Raleigh area, including both office and warehouse staff. A grand opening event will be held on September 19th at the new location, 431 Milburnie Lake Drive, Raleigh, NC.

About Kitchen Cabinet Distributors

Kitchen Cabinet Distributors was founded in 2007 and is one of the largest distributors of ready-to-assemble cabinetry in the United States. With locations in Raleigh, Orlando, Houston, and Reno, KCD serves customers in all fifty states in both the new construction and remodel markets.

For more information, call 1-833-229-0009 or follow them on Facebook .

Media Contact:

Megan Mazur

Email: Mmazur@kcdus.com

Phone: 614-307-2192

A video accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/89b7ef00-fc7c-484f-9f60-097a50dc6a4a



Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf4a06a2-6abd-44e8-8775-dc1bab1a38f3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41cd772d-5d2b-4f84-bbb0-2f5781358e7f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ceebad61-4700-4d41-b9f8-5761140535d5
DENVER, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. consumers are drinking less milk with each passing year, but overall dairy sales are on a multiyear winning streak. Cheese, butter and yogurt are fueling category growth, along with new dairy-based products designed to capitalize on convenience, health and snacking trends.

Data from market research firm Circana shows the refrigerated dairy aisle has been the largest category in retail grocery over the last year with $76 billion in sales. Over the last three years, dairy retail sales have notched a growth rate of 15.4% or $10.1 billion.

According to a new report from CoBanks Knowledge Exchange, the outlook for retail dairy sales remains strong with additional room for growth as consumer preferences and purchasing behaviors evolve. Cheese and butter have even more upside potential, and dairy products tailored to meet consumers growing desires for healthy, protein-rich snack products have emerged as a new growth opportunity.

Dairy products have a diversity of applications and innovative dairy processors are leveraging that to their advantage, said Corey Geiger, lead dairy economist with CoBank. The healthy snacking category is a growing megatrend that dairy products can capitalize on with a host of conveniently packaged solutions from low-fat cheeses and specialty yogurts to functional dairy drinks.

Cheese continues to anchor the dairy category, with annual sales climbing. Per capita cheese consumption in the U.S. has doubled over the last 20 years, reaching 40 pounds in 2022. Thats still well short of per capita consumption in many European countries, indicating there is ample room for growth. Innovation in the cheese sector is being driven by expanded flavor varieties to reach more consumers as U.S. demographics shift. Hispanic-style cheese has been the fastest growing category over the last several years.

Butter has enjoyed a renaissance in the U.S. with per capita consumption climbing 43% over the last 25 years. While American butter brands have traditionally featured 80% butterfat, European-style butter with 83% butterfat has steadily gained global market share. U.S. consumers have been stepping up their purchases of butter with 83% butterfat and domestic manufacturers have been retooling production lines to better serve the U.S. market.

Yogurt has moved from being a morning meal to becoming an anytime snack or healthy dessert choice. Per capita consumption in the U.S. has grown 142% over 25 years, with Greek yogurt pacing category growth. Yogurt brands are also capturing new sales as consumers step-up use of weight-loss drugs. Danone attributes a jump in demand for its high-protein, low-calorie yogurts, at least in part, to consumers under treatment with those drugs or just trying to manage their weight or wellbeing.

Most U.S. consumers view dairy products as food staples, which has fueled sales of private label products. Private label sales are outpacing premium brands in 10 of the 15 dairy categories tracked by Circana. Store brand options making considerable inroads include yogurt, cream cheese and cream.

CoBank food and beverage economist Billy Roberts said consumer concerns around highly processed foods and preference for clean labels are areas where traditional dairy products can resonate, particularly with younger demographic groups.

One of the things weve learned from following the plant-based food sector is that long ingredient legends are an obstacle for many younger, health-conscious consumers, said Roberts. Dairy products are generally perceived as having clean labels with few ingredients. Dairy brands can capitalize on that with the right product mix and marketing.

Watch a video synopsis and read the report, Dairy Products Have More Growth Potential.

About CoBank

CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 77,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
TORONTO, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: PFIA, PFSS, PFCB, PFAA) Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the July 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0331 per unit for the ETF units (ETF Units) of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund.



Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the July 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0351 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Special Situations Alternative Fund.

Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the July 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0406 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Core Bond Fund.

Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the July 2024 monthly cash distribution of $0.0001 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Alpha Alternative Fund.

Unitholders of record of the ETF Units, at the close of business on July 24, 2024, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on July 31, 2024.

About Picton Mahoney Asset Management

Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments.

Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $10.7 billion (as at June 30, 2024) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Alternative funds can only be purchased through a registered dealer and are available only in those jurisdictions where they may be lawfully offered for sale.

For further information please contact:

Arthur Galloway

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

Tel: (416) 955-4108

Web site: www.pictonmahoney.com

Email: service@pictonmahoney.com
Nashville, Tenn., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LBMC, a top accounting and business consulting firm in the nation, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Consulting and Business Intelligence Practice with the addition of two distinguished experts, Matt Cybulsky, Ph.D., and Dr. Charlie Apigian, Ph.D. This strategic expansion empowers LBMC to guide CEOs in defining their data strategies, accelerating their AI journey, and ensuring business growth with a robust data infrastructure, delivering cutting-edge solutions and transformative results across multiple industries.

Strategic Expansion with AI Expertise

In this era of unprecedented change, its vital to have experts who can empower clients as they evolve. The addition of Matt and Charlie to our Consulting and Business Intelligence practice underscores LBMCs commitment to deliver evolving service and provide solutions for our clients. By integrating advanced AI technologies, we can analyze complex data sets more efficiently, provide deeper insights, and create innovative applications tailored to our clients' needs. This not only enhances our service offerings but also positions our clients to thrive in a rapidly evolving business landscape," said Jim Meade, CEO and Managing Shareholder of LBMC.

Enhancing Value to Healthcare Clients Through AI and Value-based Care Innovation

Dr. Matt Cybulsky joins LBMC as Practice Leader for Healthcare AI and Value-based Care Innovation. He brings a wealth of experience in digital health, innovation, go-to-market strategies, and value-based care initiatives, which combined with his expertise in human influence, positions LBMC at the forefront of an evolving healthcare market.

Dr. Cybulskys offerings include:

AI and Advanced Data Platforms for Value-based Care Readiness : Leveraging artificial intelligence and cutting-edge data platforms to prepare healthcare organizations for value-based care, ensuring they can deliver high-quality care while optimizing financial performance.

: Leveraging artificial intelligence and cutting-edge data platforms to prepare healthcare organizations for value-based care, ensuring they can deliver high-quality care while optimizing financial performance. Digital Health Technology and AI Vendor Selection: Advising healthcare providers in identifying and selecting the right digital health technologies and AI vendors, ensuring that chosen technologies align with the organization's processes and enhance operational efficiency.

Advising healthcare providers in identifying and selecting the right digital health technologies and AI vendors, ensuring that chosen technologies align with the organization's processes and enhance operational efficiency. Go-to-Market Strategy: Devising effective strategies for technology companies to penetrate the healthcare market, helping them successfully introduce their AI and digital health products to healthcare providers.

Devising effective strategies for technology companies to penetrate the healthcare market, helping them successfully introduce their AI and digital health products to healthcare providers. AI Strategies for Change Management: Creating and executing strategies to facilitate change management, ensuring that healthcare staff adopt and effectively use new technologies, maximizing the investment and improving patient outcomes.

Creating and executing strategies to facilitate change management, ensuring that healthcare staff adopt and effectively use new technologies, maximizing the investment and improving patient outcomes. Product Innovation, Design, and Value-based Pricing Strategies: Leading projects that result in significant cost savings and improved patient outcomes, creating innovative solutions tailored to client needs, enhancing the overall efficiency and profitability of organizations.

An award-winning author and the host of the Ionian Consulting acclaimed industry podcast, The Digital Healthcare Roundtable, Dr. Cybulsky regularly engages with the top minds in healthcare on trends, strategies, and innovations in the digital health space.

Matts strategic leadership and innovative approaches make him an invaluable asset to healthcare leaders seeking impactful change, said Jon Hilton, Shareholder-in-Charge, LBMC Consulting & Business Intelligence.

His expertise will undoubtedly enhance our firms consulting capabilities and set us apart in the industry.

Empowering Clients with Advanced Data & AI Strategies

Dr. Charlie Apigian joins LBMC as the firms leader of Data & AI Strategy. Apigians experience as a data scientist, innovator, and strategist to business leaders in data and AI, bolsters LBMC's commitment to accelerating businesses on their AI journey, grounded in a robust data infrastructure. An award-winning AI leader and published author, Dr. Apigian is adept at tackling complex and strategic challenges, helping clients use data to achieve their goals.

Dr. Apigians key differentiators include:

Data Culture Transformation: Transforming a company's data culture to become data-focused, guiding technology teams to engage in data storytelling, ensuring data is used purposefully and effectively rather than for its own sake.

Transforming a company's data culture to become data-focused, guiding technology teams to engage in data storytelling, ensuring data is used purposefully and effectively rather than for its own sake. Data Storytelling: Bringing data to life for companies, enabling them to tell actionable stories, to optimize operations, reduce losses, and enhance profitability by making data understandable and impactful.

Bringing data to life for companies, enabling them to tell actionable stories, to optimize operations, reduce losses, and enhance profitability by making data understandable and impactful. AI and Data Strategy: Assessing a company's current use of AI and data, understanding their goals, and developing a strategic roadmap to achieve those goals by maximizing the companys AI and data potential.

Assessing a company's current use of AI and data, understanding their goals, and developing a strategic roadmap to achieve those goals by maximizing the companys AI and data potential. AI/Machine Learning Implementation: Building and deploying advanced AI and machine learning models to forecast key business metrics such as sales, demand, inventory, and downtime, and implementing generative AI to accelerate a company's AI journey.

An advisor in Data and AI strategy, Dr. Apigian is also an educator, speaker, and a community leader well-versed in a strategic approach in using data to solve real-world problems. His extensive background in teaching and practicing data science, via tools such as Python and various BI and analytics platforms, equips him to provide unparalleled guidance to clients. Dr. Apigians numerous accolades include Nashville Post IT in Charge, Nashville Technology Council Data Scientist of the Year, and Nashville Technology Council IT Community Leader of the Year.

Charlies expertise in data and AI strategy will significantly enhance our ability to develop forward-thinking strategies for our clients, said Meade. His insights will empower our clients to harness the full potential of their data, driving efficiency and strategic growth.

Click here to learn more about data strategies and business intelligence.

About LBMC

LBMC is a 2024 USA Today Top Recommended Firm, one of the Southeasts largest accounting and business consulting firms, and an Accounting Today Top Firm in the Nation serving approximately 11,000 clients with diverse needs across a spectrum of industries. Primary client groups include privately-owned middle market companies in the healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and private equity space. At the forefront of innovation, LBMC leverages advanced business intelligence and AI technologies to drive growth, efficiency, and strategic insights for our clients. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC today is an industry leader in financial, human resources, technology, cybersecurity, and wealth advisory services for businesses and individuals. LBMC has more than 900 team members, with offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; and Charlotte, North Carolina. A four-time national certified Great Place to Work, LBMC was also named a Best Workplace in Consulting & Professional Services. For more information on LBMCs experts and comprehensive services, visit our website or call 615.377.4600. LBMC is growing, and job opportunities can be found on our careers page.

Attachment
BERKELEY, Calif., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of LifeLong Medical Care announced the selection of Ms. Cecilia Aviles, MBA, BSN, RN, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Her start date is August 5th.



In a letter to LifeLong staff announcing the news, Board Chair John L. Jenkins said, Cecilia combines strategic and operational expertise with empathy and passion. She has a record of boldly reimagining the ways in which health systems operate to make better health even more accessible. The Board looks forward to collaborating with her to continue providing high quality healthcare to our community.



Current CEO David B. Vliet announced his retirement from the position last year in order to pursue a long-held dream of establishing a nonprofit mobile health and tropical medicine outreach in Guatemala.

Aviles has worked for more than 20 years transforming healthcare operations and clinical services. Over the last decade she held a variety of operational roles with Sutter Health, a multi-state, integrated health system with 24 acute care hospitals and 200+ clinics in urban and rural communities.

Since 2018 she served as Operations Executive for Sutter Health Bay Area Medical Foundation/Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Overseeing the systems largest ambulatory division serving 350,000 patients, she led 2,400+ staff and 750+ clinicians through organizational transformations including rollouts of new services and shifts in healthcare delivery models. Her achievements include integrating five newly acquired specialty care centers into the organization and developing the program that produced the highest possible patient experience scores, steering Sutter Health to two Integrated Health Care Association awards.

Aviles is thrilled to be joining LifeLong Medical Care. Leading an organization with such a rich legacy of service is a profound honor, and I am inspired by the shared values and commitment to excellence that define LifeLongs team. Starting my healthcare journey as a trauma nurse taught me that patients are our why. As I transitioned into leadership roles to improve patient experience, access to care and operations, patients needs remained my guiding principle, she said. She plans to meet employees in the places where LifeLong delivers care -- its health centers, mobile vans and supportive housing sites -- in her first 90 days.



Prior to joining Sutter Health, Aviles developed a high-performing cardiovascular service at St. Marys Medical Center in San Francisco. Previously, she served in administrative roles at Kaiser Permanentes Medical Group in Oakland, Richmond and Redwood City. With Kaiser she ultimately led 600+ staff in all clinical and non-clinical departments from primary care and medical/surgical to technology. Her early career experiences as a registered nurse were in the emergency room, operating room and trauma intensive care unit.

A native San Franciscan and fluent Spanish speaker, Ms. Aviles earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Francisco State University and her Master of Business Administration from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management.

ABOUT-- Established in 1976, LifeLong Medical Care (https://lifelongmedical.org) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing medical, dental, mental health and urgent care to underserved communities in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties in San Franciscos East Bay region.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f511bb83-c9df-449d-a6c1-bc7363a2f635
MELBOURNE, Australia, July 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today provides an update on its revenue and operational performance for the quarter ended 30 June 2024 (Q2 2024).



Q2 2024 Financial Performance and Guidance Upgrade

The Company reports unaudited total revenue of approximately US$124M1 (AU$189M) primarily generated from sales of Telixs prostate cancer imaging product Illuccix. This represents an increase of 55% on the prior corresponding quarter (Q2 2023: US$80M or AU$120M) and an increase of 8% on the previous quarter (Q1 2024: US$115M or AU$175M). Revenue generated from sales of Illuccix in the United States (U.S.) was approximately US$121M (AU$184M, Q2 2023: US$78M or AU$116M).

On the basis of these results, the Company has upgraded revenue guidance for FY2024 which is now expected to be in the range of US$490M to US$510M (AU$745M to AU$776M at current exchange rates). This represents an approximate increase of 48% to 54% on 2023 revenue. Prior guidance was ranged at US$445M to US$465M2 (AU$675M to AU$705M).

Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer said, We have continued to deliver excellent quarterly growth in both revenue and dose volume sales of Illuccix. We have leveraged our unrivalled scheduling flexibility and clinical differentiation, to increase our market share and minimise the impact of new entrants.

Revenue guidance is based on approved products in jurisdictions with a marketing authorisation3. Telix reaffirms guidance for R&D expenditure, which remains at an expected 40-50% increase compared with 2023, funded by earnings.

The above guidance is based on expected global and domestic economic conditions and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this guidance and in particular Telix cannot guarantee a particular result. In compiling financial forecasts, a number of key variables that may have a significant impact on guidance have been identified and are included below as a footnote4.

The Company will release its interim report and Appendix 4D for the six months ended 30 June 2024 on 22 August 2024.

Q2 2024 Operational Highlights

Telix continued to progress its extensive theranostic pipeline during the quarter. Highlights include positive data from prostate cancer therapy programs:

TLX591 ( 177 Lu rosopatamab tetraxetan): Telix reported a positive efficacy signal from the ProstACT SELECT trial of TLX591, its lead investigational radio antibody-drug conjugate (rADC) in prostate cancer. The median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) of 8.8 months compares favourably to small molecule radioligand therapy (RLT) agents at a similar stage of development and builds on earlier results from ProstACT SELECT confirming the favourable safety profile and clinical utility of the short, two-dose treatment regimen. TLX591 is being further evaluated in the Phase III ProstACT GLOBAL trial. The study received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the quarter. Multiple sites across the U.S. are now being activated and preparing to dose first patients. Patient recruitment continues at sites in Asia Pacific.



Telix reported a positive efficacy signal from the ProstACT SELECT trial of TLX591, its lead investigational radio antibody-drug conjugate (rADC) in prostate cancer. The median radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) of 8.8 months compares favourably to small molecule radioligand therapy (RLT) agents at a similar stage of development and builds on earlier results from ProstACT SELECT confirming the favourable safety profile and clinical utility of the short, two-dose treatment regimen. TLX591 is being further evaluated in the Phase III ProstACT GLOBAL trial. The study received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the quarter. Multiple sites across the U.S. are now being activated and preparing to dose first patients. Patient recruitment continues at sites in Asia Pacific. TLX592 (225Ac-RADmAb): Successful proof-of-concept study completed for targeted alpha therapy in prostate cancer. The initial results demonstrated Telixs proprietary RADmAb engineered antibody is rapidly eliminated from the blood circulation and cleared via the liver, desirable characteristics for use with alpha emitting radioisotopes. Based on the outcomes of this trial, the program will progress to a Phase I/II therapeutic trial with Actinium 225.



Telix is progressing multiple marketing authorisation applications across its precision medicine (diagnostic) portfolio, including:

New Drug Application (NDA) submission for new prostate cancer imaging agent TLX007-CDx (PSMA-PET imaging 5 ): Telix submitted a NDA to the FDA for a new PSMA targeting prostate cancer imaging agent designed to expand the availability, distribution and scheduling flexibility for PSMA-PET imaging 6 . The FDA is expected to confirm by the end of July 2024 whether the submission is accepted for review. Confirmation of the PDUFA 7 goal date (review timeframe) is expected in early August 2024, in line with FDA procedure.



Telix submitted a NDA to the FDA for a new PSMA targeting prostate cancer imaging agent designed to expand the availability, distribution and scheduling flexibility for PSMA-PET imaging . The FDA is expected to confirm by the end of July 2024 whether the submission is accepted for review. Confirmation of the PDUFA goal date (review timeframe) is expected in early August 2024, in line with FDA procedure. Kidney cancer imaging agent TLX250-CDx (Zircaix 8 , 89 Zr-DFO-girentuximab) regulatory filing completed: The Biologics License Application (BLA) submission to the FDA for kidney cancer imaging has now been completed 9 . The Company is expecting confirmation of the PDUFA goal date from the FDA by end of July 2024. Concurrently the expanded access and compassionate use programs for TLX250-CDx continue to dose patients across the U.S., Australia and Europe in a significant area of unmet patient need. Separately, a manuscript reporting the final results from the pivotal Phase III ZIRCON study is in the late stages of peer-review for publication in a leading medical journal.



The Biologics License Application (BLA) submission to the FDA for kidney cancer imaging has now been completed . The Company is expecting confirmation of the PDUFA goal date from the FDA by end of July 2024. Concurrently the expanded access and compassionate use programs for TLX250-CDx continue to dose patients across the U.S., Australia and Europe in a significant area of unmet patient need. Separately, a manuscript reporting the final results from the pivotal Phase III ZIRCON study is in the late stages of peer-review for publication in a leading medical journal. Brain cancer imaging agent TLX101-CDx (Pixclara 8 , 18 F-floretyrosine or 18 F-FET) regulatory package: Telix participated in a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA on 12 June 2024, with the purpose of consulting on the final package and likely scope of label indications, including alignment on the final clinical package. On the basis of this positive discussion the Company is now finalising its NDA for submission during Q3 2024.



Telix participated in a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA on 12 June 2024, with the purpose of consulting on the final package and likely scope of label indications, including alignment on the final clinical package. On the basis of this positive discussion the Company is now finalising its NDA for submission during Q3 2024. European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and Brazil regulatory filings for Illuccix: The marketing authorisation applications for the EU and the UK are continuing to progress. All regulator questions raised in the EU marketing authorisation application within the standard clock stop period have been addressed and no substantive issues have been identified. The Company will communicate the final decision date once set by the competent authority, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut fur Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM). Telix is expecting to receive a regulators assessment report by the end of July 2024 from the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is expected to include final questions and a timeline for the remainder of the review. The marketing authorisation application in Brazil with Telixs partner Grupo GSH is in the final stages of review with an approval decision anticipated from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria, ANVISA) during Q3 2024 based on current information.



Subsequent to the end of Q2 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed changes for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule, which would improve payments to Medicare patients for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals in the U.S., including Illuccix and future Telix diagnostic products, if approved10. Telix welcomes the proposal to keep the payment for the diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals separate from the nuclear medicine test (scan) after transitional pass-through payment status expires, which will facilitate continued patient access11. The proposal is now in a 60-day comment period, with a final rule to be issued in early November 2024 and take effect 1 January 2025.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of therapeutic and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and associated medical devices. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with international operations in the United States, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland), and Japan. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical and commercial stage products that aims to address significant unmet medical needs in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX).

Telixs lead imaging product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide injection (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11 and marketed under the brand name Illuccix), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)12, by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) 13, and by Health Canada14. No other Telix product has received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction.

Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, announcements made to the ASX, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on X and LinkedIn.

Telix Investor Relations

Ms. Kyahn Williamson

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

SVP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Email: kyahn.williamson@telixpharma.com

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Legal Notices

The information contained in this announcement is not intended to be an offer for subscription, invitation or recommendation with respect to shares of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) in any jurisdiction, including the United States. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained or opinions expressed in the course of this announcement. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change without notification.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as may, expect, intend, plan, estimate, anticipate, outlook, forecast and guidance, or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Companys good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect the Companys business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telixs business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telixs preclinical and clinical studies, and Telixs research and development programs; Telixs ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telixs product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telixs expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telixs financial performance; developments relating to Telixs competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telixs product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telixs actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. You should read this announcement together with our risk factors, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the ASX or on our website.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Telix disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or a change in expectations or assumptions.

2024 Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. The Telix Pharmaceuticals, Illuccix, Pixclara8 and Zircaix8 names and logos are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates  all rights reserved.

1 Conversion to AUD$ is at an average exchange rate realised during Q2 2024 of AUD$1 = US$0.658

2 Telix ASX disclosures 22 February and 17 April 2024.

3 Illuccix has received a marketing authorisation in Australia, Canada and the U.S.

4 Key variables that could cause actual results to differ materially include: the success and timing of research and development activities; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding approval of our products as well as their decisions regarding label claims; competitive developments affecting our products; the ability to successfully market new and existing products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; trade buying patterns and fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; legislation or regulations that affect product production, distribution, pricing, reimbursement, access or tax; acquisitions and divestitures; research collaborations; litigation or government investigations; and Telixs ability to protect its patents and other intellectual property.

5 Imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen with positron emission tomography.

6 Telix ASX disclosure 27 May 2024.

7 Prescription Drug User Fee Act.

8 Brand name subject to final regulatory approval.

9 Telix ASX disclosure 3 June 2024.

10 CMS Press Release 10 July 2024.

11 Telix ASX disclosure 11 July 2024.

12 Telix ASX disclosure 20 December 2021.

13 Telix ASX disclosure 2 November 2021.

14 Telix ASX disclosure 14 October 2022.
TORONTO, July 16, 2024 - King Global Ventures Inc. (CSE: KING) (OTC: KGLDF) (FSE: 5LM1) (the "Company") announced that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Financing"). The Company raised gross proceeds of $3,379,600 through the issuance of 13,518,400 units at $0.25 per Unit.

Pursuant to the terms of the Financing, each unit is comprised of one common share and one two-year share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each warrant is exercisable at $0.35 in the first six months and $0.45 in the next 18 months, subject to acceleration. The warrants shall be subject to the Company's ability to accelerate expiry, upon 30 days notice, in the event that the shares of the Company trade at $0.70 or higher for 10 consecutive trading days.

Robert Dzisiak, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, subscribed for 100,000 Units of the Company, representing 0.73% of the Units issued.

In addition, 1,400,000 Units were subscribed for by a Director of the Company, representing 10.39% of the units issued. The shares of this Director are subject to CSE escrow provisions.

The Company has relied on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider participation.

The Company paid finders' fees to qualified finders of $4,205 and issued 168,200 broker warrants. The broker warrants are exercisable on the same terms as the Warrants and expire on July 16, 2026.

Securities issued on this closing will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring November 17, 2024.

The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds to fund exploration expenditures on the Silver Cord Project, reserve for acquisitions and working capital.

The Company also announces that Mr. Ben Hudye has been appointed as a Director and Chairman of the Company effective July 16, 2024. Mr. Hudye has a significant background in Canadian agricultural production and residential real estate in the Phoenix U.S.A. area. Mr. Hudye is also one of the founders of Zenith Bank & Trust established in 2023. Mr. George Mendez, based in Mexico is also joining the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy in the Board arising from the resignation of Ms. Shaffina Hirji. Mr. Mendez is a Mexican lawyer and graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition, Mr. Volodymyr Bondarneko resigned as a director. The Company expresses its appreciation of the efforts and contributions of Mr. Bondarenko and Ms. Hirji over the past two years.

Robert Dzisiak, Chief Executive of King stated "we are very pleased to have completed our listing on the CSE as well as the closing of a significant financing. The funds will be used towards expanding King's land package and a significant exploration program that will include a maiden drill program at the Silver Cord Property. We are also pleased to have Messrs. Ben Hudye and George Mendez join the King team. Their significant business experience will be a valued addition to the King Board of Directors."

About King Global Ventures:

Silver Cord Property in Arizona

King Global Ventures is focused on the exploration of precious metals in North America. The Silver Cord Project in Yavapai County Arizona is comprised of 41 concessions covering a total area of 790 ac. And is situated 64 miles north of Phoenix Arizona. The Silver Cord Project represents an early-stage exploration opportunity targeting copper-gold-silver-zinc, Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") mineralization. The geology of Yavapai County, Arizona is notable due to the presence of a variety of base and precious metal deposit types. The region has a significant history of exploration, discovery and mining operations, including base metals from mining operations like Bagdad, Jerome and Cleopatra. The property is on trend and 12 miles N.W. of Arizona Metals and 60 miles south of the historic Jerome Copper mine.

York Property in Quebec

The York Property is comprised of 77 claims exceeding 40 sq. km. The Property is on trend between Azimut's Elmer Property and the Eleonor Gold Mine. The Eleonor Mine is hosted by rocks similar to the clastic sediments known to host the Ukaw gold showings.

Additional information about King Ventures can be viewed at the Company's website at www.kingcse.ca or at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of King Global Ventures

Robert Dzisiak

Chief Executive Officer

204-955-4803

www.kingcse.ca

The technical contents of this news release were approved by Andrew Lee Smith, Bsc., P.Geo, ICD.D, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Neither the CSE Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, the uncertainty of the financing, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in preparing such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove imprecise and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.


VANCOUVER, July 16, 2024 - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) ("Santacruz" or "the Company") regrets to report that an employee of the Company was fatally injured at the Tres Amigos mine, part of the Caballo Blanco Group of mines, in Bolivia.

A small group of illegal miners unlawfully entered the Tres Amigos mine at a level above where the Company was operating and proceeded to use explosives. This caused rockfall on the level below where Santacruz employees were working, and one employee was fatality injured. Safety personnel were immediately notified and followed mine rescue protocols to close the mine, attend to all employees and remove these illegal miners from the area. The mine has since resumed operations.

Arturo Prestamo, Executive Chairman and CEO commented, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and have extended our deepest condolences and support to the employee's family. We are providing all necessary assistance to the family and our employees during this difficult time." Mr. Prestamo continued, "Santacruz has initiated a detailed investigation and is working closely with the local authorities to prevent an incident like this from happening again. The Company will consider taking legal against those responsible once the investigation is complete."

About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Santacruz Silver is engaged in the operation, acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Latin America. The Bolivian operations are comprised of the Bolivar, Porco and the Caballo Blanco Group, which consists of the Tres Amigos, Reserva and Colquechaquita mines. The Soracaya exploration project and San Lucas ore sourcing and trading business are also in Bolivia. The Zimapan mine is in Mexico.

'signed'

Arturo Prestamo Elizondo,

Executive Chairman and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward looking information

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding the Company's ability to prevent an incident like this from happening again and the ability to take legal action once the investigation is complete..

These forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks that Company's ability to prevent an incident like this from happening again and the ability to take legal action once the investigation is complete, risks related to changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets, changes in applicable laws, and compliance with extensive government regulation, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's disclosure documents filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the assumption that the Company will be successful in preventing incident like this from happening again, the Company's ability to take legal action once the investigation is complete.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.
Kenmare Resources plc

("Kenmare" or "the Company" or "the Group")

17 July 2024

Q2 and H1 2024 Production Report

Kenmare Resources plc (LSE:KMR, ISE:KMR), one of the leading global producers of titanium minerals and zircon, which operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine (the "Mine" or "Moma") in northern Mozambique, is pleased to provide a trading update for the quarter and half year ending 30 June 2024 ("Q2 2024" and "H1 2024").

Statement from Michael Carvill, Managing Director:

"At the end of the first half we are on track to achieve our 2024 guidance on all stated metrics. Higher ore grades in H2 are expected to support stronger production and shipments are also expected to rise.

Demand for all of our products remains robust and ilmenite prices in H1 were above our expectations, bolstered by increasing global pigment production.

Kenmare ended the period with $58.5 million of cash, having paid $34.4 million in dividends and repaid all debt. The Company is well capitalised to fund the upgrade and transition of Wet Concentrator Plant A and to continue making shareholder returns."

Q2 2024 overview

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate ("LTIFR") of 0.09 per 200,000 hours worked for the 12 months to 30 June 2024 (30 June 2023: 0.18)

Kenmare is on track to achieve 2024 guidance across all stated metrics, with higher forecast grades driving increased production in H2

Heavy Mineral Concentrate ("HMC") production of 342,600 tonnes in Q2 2024, a 7% increase year-on-year ("YoY"), due to an 8% increase in excavated ore volumes and higher heavy mineral recoveries, offsetting the 5% lower ore grade

Ilmenite production of 238,600 tonnes in Q2 2024, up 8% YoY, due to a 6% increase in HMC processed and greater ilmenite content in the HMC

Primary zircon production of 13,000 tonnes, up 12% YoY, due to increased HMC processed and benefitting from drawdown of intermediate stocks and higher recoveries

Total shipments of finished products of 234,700 tonnes, down 18% YoY, due primarily to poor weather conditions and additional operational maintenance, limiting shipping time

As previously announced, Kenmare's Board approved the final part of the Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") in Q2 2024 for the upgrade and transition of Wet Concentrator Plant ("WCP") A to the large Nataka ore zone

Encouraging market conditions continued in Q2 2024, with demand particularly robust for Kenmare's ilmenite, and the Company has a strong order book for Q3

At the end of H1 2024, net cash increased by $36.4 million to $57.1 million (31 December 2023: $20.7 million)

As previously announced, Managing Director Michael Carvill will step down from his executive role and Board position on 14 August 2024 - the process to find his successor is approaching its conclusion and Kenmare will provide an update ahead of the Interim Results



Operations update

Production from the Moma Mine in Q2 2024 and H1 2024 was as follows:

Q2 2024 Q2 2023 Q1 2024 H1 2024 H1 2023 tonnes % variance % variance tonnes % variance Excavated ore1 10,386,000 8% 13% 19,601,000 7% Grade1 3.84% -5% -8% 3.97% -5% Production HMC production 342,600 7% 8% 659,000 4% HMC processed 343,200 6% 11% 651,100 2% Ilmenite 238,600 8% 16% 441,100 4% Primary zircon 13,000 12% 56% 21,300 -7% Rutile 2,500 32% 65% 4,000 12% Concentrates2 11,700 13% 22% 21,400 4% Shipments 234,700 -18% -3% 477,600 -14%

1. Excavated ore tonnage and grade prior to any floor losses.

2. Concentrates include secondary zircon and mineral sands concentrate.

As reported on 3 June 2024, Kenmare was deeply saddened by a fatality at the Moma Mine on 1 June 2024. An excavator operator employed by one of Kenmare's contractors was involved in a fatal incident during the night shift. He was part of a team of contractor employees establishing a new dry mining area for the WCP A operations. Investigations have found that his death was related to activities outside of the ordinary course of operations and Kenmare is co-operating fully with the authorities.

Kenmare's rolling 12-month LTIFR to 30 June 2024 was 0.09 per 200,000 hours worked (Q2 2023: 0.18). One Lost Time Injury ("LTI") was recorded during Q2 2024, not including the fatality as it was non-work related. Prior to this, the Moma team had achieved almost five million hours worked without an LTI, which is equivalent to eight months' work.

HMC production was 342,600 tonnes in Q2 2024, a 7% increase compared to Q2 2023 (318,900 tonnes). This was the product of an 8% increase in excavated ore volumes to 10,386,000 tonnes (Q2 2023: 9,606,000 tonnes) and higher heavy minerals recovery, offsetting the 5% decrease in ore grades to 3.84% Total Heavy Minerals ("THM") (Q2 2023: 4.03% THM), in line with expectations. Stronger heavy minerals recoveries are due to improvements at all three mining plants during the past year, including the addition of clean water to spiral separation at WCP A and the return to better mining conditions at WCP C.

Production of finished products increased by 8% in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023, due primarily to a 6% increase in HMC processed. Ilmenite production was 238,600 tonnes, up 8% compared to Q2 2023 (221,300 tonnes), benefitting from greater ilmenite content in the HMC. Primary zircon production was up 12% to 13,000 tonnes (Q2 2023: 11,600 tonnes) and rutile production was up 32% (Q2 2023: 1,900), both supported by the drawdown of intermediate stocks and higher recoveries. Concentrates production was 11,700 tonnes, up 13% (Q2 2023: 10,400 tonnes), also due to the drawdown of intermediate stocks.

At the end of H1, Kenmare is on track to achieve its 2024 guidance on all stated metrics. The Company continues to expect production to increase in H2, supported by higher forecast ore grades.

Total shipments in Q2 2024 were 234,700 tonnes, down 18% on Q2 2023 (285,100 tonnes), due primarily to poor weather conditions and operational issues at Kenmare's shipping facilities, limiting shipping time. Additional maintenance was required on the product transfer conveyor system during the quarter, and the system is now fully equipped to accommodate increased loadout rates in H2 2024. Shipments comprised 216,200 tonnes of ilmenite, 8,200 tonnes of primary zircon, and 10,400 tonnes of concentrates. No rutile was shipped during the quarter. Shipments in Q1 2024 were 242,900 tonnes, as reported, and this included 600 tonnes of primary zircon as a result of a draft survey adjustment from a shipment in Q4 2023.

Closing stock of HMC at the end of Q2 2024 was 24,600 tonnes, compared to 25,300 tonnes at the end of Q1 2024. Closing stock of finished products at the end of Q2 2024 was 273,000 tonnes, compared to 241,800 tonnes at the end of Q1 2024, reflecting production exceeding shipments during the quarter. Due to stronger production expected in H2 2024 and the current high levels of finished product stock, Kenmare expects stock levels to remain higher than usual during H2, before normalising during H1 2025.

Capital projects update

As announced on 4 July 2024, Kenmare's Board has approved the final part of the DFS, relating to infrastructure, for the WCP A upgrade and transition to Nataka. Nataka is the largest ore zone in Kenmare's portfolio and WCP A's transition to this area secures production from Moma for decades to come.

The total capital costs for the project remain in line with previous estimates, totalling $341 million. Ongoing detailed engineering and scheduling work has deferred $38 million of expected capital expenditure from 2024 into subsequent years, in line with the evolving mine plan.

Works are advancing well for the upgrade, with the fabrication of the two new dredges and the upfront desliming circuit progressing, and the detailed design of the Tailings Storage Facility ("TSF") on track for completion in Q3 2024. Construction of the TSF is expected to begin in Q4 2024.

Work continues on both the DFS for the WCP B upgrade, which is expected to increase WCP B's capacity by over 40%, and the Pre-Feasibility Study for the Congolone ore zone, which is a potential future growth opportunity for the Company. Kenmare expects to provide an update on both studies with the Company's Interim Results, which will be announced on 14 August 2024.

Corporate update

As announced on 15 March 2024, Managing Director Michael Carvill will step down from his executive role and the Board at the Interim Results on 14 August 2024.

The Board's Nomination Committee has been working with an executive search firm to choose Michael's successor, with internal and external candidates being considered. This process is approaching its conclusion and Kenmare will provide an update ahead of the Interim Results.

Market update

Kenmare experienced robust demand for all of its products in Q2 2024, particularly for ilmenite. Spot prices for ilmenite remained relatively stable throughout H1, however Kenmare's average received price decreased slightly in Q2 compared to Q1 2024, due to some shipments rolling over from Q4 2023, when prices were stronger. Despite this, prices in H1 were above the Company's expectations.

Chinese pigment producers continued to produce at record levels during the quarter. Demand for Kenmare's ilmenite was also bolstered by an uptick in operating rates among pigment producers in Europe and the United States to meet stronger underlying demand, as well as some restocking of titanium feedstocks. Speculation surrounding potential duties on Chinese pigment entering the European Union further supported demand and prices for European pigment.

Global supply of titanium feedstocks remains sufficient to meet demand, with new supply from Chinese producers in African countries shipping concentrates to China for processing. However, this was partially offset by the suspension of operations in Sierra Leone and continued Mineral Resource depletion in Kenya. In the medium to long term, Kenmare believes that supply constraints will lead to global demand exceeding supply, supporting the fundamentals for all of the Company's products.

The zircon market remains relatively stable. Demand for zircon sand improved in Europe in Q2 2024, particularly from the ceramics industry. In China, the market softened following the improvement in late Q1 2024. However, Kenmare continues to experience robust demand for its concentrates in China due to the quality of the contained products.

Kenmare has a strong order book for Q3 2024 as the Company's customers restock their titanium feedstock inventories, following Kenmare's disrupted shipping performance in Q2. Zircon shipments delayed from Q2 will also be shipped in Q3 2024, with consequent positive impact on H2 product mix and revenues.

Finance update

On 17 May 2024, Kenmare paid its 2023 final dividend of USc38.54 per share. This was the balancing payment of a 2023 full year dividend of USc56.04 per share, representing a dividend payout ratio of 38% of profit after tax (2022: 25%).

Following the 2023 final dividend distribution of $34.4 million and principal debt repayments relating to the previous term loan facility of $47.1 million during H1 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $58.5 million at 30 June 2024 (31 December 2023: $71.0 million). Kenmare had no debt at the end of H1 2024 (31 December 2023: $50.3 million) and lease liabilities were $1.3 million (31 December 2023: $1.5 million). Accordingly, at 30 June 2024, Kenmare's net cash had increased by $36.4 million to $57.1 million, compared to $20.7 million at 31 December 2023.

For further information, please contact:

Kenmare Resources plc

Jeremy Dibb / Katharine Sutton / Michael Starke

Investor Relations

ir@kenmareresources.com

Tel: +353 1 671 0411

Mob: + 353 87 943 0367 / + 353 87 663 0875

Murray (PR advisor)

Paul O'Kane

pokane@murraygroup.ie

Tel: +353 1 498 0300

Mob: +353 86 609 0221

About Kenmare Resources

Kenmare Resources plc is one of the world's largest producers of mineral sands products. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Euronext Dublin, Kenmare operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine in Mozambique. Moma's production accounts for approximately 7% of global titanium feedstocks and the Company supplies to customers operating in more than 15 countries. Kenmare produces raw materials that are ultimately consumed in everyday quality-of life items such as paints, plastics and ceramic tiles.

All monetary amounts refer to United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains some forward-looking statements that represent Kenmare's expectations for its business, based on current expectations about future events, which by their nature involve risks and uncertainties. Kenmare believes that its expectations and assumptions with respect to these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, because they involve risk and uncertainty, which are in some cases beyond Kenmare's control, actual results or performance may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.
* China ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for travel and tourism. * China is welcoming more tourists with new visa policies. * Many visitors have changed their perspective on China after their visits of the country. CHANGSHA/SHANGHAI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Jin Yeong-deg, a 72-year-old man from the Republic of Korea, opened his Korean payment app Kakao Pay and showed the QR code to the cashier. Within seconds, the scan was complete, and he successfully purchased his items. This would be a very ordinary transaction in the Korean cities of Seoul or Busan, but it actually took place in Zhangjiajie, a tourist city in central China's Hunan Province. "Traveling in Zhangjiajie is very convenient," said Jin. "I didn't expect to be able to use mobile payments here just like a local." This was Jin's second visit to the breathtaking landscape of Zhangjiajie -- home to the real prototype of the floating mountains in the Avatar -- and he saw significant changes since his first trip in 2004. According to the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 of the World Economic Forum, China ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for travel and tourism. TRAVEL MADE EASY According to a recent survey conducted by Beijing Foreign Studies University, among 714 foreign tourists from 103 countries, 86 percent of those who have visited China believe the payment experience has become more convenient. The vast majority of these tourists used mobile payment methods. By the end of 2023, China's mobile payment penetration rate had reached 86 percent, the highest in the world. Foreigners can now easily bind their overseas bank cards with Alipay or Tenpay, China's two major payment apps, thanks to simplified mobile payments. In the first half of this year, foreign card transactions using mobile payment platforms surged 6.65 times from the previous year to nearly 37.4 million, according to data from Chinese online payment clearing house NetsUnion Clearing Corporation. The apps also enable convenient transportation for foreign tourists. Spanish couple Miguel and Irena Rodriguez Jimenez used Alipay to take the subway in Shanghai and book ride-hailing services. "Some warm-hearted locals helped us download the app and register," said the wife. "It was a bit complicated at first, but now we can use it adeptly." GATE OPENING WIDER China is welcoming more tourists with new visa policies. On Monday, China expanded its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 entry ports. Foreign nationals from 54 countries, including the United States, Canada and Britain, are eligible for the policy for short-term travel and business visits. The country is also piloting visa-free travel for ordinary passport holders from more than a dozen countries, including France, Spain, Australia and Poland, allowing them to enter China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit. Data from the National Immigration Administration showed that the number of foreigners visiting China in the first half of this year exceeded 14.6 million, an increase of 152.7 percent compared with the same period last year. Of these, more than 8.5 million, or 52 percent, entered visa-free, a 190 percent increase year on year. Eva Gajewska is the manager of a travel agency in Warsaw, Poland. Since the visa-free policy started, she has received lots of phone calls asking about tours to China. "In the past, a visitor usually spent about 100 U.S. dollars for the visa to China, and had to wait for seven days," she said, hailing the new policy a "long-awaited" move. The company is now designing new routes to offer their clients more choices for their China trips. Edward Iglesias, a 61-year-old Australian tourist, embarked on a 17-day tour of China, starting from Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Having applied for his visa before the policy change, he felt the new policy would definitely make things easier for travelers. With simplified entry procedures, Iglesias plans to recommend China as a tourist destination to his friends, praising its "nice people and beautiful scenery." He expressed a desire to return when the weather is cooler, "maybe in autumn or spring." SEEING IS BELIEVING Many visitors have changed their perspective on China after their visits of the country. Colombian tourist German Raigosa was visiting China with his family for the first time. "It's surprising to see the public transportation, and how clean the cities are compared to other cities like New York," said the 71-year-old father. "I didn't know that Chinese people are so nice," added his 29-year-old daughter, Susana Raigosa. "I was surprised at how little I knew about these cities." Arnr Herrmann from New Zealand returned to Shanghai 28 years after his first visit. "Back then, I only remember seeing the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower as the landmark," said the leader of a 60-student group. This time, he marveled at China's development and the juxtaposition of both historical and modern buildings in the metropolis. "We are impressed by the cleanliness of all the places," said Samuel Juara from Mexico via WeChat, which he downloaded for his trip to China. "The respect from all the people and their willingness to help, the amount of electric cars and beautiful buildings, the electronic advances and communicating measures ... are very impressive." New measures are being implemented across China to better serve international travelers in tourism cities. For instance, the Bank of China's Zhangjiajie branch has upgraded the airport's self-service currency exchange machines. These machines now accept over 20 currencies, including Australian dollars, up from six previously. Chinese customs authorities have made declarations easier for foreign passengers by using mobile phone apps. "Foreign tourists can now complete their arrival process and pass through customs in just 30 minutes," said Liu Jinbo, director of Zhangjiajie Customs. He added that the average clearance time for inbound passengers is expected to drop further to under 10 minutes by the end of September. "You will know how beautiful China is only after you visit the country," said Shin Young-yun, a team leader with Korean travel agency Modetour. "China is a very safe and lovely country, which I have recommended to my compatriots. I know many of them who have visited once would like to go there again," he added. "Hopefully in the future more Koreans, more foreigners, can visit and see the real China." (Reporting by Bai Xu, Cheng Lu, Zhang Yujie, Chen Aiping, Xu Xiaoqing, Lin Jianjie, Ju Yinhe, Li Jiexia, Cui Li and Luo Xin; Video reporter: Zhang Yujie; Video editors: Zhang Nan, Zhao Xiaoqing, Zheng Xin and Cao Ying.)
VANCOUVER, July 17, 2024 - Monumental Energy Corp. ("Monumental" or the "Company") (TSXV: MNRG) (FSE: ZA6) (OTCQB: MNMRF) is pleased to provide an update on its active participation in the Request for Information ("RFI") process initiated by the Chilean Ministry of Mining for lithium exploration and exploitation.

The RFI process attracted 88 applications from companies across 10 countries, including 11 submissions from Canadian-based companies. Applications were received for 16 salt flats and 28 different lithium projects, showcasing the strong global interest in Chile's lithium resources. Notably, Monumental Energy (through its property option agreement with Lithium Chile Inc.) holds rights over 61 mining concessions totaling 14,700 hectares in the Laguna Blanca salt flats, a key area highlighted in the RFI process.

The Ministry of Mining is currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of the submitted projects, evaluating financial capability, estimated annual production, technological innovation, and mining experience. This evaluation process will determine which projects advance to the next stage of contract assignments, expected to commence in the first months of 2025. By the end of August, the Ministry will announce the mechanisms for assigning contracts to prioritized projects. Monumental Energy remains optimistic about its prospects and looks forward to contributing to the development of Chile's lithium sector.

In line with the Government's emphasis on community engagement, Monumental Energy is committed to working closely with local communities to ensure that the benefits of lithium projects are shared equitably. Indigenous consultations will be initiated by the Ministry of Mining where direct impacts are anticipated, ensuring all voices are heard and respected.

Monumental Energy highlights the potential of the Laguna Blanca project in the Arica y Parinacota Region as a prime opportunity for responsible lithium mining development. This project promises significant economic and social benefits for the region and its people.

Michelle DeCecco, CEO comments, "The Company remains actively engaged with the Government and local communities to achieve early project milestones and secure necessary approvals. Monumental Energy is dedicated to leading the charge in sustainable lithium development and is eager to play a pivotal role in the future of Chile's lithium sector."

About Salar De Laguna Blanca

The Laguna Project is located within the prolific lithium triangle, a zone within the central Andes high desert that includes Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. This zone is estimated to contain more than half of the world's lithium supply beneath the many salt flats, also known as salars, that are common to the region. The Laguna Blanca property consists of 61 exploration concessions totaling 14,700 hectares, 100% owned by Lithium Chile through its wholly owned Chilean subsidiary Minera Kairos Chile Limitada. The Laguna Blanca Project includes both active and paleo salar brines and salts with samples including 1230 mg/l from surface.

About Monumental Energy Corp.

Monumental Energy Corp. is an exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties in the critical and clean energy sector. The Company has an option to acquire a 75% interest and title to the Laguna cesium-lithium brine project located in Chile. The Company holds a 2% net smelter return royalty on Summit Nanotech's share of any future lithium production from the Salar de Turi Project, Chile. The Company owns securities of New Zealand Energy Corp.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

/s/ "Michelle DeCecco"

Michelle DeCecco, CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, the potential plans for the Company's projects, the expected feedback and response from the government of Chile and local communities regarding the RFI for the Laguna project, other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its projects, its goals and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals and the price of oil and gas, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner and that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses and those other risks filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, failure to secure personnel and equipment for work programs, adverse weather and climate conditions, risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), risks relating to inaccurate geological assumptions, failure to obtain or maintain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to obtain or maintain surface access agreements or understandings from local communities, land owners or Indigenous groups, fluctuation in exchange rates, the impact of viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, decrease in the price of lithium, cesium and other metals, decrease in the price of oil and gas, loss of key employees, consultants, or directors, failure to maintain or obtain community acceptance (including from the Indigenous communities), increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

SOURCE Monumental Minerals Corp.
Turkey-egg chawanmushi with shad roe and cotton candy made of kelp, from Honey Badger. Photo: Melanie Amaro

The owners of Honey Badger describe their small, Prospect Parkadjacent dining room as an avant-garde restaurant with a secret undisclosed menu that changes daily. Dinner starts at $195 per person and courses might come dusted with dehydrated deer blood or stippled with a parasitic fungus that turns ants into zombies. An optional water pairing is available for another $70 per person, with samples from an aquifer in the Appalachian Mountains, a melted iceberg in Labrador, and George Washingtons spa.

When I sat down for dinner on a recent night, there was no preamble or explanation before an amuse-bouche trio was set before me. It included a violently sweet honey-fermented baby acorn, a tiny curl of vegan hickory-nut cheese coated in ash, and a flower bud called Spilanthes that caused my mouth to buzz and burn and fill with saliva for 12 minutes while Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof blared, inexplicably, from the wall speakers. The somehow-not-psychedelic flower set the tone for a strange and exhilarating meal in a ten-seat room a few blocks from where my grandmother had grown up wondering if her grandchildren would one day become doctors. The ingredients and culinary traditions spanned kaiseki, new Nordic, and at least four continents. Ice cream made from slipper snails was served within a chain of their still-connected shells, which I had to pull apart like magnets to get to the dessert. There was a lecture from co-owner Junayd Juman about Al Gores apparent campaign to ban amaranth.

The restaurant has been open for seven years but has never received a formal review (except for a 179-word write-up from the Infatuation). Despite appearances, Honey Badger is not an elaborate bit. Juman, who was born in Trinidad, studied as an industrial designer before teaching himself to bartend and cook and eventually launching a catering company. He opened this wild-to-table restaurant in 2017 with his wife, Fjolla Sheholli  who was born in Kosovo and learned to forage and preserve from her grandmother out of necessity during wartime  to showcase ingredients from along the Eastern Seaboard. I am not a chef, Juman told me. Chefs are full of egos; Im a craftsman, he said. I like creating art, and the palette is your mouth.

Chatting with the two of them is a bit like AirDropping your brain into the Portlandia pilot. When I asked their pronouns, Juman said he was a tree, and Sheholli told me she was a rainbow. Even still, the depth of their appreciation for the earth is boundless and charming and occasionally moving, even as the closing chords of Matchmaker trumpet through their temple to Mother Nature, with foraged bivalve shells cemented into the walls.

Fjolla Sheholli and Junayd Juman. Photo: Ilir Rizaj

Sometimes, Juman and Shehollis experimental creations pay off, especially when they call in ingredients from the First Nations cuisine Juman learned to cook from his mother, who grew up near an indigenous community. A single ring of braided onion grass was battered in ghost-rice flour before being fried, and it paired shockingly well with algae-spiked mayonnaise and a dusting of powdered crab brain. Technique can be similarly impressive: A miniature lobster-stuffed croissant displayed perfect execution of a laminated dough. It quivered momentarily before exploding into buttery shards the second I cut into it. Cordyceps, a fungus that grows on mountain insects, provided a balanced salinity and crunch to another version of puff pastry shaped like a log on which they were perched. The snail ice cream, I promise, hit the spot.

Other times, as with a dashi so salty I wondered if I was being pranked, or a one-centimeter gritty clam dumpling that tasted of old seashells, I began to understand why no restaurant critic had wanted to touch this place. But I also couldnt stop thinking that within the context of 2024  when $20 au poivre hot dogs are commonplace, influencers go bug-eyed for mozzarella sticks, and a wealthy diner can easily spend $300 on a dinner of shrimp cocktail and smashburgers  Honey Badger forced me to engage (and at times wrestle) with a relatively boundless definition of consumption.

Its not the type of fine dining that connotes French-inflected fuss (in both plating and service), and it certainly isnt the type of experience that might naturally attract a finance bro with an unopened set of Modernist Cuisine  though maybe it should. In a city where the patronage model has long propped up culture  from art to religion to politics  perhaps those who can comfortably afford to, and who have a stated interest in pushing us out of the nostalgic chophouse resuscitation weve been comfort-eating through in New York City since the pandemic, should become patrons of ambitious cuisine.

Avant-garde cuisine, the way Juman and Sheholli seem to be using it, draws the natural comparison from visual art to a certain subset of fine-dining restaurants that defy categorization. Its not solely new Nordic, nor kaiseki; it doesnt play by any existing rules, and it carries out bold experiments just to see what happens. Honey Badger is also not the only restaurant to take this approach.

Take Ilis, the intrepid, newish spot in Greenpoint from Mads Refslund, which critics have suggested might not be achieving its intended goals. The lukewarm appraisals are not completely without merit. On a recent evening, some extended dish-selection theater involved a man wheeling a cart of ingredients to my table, then moving ingredients that corresponded to our selected dishes into a wooden box, then asking if I wanted to take a picture of that wooden box. A zucchini that got circumcised tableside to become a straw literally did not function as one.

But conch served in its shell with a creamy potato mousse and dusted with green-tea powder was eerily reminiscent of my favorite Marcella Hazan tuna-pecorino-parsley pasta sauce. Thinly sliced mushrooms served on spinach on top of a piece of crispy seaweed smelled and tasted exactly like sour cream and onion potato chips. A perfectly ripe cherry tomato I was instructed to squeeze onto a fresh oyster suggested mignonette could be rendered completely obsolete come August. A side-by-side tasting of fresh tuna sashimi and tuna that had been aged for five months was both captivating and propaedeutic.

Were the hits worth enduring the misses? A few years ago, I mightve dismissed both Honey Badger and Ilis completely. Comparisons to The Menu are inevitable, and these particular menus are exorbitant, making one wonder how much of that money goes toward funding the expansive crew of cooks stuffing PEI mussels into pig bladders as they were at Ilis, with the rhythm and gravitas of the prisoners in the opening scene of Les Mis.

Provocative restaurants like Ilis, Honey Badger, or more casual ones like Foxface Natural, have the potential to finally bust us out of our current era of clickbait cuisine  when the algorithmic overlords make it incredibly easy for two women with ring lights to sink a restaurants reputation and earning potential with a four-minute video unless they are served food that, by their limited definition, fucks  if only wed let them.

Ilis is certainly not for everyone. I would not tell my younger sister to prioritize whimsy and challenge if she saved up for months to afford a single night out, and I certainly would not point her toward Honey Badgers $70 water tasting. (It did include glasses of water that tasted perceptibly different, but its possible to achieve a similar effect by double-fisting bottles of Topo Chico and Pellegrino at varying temperatures.) I would also not send my husband, who has no interest in intellectualizing what he eats. Honey Badger is a restaurant that will almost certainly make diners uncomfortable at times. But for anyone who loves to debate, who appreciates a bit of wildness, who really, really loves food, then, it might just be the place.

Refslund told me that when he was getting ready to open Ilis, a friend advised him to add a cheeseburger to the menu to maximize appeal. Im not saying that chicken parmesan isnt delicious, he told me, but why would I want to cook another mans recipe? He held out against the burger, but he did add chicken stuffed with miso butter in a nod toward familiarity. When I had it, I found it to be subtle and inoffensive  but it was still, several bites in, chicken. Well before Id finished, my mind began to wander to other things: the conversation of the table beside us; an oversize painting hanging on one wall. Before I knew it, I was daydreaming, about Cordyceps and deer blood.
Its day two of Amazon Prime Day 2024 and there are plenty of tablet deals on deck. Weve prepared a list of some of the best options across varying budgets. As a reminder, you'll need an active Prime subscription to get these deals.

Amazon Germany is offering the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 for 699. This 2-in-1 launched in late 2022 but its a full-fledged PC replacement capable of running all of your X86 apps as well as less demanding games. It boasts a 13.5-inch touchscreen, 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage. It also supports and has some decent I/O with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and comes with a free copy of Windows 11 Home and one month of Xbox Game Pass included.

Apples baseline iPad (2022) is down to 367/304 and is a great entry point in Apples tablet ecosystem. It may not have the best screen, chipset or cameras from Apples tablet range but the iPad (2022) will be supported for years to come and can cover all of the tablet basics.

Next up on the list are Samsungs Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE and Tab S9 FE. The former is down to 340 from Amazon Germany and brings a spacious 12.4 LCD for media consumption and packs a 10,090mAh battery that should last you days between charges.

Tab S9 FE comes with a 380 asking price and features a faster 10.9-inch 90Hz LCD, Samsungs Exynos 1380 chipset, and runs the latest One UI 6 with Android 14.

Samsungs more affordable Galaxy Tab A9 series is also discounted. Amazon Germany has the Tab A9+ starting at 180 while Amazon UK is offering the compact 8.7-inch Tab A9 for 120.

Lenovo has deals on its Android tablets with the Tab P12 down to 320/280. This one packs a decently sized 12.7-inch IPS LCD paired with quad speakers, MediaTeks DImensity 7050 chipset and a 10,200 mAh battery with 33W charging.

Tab P11 (Gen 2) is discounted to 199/150 and is another great option in this price range. It boasts an 11.5-inch IPS LCD, Helio G99 chipset and a 7,700 mAh battery.

Amazons Fire tablets are also getting discounts with the Fire HD 10 (2023) down to 85/80. This is for the 3/32GB version with ads but its a solid deal considering the price tag.

You may also want to look at the Fire HD 8 Kids (2022) which is just 75/65 and comes with a kid-proof case, a two-year worry-free guarantee, and one year of Amazon Kids+ content.

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Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 in India are up 40% compared to the previous gen

Pre-orders for Samsungs 6th gen foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Z Flip6, kicked off on July 10 in India and now, a week later, they are already shaping up to be the most popular generation yet.

Pre-orders for the two models are up 40% compared to their predecessors. Theres one more week of pre-orders before open sales begin and we will probably have to wait for the quarterly report to get more detailed numbers on the Z series sales. It depends on how the Z phones do in other regions, of course, but they might top Samsungs modest goal of 10% increased sales.

The Z Fold6 starts at 165,000 (12/256GB) and the Z Flip6 at 110,000 (12/256GB). Both will launch on July 26. If you pre-order one, you can get a cashback of 8,000 on HDFC Bank cards or an upgrade bonus of 8,000 (this goes up to 15,000 for current owners of a Samsung flagship).

The Z foldables are not cheap, but they are built to last  Samsung promises 7 years of software support. Also, if you pre-order, you will get the Galaxy Z Assurance, which offers two screen/parts replacements at just 1,000 (usually, you get one screen replacement).

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 units that are sold in India are built locally in Samsungs factory in Noida.

We are delighted with the consumer response for our new foldables  Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 in India. The 1.4x growth in pre-orders for the new foldable smartphones shows that Indian consumers are among the fastest adopters of new technology. Our new foldable smartphones, now in their sixth generation, open the next chapter of Galaxy Al and elevate the user experience to new heights, enabling a range of unique mobile experiences across communications, productivity and creativity. The success of Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 will help us consolidate our premium segment leadership in India, said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, MX Business, Samsung India.

Source
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip6 last week with a big battery and improved cameras. Now Samsung released its new Galaxy Brand Anthem "Open Always Wins," sung by K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (also known as TXT).

The artists themselves have also been signed up as Galaxy Ambassadors, and the Z Flip6 can be seen multiple times in the video of the new track.

The music video includes shots of Paris and Los Angeles, the next two cities that will host the Summer Olympics, where the company will be present as a major partner. Athletes from Team Galaxy are also appearing in the video, practicing what they do best  surfing, skateboarding, and breakdancing.

The single is available on YouTube, Spotify, Melon, Genie, Bugs, Flo, and Vibe. There is also a dancing challenge to go along with it, encouraging fans worldwide "to show their support and cheer for their favorite athletes."

Source
The Matao, Guams senior mens national soccer team, goes against Singapore in the second leg of the FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1.
Guam Power Authority General Manager John Benavente presents during the Guam Clean Energy Transition Pre-conference event at the 15th University of Guam Conference on Island Sustainability on April 8, 2024.
Bank statements and school verification are no longer required to apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, effective immediately, according to the Department of Public Health and Social Services.

This is in addition to the removal of the mayors verification announced last year, to qualify for the SNAP program.

Public Healths Bureau of Economic Security of the Division of Public Welfare said this will make SNAP, previously called the food stamp program, more accessible to people on Guam.

The removal of these two documents is part of Public Health acting Director Theresa Arriolas initiative to improve SNAP.

Effective immediately, the following will be the only required documents:

Identity: Passport, drivers license, Guam ID, etc.

Proof of citizenship: Birth certificate, passport, permanent residency card, etc.

Proof of earned income: A 30-day history of employment for those who have been gainfully employed, such as one full month of check stubs received before turning in your application, verification of employment (if it is a new job or no longer working at that job) that specifically states ones rate of pay, hours per week or pay period, pay frequency and pay dates.

If self-employed: Filed gross receipt/1040 Form, and/or statement of self-employment earnings.

Proof of unearned income: Child support, alimony, statement from friends or relatives who provide you financial support (how much and how often), annuity/pension statements, GovGuam Retirement statements, veterans award letter, etc.

Residency: GHURA tenant summary, lease agreement, rent receipt, mortgage payments, utility bill, voter registration, employers statement, official, tax records, Guam drivers license, Guam ID, etc.

Guardianship: Legal guardianship or child custody court documents.

Additional documents may be requested by Public Healths BES on a case-by-case basis.

If a beneficiary intends to claim the shelter or deductible expenses, it has to be verified; meaning applicants need proof to allow the deduction claimed on the application.

If someone does not have any bills in their names, then a statement of Living Arrangement and the following should be submitted:

Power bill

Water/sewer bill

Cooking fuel bill

Trash bill

Telephone bill (landline or cell phone contract; prepaid not allowed)

If Public Healths BES has an applicants current photo I.D. or proof of citizenship on file, the applicant will not be required to submit those documents.

Guams high error rates

Recently, the Fiscal 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Payment Error Rate, and Case and Procedural Error Rate Reports were released by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Nutrition Service.

Following the release of the reports, Arriola said she would like to assure the community that Public Health is immediately taking corrective measures.

Although the FY2023 report shows Guam being at one of the highest in SNAP Payment and Case and Procedural error rates, I would like to inform our people that we are taking strides towards improvement, Arriola said in a statement. FNS has informed me that, for the first quarter of FY2024, Guams error rate has improved and is moving in the right direction.
The Guam Waterworks Authority wants to spend $4.8 million to upgrade the system it uses to remotely monitor drinking water and wastewater facilities around the island, in the hopes of catching issues before they become major problems.

GWA plans to build a control center for a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, SCADA, system, assistant general manager of engineering Jeanet Babauta Owens told the Consolidated Commission on Utilities Tuesday morning.

The utility wants permission from the CCU to spend $4.8 million on the first two phases of a four-phase buildout for the SCADA.

The SCADA will eventually collect data in real time from over 420 water wells, springs, reservoirs, and stations all around the island, according to Owens.

GWA is also required to install SCADA to remotely monitor sewage pumps around the island, as part of a settlement reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this year over allegations the utility has not been adequately controlling sewage overflows.

Some of GWAs monitoring is currently done manually, leading to delays in crews identifying and fixing issues, GWA assistant general manager of operations Tom Cruz told the CCU.

For example, GWA crews have to drive out and check on water reservoirs three times a day, Cruz said.

A new SCADA, however, could allow those reservoirs to be monitored from a control center and checked every 15 minutes, he said.

When an issue is detected, roving teams could respond immediately, instead of after the fact, Cruz said.

According to Owens, GWA does have SCADA systems installed at some systems, but the hardware and software arent integrated.

The utility uses five different brands of equipment, some of which are limited to one site, and trying to manage the different systems is becoming increasingly unsustainable, Owens said.

Phase one of the new SCADA buildout will involve construction of a central control center, which different systems will all be tied into, according to Owens.

Phase two will involve integration of the different monitoring systems, including major upgrades to some that have already reached the end of their service life.

Phases three and four of the project will come later, and involve designing and then building SCADA into drinking water first, and then wastewater facilities, Owens told the CCU.

The estimate to complete the whole SCADA project is built into GWAs upcoming five-year plan, at around $30 million, she said.

New monitoring equipment will also help regulate water leaks around the island, with plans to install SCADA to remotely monitor designated pressure zones around the island.

In fiscal 2023, in areas where GWA could measure water loss, it lost between 55% and 58% of water produced to leaks, the PDN has reported. The utility cant measure water loss across the island, yet.

CCU Commissioner Simon Sanchez Tuesday also asked about the possibility of implementing remote monitoring for customer water meters across the island.

The Guam Power Authority, Sanchez said, had the ability to monitor each of its 50,000 or so customers at any time, though he noted water meter monitoring may be harder to implement.

The technology is out there, GWA assistant general manager of administration and support Chris Budasi told Sanchez.

GWA is already testing out the tech, with plans to implement water meters that can be automatically read within the next five years, Budasi said.
Superior Court of Guam Judge Alberto E. Tolentino denied Dr. Ugochukwu Akoma's motion to dismiss his case with prejudice in a decision and order filed Monday.

Akoma, a family physician, was accused of groping a female patient and forcing the same patient to touch his groin area over his pants in October 2021. He faced two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, both as misdemeanors, as a result of the alleged incident.

His case went to trial on April 8, 2024 and ended a week later with the declaration of a mistrial. According to the decision, the trial was plagued with evidentiary issues, which ultimately led to the exclusion of much of the government's evidence. The defendant, through his counsel Jay Arriola, requested, and the court granted, a mistrial.

On the same day the mistrial was granted, Arriola informed the court that he would move to have the case dismissed with prejudice, which means the government cannot bring the same charges to the defendant.

He gave oral arguments based on two factors: a retrial would violate double jeopardy, and rescheduling the trial would lead to a violation of his statutory right to a speedy trial.

The Office of the Attorney General argued that double jeopardy doesn't apply to these facts, and that there is still time on the speedy trial countdown for a retrial. The court took the matter under advisement.

In his motion to dismiss, Akoma argued that he was "goaded" into requesting a mistrial by the government's lack of preparation and inability to meet basic evidentiary burdens, and repeated motions to reconsider basic evidentiary rulings."

Tolentino said Akoma did not prove that the government did not display any negligent or even intentional conduct to seriously prejudice the defense, nor was he able to prove existence or nonexistence of intent.

"The People also resisted Defendant's oral motion for mistrial, and even now, they continue to argue the admissibility of the evidence. See Opp. Mot. Dismiss at 5-6. While their legal arguments themselves have not been (and are still not) well taken by the Court, this posture suggests the People genuinely believe in their positions. This suggests that the People did not deliberately err in order to provoke a mistrial, as they do not believe they erred at all," wrote Tolentino.

On the argument that Akoma's speedy trial rights would be violated, the court found that Akoma still has six days remaining to start a new trial.

It also notes that several states have rules that reset the speedy trial clock whenever a mistrial is declared but there is no similar statute on Guam.
A new obstetrician-gynecologist, OB-GYN, is now licensed to provide much needed health care on Guam after clearing a hiccup over paperwork and documentation with the Guam Board of Medical Examiners.

The medical board on Tuesday unanimously approved OB-GYN and former Guam resident Dr. Sylvia S. Cruzs application for re-licensure.

Cruz is already on island and appeared in person for Tuesdays meeting of the medical board. She has plans to work with local nonprofit Todu Guam Foundation to provide health care.

Cruzs licensure comes as the island faces an ongoing shortage of OB-GYNs capable of providing prenatal care to high-risk expectant mothers, an issue thats been called a crisis by members of the local medical community.

Todu Guam has already started booking appointments with Cruz, and services include free pap smears and human papillomavirus vaccinations for eligible women without insurance, according to the organizations social media.

The returning OB-GYN was meant to start work with the nonprofit in June, the PDN reported. But her licensure by the GBME was delayed over issues providing documentation that proved shes been actively practicing medicine for the past two years, a requirement under the boards rules.

Cruz is licensed to practice medicine in Hawaii, according to the GBME, and the doctor has said she ran a practice in West Virginia for over 20 years.

However, the doctor told the board last month that she has mostly been operating a low tech practice while in Hawaii, providing home visits to women who often dont have insurance and pay in cash.

Cruz said the practice style was no longer common in the world of medicine.

Because of that, there were difficulties providing some of the specific documentation the GBME requires as proof of active practice from doctors.

The list of documentation includes:

Photos of their facility where they practice.

Records of patient encounters during the last two years.

Documentation of support staff employees.

Business license tax documents.

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Any other supporting documents.

GBME member Dr. Jonathan Sidell, who is handling Cruzs application, said in June that she had only provided a business license and handwritten charts as proof.

On Tuesday, GBME Chairman Dr. Nathaniel Berg said a registered nurse in Hawaii has since sent a letter attesting that Cruz has been practicing medicine for 35 years. The nurse noted that she has worked with Cruz to attend to between eight and 24 patients a week, Berg said.

The Hawaii medical board had also confirmed that Cruz was licensed to practice in Hawaii through June of 2026, Berg said. The Hawaii board also confirmed that Cruz did not have any punitive action or investigations on her record.

Sidell, himself an OB-GYN, said he had spoken with Cruz about her practice and that he believed she was telling the truth. He said his one concern was over what the burden of proof the medical board had when deciding whether Cruz was active.

Berg at one point during discussion said the board had broad leeway in making decisions using their professional judgment.

We have documentation, for myself a professional, that shes been seeing patients, which was our concern, Berg said.

GBME Member Dr. Annette David said the board should not lose sight of what they were trying to prove through paperwork, which was that Cruz has kept up with the standards of medical practice.

Its actually laudable that she practices in the way she does. She is covering a gap that is very much needed in the community, for those who are uninsured and are not, are not always capable of paying out of pocket, David said.

I do not think that we should punish her for doing what many of us would not have the courage nor the commitment to do, David added.

I believe that we need OB-GYN and I believe with meeting with Dr. Cruz that she was telling me the truth. And so Im willing to support her application, Sidell said after discussion between board members.

He said he remained slightly hesitant about the burden of proof for active practice.

Sidell did note that Guam could use five more OB-GYNs. Were all overworked.

A recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found Guam had a higher rate of infant mortality than any state between 2017 and 2021.

An average of 32 Guam babies died before their first birthday during those years, the report found.

Chuukese infants on Guam had a mortality rate nearly three times the national average, while CHamoru infants were nearly five times as likely to die before turning one, compared to the average infant in the nation, the Pacific Daily News reported in February.
The welcome page of the Department of Public Health and Social Services client portal, mybenefits.guam.gov.
The $6 million refurbishment project that will get students back to F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School in Yigo is being targeted by thieves, Education Superintendent Erik Swanson told the Guam Education Board on Tuesday night.

Swanson said people are breaking into the campus at night and stealing from the contractor fixing the school.

Its becoming a real problem at night, the superintendent said, adding that its not clear how much it will cost to fix damage caused by break-ins.

Individuals may be using tools stolen from the school contractor to cut open fences at the campus and then steal wiring out of the buildings, Swanson told the board.

Structural issues at FBLG have had middle school students attending double session classes with Okkodo High School students in Dededo since January 2023.

Ongoing refurbishment work is expected to have the middle school students back to their home campus in Yigo by early 2025.

Swanson said fences at the campus have since been repaired and the facility secured. The Guam Department of Education is now working with the Guam Police Department to get patrols in the area at night, he said.

The unused FBLG campus is the latest to be targeted by thieves this year.

Just last week, police arrested 47-year-old Freddy Cuevas Susuico for his alleged role in breaking into Finegayan Elementary School in Dededo.

Three individuals were caught on camera breaking into the Finegayan campus, and damages to the school were estimated at $9,900, with $5,850 worth of equipment stolen.

Besides the break-ins, Swanson told the board Tuesday that the contractor for FBLG Middle Schools refurbishment has a large labor force.

The contractor has also identified additional damage to the school that was caused by Typhoon Mawar and not included in the original repair contract, the superintendent said. GDOE is working with the company to square away the additional costs.

Other refurbishments

Meanwhile, contracts for the refurbishment of local public schools remain entangled in the legal conflict between the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Attorney General, according to Swanson.

Adelup and Attorney General Douglas Moylan have been embroiled for months in a battle before the Supreme Court of Guam over Moylans prosecution of GovGuam departments and agencies amidst allegations of conflicts of interest.

Adelup won a victory last month, but Moylan is looking to challenge the ruling.

Swanson said three of the refurbishment contracts have cleared a legal review by the AGs office and are awaiting signatures from the governor, Swanson said.

A fourth is still under review at the AGs office.

Swanson asked the board to help convey to the governor the importance of moving these projects.

A total of eight schools are targeted for refurbishment, split into four contracts, one for each region of the school district.

Besides the refurbishments, the contracts will also be updated to include renovations of restroom fixtures at 10 different campuses, Swanson told the board. Core Tech International was awarded the contracts.

Swanson last December identified seven of the schools due for refurbishment:

George Washington High School

Oceanview Middle School

Agueda Johnston Middle School

Inarajan Middle School

Ordot-Chalan Pago Elementary School

D.L. Perez Elementary School

Tamuning Elementary School

The eighth school is unknown, as the superintendent was not supposed to publicly disclose the information prior to the contract being finalized, based on previous board meetings.

Swanson was just a few months into his tenure as superintendent when he made the error.

Additionally, some 1,103 air conditioning units have been installed district wide in the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar damage, Swanson said Tuesday.

A second round of installations is being done for classrooms that need two units.

Installation of 5-ton and larger units at schools has just begun, Swanson told the board.

A contract with Carrier to repair ventilation systems at 29 schools was signed on Tuesday, he said.
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Haiti - FLASH : A 2nd Kenyan contingent has arrived in Haiti





Tuesday July 16, 2024, as part of the Multinational Mission to Support the National Police of Haiti (PNH) to fight against armed gangs, authorized on October 2nd, 2023, by resolution 2699 voted on at the UN Security Council https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40642-haiti-flash-the-security-council-approves-the-intervention-of-a-multinational-force-in-haiti.html , a charter flight OAE2376 of Omni Air International landed at Toussaint Louverture Airport in Port-au-Prince at 11:26 a.m. (local time) with on board a 2nd Kenyan contingent of around 200 officers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42780-haiti-news-zapping.html out of the thousand that Kenya has committed to providing.



In military fatigues, equipped with their assault rifles, Kenyan police officers from several specialized units disembarked and regrouped on the Tarmac before returning by bus to their base located within the airport perimeter.



Rameau Normil and members of the High Staff as well as the Kenyan commander in Haiti, Inspector General Godfrey Otunge welcomed this second contingent of police officers.



Godfrey Otunge said "The arrival of this second group is proof of Kenyas commitment. This contingent will greatly contribute to strengthening the capacity of the Haitian police so that they can put gangs out of harm's way."



Let's remember that this international mission which will be joined by the Kenyan force of 1,000 police officers, personnel from Benin and Chad among the African countries; Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados and Suriname among the Caribbean countries, as well as Bangladesh to reach a strength of 2,500 men (police and military) or more depending on circumstances. Note that Benin alone has indicated that it is ready to commit 2,000 men as a contribution to the Mission https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41764-haiti-news-zapping.html , almost doubling the strength of 2,500 men if necessary







See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42780-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42752-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42731-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42720-haiti-flash-a-us-military-plane-delivers-armored-vehicles-to-the-kenyan-police.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42668-haiti-flash-first-kenyan-patrol-in-the-streets-of-port-au-prince-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42653-haiti-flash-barbecue-warns-that-he-and-his-men-are-ready-to-confront-kenyan-troops-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42646-haiti-security-reinforced-military-and-surveillance-at-the-dominican-border.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42639-haiti-flash-visit-of-pm-conille-to-the-kenyan-police-base-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42634-haiti-usa-statement-by-president-biden-on-the-deployment-of-the-multinational-mission-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42632-haiti-flash-kenyans-are-in-haiti-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42618-haiti-flash-kenyans-already-secretly-in-haiti-first-contingent-expected-on-june-25-2024.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42513-haiti-flash-gang-members-flee-port-au-prince-before-the-deployment-of-the-multinational-mission.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42272-haiti-security-suriname-ready-to-send-police-and-soldiers-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42270-haiti-flash-$60-million-of-american-military-equipment-for-the-mission-some-details.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42217-haiti-flash-7-countries-from-africa-asia-and-the-caribbean-will-support-the-pnh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41764-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40642-haiti-flash-the-security-council-approves-the-intervention-of-a-multinational-force-in-haiti.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Denial of Presidential Advisor Leslie Voltaire





The communications team of Presidential Advisor Leslie Voltaire categorically refutes the video published on the X account of the online media "Journal Lakay", affirming "The message broadcast on this account is a fabricated montage, aimed at distorting the words of Advisor Voltaire.



Recalling that during a press conference held this Monday, Leslie Voltaire answered questions from a journalist from this online media. "At no time he mentioned the term 'dialogue with the bandits'. Advisor Voltaire's remarks were intentionally manipulated, and the published extracts altered the meaning and direction of his speech."



The communications team of Presidential Advisor Leslie Voltaire recalls that Advisor Voltaire's position is clear and unequivocal. There is no negotiation possible with the bandits. These criminals must face justice.



"Disinformation must not divide our Nation. We call for unity, peace and the collaboration of all to overcome insecurity and build a prosperous and secure future for Haiti."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Significant seizure of ammunition

During a police intervention in Trianon, in the town of Mirebalais at the start of the week, a bandit was fatally injured by the police who seized 5,000 ammunition...



Two 12 caliber rifles and an Uzi, seized

Following armed clashes on Sunday July 14 between specialized units of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and individuals operating in Cazeau (Port-au-Prince), the PNH seized 3 firearms including two rifles 12 caliber and an Uzi, 7.62 caliber cartridges, two cell phones and a bag containing a substance comparable to marijuana.



Tabarre : 22 manual water pumps installed

22 hand pumps installed in Tabarre to increase access to water. Additionally, nearly 50 community technicians have been trained for future outages and maintenance. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is grateful to the Office of Humanitarian Assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-Haiti) which makes these daily actions possible.



2nd Council of Ministers

Tuesday July 16, 2024, Prime Minister Garry Conille chaired his second Council of Ministers at the Official Residence, in Musseau (Delmas). On the agenda : the Government's roadmap, monitoring of the government retreat and above all, the strategy for implementing the major projects of the Political Transition: security, elections, constitution, economy, etc...



Customs NOTICE

Haiti Customs would like to inform the general public that it does not organize any auction sales and has not published any list of related goods. Consequently, it declines all responsibilities relating to any sale at auction of vehicles or other goods.



Congratulations from the Volleyball Federation

The Haitian Volleyball Federation (FHVB) extends its congratulations to the entire Port Margot League team, in particular to Parolla Jean and his immediate collaborators for the success of the 4th edition of the Tournament of Excellence. A tournament which brought together hundreds of young people and revived hope for the future of our sport. Congratulations to all participating teams.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















The scam sounded clever: order goods online, pretend to return them in order to receive a refund of the purchase price. In 2020, c't came across a Telegram group offering this scam as a service in return for commission. Law enforcement officials began an investigation - and now seven alleged gang members and another defendant who allegedly assisted with payment processing in individual cases and commissioned refund fraud himself have been charged.

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The Bavarian Cybercrime Central Office, together with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), has now announced that charges have been brought after years of investigation. The seven main defendants are suspected of having acted commercially and as a gang in the Telegram group "GermanRefundCrew".

More than half a million euros in losses

In the period from July to October 2020, two large online mail order companies suffered losses of around 530,000 euros, the prosecutors explain. The accused are said to have charged a commission amounting to a certain percentage of the value of the goods, but a fixed price for some particularly high-priced products. The individual participants thus made between 2245 euros and 114,781.99 euros with the scam.

The seven main defendants, aged between 23 and 41, have to answer to the Munich II Regional Court for between 321 and 564 cases of gang and commercial computer fraud for which they are accused. The public prosecutor's office in Bamberg explains that a prison sentence of between one and ten years is envisaged. As one of the participants was under the age of 21 at the time of the crime, a juvenile chamber must decide whether to admit the indictment.

The defendants come from many parts of the country. The prosecutors name the districts of Miesbach (Bavaria), Neuwied (Rhineland-Palatinate), Recklinghausen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Barnim (Brandenburg), Rhein-Neckar-Kreis (Baden-Wurttemberg), Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. An eighth defendant from Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia) is alleged to have helped the German Refund Crew with payment processing in six cases and to have faked fraudulent returns worth 8,000 euros himself. The public prosecutor's office accuses him of aiding and abetting gang and commercial computer fraud as well as nine further cases of computer fraud.

Presumption of innocence

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The presumption of innocence continues to apply to the accused - why the Central Cybercrime Unit emphasizes this self-evident fact remains unclear. So far, none of the accused have "made a criminal appearance". However, customers and others involved who have so far remained unharmed should not rest easy: "The investigations into the customers of the 'GermanRefundCrew' who used their services for fake returns are ongoing," the prosecutors conclude their statement.

c't uncovered the fraudulent scam and some variants of it on the Telegram channel in 2020. In May 2021, the BKA then searched the properties of seven suspected men. The investigation targeted not only the members of the gang, but also hundreds of customers.

(dmk)
Eric Mamer , the director of communications at the European Commission, on Monday stated to the newspaper that the commission intends to analyse the act while taking into account the instrumentalised migration that has been witnessed at the border between Finland and Russia.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION is not yet prepared to comment on whether the border security act passed last week in Finland aligns with EU law, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Of course national laws must align with EU law, he commented. We arent in a normal situation. Member states have an obligation to protect their borders while complying with certain conditions. Thats why we intend to analyse the law.

Branded the refoulement act by its critics, the act enables the government, in consultation with the president, to temporary suspend the reception of asylum applications at the border of Finland. The asylum seekers turned away at the border in such circumstances will have no legal recourse to appeal against the decision.

YLE on Tuesday reported that the act is scheduled to take effect on Monday, 22 July.

Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen (PS) on Friday stressed in a news conference that the threshold for invoking the act is high, adding that she does not presently foresee a situation where invoking it would be necessary.

Numerous legal scholars argued throughout the lawmaking process that the act is in violation of EU law and the international commitments of Finland. The right to seek asylum, principle of non-refoulement, and the right to an effective remedy and fair trial are all enshrined in union law, binding all member states.

The European Commission is responsible for supervising that member states comply with EU law. Member states that fail to do so may face a formal infringement procedure or be requested to amend legislation that does not align with union law.

The commission can also bring such cases to a court of law.

Hungary was recently issued a fine of 200 million euros for violating the immigration laws of the 27-country bloc by the EU Court of Justice.

The Finnish government embarked on a campaign to generate support for the controversial act during the lawmaking process. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, visited Lappeenranta, Eastern Finland, in April to examine the situation at the eastern border, concluding that a Russian hybrid operation is underway at the border.

In June, she argued in a letter sent to the leaders of member states that the union must re-examine its legislation in order to be able to respond effectively to instrumentalised migration.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Finavia's airports have reported a steady increase in passenger numbers for the first half of 2024, with a total of 9.4 million passengers, marking a 4.2% rise from the previous year. Despite this growth, Finland's recovery in air traffic remains significantly behind the rest of Europe.

However, a recent Airport Council International (ACI) Europe report highlights that Finlands air connectivity recovery is the second weakest in Europe, with a 37% decrease compared to pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, countries like Greece and Portugal have surpassed their 2019 air connectivity levels, driven largely by increased leisure travel.

Finland is moving in the opposite direction compared to the rest of the Eurozone in terms of air traffic. The Russian airspace ban has severely impacted flights to Asia, leading to a 45% drop in passengers on Asian routes since 2019, said Petri Vuori, Finavias Senior Vice President for Route Development.

Uneven Recovery and Shifting Travel Habits

The report indicates that air connectivity in Europe has recovered unevenly, with leisure travel driving growth. Helsinki Airport has seen a significant increase in flights to Mediterranean destinations, with passenger numbers to Greece, Spain, and Italy rising notably.

However, Finlands overall passenger numbers are still only at about 70% of 2019 levels, lagging behind other Nordic countries. Stockholms Arlanda Airport, for example, has recovered to 87% of its 2019 passenger levels.

Growth in Lapland Amid Declining Business Travel

Regional airports in Lapland have experienced a significant boost due to record winter tourism, with nearly 900,000 passengers passing through Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittila, and Kuusamo airports, a 16% increase. This contrasts with the decline in business travel, which has increasingly shifted to rail, reflecting a broader European trend towards sustainable travel.

"Business travel has decreased or shifted to rail, particularly for domestic travel in Europe. In Finland, airports traditionally serving business travelers, like Oulu, Turku, and Vaasa, have only recovered to about half of their 2019 passenger levels," Vuori explained.

Statistical Highlights

The first half of 2024 saw:

9,368,489 total passengers at Finavia airports (+4.2% from 2023)

total passengers at Finavia airports (+4.2% from 2023) 7,736,862 passengers at Helsinki Airport (+3.6% from 2023)

passengers at Helsinki Airport (+3.6% from 2023) 975,940 transfer passengers on international flights (-0.6% from 2023)

transfer passengers on international flights (-0.6% from 2023) 91,944 tonnes of total freight volume at Finavia airports (+6.7%)

of total freight volume at Finavia airports (+6.7%) 72,589 commercial flights at Helsinki Airport (+6.8%)

Popular Routes and Airlines

The most popular international routes from Finavia airports included destinations in Germany, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands. The top destinations were Stockholm, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris, with Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Doha, and Singapore leading the long-haul routes. Finnair, Norwegian, and Ryanair saw the most significant increases in passenger volumes over the past six months.

As Finland continues to recover from the pandemics impact on air travel, the focus on balancing leisure and business travel will be crucial for aligning with broader European trends and ensuring sustainable growth in air connectivity.

HT
Nora Immonen , Finavias Head of Commercial Business at Helsinki Airport, noted, The growing popularity of lounges among air passengers is a global phenomenon.

Responding to a significant increase in demand, Helsinki Airport is set to double its lounge facilities, greatly enhancing passenger services. This expansion reflects a global trend where air travelers, especially those on leisure trips, seek more comfortable and enjoyable airport experiences.

The demand for lounge facilities at Helsinki Airport has also increased sharply in recent years.

New Lounges and Major Renovations

Europes largest lounge operator, Swissport, will open a new Aspire lounge at gate 22 around the turn of the year. Additionally, the existing Aspire lounge at gate 27 will undergo renovation and is set to reopen in 2025.

In July, Finnair unveiled a new two-section lounge at the loft near gate 21, adding 1,500 square meters of lounge space and 440 seats, nearly 150 more than before. The new lounge can be accessed via escalator or elevator.

"Travelers are embarking on more leisure trips, and the need for a premium experience at the airport has risen. We are enhancing Helsinki Airports services in line with travel trends, which is reflected in high customer satisfaction. The renovated lounges offer even more opportunities to relax and enjoy the journey," Immonen said.

After the renovations, Helsinki Airport will boast a total of 3,000 square meters of lounge space.

Continuing Lounge Services

The existing Aspire Lounge at gate 13, Plaza Premium Lounge at gate 40, and Finnair Lounge at gate 52 will maintain their current services. Passengers can purchase admission to all Aspire and Plaza Premium lounges.

Comprehensive lounge services combined with new hotel and meeting services are a welcome addition for both business and leisure passengers at Helsinki Airport, added Immonen.

List of Lounges at Helsinki Airport

Aspire Lounge, Gate 13, Schengen

Aspire Lounge, Gate 22, Schengen (opens late 2024 to early 2025)

(opens late 2024 to early 2025) Aspire Lounge, Gate 27, Schengen (reopens spring 2025)

(reopens spring 2025) Finnair Lounge, Near Gate 21 (3rd floor, access by escalator or elevator), Schengen

Finnair Lounge, Gate 52, Non-Schengen

Plaza Premium Lounge, Gate 40, Non-Schengen

With these expansions and upgrades, Helsinki Airport aims to provide an even more pleasant and luxurious travel experience, catering to the evolving needs of modern air travelers.

HT
Support for the National Coalition rose by 0.8 percentage points to 20.8 per cent, representing the biggest change from the previous poll. Support for the Finns Party rose by 0.7 points to 15.6 per cent.

THE LATEST POLL by Helsingin Sanomat shows an up-tick in popular support for the two largest ruling parties in Finland, the National Coalition and Finns Party.

The Social Democratic Party, the largest opposition party in the Finnish Parliament, saw its approval rating fall from 21.2 to 20.8 per cent  almost two points lower than the all-time high of 22.7 per cent it hit in May 2024.

The poll shows a downward trend in support also for the Centre, Greens, Christian Democrats and Movement Now. The Centre dropped 0.4 points to 11.8 per cent, the Greens 0.2 points to 8.2 per cent, the Christian Democrats 0.5 points to 3.8 per cent and Movement Now 0.1 points to 2.2 per cent.

Both the Left Alliance and Swedish Peoples Party registered a 0.1-point up-tick in support, the former climbing to 10.0 per cent and the latter to 4.6 per cent.

Verian interviewed 2,388 people for the poll between 17 June and 12 July, a polling period that coincided with the leadership elections of both the Centre and Swedish Peoples Party.

The period was also characterised by heated debate and political manoeuvring over a piece of emergency legislation that enables the government to suspend the reception of asylum applications at parts of the national border and authorise border guards to summarily turn away migrants seeking international protection, with the exception of certain vulnerable groups.

Migrants turned away at the border or removed from the country will have no opportunity appeal against the decision to a court of law.

The government has justified the need for firmer measures at the border with the threat of instrumentalised migration, namely the use of migrants in hybrid influence operations by Russia.

Numerous legal scholars viewed that the bill is unconstitutional and incompatible with the international commitments of Finland. The Parliaments Constitutional Law Committee, though, ruled twice that the bill can be enacted as a limited derogation to the constitution.

Members of the Finnish Parliament passed the controversial act by a vote of 16731 on Friday, 12 July, meaning the poll results offer no indication as to how the vote may have affected public feelings about political parties.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of Finns would approve violating international human rights commitments to enforce the act, according to a survey published last week by Helsingin Sanomat.

The border security act was ratified on Tuesday by President Alexander Stubb. It is scheduled to enter into effect on Monday, 22 July.

I recognise the legal and humane tensions associated with the act. The debate shows that Finns are strongly committed to national security and rule of law, the president wrote on Instagram. Regardless of the variety of opinions, our goal is the best for Finland. Lets always cherish a debate culture where we listen to and respect each others opinions.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
The report documents the use of repressive laws, arbitrary detentions, legal actions against protestors, and unnecessary or excessive force by authorities.

Amnesty International has unveiled a troubling report highlighting widespread violations of the right to peaceful assembly in 21 European countries. The findings reveal a concerted effort by states to stigmatize, criminalize, and unjustly limit peaceful protests.

Additionally, surveillance technology is increasingly deployed to unfairly restrict protests, often on discriminatory grounds.

Our research paints a concerning picture of a Europe-wide assault on the right to protest. Peaceful demonstrations have historically been pivotal in securing many rights and freedoms we take for granted today. Yet, across Europe, laws and practices are threatening the right to peaceful assembly, said Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.

Signs of Suppression in Finland

Finland is not immune to these troubling trends. The report highlights instances of stigmatizing language used against protests and protestors, disproportionate use of force by police, and restrictive practices, especially concerning climate protests and acts of civil disobedience. The Finnish law requiring protest organizers to be at least 15 years old has been identified as a barrier to children's rights to protest. However, the report notes positively that spontaneous protests are legally protected in Finland.

Most protests in Finland proceed smoothly, with authorities ensuring their safety appropriately. While Finnish law largely aligns with international norms, it grants authorities considerable discretion, which could lead to more restrictive practices in line with European trends, said Anu Tuukkanen, an expert from Amnestys Finnish section.

Criminalization and Suppression of Protests

States are failing to uphold their international obligations to protect peaceful assemblies and avoid unjustified interference. Despite all 21 countries in the report having ratified key human rights treaties protecting the right to assembly, many have not implemented these protections in national law.

In recent years, several governments have imposed broad restrictions on protests, often citing national security and public order as pretexts. Notably, solidarity protests for Palestinians have been banned and restricted on vague grounds, with police often enforcing these restrictions violently.

Even peaceful civil disobedience, protected under the right to assembly, faces increasingly harsh measures. Police have unjustifiably broken up protests involving civil disobedience, used disproportionate force, and detained protestors on unclear grounds, with some facing criminal charges and even imprisonment.

Stigmatizing Protestors

Authorities and politicians across Europe frequently use derogatory and stigmatizing rhetoric against protestors to justify tighter laws. This narrative is particularly used against Palestinian solidarity protests and increasingly portrays peaceful civil disobedience as a threat to public order or national security.

In Finland, politicians and other figures in power have used disparaging terms, especially regarding climate protestors and movements like Elokapina.

The narrative that stigmatizes protestors is part of the broader suppression of assembly rights. Public discourse indicates that many do not understand that protesting is a fundamental human right and that protests are allowed to cause disruption. It is crucial for authorities and those in power to ensure accurate information about protests is shared, Tuukkanen emphasized.

Excessive Use of Force

The report shows that police across Europe widely use excessive or unnecessary force against peaceful protestors, leading to serious injuries in several countries, including bone and dental fractures in France and Germany, severe head injuries in Spain, and loss of a hand in France. Disproportionate force has also been used against children in some instances. In Finland, police used pepper spray on Elokapina protestors in 2020, including at least one child.

Fear and Discrimination

Unjustified restrictions and suppression of protests instill fear and raise the barrier to participation. Authorities in many countries appear to discriminate based on the themes and organizers of protests, imposing restrictions on anti-racism demonstrations and protests organized by LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and asylum seekers, often justified by racist and homophobic stereotypes.

In 2022, Finnish police banned protestors from using flags of the PKK and other Kurdish organizations. In Berlin, protests commemorating Nakba in 2022 and 2023 were preemptively banned based on discriminatory biases, with police labeling participants as prone to violence. In Poland and Turkey, LGBTQ+ individuals have faced increasing harassment and discriminatory restrictions from authorities.

The right to protest is a human right. Peaceful demonstrations should not be unjustly restricted, nor should people be punished for exercising their right to protest. Instead of imposing restrictive laws and practices, states must protect and promote the right to assembly, Tuukkanen stressed.

HT
In the most comprehensive scenario, where conscription affects the entire age cohort (100%), Germanys gross national income could decrease by 1.6%, equating to nearly EUR 70 billion.

Reintroducing military conscription in Germany could have severe economic repercussions, with potential costs reaching up to EUR 70 billion, according to a study by the ifo Institute commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Finance. The research explored three scenarios to assess the macroeconomic impact of military conscription.

If conscription were to follow the previous model, impacting approximately a quarter of the age cohort, the economic output could fall by 0.4%, or EUR 17 billion. A scenario where only 5% of an age cohort is conscripted would result in a 0.1% decline, or EUR 3 billion.

Conscription as part of a mandatory social year would impose annual economic costs comparable to the combined funds allocated for the defense budget and the special fund for the German Armed Forces in 2024, stated ifo military expert Marcel Schlepper.

The significant costs stem from young people delaying the accumulation of human capital and assets. Panu Poutvaara, Director of the Center for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Research at ifo, suggests an alternative to conscription: increasing financial resources for the German Armed Forces to make military service more attractive. Higher salaries for soldiers could be a more sensible solution, Poutvaara explained.

Although this market-based approach would increase the national budget burden, it would cost almost half as much in terms of economic output compared to conscription: EUR 37 billion instead of EUR 70 billion (in the 100% scenario), EUR 9 billion instead of EUR 17 billion (in the 25% scenario), and EUR 2 billion instead of EUR 3 billion (in the 5% scenario). The study asserts that the military capabilities of the German Armed Forces would improve equally under both conscription and the market solution.

The study also highlighted the uneven distribution of conscription costs across society, primarily affecting the conscripts themselves. Military service forces individuals to alter their educational and career plans, leading to long-term negative economic consequences for their income and consumption. If only a small proportion of an age cohort is conscripted, it raises significant fairness concerns due to the unequal burden distribution, Poutvaara noted.

Conversely, a market solution with higher salaries would distribute the financial burden more evenly, as everyone would contribute to higher government spending. In the case of conscription, those not conscripted incur minimal costs, which may explain its popularity among older age cohorts not directly affected, added Schlepper.

The findings of this study are expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing debate about the future of military conscription in Germany, weighing the economic costs against national defense needs.

HT
Four Indian Army personnel from 10 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), including a Captain, succumbed to injuries following a gunfight with terrorists on July 16. The gunfight broke out at Bhadarwah in the Doda district of J&K. Kashmir Tigers, a proxy outfit of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility.

The incident is a continuation of terror-related violence, which has spread over the entire Jammu region to include the Chenab valley comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, border districts of Rajauri and Poonch and Kathua, located at the southern extreme of the region. The Doda attack is the latest in over 10 such incidents in little more than two months, reinforcing the fact that the centre of gravity vis-a-vis terrorism has shifted from Kashmir to Jammu.

Defence analysts and experts see new and disturbing trends emerging from these attacks. Firstly, the success story of counter-terror operations in Kashmir has compelled the Pakistan-backed terror infrastructure to switch over to Jammu from Kashmir; secondly, the twin messaging by terror groups that all is not well in J&K contrary to the claim of normalcy by the government and that the time is not yet ripe to revive the political process; thirdly, in the context of the diminishing Pakistan story in J&K, these attacks are attempts by the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan to highlight its continued relevance; fourthly, thinning down of the counter-terrorism deployment grid in Jammu region due to troops been pulled out for deployment along the Line of Actual Control with China in the years after the Galwan clash; and lastly, the claim of responsibility of the last two incidents (Kathua, on July 8 and Doda, on July 15) by Kashmir Tigers depicting the widespread resistance to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in entire J&K.

Importantly, the government should not fall prey to the terrorists messaging against reviving the political process.

It is important to flag a few crucial facets that affect the operations of armed forces units on the ground and, which are generally overlooked during analyses.

The terrain in the Jammu region where security forces and terrorists operate is treacherous, as compared to the plains of the Kashmir valley. The Jammu regions geography is interspersed with high mountains, thick vegetation, natural caves and numerous water bodies that are in spate during monsoons.

This offers a key advantage to terrorists when they start an attack, forcing troops to respond. Owing to the advantage of making the first move, soldiers, who are frequently in pursuit, suffer losses during the initial contact. This is what may have happened with the party of 10 RR under the valiant leadership of Captain Thapa on July 15/16.

Given the mentioned scenario, the armys sub-units while operating need to exercise caution rather than rushing to establish contact. Of course, the tactical leadership on the ground is the best judge to decipher the thin dividing line that confronts soldiers in combat.

Another factor that aggravates the challenges of the terrain is the thin density of the population in the region with non-existent habitation in higher ridges. In addition to giving abundant cover and hiding places to terrorists, this also poses challenges in terms of developing real-time intelligence and building an effective human intelligence grid.

Notwithstanding the above, building up an effective human intelligence network is crucial for the armed forces. The Jammu regions Gujjar community, which is in majority, has traditionally supported the security forces. But the increasingly weak and inert human intelligence is indeed a cause of worry and the probable alienation of Gujjars needs to be looked into by the government. If reinvigorated, this has the potential to become a cutting-edge advantage for operations.

As far as the deployment voids in the Jammu region are concerned, as per officers on the ground, additional troops have been re-inducted to tide over the gap. However, given the challenging terrain and a seemingly indifferent population, it will take time for new units to acclimatise to the geography and build an effective intelligence network.

It is imperative that the security agencies, with the support of local communities, undertake carefully planned operations to dismantle terrorist networks but expecting immediate results may not be reasonable, especially in the context of near normalcy that prevailed in the region for the last decade or so.

As noted by Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retired): There could be costs, but ultimately, the security forces will prevail, particularly in conditions where local support is limited, as is the case in the Jammu region(Making deterrence on terrorism work in J&K, Hindustan Times, July 15).

The relentless churning in media accompanied by the politicisation of terror-related issues doesnt do any good to the deployed soldiers; on the contrary, they are pressurised by these factors. Resultantly, units and their leaders are compelled to show results and, while rushing to produce tangibles, falter. The setbacks are to be absorbed but not forgotten.

Security forces have been through similar difficult phases earlier but have emerged stronger. The full spectrum of counter-terrorism conflict that Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to during his review of the security situation should be interpreted to be all-encompassing and covers military and non-military measures including how the psyche of the soldier is affected.

We have lost too many soldiers in J&K: 3598 to be precise (since the year 2000 as per the South Asia Terror Portal) and the sole driving force behind their supreme sacrifice has been patriotism.

Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa (retired), father of late Captain Brijesh Thapa demonstrated amazing stoicism through his statement to the media when he said: I feel proud that our son has done something for the nation. But the only thing is that we will be missing him for the rest of our lives. His gesture certainly gives us enough reasons to have faith.

Colonel Shashank Ranjan is a retired Infantry officer who has operated extensively in J&K including the command of an RR battalion in the Jammu region. He currently teaches at OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana. The views expressed are personal
State-owned IREDA on Wednesday said the company will invest 290 crore in a 900 MW hydroelectric power project in Nepal. The Board of Directors of IREDA gave in-principle approval for the equity investment at a meeting on Tuesday, the company said in a statement.

The Board of Directors of IREDA gave in-principle approval for the equity investment at a meeting on Tuesday, the company said in a statement.

Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director, IREDA, said, "This strategic investment aligns with our commitment to expanding renewable energy infrastructure and fostering international collaboration in the sector. The 900 MW project is a significant step towards harnessing Hydropower potential in Nepal, contributing to regional energy security and sustainable development."

The company will pick up a 10 per cent stake in the Upper Karnali Hydro-Electric Power Project.
Union minister for communications and development of north eastern region Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday met the founder and chairperson of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal, Reliance Jio chairperson Akash Ambani, Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal and Vodafone Idea CEO Akshaya Moondra as he took a meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) of telecom service providers. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (top right) with top telecom chief of the country in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Photo from X)

During the meeting, the industry leaders briefed the minister about the progress of the 5G roll-out in the country, the challenges faced by telcos and possible strategies to enhance service delivery.

Had a very productive meeting with the Advisory Committee of Telecommunication Service Providers. Discussed upon different aspects concerning the sector including futuristic & innovative areas of growth. We are committed to work together to build an Inclusive and Connected Bharat, Scindia tweeted after the meeting.

Scindia also met members of two other SACs  internet service providers and infrastructure providers, and academics and research and development in telecom sector  on Tuesday. The former focused on the need to improve broadband penetration and infrastructure development while the latter focussed on how industry-academia partnerships led to greater innovation and development of a skilled workforce in the telecom sector.

On Monday, Scindia had met members of the other three SACs  on telecom sector original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), on telecom electronics ecosystem and on the satellite communication ecosystem. These six committees are meant to give insights to the department of telecommunications.

All these meetings were introductory and were meant to set the agenda; no policy decisions were taken, two people aware of the matter said on the condition of anonymity.

These SACs were set up to discuss issues  such as spectrum-related concerns, licence fee, BharatNet, and increasing manufacturing, intellectual property and research and development in the country  raised by different stakeholders at different points of time. The idea is for the stakeholders to get back to the DoT (department of telecom) with their recommendations after six to eight weeks, the first of the people cited above said.

Next meeting onwards, there will be discussion. The SACs have to list the issues being faced by the industry and share the presentation with the DoT. The dates for the next meetings will be decided on the basis of that, the second person cited above said.

The meetings were also attended by the minister of state for communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, DoT secretary Neeraj Mittal, DoT member (technology) Madhu Arora, and DoT member (finance) Manish Sinha.
IT companies are checking learnability and employee's intent to learn and adapt in this appraisal season, Manpower Groups President of Experis Sanju Ballurkar told Business Today. Companies are also evaluation employees leadership skills related to assigned tasks and empathy towards co-workers during the appraisal cycle. Companies are also evaluation employees leadership skills related to assigned tasks and empathy towards co-workers during the appraisal cycle.

We are seeing rapid changes in how the world of IT services is evolving. The companies are coping with these changes via increased use of training and learning investments, he told the outlet, adding, Emphasis on learning opportunities is resulting into employee sponsorships for learning initiatives, attractive outcome-based incentives, better working environment in office (when employees are asked to return to office, provision of hybrid/flex working schedules, additional focus on health & wellness related initiatives.

Sashi Kumar, talent marketplace Indeeds Head of Sales, said, Key parameters include how employees drive innovation, adapt to ever-evolving market demands, and fuel collaborative efforts that align with the companys strategic goals.

Sashi Kumar told the outlet that in the appraisal season IT companies could adopt a strategic approach to employee evaluation, prioritising not just technical prowess but also how individuals contribute to the broader business objectives.

HR professionals need to find out whats causing poor performance and then create a plan which might include extra training, mentorship, and chances to learn new skills. By having open conversations and giving frequent feedback, employers make sure that all team members know what they need to do to succeed, he said, adding, Companies are also focusing on well-being programs encompassing mental health and financial wellness, alongside work-life balance initiatives like flexible schedules and work-from-home options.
A 70-year-old farmer, identified as Fakeerappa, was turned away from a Bengaluru mall on Tuesday evening because of the traditional dhoti and white shirt he was wearing. Accompanied by his son, Nagaraj, Fakeerappa had gone to the GT Mall on Magadi Main Road with the simple aim of watching a movie, The Hindu reported. A video captures a conversation with the Bengaluru malls security supervisor, who insists that the malls dress code prohibits entry for individuals wearing dhotis.

The incident, which took place at around 6 pm, has since drawn criticism and prompted local farmer unions to call for a protest unless the mall management issues a formal apology.

READ | Elderly man denied entry to Bengaluru metro over dirty clothes, netizens angry

A video recorded by Nagaraj captures a conversation with the malls security supervisor, who insists that the malls dress code prohibits entry for individuals wearing dhotis. The supervisor suggested that Fakeerappa would be allowed entry if he wore pants instead.

In a statement to the media, Nagaraj expressed his disappointment, emphasizing his desire to share a movie experience with his father in a multiplex setting.

READ | Fascist and regressive: Mohandas Pai and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw oppose Karnataka govt's Kannadiga reservation bill

Fakeerappa, who did not get a formal education, also spoke on the matter and said, How can people from the village let go of our dhoti and come dressed in pants to watch a film?

I have got all five of my children educated. They are well-placed now. But I cannot give up my culture, dressing style and start wearing pants just to go to a mall. It is sad that people feel inferior about our own dressing style and culture in our own state, he added, as quoted by the publication.

READ | Karnataka govt to mandate inclusion of 50-75% Kannadigas in private jobs, cabinet approves the bill

This incident echoes a similar controversy from February, when a viral video showed the Bengaluru Metro security personnel allegedly refusing entry to an elderly man due to his dirty clothes. The man, who was balancing a bundle of clothes on his head and wearing a white shirt, was stopped at the Rajajinagar metro station, igniting a wave of social media backlash.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft legislation setting aside 50% of managerial roles and 75% of non-managerial roles for local candidates in industries, factories and other commercial establishments, becoming the latest state to administer controversial domicile quotas. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah (right) and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (left). (File Photo)

The chief minister in a tweet also said that the Cabinet approved a bill to make it mandatory to hire Kannadigas for all C and D grade jobs in all private industries in the state.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, is likely to be tabled during the current legislative session for approval. The ruling Congress has a comprehensive majority in the Lower House but in the Upper House, the joint Opposition of JD(S) and BJP holds the advantage.

If implemented, the law will have a serious impact on the sprawling information technology industry in Bengaluru, which has an economy of $245 billion and is home to over 1.5 million employees.

The law is also expected to face legal challenges. A similar rule in Haryana was struck down by the Punjab & Haryana high court last year as unconstitutional, with the judges holding that notions about individual rights need to be in accordance with the text and spirit of the Constitution and not popular or majoritarian notions.

The bills objective is to prioritise local employment, Karnataka labour minister Santosh Lad said, noting that many private firms receive government benefits. We want to ensure that more jobs are available for local Kannadigas, he said.

The cabinet meeting on Tuesday was chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah. As per the bill, a local candidate is defined as a person who is born in the state of Karnataka and who is domiciled in the state for a period of 15 years and who is capable of speaking, reading and writing Kannada in a legible way and has passed a required test conducted by the nodal agency.

In cases where suitable local candidates are unavailable, the bill stipulates that industries must work with the government to train local candidates within three years.

If a sufficient number of local candidates are not available, then an industry or factory or other establishments may apply for relaxation from the provisions of this act to the government, and after due enquiry, the government may pass appropriate orders and such orders passed by the government shall be final, the draft legislation said. HT has seen a copy of the legislation.

Management positions include supervisory, managerial, technical, operational and administrative roles, excluding directors, while non-management positions encompass clerical, unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, IT/ITES employees and contract or casual workers, said the draft bill.

Failure to adhere to the bills requirements can result in penalties ranging from 10,000 to 25,000. The bill assigns a nodal agency to oversee compliance, including verifying employer reports and requesting additional documentation if needed. An authorised officer may also be appointed to enforce the bills provisions.

An office-bearer of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry said they were yet to review the draft bill. However, they were committed to providing jobs to local candidates, the person said.
The controversial Bill that is approved by the Karnataka cabinet will mandate the inclusion of 50-75% Kannadigas in all sorts of private jobs is creating a panic among Bengaluru founders. As the city is a key place with over five lakh registered start-ups and global MNCs, the latest reservations for Kannadigas Bill created a discussion among business leaders and start-up founders. Tough to run companies: Bengaluru founders on Kannadiga reservation bill

What are founders saying on the Kannadiga reservation Bill?

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Vyom Bhatia, founder of social media marketing agency Marty Matin, said, The main reason why many of the founders pick Bengaluru as their place for the entrepreneurial journey is that it has a great pool of talent. The city has been known for its welcoming and friendly nature. But this latest Bill came as a surprise for many founders in Bengaluru. Currently, we only hire employees based on their skills and their capability to help brands go global. It would be tough for us to run companies if such Bills are passed, and we are forced to hire people on a regional basis.

Bhatia said that he will have to move his company's base from Bengaluru and look for other options. I respect the government's decision. But I am considering moving the business to Hyderabad or Gurugram if such Bills are passed. There is significant confusion among our employees, he added.

The draft State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries Factories and Other Establishments Bill will also mandate 100% Kannadigas for group C and D blue-collar jobs.

Subrahnil Gangabasi, CEO of HCD Dream Interior Solutions in Bengaluru, said, The blue-collar jobs depend a lot on skill sets. I have carpenters and plumbers from various parts of the country, including Karnataka. From my observation, these workers learn skills from each other, which will enhance their productivity. I have so many workers from Rajasthan who eventually learned Kannada from the local workers. They can communicate well with clients and deal with their requirements. It would not be a great move for me to hire a carpenter or plumber solely based on his regional identity and ignore his skill.

He also highlighted that promoting local language among blue-collar workers would benefit the state. Many of my clients called me and asked if they should stop the home interior work and purchase of real estate after news broke about this Bill. Though the Bill is yet to be passed, it created confusion among many non-Kannadigas living in Bengaluru. Instead of asking companies to stop hiring non  Kannadigas, the government can ask management to promote the Kannada language in the workforce, he added.

Bengaluru also has many fintech start-ups which have employees from various IITs and IIMs across the country. Mr Anuj Srivastava, Co-founder of OnFinance.ai said, At the moment, if we have two to three employees from Karnataka, around 60-70 employees are from other parts of the country. The Bill is beneficial for Kannadigas as it prioritises locals. The manufacturing sector could have an advantage, which is crucial for economic growth. Second is local talent utilisation - better integration of local talent and skills.

He also stressed that different cities have experts in other sectors. We are a banking tech company, and most financial analysts are from Mumbai. This is not to say there is lesser talent among locals, but certain cities have expertise in certain domains. For example, we may not be able to find graduates from BITS or IIT from within Karnataka, and Mumbai is called the financial capital of India. Hence, financial knowledge is larger and more easily found there, Srivastava rounded off.
Amid the spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region, security forces have identified 48 locations across six districts for multi-force deployment of army, Jammu and Kashmir Polices special operations group (SOG) and paramilitary force personnel. The move is aimed at not only pre-empting terror strikes but also dominating vantage points and cleansing forests of terrorists. A security official stands guard near the site of the recent encounter with terrorists at Desa village in Doda district on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

At least 48 locations, where terrorist activities are up, have been identified in Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts. Security forces will go for clinical operations in these areas with the help of human intelligence and technological intervention, a senior security official said.

The deployment shall also be made on ridges to guard the movement of security convoys from hill tops. The terrorists have been taking positions at vantage points on hill tops and targeting convoys on narrow roads in the hilly terrain, the official said.

July 15 ambush fourth attempt in 35 days

The terror attack on a search team in Desa forest on Monday night that left four soldiers, including an officer, dead was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammads proxy outfit Kashmir Tigers.

Security forces suspect that the attackers, believed to be three to four, were a mix of Pakistani terrorists trained in guerilla warfare and commandos of the Pakistans Special Services Group. Three attempts made earlier to target forces in Doda by these terrorists were thwarted by J&K Police and the Indian Army

Sources said that the Monday night attack in Desa forest was the fourth attempted ambush in Doda district in the past 35 days.

Tightening cordon to corner terrorists

Defence sources said that additional troops from Nagrota-based White Knight Corps have been rushed to Desa forest to tighten the cordon and assist in search operations.

The security forces have thrown a multi-layered cordon around Desa forest, including Panchan Bhata. The forces launched a massive combing operation from Keshwan in Kishtwar, Pogal Paristan in Ramban, Basantgarh in Udhampur and from the Anantnag side, they said.

Forces are trying to gradually tighten the cordon to corner the terrorists. The army, which is leading the first layer of the multi-forces grid with its paratroopers, has clear instructions to conduct clinical operations without suffering further damage, they said.

On June 26, security forces had conducted a clinical operation in the Sinoo area of Gandoh in Doda district, where three terrorists were eliminated swiftly without any casualty to the forces.

Poonch, Rajouri see most casualties

Since 2021, 52 security personnel have died in the line of duty in the Jammu region, while 62 terrorists have been killed and 19 civilians lost their lives.

Of them, 21 personnel died in Poonch and an equal number lost their lives in the line of duty in Rajouri district, while six personnel died in Kathua and four in Doda.

While 31 terrorists were eliminated in Rajouri district in the past three years, 23 were killed in Poonch, three each in Doda and Reasi districts and two in Kathua.

Ten civilians lost their lives in terror attacks in Rajouri, while nine died in Reasi district.
Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of handling Punjabs finances insincerely. Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of handling Punjabs finances insincerely. (HT File)

Bajwa said that the Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on Monday met with 16th finance commission chairman Arvind Panagariya in New Delhi to present Punjabs case for a grant. Earlier, CM met former economic advisor to the government of India Arvind Subramanian for suggestions on how to bring the states economy back on track.

After the humiliating defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Punjab CM seems to have woken up from his deep slumber to streamline the fiscal health of Punjab. As they say, a stitch in time saves nine. Had the Punjab CM been working diligently for the betterment of Punjabs economy, he would not be running around now to remedy the situation, Bajwa added.

The opposition leader said that the Punjab government has squandered Punjabs exchequer extravagantly on self-publicity, air travel, and party expansion. CM Mann was least bothered about the bleeding economy of the state. Now he is trying to be the messiah in Punjab.

The routine activities of the government are being run with borrowed funds, consequently, by the end of this financial year, an outstanding debt will hit 3.74 lakh crore. Is this the kind of promise the AAP, particularly, the Punjab CM made before the assembly election in 2022?, Bajwa asked.
Punjab Police on Wednesday busted cross-border drug smuggling rackets in Amritsar district with the arrest of six smugglers and recovered 9.4kg heroin along with five pistols. The accused arrested in Amritsar on Wednesday were in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and had received the consignments through drones. (Representational photo)

Amritsar rural police unearthed a Pakistan-backed drug smuggling racket with the arrest of two smugglers and recovered 7kg of heroin and five pistols, including four 9mm Glock pistols and a .32-bore pistol, state director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said.

Acting on a tip-off, the Amritsar rural police set up a naka (checkpoint) at Muhawa village in the Gharinda area and intercepted the Swift Dzire car in which Gurmukh Singh of Bhura Kona and Jagwant Singh of Mehdipur, both in Tarn Taran district, were going to deliver a weapon consignment. Besides recovering the five pistols, five live cartridges and five magazines were confiscated from them. The car has been impounded.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to have concealed the heroin consignment near their house. Following their disclosure, police raided the location and recovered 7kg of heroin.

Both accused were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were supplying consignments of weapons and drugs across the state after receiving them via drones.

Amritsar Rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Satinder Singh said investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and identify the Pakistan-based smuggler and persons to whom the accused were to deliver the weapon consignment.

The Amritsar city police also busted a cross-border narcotic smuggling network with the arrest of four accused in three cases.

Amritsar commissioner of police Ranjit Singh Dhillon said the police teams of CIA staff acted on tip-offs and laid traps to arrest the accused along with the heroin and weapons.

Tejbir Singh of Burj Rai Ke in Tarn Taran was arrested and 1.47 kg heroin was recovered from him.

In another case, accused Ajay Singh and Pargat Singh, both residents of Mode village, were arrested with 950gm of heroin.

Rajinder Singh, also of Burj Rai Ke village, was arrested with a.32-bore pistol along with two live cartridges and nearly 60gm of heroin.

All these accused were in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and had received the consignments through drones.
The Hindu majority Jammu region has been rattled by a sudden spike in terror attacks, especially in the last two months. Security experts attribute the disturbing trend to a multitude of factors including the imminent assembly polls and thinning of troops over the years. Army officials paying tribute to the personnel killed in the Doda attack at the at the Technical Airport in Jammu. (HT)

While Rajouri and Poonch districts, south of Pir Panjal had been under the grip of terrorism since 2021, the spurt in attacks in Reasi, Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts have made the Jammu region a new terror hub.

Besides the abrogation of Article 370, imminent assembly polls and the thinning of troops, security experts also view successful infiltrations via international border and local support as factors contributing to the spike.

Abrogation of Article 370

Security forces had tightened the noose around terrorism in Kashmir with relentless counter-terror operations following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The troops from Jammu were also relocated to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in view of the protracted India-China stand-off post the Galwan clash of June 15, 2020, which had claimed the lives of 20 soldiers.

The hilly, rugged and vast region of Jammu witnessed thinning of troops in the process, leaving behind a void for the Pak-based terror groups to exploit.

Imminent assembly elections

The record turnout of voters in recently held Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir clearly perplexed Pakistan, which would not want to see Centre holding assembly polls before September 30 in the union territory.

Back-to-back terror attacks by Pak-terror groups are being seen as an attempt to disrupt the process leading up to the upcoming assembly polls.

Successful infiltration, local support

Successful infiltration in recent times via the international border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu, coupled with local support, provided ample opportunity for the well-trained terrorists to select and hit their targets.

Situation grim, strategic ops needed: Former DGP

Reacting to the Doda attack on Monday that left four soldiers dead, former director general of police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid said, The situation in Jammu region seems to be very serious. A number of incidents have taken place. The arc of terrorism is spreading from Rajouri and Poonch to Reasi, Kathua, Billawar, Doda. Almost the whole Jammu province is in the grip of terror.

The former DGP strongly felt the need for strategically planned operations.

A major action is required. We must eliminate those people, who have managed to enter from IB or LoC. We have to eliminate these terrorists in well organised and strategically planned operations, Vaid said, admitting that the terrorists were striking at will.

In most places (encounters), we are losing men and they [terrorists] are not getting hit. The way they are ambushing us, it looks like they are highly trained in guerilla warfare. They are choosing the right place and right time to attack our forces. We need to handle the situation very professionally, he said, emphasising upon zero infiltration on the borders.

In the 1990s, the Jammu province saw bloodshed in Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi. I think the best way is to check infiltration because once they (terrorists) are inside, they will cause mayhem. They must not be allowed to infiltrate, the former DGP said.

The arc of terror, he said, was spreading to peaceful districts of the Jammu region, which is being targeted with a specific aim to counter the narrative of peace returning to the region post revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

Since all the parameters in Kashmir have improved drastically, Pakistan and China are now conspiring how to counter this narrative of peace and development returning to Jammu and Kashmir. To meet their ulterior motive, they have decided to attack Jammu region, which had depleted deployment of forces, particularly in the past 15 years because of total peace prevailing in the region, he added.

Outlining other factors that make Jammu a soft target, he pointed out the hilly and vast terrain and poor network of roads, coupled with the depleted strength of army and paramilitary forces.

Dicey regional politics

DGP RR Swain, meanwhile, on Monday blamed regional politics in the Valley for Pakistans successful infiltration into the Kashmiri civil society. He alleged that so-called mainstream political parties cultivated leaders of terror networks at times to further their electoral prospects.

Pakistan successfully infiltrated all important aspects of civil society, thanks to so-called mainstream or regional politics in the valley. There is ample evidence to show that many had owned the art of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, which left both the common man and the security bewildered, frightened, and confused, Swain said.

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha chief of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, general officer commanding of the Nagrota based 16 Corps, Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva and general officer commanding of the Tiger Division, Major General Mukesh Bhanwala paid tributes to the four soldiers killed in the Doda encounter at the technical airport in Jammu.

Laid wreath and paid homage to the bravehearts, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation during anti-terror operation in Doda. The nation will never forget the sacrifice made by the gallant heroes of Army, Sinha wrote on X.

Earlier, he had expressed anguish and avowed to avenge the death of soldiers.

I am deeply anguished to learn about the cowardly attack on our Army soldiers and JKP personnel in Doda district. Tributes to brave soldiers who made supreme sacrifice protecting our nation. My deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families, he had posted on Monday morning.
New Delhi Police have arrested 23 of the 24, including eight minors. (Getty Images)

Twenty-four people, including eight juveniles, were chargesheeted by the police for conspiring and killing a 32-year-old man in an act of revenge, after one of the 24 was initially attacked by a group of people over his relationship with an 18-year-old woman, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place at Anna Nagar, near Pragati Maidan, central Delhi, on April 9. The prime conspirator, identified as 20-year-old Prashant Kumar, was attacked by relatives and friends of the woman and hospitalised, following which he sent 23 people to retaliate and kill the womans family, who fled.

However, their neighbour Nand Kishore was spotted by the group and he was assaulted and stabbed multiple times, according to police. They said the 24 have been booked on charges of murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy under sections 302, 148, 149 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at the IP Estate police station.

Police said 15 adults, barring one absconding person, were arrested from Delhi and the eight juveniles, all boys, were also apprehended and sent to a correction home in the three months since the crime. The chargesheet was filed last week, they said.

Elaborating on the sequence of events, an officer, requesting anonymity, said that on April 9 evening, a brother of the woman spotted her travelling with prime accused Kumar in a scooter. He informed the family, who disapproved of it and decided to attack Kumar, who is a resident of Mori Gate at ITO Chowk.

They found Kumar in Anna Nagar around 8pm and badly assaulted him. He suffered multiple injuries and was admitted to Lok Nayak hospital. Kumar called his friend, Mohit Kumar, about the assault and asked him to make arrangements to get revenge. Within an hour, Mohit and 22 associates met Prashant at the hospital, where they hatched the revenge plan, the officer said.

Mohit and his associates, some of whom were identified as Mukesh, Manish, Sonu, Sunny, Ansh, Nikhil, Sahil and Taj Bhola, went to Anna Nagar carrying knives and sticks. Upon spotting them, the womans family members, who were with Nand Kishore, fled the spot.

The group caught Kishore, assaulted him and stabbed him in his abdomen and thigh before fleeing the scene. By the time Kishore was rushed to the hospital, he had died of excessive bleeding, the officer said.

The investigating team learnt about the two attacks that took place within two hours and collected evidence from footage of CCTV cameras installed in the neighbourhood. They interrogated Prashant and ascertained the sequence of events, police said.
New Delhi The demolition drive at Khyber Pass on July 13. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Aam Aadmi Partys MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak, who is also the Rajinder Nagar MLA, attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its newly elected parliamentarians over demolition of illegal houses and temporary settlements across the city that are ruining the city.

Addressing a press conference, Pathak said that central agencies, such as the Delhi Development Authority and Indian Railways, are undertaking demolition drives and issuing vacation notices aimed at dispossessing people living in these areas for several decades.

Pathak said: In the first instance, DDA undertook a large-scale demolition at Khyber Pass, under the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in North Delhi, removing people who had living in that area for several decades. DDA falls under the Central government but the MP did not even visit the affected families over the past five days.

He was referencing a drive that took place in the early hours of last Saturday. Over 250 houses were razed and hundreds of residents were displaced, to reclaim 15 of 32 acres belonging to the land and development office (L&DO).

He said that five days ago, hundreds of vacation notices were issued by the Railways in Patel Nagar Brar Square. Indian Railways has pasted many such notices over several kilometres. They will start removing thousands of jhuggies along the railway lines from July 22. This area falls under the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, but the local MP has not done anything to resolve the situation. Are these steps being taken with the knowledge of the MPs? he said.

Pathak said this will impact jhuggi dwellers in Loha Mandi, Budh Nagar, Brar Square and Patel Nagar. AAP is trying to provide legal aid to the affected people. The two BJP MPs in these cases should intervene and help people, he said.

The MPs concerned did not respond to requests for comment.

However, the BJP said Pathak was misleading the people of Delhi.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said: Before posing questions to BJP MPs, Pathak should answer what the AAP has done for the poor, homeless people and jhuggi dwellers of Delhi. What is the contribution of four MPs whom the AAP nominated to the Rajya Sabha during the past seven years in any development activity of Delhi?

The AAP governments department concerned, DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board), has totally failed Delhi residents by neither preparing a holistic list of jhuggi dwellers of the city nor doing anything to properly rehabilitate them. The AAP has not allowed the implementation of PM Awas Yojna in Delhi, thereby denying the homeless an opportunity to own a home of their own, Kapoor said.
The Delhi Congress on Wednesday held a protest against the alleged imposition of the Power Purchase Agreement Charges (PPAC) and excessive electricity bills  a charge that has been denied by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government. Congresss protests follow the series of stirs held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the same issue last week. DPCC workers during the protest on Wednesday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Devender Yadav said that the AAP government had promised to supply power at half the rate but the power rates are being increased through backdoor measures such as PPAC tariff.

During the Congress regime, average per unit rate was around 5, which has now almost doubled. This sharp increase in the power tariff has put heavy financial burden on shopkeepers, small and medium industrial units, he added. Delhi Congress held the demonstrations at over 55 venues across the city.

Over the last week, the BJP and AAP have engaged in war of words over the power tariffs and PPAC component.

HT reached out to the AAP for a fresh reaction but did not receive a response.

Earlier, power minister Atishi had said that the BJP was spreading false rumours, adding that the discoms have provision in Electricity Act 2003 to increase PPAC by up to 10% from the rate prescribed by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commissions in case of high cost of power purchase and the provision is in place from 2003.
A fire broke out at the famous Veg Gulati restaurant on Pandara Road near India Gate here in the early hours of Wednesday, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said. The fire broke out at 2.48 am in the sitting area of the restaurant and soon spread to the first floor. (HT photo)

According to fire officials, the fire damaged furniture and seating area on the ground and first floor with two-three neighbouring shops was also gutted in the fire.

Atul Garg, Delhi Fire Services chief, said a call about the fire in Pandara market was received at 2:46am on Wednesday.

We rushed to the spot with five fire tenders and over 35 staffers. The fire had spread to the ground and first floor and adjacent shops. The firemen doused the fire in time, and nobody was injured. At the time of the incident, there were no staffers inside, Garg said.

Also Read: PGIMER plans urgent fire safety overhaul

According to locals, staffers had come outside of the restaurant once the fire began.
A 31-year-old man who was wanted in four cases, including a robbery in Telangana and a murder in Bindapur, Delhi, was arrested on Monday, police said on Tuesday. The accused is involved in six criminal cases and was arrested from Rohini, where he was living with his wife. Police said that the accused is involved in six cases of heinous crime at various police stations in Delhi and Telangana. (Representational image)

Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Amit Goel said that the accused was identified as Sumit Dagar. Police said that on December 1, 2023, Dagar and his associates Shubham alias Maniya, and Sandeep alias Manish visited a jewellery shop in Kothapet, Hyderabad, closed the shutter from inside and opened fire on the staff, leaving two injured. The accused fled with about 4kg of gold.

In 2019, Dagar and his associates allegedly thrashed a fruit vendor identified as Imran (single name), in Bindapur, due to personal enmity. The accused fired three rounds at Imran, who succumbed at the hospital. Dagar was arrested in that case and lodged in jail before he was released on parole during the pandemic. Police said that Dagar was to surrender before jail authorities on March 30, 2022, but did not. He committed the robbery in Telangana after that.

In February this year, a Delhi court declared Dagar a proclaimed offender in the murder case, the officer said. This month, the Telangana Police got in touch with Delhi Police crime branch to solve the robbery case. A sub inspector rank officer got a tip that Dagar was hiding in a flat in Rohini after which the team laid a trap arrested the accused.

During the interrogation, he told police that after being released on parole, he fled to Telangana and started living with his relatives. He came to Delhi in 2023 and started living with his family in Rohini and ran a food cart. Police said that the accused is involved in six cases of heinous crime at various police stations in Delhi and Telangana.
New Delhi Since the incident, three people have been arrested so far. However, the shooters and his three aides who were at the hospital are yet to be traced. (Representative photo)

Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested another person involved in the conspiracy behind the murder at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital on Sunday. The accused conducted a recce of the hospital for four days before the incident, to check if the wards were accessible and identify the target.

Since the incident, three people have been arrested so far. However, the shooters and his three aides who were at the hospital are yet to be traced. The person arrested on Wednesday was identified as Moin Khan, 19, of Loni in Ghaziabad.

Moin is among the main conspirators. He has conducted recce for four consecutive days in the hospital along with three of his associates. We found footage in which they are seen on bikes and foot outside and inside the hospital. He also helped in hiding the bike which was used during the offence, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Surendra Chaudhary said.

In the incident, four members of the Hashim Baba gang entered Ward 24 of the hospital through the emergency entrance and shot dead 32-year-old Md Riyazuddin, in a case of mistaken identity. Their target was a rival gangster, 33-year-old Waseem, who was also undergoing treatment in the hospital. He was later moved to a private room after the shooting.

Chaudhary said the crime was masterminded by one Faheem Khan, who is also on the run. He planned the murder to take revenge on Waseem, who allegedly attacked Baba gangsters inside jail earlier. We have now arrested another accused from Muzzafarnagar.

Police said that Moin Khan was roped in by his elder brother, Faiz Khan, 20, who was friends with Faheem Khan. Faiz and 21-year-old Md Farhaan were arrested on Monday.

Further, investigators ascertained that Moin, Faheem and the others planned the murder at an apartment in Babarpur. They managed to get a weapon and decided to shoot Waseem dead while he was in the surgery ward, police said, adding that none of the accused had seen or met Waseem.

During interrogation, Moin also told the police that he was part of a backup plan in case Waseem could not be killed. Police said the men had been receiving orders from gang leaders lodged in Tihar and Mandoli jails.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government has set up a seven-member committee headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta high court to review the three new criminal laws. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee (File Photo)

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led administration issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday.

The state government is pleased hereby to constitute a committee for reviewing the said criminal laws Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA), said the notification issued by state home department.

The three new lawsBharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyamcame into effect across the country on July 1. The three laws replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.

According to the notification, the committee will be headed by retired justice Ashim Kumar Roy. It will also include state law minister Malay Ghatak, state finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the state advocate general, senior standing counsel of West Bengal in Supreme Court Sanjay Basu, West Bengal police chief and Kolkata police commissioner as members.

The committee shall submit its findings in the form of a report within three months from the date of the notification, it stated.

The committee may engage academic experts, senior advocates, research assistants and other legal experts. It can also carry out public consultation.

West Bengal is the third state after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu which has set up a committee to amend the three criminal laws.

Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin constituted a one-man commission to recommend amendments to the three new criminal laws at the state level, including a change of name.

In June, Banerjee had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to defer the implementation of three criminal laws. Banerjee also sought further discussions on the three laws in the Parliament.
LUCKNOW: A day after Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda in Delhi, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took a swipe at the BJP over reports of a rift in the state unit after Lok Sabha election debacle. UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya (PTI)

In a post on social media platform X, Akhilesh Yadav claimed the BJP was too busy fighting its internal battles to worry about the public. The BJP, which indulged in the politics of sabotage in the context of other parties, is doing the same internally. That is why the BJP is sinking in the quagmire of internal conflicts. No one in BJP thinks about the public, Yadav said in the post, accusing the BJP of putting governance on hold.

The SP chief did not name any leaders in his post which comes against the backdrop of differences within the state unit over the causes of the partys disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls in which the party could win only 33 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

In a separate post on X, the SP claimed Keshav Prasad Maurya had been targeting chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the instance of the party leadership in Delhi while the public suffered.

To be sure, Naddas meeting with Keshav Prasad Maurya and state BJP president Bhupender Chaudhary on Tuesday has stoked speculation that the party could make changes in the Uttar Pradesh unit.

There has been no formal word from the BJP on the two meetings. But BJP leaders have indicated that there was a possibility that Maurya, an OBC face of the party, may be given an organisational position given his discomfort with the chief minister.

After meeting Nadda, Maurya put out a post reiterating the central message of his speech at the BJPs state executive meeting on Sunday. The organisation is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organisation, the workers are the pride, Maurya, who is a member of the UP legislative council, said in a post on X.
LUCKNOW As many as 15,000 processions on Ashura, 10th day of Moharram month, were taken out peacefully across different districts, including Lucknow. Senior officials of UP police said strategic had ensured peace this Moharram . The DGP said the local authorities had fixed the height of tazia, so that no untoward incident took place. (Pic for representation)

UP director general of police (DGP), Prashant Kumar said everything remained largely peaceful across the state amid strategic deployment of central paramilitary force and state armed police force as well as civil police in sensitive districts. He said vigilance was intensified in communally sensitive districts and the officials concerned asked to make necessary police deployment on tazia procession routes as well as at mourning places.

He said the processions taken out on 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Moharram were very sensitive following which elaborate security arrangements were made in advance. Detailed guidelines were issued to the officials of sensitive districts and the district police chiefs were asked to ensure that only those processions be allowed that were taken out traditionally in the past. He said no new processions or routes were allowed.

The DGP said the local authorities had fixed the height of tazia, so that no untoward incident took place. He said some incidents had happened in the past where tazia touched the overhead electric wire leading to deaths and injuries in some districts of the state.

He said the officials were told to counter rumormongering through social media platforms that often lead to trouble. Vigilance had been intensified in communally sensitive districts and the officials concerned told to make necessary police arrangements on the routes of tazia processions as well as mourning places.

In UP, as many as 89,000 tazias were placed at different places on separate dates during the ongoing Moharram month from July 7. Largest numbers of over 36,000 tazias are placed in 11 districts of Gorakhpur zone that include Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddarth Nagar, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Mahrajganj and Kushinagar.

He said around 23,000 processions on separate dates of Moharram were taken out in nine districts of Bareilly zone, including Bareilly, Rampur, Sambhal, Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Budaun, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur during this month. Lucknow was equally sensitive in terms of Moharram processions, so special police deployment was done here.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath met governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presents the 'Six Golden Pages' book written by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar to State Governor Anandiben Patel during a courtesy call, at Raj Bhavan in Lucknow on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (Governor of UP-X)

An official spokesman described the meeting as a courtesy call that lasted about half-an-hour. The chief minister went to Raj Bhavan at about 6.30pm and was there till about 7pm.

ALSO READ- Keshav Maurya's cryptic post amid speculated 'rift' with UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Those aware of the development said the chief minister, apparently briefed the governor about various political developments, and the state governments move to convene the state legislatures Monsoon session in the coming weeks.

ALSO READ- Amid rumblings in BJP, unfazed Yogi asks ministers to brace for assembly bypolls

Yogis meeting with the governor assumes significance as it comes amid reports of rumblings within the BJP over Sanghathan versus Sarkar (organisations versus government) following the BJPs poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP president JP Nadda in New Delhi to hold discussions about the unfolding developments in the party.

ALSO READ- UP BJP chief meets PM Modi amid Yogi Adityanath vs Keshav Maurya rift buzz: Report

Earlier in the day, Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with a group of about 30 ministers who have been deployed to prepare the party for bypolls in 10 assembly constituencies in the coming months.
Had he been alive he may well have written a poem on the man who broke into his house. Earlier this month, an as-yet unidentified thief broke into the house of one of Maharashtras great poets, Narayan Surve, and stole an LED television, a five-litre can of cooking oil, some groceries, a box of cooking masalas, a brass lamp, a table fan and some taps and faucets from the bathrooms. Renowned Marathi poet, Narayan Surve. (HT ARCHIVES )

Surve, renowned for his poems about the struggles of the proletariat, died in 2010 and his daughter and son-in-law now live in his home in a middle-class area of Navi Mumbai. According to the police, the thief surveyed the house when Surves daughter Sujata and her husband Ganesh Ghare were visiting their son at Virar, and broke in and stole the aforementioned items. When the Ghares returned on July 14, they found the flat ransacked but tacked on the TV was a note written in Marathi which read: I did not know that this was the home of Narayan Surve, else I would have never stolen from here. Forgive me! I am returning some of the things that I have stolen including the television. Sorry.

Surves daughter told HT that the thief appeared to have entered their ground floor home through the bathroom window and that they were alerted to the theft by their neighbour who called them and said that the glass window was shattered and the grille was bent. We have registered an FIR about some of the missing things but in the main the thief took away salt, rice, masalas and a few kilos of various dals from the kitchen, none of which we have listed in the FIR. In his note the thief has also promised to return the rest of the stuff back.

She added that the thief had possibly seen Surves photos and trophies, including the Padma Shri scroll, that were displayed in the living room and was hit by remorse. Years after his death, Surve remains a remarkable cultural institution in Maharashtra. He was abandoned as an infant on a footpath in Mumbai and picked up by a textile mill worker. But while still a child, he was abandoned for a second time and virtually brought himself up doing odd jobs on the citys streets. The auto-didact grew up to become a peon in a municipal school before going on to become a teacher. He is well-known for his 1966 collection Majhe Vidyapeeth (My University), which remains a seminal collection about the struggles and resilience of the labour class. He was given the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1973 for his writings on labour rights and social justice.

Struck by the note left by the thief, Surves son-in-law Ganesh Ghare told HT that the incident reflects on the impact of Surves literature. Lately, Narayan Surves poetry had begun fading from public memory. This incident may get people back to reading him.

In one of his famous poems, By Way of Introduction, Surve writes: Im run ragged, in and out/My daily bread is my daily doubt/I am a worker, a flashing sword/Set to slash through the literary horde/Dont you quiver, dont go Tut tut/My sins will be venial Mr Saraswat.

It seems the thief had read Narayan Surves poems and which prompted him to return our TV set, said Ghare who informed the local police about the theft on Monday. A case has been registered against the unknown intruder under Sections 305, 331(3) and 331(4) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita.

Assistant police inspector Shivaji Dhavale of the Neral police station said they have started scanning the CCTV footage for the intruder and a forensic team has visited the crime scene to collect finger-prints, including from the TV set that was returned.
The central governments citizen engagement platform, MyGovIndia, on Wednesday deleted its post on X announcing the launch of Mumbais first underground Metro 3 on July 24, a move that comes nearly 24 hours after it released a video clip on the Aqua Line. JICA signed the 5th and last loan agreement of  4,474 crores with the GoI for the Mumbai Metro 3 earlier this month (X/CR_JICAIndia)

Mumbais first underground metro line, the Aqua line (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) is set to begin operations on July 24. Running a 33.5 km route from Aarey Colony to Cuffe Parade with 27 stops, it will transform urban transit, easing travel across Mumbais streets and reducing traffic congestion, MyGovIndia said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.

The platform did not cite any reasons for deleting the post.

There was no formal word from Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), the joint venture of the central and state governments set up to implement the Mumbai Metro Line3 project.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Vinod Tawde, who reposted the MyGovIndia video clip and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering on the promise to make life of Mumbaikars easier also deleted his post.

A person familiar with the matter said trial runs for the first phase of the line from Seepz to Bandra Kurla Complex were currently underway where metro rakes are operated at speeds up to 90 kmph. The work at the Phase 1 metro stations was also more or less complete, the person said.

A state government functionary said the claims on social media were based on incorrect information. The process of inspection and certification by the commissioner of metro rail safety (CMRS) is yet to begin, the official said.

On July 15, MMRCL showcased BKC station to the Consul General of Israel. The second phase of this corridor on the BKC-Colaba route is expected to open by December 2024. The revised cost of Metro-3 now stands at Rs,37, 275.50 crore. from the earlier Rs.23,000 crore

Earlier this month, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) extended the fifth and final tranche of an official development assistance (ODA) loan amounting to Japanese yen 84,261 million or Rs.4,474 crore for the Metro-3 line. This money comes when trials by the Research, Design and Standards Organisation wing of Indian Railways recently got completed. Speaking to Hindustan Times, JICA officials had said delays with such large infrastructure projects in a city like Mumbai do happen and that they are satisfied that MMRCL recovered well and is finishing this project at a good pace.
A 47-year-old man succumbed to injuries in Manipur after being assaulted by cadres of the proscribed underground outfit Kangleipak Communist Party-Peoples War Group (KCP-PWG) at Kangchup Chingkhong in Imphal West district on Monday, police said. Manipur chief minster N Biren Singh said that one suspected individual involved in the murder has been apprehended. (Representational image)

The Manipur police, in a statement on Tuesday, said the deceased has been identified as Merangir Chiru of Kangchup.

Police said he was summoned by the underground outfit on Monday morning in connection with an incident that happened several months ago, and he was subsequently detained by them. His family members sought assistance from civil socioety organisations, after which he was released in some area of Imphal West district at around 8.30 pm on Monday. Soon, he was rushed to the RIMS hospital by his family members, but doctors declared him dead at around 9.45pm, police added.

Jatakpok Mechek, wife of the deceased, told the media at RIMS morgue, Imphal, on Tuesday that her husband was a farmer and innocent. As my husband was taken alive, I want him back alive, she said.

One senior police officer told Hindustan Times that the Manipur Police have launched a combing operation to arrest the culprits involved at Kangchup Chingkhong, near Panchayat Ghar Relief Camp, on Tuesday.

During the police action, eleven army-designed helmets; ten camouflaged pants; eighteen camouflaged shirts; five army-designed scalps; four camouflaged caps; eleven pairs of jungle boots; six bulletproof covers; two mobile handsets; two haversack-type bags; one demand letter of KCP-PWG; one letterhead of the same outfit; six cane sticks, one iron rod, and other incriminating items were recovered.

A case has been registered at the police station concerned to arrest the culprits involved in the incident.

RIMS authorities said the autopsy of the deceased was conducted on Tuesday. However, family members of the deceased refused to collect the body. The family told the media that they would collect the body when the culprits are identified and arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, chief minister N Biren Singh along with representatives of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and United Naga Council (UNC) on Wednesday conducted a joint meeting at CMs secretariat in connection with the killing.

The chief minister on his X account posted that one suspected individual involved in the murder of Merangir Mechek has been apprehended.

Representatives of COCOMI and UNC called on me at my secretariat, today. Various pressing issues, including the recent tragic incident involving the killing of Merangir Mechek, a resident of Kangchup village was discussed. This unfortunate incident has been resolved with the support and cooperation of COCOMI and UNC. A suspected individual involved in the murder has been apprehended and we are working to ensure that all others involved in this heinous act will be brought to justice and punished accordingly, he said on X.
PATNA: A first information report (FIR) has been filed against a Bihar man who set up an electric fence around his agricultural farm that killed four street dogs on July 3 in Saran districts Harpur village, people familiar with the matter said. Uday Kumar, SHO of the Ekma police station, said they were waiting for the postmortem report (Anipixels.com via Peta India)

Sushil Kumar Singh, a former constable in the Central Reserve Police Force, who pursued the case, said his neighbour Amren Singh had always been cruel to street dogs and had threatened to harm him in the past because he cared for them.

My neighbour used to beat the puppies with sticks and had even threatened, and tried to assault me in the past He crossed all limits this time by passing electric current through the fence around their field, barely 10 yards away from my residence after 9pm on July 3. One after another, four dogs were electrocuted. That was when I decided to lodge an FIR, said Singh.

But officers at the Ekma police station were reluctant to file a FIR. Singh said he finally reached out to animal rights organisation PETA India for help.

Sinchana Subramanyan, Mumbai-based cruelty response coordinator, said the police officers were apparently not aware about the relevant provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and agreed to file the case. The FIR was registered on July 6 under Section 325 which pertains to mischievously killing or maiming any animal. On conviction, the offence attracts a maximum jail term of up to five years or fine or both.

Singh said he will pursue the case to its logical conclusion. Whatever it costs to hire a lawyer, I will now pursue the case to its logical end and try to get justice for the innocent dogs, who had never harmed any villager, he said.

Uday Kumar, SHO of the Ekma police station, said they were waiting for the postmortem report. The officer acknowledged that this was the first time in his career that he had pursued a case relating to cruelty to animals. We have, however, registered a case (259/24) and are investigating it. This is the first of its kind case I have come across in my tenure of service, he said.
Pune: An illegal structure near trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkars family bungalow at National Housing Society on Baner Road has been cleared, days after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued them a notice to remove it, an official said on Wednesday. An illegal structure near trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkars family bungalow on Baner Road has been cleared, days after PMC issued them a notice to remove it. (PTI)

Khedkars family might have got the alleged encroachment removed as the deadline set by PMC is not yet over, the official said. The civic officials had on July 13 pasted a notice outside the bungalow asking the IAS officers family to clear an unauthorised structure measuring 60 feet in length, 3 feet in width and with a height of 2 feet along a footpath adjoining the property.

ALSO READ- Pune cops ask Puja Khedkar for statement on harassment charges against collector

We had put up the notice at the bungalow asking them (Khedkars family) to remove the encroachment. The notice said if the family failed to remove the structure within 10 days, PMC would clear it and recover the expenses from them, said PMC engineer Makrand Wadekar.

The civic body has not cleared the structure since the deadline is not yet over, the official said. Probably the family got it removed by employing private workers, he said.

ALSO READ: Puja Khedkar used fake ration card, address for disability certificate: Report

Puja is in the eye of a storm for allegedly misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the IAS besides facing allegations of unwarranted conduct during her posting at the Pune collectors office.

Meanwhile, her parents Manorama and Dilip Khedkar remain untraceable, days after the police registered an FIR against them over a video purportedly showing them threatening some persons with a gun following a land dispute in Mulshi tehsil of Pune district.

The Paud police in Pune rural have booked her parents and five others under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Sections, including 323 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property).

ALSO READ: UPSC writes to Maha govt over IAS trainees certificates

The two-minute-long video shows Manorama with a pistol, accompanied by her security guards, engaged in a heated argument with some people at Dhadwali village, an official had said.

According to the official, the incident concerned a land parcel bought by Dilip, a retired Maharashtra government employee. Locals had claimed the Khedkars had encroached on the land of neighbouring farmers.

The government on Tuesday put on hold the district training programme of Puja, a 2023 batch IAS officer, as she was summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for necessary action, officials had said.

The 34-year-old IAS officer came under the spotlight after reports about her alleged demands for a separate office and official car and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car emerged. She was subsequently transferred to Washim from Pune.

(With agency inputs)
Karnatakas Bill on reservation for Kannadigas in private sector jobs is not just regressive, but also may not prove to be the political quick fix the government wants. Given that unemployment in the state has stayed significantly lower than the national average for some years now, the draft legislation has more to do with discontentment among locals over quality of employment than with joblessness. The states IT dominance, concentrated in Bengaluru, is both the result and the cause of software talent from across the country flocking there over decades. The income gulf between the migrant IT and largely local non-IT crowds has translated into consumption pressures for the latter, including in housing. While the political need to address this discontentment as well as create more jobs for locals is understandable, the quotas being prescribed are hardly the solution. Bengaluru, July 15 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with State Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attend the proceedings on the first day of monsoon session of State Assembly, in Bengaluru on Monday. (ANI Photo) (Arunkumar Rao)

Bengaluru is built on migrant labour and capital. With globalisation, the city became a byword for migration of software jobs from western cities. While this played a big role, the freedom to hire from anywhere in India allowed many IT majors to make Bengaluru home. Forcing firms to look within the local talent pool for half of managerial and 70% of non-managerial jobs, with onerous compliances, would surely impact the states growth momentum.

Also, the proposed law many not stand judicial scrutiny. The Siddaramaiah cabinet cleared the Bill despite earlier court judgments terming such quotas unconstitutional. In November 2023, the Punjab and Haryana high court deemed Haryanas 75% reservation as unconstitutional, saying it was violative of Constitutional provisions guaranteeing several freedoms to citizens as well as those that curbed the legislatures powers on making laws on domicile requirements for jobs. The Karnataka government must see sense and back off.
The Bihar School Examination Board, BESB, has released the STET Paper 2 Answer Key today, July 17. Candidates who have appeared for Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test can check and download the Paper 2 answer key through the official website of BSEB at secondary.biharboardonline.com. Bihar STET Paper 2 Answer Key 2024 has been released at secondary.biharboardonline.com. (HT file image)

To download the STET Paper 2 answer key, candidates need to enter their application number and date of birth as log in credentials.

Also read: BPSC TRE 3.0 exam centre details today on bpsc.bih.nic.in, test from July 17

BSEB STET Paper 2 Answer Key 2024: How to check

Visit the official website of BSEB at secondary.biharboardonline.com.

On the home page, click on BSEB STET Answer Key 2024 link

A new page will open where candidates will have to enter the login details.

The BSEB STET answer key will be displayed on the screen.

Check the answer key and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Notably, the window to raise objection Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test Paper 2 will close on July 20, 2024.

Also read: India Post GDS Recruitment 2024: Apply for 44228 vacancies at indiapostgdsonline.gov.in, heres how to register

To raise the objections, candidates will have to make payment of processing fee for each question they want to raise objection for.

The Phase 1 Bihar STET examination for Paper 2 was conducted from July 11 to July 19, 2024. The BSEB STET 2024 phase 2 examination registration will begin on July 26 and will close on August 11, 2024, according to the schedule.

Also read: CGBSE Supply Admit Card 2024 for Class 10, 12 out at cgbse.nic.in, download link here

Furthermore, the Phase 2 Bihar STET 2024 examination will be conducted from September 10 to September 30, 2024.

For more details, candidates can check visit the official website of Bihar Board.
Rajasthan Public Service Commission has released RPSC RAS Mains Admit Card 2023. Candidates who will appear for Rajasthan State and Sub Services Combined Competitive Examination 2023 can download the admit card through the official website of RPSC at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in. RPSC RAS Mains Admit Card 2023 out at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in, download link here(File Photo)

Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2023 will be organized by the Commission on July 20 and July 21, 2024. The examination will be conducted in two shifts- first shift from 9 am to 12 noon and second shift from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. RPSC RAS mains examination will be held at Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Udaipur district headquarters.

Candidates can download their admit card on the website of the Commission. To download the admit card, candidates will need their application number and date of birth.

RPSC RAS Mains Admit Card 2023: How to download

To check and download the admit card, candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website of RPSC at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in.

Click on RPSC RAS Mains Admit Card 2023 link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Your admit card will be displayed on the screen.

Check the admit card and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Earlier, the RPSC RAS main examination was scheduled on January 27 and 28, 2024, which was postponed.

The RPSC RAS prelims result and the final answer key was released on October 20, 2023 and the final marks was released on October 23, 2023. Those candidates who have passed the prelims examination will appear for the main examination.

BSTC Result 2024: Rajasthan Pre-DElEd result out, direct link to check marks

This recruitment drive will fill up 905 posts in the organisation. The registration process was started on July 1 and ended on July 21, 2023. For more related details candidates can check the official site of RPSC.
BSTC Rajasthan Pre-DElEd Result 2024 Live: The result of the DElEd entrance examination in Rajasthan (BSTC Rajasthan pre-DElEd result 2024) has been announced. Candidates can check their marks on result.predeledraj2024.in. Candidates can check the BSTC Rajasthan Pre-DElEd result using roll number and date of birth. The provisional answer key was released earlier and the objection window closed on July 7. After that, the exam conducting authority released the revised answer key....Read More

Rajasthan Pre-DElEd result 2024: Check result here

The BSTC Pre DElEd exam 2024 was conducted on June 30. Candidates were allowed to take the question papers and carbon copies of OMR sheets along with them after the exam was over.

These are the steps to follow to check marks:

How to check BSTC Rajasthan result 2024?

Go to the official website at predeledraj2024.in.

On the home page, open the result link.

Enter your login details and submit

Check and download the result.

Follow this live blog for the latest updates on BSTC Rajasthan pre-DElEd result 2024 including the direct link.
India occupies a place of pride among nations and is doing significantly well in the education sector as far as primary education is concerned, however, when it comes to the upper secondary stage, target achievements have been slower, thereby indicating a room for improvement. This has been revealed in a recent report published by UNESCO. The UNESCO had published a report recently titled 'SDG 4 Scorecard Progress Report on National Benchmarks: Focus on Teachers' which showed that India's primary education was relatively better than the senior groups. (Pixabay)

The study, SDG 4 Scorecard Progress Report on National Benchmarks: Focus on Teachers classifies countries mainly into the following areas:

Pre-primary Participation rate

Out-of-school rate

Completion rate

Gender gap in upper secondary

Minimum learning proficiency

School internet connectivity

Trained teachers, pre-primary

Also read: JoSAA Round 5 seat allotment result 2024 out at josaa.nic.in, direct link here

As per the report, among countries in Central and Southern Asia, India is progressing fast in participation rate in pre-primary or early childhood education attendance, scoring 91 percent, only four percent less than its 2025 benchmark of 95 percent.

In fact, the country is progressing considerably well in the completion rate index for the primary section with 94 percent. The benchmark set for 2025 is 99 percent.

However, when it comes to the Upper Secondary section, the completion rate has been slow at 51 percent as compared to the 2025 benchmark of 84 percent, thus indicating a matter of concern. Other countries in the region such as neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal on the contrary are progressing fast in both primary and upper secondary sections, as seen in the report.

Also read: Bihar STET Paper 2 Answer Key 2024 released, heres how to download from secondary.biharboardonline.com

Again, in the Out-of-school rate, Indias progress has been faster among the primary age group but gets slower in the lower secondary and upper secondary sections.

In terms of the minimum learning proficiency, the report suggests an absence of data for India thereby making it difficult to assess the accurate figures. As per the UNESCO report, the lack of data prevents a clear assessment of progress.

So far as School Internet Connectivity is concerned, India is making average progress in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary categories, indicating room for further improvement.

Also read: AP EAMCET round 1 allotment result out, steps to check allotment order at eapcet-sche.aptonline.in

Whereas, for trained teachers in the pre-primary section, the country is progressing fast scoring 95 percent, at par with its 2025 benchmark.

Overall, if the report is anything to go by, then Indias primary education sector is relatively better than the lower and upper secondary education sectors.

The UNESCO report has stated that a total of 79% of countries have submitted benchmarks, or national targets, to be achieved by 2025 and 2030 for at least one of eight SDG 4 indicators. It said, This process, supported by the UIS and the GEM Report, responds to the Education 2030 Framework for Action which had called on countries to establish appropriate intermediate benchmarks ... for addressing the accountability deficit associated with longer-term targets.
The "Super Loop" High-Speed Rail in the Yangtze River Delta marks one month of operation, showing initial spillover effects The G8388/9/8 "Super Loop" high-speed rail service, the first to encircle three provinces and one municipality in the Yangtze River Delta region, celebrated its first month in operation on July 15. According to China Railway Shanghai Group, the operator, it has carried approximately 110,000 passengers with an average occupancy rate up to 90 percent. Connecting major cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, and Hangzhou while also linking more remote towns to urban centers, the "Super Loop" has facilitated closer people-to-people exchanges between cities of different sizes, whose flexibility to accommodate segmented travel has met the practical needs of travelers along the route. As summer travel rush picks up, the "Super Loop" has provided convenient access to tourist attractions, with about 4,000 passengers per day taking advantage of its services since July 1. The line features rich historical sites, scenic mountains and waters, and ancient cultures that cater to the diverse interests of tourists. Notably, passenger numbers at stations near scenic areas in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces have risen by nearly 20 percent since July 1 compared with the initial stage. Peng Bo, deputy director of the marketing section under the passenger transport department at China Railway Shanghai Group stated that the "Super Loop" leverages the Yangtze River Delta's railway network, enhancing bullet train efficiency and connecting major traffic nodes, thus reducing waiting time for transfers between hubs and accommodating diverse travel needs including commuting and business trips. Yang Yansheng, deputy chief engineer from China Railway Shanghai Design Institute, highlighted the "Super Loop" as a critical component in building a "Railway-bound Yangtze River Delta" as it offers passengers greater convenience with seamless hub connections, enhancing overall travel experience. "In this way, the "Super Loop", connecting key urban circles and economic belts, integrates economically vibrant areas with rich tourism resources, promoting exchange and economic synergy, and facilitating mutual benefits and cooperative growth," Yang said. Spanning more than 1,200 kilometers, it will start from Shanghai Railway Station in the heart of the city and then connect with key urban centers including Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Huangshan Mountain before returning to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Wang Biye contributed to this story.
Last month, Miley Na Miley Hum co-stars and now MPs Kangana Ranaut and Chirag Paswan shared a candid moment when they met outside the Parliament, the picture of which went viral. Now, Chirag is speaking up about it, saying the picture capture a pure emotion. Also read: New MP BFFs? Kangana Ranaut and Chirag Paswan's friendly moment at Parliament steps is viral. Watch Chirag and Kangana starred in the 2014 film Mile Na Mile Hum. (PTI)

Union minister and Lok Janshakti party (Ram Vilas) president spoke about it in an ANI podcast.

Chirag reacts

In the interview, he talked about his friendship with the actor. Giving a response to the question in a podcast by Smita Prakash, Chirag said, I was really looking forward to meeting her in Parliament. Because past 2-3 years I was so busy in my life toh connect toot gaya tha."

The host went on to ask if he gave any tips to her regarding speech. To which Chirag replied, Hahaha, no no. She doesnt need any tip. Chirag and Kangana starred in the 2014 film Mile Na Mile Hum.

The candid meeting

In June, a new video of the two emerged on social media, as news agency ANI captured a glimpse of the two of them having a candid moment just outside the Parliament. Both of them greeted each other and went on to give a low five.

In the video, Kangana was seen in a yellow cotton sari, as she made her way up on the stairs, along with Chirag beside her. She greeted Chirag, who opted for a white kurta and blue jeans, with a smile and they were seen giggling for a few seconds. They did a low five and went inside the premises together. Kangana is a member of the Bhartiya Janta Party while Chirag is Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief.

In June, Kangana and Chirag had also met at NDA's Parliamentary meet in New Delhi. They shook hands and shared some laughs together. Earlier, Chirag said he was eager to meet Kangana again. I am looking forward to meet her. We shared a good relationship, worked in a film. We will be meeting in Parliament. I think she is a strong lady; she voices herself very articulately and I am looking forward listening to her in Parliament, he told PTI.
By Andrew Hay Alec Baldwin says he may sue prosecutor, sheriff over 'Rust' trial

July 17 - Alec Baldwin has informed a New Mexico state prosecutor and sheriff he may sue them after it emerged they withheld evidence from his defense team during their botched attempt to prosecute him over a fatal shooting on the movie set for "Rust."

A New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin on the third day of trial on Friday, agreeing with his lawyers that prosecutor Kari Morrissey and the sheriff's office concealed evidence about the source of the live round that killed "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

Baldwin's lawyers sent letters to Morrissey and Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza dated Monday asking them to preserve documents for future litigation, according to copies of the letters seen by Reuters.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office confirmed it received the letter from Baldwin's legal team but declined further comment on Wednesday. Morrissey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hutchins died when Baldwin pointed a gun at her as they set up a camera shot on a movie set near Santa Fe. The gun fired a live round inadvertently loaded by the movie's chief weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez. Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March.

Gutierrez, serving an 18-month prison sentence, on Tuesday filed a motion for dismissal of charges due to the failure of prosecutors to disclose evidence on the live rounds, testing of Baldwin's gun by firearms expert Lucien Haag and an interview with the movie's props supplier Seth Kenney.

Erlinda Johnson resigned as Morrissey's assistant prosecuting the case on Friday, shortly before judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed charges against Baldwin.

Johnson told Reuters that in the months since she was appointed in April she provided the defense with unredacted documents after they got in touch with her seeking information when Morrissey did not provide documents they requested.

"As prosecutors we have obligations to disclose all the evidence," she said, adding that she believed it was right to dismiss the case. "We not only owe a duty to the people, but to the defendants accused of crimes as well."

Johnson said she did not give Baldwin's legal team details of the live rounds and only learned of that evidence when the defense did during testimony in court.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Los Angeles, Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron, known for films such as "Gravity", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", "Y tu mama tambien" and "Roma", will be honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. Alfonso Cuaron to receive lifetime achievement award at Locarno Film Festival

The film gala is set to commence on August 7 in Switzerland's Locarno. It will come to a close on August 17.

Cuaron will receive the award, touted to be a tribute to "film personalities with extraordinary careers", on August 11.

The event will be held in the Swiss town's Piazza Grande after audiences can catch a panel conversation with him earlier in the day, according to the festival's official website.

Giona A Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, described Cuaron as a "visionary author of agile and liberated imaginaries".

"Combining an experimental spirit with the sweep of great popular writers, he has managed to capture the imagination and hearts of millions of viewers, passing on the same wonder that he himself experienced as a child and teenager basking in the glow of classic Mexican cinema.

"From coming-of-age novels to science fiction, from melodrama to grand sagas like 'Harry Potter', Alfonso Cuaron has reinvented himself as an artist with each new film, always in the service of the pleasure of cinema, and has thus created a truly multifaceted body of work," Nazzaro said in a statement.

The filmmaker has won two Academy Awards for the 2013 sci-fi thriller "Gravity" and three for 2018's "Roma", his black-and-white semi-autographical take on his upbringing in Mexico City. He earned the best director Academy Award for both the films.

Cuaron's upcoming project is the Apple TV series "Disclaimer", a seven-part psychological thriller. It stars Cate Blanchett, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Kevin Kline.

Director Jane Campion, Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan, producer Stacey Sher and Ben Burtt, the man behind the voices of iconic characters R2-D2, E.T. and Wall-E will also be feted at the Locarno Film Festival.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Reality star Kim Kardashian was a head-turner at the wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Mumbai between July 12-14. In a new video, Melissa Grelo, Canadian television personality and co-host of The Social, said she 'judged' Kim for attending the grand Indian wedding and walking holding hands with Nita Ambani, someone 'she's never met before'. Also read: Kim Kardashian shares pics with Isha Ambani from grand Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding in Mumbai Kim Kardashian shared photos with sister Khloe Kardashian and Nita Ambani from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding ceremony.

'The inert superiority complex is funny'

Her statement was not only countered by co-host Andrea Bain, but many on social media called her out for her 'superiority complex'. One commented on the video posted by The Social on Instagram, "The inert superiority complex is just funny."

A comment also read, "Ambani doesnt need the West! The West needs Ambani!!!" Another person wrote, Nita Ambani walked Kim into the function as her guest! Why would Kim walk the mother into her own party?

You need to research well before you blabber

"Excuse you, Kim did not walk Nita Ambani to the wedding. Nita GREETED Kim and Khloe to the wedding ceremony. BTW ITS STANDARD FOR THE GROOMS FAMILY TO WELCOME THIER GUEST LIKE THIS! If you dont understand the Hindu cultural dont speak," read a comment.

Someone also commented, You need to research well before you blabber! It's in Indian culture to hold the hands on the guests and lead them to meet others, a simple Google check would have helped you in not becoming the laughing stock.

"Lord these people. The Ambanis and the other wealthy Asians don't need the West they don't need the West to make them popular. Its actually the other way around The Kardashians (Kim) went for business. If shes going into new business ventures, like film etc. she NEEDS the wealthy south Asians to know who SHE is. The first speaker is speaking from a colonising POV," read another comment.

What did Melissa say about Kim and the Ambanis?

She said, Kim was there (In India for the Ambani wedding) for three days... that's big coin (money) if you are Kim Kardashian. Because you know what Kim has that they (Ambanis) don't have? She has wealth, sure. She does not have their kind of wealth, but she has wealth. But she also has fame. Before Rihanna performed at their sangeet (pre-wedding bash in March) in the spring, I had no idea who the Ambani family is.

She added, "This is how you buy the West, you hire famous people of the West, you bring them to your thing. Kim Kardashian held the hands of the mother of the groom and walked the mother of the groom in?! She's (Kim) never met her (Nita) before! So, do I judge? I judge."

'Kim being there was a smart business move'

Andrea Bain responded with, Who are we to judge? Rich people like to hang out with other reach people, so Kim and her sister being there was a smart business move, because you may be successful in North America, but that South Asian population alone? If you are successful there, if you can sell those Skims (US shapewear and clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian) and those Good American (A jeans company founded by Khloe Kardashian), and that's another stratosphere of money.

She added, "So to me, it made sense that they (Kim and Khloe) would find themselves there. And lets be real, they weren't the only rich people there (At the Ambani wedding). There were all the richest people from around the world in that room."

Anant, the youngest son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and wife Nita, and Radhika, the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, exchanged vows in a spectacular wedding ceremony attended by a host of international celebrities and high-profile guests from various fields on July 12.

The wedding celebration of Radhika and Anant Ambani took place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Kim and her sister Khloe attended the wedding functions in desi looks designed by Indian fashion designers such as Manish Malhotra.
Emma Roberts is soon to be dressed in white as she announced her engagement to actor Cody John on July 16. Roberts announced her engagement via an Instagram post with a picture of her along with John. The announcement comes as a surprise as the actor has always tried to keep a low profile about her romantic relationships. The couple is soon going to be married but there is no update about a wedding date or venue. Emma Roberts is engaged to long-time boyfriend Cody John.(@emmaroberts/Instagram)

Also Read: Joe Biden says Kamala Harris could be president of the United States amid calls to drop out

Emma Roberts is engaged

Roberts shared an excited picture of herself with her fiance John on Instagram where she could be seen casually flaunting the engagement ring on her finger. The post was captioned, putting this here before my mom tells everyone, followed by a heart emoji. The caption was about an incident that happened earlier this year with mom Kelly Cunningham, as reported by People Magazine.

Also Read: BTS fans call Jin hopeless romantic as he reveals his favourite scene from Queen of Tears; when Kim Soo Hyun

In early February, Kelly shared a picture of Roberts 3-year-old son which he shares with ex-Garrett Hedlund, Rhodes without consulting with her first. Later, the American Horror Story star shared a story where she wrote, When your mom posts your sons face without asking but you love them both so whatever, as she reshared photos of Rhodes.

Roberts and John who is also an actor and has featured in Hulu's Wu-Tang: An American Saga and The CW's In the Dark have kept their love life mostly private.

Also Read: Prince William takes tough and resolute decision against brother Prince Harry

Emma Roberts' relationship with fiance Cody John

The Maybe I Do star has always been private about her romantic relationships. However, in August 2022, John confirmed their relationship with an Instagram post of the two kissing and captioned it, Sweet sweet. Later that year, Roberts also hard launched her beau on Instagram with a picture of teh two holding hands and teh caption read, #2022 I loved you. Happy New Year hotties!

The couple was since spotted sharing a kiss in New York City or holding hands in Los Angeles in the year 2023. It is not known how the two met each other first but according to E! News, they connected via mutual friends. Talking about her romantic life, a source told the media outlet, She's been very content with Cody and they're enjoying their relationship and time together. Their friends and family are happy for the both of them and think they make a great couple."
By Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Pedro Nunes Portuguese 'DJ priest' plays upbeat tunes to spread hope

LAUNDOS, Portugal - Portuguese priest Guilherme Peixoto rose to fame playing electronic dance music near his church in a tiny Portuguese village. Now famous beyond borders and playing at some of the world's best nightclubs, his goal - to spread a message of hope through music - hasn't changed.

On Friday evening, hundreds of partygoers, old and young, flocked to the northern village of Laundos to hit the dance floor as 49-year-old Peixoto, wearing a black shirt with a clerical collar, took to the DJ booth.

One of the first songs of his DJ set included excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. He also mixed religious songs with techno music.

"Making the night a safe space is always a huge challenge... and it must start with the music you play, the energy you transmit, the message you share," Peixoto said as people gathered for the festival, called "Ar de Rock", or "Rock Air".

Many went up to him to ask for selfies and chat.

His music festival takes place during summer but Peixoto, who has over 900,000 followers on Instagram, plays elsewhere too. He performed at Hi Ibiza, one of the world's top clubs, on Thursday and has concerts scheduled in Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Last year, Peixoto was invited to perform during Pope Francis' visit to Portugal for World Youth Day. Music is so important to him that in 2019, during a trip to the Vatican, he asked Francis to bless his headphones.

"Music unites us," he said.

Peixoto's passion started young and grew while in seminary. It was on a trip to Afghanistan as military chaplain in 2010, during which he organised social events for soldiers, that he started to explore the world of DJing.

When he returned home, Peixoto enrolled in DJ school and has been playing ever since.

"Being a priest means being among people and helping them understand that if they have values they will not lose them just because they go out at night ," he said.

The morning after the Laundos party, which lasted until the early hours, Peixoto had to officiate at a wedding nearby, swapping his black clergy shirt for a long white robe and his headphones for a Bible.

"I can't take this literature to the dance floor but I can have the same principles: talk about Christ, tolerance, faith and love," he said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
A stuntman met with a fatal accident on the sets of PS Mithrans Karthi-starrer Sardar 2 on Tuesday (July 16). The stuntman named Elumalai fell 20 ft from a rostrum while shooting an action sequence and was rushed to the hospital. (Also Read: Suriya to produce Karthis next film Meiyazhagan with Arvind Swamy: One from our hearts) Karthi in a still from the 2022 film Sardar. A sequel is now in the works.

Stuntman dies on Sardar 2 set

The films shooting was taking place at LV Prasad Studios in Saligramam, Chennai. Virugambakkam police officials were informed about the accident, and an investigation is underway. Elumalai was 54-years-old, and he sustained serious injuries after the fall. He died due to an internal haemorrhage at 11:30 pm. The shooting of Sardar 2 has been halted.

Production houses statement

Prince Pictures, the production house of Sardar 2 shared a press note that confirms the news, We regret to report the death of Mr Elumalai, a member of the Stunt Union who worked as a stunt rig man on the sets of our film Sardar 2. On Tuesday evening July 16, after the stunt sequences were filmed, as we were wrapping up shooting for the day, Mr Elumalai accidentally fell from a rostrum of 20 feet high and sustained injuries.

They added, He was rushed to the neraby multi speciality hospital where he was treated by the team of doctors. However, at around 11.30 pm on July 16, 2024, despite the intensive medical treatment, Mr Elumalai unfortunately passed away. Our entire team extend our sincerest condolences to Mr Elumalais family and we stand with them in this time of grief.

Karthi is yet to release a statement at the time of writing.

Sardar 2s shooting

Sardar 2 was officially launched on July 12 with a pooja ceremony attended by Mithran and Karthi. Karthis father, actor Sivakumar, also attended the event. Shooting for the film commenced in Chennai on July 15 and the accident took place on the second day of shooting. The film is a sequel to Mithran and Karthis 2022 film Sardar, a spy thriller that saw the actor in dual roles.
Television actor Hina Khan, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, has undergone surgery. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Hina shared several pictures as she lay in the hospital bed. The actor is currently undergoing treatment and also balancing her work. (Also Read | Hina Khan gets back to work after breast cancer diagnosis, wears wig for her 'first assignment': The show must go on) Hina Khan shared several photos on Instagram.

Hina shares her pic, pens note

In the first picture, Hina lay on the hospital bed. She gave a partial view of herself next to the window in her room. She wrote, "Just another day dua (pray) (palms up together emoji)." Hina also said in a note, "Being constantly in pain. Yes, constantly. Every single second. The person is smiling? Still in pain. The person doesn't mention it? Still in pain. The person says, 'I'm fine'. Still in pain (mending heart emoji)."

Hina posts hospital staff's get well soon note

The actor also posted a note given to her by hospital staff. It read, "Dear Hena Khan. I know this surgery has been hard for you, but I am so glad you are on the way to making a full recovery... (heart symbol). Wishing you a quick and full recovery. Hope you feel better very soon. Get well soon." Sharing the note, Hina wrote, "Love and more love (red heart emoji). This keeps me going.. From housekeeping department @kokilabenhospital (folded hands emoji)."

Hina shared several pictures on Instagram.

Hina is balancing work, treatment

Hina had shared the news about her diagnosis in June in an Instagram post. The actor has kept her followers updated on her treatment and chemotherapy. In a video on Monday, the actor was seen getting ready for her first work assignment, post the diagnosis, for which she wore a wig.

Hina shared a video recently from work

"My first work assignment after my diagnosis.. Walking the talk is challenging, especially when facing lifes biggest challenges. So, give yourself a break on bad days; its okay you deserve it. However, dont forget to live your life on the good days, no matter how few they are. These days still hold importance. Accept the change, embrace the difference, and NORMALISE it," she wrote in the caption.

The actor said it was important to normalise working if one had the strength and energy. "And to all you beautiful people who are battling this disease. Remember, its your story; its your life. You decide what to make of it. Dont give up and find what you love doing. Your work, your passionif you dont know what it is, invent it. But remember to give yourself the healing you deserve. Coz doing what you love is also Healing.

She became popular in the television industry after playing the lead role in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. She has also starred in films including Hacked and Shinda Shinda No Papa.
Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna and Ridhi Dogra starrer The Sabarmati Report was set to release on August 2, 2024. However, recent reports suggested that the film has gone into reshoot with its director Ranjan Chandel having stepped out of the film. Confirming the same to us, Chandel reveals, "I took this decision on my own to step back from the film. Ranjan Chandel confirms stepping out of Vikrant Massey's The Sabarmati Report

Explaining the reason behind his decision, the director says, I shot the complete film but then there were few ideas by the makers which were not for reshoot but additions in the film. I didn't agree with those changes as the film deals with a sensitive subject. However the makers wanted them, so I decided to step back from it. There were these creative differences between me and the makers which I didn't agree with, and I couldn't make the film with those changes."

The Sabarmati Report tells the story of the Godhra train burning incident which occurred on the morning of February 27, 2002, on the Sabarmati Express train. A total of 59 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed in a fire inside the train near the Godhra railway station in the state of Gujarat. The incident was a result of religious riots, however, the cause of it remains disputed till date.

Chandel adds, "There are reports that the changes are being made after the film went to CBFC for certification and they suggested those changes and thus the film is getting postponed. However, that isn't true at all."
The ongoing debate on whether society mirrors art or art mirrors society persists, as real-life incidents increasingly blur the lines between fiction and reality. Recent events highlighted a concerning trend: films and web series like Shahid Kapoors Farzi are being cited as inspirations for criminal activities. Below are details of several crimes reportedly influenced by fictional portrayals. Farzi and Dexter are some of the shows which has inspired real life crimes.

Farzi

Shahid Kapoor's web series Farzi has served as an inspiration for a crime.

Six individuals were recently apprehended by Karnataka police for producing counterfeit currency, reportedly inspired by Shahid Kapoors web series Farzi. The gang, caught in Belagavi, Karnataka, was accused of printing fake 100 and 500 notes.

KGF 2

Yash's acting film franchise KGF became a mass-popular film.

In June 2024, Shivprasad Dhurve, also known as Halka Dhurve, was sentenced to life imprisonment for a series of murders committed in 2022. Shivprasad terrorised night guards in Sagar and Bhopal, where he brutally attacked and killed five individuals while they were asleep on duty. Upon his arrest and during transportation to court, he confessed to being inspired by Rocky Bhai, a fictional character portrayed by Yash in the film KGF 2.

Drishyam

Ajay Devgn in a still from Drishyam.

In January, a young mother in Surat drew inspiration from Ajay Devgns well-known film franchise Drishyam when she killed her two-year-old son, Veer. The crime closely paralleled the plot of the film, as the accused, a labourer named Nayna, initially reported her son missing to the police and actively participated in the search efforts. However, upon reviewing CCTV footage which showed no evidence of Veer leaving the house, suspicions were raised regarding the mothers account. After questioning, she eventually confessed to the crime.

Dexter

The infamous Shraddha Walker murder case was inspired by Dexter.

In 2022, Aftab Poonawala had confessed to being inspired by the crime television series, Dexter, to kill his girlfriend Shraddha Walker. Poonawala hacked his live-in partner Walkers body into 36 pieces and threw them in a forest in Mehrauli during a course of next 18 days. Inspired by the show, he purchased a new refrigerator and a saw to commit the crime.
A 55-year-old woman and her 25-year-old daughter were burnt to death when few unknown miscreants set their house on fire in Mudhol taluk, Bagalkote district, a police officer said. A 55-year-old woman and her 25-year-old daughter were burnt to death when few unknown miscreants set their house on fire in Mudhol taluk, Bagalkote district (Getty Images)

Mahalingapur police and Bagalkote Superintendent of Police Amarnath Reddy said the incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday in Belagali village when few unknown miscreants poured petrol on the tin shed, situated on the farmland of Dastagirisab Pendari where he and his family was sleeping and set it ablaze. One of his sons, Siddiqui (17) was alerted by the smell of petrol and narrowly escaped the inferno.

The perpetrators reportedly used a 500-litre water tank containing approximately 100 litres of petrol and a two HP motor to execute the crime. After dousing the shed with petrol, they locked it from the outside, evidently intending to harm the entire family, he said.

The deceased have been identified as Zaiban (55) and Shabana (25). Two other family members, Dastagirisab (60) and Subhan (27), sustained severe burn injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Mudhol Government Hospital, he said.

One of the neighbours of the family, Reshma, said: Shabana was pursuing her MA in Mudhol and preparing for the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) exam. She had cleared the physical tests twice. She wanted to serve in khaki uniform, but now she will be buried in white clothes. Those responsible should face the harshest punishment so that justice prevails.

Mudhol sub-inspector Ajith Hosamani said: The incident took place between 1.30 and 2.30 am on Tuesday. The accused used an electric motor connected to an illegal power connection from a pole to spray petrol at the shed. Siddiqui, grandson of Dastagirisab, woke up when petrol fell on him and alerted others. He managed to escape, but by that time, the accused had set the fire.

Dastagirisab managed to come out of the house, but his wife and daughter were burnt alive. Subhan was severely injured and admitted to Bagalkote District Government Hospital with 50% burn injuries. We suspect the incident is related to Subhan and his money-lending business. We have registered a case under BNS 103 (murder) and have leads about the accused. Arrests will be made soon.
A Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) ordered an insurance company to pay a compensation of around 1.98 crore to victim Sidharth Sharma's parents, in the eight-year-old hit-and-run case involving a 17-year-old minor in Delhi's Civil Lines area, news agency ANI reported. The boys father, who runs a business of wedding cards, was chargesheeted under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

The Tribunal directed the company to pay 1.98 crore, which includes 1.21 crore as compensation and 77.61 lakh interest, to the victim's parents within 30 days. However, the company has been granted the freedom to recover the amount from the minor's father's company, under which the speeding car had been registered.

Also read | Delhi cops chargesheet father, mother of teen in Mercedes who ran over man

The MACT also considered the fact that Sharma was drawing a monthly salary of 25,000 in January 2015 and was pursuing higher studies. Before the tragedy, the victim had got a job offer with a salary of 10 lakh per year, ANI reported.

The Tribunal observed that the accused's father Manoj Aggarwal willfully cultivated the illegal behaviour of his son by ignoring the cost of fellow road users. "Instead of preventing his minor son from driving a Mercedes, he chose to ignore the same, which implies tacit consent on his part. The very fact that at the time of the accident, he was at home was all the more reason to stop his son from taking the car from the home for a joy ride," MACT remarked.

The Delhi police chargesheet said that despite the teenager being challenged for driving without a licence and causing a similar accident earlier, his father was careless and did not stop his son from driving, HT had reported.

Sharma died after the speeding Mercedes fatally hit him in Delhi's Civil Lines area on April 4, 2016. The entire incident was recorded in a CCTV camera installed in the area.

He was heading home after buying from a noodle stand. Realising that the car was not slowing down, Sharma tried to evade, but was fatally hit. The vehicle climbed the pavement and halted as its front tyres burst. The accused abandoned the car and escaped with his friends immediately.

A Detailed Accident Report (DAR) filed by the Delhi police said that the vehicle was driven at a very high speed. After being hit, Sharma was thrown 15-20 feet in the air and later died.
Following unfavourable remarks from the Supreme Court regarding his conduct, justice (retired) L Narasimha Reddy on Tuesday stepped down as the head of the commission of inquiry, constituted by the Telangana government to investigate alleged irregularities in power procurement during the tenure of former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The court suggested that the state government replace the judge in the commission of inquiry to maintain the impression of fairness.

The court, while hearing a petition filed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi president Rao, expressed its disapproval of press statements made by justice Reddy on June 11, suggesting that he had pre-judged the issue.

It is a little untoward for a person, who has been a judge, to make observations on the merits of the issue. Had he not made those observations, we would have left it at that. But the problem is that there appear observations on the merits. The commission held a press conference where he transgressed the line, a bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, observed.

The bench, which also included justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, highlighted the need for procedural fairness and that justice must be seen to be done , adding that such fairness should be apparent in the conduct of the commissions head.

We are at a stage where he has to inquire but he has gone beyond summarising. He has expressed opinion on the merits...At this stage, he cannot hold a press conference and say there was a loss when that is the issue he is still to examine and submit a report, it added.

The court further pointed out that although a report of the commission of inquiry cannot lead to civil or criminal consequences, it certainly has an impact on a persons reputation.

The problem is that there were quite a few observations on the merits of the case. A report of the commission does not bind anybody, but it impacts the reputation of a person, said the bench, agreeing with senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Rao and argued that justice Reddy ought not to have commented on the commission when Rao was still to be heard.

The court suggested that the state government replace the judge in the commission of inquiry to maintain the impression of fairness. Even as senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sidharth Luthra, representing the state, maintained that justice Reddys statements were factual , they agreed to seek instructions on replacing justice Reddy with someone else following the courts adverse comments.

Later, when the hearing resumed at 2 pm, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for justice Reddy, conveyed the former judges intention to resign. Simultaneously, Sankaranarayanan pointed out that justice Reddy only referred to the terms of reference during the press conference on June 11, adding there was no statement made against Rao.

Recording this development, the bench disposed of Raos petition while also noting that the state government will issue a fresh notification for appointing the new head of the commission of inquiry.

The court also recorded Singhvis statement that although the March 14 notification used the term judicial for the inquiry, the expression intended to refer only to the status of the judge heading the commission and that the commission will be within the scope of the commission of inquiry Act which confines its ambit to a fact-finding body.

On July 1, the Telangana high court dismissed KCRs petition seeking to pause the ongoing judicial investigation into the alleged power sector irregularities during his administration.

KCRs petition, filed in the high court on June 24, questioned the formation of the Justice L Narasimha Reddy Commission to investigate alleged irregularities in the purchase of 1,000 MW of power from Chhattisgarh and the construction of the Bhadradri and Yadadri Thermal Power Plants during his regime.

The former chief minister contended that the order issued by the Congress government on March 14, establishing the judicial commission, violated the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, and the Electricity Act, 2003. The commission has no jurisdiction as the terms of reference were subject to adjudication before both Telangana and Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, he argued.

KCR claimed the commissions proceedings were biased and that the issues before it had already been pre-judged. He also mentioned that he had written to Justice Narasimha Reddy, requesting him to recuse himself from heading the commission.

However, the high court bench rejected KCRs argument that the commissions observations were pre-judged and dismissed his contention that the judicial commission lacked jurisdiction to investigate the power purchase agreement or the construction of the power projects.
Delhi excise policy case: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's lawyer, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on Wednesday described the Delhi chief minister's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as an afterthought insurance arrest. Arguing before the Delhi high court in favour of Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the CBI in the Delhi excise policy case, Singhvi claimed the agency neither has any material nor grounds for arrest. Arvind Kejriwal in CBI's custody. (PTI file photo)

Arvind Kejriwal, who was in judicial custody in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped excise policy, was arrested by the CBI in June. The agency's action came a few days after a Delhi court granted Arvind Kejriwal a regular bail. The Delhi high court later stayed the Delhi court's order.

Singhvi today claimed the CBI hadn't considered arresting his client until June 2024, only after the trial court granted him bail in the ED's case.

Also read: Excise case: Probe against Arvind Kejriwal, AAP complete, says ED

"CBI has not thought me to interrogate till June. The scam allegedly took place in August 2022 and you are in June. Just 2 months short of August, you suddenly feel the need to arrest him? he said in the court.

Singhvi said the CBI cannot deal with his client in violation of the most overarching fundamental right of liberty.

"The arrest is in breach of the procedure established by law, Singhvi said.

He said Kejriwal's arrest violated Section 41 of the CrPC.

Also read: Tihar jail administration, AAP spar over Arvind Kejriwals health parameters

He said Kejriwal is a chief minister, not a terrorist.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI inside a Delhi court after it allowed the agency to interrogate him.

"No learned trial court judge could have allowed this. He says that the trial court could not have allowed his remand only on the ground that 'Kejriwal did not give satisfactory answers'," he added.

Also read: 'May not wake up': Lawyer says sleeping Arvind Kejriwal's sugar level dropped below 50

Singhvi claimed the CBI didn't attempt to show under which clause Kejriwal was arrested. He said no reason for the arrest was given.

"Without notice or hearing me, this is allowed, Singhvi added.

Reported by Shruti Kakkar
Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, was relieved from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government on Tuesday after being found at the centre of a controversy over her alleged misuse of power as a civil servant. Puja Khedkar was recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, and her training has been put on hold. Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar

Puja Khedkar, who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 821 in the UPSC exam, sparked a controversy when she used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. She is also accused of submitting fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam and multiple allegations of misconduct.

Amid the controversies, the Maharashtra government transferred Khedkar from Pune to Washim last week. Meanwhile, the Centre also formed a committee to examine all documents submitted by Khedkar to secure her candidature in civil services.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Puja Khedkar's actions as a civil servant are governed by two key rules - the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and the Indian Administrative Service (Probation) Rules, 1954. Let's take a look at some of the rules governing IAS officers and probationary officers:

Integration of services

All the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers are governed by the AIS (conduct) rules from the time of their training. Under this, all members of the service should maintain fidelity to duty and not do anything unbecoming during their service. According to the rules, officers must not use their office to secure the employment of any family member in any private or non-governmental organisations.

Later, in 2014, the Centre added some sub-rules, including that officers should maintain ethics, integrity, honesty, political neutrality, accountability, transparency, sensitivity to people, especially weaker sections, and good behaviour towards peopleall of which Puja Khedkar has been questioned for. It is also mentioned that officers should make decisions only in the public interest, without regard for any private interest.

An officer shall not place himself under financial or other obligation to any person or organisation who may influence him. Do not abuse your position as a civil servant, and do not make any decisions to gain financial or material benefits for yourself, your family, or your friends, the rules added.

Another rule updated in 2015 requires the government to be notified of any gifts given by close relatives or friends to the officers whose value exceeds 25,000.

Rules for probationary officers

According to the rules, probationary IAS officers receive a fixed salary and travelling allowance during their training period. However, they are not eligible for special powers enjoyed by IAS officerssuch as an official car with a VIP number plate, official accommodation, an official room with adequate staff, and a constable.

Also read: IAS probationer Puja Khedkar files harassment complaint against Pune collector

The Centre may disqualify a trainee if - the trainee is found to be ineligible for recruitment or unfit to be a service member, if the trainee neglects studies and duties, and if the trainee's conduct is not required for the service. This is decided by the Centre after holding a summary enquiry. In Puja Khedkar's case, the government has formed a single-member committee to examine all documents submitted by her.

Rules for submission of fake certificates

Puja Kedkar has been accused of providing fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam. Reports claimed that she had also submitted a mental illness certificate. In April 2022, she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for verification of her disability certificate, but she did not do so, citing Covid infection, PTI reported.

Notably, 27 per cent of seats in the civil services are reserved for the OBC category, and three per cent of seats in general, OBC, ST, and SC categories are reserved for the differently abled. If a candidate is found to provide fake certificates, the civil servant should not be retained, the rules say. However, the civil servant can challenge his/her dismissal in court before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the National OBC Commission.
Three jailed school-going boys, who allegedly raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl in Andhra Pradesh earlier this month, had watched porn videos on their phones before committing the crime, a report by India Today said. Andhra school boys who raped minor girl watched porn, tried to recreate assault: Report(Representational image)

According to the report, the accused tried to recreate the assault that they saw in the videos on the minor.

The incident took place in Andhra Pradesh's Nandyal district on July 7. According to the police, the three minor boys allegedly raped the girl, strangled her to death, and then carted her body on a bicycle for some distance and then on a motorcycle to the backwaters of Krishna River with the help of their two male relatives. After this, the accused tied a stone to her body and pushed her into the Mucchumarri Lift Irrigation Canal in Mucchumarri village, reported news agency PTI.

Reportedly, the girl was last seen playing in a park in the village before the incident.

However, the victim's body has not yet been found.

Six police teams, expert swimmers, dog squads, drone cameras, technical teams, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are conducting a search operation for the body, the police said. Earlier on Tuesday, the police also reconstructed the crime scene and zeroed in on a particular search area to find the victim.

The Andhra Pradesh police on Monday arrested the two men - the father and uncle of one of the boys - who helped the minor boys in concealing and destroying the evidence.

The minor boys have been arrested and may be sent to an observation home later, the police said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sanctioned financial assistance of 10 lakh to the kin of the minor girl.

(With inputs from PTI)
BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde on Wednesday announced that Metro 3 - Aqua Line  Mumbai's first underground Metro will be operational from July 24. Mumbai's first underground metro - the Aqua Line will cover a 33.5 km route from Aarey Colony to Cuffe Parade (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Also Read: Maharashtra sanctions 1,163 crore for Metro 3

In his X post, Vinod Tawde said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji had given a guarantee to make the life of Mumbaikars easier and this is going to be fulfilled. Mumbai's first underground metro (Aqua Line) is starting from July 24, which will give new impetus to the speed of the city.

Also Read: GMRL likely to finalise design consultant for Metro in next meeting

The Aqua Line will connect major areas in the city such as Colaba, SEEPZ and Bandra. According to the government, the 33.5 km route from Aarey Colony to Cuffe Parade will have a total of 27 stops.

Also Read: Pune Metro to develop commercial complex at Swargate

Unlike Line 1, which was constructed in collaboration with private partner Reliance, line 3 has been constructed under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

The new Metro line, according to the government of India's post on X, will transform urban transit, easing travel across Mumbais streets and reducing traffic congestion. The aqua metro line will have a daily passenger capacity of 17 lakh people. Three thousand people can board the metro simultaneously.

The cost of the entire project is estimated to be 23,136 crore, reported The Economic Times. The Japan International Cooperation Agency financed a large portion of the project.

Currently line 1, 2A and 7 are operational in Mumbai, with other lines still under construction. The introduction of line 3 will increase connectivity in the city, especially for commuters from South Mumbai.

A successful series of trial runs was conducted in May, where the metro operated smoothly from Aarey Colony till Dadar.
Dhubri was not a seat Rakibul Hussain wanted to contest from. The small town on the banks of the Brahmaputra was a bastion of perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal who appeared to have a stranglehold on the Lower Assam constituency that was rejigged during a controversial delimitation process. Congress MP Rakibul Hussain shows his identity card during the registration process of the members of the 18th Lok Sabha, in New Delhi on June 8. (PTI)

The 59-year-old deputy leader of Opposition in the Assam assembly feared a tough contest. Ajmal, who headed the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), had registered three consecutive thumping victories from the Muslim-majority constituency, besting the Congress. Beleaguered after the demise of his mentor Tarun Gogoi, the state Congress, however, didnt pay heed to his remonstrations. I didnt choose Dhubri. The party did its own survey and told me that if I were to contest there, we would win. And thats what happened, he said.

On June 4, Hussains surprise victory over Ajmal from the Dhubri seat shone as one of the Congresss most consequential triumphs as the five-time legislator posted the highest electoral victory margin in these Lok Sabha polls 1,012,476 votes. More importantly, the win was representative of two other broader phenomena that buoyed the Opposition to its best showing in a decade. The first was the consolidation of the Muslim vote behind the Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc, and the Oppositions better-than-expected performance in the Northeast, a region that has traditionally voted in consonance with the government at the Centre.

2

The son of Congress leader and two-time legislator Alhaz Nurul Hussain, Hussain was born on 7 August 1964. He completed his schooling from Nagaon Government Boys Higher Secondary School in 1979, secured a BA degree from Nagaon College in 1984 and did a masters in political science (through distance learning) from the Aligarh Muslim University.

In 2001, he took the political plunge after getting a Congress ticket to fight from Samaguri, a seat his father also represented. He won and immediately became a minister under chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

He went on to win from the seat five consecutive times, becoming one of the most successful politicians in the state. Despite the Bharatiya Janata Partys inroads in Assam in the past decade, Hussain was able to retain his seat comfortably, due in part to the sizable Muslim voters in the constituency. In 2021, he defeated the BJPs Anil Saikia by a margin of 26,000 votes even as the ruling party won 60 seats, compared to the Congresss 29. I have been winning from Samaguri since 2001, whether the wave was in favour of Congress, or not. Though I will be more active in New Delhi from now on, I will continue to be associated with Assam and the people of Samaguri, Hussain said.

From 2002 to 2016, he served under Tarun Gogoi handling various portfolios  home, information technology, border area development, information and public relations, tourism, panchayat and rural development and environment and forests.

His stint as minister for environment and forests from 2011 to 2016 was particularly controversial, given the spike in rhinoceros poaching in the Kaziranga National Park. Poachers killed 103 rhinos in the state in that duration  a significantly high number in comparison to the previous years (38 killed from 2006 to 2010). The killings sparked an uproar and opponents pointed the finger at his complicity but Hussain defended himself, blaming extremists for getting involved in poaching and using assault rifles such as AK-47 and AK-56.

But the allegations have continued. If he wins (from Dhubri) and stays in Delhi many wild animals in the state will be protected. If we can send Hussain to Delhi for 5 years, I can withdraw a huge amount of police force from Kaziranga, Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was once very close to Hussain, said.

3

Surrounded on three sides by the Brahmaputra and Gangadhar rivers, Dhubri has been an important part of Assams history for many centuries. Considered the gateway to Assam, the Muslim-majority district has an eclectic mix of people and is an important business centre.

The region shares a 61-km boundary with Bangladesh, most of which is along the Brahmaputra as it enters the neighbouring country and is filled with numerous chars (sand bars) making it difficult for security forces to patrol and easier for undocumented immigrants to cross over or smuggle goods ranging from cattle to drugs.

The Dhubri Lok Sabha seat is one of the three among 14 in Assam where Muslims are in majority; since Independence, it is one of a handful of constituencies across India where the parliamentarian has always been a Muslim. Before last years delimitation exercise, which saw a massive redrawing of boundaries of the states 126 assembly and 14 parliamentary seats, there were 10 assembly constituencies across three districts under the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat. But now it has 11 assembly seats  four new ones added and three old ones removed  spread across five districts.

Delimitation has also increased the number of voters in Dhubri. In 2019, the constituency had 1,858,566 voters. But now it has jumped to 2,643,403  a 42% increase in five years. This has caused fevered speculation around the possibility of gerrymandering and its potential impact on voting patterns this time around.

For over three decades between 1971 and 2004, Dhubri was a Congress stronghold. But since 2009, Ajmal, the perfume baron who founded the AIUDF in 2005 with a mass base among Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom migrated to the region from erstwhile East Pakistan, established a vice-like grip on the seat.

Defeating Ajmal in his home turf was not easy. But Hussain kept the focus on the Congresss national agenda and the BJP governments policies that he argued were against Muslims. He attributed his win to anger and disenchantment against campaigns by the state government against child marriages and deaths in police encounters, in which Muslims were affected. The open deal between the BJP and AIUDF to support each other was another reason that turned voters towards the Congress, he said.

In the end, the results showed the Muslims had largely consolidated behind Hussain, a fact acknowledged by Sarma as well. Earlier AIUDF and Congress both used to get a share of the Muslim votes, but this time almost the entire Muslim vote shifted to Congress, Sarma said. Hussains victory signals a churn in Assams politics, and he believes the signs will only get clearer in 2026, when the state goes to the polls. The Congress will win.
The Uttar Pradesh government took over property worth around 50 crore in Prayagraj, that belonged to slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, which was allegedly purchased with money from criminal activities. Slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed (PTI/File)

District Government Advocate (Criminal) Gulab Chandra Agrahari stated that Atiq acquired 2.377 hectares of land using money from crime-related activities, registering it under a mason named Hoobalal. Atiq also claimed that he would transfer the land to his own name if necessary, PTI reported. The police seized this land in November 2023.

Agrahari stated that the Police Commissioner Court seized the property under Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act and gave three months to respond. However, no proof of ownership was provided.

The Police Commissioner Court then forwarded the case to the Gangster Court in Prayagraj. On Tuesday, Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia deemed the police commissioner's action "fair and just", and the property was officially transferred to the state government.

Speaking to Times of India, DCP (city) Deepak Bhuker said after court's judgement, For the first time, the gangster court (Prayagraj) has ordered to vest the benami property of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed at Kathula Gauspur village to the state govt on July 15. The Prayagraj police had attached Atiqs benami property worth crores of rupees at Kathula Gauspur village in Sadar tehsil under the Gangsters Act on November 6, 2023.

Police said that while investigating a case against Atiq under the Gangsters Act, they discovered he owned the property in Hooblal's name in the Airport police station area. During questioning, Hooblal revealed that he had nothing to do with the property, and Atiq had forced him to register the land in his name in 2015.

Atiq and his brother Ashraf, involved in over 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead on April 15 last year.
Senior Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday that the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls was the result of a lack of support from the minorities in the state. Addressing the extended session of the BJP's state executive committee meeting, he said the Minority Morcha of the party must be scrapped. Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.(PTI file photo)

He also called for doing away with the party's motto 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. He said the party should adopt a new motto -- 'Hum unke saath jo hamare saath (we are with those who are with us).

"I have spoken for nationalist Muslims as well. We all used to say 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', but I would not say this anymore because I think it should be 'Hum unke saath jo humare saath' (we are with those who are with us)... no need for Minority Morcha," he said.

Suvendu Adhikari clarifies remark

He, however, later clarified his remark.

"My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are nationalists stand for this Nation and Bengal, and we should be with them. Those who don't stand with us, work against the interest of the nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn't divide people into majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Minister's call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas," Suvendu Adhikari wrote in a post on X.

Also read: Calcutta HC bars Mamata Banerjee from making defamatory remark against governor CV Ananda Bose

Minorities comprise nearly 30 per cent of the electorate in West Bengal.

In 2014, the BJP's slogan was 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', and in 2019, it was 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'.

Suvendu Adhikari claimed that during the recent Lok Sabha polls, Hindus were not allowed to vote by "Jihadi goons of the TMC in many areas."

He said free and fair elections were not possible in West Bengal.

"The Jihadi goons of the TMC will not allow it. Free and fair elections are only possible by implementing the Disturbed Areas Act in the state. We don't want to capture power in the state through backdoor implementation of the President's Rule," he said.

"We will come to power when we win elections with the people's mandate. But for that, free and fair elections have to be ensured," he added.

His remarks come days after the party lost by-polls in three assembly seats. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won all three seats.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, TMC won 29 seats. The BJP won just 12 seats.

TMC slams Suvendu Adhikari

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the BJP is against democracy.

"They (BJP) are saying that there should not be a minority front, it is against democracy. Here there is a Hindu majority and then there are minorities, Muslims, and Christians and all democratic parties have a minority cell...If it (BJP) had been a democratic party it would have said that our party is for everyone," he said.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
An Indian Army captain and three soldiers were gunned down by terrorists in the forests of Doda district in Jammu on Monday night, officials said on Tuesday, the latest in a wave of terror attacks that have roiled the region this year and sparked concerns that it is emerging as the new epicentre of violence in the restive Union territory. Army personnel pay last respects to Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh and Sepoy Bijendra who were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Doda, on Tuesday. (ANI)

The four people killed in the gunbattle were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Naik D Rajesh from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay, both from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, all of whom belong to the counter-insurgency unit of 10 Rashtriya Rifles. This is the third major encounter involving security forces and terrorists in the forests of Doda in the past three weeks, resulting in a cumulative toll of four soldiers killed and four injured.

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the army paid tributes to the dead soldiers. Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief, additional directorate general of public information of the Indian Army posted on X. One personnel from the Jammu & Kashmir Police was also critically injured.

The attack is the 11thin Jammu this year, in which 11security personnel killed and 11civilians have been killed. Fiveterrorists have been killed either in these encounters or in operations carried out by security forces.

The spate of attacks in the erstwhile peaceful region has sparked concerns that Jammu has emerged as the new hub violence in the Union territory where tens of thousands of people have died in extremist attacks since the 1990s.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said counterterrorist operations were underway. Our soldiers remain committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and restore peace and order in the region.

Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said that the army launched a joint counterterror operation with the Jammu & Kashmir Police in Urarbaggi, 55km north of Doda town.

At 8.40pm on Monday, the search party was able to establish contact with the terrorists hiding in the thickly forested and mountainous area with restricted visibility due to low clouds and rain. In the initial volley of fire, four Indian Army personnel were injured, who later succumbed to their injuries, Bartwal said.

Bartwal said additional troops and equipment were brought in to flush out foreign terrorists who infiltrated into India and spotted moving in the upper reaches of Jammu in Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah districts. Similar operations are being conducted in Kathua in a relentless manner. The series of operations in the recent past have resulted in the neutralisation of three terrorists in Gandoh on June 26, besides successfully thwarting the Chattargala terrorist attack on June 11, Bartwal said.

On Monday night, a group of three to five terrorists ambushed the search party  comprising the captain and seven soldiers -- on a hilltop. The security forces chased them into the treacherous terrain and thick foliage, leading to another firefight in the woods around 9pm on Monday, said officials aware of developments. The terrorists escaped while five personnel were wounded, they added.

Kashmir Tigers, a proxy outfit of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack renews worries about the increased movement of terrorists in Jammu, particularly south of the Pir Panjal range, forcing a recalibration of security forces that have reoriented their units, and attempted to strengthen intelligence networks for counterterror operations.

In July 2023, officials involved in counterterrorism efforts told HT that terror groups from Pakistan were now targeting Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts, forcing security agencies to recalibrate their responses. One officer told HT at the time that there were between 30 and 40 highly trained terrorists that had crossed over into Jammu. While trained terrorists appear to be using the Line of Control (LoC) to enter India and hide inside the forests; their commanders are also trying to establish their bases in Jammu region. In fact, one or two senior commanders of terror group Al-Badr may have already come to Jammu either via Nepal or Bangladesh, one officer said.

Union home minister Amit Shah has directed security forces in Jammu and Kashmir to adopt similar tactics in Jammu region as they did in Kashmir to contain terrorism. Shah, during a meeting, issued clear directions to replicate the success achieved in the Kashmir Valley through zero terror and area dominance plans in the Jammu region with a focus on sensitive areas.

A senior Jammu & Kashmir police officer said that Mondays search operations were launched in the Desa forests since April 28 when terrorists killed Mohammad Sharief, a village defence guard, in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, bordering Doda.

There are no hamlets in the area, which has dense jungles called the Desa forests. These have a hilly terrain, natural caves, ravines and rivulets. The only population who live in dhoks (mud houses) in the area are tribal nomads, who head to meadows with their livestock in summer, the officer said, requesting anonymity.

Security and intelligence agencies suspect that eight to 10 groups of three to four terrorists, trained in guerilla warfare and being helped by overground workers, are active in Doda. We suspect they are all foreign terrorists, who recently infiltrated from Pakistan via traditional routes along the international border in Hiranagar sector of Kathua. Some might have infiltrated from the Punjab border as well, said an intelligence official.

Being helped with logistics by overground workers and technology, these terrorists are using dense forests and hilly terrain to their advantage. They ambush army convoys and search parties and escape into their hideouts inside dense jungles, he said.

The attack was the third in Doda district in 10 days after an exchange of fire broke out between security forces and terrorists during a search operation in the Goli-Gadi forest on July 9. One day before that, terrorists lobbed hand-grenades and fired with automatic weapons at an army truck passing through Badnota village, 250km from the Doda encounter site, in Kathua on July 8.

Naib Subedar Anand Singh, havaldar Kamal Singh, rifleman Anuj Negi, naik Vinod Singh, and rifleman Adarsh Negi, all from Uttarakhand, were killed in the ambush and five army personnel were injured.

Former director general of police SP Vaid said, The situation in Jammu region seems to be very serious. A number of incidents have taken place. The arc of terrorism is spreading from Rajouri and Poonch to Reasi, Kathua, Billawar, Doda... We have to eliminate these terrorists in well-organised and strategically planned operations.

The Tuesday attack triggered a political row on Tuesday, as opposition parties alleged there is no accountability over the spate of terror attacks and called for careful recalibration in the countrys security strategy.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the spate of terror attacks that has gripped the Union territory in the past 36 days needs careful recalibration in our security strategy. The Modi government is acting as if everything is business as usual and nothing has changed. They must know that increasingly, the Jammu region is bearing the brunt of these attacks, he said.

J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha appealed to the public to unite against terrorism by providing crucial information on the terrorists to the security forces.
The central government is considering the scheduling of a second board examination for Class 12 students studying in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools, as recommended by the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), in June from 2026, reported The Indian Express. Centre is considering holding a second board exam for Class 12 students (HT photo)(Mujeeb Faruqui/HT file)

A Class 12 student following a CBSE curriculum currently appears for a board exam once a year, in February-March. The results of the Class 12 board exams are declared in May, and if the student has not scored as per expectation, they have the option of appearing for supplementary exams for one subject, held in July. This year, the supplementary exams were held on July 15.

However, new National Education Policy 2020 includes recommendations of moving away from high-stakes exam with a vast syllabus, and move towards biannual board exams to relieve the pressure on students.

In accordance with the NEP 2020, the education ministry has asked the CBSE to prepare a proposal for holding two board exams for class 12 students each year from 2026, reported The Indian Express.

The two-board exam system will likely have its first exam in February-March, and the second set to exams in June, the report added. Further, Class 12 students may also have the option for appearing for supplementary exams or improvement exams for any or all subjects, as opposed to the option of just appearing for one subject right now.

The CBSE would need an estimate of 15 days to conduct this second set of board exams, and about a month to declare the results. This means that if the exams are conducted in June, the results will likely be declared in August.

Keeping in mind the schedule for entrance examinations and the load on the teachers for marking, the government has also recommended that the first board exam should not be held before February. The Centre also expects that not all students will appear for the second board exams, reducing the evaluation load on the teachers.

The NCFSE, which is based on the National Education Policy 2020, says that every year, each students should have the opportunity to appear for the board exams twice a year, with the best score being considered.

"In the long term, being able to take a subject board examination immediately after the school term (i.e., semester-wise or on-demand board examinations) will be made available, NCFSE says.
Like his father Nar Bahadur Thapa before him, colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa served in the Indian Army for 34 years, retiring in 2014. Five years later, his son, Brijesh Thapa continued the family tradition  clearing the Combined Defence Services examination and joining the army. His overwhelming emotion at the time was pride. But at 10:30pm on Monday, that pride was tinged with some grief, when he received the devastating phone call that his son was one of the four army personnel who were killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists in Jammus Doda. Captain Brijesh Thapa (left) and sepoy Bijendra who were killed in the encounter between security forces and terrorists in Doda district on July 16,(PTI)

Originally a resident of Bada Ging near Lebong in Darjeeling, Captain Thapa, who studied BTech as a student, joined the army in 2019 after clearing the Combined Defence Services examination.

At his home in Siliguri, Bhuwanesh Thapa said: I feel proud that our son has done something for the nation. But we will be miss him for the rest of our lives.

His mother Nilima Thapa said the family had last spoken to their son on Sunday, when he said the front where he was posted was remote, and could only be reached on foot. Brijesh was supposed to come home shortly but as the situation on the front was not good, nothing was confirmed, she said.

Captain Thapas remains are expected to arrive at Bagdogra airport on Wednesday, and his funeral will be held at Bada Ging.

There was a similar pall of gloom in two villages in Rajasthans Jhunjhunu, which mourned the death of 24-year-old Ajay Singh and 26-year-old Bijendra Singh.

Ajays family, from Bhesawat, was informed of his death on Tuesday morning, with his remains scheduled to arrive at his village on Wednesday. Like Thapa, Ajays father Kamal Singh was also in the army and retired in 2015, with his uncle Kamal Naruka currently serving in the 23 Rajput regiment in Sikkim.

Ravindra, Ajays younger brother, said: Many in our family have served in the armed forces. We woke up as usual in the morning, but suddenly found out that Ajay was killed in an encounter with terrorists. The entire village is in mourning. Not everyone has the fortune to serve the nation and sacrifice themselves in service to the nation.

Dumoli Kalan Ki Dhandi, a village in Jhunjhunu, was also in mourning, after news of the death of Bijendra Singh petered in. Singh had joined the army in 2018, and has two sons. He last visited the village in February, and the news was first broken to Dashrath Singh, Bijendras brother, who is also in the army and is posted in Lucknow.

Ramji Lal, Bijendra Singhs father, said: Both my sons are in the army to serve the nation. I am proud of my son but urge the government to end terrorism. To lose my son is the biggest loss for my family.

The fourth soldier killed in the encounter on Monday night was Dokkari Rajesh from Chetlatandra village in Srikakulams Santhabommali mandal in Andhra Pradesh.

According to a villager, Rajesh belongs to a family of shepherds. The family struggled a lot to provide education to Rajesh and his younger brother. He joined the army six years ago. He used to use a part of his salary to clear the fees of poor students in his village, the villager said.
The Karnataka cabinet chaired by chief minster Siddaramaiah on Tuesday approved a draft bill to provide reservation in private sector jobs in the state, evoking a strong reaction from the industry leaders. A lowdown on the bill provisions and its possible implications: The Bengaluru technology industry worth $ 245 billion and having a workforce of 1.5 million can face adverse impact of the proposed law as most of the people working there are non-Kannadigas. (Representational image)

Main provisions of the Bill

The bill mandates 50% reservation for locals in managerial positions and 75% in non-managerial positions. In case enough eligible candidates are not available, the industry in collaboration with government will have to train local candidates in three years and engage them. So effectively, the government is proposing to provide three years to industry to implement provisions of the proposed law.

Even after three years the industry faces problems, the bill provides the government powers to exempt the industry from reservation provisions after an inquiry into their claim of not finding enough suitable locals for employment even after training. Officials said the exemption is to provide companies with the opportunity to employ professionals for highly specialised work.

However, the exemption will be provided only if 25% of managerial positions and 50% of non-managerial positions are filled by locals.

Who are locals?

A person born in Karnataka, who is domiciled in the state for 15 years, and is well versed with reading and writing Kannada language is defined as a local in the bill. Those seeking benefit under the law will have to clear a language proficiency test of the state government. Those who dont have Kannada at senior secondary level will have to clear the test to take benefit under the proposed law.

Difference between managerial and non-managerial jobs

The managerial category covers positions in supervisory, technical, operational and administrative roles excluding directors. All other positions such as clerical positions, semi and skilled workers including outsourced jobs are under non-managerial category. The categorisation has been done to enable the industry to find suitable people for both categories, officials said. 50% reservation for managerial jobs and 75% for non-managerial.

Who will implement the law?

The bill provides the government will appoint an agency to implement the provisions of the law. Most likely the labour department will be the nodal agency for the same. The authority will have powers to seek reports on appointments in both managerial and non-managerial positions from industry periodically and conduct inquiry in case of non-compliance. The agency can seek any documents from the employer to verify the claims made in periodic reports, as per the bill. Officials said the agency officials will also have power to inspect industry, if needed. The authority can appoint an officer not below the rank of assistant labour commissioner for implementation of the proposed law.

Proposed Penalties

For contravention of the proposed law, the minimum penalty of 10,000 and maximum of 25,000 has been prescribed. For continued violation of the law, the penalty amount can be increased to 1 lakh. There is no jail provision. The bill also provides for limitation to prosecution for six months meaning that no court can take cognizance of the offence under the proposed law after six months.

Its possible implications

The Bengaluru technology industry worth $ 245 billion having workforce of 1.5 million can face adverse impact of the proposed law as most of the people working there are non-Kannadigas. Industry leaders said the proposed law would push the top-grade industry out of the state to other places, where the law is more industry friendly.

Nasscom in a statement said that the Information Technology sector contributes 25% of the statess GDP and houses a quarter of countrys digital talent. Restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce, the Nasscom said.

According to the state government, Bengaluru contributes 43.86% to Karnatakas economy. Karnataka contributes 7% of the national GDP as per state finance department estimates presented in the budget for 2022-23. Industry experts said the restrictions in the bill could impact state government plans for a one trillion-dollar economy in the next five years.

Similar legal provisions elsewhere

Andhra Pradesh and Haryana were among the first states to reserve jobs in private sector in India. Both the states have provided reservations for jobs with a salary cap. In the case of Haryana, reservations up to 75% were applicable for jobs with monthly salary of 30,000 and in the case of Andhra, the monthly salary cap for 75% reservation was 50,000. The Karnataka bill does not provide a salary cap and imposes quota on all private sector jobs except that of directors. However, like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka has also provided three years to the industry to implement the law, once passed by the state legislature.

Legal tangles

The proposed law can face legal hurdles. In 2020, Haryana enacted Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, providing for 75% reservation in private sector jobs for locals for wages up to 30,000 and it was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana high court. The high court in 2022 quashed the law terming it ultra vires of Part III of the Constitution and violative of Article 14 and 19 of the Constitution which provides for freedom of employment across India.
Former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahnis 70-year-old father was found stabbed to death at his home in his native village in Darbhanga district in a ghastly incident that has sent shock waves across the state. Mukesh Sahni in Patna on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Darbhanga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jagunath Jala Reddy said four people have been taken into custody for questioning on the basis of CCTV footage obtained from cameras installed in the vicinity of the site of the crime.

Additional director general of police (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said, They were found moving in a suspicious manner. However, the case is being investigated from all possible angles, said Gangwar, who did not divulge the identity of the detainees.

The ADG said the body, which had deep wounds caused by a sharp-edged object on the chest and abdomen, has been sent for autopsy.

Prima facie, the deceased was attacked late in the night. An almirah, which used to be in the room, has been found outside. We are examining its contents. We are also trying to trace the owners of three motorcycles parked nearby, said Gangwar.

He said an SIT (special investigation team) has been formed under Darbhanga (rural) superintendent of police (SP) Kamya Mishra to probe the case.

The SSP said initial probe revealed that two of the four suspects borrowed money from the deceased, Jitan Sahni. One of them even gave his motorcycle to the deceased as a security against the loan. Two days before the murder, the deceased and two suspects had an argument over the issue, he said.

Police have also sought help from the local people about the incident. If anyone has any information, they can give it to us at 9431822992 or 6287742988. We also have a toll-free number (14432), said Gangwar.

Darbhanga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jagunath Jala Reddy said police got to know about the incident around 6am.

The deceased, Jitan Sahni, lived alone in the two-storeyed house at Jirat village in Biraul block of Darbhanga district. He had two sons and a daughter, all married.

Mukesh Sahni, a former Bollywood technician who heads the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), was away in Mumbai when the information reached him.

Upon arriving in Patna, on way to Darbhanga, Sahni told reporters at the airport that Union home minister Amit Shah and RJD president Lalu Prasad had called him and offered condolences. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in whose cabinet Sahni had served for about a year-and-a-half, also called him up to offer condolences and ensure speedy investigation.

All have expressed solidarity in this hour of tragedy, said the 44-year-old leader, who did not respond to questions as to whether he suspected any motive behind the murder.

The Nishad community leader, who likes to call himself son of Mallah (fisherman), was wooed to join the INDIA bloc by Rashtriya Janata Dals Tejashwi Yadav, who gave his party three seats from the RJDs own quota in the recent Lok Sabha polls, besides ensuring that Sahni accompanied him at over 250 rallies across the state. HOW MANY OF THE THREE DID IT WIN?

Theopposition has raise a question mark over the law and order situation in the state.

If this is not jungle Raj, what else is. If the family members of political leaders are not safe, one will shudder to think of the plight of the common masses. This is maha jungle Raj, unleashed by the BJP and the NDA leaders who never get tired of talking about jungle Raj. The double engine government has offered a blend of corruption and criminalisation, said RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari.

I am shocked... terror rule has been established in state. I am continuously saying that in double engine powered government of Bihar, the morale of the criminals supported by the government, protected by the government and sponsored by the government has increased so much that they kill anyone whenever they want.. leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav wrote on X.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the incident. A statement issued by the chief ministers office (CMO) here said, The CM condemned the incident. The CM also spoke to RS Bhatti, Director General of Police (DGP), and asked him to ensure that those who are behind the incident are caught at the earliest. He also spoke to Mukesh Sahani over the phone.
Five bodies have been found and two more are feared dead in a landslide on National Highway 66 near Shirur village in Ankola taluk, on Tuesday morning, Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner Lakshmipriya said. The landslide occurred on the National Highway-66 near Shirur village in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada on Tuesday morning. (HT)

The officer said that five bodies have been recovered and two more people were yet to be found. Of the five bodies, four have been identified as Lakshman Naik (45), Shanti Naik (36) Avantika (6) and Roshan (11). They are members of same family. One body has been identified as Jagannath (55) but it is yet to be ascertained who was he, Lakshmipriya said

She said Shanti Naik was found approximately a hundred metres away in the Gangavali river, which had swollen due to heavy rains and also with the addition of large amounts of mud from a nearby hill.

On Tuesday evening, Lakshmipriya said the dead bodies of Lakshman and Jagannath were recovered from the river, about a kilometre away from the incident site.

The operation to lift the debris of the hill that collapsed on the two house-cum-tea stalls is ongoing, she said, adding that the two others, trapped in the debris, are likely dead as the mud and boulders that fell on them are more than 10-feet high.

Addressing the assembly, revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda said: Three crew members of LPG gas tankers, two of which were loaded, had parked their vehicles to have tea. Two of the tankers fell into the Gangavali river after being hit by large boulders. The tankers floated about 200 metres down the river due to the strong current caused by heavy rainfall, he said.

Stating that there is no confirmation on the total number of deaths, he added: The driver and cleaner were washed away, and search operations are ongoing. The hill and the houses that were affected are located within a 100-metre width between the highway and the Gangavali river. All the rivers, including Gangavali, are overflowing due to the incessant rains over the past week. This situation demonstrates how high the river flow is, as even gas-loaded tankers were carried away by the current.

The affected families had been running small tea stalls selling light snacks like tea and biscuits to tourists for many years. Several vehicles parked near the stalls were damaged by the falling mud and boulders.

Uttara Kannada superintendent of police Narayan M said that firefighters and emergency services, assisted by expert swimmers, are searching for the missing truck crew. Narayan informed reporters that one body from the deceased family was recovered about a kilometre from the incident site. Based on initial reports, nine people were trapped in the mud, but the exact number will be known once rescue operations are completed, he said, adding that at least 24 hours are needed to clear the fallen debris, which includes wet mud and large boulders.

In response to the disaster, the state government has announced financial compensation of 5 lakh to each victims family. Gowda expressed condolences, saying, The government mourns this untoward incident and stands with the grieving families. We announce 5 lakh compensation for each deceased family member, including the gas tanker driver whose body was found late in the evening.

In a separate incident, another landslide was reported near Baskeri in Honnavar taluk, blocking traffic on National Highway 69 early on Tuesday. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck for about ten hours while crews worked to clear the road of boulders and wet mud that had fallen over a stretch of approximately a hundred metres.

The landslide disrupted traffic on a major route connecting cities like Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Mangaluru, and states such as Kerala and Goa. The heavy rains have prompted the Uttara Kannada district administration to declare a holiday for all educational institutions up to the second PUC (Pre-University College, 12th grade).
A 27-year-old woman working for a private firm, ended her life allegedly due to physical and mental harassment by her colleagues, prompting the Ghaziabad police to launch an investigation into the matter, officials said on Wednesday, A 27-year-old woman working for a private firm, ended her life allegedly due to physical and mental harassment by her colleagues. (Representational picture)

The deceased woman worked as a tele-caller hired by a third party company for Axis Bank. She lived in Ghaziabad and worked at the firm located in Noida, where she was allegedly being harassed for the past five-six months, her family claimed.

On July 12, the woman killed herself by consuming poison. After the incident, her brother got an FIR lodged under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), at the local Nandgram police station in Ghaziabad, reported news agency PTI.

ALSO READ| Sikar Class 12 student dies by suicide; family says school staff assaulted him

The brother claimed that a note was found in her room, in which she had "written about committing suicide due to harassment by these persons as well as some other staff members", according to the FIR. He claimed that his sister had shared her ordeal to the family three-four days before taking the drastic step. In the FIR, the brother has named three colleagues of his sister, including a woman.

"My younger sister was working at Axis House, Noida. She had told the family three-four days before committing suicide that the employees working with her were harassing her physically and mentally for the last five-six months," her brother alleged.

"Being troubled by the actions of these people, my sister consumed poisonous substance on July 12 at around 4.15 pm, after which we went to MMG Hospital, Ghaziabad and she was treated there," he said. The woman referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi after some time, but she died during treatment the same evening.

Meanwhile, Ghaziabad Police have launched an investigation into the case. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Nandgram) Ravi Kumar Singh said that they were checking CCTV footage from the work place of the deceased. "We are also questioning her colleagues to ascertain facts of the matter. A detailed probe is underway," he said.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 0222754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290.
Panaji: The Goa Police claimed to have arrested a 20-year-old handyman in connection with the alleged murder of a Goan-origin Canadian national. (Representative Photo)

Police said that the deceased identified as Arnaldo Soares was found in a pool of blood at his ancestral home in Goa on Sunday afternoon. Soares, 68, who lived alone, was found dead with visible head injuries after neighbours knocked on his door on Sunday morning and he failed to respond, prompting them to call the police.

We have arrested one Arjun Raju Pawar, 20, alias Parshu and registered a case under section 332b (breaking in), 309 (robbery) and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, North Goa superintendent of police Akshat Kaushal, said.

Police said that Pawar, a resident of Goa, was arrested from the Kalaburagi district in north Karnataka on Tuesday, where he had fled after allegedly committing the murder.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the primary motive of the murder appeared to be robbery, said police, adding that they found evidence at the crime scene suggesting that the murder was premeditated.

The primary motive behind the crime was robbery. But we are not ruling out that there could be other angles involved also. We have found clues from the scene that suggest that it may have been premeditated. At this stage it is premature to say anything with certainty, Kaushal said.

Police said that Pawar fled the house in Soares car after allegedly committing the murder and later abandoned the car at the helipad near Goas Fort Aguada heritage monument. Interrogation on all these aspects is going on, the SP added.

According to the police, Pawar was known to the victim and had undertaken jobs on Soares behalf as a handyman.

He was aware of the geography of the place and the architecture of the house. He knew where the victim used to sleep. He was aware of where his bed was and what time he used to sleep. He knew the victim, SP Kaushal said.

He added Pawar was produced before the magistrate on Wednesday after his arrest and has been remanded to one-day police custody.
The Tibetan government-in-exile is continuing its back-channel communications with China to find a resolution to the issue of Tibet, with the latest contact made at the beginning of this month, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said on Wednesday. Penpa Tsering, President of Central Tibetan Administration (right). (AP File Photo)

Penpa Tsering, Sikyong or political leader of the government-in-exile based in Dharamshala, contended that developments such as the Indian governments clearance for a US Congressional delegation to meet the Dalai Lama, Indias support for the Philippines in the South China Sea, and the Indian prime ministers decision to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit were all a response to Chinas behaviour.

Also read | Resolution of Sino-Tibet conflict to be mutually beneficial: Tibetan leadership

Tsering also told a small group of reporters the Resolve Tibet Act, signed by US President Joe Biden on July 12, offers clarity about Washingtons position by stating that the China-Tibet dispute must be resolved in line with international law through a dialogue without preconditions, and by recognising that the Tibetan people have the right to self-determination.

If you ask me, do we have back channels? Yes, we do. Its going on, Tsering said while responding to a question on China ruling out talks with the CTA after he revealed the back-channel communications in April.

The contacts between the CTA and the Chinese side occurred in a third country, he said without giving details. The last one [contact] happened at the beginning of this month, he added.

Tsering, however, reiterated the CTA doesnt have any expectations from these contacts. But if you ask me, why do you engage even if you have no expectations, I say its long term. We cant just think only about short term, just cant think only about [Chinese President] Xi Jinping...But we have to maintain communications, he said.

Taking a swipe at China, Tsering said many recent moves by India, such as allowing a visit to Dharamshala by a US Congressional delegation led by Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul and including Democratic former speaker Nancy Pelosi, could be seen as New Delhis response to Beijings belligerence.

Also read | Back-channel talks with China exist, but expecting too much not reasonable: Tibetan govt-in-exile president

The delegation, in addition to meeting the Dalai Lama, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and was hosted for dinner by external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

Its all happening because of Chinas behaviour. Indias response to all that is also because of Chinas behaviour. I think the reason why the prime minister didnt go to the SCO Summit and sent the foreign minister is very clear, its a message. And then [Modi] going to meet with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin but not meeting with Xi Jinping also reflects how tense the relationship between China and India is, he said.

The current dispensation in New Delhi has taken a strong position that there wont be normalisation of India-China ties unless there is disengagement of troops in all sectors of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Tsering said. We have repeatedly kept saying that China respects only strength, not weakness, and today India is taking a strong position, he said.

Explaining the importance of the Resolve Tibet Act, Tsering said the US legislation had support from Democrats and Republicans and clearly states that Tibet is an unresolved conflict which has to be resolved in line with international law.

In keeping with the CTAs call for a resolution that provides some sort of autonomy for Tibet under the Dalai Lamas middle way policy, the US law recognises that the Tibetan people have the right to self-determination. The act also pushes back against Chinese disinformation by stating the US doesnt recognise the assertion that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times, he said.

Tsering responded to a question about Chinas insistence that it alone can anoint the successor to the Dalai Lama by saying this matter can be decided only by the spiritual leader and the Tibetan people. Its [the Dalai Lama] whos going to be reborn, its not Xi Jinping whos going to be reborn. So, its His Holiness who has to decide, and His Holiness has very consistently said I will be reborn in a free world, he said.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that changing demography is a big issue for him, adding that the Muslim population in Assam now stands 40 per cent.



Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was quoted by ANI as saying.



On July 1, Sarma without mentioning any community had said that criminal activities by a section of a people from a particular religion were a matter of concern.



"I am not saying that crime is committed only by people of a particular religion but recent incidents since the just concluded Lok Sabha elections is a matter of concern," Sarma had said.



On June 23, Sarma claimed that Bangladeshi minority community members voted for Congress in the Lok Sabha elections , without considering the development work done by the BJP-led governments in the state and Centre.



He also added that the Bangladeshi-origin minority community is the only one in Assam which indulges in communalism.



In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition won 11 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, while the Congress bagged the remaining three.



The BJP and its allies lost some ground in the northeastern states in the recently concluded general elections, winning 15 out of 24 seats. Opposition Congress won seven seats, a gain from the four it held previously.



A particular religion openly went against our government in those states, and that religion has tremendous followers in those states. So that has made a difference. It is not a political defeat, because nobody can fight with a religion, Sarma had said.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (File Photo)
Additional Director General (Law and Order) of Jammu and Kashmir Police Vijay Kumar on Wednesday said that the statement by DGP RR Swain about regional parties allegedly hobnobbing with terrorist leaders could be his personal opinion. Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Law and Order) of Jammu and Kashmir Police. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Police has been an apolitical force from the beginning. We work with impartiality. The statement of the DGP could be his personal opinion. We are a professional force, apolitical and impartial, said Vijay Kumar.

Kumar, a 1997-batch officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, has previously served as the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, and is known for his counter-insurgency operations in the Valley during his four-year tenure.

He was in Zadibal area of Srinagar on Wednesday to oversee the arrangements for the Muharram procession on the day of Ashura.

Director General of Police RR Swain on Monday had blamed the regional parties of Jammu and Kashmir for Pakistans successful infiltration into the Kashmiri civil society.

Swain also alleged that so-called mainstream political parties cultivated leaders of terror networks and sometimes directly for electoral prospects.

His remarks drew sharp reactions from various political parties in the region, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti calling for his sacking over the huge losses suffered by security forces in the past 32 months.



All Kashmiris, especially the majority community has been alienated by him (DGP). He is treating them as Pakistanis He is talking through the barrel of gun, through weaponising of passports, verifications and security agencies, said Mehbooba Mufti while addressing the media on Tuesday.



While there is infiltration from Pakistan, what is the DGP doing? Is it my job or Omar Abdullahs job to stop the infiltration? Who is at the borders? Who has to deal with the situation? Who has militarised the police force? Who has criminalised the thought process of Kashmiris? former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti added.
Self-styled religious preacher Suraj Pal alias Bhole Baba on Wednesday appeared in public for the first times since 121 people were killed in the Hathras stampede on July 2.



"I am extremely sad after the incident of July 2, but who can stop what's bound to happen? Whoever has come has to go one day or the other," the godman told ANI.



Alleging conspiracy, Pal, who has not been named in the FIR, added,"Our advocate Dr AP Singh and eyewitnesses have told us about a poisonous spray. It is true that there is some conspiracy. We have faith in the SIT and judicial commission and that the truth will come out...Right now, I am in my birthplace Bahadur Nagar, Kasganj."



The lawyer of Bhole Baba had claimed "some poisonous substance" sprayed by "some unidentified men" triggered the stampede.



Witnesses have reached out to me and said there were 15-16 people carrying cans of a poisonous substance that they opened in the crowd. I have seen post-mortem reports of those killed and it showed that they died of asphyxiation and not because of injuries, the preacher's lawyer AP Singh had alleged.



At least 11 people including the main organiser and fundraiser of the July 2 satsang Devprakash Madhukar, have been arrested in connection with the stampede.



The Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) had held the satsang organisers guilty for the stampede. The government suspended the local sub divisional magistrate (SDM), a circle officer and four others on the basis of the findings.

Self-styled religious preacher Suraj Pal alias Bhole Baba(ANI/X)
Karnataka Kannadigas reservation bill news: Karnataka labor minister Santosh S Lad on Wednesday clarified that job reservations in private firms in the state are capped at 70 per cent for non-management roles and 50 per cent for management-level positions. Santosh Lad's clarification comes amid a huge backlash over chief minister Siddaramaiah's X (formally Twitter) post declaring that there would be 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah (PTI file)

The chief minister, however, deleted the post in which he had announced the decision. Our government's aspiration is that no Kannadigas should be deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada so that they can lead peaceful lives. Ours is a pro-Kannada government, Siddaramaiah had posted.

Speaking Siddaramaiah's post, Santosh S Lad told news agency ANI, "At management (level), it has been decided to provide reservation to 50% of the people. At the non-management level, it has been decided to provide work to 70 per cent...If such skills are not available, people can be outsourced and they can be given work here. But the government is trying to bring in a law to give preference to locally available skills - if it is available here..."

Siddaramaiah had earlier said the Karnataka cabinet has approved a bill mandating 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in private sector for Group C and D posts. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held on Monday.

"The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for 'C and D' grade posts in all private industries in the state," Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.

News agency PTI citing in the law department reported that the 'Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024' will be tabled on Thursday in the assembly.

On the appointment of 'Local Candidates'', the bill says, "Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories."

If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language, they must pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency', it says.

If the qualified local candidates are not available, the establishments within three years with active collaboration of government or its agencies should take steps to train them, it says. If sufficient number of local candidates are not available, then an establishment may apply for relaxation from the provisions of this Act to the government. "Such orders passed by the Government shall be final: Provided that, the relaxation provided under this section shall not be less than 25 per cent for management category and 50 per cent for non-management categories," the proposed bill says.

Several industry leaders in the state objected to the move saying that it is "discriminatory" and raised apprehensions that the tech industry may suffer.

Fascist, unconstitutional': Mohandas Pai

Mohandas Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education Services, said the Bill is fascist and also unconstitutional.

"This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test?" Pai said in a post on 'X'.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Limited, said the state should not let this Bill affect its leading position in the domain of technology and there should be exemptions for highly skilled recruitment.

"As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy," Shaw posted on 'X'.

RK Misra, the co-chairman of ASSOCHAM Karnataka and the co-founder of YULU called the bill shortsighted and said if a government officer is appointed in every private company to monitor its implementation, it will scare away Indian IT and Global Capability Centres.

"Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short-sighted," Misra posted on 'X'.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Wednesday put on hold the controversial bill mandating reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah with deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar.(ANI file)

The draft bill intended to provide reservations for Kannadigas in private sector companies, industries, and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A comprehensive discussion will be held in the next cabinet meeting to make a final decision, chief minister Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.

"The bill approved by the Cabinet to provide reservation for Kannadigas in private sector organisations, industries and enterprises has been temporarily put on hold. This will be revisited and decided in the coming days," PTI quoted a statement issued by the chief minister's office.

"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories," the bill had read, sparking outrage.



The Karnataka government came under fire over the legislation on the quota for Kannadigas. The industry giants called the bill a regressive move showing shortsightedness.



ALSO READ: Restrictions could force companies to: Nasscom on Kannadiga reservation bill



Siddaramaiah had deleted an X post on 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas, in which he had said,"The Cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for "C and D" grade posts in all private industries in the state."



As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy, Biocon managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had said.



As the backlash over the bill intensified, Karnataka minister MB Patil had said that he will discuss the issue with the CM, IT-BT minister, law minister, and labour Minister.



We will have wider consultations. We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries, he had said.



(With PTI inputs)
Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee president Ajendra Ajay rejected allegations made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, who claimed that 228 kg of gold were stolen from the Kedarnath Temple. Swami Avimukteshwaranand's claimed that was a gold scam in the Kedarnath temple and spoke against the building of another Kedarnath temple in Delhi (File photo)

Also Read:Priests hold protest against plan for Kedarnath temple in Delhi

Ajendra Ajay said the spiritual leader's statement on Kedarnath Temple had been very unfortunate. I respect Swami Avimukteshwaranand but he keeps holding press conferences throughout the day...Stoking controversy, create sensationalism and being in the news is a habit of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee president told news agency ANI.

Also Read: Shankaracharya says Uddhav Thackeray victim of betrayal: till he becomes CM again

According to Ajendra, the priest's comments on Kedarnath were part of a Congress agenda, and he urged the Swami to stop hurting the dignity of the Kedarnath Temple.

Also Read: Kedarnath temple in Delhi? Furious Shankaracharya says This can't happen

Swami Avimukteshwaranand, while addressing the issue of the new temple in New Delhi, had claimed that there was a gold scam in the existing Kedarnath Temple, which had not been investigated. He said, After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kg of gold is missing from Kedarnath... No inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?

The temple trust president said these claims were baseless and if the Swami had any evidence, he should go through legal channels rather than creating controversy.

I urge him as well as challenge him to bring to light facts and evidence. He should go to authorities, present then the evidence and demand an investigation. If he doesn't trust a capable authority, he should approach the Supreme Court, High Court, file a PIL and demand an investigation if he actually has evidence, he added.

On July 15, Swami Avimukteshwaranand had sparked a row after he claimed that he opposed the building of a symbolic Kedarnath temple in the national capital.

There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath. 12 Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran with name and location. There are political reasons behind this, political people are entering our religious places, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said.

Kedarnath is one of the four sacred Hindu shines of the Char Dham, including Badrinath, Gangotri and Yumonotri. On July 10, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami laid a foundation stone for a new Kedarnath temple in New Delhi, leading to several priests in the state protesting.
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya shared a cryptic post on X (formally Twitter) on Wednesday, causing a flutter in state politics amid his speculated rift with CM Yogi Adityanath. In his post, Keshav Prasad Maurya spoke about the pain of the workers and how organisation is bigger than the government. Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

The organization is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organization, the workers are the pride, the office of UP deputy CM quoted Keshav Maurya as saying in an X post.

This post comes a day after Maurya met with Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda in New Delhi. Notably, JP Nadda held a separate meeting with Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupender Chaudhary. The meetings were held to map out the party's strategy after BJP's poor performance in UP in the Lok Sabha election.

Maurya avoided the media while leaving the BJP headquarters on Tuesday, while there was no official word on the agenda of the meeting.

After the general election debacle in Uttar Pradesh, there have been strong speculation of a rift between Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Maurya. A number of BJP leaders said in private conversations that the chief minister's working style is one of the reasons behind the party's loss in the state, reported PTI.

In 2017, Maurya was the state BJP president when the BJP formed the majority government under CM Yogi with 312 seats in the assembly.

At a BJP working committee meeting on June 14, Adityanath said that overconfidence had hurt the party's expectations in the state. "We have to hoist the BJP flag in the state once again. BJP leaders and workers will have to be super active on social media and immediately refute any kind of rumours," Adityanath said.

The BJP won 33 seats out of the total 80 in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had bagged 62 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday relieved controversial officer Puja Khedkar from her probationary post, ordering her to report back to the central governments training centre for bureaucrats in Mussoorie within a week, spelling fresh trouble for a civil servant whose appointment has put the spotlight on ways in which the prestigious Indian Administrative Services (IAS) recruitment process could be gamed. IAS trainee Puja Khedkar speaks to the media regarding the police interrogation at her residence, in Washim on Tuesday. (ANI)

Khedkar was shunted out from the Pune district to Washim on July 8 following complaints of abuse of power -- she used red-blue beacons on her private Audi sedan with a VIP registration number, and asked for privileged office space, including the room of a colleague.

On Tuesday, she accused the district collector of Pune of harassment during the time she was posted there, even as more signs emerged of her having misrepresented her financial position in order to be successfully recruited.

Khedkar, until Tuesday, was an IAS probationer. In a letter sent by Maharashtra additional chief secretary Nitin Gadre, she was told she has been recalled for further necessary action by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie.

Gadres letter cited a communication from LBSNAA, which stated: LBSNAA has decided to keep your District Training Programme on hold and immediately recall you for further necessary action. Therefore, you are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government... You are requested to join the Academy at the earliest but not later than July 23, 2024 under any circumstances.

Khedkar could not be reached on phone despite repeated attempts.

Hours before the order, she told reporters in Washim: The government has set up a committee to probe various allegations. Whatever my submissions are, I will put them before the committee. We should wait for the decision of the committee. Every day there are some fake stories coming out and there is lot of misinformation being spread which is causing my defamation.

Khedkar first came to limelight when her requests for special privileges during her posting in Pune were exposed, followed by indications that she secured her position by claiming to qualify for quotas meant for Other Backward Classes and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) without, in reality, being eligible for them.

A probe was set up as reports emerged of her owning property worth more than 22 crore, although she declared an annual income of 42 lakh in the financial disclosures submitted to the government before joining the service on January 28, 2023.

The Ahmednagar district administration on Tuesday said Khedkar had declared her mothers annual income of 6.5 lakh while submitting documents with application for a non-creamy layer certificate --- required for caste quotas to weed out wealthy applicants.

Ahmednagar district collector S Salimath has ordered sub divisional officer Patahrdi to find out and keep ready all documents submitted by Khedkar family while applying for a non-creamy layer certificate. The report by the SDPO Pathardi, according to officials aware of the matter, stated that Khedkar submitted her self-declaration document with annual income of 6.5 lakh in 2021-22 and that she had only declared the income of her mother and not her fathers.

There is some ambiguity as Puja Khedekar only declared her mothers income. She also claimed that her parents were separated but in other documents it seems that they are staying together, a senior official from the Ahmednagar district administration said, asking not to be named.

The overall probe by the central government also covers the claims she has made about her health condition, especially since she had failed to report to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) despite six summons to verify her claims.

A police case has also been filed against her parents after videos emerged of her mother brandishing a handgun while threatening some people. Both parents are at present absconding.

During the recent Lok Sabha polls, her father, Dilip Khedkar, declared property worth 40 crore and an annual income of 43 lakh in his election affidavit. Puja Khedkar herself declared immovable property valued at over 22 crore and an annual income of 42 lakh in her financial disclosure to the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT). To avail OBC quota benefits, the annual income must not exceed 8 lakh under the non-creamy layer category.

Khedkars mother Manorama and father are also being probed after a video went viral in which the former is seen threatening farmers using gun.
Arvind Kejriwal's blood sugar level had dropped to 50 while sleeping, claimed his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi while arguing on his behalf in the Delhi high court on Wednesday. He said the sudden drop in the sugar level was dangerous because the patient might not wake up from the slumber. Delhi excise policy case: Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21. (File)

"(Kejriwal's) Blood sugar has gone to 50 while sleeping. This is a cause of concern. Sugar levels dropping while the person is sleeping is dangerous. The person might not wake up. Please take a holistic view, a commonsensical view. Three orders are already in my favour," he said, per ANI.

Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal over the latter's plea against arrest by the CBI, said there was no reason for the agency to arrest his client when he had been in judicial custody.

Also read: 'Afterthought insurance arrest': Arvind Kejriwal's lawyer questions CBI's action in Delhi excise policy case

He pointed out that Kejriwal's sugar levels had dropped five times below the 50-mark in CBI's custody.

He described the Delhi chief minister's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as an afterthought insurance arrest.

He said the agency had no grounds for arrest. He was arrested because a trial court granted him bail in the money laundering case linked to the scrapped Delhi excise policy, he added.

"Can they keep me (Arvind Kejriwal) under arrest till the time I answer them what to want to hear? The moment I say, 'I am innocent and didn't do anything', it becomes an evasive reply. Everything said by me is an evasive reply...What I am saying is the truth, not what the interrogator wants to hear. Even this, the court will decide what is the truth," he added.

Arvind Kejriwal lost 8.5 kg

Last week, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said Kejriwal had lost 8.5 kg since he was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate.

When Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21, his weight was 70 kg and today his weight has dropped by 8.5 kg to 61.5 kg. The reason for this is not known, no serious investigation is being done to find out how he lost so much weight. Losing 8.5 kg weight and not knowing the reason for it are symptoms of many serious diseases, you can ask any doctor," he said.

The CBI arrested Kejriwal days after a trial court granted the latter a regular bail. The Delhi high court later stayed the bail.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Naddas meeting with two senior leaders from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday stoked speculation of possible changes in the partys structure following differences that have emerged in the state unit after the BJPs dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJPs tally in UP fell from 62 in 2019 to 33 this year, which is considered a key reason for the partys overall numbers falling from 303 in 2019 to 240. Union minister and BJP national president JP Nadda in Lucknow. (PTI Photo)

Nadda held separate meetings with deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and state BJP president Bhupender Chaudhary at the party headquarters. Although both the leaders declined to comment on what transpired at the meetings, there is speculation that a change in roles could be in the works.

There is a possibility that the deputy CM, an OBC face of the party who has the backing of the RSS (the ideological front of the BJP) may be given an organisational position, said one party functionary. Mauryas discomfort with (chief minister) Yogi Adityanath is also not a secret... Therefore, a new role for him will not be surprising, the functionary said.

As per reports, Maurya, once a contender for the CMs post, has skipped at least two cabinet meetings and has conveyed his assessment about the election outcome to the party high command.

On Sunday, Nadda was in UP to address the state executive meeting.

Some leaders have conveyed that the party unit was in a state of disarray, there were camps and groups that worked at cross purposes, which eventually led to an unexpected dip in numbers, the functionary said.

HT had earlier reported that several leaders including a few ministers had complained that their inputs, including their feedback on some candidates, were overlooked.
With the arrest of two more persons from Patna and Hazaribagh, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday said that the one of those apprehended was a key conspirator in the question paper leak in the undergraduate medical entrance examinations. Protests erupted across the country amid allegations of paper leaks and arbitrary allowance of grace marks in NEET-UG 2024. (HT Photo)

The arrested individuals were identified as Pankaj Kumar, alias Aditya, and Rajkumar Singh, alias Raju. Kumar, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur, was arrested from Patna; Singh was arrested in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

Kumar was a bigger player than Rajesh Ranjan, alias Rocky, who was arrested on July 11 from Dhanbad in Jharkhand, CBI officials said, declining to be named.

Kumar, a resident of Bokaro in Jharkhand, stole the question paper from a National Testing Agencys trunk in Hazaribagh and distributed it to other members of the gang, an official said. Singh allegedly helped Kumar in the theft, and later in distributing it to other gang members. During interrogation, the arrested confessed that they committed the crime in order to earn money, the official added.

A CBI spokeperson also claimed that Rajkumar Singh alias Raju also played a role in helping Pankaj Kumar steal the question paper.

Singh runs a guest house at Ram Nagar Chowk in Hazaribagh. Some of the aspirants reportedly stayed in the guest house and were in touch with arrested Oasis school principal Ehsanul Haque, and vice-principal Imtiaz Alam. The federal agency has sealed the guest house.

Both the arrested will be produced before a special CBI court in Patna and the probe agency will take them on remand for further interrogation. Kumar could be a key link in the question paper leak to ascertain the role of NTA officials, CBI officials said.

The federal agency has so far arrested 14 persons. One of the alleged kingpins, Rakesh Ranjan, was arrested from Nalanda on Thursday. Ranjan had allegedly obtained the leaked paper, solved it and then circulated it to the MBBS aspirants.

The CBI had claimed last month before a court that a larger conspiracy exists involving interstate links in the NEET-UG examination related irregularities. NEET-UG stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate).

Ever since the NEET-UG results were announced on June 4, protests swept across India as thousands of students hit the streets against this years process amid allegations of question paper leaks, inflated marking and arbitrary allowance of grace marks, even as opposition parties called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations.

As many as 2.4 million students wrote the test on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities around the world.

Following an uproar, the Union education ministry asked the CBI to probe a larger conspiracy in the paper leak. So far, the federal agency has registered six cases in the matter.

Earlier, the CBI arrested a newspaper employee, Jamaluddin, Haque and Alam of Oasis School in Hazaribagh, as well as two other accused from Patna, Ashutosh Kumar and Manish Kumar.

It is alleged that in Bihar, aspirants who paid money to the so-called solver gang, allegedly run by 53-year-old Sanjeev Kumar, alias Luthan Mukhia, had used a school for preparing for the exam from the leaked paper.
The Pune Police have asked controversial trainee Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar to record her statement on Thursday in connection with the harassment complaint filed by her against the Pune district collector. Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar accused the :Pune collector of harassment.(HT file photo)

Pune Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar told PTI on Wednesday that the rookie bureaucrat has been asked to provide her statement.



On Tuesday, Khedkar had accused Pune district collector Suhas Diwase of harassment hours after the Maharashtra government put her district training on hold. The 34-year-old officer has been recalled to Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and asked to join the academy by July 23.

When asked about the complaint filed against him, the Pune collector told PTI,"I am not aware of any such complaint against me. No one communicated to me about this. So there is no question of giving a reaction. I came to know about this complaint only through media reports."



ALSO READ: UPSC writes to Maha govt over IAS trainees certificates



Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector after her boss Diwase in a report to senior officials had complained against her conduct. She was accused of demanding the facilities which she, as a trainee IAS official, was not entitled to, and occupying the ante-chamber of a senior official.



She also faces accusations of using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam, including allegedly misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories.



ALSO READ: Puja Khedkar used fake ration card, address for disability certificate: Report

The Office of the Commissioner For Persons With Disabilities had written a letter to the Pune police and the district collectorate to verify the certificates submitted by Khedkar. The Pune Police said it will conduct an inquiry into the authenticity of medical certificates submitted by the probationary IAS officer.



Last week, the Union government had formed a single-member committee "to verify the candidature" of Khedkar and submit a report in two weeks.
Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Balmukundacharya has sparked a controversy after he targeted the Muslim community, without actually naming them, by saying that having four begums and 36 children is wrong. According to the BJP leader, population control law is a necessity. Rajasthan BJP MLA Balmukundacharya

There is a huge problem of increasing population. There is a particular community which has char begum aur chhatis bacche. There are countless such cases. This is wrong. There should be equal laws for everyone; otherwise, how will the country move forward? the BJP MLA said in a video that is doing rounds on social media.

Speaking about the country's increasing population, Balmukundacharya said, There is nothing wrong with the population law. The way the population is increasing, there is a need for more food and housing. This (population) is a hurdle in growth. If we want to become a prosperous and developed country, there should be a collective agreement on this, and a population control law should be made. It will be beneficial for all.

He went on to cite an example of men having multiple wives.

A sister came to my office and said she was the third wife of her husband, and now he was going to bring a fourth. I told her that now there is a law against it and she should go to policeIt is not a matter of government or non-government benefits. The point is that in the country, some families say 'hum do hamare do', while some say whatever (birth) is happening, let it happen as it is God's will. There is a need to look into this, news agency PTI quoted him said, as quoting.

This was the second remark by a BJP leader on population control in the last week.

Earlier on Sunday, urban development and housing minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said efforts were being made by the central government to ensure that those households that have more than two or three children do not get any benefits of the government facilities.

Congress leader hits out

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Harimohan Sharma hit out at the BJP leaders' comments saying that the ruling party's intention is just to target the Muslim community.

A particular community is being targeted. If population law is to be brought, Congress would support it, but the BJP's intention is to target the Muslim community instead of bringing the lawThe BJP government talks from a political point of view and from the point of view of targeting a particular community, he told the media.

(With inputs from PTI)
The second day of the Karnataka assembly witnessed uproar over accusations of a 187 crore embezzlement from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and diversion of funds earmarked for the Scheduled Tribe communities. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara speaks during the state Assembly session, at Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru, on Tuesday (PTI)

On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka intensified calls for chief minister Siddaramaiahs resignation amid the alleged multi-crore scam within the corporation. The uproar escalated following allegations that funds earmarked for the welfare of ST communities of Karnataka had been siphoned off to Telangana, leaving intended beneficiaries without support.

The ST (Schedule Tribe) community has not benefitted as the 187 crore meant for its welfare was plundered and taken to Telangana. The CM has to give the amount to the ST community beneficiaries, Ashoka said, remarking that the money has been used for some peoples enjoyment.

He called for a thorough probe by federal agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to ensure accountability and justice. There should be a thorough probe by the CBI and ED into this financial irregularity. As such a huge scam wouldnt have happened without it coming to the notice of the Finance Department and as the chief minister holds the finance portfolio, he should resign assuming moral responsibility, he said.

As Ashoka demanded Siddaramaiahs resignation in the assembly, those in the treasury benches entered into a heated exchange with the opposition.

He compared it with the quickness shown by another SIT of the state police, which is probing into allegations of sexual abuse against former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, in interrogating his father and MLA HD Revanna, mother Bhavani Revanna, and BJP MLA Pritham Gowda in a linked case. Has the SIT been formed to probe financial irregularities for a coverup? he asked.

Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah, senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said in the assembly: There are two things. One is SIT -- Special Investigation Team, the other is SSIT -- Siddaramaiah Shivakumar Investigation Team.

The legislative session descended into chaos as opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members and ruling Congress counterparts traded accusations, with deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar facing sharp criticism for dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.

During day two of the Karnatakas Monsoon assembly session, tensions flared as BJP MLAs expressed dismay over Siddaramaiahs absence during discussions on the Valmiki board scandal. Accusations flew as opposition members pointed fingers at the ruling Congress, alleging their involvement in multiple scandals.

In a heated exchange, Shivakumar fired back at BJP MLA and former Karnataka minister Ashwath Narayan, labelling him a habitual scammer. The master of corruption and scam is CN Ashwath Narayan, Shivakumar asserted, adding, You have no moral right to accuse others.

Responding to Shivakumars remarks, BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar accused the Congress government of being the father of all scams and corruption, alleging misappropriation of funds meant for Dalit communities.

During the discussion, BJP state president and Shikaripura MLA B Y Vijayendra said it was not acceptable that the Finance department had no information about the 187 crore scam. He said the Congress government had come to power saying it would strive for the exploited downtrodden communities but misappropriated funds meant to empower them. It is not an acceptable statement that the finance department had no information (about the misappropriation), he said.

Vijayendra claimed that the funds of various other corporations meant for uplifting economically weak populations remained either unutilised or under-utilised. Ruling Congress MLAs, including ministers, strongly objected to his statement.

Home minister G Parameshwara said when a commission or any investigation agency has been probing the case, the adjournment motion should not have been taken up in the assembly. We cannot specifically say that so-and-so minister and officers are involved when three agencies are investigating it  CBI, ED and now our SIT, Parameshwara said.
The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet with 50 witnesses listed against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar, in a case of assault against Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal, The Times of India reported. The Delhi police has filed a 500 page chargesheet in the AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal's assault case against Bibhav Kumar, listing 50 witnesses(PTI file)

Also Read: Maliwal urges Delhi court to reject Bibhavs bail plea

The 500-page charge sheet was filed in the court of metropolitan magistrate Gaurav Goyal. Bibhav Kumar appeared in court via video conference due to judicial custody which the magistrate extended till July 30.

Also Read: Delhi Police opposes Bibhav Kumars bail plea in HC; verdict reserved

Bibhav Kumar will have to be physically present in court on July 30, when a decision regarding taking cognisance of the chargesheet will be taken. The chargesheet includes statements from 50 witnesses.

Also Read: Swati Maliwal case: Chargesheet filed against Kejriwal aide Bibhav Kumar

AAP MP in Rajya Sabha, Swati Maliwal, accused Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her on May 13 in the Delhi chief minister's residence. On May 18, he was arrested and taken into judicial custody. He was denied bail on on May 27, June 7 and July 12 due to the serious nature of the crimes and potential to tamper with evidence.

Kumar faces multiple allegations and charges - wrongful restraint, assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman's modesty, assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe a woman, criminal intimidation, insulting a woman's modesty, attempt to commit culpable homicide, destruction of evidence and providing false information.

Kumar allegedly tried to format his phone and transfer data to his mother's phone. He also tampered with the CCTV camera footage at Kejriwal's residence and his own residence as well. He refused to share his phone password with authorities as well.

Apart from Maliwal and Kumar, security staff from the chief minister's house will serve as witnesses.
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday, said that the Doda incident was not the first but one of many instances of Jammu being under attack in the past year, according to news agency PTI. Omar Abdullah said that the Jammu and Kashmir DGP should leave politics to the politicians and focus on doing his job (File)

Also Read: Mehbooba Mufti wants J&K DGP sacked as leaders demand accountability for terror attacks

The former chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir questioned the Centre over alleged inaction in the spike in terrorist activity in the region.

Also Read: He is treating Kashmiris as Pakistanis: Mehbooba Mufti slams J&K top cop RR Swain

He said, When you ask about Doda, it looks like it has happened for the first time. But the truth is that in the last year, there have been continuous attacks in Jammu region, at many places.

Also Read: The loss we suffered: Family mourns army officer, killed in action in J&K's Doda

Abdullah also urged the government and police forces to take responsibility for the situation.

About 55 soldiers have been killed. In this situation, we are forced to ask - what the government is doing. They say that militancy is ending, but we don't see it happening. Nobody said about the steps to curb it. Action should be taken," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain had expressed his opinion on Tuesday, alleging that regional political parties were responsible for Pakistan's successful infiltration into society. He also accused mainstream parties in the region of cultivating terror networks for their own electoral gains.

In response to the DGP's comments, Abdullah stated that, DGP made a political statement. It is better to leave politics on politicians. He should talk about the steps taken to control militancy. He should do his job and let us do our job.

Assistant DGP Vijay Kumar, also made a statement on Wednesday, clarifying that the Jammu and Kashmir police would remain an apolitical, impartial force.
Chennai: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday transferred home secretary P Amudha, among 60 others. TN Home Secretary among several IAS officers transferred amidst criticism over law & order

She has been replaced with Dheeraj Kumar, currently additional chief secretary to government, and holds charge of information technology and digital services department. Kumar has also been allotted the home, prohibition and excise department.

Amudha has been posted as principal secretary, revenue and disaster management department.

The reshuffle comes close in the heels of the murder of two political leaders in the state -- K Armstrong of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Naam Tamilar Katchis Balasubramanian in Madurai.

Chief minister MK Stalin brought in these transfers after his ruling DMK government and the Tamil Nadu police came under mounting criticism from the opposition over the law and order in the state.

On June 3, an AIADMK functionary M Shanmugam was murdered in Salem. Police had arrested a DMK ward councillor Dhanabhagiyam of the Salem municipal corporation, her husband Sathish and 12 others stating that it was a personal enmity over local development work.

Amudhas transfer comes a week after the Greater Chennai police commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore was shunted out following Armstrongs murder.

The recent incidents have created a perception that law and order is majorly affected and we believe these transfers will effect some necessary changes, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

The government also transferred a number of other senior officials, including Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan and posted him as Additional Chief Secretary, Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, vice Dr K Gopal.

Senior IAS officer Kumar Jayant has been transferred and posted as Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Information Technology and Digital Services Department, according to a Public (Special A) Department order.

J Kumaragurubaran, Secretary, School Education Department, succeeds Radhakrishnan in the city civic body.

Similarly, many district collectors were also transferred.
Puja Khedkar, the trainee IAS officer accused of misusing the UPSC reservation quota, used a false address and a fake ration card to obtain a disability certificate, reported India Today. Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar.

Also Read: IAS probationer Puja Khedkar files harassment complaint against Pune collector

Puja Khedkar came under fire after she was transferred from Pune to Washim following suspicions of forgery and misuse of the reservation policy for people who are disabled people and from OBC non-creamy layer status.

Also Read: Amid Puja Khedkar controversy, a look at rules governing IAS officers, trainees

Puja Khedkar submitted the address - plot number 53, Dehu-Alandi, Talwade - to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCM), claiming it as her residence in the Pimpri Chinchwad region. However, the area she claimed as her home was the site of a defunct company, Thermoverita Engineering Private Ltd.

Also Read: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar breaks silence on fake certificate row: Proving guilty by

India Today claimed it accessed the documents that show that the false address was then used to make a fake ration card. Puja Khedkar then used the doctored documents to get a disability certificate from the YCM hospital in Pune, stating that she had a locomotor disability.

The certificate which was issued on August 24, 2022, stated that Puja Khedkar had a seven per cent disability in the knee.

An Audi car was also registered under Thermoverita Engineering, the company occupying Khedkar's fake address. According to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipality's tax department, there are 2.7 lakh dues pending from the company for the last three years.

Apart from these charges, Puja Khedkar also faces charges on the grounds of misuse of power and threatening police officials.

On Tuesday evening, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune, submitted a detailed report to the state that implicated Dilip Khedkar, Puja's father of amassing disproportionate assets during his tenure as director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) till 2020.

Puja Khedkar's training has been put on hold and she has been called to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for appropriate action against her.

Khedkar has maintained that she is innocent and that the claims against her are fake news. The trainee IAS officer has also filed a case for harassment against the Pune district collector, who ordered her transfer to Washim.
Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan, the son of undivided LJP founder late Ram Vilas Paswan, admitted to being a nepotism kid but also termed it as a double-edged sword. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan addresses during a programme to mark the 78th birth anniversary of his father and former union minister Late Ram Vilas Paswan, at the Parliament premises in New Delhi (File image) (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)

The union minister of food processing industries made this light-hearted confession in an ANI podcast. I am a nepo kid, I can't shy away from that fact. I am proud that I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan Ji. For me its a matter of pride, said Paswan.

He also termed the privilege as a double-edged sword. If you do good work, people say that it is because of your parents. So the credit is not yours. but if you do bad, then you will hear abuses. So you are always on a double-edged sword. said the LJP leader.

Paswan further said his elevation as the party chief was not automatic and he had to prove himself. He mentioned the split within the LJP by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020 after the demise of his father and the then-LJP President.

The former Bollywood actor also said he feels that the tag of nepotism is now gone, as he lost everything and had to start from scratch. I lost everything - the party, the symbol, the organisation and the house we stayed in for three decades. So everything was taken away from me, I had to start from scratch, I did not even know how to make a new party, Paswan added.

The Hajipur MP credited his mother, Reena Sharma, as his pillar of strength during his political revival journey. Paswan also took a dig at national news channels, which he did not name, for writing political obituaries about him.

After the split of the LJP, Chirag Paswan contested the 2020 Bihar assembly elections alone by fielding candidates only against the JD(U), despite staying within the NDA fold. He led his party's revival by undertaking a Ashirwad Yatra in Bihar ahead of the 2024 general elections.

A staunch supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chirag Paswan's party emerged as the only NDA partner with a 100 per cent strike rate by winning all five seats in Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls.
Amid speculation of differences between Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy, Keshav Prasad Maurya, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The meeting took place amid the buzz of a planned organisational shake-up in Uttar Pradesh, weeks after the BJP's shocking Lok Sabha polls debacle in the state. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda, Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya.(PTI file poto)

The politician reportedly apprised PM Modi of organisational matters afflicting the party in the politically crucial state, reported PTI.

On Tuesday, Chaudhary and Maurya met BJP president JP Nadda.

The meetings took place days after Keshav Prasad Maurya remarked at a party event that "organisation is always bigger than the government and no one can be bigger than the organisation.

The remark was made in the presence of Yogi Adityanath and BJP chief JP Nadda.

Also read: What's happening in UP? Keshav Maurya meets JP Nadda amid buzz of rift with CM Yogi Adityanath

The chief minister blamed over-confidence for the poll reverses.

Maurya today wrote a cryptic post on X in which he repeated his organisation is bigger message.

"The organisation is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organisation, the workers are the pride," the post shared by the office of the deputy CM on X said.

The BJP top brass is reportedly in touch with Maurya and Chaudhary, who are taking steps to put their house in order against a resurgent Opposition.

There is speculation that the BJP's central leadership will soon announce a major organisational shake-up in Uttar Pradesh.

PTI, citing sources, reported that the BJP's top priority is to do well in the upcoming assembly by-polls in 10 UP seats.

Keshav Prasad Maurya slams Akhilesh Yadav

Meanwhile, after his post prompted the Opposition's jibe at the BJP, Keshav Prasad Maurya today said that the BJP is strong at both state and national levels and will win the UP assembly polls in 2027.

"SP Bahadur Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, BJP has a strong organization and government both at the national level and state level, SP's PDA is a fraud. The return of SP's hooliganism in UP is impossible, BJP will repeat 2017 in the 2027 assembly elections," he wrote on X.

He was reacting to Akhilesh Yadav's remark that there was infighting within the BJP.

"In the heat of the BJP's fight for power, governance and administration in UP have been put on the back burner. The work of sabotage politics that the BJP used to do in other parties is now being done inside its party. That is why the BJP is sinking into a quagmire of internal conflicts. No one in the BJP thinks about the public," Yadav had posted on X.

How the BJP fared in Lok Sabha polls in UP?

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA alliance comprising SP and the Congress won 43 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP-led NDA won 36. The NDA had won 64 seats in 2019.

Due to the sub-par performance in Uttar Pradesh, BJP couldn't cross the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
A huge crowd of job seekers turned up for a walk-in interview at Air India Airport Services Ltd in Mumbai's Kalina on Tuesday, causing chaotic scenes. Videos of the crowd doing rounds on social media show thousands of people rushing towards the interview centre. Some people can also be seen climbing vehicles and trees to reach the centre faster. Hundreds of job seekers turn up for Air India's walk-in interview in Mumbai (Twitter)

Amid the rush, authorities were also forced to intervene to prevent any stampede-like situation.

According to the general secretary of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, George Abram, the recruitment process was mismanaged, reported India Today.

The Air India Airport Services had opened walk-in interviews for 2,216 vacancies for the post of a handyman - a person who performs various repairs and maintenance tasks, and for utility agents.

In a notification dated June 28, the company said: AI Airport Services Ltd (formerly known as Air India Air Transport Services Limited) (AIASL) wishes to fill in existing vacancies as per the estimated requirements and maintain a wait-list for vacancies arising in future. Indian Nationals (Male & Female) who meet with the requirements stipulated as mentioned herein, may apply for various posts at Mumbai international airport posts on a Fixed Term Contract basis (3 years) which may be renewed subject to their performance and the requirements of the AI Airport Services Limited. The number of vacancies are indicative and may vary as per the operational requirement.

It added, The reservation will be as per the Presidential Directives. The actual reservation of vacancies would depend upon the prevailing strength at the appointment time.

Despite the challenges, the company has reportedly assured that all submitted CVs will be reviewed and the eligible candidates will be contacted for further process.

This comes just a few days after a similar incident took place in Gujarat's Bharuch where hundreds of people turned up for a job interview organised by chemical firm Thermax Company for just 10 vacant positions. A video of the large crowd struggling to enter the interview centre also went viral on social media.
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda on Tuesday  as the party works out its strategy following its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections  amid his apparent rift with chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Union health minister JP Nadda with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. (ANI)

Keshav Prasad Maurya made no comments to the media as he left the BJP headquarters in New Delhi following the meeting. Citing BJP sources, news agency PTI reported that JP Nadda was expected to meet Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, too.

While there was no official word on the agenda of the meetings, Keshav Maurya's meeting with JP Nadda was held following his organisation is always bigger than government remarks at the state party's extended executive meeting on Sunday.

Nadda also attended the conclave in which Yogi Adityanath had blamed over-confidence for the electoral debacles in Uttar Pradesh and suggested that the BJP could not effectively counter the opposition INDIA bloc's campaign.

There has long been a buzz about less-than-warm relations between Keshav Maurya and Yogi Adityanath. In private conversations, a number of BJP leaders from the state, including those who lost in the Lok Sabha elections, have been critical of the chief minister's working style and cited it as one of the reasons for their loss, PTI reported

In the recently concluded general elections, the INDIA bloc of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress had won 43 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP-led NDA bagged 36. The NDA had won 64 seats in 2019. With bypolls due to 10 assembly seats in the state, political watchers will be keenly awaiting the outcome.

What did Keshav Maurya say?

Addressing a one-day state working committee meeting of the BJP, Maurya, in his first statement after the poll debacle, pointed out that the party organisation is bigger than the government and nobody is bigger than the organisation.

Every BJP worker is our prestige. I am a BJP worker first and deputy chief minister later and my door always remained open for everybody, The Print quoted Maurya as saying, in an apparent a dig at Yogi Adityanath and the state bureaucracy that reportedly ignored the public issues raised by BJP workers.

What did Yogi Aditynath say?

Adityanath, at the meeting, claimed that overconfidence hurt the BJP's hopes in this year's elections. He also said while the BJP managed to maintain its vote share of previous elections, there was a shifting of votes, and now the defeated opposition is jumping around again.

The percentage of votes that BJP had in its favour in 2014 and subsequent elections, the BJP has been successful in getting the same number of votes in 2024 as well, but shifting of votes and overconfidence have hurt our hopes, he said, in an apparent message to those attacking his government and those who worked against the party during the elections.

Later, speaking at the event, Nadda lauded Adityanaths work. There was a time when people were leaving Uttar Pradesh for other states due to law and order issues. Today, mafia raj (rule) is over. In the last 10 years, Uttar Pradesh has progressed a lot. The states economy is at second position in the country, the BJP president said.

(With inputs from PTI)
Hyderabad: One worker was killed and two others sustained injuries following a reactor explosion at a chemical factory on Wednesday morning in Andhra Pradeshs Anakapalli district, police said. (Twitter/video screengrab)

The incident took place at Vasant Chemicals which manufactures speciality chemicals used as intermediaries in the pharmaceutical industry at around 9am, said police. The factory is located in the special economic zone of Atchutapuram of Rambilli block.

The deceased has been identified as Pradip Rout (44), a worker from Odisha, Atchutapuram inspector of police, Ch Narsing Rao, said.

According to the inspector, the explosion took place when the workers were involved in the manufacturing of chemicals which led to a fire, causing grievous injuries to one worker at the spot, while others managed to run away.

The workers alerted the management, which alerted the police and the fire brigade. The police rushed to the spot along with a fire tender and took up the rescue operations. The fire was extinguished before it spread to other parts of the factory, the inspector said.

The injured were taken to the Anakapalli government hospital where he succumbed. The others are out of danger, Rao said, adding that the exact cause of the explosion of the reactor was yet to be ascertained.

State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha called up Anakapalli district collector Vijay Krishnan and enquired about the reactor explosion in the chemical factory. She directed that the injured get better treatment.

The minister also asked the officials concerned to speed up relief measures at the site.

In June 2023, six persons died in a massive explosion of a reactor at Sahiti Pharma, a pharmaceutical industry in the same Atchutapuram SEZ, when the workers were evacuating chemicals from it.
New Delhi, India's population, which is many times more than several nations, has not been taken into account while comparing children's vaccination data with 19 other countries in the latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunisation coverage , official sources have said. Zero-dose children comparison flawed, India's population not considered: Sources on WHO-UNICEF data

They asserted that India is steadfast in its commitment to reduce the number of zero-dose children.

"Even though India has the second highest zero-dose children in the world, it accounts for 0.11 per cent of the country's total population," Union health ministry sources said on Tuesday.

The sources were reacting to the WUENIC data released on Monday which stated that India had the second highest number of children, nearly 16 lakh, who did not receive any vaccine in 2023, just after Nigeria with 21 lakh zero-dose children.

"The comparison is flawed as the base population has not been taken into consideration," a source said.

The WUENIC data showed that India's rank improved from 2021 when the country had recorded the highest number of zero-dose children globally at 27.3 lakh.

The sources said India's antigen-wise coverage is better than that of the world average for all antigens for 2023.

They said India's DPT 1 proxy for zero-dose is 93 per cent whereas the global average is 89 per cent.

"Thus, India is 4 per cent better than the world," the source said.

India's DPT3 proxy for under-vaccinated is 91 per cent whereas the global average is 84 per cent. Thus, India is 7 per cent better than the world. Besides, India's MCV1 is 92 per cent whereas the global average is 83 per cent.

"Thus, India is 10 per cent better than the world," the source said.

All efforts are being made to reach these zero-dose children. A special zero-dose plan has been made and it is under implementation, the health ministry sources stated.

In the WUENIC data, India is followed by Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Angola, Pakistan, Somalia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Mexico, South Africa, Mali, DPRK, China, Guinea and Myanmar.

These 20 countries were prioritised in the context of the Immunisation Agenda 2030 , based on their number of zero-dose children in 2021.

China is 18th in the list of the top 20 zero-dose countries while Pakistan is at the 10th position.

Among the countries ranked by the number of zero-dose children, ROSA, 2021-2023, India was the first among eight countries with 1,592,000 zero-dose children.

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday called on countries in the Southeast Asia region to further strengthen efforts at all levels, with tailored approaches at sub-national levels, to identify and immunise unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian visited the ISKCON temple in Juhu to serve food to school kids. The sisters were accompanied by Jay Shetty and his wife, Radhi Devlukia. For the occasion, Kim wore a red sleeveless maxi dress and styled it with a bandhani dupatta. Read on to know the price of Kim K's dress. (Also Read | Radhika Merchant opts for simple pink anarkali suit, no-makeup look to visit Jamnagar with Anant Ambani. Watch) Kim Kardashian serves food to children and performs aarti at ISKCON temple in Mumbai.

Kim Kardashian wears a red dress to visit the ISKCON temple: What is its price?

Kim Kardashian chose a Maison Alaia red dress to visit the ISKCON temple with her sister Khloe. The sleeveless full-length ensemble comes in a vibrant red shade. It features a halter-style high neckline, a fitted bodycon silhouette accentuating Kim's curvy frame, a flared skirt, and a racerback design. The dress is available on the Maison Alaia website. Called the Shiny Flared Dress, it is worth approximately 2,36,841 (2600 Euros).

Kim Kardashian's dress price. (maison-alaia.com)

Kim Kardashian's bandhani dupatta

Kim styled the red Alaia dress with a bandhani dupatta designed by Manish Malhotra, who also dressed her for the Ambani wedding.

The ombre dupatta showcases the centuries-old Bandhani technique, where intricate hand-tying creates mesmerizing patterns. Lastly, she tied her hair in a sleek bun and decorated it with a flower to complete the look.

Kim Kardashian's visit to the ISKCON temple

The pictures from the ISKCON temple visit show Kim and Khloe getting a warm visit from the priests, the reality TV star serving food to the school children, her and Khloe performing aarti with Jay Shetty, and more. In the comments, Jay praised Kim for her curiosity. He wrote, "Thank you for your curiosity and desire to learn about the culture @kimkardashian @khloekardashian so grateful to take you to this sacred place that means so much to me."

The 43-year-old also shared pictures from her photoshoot in the vibrant red ensemble. The post shows Kim smiling brightly for the camera and showing off her gown. One fan commented, "I've never seen Kim smile this much she should just move to India." Another commented, "Kim, you look so happy."

Kim Kardashian's India visit

Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian visited India to attend Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's grand wedding ceremony. Anant is the son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika is the daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani travelled to Gujarat's Jamnagar for the first time after tying the knot. The couple received a warm welcome as a big crowd greeted them with a shower of flower petals, rose petals carpet prepared for them, and aarti. After donning the most exquisite ensemble for her wedding, Radhika chose a simple suit set for the occasion. (Also Read | Kim Kardashian's unseen outfit from Ambani wedding reminds internet of Khloe's look: As if she went to Sarojini with) Radhika Merchant visits Jamnagar with Anant Ambani. (Instagram )

Radhika Merchant travels to Jamnagar with Anant Ambani

Videos shared by paparazzi pages show Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant getting greeted by a large crowd as they arrive in Jamnagar. A group of women did the newlywed couple's aarti and showered them with blessings. Additionally, a group of dancers performed for Anant and Radhika as they were showered with flower petals while waving to the crowd, who gathered in large numbers to see a glimpse of the couple.

Decoding what Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani wore

Radhika chose a simple pink suit set to visit Jamnagar with her husband. She wore a summer-ready breezy anarkali kurta adorned with white stripe pattern, full-length sleeves, intricate silver thread embroidery done on the trims and neckline, a flowy silhouette, and silver gota embellished horizontally on the front.

Radhika teamed the kurta with a matching georgette dupatta, which she draped over her shoulders, and palazzo pants in dual tones of pink. Meanwhile, to complete the look, Radhika styled the anarkali suit with diamond ear studs, a stunning diamond ring, embellished juttis, a no-makeup look, and a sleek ponytail.

Meanwhile, Anant complemented his wife in a bright rani pink kurta featuring golden embroidery and quarter-length sleeves. He styled it with a matching sleeveless vest jacket featuring a bandhgala design, front button closures, and intricate embroidery. Lastly, white pants, Kolhapuri sandals, and a massive brooch rounded off the styling.

Jamnagar's significance for Anant Ambani

The Ambani family has familial and business roots in Jamnagar. The couple celebrated their pre-wedding festivities in the city. The three-day celebrations saw many big names in attendance, including performances by Rihanna, Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul, Diljit Dosanjh, and illusionist David Blaine. Additionally, the city holds deep significance for Anant, as Jamnagar is his grandmother's birthplace.
A gazette notification issued on July 11, 2024, declares that June 25 is to be observed as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas. Underlining the abuse of power by the government of the day, the notification asserts that this move is essential not only to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought during that time but also to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future. The National War Memorial, as a new entity, also has redefined the authorised rituals associated with national festivities.. (HT PHOTO/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

There are two interesting aspects of this notification. First, it uses the word Samvidhaan Hatya (murder of the Constitution) to commemorate a political event, the national Emergency (1975-77). Second, it calls upon the people of India (not the government) to not support the misuse of political power in the future. The notification, in this sense, wants us to observe the Emergency as an inseparable element of our postcolonial official memory.

It is important to underscore the relationship between official history and official memory to understand the wider political implications of this move. Official history is produced in a systematic manner. The government publications and web portals, school textbooks and official historical descriptions of protected monuments and national memorials as legitimate sources create official history. Official memory, on the contrary, is about the possible ways in which historical images and events of national importance are commemorated by performing a set of authorised rituals. In other words, official memory transforms official history into an observable and evocative act.

The regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been quite concerned about the official memory. There has been an inclination to defy established norms and rituals simply to redefine official commemorative practices from a different and politically viable vantage point. This is not a simple task. Official rituals such as the celebration of Independence Day and Republic Day are deeply associated with our public culture which has evolved over the years. Any significant disruption in these rituals might have some adverse political consequences.

To avoid such a possibility, the Modi regime has followed a very interesting approach. Instead of innovating a completely new element or practice, the government has decided to systematically appropriate material objects, sites, and historical events for reconceptualising the contours of official memory. Two examples are very relevant in this regard  the construction of the National War Memorial (NWM) next to India Gate and the declaration of August 14 as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

The story of the NWM goes back to the 1960s. There was a serious discussion in Parliament to nationalise the Central Vista and remove colonial statues. It was, however, Indira Gandhis government in the 1970s that took a bold initiative after the Bangladesh War. It decided to install the Amar Jawan Jyoti (Flame of the Immortal Soldier) at India Gate to establish a link between colonial and postcolonial commemorative practices.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made a serious demand for a war memorial in 2012. The party reiterated this proposal in its 2014 manifesto as a poll promise. It was claimed that the party would build a War Memorial to recognise and honour the gallantry of our soldiers. After winning the election with a significant majority, the BJP-led government decided to go ahead with this plan. In October 2015, the Cabinet approved the proposal for the construction of NWM at India Gate. A proposal to establish a war museum was also accepted. The construction of the NWM began in 2016. Finally, the memorial was dedicated to the Armed Forces on February 25, 2019.

The NWM, as a new entity, also has redefined the authorised rituals associated with national festivities. A new custom was introduced in 2019, which has now become an established norm. The President and the PM visit the NWM every Independence Day and Republic Day to pay homage to the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces. This new commemorative practice, in a way, has underlined the centrality of the Armed Forces in the realm of the official memory of the State in a profound manner.

In August 2021, the government decided to declare August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. It was argued that this move would help remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people of India during Partition. In this case, the suffering, violence, and pain were presented as the crucial elements of the past, which need to be remembered in an official manner. The Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas must be seen through the prism of this new version of official memory. The citizens are called upon to observe the crucial events of national life by evoking negative emotions  war, horror, and murder. This version of official memory is slightly problematic.

No one can deny the sacrifices of our Armed Forces in protecting the territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty of the country. The impact of Partition has also played a significant role in shaping the collective consciousness of those who had faced unprecedented violence during 1947-48. And no one can ignore the State authoritarianism practised by the Indira Gandhi-led Congress regime in the mid-1970s after the declaration of internal Emergency. One finds serious reflections of these events in postcolonial Indian literature, painting, and other artistic expressions, including Hindi cinema. These elements of our public life, however, have been interpreted in a nuanced manner. A constructive resolve is always offered in such a way that suffering, pain and horror might not lead to collective trauma or pursuit of revenge. That was the reason why the contribution of the Armed Forces was celebrated as peace work; Horrors of Partition were commemorated to build a secular India; and the Emergency was observed as a point of reference for the protection of civil liberties and human rights. This positive attitude is inextricably linked to the basic cultural ethos that we call the Indian civilisation.

Hilal Ahmed is associate professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.He is the author of A Brief History of the Present: Muslims in New India.The views expressed are personal
The attempted assassination of former President and Republican presidential nominee for the upcoming US elections on November 5, Donald Trump, occurred on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This incident inadvertently ushered in several advantages for the GOP. Firstly, it significantly impacted the immediate political strategy of the Democrats. President Joe Biden, who had relied on aggressive rhetoric as a campaign strategy following the post-June 27 presidential debate debacle, was forced to scale back his campaign and adopt a more subdued approach.

Secondly, the Trump campaign received a boost from the narrative of his survival amid bloodshed, which was amplified by images of Trumps triumphant fist pump against the backdrop of the American flag.

While it remains uncertain whether these unintended consequences will sustain momentum for the Republicans until November, they have certainly influenced a more cautious political approach from the Democrats, who now find themselves scrambling for viable options.

The one political upper hand that the Democrats could have against the Republicans, especially Donald Trump, is on the issue of gun control. The use of an AR-15-style rifle by the attacker against Trump  one of the most ubiquitous weapons in American life  has not just blunted the surprise element but also recentred the debate about the need to bear arms, especially long-range, automatic weapons.

Ironically, AR-15-style rifles have been central to Americas gun culture and public consciousness. An estimated 25 million civilians in the US own AR-15s, making it the primary firearm associated with mass shootings in the country. These weapons are readily available across all 50 states, with only minor restrictions in California.

The ease of access to firearms in the US, coupled with an attack on a former and potential future president, could reignite the debate over gun control in an election year. Generally, Republicans tend to support gun ownership rights, while Democrats oppose them. This political divide within the US is heavily influenced by the financial, influential, and political clout of gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), which holds significant sway.

There are two significant factors contributing to the persistence of gun rights in the US. The first is rooted in the complex historical fabric of the country, where issues of race, slavery, and civil war have intertwined to shape a national psyche deeply imbued with notions of domination, control, and the freedom and rights of citizens.

The second factor pertains to the economic aspect, particularly the influence of the military-industrial complex driven by the substantial economic activity generated through the manufacturing and sale of firearms. This economic dimension is bolstered by lobbying efforts that include representatives in Congress who leverage their positions to oppose restrictions on gun ownership.

Gun ownership in the US is often defended on the grounds of the Second Amendment of the American Constitution, which ensures "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Historically, it has been one of the most divisive federal issues, with even some Democrats supsporting it.

In the past, some Democratic presidents have taken steps to curb the ownership and usage of guns in America, but no government has attempted a total ban. In 1994, President Bill Clinton enacted the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, often referred to as the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

The Democrats, led by Biden, have some history in seeking gun control. A school massacre in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022 prompted the Biden administration to come out strongly against the gun lobby in the US. In 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law. The former banned specific types of assault weapons and made the transferability of weapons difficult, while the latter made background checks more important.

What pitted the Biden administration against the gun lobby was the clause holding the gun industry accountable through various measures.

It is a little over halfway through the year, and the US has witnessed over 300 mass shootings. The assassination attempt on Trump could have been the tipping point for an effective gun control debate. In some states, including Georgia, there is a growing chorus for stiffer gun control measures once again.

However, in a heated election cycle and with a subdued Democratic campaign, the debate on gun control is likely to get lost in the larger culture war between the Democrats and the Republicans. This is especially true given Trumps views on guns and shootings. In 2016, he even casually talked about shooting someone: I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldnt lose voters.

The NRA has endorsed Trump thrice, in 2016, 2020 and 2024. For the upcoming elections, Trump has already accepted the endorsement by the gun lobby and has promised to reverse Bidens gun control measures, should he win. This is unlikely to change even in the face of national introspection on gun control in the aftermath of his attempted assassination.

Harsh V Pant is vice president for studies, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), and Vivek Mishra is fellow, ORFs Strategic Studies Programme. The views expressed are personal
Reports of a Karnataka government proposal to split the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the municipal corporation of Bengaluru, into five municipal corporations and accept recommendations of the BBMP Restructuring Committee bring the intractable challenge of governing Indias largest cities back into focus. BBMP is among Indias largest municipal corporations, at over 700 sq km. India had 53 million-plus cities (or urban agglomerations (UAs), defined as a continuous urban spread constituting one or more towns and their adjoining outgrowths). (HT File/ For Representation)

India had 53 million-plus cities (or urban agglomerations (UAs), defined as a continuous urban spread constituting one or more towns and their adjoining outgrowths). These host 44% of Indias urban population as per the much-outdated Census 2011. Indias largest cities are also among the worlds largest UAs.

Our Constitution  74th Amendment Act 1993 (74th CAA)  and the state municipal Acts do not imagine a separate model for our large cities at present. There is a passing but inchoate reference to metropolitan areas (envisaged as million-plus cities) and Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs) in the 74th CAA. Across 28 states and seven Union Territories (UTs), there are 88 municipal legislations and 44 town and country planning legislations that govern Indias 4,900-plus cities and towns. Of these, 49 legislations cover 149 municipal corporations. While cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai have their own city-specific Acts, they do not address metropolitan governance and are effectively city-level municipal Acts that govern a part of the city based on municipal boundaries.

Karnataka in 2014 constituted a committee to restructure the BBMP and now, it has proposed to move forward with this agenda. This is a positive step. Of course, whether this turns out to be a cynical political move to split the BBMP into smaller municipal corporations in the hope of winning elections to a few of those remains to be seen.

The lack of a metropolitan governance paradigm is impacting Indias ability to leverage agglomeration economies and address environmental sustainability, given neither is neatly contained within municipal boundaries. Citizens too are directly impacted by fragmented, uncoordinated governance across a bevy of bureaucrat-led institutions such as development authorities, transport corporations, water supply, and sewerage boards, besides several state departments.

The spatial fragmentation is acute. According to Census 2011, the Mumbai UA has seven urban local bodies (ULBs), apart from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The Kolkata UA has a staggering 30 ULBs and 76 census towns (urban areas governed as villages) apart from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. As observed in Janaagrahas Annual Survey of Indias City-Systems (ASICS) 2023 report, the 53 UAs of India are haphazardly governed by 200+ ULBs and several other agencies, state departments, and even panchayats. According to an OECD study, metropolitan areas with a metropolitan governance body have a per capita GDP that is, on average, 7% higher than that of metropolitan areas without such a body.

State governments must form metropolitan authorities in megacities, with integration, coordination, and planning functions so that the agglomeration economies can be effectively leveraged. In million-plus cities, mayors and councils must be empowered over funds, functions, and functionaries, with the civic agencies accountable to them. Additionally, MPCs should be made fully functional with due representation of the mayor and the council. The Union government should lead such an effort to evolve a metropolitan governance paradigm, in consensus with state governments. The BBMP Restructuring Committee Report does have the elements of such a paradigm. It recommends having an MPC at the regional level, with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) modelled on the Greater London Authority. It recommends a three-tier governance framework for Bengaluru with the GBA, municipal corporation, and ward as the three tiers. The GBA is to be headed initially by the chief minister, and, eventually, by a directly elected metropolitan mayor. There is no evidence of cities other than Bengaluru even contemplating such a move. The Delhi experiment of trifurcating and merging back the municipal corporation was poorly thought out and riven by complexity that is unique to Delhi.

Realisation of the imperative to address metropolitan governance is emerging in some quarters. The 15th Finance Commission, for the first time, incentivised a metropolitan approach by allocating 38,196 crores to 200+ ULBs constituting 50 UAs (excluding UTs) to address air pollution, water and sanitation in an integrated manner. An important beginning, it needs to be further strengthened by the 16th Finance Commission. The NITI Aayogs Growth Hub endeavour too should factor in spatial and functional integration and coordination even as it rightfully thinks about economic growth as a key driver of urbanisation. Ultimately, state governments would need to assume leadership in metropolitan governance.

Indias urbanisation needs to be centred on 4E outcomes  Economic growth and job creation; Equitable access to services and opportunities; Environmental sustainability; and democratic Engagement. Balancing these 4Es in the larger cities calls for metropolitan governance that can overcome spatial and functional fragmentation through single-point political accountability. Failure to do so will have real implications in terms of loss of economic productivity and potentially even gradual decay, worsening congestion and air pollution, and exacerbating climate effects like flooding. The government of India must, therefore, assume active leadership in evolving a model of metropolitan governance for the country.

Srikanth Viswanathan is CEO, and VR Vachana is head-municipal law and policy, JanaagrahaCentre for Citizenship and Democracy.The views expressed are personal
In a country where balancing professional success and personal responsibilities continues to evolve for working mothers, RPG Group has conducted a groundbreaking survey to uncover the significant challenges faced by women in the corporate workforce after child birth. This survey aims to identify what working mothers truly need to remain in the workforce. RPG Group organized survey revealing challenges faced by women in the corporate world

Survey Overview:

Launched a month before Mothers Day 2024, the survey findings were revealed on May 12, Mothers Day, representing a collaborative effort between RPG Group and The Logical Indian. The comprehensive report, now publicly available, offers invaluable insights for corporates aiming to create more inclusive and supportive workplaces.

Survey Details:

In a country where 73% of working women leave the labour force after childbirth and where 48% of returning mothers leave within six months of rejoining, RPGs #PassTheMicToMoms initiative sought to understand directly from mothers what they need to stay at work.

Conducted online with over 2,000 women across ten major Indian citiesDelhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Lucknowthe survey delves into the real challenges faced by working mothers. The findings reveal a corporate landscape where formal support policies often fall short of meeting the actual needs of working mothers.

Key Findings:

Creche Support: 88% of respondents expressed a need for mandatory creche support from their employers.

Flexible Work Hours: 81% of working mothers require genuinely flexible work hours to manage both professional responsibilities and childcare needs.

Childcare Reimbursements: 67% of participants believe companies should cover a portion of childcare expenses.

Child Sick Leave: 61% of respondents call for specific leave provisions for a childs illness.

These findings, along with many other critical insights in the report, highlight significant gaps between existing corporate policies and the day-to-day realities of working mothers.

Impact and Call to Action:

The surveys impact has been profound, generating over 2 million views across major media platforms and sparking a nationwide conversation about the needs of working mothers. The findings challenge companies to reassess their current policies and take actionable steps towards creating more inclusive and supportive work environments.

Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Group, emphasizes the importance of these findings: We recognize that while many needs of working mothers are addressed, there is still much more to achieve. By sharing these results, we aim to make workplaces more supportive for mothers and create a more inclusive corporate environment.

Conclusion:

The release of this survey report by RPG marks a pivotal moment for corporate India. It offers companies a chance to engage in meaningful discussions and implement significant changes to better support working mothers, ultimately benefiting the entire workforce.

Disclaimer: This article is a promotional feature and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
An Air India passenger was arrested at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport for smuggling gold worth 69 lakh. It was his repeated refusal to partake of any refreshments during flight AI 992 from Jeddah to Delhi that ultimately led to his arrest. An Air India passenger was arrested for gold smuggling at Delhi airport (Representational image)

According to a report in News18, the unnamed man refused all refreshments during the five-and-a-half-hour flight. He first refused to drink any water when the flight attendant offered water to each passenger. The man also refused all food and drinks offered to him. Suspicious of his behaviour, the flight attendant informed the captain, who in turn informed security agencies of the passengers suspicious behaviour via Air Traffic Control.

When the Air India flight landed in Delhi, security personnel closely monitored the passenger in question. He tried to pass through the Green Customs Clearance Channel and was stopped for questioning.

Upon being questioned, the man admitted that he had gold concealed in his rectum. The gold paste worth over 69 lakhs was concealed in the form of four oval capsules.

Joint Commissioner (Customs) Monika Yadav said that approximately 1096.76 grams of gold were recovered from the Air India passenger. He was arrested under relevant sections of the Customs Act after he admitted to smuggling gold from Jeddah. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Cabin crew have been instructed to pay attention to passengers who refuse all food and drinks on long flights as it is suspected they could be smuggling gold in their bodies.

Earlier this year, a souvenir shop at Chennai airport was exposed as a front for a Sri Lankan gold smuggling syndicate. The shops owner, a YouTuber named Mohammed Sabir Ali, was recruited by the syndicate to help them smuggle gold. He was arrested for his role in helping smuggle 267 kg gold worth 167 crore over a period of two months.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants months-long wedding festivities have wrapped up, but the excitement refuses to die down. Social media users who attended the celebrations virtually are now busy dissecting every detail of what is being called the most expensive wedding to take place in history. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant got married on July 12 in Mumbai.(Instagram/@storiesbyjosephradhik)

YouTube and podcast host Ranveer Allahbadia, who was part of the guest list, has generated more excitement by sharing inside details of the big fat and extremely lavish Indian wedding. Allahbadia, better known by his internet moniker BeerBiceps, attended Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding on July 12 and the Mangal Utsav reception on July 15.

He sat down with Indian-American stand up comedian Akaash Singh, who was also part of the festivities, for a podcast on the Ambani wedding. During their conversation, the duo revealed how the Ambani family gave away designer merchandise for free.

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding and the post-wedding festivities took place at the Jio World Centre in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex. The venue was transformed to resemble the ancient city of Varanasi under the guidance of creative director Manish Malhotra.

We were in a magical world, recalled Akaash Singh. He said that there were shops giving away things like bangles and designer sunglasses for free at the wedding.

Shops were giving away bangles. I heard they were giving away designer sunglasses, like Versace sunglasses, he revealed. Not all of them charged. Some of them just gave you stuff. It was crazy, he added.

When Allahbadia asked if there were any shops that charged, Singh replied saying there were jewellery stores at the wedding venue where guests could buy things.

There was a jewellery shop. Obviously they are not going to give away diamond necklaces, the American comedian said.

Take a look at the exchange below:

Content creator Sukriti, who was invited to Day 3 of the post-wedding festivities, also mentioned there were ittar shops at the venue where guests could try and buy ittar.

Anant Ambani is the younger son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani. He married Radhika Merchant, daughter of healthtech entrepreneurs Viren and Shaila Merchant, on July 12.

The couples wedding was preceded by weeks of festivities. In March, the Ambani family hosted a three-day bash in Jamnagar where the guest list featured VIPs like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Guests in Jamnagar were treated to private concerts by Rihanna and Diljit Dosanjh.

The Jamnagar celebration was followed by a luxury pre-wedding cruise with stops across Italy and France. In the week leading up to the July 12 wedding, the Ambani family hosted a sangeet (where Justin Bieber performed), a garba night, a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples, a haldi, mehendi, a mameru ceremony, and a Shiv Shakti Pooja. The wedding itself was followed by three separate receptions.
Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, has put an explosive post on Instagram, declaring divorce from her husband, a little over two months after they welcomed their first child. Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and her husband welcomed their first child in May this year. (Instagram/hhshmahra)

Dear husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife, the Dubai princess wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

She has also removed photos with her husband from Instagram.

Sheikha Mahra married Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, an Emirati businessman, in May last year. A year later, they welcomed a daughter. Sheikh Mana, who is in his 20s, has multiple business ventures.

In May this year, the Dubai princess had released photos from the hospital moments after childbirth. She had thanked her doctor and the hospital staff for ensuring she got the "most memorable experience for bringing baby Mahra to this world.

Her husband was seen standing by her side, as the newborn lay on its mother's chest. Sheikh Mana was seen holding his daughter in one of the now-deleted photos his wife had posted.

The couple had a gender reveal party in February.

(Also Read: Dubai princess shares raw moments from birthing room: Most memorable experience)

Take a look at her latest Instagram post:

Dubai princess Sheikha Mahra's Instagram post left royal fans shocked. (Instagram/hhshmahra)

Just the two of us

The princess announced her pregnancy five months after their Nikah ceremony. "Just the three of us," Sheikha Mahra wrote on Instagram Stories, sharing a photo of an ultrasound scan, according to a Grazia report. Her husband shared it on his Instagram Stories.

However, in an Instagram post in June, she shared a photo with her baby, without her husband. Just the two of us, Sheikha Mahra wrote in the caption.

Who is Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum?

Sheikha Mahra's father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the vice president, prime minister and minister of defence of UAE. Sheikha Mahra is one of the 26 children of the Dubai ruler. She has Emirati and Greek roots as her mother, Zoe Grigorakos, is from Greece. The Dubai ruler divorced the Greek woman.

The princess, however, appears to share a close relationship with her mother and has posted photos with her on Instagram.
Milwaukee: They are cautious, for the experience of 2020 when a victory that they had taken for granted ended up being a defeat. They are cautious, for they are aware that a lot can change in the over 100 days that remains till polling day. And they are cautious, for they dont even know who their Democratic rival will be given the uncertainty around Joe Bidens candidacy.

Former US President Donald Trump (right) applaud speakers on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. (AFP)
Milwaukee: Donald Trump will make America safe again. He is also the most compassionate grandpa and Dad and friend. Donald Trump will seal the border and deport illegal immigrants. He is also the man who calls up those affected by crimes and cares for them. Donald Trump is the fighter who will take a bullet and yet show strength. He is also the man who doesnt need to be in the race for fame or money, but is doing so because he cares for America and Americans. Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump (left) and Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance applaud on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. (REUTERS)

This was the twin message that Republican delegates, and millions who watched the proceedings, heard repeatedly, from a variety of sources, through Tuesdays evening speeches at the party convention in Milwaukee. The objective appeared to project Trump as strong but also human, a recalibration of the message after the assassination bid on Saturday to expand his appeal to swing voters.

As the last speaker of the evening, Lara Trump, Trumps daughter-in-law and the articulate co-chair of the Republican National Committee, distilled this twin message. She spoke of him as her children, Luke and Carolinas grandpa who relished time with them, of how he encouraged her after her television appearances and saw potential in her that she couldnt see in herself, of how the family was shaken and scarred after Saturday, and how she wished that more people could see the side of Trump that she had access to. Trump didnt need to run for president for fame or money. Trust me. He is running because he loves this country, she said, even as she recited a range of Trumps wins while in office from securing the border, cutting taxes, signing peace deals in Middle East, lifting the economy and reducing prices, and fighting crime.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trumps press secretary and now Arkansas governor, spoke of the day she had brought her son to the White House, who ran past the President who was greeting him to his mother but Trump didnt mind, for he was a father of five and grandfather of ten. She spoke of Trump as the leader who stood by her even as the Left attacked her. And she spoke, like many others, of how God had saved Trump on Saturday, because God isnt done with Donald Trump yet.

But all of this messaging was juxtaposed with testimonies of everyday Americans and other elected officials who railed against a Third World Invasion, in the words of Senator Tom Cotton, from the southern border, how Joe Biden had presided over lawless and how only Trump could secure America.

A mother from California spoke of how her son was among those killed by the flow of fentanyl, for which she held Biden and Kamala Harris responsible. A Black mother from New York railed against Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who led the prosecution of Trump, for being soft on crime and letting go of her sons killers with lenient punishment. A Maryland brother spoke of how an illegal immigrant had raped and murdered his sister, and while he hadnt heard from Biden yet, Trump had called him. An activist in Pennsylvania spoke of the drug abuse in his neighbourhood, while a former policeman spoke of how Trump stood for those who served to protect communities, as the delegates chanted, Back the Blue.

As Trump and his running mate JD Vance sat and listened, with Trump repeatedly standing up to applaud the speakers and thank them, the twin Republican message relied on Trumps supposed USP  of securing American borders  with a twist  of a man who cares. Whether it works to attract newer voters will be clear on November 5.
Traces of cyanide have been found in the coffees of six foreign tourists who were found dead in a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Thai police force's forensic division chief Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan said the traces of cyanide were found in the empty cups found in the room by police. Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials visit the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where it is believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 16, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa(REUTERS)

Six persons, including three women and three men, were found dead in a suite on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Thailands foreign ministry in a statement said the deceased included two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals.



They had been last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room on Monday afternoon. Investigators had found the bodies foaming at the mouth. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the scene in the evening but did not provide further details to reporters present.

Police said the six individuals were believed to have been dead for at least 24 hours before their bodies were found. They said that the room had been locked from the inside, but a staff member was able to enter through another door.

Read: Viral clip shows Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks seemingly getting bullied by peers



Prime Minister Srettha said that there were no signs of robbery or an attack. He added that the cause of death was presumably related to consumption and requires further investigation.

Police also released images of hotel food found in the suite, sealed in clingfilm and seemingly untouched. However, they noted that six cups had been used.

The food was untouched but all six cups were used. We will check all of it. We could not find anything else around, even on the floor, but we found some kind of powder in the bottom of a cup, The Guardian quoted Metropolitan police bureau commissioner Thiti Saengsawang as saying.

Read more: Businessman replaces passport pages to hide Thailand trip from wife



He said that the deaths were not a result of suicide but of killing, and that the motives need to be investigated.

Police also said that the hotel management informed them the booking was made for a group of seven people with only five checking in. However, six people were found dead.

We are tracing every step since they got off the plane, Thiti Saengsawang said.

Thailand Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to take urgent action to minimise the impact on tourism.



With inputs from AP
Toronto: Canadas Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has said she has confidence she can continue to do perform her job effectively even as multiple reports in Canadian media have suggested that the Prime Ministers Office wants her to be removed from the portfolio. Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Finance Minister, during an interview in New York, US, on July 12. (Bloomberg)

Economic woes have caused the unpopularity of Justin Trudeaus government to crater since last year, a trend that has no sign of easing. Trudeaus own unpopularity remains elevated, but Freeland, who is also the and Deputy Prime Minister, may be a convenient scapegoat to signal the government is seeking a change in the manner in which those chronic problems are being dealt with.

On Tuesday, during the course of a press conference, Freeland said, What I will say to everyone here, speaking for myself, is I do have the confidence that I need to do my job effectively. She also said she had met Trudeau on Friday and spent time with him on Saturday and Monday.

While in Washington last week, Trudeau defended Freeland, saying he had full confidence in her. That came after a report in the outlet Globe and Mail cited unnamed PMO officials as saying Freeland has not been effective in delivering an upbeat economic message as the Liberal government struggles to reconnect with Canadians amid low approval ratings.

A report in the outlet Toronto Star said Freeland could be shifted to Foreign Affairs, displacing incumbent Melanie Joly, while former Governor of Bank of Canada and, more recently, Bank of England, Mark Carney, would replace her at Finance. Freeland assumed charge of the department in 2020 after the resignation of Bill Morneau.

Trudeau praised Carney last week, as he said, I think he would be an outstanding addition at a time when Canadians need good people to step up in politics.

Carney was Governor of Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and headed Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

But the larger problem could be with the PMs own disapproval ratings, over 66 per cent, as per the public polling agency Angus Reid Institutes Trudeau Tracker. In a survey published on July 3, the agency Leger noted three out of five Canadians (63%) disapprove of Justin Trudeaus performance as PM, while around one-quarter (27%) approve.

Removing Freeland may not resolve that sentiment.
Democrats will not hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate President Joe Biden until at least August, after an outcry from some who believed the process was being rushed at his behest to head off calls for him to stand aside. TOPSHOT - US President Joe Biden arrives to speak on economics during the Vote To Live Properity Summit at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP)(AFP)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for the Democratic National Committee to make the change after consulting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The party will still undertake the process virtually  rather than at the party convention in Chicago in late August  but there will not be any delegate votes cast in July, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Leah Daughtry, who head the conventions rules committee, said in a letter to delegates.

ALSO READ- Joe Biden reportedly considering dropping out of the presidential race on one condition

That virtual vote wont happen before the first of August and we just need to get it done, probably by the 15th of August, Walz told reporters Wednesday at a press conference in Milwaukee. He dismissed the controversy over the issue as a parlor game.

Democrats had considered holding the vote as early as July 21, when the conventions credentials committee meets virtually.

The party was discussing such a move even before Bidens debate performance prompted alarm from allies, because Ohio had an Aug. 7 deadline for candidates to be certified for the ballot. While a new state law pushed that date back, moving up Bidens formal nomination could would essentially render moot calls for the president to be replaced.

We believe a virtual element is the wisest approach because it ensures ballot access in the states that we need to win in November and avoids potential risks if there is delay in the process, Walz and Daughtry wrote in a letter to the partys rules committee, which was obtained by Bloomberg and reported earlier by CBS News.

The accelerated push drew criticism, particularly from Democrats who have publicly urged Biden to reconsider his candidacy. On Capitol Hill, a letter arguing against expediting the nomination was circulating earlier this week among Democratic offices.

That effort has been abandoned for now, the office of California Representative Jared Huffman said.

Fast-forwarding the nomination process is no way to convince the many unconvinced voters in the growing number of battleground states, said Representative Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat who has called on Biden to step aside. Those so eager to overly protect President Biden ignore his own words inviting anyone questioning his nomination to do so at the Convention.

Intraparty hand-wringing over the vote irritated the presidents team, which has sought to refocus voters attention on Donald Trump.

Also read: Joe Biden says Kamala Harris could be president of the United States amid calls to drop out

The Republicans are lying to the American people about virtually every single issue that impacts their lives, and were caught up in process stories, Biden deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said Wednesday.

Biden earlier this month dared challengers who did not support his candidacy to challenge him at the convention.

Any of these guys that dont think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention, Biden during an interview with MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Also read: Joe Biden clarifies the 'bull's-eye' comment on Donald Trump was just an honest mistake

Realistically, theres little chance of another candidate emerging unless Biden himself announces he does not want to pursue his reelection bid. He has steadfastly insisted he intends to stay in the race.

During his press conference last Thursday, the president said delegates he won during the primaries were free to do whatever they want.

But I get overwhelming support, Biden added.
TEL AVIV, Israel  Hamas-led armed groups committed numerous war crimes during the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that precipitated the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to a global human rights group report released Wednesday. Global rights group finds Hamas-led militants committed war crimes on Oct. 7

Human Rights Watch said the acts of the Palestinian fighters, who killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 during the attack, met the international legal definition for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The group's report found that five different Palestinian armed groups, led by Hamas Qassam Brigades, engaged in war crimes and violated international law by killing, torturing, taking hostages, looting and committing crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence. The New York-based rights group said its researchers were unable to independently verify claims of sexual violence and rape but that they relied on a separate report by a special U.N. envoy who found reasonable grounds to believe Hamas fighters committed sexual violence during the attack.

The 230-page HRW report focuses only on the Oct. 7 attacks and does not examine the actions taken by Hamas or Israel during the subsequent war in Gaza. More than 38,400 people have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments in Gaza since the war began, according to the territorys Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The militants committed a crime against humanity because they launched a widespread attack directed against a civilian population, said Belkis Wille, an associate director at HRW who arrived in Israel days after Oct. 7 and spent a month researching the attack with local staff. The researchers examined Palestinian attacks on 26 civilian sites in southern Israel, including kibbutzim, cities, two music festivals and a beach party, and they spoke with nearly 100 survivors, and 50 experts and first responders.

The killing of civilians and taking of hostages were all central aims of the planned attack, and not actions that occurred as an afterthought or as a plan gone awry, or as isolated acts, for example, perpetrated by unaffiliated Palestinians from Gaza, Wille said.

After reviewing hundreds of photos and videos, the researchers determined that the majority of the Palestinians who took part in the attack were affiliated with armed groups and were not random civilians who took advantage of the open fence.

That was a claim that was made very early on, it was made by Hamas in order to distance its own fighters from the abuses, and it was made by Israel to justify attacks on civilians in Gaza, she said.

HRW observed footage of fighters, including those in civilian clothes with no military insignias, communicating with walkie-talkies and taking orders from commanders, leading them to conclude that the fighters who carried out the worst abuses, especially in the early hours of the attack, belonged to armed factions.

In a nine-page response to the HRW report, Hamas said the Qassam Brigades planned and led the Oct. 7 attack, not the Hamas political movement, and that fighters were instructed not to target civilians. HRW said they found the Hamas response false and that the intentional killing and hostage-taking of civilians was planned and highly coordinated.

The organization called on Hamas to immediately release the approximately 120 hostages and bodies of hostages still being held in Gaza, and for all sides to adhere to international law and agree to a cease-fire as soon as possible.

Human Rights Watch has a strained relationship with Israel, which it has accused of violating international law in multiple cases. In April, an HRW investigation found that an Israeli strike in October in central Gaza that killed 106 Palestinians constituted a war crime because there was no apparent military target. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames the deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. The group also accused Israel of violating international law by striking residential buildings in Lebanon with white phosphorus, a chemical munition. The Israeli military said it upholds international law regarding munitions and that it used white phosphorus as a smokescreen, not to target civilians.

Find more of s coverage at /hub/israel-hamas-war

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The International Monetary Fund announced Wednesday a $71 million disbursement towards Niger, which was hit by political instability after a military takeover last year. IMF approves $71 million for junta-led Niger

The approval comes as the IMF executive board completed the fourth and fifth reviews of the West African country's Extended Credit Facility arrangement, and the first review of its arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility.

"The decision allows for an immediate disbursement of about US$71 million cumulatively," the IMF said in a statement, bringing the total funding so far under the two arrangements to about $255 million.

While program implementation was "broadly on track at end-June 2023," this was disrupted by the political crisis, leading to an accumulation of external and domestic debt service arrears, the fund added.

Niger has been run by a military regime since a coup d'etat in July 2023 ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held as a prisoner.

The regime has since turned its back on other Western allies such as France and the United States to sidle towards Russia.

Amid high diplomatic tensions in West Africa, military leaders ruling Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed a new "confederation" this month known as the Alliance of Sahel States severing ties with the regional bloc ECOWAS and threatening the movement of people and goods in the region.

"Niger's economy has been severely affected by political instability and sanctions following the July 2023 military takeover," said IMF deputy managing director Antoinette Sayeh.

She added in a statement that nonetheless, "the near- and medium-term economic outlooks have improved owing to the start of oil exports, the lifting of sanctions, and increased agricultural production."

She urged for authorities to take action like rebuilding fiscal buffers, improving debt management and boosting anti-corruption frameworks.

The IMF one of few institutions continuing to provide aid to Niger noted that its economic growth is expected to rebound to 10.6 percent this year.

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For the residents of Maaden, a green oasis nestled in the depths of the vast Mauritanian desert, communal living, spirituality and sustainable agriculture are the keys to a harmonious existence. In the heart of Mauritania's desert, a green oasis cultivates equality

In 1975, Sufi spiritual guide Mohammed Lemine Sidina founded a village in this remote spot at the centre of the West African state, naming it Maaden el Ervane, or "the deposit of knowledge" in the local Arabic dialect.

On a patch of fertile land overlooked by a small outcrop, Sidina built a community based on equality, fraternity, tolerance and hard work.

More than 20 years after the Sheikh's death, his legacy lives on.

"Here, there is equality. No caste, no race," said Djibril Niang, 70, who arrived from Senegal 50 years ago and never left.

"We are all brothers. If someone needs something, we all work together to help them."

Niang ended up marrying his spiritual mentor's daughter an interracial union "which was unthinkable" at the time, he said.

On the site of the oldest building in the village, Imam Taha Sidina recalled his father's vision for Maaden.

"Every evening, the community would get together to plan the next day's programme digging a well, creating a road, planting a palm tree," he said.

The village grew house by house.

Residents first built a small dam to retain precious water, then laid out fields, founded a school and set up a community clinic.

Hospitality is a central tenet of Maaden's philosophy, with a visitors' centre welcoming, housing and feeding all who pass through.

While most surrounding villages are losing residents, Maaden is thriving.

The community's arable land expands a little day by day, helped by a wind which pushes the sand away from the fields.

"This year's harvest is excellent," said Mohamed Ould Vaide, a 45-year-old farmer, who proudly displayed his crop of tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots and watermelons which he had grown using a drip irrigation technique.

"I'll never leave Maaden. There's no place like it," he said.

Vaide makes a living from farming like most of his fellow villagers, who have transformed their agricultural practices thanks to techniques brought by Pierre Rabhi, a pioneer of organic farming in France.

Rabhi travelled to Mauritania in 2018, three years before his death, and fell under the spell of Maaden passing on his environmental ethos to the local population.

Compost replaced chemical fertilisers and solar panels took over from fuel-powered motor pumps, allowing the village to become virtually self-sufficient.

Rabhi also organised the delivery of a henna grinding machine which meant women could process the local plant for cosmetics when not involved in crafts, agriculture or trade.

"In Maaden, a woman can farm, put on boots, do manual work and wave to a man. It's different from other villages," said Zeinab Mintou Boubou, 57, president of the women's farming cooperative.

The rest of Mauritania is governed by Islamic law, forbidding contact between men and women from different families and traditionally excluding women from certain activities.

On the edge of Maaden, as the sun slipped behind the dunes, Mohamed Ould Ali Abdein lit a small fire and prepared tea, soon to be joined by a few friends.

His camels prepared to spend the night nearby.

For Abeid, his wife and seven children, Maaden is home and where their future lies.

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TEHRAN, Iran  Shiite Muslims in Iran and elsewhere on Tuesday commemorated Ashoura, a remembrance of the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith. Irans Shiite Muslims commemorate the mourning day of Ashoura with processions

Over 1,340 years after Husseins death, Tehran and other cities across Iran were adorned with symbols of piety and repentance. Red flags represented Husseins blood, black funeral tents and clothes indicated mourning, and processions of chest-beating and self-flagellating men expressed fervor. Some sprayed water over the mourners in the intense heat.

Iranian state TV reported that 6 million Iranian pilgrims traveled to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine.

In the Omani capital of Muscat, a shooting at a Shiite mosque killed five people and wounded dozens on Monday night. Irans Foreign Ministry condemned the attack.

Shiites represent over 10% of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Husseins death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.

In some of Pakistan's largest cities, thousands of Shiite Muslims rallied and were seen beating their chests and flagellating themselves with knives attached to chains. Authorities deployed additional police along the routes where processions will pass on Wednesday.

Shiites are a minority in predominantly Sunni Muslim Pakistan, and Sunni militants view them as apostates deserving of death. Shiites have been attacked by extremist Sunni militants in recent years.

This story corrects the day of the shooting in Oman. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

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Ohio Police on Tuesday shot and killed a man who was wielding knives near the Republican National Convention (RNC), officers said, days after US presidential candidate Donald Trump survive an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump at RNC with a bandaged ear after assassination attempt (AP)(AP)

In a separate incident on Monday, a man wearing a ski mask and carrying an "AK-47 pistol" was arrested near the site of the RNC by Capitol Police officers and Homeland Security Investigations.

The Ohio police team, which was in Wisconsin for the convention, recovered two knives from the man shot dead just blocks away from the RNC. Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference.

The suspect was a homeless man who was mentally distressed, reported the New York Post. Eyewitnesses heard eight shots fired and some said that the man was shot in the back as he attempted to run away from the security forces.

The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site. It must be noted that currently, thousands of police officers from different states are posted in Milwaukee, providing security for the Republican National Convention.

Read more: Iran reportedly planning to assassinate Donald Trump separate from Pennsylvania shooting

Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention. They planned a nighttime vigil.

The man was identified as Samuel Sharpe, and was a resident of a nearby tent area where many homeless people seek shelter. Residents of the tent encampment said expressed anger over the involvement of the Ohio police department, and said that the man would still be alive if Milwaukee police had handled the issue.

The officers who shot the suspect were wearing body cameras, and the footage will be released soon, the police department said.

Man carrying AK-47 gun arrested

The man was not carrying any valid gun permit, and authorities grew suspicious of his attire, which included a ski mask and a tactical bag. The bag contained an AK-47 pistol and a loaded magazine. The man was immediately arrested by the cops. His identity has not been revealed yet.

This comes days after an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, where a 20-year-old man fired multiple shots into the rally being addressed by the former US president. Trump escaped unharmed, with just a minor injury in his right year. However, one bystander was killed and two others were critically injured due to the shooting.

The man was shot dead by the US Secret Service within minutes of him firing his first shot.

(With inputs from AP)
By Bart H. Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout Netherlands commemorates 10th anniversary of downing of MH17 airline

AMSTERDAM, - The Netherlands commemorated on Wednesday the 298 victims of flight MH17 that was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago with a ceremony attended by the bereaved and representatives from Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Belgium and Ukraine.

Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board, including 196 Dutch citizens, were killed, leaving the plane's wreckage and the remains of the victims scattered across fields of corn and sunflowers.

Based on an international investigation, a Dutch court in 2022 said there was no doubt the plane was shot down by a Russian missile system and that Moscow had "overall control" of the forces of the separatist "Donetsk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine from May 2014. Russia denies any involvement.

During Wednesday's ceremony, which took place at the MH17 monument in the village of Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam, loved ones read out loud the names of all the victims.

Mark Rutte, who was prime minister when the disaster happened and a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since, drew applause for his efforts during his time in office to keep the international spotlight on the incident.

The Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia of murder for their role in the transport into eastern Ukraine of the Russian military BUK missile system used to down the plane.

"Justice requires a long, long breath," said Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who took office earlier this month, adding that "a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars".

Commemorating the victims in his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message: "There is no doubt that the judicial process and the overall work of international justice will inevitably lead to entirely fair sentences for all responsible for this crime."

His Foreign Minster Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on X that Russia had twice killed the victims. "First with a missile. Second, with lies that abused their memory and hurt their relatives."

RUSSIA DENIES RESPONSIBILITY

Moscow denies any responsibility for MH17's downing and in 2014 it also denied any presence in Ukraine. However, the EU's outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called on Russia to finally accept its responsibility.

"The evidence presented makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation," Borrell said.

"No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law."

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Mukhtar Babayev, president of the United Nations COP29, has called on members to enhance their climate plans to make them 1.5C compliant and put in place finances to achieve those plans. Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29, delivers a speech of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue meeting held in April 25. (AFP photo)

The COP29 Presidencys top negotiating priority is agreeing a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG) adequate to the urgency and scale of the problem, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing country parties. Our efforts should include the full scope and potential of the resources that need to be made available, said Babayev in the first letter sent on Wednesday to all 198 member countries of the UN Climate Convention.

Growing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the international environment must not distract us from the imperative to collaborate and address climate change as the greatest transnational challenge of the century, the letter states.

The COP29 climate talks will take place in Azerbaijan from November 11-22 and it is being held in a year of elections.

At least 64 countries including the European Union (EU) have held or are set to hold polls this year.

Among them, US presidential polls will be key as historically it is the largest greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) polluter.

Donald Trump would ensure the United States withdraws out of the Paris climate agreement for the second time if he wins the presidency again in November, Politico reported on June 28.

Also Read: Global conflict, climate finance in focus before COP29 in Baku

The statement comes after years of conservatives laying the groundwork for Trump to withdraw from the global agreement intended to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases causing climate change.

HT has reported that the primary agenda of the annual UN climate meeting to be held in Baku in Azerbaijan in November would be to negotiate a new goal for climate finance, which currently has a floor of a minimum of $100 billion every year after 2025, that is expected to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon future.

According to the high-level expert group on Climate Finance, at least $2.4 trillion is needed every year to invest in renewable energy, adaptation, and other climate-related issues in developing countries, excluding China.

Negotiations on the new finance goal has been fraught with challenges and lack of consensus so far.

Differences between the rich and developing countries over their contribution towards the new quantified goal on climate finance has remained the bone of contention, according to the Third World Network, an independent non-profit that was tracking the negotiations at Cartagena in Columbia in April.

In an Ad Hoc Work Programme (AHWP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Cartagena in Colombia from April 23 to 26, the US had said the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is voluntary for those that choose to pay, referring to Article 9.3 of the 2015 Paris climate pact that deals with climate finance.

The US repeated its stance on how contributing to the new fund, meant to replace the existing goal of $100 billion per year, should be voluntary again at the Bonn climate talks in June. The Arab group, Cuba and African nations have called for determining the quantum of the new goal.

The COP29 Presidency called on member nations to submit 1.5-aligned Nationally determined contributions (NDCs), also stating that Azerbaijan would lead by example, along with its COP28 and COP30 partners, the UAE and Brazil.

In an early step to intensify discussions, the COP29 Presidency announced that it has appointed ministers Dan Jorgensen of Denmark and Yasmine Fouad of Egypt as ministerial pairs for the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG).

These ministers will be additional focal points for the global negotiations and help to find common ground between countries.

The COP29 Presidency will host Heads of Delegations in Azerbaijan from 26-27 July, which will focus on the NCQG and ensure progress on negotiations across all pillars of the Paris Agreement, including key mandates such as Article 6 (carbon markets).

As the COP29 Presidency, we encourage all Parties to come forward with their own 1.5- aligned NDCs at the earliest opportunity and well ahead of the 10 February 2025 deadline. NDCs should be informed by the science and the Global Stocktake outcome, in light of different national circumstances and foster investment and support, the letter states adding that The COP29 Presidency will lead by example. As we announced with our Troika partners, Azerbaijan, the UAE and Brazil are working on submitting 1.5-aligned NDCs.

COP29 CEO Elnur Soltanov and deputy minister of ecology and natural resources Umayra Taghiyeva are leading an interagency working group to submit Azerbaijans NDC early and prepare its first Long-Term Development Strategy (LTS).

Azerbaijan will integrate its NDC within its LTS and we call on all Parties to ensure that they are working across their respective governments to mainstream climate action into their sustainable development aspirations and priorities.
The Swiss luxury group Richemont, which owns Cartier and other jewellery brands, is regularly the subject of takeover rumours which its founder, the South African billionaire Johann Rupert, always dismisses. Richemont: luxury group in sights of LVMH'S Arnault?

But Bernard Arnault, chief executive of rival LVMH, the number one in the field, is building up a stake in Richemont a move which so far has triggered more questions than answers.

In May, Richemont announced that Rupert, 74, would hand off some of his responsibilities to a new CEO, Nicolas Bos.

What makes Richemont a prize asset? The answer is in the figures.

Based in Geneva, Richemont's turnover was 20.6 billion euros during its 2023/2024 financial year to the end of March.

It is the world number two or three in the sector, along with the Gucci-owning French luxury group Kering, depending on annual sales figures.

Jewellery makes up 69 percent of Richemont's turnover thanks to Cartier, its flagship brand nicknamed the "jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers" for its links with royalty.

The group does not disclose its sales by brand, but according to Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst at Swiss investment managers Vontobel, Cartier's turnover was around 11 billion euros during the past financial year.

Richemont also owns the Van Cleef & Arpels luxury brand, which has experienced "exceptional" growth in recent years, Bertschy said.

By anchoring in jewellery, considered the group's strong suit, Richemont has greater resilience in the event of an economic slowdown, with fine jewellery aimed at a clientele that is far less sensitive to the ups and downs of the economy.

Richemont owns eight watch brands, which make up 18.2 percent of its turnover. Its portfolio includes Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen and Piaget.

US investment bank Morgan Stanley and the Swiss firm LuxeConsult estimate that sales of its largest watch brand, Vacheron Constantin, reached 1.09 billion Swiss francs in 2023, becoming one of eight Swiss brands with a turnover exceeding one billion francs.

In 1997, its Montblanc pen brand diversified into watches, but it remains part of the division that brings together around 10 brands in accessories and fashion , including Gianvito Rossi shoes, in which Richemont took a majority stake last year.

This division is the group's weakest, according to analysts, including "several brands which have underperformed for years", Bertschy said.

However, this division represents just 12.6 percent of Richemont's annual turnover.

Rupert, 74, created Richemont in 1988 to bring together the international assets of the South African Rembrandt group, including the tobacco activities with which his father Anton made his fortune.

Through acquisitions, the group gradually withdrew from tobacco to refocus on luxury, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC and A. Lange & Sohne watches.

Rupert holds 10 percent of the capital but 51 percent of the voting rights through a dual structure of class A and B shares.

The structure offers protection against unsolicited bids, but in 2022 also helped it thwart an activist fund's attempt to impose changes to the board.

This protection only amplifies questions about the intentions of Arnault, one of the world's wealthiest people.

At the end of June, Bloomberg News reported that the LVMH boss had taken a stake in Richemont, the amount of which has not been revealed.

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Richemont

LVMH

Kering

VONTOBEL HOLDING AG

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LAS VEGAS  A Nevada justice of the peace who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2022 has been indicted on federal charges alleging she used money donated for a memorial to slain police officers for political campaign costs, rent and her daughters wedding. Rural Nevada judge who once ran for state treasurer indicted on federal fraud charges

Michele Fiore, 53, a justice of the peace in rural Pahrump and a state Republican National Committee member, declined comment Wednesday about the five-count indictment filed a day earlier in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The former Nevada state Assembly and Las Vegas City Council member said she had not yet seen the document.

Fiore is accused of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, crimes that each carry a possible penalty of 20 years in prison. Court records do not reflect when Fiore is due for an initial court appearance or whether she has an attorney representing her.

The grand jury was told that when Fiore was a city council member from 2017 to 2022, she promised to use 100% of the contributions she solicited to erect a statue in a city park to honor two Las Vegas police officers who were killed on duty in June 2014.

Fiore did not use any of the tens of thousands of dollars in charitable donations for the statue, and instead converted the money to her personal use," prosecutors said in a news release.

The indictment refers to an unnamed co-conspirator who is related to Fiore and traces checks that prosecutors said diverted money to pay Fiore's political fundraising bills, rent and daughters wedding.

Fiore served one term as a Republican in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016, where she was as an outspoken supporter of gun rights and posed with guns and her family for Christmas cards in 2015.

She gained national attention backing rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014, and at a national wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016.

In 2022, Fiore ran as a Republican but lost the statewide race for state treasurer to Democrat Zach Conine.

Fiore was appointed by Nye County lawmakers in December 2022 to serve as one of two local justices of the peace in rural Pahrump, an hour's drive west of Las Vegas.

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The U.S. military-built pier to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza will be dismantled and brought home, ending a mission that has been fraught with repeated weather and security problems that limited how much food and other supplies could get to starving Palestinians. FILE - The image provided by U.S, Central Command, shows U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces placing the Trident Pier on the coast of Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. (U.S. Central Command via AP)

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander at U.S. Central Command, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that the pier achieved its intended effect in what he called an unprecedented operation.

As the U.S. military steps away from the sea route for humanitarian aid, questions swirl about Israels new plan to use the port at Ashdod as a substitute. There are few details on how it will work and lingering concerns about whether aid groups will have enough viable land crossings to get assistance into the territory besieged by war between Israel and Hamas. But Cooper said the Ashdod corridor will be more sustainable.

ALSO READ- Hamas' military wing chief targeted in Israeli attack on Gaza, 71 dead

Critics call the pier a $230 million boondoggle that failed to bring in the level of aid needed to stem a looming famine. The U.S. military, however, has maintained that it served as the best hope as aid only trickled in during a critical time of near-famine in Gaza and that it got close to 20 million pounds (9 million kilograms) of desperately needed supplies to the Palestinians.

President Joe Biden, who announced the building of the pier during his State of the Union speech in March, expressed disappointment that it didnt do as well as hoped.

Ive been disappointed that some of the things that I put forward have not succeeded as well  like the port we attached from Cyprus, Biden, a Democrat, said during a news conference last week. I was hopeful that would be more successful.

Planned as a temporary fix to get aid to starving Palestinians, the project was panned from the start by aid groups that condemned it as a waste of time and money. While U.S. defense officials acknowledged that the weather was worse than expected and limited the days the pier could operate, they also expressed frustration with humanitarian groups for being unable and unwilling to distribute the aid that got through the system, only to have it pile up onshore.

A critical element that neither the aid groups nor the U.S. military could control, however, was the Israeli defense forces whose military operation into Gaza put humanitarian workers in persistent danger and in a number of cases cost them their lives.

As a result, the pier operated for fewer than 25 days after its installation May 16, and aid agencies used it only about half that time due to security concerns.

Stuck in the middle were the more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors who largely lived on boats off the Gaza shore and struggled to keep the pier working but spent many days repairing it or detaching it, moving it and reinstalling it due to the bad weather.

The tensions played out until the final moments, as senior Biden administration officials signaled the end of the pier project days ago but U.S. Central Command balked, holding out hope the military could reinstall it one last time to move any final pallets of aid ashore.

Most would agree that use of the maritime route and what is known as the Armys Joint Logistics Over the Shore capability, or JLOTS, fell short of early expectations. Even at the start, officials warned of challenges because the sea is shallow, the weather is unpredictable and it was an active war zone.

The U.S. also had to train Israeli troops and others on how to anchor the pier to the shore because no U.S. troops could step foot on Gaza soil, a condition Biden has had since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel conflict in October.

However, enough aid to feed 450,000 people for a month flowed through the pier, according to the United States Agency for International Development, which coordinated with the United Nations and others to get supplies to people in need. As important, humanitarian leaders say, the pier operation laid the groundwork for a coordination system with the Israeli government and military that they can expand on.

The one place where deconfliction with the Israeli military worked well was at the pier, which came online at a time of some of the greatest despair and food shortages, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said. She said Israel and the military have now agreed to extend that coordination plan to all of Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday that a new Pier 28 will soon be established at Israels Ashdod port for delivering aid to the Gaza Strip as a replacement for the U.S. military-built pier. He did not say when it would start operating.

ALSO READ- Israel launches new Gaza strikes after weekend attack kills scores in safe zone

Other aid groups, however, slammed the U.S. military pier as a distraction, saying the U.S. should have instead pressured Israel to open more land crossings and allow the aid to flow more quickly and efficiently through them.

Everyone has agreed all along that land crossings are the most productive way to get aid into Gaza, but the Israeli military routinely has blocked routes and slowed deliveries due to inspections. Aid groups also were terrorized by attacks, from Hamas, gunmen who stripped convoys of supplies and the Israeli military. More than 278 workers have been killed in the conflict, Power said.

As the Pentagon and the Army take stock of how the pier did, questions will loom about whether officials underestimated the persistent weather challenges and security hurdles that hindered the operation.

The system is run by the Army's 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. And it's like a huge LEGO system  an array of 40-foot-long (12-meter-long) pieces of steel that can be locked together to form a pier and causeway.

It's unclear if U.S. forces were adequately prepared for the unpredictable and turbulent weather in the Gaza region. Nine days after the pier was installed on the Gaza shore, bad weather broke it, forcing troops to dismantle it and take it to the Israeli port at Ashdod for more than two weeks for repairs.

Weather forced troops to detach the pier from the shore two more times and move it to Ashdod. It was detached for the final time on June 28, and poor weather prevented the U.S. from reinstalling it.

ALSO READ- Hamas withdraws from Gaza ceasefire talks: Report

Aid groups struggled to distribute the supplies from the pier into Gaza, and their efforts came to an abrupt halt after a June 8 Israeli military raid that rescued four hostages but killed hundreds of Palestinians.

Troops used an area near the pier to land a helicopter and fly out the hostages. To have even a small part of an Israeli military operation so close to the pier creates problems for aid groups who rely on being independent and separate from troops to remain safe.

As a result, the U.N. suspended all World Food Program deliveries while it conducted a review, which has not been released. WFP personnel have not distributed aid from the pier since but hired contractors to move aid that piled up on shore to warehouses so it would not spoil.
The bodies of six people were found Tuesday in a luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok and their deaths may have been caused by poisoning, police and officials said. In this photo released by the Royal Thai Police, uneaten meals are left on a table in a room in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel room where six people were found dead from unknown causes, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Royal Thai Police via AP)(AP)

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals, and said there were three males and three females. Investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an officer from the Lumpini police station said on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to release information.

The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Thiti said. Police are still looking for the seventh person included in the booking, Thiti said at a news conference at the hotel.

He said there were no signs of a struggle. The residents of the room where the bodies were found were supposed to have checked out earlier Tuesday and their luggage had already been packed, he said. The bodies were discovered by a maid who went to the room after they failed to check out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said.

There was food that had been ordered earlier from room service that was left uneaten, but drinks had been consumed, Thiti said. He would not confirm a cause of death, but said the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin went to the hotel in the evening, and later told journalists that the incident was neither a robbery nor a random assault, and that it should not affect Thailands lucrative tourism industry.

Pending the results of autopsies, Our hypothesis is that they ingested something that killed them, Srettha said.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said U.S. officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families, he told reporters in Washington.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
MILWAUKEE  Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, released from prison Wednesday, condemned the Biden administration for what he called the weaponization of the justice system, even as he pledged to offer a message of national unity when he speaks to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Ex-Trump adviser Peter Navarro, released from prison, decries 'weaponization' of justice system

In his first interview since his release from a Florida prison for contempt of Congress, Navarro told The Associated Press he was just one example of what many on the right say is the Biden administrations use of the judiciary to punish its political enemies.

Im a small part of the bigger issue, Navarro said, referring to the oft-repeated claim by conservatives that, during President Joe Biden's administration, the justice system has been used to hobble former President Donald Trump and those close to him. If we dont control the government, the government will control us, Navarro said.

Navarro, who served as a White House trade adviser under Trump, was freed from custody after serving four months for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of the Republican president's supporters, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

The telephone interview took place as Navarro was awaiting takeoff from a Florida airport for a trip to Milwaukee, where he was to to speak on the third night of the Republican National Convention.

Despite his echo of a common GOP refrain that the Biden administration has weaponized the judicial system to punish Trump and his allies, Navarro said he planned to offer a message of unity, a common theme among Republicans in light of the assassination attempt on the former president Saturday.

To win the election, we have to unite not just the Republican party but the entire country, Navarro said. Im going to reach out to Democrats disenchanted with the radical left.

Many mainstream Democrats" are "disenfranchised, disengaged and disgusted with the radical left, Navarro said. In Trumps America, people dont have to worry about food on the table, medicine in the cabinet and a roof over their head.

Unity is my message, he added.

Trump has accused the Justice Department of targeting him politically with indictments in two criminal cases even as the department also brought tax and gun charges against Bidens son, Hunter. Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony charges last month.

A federal judge in Florida this week dismissed one of Trumps federal cases, which accused him of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The Justice Department plans to appeal.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has forcefully defended the independence and integrity of the Justice Department against what he has described as unprecedented attacks by Republicans.

The idea that politics infects our prosecutions, nothing could be further from the truth. We have one rule. We follow the facts, and we follow the law and we make the appropriate decisions, Garland told reporters last month.

Still, Navarro said Democrats are a potentially fertile voting bloc for Trump that he plans to try to reach in his convention speech.

Trump won in 2016 in large part by carrying once-Democratic swaths of states carried by former President Barack Obama in 2012, including Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Just like Donald Trump, I am fighting for important principles, Navarro said

Navarro is set to speak in the 6 p.m. hour Central time, according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on the condition of anonymity before the schedule's official release. The Associated Press first reported that Navarro would address the RNC.

Navarro was the first senior Trump administration official to be locked up for a crime related to the Jan. 6 attack when he reported to a federal prison in Miami in March. He has called his conviction the partisan weaponization of the judicial system.

He was subpoenaed by the committee over his promotion of false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election in the run-up to the Capitol insurrection. He has maintained that he couldnt cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. Courts have rejected that argument, finding that Navarro couldnt prove Trump had actually invoked privilege.

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon reported to prison earlier this month to begin serving his four-month sentence on contempt of Congress charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional Jan. 6 investigation.

The House committee spent 18 months investigating the deadly insurrection, interviewing more than 1,000 witnesses, holding 10 hearings and obtaining more than 1 million pages of documents. In its final report, the panel ultimately concluded that Trump criminally engaged in a multi-part conspiracy to overturn his election loss to Biden and failed to act to stop his supporters from storming the Capitol. Trump insists he did nothing wrong.

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington.

Follow the 's coverage of the 2024 election at /hub/election-2024.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The US Secret Service has obtained increasing amounts of evidence suggesting that Iran is actively planning to assassinate former US President Donald Trump before the November election. Donald Trump greeted with massive applause as he appears at RNC with bandaged ear AP/PTI(AP)

According to two senior US officials, the Biden administration has gathered information from various sources, including human intelligence, regarding threats from Tehran that are linked to potential acts of violence against Trump.

Iran has long harboured intentions to retaliate against Trump for the 2020 killing of its top general, Qassem Soleimani. The officials noted that while these plans have been considered for years, recent intelligence suggests an escalation in Tehran's efforts. They warned of possible attempts on Trump's life in the coming weeks.

However, an Iranian spokesperson in the US strongly refuted the claims. These accusations are baseless and biased. From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who should be tried and punished in court for ordering the assassination of General Soleimanim, he said, and added, Iran has chosen the legal path to hold him accountable.

ALSO READ| In Milwaukee, Vances nomination, Union leader speech reshapes Republican Party

Secret Service on high alert after receiving intel on Iranian assassination plot against Trump

CNN reported that the US had received intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump before Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, attempted to kill the former president at his rally in Pennsylvania.

According to ABC News, the US has been taking these threats seriously by offering security protection to Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, and John Bolton, the former national security adviser.

Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service Chief of Communication, stated, The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed.

We cannot comment on any specific threat stream other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly.

On Tuesday, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson also said, We have repeatedly and consistently briefed the public and Congress on the existence of these threats. We have repeatedly met at the highest levels of our government to develop and implement a comprehensive response to these threats.

ALSO READ| Police shoot dead knife-wielding suspect near RNC, days after Trump's assassination attempt: Report

They have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration.

We have invested extraordinary resources in developing additional information about these threats, disrupting individuals involved in these threats  and directly warning Iran, she added.
Joe Biden recently revealed that he might consider stepping down from his role if medical professionals advise him to do so. In a recent interview, Biden acknowledged that a serious health condition could prompt him to leave office, emphasising the importance of following doctors' recommendations. Earlier, while addressing the NAACPs annual convention the POTUS remarked that Vice President Kamala Harris could be president of the United States. US President Joe Biden addressing the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Biden hints at possible exit due to health concerns

The President, who is seeking a second term in the White House, addressed a question during a BET interview about whether there was any circumstance that might make him reconsider his candidacy for the presidential race.

Responding to the same he said, If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem, in an excerpt released on Wednesday as per Times.

Also read: Joe Biden says Kamala Harris could be president of the United States amid calls to drop out

Following a disastrous debate night with competitor Donald Trump, President Biden previously stated in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he would only step down if the "Lord Almighty" instructed him to do so. However, the new response comes amid increasing calls for Biden to step aside. Initially facing no such demands, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Wednesday became the 21st House Democrat to tell Biden to step down, saying it's time for him to hand over the reins, as per Post.

Watch interview here:

Despite widespread calls from both the public and fellow Democrats to step down due to repeated public gaffes raising concerns about his cognitive health, Biden has steadfastly refused to consider retirement. earlier, he responded to these concerns by stating that he has undergone "three significant and intense neurological exams," with the most recent taking place in February.

Harris has accepted a possible debate date with Trumps VP pick JD Vance

On the first day of the RNC, Donald Trump picked Ohio senator JD Vance to be his running mate in the 2024 presidential race. Once a Trump critic, Vance has since turned into a big fan of the MAGA movement. He has a conservative voting record and considerable sway within the Midwest. His inclusion could potentially enhance Trump's standing in that area. Meanwhile, The Biden-Harris campaign stated on Monday that that they are open to debating Vance.

Also read: Joe Biden clarifies the 'bull's-eye' comment on Donald Trump was just an honest mistake

Now that the Trump campaign has selected a running mate, we encourage them to agree to a debate between vice-president Harris and Senator Vance, Harris said. Reportedly, the Vice President has selected a possible third date for a CBS-hosted debate.
While addressing the NAACPs annual convention, Joe Biden teased that vice president Kamala Harris could be president of the United States. This comes as Biden faces growing calls to drop out of the race. Joe Biden says Kamala Harris could be president of the United States amid calls to drop out (Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg)(Bloomberg)

Shes not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States, Biden, 81, said.

Were Biden to step aside, Harris would be the most obvious presidential pick. However, she has often been criticised for not being unable to form her own role in the Biden administration, and also has poor approval ratings. But should Biden choose to resign, it is Harris who would be best-positioned to replace him.

However, Biden gave no indication that he plans to drop out. In fact, the president told the crowd that he has already made plans for the first 100 days of a second term, and one of them would be to sign voting-rights legislation come hell or high water.

Joe Bidens attacks on Donald Trump

In his remarks, Biden repeatedly attacked Donald Trump, who recently survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. However, soon after the former president was attacked, Biden had said in a rare Oval Office address that Americans must lower the temperature of the campaign.

Donald Trumps presidency was hell for black America, Biden said during the recent address, at one point.

At another point, he said of the National Guards response to the 2020 riots after George Floyds murder, What the hells the matter with this man?

Biden also mocked Trumps focus on growing black jobs, and accused him of lying like hell about their respective black unemployment records. I love this phrase, black jobs, tells us a lot about the man and about his character, Biden said.

Folks, I know what a black job is. Its the vice president of the United States. I know what a black job is: the first black president in American history, Barack Obama, Biden said.

The president also said at one point that Trump is a guy who spread the birthism lie about Barack Obama, saying he wasnt born in America and he wasnt a US citizen. He said that Republicans would undo everything the NAACP stands for.
Meghan Markle launched her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard earlier this year. In March, the first product of her latest venture was revealed to be a strawberry jam. Following the soft launch of her brand, rumours erupted that she may have a royal rival in the market, as King Charles already sells jams under his organic food company, Waitrose Duchy Organic. However, a royal commentator has refuted the claims that the British monarch may advance his company's efforts to counter Meghan's brand. Royal expert says it is not in King Charles' nature to 'upstage' his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle

Royal expert says King Charles would never upstage his daughter-in-law

As the speculations about a feud brewing between King Charles and Meghan Markle grow rife, royal commentator Angela Levin affirmed that he would never upstage the duchess.

Meghan is very upset about her jam jars. King Charles brought out jam from his place and she supposedly felt he was taking it away from her, Levin said, adding that it is not in the king's nature to do something so petty to his own daughter-in-law.

ALSO READ: Lara Trump recounts harrowing moment she witnessed father-in-law Donald Trump's assassination attempt

I dont think he would dream to do that, to take it away from her. Its not in his nature, the expert told GB News. Levin also noted that it is impossible for Meghan to speak directly to King Charles.

Apparently she was keen to have a discussion with the King and its alleged that Prince Harry held her back. I dont believe that bit. His Majesty doesnt have a mobile and you cant just get through to him, she said.

You have to go through aides and when hes in a particularly bad mood, you cant even do that. You need to book a time, and he will call back, Levin explained.

ALSO READ: Takeaways from Republican National Convention Day 2: Nikki Haley, DeSantis endorse Trump

When asked about why she thought Meghan may have encountered a failed marketing attempt with her lifestyle brand, the expert said, Meghan launched one of them during Trooping the Colour. And then she launched the other ones when we had the diagnosis of cancer and things like that. People dont like that.

She does go into victim mode. I think she does feel its very unfair on her and she needs to find someone else because its not her forever, Levin concluded, per the outlet.
WASHINGTON, - A high-level U.S. civilian and military delegation visited Papua New Guinea this week to stress U.S. commitment to the strategic Pacific territory, where China is competing for influence. level US delegation stresses Papua New Guinea commitment

The visit from Sunday until Tuesday was aimed at accelerating implementation of new projects linked to a Defense Cooperation Agreement signed last year, the White House statement said on Wednesday.

It also covered other efforts, including deployment of civil affairs and medical training teams, work to help resolve an ongoing fuel crisis and support for the PNG Electrification Project, it said.

The U.S. delegation included the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel Paparo, Mira Rapp-Hooper, the White House senior director for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department's top diplomat for the region, and Michael Schiffer, the U.S. aid agency's assistant administrator for Asia.

"The delegation presented a number of new initiatives responsive to Papua New Guinea's most pressing development and security priorities, advancing this critical Pacific partnership," the statement said.

The U.S. and its regional ally Australia for decades have seen the Pacific as their sphere of influence, and are seeking to deter island nations there from forming security ties with China, after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022.

The U.S.-PNG defense pact sets a framework for the U.S. to refurbish PNG ports and airports for military and civilian use over 15 years, but some analysts have said Washington has been slow to implement commitments.

U.S. diplomatic efforts also suffered a setback this year when President Joe Biden raised the possibility that his uncle may have fallen victim to cannibals in PNG after his plane crashed there during World War Two.

The U.S. said last year its Coast Guard would take on a bigger maritime security role across the Pacific Islands and Coast Guard officers patrolling PNG waters would have authority to board foreign vessels suspected of illegal activity.

In February, a senior U.S. State Department official urged PNG to turn down China's offer of a potential security pact, warning that any security guarantee with Beijing comes with consequences and costs.

The World Bank is preparing a financial lifeline for Pacific Island nations, backed by the U.S. and Australia, as an exodus of Western banks from the unprofitable market prompts concern that China could fill the vacuum.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
A man wearing a ski mask and carrying an AK-47 pistol was arrested just blocks from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention is being held, on Monday, July 15, a federal law enforcement source told Fox News. The suspicious man was spotted by Homeland Security Investigators and Capitol Police, who were conducting surveillance near the RNC perimeter. Man wearing ski mask and armed with AK-47 pistol arrested near RNC venue (Photo by LEON NEAL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

The man was carrying a tactical bag, inside which police found the gun and a full magazine. However, the mans intentions remain unclear. The man, 21, was arrested around 1 pm on the 1200 block of N. 11th Street, Milwaukee Police confirmed.

According to police, the man does not have a concealed weapon licence in Wisconsin, or in any other state for that matter. Police said that charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office as of now.

Other security concerns near the RNC venue

In another disturbing incident that caused security concern, police shot a man dead on Tuesday, July 16, about 2 miles from Fiserv Forum. The man was reportedly brandishing a knife when he was killed. According to a witness, the person lived in a nearby homeless camp.

On the same day, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Minn., alleged that a protester assaulted him. He claimed that while he was waiting in line to enter the venue, he was assaulted by a member of CODEPINK. He said it was an "incident of political violence."

The activist group denied claims that Orden was assaulted. CODEPINK said the woman "was intentionally bumped into by this bald, white member of Congress while he tried to shove past her."

All this comes just days after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers after he opened fire. However, before he was killed, he wounded Trump and two other people, and also killed a firefighter.
Good news for anime fans! MAPPA has finally revealed more information about the highly anticipated remake of the 1989 action series Ranma . The Japanese production house unveiled the trailer for the beloved martial arts franchise on Wednesday, along with the details about its voice cast. So, here's what we know so far about the upcoming anime series: MAPPA unveiled the first trailer for Ranma 1/2 reboot on Wednesday(YouTube)

When is Ranma  releasing?

After teasing fans with a brand-new anime a few weeks ago, MAPPA announced that the Ranma  reboot will be released on Saturday, October 5. The show will first air in Japan on Nippon Television at 12:55 am local time. It will premiere on Netflix for global audiences immediately after the broadcast.

Who are the cast and crew for Ranma ?

Following MAPPA's announcement, the official website for Ranma  revealed the staff in charge of the production. The series is being directed by Konosuke Uda, best known for his work in the initial episodes of One Piece. Hiromi Taniguchi of Delicious in Dungeon fame is responsible for the series' character designs. Meanwhile, Japanese composer Kaoru Wada is behind the musical score.

As part of the series announcement, MAPPA also revealed the final voice cast, with fan-favourite original characters returning:

Ranma Saotome: Yamaguchi Kappei Ranma: Hayashibara Megumi Akane Tendo: Hidaka Noriko Nabiki Tendo: Takayama Minami Kasumi Tendo: Inoue Kikuko Soun Tendo: Otsuka Akio Genma Saotome: Cho Ryoga Hibiki: Yamadera Kouichi Shampoo: Sakuma Rei Narration: Ogata Kenichi

What is Ranma  about?

Ranma  is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. MAPPA describes the anime as:

Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo of Tendo Dojo are betrothed to each other by their parents. But Ranma faces a unique problem Ever since he fell into the cursed springs of Jusenkyo while training in China, his body has acquired the peculiar trait of transforming into a girl when doused with cold water and reverting to a boy with hot water. Get ready for the slapstick, action-packed rom com featuring Ranma, Akane, and a vibrant cast of unique characters!
Indian-American entrepreneur Jay Chaudhry never envisioned himself as a business mogul, let alone a billionaire or an industry pioneer. From rural India to a $11.5 billion net worth, Jay Chaudhry's entrepreneurial spirit drove the success of Zscaler in the tech world.(Zscaler)

I have no background of entrepreneurship in my family of small-scale farmers. So if you asked me, Did I ever think about becoming an entrepreneur in my childhood [or] early years of my career? Not really, Chaudhry, the founder and CEO of cloud security company Zscaler told CNBC.

Although he noted, If Marc Andreessen [Netscape co-founder] could start a company  he was a young guy [right] out of college  why shouldnt I start a company?

ALSO READ| Google-backed GitLab, valued at $44 billion explores sale: Report

Who is Jay Chaudhry?

Growing up in rural India and later moving to the US in 1980 to study engineering and marketing, he didn't foresee his future in entrepreneurship, even after securing positions at tech giants IBM and Unisys.

Chaudhry began to consider entrepreneurship during the boom in City by the Bay back in 1996. Motivated by the success stories around him, he decided to leave his executive role at IQ Software in Atlanta. Lets go get venture capital funding, he said.

His wife, Jyoti, quit her job as a systems analyst at BellSouth to join him in his venture.. Together, they invested their life savings of around $500,000 into their first cybersecurity startup, SecureIT, in 1997.

At the time, maybe less than 5% of Fortune 500 companies had firewalls, Chaudhry recalls. Within 18 months, we had deployed firewalls in about 50% of [the] Fortune 500. In 1998, SecureIT was acquired by VeriSign in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $70 million.

ALSO READ| Who is Harmeet Dhillon? Sikh Republican trolled for offering Ardas for Donald Trump

How Zscaler became a cloud security giant

Over the next decade, Chaudhrys founded two more cybersecurity companies and an e-commerce business, each of which was eventually acquired. By 2007, they were already successful entrepreneurs, but the Indian-American tycoon decided to launch one big company and put 200% focus on that.

This new venture was Zscaler, a company designed to help businesses transition from traditional firewalls to cloud-based security solutions.

We were trying to solve a problem that was futuristic. Will it be successful or not? Will the market take off or not? That was all unknown, he said while sitting with CNBC Make Its.

With a $50 million personal investment, the couple launched Zscaler. Today, the company generates $1.6 billion in annual revenue and holds a market value of approximately $30 billion.

ALSO READ| Fake luxuries supplant tradition in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar

Chaudhrys personal net worth is estimated at $11.5 billion per Forbes.
A former CIA employee and senior official at the National Security Council has been charged with serving as a secret agent for South Korea's intelligence service, the Justice Department said. FILE PHOTO: Sue Mi Terry, then director at Bower Group Asia, speaks on a "Crisis on the Peninsula: Implications for the U.S. - Korea Alliance" panel at the Asia Society in New York, U.S., June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo(REUTERS)

Sue Mi Terry accepted luxury goods, including fancy handbags, and expensive dinners at sushi restaurants in exchange for advocating South Korean government positions during media appearances, sharing nonpublic information with intelligence officers and facilitating access for South Korean officials to U.S. government officials, according to an indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan.

She also admitted to the FBI that she served as a source of information for South Korean intelligence, including by passing handwritten notes from an off-the-record June 2022 meeting that she participated in with Secretary of State Antony Blinken about U.S. government policy toward North Korea , the indictment says.

Prosecutors say South Korean intelligence officers also covertly paid her more than $37,000 for a public policy program that Terry controlled that was focused on Korean affairs.

The conduct at issue occurred in the years after Terry left the U.S. government and worked at think tanks, where she became a prominent public policy voice on foreign affairs.

Lee Wolosky, a lawyer for Terry, said in a statement that the allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.

He said she had not held a security clearance for more than a decade and her views have been consistent.

In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf, he said. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.

Terry served in the government from 2001 to 2011, first as a CIA analyst and later as the deputy national intelligence officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council, before working for think tanks, including the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prosecutors say Terry never registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent.

On disclosure forms filed with the House of Representatives, where she testified at least three times between 2016 and 2022, she said that she was not an active registrant but also never disclosed her covert work with South Korea, preventing Congress from having the opportunity to fairly evaluate Terry's testimony in light of her longstanding efforts for the government, the indictment says.
Meghan Markle has reportedly expressed that lately, she feels all her acts and moves are heavily scrutinised in the public eye and will receive a backlash. The Duchess of Sussex is all geared up to bring forth two new ventures to the world. However, she and her husband, Prince Harry, already expect a heavy backlash from the public for the upcoming projects. The Duke and Duchess feel it's unfair that their every move is scrutinised. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo(REUTERS)

Meghan feels it unfair to scrutinize their every move

Meghan Markle is soon going to introduce her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, followed by her new Netflix cooking show. However, the Duchess has felt that all her moves were recently criticised and scrutinised, and she expects the same for her forthcoming projects, as reported by InStyle.

In a conversation with The Mirror, royal author Tom Quinn said, She has reached the point now where she thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticised. With news that the couples Netflix contract may be under threat, along with the mockery that greeted the launch of her online brand, Meghan feels very much under siege."

Also read: Prince William takes tough and resolute decision against brother Prince Harry

Quinn explained that not only Meghan but her husband Prince Harry also shares a mutual feeling about public scrutiny. He said, Like her husband, she feels that people are unfairly picking on hershe cannot understand why people dont admire her work."

The Duke and Duchess keep their head above water

Despite facing criticism, the former royals remain committed to their passions. Recently, they attended the 2024 ESPY Awards, where Harry received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, a decision that sparked controversy. Markle showed her support by joining him at the event and posing for photos.

Also Read: Meet Sue Mi Terry, ex-CIA official charged with being a South Korean agent, admits to shocking details

Body language expert Darren Stanton said, Meghan often takes a dominant lead in the engagements she attends with Harry, but she wanted her husband to be in control. It was her way of saying, This is Harrys night. He also noticed that Harry reciprocated her feelings as he adopted the role of the authoritative figure. The Duke also maintained closeness and affection towards his wife throughout the ceremony.

Despite being acutely aware of the public criticism they face, Markle remains optimistic about the reception of her upcoming brand. According to Us Weekly, the launch of American Riviera Orchard has seen a strong start, with over 100,000 people signing up on the website to receive updates about the initial product launches. Meghan is reportedly pleased with the early interest the brand has garnered.
Microsoft has reportedly fired its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team, sparking internal outrage. The programs leader has now blasted the companys changing business needs. Microsoft accused of firing its DEI team (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)(REUTERS)

This move by Microsoft was exposed in an email that Business Insider obtained. The email revealed that the DEI internal team claimed diversity was no longer business critical.

"True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," the teams leader wrote in an email to thousands of employees. According to the email, the team was fired due to "changing business needs" as of July 1. How many people were affected remains unclear.

After George Floyds murder in 2020, various technology companies, including Microsoft, vowed to improve diversity efforts. Historic protests followed Floyds murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

Microsoft promised to double the number of black leaders within the company by 2025. The progress on this claim is unclear.

However, the email leak suggested that the ex-DEI team leader believes Microsoft had given up on the DEI initiatives that were pushed during the Black Lives Matter protests. The initiatives included spending $150 million on DEI programs, among others.

Microsoft says its D&I commitments remain unchanged

At the time, CEO Satya Nadella said these moves would not be a one-time event. However, the email insisted that as time went by, true systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.

Microsoft, however, has said in a statement that its D&I commitments remain unchanged. After the email was exposed, Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones said that their commitments have not changed and that its work on the issue will hold firm.

Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work, Jones said.

The statement said nothing about the employees reportedly being fired. Last year, the company announced that it planned to fire 10,000 staffers.
MSNBC's Morning Joe host, Joe Scarborough, publicly lambasted his network for pulling his show on Monday to cover the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump. MSNBC television anchor Joe Scarborough, co-hosts of the show "Morning Joe," (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)(AP)

Scarborough expressed his frustration live on air Tuesday morning, stating that he and his co-host Mika Brzezinski were surprised and disappointed by the decision.

We were very disappointed. And if we had known that there wasnt going to be the one news feed from NBC News across all NBC News channels, Willie [Geist], we obviously would have been in yesterday morning, he said.

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Morning Joe threatens to leave the show

He also threatened to leave the show if it happened again. Next time we are told there will be a news feed replacing us, we will be in our chairs, Scarborough declared. And the news feed will be us, or they can get somebody else to host the show.

The network had informed the Morning Joe team that there would be one NBC News feed in breaking news mode across all NBC channels throughout Monday. However, the Today show aired as usual on NBC that morning, and MSNBC hosts Andrea Mitchell and Chris Jansing hosted their regularly scheduled shows in the afternoon.

If we had known that there wasnt going to be the one news feed from NBC News across all NBC News channels  we obviously would have been in yesterday morning, Scarborough said.

Our team was not given a good answer as to why that didnt happen, but it didnt happen.

NBC network executives decided to pull Morning Joe to prevent any guests from making inappropriate comments on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole while discussing Trump's assassination attempt, per CNN report.

ALSO READ| Trump rally shooting: Secret Service Director says sniper team wasn't put on guard because of sloped roof

Scarborough is a longtime friend and ally of Joe Biden

Last week, Joe Biden called into Morning Joe to criticize Democratic Party elites urging him to step aside. Trump and his supporters have long questioned the credibility of the left-leaning network. In 2020, Trump suggested Scarborough had committed murder, leading the host to ask Trump to stop watching the show for the sake of America.

Brzezinski said on Tuesday, This show began, and continues 17 years later on being the place where you can go to have the hard conversations in a civil way.

So it seemed like, now more than ever, is a day, a time that we would like to be on. I think our viewers agree with that.
Donald Trump's former leading rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, offered full-throated endorsements of his candidacy at the party's convention on Tuesday, a display of unity three days after Trump survived an assassination attempt. Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (top, on monitor) watches as US former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekend's failed assassination attempt. (Photo by Pedro UGARTE / AFP)(AFP)

Haley, who had described Trump as unelectable and unfit for office during her campaign, nevertheless urged her supporters to vote for him over Democratic President Joe Biden "for the sake of our nation."

"You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him," the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor said, after taking the stage to a mixture of cheers and boos. "Take it from me."

DeSantis, the conservative Florida governor whose campaign sputtered early in the year, received a warm welcome from the crowd as he attacked Biden as too old for the job.

Trump smiled and applauded from his box in the arena, where he sat alongside the running mate whose selection he unveiled on Monday, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, himself a former fierce Trump critic who has become a staunch supporter.

The show of harmony was intended to contrast with the Democratic Party, which has spent weeks mired in intraparty tensions over whether Biden, 81, should abandon his reelection bid after his halting June 27 debate performance against Trump, 78, raised fresh questions about his age and mental acuity.

Many of the evening's speeches in Milwaukee - centered on the theme of law and order - were infused with Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, with speakers angrily denouncing Biden's southern border policies as putting the country's security at risk.

Kari Lake and Bernie Moreno, who are running in high-profile U.S. Senate races in Arizona and Ohio, respectively, and U.S. senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas all called the flow of migrants an "invasion."

While border crossings reached record highs during Biden's tenure, arrests dropped sharply in June after the president implemented a broad asylum ban.

Anne Fundner, a mother whose teenage son died from fentanyl poisoning, said she held Biden and other Democrats responsible for his death. The family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman who authorities say was raped and killed by a Salvadoran immigrant who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally several times, blamed Democratic policies as well.

Trump has highlighted Morin's death on the campaign trail, where he frequently demonizes migrants as violent criminals. Studies show immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans.

Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and pledged to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, including the use of federal troops if necessary.

Trump entered the arena around 8 p.m. local time (0100 GMT on Wednesday) to a raucous ovation, just as he did on Monday in his first public appearance since a gunman tried to assassinate him on Saturday at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. He was more ebullient than the night before, when he seemed emotional and more subdued than usual. A heavily bandaged ear served as a reminder of how narrowly he survived the attempt.

BIDEN IS 'ALL IN'

Some of the heated attacks contradicted the message of national unity Trump had promised to deliver this week after the shooting.

But Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, closed the night with a shift in tone, saying that Americans should remember "there is more that unites us than divides us."

In the wake of the shooting, however, voter fears about the deeply polarized state of the nation ahead of the Nov. 5 election only seem to have deepened.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday found that 80% of voters - including similar shares of Republicans and Democrats - agreed "the country is spiraling out of control" in the wake of the shooting.

Authorities were still trying to identify a motive for the shooting. The 20-year-old gunman was killed at the scene by the U.S. Secret Service.

Vance, 39, the author of the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," will deliver the headlining speech on Wednesday. His presence on the ticket is likely to energize core Republican voters, but it is less clear whether he can appeal to more moderate voters, including independents.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 29% of U.S. voters, including 52% of Republicans, had a favorable opinion of Vance. By comparison, 42% of registered voters and 81% of Democrats had a favorable view of Biden's running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The survey of 992 registered voters, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, found Trump leading Biden by 43% to 41%, within the margin of error.

In his first campaign speech since the assassination attempt, Biden told Black voters in Las Vegas that he was "all in" for his reelection campaign, again dismissing calls from some Democrats to step aside.

The president said he was glad Trump had not been seriously injured but assailed his record in office. Biden has denounced the attack and called for less heated rhetoric.

The four-day convention will culminate with Trump's prime-time address on Thursday, when he formally accepts the party's nomination to face Biden in a rematch of their 2020 race.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne, Alexandra Ulmer and Gram Slattery in Milwaukee; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh and Mica Rosenberg; Writing by Joseph Ax and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Howard Goller and Daniel Wallis)
Prince William has made his stand clear about relations with his brother Prince Harry. The feud between the brothers has been growing thicker since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex discarded their royal duties. The royal couple has also made several allegations against the royal family which has widened the rift between the two camps. Amid this growing rift, reports earlier suggested that Prince William had taken a tough and resolute decision and enforced a ban on Prince Harry from returning with the royal fold. Prince William has taken a firm stand about royal family's relations with brother Prince Harry. (AP/PTI, Andy Kelvin/PA via AP)

Also Read: Secret Service on high alert over reported Iranian assassination plot against Trump; no link to Thomas Crooks'

Prince Williams resolute stand with Prince Harry

The relationship between the two brothers has been strained and silent since 2020 and will continue to do so as Prince William took a decisive stand on the issue with a ban on Prince Harry. Royal Commentator Jennie Bond discussed the strong character exhibited by the Prince of Wales numerous times.

She commented that Prince William has always been a person of strong character. "I think his broken childhood made him tough and resolute. He now has the reputation of being stubborn and, once his mind is made up, he sticks to his decision," she said, as reported by The Blast. She further analysed that the Prince wales is someone who commands respect" and his views hod a considerable sway. She further added, "Obviously, as heir to the throne, his word carries a lot of weight in the family and I think it's true that he has been prepared to take a tough stand on a number of issues, including [Princes] Andrew and Harry."

Also Read: Trump rally shooter's official cause of death finally revealed; the motive of young man

Prince Williams disciplinarian method for Prince Harry

With the enforcement of the ban on Prince Harry, it is visible that Prince William has taken pages from Prince Phillips book. Similar to the Prince of Edinburgh, Prince William took on the role of enforcer in the royal family. An insider said, There is a sense that William has stepped into the Prince Philip role. Philip ruled the family with a rod of iron and you saw when he died that discipline collapsed. Now William is calling the shots when it comes to family discipline."

Also Read: Police shoot dead knife-wielding suspect near RNC, days after Trump's assassination attempt: Report

Prince Harry is heartbroken after the ban

Prince Harry has been heartbroken, reportedly, after not being invited to be a part of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. He is confused about the royal familys aloofness towards him and his wife, Meghan Markle. "He's heartbroken and confused by the way they've cut him off and seemingly haven't given it another thought, shared the insider.

The Duke was emotional and "upset" to see Kate Middleton at the Sovereigns birthday ceremony in June as he had been concerned about her health. He further added that Prince Harry would have loved to be there to support Kate as he understood it must have been a difficult day for her.
At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Sen. Ted Cruz honoured Americans murdered by illegal immigrants, including Rachel Morin and Jocelyn Nungaray. While Morin, a 37-year-old Maryland mom, was raped and killed by 23-year-old Victor Martinez Hernandez, Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl whose body was found in a creek in north Houston. She was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed by Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26. Ted Cruz honours Americans murdered by illegal immigrants (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)(AP)

"Only twelve years old," Cruz said of Nungaray. "It was just one month ago today that she was brutally raped and murdered in Houston by two men who were supposed to be detained and monitored, but instead released and allowed to roam free."

Cruz also remembered Morin, a beautiful mother of five. "Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children," Cruz added.

Trump called my family to offer condolences

Joe Bidens immigration policies have been widely criticised after several women became victims of violence by illegal immigrants, including Laken Riley. At the RNC, Morins brother alleged that Biden and Kamala Harris have still not offered the family their condolences.

"Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, but there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother," Michael Morin said.

"My sister's death as preventable. The monster arrested for killing Rachel entered the US unlawfully after killing a woman in El Salvador," he told the convention. "Yet to this day we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris."

"They never apologized, but when Rachel was killed President Trump called my family to offer condolences," he added. "He wanted to meet with us. He cared. That is leadership."

Hernandez has been charged with two counts of murder, two counts of rape and one count each of sex offense and kidnapping for the ruthless attack on Morin in 2023. Rangel and Ramos were charged with capital murder in Nungaray's death.
Prince Harry and his publishers are searching high and low for more sensational material to push for a paperback copy of his memoir, Spare. Eighteen months after the Duke of Sussexs book was released, there is still no sign of the said version, a much sought-after edition for its affordability over the hardcover copy. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex accepts the Pat Tillman Award onstage during the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images via AFP)

Publishers are also generally keen on marketing the version for the same reason, which they usually do by capitalising on new sensational material that may be amiss from the original copy.

However, much to the Dukes dismay, it seems like the estranged member of the royal family has run out of more things to say as far as his book is concerned.

Publishers want to monetise new sensational content through the Spare paperback, but to no avail

According to a new Daily Mail report, his family deliberately distanced themselves from him to avert further mayhem. Theyre cognisant that anything they say could be used against them as evidence in Prince Harrys documentation, especially since the Sussex couples 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview.

Also read | Meghan Markle feels its unfair being 'scrutinised' for every move ahead of new ventures

Several significant events have transpired in the royal family since the 2023 release of Prince Harrys original memoir. Some of these include his father, King Charles Coronation, his cancer diagnosis, followed by the Princess of Wales public announcement of her own diagnosis and Princess Annes head injury.

However, the Duke of Sussex, now settled in California, US, has presumably not been privy to the happenings inside the Palace in the UK.

Although he briefly flew to his home country following the monarchs cancer diagnosis, there was barely any room for their reunion, with the Duke staying elsewhere and the King and Queen taking off for Sandringham in Norfolk.

Prince Harrys 2023 memoir received an uproarious response, especially since it disseminated supposed details of his wife, Meghan Markles disagreement with Kate Middleton over Prince Charlottes bridesmaid dress for the 2018 Harry-Meghan wedding. The event seemingly left the Duchess in tears.

Also read | Trump rally shooting: Secret Service Director says sniper team wasn't put on guard because of sloped roof

She also addressed the issue during the Oprah Winfrey interview, claiming the Princess had already apologised for what happened between them and bringing it up again in her absence would be a distasteful decision.

On the other hand, the 39-year-old Duke described an alleged altercation between him and his brother, Prince William, over Markle, whom the latter supposedly called abrasive.

The book also spoke at length about Prince Harry's stepmother, Queen Camilla, allegedly handing the media several inside scoops about the royal family to maintain her buzzworthy relevance in public.

However, all these behind-the-scenes bombshells have slipped from the Duke's radar since he stepped down from his royal post.
Republican National Convention is in full swing, with critics turning into Trump allies during the second night in Milwaukee. The conservatives rallied around the former president's plans to make America safer. Once-rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis endorsed Trump in the name of unity. Here are the key takeaways from the second night of the RNC: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 16: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump departs following the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Nikki Haley endorses Trump in the name of unity

The former presidential challenger took the stage on Tuesday, drawing cheers from the crowd as she said, President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period, Haley continued before calling out Joe Biden for not doing anything against violence.

We have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her, she said, adding, When Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothingno invasions, no wars. That was no accident. You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I havent always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree, Haley added.

Republicans make false claims against Democrats

Throughout the night, the conventional hall echoed with chants of Trump and his upcoming agenda. His supporters made strong calls to build the wall. Both Trump and JD Vance previously said they support mass deportation. However, multiple RNC speakers falsely claimed that Democrats rely on votes from illegals.

Democrats decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said, while Florida Sen. Rick Scott claimed that it was easy for Democrats to rig the elections by allowing all the non-citizens to vote.

Ron DeSantis calls Biden administration Weekend at Bernie's presidency

DeSantis not only endorsed Trump but took a brutal swipe at Biden, calling his administration a Weekend at Bernie's presidency. He made it clear that Florida is a solid Republican state. For decades, my home state saw elections determined by razor-thin margins. Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins. The left is in retreat, DeSantis said.

The Florida governor went on to praise Trump and his presidency, saying, Life was more affordable when Donald Trump was president. Our border was safer under the Trump administration, and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander-in-chief.

Ted Cruz says it's time for Bob Menendez to resign

Texas senator Cruz clarified that he believes Sen. Bob Menendez should resign. His statement comes after Menendez was convicted on 16 counts of bribery, extortion, and honest services wire fraud. Ive stayed quiet on this case up until this point, but now that the jury has returned a verdict, a jury of his peers have found him guilty of late blatant bribery, he said.
Amid calls to resign, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has blamed a sloped roof for not putting a sniper team on the building from where the shooter opened fire in an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump. Cheatle claimed that the agency did not put the guard on the roof because it was too slanted. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle says sniper team wasn't put on guard because of sloped roof (AP Photo/Morry Gash)(AP)

That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, theres a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldnt want to put somebody up on a sloped roof, Cheatle told ABC News.

And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside, she added.

Crooks had a clear line of sight to Trump from the roof, about 130 yards away. He used his AR-style semi-automatic rifle to open fire, injuring the former president and two others, and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore.

While addressing the criticism, Cheatle said the buck stops with me. However, she refused to step down from her post.

It was unacceptable, Cheatle said of her agencys response to the rally in Pennsylvania. And its something that shouldnt happen again.

It was obviously a situation that as a Secret Service agent, no one ever wants to occur in their career, she added.

Kimberly Cheatles reasoning sparks outrage

Cheatles explanation enraged tactical operations experts. Retired FBI supervisory special agent and Army veteran James Gagliano said he failed to understand the Secret Service boss reasoning. You just have to work with the terrain youre presented with, Gagliano said.

Washington GOP congressional candidate Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces officer, said on X, This is a BS answer. But lets temporarily accept it for the sake of the argument. You cant get on the roof, but you identified the building/roof as a threat, so whats the excuse for not securing the perimeter & all access points to the building/roof?

Right-wing talk show host Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD cop, was also outraged. The Secret Service director said, dont worry, we didnt put someone on the roof because it couldve created a dangerous situation. Like what? Someone getting shot in the head? he said in an episode of The Dan Bongino Show podcast.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. military-built pier to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza will be dismantled and brought home, ending a mission that has been fraught with repeated weather and security problems that limited how much food and other supplies could get to starving Palestinians. US military pier for carrying aid to Gaza will be dismantled after weather and security problems

As the U.S. military stepped away from the sea route for humanitarian aid on Wednesday, questions swirled about Israels new plan to use the port at Ashdod as a substitute. There are few details on how it will work and lingering concerns about whether aid groups will have enough viable land crossings to get assistance into the territory besieged by war between Israel and Hamas.

Critics call the pier a $230 million boondoggle that failed to bring in the level of aid needed to stem a looming famine. The U.S. military, however, has maintained that it served as the best hope as aid only trickled in during a critical time of near-famine in Gaza and that it got close to 20 million pounds of desperately needed supplies to the Palestinians.

President Joe Biden, who announced the building of the pier during his State of the Union speech in March, expressed disappointment that it didnt do as well as hoped.

Ive been disappointed that some of the things that I put forward have not succeeded as well  like the port we attached from Cyprus, Biden, a Democrat, said during a news conference last week. I was hopeful that would be more successful.

Planned as a temporary fix to get aid to starving Palestinians, the project was panned from the start by aid groups that condemned it as a waste of time and money. While U.S. defense officials acknowledged that the weather was worse than expected and limited the days the pier could operate, they also expressed frustration with humanitarian groups for being unable and unwilling to distribute the aid that got through the system, only to have it pile up onshore.

A critical element that neither the aid groups nor the U.S. military could control, however, was the Israeli defense forces whose military operation into Gaza put humanitarian workers in persistent danger and in a number of cases cost them their lives.

As a result, the pier operated for fewer than 25 days after its installation May 16, and aid agencies used it only about half that time due to security concerns.

Stuck in the middle were the more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors who largely lived on boats off the Gaza shore and struggled to keep the pier working but spent many days repairing it or detaching it, moving it and reinstalling it due to the bad weather.

The tensions played out until the final moments, as senior Biden administration officials signaled the end of the pier project days ago but U.S. Central Command balked, holding out hope the military could reinstall it one last time to move any final pallets of aid ashore.

Most would agree that use of the maritime route and what is known as the Armys Joint Logistics Over the Shore capability, or JLOTS, fell short of early expectations. Even at the start, officials warned of challenges because the sea is shallow, the weather is unpredictable and it was an active war zone.

The U.S. also had to train Israeli troops and others on how to anchor the pier to the shore because no U.S. troops could step foot on Gaza soil, a condition Biden has had since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel conflict in October.

However, enough aid to feed 450,000 people for a month flowed through the pier, according to the United States Agency for International Development, which coordinated with the United Nations and others to get supplies to people in need. As important, humanitarian leaders say, the pier operation laid the groundwork for a coordination system with the Israeli government and military that they can expand on.

The one place where deconfliction with the Israeli military worked well was at the pier, which came online at a time of some of the greatest despair and food shortages, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said. She said Israel and the military have now agreed to extend that coordination plan to all of Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday that a new Pier 28 will soon be established at Israels Ashdod port for delivering aid to the Gaza Strip as a replacement for the U.S. military-built pier. He did not say when it would start operating.

Other aid groups, however, slammed the U.S. military pier as a distraction, saying the U.S. should have instead pressured Israel to open more land crossings and allow the aid to flow more quickly and efficiently through them.

Everyone has agreed all along that land crossings are the most productive way to get aid into Gaza, but the Israeli military routinely has blocked routes and slowed deliveries due to inspections. Aid groups also were terrorized by attacks, from Hamas, gunmen who stripped convoys of supplies and the Israeli military. More than 278 workers have been killed in the conflict, Power said.

As the Pentagon and the Army take stock of how the pier did, questions will loom about whether officials underestimated the persistent weather challenges and security hurdles that hindered the operation.

The system is run by the Army's 7th Transportation Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. And it's like a huge LEGO system  an array of 40-foot-long pieces of steel that can be locked together to form a pier and causeway.

It's unclear if U.S. forces were adequately prepared for the unpredictable and turbulent weather in the Gaza region. Nine days after the pier was installed on the Gaza shore, bad weather broke it, forcing troops to dismantle it and take it to the Israeli port at Ashdod for more than two weeks for repairs.

Weather forced troops to detach the pier from the shore two more times and move it to Ashdod. It was detached for the final time on June 28, and poor weather prevented the U.S. from reinstalling it.

Aid groups struggled to distribute the supplies from the pier into Gaza, and their efforts came to an abrupt halt after a June 8 Israeli military raid that rescued four hostages but killed hundreds of Palestinians.

Troops used an area near the pier to land a helicopter and fly out the hostages. To have even a small part of an Israeli military operation so close to the pier creates problems for aid groups who rely on being independent and separate from troops to remain safe.

As a result, the U.N. suspended all World Food Program deliveries while it conducted a review, which has not been released. WFP personnel have not distributed aid from the pier since but hired contractors to move aid that piled up on shore to warehouses so it would not spoil.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
A trend of rising COVID-19 cases has been noticed in particularly 7 states of the US since last winter. As per the data reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a similar trend is being noticed in several other states in the US. These states include California, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Texas. Safety guidelines are in effect and people have been urged to follow them to minimise the transmission of the virus. Coronavirus cases rapidly rise in several states in the US.

Also Read: Meet Sue Mi Terry, ex-CIA official charged with being a South Korean agent, admits to shocking details

Several states in the US record high Coronavirus levels

States of California, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon and Texas have recorded  very high of Coronavirus cases in their waste waters. One of the most populous states of the country. Los Angeles has also noticed an increase in the number of cases with its Mayor, Karen Bass testing positive for COVID-19, as reported by MSN.

According to the most recent data available, the COVID levels of the country are at 27% of last winters peak. The data has been availed by the countrys health department and the analysis conducted over 10 days, ending on June 29. The new levels indicate a 17% rise in the countrys level of cases from the last recorded data which ended on June 26.

The average daily cases are also increasing rapidly from 215 per day on June 26 to 307 per day by the end of the first week of July. The cause for the sudden increase in numbers has been given to introduction of COVID-19s two new variants. One of the new variants called FLiRT is known to be a highly transmissible than the previous one resulting in an increased number of cases. However, the variant does not cause any severe diseases.

According to statistics by Worldometer, as of April 13, 2024, California reported a total of 111 million plus COVID cases, Texas reported over 9 million , Florida had a total of 8 million cases, Maryland and Arkansas reported approximately 1 million cases, Oregan saw a little 992, 925 cases and Nevada marked 923,059 cases.

Also Read: Man wearing ski mask and armed with AK-47 pistol arrested near RNC venue

Symptoms of the new COVID variants

The new COVID variants FLiRT and LB.1 are the cause of sudden rise in number of cases in the US this summer. Expert Dr. Xand van Tulleken suggests to keep an eye out for following symptoms. Some of the common symptoms of the new variants include fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle or body aches, shortness of breath, headache and runny nose.

Other symptoms of the COVID variants can look like chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood and swollen and painful neck, as reported by MSN.

Suggested guidelines due to increase in COVID cases

The simple precautions enforced during the pandemic are still encouraged. This includes people wearing masks and avoiding social contact especially if one is a resident of the above mentioned states. Doctors have urged the public to get vaccinated with the updated vaccines especially those in the higher-risk groups. 36% of people above the age of 65 have not taken the updated vaccines which have been available to the public since September, according to the L.A. Times.

Yale Medicine's Scott Roberts suggests that tests can detect FLiRT strains. Experts recommend daily testing for symptomatic individuals with rapid tests over three to five days, noting delays in test positivity. Those testing positive should wear masks, avoid high-risk contacts, and seek medical care. Updated guidelines allow fever-free individuals with mild symptoms to return to school or work after one day of isolation, effective from January 9.
A video that has surfaced shows Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, being bullied by his peers in high school. The video, which is undated, shows Crooks sitting at his desk while a classmate repeatedly pulls at the leg of his pants. Viral clip shows Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks seemingly getting bullied by peers (The Bethel Park School District via AP)(AP)

Crooks is heard continuously telling the prankster to stop. Stop, youre pulling my leg, Crooks says, as the person behind the camera laughs.

Many people in the comment section of the above video stressed that being bullied does not mean Crooks killing people is justified. Doesnt seem assassination attempt worthy to me, but most importantly how does a kid like that pull off that level of planning? one user wrote. Still cant figure out how trump connects to this kid shooting him.., one user wrote, while another said, no matter how strong they are & how many they're if you'll keep silence, the inner anger will eat you from inside...put a side who is he, what he done etc, I'm speaking generally about bullying.

More like victimizing him, one user wrote, while another said, I was bullied, picked on for being the 'new girl' in a school when my parents moved me around several times. This is nothing. Oh, by the way, I never tried to assassinate anyone as a result of it. I turned out at least 'mostly harmless'.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was bullied in school, former classmates say

Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, wounding the former president and two others, and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore. He was eventually killed by Secret Service snipers.

Crooks former classmates previously claimed he was relentlessly bullied in high school. Crooks was a loner with a penchant for hunting outfits and video games, his former peers said.

The would-be Trump assassins former classmate Jason Kohler told KDKA that Crooks was often bullied. He wore hunting outfits to class on several occasions.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. Sarah DAngelo, one of his classmates, told The Wall Street Journal that Crooks had a few friends but didnt have a full friend group.

A motive for the attack has not been determined. Investigators later found explosives in Crooks car, which was parked not far from the grounds where Trumps rally was held.
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Harmeet Dhillon offered Ardas, a Sikh prayer, in front of thousands, including former US President Donald Trump, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on this Tuesday. Civil Rights attorney and Republican Party leader Harmeet Dhillon offers 'Ardas' at the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee on Monday. (ANI Photo) (Rep. National Convention/Youtube)

The former vice-chairperson of the California Republican Party addressed the audience, reflecting on the recent assassination attempt on the former President. She said, I come from a family of Sikh immigrants and I'm honoured to share with you, my fellow Republicans and guests tonight, a prayer from my faith and tradition practised by over 25 million worldwide.

These last 48 hours have been some of the most intense, yet most prayerful of our lives... We recite the Ardas prayer before any new endeavour, giving thanks to God and asking him for his protection and help uphold the values of humility, truth, courage, service and justice for all, and thanked Waheguru.

She described Trump's Chardikala spirit as the tireless and uplifting spirit that is sustained even in the face of violent adversity, like a founding father centuries.

ALSO READ| Republican Sikh leader recites ardas for Trump at party convention

Dhillon served as the legal advisor for Trump during the 2020 Presidential election. She is also the co-chair of the political group Women for Trump.

Who is Harmeet Dhillon? Indian-American politician

Harmeet Dhillon was born to Sikh parents in Chandigarh, India, and moved to the US as a child. Growing up in Smithfield, rural North Carolina town, she attended Dartmouth College and later pursued law at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Dhillon began her legal career as a clerk for Judge Paul Victor Niemeyer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 2008, she founded her own law firm, Dhillon Law Group Inc. Same year she was running unsuccessfully for a seat in the California Assembly.

She served as the chair of the San Francisco Republican Party and became a board member of the northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union after the September 11 attacks, focusing on discrimination against Sikhs and other South Asians. Dhillon remained on the board for three years.

In 2013, Dhillon joined the California Republican Party's Board, later becoming a national committeeperson for the Republican National Committee in 2016. In early 2017, she was considered for the role of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Justice.

ALSO READ| Trump rally shooting: Secret Service Director says sniper team wasn't put on guard because of sloped roof

Dhillon ran for the chairperson of the Republican National Committee in January 2023 but lost to Ronna McDaniel.

After the 9/11, as Republican lawmakers pushed for the Patriot Act, Dhillon authored a series of legal briefs for the Sikh Coalition, working to safeguard the rights of turban-wearing Sikhs and prevent discriminatory profiling
Europeans, with their art-house sensibilities, can rarely match the dramatic heights coming out of Hollywood. At last the action blockbuster genre has crossed the Atlantic, in a series of short films released on social media in recent days. Their unlikely star is one Viktor Orban. Set to rousing music the producers of Top Gun might recognise, the clips feature the portly Hungarian prime minister as a latter-day Jason Bourne, striding decisively from motorcade to conference table, then back to his motorcade. Rapid-fire shots leave no doubt as to who is in charge. What the videos lack in terms of explosions and fight scenes they make up for with plenty of world leaders hands manfully shaken, documents assertively signed and platitudes emphatically uttered. The impossible mission having been completed, our Hungarian saviour stares into the distance, no doubt ready for a sequel.

The pound-shop James Bond remakes are designed to flatter Mr Orban as he tries to big up his new gig as leader of the country that holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union starting on July 1st. Alas, they are not the only consequence of the EUs longest-serving national leader taking up the mantle until the end of the year. In what his official videographer has dubbed Peace Mission 3.0, Mr Orban has used his new position to engage in some freelance diplomacy in Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing before attending a summit of NATO leaders in Washington. The backdrops of the action-hero videos thus feature cameos by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin as Mr Orban dropped by China and Russia after visiting Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Mr Orban is not the first European leader to wilfully confuse being the leader of the country holding the rotating presidency for a job as EU president. In fact the gig is largely a ceremonial one, if that. While Hungarian officials and ministers chair meetings of their peers, Mr Orban as national leader has no such responsibilities (since 2009 that job has gone to the president of the European Council, a former national leader who is appointed for five years). But the media-savvy Mr Orban rarely lets a spotlight go to waste. Convinced he holds a special role in the world as a bridge between East and West, democracy and autocracy, he is determined to wade into situations his supposed European allies would rather he stay out of. In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, no EU leader had deigned to visit Moscow since the opening salvoes of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Now, one has.

To the rest of Europe, the Hungarian showman is not so much James Bond as pantomime villain. The unions 27 members spend interminable hours finessing joint positions on dealing with Ukraine, Russia and Chinaonly to have this diplomatic Johnny English stumble around the diplomatic scene with his own EU line. Mr Orban gave no heads-up of his visits and nobody knows quite what their point was. He parroted Russian claims about heavy Ukrainian losses and lauded Mr Putin as 100% rationalthe kind of assertion the International Criminal Court in The Hague would probably be keen to get to the bottom of, given the chance.

There is an irony in the career of Mr Orban. He was once part of a generation of activists who bravely denounced the Hungarian regime under the thumb of Soviet Russia. These days it is he who is repeating Kremlin talking-points he surely cannot believe to an audience he must know does not find them credible either. Like an internet troll who says he is just asking questions, Mr Orban has said he is just making suggestions and opening lines of communication for a future peace deal. As the action videos came out on Mr Orbans X feed, so did gruesome ones of a childrens hospital bombed in Kyiv, the doing of one of Mr Orbans co-stars.

The slapstick diplomatic initiative was greeted in the same manner in which snooty European film critics pan yet another Batman remake. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, accused Mr Orban of appeasement; the Czech foreign minister dubbed him a useful idiot. But the most worrying review of all came from Donald Trump Jr, son of Americas past and perhaps future president, who lauded the trip. Mr Orban is a star in Americas conservative circles; the Hungarian picked Make Europe Great Again as the motto for his council presidency. The fear is that Orban is acting as a messenger for Trump, who would endorse his efforts, says Gergely Polner of Forefront Advisers, a consultancy.

The name is Orban, Viktor Orban

The Hungarian presidency was always going to feature a heavy dose of unwelcome drama. As well as his Ukraine-related antics, Mr Orban is busy mounting an internal offensive against the EU. In the run-up to the presidency he unveiled a new political group in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe, which hopes to unite parties of the hard right into a force that can take on the liberal centre. Soon derided as Putinists for Europe, its members feature parties like Frances National Rally and the Freedom Party of Austria with past (if not current) affinities to the Kremlin. Its first task will be to try to prevent Mrs von der Leyen securing a majority in the European Parliament for a second five-year term. The vote is expected on July 18th and will be close, despite the fact that she is backed by the main centrist political groups.

Europeans tired of Mr Orban and his videos may yet try to rein him in. Over the years they have found ways to reprimand him, for example by cutting off some EU funds in response to his governments hobbling of the rule of law, thus weakening Hungarys already fragile economy. (By threatening to veto EU business, notably sanctions against Ukraine, Hungary has unlocked some of that money.) Peeved diplomats in Brussels are floating legal plans to bring the Hungarian presidency to a premature end, should the antics continue. Aaaand cut!

To stay on top of the biggest European stories, sign up to Cafe Europa, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
A North Carolina man who was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for a series of armed robberies was busted after sharing a post-robbery selfie on social media, leading police directly to him.

Hasahn Riyardt Flowe, 27, was also ordered to serve 3 years probation following his release, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Flowe pleaded guilty to robbery and weapons charges in connection with two robberies of Charlotte, North Carolina gas stations in early 2023.

Surveillance footage from both incidents showed Flowe wearing the same red bandana to cover his face and brandishing the same firearm used in the commission of the crimes.

In both instances, Flowe held the gas station employees at gunpoint and demanded cash from the registers, said prosecutors.

Over the course of the investigation, detectives found selfies of Flowe on social media posing with the bandana and gun, tying him to the robberies. Authorities also recovered the weapon upon his arrest in February 2023.

In October, Flowe admitted guilt.
T exas Western Hospitality of Addison, Texas today announced the opening of their newest property, Home2 Suites by Hilton in Laredo, Texas. Designed for travelers who want to maintain their normal routine, the hotel features 107 suites and a range of value, tech-focused and eco-conscious amenities. General Manager Rejino Perez leads the management team at the Home2 Suites by Laredo North for Texas Western Hospitality.

Located at 1420 Hospitality Drive near the junction of I-69 and I-35 and nine miles from Laredo International Airport, Home2 Suites by Hilton Laredo North offers guests convenient access to Port Grande, Doctors Hospital of Laredo, the World Trade International Bridge, Texas A&M International University, Uni-Trade Stadium and several shopping and dining options.

"Our goal at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Laredo North is to make an impact in this community by providing exceptional and welcoming experiences for our guests," said Kristin Waddill, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Texas Western Hospitality. "Whether they are a long way from home or live locally here in Laredo, we are creating a feeling they will never forget."

The pet-friendly Home2 Suites by Hilton Laredo North offers all-suite accommodations with fully-equipped kitchens and modular furniture, providing guests the flexibility to customize their suite to their style and preference. The hotel features complimentary Wi-Fi, inviting communal spaces, a laundry room, a business center, Home2 MKT for grab-and-go items food, and a complimentary daily breakfast. Additional amenities include an outdoor saline pool, a well-equipped fitness center and an outdoor patio equipped with a fire pit.

Hotel website
PITTSBURGH - Aptech has teamed with BirchStreet Systems to deliver efficiency and automation where it is most needed  the procure-to-pay (P2P) process. Based on customer demand, this collaboration brings together the best in cloud-based enterprise accounting and P2P software to deliver better control over purchase orders, invoicing, budgeting, order delivery, flexible payment options, invoice imaging, and financial review efficiency with drill down from P&L to invoice image.

With hospitality facing critical staffing and supply management issues, it is imperative for best in class technology providers to work together to streamline processes and deliver efficiencies. We are delighted to work with Aptech to bring industry leading integrated P2P and accounting solutions to all hoteliers. Valerie Layman, BirchStreet Chief Product Officer

Twenty Four Seven Hotels is an avid Aptech and BirchStreet user. The Southern California-based hotel management company is always improving and innovating for the good of its guests and associates, and collaborating with business partners to build lasting relationships that drive efficiency and effectiveness for its operation. When Twenty Four Seven Hotels transitioned from Aptechs legacy accounting solution to PVNG for enterprise accounting, they requested that integration to the BirchStreet P2P solution be added as part of the process to eliminate manual entry of purchase orders and invoices.

Integration between Aptech and BirchStreet has been instrumental to our performance. Our vendor relationships have greatly improved now that the accounts payable process and check runs are fluid. Vendors are being paid on time and our hotels never run out of the merchandise that our guests demand. Khanh Tran, Twenty Four Seven Vice President Finance & Accounting

Eliminating redundancy  like re-keying invoices  saves a lot of time and it also stops input errors and mishaps with missing statements, Tran continued. Everything moves automatically from BirchStreet into PVNG, and all data is easily accessible via hyperlink. While invoices still need to be reviewed by the GMs, tying the two systems together takes the tediousness of researching and inputting data out of the equation. Both companies are extremely responsive and worthy of a 10/10 ranking for customer service. We could not ask for anything better as a hotel client.

Together Aptech and BirchStreet are enabling hoteliers to:

Report spend currently on un-invoiced purchase orders Control POs before they go to the suppliers (cost control through approvals and bid management) Control orders sent to compliant vendors and products to reduce rogue spending Consolidate suppliers and buyers on the same ordering platform with visibility to the same products Manage budget and checkbook in real time Enhance the receiving process to better manage goods received Access automatic accruals based on goods received but not yet invoiced Automate the entry of invoice data to Accounts Payable Leverage approval workflow for invoice payment process Utilize digital storage of invoice images with easy search capabilities Increase P&L review efficiency with drill down from Summary Income Statement to invoice image

PVNG has become a game-changer in the world of hotel accounting. It features Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger modules and more that when combined with BirchStreets P2P functionality simplifies payment processes across the board. Finding technology partners that you can trust is not as easy as one may think today. Aptech and BirchStreet have the tools and hospitality longevity our customers expect to ensure frictionless financial management. Jill Wilder, Aptech President

About Aptech

Aptech, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry. All clients are companies like yours, which own or manage hotels. Its solutions help customers at both the corporate and property levels understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement. The company is renowned for introducing business intelligence into the hotel industry and offers a solid resource of hospitality professionals. Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus partner and Premier Solution Provider, as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner. Incorporated in 1970, Aptechs state-of-the-art back office, true business intelligence and enterprise planning solutions are 100% hotel specific. Solutions include PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue. Clients comprise over 3,500 properties  including large chains, multiple-property management companies and single-site hotels. Execuvue is registered to Aptech. All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders. For more information, please visit www.aptech-inc.com.

About BirchStreet Systems LLC

Founded in 2002, BirchStreet is the leading global provider of enterprise procure-to-pay operations solutions for the hospitality sector. BirchStreets software platform provides leading global hospitality brands with a full suite of procurement applications, including eProcurement software, accounts payable automation, invoice management, inventory management, recipe management, supplier payments, and reporting and analytics. BirchStreets customers leverage the companys solutions to access a broad network of suppliers and manage billions of dollars of spend annually across a wide variety of categories, including food and beverage, operating supplies, maintenance services and capital projects. For more information, please visit www.birchstreetsystems.com.

About Twenty Four Seven Hotels

Twenty Four Seven Hotels is a third-party management company that delivers highly specialized services in hotel operations, investment and development. Founded in 2004, the company specializes in the premium brand select-service & lifestyle segments. The company partners with premium hospitality brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Choice. Twenty Four Seven Hotel's current portfolio includes 25 hotels in four states with approximately 3,200 rooms. For more information on Twenty Four Seven Hotels, visit www.247hotels.com.

Barbara Worcester

+1 440 930 5770
Major joint venture established to raise capital for the acquisition and conversion of obsolete assets into serviced apartments

Joint venture is targeting a GDV in excess of 400 million for initial development pipeline

Partnership is targeting UK and key European markets to deliver up to 2,000 apartments exclusively for Bob W brand

Comes amid growing demand for more flexible, high-quality accommodation options

A new joint venture between Bob W, the tech-powered hospitality operator, and Osborne+Co Investment Management (OCIM), the in-house investment management arm of global build-to-suit developer and investor Osborne+Co, has today announced the launch of a 120 million equity raise to acquire and repurpose hotel and office assets into high-quality short-term serviced apartments.

The 120 million value-add fund will mirror OCIMs European footprint of offices, targeting key European markets including Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Poland and the UK. The joint venture plans to transform 20-25 buildings into 1,500 to 2,000 modern apartments and is targeting a GDV in excess of 400 million for its initial development pipeline. The partnership  which is actively seeking an investment partner  expects its first assets to be operational within 18 months.

By identifying obsolete or underperforming existing assets, the joint venture will maximise asset performance and significantly enhance overall property value across the new portfolio. This strategy also delivers considerable environmental upside through the adaptive re-use of existing buildings and reducing the portfolios overall carbon footprint. The refurbished assets will be further optimised for operational efficiency, including enhanced insulation and other energy-saving features.

The strategic partnership with OCIM aligns with Bob Ws commitment to sustainability. As the worlds first international climate-neutral hospitality provider, Bob W sources secondhand furniture, uses 100% renewable energy and double offsets its emissions.

The joint venture will leverage the strengths of both companies to deliver this rollout, increasing its presence in strategically important markets. and providing high-quality and tech-enabled serviced apartments, with Bob W operating all assets developed under the partnership.

This strategic partnership marks a major milestone for Bob W, enabling us to merge our cutting-edge, tech-driven hospitality solutions with Osborne+Co's extensive expertise in real estate development. Together, we aim to transform underutilised spaces into vibrant, high-quality serviced apartments that meet the evolving needs of modern travellers. This partnership will enable us to deliver not only significant value for stakeholders, but also an authentic five-star hospitality experience for our guests as we continue to build a pan-european household name as the new elevated standard of hospitality for the next generation of travellers. Niko Karstikko, Co-founder of Bob W

Partnering with Bob W on this venture is a remarkable opportunity to harness the current surplus and availability of assets in the office sector and underinvested assets in the hospitality sector in the UK and key European markets. By repurposing hotels and office buildings into high-quality, sustainable serviced apartments, we will meet the growing demand for flexible and premium accommodation. We look forward to leveraging our development capabilities and Bob Ws hospitality excellence to create spaces that resonate with todays discerning travellers and set new standards in this rapidly-growing industry. Denis McGowan Partner at Osborne+Co

The joint venture is seeking an investment partner to create a pan-European platform to deliver attractive returns in a highly defensive asset class. We have seen recent exits in both single assets and operational platforms that demonstrates the liquidity of the Serviced Apartment asset class. Rishi Khurana, co-founder at OCIM

Serviced apartments are one of Europes fastest-growing asset classes, driven by increasing demand for flexible, high-quality accommodation options. Research carried out by Bonard last year found that the serviced accommodation sector is worth 1.7bn to the UK economy alone, directly supporting 6,050 jobs.

Growth is being fueled by a combination of factors including the rise of remote work, the post-Covid resurgence of business travel, growing demand for more spacious and self-contained lodging and higher vacancy rates in office markets across Europe. As a result, serviced apartments offer attractive investment opportunities with strong potential for long-term ROI.

As one of Europes best-ranked international hospitality brands, Bob W operates across 29 European cities today. The company currently boasts a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 77 and an average guest rating of 4.7 out of five stars across the main review platforms.

Backed by apps that provide a seamless digital front desk and robust customer service, guests can easily select super-early check-ins or late check-outs based on live availability and have access to the mainly chat-based perfect host Bob W for recommendations and local tips. The operators marketplace also connects guests to local breakfast spots, gyms, facilities, and a host of digital products to ensure a truly local experience.

Launched in 2011, Osborne+Co has delivered over 6bn projects as a developer and landlord. The firm works on a cross-border basis with co-investment capital across a series of thematic and sector-led investment strategies, leveraging its deep understanding of corporate occupiers and strong in-house delivery capability. Recent projects include Santanders UK Headquarters, in Milton Keynes, which completed in November 2023 and the JPMorgan Chase European Technology Hub in Glasgow, which completed in April this year. Globally, Osborne+Co has created and developed inspiring spaces across 4 continents and 25 countries.

About Bob W

About Bob W Launched in 2019, Bob W is a tech-powered hospitality operator offering a smarter alternative to mainstream hotels and traditional short-term rentals. Sustainably operated, design-led full-service aparthotels combine the consistent quality and aesthetics of a lifestyle hotel with the personal touch and amenities of a short-term rental. Backed by Europe's leading venture capitalists, family offices, and entrepreneurs, including Evli Growth Partners, ByFounders, Flashpoint, IDC Ventures, Elevator Ventures, Verve Ventures, NREP, Tesi, Taavet+Sten (investment firm of Wise's founder Taavet Hinrikus and Sten Tamkivi), Wolt co-founder Miki Kuusi, and Supercell co-founders Ilkka Paananen and Mikko Kodisoja, Bob W is building the technology to give every guest an authentic 5-star hospitality experience, at scale, while leading the world's transition to sustainable hospitality. The company has secured over 70 million in funding to date.The company's portfolio boasts over 3,000 apartments across 17 cities in Europe today, with further rapid expansion underway in existing and new markets.
TROY, Mich. - With an average daily rate (ADR) for a U.S. hotel room of $158.45 in May 2024the second-highest month ever behind $159.01 in October 20231virtually every traveler in every hotel price bracket is paying more for a hotel room. According to the J.D. Power 2024 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study,SM released today, travelers perceived value for those higher prices is very much dependent on how well the hotel delivers on their expectations. This year, the luxury and upper upscale segments show strong guest satisfaction scores while limited-service hotel segments have experienced declines in guest satisfaction year over year.

We are seeing changes in hotel guests travel behavior. With post-pandemic travel prices still elevated, it is not surprising that hotel guests say they are taking fewer trips, on average. Yet, those hotel guests are staying longer on their trips, and this puts a real focus on the hotel property for everything from room cleanliness and facilities maintenance to interactions with front desk personnel. Ultimately, traveler expectations have increased along with hotel room rates, and when hotels do not meet or exceed those expectations, the perception of value for money declines. Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power

Following are additional key findings of the 2024 study:

Strong performance among full-service hotel brands: Overall satisfaction is steady or has increased year over year in the luxury and upper upscale hotel categories, even though these categories have seen some of the sharpest increases in average room rates. In the limited-service upper midscale, midscale and economy hotel segments, however, overall guest satisfaction is down significantly year over year.

Overall satisfaction is steady or has increased year over year in the luxury and upper upscale hotel categories, even though these categories have seen some of the sharpest increases in average room rates. In the limited-service upper midscale, midscale and economy hotel segments, however, overall guest satisfaction is down significantly year over year. Fewer trips, longer stays: On average, North American hotel guests are taking nine trips per year, down from 10 in 2023, and are staying an average of 3.43 days, up from 3.36 in 2023. This changing dynamic of fewer, but longer stays is putting a greater focus on the details of the hotel experience.

On average, North American hotel guests are taking nine trips per year, down from 10 in 2023, and are staying an average of 3.43 days, up from 3.36 in 2023. This changing dynamic of fewer, but longer stays is putting a greater focus on the details of the hotel experience. Investment in staff, service and facilities is critical: Despite having the highest average room rates, the full-service luxury and upper upscale hotel segments also outperform limited-service hotel segments on satisfaction with value for prices paid. Operators of limited-service hotels should focus on guest rooms; property/facilities maintenance; and renovating older hotels to improve guests value perceptions, in addition to overall satisfaction.

Study Rankings

The following hotel brands rank highest in guest satisfaction in their respective segment:

Luxury: The Luxury Collection (772)

Upper Upscale: Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts (726) (for a second consecutive year)

Upscale: element (707)

Upscale Extended Stay: Hyatt House (696) (for a third consecutive year)

Upper Midscale: Drury Hotels (744)

Upper Midscale/Midscale Extended Stay: Home2 Suites by Hilton (695) (for a second consecutive year)

Midscale: Tru by Hilton (688) (for a second consecutive year)

Economy: Microtel by Wyndham (618) (for a second consecutive year)

Economy Extended Stay: WoodSpring Suites (603) (for a second consecutive year)

The North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, now in its 28th year, measures overall hotel guest satisfaction based on performance in six factors (in alphabetical order): communications and connectivity; food and beverage; guest room; hotel facility; staff service; and value for price. The study benchmarks the performance of 103 brands across nine hotel segments and is based on responses from 39,468 branded hotel guests for stays between May 2023 and May 2024.

For more information about the North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/resource/jd-power-north-america-hotel-guest-satisfaction-index-study.

1. Source: CoStar/STR

 Source: J.D. Power

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About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 55 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Geno Effler

+1 714 621 6224

J.D. Power

View source
Booking.com recently dropped the price parity clause in the European Union. This move has caused a wave of questions and uncertainty in the hotel industry. How will the platform respond to hotels that decide to offer lower rates on their own websites to promote direct sales? The answer could redefine the relationship between OTAs and hotels, creating a scenario full of opportunities and challenges.

Will There Be Reprisals?

Booking will not penalize hotels for disparitiesat least not in the way you might expect. The OTA was not surprised to be forced to remove the price parity clause. They have been preparing for this change for some time. They delayed it as long as possible, but they already had careful plans to reduce the impact of this price "liberalization." And they did this without attracting too much attention.

Will There Be Increased Pressure on Hotels?

Increased EU pressure on Booking may not lead to greater commercial freedom. It could put the OTA on the defensive, increasing their pressure especially on independent hotels. Therefore, to understand how Booking's defensive strategy might affect hotels with and without price differentials, it is critical to first understand Booking's view of disparities. To that end, we will examine:

The current status of price parity.

Why Booking distrusts hotels and combats disparities.

How hotels intercept Bookings customers.

Why the end of price parity is a mixed opportunity for hotels.

Bookings strategy against disparities.

The distinction between Algorithmic Retaliation and Algorithmic Persuasion by Booking.com.

How Booking algorithms reward hotels.

This way, well understand the impact of the end of price parity and how Booking has adapted its strategies to maintain its dominant market position and relationship with hotels.

What Is the Current Status of Price Parity?

Booking.coms Role as Gatekeeper

On May 13, the European Union designated Booking.com as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This designation is due to its dominant position in the online accommodation booking market in the EU.

With this decision, the EU has mandated that Booking.com ensure fair competition and avoid any abusive conditions towards hoteliers and travelers. As a result, Booking.com was forced to remove the price parity clause that previously restricted hotels ability to offer more competitive prices on other sites and on their own websites.

Source: Booking.com  Source: Digizando

Source: Booking.com Source: Digizando

Why Does Booking Distrust Hotels and Fight Against Disparities?

As the OTA explains on its website:

"(...) Booking.com undertakes investments to attract guests to and enable them to compare accommodations on its platform. Accommodations set the prices on our platform. The parity clause aims to ensure that rates and conditions posted on our platform are competitive so that guests may benefit from lowered search costs and to prevent that an accommodation would free ride on significant investments undertaken by Booking.com."

Billboard Effect

But what does Booking mean by hotels taking advantage of their investments? Basically, it refers to the "tricks" that amplify the "billboard effect."

The billboard effect occurs when users discover a hotel on Booking.com but then book directly on the hotel's website. This reduces the commission that Booking would receive. This effect is even more pronounced if the rates on the hotel's website are lower than on Booking.com, as it encourages users to book directly with the hotel. In this way, hotels benefit from the visibility that Booking provides without paying the corresponding commissions.

The reality is that these "tricks" are not as effective as some hotels may think because Booking has long since learned to counteract them without many realizing it.

How Hotels Intercept Bookings Customers

The hotel booking journey is not linear. Customers may visit dozens of websites before deciding where to book. The following simplified example illustrates how a customer discovers the XYZ Hotel in Barcelona through Booking.com.

Image created by the author. Source: Digizando

The Billboard Effect and Competition with Intermediaries

The billboard effect occurs in step 4, highlighted in orange in the last image. It happens when users who found the hotel on Booking.com search on Google for branded keywords (the hotel name) to compare prices. This is the critical moment in the battle for the customer. Google Hotel Ads becomes a crucial showcase, allowing hotels to attract customers from other platforms with enticing offers and competitive rates.

At the same time, intermediaries can use the same tactics as hotels to win customers away from other players in the market. This includes loyal customers of the hotel's own website. This creates a dynamic where both hotels and intermediaries try to capture as many bookings as possible by offering the best prices and conditions.

Authors screenshot: OTAs, comparison sites, and hotels competing for the same customer. Source: Digizando

This example provides a simplified view of the problem, but it shows that OTAs, comparison sites, and hotels compete for the same customers at various stages of the travelers booking journey. So the main conclusion is clear: if the main online battlefield is search engines, Google benefits the most from this fight to capture the final customer.

From Booking's view, the more these battles play out at this point, the more it will cost them to get customers.

The Importance of Comparison Shopping

The price disparities shown in the previous image highlight Booking as one of the most expensive channels to book this hotel. This isn't always the case; however, this perception is damaging to the OTA and has led them to develop a sophisticated system to minimize these differences.

For Booking, the comparison phase is critical to both their brand positioning (there is no one cheaper than us) and their profitability. Therefore, they need to minimize the leakage of bookings from OTAs to hotel websites and avoid having to bid more on Google Hotel Ads to prevent and compensate for this leakage.

In 2023 alone, Booking invested nearly $7 billion in marketing to attract customers and ensure competitive rates. In fact, Booking is one of Google's largest global advertisers. The company also invests heavily in offline campaigns, as evidenced by its advertising presence during the 2024 UEFA Euro Cup.

Authors photo: Booking.com billboards during the UEFA Euro Cup 2024 matches. Source: Digizando

Therefore, it is understandable that Booking feels that hotels offering better prices on their own websites are taking advantage of their multimillion-dollar investments and visibility. From the OTA's perspective, they are driving customers to their sites without adequately compensating the platform. However, direct sales advocates argue that OTAs are also trying to win direct customers from hotels. They do this by offering better prices or investing more in advertising. This is especially true for branded searches for the hotel, as shown in the previous example. And it does happen.

Nevertheless, it is clear that Booking plays an important role in promoting hotels to travelers worldwide, investing significant resources in both financial and technological initiatives.

Why the End of Price Parity is a Mixed Opportunity for Hotels

The removal of this clause in itself does not represent a major advance or significant change. Many hotels, even large chains, have been breaking parity for years. They usually do this through their "loyalty clubs," where they offer better rates on their websites than on Booking.com and other OTAs. What has changed is that Booking is now under EU scrutiny as a gatekeeper.

So the question is: what will happen now? Will rate disparities increase outside of these loyalty clubs?

A Limited Commercial Victory

Independent hotels and small European chains may have more commercial freedom now. They can set more competitive prices on their websites and other intermediaries. But it is not certain that this will result in higher net revenues. Nor is there any guarantee that they will succeed in reducing their dependence on Booking.com.

The experience in Italy is a good example. The ban on the price parity clause in 2017 did not stop Booking from gaining market share there. This shows the uncertainty around this issue (see the European Hotel Distribution Study 2020). I could share more examples too.

Moreover, it is hard to imagine that Booking.com would tolerate a significant increase in price disparities. This would jeopardize its substantial investments in marketing and technology. As a result, many believe that the end of price parity could lead to more pressure from Booking.com on hotels. This could be especially true for independent hotels and those that are not part of the major chains. While this is a reasonable consideration, the manner in which Booking might exert this increased pressure is quite different from the retaliation many expect.

From Retaliation to Algorithmic Persuasion by Booking.com

Booking.com has invested significant resources to develop strategies to counteract the effects of the ban on price parity. In 2015, following the first European laws against this clause, then-CEO Darren Huston warned that they would use technology to protect fair conditions and prevent rate disparities.

Big companies like Booking.com anticipate problems. They don't react to them late. In this regard, the company implemented proactive measures long ago to counter price disparities. And they have proven to be effective. These strategies have let Booking.com grow steadily, even in markets where the price parity clause has been banned for years. As a result of these proactive measures, Booking.com is now in an advantageous position to maintain its market dominance.

Measures to Counteract Disparities

But what specific measures are we discussing? Is there a possibility of retaliation? If we define retal iation as "a severe treatment that, without leading to a violent break in relations, one party adopts against another to respond to adverse actions, we could expect that Booking might implement "algorithmic retaliation" that would penalize the visibility of or even temporarily exclude hotels with disparities. Similar to what Google does with sites that use illegal techniques to rank high in search results. However, this is not the case.

Since I wrote about how Booking's algorithm worked, many things have evolved. One of these is the company's "algorithmic strategy." Instead of retaliation, Booking has implemented a strategy of "algorithmic persuasion," which is based on influencing and guiding the behavior of hoteliers rather than simply penalizing them.

Image created with Dall-E 3: Persuasive AI Source: Digizando

How Bookings Algorithmic Persuasion Works

Reward Collaborators. The Booking algorithm does not directly penalize hotels with pricing disparities. Instead, it rewards those that maintain price parity and collaborate with the platform by providing them with increased quality (not just quantity) visibility.

The Booking algorithm does not directly penalize hotels with pricing disparities. Instead, it rewards those that maintain price parity and collaborate with the platform by providing them with increased quality (not just quantity) visibility. Participation is completely voluntary. Hoteliers are encouraged to maintain price parity on a voluntary basis and benefit from participating in the competitive dynamics that drive Bookings revenues and fund its multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns.

Hoteliers are encouraged to maintain price parity on a voluntary basis and benefit from participating in the competitive dynamics that drive Bookings revenues and fund its multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns. Minimize lost bookings. Instead of reducing the visibility of hotels with disparities, which could negatively impact Booking.coms revenues (due to the lower number of bookings they would generate), the OTA minimizes its losses by impoverishing the visibility of these hotels. This also weakens the billboard effect that these hotels could benefit from.

Thus, Bookings strategy is not about reducing visibility as punishment. It is a more intelligent and sophisticated approach that facilitates collaboration with hoteliers. This is a strategy based on the use of technology to generate positive messages and immediate quantifiable results with the aim of persuading rather than coercing hoteliers.

How Booking Algorithms Reward Hotels: Quality Visibility

The algorithms are designed to reward hotels that make a greater strategic and economic contribution to Booking.com by driving more valuable customers to them. Simply put, the system aims to significantly increase bookings for these hotels by channelling travelers who are likely to make immediate or near-immediate bookings with more spending available for longer stays, premium rooms, etc.

Image created with Dall-E 3: The VIP customer. Source: Digizando

Balancing Motivation and Reward

Booking has balanced motivating, rewarding, and securing hotels on its platform with two key strategies:

Persuasion and Motivation Techniques: Applying principles from behavioral economics to persuade hoteliers and travelers.

Applying principles from behavioral economics to persuade hoteliers and travelers. Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining: Using AI and data mining to better understand its users and the competitive dynamics among hotels.

This methodology is particularly effective with independent European hotels, with whom Booking has been able to build lasting relationships from the very beginning.

Conclusion

Booking.com's algorithmic persuasion strategy allows the company to maintain its competitiveness and profitability while motivating hoteliers to collaborate voluntarily, ensuring a positive experience for both hotels and travelers.

It is evident that rewarding is not the same as punishing, and Booking has a sophisticated method of doing so. Moreover, given that Booking has been designated as a gatekeeper, it is expected to continue acting in a more discreet manner.

In other words, rather than expecting harsh retaliation against hotels with disparities, as one might hypothesize, it is more likely that the OTA will create new solutions to more visibly reward hotels without disparities. This way, it can counter a potential new wave of disparities just as it has been doing so far: penalizing naughty hotels as an indirect, gradual, and effective result of the rewards given to the more collaborative hotels.

In conclusion, it is expected that Booking will not explicitly penalize hotels with disparities. However, it is likely that Booking will continue to take measures that indirectly increase their booking acquisition costs. This will be the result of impoverishing the quality of these hotels' visibility both directly on its own platform and indirectly on the hotels' websites as a result of a lower quality billboard effect.

At a time when tourism is booming, Booking's algorithmic persuasion strategy helps drive sales without upsetting hotels. The current high market demand further rewards cooperative hotels and partially compensates for the lower quality of visibility of hotels with disparities. However, rewarding or compensating does not guarantee that the hotel will fully capitalize on the current surge in market demand. It also may not reduce commissions. Or improve customer acquisition costs (including direct and hidden costs).

This is why the outcome for hotels with or without price parity can vary significantly depending on how they design their 360-degree direct and indirect distribution strategy. Therefore, the decision to break or maintain price parity and how to do so can have a huge impact on their final economic benefits.

Next Steps: Refocusing Distribution Strategies

If youve made it this far, youre probably wondering about the potential opportunities in Booking strategy. How can hotels change their distribution to use them without paying higher commissions? To answer these questions, we will need to delve into:

To answer these questions, we will need to delve into:

How Booking algorithms channel its better travelers to premium hotel partners.

What kind of algorithms are used for this purpose.

How Booking uses technology to motivate and persuade hoteliers.

The psychological foundations that underpin this strategy.

The techniques or mechanisms that drive Bookings strategy.

All these points will be explained in detail in my next article.

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This article is based on my own opinions, which have been shaped by years of experience, research, and field results. However, each reader should evaluate this information and determine its applicability to their situation.

The authenticity of the content: 100% of this article was written by me. Gen AI software such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude 3.5, and others were used to improve the translation, generate visuals, and polish my writing.
Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi - Image Credit Radisson

Radisson Hotel Group announced the opening of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi, marking another significant milestone in the Group's expansion in Saudi Arabia. This opening also follows the recent launch of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Alsharqi, and helps further cement the Group's presence in the Holy City.

Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi offers 161 rooms with clever use of color that reflects the Park Inn brand's vibrant spirit. Guests can expect a perfect blend of comfort and modern amenities, including an all-day dining restaurant and a cozy lobby cafe serving a variety of international and local cuisines. The hotel also provides a complimentary 24-hour shuttle bus service to the Grand Mosque of Makkah, ensuring a convenient stay.

Guests staying in the hotel can explore the rich heritage at The Kiswa Factory of the Holy Ka'aba, where the intricate cloth covering the Ka'aba is crafted. The Hira Cultural District is also nearby and provides a deep dive into Islamic history and culture, while Makkah Mall offers a modern shopping experience with a wide range of retail and dining options. For those seeking spiritual enrichment, the historic Cave of Thawr, known for its significance during the Prophet Muhammad's migration, is also within close proximity.

The hotel is located in the heart of Thakher City, only 2,1 km from The Grand Mosque, and is part of a comprehensive urban development led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which covers 320,000 square meters. With a total investment of $7 billion (26 billion SAR), it aims to create a seamless ecosystem of residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces. The development is expected to accommodate over 1.6 million visitors and pilgrims upon completion, supporting Saudi Vision 2030's goal of hosting 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually. Radisson Hotel Group is committed to support Saudi Arabia's vision which focuses on diversifying the economy and enhancing the tourism sector by expanding its footprint in the Middle East.

Tim Cordon, COO, MEA and SEAP, Radisson Hotel Group, commented: "The opening of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi is a significant step in our strategic growth in Saudi Arabia. We are dedicated to supporting the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by delivering exceptional hospitality experiences that cater to the needs of both pilgrims and leisure travelers."

Bassam Khanfar, Cluster General Manager of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi, added: "We are thrilled to open Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher Algharbi. Makkah is a vital destination for religious tourism, and we aim to meet the evolving needs of pilgrims and travelers alike. We are proud to contribute to the future of Makkah's hospitality industry in alignment with Saudi Arabia's progressive vision."
A tree limb took a power line on Eagle up to Franklin Street. The storm left tree limbs and debris across the city. A tree blocking Hoosac Street by the college. A tree limb blocking Meadow Street that also took out wires. The tree limb down on North Eagle. A broken tree blocking North Eagle between Hospital Avenue and Barth. A tree limb blocking lower Brooklyn Street. The limb blocking upper Brooklyn. With no power, it turned into an impromptu gathering. A temporary splint holding up a utility pole on West Main. Trees also came down in yards around the region. Wire hanging over the road near the intersection of North and Hancock in Pittsfield. Motorist are advised to detour. Lines down on Chivers Drive Dalton. A tree down on Anthony Road in Dalton. Eversource trucks in Dalton. Top left and bottom, a tree on cars at Clarksburg Town Hall; top right, a utility pole cracked in Stamford, Vt. PreviousNext

Thunderstorms Leave Downed Trees, Wires and Debris Across North County



A tree limb smashed in the cab on Mark Moulton's truck. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  A severe thunderstorm hammered parts of North and Central County on Tuesday night, downing trees and limbs and leaving more than 8,000 customers without power.

The Berkshires, Eastern New York and parts of Southern Vermont were under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The storm came through shortly after 6 p.m. with thunder and lightning and torrential rain.

Alerts and calls began streaming into dispatch and fire and police departments began calling in extra help.

When the rain let, the full extent of the damage could be seen  from uprooted century-old trees to scatterings of debris across streets and lawns.

As of 8:30, Brooklyn, Hoosac, Meadow, North Eagle just above Hospital Avenue were closed and the lower section of North Eagle was limited to one-way traffic. Trees were also down on Holbrook, Chestnut and Hall.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey had been getting a close-up look at the damage and speaking with residents.

"I've been trying to hit as many streets as I can so I have couple more streets to hit before I call it a night," the mayor said just before 9 p.m.

She said the city had mobilized the Fire and Police departments, Department of Public Services and Wire & Alarm.

"It's all hands on deck," said Macksey. "They are all doing the best they can ... we've got a lot poles that are split or leaning. But we have no reports of any injuries. ...

"It's a little bit of a mess out there."

National Grid was dealing with a townwide outage in Williamstown after trees and wires came down on Main Street. The utility was having to clear the way before it could power the lines back up.

That was delaying its response to other communities. Macksey said the city's crews couldn't do much about the tree limbs tangled in wire. until National Grid dealt with the power. However, there was no flooding in this storm unlike a year ago when torrential rains undermined and washed out roads around the city.

Two large tree limbs came down on Brooklyn Street, taking down wires and shutting off power to about half the street. Neighbors were out estimating how long it might take to clear.

Mary Lou Accetta said the street holds a block party every year. "We just didn't think it would be this early," she laughed.

The storm was more frightening for Mark Moulton, who had a close encounter with a very big tree limb. Moulton said he was mowing the lawn at the house he owns on River Street and could see the dark clouds moving toward the city.

He finished up, put the lawn mower in the back of his truck and was backing up when the tree limb came crashing down on the truck and a car parked next to him.



Debris in Williamstown. The storm took out power in the town and along Route 7. About 3,000 customers aren't expected to have power early Wednesday morning. "I saw it coming and was like 'stop!'" he said. The tree limb smashed the back driver's side of the extend cab and caved in the roof. Moulton had to get out on the driver's side, shaken and a little bruised. He said if he'd been backed up another foot or so, it would have dropped right on him.

Williamstown Police posted on Facebook that the storm left large parts of town without power and did severe damage to trees and electric poles.

"National grid is currently out working to restore power, but it may be sometime before this process is complete and dispatch is unable to provide time estimates," the department wrote. "Come morning, if you see powerlines down or trees in the roadway, please call dispatch so we can confirm that it is a location already on our list to be addressed. We have also been made aware of some issues with cell signal, but we are unable to provide any information regarding that issue. Our thanks to Williamstown, MA Fire District and the Williamstown DPW staff for their quick responses and assistance on the many calls being addressed."

Lanesborough and Cheshire Fire Departments asked residents to stay home and give them time to clear the roads. Drivers were asked to avoid Goodell and Miner streets in Lanesborough and downed trees in Clarksburg, including blocking Town Hall and Middle Road, and Stamford, Vt., forced residents to detour.

The Stamford Fire Department posted on Facebook that "there is a tremendous amount of damage throughout the community. Some roads are blocked. Some power poles are broken and the whole town is without power. Town highway, State Highway, Green Mountain Power, the Vermont State police and the fire department are working to resolve the situations as quickly as possible. If you have an emergency, we asked that you call 911."

Dalton reported multiple road closures including Old Windsor Road from the high school to Johnson when a large tree took down about 200 feet of wire. Trees were also reported down along Route 8.

"We had several thousand without power," said Pittsfield's Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales. He said the city was responding quickly to the damage but there were trees down on Springside Avenue between Brown Street and upper Parker Street, on Lincoln Street, North Street and Hancock Road and along a dozen other less traveled locations and smaller trees. Two large ones, one on 2nd St and one on Springside Avenue will take some more time to remove.

There is a marginal to slight risk for severe thunderstorms for most of the region Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y. Thunderstorms may produce isolated to scattered instances of downed trees, tree limbs and power outages due to damaging wind gusts.

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov for more information about the following hazards.

Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.

Staff writers Brittany Polito and Sabrina Damms contributed to this report.
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Glen Powell has said he will complete his college degree over Zoom while he shoots his next film, but will be heading back to the University of Texas at Austin for his exams.

In an interview with IndieWire, the Twisters star explained how his hybrid schedule will work as he wraps up The Running Man with director Edgar Wright.

Im not going to be sitting in a class with other students on the regular. Im basically going to be coming back because Ive to finish up but Im going to be shooting The Running Man in the fall. So Im going to be in London, but I am going to be going back for proctored exams. So, theyre letting me figure it out with distance learning, Powell said.

And I am obviously going to be coming in, Zooming in for classes and whatnot, but I have to be back for the proctored exams.

The Hit Man star said this schedule will see him head back to Texas two-three times in one semester, but that Wright has been understanding and very nice about letting me finish my degree in the middle of his massive movie.

open image in gallery Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell in Twisters' ( Warner Bros )

Powell had to leave college after his first year when he got signed by Hollywood agent Ed Limato and was left with two more courses in Spanish and Early American History to graduate when his acting career finally took off after 2022s Top Gun: Maverick.

I think its really important to my mom and its more of an emotional thing for me, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter in May. Plus, Im so close, I can taste it.

The Running Man is a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger cult favourite based on Stephen Kings novel of the same name.

Powell is currently starring in the sequel to the 1996 movie Twister  set for UK release on 17 July  alongside Normal Peoples Daisy Edgar-Jones. He plays a social media star stormchaser who seeks to track tornadoes for the thrill.

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The Independents Clarisse Loughrey gave the film four stars, describing the actors as the charismatic leads of a sharply edited, comfortingly old school affair.
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All good things must come to an end  and most bad things, too. When it was announced earlier this year that ex-Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May would part ways after 22 years as a trio, you couldnt really describe it as going out with a bang. A backfiring car exhaust, at a push. No, this could more accurately be described as an anticlimax  the Top Gear bandwagons slow crawl to a halt after burning up the last dregs of premium unleaded.

The long and short of it is this: W Chump & Sons, the production company belonging to Clarkson, Hammond, and May, has dissolved. The Grand Tour, Prime Videos motoring, travel, and heterosexual banter-themed series and de facto successor to Top Gear, released its final episode today, 13 September. (The last hurrah, a special in which the three of them travel to Zimbabwe, was described by The Independents critic Nick Hilton as a genuine closing of a chapter.) Clarkson has claimed that the show is ending because Im too old and fat to get into the cars that I like and not interested in driving those I dont. But there are surely other reasons for this departure  and it doesnt take too many deductive acrobatics to hazard a guess what they are. For two decades, the three presenters have been peddling the same regressive, unedifying programming, dogged along the way by a procession of controversies. If the series are popular and profitable  as, for years, they undoubtedly were  this isnt seen as a problem. But now? It just might be.

In its pomp, Top Gear was one of the BBCs biggest success stories. From 2003 to 2015, Clarkson, Hammond and May were three of the most visible and popular presenters on British television. It is doubtless Top Gears massive viewership that allowed the series to weather a run of controversies  homophobic jokes; racist jokes; ableist jokes; jokes involving the use of terrible slurs; jokes about the murders of sex workers. It wasnt until Clarkson physically assaulted a producer that he was deposed as host, with Hammond and May voluntarily following him out the door. Thus was The Grand Tour born.

Top Gear continued on BBC with a run of changing hosts, until it was finally abandoned following a near-fatal car crash involving presenter Freddie Flintoff. In truth, there was little outcry when the BBC announced the hiatus  a testament to the audiences drastic drop-off in interest. But over on Prime Video, The Grand Tour has likewise existed in relative anonymity. The series has by all accounts pulled in solid numbers: Amazon dont release audience figures, but a 2018 Reuters report claimed that the series had been the streamers most successful programme when it came to signing up new users. It is, however, expensive to produce, and, until it announced its end, had been seldom discussed or acknowledged in wider media. Compared to Clarksons other major Prime Video venture, the buzzy agricultural reality series Clarksons Farm, its totally invisible. In some ways, this is an improvement on the Top Gear of old  in the scheme of its hosts careers, The Grand Tour has been refreshingly scandal-lite. But the absence of outcry has left only silence, the dawning realisation that shock and provocation may have been the trios only currency.

It is also, maybe, a matter of diverging fortunes. Clarkson, the ruddy and reactionary frontman of the three, has always enjoyed the most independent success, as a TV presenter and noxious tabloid essayist. It is only in the past few years, however, in his transition to becoming a farmer and anchor of Clarksons Farm, that he has whipped this popularity into a wider sense of goodwill. For the first time in his career, Clarkson has, to some extent, won over many of his critics across the political spectrum. And  crucially, perhaps  Hammond and May have had nothing to do with that. Its as if the three of them decided to open up their relationship, only for Clarkson to grow a little too attached to his new partner and decide that maybe this whole polyamory idea aint what its cracked up to be.

Neither Hammond nor May have been able to match Clarkson in their solo endeavours  think of it as Simon and two Garfunkels. Both have, however, remained steadily employed. May is probably best known for his toy-themed docuseries (James Mays Top Toys; James Mays Toy Stories) and currently hosts cooking and travel series for Prime Video. Hammond has presented series such as Brainiac and Total Wipeout. They, too, will be fine going forward, but its hard to see them ever regaining the sort of profiles they had in Clarksons forbidding shadow. Make no mistake, the decision to follow him to Prime Video was surely as much an act of self-interest as it was of loyalty.

The Grand Tour: Sand Job trailer

It may be too early to declare this a win for Clarkson. In December 2022, the presenter threw his career into jeopardy with a scatological hit piece aimed at the Duchess of Sussex. Reports claimed that Amazon were seeking to cancel The Grand Tour as a result, and would be curtailing Clarksons Farm at the end of the already-agreed-upon four seasons. (A fourth season is currently being filmed, and will include footage of Clarksons efforts to open and operate his own country pub.) These reports have been disputed (including by Clarkson himself), and the success of the third series of Clarksons Farm, now the highest-performing UK original in the streamers history, suggests that further renewals are a very real possibility.

The break-up of the former Top Gear triumvirate is the end of an era, for sure, but not one worth mourning. Their partnership leaves behind a legacy of bigotry and stunted masculinity. If the highest praise afforded to a two-decades-in-the-making TV dynasty is that you had good banter, its a failure of ambition, as much as anything. If you do nothing to elevate the form, then its only a matter of time before the form will rise anyway  and swallow you up in the process.
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The Biden-Harris campaign has spoken out against model and TV personality Amber Rose for her endorsement of Donald Trump.

On Monday (July 15), Rose, a former girlfriend of Kanye West, took to the stage at the Republican National Convention to announce her support for the former president. She claimed the media lied to us about Trump.

In response, the Biden-Harris campaigns senior spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement: Amber Rose is right about one thing: research is important.

Since were talking about facts, we brought receipts: Rose said American families were better off when Trump was president  and if shes talking about his billionaire donors, shes right.

But for Black communities, its the opposite story: Black unemployment, Black uninsured rates, and crime rates skyrocketed under Trumps leadership, because the truth is simple  Donald Trump doesnt care about us, our lives, or our livelihoods.

Chitika concluded: A vote for Donald Trump is a vote to line the pockets of millionaires like Rose at the expense of actual Black communities, and those are the facts.

open image in gallery Amber Rose speaking on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ( Getty Images )

Rose spoke on day one of the Republican convention, not long after Trump arrived to a raucous welcome with a bandage on his ear after surviving an assassination attempt at the weekend.

Just hours earlier, he had announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential pick.

From the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rose, a mother of two, said: Im here tonight to tell you, no matter your political background, that the best chance we have to give our babies a better life is to elect Donald Trump president of the United States.

She went on to say that while she is no politician, she does care about the truth, and the truth is that the media has lied to us about Donald Trump.

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I know this because, for a long time, I believed those lies, she said, as the camera panned to a grinning Trump in the crowd.

Rose explained that she was previously critical of Trump, saying that she had believed the left-wing propaganda that Donald Trump was a racist and was shocked when her father had previously told her he was going to vote for him.

However, her opinion started to shift when she watched all the rallies and started to meet so many of his red hat-wearing supporters.

I realized Donald Trump and his supporters dont care if youre Black, white, gay or straight. Its all love, Rose said. And thats when it hit me: These are my people. This is where I belong.

After letting go of her fear of judgment and being attacked by the left, the TV personality said that is when she decided to don the red hat too.
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Richard Gadds Netflix hit Baby Reindeer brushed off controversy on Wednesday (July 17) as it received 11 nominations at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Based on the real-life experiences of Gadd, the series follows struggling comic Donny Dunn (Gadd) as he is relentlessly harassed and stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) for more than four years. Since the shows April premiere, it has become a word-of-mouth sensation, becoming one of the streamers most-watched shows of all time.

Gadd himself was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie while his co-stars Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau (who played Teri) picked up Best Supporting Actress nominations.

Tom Goodman-Hill (who played Darrien) was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The series was nominated for Best Limited or Anthology Series, Directing, Writing, Casting, Contemporary Costumes, Music Supervision and Picture Editing.

Netflix has come under fire since the hugely successful biographical series, written by and starring comedian Gadd, was released, with many questioning the effectiveness of the streaming services safeguarding protocols.

open image in gallery Richard Gadd plays a fictionalized version of himself in Baby Reindeer ( Netflix )

Scottish lawyer Fiona Harvey, 58, was quickly tracked down by internet sleuths as someone who appeared to match Gadds description of the stalker.

Harvey is now suing Netflix for $170m (132m) over the series, which she claims falsely depicted her as a convicted criminal who spent time in prison for stalking.

According to documents seen by The Independent, Harvey has accused Netflix of defamation, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of her right to privacy among other allegations.

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A Netflix spokesperson said: We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadds right to tell his story.

Gadd has defended the show as being the emotional truth and has denounced internet sleuths who went in search of Harvey.

I want the show to be received as a piece of art and I want people to enjoy the show as a piece of art. Im called Donny Dunn. It exists in a sort of fictional realm, even though it is based on truth it exists in a fictional realm, he previously told The Hollywood Reporter.

If I wanted the real life people to be found, I wouldve made it a documentary, the actor added. Ive spoken publicly about how I dont want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then Im almost adding to it. I dont think Ill ever comment on it ever again.
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A much-loved EastEnders star has announced their return to the soap after 10 years away from the show.

Michael French, 61, plays Pat Butcher and Pete Beales son David Wicks and was last seen on Albert Square in 2014 when he proposed to his childhood sweetheart Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) but missed the wedding after suffering a heart attack. Jackson  who was left at the altar alone  subsequently dumped David for the jilt and he left Walford for America.

French will return to EastEnders for multiple episodes ahead of the shows 40th anniversary and BBC executives have teased a dramatic storyline involving his long standing character, who made his debut on Albert Square back in 1993.

French said in a statement: I feel honoured to be asked to reprise the role of David Wicks once again. It may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time.

Chris Clenshaw, EastEnders executive producer added: David Wicks is undoubtedly one of EastEnders most beloved rogues, and we are thrilled to welcome the talented Michael French back to the legendary role as we lead up to the shows 40th anniversary.

Davids character was never shy of drama during his previous stints, and I can assure you this return will be no different, he revealed.

It has not yet been revealed what will bring Frenchs character back to Albert Square. However, David Wicks has a historic feud with his step-brother Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) as he previously had an affair with his then wife, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), which saw Cindy hire a hitman in an attempt to have Ian killed.

open image in gallery Michael French and Lindsey Coulson in EastEnders ( BBC )

Another storyline saw David develop feelings for Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) only to discover she was his secret daughter.

Ahead of the EastEnders 40th anniversary next February, Clenshaw has scheduled a steady flow of shock plot twists for viewers.

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In recent months, the show has seen comebacks from Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) and Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), with Tracy-Ann Oberman soon to return as Sharon Watts stepmother Chrissie Watts.

Discussing her historic comeback, Oberman said: Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play  a victim or a villain. She is a real fan favourite so, when [boss] Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and re-visit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years, I jumped at the chance.

The scripts are fantastic and I hope the viewers enjoy her as much as I am enjoying playing her again.
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Jon Stewart has looked back on a terrible f***ing week for America in the wake of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.

The comedian, 61, had to cancel plans to broadcast The Daily Show from Milwaukee in Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention is currently taking place, and instead greeted viewers from the shows usual New York City studio.

Tuesday nights episode saw Stewart address the shooting, which took place during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend and left Trump largely unscathed, with a bullet grazing his ear. One spectator was killed and two others were rushed to hospital, though their conditions have since stabilised.

We dodged a catastrophe, but it was still a tragedy, the late night host said, before paying tribute to former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who died after protecting his family from bullets.

Stewart also joked about the conspiracy theories that sprung up online in the wake of the incident, ironically suggesting that the internet is a great source of information when s*** hits the fan.

For instance, within minutes, I found out that this [attack] is staged, and then I found out that it was actually an inside job, and then I found out it was Joe Biden who ordered it, he said.

open image in gallery Stewart has returned to The Daily Show during the 2024 presidential race ( Getty Images for Comedy Central )

Stewart, who presented The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, also mocked his decision to return to the programme to cover the 2024 presidential race.

Hey Jon, come back to The Daily Show just for the election, itll be fun, he joked. You can do one day a week, itll be a laugh. What could go wrong?

He went on to address the change of venue, explaining to viewers that

because of the attempt on the former presidents life, the venue in which we planned to do the show, which was originally located in the soft perimeter, was shifted, understandably so, to the hard perimeter.

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You really dont want to be in the hard perimeter, he continued. It was locked down. They build cages around the theatre, and because of that, we felt that we could not put on the theatre shows effectively without people.

A statement posted on The Daily Shows Twitter/X account had previously cited logistical issues and the evolving situation in Milwaukee as the reasons for the cancellation.
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The former BBC One controller who commissioned Strictly Come Dancing has shared her views on the scandal currently rocking the dancing competition.

Lorraine Heggessey was in charge at the BBC when Strictly first premiered in 2000, and her decision to launch the show revolutionised Saturday night television in the UK. Twenty years later, the series is one of the corporations most reliable ratings hits.

However, in the last seven months, the show has been hit with a behind-the-scenes scandal that has exposed mistreatment in the rehearsal rooms. It all started when Sherlock star Amanda Abbington requested what was described as tense footage of her training sessions with professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

Earlier this week, Graziano Di Prima was dropped from the forthcoming series due to his alleged treatment of documentary presenter Zara McDermott on last years series and, its now been reported that a third professional dancer has been highlighted as a person of interest as an investigation into the show continues.

Reflecting on the controversy on BBC Radio 4, Heggessey described the alleged behind-the-scenes abuse as sad and unacceptable  but predicted: I think Strictly can get over this.

I think its very sad that these things have happened and clearly a line has been crossed by some of the professional dancers, but I think that whats important is the BBC is dealing with it swiftly and putting in place measures to make sure these things dont happen again, Heggessey said on Wednesday (17 July).

She said that the rigours professional dancers put themselves through cant be expected of amateur or new dancers who are taking part on Strictly, and highlighted that the show is not supposed to be for really polished dancers; its supposed to be for people who are learning it.

open image in gallery Graziano Di Prima has left Strictly after alleged mistreatment of Zara McDermott ( BBC/Guy Levy )

Heggessey, who was BBC Ones controller for the first five series, added: Everybody has always thrown themselves into the training from the very first series  all the contestants take it incredibly seriously and realise they have to work incredibly hard to be able to perform on the show, and certainly bruises on their feet and that kind of thing were not unusual just from the rigours of training.

But any abuse in the training room is not acceptable.

Heggessey defended the BBC from claims it should have been aware of what was happening, asking: If its happening behind closed doors, how are you supposed to know about it if nobody raises it with you?

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She continued: Im sure the production team really cared about the welfare of all the contestants and I guess  I dont know, Im not close to the show now  but it seems that once its come to their attention, theyre doing something about it.

open image in gallery Strictly stars Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice ( BBC )

Heggessey said the important thing now is to move on and make sure it never happens again and believes having somebody in the training room at all times will be to the benefit for everybody.

She also said that for the vast majority of contestants, Strictly is a hugely positive experience, highlighting the positive experiences had by Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Annabel Croft, respectively.

I think Strictly can get over this; we should hang onto all the positives, address the issue and move on.
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North Korean landmines could be swept into South Korea by flooding, South Korea's military said on Wednesday, after the North has recently placed tens of thousands of additional deadly explosives along the rivals' heavily fortified border.

North Korea's minelaying is part of construction at the border that's been going on since April, which also includes adding anti-tank barriers and reinforcing roads. South Korea officials believe North Korea aims to boost its frontline security posture and prevent its soldiers and citizens from defecting to South Korea.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff told local reporters that flooding caused by summer rainfall could wash the mines over the border, adding that North Korea might also deliberately float mines downriver as a provocation.

Concerns about possible North Korean provocation have deepened after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatened new countermeasures Tuesday against South Korean civilian activists' efforts to drop leaflets over the north by balloon. North Korea has earlier responded by flying trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, which have not caused major damage.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korea's military has suffered many casualties" from about 10 mine explosions and heat exposure during the intense border works.

An estimated 2 million mines are believed to be strewn in and around the Koreas' 248 kilometer (154 miles)- long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles)-wide land border. Experts say both Koreas have poorly managed their mines and dont know exactly how many they have planted or where they are.

Its not unusual for wooden North Korean mine boxes to wash downriver in summer, causing deadly incidents in South Korea. A 2015 mine explosion blamed on North Korea maimed two South Korean soldiers and pushed the rivals to the brink of an armed conflict.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it's its also looking at other possible provocations by North Korea, such as firing across the border at incoming South Korean balloons. It said the South Korean military is strengthening its readiness to repel any potential aggression by North Korea.

North Korea is extremely sensitive to South Korean activists' efforts to scatter anti-Pyongyang leaflets, seeing them as a threat its political system and a challenge to its ban on access to foreign news for most of its 26 million people, experts say.

In 2020, North Korea destroyed an unoccupied South Korean-built liaison office on its territory in a furious response to South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns. In 2014, North Korea fired at balloons flying toward its territory and South Korea returned fire, though there were no casualties.

Animosities between the rival Koreas have been running high in recent years, with North Korea extending provocative weapons tests and South Korea expanding its military drills with the United States in a tit-for-tat cycle.

North Korea says it was compelled to pursue nuclear weapons to cope with U.S. military threats, though the U.S. and South Korea have steadfastly said they have no intentions of invading the North.
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At least eight Indian children have died in the past week from suspected infection by the relatively unknown Chandipura virus, sparking concerns about an encephalitis outbreak.

Seven children are fighting for their lives in hospital, Rushikesh Patel, health minister in the western Gujarat state, said.

Chandipura virus, or CHPV, is named after Chandipura village in coastal Maharashtra state where it was first identified during an investigation into a dengue and chikungunya outbreak in 1965.

An RNA virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, which includes the rabies virus, it primarily affects children and is associated with outbreaks of acute encephalitis in India.

This disease occurs by the sting of a vector-infected sandfly and mainly affects children aged 9 months to 14 years," Mr Patel was quoted as saying by India Today.

It is seen more in rural areas. Fever, vomiting, loose motion and headache are the main symptoms.

The virus has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its potential to cause severe and often fatal illnesses in humans, particularly children", Dr Neha Rastogi Panda, an infectious diseases specialist at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, told IANS.

The virus lives in the salivary glands of the sandfly and the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It can move into the central nervous system after infecting a child, causing encephalitis or inflammation of the active brain tissue.

It initially presents symptoms like fever, body ache and headache but progresses to seizures, altered sensorium and encephalitis within 24 to 72 hours.

Although the disease is not contagious, it requires early diagnosis and supportive care due to the rapid onset of severe symptoms, lack of specific antiviral treatments or vaccines, making it a severe challenge for doctors and public health officials.

Only symptomatic treatment is possible in the absence of any antiviral and proper care of the patient in an intensive care unit, Dr Sayan Chakraborty, infectious diseases consultant at Manipal Hospital, Kolkata, told Telegraph India.

The Chandipura virus caused a major encephalitis outbreak in India in the early 2000s, killing 322 children.

The virus is endemic to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, which appear to have higher sandfly and mosquito populations.

A lot of houses also use cow dung paint or maybe make cow dung cakes, which in turn attracts sandflies, Dr Rajesh Jeswani, a paediatrician in Gujarat, told The Indian Express.

Additionally, outbreaks are more pronounced because sandflies multiply more during the monsoon season.

Doctors have voiced concerns about the changing nature of the vector and symptoms.

Sandflies usually do not fly at a height more than three feet from the ground but this time, during surveillance, sandflies have been found on terraces and higher heights, Dr Sandipkumar Trivedi, a former executive board member of the Indian Association of Pediatrics, told the newspaper. Additionally, of the six suspected deaths so far, two presented with brain haemorrhages, which is a new presentation.

Insecticide sprays could help eliminate the vector, public health experts said and called for measures to prevent the spread of the virus by controlling sandfly populations and mosquito bites.

"Strategies include the use of insect repellents, bed nets and insecticides as well as raising awareness about the risks and symptoms of the disease," Dr Panda said.
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Indias unorganised sector, seen by many as the driver of its economy, lost at least 1.6 million jobs between 2015 and 2023, according to a recent government survey that underlines deepening concerns around unemployment in the country.

This is the first time employment figures for the unincorporated sector have been released since 2017, drawing focus to the economic impact of the pandemic as well as policy decisions made by Narendra Modis government, particularly the overnight demonetisation of the bulk of currency notes in 2016 and the Covid lockdown in 2020.

Mr Modi rode to power in 2014 on a promise of creating 20 million new jobs per year as the keystone of his development agenda. But a growing unemployment crisis has instead become a major talking point in the country and has been cited as one of the main reasons for the ruling partys below-par performance in the recent national election.

The newly released survey by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation found that India had over 109.6 million people working in the unincorporated non-agricultural sector between October 2022 and September 2023. This sector relates to businesses that have not been set up as separate entities, and includes sole traders like street vendors as well as their unpaid family members and hired workers.

The figure stood at 111.3 million in 2015-16, The Indian Express reported citing government data from 2017 . This means the unorganised sector lost at least 1.6 million jobs over eight years.

At the same time, Mr Modi claims to have created over 80 million jobs in just the last three to four years. The countrys people are clever and the public is recognising this, the prime minister during a visit to the financial capital Mumbai over the weekend where he also attended the grand wedding ceremony of the son of Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani.

Indian workers drink water as they take a break at a construction site on a hot summer day ( Reuters )

Mr Modi was speaking after the Reserve Bank of India released a report stating that the employment growth rate had nearly doubled in the last fiscal year, far exceeding estimates put out by private surveys that point to high joblessness rates in the South Asian country.

According to the central banks report, released on 9 July, the overall employment rate rose from 3.2 per cent in 2022-23 to 6 per cent in 2023-24, meaning the country created more than 46.7 million jobs in that time.

In total, the number of employed people increased from 596.7 million in March 2023 to 643.3 million in March 2024. Most of the new jobs, 18.5 million, came from agriculture and allied sectors while 4.8 million appeared in construction, The Times of India reported.

In the previous fiscal year, in contrast, India had created about 11 million new jobs, the central bank said in the report that covered 27 industries from agriculture to manufacturing and services.

It used data from the National Accounts and the Ministry of Labour to extrapolate productivity and employment levels but didnt give a breakdown of the new jobs created by sector, Reuters reported.

But economists cautioned that the central banks report did not tell the whole story. They noted that much of the growth in employment came from unpaid work and temporary farm labour which cannot be compared to formal employment with regular wages.

"What is clear is that there is a large increase coming from agriculture and from self-employment, which includes own account work or unpaid family work," said Amit Basole, head of the Centre for Sustainable Employment at the Azim Premji University.

The central banks report showed agricultural work contributed 48 million of the 100 million jobs created between 2017-18 and 2022-23, Mr Basole noted. "I wouldnt call them jobs," he said. "They are just people working in agriculture or in non-farm self-employment because of lack of adequate demand for workers from businesses."

Indian workers pile lentil bags in Kolkata on 12 July 2024 ( EPA )

The Reserve Banks report came on the heels of a Citibank assessment earlier this month that even a GDP growth of 7 per cent would only create eight to nine million jobs in India, short of the 11-12 million needed.

Even 7 per cent GDP growth might not be able to fulfil the job requirement over the next decade," Citibanks chief India economist Samiran Chakraborty wrote in the assessment.

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a private think tank that tracks joblessness, estimated that Indias unemployment rate rose to eight per cent in 2023-24 from 7.5 per cent and 7.7 per cent in the preceding two financial years.

The federal labour department countered the Citibank report claiming that its own estimate suggested that over 20 million employment opportunities were created on average every year between 2017-18 and 2021-22.

The opposition lashed out at such claims by the Modi government and accused the prime minister of weaving a web of lies.

I want to remind you again what you said while announcing the National Recruitment Agency, Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, addressing Mr Modi. In August 2020, you said the NRA will prove to be a boon for crores (tens of millions) of youth. Through the common eligibility test, it will eliminate multiple examinations and save precious time as well as resources. It will also give a big boost to transparency. Why, despite providing a fund of Rs 1,517.57 crore to NRA, only Rs 58 crore has been spent so far in 4 years?
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At least 14 students from a Tokyo high school have been admitted to hospital after eating extra spicy crisps during their morning break.

The children experienced nausea and mouth pain after consuming the R 18+ curry chips. One took so ill they had to be transported in a wheelchair, Asahi Shimbun reported.

The crisps are marketed as not for consumption by children under 18 due to their intense spiciness from ghost peppers, also known as Bhut Jolokia.

They were brought to the Rokugo Koka High School by a student just for fun on 16 July, the report said.

Nearly 30 students ate the crisps and 14 were rushed to hospital, all but one of them girls.

According to crisp maker Isoyama Corp, the product comes with warnings on the package stating, People aged under 18 should refrain from eating this product because it is too spicy and Not only people who are not good at spicy foods but also those who like spicy foods need to be cautious while eating this product.

A company representative apologised for the incident and hoped for the speedy recovery of the students, Mainichi Shimbun reported.

The school alerted police at around 1pm saying several students were experiencing difficulties after consuming the spicy snack.

In 2007, Guinness World Records certified the ghost pepper as the worlds hottest chilli, boasting over one million Scoville Heat Units, 170 times hotter than Tabasco sauce and significantly surpassing cayenne pepper in heat intensity.

Spicy snacks have gained wide popularity recently, often as a result of social media challenges. But they have occasionally sent people to hospital and were even implicated in the death of a Massachusetts teenager last year.

Denmark recently recalled Korean ramen noodles containing high levels of chilli extract in the broth mix. The regulator said the concentration exceeded that found in chilli chips blamed for poisonings in Germany.

Chilli in large quantities poses a risk to children and frail adults in particular, Henrik Dammand Nielsen from the Danish Food and Drug Administration was quoted as saying by CBS News.

Possible symptoms include burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure. Thats why we are now demanding that the shops remove the products from their shelves.
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Do not travel to Afghanistan due to the risk of violence, detention or kidnapping. That is the advice from the American government to its citizens considering visiting the central Asian country, ruled by the Taliban since they seized Kabul in August 2021.

Few Americans have gone against the advice but last week the US State Department confirmed that two men who did travel to Afghanistan and one who was already there have been arrested by the Taliban on seemingly spurious charges.

A State Department spokesperson identified them as Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi.

The Taliban have admitted to detaining only two of the men, Mr Corbett and Mr Glezmann.

Both American nationals violated the countrys law and discussion has been held with the US officials in this regard, the Taliban said on Sunday.

They are holding them, a Taliban spokesperson suggested, to exchange for Afghans imprisoned by the US in Guantanamo Bay.

We also have prisoners in America, prisoners in Guantanamo, Zabiullah Mujahid said earlier this month.

We should free our prisoners in exchange for them.

The military jail near Cuba, notorious for the humiliating and allegedly abusive treatment of its prisoners, was set up by the George W Bush administration after 9/11 and once held over 200 Afghans, most without charge or legal recourse to challenge their detention. The Voice of America reported earlier this year only one Afghan national remains detained there.

Heres what we know about the three Americans held by the Taliban.

Ryan Corbett

Mr Corbett from New York started an enterprise called Bloom Afghanistan in 2017 to boost the countrys private sector by providing business consulting services, microfinance lending and evaluation of international development projects. He wanted to help Afghans start their own businesses.

But after the Taliban drove out Western troops and captured Kabul, he left the country with his pregnant wife and children.

open image in gallery A US Air Force crew assists evacuees aboard an aircraft after the Taliban took Kabul in 2021 ( US Air Force )

He returned, apparently to train the Bloom Afghanistan staff, but was detained in August 2022 despite having a valid visa. The State Department said last year that he was wrongfully detained.

The Taliban havent stated a reason for Mr Corbetts detention but have allowed him to make eight desperate and difficult calls to his wife in the past 22 months, his lawyer Ryan Fayhee told The Independent.

On top of being beaten severely, hes deprived of food, nutrients, sunlight and any human interaction. We are told that he has experienced fainting spells and lost significant weight in the Talibans custody, the lawyer said, claiming that Mr Corbett was being held in a small basement cell.

open image in gallery A photo shared by Ryan Corbetts family which he took shortly before his arrest in 2022 ( Sourced/The Independent )

The Taliban have not allowed consular access to Mr Corbett. The Independent previously reported that they do not provide adequate medical assistance to prisoners they call Western collaborators who are injured during torture.

This is what we call hostage diplomacy because on one hand they want to join the world community but then reject the established norm of consular services that allow another countrys representatives to go in and see after the care and safety of individual prisoners, Mr Fayhee said.

His wife, Anna Corbett, told The Independent that it is a race against time to bring Ryan home before it is too late given ongoing reports of his deteriorating health. She has called on US president Joe Biden to undertake the difficult work it will take to free Ryan.

open image in gallery American soldiers assist with the evacuation of foreigners from Kabul after the city was captured by the Taliban in 2021 ( US Central Command Public Affairs )

Mr Fayhee said the Taliban are making a mistake thinking they can get their people out of Guantanamo by victimising an innocent man and family.

This is not a step forward but backward and the Taliban will not gain anything from this bargain, he said.

The US government, the lawyer pointed out, has substantial leverage over what the Taliban want. The Taliban want legitimation as the sovereign authority in Afghanistan, they want to be part of the world community, they want sanctions to be lifted and they want to be taken seriously. Quite like Russia and quite like Iran, the choice is to recognise the rule of law and to have a legitimate criminal justice system, he said.

But the Taliban choose not to be a part of the international community on their own by detaining and torturing foreign citizens like Ryan Corbett in basement cells without offering any transparency.

open image in gallery Ryan Corbett with his wife and their three children ( Sourced/ The Independent )

George Glezmann

Mr Glezmann, 65, travelled to Afghanistan in December 2022 to explore its culture and artefacts. He was on a five-day vacation from his work as an airline mechanic for Delta Airlines in Atlanta.

He has reportedly spent the past 18 months in a small underground cell with other detainees, with intermittent periods of solitary confinement, and his health is declining.

open image in gallery George Glezmann went to Afghanistan in 2022 ( Foley Foundation )

His ordeal was highlighted when the US Congress passed a resolution seeking his release last Tuesday. During his detention, George Glezmann has had only seven phone calls totaling 54 minutes with his family and limited in-person visits with representatives of Qatar, the protecting power of the United States in Afghanistan, the resolution read, adding that he suffers from several medical conditions like facial tumours, hypertension, and severe malnutrition.

The Taliban have held Mr Glezmann without charging him with a crime or granting him due process in any judicial proceedings, the resolution said.

His family fears he may not survive the detention.

The US Secretary of State said last October that Mr Glezmann was wrongfully detained.

His wife has urged the Taliban to release him on humanitarian grounds. He was a simple tourist travelling to Afghanistan as part of his plan to visit 100 countries, Aleksandra Glezmann has said.

Mahmood Habibi

Mr Habibi seemingly paid the price for the American strike that killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan on 31 July 2022.

The Taliban likely assumed Mr Habibis employer, the US Federal Aviation Administration, was involved in the strike, but did not charge the civil aviation expert with a crime.

His detention was flagged in March by the US Congress in a resolution seeking his release. Mr Habibi was born in Afghanistan but has US citizenship.

He was arrested on 10 August 2022 after the Taliban searched his home and took away his laptop and paperwork.

open image in gallery Mahmood Habibi worked with the US Federal Aviation Administration ( Foley Foundation )

Mr Habibis wife, with whom he has a young daughter, has had no contact with him since he was taken away.

He is reportedly held by the General Directorate of Intelligence but the Taliban have denied having him in custody, the Congress resolution noted.

He could live anywhere but he preferred to live there, to work for his country and work for the future of Afghanistan, his sister Amna Nawaz told PBS.

American lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to ask the Taliban to respect Mahmood Habibishuman rights and provide full, unfettered, and consistent health and safety visits to Mahmood Habibi while in detention.
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Six people have been killed in the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh over government job reservations, prompting authorities to shut down all universities in the country indefinitely.

Hundreds of people have sustained injuries in the protests which turned violent after demonstrators clashed with police and pro-government agitators this week. Three of the dead have been identified as students aged between 22 and 32.

They have been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for family members of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence. The quota system also reserves jobs for women, disabled people and ethnic minority groups.

The policy has angered students suffering from high unemployment in a country where some 32 million young people are not in work or education. Bangladesh has a total population of 170 million.

The protests escalated after prime minister Sheikh Hasina refused to address the demands of the students, citing ongoing court proceedings, and labelled those opposing the quota system as "razakar", or volunteer, a term used for those who allegedly collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war.

open image in gallery Students protest against the quota system at Jahangir Nagar University outside Dhaka, Bangladesh ( AP )

The demonstrators claimed the prime ministers statement incited her party's student wing  Bangladesh Chhatra League, or BCL  to attack thousands of people rallying against the quota system.

The protests are the first major challenge to Ms Hasina since she secured a fourth consecutive term early this year in an election boycotted by the opposition parties. Her government has a track record of deploying brute force against critics to throttle dissent.

The government has deployed riot police along with the Border Guard Bangladesh paramilitary force across university campuses to maintain law and order.

The protesters have been demanding an end to the quota system, arguing that people should be selected for the sought-after government jobs based on merit.

"We were protesting peacefully until we were attacked by the BCL goons. It is our right to continue protesting, it is embedded in the history of this country and we shall continue to do so for our right," a Dhaka university student who did not want to be named for fear of persecution told The Independent.

On Tuesday, the University Grants Commission ordered all universities to shut down and instructed students to vacate the campuses immediately to protect the students.

High schools, colleges and other educational institutions were also shut.

open image in gallery Protesters demonstrate against the quota system in Bangladesh ( Reuters )

Police arrested seven activists, including a former leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Partys student wing, during a raid at the main opposition partys headquarters in Dhaka.

"The ruling party members are targeting non-protesting students inside the campus as well. Men, women, anyone who refuses to side with the government quota is being assaulted," Rubina Khatun, a student at Dhaka University, told The Independent.

She said the students have been given time till 6pm today to vacate the university premises but some have decided to stay back, defying the order. "This puts us in so much danger. There is violence everywhere, how would we go home," she said.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters as at least two buses were set ablaze amid reports of sporadic clashes across the country.

Police are marching on the city streets to thwart any attempts of demonstrations. #WhatsHappeninginBangladesh #QuotaReformProtest pic.twitter.com/r119ZjQDGo  MUKTADIR rashid ROMEO (@muktadirnewage) July 17, 2024

"We have no issue with them protesting against the quota. However, if they engage in vandalism or destructive activities, under anyone's influence or leadership, we will not spare them," said home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. "Wherever there is vandalism, killing, or bloodshed, law enforcement will do their duties."

Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the protests, said students will hold processions on Wednesday carrying coffins in solidarity with those who lost their lives. The paramilitary paraded through the streets of Dhaka and other big cities as stray protests continued at some universities.

The quota system was suspended in 2018, ending similar protests against it. However, a high court last month asked for the 30 per cent quota for descendants of freedom fighters to be restored.

The supreme court last week stayed the high courts order for four weeks and the countrys chief justice asked the student protesters to return to their classes.
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Police in Thailand have found traces of cyanide on teacups in a room where six foreign nationals were found dead in a luxury hotel in central Bangkok on Tuesday.

The bodies of at least two Vietnamese-Americans and four Vietnamese nationals were found in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, police said.

Americas FBI has joined the Thai police in investigating the deaths at the hotel, which is very popular with visiting tourists.

The victims, three men and three women, were aged between 37 and 56, according to Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkoks deputy police chief.

Members of the media view images of drinks left in the room where six people were found dead ( Getty )

Forensics officials said on Wednesday that traces of cyanide were found on cups and vacuum flasks in the suite where the bodies were discovered.

Tests are still being conducted on the victims and a formal cause of death has not been announced. But officials at the Chulalongkorn Hospital, to which the bodies were brought, said an autopsy also found traces of cyanide.

The bodies showed traces of the rapid-acting chemical and had purple lips, indicating a lack of oxygen, Chulalongkorn Hospitals Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin told reporters.

The Thai government said prime minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered all agencies involved to take urgent action, as the country seeks to avoid any further impact on the wider tourism industry. It said the Vietnamese and the American embassies had been contacted over the deaths.

The bodies were discovered by hotel staff after the group missed their check-out time, and police were called at around 5.30pm on Tuesday.

The six had last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room on Monday afternoon. The hotel staff said they saw one woman who received the food, and security footage showed the rest arriving one by one to the room shortly after.

Hotel staff found that food ordered from the previous day was left untouched, with some servings of fried rice still under plastic wrap. On a nearby table, several used teacups were found next to two vacuum flasks.

It has been reported that two of the victims were a husband and wife who had invested the equivalent of 213,267 with two of the other victims to build a hospital in Japan. It has been speculated that the group might have been meeting to settle the matter.

The couple reportedly suspected Vietnamese-American national Sherine Chong of cheating them due to a lack of progress in the project and decided to fix their differences in Thailand.

The case likely stems from a debt problem. There are no other possibilities. The culprit is among the six because they were the only people who entered the room. There were no others, police major-general Theeradej Thumsuthee told reporters.

Police said they suspect Chong may have poisoned the others with a drink brought in a flask that did not belong to the hotel.

A seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was identified by police as a sibling of one of the six victims, authorities said. Police say they have established that the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.

Thai authorities have ruled out the possibility of a mass suicide as some of the victims had arranged future details of their trip, such as guides and drivers. The bodies were not grouped in the same place  some were in the bedroom, some in the living room  suggesting that they did not knowingly consume poison and wait for their death together, said Trairong Piwpan, the chief of police.

He said two of those who died appeared to have been trying to reach for the door but appear to have collapsed before they could do so.

The prime minister said the incident was not an act of terrorism or a breach in security, adding that everything is fine.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan has more 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants.

More than 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year, spending 25.94bn in the country, where other key sectors of the economy have slowed down since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Thai government expects 35 million foreign arrivals this year, on the back of longer visa stay periods and visa waivers being extended to more nationalities.

The tourism sector was shaken last October by a shooting at a luxury shopping mall, close to the Hyatt, in which two foreigners were killed, prompting government measures to improve confidence.
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Aly Raisman has revealed that she was hospitalized on multiple occasions after experiencing stroke-like symptoms.

The 30-year-old retired gymnast spoke candidly about her physical health during an episode of Alex Coopers Call Her Daddy podcast, which aired on July 17. She noted that amid experiences of trauma and stress, she was hospitalized several times, which was something she never shared publicly before. Raisman went on to describe some of the symptoms she experienced, while noting that during two occasions when she was hospitalized, it was quite intense.

I feel like I have different minor issues as well, depending on what Im going through at the time, where I have literally stroke-like symptoms, she said. I cant remember my name. Im slurring my words. I can barely speak. Both times I was tested for a stroke because I literally couldnt move my body.

She explained that when she was first hospitalized, her doctors had absolutely no idea what her condition was. Raisman highlighted how scary it was for her to be surrounded by doctors, considering she was one of the hundreds of women who were sexually assaulted by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

The first time it happened was during COVID. And so, they wouldnt let my mom in the ambulance with me, Raisman recalled about the hospitalization. I can understand what someone is saying to me and asking me, like, I know theyre asking me what my name is, but I cant remember my name or say what it is. I was aware enough to know, like, Oh, my God, I have two men I cant move my arms and my legs, I cant move my body, I cant speak. What if they take advantage of me?

She added that she was really still struggling a lot with her PTSD when she was first hospitalized, which occurred a few years after she came forward as a victim of Nassar. The former doctor is currently serving a 40 to 175-year prison sentence on seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and possession of child pornography.

open image in gallery Aly Raisman at the 2016 Rio Olympics ( Tom Pennington/Getty Images )

People dont realize how much it still lives with you when youve been through something traumatic. So, that was really hard for me, Raisman added, before noting that she was hospitalized a second time a little bit over a year ago.

She went on to explain how terrifying the experience was, detailing why she had to be in the hospital for three days.

They wouldnt release me because I couldnt, like, sit up on my own. It took me so long. I needed help walking, going to the bathroom, Raisman said. To go from being an athlete and being able to push myself so much, to literally not even be able to move my fingers, move my legs. I had like complete body paralysis, and not even to know what my own name is. It was so scary.

She shared that she now prioritizes her health on a daily basis by managing her stress, which she said exacerbates her symptoms. Although she didnt specify what her health condition was, she expressed it was a real medical thing.

I have to be very on top of my therapy, she added. But then also my therapist has to work with me if I start to feel off So its very hard and very interesting.

Raisman also claimed that doctors had disregarded her symptoms when she was hospitalized the second time, as she couldnt lift her leg or say her own name. However, she alleged that when the doctors realized who she was, after her mother had spoken up, their behavior changed.

My mom was like, Do you know who Aly Raisman is? And [the doctors] were like, Yeah we know who she is. And my mom was like, Well thats her, she recalled. And then from there, they took such great care of me and were there for me. And I want to share that because its appalling. Like it doesnt matter who you are, everyone deserves to get excellent medical treatment.
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A disorder associated with disruptive behaviours in children could be spotted in brain scans, new research suggests.

Researchers looked at brain scans of nearly 2,500 children and found distinct structural differences in the brains of children who have conduct disorder, compared to those who do not.

Its a condition that around 5% of children aged between five and 16 in the UK are thought to have, and is associated with lying, stealing, skipping school and a lack of remorse.

Although we dont yet know how the differences we identified could be used to improve treatment for children with conduct disorder, it is clear that they cannot simply be labelled naughty, says the studys joint lead author, Dr Marlene Staginnus, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath.

open image in gallery Persistent aggressive behaviour such as hitting and pushing could be a sign of CD (Alamy/PA)

What is conduct disorder?

Conduct disorder (CD) is a form of behavioural disorder. Its characterised by antisocial behaviour from the child in almost all of their settings, including school, home and around friends, explains Craig Jackson, professor of occupational health psychology at Birmingham City University.

Children with CD often ignore instructions, rules and general social conventions in their interactions with others, and display challenging behaviours that other children and adults find difficult to manage.

This includes dangerous behaviours and excessive risk-taking, delinquency such as petty theft or avoiding school, wilfully doing things to hurt or outrage others, and using violence or threats of violence to achieve what they want.

What causes CD?

The development of conduct disorder is complex and influenced by many factors including both biological factors and the environment of the child, explain the authors of the new brain study, Dr Yidian Gao, Staginnus and the ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group. Importantly, these biological and environmental factors also interact with each other.

Jackson adds: Physical causes include brain damage (possibly to the frontal lobe), which can be the result of physical trauma or injury, or even exposure or ingestion of neurotoxic chemicals. Some evidence suggests there is a genetic element to who develops CD.

open image in gallery Conduct disorder could be caused by trauma (Alamy/PA)

Fiona Yassin, a family psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic, agrees and says that she has noticed that many of her clients with CD have experienced trauma early on in life.

Trauma can have a big and lasting impact on the emotions and behaviours of a young person. It can change the way a young persons brain develops, affecting important functions like learning, emotional regulation and memory, she says.

Why is CD often linked to naughtiness?

It is important to know the difference between general naughty behaviour and signs of conduct disorder.

Because conduct disorder is under-recognised and under-diagnosed, it can be easy to discount children with this condition as naughty rather than providing them with the help they need, explains Staginnus. In younger children, conduct disorder begins with behaviours such as pushing, hitting, and biting. In older children, it can manifest as more severe violent actions and criminal activities, such as stealing, vandalism, and arson.

All children misbehave occasionally, so conduct disorder is only diagnosed when these extreme behaviours persist over an extended period of time and in different contexts.

What can be done to help?

The earlier conduct problems are identified and addressed, the better, and early treatment may prevent future problems.

open image in gallery Family therapy could help parents manage and talk through their childs behaviours (Alamy/PA)

Some types of therapy for conduct disorder include mode deactivation therapy and family therapy, says Yassin. Family therapy and positive parenting skills are an essential part of the treatment of conduct disorder.

A family therapist can help parents to provide consistent boundaries and have a family plan in place to effectively manage the more difficult moments.

Medication may also be a route to go down. Jackson says: Medication may be prescribed for the child  typically beta blocker drugs or mild antipsychotic medication  but this will not solve the CD, however, it may help if the child has other conditions present, such as ADHD.

And schools can play a part in helping too. Yassin says: In general, interventions at school should try to balance providing opportunities for positive, social behaviours, which should be praised, with setting consistent boundaries and limits.
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Selma Blair has reflected on her eight-year journey with sobriety.

In an interview with US Weekly published July 17, the Legally Blonde actor looked back on an incident in 2016, in which she was kicked off an airplane for being intoxicated.

When asked what she considered to be her lowest point when she was drinking, Blair responded by mentioning how she was kicked off a flight eight years ago. The plane incident, she told the outlet.

I had too much to drink in Mexico. I was so messed up and dehydrated and hungover and didnt know I had neurological issues. I didnt understand anything. It was horrifying and humiliating. I had to grow up, Blair explained.

At the time, the Cruel Intentions star was traveling to Los Angeles from a vacation in Mexico with her then four-year-old son, Arthur, and his father: her ex-partner Jason Bleick. Multiple outlets had claimed at the time that Blair was mixing prescription medication with alcohol, which resulted in her passing out and to say and do things that I deeply regret.

I made a big mistake yesterday. After a lovely trip with my son and his dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret, Blair said in a statement to Vanity Fair shortly after the incident.

My son was with his dad asleep with his headphones on, so there is that saving grace. I take this very seriously, and I apologize to all of the passengers and crew that I disturbed and am thankful to all of the people who helped me in the aftermath, she added. I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry.

That same year, Blair made the decision to be sober from alcohol. Speaking to US Weekly, she detailed just how dedicated shes been to being sober ever since the plane incident. I wouldnt have been able to be diagnosed with MS unless I was sober. I wouldnt be a good mom unless I was sober. I self-medicated, Blair said.

In a November 2023 interview with Kristen Welker on Meet The Press, the actor explained how she went years with her multiple sclerosis (MS) being misdiagnosed by doctors who classified her early symptoms as menstrual issues.

Everything does not need to be blamed on menstruation or something, she said, noting that the long delay in her diagnosis was likely due to older male doctors who really probably did not know the intricacies of a girl.

Blair added that one doctor even told her one solution could be that she needed a boyfriend.

I just cried, she said, after being asked how that interaction made her feel. I had no capability to process: What am I supposed to do with this information? I knew the pain was real. I thought it was. But I did start to convince myself: Youre overly sensitive. Theres nothing wrong with you. Get it together, you lazy, lazy whatever.

In October 2018, Blair publicly shared that she had been diagnosed with MS - a condition that affects the central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

She offered fans a glimpse into her health struggles in the Discovery+ documentary Introducing, Selma Blair. The film, which was released in 2021, followed Blair as she underwent a risky stem cell transplant to treat the disease. In August that year, Blair revealed she was in remission following the stem cell transplant.
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Dr. Hassan Hamdan was one of the few trained plastic surgeons in Gaza, a specialist in wound reconstruction. His skills were vitally needed as Israels military onslaught filled hospitals with patients torn by blasts and shrapnel, so the 65-year-old came out of retirement to help.

Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike killed him along with his wife, son, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, six grandchildren and one other person, as his family sheltered in their home in an Israeli-declared safe zone.

Israels 9-month-old war with Hamas in Gaza has decimated the territorys medical system. It has not only wreaked physical destruction on hospitals and health facilities, it has devastated Gazas medical personnel. More than 500 health care workers have been killed since October, according to the U.N.

Among them were many specialists like Hamdan.

Dr. Ahmed al-Maqadma, also a reconstructive surgeon and a former fellow at U.K. Royal College, was found shot to death alongside his mother, a general practitioner, on a street outside Gaza Citys Shifa hospital after a two-week raid on the facility by Israeli forces in April.

One of Gazas most prominent fertility doctors, Omar Ferwana, was killed along with his family in a strike on his home in October. The territorys only liver transplant doctor, Hamam Alloh, was killed in a hit on his home in Gaza City.

Israeli strikes in November on a northern Gaza hospital killed two doctors working with Doctors Without Borders. They are among six staffers killed from the international charity, which focuses on reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries, physiotherapy and burn care in Gaza.

Israel has detained doctors and medical staff. At least two have died in Israeli detention, allegedly of ill-treatment: the head of Shifa's orthopedics department, Adnan al-Bursh, and the head of a womens hospital, Iyad al-Rantisi. Israel has not returned either man's body. Hundreds of other medical workers have been displaced or left Gaza altogether.

Along with the personal toll, their deaths rob Gazas medical system of their skills when they have become crucial.

Since the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7  which left some 1,200 people dead and 250 kidnapped  Israel's campaign has killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza and wounded more than 88,000, according to local health officials. Malnutrition and disease have become widespread as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians cram into squalid tent camps.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a former U.S. Army combat plastic surgeon who volunteered in Gaza in May, said Hamdans death leaves a significant void that will be hard to fill.

Like many in Gaza, he believes Israel is deliberately destroying the health system, pointing to how Israeli forces have raided hospitals, destroyed medical complexes, fired on medical convoys and hit ambulances. Israel says it is targeting Hamas, which it says uses hospitals as command centers and ambulances for transport. The military has provided limited evidence for its claims.

Twenty-three of Gazas 36 hospitals are out of service, and the rest are only partially functioning, according to the latest U.N. figures. Only five field hospitals out of nine are operational. And more than 60% of Gazas primary health facilities have shut down.

Hamdans death leaves only one other specialist in reconstructive plastic surgery in Gaza. Other doctors have had to learn the skills of repairing major wounds on the job amid relentless daily waves of maimed patients.

Hamawy saw firsthand the need during his work in Gaza as part of an international medical team that came to help the territorys health workers.

During three weeks at the European General Hospital in Khan Younis, he said he performed 120 surgeries, more than half of them on children, and all but one of them for treatment and reconstruction of war wounds. Two colleagues at the hospital were killed in strikes on their homes while he was there, and he spoke to doctors who had been released from Israeli detention and described being tortured, he said.

Hamawy said a general surgeon at the hospital stepped in to fill the demand for plastic surgeons, but he had no formal training. Five medical students volunteered with him.

They are doing their best to fill in the gap, Hamawy said.

On July 2, the European General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients, fearing it would be attacked. That left Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah and a field hospital in Rafah as the only facilities able to offer reconstructive surgery, said Dr. Ahmed al-Mokhallalati, Gaza's last reconstructive plastic surgery specialist.

Al-Mokhallalati said he has been rushing between hospitals, at one point overseeing treatment for 400 patients in one and 500 in another. At the Rafah field hospital, he was doing up to 10 surgeries a day.

It is a very critical situation, he said.

Hamdan founded the burns and plastic surgery department in Khan Younis Nasser Medical complex in 2002, after serving at the territorys first such unit, at Shifa hospital. He headed the department at Nasser until 2019, when he retired.

When the Israeli army invaded Hamdan's home city of Khan Younis in December, he returned as a volunteer at Nasser, Gazas second largest hospital, said his son Osama Hamdan, an orthopedic surgeon. His colleagues said he was cool under pressure. The smile never left his face, said Dr. Mohamad Awad, a surgeon who worked with him.

Soon after, Israeli forces besieged and raided Nasser Hospital, forcing its evacuation. Hamdan was displaced, taking shelter in the home of one of his daughters in Deir al-Balah, further north.

Troops occupied Nasser hospital for weeks, wreaking extensive damage. After they withdrew, the facility was rehabilitated. In mid-June, Hamdan returned home and was discussing returning to work with hospital officials.

On July 2, Israel ordered another evacuation of Khan Younis. Hamdan and his family fled again, returning to his daughters home in Deir al-Balah.

Only hours after they arrived, an airstrike hit the building on July 3  a direct hit with two rockets on my sisters apartment, Osama Hamdan said. He said no one in the family was affiliated with militant groups.

The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on the strike.

Osama was on duty in the emergency room at Nasser hospital when he received the call. His wife and two sons  3 and 5 years old  were among those killed.

I was only able to collect some body parts of my kids and their mother because of how huge the explosion was, he said.

One of his sisters died days later in the hospital from her wounds. Another sister remains in intensive care.

Osama is feeling partially responsible. I had pressed him to leave Khan Younis, he said in a text message, marked with two broken hearts emojis.

___

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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Papua New Guineas sidelined Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina will appear in an Australian court in March next year to fight a charge of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute.

The 58-year-old appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to have a hearing date set over the assault that allegedly occurred July 6 in an apartment in the expensive Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi. The woman's identity has not been made public for legal reasons.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson set a hearing date of March 20, despite defense lawyer Margaret Cunneen requesting an earlier date.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced July 10 that Energy Minister Thomas Opa had taken over the petroleum portfolio since Maladina stepped down during the court process.

Maladina remains a government lawmaker and hopes to return to the South Pacific island nations cabinet after being cleared of the charge of assault resulting in bodily harm, which carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison.

It was Maladinas second court appearance. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea at his first appearance July 11.

He was arrested soon after police were called to the Bondi apartment and found a 31-year-old woman with facial injuries.

Maladina is free on bail with restrictions on contact with the woman. But there are no bail conditions that would prevent him returning to Papua New Guinea, Australias nearest neighbor and biggest recipient of Australian foreign aid.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lawrence told the court Maladina had given two police interviews since the complaint. The video-recorded interviews would be presented as evidence to the trial, which will be heard by a magistrate without a jury.

Lawrence said Maladina had referred in the police interviews to events that had allegedly happened in Papua New Guinea. Australian police were making inquiries into those allegations, Lawrence said, without elaborating. He also said two children were inside the apartment when the assault allegedly occurred and both might be called to testify.

The accuser's lawyer, Michael Lowe, agreed to relax some restrictions on Maladina contacting her.

Neither Maladina nor his lawyer have made any media statements surrounding his two court appearances.

Shortly after his arrest, Maladina said he was cooperating with the authorities. He said in a statement that he held himself to high standards as a public servant and that violence was never acceptable.
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Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat Wednesday to strongly protest a deadly militant attack that left eight soldiers dead in the northwest bordering Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said.

A bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the ouster wall of an army housing complex on Monday in the city of Bannu in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In return, security officers opened fire, killing 10 insurgents.

A splinter group of Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, led by a militant commander Gul Bahadur, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP is a separate group but also an ally of the Afghan Taliban and has stepped up its attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it asked Kabul to fully investigate the bombing and take immediate action against the perpetrators.

There was no immediate reaction from Afghanistan's Taliban government.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent years, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In January 2023 militants killed at least 101 people, mostly police officers, when a suicide bomber disguised attacked a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
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The dead Palestinian toddlers limbs were pale and cold despite the sweltering summer heat in Gaza. Outside the hospital, his father cradled the boy in his arms, unable or unwilling to say goodbye. Flies circled and landed in the childs soft hair.

What did he do wrong, my God? What did he do wrong? screamed Mahmoud Mikdad, his voice hoarse, lifting his face toward the sky.

His son, Yaman, was killed by an Israeli airstrike. Israeli strikes killed more than 60 Palestinians in southern and central Gaza from Monday night into Tuesday, according to hospital records and health officials. Israel has said it is pursuing Hamas militants who are hiding among civilians after offensives uprooted underground tunnel networks.

It had been a regular afternoon for Mikdad. He put his daughter and Yamam down for a nap in the apartment where the displaced family was sheltering.

The strike killed the boy instantly. He wasnt yet 2 years old.

Mikdad carried Yamams body through central Gaza from Nuseirat camp to Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah. Yamams bare legs dangled limply from beneath a white sheet soaked with blood.

Mikdad and two others, one with his head wrapped in bandages, caressed and kissed the boys body outside the morgue. The child in his lap was more precious than the whole world, Mikdad told an Associated Press photojournalist. He sat against the hospital wall for a while, crying.

Later, a dozen or so men held a funeral prayer over Yamam's body wrapped in a white shroud. Bystanders, some of them children, watched in silence.

___

Callister reported from New York.
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A man has appeared in court accused of killing a former couple whose remains were found in two suitcases left at Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

Yostin Andres Mosquera is charged with the murders of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, between 8 and 10 July.

The two men had previously been in a relationship and still lived together at a flat in Scotts Road, Shepherds Bush, west London.

Both of the deceased were known to Mosquera, 34. He had been staying with them for a short period of time and is a Colombian national.

He is accused of killing the pair in London before their bodies were discovered in two suitcases at the south-west beauty spot last week. Mosquera was detained by armed police at Temple Meads railway station in Bristol in the early hours of Saturday morning after officers made the grim discovery on Wednesday.

Further remains were later found by police at the couples west London flat.

Mosquera appeared wearing a grey t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms via video link from HMP Belmarsh prison for a hearing at the Old Bailey in London on Wednesday.

Speaking only to confirm his name and date of birth with assistance from a Spanish interpreter, he was remanded in custody for a further hearing on 2 October.

A provisional trial date was set for 14 April next year, with a time estimate of up to three weeks, although the judge said the court would try to find an earlier date.

Addressing judge the Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC, prosecutor Teresa Hay told the court: Mr Mosquera faces two counts of murder. Your lordship will appreciate the case is at an early stage.

No application was made for bail and he was remanded in custody.

After the announcement of Mosqueras charge, Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Andy Valentine said: My thoughts are first and foremost with Albert and Pauls loved ones who are coming to terms with this terrible news.

While we do not believe either of them had any close family, we have identified other next of kin who have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. We are continuing to try and identify any extended family members.

Mosquera was arrested following a joint operation carried out by the Met and Avon and Somerset Police.
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Massive plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from a fire at a factory in Birmingham.

More than 100 firefighters are at Hastingwood Industrial Park in Edington on Wednesday afternoon in what was described as a significant incident.

Authorities warned people to avoid the area if possible and to close their doors and windows if they live nearby.

The fire broke out in a factory near a shopping centre, with more resources likely to be mobilised.

Shortly after 3.20pm on Thursday (17 July), we responded to Hastingwood Industrial Park, Wood Lane, Erdington, a spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said.

We currently have 12 fire engines, 3 44 brigade response vehicles and a hydraulic aerial platform at the scene. A fire engine from Tamworth Fire Station (Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service) is also in attendance. More resources are likely to be mobilised.

This is a fire in a factory, which is not currently affecting The Fort shopping centre, which is nearby. Please avoid the area if possible, and close your doors and windows if youre in an area affected by smoke.

This is a significant incident. Commuters are urged to plan their journeys accordingly.

The spokesperson added that further updates are to follow.
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When mother-of-four Margaret was found intentionally homeless in May last year, she couldnt quite believe what was happening. She had been living in a hotel room for months, crammed into a bunk bed with her daughter and son, with only a microwave to cook with. Her two teenage children had to sit in the bathroom to do their college work as there was no space.

Seven months earlier, she had been issued with a section 21 no-fault eviction notice by her landlord in Bournemouth - a power the government has now vowed to outlaw as part of the Kings Speech on Wednesday - and the local council had temporarily put her and her children in the hotel room.

She had been called to an interview in April 2023 to assess whether the council had a duty to help house the family. A month later, officials decided Margaret and her children aged five to 18 were intentionally homeless - and were not entitled to help.

It is such a horrible phrase because nobody makes themselves intentionally homeless, Margaret, whose name has been changed to protect her familys privacy, told The Independent. It makes it feel like its your fault, like youve done this to you and your family.

Housing charity Shelter was able to help her challenge the councils intentionally homeless decision and it was ultimately overturned. However, many others who are in Margarets position are unsuccessful in their appeals or dont know they have the power to ask for a review in the first place.

Section 202 reviews can be used to challenge council housing decisions. They are used to contest a councils decision to stop or refuse housing for a resident or to challenge disrepair in a property.

New freedom of information data obtained by The Independent shows only 28 per cent of people who challenged their local council over their housing provision were successful in 2023.

Data from 179 councils in England shows more than 5,800 people tried to challenge their housing conditions or housing provision last year. Around 60 per cent of relevant councils responded to the FOI request.

Anabel and her two-year-old son, pictured, have been living in an B&B in Lewisham, south-east London, and have asked to be moved ( Supplied )

There has been a 52 per cent increase in the number of reviews requested in the past five years, mapping the increasing homelessness across the country. However, the number of decisions overturned in the applicants favour has stayed relatively stable, with rates dipping slightly from a 31 per cent success rate in 2019 to 28 per cent in 2023.

Speaking about the data, policy manager Deborah Garvie at Shelter said: Every single one of these requests for a review is either someone who is not being offered accommodation at all, or the accommodation that they have been offered they feel they really cant take it. Thats why its so worrying. A lot of people also dont realise they can request a review of their decision, so a whole load of people wont show up in this data.

Councillor Kieron Wilson, at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council which provided accommodation for Margarets family, said it worked hard to support local families.

He added: Sadly, despite prioritising preventative support, we have seen a significant increase in homelessness demand in the BCP area. No fault family eviction from private sector housing, and family breakdown, due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, are the most common causes for this increase.

More than 100,000 households - two-thirds of which are families with children - are living in temporary accommodation, according to the latest government figures.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer kick-started sweeping reforms to the planning system on Wednesday as part of a drive to deliver 1.5 million new homes. The government vowed to make sure everyone can grow up in the secure housing they deserve as new legislation was announced in the Kings Speech, and further launched a child poverty taskforce to address the root causes.

Another mother, Sylvia, 31, told The Independent how Haringey Council in London discharged its duty to house her and her disabled eight-year-old son in September 2022 after it tried to move her into a new flat that was further away from her sons school.

Her son has mobility problems as a result of being born with short stature, and the flat they were originally in was less than a five-minute walk to his school. When the ceiling fell in at the mould-ridden flat, the family had to be moved out - but the only option they were offered was a 55-minute commute to the school. Sylvia said she couldnt accept this and the council discharged its duty to house her.

Sylvia was moved out of her flat when the ceiling fell through, pictured, but did not take the replacement home she was offered by the council as it was too far away from her sons school ( Supplied )

She tried to review the decision with a section 202 housing request but was rejected. She is now on a waiting list for a housing association property, but described the last two years sofa-surfing with friends and family as very difficult.

As well as his short stature, her son also has epilepsy, sickle cell and autism. Sylvia, whose name has also been changed, explained: My son suffers with his mobility and fatigue. He is sight-impaired as well, so it would have been very difficult for him [to travel to school]. Currently we are at my mums address but it is hard because there is not enough space.

She shares the three-bedroom property with her mother, her two sisters, a nephew and her sisters partner. The living situation means she and her son are sometimes forced to sleep in the living room, but she feels she has been left with no choice.

Councillor Sarah Williams, deputy leader at Haringey Council, said it had done everything in our power to support Sylvias family.

She added: [Sylvia] was offered settled accommodation in the borough, and we worked closely with partners to persuade her to take it. We made it clear to [Sylvia] the likely outcome of not accepting our offer, providing additional time and opportunities to change her mind.

We are doing what we can in the current climate to address record homelessness applications caused by a combination of cost-of-living pressures, a rise in evictions from the private sector and landlords quitting the market.

Sylvia was moved out of her flat in Haringey after it fell into disrepair ( Supplied )

Elizabeth Wyatt, from Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth, said a huge part of its work is supporting homeless people to ask for section 202 reviews challenging council decisions.

All the time we are dealing with the effects of bad decisions from housing officers; sometimes people are found intentionally homeless, some are single refugees and they have a decision saying they are not in priority need for housing, others are challenging the conditions in their temporary accommodation, she said.

She added some councils draw out the review decision for over a year, leaving families in limbo in unsuitable accommodation: I would have thought that the success rate of reviews should be getting a lot higher because the decisions we are seeing are getting worse.

Anabel said her son, pictured, gets agitated by the small space they have to live in ( Supplied )

One family the housing action group is supporting are still waiting on a decision on their review despite requesting it in May 2023. Anabel and her two-year-old son have been living in a B&B in Lewisham, south-east London, since July 2022, and asked to be moved somewhere more suitable. The young family only have one small room and a bathroom which they share with other families.

She said: As the room is very small my son gets really stressed and annoyed. He wants to run and I have to keep asking him to stop. I try and take him out, but the weather means I cannot do this a lot of the time. I cannot get many toys for him to play with, as there just is not the space.

My sons second birthday was two weeks ago, and I wanted him to be able to celebrate with other children from his playgroup, but there just was not the space for us to have a party.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said they were confident that all procedures have been correctly followed in this case. They added: We are sorry that the residents are unhappy with their current accommodation. They are welcome to submit any evidence for further suitability to the council in the normal way.

Councillor Claire Holland, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: Councils are under mounting pressure to find suitable homes for an ever-increasing number of people.

The chronic shortage of suitable housing across the country means that councils are increasingly having to turn to alternative options for accommodation at a significant cost - to the individuals and families and to the public purse.
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Jay Slaters mother has asked for more donations so that she can give the teenager the send-off he deserves as she tries to repatriate his body back to the UK.

Debbie Duncan is still on the Spanish island of Tenerife after her 19-year-old sons remains were found on Monday near the village of Masca.

In a statement released on Thursday on the Get Jay Slater Home GoFundMe page, she said: Hello everyone, thank you for all of your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news that Jays body has been found.

We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support.

Mr Slater disappeared while walking through rocky terrain last month (Family handout/LBT Global) ( PA Media )

She added: We are working with agencies to arrange Jays repatriation to the UK and the remaining funds, along with any future donations will be used to help with this if needed and to pay for Jays funeral costs back home.

We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves so please do continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can.

Mr Slater went missing after he attended the NRG music festival with two friends, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca after a night out, but the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled not relevant to the case.

Jay Slater and his mother Debbie Duncan ( PA/ITN )

Spanish police said they had called off the search for the apprentice bricklayer at the end of June after helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find him.

His remains were found on Monday, with a Spanish court confirming his death and saying his multiple injuries were consistent with a fall in a rocky area.

The Canary Islands High Court of Justice confirmed the identity of the body through fingerprints.

A spokesman for the court said the post-mortem examination report determined that the injuries he sustained were consistent with an accidental fall.

Mr Slaters body was found near the village of Masca on Monday (James Manning/PA) ( PA Wire )

The Spanish Civil Guard said Mr Slater could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was discovered.

Matthew Searle, from LBT Global, said the charity was working with the family to sort out the next steps of taking his body home and the recovery of his belongings.

After the discovery of his body, Ms Duncan said: I just cant believe it - were here with the embassy staff waiting for an update and now its come - the worst news.

She added: I just cant believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken.
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After four gruelling weeks, the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater appears to have come to a close on the island of Tenerife following the discovery of a body.

The 19-year-old was on his first-ever holiday without his family when he vanished as he walked back to his accommodation on the morning of June 17.

He had visited an Airbnb near the village of Masca with two people and, having missed the bus back, embarked on what would have been an 11-hour walk.

The apprentice bricklayer had not been seen or heard from since calling his friend at 8.50am to tell her he was lost, in need of water and that his phone was low on battery.

While Spanish police ended their official search on the ground after 12 days, Mr Slaters friends and family vowed to continue in the hope of finding him. On Monday human remains, which have yet to be formally identified, were found.

As the search for the teenager comes to an end, heres everything we know about his disappearance:

Jay Slater is missing in Tenerife ( Supplied )

Where is his last known location?

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on Monday, 17 June, as he told a friend he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot.

He had travelled to the tourist hotspot with friends to attend the music festival in Playa de Las Americas in what was his first holiday without his family.

On Sunday, his friend Lucy Law told Manchester Evening News that she had left the festival early, with Jay staying on and going to a nightclub in Playa de las Americas.

He later travelled to an Airbnb in the remote Masca valley with two men, one of them known to be Briton Ayub Qassim, but left their accommodation at around 8am to travel home.

Mr Slater was last seen by a cafe owner, who said the teenager had asked her about bus times before deciding not to wait two hours for a service. She then saw him walk out of the village.

Ms Law was the last to hear from the teenager when he called her at 8.50am on Monday, alerting her that he was lost, had injured his leg, needed water and that his phone was on one per cent battery. He also phoned his friend Brad Hargreaves, who heard him sliding over gravel which indicated he had left the main road.

Jay Slater in social media photo posted by friend days before his disappearance ( Supplied )

Ms Law told the MEN that one of the people Mr Slater had met had driven them back to his apartment in a hire car and the missing man had not realised how far away it was.

Hes ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there, she said.

But then in the morning hes set off walking, using his maps on his phone and ended up in the middle of mountains with nothing around.

Mr Slaters phone then cut off, with his last location showing just off a path in the Rural de Teno park  a mountainous area popular with hikers in the north of the island.

When Jay Slaters phone cut off, his last location showed as the Rural de Teno park  a mountainous area popular with hikers (Alamy/PA)

Where have authorities been searching?

A specialist mountain rescue team, including a police helicopter and sniffer dogs, were all deployed to look for Mr Slater.

Search teams had narrowed their efforts on small buildings close to where his phone last pinged, while officers were seen at the AirBnb and in the next valley.

A member of a search and rescue team search near the last known location of Jay Slater ( James Manning/PA Wire )

Andrew Knight, known on YouTube as the Knightrider, who joined the search told The Independent of the climate in Tenerife: Its rugged mountainsides, loose rocks that fall away underfoot, cactuses everywhere. Its a disorienting landscape and also has extreme weather changes.

At night the temperature drops to around 12 degrees Celsius, but with the wind chill and the thin air at altitude, it feels around 10 degrees.

In the sunshine, it can go up to 28 degrees. It also can be quite damp, it rained a little when I was there. It has its own microclimate that changes by the hour.

After authorities officially halted their search on June 30, Jays father and brother were seen continuing to scour the valley his phone was last located in and searching in nearby mountain villages.

After finding a body, Spanish police said they had indeed continued an incessant and discreet search in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers.

A specialist mountain rescue team, including a police helicopter, has been deployed to look for Jay ( Victoria Roocroft/BBC )

Have they found him?

Spanish police said on Monday 15 July that human remains had been found in the area where Mr Slater went missing.

The Civil Guard said the evidence strongly suggested the remains were those of the 19-year-old, with DNA tests to be carried out to establish the persons identity, along with an autopsy to uncover the cause of their death.

A Spanish police spokesperson said: All indications are that it could be the young British man who had been missing for 29 days.

He could have died due to an accidental fall on the steep and inaccessible area where he has been found. We are awaiting the results of the autopsy to confirm that it is about an accident.

What have his friends and family said?

Jays family are yet to speak out about the body found in the search for Mr Slater - but they have expressed their immense concern throughout the search.

Following his disappearance, a GoFundMe was set up to help assist with the search and to pay for his family and friends to remain in Tenerife.

In an emotional interview near the search site, his father Warren Slater told reporters he just wanted his son back, while he was also seen sticking posters to nearby bus stops and buildings.

Mr Slater pictured with his mother, Debbie Duncan ( Supplied )

After 12 days of searching, the Guardia Civil announced that they were standing down their operation, just one day after they issued a mass appeal for volunteers.

In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie Duncan said the land search for her son has been called off, but thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jays last phone call was traced.

His mothers statement said: We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.

Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.
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The first expedition to the Titanic wreck since last summers Titan submersible disaster has arrived safely at the site.

RMS Titanic Inc, which owns exclusive salvage rights to the wreck, is conducting its first expedition in 14 years and plans to document the site in never-before-seen 3D detail.

The company also plans to identify objects for potential recovery, including the Marconi wireless system, which was key to saving the lives of over 700 people after the ship struck an iceberg that fateful night in 1912.

Announcing their arrival on Twitter/X, the company wrote: We are pleased to announce that Titanic Expedition 2024 has arrived safely, two and a half miles above the Titanics final resting place.

The Dino Chouest [ship] entered the Titanic coordinates today around 7:30 pm local time. The expedition leaders report all personnel are well.

Our mapping and imaging studies will begin right away.

RMS Titanic Inc explained ahead of the mission that it will take place over the course of 20 days and will be carried out by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and not manned submersibles.

We arent using manned submersibles this time around, so thankfully we dont have to worry about that, just the cabin fever of being stuck on the ship, the company wrote on Reddit head of the trip.

An expedition to the Titanic wreck site has arrived safely. ( 1912 AP )

A service is set to be held aboard the mothership for those who died in both the Titanic sinking and the Titan submersible disaster.

As well as this, a plaque will be laid on the ocean floor in honour of Paul Henri Nargeolet, 77, the director of RMS Titanic Inc, who lost his life in the OceanGate tragedy.

He is credited with the recovery of countless objects from the wreck, which were brought to the surface to preserve the legacy of the sinking for future generations.

This months expedition comes just over a year since the Titan submersible disaster claimed the lives of five men.

The Titanic tourist sub, as it was also known, suffered a catastrophic implosion around an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to the wreck site on 18 June, 2023.

A service will be held at the Titanic wreck site in honour of those who died in the Titan submersible disaster. ( AP )

What followed was an international search and rescue mission to locate the submersible, named Titan, before its limited oxygen supply ran out.

But the search came to an end when debris from the sub were discovered near the bow of the Titanic shortly after its oxygen supply would have ran out.

The company behind the disaster OceanGate  which charged citizen explorers $250,000 a head to see the worlds most famous shipwreck  subsequently suspended all operations.

The US Coast Guard confirmed last month that the investigation into the disaster is taking longer than expected.

Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 ( AP )

It is speculated that the submersible imploded as a result of its controversial carbon fibre hull, which slowly weakened on repeat dives to the wreck, culminating in the explosion last June.

As well as claiming the life of Nargeolet, OceanGate co-CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, 58, Pakistani billionaire businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48 and his 19-year-old student son, Solomon Dawood, all died in the disaster.
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The new Labour government confirmed its commitment to uphold plans for a UK smoking ban in the Kings Speech on Wednesday.

The measure, which will raise the legal smoking age by one year, every year, means anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to purchase tobacco legally.

It will also impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes.

While the policy was first introduced by former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to see it through to legislation.

The bill gained cross-party support when it was first introduced by Sunak and has been dubbed the greatest piece of public health legislation in a generation.

MPs voted in favour of the bill by 383 votes to 67 in April. However, the bill was dropped as the general election was called before it could make its way through the legislature.

Following the Kings Speech, here we take a look at the current British smoking laws and how they could change:

People currently under the age of 14 will never be able to smoke legally under new proposals ( Getty Images/iStockphoto )

What are the current smoking laws in the UK?

The legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products across the UK is 18, having been raised from 16 in 2007 by the last Labour government.

In July 2007 it also became illegal to smoke in any pub, restaurant, nightclub and most workplaces and work vehicles, anywhere in the UK.

Currently, you must be 18 or older to buy and use a vape in the UK. There are no nationwide legal restrictions or laws enforced on vaping in public areas at present, and the use of them indoors is generally permitted unless an establishment has specifically imposed a ban.

The new Labour government has confirmed their commitment to uphold plans for a UK smoking ban in the Kings Speech on Wednesday. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) ( PA Wire )

How would a smoking ban work?

It is expected that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will follow a similar format to the measures introduced in New Zealand last December, when the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 was prohibited.

The reforms involve steadily increasing the legal smoking age, making it illegal for the next generation to buy cigarettes.

If the UK implemented the rules by 2027, anyone aged 14 and under now will never be allowed to buy a cigarette.

Last year, Mr Sunak told the Conservative Party conference that the ban would not take away the right to smoke from current smokers.

The bill also paves the way for reforms to vaping sales and their branding to reduce their appeal to children and young people.

Flavours such as bubble gum and candy floss could also face curbs as research shows children prefer them to other flavours such as menthol.

Also included are restrictions on the packaging and display of other products, such as tobacco pouches, that can draw children into smoking.

Labours manifesto stated: Prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure. So, we must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives.

That starts with smoking. Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate opt-out smoking cessation interventions into routine care.

Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

The Bill also paves the way for reforms to vaping sales and their branding to reduce their appeal to children and young people. ( PA Wire )

Why ban smoking?

In 2019, the government set an objective for England to be smoke free by 2030, meaning only 5 per cent of the population would smoke by then.

Last year a major review led by Dr Javed Khan said that, without further action, England would miss the target by at least seven years, with the poorest areas in society not set to meet the target until 2044. It put the annual cost to society of smoking at about 17bn  2.4bn to the NHS alone.

Dr Khan backed proposals to increase the age of sale in his report, and recommended increasing the age of sale from 18, by one year, every year until no one can buy a tobacco product in this country.

When he introduced the bill, Rishi Sunak said that introducing stricter measures on smoking would cut cancer deaths by a quarter and significantly reduce long-term pressure on the NHS.

The Government has reintroduced Rishi Sunaks proposed ban on anyone born after 2009 buying tobacco (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Wire )

Reaction to the ban

While most reaction to the ban has been positive, some smokers rights campaigners have warned against the measure.

Smokers-rights group Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest) says the measures will not stop smokers and could instead make smoking cool again.

Labour, like the previous Conservative government, is addicted to the nanny state, a spokesperson said.

Increasing the age of sale of cigarettes wont stop people smoking. It will simply drive more people to the black market and could make smoking cool again.

They added: If you are old enough to drive a car, join the army and buy alcohol, you are old enough to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.
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King Charles will make his second Kings Speech today to mark the State Opening of Parliament. This is when a new parliamentary year begins, giving the government the opportunity to set out its plans for the coming months.

For the first time in almost 15 years, it will be for a Labour government that a monarch makes the speech. Kicking off at 11.30am on Wednesday, viewers can expect details of several bills that will spell out Sir Keir Starmers plans for his first year in government.

One iconic ceremony the UK sees every year is Black Rod being sent from the Lords chamber to Commons to summon MPs for the Kings speech.

Sarah Clarke was appointed Lady Usher of the Black Rod in 2017, and took up the role in 2018. She became the first female holder of the position in its 650-year history.

For the latest political updates, follow The Independents live coverage

But what is the point of this historic post?

Black Rod is a senior official in the House of Lords, who is responsible for maintaining order and organising ceremonial events within the Palace of Westminster.

The name derives from the three and a half foot ebony staff that the post holder carries, which is topped with a golden lion to symbolise the power of the office.

As the Kings representative in Parliament, Black Rods most high-profile ceremonial job is to summon MPs to listen to the Kings Speech in the Lords during the state opening of Parliament.

In a symbol of the Commons independence from the monarch, the doors of the Chamber are slammed in Black Rods face before they strike the door three times with the ebony staff.

MPs then follow Black Rod to the Lords, dawdling and talking loudly, to hear the monarch outline the Governments legislative programme.

As well as the ceremonial duties, Black Rod is responsible for organising access to and maintaining order within the Lords Chamber and the precincts, and is responsible for the Kings residual estate in the Palace and the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft.

The earliest known reference to the role of Black Rod as the Usher to the Order of the Garter appears in letters in 1361. Walter Whitehorse is believed to have been the first person to hold the post, which 59 others have held since.

David Leakey, a former army commander, has been in the post since 2010.

The first reference to Black Rod in connection with Parliament comes in a Garter statute of 1522 which states that Black Rod has an additional duty to keep the doors... in the High Court called Parliament.

It is thought that, when Henry VIII moved from the Palace of Westminster to the Palace of Whitehall, Black Rod - a member of the Royal Household, stayed behind to act as usher to the House of Lords.

There are also Black Rods in the parliaments and legislative assemblies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
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Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Donald Trump will be strong and decisive in his support of Ukraine and in defending democracy.

The Conservative ex-premier was in Washington this week to attend the Republican National Conference in Milwaukee, where Mr Trump was named the partys official candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections.

After a photograph circulated showing him giving a speech to a near-empty room at the conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson later shared an image of himself meeting with Mr Trump, just days after the ex-president survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life, wrote the former PM. We discussed Ukraine and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.

Mr Johnsons government was viewed in Ukraine as having been a staunch ally in its existential fight against Russia, after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in February 2022.

Mr Johnson was ousted by his own party five months later over a series of domestic political scandals.

But his buoyant remarks run in stark contrast to alarm that has been raised over the potential impact of a second Trump presidency on vital military aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia, which intensified on Monday as he announced isolationist senator JD Vance as his pick for vice-president.

One senior EU official told Politico on Monday that the appointment of Mr Vance was a disaster for Ukraine, as a former senior British defence official told Sky News they feared a Trump-Vance White House would lead to the immediate termination of all financial and military aid for Ukraine.

Mr Vance, who came to prominence with his 2016 memoirHillbilly Elegy, was one of the biggest opponents of sending more money to support Ukraine, insisting that Washington does not have the financial or manufacturing capabilities needed to sustain Kyiv in its defence against Moscows full-scale invasion.

Donald Trump has chosen JD Vance as his prospective pick for vice president ( EPA )

And echoing Mr Trumps own rhetoric during his time in the Oval Office, Mr Vance has worried Washingtons Nato allies by asserting that the US has provided a blanket of security to Europe for far too long, describing the money Europe hasnt spent on defence as an implied tax on the American people.

As the US Congress debated the heavily contested aid bill for Ukraine passed in April, which was opposed by several of his key supporters, Mr Trump himself had repeatedly complained that Washingtons Nato allies were not stumping up more money for Ukraine.

While Mr Trump has publicly touted the importance of Ukraines survival, his former security adviser Fiona Hill has claimed that, as president, he really could not get his head around the idea that Ukraine was an independent state, in views reminiscent of Mr Putins justification for invading.

The 78-year-old has repeatedly claimed that, if re-elected, he could stop the fighting in Ukraine within 24 hours, sparking concerns that he could pressure Kyiv to permanently concede Crimea and the Donbas to Russia.

David Cameron, foreign secretary at the time, warned in April against appeasing Moscow as he rejected such a move, while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the suggestion as primitive.

Mr Johnson has previously said he endorsed Mr Trumps presidential bid on the condition of support for Kyiv, writing for the Daily Mail that, if he does the right thing and backs the Ukrainians, and I believe he will, a Trump presidency can be a big win for the world.
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Donald Trumps choice for vice-president has provoked fury by describing the UK under Labour as an Islamist country with nuclear weapons.

Author and Ohio senator JD Vance was announced as Mr Trumps running mate on Monday, just two days after an attempt to assassinate the former president, who is challenging Joe Biden for the White House in November.

Politicians from across the spectrum have condemned Mr Vances comments, with former Tory co-chair Sayeeda Warsi suggesting the special relationship between the UK and the US has become no more than a racist joke. Writing for The Independent, she added: It bodes for really dangerous times ahead.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield said Mr Vance had made obviously a pretty ignorant and racist comment, while Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: We need to call that out for what it is, its Islamophobic.

In a speech for the National Conservatism Conference in Washington DC, Mr Vance recounted a conversation with a friend.

I was talking about, you know: what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon? he said. Maybe it is Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we finally decided that its actually the UK  since Labour just took over.

Vance , the Ohio senator, was announced as Mr Trumps running mate on Monday ( AP )

Even Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a supporter and friend of Mr Trump, disagreed but warned: The truth is that Islamists are not within Labour but without and that will cost them the next general election.

Mr Vances comments met with a chorus of laughter from the crowd.

Mr Vance told the audience: American leaders should look out for Americans... and for the Brits, UK leaders should look out for citizens of the UK or subjects or whatever you guys call yourselves.

He said the Labour government has left Britain as the first truly Islamist country that will gain a nuclear weapon.

To our Tory friends, I have to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this, he said.

The intervention came just weeks after foreign secretary David Lammy visited Mr Vance in the US.

In a promotional clip, Mr Lammy said he was meeting senior White House officials and meeting friends before being filmed embracing and shaking hands with Mr Vance.

Baroness Warsi, the first Muslim to serve in a British cabinet, said Mr Vances comments represented the everyday Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism which is casually thrown around by some of the most powerful in our societies.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner told ITVs Good Morning Britain: I think he said quite a lot of fruity things in the past as well.

Look, I dont recognise that characterisation. Im very proud of the election success that Labour had recently. We won votes across all different communities, across the whole of the country. And were interested in governing on behalf of Britain and also working with our international allies.

So I look forward to that meeting, if that is the result and its up to the American people to decide.

She added: I think political leaders across the world all have different opinions but we govern in the interests of our countries. And the US is a key ally of ours, and if the American people decide who their president and vice-president is, we will work with them, of course we will.

And Im sure theyll have opinions on what we do and suggest, and well work together constructively and I look forward to those meetings and being able to do that. Thats grown-up politics. Thats what we do.

Shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie told Times Radio: I disagree with the Labour Party fundamentally on many issues, but I do not agree with that view, quite frankly. I think it's actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour Party.

Green co-leader Carla Denyer told the BBCs Politics Live: "We need to call that out for what it is: its Islamophobic. It's worrying that the US could end up with a president who's a convicted criminal and a vice-president who's more aligned with Russian foreign policy than with supporting Ukraine."

Treasury minister James Murray said: I genuinely heard that comment, and I dont know what he was driving at in that comment, to be honest. I mean, in Britain, were very proud of our diversity.

Im very proud that we have a new government. Im very proud that our Labour government is committed to national security and economic growth.

Norwich South Labour MP Clive Lewis told The Independent: I think it shows we now need to prepare for the worst-case scenario of a Trump/Vance presidency.

We are seeing this sort of far-right politics, not just in America but across Europe whether it is National Rally in France, Meloni in Italy, whats happening in the Netherlands, or Reform in the UK.

There is no doubt that Vances comments were aimed at the sort of Islamophobic sentiments we have seen online and elsewhere aimed at Sadiq Khan in particular. We have seen it from Reform.

He said Labour needs to prepare the countrys institutions to ensure they are robust and strong enough to be able to withstand an onslaught from the far right should they win power.

He added: We need to take a lead role internationally to show that social democratic values work and remain strong.

Of course, we have seen the likes of Suella Braverman at the same conference as Vance spoke at and Liz Truss failing to push back on comments praising Tommy Robinson. Indeed she is at the Republican National Convention this week.

Muslim Council of Britain secretary general Zara Mohammed said: They serve as a stark reminder of how populist, Islamophobic sentiment is used to garner votes.

Closer to home, we have seen this language mirrored by former home secretary Suella Braverman and former deputy chair of the Conservatives and current Reform MP Lee Anderson.

Such inflammatory speech has no place in our politics and should be called out for what it is by our government."

Vance at a campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 2024 ( AP )

Suella Braverman was among the other speakers at the NatCon conference.

Last year, Ms Braverman was accused of inciting the far right when she decried the pro-Palestine demonstrations in the UK as hate marches and called for the protesters to be banned from action on Armistice Day, when a far-right mob assembled and was involved in skirmishes with police.

A spokesperson for the Muslim Association of Britain told The Independent at the time that Ms Bravermans comments had created quite a lot of fear among some Muslim communities who viewed it as a direct attack on their solidarity with Palestinians, many of whom are also Muslim.

Reform MP Lee Anderson, who was kicked out of the Tories over allegedly Islamophobic remarks about London mayor Sadiq Khan, said: We are not an Islamist country but we do have Islamists living here, which is a massive concern. I genuinely worry for the future of our country as these extremists grow in number. We are sleepwalking into dangerous territories.
Sir Keir Starmer will fire the starting gun on Britains new relationship with the EU on Thursday as he hosts fellow European leaders after reshaping the countrys destiny with Labours Kings Speech.

The new prime minister ushered in a generational shift in British political priorities with a programme for government focused on the needs of generation rent voters aged under-45, as opposed to older voters who largely backed Brexit.

Ahead of the general election, Sir Keir campaigned on a promise to change the country just as he changed Labour after Jeremy Corbyn. On Wednesday he set out an agenda that includes plans to break the deadlock on affordable housing, protections for renters and the restoration of workplace rights.

And speaking ahead of the pivotal European Political Community (EPC) conference at Blenheim Palace, Sir Keir promised to fix Britains damaged relations with Europe to benefit generations to come.

Keir Starmer packed the Kings Speech with 40 pieces of proposed legislation ( PA Wire )

We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future, he said. That is why European security will be at the forefront of this governments foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.

The EPC will fire the starting gun on this governments new approach to Europe... from dismantling the people smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putins barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe.

Sir Keir will hold face-to-face talks with a number of other European leaders, including his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, who was president of the European Council at the height of the UKs exit from the European Union.

Mr Tusk famously said in 2019 that there was a special place in hell for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it out safely.

Sir Keir will focus the one-day conference, taking place at the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, on border security and illegal migration. He will announce the redeployment of more than 100 Home Office staff from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) to a new rapid-returns unit.

Keir Starmer speaks in the Kings speech debate ( House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire )

The prime minister will also aim to help lead the Europe-wide effort to combat organised immigration crime, and the people smuggling gangs trading in human lives, in cooperation with Europol, Frontex, and individual member states.

Illegal migration is an issue with which governments across the continent are grappling, with more than 380,000 people believed to have entered the EU through irregular routes in 2023  an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year. Around 41 per cent of those arrivals are believed to have come in small boats across the central Mediterranean, 26 per cent on land through the Balkans, and 16 per cent across the eastern Mediterranean.

The prime minister is set to join Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni at a session she is leading on migration, with discussions eased now that Labours election win has removed the threat of Britain leaving the ECHR.

As well as giving Sir Keir time with his European counterparts, leaders will use the meeting to affirm support for Ukraine after the recent Nato meeting in Washington.

It is also seen as significant that Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg will attend for the first time. Sir Keir has made clear his intentions of creating a new European security pact as a bulwark for Nato that will involve Britain joining more parts of the Brussels-led permanent military structure.

New European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds was at the Nato summit last week and visited key figures in Brussels this week to get the ball rolling on the security pact and a renegotiation of Boris Johnsons botched Brexit trade deal.

The reset of relations with Europe follows a generational shift in policy focus in the Kings Speech, reflecting the fact that less than a third of people under the age of 45 own their own home or have a mortgage.

The speech ran to 1,421 words, making it the longest monarchs speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2003. Among the key items were:
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Watch as King Charles III's speech marked the state opening of Parliament with the new Labour government on Wednesday, 17 July.

Sir Keir Starmer's pledges, which the party says will "take the brakes of Britain," were announced by the monarch inside the House of Lords.

The speech is written by the government and read out in a neutral tone by the monarch, allowing the winning party to outline its priorities for the next parliament.

Wednesday was be the first Speech from the Throne under a Labour government for 14 years.

It contained more than 35 bills and draft bills aimed at improving transport, creating jobs and accelerating the building of houses and infrastructure as the government seeks to turn round Britains recent cycle of low growth.

Only 22 bills were put forward the last time there was a change of government in 2010.

Charles delivered the speech, the second of his reign, at around 11.30am on Wednesday.
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King Charles gave his Kings Speech today, marking the opening of parliament as the first Labour government in 14 years is ushered in.

As is tradition, the speech gave the new government an opportunity to lay out their plans for the coming months in the form of legislative bills. Sir Keir Starmer took the chance to signal his desire for change, as a massive 39 bills were announced overall.

Amongst these was new legislation to get Great British Energy off the ground, crack down on failing water companies and bring rail operators into public ownership.

For the latest political updates, follow The Independents live coverage

Rebuilding our country will not happen overnight, said Sir Keir. The challenges we face require determined, patient work and serious solutions, rather than the temptation of the easy answer.

This Kings Speech sets out a clear destination for our country.

However, the speech left some disappointed as measures they expected  or hoped  would be offered didnt make the cut.

Heres an overview of what was missing in the Kings Speech:

Scrapping the two-child benefit cap

Pressure has been mounting on Labour to scrap the two-child benefit cap since they came into power, with many hoping the new government would use this ceremony to accept demands.

This was not the case, as the two-child benefit cap made no mention in the speech. Instead, the King introduced the Childrens Wellbeing Bill, which aims to raise standards in education and protect children.

Latest figures show that around 1.6 million children are missing out on thousands of pounds a year due to the two-child benefit cap.

Action for Children described the policy as cruel in the wake of the statistics, echoing the previous words of The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby who said the measure is neither moral nor necessary.

Responding to the Kings Speech, the Child Poverty Action Group said: The new Government pledged an ambitious approach to tackling child poverty but there was little to help achieve that aim in the speech today.

The two-child limit is the biggest driver of rising child poverty and teachers, struggling parents and even children themselves can testify to the harm the policy is causing to kids day in, day out.

All eyes will now be on governments first budget, which must commit to scrapping this policy. Delaying its abolition will harm many more young lives and undercut the governments poverty-reduction plans.

Labour has not responded to calls to scrap the measure yet, insisting that public funds cannot allow it.

The measures announced today will strengthen child protection, require free breakfast clubs at every primary school, and limit the number of branded items of clothing a school can require.

Lowering the voting age to 16

With Labour pledging to lower the voting age to 16 in their manifesto, many expected the Kings Speech to push through the plans  but the policy did not make an appearance.

Instead, King Charles said the government will work to encourage wide participation in the democratic process.

It was recently revealed that Sir Keir does not intend to bring in the new voting rules in time for the 2025 local elections, leading many to wonder what the timeframe is for giving votes to 16- and 17-year-olds.

However, speaking to reporters about the reform, he had said: Youll have to wait for the Kings Speech for that.

But Ive got a number of priorities as we come into government and they are around my missions and economic growth is the number one.

It would seem those who expected to hear about the measure today will have to wait a little longer.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his meeting with Defence Secretary John Healey and former Nato chief Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, head of the Governments root-and-branch defence review at 10 Downing Street, in London. The strategic defence review launched by Sir Keirs administration will examine how to strengthen UK homeland security, bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent. Picture date: Tuesday July 16, 2024. ( PA Wire )

Little new public spending or revenue raising

A key criticism lodged at Labours manifesto was its lack of spending measures. At 4.7 billion, it was the lowest of all major party manifestos  even the Conservatives 17.7 billion.

While the NHS did receive a mention from King Charles, its unlikely to alleviate fears that Labours plans could be relying on a source of income which is too unreliable. Labours headline NHS policy is reducing waiting times, but no new revenue raising measures made an appearance in the speech.

And while chancellor Rachel Reeves has made clear her vision to prioritise economic growth and attract private investment to fund public services, some economists have called this method into question.

Responding to Labours manifesto in June, Director of the respected IFS think tank Paul Johnson said the partys spending plans were trivial, adding that there was no clear plan for where the money would come from.

Renters reform  but no rent caps

A crucial piece of leglisation brought forward in the Kings Speech today is Renters Rights Bill  a remixed version of the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill that previous governments had not pushed over the line.

Its key measure is scrapping the controversial Section 21 no-fault eviction notices which allow landlords to evict tenants from their properties without giving a reason.

Labour bringing this bill back after the Conservatives dropped it ahead of the election will come as good news to renters rights activists. However, private rental costs have soared over the past few years  increasing 8.6 percent over the past 12 months while wages have only gone up 5.9 percent  with some saying more needs to be done.

Tom Darling, Campaign Manager at the Renters Reform Coalition said Labours new bill is welcome, adding that the group is concerned, however, that unaffordable rent increases will continue to be no-fault evictions for many renters.

The Government should be warned that its welcome and ambitious vision for renters will come unstuck if it doesnt have an answer to the affordability question.

While a recent report comissioned by Labour recommended introducing rent caps in England and Wales for those struggling to afford rates, the party has not adopted the measure as official policy. The new bill will likely form the bulk of their policy on renters for the next year.
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Labours legislative agenda will be set out in the Kings Speech later today, and it is predicted to pack in at least 35 new bills.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the measures, to be announced on Wednesday, as the down payment on the change his government is seeking to deliver.

Ahead of the speech, which will be delivered by the King as part of the State Opening of Parliament, Sir Keir said there is no time to waste.

From energy, to planning, to unbreakable fiscal rules, my government is serious about delivering the stability that is going to turbo-charge growth that will create wealth in every corner of the UK, he added.

The task of national renewal will not be easy, and this is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out at the Kings Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to the lives of working people.

Here, The Independent looks at everything we know about the legislation that could be announced on Wednesday.

Crime and policing bill

The new crime and policing bill is expected to introduce a ban on dangerous zombie knives ( PA )

The new crime and policing bill is expected to introduce a ban on dangerous zombie knives and a crackdown on shoplifting.

The legislation will also aim to tackle anti-social behaviour by bringing in respect orders for repeat offenders and giving neighbourhood police officers extra powers.

Labour also plans to tackle violence against women by hiring domestic abuse specialists in emergency call centres.

Border security bill

Labour launched a new border security command last week, as the home secretary ordered a probe into the latest routes and tactics used by people smugglers.

The government has already come under pressure to deliver on its pledge to smash the gangs.

Tackling the small boats issue will be a challenge for the new prime minister ( PA Archive )

The new border security bill is set to introduce new counter-terror style powers against those who bring tens of thousands of people to the UK in small boats every year.

This comes as Sir Keir declared that the Rwanda deportation plan was dead and buried before it started, confirming Labour had dumped the scheme less than 24 hours after he entered Downing Street.

National wealth fund

A new national wealth fund has been designed to attract billions in private sector investment to support UK growth.

Supported by 7.3 billion in state funding, the fund is looking to secure roughly triple this in private investment, from sources such as pension funds, to boost the fund.

Legislation is expected to be introduced to include the national wealth fund, with money put towards new industries of the future.

VAT on private schools

Ending tax breaks on private schools has been one of Sir Keirs key pledges, and was widely discussed in Labours manifesto.

The party believes it can raise some 1.6bn a year by ending the 20 per cent VAT exemption as part of its plans to recruit around 6,500 specialist state school teachers in England.

The bill has raised concerns about local authority schools being strained by a sudden influx of pupils taken out of private schools due to rising fees.

However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously suggested it will not come into force until at least 2025.

GB Energy

Energy secretary Ed Miliband is in charge of setting up the new GB Energy plans ( PA Wire )

Energy secretary Ed Miliband has been keen to kickstart legislation to set up GB Energy.

Under the plans, Labour would set up a new publicly owned company, Great British Energy, with the aim of investing in homegrown energy sources and providing cheaper prices to consumers.

Labour plans to fund the company, which will be headquartered in Scotland, through a windfall tax on big oil and gas firms, with an initial 8.3 billion capitalisation over a parliament.

Renters Reform Bill

First introduced in 2023, the Renters Reform Bill was dropped after Rishi Sunak called the general election.

It is expected to be included in the Kings Speech and aims to bring in measures which protect renters rights in the housing market.

Since its inception, the scrapping of Section 21 no fault eviction notices has been central to the legislation.

This is the controversial power that allows landlords to evict tenants from their properties at two months notice without needing to give any reason.

Labour is expected to strengthen the bill by empowering tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

House of Lords reform

Labour made a manifesto commitment to constitutional change, and the Kings Speech is expected to include House of Lords reforms.

This includes laws to abolish the rights of the remaining hereditary peers to vote in the second chamber.

It will also introduce the compulsory retirement of peers at the age of 80.

Lower voting age

Sir Keir has previously said the government would seek to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds.

However, over the weekend he admitted that 16- and 17-year-olds hoping to get the vote in next years local elections will be forced to wait.

Labour believes the change is necessary because 16-year-olds are able to get married, join the army and have to pay income tax.

The bill is also set to introduce automatic voter registration.

Increased devolved powers

Sir Keir signalled that Whitehalls grip over big cities and regions would be loosened as he used his first week in office to meet metro mayors and representatives from the devolved nations.

The bill is expected to allow devolved powers to local communities, giving mayors and councils authority over skills, energy, planning and transport.

Strengthening fiscal controls

The government said the Kings Speech would include a bill to enforce tough new spending rules, designed to ensure economic growth, while avoiding the chaos which left families with spiralling bills and wreaked misery on peoples lives.

It said the new bill will strengthen the role of the Office for Budget Responsibility, in a move designed to stop a repeat of Liz Trusss disastrous mini-budget, on which she chose not to consult the fiscal watchdog.

Worker protection reforms

Labours workers rights bill, known as the New Deal for Working People, is expected to be introduced in the Kings Speech.

The party pledged to introduce the bill within the first 100 days of government, and it will include a ban on zero-hours contracts, banning fire and rehire and ensuring rights to sick pay and parental leave from day one.
Another week, another huge international summit. After winning the general election, flying to Washington for the Nato summit and leading the debate on the Kings Speech, Keir Starmer welcomes the prime minister of Ireland to Chequers and 45 European leaders to the European Political Community (EPC) meeting at Blenheim Palace. Representatives from Nato, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe will also be in attendance.

As the birthplace of Winston Churchill and an MI5 base during the last war, Blenheim Palace has plenty of appropriate historic reminders of a shared European history. The formal agenda will cover irregular migration, disinformation, and the lack of energy security as well as Ukraine.

The government says 800 scones will be served for afternoon tea  about two per delegate.

What does Keir Starmer want?

He wants a reset in relations between the UK and the European Union. That means rebuilding the bridges of trust, and projecting a more rational and open policy than was the case in the frosty post-referendum period and with the often combative behaviour of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak worked hard to repair that damage, but theres more to do. As the prime minister saw it at the end of the Nato summit: There was a sense after Brexit that the UK has become too inward-looking, was not as interested as it once was in its place on the global stage. The UK is confident, is back.

Anything in particular?

Some small things, and one enormous one. Again, the manifesto reflects current aims well. Britain would like to tear down unnecessary barriers to trade, it says, and to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food  help our touring artists  and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters. Such procedural changes would be especially helpful in reducing political as well as trade frictions across the Irish Sea.

Far more ambitious than any of those is the plan for a new UK-EU security pact, and increased defence and security cooperation, which is not a major part of the EUs mission even now. Much of the focus at Blenheim will be on the war in Ukraine and maintaining continuing pan-European support for Volodymyr Zelensky. Labour says it will also seek new bilateral agreements and closer working with Joint Expeditionary Force partners (the Baltic republics plus the Nordic states and the Netherlands). This is all designed to be complementary to Nato, and has the enthusiastic support of Emmanuel Macron. The prospect of a second Trump term, and the weakening of the previously unconditional American security guarantee, has concentrated minds in every European capital.

What doesnt Starmer want?

More accurately, what would Starmer quite like to do but cannot because of clear manifesto commitments and nervousness about public opinion? In the much-repeated words of the Labour manifesto: There will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement. Indeed, in a parallel world, even if Labour did want to rejoin any or all EU institutions, its not entirely clear what the attitude of the EU would be. One idea would be to revive the proposed EU youth mobility agreement; this would allow young people to more easily work and study in both the UK and the EU. The European Commission put it forward in April but Sunaks government rejected it in favour of individual bilateral agreements with EU members.

Is the EPC a useful tool for bringing the UK closer to the EU?

It is a talking shop, with no secretariat or decision-making powers. It was invented by President Macron in the post-Brexit, post-Ukraine invasion crisis period as a way of drawing in those nations unable or unwilling to engage with the EU and uniting them against Russian aggression. As a very large body with no clear aims, it is prone to platitudes and the lowest common denominator in any declarations it makes. As well as the UK and the EU members, it encompasses nations as diverse as Switzerland, Moldova, Iceland, San Marino and Armenia.

However, the policies of the United States under a Trump-Vance administration could force the disparate European states to pool sovereignty and build up their mutual security in the face of the Russian threat. Ironically, its a task that would benefit greatly from British leadership.

As for the EU itself, the Brexit deal  the 2021 trade and cooperation agreement  is up for a technical revision next year; Labours desired improvements can only be discussed with the commission. At the moment, Starmer has the advantage of leading a stable government with a fresh mandate and with the hard right relatively at bay  in stark contrast to Macron in France and Olaf Scholz in Germany  but as a third country Britains contribution will be mostly confined to security, rather than economics or politics.
Sir Keir Starmer has made it clear that wealth creation and economic growth will be his overriding priorities when Labours first programme for government since November 2009 is unveiled in parliament.

In a nod to the promises made by supporters of Brexit, the prime minister has promised to take back control of the country and lay the foundations of the real change it says people are desperate to see.

When King Charles reads out the speech in the Lords for the state opening of parliament at 1pm on Wednesday, the moment will mark the beginning of a major reset for the country.

Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain, said Keir Starmer ( PA Wire )

Critics will highlight the contrast between the governments focus and traditional Labour values, but the prime minister hopes to usher in a new era in British politics.

Speaking ahead of the Kings Speech, Sir Keir said: Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain. For too long people have been held back, their paths determined by where they came from  not their talents and hard work.

I am determined to create wealth for people up and down the country. It is the only way our country can progress, and my government is focused on supporting that aspiration.

Todays new laws will take back control and lay the foundations of real change that this country is crying out for, creating wealth in every community and making people better off  supporting their ambitions, hopes and dreams.

Trade union leaders, meanwhile, will have a nervous wait until the details of the 35 bills and draft bills are revealed to know whether Sir Keir and his Labour government will come good on promises they made to push through workers rights.

Trades Union Congress (TUC) president Matt Wrack, who is also the Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: While the commitments to invest in jobs, affordable homes, and infrastructure are welcome after 14 years of Tory austerity, unions will be looking for reassurances that the Kings Speech will include a significant announcement on extending workplace rights and swiftly repealing the authoritarian anti-trade union laws such as the Minimum Service Levels Act, which effectively bans strikes.

TUC president Matt Wrack has asked for assurances ( PA Archive )

We look forward to working with ministers to deliver on Labours promised new deal for working people.

In what has been a difficult balancing act between the unions, as Labours biggest funders, and wooing major business leaders, such as Icelands Richard Walker, chancellor Rachel Reevess high-growth, pro-business approach appears to have trumped deputy prime minister Angela Rayners push on workers rights.

Along with wealth creation, the new prime minister has highlighted improvements to Britains transport infrastructure as part of a pro-growth package.

New legislation will be introduced to create a simplified rail system by nationalising rail services into public ownership once their contracts expire or if operators fail to deliver on their commitments.

The approach aims to avoid the costs to the taxpayer of paying compensation to operators for taking services into public ownership.

Labour claims that transferring operations to the public sector will save the taxpayer millions of pounds being paid out in fees to private operators each year and end the fragmentation of our railways, establishing a more efficient and reliable rail service for passengers.

The government will also introduce legislation to establish a new public body, Great British Railways (GBR)  avoiding the former British Rail of pre-privatisation  which it says will be focused on improving services and creating better value for money for passengers.

The Kings Speech is also expected to feature a Better Buses bill to deliver the governments manifesto commitment to reform the bus system by delivering new powers for local leaders to franchise bus services and to lift the restriction on new publicly owned bus operators. The bill aims to end the postcode lottery of bus services.

A major overhaul of planning laws is aimed at getting Britain to build more homes and infrastructure to strengthen economic growth.

The reforms are intended to speed up and streamline the planning process to build more homes of all tenures and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

Local powers to object to new building projects are set to be bypassed and replaced with suggestions on improving developments.

Ms Rayners Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will deliver an English Devolution bill aimed at transferring power to local communities and establishing local growth plans.

There will be manifesto promises such as the creation of a national wealth fund to strengthen UK investment and a new Mission Control tasked with turbocharging the UK to clean power by 2030.

The government will lay out details of the new Border Security Command.
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Sir Keir Starmer has been warned his new pensions bill will fail to tackle the crisis facing retirees, with the prime minister having ducked an increase in automatic enrolment.

In his first Kings Speech, the PM unveiled plans to support more than 15m people with private pensions and ensure they get better outcomes.

Sir Keir said the bill would boost the amount available for pension savers and help average earners save an additional 11,000 over the course of their career.

The pensions schemes bill included measures to prevent people losing track of pension pots, ensure workers are saving into pension schemes that deliver value for money and consolidate the defined benefit pensions market through so-called commercial superfunds.

The government estimates that the measures will lead to pension pots being around 9 per cent higher by the time a person retires, while allowing more productive investment of funds in British infrastructure and companies to boost growth.

Investment platform AJ Bell, said the bill will put millions of peoples pension pots at the heart of the new governments drive to boost investment in the UK and drive long-term economic growth.

Public policy director Tom Selby said the government also appears intent on pushing forward with greater consolidation of pension schemes, in part to improve the value members receive.

But he said claims the measures in the bill will lead to bigger pensions upon retirement need to be taken with a pinch of salt due to risks in how funds are invested.

And he warned: One key thing missing from this Bill is any mention of scaling up automatic enrolment.

Mr Selby pointed to wide agreement in the sector that minimum contributions under auto-enrolment will need to rise, while a 2017 review recommended removing the lower earnings band and reducing the minimum qualifying age to 18 to help savers.

The legislation for these changes is already in place  but the big question is when will it be put into practice? he added.

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb meanwhile said the pension schemes bill represented business as usual. The former Lib Dem MP, now a partner at consultancy LPC, said millions with pension pots slightly over 1,000 will still struggle with savings scattered across the pensions landscape, adding that further action may be needed.

He added: There appears to be nothing in the legislation that so far represents a distinctively Labour party approach to pensions, and a Conservative minister could happily have brought forward this legislation. Perhaps inevitably, it will take time before we see how the new governments agenda differs from that of its predecessor.

But this does mean that any distinctive policies will have to await legislation later in this Parliament and may take time to have effect.

Sir Steve has previously warned that without urgent action we are likely to see more and more people facing an unenviable choice between an extended working life or a poor retirement.

Rising living costs, particularly for food and energy bills, as well as shifting expectations about retirement lifestyles have driven a huge increase in retirement costs.
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After almost 30 months of war with Russia, Ukraines difficulties on the battlefield are mounting even as its vital support from the United States is increasingly at the mercy of changing political winds.

A six-month delay in military assistance from the U.S., the biggest single contributor to Ukraine, opened the door for the Kremlin's forces to push on the front line. Ukrainian troops are now fighting to check the slow but gradual gains by Russias bigger and better-equipped army.

The next two or three months are going to be probably the hardest this year for Ukraine, military analyst Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment said in a recent podcast.

Lurking in the background is another nagging worry for Ukraine: how long will Western political and military support critical for its fight last?

On Monday, former President Donald Trump chose Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate for the Republican ticket in Novembers U.S. election, and Vance wants the United States to attend to its own problems  not necessarily a war thousands of miles away on a different continent, even though he has said Putin was wrong to invade.

That view dovetails with Trumps own stance. Trump has claimed that if elected, he would end the conflict before Inauguration Day in January. He has declined to say how.

Meanwhile, Hungarys pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orban  whose country holds the European Unions rotating presidency  recently infuriated other EU leaders by holding rogue meetings with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Europes biggest war since World War II has already cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides, including thousands of civilians. There is no sign of it ending any time soon.

And Putin wants to draw out the war in the hope of sapping Western willingness to send billions more dollars to Kyiv.

Heres a look at Ukraines major challenges:

The battlefield

Russia holds 18% of Ukrainian territory, after defensive forces pushed it out of half of the area it seized following its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, said in May. In 2014, Russia seized Ukraines Crimea.

Russia hasnt accomplished a major battlefield victory since taking the eastern stronghold of Avdiivka in February. But its forces are now pushing in border regions: Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine, Donetsk in the east and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

To buy time, Ukraine has employed an elastic defense strategy by ceding some territory to wear down Russian troops until Western supplies reach brigades. But, analysts warn, Russia will undoubtedly win a lengthy war of attrition, unless Ukraine can strike using an element of surprise.

Russia claimed Sunday its forces had taken control of the Donetsk village of Urozhaine, but Ukrainian officials said there was still fighting there. Moscows army is aiming to take the nearby strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, which could allow it to drive deeper into Donetsk.

Ukraines forces are largely holding back the Russian push around northeastern Kharkiv city, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. The Kremlins troops have been trying to get within artillery range of the city and create a buffer zone in the region to prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks.

Meanwhile, Russia is firing missiles into rear areas, hitting civilian infrastructure. Last week it conducted a massive aerial attack that killed 31 civilians and struck Ukraines largest childrens hospital in Kyiv.

The power grid

Crippling Ukraines electricity supply has been a key goal of Russias relentless long-range missile and drone attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the bombardment has destroyed 80% of Ukraines thermal power and one-third of its hydroelectric power.

A hard winter likely lies ahead for Ukraine, analysts say.

Ukraine is such a large country that massive air defenses would be needed to protect it all. The country needs 25 Patriot air defense systems to fully defend its airspace, Zelenskyy said Monday.

Ammunition

New deliveries of ammunition to Ukraine are trickling to units along the line of contact, shrinking Kyivs heavy disadvantage in artillery shells and allowing it to start stabilizing the front line.

But it will take time for Kyivs army to fully replenish its depleted stocks. Ukraine wont be able to assemble a counteroffensive until late this year at the earliest, military analysts estimate.

Russia, meanwhile, is spending record amounts of money on defense to finance its grinding war of attrition.

Fortifications

Russias go-to tactic is to smash towns and villages to pieces, rendering them unlivable and denying Ukrainians defensive cover. Powerful glide bombs flatten buildings. Then the Russian infantry moves in.

Ukraine was late to build defensive lines but its fortifications have improved in recent months, according to analyst reports.

The Russian army has made creeping progress at eastern and southern points along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line but has not recently made any significant breakthrough and its advances have been costly, Ukrainian officials say.

Expanded military conscription

Ukraine in April adopted an expanded military conscription law that aimed to replenish its depleted and exhausted forces.

Zelenskyy said Monday the drive is going well, though the country doesnt have enough training grounds for the new troops. Also, 14 brigades havent yet received their promised Western weapons.

Weaponry

NATO countries have taken steps this month to ensure that Ukraine keeps receiving long-term security aid and military training.

Alliance leaders attending a summit in Washington last week signed a deal to send more Stinger missiles, a portable surface-to-air defense system.

Ukraine is also preparing to receive the first F-16 warplanes donated by European countries.

Even so, Zelenskyy is frustrated. He says Ukraine cannot win the war unless the U.S. scraps its limits on the use of its weapons to attack military targets on Russian soil.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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A man was arrested for trespassing after he drove three hours from Atlanta to South Carolina to pull down a Confederate flag flying over an interstate.

James Blitch, 22, was taken into custody on Saturday night when officers were called to a report of a trespasser on land belonging to the organisation Sons of Confederate Veterans in Spartanburg, according to Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies arrived on the scene at around 10.30pm local time where a witness said they had seen Blitch climb up a fence near mile marker 76 of the I-85.

The 22-year-old allegedly told deputies he was trying to lower the Confederate flag because he doesnt agree with it.

He was in possession of a Dremel and drill bits at the time.

Johnathon McGill with the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office told WYFF NBC that there were clear no trespassing signs on the fence.

James Blitch was arrested for trespassing ( Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office )

Confederate flag flying over the interstate in South Carolina ( WSOC Charlotte )

Blitch was arrested for trespassing and was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center. He was released the following day.

McGill said it was the second time in two days where someone had tried to get onto the property over the flag.

Regardless of who you are, your beliefs, or your standpoint, the sheriffs office has sworn an oath to uphold the law and uphold the constitution, and everybody is extended that right and equal protection under the law, he said.

Spartanburg County council officials previously tried to get the flagpole removed in 2022, saying it was a violation of the countys land use ordinances.

But, in 2023, the Board of Zoning Appeals voted in favor of the property owner, allowing them to keep the Confederate flag and pole raised.
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A New Jersey father was charged over the death of his eight-week-old infant after allegedly leaving her in a hot car for an extended period of time.

Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, was charged on Tuesday with endangering the welfare of a child, the Ocean County Prosecutors office announced.

The tragedy occurred on Monday around 1.45pm, when police responded to a report of a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest in Lakewood Township. The baby, who has not been publicly named, was pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutors office said.

Authorities found that Chaitovsky left his daughter alone in his vehicle for an extended period of time, the office said.

The exact amount of time is not immediately known, but the father allegedly left his child in the car while he attended Kollel Cheshek Shlomo synagogue, according to News12.

Historic weather data shows that the temperatures around 2pm hit 95 degrees.

The act of leaving the infant in the car unattended for such a long period of time was the cause and manner of the infants death, authorities said.

The investigation is ongoing, authorities said, and Chaitovsky could face additional charges.

He is currently being held in Ocean County Jail, prosecutors said.

The New Jersey infant was the 11th child to have died in a hot car this year alone, according to Kids and Cars Safety.

An average of 38 children die in hot cars each year in the US, the site said.
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A 22-year-old mother faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of her twin 3-year-old sons who were allegedly exposed to fentanyl.

Jestice James faces two counts of murder and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, along with allegations of child endangerment, according to a release from the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors said that evidence indicates fentanyl was involved in the deaths.

On July 11 emergency crews responded to a home in Palm Vista Apartments, an affordable housing building in San Fernando Valley run by the city of Los Angeles.

Paramedics attempted to save the lives of twins Josiah and Jestine at the scene.

Both boys were taken to the hospital. Josiah died on the same day, and Jestine died on July 13.

Josiah and Jestine, both 3, died after suspected fentanyl exposure ( James Family )

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the children had ingested, or been exposed to, an unknown substance," according to an LAPD statement released on Friday.

"The mother and other residents of the home were transported to the LAPD Topanga Community Police Station for questioning."

Police said the other residents of the home are not being investigated any further.

These innocent boys reportedly came into contact with fentanyl, an opioid that has wreaked havoc across our communities, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. This tragedy is part of a disturbing trend where babies and toddlers are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid crisis.

James is being held in lieu of $4m bail, and if convicted as charged, she faces life in prison. Her arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday.

Family members spoke with ABC7 about their loss.

Anyone who has a family member, a friend, an associate who is indulging in that particular drug, to know that it is a fatal drug," said the boys godmother Regina Holmes. "We lost Juju and Jojo."

The boys had just turned three, and the family had celebrated their birthdays on July 9.

"They still had a long life to live that we hoped and wished to be able to see, but unfortunately, they were taken away too soon and way too young," said the boys cousin Precios Padilla.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told ABC7 that the case was one of five involving children and fentanyl he was looking into, all in the last six months.

Last month, two men pleaded guilty to drug charges and causing bodily harm after a toddler died of a fatal opioid overdose in September at a daycare center in the Bronx, New York City.

The two men admitted to storing fentanyl underneath the floorboards of the daycare. Three other children survived after medics administered the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.
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Irv Gotti, the music mogul who co-founded Murder Inc. Records, has been accused of raping a woman on multiple occasions after flying her out to Atlanta, Miami and Saint Martin, and then threatening to send her home if she refused to comply with his orders.

In a civil lawsuit, filed on July 11 in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, a woman identified only as Jane Doe alleged that 54-year-old Gotti - born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr - abused her during their two-year relationship from 2020 to 2022. She said that she met Gotti through a mutual friend at a poker tournament in the summer of 2020.

As a result of this sexually abusive relationship, Plaintiff has suffered severe emotional and psychological harm for which she had to be committed to a psychiatric ward, according to the lawsuit, viewed by The Independent. These injuries continue and affect Plaintiff to this day.

Jane Doe claims Gotti first took her on vacation to the Caribbean island of Saint Martin where he threatened to send her home unless she had sex with him.

Due to his power and influence in the music world, she complied, the suit states.

The music producer co-founded Murder Inc., a well-known hip-hop label, home to artists including Ja Rule and Ashanti.

According to the suit, the pair became a couple shortly after the trip, but Jane Doe says for the duration of their relationship, she suffered constant abuse as she was berated and forced to perform sexual acts on Gotti against her will.

One incident, detailed in the lawsuit, happened during a trip to Miami in January 2022. Jane Doe claimed that Gotti forced her to give him oral sex in an elevator.

That summer, when Gotti flew Jane Doe to Atlanta, he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him in an Uber, the suit claims. The relationship ended shortly after the trip.

In the suit, Jane Doe also accused Gotti of tarnishing her name as he spread lies to his vast social network in and around Los Angeles.

Because of the alleged slander and severe emotional distress she described in the lawsuit, Jane Doe now fears leaving her home, she states. The lawsuit is seeking a trial by jury. Any trial will determine whether Gotti is civilly liable and must pay a penalty.

Irv Gotti has not yet commented on the allegations, the Miami New Times and other publications reported. The Independent has tried to reach out to Gotti for comment.
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The leader of a neo-Nazi extremist group, nicknamed the Maniac Murder Cult, has been charged with planning to have a member dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City.

Prosecutors said on Tuesday that the plan to sow terror in the city.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, who has various nicknames including Commander Butcher, is based in eastern Europe and allegedly leads the extremist group.

Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old man from the Republic of Georgia, was indicted on four charges, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice.

Prosecutors said the Maniac Murder Cult is an international extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems undesirables. "

The Maniac Murder Cult's goal is to upset social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos, according to the announcement from Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York and Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBIs National Security Branch.

FIAssistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington ( Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Chkhikvishvili was arrested after he tried to recruit an undercover law enforcement officer to join his group and commit violent crimes such as bombings and arsons, according to court documents.

In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty event for New York City on New Year's Eve, prosecutors said.

The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn, the Department of Justice statement said.

He drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared with the undercover officer detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, the statement said.

Prosecutors said since September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the Haters Handbook in which he states that he has murdered for the white race and encourages others to do the same.

For example, and among other things, the handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities, the Justice Department statement said. The document describes methods and strategies for committing mass terror attacks, including, for example, using vehicles to target large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades and pedestrian congested streets. It specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.

Chkhikvishvili traveled to New York City at least twice in 2022 and stayed with his paternal grandmother in Brooklyn, officials said.

If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and five years for transmitting threatening communication.
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A Florida police officer was arrested after being accused of trying to sexually assault a woman during a domestic violence call.

West Palm Beach police announced the arrest of James Matthew Bush, 33, on Sunday for sexual battery and robbery, according to CBS 12.

Around 9 pm on July 12, police responded to a report of a man throwing his girlfriend out of an apartment, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet. Police arrived and Bush told the man he should leave and go to court to file for eviction.

Bush then repeatedly told the victim to go upstairs and have some fun.

She responded: OKto talk?

Once the two were upstairs, Bush is accused of grabbing her arm and leading her to a bedroom. There, she sat on the bed and offered him a kiss thinking she was in danger and he would rape her, according to the report.

The victim tried to escape by saying she had to go brush her teeth, and Bush watched before he guided her back to the bedroom, police said.

He then tried to coax the victim to perform a sex act on him, according to police. She told him No, but he told her, I want this.

James Matthew Bush, 33, a police officer in West Palm Beach, Florida, is accused of trying to force a woman to have sex during a domestic violence call ( West Palm Beach police )

After several minutes, he grabbed her to try and get her to perform the act.

Bush reportedly told her, I can get you out of this whole thing, and offered her $2,000, the report noted. The woman said she was not a prostitute.

The officer left and the victim told her boyfriend about the incident. However, he ignored her and tried to evict her, according to police.

Hours later, the boyfriend called the police again, and another officer, along with Bush, responded to the scene. The woman reported the incident to the other cop, and Bush said she was lying.

The victim showed video evidence of the encounter that was on her phone and the unnamed officer watched it. However, he did not intervene, according to the report.

Other investigators got a hold of the footage and spoke to Bush. It was then he admitted to some of the crimes, police said.

When someone abuses their position of authority to commit a crime, we have an obligation to swiftly act in the best interest of the community we serve and hold those responsible who breach the public trust, Chief Frank Adderley said. On behalf of the men and women who are dedicated to serve and protect, this is not reflective of the West Palm Beach Police Department. We have a zero-tolerance for misconduct and abuse of power and will hold those accountable who violate their oath.
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Michael Morin, the brother of Rachel Morin whose slain body was found on a hiking trail in Maryland last year, gave an emotional speech at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday where he condemned her murder.

Rachel, a joyful, accomplished athlete and mother of five, was raped and murdered by a suspected illegal immigrant, Morin told the RNC attendees. My sisters death was preventable.

Rachel Morin, the 37-year-old mother of five, was found raped and murdered along Harford Countys Ma & Pa Trail in August 2023. Nearly a year later, in June 2024, her suspected killer, Victor Martinez Hernandez, 23, was arrested in Oklahoma and extradited to Maryland.

Michael Morin condemned his sister Rachel Morins murder in an emotional speech at the RNC Tuesday ( PBS News Hour screenshot )

Police said Hernandez, who is from El Salvador, had been living in the US illegally since February 2023. He is believed to have killed a woman in El Salvador before crossing into the US and attacking a nine-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in Los Angeles, police said.

At the RNC, Morin told the crowd that he did not hear from President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris after his sisters death, but he did receive a phone call from former president Donald Trump.

Rachel Morin was found raped and murdered along Harford Countys Ma & Pa Trail in August 2023 ( Harford County Sheriffs Office )

Joe Biden and his designated border czar Kamala Harris opened our borders to him and others like him, he said. They never apologized. But when Rachel was killed, President Trump called my family to offer his condolences.

He praised Trump for his compassion and response to the killing.

He wanted to meet with us. He cared. That is leadership, Morin said. We need real leadership back in the White House.

After Morins murder, Trump blamed Biden for her killing because the president has refused to shut down the border, in a post on Truth Social.

Victor Hernandez of El Salvador was arrested in June in connection to Morins murder. Police say he had been in the US illegally since February 2023 ( Tulsa police )

ANOTHER one of Crooked Joe Bidens Illegal Immigrant Criminals was just charged with raping and murdering ANOTHER innocent American woman! Trump wrote at the time.

Trump was in attendance at the RNC in Milwaukee to watch speeches on the second night, which focused on signature issues including illegal immigration and security at the southern border.

I pray that we hold worldly leaders accountable for safety and justice for innocent people, Morin told the attendees. I pray that we make our country safe and secure in the memory of my sister, Rachel, who loved life.
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A prominent Miami real estate titan, accused of poisoning his estranged wife, was found dead by suicide at his home during an FBI raid, amid allegations that he had concocted a murder-for-hire plot to kill her.

Sergio Pino, 67, was found dead in an upstairs bedroom by an FBI SWAT team that swarmed the developers swanky multimillion-dollar home in a gated Coral Gables community on Tuesday.

The SWAT team discovered Pinos body while confiscating electronics, safes and three boxes of documents from the home, WPLG reported.

Pino, founder of Century Homebuilders Group, was under investigation by the FBI after his wife of 32 years, Tatiana Pino, claimed in divorce proceedings that he had poisoned her multiple times with fentanyl. Pino was never charged with a crime before his death.

Sergio Pino was found dead at his Florida home during an FBI raid on Tuesday ( TNS/Getty )

Pinos lawyer, Sam Rabin, confirmed to WPLG that Pino died by suicide and criticized law enforcements handling of the situation.

Sergio Pino took his own life today. The level of law enforcement activity at his residence was unprecedented and unnecessary, especially since we had offered to surrender him should that have become necessary, he said.

Todays events mark a very tragic ending to an investigation that we were confident we could successfully defend. There were many rumors and allegations but what was lacking was evidence.

The FBI investigation stemmed from allegations that Pinos wife Tatiana made when she filed for divorce in April 2022. She alleged that Pino had been secretly slipping her fentanyl and that he had a financial motive to poison her.

She claimed a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore had detected fentanyl in her system and that she had been intubated six times.

Tatiana testified that when she was being released, her doctor told her to stay at her sisters house while she recuperated rather than returning home to her normal surroundings.

They were scared for me because had this happened to me again, I would have been dead, Tatiana said.

In August 2023, Tatiana was a victim of what authorities described as a targeted hit-and-run. Video shows Tatiana pulling into her driveway as a rented Home Depot truck rams into the passenger side of her vehicle before speeding away.

Four people were arrested following the incident, including Bayron Bennett, who worked for Sergio Pino, WPLG reported citing an FBI affidavit. The document claims that Bennett helped with food and beverage service on Pinos yacht.

One of the suspects, Michael Dulfo, later told investigators he was contracted to commit the crime by someone working for the opposing party in the Pino divorce case, according to the affidavit.

Video shows Tatiana pulling into her driveway as a rented Home Depot truck rams into the passenger side of her vehicle before speeding away in August 2023 ( WPLG )

In this already complex divorce, we have had to address the terrorism and the attacks on Tatianas life. It is truly terrible, Tatiana Pinos attorney, Raymond J. Rafool, told WPLG.

Thankfully, the FBI is involved and working hard to keep Tatiana safe and bringing those responsible to justice.

Sergio Pinos divorce attorney Deanna Shifrin said in a statement that there was nothing to indicate that he ever harmed or wanted to harm his wife.

He was a gentle and kind man, loved and respected by the many people he employed at his businesses. He loved his children and grandchildren and talked of little else, Shifrin added.

I do believe that the combination of unnecessarily destructive divorce litigation along with selective and salacious media coverage was humiliating to him and led to this tragedy.

Pino and Tatiana married in 1992 and have two children. Their combined net worth in 2021 was $359 million, according to a financial statement cited during a deposition in the divorce case, WTVJ reported.

Another statement, presented in the same deposition was around $153 million, which Pino testified was accurate, according to the local outlet. The larger number was a joke, he said.

When Tatiana filed for divorce in 2022, she stated in court filings that she was entitled to alimony.

A overhead view of Pinos house after his body was found during an FBI raid on July 17, 2024 ( WPLG )

Ms. Pino stopped her employment and forewent her career to be a stay-at-home mother for the parties children and be a homemaker, according to the documents as reported by the Miami Herald.

Ms. Pino is unemployed outside of the home whereas the Husband is an extremely successful businessman and entrepreneur.

The filings state that the Pinos live a lavish and luxurious lifestyle.

However, in a counter-petition, Pino said Tatiana expressly waived her right to alimony through their 1992 marital agreement.

Tatiana then alleged in a filing that she signed the post-nuptial agreement under duress and coercion and that on the eve of their long-planned religious wedding ceremony and party, Pino allegedly ambushed her with the agreement.

In 1995, Pino founded and was chairman and president of Century Partners Group. It is described on its website as being the largest Hispanic-owned homebuilder in the nation.

The group boasts it acquired, developed and/or managed over 50 multi-family and condominium communities that account for over 15,000 homes through Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Pino, who was well connected in the community, was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Commission in 2000.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. I

f you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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A Texas man is facing a murder charge for shooting dead a woman after paying her $10 for sex, police said.

Yons Alshabi, 32, was recently arrested in connection to the case. Crystal Daniels, 41, was found dead in the parking lot of a Dallas strip mall on July 9.

Police used surveillance video from a nearby business to identify Alshabis vehicle in the parking lot around the time of the murder, according to Fox 4 .

Alshabi first told police that his car had been stolen.

However, he later admitted he picked up Daniels and intended to pay her $70 for sex at a nearby motel, according to the report. He then got concerned about a truck he believed was following them.

Yons Alshabi, 32, is accused of shooting a woman dead he picked up for sex. Police found her with a $10 bill in her hand after the shooting ( Dallas County jail )

The suspect told officers that he gave Daniels $10 and told her to get out of the car.

A struggle ensued when Daniels refused to get out of the car and the gun went off, Alshabi told police, according to the report.

He said he then pulled her body from his car and left her in the parking lot.

Investigators said they found the $10 bill in Daniels dead hand when her body was found, Fox 4 noted.

Alshabi was booked into jail and remains in custody on $1 million bond.
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Women have been sending letters to a Florida judge begging him to spare the life of a heavily-tattooed convicted killer who brutally murdered two women in 2019.

Wade Wilson, 30, was found guilty last month of killing Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43.

The defendant killed the women within hours of each other. He met Melton at a live music bar on 6 October 2019 before strangling her to death at her home in Cape Coral, where her body was discovered, prosecutors said.

The following day, Ruiz was reported missing. She was walking to the bar where she worked when Wilson approached her in a car that he had stolen from Meltons home and asked her for directions.

Ruiz got in the car, Wilson strangled her and ran her over until she looked like spaghetti the court heard. The women were not known to each other.

The jury in Lee County, Florida found Wilson guilty of the two murders and voted in favor of the death penalty for the killer, who has been in jail for the past five years.

County Circuit Judge Nicholas R Thompson is considering the jurys recommendation, and has the final say on whether the defendant is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. Wilsons sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 23.

Wade Wilson, pictured in Florida court on June 25. Women have been sending letters to a judge begging him to spare the murderer from the death penalty ( Law&Crime )

But in an effort to persuade him to spare Wilson from the death penalty, three women have sent letters to the judge, citing the killers reported history of mental health issues, substance abuse and alleged lack of parental support.

With regards to the Wade Wilson case, it appears clearly documented that Mr Wilson suffers with mental health issues that appear to be severely aggravated by the use of drugs, Lindsay Brann, a mother of two boys in Alberta, Canada, wrote in a letter, lodged in Lee County Circuit Court.

I would also like to note that if you look past his tattoos to his face structure since being in prison and medicated, he is healthier, his face is fuller compared to his booking picture where his face is gaunt, pale and he looks unhealthy compared to now, while he is on medication to control his multiple mental health issues.

Kristine Melton, 35, was strangled to death by Wade Wilson i October 2019 ( Facebook )

Wilson has several tattoos that cover the majority of his face, neck and hands, including two swastikas on his right scalp and under his right eye.

Marion Worth also advocated for Wilsons life to be spared, saying that her son was murdered in August 2023. Even in such a grievous case, I advocate for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty as the most just and humane resolution, she wrote.

One woman, Heidi Cox, appeared to know Wilson, according to her correspondence.

As someone who cares unconditionally for Wade, I have deeply reflected on the gravity of the situation and the impact of your decision, wrote another woman from Florida.

Diane Ruiz, 43, was strangled by Wilson and ran over with a car in 2019 ( Facebook )

While I understand the severity of the crime committed, I believe that a life sentence would allow Wade the opportunity to reflect, repent and contribute positively within the confines of prison.

Wilson has also been flooded with love letters, according to the Lee County Sheriffs Office.

He has received nearly 4,000 messages online 754 photos and 65 letters in the mail, in total. The sheriffs office said they rejected 163 photos for their inappropriate nature.

A sheriffs office spokesperson told The Independent that inappropriate was classed as sexual organs, content that is deemed indecent or controversial.
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A public works employee got a nasty surprise on Tuesday when they discovered what appeared to be a bomb on a city street.

The device, which appeared to be sticks of dynamite with red wires and a timer device, was found in a neighborhood in Roswell, Georgia.

Officers and explosive device experts responded to the scene, about 20 miles outside of Atlanta, and determined that device was a movie prop discarded in the trash by a local resident who works in the film industry.

And the Academy Award for best prop goes to..this fake bomb, a message from Roswell Police Department said.

A Georgia public works employee discovered that they believed to be a bomb on July 16. Turns out, it was a movie prop ( Roswell Police Department )

The department praised the workers quick-thinking following the discovery.

They did exactly what we would hope anyone would do in this situation and immediately called the police, the department posted its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The statement continued: While this was thankfully a false alarm, it perfectly illustrates the principle of see something, say something.

To prevent any further confusion, the prop was disassembled before being returned to the cinematic trash alongside Sharknado 4.

Authorities encouraged anyone who sees anything suspicious to immediately call them.
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New pictures have emerged of the Mashco Piro, a rarely-seen uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, amid concerns that logging activity is forcing them out of the dense rainforest more frequently.

Survival International, a nonprofit advocating Indigenous rights, released images showing members of the reclusive tribe on the banks of a river near logging concessions.

Fenamad, an Indigenous rights group, said that the Mashco Piro have been venturing out in search of food, driven away by the expanding logging activities.

The pictures, taken at the end of June, show the tribe along a river in the Madre de Dios region, close to the Brazilian border.

These incredible images show that a large number of isolated Mashco Piro live alone a few kilometres from where the loggers are about to start their operations, Survival Internationals director Caroline Pearce said.

Indeed one logging company, Canales Tahuamanu, is already at work inside Mashco Piro territory, which the Mashco Piro have made clear they oppose.

Members of the Mashco Piro, a reclusive tribe in the Amazon, gather on the banks of the Las Piedras river on 27 June 2024 ( Survival International )

This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect but actually sold off to logging companies, Alfredo Vargas Pio, head of Fenamad, said. The logging workers could bring in new diseases which would wipe out the Mashco Piro, and theres also a risk of violence on either side, so it is very important the territorial rights of the Mashco Piro are recognised and protected in law.

A group of over 50 Mashco Piro has been spotted near a Yine village in Monte Salvado in recent days. Another group of 17 Mashco Piro has been seen close to the nearby village of Puerto Nuevo, Survival International said.

Members of the Mashco Piro, a reclusive tribe, gather on the banks of the Las Piedras river ( Survival International )

The Mashco Piro, who live between two natural reserves in Madre de Dios, rarely venture out and have limited interaction with the Yine or other tribes in the region.

The Yine, who are not uncontacted, speak a language related to Mashco Piro and have previously reported that the reclusive tribe angrily denounced the presence of loggers on their land, Survival International said.

Several logging companies hold timber concessions on the Mashco Piro territory.

The Mashco Piro have been seen coming out of the rainforest more frequently in search of food and moving away from the growing presence of loggers, in Monte Salvado, in the Madre de Dios province, Peru ( Survival International )

Survival International said loggers working for Canales Tahuamanu are not only penetrating deep into the forest, they have also constructed around 200 kilometres of logging roads.

Such roads are historically disastrous in the Amazon, providing an easy way into the previously inaccessible rainforest for colonisation and settlement, the nonprofit said on its website.

It said loggers do not report sightings of the Mashco Piro, for fear of having their operations shut down. A Mashco Piro man told one Yine villager, The men wearing orange are bad people. The loggers wear orange jumpsuits.

Canales Tahuamanu is reportedly licensed to manage nearly 53,000 hectares of forest in Madre de Dios for extracting cedar and mahogany.

FILE: An earlier image of members of the Mashco-Piro released by Survival International on 31 January 2012 ( Survival International )

This is a humanitarian disaster in the making. Its absolutely vital that the loggers are thrown out and the Mashco Piros territory is properly protected at last, Ms Pearce said, demanding the Peruvian authorities immediately cancel the companys licence.

Failure to do so will make a mockery of the entire certification system.

According to Survival International, Canales Tahuamanu has aggressively used the courts to defend its logging activities.

In one particularly galling move, they even sued to prevent the Yine entering the rainforest that they share with the Mashco Piro, claiming that since it is protected, the Yine were trespassing.

The Peruvian government announced on 28 June that local villagers had spotted Mashco Piro near the Las Piedras river, 150km from Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios.

Sightings of the tribe have been reported in Brazil as well, according to Rosa Padilha of the Brazilian Catholic Bishops Indigenous Missionary Council in Acre.

They flee from loggers on the Peruvian side. At this time of the year they appear on beaches to take tracaja eggs, she said, using the local word for the Amazon turtle. Thats when we find their footprints on the sand. They leave behind a lot of turtle shells.

Ms Padilha described them as a people with no peace, restless, because they are always on the run.

Indigenous organisations in Peru have long campaigned for expanding the Mashco Piros reserve.

All relevant government departments had approved the expansion by 2016 and it was awaiting a presidential decree, Survival International said. But the decree remains unsigned, allowing logging to continue.
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For more than 70 brave souls, there was little worry about eating a fish that turns your insides in mud.

After a weird, prehistoric fish was pulled by fishermen 40 miles off the coast of Hatteras, North Carolina, one local chef put it right on his menu. Chef Mac Buben of Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen in the Outer Banks offered the escolar fish - which is banned in Japan - to eaters and 75 rushed to try the delicacy.

The fish causes diarrhea and an upset stomach if consumed in high amounts. At the same time, because of its reputation, its considered a delicacy.

Turns your insides into mud, one social media commentator said.

Capt. Boo Daniels and his crew on The Kaitlyn C caught the fish while fishing at 9,000 feet. The line that snagged the escolar was only about 200 feet down when it hooked. Typically, the fish lives 650 feet below the waters surface.

Buben said one of the fish houses called him about the rare catch and asked him if hed like to serve it up. It wasnt difficult to get thrill-seekers lined up for a bite.

Have you ever tried escolar? Pretty rare catch around here, Buben wrote in a Facebook post. The fish has buttery smooth snow white flesh that is truly unique and should be on your bucket list of fish to try in your lifetime.

A North Carolina seafood restaurant served up a rare fish - escolar- earlier this month after it was caught in the Outer Banks ( Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen )

We plan to offer it this week grilled with blackening spice and a Mediterranean style salad. Come see us and cross it off your list!

Responding to Facebook comments, a restaurant employee said that the chef planned to limit portion sizes and grill the fish, adding the method of cooking helps release fatty parts of the fish that could cause people to be sick.

One commenter wrote: Good lord that thing is creepy as hell but Id DEFINITELY try it. Another person, who tried the escolar, said: holy cow it was amazing!

Best seafood weve ever had! Service was awesome! Cannot wait to return!

Buben told The Independent he served the fish to about 75 people over the course of two and a half days last week. He gave the last portion to a friend who is a local fisherman. He said he was no stranger to the fish. He previously worked with escolar during his time at Le Bernardin, a famous seafood restaurant, in New York City.

A photo of the escolar served at Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen last week ( Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen )

When he opened his restaurant with his father, Jeffrey Buben, a James Beard winner, in 2019, he wanted to build a reputation for working with whatever local fishermen catch instead of trying to tailor his menu to his own specifications.

Were putting money in the fishermans pockets and theyre able to make a better living for themselves, he said.

He enjoys working with seafood that people wouldnt normally consider putting on their dinner tables. This week, he brought in ribbonfish, another deepwater creature. In the future, he hopes to cook shark bites to serve to diners using some of the sharks that are caught in the area.

As a chef, its a fun place to be, because were working with fish that I literally watched come off the boat, into a box packed with ice, and comes to a restaurant, and I cut it myself and serve it to a guest, you know, in the same day, he said. And thats an incredible experience for people.
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West Virginia Governor Jim Justice hadnt finished the first sentence of his remarks at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday when the crowd at the FiServ forum drowned him out by chanting a single word, over and over again.

Babydog, Babydog, Babydog.

The attendees at the GOPs confab was demanding the presence of an unlikely political icon, Justices ubiquitous English bulldog.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justices dog, Babydog, sits on a chair on stage before the Republican National Convention drawing large cheers from the crowd ( AP )

Justice, whod anticipated the clamor for his four-legged friend, calmed the crowd by telling them that he knew they wanted to meet his little buddy and called for an aide to bring Babydog to meet her adoring public.

Babydog waddled onto the stage to a loud ovation before taking her place on a large leather chair next to Justice, who is currently the frontrunner in the race to succeed retiring Mountaineer State senator Joe Manchin.

She makes us smile, and she loves everybody, Justice said as he returned to remarks in which he largely called for Donald Trump to be re-elected to the presidency and described the ex-president as an incredible man who genuinely cares about all of us.

Babydog walks on the stage ahead of Day 2 of the Republican National Convention, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee ( REUTERS )

Although Babydog did not utter a single word during Justices time on stage, the governor claimed she had a prediction about the outcome of the November general election.

Babydog says well retain the house, the majority in the House, were going to flip the Senate, and overwhelmingly, were going to elect Donald J Trump and JD Vance in November, he said.

The four-year-old canine first rose to public attention when Justice made her the centerpiece of a campaign to convince West Virginians to accept the Covid-19 vaccine. She became a ubiquitous presence at his news conferences, and even made an appearance during one of Justices addresses to the state legislature in which he dared actresss Bette Midler to kiss the canines posterior after Midler criticized state residents as poor, illiterate and strung out.
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Joe Biden said in a recent interview that he would consider dropping out of the 2024 election if he was diagnosed with a "medical condition" by a doctor.

Biden's determination to stay in the 2024 race despite calls from Democratic voters and lawmakers comes just as Congressman Adam Schiff joined 20 other House Democrats to call for the president to step away from the race, saying it was "time for him to pass the torch."

The president was asked during an interview with BET what would have to happen for him to consider dropping out of the race.

If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem, Biden said in an excerpt released on Wednesday.

Hours later, the president tested positive for Covid-19.

The full interview is scheduled to air at 9pm ET on Wednesday.

A recent report by Puck detailed a Zoom call the president held with moderate Democratic lawmakers described by one participant, speaking anonymously to the outlet, as worse than the debate. The source claimed that Biden frequently lost his train of thought during the call.

US President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas. Biden said in an interview released on July 17 that he would step away from the presidential race if a doctor diagnosed him with a serious medical condition ( Getty Images )

Despite calls from some Democratic lawmakers to step aside, Biden has been resolute to stay in the race and face Donald Trump in November.

On Friday, Biden told rallygoers in Michigan that he had no intentions of dropping out.

I am running, and were going to win, he said.

He cited his status as being the only Democrat or Republican who has beaten Donald Trump, ever.

Biden continued, telling the crowd that the press, pundits, and donors did not select him to become the president, but the people did, and he would continue to run because of that fact.

You decided, no one else, and Im not going anywhere, he said.
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Stephen Colbert began his Monday show with an earnest condemnation of violence and violent rhetoric in the wake of the attempted assassination of President Trump, before launching into a humorous bit about one especially chilling statement Marjorie Taylor Greene made at the Republican National Convention on Monday night.

The Georgia congresswoman was one of many speakers at the RNC in Milwaukee on Monday and leaned into anti-LBGTQ+ rhetoric during her speech, insisting at one point that there are only two genders.

On his show, Colbert also highlighted another absolutely chilling comment she made on stage, rolling out a clip of her saying Donald Trump is the leader America deserves.

Why? Colbert cried. Did we run over a witchs cat? Did someone make a wish on a cursed chicken foot?

Taylor Greenes appearance at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee came a day after she took heat for multiple wild claims on her X account following the assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in rural Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

The Democrats are the party of pedophiles, murdering the innocent unborn, violence, and bloody, meaningless, endless wars, she wrote on X on Sunday.

Stephen Colbert made fun of Trump for picking JD Vance as his running mate ( The Late Show with Stephen Colbert )

They want to lock up their political opponents and terrorize innocent Americans who would tell the truth about it. The Democrat party is flat-out evil, and yesterday they tried to murder President Trump.

Despite Taylor Greenes continued baseless accusations against the Democratic party, many politicians have been encouraged to tone down their political rhetoric.

However, a person involved in planning the Republican National Convention told ABC that the convention wont just go ahead after the shooting  itll continue "with a vengeance".

No! No! Were toning down the rhetoric! Remember? I dont want to continue anything with a vengeance. I want to continue everything with a bong hit, a pint of Ben & Jerrys, and reruns of Gilmore Girls, Colbert said.

In the past few days, Trump, whose ear was injured after a bullet grazed past him while he stood on stage at his campaign rally on Saturday, has been repeatedly calling for American unity and to stand united together in the aftermath of the shooting that killed one rallygoer.

While lawmakers try to push for this unity, Colbert did shine a light on a particular moment at the RNC when the Senate minority leader appeared to be drowned out by a resounding chorus of boos while reading out the Kentucky delegate roll call.

Unity, Colbert reacted to the booing. You know, people ask what gives me hope. Ill tell you. Whatever our differences, all Americans despise Mitch McConnell.

Colbert also touched on the announcement of Trumps 2024 running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vancea man who was once a critic of Trump but has now garnered a place as the potential Vice President alongside him.

Marjorie Taylor Greene made comments about there only being two genders at the RNC on Monday ( AFP via Getty Images )

The show host noted that once upon a time, Vance had described Trump as cultural heroin and another time when he compared the former president to one of historys most evil dictators.

Vance once allegedly said in a message to a friend in 2016: I go back and forth between thinking Trump might be a cynical a**hole like [Richard] Nixon who wouldnt be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he might be Americas Hitler.

Colbert mocked Trumps subsequent pick of Vance despite these past comments: "Just looking at your resume here Mr Smith, it says you called me "Satan incarnate, Voldermorts ugly, unstable brother, and a slightly more perverted Jared from Subway, he joked.

Oh, but you are proficient in Excel! Welcome aboard! Colbert added.

While Colbert did perform jokes about Republican politicians and the convention on Monday, he also delivered an earnest message in response to the shooting at the rally, condemning the violence that ensued.

My immediate reaction when I saw this on Saturday were horror at what was unfolding, relief that Donald Trump had lived and frankly grief for my beautiful country, the Late Show host said, adding he was also horrified that attendees were also shot, one of which had died as a result.

How many times do we need to learn the lesson that violence has no role in our politics, that the entire objective of a democracy is to fight out our differences with, as the saying goes, a ballot, not a bullet, he said, adding that the motivations of the gunman are still unclear.

Our job as American citizens is to reject violence and violent rhetoric in this time of crisis, however hard we want to fight for our ideas, he said.
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As her onetime opponent looked on, Nikki Haley took to the stage on Tuesday and declared that a man she said was mentally diminished and unqualified for elected office should be her partys nominee for president.

It was a moment that would have been galling anywhere but the modern Republican Party, and thats exactly who Haley addressed onstage in Milwaukee as she made clear that she sees a political future in a MAGA-fied GOP.

The former governor of South Carolina spoke for just a few minutes onstage, an address that was something of a surprise given that it had initially appeared that she would not attend the gathering. But, said Trump asked him to speak in the name of unity, which has been Trump's call since he was wounded by a bullet on Saturday.

"Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period," Haley told a cheering audience, which showed none of the anti-Haley vitriol evident during the primary race.

Nikki Haley spoke to the RNC on Tuesday and gave Donald Trump her endorsement despite their differences during the primary season ( AP )

Though she did much to eliminate the daylight between her and the former president, Haley directed her remarks at her former supporters and political independents who dont fit so easily under the MAGA tent.

Pointing to Joe Bidens hoarse and mentally-wandering debate performance, she argued a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris, his vice president, whom she said would ruin the country after just one day as president.

I know there are people out there who dont agree with Donald Trump 100 percent. I happen to know some of them, said Haley. I want to talk to them tonight. My message is simple: You dont have to agree with Donald Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him.

It was far from what Haley was saying earlier this year when it became clear that she was the only candidate who would even have a shot of being competitive in the Republican primary after Iowa; at the time, the former governor was giving her harshest criticisms of her ex-boss to date and made a number of statements indicating that her differences with Trump went beyond policy.

The former president, she was arguing this spring, was no better suited to the executive office than Biden, for many of the same reasons: a perceived diminishing of mental faculties, as well as other issues like his temperament and respect for the position.

She would even go as far as saying that she did not trust Trump to keep US troops out of harms way, a searing critique for any politician but especially for an intra-party spat.

"He showed that with that kind of disrespect for the military, hes not qualified to be the president of the United States, because I dont trust him to protect them," she said in February.

The problem now is he is not the same person he was in 2016," she continued in that interview. "He is unhinged; he is more diminished than he was, just like Joe Bidens more diminished than what he was.

It was far from what Haley was saying earlier this year when it became clear that she was the only candidate who would even have a shot of being competitive in the Republican primary after Iowa ( Getty Images )

Angry at Trump for attacking her husbands military service, she continued: "This wasnt a slip of the tongue for Trump. When he goes off his teleprompter, thats him speaking from the heart, and its a pattern.

But on Tuesday there was zero sign of that version of Haley. She was once again welcomed into the Trumpworld fold  or at least tolerated onstage for a few minutes.

Her strongest line of the night, which elicited a standing ovation, was a direct reversal of her past criticism on Trumps respect for the military.

Pointing to the ongoing conflict of Gaza and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, echoing claims from other right-wingers who have argued that Biden failed to provide the deterrence against Russia that Trump supposedly represented. It also effectively raked the entire Bush-era neoconservative foreign policy doctrine, to which Haley was once seen as a champion, over the coals.

Strong presidents dont start wars, Haley told the crowd. They prevent wars.
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In 2016, not even five months before US voters chose a bombastic businessman as their president, JD Vance introduced himself with frank modesty to the world in the first few pages of his memoir  admitting he was not a senator, a governor, or a former cabinet secretary.

I didnt write this book because Ive accomplished something extraordinary, he explains in Hillbilly Elegys introduction. I wrote this book because Ive achieved something quite ordinary, which doesnt happen to most kids who grow up like me  poor, in the Rust Belt, in an Ohio steel town that has been hemorrhaging jobs and hope for as long as I can remember.

Vances professed ordinariness, however, evaporated almost immediately upon publication of the memoir  a raw recounting of his upbringing in the culture of Americas white Appalachian poor and a study of the ripple effects across generations and geography. The bestseller then became a 2020 film starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

Vances profile rose so fast that he did become a Senator in 2022, representing Ohio as a Republican. Now the 39-year-old, who bucked regional socioeconomic trends by earning a law degree from Yale, is moving even further towards extraordinariness  asking Appalachia and the rest of the US to vote him into the second-highest office in the land: Vice President. On Monday, Donald Trump, the man Vance once worried could be Americas Hitler, announced him as his running mate, and they waved to the crowd together that night at the Republican National Convention.

Donald Trump chose Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential candidate on Monday night ( AP )

The vice presidential nomination marks just the latest chapter in the evolution of a self-professed Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart. Trump and Vance could hardly have had more diametrically opposed youths, and the joining of forces is a marked turnaround from Vance vociferous objection to the 2016 election of the 45th president.

But contradiction, Vance writes in Hillbilly Elegy, has been a hallmark of his life and of his people for generations.

He was born in 1984 in Middletown, Ohio, four months after The New York Times ran a glowing feature headlined The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump . Vances family had also been expanding over the previous few decades  but from the poverty of Jackson, a town with a population of around 2,000 in Kentuckys coal country, to Middletown, Ohio, a three-hour drive north.

The grandparents Vance lovingly called Mamaw and Papaw had moved to Ohio after his grandmother, Bonnie Blanton, became pregnant at 13  his grandfather, James Vance, just a few years older. The pair hailed from hill people and followed work migration patterns of the time as Appalachians flocked to burgeoning midwestern industrial centers.

Some people may conclude that I come from a clan of lunatics. But the stories made me feel like hillbilly royalty, because these were classic good-versus-evil stories, and my people were on the right side. JD Vance in his 2016 memoir

Papaw secured a job at Armco steel, which was an economic savior  the engine that brought them from the hills of Kentucky into Americas middle class, Vance writes.

Other Appalachian families  and many of his relatives  stayed put in Kentucky, where it was far harder to find work and thrive.

The truth is hard, and the hardest truths for hill people are the ones they must tell about themselves. Jackson is undoubtedly full of the nicest people in the world; it is also full of drug addicts, Vance writes. It is unquestionably beautiful, but its beauty is obscured by the environmental waste and loose trash that scatters the countryside. Its people are hardworking, except of course for the many food stamp recipients who show little interest in honest work. Jackson, like the Blanton men, is full of contradictions.

The cover of JD Vances 2016 memoir ( Harper )

The Vance clan was distantly related to the Hatfield family of McCoy feud fame and took pride in it  while both Vances and Blantons continued the tradition of fighting. His grandparents had a tumultuous marriage that produced three children, including Vances mother, Bev  whose scuffles with the law and battles with drugs left him often in the more protective care of Mamaw.

When he was about 12, Vances mother lost her temper with him on the highway and pulled over to beat the s**t out of me, he writes. Vance fled to the nearby home of a woman lounging in an above-ground pool, begging her to call Mamaw; the woman also called the police.

Mom would officially retain custody, but from that day forward I lived in her house only when I chose to  and Mamaw told me that if Mom had a problem with the arrangement, she could talk to the barrel of Mamaws gun, Vance writes. This was hillbilly justice, and it didnt fail me.

He was reared on stories of hillbilly justice and hijinks during summer and other trips with Mamaw back to Jackson  where he considered home to be his great-grandmothers house in the holler, as locals pronounced hollow. Vance idolized his great-uncles and other male relatives, steady father figures in his life as his mother routinely switched boyfriends back in Ohio.

I was obsessed with the Blanton men, he writes.  I would sit among them and beg them to tell and retell their stories . These men were the gatekeepers to the familys oral tradition, and I was their best student.

Most of this tradition was far from child appropriate. Almost all of it involved the kind of violence that should land someone in jail  Some people may conclude that I come from a clan of lunatics. But the stories made me feel like hillbilly royalty, because these were classic good-versus-evil stories, and my people were on the right side.

Vance holds a copy of his book Hillbilly Elegy as he meets voters in his hometown after announcing his 2022 Senate run ( AP Photo/Jeff Dean )

My people were extreme, but extreme in the service of something  defending a sisters honor or ensuring that a criminal paid for his crimes. The Blanton men, like the tomboy Blanton sister whom I called Mamaw, were enforcers of hillbilly justice, and to me, that was the very best kind.

His grandmother was a formidable and hugely influential force in his life; often armed and swearing, shed never finished high school but lived by a quirky religious code, simultaneously recognizing the merits of good behavior and education.

When she found out many of seventh-grade Vances neighborhood friends were already smoking weed, she promised that if she saw me in the presence of any person on the banned list, she would run him over with her car.

No one would ever find out, she whispered menacingly, he writes.

She steered Vance towards college and professional success, going the extra mile  like buying him a $180 calculator  as both of my grandparents had an almost religious faith in hard work and the American Dream, Vance writes. Neither was under any illusions that wealth or privilege didnt matter in America. On politics, for example, Mamaw had one opinion  Theyre all a bunch of crooks  but Papaw became a committed Democrat  because that party protected the working people.

To his grandparents, Vance writes, not all rich people were bad, but all bad people were rich.

He began to form his own opinions on the culture and plight of Americas poor as he watched his community while working jobs such as at local supermarket checkout. After serving four years in the Marines during the Iraq War, Vances educational journey exposed him to more unfamiliar social subsets within the US.

Yale Law, with its prestige and privilege, was a culture shock unlike anything Id ever experienced, he writes in the Afterword of Hillbilly Elegy, penned about two years after the memoir came out.

He married a Yale classmate, Usha, in 2014, and they built a life that was the stuff of fantasy during my childhood, Vance writes  among high-powered lawyers, venture capitalists and other powerbrokers a cultural world away from his Appalachian roots.

JD Vance and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance arrive on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. ( AP )

However you want to define these two groups  rich and poor; educated and uneducated; upper-class and working-class  their members increasingly occupy two separate worlds, he writes in the books conclusion. As a cultural immigrant from one group to another, I am acutely aware of their differences. Sometimes I view members of the elite with an almost primal scorn But I have to give it to them: Their children are happier and healthier, their divorce rates lower, their church attendance higher, their lives longer. These people are beating us at our own damned game.

When Hillbilly Elegy was published in 2016, at a time when working-class white voters were propelling Trump to the top of the polls, much of the buzz centered on its insights into the culture of that voting bloc. Vance became highly visible and vocal but loyal to his beloved Kentucky  using some of the proceeds to purchase the plot of land in Jackson where Mamaw and Papaw were buried.

I bought it most of all because I want Mamaw and Papaws graves to be maintained for our family for generations to come, he writes in the books afterword. But I also bought it because I wanted a reason to take my son back to the place that formed such a large piece of my childhood.

The afterword also addresses his life  and political views  since Hillbilly Elegys publication. Hed been publicly critical of Trumps 2016 campaign, calling him a total fraud and a moral disaster.

As a cultural immigrant from one group to another, I am acutely aware of their differences. Sometimes I view members of the elite with an almost primal scorn JD Vance in Hillbilly Elegy

Despite all of my reservations about Donald Trump (I ended up voting third party), there were parts of his candidacy that really spoke to me: from his disdain for the elites  to his recognition that the Republican Party had done too little for its increasingly working- and middle-class base, Vance writes in the afterword.

For so many years, I and a few of my intellectual fellow travelers in the Republican Party were telling politicians to make precisely these sort of arguments. Yet the populist rhetoric of the campaign hasnt informed the partys approach to governing. Unless that changes, I suspect Republicans will pay a heavy political price.

It remains to be seen how the rhetoric might evolve now that Vance has joined Trumps current campaign  and just how the Republican Party he warned years ago will fare. Vance is due to give an address to the RNC on Wednesday night.

Just overwhelmed with gratitude, Vance posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump. He delivered peace and prosperity once, and with your help, hell do it again.

So much for ordinariness for Vance; hes a long way from coal country with an Ivy League law degree, a bestseller under his belt, a star-studded movie produced on its basis, a successful senatorial campaign and now, perhaps most unlikely, a bid for vice president.

In some ways, the words of his Hillbilly Elegy were even more prescient: Most kids who grow up like him dont come close to the White House.
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Ohio junior senator and vice-presidential nominee JD Vance is a hypocrite who sold his soul and will unquestioningly help advance twice-impeached former president Donald Trumps hard-right agenda if the pair manage to take the White House in November.

Thats according to attorney Josh McLaurin, who spoke to The Independent about his former Yale Law School roommate, now vying for the number two spot in American politics.

It only took a few years for the 39-year-old Vance to go from a so-called Never Trumper to be not just a cheerleader for Trump, but to be arguably the nations biggest cheerleader for Trump, McLaurin said on Wednesday. There arent even really words.

I believe that he has adopted the MAGA mindset wholesale, McLaurin said. I think that he personally wants to see a lot more destruction of institutions and norms than your average elected Republican does. And I think that hes allowing his deep-seated angerand who cares where that anger is fromto motivate him to make this complete ideological conversion.

When the two roomed together in 2010 and 2011, Vance was able to hold a contemplative conversation with peers, even peers he disagreed with, according to McLaurin, an Atlanta trial lawyer and Democrat elected to the Georgia statehouse in 2018.

Hes obviously a very smart person, McLaurin went on. And hes personable, one-on-one. But he has chosen to drink the Trump-era poison that the Republican Party has to offer, so that he can maximize his influence in the short run.

A Vance spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

JD Vance and wife Usha at the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

As the Republican National Convention kicked off Monday in Milwaukee, Trump announced Vance as his running mate. Shortly after the news broke, McLaurin roasted Vance in a post on X , the social network formerly known as Twitter: Im the guy JD Vance sent the Americas Hitler text to in 2016 Obviously hes a sellout, but the bigger deal is hes angry and vindictive. The perfect fit for Trumps revenge. JDs rise is a triumph for angry jerks everywhere.

McLaurin was referencing a text Vance sent him the month after Trumps inauguration, which said, I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldnt be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that hes Americas Hitler. Hows that for discouraging? (Vance told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday that he had changed my mind after being impressed by what Trump did in office.)

The everyman character Vancean Ohio native and former Marine Corps combat correspondent who has represented the Buckeye State in the U.S. Senate since 2023 portrays on the political stage in fact masks an ambition at odds with his carefully constructed public persona, according to McLaurin.

Despite his Ivy League pedigree, Vance wrote in his controversial 2016 memoir , Hillbilly Elegy, that he viewed members of the elite with an almost primal scorn. A vocal free marketeer and onetime Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Vance has eagerly accepted millions from Big Tech while publicly calling for the sector to be limited by regulators. And although Vance is now all-in on the only former president to have been convicted of a felony, he not long ago considered Trump , variously, an idiot, noxious, reprehensible, the fruit of the partys collective neglect, unfit, and a total fraud.

Vances willingness to play both sides to suit his own needs demonstrates the magnitude of this guys bad faith, McLaurin said on social media in 2022 , a sentiment he echoed on Wednesday, hours before Vance, who has changed his name multiple times over the years, is scheduled to give a prime-time address at the RNC.

McLaurin told The Independent that his first impression of Vance when they were matched up as roomies at Yale Law was a positive one.

We roomed together because we thought we would get along, McLaurin said, explaining that he and Vance, as well as their third apartment-mate, had been state school guys.

But as McLaurin dove headfirst into life at Yale Law, immersing himself in the academic community, he said he found Vance becoming more and more contemptuous of their privileged peers. Still, Vance knew it didnt pay, professionally, to unleash those feelings openly, McLaurin continued.

Trump has changed that, said McLaurin. Hes created a permission structure for politicians, and for everyday Americans to be bullies. To try out contempt [and] see how it works. And I think it has really worked for JD.

Josh McLaurin and JD Vance roomed together at Yale Law School. ( AP )

As McLaurin progressively watched [Vance] get Trumpier over the years, he found himself feeling dismayed, then utterly disappointed upon Trumps endorsement of Vance for U.S. Senate in 2022. He had saved the text conversation hed had with Vance about Trumps similarities to Hitler, and struggled with the notion of exposing the exchange.

Ultimately, McLaurin explained, Vances glowing acceptance of the endorsement from Trump was what prompted him to release the texts.

At that point, it was a matter of national public concern, he said. And it just outweighed my discomfort In this one case, I made a calculation that it was a big enough deal, and a big enough reversalthat I felt a duty to publish it.

By accepting a key role in the Trump moment, according to McLaurin, Vance has chosen a very destructive path.

Just because hes capable of insight and thoughtfulness doesnt mean that he can be trusted to exercise it, McLaurin said. ... What good are your thoughtfulness and your principles if youve created enough of a monster through your rhetoric that those principles dont matter anymore?
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President Joe Biden is set to propose a major overhaul of the Supreme Court including term limits for justices and an enforceable code of ethics, at a time when the right-leaning institution has been plagued by scandals, controversial rulings, and concerns that the justices personal politics are holding too much sway.

Sources toldThe Washington Post that the president is considering calling for a new constitutional amendment that would eliminate sweeping immunity for presidents and other officeholders in the wake of the ruling connected to Donald Trumps federal election interference case.

Biden unveiled his plans during a Zoom call with the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Saturday.

Im going to need your help on the Supreme Court Im about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court, Biden told the House lawmakers, according to a transcript of the call obtained by The Post.

The president has been working on the proposal with constitutional scholars for the last three months and is currently finalizing plans ahead of an announcement in the coming weeks, Biden said.

Joe Biden speaks at the NAACP convention on July 16 2024. The president is set to propose a major overhaul of the Supreme Court ( AP )

Trump  who has claimed his goal for America is unity after he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on Saturday  quickly responded to the report with a scathing post on Truth Social, where he accused Democrats of illegal and unConstitutional attack on our SACRED United States Supreme Court.

The Radical Left Democrats are desperately trying to Play the Ref by calling for an illegal and unConstitutional attack on our SACRED United States Supreme Court. The reason that these Communists are so despondent is that their unLawful Witch Hunts are failing everywhere, he posted.

The Democrats are attempting to interfere in the Presidential Election, and destroy our Justice System, by attacking their Political Opponent, ME, and our Honorable Supreme Court. We have to fight for our Fair and Independent Courts, and protect our Country. MAGA2024!

The proposed shake-up of the nations highest court comes off the back of a series of controversial rulings  rulings that have upended decades of legal precedent.

In a historic ruling in 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, wiping out the constitutional right of Americans to abortion care.

Then this term, the court ruled that presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for official actions  but not for unofficial actions.

That bombshell ruling, which came in response to Trumps efforts to toss the charges in his federal election interference case, has been widely condemned by scholars as well as the liberal justices on the court.

The president is now a king above the law, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in her dissent.

Meanwhile, questions have been growing around potential conflicts of interest in some of the cases justices are hearing.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito both refused to recus themselves from two major cases involving the January 6 Capitol riot  the immunity case and a case involving obstruction charges against a convicted rioter  despite calls for them to do so.

The Supreme Court justices pose for a group photo in 2022. The courts approval rating among Americans has plunged in recent years ( AP )

Alito, it emerged, had flown the same flags seen outside the Capitol on January 6 outside his homes in Virginia and New Jersey in the days after the insurrection.

Thomas, meanwhile, has accepted millions of dollars in gifts from individuals with business before the court, investigations have revealed.

His wife Ginny Thomas was also involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Trumps favor, with texts revealing she urged Arizona officials to reverse Bidens win in the state.

With scandals growing, the Supreme Courts approval rating has plunged in recent years, with a Marquette University poll released in May 2024 finding that a staggering 61 per cent of Americans now disapprove of the job the court is doing.

In the past, Biden has resisted calls to bring about changes to the court, including calls to pack the court to even out the liberal to conservative-justice ratio.

The court is currently heavily skewed 6-3 conservative to liberal justices and three of those conservative justices were nominated by Trump. The appointment of Amy Coney Barrett was especially contentious, coming in the waning days of Trumps presidency.

While packing the court does not appear to be part of his proposed reform, Bidens desire to take some action comes as he desperately tries to win back confidence from his own party in the wake of his disastrous debate performance last month.

Since then, Democratic donors, lawmakers and famous figures have publicly called for him to step aside to allow another Democratic candidate to top the ticket.

Biden, however, is showing no signs of caving to the pressure and is ramping up his interviews and campaign appearances.
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Are Republicans worried about running against Vice President Kamala Harris?

The short answer: No. They dont even see it as a possibility.

Wednesday dawned over Milwaukee as delegates returned for day three of the Republican National Convention (RNC)  the partys four-day nominating event  and were met with a badly-needed respite from the muggy heat which had hung over the city for the first half of the week. And as the party prepared to hear the first address from their vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, it was clear that GOP delegates had no expectations of Vances upcoming debate opponent being elevated to the top of the ticket. Or anyone else, either.

Major figures in and around Trumpworld who spoke to The Independent laughed off the prospect of Biden stepping aside, which they said hed never do. And none saw any possibility in the idea that the criticism coming from the presidents party would grow loud enough to force him out.

Larry Elder, a conservative radio host in California who challenged Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election and lost, was adamant that the Democrats in Washington privately raising concerns about the presidents diminished faculties are not going to force Biden out.

Theyre stuck with Biden. If Biden doesnt want to go, you cant drag him out. Hes got the delegates to win, said Elder.

Elder, who himself is Black, added that he believes Black women who make up a key part of the Democrats base would stay home if Biden stepped aside but failed to engineer Kamala Harris winning the partys nomination.

If the successor is anybody other than Kamala Harris, Black female voters, who are the most loyal part of the Democratic base, will be livid, he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two to depart on campaign travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 13. ( REUTERS )

Another one of those Republicans who dismissed the possibility of Kamala Harris or another Democrat accepting the nomination in lieu of Joe Biden was former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The former California congressman appeared at the RNC on day two, where he would end up clashing with long-time rival Representative Matt Gaetz in full view of the media and convention delegates.

McCarthy told The Independent that President Trump just wins if Biden steps aside; but said that wouldnt happen.

I think President Trump wins either way, he added.

Polling is less clear on the issue. It has registered a clear competitive head-to-head matchup between both Biden and Harris in national polling, while swing state polling (which actually matters) is, as always, even murkier. One thing is definitely true, though: polls are a snapshot in time, and recent surveys of Bidens support both at the national and state levels shows a serious downward trend. The incumbent is now down by various margins in polls of states he will need to win the election: Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Other states, like Florida where the statewide Democratic Party chapter is undergoing a rebuilding process, seem distantly out of reach.

But Joe Biden is not showing any signs  yet  of heeding the calls for him to step aside. Still, the tide continues to turn against him; while many had predicted the calls would die down, in actuality the incumbent president seems to be facing a full-scale rebellion from frontline Democrats being shepherded and implicitly blessed by none other than Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats most prominent congressional leader of the past few decades.

Joe Biden speaks on Saturday at the NAACP annual convention in Las Vegas as polls show him slipping further behind Donald Trump. ( Getty Images )

The leaks are not getting any less damaging, either. On Tuesday evening, as delegates listened to the final speeches of the night from Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Dr Ben Carson, Puck News broke a story revealing an episode from Saturday when the president, during a call with a purple-district Democrat who had served in the Army Rangers, grew angry and began shouting at the congressman. Biden did so, reportedly, because he blamed him for his campaign messages failure to land with voters  and even went as far as taking an apparent shot at the Bronze Star the congressman, Representative Jason Crow, earned during his military service.

Name me a foreign leader who thinks Im not the most effective leader in the world on foreign policy. Tell me! Biden shouted at Crow in the audio recording obtained by Puck, before adding: Tell me who did something that youve never done with your Bronze Star like my son!

Facing unprecedented dismay and a morbid outlook on November, Biden is now heading into the general election in one of the weakest positions of any Democratic candidate in decades.

Strategist and pollster Kellyanne Conway echoed that fact in an interview with The Independent on Tuesday before giving her thoughts on Harris ascending to the top of the ticket. Biden, she claimed, was a guaranteed loss  one that Democrats on the hill fully see coming, but have yet been unable to stop.

I think that Chuck Schumer sees the writing on the wall, she said. Hes gonna want to protect these down-ballot races and start telling everybody to [vote for a] check and balance on Donald TrumpThat means these Republican candidates in the swing seats, I hope theyll really start laying out their plan and their vision and take the case right to these Democrats.

[Harris]s got even more controversial statements from the Democratic primary debate stage in 2020. And everybody would go back and comb through those comments, which apparently didnt earn her a single electoral vote, a single delegate from the Democratic primary and caucus race, Conway added. She left that race with as many electoral votes as you and I had: zero.
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Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway warned that downballot Republicans cannot rely on Donald Trumps star power if they want to help him flip the House and Senate.

The former campaign manager for Trumps 2016 campaign who served as a counselor in Trumps administration said Republican Senate candidates need to get it in gear.

I feel those candidates need to sharpen up their campaigns and catch up with President Trump, she told The Independent at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday.  You can't just rely upon his energy and enthusiasm to carry everybody over.

When it comes to down-ballot Democrats, Conway was clear in her view.

They all vote in lockstep with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Not a single one of them had the courage, integrity or love of country to come forward and say, Ive been with Joe Biden recently, hes not up to the job, we should have someone else try to do this job, she said. And yet theyre leading in the polls because theyre incumbents.

Conway told The Independent that she believes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sees that Biden could easily lose. Because of that, she added, Schumer will want to protect his incumbents by having them say they need to be a check and balance on Trump.

That means these Republican candidates in the swing seats, I hope theyll... really start laying out their plan and their vision and take the case right to these Democrats, she added.

In numerous polls, Republican Senate candidates trail incumbent Democrats even in states where Donald Trump leads. A New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday showed that Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has a double-digit lead as President Joe Biden barely beats Trump and Senator Bob Casey, a longtime friend of Bidens, leads in his Senate race even as Biden struggles to beat Trump in the state where he was born.

Conways rhetoric comes as Republican senate candidates including Eric Hovde in Wisconsin, Tim Sheehy in Montana, David McCormick in Pennsylvania, Bernie Moreno in Ohio, Sam Brown in Nevada and Kari Lake in Arizona are all set to speak at the convention this week.

Democrats currently have a one-seat majority in the Senate. Republicans are all but guaranteed to flip West Virginias Senate seat after Senator Joe Manchin elected not to seek re-election when the states popular Governor Jim Justice announced his candidacy.

Republicans are largely on offense since they need to beat only one incumbent Democratic senator. Democratic Senators Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio are running in states Trump won twice.

Meanwhile, Michigan, a state Trump won in 2016 and lost in 2020, has an open Senate seat after Debbie Stabenow said she would not seek re-election. In Pennsylvania, Bob Casey is seeking re-election, as is Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin.

Conway said Republicans should tie Democrats to Biden as many voters question whether his age and mental capacity make him able to be president.
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy celebrated a recent victory against one of the Republicans who ousted him and vowed to keep Matt Gaetz out of the Florida governors mansion on Tuesday at a fiery RNC press conference.

McCarthy spoke to outlets at a briefing held by the Foreign Press Center at the Republican National Convention (RNC) and took a question from The Independent regarding his recent flexing of political muscle in the primary against Rep Bob Good, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, in Virginia. Jokingly correcting the question, he lauded the defeat of Good as a big victory in his campaign to rid the House of the eight Republicans who stood against him.

If you have a Bob Good who wants chaos? You're wasting a majority. And if I have a John McGuire, a Navy SEAL who understands how to be a conservative? McCarthy asked, implying the choice was obvious.

Then, he launched into a scathing tirade against Gaetz  one which echoed his claim that Gaetz paid for sex with an underage girl, a claim which Gaetz strongly denies. The Florida congressman was investigated by the Justice Department over the matter, which declined to bring charges.

Kevin McCarthy, former House speaker, holds a press briefing on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. ( John Bowden )

His name's Matt Gaetz. He didn't do it because he dislikes me, but he did it because he has an Ethics complaint because he paid to sleep with an underage girl. And he wanted me to stop the Ethics [committee], said McCarthy.

In January of 2023, Gaetz attempted to block McCarthys bid to become speaker. In October, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate that triggered a no-confidence vote wherein Gaetz, Good and six other Republicans joined with every Democrat present to oust McCarthy. McCarthy has claimed that Gaetz filed the motion in retailiation for his refusal to halt the Ethics Commitee probe into Gaetz.

Within a party...if you have someone that pays to sleep with underage girls, that's not a great reflection on the party, said the former speaker.

Asked directly by The Independent whether he would stop Gaetz and end the Florida congressmans political career, McCarthy said it would be tough to beat Gaetz in his district, before issuing a clear warning: I don't think he'll ever be able to run for governor like he wants to.

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz appears on day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16 2024. ( Getty Images )

Gaetz is facing one Republican challenger in his primary election next month, Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock. He is heavily favored to win against Dimmock, who entered the race only a few months ago and does not have anywhere near the kind of support which Goods primary challenger John McGuire received from not just McCarthy but also former President Donald Trump.

The former speakers revenge tour also led to him investing in primary challenges against Nancy Mace, a congresswoman from South Carolina. Mace easily defeated her McCarthy-backed opponent in June.

McCarthy, meanwhile, left the House of Representatives at the end of 2023, less than a year after he was elected speaker, in a move that left the House GOP majority in the single digits.
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Former GOP leader Kevin McCarthy incorrectly claimed there had not been an assassination attempt on a president since the 1960s as he spoke at the Republican National Convention.

The former Speaker of the House was discussing the attempted assassination against Donald Trump when as he spoke to reporters at the RNC when he made the blunder.

We just had an assassination attempt, we havent seen something like this on a president since the 60s, McCarthy told reporters at the RNC on Tuesday.

McCarthy  who resigned from Congress in December after he was ousted as speaker  appears to be referring to John F Kennedys assassination in November 1963. His brother, Robert F Kennedy, was also killed in 1968 as he was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.

However, another president was famously shot nearly twenty years later.

John Hinckley Jr shot President Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC on March 30, 1981. Hinckley also injured three others, including Reagans press secretary James Brady who was partially paralyzed.

Kevin McCarthy, pictured, shakes hands with a delegate at the Republican National Convention on Monday. The former speaker falsely claimed there has not been an attempted presidential assassination since the 1960s during a speech on Tuesday ( AP )

It appears that McCarthy either forgot about the shooting of the Republican president through much of the 1980s or intentionally left Reagan off. The Independent has reached out to his camp for clarification on the gaffe.

But, that wasnt the only attempt he forgot.

In 1972, Democratic presidential candidate and Alabama governor George Wallace was also shot during a campaign event in Maryland. Wallace was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down. His attacker, Arthur Bremer, was convicted and held in prison until his release in 2007.

Ronald Reagan, pictured, raises his arm as he was shot in Washington, DC in 1981. ( 1981 AP )

President Gerald Ford also faced two assassination attempts in 1975 but was not injured in either incident.

McCarthys claim comes on the second full day of the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Donald Trump was named the official GOP nominee on the first full day of the convention. The former president also named his running mate in Ohio senator JD Vance. Trump is expected to give a speech on Thursday evening, the final day of the convention.

The former president also made a surprise appearance on Monday night, arriving at the convention with a bandaged ear. The crowd met him with a deafening roar and chants of USA as he paraded through the venue.
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Donald Trumps former trade adviser Peter Navarro walked out of a federal prison in Miami on Wednesday after serving a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress to a standing ovation as he strode on the stage of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Navarro appeared emotional at times as he waited the applause to die down before he quipped: I think you folks just want to know if you can see my MAGA tattoo I got there.

His time in federal prison came after a Washington, DC jury convicted Navarro on two counts of contempt of Congress last year after he defied subpoenas for his testimony in connection with a House committees investigation into the events surrounding January 6 and Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

He reported to federal prison authorities in March, becoming the first member of Trumps inner circle to go to jail for any crime connected to the attack on the Capitol and the former presidents campaign to reverse his election loss.

Before he surrendered, Navarro lashed out at the judges and jurors who heard his case and rejected his appeals, baselessly accusing them of conspiring with Democratic officials.

Democrat, Democrat, Democrat from start to finish, he told reporters before walking through a parking lot and into a prison facility.

This is the partisan weaponization of our judicial system, he said. I will gather strength from this.

Former Trump aide Peter Navarro, pictured before turning himself into prison in March, addresses the Republican National Convention on July 17 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Now, months later, Navarro again lashed out at Democrats in Congress and the judge who sentenced him to prison, Amit Mehta, and warned that unless the GOP can gain control of all three branches of the American government, Republicans would not be allowed to commit crimes.

If we dont control all three branches of our government...their government will put some of us like me and Steve Bannon in prison and control the rest of us, he said.

Bannon, like Navarro a former Trump White House aide, was similarly sentenced to four months in prison for his defiance of congressional subpoenas. He reported to a facility in Danbury, Connecticut on July 1.

Several House Republicans  who have tried to rewrite the narrative of the Capitol attack and undermine the convictions of hundreds of people in connection with the assault  called on federal courts to intervene in Bannons case.

At least one House Republican filed a brief directly to the Supreme Court, claiming that the House select committees entire process was tainted and must be dismissed as a matter of law.

Bannon and Navarro join half a dozen Trump allies who have served time for obstruction, campaign finance violations, fraud, and other charges surrounding the former presidents 2016 campaign, his real estate empire, and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump  who is charged with conspiracy and obstruction after leading a national campaign to reverse his loss in states that Joe Biden won, and then failing to stop a mob of his supporters from breaking into the Capitol  has called Navarro a good man and great patriot who was treated very unfairly.

Trump has vowed to issue mass pardons, if elected, to the hundreds of people facing criminal charges for their roles in the assault. He has referred to January 6 defendants as hostages while committing to a bogus narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from him and rigged against him, and refusing to commit to accepting the outcome of the 2024 election, if he loses.
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Two days after Donald Trump came within inches of being gravely wounded or killed in what authorities called an assassination attempt, another scary scene was abruptly averted by members of US Capitol Police at the Republican National Convention.

On Monday evening, thousands of RNC delegates, staff, and other Republicans poured into the Fiserv Center in Milwaukee for day one of the the GOP nominating contest. While Trump himself as well as his newly-named running mate JD Vance were inside, police officers encountered a man with a ski mask and a gun outside, according to Milwaukee Police.

A 21-year-old man is in custody and awaiting charges after Milwaukee police said he was stopped by Capitol police officers on a street outside of the RNC security perimeter, which extends for several blocks around the convention center.

According to a statement released to The Independent, the man was thought to be acting suspiciously, dressed in a ski mask and wearing a larger tactical backpack on the sweltering, muggy city streets.

Milwaukee Police arrested a 21-year-old man for carrying a concealed weapon on July 15, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., on the 1200 block of N. 11th Street. United States Capitol Police initially observed the suspect looking suspicious, wearing a ski mask and a large tactical backpack in the street, said Sgt Efrain Cornejo, a spokesman for MPD.

United States Capitol Police performed a subject stop, and it was determined that the suspect was concealing a firearm in his backpack. The suspect does not have a legal CCW permit in Wisconsin or any other state. The suspect was arrested, and charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

A 21-year-old was arrested near the RNC in Milwaukee with a gun and a ski mask, police said ( AP )

Upon searching the individual, troubling discoveries were made: In addition to his ski mask, the man was carrying an AK-47 pistol, Fox reported, as well as a mask styled as the horror-movie slasher Scream, and a full clip of ammunition.

Milwaukee police confirmed his arrest to a local news outlet, CBS 48.

The Independent has reached out to Capitol police and the Milwaukee Police Department for confirmation of the details surrounding the arrest and the items found on the man during his detention.

Officers with MPD also told multiple outlets Tuesday evening that the man did not have a valid concealed carry permit in Wisconsin or any other state.

The name of the suspect has not been released. Police have not said if they believed the suspect was looking to target the RNC.

The arrest comes days after a 20-year-old gunman got within 500 feet of Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter got off shots, wounding the former president in the ear before Secret Service snipers shot the suspect dead. Trump has since appeared at the RNC with a bandage covering his ear as both parties denounced the attempted assassination.

This report initially misstated the arrest date as July 16. The arrest was made July 15.
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A conservative think tank is suing the federal government for access to records it apparently believes may provide a gotcha moment pertaining to President Joe Bidens health.

A lawsuit brought by the Heritage Foundation  which is behind the hard-right blueprint for a second Trump term known as Project 2025  seeks a list of all medications dispensed on any aircraft designated with the call sign Air Force One, beginning Jan. 20, 2021, the day Biden was inaugurated.

Project 2025 is a 922-page mandate for leadership meant to serve as a blueprint for an incoming Trump administration to, among other things, drastically expand presidential powers, slash funding for climate research, eviscerate LGBTQ protections, prosecute anti-white racism, criminalize abortion, and replace tens of thousands of federal civil service employees with MAGA loyalists.

The Heritage suit obtained by The Independent was quietly filed July 9 in Washington, D.C., federal court by Mike Howell, a former Trump admin official and director of the organizations Oversight Project, which Heritage says is aimed at exposing the Biden White Houses supposed woke agenda takeover of the federal government. (Howell recently made news for saying taking aim at a hacking group made up of so-called furries, calling them degenerate perverts in a series of leaked texts.)

A screengrab from a digital billboard campaign set to go up in front of the headquarters of the Heritage Foundation, one of the main conservative organizations behind Project 2025, in Washington DC. ( The Independent )

In the lawsuit, Heritage claims the types of medication dispensed on Air Force One are the subject of public interest because questions about the Presidents mental and physical acuity have been the subject of widespread media and public interest following the release of Special Counsel Robert Hurs Report and the June 27th Presidential Debate.

Biden turned in a lackluster performance at the campaign seasons first debate, immediately prompting calls by prominent Democrats for the 81-year-old president to step aside in favor of a younger candidate. Biden has since pledged to stay in the race.

The Hur report, which was written after a probe into Bidens alleged mishandling of sensitive government documents following his vice-presidential term, did not find any evidence of criminality. At the same time, it described Biden as a doddering elderly man with a poor memory. (This characterization was hotly disputed by Biden and his surrogates.)

In February, Heritage tried to unearth any records about meds on Air Force One by submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, noting that, in the past, medications were liberally dispensed with little oversight in the White House. The link Heritage provided as supporting evidence brings up a CNN article from January 2024 summarizing a Department of Defense (DoD) report issued the same month that analyzed the White House Medical Units activity between 2017 and 2019, when Trump was in office.

Donald Trump (left) shakes hands with Ronny Jackson (right) in 2018. The former president forgot Jacksons name seconds after challenging Joe Biden to a cognitive test. ( AFP via Getty Images )

The DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) carried out the investigation in the wake of allegations that a senior military medical officer assigned to the White House Medical Unit engaged in improper medical practices, the lightly-redacted report states . Although many names are blacked out, Dr. Ronny Jackson, a U.S. Navy rear admiral, onetime chief of the White House Medical Unit, and personal physician to Trump, came under intense scrutiny in a 2021 OIG report that called him out for freely handing out narcotics to staffers without a prescription. Jackson, a Republican, was later elected to Congress.

Trump has personally poured gasoline on the fire, claiming, without a shred of proof, that Biden was  higher than a kite  when he gave a rousing, energetic State of the Union address earlier this year, and speculated the president partook in, variously, cocaine and anabolic steroids to enhance his performance.

In April, Heritages FOIA request was denied by the Air Force and transferred to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which subsequently marked it as closed, according to the lawsuit.

US President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2024. ( AFP via Getty Images )

Defendants failure to conduct searches for responsive records violates FOIA, DOD, and OMB regulations, the Heritage lawsuit states, asking the court to order the government to fulfill its request within 20 days.

Plaintiffs are being denied information to which they are statutorily entitled, and will continue to be irreparably harmed unless Defendants are compelled to comply with the law, the suit concludes.

Although at least 140 people who served under Trump during his one-term presidency, including six of his Cabinet secretaries, four of his ambassadorial picks, and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows worked on Project 2025, Trump has attempted to distance himself from it, claiming, disingenuously, I know nothing about Project 2025.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Messages sent on Wednesday to the Heritage Foundation and its attorneys went unanswered.
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Days after Donald Trump was shot with an AR-15-style weapon, at a campaign rally, attendees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee can get their hands on one for free.

The assault weapon is part of a giveaway at a booth for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, an advocacy organization that promotes gun ownership for safety purposes.

On their table, the group had a flyer promoting the AR-15 giveaway from Daniel Defense, an arms manufacturer whose firearms were used in the 2022 Robb Elementary School mass shooting and found in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooters stockpile.

Those interested can enter the giveaway by following the QR code on the flyer to a browser that asks for an email and phone number, according to Rolling Stone.

A representative at the booth told Rolling Stone that some people expressed surprise at the giveaway but defended the firearm as one of the most effective and important tools that we have.

The Independent has asked the U.S. Concealed Carry Association for comment.

The U.S. Concealed Carry Association said in a statement after the shooting that they were heartbroken by the attempted assassination of Trump and that political violence is abhorrent and has no place in America.

The group says they oppose any legislative efforts at the state and federal level that week to strip law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment right without due process.

On June 13, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump using a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Federal law enforcement has not released the exact make and model of the firearm.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania ( Getty Images )

The former president suffered a minor injury to his right ear. Rally-goer Michael Comperatore, 50, was killed and two other men were injured.

The AR-15 was first developed for military use in the 1950s by the company ArmaLite Rifle before the patent was sold to Colts Manufacturing Company. Other gun manufacturers have based their own version of the AR-15 on the original design.

Over the last 20 years, AR-15-style rifles have become extremely popular with roughly one in every 20 American adults owning one. The lightweight firearms are easy to use, have little recoil and can be customized with accessories.

But it is also one of the deadliest weapons. It has been used in five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings since 2002.

Nine states have passed laws banning the sale and possession of the AR-15 but that does not apply to all assault-style rifles.
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Rudy Giuliani took a tumble while walking through the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is taking place.

Giuliani was walking up an aisle in the main convention hall when he suddenly fell sideways into a row of chairs before falling onto the floor, video on social media showed. Passersby stopped to help the 80-year-old stand up and continue down the aisle.

He was helped back up and seemed no worse for wear - except maybe for some slight embarrassment.

Giuliani took a misstep and fell over, his head of security Michael Ragusa said in a statement.

He was uninjured and unfazed by this incident, Ragusa said. It is shameful that the left-wing media took this opportunity to try and dehumanize Americas greatest Mayor who accomplished, and continues to accomplish so much for this great country.

Rudy Giuliani pictured falling onto chairs at the Republican National Convention ( AFP via Getty Images )

The incident happened on day two of the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The former New York City mayor is attending the convention just days after a federal judge tossed out his bankruptcy case.

Giuliani sought to declare bankruptcy after a judge ordered him to pay nearly $150 million to the election workers he defamed with baseless claims about fraud in the 2020 race. This ruling opens the door for these workers to recover the money theyre owed.

The former mayor now finds himself strapped for cash. In recent months, Giuliani has slashed the price of his Manhattan apartment by $400,000 and launched a coffee business to bring in revenue.

One of Giulianis former employees has also requested the judge in her sexual assault case against him to restart as soon as possible now that his bankruptcy case has been dismissed.

The RNC will continue through Thursday, when Donald Trump is expected to speak. Trump was officially named the GOP nominee on Monday after announcing Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate.

That night, the president made a surprise appearance at the convention with a bandaged ear after he was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The crowd met him with deafening cheers and chants of USA as he walked to take his place next to Vance.

This article was updated on July 17 to include comment from Michael Ragusa.
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The man who attempted to assassinate former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania told his boss that he needed the Saturday off because he had something important to do, according to a report on his final hours.

Thomas Matthew Crooks motive is still unknown, though he reportedly also told co-workers he would see them on Sunday, prompting questions over whether he believed he would escape following the attack. Investigations remain ongoing after the shocking incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, during which the former president was clipped by a bullet on his right ear before being rushed to the floor by members of the Secret Service.

On Tuesday night CNN reported new details, including events of the days before.

The outlet reported that the 20-year-old told his boss at the nursing home where he worked I need the day off, I have something important to do. Despite this, he also said he would see his co-workers on Sunday.

According to CNN, Crooks was also flagged to security at the event due to the fact that he was carrying a range-finder  a piece of equipment used by snipers to determine distance  when going through the screening area.

Shooter Thomas Crooks, pictured in a yearbook photo, told his employer he had something important to do ahead of his attempted assassination of Donald Trump ( AP )

Crooks reportedly used the device to look at the counter sniper officers at the event, who also looked back at him.

In addition, not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the top of a roof of a nearby building and warned local law enforcement, according to two law enforcement officials.

One officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and thats when the Secret Service counter snipers shot him, said the officials who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Former schoolmates of Crooks described him as an outcast who was bullied every day and sat alone at lunch time ( AP )

After Crooks was fatally shot by police, various items were found on his person, including a remote for three improvised explosive devices found in his car, and three fully loaded magazines with 100 rounds. He had opened fire on the former president with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.

Crooks was also found with a bulletproof vest, prompting speculation that he may have been expecting to escape following his initial attack, CNN reported.

The new information comes as the Republican National Convention continues in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump appeared there alongside his VP pick JD Vance on Monday  his first public appearance since the shooting.

The former president entered the convention hall with a piece of white gauze over his right ear, where he was hit, and received thunderous applause from attendees. Following the incident, Trump confirmed that one of the bullets had struck him in the right ear.

Donald Trump appeared at the RNC on Monday, with a bandage on his injured ear ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Crooks was not carrying identification but was later identified through DNA. The FBI said they were investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but a specific or ideological motive remains unknown.

Former schoolmates of Crooks described him as an outcast who was bullied at every day and sat alone at lunchtime.

He was mocked for the way he dressed, such as hunting outfits, student Jason Kohler said. He was bullied almost every day, Kohler told reporters. He was just a outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.

Crooks never outwardly spoke about his political views or how much he hated Trump or anything, Sarah DAngelo, who attended Bethel Park High School alongside Crooks, told The Wall Street Journal. She said Crooks enjoyed playing video games, and was known to have a few friends, but lacked a whole friend group.
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Donald Trump boasted in a new interview about how Apples CEO groveled to him after the former president announced tariffs and then gifted him the first Macbook Pro made in the USA.

During an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump discussed his dealings with Apple while he served as president and his quest to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. In the wide-ranging interview, Trump talked several aspects of business, tech and his reelection, including his proposal to drop the corporate tax rate to 15 percent and how he now longer wants to ban TikTok.

Trump detailed how Apple CEO Tim Cook had requested to see the former president in 2019 after Apple Inc. looked ready to be the victim of his trade war with China. The former president had announced a 25 percent import tariff, and refused an exemption for Apple.

Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China, he wrote on X  formerlyTwitter  at the time. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!

Former president Donald Trump said that Apple CEO Tim Cook requested to see him in person in 2019 to discuss the import tariffs from China ( AFP via Getty Images )

Trump told Bloomberg that following this announcement Cook had reached out privately and asked to come in and meet with him  a gesture of respect that the former president had appreciated.

He said to me, I need help, you have tariffs of 25% percent and 50 percent [on Apple products imported from China], Trump told the outlet. He said, It would really hurt our business. It would destroy our business, potentially.

Trump had previously promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. He told Bloomberg that during their meeting, he had told Cook to expand domestic production.

I said, Im gonna do something for you guys, Trump said, but you have to build in this country. Four months later, in November, Apple announced it was beginning construction on a campus in Austin.

Cook reportedly gifted Trump a $5,999 Mac Pro, one of the first made at Apples factory in Austin, Texas, after Trump refused to budge and Apple opened a US factory ( REUTERS )

Building the Mac Pro, Apples most powerful device ever, in Austin is both a point of pride and a testament to the enduring power of American ingenuity, Cook said, in a press release announcing the project.

With the construction of our new campus in Austin now underway, Apple is deepening our close bond with the city and the talented and diverse workforce that calls it home.

Responsible for 2.4 million American jobs and counting, Apple is eager to write our next chapter here and to keep contributing to Americas innovation story.

Cook then gifted Trump a $5,999 Mac Pro, one of the first made at the Texas factory, the former president said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump rowed back on the previous suggestion that he would ban Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, seemingly in part because of the hardship it would bring to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg.

Trump was banned indefinitely from Facebook in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Now [that] Im thinking about it, Im for TikTok, because you need competition, he told Bloomberg. If you dont have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagramand thats, you know, thats Zuckerberg.
Back in 2018, when I was working on my book The Next Civil War, I remember speaking to an FBI agent who had been undercover for many years with the far right. By then I had done my own time with extremists from both sides, and I had a question: The right was responsible for over half of all political murders in the United States, and the left for somewhere around 4 per cent. How could he explain the difference? Why was one side so much more violently effective than the other?

He knew right away. The left blows itself up before it can blow anyone else up, he told me. The right, even on its insane fringes, can muster basic solidarity and order. As the 2024 election heats up, that undercover agents truth seems freshly valid to me. It feels like the right has already organised a path to autocracy. The left, which loudly claims to be defending US democracy, is in shambles.

The causes of the potential collapse of the American republic have been well established since 2008 at least. Countries collapse, not because of single events, but because of deep systemic failures, and the United States exhibits many of the most toxic systemic failures: negative partisanship drives its political system and, increasingly, its legal system; income inequality is at levels the country has not seen since its founding; faith in institutions of all kinds  Congress, the media, religious institutions, the courts  is in steep decline.

An FBI agent who spent years undercover with the far right says they can muster basic solidarity and order better than the left ( Getty )

Meanwhile its archaic election system, the electoral college, simply does not reflect, in a meaningful way, the popular will. Fewer and fewer people in the United States believe in their political system  and those who do believe in it less and less.

All of these realities were true enough when I published The Next Civil War two years ago, but they were in the background. You had to look to find them. When I was creating the scenarios that frame the chapters, the date I used as a shorthand was 2040, not anywhere close to 2024. But countries in collapse are what experts call complex cascading systems, with different factors feeding off each other. The models I used have held up to a degree I find astonishing. But the process they describe seems to be accelerating so much faster than I ever imagined.

Joe Biden addresses the nation after the attempted assassination of the former president Donald Trump ( AP )

The difference between the two sides in the current American election is that the right seem to be aware of the rapid entropy, and the left seems unable, or unwilling, to acknowledge it. The American Democratic elite, a group in which I would include not only political operatives and elected officials but analysts and media figures, still function as if they are living in the United States of the Obama years. They are still in the West Wing mindset. They believe that politics, in a democracy, involves consulting policy experts, negotiating consensus through compromise, and finding figures who can embody that consensus in elections.

The right knows and understands that many feel as if the system is already rotten, and those on the right are using the rotting of the American dream for the everyday man and woman, to empower themselves.

Trump speaks during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results on January 6 ( Reuters )

I believe the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was, by no means, the most important political event that took place last week. When the history of the fall of the American republic is written, the dismissal of the classified documents case which many thought would send him to prison will matter so much more. The Republicans have now put their ducks in a row. They have prepared the legal system to give unprecedented power to the executive branch. They have polluted the electoral system by casting any result they may disagree with in doubt preemptively. And, of course, they now have their victimisation narrative prepared.

Today is not just some isolated incident, JD Vance tweeted moments after the shot hit Trumps ear. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that president Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to president Trumps attempted assassination. The assassination attempt will provide them with all the moral cover they need to persecute their enemies to the full. The crowds are shouting fight, fight, fight already. This is not the language of peace and harmony. It speaks of power by any means necessary.

Meanwhile, the Democrats cannot even organise behind their candidate. They cannot organise behind another candidate either. Democrats do not have a story to tell. They cant even work up a convincing hatred of their opponents.

Unlike the Democrats who struggle to organise behind their candidate, Trumps followers are ready to rally around him ( AP )

The problem runs deeper than horse-race politics. Democrats want to keep their institutions alive. And to keep those institutions alive, they have to believe that the institutions are still functional. In other words, they have to look away from the collapse. Many of them are still, in some corner of their hearts, holding onto Barack Obama, and Obama said that there was no red America and no blue America, that there was no Black America and no white America. Obama also said that if you work hard and you play by the rules, you can rise in America. These are much more attractive lies than the ones that Trump is telling to his followers, but their beautiful decency has only rendered their seductive deceptions more entrenched.

The trend of American decline has been underway for a decade at least. Nonetheless, the classified documents decision, and the assassination attempt against Trump, represent a small, but important, inflection point. The United States has entered a period of anocracy, a shadowy realm between autocracy and democracy. Any expert on civil war will tell you that anocracy is the most dangerous political state to inhabit, with the greatest tendency to violence.

Experts on civil war say anocracy is the most dangerous political state  a realm between autocracy and democracy ( Getty )

The reason for that is obvious. If the electoral system doesnt represent a popular mandate, if the courts appear to be simply the tools of powerful interests, and if no institutions transcend the hack work of a vicious political system, then the states monopoly on violence is inherently illegitimate. The American people are the most armed society in the developed world. There are more guns than people in the United States. The time of American unity is over. It has been over for a while. Only one side seems to be aware of it. Unfortunately, the other side will be brought around, one way or the other, later rather than sooner. If a civil war does come to America, it will be fully weaponised.

The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future by Stephen Marche is published by Simon & Schuster
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Donald Trump has said he wouldnt consider pardoning himself should he return to the Oval Office in November.

The newly confirmed Republican presidential candidate still faces federal cases against him, despite charges over the mishandling of classified documents being dismissed earlier this week. In May, he became the first former president to be convicted of a felony, after a New York jury found him guilty on 34 state counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels. He also faces charges over alleged election interference in Georgia.

Speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump was asked about the idea of using his executive power to pardon himself  should he regain the presidency.

I wouldnt consider it, he told the outlet.

Donald Trump has said he wouldnt consider pardoning himself of federal crimes should he win election in November, he told Bloomberg ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

His remarks come in contrast to reports by The New York Times, which came in the final days of his presidency in 2021. The outlet reported then that Trump had suggested to aides that he wanted to pardon himself  in the wake of the storming of the Capitol on January 6.

The Times also reported that Trump had considered a range of pre-emptive pardons for his family, including his three oldest children  Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, as well as Jared Kushner and Rudy Giuliani.

The former president had expressed concerns to advisers that a Biden Justice Department might investigate all of them, the outlet reported.

Trumps legal issues were eased slightly this week, after federal judge Aileen Cannon threw out a criminal case over his alleged hoarding of government documents and classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago compound after leaving office.

He was also accused of then obstructing law enforcement attempts to get them back.

His remarks come in contrast to reports by The New York Times, which came in the final days of his presidency in 2021. The outlet reported that Trump had suggested to aides that he wanted to pardon himself  in the wake of the storming of the Capitol on January 6 ( REUTERS )

The bombshell decision from Judge Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, argued that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution and usurps the role of Congress in funding that office.

Also on Tuesday, a Georgia appeals court set a December hearing for arguments on the appeal of a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against the former president.

Trump and other defendants had asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments in the case  which will now take place on December 5.

The timing means the lower court proceedings against Trump, which are on hold while the appeal is pending, will not resume before the November general election, after which Trump may  despite his claims  once again have the power to pardon himself.
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Donald Trump called the widow of the former fire chief who was fatally shot at the GOP nominees rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old father-of-two, was killed at Saturdays rally while protecting his family amid the assassination attempt against Trump. Days later, the former president spoke to Helen Comperatore over the phone, according to a screenshot of a Facebook post.

President Trump called me to share his condolences. He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead, she wrote. I told him the same thing I told everyone else. [Corey] left this world a hero and God welcomed in. He did not die in vain that day.

The grieving widow told theNew York Post that she didnt speak to President Biden when he sought to make contact with her: I didnt want to talk to him. My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him.

The day after the shooting, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro discussed the retired fire chief, calling him a hero and describing him as an avid supporter of the former president. The governor added: He was so excited to be there last night with the community.

Helen Comperatore, widow of Trump rally shooting victim, spoke to Donald Trump ( Helen Comperatore/Facebook )

In the wake of the tragedy, the victims daughter, Allyson Comperatore called her father to a real-life superhero in a touching social media post. She said he quickly threw her and her mother to the ground and shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.

She wrote: He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us. We lost a selfless, loving husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend. And I will never stop thinking about him and mourning over him until the day that I die too.

A GoFundMe page for the Comperatore family. It has raised nearly $1.2m since Saturdays attack.

A Trump authorized fundraiser was also launched in the aftermath, aiming to support the families of those wounded or killed at the deadly rally. It has raised more than $5m and has garnered contributions from a number of famous figures, including Elon Musk, Kid Rock, actor Catherine Oxenberg, and failed GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

After multiple shots rang out at the western Pennsylvania venue, Trump dropped behind a podium as Secret Service agents cleared the area. They then helped him to his feet, allowing him to pump his fist in the air defiantly, before whisking him offstage to safety.

Trump gestures on the second day of the Republican National Convention with a bandage over his wounded ear ( EPA )

The former president later revealed he had suffered a strike to the ear  and has shown up to the Republican National Convention wearing a bandage over his wound.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by authorities on the scene. He reportedly used an AR-15-type semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
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A sheriff in Butler County, Pennsylvania defended local police officers who confronted the shooter before he opened fire, crediting them with saving Donald Trumps life.

After the assassination attempt against the former president, local law enforcement has been the subject of criticism, including from the Secret Service.

It emerged that Trumps would-be assassin was able to start shooting even after having been briefly confronted by officers.

But Butler Township Manager Tom Knights defended local police on Tuesday telling NBC News: Our officers acted instinctively, did their job, followed the training that they had. He detailed how one officer boosted up another so he could hang on the edge of the roof, allowing him to see the shooter.

Thats when the gunman aimed his rifle at one officer, prompting the officer to duck and lose his balance. The two officers then alerted others that there was an armed person on the roof.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe also came to the local polices defense, telling the New York Post that the brief distraction may have actually saved Trumps life.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe defended two officers, crediting them with saving Donald Trumps life ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

As the shooter was focused on the former president, Slupe said: These guys breach the roofSo [the shooter] turns around and potentially eliminates that threat.

Just a few seconds difference could have made for a worse outcome for the former president, Slupe told the outlet. Can you imagine 10 seconds before that? That [Trump] was looking straight ahead and where that bullet could have potentially landed, the sheriff said.

Trump has said that he tilted his head at the exact right time and in just the right amount to save his life. The assassination attempt happened mere minutes into his campaign event.

Now timing is everything, Slupe continued. If Im interrupted and I move my gun, you are going to have to reassess that whole situation at this point, so yes, you can make a case that those two officers saved the presidents life.

Slupes remarks come days after Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told ABC News that local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building.

Trump appears at the RNC with a bandaged ear after the assassination attempt against him ( Reuters )

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by authorities on the scene after firing his AR-15-style rifle into the venue. He killed one spectator, former fire chief Corey Comperatore, and left two others critically injured. Trump suffered a gunshot wound to the ear.

The FBI is investigating the incident.

Trump showed up to the Republican National Convention on Monday with a bandaged ear. He has thanked God for preventing the unthinkable from happening.
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President Joe Biden renewed his demand for Congress to ban high-powered firearms such as the AR-15-style rifle that a gunman used to shoot Donald Trump.

An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump, just as other assault weapons were used to kill so many others, including children, he said in remarks to the NAACPs 115th national convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Its time to outlaw them. I did it once and I will do it again.

The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, which imposed the so-called assault weapons ban, was enacted in 1994. That law expired in 2004, and Congress has repeatedly decided not to renew it.

Biden repeated his call to lower the temperature in American politics and to reject violence of any kind, including the attempted assassination of his Republican rival, threats to Black election workers, and the victims of gun violence that never make the news.

If were gonna speak about violence, were gonna speak about guns. More children in America died of gunshot wounds than any other reason. That is sick, he said.

And its sheer cowardice if we do nothing about it, Biden added. So, you wanna stand against violence in America, then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America. An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump, just as other assault weapons used to kill so many others, including children. Its time to outlaw them. I did it once and I will do it again.

President Joe Biden addresses the 115th NAACP national convention in Las Vegas on July 16, where he renewed his demand for a ban on assault weapons like the one used in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. ( Getty Images )

Since taking office, Biden has made more than 70 calls to Congress to renew the assault weapons ban, which would target the most popular gun in America.

The 20-year-old suspected gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, could legally purchase rifles like the AR-15 in Pennsylvania, as shotguns and rifles can be purchased in the state at age 18. The minimum age to purchase handguns in Pennsylvania is 21.

The firearm recovered at the scene was allegedly legally purchased by the suspects father.

About one in 20 adults  roughly 16 million Americans  own at least one AR-15-style rifle, according to polling from Ipsos and The Washington Post. The rifles  which were initially developed as a military weapon before becoming the most popular gun in America  have also been used in at least 10 of the 17 deadliest mass shootings since 2012.

Trump has rejected calls to renew the assault weapons ban. During an address to the National Rifle Association in May, Trump claimed that the Second Amendment is very much on the ballot and baselessly alleged that Biden is trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.

The message in Bidens address on Tuesday  amid growing calls from voters and Democratic officials to end his re-election campaign  sought to contrast his agenda against Trumps in front of an influential civil rights group with powerful reach to Black voters.

AR-15 rifles are displayed at an exhibition booth during the National Rifle Associations annual convention in Dallas on May 18. ( REUTERS )

He outlined the Trump-allied Project 2025 plan for the former presidents second term, highlighting proposed policy changes that would disproportionately impact Black Americans.

Biden vowed to renew the Voting Rights Act and enshrine Roe v Wade into law, actions that he would need a Democratically controlled Congress to do.

He also pointed to Republican-led threats to Social Security and Medicare, risking peoples lives, and the Heritage Foundation-backed proposal to eliminate the Department of Education.

You ought to read it  saying its a state issue. Give me a break, Biden said.

He mentioned Republican proposed cuts to federal early education programs for children from low-income families, and warned that theyve already eviscerated affirmative action and will also decimate diversity, equity, inclusion, across all America.

Republican lawmakers are trying to erase Black history  Black history is American history, Biden said.

Im not being dramatic. We cannot let that happen, he said. Thats why it was so important to me to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. We cant erase it.
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On day one of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Donald Trump finally put months of speculation to rest when he unveiled his pick for his running mate.

Ohio Senator JD Vance will join him on the ticket in Novembers election and his new role as the Republican Partys nominee for the vice presidency has inspired fresh interest in the younger mans back story.

Vance, 39, was already well known for his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy (2016) before he entered politics, as well as for having been a scathing critic of Trump before running for office at which point he underwent a Damascene conversion and hailed him as a great president.

Many will now be acquainted with his journey from the US Marine Corps to Capitol Hill by way of Ohio State University, Yale Law School and a stint in San Francisco as a venture capitalist with Mithril Capital Management, a firm co-founded by the billionaire Peter Thiel.

Perhaps less well-known is the story of Vances wife Usha Chilukuri Vance.

A former Democrat, she joined her husband at the RNC on Monday as he was unveiled as Trumps prospective second vice president, following in the footsteps of Mike Pence.

The daughter of academics Dr Krish Chilukuri and Professor Lakshmi Chilukuri, Hindu immigrants from Andhra Pradesh, India, Chilukuri, 38, was raised in the Rancho Penasquitos suburb of San Diego, California.

Usha Chilukuri Vance and her husband JD Vance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as he accepts Donald Trumps invitation to be his running mate ( Anna Moneymaker/Getty )

Remembered as a bookworm by childhood friends in a recent New York Times profile, she attended Mount Carmel High School in her hometown and then Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors degree in history.

She then relocated to England as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, earning a Master of Philosophy degree in early modern history at Clare College, Cambridge University, in 2010.

Returning to New Haven, she graduated from Yale Law School in 2013, having also served as executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology.

After leaving academia, Chilukuri worked as a corporate litigator at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP in their San Francisco and Washington DC offices, originally from 2015 to 2017 and then again from 2019 until this month. She reportedly handed in her notice within minutes of Trumps announcement regarding her husband.

In between those two stints with Munger, she served as a law clerk at the US Supreme Court, clerking for Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as the Trump-nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Judge Amul Thapar.

Chilukuri met Vance at Yale in the 2010s when they were classmates, the couple reportedly collaborating on the organisation of a discussion group on social decline in white America, later the subject of Vances book, which he was encouraged to write by their professor Amy Chua, also an early champion of the couples relationship.

Usha Chilukuri Vance studied at Yale, where she met her future husband ( Carolyn Kaster/AP )

Vance married his Yale spirit guide in Kentucky in 2014 and the couple have three children: Ewan (born 2017), Vivek (2020) and Mirabel (2021).

The politician is generally private about his family life but did read Dr Seusss book Oh, the Places Youll Go! on the Senate floor this February in honour of Viveks birthday.

In Ron Howards Netflix adaptation of Hillbilly Elegy (2020), which starred Amy Adams and Glenn Close, Chilukuri was portrayed by the actress Freida Pinto.

Asked recently by Fox News whether she was ready for the national spotlight, she answered: I dont know that anyone is ever ready for that kind of scrutiny. I mean, I think we found the first campaign that he embarked on to be a shock. It was so different from anything wed done before. But it was an adventure.

And so I guess the way that Id put it is, Im not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I believe in JD and I really love him. And so well just sort of see what happens with our life. Were open.
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Greece shut one of its main tourist attractions as a deadly heatwave continued to swelter large areas of Europe.

Meteorologists said the hot air from Africa was forecast to continue baking the region for several more days and at least through Sunday, with the heat wave peaking on Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures were expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit).

Greeces Culture Ministry ordered the Acropolis closed for several hours in the middle of the day Wednesday.

Meteorologists said the hot air from Africa was forecast to continue baking Greece for several more days and at least through Sunday, with the heat wave peaking on Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures were expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit).

Authorities shut down Athens famed Acropolis, the countrys biggest cultural attraction, from noon to 5 p.m. while municipalities were making air-conditioned indoor spaces available to the public. People were warned to avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day, and drink water frequently.

open image in gallery A woman drinks water in front of the ancient Parthenon Temple during a hot, windy day at Acropolis hill , in Athens, Tuesday, July 16, 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Tourists hoping to visit the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis queued early in the morning to beat the worst of the heat, while the Red Cross handed chilled bottled water and information fliers to those waiting in line.

We got it done and got out quick, and now were going to some air conditions and some more libation and enjoy the day, said Toby Dunlap, who was visiting from Pennsylvania and had just toured the Acropolis. But its hot up there, it really is. If you dont come prepared, youre going to sweat.

Another visitor, Jordan Lilley from Newcastle in Britain, joined the morning queue to visit the site before it shut down until the afternoon. Ive just got here only 10 minutes (ago), but Im feeling hot. Very hot, he said. We were standing in the sun for, like, 10 minutes. Even after 10 minutes, Im feeling the heat.

In Albania, the heat led the government to reschedule working hours for civil servants, making it easier for some to work from home. In neighboring Italy, authorities added Palermo, Sicily, to the list of 13 cities with a severe heat warning as the entire Italian peninsula broiled in the same heat wave. The list was expected to grow to 14 on Thursday, when the northern city of Bolzano was expected to be added.

In Verona, where temperatures hovered around 35 C (95 F), sprinklers in the public park were used to spritz passersby during the late afternoons, and tourists were urged to make use of public water fountains. Flyers recommended elderly people stay indoors during the hottest times of the day and a 24-hour hotline was set up for emergencies, local media reported.

open image in gallery A woman poses for a photo with smoke from a fire at the background, during a hot, windy day at Acropolis hill, in Athens ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

The hot, dry conditions have also fanned wildfires, with firefighters and water-dropping aircraft battling several blazes in Greece, including a large one in a pine forest in Corinth in southern Greece.

Across the northern border in North Macedonia, authorities were struggling to tame dozens of wildfires that had broken out in the previous 24 hours, with one major blaze stretching across nearly 30 kilometers (21 miles). Firefighting aircraft from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania and Turkey responded to the country's call for assistance.

The government has declared a nationwide monthlong state of emergency to reducing the risk of wildfires, with measures including a ban on access to forest areas.
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Paraguay authorities have announced the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history, after officials were shocked to find more than four tonnes of the drug stashed inside a shipment of sugar bound for Europe.

President Santiago Pena told journalists that the record discovery, code-named Operation Sweetness," added to a string of very sad episodes" in Paraguay that had transformed the strategically located nation into a key drug trafficking hub in the region.

Pena expressed hope that the seizure heading to Belgium, valued at roughly $240 million, would disrupt the cocaine trade and said police were pursuing those responsible.

I think it sends a signal to organized gangs not to use Paraguay as transit; they're going to find authorities that are determined and working in a coordinated way, Pena said, promising further efforts to boost port security. Gangs are not going to be able to avoid all the controls that we are implementing.

An agent from Paraguays anti-drug agency, Senad, and an anti-drug dog inspect sacks of sugar ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

On Monday, agents from Paraguays anti-drug agency, known as Senad, started unpacking the shipping containers filled with 40-kilogram (88-pound) sacks of sugar at Puerto Caacupemi, a river port in the capital, Asuncion. On Tuesday they were still sorting and weighing the cocaine concealed inside the cargo.

It wasn't immediately clear where the drugs originated. Unlike nearby Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, Paraguay does not produce cocaine. But in recent years the small landlocked nation has grabbed headlines as a smuggling haven  for cigarettes and luxury goods in addition to drugs  as cartel bosses devise new routes to reach new markets. That has spawned corruption and even violence in a country previously unaccustomed to drug violence.

Some of the biggest cocaine busts in Europe, especially in Antwerp's port in Belgium, have been traced back to Paraguay's bustling river ports where dodgy deliveries can slip under the radar.

Geographically, Paraguay has a strategic position for organized crime in the sense that we are located near the largest cocaine producers in the world, Francisco Ayala, the spokesperson of Senad, said from the port where authorities inspected the haul of cocaine. It has a globally recognized river traffic system ... it's perfect.
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One person has died and another six people have been injured after a car ploughed into a restaurant terrace in Paris.

Local police said three of the six injured people are in a critical state after the vehicle drove into them at 7.30pm on the Avenue du Pere-Lachaise on Wednesday.

French Police said that the driver had fled the scene, while a passenger, who was arrested, tested positive for alcohol and other drugs.

The passenger was not among the casualties.

The cause of the accident in the citys 20th arrondissement is currently not known.

It comes as France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics, which begin on 26 July.

More follows on this breaking news story...

Contact The Independents news desk at athena.stavrou@independent.co.uk
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The electricity grid operators of the three Baltic countries on Tuesday officially notified Russia and Belarus that they will exit a 2001 agreement that has kept Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania connected to an electricity transmission system controlled by Moscow.

The Baltic countries already have stopped buying electricity from Russia. And in a plan announced last year as part of moves to sever ties with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, the countries will shift their grid connections next February to the main continental European energy network in a move to end reliance.

Utility operators Elering of Estonia, AST of Latvia and Litgrid of Lithuania said that the exit notice was signed in the Latvian capital of Riga on Tuesday. The joint agreement with Moscow and Minsk will end Feb. 7, and the Baltic systems will be disconnected from the grid the next day.

Baltics Russia Energy ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

We will disconnect and dismantle the last physical connections with Russian and Belarusian grids, Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis said, calling the move an ambitious energy independence project.

The three former Soviet republics do not currently buy electricity from Russia, but remain physically connected to a grid in which the electricity frequency is controlled by Moscow under the 2001 BRELL agreement. The Baltic systems plan to synchronize with the continental European system on Feb. 9, 2025. Both systems use 50 Hz alternating current.

Synchronization with Continental Europe Synchronous Area will allow for independent, stable and reliable frequency control of the Baltic states electricity grids and will increase energy security in the region," Estonias grid operator Elering said.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland agreed with the European Unions executive commission in 2019 to coordinate on connecting the Baltic nations to the EUs power network by the end of 2025. However, Russias war in Ukraine led the Baltic countries to speed up the project.

The February 2025 date for the transition was a compromise. Lithuania wanted an energy exit as early as this year, citing Moscows unreliability and its aggression in Ukraine. Estonia resisted a quicker cutoff, saying it might experience blackouts if the transition happened too soon.

The Baltic electricity market has adapted and operates without electricity import from Russia, said chairman Rolands Irklis from Latvias AST.

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Latvia has completely stopped electricity import and export from Russia and Belarus, and synchronization with continental Europe is the last step to achieve countrys independence in the field of electricity supply," Irklis said.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Serbia later this week to discuss a tentative deal with the Balkan country for the controversial excavation of lithium, a critical substance in making batteries for electric vehicles, officials from both states confirmed Wednesday.

Germany, the largest carmaker in Europe, is seeking to secure lithium for its electric vehicle makers as the European Union struggles to reduce its dependence on imports from China.

China currently dominates the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.

Serbias constitutional court earlier this month overturned a previous ruling to cancel a $2.4 billion excavation project launched by British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto in western Serbia, which is believed to be the the largest lithium discovery in Europe.

The Serbian government's decision to cancel the excavation plans came after thousands of protesters in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia in 2021 blocked major roads and bridges to oppose Rio Tintos plans because of potential hazards to the environment. The protests were the biggest challenge yet to the increasingly autocratic rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The protest leaders have pledged to restart their protests if the government's new lithium excavation plans are implemented. Serbias interior minister said that police will not allow any more blockades of roads or railway lines.

German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Scholz and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic will attend a critical raw materials summit on Friday where a memorandum of understanding between the EU executive and Serbia on a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery supply chains and electric vehicles will be signed.

There will also be a letter of intent signed by the Serbian government and several companies related to the lithium mining project, he said.

The memorandum will contain a commitment to high environmental and sustainability standards, Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin. He noted that the Serbian government has responded to criticism from the region and said it is good and important that there are now higher standards for the project.

Vucic and other Serbian officials have said the lithium excavation will go ahead if Germany and other EU states build factories for their car batteries in Serbia, rather than directly exporting raw materials to those countries.

I dont see whats wrong with that," Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said referring to the tentative deals that are to be signed. That means we have an advantage in our hands.

Scholz will be a rare EU leader to visit Belgrade as President Vucic has mostly been shunned by Western officials because of his close relations with China and Russia despite the war in Ukraine, an increasing crackdown against independent media, accusations of rigged elections and veiled military threats against neighboring states.



Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.
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Donald Trump will push for peace over Russias invasion of Ukraine immediately if he is elected for a second term in the White House, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has claimed in a letter to European Union leaders.

The letter, addressed to European Council president Charles Michel and shared with all EU leaders, was written after Mr Orban held talks with the Republican presidential candidate, as well as with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and China.

"I can ... surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, [Mr Trump] will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this, Mr Orban wrote.

He also suggested reopening direct lines of diplomatic communication with Russia while maintaining high-level contacts with Kyiv as well as conducting talks with China on the modalities of the next peace conference.

Mr Orbans approach clashes with the conclusions of the last EU summit on 27 June, when leaders reconfirmed their unwavering commitment to provide continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and as long as it takes and as intensely as needed.

The letter represents a climactic end to Mr Orbans controversial multiple-country tour in the first weeks of assuming the rotating six-month presidency of the bloc on 1 July.

During the visit to Kyiv, his first since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, he urged Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to seek a ceasefire with Russia prior to expelling Moscows troops, which drew condemnation from other bloc members who suggested such a move was rewarding Kremlin aggression.

Vladimir Putin meets with Viktor Orban in Moscow ( Getty )

He then visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Xi Jinping in China as part of his self-styled peace mission, drawing further ire from other bloc members.

The letter comes less than a week after the pair met at Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The longtime allies have both been publicly sceptical about continued aid to Ukraine and the role of Nato in supporting Kyiv.

EU leaders denounced his actions, stressing Mr Orban had no mandate to speak on behalf of the 27-nation bloc and whatever views he presented were his own.

To underline the displeasure with Hungarys rogue diplomacy on the war in Ukraine, which undermines long-held EU positions, the European Commission on Monday took the unprecedented step of barring EU commissioners from attending meetings held in Hungary under the countrys presidency.

Some EU governments also privately plan to send only top civil servants, rather than government ministers, to ministerial talks in Hungary and 63 European parliament lawmakers have asked the EU to withdraw Hungarys voting rights in the bloc.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, meanwhile, will reportedly summon the ministers to a formal foreign affairs council at the same time as Mr Orban hosts his own summit in Budapest at the end of next month in a bid to avoid presenting any idea of support for the Hungarian leaders recent comments.

Mr Orban has long criticised European military support for Ukraine, in contrast to most allies, who support Kyivs war effort.

The Hungarian leader said a Trump victory would change the burden between the United States and the EU when it comes to financial support for Ukraine, to the disadvantage of the Europeans.

Our European strategy in the name of transatlantic unity has copied the pro-war policy of the US. We have not had a sovereign and independent European strategy or political action plan up to now, he said.

I propose discussing whether the continuation of this policy is rational in the future.

In a sign of a further strengthening of ties between Mr Orban and Mr Trump, the Republican candidate elected Ohio senator JD Vance, a known admirer of the Hungarian prime minister, to be his running mate on Monday evening.

Earlier this year, Mr Vance voiced support for some of the policies of the nationalist government of Mr Orban, including legislation that set up foundations to take over the running of universities which some critics said could jeopardise academic freedoms.

Mr Orbans political director Balazs Orban, no relation, congratulated Mr Vance on being chosen as a potential new vice president, saying the Trump-Vance administration sounds just right.
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Hezbollah has vow to strike new targets in Israel if civilians in Lebanon continue to be killed by cross-border airstrikes, as fears grow the tensions on Israels northern could become full-blown war.

Five civilians, including three children, were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday and at least three Lebanese civilians were killed the day before, according to state media and security sources. More than 460 people have been killed in Lebanon in total since last October, the countrys Ministry of Health says, though the vast majority are Hezbollah militants.

Israel and Hezbollah, the most powerful military and political force Lebanon, have been trading fire since shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October triggering Israel's ensuing military offensive in Gaza. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran, but unlike Hamas, Hezbollah has the firepower to seriously threaten Israel.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group would be pushed to widen their targets in Israel if more civilians are killed.

Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted, Nasrallah said, in comments made during a televised address to mark the Shia holy day Ashoura. Hezbollah militants use the phrase settlements to refer to Israeli population centres.

He also promised that totally or partially destroyed homes in Lebanon would be rebuilt more beautiful than they were before.

A man shows the remain of an Israeli warplane missile that hit a house and killed a Hezbollah fighter with two of his civilian family members, in Bint Jbeil town, south Lebanon ( AP )

After Hamas launched the 7 October attack, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, with about half still being held in Gaza, Hezbollah announced a support front against Israel. Recently, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant threatened to send Lebanon back to the Stone Ages if the cross-border attacks escalate too steeply.

Fears have grown in recent weeks that Israel may expand its military operations in Lebanon, risking a wider war. Israel has said it is undertaking the necessary preparations for a wider operation but no decision has yet been made. Hezbollah has said it does not want war with Israel but is ready for it.

Iran-aligned groups across the region, including armed factions in Syria and Iraq and Yemens Houthis, have also been hitting what they call Isrel-linked targets.

Western countries, led by the US, have been stationed in the Red Sea for months to mitigate against the threat posed by Houthi attacks on commercial shipping vessels  which have included ships not linked to Israel  while officials have attempted to prevent another war breaking out in the region between Israel and Hezbollah.

In Gaza, where Israels nine-month-long assault on Hamas has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians according to the local health ministry, Israeli forces pounded areas in the centre of the strip on Wednesday. Local officials said at least nine civilians in airstrikes, while tanks carried out a limited advance into Rafah in the south.

In one Israeli air strike around midnight in the central Gaza Strip, eight people were killed, health officials in the Hamas-run territory said. Another strike killed a man in Nuseirat camp, one of the enclaves eight refugee camps, where 23 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school a day ago.

Israeli tanks also shelled the eastern areas of two camps in the centre of the enclave, residents said, while they also claimed an air strike destroyed a mosque.

Meanwhile in Rafah, tanks carried out a raid in the north of the city before retreating, a tactic Israeli forces have used in other areas before mounting deeper incursions. Tanks have operated in most parts of the city since May, although have not gone deep into the northern districts.

Medics said an Israeli strike killed two people in Rafah on Wednesday, while residents said the forces had blown up dozens of homes.

The Israeli military said troops were continuing precise, intelligence-based operational activity in the Rafah area. It said they had eliminated what it called a terrorist cell and a launcher that had been used to fire at troops.

It said airstrikes had struck 25 targets throughout the Gaza Strip during the past day and that troops were continuing to operate in the central area, including to dismantle structures used to observe the soldiers.

Diplomatic efforts by Arab mediators to halt the hostilities, backed by the United States, seem to be on hold, but officials from all sides have said they are open to more talks, including Israel and Hamas, who have traded blame over the current impasse.

A deal would aim to end the war and release Israeli hostages in Gaza in return for many Palestinians jailed by Israel.

On Wednesday, Israel released 13 Palestinians detained during the military offensive in Gaza, the Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement. Those freed were transferred to a hospital in central Gaza for treatment.
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The Hamas-led attack inside Israel on 7 October was designed and planned to kill civilians and take as many people hostage as possible, a leading human rights group has said.

In a 236-page report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) concludes that Palestinian armed factions committed war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, sexual violence, mutilation of bodies, and use of human shields.

The global rights group says its teams interviewed almost 150 witnesses, first responders and family members for the research and verified more than 280 photos and videos for the investigation.

They described fighters shooting directly at civilians as they tried to flee, firing rocket-propelled grenades at homes, setting fire to buildings with people inside, and mutilating and robbing corpses.

HRW concluded that killing civilians and taking hostages were the central aims of the planned attack not an afterthought, a plan gone awry or isolated acts. Hamas has denied its fighters committed any violations of international law and blamed the bloodshed on chaos in the field.

Human Rights Watch research found that the Hamas-led assault on 7 October was designed to kill civilians and take as many people as possible hostage, said Ida Sawyer, HRWs crisis and conflict director. The 7 October atrocities should spur a global call to action for an end to all abuses against civilians in Israel and Palestine.

HRW noted that its previous reports have addressed numerous war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the attacks, including apparent illegal strikes and using starvation as a weapon of war.

HRW called on all parties to the conflict to abide by international law and urged governments with influence over the Palestinian armed factions to press for the urgent release of the hostages  an ongoing war crime  and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

It called on Hamas, which controls the besieged Gaza Strip, to immediately release the hostages and cease unlawful attacks including indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel. It also urged the Palestinian Authorities  anchored in the occupied West Bank  to conduct transparent and impartial investigations into the allegations in the report.

Atrocities do not justify atrocities, Ms Sawyer added. To stop the endless cycle of abuses in Israel and Palestine, its critical to address root causes and hold violators of grave crimes to account. Thats in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis.

Hamas militants and at least four affiliated armed factions as well as citizens from Gaza stormed southern Israel on 7 October, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage, HRW said. More than 100 hostages remain within Gaza.

Since then, Palestinian health officials report Israels ferocious bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 38,000 people, the vast majority women and children. Thousands of bodies remain under the rubble and a crippling Israeli siege on the 42km strip has assisted in sparking a famine, rights groups have told The Independent.

For its latest report, HRW interviewed 144 people including 94 Israelis and other nationals who witnessed the 7 October assault, as well as victims family members, first responders, and medical experts. Researchers also verified and analysed more than 280 photographs and videos taken during the assault and posted on social media or shared directly with the group.

It concluded armed groups committed numerous violations of the laws of war that amount to war crimes, including attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, willful killing of people in custody, cruel and other inhumane treatment, crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence, mutilation and despoiling bodies, use of human shields, and pillage and looting.

It also concluded the widespread attack was directed against a civilian population, and that killing civilians and taking hostages were central aims of the planned attack.

In response to the report, Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation in countries including the US and the UK, said that its forces were instructed not to target civilians and to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law. The militants blamed the attacks on civilians on chaos in the field, saying people from Gaza and non-affiliated Palestinian groups rushed into Israel once Israeli forces were overwhelmed.

Hamas rejected what it called the lies and blatant bias towards Israel and demanded Human Rights Watch withdraw its report and apologise.

In many cases, HRW said its investigations found evidence to the contrary of the claims by Hamas. The extensive report includes harrowing testimonies.

Simcha L, a member of the rapid response team in the Mefalsim kibbutz where at least 10 civilians were killed, told HRW that the scene was like an apocalyptic zombie movie.

You could see bodies.  Lying around in ditches, bodies burning in cars. There were bullet holes all over the cars. To the right of the gate were dozens of bodies, he said.

Lior Alush, a 24-year-old student who managed to escape a bloody attack on Zikim Beach where 19 people were killed, described the scene: All the way home, I saw dead bodies along the way. I feel like Im doing a driving test but navigating through bodies.
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The Isis militant group has claimed responsibility for the killing of at least nine people in a rare attack on a Shia mosque in the wealthy Gulf state of Oman.

About 28 others also sustained injuries late on Monday when several gunmen stormed into the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Kabir neighbourhood of the capital Muscat, located around 500 metres from an international school.

Four Pakistanis, an Indian national and a police officer were among those killed in the gun attack, the authorities said.

The Sunni extremist group claimed responsibility on Tuesday through an affiliated news agency, without providing evidence. It represents the first time Isis has purported to be behind an attack in Oman, where only 5 per cent of Muslims are believed to belong to the Shia sect.

A video showed a crowd running for cover inside the mosque as gunmen opened fire on believers gathered on the eve of Ashura  an annual period of mourning, where Shia Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson, Imam Hussein, and his 72 companions in the battle of Karbala in the seventh century in present-day Iraq.

Believers could be heard crying "Oh god" and "Oh Hussein" as gunshots rang out in the background.

People fleeing the scene of a shooting at the Imam Ali Mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area in the east of Oman's capital Muscat ( UGC/AFP via Getty Images )

There were nearly 500-600 people in the courtyard when we first heard sounds that resembled fireworks, an unnamed Pakistani expatriate told Times of Oman.

The firing continued for more than an hour and a half as everyone tried to rush inside the mosque, the eyewitness recalled.

We were instructed to stay silent in the hall. In that moment of despair, I messaged my friend, thinking I might not live to see the dawn. Death seemed imminent.

We felt like hostages for nearly two-three hours before ROP (Royal Oman Police) officers finally made their way into the building, he added.

The extremist group said three of its "suicide attackers" fired on visitors to the mosque on Monday evening and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces until morning. It said the gunmen attacked a gathering of Shia Muslims who were "practising their annual rituals".

Police in Oman have not said whether they have identified a motive for the attack or made any arrests.

Pakistan identified four of the dead as its citizens. "This is a very unprecedented event ... the likes of it we have not seen in Oman's history," Pakistan's ambassador to Muscat, Imran Ali, said after visiting some victims in hospital.

Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences and "instructed the Pakistan embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured". "Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and offers full assistance in the investigation," he added.

Nearly two million migrants, mostly from South Asia, help power Oman's economy by filling low-skilled jobs in construction and other fields.

The US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and asked its citizens to remain vigilant and monitor local news.

Analysts described the rare shooting as the latest example of Isis returning to carrying out random international attacks after losing its fief in Iraq and Syria.

"It makes them more resilient in some ways," Aaron Y Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the Associated Press. "It's part of their reorganisation from being a group with most of its actions in Iraq and Syria to using their resources in a global network."

Isis have long targeted Shia Muslims in their violent attacks and propaganda, describing them as heretics. The group claimed responsibility for an attack in Shia-majority Iran that killed 84 people in January.

In March, the group said it was behind an attack that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow.
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A meteor exploded over New York City in the middle of the day, according to Nasa and local reports.

At around 11.17am local eastern time, a fireball appears to have flown over Manhattan and then disintegrated in a fireball, the space agency said.

Local residents said that the arrival of the meteor sounded like thunder and had led the ground to rumble, in a similar manner to an earthquake.

It said that the meteor was first sighted about 50 miles up, above Upper Bay, and then flew northeast at 34,000 miles per hour. It descended quickly, passed over the Statue of Liberty and then exploded around 23 miles above midtown Manhattan.

No meteorites were produced by the event, Nasa said.

Local reports suggested that the meteor was visible in the sky and that there were booms and shakes experienced around the same time.

But Nasa said it was unable to confirm all of those reports.

The small nature of the meteor, the fact that there is no camera or satellite data available, and the relatively small number of reports of the meteor mean that it is hard to know for sure what journey it took, the space agency said.

Nasa also noted that at least some of the shakings and sounds that were reported around the arrival of the meteor might actually be the result of other events. Military activity was reported in the area at the same time, which could also explain some of the disruption.

The US Geological Survey said that it had received reports of shaking, but that there was no evidence of an earthquake. It could not say where the shaking it had come from, it said.
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Scientists have found an elusive massive black hole that they believe is the closest to Earth.

The black hole was found after researchers spotted fast-moving stars that are being pulled around as if they are close to an extreme object.

It appears to be sheltering an intermediate-mass black hole. Researchers have been looking for such an object for decades, and it is the missing link in our understanding of black holes.

A new colored ESA/Hubble image of Omega Centauri ( ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Haberle (MPIA) )

So far, scientists have found examples of supermassive black holes that can have masses of billions of suns, and they have found solar-mass black holes that can only be as massive as one star. But they struggled to locate the ones in the middle, which should exists as the galaxies grow over time.

The new one was found in a star cluster, Omega Centauri, is a collection of around 10 million stars, visible as a smudge in the night sky south of the Equator.

It looks no different to similar clusters through a small telescope, but the new study confirms what astronomers had been suspecting for some time  it contains a central black hole.

The black hole, which is at a distance of about 18,000 light-years, appears to be stuck in an intermediate stage of evolution, and is considerably less massive than typical black holes in the centres of galaxies.

Researchers say the finding appears to be the missing link between stellar and supermassive black holes.

Black holes have been observed in various sizes, including stellar-mass black holes with masses around five to 150 times that of the Sun, to supermassive black holes which are more than 100,000 times the mass of the Sun.

However, only a few intermediate-mass black holes, between 150 and 100,000 times the mass of the Sun, have been discovered.

Omega Centauri seems to be the core of a small, separate galaxy whose evolution was cut short when the Milky Way swallowed it, the study suggests.

Dr Nadine Neumayer, a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, said: Previous studies had prompted critical questions of So where are the high-speed stars?

We now have an answer to that and the confirmation that Omega Centauri contains an intermediate-mass black hole.

At a distance of about 18,000 light-years, this is the closest known example of a massive black hole.

The supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way is at a distance of about 27,000 light-years.

The study, led by Maximilian Haberle of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, is based on more than 20 years of Hubble Space Telescope observations, and published in the Nature journal.

Writing in an accompanying article, Daryl Haggard and Adrienne Cool said: These newly discovered stars offer the best evidence yet that Alpha Centauri harbours an intermediate-mass black hole.

The results could suggest that searching for intermediate-mass black holes in other globular clusters may be warranted.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A man who has spent the last eight years claiming to be the inventor of bitcoin has finally admitted that he did not create the worlds first cryptocurrency.

Dr Craig Wright posted a legal notice to his website stating that he is not bitcoins pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto following a High Court ruling in March that dismissed his claims.

The case was brought against the Australian computer scientist by a coalition of crypto businesses, who accused him of industrial scale forgery in his previous efforts to sue bitcoin developers for using the technology.

The presiding judge, Justice Mellor, said at the time that Dr Wright lied extensively and repeatedly in his attempts to convince people he was Satoshi Nakamoto.

The evidence is overwhelming that Dr Wright is not the author of the bitcoin white paper, Justice Mellor said after the case concluded.

Most of his lies related to the documents he had forged, which purported to support his claim... Dr Wrights attempts to prove he was/is Satoshi Nakamoto represent a most serious abuse of this courts process.

Justice Mellor has now said he will refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of whether a prosecution should be commenced against Dr Wright for wholescale perjury and forgery of documents.

Dr Wright, who is currently based in the UK, also faces potential extradition proceedings.

The statement posted to his website on Tuesday acknowledged that he had been dishonest in his claims to be the creator of the worlds first cryptocurrency.

The court found that Dr Wright lied to the court extensively and repeatedly in his evidence and that he attempted to create a false narrative by forging documents on a grand scale and presenting them as evidence... Dr Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin White Paper, the legal notice states, referring to the 2008 document authored by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, which first introduced the concept of bitcoin to the world.

Dr Wright is not the person who adopted or operated under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto in the period between 2008 and 2011... Dr Wright is not the person who created the bitcoin system.
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Elon Musk has predicted a mass exodus of people and companies from California in response to a new law prohibiting schools from disclosing childrens gender identity.

The tech billionaire announced on Tuesday that he would be moving the headquarters of both SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) from California to Texas in protest to the SAFETY Act bill, which was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday.

The new law will prevent schools in the state from informing parents of their childs decision to change their name or pronouns.

This is the final straw, Mr Musk wrote in a post to X on Tuesday.

Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.

In a follow-up post he wrote: I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.

Mr Musk is estranged from his transgender daughter Vivian Henna Wilson, who applied to legally change her name from Xavier Alexander Musk in 2022.

In a California court filing, she wrote: I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.

Mr Musk partly blames the rift on a progressive school in California called Crossroads, according to his biographer Walter Isaacson, which he has attributed to spreading the woke mind virus.

The billionaire, who is currently the worlds richest person with a net worth of $270 billion, has previously revealed that he is actively lobbying to criminalise aspects of gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Among those expressing their support for Mr Musks decision to move his companies from California to Texas was the prominent Silicon Valley investor Jason Calacanis, who wrote on X: I am done with California.

Mr Musk replied: Many will follow.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also praised the move, writing: This cements Texas as the leader in space exploration.

Mr Musk is already a resident of Texas, which has no income tax, and moved his other company Tesla there in 2021.
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Donald Trump has said he supports TikTok amid a looming ban for the Chinese-owned app.

TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, faces a nationwide ban if its parent company fails to sell it before January. US lawmakers, with the support of the Biden administration, claim the app poses a national security risk due to alleged ties to the Chinese government.

US presidential candidate Trump joined the viral video-sharing app last month  four years after attempting to ban TikTok through an executive order while he was in office after claiming it posed a national security risk.

His change in stance appears to come in response to his dislike of Meta-owned platforms Instagram and Facebook, which suspended him for two years following the deadly January 6 riots in 2021.

Im for TikTok because you need competition, Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek. If you dont have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram.

TikTok declined to comment.

View more

The app is already banned on most government devices due to spying fears, while both democrats and republicans have expressed concerns that the apps algorithm could be used to spread misinformation and propaganda, especially among young people.

TikTok has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that any ban would impact the First Amendment right to free speech for its 170 million American users.

The bill, which was passed by the US House of Representatives in April, was wrapped up with a broader foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine, allowing it to be fast-tracked through the legislative process.

It is unfortunate that the House of Representative is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill, TikTok said in a statement at the time.

This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail.
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The family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi say they were not consulted on the decision to rename Milans main airport after him and recognises that the timing was not good.

Milans Malpensa Airport, Italys second-busiest passenger airport, was officially named in honour of the centre-right politician earlier this month, barely a year after his death.

The decision was rubber-stamped by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party. Berlusconis son, Pier Silvio, said the family was happy at any honour bestowed on his father but had had no say in the matter.

To be blunt, the method wasnt exactly perfect, both in terms of timing and the way it was done. It was obvious it would cause a controversy, he told reporters at the headquarters of MFE-MediaforEurope, the media firm founded by his father.

As a family, we were not involved in the process and we were informed at the very last minute, he added.

open image in gallery Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Marina Berlusconi, Pier Silvio Berlusconi and Luigi Berlusconi on the day of the state funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi outside the Duomo Cathedral, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023 ( REUTERS )

Milans centre-left Mayor Beppe Sala led widespread criticism of the move, while opponents launched a petition to try to get the decision reversed.

I was annoyed by the controversy, and even more by those who exploited it for political reasons, Berlusconi said, referring to Sala.

In Italy, there is usually a 10-year moratorium following someones death before a public place can be named after them, but this was ignored in the case of Malpensa.

Many of Italys other major airports are named after famous historical figures, such as Romes Leonardo da Vinci airport and Venices Marco Polo airport.

Palermo airport is named after two prosecutors murdered by the mafia in 1992 -- Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

Marco Grimaldi, an MP with the Green and Left Alliance, said there were non-shabby Milan-born figures who the airport could be named after.

He said: Who knows if minister Salvini is aware that Romes Fiumicino airport is named after Leonardo da Vinci, Venices after Marco Polo, and Genoas after Christopher Columbus. Then theres Sandro Pertini for Turin airport, Catullus for Verona, Marconi for Bologna, Galileo for Pisa and last but not least Falcone and Borsellino for Palermo.

I for one would be ashamed to take a flight from Falcone and Borsellino airport and land at Silvio Berlusconi airport.

The Berlusconi family is the main financial backer of the Forza Italia party, founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis ruling coalition.

Pier Silvio Berlusconi dismissed media speculation that he planned to emulate his father and enter politics.
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Loch Rannoch looks calm and still as I eagerly trot down to the water.

Dont worry, I say airily to Lloyd, leisure manager at the Loch Rannoch Hotel, who has been persuaded at the last minute into coming for a wild swim with me, I reckon well only be half an hour or so.

Lloyd looks at me doubtfully and nods.

Ten minutes later, standing on the pebbly shore after wriggling my way into a wetsuit, I can see why. I squeal as I dip one toe in the water, rueing my earlier eagerness. It is cold. Ill be lucky to last five minutes.

open image in gallery The writer takes a wild swim in Loch Rannoch ( Alison Kershaw/PA )

Dipping into bracing waters does, however, have multiple benefits for mind, body and soul. Its a pastime thats been steadily growing in popularity and presents a refreshing (and arguably healthier) alternative to sun-scorching holidays in the Med.

My base for the weekend is Loch Rannoch Hotel, a remote resort in the Central Scottish Highlands with a dedicated programme of adventure activities. Originally a Victorian hunting lodge, the property has been thoughtfully modernised with a nod to the golden era of travel, when pleasure steamers would chug across the loch.

Read more on Scotland travel:

Lloyd tells me the water is currently 10-degrees Celsius  about average for this time of year. It was around four to five degrees until the end of spring, he says.

Summoning up my courage, and reasoning I need to see this endeavour through, I plunge into the loch  which is open to the public but best accessed via the hotels marina with a guide. Less than a metre from the shore, the ground beneath me falls away, a sheer drop and suddenly I am swimming. My hands are the coldest part of me and they have turned bright red.

Keep them moving, Lloyd advises  and he is right, within minutes I have become accustomed to the temperature and can take in my surroundings.

open image in gallery View of Schiehallion and Loch Rannoch ( Loch Rannoch Hotel, Spa & Estate )

To the left of me is Schiehalleon  known as the fairy hill or fairy mountain due to the myths and legends which surround it. At more than 1,000 metres high it is one of the best known mountains  or munros  in Scotland. And to my right is a range of peaks collectively known as the three sisters of Glencoe. It is a beautiful setting for a swim.

Swim accomplished, Lloyd and I head back inside the hotel where, over a warm drink, he tells me Loch Rannoch was created out of one of the last remaining glaciers in the UK. This has contributed to its depth  its deepest point is around 0.4 miles.

The next day, after sleeping soundly in the quietness of the Highlands, I am ready to head back out to the loch  only this time I plan to be on it, not in it.

open image in gallery Stags in Loch Rannoch ( Loch Rannoch Hotel, Spa & Estate )

Amid gloomy conditions and threatening rain, I am joining a fishing trip led by a local guide  or ghillie  named Gordon. Any ambitions I have of serenely floating along on the water are quickly dispelled when it takes both Gordon and a fellow traveller to help me into a boat, which is rocking wildly. I am, quite literally, a fish out of water.

Luckily, once we are on the water, snaking our way along the edge of the 10-mile-long loch, we find our rhythm and the boat putters along as we cast fishing rods into the water.

We are troll fishing  our lines drawn at a steady pace by the moving boat. Gordon tells us there a several varieties of fish in the loch, including two types of trout  brown and ferox  arctic char, perch and pike.

A permit is needed to fish here, and anything smaller than nine inches is thrown back. There is a block of wood with the measurements on it sitting on the boat for easy reference. Gordon tells us the water is so clean, he regularly uses it to brew coffee when he is out here.

open image in gallery Alison fishing on Loch Rannoch ( Alison Kershaw/PA )

When I ask what is considered a good day for fishing, he says it is when the waves are big  to the point you are thinking of going back.

I feel relieved that this is not the case today, even if it does reduce our chances  and sure enough, we fish for around two hours without luck before someone feels a pull on the line.

Minutes later, Gordon is pulling up a small perch which makes him exclaim in surprise  he did not expect us to catch this fish, in this part of the lake, using this method.

After a quick photo, we release it back into the water, sending it on its way with and away as a nod to Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse and the BBCs hit show Gone Fishing.

With a catch totalling just one, it is time to head back to the shore.

Back on dry land, I am thrilled to head to the hotels spa, where I opt for a relaxing massage and facial, which warms my bones and leaves me ready to explore a little more.

I consider taking a bike ride around the loch or to Rannoch station  which Im reliably informed has a tea room serving excellent cakes. But with the weather brightening up, I instead decide to take a walk from the hotel to the nearby village of Kinloch Rannoch, which lies on the eastern edge of the loch.

It is an easy 15-minute walk and I end up at the pretty Allt-Mor waterfall which lies next to the start point for a hike up Craig Varr  a hill overlooking the village. The hike takes around two hours in total  though during the Highland Games in August, someone has done it in 19 minutes  so I decide against it and head back to my hotel.

Later that evening, as I sit sipping a whisky-based cocktail, discussions turn to kayaking  it is unlikely to be good enough weather to try it in the morning. Not to worry, I think  one to save for next time. Along with another wild swim.

How to do it

Doubles from 179, including full Scottish breakfast;lochrannochhotel.com

Read more: The best hotels in Scotland
President Joe Biden called for AR-15 guns, the type used in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, to be banned during a fired-up NAACP National Convention speech.

Its time to outlaw them. I did it once, and I will do it again, Biden said during his speech on Tuesday (16 July)

In 1994, Congress passed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, prohibiting certain semi-automatic assault weapons as well as large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices. It expired in 2004.

A bullet clipped Trumps right ear when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the former presidents rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday (13 July).
Sir Keir Starmer repeated President Joe Bidens words and called for the temperature of democracy to be lowered as he paid tribute to late MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

The prime minister said he had shared his revulsion with Donald Trump during a phone call, after a gunman tried to assassinate the former US president.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday (17 July) Sir Keir said: While our thoughts at this time are of course with President Trump and the American people, we cannot think that this is something that only happens elsewhere.

We must heed the words of President Biden to lower the temperature of our democracy, work across our disagreements and find each others common decency.
Residents close to the Scruffy Murphy's site raised concerns over the impact of construction on local pets.

An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to Hibernia Reit to demolish the former Scruffy Murphys pub off Dublins Mount Street Lower to construct 15 apartments in a six-storey scheme.

The appeals boards decision comes two years after Dublin City Council initially granted planning permission for the proposal in early July 2022.

The scheme was put on hold after objectors, Powers Court Residents Association and The Residents of Verschoyle Court, lodged third-party appeals to An Bord Pleanala.

The backlog in appeals board cases has resulted in An Bord Pleanala only issuing its grant of permission in recent days.

Property investment firm Hibernia paid 2m for the storied pub in 2021 which has been closed for a number of years.

Planning consultants for Hibernia, Brady Shipman Martin, told the council that the scheme will be beneficial to the area in regenerating the permanently closed public house.

The report stated that the application represents a significant opportunity to provide much-needed housing accommodation for this vacant city site.

The appeals board has granted planning permission after its inspector in the case, Joe Bonner, concluded that 15 apartments would bring added vitality to the site.

He said that concerns were raised regarding the use of the building as short-term tourist accommodation units, but the applicant has stated that the apartments are build-to-sell.

As part of his 92-page report, Mr Bonner also stated that the overall design and site layout is of sufficient quality to protect the amenities of future occupants as well as having regard to the existing uses of the adjacent property.

Mr Bonner concluded that the scheme would feature an appropriate use, building height, density, design and layout for this site.

In the appeal on behalf of the Powers Court Residents Association, Alan Corrigan raised concerns over the impact the construction of the scheme will have on local pets.

Mr Corrigan pointed out that a large proportion of residents are older people and there is a high level of pet ownership among the population. He said that during the construction period, owners naps and relaxation periods will be disrupted daily, except for Sundays, and both owners and pets will suffer disrupted sleep leading to increased anxiety and stress.
The journalist Paul Byrne, who left Virgin Media last month after settling a High Court action over its decision to bring internal disciplinary proceedings against him, has launched a news network.

On its website he describes Paul Byrne Media as a pioneering project that will reimagine the media landscape. It has been created with Norbert, a web designer in Cork, and is being billed as the markets most cutting-edge news website.

Among the stories covered on the website today are shots being fired at a house in Cork, an imitation firearm being seized in the city, and former Cork lord mayor Michael OConnell accusing the GAA county board of a snub after he was declined a ticket to the All Ireland hurling final.

The news website does not have a paywall. Mr Byrne says it aims to deliver unparalleled content, seamlessly blending insightful journalism with state-of-the-art technology.

The journalist, who was with TV3/Virgin Media for 26 years, brought the station to the High Court over what he claimed was a flawed disciplinary process. The claims were denied.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 17th

When the matter came before the court on June 4 for mention, the journalists barrister said following a mediation, the dispute had been settled. He asked for the case to be struck out.

Mr Byrne later announced on social media that he was leaving Virgin.

The High Court had previously heard that Mr Byrne was suspended from his role following a live report on February 9 about the death of a boy in Co Waterford. The court was told that the journalist had stated that one line of inquiry being considered by Gardai was that the boy had allegedly been drowned and placed in a car. The claim was broadcast after Mr Byrne checked it with at least two credible sources, and after two other media outlets published the same information.

It turned out not to be true, and soon afterwards Mr Byrne claimed his employer suspended him for allegedly breaching the broadcaster's News Guidelines and Production Handbook, because he had failed to speak to his line manager about the matter in advance of the broadcast.

He claimed the disciplinary process could have resulted in his dismissal. The journalist denied any wrongdoing, and claimed the process was flawed, punitive, disproportionate and should be set aside.

In correspondence Virgin Media rejected the claims and said that, given its role as a public broadcaster, the alleged breach was deemed "serious in nature" and "steps needed to be taken to avoid a repeat".

No details of the eventual settlement were given in open court.
The financial PR agency Powerscourt, founded by Rory Godson in 2004, has rebranded as Sodali & Co following its purchase last year.

At the time of its takeover, in a deal reportedly worth up to 50m, Powerscourt had a staff of 75 based in offices in London and Dublin and was advising over 170 clients. It was bought by Morrow Sodali, which is majority owned by TPG Growth, part of the private equity firm TPG Capital.

Powerscourt was just one of a large number of acquisitions made by Morrow Sodali, which also bought FramworkESG, HXE Partners and Citadel-Magnus. It now has a global team of about 450 employees, working with over 2,000 clients.

Following the takeover, staff are moving into a new 18,000sqft office space in the Leadenhall building in London, along with colleagues from Morrow Sodali.

Mr Godson pointed out that their original office was 800 sqft and was situated over a wine bar.

Total number of staff in London will now be 120, with five in Dublin.

In a statement last month Powerscourt said it had taken the opportunity to review its cost base and focus on its highest growth areas. PRWeek UK reported that five staff members in the London office had been placed at risk of redundancy. It is understood the consultation period is now complete and the staff have left.

Powerscourt staff in Dublin have been unaffected by the changes.

In a statement, the former Morrow Sodali said it was rebranding as Sodali & Co following its rapid international expansion through a series of successful acquisitions.

It said the new identity recognises the firms 50-year history and unifies the combination of businesses it has acquired. Sodali & Co will have three practice areas  shareholder services, governance and sustainability, and strategic communications.

The company has offices in 18 cities, including New York and Sydney, and operates in 70 countries. It says clients include listed and private companies, financial institutions, mutual funds, ETFs and stock exchanges.

Clients in Ireland include An Post, the Data Protection Commission, the National Lottery, McCann FitzGerald, FBD and Eir.

In a posting on the social-media platform LinkedIn, Mr Godson said: Powerscourt was born at my kitchen table in Islington in December 2003. Today, we shed it, embracing a new name for a new company: Sodali & Co.

Mr Godson is a former business editor of The Sunday Times, and director of corporate affairs at Goldman Sachs. Since the takeover of Powerscourt he has become a senior managing director of the firm, along with Victoria Palmer-Moore, who had been a managing partner.
Why Im speaking out: A vets view on new vet med regulations that will sink the profession

Allowing co-ops to prescribe dosing products and vaccines will result in a quarter of large-animal vets leaving the profession in two years  and farmers will suffer

Eamon OConnell is a vet with Summerhill Vet Clinic, Nenagh, Co Tipperary

Eamon O'Connell Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 10:38

Back in my early days of secondary school, I went to an IFA-organised protest in Dublin.
Irish woman arrested over daring 1996 helicopter jailbreak in Chile will not be extradited from Croatia

Frances and her sister Christine, known as Tina, are alleged to have masterminded the dramatic escape of four Chilean guerrillas from a high-security prison

Tina Shannon

Niall Feiritear Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 15:52







A 75-year-old Dublin woman who was arrested in Croatia last month over a daring helicopter jailbreak in Chile in 1996 will not be extradited, it can be revealed.
A man grabbed a 50 note when a woman dropped it at Dublin Airport, claimed it was his, then spat in her face when she asked for it back.
Rural law firms are also struggling with trainee costs

Concerns have been expressed about an emerging shortage of barristers to prosecute and defend cases in the criminal courts.

The issue is reportedly being seen in criminal courts around the country, where there has been difficulty in finding senior counsels available to travel to defend serious cases.
Roslyn Dee: Theres a new little boy in the family, and he has made me so happy to take on the grandparent mantle
Two of Natalie McNallys brothers will be walking from Craigavon to Croke Park next week in honour of their sister, and to raise money for a young Co Armagh man who is currently battling aggressive brain cancer.

Natalie McNally was 32 years old and 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed in her Lurgan home in December 2022.

A trial date for her murder suspect, Stephen McCullagh, has been set for Monday, September 9.

Now that the Armagh GAA team have made it to their first All-Ireland final since 2002, two of Natalies siblings  Niall and Declan McNally  will be walking from the Orchard county to Dublin to raise money for Womens Aid in their sisters memory.

They will also be contributing funds raised to Care For Caolan, an initiative set up to help young Gaelic footballer Caolan Finnegan (20).

Caolan is from Crossmaglen in Co Armagh and played for both his club and county, as well as St Colmans College in Newry.

Last August, Stringer as he is widely known, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Days after playing in the Armagh senior championship for his club Crossmaglen Rangers v Clan na Gael, he was preparing for surgery to remove a brain tumour.

In March, a GoFundMe appeal was launched for Caolan to help fund treatment abroad.

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Despite raising over 100,000 initially, his family requires significantly more financial support as his treatment in Germany has cost around 125,000  approximately 50,000 more than originally quoted.

Subsequent treatments abroad will also cost in the region of 75,000 per visit.

The online fundraising page has so far raised almost 300,000.

Niall McNally said: "As Armagh reach their first All-Ireland football final in 21 years we thought we would mark the occasion by doing something special.

So me and my brother Declan will take on the task of walking from Craigavon to Croke Park in time for the final on Sunday, July 28.

We will be raising money for Womens Aid Armagh/Down as we have been doing since we tragically lost our sister Natalie McNally in December 2022.

We will be splitting the fundraising for the Care for Caolan Fund.

"Caolan Finnegan from Crossmaglen is currently in a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer from August 2023 and will require a lot of funding to help him fight this battle and get the treatment he needs.

Its been amazing to see how much the Armagh GAA Community has got behind this cause [and] we wanted to do our part too.

Armagh will play Galway on July 28 in Croke Park for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title and the Sam Maguire Cup.

Throw-in for the game is scheduled for 3.30pm.

The McNally brothers will begin their trek to the home of GAA on Wednesday, July 24, beginning at 10am from Craigavon Leisure Centre.

On their first day they will travel to Newry, then Dundalk, Drogheda, and Ashbourne, before eventually reaching Croker on the fifth day.

You can follow their journey and donate to their JustGiving page here.
A shocking story: Micheal Martin cancels visit to Kenyan township after bodies of nine women found as suspected serial killer arrested

Up to 42 murders have been linked to suspect, who was arrested in sting operation

Workers remove sacks containing human remains from a quarry in Kware, near Nairobi. Photo: AP

Senan Molony Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 03:30







Tanaiste Micheal Martin has cancelled a visit to a Kenyan township today amid a continuing police operation following the arrest of a suspected serial killer.
LATEST | Starmer to attend Ireland-England soccer game in Dublin with Taoiseach as part of reset of Anglo-Irish relations

Meeting came after a day in which the British Labour government revealed that the Troubles Legacy Act introduced by its Tory predecessors will be scrappedAnnual summit will be held between the Irish and British governments and focus on Anglo-Irish issues as the two countries reset relations

Taoiseach Simon Harris meets British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Chequers

Gabija Gataveckaite Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 21:00







British prime minister Keir Starmer is to attend an Ireland versus England soccer game in the Aviva Stadium as he begins work on repairing the damage done to Anglo-Irish relations after Brexit.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet today for their first bilateral in Chequers, the country house of the British prime minister.

The Taoiseach has promised to reset the Anglo-Irish relationship between the two leaders in a bid to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Mr Harris will travel to Chequers to meet Mr Starmer, where the two men will have an official bilateral meeting and a working dinner.

They are expected to discuss Northern Ireland, as well as the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

Mr Harris will update Mr Starmer on EU priorities and both leaders are expected to discuss their commitments to the Good Friday Agreement, as well as the importance of the Stormont Executive being up and running.

The Taoiseach will also attend a meeting of the European Political Community in Blenheim Palace on Thursday, which European leaders - including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who Mr Harris met in Shannon Airport last Saturday - will attend.

The summit provides an opportunity for the UK to engage with European leaders as it no longer attends EU meetings in Brussels.

The invitation extended to me by Prime Minister Starmer to meet with him at Chequers is a strong signal of the value he attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead, said Mr Harris.

I look forward to getting to know the Prime Minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time. I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.
Hidden Spain - five holiday hotspots where you can avoid crowds (and tourist trap prices)

Spain is expecting close to 100m visitors this year. Heres how to avoid the crowds...

San Martino on the Atlantic Cies Islands in Spain. Photo: O. Alamany & E. Vicens / Getty

Elizabeth Bennett UK Independent Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 03:30

Spain has long been a favourite of Irish holidaymakers. Whether its the Costa Del Sol and Canary Islands beaches, the party towns of Ibiza and Mallorca or the cities of Barcelona and Seville, however, the majority of travellers head to the same select few destinations.
Aer Lingus returns to full service today, with a side of flash sales

As Aer Lingus pivots from damage control to full service mode, the airline is running a flash sale aimed at getting passengers back booking flights.

A sale running to July 18 offers up to 25pc off European flights, with fares to North America from 199 each-way, when booked as part of a return trip.

Terms and conditions apply, of course, and sale fares provide varying value depending on the time and routes selected.

The offers on short-haul routes are valid for travel from July 20 to September 30, while the North American sale applies to flights from August 1 to October 6.

Aer Lingus bookings tanked during an industrial relations dispute with pilots that saw more than 600 flights cancelled over several weeks.

Aer Lingus pilots on an eight-hour strike at Dublin Airport on June 29 (Evan Treacy/PA)

Following talks, the Labour Court issued recommendations including a 17.75pc pay increase for pilots over a four-year period. Aer Lingus has said it would accept these, while Ialpa members start voting on the proposal tomorrow, with the ballot closing on July 23.

On the airlines website, a red travel disruption banner has been replaced by sale notices, and sunnier language in press releases promises golden beaches in Faro, the Olympic games in Paris, stunning Santorini sunsets, vibrant nightlife in Palma, or exploring the Cote d'Azur in Nice.

Aer Lingus now flies 19 North American routes, including new services to Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Las Vegas  the latter set for take off in October.

Not to be outdone, Ryanair has also launched a new 48-hour flash sale, with fares from 21.99 available to book until midnight on July 17 on its website.

Summer is delivering some amazing weather across Europe, and what better opportunity to soak it up than by bagging a bargain Ryanair flight to one of our 250+ destinations with Ryanairs latest 48-hour flash sale, said Jade Kirwan, Ryanairs Head of Communications.

Ryanair's cheapest fares - try the 'fare finder' hiding in plain sight

Prior to the Aer Lingus dispute, one of the summer trends noted by Irish travel agents was an upswing in late bookings, and a dip in peak season airfares.

How the industrial action affects that remains to be seen.

In other news, Shannon and Cork airports are to receive a State investment of 4.225m to support sustainability plans.

The funding follows a mid-term review of the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025, which supports connectivity through Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports.

Overall passenger traffic across regional airports last year was up 9pc compared with 2019, it found.

Going forward, actions will include consultations to consider the potential for a start-up aid Scheme for airlines to support more regional routes.

5.6m in capital funding was announced for Ireland West, Kerry and Donegal airports this April, with further operational supports of 4m due later this year.
Ellen Coyne: Powers-that-be must talk to entire Coolock community, not just those they agree with

Taoiseach says protests over asylum seekers being housed were 'hijacked' by thugs

Ellen Coyne Wed 17 Jul 2024 at 03:30

It turns out thugs are native to nowhere. Thugs dont live in villages or towns, but on the border of mindless violence. Thugs apparently roam around Ireland with bricks in their hands, looking for a good place from which to throw them.
Michael Sampson and Olena Kharchenko with their children's book, Story of Ukraine: an Anthem of Glory and Freedom

The authors of a bilingual childrens book in Ukrainian and English will host a reading session this weekend in Dublin.

Michael Sampson and Olena Kharchenko will be reading from their book, Story of Ukraine: an Anthem of Glory and Freedom, at the Ukrainian Action Ireland Community Centre in Rathmines on Sunday, July 21 at 12pm.

The book aims to help people around the world learn more Ukraine. It walks readers through each line of the Ukrainian national anthem, the lyrics of which carry deep meaning for many Ukrainians, full of passion, strength and determination.

Mr Sampson is a well-known childrens book author and Professor at St John's University in New York, while his wife Olena, from Dnipro in Ukraine, is a graduate of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University.

Olga Khoroshevska, manager at the community centre, is delighted this event is taking place in Dublin this weekend.

For us, its important for kids to keep their language, and books help because reading helps to keep the language alive, she told the Irish Independent.

We have a pretty big library of Ukrainian books for kids and adults in our community centre.

Its great because both books are in English and Ukrainian, so they can share this book with their classmates or discuss it at school. It would be useful for both Ukrainian kids and Irish kids as well.

The centre was created in 2022 as a place for Ukrainians fleeing the war to make friends, talk to each other, get to know more information about Ireland and Dublin, study English, and do other activities.

There was a Go Fund Me for Ukrainian books for kids set up back when the war started, Olga added. So Ukrainian books have been coming to Ireland since February 2022.

This weekend were going to talk with kids about books, about climate change, ecology, Ukraine, and do some arts and crafts. We will be doing some Ukrainian traditional crafts and then some eco-friendly arts and crafts.

Were going to use lids from bottles to create different funny creatures because the books talk about how its important to separate garbage to recycle because it all influences climate and the planet we're living on.

Every Ukrainian family attending on Sunday will each receive a gift of a signed copy of the book.
Nick Seymour, who owns a coffee shop in Ranelagh, introduced this simple measure to try and bring some heart back to the local community.

His grandmother often felt the older generation, who went through so much and have given everything to society, are the first to be forgotten and a lot of them drop out of daily contact.

With local post offices and corner shops fading away, Mr Seymour feels it is important to have a social space for everybody to sit and chat.

Weve been doing this for a long time in Ranelagh. Our ethos in Nicks Coffee is all about community. We look after the old and the young as much as we can, Company Manager Valerie McHugh told the Irish Independent.

The over-65s can get any coffee they want. Over 65 isnt old, but we get people over 80 coming in early in the morning, theyre regulars.

Weve afternoon groups too that come in and chat, its a community hub. It doesnt cost them a penny.

Back in September 2021, Nicks closed their Ranelagh hatch after 12 years. The coffee shop had a queue around the corner each day and customers were devastated to see it go.

But they got their new Ranelagh home in 2022 in the old Arts Centre.

We have a community art wall that people can put their work on free of charge, Valerie said.

Its to get people who arent that confident, who want to get their art up and out there. Its also available for old aged pensioners if they are any way creative, they can hang their art on the wall.
Launching the Regional Infrastructure Tracker for the Northern and Western Reigon on the N17 Collooney to Ireland West Airport Knock route are John Daly, NWRA economist, Cathaoirleach Jarlath Munnelly, NWRA directror Denis Kelly and Cllr Niamh Kennedy, Donegal County Council. Picture:James Connolly.

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is urging the government to fast-track the delivery of 13 major infrastructure projects in the Northern and Western Region of Ireland after a new study found that the region is now on par with the least well-off areas of Europe in terms of infrastructure.

New research by the NWRA has revealed that investment in transport, health, education, housing and energy infrastructure in the Northern and Western Region is languishing far below that of its counterparts in Ireland and across the continent  with transport infrastructure ranked the 17th worst of 234 European regions.

To address these infrastructure deficits, the NWRA believes a policy of Positive Discrimination is needed to deliver regional equality across Ireland and to take pressure off an ever-expanding Greater Dublin Area.

Such a policy would involve creating a Ministry for Regional Development which would have a significant budget for delivering key infrastructure priorities across the regions.

Many countries  such as Australia, Canada, Japan, France and Brazil  have created ministerial roles specifically focused on addressing regional development inequities.

The organisations Regional Infrastructure Tracker has for the first time harnessed data from public and private sources to reveal that, since 2016, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland has received less than 10% of the nationwide total investment in infrastructure projects worth more than 1m, and just 5.7% of investment from infrastructure projects worth more than 20m, despite accounting for 17.6% of Irelands population.

In contrast, the Eastern and Midlands Region of Ireland received 66.5% of investment from projects worth more than 1m, and 75% of those worth more than 20m.

As the Eastern and Midlands Region accounts for less than 50% of the population of Ireland, the NWRA believes the figures reveal an obvious bias towards the Greater Dublin Area.

The NWRA is one of three regional assemblies in Ireland and represents counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway.

The Northern and Western Region of Ireland is officially classified as a Transition Region as it has a GDP per capita between 75% and 100% of the EU average, the only region in Ireland to hold such a status. However, the NWRAs research has found that, in terms of competitiveness, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland ranks below some regions categorised as less developed, which are regions with a GDP per capita less than 75% of the EU average.

To bridge the growing infrastructure deficit, the NWRA is demanding that the government ringfence more than half of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Northern and Western Region of Ireland and prioritise 13 infrastructure projects for the region.

These include the delivery of the Donegal T-Ten road projects and N17 Knock to Collooney Road Scheme, and the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Collooney.

The report estimates that the total capital cost of delivering these 13 priority projects would range from 4.8 billion to 6.8 billion, which would deliver transformative benefits in areas of climate action, regional development and the all-island economy, while costing considerably less than the overall cost of the Dublin Metro.

The reports other key findings include:

The Northern and Western Region ranks 218th out of 234 NUTS 2 regions in terms of transport infrastructure. Its Regional Competitiveness Index score is like less developed regions in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Patients presenting at Emergency Departments across the Northern and Western Region of Ireland are waiting longer to be admitted or discharged than the national average, with more than half of attendees at Galway University Hospital (51%) waiting more than 12 hours.

Some 6,950 households on the waiting list for social housing supports from the Northern and Western Region of Irelands local authorities  a number considerably higher than the 1,143 new social housing units produced in the region last year, with below average allocations in each year since 2016.

There are two SFI Research Centres in the Northern and Western Region but none outside Galway City.

Just 79% of households along the Border, and 83% in the West, have a fixed broadband connection. This is below the State average of 86%.

More than a quarter of settlements (25.2%) in the region have no spare treatment capacity for wastewater treatment, while the increase in onshore wind generation in Donegal and Sligo risks overloading the existing energy infrastructure.

The report also calls for a Citizens Assembly to examine how more autonomy can be given to local authorities and regional assemblies to address their own infrastructure deficits.

As this work is undertaken, the report recommends that a Minister for Regional Development should be designated with a significant budget for delivering key infrastructure priorities.

Denis Kelly, Director with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: We need to grow the economy in a manner that benefits all regions  not just the few. Adopting a regional approach for the revised National Planning Framework will be crucial to overcoming these sizeable infrastructure deficits in the Northern and Western Region.

Delivering on these 13 priority infrastructure projects will go a long way in achieving this. These absolutely essential  and urgent - projects include the Donegal Ten-T Projects, the N2 Clontibret to the Border and the A5 road scheme  and the expansion of higher and research education infrastructure assets in the region.

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly, Cathaoirleach with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: Without this type of regional approach in Ireland, we will inevitably see greater pressures being placed on the Greater Dublin Area  undermining the quality of life of its residents through excessive demand on public services, higher housing costs and urban sprawl  while also further blunting the economic potential of regions such as the Northern and Western region of Ireland.

John Daly, Economist with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: Given the exceptional growth of the Irish economy  and the abundance of exchequer returns in recent years  it is remarkable that the Northern and Western Region of Ireland is in the bottom 20 EU Regions in terms of transport infrastructure. With notable underinvestment also evident across the regions higher education, research, water, road and rail network, it is no surprise to see that regional inequalities in Ireland have continued to rise as population, employment and income growth remains overly concentrated around the Greater Dublin Area.

In addition to this, the level of underinvestment in the region also has the potential to contribute to greater political discontent, with ample research from the OECD noting that rising regional inequalities tend to undermine the trust of regional voters in national governments and lead voters to more extreme political parties or choices.

All this considered, the delivery of our 13 priority infrastructure projects  at a cost of between 4.8 to 6.8 billion  represents significant value for money for the State in the long-term, with the delivery of these projects having the potential to rejuvenate our region, while simultaneously supporting our climate targets and growing the all-island economy; all at a cost considerably lower compared to, for example, the latest cost estimates for Dublin Metro, he said.
The Welsh crew were greeted by family, friends and supporters upon their return to Porthdinllaen Bay at 7pm on Saturday evening.

Wicklow RNLI lent their support to a Welsh crew from Porthdinllaen RNLI lifeboat Station as they set off on a gruelling 16 hour row across the Irish Sea.

The crew took on the Irish Sea challenge - Wicklow to Porthdinllaen 2024, which involved a distance of 54 nautical miles, as part of their 160th anniversary celebrations the 160th anniversary of the first Lifeboat to be stationed at Porthdinllaen and to celebrate the 200th year of the RNLI.

The funds raised will assist them in raising much needed funds to allow Porthdinllaen RNLI to continue to save lives at sea for another 160 years and beyond.

The crew departed from Wicklow Lifeboat Station at 3am bright and early on Saturday morning as they boarded the Pembrokeshire longboat and set off across the Irish Sea.

As they neared their destination, the Porthdinllaen RNLI Lifeboat was launched to escort the rowers back into Porthdinllaen Bay.

They arrived home at 7pm, tired but elated over their achievement, and were greeted by family members and friends keen to congratulate them on their accomplishment. So far the efforts of the crew has raised 5,010 and donations are still being accepted at the Porthdinllaen RNLI Irish Sea challenge - Wicklow to Porthdinllaen 2024 JustGiving fundraising page.
Johnny Depp pays tribute to his ex-partner Vanessa Paradis in new artworks inspired by tarot cards.

The four artworks, titled The Lovers, The Emperor, The Empress and Strength reference the ancient card deck, with one featuring the mother of Depps two children.

The couple were together for 14 years before their split in 2012 and are parents to actress Lily-Rose Depp and actor Jack Depp.

Johnny Depps four tarot card paintings (Jas Lehal/PA)

Depp said: Ive always been tremendously curious about tarot and theres a great art to the cards dating back to forever ago.

He added: These are things that identify certain periods in my life, each of these cards, each of the paintings are my idea of my tarot set.

The Empress features Paradis wearing a burnished crown and takes inspiration from a painting he did that was used for the cover of her studio album Divinidylle.

He said of the artwork: Of course it is the image of Vanessa, the mother of the children. We have been very, very close for almost a few decades and I know her, I know who she is inside. Shes kind of everything that I could never be.

The Emperor and The Empress, which is inspired by Vanessa Paradis (Jas Lehal/PA)

It looks like a crown that has weathered storms. It shows a certain courage and strength of commitment and then whatever is happening in the world behind her, she still shines. The crown has been through a lot, she still shines.

Paradis previously spoke out in Depps defence during his high-profile UK legal battle in 2020, saying that allegations of domestic violence made against the actor by his ex-wife Amber Heard were false facts.

She said in a witness statement that he was a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.

Another painting in the set, titled The Lovers, shows a couple with the male figure holding a red rose and Depp described it as the beginning of the story.

Johnny Depp said he has always been interested in tarot art (Jas Lehal/PA)

The Emperor shows a faceless figure, with only red lips and rouge on his cheeks and Depp said he is not to be trusted, while Strength shows an elephant and is inspired by a large-scale painting Depp created when Paradis was heavily pregnant.

He said of the animal: They dont live with any sort of menace in their bones and are protective their own to the bitter end.

The collection will go on sale with Castle Fine Art from July 18.

Ian Weatherby-Blythe, managing director of Castle Fine Art, said: This latest collection from Johnny Depp is perhaps his most revealing and evocative.

The four artworks are clearly deeply personal and showcase Johnnys formidable skills as an artist.

The works will be available through www.castlefineart.com and their nationwide UK galleries.
Johnny Depp has been romantically linked to Russian model and beautician Yulia Vlasova, who is more than 30 years his junior.

The 61-year-old Pirates Of The Caribbean actor and Vlasova (28) are said to be keeping their relationship casual and not labelling it as boyfriend-girlfriend, according to People magazine.

Depp and Vlasova were photographed together in Instagram posts that the model later deleted, some of which were captured by The Daily Mail.

In one post, Vlasova, who owns a makeup and hairstyling studio in Prague, described Depp as incredibly talented and inspiring.

The pair reportedly first met at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in August 2021.

In July 2022, Vlasova was seen with Depp at a concert in Prague for his late friend, musician Jeff Beck, not long after his defamation case victory against ex-wife Amber Heard and subsequent European tour.

Photos from the event show the two posing playfully, with Depp kissing her on the cheek in one selfie.

Yulia Vlasova

Although Vlasova has not confirmed their relationship, she has hinted that they are an item in various Instagram posts, now removed.

Earlier this year she responded to an Instagram Q&A about her favourite actor by sharing a photo of their hands resting on each others legs, stating: JD. He is a man who is incredibly talented and inspiring.

A source has also told The Evening Standard that they spotted the pair together at a private bash in LA and said Vlasova looked smitten with Depp, and that the actor introduced her to pals as stunning Yulia.

Depp is said to have been largely off the dating scene for the past few years.

The star, who previously dated supermodel Kate Moss, was married to Lori Anne Allison in the 1980s, and later to Amber Heard from 2015-17.

He and actress Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his two children daughter Lily-Rose (25) and son Jack (22), were together for 14 years before their split in 2012. An insider told People in May that Depp is focusing more on his health and wellbeing while living in London.

Theres a lot of good energy, and he surrounds himself with a good group of people, the insider said.

Following the high-profile defamation trial against Heard, who accused him of abuse, he has secured new film roles and toured with his band.
Two British citizens are feared to be the victims in a double murder after two bodies were found with gunshot wounds in a burnt-out rental car in Sweden, according to local reports.
The image was captured 30 minutes before the shooting

A police sniper took a picture of Thomas Matthew Crooks roughly 30 minutes before the 20-year-old squeezed off multiple rounds at Donald Trump during a rally on Saturday  one of several potentially missed opportunities to stop the would-be assassin, according to reports.

Crooks, a loner who is said to have been rejected by his high-school shooting club for being such a bad shot that he was considered dangerous, was spotted on the roof of the American Glass Research building by members of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit some 30 minutes before the first bullet flew, Pittsburghs WPXI-TV reported.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

A sudden cholera outbreak has been reported in Pakistan's Dir Upper district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Local health officials told The Express Tribune that as many as 211 patients were admitted in a day in District Headquarters Hospital Dir.

There is a lack of facilities at the DHQ hospital which causes trouble for patients and even attendants.

Patients have been forced to purchase essential medicines from the open market because the hospital does not have them in stock, reported The Express Tribune.

The hospital is struggling due to a high influx of patients.
Kolkata: A branch of the century-old Asam Sahitya Sabha was inaugurated in Kolkata on Monday in the presence of its president Dr Surya Kanta Hazarika at the Assam Bhavan.

He described it as a historic occasion because the age of romanticism and development of modern Assamese literature is closely associated with the city.

We have branches in Delhi, Mumbai, soon to be opened in Ahmedabad, and even in North America but not in next-door Kolkata so far though we have had cultural and literary bonding for ages between Assam and Bengal, he said.

Journalist Ranjita Biswas has been elected vice-president of the newly formed Asam Sahitya Sabha, Kolkata.

In the 19th century, at the height of Bengal renaissance, bright young students from Assam travelled to Kolkata (then Calcutta) for higher studies as there was no such institution in Assam till then. Stalwarts like Chandraprasad Agarwala, Lakshminath Bezborua, Padmanath Gohain Baruah while coming in touch with the litterateurs started a magazine called Jonaki in 1889 which set forth the Jonaki Yug initiating the romantic age in modern Assamese literature.

The roots of Asam Sahitya Sabha, a non-governmental and non- profit organisation, established in 1917 lies in that movement. It encouraged a sense of pride and nationalism during colonial times and since then has been playing a crucial role in nurturing Assamese literature and socio-cultural life in the north east.

Today it has more than a thousand branches at home and abroad.

The evolution of the organisation can be traced back to two earlier Kolkata-based bodies - Asamiya Bhasa Unnati Sadhini Sabha and Assamese Literary Society which had been established by a few Assamese students.

Today we are looking at re-establishing those bonds of literary traditions between Bengal and Assam through a free exchange of ideas, translations of books from Assamese to Bengali and vice versa. There is scope for exploring many such programmes related to the socio-cultural arena in both the states. We look forward to collaborating with the Kolkata branch in such efforts in the future, Hazarika said.

An eleven member executive committee has been formed to implement future programmes.

On the occasion was also launched Amar Lakshminath, (and also its Bengali translation) written by Prafulla Barman, president Asam Sahitya Sabha, Guwahati.
Photo courtesy: Mahua Moitra Facebook page

Kolkata/IBNS: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra has cleared she will keep on "speaking out" against Governor CV Ananda Bose despite the Calcutta High Court restraining West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from making defamatory remarks against the Constitutional head of the state.

Moitra, a firebrand leader of TMC, tagged her party chief in an X post which reads, "Unbelievable. Governor will molest & sexually harass women in Rajbhavan premises, claim constitutional immunity & state CM is told to not comment on it!! Sorry we celebrate Samvidhan Diwas everyday & well keep speaking out."

Unbelievable. Governor will molest & sexually harass women in Rajbhavan premises, claim constitutional immunity & state CM is told to not comment on it!! Sorry we celebrate Samvidhan Diwas everyday & well keep speaking out. @MamataOfficial  Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 16, 2024

The Calcutta High Court Tuesday restrained Banerjee from making any defamatory remark against Governor Bose, noting the freedom of speech is "not an unfettered right" under which such statements can be made.

"The defendants are restrained from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against the plaintiff (the Governor) by way of publication and on social platforms till 14th August 2024," the court, which will next hear the case on August 14, said.

"If at this stage, an interim order is not granted it would give the free hands to the defendants to continue making defamatory statements against the plaintiff and continue to tarnish the reputation of the plaintiff," it added.

Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu, in a statement, said the court order will be challenged before a higher bench.

The court said that the right to freedom of speech and expression is "not an unfettered right in the garb of which defamatory statements can be made to tarnish the reputation of a person".

Bose had sought to restrain Banerjee, two newly elected MLAs, and another Trinamool Congress leader from issuing remarks in connection with alleged incidents at Raj Bhavan.

The Bengal Governor filed a defamation suit against Mamata Banerjee's comment that women had expressed fear about visiting the Raj Bhavan.

The CM made the remark while expressing her displeasure over the confusion regarding the oath-taking ceremony of two newly elected party MLAs. She had backed their decision of not accepting the Governor's invitation to go to Raj Bhavan and attend the oath ceremony there.

The MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar had written to him seeking the oath-taking ceremony to be held at the assembly.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had alleged harassment by Bose following which the Kolkata Police also started a probe. Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a Governor during his or her term in office.

Bose has criticised Banerjee's remarks for creating "erroneous and slanderous impressions".

On Tuesday, Justice Krishna Rao said that the Governor being a Constitutional Authority "cannot meet the personal attacks being made by the defendants against him by taking the benefit of social media platforms."

During the July 15 hearing, the Trinamool Congress chief stood by her statement and said, through her lawyer, that her remarks were a fair comment on issues of public interest and not defamatory.

Banerjee's lawyer submitted that she merely echoed the apprehensions of women over certain alleged activities in Raj Bhavan.

Besides the Chief Minister, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh and MLAs Sayantika Banerjee from Baranagar and Reyat Hossain Sarkar from Bhagawangola have been named in the suit.
Photo courtesy: Suvendu Adhikari X handle

Kolkata/IBNS: In a comment potential enough to catch the saffron party off-guard, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday gave call to stop "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" slogan and do away with the minority cell of the party.

Adhikari made the comment at the BJP's working committee meeting in Kolkata.

Addressing the leaders and workers, Adhikari said, "We will win, save Hindus and the Constitution. I had spoken in favour of nationalist Muslims and gave 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Saath' slogan. But I won't say that again.

"I will now give a call to work for them who are with us. Stop 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. There is no need for the minority wing."

BJP WB LoPs audacious snub to PM @narendramodi! No more facade of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas



Jo Hamare Sath Hum Unka Sath - Suvendus the new mantra of Muslim exclusion & divisive politics.



He also calls for the dissolution of @BJP4Bengal Minority Morcha. pic.twitter.com/vD5YwDUodH  Nilanjan Das (@NilanjanDasAITC) July 17, 2024

Adhikari's remarks caught the glare as the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is a slogan which has been given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the supreme leader in the BJP.

Later in a clarification, Adhikari said, "My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who dont stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them."

"Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldnt divide people in majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Ministers call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.," the Nandigram MLA, who defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2021, added.

My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who dont stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we  Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 17, 2024

Slamming Adhikari's remark, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta posted on X, "... Guess hes stature is probably taller than Mr. Modi in BJP! He also says "Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath" & there is no need of Minority Morcha in BJP.

"Which essentially means @BJP4India is a party only for the Hindus and there is no place for Muslims in it. This is Unconstitutional & Anti National! Waiting for @narendramodi @AmitShah & @JPNaddas remark!!"

The @BJP4Bengal LOP @SuvenduWB Deviates from "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" Slogan of Sh. @narendramodi himself



Guess hes stature is probably taller than Mr. Modi in BJP!



He also says "Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath" & there is no need of Minority Morcha in BJP.



Which pic.twitter.com/SvXDDx3TS9    (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) July 17, 2024

This was the first working committee meeting of the BJP since the Lok Sabha poll drubbing.

Despite much hype and repeated campaigns by Prime Minister Modi, the BJP suffered a jolt as its tally tanked from the previous figure of 18 to 12, failing to stop the Trinamool Congress juggernaut.
Photo Courtesy: S Jaishankar X Page

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth expressed hope that the overall scope of space cooperation between India and his nation may foster a new era that might flow of data relating to the territory.

He commented during the inauguration of projects and the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Mauritius in Port Louis.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was present on the occasion.

Pravind Jugnauth was quoted as saying by ANI, This morning, I had a bilateral meeting with His Excellency, Dr Jaishankar. During this, we had truthful discussions on the future contours of a strategic partnership between Mauritius and India. A moment ago, we proceeded with an e-inauguration of 12 high-impact community development projects which will benefit the entire population.

Speaking about the exchange of project plan document for India-Mauritius joint satellite between ISRO and MRIC, Jugnauth said, Following the launching ceremony, we had exchange of instruments, cooperation which relate to development of National institute for curriculum research, Mauritius for the Mauritius Institute of Education, the digitisation of the Indian immigration archives at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and the Chair for Sanskrit and Indian philosophy at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, the exchange of the project plan document for India-Mauritius joint satellite between the Indian Space Research Organisation and Mauritius Research and Innovation Council.

Jugnauth said, The overall scope of the India-Mauritius space cooperation will foster a new era, which will allow the flow of data pertaining to our territory, the establishment of India-Mauritius space portal providing value-added services and will unlock new avenues for the utilisation of space technologies. Mauritius remains committed to maximise the use of renewable energy as laid out in the renewable energy roadmap 2030. I know we can count on Indias support in achieving these objectives.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Uttar Pradesh BJP

New Delhi/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning an organisational rejig in Uttar Pradesh after its poor show in the politically-significant state in the Lok Sabha election, media reports said.

State BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary has taken responsibility for the party's poor show and offered to step down during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday, NDTV quoting sources reported.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the PM at his residence to discuss the next move.



Over the past few days, key BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh have flown into the national capital and are holding meetings with the party brass.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP national president JP Nadda, fuelling the buzz over a big revamp.

According to reports, the Prime Minister discussed key organisation issues with the Uttar Pradesh BJP president.

The BJP, it is learnt, is keen on having an OBC leader as its state chief as it prepares to bounce back from the poll setback and prepare for the 2027 state polls.

The incumbent, Chaudhary, is a Jat leader from Moradabad and was given the role in 2022 to quell the resentment against the BJP within the community.

The BJP suffered a big debacle in Uttar Pradesh in this general election, with its score dropping from 62 in 2019 to 33 this time as the main Opposition Samajwadi Party made big gains.

The BJP has won the last two state polls in Uttar Pradesh and will leave no stone unturned to score a hat-trick.
Representational image/ courtesy: Pixabay

Indian Navy's warship INS Teg has rescued nine crew members out of 16, who went missing after an oil tanker capsized off the coast of Oman.

The navy warship was deployed for the search and rescue assistance for the capsized oil tanker.

Of the nine members rescued, eight are Indians and one is from Sri Lanka.

The entire crew of MT Falcon Prestige, a Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah near the port town of Duqn in Oman. Three Sri Lankan nationals were among the 16 crew members.

The operations are being conducted in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough seas and strong winds.

Updates regarding the recent capsizing incident of the Comoros flagged oil tanker southeast of Ras Madrakah pic.twitter.com/PxVLxlTQGD    | MARITIME SECURITY CENTRE (@OMAN_MSC) July 16, 2024

The Navy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in the search for survivors.

The oil tanker was en route to the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to marinetraffic.com.

After being capsized, the oil tanker transmitted a distress call around 10 pm on July 15 off the coast of Oman, said reports.
Image Instagrammed by Aanvi Kamdar

Raigad/IBNS: A 26-year-old Instagram influencer died after falling into a gorge at Kumbhe waterfall near Maharashtra's Raigad on Wednesday.

Aanvi Kamdar, a resident of Mumbai, fell into a 300-foot gorge while shooting a reel, media reports said.

She had embarked on a trip with seven friends to the waterfall on July 16. The outing took a tragic turn around 10.30 am Wednesday when Aanvi slipped into a deep crevice while shooting a video.

Local authorities swiftly responded to the emergency, and a rescue team rushed to the scene.

Additional support was sought from the Coast Guard, Kolad rescue team, and Maharashtra State Electricity Board staff.

After a six-hour rescue operation, Aanvi was rescued from the gorge but died due to severe injuries sustained in the fall at the Managaon sub-district hospital after she was brought in.

In the aftermath, local authorities, including the Tehsildar and Managaon police inspector, appealed to tourists and citizens alike to enjoy tourism responsibly and prioritise safety while exploring the Sahyadri ranges.

They emphasised the need to avoid risky behaviours that could endanger lives.
Photo courtesy: SVF

Kolkata/IBNS: Tollywood superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee and actor Anirban Bhattacharya, who blew the audience's mind with their chemistry in last year's Durga Puja release, Dawshom Awbotaar, are set to be back as a duo onscreen.

Prosenjit and Anirban will feature in a new avatar under the direction of Rahool Mukherjee.

Photo courtesy: SVF

The announcement was made by the makers- SVF- on Wednesday.

Apart from the two, veteran actor Rajatava Dutta, actresses Aparajita Adhya and Priyanka Sarkar also play pivotal roles in the film.

Photo courtesy: SVF

The title of the film is yet to be finalised.

Prosenjit Chatterjee and Anirban Bhattacharya played cops in Srijit Mukherji's Dawshom Awbotaar, which was a prequel to the director's Baishe Srabon and Vinca Da.

Photo courtesy: SVF
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

At least six people, including an Indian national, died and 28 others were injured in a shooting close to a mosque in Omans Wadi Al-Kabir region, police said on Wednesday.

At least one police officer was among those killed in Monday evenings attack and more than two dozen people of various nationalities were injured, including four Omani first responders, Royal Oman Police was quoted as saying by CNN.

According to reports, the attack occurred close to Imam Ali mosque.

Also Read: USA: Homeless man, who was carrying knives, shot dead by cops outside Republican Event

The attack took place at the Shiite mosque during Ashura, the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which holds particular significance for Shiite Muslims, CNN reported.

Police said three perpetrators were identified and killed during the exchange of fire.

Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Update on the casualties in the attack on Imam Bargah in Muscat, Oman

our Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Wadi Kabeer

    

30 Pakistanis are under treatment in hospitals. pic.twitter.com/W8xZcfvRnP  Pakistan Embassy Oman (@PakinOman) July 16, 2024

The Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed one national was killed in the deadly shooting incident.

"Following the shooting incident reported in Muscat city on 15 July, Foreign Ministry of Sultanate of Oman has informed that one Indian national has lost his life & another is injured. Embassy offers its sincere condolences & stands ready to offer all assistance to the families," read the statement issued by the Embassy of India in Oman.

Pakistani Embassy in Oman said four of its nationals were killed and 30 others were injured in the attack.

Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Muscat, Oman, resulting in the loss of precious lives, including 4 Pakistani nationals. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. I have instructed the Pakistan Embassy in Muscat to extend all  Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 16, 2024

Condemning the incident, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif posted on X:"Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Muscat, Oman, resulting in the loss of precious lives, including 4 Pakistani nationals. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. I have instructed the Pakistan Embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured and visit the hospitals personally. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman & offers full assistance in the investigation."
Photo Courtesy: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is remembering the 298 people killed in the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over conflict-affected eastern Ukraine 10 years ago this Wednesday, his Spokesperson said in a statement.

The Boeing 777 flight was heading from Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, when it was shot down near the Russian border, in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels, on 17 July 2014.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members, together representing some 16 countries, were killed. The passengers included 196 Dutch nationals, according to the Government of the Netherlands.

UN chiefs appeal

On the 10th anniversary of the tragic downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, the Secretary-General recalls with sadness the 298 victims who lost their lives, the statement said.

In full solidarity with the families of the victims and in honour of their memory, the Secretary-General renews his call on all States to extend their full cooperation pursuant to Security Council resolution 2166 that was adopted in 2014, to ensure that those responsible are held to account, following the important work of the independent Joint Investigation Team.

Resolution 2166 called for a full, thorough and independent probe into the incident.

The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established in August 2014 and included Australia, Malaysia and Belgium  countries affected by the crash  as well as Ukraine.

In May 2018, the JIT determined that the missile system used to down the plane originated from a Russian brigade. At the time, Russia said that evidence did not exist to support the findings.

Trial in The Hague

The Netherlands moved to prosecute four people  three Russians and a Ukrainian - for bringing down flight MH17 and for the murder of all those on board. They were tried in absentia as both the Russian and Ukrainian constitutions do not allow extradition.

Preliminary hearings began in March 2020 at the District Court in The Hague. The trial concluded in November 2022 and three defendants were found guilty while the fourth was acquitted.

Since the crash, war in Ukraine has escalated following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. More than 11,000 people have been killed to date, though the actual number is likely to be higher.
Six tourists found dead in Thailand hotel under mysterious circumstances.Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

At least six people, including two Vietnamese Americans, were found dead inside a hotel room in Bangkok city of Thailand, media reports said.

The bodies were discovered by staff in a fifth floor room at the Grand Hyatt hotel, after the guests missed check out time by more than 24 hours, according to Thiti Saengsawang, Bangkoks Metropolitan Police commissioner, reported CNN.

Police believe the incident was not connected to robbery and their bodies did not show any signs of violence.

Thailand police are exploring a possibility that they were poisoned.

Thiti told CNN that cups with traces of a white powder were located in the room, along with untouched food that had been ordered earlier.

Police are currently searching for another person who was part of the hotel booking and remains a prime suspect.

The US State Department said it is aware of the death of two American nationals in Bangkok.

"We are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok, Thailand. We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing Tuesday.

"Whenever a U.S. citizen dies in a foreign country, local authorities are responsible for determining the cause of death," he said.

"We do reach out to local authorities often to communicate them about  to communicate with them when it involves the death of a U.S. citizen, and we will certainly be doing so here. But I would defer to the local authorities for any further comment on what I believe is an ongoing investigation," he said.
Photo Courtesy: Six people found dead inside Bangkok hotel died due to possible cyanide poisoning. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Doctors, who examined the bodies of six people who died in a Bangkok luxury hotel, found traces of cyanide in their blood.

Based on the initial post-mortem examination, they say there is "no other cause" that would explain their deaths "except for cyanide", reported BBC.

Doctors are trying to conduct further tests to determine the "intensity" of the deadly chemical and to rule out any other toxins.

Forensic investigators had earlier found traces of cyanide on the teacups used by the victims, all of them of Vietnamese origin, reported BBC.

Police suspect that one of the dead persons was behind the poisoning episode.

The victims' lips and nails had turned dark purple indicating a lack of oxygen, while their internal organs turned "blood red", which is another sign of cyanide poisoning, Professor Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Chulalongkorn University told BBC.

The housekeepers found the bodies in a hotel room of the luxury hotel in Bangkok.

Investigators believe that they had been dead for 12 to 24 hours period.

Two of the six victims had loaned "tens of millions of Thai baht" to another of the deceased for investment purposes, authorities were quoted as saying by BBC.

Ten million baht is worth close to $280,000 (215,000).

The four victims who have been identified as Vietnamese nationals are Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, her husband Hong Pham Thanh, 49, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37.

The other two dead people were identified as American nationals Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55.

The US State Department said it is aware of the death of two American nationals in Bangkok.

"We are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok, Thailand. We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing Tuesday.

"Whenever a U.S. citizen dies in a foreign country, local authorities are responsible for determining the cause of death," he said.

"We do reach out to local authorities often to communicate them about  to communicate with them when it involves the death of a U.S. citizen, and we will certainly be doing so here. But I would defer to the local authorities for any further comment on what I believe is an ongoing investigation," he said.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Ohio police have shot dead a suspected homeless man, who was armed with two knives, outside the Republican Party National Convention site in Wisconsin, media reports said on Tuesday.

The afternoon shooting happened near King Park, according to information provided by the Milwaukee County medical examiner, reported NBC News.

Police said the incident was not related to the convention.

Police did not provide the identity of the man who was killed in the incident.

Also Read: Donald Trump assassination attempt: 20-year-old shooter identified

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey B. Norman told NBC News 13 Columbus bicycle officers assigned to cover daily events associated with the convention happened to be in the neighbourhood on Tuesday, discussing the day's security plans.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a confrontation erupted between two men, one with a knife in each hand, the other unarmed, near the Columbus officers, the chief said at an evening news conference.

The officers rushed to intervene and, after the armed man allegedly failed to comply with orders to drop the knives and then charged at the other man, a number of them opened fire, Norman said.

No officer was injured in the incident.
Honey Trehans upcoming much-anticipated movie Punjab '95 starring Diljit Dosanjh is facing issues regarding certification from the Censor Board. At this point, the censor board has requested 85 cuts to be made to the film. Furthermore, sources as per a Mid-day report indicate that the board is still reluctant to issue a release certificate for the movie even though it has complied with the cuts.



Punjab '95 Removed From TIFF

The premiere of Diljit Dosanjh's film Punjab 95 was originally slated to take place at the esteemed Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). But in an unexpected development, the film was taken out of the festival's schedule. Variety stated that the film's title was removed from the festival's program, despite early reports verifying its inclusion.

All you need to know about Punjab '95, Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist who was also the director of a bank in Amritsar.



Punjab '95 plot

Many Sikhs were outraged when Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, at the time, implemented an army operation against militants at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a sacred site for them, in June 1984. After Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards killed her in October, anti-Sikh riots broke out throughout northern India. As per Variety, the police had the authority to hold suspects throughout that time. Khalra looked into the cremation of thousands of unidentified dead in Punjab.



RSVP Movies

Six police officers were detained in 2005 for the kidnapping and murder of Khalra, who vanished in 1995.



The historical name "Ghallughara," which was used to refer to the Sikh massacres in 1746, 1762, and 1984, was the initial title of the film.



Also read: 'Unexpected crossover', fans react as Justin Trudeau visits Diljit Dosanjh during his concert in Canada

Punjab '95 cast and crew

Punjab '95, which is helmed by Honey Trehan and produced by Ronnie Screwvala in collaboration with MacGuffin Pictures, also stars Surinder Vicky and Arjun Rampal in key parts.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


We all virtually attended Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's festivities via Instagram reels and videos posted by the paparazzi account. We definitely got many glimpses from the richest Indian wedding - including gifts worth Rs crores for Anant's close friends - but still, there isn't everything we know yet.

YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding on July 12 and the Mangal Utsav reception on July 15 has spilled out many other details from the wedding that we bet you didn't know.

9 inside details about Ambani's wedding we bet you didn't know

1. Road and stations at the venue

In the podcast, Ranveer revealed the entire venue looked like a long road with stations. "They had a long road built out, and stations along that road. And on each of the stations was one music superstar."



2. Multiple concerts

#WATCH | Celebrities groove at Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant's wedding ceremony in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/SA7cb6h2dT  ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2024

He also shared multiple concerts were going on at the venue. "At a normal wedding, you just walk with the whole crew and go forward. But here, the crew was stopping at every station, having a mini concert, the artist was vibing, and everyone in the baraat was also going crazy."

Also Read: From Naagin dance to arguments with staff, 13 hilarious moments that make Anant Ambani's wedding a true Desi affair

3. The venue was turned into a city

American comedian and actor Akaash Singh who attended the bash said the entire venue was turned into a city. "They took a convention centre, and built a city inside that convention centre."

4. The decoration was top-notch like a Sanjay Leela Bhansali set

Akaash Singh then revealed that the decoration inside looked larger than life - like a SLB set. "Every part of this city looked like a Sanjay Leela Bhansali set. It looked like old, beautiful India that you see in the movies. There are four different floors, and every floor serves a unique purpose that is beyond just a wedding".

5. Guests were shown a personalised ten-minute movie

The Ambanis made a personalised movie that was shown to the guests. The film was directed by Jawan director Atlee, which had a voiceover by Amitabh Bachchan. "On day two of the wedding, they released a 10-minute movie, within the wedding, for the wedding guests. It was directed by Atlee, and the voiceover was done by Amitabh Bachchan. It was a micro-movie for the wedding".

6. The Ambani family gave away designer merchandise for free

We were in a magical world, recalled Akaash Singh as he revealed that merchandise including bangles and designer sunglasses were being given free at the wedding. "Shops were giving away bangles. I heard they were giving away designer sunglasses, like Versace sunglasses. Not all of them charged. Some of them just gave you stuff. It was crazy."

Also Read: From childhood friends to pandemic partners, here's Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's adorable love story

7. 2500 dishes

Instagram

There were 2500 dishes served at the wedding. All of these dishes were pure vegetarian and from all over India and global flavours. An entire floor was dedicated to food. "It was on the floor above the wedding area. There was a floor full of food and places to eat. You enter and you see a long line, probably 300 metres, of just dessert counters. There was a pan shop, and it was run by an actual Benarasi pan shop owner. Its like they got entire restaurants and placed them within the wedding," Ranveer revealed.

#WATCH | Specially curated Varanasi street food including paan and lassi shops at Jio World Centre in Mumbai for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's 'Shubh Aashirwad' ceremony. pic.twitter.com/KzYsL09r5j  ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2024

8. There were 20 gates for guests to enter the venue

There were reportedly 20 entry gates. Celebrities were supposed to enter from Gate number 11, where the paparazzi was stationed to click their photos.

Also Read: Cost of Anant Ambani's rare dimond-studded Kalgi is twice the net worth of actress Janhvi Kapoor

9. Golf carts for guests to commute

For the unversed, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding venue was Jio World Centre, which is spread over an area of 18.5 acres. For easy commute of guests, golf carts are provided.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


The doctor who once helped Khloe Kardashian achieve her 'perfect look' was also among many other high-profile guests at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding. Doctor Raj Kanodia during the wedding was not just spotted with Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe but also clicked pictures with Bollywood stars like Shar Rukh Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, and renowned Indian designer Manish Malhotra.

What do we know about Dr. Raj Kanodia?

Who is Dr Raj Kanodia?

According to his website, Dr. Raj Kanodia is one of the leading board-certified surgeons specialising in closed rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation. He is trusted by many Hollywood celebrities, including the Kardashians, and has appeared on plastic surgeon and celebrity shows such as Dr. 90210.

The doctor serves clients from all around the world, including fashion models, politicians, other surgeons, businesspeople, and royalty.

Kardashians' connection with Dr. Kanodia

Khloe Kardashian once expressed gratitude towards Dr. Raj Kanodia for her 'perfect look.' Khloe, in an Instagram story, said, Thank you for my perfect nose.

Dr. Kanodia also once wished the model on her birthday and wrote, Wishing you another hundred years of health, happiness, and success. Khloe then reshared the post on her Instagram Stories and thanked him in return.

According to media reports, Khloe had confessed to having nose surgery. She also said that she had initially discussed it in June 2021. During an interview with Robin Roberts for an ABC special on 'The Kardashians', she said: "My whole life, I would say - I've always wanted my nose done."

Screenshot from X

Before this, she told Andy Cohen, "Everyone thinks, 'Oh my gosh, she's had her third face transplant.' But I've only had one nose job, with Dr. Raj Kanodia," before adding, "You're the first person in an interview to question me about my nose. I've had injections, but they weren't Botox. I've had a horrible reaction to Botox."

Who all were spotted with Dr. Kanodia?

Doctor Kanodia, whose Instagram profile describes him as the "King of Closed, Scarless Rhinoplasty," himself shared inside pictures of the Ambani wedding.

Kanodia shared his pictures with the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan. The doctor also clicked pictures with Janhvi Kapoor, who is often jokingly called Kim Kardashian of Bollywood, and he shared a picture of him standing with Indian designer Manish Malhotra.
We've always known the Earth to revolve around the Sun, something we learnt in our early years at school. And while the Sun still remains the heavyweight centre of our solar system, the latest claim that the Earth isn't revolving around the Sun might sound counterintuitive. That said, it's an interesting claim that questions our perspective of planetary motion. Here's what you need to know.

What is the barycentre and how does it explain the claim that the Earth does not revolve around the Sun?





Also read: Cave discovered on Moon could be ideal 'permanent base' for humans one day, claims report

In physics and astronomy, two or more bodies (planets, stars) with a centre of mass balance each other at a point called the barycentre. In simpler terms, it is the point in space around which the two objects orbit. When it comes to the Earth, its barycentre is its centre of mass, which is said to vary given the gravity of the Sun and the Moon.

In other words, the barycentre is the fulcrum on which the Sun and the Earth balance and rotate. When it comes to our solar system, the barycentre does not lie within the sun. Hence, the latest claim.

According to Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, all particles exert a gravitational force on each other and this force is directly proportional to the sum of the masses of said objects. In simpler terms, while the Sun exerts enough force on Earth to pull it into orbit, the Earth exerts a force on the Sun, too. This is important evidence that points to the presence of the barycentre. Interestingly, celestial giants like Jupiter and Saturn, each with a massive gravitational force, can sometimes drag the barycentre away from the Sun.

What has NASA said?





Also read: Can this mysterious 'hole' on Mars help humans colonise the red planet?



Along with other forces that come into play when navigating the vast expanse of space, understanding planetary motion undeniably plays an important role when planning any type of space travel.

NASA explains the whole concept succinctly on its website: "Consider a small star in orbit about a more massive one. Both stars actually revolve about a common center of mass, which is called the barycenter. This is true no matter what the size or mass of each of the objects involved. Measuring a star's motion about its barycenter with a massive planet is one method that has been used to discover planetary systems associated with distant stars. Obviously, these statements apply to a two-dimensional picture of planetary motion, which is all that is needed for describing orbits. A three-dimensional picture of motion would include the path of the Sun through space."

To further simplify this concept: the Earth doesn't technically revolve around the Sun because the barycentre doesn't lie in its centre.

Also read: Man discovers creepy 'ghost ship' abandoned 3 years ago after outbreak of deadly disease



What do you think of this? Hit us up in the comments section and let us know.



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For many of us, Camlin or Camel products evoke fond school memories. The iconic orange and yellow Camlin geometry box was a staple that accompanied us for much of our lives. Can you recall any other stationery brand that held a similar place in your heart? Camlin undeniably ruled our backpacks and our affections.



Its the end of an era with the passing of the man who brought an artistic revolution in our country. Chairman emeritus of Kokuyo Camlin, Subhash Dandekar left for his heavenly abode on July 15. He was 85.

He is solely credited with bringing colours to artists when India relied on import for this commodity. Back in 1931, he took over the reins from his father Digambar Dandekar, an ink manufacturer. Pretty soon, he started selling office stationery.

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Reflecting on his brothers legacy, Camlin chairman Dilip Dandekar shared that artists were initially apprehensive about using Camlin colors as they doubted its quality. Subhash Dandekar took it upon himself to convince them to use his colors by providing them a guarantee for their paintings and that Camlin colours would last long.



The uniqueness of the products is that they are for every age group  for the customer to associate with our brand, which was Subhashjis vision. He also expanded into writing instruments, he said as reported by Business Insider.

How Camlin transformed into a complete stationery company

When Camlin launched its colors in 1964, it established the art materials division. In 1971, the company expanded by introducing writing instruments, including stencils and geometry boxes. Additionally, it formed a joint venture with the State Development Corporation of Malaysia to distribute products in Southeast Asia.

Under Dandekars leadership, the company diversified into pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals in 1982. This division is now a separate entity led by his son, Ashish Dandekar.

Camlin was sold off to a Japanese company called Kokuyo

Kokuyu Camlin

When circumstances changed, Subash sold his brand to the Japanese company Kokuyo. Post that, Subhash served as the honorary chairman of Kokuyo Camlin.

It was 2011 when this company, which sold office furniture and office equipment, picked up a little over a 50 per cent stake in the company for Rs 366 crore. This enabled Camlin to spread its business in other countries and Kokuyo brought its products to our country.

Subhash Dandekar's education and Camlin journey

Subhash Dandekar earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the esteemed Mumbai University. In 1958, he joined Camlin as the technical director, concentrating on developing high-quality art materials in India and significantly decreasing reliance on imported goods. As a result, Subhash began researching and developing his first product: waterproof black drawing ink. The ink quickly became popular, earning praise from cartoonist Bal Thackeray for its quality.

After finding his true calling of creating such products, Subash then enrolled in a post-graduate degree course in colour chemistry at Glasgow, UK.

During this time, he visited several dye and pigment manufacturers from England and neighbouring countries to understand the nitty gritties of the business.

After returning from Glasgow, Subhash established a laboratory to develop colors specifically for the Indian market. Following an enthusiastic search, he provided artists and students with art materials, including poster colors, wax crayons, oil pastels, and watercolor cakes, which were launched in 1962.

Subhash Dandekar's legacy

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Camlin was founded in 1931 by brothers Digambar Parshuram Dandekar and Govind Parshuram Dandekar. Initially, the company produced stationery items, primarily ink powder, under the name Dandekar & Co. When Subhash Dandekar took over in 1960, the company expanded into art materials and was rebranded as Camlin. In 1988, it officially became Camlin Ltd.



As per reports, Kokuyo Camlins market capitalisation stands at Rs 1,555 crore and Camlin Fine Sciences at Rs 2,058 crore.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Joe Igbokwe, has issued warning to Igbos living in Lagos to avoid joining any nationwide protests.

He urged them to take precautionary measures, adding that the 2020 EndSars protest will not be the same as 2024.

In a post shared via his Facebook page, on Tuesday, Igbokwe added that Lagos leaders have vowed that they would never allow such an occurrence again in their abode.

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In the post titled: AN HONEST ADVICE FOR IGBO ACROSS NIGERIA ESPECIALLY IN LAGOS, the APC chieftain claimed that EndSars bandits are gathering again and are planning to cause havoc.

He alleged that the Labour Party followers are bitter over their loss in the 2023 elections and are spitting fire and brimstone once again.

He wrote: I am the leader of Ndigbo in APC Lagos. I have lived in Lagos for more than 40 yrs and I understand Lagos dynamics and politics very well.

I know what I went through and what I experienced during the #Endsars protest in Lagos in October 2020 which opened a can of worms that shook the long existing cordial relationship and understanding between Igbo and the owners of Lagos.

The Endsars bandits are gathering again and this time we see hands of Labour Party followers everywhere.

READ MORE: Court Sends 98 To Jail For Protesting Herdsmens Killings In Benue

They are yet to come to terms with the colossal loss of 2023 Presidential Elections. They are still bitter to the marrows. They are not done yet. They are gathering again. They are networking again. They are spitting fire and brimstone once again.

But dynamics have changed. It is not business as usual. But please know this and have inner peace: 2020 is not 2024. I will not speak further. Read my lips.

A lot lessons were learnt by the leaders of Lagos and they said and I witnessed it with my own two eyes that NEVER AGAIN will they allow any group of people or protesters to play the unfortunate October 2020 game in Lagos that led massive destruction of the economic nerve center and the pride of Nigeria.

The destructive Messages that were issued to them by their leader is still with the Lagos State Government.

I am speaking as an insider who has seen it all and let me say this: If you are one of those bandits trying to stage a comeback to test the will Lagos leaders and finish the unfinished business of destroying Lagos, I fear for you.

Please in the name of whatever you believe in, leave Lagos in your own interest. Read my lips and learn.

You do not tell a deaf and dumb man that war has started. If he sees others running, he will run also. History has shown the men have not learnt anything from history.
The Ekiti State branch of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has berated former governor Ayodele Fayose, over his reaction to the Supreme Courts verdict on LG financial autonomy.

Recall that Fayose, during a recent interview with Channels TV, alleged that most council officials did not take their work seriously.

Reacting to Fayoses claims on Tuesday, the Ekiti NULGE President, Oluseyi Olatunde, said that the former governor lacked ideas about the working of the LGs and deliberately impoverished the state council workers during his tenure.

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NULGE called on Fayose to withdraw the statement and tender an apology to the council workers.

He said: The statement is not the true picture of local government practice in Nigeria and in Ekiti State in particular.

It is a mere fallacy cooked up by Fayose and his like who are opposed to the realities of the local government autonomy.

READ MORE: LG Autonomy Wont Work, You Cant Take Baby From Mother  Fayose Insists

We call on Fayose to humbly withdraw the vexatious statement and tender unreserved apology to the council workers who he had discredited, blackmailed and portrayed in bad light in the eyes of right thinking public.

Council workers in Ekiti State are very productive and this is evident in the various developmental progress made so far by all the councils, including the Local Council Development Areas created in the state.

The leadership of NULGE is not surprised at the negative outburst of Fayose who, during his time as governor of Ekiti State, ran the councils like his private business and reduced the office of the council chairman to that of a puppet.

Not that alone, he impoverished local government workers through his obnoxious policy of using three federal allocations to pay a months salary, which resulted in unpaid salaries accumulating in arrears of nine months, despite the huge bailout funds the state received from the Federal Government.

The assertion that council workers dont go to work is false and should be disregarded. Council workers have been delivering optimal services at their respective councils, and where there are shortages of facilities or equipment to work with, workers in such situations are often redeployed to other beats.
Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, on Tuesday, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amid economic challenges.

He made the remark on Tuesday when the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu paid him a visit at his Iga Idugaran palace in Lagos.

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The monarch, having noted that Tinubu means well for the nation as he is a man who is grassroots focused, said: All that I am saying and appealing is that we should pray for Nigeria and the President. We should be patient. Everything good needs prayers.

Oba of Lagos also urged the youth to be closer to God noting that Nigerian youth are majorly good and hardworking.

Though, some youths are incurably lazy and are always waiting to be spoon-feed, teach them not to always wait for fish but learn how to fish themselves, he said.

READ ALSO: Its Time To Unite For Progress  Oba Akiolu Tells Tinubu, Atiku, Obi

The First Lady, who was at the palace in the company of wives of some of the South West Governors, wives of National Assembly Members, wives of some ministers and wives of service chiefs thanked the royal father for his continued support, prayers and admonitions.

I assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will do well for this country.

He loves Nigeria, he loves Nigerians and will do the best for them, she said.

The visit by Oluremi however served as an opportunity for the monarch to restate his appeal for a special status for Lagos State as the former Federal Capital of Nigeria.

Reacting, she said that the request by Oba Akiolu for the special status will get the attention of the National Assembly through the Lagos representatives.


Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, months after he was impeached by the State House of Assembly.

In the Wednesday judgment, Justice Omotoso ruled that the impeachment by the Assembly was illegal and unconstitutional.

The judge held that the impeachment was in gross violation of the Constitution.

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Aside from restoring Shaibu, the court also ordered that his salaries and allowances be paid to him from April when he was impeached as the Deputy Governor of the State.

It also directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to restore his security details.

Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly has appealed the judgement of the High Court and has filed a motion for a stay of execution pending appeal.

Wednesdays verdict came about three months after the lawmakers impeached the embattled 54-year-old as the States Deputy Governor.

The seven-man panel set up by the State Assembly had recommended his impeachment on the ground that they found Shaibu guilty of disclosure of government secrets.

READ ALSO: If Elected, Ill Pay N120,000 Minimum Wage  Ondo LP Guber Candidate

The Assembly then upheld and approved the recommendation of the seven-man panel and subsequently impeached him as the states deputy governor.

Following his sack, Shaibu faulted the lawmakers and claimed his impeachment was a threat to the countrys democracy.

This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the democracy that we hold dear

It is a dangerous descent into dictatorship and a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched because of my ambition to contest the Edo State 2024 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he had said.

Shaibu and Obaseki had been in months of battle which is believed to be the aftermath of the duos strained relationship owing to Shaibus plans to contest the Edo State governorship poll.

He contested the PDP governorship primary and declared himself a winner in a parallel poll but businessman, Asue Ighodalo was declared as the Partys flagbearer for the exercise.


A Federal Capital Territory High Court, on Tuesday, rejected an application by Godwin Emefiele, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, seeking permission to travel to the United Kingdom for a medical checkup.

Hamza Muazu, the Presiding Judge, in his ruling, held that Emefiele failed to supply sufficient materials to show that the medical trip was essential and unavoidable.

The Judge said while Emefiele claimed there was an invitation for him to travel to the UK for medical attention, he failed to tender a copy of the invitation in court.

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READ ALSO: EFCC Opposes Emefieles Request For Foreign Medical Trip Over Fear Hell Jump Bail

Noting that the former CBN governor is facing criminal charges in three other courts, the judge added that Emefiele failed to show that his ailment could not be treated in Nigeria.

Emefiele is facing multiple counts of alleged fraud and abuse of office.

In an affidavit filed before the court, Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, Emefieles counsel, sought the release of the former CBN governors passport to enable him to travel to the UK for medical treatment.

But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the application, claiming that Emefiele might be tempted to jump bail if granted.
A group of eight individuals, including a Naval Rating, have been kidnapped in Ibaka, located in Akwa Ibom states Mbo Local Government Area.

Gunmen reportedly abducted the victims on Monday night at the Classic Point Hotel in Ibaka and took them to an unknown location.

Confirming the incident Tuesday, Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Timfon John, said,

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When the police got the information, Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, led a team of security personnel to the community.

I can assure you that with that visit by the CP and other strategic approaches normalcy will return.

READ MORE: Rivers: Three Arrested For Illegal Oil Refining, Pipeline Vandalism

The Naval Authority in Akwa Ibom are yet to comment on the occurrence, which comes just days after a bus driver and 18 passengers were abducted on their way from Uyo to Port Harcourt, Rivers state, with their whereabouts unknown.


Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State, Ayodele Olorunfemi, says he will implement N120,000 as the minimum wage if elected.

The States off-cycle governorship election is scheduled for November 16.

Olorunfemi who said the cost of living in the country has gone up astronomically, noted that there is a need to pay a minimum wage that reflects socio-economic realities.

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As of 2023, when we were campaigning, we assured our people that LP would be paying a minimum of the N80,000 minimum wage in Ondo; that was before the economy got to where it is today.

With the situation in the market now, looking at the cost of living, if this state is put under our control, we shall not pay anything less than N120,000 as the minimum wage.

That is the minimum we can pay, and we believe we will be able to afford it, News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: Ondo: Father Remanded For Defiling Eight-Year-Old Daughter

He also pledged to boost the states internally generated revenue (IGR) by hiring more workers and incentivising them to be productive.

The LP candidate added that his administration would prioritise the construction of a dry port to alleviate traffic inflow into Lagos from the state and its surrounding areas, if elected.

The fact that I know is that what we have now can pay the minimum wage.

We want our workers to be productive so that more wealth can come to the state.

When we take over as LP, the first agenda item is to make sure there is a port in Ondo state to boost business and the economy.

We are working with the Alaba International Market Association in Lagos. We are going to work on how to have our own dry port to decongest Alaba International Market in Lagos.

We are getting a dry port at Ore and a very big international market that will reduce traffic inflow to Lagos, Olorunfemi said.
The impeached Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has described the Federal High Court judgement which reinstated him as a victory for democracy and rule of law.

Recall that an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice J. K. Omotosho, on Wednesday morning, upturned the removal of Shaibu by the Edo State House of Assembly.

READ MORE: Court Declares Shaibus Impeachment As Illegal, Orders Reinstatement

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Reacting to the verdict in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiena, the impeached deputy governor said that the judiciary remained the last hope of the common man.

He said: For us, its a victory for democracy and the rule of law. For mere mortals who think they can play God in the lives of others, this judgement serves as a lesson. He appoints kings and dethrons kings as it pleases Him. Those who have ears, let them hear.

For the statement hurriedly issued by the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, we see it as an affront on the judiciary, a blatant attempt to ridicule the sound judgement delivered by the Honourable Justice Omotosho of the FCT Federal High Court.

The statement smacks of arrogance of power on the part of the Edo State Government, by insisting that nothing has changed, Omobayo remains the Deputy Governor.

Nehikhare and his co-travellers should be reminded that power is transient, especially for them with less than four months to vacate office.
Students in Ogun State under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), have protested the death of Idowu Pelumi David, a student of Gateway Polytechnic killed in a fatal hit-and-run accident.

Idowu, an ND 1 Public Administration student, was reportedly crushed to death by a hit-and-run driver in front of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) camp on Ayepe-Sagumu last week.

The pupils accused a NYSC member of driving the car that murdered Idowu.

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The students protested at the Ogun State Police Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, calling for a probe into Idowus death.

The students were armed with placards with various inscriptions such as: Every live matters, We cannot be silenced on justice and Ogun Students Demands Arrest and Prosecution of NYSC State Coordinator, Diana Nasamu For Obstruction Of Justice

Speaking during the protest, the state chairman of NANS, Francis Adeyanju, said, We are here to register our displeasure over the demise of one of our students. We want to believe that justice will prevail.

We have done our investigation and we have seen the truth, but it seems these people are trying to hide something from us. The state coordinator of NYSC is trying to hide something from us, she is hiding the driver of the suspected car that killed the student.

Eyewitness claimed that the driver of the suspected vehicle that killed the student drove into the NYSC camp immediately but the state coordinator has continued to deny this obvious truth.

Also addressing, Kehinde Thomas, the National President of NAOSS, encouraged the states police to conduct a comprehensive inquiry to ensure justice is served.

READ MORE: If Dangote Had Humbled Himself And Come To Me, Refinery Wouldnt Have Burnt  Pastor Odumeje

We will not sit idly and allow the incident to be swept under the carpet. Lives of the Ogun State students matter. Death is naturally the end of us all, we all agree. But, this careless killing of Idowu Pelumi David, must not go without the perpetrator being brought to book.

Students in the state strongly believe in the integrity and capability of the police in the state, to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure justice is not only done, but seen to be served, Thomas said.

Addressing the protesters, Manger Fergus, Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge of Operations, stated that the police had already begun an investigation into the students death.

He reassured the students of justice and advised them to vent their grievances in a peaceful manner.
China's shipbuilding industry soars in H1, solidifies global leading position

Xinhua) 08:03, July 17, 2024

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 2, 2024 shows the smart zero-carbon terminal of Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- China's shipbuilding industry saw significant growth in the first half of this year, reinforcing its global leading position, according to data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

From January to June, China completed shipbuilding projects totaling 25.02 million deadweight tonnes (DWT), an increase of 18.4 percent compared to the same period last year. New orders surged to 54.22 million DWT, reflecting a remarkable year-on-year growth of 43.9 percent.

By the end of June, the order book stood at 171.55 million DWT, up 38.6 percent from the previous year.

The MIIT's data also demonstrates China's dominant position in the global shipbuilding market. In the first half of this year, the country's shipbuilding completions, new orders, and order book as measured by DWT accounted for 55 percent, 74.7 percent, and 58.9 percent of the global totals, respectively.

In 2023, the three key market indicators stood at 50.2 percent, 66.6 percent, and 55 percent.

Despite the uncertain global economic outlook and the impact of trade protectionism and de-globalization on the shipbuilding industry, China's economy remains resilient, and the recovery trend in maritime trade continues, said Cao Bo, deputy director of the statistical information department of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI).

"In June this year, as the shipbuilding industry continued to recover, the new ship price index climbed to 187.23, an increase of 9.5 percent year on year, reaching its highest level since September 2008," Cao added.

According to CANSI's statistics, the main business income of China's large-scale shipbuilding enterprises increased by 31.5 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year.

The shipping industry is a critical pillar of global economic development and serves as a barometer of China's macroeconomic health. This year, several of China's ports have shown continuous growth in throughput.

For instance, from January to June, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the world's busiest port in terms of cargo throughput, handled 708 million tonnes of cargo, a 4.2 percent year-on-year increase, and 19.165 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, up by 8.4 percent. Guangzhou Port is estimated to have processed 12.206 million TEUs, representing a 6.3 percent growth.

Wu Chungeng, chief planner with the Ministry of Transport, noted that in 2023, China's waterway cargo transport volume remained the highest in the world and continued to grow steadily in the first half of this year.

"Maritime transport handles about 95 percent of China's foreign trade cargo," Wu said at a recent forum. "China's international shipping volume now accounts for nearly one-third of the global total, further highlighting its role as a ballast in international shipping."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have stormed El-Rufai Estate in the Bwari Local Government Area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, leaving one man identified as Nathaniel injured.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the incident happened around 2 am on Wednesday.

It was gathered that the assailants shot the victim after an attempt to kidnap him was foiled by operatives of the Nigerian police.

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The kidnappers were said to have attempted to abduct many of the residents before the security agents blocked their operation, in a fierce gun duel that lasted for about 30 minutes.

The FCT police command spokesperson Josephine Adeh, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said that many of the gunmen escaped with bullet wounds.

READ MORE: One Dead, Three Arrested As FCT Police Storm Bandits Hideout

Josephine urged members of the public to report anybody seen with bullet wound to Police.

She said: We received a distress call and mobilized operatives, who swiftly repelled the miscreants in a gun duel. Many of them escaped with bullet wounds.

We are on the trail of the kidnappers, so we urge the general public to report anybody seen with bullet wound to Police.
The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest and detention of a police inspector, identified as Aminu Muhammed, for alleged robbery.

It was gathered that Aminu and his accomplice were arrested over the weekend, following a robbery that occured on June 14, 2024 at a residence near his duty post in Lokoja where a car was stolen.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that luck ran out of the suspects when the stolen car was found in the workshop of a panel beater, identified as Arome Moses.

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Confirming the report on Tuesday by the commands spokesman, William Ayah, disclosed that the police inspector has been arrested and is already in detention.

He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bertrand Onuoha, has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged misconduct.

READ MORE: Man Trailed, Shot By Robbers In Kogi After Bank Transaction

A source also confirmed the incident to newsmen on Tuesday, that a stolen car was found in the workshop of the policemans panel beater who was already working on changing the cars colour at Ochadamu in the Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

He added that the cars number plate had already been changed to an Abuja number just as a car dealers receipt, backdated to 2020, was presented by the officer as his evidence of purchasing it.

The source said: The panel beater was arrested while working to change the colour of the car at his workshop at Ochadamu, near Anyigba.

The cars number plate had already been changed to an Abuja number, with a car dealers receipt backdated to 2020.
The Senate, on Wednesday, announced the removal of Senator representing Borno South, Mohamed Ali Ndume as Chief Whip.

On Wednesday, when put to voice vote during plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus endorsed Ndumes removal as Senate Chief Whip.

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Ndume was replaced by Tahir Mungono (Borno North).

This comes amid his recent criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubus government.

In a letter addressed to the Senate Caucus by the national leadership of the ruling Party, the APC asked Ndume to resign his membership of the APC and join any opposition party of his choice.

The letter titled Complaints Against the Unbecoming Utterances of Sen. Ali Ndume was signed by the Partys National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and Ajibola Bashir, the Secretary and read by Akpabio during plenary.

Meanwhile, some loyalists of Tinubu had plotted to get Ndume suspended.

Sources at the National Assembly told Daily Trust that the pro-Tinubu Senators were planning to not just strip Ndume of his position but equally suspend him like Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Busy Working For Nigerians, Stop Seeking Media Attention  APC Replies Ndume

Ndume had in an interview with newsmen at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja last week said, Mr. President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us wont go through the backdoor to engage him.

Now they have stopped him from talking and he doesnt have public affairs managers, except his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements. Nigerians are getting very angry.

The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity and it needs to do something urgently. We dont have food reserve. There is unavailability of food. Food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to security crisis, it will be severe.

It was gathered from that three of the four senators plotting Ndumes suspension and ouster as the Chief Whip are from the South West  Ekiti, Ogun and Lagos, while another Senator from Kogi is also part of the agenda.

It was learnt that Akpabio is in a fix, considering that Ndume was the Director-General of the Stability Group which worked hard to make him President of the Senate in June 2023.

It was, however, hinted that some Northern senators were waiting for the cat to be let out of the bag during plenary before they would take a position.

But of course, you know the Northern Senators will rise against another plan to destabilise their caucus, barely a few months after Ningi was suspended, a source said.
The Port of Philadelphia is getting back in the cruise business.

Starting in April 2026, Norwegian Cruise Line will stop by Philadelphias Delaware River port to pick up passengers for voyages to Bermuda, officials said Wednesday.

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The cruise line will offer trips of up to nine days to Bermuda aboard the Norwegian Jewel, which can accommodate about 2,400 people. In the fall, itineraries will include Canada and New England.

Officials with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority  a state agency known as PhilaPort that owns terminals and other port infrastructure  say the cruise business will be a boon to the regional economy.

Were hoping this is just a launching point for cruises to leave Philadelphia year-round, Sean Mahoney, PhilaPorts director of marketing, said in an interview. The port authority has been in talks with Norwegian Cruise Line for about two years, he said, adding that the company was bullish on the Philadelphia market and the potential of the cruising public here.

Bookings are already available. The price for a seven-day trip to Bermuda started at $1,197 per person as of Wednesday afternoon.

 READ MORE: Delawares port expansion plan is back on track  and rekindling a regional rivalry with Philadelphia

PhilaPort officials said they anticipate that if growth continues in its cruise operations by 2028, this industry could create and support more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs, as well as more than $40 million in annual tax revenue to the city and state. Philadelphia last welcomed a cruise ship around 2010, Mahoney said, but he expects this new service to pay bigger dividends.

Delaware River ports are a hub of international commerce, generating an estimated $49 billion in economic activity in 2021, according to the most recent analysis performed for the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay.

This means tourism travel to our city, jobs for our workers at PhilaPort, and simply put, broader economic opportunity for Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said the development would help support Philadelphias tourism industry just as the city prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Americas founding.

Over the next 18 months, port authority officials plan to invest the capital needed to develop Philadelphias Southport Marine Terminal Complex, which will service the cruise ships, according to Mahoney. He said PhilaPort would pay for the improvements out of its operating budget, which is funded by rents from tenants. The upgrades will likely cost several million dollars, he said, though an engineering firm still needs to complete an assessment.

We need to upgrade the pier structure to be able to handle luggage, to screen luggage, he said. We want to make sure passengers can get on and off the ship in inclement weather, as well as provide for sufficient parking.

Mahoney added, We have the money. We have the budget to do it.

The Delaware River waterfront property south of the Walt Whitman Bridge was once part of the Navy Yard. Another parcel of the Southport property is dedicated to an auto center, where hundreds of thousands of Hyundais and Kias shipped annually from South Korea are processed before they reach showrooms.

Public officials have spent years trying to decide how to best use the Southport property.

A 2015 report by the City Controllers Office found that Southports economic impact would be strongest  as measured by jobs and tax revenue  if the property was developed into a modern container terminal.

PhilaPort and state officials ultimately decided to modernize the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal instead.

Norwegian Cruise Line is a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a global company that has a combined fleet of 32 ships that visit 700 destinations across the world. NCL said the new service will provide residents in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region more access to cruising.
The former location of TDI Towing at 2335 Wheatsheaf Lane in Philadelphia, Pa. on Monday, July 31, 2023. In late June, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub announced that TDI Towing of Port Richmond was involved in a catalytic converter theft ring that stole millions of dollars worth of the automobile parts. Read more

One year after the Bucks County District Attorneys sweeping takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft ring, eight of the 12 people charged in connection with the Port Richmond-based operation have pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, and three of those convicted were handed prison sentences.

The guilty pleas and prison terms represent a relatively swift end to a sprawling investigation led by the Bucks County District Attorneys office and done in conjunction with more than a dozen federal, state, county, and local agencies.

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The DAs office, which declined to comment on the case until sentencing for the remaining defendants is completed in September, first announced the high-profile case last June. Between 2020 and 2023, the TDI Towing theft ring purchased an estimated 27,300 stolen catalytic converters for a total of $8.2 million, authorities said then.

As the TDI crew bought the illegally obtained and highly valuable car parts during that time, prosecutors say, they stole at least 2,000 of the car parts throughout Bucks County and beyond  and the actual number of catalytic converters stolen in the region could be much higher, according to Manuel Gamiz, spokesperson for the Bucks County District Attorneys Office.

After a yearlong investigation that involved surveillance, undercover transactions, and high-speed car chases, the office filed charges of corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, and related offenses against 10 adults and one juvenile.

TDI Towing operator Michael Williams, dubbed the kingpin of the sprawling operation by the DA, pleaded guilty to corrupt organizations, theft of a catalytic converter, criminal conspiracy, and related crimes, according to court records. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

Between 2020 and 2023, Williams was spending a minimum of $10,000 a night on stolen converters, prosecutors said. Williams attorney declined to comment on the case. He also involved his family in the criminal enterprise.

Deborah Davalos, Williams wife, was charged in April with multiple crimes including corrupt organization and criminal conspiracy and also pleaded guilty in late June. She is expected to face sentencing in September while Lisa Davalos, Williams sister-in-law, pleaded no contest in late June and is also scheduled for sentencing in September, records show.

Among the associates Williams enlisted in the enterprise were three men, Eric Simpson, Michael Evangelist, and Anthony Davalos Sr., who pleaded guilty in February and April and were each sentenced to prison terms.

Evangelist pleaded guilty to multiple crimes on April 22 and was sentenced to nine to 23 months in prison, records show. Davalos Sr. pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to 27 to 60 months in prison, along with five years of probation. Simpson, who prosecutors say led police on several high-speed pursuits during the course of the investigation as they tried to pull him over, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes and was sentenced to one to two years in prison.

Simpson, who is currently serving his sentence, had gone off the deep end, his attorney John Fioravanti Jr. said, and was caught up in a life of crime. His client, Fioravanti said, was extremely remorseful and had apologized for his involvement in the theft ring.

Eric just had some difficulties with depression and alike when he was in his early 20s, said Fioravanti. He went off the deep end, did some wrong things, and went the wrong way.

Evangelist was a cutter, who sheared catalytic converters off the bottom of cars, his attorney David Knight said. He was a minor participant in the expansive criminal organization, according to Knight.

Some of the people he didnt even know,he added. ... Things just got out of hand for him.

Two other associates in the crime ring, Richard Allan Page and Gary Shirley, were both charged with multiple crimes including theft by unlawful taking and theft of a catalytic converter, and are scheduled for hearings next month.

One young person who was 17 when charged was also charged with crimes connected to alleged involvement in the ring. Those proceedings are confidential because the person is a juvenile.

The Philadelphia region has long been plagued by thieves who target catalytic converters  emissions-control devices that reduce the amount of harmful pollution in car exhaust  because of the precious metals they contain: platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

The rare metals  made rarer by supply-chain issues in the last few years, prosecutors said  fetch high prices in the resale market. The current price for about 31 grams of platinum is $993, $955 for that amount of palladium, and $4,600 for that amount of rhodium, according to Johnson Matthey, a British chemical and technology company.
A once-prolific Philadelphia homicide detective was found guilty Tuesday of physically abusing a murder suspect to obtain a false confession, then lying about it in court to help secure a life sentence  even though prosecutors now say the man who was convicted had nothing to do with the crime.

The verdict against James Pitts, 53, was delivered by a jury after about eight hours of deliberation over two days. And his conviction on charges of perjury and obstruction immediately became a notable moment in the history of the citys criminal justice system: Despite decades of complaints from citizens that some detectives, particularly in homicide, have employed coercive tactics to shore up weak or otherwise evidence-free cases, Pitts is now one of the first to be found guilty of a crime for such conduct.

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Pitts dipped his head but otherwise did not visibly react as the jury returned its verdict, and he declined to comment afterward. Still, the decision thrilled a small group of onlookers in the gallery, several of whom sat through nearly a week of testimony because their loved ones are incarcerated in cases Pitts helped build. The spectators said those cases have been marred by the same type of misconduct that formed the backbone of this case: Physical abuse, coercion, and lies.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Garmisa said during closing arguments Monday that Pitts wasnt trying to solve a murder during the 2010 investigation around which the case centered. He was trying to get a confession to close a case.

Pitts denied that accusation while testifying last week, saying hed never touched the onetime suspect, Obina Onyiah, and did not lie to cover anything up.

Pitts attorney, Bill McLaughlin, meanwhile, sought to convince jurors during his closing argument that Onyiah  whod been convicted of bank robberies before being interrogated by Pitts for murder in 2010  was the person with the strongest motive to lie.

Obina Onyiah told a story youd expect of a career criminal, McLaughlin said, adding that Onyiahs conduct when accused of crimes was to minimize and deflect.

Prosecutors said they would be seeking a prison term at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for October. But Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Kyriakakis denied a motion to jail Pitts until then.

Pitts is now one of the few Philadelphia detectives convicted of criminal misconduct in the course of his official duties. Another was Philip Nordo, who worked in homicide at the same time as Pitts. He was found guilty in 2022 of sexually assaulting witnesses and informants.

Three older investigators, meanwhile  Martin Devlin, Manuel Santiago, and Frank Jastrzembski, all of whom worked in homicide in the 1990s  are awaiting trial on perjury charges, accused of lying on the witness stand at a 2016 retrial. Each has denied wrongdoing.

Some previous cases against Philadelphia police officers accused of criminal misconduct collapsed in court  including a corruption case a decade ago in which federal prosecutors accused six members of an elite narcotics squad of robbing and beating drug suspects and lying in court. All were acquitted and eventually got their jobs back.

District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose office charged Pitts in 2022, has long said that city officers benefited from a culture within law enforcement that tolerated  or protected  wrongdoing. And Pitts, for years before his arrest, had been the subject of lawsuits, complaints, and allegations of abuse, few of which seemed to derail his two-decade career as a detective.

Krasner said Tuesday that the prosecution of Pitts was important not only as a measure of individual accountability, but also as a way to reinforce trust in the system by weeding out officers who violate their oaths.

In order to elevate [ethical detectives], in order to elevate their status, we have to knock down the detectives who do it the wrong way, he said at a news conference after the verdict.

 READ MORE: Dozens accused a detective of fabrication and abuse. Many cases he built remain intact.

What did James Pitts do?

The incident at issue in Pitts trial was the investigation of the murder of Northeast Philadelphia jeweler William Glatz in October 2010. Glatz was killed during a robbery at his store, and one of the two perpetrators, Kevin Turner, was fatally wounded during a shootout.

But another suspect escaped, and police began investigating Onyiah after a coconspirator in his prior robberies called police and said Onyiah may have been involved.

Pitts interrogated Onyiah inside a sergeants office at the homicide unit. When it was over, the detective said Onyiah had confessed  admitting to participating in the robbery with Turner, but saying he hadnt fired a shot as it devolved into violence. A person could be seen taking similar actions in surveillance footage that detectives had obtained and reviewed before Pitts interrogated Onyiah.

Onyiah was charged with murder but quickly disavowed his statement, and said in recorded jail calls with his mother and girlfriend that hed been coerced.

Onyiah and his trial lawyers sought to have the statement thrown out before the case reached a jury, telling a judge it was not true and describing the alleged abuse by Pitts.

But the suppression request was denied, in part because Pitts testified and said he had never abused Onyiah  both at a pretrial hearing, and again at the 2013 trial.

I never touched your client, Pitts told Onyiahs lawyer at the time.

Onyiah was convicted and sentenced to life behind bars.

Was Obina Onyiah exonerated?

A decade later, the District Attorneys Office, under Krasner, began reinvestigating Onyiahs conviction. Prosecutors commissioned experts to review surveillance footage of the crime, and the experts said the perpetrator identified as Onyiah  who stands 6-foot-3  was clearly several inches shorter.

A judge ultimately agreed that Onyiahs conviction should be overturned, and he was freed from prison after prosecutors agreed to drop all charges (they also helped reduce his sentence on another, unrelated robbery case).

Prosecutors concluded as a result that Onyiahs statement to Pitts was clearly false, and they convened a grand jury to investigate. In 2022, they announced charges against Pitts, saying theyd come to believe Onyiahs allegations of abuse. By extension, they concluded Pitts had lied on the stand when he was asked whether hed ever roughed up Onyiah during the interrogation.

Onyiah and Pitts each testified last week, offering dramatically different accounts of their interaction 14 years ago.

Onyiah, during several tense hours on the stand, said Pitts had struck him in the chest, and later shoved his head between his legs while forcing him to confess. He glared at the detective while testifying, and said Pitts had stolen more than a decade of his life.

Pitts, meanwhile, reiterated that hed never touched Onyiah, and said his testimony, as the case wound through the courts, was truthful.

Through their verdict, jurors signaled that they believed Onyiah.

What is the fallout from James Pitts conviction?

That was welcome news to some observers, including Hassan Bennett. He was charged with murder in 2006 in a case Pitts helped build, but was acquitted in 2019 after representing himself at a re-trial.

Bennett said Pitts conviction was a step in the right direction, but not enough because of the number of people still imprisoned in connection with cases Pitts built.

Were still hurting, Bennett said, adding that prosecutors should seek to overturn more Pitts convictions, and that the citys civil attorneys should stop protecting and defending Pitts in lawsuits.

Christopher Goodwin, 33, was exonerated in 2023 after serving more than a decade in prison for murder in another Pitts case. He said he believed justice was finally served, but that he was still haunted by the idea that Pitts had gotten away with misconduct for years.

I knew all along. But knowing the law, they want corroboration of everything. ...Theyre going to take a cops word over anybody, Goodwin said.

Krasner said he believed prosecutors should now review nearly all Pitts-related cases to determine which ones, if any, should be viewed in a different light. Still, neither he nor Garmisa, the trial prosecutor, was able to offer specifics on how many cases may be ripe for another look.

Krasner said not all of Pitts cases are likely to be overturned, either because he played a small role, or because other evidence might corroborate aspects of the conviction.

Still, Krasner said: Lets be honest, the word of a perjurer is worth next to nothing. So we have to look back at his cases, knowing that whatever his word was on those cases is worth next to nothing.

Staff writer Samantha Melamed contributed to this article.
Great Valley educators walk to Great Valley High School auditorium in Malvern before attending a school board meeting on Monday, July 15, 2024. The Great Valley school board held a meeting Monday night, following reports on middle schoolers' creation of 22 fake TikTok accounts impersonating teachers. Read more

Parents and teachers in the Great Valley School District pushed back Monday on the districts response to 22 fake TikTok accounts impersonating middle school teachers, questioning administrators explanation for why they were limited in punishing the students behind the hoax.

While district officials said the students online conduct was protected by the First Amendment, some parents  and the head of the districts teachers union  told the school board they disagreed.

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We do not believe actions like these are protected free speech, the union president, Nikki Salvatico, said at a board meeting at Great Valley High School on Monday that drew more than 200 people, most of them teachers wearing blue union shirts.

The Chester County school district has been in the national spotlight following coverage that began earlier this month after a report in the New York Times, which described the impersonation campaign as the first known group TikTok attack of its kind by middle schoolers on their teachers in the United States. The accounts  which school leaders said surfaced in late February  contained sexual depictions of teachers, among other offensive content.

According to the Times, two girls involved posted an apology video last month that said the accounts were blown out of proportion. Learn to joke, one said, in a video the Times said was since taken down.

In a message to the community after the Times story, Superintendent Daniel Goffredo expressed his disappointment and sadness, and pledged to strengthen the districts work teaching students digital citizenship. The Times reported that several students were briefly suspended.

Goffredo  who has not commented on what discipline students faced  told reporters last week that district officials wish they could do more. Its a frustrating position to be in, he said. He said accounts have continued to be created throughout the summer months.

It took becoming infamous

Some parents on Monday accused the district of a lack of transparency, saying they should have known about the incident sooner. Most people are only now learning how serious the allegations were, said Cristina Hartley, who said she learned about the accounts from her children, rather than administrators. It took becoming infamous, in local, national and international media, for people to now understand whats going on.

Others objected to the districts assertion that it couldnt take more punitive action toward the students behind the accounts.

Quite frankly, the districts response to this atrocious behavior is embarrassing, said parent Christi Largent. Noting a U.S. Supreme Court decision that said schools could regulate students out-of-school speech if it causes substantial disruption, Largent said the trauma teachers experienced is, in fact, disruptive to the classroom.

This disgrace should serve as a wake-up call to the administration, Largent said, calling on the district to use all available resources to ensure this does not happen again  and suggesting it do more to support teachers, such as covering copay costs for mental health appointments.

Goffredo said at the start of the meeting that district officials were truly sorry that our middle school staff members have been subjected to such insensitive and hurtful conduct.

After discovering the accounts, the district contacted law enforcement and engaged legal counsel, to guide our legal rights and discipline students for conduct that took place after school hours and off the school district property, Goffredo said. The district says TikTok is blocked from student use by its filters.

But a number of photos that appeared on the fake accounts were taken at school, said Neil Young, a social studies teacher who was among those impersonated and who watched Mondays meeting. In an interview Tuesday, Young  a Republican running for Congress who is on sabbatical from the district  noted that cell phones are banned in class, and said it was more likely students used district-issued iPads to take pictures of teachers.

If there was a place where the district fell short, holding the kids really accountable for their actions is probably what most teachers were frustrated with, said Young, who said teachers took it upon themselves to preserve screenshots and other evidence.

Goffredo said the district had informed families and spoken directly to students, and sponsored presentations by the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office on appropriate social media use.

He said the district will be reviewing its policies on student conduct and use of technology, and working to engage the community around dangers of social media, and ways to monitor students online conduct.

Salvatico, who was the lone teacher to address the board, said her members want to be involved in crafting new policy, and to be included in decisions about the use of technology.

She called on the district to opt in to a new state program providing grants to districts to purchase bags that keep cell phones locked from students during the school day, and look at how all devices, not just phones, are used throughout the day.

Reining in the use of devices

Others indicated the districts social media troubles went beyond attacks on teachers. During the spring, Amanda Thomas daughter learned of a TikTok account dedicated to telling her to kill herself, Thomas told the board. She said she reported the account  made by a bully of her daughters  to the police, but it was deleted; both the police and school said there was nothing they could do, Thomas said.

I am imploring the school to revisit its bullying and cyberbullying policies, Thomas said. With this attention, you can no longer ignore bullies.

Thomas Richards, a school board member, told the teachers in the room that he imagined the incident had prompted some to question their commitment to teaching. I acknowledge your pain and uncertainty, he said, pledging that the district would work to restore trust.

As for the students, they screwed up, big time. What they did was reprehensible, Richards said. But I hope we can treat them with some grace. Lets not forget theyre still kids.

In an interview after the meeting, teachers who had been impersonated by the fake accounts said they hoped the attention to the district would bring changes. But they said the problem wasnt just students use of technology, but an apparent lack of empathy.

Although a cell phone ban would be an easy fix, students have other devices all day long, said Bettina Scibilia, an English language arts teacher. I think we actually have to teach some very explicit empathy lessons and make sure that our middle school students are aware of our shared humanity.

To date, Scibilia said, weve received no apologies from students, or parents. And I think that would have been worth quite a million to me.
The 100 block of Chestnut Street, as viewed east from Second Street, on June 23, 2024. Read more

One of Philadelphias restaurant rows, the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Old City, is getting a new tenant.

Jorge and Jess Martinez of Buena Vista, a Mexican restaurant, signed a lease last week for their seventh location, taking the former bank building at 123 Chestnut St. that previously housed Han Dynasty, which recently moved to a smaller storefront down the block.

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The couple  hes from Mexico, shes from El Salvador  opened their first restaurant in 2008 in Montgomery County, but it was caught in the maw of the recession and closed soon after, Jess Martinez said. In 2010, they opened in Malvern and began steady growth through the western suburbs, adding locations in Exton, Wayne, and Ardmore before entering the city this year with restaurants in Bella Vista and Fairmount. The Chestnut Street location, which will have a bar, should open in early 2025, Martinez said.

This stretch of Chestnut Street  a collection of 150-year-old buildings lining a street paved with history-evoking Belgian blocks  has been a restaurant row in Philadelphia since the 1970s, when H.A. Winston & Co. and the Middle East Restaurant hosted summertime street fairs that drew thousands of people.

Today, the restaurant scene is fueled by hope of more foot traffic. Chestnut Street dead-ends at Front Street, where an 11-acre park is being built over I-95 to link Old City with Penns Landing and the Delaware River in a $329 million project expected to be completed in three to five years.

The prospect of pedestrians heading from Penns Landing onto Chestnut delights restaurateurs like Aisha Wahab, who opened Eatwell Philly, an African restaurant focused on Nigerian cuisine, last year at 106 Chestnut St. This could only help our business and our neighbors, Wahab said. David Crudele, who opened Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen at 126 Chestnut in 2018, said he is also intrigued but would also like to see Chestnut closed to vehicles so it could link the park to the Liberty Bell at Sixth Street.

A pedestrian-centered traffic plan has not been floated officially. Currently, the only one is a proposed Greyhound bus garage on Second Street just south of Chestnut, which local businesses and residents are against.

Billy Creagh, a broker with National Realty Commercial, said Old Citys recent surge in residential population, particularly families, and its overall walkability are helping to lure restaurants today. The park overlay is a bonus because were already bringing in people, he said.

In keeping with a more family-friendly air, Creagh said, the vibe of the block has changed in the last decade. Several bars, including Mexican Post and Prime Stache, closed, and were replaced by less-raucous restaurants. He keeps a map marked with seven restaurant deals that he helped to broker in the last six years. (He represented Buena Vistas owners, while Veronica Blum of MPN represented the property owner.) An eighth marker is for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym on Second Street, just around the corner near the future Tun, a planned re-creation of the historic Tun Tavern.

Creaghs tenant roster is diverse: Besides Eatwell and the new Han Dynasty, which specializes in Sichuan cooking, it includes Eggcellent Cafe (a breakfast spot), Buk Chon (a Korean BYOB), Little Susies (a takeout window specializing in hand pies), and a forthcoming pub tentatively named Eleven Social. Also on the block: Oishii Sushi & Ramen, Malooga (Yemeni), Gong Cha (bubble tea), Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen, Buffalo Billiards (a bar), Karma (Indian), Mochinut, as well as Amina (a Southern restaurant) and BlackHen (chicken), both owned by Felicia Wilson and Darryl Harmon.

Creagh is also representing Darin Picorella, who bought Rotten Ralphs, a longtime bar on the northwest corner of Second and Chestnut Streets, in 2017. Picorella, who has had other restaurants in the neighborhood since 1998, said he is intrigued by the new demand for real estate.

Ive never considered selling Ralphs, but since the new development starting taking shape on the waterfront, quite a few national brands have expressed interest, Picorella said. Ill only sell to a good operator, though.
The Heart Safe Motherhood program developed by Penn physicians Sindu Srinivas (left) and Adi Hirshberg has helped reduce postpartum hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Read more

Two Penn Medicine physicians had an unorthodox idea for reducing the number of patients who develop dangerously high blood pressure in the weeks after giving birth: Stop asking them to come into the doctors office for blood pressure screenings.

Dangerously high blood pressure, is a leading cause of maternal death and hospital-readmission after birth, and is often preventable with routine screening. But many new parents are too overwhelmed in the first days of their babys life to get themselves to extra medical appointments.

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Physicians Sindhu Srinivas and Adi Hirshberg decided to instead send patients home with blood pressure cuffs and instructions for how to report their readings by text message twice daily for 10 days.

Ten years later, the results are so impressive, Penn has made it standard practice across its fivehospitals with services to deliver babies. The program, called Heart Safe Motherhood, has been nationally recognized with awards from the American Heart Association and American Hospital Association, among others. And now, its being used at other Philadelphia hospitals, including Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital.

More than 18,000 Penn patients have participated since the program launched in 2014. Its credited with nearly eliminating the rate at which postpartum patients are readmitted for blood pressure complications within a week of giving birth, and closed a racial disparity gap that left many more Black patients at risk of severe complications.

The reason: More patients are following through on blood pressure screening after childbirth. Fewer wind up back in the hospital because doctors are able to spot danger signs and intervene sooner.

Were empowering the patient, said Hirshberg, the director of obstetrical services at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. We couldnt do it without the monitors, but an important part of the program is the education of why were doing it.

Shortly after Victoria Batistas son was born, she developed a splitting headache, her vision was blurry, and she tripped walking through her home in Philadelphia. She attributed it all to being exhausted after a 67-hour labor that ended in a C-section, and the stress of caring for a newborn, her first.

All these signs were pointing to having an issue, but I kept glossing over them, said Batista, 32. And then I got a notification: Check your blood pressure.

She had so much going on she didnt want to bother, but knew that her phone would just keep buzzing until she responded.

Batista punched in the numbers: 220/110, blood pressure so critically high she was at risk of a stroke. Within 10 minutes, someone at Penn called, telling her she needed to get to the hospital immediately.

Had it not been for that program, for them harassing me about it  almost  I could have died, she said.

 READ MORE: After a dangerous brush with preeclampsia, this doctor is raising awareness about the condition among Black women

Addressing maternal death disparities

The program is an emerging solution to sobering statistics that show Black Americans remain more than twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth, or in the following months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disparity persisted despite a national decline in maternal mortality rates in 2022.

Handing out blood pressure cuffs alone wont solve a national maternal mortality crisis. But the Heart Safe Motherhood program has reduced readmissions for blood pressure complications among Penns postpartum patients from 5% to 1%.

Philadelphia institutions say the Heart Safe Motherhood program has also helped them understand how to better connect with patients and potentially make inroads addressing other deadly postpartum complications.

Jefferson launched the program in late 2021, and Einsteins Philadelphia campus followed in spring 2022.

Response from patients and providers has been overwhelmingly positive, said Anneliese Gualtieri, the patient safety and performance improvement coordinator for obstetrics and gynecology at Einstein.

Youre actually partnering with the patient in their care, which is something that patients like  to be part of their own solution, she said.

Catching symptoms early

Jasmine Hudson, a nurse practitioner at Penns diabetes center, gave birth to her second child at Penn in May 2023. She credits the Heart Safe Motherhood program for saving her life days later.

Hudson took home the blood pressure cuff nurses offered and diligently responded to the text prompts with her blood pressure reading.

An automated algorithm analyzes the blood pressure readings patients send in and flags abnormal results to doctors.

The program texts back to let patients know their reading is good, or to ask them to test again in a few hours if its elevated. When a patient doesnt respond to the prompt, the program texts a reminder.

And when someones reading is too high, patients receive a text with the hospital phone number and instructions about who to ask for.

Hudson didnt think much about it when a reading came back slightly elevated one morning. She felt tired, and her husband said she seemed a little irritable  but she reasoned: What new mom isnt?

As moms, were so used to caring for our families and caring for others. We come second or third or fourth, she said.

But after a second elevated reading, the automated program urged her to go to the hospital, where she stayed for three days.

Hudson went home with blood pressure medication and, more than a year later, is doing well.

Postpartum care at home

Hudson is among some 18,000 Penn patients who have participated in Heart Safe Motherhood. The program has about 50 patients on any given day.

Staff focus on patients at risk for hypertension or preeclampsia, for instance, people with elevated test results during pregnancy or immediately after birth, or a history of high blood pressure during a past pregnancy.

Between 30% and 40% of Penns maternity patients qualify and are sent home with blood pressure cuffs and instructions for reporting their readings, said Srinivas, the vice chair for quality and safety for obstetrics and gynecology at Penn. The health system covers the cost of the device, about $30, for patients who cant get reimbursement from their insurer.

Prior to launching the Heart Safe Motherhood program, Penn would ask at-risk patients to come back in the days after giving birth to have their blood pressure checked. Many never showed. Others had a normal reading at their appointment, only to have their blood pressure begin rising after returning home again.

Black women were at greater risk than white women  they were less likely to come for a follow-up blood pressure check and more likely to be readmitted to the hospital.

 READ MORE: New moms keep dying in the weeks after birth, and the risk remains highest among Black women

Too often, Srinivas would see a new mother go home in good health, only to return days later with life-threateningly high blood pressure.

How did we not know this was going to happen? Srinivas would ask herself.

Now, she doesnt have to worry as often. About 90% of patients in the Heart Safe Motherhood program follow up on requested screenings, a compliance rate thats the same for Black and white patients.

Providers say the program addresses a few key hurdles to managing blood pressure postpartum: Parents dont have to self-identify subtle, common symptoms, and they dont have to leave their home.

Access to care is one of the biggest issues, said Ryan Brannon, an OBGYN and director for quality and safety in obstetrics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Heart Safe Motherhood was something that enabled us to get access to a larger population.

Next steps for reducing maternal deaths

Despite the programs success, theres more work to be done.

While home blood pressure monitoring is great, we have to have a system in place that then will be able to make a difference for those elevated blood pressures, said Laura Hart, a co-director of Temples cardio-obstetrics program. Its a multilayer process.

For instance, people who develop hypertension or preeclampsia during pregnancy are at greater risk for heart problems later in life.

Temple Health has not adopted Heart Safe Motherhood, but providers have spent hours talking to doulas, patients, and other community health leaders about the symptoms of high blood pressure and where to turn for help, said Estefania Oliveros, who is also co-director of the cardio-obstetrics program.

At Jeffersons hospitals, Brannon and Gualtieri want to expand the Heart Safe Motherhood program to include more languages, such as Russian and Mandarin.

The program currently communicates with patients in either English or Spanish.

Penn doctors are testing what other maternal health complications, such as postpartum depression, they can improve with the programs monitoring approach.

And because of Heart Safe Motherhoods success, the system now hands out blood pressure cuffs to at-risk patients during pregnancy, to begin tracking potential blood pressure complications even earlier.

Editors note: This article has been updated to correct the number of Penn hospitals that have adopted The Heart Safe Motherhood program.
Further investigations are pending and additional charges may be added, according to officials. Read more

A New Jersey man was charged with endangering the welfare of a child Tuesday after his 8-week-old daughter died due to being left alone in a hot car, officials say.

Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, of Lakewood Township, was taken into custody after an investigation concluded the cause for his daughters death was being unattended for a long time in the hot car, according to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.

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The temperature reached 89 degrees about the infants time of death Monday, according to the website of the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly.

The Lakewood Township Police Department found first responders giving lifesaving aid to the infant at about 1:45 p.m. Monday, but she was pronounced dead at the scene due to cardiac arrest, according to the prosecutors office. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be added, according to the statement.

Further details of the death were not released.

Like Philadelphia, Lakewood Township has been under an excessive heat warning that started Sunday and was estimated to end Wednesday at 8 p.m.

How common are deaths in hot cars?

So far in 2024, 11 children have died after being left in a hot car, according to the National Safety Council. Last year, the number was 29, and since 1998, when the councils data began, there have been 979 children who died by being left in a hot car. According to the organization, the parent or caregiver forgot the child in more than half of the deaths.

To prevent this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle during the summer for any period of time. It also suggests to make a habit of checking the backseats of cars before locking the doors and to keep car keys out of childrens reach to prevent a child from entering a car unattended.

As a reminder, the NHTSA suggests leaving personal items, such as a purse or backpack, in the backseat to make drivers double-check and ensure that no children are left in the vehicle.
Nadine Seiler, a 59-year-old activist from Waldorf, Md., protests Donald Trump and Project 2025 on Tuesday, blocks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Read more

MILWAUKEE  Nadine Seiler, a 59-year-old self-described agitator from Waldorf, Md., traveled all the way here this week to protest the Republican National Convention, the rights radical Project 2025 plan, and Donald Trump, whom she sees as a demagogue.

The good news for Seiler, who held aloft a giant sign and wore a homemade Stop Project 2025 tiara, is that she didnt have to compete for attention.

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Outside a convention billed as the coronation of a Republican who wants to return to the White House with king-like powers, Seiler was one of just three anti-Trump demonstrators I could find during a midday search south of the expansive restrictive zone around the Fiserv Forum that is hosting the RNC.

Indeed, Zeidler Union Square, the oldest park in Milwaukee, which was designated as one of two sanctioned protest zones for the week, was completely devoid of activity, except for five other equally bored journalists and a gaggle of slightly befuddled volunteers in orange T-shirts.

A microphone and speaker were set up in the parks central gazebo, but the only sound around lunchtime was the clip-clop of mounted police riding past on Clydesdale-type horses, just one small part of a massive force of thousands of cops, some brought in from out of state. At the other protest zone in Haymarket Square, staffers told me all but two of Mondays booked speakers hadnt even shown up.

Seiler and two other solo agitators, including a woman with a bullhorn loudly shrieking, TRUMP IS A FASCIST, in a tone clearly hoping to shatter some Milwaukee skyscraper windows, had relocated a block north where there was more foot traffic. I asked if she was disappointed in the turnout. We are over 253 million adults in this country, she said. There is no reason why there should only be three of us here.

As Trump arrived in this Democratic-run city with a history of progressivism to accept the GOP nomination for the third consecutive time, protests against the GOP have been the proverbial dog that did not bark  for the most part. There was a healthy turnout estimated at as many as 800 people who took part Monday in a March Against the RNC, after weeks of back and forth between organizers and convention security that kept the protesters far from the Fiserv Forum and any encounters with most of the delegates. The march was mostly peaceful, with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporting only one arrest, possibly of a man shown on video wearing a Chicago Bears jersey and taking signs from protesters.

As a veteran of modern political conventions, I didnt expect a lot of protests. In 2016, I saw far more people on the left come to Philadelphia to protest the Democrats choice of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders than I witnessed at Clevelands RNC, even with the public alarm about Trumps demagoguery. But even within the liberal dogma that rarely protests Republican events, with notable exceptions like 2017s Womens March, something is happening here in Milwaukee.

Or not happening.

Is the war between militarized policing  on the rise since the SWAT era of the 1970s and escalating after the 9/11 attacks  and the supposed right of dissent now all but over, with the cops winning? Is the growth of these isolated and all-but-useless First Amendment zones threatening to crush the actual First Amendment?

 READ MORE: The far-rights Project 2025 also dodged a bullet, and they know it | Will Bunch

Are folks intimidated by the miles and miles of concrete barriers and a scene that resembles a Tour de France of bike cops, or are they just utterly discouraged by Trump and his rabid base of followers who  like in a bad horror flick  keep coming and coming despite indictments and impeachments and everything else?

Experts who compare Trumps MAGA movement to authoritarians of the past say fascism succeeds when the mass of citizens gets too demoralized to fight back.

Have we really reached that point?

Indeed, a gaggle of burly white male Christian activists, wearing anti-LGBTQ T-shirts (including one about a specific sex act I wont even try to slip by my editor), was so bored waiting at the Zeidler protest zone for any progressives to fight with that they scurried off to grab lunch at a nearby food court before I could interview them. Maybe something will happen tonight, I heard their leader fret. Well play it by ear.

Of course, the trees of protest  whether anti-Trump or anti-LGBTQ  arguably dont make a sound when there is no one to hear it. The convention security zone has turned large swaths of normally vibrant downtown Milwaukee into a dead zone, with most restaurateurs reporting their business is below normal, and considerably so for some.

That wasnt a deterrent for Marylands Seiler, who bills herself on Instagram as Warrior Goddess for the Resistance. She told me that her ultimate goal was for someone to snap her picture and publish it in a newspaper, in the hopes that someone would see it, google Project 2025, and learn about radical right-wing plans for a second Trump presidency.

Mission accomplished, Nadine.
Protesters with the Coalition to March on the RNC rally outside the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sunday. Read more

I love Michelle Obama. l loved her in the White House, and I love her outside of it, too. But I did not love her When they go low, we go high motto, and how many interpreted it to mean we should stay classy even in the face of total buffoonery.

Since President Donald Trump was injured during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pa., weve been mostly united in saying political violence cannot be tolerated. And some people who have suggested otherwise are now looking for work.

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But an injured Donald Trump is still Donald Trump, and he is still pushing a dark and dystopian political vision that, if implemented, will land hardest on populations whose members are already struggling.

So we can  and should  hold two thoughts in our heads, and then act accordingly. We can  and should  condemn political violence, and mean it. And we can  and should  condemn the man who built his candidacy and presidency around inciting violence, and who was, is, and forever shall be unfit to be president.

Let us not forget the countless documented examples where Trump has used violent rhetoric, including saying shoplifters should be shot, suggesting the United States top general be executed, and mocking a political opponents husband who was beaten with a hammer.

Oh, and he also incited an insurrection.

Neither the Democrats nor the media did that. It was all Trump, though some in the GOP were quick to blame both for the actions of the 20-year-old registered Republican who opened fire on Saturday, striking the former president, killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, and seriously wounding two others.

When it comes to inciting violence, calling someone a threat to democracy  as multiple politicians and members of the press, myself included, have done  is a far cry from Trump praising Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter. (Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!) Or lauding law enforcement officers for killing a self-described antifa member suspected of killing a right-wing activist. (Thats the way it has to be. There has to be retribution.)

Or repeating the lie that the election had been stolen at a rally preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and capping it with marching orders. (We fight like hell. And if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.)

After Trump was injured, both Republicans and Democrats were quick to call for unity, but it didnt take long to see that it isnt unity Republicans want. It is submission.

And too many Democrats were quick to oblige. President Joe Biden halted campaigning. Others pulled negative ads and refrained from criticism of Trump. They went high even as many Republicans continued to find new lows.

I can appreciate why at the NAACP convention on Tuesday, Biden said, We all have the responsibility to lower the temperature and condemn violence in any form.

The rules of polite society dictate that we mind our words and tone, especially in the aftermath of a crisis. But when that approach only serves to mask the truth, its gaslighting.

From where I sit, blind dedication to playing nice looks a lot like bringing a pool noodle to a knife fight.

Politicians who have gone limp need to find a mirror, stat, and ask themselves: Do I want to be polite, or do I want to tell the truth?

On the opening day of the Republican National Convention on Monday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked transgender people and illegal aliens.

That same day, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, called Democrats a clear and present danger to the country. He, at least, blamed his comment on a teleprompter loaded with the speech he planned to give before Saturdays shooting.

It turns out that unreliable teleprompters, which many Republicans have said makes Biden unfit for office because he uses them in numerous news conferences, are a bipartisan problem. House Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly walked off the convention stage Monday after a teleprompter malfunction.

Is that too snarky? Am I going low? I dont think so. Im pointing out the glaring double standard and hypocrisy of the moment. Is any Republican calling for Greenes resignation? Because Im here for it.

Im also looking to Trump for how we need to proceed.

In the chaotic moments when Secret Service agents surrounded a bleeding Trump and hustled him offstage to safety, Trump  whose ear was grazed by the would-be assassins bullet  raised his fist in the air.

Fight! Fight! Fight! he appeared to say, once hed asked the agents escorting him off the stage to let him find his shoes.

Ive agreed with almost nothing Trump has said. But I agree with this: We should fight.

Despite how people (mis)interpret Obamas motto, shared during her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention while endorsing Hillary Clinton, she never meant we should turn the other cheek.

Going high means finding the purpose in your rage, she later explained. Rage without reason, without a plan, without direction is just more rage. And weve been living in a lot of rage.

We have a reason for our rage: to hold onto the country many of us love enough to demand better from and to rage against those who threaten to drag us backward.

And we have a plan: to fight  by educating ourselves and each other, by voting, by not giving up, and by never, ever allowing ourselves to be convinced that patriotism means acquiescence.
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D., Pa.) stands between then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama in this 2022 file photo of President Joe Biden signing an executive order to expand the Affordable Care Act. Read more

A group of House Democrats concerned by plans to virtually nominate President Joe Biden early for reelection has withdrawn a letter asking the Democratic National Committee to delay the plan after the DNC confirmed Wednesday the nomination process wont take place until August.

The letter was originally drafted and circulated by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D, Calif.). U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D, Pa.), who represents the Lehigh Valley, was among the lawmakers planning to sign it.

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Were glad to see that the pressure has worked and the DNC will not rush this virtual process through in July, a spokesperson for Huffman said. We wont be sending the letter at this time.

The letter, which was never sent, raised serious concerns, about a virtual roll call planned for July 21, a month ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which is to begin Aug. 19. Stifling ongoing debate in the party with the early nomination would be a terrible idea the letter says.

It could deeply undermine the morale and unity of Democrats.

While the party still plans to move forward with a virtual nomination, it announced a delay in the virtual nomination process Wednesday after details of Huffmans letter were leaked.

Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia attorney who serves on the DNCs Rules Committee, posted a letter to social media in which the committee instructs members that no virtual roll call will take place before Aug. 1.

We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work, the DNCs letter states ahead of a July 19 committee meeting.

Biden has so far staved off behind-the-scenes discontent with his campaign after a poor debate performance in June.

But skepticism surrounding his ability to win in November has kept bubbling, particularly among vulnerable Democrats in Congress. Wild represents a swing district in the Lehigh Valley, which is a top target for Republicans this fall. Wild won her 2022 race by just 2 percentage points.

Nearly 20 congressional Democrats have called for Biden to leave the race, though those pronouncements have halted since the assassination attempt against Donald Trump on Saturday.

Biden has said he will be the partys nominee and for anyone else to run hed need to withdraw willingly, but many Democrats are still actively debating his future.

The party announced in May that it would hold an early roll call to ensure Biden would qualify for the ballot in Ohio, which originally had an Aug. 7 deadline, but the state has since changed its rules, making the issue no longer relevant, the letter says.

Wild was the first Pennsylvania member to indicate shell back the letter. She had indicated  first in a private call leaked to reporters, and then in a statement, concerns about how Biden could drag down the ticket.

Wild said in the statement last week that, like many Americans, she is still grappling with ... President Bidens electability at the top of the ticket.

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D., N.J.), a candidate for U.S. Senate, has expressed concern about the state of the Democratic Party as Biden remains at the top of the ticket.

If he wants to proceed in that direction, he needs to show that we have unity amongst the rest of the Democratic leadership and that is something that we dont have right now, Kim said in a Wednesday interview on MSNBC. I do think its on him to bring everyone together.

Where Pa. Democrats stand

In Pennsylvania, Biden has received vocal support from Sen. John Fetterman, who greeted him on his visit earlier this month along with Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Brendan Boyle. U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans, Mary Gay Scanlon, and Chris Deluzio have also issued statements of support.

Wild is not the only Pennsylvania Democrat floundering on Biden. Three other Democrats have been reluctant to back the president. U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said she was still thinking about what to do last week on Capitol Hill. The New York Times reported that Biden, on a Zoom call with moderate Democrats, including Houlahan, brushed aside concerns Houlahan raised about him trailing in Pennsylvania by 4 or 5 percentage points. A source confirmed the account to The Inquirer.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, who is running for reelection in battleground Northeastern Pennsylvania, has also not said where he falls on the debate over Biden.

And U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive from Pittsburgh, has also declined to comment on where she stands on whether Biden should remain the nominee.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.
Trump supporters are fired up at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Monday. Read more

Two U.S. congressmen from Pennsylvania  one a staunch advocate of former President Donald Trump and another who has distanced himself from Trump  are absent from the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee. And both are out on official business reasons, their offices have said.

Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) did not attend this years convention because he is with his constituents for numerous scheduled events and meetings, according to a spokesperson from Perrys office  a notable absence given Perrys continued allyship with Trump.

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Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), who has a history of carefully curating his political profile, is on official travel with the House Intelligence Committee, his office said.

Still, other Republican congressmen from Pennsylvania are in attendance at the RNC, including Rep. Dan Meuser, who called for convention speakers to to tone it down, as well as Reps. Mike Kelly, Guy Reschenthaler, Glenn Thompson, John Joyce, and Lloyd Smucker.

And the convention has featured an exhaustive speaker list of other U.S. representatives who have come to the defense and support of the former president, in the wake of his New York felony conviction and other looming legal battles. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who cast the November election as a choice between strength and weakness, is the only candidate from Pennsylvania scheduled to speak at the convention.

Perrys spokesperson did not provide details on the meetings and events that precluded his attendance at the RNC.

Fitzpatrick, though, has a long track record of siding against the former president while also managing to fall within party lines. He voted against impeaching Trump in January 2021, noting his belief that it would make the country more divided, but the week prior he broke from pro-Trump Republican colleagues and certified then-President elect Joe Bidens win in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Fitzpatrick, ranked one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, has a history of dodging questions about Trump. A Fitzpatrick campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions as to whether attending the RNC was a part of Fitzpatricks original schedule. He has also yet to make an endorsement for the presidential race.

Perry is historically a top Trump ally

Perrys absence from the RNC is notable, though its clear that the congressman, who represents Pennsylvanias 10th Congressional District and is one of Trumps top defenders in the House, is still very much in support of the former president.

Over the weekend, Perry weighed in on the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler County and the ensuing investigation into any security failures. America wants answers  without delay, drama, or games  and our leaders need to provide those  without delay, drama, or games, he said.

After Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts in May, Perry inaccurately referred to the charges as fake and claimed that the former president was wrongly prosecuted. In a Monday post on X, Perry doubled down on his claims that Trump has been wrongfully prosecuted, this time regarding a judges decision to dismiss charges in a separate against Trump involving the alleged mishandling of classified documents.

The shooting in Butler County, which left one attendee dead and two others injured, provoked calls from leaders on both sides of the political aisle, including Perry, to minimize divisive rhetoric. Perry, who has acknowledged that he needs to use less inflammatory language, was one of 139 representatives who voted to sustain one or both of the objections to electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania on Jan. 6, 2021.

Perry, former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has also embraced conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election and falsely claimed that Trump had been cheated out of winning the election.

The congressman is facing Janelle Stelson, a TV anchor and former registered Republican running as a centrist Democrat, in November. The Cook Political Report has shifted the race from likely Republican to lean Republican.

Fitzpatrick continues to play it low-key

Its perhaps less surprising that Fitzpatrick is absent from the convention supporting Trump. The congressman, who represents the 1st Congressional District in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, has held onto his seat in a purple district by positioning himself as a moderate.

Fitzpatrick opposed Bidens American Rescue Plan, as well as forming a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was also in favor of the Republican-led effort to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administrations handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.

At the same time, Fitzpatrick  who received an endorsement from Trump in 2020  hasnt said whether he would back Trump for president in 2024, and wouldnt disclose whether he would attend a Trump fundraiser in Bucks County. He was one of six House Republicans to join a resolution to censure Trump.

He also opposed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and was one of 13 House Republicans to support Bidens infrastructure bill.

You should vote up or down on a bill based on the text. It shouldnt matter who benefits politically, Fitzpatrick told The Inquirer in November 2021.

Fitzpatricks constituents seem to like his low-key way of maneuvering around party politics. In 2020, Fitzpatrick won on a split ballot, winning reelection while Biden secured the presidency.

He is running in the November election against Democrat Ashley Ehasz, whom he defeated in 2022 to win a fourth term.

Staff writers Julia Terruso and Katie Bernard contributed to this story.
Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick addresses the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Read more

MILWAUKEE  Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick cast the November election as a choice between the countrys greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline as he spoke on the stage of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

McCormick spoke on night two of the convention, with his home state delegates seated immediately in front of the stage.

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For McCormick, it was his second moment this week in the national spotlight. He was also scheduled to be one of the speakers at the Trump campaign rally in Butler on Saturday when the former president was the target of an assassination attempt. McCormick was seated near Trump when gunfire started and has spoken about the harrowing moments after the shooting in multiple interviews since.

I want to first acknowledge what transpired just a few days ago in my home state, McCormick said in his speech, Where I witnessed from a literal front row seat in Butler, President Trumps remarkable strength and resolve in a terrifying and unpredictable moment. The president rose brilliantly to the challenge. What a sad and frightening day for the families of those injured or lost, and for our great country.

Pennsylvania is a hugely critical state that could determine who becomes president, and, in McCormicks race against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, which party controls the Senate.

For such a politically important state, Pennsylvania does not have many Republican Party leaders with national profiles. McCormick is the only Pennsylvania candidate scheduled to speak during the convention.

He spoke last in a lineup for GOP Senate candidates including Kari Lake, who is running in Arizona, and Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

McCormicks speech came after a montage of images of Trump rallies with crowds cheering wildly juxtaposed with images of empty seats at Biden events and a video of Biden walking slowly into a Wawa in Philadelphia with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

He called the country less safe under Biden and Casey and praised Trump. Under President Trump, Americas future was strong and prosperous and our adversaries feared stepping out of line, he said.

McCormicks support for Trump comes just two years after Trump backed his challenger, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, in an extremely close and bruising GOP Senate primary. Trump railed against McCormick then calling him a friend of China after endorsing Oz days before the election.

And early in his campaign, it was unclear how strongly McCormick would embrace Trump, whom he endorsed this year but has largely avoided speaking about.

A theme of this week has been Republicans coming home to the former president. Trumps vice presidential pick, JD Vance, is a former critic and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a Trump rival this year who drew thousands of protest votes, also spoke Tuesday night.

The Senate race ahead

McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO who splits his time between Pittsburgh and Connecticut, is hoping to unseat three-term Casey, a household name in Pennsylvania whose father was governor of the state.

In most polls of Pennsylvania, he narrowly trails Casey, who has managed to poll ahead of President Joe Biden. Caseys campaign contends that McCormick lies about living in Pennsylvania and has slammed McCormick for his leadership at Bridgewater Associates, the global hedge fund he led, which invested heavily in China.

McCormick touted his Pennsylvania bona fides on the stage on Tuesday describing himself as a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian born and raised in the Keystone State.

And, a day after McCormick called for a suspension of negative advertising in the Senate campaign after the assassination attempt on Trump, he attacked his opponent from the convention stage.

He called Casey a do-nothing, out-of-touch, liberal, career politician.

When he votes, its for Joe Bidens old, tired ideas, McCormick said, describing the election as a choice between strength and weakness. And between Americas greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline.

McCormicks strategy has been to emphasize the relationship between Casey and Biden, who are longtime allies. Following Bidens bad debate performance last month, McCormicks team put out ads saying Casey was lying about Bidens fitness for office.

A new digital ad focuses on McCormicks career as a high school wrestler and then in the military, juxtaposed with images of Biden, who is 81 and facing calls to drop out of the race.

McCormick grew up about 60 miles from Scranton near Bloomsburg, where his father, James, was president of Bloomsburg University. James McCormick went on to lead the state higher education system, and his family is still well-known in the area.

He served as a cadet at West Point, a paratrooper in Iraq during the Gulf War, and later in George W. Bushs administration, where he was a top international economic adviser. He is married to Dina Powell, a former Trump administration official and former partner at Goldman Sachs.
In a brief but vivid speech in which he described Kensington as a dystopian wasteland, part-time neighborhood resident Michael Coyle told the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night that, if elected president, Donald Trump would be the one to end the urban nightmare.

Coyle, 42, is the creator of the controversial Kensington Beach Instagram account, which posts pictures and videos of people using drugs and struggling with addiction on the streets of the neighborhood. He has said he strives to depict how opioids ravage individuals along with an entire community.

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During his presentation, Coyle made statements about Kensington that were checked by The Inquirer for accuracy and truthfulness:

In the last years, things have gotten much worse.

Statistics show that crime is declining in Kensington, as it is around the nation.

The number of shootings in the area that had doubled during the pandemic have since dropped more than 70%, according to Philadelphia police statistics.

Conversely, Coyle was right about accelerating troubles related to overdose deaths, which have been increasing in the 19134 zip code spanning Kensington and Port Richmond, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

This requires some explanation.

Coyle was making the point that conditions in Kensington were better during the Trump administration than President Joe Bidens. Data show, however, that there were 203 overdose deaths in Kensington during 2017, Trumps first year in office, according to the health department. Thats the highest number on record through 2022.

However, overdose deaths declined during the remaining three years of Trumps presidency, while theyve been on the rise during Bidens time in office.

Coyle was partially right.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the ones who opened our Southern border and allowed Chinese fentanyl to pour in unconditionally.

This statement qualifies as misinformation, said UCLA anthropologist Jason De Leon, an expert on the Southern border and on drug smuggling.

Fentanyl is not being brought in by migrants, he said in an interview Wednesday. Those are brought in by Americans or by smugglers using trucks. Cargo as valuable as fentanyl is not entrusted to undocumented migrants on an already risky crossing into the United States, De Leon said.

Coyles statement about the Biden administration opening the border is also incorrect, De Leon said.

Biden actually promised a kinder, gentler hand when it comes to migrants, but thats not happened, he added. Trumps and Bidens policies at the border are largely the same. Its not open.

But the Biden administration uses language to make it sound like theyre helping, when they arent. Very little has changed since Bill Clinton was president. People trying to come here have been dying everyday in the Arizona desert.

And, De Leon added, Biden has recently pledged to be tougher at the border to increase his chances of reelection.

Coyle was incorrect.

Now [drug users are abusing] something called tranq, which literally rots the flesh.

As gruesome as it sounds, Coyles statement is basically true.

Tranq or zombie drug is a street name for xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Used in combination with fentanyl or by itself, xylazine causes ulcerations on the body that erupt with a scaly dead tissue, according to the National Institutes of Health. Doctors do not know exactly what causes the serious wounds that show up on xylazine users, The Inquirer reported in 2022, noting its possible that its effect on the vascular system makes wounds quicker to open and slower to heal.

Unfortunately, Coyle was right about this.
LAS VEGAS  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas and is experiencing mild symptoms including general malaise from the infection, the White House said.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will fly to his home in Delaware, where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The news had first been shared by Unidos US President and CEO Janet Murguia, who told guests at the groups convention in Las Vegas that president had sent his regrets and could not appear because he tested positive for the virus.

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Dr. Kevin OConnor, the presidents physician, said in a note that Biden, 81, presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise. After the positive COVID-19 test, Biden was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and has taken his first dose, OConnor said.

Biden was slated to speak at the Unidos event in Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon as part of an effort to rally Hispanic voters ahead of the November election. Instead, he departed for the airport to fly to Delaware, where he had already been planning to spend a long weekend at his home in Rehoboth Beach.

The presidents diagnosis comes amid intense scrutiny of his health and stamina after a disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump that sparked a flurry of concern among Democrats that Biden is not up to the rigors of winning another presidential term.

Biden gingerly boarded Air Force One and told reporters traveling with him, I feel good. The president was not wearing a mask as he walked onto Air Force One.

The president had previously been at the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he was greeting diners and sat for an interview with Univision.

Biden has been vaccinated and is current on his recommended annual booster dose for COVID-19. The vaccines have proven highly effective at limiting serious illness and death from the virus, which killed more than 1 million people in the U.S. since the pandemic began in 2020. Paxlovid has been proven to curtail the chances of serious illness and death from COVID-19 when prescribed in the early days of an infection, but has also been associated with rebound infections, where the virus comes back a few days after clearing up.

Biden last tested positive for COVID-19 twice in the summer of 2022, when he had a primary case and a rebound case of the virus.

Health officials have reported recent upticks in emergency room visits and hospitalizations from COVID-19. There has also been a pronounced increase in positive test results in much of the country  particularly the southwestern U.S.
U.S. Secret Service agents and counterassault team react moments after shots were fired toward Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. Read more

WASHINGTON  Local police alerted the Secret Service before former president Donald Trumps rally Saturday that they lacked the resources to station a patrol car outside a key building where a gunman later positioned himself and shot at Trump, according to local and federal law enforcement.

Richard Goldinger, the district attorney in Butler County, Pa., where the Trump rally took place, said the Secret Service was informed that the local police department did not have manpower to assist with securing that building.

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Goldingers account was confirmed by a Secret Service official briefed on the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about a sensitive, ongoing investigation.

The Secret Service official confirmed that positioning an officer outside the building was considered one of the ways to protect against the risk that the agency prepares for at all public events  that a shooter on high ground has a clear line of sight on the president or other senior officials being protected. The building, owned by Agr International, was just outside the security perimeter for Saturdays rally.

 READ MORE: In sleepy Butler, Pa., emails of praise and threats are inundating city workers: You failed

Authorities from a number of jurisdictions were on the ground Saturday, and officials are still determining how the building was guarded  and how the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, reached the roof. But the warning from local law enforcement of insufficient manpower adds to questions about whether there was adequate security for the high-stakes presidential campaign visit.

Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pa., used an AR-style rifle that was purchased legally by his father in 2013. Authorities have confirmed his father purchased more than a dozen guns over the years, but it was not immediately clear how many of those he still owned at the time of the shooting, two officials said.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, also said a remote trigger device was found on the roof with Crooks after he was shot. The FBI has previously said that rudimentary suspicious devices were found in Crookss vehicle, near the shooting site, and at the home where he lived with his parents. Authorities are still trying to determine why Crooks launched the attack. So far, they believe he acted alone.

The proposal to station a patrol car and officer outside the Agr International building complex had been part of the Secret Services advance planning for securing this prominent structure, which had a expansive roof with an unobstructed view of the rally stage less than 150 yards away, where Trump would later stand, the Secret Service official told The Washington Post.

Federal authorities have launched a growing number of investigations into the shooting at Saturdays rally, which left Trump wounded, one rallygoer dead and two others critically injured. It is considered the most serious security failure by the Secret Service since the attempted assassination of then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

 READ MORE: Donald Trumps shooter used the most popular rifle in America. The AR-15 and Pennsylvania, explained

The FBI is leading the criminal investigation, Congress is planning to hold hearings, and President Biden has called for an independent probe of the shooting and the security situation. In addition, the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general has announced it is investigating the actions of the Secret Service before and during the attempted assassination.

On Wednesday afternoon, officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Justice and the FBI will provide an update to the Senate on the incident, according to the office of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). A briefing for members of the House will follow.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena Wednesday to U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, demanding her testimony at a hearing next week, according to a copy of the subpoena provided to The Post. U.S. Secret Service officials initially indicated that Cheatle was committed to appearing before the Oversight Committee. But in a letter accompanying the subpoena, Comer claimed that DHS officials appear to have intervened, calling Cheatles attendance into question.

The lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the committee on this pressing matter by both DHS and the Secret Service further calls into question your ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the attached subpoena compelling your appearance before the Oversight Committee, the letter said.

Cheatle took responsibility for the security failures that led to the shooting in an interview with ABC News. But the first attack on a U.S. leader under the agencys protection since the 1981 shooting that wounded Reagan has raised broad questions about the elite protective agencys planning, strategy and response to the attack.

Crooks climbed onto the roof of the Agr International building and fired shots at Trump before a Secret Service sniper killed Crooks. The Post has reported that local police snipers were inside the building complex as the gunman opened fire, and that bystanders at the rally alerted local police that they had spotted a man climbing onto the roof.

The Secret Service was responsible for the overall security plan, but Cheatle said in an interview that the agency relied on local law enforcement in areas outside the security perimeter, including the building where the shooter was. She also said they made the decision to keep officers off the sloped roof because the incline presented a safety issue.

The decision was made to secure the building from inside, Cheatle said.

Secret Service countersniper teams may have initially been unable to spot the shooter as he crawled up the roof because of its slanted sides, as well as trees in the area, The Post has reported.
U.S. Secret Service agents and counter assault team members respond after shots were fired toward former president Donald Trump on Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pa. Read more

Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former Donald Trump on Saturday, used an AR-15-style gun to shoot Trump in the ear, kill former fire chief Corey Comperatore, and severely injure two other people at the rally in Butler, Pa.

Crooks shot from the roof of an agricultural tool manufacturing plant a few hundred feet from the rally with the semiautomatic rifle, which was legally purchased by his father. He was wearing a T-shirt promoting The Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts. It is not surprising that Crooks chose an AR-15-style gun, as the firearm has been used in numerous mass shootings in Pennsylvania and across the United States.

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Sales of the firearm have gone up and down based on the political views of the president or expected president, and sales tend to peak after mass shootings that could spark gun control, according to Wall Street Journal reporter Cameron McWhirter, who cowrote a book on the history of the gun called American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15 with his colleague Zusha Elinson.

What is an AR-15?

The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America, according to the Wall Street Journal reporters. The gun has become a symbol of the gun rights debate in the United States, with Republican lawmakers wearing lapel pins in the shape of the gun and Jan. 6 rioters waving flags with the image that say Come and take it.

First designed in the 1950s, the AR-15 was initially intended to be a lightweight automatic rifle for the U.S. military. Its name stands for ArmaLite Rifle, the company that originally made the gun. It was the 15th weapon designed by the gun company.

The rights to the AR-15 were sold to Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co. in 1959. Colt created a version of the gun for the U.S. military called the M16, and a semiautomatic version of the rifle for civilians called the AR-15 Sporter.

Now you can buy a hot new combat rifle for sport, Popular Science wrote about the AR-15 in early 1965, according to the Washington Post.

But the rifle wasnt actually popular at first, McWhirter said in an interview. The number of AR-15s owned by civilians in the 1990s was estimated at 400,000. But by the 2020s, that estimate increased to 20 million, according to the WSJ reporter.

They are everywhere, he said.

Its rise in popularity can be attributed to political factors and marketing efforts, McWhirter said. The reputation of the guns military counterpart also improved over the years, he said.

Gun manufacturers also realized that the model is highly profitable, and versions of the weapon can now be found at gun stores with prices ranging from the low hundreds to several thousand, according to McWhirter.

Plus, the AR-15 is incredibly easy to use.

Its designed to not be difficult on your shoulder, and you can stay on target pretty quickly, and pretty easily, McWhirter said. Thats what it was designed to do and it does it pretty well.

Colts patent expired in 1977, so other manufacturers began to make their own version of the rifle, which is broadly referred to as the AR-15, though some call them AR-style or AR-15 style rifles.

Everyone fell in line and started to make their versions of AR-15s, and they all made a lot of money, McWhirter said.

The ATF classifies the Colt AR-15 as a semiautomatic assault weapon, though gun advocates push back against the widely used term assault weapon.

According to the Trace, a nonprofit news website focused on gun violence, military-style rifles such as the AR-15 have been used in the deadliest shootings, but handguns are used in most shootings.

What other high-profile shootings in Pennsylvania involved an AR-15?

Although the military version of the gun has an automatic setting, soldiers typically use its semiautomatic setting so that they dont waste bullets, leaving anybody in the United States with an AR-15 shooting at the same speed as those at war, McWhirter said.

While most people who own the gun arent out to hurt anybody, McWhirter said, the massive population of people who own the gun includes disturbed people, who can use that gun to hurt people really quickly, as weve seen.

They feel like they can go to war with whomever they want to go to war with, McWhirter said.

AR-15-style rifles have been used in high-profile shootings across the United States.

Nikolas Cruz used one to kill 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. Payton Gendron, a white supremacist, used a modified AR-15 to kill 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo on May 14, 2022. Salvador Ramos used an AR-15 to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. The weapon was also used in mass shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. on July 20, 2012 that killed 12 and injured 58, Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 children and six employees, and a Las Vegas hotel on Oct. 1, 2017, that killed 60 people and wounded hundreds attending a music festival.

If Crooks wasnt shot dead by the Secret Service, he could have killed a lot of people really quickly, McWhirter said.

The gun was a mass shooters choice in Pennsylvania even before it rose in popularity. In 1982, George Banks, a former Camp Hill prison guard, used both an AR-15 and an M-16 rifle when he killed 13 people, including his own children, in the 1982 Wilkes-Barre shooting in Luzerne County.

Fast forward to 2018, and two separate mass shooters used the rifle in the commonwealth.

In January 2018, Timothy Smith shot and killed four people at a car wash in Melroft in Fayette County with an AR-15 and a handgun.

Later that year, Robert Bowers shot and killed 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. He was armed with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons.

Just last year, Kimbrady Carriker went on a shooting spree last year in Kingsessing with a pistol and an AR-15-style rifle ghost gun, shooting and killing five people and injuring others.

What efforts have there been to ban the AR-15 in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania Democrats want to ban ownership of assault weapons like the AR-15.

Pennsylvania House Democrats advanced a package of gun control bills that included a ban on future sales of automatic and semiautomatic firearms in January. The package passed the House Judiciary Committee on party lines, and was referred back to the committee in March.

National efforts have also been unsuccessful.

A national assault weapon ban passed the U.S. House in 2022, but it died in the Senate. The House bill had support from all Pennsylvania Democrats in the chamber. Almost all Pennsylvania House Republicans voted against it with the exception of U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa), who represents of Bucks County and parts of Montgomery County.

A federal assault weapon ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004 was poorly worded, according to McWhirter, and so companies modified their guns to fit the law. AR-15 sales spiked before the ban, continued to increase during the ban, and spiked again after the ban, which was also influenced by changing views on guns and a post 9/11 sentiment, he said.

Democrats attempted to bring back the 1994 ban last December, but it was blocked by Senate Republicans.

The fight has remained partisan. Biden has advocated for a renewed federal assault weapon ban, and Trumps campaign vowed to continue to protect gun rights, even after he had one pointed at his head.

States controlled by Democrats have enacted bans while Republican states have made it easier to buy weapons like the AR-15. All the while, battles play out in courts about these types of weapons, according to the WSJ.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance during the first night of the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. Trump's right ear bandaged after he was injured in an apparent assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday. Read more

MILWAUKEE  The refrain at the Pennsylvania delegates breakfast on Tuesday was divine intervention.

Its a profound thing, to have been ordained by God to lead the greatest nation in the history of the world for a second time, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) told Pennsylvania delegates in a hotel conference room on the morning of the Republican National Conventions second day.

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President Trump was saved for a higher purpose for when we reelect him as our commander in chief, said U.S. Rep. Glenn GT Thompson (R., Pa.,).

The rhetoric coming out of the Republican National Convention this week is that God saved former President Donald Trump from the bullet that narrowly missed killing him in Butler, Pa. And as Republicans here have blamed the shooting on Democratic campaign attacks, they also subtly shamed President Joe Bidens party away from continuing to criticize the Republican nominee  though such criticism is a standard campaign practice.

The assassination attempt against Trump, which killed a firefighter from Western Pennsylvania and wounded Trump and two attendees, initially quieted Democratic campaigning and put the partys political rhetoric under scrutiny.

But now, with Biden returning to the campaign trail Tuesday, his party is resuming its political offensive with a focus on the stark policy differences between the candidates.

I dont want to see him hurt, but I also dont want to see him be king, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) said at a news conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday where Pennsylvania Democrats gathered at a Harris-BIden campaign office to offer some counter-programing to the torrent of news coming out of the RNC.

Mustafa Rashed, a Democratic strategist, said Democrats ability to get back on message following the shooting will be critical. Polls show Biden narrowly trailing Trump in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, before the assassination attempt on the former president.

This is probably going into the third week of Democrats not being able to stay on message, Rashed said, noting Bidens woes after last months debate. After the debate they havent been able to talk about the substantive differences between these two candidates.

The verge of dictatorship

Democrats have built a campaign around defining Trump as a threat to democracy who must be defeated.

Trump refused to accept his 2020 electoral loss and was impeached in his final days in office for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Trump has promised to pardon Jan. 6 rioters and last year said on Fox News that he would be a dictator on just the first day of his second presidency.

But after the assassination attempt, using fear of Trump as a motivator is a more complicated campaign challenge.

My fellow Pennsylvanians, we are on the verge of a dictatorship, state Rep. Danilo Burgos said at the Biden-Harris event Tuesday.

While each speaker at the Biden campaign event in Philadelphias Brewerytown condemned political violence, they also did not hold back warnings of danger if Trump were to win a second term.

The speakers largely focused on the details of Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation. Though Trump has sought to distance himself from the document  which was crafted with input from former Trump administration officials  Democrats have insisted it will serve as a roadmap for his second term.

Such a reality, they argue, would result in the loss of Americas social safety net, diminished rights for women and LGBTQ Americans, and mass deportations.

In the wake of Saturdays shooting in Butler County, Republicans have argued that this rhetoric from Democrats helped set the stage for violence against Trump  insisting that Democrats have become too personal in their attacks of the Republican Party.

But the Democrats gathered in Philly on Tuesday rejected that premise, noting that little is known about the motives of the shooter, a 20-year-old registered Republican. They also referenced gun control measures that could have made the shooting less likely.

I think its absolutely disingenuous to hear this sort of both sides-ism and say that, hey, weve got to tone down the rhetoric on both sides, state Sen. Maria Collett said. What we can do is look at the records of both of these individuals.

Messaging following the shooting, Kenyatta argued, requires Democrats to unequivocally condemn political violence but to also remind voters of dangerous acts and rhetoric from Republicans, such as the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Condemning political violence, he said, does not mean Democrats stop talking about Trump as a threat to democracy.

I want to see him lose an election like he lost the last time and what I want him to do is not encourage his supporters to go and storm the Capitol or to send threatening messages, said Kenyatta, who is running for Pennsylvania auditor general.

Rashed, the Democratic strategist, said Democrats will have a harder time arguing that Trump is dangerous but that they absolutely have to.

We are talking about the direction of the country for the next four years, Rashed said. President Trump has used, called on violence and called for violence as sort of part of how he does business. And so I think Democrats need to make that distinction.

The challenge is that Trump, now the survivor of a shooting, is even more exalted by Republicans than before. The moment hasnt just energized his core base but drawn in some previously more tepid Republicans, uniting the GOP.

When he made an unannounced visit to the arena in Milwaukee on Monday, Trump entered to deafening applause, like a hero returned from battle. Nearly every speech on the opening night mentioned or invoked the attempted assassination, energizing a base that already saw Trump as a god-like figure.

Oftentimes that rhetoric has waded into the apocalyptic.

We know after last Saturday that we have the one who truly matters on our side, Lara Trump told Pennsylvania delegates Tuesday. Its about good vs. evil. We are in a spiritual battle right now in this country.
Michael Coyle from Kensington addresses the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Read more

Michael Coyle, a Philadelphia native who started the Kensington Beach Instagram account, which shows shocking and often disturbing scenes of human suffering from the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, spoke at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night.

The theme of the evening was Make America Safe Again, and speakers painted a dark image of an America plagued by rising crime, despite crime falling in most big cities this year. Coyle addressed the crowd in a lineup that included GOP politicians like Senate candidate Dave McCormick and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

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Coyle spoke toward the end of the second night of the convention, after former President Donald Trump had arrived to listen to speakers from the VIP section of the arena.

He introduced himself as from one of the worst neighborhoods in America.

Our streets are plagued by drugs, Coyle said of Kensington. Youll find human feces in front of your business or someone lying dead on your front steps. Politicians say nice things or clean up the streets for a couple weeks in an election year or when someone famous visits.

The neighborhood has attracted national attention and visits from politicians, and is often cited by Republicans as an example of crime and drug use in big cities.

Kensington is the epicenter of Philadelphias opioid epidemic. More than a third of the citys 2,500 narcotics and drug-law violations recorded by police in 2023 occurred in Kensington.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a Democrat who took office in January, has made cleaning up Kensington a chief priority of her administration and has promised to shut down the areas open-air drug market. The city recently dismantled encampments and increased police presence in the neighborhood, as part of a larger multistep public safety effort.

In a provocative but brief speech, Coyle, wearing a Kensington Beach hat, told the crowd about how tranq, a new drug, was making the drug crisis worse.

Do you know what the smell of rotting flesh smells like? he asked delegates. The people of my city do, he said.

Coyle blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for fentanyl pouring into our border. He called Trump a leader who will end the urban nightmare.

While fentanyl was involved in the majority of drug overdose fatalities in 2023, the GOP claim that an open border is the leading cause of those deaths is an exaggeration. Fentanyl is largely smuggled by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry, rather than by migrants sneaking into the country. Border officers have seized an increasing amount of illicit fentanyl, numbering in the hundreds of millions of pills, under Biden.

There has been an increase in social media accounts documenting the opioid crisis in Kensington in recent years, some of which have been criticized for exploiting human suffering. In some cases, users have even monetized the content.

In 2019, Coyle told The Inquirer that he started the page to raise awareness for the crisis. He said he named the page Kensington Beach because of the way people suffering from addiction and laying on sidewalks reminded him of people lounging down the Shore.

Im just bringing awareness to whats going on in my neighborhood, Coyle said then. Its already here. Its been here for years. And Im just a guy who just so happened to start an Instagram page and its catching a lot of light.

On the RNC stage Tuesday he said he started a nonprofit to help the neighborhood I loved and shared videos online of the horror we live with. He also said he organized a needle cleanup there.

When his remarks were over, Coyle lifted his hat up and said Kensington Beach for Trump! before leaving the stage.

Coyle was the second Philadelphian to take the stage at the Republican National Convention this week. Amber Rose, a model and Philadelphia native, spoke at the convention Monday. The Trump campaign has tried to highlight everyday Americans, among the politicians featured throughout the four nights of programming.
The outside of Riverwalk Apartments where tenants have noticed windows falling off from the building for several years. Read more

When Sam Myers toured apartments in Philadelphia, he was drawn to the newly built Riverwalk apartments along the Schuylkill because of the balconies.

The apartments were constructed in 2021 by developer PMC Property Group, who are considered Philadelphias biggest residential landlord. His friends live in apartments owned by PMC, so he said he felt safe moving into the Riverwalk.

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But since he moved into his apartment in February, four windows have fallen from the upper floors  two of them onto his balcony. Dozens of windows have fallen from the Riverwalks two towers and another PMC high-rise in recent years, court documents say, and residents say management has delayed resolving the issue.

Myers has repeatedly emailed PMC, asking the developer to figure out what is causing the windows to fall onto his and other balconies, the dog park, the railroad tracks, and the pool, but has consistently been dismissed, he said. He was offered $1,500 by the property manager to move out, but he and his neighbors are more concerned over the lack of action.

This isnt about my personal financial gain, said Myers, 24. Someones going to die.

PMC files lawsuits against Wisconsin window company

PMC filed a lawsuit June 10 in Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia against Wisconsin-based Wausau Window and Wall Systems, owned by Apogee Enterprises Inc., claiming Wausau provided defective products, causing the windows at both towers at Riverwalk and another PMC property, the Franklin Tower Residences, at 200 N. 16th St., to spontaneously break, which PMC said could cost tens of millions of dollars to remediate.

PMC filed another lawsuit July 5 in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia alleging that Wausau failed to deliver certain perforated metal panels on time, which led to millions of dollars of additional construction costs and lost rental revenue.

PMC says in court documents that it paid Wausau about $50 million for the Riverwalk and Franklin window products, and more than $750,000 removing and replacing defective glass in the buildings.

At the time of the June lawsuit, PMC said more than 60 windows had broken in the three buildings combined.

The lawsuit alleged that the glass windows have been shattering because they were contaminated during the manufacturing process. The contamination caused particles to form within the glass that may expand when the installed windows are exposed to varied temperatures, the lawsuit said. The expansion can cause the glass to break out  as whole windows or pieces  without warning.

Wausau announced in February that it was retiring its brand and will no longer sell windows and wall curtains under the brand. It also announced mass layoffs and said it will cease to exist.

The Riverwalks property manager declined to comment on the situation beyond an email sent to residents last week that said PMC was working to identify a cause and make repairs. Apogee Enterprises could not be reached for comment.

An old tale of falling windows

Residents at the Riverwalk apartments, 28-story and 32-story towers, have been complaining to management about falling windows for three years.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of North 23rd and Arch Streets beside the Schuylkill River Trail, the Riverwalk area has low pedestrian traffic aside from residents, who enter and leave the cul-de-sac between the glass-skinned north and south buildings. Gaps from broken windows can be seen while looking up from the ground floor.

Residents have also brought concerns to social media in a Facebook group for current and interested tenants. Posts warning neighbors about shattered glass on top of the gym roof, on the railroad tracks, and potentially in the pool go back to August 2022.

Pino He, 26, moved into the north Riverwalk with his wife in September. He said they have been hearing a loud punching sound against their window since they moved in, regardless of weather conditions.

In December, they learned after they returned from a business trip that a window had broken. Maintenance inspected the window recently, but the window has not been fixed, He said.

Despite contacting management since they began hearing sounds coming from their window and after it broke, they havent received a response, He said.

Windows have also fallen on the public terrace on top of the Giant supermarket at the bottom of the north residential building, which is also owned by PMC.

Giants corporate office referred The Inquirer to property management.

In late June, the Department of Licenses and Inspections issued PMC a violation notice for the falling glass and recommended it put up sidewalk shelters. After learning that PMC failed to comply, L&I once more requested that it put up sidewalk barriers, according to Kandyce Stukes, an L&I spokesperson. PMC agreed to put them up after July 4 due to the complicated nature of the installation.

PMC is now required to notify L&I of any window repairs to ensure that all safety precautions are being met. This includes blocking off the sidewalk and mezzanine to prevent tenants and pedestrians from accessing the side of the building during repairs.

How has management communicated with residents?

Days after the sixth window fell, on June 10, from the 24th floor and over the entrance of the building, PMC sent an email to residents saying it was aware of the concerns and was taking the matter very seriously. It also told residents in a separate email that the entrance was inaccessible.

We are currently working closely with the city of Philadelphia and structural engineers to address the issue and ensure the safety of our residents and the public, the email read. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to finding a prompt and effective solution.

Residents said that the June 19 email was the first time PMC communicated with tenants that it was taking action. Previous emails from PMC mentioned cleanup but did not acknowledge a potential investigation of the issue.

On July 9, property manager Diane Green sent an email informing residents that PMC was in contact with Wausau, in addition to L&I and structural engineers to address the cracking and falling windows.

Work to put up protective ground-level overhead scaffolding around the perimeter of the building would begin that day, Green added.

As structural engineers and other building construction experts work to identify the cause, make immediate repairs, and identify a prompt and effective remediation solution, we are keeping our residents informed and updated, said Green, who declined to comment further.

Green sent an email to residents Thursday, a day after this article was published online, saying PMC would install covered pergolas to provide overhead protection on the uncovered balconies oncertain floors. Residents were asked not to use their balconies until the installation.

Green did not provide an approved timeline for the installation but said PMC is working with L&I to expedite the process.

A series of confrontations with L&I

PMC has been dealing with L&I in regards to the Riverwalk property since 2019.

Philadelphia inspectors halted construction of the luxury apartments for nearly three weeks in June 2019 after they discovered that work on the two-tower project was being done without proper permits.

PMC poured concrete for elevator shafts up to the fifth floor of one of the buildings in May 2019 despite having a permit to complete only the buildings foundation, according to then-L&I spokesperson Karen Guss.

Inspectors issued a stop-work order, but found that construction continued about two weeks later during a follow up, so they shut down the site, Guss said.

Myers said that he hopes windows will stop falling, but that he doesnt believe things will change anytime soon.

Riverwalk became his top choice for an apartment, he said, because he wanted a balcony to give his dog, Shiner, somewhat of an outdoor space in the city, on top of using it for get-togethers with friends and family. He plans to invite a group of friends over for a party for his birthday in a few weeks, but he says he doesnt feel safe using the balcony, in the event that another window falls.

I would feel bad for the rest of my life, he said.
Our ongoing investigation identified evidence that indicates a subset of files has been taken from this system, the spokesperson said. We are now aware of a claim that this information has been published online by an unauthorised third party. We are urgently investigating this claim and the nature and extent of the published files.
According to a report from AM Best, Harris' office filed a petition in New York Supreme Court in Broome County to place the company into rehabilitation, as per an announcement by its parent, Columbian Financial Group, on its website. The notice to policyholders indicated that the move was prompted by "the company's financial condition."
Al Crooks ability to develop and deliver strategic HR initiatives and successfully partner with the business  as well as his invaluable work to improve the industrys diverse talent pipeline through Zurichs Apprenticeship Program  made him a clear choice to lead the human resources function and help the organization advance our people ambitions to drive business results, Terryn said.
While these projections are considered relatively manageable, Nathan Tjandrawinata (pictured right), managing director at Beacon, noted that Canadian insurers are still growing more cautious about wildfire risk. He pointed out: Insurers may choose to withdraw from high-risk areas due to factors like the proximity of trees and forestry to insured properties. In these regions, we dont anticipate a softening market; insurers are adopting a more cautious approach due to the perceived threat.
Liu, who joined TransRes actuarial department in 2019 and later the US Professional Liability underwriting team in 2022, will take on the role of US cyber underwriting leader. Liu has focused on cyber underwriting and marketing and has integrated new cyber analytics and modeling capabilities into the underwriting process.
This post is part of a series sponsored by PCF Insurance Services.

Frank Fasano, Director of Sales at ToughComp, a PCF business, shares insight from his years of experience working within industries that experience challenges finding affordable workers compensation policies.

Workers compensation insurance provides essential benefits to employees who face injuries or illnesses due to their jobs. This government-mandated program helps ensure that affected workers receive medical care, partial salary repayment and rehabilitation services, thereby fostering a supportive work environment and mitigating financial burdens.

However, certain businesses characterized by high-risk environments often encounter challenges in securing affordable workers compensation insurance. Other times, businesses with a few claims or failed inspections will find it difficult to find proper coverage.

These hard to place businesses face higher premiums and stringent criteria due to the elevated risk of workplace injuries. The traditional insurance market can be reluctant to offer coverage, leaving these businesses in a precarious position.

Understanding the Experience Modification Factor & Workers Compensation Coverage

The Experience Modification Factor (EMF) plays a pivotal role in hard-to-place workers compensation policies. The EMF is a metric used by insurers to gauge a companys risk level based on its history of claims compared to similar businesses. A higher EMF indicates a greater risk, potentially leading to higher insurance premiums. For companies with high EMFs, finding affordable and comprehensive workers compensation insurance can be particularly challenging.

Working with an insurance brokerage that understands the EMF and how to speak directly to the carriers is essential to placing higher-risk businesses with a workers compensation policy. For example, at ToughComp, we have insurance professionals with years of experience working with businesses that operate in dangerous industries. We can offer potential solutions for high-risk businesses struggling to find adequate workers compensation coverage because we specialize in navigating the complex landscape of high-risk workers compensation, leveraging deep industry knowledge and a network of specialized carriers to secure tailored insurance solutions that meet the unique needs of each business.

Risk Management and Client Retention

Offering risk management advice and solutions is particularly beneficial for hard-to-place businesses, as it can significantly mitigate the challenges they face in securing workers compensation insurance. By proactively identifying, analyzing and addressing potential risks, businesses can improve their safety practices, reduce the likelihood of claims, and demonstrate to insurers their commitment to maintaining a safe work environment.

This proactive approach not only makes businesses more attractive to insurers, but also helps in securing more favorable insurance terms, thereby easing the process of obtaining crucial coverage for high-risk operations.

My team offers risk management evaluations and advice to help businesses bring down their EMF over time, resulting in more affordable and more stable relationships with workers compensation carriers.

The PCF Insurance and ToughComp Experience

By combining PCFs and ToughComps experience and specialization in high-risk workers compensation, businesses burdened by high EMFs are offered a path forward to finding a policy that works for them. Together, PCF and ToughComp are committed to providing innovative solutions that not only address the immediate insurance needs of these businesses but also support their long-term success through improved risk management practices.

We understand the importance of understanding and navigating the complexities of workers compensation, ensuring that all businesses, regardless of risk level, have access to the protection they need to thrive.

Learn more about how PCF Insurance and ToughComp can help high-risk businesses find appropriate workers compensation solutions.

Topics Workers' Compensation Talent
A New Jersey man has admitted to orchestrating a multistate car theft and fraud ring that involved tracking drivers, programming keys, stealing their cars, and reselling their vehicles.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said that Warren Guerrier pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The scheme involved the theft of at least 40 stolen vehicles in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Approximately 30 of the vehicles stolen were then sold by Guerrier and his conspirators to buyer victims. As a result of the scheme, Guerrier and his conspirators collected approximately $285,000, prosecutors said.

According to documents and statements in court, the scheme was operated from November 2016 to June 2020 by Guerrier and several conspirators acting at his direction.

Guerrier and his conspirators identified vehicles to steal, then photographed them and attached a global positioning system (GPS) tracker on the vehicles to acquire a pattern-of-life of the vehicles owners and to track their locations. Using the photos, they then advertised the vehicles for sale on the internet.

According to the indictment, once a buyer was identified, they scheduled an in-person meeting to conduct the sale of the stolen vehicles. Prior to the arranged meeting, Guerrier and his coconspirators utilized the GPS trackers placed on the vehicles to locate the vehicles that they previously posted for sale and stole them using unlawfully obtained valet keys, which are key fobs that can be electronically programmed to initiate the operation of a vehicle.

At the meetings with the victim buyers, prosecutors said that in exchange for cash for the vehicles, the coconspirators provided the buyers with the programmed valet keys and fraudulent documents including a fraudulent certificate of title. Buyers also were given fraudulent identity documents that obscured the true identities of the sellers.

Prosecutors had surveillance footage on a case showing Guerrier dumping the personal belongings of one victim owner into a Dumpster before reselling the vehicle for $8,500.

Prosecutors said a photograph of vehicle identification numbers as well as the personal identifying information of the vehicle owners were found on Guerriers cell phone. There were also surveillance videos of Guerrier and a coconspirator near the sites where stolen cars were sold, according to the indictment.

The indictment further alleges that Guerriers electronic device was used to access the website containing the GPS tracking information for vehicles shortly before they were stolen.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI )with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

Source: U.S. Attorneys Office, District of New Jersey

Topics Fraud Personal Auto
Allianz SE agreed to buy a majority stake in Singapores Income Insurance Ltd. for about S$2.2 billion ($1.6 billion) to strengthen its presence in Asia.

The German company plans to acquire at least 51% of Income Insurance for S$40.58 a share, it said in a statement from Munich Wednesday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Ltd. will retain a substantial stake in Income Insurance.

Allianz said the deal will turn it into the fourth-largest composite insurer in Asia, adding a household name in Singapore that distributes a full range of life and non-life products. Chief Executive Officer Oliver Baete, who is expected to outline new financial targets for Allianz later this year, has focused on smaller takeovers to streamline operations while returning excess capital to shareholders.

The deal is a low-risk way to materially improve the reach and capabilities of Allianz in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts at Jefferies wrote in a note.

Income Insurance is designated as one of Singapores four systemically important insurers, according to its website. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, with closing expected by the first quarter of next year.

Morgan Stanley is advising Income Insurance and NTUC on the transaction, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. A representative for Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

Photograph: Crowds by the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Photo credit: Lauryn Ishak/Bloomberg

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Profit Loss Allianz
Climate groups called a decision to open the UKs first deep coal mine in more than three decades unlawful, claiming that approval was granted without taking into account all the harmful emissions that it would produce.

Lawyers for Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change are challenging the decision to give planning permission to Woodhouse Colliery project in Whitehaven, northwest England at the High Court on Tuesday.

The UK government gave permission for the mine to go ahead in 2022. The developer, West Cumbria Mining Ltd., planned to sell coal from the mine primarily to overseas buyers for making steel.

Lawyers argued the emissions caused by burning the coal were not included in the developers climate assessment and they wrongly treated the mine as net zero.

No reputable standard-setting or governance body involved in the voluntary carbon market endorsed West Cumbria Minings approach, lawyers for Friends of the Earth said in documents prepared for the hearing. West Cumbria Minings claim to net zero status was and is pure greenwashing.

The lawsuit was given a boost last week when the UKs new Labour government said it was no longer going to defend the claim. It comes after the countrys Supreme Court ruled that all emissions produced either on site or down the supply need to be fully considered when looking at whether new fossil fuel sites are being approved.

West Cumbria Mining strongly refutes the claimants repeated mischaracterization of the development proposals, the evidence that was presented and the Inspector and Secretary of States lawful appraisal of them, their lawyers said in the documents.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Two near-identical oil tankers trying to beat western sanctions. A secret transfer of Russian crude halfway between Iran and Oman. A supertanker giving a false location.

Welcome to the modern trade in Russian petroleum as western sanctions get tougher.

Earlier this month, the 1,089-foot supertanker Oxis collected about 1 million barrels of Russias flagship Urals crude from another vessel. The delivering ship was one of two owned and operated by Russias state tanker company Sovcomflot PJSC, according to TankerTrackers.com Inc, which specializes in detecting secretive cargo movements.

Definitively identifying which one, though, is tricky because the two candidate vessels share the same dimensions and are essentially indistinguishable from above. The maneuvers show how Russia can work around sanctions, and how challenging it will be to keep a permanent check on the flow of the nations oil if it makes increasing use of hidden cargo switches.

But the fact that Russian oil shippers feel the need to go to these lengths also suggests that buyers arent willing to openly defy US sanctions by accepting Russian cargoes delivered on sanctioned tankers. That will add to the cost of hauling barrels on those vessels.

Sovcomflot tanker engaged in a ship to ship cargo transfer with the Oxis in the Gulf of Oman on July 13, 2024.

The two candidate tankers, both of which have been under sanctions from the US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control since February, vanished from digital satellite tracking systems weeks ago.

The first, the Bratsk, loaded a cargo of about 1 million barrels of Urals crude at Russias Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in May, according to shipping information seen by Bloomberg. The second, the Belgorod, did the same thing in early June.

Both were then picked up by automated tracking systems as they left the Black Sea through Turkeys Bosphorus shipping strait and were tracked on their voyages across the Indian Ocean to locations south of India, where automated tracking signals stopped.

The Bratsk, vanished from tracking on June 13, the Belgorod 11 days later.

Both have the same length and breadth, share the same reddish-orange deck color and have indistinguishable pipework. Importantly though, there are no vessels outside of the Sovcomflot fleet that share their characteristics, according to Samir Madani, founder of TankerTrackers.com.

The VLCC Oxis, is emitting a false automated position signal, showing it as being anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, close to Irans Jask oil terminal. However, satellite imagery shows no ship in its stipulated location and its reported latitude and longitude would imply that its transponder has moved by less than one meter between any pair of more than 1,400 signals in almost two weeks.

In reality, the Oxis was actually about 100 miles to the southeast, in the middle of the Gulf of Oman, when the cargo switch was made, satellite imagery shows.

The Belgorod reappeared on automated tracking systems on Tuesday, steaming along the southern coast of Oman toward the Red Sea having apparently unloaded cargo. Theres still no sign of the Bratsk.

The Oxis was sailing under the name Uzor until earlier this year and was identified by United Against Nuclear Iran as taking cargoes of Iranian crude by ship-to-ship transfer in October and December 2021.

Its commercial manager is a company called Umbra Navi Shipmanagement in Almaty, Kazakhstan, according to the international maritime safety database Equasis. Details of its insurance are not available on a database maintained for the International Maritime Organization.

No company called Umbra Navi Shipmanagement Ltd. was found on public registries run by the Kazakh government.

Most of the 53 tankers used by Russia that have been sanctioned by the US, the UK or the European Union since October have remained idle since being designated. About half of the 21 sanctioned Sovcomflot tankers have been renamed since being designated, another way of trying to distance the ships from the sanctions.

Moscow is now slowly starting to bring some of them back into use.

The first to load was the SCF Primorye in April. Its cargo was moved onto the Ocean Hermana in the Riau archipelago in early June. The oil may have been moved onto a third ship, according to TankerTrackers.com.

The Bratsk and the Belgorod are the only other two sanctioned ships to have been brought back into use so far. Sovcomflot declined to comment.

Both ships show as being covered against risks including oil spills by Moscow-based Sogaz Insurance, according to the companys website. The company didnt respond to a request for comment.

If their cargoes can successfully be delivered to buyers, most likely in China or India, without attracting the attention of sanctioning authorities, it may encourage Russia to make greater use of its sanctioned fleet.

But repeated ship to ship transfers will add to the delivery cost, eating into the profitability of the trade and reducing the benefits of putting the sanctioned vessels back into service.

Photograph: Sovcomflot tanker engaged in a ship-to ship cargo transfer with the Oxis in the Gulf of Oman on July 13, 2024.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Energy Oil Gas Russia
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at managing general agent DUAL Europe and insurance broker WTW.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

DUAL Swiss Taps Tokio Marines Wyss as Managing Director

DUAL Europe announced the appointment of Michael Wyss as managing director of DUAL Swiss, reporting to Olaf Jonda, CEO, DUAL Europe.

Wyss brings 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, beginning his career as a D&O underwriter, and going on to lead international teams at Tokio Marine HCC, where he played a key role in strategic development and operational leadership.

We are delighted to welcome Michael to DUAL. His extensive experience and strategic insight make him an excellent fit for our growth ambitions in Switzerland, commented Jonda. The Swiss market, being mature and sophisticated in both financial and insurance sectors, requires top-tier players. With Michaels proven leadership, we aim to meet these demands, becoming the partner of choice for Swiss brokers, and enhancing our European capacity and underwriting excellence hubs across Europe.

DUAL Swisss primary lines of business include engineering & construction, financial lines, cyber, fine art & specie, and M&A.

DUAL is the specialist underwriting arm of Howden Group.

***

WTW Appoints 3 Senior Hires to International Casualty Team

Insurance broker WTW has appointed three key hires to its international casualty team, based in the London office (part of the direct and facultative global line of business).

Sam Barnes joins WTW as a director, having held several broking roles at JLT and Marsh. With over a decade of industry experience, Barnes will focus on large and complex risks and new business development reporting to Ed Hunter, head of international casualty at WTW.

WTW also welcomed Camilla Chiatti, who will focus on Latin American and European regions. Joining from Beazley, Chiatti is skilled in technical underwriting, with broad Western European experience and will report to Ed Hunter.

In addition, Parry Herbert returns to the team as an associate director, after more than 15 years and having spent much of that time at Aon. With more than 20 years of broking experience, Herbert will focus on the Canadian region. Herbert will report to Thomas Wright, joint head of international casualty at WTW.

Sam Barnes, Camilla Chiatti and Parry Herbert all joined WTW in early July.

Topics Talent Human Resources Casualty Willis Towers Watson
Workers compensation claim rates and benefits paid in Minnesota continue to be stable or follow their long-term downward trajectories, a new Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) report shows.

The 2024 Minnesota Workers Compensation System Report presents trend data regarding several aspects of Minnesotas workers compensation system from 2002 to the present.

These results stand despite a significant system impact due to COVID-19 starting in 2020. For the past three years, the report has tracked two sets of data for the workers compensation system: one for the whole system, including COVID-19 claims, and another for the system excluding COVID-19 claims, which shows a pattern more similar to prior years.

The total cost of Minnesotas workers compensation system relative to payroll follows a multi-year cycle. Comparing similar points in the cycle indicates a long-term decrease that extrapolates to 46% over the 20-year period.

Relative to total payroll, indemnity benefits were down 41% between 2002 and 2022, while medical benefits were down 52%. Relative to the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers, the total number of paid claims dropped by 45%, indemnity claims by 3% and medical-only claims by 56% from 2002 to 2022.

In 2022, on a current-payment basis, the three largest components of total workers compensation system cost were medical benefits (33%), insurer expenses (31%) and indemnity benefits other than vocational rehabilitation (30%).

Workers comp numbers without COVID-19 impacts

Compared to 2002, the average time an injured worker received total disability benefits was 9% longer in 2022 for non-COVID-19 claims. The average duration of temporary partial disability (TPD) fell 25% by 2022 for non-COVID-19 claims.

After adjusting for average wage growth, total disability benefits (temporary total disability benefits and permanent total disability benefits combined) per paid indemnity claim were largely stable from 2002 to 2019. They decreased 6% from 2019 through 2022 for non-COVID-19 claims.

Permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits per paid indemnity claim fell 65% from 2002 to 2022 for non-COVID-19 claims. Participation in vocational rehabilitation rose from 21% of paid indemnity claims for injury-year 2002 to 24% for 2019 but decreased to 22% among non-COVID-19 indemnity claims for injuries in 2022.

In 2023, 84% of scheduled mediations were completed, while 27% of scheduled medical conferences and 26% of scheduled rehabilitation conferences were completed.

There was an 11% decrease in the estimated number of workers who will receive vocational rehabilitation services for their injuries and illnesses in 2022 compared to 2019.

COVID-19 Impacts on Workers Comp

Due to the influx of COVID-19 indemnity claims, the indemnity claim rate increased 44% from 2019 to 2022. This reversed the long-term downward trend (the decline from 2002 to 2019 was 33%).

Total disability duration decreased by 30% from 2019 to 2022 due to the significantly shorter duration of COVID-19 claims, while TPD duration increased by 4% during the same period.

When COVID-19 claims were included, total disability benefits per paid indemnity claim fell 24% from 2019 to 2022. Also, TPD benefits per paid indemnity claim decreased 31% from 2019 to 2022, and the 2022 vocational rehabilitation participation rate is 15% when COVID-19 indemnity claims are included.

There were very few disputes associated with COVID-19 claims  the dispute filing rate was 0.2% for COVID-19 claims in 2023 and 15.0% for non-COVID-19 claims.

The complete report is available at dli.mn.gov/business/workers-compensation/work-comp-minnesota-workers-compensation-system-report.

Topics Workers' Compensation COVID-19 Minnesota
Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc said sales will be affected by a tornado that struck a warehouse in Mount Vernon, Indiana, where it stores products and raw ingredients for its baby formula business.

The consumer goods company said Wednesday that the third-party warehouse has not been operational since the tornado hit on July 9.

The Mead Johnson nutrition business contains Reckitts infant formula brands. Shares in Reckitt are down by more than a fifth since the start of the year after the company was hit by a damaging court verdict in the US relating to one of its formulas, called Enfamil Premature 24, which an Illinois woman blamed for the death of her baby.

It followed a separate setback a month earlier, when Reckitt said a group of its employees in the Middle East had understated the companys trade spending, meaning net revenue in the region was 55 million ($72 million) lower than previously expected.

The London-listed companys share price was trading about 0.5% higher on Wednesday afternoon.

Reckitt added Wednesday that it was trying to minimize the tornados impact on sales by leaning on its global supply chain, other US warehouses and stock held by retailers. It said it currently expects its insurance cover to largely offset the impact on earnings and pledged to provide further details when it reports half-year results on July 24.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm
A once in 200-years storm dumped 11 inches of rain over four hours on the central Massachusetts town of Leominster in September, washing away culverts, creating a sinkhole that swallowed cars at a dealership and flooding the city council chambers with sewage.

Damages to public infrastructure in Leominster exceeded $24 million, but the federal government denied a request for reimbursement to fix everything from dams to sanitation mains, and rejected Governor Maura Healeys bid for a major disaster declaration for impacted counties in the center of her state. And last month, Healey said the US Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down her appeal.

The perception of most is FEMA is there when you get into large scale events  they are going to help you, said Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, who is now weighing how to pay for both a new elementary school that was planned before storms hit and the damage they caused. Practice self reliance. If you are waiting for the federal government to help, lower those expectations.

Leominster joins a growing roster of municipalities that FEMA has denied aid to as it copes with natural disasters that are increasing in frequency, strength and costs. Just this month, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest-forming Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. The agency is stretched thin with a record number of billion-dollar catastrophes and a mission thats expanded to cover Covid-19 and the migrant care crisis. And its captive to a hyper-partisan federal budget process that risks letting its primary relief fund run dry for a second year in row.

President Joe Biden declared 71 major disasters last year, the most since the start of the pandemic. At the same time, FEMA also denied 14 requests, the most since 2016. FEMA said the damage in Leominster was not of such severity and magnitude as to warrant the designation of Public Assistance.

Already this year, the US has been hit by 15 weather and climate disasters each costing at least $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There were a record 28 such billion-dollar storms last year.

The number of disasters FEMA actively managed during the height of the last hurricane season more than doubled to 71 from 2016, according to the Government Accountability Office. After 2017, its daily deployment jumped to about 7,100 workers from about 3,300 before then, the GAO said. And FEMA has been about 6,000 workers short of staffing goals, according to most recent estimates.

FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund could be depleted by mid August without additional money from Congress, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Associated Press last month. The fund faces a more than $6 billion deficit without supplemental appropriations, according to its most recent monthly report.

Last year, the Disaster Relief Fund was forced to halt payments for about a month  the first time it had to do so since 2017  for thousands of projects not considered immediate as it was running out of money. For example, funding was delayed for projects related to past hurricanes and wildfires.

If FEMA funding doesnt grow at the same rate of disasters, something is going to give, said Sarah Sullivant, a managing director at S&P Global Ratings. These disasters are getting more costly. It will require more funding for FEMA. If that funding is not forthcoming, we are talking about long-term state and local governments being on the hook for more.

FEMA said its working with the administration and Congress to ensure sufficient funding is available. If that doesnt come through, the agency will ensure resources are available to support ongoing lifesaving and life sustaining activities.

Most people may not realize FEMA is managing 500 open disaster declarations going back to sometimes 20 years to Hurricane Katrina, Chris Currie, director of the homeland security and justice team for the GAO, said during a March Congressional hearing. While FEMA is always going to prioritize response efforts and lifesaving efforts, the impact that this has is really on the long tail and recovery projects that FEMA manages.

Although federal aid is often marshaled to help communities in the aftermath of major disasters and immediate live-saving aid isnt in doubt, the surging financial toll is spurring more and more questions about whether FEMA can keep up.

FEMA cant be all things to all people, Missouri Republican Congressman Sam Graves said during the hearing, adding that states should be shouldering a larger share of disaster aid.

In Massachusetts, the state stepped in to help pay for fixes to public facilities in Leominster after FEMA rejected its claim, though FEMA approved individual assistance to help residents who suffered flood damage. Governor Healey in June announced the state was giving $5 million in aid to local communities. Earlier this year, she also proposed a new state Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund to prepare Massachusetts for quick response to natural disasters.

Traditionally natural disasters have had limited impacts on municipal budgets because FEMA has largely served as a backstop since the agencys creation under President Jimmy Carter. But the rising number and costs of disasters have fueled concerns in a corner of Wall Street that lends money to local governments to build roads and schools and sewers and town halls.

Situations such as the one facing Leominster have come to be known as a disaster gap, said Tom Doe, founder of Municipal Market Analytics.

A reliance on federal funding is expected to be inadequate in future years because of outsized demands on FEMA while the federal deficit continues to rise, Doe said. State and local governments will be forced to finance necessary projects to reduce the negative consequences from climate events.

 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
WALLACE, La. (AP)  Sisters Jo and Dr. Joy Banner live just miles from where their ancestors were enslaved more than 200 years ago in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Their tidy Creole cottage cafe in the small riverfront town of Wallace lies yards from property their great-grandparents bought more than a century ago.

Its a historic area the sisters have dedicated themselves to keeping free of the heavy industry that lines the opposite shore of the Mississippi River.

We have all these little pockets of free towns surrounding these plantation cane fields. Its such a great story of tenacity and how we were able to be financially independent and economically savvy, Joy Banner said.

Today, miles of sugarcane borders homes on Wallaces west side. Eastward, two plantations tell the story of enslaved people: One has more than a dozen slave quarters, the other a memorial commemorating a slave revolt.

Directly across the Mississippi, refineries and other heavy industry crowd the view, showing Wallace residents exactly what the Banners are fighting against taking over their side of the river. Together, they created a nonprofit called The Descendants Project to preserve Black Louisianans culture. The immediate goal is to stop a 222-acre (90-hectare) proposed grain export facility from being built within 300 feet (91 meters) of the Banners property and near several historic sites.

It would essentially pave the way for the whole entire West Bank area that doesnt have any heavy industry on it to just be industrialized, Jo Banner said. We have a lot of heritage, and thats going to be decimated if we get these plants.

Their sentiments echo those of residents who live in other towns along Louisianas Cancer Alley, an 85-mile (135-kilometer) corridor along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Its filled with industrial plants that emit toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens.

The Descendants Project has tangled with Greenfield Louisiana LLC, the company proposing the grain terminal, as well as the local St. John the Baptist Parish Council, for nearly two years, seeking to prevent the Greenfield Wallace Grain Export Facility from being built.

It would receive and export grain byproducts via trucks, trains and barges. While some town residents support the project, the Banners and other neighbors fear it will eradicate historic landmarks and pollute the area.

We already have issues with industry from the other side of the river, said Gail Zeringue, whose husbands family purchased their property in the late 19th century. To add to that with a grain elevator is just piling it on.

The Parish Council recently rezoned nearly 1,300 acres (526 hectares) of commercial and residential property for heavy industry. Another swath along a residential zone was redesignated for light industry. All the tracts are owned by the Port of Louisiana and have been leased to Greenfield Louisiana LLC.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found the grain facility could adversely affect several historic properties in and around Wallace, including the Evergreen, Oak Alley and Whitney plantations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the terminal could add to the many existing manufacturing industries and other existing sources of environmental burden for the St. John the Baptist Parish community.

After nearly two years, Greenfield is still waiting for the permitting process to be complete.

It appears to me that the Army Corps wants to make sure that everyone is heard, said Lynda Van Davis, counsel and head of external affairs for Greenfield Louisiana. Before we did anything, we talked to the community first, and so our system is safer, and its green.

The facility will be used for transportation, and there will be no chemicals or manufacturing on site, something Greenfield representatives said sets it apart. They also plan multiple dust collection systems to minimize emissions.

They are aware of Wallaces historical significance, Van Davis said.

We had testing done. We made sure that there were no remains of any prior slaves that were maybe buried in the area, Van Davis said. In the event that we do find any remains or maybe some artifacts, we would stop and make sure that the right people come in and preserve any artifacts that are found.

Specifically, Greenfield said, the State Historic Preservation Office would step in. The Amistad Research Center, the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum and the state park system are also potential partners to help decide what to do with any artifacts or remains that might be discovered.

Some neighbors are more worried about Wallaces future than its past. Theyre concerned the towns prosperity hangs on whether the facility is approved. Wallace doesnt even have a gas station, and school enrollment has been declining.

The only changes Ive seen in my community are people leaving. We have absolutely nothing on our West Bank, said Willa Gordon, a lifelong resident.

It automatically meant to me jobs coming into my community and economic development and growth, so I was very excited. Im disappointed that, years later, its still not here, Nicole Dumas said.

Greenfield plans to create more than 1,000 new jobs during construction and 370 permanent positions once the site opens. The company also has promised to host local job fairs, training and certification programs.

St. John the Baptist Parish Council members Virgie Johnson and Lennix Madere Jr., the elected officials who represent Wallace, declined to comment on the proposed construction. Both voted in favor of the zoning change.

The tug-of-war between past and present is a familiar one across the country, with small, historic Black towns dwindling because of gentrification, industry or lack of resources.

Through their nonprofit, the Banners want to create a network of historic communities and economic opportunity. They recently moved a plantation house their ancestors once lived in to their property in hopes it can be given a historical marker and of preventing any industrial building on their land.

We are doing what we can to protect and to hold on, but its so crucial that we keep these plants out, Jo Banner said.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana
A Spokane, Washington woman who ran an adult family home while claiming she was too injured to work faces a felony charge in a $60,000 workers compensation fraud case.

Serah Kamau, 52, reportedly operated her business, Brookhouse Adult Family Home, for 15 months in 2021 and 2022 while still collecting wage-replacement benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

Charging papers allege Kamau stole more than $60,000 in wage-replacement payments from the state fund that supports injured workers.

Kamau injured her right shoulder while working with patients as a licensed practical nurse at Eastern State Hospital in early 2021. Several months later she reportedly filed an L&I injury claim and stopped working at the hospital because of the injury.

In June 2021, she began receiving payments to replace part of her lost wages after her physician reportedly certified that Kamaus injury was so severe she could not work, according to charging papers.

In October 2022, an L&I claims manager asked investigators to take a closer look at Kamau after she declined to accept a light-duty position at the state hospital. And investigation later revealed that Kamau was operating an adult family care facility out of her own home in Spokane.

Brookhouse Adult Family Home provided 24-hour care for clients with dementia and mental disabilities through contracts Kamau signed with the state Department of Social and Health Services, according to charging papers.

About a week after filing her L&I injury claim in June 2021, Kamau signed the first of three DSHS contracts to care for clients at Brookhouse. She reportedly billed DSHS for in-home, client care services from late September 2021 through December 2022. During the same period, she received wage-replacement payments, according to the charging papers.

Kamau pleaded not guilty in Spokane County Superior Court to one count of first-degree theft. The court set Kamaus trial for Sept. 23. The Washington State Office of the Attorney General is prosecuting the case.

Kamau has reportedly repaid L&I $68,878 for the benefits plus a $34,439 penalty under an earlier administrative order.

Topics Workers' Compensation Washington
Jillian Anderson was planning to make fighting crime in Waikiki the top issue in her campaign for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives. Then came the letter from her condo association announcing a 300% increase in insurance premiums, which would be passed on to owners through an assessment.

That amounts to approximately $2,000 for Anderson, she said. Now, she added, critical issues facing condo owners in Waikiki and the rest of Hawaii  especially spiking insurance costs  top her agenda.

Before my No. 1 issue was public safety, says Anderson, a 27-year-old Republican office manager for Rep. Gene Ward. In terms of immediate needs and having to find immediate solutions, this has risen to the top of the list.

Anderson isnt the only candidate highlighting the alarming spike in insurance premiums that is driving up housing costs for condo dwellers. Her opponent in Waikikis District 24, incumbent Rep. Adrian Tam, a Democrat, also says his No. 1 issue is the unstable condo insurance market. Tam co-sponsored a bill designed to stabilize condo insurance costs this past session. The measure stalled in conference committee.

Tam says its important to craft a policy not just to stabilize but to lower premiums.

Condominium insurance is the main thing that people are looking at now, Tam said.

In neighboring House District 23, which includes condo-dense Makiki, McCully and Moiliili, Ian Ross is one of four candidates running for an open House seat. He echoed Tam, saying discussions about housing affordability these days often center on insurance.

The condo insurance issue has become the housing issue, Ross said. People talk about it all the time.

Insurance Rates Keep Climbing

A confluence of factors is driving the condo insurance increases. At the center of the problem are master hurricane insurance policies covering condominium structures and common areas.

None of Hawaiis hurricane carriers has pulled out of the market, Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito said in a recent interview. But he added that at least one insurer wont provide 100% coverage against hurricane losses  essentially coverage to pay for replacing an entire building.

That means many condo associations are going to the pricey secondary insurance market to cobble together coverage at exorbitant rates, and passing on costs to owners.

In reality, its unlikely that a hurricane would completely obliterate a condo in Honolulu, so condo owners and their associations would be safe with less than 100% coverage. But many mortgage lenders require 100% coverage, so buildings without such coverage end up on do not lend mortgage blacklists, meaning units in those buildings can only be bought and sold with cash.

That leaves condo associations two choices: pay high costs for insurance or end up on blacklists.

Its easier to identify the problem than a solution. A number of candidates are calling for a special legislative session to address condo insurance. The problem, Tam says, is that unless lawmakers have a bill to discuss, such a session will be a waste of time and energy.

We need to have a bill before us before we start a special session, he said. The speaker can gavel us in. The Senate president can gavel us in. But we wont have a hearing until we have a bill before us.

Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, who is up for reelection in District 12 that includes Ala Moana, Kakaako, McCully, Moiliili, Sheridan and Waikiki, agrees it makes no sense to call a special session without any bills to hear.

Im looking forward to having some good solutions and having them ready for next session, she said.

One challenge, she said, is coming up with a solution that doesnt drive insurers away.

If the insurers leave, were in deep kimchee, because we need them, Moriwaki said.

Protecting The Owners

Condo issues go beyond insurance. Kim Coco Iwamoto, who is running to unseat House Speaker Scott Saiki for the District 25 post that includes Kakaako, has been stumping for months on a platform that calls for numerous additional protections for condo owners.

Saiki declined to comment for this article. But he has been engaged on the insurance issue, among other things holding a town hall meeting in March that drew a packed house at McKinley High School. He also sponsored a bill this past session, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law in May, that will enable condo associations to obtain low-cost financing to pay for things like sprinklers and deferred maintenance.

Iwamoto has been campaigning on what she says is the Legislatures failure to pass bills giving more power to individual condo owners when disputes arise with their hired property managers and elected association boards. In a report card mailer sent out recently, Iwamoto gave lawmakers a grade of F+ for failing to pass any one of a handful of condo bills.

Among them were measures to rein in excessive attorney fees charged to owners, create an ombudsman to help resolve disputes and make it easier to vote out board members by allowing electronic and mail-in voting.

Such proposals have sparked bitter opposition from condo association lawyers, management companies and other experts who thrive under the current system. Under Hawaii law, condo associations are private, self-governing entities held together by contracts that people enter into voluntarily when they buy a condo and join the association. Accordingly, the argument goes, less government interference is better: Neighbors should be allowed to settle their disputes among themselves, without Big Brother stepping in.

For Iwamoto, its a matter of housing security. She says the current system isnt working for many people and is among those calling for a special session.

This is something affecting so many residents across the state that it deserves the focus of a special session, she said.

The message is gaining traction. The Makiki Neighborhood Board that Ross chairs passed a resolution last spring supporting the passage of bills to create the ombudsman, change the condo board election process, increase transparency by condo boards, and require training for board members and licensure for property managers.

Even if only a few of these passed, Ross said, the bottom line is this is something that would benefit a lot of condo owners.

Anderson said she supports many of these changes.

Pat McCain, whos running against Ross for the District 23 seat, serves on the board of the association at Holiday Parkway in Kapahulu. Hes proud, he says, that the condo association fee is just $550 a month for a 1-acre property with a swimming pool.

McCain agrees that an ombudsman might be helpful to help sort out disputes. But he said his experience has taught him that the biggest problem for owners is that management companies and others that do business in the condo ecosystem can overrun weak boards and run up unnecessary costs on owners.

The industry that lives off the condos is always stampeding them, he said.

Tam he said he especially supports the ombudsman and election changes. But he said condo insurance is the critical issue now.

The insurance issue is the one thats on my mind every day, he said.

Among those watching the campaigning is Bobae Kim, a Kakaako housing activist who organized residents of Honuakaha, a state-owned affordable rental complex for seniors that includes market-rate condos for sale.

Kim started agitating for changes in 2023 after elderly residents complained of black mold, faulty appliances that shocked them and, in one case, the smell of a body wafting from an apartment where a dead resident had been left for more than a week while building managers refused to perform a welfare check. Another elderly resident was threatened with eviction over a 50-cent debt.

Things have changed since then, thanks to new management, Kim says. She said shes happy candidates are giving attention to issues affecting condo owners. But she said she hopes those making promises will follow through.

Its great that theyre acknowledging the issue, she said. I just hope its not just for campaigning and that they actually do something.

This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Hawaii
June 17, 2024 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Since many investors set out to make money by investing in stocks, it is unsurprising that they would abandon an unprofitable stock in favour of one that is. That has been the reality of many stocks recently, especially since many industries are experiencing a boom. However, it might be too early to write off some of these forgotten and otherwise hated stocks.

Many stocks fall out of favour due to reasons like unprofitability and volatility. However, there are some that should not be written off entirely.

Intel is a giant in the tech industry whose products have contributed massively to its growth and development, especially in areas like cloud computing and IoT.

As one of the earliest providers of online payroll and human resources software, Paycom has become an extremely profitable company.

The likes of tech, growth and banking stocks dominated the first half of the year thanks to their immense profitability, and the general feeling is that this will be the case even in the second half of the year. However, investors could find an edge in the market by investing in some forgotten and otherwise hated stocks, particularly the ones on the verge of recovery.

Joel Lim, a financial analyst at Tradequotex.com, has identified two hated stocks that could make a comeback this July.

Intel

Intel is an American technology company based in Santa Clara, California. It specializes in designing and manufacturing computer components, such as central processing units (CPUs), processor chips and semiconductors, and other computer-related products for businesses and consumer markets.

The last few years have been tough for Intel, no thanks to market share losses to Advanced Micro Devices, another computer processor and semiconductor manufacturer. Furthermore, the company's pivot to a foundry has not gone according to plan, causing investors to lose confidence in its profitability.

However, anyone counting Intel out is in for a rude awakening. The rise in AI and AI-powered technologies will increase the demand for semiconductors and microprocessors, an industry that Intel dominates.

Additionally, the company has several impressive products in the pipeline that will surely generate massive revenue. These include Granite Rapids, a new mainline server CPU; Lunar Lake, an advanced laptop CPU; and Arrow Lake, an advanced desktop CPU.

Joel Lim notes, "Intel has a stacked lineup of products on the way and a growing foundry business that makes it an ideal investment option in July."

Paycom

Paycom is an American online payroll and human resources service provider based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As one of the first fully online payroll service providers, Paycom has a first-mover advantage and controls most of the market. Hundreds of companies across the globe utilize Paycom's products and services.

With the introduction of the Beti service, Paycom's hold on the market will only grow stronger. The Beti service allows employees to handle their own payroll, allowing HR departments and personnel to focus on more critical tasks.

Joel Lim notes, "Paycom is already quite profitable, but the introduction of the Beti service will surely increase that profitability. Investing in the stock this July could yield massive returns."

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A European-wide council of Google workers has called for clarity from senior management on the ongoing layoffs taking place across its operations.

The European Works Council (EWC), which was formed in December last year, is an internal group established under Irish law which gives staff the right to be consulted with over issues relating to job cuts, investments, mergers and acquisitions and its financial situation.

The group was formed as widespread layoffs swept across the tech sector, with Google cutting 240 Irish jobs last year as part of global plans to reduce its headcount by 12,000.

While the tech giant has not announced any significant layoffs impacting its Irish operations since then, staff in its Dublin office have become increasingly concerned that cuts are continuing but are not being effectively communicated.

In its first annual meeting with management from Google's parent company, the EWC raised several issues regarding the lack of information on the tech giant's financial situation, employment trends, investments and future endeavours.

In confidential documents seen by the Irish Examiner, the group noted a lack of forward-looking information and data offered by Google-owner Alphabet, which it said did not live up to the initial agreement and should be remedied in future meetings.

Layoffs

The group also raised the issue of continued staff cuts, telling representatives that it was "very concerned" about the company's current headcount planning and that regular redundancies were a major cause of stress for employees.

The documents said Alphabet management did not provide any information on the probable trend of future layoffs, noting "deep concern" that reorganisation plans announced by Google the day after the meeting were withheld from EWC representatives.

The group said the lack of information was evidence that European leadership were not involved in the plans or that they lacked trust with the newly formed EWC.

Fears of lay-offs at Google continue to impact Irish staff with concerns that the companys effort to reduce its headcount has not been properly communicated.

In its report, the EWC also noted Alphabet's significant cash reserve, saying that the company's ongoing cost-cutting exercise aims to deliver a narrative for financial markets, but is not a requirement for the company's long-term sustainability.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner earlier this month, one Google employee based in Ireland said that while the company had only one formal redundancy process last year, the company has continued to cut staff, with fears that lay-offs are continuing in small but regular rounds, hence avoiding the need to report cuts to the Government and engage in collective consultations with affected workers.

Read More Google's Irish workers seek transparency on future job cuts

"Lay-offs have been taking place every month this year and are done by product area and department. Theyre coming in waves. It started in January and has been continuing throughout February, March, April, May and June."

Its extremely difficult to get any information, said the Google employee, adding that the lack of communication has been very stressful for Irish staff.

Future plans

The EWC also reported that Alphabet did not provide adequate information on core business or mergers and acquisitions, adding that this was not in line with their agreement.

In its concluding remarks, the EWC said it was concerned about the scarcity of information regarding the company's prospects and future endeavours, calling for outstanding information that was not addressed during the meeting to be delivered.

Responding to the EWC's opinion, Alphabet management said some of the its statements were not a true reflection of the information shared before and during the meeting.

It said it shared the EWC's view that job cuts can create uncertainty and impact employee well-being and stress, adding that significant efforts have been undertaken to minimise the number of redundancies.

As uncertainty regarding ongoing layoffs remains, Google staff, including those in the Dublin office, have began actively monitoring and sharing information on layoffs to keep track of what jobs are being cut and which locations are being impacted.

EWC said it was concerned about the scarcity of information regarding the company's prospects and future endeavours (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

In a tracker document spanning eight months seen by the Irish Examiner, it shows layoffs have taken place across several Dublin office teams, including finance, analytics, global business organisation, knowledge and information and regulatory response, among others.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner earlier this month, Gareth Murphy, Head of Industrial Relations and Campaigns at the Financial Services Union called ongoing redundancies "extremely concerning," urging Google to clarify without delay how many staff they have made redundant so far this year.

This was a constructive first meeting of EMEA management and our European Works Council representatives," a Google EMEA spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

"Its early days of working together, and while we dont agree with these representatives on every issue, what's clear is our shared passion in keeping Google a great place to work."
Italys competition authority has opened an investigation into some companies controlled by luxury fashion groups Giorgio Armani and LVMHs Christian Dior over alleged unfair commercial practices.

The antitrust regulator said the two brands may have used supplies from laboratories which employed workers receiving inadequate wages.

In addition, these workers sometimes had to work illegally long hours in inadequate health and safety conditions, which was in contrast to the boasted levels of production excellence at the brands, the regulator said in a statement Wednesday.

It is the latest move by authorities in Italy to crack down on alleged unlawful business conduct in the fashion industry.

In June, a Milan court put a unit of the French fashion house Dior under judicial control, citing alleged labour violations in its supply chain. Dior, which produces luxury bags and accessories in Italy, did not prevent and stem labour exploitation within its production cycle, the Italian police said at the time.

Similarly, in April, a Milan judge placed the manufacturing unit of Armani under the same control for alleged worker exploitation.

On Tuesday, financial police and antitrust officials searched the headquarters of Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior Italia, according to the statement.

Armani Group said it was aware of the investigation.

The companies involved are fully committed to co-operate with the authorities, believe that the allegations have no merit and are confident of a positive result following the investigation, the Italian company added in a written statement.

Bloomberg
Blackpool, Cork, 1899: Tadgh Crowley is born. He becomes a keen bagpipe player and in the 1920s, after Cork has convulsed though the War of Independence and Civil war, opens a business repairing bag pipes and drums. It will later morph into a music shop.

Crowleys, as it will become known, is later described in song by John Spillane as a shop of dreams, a cave of wonders, a palace of musical delight. In 1926 Tadgh will repair a set of uilleann pipes for Henry Ford. Those pipes are now in a museum in Dearbourn, Michigan. In his lifetime his passion will see him transcribe all the 1001 tunes from the famous Chief ONeills book to bagpipe settings.

In the late 1940s Rural Electrification takes a young ESB employee Daniel Gallagher, a Derry man, and his Cork wife Monica north to Ballyshannon. A son, Rory is born in March 1948.

They are close to Base One Europe in Derry, one of the USs biggest navy bases. Like all US Naval bases at that time, it doesnt just bring ships, it brings American blues music, Muddy Waters  Rorys favourite - and Howlin Wolf.

Rory, his mum and his new brother Donal move back to Cork in the 1950s. The showband era is dawning as early rock and roll inspires the big bands to move about on stage. Jim Conlon, a star of the Royal Showband orders a red 1961 Stratocaster from Crowleys, likely the first one in Ireland.

He specifically wants a red one to match bands suits. When a sunburst finish arrives accidentally, he reluctantly plays it until the red one comes in months later. Then the now second-hand sunburst is returned to Crowleys and goes in the window.

Tadgh Crowley had passed in 1955, leaving the shop to his son Michael, then only 14. By the time he spots two young lads eyeing the guitar lovingly, he himself would have been only 22. The Strat is the same guitar Buddy Holly plays. Buddy is a hero of a young Rory and his accompanying brother Donal.

Rory Gallagher chats to Mick Crowley at the original music shop on Merchant's Quay in Cork.

When the lads work up the courage to come in, Michael agrees reluctantly to a hire-purchase arrangement. 100 in 1963 is a lot of money. Rory makes the repayments by playing, aged 15, with a showband, the Fontana, as they tour the UK.

The rest of this story is better known. Rory and that guitar will become joined at the hip, over countless gigs, dozens of albums and a live tour of Ireland in 1974 that will become the stuff of legend.

Rory and that guitar will lead Ireland out of the showband era and into a world of U2, The Rats and Thin Lizzy. Few if any of those who will later rewrite Irish music will not have experienced a moment where they looked at Rory and that guitar and wanted to do likewise.

Witnesses say it already looked fairly weather beaten when he played it at the Isle of Wight festival in 1969. That was the festival where a film crew, employed to just film one song, were told, when Rory started to play, to just keep filming. It looked, even then, as if it had been sanded. But its travails were only beginning. Over the course of its life Rorys profuse sweat would cause the pick-ups to burn out, paint to flake and the neck to become so wet he took it off several times to dry it out.

At one point it was even stolen and spent two nights in a garden off the South Circular Road in Dublin before an appeal on the Garda Patrol TV programme saw it re-united with a greatly-relieved Gallagher.

The late Mick Crowley and his daughter Sheena.

He also rewired it so that one control was volume, one control was tone, and the middle one was null and void. This made the Strat more like a Tele, so I could use the tone to create wah wah effect, he said.

You can buy a 1961 Rory Gallagher Fender Relic Guitar on Thomann for 6,000. It will also boast three custom single coil pick-ups, a maple neck, a rosewood fretboard and a sunburst finish.

But, buyer beware, it is not soaked in the DNA of arguably the greatest blues guitarist of his generation. It was not used to ignite a generation, to play Belfast when no one else would, to speak in the voice of Corks favourite son.

That guitar is the Elgin Marbles of our music... except, right now, we still have it.
Leo Varadkar has revealed there were times when he was fearful for his own safety during his tenure as Taoiseach.

The former Fine Gael leader, who announced he will not be contesting the next general election, said that he never let security threats bother him.

It comes following reports that gardai increased his security in 2022 following heightened security threats.

Mr Varadkar also said that he instructed gardai not to give him too much information about potential threats as he did not want to be distracted from his work.

Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed on Tuesday that he would not contest the next general election (Brian Lawless/PA)

The TD for Dublin West confirmed on Tuesday that he would not contest the next general election.

Mr Varadkar, 45, announced he would resign as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader in March, saying he felt he was no longer the right person to lead his party.

He then described his decision as both personal and political.

He was succeeded as party leader and Taoiseach by Simon Harris in April.

Asked if there were times he feared for his own safety, Mr Varadkar said: There were a number of times.

On the night of the Dublin riots, I was advised not to go home and I didnt. I stayed somewhere else. But I never let that bother me.

One thing I would have asked the gardai was not to advise me or give me too much information about security threats unless I really needed to know for some reason.

I didnt want to be distracted by potential security threats or always looking over my shoulder, so I asked that they not give me detailed briefings unless there was some particular reason to do so, and I think thats probably the right decision.

I think I was very fortunate that I was able to lead a relatively normal life during my time as Taoiseach and in politics.

Now I want to lead a very normal life, and Im kind of grateful for that.

Ive spoken to people who are heads of government in other countries, or people who are senior politicians in other countries, and some of them cant even go to a restaurant because they have to shut down the whole restaurant or the block. Some of them cant go to the shops, cant go to the cinema and really do live in a security bubble.

Im really grateful that wasnt the case for me, and largely isnt the case for in Ireland yet, like of course there are security threats to politicians, but its still a relatively safe country.

Speaking on RTE Radio 1s Today with Claire Byrne on Wednesday, he said he knew that a rise in the far right would make its way to Ireland.

Leo Varadkar said the Government did its best to prepare for a rise in migration (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

Ireland is a normal European country, and almost every country in the European Union has experienced high levels of migration, big increases in the number of asylum seekers in recent years.

Were not unique in any way, in fact were just one of the last to experience it.

Up until recent years, the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland would have been well below the European average. Its only now hitting or exceeding the European average in the last two or three years, and weve seen across Europe and across the western world that when that happens there is a backlash.

We did our best to plan for it, but its not something thats easily preventable. It is something that has to be managed.

Mr Varadkar said he believes it is a phase that the western world is going through.

There are a lot of people who either struggle to understand or oppose or cant cope with the way the world is changing, economically, demographically, becoming more globalised, becoming more interconnected, and theres going to be a backlash against that. But the future isnt theirs, he said.

He added: So what we see where theres a backlash against migration around the world, whatever the problem is gets blamed on the migrants.

In Ireland, one of our biggest problems is, of course, the housing shortage. So the migrants get the blame. In other countries its crime, in other countries where theres high levels of unemployment, the migrants are taking our jobs.

Even in Greece, where there were forest fires that were blamed on the migrants. Go back in history, the plague was blamed on Jewish people and on migrants.

Throughout history, people blaming the other, the people that dont look like me, dont behave like me, dont speak like me, they must be the cause of all my problems, and we have to call it out for what it is.

Thats not to say that people dont have genuine concerns. When the population increases dramatically, it puts pressure on services, but blaming migrants or people who look different, behave different, for all my problems or the countrys problems, thats not right and not based on fact.
President Michael D Higgins has signed the Governments Defence Bill into law after it had been referred to the Council of State to discuss its constitutionality.

A spokesman for the president said having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence Bill, Mr Higgins signed it into law.

The meeting of the Council of State took place in Aras an Uachtarain on Monday to examine legislation to regulate Defence Forces representative associations.

The Council discussed whether the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 should be referred by the president to the Supreme Court, on whether specific provisions are repugnant to the constitution.

Mr Higgins asked the council about sections 11 and 24 of the Bill in particular, and whether the interference with constitutional rights is disproportionate.

Section 11 prohibits a member of the Permanent Defence Forces from making a public statement or comment in relation to political matters or Government policy while they are in uniform, or otherwise identifiable as a member of the Defence Forces, without prior authorisation from their commanding officer.

It would also prohibit them from attending a protest under the same circumstances and stop them from canvassing for a political organisation or addressing a meeting of such a society.

While Section 24 would now allow the Defence Forces to associate with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, it would prohibit associated bodies like ICTU from calling for or encouraging industrial action within the military.

President Michael D Higgins, having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024, and having considered all the options available to him, has today signed the Bill, a spokesman said.

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny, left, and ex-chief justice Susan Denham joined Taoiseach Simon Harris for the meeting of the Council of State (Maxwells/PA)

The president followed the passage of this Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas, and has listened carefully to the debate and the issues raised.

The president has also considered the views expressed by the members of the Council of State at the meeting convened at Aras an Uachtarain on Monday July 15, regarding the constitutionality of the Bill, in relation to two sections in particular.

When considering any piece of legislation, the president must be cognisant of Article 34.3 of Bunreacht na hEireann, which provides that no court can question the validity of any legislation following a referral by the president to the Supreme Court, and the capacity of a putative litigant on a fact-based rather than abstract grounds has to be taken into account.

The presidents decision to sign this legislation thus does not close off any actions sought by any member of the Defence Forces, or their representative association, to challenge the provisions of the Bill in the future.

Those who sit on the Council include former Taoiseachs Leo Varadkar, Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny, and Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Former chief justices Susan Denham and Frank Clarke also attended, as well as ex-presidents Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning, activist Sinead Burke and Senator Jerry Buttimer are also members.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has met with UK prime minister Keir Starmer to begin a "reset" of Anglo-Irish relations, with Mr Starmer saying the meeting represents a "new chapter" in the relationship.

Mr Harris arrived at Mr Starmer's English country retreat, Chequers, under heavy security to hold his first meeting with the new UK leader, who invited the Taoiseach on the day of his emphatic general election win.

Mr Harris said the invitation was a "strong signal" of the friendship between the two countries, which he hoped would be renewed and strengthened after years of difficulty over Brexit.

Mr Starmer said the fact the Taoiseach was the first world leader he received was "symbolic" of the importance of the relationship.

"It's symbolic of the reset arrangement which we've put in place to strengthen and deepen our relationship, so it's great to warmly welcome you," Mr Starmer told Mr Harris in the Hawtry Room at the Chilterns mansion.

Mr Starmer thanked the Taoiseach for "making time" to meet with him on the eve of Thursday's European Political Community meeting, which Mr Starmer will chair.

He said it was a chance to "strengthen" the bonds between the two leaders, who raised a pint of Guinness before a working dinner.

Taoiseach Simon Harris, left, with UK prime minister Keir Starmer.

Mr Harris said he wanted to congratulate Mr Starmer on his election victory in person and that he was excited to reset the Anglo-Irish relationship.

He said that he was aware of the unique and important role that both men share as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement.

I'm really looking forward to working with you and showing our people what a reset can look like, Mr Harris said.

Mr Starmer said the role of both governments in protecting the Good Friday Agreement is really important and the two countries would work together on issues surrounding Northern Ireland.

We will move on together to the next chapter of a stronger and deeper relationship," he said.

The meeting came as King Charles announced in his speech to open the new UK Parliament that Mr Starmer's government would repeal and replace the controversial Troubles Legacy Bill, something Mr Starmer has long signalled.

Mr Harris presented Mr Starmer with a Donegal GAA jersey, a nod to the new prime minister's affection for the county where he honeymooned in the early 2000s. To this day, Mr Starmer can be seen playing football in a Donegal top. He also mentioned Donegal in the House of Commons in 2022, paying tribute to those who died in the Creeslough tragedy.
A woman accused of defrauding the Department of Social Protection of almost 60,000 has been further remanded in custody.

Samantha Cookes made a short appearance via video link at a sitting of Tralee District Court on Wednesday.

Her solicitor Brendan Ahern said his client was not appealing Judge David Waters decision to refuse bail at the special sitting on Saturday and she was going to remain in custody.

However, Mr Ahern asked the matter be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

Judge Waters remanded Ms Cookes to July 30 next to appear again via video link. Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions are awaited, the court was told.

Ms Cookes, of no fixed abode, was arrested outside Tralee post office on Friday when she was due to collect a weekly disability allowance worth 232, a special sitting of the court heard on Saturday.

She was charged on two counts of fraud worth 464 and she appeared before Judge David Waters, with further charges likely to be processed, according to gardai.

She initially submitted a claim for supplementary welfare allowance in February 2020 on the basis she had Huntington's disease.

In September 2021, Ms Cookes submitted a disability allowance claim which was signed by a doctor.

After obtaining her medical records under Section 52, gardai discovered the accused had told her doctor she was adopted and therefore could not prove she was previously diagnosed with Huntingtons and so the doctor signed her application in good faith.

Ms Cookes' claims she was "following doctors orders" and she was medically led to believe she has the disease.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered she posed as a safety consultant under the names Jane Harris and Samantha Jade Williams, providing a company name that is a variation of a currently trading company.

Ms Cookes provided an invoice and was paid into her personal bank account.

Garda Raphael Liston, who has been investigating the allegations made against Ms Cookes since April 2024, gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

Objecting to her application for bail, Garda Liston told Judge David Waters Ms Cookes had a history of using multiple aliases, variations of her own name and her mother's, to hide her identity and has done so to cause financial and emotional damage to members of the community. He said her motives were not clear as she did not always financially benefit from them.

For the past 18 months, she has been living at an address in Tralee under the name Jade OSullivan and the court heard she was no longer welcome at that address.

Other aliases include Carrie Jade Williams, Jade OSullivan, Lucy Fitzwilliams, Jade Harris and Sadie Harris.

Garda Liston said he believed she was a flight risk as she is a UK citizen, has not forfeited her passport and has no family ties to Ireland. He added she posed a risk to the community and was likely to be further charged.

Ms Cookes told the judge she still believes she has Huntington's disease and has been suffering from neurological symptoms since 2019. She added her previously existing mental health issues had made it difficult for her to engage with services.

Representing Ms Cookes, Pat Mann argued the defendant was not in possession of a passport and she remained in the country even when she knew she was being investigated. She also agreed that she would swear an undertaking to stay in the area until the case is finished if granted bail.

Gardai had tried to make an arrangement with Ms Cookes to question her before her arrest, but when she failed to respond to them, she was arrested outside the post office in Tralee where she went to collect her benefits.

Judge Waters refused bail as he said he was not satisfied any bail conditions would prevent Ms Cookes from trying to avoid the courts system.

Ms Cookes was granted legal aid.
An Bord Pleanala has approved plans for New York loft-style apartments in a landmark vacant building on Corks main street despite concerns about their below-standard floorspace.

In an important decision for over-the-shop' residential projects, the board went against its own inspectors recommendation to refuse planning for the scheme at 64 St Patricks St despite his concerns that the proposed studio apartments fell below the minimum floor space and storage standards.

The inspector also said the constraints of the floor plan configuration adversely impacted the useability of the internal floor area, and said the proposed development comprised a substandard form of development which would seriously injure the residential amenities of future occupants.

However, in its ruling, the board said on balance, the scheme should go ahead. It pointed out that the city development plan sets out to encourage residential development in 'living over the shop' projects.

It also said local authorities can consider dispensations from normal standards and can practically and flexibly apply the general requirements of apartment schemes, particularly in historic buildings or in 'over-the-shop' projects where property owners must work with existing building fabric and dimensions.

Having considered the application documentation and submissions, and the anticipated re-activation of a vacant historical building in the city centre adjacent to Daunt's Square and the Grand Parade, the Board, on balance, and, in this particular context, decided to apply a degree of flexibility in the application of the relevant guidelines to grant permission for the proposed development," it said.

The now Lord Mayor, Green Party Cllr Dan Boyle, had called last December for more flexibility in the planning system after city council planners refused planning to Majorfield Ltd for three studio apartments in the striking Saint Patricks Buildings on the corner of St Patrick's St and Grand Parade.

They said the floor space was too small and did not meet the minimum required standards for a studio apartment.

Majorfield Ltd had applied for planning for alterations to the existing mixed-use building to include a change of use of part of the ground floor and the entire first, second, and third floors from office space to residential, to deliver three apartments.

Engineers and architects Brian OKennedy & Associates, which secured planning for apartments above the former AIB building on Saint Patricks St; for 14 apartments over the shop on Bridge St; and for seven apartments in the Finns Corner building, engaged in pre-planning consultation with City Hall before preparing the detailed application.

They said they understood that the minimum recommended area for studio apartments is 37m sq but the available floor space in this building was 30.75m sq on the first floor, 33.3m sq on the second floor, and 31m sq on the third floor, adding that the building represents an out of the ordinary opportunity to provide unique living spaces" in the city.
Tanaiste Micheal Martins trip to Kenya to promote Irish development projects was disrupted by a Nairobi police probe into a serial killer linked to the murder of up to 42 women.

Nine dismembered bodies were discovered in a disused quarry in a suburban slum area which the Irish delegation had planned to visit on Wednesday.

Police told the BBC a male suspect arrested on Monday had confessed to killing 42 women since 2022.

Student scientists explain their project to Tanaiste Micheal Martin at the launch in Nairobi of Young Scientist Kenya, supported by Ireland and based on the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

Locals have been outraged and it was deemed unsafe for Mr Martin to visit an Irish-funded health clinic nearby.

It is a shocking story, he said, noting Ireland funds many projects tackling violence against women in this region. This includes the Makuru clinic which provides extraordinary supports to women, he added.

So that such an atrocity, multiple atrocities could have occurred close to that is quite shocking." He added:

There are obviously security challenges here as there are elsewhere but we must keep on working and supporting efforts to improve the situation all round.

Mr Martin met Kenyan president William Ruto to discuss trade between Ireland and Kenya.

They also talked about the protests taking place again on Tuesday in the capital against tax plans, with at least one person killed, according to Reuters reports.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Martin said he stressed the importance of dialogue.

He was very clear on that himself, that he had engaged with quite a number of and met some of their immediate requests, he said.

Young Scientist Kenya students chat with Tanaiste, Foreign Affairs Minister, and Defence Minister, Micheal Martin in Nairobi, Kenya. Picture: Phil Behan/DFA

He later visited the launch of Young Scientist Kenya, which takes place next month. This is supported by Ireland and based on the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

He met Maxwell Opondo, 20, who made a robotic arm which creates sign language from speech to help disabled students.

I am able to speak on one end and on the other it is able to sign a particular word-set, he said. This Zerobionic is in three schools and he is looking for sponsorship.

Mr Martin said Irish scientists and teachers were thrilled to see this concept spreading internationally.

For me its one of the best things that ever happened to Ireland, he said, adding it was the most optimistic week of the year for him.

Micheal Martin at the launch of the 'Hanaano programme', a 15m initiative to fight child malnutrition and wasting in the region.

He welcomed in particular how inclusive the Kenyan exhibition is, with a focus on encouraging female students and students living with disabilities.

The Tanaiste also launched the Hanaano programme a 15m initiative to fight child malnutrition and wasting in the region.

This is funded by Irish Aid and run by Concern Worldwide, with partners in border communities in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

Safia Mohamed gave a moving description of one rural mother of seven. "We discovered that she often goes without food to ensure her children have something to eat, but it is never enough," Safia said.

They provided her with a clean water source and training in new farming practices, among other changes.

Read More Vital medical equipment donated to Kenya centre in memory of Irish doctor
Taoiseach Simon Harris will meet Keir Starmer, the new British prime minister, later today to discuss a reset in Anglo-Irish relations.

The two men spoke by phone on July 5 after Mr Starmers emphatic general election win and agreed that there was an opportunity now to strengthen relations between Ireland and Britain following years of rancour during Brexit negotiations.

It is expected that the Taoiseach and prime minister will discuss the North and international issues, including the situation in Gaza and in Ukraine.

Ahead of the meeting at the prime ministers country home Chequers, the Taoiseach said the invite is a strong signal of the value he [Keir Starmer] attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead.

British prime minister Keir Starmer, right, with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, First Minister Michelle O'Neill, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle shortly after British Labour won the 2024 UK general election. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

I look forward to getting to know the prime minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time, Mr Harris said.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

Mr Harris will tomorrow take part in a meeting of the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace.

Meanwhile, at yesterdays Cabinet meeting, Jack Chambers, the finance minister, got approval for a committee stage amendment to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023.

During the second stage debate on this bill in February 2024, an issue was raised about certain consumers not being able to make complaints to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).

This includes mortgage holders who had their loans sold to unregulated non-banks before July 2015 and before new legislation came into effect to regulate credit servicing in January 2019.

Currently the FSPO can deal with complaints against credit servicers after they became authorised entities but it cannot look at complaints made against financial service providers before they were subject to regulation. This proposed amendment seeks to close this gap.

Also at Cabinet, Helen McEntee, the justic minister, noted that a competition would be launched by the end of July for the recruitment of a deputy Garda Commissioner through the Public Appointment Service.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer will visit Ireland on September 7, the Taoiseach has confirmed.

Speaking at the UK prime minister's country home of Chequers, Simon Harris said that Mr Starmer had accepted the offer of a return visit.

Mr Harris said that he was leaving Chequers with no doubt that the UK has a prime minister who wants to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Mr Harris said that the two leaders had agreed a new system by where Ireland and the UK would hold a summit each year led by the leader of each country.

Keir Starmer (right) welcomes Simon Harris to Chequers, the country house of the serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Picture: Carl Court/PA Wire

He said that Mr Starmer wants to have a mature relationship with the EU and that Ireland has a "unique understanding" of the UK position.

"I can't overstate the significance of tonight's meetings with the prime minister around how important a reset of relations is. It's very easy to have a slogan around this. This is not a slogan to Keir Starmer."

Mr Harris said that there is leadership in "Dublin, London and Belfast" which is committed to working together. He said that the relationship had suffered due to a lack of face to face meetings.

He added that Mr Starmer's government's abandoning of the Rwanda policy was "helpful".
It's hard to imagine what Tori Towey has endured. But she might still be languishing in a Dubai jail had she not been able to make a hurried call to her mother before they took her mobile phone. As she said, it would have looked like she disappeared off the face of the earth.

Ms Towey, the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband, tried to take her own life and awoke to police and paramedics speaking Arabic. Instead of being taken to hospital, she was brought to a police station.

As she told this newspaper: I called my mother because I was hysterical. I was like, Im in a police station and dont know why.

Not wanting to minimise her nightmare, certain aspects of her experience chimed with me.

Because, at 21, travelling alone, I was arrested at Jeddah airport.

Its one of those stories that Ive never been able to parlay into an amusing anecdote.

The short version of the story is that, due to a bureaucratic error, I was made a resident of Saudi Arabia, which is illegal for a foreigner.

Unwittingly, I was travelling on illegal travel documents, not something you want to do in a Gulf state. Naturally being unable to read Arabic, I had no idea.

You need entry and exit visas to enter and to leave the country. I was attempting to board a flight to London, when the expression of the official checking my passport changed and he started shouting at me.

Police arrived to take me away.

What I remember most clearly is sobbing that I had to get on the flight because I had finals in three weeks. Exams transpired to be the least of my problems.

A crucial intervention

I was lucky in that a Jordanian air official who had spent many years working in London saw me being carted off and followed me to the detention centre where he intervened.

He arranged a phone call to my family in rural Saudi Arabia.

He spoke to them on the phone (horrible for them), because I was incoherent, and had zero details of what I had done.

Smuggled out with a coat over my head

There were many twists and turns, but in the end, I was released through a combination of this mans intervention, and that of a family friend, now dead, who spoke fluent Arabic, lived in the country for decades, and had superb contacts.

At great risk to himself, this friend smuggled me out with a coat over my head, whereupon I lay down on the back seat of his car hiding. He called in favours to achieve this.

I spent a night or two in his house which was highly illegal.

My rescuer and I could have been arrested

If either of us had been caught together as an unmarried man and woman, we would both have been arrested, and thrown in jail, and he risked losing his job and being deported. Religious police wandered the streets looking for unmarried couples.

The winding episode concluded with me over a week later arriving in London Heathrow, with all my law notes and law books gone into the bargain.

A clear memory is becoming emotional seeing the Aer Lingus shamrock in Heathrow, and thinking 'I am home, I am safe'.

However, when I missed the evening connecting flight from London to Cork, drained and exhausted, I broke down.

A helping hand from Aer Lingus

I will always be grateful to Aer Lingus because the staff were incredible. I remember the person on the desk saying 'we have a very distressed young lady here'. They put me up in an airport hotel for free but, most of all, they talked to me.

One of the air hostesses said that they regularly had women coming from Saudi Arabia traumatised. I never set foot in the kingdom again.

Tori Towey has pointed out that in the Dubai prison, there were Nigerian and Filipina women who had no idea why they were there, no prospect of getting out, and had been imprisoned for a long time for minor offences.

She said: I think thats just due to the fact of just having no one on the outside that can help them and not having any financial help to help them get out. So they just ended up staying for years.

Tori Towey

In Ms Toweys case, her release was brokered through a combination of political influence, diplomacy, and the intervention of a human rights organisation, Detained in Dubai.

Its chief executive, Radha Stirling, has called for upgraded warnings about the dangers in the United Arab Emirates and the judicial system where a woman can be jailed for being raped.

She pointed out that the police there often encourage people to drop domestic abuse cases.

Conservative Islamic Gulf states are supposedly modernising with a narrative about reforms but in reality, womens human rights are largely a PR exercise.

This is not a pop at Islam

Taking a pop at Islam is not my intention, in any case, its diverse and factional.

Reformist scholars are undertaking new interpretations of the Sharia or Islamic law which is written mainly from a Sunni perspective to respond to the demands of modern life. Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and other religions are also distinguished by patriarchal thought.

A view that Islam emancipates women compared to the West, where women are reduced to sex objects, holds a degree of truth. But in reality, a gulf exists (pun intended) between the lived experience of women and girls under autocratic Islamic regimes and the official story. Deriding it as an ethnocentric view doesnt make it any less true.

Gender equality index

In June, Saudi Arabia ranked 126 out of 146 countries on gender equality in a World Economic Forum. United Arab Emirates, which is relatively liberal compared to Saudi Arabia, ranked 74. To put it in context we came in ninth place, five spots ahead of the UK.

Although Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had loosened many of the restrictions in Saudi Arabia with a law introduced two years ago, much of this is window dressing and designed to chime with Western sensibilities to attract investors and tourists.

Women can still be arrested for not dressing or behaving in the prescribed manner. They need the permission of a male guardian to marry, and marital rape is not criminalised.

There remains multiple discriminatory practices too numerous to list, plus polygamy is permitted. Most strikingly female advocates for womens rights have received lengthy prison sentences and Amnesty International has called Saudis record on womens rights abysmal.

UN decision is a farce

So, its a farce that, in March, Saudi Arabia should have been chosen by the United Nations to chair its Commission on Status of Women.

It supposedly promotes gender equality and empowers women globally. None of the 45 member states of the committee challenged their two-year appointment, including Ireland.

'Appointing an arsonist as your fire chief'

Seven years ago, when Saudi Arabia was first appointed to the committee, one human rights activist described it as making an arsonist the town fire chief.

Holding the chair burnishes Saudis reputation, and gives them a platform and influence. Whats in it for the member states that remained silent? Saudi Arabia is a lucrative export market and money talks.

The conclusion has to be that, as ever, womens rights come low down the totem pole compared to economic imperatives. Business as usual.

How depressingly familiar.
The marital bed. A place of repose, passion, intimacy, secrets, laughter and comfort. There are tender passages of all those things. Still, after 25 years, there has been some tension  I wont lie. If the deLongchamps do want to play Adult Monopoly on a snowy night, we search for each other with strangled cries and the flashlight on our phones.

The bed is ridiculously big, but reader  theres more, and I have to confide in you. Huddle up. Hes driven me to the cold outer reaches of the Scandinavian sleep method.

Let me explain. We go to bed. 'Night, Love, he sings out. A moment passes. Shoulder up. Sighs. Deep sonorous snores from the King. I, on the other hand, tense  a nocturnal squirrel, brain ablaze.

There are two-three hours to go before this mind-palace is quietened by reading, plotting, and a little prone Pilates. However, I am not the problem on our marital couch. Over on his snowy acres, the madness of King Charlie has only just begun.

Hes a lovely guy. Hes not a pillow pirate or duvet deviant. Hes not screaming some other womans name, fluting wind like the RTE Concert Orchestra, or doing anything I can tearfully complain to a counsellor about.

Actually, he warms a nice divot for me and rolls into his Antarctica when I show up. The difficulty is, hes consumed by a curious, tortuous, highly physical overnight journey.

Charlie is ex-US Army, and trained himself to sleeping on top of tanks, under jeeps, swinging from trees, and giving the appearance of being awake while on fireguard. By night, his body is still on active duty. Its war.

I cant stress how dramatic these after-hours antics are. The mans a 65" mountain and to borrow from Will Shakespeare, he struts and frets a good 8 hours on my bed. Conjure up Ramin Djawadis rhythmical score to HBOs Game of Thrones, because  trust me, hes off. The opening act comprises his broad but flexible body, dangling off the side of the bed, the mattress seam gripped between a pinch of knees. He coils and flips, reefing the covers.

While I carry on scrolling Instagram for Broccoli fritter recipes, WWFs Gollum is at the head of the bed shivering wildly, his head smashed up on the bare plaster. Sometimes Ill find him wandering the soft, cavernous expanses between the duvet and the duvet cover elasticated into various Bob Fosse poses  muttering music, often upside down, regularly taking the bottom sheet and two pillows with him.

Hes convinced Im the villain of the moonlight serenade and remains extremely territorial. The faintest pull on the duvet as I rolled across the bed to drop off my laptop, results in a sharp, maritime heave-ho from a startled, offended man robbed of 5cm of coverings on his side. Sometimes he schools me, pulling then releasing the covers, to sling-shot me off the bed.

His manner at 2am is kind, condescending patience. Groggy words are exchanged. The lunatic who sleeps with three-quarters of his body uncovered, the bedspread bound around his ankles, is suddenly not to be disturbed. I do sit up late, I have five pillows, and I drape a three-gang extension cord over him from time to time. Still, he has been caught, head and shoulder on the bedside table  over and out.

The Scandinavian sleep method explained

So, what does the Scandinavian style of sleeping offer in terms of de-escalation? Well, with two single duvets on a bed intended for a couple, theres obviously more physical autonomy.

If you like to use one leg to sit out in the cool, acting as a temperature regulator, youre not dragging any real estate away from your partner or pinning the bedclothes.

That taut tent separating you is no longer an issue, and not to be crude  if someone does let one rip, its not enclosed in your bubble of linen. Having lived in Sweden as a single girl, I had not noticed or experienced the method, but I did come home with the life-long habit of retiring with the windows flung wide year-round. He was oddly refreshed, I was exhausted, and it seemed well worth a try.

So, one trip to Jysk later, we were each assigned a single duvet in freshly laundered butter-soft, white covers. It felt a little off for me  something of a sleep divorce, but after a brief, giggling exchange, noses hooked naughtily over our cotton tops, the light was snapped off. I put my foot out to find the nicely muscled back of his legs as usual. An unwelcome cool cavern had to be crossed.

His duvet rather than nestling in the valley, is sitting up on the summits of his frame  a handkerchief draped on a buffalo. He then moved off to the edge as usual to work on destroying the 2,000 double spring mattress with some Jason Momoa-style thrashing and writhing. Now, at this point, I had not really detected any real differences in my situation. Im tall, slender, a bony crone, so fit well under a single. What I did deeply appreciate is reaching for my computer on the floor beside the bed to check that Andrew Tate was still going to trial shortly, I wasnt rudely told off like an errant toddler.

Result

Scandi-style, I was able to turn over, scoop up the LG, and return to the yielding hills of my five pillows unmolested. He reported back the next day that the test had been an utter success. His duvet was washed up against the far wall of the bedroom. I didnt even ask, but this week, Im setting up an infrared wildlife camera to check out what somnambulism gyrations hes moved onto.

Not to draw every veil from our personal life, but in closing  the gap between the duvets can be swept open for affectionate exchanges, without the intrusion of bed covers. I would advocate tucking the end of the duvet cover into the end of the mattress if you can find one long enough. Otherwise, the duvets get swept easily right and left and do tend to drop to the floor.

I suggested getting a basket for the dog. Charlie shot me a wincing stare. It looked more likely I'd be the one sleeping in the basket

On the downy downside? Well, its the JRT. We used to sleep with an elephant-scale lurcher and an expressive terrier (who loathes me). We are now down to Ratface, and he is now trembling in the badlands between the duvet edges as his duck-down cathedral has been unroofed. I suggested a basket. Charlie shot me a wincing stare. It looked more likely I would be the one sleeping in the basket. The dog now has his own little coverlet, kicked all over the bed by GI Joe. Ill let you know how we get on.

Winter is coming.
Hamas-led armed groups committed numerous war crimes against Israel during the deadly attacks on October 7, a global human rights group has said in a new report on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the actions of the Palestinian fighters, who killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others during the attack, met the international legal definition for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Its report found that five different Palestinian armed groups, led by Hamass Qassam Brigades, engaged in war crimes and violated international law by killing, torturing, taking hostages, looting and committing crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence.

The New York-based rights group said its researchers were unable to independently verify claims of sexual violence and rape but that they relied on a separate report by a special UN envoy who found reasonable grounds to believe Hamas fighters committed sexual violence during the attack.

The 230-page HRW report focuses only on the October 7 attacks and does not examine actions taken by Hamas or Israel during the subsequent war in Gaza.

Israeli soldiers walk past houses destroyed by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Beeri, Israel, in October 2023 (Ariel Schalit/AP)

More than 38,400 people have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments in Gaza since the war began, according to the territorys Health Ministry.

The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The militants committed a crime against humanity because they launched a widespread attack directed against a civilian population, said Belkis Wille, an associate director at HRW who arrived in Israel days after October 7 and spent a month researching the attack with local staff.

The researchers examined Palestinian attacks on 26 civilian sites in southern Israel, including kibbutzes, cities, two music festivals and a beach party, and they spoke with nearly 100 survivors, as well as 50 experts and first responders.

The killing of civilians and taking of hostages were all central aims of the planned attack and not actions that occurred as an afterthought or as a plan gone awry, or as isolated acts, for example, perpetrated by unaffiliated Palestinians from Gaza, Ms Wille said.

After reviewing hundreds of photos and videos, the researchers determined that the majority of the Palestinians who took part in the attack were affiliated with armed groups and were not random civilians who took advantage of the open fence.

That was a claim that was made very early on  it was made by Hamas in order to distance its own fighters from the abuses, and it was made by Israel to justify attacks on civilians in Gaza, she said.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip flee from parts of Khan Younis (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

HRW observed footage of fighters, including those in civilian clothes with no military insignia, communicating with walkie-talkies and taking orders from commanders, leading them to conclude that those who carried out the worst abuses, especially in the early hours of the attack, belonged to armed factions.

In a nine-page response to the HRW report, Hamas said the Qassam Brigades planned and led the October 7 attack, not the Hamas political movement, and that fighters were instructed not to target civilians.

HRW said they found the Hamas response false and that the intentional killing and hostage-taking of civilians was planned and highly co-ordinated.

The organisation called on Hamas to immediately release the approximately 120 hostages and bodies of hostages still being held in Gaza, and for all sides to adhere to international law and agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible.

HRW has a strained relationship with Israel, which it has accused of violating international law in multiple cases.

In April, an HRW investigation found that an Israeli strike in October in central Gaza which killed 106 Palestinians constituted a war crime because there was no apparent military target.

The group also accused Israel of violating international law by striking residential buildings in Lebanon with white phosphorus, a chemical munition.

The Israeli military said it upholds international law regarding munitions and that it used white phosphorus as a smokescreen, not to target civilians.
US central command has said the so-called Islamic State group (IS) is trying to reconstitute, with the number of attacks in Syria and Iraq on track to double those of the previous year.

IS has claimed 153 attacks in both countries in the first six months of 2024, US defence officials said.

The group is believed to have been behind 121 attacks in Syria and Iraq in 2023.

The increase in attacks indicates ISIS (another term for IS) is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability, central command said.

10,000 The number of captured IS fighters held by the Syrian Democratic Forces in some two dozen detention facilities

In north-east Syria, Kurdish-led authorities issued a general amnesty on Wednesday that would include hundreds of Syrians who have been held by the main US-backed force over their roles within IS.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are holding more than 10,000 captured IS fighters in around two dozen detention facilities  including 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them. The SDF captured the last sliver of land in Syria from IS in March 2019.

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said a life sentence will be reduced to 15 years in jail, while those detainees serving life sentences who have incurable diseases will be set free, as will those who have reached the age of 75. It said the amnesty would not include IS officials and members who fought against the SDF, nor those who carried out attacks with explosives that killed people.

The announcement comes just after the 10-year mark since the militant group declared its caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria.

At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the UK where it attempted to enforce its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates.

Militants also killed thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority and kidnapped thousands of women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual abuse and human trafficking.

A coalition of more than 80 countries, led by the United States, was formed to fight IS, which lost its hold on the territory it controlled in Iraq and 2017 and in Syria in 2019, although sleeper cells remain in both countries and abroad.

Iraqi officials say that they can keep the IS threat under control with their own forces and have entered into talks with the US aimed at winding down the mission of the American-led military coalition in Iraq.

The talks come at a time of increased domestic tensions over the US military presence.

From October to February, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched regular drone attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria, which they said was in retaliation for Washingtons support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza and were aimed at forcing American forces to withdraw from Iraq.

Those attacks largely halted after three US soldiers were killed in a strike on a base in Jordan, near the Syrian border in late January, prompting retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

On Tuesday, two Iraqi militia officials said they had launched a new drone attack targeting the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq.

It was unclear whether the attack had hit its target. US officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo
Jul 17 ( Jowhar.com)- The recent decision by the Somali government to introduce a 5% digital transaction tax has sparked significant debate and concern across various sectors of society.

As the Somali Congress of Trade Union (SOCOTU), we believe it is crucial to examine both the potential benefits and the substantial drawbacks this new tax may pose to Somali workers, businesses, and the overall economy.
Auburn, Alabama (Special to Informed Comment; Feature)  Theres a history to the war between Russia and the West going back to the Cold War and the unification between East and West Germany. Thomas Friedman once asked George Kennan, (the architect of the US Cold War strategy on containment), what he thought about NATO expansion, Kennan said, I think it is the beginning of a new Cold War. I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else.

In March 2003, President George W. Bush invaded Iraq on the pretext that Saddam Hussain had weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever found, and President Bush lied to the world and the US. This war cost the lives of 4,485 Americans and the lives of 500,000 Iraqis. Moreover, this act of aggression cost the US upwards of two trillion dollars and, to boot, we are still paying the price today. How so? This war left a vacuum in Iraq so that Saddams generals formed Daesh or I.S.I.S. a terrorist group that is still active today..

To make matters worse, President Bush had the audacity to say that Russias attack on Ukraine constitutes the gravest security crisis on the European continent since WW II. Juan Cole notes that George W. Bush laid the foundation in Ukraine by destroying US credibility on enemy intentions and capabilities.

Before Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, there existed ongoing talks among diplomats from NATO, including the US, and Russia. Putin regarded the dissolution of the USSR as the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. At a speech in 2021 Putin remarked that he was extremely concerned about the deployment of elements of the US global defense system close to Russia.

Al Jazeera English Video: Is the risk of direct conflict between Russia & NATO increasing? | Inside Story

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, did not have the wisdom to discuss with Putin the removal of anti-ballistic Tomahawk missiles from Romania, Poland and other NATO countries. Instead, Blinken, taking orders from Biden, discussed confidence building measures (CBMs) between Russia and NATO. This angered Putin beyond words.

Presently, we have the NATO allies in D.C., led by President Biden, who are like babes in the woods. Theres no way the Ukraine can overtake Russia. Consider this. First, for Russias core agenda NATOs expansion is more important for Putin than the territorial conquest of Ukraine. Second, when Putin addressed the meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board in Moscow, Dec. 21, 2022, he said that We will continue maintaining and improving the combat readiness of the nuclear triad. It is the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity, and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved.

Russia has developed the K-329 Belgorod nuclear-powered submarine able to carry six-Poseidon nuclear torpedoes. Its innovative design made it the largest submarine in the Russian Navy, circa 584 feet long and about 49 feet across. The Belgorod submarine tested the mass-dimensional model of the Poseidon torpedo in January, 2023. The Poseidon is an intercontinental, nuclear-powered, nuclear armed autonomous torpedo 24 meters in length and a diameter of 1.6 meters. The Poseidon can travel at a speed of 185 kilometers that makes it unstoppable. Its a strategic nuclear torpedo weapon that can target naval bases and coastal cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

On July 10th, 2024, the US and Germany announced they would begin episodic deployments of the long-range Multi Domain Task Force in Germany starting in 2026. Also, conventional long-range fire units will include SM-6 Tomahawk and developmental hypersonic weapons according to a joint statement of Germany and the US. The US also stated that F-16 fighter jets are headed to Ukraine while at the same time a dozen Ukrainian pilots are learning how to fly these planes in Arizona. NATO and the US are playing with fire and they are asking for a nuclear war with Russia. In my view, the only way NATO can avoid a nuclear war with Russia is to roll back NATO expansion entirely.
Sam Phelps, The Conversation | 

Northern and central Gaza have been hit by Israeli airstrikes this week as troops return to battle Hamas fighters in areas they claimed to have cleared many months ago. The intensified military offensive unfolded just days after mediators thought they were making headway in negotiations for a ceasefire. On Friday, Hamas reportedly dropped its insistence on a complete ceasefire as a prerequisite for talks.

But hope of progress was brought to an abrupt halt. It emerged that an Israeli delegation led by spy chief David Barnea had travelled to Doha not to finalise a ceasefire deal, but to instead issue further demands on Hamas. Since then, the group has said that Israels renewed offensive in Gaza City could reset the negotiation process to square one.

Ceasefire plans are yet again hanging by a thread. According to Paul Rogers of the University of Bradford, this is not a surprise. He argues that the chances of reaching a ceasefire deal are, and always have been, slim.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemingly learned shortly after the start of the war that the complete destruction of Hamas would not be possible  a fact now being proved regularly as the group resurfaces in some of Gazas hardest-hit areas. But he has pressed on with the military campaign anyway.

Rogers argues that continuing with the war is the only way Netanyahu can maintain support from influential factions within his government. Two of his ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose parties help Netanyahus coalition secure a small majority in parliament, remain steadfast in their opposition to striking any deal before Hamas is destroyed. On July 8, Smotrich took to social media to say that making a ceasefire deal now would be senseless folly.

Smotrich, who is finance minister and the leader of the ultranationalist Religious Zionist party, has gained huge influence over government policy over the past couple of years. As Dalia Alazzeh of the University of the West of Scotland and Shahzad Uddin of the University of Essex explain, Smotrich has used his influence to cripple the Palestinian economy.

He has blocked the transfer of  and has made deductions to  the tax revenue that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The result of these measures has been devastating.

The Palestinian Authority is facing a huge gap between incoming revenue and the amount needed to fund public expenditures. At the time of writing, it is only able to pay public sector workers up to 70% of their salaries, and famine is spreading throughout the Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera English Video: Children among 48 killed in Israeli air attacks on Gaza IDP site, school

Alazzeh and Uddin point to a World Bank report that suggests the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority dramatically worsened in the three months leading up to May, raising the prospect of an imminent fiscal collapse.

Palestines beleaguered economy does, however, look set to be given a brief reprieve. In late June, Smotrich announced that he would finally unfreeze tax revenue and extend a waiver that allows cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian banks.

But there would be a catch. This would come in return for approving five outposts  or Israeli settlements  in the occupied West Bank that are widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Meanwhile, it was made public on July 3 that Israel had approved its largest seizure of land in the West Bank in over three decades. The move follows a series of similar land grabs that have happened so far this year.

According to Serag El Hegazi from the University of Bradford, these actions are part of a strategy to expand Israels control over the West Bank and choke off the possibility of a Palestinian state. This is something Smotrich is all too happy to admit. He has previously described thwarting the establishment of a Palestinian state as his lifes mission.

Britains unclear position

The stance of Smotrich towards Palestine is clear. But the same cannot be said for the Labour party in the UK, which swept to power last week. As James Vaughan from Aberystwyth University explains, the Labour party has a complex historical legacy when it comes to Israel and Palestine. The new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has a difficult line to tread.

On we go

So, with tensions as high as they have been at any point in the war, what might happen next? Rogers argues that the war in Gaza will probably rage on.

Israel looks increasingly unlikely to be able to defeat Hamas and end the war on its own terms. And, given the deep anger directed at Israel, ending the war on almost any terms is not as paramount among Palestinians as one might think.

The US has leverage and could force Israel to accept a ceasefire. But that is unlikely due to the support Israel has within the US, as well as the fact that Biden finds himself preoccupied with speculation over his fitness to run for a second term.

There are other issues that could influence the likelihood of a ceasefire too, says Rogers. These include the position of the new Iranian government. According to Arshin Adib-Moghaddam of SOAS, University of London, the election of a known democrat in Masoud Pezeshkian should be seen as a positive development in the sphere of foreign affairs.

But, ultimately, the main challenge to Netanyahu may come from senior members of his military, who are becoming convinced that the war is unwinnable and increasingly wary of escalation with Hezbollah.

Jonathan Este is on holiday.

Gaza Update is available as a fortnightly email newsletter. Click here to get our updates directly in your inbox.

Sam Phelps, Commissioning Editor, International Affairs, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
By Nan Levinson

( Tomdispatch.com )  It began with Aaron Bushnell and a visceral response of mine: Why would anyone do such a thing?

Bushnell was the 25-year-old active-duty airman who set himself ablaze on February 25th in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., to protest that countrys brutal war in Gaza. The first question was tough enough, but his dramatic and deadly action also brought to mind other questions that have occupied my thinking, research, and writing in these last several years: What spurs someone to such an unyielding, ultimate commitment to a cause? What kind of political action is actually effective?

When the campus protests over the bloodbath in Gaza exploded shortly after Bushnells act, those questions came to seem even more pressing to me.

And not only was I not alone in my interest in Bushnells act, he wasnt even the first American to self-immolate over the fate of the Palestinians. Last December, an unidentified woman set herself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, apparently in a similar protest. She survived, just barely. (In April, a man who self-immolated across from the courthouse in Manhattan where Donald Trump was on trial for illegally trying to influence the 2016 election seemed aggrieved about other things.)

Three incidents, of course, do not an epidemic make, but they do attract attention. So, the phenomenon of self-immolation stayed in the news for a while.

Bushnell live-streamed his action, which was quickly posted on the social media platform Twitch (though that video was soon taken down there). As of this writing, however, its still up at Reddit. It opens on the early afternoon of a clear February day, with Bushnell in combat fatigues walking resolutely toward the Israeli embassy. He had emailed some independent news outlets about his protest and, as he walks, he says, I am an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. Im about to engage in an extreme act of protest but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, its not extreme at all.

He then props up his cell phone on the pavement, pours some flammable liquid over his head, pulls his cap down, and flicks a lighter on around his ankles. When his uniform doesnt ignite, he lights the pool of liquid surrounding him. It erupts into flames, which climb his body. Yelling Free Palestine, he bucks and moans in what must be unbearable pain before collapsing on the ground. Police and Secret Service agents rush over with fire extinguishers. One points a gun at the crumpled, still-flaming body and yells at him to get on the ground. Off-camera, another responds, I dont need guns, I need fire extinguishers! After the video ends, Bushnell will be loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital, where he will soon die. In its only response, it seems, the Israeli embassy will report that none of its staff were injured.

In the following weeks, third-party presidential candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein will express solidarity with Bushnell; vigils honoring him will be held in several American cities, including Portland, Oregon, where members of the antiwar veterans group About Face will burn their uniforms in his memory; the Palestinian town of Jericho will name a street after him; another active-duty airman will be inspired to stage a hunger strike in front of the White House and, when hes ordered back to his base in Spain, two fellow members of Veterans For Peace will begin a hunger strike in his stead.

Admirable? Unhinged?

The initial media coverage of Bushnells action was straightforward enough, though often giving as much space to the history of self-immolation as to the politics of his protest. A notable exception was a Washington Post column by Shadi Hamid, who considered Bushnells position on the U.S. governments support for Israel and concluded that while his act might have been unreasonable, his sense of powerlessness was not.



Police use tear gas on pro-Palestine student protesters at McGill University

Middle East Eye Video



It didnt take long, however, for the focus to shift to the psychology of self-immolation, then to Bushnells background and the implication that he was distinctly damaged. About six weeks after the event, the Boston Globe ran a feature on the Community of Jesus, a monastic community on Cape Cod, where the young Bushnell was raised and home-schooled. The story relied heavily on disgruntled former members  one characterized it as a cult  who recalled harsh, group-enforced discipline, practices meant to undermine family bonds, humiliations, and verbal assaults. The article did include a disclaimer toward the end  Its unclear what, if any, connection Bushnells upbringing had on his final protest.  but all too clear was a striking skepticism about his psychological stability.

The need to understand and explain (or explain away) such an extreme, self-abnegating act is anything but unusual, nor is the linking of self-immolation to mental disturbance. Bushnell was explicit about his distress over the situation in Gaza and it sounded as if he was also dealing with a sense of moral injury, a malady of the heart as much as the head, but none of that was proof of derangement. Setting yourself on fire for whatever reason is inarguably an act of suicide, yet the mental state of someone at that moment is ultimately unknowable since such suicides almost invariably take their secrets to the grave. When it comes to self-immolation, Im inclined to take people at their word. Apparently, that puts me in the minority.

I wont speculate on the dead mans mental health, wrote Graeme Wood in a snotty op-ed for The Atlantic. He grew up in a cult, described himself as an anarchist, and generally eschewed what Buddhists might call the middle way, a life of mindful moderation, in favor of extreme spiritual and political practice. Fanaticism, he suggested, was Bushnells default setting.

It wasnt just those who were unsympathetic to Bushnells act for whom the state of his psyche took precedence over the purpose of the protest. It may, in fact, be a particular genius of American democracy that it can absorb dissent and, in that way, blunt revolt, but that seemingly benign tolerance can push activists to ever more radical acts in a bid to focus attention on their cause. Sadly enough, though, when a dissidents striking (even, in Bushnells case, ultimate) political act is reduced to a set of personal maladies, his or her message can be all too easily massaged away.

Probably More Than You Want to Know About Self-Immolation

Self-immolation is a low-cost, low-tech, readily documentable act thats easy to do without significant planning, assistance, or much forethought. Of course, easy might be the wrong word for it, and self-immolation is an exceedingly rare, singular, and extreme form of political protest. Unlike marches or strikes, it involves only one person. Unlike suicide missions, the harm is intended to be inflicted only on yourself. Unlike the slow, wasting away of a hunger strike, its seldom reversible and usually fatal. Unlike most public protest, it doesnt rely on an authoritys response to have an effect. And while most people wouldnt consider it an option, to those who would set themselves aflame, sooner or later it becomes the only option.

Self-immolation is also heart-stoppingly dramatic, capturing the publics attention, emotions, and imagination despite, or maybe because of its inherent contradictions. It is at once an act of despair and of defiance, of purity and of bravado. Above all, it defies any idea of acceptable risk. Moreover, as a form of nonviolent protest, its shockingly violent, and though our normal urge as humans is to look away from such suffering, the image remains irrepressible.

As it happens, self-immolation as protest has an ancient history. It appears in Hindu tales, Greco-Roman myths, the early Christian era, fourth-century China, and seventeenth-century Russia. Its happened in protests against Americas war in Vietnam; against the Soviet, Indian, and Sri Lankan governments, as well as Chinese policies in Tibet; and recently in the U.S. over climate change.

According to Michael Biggs, a sociologist who conducted an extensive study of the subject, the motivations and rationales of self-immolators range from the selfless and strategic to the psychological and egocentric. Such an array of reasons is on display in The Self-Immolators, testimony compiled from protesters around the world who set themselves on fire between 1963 and 2013. It makes for sad reading: so many lives, so much anguish, so little effect.

Historically, the effectiveness of such awe-inspiring protest is, at best, unclear. There were certainly cases that did gain widespread attention and so influenced events and policies. As a threesome, consider Thich Quang Duc, the Vietnamese monk in the iconic photograph, who self-immolated to protest his governments mistreatment of Buddhists; Norman Morrison, the American Quaker who self-immolated under then-Defense Secretary Robert McNamaras Pentagon window to protest Americas war in Vietnam (McNamara was reportedly horrified, while President John F. Kennedy exclaimed, Jesus Christ!); and Mohamed Bouazizi, the street vendor in Tunisia, whose self-immolation protesting corruption was considered a catalyst for the Arab Spring uprising.

Sadly, however, Bushnells action, far more typically, didnt make a dent in Israels belligerence or limit the weaponry and intelligence his country still sends Israel. And the shock of the act, of the image of him burning to death seemed, if anything, to blot out the purpose. Maybe witnessing someone dying in flames, even online, is simply too disturbing to let witnesses easily absorb its intended message. Or maybe the intensity of Bushnells moral obligation shamed those who agreed with him and did nothing for those who didnt.

Too Bad for Words

While its hardly burning yourself to death, all those students who camped out last spring, erecting tents on university lawns, defying administrators, and dominating the news narrative for weeks, also faced risks. Though no student protestors died, by demanding institutional responses to Israels war in Gaza, some were barred from graduating, denied job offers, summarily kicked out of their housing, physically attacked, and arrested.

And then, as with Aaron Bushnell, we changed the subject. The issue wasnt this countrys, or any individual universitys role in the war in Gaza  so insisted school authorities, opportunistic politicians, and an obliging media  but free speech and the function of higher education.

In contrast to self-immolation, which is always about the image, language was all-important in those campus protests and became a minefield. The hotly debated meaning of terms and slogans, the name-calling that stopped discussion, the debate over who controlled the debate, the mutual misunderstandings, and the alarming tolerance of intolerance were all exacerbated in the self-enclosed, pressure-cooker communities that college campuses generally are.

Quickly, the sides were slotted into pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian categories, flattening any nuance among the protesters, even though a range of sentiments, perspectives, demands, and goals were apparent. That reduction also undermined the prospect for critical analysis, any true exchange of views, or the possibility of minds being changed  everything, in other words, thats supposed to underpin a liberal education. And whatever happened to the idea of being pro-peace? I dont remember that label ever being applied to the protests, although the one area most protestors agreed on was the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In his keynote speech at MITs graduation, entrepreneur Noubar Afeyan acknowledged the students pain over the tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict and rued his own lack of answers on the subject, concluding, But I do know this: having conviction should not be confused with having all the answers.

I have a certain sympathy for that sentiment, though I doubt I did when I was a student with my own set of demands over a different tragic conflict, which leaves me sympathetic to the student activists, too. After all, you dont need answers to pinpoint a problem accurately or to believe peace is a precondition for finding such answers. Protest isnt supposed to be nice. Dissent courts the heterodox. The point of a political action is to get in peoples faces, disturb complacency, and command a response. Protest that doesnt challenge our norms, or at least get people to think about other possibilities, is just spectacle.

Of course, dissent also threatens authority, and the kneejerk reaction of authorities fearing that theyre losing control is to try to take ever more control. Insisting that the students and their organizations were being punished not for their speech but for breaking the rules, university administrators suspended anti-Zionist groups, breached principles of academic freedom, opened the way for violence by ushering the police onto campus, and caved to financial pressure from donors and alumni. And what to make of the suggestion of a Harvard dean, who, look[ing] forward to calmer times on campus, argued that the solution was for faculty members to just shut up?

Youd think such beleaguered university administrators would learn. Clampdowns usually backfire and severe punishments hardly make for calmer campuses. The repression, in fact, succeeded mainly in turning the conversation from core issues like war and human rights to an assessment of free speech and the very nature of academia  not to mention good old American anti-intellectualism. Educational leaders were called before Congress to confess; university presidents were fired; hate speech codes, mostly moribund in this century, got renewed attention; and the crisis became focused on campuses riven by incivility and bad words.

Dissension at educational institutions over what kinds of expression are acceptable, no less desirable, has a long history and merits periodic revisiting. I suspect, though, that theres another reason what we say has bested what we do as the issue du jour: that is, a lot of Americans find it easier to champion the idea of free speech than to demand that Israel get out of Gaza or that the Biden administration rethink its military aid policies.

About 20 years ago, when I wrote a book about free expression controversies, I saw repeatedly how words make convenient scapegoats. Arguments over language are often a way to avoid arguments wed prefer not to have, even if working through those very arguments could produce the resolutions we want to reach. As paramount as free speech is to me in the pantheon of human rights, I wish in this case  and in Aaron Bushnells memory  we hadnt relegated war to just a background hum but had assessed the validity of the protesters demands and dealt with them, as fraught and frightening, involved and painful as that process would inevitably have been.

Copyright 2024 Nan Levinson

Via Tomdispatch.com
TORONTO, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- G2 Goldfields Inc. (G2 or the Company) (TSXV:GTWO, OTCQX:GUYGF) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) of 28,965,365 common shares of the Company (the Shares) at a price of $1.45 per Share for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$42,000,000.

The proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used to advance exploration activities at the Companys Oko project in Guyana and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering is expected to close in early August 2024 and is conditional on the satisfaction of customary conditions, including approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The Offering is fully subscribed. A single European investor has agreed to purchase 20 million common shares and AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) (NYSE:AU) has agreed to purchase 8,965,365 common shares. Upon closing, based on AGAs current declared holdings, Anglo Gold Ashanti will own approximately 15% of the common shares of G2, increasing its position from approximately 12.8%.

Patrick Sheridan, G2 Executive Chairman, stated, We are grateful for the considerable support from both Anglo Gold Ashanti and our significant new European investor. On closing, G2 will have approximately (Cdn) $55 million in working capital. This enhanced working capital position will enable the Company to expedite and continue to expand its current exploration program in the OKO-AREMU district.

About G2 Goldfields Inc.

The G2 Goldfields team is comprised of professionals who have been directly responsible for the discovery of millions of ounces of gold in Guyana as well as the financing and development of the Aurora Gold Mine, Guyanas largest gold mine [RPA, 43-101, Technical Report on the Aurora Gold Mine, March 31, 2020].

In April 2024, G2 announced an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Oko property in Guyana [see press release dated April 03, 2024]. Highlights of the Updated MRE include:

Total combined open pit and underground Resource for the Oko Main Zone (OMZ):

495,000 oz. Au  Inferred contained within 2,413,000 tonnes @ 6.38 g/t Au

686,000 oz. Au  Indicated contained within 2,368,000 tonnes @ 9.03 g/t Au

Total combined open pit and underground Resource for the Ghanie Zone:

604,000 oz. Au  Inferred contained within 12,216,000 tonnes @ 1.54 g/t Au

236,000 oz. Au  Indicated contained within 3,344,000 tonnes @ 2.20 g/t Au

The MRE was prepared by Micon International Limited with an effective date of March 27, 2024. Significantly, the updated mineral resources lie within 500 meters of surface. G2 currently plans on issuing an updated mineral resource estimate in Q1 2025. The Oko district has been a prolific alluvial goldfield since its initial discovery in the 1870s, and modern exploration techniques continue to reveal the considerable potential of the district.

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dan Noone (CEO of G2 Goldfields Inc.), a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Noone (B.Sc. Geology, MBA) is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the Shares in the United States. The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedarplus.ca) and the Company's website (www.g2goldfields.com).

For further information please contact:

Dan Noone

CEO

+1.416.628.5904

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements about the Offering, including the proposed use of proceeds, expected timing of closing and approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
VANCOUVER, BC, July 17, 2024 /CNW/ - First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FAN) (OTCQB: FANCF) (FSE: P21) ("First Atlantic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received drilling permits, which complement our existing exploration permits, for its fully funded 2024 work and drilling program at the 100% owned Atlantic Nickel Project in central Newfoundland, Canada (the "Project" or the "Atlantic Nickel Project"). The Company has initiated the mobilization of heavy equipment to upgrade existing road infrastructure, which will enable a larger portion of the budget to be directed towards drilling high-priority zones and maximizing the overall drilling footage. The 2024 exploration program currently underway is set to identify and test the most promising awaruite nickel zones along the established 30 km nickel trend.

Highlights:

Drill permits granted for 26 sites covering multiple awaruite nickel zones within a 30 km trend.

5,000 meter multi-zone drill program planned to begin this summer.

Road upgrades will improve access, reduce project costs and maximize drilling on key target areas.

World nickel expert and awaruite specialist, Dr. Ron Britten , to aid exploration and development.

, to aid exploration and development. 21,850 hectare land position covers the entire 30 km trend of the Pipestone Ophiolite Complex with unique awaruite nickel.

Awaruites' (nickel-iron alloy) unique properties enable simpler, environmentally safe processing without smelting, requiring less energy and chemicals while producing high-grade nickel concentrates within North America .

"With drilling permits in place and the exploration capital secured, we can focus on our objective to prove the potential for a district scale awaruite nickel project", said Adrian Smith, CEO of First Atlantic. "Awaruite is a unique, naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy that offers significant advantages over traditional nickel sources. Its sulfur-free composition allows for processing without smelting, reducing our reliance on foreign countries that control smelting operations. By utilizing simple magnetic separation and flotation technologies, we can produce a high-grade nickel concentrate right here in North America, using fewer chemicals and less energy than conventional methods. This approach not only makes awaruite processing more environmentally friendly but also positions us to supply critical minerals to North American EV and stainless steel sectors, strengthening our domestic supply chains. At First Atlantic, we're excited about the potential of awaruite to revolutionize nickel production, offering a cleaner, more sustainable path forward for the industry."

The 2024 exploration program will prioritize multiple zones within the 30 km nickel-bearing trend that exhibit the strongest awaruite nickel occurrences. The primary target areas encompass Atlantic Lake, Gulp Pond (including Big Gulp), Pipestone, and Chrome Pond (see Figure 1). Strategically located in central Newfoundland, the Atlantic Nickel Project benefits from road access and nearby hydroelectric power, presenting the potential for a significant large-scale nickel discovery within this district-scale project. Throughout the project area, awaruite, a highly magnetic nickel-iron alloy, has been consistently identified in rocks, tills and drill core samples.

Dr. Ron Britten, a world-renowned nickel expert, is advising the Company on exploration and drill targeting for the 2024 exploration program of the Atlantic Nickel Project. Dr. Britten discovered and advanced the Decar Project in British Columbia, which is North America's first large-scale awaruite nickel project on the west coast, containing over 10 billion pounds of nickel1. The Decar Project attracted strategic partners such as Toyota, Outokumpu, Sumitomo Mining, and JOGMEC. Dr. Britten's expertise will be invaluable in advancing the Atlantic Nickel Project.

First Atlantic Nickel Completed Significant Milestones to date in 2024

Secured 30 km ultramafic nickel trend within Pipestone Ophiolite Belt through multiple property agreements.

Compiled extensive historic data including 4,581 samples, 23 drill holes, 115,859 assay results, confirming 30 km nickel belt centered on Project.

Commenced field work, mapping and sampling to expand and validate historic data.

Raised $2,084,999.91 at $0.21 issuance price per share, with strategic investor acquiring 9.98% stake, fully funding planned work.

at issuance price per share, with strategic investor acquiring 9.98% stake, fully funding planned work. Appointed world-renowned nickel expert and awaruite specialist Dr. Ron Britten , to advisory board for exploration and development guidance.

The Company is now set to fast track intensive exploration and development with permits in hand. The Company looks forward to providing additional updates as work progresses.

Investors are invited to sign up for the official FAN (First Atlantic Nickel) list found at www.fanickel.com and to follow First Atlantic Nickel on the following social media.

https://twitter.com/FirstAtlanticNi

https://www.facebook.com/firstatlanticnickel

https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstatlanticnickel/

Disclosure

The Company has not independently verified the historic samples reported in this news release but has received data from the previous property owners and from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's online database.

Adrian Smith, P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. The qualified person is a member in good standing of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and is a registered professional geoscientist (P.Geo.). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed herein.

About First Atlantic Nickel Corp.

First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FAN) (OTCQB: FANCF) (FSE: P21) is a Canadian mineral exploration company that owns 100% of the Atlantic Nickel Project, a large scale significant nickel awaruite project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. By eliminating the need for smelting, nickel in the form of awaruite reduces dependence on foreign entities of concern for both supply and processing, thereby strengthening supply chain security. In 20222, the US Government designated nickel as a critical mineral, highlighting its importance to the nation's economy and security.

The Atlantic Nickel Project is a special asset due to its unique combination of size, location, proximity to infrastructure, and the presence of awaruite. By developing this domestic awaruite nickel project, First Atlantic aims to enhance supply chain security for the stainless steel and electric vehicle industries in the USA, Canada, and Europe. The Company's strategic location and focus on awaruite nickel position it to play a key role in meeting the growing demand for responsibly sourced nickel in these sectors.

The Company is committed to responsible exploration, environmental stewardship, and working closely with local communities to create sustainable economic opportunities. With its experienced team and the project's significant potential, the Company is well-positioned to contribute to the future of the nickel industry and the global transition to a cleaner, more secure energy future.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements:

This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, expectations regarding the timing, scope, and results from the 2024 work and drilling program; future project developments; the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, statements, and estimates of market conditions. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. Additional factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile on http://www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Lithium Corp. (United Lithium or the Company) (CSE: ULTH; OTCQX: ULTHF; FWB: 0UL) is pleased to announce that the 2024 Exploration Program (2024 Program) started in early June at five of the Companys 100% owned properties in Finland (Figure 1). The five properties are located within highly prospective geological terrains with the potential to host lithium-bearing pegmatite and cover a large land package of over 105,000 hectares (ha). Highlights of the 2024 Program are defined below.

Highlights:

The 2024 Program consists of systematic exploration, mapping and sampling of Lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT)-type pegmatites across the Kietyonmaki Project (Kietyonmaki), as well as the Kannus, Kova, Kast and Salkola property reservations.

The goal of the 2024 Program is to identify undiscovered LCT-pegmatites and define targets for potential drilling activities in the future.

The field work is conducted by a team of 8 geologists and is expected to continue until the beginning of September.

We are excited to have commenced this summers field programs across five of our properties in highly prospective Finland. Our recently expanded land package is now one of the largest lithium portfolios in the entire country. Finlands geology is highly conducive to hosting additional lithium deposits in addition to the Keliber Lithium Project, which is now under construction. Our exploration efforts will focus on trying to identify lithium bearing boulders as well as pegmatite outcrops, which has proven to be a simple and effective way to make discoveries in the Nordics. We continue to focus our efforts in both Sweden and Finland, with the long-term goal of contributing to the EV sector in the European Union which will require additional lithium projects to keep up with demand, stated United Lithiums President and CEO, Scott Eldridge.

Figure 1: Finland Project Locations

About the Kietyonmaki Project

Kietyonmaki is located within the Hame belt which comprises mainly amphibolites and mica schists intercalated with greywackes and metapelites of the Forssa Volcanic Suite (1.9-1.7 billion years old). It covers 900 ha of land. The succession has been intruded by gabbros, diorites, granodiorites, tonalites and later by K-granites as well as pegmatites. The Kietyonmaki dyke swarm is composed of several near-vertical dipping spodumene (as spodumene-quartz intergrowths) and petalite-bearing pegmatite dykes, the largest being the Main Dyke. The Main Dyke has now been drill-defined to be up to 25 m wide and more than 200 m in length and confirmed to extend to at least 160 m depth below surface.

Throughout the summer, the Company is planning to complete prospection and mapping along the same geological structure that hosts the Main Dyke at Kietyonmaki with the goal of identifying more pegmatites. Previously significant lithium intersections are summarized below:

High-grade lithium oxide results at Kietyonmaki include (1) : 1.52% Li 2 O over 25.95 m from 33.70 m depth down hole in hole ULDH-3; and 1.45% Li 2 O over 29.50 m from 69.10 m depth down hole in ULDH-4.

: Historical drill results from previous operators including: 1.53% Li 2 O over 23 m drilled by the Finnish Geological Survey (2) ; and 1.10% Li 2 O over 42 m by previous operator Sunstone Metals Ltd. ( 3)



(1) United Lithium News Release dated October 19, 2023

(2) United Lithium News Release dated February 14, 2022

(3) Sunstone Metals News Release dated September 12, 2016

About Kannus

Kannus comprises 15,225 ha of exploration ground and is located in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. It is also situated directly north of the Keliber lithium deposit, within the Jarvi-Pohjanmaa Lithium Metallogenic Belt. The Keliber Lithium Project is currently in the construction phase, with backing of majority owner Sibanye Stillwater, and is Europes first integrated lithium mine for the EV sector. Kannus is covered by Paleoproterozoic sediments, black schists and mafic volcanic rocks of the Western Finland Schist Belt, which also hosts the majority of the Keliber lithium deposits and borders from its south-western part to the same Seinajoki-suite pegmatite-granite intrusion as the Keliber LCT-pegmatite belt.

About Kova

The land package at Kova totals 54,400 ha and is situated on the northern margin of the Pirkanmaa migmatite belt (1.96-1.91Ga), and immediately south of the Tampere Schist Belt. It sits directly to the south of the Erajarvi LCT-metallogenic area, where more than 70 pegmatites dykes enriched in B, Be, Li, Nb, Sn, and Ta have been identified (Lahti 1981, Alviola 2004). The local geology is comprised of migmatites and amphibolites. Felsic plutonic rocks in the Kova area include granodiorites, aplite, pegmatite and tonalite and are considered early Svecofennian (1.91-1.88 Ga).

The area is in a prospective geological setting with the presence of late-orogenic (1.80 Ga) LCT type complex pegmatites that were previously mined. Nearby known complex pegmatite deposits include the Seppala LCT pegmatite and the historical Juurakko and Viitaniemi pegmatite mines are located directly north of the Kova claims.

In 2023, Pure Resources Limited (Pure) mapped 220 pegmatites (see Pures ASX Announcement dated July 12, 2023) that were later confirmed by United Lithium. Pegmatites on Kova are mostly comprised of K-feldspar and quartz with variable amounts of biotite and muscovite.

About Salkola

Salkola comprises 20,713 ha and is located 6.1 km to the southeast of the Main Dyke at Kietyonmaki owned by United Lithium. The ground was originally acquired by United Lithium because of the presence of known lithium and tungsten pegmatites as well as a structure interpreted to be associated with the emplacement of the main dyke at Kietyonmaki. Geologically, this area is very similar to the Kietyonmaki area and is prospective for identifying new LCT pegmatites. United Lithium is planning to send a working crew to the Salkola area later this summer.

About Kast

Located adjacent to the Rosendal tantalum deposit, Kast covers approximately 13,900 ha in the Kemio metallogenic area region of Finland. It is located on the western part of the Uusimaa supracrustal belt (~1.89 Ga) and is defined by the presence of gneisses, schists, amphibolites, mafic to felsic volcanic rocks and carbonates. The area is intruded by Svecofennian orogenic felsic intrusive of the Southern Finland Granite and Plutonic Suites. The area is prospective for mixed or hybrid rare-element pegmatites which have REE signatures and are a mix between LCT (Li, Cs, Ta) and NYF (Nb, Y, F) pegmatites.

The presence of the Rosendal deposit and the known Ta-Nb mineral pegmatites in the region indicate that the Kemio metallogenic may have a significant, largely untested Li-Ta potential.

In 2023, Pure observed 49 pegmatites during their work (see Pures ASX announcement dated July 12, 2023), however, no assays are available. Historical drilling has been completed in the Kast area, and logging reports indicate intercepts of approximately 501 intersections of pegmatite and granite. None of the pegmatite intercepts have been sampled or assayed.

Each of Kannus, Kova, Salkola and Kast, are classified as reservations and are valid until various dates in the first half of 2025, at which time, the Company will need to evaluate results and determine whether to convert any portion of each property into an exploration permit or allow the reservation to lapse. Until that time, under a reservation status, the Company has the right to complete field work, including mapping and sampling, to potentially identify future drill targets and will be allowed to convert the reservation into an exploration permit without interference of other exploration companies.

Bergby Project Update

In addition to the 2024 Program in Finland, the Company would also like to provide an update on the 2023 Drill Program at its 100% owned Bergby Project in Sweden (Bergby or the Project), where 60 holes were drilled for a total of 5,600 m. As mentioned in the previous news release (see United Lithiums news release dated June 12, 2024), two holes (BBY23185 and BBY23189) still had assay results pending. Pegmatites were found in both holes (BBY23185 and BBY23189), no spodumene was observed and the Li 2 O grade was low.

Bergby consists of ten exploration licenses covering 7,897 ha located near the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in central Sweden and approximately 200 km north of Stockholm. The Project now comprises five drill-confirmed spodumene bearing pegmatites (Pegmatite A to E), with a combined strike length of more than 4,000 m. There are unexplained spodumene-bearing boulder trains and much of the property remains unexplored, highlighting the excellent potential at Bergby for further discovery.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Core drilling is being undertaken by Ludvika Borr Teknik AB of Sweden, using 49 millimetres (equivalent to NQ2) diameter rods. United Lithiums field team log and sample all drill core samples in a secure core facility at the Companys operations building in Norrsundet, about 5 km from the Project area. Core samples are cut in half longitudinally using a diamond cutting saw. The half cores and the hammer drill samples were submitted to ALS Ltd. (ALS) facilities in Pitea, Sweden for preparation (Prep-31 package) with each sample crushed to better than 70% passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, U.S. Std. No. 10) screen. A split of up to 250 grams is taken and pulverized to better than 85% passing a 75-micron (Tyler 200 mesh, U.S. Std. No. 200) screen. Both types of samples are then forwarded to the ALS facilities in Loughrea, Ireland, an accredited mineral analytical laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015), for analysis using the ME-MS89L method (sodium peroxide fusion and HCL leach followed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS) in the case of core samples, with lithium (Li) reportable range between 2 and 25,000 ppm. This method analyzes for 53 elements and is considered appropriate for lithium-mineralized pegmatites.

Certified reference standards, duplicate and blanks are routinely inserted into the core drilling sample stream as part of United Lithiums quality control/quality assurance program (QA/QC). No QA/QC issues were noted with the results reported herein. The Companys Qualified Person is of the opinion that the sample preparation, analytical, and security procedures followed are sufficient and reliable. The Company is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data reported herein. All drill intercepts reported are down-hole core lengths.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Isabelle Lepine, M.Sc., P.Geo., United Lithiums Director, Mineral Resources. Ms. Lepine is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors

Scott Eldridge

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Telephone: +1-604-336-0117

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About United Lithium Corp.

United Lithium is an exploration & development company energized by the global demand for lithium. The Company is targeting lithium projects in politically safe jurisdictions with advanced infrastructure that allows for rapid and cost-effective exploration, development, and production opportunities.

The Companys consolidated financial statements and related managements discussion and analysis are available on the Companys website at https://unitedlithium.com/ or under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the potential of the Bergby Project in Sweden, the Kietyonmaki Project, and the Kast, Kannus, Salkola and Kova property reservations in Finland.; the potential identification of undiscovered , or new mineralization; the potential identification of new discoveries; timing of receipt of remaining assays and interpretations of those results; timing and successful execution of future planned and unplanned drilling and exploration activities at its projects in Sweden, Finland and the USA. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, potential, target, budget and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the Companys projections and estimates; realization of mineral resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; contests over title to properties; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the price of lithium and other metals and minerals; the demand for lithium and other metals and minerals; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Companys expected financial and operational performance and the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 /Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM) (FSE:FIRA) (OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to announce that it has issued a final tranche of 555,556 units ("Units") under the Fully Subscribed Private Placement detailed in a 26 June 2024 News Release ("Private Placement"). A total of 13,136,847 Units at a price of $0.27 per Unit have now been issued for total gross proceeds of $3,546,949 ("Proceeds"). Each Unit consists of one fully paid common share and a half purchase warrant. Each whole warrant (a "Warrant") shall entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share at a price of $0.50 for a period of 3 years after the closing of the Private Placement.

A Form 62-103F3 Required Disclosure by an Eligible Institutional Investor has been filed on SEDAR in connection with the Private Placement.

Proceeds will fund continuing exploration at the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project, where the Company recently reported results from the third drillhole of its maiden program ( refer 23 May 2024 News Release ) including:

801 m @ 0.40% Cu, 0.51 g/t Au, 2.87 g/t Ag (from 54 to 855m (EOH)) including 518 m @ 0.53% Cu, 0.73 g/t Au, 3.45 g/t Ag (from 192 to 710) including 176 m @ 0.71% Cu, 0.74 g/t Au, 4.86 g/t Ag (from 192 to 368) including 64 m @ 0.75%, 1.2 g/t Au, 4.60 g/t Ag (554 to 618m) including 32m @ 0.64% Cu, 0.71 g/t Au, 4.54 g/t Ag (642 to 674m)



In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid aggregate finder's fees of $176,580 and issued 654,000 finder's warrants.

Any securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period, in accordance with securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD INVESTOR CONTACT

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph van den Elsen | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a copper-gold exploration company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges.

In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option and Joint Venture Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G. Mr. Orrego G. is a Geologist, a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego G. is a consultant to the Company.

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.
LONDON & DENVER& JOHANNESBURG / Jul 17, 2024 / Business Wire / AngloGold Ashanti plc (the Company, AGA or AngloGold Ashanti) is pleased to announce that Bruce Cleaver and Nicky Newton-King have been appointed independent non-executive directors of the Company with effect from 22 July 2024. Mr Cleaver will serve as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee and Ms Newton-King will serve as a member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee.

Mr Cleaver was CEO of global diamond company De Beers Group from 2016 to early 2023 before becoming Co-Chair until the end of 2023. He joined De Beers in 2005 as General Counsel and held various executive roles spanning business development and strategy before becoming CEO in 2016. Prior to this he was a Partner at Webber Wentzel, a leading South African law firm. He brings extensive commercial and mining experience to the Board.

Mr Cleaver became Chair and a non-executive director of the UK-based gemstone company Gemfields Group Ltd from 1 July 2024, which is listed on the JSE and AIM.

Ms Newton-King was CEO of the JSE until 2019. She joined the JSE in 1996 and held various executive roles before becoming CEO in 2012. Ms Newton-King is a corporate finance and securities regulation lawyer and brings extensive legal, business, regulatory and capital markets experience to the Board, as well as knowledge of sustainability matters. She was responsible for repositioning the JSE as a modern securities exchange and her initiatives there included the implementation of the JSEs Socially Responsible Investment Index, the first index of its type globally.

Ms Newton King is a non-executive director at MTN Group, Africas largest mobile network operator with operations across the continent, and a non-executive director at the international banking and wealth management group Investec. She is also the Chair of the Council of Stellenbosch University and a trustee of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

Commenting on the appointment, AngloGold Ashanti Chairperson Jochen Tilk said: We are very pleased to welcome Nicky and Bruce to the Board of AngloGold Ashanti. Their appointments bring to the Board extensive executive and leadership experience, coupled with wide-ranging expertise that includes capital markets, strategy and commercial insights across developed and developing markets. Their perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to create value for our shareholders.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Record Resources Inc. (TSXV: REC) reports it has acquired an option on a copper property in Quebec.

The option is on six claims (approximately 245 hectares) known as the La Sarre Copper Property located 81 kilometres north of Rouyn-Noranda. It is owned by privately-held exploration company, 2758145 (Ontario) Inc.

Historical drilling by Chamberlin Management Corp. on the La Sarre property in 1947 encountered copper rich sulphides that "assayed up to 0.15 ounces per ton platinum, 0.06 ounces gold, 2.02 % nickel and 1.56% copper over 13.9 feet and 32.2 foot intersections". (reference: Beaufield Resources Inc., Quebec Government GM438823, February 27, 1987). The exact location of the individual drill holes were not reported by Chamberlin L. (1952)

Beaufield had sought to verify these results by undertaking a more detailed ground magnetometer and a horizontal loop EM survey in the area of drilling followed by drilling 5 holes in 1986. They were unable to intersect the high grade copper zones. In its report Beaufield admitted that "only a small portion of the La Sarre property has been tested" and recommended additional exploration work.

"They (Beaufield) basically missed," said Record Resources CEO, Michael Judson. "Their program was small. It looks like they only checked the high magnetic anomaly. Furthermore, only one drill hole tested the EM anomaly associated with a magnetic low. It is probable that that geophysical survey was not adequately tested to delineate vertical mineralization."

"La Sarre has been barely explored," said Record Resources CEO, Michael Judson. "Our geotechnical group has re-examined all reported results available for the property and region and is coming at this with a fresh approach."

"For an example, DIAGBOS Inc. (200*) (GM63727) recently compiled from the Quebec MNRF files all available geological and geophysical data in the region adjacent to the Riviere La Sarre property (4 claims) and identified 3 potential copper-gold (zinc) deposits on the claim group. The Riviere La Sud property located less than 50 km northeast of the La Sarre Copper property has very similar geological and geophysical settings as La Sarre Copper."

"While the numbers of claims is modest, there is still enough of a footprint to host four mines. What is important is that we have both location and prospectivity," said Judson. "As we always do, we will increase our portfolio of opportunities in this space through more deal-making and staking."

Terms of Agreement:

Record Resources can own 100 percent of the claims by paying $500.00 at closing on or before September 30, 2024 and by issuing 300,000 shares.The shares to be issued as part of this agreement are valued at $0.05 per share. No finders fee was paid. This transaction is expected to close on or before September 30, 2024. This arms length agreement was signed on July 13, 2024.

Qualified Person:

Edward Procyshyn, P.Geo, a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

Website: www.recordgoldcorp.com

Cautionary Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", an or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would" , "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: approval of the Private Placement and obtaining a full revocation order. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the market acceptance of the Private Placement; the ability of the Company to obtain a full revocation order and the receipt of all required approvals in connection with the foregoing. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The Units and the securities comprising the Units have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor shall there be any sale of securities in the Unites States, or any other jurisdiction, in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Ramp Metals Inc. (TSXV: RAMP) ("Ramp Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement financing of up to approximately $4,500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will be led by Eric Sprott.

The Offering is expected to consist of the issue and sale of:

Up to 3,846,153 charity flow-through common shares (the " CFT Shares ") at a price of $0.78 per CFT Share for gross proceeds of up to approximately $3,000,000; and





") at a price of $0.78 per CFT Share for gross proceeds of up to approximately $3,000,000; and Up to 2,727,272 common shares (the "Common Shares") at a price of $0.55 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to approximately $1,500,000.

The proceeds from the issuance of CFT Shares of the Offering will be used for exploration expenses at the Company's Rottenstone SW property in Saskatchewan.

The proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for both exploration expenses and general working capital. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about August 8, 2024.

The CFT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"). An amount equal to the gross proceeds from the issuance of the CFT Shares will be used to incur eligible resource exploration expenses which will qualify as (i) "Canadian exploration expenses" (as defined in the Tax Act), and (ii) as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act) (collectively, the "Qualifying Expenditures").

The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). Finder's fees may be paid in accordance with TSXV policies. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period in Canada of four months plus one day.

About Ramp Metals Inc.

Ramp Metals is a grassroots exploration company with a focus on a potential new Saskatchewan gold district. The Company currently has new high-grade gold discovery of 73.55 g/t Au over 7.5m at its flagship Rottenstone SW property. The Rottenstone SW property comprises of 32,715 hectares and is situated in the Rottenstone Domain.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the completion of the Offering and the Company's exploration activities.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: requirements for additional capital; future prices of minerals; changes in general economic conditions; changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities; other risks of the mining industry; the inability to obtain any necessary governmental and regulatory approvals; changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations; hedging practices; and currency fluctuations.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
HIGHLIGHTS:

Strategic Acquisition of former Argonaut Gold Assets in Mexico - transforms Heliostar into a gold producer with a robust development portfolio

Expanded Asset Base - adds two producing mines, the San Agustin Mine and the La Colorada Mine, and two advanced development projects to Heliostar's portfolio

Increased Resource Base - Heliostar's measured and indicated resources grow to 3.5 million ounces of gold in addition to the Cerro del Gallo historical resource. Acquisition cost of measured and indicated resources is less than US$1.80 per ounce of gold

Improves Ana Paula Economics - eliminates up to US$20 million in contingent milestone payments on the Company's flagship Ana Paula Project

Immediate Production and Cash Flow - financial benefits from ongoing operations immediately accrue to Heliostar's account until closing, less US$5 million in operating cash flow to FCGI prior to closing

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 17, 2024) - Heliostar Metals Ltd. (TSXV: HSTR) (OTCQX: HSTXF) (FSE: RGG1) ("Heliostar" or the "Company") has entered into a binding agreement ("Acquisition Agreement") with Florida Canyon Gold Inc. ("FCGI") to acquire (the "Transaction") a 100% interest in all of FCGI's mining assets in Mexico for consideration of US$5 million. The projects being acquired were recently spun out from Argonaut Gold Inc. ("Argonaut").

Heliostar CEO, Charles Funk, stated "This acquisition is transformative for Heliostar. The Company transitions from single asset developer to a multi-asset producer. The addition of the two producing gold mines provides cash flow to bring new production online. In addition, this transaction eliminates up to US$20 million in contingent payments on the Ana Paula project, freeing that capital for its development, which remains the Company's focus. Further it cancels up to US$150 million in conditional option payments on San Antonio. All in exchange for a total acquisition price of US$5 million. Perhaps of most value is the addition of a strong management team in Mexico that expands our capability to deliver on Heliostar's growth goals"

Acquisition Details

Pursuant to the Transaction, Heliostar will acquire those FCGI subsidiaries which collectively own 100% of the following properties (the "Projects"):

La Colorada Mine, located in Sonora, producing gold from residual leaching of gold while on care and maintenance (the " La Colorada Mine ");

"); San Agustin Mine (formerly the El Castillo Complex), an open pit heap leach gold mine, San Agustin, and a closed open pit heap leach gold mine, El Castillo, located in Durango (the " San Agustin Mine ");

"); Cerro del Gallo, an advanced gold development project located in Guanajuato (the " Cerro del Gallo Project "); and

"); and San Antonio, an advanced gold development project located in Baja California Sur (the "San Antonio Project").

The Company will acquire the Projects in exchange for US$5 million, payable on closing. The Transaction is expected to close in October 2024.

As a condition to closing of the Transaction, Heliostar and FCGI will enter into an agreement eliminating (a) up to US$20 million in contingent payments, which become payable to FCGI pursuant to the agreement under which Heliostar acquired the Ana Paula Project, and (b) up to US$150 million in conditional option payments and the issuance of a 2% net smelter returns royalty on the San Antonio Project, which might have become payable pursuant to the agreement under which Heliostar acquired an option on the San Antonio Project.

The closing of the Transaction ("Closing") is subject to certain conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, other consents and regulatory approvals including approval from the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission, and the corporate entities holding the Projects having net working capital of at least US$2 million. Closing is not subject to any financing condition.

FCGI has agreed that that cash generated in respect of the Projects until the Closing Date, less US$5M in operating cashflow, will be for the benefit of Heliostar.

Financing Details

The Company is in advanced discussions to enter a loan facility (the "Debt Facility") for the aggregate principal amount of US$5-10 million. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Debt Facility to fund the Transaction. Heliostar anticipates to service and repay the Debt Facility through cash flow from operations.

Advisors and Counsel

Trinity Advisors Corporation and TSCG Capital Inc. are acting as financial advisors to Heliostar.

Forooghian + Company Law Corporation is acting as Heliostar's legal advisors.

Webinar Invitation

Further, the Company will host a webinar on July 25th at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern Time, to provide a detailed update on the Transaction and corporate plans for 2024 and 2025. Please use the link here to register for the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/

Project Location and Key Statistics

The Projects

San Agustin Mine (formerly the El Castillo Complex)

The San Agustin Mine is a gold-silver open pit and heap leach mining operation in the State of Durango. The property comprises nine titled concessions covering 5,884 hectares ("ha").

The facilities include an open pit, two crushing plants with a combined total 30,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") capacity, conveyors, multi-lift leach pads, a carbon-in-column and a small Merrill Crowe plant. The San Agustin Mine maintains water rights of 1,000,000 m3/year from one underground aquifer.

Operations at the San Agustin Mine began in 2017. Up to March 2024, the mine has produced 383,598 ounces of gold and 1,911,648 ounces of silver (2017-2024). The San Agustin Mine is currently in operation with 7,568 ounces of gold and 39,319 ounces of silver produced in 1Q 2024.

All technical information on the San Agustin Mine is based on a technical report entitled "San Agustin Gold/Silver Mine NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of May 15, 2024, filed on SEDAR by Argonaut on May 29, 2024 (the "San Agustin Technical Report"). To the best of Heliostar's knowledge, information, and belief, the San Agustin Technical Report is considered current pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and there is no new material scientific or technical information that would make the disclosure of the mineral resources, mineral reserves or results of the San Agustin Technical Report inaccurate or misleading.

While the Company considers the San Agustin Technical Report to be current, it plans to prepare an updated technical report based on its revised approach to developing the San Agustin Mine and will file such technical report within 180 days of this news release.

The San Agustin Mine has four remaining mining phases with probable mineral reserves of 197,000 ounces of gold and 6,709,000 ounces of silver contained.

Heliostar recognises a range of opportunities for resource growth and exploration at the San Agustin Mine, including:

Oxide Reserves - The Company will review and optimize the mine plan considering the current metals price environment

The Corner Permit - The San Agustin Mine contains probable reserves of 8.1 Mt at 0.33 g/t gold and 17.5 g/t silver (86,000 oz gold and 4.54 Moz silver) in a cutback that requires an expansion permit. The Company intends to pursue this opportunity to add mine life to the San Agustin Mine

Sulphide Potential - The San Agustin Mine has significant exploration potential in sulphides below the current pit shell which have not been a focus for reserve growth

Exploration Potential - In 2021, Argonaut acquired a large land package from Fresnillo for US$6 million that increased the land package by 538% to 5,884 Ha. The new ground has seen little exploration since the acquisition. One target at San Agustin, the Consejo Zone, includes an intercept of 1.3 m grading 3,234 g/t silver, 2.85 g/t gold, 15.0% lead and 8.70% zinc (Consejo de Recursos Minerales, 1985). This will be a priority area of exploration for the Company going forward

Note: A qualified person has not been able to independently verify the assay results in the drill intersections presented above and Heliostar plans on conducting additional work at the San Agustin Mine to establish the grades and widths of targets on the property.

The San Agustin Mine operates as part of the same mining complex with the nearby El Castillo gold mine. Mining activities at the El Castillo mine were suspended by Argonaut in December 2023 and reclamation activities have commenced. Re-leaching at El Castillo is expected to finish in the third quarter of 2024. Heliostar anticipates funds generated from operations at the San Agustin Mine will fund the future closure of the El Castillo mine.

La Colorada Mine

The La Colorada Mine is a gold-silver open pit and heap leach mining operation in the State of Sonora. The property comprises 41 titled concessions covering 10,085 ha.

The facilities include three open pits, a three-stage crushing plant with 12,000 tpd capacity, conveyors, multi-lift single-use leach pads, a carbon absorption circuit and a stripping and electro-winning circuit. The La Colorada Mine operates a separate circuit to process loaded carbon received from the San Agustin Mine.

Operations at the La Colorada Mine restarted in 2012. As of December 31, 2023, the mine has produced 485,640 ounces of gold and 1,680,197 ounces of silver (2012-2023). The mine is currently re-leaching with 3,922 ounces of gold and 6,848 ounces of silver produced in 1Q 2024.

All technical information on the La Colorada Mine is based on a technical report entitled "La Colorada Gold/Silver Mine NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of October 1, 2021, filed on SEDAR by Argonaut on February 14, 2022 (the "La Colorada Technical Report"). To the best of Heliostar's knowledge, information, and belief, the La Colorada Technical Report is considered current pursuant to NI 43-101 and there is no new material scientific or technical information that would make the disclosure of the mineral resources, mineral reserves or results of the La Colorada Technical Report inaccurate or misleading.

While the Company considers the La Colorada Technical Report to be current, it plans to prepare an updated technical report based on its revised approach to developing the La Colorada Mine and will file such technical report within 180 days of this news release.

The La Colorada Mine has two development projects: the El Creston cutback and the Veta Madre cutback. The El Creston cutback is an expansion to the existing El Creston pit with probable mineral reserves of 220,000 ounces of gold and 4,114,000 ounces of silver. The Veta Madre cutback is an expansion to the existing Veta Madre pit with probable mineral reserves of 163,000 ounces of gold and 1,009,000 ounces of silver. Permits have been obtained for the El Creston cutback. Veta Madre is not permitted and the company plans to submit a permit application in the coming months.

The La Colorada Mine has significant growth potential. Resources at all three pits are open along strike and at depth providing both open-pit and underground mining potential.

Heliostar will assess four opportunities for resource growth at La Colorada:

Waste to Ore Conversion - Within the proposed pit shell for the cutback at El Creston, large areas are considered waste because those areas have not been drilled. The Company believes that some of these areas may be mineralized. The Company will prioritize drilling in these areas to support mining studies in support of a new mine plan for the La Colorada Mine

Depth Potential - The oxide mineralized zones within the three open pits remain open at depth and warrant additional investigation assuming both open pit and underground mining methods

Underground Potential - Mining and ore control in all three pits indicate that the mineralized zones are open at depth, and not constrained by drilling. Argonaut internally evaluated the potential for underground mining operations below the open pits, and Heliostar plans to explore this opportunity

Regional Exploration - A regional exploration program will be designed to test significant, yet undrilled gold-in-soil anomalies. The area west and southwest of the Gran Central pit remains underexplored and holds considerable potential for additional mineralization to be outlined in the area.

San Antonio Project

The San Antonio Project is a gold development project in the State of Baja California Sur. The Project has been optioned for purchase by Heliostar in 2023, subject to certain requirements and a final payment of up to $150 million subject to the gold price at the time. The option will be nullified and ownership will be to the full credit of the Company. The property comprises 15 titled concessions covering 46,328 ha. An environmental permit for the project is pending.

The San Antonio Project hosts a measured and indicated mineral resource estimate of 1,735,000 ounces of gold (553,000 measured and 1,182,000 indicated ounces) at 0.83 g/t gold in 65,090,000 tonnes and an inferred resource of 67,000 ounces of gold at 0.34 g/t gold in 6,215,000 tonnes (Source: San Antonio Technical Report, as defined below).

All technical information on the San Antonio Project is based on a technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources San Antonio Project" with an effective date of September 1, 2012, filed on SEDAR by Argonaut Gold on October 15, 2012 (the "San Antonio Technical Report"). To the best of Heliostar's knowledge, information, and belief, the San Antonio Technical Report is considered current pursuant to NI 43-101 and there is no new material scientific or technical information that would make the disclosure of the mineral resources or results of the San Antonio Technical Report inaccurate or misleading.

While the Company considers the San Antonio Technical Report to be current, it plans to prepare an updated technical report based on its revised approach to developing the San Antonio Project and will file such technical report within 180 days of this news release.

Cerro del Gallo Project

The Cerro del Gallo Project is a gold-silver development project in the State of Guanajuato. The property comprises 14 titled concessions covering 15,276 ha, and surface rights to land totalling 445 ha. An environmental permit for the project is pending.

Reserve and Resource Estimates

Table 1: Mineral Reserve Estimates

Project Probable Reserves Tonnes

(1000's) Gold (oz) Silver (oz) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) San Agustin 13,319 197,000 6,709,000 0.46 15.7 La Colorada 19,459 383,000 5,123,000 0.61 8.19 Total: 32,778 580,000 11,832,000

Table 2: Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimates; Inclusive of Mineral Reserves

Project Measured Indicated Measured + Indicated Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) Ana Paula 1,100 320,204 - 2,240 390,716 - 3,340 710,920 - 6.60 n/a San Agustin - - - 27,187 427,000 16,096 27,187 427,000 16,096 0.49 18.4 La Colorada 38,858 658,000 9,088 38,858 658,000 9,088 0.57 7.9 San Antonio 19,000 553,000 - 46,090 1,182,000 - 65,090 1,735,000 - 0.83 n/a Total: 20,100 873,204 - 114,374 2,657,716 25,184 134,475 3,530,920 25,184

Table 3: Inferred Mineral Resource Estimates

Project Inferred Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(oz) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) Ana Paula 3,280 447,512 - 4.24 n/a San Agustin 3,087 47,000 1,840,000 0.47 18.5 La Colorada 3,414 62,000 1,384,000 0.57 12.6 San Antonio 6,215 67,000 - 0.34 n/a Unga 866 384,318 986,321 13.8 35.4 Total: 16,862 1,007,830 4,210,321

Table 4: Cerro Del Gallo Historical Mineral Reserve Estimate

Reserve Category Tonnes

(1000's) Gold (oz) Silver (oz) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Proven 70,427 1,326,000 31,008,000 0.59 13.7 Probable 21,327 313,000 8,012,000 0.46 11.7 Proven and Probable 91,754 1,639,000 39,020,000

Table 5: Cerro Del Gallo Historical Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate

Measured Indicated Measured + Indicated Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(1000's oz) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) 122,000 1,899,000 51,086 80,000 965,000 28,017 202,000 2,864,000 79,103 0.44 12.2

Table 6: Cerro Del Gallo Historical Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate

Inferred Tonnes

(1000's) Gold

(oz) Silver

(oz) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) 5.1 71,000 1,947,000 0.43 11.9

Notes for Historical reserve and Resource Estimates

The historical resource and reserve estimates presented above in respect of the Cerro Del Gallo Project (the "Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates") are reflected in the following technical report:

Pre-Feasibility Study, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Cerro del Gallo Heap Leach Project, Guanajuato, Mexico, prepared for Argonaut Gold by Kappes, Cassiday & Associates with an effective date of January 31, 2020 and a Mineral Reserve Estimate effective date of October 24, 2019 (the "Cerro del Gallo Technical Report"). The estimates in the Cerro del Gallo Report were based on the following assumptions:

Mineral resources were constrained by a conceptual pit shell using a US$1600 gold-equivalent price and using the following assumptions: a gold price of US$1,600/oz; a silver price of US$19.30/oz; rock mining cost of US$1.50/t mined; process cost of US$6.82/t processed (oxide), US$6.27/t processed (mixed oxide), US$7.08/t processed (mixed sulphide), US$5.70/t processed (fresh); G&A cost of US$1.55/t processed; NSR royalty of 4.30%; refining cost $5.00/oz produced, gold metallurgical recoveries from 57.5-74.0%; and silver metallurgical recoveries from 40-78.5%; and pit slope angles of 45.

Mineral reserves were reported inside an optimized pit shell using a US$1600 gold-equivalent price and using the following assumptions: a gold price of US$1,600/oz; a silver price of US$19.30/oz; rock mining cost of US$1.50/t mined; process cost of US$6.82/t processed (oxide), US$6.27/t processed (mixed oxide), US$7.08/t processed (mixed sulphide), US$5.70/t processed (fresh); G&A cost of US$1.55/t processed; NSR royalty of 4.30%; gold metallurgical recoveries from 57.5-74.0%; and silver metallurgical recoveries from 40-78.5%; and pit slope angles of 45.

The Historical Resource and Reserve Estimates were reported in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by CIM (2014 edition) (the "CIM Standards"). No statement was provided as to whether the Cerro del Gallo reserve and resource estimates were prepared using the CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines (November 2019; 2019 CIM Best Practice Guidelines) and the historical estimate may not be consistent with those guidelines in all aspects. All tonnage information has been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty in the estimates; therefore, there may be small differences in the totals.

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") the Historical Resource Estimates use the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource", "inferred mineral resource", "mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve" and "proven mineral reserve", having the same meanings ascribed to those terms as in the CIM Standards.

As the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates pre-date the Company's agreement to acquire the Projects, the Company is treating them as "historical estimates" under NI 43-101, but they remain relevant as the most recent mineral reserve and resource estimates for the Projects. No more recent estimates or data are available to Heliostar.

Further drilling and resource modelling would be required to upgrade or verify the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates as current mineral reserves or mineral resources for the Cerro del Gallo and accordingly, they should be relied upon only as a historical reserve and resource estimates of Argonaut, which pre-dates the Company's agreement to acquire the Projects.

The Company intends to prepare new mineral reserve and resource estimates from first principles for Cerro de Gallo. The QP agrees with the Company's intended approach, which should include the following steps:

Update geological, structural and alteration interpretations and models;

Review the most appropriate modelling methods, including variography, examination of grade cut-offs or outlier restrictions, and interpolation method;

Review bulk density assignments;

Apply confidence classifications consistent with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards;

Apply current assumptions as to reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction, including confining the estimate within conceptual mining shapes, and reporting the estimate above a selected cut-off.

A "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101 has not done sufficient work to classify the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates as current mineral reserves or mineral resources. Accordingly, a Qualified Person of the Company has not independently verified the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates nor the other information contained herein, and the Company is not treating the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates as current mineral reserves or mineral resources. There can be no assurance that any of the Historical Reserve and Resource Estimates, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Even if classified as a current resource, there is no certainty as to whether further exploration will result in any inferred mineral resources being upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Investor Relations Agreement

Heliostar further announces it has engaged OGIB Corporate Bulletin ("OGIB") to provide strategic digital media services. Under the terms of the agreement, OGIB will provide content development over a nine-month period at a cost C$45,000. OGIB is a subscription service based out of Victoria, BC, which provides research on public companies and is wholly-owned by Keith Schaefer. We are advised that the principal of OGIB, Mr. Schaefer, presently has direct or indirect ownership of 50,000 warrants in Heliostar. OGIB is arm's length to the Company. The engagement OGIB is subject to the Company's filing requirements with the TSX Venture Exchange.

Statement of Qualified Persons

Sam Anderson, CPG and Stewart Harris, P.Geo., Gregg Bush, P.Eng. and Mike Gingles, Qualified Persons, as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, have reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein.

About Heliostar Metals Ltd.

Heliostar is a junior mining company with a portfolio of high-grade gold projects in Mexico and Alaska.

The Company is focused on developing the 100% owned Ana Paula Project in Guerrero, Mexico. In addition, Heliostar is working with the Mexican government to permit the San Antonio Gold Project in Baja Sur, Mexico. The Company continues efforts to explore the Unga Gold Project in Alaska, United States of America.

Ana Paula hosts measured and indicated resources of 710,920 ounces of gold (320,204 measured and 390,716 indicated ounces) at 6.60 g/t gold and an inferred resource of 447,512 ounces of gold at 4.24 g/t gold. The asset is permitted for open-pit mining and contains significant existing infrastructure including a portal and a 412-metre-long decline.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "plan", "forecast", "may", "would", "could", "schedule" and similar words or expressions, identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the potential highlights of the Transaction, the transformation of Heliostar to a gold producer; the potential increases in reserves and resources as a result of the Transaction; potential production at the Projects; the timeline for closing the Transaction; the termination of the Company's obligations with respect to the Ana Paula Project and the San Antonio Project; the modification of the terms of the Debt Facility and/or the entering into of a gold loan agreement to fund the purchase price payable in connection with the Transaction;; achieving positive cash flow from operations and financing; exploration, development and production plans at the Projects; and the completion of technical reports on the Projects.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to the terms and completion of the Facility, any future mineral production, liquidity, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the receipt of necessary approvals, price of metals; no escalation in the severity of public health crises or ongoing military conflicts; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; and the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities in foreign jurisdictions; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks regarding exploration and mining activities; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of public health crises; the economic and financial implications of public health crises, ongoing military conflicts and general economic factors to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
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Tuesday, July 16, 2024 - A 10-year-old child was found dead just minutes after asking a neighbour to adopt him and save him from his abusive foster mother.

Dakota Levi Stevens ran to his neighbour's home on April 25, telling the homeowner that his foster parents hit him and wouldn't let him speak to his caseworker, Indiana officials say.

His foster mother, Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, caught him speaking to the neighbour just a few minutes later and forced Stevens to get into her car. She then drove him back to her house, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.

The 340-pound woman then allegedly proceeded to lay on top of the child for at least seven minutes until he stopped breathing.

A warrant is now out for Wilson's arrest, charging her with reckless homicide in the boy's death.

Dakota was pronounced dead at a South Bend hospital two days later, and an autopsy determined he suffered organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging and other injuries, CBS News reports.





The St. Joseph County Coroner's Office has since ruled Stevens' death a homicide, reporting that he died of mechanical asphyxiation.

Prosecutors say Wilson and her husband were ready to relinquish their foster license because their three other children - former foster children whom they've adopted - were older and they wanted to travel.

However, they agreed to take Stevens in because they had provided respite care for him two years prior.

Stevens' biological family told the Chicago Tribune he and his younger sister were removed from their biological parents' house because of their parents' reported drug use when Dakota was just five years old.

His father died, and their mother eventually relinquished her parental rights.

Dakota's sister was later adopted, while Dakota bounced between family members, foster homes and a mental health care facility before he was sent to live with Wilson again in early April.

She has since claimed that the boy had "verbal and physical aggression issues."

Wilson told police that Stevens woke up on April 25 agitated after being told not to run in the house while playing Nerf guns with the other children, according to CBS News.

She said she then told Dakota and the other children they could go outside to play after they finished their chores, but Stevens refused and stormed off.





At first, she said she planned to give him time to cool off, but when she realized he was not in the backyard she got in her car to track him down.

Wilson then found him talking to the neighbor, who informed the foster mother that the boy asked her to call the cops.

But Wilson later told police she told the neighbor to mind her own business, according to court documents.

She then reportedly forced Stevens to get into the car with her and brought him back to her home.

At that point, Wilson claims he tried to run away.

She told police she did not remember whether she tackled the boy or if they both fell to the ground "however, her intention was to hold him."

For the next several minutes, Wilson allegedly video chatted with Stevens' caseworker, who she said tried to calm the boy over the phone, though Stevens would "flail and move around."

Wilson also had a conversation with her husband through their Ring doorbell camera as she laid on Dakota Stevens' midsection near the driveway, court documents say.

She allegedly told her husband Stevens was having "one of his days."

After several minutes, Wilson got off the boy, telling police she got out of breath due to her weight, and noticed Stevens was not moving.

She then told the boy to get up and asked "are you faking?" court documents allege.

"She then rolled [Stevens] over and it appeared his eyelids were pale," the court documents say.

"She then began CPR and called 911."

Deputies from the Porter County Sheriff's Department arrived at the house at around 3:37pm for a report of an unconscious 10 year old who was not breathing, the Chicago Tribune reports.

They then found Stevens on the ground near the driveway, where someone was administering CPR.





Court documents say Stevens was not conscious, not breathing and had no pulse at the time, and an officer "observed that the juvenile had bruising [on] his lower neck and chest area."

A police affidavit states Wilson was "visibly distraught" when the deputies arrived and told them that Stevens had just run away to a neighbors' house but was still "acting up" and threw himself on the ground, saying he was leaving.

"Wilson stated that she laid on his midsection and called his caseworker," the affidavit states, according to the Tribune.

"Wilson stated he eventually stopped moving and she thought he was faking."

"She advised that she laid on him for approximately five minutes."

During the ensuing investigation, police obtained copies of Wilson's Ring footage, which they said began with her already lying across the boy - near his head and neck.

Throughout the 20-second video, Stevens was screaming, according to police.

He was "still crying and screaming" in the next 20-second video, and in a third Wilson could still be seen on top of him, this time near his buttocks.

Stevens arms were above his head in that video, and police say he "does not move" for the entire six-minute, 48-second clip.

Meanwhile, Wilson could be heard saying, "I was laying on him and he was acting bad."

Stevens was initially transported to Northwest Health Porter for treatment, before being airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital.

A doctor at Northwest Health later told police he had severe swelling in his brain, which would be consistent with deprived oxygen for an extended period of time.

"He didn't deserve this. He was better than a lot of people here," Nicole Rubalcava, Stevens' aunt, said at his private funeral, according to the Tribune.

Wilson's foster care license was placed on hold while pending revocation and pending any appeal from her after the coroner ruled Stevens' death was a homicide.

She had been licensed as a foster parent since 2017 and was in good standing before Stevens' death, "having completed the required training and education required to achieve and maintain licensure," officials with the Indiana Department of Child Services told the Tribune.

But her license was eventually revoked on June 30.

Wilson is now facing a $20,000 bond, and Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann told WGN he believes she will surrender within the next few days.






Tuesday, July 16, 2024 - American actress, Shannen Doherty agreed to finalize her divorce from ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko just one day before her tragic passing at age 53.

According to multiple reports, the Charmed star signed a filing to waive spousal support on July 12. Doherty died the following day after a battle with breast cancer.

In addition, Doherty agreed to a 'default or uncontested dissolution' of the marriage.

The move indicates Doherty and her ex finalized their divorce without the involvement of the court.

'The parties have entered into a written agreement regarding their property and their marriage or domestic partnership rights, including support, the original of which is being or has been submitted to the court,' the paperwork reads, obtained by People.

The documents were subsequently signed by Iswarienko on July 13.

The Sun also reported Doherty relinquished her right to spousal support.

'I knowingly give up forever any right to receive spousal or partner support,' she wrote in court documents obtained by the outlet.

Both Doherty and Iswarienko had requested that the court terminate support for both parties, according to The Sun. 'I ask the court to terminate forever spousal or partner support for Petitioner and Respondent,' reads the document signed by the actress.

Doherty and Iswarienko got married in 2011, but the actress filed for divorce in April of 2023.

It was Doherty's third marriage. She was married to Ashley Hamilton and Rick Salomon.

Doherty died at the age of 53 on July 13. On Sunday, her publicist, Leslie Sloane, confirmed the actor's death.

'It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,' Sloane told People.

'The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,' Sloane added.

Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh in the hit 1990s show, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Just two years later, the Charmed star revealed that the cancer had returned after going into remission.

At the time, she told Good Morning America: 'It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I'm stage 4. So my cancer came back, and that's why I'm here.

'I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,' she said.

Last year, she announced that her cancer had spread to her brain and was undergoing radiation therapy. She later revealed it had also spread to her bones.






Tuesday, July 16, 2024 - Controversial influencer, Andrew Tate has been banned from leaving Romania after a court of appeal overturned a ruling that allowed him to travel within the EU.

The Court of Appeals in Bucharest revealed on Tuesday that it has overturned a previous ruling that allowed the controversial internet personality free movement within the European Union while awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking. Pending the start of the trial, they are banned from leaving Romania.

It comes after Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan, 35, two weeks ago celebrated being given permission to leave the country for the first time in two years.

The former kickboxer took to X, formerly Twitter, on July 5 announcing the news and declared 'I AM FREE... THE SHAM CASE IS FALLING APART'.

Tate and his brother were charged in mid-2023 with r@pe, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to s3xually exploit women, which they deny.

Romanian prosecutors formally indicted Tate in June along with Tristan and two Romanian women in the same case.

All four were arrested in late December 2022 near Bucharest and have all denied the allegations made against them.

Two weeks ago, when the brothers received initial news that they were able to leave Romania, a spokesperson for the pair said: 'The Romanian courts have ruled in favour of Andrew and Tristan Tate, lifting restrictions on their travel within the European Union,' adding: 'This represents a significant victory and a major step forward in the ongoing case.'

'It reflects the significant progress the legal team have made in challenging the allegations brought against them.

Andrew and Tristan's lawyer, Eugene Vidineac said: 'We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behaviour and assistance of my clients.

'Andrew and Tristan are still determined to clear their name and reputation; however, they are grateful to the courts for placing this trust in them.

'For the brothers, who have faced limitations on their movement for nearly two years, this ruling is a welcome relief.

'It allows them to resume their lives with greater freedom and peace of mind.

'They are now able to travel freely throughout the EU to pursue professional opportunities without restriction.'

This 'relief' was short-lived, however, as the ruling was today overturned.

In Tate's bizarre video posted on July 5, he paced topless around parked supercars and said: 'For the first time in nearly three years, the judge has decided I can leave Romania.'

He also referred to the charges as a 'sham case' before referencing a platform that says it teaches the skill of money-making and protesting his innocence.

Tate and Tristan were initially arrested in December 2022 along with two Romanian women - model Georgiana Naghel and former cop Luana Radu - but were formerly indicted in June last year.

The two female suspects -dubbed 'Tate's Angels' also face extradition to the UK once their court proceedings in Romania come to an end.

The brothers have been accused of 10 allegations of r@pe and s3xual assault from three alleged victims in the UK.

The pair faced complaints from victims who claimed they were drugged and subjected to sexual acts between 2012 and 2015.

Romanian law states the trafficking of adults carries a lengthy prison sentence of up to a decade, as does rape.




Wednesday, July 17, 2024  A new twist has emerged over the real identity of the alleged serial killer Collins Jumaisi, whom the DCI claims has confessed to the cold-blooded murder of 42 women and dumping their body parts in sacks in Kware, Mukuru.

This is after Collins's supposed relatives denied knowledge of him, thus casting doubts in the DCI story.

Speaking during an interview, Boniface Karanja, a man reported to be the suspect's cousin denied any knowledge of him.

Karanja noted that some confusion was emanating from the account and identification of the suspected serial killer as detailed by the DCI.

The alleged cousin added that one of the suspects names was different from that of his relative who left the village a long time ago alongside the mother.

According to Karanja, his cousin who left the village when he was only 2 years old was called Ketrin Shiusa.

"I have not really investigated to determine if he is the one. There are two different names. There is a Ketrine Shiusa and now there is a Collins Jumaisi.

"There is no way those names relate to each other. There is a big disconnect and that is something that I cannot speak to," Karanja stated.

Other villagers also denied any knowledge of the suspected serial killer, further asking the DCI to conduct more investigations of the alleged serial killers family background.

"Let them do their work and ensure that they are bringing the right people to book so that they face their consequences," he stated.

Meanwhile, Jumaisi has alleged that he was tortured to confess to the alleged killing of 42 women.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Catholic Bishops have challenged President William Ruto to rein in corruption in government.

Addressing the media, the bishops, led by Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria, noted that they were appalled by instances of shameless amassing of wealth by some government officials at the expense of Kenyan taxpayers.

The bishops further noted that some actions by state officers had brought their offices into disrepute.

"We are appalled by the shameless amassing of wealth by siphoning taxpayer hard-earned money. Some of the public servants have brought dishonour to their offices and to Kenyans in general.

"Humility has been totally lacking in leadership, treating citizens to impunity and arrogance," Muheria stated.

At the same time, Muheria appealed to the Head of State to engage in discussion with the youth and foster unity in the country.

"We therefore request that you open yourselves for inclusive conversations so that you are also enriched by perspectives that may not be obvious to you," he stated.

"In doing this, you become attentive to the laws of God and their true respect for others.

"Allow us also to correct you on some of the vulgar or improper slogans that have been used in these moments."

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - President William Rutos aide Farouk Kibet and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo are said to be the men who were issuing instructions to police officers who beat and killed protesters during Tuesday's countrywide Gen Z protests.

4 people were killed on Tuesday after police beat up protestors in Nairobi and 22 other counties.

Hundreds of protesters were injured as police used live and rubber bullets to quell the demonstrations that have paralyzed the countrys economy.

Kameme FM journalist Catherine Wanjiru was shot by police at close range while covering the demonstrations in Nakuru city.

A source at the National Police Service stated that on Tuesday they were receiving orders from Farouk Kibet and PS Raymond Omollo on how to deal with the Gen Z protestors.

He said acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja is just a figurehead, and that Farouk Kibet and Raymond Omollo have been the ones calling the shots in the entire security docket since the departure of Kithure Kindiki

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Former Cabinet Secretary for Performance Management and Public Service, Moses Kuria, has dropped a bombshell on President William Rutos former Cabinet which he sacked last Thursday.

Speaking during an interview, Kuria revealed that Rutos former Cabinet was already defective and was seemingly showing cracks before he dismissed it.

According to Kuria, the Cabinet, which he was a part of, already had difficulties conducting business and hosting committee meetings.

He further added that some of the people were attempting to stage coups and overthrow the current regime.

We had problems even to hold cabinet committees was a problem, and I would like to give the President a chance to reform his government, stated Moses Kuria.

He further added that the cabinet deserved to be dissolved long before the President fired the Cabinet Secretaries.

Kuria also added that he was in support of the Presidents plan to have an inclusive cabinet that would unite all Kenyans.

This is after Ruto hinted at joining hands with Azimio in the upcoming cabinet appointments.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Former Investigative reporter turned Member of Parliament, Mohammed Ali, has criticized Citizen TV and NTV over their coverage of the ongoing protests, which he claims are funded by foreign NGOs.

This is what he wrote on his X account.

Dear Citizen TV and NTV as you scramble for viewership at this critical turning point in our Country's history, I urge you to remember the role Media plays in perpetuating violence in conflict-torn countries due to the absence of constructive news reporting.



As you tirelessly fuel a narrative of 'youth' led political unrest across the country, I remind you of the danger of distorting reality and magnifying situations to serve self-interest at the expense of unity and peace in the country.



Media Council and Communication Authority of Kenya Must hold Media Houses Responsible and Accountable in the role they play in influencing violence in the country.

If we tarnish Kenya's image and contribute to burning this country, there will be no viewers to tune in and we will serve as an example of a failed country to the very Western Players that are pushing and financing this Chaos.



There is no doubt that there are foreign players including NGOs who are currently funding some youth to burn this country.



We Must Remember that when the wave of instability and violence rocks a country, it wipes out every standing institution and affects all livelihoods

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Githunguri Member of Parliament, Gathoni Wamuchomba, has condemned the shooting of K24 scribe Catherine Wanjiru.

Wanjiru was shot on Tuesday while covering the anti-government demos in Nakuru County.

In a statement via her X account, Wamuchomba said the shooting of journalists was a sign of the erosion of democracy.

She pointed out that Wanjeri was wearing a jacket labeled "Press," which deserved to be respected by the police.

Journalism is not a crime. Shooting journalists on assignment is a sign of the erosion of Kenyan democracy.

As a journalist, I join the media fraternity in condemning the shooting of the K24 Journalist, Catherine Wanjiru. Her press jacket deserved respect, said the Githunguri MP.

Wanjiru was reportedly shot thrice in the thigh by the police while she was covering the protests for Media Max in Nakuru town. The media practitioner was rushed to a private hospital for treatment.

Wanjeris shooting followed demonstrations within the Nakuru CBD where police officers attempted to stop the protesters from damaging critical infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) has demanded action to be taken against the police officer who shot the Media Max journalist.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Dadaab Member of Parliament Farah Maalim has refused to apologize for allegedly instigating violence against the Gen Zs, saying he did nothing wrong.

Addressing the press, Maalim dismissed allegations that he called for the deaths of young protesters during recent demonstrations across the country.

He argued that his remarks had been taken out of context and vowed to continue expressing his opinions on national issues despite the criticism.

Maalim clarified that the viral clip circulating on social media was intended to tarnish his reputation and undermine the impressive track record he has established during his tenure as a legislator.

He emphasized his honesty and noted his over 30 years of experience in the Kenyan political arena, claiming a track record matched by very few individuals.

What I feel in my conscience is best for this country is what I am going to do.

"When I am calling for these things, I do them because I don't want us to go the Sudan way or the Somalia way, Maalim clarified.

"So, my position is that I never called for the death of anybody.

"I have educated many young men and women in this country from every community," he added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024  The ongoing investigations into the Kware massacre have taken a new twist.

This is after the main suspect, Collins Jumaisi Kalusha, denied killing the 42 women and dumping their bodies at Kware in sacks, casting a cloud of doubt over his earlier confession.

According to Collins, DCI detectives tortured and coerced him to confess to the 42 macabre murders.

His Lawyer John Maina Ndegwa asserted that his client was subjected to extreme forms of torture, compelling him to confess to crimes he vehemently denies.

Speaking before the Makadara Law Courts, Ndegwa pleaded for urgent medical care for Khalusha, highlighting the urgent need for attention due to his alleged maltreatment while in custody.

My client is in dire need of urgent medical attention, he declared.

The attorney dismissed the notion that Khalusha could be behind such brutal acts, labelling the confession laughable and alien to his clients character.

Ndegwas impassioned plea painted a chilling picture of Khalushas ordeal, claiming he has endured horrendous inhuman mistreatment during his time in custody, raising serious concerns about the methods employed during the interrogation process.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been swift to rebut these allegations, insisting that only a single police officer was assigned to record Khalusha's statements.

The agency has remained resolute in its stance, maintaining that the ongoing investigation necessitates further detention of the suspect to prevent any continuation of criminal activities.

The Kenyan DAILY POST








Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - The International Community, through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has condemned President William Ruto and his government for teargassing young children during the nationwide anti-government protests.

The United Nations body through Country Representative Shaheen Nilofer termed the conduct of Kenyan police unacceptable.

She explained that security officers should always prioritize every childs safety.

I am deeply concerned about reports of tear gas entering Mwiyala Primary School grounds and affecting school children during todays protests, her statement read in part.

Children and schools are not, and must never be, targets of violence.

UNICEF joined a growing list of leaders who condemned the police conduct after the officers lobbed teargas inside the school located in Kakamega County.

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo asked for the people responsible to be held accountable.

Children should never be attacked. We need answers, she spoke of the incident.

The Kakamega episode was not an isolated incident after another school in Nairobi was also tear-gassed by police officers quelling protests.

Police officers were also accused of teargassing patients inside a hospital and church in Nairobi.

In Nakuru, tensions were reported after police officers were captured on CCTV cameras making their way into a church and conducting a search for protesters who had sought refuge in the building.

The United Nations has asked police officers to observe human rights while containing anti-government protests mostly led by Gen Z.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Eric Theuri has described Kenyan police officers as the most foolish in the world after veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho was abducted at Karen Police Station where he had sought refuge on Wednesday..

Gaitho, who was being driven by his son, saw a car trailing him and as a good citizen, he went to Karen Police Station to seek help and instead of being helped he was abducted.

Rogue Karen police officers bundled him into a probox and after a public outcry they released him saying it was a case of mistaken identity.

In a social media post, Theuri said it is a great shame for the police to abduct someone who went there to seek refuge.

He said if this trend continues, the rule of law may spiral out of control.

A person drives into a police station on noticing he's being tracked. Instead of getting police protection, he's abducted.

Later, it turns out he was 'arrested' by mistake.

Yet they had time & opportunity to verify before his arrest!! The actions of the police are making us all unsafe.

A time will come when they lose legitimacy. The rule of law may spiral out of control if we don't stop, Theuri wrote on his X on Wednesday.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - An outspoken Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) politician has been arrested in connection with the ongoing Gen Z demonstrations.

In a social media post on his X handle on Wednesday, Alinur, who in August contested the Kamukunji parliamentary seat but lost to Jubilees Yusuf Hassan wrote, I have been arrested

This was confirmed by renowned blogger Cyprian Nyakundi, who said it is true that Alinur Mohamed has been arrested.

It is unclear whether former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is aware of the arrest since Alinur Mohamed is his number one supporter in Kamukunji Constituency Nairobi.

According to sources, Alinur was arrested for marshaling Gen Z on social media to demonstrate in Nairobi and other cities by saying Ruto must go

On Wednesday morning, Alinur tweeted Zakayo is not selling fear but anger now

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Former Mukurweini Member of Parliament, Kabando Wa Kabando, has shared his thoughts on the abduction of veteran Nation Media Group journalist, Macharia Gaitho.

The celebrated scribe was abducted inside Karen Police Station on Wednesday morning when he went to report a car that had been following him.

A short video shows three uniformed police officers and others in civilian clothing roughing and pushing him inside the car.

However, he was released shortly after social media uproar, with the police saying it was a case of mistaken identity.

In his X page, Kabando stated that if there was no public outcry, Gaitho would have disappeared like Gen Z protestors who are being abducted by police and later found dead in a dam or a quarry.

He concluded by saying Ruto is cornered, dangerously desperate, and capable of doing more harmful things.

Inside a police station by unidentified men as uniformed policemen therein watched abduction, into a probox to the unknown.

"Were it not for the instant reverberations of protests, Macharia Gaitho would still be in danger.

"Ruto is cornered & dangerously desperate, Kabando wrote in X.

The Kenyan DAILY POST










Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - The lawyer representing Collins Jomaisi Khalisia, the man accused of killing 42 women since 2022, has fiercely criticized the ongoing legal proceedings, calling them a sham and demanding transparency for the Kenyan public.

Speaking outside Kiambu Law Courts yesterday after the court ordered the case to be moved to the Makadara Law Courts, Lawyer John Maina Ndegwa vehemently opposed the Director of Public Prosecution's request for more time to complete the investigation.

It is time Kenyans are told the truth, he declared.

Maina revealed that the government has filed a miscellaneous application seeking to detain the suspect for an additional 14 days to conclude their investigations.

He argued that the evidence presented by the police on Monday is more than sufficient to proceed to trial.

We wouldnt want them to seek more days for evidence collection. What was paraded Monday is enough to proceed with the trial. I will be much baffled if the ODPP seeks more days for investigations, he asserted.

In a scathing attack on the government, Maina questioned the need for more time when significant evidence had already been displayed by the acting Inspector General, Douglas Kanja, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) chief, Mohamed Amin.

What they are seeking under the miscellaneous application is more days.

"Yet you saw on Monday the acting Inspector General and the counterpart from DCI parading some purported incriminating evidence.

"Why should they do that yesterday, yet today they are coming with a miscellaneous application seeking more days? he asked.

Despite police claims of cracking one of the country's most shocking murder cases, residents of Kware have expressed skepticism, alleging the announcement is a cover-up.

Khalisia had reportedly confessed to the murders, admitting to killing 42 women between 2022 and July 11, 2024.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17,2024 - Veteran Nation Media journalist and columnist, Macharia Gaitho, has expressed his fury after he was abducted on Wednesday by men believed to be Doctorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers.

Gaitho was abducted inside Karen Police Station, where he had sought safety after noticing he was being trailed by unknown individuals.

The celebrated scribe was with his son at the time of the incident.

A short video shows three uniformed police officers and others in civilian clothing roughing and pushing him inside the car.

He was driven to Karen Police Station but later released after police shamelessly said it was a case of mistaken identity

Addressing journalists after the frightening ordeal, Gaitho said the abduction would not cow him.

Gaitho said he is among the second liberation heroes who removed late dictator Arap Moi from power and President William Ruto should not think he can defeat people by killing, shooting them, and abducting them.

If we resisted Moi, who are these ones?Gaitho posed.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Wednesday, July 17, 2024  National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula may have crossed the red line here.

This is after he banned journalists from Parliament for covering Occupy Parliament protests by the Gen Zs.

In a statement, Wetangula, through the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), banned Citizen TV journalists Stephen Letoo and Seth Olale from Parliament.

Taking to his X account, Letoo claimed that they were banned for covering the Occupy Parliament protests in June.

The Citizen TV reporter noted that they were accused of being a source of insecurity for MPs.

So now National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and PSC Chair want to kick out journalists covering Parliament from the Precincts (Media Centre) on grounds we are a source of 'insecurity to MPs' following Occupy Parliament coverage, said Letoo.

Other than the relocation of Parliamentary journalists to outside Parliament, there is a resolution to ban some journalists myself included who covered occupy Parliament from stepping in the new area. Seth Olale who exposed the MPs escape tunnel also banned, he added.

Olale also confirmed that he has been banned from Parliament buildings alongside Letoo terming the move by PSC as ill-advised and against the freedom of the media.

Reliable sources within Parliament confirm that indeed I have been banned from Parliament alongside my colleague Steven Letoo because of our role in highlighting #OccupyParliament.

"This reported move by PSC is ill-advised and against media freedom, said the Citizen TV news reporter.

On June 25, anti-finance bill protestors stormed the Parliament buildings in Nairobi and set a section of it on fire.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
The groups story: facts and dynamics

This unique group of three interventional radiologists, each making a substantial income, found themselves in a situation where their compensation was not commensurate with their contributions. Their pay structure had not been updated in eight years. According to our analysis, each was making good money, but the pay was not fair (over $700k) by market standards. They were paid on a 1099 basis, paid their malpractice insurance, and had no paid leave (they were 100 percent production). They were paid per wRVU they produced and 15 percent of an infusion centers profits. The medical director was also paid an additional $60k annually for the administrative time he allocated beyond his clinical duties. Despite the challenging circumstances, each interventional radiologist consistently produced at a level that exceeded the 90th percentile of the recent MGMA study. This is a testament to their unwavering dedication, high productivity, and undeniable value within the group.

Other group concerns

Compensation

Call

Burnout and staffing

Two-year renewal and renegotiation instead of eight years

Malpractice coverage and how it was being paid/reimbursed

Challenges

Often, the administration feels that having a third party can delay the process, put a wedge between their physicians and themselves, or simply be too successful and cost them more than if the physicians were doing it themselves. The administration took the following positions:

The physicians were already highly paid.

The facilitys compensation structure was similar to that in other facilities in other states, and the administrators felt the compensation was reasonable for the physicians in this location.

Administrators know they have the advantage if they work with busy physicians who are easily distracted and may need help knowing what to ask for or have the correct information.

The physicians, feeling the weight of the process and their disadvantage, were eager to hand over the negotiations to a third party with expertise in contract negotiations.

Leveraging third-party expertise in compensation strategy

We thoroughly analyzed both sideswhat the radiologists wanted and what the facility could do. We determined the fair market value for the group in this particular location. Mediation with the facility was essential, as most physicians are not prepared for this process, either from a time or knowledge standpoint. The latest physician compensation information from local, regional, and national levels was able to bridge the gap and facilitate a successful negotiation. The negotiation process was designed to be a win-win for all parties involvedthe facility, the community, and the physicians. This collaborative approach ensured that everyones needs and concerns were addressed, fostering a sense of inclusivity and mutual benefit.

Results

The facility agreed to increase the conversion factor by a small margin so the physicians could be paid more, and we increased the physicians profit share percentage by 5 percent to 20 percent. Provided production and profits remain the same (every year, not just once), this would result in a net gain per physician of around $112k annually. The facility was also agreeable to renegotiate in 24 months and change how the physicians were reimbursed for malpractice insurance, saving them additional headaches, time, and money.

Key takeaways

Physician employers: partners, not adversaries. They want physicians to be satisfied with their compensation arrangements.

There is already a shortage of interventional radiologists, and the number is expected to worsen. The replacement of interventional radiologists poses financial, health care, and community challenges.

Administrators may try to take advantage of physicians lack of business savvy. A common tactic is to single a physician out and offer a sweetheart deal to get the group to sign a lesser deal.

Even within the same group, physicians cannot decide what they want and have no clue what is fair.

Often frustrated and underappreciated, physicians can find solace when their compensation is fair, a sentiment that physician employers may not always be aware of.

Physicians are busy, overwhelmed, and skeptical. Despite their dedication to medicine, many physicians need updates to enter into long-term agreements. This lack of clarity can lead to uncertainty and a feeling of being in the dark about their contracts, which could be improved with precise and updated agreements. Physicians have difficulty agreeing on patient care, let alone what they want, which would improve their lives.

Conclusion

This case illustrates the importance of preparation, unity, and strategic communication in contract negotiations. The surgeons proactive approach improved their contractual conditions and set a precedent for future negotiations within the hospital.

Jon Appino has been the driving force behind Contract Diagnostics since 2011, where he leads a dedicated team on a mission to empower physicians with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to negotiate robust employment contracts and secure the best compensation packages. With over a century of collective experience, the CDx team is a paragon of field expertise. With over 25 years of diverse health care experience, Jon leads this seasoned team of professionals. From Petes 20+ years to Anus 25+ years, complemented by Jillian and Lauras 10+ years each, our team boasts a wealth of knowledge. This remarkable tenure is further fortified by the skills and backgrounds of our other team members, including Kathryn Sarnoski, MD, and Jan Schmitz, director of operations. Their combined experience ensures that Contract Diagnostics offers the most seasoned and insightful guidance in physician compensation.

Discover more of Jons perspectives on physician compensation by exploring the Contract Diagnostics blog or connecting on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

The Contract Diagnostics team offers comprehensive consulting services tailored to physicians and their families, addressing employment contracts and compensation structures. Our expertise spans contract physician compensation, schedules, benefits, and more.

Our mission is to establish a central resource where physicians can access information, consulting, and coaching to navigate the intricacies of employment contracts and compensation structures, ensuring equitable remuneration.

Questions? Feel free to reach out to us via our website or at 888-574-5526.
Memorizing and retaining the medical knowledge you need to be a doctor is one of the hardest things you can do! If you ask any doctor about their medical school experience, theyll probably recall hours of lectures, meticulous cadaver dissections, and countless long days and nights of studying, trying to learn a ton of material in a very short time. Of course, this experience can lead to major stress, taking a toll on your physical and mental health. What if medical school could be fun instead of torturous?

What if, for example, instead of looking at flashcards, you could learn about diabetes medications by listening to a song about drinking too much sweet tea? Music can make learning easier, much less stressful, and even fun! Just as many of us learned the ABCs through a song during childhood and still remember it, medical students can use songs to remember medical concepts. I dont know about you, but Id rather learn from a memorable song than from a dry lecture or textbook!

The idea of using music as a study tool came to me back in college when a professor used song parodies to explain some immunology concepts. One day during my first year of medical school, I miraculously had some extra free time, so just for fun, I decided to write a parody of Meghan Trainors All About That Bass reviewing acid loaders and acid extruders, which was a topic for an upcoming test. During the test, I was able to answer multiple questions correctly by mentally singing the parody lyrics to myself. I realized that by turning lecture notes into song lyrics I could review topics in just a few minutes and remember them long-term, reducing the amount of material I would need to relearn for board exams. I also realized that I could actually enjoy studying and study while doing other things. Songwriting became a prominent study technique for me, and when I shared my songs with classmates, some of them found them helpful, as well. Realizing the awesome benefits of learning through music, I later started my own medical music business. Now I get to be as silly as I want while teaching medicine, from anthropomorphizing microorganisms to singing about being a butt doctor!

While succeeding in medical school requires hard work, I believe the right study strategies can make the grind less intense. I have found creating medical songs to be one of these strategies for myself, and I wish to share it with anyone else who may benefit from it. More importantly, I would like to help other people experience how much more efficient and even enjoyable learning medicine can be when they prioritize working smart over working hard. As one of my high school math teachers said, If theres a hard way and an easy way to do something, why do it the hard way?

J. C. Sue is a practicing, board-certified family medicine physician, founder of the medical music study resource Tune Rx, and co-author of the American Family Physician article Septic Arthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment. In addition to practicing family medicine, he practices medical musicology, and as a medical musicologist, he strives to make learning medicine fun and memorable by explaining medical concepts through song lyrics, which he shares through Tune Rx. He desires to use his other performing arts interests, including dance, juggling, and acting, to enhance his practice of medical musicology and improve medical trainee wellness through simultaneous learning and entertainment.
The family and friends of Dean Roche are appealing for information that might lead to the discovery of his remains and finally allow them to lay him to rest alongside his mother Geraldine, who died in 2018.

Dean Roche from Hebron Park in Kilkenny went missing on the night of March 22, 2015 when he went to the Ballyfoyle area to buy a car. A short time after purchasing the car it was found crashed down the road. Dean vanished that night, never to be seen again.

His brother, Eamon and friend, Damian Hipwell are calling on the garda investigation to be upgraded to murder and are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

We just want to bring Dean home, not knowing what happened to Dean broke my mothers heart and her dying wish was to be laid to rest beside Dean. I have my Mums ashes and I am waiting for Dean to be brought home so finally we can bury them together. It would mean a lot to be able to bury Mum and Dean, said Eamon.

Both men are adamant that Dean Roche never left the Ballyfoyle area and that someone in the area knows what happened to him.

If someone did something to Dean I dont think that they intended to do it on the morning of that day. I dont think he made it out of there of his own accord, said Damian.

We are just pleading to anyone with information that we lead us to find Dean to come forward with that information. No one is looking for vengeance or retribution, we just want to get him home and lay him to rest with Geraldine. Not knowing where Dean is is heartbreaking and we are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

We have never found out what happened to Dean and for as long as that information is withheld then the pain and suffering will continue. Someone out there knows what happened to him and that would eat your conscience alive, added Damian.

Councillor Joe Malone, who is a friend of the Roche family is also calling for the investigation to be upgraded to murder and is raising the case with both the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee and the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris.

Deans tenth anniversary is next March and we need closure and justice for Dean Roche. His mother, Geraldine died not knowing what happened to Dean and I have been raising the case for years looking for answers. The not knowing what happened to Dean is torture for the Roche family and for Deans friends.

Someone knows where Dean is and I am asking them to come forward so he can finally be laid to rest with his Mum, Geraldine. I am asking the people out in the area where Dean disappeared to come forward with any information they have, it is going on too long and it needs to end, he added.

Eamonn remembers Dean as the best brother anyone could have.

He was my older brother, I was the youngest of three boys and Dean looked after me. If I ever needed to talk to someone or wanted advise I would go to Dean, he said.

Damian also has fond memories of his friend, Dean Roche.

I met Dean as a teenager and we got on like a house on fire. He was one of the nicest people I ever met. He was very funny and charming and he was soft and gentle and kind. He was the best person for making you laugh, said Damian who added that while Dean was known to gardai and was a drug addict at the time he went missing he wanted to straighten himself out.

He was in the throes of addiction and often got disheartened and would say that he wanted to straighten himself out.

A garda spokesperson confirmed that an investigation into the disappearance of Dean Roche is ongoing and urged anyone with information to come forward.

We are appealing to anyone who knows anything to come forward, even the smallest piece of information could prove crucial, he said.

Anyone with information on Dean Roche is asked to contact Kilkenny gardai on (056) 7775000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 11.
Sinn Fein MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion, has said she is committed to working hard to deliver for the people of Kilkenny on the issues that matter to them as she took up her seat in the European Parliament for the first time this week.

The MEP has become a member of the Regional Development Committee and Employment Rights Committee.

"This week, I have taken my seat in Europe and am looking forward to working hard to deliver for people across the Ireland South constituency," Funchion said.

"As a TD, I have worked hard to deliver for Kilkenny and I am determined to continue this work in Europe. Throughout the election campaign, people across Kilkenny made it clear to me that they want an MEP who will work hard and deliver for the area," she added.

That is what I am committed to doing. This week, I have hit the ground running and will be using my voice in Europe to deliver for ordinary workers and families on the issues that matter to them."

The former Kilkenny TD has joined the Regional Development Committee and Employment Rights Committee since becoming and MEP.

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The newly elected MEP has also criticised the tenure of Ursula Von Der Leyen has the Commission's President.

"As I pledged during the election campaign, I will be voting against attempts to re-elect Ursula Von Der Leyen as Commission President. Her time in office has been bad for Ireland. Her full support of Israel has been disgraceful as the people of Palestine are subjected to a horrific genocide. While in office, several of her decisions have moved towards EU militarisation and undermined Irelands neutrality," she said.

"Irelands neutrality is not up for grabs and it is crucial that Irish MEPs stand up to any attempts to erode this important policy."

"I am committed to being a strong voice for the people of Kilkenny in Europe," Ms Funchion concluded.
By Lee Gyu-lee

Getting married, becoming pregnant and giving birth to a child are all significant milestones, especially in modern Korean society, which is grappling with the worlds lowest total fertility rate. However, for Kim Kyu-jin and Kim Sae-yeon, the openly married lesbian couple who made headlines in Korea in 2019, achieving these milestones was far from easy.

When Kyu-jin became the countrys first openly gay woman to conceive last year, her pregnancy created a stir and sparked considerable controversy in a country where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized.

Wavves docuseries Just Family explores the lives of two same-sex couples: the pioneering Kim Kyu-jin and Kim Sae-yeon, along with a long-term gay YouTuber couple  Kim and Pack from the Mango Couple channel, to delve into their struggles and joys in creating a family, challenging traditional family norms through a portrayal of their everyday experiences.

We thought that simply showing these people's existence as it is was meaningful (as a documentary). These people care for and love each other deeply, want to build a family and live with similar concerns just like any of us," the shows chief producer Yim Ji-soo told The Korea Times at JTBCs office in Mapo District, Seoul, Tuesday.

However, due to the lack of institutional support, the rights we take for granted, like the air we breathe, are just dreams for them. People tend to make judgments on these issues without proper information or often fabricated or highly distorted and falsified images. So we aimed to offer a full picture that allows people to think for themselves.

The five-part series Just Family, which premiered on June 28, follows Kim Kyu-jins journey from pregnancy to childbirth and her and Kim Sae-yeons new life as mothers. The series also features the lives of a dedicated Christian gay couple who have been together for a decade.

The series also broadens its perspective by featuring panels from diverse community segments  religious leaders, OB/GYN doctors, LGBTQ+, parents of LGBTQ+, foreigners and an ordinary four-person family  to watch the couples lives and share their thoughts on the experiences of sexual minorities in Korea.

Yim noted she intended to show a different perspective on same-sex family issues through these panels.

There's a wide spectrum of typical views when it comes to how we look at sexual minorities. And on each end of the spectrum are the parents of sexual minorities and (conservative) religious leaders. When these different perspectives are presented side by side, theres no one-sided argument. So we wanted to help viewers reflect and reevaluate on their own views (through them), she said.

(The panels) are also meant for delivering information. This is a very unfamiliar issue with their own queer terms. So we tried to explain these things through the panels. And, for example, we couldn't gather the story of Kyu-jin and Sae-yeons (estranged) parents in the show. So we brought the parents of other sexual minorities to speak on their behalf, making the show more empathetic."

Just Family adopts a bright and cheerful tone, featuring delightful scenes from Kyu-jin and Sae-yeons light-hearted gender reveal party, humorously dubbed "Conference on Korea's Low Birthrate," and capturing the affectionate interactions of Kim and Pack as they navigate their innovative path to family life.

Yim and the shows producer Jeon Cheong-rim shared that they tried to prevent setting overly dramatic or sentimental tones in the couples lives, as much of the legacy media have done when portraying the LQBTQ+ community.

I think the portrayal of hatred and attacks on queer individuals is often over-exaggerated, making it seem as though such condemnation is normal. Even though it is a matter of human rights, these negative portrayals are treated as natural and acceptable in Korean media, which I found to be very disconcerting, Yim said.

In reality, Kyu-jin and Sae-yeon have more concerns as working moms than as lesbians. They're members of our society just like any of us. So we tried to convey these aspects in an interesting way, hoping that viewers would perceive them as our everyday colleagues and neighbors, away from misrepresented images (that have been shown previously).

Jeon noted that Just Family was designed to shift focus from the discrimination and prejudice faced by same-sex couples, with the goal of offering an unbiased and approachable depiction of their everyday experiences for viewers.

When we closely observe these peoples reality, they are not consumed by hatred and sadness. They face more rejection and discrimination than others, but despite this, they still get on with their lives  Anyone can register marriage and a child's birth, but they can't. They're sad but they still need to raise their children and still need to go to church. These are the kinds of lives they lead, she said.

We didnt think that just showing the hardships they face and all the hatred would provide a balanced view. Instead, we believed that a gentler approach could make their story more accessible and comforting for the public."

Despite their efforts, the producers revealed that they got a glimpse of the discrimination the couples face in society while working on the show.

(The places we filmed) asked us to cover all their logos and declined the photos they agreed to use for marketing after learning about the couples. Ive realized how our society is more uninhibited in expressing hatred, animosity and discrimination, Yim said.

It was very shocking, and when I came home afterward, I was so saddened. I thought, They must feel this every day, and that made me empathize more. There were scenes during the production process that made my heart ache even more."

The show ends with pastors' and priests prayers for the newborn baby. The producers, who are Christians themselves, said that including this religious aspect was crucial for creating the show.

This issue is a very contentious topic within Christianity right now. Rather than judging whether its a sin or not or demanding support for these people, I just wanted to throw a question. I wanted to ask: 'There are people living together like this, practicing their faith and attending church. Are they really committing sins every day?, Jeon said.

Yim added that the show aims to convey a message about embracing hatred within religious contexts.

The love I learned from church does not include any form of hatred. But, there are attempts to justify hatred in the name of God or the Bible, she said.

Views on sexual minorities can vary, but it gives a message that we hope people would reconsider using religion as a justification for hatred toward sexual minorities."
By Yi Whan-woo

Chaebol families unloaded over 5 trillion won ($3.62 billion) worth of shares over the last year and a half, including 3.31 trillion won from the mother and two younger sisters of Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, data showed Wednesday.

The data released by corporate tracker CEO Score showed spouses, children and other members from founding families of 71 conglomerates sold stocks worth 5.067 trillion won in total between January 2023 and June this year.

The stocks were issued by corresponding affiliates of the 71 conglomerates.

CEO Score assessed that Chaebol families sold shares to secure cash for inheritance taxes, succession planning and other purposes essential for the longevity of their conglomerates.

The Samsung family spearheaded the sales, with the executive chairman's mother, Hong Ra-hee, and his two sisters, Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun, occupying the top three positions.

A former director of the Leeum Museum of Art, Hong unloaded shares worth 1.405 trillion won in Samsung Electronics.

Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla, and Lee Seo-hyun, president of Samsung C&T's fashion division, each secured 615.9 billion won and 760.6 billion won in cash by selling shares in Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T and Samsung SDS, among others.

The shares sold by the three totaled 3.31 trillion won.

The mother and the daughters have been selling Samsung shares for years to pay off inheritance tax after the death of the late Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee in October 2020.

He was the richest man in Korea at the time of his death, with a fortune worth an estimated 26 trillion won. The Lee family was hit with more than 12 trillion won in inheritance tax, as Korea has a top inheritance tax rate of 50 percent.

Of other family members of the 71 conglomerates, Hyundai Department Store Chairman Chung Ji-Sun sold the company's shares worth 180.9 billion won as the firm transitioned to a holding company.
Tailored training and operational support enables expert agents to offer comprehensive service

By Yoon Ja-young

MetLife Korea is enhancing training and operational support for its financial sales representatives (FSRs), so that it can meet increasing demand for expert services among corporate and high-net-worth clients, the insurer said Wednesday.

As a part of the measures, MetLife Korea held its first-ever 2024 Expert FSR Summit at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on July 10. The insurer shared its plans to develop expert agents and help them provide the best service possible. Expert FSRs are talented professionals such as doctors, lawyers, certified public accountants, tax accountants, patent attorneys, labor attorneys and appraisers who also work as insurance sales agents.

Expert agents are in demand because customers are increasingly finding it challenging to navigate tax and legal issues surrounding inheritance and donations. From 2019 to 2024, the number of MetLife Koreas expert FSRs increased by an average of 72 percent per annum.

Today, they work with other agents to provide in-depth expertise, enabling customers to receive comprehensive advice and solutions tailored to their insurance and savings needs.

More than 250 attendees including MetLife leaders and expert FSRs participated in the summit, reinforcing the vision for the team and sharing success stories.

Korea is the important market for MetLife, MetLife Asia President Lyndon Oliver said during the summit.

MetLife has built a respected brand in this market. Our goal is to set new benchmarks in customer care, product innovation and growth, so that we can stand out from our competitors, he said.

MetLife Korea CEO Song Young-rok said MetLife will reinforce the professional service.

We will deliver a tailored program for expert FSRs to provide multi-faceted support for their growth, and also reinforce the professional consulting service for our corporate and high net-worth customers to address labor, tax and legal issues, Song said.

MetLife Korea, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, recently unveiled its ambition to become one of the top five life insurers in Korea in the next five years.
By Yi Whan-woo

Former U.S. President Donald Trumps possible return to the White House is believed to be affecting the value of listed Korean firms on the benchmark KOSPI.

The Republican presidential candidate survived an attempted assassination during a rally, Sunday (KST), increasing his already considerable lead over incumbent President Joe Biden.

Against this backdrop, defense stocks on the KOSPI have been rising as Trump has been stoking geopolitical tensions. For instance, he says that the U.S. should leave NATO and is skeptical about continuing to provide aid to Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russian forces.

Nuclear energy stocks also have been on the up as Trump backs advanced nuclear reactors in the middle of a global shift away from fossil fuel energy.

Trump, on the other hand, has called clean energy "a scam." Accordingly, secondary battery makers and other companies in the eco-friendly business have been retreating.

While it slid on Wednesday, the KOSPI had posted modest growth for the next two days after the attempted assassination of Trump. It gained 0.14 percent to close at 2,860.92 points, Monday, and also advanced 0.18 percent to finish at 2,866.09 points, Tuesday.

The pace of growth was much higher for defense stocks over Monday and Tuesday.

Over the cited periods, Hanwha Systems, an aerospace and defense arm of Hanwha Group, went up 5.62 percent and then another 4.24 percent.

Also a defense unit of the conglomerate, Hanwha Aerospace advanced 4.53 percent and again 1.69 percent.

Another industry peer, LIG Nex1, experienced a whopping 13.3 percent increase, Monday, although its pace of growth slowed to 2.56 percent the next day.

The leading defense companies, including Hanwha Aerospace and LIG Nex1, have been securing more deals abroad recently, and Trumps possible return to the presidency can improve business prospects and further push up their stock prices, Hana Securities said.

Concerning the nuclear energy sector, Doosan Enerbility climbed 3.34 percent, Monday.

While it lost 2.77 percent, Tuesday, market observers said it is still considered a beneficiary of the Trump effect as it is a part of a Korean consortium involved in a 30 trillion won nuclear power plant project bid for the Czech Republic.

Other companies in the consortium include Daewoo E&C, which jumped 6.76 percent, Monday. It slid 3.75 percent the next day.

The European country will announce a preferred bidder possibly within this week.

Being selected as a preferred bidder means higher chances for stock prices of the companies to move up, a market observer said.

In the eco-friendly industries, however, secondary battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 3.88 percent, Monday, and then another 3.34 percent, Tuesday.

A solar energy supplier, HD Energy Solutions fared well, Monday, as it only dropped 0.37 percent. On Tuesday, it slid 5.83 percent.
By Lee Yeon-woo

Concerns are mounting over celebrity CEO Paik Jong-wons ability to successfully list his restaurant franchise as a dispute continues between Theborn Korea and several franchisees of the companys Yeondon Ball Katsu brand.

According to industry sources, Tuesday, the Korea Exchange (KRX) is examining claims made by eight Yeondon Ball Katsu franchisees during a preliminary review process for Theborn Korea's listing.

The KRX is known to place significant importance on qualitative evaluation criteria before making a listing decision. This includes considering past and ongoing lawsuits and disputes, as significant legal issues could disrupt smooth business operations.

The examination came as franchise owners of Yeondon Ball Katsu, Theborn Korea's take-away "tonkatsu" (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet) brand, filed a suit with the Fair Trade Commission on June 18. They claimed that the headquarters had promised monthly sales of around 30 million won and a profit margin of 20-25 percent, but actual sales amounted to only 15 million won, with a profit margin of 7-8 percent.

Their protest came weeks after Theborn Korea submitted a preliminary review application to the KRX before listing. Theborn Korea asserts that it never promised specific sales or profit margins.

However, continued complaints from its franchisees are seen as a potential obstacle to Theborn Korea's listing, according to market watchers.

"It is inappropriate to pursue a listing while dealing with issues like those seen in the Yeondon Ball Katsu case," said Jeong Jong-ryul, chief counsel of the Korea Franchisee Union. "While it is beneficial for the company to grow and expand its business through listing, it should resolve these problems properly and work toward mutual success with the franchisees."

Read More Theborn Korea's profit soars while franchisees close down

The preliminary period for a public listing lasts 45 business days, meaning that Theborn Koreas review process will continue until the end of this month.

As of Tuesday, the KRX reportedly did not find it necessary to extend this period.

However, market observers believe that if franchisees from other brands also raise significant concerns about Theborn Koreas business practices, it could be considered a serious issue under the qualitative review criteria. In such cases, if additional verification is needed to address conflicts with Yeondon Ball Katsu franchisees, the review period is likely to be extended.

Theborn Korea refrained from making extensive comments about the listing process.

"We are currently waiting for the results of the preliminary review application and are steadily continuing our preparations," it said.

Theborn Korea initially pursued a listing in 2018 but postponed it due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This year, the company resumed its listing process following record revenues. Last year, Theborn Korea saw revenues surge 45.5 percent year-on-year to 410.7 billion won. Paik is the largest shareholder of Theborn Korea with a 76.99 percent stake.
By Lee Kyung-min

The revision of much-disputed taxes on stock trading income and property are expected to take an extended political turn, as indicated by grandstanding efforts of ruling and opposition party leaders to gain the upper hand on the divisive issue, market watchers said Wednesday.

The development is highly likely to push back the timing of taxation of cryptocurrencies scheduled to take effect in January next year. The government first introduced the tax in December 2020 to impose a 22 percent rate on annual gains of over 2.5 million won ($1,810) from cryptocurrency trading, only to be postponed twice.

The Financial Services Commission's May data showed the number of digital coin investors stood at 6.45 million as of December last year. About 1.89 million were in the 30 to 39 age group and 1.86 million in the 40 to 49 age group. The number of retail stock investors is about 14 million. About 495,000 homeowners paid a combined 4.2 trillion won in property tax last year.

Experts say haphazard, voter-pandering promises of tax cuts can come at the expense of predictability and consistency in tax policy and fiscal soundness.

The grandstanding was initiated by ruling People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho. He said Tuesday a discussion should proceed on the revision of the two taxes, challenging the former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Lee Jae-myung, to fulfill his earlier pledge to reconsider the issue.

Lee, a presidential hopeful seeking a reclaimed party leadership, acknowledged on July 10 that heavy taxes on homeowners with multiple properties have fanned unnecessary conflict and opposition.

The enforcement of stock trading income tax next January, he added, "should come under consideration." It was a significant change in tone from the previous party platform spearheaded to justify the capital gains tax "for fair taxation."

Korea is set to impose a tax of up to 27.5 percent on income from trading stocks, funds, bonds and financial derivatives exceeding 50 million won.

However, institutions and foreign investors are exempt from the heavy tax. This is a source of heated criticism from retail investors compounded further by elevated risks of scalping, among other regressive financial practices.

Choo said the PPP prioritizes the public's livelihood, a concern he said should be equally of interest to the main opposition and therefore hard to dismiss.

The ruling party advocates for a tax cut for homeowners with multiple properties and an outright scrapping of the stock trading income tax.

We suggest the main opposition immediately undertake efforts to discuss the tax revisions proposed by Lee earlier, Choo said at a party strategy meeting at the National Assembly. The public is confused due to differing opinions of the main opposition lawmakers. It is time for a serious discussion.

The open challenge only exacerbated the incoherence within the main opposition, as illustrated by the DPK policy committee chair, Rep. Jin Sung-joon, opting for a reservation.

We will fine-tune party stance soon after the announcement of government tax reform late this month, he said in a statement.

The party will, he said, consider participating in consultations of the government, ruling and opposition parties upon review of the specifics of revenue generation measures, despite their collective opposition against the government and ruling party railroading to benefit the rich.

The main opposition has yet to revise the party platform that could end up denouncing the botched policies under the previous Moon Jae-in administration.

Kim Du-kwan, a strong DPK chairman candidate trailing Lee in polls, said the former chairs move was nothing short of upending the partys principles on taxation amid deepening inequality and polarization.

Among critics of Lee in the minor opposition bloc is Cho Kuk, a disgraced former justice minister who heads the Rebuilding Korea Party, which secured 12 Assembly seats in the April 10 general elections.

The financing conditions of municipal governments will take a direct hit if property taxes are scrapped, he said Sunday on Facebook.
The financial regulator said Wednesday that toughened rules and the punishment of illegal transactions involving virtual assets will be implemented this week.

The new law, the Virtual Asset Users Protection Act, requires virtual asset exchanges to report illegal transactions to the financial regulator, and a life-sentence can be sought against unlawful gains exceeding 5 billion won, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

The regulator also can impose fines or push for legal punishments following the conclusion of an investigation by legal authorities.

Suspicious transactions involving virtual assets spiked nearly 49 percent on-year to over 16,000 cases in 2023, the FSC said earlier. (Yonhap)
By Baek Byung-yeul

In anticipation of the Summer Olympics in Paris, actor Song Hye-kyo and professor Seo Kyoung-duk, known for his efforts to promote Korea globally, have donated 10,000 copies of guides detailing Korea's independence movement against the 1910-45 Japanese occupation to further raise awareness about the history predating the establishment of the Republic of Korea.

On Wednesday, Seo, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said the leaflet, available in Korean and French, was given to the Section Education Ambassade de la Republique de Coree en France, or the Korean Education Center Paris, and Maison de la Coree at the Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris, which provides housing for university students.

The guide offers comprehensive details on Seo Young-hae (1902-?), a key Korean independence activist based in Paris, and Agence Korea, a news agency through which Seo communicated European developments to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Additionally, it covers the former location of the Paris branch of the Provisional Government and the original site where a friendship association between France and South Korea was established.

For those unable to visit Paris, the leaflet can be downloaded from the History of Korea website.

This initiative is part of Song and Seos ongoing efforts over the past 13 years to promote Koreas independence movement sites abroad and raise awareness about independence activists through educational materials, Korean-language signs and sculptures of independence fighters at some 36 sites.

The professor said they produced this guide with the hope of generating more interest in Korea's independence movement and the historical sites where important activities took place.

"With the upcoming Paris Olympics, many Koreans and foreigners are expected to visit Paris and we wanted to widely introduce them to Koreas independence movement sites (in the city)," Seo said on his Instagram.

"The preservation status of the countrys independence movement sites remaining overseas is not that good. Continued interest and visits from our citizens will be the greatest force in promoting and preserving these neglected independence movement sites abroad."
A renowned Korean American expert on North Korea has been charged with having acted as an agent for the South Korean government in return for expensive dinners and handbags, a U.S. newspaper reported Tuesday, citing federal prosecutors in New York.

Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former analyst of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has been indicted on the charges, according to The New York Times. Her lawyer called the charges "unfounded."

She began operating as a foreign agent in June 2013, five years after leaving the CIA, the newspaper said.

She was first contacted by a person posing as a minister for the Korean mission to the United Nations in New York. In return for her work over the ensuing decade, she received handbags, clothing and at least $37,000 in covert payments, according to the report.

As part of her work for South Korea, she made media appearances and wrote articles in U.S. and South Korean publications reflecting Seoul's policy priorities, according to the indictment.

She also testified before Congress three times about North Korea, which required her to sign a form before each hearing declaring that she was not a registered foreign agent, NYT said.

In a statement cited by the daily, Lee Wolosky, Terry's lawyer, said that the allegations were unfounded and distorted "the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States."

Terry has been a leading expert on Korean Peninsula and East Asian affairs.

She served as a senior fellow with the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2017 to 2021. She also worked for the National Intelligence Council and the National Security Council.

She received her bachelor's degree in political science from New York University and a master's degree and Ph.D. in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. (Yonhap)
A prominent North Korean defector is likely to be named as the new head of the presidential advisory council on unification, people familiar with the issue said Wednesday.

Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to Britain, has completed a candidate review process for the secretary general for the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and the nomination awaits President Yoon Suk Yeol's confirmation, they said.

If confirmed, Tae will be the first North Korean defector to serve in the deputy ministerial post since the council was established in 1980.

Tae fled to South Korea in 2016 in a high-profile defection by a ranking North Korean diplomat. He was elected in the affluent district of Gangnam in Seoul in 2020 as a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, but failed to secure a second term in the April parliamentary elections. (Yonhap)
North Korea on Wednesday renewed its call for efforts to minimize potential damage from torrential downpours, urging party officials and residents to thoroughly prepare for it.

North Korea is expected to be hit by heavy downpours Wednesday and Thursday, with up to 250 millimeters of rain expected in some areas, including the western province of Hwanghae, according to South Korea's weather agency.

North Korea called on party officials to make all-out efforts to protect the people's lives and ensure safety, emphasizing that the country's economy could suffer if thorough preparations are not made, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper.

"If even minor casualties occur, no party organization can claim to have fulfilled its responsibilities," the newspaper said.

The newspaper also stressed the importance of strict discipline, ensuring that the interests of the state and people are not harmed due to the negligence of officials.

North Korea is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters due to its lack of infrastructure. In the past, heavy rains have displaced thousands of people in the impoverished country.

North Korean media have recently been urging residents and party officials to take measures to brace for the rainy season. (Yonhap)
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Wednesday called for firm readiness against North Korea's provocations, his office said, amid concerns over land mines placed by the North possibly flowing into South Korea amid heavy downpours.

Shin made the remark in a meeting of top military commanders that was held to discuss South Korea's capabilities to counter North Korea's potential provocations, according to the defense ministry.

The meeting came a day after the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned that South Korea will face "gruesome and dear" consequences if it lets North Korean defectors continue to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North.

Kim Yo-jong hinted Tuesday that her country could opt for a new tactic to counter the leaflet campaign instead of resorting to its campaign of sending trash-carrying balloons across the border.

In addition to the possibility of North Korea adopting new methods of provocations, such as operating unmanned drones and shooting down leaflet-carrying balloons floated by South Korean activists, the ministry raised the risk that mines planted by the North could wash into the South amid the ongoing downpours.

"North Korea tends to randomly place them without relevant safety measures," an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. "Whether it occurs intentionally or naturally due to heavy rains, there is a higher possibility of the land mines flowing down."

Photos released by the defense ministry showed various forms of land mines the North uses, including those that resemble leaves and those placed in wooden boxes. The ministry advised the public to refrain from touching suspected mines or other suspicious objects.

Since April, the North has been deploying large numbers of troops in front-line areas for an array of activities, such as planting mines, erecting walls and reinforcing roads for military operations.

A JCS official said the North is estimated to have planted tens of thousands of mines in the area in the past few months, mostly intended to block North Koreans from crossing the border to enter the South.

As inter-Korean communication channels have been suspended, the military has requested the United Nations Command to notify the North of the risks of the land mines washing into the South, the official said. (Yonhap)
By Kim Hyun-bin

Joo Nak-young, mayor of Gyeongju, met with Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to Korea, to discuss mutual exchange and cooperation at the Gyeongju National Museum, Sunday. This visit marked Goldberg's first trip to Gyeongju.

In mid-June, the ancient city of Gyeongju located in southeastern Korea was picked to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Joo emphasized that Gyeongju is fully prepared to successfully host the APEC Summit.

"Gyeongju is ready to host the APEC Summit with great success," Joo said, highlighting the city's preparations and capabilities.

Goldberg, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2022 and officially assumed his position in Korea in July 2022, holds the highest-ranking position among U.S. State Department diplomats. He previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines during the Southeast Asian countrys APEC chairmanship in 2015.

The APEC Summit is scheduled for November 2025. The event will be hosted in the country for the first time in 20 years since its previous one, which was held in the southeastern port city of Busan in 2005.

Joo underscored the deep connection between the United States and Gyeongju, recalling former President George W. Bush's visit to the city during the APEC Summit in 2005.

"The relationship between the U.S. and Gyeongju is very deep," Joo said. He requested that the ambassador share the U.S.' extensive experience and expertise in hosting APEC Summits, having done so in 1993, 2011 and 2023.

After the meeting, Goldberg toured Gyeongju's renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites, Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, before departing.

Gyeongju has a history of maintaining various exchanges with the U.S. government and Congress. Notable visits include former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert in 2015, former U.S. Consul General in Busan Daniel Gedacht in 2019 and members of the Former Members of Congress.
Korea's land ministry said Wednesday it has signed a tentative agreement with Vietnam's construction ministry to cooperate in city and town development projects in the Southeast Asian nation.

Korean Land Minister Park Sang-woo signed a memorandum of understanding with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Thanh Nghi, on the cooperation on urban and social housing development during his trip to Hanoi on Tuesday, the ministry said.

The ministry said it expects the Vietnamese government to formally establish ways for Korean companies to participate in urban development projects in the country, such the one in the Bac Ninh region and Hanoi's plan to build 1 million social housing units by 2030.

Nguyen said Vietnam aims to increase its urbanization rate from the current 43 percent to 50 percent by 2030 and expressed hope that Korean companies will actively participate in Vietnam's urban and housing development.

Park said Korea's experience in managing rapid urbanization through new city development and urban redevelopment will serve as a valuable example. He promised to share Korea's experience and knowledge on land and fund procurement, as well as housing allocation methods, with Vietnam.

The Korean minister also requested cooperation from the Vietnamese construction ministry to facilitate the participation of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. in the Bac Ninh region's development project. (Yonhap)
Former U.S. official expects bigger contribution from Seoul

By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea may face renewed pressure to increase its defense-cost sharing with the United States if former President Donald Trump secures a second term, a scenario that some observers consider increasingly likely following his survival of a recent assassination attempt.

In recent months, Trump and his former aides have hinted through media interviews and speeches that Seoul should increase its contribution to the stationing of the 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops stationed there.

The latest comments came from Robert O'Brien, who served as national security adviser during the Trump administration from 2019 to 2021. He emphasized that Korea, a "wealthy nation," should make a "big contribution" to defense-cost sharing.

"South Korea can afford to pay for its defense," O'Brien told Korean reporters in Milwaukee, Wis., Tuesday (local time), where the Republican National Convention is underway through Thursday.

"We look forward to seeing a big contribution from South Korea, which is already doing great with its Navy, Army, and military equipment. I'm sure they'll have the money to cover whatever defense needs they have," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

O'Brien's remarks come as Seoul and Washington concluded the fifth round of the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations last Friday. The agreement, once finalized, would outline Korea's financial obligations for stationing USFK troops starting from 2026, as the current six-year SMA is set to expire at the end of 2025.

During his first term, Trump demanded that Korea increase its share of defense costs from $900 million to $5 billion. The stalled negotiations were eventually resolved in March 2021 after the Biden administration took office, resulting in Korea agreeing to pay 1.18 trillion won ($854 million), marking a 13.9 percent increase from the 2019 agreement and the third-largest annual increase for Seoul since the pact began in 1991.

Cha Du-hyeogn, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, warned that the defense cost-sharing agreement could face significant upheaval if Trump is re-elected.

"Even if the two sides succeed in finalizing the SMA deal, there's a possibility that Trump, once back in the White House, may try to nullify the already-signed agreement," Cha told The Korea Times, Wednesday.

In a separate interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published also on Tuesday, Trump stated that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense protection.

"Taiwan should pay us for defense," Trump was quoted as saying. "You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

Although Trump did not mention Korea in the interview, these comments reflect his stance on partners in the East Asian region, Cha said.

"Our government should prepare better strategies with logical data, showing that we have been paying a fair amount of defense costs," the researcher suggested.

Cha viewed that Trump's rhetoric about allies "free-riding" on U.S. defense is a campaign strategy to appeal to American voters, and it is often based on distorted information. However, this message seems to resonate with many of his supporters who believe that the U.S. is currently overly engaged in international issues.

Officials in Seoul have been closely monitoring the U.S. election as the potential re-election of Trump could significantly impact the trajectory of bilateral relations with Washington, which have been bolstered under incumbent President Joe Biden.

Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and engaged with Trump's key aides. The embassy stated that Cho's attendance was at the invitation of the Republican Party to foreign missions in Washington, D.C.
Leading scholar indicted by U.S. prosecutors for acting as unregistered agent for Seoul

By Anna J. Park

Sue Mi Terry, a well-known North Korea specialist who previously worked at the CIA and the White House National Security Council, has been indicted by federal prosecutors in Manhattan on charges of working as an unregistered foreign agent for the South Korean government for more than a decade.

The 31-page indictment released Tuesday (local time) by a Manhattan federal court stated that Terry was advocating for South Korea's policy positions and disclosing nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers since 2013, five years after she left the CIA.

In return, the indictment document said she received luxury goods, including a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, and more than $37,000 in funding for a public policy program on Korea affairs that she controlled.

"Despite engaging in extensive activities for and at the direction of ROK Government officials and notwithstanding her knowledge of the foreign-agent registration requirement, Terry never registered as a foreign agent with the Attorney General as required by law," the indictment reads.

The federal prosecutors' document went on to point out the two counts that she was charged with: failing to legally register as a foreign agent as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiring to violate the act.

Regarding the charges, Lee Wolosky, Terry's lawyer, said that the allegations are unfounded and she will fight the charges.

"The allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the U.S. Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade, and her views on matters relating to the Korean Peninsula have been consistent over many years. In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf, the lawyer said in a statement.

As Terry has been such a leading security expert on matters relating to the Korean Peninsula, the news came as a shock to local diplomatic and international relations experts in Korea.

"Since she has been actively involved for such a long time, it's actually quite surprising. However, I think if the U.S. federal prosecutors decided to indict her, there must be some evidence. Based on previous cases that share some commonality with Terry's case, the U.S. would not have acted without evidence," a diplomatic expert told The Korea Times, on the condition of anonymity.

The expert added that if she had officially registered as a lobbyist in the U.S., her actions would have been fine. Yet in that case, the roles she previously held in the U.S. government and think tanks would not have been permitted.

Another international relations expert emphasized that one should take heed of the timing of the public release of the news. Sue Mi Terry's indictment document broke out just days after President Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden jointly adopted the Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington last week. Earlier this week, President Yoon boasted that South Korea's strengthened alliance with the U.S. has been elevated to a nuclear-based one.

"What we can infer from her indictment is that while the U.S. appears to reward South Korea with a political gift of a strengthened U.S.-South Korea alliance, it is also a clear attempt to distance itself from the interests of South Korea. This move should be seen as a signal of pressure for practical concessions from the South, specifically in matters like defense cost-sharing negotiations between the two countries," the international relations expert told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.

"South Korea may mistakenly believe that aligning with the U.S. significantly bolsters American power, but in reality, Washington considers South Korea as a card that can be discarded at any time if there are greater stakes in the global chess game," the expert added.

Born in Seoul and raised in Hawaii and Virginia, Terry's family moved to the U.S. when she was 12, and she became a naturalized U.S. citizen. She received her bachelor's degree in political science from New York University and a master's degree and doctorate in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

For decades, Terry has been a renowned expert on Korean Peninsula and East Asian affairs, as she held various leading positions at the U.S. government as well as major think tanks in Washington D.C. and New York.

Lately, she has been working as a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York. Previously, she served as a senior fellow with the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, she became director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy at the Wilson Center in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Wednesday afternoon that the agency is closely communicating with its U.S. counterpart over the issue.
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho will visit the United States next week for talks with U.S. government officials and experts on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and North Korea's human rights situation, his office said Wednesday.

Kim will visit Washington, D.C., from Sunday through July 26, marking the first trip to the U.S. by a South Korean point man on North Korea in about five years, according to the unification ministry.

During the visit, he will meet with officials from the U.S. government and Congress, as well as experts on inter-Korean affairs, and discuss pending issues related to unification and North Korea, according to the unification ministry.

In particular, Kim will deliver a keynote speech Monday at an international forum on North Korea's human rights situation.

The 2024 International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights will be held Monday and Tuesday, co-hosted by the ministry, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It marks the first time that the ministry has hosted such a forum abroad.

"The event will serve as an occasion to raise the international community's awareness about the importance of North Korea's human rights issues," the ministry said.

The minister will also meet with experts from major think tanks in Washington, D.C., such as the Center for a New American Security and The Heritage Foundation, to discuss key issues related to the peninsula. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed caution Wednesday over growing calls in South Korea for the country to have its own nuclear options, calling a strong deterrence based on the alliance with the United State the "most desirable" approach.

Cho made the remark as the idea of South Korea considering building its own nuclear capabilities has gained traction in political circles amid deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea.

The suggestion also drew attention after Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told South Korean reporters that the allies "can move forward at a later date" based on an operational analysis, when asked about South Korea introducing a nuclear-powered submarine.

"Those issues in relation to nuclear capabilities need further consideration, beyond (revising) the South Korea-U.S. agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy," Cho said in a National Assembly session in response to a lawmaker's question.

"The question of nuclear armament is also an issue that needs careful and comprehensive consideration, in terms of the potential clash with the NPT (Non-proliferation Treaty) regime and economic risks," Cho said.

Cho added that he sees Paparo's comment as a response to a hypothetical situation based on certain preconditions.

Cho also emphasized that the option of South Korea going nuclear is not the government's position.

"At this stage, strengthening the (U.S.) nuclear deterrence is the most realistic and desirable policy option," he said.

In a policy report submitted to the National Assembly, the foreign ministry said South Korea is seeking to solidify its alliance with the United States, moving beyond the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this November.

The ministry said it is "closely monitoring" the election trends with relevant agencies and using its networks in various communities in the U.S.

"We seek to solidify the foundation of the alliance and smoothly address major issues by expanding and systematically managing our friendly networks with U.S. political circles and policy-related communities," the ministry said.

"The South Korea-U.S. alliance enjoys bipartisan support and is based not only on government-to-government relations but also on active economic and people-to-people partnerships," the ministry said.

"We are meticulously preparing as we look beyond the (U.S.) election," it added.

On the deepening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the government will continue to take stern action against any development in their illegal partnership and also continue to urge China to play a role, the ministry said.

"As we take note of the differences in China's position and the positions of Russia and North Korea, we will continue to have high-level communications with China," the ministry said.

The ministry said it will reinforce its firm stance against the military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang that undermine South Korea's core security interests while continuing to coordinate with the international community to urge Russia to "act responsibly."

With China, the government will push to hold more high-level diplomatic talks going forward, including a vice-ministerial dialogue and public-private policy talks, to maintain strategic communications for a "healthy and mature" relationship.

On relations with Japan, it said it will work closely with Tokyo to advance the bilateral ties in a future-oriented manner, particularly as next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the bilateral relations. (Yonhap)
A former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives said Tuesday that he has not seen any desire for a drawdown of American troops in South Korea amid concerns that former President Donald Trump could consider such a move should he return to office.

Kevin McCarthy, a key supporter of Trump, made the remarks in a meeting with reporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention is underway for a four-day schedule that runs through Thursday.

"I have not seen any desire for reduction now," he said in response to a question about whether Trump, if reelected, would seek any change in the number of U.S. troops in Korea. Currently, 28,500 troops are assigned to U.S. Forces Korea.

McCarthy underscored the importance of cooperation between South Korea and Japan, and the technology employed for national defense.

"I think the other thing that we look at is the synergy between what the growth with Korea and Japan now," he said, apparently referring to growing cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo in the face of evolving North Korean threats.

"And remember protection is not always going to come down to troop numbers. Technology matters," he added, noting that there will be the "transformation of a greater protection" in the event of Trump's return to the White House.

McCarthy also anticipated that Korea will be safer under Trump.

"Remember when Trump was in, North Korea stopped testing their missiles. Unfortunately, they were testing again," he said. "I actually believe (that) with Trump in, Korea is safer and the world becomes safer from that point too."

On Monday, the GOP convention formally nominated Trump as its standard-bearer for the Nov. 5 presidential election. The event was carefully watched in Seoul as well amid expectations that Trump, if reelected, would bring about a shift in America's foreign and security policy. (Yonhap)
The unification ministry on Wednesday struck a cautious note about opposition lawmakers' legislative attempt to ban Seoul activists' sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, citing the right of freedom of expression.

In September, the Constitutional Court ruled that a clause banning leaflet launches in the law on the development of inter-Korean relations is unconstitutional, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression.

The decision paved the way for North Korean defectors and activists to resume their leaflet campaigns toward North Korea. In retaliation, the North has sent more than 2,000 trash-filled balloons into the South since late May.

Several lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party have proposed revisions to the law to restrict such leaflet launches while taking into account the intent of the court's ruling.

"When it comes to a revision to the law, there is a need for a cautious approach, given that the court's ruling underscores freedom of expression as a constitutional value that is the basis of democracy," the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said in a report to the National Assembly.

Inter-Korean tensions have heightened as Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday that South Korea will face "gruesome and dear" consequences if it lets North Korean defectors continue to send such leaflets to the North.

She hinted that North Korea could opt for a new tactic to counter the leaflet campaign instead of resorting to its campaign of sending trash-carrying balloons across the border.

South Korea's defense ministry warned that North Korea could let its landmines flow into the South amid heavy downpours as part of its potential responses to the leaflet launches. (Yonhap)
The government is taking administrative action against Saudi Arabian airline Saudia for suspending its direct flights to Korea without permission from aviation authorities, according to officials Wednesday.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued a prior notice of administrative measure to Saudia on Monday. Saudia has been asked to submit their reasons for the suspension and their future plans by July 30.

The ministry will convene an administrative review committee to discuss the level of penalties, which may include the suspension of operations or a fine of 100 million won ($72,361).

Under the Aviation Business Act, all airlines operating flights to domestic airports must follow a business plan approved by the ministry. Changes to the plan, such as suspending flights, are only allowed with an approval.

Saudia had received approval to operate three weekly flights between Incheon and Riyadh from March 31 to Oct. 26 this year. The company has not been operating the flights since June 27.

The airline reportedly informed customers of the suspension and offered ticket refunds or alternative flights only about 10 days before the suspension, without providing any detailed explanation. (Yonhap)
National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik on Wednesday proposed the parliament come up with a bill to revise the Constitution with the aim of holding a national referendum in 2026.

Woo made the suggestion in an address marking the 76th anniversary of Constitution Day, officially proposing that President Yoon Suk Yeol hold talks with the Assembly to discuss the amendment.

"The 22nd National Assembly should be one that succeeds in revising the Constitution," he said, seeking support from the rival parties.

"We should pass the constitutional revision bill by the next local elections under any circumstances while leaving open the scope of the Constitution and the timing of applying the new Constitution," he added.

Woo proposed forming a special committee on the constitutional amendment, saying an advisory body directly under the Assembly speaker will be launched at the earliest date to push for discussions.

"I also propose a dialogue on the Constitution to President Yoon," he said. "If the president and the legislative representatives meet in person and have wide-ranging discussions, the possibility of realizing the constitutional revision will be much greater."

Past attempts to revise the 1987 Constitution, which limited the presidency to a single five-year term, have failed due to political power split between a powerful presidency and a fractious parliament.

In Korea, the president or parliament can propose a constitutional amendment, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority in the Assembly and then by a majority in a national referendum in which more than half of eligible voters participate.

Meanwhile, the ruling and opposition parties accused each other of disrespecting the "spirit of the Constitution."

Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), and party members staged a rally at the National Assembly, condemning the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for its "legislative dictatorship."

PPP Rep. Cho Ji-yeon also called on the DPK to immediately stop its "unconstitutional" push for Yoon's impeachment and to pass contentious special counsel probe bills.

The DPK, on the other hand, criticized Yoon's repeated use of veto rights on opposition-led bills, calling it an "attempt to destroy the spirit of the Constitution." (Yonhap)
Statistics Korea faces pushback on gaming disorder health code exclusion

By Lee Yeon-woo

As Korea looks toward a major revision of its disease classification system, there is a growing debate about whether gaming addiction should be officially categorized as a mental disorder.

Rep. Kang Yu-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea proposed a bill to amend the Statistics Act, Tuesday, aiming to prevent the classification of gaming disorder as a disease.

This legislative move seeks to reduce the binding force of the current law, which mandates adherence to international standards when updating the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KSD) every five years. The bill also calls on Statistics Korea to gather input from various stakeholders and experts before making revisions.

The next KSD revision is scheduled for 2025.

Kang's proposal of the revision came as the World Health Organization (WHO) included gaming disorder in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2019.

ICD-11 defines gaming disorder as a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior, including impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming over other life interests and daily activities, and a continuation or escalation of gaming activity despite negative consequences.

"There has never been a case where a disease listed in the ICD-11 was not registered in the KSD," Cho Mun-seok, a professor at Hansung University, said. "Based on past trends, we believe there is a high likelihood that gaming disorder will also be included in the KSD."

Opinions on this issue are remarkably divided in Korea, one of the world's top esports powerhouses.

The gaming industry, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has expressed strong criticism of the proposed recognition of gaming addiction as a disorder, arguing that it could harm the content industry. In contrast, the Ministry of Health and Welfare supports the classification, citing public health concerns and the need for appropriate treatment and support systems for those affected.

"If gaming addiction is classified as a disease, the domestic gaming industry worth 20 trillion won ($14.4 billion), which constitutes 67.8 percent of total content exports, is projected to decrease by approximately 8.8 trillion won over two years," said Kang, a former content critic.

Besides its financial impact, some experts also suggest that the WHO's decision has yet to receive a nod from researchers.

Matti Vuorre, a social and behavioral science professor at Tilburg University, noted that classifying gaming disorder with a disease code is a complex issue and one on which researchers have not reached a consensus. In a recent seminar hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency in Seoul, he pointed out that the labeling could lead to the unintended consequence of stigmatizing children and adults who enjoy gaming as if they have an addiction problem.

"Rather than blindly following the WHO in classifying gaming disorder as a disease, it is essential to engage in independent and thoughtful consideration tailored to the specific context of Korean society," Park Jong-hyun, a law professor at Kookmin University, said.

As disputes intensify, Statics Korea explained on Wednesday that the KSD revision that reflects the ICD-11 standards is scheduled in 2030, not 2025.

"The decision will be made through a comprehensive process of gathering opinions, including research, public hearings, and discussions led by a public-private consultative body," a Statistics Korea official said.
Central region accelerates drive to attract investment, create jobs

By Jhoo Dong-chan

South Chungcheong Province Gov. Kim Tae-heum promised the voters to become a "salesperson" for the province when he ran for office two years ago, pledging to revitalize the region's sluggish economy hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged outflow of its young population.

Rather than clinging only to the Korean market, the governor looked abroad to find more venturous partners interested in the region's potential since he was elected to the post.

"It was a long journey," Kim said in a written interview with The Korea Times.

"I have flown about 120,000 kilometers to visit 38 cities in 18 countries since I assumed the office. The distance is equivalent to traveling around the earth three times, all in the pursuit of finding ideal partners for South Chungcheong Province."

Growing investment from abroad

In May, Kim visited the 2024 Viva Technology, Europe's largest start-up and technology show where 160,000 people from 160 countries visited. He also participated in the Korea Expo event that opened two days after Viva Technology's opening event in the same venue at Paris Porte de Versailles in France.

Through the two events, Kim hosted 61 meetings with venture capital, retail investors, and tech firms. He said the provincial office managed to bag a total of $3 million in investments in South Chungcheong Province as well as clinch export deals worth $340,000 for the region's local companies.

Last month, Kim also visited the Netherlands to strengthen the province's foothold in export, attract investment and learn about the country's advanced smart farming technology.

The South Chungcheong Province attracted 312 billion won ($240 million) investment jointly from smart farming giant SHS and cold chain logistics solution provider Newcold on June 13.

He also visited the GreenTech Amsterdam, the world's largest agriculture technology exhibition, with officials of small- and medium-sized firms in the province to introduce his plan to foster smart farming technologies at the Chungnam Global Horti Complex.

Built on a 75.8-hectare site, the complex is Korea's largest smart farming cluster.

During the exhibition, Kim also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Netherlands' largest agriculture tech institution Wageningen University for the two sides' cooperation to advance smart agriculture in South Chungcheong Province.

The Netherlands' Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Special Envoy Frederik Vossenaar also joined the signing ceremony on the day.

Urban air mobility to power economy

Separate from South Chungcheong's efforts in attracting investment and introducing smart farming technology, the governor said it has chosen urban air mobility (UAM) and advanced air mobility (AAM) as the region's future growth engine.

"These are the technologies to boost the region's economy for up to 100 years," said Kim.

"The provincial office is expected to invest 250 billion won until 2031 to build a national defense research center for future aerospace. The project will launch as soon as we pass the preliminary feasibility."

Separate from the research center, the provincial was also selected to build a national test site for UAM-AAM parts. Kim added it will invest a total of 32 billion won for five years until 2028 for the project.

"The two sites will definitely contribute to the country's future aerospace technologies," Kim said.

"Both are expected to be built near Cheonsu Bay in Taean County. We will also closely cooperate with Hanseo University, the nation's only academic institute with a runway and aerial facilities like a control tower."

Chungcheong megacity

Building an integrated megacity somewhere in the countrys central region has been a banner headline for years.

Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province have already signed an agreement to integrate their administrative systems by 2026. And Chungcheong Provinces and major cities close by are also looking for something similar.

The effort aims to disperse the dense population and concentrated industrial infrastructure in the metropolitan Seoul area while enhancing the competitiveness of provinces and regional cities by increasing population and economic resources.

Encompassing Daejeon, Sejong, North and South Chungcheong provinces, the Chungcheong area is now pressing its plan to establish a special local government as a preliminary step toward administrative integration.

This special local government would unite the administrative areas of the four cities and provinces, setting the stage for eventual full integration.

Once fully integrated, the population of the Chungcheong megacity is estimated to reach 5.6 million, equivalent to Denmarks, Kim said.

This is the minimum demographic scale required to attract top-tier colleges and conglomerates to the city. Once they move to the city, it will generate jobs while rejuvenating the regional economy.

In January last year, four local governments in the Chungcheong area dispatched 37 officials to establish a task force for an integrated administrative system.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has recently granted conditional approval to the project. Each municipal assembly is expected to vote on it in September. With their approval, the Chungcheong area is expected to have one integrated administrative system to process 21 municipal works of todays four local governments by December.

Tourism

The 61-year-old governor stressed that tourism can be another growth engine for South Chungcheong Province.

There is literally everything here, Kim said. South Chungcheong offers leisure, historic sightseeing and relaxation all together.

The provincial office designated 2025 and 2026 as South Chungcheongs visit years to renovate the regions tourist industry and strengthen its sustainable competitiveness.

We aim to host annually 50 million visitors by 2026, said the governor. To achieve the goal, it is important to make South Chungcheong a place you want to visit over and over again.

In a bid to attract foreign visitors, the provincial office said it has partnered with local travel agencies and will enhance its ties with foreign social media influencers.

Attracting foreign students

Separate from its booming tourism, Kim expressed his regrets over the decline in the number of new enrollments at the regions colleges. He said these colleges are now overcoming the crisis by attracting foreign students.

According to the South Chungcheong Provincial Office, the number of foreign students in the region has surged from 7,980 in 2021 to 10,935 in 2023.

The problem is that most of them were found to have returned to their home countries due to high hurdles in landing a job and visa here, the governor said.

It is crucial to provide a more accommodating job landing environment for them. We also consider implementing a series of bold visa incentives for foreign students when they get a job here, but our plan requires the justice ministrys approval.

Kim said he would meet the justice minister in the near future to ask whether the central government could ease visa barriers. He added the provincial office will grant the special long-term F-2-R visa for those foreigners who get a job in the area with population decline as soon as they get approval from the justice ministry.

Who is Kim Tae-heum?

Kim has been the governor of South Chungcheong Province since 2022.

Born in Boryeong of the province, Kim majored in trade at the Konkuk University. He became involved in politics shortly after his graduation in 1990.

In 2012, Kim was elected as a lawmaker of the then Grand National Party, a predecessor of the current People Power Party, in the electoral district of Boryeong-Seochon. He served three consecutive terms as a lawmaker until 2022.

He resigned from the lawmaker position in 2022 to run for governor of his hometown.

Winning 468,658 votes, or 53.87 percent, in the 2022 local election, Kim became the 39th governor of the province.
Kim Soo-kyung, the new vice unification minister, said Wednesday that she will strive to make it easier for North Korean defectors to settle in the country.

She made the remarks during her inaugural ceremony, as she was appointed to the post Monday, succeeding her predecessor Moon Seoung-hyun.

"As the vice unification minister, I will work diligently towards the goal of helping North Korean defectors achieve their stable settlement," she said.

South Korea has a longstanding policy of accepting any North Korean defectors who want to live in the South and repatriating any North Koreans who accidentally stray into the South if they want to return.

Citing various human rights violations committed by the reclusive regime, the former presidential spokesperson also said she will make efforts to collaborate with the international community and improve North Korea's human rights situation.

"North Korean residents are deprived of even the most basic rights that humans should enjoy and are struggling to live day by day," she said.

Before taking the post, Kim, who previously served as a journalist and university professor, had been working as the presidential spokesperson since December 2023. (Yonhap)
By John J. Metzler

As Ukraines war enters its third summer of fighting, theres a morbid cadence to the conflict.

The Russian invaders continue a bloody slugfest with a tough but worn-down Ukrainian army. Civilians throughout Ukraine are intended victims of indiscriminate Russian missile attacks. Clearly, the international community has long ago chosen political sides but then sits on the sidelines regarding viable solutions.

In Kyiv, the most recent high-profile atrocity, a Russian missile attack on the Ohmatdyt Childrens Hospital, jolted us from the ho-hum headlines and military claims about who is winning skirmishes along the vast, murky depth of the Ukraine-Russian front line.

Following the unprovoked attack on the hospital, which was for specialized cancer patients, the 15-member U.N. Security Council met in an emergency session. Ironically, the Council presidency for the month of July is held by Russia, the perpetrator.

Joyce Msuya, the United Nations' top humanitarian official, told ambassadors that two of the countrys main specialist hospitals for children and women were heavily damaged along with key energy infrastructure, reportedly killing dozens of civilians, including children. She stressed, Intentionally directing attacks against a protected hospital is a war crime, and perpetrators must be held to account. Msuya warned that these recent incidents were part of a deeply concerning pattern of systematic attacks harming healthcare and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.

There was a sullen stillness to the Security Council meeting on the Kyiv attacks. The Russian ambassador, seemingly self-conscious, dispensed with the usual diplomatic niceties as he introduced the speakers, especially the United States, the United Kingdom and, of course, Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated sternly that they gathered in an emergency session for a single reason: We are here today because Russia, Permanent Member of the Security Council  attacked a childrens hospital. The ambassador added, The fact is that across the country, hundreds of children have been killed, thousands have been wounded, and millions have been displaced from their homes as Russia continues its campaign of terror in Ukraine.

U.N. humanitarian sources highlighted that aid operations have been impacted by the attacks, with more than 14.6 million people, around 40 percent of Ukraines population, requiring some form of humanitarian assistance.

Russias delegate Vassily Nebenzia fired back rhetorically that the alleged attack, as he called it, was, as the Kremlin claims, a missile of the Ukrainian air defense. He added in stunning Orwellian tradition, Here you get the magic of verbal gymnastics demonstrated by Western members of the Security Council, trying by any means to protect the Kyiv regime.

Ukraines Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said that Russia had deliberately targeted societys most vulnerable and defenseless group, children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The Ukrainian delegate reported a Russian KH-101 Missile hit the hospital.

Kyslytsya stressed that the Russian war criminals will wind up in hell, bypassing purgatory.

As expected no resolution nor formal statement was voted on, just this verbal rebuke.

Two hundred miles to the south in Washington, NATO was commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance in 1949. The Post-WWII Pact of free states was designed to defend war-torn Europe from then looming Soviet aggression and serve as a clear deterrent to invasion. NATO has worked remarkably well and today Europe is whole and free.

However, following the fall of the Soviet Union and the freedom tsunami that swept into Central Europe, countries ranging from Poland and the Baltics and later Hungary and the Czech Republic and others, were brought into NATO. The organization's once Europe-focused mission ranged to the Balkans, Libya and Afghanistan. At the same time, the majority of NATO members failed to keep up the necessary military spending to sustain and support the alliance. Significantly, former President Donald Trump brought political pressure on some NATO member states to pay; today, two-thirds of allies have fulfilled their commitment of at least 2 percent of GDP annual defense spending.

Since Russias aggression against Ukraine which started in 2014 with the seizure of Crimea, and later in 2022 with the current invasion, theres a strong political pull to bring Ukraine into NATO, despite the military risks. Such a move could bring the alliance into a military and nuclear conflict with Moscow, as NATOs Article 5 clearly stipulates collective defense.

Yet the NATO Conference communique, while supporting Ukraine, doesnt call for full membership anytime soon; We fully support Ukraines right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraines future is in NATO. But when? In the meantime, NATO has slated another $40 billion in military aid for Kyiv. Tragically, the war continues.

John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism The Diplomacy of Separated Nations; Germany, Korea, China."








The boards of SK Innovation and SK E&S, two major energy affiliates of SK Group, approved a proposed merger of the two companies Wednesday, creating the largest energy entity in Korea with combined assets of 106 trillion won ($76.5 billion).

In their separate board meetings earlier in the day, the directors gave approval to the plan to merge SK Innovation, SK Group's energy subholding company, and SK E&S, a privately owned recycled energy firm.

The companies later said the merger ratio for the proposed merger between SK Innovation and SK E&S was set at 1 to 1.2.

The integration will be finalized at an emergency shareholders' meeting next month, with the combined entity expected to be launched as early as November, according to sources.

The merger of SK Group's two major energy affiliates is part of South Korea's second-largest conglomerate's restructuring efforts aimed at strengthening its energy business and providing financial support to SK Innovation's battery subsidiary, SK On.

Subsequently, SK, their largest shareholder and SK Group's holding company, will hold a board meeting the next day to discuss the merger.

As of the end of March, SK owned a 36 percent stake in SK Innovation and a 90 percent stake in SK E&S.

SK E&S operates in energy sectors, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen and renewable energy, with sales of 11.2 trillion won and an operating income of 1.3 trillion won last year.

Meanwhile, SK Innovation is considering integrating SK On with other energy-related affiliates, including SK Trading International, as a way to strengthen the battery maker's competitiveness. (Yonhap)
Businesspeople gather in Jeju for annual event

By Park Jae-hyuk

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island  Around 600 businesspeople from conglomerates and small- and medium-sized enterprises nationwide came to the southern resort island of Jeju, Wednesday, to attend the 47th Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Jeju Forum.

Participants at the four-day annual event included KCCI and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee, SK Communication Committee President Lee Hyung-hee, Hana Bank CEO Lee Seung-lyul, Samchully CEO Lee Chan-eui, Sambo Motors CEO Lee Jae-ha and LSC Food CEO Chung Ki-ok.

"It feels like we're in a jungle these days," Chey said in his opening remarks on the first day of the forum. "We cannot talk about technologies without mentioning artificial intelligence (AI), so we need countermeasures against this situation."

The KCCI chairman, however, expressed optimism about Korean businesspeople overcoming economic and political uncertainties once again.

Following Cheys opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok delivered a lecture on the governments plans to cope with the economic situation during the second half of this year, as well as its Dynamic Economy roadmap.

"Amid the growing importance of economic security, the government has no choice but to team up with businesses," Choi said.

The KCCI will also provide various lectures on AI during the later days of the event.

In particular, the highlight of this years forum will be a chat between the KCCI chairman and Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon to answer part of the publics 1,750 questions on AI, including those about how AI will change workplaces, whether their companies formed partnerships with U.S. Big Tech and how smartphones will evolve with AI.

Considering the great interest in AI, the KCCI decided to livestream the talk via YouTube at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Before the talk, Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho will introduce the governments plans to support AI and semiconductor industries. Kim Ee-eul, CEO of Satrec Initiative, an AI-powered satellite maker, will also deliver a lecture on the era of new space, which refers to private-led space exploration.

On Saturday, Supertone CEO Lee Kyo-gu will talk about the potential use of generative AI in music and related industries. Film Director Kim Tae-yong of Memento Mori, Family Ties and Late Autumn will also speak about the culture industry in the AI era on the last day of the forum.

This years Jeju Forum will not only give insights and refreshment to participants, but also allow them to learn about the future keyword of AI, KCCI Executive Vice Chairman Park Il-joon said.

Other speakers of the forum are Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun, TBWA Koreas Corporate Culture Lab head Park Woong-hyun and Maeil Dairies CEO Kim Seon-hee.

Despite the scorching heat, participants at the event will also collect waste from beaches to fulfill their corporate responsibilities. PET bottles used at the forum will be recycled as eco-friendly materials, according to KCCI.
Mandating pedal black boxes appears premature

By Lee Min-hyung

Experts and company officials have recommended that Korea increase incentives for drivers to install pedal black boxes, pointing to ongoing reports of suspected sudden acceleration incidents as a major social issue.

Earlier this month, a driver involved in a fatal crash that killed nine pedestrians claimed that unintended acceleration of his Genesis vehicle caused the accident. However, the absence of a pedal black box makes it difficult for him to support his argument.

In many of these car accident cases, drivers claim that their vehicles accelerated suddenly and without warning, often shifting the blame to the car manufacturers. The pedal black box, a camera system that monitors the driver's foot movements, serves as crucial evidence in these situations, helping to determine which pedals the driver was pressing during the accident.

Experts argued insurers should offer incentives by cutting insurance fees to those who install pedal black boxes on their vehicles.

Insurers need to do so, as this gives them clear evidence to figure out the cause of such accidents, said Lee Ho-geun, an automotive engineering professor at Daedeok University.

But he did not support the idea of institutionalizing the mandatory installment of pedal black boxes, saying that this does not fundamentally help reduce similar accidents.

The government should not hastily push for it, as the move is far from resolving the fundamental cause of accidents from unintended acceleration, the professor said.

No country in the world compels drivers to install them.

The remark was made in response to a proposal by some lawmakers to mandate that carmakers install pedal black boxes in all new vehicles. Rep. Lee Hun-seung of the ruling People Power Party introduced a revision to the Automobile Management Act that would require carmakers to install these devices before selling new cars. Companies failing to comply with this new rule will face fines of up to 30 million won ($21,700).

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport  a competent authority handling the issue  is moving to recommend automakers here and abroad to install pedal black boxes, even though the ministry does not have any immediate plans to make them mandatory.

Carmakers have argued that it is too early for them to begin offering vehicles equipped with pedal black boxes.

If a majority of customers ask carmakers to launch vehicles with pedal black boxes, we will have to do so, but this is not the case for the time being, an official from a carmaker said on condition of anonymity.

On top of that, customers will end up facing a bigger financial burden when purchasing vehicles with the additional camera monitoring system, according to the official.

Even if the suspected sudden acceleration of some vehicles becomes a significant social issue, it still seems premature to mandate that most carmakers install pedal black boxes, especially considering that most other countries do not have such requirements, the official said.

According to data from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and the National Forensic Service, there have been a total of 760 reported cases of suspected unintended acceleration since 2017, but none of these cases has been substantiated by authorities.

Japans transport authority is scheduled to make it mandatory for carmakers to install a pedal misapplication prevention device into their new vehicles from June 2025.
GN Food, the operator of Goobne Chicken, Korea's leading roast chicken franchise, said Wednesday it has opened its first outlet in the Philippines as part of its expansion strategy.

The first Goobne outlet in the Southeast Asian country is located in Bonifacio Global City, a central business district in Taguig, Metro Manila, the company said in a statement.

GN Food has increased its overseas outlets to 45 in 10 countries, including Japan, China and the United States, since 2014, when it opened its first overseas Goobne store in Hong Kong.

The company expects the demand for Korean food to rise further in global markets, helped by the popularity of Korean songs, dramas, films and other content.

GN Food aims to open 100 Goobne stores in overseas markets by 2025. It didn't provide the number of its domestic outlets.

In 2023, GN Food earned 30.5 billion won ($22 million) in sales from its overseas Goobne outlets, up 10 percent from a year earlier. (Yonhap)
By Lee Min-hyung

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was selected, Wednesday, as the preferred bidder for a 24 trillion won ($17.3 billion) project to build nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic, according to the state-run nuclear power plant operator.

The successful export of a Korean nuclear reactor is a landmark achievement, marking the first such contract since the 2009 agreement for the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates.

The Czech government announced KHNP as the winner of the nuclear reactor export contract after a Cabinet meeting, defeating French competitor EDF.

The latest outcome demonstrates the competitiveness of Koreas nuclear power industry on the global stage, President Yoon Suk Yeol said. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the public, government officials, and business community for their support in achieving our latest success.

The project involves constructing two nuclear reactors in Dukovany. The Czech government is considering building two more in Temelin later.

KHNP is cooperating with Doosan Enerbility, Daewoo E&C and several other state-run energy firms, as well as multiple Czech companies.

With advanced technology, Korea gained the upper hand over the French firm by offering a lower price and high quality, a ranking government official said. The latest feat will be able to serve as a stepping stone for Korea to advance to become the worlds leading nuclear plant powerhouse.

Sung Tae-yoon, director of national policy at the presidential office, also expressed gratitude to the government of the Czech Republic.

We highly appreciate the Czech Republic for siding with Korea in the latest project, Sung said. The Czech Republic said KHNPs bid was excellent in every evaluation category.

The state-run nuclear power plant operator plans to finalize the contract by March next year and start construction in 2029, with the goal of beginning operations in 2036.

Last week, Yoon asked Czech President Petr Pavel to allow Korean firms to participate in the nuclear plant project, during their summit held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.

Financial support is also available through the Export-Import Bank of Korea and Korea Trade Insurance Corp., Yoon said at that time.

Over 100 companies in Korea have employed approximately 14,000 workers and oversaw industrial infrastructure projects in the Czech Republic.

In May, Ivan Jancarek, the Czech Republics ambassador to Korea, visited a nuclear power plant in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, and took a look at the overall operation of the facility. He is believed to have shared details with the relevant authorities in his home country.

The Korean state-owned nuclear power plant operator had emphasized that Korea is the only country capable of building high-quality nuclear power plants on time and within budget. In contrast, EDF has already pushed back the completion date for the first reactor at Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom to 2029 from the original 2027, resulting in increased costs for the project.
Israeli forces battled Hamas-led fighters in several parts of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, and Palestinian health officials said at least 57 people were killed in Israeli bombardments of southern and central areas.

The Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas has accused Israel of stepping up attacks in Gaza to try to derail efforts by Arab mediators and the United States to reach a ceasefire deal. Israel says it is trying to root out Hamas fighters.

In Rafah, a southern border city where Israeli forces have been operating since May, five Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on a house, Gaza health officials said. In nearby Khan Younis, a man, his wife, and two children were killed, they said.

Later on Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike on a car killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded 26 others in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the officials said.

The airstrike hit near a tented area housing displaced families in Attar Street in the humanitarian-designated area of Al-Mawasi, the health ministry said.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted a senior militant of the Islamic Jihad group, an ally of Hamas.

"We are looking into the reports stating that several civilians were injured as a result of the strike," the military statement said.

Reuters footage showed residents carrying bodies of the dead and wounded on donkey carts and in rickshaws to hospitals.

"The car was targeted, the blood was splashing, and shrapnel hit our tents and martyrs were left on the street. We screamed: We need an ambulance'. We put (the casualties) on carts and rickshaws and the ambulance came after a while, said eyewitness Tahrir Matir, who lives in a tent nearby.

UN school also hit

In the historic Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, at least four Palestinians were killed in separate shelling and aerial strikes in central Gaza, medics said. An Israeli airstrike also killed four in Sheikh Zayed in northern Gaza, they said.

Hours later, an Israeli air strike on a U.N.-run school that housed displaced families in the Nuseirat camp killed 23 people and wounded many others, health officials said.

Among those killed was local journalist Mohammad Meshmesh, taking the number of journalists killed in the conflict to 160, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.

"Where is the safety for (U.N.) agency schools? There are no more safe agency schools, or safe clinics, no more safe houses, no safe streets. We have been left desolate, displaced and destroyed," said eyewitness Umm Omar Ahmed at Nuseirat camp.

The Israeli military said in a statement it had attacked a group of "terrorists" who had operated from inside the school, after taking steps to mitigate the risk to civilians.

Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage in an attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.

On Tuesday, the military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas' military wing, with about 14,000 fighters killed or captured since the start of the war.

At least 38,713 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive since then, Gaza health authorities said in their latest update on Tuesday. Israel also says 326 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

Relatives visited Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to say farewell to relatives before funerals.

"Were exhausted... we are extremely tired, our patience is over," said elderly Palestinian Sahar Abu Emeira. "Whether Hamas or the others (Israel) they need to agree as soon as possible."

Talks paused

Efforts to end the conflict stalled on Saturday after three days of negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome, Egyptian security sources said, and after an Israeli strike targeting Hamas' top military chief, Mohammed Deif.

That attack killed more than 90 people in the Khan Younis area, according to Gaza health authorities.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations told Reuters Hamas was keen not to be seen as halting the talks despite the stepped-up Israeli attacks.

"Hamas wants the war to end, not at any price. It says it has shown the flexibility needed and is pushing the mediators to get Israel to reciprocate," the official said.

He said Hamas believed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to avoid a deal by adding more conditions that restrict the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, and to keep control over the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday that two senior advisers to Netanyahu had said Israel was still committed to reaching a ceasefire. (Reuters)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he supports TikTok even as a potential ban looms if Chinese-parent company ByteDance fails to divest the short video app's U.S. assets.

"Im for TikTok because you need competition. If you dont have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram," Trump told Bloomberg BusinessWeek in an interview posted Tuesday. Trump previously called TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans, a threat but then joined TikTok last month.

Trump, who has criticized Meta Platforms-owned Facebook and Instagram for suspending him for two years in the wake of the deadly Capitol Hill riot on Jan. 6, 2021, told an interviewer in June he would never support a TikTok ban.

TikTok declined to comment. As president, Trump tried to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat in 2020 but the move was blocked by the courts. In June 2021, President Joe Biden withdrew a series of Trump-era executive orders that sought to ban WeChat and TikTok.

Trump holds a majority stake in social media company Trump Media and Technology Group that operates rival network Truth Social. Trump Media has a $7 billion market cap despite quarterly revenue of around $770,000  comparable to two U.S. Starbucks shops.

In September, a U.S. appeals court will hold oral arguments on legal challenges to a new law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.

The hearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will put the fate of TikTok in the middle of the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.

Signed by Biden on April 24, the law gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban. The White House says it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds, but not a ban on TikTok. Biden's campaign joined TikTok in February.

Driven by worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, the measure was passed overwhelmingly in Congress in April just weeks after being introduced. (Reuters)
TikTok owner ByteDance can't avoid the bloc's crackdown on digital giants , a European Union court said Wednesday in a decision that found the video sharing platform falls under a new law that also covers Apple, Google and Microsoft.

The EU's General Court rejected ByteDance's legal challenge against being classed as an online "gatekeeper that has to comply with extra obligations under the 27-nation bloc's Digital Markets Act .

The rulebook, also known as the DMA, took effect this year and seeks to counter the dominance of Big Tech companies and make online competition fairer by giving consumers more choice.

TikTok had argued that it wasn't a gatekeeper but was playing the role of a new competitor in social media taking on entrenched players like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta.

The judges, however, decided that since 2018 TikTok had succeeded in increasing its number of users very rapidly and exponentially and that it had rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years.

We are disappointed with this decision," the company said in a prepared statement. TikTok is a challenger platform that provides important competition to incumbent players. TikTok said it will evaluate its next steps and noted that it has already taken measures to comply with the DMA.

The Digital Markets Act took effect in March, with a list of dos and donts for big tech gatekeeper companies aimed at giving users more choices and threatening big penalties if they dont comply.

The ruling can be appealed to the EU's Court of Justice, the bloc's highest court, but only on points of law. (AP)
Prosecutors in an eastern Chinese city have sued 16 companies that asked women to go through pregnancy tests before they were hired.

The Tongzhou district procuratorate in Nantong, a city in Jiangsu province, began investigating the matter after being tipped off earlier this year, the official Procuratorial Daily reported on Monday.

After the investigation had finished, prosecutors contacted the local bureau of human resources and social security, which then warned the companies and hospitals about their behavior.

The article did not say whether any fines had been issued, but companies can be fined up to 50,000 yuan ($6,879) for sex discrimination if they refuse to correct their behavior.

Two hospitals and a physical exam center were also caught up in the investigation, which found that 168 pregnancy tests had been carried out on job applicants on behalf of 16 companies.

The hospitals said the women affected had not been given a written warning that the tests would be carried out, but were instead given deliberately vague verbal warnings.

However, prosecutors said that the companies' recruitment and staff insurance records suggested the women had been tested to see if they were pregnant, adding that in at least one case a woman who was found to be expecting a baby was not hired.

The woman was eventually hired and given compensation after the company was warned about its behavior.

"We can speculate from this evidence that the pregnancy tests were required by these companies, and it had violated women's rights to equal work opportunities," the prosecutors said.

The country's law explicitly bans firms from carrying out pregnancy tests as part of pre-employment physical examinations but many employers are concerned about the cost of maternity benefits.

The law varies from province to province, but new mothers in China are entitled to up to six months' maternity leave.

Other forms of discrimination, such as expressing a preference for hiring men or asking women about their marital status, are also illegal.

But many companies are suspected of discriminating against women in less obvious ways, including not paying salaries in full when women are on maternity leave.

According to research last year by the Inspection Squad for Workplace Gender Discrimination, a group of volunteers who have been trying to improve workplace gender equality, men have a significant advantage over women when applying for government jobs.

It said that a number of posts in the national civil service had been illegally marked as men-only or women-only. Out of nearly 40,000 jobs, there were 10,981 jobs earmarked for men compared with only 7,550 for women.

Read the full story at SCMP
Amid ENHYPEN's latest comeback with "XO (Only If You Say Yes)," fans have eagerly supported the group and expressed significant concerns regarding the members' well-being and management practices under BELIFT LAB.

A group of dedicated fans, driven by their love for ENHYPEN, recently organized a heartfelt gesture by sending trucks adorned with various messages to the HYBE building, where BELIFT LAB, ENHYPEN's management company, is located.

These messages, while showing support for the group's comeback, also highlighted several issues that have been troubling fans.

Support truck for Enhypen in front of Hybe from Enhypen China Bar 



 ENHYPEN    !

  

712 2  !!

  !!# #ENHYPEN pic.twitter.com/GPKVTR6pbC July 1, 2024

Chief among these concerns is the health of member Jungwon.

SOURCE

Fans voiced worries about his health and criticized the styling choices made for him during this comeback.

One message read, "BELIFT needs to prioritize the artists' health problems. Even though [the members] are at the age where they recover the fastest, they have spent 5 months only to get back more pain."

READ MORE: Jungwon Clinches 'Most Dedicated Idol' Title For THIS Reason- ENGENE in Frenzy

This critique references the demanding schedule the group has maintained, particularly noting their extensive world tour that started with the FATE tour in 2023.

Fans also used this opportunity to praise Jungwon's efforts, with messages expressing admiration and unwavering support: "Jungwon is doing so good," highlighting their appreciation for his dedication despite the challenges.

C-edens (Jungwon chinese fans) kirim truck dukungan untuk #JUNGWON, posisinya di depan gedung hybe



"Jungwon di atas panggung manapun selalu jadi center yang paling bersinar di hati edens"

"Jungwon selalu melakukannya dengan baik, kamu adalah sosok yang berharga untuk kami" pic.twitter.com/8AUO7LiOdx  vat | s fan (@IntoYJW) July 14, 2024

"Jungwon on any stage is always the center that shines the most in Eden's heart" "Jungwon always does well, you are a valuable figure for us" "C-edens always with Jungwon"

This unwavering support is a testament to our love for ENHYPEN and our commitment to their well-being.

Twitter Error

Additionally, concerns were raised about fair part distribution in songs and the quality of Jungwon's hair and makeup for this comeback.

I think the first one is asking to focus more on his hair/makeup  xo, jenny  in korea (@sunghoonixe) July 16, 2024

Fans emphasized the importance of fair treatment and attention to detail in these areas, reflecting a broader sentiment about equitable treatment of all members.

Responding to criticisms about styling, one message on the trucks acknowledged the difficulty in satisfying every fan's preferences: "With every comeback, it is not possible to satisfy every fan's tastes in hair, makeup, and costume."

Despite this, fans remain steadfast in their desire for improvements, especially concerning the welfare and artistic presentation of ENHYPEN.

ALSO READ: ENHYPEN Shocks ENGENEs With Unexpected Lingerie Endorsement: 'OMG are we gonna...'

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
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Come July, one word becomes constantly used and overused anywhere we turn - ITR or Income Tax Return. This is a form that tax-paying citizens file to inform the Income Tax Department. As the name suggests, return filing helps people to declare the tax they have paid on their incomes throughout the year and people choose from different types of ITR forms that you choose from. Different ITR forms are prescribed for different categories of taxpayers (individual, HUF, company, LLP, Partnership firms, etc). As we inch closer towards the ITR Filing deadline, heres everything you need to know about the process, how to file ITR using Form 16 and more.

What is Form 16?

Filing taxes can be an extremely confusing process that can often leave people perplexed. Form 16 is a TDS certificate that is provided by employers when they deduct taxes. Every year, employers require their employees to declare proposed investments for the financial year. Based on this, employers deduct taxes or TDS on salaries. When an employer deducts TDS on salaries, the Income Tax Act requires that a certificate be issued by the employer, where the details of tax deducted and deposited are certified. Form 16 summarizes this process and gives an easy-to-read overview of the amount of taxes you have paid, against the tax-saving investments you have made. Income Tax Return Filing: How To Download Form 26AS From Income Tax Website To File ITR.

How to File IT Return Using Form 16

There are various ways that you can file for IT in the current day and age. While the most popular way is to take help from an online tax guidance website, one can also directly visit the Income Tax e-filing portal to complete this process with ease and speed. The first step to filing ITR us to collect your Form 16 from your employer. There are two parts to a form 16 - Part 1 -which provides the TDS deductions made by the company and Form 16B - which offers a complete breakdown of salaries and deductions. ITR Filing: Record 6.77 Crore Income Tax Returns for Assessment Year 2023-24 Filed Till July 31, Says Income Tax Department.

Steps to File ITR for FY 2023-24

Ensure all your documents and proofs are in place and reflecting in your Form 16 Log in to the Income Tax Portal or create an account. Go to the e-File section and choose Income Tax Return and begin yor process. Upload your signed and digitally verified Form 16 A and Form 16B using ITR 1 or ITR 2. Fill any additional personal details that may have been missed Validate the information and click submit. Once the ITR is submitted, you e-verify the submission using Aadhaar OTP and other options.

We hope that this helps you to make ITR Filing easier and a smooth sail for one and all.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2024 12:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The possible return of passenger rail service to the Lehigh Valley took a step forward Wednesday, part of a process projected to last a decade or more before the first trains would roll.

A study received the backing of a regional planning committee, seeking to answer some big-picture questions about the proposal:

Where should passenger trains connect the Lehigh Valley to? Service alternatives identified in an analysis released in March identified routes to New York City, Philadelphia and Reading.

And is Lehigh Valley passenger rail service technically and financially feasible?

This next step is labeled the Phase II Passenger Rail Assessment following that initial analysis backed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Wednesdays vote by the Technical Committee of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (LVTS), an arm of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, recommended the LVTS Coordinating Committee approve the Phase II study. Moving ahead with the study is dependent on securing funding to cover the cost estimated at $450,000.

Next up is a vote on moving ahead with Phase II at a joint meeting set for Aug. 21 of the LVTS Technical and Coordinating committees.

Lehigh County is willing to cover half the Phase II cost, the countys general services director, Rick Molchany, pledged at Wednesdays committee meeting. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is the municipal planning organization for Lehigh and Northampton counties. Northampton County did not immediately commit to splitting the bill.

During discussion ahead of Wednesdays vote, Easton Public Services Director David Hopkins suggested taking a step back from the momentum building toward the Phase II assessment.

Does it even make sense to do it? he asked. It just seems like were going down this path because everyone has this, like, romantic ideal of passenger rail, which seems impossible to me.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley credited Hopkins for a good series of questions, for sure.

The reality from Dave Hopkins is real, Molchany said. We need to have his concerns, which are also my concerns, (addressed) as part of the analysis for this phase. Data beats nonsense, and we need the data to move forward.

Passenger trains havent regularly run through the region since 1979.

Elizabeth Hynes from WSP, which produced the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Feasibility Analysis released earlier this year, described the life cycle of a project to bring the service back as taking 10 to 12 years  beginning with the Phase II assessment.

As you can see, its a long process that you dont need to figure out today, she said during Wednesdays meeting. Today were just going to talk about that next step ... and what that would entail so that you can make a decision on what to do.

This screenshot from the March 2024 "Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Feasibility Analysis" prepared by WSP for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shows a 10-12-year process leading up to the potential return of passenger trains to the region. A Phase II Passenger Rail Assessment backed Wednesday, July 17, 2024, by the Technical Committee of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study aims to address steps one and two shown here.Courtesy image | For lehighvalleylive.com

The goals of Phase II include determining which of the transportation corridor options makes sense to add rail service to, and identifying a partner organization like Amtrak, NJ Transit or SEPTA to help make the vision of local passenger trains a reality.

You need to determine which project, which market pair corridor  if any  meets that definition, Hynes said. You cant just move forward with, We like rail, wed love to have it. You need to show that you are fulfilling an existing transportation need.

And you do that through a travel-demand analysis that essentially looks at where people are coming from and going to, and you could make that better by introducing a new mode and transferring some trips to that mode.

Other considerations include whether the service aims to cater to commuters on weekdays or more of a weekend service focusing on leisure trips, and whether the return of passenger service requires reclaiming old rail corridors since converted to recreational trails.

So I mean theres like a gazillion questions, Bradley said. So I think alignment would come in a later phase if we can get through the Phase II and understand that we do have a route.

Bradley pushed back Wednesday against criticism from Eastons Hopkins that among the alternatives, a Philadelphia route would better serve Lehigh County than Northampton County, for example.

At the end of the day I dont think we can look at it like county-by-county  I dont think thats fair  because if it is going to have an economic benefit its going to benefit the entire region, she stressed. And so I think thats a very, very important point.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure after Wednesdays meeting told lehighvalleylive.com he was not ready to join Lehigh County in committing to fund the Phase II study.

There has been no bigger supporter amongst elected officials for bringing passenger rail to the Lehigh Valley than me, he said. Although I find it kind of hilarious that when the LVTS is grossly underfunding transportation priorities in Northampton County it would yet look toward the counties to fund a project that is the responsibility of the LVTS necessarily.

McClures office shared a February presentation on the regions Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to show that between 2023 and 2026, Northampton County is lined up for $88.45 million in funding for road work, bridges and related infrastructure while Lehigh County stands to see $168.14 million.

He said hed bring suggestions to next months LVTS meeting on alternatives for funding Phase II beyond support from the two counties. Bradley cautioned that TIP dollars cannot be tapped for the Phase II study under federal regulations, as it is not a construction project.

Brett Webber, from the passenger rail advocacy group All Aboard Lehigh Valley, called the services return important for the regions future sustainability and vitality. It can help to address environmental impacts of travel and control population growth, he suggested.

LVTS Technical Committee Chairman Brendan Cotter said that its possible Phase II shows there isnt enough traffic demand to warrant adding passenger rail to the current mix of inter/intra-city bus service and passenger vehicles.

I dont think we can specifically answer that question without the Phase II, but the Phase II will definitively tell us what we can or cannot do, Bradley said. And then I think its a very tough decision on what has to happen after that.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
A Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for enticing a then-13-year-old Upper Saucon Township girl to make child pornography, according to a news release.

Daniel Shuler, 59, of Corsicana, Texas, pleaded guilty in February to producing child pornography, according to the news release from the U.S. Attorneys office.

The girl sent Shuler at least four sexually explicit images and eight videos between Nov. 27, 2022, and Dec. 5, 2022, authorities said. Shuler is accused of sending the girl four explicit images and three videos of himself, authorities said.
The death has taken place of a Laois lady who spent her life quietly supporting charities and good causes to dramatic effect in her town.

Ellen (Nellie) Thompson, from Parnell Street, Mountmellick, died peacefully in her 92th year and in the kind and attentive care of staff at St Vincent's Community Nursing Unit, Mountmellick.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Cecil who passed away in 2014. She is deeply missed by her sons, Desmond and John, her daughter, Sylvia, grandchildren, Oscar, Celia, Lara and Ralph, Kaitlin, Beulah and Juliette, cousin, Jane, daughter-in-law, Amanda, son-in-law, Des, nieces and nephews and a wide circle of friends.

Mrs Thompson ran a Charity Shop in the town, sharing its proceeds between all Churches and other deserving causes within Mountmellick. She closed the shop ten years ago, after running it for 35 years.

She was also instrumental in funding the establishment of two residential care homes for adults with learning disabilities, one for men and one for women, in the town.

The former President of Mountmellick St Vincent de Paul John McEvoy has described Nellie as "an outstanding lady in the town for helping people".

"It was unbelieveable the work she did over the years, that wouldn't even be known. She made no money herself in her shop. She spent her full life looking after people in need, and she always had a smile on her face. I know her for 50 years and she had that same smile. She never complained about anybody, If we had a few ounces of Nellie in our genes it would make a big difference. She will be missed," he said.

In 2008 Nellie Thompson was presented with a Community award in the Leinster Express People of the Year Awards.

Picture: Alf Harvey.

In 2014 when her shop closed, the Church of Ireland community presented her with a piece of Mountmellick lace work in recognition of her support of all the Churches and many charities in the town through her charity shop.

Her community has offered many expressions of sympathy to the Thompson family, including Deputy Charlie Flanagan TD.

""Deepest sympathy to the Thompson family on the sad passing of Nellie. May she rest in everlasting peace," he said.

"My deepest sympathy to John, Desmond, Sylvia and Thompson family on the passing of your beloved Mother grandmother a very kind hearted lady Nellie may her gentle soul rest in peace," another person wrote.

"Deepest condolences to the Thompson family on the passing of Nellie. A woman who made a massive contribution to Mountmellick. May she Rest in Peace," another said.

"Deepest sympathy to Nellie's family and friends. A truly remarkable woman. It was a privilege and honour to know her. May she rest in Peace," another wrote.

Mountmellick Community Care Whist also offer sympathies.

"We would like to convey our deepest sympathy to Desmond, John, Sylvia, Amanda, Jane and all the Thompson family on the very sad passing of Nellie. Nellie was a great and friendly lady and we will so miss her at our Whist games. May her gentle soul rest in eternal peace."

Nellie Thompson's Funeral service will be held in St Paul's Church, Mountmellick at 2.30pm on Sunday, July 21.
Throughout history, Ireland has seen its people emigrate in droves. Be it due to the Famine of the 1840s, or the economic crisis of the 1950s, we have always seen our people leave to pursue a better life elsewhere.

Why are our family and friends still forced to leave home to achieve a comfortable existence?

The Leinster Express/Laois Live spoke to young people from Laois who have emigrated as part of our series on their stories and reasons for leaving.

Aine McDonald is a nurse originally from Ballyroan. She is living in Sydney and working in a hospital.

Im in a friend group of 15 from Ballyroan and Durrow, and one by one they slowly came out here to join us. Theres now only three left at home, said Ms McDonald.

Two of my friends are working in traffic control, just because its a job with handy money. I honestly hadnt that much bad faith in Ireland, I had always wanted to live in Australia for a while.

Nursing is hard at home, the shifts are long with very little money for it. There are so many Irish nurses coming out here, that its actually hard to try to get shifts at all, she said.

I love it out here because theres something to do every day. Ive actually applied for permanent residency here. Renting is difficult though, youre grabbing the first place you manage to find.

When Ms McDonald first moved to Sydney, she and her friends could not find accommodation for over six weeks.

When we first came over, we couldnt find anything. We went into a house full of people from Tipperary and Laois when we first arrived, and there were 14 of us squeezed into the one house for 150 a week each! It took six weeks for us to find somewhere for ourselves, she said.

We do have a housing crisis out here too. Im now living in a house with four other people, were two couples and a single friend. Were paying 500 each a week in rent, its very expensive but its worth it, she said.

Pictured: Aine McDonald living the 'true Australian experience' in Sydney.

Were paying this each week to live in the Eastern suburbs, while my sister is paying 300 a week to live in Melbourne.

People are much more active in Sydney, whether theyre out exercising or just socialising. Every second person I meet out here is Irish, its honestly like being at home, she said.

The great thing about nursing is that its a passport to work anywhere. If there were somewhere closer with better conditions for nurses itd be great, but working here really stands out on your CV.

Working in Ireland covers your bills, but out here your paycheck stretches much further. I dont have to skimp and save as much as I would at home. You get more money if you work in rural Australia too, Ms McDonald explained.

I know I will eventually come home someday, I do miss home. Im lucky that my family is so supportive, they have never held me back.

Ms McDonald says that those who are emigrating to Australia should come during the Irish summer months.

Everyone tends to come over in September, but winter in Australia is much calmer and its easier to get your bearings, she said.

Do your farm work straight away! As a nurse I dont have to do it, but Ive seen my friends leave it on the long finger and regret it! Ms McDonald finished.
Mary Lou McDonald said she has reported a video of a masked man who threatens to shoot her to gardai.

The Sinn Fein leader said the threats represent an escalation of targeted online abuse directed towards her in the last year.

The masked man also threatens the life of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

The video, which has been widely shared on social media, also shows the man voicing his support for the rioters in Coolock in north Dublin.

Last night a threat to kill me was issued online. The individual said he would shoot me dead. This represents an escalation of targeted online abuse directed at me over the last year. It is totally unacceptable. I have reported this to An Garda Siochana. Ironically, this  Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) July 17, 2024

Ms McDonald tweeted: Last night a threat to kill me was issued online. The individual said he would shoot me dead.

This represents an escalation of targeted online abuse directed at me over the last year. It is totally unacceptable.

I have reported this to An Garda Siochana.

Ironically, this threat was made while I was hosting a discussion on the need for zero tolerance when it comes to violence against women and girls.
Calls for a refuge centre in Leitrim and greater supports for victims of domestic violence have intensified following the widely publicised lenient sentence given to Cathal Crotty, who attacked Natasha O'Brien in Limerick in 2022.

This issue was raised at last week's Council meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon, where Cllr Roisin Kenny proposed a motion asking senior figures when a refuge centre can be expected in the county and if it can be included in the County Development Plan.

The motion, seconded by Cllr Mary Bohan and Cllr Eddie Mitchell, received strong support from other councillors.

Just a few weeks ago there was a report by Women's Aid and they recorded a record number of reports of gender based violence. They received more than 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children in 2023 and that was a jump of eighteen percent on the previous year, Cllr Kenny said.

That's only those who reported to Women's Aid. It doesn't include those suffering in silence.

Leitrim is one of the nine counties in the State that still has no shelter for those fleeing from domestic abuse. There's no refuge in Cavan, Longford, Roscommon or Sligo; so that's all our surrounding counties as well as ourselves lacking this service.

According to the Istanbul Convention which was ratified by Ireland in 2019, there should be one refuge unit for every 10,000 women and girls aged 15 and over.

Refuges provide a safe haven for those escaping abusive relationships where victims can live while deciding their next steps and the supports that they need, she said.

Cllr Kenny told the Council that she had been in contact with Carmel McNamee, Manager of Domestic Violence Advocacy Service (DVAS), who referenced the five-year Government strategy on zero tolerance against domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

It's very welcome and it's a very useful document but at the end of the day, if it's not implemented, all it is, is a piece of paper.

I want to commend the Housing department in particular as they're very helpful to anyone that is fleeing violence and often get emergency accommodation for these women.

But it's not just about refuge, there should be different facilities like counselling services and Garda supports.

Director of Housing, Corporate, Community and Cultural Services, Mary Quinn said, We are awaiting the publication of the national strategy, so we will then have a more in depth look at that as far as where our responsibilities might lie.

We would be happy to work with her (Carmel McNamee) going forward, Ms Quinn continued.

In terms of the County Development Plan, the plan has only been adopted so I'm unsure whether it's something that may come up in the review, she added.

Chief Executive, Joseph Gilhooly said, As issues arise in the review, there can be alterations made. The strategy is something we have to look at.
United Lithium Commences Field Exploration Programs in Finland





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Lithium Corp. ("United Lithium" or the "Company") (CSE: ULTH; OTCQX: ULTHF; FWB: 0UL) is pleased to announce that the 2024 Exploration Program ("2024 Program") started in early June at five of the Company's 100% owned properties in Finland (Figure 1). The five properties are located within highly prospective geological terrains with the potential to host lithium-bearing pegmatite and cover a large land package of over 105,000 hectares ("ha"). Highlights of the 2024 Program are defined below.



Highlights:

The 2024 Program consists of systematic exploration, mapping and sampling of Lithium-cesium-tantalum ("LCT")-type pegmatites across the Kietyonmaki Project ("Kietyonmaki"), as well as the Kannus, Kova, Kast and Salkola property reservations.

The goal of the 2024 Program is to identify undiscovered LCT-pegmatites and define targets for potential drilling activities in the future.

The field work is conducted by a team of 8 geologists and is expected to continue until the beginning of September.



"We are excited to have commenced this summer's field programs across five of our properties in highly prospective Finland. Our recently expanded land package is now one of the largest lithium portfolios in the entire country. Finland's geology is highly conducive to hosting additional lithium deposits in addition to the Keliber Lithium Project, which is now under construction. Our exploration efforts will focus on trying to identify lithium bearing boulders as well as pegmatite outcrops, which has proven to be a simple and effective way to make discoveries in the Nordics. We continue to focus our efforts in both Sweden and Finland, with the long-term goal of contributing to the EV sector in the European Union which will require additional lithium projects to keep up with demand," stated United Lithium's President and CEO, Scott Eldridge.

Figure 1: Finland Project Locations





About the Kietyonmaki Project

Kietyonmaki is located within the Hame belt which comprises mainly amphibolites and mica schists intercalated with greywackes and metapelites of the Forssa Volcanic Suite (1.9-1.7 billion years old). It covers 900 ha of land. The succession has been intruded by gabbros, diorites, granodiorites, tonalites and later by K-granites as well as pegmatites. The Kietyonmaki dyke swarm is composed of several near-vertical dipping spodumene (as spodumene-quartz intergrowths) and petalite-bearing pegmatite dykes, the largest being the Main Dyke. The Main Dyke has now been drill-defined to be up to 25 m wide and more than 200 m in length and confirmed to extend to at least 160 m depth below surface.

Throughout the summer, the Company is planning to complete prospection and mapping along the same geological structure that hosts the Main Dyke at Kietyonmaki with the goal of identifying more pegmatites. Previously significant lithium intersections are summarized below:

High-grade lithium oxide results at Kietyonmaki include (1) : 1.52% Li 2 O over 25.95 m from 33.70 m depth down hole in hole ULDH-3; and 1.45% Li 2 O over 29.50 m from 69.10 m depth down hole in ULDH-4.

: Historical drill results from previous operators including: 1.53% Li 2 O over 23 m drilled by the Finnish Geological Survey (2) ; and 1.10% Li 2 O over 42 m by previous operator Sunstone Metals Ltd. ( 3)



(1) United Lithium News Release dated October 19, 2023

(2) United Lithium News Release dated February 14, 2022

(3) Sunstone Metals News Release dated September 12, 2016



About Kannus

Kannus comprises 15,225 ha of exploration ground and is located in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. It is also situated directly north of the Keliber lithium deposit, within the Jarvi-Pohjanmaa Lithium Metallogenic Belt. The Keliber Lithium Project is currently in the construction phase, with backing of majority owner Sibanye Stillwater, and is Europe's first integrated lithium mine for the EV sector. Kannus is covered by Paleoproterozoic sediments, black schists and mafic volcanic rocks of the Western Finland Schist Belt, which also hosts the majority of the Keliber lithium deposits and borders from its south-western part to the same Seinajoki-suite pegmatite-granite intrusion as the Keliber LCT-pegmatite belt.

About Kova

The land package at Kova totals 54,400 ha and is situated on the northern margin of the Pirkanmaa migmatite belt (1.96-1.91Ga), and immediately south of the Tampere Schist Belt. It sits directly to the south of the Erajarvi LCT-metallogenic area, where more than 70 pegmatites dykes enriched in B, Be, Li, Nb, Sn, and Ta have been identified (Lahti 1981, Alviola 2004). The local geology is comprised of migmatites and amphibolites. Felsic plutonic rocks in the Kova area include granodiorites, aplite, pegmatite and tonalite and are considered early Svecofennian (1.91-1.88 Ga).

The area is in a prospective geological setting with the presence of late-orogenic (1.80 Ga) LCT type complex pegmatites that were previously mined. Nearby known complex pegmatite deposits include the Seppala LCT pegmatite and the historical Juurakko and Viitaniemi pegmatite mines are located directly north of the Kova claims.

In 2023, Pure Resources Limited ("Pure") mapped 220 pegmatites (see Pure's ASX Announcement dated July 12, 2023) that were later confirmed by United Lithium. Pegmatites on Kova are mostly comprised of K-feldspar and quartz with variable amounts of biotite and muscovite.

About Salkola

Salkola comprises 20,713 ha and is located 6.1 km to the southeast of the Main Dyke at Kietyonmaki owned by United Lithium. The ground was originally acquired by United Lithium because of the presence of known lithium and tungsten pegmatites as well as a structure interpreted to be associated with the emplacement of the main dyke at Kietyonmaki. Geologically, this area is very similar to the Kietyonmaki area and is prospective for identifying new LCT pegmatites. United Lithium is planning to send a working crew to the Salkola area later this summer.

About Kast

Located adjacent to the Rosendal tantalum deposit, Kast covers approximately 13,900 ha in the Kemio metallogenic area region of Finland. It is located on the western part of the Uusimaa supracrustal belt (~1.89 Ga) and is defined by the presence of gneisses, schists, amphibolites, mafic to felsic volcanic rocks and carbonates. The area is intruded by Svecofennian orogenic felsic intrusive of the Southern Finland Granite and Plutonic Suites. The area is prospective for mixed or hybrid rare-element pegmatites which have REE signatures and are a mix between LCT (Li, Cs, Ta) and NYF (Nb, Y, F) pegmatites.

The presence of the Rosendal deposit and the known Ta-Nb mineral pegmatites in the region indicate that the Kemio metallogenic may have a significant, largely untested Li-Ta potential.

In 2023, Pure observed 49 pegmatites during their work (see Pure's ASX announcement dated July 12, 2023), however, no assays are available. Historical drilling has been completed in the Kast area, and logging reports indicate intercepts of approximately 501 intersections of pegmatite and granite. None of the pegmatite intercepts have been sampled or assayed.

Each of Kannus, Kova, Salkola and Kast, are classified as reservations and are valid until various dates in the first half of 2025, at which time, the Company will need to evaluate results and determine whether to convert any portion of each property into an exploration permit or allow the reservation to lapse. Until that time, under a reservation status, the Company has the right to complete field work, including mapping and sampling, to potentially identify future drill targets and will be allowed to convert the reservation into an exploration permit without interference of other exploration companies.

Bergby Project Update

In addition to the 2024 Program in Finland, the Company would also like to provide an update on the 2023 Drill Program at its 100% owned Bergby Project in Sweden ("Bergby" or the "Project"), where 60 holes were drilled for a total of 5,600 m. As mentioned in the previous news release (see United Lithium's news release dated June 12, 2024), two holes (BBY23185 and BBY23189) still had assay results pending. Pegmatites were found in both holes (BBY23185 and BBY23189), no spodumene was observed and the Li 2 O grade was low.

Bergby consists of ten exploration licenses covering 7,897 ha located near the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in central Sweden and approximately 200 km north of Stockholm. The Project now comprises five drill-confirmed spodumene bearing pegmatites (Pegmatite A to E), with a combined strike length of more than 4,000 m. There are unexplained spodumene-bearing boulder trains and much of the property remains unexplored, highlighting the excellent potential at Bergby for further discovery.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Core drilling is being undertaken by Ludvika Borr Teknik AB of Sweden, using 49 millimetres (equivalent to NQ2) diameter rods. United Lithium's field team log and sample all drill core samples in a secure core facility at the Company's operations building in Norrsundet, about 5 km from the Project area. Core samples are cut in half longitudinally using a diamond cutting saw. The half cores and the hammer drill samples were submitted to ALS Ltd. ("ALS") facilities in Pitea, Sweden for preparation (Prep-31 package) with each sample crushed to better than 70% passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, U.S. Std. No. 10) screen. A split of up to 250 grams is taken and pulverized to better than 85% passing a 75-micron (Tyler 200 mesh, U.S. Std. No. 200) screen. Both types of samples are then forwarded to the ALS facilities in Loughrea, Ireland, an accredited mineral analytical laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015), for analysis using the ME-MS89L method (sodium peroxide fusion and HCL leach followed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS) in the case of core samples, with lithium (Li) reportable range between 2 and 25,000 ppm. This method analyzes for 53 elements and is considered appropriate for lithium-mineralized pegmatites.

Certified reference standards, duplicate and blanks are routinely inserted into the core drilling sample stream as part of United Lithium?s quality control/quality assurance program ("QA/QC"). No QA/QC issues were noted with the results reported herein. The Company's Qualified Person is of the opinion that the sample preparation, analytical, and security procedures followed are sufficient and reliable. The Company is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data reported herein. All drill intercepts reported are down-hole core lengths.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Isabelle Lepine, M.Sc., P.Geo., United Lithium's Director, Mineral Resources. Ms. Lepine is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors

"Scott Eldridge"

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Telephone: +1-604-336-0117

Email: [email protected]

About United Lithium Corp.

United Lithium is an exploration & development company energized by the global demand for lithium. The Company is targeting lithium projects in politically safe jurisdictions with advanced infrastructure that allows for rapid and cost-effective exploration, development, and production opportunities.

The Company's consolidated financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis are available on the Company's website at https://unitedlithium.com/ or under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the potential of the Bergby Project in Sweden, the Kietyonmaki Project, and the Kast, Kannus, Salkola and Kova property reservations in Finland.; the potential identification of undiscovered , or new mineralization; the potential identification of new discoveries; timing of receipt of remaining assays and interpretations of those results; timing and successful execution of future planned and unplanned drilling and exploration activities at its projects in Sweden, Finland and the USA. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the Company's projections and estimates; realization of mineral resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; contests over title to properties; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the price of lithium and other metals and minerals; the demand for lithium and other metals and minerals; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's expected financial and operational performance and the Company's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c8a2ec41-43df-4f50-925c-620cf7c93719





17 july 2024 at 07:00

News published onand distributed by:
Rockwell Automation Announces New Chief Financial Officer





Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that Christian Rothe will join the company as senior vice president and chief financial officer on Aug. 19. He will report to Rockwell Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Blake Moret.

Rothe brings with him a broad background of executive leadership, finance, strategic planning, operations, and corporate development experience. He joins Rockwell after spending 13 years at Graco Inc., an industrial company specializing in the development and manufacturing of fluid-handling systems and products. Rothe served as chief financial officer and treasurer at Graco from 2015 through 2018 before moving into roles leading Graco's global business divisions. He is currently the president, Global Industrial Division. Prior to Graco, Rothe worked at Gardner Denver in finance and strategic development roles.

"Christian brings a strong record of success leading finance and business teams, including a deep understanding of the manufacturing industry," Moret said. "He will accelerate the execution of our plans to combine market-beating growth with expanded margins, in line with targets introduced last year."

"I am thrilled to join the talented team at Rockwell Automation," said Rothe. "The global industrial operations landscape is being reimagined by advancements in factory automation and digital transformation. With its domain expertise, leadership position, and strong history of performance, Rockwell is at the forefront of this transformation. I am honored to join Blake and team as we shape the future of industrial operations worldwide."

Rothe received an undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. He will be based out of Rockwell Automation's global headquarters in Milwaukee, WI.

Rothe replaces Nick Gangestad who announced his plans to retire on May 7. Gangestad served in the role since 2021 when he came out of retirement to join the industrial automation leader.

"I want to thank Nick for his commitment to Rockwell's mission over the last few years. He helped guide us through a global pandemic and supply chain disruptions while continuing to invest in the future through new product development and strategic acquisitions. I wish him well in his retirement," Moret said.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 29,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

17 july 2024 at 07:15

News published onand distributed by:
Dividend Select 15 Corp. Declares Monthly Dividend





TORONTO, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dividend Select 15 Corp. (The "Company") declares its monthly distribution of $0.04933 per Equity share. The distribution is payable August 9, 2024 to shareholders on record as of July 31, 2024.

Under the distribution policy announced in September 2014, the monthly dividend payable on the Equity shares is determined by applying a 10.00% annualized rate on the volume weighted average market price (VWAP) of the Equity shares over the last 3 trading days of the preceding month. As a result, Equity shareholders of record on July 31, 2024 will receive a dividend of $0.04933 per share based on the VWAP of $5.92 payable on August 9, 2024. The yield will remain stable at 10.00% (based on the VWAP) under this distribution policy.

Since inception, Equity shareholders have received a total of $10.50 per share inclusive of this distribution.

The Company invests in a portfolio of 15 Canadian companies selected from the following 20 company universe which are among the highest Canadian dividend yielding stocks.

Bank of Montreal Great West Lifeco Inc. TELUS Corporation BCE Inc. Loblaw Companies Limited The Bank of Nova Scotia CIBC National Bank of Canada The Toronto-Dominion Bank CI Financial Corp. Ovintiv Inc Thomson Reuters Corporation Cenovus Energy Inc. Power Corporation of Canada TMX Group Inc. Enbridge Inc. Royal Bank of Canada TransAlta Corporation Sun Life Financial Inc. TC Energy Corporation





Distribution Details Equity Share (DS) $0.04933 Record Date: July 31, 2024 Payable Date: August 9, 2024

Investor Relations: 1-877-478-2372

Local: 416-304-4443

dividendselect15.com

[email protected]

17 july 2024 at 09:00

News published onand distributed by:
Yukon Metals Commences Fieldwork at Star River





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yukon Metals Corp. (CSE: YMC, FSE: E770 - the "Company" or "Yukon Metals"), is pleased to announce that it has begun reconnaissance field work at the Star River Project located 50 kilometres due south of Ross River, Yukon.



Initial fieldwork by Yukon Metals located new mineralized outcropping that was not previously mapped in the vicinity of several of the historic workings. Further geochemical sampling and mapping programs this season will help to delineate these new areas of mineralization.

Rory Quinn, President & CEO stated, "We are hugely encouraged by the extensive surface exposure of mineralization found at Star River as well as new areas of interest in the southern part of the property that have seen little to no previous exploration. In addition, numerous historic tracks and access roads have been located that will be useful for facilitating future ?boots on the ground' exploration. The LiDAR survey, completed July 6th, will provide enhanced ground visibility of the whole property while the upcoming gravity survey will explore for dense drill targets."

Vision Quest, a Yukon First Nations-owned exploration contractor working closely with Yukon Metals, has commenced ground preparation in advance of an upcoming surface geophysical program. A detailed drone LiDAR topographic survey on the project has already been completed and interpretation is underway.

Yukon Metals will explore this area using a gravity geophysics survey exploring for dense and metalliferous drill targets as well as an electromagnetic survey to prospect for coincident conductive horizons. Detailed geologic mapping and geochemical soil sampling will occur concurrently.

About the Star River Project

Yukon Metals owns 100% of the 716-hectare, Star River base and precious metals project accessible by road from the Robert Campbell Highway and former Ketza Mine Road. The project is host to multiple showings of polymetallic carbonate replacement mineralization and quartz-sulphide veins first discovered in the 1950s. Remnants of underground and surface workings using historical exploration techniques are visible around much of the property and tied together with a network of roads and trails surrounding the Ketza Mine.





Figure 1: Previously mapped geology on the Star River project (AR 061867 & Templeman-Kluit, OF 5487).

Several of the historic showings that are high priority targets for further exploration include Key3, Lap10, and F2-F3. Key3 and Lap10 are occurrences on the project that are noted in literature as occurring in the Seagull Group rocks. The F2 and F3 mineralization occurs in the Askin Group and Porcupine Formation (OF 5487 Templeman-Kluit p78).

Key3 is a historic working of a semi-massive lens of galena with minor sphalerite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite and jamesonite about 7.3 metres long which reportedly averaged 1028.5 g/t Ag and 18% Pb across an average width of 0.9 metres. Historical individual assays have recorded up to 17,142 g/t Ag. Discontinuous mineralization was traced in the 1950s - 1980s for 82 metres with bulldozers and short exploration adits but was never explored at depth or along strike despite three gossans occurring on surface and other small veins in the area.

Lap10 is recorded as having a known strike length of 137 metres to the north at 045 degrees and cuts into the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. It has a fairly continuous band of galena with a historical indicated grade of 12,000 g/t Ag and 38% Pb over a width of 1.07 metres for 137 metres in length. This showing was explored by bulldozer and adit in the 1950s and 1960s. Little effort was made to explore further and the showing has sat unexplored for decades.

Yukon Metals will employ the same exploration efforts on Lap10 as Key3a and explore any continuity of mineralization and structural controls between the two areas which are approximately 1.2 kilometres apart and in the same rocks.

The F2 - F3 zone occurs in similar geology to the past producing Ketza Mine which is approximately five kilometres due west. The F2 and F3 zone has historically found Au, Ag and Pb in veins in the Askin Group limestone and Porcupine Formation orthoquartzites. The F3 zone found mineralized surface exposure 120 feet long discovery showing 86 oz/ton and 50% Pb over a 5.0 metre width (AR 018888, 1968; AR 019895, 1967). The F2 vein was historically noted as having "0.63 oz/t Au across 2.3 feet for a length of 30 feet" in an Iona Silver Mines assessment report from 1971 (AR 061651). Despite the interesting results in the F2 and F3 showings area plus other work on Canyon and Gem showings area, subsequent work by previous mining companies in the area focused on the Key18 past producer.

The F2, F3, Canyon and Gem showings will be further explored by gravity geophysical methods to discover dense and metalliferous drill targets. An electromagnetic survey will be used in this area as well to discover any conductive horizons that are coincident with any gravity anomalies.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Helena Kuikka, P.Geo., as the Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101).

About Yukon Metals Corp.

Yukon Metals is well financed and represents a property portfolio built on over 30 years of prospecting by the Berdahl family, the prospecting team behind Snowline Gold's portfolio of primary gold assets. The Yukon Metals portfolio consists primarily of copper-gold and silver-lead-zinc assets, with a substantial gold and silver component. The Company is led by an experienced Board of Directors and Management Team across technical and finance disciplines.

Yukon Metals is focused on fostering sustainable growth and prosperity within Yukon's local communities, while simultaneously enhancing shareholder value. Our strategy centers around inclusivity and shared prosperity, offering both community members and investors the chance to contribute to, and benefit from, our ventures. More information about Yukon Metals can be found at www.YukonMetals.com.

The Yukon Territory

The Yukon Territory is ranked 10th as the most prospective for mineral potential across global jurisdictions according to the Fraser Institute's 2023 Survey of Mining Companies, and is host to a highly experienced and conscientious local workforce, fostered by a long culture of exploration coupled with deep respect for the land. Recent major discoveries with local roots such as Snowline Gold's Rogue Project - Valley Discovery, demonstrate the Yukon's potential to generate fresh district-scale mining opportunities.

YUKON METALS CORP.

"Rory Quinn"

Rory Quinn, President & CEO

Email: [email protected]

For further information about Yukon Metals, please contact:

Monica Hamm, Vice President, Investor Relations

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Phone: 778-389-9928

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains certain forward-looking information, including information about the incremental release from escrow of the Consideration Shares, the resumption of trading of the Common Shares and the Company's future plans and intentions. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify the forward-looking information. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the incremental release from escrow of the Consideration Shares; the resumption of trading of the Common Shares; and other risks and uncertainties. See the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's listing statement dated May 30, 2024, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3eb2d4bb-be3b-42ca-b62f-cc3a263796f0

17 july 2024 at 09:00

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Police officers stand at the scene after a car hit people sitting on a terrace in front of a restaurant in Paris, France, on July 17, 2024. JOHNNY COTTON / REUTERS

A motorist plowed a vehicle into a cafe terrace in the 20th arrondissement of Paris on the evening of Wednesday, July 17, leaving one dead and several people seriously injured, officials told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The incident occurred at 7:30 pm.

The prosecutor's office said one person had been arrested  the driver of the vehicle  despite earlier comments from investigators suggesting a passenger was also detained. The prosecutor's office said it was not established whether there had been a passenger.

Earlier, the police source had said three of the injured people were in critical condition. Another police source said the initial theory was that the incident was a traffic accident. A large police presence was in place around the terrace of the Le Ramus cafe where the car crashed. At least four fire trucks were also nearby.

In the midst of the police, firefighters and military personnel blocking access to several streets around Le Ramus, many local residents clustered together in an atmosphere of concern. Several people were convinced they saw the vehicle circle the neighborhood once or twice before hitting the terrace.

"I don't want to be afraid in my neighborhood that people might do that on purpose," confided one resident to Le Monde, one eye riveted on his daughter as she spun around on her scooter. In a parallel street, the investigators had gathered around 20 witnesses, most of whom were present on the terrace at the time of the incident and were questioning them, while the fire department took care of them.

The incident occurred less than 10 days before the opening of the Olympic Games in the French capital on July 26.
President Michael D Higgins has signed the Governments Defence Bill into law after it had been referred to the Council of State to discuss its constitutionality.

A spokesman for the president said having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence Bill, Mr Higgins signed it into law.

The meeting of the Council of State took place in Aras an Uachtarain on Monday to examine legislation to regulate Defence Forces representative associations.

The Council discussed whether the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 should be referred by the president to the Supreme Court, on whether specific provisions are repugnant to the constitution.

President Higgins this afternoon convened a meeting of the Council of State at Aras an Uachtarain for the purpose of his hearing from the Council regarding the constitutionality of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024. pic.twitter.com/Svoy64034k  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) July 15, 2024

Mr Higgins asked the council about sections 11 and 24 of the Bill in particular, and whether the interference with constitutional rights is disproportionate.

Section 11 prohibits a member of the Permanent Defence Forces from making a public statement or comment in relation to political matters or Government policy while they are in uniform, or otherwise identifiable as a member of the Defence Forces, without prior authorisation from their commanding officer.

It would also prohibit them from attending a protest under the same circumstances and stop them from canvassing for a political organisation or addressing a meeting of such a society.

While Section 24 would now allow the Defence Forces to associate with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, it would prohibit associated bodies like ICTU from calling for or encouraging industrial action within the military.

President Michael D Higgins, having given careful consideration to all constitutional and other aspects of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024, and having considered all the options available to him, has today signed the Bill, a spokesman said.

The president followed the passage of this Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas, and has listened carefully to the debate and the issues raised.

The president has also considered the views expressed by the members of the Council of State at the meeting convened at Aras an Uachtarain on Monday July 15, regarding the constitutionality of the Bill, in relation to two sections in particular.

When considering any piece of legislation, the president must be cognisant of Article 34.3 of Bunreacht na hEireann, which provides that no court can question the validity of any legislation following a referral by the president to the Supreme Court, and the capacity of a putative litigant on a fact-based rather than abstract grounds has to be taken into account.

The presidents decision to sign this legislation thus does not close off any actions sought by any member of the Defence Forces, or their representative association, to challenge the provisions of the Bill in the future.

Those who sit on the Council include former taoiseachs Leo Varadkar, Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny, and Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Former chief justices Susan Denham and Frank Clarke also attended, as well as ex-presidents Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning, activist Sinead Burke and Senator Jerry Buttimer are also members.
"AI is not just an enabler. We believe it's a major platform shift. It's a long-term journey that will, once again, require all of us to reimagine what's possible. And India, we believe, is a cornerstone of this AI mission," says Seshu Ajjarapu, senior director, engineering and product, at Google DeepMind.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Google I/O Connect held in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Ajjarapu reasoned that with its largest mobile-first population, micro-payment and digital payment models, a booming startup and developer ecosystem, and diverse language landscape, India is uniquely positioned to drive the next generation of AI innovation."

In India, Google works with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Startup Hub to train 10,000 startups in AI, expanding access to its artificial intelligence (AI) models like Gemini and Gemma (family of open models styled on Gemini tech), and introducing new language tools from Google DeepMind India, according to Ajjarapu.

It supports "eligible AI startups" with up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits to invest in the cloud infrastructure and computational power essential for AI development and deployment."

Karya, an AI data startup that empowers low-income communities, is using Gemini (also Microsoft products) to design a no-code chatbot," while Cropin (in which Google is an investor) is using Gemini to power its new real-time generative AI, agri-intelligent platform."

Manu Chopra, co-founder and CEO of Karya, said he uses Gemini "to take Karya Platform global and enable low-income communities everywhere to build truly ethical and inclusive AI."

Gemini has helped Cropin build a more sustainable, food-secure future for the planet," according to Krishna Kumar, the startup's co-founder and CEO.

Robotic startup Miko.ai is using Google LLM as a part of its quality control mechanisms," says Ajjarapu.

According to Sneh Vaswani, co-founder and CEO of Miko.ai, Gemini is the "key" to helping it provide safe, reliable, and culturally appropriate interactions for children worldwide."

Helping farmers

With an eye on harnessing the power of AI for social good, Google plans to soon launch the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API, an application programming interface to help farmers leverage AI and remote sensing to map farm fields across India, according to Ajjarapu.

The solution is built on Google Cloud and on partnerships with the Anthro Krishi team and India's digital AgriStack. It is piloted by Ninjacart, Skymet, Team-Up, IIT Bombay, and the Government of India, he pointed out.

"This is the first such model for India that will show you all field boundaries based on usage patterns, and show you other things like sources of water," he added.

On local language datasets, Ajjarapu underscored that Project Vaani, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has completed Phase 1 -- over 14,000 hours of speech data across 58 languages from 80,000 speakers in 80 districts. The project plans to expand its coverage to all states of India, totaling 160 districts, in phase two.

Project Vaani introduced IndicGenBench, a benchmarking tool tailored for Indian languages, which covers 29 languages. Additionally, Project Vaani is open-sourcing its CALM (Composition of Language Models) framework for developers to integrate specialised language models with Gemma models. For example, integrating a Kannada specialist model into an English coding assistant may help in offering coding assistance in Kannada as well.

Google, which has Gemini Nano tailored for mobile devices, has introduced the Matformer framework, developed by the Google DeepMind team in India. According to Manish Gupta, director, Google, it allows developers to mix different sizes of Gemini models within a single platform.

This approach optimises performance and resource efficiency, ensuring smoother, faster, and more accurate AI experiences directly on user devices.

India-born Ajjarapu was part of Google's corporate development team that handled mergers and acquisitions when Google's parent Alphabet acquired UK-based AI company DeepMind in 2014. As a result, he got the opportunity to conduct the due diligence and lead the integration of DeepMind with Google.

Research, products and services

Ajjarapu, though, was not a researcher, and was unsure of meaningfully contributing to DeepMind's mission, which at that time, was to solve intelligence." This prompted him to quit Google in 2017 after 11 years, and launch Lfyt's self-driving division. Two years later, Ajjarupu rejoined Google DeepMind as senior director, engineering and product.

Last year, Alphabet merged the Brain team from Google Research and DeepMind into a single unit called Google DeepMind, and made Demis Hassabis its CEO. Jeff Dean, who reports to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, serves as chief scientist to both Google Research and Google DeepMind.

While the latter unit focuses on research to power the next generation of products and services, Google Research deals with fundamental advances in computer science across areas such as algorithms and theory, privacy and security, quantum computing, health, climate and sustainability and responsible AI.

Has this merger led to a more product-focused approach at the cost of research, as critics point out? Ajjarapu counters that Google was still training its Gemini foundation models when the units were merged in April 2023, after which it launched the Gemini models in December, followed by Gemini 1.5 Pro, which has technical breakthroughs like a long context window (2 million tokens that covers about 1 hour of video, or 11 hours of audio, or 30,000 lines of code)."

A context window is the amount of words, known as tokens, a language model can take as input when generating responses.

"Today, more than 1.5 million developers globally use Gemini models across our tools. The fastest way to build with Gemini is through Google AI Studio, and India has one of the largest developer bases on Google AI Studio," he notes.

Google Brain and DeepMind, according to Ajjarapu, were also collaborating "for many years before the merger".

"We believe we built an AI super unit at Google DeepMind. We now have a foundational research unit, which Manish is a part of. Our team is part of that foundation research unit. We also have a GenAI research unit, focused on pushing generative models regardless of the technique -- be it large language models (LLMs) or diffusion models that gradually add noise (disturbances) to data (like an image) and then learn to reverse this process to generate new data," said Ajjarapu, who is part of the product unit and whose job is to take the research and put it in Google products."

Google also has a science team, which is primarily responsible for things like protein folding and discovering new materials. Protein folding refers to the problem of determining the structure if a protein from its sequence of amino acids alone.

"There are many paradigms to go after AI development, and we feel like we're pretty well covered in all of them," he says. "We're now fully in our Gemini era, bringing the power of multimodality to everyone."

Match, incubate and launch

And how does Google decide which research products and product ideas to prioritise and invest in? According to Ajjurupa, the company uses an approach called match, incubate, and launch."

Is there a problem that's ready to be solved with a technology that's readily available? That's the matching part. For instance, for graph neural nets, the map is a graph. So there is a match. However, even if there's a match, performance is not guaranteed when it comes to generative AI.

"You have to iterate it," he says.

The next step involves de-risking an existing technology or research breakthrough for the real world since not all of them are ready to be made into products. This phase is called incubation. The final stage is the launch.

"That's the methodical approach that we follow. But given the changing nature of the world, and changing priorities, we try to be nimble," says Ajjarupu.

Gupta, on his part, asks his research team to identify research problems that will have some kind of a transformative impact on the world, which makes it worthy of being pursued, even if the problem is very hard or the chances of failure are very high."

And how is Google DeepMind addressing ethical concerns around AI, especially biases and privacy? According to Gupta, the company has developed a framework to evaluate the societal impact of technology, created red teaming techniques, data sets and benchmarks, and shared them with the research community.

He adds that his team contributed the SeeGULL dataset (benchmark to detect and mitigate social stereotypes about groups of people in language models) to uncover biases in language models based on aspects such as nationality and religion.

"We work to understand and mitigate these biases and aim for cultural inclusivity too in our models," says Gupta.

Ajjarapu adds that the company's focus is on responsible governance, responsible research, and responsible impact."

He cited the example of the Google SynthID -- an embedded watermark and metadata labelling solution that flags photos (deepfakes) generated using Googles text-to-image generator, Imagen.
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This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

With the new government in place, attention will naturally shift to how it proposes to deliver on the promise of achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047. The vision has gone down well as an aspirational objective. Since the transition will extend over two decades, the list of reforms needed is bound to be long, covering both the economy and also society. We will identify some of the areas where changes are needed. Each will involve a combination of policies and programmes, and the details can only evolve over time.

This article focuses specifically on the Budget and what signals it could send. First, I suggest some standard macroeconomic tests which the budget must pass. I then turn to some areas where a new approach is needed and which are more controversial.

Basic macroeconomics

Viksit Bharat, understood as reaching developed country status, requires 8%-plus growth on average for the next 23 years! The economy did record an average of 8% growth in the last three years, but that was the recovery from the pandemic. The average over the last six years is only 4.9%. This can and should be improved, but most international agencies project that India will grow at 6.5% over the next few years.

The Budget is not the place to present long-term growth targets, but some indication of the growth on which it is based is needed. As Martin Wolf of Financial Times recently pointed out, even if we dont achieve 8%-plus, but grow between 6.5% and 7%, we could still end up as one of the superpowers because other countries are expected to grow much more slowly.

The Budget would do well to state a clear target of, say, 7% real growth on average for the next three years. Actual performance can then be measured against this target and policy corrections made as needed.

Fiscal deficit is the key target on the basis of which analysts judge macroeconomic stability, which in turn can affect investor perceptions. Indias fiscal deficit (Centre plus states combined) has been much higher than in most other developing countries. This means the Centre and state governments together take up a large part of the available savings in the economy, crowding out private sector investors who might otherwise use the savings to finance investments.

Efforts were being made to reduce the deficit, but these were derailed by the pandemic. Since other countries had the same experience, we did not suffer reputational damage. In the first budget after the pandemic, the finance minister had announced that the Centres fiscal deficit would be reduced to 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025-26. Recommitting to this target would send a good signal.

It will be easy to retain the 5.1 % fiscal deficit mentioned in the interim budget thanks to the large Reserve Bank of India transfer. Reducing it to 4.5% next year is credible. The finance minister could go further and target 4% in 2026-27. It was the practice earlier to project the deficit for two years beyond the current year and this should be restored.

Fiscal targets are impressive only if they are credible. This depends on whether they are consistent with meeting the many expenditure demands that will arise within the revenue growth expected. Strong GDP growth will help generate higher revenues. This can be further boosted by tax reforms.

Tax reforms and GST

The most urgent tax reform needed relates to the goods and services tax (GST), and what needs to be done is also well known. Purists argue there should be a single rate. Others argue for no more than two rates, with an additional sin tax" for certain items.

A basic problem in the present GST is that half the items in the average consumption basket are exempted from GST. This was done in the interest of progressivity, but the largest part of the consumption of these items is by the non-poor. An IMF Board review on the value-added tax experience in developing countries stated that if GST were extended to all these items, the effect on the poor could be completely offset by a direct benefit transfer of 2,000 per month to each poor individual, and it would cost only one-fifth of the revenue gain!

Technically, GST rates can be changed only by the GST Council, but the finance minister could use the Budget to indicate the specific changes she intends to propose to the council. This would be a basis for discussing in Parliament and starting the political outreach that will be needed to build public support. Some states may not agree, but a GST Council decision does not have to be unanimous; it needs only a weighted majority. Relying on the majority would be legitimized if there is broader discussion.

The credibility of the fiscal deficit target would be enhanced if the government reiterated the earlier commitment to privatize non-strategic public sector units (PSUs). This commitment seems to have evaporated. Air India is a distinguished exception, but much more could be done, garnering additional resources. The budget will be carefully watched to see what signals it gives on privatization remains on the agenda.

Infrastructure development is widely regarded as a success story, and one can assume that the budget will signal that this thrust will continue. However, much more could be done through public-private partnerships (PPP). For example, there is no reason why the proposed modernization of railway stations should not be opened to PPP.

Areas of weakness needing corrective steps

A major weakness in the growth story thus far is that private investment continues to be depressed, despite tax changes that were meant to stimulate it. Some will be tempted to conclude that perhaps we should turn to greater reliance on the public sector. The government would do well to clarify that while the public sector certainly has a continuing and important role to play, the lead role in achieving high growth and generating employment has to be played by the private sector.

In this context, a reduction in the fiscal deficit would help to revive private sector investment. The net financial savings of the household sector had fallen to about 5.2% of GDP in 2022-23 when the combined fiscal deficit was 8.8% of GDP. This clearly left nothing for the corporate sector. Reducing the deficit will effectively push the financial sector to increase the flow of finance available for the private sector, including those in the small and medium sector.

Employment generation is another weak spot. While experts differ depending upon the data source they use, there is no doubt that the economy is not generating good-quality jobs of the kind that the increasingly educated new entrants into the labour force want. This is starkly borne out by the lack of job offers for graduates from our top institutions, and news of layoffs in many areas.

To generate more good quality employment, we need higher growth and more labour-using growth. East Asian countries succeeded by adopting a strategy based on a rapid expansion of exports of labour-intensive manufacturing.

The government has targeted high export growth in the hope that this will stimulate both employment and domestic manufacturing, but we have not been successful. Both exports and manufacturing have stagnated in recent years. We cannot blame global trends since countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam are doing much better. The fault lies in our industrial and trade policies, and the sooner we realize this, the better.

Much of the action needed is in areas which are outside the budget. In my view, we need to (a) reduce our customs duties, which are much higher than in other developing countries and have actually increased since 2017; (b) sign free-trade agreements with major economies that would give us access to their markets, and for this we may have to accept alignment of standards on many non-tariff issues; (c) introduce greater flexibility in labour laws that will make manufacturing more competitive; (d) manage the currency in a way that avoids an appreciation in the real exchange rate, and finally (e) undertake a major effort at skill development to produce a more skilled labour force in the short run.

Only the first of these problems, i.e. high customs duties, can be dealt with in the budget. The others require a more comprehensive approach, but the budget could signal how the government intends to address this issue.

This raises a potentially controversial issue in the march to Viksit Bharat. Should India become more open at a time when other developed countries are turning inwards? A good case can be made for doing so because we are at present much more closed than others.

The government has rightly stated that it wants to integrate with global value chains. The current disenchantment with China, and the desire to have a China plus one strategy, provides an opportunity for India. But this will require lowering of tariffs and other trade barriers. Since space constraints make it difficult to elaborate this point, I propose to do so in a separate article in this paper.

Finally, a word on Indias statistical system. It was at one stage a model for developing countries but is no longer so. As we move to become the third-largest economy in the world, wanting to attract more foreign direct investment to support our development effort, and also striving towards internationalizing the currency, we have to be ready for much greater scrutiny of our economic statistics.

Also read | Samosas, tea and a stormy night discussion on how the Budget affects the economy

This is not a budget-related issue, but the budget speech provides an opportunity for announcing that the government intends to undertake a major modernization of the national statistical system and will consult the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for inputs to ensure that the reform is in line with global standards of quality and transparency.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia is a former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and is currently a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

In the last decade, Indias gross domestic product (GDP) has nearly doubled to $3.5 trillion, showcasing our resilience as one of the worlds fastest-growing major economies. As we envision Viksit Bharat by 2047, increasing our economic growth from 8% to 12% could transform India into a $50 trillion economy. The global landscape is witnessing rapid technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and new energy. Our peers, notably China, are investing heavily in new productive forces, transforming traditional industries and fostering emerging sectors.

To drive Indias growth and competitiveness, we must prioritize AI and new energy as foundational technologies that can revolutionize our entire economy.

In 1947, we won our political freedom. In 2047, we must achieve our technological freedom. We need to create our own playbook for technological advancementone that addresses our unique challenges and leverages our strengths. Its about using tech not just for economic growth, but for societal transformation.

Building Indias own AI stack

While Indias economy has digitized significantly, our compute penetration remains low. Despite our huge success in information technology (IT) services, they represent just 1% of the $30 trillion global technology industry. Our global competitors have rapidly accelerated investments in AI, pouring hundreds of billions into research, infrastructure and talent. Indias approach to AI must leverage our core strengths across data, compute and algorithms.

Read this | How India plans to make AI accessible for all

Data with Indian ethos

India generates 20% of the worlds data, yet 80% is stored offshore, processed into AI and imported back in dollars. This data colonization is reminiscent of the East India Companys practices, where Indias raw materials were extracted and processed products sold back at a premium. Today, our digital raw materialdatais similarly exploited. We must reverse this trend by leveraging our digital public infrastructure (DPI) to create privacy-preserving datasets. We can build on our DPI success (UPI, UIDAI, ONDC) to create the worlds largest open-source AI, grounded in Indian ethos.

Compute infrastructure

In terms of compute infrastructure, India currently has only 1GW of data centre capacity, while the global capacity is 50GW. By 2030, projections show the US at 70GW, China at 30GW and India at 5GW if we maintain our current trajectory. To achieve AI leadership, we need rapid AI adoption, data localization norms, incentives for global computing companies, and production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for data centres. Deploying 50GW by 2030 will require $200 billion in capitalan ambitious but achievable goal.

India is the worlds largest hub for silicon development and design talent, yet we lack Indian-designed chips. We need industry-led chip design projects and government incentives through research-linked incentive schemes. Accelerating the deployment of cutting-edge process fabs of less than three nanometers in India is a geostrategic imperative.

R&D on algorithms

As AI research becomes increasingly closed and proprietary, India has a unique opportunity to become a global champion of open innovation in AI research and development (R&D). We can achieve this by attracting world-class talent and the best scientists to work in India, providing industrial-scale resources for research and offering government incentives for AI R&D. By creating a globally leading open innovation platform for AI, India can position itself at the forefront of AI advancement while ensuring that our values and perspectives shape the future of this transformative technology.

New energy supply chains

The new energy paradigm is shifting from mining and refining of fossil fuels to advanced material sciences, particularly for critical minerals like lithium. This transition is reshaping the global energy landscape, and India must position itself at the forefront of this revolution.

The new energy ecosystem rests on three pillars: renewable energy (RE) generation, battery storage and electric vehicles (EVs).

RE generation

Indias RE capacity has grown from 72GW in 2014 to over 175GW in 2023, with solar capacity rising from 3.8GW to more than 88GW. However, we still lag behind global leaders. In 2023, China deployed 215GW of solar energy capacity compared to Indias 8GW. We must intensify our focus on RE deployment to reach our target of 500GW by 2030.

Battery storage

For renewable energy to be truly effective, we must couple it with robust battery storage solutions. Currently, our battery storage production capacity is only 2GWh, compared to Chinas 1,700GWh. To power our RE grid and achieve 100% EV adoption, we need to aim for 1,000GWh capacity. This significant increase in battery storage will not only support our RE goals but also drive down costs and improve energy accessibility across the country.

The EV sector

In the EV sector, Indias current auto penetration is less than 200 vehicles per 1,000 people, with 2 million EVs sold annually compared to Chinas 30 million. By 2030, India should aim to become the worlds largest EV market, potentially producing 50 million EVs. This shift will create a cleaner environment, lower transport costs for consumers and reduce the economys overall logistics expenses.

Currently, 90% of the new energy ecosystemfrom solar production to lithium cell production and midstream processing to EV manufacturingis concentrated in China. By building our own technologies and supply chains, we can make our economy more energy-efficient and create tens of millions of future-ready jobs. This transition will secure our energy independence and position us as a key player in the global fight against climate change.

Also read | Amitabh Kant: A place on the global technology map

Indias path to global leadership lies in mastering these technologies of the future. Our journey isnt about catching up; its about leapfrogging our competitors to become pioneers in AI and new energy paradigms. This is our moment to transform India into the worlds most technologically advanced economy, creating hundreds of millions of future-ready jobs. To realize this vision, we need a unified effort from all stakeholders in our society. Just as every Indian played a part in our struggle for independence, every citizen now has a role in building our technological future.

We stand at a critical juncture. The next decade will determine whether India emerges as a true tech superpower or remains on the periphery. Its time for bold action and big dreams. The future is ours to create, and the time to act is now.

Bhavish Aggarwal is co-founder and chief executive officer of Ola Cabs, and the founder of Ola Electric.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

Electricity is a major enabler of economic and social development. Indias per capita consumption is only a little over a third of the world average and, hence, as we seek strive to become a developed country by 2047, managing our electricity needs is a key challenge, especially given the climate imperatives. Decarbonization efforts will require even more electricity as we shift transportation and industry away from fossil fuels. The issue becomes not just about quantity but also qualitywhat are the right fuels and regulatory frameworks under which a just and viable transition is undertaken?

Central to this predicament is the fundamental challenge of trade-offs that need to be made by policymakers. These necessitate balancing multiple and often competing objectives of energy, spanning energy security, low cost, environmental impacts, equity, consumer choice, jobs, etc. No doubt, such trade-offs were ever-present, but now there are three specific additional challenges we must address as we grow our power system with environmental objectives in mind.

Dealing with greater uncertainty

First, we will have to live with far greater uncertainty than before. Unlike where only demand varied over the day or by season, going forward, even a large share of supply will be variable in nature due to the rise of intermittent renewable energy (RE) like wind and solar. In this emerging environment, Least-cost resource planning, key to keeping energy costs down, becomes difficult with consumer owned and invisible" (unmonitored) supply like rooftop solar, and the fact that technologies are also evolving rapidly, including batteries, electric vehicles, smart grids and smart appliances.

Even something as simple as capturing the growth in demand and its profile is fraught with enormous uncertainty and bears serious economic consequences. For example, at the consumption end, given a warming planet, cooling needs will be one of the biggest drivers. How, then, will commercial AC use compare with that by household consumers? This matters since the latter rises towards the evening or overnight, which doesnt align with supplies from the fastest growing cheapest renewable, namely solar power.

Upgrading regulations

Second, our regulatory frameworks will need to be upgraded. For instance, we mostly have cost-plus regulation, and power markets are shallow, handling under 10% of electricity transactions. For the most part, distribution of power, the last leg in the chain, is still with state-owned distribution companies (discoms), which are in the grips of regulatory capture which makes it difficult to optimize efficiency. Many countries in the West already have market systems that handle higher RE and greater variabilityand these often show negative prices during high RE periods, which means you get paid for consuming electricity or charging a battery!

Fixing subsidy issues

Third, the present system of social welfare redistribution through both subsidies and cross-subsidies, where commercial and industrial users overpay to offset underpaying residential and agricultural consumers, cannot sustain. By design, it raises costs for job-creating industry/commercial users, hurting their global competitiveness. More importantly, these higher-paying consumers are the ones who will disproportionately leave discom supply (and already are), both through rooftop solar and third-party suppliers, a process that will accelerate with cheaper storage technologies. This, in turn, raises the costs for other consumers.

Addressing these issues requires a renewed approach to incentive signalling (notably, prices) through a mix of incremental and big bang changes. The current development model, dominated by top-down targets, is attractive and helpful up to a point, but does a poor job of tackling uncertainty, fairly allocating risk, and avoiding distortions or poor trade-offs. Instead of merely responding to targets, we need the right frameworks for our desired objectives, which could unleash more capital and innovation (and risk-sharing).

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Fundamentally, we need to stop treating all electricity supplies as being equal. Its not a basket of fruit (say, 5 per kilo, or 5/kWh!), rather a basket of diverse fruits with varied costs, controllability, etc. Time-of-day pricing is a first step  for retail consumers this needs appropriate metering hardware (ultimately, smart meters) but even wholesale time-of-day pricing means we must move away from the dominant static power purchase agreements (PPAs) that treat all electricity the same. With dynamic pricing and more markets, we are likely to have enormous time-of-day spreads in prices, with dirt-cheap power during the day aligned with solar production.

Regulation needs to evolve and move away from todays dominant approach of comparing new generation brd on the levelized cost of energy (LCoE). LCoE ignores time of day issues and system level costs. For example, reducing thermal plants output to prioritize RE, hurts their efficiency, or the prevailing practice of free transmission for RE power. Free" here only means someone else is paying for it.

Ultimately, poor pricing leads to wasteful allocation of resources, and removes incentives to save energy. This is why farmers dont bother with efficient irrigation pump sets, and even households are beginning to enjoy free power", risking them becoming profligate. Most freebies are in the name of the poor but are poorly directed. For example, most farmers are landless labourers, so free or subsidized farm power only helps the well-to-do lot, and in the case of household supply, most beneficiaries are the middle class or even the rich (e.g., subsidy coverage is over 90% of homes in Delhi, and even higher in Karnataka).

The biggest change we need is one of mindset. Public views diverge on whether electricity is a commodity  thus best handled by markets  or a public good. This is a false dichotomy. Electricity will always have aspects of both, and it should be treated like a well-regulated public utility. In this regard, our biggest gap is in the states regulation of electricity, where consumer tariffs dont match costs.

Also read | In Charts: Discoms stuck between a rock and a hard place

The traditional narrative on the failure of publicly-owned distribution companies blames the catch-all measure of AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses. While AT&C losses are high, research at CSEP has shown that the sizeable part of financial losses arent the discoms fault. Efficiency improvements are important, but we will also need higher tariffs to cover even prudent discom costs. Keeping the transition as one major objective, this requires us to change the question from are you paying more?" to are you paying more than you shouldfor quality and clean supply?"

Rahul Tongia is a senior fellow with the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

Indias economic transformation of the last decade is impressive, earned and unfinished. As we await the next Union budget, we must resist incomplete explanations for recent election results by picking faulty paths like greatly expanding spending from last years 45 trillion (if fiscal deficits could make countries rich, then no country would be poor), reversing the shift from revenue spending to capital expenditure (improving productivity requires allocating even more than last years high of 10 trillion), or crowding out defence and police spending (about 8 trillion) with welfarism. The next budget should pray to the one god of formal non-farm jobs with five non-fiscal interventions that will raise the productivity of formal, non-farm employers.

The budget must ignore unhelpful, dated and self-serving notionscuriously peddled by offshore economists who chose exit over voicethat a large country like India must choose between manufacturing or services, exports or domestic consumption, and rising tax collections or improving ease of doing business. More importantly, most thoughtful economists now acknowledge their tribe has oversold monetary and fiscal policy as tools for sustainable mass prosperity. The damage is done; its unclear that global public debt, deficit financing and central bank balance sheets will return to levels that make our generation good ancestors.

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India has avoided this economic narcissism and targeted our challenge of employed poverty by raising the population of productive non-farm jobs while ensuring a targeted welfare state and macroeconomic stability. The next budget should accelerate this mission by putting its weight behind five changes:

Jan Vishwas 2.0

The Jan Vishwas bill kicked off removing the excessive jail provisions in employer compliances last year by boldly recognizing that criminalization of civil offences hurts small employers, enables corruption and rewards informality (a sense of humour with the rule of law). It was a small start only 113 employer jail provisions from over 25,000 were removedand the budget must announce Jan Vishwas 2.0 with a new methodology.

A committee of judges, lawyers, economists, and academics should articulate a philosophy of punishment" and list the economic offences (harm to others, fraud, etc.,) that should be criminal. Subsequently, central government ministries and departments must eliminate all jail provisions that do not meet this criterion. Jan Vishwas 2.0, eliminating thousands of corruption-enabling provisions, would accelerate investments, compliance, and productivity.

Raising net wages

Our mandatory payroll deductions (EPFO, EPS, ESI, EDLI, bonus, gratuity) are bafflingly regressive, with employers required to confiscate 35% for employees with up to 21,000 monthly salary and only 5% for new employees with monthly salaries above that. This massive wedge makes informal employers whose net wages equals gross wages attractive to low-wage employees.

The budget must give employees (not employers) a choice by making employee contributions to the provident fund optional while raising employer contributions from 12% to 13%. We must stop mandating lower take-home salaries for formal employers whose better technology, training and human capital create the productivity that enables higher wages.

Social security portability and competition

Employment has shifted from being a lifetime contract to a taxicab relationship, yet our work social security programmes have not reviewed their design defect in linking payment and balances to employers rather than employees.

This mistake explains the millions of dormant EPFO accounts with over 48,000 crore in unclaimed balances and the unexplainable ESI yearly premium surplus. This budget must allow employees (not employers) to pay their retirement savings to EPFO or NPS and their health insurance premiums to ESI, CGHS or buy IRDA-approved insurance. The monopolies of EPFO and ESI are rude, expensive and inefficient. Competition will improve employer coverage, employee enrolment and lifetime balance portability.

Compliance with digital public infrastructure

Indias revolution in payments, identity and vaccination certificates enabled by DPI has not been replicated in government plumbing.

The budget must announce a digitization deadline for all central government and central regulator compliances that will replicate the open and stacked architecture of payments by creating a non-profit National Compliance Corporation that will use a Unique Enterprise Number (to be identified) to house the API/interface layer for all employer filings, compliance and workflows, and enable private sector innovation in straight-through processing for employers. Adding compliance to DPI will be a global first, save thousands of trees, and improve enforcement by enabling a single view of employers.

One labour code

It is impossible for employers to comply with all of Indias labour laws without violating some of them. Given the delay in implementing previously drafted multiple labour codes, the budget must announce their consolidation into a single labour code for implementation before the next budget for all 97 industries notified under the central list.

Some state governments may resist implementation immediately, but many are independently competing in reforms that recognize job preservation is not a form of job creation. The budget announcing a single labour code will be a powerful signal of our policy intent to protect employees while creating more formal employers. Informality is the slavery of the 21st century, and most Indian employer informality is a child of regulatory cholesterol in labour laws.

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Rajasthan has a folk tale about a soldier who stops feeding his horse in peacetime only to find it lame when war comes. This soldier represents political ideas that peddle welfarism funded by fiscal deficits as substitutes for millions in productive private sector work. We humans get much more than income from work; it gives us confidence, self-esteem, identity, purpose, networks and ladders. The biggest gift the budget can give India is enabling the sustainable explosion of productive, private, formal, non-farm jobs.

Manish Sabharwal is co-founder of Teamlease Services. Views are personal.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

Indias recent record of sustained high growth, sizeable economy, its self-sustaining agriculture, highly distributed production capability, leadership in services and technology and prudent fiscal management have emboldened it to aspire to be a developed nation by 2047, when the country will celebrate its century as an independent nation.

Many economists and analysts have worked backwards to suggest what all are needed to be done to reach that status by that time. According to a study by the Reserve Bank of India in July 2023, the country will need to grow at a rate of 7.6% annually for the next 25 years to become a developed nation. To reach that level of sustained growth, India requires investment in physical capital and reforms across sectors covering education, infrastructure, healthcare and technology, the study said.

This essay will discuss specifically the role of the financial sector in furthering the cause of India becoming a developed nation by 2047. Sustaining high growth rates for a long period of time will require a stable, efficient and innovative financial system that meets the requirements of Indian households and businesses, and also the governments, without compromising macro-financial stability. Given the propensity of banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and fintechs to go overboard in their exuberance, we will deliberate on the guard rails for the banking system to chug on safely, securely and efficiently.

Investment and capital formation

Given the development requirements of the country, capital accumulation needs to be at a faster rate with a focus on both domestic and external sources for capital formation. Demand for finance and capital will come from large-scale infrastructure projects, increased requirements in manufacturing capacity, expansion of the formal economy and increasing trade. Supply of finance and capital will have to be through mobilization of domestic savings, sustainable foreign capital, suitable types of financial institutions, instruments and products, channelling savings into investments, robust credit, and debt and equity markets.

Diverse financial institutions

India will need a large number of financial institutions to mobilize savings and channel them for investment. An increasing number of banks, NBFCs and the fintechs will have to emerge; these financial institutions will have to be of all sizessmall and equally large-sized banks will be needed to cater to the needs of financial inclusion and also to finance large projects. A variety of financial institutions will also be neededfor example, digital banks, wholesale/investment banks and even niche banks.

The suggested strategies will demand large and continuous capital infusion in banks and non-banks. The long-held policy preference for distributed holding vis-a-vis concentrated holding in banks will have to be revisited. Similarly, the reluctance or hesitancy in letting business and industrial houses, private equity and venture capital funds, and foreign banks have large stakes in banks will also need reviewing, given the large capital needs of banks. Suitable innovative financial instruments, offering a share in economic prospects minus control for such large stakes, will have to be explored.

Regulatory guard rails

It is a standard approach of financial regulation that anything growing fast needs greater regulatory attention. Very often, irrational exuberance and pro-cyclical overconfidence have resulted in market participants underestimating and overlooking the risks that brew in the system. It has become the responsibility of the regulators to anticipate plausible damages and accidents, and hence build speed-breakers, bulwarks and guard rails, besides keeping a hawks eye on the dynamics of the market developments. While discharging these responsibilities, the regulators also have to enable ample play for innovations.

The safety and soundness of the financial system and financial entities will continue to be the foundation for such guard rails. The playbook for such guard rails has been built under the aegis of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The Basel norms have been fine-tuned over years based on developments and experiences in the world financial system. Employing these as appropriate to the country and its phase of growth will be the key for Indias next 25 years.

First, the regulator is on a special pedestal to see and anticipate risk build-up in a specific segment. Cautioning and red-flagging the market participants about this will be the starter in an upswing of the economy. (Last year, when the Reserve Bank cautioned banks and non-banks about the risk building up in the then high growing personal loan segment, the regulator was performing that role).

Second, countercyclical buffers and provisions for even standard assets will be another precautionary speed-breaker that the regulator will place. (The recent Reserve Bank of Indias prudential guidelines on project financing is an example of this approach).

Third, building up the war chest of capital and reserves of the financial entities will be the bulwark that the regulator would insist during the upswing. Typically, financial entities will be generating higher profits during this phase and it will be an ideal time for reserves to be enhanced with ease. The regulator should consider higher capital-to-risk assets ratio for the banks and non-banks in general.

Fifth, during the expected growth phase, Indias banks and financial institutions will grow into big sizes, both as individual entities and as groups. Too big to fail will be a greater concern. Hence, the regulator should also be considering entity-specific variations for higher capital ratios like for financial conglomerates and systemically important banks and financial entities.

Role of fintech

One of the important contributing factors for the expected high-growth phase of the economy in general and the financial sector in particular will be the emergence of fintech companies. The role of fintech companies in furthering financial reach and inclusion, and adding efficiency to the banking and financial system in the coming years is very crucial.

While the earlier claims or expectations that fintech companies will eliminate banks have since been put paid to and the Reserve Banks policy position that fintech companies cannot lend on their balance sheets have reduced direct financial risks, their proliferation and growth will entail customer protection issues and also possible indirect financial risks for banks and non-banks.

Digital lending, buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) and pay-as-you-go kind of schemes have the inherent risks of going overboard and irrational exuberance on scale and speed at which these innovations grow. Misselling and overexposure are the common dangers. Further, enhanced risks relating to data protection and privacy issues, cybersecurity issues and operational risks will also have to be factored in. Besides, new concentration risks are also anticipated in Big Tech companies flexing their muscles in the fintech sphere.

While fintech companies are not regulated entities, one argument will be that they should be brought under direct regulation. However, that will be unwarranted and unmanageable. The current policy position of the Reserve Bank that fintech companies are best dealt with by indirect regulation through banks and non-banks will be suitable even for the high growth phase.

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To conclude, as India is on its journey to become an advanced nation by 2047, the needed sustained high growth rate will in its wake manifest inherent risks for the financial system and entities. To manage these risks, the regulator has to be ever vigilant in anticipating risk events and placing precautionary and preventive regulatory measures so that the growth engines make a speedy journey along the regulatory guard rails safely.

R. Gandhi is a former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
The year 2024 marks an important demographic milestone in the world, as the absolute size of the working age (20-64) population of the relatively rich countries (the 38-country OECD, or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, club) begins to shrink. In the next 25 years, projections are that it will fall by tens of millions, from its current level of around 800 million people. Correspondingly, the share of the aged (65-plus) in those countries is set to grow from 18% to 27% by 2050. How do these factoids on external demographic transitions concern Indias development journey over the next 25 years?

Population Growth

First, while Indias population will continue to grow, all discussions on population growth in India hereon will be centred on how slowly that will happen. To be sure, annual population growth rates peaked in the 1980s itself and have been on a downward trend since. But hereon, it will pinch, since several regions will begin to experience a decline in population. Some wards in Kolkata are already facing it due to extremely low fertility coupled with high net out-migration.

Since 1921, virtually no district of India faced this depopulation in any decennial census, but the number of such districts will begin to rise steadily by 2050. Depopulation pressures will slowly bring in closure of schools and maternity wards and the opening of old-age homes.

Rising Elderly Population

Second, as the India Ageing Report 2023 published by the United Nations Population Fund and the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) shows, the share of those aged 60-plus in the population is set to rise from around 10% today to a little over 20% in 2050, or close to 350 million in absolute terms. That is, there will be as many old people in India in 2050 as there are people today in the US, with obvious implications on the sustainability of pension schemes that are hotly debated today.

Demographic Disparities

Third, these broad contours of the coming demographic transition vary hugely within India. Consider two states at either end of the income spectrum: Kerala at the upper end and Bihar at the lower end. By 2050, the share of the aged in Keralas population will be above 25% whereas in Bihar it would still be under 15%. Keralas median age would be closer to 45 whereas Bihars would be closer to 30. Currently, both states face high out-migration. By 2050, Kerala would almost certainly be a state with high net in-migration.

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With a high median age, its demographic pressure to emigrate would have slowed down (as the Kerala Migration Survey 2023 already indicates) and the demand for a young (migrant) workforce would have opened substantially. Indeed, Kerala already hosts millions of migrants from North India. In Bihar, on the other hand, expect substantial out-migration even in 2050.

Internal Migration

Fourth, these demographic differences within India will reshape the internal migration dynamics heavily towards the ageing South from the relatively young northern hinterland. Until recently, natural population growth (the extent to which births exceed deaths) outweighed migration dynamics as the major driver of population growth at the state level. As natural growth rates crash, migration will bear a larger weight in the future.

If the delimitation exercise after 2026 is indeed carried forward, the South will be penalized in the Lok Sabha for better demographic performance (Lok Sabha seats are currently allotted as per the 1971 Census population figures, with a freeze on an updation until the first Census after 2026). But by 2050, the picture could indeed change if substantial population transfers take place through migration. That is, delimitation exercises in the later part of the 21st century would reward those states which absorb more migrants, as it did in the US over the course of the 20th century.

For instance, California increased its seat share in the House of Representatives from 11 out of 435 in 1910 to 53 out of 435 in 2010, essentially on account of migration. If the next delimitation in India is kicked down the road, as it has in the past, it could well be the case that in 2050, the reorganization of the Lok Sabha does not look very drastic as migration flows of 2025-2050 cancel out to some extent natural growth effects of the past 50 years.

Demographic pressures for interstate migration, however, run against a hostile policy climate against migrants, with states passing or promising anti-constitutional nativist legislations, blaming migrants for their woes, and even raising the bogey of outsider status for migrants contesting elections. There is thus scope for an Inter-State Migration Council to be formed to protect and enforce the constitutional ideal of free interstate mobility, without which the efficiency gains of an integrated labour market would be lost.

Finally, precisely because India would be far younger than the relatively aged and demographically imploding rich world, there appears to be a huge opportunity in leveraging the gains from international migration. Bilateral mobility partnerships across the skill spectrum must be pushed forward despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric which simply wont withstand the demographic inversion that they are undergoing.

Just as Kerala benefited from its connection with the Persian Gulf countries for 50 years during its demographic transition, the other states of India that have a relatively young workforce can benefit by connecting with gaps in labour markets around the world. By 2050, South Korea, Japan and maybe even China, however unrealistic it may seem today, could well be new destinations apart from current destinations in the Persian Gulf, North America, Europe and Australia.

The next 25 years hold a lot of promise for Indias developmental trajectory. A close understanding of Indias demographic transition and labour market dynamics will be pivotal for policymakers in making the best use of the resources at hand. The newly elected political dispensation should start this journey with that most important exercise for this purpose, curiously delayed so far by three years: a national census.

Chinmay Tumbe is a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and the author of India Moving: A History of Migration.

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This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

As India embarks on its transformative journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, it is time for the government to urgently focus its energies on primary educationone of the key pillars that determines a nations development. After two long years of pandemic-related school closures, we have finally gained enough ground after the losses of the covid years. The time is ripe now for us to look forward to a full and productive year of schooling and learning.

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There are three key transition points in any primary school system. First is the entry into formal schooling in Std 1. Second is the movement of children from Standard 2 to Standard 3 (in the terminology of the new National Education Policy, or NEP, this would be the end of the foundational stage"). Third is the transition from primary school to middle school (moving from Standard 5 to Standard 6). Looking closely at each of these transition points allows us to assess how far we have come and set expectations for what can be achieved in the upcoming school year and in the future.

Dawn of a new policy

For a long time to come, 2020 will be remembered as the year that covid hit the world. But in India, we will hopefully also look back and remember that the new National Education Policy was launched in that year. NEP 2020 brought with it clear targets, tasks and timelines, especially as far as young childrens education was concerned.

The new policy declared that the age range of 3 to 8 will be considered as the foundation stage". Early childrens education and the first two years of primary school must be seen as a continuum. NEP 2020 also lays out clear objectivesevery student will attain foundational literacy and numeracy by Std 3. The document stresses that this is an urgent national mission" and goes on to state that the rest of this policy will become relevant for our students only if this most basic learning requirement (reading, writing, and arithmetic at the foundational level) is first achieved."

Translating policy into practice began energetically soon after the new policy was launched. For the early grades in formal school, the NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) mission was announced. Curriculum framework and instructional modules were developed, and the delivery of teacher-training programmes and distribution of materials got underway.

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Even as early as September-October of 2022, a majority of government primary school teachers had already been trained (as per the Annual Status of Education Report of 2022). The momentum for transforming instructional practices in early grades must be kept up as we move into the new school year.

Tracking progress

Two key elements need to be firmly in place for helping children achieve the NIPUN goals by Std 3. First, teachers and classrooms need ongoing onsite academic support. Live demonstrations, discussions and problem-solving are needed by mentors from within the government school system to help teachers improve teaching-learning practices. Second, simple, easy-to-generate and easy-to-understand data is needed at the classroom and school level to track childrens progress in foundational skills through the year and across years.

NIPUN goals can be achieved, but, for that, instructional practices and cohort experiences must improve year on year. In 2024-25, we should begin to see the impact of the investments made in the past two years. As we welcome children into Std 3 in July, we must have a good understanding of how these children are different from the previous years cohort, and a realistic but ambitious plan of how far we can take them by the end of the school year.

What about school readiness and entry into Std 1? The provision of early childhood education varies substantially across and within states in India.

In some states, anganwadi coverage is high starting at age 3 and remains high till well after age 5. In others, private pre-schools dominate even in rural areas. In still others, government primary schools have included pre-primary grades. Based on available resources and emerging priorities, some state governments have begun to strengthen early childhood education (ECE) training within the anganwadi structure. Others are busy improving the in-school pre-primary structure and teaching-learning processes. Regardless of how the institutional delivery is done, efforts to systematically bring in the 3-6 age group into the continuum must continue.

It is worth noting that across the board, there has been a universal push to standardize age of entry into Std 1. Children coming into the formal system before age 6 can be a disadvantage. Children must be ready"cognitively, socially and emotionally to cope with what is required of them in the early grades of primary school.

The early childhood years have also seen interesting innovations in the last two years. In particular, school systems in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have been actively encouraging young parents, especially mothers, to participate in their childrens learning journeys.

Holistic and continuum" report cards in government schools are helping families understand that building strong foundations is not only about numeracy and literacy; childrens development requires a breadth of skills that includes cognitive growth, socio-emotional resilience and a variety of physical and motor skills. Such innovations must be encouraged. Families and communities can bring in much needed support for ensuring that young children get a strong start.

Building foundation

Finally, a few words about the third transitionchildren moving from Std 5 into middle school in Std 6. It is worth remembering that the cohort of children who will attend Std 6 in July 2024 have only had three years of primary schooling and not five. These children were in Std 1 before the pandemic arrived. When schools reopened in 2022, they were of the age to be in Std 4.

While curricular expectations in classes 5 and 6 are high, we must ensure that no child enters middle school without acquiring basic reading and comprehension skills and without with strong number knowledge and mastery of basic arithmetic operations. Tried and tested instructional approaches like teaching at the right level are available for helping children catch up".

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For the 2024-25 school year, the highest priority must be to continue the momentum on building strong foundations from the early years all the way to the end of primary school. NEP 2020 points out that building basic foundational literacy and numeracy for primary school children are essential and urgent national priorities. As citizens, it is up to all of us, to ensure that policy becomes practice and that each cohort of children going through the primary school system comes out stronger and certain to go further than previous cohorts.

Rukmini Banerji is chief executive officer at Pratham Education Foundation.
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

In a few days from now, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her seventh consecutive budget, a record in Indias history. This is also the first Union budget in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. Undoubtedly, we expect directional continuity in policy announcements with a thrust on economic growth, social development and sustainability, in line with the vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. Here are the key priority areas this budget should focus on.

Scale up manufacturing

Domestic manufacturing must take a giant leap for India to be a global manufacturing hub. This is a necessity if we are to create scores of jobs and chart out a path for prosperity for our citizens.

A 360-degree planning of the entire value chainfrom design to manufacturingmust be done, especially in hi-tech areas such as defence, electronics and semiconductors. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are an integral part of the ecosystem, and the industry must work with the government to enhance their presence and leverage their strengths.

Simplify tax structure

The government has taken numerous actions to make the tax structure one of the best in the world. We expect continuity in tax policy, with further simplification of the tax regime as it will enhance ease of doing business and help improve investor confidence. For instance, we must work towards a simplified capital gains tax regime by having just two or three broad heads of asset type and by bringing uniformity in the applicable rates and holding period for instruments within the same asset class. Government should also lay down a road map for rationalization of TDS, or tax deducted at source, rate structure as this will considerably ease the compliance burden on taxpayers and avoid litigation due to characterization disputes.

Focus on R&D

Over the next three years, India must enhance its overall research and development (R&D) spend to more than 1% of GDP (from 0.7% currently). The 1 trillion corpus announced in the interim Union budget for research and innovation in sunrise sectors needs to be operationalized. It must be ensured that TRL (technology readiness level) 2-4 research is taken up to innovations with TRL 8-9 implementation levels. Further, a collaborative approach for creating innovation clusters is required, co-locating the private sector, academia, investors, start-ups and government-funded R&D institutions for critical areas such as renewable energy, water, smart mobility, new materials, and life sciences. The government can examine a shift in focus of publicly funded research in autonomous government laboratories to publicly funded research in higher education institutions as this will build a supply of advanced research talent needed by companies.

Skills and jobs

A pertinent economic issue that needs to be addressed is the dichotomy of unemployment and skill gap. Only 3.3% of our labour force in the age group of 15-59 years has formal vocational training and even among the future workforce (age group 15  29 years), this ratio is less than 5%. This is starkly low when compared with 52% in USA, 75% in Germany and 96% in South Korea. Greater spend towards vocational training and skilling is much needed. Collaborative PPP models of skilling must be explored to ensure that acquired skillsets match industry expectations.

Women in workforce

India could boost its annual growth by 1.5 percentage points if around 50% of women could join the work force (as against 35.9% in FY23). With right skilling, and supportive policies and schemes, we can place many more women in manufacturing roles. We must facilitate and incentivize market access for women entrepreneurs through public procurement and greater use of e-commerce. We must also increase access to finance and capital for women and young entrepreneurs. There should be a continued thrust on women empowerment in this budget as seen in the earlier budgets. More lakhpati didis with right skilling will be a win-win for rural economy.

Strengthen the farm-to-fork economy

We need multi-faceted policy interventions to unlock the potential of Indian agriculture and to strengthen the entire value chain from farm to fork. To boost agri productivity, the government should launch an agricultural yields mission for the bottom 100 districts on the lines of aspirational districts. A collaborative centre-state approach towards establishing potential agri-clusters may also be considered. Developing farm gate infrastructure including scientific storage, grading, processing, lab testing, packaging, price discovery mechanism, point of sale/purchase, and transport facilities will be critical to modernize agriculture and reduce post-harvest losses (from the current 40% to 20%). Further, India must work on developing climate-resilient seeds through R&D collaboration between private sector and government agri-research institutions.

Focus on sustainability

India has set for itself the target of net zero by 2070. We need an enabling policy framework that can target resources towards both green areas as well as transition areas. Another facet of promoting sustainability is circularity, which can by itself help us economize use of resources of all kinds. The government should come out with a national taxonomy for green finance which will set a standard framework and nudge banks and other financial institutions to set sustainability targets and align their business strategies accordingly. Likewise, there is a need to create pathways for green transition for all sectors, and development of a national framework for circular economy.

Anish Shah is president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The Union Budget 2024 may continue focusing on capital expenditure (capex) to boost growth even though there could be higher allocations for the rural economy and welfare schemes, according to CareEdge (CARE Ratings).

The rating agency expects FY25 revenue expenditures to grow by 6.8 per cent, higher than the budgeted growth of 4.6 per cent. This will result in a nearly 750 billion higher allocation than the Interim Budgets estimate.

"The government will likely retain capex target for FY25 at 11.1 trillion, up 17 per cent compared to FY24. Major schemes/ministries that can see higher allocation include MNREGA, PM Awas Yojana, PM Gram Sadak Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and schemes related to labour-intensive MSME sectors," said a note from CareEdge.

Also Read | Budget 2024 Expectations Live Updates: Experts anticipate key policy shifts

The rating agency also expects the government to focus on divestments that have missed their targets for five consecutive years.

CareEdge believes the government will likely stick to the FY25 target of miscellaneous capital receipts, including divestment, of 500 billion. However, achieving this target hinges on the government undertaking big-ticket divestments.

"The government has relied on the OFS (offer for sale) route for undertaking divestments in recent years. Issues like procedural delays, litigations by labour unions/interest groups, and pricing issues continue to slow divestments. We estimate a total divestment potential of 11.5 trillion (assuming the Centre retains a 51 per cent stake). However, the decision to divest will depend on market conditions and the strategic nature of the firms," said the rating agency.

Also Read | Samosas, tea and a stormy night discussion on how the Budget affects the economy

CareEdge believes that if divestment lags due to headwinds, the government will continue with its focus on asset monetisation. Plausible divestments include Shipping Corp, Pawan Hans, NMDC Steel, and CONCOR.

Four key Budget themes CareEdge expects the Budget to be centred around four key themes: employment generation, capital expenditure with a focus on self-reliance, climate change and sustainability, and financial services.

Employment generation The government may target the textile, hospitality, tourism, real estate, and infrastructure sectors for employment generation.

The government may introduce a PLI scheme for the textile sector for cotton-based apparel and garment manufacturing. This would also help boost our exports, said CareEdge.

CareEdge expects measures to boost the hospitality and tourism sectors by giving infrastructure status to the hotel industry and industry status to the travel and tourism sector. Additional measures such as incentives such as tax breaks or subsidies to promote investments in sustainable tourism will also be significantly positive for the travel and tourism sectors.

Also Read | How to pack for the journey to 2047

For the real estate sector, CareEdge expects increased fund allocation to PMAY/schemes focused on affordable housing.

The infrastructure sector can get a boost and raise employment generation through increased project awards across PPP (public-private partnership) and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) modes.

Capex CareEdge expects the government to promote a domestic manufacturing ecosystem for renewable energy through a mix of budgetary support, grants, tax breaks and PLIs.

In line with the interim budget, roads and highways could receive an increased budgetary allocation of 5-7 per cent, with a focus on deepening coastal road connectivity. The railways could receive a higher budgetary allocation of 12-15 per cent to 2.75 lakh crore, CareEdge said.

Climate change To promote renewable energy, CareEdge expects an extension of the inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charge waiver beyond June 30, 2025.

It also expects favourable adjustments to the ethanol policy, particularly for the use of sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses for ethanol production, to support the governments goal of achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending in gasoline.

Expectations also exist for an extension of the FAME-II and EMPS 2024 schemes to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

Reduction of GST rates on lithium-ion batteries will facilitate the transition towards EVs, and tax incentives for hybrid vehicles will encourage their adoption alongside EVs, said CareEdge.

Financial services CareEdge expects the government to take steps to improve deposit inflows into the banking sector. Moreover, The government could look at diluting stakes in select public sector banks to meet listing norms.

Some public-sector general insurance companies need a capital infusion. The insurance sector needs reforms, such as a composite license, micro insurance, IND AS, etc., to achieve the target of insurance for all, said CareEdge.

Moreover, CareEdge believes norms to optimise the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) for speedy resolution and increased recoveries could be enhanced.

Read all Budget-related news here
This is part of a special series of articles by the country's foremost voices, ahead of Union Budget 2024, aiming to draw attention to the critical reforms that can help India in its journey to become a developed nation by 2047.

The fictional village of Phulera is back on our screens. The third season of the streaming series Panchayat has once again brought to life the rustic charm, the petty quarrels, the human drama in this little village in Uttar Pradesh. The tales from Phulera also tell us a lot about an issue India needs to grapple with in the coming decadesthe ability of the state to work efficiently at the many points where it actually deals with citizens on a daily basis. This is the frontline of the state: the world of the ration office, the police constable, the public health centre, the sanitation inspector, the school teacher and the panchayat secretary.

The three seasons of the series provide tantalizing glimpses of how a rickety state struggles with issues such as welfare payments, sanitation programmes, installing solar panels, rural roads and much else. Phulera is an archetypical village in the Gangetic belt, but building an effective state at the urban frontline is as important as doing so at the rural frontline.

Urbanization and local government autonomy Indians are inevitably moving in larger numbers to cities, making us a predominantly urban society in the years ahead. And it is not just a matter of how many people will live in cities. Large urban centres drive economic growth, by bringing together skills, capital and ideas through a dense network of interactions.

In his new book, Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap For Effective Governance, Karthik Muralidharan of the University of California San Diego writes that service delivery in a federation such as ours should primarily be a local government function. One of the most important governance reforms we need is to shift responsibility for service delivery from states to local bodies. He also points out that the urge to give local governments autonomy in service delivery should be balanced by the risk of capture by local elites. More broadly, there are three core issues here.

Financial challenges of local governments First, most local governments are financially emaciated. They depend on transfers from the state government or the Union government for a big portion of their budgets. A pioneering study of municipal budgets by the Reserve Bank of India showed that city governments directly generate only 65 out of every 100 that goes into their budgets. The rest comes from financial transfers.

Read this | The new NDA government is flexing centralizing muscles Some of this is understandable. The political reason is that most large countries assign more taxation powers to higher levels of governments, perhaps because the distance from local interest groups makes it easier to design effective tax policy. The economic reason is that a lot of income is generated from nationwide economic activity even though it may be booked at the place where an individual or company resides.

There is a compelling case for strengthening the finances of cities. One option is for cities to collect more money through property taxes, user fees, parking charges and the like. However, these are all inelastic sources of revenue, which do not automatically grow in tandem with the underlying economy.

Cities need more elastic sources of revenues. One option is to assign a small proportion of the money collected through the goods and services tax (GST) directly to cities, rather than route them through state governments, at least for the large cities to begin with. GST is a destination tax, so assignment should not be a major problem.

Clarity of purpose and staffing issues Second, the effectiveness of delivery of services by the frontline of the Indian state also depends on clarity of purpose. The Indian Constitution was amended in 1993 to recognize the third tier as a formal part of the constitutional structure, in addition to the Union and state levels. There was also an attempt to carve out some specific tasks for local governments. For example, the 12th Schedule that was added to the Constitution after the 74th Amendment identifies 18 functions for city governments. These range from some that are very specific to cities (urban planning, land use, parks) to the more generic (planning for economic development, promotion of cultural activities, protection of weaker sections of society). Similarly, the 11th Schedule specifies the responsibilities of village panchayats in 29 matters.

A lot of the tasks that local governments are expected to perform are also linked to national requirements such as citizen safety, public health and school education.

More here | Women's political empowerment will enhance governance and boost the economy The result is a spaghetti bowl of exclusive as well as derived tasks. Local governments end up having limited autonomy to take independent decisions, even in the tasks that are constitutionally assigned to them. Nor do they have the freedom to hire adequate staff. Most of the people working at the frontline are employed by state governments. They also tend to report to seniors in that hierarchy rather than local elected officials. The incentives are thus misaligned in many cases.

Third, the staffing distribution of the Indian state across its three tiersUnion, state and localis very different from other large countries such as the US and China. Devesh Kapur of Johns Hopkins University has shown how most government employees in those two countries are concentrated in either the central or local levels. State government employment is much less.

In India, it is the state governments that have the most staffing strength; the Union and local governments are relatively understaffed. No matter how carefully designed development programmes are designed by national bureaucracies, ultimately their performance on the ground hinges on how effectively they are implemented by local bureaucracy at the frontline, writes Kapur, citing the work of Harvard University development economist Lant Pritchett.

A more balanced federal design across the three tiers of the Indian state would be a better reflection of the concerns of 21st century India, as it climbs up the development ladder.

Also read | Let us deploy fiscal federalism against climate change A simple way to think about this is as follows: The Union government stays focused on policy frameworks as well as national public goods; state governments pour their energy into local public goods as well as competing for investments; and local governments raise their game at the many points where development programmes touch the lives of citizens every day. Phulera is a microcosm of that story.
Wipro Q1 results preview: Wipro Ltd, the fourth largest information technology (IT) services company, is all set to announce its earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 on Friday, July 19. The analyst predicts that Wipro's sequential revenue growth in the quarter that ended in June would be flat. Revenues would exceed the -1.5-0.5% projection midpoint, according to Kotak Institutional Equities. The brokerage also stated that it believes the strength of CAPCO and the probable rebound in the Americas market to be the reasons for the reasonably solid run.

Based on an average of five brokerage firms, Wipro's revenue is expected to increase slightly from 22,208.3 crore in the March quarter to 22,491 crore in April-June.

Axis Securities in its report said that it expects Wipro to report revenue growth of 0.9% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in rupee terms.

However, because of the macro effect and ongoing volatility in verticals, Motilal Oswal indicated in its analysis that it expects the IT giant to show a decrease of around 0.5% in Q1FY25.

Brokerageviews on operating margins, or earnings before interest and tax, or earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), are mixed. We forecast 30 basis points (bps) increase in EBIT margin qoq due to cost containment and efficiency measures, said Kotak in its report.

Nuvama predicts that margins will decline by 20 basis points on a quarterly basis. According to Motilal Oswal, the margin on IT services is projected to be range boundand may even slightly decline.

Operating margins may expand by 44 bps QoQ led by volume growth and lower on site expenses, said Axis Securities in its report.

Wipro's profit after taxes is predicted to rise marginally from 2,835 crore in the March quarter to 2,908 crore in April-June, based on the average of five brokerage companies.

Deal Wins Brokerage houseKotak predicts significant deal signings following several quarters of disappointment. According to the brokerage's report, Wipro announced its first mega-deal in the communications vertical since 2021. In addition to the massive transaction that was just revealed, the company has secured additional agreements.

Key monitorable to watch out Brokerage Motilal Oswal states that the main metrics to be watched are the strategic efforts of the new management and remarks on the consultancy industry's resurgence.

Growth Guidance for Q2FY25 Brokerage Kotak anticipates that Wipro will provide a forecast range of (-)1-1% for the September 2024 quarter, with flat revenuesat the midpoint. Similarly, Nuvama anticipates that Wipro will provide Q2FY25 CC QoQ revenue growth guidanceof -1% to +1%.
NEW DELHI : Rakesh Bharti Mittal, vice-chairman of Bharti Enterprises Ltd, called for simplifying tax regimes for companies and individuals in the Union Budget 2024-25.

In an interaction with Mint, he also sought financial support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the healthcare sector in the budget to be presented to 23 July.

He said the industry would be looking for a meaningful road map to advance the country towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 in the budget. India as a nation must continue the high-growth trajectory, which, I think, is extremely important when looking at our aspiration of Viksit Bharat. I expect finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to ensure a meaningful road map is laid out to translate this vision into reality."

Simplify tax regimes

Mittal acknowledged taxes are an important resource for the government for funding developmental projects but he sought a simplified tax structure that will contribute to the ease of doing business. If that can be only further strengthened but implemented to the last mile. Infrastructure projects like roads, airports, and ports go through the entire country should be equally focused upon," he said.

India has kept the effective tax rate for new manufacturing units at 17% to attract new investments into the country. Industries have demanded that this rate be continued for a few more years.

He said infrastructure development will be required to form a bedrock for investments in the semiconductor industry and for India to become part of the global supply chains.

Indias plans to scale up manufacturing are likely to be amongst the highlights of the budget 2024, according to several news reports. The country has been pushing to make space for itself in the global value chains to reduce its dependence on China.

Mittal also noted that the industry and the government must come together to scale up manufacturing so that high-quality product development can take place at scale, making products and services affordable. This, he said, will make India competitive in global markets. Case in point is telecom, where we have the lowest tariffs in the world. That is something we can attain, and we dont have a deficit of talent."

Financial assistance for MSMEs

Terming MSMEs as the backbone of Indias economy, Mittal said an incentive model, rather than a subsidy model, should be considered to provide financial support to small businesses.

He also pushed for a healthcare safety net for individuals, especially those not covered under the governments existing schemes.

Mittal highlighted the need to skill students and re-skill the workforce to make them employable. Here, both central and state governments would have to jointly make contributions to beef up the skill development programmes.

He also called on the government to adopt best practices from the private sector in education and replicate them in primary or secondary school systems.

Bharti Airtel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, launched a merit-cum-means scholarship programme on Tuesday. The programme will begin with 250 students a year and will gradually reach up to 4,000 students. The scholarship programme is expected to have an annual outlay of 100 crore to support students on a rolling basis.
Several new-age companies including Zomato and Healthify that have relied on tech to drive disruption are now opting out of hiring replacements for the once-prized C-suite role.

Swiggy, Byjus, Ola Mobility, BookMyShow, and Udaan are among startups that have re-evaluated the CTO position by hiring internally, redistributing an outgoing technology chiefs responsibilities to senior leaders, or even leaving the position vacant, according to research by Longhouse Consulting.

After tech leaders like Zomatos Gunjan Patidar, Leadsquareds Sudhakar Gorti, Healthifys Sachin Shenoy, Apnas Shantanu Preetam, and Udaans Gaurav Bhalotia, left their respective companies, their responsibilities were redistributed among other lower-ranked leaders in the hierarchy.

Also read: HNIs pivot towards early-stage startups as late-stage entities face correction

Swiggy, Byjus, Yubi and Curefit chose to elevate an internal executive to the position when their CTOs Dale Vaz, Anil Goel, Harsh Mittal, and Shamik Sharma, called it quits from the respective firms.

Practo, BookMyShow, and Vedantu have not announced a replacement after their CTOs left, Longhouse said in a report. Companies that are retaining their high-cost CTOs are pushing them to take on additional roles such as IT management, product oversight, or broader organisational responsibilities", it said.

For instance, Ola Mobilitys Suvonil Chatterjee has moved to Ola Electric as chief tech and product officer, but no announcement has been made on plans to fill Chatterjees previous position.

While the technology role is crucial for India's startup sector, especially as artificial intelligence takes centre stage, companies are sacrificing key positions as they focus on stabilising their operations than on expanding into new areas.

... over the last year or so, theres been a lot of focus on profitability and making the business viable. We are now emphasising the right mix of talent and cost, and honestly, titles dont matter," said Rakshit Daga, chief product and tech officer of online grocer BigBasket.

If a founder believes their company has the right talent to target its next set of goals", it can do so without a CTO, Daga added. The CTO role brings experience, skill, and decision-making ability. But if your team is empowered to act in a clear and logical way (independently), you are well-placed."

Zomato, Leadsquared, Swiggy, Byjus, Curefit, Practo, BookMyShow, and Ola Mobility, did not respond to Mints queries.

Looking internally

...recent leadership appointments reflect our commitment to investing in and grooming our top talent internally. This internal focus helps us deepen the leadership pipeline, maximise our team's potential, drive innovation," said Abhishek Mehrotra, chief human resource officer, Yubi Group.

He was responding to a query on why the company opted to elevate Bharat Krishnamurthy to the CTO position at Yubi & Yubi Securities, and Krishnendu Majumdar, former chief people's officer (CPO), to the newly formulated role of chief people & technology officer (CPTO) at Yubi.

Edtech firm Vedantu, responding to Mints queries, said it opted against external hiring for the vacant CTO position to capitalise on the internal leadership already within the company".

Since its inception, Pulkit (Jain), one of our co-founders, has steered Vedantu as the head of product and technology. Ajith (Reddy), our AVP-Tech, has been a pivotal leader at Vedantu for the last 10 years, driving our technology initiatives forward," said a Vedantu spokesperson.

While Ranjan (Sakalley) contributed to Vedantu's journey during his tenure, our decision reflects confidence in our internal leadership's ability to steer our technology and product innovation forward."

CTOs are expensive

This comes at a time when India Inc. is grappling with a fast-evolving digital landscape, where newer technologies like generative artificial intelligence is significantly changing the dynamics of doing business in any industry.

Further, with the ongoing funding winter making funds scarce for Indian startups, and investments into them only starting to show small signs of life now after two years of a funding drought, new-age tech firms have tightened their purse strings and cut down on any excess expenditure.

In late-stage companies, top leaders draw out huge salaries that startups do not seem to be in the position to splurge on, especially during a continued downturn.

...CTO salaries typically comprise cash (fixed plus variable) and stock components. The cash part can be anywhere from 3 to 5 crores annually, and the stock part can range from half a million to a million dollars per year. So, it's a substantial cost," Careernet's Das said.

Moreover, a new external hire would push for more projects, not just maintain the existing system. And this would require substantial investments and risk at a time when funds are limited.

Industry experts also believe that the freeze in CTO hiring is more likely to occur in late-stage companies, as by then, most have built their product-market fit and set up key processes that seldom need too much intervention to keep functioning.

Evolving with time

The company goes gradually from person dependent, to system dependent, and then likely to process dependency," said Yagnesh Sanghrajka, founder and CFO of venture capital firm 100X.VC, while adding that most of the companies in the list are in the later stage of their lifecycle maturing into a process dependent organisation.

However, Jaya Kishore Reddy, co-founder and CTO of Yellow.ai, said that while startups that are majorly product-led could afford to eliminate CTO roles, purely tech-focussed startups might find it tougher to follow suit.

Companies who are natively tech-only companies, for example, pure tech SaaS companies, which cross 30 million ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue), it's (having a CTO) an absolute must, because there's a day-to-day changing technology, irrespective of what stage we are in," explained Reddy.

Tech salaries recover

Another aspect of this evolving paradigm has been the depressed salaries paid to tech talent in the past few years. Tech salaries have experienced significant fluctuations from 2021 to 2023.

During the pandemic, tech professionals were receiving exuberant pay hikes, but by late 2022, startups had begun downsizing and adopting a more cautious approach to hiring and salary increases in those roles due to emerging challenges.

However, according to tech hiring company TopHire, tech salaries have shown signs of recovery, with hikes returning to January 2023 levels in July this year. The median hike percentage now stands at about 38 percent, according to data collated by the company.

Tech salaries had peaked in the first quarter of 2022, with the median hike reaching as high as 65 percent, data showed.

Also read: Silver lining for Indian startups as monthly funding shoots highest since June

These past three months we've noticed an increase in the average hike percentage received by tech professionals, which makes sense cause were also seeing a slight improvement in the overall (startup) funding market and recent quarter-on-quarter funding improvements," said Siddharth Gopi, co-founder of TopHire.

Mint had reported earlier that private equity and venture capital funding for Indian startups had shot up in June to its highest monthly level in the past two years, buoyed by investors topping up funding in their portfolio companies.

Which brings us to the question: Will startups, of all hues, continue to keep their CTO positions empty, or fill it up with expensive hires, when the money tap has just started dripping back into life?
Soon after the new California law dropped in, Elon Musk announced on July 16 his decision to relocate the headquarters of SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) to Texas. The controversial legislation prevents schools from mandating that teachers notify parents about changes to a student's gender identity, as per a report AFP.

"This is the final straw," Musk declared on X, a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, intensifying the cultural debates during a volatile election year in the United States.

"Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas," Musk stated, as quoted by AFP.

The billionaire also confirmed that X will be transferred from its art-deco headquarters in San Francisco to Austin, a move he has previously threatened but not executed until now.

"Have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building," Musk wrote.

Musk had already moved Tesla's headquarters from Palo Alto in Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas, although an "engineering headquarters" remains in California.

Musk has been openly critical of the use of preferred pronouns, frequently mocking the practice on social media and describing it as part of a "woke" agenda harmful to society. He is estranged from his trans daughter, blaming her California private school education for her political beliefs and their strained relationship.

Gender issues Governor Newsom enacted the law on Monday following a contentious legislative process. The law counteracts decisions in conservative school districts that mandated teachers notify parents if a student changed their name or pronouns or requested to use facilities or participate in programs not matching their official gender.

Newsom, seen as a potential Democratic alternative to President Joe Biden in the next presidential election, has frequently clashed with conservatives over gender issues in state schools. Last year, he signed a law imposing fines on school districts that banned textbooks depicting LGBTQ people and other marginalised groups.

Newsom also engaged in a bitter dispute with a conservative school board over the study of Harvey Milk, a gay rights figure and San Francisco public official who was assassinated.

Musk and Newsom have a history of conflicts, notably during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the former challenged the decisions of city and state health officials.
Bengaluru: India-focused investment firm Dharana Capital has purchased shares worth 400 crore, or $50 million, in Urban Company from the home-services marketplaces employees and other shareholders.

The transaction marks the largest liquidity of employee stock options in Urban Companys history, the company said in a statement.

Urban Company, with its full-stack approach and focus on partner enablement, has built a strong, capital-efficient and durable business in a challenging local services market, said Vamsi Duvvuri, founder and managing partner of Dharana Capital, who will join the board of Urban Company as a non-executive director.

Dharana Capital, which typically invests in technology and consumer-focused companies, has also backed insurance platform Zopper, lending platform Lentra, and NoBroker, a real-estate services company that has also ventured into at-home salon services, carpentry, and AC repair, similar to those of Urban Companys.

While Urban Company did not disclose the deal valuation, secondary transactions generally take place at a discount to the value of the primary shares. In a secondary transaction, shareholders sell their stakes to other existing or new investors, and no new capital is injected into the company.

Sniffing profits Urban Company was last valued at $2.1 billion when it raised $255 million in June 2021 and entered the unicorn clubstartups estimated to be worth at least $1 billion. Since then, the company has not seen any primary fundraises.

The company, a technology marketplace for home services such as beauty and spa, cleaning, plumbing and appliance repair, also ventured into branded home appliances last year with the launch of a range of water purifiers.

Also read | Urban Company is eyeing profits and an IPO. But gig workers are angry

Over the last three months, the company has claimed 282-283 crore in revenue with a first-ever profit in April. Beyond India, Urban Companys UAE business is also set to be on the cusp of profitability, the company said, but did not disclose more details.

A deferred IPO In 2021, Urban Company had detailed plans for an initial public offering of its shares by 2023. The plans were deferred, and the company is now targeting an IPO next year.

Urban Company also onboarded three independent board membersDr. Ashish Gupta, Ireena Vittal, and Shyamal Mukherjeein 2022 as it prepares for a public listing.

Founded in 2014 by Raghav Chandra, Abhiraj Singh Bhal and Varun Khaitan, Urban Company clocked a 45% increase in operating revenue to 637 crore in 2022-23. Its losses narrowed to 308 crore from 514 crore in FY22.
New Delhi: Karan Kapur, 38, from South Delhi has been flirting with the idea of sobriety for the last three months. Not so much because he's consuming alcohol on a regular basis but that he's starting to develop early signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease because of his high-stress corporate lifestyle. Kapur works as an investment banker in the city and was advised by his doctor to consider drastically changing his lifestyle and not indulge in that occasional tipple. In order to combat any pressure from friends at social gatherings, he started to try 0% beers. While he's not tried any other form of non-alcoholic substitute yet, he would be open to trying it if he knew where they were available.

This is exactly the kind of user a clutch of companies are now looking to target across bigger metros. This is why Ishan Arora describes his one-year-old spirits business, as one that involves tiger striping, that refers to alternating non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Arora, the founder and CEO of Catwalk Botanics which makes four types of non-alcoholic spirits like 0% vodkas and gins, says the term is largely embraced by "sober curious" communitieswho are looking to reduce the amount of alcohol they are having at a party by alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during a night of drinking to cut down the overall consumption without the social pressure.

Arora is clear that his brand is for moderation and not for teetotallers, though he'd be quite happy if they consumed it, too, since it mimics the flavours of vodka and gin without the extreme bitterness. "The Indian market is very pro-alcohol in general and this category is probably just under 1% of the entire business right now. Consumers for the kinds of spirits are few and far between but we're fine with that for now because that's quite enough to sustain business. This is not a mass product," he said. His beverages are available at about 20 restaurants across Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai and is also now available at most modern retail outlets as well as online.

Everything from adaptogens like lemongrass and antioxidants like ashwagandha go into Catwalk and are brewed over a few months using monk fruit as a sweetener and is produced and bottled in New Delhi.

Consumption interest

A sizable number of companies across India, big and small, including Catwalk, Sober, Sobriety Sips and the bigwigs in the beer industry are now experimenting in creating non and low alcohol spirits, including beer, wine, gin, whisky and others. What's driving this trend is a cohort of drinkers who are now looking to cut down on their consumption. There is also someperhaps very limitedinterest from non-consumers of alcohol as well. Early days of the category saw a lot of non-alcoholic beers being produced which paved the way for these businesses and now several independent companies have joined the bandwagon, creating various types of distilled and dealcoholized spirits.

"The low or no alcohol segments, especially 0% alcohol beer, is shaping up well," said Vinod Giri, director general of the Brewers Association of India. The association represents AB InBev, Heineken and Carlsberg here. Its early days and the base is small, but the trends are encouraging. Most of its consumption seems to be coming from non-drinkers during social occasions who cannot have alcohol for whatever reason, by choice, or health reasons or for post-occasion driving responsibility. This category does eat into some occasions associated with the larger alcoholic beverage market, both in spirits and beers, but there is little evidence that it materially affects alcobev sector. There is some argument that it builds familiarity with the taste of alcohol, reduces barriers to trial and thus may even help recruit new consumers," he said.

Non-alcoholic spirits, on the other hand, are still too new to even capture the market of. Companies like Sober, and Catwalk, are still trying to make their mark here because of the newness of the business. Giri cited data from London-based drinks consultancy IWSR, that non-alcoholic beer sold about 50,000 hectolitres in 2023 in India, or about 630,000 cases. Each case has 24 cans each of 330 ml, growing 16% over the previous year. The two years before this, the sales for the year stood at 43,000 and 36,000 hl each. Sales in 2020, prior to covid were also 50,000 hl, coming back to the same figure. In contrast, in 2023, the beer market grew 6.5%, with sales reaching over 31 million hl, or about 400 million cases.

A look at the market

Globally though, they now make up about 2% of the entire beer market, which shows its potentially disruptive nature. More recently, non-alcoholic wines and spirits have gained some traction and at the same time traditional spirit producers in the industry are innovating to launch non-alcoholic alternatives to their existing product lines. For instance, Beefeater, the world's most awarded gin, introduced Beefeater 0.0 in January, capturing the essence of its full-strength gin in a non-alcoholic form in January this year. Heineken makes its 0% variant already and Ab InBev makes Hoegaarden and Budweiser 0.0 here.



These categories, especially 0% beers, are impulse purchase categories where quick commerce platforms have helped in discoverability and immediate supply, unlike delayed purchase from supermarkets. Quick commerce is the fastest growing segment in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry and has become very relevant for the food and beverages industry, as per industry data. In 2019, the entire FMCG industry had just 1-2% of its sales coming from ecommerce channels but that has gone up to 10% this year with 70% of it coming from quick commerce platforms.

Delhi-based Sober's parent company, V9 Beverages Pvt. Ltd.'s co-founder Aditya Aggarwal who also sells the Samsara 'pink' gin brand under another entity Spaceman Spirits Lab, said the idea for this company which began in 2020 came out of the gin business and was propelled by the subcurrent of curiosity around the no and low alcoholic beverages category and people's general focus towards having a more healthy lifestyle. "In terms of pricing, our products are at par with their regular spirit counterparts. They also have a similar distribution channel and we expect profitability in 24-36 months," he said. Sober's products are water-based or hydrosols made from distilling fresh flowers, leaves, fruits, etc.

Pre-covid, following a tried and tested method, international no/low-alcohol spirits brand owners were beginning to target the on-trade channel to seed demand, utilising mixologists at high-end hotels or bars to develop no-alcohol spirits-based cocktails. But since then it is in the last six to twelve months that momentum appears to be returning, Jason Holway, senior market consultant, IWSR told Mint. "There is an interest in moderation amongst younger legal drinking age consumers, the appeal to female consumers of well-made, no alcohol products and the appearance of such products in appropriate on-trade venues (after work bars or pubs)," he said.

However, there is as yet little opportunity of this type beyond tier 1 and 2 cities, according to him. One barrier to the growth of this segment in India is likely to remain price points they're offered at, particularly relative to soft drinks. "Distillers and brewers operate within a highly bureaucratic environment and, while no/low-alcohol products may offer the prospects of breaking out of these constraints and offering new routes to market, that has not happened yet," added Holway.
New Delhi: A consortium of state-run ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd is expected to bid for offshore hydrocarbon blocks in Bangladesh, amid Indias efforts to reduce its dependence on a few oil-exporting countries for the fuel.

Bangladesh government-owned PetroBangla in March floated a tender inviting bids for the exploration of 24 offshore blocks, including 15 deep-sea and nine shallow-sea blocks. Bids are to be submitted by 9 September.

A consortium of OVL and Oil India, which already has operations in Bangladesh, is likely to bid in the tender currently open for offshore blocks in the country," said a person aware of the developments.

An executive with one of these two oil companies said the blocks on offer have to be evaluated before a final decision is made. The bids need to be submitted by September, so there is considerable time for a concrete decision on this."

Russias invasion of Ukraine and the resultant energy market volatility have left Indian oil-producing companies scouting for long-term contracts and stakes in assets across regions to reduce dependence on a few nations.

India imports about 85% of its annual energy requirements. In 2023-24, India imported 232.5 million tonnes of crude.

ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd, and Oil India are already involved in the exploration of two blocks in Bangladesh.

The two companies did not reply to queries on their plans for bidding in the new blocks on offer.

All boxes ticked

PetroBanglas tender document seeking bids for the offshore hydrocarbon blocks specifies that the bidders must have daily offshore production of at least 15,000 barrels of oil, or 150 mmscf (million standard cubic feet) of gas, as an operator to quality. In the case of a consortium, at least one of the entities must meet that requirement.

PetroBangla added that the bidders must be involved in the exploration and production of at least one global oil and gas project.

ONGC Videsh qualifies on both terms.

In 2023-24, OVLs oil production stood at 7.178 million tonnes, as per its annual results. That translates to about 52.61 million barrels, or about 144,150 barrels per day.

Besides, as of 2022-23, ONGC Videsh had investments worth $20.86 billion in 13 oil-and-gas-producing assets across the globe, including in Russia, Vietnam, Venezuela, Colombia, and Abu Dhabi, per its annual report. It had another $487.57 million worth of cumulative investments in 14 exploratory assets across Colombia, Brazil, Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Also read | As sanctions return to Venezuela, OVL has a problem on its hands

Oil Indias overseas exploration and production portfolio as on 31 March, 2023 was spread across seven countriesfour producing assets in Russia and Venezuela, two discovered and development assets in Mozambique and Nigeria, and four exploratory assets in Libya, Gabon, and Bangladesh.

In 2023-24, Oil India produced 3.359 million tonnes of oil, which translates to about 24.62 million barrels, or 67,456 barrels per day. Its production last financial year was 5.76% higher than in 2022-23.

Bangladeshs depleting reserves

Along with Oil India, ONGC Videsh is involved in the exploration of two blocks in Bangladesh.

Block SS-09 was awarded to a consortium of OVL and Oil India in 2012. The Bangladesh government, PetroBangla, and a consortium of ONGC Videsh, Oil India and Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Co. Ltd (Bapex) signed a production-sharing contract on 17 February 2014.

ONGC Videsh is the operator of the block with a 45% participatory interest, while Oil India and Bapex hold 45% and 10% participatory interest, respectively.

Similarly, ONGC Videsh is the operator in Bangladeshs Block SS-04, with a 45% participatory interest.

Bangladesh has oil reserves of about 82 million barrels. The countrys move to offer 24 offshore blocks comes amid expectations that its gas reserves will be depleted by 2033 if no new major discoveries are made.

On 16 July, Bangladesh daily The Daily Star cited data from PetroBangla that of the countrys original reserve of 28 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas, about 18 Tcf of gas had been consumed, leaving on 10 Tcf of natural gas.

PetroBangla estimates another 1 Tcf of gas in the possible reserve category.
New Delhi: The Centre plans to strengthenweak public sector general insurers with capital support to help them meet regulatory requirements, ahead of a potential public listing and privatization. An announcement in this respect is likely in next week's Union budget or in the latter part of the current fiscal year, two people aware of the matter said.

The finance minister may allocate 4,000-5,000 crore for three public sector insurance companies, one of the two people cited above said, requesting anonymity. "The budget could also provide only a token capital for insurance companies, with more funds released after completing further assessments for fresh requirements," the person said.

In the interim budget for FY25 presented in February, the Centre had considered providing capital support to general insurers; however, the decision was postponed as the Centre wanted to first study their financial health in the June quarter, the second person mentioned above said.

Improving finances

The capital infusion will help improve the financial health of three firmsNational Insurance Co. Ltd, Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd and United India Insurance Co. as well as their solvency ratio, a measure of the financial buffer to settle all claims in extreme situations.

C.R. Vijayan, former secretary general, General Insurance Council said: There is marked improvement in performance of the three weaker public sector general insurance companies since the last capital support was extended by the government in FY22. These companies have also completed implementation of recommendations given by EY to restructure their operations. Additional capital infusion at this juncture would help the insurers to further strengthen their financials and reach closer to Irdai-mandated solvency ratio of 1.5 (times)".

The solvency ratio of all three public sector insurers is well below 1, lower than 1.5 times mandated by the insurance regulator to lower risks.

In terms of solvency margin, the required value is 150%. Solvency margin is the extra capital general insurance companies must hold over and above the claim amount they are likely to incur.It is a financial backup in extreme situations, enabling an insurer to settle all claims.

Report card

Among state-owned insurers, only New India Assurance is in a financially strong position. Its solvency ratio in FY24 was a healthy 1.81, as it remained the leader in India's general insurance industry. The company's profit after tax rose 7% to 1,129 crore in FY24.

The other three public sector general insurers fared worse.

National Insurance Co. reported a net profit of 31 crore in the March quarter, but an FY24 loss of 187 crore.The company had reported 3865.40 crore loss in FY23. Its solvency ratio at the end of FY24 stood at -0.45.

Oriental Insurance Co's net profit stood at 19 crore for FY24, up from a whopping loss of 4,968 crore in FY23.Its solvency ratio stood at -1.06 at the end of FY24.

United India Insurance Co. reported a loss of 804 crore in FY24, down from 2,829 crore losses in FY23.The company's solvency ratio stood at -0.59 in FY24.

The four public sector firms had earlier appointed EY to suggest ways to restructure their operations for profitable growth and employee development through performance and capability management.

While the FY24 annual budget and the interim budget for FY25 did not provide recapitalization funds for the loss-making general insurers, the Centre is considering it this time to ensure the improved financial health of insurers in the next fiscal, the person cited above said.

"If the companies turn profitable during FY25, the course of action could be listing and privatizing at least one of these general insurance companies, which could happen next fiscal," the person added.

Interestingly, the government had provided 12,450 crore to the three loss-making insurers in FY21 and 5,000 crore in FY22, but there were no provisions in FY23 and FY24.

Queries emailed to a finance ministry spokesperson and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) secretary remained unanswered.

Public listing

Among the four general insurers, the government may consider a public listing of National Insurance and Oriental Insurance after the capital infusion, while United India Insurance could be a candidate for privatization, the second person mentioned above said.

In her budget speech in 2021, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed strategic divestment in two public sector banks and one insurance company.However, the process has not made progress.

CareEdge Ratings estimates that the Indian non-life insurance market will grow at about 13-15% in the medium term.

"The overall business growth would be supported by macroeconomic factors, a favourable regulatory environment, and the Bima Trinity. Further, a focus on containing overall expenses and strengthening distribution networks (is also anticipated) to contribute to the sector's growth," the ratings company said in a May report on the non-life insurance sector.

"Additionally, reports of composite licenses and M&A could alter sectoral dynamics. The overall outlook for the non-life insurance sector remains stable in the medium term. However, intensified competition and an uncertain international geopolitical environment could potentially affect economic growth and subsequently impact the non-life insurance sector," it added.
The Karnataka government has pressed the brakes on a bill aimed at quotas for locals" in the private sector. The pause comes when the state is facing labour shortages. Besides, the bill would have deterred firms, delayed projects and impacted investments. Mint explains:

What does the draft bill say?

It directed firms to set aside 50% of management and 75% of non-management jobs for locals. It defined management as those who are in administrative, technical jobs and non-management as those in clerical postsskilled, semi-skilled, unskilled. Those employed on contracts in factories and industries too would have gone through a sifting, and firms which did not adhere to this were to be penalized. The local" candidate has to be someone born in Karnataka, who has spent at least 15 years in the state and can speak Kannada. The candidate had to provide school certificates to that the authorities.

Which sectors are most at risk?

E-commerce firms, startups, IT and ITes companies, and global capability centres (GCCs) that are headquartered in Karnataka will face disruptions if they have to select employees based on their where they come from. The IT and ITes sector, that employs millions, has warned that investments will dry up on the back of such protectionist measures. Industry body Nasscom that represents the IT companies said it was seriously concerned", pointing out the tech sector contributes 25% to the states GDP. Such a step will drive away companies", that will be forced to relocate as skilled talent becomes scarce.

What about the employment scenario?

The migrant workforce in the state has had an important role in infrastructure development and manufacturing, both of which will get impacted if the bill becomes law. Companies typically hire from colleges and vocational training grads. Job fairs and mass recruitment drives can come to a halt if firms have to offer roles only to certain sections of candidates.

Could the bill really have gone through?

Lawyers say that the bill is just a draft. It has to pass through the Lower and Upper Houses and then get the Governors assent. And bills like these are often challenged in courts. In 2020, the Haryana government tried to do something similar but the bill was struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court as it went against Article 14 and 19 of the Constitution. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, and Article 19 the freedom to move freely, form associations, and carry out a profession.

Can Karnataka lose out from these steps?

As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy," Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Ltd said in a post on X. The state which attracts millions of Indiansin both white- and blue- collar jobsalso faces stiff competition from other wealthy states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.
Crude oil prices climbed about one per cent on Wednesday, July 17, on a bigger-than-expected weekly drop in US crude stockpiles. A weaker US dollar against other currencies overshadowed signs of lower economic growth in China.

Brent futures rose 96 cents, or 1.2 per cent, to $84.69 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.36, or 1.7 per cent, to $82.12. Coming to domestic prices, crude oil futures last traded 1.95 per cent higher at 6,911 per barrel on the muti-commodity exchange (MCX). On Tuesday, Brent closed at its lowest since June 14, and WTI at its lowest since June 21.

What's driving crude oil prices? -The premium of Brent over WTI narrowed to around $3.82 a barrel, its lowest since October. That narrowing spread means energy firms have less reason to spend money to send ships to the U.S. to pick up crude for export.

-In the US, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms pulled 4.9 million barrels of crude from storage during the week ended July 12. That compares with a drop of 4.4 million barrels in a report from the American Petroleum Institute (API) trade group.

-In US refining news, the diesel and 321 crack spreads, which measure refining profit margins, fell to their lowest levels since December 2021 and January 2024, respectively. A weaker US dollar also helped support oil prices after it fell to a 17-week low against a basket of other major currencies.

A weaker dollar can boost demand for oil by making greenback-denominated commodities like oil cheaper for holders of other currencies. Rising geopolitical risk tensions in the Middle East and Europe, which could continue to fuel risks, also supported crude prices.
Bajaj Auto Ltd kicked off the new financial year on a good note. The 24% year-on-year growth in Ebitda to 2,415 crore in the June quarter (Q1FY25) beat analysts estimates and was primarily driven by price realisation. The two-wheeler (2W) manufacturer is expected to maintain this momentum amid a recovery in the export market and from sales of the CNG bike it launched earlier this month. Still, an inadequate pick-up in rural demand or the export market remains a risk.

Bajajs Q1 revenue increased by almost 16% to 11,930 crore, helped mainly by better realisation as the company undertook price hikes, which also helped offset the increase in raw material costs. Accordingly, Ebitda per vehicle rose to 21,900, up 15% year-on-year and 1.5% sequentially. With material costs accounting for more than 70% of revenue, Bajaj Autos ability to pass on these costs is critical to its profitability. A diversified market base across domestic sales and exports provides some stability to its revenue, although exports have been a sore spot of late. In Q1FY25, exports contributed 39% and 28% of Bajajs total 2W and three-wheeler (3W) volumes. While overall exports grew at a similar rate as domestic volumes in the quarter, exports to some markets fell by as much as 70%.

Management sees three growth paths

In the coming quarters, management expects three avenues to drive growth  the recently launched Freedom 125 CNG bike, the Brazil assembly plant commissioned last month, and electric vehicles (EVs). The CNG bike is strategically placed to tap price-conscious customers in the 125cc segment as its expected to cut running costs by half. The bikes current production run rate is 15,000 a month and is expected to increase to 40,000 units by the end of FY25. With an addressable market of 400,000-500,000 units (geographies where CNG is available), this would still be less than 10% of the overall market. CNG bikes could also boost Bajaj Autos relatively low (15%) share in the under-125cc category. It also plans to launch a 100cc CNG bike.

Also read: Cement companies are going green, but meaningful change will take time

Management expects to beat the expected industry growth of 7-8% in FY25 thanks to its strength in the mid and premium segments. The companys EV portfolio is seen as another growth driver and now accounts for 14% of domestic revenue (2W and 3W combined), up from 6% in Q1FY24. Growth in EVs was aided by the governments production linked incentives (PLI) schemes, improving raw material cost economics, and supply chain restructuring that helped reduce product prices. In June, Bajaj launched a model for less than 1 lakh. Volumes could also get a boost from better reach. Bajaj plans to take its electric 2Ws to 1,000 stores by September from 250 stores at present. However, the electric 2W portfolio still has profitability issues even as growing volumes help cut losses.

Also read: Riding on CNG bikes, can Bajaj Auto raid Hero MotoCorps fortress?

The companys electric three-wheeler (E3W) portfolio is better placed, having achieved almost the same level of profitability as internal combustion engine vehicles after accounting for PLI. Bajaj is making efforts to expand the market by getting e-rickshaw users to switch to E3Ws. E-rickshaws account for 43% of the total 3W market. The company plans to invest 700-800 crore on a new E3W facility and related infrastructure in FY25.

Bajaj Autos share price has doubled to 9718.50 in the past year, which suggests investors are factoring in the optimism. They will keep a close eye on the response to the new CNG bike for more cues.

Also read | Freedom 125: Bajaj Auto has positioned and priced its new CNG bike perfectly
India's data centre market is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, led by the rapid digital transformation currently underway, adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, and supportive government policies.

The country has also already experienced a significant rise in demand for data centres. Among everything else, AI adoption has emerged as a key driver. With AI consumption having surged manifold since the launch of ChatGPT, availability of a robust data centre ecosystem has become paramount for businesses.

Alongside this wave of digitizationthat will enhance internet penetration in the countrythe evolution and adoption of technologies like 5G, IoT, and artificial intelligence, is anticipated to keep the demand for data storage and processing capacity at elevated levels, thereby boosting the need for data centres.

Apart from the digitization-led growth factors, the Indian market offers low-cost benefits for setting up data centres, mainly due to relatively cheaper real estate costs, which also facilitate data centre growth in the country," said Puja Jalan, director at CareEdge Ratings.

The credit rating agency estimates that the data centre capacity in the country is expected to double to around 1,950 MW by 2026, from 877 MW in 2023. This would entail capital investments of approximately 50,000 crore till then.

A budget wish list

That said, the upcoming budget is likely to include substantial measures to bolster the country's data centre ecosystem, underscoring the government's commitment to advancing digital infrastructure here.

Potential announcements may involve tax incentives, infrastructure development, renewable energy subsidies, streamlined policies and investment in technology and skills, said Varun Vijayan, director and head of tech, digital, and new-age business, at Anand Rathi Investment Banking.

He believes that there could also be increased encouragement for public-private partnerships, to boost data centre investments.

These support measures, while aiming to strengthen India's digital infrastructure and meet the rising demand for data services, would also strengthen the country's data localization laws, and government initiatives like Digital India.

Additionally, the data centre industry also faces a lengthy and cumbersome approval process that involves multiple authorities. This leads to project delays and increased costs for the data centre service providers and customers alike.

Hence, the government's focus on enabling ease of doing business in the sector through faster pre-clearances could shorten the construction timelines for setting up new data centres and lead to significant cost savings for firms, some market participants said.

The cost of setting up and operating a data centre depends on various factors, such as server size and power usage costs.

According to a report by Batlivala & Karani Securities India, dated 26 April, servers are replaced 3-5 times over the lifespan of a data center, and when costs are spread out (amortized) over the life of the data center, server costs remain a significant part of the overall expenses.

As for power usage, it forms a large chunk at 40% of their total cost and 80% of their operational cost, the report stated.

Operating a data centre involves significant operational expenses related to power, cooling and infrastructure maintenance," stated a PwC report dated 25 June.

Considering this, the government can drive the industry towards sustained growth by providing subsidies or incentives for renewable energy adoption, which would also reduce operational costs and promote sustainability, it added.

Ready for take-off

Whats more is that India's data centre market is set to outpace global growth in the sector.

While the worldwide market is pegged to grow from $220 billion in 2021 to $342 billion by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7%, the Indian market, valued at $4.5 billion in 2023, is expected to more than double to $11.6 billion by 2032, with an impressive CAGR of 11-12%, highlighted Anand Rathi's Vijayan.

He also pointed out that major global players like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and domestic giants like Reliance Jio and the Adani Group have pledged significant investments in the sector.

Analysts that Mint spoke to believe that the data centre story in India can be leveraged from an investment perspective through companies that provide products and serviceslike equipment, energy, real estate, etc.to data centre operators.

The current data centre capacity in India is around 0.9 GW after multiple years of strong growth, though off a smaller base, said Priyankar Biswas, analystIndia industrials, logistics and metals, at BNP Paribas. Further, given the massive increase in data consumption and the focus on data localization (data sovereignty), Biswas expects data centre investments to remain strong for the next few years.

We have compiled (not exhaustive) plans of data centre related investments by key players, wherein we estimate 5.5 GW of data centre capacity by 2030, which appears to be significantly higher than what the general consensus is," Biswas said.

The additions are largely around Mumbai and Chennai, which benefit from their proximity to submarine cable landing in their vicinity, he pointed out.

Who gains?

Several listed entities in the data centre supply chain, including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) players, and telecom and power generation companies, are establishing their own data centres.

Given that Indias data centre capacity is seeing more than 50% CAGR and should rise to 6% of demand by 2030, from less than 1% currently, Jefferies India estimates power generation and transmission and distribution investments to rise 2.2 times to $280 billion between FY24 and FY30, compared to the investments between FY17 and FY23.

This growth in capacity will cater to the overall rise in demand for data centre services.

Jefferies expects Siemens, ABB India, L&T, KEI Industries, Voltas and Bluestar, among others, to be the key beneficiaries of the data centre capex in India, it stated in a report dated 18 June.

Siemens has the largest exposure to data centres in Jefferies' coverage universe, at 40-45% of a data centre's project costs, while ABB's exposure stands at 20-25%, according to the brokerage's report.

L&T, Voltas and Bluestar, meanwhile, each have exposure of around 15%, while companies supplying power backup gensets have 10%, though most are imported due to a lack of local manufacturing for capacities over 2,000 Kilo Volt ampere (KVa).

Cummins, a supplier of gensets, reported that data centres contributed about 10% to its power generation segment revenues in FY24, which was 4% of total, according to the Jefferies report.

Major FOMO avoided

Even large global funds and private equity players are entering this space.

Leading global data centre companies, such as NTT, AWS, Colt DCS and Indian conglomerates such as Reliance Industries and Adani Group, have shown interest in setting up data centre capacity, the Jefferies report stated.

Occupants include Amazon, Netflix, banks and fintech companies, among others. $27 billion investments have been announced in the last 36-48 months," it added.

Other key listed players poised to benefit from the data centre boom include prominent data centre operators like Bharti Airtel through Nxtra Data, Reliance Industries through Jio, and Tata Communications.

IT services titans, such as Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech and Tech Mahindra are also in the fray, and ramping up their data centre solutions and capacity as demand evolves.

On the real estate front, developers like DLF and GMR Infrastructure are also making strategic moves into the space, while telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are enhancing critical connectivity infrastructure.
When a company transitions from a lower market capitalization status to a higher one, it undergoes changes that can greatly benefit its future.

Increased investor interest, particularly from institutional investors, enhances liquidity and trading volumes, making transactions easier with minimal impact on stock prices. This heightened visibility also makes it easier for the company to raise capital through equity or debt, often under more favourable terms. A larger market capitalization enables the company to attract broader analyst coverage, leading to more accurate valuations and bolstering investor confidence. The enhanced credibility resulting from this growth can strengthen business partnerships, aid in customer acquisition, and elevate brand perception. As the company expands, it seizes new opportunities through acquisitions, introduces new product lines, and explores new markets.

Today, we delve into five companies that have successfully transitioned from microcaps to smallcaps, showcasing their growth trajectories and market evolution.

Newgen Software

Newgen Software Technologies is a global software company engaged in product development, offering end-to-end solutions covering the entire workflow automation from document management to imaging. Their key revenue segments include annuity-based revenue, sales of software products, and sale of services.

As of FY24, the company operates in 17 verticals, including major sectors like banking & financial services, insurance, and government. The company's primary clients are from the banking segment, accounting for 66% of Newgen's revenue, followed by 9% from government & PSUs, and 8% from the insurance sector.

Over the past five years, Newgen Software has recorded a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in sales of 16%, while net income has grown by a CAGR of 20%. The five-year average return on equity (RoE) and return on capital employed (RoCE) have stood at 20.2% and 24.1%, respectively. In FY24, the company registered revenue growth of 28% YoY, while net profit increased by 42% YoY.

Looking ahead, Newgen plans to improve its existing products and launch new ones for its AI portfolio, expand in the insurance vertical focusing on life, general, and health insurance, and pursue tactical acquisitions for speed to market and access to larger accounts. The management aims to maintain historical growth rates and is confident in meeting targets. Newgen Software's current market capitalization stands at 134.7 bn, trading at a PE of 58.2x, a premium compared to its five-year median PE of 21.3x.

Kirloskar Brothers

Kirloskar Brothers is an engineering company involved in manufacturing systems for fluid management, covering large infrastructure projects such as water supply, power plants, and irrigation, as well as the production of pumps, valves, motors, and hydro turbines. With over 250 product categories and more than 100,000 SKUs, the company serves over 12 industries and has a customer base exceeding 2,500.

Financially, over the past five years, Kirloskar Brothers has recorded a sales CAGR of 4%, while the bottom line has delivered a CAGR of 155%. The five-year average RoE and RoCE have stood at 15.1% and 17.5%, respectively. In FY24, the company's revenue showed a steady YoY growth of 7.3%, while net profit surged by 48.3% YoY, primarily due to reduced interest expenses and increased other income for the year.

The management expects double-digit revenue growth in FY25, with a consolidated pending order book for the international business standing at 30 bn. Kirloskar Brothers is focused on continuous innovation with over 100 new product launches annually and is developing new products for green hydrogen and small modular reactors. The company is also making strategic investments in digital ventures and plans to capitalize on its localized global presence by introducing new products in the US and UK. Kirloskar Brothers' current market capitalization is 185.7 bn, trading at a PE of 54.9x, a premium compared to its five-year median PE of 21x.

RailTel Corp

RailTel is contributing to the implementation of the Kavach system for Indian Railways by partnering with Quadrant Future Tek Limited. This collaboration aims to explore and deliver Kavach projects for Indian Railways and abroad. RailTel enjoys the exclusive right to lay optical fiber cables and provide telecom services across the extensive Indian Railways network. Beyond this core function, RailTel has diversified into telecom networks, data centers, hosting services, and project execution.

Over the past five years, RailTel has recorded CAGR sales growth of 21%, while the bottom line has grown by a CAGR of 15%. The five-year average RoE and RoCE have stood at 12.5% and 16.7%, respectively. The company maintains a debt-free balance sheet, a significant advantage in today's economic climate. RailTel's experience of over two decades, coupled with its strategic relationship with Indian Railways, positions it as a preferred partner for government projects.

RailTel has been entrusted with implementing critical initiatives like the National Knowledge Network (NKN), Bharat Net, and the USOF-funded optical fiber connectivity project in North-Eastern India. Its collaboration with Indian Railways also extends to installing an IP-based video surveillance system at more than 6,049 railway stations across the country. RailTel's current market capitalization stands at 167.8 bn, trading at a PE of 63.2x, a premium compared to its five-year median PE of 24x.

Voltamp Transformers

Voltamp Transformers is a significant manufacturer of oil-filled power and distribution transformers, holding a 15% domestic market share. Its comprehensive product portfolio results from technical collaborations with various industry pioneers.

Over the past five years, Voltamp has recorded a 14% CAGR in sales, while the bottom line has grown by a CAGR of 29%. The five-year average RoE and RoCE have stood at 17.2% and 21.1%, respectively. The company reported a robust order book of 18.5 bn for FY24, representing a significant 37% increase compared to the previous year. This healthy order book indicates strong demand for the company's products and positions it for potential growth in the coming year.

Between 2020-24, net sales and profits registered a five-year CAGR of 13.3% and 29.3%, respectively. The returns have also been strong, with a five-year average RoCE and RoE of 15.8% and 12.3%, respectively. With a strong order book, a robust balance sheet, and a positive outlook for profitability, the company is expected to grow well. Voltamp Transformers' current market capitalization is 123.7 bn, trading at a PE of 41.9x, a significant premium compared to its five-year median PE of 16.1x.

Anand Rathi Wealth

Anand Rathi Wealth is an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor and one of the leading non-bank wealth solutions firms in India. It ranks among the top three non-bank mutual fund distributors in the country. The company offers a wide product portfolio of wealth solutions, financial product distribution, and technology solutions to its clients. Anand Rathi operates in three primary business verticals: private wealth, digital wealth, and omni financial advisor, with offices in 17 major Indian cities and a representative office in Dubai.

From FY20 to FY24, Anand Rathi Wealth achieved a sales growth of 22%, while net income grew by a CAGR of 31%. The five-year RoE and RoCE stood at 38.5% and 41.3%, respectively. In the latest year, the company registered a sales growth of 34.5% YoY, with net income increasing by 34% YoY. The consolidated assets under management grew by 52% YoY, reaching 593.5 bn as of 31 March 2024.

The company's growth strategy includes equity mutual funds, digital wealth, and the OFA model to capture the wealth management landscape. Anand Rathi positions itself as a market-agnostic financial services provider, focusing on logical finance and client-centric solutions. The management emphasizes consistency, client performance, and long-term relationships to drive business growth. Looking forward, the management is optimistic about long-term growth, aiming for a 20-25% CAGR over the next few years by focusing on market growth, leveraging existing client assets, acquiring new clients, and adding relationship managers. Anand Rathi Wealth's current market capitalization stands at 173.6 bn, trading at a PE of 76.5x, a significant premium compared to its five-year median PE of 34.9x.

Conclusion

Transitioning from microcap to smallcap significantly boosts a company's financial stability, market presence, and growth potential. While increased regulatory and compliance requirements may raise operational costs, they also enhance corporate governance and investor trust. This evolution positions the company for a more promising and dynamic future, opening new opportunities and reinforcing its credibility in the market.

Investors should carefully evaluate the company's strategic plans, management capabilities, and market conditions to make informed decisions. Conducting thorough due diligence is essential to understand the potential risks and rewards associated with investing in a company undergoing such a significant transition.

Happy Investing!

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such.

This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com
Banks will remain closed today, July 17, in selected regions of the country on account of Muharram/Ashoora/U Tirot Sing day, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

Banks will remain closed in Agartala, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla, and Srinagar.

Muharram Muharram is the first month in the Islamic calendar. There are 12 months and 354 days in the Islamic calendar. The tenth day of Muharram month is known as Ashura recognising the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Husain, grandson of Prophet Muhammed. People are supposed to abstain from warfare during the month and devote time for prayer and reflection.

U Tirot Sing Day U Tirot Sing Day is a regional festival in Meghalaya. The day is celebrated to recognise the memory of Tirot Sing, Khasi chief who fought against the British in the 19th century. Tirot, known for his bravery and valour, drew his lineage from the Syiemlieh clan, declared war and fought against the British attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills. On July 17, people in Meghalaya pay tribute to Tirot Singh by organising cultural events, processions etc.

Banks were previously closed on July 16, on account of Harela in Uttarakhand. Harela is a festival celebrated in Uttarakhand to mark the onset monsoon and beginning of the new agricultural season.

The next bank holiday will be on July 20 due to Kharchi Puja celebrated in Tripura. Banks will also be shut on Sundays-- July 21, and 28-- and the fourth Saturday on July 27.
Embarking on a journey abroad, whether for a dream job or a fresh start, brings excitement and opportunities. However, it is crucial to understand the intricacies of managing your finances smoothly during this transition from resident to non-resident Indian (NRI), and its impact on banking, investments and taxation.

Heres a comprehensive guide on making informed decisions and avoiding legal or financial pitfalls during this transition.

Understand your NRI status

Once youve been out of India for 182 days or more in a year, you are considered an NRI. This change impacts your banking, taxation, and investments. You must update your status with your bank immediately to avoid legal or financial complications.

Convert bank accounts to NRO and NRE

First, convert your resident bank account to a non-resident ordinary (NRO) account. Also consider opening a non-resident external (NRE) account. For this, you are required to provide specific documents to your bank.

Funds in an NRE account, including the interest earned, are tax-free in India and can be remitted freely. An NRO account, however, contains Indian rupees and is essential for NRIs to manage income earned in India such as rent, interest, or dividends from local assets. It is convenient for handling local expenses like utility bills, rent, and maintenance costs. (see graphic)

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

"Debits for local payments in rupees (including payments for investments, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations of the Reserve Bank of India) are allowed freely from NRO accounts. Receivable amounts of the account holder in India (rent, interest, dividend and other local receipts) and remittances received from abroad through banking channels are permitted to be credited to NRO account freely," said Prakash Hegde, a Bengaluru-based chartered accountant.

Efficient fund transfers

According to RBI guidelines, NRIs can transfer the equivalent of up to $1 million every financial year from their NRO savings bank account to their NRE savings bank account. To facilitate this transfer, you will require a signed cheque or letter requesting the transfer, a Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema) declaration, and proof of the source of funds.

Additionally, you have to obtain Form 15CB from a chartered accountant, and generate Form 15CA via the income tax portal. These documents will ensure regulatory compliance and verify the transfer's legitimacy.

For an NRI, submission of Form 15CA or obtaining Form 15CB from a CA for remittance of his funds from his own bank account in India to his NRE bank account is not required, as per the income tax rules. Still, many banks insist on them," Hegde said.

Note: You are not allowed to transfer money to an NRE account from a savings bank account in India. For instance, if you receive gifts from relatives, rental income or dividend in India, it must go to your NRO account. An NRO account allows NRIs to transfer money to other local bank accounts seamlessly.

Updating existing investments

Mutual funds and stocks: If you already have investments in India such as mutual funds or stocks, you must update your KYC (know your customer) details to reflect your NRI status. You must update your KYC as per FEMA regulations to continue holding these investments legally.

The required documents vary, depending on the investment type, and the process involves changing your status from resident to NRI and providing proof of your new status and foreign address.

For stock investments, transfer your holdings to a new demat account and close the old one. The new demat account can be a portfolio investment scheme (PIS) or a non-PIS account.

PPF, EPF and NPS:NRIs can retain their existing Public Provident Fund (PPF) accounts up to the maturity period.

NRIs can neither open new PPF accounts nor are they permitted to renew their PPF accounts after maturity. However, they are permitted to contribute further amounts only within the maturity period," said Pankaj Bhuta, founder of P.R. Bhuta & Co CAs.

With the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), there is the option of withdrawing all funds before setting sail.

"You can also let the money lie in the account, but the EPF interest becomes taxable if youre no longer working with an Indian employer covered by the EPF Act," said Bhuta.

For the National Pension System (NPS), contributions can continue as long as you remain an Indian citizen. However, you must update your KYC with the CRA (Centralised Recordkeeping Agency). Foreign citizens cannot contribute to NPS.

Inform tenants about your NRI status

Rental income: If you own property in India, its essential to inform your tenants about the change in your residential status to ensure they deduct tax at the correct rate. If tenants are unaware of your NRI status and deduct only 10% tax, you may face additional tax liabilities.

"It is always advisable to inform the tenant or lessee about the change in residential status from resident to non-resident so that they can deduct TDS at the rates applicable to non-residents. Otherwise, advance tax liability will arise in the hands of the NRI since the payer will deduct TDS @10% (plus applicable surcharge and cess)," added Bhuta.

Starting fresh investments

With your KYC status updated, you can start new investments using your foreign earnings. According to experts, mutual funds are a popular choice for NRIs as they do not require a demat account, unlike stocks, simplifying the investment process.

Most NRIs prefer MFs. You can invest directly through your chosen fund house. Explore options in your new country or consider Indian MFs that cater to NRIs," said Nitesh Buddhadev, a CA.

However, only a few fund houses accept investments from NRIs in the US and Canada due to regulatory constraints. For NRIs based out of the US, fund houses SBI MF, ICICI Pru MF, DSP MF, Bandhan MF, ABSL MF, PPFAS MF, Sundaram MF, Edelweiss MF, and White Oak MF accept investments. NRIs in Canada can avail the services of most, barring ICICI Pru MF, DSP MF, and Bandhan MF.

Note: Due to passive foreign investment company (PFIC) rules in the US, mutual funds may not be advisable for NRIs.

Choosing between PIS and non-PIS accounts

Deciding between a PIS and non-PIS account depends on your investment goals and flexibility requirements. A PIS account is easier to get with lower minimum investments and can be linked to either an NRE or NRO account, facilitating money management.

PIS accounts also allow for repatriation of fundsyou can move both your invested money and any profit back to your foreign accountbut they come with strict regulations and reporting requirements.

A non-PIS account offers more freedom to invest in assets such as stocks and bonds, and has fewer rules, but is linked to an NRO account, limiting repatriation options.

Note: Non-PIS accounts might involve more paperwork and potentially higher fees (see graphic). Ideally, linking your PIS account to an NRE account facilitates easier repatriation of funds and profits back to your foreign account.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

Be informed

By following this comprehensive checklist and consulting with financial experts, you can ensure a smooth financial transition as you embark on your new adventure abroad. Staying informed and keeping your financial documents updated are the key to a stress-free experience, allowing you to focus on making the most of your new opportunities.

Conclusion

Ensure these changes are made to avoid risks under FEMA. Upon returning to India, you will need to update the status on all your investments and bank accounts accordingly.

Additionally, new opportunities are emerging in GIFT City (International Financial Services Centre), where rules for NRIs are more favourable, allowing them to hold assets in USD and other foreign currencies without tax implications in India.
Wildfires are erupting again in western Canada during a suffocating heat wave in the province of Alberta, forcing evacuations and causing one of Canadas largest oil companies to curb production.

The blazes, fueled by the hot and dry weather, are spiraling out of control, even as the country is still reeling from last year when 6,132 fires across Canada burned through more than 45 million acres, an area larger than Florida, and cost the Canadian economy close to $10 billion.

These conditions are conducive to extreme fire behavior, said the government of Alberta in an online update Friday, noting that it had to pull firefighters out of the forest Thursday night because of heavy smoke.

As of Tuesday, 25 out-of-control wildfires were burning in the province, including a 200,000 acre blaze that has forced Suncor Energy, one of Canadas largest oil producers, to curb production at an oil field close to the fire and evacuate nonessential workers.

Scientists say climate change will make such extreme events more common, which will put continual pressure on government and industry finances and tax emergency response and healthcare systems.

The planet is burning up and climate change is indeed a significant factor, said Canadas minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, at a news conference in June. Climatologists are forecasting an alarming but all too predictable trend, he said. The intensity of wildfires will continue.

Last year, the provincial government spent almost $650 million to fight the fires. This year, it added more than $350 million to a contingency fund to deal with natural disasters. More than 6,000 firefighters, support personnel and contractors both from the province and from countries as far away as South Africa congregated to control the infernos. Even then, more than 50 fires continued burning through the winter months.

Wildfires have long been a regular part of the natural cycle in Canadas boreal, a vast region of forests and wetlands that cover more than half of the countrys land mass. In Alberta, home to the massive oil sands that contain the worlds fourth-largest oil reserves, almost 60% of the land is covered by black spruce, lodgepole pines, jack pines and trembling aspen.

A cycle of warming temperatures, decreased snowfall in the winters and persistent drought have in recent years turned the region into a tinderbox. Wildfires are burning hotter and for longer than ever before. In 2023, more than 1,100 fires in Alberta torched 5.4 million acres of land, roughly equal to the state of New Jersey, more than 10 times the average between 2006 and 2022.

The health impacts have lingered. In Fort Chipewyan, a fly-in indigenous settlement located 180 miles north of Fort McMurray, wildfires last year got within 5 miles of the hamlet of 852 people.

Before the residents were evacuated, they had to contend with the thick smoke that hung over the town. Cecilia Adam, a 69-year-old resident, found it difficult to breathe and needed to use inhalers to help her through the summer.

Several indigenous communities in the area have spent thousands of dollars to install air purifiers and air-conditioning units in the homes of elder residents to help them deal with the smoke.

Jean LHommecourt, a 61-year-old elder from the Fort McKay First Nation Denesuline indigenous group, just north of Fort McMurray, said she appreciates the new equipment installed by her groups council, but the noise annoys her. The equipment is a Band-Aid solution that does nothing to address the fact that the summer months are now filled with smoke and the persistent fear of evacuation, she said. It is a new stress now.

The impact of the smoke has been widespread. Plumes of smoke from the Canadian fires spread all over North America, reaching cities like New York and Washington, D.C., hundreds of miles away. The smoke was so thick in New York that the citys emergency rooms saw a 45% jump in visits from people suffering from asthma during two days in June of last year when the smoke was thickest.

According to one study by the Canadian Climate Institute, Canadas most populous province, Ontario, suffered almost $1 billion in costs over a week in June last year from the wildfires, factoring in costs for hospitalizations and lost productivity from people who had to stay home from work.

Those costs are likely to become a persistent part of the economy as more fires burn, said Ryan Ness, a director at the Canadian Climate Institute, a think tank.

Canada needs to get ready for a future of fire, he said.
The 16-member crew, including 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans, of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker went missing after it capsized off the coast of Oman on Monday, said the sultanate's Maritime Security Centre (MSC). This comes a day after the sinking was reported.

Speaking to Reuters, the centre said the vessel remains submerged, and inverted. It did not confirm whether the vessel had stabilised or oil or oil products were leaking into the sea.

The oil tanker was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden and capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm, according to shipping data collected by LSEG.

The shipping data showed that the vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007. Such small tankers are typically used for short coastal voyages.

Also Read | Indian Navy rescues oil tanker with 30 crew members from Houthi missile attack

Following this, Omani authorities started a search and rescue operation at the scene in coordination with maritime officials, said Oman's state news agency as quoted by Reuters.

Indian Navys warship INS Teg has also been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with the Omani vessels and personnel to carry out search and rescue missions after a Comoros-flagged vessel with its crew, including 13 Indians, capsized.

The port of Duqm, situated on Oman's southwest coast, is near the sultanate's significant oil and gas extraction sites. This includes a major oil refinery that is part of Duqm's extensive industrial zone, the largest economic project in Oman.

Oman mosque attack In a separate incident, one Indian national died and another injured in a shooting near a Shiite mosque in Muscat on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Oman said.

Also Read | One Indian killed in Muscat mosque shooting, says Indian Embassy in Oman

Nine people, including three attackers, were killed in an assault on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Oman. As many as 28 people, including security personnel, were also injured in the incident. Reuters reported that four Pakistani nationals were among those killed.

The attack came as Shi'ite Muslims observed Ashura, an annual period of mourning to commemorate the 7th-century death of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.

Oman has a population of more than four million, of whom upwards of 40 percent are expat workers, mostly from south Asia, according to government figures.
The Delhi High Court has permitted the sale of 26 luxury cars owned by conman Sukesh Chandrasekar. The court's decision was based on recognising that the vehicles are susceptible to deterioration and depreciation over time.

Newswire ANI reported that the cars had been seized and were in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation related to an extortion case involving 200 crore.

Leena Maria Paulose, Sukesh's wife, moved a petition challenging the order permitting the sale of the cars. In a recent judgement, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed her plea.

Who keeps the money from sale? The high court directed the ED to keep the entire amount generated from the sale of the cars in question in an 'interest-bearing' fixed deposit.

Vehicles are inherently subject to natural decay and depreciation over a period of time, which significantly impacts their value and functionality. With the passage of time, vehicles undergo wear and tear, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma said.

The High Court said in a judgement passed on July 12, Further, storing a vehicle in a container warehouse, as in the present case, for a long period of time results in decay since if a car is left stationary for years, several issues can compromise its condition. Environmental factors such as weather conditions also contribute to this decay, causing issues such as rust and corrosion.

Rust, in particular, can severely damage a vehicle's structure and all other components, Justice Sharma said.

The bench said that a vehicle's mechanical components also suffer from decay, requiring frequent and expensive maintenance to keep them operational. This is especially true in the present case, where 26 high-end luxury cars, such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Range Rover, etc., are involved.

Upkeep and maintenance are also expensive. The bench added that the care and protection cars require in container warehouses, from environmental onslaughts and decay due to rusting, cannot be ensured.

The depreciation of vehicles is also a well-recognized phenomenon in the automobile industry. When a car is driven out of the showroom, its value decreases. This depreciation accelerates each year, and the resale value drops substantially. After some years, most vehicles lose a significant part of their original value, making them less economically viable to maintain or sell.

The high court said that, therefore, the argument that the sale of seized vehicles in this case is against the mandate of Section 8(6) of PMLA has no merit.

Needless to say, as per Section 8(6), if the accused persons, in this case, are found not guilty of the offence of money laundering, they would be entitled to receive the amount generated from selling the movable property, i.e. cars in the present case, which the Directorate of Enforcement is obliged to keep deposited in the nearest Government Treasury or branch of the State Bank of India or its subsidiaries or in any nationalised bank in fixed deposit.

Petitioner Leena Maria Paulose had moved a petition for quashing and setting aside orders dated December 20, 2022, and February 15, 2023, passed by the trial court.

A total of 26 luxury and high-end cars were found and seized by the respondent, which was prima facie found to have been purchased out of the "proceeds of crime" generated out of the criminal activities of Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

On the other hand, in the case of the respondent since the 26 luxury cars were liable to speedy and natural decay and since the expenses of maintenance of the said vehicles were likely to exceed their value and cause unnecessary burden upon the exchequer, an appropriate application was moved before the learned ASJ seeking permission under Rule 4(2) of Prevention of Money Laundering (Taking Possession of Attached or Frozen Properties Confirmed by Adjudicatory Authority), Rules 2013, for the sale of vehicles in question, in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the said rule. The same was allowed by the learned ASJ vide impugned order dated December 20, 2022.
NEW DELHI : With the taxman coming under fire for filing late appeals, experts say there is an urgent need for a strong tax dispute resolution mechanism to simplify litigation and ensure timely closure of the cases.

On 10 July, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud rejected the income tax department's appeal against a Delhi High Court order in favour of Xerox India because the plea was filed 215 days late.

Chandrachud underscored timely pursuit of litigation is crucial for improving India's business environment. "MNCs (multinational corporations) invest in India, generate employment and contribute to revenue. They should have confidence in the country's judicial system," said the CJI.

Negative impact

Experts caution that delays in appeals place an extra financial burden on MNCs, which affects India's ease of doing business ranking.

"Due to delays by the income tax department, it unnecessarily burdens taxpayers, including MNCs If an appeal is unsuccessful, the total taxes owed could significantly increase," said S.R. Patnaik, partner (head-taxation) at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

Meanwhile, MNCs must retain tax advisors for every hearing, regardless of their effectiveness, leading to substantial costs in terms of bandwidth, time, energy and finances," Patnaik added. "These factors contribute to India's declining rank in the Ease of Doing Business index."

Amit Gupta, partner at Saraf and Partners, said prolonged litigation also undermines the fairness of the Indian tax system.

Delays in tax-related litigation significantly undermine the certainty and transparency crucial for non-resident investors, creating a trust deficit.

Under the Income Tax Act, the timeline for filing tax appeals varies by the appellate authority. Appeals to the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) must be filed within 30 days as per Section 249. For the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Section 253 stipulates a 60-day limit.

Appeals to the high courts fall must be filed within 120 days as per Section 260A. Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) to the Supreme Court must adhere to the Supreme Court Rules 2013, Order XXI, which allows a window of 90 days.

Low success rate

Over the past year, courts have struck down several appeals filed beyond the legal limit, saying such actions would result in the erosion of confidence among MNCs investing in India.

In February, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna dismissed the income tax department's appeal against Bharti Airtel Ltd due to a staggering delay of over four years in filing.

The bench came down heavily on the income tax commissioner (international tax), Delhi, for tardy appeals and urged the department to formulate a proper litigation policy.

"You [tax department] succeed in one isolated case and then decide to initiate proceedings without sufficient cause, reopening even those cases that have been previously closed," said Justice Nagarathna.

In August 2023, a division bench of the Delhi high court took the tax department to task while dismissing a plea seeking condonation of a 498-day delay in filing an appeal.

In this "hi-tech click of mouse age", some government officials had not moved away from a "snail pace" style of working, said the bench.

There seems to be no specific litigation policy for tax departments and no unified approach.

Patnaik from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas said the delays are also responsible for the tax department's low court success rate.

Due to the large number of cases pending with each officer, they often lack the opportunity to thoroughly scrutinize and analyze each case," he said. "The officer who originally assessed the case may not be involved during litigation, contributing to the perception that departmental counsels are frequently unprepared."

Dipesh Jain, partner at Economic Laws Practice, said the current Income Tax Act lacks a defined outer time limit for condoning delays in various instances. Jain suggested that specific extended time limits beyond prescribed thresholds should be established, after which appellate authorities should be barred from entertaining appeals like in the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.

Solution: Proper litigation policy

Experts also said the government needs to review the income tax department's litigation policy to efficiently reduce the backlog of cases and ensure objective assessment and timely closure of each case.

There seems to be no specific litigation policy for tax departments and no unified approach. The income tax department and the Central Board Of Indirect Taxes and Customs keep issuing various circulars, but these only address monetary limits for filing appeals. A unified litigation policy is urgently needed," said Vidhan Vyas, the founder of Vyas Legal.

To be sure, the government is working on a National Litigation Policy to effectively and timely resolve cases in which the government is a litigant.

Gupta also stressed that the current litigation policy of the income tax department requires a clear and consistent framework for merit-based appeal filing to reduce frivolous appeals".

He highlighted the importance of integrating technology, including artificial intelligence, to streamline internal processes and develop a robust strategy for managing the high volume of pending appeals across judicial forums.

In 2021, Pankaj Choudhary, the then minister of state for finance, told the Rajya Sabha that as of 29 July 2021, the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) had 478,608 cases awaiting resolution. ITAT had 62,130 pending cases as of 1 July 2021, and high courts were handling 26,456 cases as of 31 March 2021. A total of 2,894 tax department appeals were pending in the Supreme Court.
Karnataka 100% quota row: The Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill mandating 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector for Group C and D posts. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting held on Monday. Here is all you need to know about the bill and the controversies around it.

What does the bill say? The bill seeks to reserve 50 per cent of management jobs and 75 per cent of non-management jobs for locals in the private sector. The Karnataka government is also contemplating 100 per cent reservation for locals in C&D grade government jobs. The bill is called the State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024.

The bill drafted by the labour department claimed that the jobs of industries operating in the state are going to the states of North India. The bill states that industries that get infrastructure, including land and water, from the state should give reservations for jobs to the locals, and this has been approved in the cabinet meeting.

What did Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah say about the bill? Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday posted on X that the state government's priority was the welfare of Kannadigas.

"The cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a bill to make it mandatory to hire 100 per cent Kannadigas for C and D grade posts in all private industries in the state."

Noting that his government is pro-Kannada, he added, It is our government's wish that the Kannadigas should avoid being deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada and should be allowed to build a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of Kannadigas.

How did the industry react to the move? On Wednesday, several industry leaders in the state objected to the move, saying that it was "discriminatory" and raised apprehensions that the tech industry might suffer.

Nasscom and its members expressed disappointment and concerns regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill. According to CNBC-TV18, Nasscom said bill will hamper growth of tech industry and impact jobs. They said the Bill could force cos to relocate and seeks urgent meeting for industry reps with state authorities.

Mohandas Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education Services, said the bill is "fascist" and unconstitutional.

"This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test?" Pai said in a post on 'X'.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, said the state should not let this bill affect its leading position in the domain of technology and there should be exemptions for highly skilled recruitment.

"As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy," Shaw posted on 'X'.

RK Misra, Co-Chairman of ASSOCHAM Karnataka and Co-Founder of YULU, called the bill shortsighted and said that if a government officer is appointed in every private company to monitor its implementation, it will scare away Indian IT and Global Capability Centres.

"Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short-sighted," Misra posted on 'X'.

Before the rules are decided, industry will be consulted: Karnataka ministers Meanwhile, defending the bill, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge has said, "The bill has been brought in by the labour department. They are yet to consult with the industry, the Minister of Industry and the Department of Information Technology. I am sure that before coming up with the rules of the bill, they will have due consultations with the respective ministries and more importantly, a wider consultation with the industry. So there is no need to panic. We are going to safeguard the jobs for the state as well as encourage investments in the industries with their consultation..."

State Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil also confirmed that there will be wide consultations to resolve the confusion and ensure that the interests of Kannadigas and industries are protected.
In a shocking incident reported from Dombivli, 30 km from Mumbai, a woman died after falling from the third floor of a building while socialising with her friends.

The victim, identified as Nagina Devi Manjiram, a cleaner at the building, was sitting near the staircase on the third floor and chit-chatting with her colleagues when she lost her balance and fell.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Globe State building in the Vikas Naka area of Dombivli East, Kalyan Sheel Road.

Also Read | Noida bank employee dies by suicide, blames colleagues in suicide note

Her friend Bunty, who was engaging in playful behaviour with Nagina, narrowly escaped the same fate. Though he also lost his balance, the people around him saved him.

The entire incident was caught on a CCTV camera.

The video footage shows Bunty arriving and engaging in playful banter with Nagina. He playfully puts his arm around her neck, causing her to lose balance and fall directly from the third floor.

Nagina Devis family, which includes a son and a daughter, is devastated by her sudden death. She lived in the Pisvali area of Dombivli East.

The Manpada police have filed an accidental death report (ADR) and are probing the incident.

Nagina Devi lived with her family in the Pisavli area of Dombivli East and had two children, a son and a daughter. This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and the police are working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the fall, a police officer told the Mid-day.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu BSP chief K Armstrong murder: TN police shoots one accused
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recorded a notable increase in passenger traffic, welcoming over 13.4 million travellers in the first quarter (Q1) of the financial year (FY) 2025. This marks a growth of over 7 per cent compared to the same period last year, as per ANI report.

According to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which manages CSMIA, approximately 3.7 million passengers travelled internationally, while 9.7 million took domestic flights during this period, as per the report.

In Q1 FY2024-25, CSMIA recorded a total passenger traffic of 13.46 million, a rise of over 7% from the 12.49 million recorded in Q1 FY2023-24.

The quarter began robustly, with 4.3 million passengers in April. Passenger numbers increased in May to 4.7 million, reflecting a month-on-month growth of 7.9 per cent. June saw 4.39 million passengers, indicating sustained demand for air travel from Mumbai. Additionally, CSMIA handled 59,775 domestic Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) and 21,519 international ATMs, representing a 4 per cent increase compared to Q1 FY2023-24.

May 2024 was the busiest month, with 4.7 million passengers. The highest single-day traffic was recorded on May 18, with 163,166 travellers passing through the airport.



MIAL highlighted that Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad were the top domestic destinations from CSMIA, with over 6.9 million passengers. Internationally, Dubai, Singapore, and London remained the top choices, with Dubai leading as the preferred destination for over 0.61 million passengers.

Also Read | India prepares plan to double airports to 300 by 2047

The top five international destinations collectively saw over 1.5 million passengers, while the top three domestic destinations accounted for over 3.4 million passengers, according to MIAL.

Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed that domestic airlines carried 793.48 lakh passengers from January to June 2024, up from 760.93 lakh in the same period the previous year. This represents an annual growth of 4.28 per cent.
A 27-year-old former employee at Axis Banks Noida Sector 128 branch died by suicide at her house, hours after receiving a termination email, said a report by Times of India. The deceased, identified as Shivani Gupta, left a five-page suicide note in which she allegedly named six of her colleagues, including two managers, as the cause of her agony, said the report.

Gupta allegedly consumed poison to end her life in her room last Friday.

According to the suicide note, Shivani Guptas colleagues used to call her "divorcee" and "bandariya".

She had joined Axis Bank as a relationship officer in Sector 128, Noida, last October.

In the suicide note, Shivani alleged that she was facing harsh behaviour from her six colleagues over the last six months that caused her mental and physical suffering.

Also Read | Prajwal Revanna sexual harassment case: Former MP faces 4th FIR

She alleged that her colleagues not only used offensive language against her but also physically attacked her.

She had also consulted a psychiatrist at Vimhans to deal with the mental stress.

In the note, she had identified a female colleague as her primary tormentor, who used to engage in frequent arguments over trivial issues and disparage her with names like "bandariya" (monkey) and "dimag se pagal" (mad woman).

On the last page of the suicide note, Shivani entrusted her brother to take care of their family and also urged him to take action against her colleagues.

She had also mentioned her bank details, including PINs.

Her brother, Gaurav Gupta, has filed a complaint against her bank colleagues.

Also Read | Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into alleged crimes against women in Sandeshkhali

Axis Bank has offered condolences to Shivani Guptas family and assured full cooperation with the probe by the police.

The bank also said that it had engaged a private agency whose employees are working from its branch.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal discussed deeper economic ties and free trade agreements (FTA) with his European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) counterparts on the sidelines of the G7 Trade Ministers meeting in Italy on Wednesday, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

"The meeting served as a pivotal platform for discussions on enhancing global trade relations and economic cooperation," the ministry said. " Goyal engaged in several high-level bilateral meetings with his international counterparts, reflecting India's commitment to fostering stronger economic partnerships globally," it added.

During the two-day event at Reggio Calabria in Italy, Goyal met Antonio Tajani, Italy's deputy prime minister; Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice-president of the European Commission; Todd McClay, New Zealand's trade minister; Jonathan Reynolds, the UK's secretary of state for business and trade; and Robert Habeck, Germany's federal minister for economic affairs & climate action. The commerce ministry said this underscored India's proactive approach to engaging with global economies to foster trade and economic cooperation.

Other initiatives Goyal discussed with his counterparts included the G20 Generic Framework for Mapping GVCs, the IPEF association, the trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and the India-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

Indias initiatives with strategic partners such as the US, GCC countries, and the EU, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to strengthen supply chains, and domestic measures to enhance multimodal connectivity were also discussed, the ministry added.

Free-trade talks As things stand, India and the 27-nation EU have concluded eight rounds of talks on a proposed free trade agreement and are likely to meet for further discussions in September.

India previously raised sticky issues such as the EU's carbon tax and the relaxation of the EU's rules on the maximum pesticide residue allowed in agricultural goods. Meanwhile, the proposed India-UK free-trade agreement is nearly ready and could be signed as early as October.
A recent incident during the Rajasthan State Open School exams for Classes 10 and 12 has shocked education officials and the public alike. It revealed a widespread cheating operation at a government middle school in Kolu village, Dechu. The vigilance squad from the Rajasthan Education Department, conducting routine checks across exam centres, stumbled upon the scandalous scene at the school.

NDTV reported about the cheating racket in Rajasthan board examinations. The media house quoted Nishi Jain, who led the flying squad. They received a tip-off about organized cheating at the school.

Also Read | Police arrest 1,000 over fresh exam cheating scandal in Bihar

Upon arrival, they found the school gates mysteriously locked, prompting them to scale the walls for entry.

Teachers were caught red-handed inside the classrooms writing exam answers on blackboards while students shamelessly copied them. The vigilance team captured these blatant violations on camera, documenting the complete disregard for exam protocols, the report mentioned.

Also Read | CBSE likely to have two board exams for Class 12 from.: Report

The situation escalated further when the squad discovered significant amounts of cash in possession of studentsa stark indication of monetary transactions for unfair assistance. One student was found with 2,100, while another admitted to offering 2,000 to teachers in exchange for help during the exams.

More disturbing revelations followed during subsequent investigations.

The media report mentioned that two teachers from the science stream, Anasuya and Komal Varma, not only facilitated cheating but also posed as dummy candidates taking exams on behalf of others.

Rajasthan local authorities swiftly intervened, dispatching a police team to the school premises. Despite the chaos, two suspected dummy candidates evaded capture during the raid.

The Rajasthan Education Department responded promptly, initiating legal action against ten implicated teachers, including Principal Rajendra Singh Chauhan. Kishore Bohra, the Block Education Officer at Phalodi, confirmed that six third-grade teachers and one librarian have been suspended pending further disciplinary measures.

The principal and an absent observer also face imminent disciplinary actions for their roles in the cheating scandal.
Top Events of the Day: This day promises a flurry of activity with major corporate announcements and crucial bilateral discussions. Key players in the financial sector are set to release their Q1 results. Additionally, efforts to boost tourism and strengthen economic ties through free trade agreements are also on the cards. Heres a comprehensive overview of the events and announcements that will shape the financial and economic discourse on July 17.

Companies expected to announce Q1 results Several prominent companies are set to disclose their Q1 results on July 17. Asian Paints Ltd, LTIMindtree Ltd, Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd, and Elecon Engineering Company Ltd are among the two dozen companies scheduled to announce their June quarter results today.

Choice International

Hathway Cable and Datacom

Huhtamaki India

Onward Technologies

Tarapur Transformers

Dividend stocks trading ex-dividend Investors will be closely watching shares of Century Textiles & Industries Ltd, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Ltd, Lakshmi Electrical Control Systems Ltd, Lloyds Steels Industries Ltd, Modison Ltd, Rane Brake Lining Ltd, and Walchand Peoplefirst Ltd as they trade ex-dividend today. The ex-dividend date marks the adjustment of the equity share price to reflect the upcoming dividend payout.

Bulk deals to watch On July 17, Jindal Saw, Sotac Pharmaceuticals, and Satin Creditcare Network will witness significant trading activity. Notably, Cresta Fund, a US-based foreign portfolio investor, offloaded 25 lakh equity shares, representing a 0.78 percent equity stake in Jindal Saw, at an average price of 330.01 per share. This transaction was valued at 82.5 crore.

Muharram observance All schools in Puducherry will remain closed on July 17 for Muharram, according to the Directorate of School Education. Additionally, banks in several states will also be closed for the holiday.

International tourism efforts China is working to attract foreign tourists post-pandemic by scrapping entry permits for some visitors. Tourists from over a dozen countries can now fly in and stay for up to 15 days without a visa.

India-Korea FTA review meeting From July 17-19, India and Korea will hold the next round of negotiations to upgrade their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The talks in Seoul aim to enhance economic cooperation and address trade deficits. India's exports to Korea are at USD 6.41 billion and imports at USD 21.13 billion in the last fiscal year.

Samsung Galaxy M35 5G launch Samsung is set to launch its mid-range Galaxy M35 smartphone in India on July 17, coinciding with the Amazon Prime Day Sale. The M35 5G will feature a super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, and the Exynos 1380 chipset. It will also support Samsung Wallet, Knox security, and Knox Vault.

IMD issues yellow alert in Delhi, Mumbai Weather today: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rains over several parts of the country. As per IMD, heavy to very rains have been predicted over Tamil Nadu, Madhya Maharashtra, West Madhya Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Konkan, Goa, Saurashtra, Kutch, South Interior Karnataka today, July 17.
Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has lodged a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector and her former boss Suhas Diwase at Washim in eastern Maharashtra.

An official said, Women police personnel visited Khedkar at her residence in Washim on Monday and she lodged a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase.

The probationary IAS officer refused to elaborate on the purpose of the visit by police personnel. "I had called female police personnel because I had some work," she told reporters.

Meanwhile, Diwase also did not respond to calls and messages seeking reaction.

Khedkar is currently under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and OBC certificates, which she used to clear the IAS examination. Additionally, her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector's office has come into question.

In light of the controversy, the government has paused Khedkar's 'district training program' and summoned her back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action".

Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector after Diwase reported her conduct to senior officials. Allegations include demanding facilities she wasn't entitled to as a trainee IAS officer and occupying the ante-chamber of a senior official.

Case filed against Puja Khedhkar's parents Meanwhile, a case has also been filed against Khedhkar's parents, Manorma Khedkar and Dilip Khedkar for allegedly threatening farmers with a pistol.

Pune Rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh spoke about the case to ANI and said that the accused are on the run, and we have been trying to contact them, however, because their phones are switched off, we are not able to get through them.

"The accused are on the run; we are trying to contact them but they are not reachable as their phones are switched off. We have also tried to reach their residence but they are not available."Further, he said, "Several teams, including officials from the local crime branch and local police stations, are searching for them in Pune and nearby places where they have some farmhouses and other residences. If found, we will question them and take action accordingly."
New Delhi: Talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK are expected to resume after a three-month gap, two people familiar with the development said, ahead of new foreign secretary David Lammy making his maiden visit to India next week.

The Labour party came to power with a massive majority in general elections held earlier this month, ousting the weakened Conservatives. General elections in both India and the UK were among factors holding up talks on the FTA.

The dates for his visit have not yet been finalized. However, it is expected that he may arrive in New Delhi on or after 23 July," the first among the two people mentioned above said.

During his visit, Lammy is set to engage in dialogue with key leaders, including external affairs minister S Jaishankar and commerce minister Piyush Goyal, regarding the ongoing UK FTA negotiations to help resolve the remaining issues, this person said requesting anonymity.

It hasn't been smooth sailing for the FTA.

Many sticking points Key sticking points for the UK include high Indian tariffs on Scotch whisky, New Delhi's demand for easing mobility for Indian professionals, and the UK's demand for tax relief for its electric vehicles.

London also wants substantial duty cuts for British lamb meat, chocolates and confectionery.

The Indian industry seeks increased access for skilled professionals from sectors such as IT and healthcare in the UK market, as well as for zero customs duty on several goods.

The India-UK FTA talks were paused when a senior British delegation cancelled its planned visit to New Delhi following the announcement of general elections in the UK.

Mint first reported on 27 May that the British team, originally scheduled to arrive on 28 May, had cancelled its visit. The UK's senior team was expected to finalize terms on contentious issues including mobility, duty relaxations, and electric vehicles.

With the Labour Party's victory perceived as mutually beneficial for India and the UK, there is optimism about expediting the FTA. Both sides are currently negotiating the 14th and final round of talks that commenced on 10 January this year, the second person said.

"India is eager to see positive developments in the India-UK FTA talks, and we are hopeful that dialogue will resume with a positive perspective," this person said.

A 'positive development Experts see Lammy's visit as a positive development.

It seems the UK government, under the Labour Party's leadership, will maintain its stance. Their manifesto states that they will continue the strategic partnership with India and finalize the FTA with India, said Biswajit Dhar, economist and retired professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

This is logical because, for a swift recovery, the UK needs a market like India. Therefore, they will aim to close the deal as soon as possible, Dhar added.

Queries emailed to ministries of commerce and external affairs remained unanswered till press time. A British High Commission spokesperson said, Ministerial travel will be set out in the usual way.

New Delhi has been optimistic about advancing the trade deal, which has been in the works for years.

After the most recent visit to London in the second week of May, Indian negotiators claimed substantial progress in mobility and electric vehicles.
By Shivansh Tiwary and Rajesh Kumar Singh

July 17 (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group forecast third-quarter profit below estimates on Wednesday, citing a financial hit from its new flight attendant contract deal, while it topped market expectations for second-quarter earnings.

The Seattle, Washington-based carrier's flight attendants are set for an average pay hike of 32% after it reached a new tentative agreement with the union.

It expects a 50 cent-per-share hit to its third-quarter earnings due to the labor deal, CFO Shane Tackett told Reuters in an interview.

It forecast an adjusted profit of $1.40 to $1.60 per share during the period, compared with LSEG estimates of $2.05 per share.

Alaska, the operator of the Boeing plane that suffered a mid-air cabin blowout in January, also saw a $60 million impact to its second-quarter revenue due to the incident as it affected its bookings in April.

During the quarter, Alaska received nine 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing, six of which were the 737 MAX 9 variant.

Airlines are enjoying a summer travel boom while business travel, which is seen as the cash cow for the industry, has also continued its upward trajectory as corporate customers ramp up their work-related travel expenses.

"There is really strong demand by almost any measure," Tackett told Reuters. "The most strength is on the premium segment of travel."

Alaska posted second-quarter adjusted net income of $2.55 per share, compared with estimates of $2.38.

Its second-quarter performance was driven by lower-than-expected operating costs. Unit costs in the quarter were down about 2% from a year ago, compared with an April projection of being flat.

"We actually think that ticket yields would potentially be positive relative to last year in August. And we certainly do see that happening in September at the latest," Tackett added.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay hit back at Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath on Kedarnath Temple gold scam claims.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, claimed that 228 kilograms of gold were stolen from the Kedarnath Temple. Responding to it, Ajay told ANI that Swami Avimukteshwaranand's statements regarding the disappearance of gold in Kedarnath Dham are very unfortunate. He further urged the Shankaracharya to present the facts.

"I respect Swami Avimukteshwaranand but he keeps holding press conferences throughout the day...Stoking controversy, create sensationalism and being in the news is a habit of Swami Avimukteshwaranand. His statement on gold missing in Kedarnath Dham is very unfortunate. I urge him as well as challenge him to bring to light facts and evidence," Ajay said.

Ajay also suggested that Swami Avimukteshwaranand should approach the competent authority and demand an inquiry instead of making statements.

"He should go to authorities, present then the evidence and demand an investigation. If he doesn't trust a capable authority, he should approach the Supreme Court, High Court, file a PIL and demand an investigation if he actually has evidence," Ajay stated.

"He doesn't have the right to hurt the dignity of Kedarnath Dham or create controversy over it. If he is doing this just to protest, create controversies, and further the agenda of Congress, it is very unfortunate," Ajay further added.

Gold scam in Kedarnath: What Swami Avimukteshwaranand clamed? On Monday, July 15, Swami Avimukteshwaranand alleged that 228 kg of gold was missing from Kedarnath.

"There is a gold scam in Kedarnath; why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kg of gold is missing from Kedarnath; no inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?" Swami Avimukteshwaranand said.

The Shankaracharya further claimed that demands for an investigation into this issue had been raised with the Commissioner, but he didn't investigate the case properly.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Survey after survey tells us that Americans are struggling. The latest, the American Psychological Associations annual gauge of stress in the US, reveals that people continue to feel worse than before the pandemic. The question is what to do about it.

And its no wonder that people are so stressed out: Humans have finite mental resources, and theyve been decidedly depleted by years of dealing with Covid and its fallout, plus economic woes and worries about geopolitical upheaval. In the APA survey, which was conducted in August, nearly a quarter of adults reported operating at the highest levels of stress, rating it at least an 8 out of 10. Among parents, self-reported stress was so extreme that nearly half said it was completely overwhelming on most days, and 41% reported that it impedes their function.

In the last year or two, much of the focus has been on addressing the declining mental well-being of adolescents and teens. Kids were already struggling before Covid, but the alarming data on higher levels of anxiety, depression and thoughts of self-harm during Covid has mobilized everyone from policymakers to educators and parents to do whatever it takes to address kids in crisis.

But we shouldnt forget that adults also were deeply affected by a protracted period of relentless uncertainty, fear, loss and social isolation. The APAs survey of adults shows stress levels are highest among those age 18  45, who reported the biggest increases since pre-pandemic times.

That group also saw a marked increase in chronic health and mental health diagnoses compared to before the pandemic. The pandemic prompted a more open national conversation about mental health, and the survey cant separate out how much the rise could be due to more people seeking help than in the past. But the increase was big enough in younger groups  44% of adults aged 34-44 reported a mental health diagnosis compared to 31% in 2019  that its likely a combination of more attention to care and more strain.

And adults under the age of 45 are currently most worried about the economy, with more than 70% citing it as a major stressor, compared to just over 50% of people in 2019. Parents again seem to be bearing the brunt, with two-thirds reporting they felt consumed by money woes.

Were not helpless in managing that stress, particularly when it comes to those who say they are experiencing it most intensely. Rajita Sinha, director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Stress Center, says she often suggests that people feeling extreme stress should pause and ask themselves, Wheres the fire? If theres a real emergency, of course, we should react, but when there isnt, it can be grounding to run a basic inventory: Am I okay? Is my family okay? Who can help?

Reaching out for support from a friend or family member is the next step. While it might sound like stating the obvious to say that social connection is a vital part of coping, data suggest were doing a terrible job at it. In the APA survey, 62% of respondents said they dont talk about how theyre feeling because they dont want to be a burden, yet two-thirds of those surveyed also said that they could have used more emotional support than they received.

That dovetails with a report from earlier this year, when Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, warned that the US was experiencing an epidemic of loneliness that was as bad for our health as smoking. Recent research found a decline in the amount of time Americans spend engaging with others. Being intentional about rebuilding connections  even something as simple as texting a friend  can help us feel less isolated.

People could also do a better job of recognizing the sources of their stress and reining in our reactions to them. We cant control the ominous news giving us a feeling of existential dread, but we can control our exposure to such news, says Lynn Bufka, associate executive director for practice research and policy at the APA. Figure out how much you need to know in order to make a decision for your life and then turn it off, Bufka advises.

Such small changes, performed consistently, might help us shake off some of the residual effects of several very difficult years  and set us up better to cope with the fresh challenges that seem to keep coming.

More From Lisa Jarvis at Bloomberg Opinion:

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
Days after US presidential candidate Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Ohio police shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the Republican National Convention (RNC), said police on Tuesday.

Addressing a news conference, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said the man who was shot dead by five members of the Ohio police department had a knife in each hand, and the cops recovered two knives from him.

He's got the knife!" the officers were heard saying in the camera footage released. As they run toward the men standing on the street, some officers then yelled, Drop the knife!

Someones life was in danger. These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someones life today," Norman said as quoted by AP.

Thousands of officers from various jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to bolster security for the convention that started on Monday and will end on Thursday.

Donald Trump's assassination attempt On Saturday, there was an attempted assassination on former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, just months before the upcoming presidential elections. Trump narrowly escaped with a minor injury when a gunman fired shots, grazing the "upper part of his right ear."

Tragically, a bystander who shielded his family during the chaos lost his life. Crooks, who was a registered Republican, was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper.

After the attack, Trump delivered a message of unity, urging Americans to stand against evil" and said, It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.

Some media reports stated that Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old boy, attempted to assassinate Trump. He had a brief appearance in a 2022 advertisement for BlackRock Inc., the world's largest asset manager.

The advertisement, filmed at Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania, featured Crooks and other volunteer students in the background, as reported by BlackRock. Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022.

Also Read | Trump assassination attempt: Shooter Thomas Crooks featured in 2022 BlackRock ad

BlackRock announced that the advertisement has been withdrawn but assured that the footage will be provided to the authorities. Despite its removal, the video continues to circulate widely on social media.
Elon Musk on Wednesday praised Vivek Ramaswamy for his fiery speech where he describes American Dream as an ethos that lets an individual get ahead despite his or skin colour or race.

Ramaswamy says, If you disgree with everything I say then our message to you is this - we will still defend your right to say it because that is who we are as Americans. We are a country where we can disagree like hell and still get together at the dinner table at the end of it. That is what means to be an American.

Posting a clip from the video on X (formerly Twitter), the Tesla boss says praises Ramaswamy saying Well said.

Millionaire entrepreneur-turned-politician Ramaswamy has seen a meteoric rise in the Republican party. He is now considered as one of the close confidant of the former president Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

Republicans lean into Trump's border message during a convention night Immigration took centre stage as the Republican National Convention resumed Tuesday, with speakers spotlighting a key element of former President Donald Trump's political brand that helped endear him to the GOP base when he began his first campaign in 2015.

Among speakers slated for Tuesday night were families who've been impacted by violent crime  part of a GOP strategy to link crime to border policies. They include the family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman whom prosecutors say was killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador and whose story has been frequently highlighted by Trump on the campaign trail.
Did Iran plan to assassinate US presidential candidate Donald Trump in revenge for assassinating Iranian General Qasem Soleimani? Following the assassination bid on the former US president during a campaign rally on Saturday, a report claimed that US authorities received intelligence on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Trump.

Donald Trump sustained injuries on his right year after a 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot multiple rounds at the stage during the presidential candidate's campaign rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.

Iran's alleged role in Trump's assassination plot: What we know so far? Two US officials told the Associated Press that a threat on Trump's life from Iran prompted additional security in the days before Saturday's campaign rally, but it was unrelated to the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee.

Meanwhile, CNN quoted a US national security official as saying that the Secret Service and the Trump campaign were made aware of the threat before Saturday's rally.

"In response to the increased threat, the Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday," an official told CNN.

The Trump campaign refused to comment on Trump's security detail. The FBI, which is conducting the investigation into Saturday's shooting, also declined to comment.

Besides, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson said there's no known link between shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks "and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic."

What did Iran say? Its out natural right to...' When asked if the alleged Iranian assassination plot against Trump was in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said the country would pursue legal or judicial action in this matter.

"I told you explicitly that we would resort to legal and judicial procedures and frameworks at the domestic level and international level in order to bring the perpetrators and military advisers of General Soleimani's assassination to justice," Kani said in an exclusive interview with CNN.

Also Read | ISIS claims responsibility for Iran twin blasts which killed 103

When further asked if that meant not using violent measures, Kani said, "We will only resort to Iranian and international legal and judicial procedures."

"Until now, we have done it, and this is our right and of course we will continue it. And the Americans openly said that they assassinated the senior Iranian military commander. So it is our natural right in order to follow this issue, and those who are accused in this case, they should be brought to justice in a  in a just court," Kani said.

Also Read | Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump in relation to Qasem Soleimanis death

Meanwhile, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied reports in an American media outlet regarding Iran's role in the recent armed attack on former US President Donald Trump.

The spokesperson said the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to pursue legal action against Trump "for his direct role in the crime of assassinating Martyr General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps".
Several major Russian commodity exporters say trade with China has become a gamble as direct payments made in yuan are increasingly being frozen or delayed after the US in June broadened the criteria for imposing sanctions.

It has become very difficult or even impossible to make direct payments from China to Russia after the latest round of US sanctions, even when using yuan, said top executives at three commodities exporters. All three asked not to be identified as the information is sensitive.

Some Chinese buyers of Russian farm goods have also been experiencing issues with payments this month, a person at a Russian agricultural trading firm said.

The problem affects not only commodities like metals and agriculture, but other industries as well. The Association of Russian Automobile Dealers last week warned that imports of vehicles and car parts from China, now the countrys main supplier, may come to a halt due to glitches with settlements.

Those delays come after the US in June widened the parameters for determining whether to impose secondary sanctions by broadening the definition of Russias military-industrial base.

The situation illustrates how increasingly draconian penalties against Russia are slowly taking a toll on the countrys economy. The central bank said in a July report on macroeconomic and financial trends that it had observed a decrease in the degree of openness in the Russian economy, which is reflected in a decline in the share of imports and exports in GDP, and an increase in the role of domestic demand and production.

Since the end of last year, Russia has also experienced difficulties in operations with other major trading partners, including the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, as US pressure on lenders slows down transactions. Trade with India has also encountered bumps in the road because the rupee is not fully convertible.

The Bank of Russia didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

China has become Russias main trading partner in the wake of the Kremlins February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent, sweeping sanctions imposed by the US and European Union against Moscow. Trade between the two countries surged by more than 60% to $240 billion in 2023 since then, with Russia surpassing Germany, Australia and Vietnam on the list of Beijings top trading partners, Chinese customs data show. The yuan now accounts for about 40% of Russias export and import payments and more than half the value on Russias foreign currency market.

While China hasnt joined the West in imposing sanctions against Russia, payments between the two countries have still faced obstacles since December, when the US threatened to impose secondary sanctions on banks that facilitate trade with Russias military-related industries. Russian companies told local media in June that the issue was resolved using small regional banks after President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, but then the US expanded their sanctions criteria.

US sanctions and the threat of secondary sanctions have already led to a growing number of banks in China that do not want to make payments and foreign trade settlements with Russia, said Alexander Potavin, an analyst with Finam in Moscow.

Those who are experiencing problems often are able to find alternative methods for payment, including by using cryptocurrencies or routing the transactions though former Soviet republics like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, even though that adds cost, people said.

A clear collapse in imports due to lags we dont see yet, but imports in rubles have already begun to decline, said Dmitry Polevoy, the investment director at Moscow-based Astra Asset Management, referring to delays in processing payments. Imports in rubles as a share of GDP are noticeably declining after recovering in 2023.

Some traders are still able to make yuan payment to Russia, but only through a limited number of major state-owned banks. Smaller or local lenders are not an option anymore after sanctions were broadened, according to a person familiar with the matter.

To be sure, some exporters have said they havent experienced issues executing payments. A major energy exporters yuan-denominated transaction from China this month went smoothly, even though some banks have stopped working with Russia, the firms top executive said.

Trade is still happening, but its certainly more expensive due to the greatly increased costs of making payments, one of the people said.

With assistance from Hallie Gu.
Russias top diplomat signaled a preference for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and especially his running mate JD Vance, praising their vocal interest in cutting a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Although the previous Trump administration imposed more and more sanctions on Russia, at that time, dialogue was underway between us and Washington at the highest levels, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday. Right now, there is no such dialogue.

Trump has said hell bring the war to an end even before taking office if hes elected in November, and vice presidential nominee Vance has said he opposes any further financial support to Ukraine. Its a sentiment that has gained favor among many Republicans who criticize the billions spent for weapons and other aid to Kyiv since Russias full-scale invasion in 2022.

Hes in favor of peace, in favor of ending the assistance thats being provided, Lavrov said of Vance. And we can only welcome that because thats what we need  to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons. And then the war will end, and then we can look for solutions.

The Republican tickets stance contrasts with that of President Joe Biden, who said last month that the US and its allies would stand with Ukraine until it wins the conflict with Russia. Biden has overseen the flow of more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began, and his administration opposes forcing Kyiv into negotiations that would freeze in place Russias occupation of the eastern Donbas region.

Lavrovs comments follow remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said this month that he believes Trump sincerely hopes for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Despite the encouraging comments on the Republican ticket by Russian officials, Lavrov said Russia is ready to work with whomever the American people elect in November as long as they are willing to engage in equitable, mutually respectable dialogue.
Donald Trump was celebrated Tuesday at the Republican National Convention by former rivals in a show of unity that contrasts with the divisions increasingly ripping through the Democratic Party.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who showed deep support for the former President from the begining, urged citizen to vote for Trump if they seal the border, restore law and order, reignite economy, revive national pride or want to make America great again. With him, the crowd also roared vote Trump

Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador who was Trumps final challenger in the GOP primary, directly addressed her supporters after taking the stage to a mix of cheers and boos.

My message to them is simple: You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him, Haley said.

She was followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a onetime Trump ally turned primary rival who has worked to rebuild his relationship with the former president since dropping out of the primary.

Donald Trump has been demonized. Hes been sued. Hes been prosecuted. And he nearly lost his life, DeSantis told the crowd. We cannot let him down. And we cannot let America down.

Such overtures are typical in political conventions, where the purpose is often to bring a party together after bitter primaries. But the Haley and DeSantis appearances were particularly notable given the personal animosity that defined this years GOP contest  much of that being directed by Trump at Haley and DeSantis.

Trump solidifies Republican ticket Trump on Monday had solidified the Republican ticket by announcing Vance, a 39-year-old US senator from Ohio and a one-time harsh critic turned uncompromising supporter, as his running mate.

Vance, who says his modest Rust Belt upbringing makes him a voice for working-class voters in left-behind America, is set to address the convention Wednesday evening.

With Vance and Trump in the VIP box, and delegates giving off a joyous vibe, several speakers touched on the notion pervading the convention that divine intervention helped Trump escape assassination in Pennsylvania.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the Mint office in Mumbai. Two senior editors recounted interesting stories on the craze for trading stock derivativesfutures and optionsthat has gripped India. One editor recounted a story of a vegetable vendor who had recently bought laptops to be able to trade in futures and options. The second editor told about how he had recently booked an app-based cab and had found the driver trading options while driving.

In fact, this anecdotal experience can be seen in data as well. As the stock brokerage ICICI Direct pointed out in a recent note: India's monthly futures and options turnover reached a record $1.1 trillion in March 2024. This phenomenal surge represents a significant jump from just approximately $27 billion in March 2019."

Given this, the average daily turnover in the futures and options segment of the stock market is now many times more than that in the cash segment. In simple English, this means that the number of daily transactions where investors are buying and selling stock futures and options are much more than investors buying and selling actual stocks. So the derivatives that derive their value from stocks have become much more popular than stocks.

In fact, even this does not tell us the gravity of the situation. As ICICI Direct further pointed out: Looking at the recent month (April 2024), the combined volume of BSE and the National Stock Exchange [the two major stock exchanges in India] was nearly 81% of the global equity derivatives turnover." In fact, 84% of all equity options traded globally in the first quarter of 2024 were on Indian exchanges, a significant jump from just 15% a decade earlier".

This is the level of madness that is currently on. We have turned into a nation of futures and options traders.

Not surprisingly, this has got the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Reserve Bank of India and the ministry of finance, all worried. Sebi, the stock market regulator, is trying to rein in this massive craze to trade futures and options.

Data froma Sebi report released in January 2023 pointed out that 89% of the individual traders (i.e., 9 out of 10 individual traders) in equity futures and options segment incurred losses, with an average loss of 1.1 lakh during FY22, whereas, 90% of the active traders incurred average losses of 1.25 lakh during the same period". Further, for the group of active traders (excluding outliers), on average, loss makers registered net trading loss close to 50,000 in FY22 The average loss of a loss maker was over 15 times the average profit by a profit maker".

There are two points that arise here. First, the stock futures and options market is now much bigger than it was in 2021-22, with more individual traders being a part of it. Second, while Sebi has not released more recent data of this kind, given that it is worried and is taking steps to rein in the trading, tells us that the broader numbers probably continue to be along the same lines, if not worse.

The question is what can be done? But before we get into that, its important to realise why we are where we are. Cheap smartphones and even cheaper bandwidth, along with newer apps with simpler interfaces, have made trading in futures and options much easier than it was in the past. But theres more to it than just this.

Several brokers have backend deals with finfluencers, whose main job is to tell the retail investor 24/7 that making money in stock markets is easy and you can do it by trading in futures and options. This has driven up volumes and helped stock brokers pay a lower transaction fee to the exchanges.

Now, there are three playersthe stock exchange, the stock broker, and the retail investorinvolved in this trading game. The stock exchange (BSE or NSE) charges the broker a transaction fee. This fee is based on the turnover that a stock broker contributes to the exchange during the course of a month. The higher the turnover the lower the fee.

Just because the exchange has dangled the carrot of a higher volume leading to a lower transaction fee doesnt mean that the retail investors will start trading more and that the stock broker will get a higher volume of trading, and thus a lower transaction fee will have to paid to the stock exchange.

So, how does that happen? The stock broker has to drive up the volumes. Other than charging the investors a transaction fee, the stock broker also charges a brokerage fee to the investors to trade. This brokerage fee is the more visible fee.

The brokerage fee charged on the futures and options transactions has been made very low or zero. This point has been driven home over and over again through advertising and social media. The lower or zero brokerage fee encourages investors to trade more, and in the process, drives up higher volumes for the stockbroker, helping them pay the exchange a lower transaction fee.

Further, even brokers who claim not to advertise have gotten into backend deals with financial influencers, whose main job is to tell the retail investor 24/7 that making money in stock markets is easy and here is how you can do it by trading in futures and options. Which is why social media is full of reels and tips highlighting this easy money.

This has helped drive up volumes and in turn helped stock brokers pay a lower transaction fee to the stock exchanges. Herein lies the twist: the stock brokers make money from this because they dont pass on this lower transaction fee charged by the exchange totally to the investors. This difference between the transaction fee that the stock brokers charge investors to trade futures and options and what they pay the exchanges is referred to as the rebate. This is how stock brokers make money from the rebate.

As the stock brokerage Zerodha explained in a recent note: We earn about 10% of our revenue from these rebates. This could range between 10% and 50% of the revenue for other brokers. For us, this has increased from ~3% to ~10% in the last four years because of the increase in options turnover."

Come 2 October all this is likely to change. But before we get to that, lets try and understand how Sebi is trying to tackle this. The regulator recently issued a circular that has been termed as the true-to-label circular. The circular states: The charge structure of the market infrastructure institution should be uniform and equal for all its members instead of slab-wise viz. dependent on volume/activity of members."

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What does this mean in simple English? It basically means the end of rebate as a business model. Stock brokers will no longer be able to pocket the difference between what the exchange charges them as a transaction fee and what they in turn charge their investors. Up until now the transaction fee collected by brokers from investors, usually daily, was higher than the charges they paid to the stock exchange at the end of the month.

This business model will no longer work. The investor will have to be charged the same amount that the stock broker is paying the exchange as a transaction fee. Which essentially means that stock brokers will now have to earn money through avenues other than the rebate. Or as Zerodha put it: We may have to introduce a brokerage fee for equity delivery investments [that is the buying and selling of stocks], which is currently free, or/and increase futures and options brokerage."

Given the end of rebate, the visible fee, that is the brokerage fee that investors pay to trade futures and options, or stocks, will no longer be zero or very low. The hope is that this will disincentivise the investors to continue punting on futures and options at the pace that they have been.

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Now, this is one part of what Sebi is trying to do. There is another important part: that is to rein in the finfluencers. As Madhavi Puri Buch, the Sebi chairperson, recently told Mint: You open your mouth and utter a single name (of securities), you stop being an educator and start being an advisor."

Basically, the moment a finfluencer recommends a stock or the buying or selling of a future or an option, whose value is derived from the price of a stock, or if they recommend a future or an option whose value is derived from a stock market index, they will be deemed to be advisors and not educators.

And given that, stock brokers or other financial firms regulated by Sebi cannot have any transactions involving money with them. This move is likely to kill the model where stock brokers were quietly funding financial influencers to promote the idea of how easy it is to make money from the stock market.

On the flip side, the line between explaining something and making a recommendation wont always be very clear, which is why any regulation needs to be drafted carefully.

Before going further, we need to look at two data points. Data from NSE tells us that the mean age of individual investors in the stock market currently stands at 32. It was at 38 in 2019-20. This rapid fall in the mean age of individual investors is a clear indicator of the fact that many of those who have started trading futures and options over the last few years are youngsters.

It's clear that a bulk of retail investors in India have lost money trading in futures and options. So what explains the continuing growth in F&O trading?

Further, a bulk of the traders in futures and options are not making very large bets. Data from NSE shows that more than 3/4th of total investors traded less than 10 lakh in equity options in May". Sebi seems to be trying to rein in such investors.

A report in Moneycontrol.com says that a Working Committee on Futures and Options has recommended increasing the minimum lot size of derivative contracts to 20 lakh- 30 lakh from 5 lakh presently", among other things. Basically, the idea seems to be to make trading in futures and options more expensive.

Now, comes the most important question, will these moves discourage those punting on futures and options: the taxi drivers, the vegetable vendors, the mass of unemployed youth, and many others?

These are good moves, nonetheless, there is one point that they do not tackle. Allow me to explain. The Sebi data from 2021-22 clearly points out that most individual traders lose money when they trade in stock futures and options. This isnt just an Indian trend. As a March 2023 report inThe Economist pointed out: Retail investors are losing billions buying stock options."

The point I am trying to reiterate here is that what was true in 2021-22 must have been true in years after that as well: that is, a bulk of retail investors would have lost money while trading futures and options in India.

That leads to the question as to why does trading in futures and options continue to grow then? I mean if someone is losing money, at some point of time they will stop. Common sense will take over. They will run out of money to trade. And so on.

If you speak to those in the business of managing other peoples money (or rather making money from other peoples money) they will tell you India is a big country, more investors will keep coming in. Not the first time the large Indian population has been offered as an explanation for a broad societal trend. While it may true, its a very simplistic way of looking at things. There has to be more to this.

Another explanation is that the lottery effect is at play. While investors may be making losses, the hope of having a big pay day keep driving them on. Its like those who keep losing money in a casino but still keep betting in the hope of winning big. The slot machine will throw up a jackpot someday.Wo subah kabhi to aayegi? Perhaps.

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Another explanation offered is that most retail investors are buying options and not writing them, and in a sense, that limits their losses. I havent checked out the data on this. This is one explanation that has been offered to me by people who are usually in the know of such things. The retail investors can get up again next morning to start all over again in the hope of a big win. If you have to win in the market, you have to play the market. No one over crossed a sea by standing and admiring it from the shore.

These are societal level explanations and they can all be true to some extent. But I have another explanation to offer. Something known aspreference falsification seems to be at work and that isnudging the retail investors to continue to bet on futures and options despite losing money.

What is preference falsification? As Raghuram G. Rajan and Rohit Lamba write inBreaking the MouldReimagining Indias Economic Future: Political scientist Timur Kuran coined the evocative phrase preference falsification, which is the act of misrepresenting what one believes, perceiving public pressure to do so.

For instance, a substantial portion of the population of the Soviet Union was unhappy with the state, but many feared sharing their views openly. It was only when the Soviet state collapsed, weighed down by decades of misgovernance without effective feedback, that people realized others, too, thought the same way."

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My hypothesis is that something similar is happening with retail investors trading futures and options, and continuing to trade despite losing money. The environment all around them is extremely bullish. Financial influencers are telling them to go out there and trade. Experts appearing on TV are telling them the stock market will only go up from here. 100,000 in 2025. 160,000 in 2029. And so on.

In this environment, when someone loses money, they are bound to think that they are the exception to the rule. That they are losing money while everyone else around them is making pot loads of it. Also, even those who are losing money arent exactly going to admit to it.

This is preference falsification at work because there is very little information on investors losing money by trading futures and options coming out in the public domain. This is perhaps influencing investors to keep trading futures and options even when they are losing money.

Risk disclosures clearly haven't worked, just as the gruesome images on cigarette packs warning people of the harmful effects of smoking haven't.

Now, how do you tackle a problem like that? In May 2023, Sebi had mandated that stock brokers should display risk disclosures prominently when investors login into their trading account.

These were the risk disclosures:

1) Nine out of 10 individual traders in the equity futures and options segment incurred net losses.

2) On an average, loss makers registered net trading loss close to 50,000.

3) Over and above the net trading losses incurred, loss makers expended an additional 28% of net trading losses as transaction costs.

4) Those making net trading profits incurred between 15% and 50% of such profits as transaction cost.

Now, these risk disclosures clearly did not work, because if they had the trading volumes of futures and options wouldnt have kept going up. It probably became a blind spot like all the gruesome images that appear on cigarette packs warning people of the harmful effects of smoking.

So how can this be tackled? I think Sebi needs to release the data on losses made by individual investors regularly at the end of every month. Just releasing the data will not be enough. Sebi needs to do what the ministry of finance has been doing successfully over the last few years whenever it releases the monthly data on goods and services tax and tries telling the world at large that the Indian economy is doing well: basically, plaster data all over social media.

It needs to learn from what RBI does with its public service ads and what the mutual fund lobby, Association of Mutual Funds in India, has done with its mutual fund sahi hai ads, and get a celebrity to say something along the lines of F&O trading se bach ke rahen (Beware of F&O trading). Short video clips need to be made on how derivatives trading is a loss-making proposition for retail investors. Basically, they need to beat financial influencers at their own game. Or at least try to.

If all this is not enough, then the ministry of finance needs to take out its bazooka and do with futures and options what it did with cryptos: All gains made by those indulging in futures and options for speculation should be taxed at 30%. Further, losses made should not be allowed as a write-off from taxable income.

At the end of the day, one lesson that stands out to anyone who has bothered to read the history of finance and economics is that when financial speculation becomes a mass market activity, it usually doesnt end well. Which is why it is important to disincentivize it in as many ways as possible. As is the case with one too many things these days, its the mahaul (the narrative) that has to be managed.

(Thanks are due to Rahul Goel, a finance and publishing professional, and the former CEO of Equitymaster, for his detailed inputs on this piece).

Also read | Sebi is regulating influencers. What if theyre also mutual fund distributors?
The Indian consumer is showing signs of fatigue. The indications are evident in what consumer goods companies are reporting as well as from hard data in the national income accounts. Household consumer spending grew at half the pace of the overall economy in the financial year that ended in March. This has wide implications.

Several economists have in recent weeks pointed out that companies are unlikely to buy machinery to increase capacity in their existing factories or build new factories at greenfield sites till they are sure of robust demand for their products in the years ahead, either from India or foreign consumers. A recovery in the corporate investment cycle right now depends on better visibility of consumer demand in the future.

Here is a stylised version of what happened to the purchasing power of consumers in recent years. India entered the pandemic with the economy losing momentum over seven quarters in a row. The pandemic hit the economic activity of households in very different ways, but the economy as a whole saw a sharp increase in the forced savings plus precautionary savings of households.

In other words, households saved more either because they had few opportunities during the strict lockdowns or living in the penumbra of uncertainty made them wary of spending.

India saw a splendid recovery in consumer spending after the pandemic ended. One reason was that the stock of excess savings that households had built up during the lockdowns provided a significant financial buffer. This buffer, combined with the regular inflow of income as well as the psychological relief from the return of normal patterns of life, spurred a burst of revenge spending.

Recent data released by the Reserve Bank of India shows that most of the stock of excess savings has been spent down by households. A lot now depends on the flow of income to support consumer spending, especially at a time when households have taken on more debt in their balance sheets, though much of it could be to buy homes.

The upshot: inertial income growth is a drag on consumer spending in India. Recent data from official surveys of the labour market as well as the state of unorganized enterprises shows that the past seven years have not been good for households in the lower deciles of the income pyramid, after being hit by multiple shocks.

One view in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic was that Indian consumer spending is anyway driven by the top two deciles, which are still doing relatively well. This sanguine view did not take into account the fact that there are feedback loopsthe inability of a poor households to buy a bar of soap or a motorcycle will eventually hurt the incomes of those in higher parts of the income pyramid.

Three policy issues deserve to be highlighted in this context, spanning an immediate response to structural solutions over a longer time horizon. The immediate question is what the new government should do in the upcoming Union budget as a response to the slowdown in consumer spending.

The higher dividend from the Indian central bank as well as buoyant direct tax revenues provide the government with some extra fiscal headroom compared to what was assumed in the pre-election interim budget.

The question is whether the government should use the extra revenue to stimulate consumption or announce a fiscal deficit target that is lower than the glide path announced after the pandemic, by around 0.2 percentage points of gross domestic product (GDP). The case for sticking to a fiscal deficit of 5.1% is quite strong right now, so that domestic demand can get a small dose of stimulus either through more spending or a cut in the effective rates of income tax.

However, given the fact that India needs to reduce its fiscal deficit through this decade, the stimulus that can be provided by fiscal policy will be limited, and perhaps just enough to deal with the cyclical component of the downturn in consumer spending.

That brings us to the second issue the so-called home market problem that was a hot topic of debate among Indian economists in the 1970s. Underlying it are issues ranging from a lack of adequate quality jobs to anaemic growth in real wages.

One way to break out of the home market problem is to sell more to international consumers, which is what so many countries east of our borders did over the past few decades. The answer then includes trade policy rather than just a fiscal stimulus.

The deepest structural issue is what economists describe as the functional distribution of labour, or how national income is distributed between capital and labour. This is not easy data to estimate, especially in a country such as ours with a large household sector in which separating capital income from labour income is a statistical challenge.

But the very fact that profits have grown faster than the underlying nominal GDP while labour incomes have not suggests a shift in the functional distribution of income. This column has earlier commented on the economic recovery that was led by profits rather than wages, and the macroeconomic implications of such a shift.

The capital intensity of Indian manufacturing as well as the sectoral preferences of the production-linked incentive scheme need to be seen against this backdrop.

The Indian economy has a lot going for it. The slowdown in consumer spending could be a transient problem, but it is just as likely that its an advance signal of deeper structural issues that deserve more policy attention beyond the annual budget.
A 24-year Japanese model and four of her young compatriots, who want to undergo sterilization surgeries, recently filed a lawsuit at a Tokyo court to challenge Japans Maternal Protection Act of 1996, which deprives them of the opportunity to do so and thus violates their constitutional right to equality and self-determination.

The petitioners lawyer argued that the Act smacks of excessive paternalism" in assuming that a womans body is destined to become a mother," denying them the right to live a life of their choice."

This Japanese law, a revised version of its earlier Eugenics Protection Law of 1948, has stringent pre-conditions for a woman to undergo a sterilization surgery.

It can only be performed on those who are at risk of endangering their lives due to pregnancy or delivery, or who already have several children, though spousal consent is a must. Japanese law also imposes restrictions on men seeking vasectomies, but Japan has more clinics for these than for sterilization.

Also read: Japan may finally have an answer to its demographic crisis

Many Japanese womens rights activists have rued that the prolonged rule of Japans conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had held back progress on womens reproductive rights. Observed one: The name of the Act itself is revealing, making it clear that it intends to protect only those who want to become mothers...."

According to a professor of law at the University of California, Davis, The medical profession in Japan is still very patriarchal in its thinking doctors operate as a cartel to maintain certain social norms." A professor of bioethics at a Japanese university has expressed doubt whether progressive reforms will get enough societal support.

Meanwhile, Japan official total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.2 in 2023, the lowest since 1947. Demographers note that people are getting married later, in their late-thirties, and opting for only one child, even as social economists foresee what one of them describes as a vicious cycle of fewer children begetting fewer children."

Some of Japans East Asian neighbours, like Taiwan (TFR: 1.1), South Korea(1.1), Singapore(1.2) Hong Kong (1.2) and China(1.1), are also witnessed similar trends. Globally, over the last 70 years, the overall populations TFR has been more than halved, from around five children for each female in 1950 to 2.2 children in 2021.

As Japan faces an acute shortage of people in the working age group and its economy struggles to grow, Tokyo has turned to women, seen as part of the countrys under-utilized resources," to make up for its labour market deficit.

In 2013, Womenomics policies were introduced to tackle the twin challenges of boosting womens economic participation and reversing its population shrinkage for the greater good."

However, Japanese policymakers today face criticism for failing to address real issues, like making available childcare facilities for women to help them combine professional success and motherhood, and closing the wage-gap between men and women.

Likewise, many East Asian economies have logged high rates of economic growth, but women continue to bear the double burden of social norms, which, on one hand, limit their labour market participation, and on the other, dissuade many working women from marrying and having children for fear of motherhood penalties.

In South Korea, over 40% of women have a career break after marriage. In Japan, the social ideal of a good wife, wise mother prevails. In China, unmarried urban females over 27 are called leftover women, regardless of career success. Wherever motherhood is seen as a milestone and choosing a childless life is frowned upon, feminist writers have protested.

In the West, Simone de Beauvoir wrote about the routine and repetitive chores of motherhood and how the social system ties mothers up in a life of mundane domestic tasks as far back as in 1943, in her book The Second Sex.

Betty Freidan, in The Feminine Mystique (1963), popularized the idea of a woman finding her personal fulfilment in her own femininity, instead of fitting into the fabricated feminine image." Ellen Peck, in The Baby Trap (1971), argued that having kids is a big business to capitalist society."

Behavioural scientist Paul Dolan observed that women who are unmarried and childless are the happiest subgroup of the population and the traditional symbol of success, be it marriage or having children, did not necessarily correlate with happiness level."

Meanwhile, many women and couples are choosing a child-free life across the world, especially in developed countries. In the US, about 44% of childless adults in the 18-49 age group dont expect to ever have children, and their reasons arent circumstantial factors like medical issues, as Pew Research found in 2021. A YouGov study in 2020 found similar dispositions in the UK.

Also read: Better Corporate Governance in Japan Pays Off for Investors

Even in India, many women have begun to exercise their own preferences. Research indicates that childlessness is growing along with increasing education and development in the country.

As one of the petitioners in the Japanese case asked, If a womans lifestyle [choice] of not getting married or having children is still rejected in society is it natural to have children only for the sake of the country?"

This is a valid question for a country that seeks to raise its TFR. Shouldnt the contemporary world, which pushes women to motherhood for economic gains, listen to the voices of women? As women embrace new lifestyles, values and ideas, shouldnt child-bearing always be a matter of individual choice?
TEL AVIVThe Israeli commandos who rescued four hostages in Gaza drove a pair of battered white trucksone displaying a soap advertisement, the other bearing a mattress and furniture on the roof. They were armed, but their main weapon was disguise, blending into a Hamas stronghold until the guns started firing.

The early June rescue mission has become the most prominent example of Israels famous undercover units on the battlefield in the Gaza Strip, a dangerous foray into a territory that its covert forces once found nearly impenetrable. Subterfuge is a skill set that Israels security services have honed for decades in the West Bank, with operatives known as mistaarvim"a Hebrew moniker borrowed from an Arabic term for people steeped in Arab culture.

Now, the covert units presence in Gaza adds a volatile new element to the war zone, where a blown cover could be disastrous and civilian disguises sometimes constitute a war crime.

Hamas fighters are also operating in civilian garb in Gaza.

Depicted in the Netflix series, Fauda," the mistaarvim are lionized as heroes in Israeli societyand hated among Palestinians, who view them as menacing illegal hit squads.

Avi Issacharoff, the co-creator of Fauda" and a former member of a military undercover unit, said the hostage rescue in Nuseirat was unlike anything he had witnessed. Most missions take place in the West Bank, where Israel has long held security control.

The new thing is that they do undercover operations during a war inside an enemy territory," he said. This is what is so crazy."

Last months rescue in the central Gaza city of Nuseirat relied on weeks of intelligence-gathering, commandos who practiced on replicas of the buildings housing the hostages and the positioning of thousands of soldiers to provide support, Israeli military officials said. The masquerade was vital to the daylight operation. Officials said they feared Hamas guards would kill their captives the moment they detected Israeli commandos.

Its not enough to find the right vehicle. You need to disguise it so it will work out in this specific territory," said Shir Peled, a former undercover fighter for Israeli police.

In simultaneous raids on two apartment blocks, the teams maintained the element of surprise. Israeli forces, military officials said, overwhelmed the captors, extracted their bounty and battled through crowded streets to get the hostages to the beach and spirit them away on helicopters.

It is likely that undercover operatives were in the neighborhood for weeks before the rescue and present when it began to deal with Hamass guards, said Tomer Tzaban, a member of a small undercover military unit that operated in the Gaza Strip in the 1990s. Now Israeli intelligence is likely on a recruiting spree for local collaborators inside Gaza while mistaarvim also continue to operate there, Tzaban said.

In Tzabans era, Gaza was a difficult assignment. Even before Israel and Egypt imposed an embargo in 2006, there werent many visitors, so there were few disguises to choose fromconstruction worker could work, he said. Tourist couldnt.

Gaza today is much different. The war has left more than 38,000 people dead, according to health authorities in Gaza, who dont specify how many were combatants. Israeli military operations have destroyed swaths of the strip and displaced most of its two million people.

That makes it easier for undercover operatives. Right now, its a big mess," Tzaban said. Every story you tell can be true."

In February, Israeli special forces rescued two elderly male hostages held in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city. Just as in the Nuseirat operation, Israeli forces sneaked deep into Hamas territory without being found out.

As Israel gains further control over Gaza, it is expected to become more like the West Bank, with frequent Israeli raids to arrest or kill militants, or rescuing hostages in the absence of any deal for their freedom. That means undercover operations are likely to continue inside the enclave for the foreseeable future.

If you want to find hostages or search for senior commanders of Hamas, you have to have people on the ground, and they cant walk around with an Israeli flag," said a person familiar with Israeli special operations strategy.

The undercover tactic poses legal risks for Israeli forces. In wartime, soldiers disguised as civilians risk being charged with perfidypretending to be someone with protected status to carry out an attack. Perfidy was established as a war crime to protect people such as health workers from becoming targets.

Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, has published videos of its fighters dressed as civilians attacking Israeli forces. The groups military wing has uniforms. Operating in civilian clothes in Gaza enables them to mix in with the population. Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza say it makes them suspicious of any fighting age males.

Michael Schmitt, an expert on the laws of armed conflict at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, said perfidy doesnt prohibit soldiers from using civilian vehicles or dressing like civilians. It does restrict masquerading as civilians to get close enough to kill or wound the enemy, but that itself is complicated. In Nuseirat, using civilian cars may have prevented an early shootout and saved lives, and the operation was done to rescue hostages, whose abduction itself he said was a war crime.

I think its critically important to remember the context," Schmitt said.

Spokespeople for the Israeli military, police and the countrys internal security service, known as the Shin Bet, declined to answer questions regarding the issue of perfidy and their undercover operations including the use of disguise.

Every undercover operation is a dangerous riskand some backfire, or claim innocent lives.

In 2018, an Israeli team entered Gaza, some posing as aid workers, according to Hamas. After Hamas personnel became suspicious and stopped their vehicle, a shootout followed, killing the Israeli commander, a native Arabic speaker. A helicopter evacuation got the rest of the team out of Gaza.

In Nuseirat, Palestinian health authorities said 274 people were killed and nearly 700 injured in the battle that erupted around the June rescue mission. Israels military said around 100 people were killed or wounded, including militants and civilians caught in the crossfire. One Israeli commando was killed.

In the West Bank city of Jenin, where there are frequent Israeli raids, militants try to counter infiltrators with measures like spot checkpoints, said a Palestinian militant there. The presence of these undercover units has left our community feeling constantly vulnerable," the militant said.

Covert operatives became a mainstay of Israeli national security around 24 years ago, during the Palestinian uprising known as the second Intifada, when large Palestinian militant networks emerged.

The Shin Bet, the Israeli police and the Israeli military have their own mistaarvim units. The Nuseirat rescue was led by the police team, the Yamam, and aided by the Shin Bet, said officials from both agencies.

Undercover units recruit from across Israeli society, employing operatives who might blend in as tourists, clergy, doctors or ultra-Orthodox Jews, former operatives said. More than 20% of Israels population are native Arabic speakers.

Most mistaarvim are focused on gathering intelligence and making arrests to halt or prevent Palestinian militant attacks on Israel, former operatives said. The units seek recruits who stay calm under pressure, said Peled, who said she was Yamams first female operative.

Peled, who has since left the Yamam, said her disguises included being a religious Muslim, a tourist and an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman. She never learned to speak Arabic.

During her training, her minder took her to a Palestinian bakery in East Jerusalem and gave her the simple mission of keeping him under surveillance. While she waited in line, posing as a schoolgirl, he began shouting that she was a thief. She bolted.

It was a failure," she said.

Abeer Ayyoub and Fatima AbdulKarim contributed to this article.

Write to Dov Lieber at dov.lieber@wsj.com
MILWAUKEEA group of foreign ambassadors and other diplomats gathered here between second and third base at America Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, for an event focused on luring foreign investments to southeastern Wisconsin.

But on everyones mind was GOP presidential nominee Donald Trumps selection of JD Vancea leading critic of U.S. support for Ukraineas his running mate on the first night of the Republican National Convention.

Ukraine is in trouble," one senior European official told The Wall Street Journal at the Tuesday breakfast.

Trumps decision Monday to have Vance join him on the ticket is raising concerns across Europe that an already skeptical Trump might be persuaded to abandon Ukraine in its war against Russias invasion. The fear in European capitals is that, without strong U.S. aid, Ukraine will have less leverage in any peace talks with Moscow or could outright lose the war.

A spokeswoman from the Trump-Vance campaign didnt respond to a request for comment.

Vance is a leading voice among ultraconservative Republicans opposed to sending funding to Ukraine, pitting him against many hawkish members of his party who sided with Democrats in viewing the issue as a U.S. national security imperative. Vance, who is closely aligned with the style and views of Trumps conservative, populist movement, was the lone senator who opposed a North Atlantic Treaty Organization-backed no-fly zone in Ukraine.

In April, following the passage of a Ukraine aid bill in the Senate, Vance said he was a politically curious high-school senior who passionately believed then-President George W. Bushs argument for invading Iraq in 2003. The Bush administrations premise for invading Iraq was later found to be misleading and not supported by the underlying intelligence. The invasion inspired Vance to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps months later, where he said he learned firsthand that those claims were untrue.

I believed in the propaganda of the George W. Bush administration that we needed to invade Iraq, that it was a war for freedom and democracy," Vance said from the Senate floor. The promises of the foreign policy establishment of this country were a complete joke."

At the Munich Security Forum earlier this year, Vance, Ohios junior senator little known outside the U.S., delivered a warning to the largely European audience. The annual conference in recent years has given much focus to advocating for continued support for Ukraine.

Trump has long demanded that European countries do more to contribute to the NATO alliance by increasing their military spending. The former president has also questioned U.S. aid amid mounting problems at home.

Trump is actually issuing a wake-up call to say Europe has to take a bigger role in its own security," Vance told one of the conference forums.

Vance argued that the amount of munitions the U.S. and Europe are realistically capable of sending Ukraine is very limited because of manufacturing capacity.

Vance said he didnt want the U.S. to abandon NATO or Europe, but yes, I think we should pivot," he added. The United States has to focus more on East Asia. That is going to be the future of U.S. foreign policy for the next 40 years, and Europe has to wake up to that fact."

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.), an outspoken Trump critic, went after Vance on social media, citing his opposition to Ukraine aid.

He would capitulate to Russia and sacrifice the freedom of our allies in Ukraine," Cheney said on X. The Trump GOP is no longer the party of Lincoln, Reagan or the Constitution."

In a letter sent to the president of the European Council, viewed by the Journal, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote that he thinks Trump will likely defeat President Biden this fall.

Orban makes no secret of his support for Trump. He said he thinks that if Trump wins, the financial burden between the U.S. and the EU will significantly change to the EUs disadvantage when it comes to the financial support of Ukraine."

Orban, who met with Trump, Biden and the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and China in recent weeks, said that if elected, Trump will not wait until his inauguration" to broker peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, adding that he has detailed and well-founded plans."

The White House didnt respond to a request for comment.

Boris Johnson, the former U.K. prime minister, was in Milwaukee for the RNC and met with Trump. We discussed Ukraine, and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy," Johnson tweeted.

Jan Techau, director for Germany at consulting firm Eurasia Group and a former German defense official, said Vance has gained something of a reputation in Europe for being someone who could be engaged with, even when there are strong disagreements.

Among the European officials he has developed a relationship with is Britains new Foreign Secretary David Lammy from the center-left Labour Party.

Vance is young, hes ambitious, he wants to prove himself," Techau said. The fact that he still has a career ahead of himself makes him an interesting counterpart. Perhaps he wont want to burn too many bridges."

In September 2023, ahead of a visit by Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky to address Congress, Vance told reporters on Capitol Hill that he planned to grill the Ukrainian president.

I will probably be one of the less generous questioners," he said.

Ultimately, Vance ended up skipping the meeting. He said Republican lawmakers backing Ukraine were out of step with their own base voters.

As weve learned over the last few years, if you get too disconnected from opinion on the ground, it can lead to some pretty unpredictable political places," Vance said. And I think thats whats about to happen."

Vance wasnt moved by colleagues arguments that support for Ukraine aid was in line with the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

Look, I think Reagan was a great president. Reagan was also president 40 years ago, 45 years ago, in a much different country," he said.

Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com, Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com and Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has suffered a blow after four top leaders resigned in Maharashtra's Pimpri Chinchwad. According to reports, these four leaders are likely to join the parent faction of NCP led by Sharad Pawar later this week.

The development comes after a poor showing by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the recent Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP contested the Lok Sabha elections as part of the BJP-led NDA but could win just one seatRaigadwhile Sharad Pawar-led NCP bagged eight.

The resignations come amid a buzz that some leaders in the Ajit Pawar camp are willing to return to the Sharad Pawar fold, according to a report in NDTV.

The NDTV report said Ajit Gavhane, the chief of NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, is among those who have submitted their resignations to Ajit Pawar. The others include Pimpri Chinchwad Students' Wing chief Yash Sane and former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar.

These developments come days after Sharad Pawar said that those who wanted to "weaken" his party would not be taken in, but he would accept leaders who would not "hurt" the party's image.

Those who wanted to weaken the party would not be taken in. But those leaders who would help strengthen the organization and not hurt the image of the party would be taken in, Pawar had said.

Nationalist Congress Party Split In 2023, Ajit Pawar led a rebellion against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, splitting the party into two political parties. While Sharad Pawar remained in the Opposition camp, Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra and was made the Deputy Chief Minister.
Big names in tech are turning Donald Trumps way, a shift likely to be accelerated by excitement over Elon Musks nine-figure commitment and former venture capitalist JD Vance joining the ticket.

Those two developments have punctuated a brewing cultural change in traditionally liberal Silicon Valley, as investors and executives announce their support for Trump over issues including the Biden administrations stance on artificial-intelligence regulation and crackdowns on acquisitions by big tech. Some say following Bidens poor debate performance and Trumps response to this weekends assassination attempt, there is more momentum and permission to support the Republican.

The rising support among tech executives is helping fuel the Trump campaign efforts with funds from deep-pocketed donors. Musk has told people he will donate around $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super political-action committee called America PAC, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

America PAC has also drawn support from associates of the billionaire including tech investor Joe Lonsdale; Antonio Gracias, a former Tesla director and current SpaceX board member; investor Kenneth Howery; and Sequoia Capital partners Shaun Maguire and Doug Leone, the latter of whom publicly denounced Trump after Jan. 6.

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the founders of the powerhouse VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, told staff Monday they intended to contribute personal money to support pro-Trump political organizations, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. They said they made the decision after concluding that Trump would do more than Biden to support startups.

The Information previously reported on their plans.

A cultural change

A number of tech executives and employees have leaned more to the political right in recent years, often in response to Biden administration policies. Some were motivated by issues personally important to them like support for Israel and opposition to diversity initiatives. But many have been upset about how the Biden administration has gone after big tech and regulated cryptocurrency.

In the end, people vote their pocketbooks," said Boris Feldman, a longtime lawyer to tech companies and a Republican. For the tech executives, the notion that every acquisition they hope to do over the next few years is going to get attacked so that even if they win itll get tied up for yearsit finally draws them in."

Musk and other pro-Trump tech figures have attributed their stances in part to positions embraced by Democrats. On Tuesday, Musk said hes moving the headquarters of two of his companies, X and SpaceX, to Texas because of a new law in their current home state of California that blocks schools from mandating that teachers notify families if students change their gender identity.

The tech-world shift is far from universal. Silicon Valley support for Biden has been strong in the current campaign, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Federal Election Commission data. Big donors include former Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt and tech investors Laurene Powell Jobs, John Doerr and Ron Conway. LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman alone has donated more than $8 million to support Bidens re-election effort.

Some of Trumps tech supporters backed Democrats in the past.

Andreessen endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, saying at the time that he opposed Trumps stances on immigration. He didnt publicly endorse a presidential candidate in 2020.

He and Horowitz wrote a blog post earlier this month saying their political efforts were focused on protecting startups, which they described as Little Tech," from government regulation that they argued cements the position of big tech incumbents.

The PayPal Mafia

A public turn toward Trump in the tech industry has been a recent goal of a group of executives and investors known as the PayPal Mafia," who helped start the payments company in the early 2000s. They include Musk, Howery and venture investor David Sacks, who have been soliciting donations for Trump both publicly and privately, according to people familiar with the conversations.

The PayPal Mafia also includes venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who spoke at the 2016 Republican convention, but has said he isnt planning political donations to the GOP candidate this cycle.

Vance is well known to the PayPal Mafia. The vice-presidential candidate worked for Thiel in Silicon Valley before starting his own VC firm called Narya Capital that invests in middle America. Besides Thiel, other backers of Narya included Alphabets Schmidt and Andreessen.

In 2022, Thiel backed Vances Senate run in Ohio.

$12 million fundraiser

Before joining the presidential ticket, Vance helped connect Trump to Silicon Valley money. At a June fundraiser at the San Francisco home of Sacksa friend of the Ohio senator who spoke at this weeks Republican National ConventionVance introduced Trump to the crowd.

Speaking without a script, Vance talked about advancing AI, loosening cryptocurrency regulations, and other issues on the minds of attendees. He had a great read of the room given his background," said Harmeet Dhillon, an attorney who has represented Trump and is the Republican national committeewoman for California.

Around 80 people attended the event, where they snacked on crab and donated a total of $12 million.

Some attendees voted for Hillary Clinton or President Biden in prior elections, including Shervin Pishevar, a venture capitalist who co-hosted the event.

If you look at the Biden administration, he appointed a bunch of people that are literally activists at the SEC, at the FDA, at the FCC, and they have been enacting policies that are overreach and not supportive of innovation," said Pishevar. Thats been a very visceral thing for me and my community."

Berber Jin contributed to this article.

Write to Dana Mattioli at dana.mattioli@wsj.com, Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com and Emily Glazer at Emily.Glazer@wsj.com
After the fall of Poland at the start of the second world war, a paradoxical peace reigned. Carnage was on the cards, but not quite yet. The phoney war" lasted for eight months, ending when Germany invaded its western neighbours. Today the European Union is going through a phoney enlargement". On paper up to nine countries are making progress towards membership. Both in the capitals of the countries looking to join and in Brussels, officials say preparations are being made, reforms enacted, boxes ticked. But whether the mooted expansion will happen is still doubtful. A flush of enthusiasm in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine has given way to the realisation that the journey from 27 to 36 will be long and uncertain. A target of 2030 used to be seen as aspirational. It now looks delusional.

Events in recent days show why. A slew of countries that have applied to join the EU have demonstrated why they are not yet members. In Georgia a repressive foreign agent" law that mimics the manner Russia once cracked down on civil society was approved by parliament on May 14th despite vast protests. Georgians overwhelmingly want a European future but are governed by an oligarchic caste that favours rapprochement with the Kremlin, not Brussels. A few days earlier a new nationalist president took office in North Macedonia, one of six western Balkan aspirants to EU membership. Instead of reciting the usual platitudes in her inaugural speech, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova referred to her country merely as Macedonia", thus knowingly blowing up a deal with Greece, which worries its neighbours use of the name will one day degenerate into territorial claims on its region of that name. This pact had been a prerequisite for it to become a candidate for EU accession. And on May 8th Serbia announced a shared future" with China as it greeted Xi Jinping with great pomp in Belgrade. It will soon enact a free-trade agreement with China that is completely incompatible with EU membership.

Before 2022, enlargement had the make-believe dynamics of the old communist joke whereby they pretend to pay us and we pretend to work". The EU feigned interest in letting in new members, they purported to make the reforms needed to gain access. Both sides knew it was going nowhere; Croatia had been the last country to join the club, in 2013. War on the continent jolted the EU out of this enlargement fatigue. Not only did Ukraine and Moldova apply to become members, but dormant requests in the Balkans took on a new appeal (Turkey is technically a candidate for accession, but not in practice). The geopolitical imperative of snuffing out Russian influence meant the EU was willingfor a timeto look past the unpreparedness of the countries that had asked to join. Progress was made: Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina were cleared to start formal accession talks.

The challenge now is to keep the old fatigue at bay. The EU has been mindful that the reforms needed to join the clubmore corruption-busting, better courts, reformed economies and so onare painful for politicians. The rewards are far in the future, for their successors to enjoy. Now the EU wants the benefits to come alongside the pain. Many perks of joining the club, such as being part of its single market, could be offered before formal membership. A 6bn ($6.5bn) pot of loans and grants will soon be doled out to Balkan countries that can show they are making those painful reforms. The idea was that a new dynamic would overtake the cynical one of yesteryear.

So far it has not worked, says Milena Mihajlovic of the European Policy Centre (CEP), a think-tank in Belgrade. The belief enlargement will happen in the short term is not there," she says. Far from reforming their way to membership, countries in the Balkans have made at least half a step back for every step forward. A region rich in history" (diplomat-speak for they all hate each other) has found it hard to bury old enmities. Relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which split from Serbia in 2008, remain execrable. Albania has locked up the ethnic-Greek mayor of a small town, annoying its neighbour. Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine all have chunks of their territory controlled by Russia. Throughout the region, politics remain as messy as ever. Serbia has two ministers who are under American sanctions for their ties to Russia.

Give me enlargement, but not yet

Even if the applicants were ready, would they be let in? Countries including France and Germany want the EU to undertake its own deep-seated reforms before it enlarges. This might include more decisions being made by qualified majority, a rewiring of the union for which little preparation has so far been done. Admitting Ukraine, a farming powerhouse, would require an overhaul of the common agricultural policy, which tends to bring out the pitchforks. The fact that any country can block the entry of a new member makes the process particularly tortuous. It took months to get Hungarys Viktor Orban to lift his veto on Ukraine getting to the next stage of accession (he was invited to leave the room during the vote in December). Would a future President Marine Le Pen in France, say, prove so accommodating? Plenty of people in applicant countries still think they will end up being offered something short of full EU membership.

Enlargement cannot stay in this suspended state for long. To get the EU money on offer, Balkan countries this summer will have to put up reform plans that will either pass muster with Brussels or not. Within a year or so the first draft of the EU budget running from 2028 to 2035 will be presented. Failure to reform key programmes such as farming subsidies will indicate a lack of intent on the part of existing members to let new ones in. Both sides will thus be forced to show if they are serious about enlargement. The phoneyness will not be able to last long.

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 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
A major cabinet reshuffle is likely in Uttar Pradesh, as several reports claim that there is infighting within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state unit. Dramatic changes are imminent in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's cabinet, according to the reports.

Sources told India Today that apart from the cabinet rejig, a "big change" is also likely to happen in the BJP's state unit. These changes might happen after the assembly by-elections, India Today and Lokmat, among others, reported.

These reports surfaced ahead of the assembly by-polls which are scheduled to happen soon in 10 constituencies in UP. These will be the first by-polls in the state after the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in which the ruling BJP performed poorly. The saffron party was reduced to 33 seats in UP, a drop of 29 seats from 2019.

How did it all start, and what do we know so far? 1. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's cryptic post on X on Monday caused a flutter in political circles. In the post, the Deputy CM's office quoted Maurya as saying, The organisation is bigger than the government. The pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organisation; the workers are the pride.

The quote was part of Maurya's address during the BJP's working committee meeting in Lucknow on Sunday. Maurya had made the remarks in the presence of CM Adityanath and BJP's national president JP Nadda, while the chief minister blamed "over-confidence" for the electoral reverses in the state and suggested that the party could not effectively counter the opposition INDIA bloc's campaign.

2. Maurya's comment at the state party meeting that "organisation is always bigger than government and no one can be bigger than the organisation" was seen by many political watchers as a message to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. According to PTI, Maurya's differences with Adityanath are widely acknowledged even within the party.

3. The report added that in private conversations, a number of Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders, including those who lost in the Lok Sabha polls, have been critical of the chief minister's working style and cited it as one of the reasons for their loss.

4. Following the post, BJP president JP Nadda met Maurya in Delhi on Tuesday. Nadda also held a separate meeting with Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupender Chaudhary.

5. Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, sources told news agency PTI and is believed to have briefed him on a host of issues related to the party's organisational matters in the politically crucial state. Sources told NDTV that Chaudhary "has taken responsibility for the party's poor show and offered to step down during the meeting" with PM Modi.

6. Sources also said the BJP is looking forward to having an OBC leader as its state chief as it prepares for the 2027 UP assembly elections. The incumbent Chaudhary is a Jat leader from Moradabad. Notably, OBCs account for a significant chunk of UP's population and are a key factor in elections.

7. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath met Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan in Lucknow amid signs of trouble in the BJP's state unit.

8. Will Yogi Adityanath be replaced as UP CM? Lokmat reported on Wednesday that there is no possibility of replacing the chief minister. However, there's a possibility of a change in the UP cabinet and the BJP's party organisation.

9. Reacting to UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya's post on X stating "Organisation bigger than government", BJP MP Ravi Kishan said, "He has said correct...Organisation only forms the party..." Meanwhile, BJP leader BL Verma reacted to Keshav Prasad Maurya's meeting with party president JP Nadda and said, "It was a regular meeting."

UP assembly by-polls The 10 assembly seats, which are set to go to polls, are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Nine of the 10 seats fell vacant after the MLAs resigned following their victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Prominent among these seats is Karhal (Mainpuri), which fell vacant after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party's Irfan Solanki's Sisamau assembly seat in Kanpur Nagar was declared vacant following his disqualification in view of his seven-year imprisonment by an MP/MLA court.
The Haryana government on Wednesday announced a 10 per cent quota for Agniveers in posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and special police officer. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also said the government will offer a subsidy of 60,000 per annum to the industrial unit that pays an Agniveer a salary of 30,000 per month.

Amid rising controversy about the Agnipath scheme, the Haryana government introduced schemes and job quotas aimed at assuaging Agniveers' fears of uncertainty.

At a press conference in Chandigarh, CM Saini said that in direct recruitment to posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and special police officer made by the state government, there will be a 10 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers.

The chief minister mentioned that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government approved the Agnipath scheme on June 14, 2022.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi says Agniveer martyr got money from insurance

Under this scheme, an Agniveer is deployed in the Indian Army for 4 years.

CM Saini announced, "Our government will provide 10 per cent horizontal reservation to Agniveers in Haryana in direct recruitment to the posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and SPO recruited by the state government."

Haryana govt announces benefits for Agniveers -The Haryana government promised an age relaxation of 3 years in the maximum age prescribed for government posts in Groups B and C for Agniveers.

-In the case of the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be 5 years.

-The Haryana government will provide 5 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to civil posts in Group C and 1 per cent horizontal reservation in Group B.

-If Agniveer is given a salary of more than 30,000 per month by any industrial unit, then the state government will give a subsidy of 60,000 per annum to that industrial unit.

What is Agnipath Scheme? Agnipath Scheme is a tour-of-duty style scheme approved by the Government of India on June 14, 2022, and implemented in the country in September 2022 for recruiting soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the Army, Navy, and Air Force services of the armed forces.

Also Read | Agnipath scheme to stay, tweaks likely in the upcoming budget or later

All recruits are hired only for a four-year period. Personnel recruited under this system are called Agniveers.

The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate.

Agniveer controversy Recently, a controversy erupted over the compensation of a slain Agniveer. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for failing to compensate the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died in a landmine explosion in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress leader shared a video in which Ajay Kumars father said the family had received no support from the Centre and only some help from the Punjab government.

Ajay Kumar's father noted that though Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had claimed in Parliament that 1 crore would be given to the family of martyred Agniveers, they had received nothing.

The Indian Army, however, refuted the claims, emphasising that the last rites were conducted with full military honours and that the family had already received 98.39 lakh.
Karnataka job reservation row: In a significant development, the Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to temporarily put on hold a controversial job reservation bill aimed at providing quotas for Kannadigas in private sector organisations, industries, and enterprises. The bill, which was cleared by the state cabinet on Monday, had drawn severe criticism from industry honchos in the state.

After an entire day of debates and backlash, the Karnataka Chief Minister's Office informed that the job reservation bill will be reviewed and a decision will be taken in the coming days.

Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to inform about the temporary hold on the Karnataka job reservation bill.

The bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting. Siddaramaiah's tweet read.

Notably, this comes only hours after CM Siddaramaiah has taken to X to tweet about Kannadigas being deprived of jobs in their homeland. After deleting a tweet advocating 100 per cent reservation, the Karnataka CM announced on social media platform X that the state cabinet has approved a bill mandating 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative roles in private industries and organisations for Kannadigas.

Karnataka Job Reservation Bill The state cabinet on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which makes it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.

"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories," the bill read.

It added that if the candidates do not possess secondary school certificates with Kannada as a language, they should pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the nodal agency.

The nodal agency will have the power to call for any records, information, or documents in the possession of an employer, occupier, or manager of an establishment to verify the report.

The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act.

Karnataka government faces industrial backlash The Congress government in Karnataka faced criticism after advocating for '100% reservation' for Kannadigas in the state's private sector, prompting a defensive stance amidst backlash from business leaders and technology executives.

Ministers who endorsed the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 during Monday's Cabinet meeting assured industries of ongoing discussions to address concerns and apprehensions.

How did industry leaders react? Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw voiced support for Karnataka's new bill mandating 50-75 per cent reservation for locals in private companies, emphasising the need to balance this initiative with maintaining the state's prominent position in technology.

However, Shaw highlighted the importance of exempting highly skilled positions from the policy to ensure continued access to skilled talent necessary for sustaining Karnataka's status as a tech hub.
Karnataka job reservation: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the state Cabinet has approved a bill mandating 50% reservation for administrative posts and 75% for non-administrative roles in private industries and organizations for Kannadigas.

The tweet came hours after he deleted an earlier tweet confirming a 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas. The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which makes it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.

The Karnataka CM on Wednesday deleted his post previous post on 'X' (formerly Twitter) about '100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas' in private sector jobs.

"It is our government's wish that Kannadigas should be given an opportunity to lead a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of Kannadigas," he said.

The message Siddaramaiah had posted on 'X' on Tuesday was, "The Cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for "C and D" grade posts in all private industries in the state."

"Apparently he corrected his message. The proposed bill never said 100 per cent reservation. Hence, he deleted the previous message and rectified the mistake in the new message," news media agency PTI reported quoting an official close to the CM of Karnataka.

Karnataka govt on backfoot over job reservation bill The Congress government in Karnataka went on the defensive after an aggressive push for a '100 per cent reservation' for Kannadigas in the private sector operating in the state following a severe backlash from business honchos and tech tycoons.

Ministers who endorsed the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 during Monday's Cabinet meeting reassured industries that further discussions would address any concerns, aiming to alleviate fears.

"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy percent in non-management categories," the bill read.

If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificates with Kannada as a language, should pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency,' it added.

Also Read | Karnataka CM deletes post on jobs reservation bill for Kannadigas

The nodal agency will be authorized to request records, information, or documents from employers, occupiers, or managers of establishments to verify the report's accuracy.
American tech giant Apple has launched the first public beta of iOS 18, along with beta versions for iPads, Macs, and other devices. This release offers users an early look at the upcoming features and enhancements that will be fully available with the official release.

To recall, the iOS 18 was initially showcased at WWDC 2024 last month, highlighting its new customization options, redesigned apps, and significant changes for iPhone users. Touted as one of Apple's most substantial iPhone upgrades, iOS 18 promises to bring a host of new functionalities.

However, it is essential to note that not all iPhones are eligible for the iOS 18 beta. The limitations arise from various factors, including storage constraints and the need for newer chipsets. As a public beta, this version is still in the testing phase, and users might encounter bugs and performance issues. Therefore, it is advisable to back up your iPhone data before proceeding with the installation.

Here is a list of iOS 18 Beta-Compatible iPhones

iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR

iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

Steps to Install iOS 18 Beta

For those with compatible devices who want to experience the iOS 18 beta, follow these steps:

Visit Apples beta program website at beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ and enroll in the public beta program.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Select the Beta Updates option and choose iOS 18 Public Beta.

Return to the Software Update page and wait for the download option to appear. Agree to Apples terms and begin the download process. The installation will commence once the download is complete.

Key Features of iOS 18 Beta

Currently, the iOS 18 public beta introduces a limited set of features, with more to be tested in future updates.

Home Screen Customization: One of the most anticipated features is the ability to freely place app icons on the home screen, allowing for a more personalized setup.

Icon Tinting: Users can now apply a uniform tint to all their apps, adding another layer of customization.

Revamped Control Center: iOS 18 redesigns the Control Center, enabling users to add, remove, and rearrange controls for better functionality and customization.

Enhanced Photos App: The Photos app gets a new layout, making it easier to navigate and manage photos. It also includes more organizational tools and editing features.

Dark Mode Icons: The update enhances dark mode icons, giving the interface a sleek and modern look for those who prefer a darker theme.

Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world  Click here to know more.

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Broadcaster Adrian Kennedy has issued an apology to listeners after "losing it" with callers on his Opinions Matter podcast during a discussion about the riots in Coolock.

Gardai rushed to the scene of a protest on Monday at the old Crown Paints warehouse in Coolock after a number of fires were allegedly started on the site earmarked for asylum seekers.

Thirty people have been arrested so far in connection with the riots, with more arrests expected.

READ ALSO - MAJOR fraud warning issued as Gardai seize stolen machinery in cross-border taskforce search

The clashes between protesters and gardai at the site of a proposed refugee accommodation centre on the Malahide Road in north Dublin featured on the latest edition of the popular podcast, with the debate descending into insults and anger when a caller backed the violent attacks on asylum seekers.

In an apology on Tuesday, Adrian Kennedy admitted that he "lost it in today's show", adding: "I used bad language and lost my temper with several callers, which was unprofessional."

"I apologise to all our listeners but i refuse to apologise to the the idiot who threatened us or the the other two callers who said horrific things. Thanks for your understanding."

In the latest podcast episode, aptly titled "Adrian & Jeremy Threatened Live On Air by Coolock Rioter", a caller called Jay told hosts Adrian Kennedy and Jeremy Dixon that he thought the protestors were "dead right with what they're doing getting out and smashing things up".

"Let's be honest, nothing else will be done, the peaceful way is not getting anywhere, it never has gotten anywhere, caller Jay continued.

"Nothing gets done until things start getting smashed up. People need to be hurt."

After being questioned about this rhetoric by Adrian, Jay said "the country is under attack", later adding the protestors "were fighting for their country".

Host Jeremy pushed the caller on this, saying the country was actually under attack "from our own kind", adding that there were no asylum seekers or refugees causing violence in Coolock yesterday.

Jay pushed the issue further, saying again that the country is under attack, and when asked about who was attacking by host Adrian, the caller said "from all these refugees, foreigners that are coming in".

Adrian asked again on the topic, questioning if the rioters in balaclavas causing damage to garda vehicles were "national heroes".

The tense exchange continued, with Adrian asking if they were heroes "why would they have to cover their faces up?"

"Because everyone has the phones out, doing the recording," Jay said.

"They were videoing themselves, the f***ing eejits," Adrian replied.

Both hosts were later brandished at traitors, with one female caller saying the duo "are not here for the Irish".

A caller named Melissa said the Gardai "made a shame on the whole country", and proceeded to call host Jeremy a "headmelt".

A caller named Dean also chimed in, saying he agreed with Jay and Melissa that the rioters "are here to protect our country.

"How did rioting do that? asked Adrian. "Blood needs to be spilled, was the response.

"Blood needs to be spilled? Adrian asked. He then called Dean a "gobsh*te.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: July 16 2024

Nassau, Suffolk and Hempstead Police Departments Report 44 Percent Decline In Shooting Incidents with Injury.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced continued progress in bringing down gun violence and overall crime on Long Island. Shooting incidents with injury decreased 44 percent as reported by the Nassau, Suffolk and Hempstead Police Departments, which all participate in the State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination program. Across Long Island, statistics show a 15 percent overall decrease in index crimes, as well as a 16 percent reduction in property crimes, during the first quarter of 2024. Governor Hochul also announced the investment of more than $50 million for public safety in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the largest such State investment in history, which was included in this year's State Budget.

Public safety is my top priority, and I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect the people of this State and crack down on gun violence and violent crime, Governor Hochul said. We've partnered with local police agencies to successfully get guns off the streets and drive down overall crime on Long Island, and I will continue investing in the men and women in uniform who are working hard every day to make sure their communities are safe."

In Long Island communities participating in the State's GIVE program, shooting incidents with injury declined by 44 percent between January 1 and June 30, 2024 (22 shootings) when compared to January 1 and June 30, 2023 (39 shootings); the statewide average was a 27 percent decline during this same period. This includes all incidents reported by the Hempstead Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and Suffolk County Police Department. This builds on recent progress in addressing gun violence: in 2023, those agencies reported a total of 72 such incidents -- the lowest number in 10 years. Data detailing the number of individuals shot in those incidents and the number of individuals killed in the same period are available online.

Preliminary index crime data reported to the State by police departments and sheriffs offices in Nassau and Suffolk counties for the first quarter of the year showed a 15 percent reduction in total index crimes, a 4 percent reduction in violent crime, and 16 percent reduction in property crime. Notably, those agencies reported a 17 percent decline in larcenies and 14 percent decrease in motor vehicle thefts. For comparison, the Statewide average was a 9 percent reduction in overall index crime and property crime.

Governor Hochul and the Legislature successfully secured a record State investment of nearly $51 million for public safety on Long Island. Nassau County agencies received $1,494,692 and Suffolk County agencies received $1,307,677 for the GIVE funding cycle that runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This funding also includes approximately $21.1 million in one-time capital funding to 39 police departments and sheriffs offices  including $1.1 million to the Glen Cove Police Department  for the purchase of law enforcement technology and equipment to allow those agencies more effectively solve, reduce and prevent crime.

Representative Tom Suozzi said, I am so grateful to Governor Hochul for supporting law enforcement and especially for today supporting my hometown police department! The Governor and I are both committed to supporting public safety and law enforcement. The shooting of President Trump reminds us that fully funding our law enforcement partners should be a top priority for all elected officials. Thank you, Governor.

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, Governor Hochul recognizes the importance of funding both law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations, each of which play a critical role in making their communities safer. I thank our local partners on Long Island for their dedication and commitment to their work and applaud the Governors unwavering support of their efforts.

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, We are encouraged by the numbers showing a reduction in gun violence and overall crime on Long Island, which is a direct result of state investments and continued collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. I want to thank Governor Hochul for the resources she has provided that are helping law enforcement keep New Yorkers safe.

Assemblymember Chuck Lavine said, From her first days in office, Governor Hochul has shown a continued commitment to fighting crime. These new statistics reflect that her efforts are paying off and shes not done yet. This significant investment in local law enforcement, including more than a million dollars for the City of Glen Cove Police Department, ensures that it will have the necessary resources to keep my constituents safe.

Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said, By spearheading this multimillion-dollar investment in the Glen Cove Police Department and law enforcement agencies across Nassau County, Governor Hochul has taken an important step toward ensuring that we remain the safest municipality of our size in America. I am confident that these resources will greatly enhance and strengthen local community policing initiatives, and I applaud Governor Hochul for prioritizing public safety and the enhancement of our quality of life.

Chief of Police for the City of Glen Cove Police Department William Whitton said, I would like to sincerely thank Governor Kathy Hochul for this generous grant. With this additional funding, our department will be in a position to invest in new technologies and equipment to better serve the community we are sworn to protect.

The FY 2025 Enacted Budget includes $347 million secured by Governor Hochul to fund a comprehensive plan that addresses gun violence, reduces crime and recognizes the importance of a multifaceted approach improving public safety. The FY 2025 Enacted Budget also includes $290 million to improve the effectiveness of the continuum of the criminal justice system, including nearly $160 million for law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations:

$80 million to offset costs of discovery reform implementation and pretrial procedure changes in all 62 counties. Those reforms first took effect January 1, 2020. Nassau County received approximately $3.6 million and Suffolk County, approximately $4 million.

$59,459,000 in Aid to Prosecution funding for the 62 district attorneys offices in the State. The Governor more than quadrupled this funding in FY24  from $12,549,000 to $52,549,000  and further increased it in FY25. This funding provides critical support for additional prosecutors and administrative staff, as well as the training, technology, and equipment needed to advance evidence-based prosecutions which help ensure public safety. Nassau County received nearly $3 million, and Suffolk, about $3.3 million.

Nearly $36 million through GIVE to support personnel, overtime, equipment and technology in 21 counties outside of New York City that participate in the initiative.

$20 million in pretrial services in the 57 counties outside of New York City. This funding supports an array of services, including screening and assessments, supervision, and dedicated information-sharing. Probation departments and community-based providers receive this critical funding to enhance services that improve public safety and return more people to court. Nassau County received nearly $1.8 million, and Suffolk, slightly more than $2 million.

The Hempstead, Nassau County and Suffolk County police departments are among 28 police departments in 21 counties that participate in the GIVE initiative, which uses evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings, save lives and combat violent crime. The 21 counties participating in GIVE have the vast majority of population in the State outside of New York City. This is the second consecutive year that Governor Hochul has secured record-level funding for GIVE, which is administered by DCJS and also supports district attorneys offices, probation departments, and sheriffs offices in those counties.

DCJS administers aid to prosecution, discovery, and pretrial funding and distributes it based on a five-year average of lower court arraignment numbers in each county. Counties will receive official notification of those awards no later than August 1, 2024.

The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides critical support to all facets of the States criminal justice system, including, but not limited to: training law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals; overseeing a law enforcement accreditation program; ensuring Breathalyzer and speed enforcement equipment used by local law enforcement operate correctly; managing criminal justice grant funding; analyzing statewide crime and program data; providing research support; overseeing county probation departments and alternatives to incarceration programs; and coordinating youth justice policy. Follow DCJS on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Governor Hochul today announced $7.7 million for shoreline restoration on Long Island. The investment will help to repair the eroded Baxter Beach shoreline in Port Washington. The erosion and loss of shoreline has led to substantial flooding, endangering communities and affecting plant and marine life.

Long Islanders understand how quickly a rainy day can turn into flooded neighborhoods, Governor Hochul said. This funding will help Port Washington make critical infrastructure improvements and build a resilient community that can withstand the increased frequency of extreme weather events.

The vanishing shoreline at Baxter Beach not only has significant impacts on plant and marine life, habitat and beach loss, but substantial flooding can immobilize tens of thousands of residents. During heavy rainfall and flooding events, residents are often trapped due to flooding on Shore Road.

The $7.7 million will be used to mitigate coastal erosion and flooding and improve pedestrian connectivity. The proposed construction includes a porous asphalt walk, a rock sill, gabion wall repair, and tidal planting to prevent flooding and erosion. Elevated overlook walkways, upper shoreline landscaping, benches, bus shelter, and energy efficient lighting will also be built to improve the shoreline for all residents. The project will not only protect Port Washington residents, but will also attract new visitors and support the local business district.

Funding is provided from existing state capital funding sources.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, As climate change and sea level rise increase threats to our coastal communities, Governor Hochuls investments in shoreline restoration are providing direct support to improve coastal resilience on Long Island. DECs coastal and water quality experts will continue working with the many partners supporting these important efforts to advance strategies that protect our coastal environments and communities in the region.

Assemblymember Gina Sillitti said, Since taking office, one of my highest priorities has been working tirelessly with Mayor Nora Haagenson to secure the desperately needed funding for the repair and restoration of the Baxter Beach shoreline. I am proud to announce that Governor Hochul has responded to our urgent calls and is providing a transformative $7.7 million for this critical project. This funding will not only revitalize the shoreline and rehabilitate Manhasset Bay but also protect Shore Road from the relentless flooding and erosion that has too often left our residents stranded and vulnerable.

Nassau County Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said, Shore Road is an essential access point for tens of thousands of Nassau County residents and a DOT designated emergency route, and we must act aggressively to preserve its structural integrity in the interests of public safety, economic development, and environmental presentation. I thank Governor Hochul and her administration for their keen focus on Nassau Countys north shore and applaud Mayor Nora Haagenson for her tireless advocacy and leadership in addressing this most recent infrastructure challenge in our region.

Town of North Hempstead Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte said, Today's announcement is a significant step forward for our community, addressing the urgent need for shoreline restoration at Baxter Beach. I want to sincerely thank Governor Hochul, and Assemblywoman Sillitti for their steadfast support and commitment to our environmental and safety concerns. This investment not only protects our precious marine and plant life, but it also ensures the safety and security of more than 12,000 residents. Thank you, Governor Hochul, and Assemblywoman Sillitti, for helping us protect our homes and environment for future generations.

Mayor of Baxter Estates Nora Haagenson said, This generous grant from the Governor will help us with the restoration of our Baxter Estates Beach. We are so pleased and proud that the Governor recognizes the importance of maintaining the resiliency of the waterfront along Manhasset Bay and its natural habitat for fish and waterfowl. Thank you, Governor Hochul!

Governor Hochuls Comprehensive Resiliency Plan to Protect New Yorkers

Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather as part of her 2024 State of the State. Highlights include:
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks with General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, on July 16. (Israel Ministry of Defense photo/Shachar Yurman)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the evening of July 16, communicating his views on Israels progress in Gaza. Gallant emphasized that IDF operations in Gaza have led to the conditions necessary to achieve an agreement for the return of hostages, which is the highest moral imperative at this time, according to a statement from Gallants office.

The phone call with Austin is one of several important meetings Gallant held over the last week. He also met with US Central Command head General Michael Kurilla on July 16 and White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, in two meetings on July 10 and July 11.

The discussion with Austin focused on several topics. Gallant discussed Israels attempts to detect and engage senior Hamas leadership, Gallants office noted, which means targeting them for elimination. The IDF recently carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas commander Muhammad Deif, who Gallant referred to as the Osama bin Laden of Gaza, and one of Deifs brigade commanders. Recent reports in Israel portray Hamas as in disarray or survival mode.

Austin told Gallant that the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) pier the US had dispatched to Israel in March would cease operations. The pier was first attached to the Gaza shore in May but had to be removed several times due to bad weather and heavy seas.

The Secretary stressed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance through all land crossings and supporting aid deliveries to Ashdod Port in Israel for onward distribution in Gaza, the US Department of Defense noted in a statement about the call. Gallant told Austin that Israel would build a temporary field hospital near the Gaza border to treat children in Gaza.

In talks with Kurilla, Gallant also provided situational assessments of operations in Gaza and clashes with Hezbollah in northern Israel. The Minister briefed General Kurilla on the recent strike targeting senior Hamas officials and emphasized Israels commitment to dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authorityincluding pursuing its senior leadership, Gallants office said. The two leaders also discussed the dismantling of the pier. Aid will now flow through the port of Ashdod, Gallant told Kurilla.

Gallants discussions with McGurk focused on the importance of recent Israeli talks with Egypt. Israel has controlled the southern Gaza border with Egypt since launching an operation along the border in May. In June and July operations, the IDF concentrated on finding tunnels Hamas used near Rafah and the border to smuggle and conceal weapons. Israel has focused on bulldozing areas on the Gaza side of the Philadelphi Corridor to widen this route and uncover terrorist infrastructure.

Gallant told McGurk that Israel wants to find a way to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza in the future. He added that the State of Israel supports the opening of the Rafah crossing; however, will not tolerate the return of Hamas to the area, Gallants office noted.

Gallants meetings with Austin, Kurilla, and McGurk underpin the current focus of Israels war effort, including the return of 120 hostages held by Hamas, the elimination of the terrorist groups leaders, and cutting Hamas off from being able to rebuild its capabilities. At the same time, Israel must attempt to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Gallant also focused on the Iranian threat and Hezbollah in these meetings, two key issues that will continue for Israel even if the Gaza war winds down

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
A photo of the Islamic State attackers published by the terrorist group.

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for a July 15 evening attack on the Shia Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque that killed six people in the Wadi Kabir area of the Omani capital of Muscat. ISs media wing, Amaq,stated that three IS inghimasis (suicide infiltrator commandos) opened fire on Shia worshipers with machine guns, killing and wounding some 35 Shias and Omani policemen. Amaq promptly followed up with another statement claiming that the inghimasis clashed with the apostate Omani forces that arrived at the scene, resulting in the killing and wounding of five of them, including an officer.

The Royal Oman Police stated on July 16 that nine people were killed in the clashes, including one policeman, one Indian, four Pakistani nationals, and the three IS militants. The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement on July 16 mentioning that four Pakistanis were killed and some thirty wounded. Video footage from the incident depicts worshipers fleeing the mosque as gunshots ring out, followed by a voice saying Ya Hossein!

The attack occurred on the evening of Ashura, a day of mourning for Shia Muslims commemorating the third imam and grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. IS and other Sunni extremist groups have frequently targeted Shia gatherings across the Middle East and South Asia and label the sect as Rafidites, which means refusers [of the prophets traditions].

Documents from communications between ISs central command in Iraq/Syria and its Yemen branch led by Abu Usama al-Muhajir in 2017 revealed the groups ambitions of striking Yemens neighbors in the Arabian Peninsula and Oman in particular. Omani authorities are yet to disclose the nationality of the three IS militants, so it remains unclear whether the attack was coordinated via IS cells in Yemen.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on July 16 that IS is seeking to reconstitute as the number of its attacks in Syria and Iraq has doubled compared to the previous year: IS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023.

The report adds that from January to June of 2024, CENTCOM, in collaboration with Iraqi Security Forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and other Defeat ISIS partners, executed 196 missions against IS. These operations resulted in 44 IS operatives killed and 166 detained. In Iraq, 137 operations led to the death of 30 ISIS operatives and the capture of 74, while in Syria, 59 missions with the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 detained.

The Khorasan branch of the IS, known as ISKP, has recently reemerged as a transnational actor with the capacity to carry out operations across Asia and Europe by leveraging its stronghold in Afghanistan and its networks in Central and South Asia. The recent attack in Oman and CENTCOMs report indicate that IS strongholds across the Middle East present a threat as formidable as its Asian branch.

Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republics regional malign influence.
The future of technology sometimes goes in surprising directions, taking an obvious path and then suddenly doubling back to go down a road less traveled. There was a time when The Future was underpowered client devices powered by remote servers until it wasntand then (thanks to cloud services and AI) it was again.

The rise of AI as a force in the tech industryfor good or ill, be it snake oil or world-changing (its probably in between on both counts)has upended a lot of assumptions about how tech works and where its going. The conventional wisdom has held that Apple is behind, and AI puts it at a disadvantage. That might be true, but maybe it isnt.

The power of the device

AI is generally thought of as a job for cloud computing. Want to train or deploy AI features? Build or rent more servers in more data centers, loaded with power-hungry GPUs.

Apples strength is (and has always been) building consumer products, not servers in data centers. And yet just because AI is seen as being a concept that lives in the cloud doesnt mean itll always be that way.

Apples ability to perform many AI functions on the device instead of in the cloud gives it an advantage over other AI implementations. Apples ability to perform many AI functions on the device instead of in the cloud gives it an advantage over other AI implementations. Apple Apples ability to perform many AI functions on the device instead of in the cloud gives it an advantage over other AI implementations. Apple Apple

When Apple deploys Apple Intelligence, it will do so on millions of Apple devices scattered all over the world. Its investment in the Neural Engine and Apple silicon, in general, means that Apple can deploy AI features that run on the devices people already own. (And, in another boost for Apples bottom line, itll provide a motivator for people to upgrade their hardware to models that support Apple Intelligence.)

Some Apple Intelligence features will require cloud servers using Apples Private Cloud Compute system, but many of the features will happen on the devices themselves. While local devices might not be as powerful as cloud servers, they are localno data transfer over a potentially slow network is requiredand as a result, they should be faster and more responsive.

But its more than that. Its a matter of sheer numbers: the computing power of millions and millions of iPhones cant be underestimated. Its an enormous amount of power, but not in the data center. And that unlocks a lot of potentialfor Apple and its app developers.

Distributed computing

Doing AI work on cloud servers is expensive, but doing it on an iPhone (or Mac or iPad) is relatively cheap. (Though I will point out that by moving AI to the device, Apple is having users pay for that computing power on their own electric bills as they charge their devices!) The company has already adapted several popular AI frameworks to run efficiently on Apple silicon, with more undoubtedly to come.

Apple Intelligence could shift the world of AI from the cloud to the device. Apple Intelligence could shift the world of AI from the cloud to the device. Apple Apple Intelligence could shift the world of AI from the cloud to the device. Apple Apple

So consider this: A developer is writing an app that can benefit from AI functionality, but they cant afford an enormous cloud infrastructure. Imagine a podcast app that needs to generate episode transcripts, for example. Apple Podcasts does this today, but it does it by consuming every podcast in existence and throwing massive cloud server tech at the problem. That works, but its expensive for Apple and cost-prohibitive for independent podcast apps.

Now consider the alternative: Apps that dont use the cloud but rely on user devices to do the work. A podcast app could download an episode and then check to see if theres an available transcript. If there is, it would download itjob done. If there isnt, it could use a transcription engine like Whisper to transcribe the episode on the fly itselfand then upload that transcript back up to the podcast apps database. A developer (including Apple itself!) could use this approach to use the combined computing power of its user base as an alternative to an expensive set of cloud servers.

Over time, as the devices get more capable and the models get more efficient, things could get really interesting. Imagine that enormous array of cloud servers being bested by a million Macs, iPhones, and iPads working together toward a common goal. Right now it seems a little weird, but if any company can bend the arc of technological progress away from the data center and back toward personal devices, its Apple.
One woman learned how to siva for her wedding, to honour her fiance's Samoan culture.

It makes it even more special, as her Samoan students choreographed, "made up every move and patiently taught her week by week."

The students "willingly gave up many lunchtimes over 4 months" to teach her siva. It really shows how much they adore their teacher.

Posted to the bride's TikTok account @abbey.tufuewood, everyone has been loving the performance. The video has already racked up about 180K views in just 16 hours since it was posted.

The video starts with the teacher learning how to dance with the students, with the caption "my beautiful students taught me my Siva for my wedding,".

It is then followed by footage of her on the wedding day. The video goes back and forth between the two footage showing how grateful the teacher is to her students.

"They designed the dance moves to match the lyrics of the song so every move was meaningful," the teacher wrote.

"Teaching young women like this is the highlight of my job and will forever be a favorite career memory for me."

One of the students who taught her the dance commented:

"AHHH WE LOVE YOU MRS. TUFUE WOOD. IT WAS SO FUN AND MEMORABLE TO GET TO TEACH THE SAMOAN LANGUAGE AND DANCES. MRS. TUFUE WOOD, ??"

Viewers are super impressed by how beautifully she's embraced the culture.

"The girls will be so excited to see these clips of you doing them proud. Well done gorgeous," one wrote.

" so beautiful!! Can just feel the love through the screen fr," another wrote.

"This made me cry bc the fact your students taught you. Such a beautiful gift to give to your husband is to embrace his culture. Beautiful bride??" a third wrote.
A Massachusetts native is part of the cast of a popular Hulu series that walked away with a record number of Emmy nominations Wednesday.

The Bear got 23 nominations, which is the most for any comedy series in Emmy history.

The series surpassed the 22-nomination Emmy record held by NBCs 30 Rock since 2009, according to Variety.

Nominations for the acclaimed culinary phenomenon included best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series for Jeremy Allen White  both awards it won at Januarys strike-delayed ceremony, along with best actress for Ayo Edebiri.

Edebiri, a Dorchester native, won an Emmy for best supporting actress for her role as Sydney Adamu in The Bear last time.

This year she is up against Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary, Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building, Maya Rudolph in Loot, Jean Smart in Hacks and Kristin Wiig in Palm Royale.

Edebiri, who also earned a Golden Globe earlier this year for her role in The Bear, was born in Boston and raised in a religious Pentecostal household, her biography on IMDb Pro states.

Edebiri, 28, first became interested in comedy through her eighth-grade drama class. She later joined the improv club at Boston Latin School, Edebiris biography states.

Aside from being a main cast member on The Bear, Edebiris other notable appearances include roles in Big Mouth, Inside Out 2, and Bottoms.

The Bear is two nominations behind FXs series Shogun, which led all Emmy nominees this year with 25.

The series nominations included best drama series, best actress in a drama series for Anna Sawai and best actor for Hiroyuki Sanada.

Shogun shook up the drama race when its makers said in May that despite reaching the end of the story of James Clavells historical novel about political machinations in early 17th century Japan, they would explore making more than one season, shifting the critical darling from the limited series category to the more prestigious drama one.

The nominees are being announced just six months after the last Emmy Awards, which were delayed by last years writers and actors strikes.

Getting back to its traditional schedule, the show will be held Sept. 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and air on ABC.

Click here to see the full list of nominees.

Associated Press material was used in this story.
Boston police have identified 35-year-old Andy Baez Manan as the man killed in a Sunday night shooting in the citys Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

Officers found the Boston resident with gunshot wounds at New Washington Street and the Arborway around 10:20 p.m., Boston police said in a press release Wednesday. Manan was treated at the scene before being taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.
Karen Read, whose trial on murder and other charges ended in a mistrial earlier this month, has put her Mansfield home up for sale for $849,900.

The listing describes the home as a meticulously maintained colonial located on a scenic country road, with commuter rail, Routes 95 and 495 and Mansfield Crossing shopping nearby.

Listing agent Richard Rocci told MassLive that the house went up for sale on Monday and confirmed the house belongs to Read, who has not lived there for about a year.

Its a lot of house and she has not been living there and wants to pass it to a new owner, Rocci of RE/Max Platinum, said.

The house, built in 1972, is on nearly an acre and has hardwood floors throughout, central air, a sun-drenched kitchen with granite counters, a center island and custom cabinets.

Reads murder trial became widely publicized since it began last April and ended on July 1 with a mistrial.

Norfolk County prosecutors charged Read, 44, with second-degree murder in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe, 46, who was found cold to the touch and unresponsive on Jan. 29, 2022, outside of a home in Canton.

Reads attorneys said during the trial shes been framed for OKeefes killing and that others are responsible.

Read pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death.

After the mistrial declaration, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisseys Office announced they intend to retry Read.

With all the attention that the case received over the last year, Rocci said he decided against hosting an open house and instead is screening clients.

Obviously, I didnt want to do an open house, Rocci said. It would be chaos with people who are curious and nosey, so we are doing appointment only.

Still, Rocci said hes received a lot of interest in the house.

A status conference is scheduled for July 22 for Reads next trial.
A man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was shot in Cambridge late Tuesday night, according to police.

Shots were fired in an area of Harvard Street in Cambridge near Kendall Square around 9:13 p.m. on Tuesday, Cambridge Police Superintendent of Operations Pauline Wells wrote in an email. Officers found a man with gunshot wounds in the area and rushed him to a Boston hospital.

The man is between 40 and 50 years old, according to police.

Police also found several shell casings in the area of the shooting, Wells said.

Detectives were still on the scene of a very active investigation Tuesday morning, Wells wrote.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Cambridge Police Criminal Investigations Unit anonymously at 617-349-9151 or online at cambridgepolice.org/TIPS.
The Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Concord, the states oldest mens prison, which officially concluded operations late last month, is frozen in time.

Remnants and reminders of its status as a prison are everywhere throughout the campus  from notations on a chalkboard in its Building Responsible Adults Through Validation and Education Unit assigning community responsibilities to inmates to sheet music left behind inside its chapel. But no inmates have lived at the facility since June 28, and all of its staff has been moved out to other Department of Corrections facilities.
Milford police have accused a 35-year-old woman of trying to stab a male victim to death early Monday morning.

Milford resident Sandy Villeda Martinez has been charged with assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of justice and mayhem in connection with a stabbing that took place on Purchase Street, police said.

Officers received several 911 calls for an unknown medical emergency on Purchase Street shortly after 4 a.m. on July 15, police said. They soon found the male victim on the ground bleeding from a laceration.

Officers provided medical aid at the scene, and the victim was then flown by helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, police said. He was in stable condition but seriously injured as of Monday night.

Officers arrested Martinez during a traffic stop on Tuesday around 4 p.m., police said. She was arraigned in Milford District Court on Wednesday and held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday, according to court records. She pleaded not guilty to the charges through an interpreter.
(*This story was updated at 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, with additional reporting.)

Days before the end of formal sessions, Massachusetts lawmakers have reached an agreement on a gun violence reduction bill cracking down on so-called ghost guns and devices that increase weapons destructive power.

The majority-Democrat state House will vote on the proposal on Thursday, state House Speaker Ron Marianos, D-3rd Norfolk, office said in a statement.

The announcement of a deal comes after weeks of closed-door negotiations between senior leaders in the state House and Senate, and as lawmakers race to finish a brace of other bills by a July 31 deadline.

The compromise bill announced Wednesday builds on the Commonwealths strong gun laws which have proven effective in lowering incidents of gun violence and equips our criminal justice system with the necessary tools to stem the tide of illegal firearms flooding our neighborhoods, Rep. Michael Day, D-31st Middlesex, and Sen. Cynthia S. Creem, D-Norfolk/Middlesex, the lead negotiators on the bill said in a joint statement.

A final bill could reach Gov. Maura Healeys desk as soon as this week, according to State House News Service.

In a statement, Mariano said he was "incredibly proud of the agreement that House negotiators reached with the Senate, which came months after a U.S. Supreme Court decision sent lawmakers to the drawing board.

While the Commonwealths existing gun laws have proven to be effective in preventing gun violence compared to other states, relative success is never a cause for complacency, Mariano said.

In a separate statement, Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, observed that while there is no appropriate measure of the pain and heartbreak that gun violence has caused in our Commonwealth and across the nation, I am proud that Massachusetts has always been a leader in gun violence prevention.

By incorporating the viewpoints of stakeholders across the state, this final bill positions us to save lives while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, Spilka continued.

Advocates had been upping the pressure on lawmakers to reach an agreement before the end of formal sessions.

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., now an advocate for gun violence reduction, speaks at an event at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 (MassLive photo by John L. Micek).John L. Micek

Last month, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., made a high-profile stop at the State House to urge lawmakers to stay the course.

In 2011, Giffords was grievously wounded during a shooting in her district. She since has become one of the nations foremost advocates for gun violence reform.

Im fighting to make cities safer, Gifford told an audience packed with activists wearing the orange t-shirts of the gun violence reduction movement. It can be so difficult, but I tell myself to keep moving ahead.

Change doesnt happen overnight, Giffords added. But we can do it together.

The legislation announced Wednesday would, among other things:

Equip law enforcement with tools to target producers of unregistered, un-serialized ghost guns,

Explore how to leverage federal funds for state investments in community-based violence prevention programming,

Improve our extreme risk protective order law by authorizing health care professionals and others who interact regularly with individuals in crisis to petition a court for help,

Shield our schools, polling locations and government buildings by prohibiting the possession of firearms by non-law enforcement individuals at those locations, consistent with Supreme Court precedent,

Modernize our assault-style firearm definition to account for new features not captured by 1994 federal law, allowing lawful owners to continue to own or transfer currently legal firearms; and

Impose strict penalties for possession of modification devices such as Glock switches that convert an otherwise legal firearm into a fully automatic firearm, according to an analysis of the legislation that negotiators released Wednesday.

The bill also would increase training requirements for people seeking a license to carry firearms, while standardizing and updating the application process.

It also gives country district attorneys broader latitude to prosecute people who fire guns near residences; requires state and local police to work with the feds to track and trace every crime gun found in the state, and ensures that people who are subject to harassment prevention orders are forbidden from having access to firearms.

All told, the legislation delivers meaningfully on our promise to align our statutes with the challenges gun violence poses to our communities today and incorporates the perspectives of firearm owners, law enforcement, community leaders, and those impacted directly by gun violence, Day and Creem said in their joint statement.
Opponents of a proposal to boost the pay of tipped workers have dropped their challenge to signatures required to ensure that the ballot initiative appears on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association and the Committee to Protect Tips announced early Wednesday afternoon that they ended the challenge.

They said they had uncovered a significant amount of questionable signatures.

Unfortunately, the deadlines involved in compiling these materials hampered our efforts to offer a complete review to the Ballot Law Commission, the groups said. We encourage the commission to look into the ballot review process, to ensure uniform processes and procedures are followed by cities and towns.

The commission was scheduled to hold a 10 a.m. hearing Thursday on the signature challenge.

The restaurant association earlier this month filed an objection alleging that an unspecified number of voter signatures collected by backers of the tipped minimum wage question should not count toward the total needed to qualify.

Secretary of State William Galvins office certified 12,565 signatures for the proposal, 136 more than the required threshold.

The ballot question would gradually increase the rate employers must pay tipped workers over a five-year period until it matches the statewide minimum wage.

Employees could still earn gratuities during and after that span, at which point all tips would supplement -- rather than contribute to -- their wages.

Last month, the states Supreme Judicial Court upheld state Attorney General Andrea J. Campbells earlier certification of the proposal, a key step to get it before the voters.

Under current law, businesses are allowed to pay the wage if a workers tips get them to the statewide minimum of $15 an hour.

The proposed ballot measure would phase out the states service rate by 2029, MassLive previously reported.

The proposed ballot question also would allow for tip-sharing between front- and back-of-house workers once wages reached parity among all workers.

In a statement, Stephen Clark, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said that despite the high courts ruling tipped employees continue to be overwhelmingly opposed to this ballot question brought from activists in California.

The statewide minimum wage has not been raised since Jan. 1, 2023 and no increases are scheduled.
On Tuesday at 8:11 p.m. an updated tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 8:30 p.m. for Franklin, Hampshire and Worcester counties.

"At 8:10 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over New Salem, or 10 miles south of Orange, moving east at 55 mph," states the weather service. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely."

The tornado is projected to affect Barre, Hardwick, Petersham, and New Salem around 8:15 p.m.

The weather service adds, "Take cover now! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."

Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know

When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown:

Tornado watch: Be prepared!

A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation.

It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room.

While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states.

Tornado warning: Take action!

A Tornado warning signifies that a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar.

This is the real deal  there's an immediate danger to life and property.

Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement.

Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches.

Prepare for a tornado

Stay weather-ready:

Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.

Sign up for notifications:

Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications.

Create a communication plan:

Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member.

Choose a secure shelter:

Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

Practice your plan:

Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows.

Prepare your home:

Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Extend a helping hand:

Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries.

What to do when a tornado strikes

When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service:

Stay informed:

Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings.

At home:

If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows.

At work or school:

In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows.

Outdoors:

When you are outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate refuge inside a sturdy building. Remember that sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe options. If there is sufficient time, make your way to a secure structure.

In a vehicle:

Being in a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best option is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car, covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.

Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
The dangerous heat and humidity that has blanketed Massachusetts this week will continue on Wednesday, with temperatures in the low 90s and humidity making it feel even warmer.

But forecasters say relief is on the horizon for the Bay State after a seemingly unrelenting stretch of heat and humidity that has prompted the National Weather Service to issue multiple heat advisories.

Before relief arrives though, it will be another sweltering day across all of Massachusetts. In Boston and Springfield, forecasters project a high temperature of 92 degrees. In Worcester, it will be slightly cooler, with a forecasted high of 90 degrees.

Forecasters project a high of 87 degrees for Pittsfield on Wednesday and 85 in Barnstable on Cape Cod.

During Wednesdays heat advisory, residents are urged to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

As was the case Monday and Tuesday, the Bay State will see thunderstorms in the afternoon Wednesday, with the storms passing through between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. The storms will move west to east on Wednesday, bringing strong to damaging wind gusts with heavy rain as a secondary threat, according to the weather service. By the time storms reach the eastern part of the state they will have weakened.

Hail and tornadoes do not appear to be a threat today, forecasters wrote.

And while Thursday brings the chance for a break from the heat, relief wont come until the afternoon.

Drier air and cooler temps arrive Thursday afternoon, forecasters wrote, adding temperatures will be much more comfortable Thursday and Friday with highs in the low to mid 80s, warming into the upper 80s for the weekend.

Overnight lows will also stay more comfortable in the low to mid 60s, even some upper 50s, through the weekend, they added.

Along with the cooler temperatures, Massachusetts will see a brief break from the rain with little chance of precipitation until Tuesday.
A new report by Gallup and Porticus synthesizing recent research on gender equality in five countries in Eastern and Southern Africa  Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe  reveals persisting gender disparities and inequalities.

The study incorporates a review of data from the Gallup World Poll as recent as 2021, literature from international agencies like the U.N. and World Bank, and stakeholder and qualitative in-depth interviews with residents conducted in 2022 specifically for this project.

Exploring data from various domains of life such as education, economics, politics and faith, the report examines the differences between residents expectations and societal and governmental limits.

Key findings from the Gender Power in Africa: Analysis of the Imbalances That Shape Womens Lives report include:

Gallups World Poll data show that in recent years, perceptions that women are treated with respect and dignity have declined across nearly all countries studied.

Tanzania is the only exception, where the percentage of women (nearly three in four, at 74%) saying so is higher than it was a decade ago.

Just over a quarter of men and women in South Africa believe women in their country are treated with respect and dignity.

About half of women in Kenya (50%) and Uganda (52%) feel this way.

In Zimbabwe, 60% of women feel the same, down from 71% in 2013.

Reducing gender-based violence and increasing womens safety are critical priorities across sub-Saharan Africa.

Gallup finds that 27% of women in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where they live.

Less than half of women in Zimbabwe (35%), Kenya (40%) and Uganda (45%) say the same.

Only in Tanzania (61%) does the figure come close to the global average for women of 64%.

Across the five countries, the data show significant gender gaps in employment and civic engagement.

The largest gender gap is in Kenya, where 29% of men vs. 17% of women aged 15 to 50 say they work full time for an employer.

Men are about twice as likely as women to say they have voiced their opinion to public officials in Kenya (33% vs. 18%, respectively) and Tanzania (20% vs.10%).

Notable gender gaps in voicing opinions also exist in South Africa (33% of men vs. 25% of women), Zimbabwe (26% vs. 20%) and Uganda (42% vs. 37%).

Structural barriers continue to limit womens opportunities to learn about their existing rights and access education or new technology, while traditional norms stall the advancement of gender equality reforms.

In-depth interview participants of both genders commonly express that women and young girls do not know the legal rights available to them. Many suggest the government plays a primary role in disseminating this information and needs to do more to ensure women are fully aware of laws intended to protect and empower them.

The quantitative and qualitative research in this report suggests that people in all five countries want to see women treated more fairly and end gender disparities that harm women and hinder economies. The report highlights obstacles to gender equality reforms, including social pressures, gender-based violence and limited government resources, emphasizing the need for further research to inform inclusive and effective policies.
Mayo-based Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh is to be appointed to the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee (AGRI) for the 2024-2029 term, leading on agriculture policy for Fine Gael in Europe.

The Shrule native who was re-elected as an MEP for the Midlands-North-West constituency in June's European Election will also be appointed to the Regional Development (REGI) and Justice & Home Affairs (LIBE) committees. MEP Walsh will serve as a full member of the Agriculture Committee, and will be a substitute member of the Regional Development and Justice & Home Affairs committees.

Im looking forward to working with colleagues on the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee, she said.

Agriculture is the bedrock of our communities and rural economies, with European policy dictating the incomes and businesses of thousands of farm families across Ireland.

Having a seat at the decision-making table will ensure that I am at the forefront of the EUs agriculture agenda over the next five years - the voices of Irish farmers will be heard loud and clear. We need serious politicians who will work, and not just talk, representing our farming communities in Europe.

Joining the Agriculture Committee was my number one priority and through this appointment, I will be leading on agriculture policy and legislation for the Fine Gael delegation in Europe. This work will be particularly important as we approach the renegotiation of the Common Agricultural Policy in 2027.

My priorities for the renegotiation will include increasing funding available to farm families to scale their businesses. Its also vital our agri-tech and agri-tourism businesses are supported with funding in the negotiations.

Outside of the CAP renegotiation, I will continue my work helping our female farmers and young farmers. Land accessibility and strong succession planning to secure the next generation of farmers, as well as protecting fair prices for Irish farmers, will be key priorities of mine.

Discussing her other priorities for the upcoming term, MEP Walsh said:

My appointment to the Regional Development Committee will allow me to oversee EU funding distribution, giving me the platform to ensure we receive our fair share of European investment. Securing EU Just Transition funding for the Midlands-North West, as well as support for infrastructure projects across rural Ireland such as the Western Rail Corridor, will be two key priorities of mine.

I look forward to continuing my work on the Justice & Home Affairs Committee, which will play a vital role in the implementation of the EU Migration Pact as it is rolled out in member states over the coming two years, she concluded.
Irish holidaymakers have been warned to watch out for the hidden danger of pickpockets and thieves as they head to Spain in their thousands for their summer holidays.

The advice has been issued by Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs to be "aware" especially in busy areas and at peak times like summer for criminals hiding in plain sight.

The Department said: "Most of Spain has a moderate rate of crime. However, given the very high number of holidaymakers that visit Spain, additional security measures are rolled out in public areas at peak times, such as during the summer and at Christmas.

"You should be aware that in areas such as airports, bus stations, railway stations, tourist areas and major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, there is a much higher risk of pickpocketing and muggings. We advise you to take basic precautions:

"Dont carry your credit card, travel tickets, passport and money together in the same place, for example your luggage or bag.

"Leave spare cash and valuables in a safe place

"Dont carry your passport unless absolutely necessary, and consider carrying your Passport Card. Leave a copy of your passport (and travel and insurance documents) with family or friends at home

READ NEXT: 'It could hit 43C" - Major Spain weather warning to Irish people heading on holiday

"Avoid showing large sums of money in public and dont use ATMs after dark, especially if you are alone. Check no one has followed you after conducting your business

"Keep a close eye on your personal belongings and hold on to them in public places such as cafes, train and bus stations, bars, restaurants, etc.

"Avoid dark and unlit streets and stairways, arrange to be picked up or dropped off as close to your hotel or apartment entrance as possible."

They also advise Irish tourists in Spain to "be vigilant about petty crime: many of the cases we encounter involve stolen passports and credit cards.

"In metro stations, avoid boarding the train near the exit/entrance to the platform, as this is often where pickpockets position themselves. Thieves may work in teams and a person may attempt to distract you so that an accomplice can rob you more easily."

They also warn people be "always be cautious when approached by anyone claiming to be a police officer, either in plain clothes or travelling in unmarked vehicles.

"In all traffic matters, police officers will be in uniform. Unmarked vehicles will have a flashing electronic sign on the rear window, which reads Policia or Guardia Civil, and normally have blue flashing lights incorporated into the headlights.

"In non-traffic matters, police officers may be in plain clothes. However, you have the right to ask a police officer to identify themselves. Also, a genuine police officer will not request that you hand over your bag or wallet. If they ask you for identification, show them photographic ID such as your passport, Passport Card or driver's licence. If in any doubt, you should converse through the car window and contact the Spanish authorities on 112 and ask them to confirm that the registration number of the vehicle corresponds to an official police vehicle."

Theft from vehicles is common in Spain. "Remember to keep your doors locked, windows rolled up and valuables out of sight while driving," the Department advises.

"Be aware of 'highway pirates' who target foreign-registered and rental cars. There have been reports of such activity in the vicinity of airports, in particular. Some will try to make you stop, claiming there is something wrong with your car or that you have damaged theirs. In some cases, they will even deliberately orchestrate a collision in order to get you to stop and exit your car, before stealing personal belongings from you.

"If you decide to stop to check the condition of your/their vehicle, try to stop in an area with lights and people, such as a service station, and be extremely wary of anyone offering help."
A Dublin man who beat his partner unconscious, leading to her seven-year-old child being found wandering the streets in his pyjamas in winter looking for help, has been jailed for three years.

The 36-year-old man, who can't be named to protect his former partner's anonymity, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of assault causing her harm at her home on December 17 last year.

The court heard that in the aftermath of the assault, the woman's seven-year-old son was found walking through the streets wearing just a t-shirt and pyjama bottoms. He told a man who found him that his mum was lying on the ground and his dad had hit her on the head.

When gardai who were separately alerted to an assault at the woman's address arrived at the scene, some of her other children were outside the house flagging them down.

The woman and her children subsequently spent Christmas in a refuge as a result of the assault, the court heard.

Sentencing the man this Tuesday, Judge Elma Sheahan said that as a result of the assault, a small boy left his home not fully dressed looking for help for his mother whom he had seen being hit by his dad and was left lying on the ground.

She noted that the fact the woman's other children were outside the house seeking help showed the fear and trauma they suffered, which she said was compounded by the fact they had to leave their home and spend Christmas in a refuge.

She noted the man's guilty plea, his co-operation with gardai and a letter of apology he wrote to his former partner in which he outlined his remorse for his actions on the day in question.

She set a headline sentence of four years and reduced it to three years, taking these mitigating factors into account.

A local garda told Rebecca Smith BL, prosecuting, that a man noticed the little boy walking down the road on his own and took him into his van to keep him warm. He rang gardai to alert them to the fact he had found the child and also to what the boy was saying about his mother.

Gardai who arrived on the scene having been separately alerted to a disturbance in the home, found the children outside and the man in a state of intoxication, shouting arrest me, the court heard.

Inside, they found the woman sitting on the steps of the stairs with her head in her hands. She had bleeding and bruising to her face and indicated the man had done this to her. She was taken to hospital by ambulance.

She suffered bleeding to the eye and facial bruising, the court heard.

She later told gardai that they had been drinking alcohol from a hamper they had won the night before. She went to bed but when she awoke in the morning, he appeared to still be drinking.

He then punched her to the face without warning. She left the house briefly in a daze when she realised her seven-year-old had left, but when she returned indoors he punched her again and she lost consciousness. A victim impact statement was handed into court, but not read out.

The court heard the pair had been in a relationship for a few years and, while he was not the father of her children, they had taken to calling him dad.

The man was taken into custody for questioning, but deemed too intoxicated to be interviewed for six hours and later said he couldn't remember much of the incident. He has been in custody since.

He has 14 previous convictions, mainly for public order and road traffic offences.

Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan BL, defending, said her client was utterly hanging his head in shame. In the letter to his former partner he asked for her forgiveness. He said he had loved her children dearly but no longer had contact with them due to his idiotic actions.

He can't understand how he perpetrated these acts, Ms O'Callaghan said, adding the man had not been involved in violence at any point before. She said the relationship had been stable up until that point.

She said the man suffered a number of bereavements in recent years and had been drinking more heavily. His parents were in court to support him.

The woman was also in court for the sentencing.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 16, 2024

A coalition of record labels are suing Verizon for allegedly facilitating copyright infringement by failing to disconnect tens of thousands of subscribers who allegedly shared music on peer-to-peer networks.

Verizon knowingly provides its high-speed service to a massive community of online pirates, who it knows repeatedly use that service to infringe plaintiffs copyrights, Universal, Warner and Sony allege in a complaint filed late last week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The record companies claim in their complaint that Verizon ignored notices about subscribers who allegedly infringed music.

While Verizon is famous for its 'Can you hear me now?' advertising campaign, it has intentionally chosen not to listen to complaints from copyright owners, the labels alleged. Instead of taking action in response to those infringement notices as the law requires, Verizon ignored plaintiffs notices and buried its head in the sand.

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The companies list more than 17,000 songs that have allegedly been shared by Verizon subscribers -- including tracks by The Rolling Stones, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent -- and are seeking damages of up to $150,000 per work.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has safe harbor provisions that protect internet service providers from liability for copyright infringement by users -- but only if the providers have policies for handling repeat offenders. The record companies say Verizon didn't adequately respond to allegations that its subscribers were accessing music unlawfully.

Rather than disconnect the Internet access of blatant repeat infringers or take other steps to curtail their infringement, Verizon knowingly continued to provide these subscribers with the internet access that enabled them to continue to illegally download and/or distribute plaintiffs copyrighted works unabated, the complaint alleges.

The lawsuit is the latest case brought by record labels against internet service providers that allegedly fail to disconnect subscribers accused of piracy. Other companies to face similar claims include Charter, which settled with the labels in 2022, and Cox, which is litigating the dispute.

In December 2019, a jury found Cox liable for infringement based on two different legal theories. One was that Cox vicariously infringed -- essentially meaning Cox profited from infringement. The other was that Cox "contributed" to infringement -- meaning Cox knew its users infringed copyright and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent them from doing so.

The jury ordered Cox to pay $1 billion in that matter.

Cox appealed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which set aside the finding for vicarious infringement, ruling that internet service provider didn't profit from music-sharing by users. But the court also upheld the finding of contributory infringement, and sent the case back to the trial judge for a new hearing to assess damages on that claim.

Cox said in court papers that it plans to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.
by Tanya Gazdik , July 16, 2024

Elon Musk announced on social media that he is moving the last of his businesses from California to Texas.

Musk said he is moving the headquarters of two of his companies, X and SpaceX, to Texas from California, according to The Wall Street Journal. At issue is a newly signed California law that aims to prevent schools from informing families if their children identify as gay or transgender.

This is the final straw, Musk wrote on X, which he owns, citing the new California law, as well as many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies."

The law, signed by Governor Newsom on Monday, is the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Todays Youth Act, or SAFETY Actwhich prevents a school employee from being required to disclose any information related to a pupils sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupils consent.

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The law makes California the first state in the U.S. to ban policies that force schools to out students by requiring they notify parents if a student wants to use a name or pronoun other than whats on their birth certificate, The Mercury News reported.

Musk said his rocket company SpaceX will move its headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. He said X would move from San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Tesla, where Musk is CEO, moved its corporate headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto, California in 2021, according to ABC News. Musk has also said that he has moved his residence from California to Texas, where there is no state personal income tax.

Musk posted that he has "had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building.

Musk wrote that he did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.

The move is a blow to Southern California, where SpaceX has helped to anchor a burgeoning space economy, per the Los Angeles Times.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk is committing $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump Super PAC, according to people familiar with the matter.
by Teresa Buyikian , July 16, 2024

Grey Goose, itself considered a premium spirit, is upping its game with the launch of a an even more upscale vodka.

Grey Goose Altius is described as the new luxury vodka inspired by the rare natural luxuries of the French Alps. In collaboration with the brand, actor and DJ Idris Elba has created a new track specifically for the release.

Grey Goose is using various social media channels for the launch campaign, including YouTube, where a behind-the-scenes video of Elbas inspiration for creating the song Pushing On can be seen here.

Vibrations, rhythm, music, melody. All of those things, its an emotion for me, you know? explains Elba, complemented by images of shattering ice and the new vodka. He ends with Everyone speaks difference languages, different ages, different generations, but as soon as you play music, thats just one frequency.

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Earlier this month a launch party for Altius was held on Ibiza, where Elba DJed to a star-studded array of attendees in a private villa on one of the highest peaks on the island. The event was also the debut of the song, which is now available via Spotify.

Per the brand, the new ultra-premium Grey Goose Altius is made with Alpine spring water and winter wheat from Picardie. The vodka then undergoes a filtration process at -24 degrees Celsius, resulting in a velvety smooth taste with delicate alpine minerality and soft green apple notes. Each is hand-bottled and individually numbered. Grey Goose Altius is only available in high-end clubs and global airport retail locations.
by Danielle Oster , July 16, 2024

Box Tops For Education, the K-8 school fundraising program sponsored by General Mills, teamed up with EGOT-winning entertainer John Legend for its Champion Legendary Teachers campaign driving awareness of its educational funding program.

Box Tops got its name from its longstanding process of allowing families to send in labels from participating product lines in exchange for financial contributions to K-8 schools. The program -- first launched in 1996 -- made the switch to a digital app in 2019 and, according to a 2021 article in The Atlantic, redemption rates fell as a result.

Champion Legendary Teachers coincides with an additional app feature Box Tops claims will make it easier to contribute by allowing users to automatically earn donations by buying qualifying products, rather than scanning receipts.

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The campaign features Legend in a series of short videos, playing on the difficulties of being a busy dad, and sympathizing with the plight of overstressed school teachers. In the ads, Legend outlines the easier redemption process of downloading the Box Tops app.

Box Tops for Education understands how valuable community support is for teachers and administrators who are making a positive impact on their students, Lilly Moeding, Box Tops for Education brand experience manager, said in a statement.

According to Box Tops, the new app feature has already led to higher redemption rates, claiming shoppers with connected accounts have earned 48% more cash for their schools..

I recently had the heartwarming opportunity to meet inspiring educators from Westport Heights Elementary School, right in my backyard of Los Angeles, Legend said in a statement, noting that the Box Tops program awarded $30,000 to the school to support the development of a new outdoor space for environmental science.

In addition to Westport Heights Elementary School, the program is making nine donations of $30,000 to schools in need across the country.
Former GroupM North America CEO Brian Lesser is returning to the WPP media arm as Global CEO, succeeding Christian Juhl.

Juhl is stepping down after five years in the role and will take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.

GroupM had a rough 2023--WPP acknowledged that the media arm was particularly hard hit by technology firm cutbacks. It has lost a number of major clients over the past year or so including General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, Uber and Ikea. Major client Unilever called a media review earlier this year.

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GroupM has been working on a restructuring to improve future performance. It's not immediately clear how Lesser's return will shape that restructuring.

WPP CEO Mark Read stated, Brian is one of the industrys most highly regarded executives with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing. GroupM, its agencies and its brilliant people are in many respects the engine of WPP. Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business."
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 17, 2024

Google will replace the Ads on its dynamic content policy with Ads in private communications policy set to take effect in August, but the company this year also has made more than a handful of changes in AdSense to Ad Manager to AdMob.

The change for messaging apps is intended to provide clarity for publishers by explaining that ads are prohibited on screens where the primary focus is a private communication such as direct messages, live chats, video-chats, and private chatrooms.

These updates, Google explains, are part of its ongoing efforts to clarify its policies for readability and transparency.

Google in July expanded its EU User Consent Policy to apply to users in Switzerland. Companies using advertising products will be required to obtain Swiss users consent to the use of cookies or other local storage, where legally required.

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The collection, sharing and use of personal data for personalization of ads also requires permission. This is in addition to existing requirements for European Economic Area (EEA) and UK users.
by Teresa Buyikian , July 17, 2024

Nothing says summer like BBQ. Be it beef, pork or chicken, dry rub or sauced, once temps shoot up BBQ lovers across the U.S. unite in the love of grilled goodness.

Sonnys BBQ wants those fanatics to know theres a place for great BBQ this summer, or any season, without requiring them to fire up the grill. The 100-unit Southern chain has launched its first brand campaign Its Always Sonnys Here, which centers on  slowing down and enjoying the small moments with those you love, per the brands release.

The integrated marketing effort, created by Dunn&Co., centers around the humorous hero video, Scootin, seen here. In the :15 online video we see a middle-aged, cowboy-hatted gentleman relaxing on a hot summer day as he takes a bite of a BBQ rib. The camera pans down to reveal he is actually eating a Sonnys BBQ rib, given away by the chains branded to-go cold cup, as he rides a motorized drink cooler through a leafy suburb, American flag waving from the tail end.

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"BBQ is about connection and belonging; it's about savoring the moment... Our goal for this campaign was to capture the feeling behind the experiences we help bring to life through our food," said Peter Frey, chief brand officer at Sonny's BBQ in the release.

The Sonnys BBQ to-go cold cup features prominently throughout all campaign executions. Per the release, the cup goes where guests go, from their family BBQ night, to work, school, and their homes. It allows guests to take a little bit of Sonny's and that BBQ spirit with them, even when they're not in the restaurant.

In addition to the online video on YouTube, the campaign includes posts to Sonnys BBQs social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.
Did You Know?

Malawi is in need of financial assistance as it faces difficult economic and humanitarian circumstances, such as foreign exchange shortages, exchange rate misalignment, and a significant decrease in imports. #Malawi #WHO donation #medindia

Malawi is in need of financial assistance as it faces difficult economic and humanitarian circumstances, such as foreign exchange shortages, exchange rate misalignment, and a significant decrease in imports. #Malawi #WHO donation #medindia

Why WHO Donated to Malawi

Improved access to medicines

Improved Healthcare infrastructure

Reduction in mortality

Improved disease control

Support for health workers

The government of Malawi has received a donation of various medical supplies, including drugs, valued at $9 million, from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to aid the country's public hospitals.During the presentation of the donation in Lilongwe on Friday, Neema Kimambo, the WHO country representative, conveyed her organization's commitment to ensuring well-equipped public hospitals in Malawi and improved access to healthcare services for the people, as reported by Xinhua news agency.Kimambo also stated that the WHO will continue to offer support to the Malawian government by supplying a range of resources to address the needs of Malawi's healthcare system.Malawi, a country situated in Southeastern Africa, has been the recipient of diverse types of aid and backing from global organizations and allies.The donation from the WHO to Malawis healthcare system is expected to have positive outcomes:The donation was applauded by Malawian Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who stated that the supplies will assist in reducing the shortage of medical supplies in the country's public hospitals.The WHO has been supplying crucial medicine and medical supplies to the Malawian government since 2022 under the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project.Source-Medindia
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Intratumoral immune triads are required for immunotherapy-mediated elimination of solid tumors



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The spatial arrangement of three specific #immunecells has emerged as a critical factor in orchestrating effective #tumor attacks. #cancer

Exploring T Cell Therapy

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Intratumoral immune triads are required for immunotherapy-mediated elimination of solid tumors - (https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/abstract/S1535-6108(24)00193-4)

Today's immunotherapies for cancer present a perplexing challenge: while highly effective in some patients by completely eliminating or significantly reducing cancer, they fail to work in others, posing a scientific mystery ().Several hypotheses have emerged to explain this variability. Some suggest it could be linked to the tumor's mutation count, where more mutations correlate with better treatment outcomes. Others propose that the tissue environment surrounding the tumor plays a crucial role, either supporting or inhibiting immune responses. However, none of these theories have provided a definitive answer applicable across all cases. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, now propose a promising new explanation.It turns out that in order for immune cells to effectively kill the cells of a tumor, they need to take on a specific spatial configuration, says Andrea Schietinger, PhD, a tumor immunologist and member of the Immunology Program in MSKs Sloan Kettering Institute. They need to form a triad.Triad  meaning three cells. But not just any three cells will do. What you need, she explains, is three different immune cells all collaborating together at the same time and in the same spot: one dendritic cell, one cytotoxic (killer) T cell, and one helper T cell.These cells arent rare or unusual, immunologically speaking. Theyre the standard actors described in any immunology textbook. But up until now, no one knew that these cells needed to be physically present together in tumors in order to generate an effective immune response against cancer cells.The discovery, which was published in the journal, has immediate therapeutic implications and could alter the way doctors administer immunotherapies.A postdoctoral fellow in the Schietinger lab, Gabriel Espinosa-Carrasco, PhD, is the first author on the new paper. What sparked Dr. Schietingers and Dr. Espinosa-Carrascos curiosity about this line of research was the abundant  and frankly discouraging  data from human clinical trials of adoptive T cell therapies. These are therapies in which researchers take a sample of cytotoxic T cells from a patient, identify ones that recognize the cancer, then expand those to billions of copies in the lab and return them to the patient. (Alternatively, scientists can engineer T cells in the lab to recognize specific targets and then expand and infuse those.)The approach sounds logical; it should work, but it often doesnt.How is this possible that we can generate the most perfect cytotoxic T cells in the lab, give patients billions of these cells, and yet they still fail to eliminate the cancer? Dr. Schietinger asks. There seems to be something so fundamental that we are missing about what cytotoxic T cells need to kill effectively.In retrospect, she says, the answer seems obvious.Scientists have known for a long time that cytotoxic T cells dont operate on their own. They need the assistance of helper T cells to become armed and activated. This is textbook knowledge, Dr. Schietinger points out.Thats why, as she explains, every existing protocol where cytotoxic T cells are being activated and prepared for adoptive T cell therapy adds important chemicals made by helper T cells. At that point, the thinking goes, the cytotoxic T cells should be ready to fight cancer when they are infused back into the body.But what if cytotoxic T cells need the assistance of helper T cells not only early on to become armed and activated, but also to carry out their kill mission? Do cytotoxic T cells  like James Bond  need a license to kill? Dr. Schietinger wondered.To find out, she and her team devised a mouse model of cancer that she could treat with a form of adoptive T cell therapy similar to those currently used with people. She set up two contrasting situations. In one case, she gave the mice with cancer only cytotoxic T cells. In the other case, she gave the mice both cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells. The results were clear and dramatic: only the mice that had received both types of T cells saw their tumors regress.What this implies is that just having the cytotoxic machinery up and running is not really enough to do the actual killing, Dr. Schietinger says. You need to actually license them to kill the target cell.How that licensing may occur became clearer when they looked at the tumor tissues from the mice under the microscope. Thats when they saw that in the mice that had responded to the treatment, their cells had formed the distinctive immune cell triads. The cells were physically nestled together. Somehow, Dr. Schietinger says, that spatial arrangement allows cytotoxic T cells to finally get the message: time to take action.It was an interesting and exciting finding. But would it hold beyond the particular mouse model they used?To answer that question, Dr. Schietinger and her team reached out to colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine, surgeons Hyun-Sung Lee, MD, PhD, and Bryan M. Burt, MD. That group had unpublished data on a group of patients with pleural mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer, who had been treated with a form of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint blockade. Within that group, some of the patients had responded well to the treatment, seeing their tumors shrink, while others did not.When the surgeons at Baylor went back to look at tissue samples they had collected as part of the trial, they found that those patients who had responded to the therapy had the distinctive triads in their tumors. The ones who didnt respond did not have them.That was pretty compelling evidence that the immune triads were indeed important, and not just a coincidence. The three types of immune cells interact in such a way that makes them a stronger fighting force against cancer cells.What are the implications of all this? First, says Dr. Schietinger, there is the possibility that these triads could be used as a biomarker for identifying which individuals are likely to respond to immunotherapy. So far, doctors do not have good biomarkers to make that distinction.Second, the results imply that doctors should rethink how they administer adoptive T cell therapies. Instead of giving predominantly killer T cells, perhaps they should include helper T cells too; and maybe much fewer killer T cells would be enough if there were helper T cells in the mix as well.Lastly, the results have implications for the design of cancer vaccines, where fragments of cancer-associated proteins are designed to boost patients killer T cells.Dr. Schietingers team is working to advance research in all these directions. For example, one member of her team, a bioengineer, is designing tools to connect one killer T cell to one helper T cell, to encourage their formation of a triad with a dendritic cell (the cell type responsible for presenting fragments of cancer proteins to T cells).Theyre also experimenting with new formulations of cancer vaccines and are partnering with other leaders in the field to bring this work to clinical trials.The main implication of our findings is that its not the absolute numbers of cells that matters, its their spatial configuration, Dr. Schietinger says. The three cell types need to be on the battlefield together, and building therapeutics which do that is our next big goal.Source-Eurekalert
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Home - Virchow Foundation | The Virchow Prize



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#LucyGilson and #JohanRockstrom honored with the #VirchowPrize 2024 for their outstanding contributions to #globalhealth and sustainability. #planet

The Virchow Prize: Celebrating Contributions to Human and Planetary Health

Home - Virchow Foundation | The Virchow Prize - (https://virchowprize.org/)

The 2024 Virchow Prize will honor Lucy Gilson and Johan Rockstrom for their holistic and systems-based approach to safeguarding human and planetary health . This prestigious award, under the high patronage of German Bundestag President Barbel Bas, acknowledges their significant contributions towards a healthier, more sustainable world ().Both laureates focus on the interconnectedness of health systems with environmental and social systems, advancing resilience, justice, and well-being. Their work aligns with the Virchow Prizes values of human rights, solidarity, and equity in pursuit of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals.The Virchow Prize is an esteemed annual award established by the non-profit Virchow Foundation, recognizing significant contributions to human and planetary health. Endowed with 500,000, the prize honors individuals or groups whose work exemplifies the values of human rights, solidarity, and equity, and advances the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The award ceremony is held under the high patronage of the German Bundestag President, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in creating a healthier, more sustainable world.Lucy Gilson, head of the Health Policy and Systems Division at Cape Town University and professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, drives transformative change towards sustainable and equitable healthcare. Her research promotes people-centered health systems and universal health coverage.Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and chief scientist at Conservation International, is renowned for his planetary boundaries framework. This concept defines a safe operating space for humanity, addressing critical environmental processes like climate change and biodiversity loss, with direct implications for health.Gilson and Rockstroms interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral research has influenced global policy, providing a science-based framework for addressing diverse health challenges. The Virchow Prize, established by the Virchow Foundation, will be awarded on October 12 at Berlin City Hall.Source-Medindia
The makers of Stranger Things recently announced the beginning of the end of the Netflix supernatural drama series with a BTS video. The fifth and final season of the show is halfway through filming.

While sharing the post on Instagram, they wrote, Take it all in, nerdsweve hit the halfway mark of filming the final season and wanted to give you all a look at what weve been up to.

The video of Castle Byers, a fort made by Will and Jonathan Byers in the forest close to their house also features a voiceover saying, Were about halfway through filming now and its exciting.

So, I started when I was 10. Now, Im 20 years old, says Millie Bobby Brown, who plays the lead as Eleven.

Were just kind of savouring every single moment, Sadie Sink aka our very own Max says.

Jamie Campbell Bower, who played Vecna says, Season 4 was big. Season 5 definitely feels bigger.

The shows writers started working on Season 5 on August 2, 2022, which was almost a month after Season 4, Volume 2 premiered on Netflix. Its safe to say that as the makers and the actors work hard to churn out a darker and scarier finale, theyll be ready with the trailer of Stranger Things 5 in no time.

But wed suggest before you take a ride to upside-down one last time, watch these ten brilliantly made shows.

1. Revenant

Gu San-yeong, a student who lives with her mother and is struggling financially, gets possessed by an evil entity after touching an old object gifted to her by her father. The folklore professor and an exorcist Yeon Hae-sang sees the demon and makes sure the girl is aware of it. As Gu San-yeong slowly realises that she is indeed possessed and the spirit has been using her to murder innocent people, she works with the professor and a detective to confront and get rid of the ghost. However, this starts an unstoppable series of mysterious deaths.

Its not easy to make a horror series as gripping as this one. It gives you a ride into black magic and rituals you wont believe exist. Once you start streaming Revenant, much like the characters, you wont be able to stop until youve discovered all the secrets.

2. The Haunting Of The Hill House

Its an art. The series is the modern adaptation of Shirley Jacksons novel of the same name. The story follows siblings who grew up in a house that was later popularised as the most haunted house in the country.

The youngest daughter of the family, who was most affected by the hauntings, is tempted to come back to the house as an adult and confront the ghost of the past. Shes then followed by the other family members.

At the house, she finally sees the face of the evil that hung in front of her and a child she named Bent-Neck Lady.

Its the house of nightmares and if you havent visited it yet, youre missing out on some of the finest pieces of work in the horror genre.

3. The Haunting Of The Bly Manor

Another house, another haunting, another art. The story revolves around the two kids and their caretakers living with them in Bly Manor. As a new, young au pair Dani arrives after the passing of their older governess, Flora and Miles try to adjust around her in their own way.

Dani realises it much later that what she perceived as naughty and unruly behaviour in kids was coming from a whole other dimension. At one point in time, in this brilliantly made horror, it becomes a challenge for her to differentiate between the living and the dead, the now and then.

This splendid series is nothing your cheap horrors with jump scares that youre used to. The story will use every bit of your imagination and mind.

4. Archive 81

This series is a slow burn. Youll find it to be one of the most genuine works of horror if you are an H.P. Lovecraft fan. If not, just enjoy the overload of supernatural crimes and cinematic art.

The story involves an archivist who takes a project of restoring damaged videotapes. The more the tapes come to life, the more mysteries involving the missing director and the cult they were documenting are revealed.

Archive 81 features the pop culture references that cheap horrors easily miss and true thrill lovers seek. Just as you see in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the series creates a believable world that promotes the existence of a greater evil which is beyond perceivable reality. Its the kind of work that will make you Google if the story is based on true events. Thats the power of meticulous imagination.

Dont watch with an expectation of the hero confronting a monster. Its a cult horror. So thats what youll get. It will leave you with the impression that the writer and art director did their job really well.

5. The Midnight Club

You might call it a strange one. The drama features a group of eight kids who are terminally ill. They get acquainted with each other after moving to a hospice. Soon after they start meeting at midnight in the library of Brightcliff. Each one has a scary story to tell, some of which are partially based on real events.

The lead character arrives at the hospice after finding out about a girl who had the same cancer as her but was magically cured 30 years ago at Brightcliff. When she starts exploring her options, instead of a cure, she finds a cult.

Horror elements like jump scares etc. may come across as forced here. If youre looking for a show slightly less scary and more healing, trust the writers of The Midnight Club to do that for you.

6. Midnight Mass

Series like these are rare. It may take you a moment to realise whats going on but once you do, itll blow your mind. And the weight of the emotions you will feel at the end of the series is what makes it worth a watch.

Its a tale set on Crockett Island, a fictional island 30 miles off the mainland. A charismatic priest arrives and takes over the local church after their old Monsignor becomes ill post his pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. This new preacher performs miracles for the islanders. Some bow down to him while others suspect.

However, you might feel about the story in the beginning, you will leave the show feeling satisfied. It will immediately make you want to watch another season which does not exist.

7. Sense 8

Sense 8 is one of those shows that makes you want to be one of the leads. The series revolves around eight people spread across the globe. These eight can see what the other one is seeing, feel what the other seven are feeling like they are all in one body. As they navigate through the problems stemming from this newly found connection and their personal lives which were already a mess, they experience the deepest form of emotions.

In a setup where theyre hiding secrets, living lives discreetly and feeling lonely, they find family in each other.

8. Dark

If you love the concept of time travel and other worlds, much like Stranger Things, this one will also interest you. The plot is woven in a way that youll have to keep a close eye on everything including characters. You blink, you miss.

After watching Dark, youll appreciate each and every actor who has been cast perfectly in their respective roles. The music is another high point of the series. It pulls you deeper into the story.

The show is about the past of a small German town which is exposed after two children go missing. As the four families search for the kids, their relationships too come to light. Its an intricate story that ties its supernatural elements to the same town in 1986.

9. Locke & Key

Locke kids slowly find out their familys secret after they move into the house their father grew up in with their mother. After their fathers murder, the responsibility of finding all the reality-bending keys and putting them to the right use falls on three siblings.

The show is an adaptation of popular comics by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. The mysteries, adventure and space it takes you in somewhat feel like a lighter version of Stranger Things with a hint of Harry Potter magic.

The storyline is refreshing enough to make its own space in mind. The siblings' bond with their father is another positive and relatable aspect of the series.

10. Black Mirror

Set in an abstrusely dystopian future, each episode of Black Mirror features a different story impacted by the manipulative effects of artificial intelligence. The technology that is to come is shown changing the world in ways we cannot imagine at the moment. And even if you do, itll end up making you feel suffocated.

Youll find every story in the series to be gripping, futuristic and believable. Not only is the show entertaining, but it also portrays the uncontrolled edges of AI as an evil spirit you would never want to welcome into your life.

11. W - Two Worlds Apart

A famous comic artist unknowingly creates a story that turns into a living world. All the characters of his comic are alive in a parallel universe. Unaware of this fact, the artists daughter gets sucked into the comic world. Shes confronted by the lead character Kang Chul who falls in love with her and eventually follows her to the real world.

Its a genius story. You may not find it to be as dark as Stranger Things but the storyline and the intricacy of the show are outstanding. It challenges your imagination.
A House oversight committee alleges it has not received key investigative documents from the Defense Department about V-22 Osprey crashes and is threatening to take action if it doesn't receive the information by later this month.

The Pentagon has not provided a comprehensive list and all safety investigation reports of every class-A Osprey mishap from 1991 to the present, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

The committee began probing mishaps and crashes involving the Osprey in the wake of an Air Force CV-22 crash off the coast of Japan in November that killed eight airmen. During the monthslong investigation started in December, lawmakers claim the Pentagon has not been fully forthcoming with the requested information.

Read Next: JD Vance's Marine Corps Service Would Set Him Apart from Most Vice Presidents

In a Tuesday letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., and Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. -- the chairman of the oversight committee and the chairman of the subcommittee on National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs, respectively -- said they have "encountered significant delays and hurdles" and may take more aggressive measures if they don't get a response soon.

"DoD must be transparent with Congress and the American people to show that the Osprey program is safe and that it will bring significant advantages to combat operations," the letter states. "If DoD continues to fail to produce the requested documents by July 30, 2024, the committee will consider additional measures, including use of the compulsory process, to gain compliance and obtain this critical material."

The oversight committee's letter comes on the heels of the subcommittee on National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs hearing last month about Osprey safety. Navy and defense officials present provided little clarity or closure on the cause of recent deadly mishaps, leaving families of service members who lost loved ones in the aircraft with few answers.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Tuesday that the Defense Department has provided documents as well as officials for briefings and hearings, but will still work to give the committee the information being sought.

"We have worked very hard to accommodate the House Oversight Committee's requests. We've provided more than 3,500 pages of documents," Ryder said. "All that to say, we will continue to work with the committee to accommodate that request."

The oversight committee's letter mentions that "Osprey-related crashes have killed more than 60 service members since 1992," the most recent being the Air Force's Nov. 29 crash off the southern coast of Japan.

Following that crash, the services that fly the Osprey -- the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy -- all grounded their variants of the tilt-rotor aircraft. That stand-down was lifted in March, but the cause behind the crash was not disclosed.

Last month, Military.com reported that Air Force Special Operations Command is analyzing its use of the aircraft and could change the size of its CV-22 pilot and aircrew fleets, and some could be trained to fly other aircraft in the future.

-- Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

Related: Number of Air Force Osprey Pilots and Aircrew Under Review Amid Mechanical Issues, Flight Restriction
Almost a week after Pentagon officials began suggesting that the temporary pier in Gaza may not return, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command has confirmed that the pier's mission is over.

"Now that that maritime surge mission was successful, it's now transitioning from a temporary pier in Gaza to a port in Ashdod, Israel," Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told reporters during a briefing Wednesday.

Cooper was adamant that, in the face of direct questioning by reporters about the political controversy and weather interruptions that had impacted the pier and led President Joe Biden to publicly say that he was disappointed, the pier had accomplished its mission in a "historically unprecedented operation" that transported "the highest volume of humanitarian assistance that the U.S. military has ever delivered into the Middle East."

Read Next: Navy Officer Convicted in Bribery Scheme Tied to Fraudulent Afghan Visas

According to Cooper, the shift from using the Army's Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) to the port Ashdod in Israel, just north of Gaza, means that even though the pier itself will be going away, the ships and troops that are supporting the mission will stay in the area for some time.

"We expect to use the same vessels that have been transporting aid from Cyprus to the pier," Cooper said, adding that "now the same vessels will be used to transport aid from Cyprus to Ashdod."

It's not clear whether the pier, which was moved to Ashdod in late June over weather conditions, has been dismantled yet.

The port in Cyprus, which was used as a staging and screening area for aid bound for Gaza, still has at least 5 million pounds of aid that is awaiting delivery.

Problems for the mission began to crop up almost immediately after the Army ships left for Gaza in the spring, when one of the ships carrying supplies was forced to turn back to port after experiencing a fire in its engine room. More breakdowns from other Army watercraft led to questions about the readiness of the Army's fleet.

Then came weather delays. High seas first delayed the pier's setup, but even once the pier was up and running in May, weather continued to plague the operation. In late May, a storm broke the pier apart and forced its first removal from Gaza to Ashdod for repairs. That storm also beached several Army boats on the Gaza shore for hours.

Since then, the pier has been removed three more times over weather issues, and despite being set up in May, it has only been operational "for a little more than 20 days" but delivered 19.4 million pounds of aid, according to Cooper.

One statistic Cooper pointed to was a goal of moving about 500,000 pounds of aid per day over the pier.

"Virtually every day, we were either doubling that number at a million pounds or tripling that number," he argued.

The vice admiral also noted that he expects the cost of the mission to be "well underneath the $230 million we estimated" before noting that when the military delivered 23 million pounds of aid to Haiti following a devastating earthquake in 2010, the Pentagon spent about $460 million.

Critics of the mission on Capitol Hill cheered the end of the effort.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement posted online that "the national embarrassment that this project has caused" is not over, and "the only miracle is that this doomed-from-the-start operation did not cost any American lives."

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the effort "a gross waste of taxpayer dollars" in late June.

Cooper said that the pivot to delivering aid to Ashdod will offer a "more sustainable path," but other officials in the Biden administration also noted that delivering aid to Gaza faces issues beyond logistics.

Sonali Korde, the assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, told reporters at the Wednesday briefing that "the key challenge we have right now in Gaza is around the insecurity and lawlessness that is hampering the distribution once aid gets into Gaza."

It's a problem that has persisted for months.

"We are unfortunately in a situation where the insecurity has increased again and we're seeing ... a rise in looting and other kinds of criminal activities, and that is definitely causing problems for distribution right now," she added.

When asked by reporters if there was a timeline for bringing troops home from the mission, Cooper said military officials are "not going to be in a position to talk about the timelines given, the operational context."

Related: The Gaza Aid Pier May Have Already Delivered Its Last Truckload of Aid
A Navy reserve officer has been convicted by a federal court for his role in a scheme to falsify documents to get Afghans visas to live in the United States as part of the State Department's Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) program between 2018 and 2020.

Cmdr. Jeromy Pittmann was convicted by a jury on Friday in New Hampshire on four charges that included bribery and concealing a money laundering operation, court records show. His release paperwork lists Pittmann as living in Germany.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Pittmann signed more than 20 false letters of recommendation for visa applications in which he claimed to have supervised the applicants while they worked as translators in support of the U.S. Army and NATO, that their lives were in jeopardy and that he did not think they posed a threat to the national security of the United States. In exchange, Pittmann received $500 per person.

Read Next: Wildfire Breaks Out at Bombing Range After Guard Conducts 'Controlled, Loud Activity'

He now faces decades in prison and his sentencing is set for Oct. 21, according to court records. He was initially arrested in March 2022.

Pittmann is a Navy Reserve officer with the Navy's combat construction community commonly known as "Seabees," according to Navy records provided to Military.com by the service.

Those records show that he deployed four times to Afghanistan and once to Iraq since he joined the Navy in 2003.

According to the indictment in his case, an unidentified co-conspirator reached out to Pittmann in February 2018 and asked for letters of recommendation for SIV applications.

"It's for my cousins I have 5 of them to go if you can do it will be good and they will pay for it," the person is quoted as saying before sending an email with "a recommendation letter format for your review."

Two weeks later, Pittmann and his co-conspirator negotiated a price and settled on $500 per person and the unnamed partner told him he had three applications ready for a total of $1,500 and "I will have another 5 next week so will be 2500."

By July of that year, Pittmann drafted up a dummy invoice for $2,000 and was asking his partner "which one of your companies do you want me to put on the invoice so it looks official?"

That fraudulent invoice, which prosecutors said was "to conceal and disguise the nature of the proceeds" resulted in a money laundering charge.

Once he was paid for the first batch of letters, Pittmann expressed a desire to expand the operation.

"I just wish the money would keep coming. Ha. Maybe one day we will get a business started. It would be nice to pay off my debts," Pittmann wrote in an email to his unnamed partner, according to court documents.

The co-conspirator replied that he had "more employees asking for recommendation letter I will let you know."

A year later, in 2019, Pittmann's co-conspirator said he would send along a ring for his wife as part of the payment for three more letters.

"I will send you their sweets as well that will make a good joy for a month or two. Haha," the man wrote, according to court documents.

The visa program that Pittmann and his co-conspirator were sending fake letters to was originally created in 2009 to give Afghans who served alongside U.S. troops as interpreters a way to escape the Taliban, who saw them as traitors and would often look to kill them. The tenuous security situation in the country even before U.S. troops departed in 2021 meant many felt that their lives were in peril.

As part of the scheme, Pitttmann falsely claimed that he was recommending people who worked at places such as North Kabul International Airport, Bagram Air Base and Camp Marmal Mazar, the indictment said.

The visas themselves were limited, and Congress had to authorize more of them over the years, leading to partisan gridlock and debate. Eventually the wait list for the SIVs grew to the tens of thousands as the program also became mired by slow processing times driven by low staffing and shoddy record-keeping by the military and contractors.

The lack of records made it challenging for some Afghans to prove their work with U.S. troops, and all of these issues came to a head during the messy U.S. withdrawal from the country in 2021. As the country's democratic government collapsed, veterans and volunteers scrambled to get former Afghan allies -- many of whom were still waiting on their SIVs -- out of the country and out of the path of the Taliban.

The result was tens of thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. got left behind.

A report by the nonprofit Association of Wartime Allies estimated that around 78,000 SIV applicants remained in Afghanistan after U.S. forces left in August 2021.

Court documents show that Pittmann is currently free ahead of his sentencing, though he has to check in with federal officials regularly and let the Department of Justice know if he plans to travel.

Military.com asked the Navy about his current status, but a spokesman for the branch wasn't able to immediately offer an answer.

Records provided to Military.com suggest that he is still in the reserves and, as of February 2022, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 22 in Port Hueneme, Calif.

Those records also show that, in addition to his campaign medals, Pittmann was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Related: 12,000 More Visas for Afghans Who Helped US Military Included in New Funding Deal
Firefighters are working to contain an over 1,100-acre forest fire that broke out on Tuesday at a military range in New Jersey after the Air National Guard engaged in what it called a "controlled, loud activity." The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said that no structures were threatened by the fire, and that there were no evacuations or road closures.

The fire service responded to the outbreak at Warren Grove Air to Ground Range, which is used by elements of the New Jersey Air National Guard. A New Jersey Forest Fire Service official told Military.com that the fire was 80% contained as of Wednesday morning following overnight rain.

The official, Jim Douglas, said that fire services were requested at the range late Tuesday morning. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service, or NJFFS, said that as of late Wednesday morning, fire crews remained on scene to monitor the perimeter of the blaze.

Read Next: Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Unjustly Punished in 1944 After a Deadly California Port Explosion

"The 177th Fighter Wing thanks the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for its help in the management of fires on its Warren Grove Range property yesterday," a spokesperson for the 177th Fighter Wing told Military.com in an email. It was not immediately clear which specific unit was using the range at the time of the fire.

"The Wing can confirm that controlled, loud activity took place on the range shortly after 11:30 a.m. yesterday, at which point fires began," the spokesperson said. "New Jersey State Forest Fire Service assisted with management of the fires in the designated area."

Military.com asked the spokesperson what the specific activity was, what unit was conducting said activity, and if said activity started the fire, but did not hear back by publication.

This is not the first time a fire has erupted from the range grounds. In 2007, a massive fire spread across Ocean and Burlington counties after an Air National Guard plane dropped a flare over the Warren Grove range, according to the Asbury Park Press.

A fire burns at the Warren Grove Air To Ground Range, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. in Bass River Township, N.J. As of Wednesday, July 17, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze was 80% contained and was not threatening any structures. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection via AP)

Tuesday's fire, which was first reported as 150 acres in size, has since octupled and has been named the "Whip-poor-will Wildfire," according to NJFFS. The state's fire service deployed ground crews, as well as a helicopter, to assist with observation.

In a post to X on Wednesday, NJFFS said that it "continues to be in unified command with the New Jersey Air National Guard on scene" of the fire.

The Warren Grove Range was used during World War II as a weapons research site, according to the service. Roughly 3,000 flights occur at the range each year, and it is used by Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and the Federal Aviation Administration, among other entities.

Related: How New Jersey Guardsmen Thwarted One of the Largest Somali Terror Attacks in Decades
July 19: Mendick cleared waivers and is headed to Triple-A Charlotte, with Fegan among those to relay the news on X.

July 17: The White Sox announced that they have signed infielder Nick Senzel, a move that was reported last night. To make room for Senzel, they designated infielder Danny Mendick for assignment. They also optioned infielder Lenyn Sosa, leaving a roster spot open. James Fegan of Sox Machine suggests on X that Yoan Moncada could take that spot, though thats not confirmed as of now.

Mendick, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Sox and was added to the clubs roster in late April. He has appeared in 47 games for the Sox, stepping to the plate 141 times. Unfortunately, he has hit just .197/.243/.318 this year. He has struck out in 24.8% of his plate appearances while walking at a 4.3% clip, with both of those being subpar.

This is his sixth straight major league season, with most of his offensive output being fairly uninspiring. He had a nice flash of brilliance in 2022, slashing .289/.343/.443, but that season was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL after 31 games. Overall, he has a .232/.286/.346 batting line and 76 wRC+ in 656 career plate appearances.

He has now been nudged of Chicagos roster and they will have some time to try to work out the next steps, whether thats a trade or trying to pass Mendick. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so any possibility of a trade will have to be explored in the next five days. Though with Mendicks performance this year, interest is likely to be muted anyhow.

He can at least provide clubs with defensive versatility. He has played second and third base this year and also has some work at shortstop and in the outfield on his track record. He hasnt been much of a base-stealer in his career but has swiped six bags without being caught this season. Mendick has an option and can therefore be kept in the minors if any club gives him a 40-man roster spot. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he will have the right to elect free agency, both because he has a previous career outright and because he has more than three years of service time.
LIVONIA, MI - It was more than a year in the making for foodies wanting their Chicago street food fix. Were getting our first look inside the garage-themed Portillos in Livonia.

Located at 13004 Middlebelt Road, the Grand Opening took place on Tuesday, July 16 and the restaurant was packed when we arrived after the lunch rush at 1:00 p.m., filled with people eating Chicago dogs and Italian beef sandwiches.

This opening comes about seven months later than originally expected when Portillos announced it would open its Livonia location sometime by the end of 2023.

The 7,900 square-foot restaurant features a dining room with seating for more than 175 people, as well as a seasonal outdoor patio with room for around 50 more.

The restaurant, which features all kinds of Michigan Easter eggs like vintage Strohs, Vernors and Ford signs, also features double drive-thru lanes, a pick up area and a grab and go display for food, beverage and retail items.

Portillos is not only known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, but its char-grilled burgers, crispy crinkle cut French fries with or without melted cheese, milkshakes, and its famous chocolate cake and chocolate cake shake.

The restaurant is now open Sunday-Thursday from 10:00 am-10:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am-11:00 pm.

Portillos opened its first Michigan restaurant in Sterling Heights at 14425 Lakeside Circle in March 2021.

When we opened our first restaurant in Michigan, we quickly knew we wanted to plant deeper roots and expand our footprint in the region, Portillos President and CEO Michael Osanloo said. Weve loved serving the Detroit community since opening in Sterling Heights in 2021, and Livonia gives us even more opportunity to bring our unrivaled Chicago-style street food to both longtime Portillos fans and newcomers.
ALPENA, MI  Kids are learning what it takes to dive in and explore Michigans Thunder Bay at a new summer snorkeling school.

With great success, nearly 30 children took part in the first-ever Learn to Snorkel class with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff. Upcoming sessions - scheduled for Thursdays, Aug. 8 and 22, are enrolling now.

The two-hour class teaches the basics of snorkeling, through activities, games and comprehensive instruction. Participants learn breathing and finning techniques, mask defogging and snorkel clearing, plus non-verbal communication signs.

Topics will also include respecting water and marine life and how to stay safe and alert while underwater.

A new Learn to Snorkel class is offered this summer at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. The class is taught by Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff with the goal of giving youth the skills and confidence to explore Thunder Bay.Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

While fun and educational, most of all, the class builds water confidence, said Danial Moffatt, education specialist for the marine sanctuary.

We have so many amazing and unique water resources within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and we want to inspire, encourage and empower our community youth to literally dive in, he said. There are shallow wrecks all along the sanctuary shoreline they could snorkel.

Learn to Snorkel is part of the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuarys Summer in the Sanctuary education series. The snorkeling program is held in the Marine Tech Training Tank at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, 500 W. Fletcher St. in Alpena. Equipment is provided. Registration is required. The cost is $10. All participants must be proficient swimmers. The class is offered for children ages 8 to 17.
Ticket prices for the Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour show in Detroit have decreased on Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub.

Compare prices: Vivid Seats | SeatGeek | StubHub

Billie Eilish arrives at the 29th Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/APJordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour kicks off late September in Quebec, making its way to Detroit a week later for a Monday, October 7 show at Little Caesars Arena. Since tickets went on sale, offerings on Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub have decreased, leaving starting prices now at $174. Shop ticket options below.

Billie Eilish first found mainstream fame with her debut single, Ocean Eyes, released when she and her older brother/collaborator Finneas, now an acclaimed music producer, were only teenagers. Subsequent hits include bad guy, Happier Than Ever, you should see me in a crown, and What Was I Made For? from the Academy Award-winning Barbie movie (streaming on Max). Having since claimed the top rankings on Eilishs Spotify page are BIRDS OF A FEATHER, CHIHIRO, and LUNCH, among other tracks from her latest album, for which the 2024 tour was named.

See Billie Eilish at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, October 7. Tickets available below.

Tickets: Vivid Seats from $197 | SeatGeek from $186 | StubHub from $275
ROSCOMMON, MI  The FBI has reopened a cold case involving a woman who went missing while traveling in Michigan in the summer of 1987.

Cassandra Durham was 19 years old when she went missing while traveling with her boyfriend from Baltimore to Roscommon to visit the boyfriends grandparents.

When her boyfriend returned to Maryland, Durham was not with him.

Durham is described as a white woman, 55 tall and weighing 110 pounds, with brown, neck-length hair and blue eyes. She has tattoos on her hip/thigh area (boyfriends initials EB, and college sorority initials.

Durham possibly could have traveled to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland or Michigan, according to the FBI.

Anyone with information regarding Durhams disappearance is asked to contact MSP Sgt. Brett Nichols by calling 989-422-5103 or contact the FBIs Violent Criminal Apprehension Program by calling 800-634-4097.
WARREN, MI  A Michigan man allegedly suffocated his wife to death with a pillow, attempted to kill himself and then called 911, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

James Michael Hentges, 71, of Warren, is accused of killing his wife, Cheryl Hentges, on Saturday at their home on Loretta Avenue, the report said. Several hours later, he called 911 to report the murder and that he had attempted suicide by self-harm and taking pills.

Hentges was arrested without incident, the report said. He was medically cleared at a local hospital before being transported to the Warren Police Department.

He was arraigned Tuesday in 37th District Court on charges of first-degree murder. He was denied bond and remanded to jail.
SALINE, MI - Salines nearly three-year, $62-million construction project to upgrade its aging wastewater treatment plant recently encountered a $2.3 million problem.

The city was informed that low levels of contaminating PFAS were found present in on-site soils. As a result, soil removal costs will more than quadruple from the base bid of $10 per soil ton to $47.94 per soil ton.

A change order of $2,320,361 from the Sewer Fund was unanimously approved by the Saline City Council during its Monday, July 15 meeting.

Im not happy with where [the price] is, but Im happier than where we started, said Brian Rubel of the engineering consulting firm Tetra Tech that is working with the city on the effort.

The 69-year-old wastewater plant requires improvements meant to address equipment failures and operational roadblocks, Rubel said. The improvement project began in September 2023 with final completion scheduled for the end of June 2026, he added.

The construction will include a new headworks building with mechanical screens for automated cleaning and new pumps. It will also add a new maintenance building, new primary and secondary clarifiers, a blower building and aeration tanks.

Construction was briefly hindered by the soil contamination. It is very pervasive and spread throughout the site area, according to the plants superintendent Bill Briggs.

PFAS can contaminate soil through manufacturing sites, landfills, spills, air deposition from factories and other releases, according to the state of Michigan.

The soil on the site was identified as slightly contaminated in the fall of 2020, according to a letter Rubel wrote to the city in in May. But high levels of PSAS were found in one location in November 2023, which induced the landfills to demand a higher surcharge for the soil removal, the letter states.

Rubel said that the level of contamination was equivalent to a sugar cube in 1,000 Olympic swimming pools, and that the city is unaware of the cause of contamination.

We dont believe this is a wastewater influence, Rubel said.

PFAS is not hazardous to staff working at the site, Rubel said. The area where the soil was found has not been used in 20 to 30 years, Briggs said.

Up to 70% of the contaminated soil has been removed, Rubel said. The city negotiated with two separate landfill companies to remove the soil, with the current price lowered from the initial bid of over $3 million, he added.

The city ultimately landed on $47.94 per ton deal with an unnamed municipal wasteland company.

[Landfill companies] are extremely sensitive to this, Rubel said.

With the soil largely removed, construction for the project is proceeding as expected, Rubel said.

Other issues have arisen from the project in the past. The Wastewater Treatment Plant released partially treated sewage sludge in July 2023. In 2019, PFAS was found at a former industrial plating site along the Saline River near the plant.

Read more: PFAS found in Saline during investigation across River Raisin watershed

There will be additional costs to the $2.3 million around the soil stockpiling, Rubel concluded.

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MILAN, MI -- A charging lithium-ion battery is believed to have caused a fire in a one-story, single-family home in Milan on Tuesday, fire officials said.

Firefighters were called to the home on West Miller Avenue at 3:41 p.m., July 16, according to the Milan Area Fire Department. They arrived to see heavy fire showing before calling for assistance, officials said.

The homeowner was present at the time of the fire and was able to escape without injury, officials said.

The department was assisted in fighting the fire by the Pittsfield Township fire and police departments, Saline Area Fire Department, Dundee Volunteer Fire Department, HART Huron Valley, Huron Valley Ambulance and the Milan Police Department.

The Augusta Township Fire Department also backed up the Milan station.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Just days before former President Donald Trump is set to visit Grand Rapids under ultra-high security atter an assassination attempt, Grand Raids police trained in an active shooter scenario.

The training, planned months ago, was coincidental to the short-notice rally scheduled by Trump.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Over the course of U.S. history, there have been a handful of assassination attempts on American presidents and presidential candidates.

Four sitting presidents have been killed. Attempts to take the lives of many others dates back decades.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican 2024 nominee, recently joined that historical list when he was shot by a 20-year-old man during a rally July 13 in Pennsylvania.

Michigans only president and Grand Rapids native, Gerald R. Ford is also on that list.

RELATED: Trump to visit Michigan in first public rally since assassination attempt

In less than a months span decades ago, two attempts to take Fords life unfolded while the then-president was in California. Ford is somewhat a household name in the Grand Rapids area where he grew up and now has a museum  the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum  named in his honor.

The museum has a few artifacts from the assassination attempts on display including a handgun used in one failed plot and a bulletproof vest Ford wore after the second attempt.

RELATED: The weapon was large: In newly unsealed video, Gerald Ford describes 1975 close call

In the days after the assassination attempt on Trump, MLive/The Grand Rapids Press journalists met with a local historian to learn more about the failed attacks on Ford and what unfolded after.

Here are five things we learned  that you might not know  from our discussion with Mirelle Luecke, supervisory curator at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

1. Disciple of mass murderer Charles Manson first tried to assassinate Ford.

Ford was leaving his hotel in Sacramento to visit the governor of California on Sept. 5, 1975. It was during that time when 26-year-old Lynette Squeaky Fromme made her way toward the president.

Fromme was a follower of mass murderer Charles Manson and pledged to kill any corporate or political environmental polluters.

(Fromme) viewed Ford as part of the target group, Luecke said.

As Fromme approached Ford, a Secret Serviceman noticed the woman had a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and the agent quickly took action.

He was able to get his hand in between the hammer of the gun and the gun itself and prevent her from pulling the trigger, Luecke said.

Fromme was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

2. The assassination attempts on Ford were 17 days apart

Frommes failed attack to kill Ford happened Sept. 5, 1975. Just 17 days later, on Sept. 22, Ford became the target of a second unsuccessful assassination. Ford was again in California to speak at the annual American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations convention.

Sara Jane Moore, then-45, managed to fire a shot at Ford while he was exiting a hotel and heading toward his limousine. A man near Moore knocked the pistol out of her hand and the shot went astray.

Moore told the LA Times her assassination was kind of the ultimate protest against the system. She was sentenced to life in prison and released on parole in 2007.

RELATED: Sara Jane Moore, who fired gun at President Gerald Ford, tells Today show her actions were wrong

Ford received about 6,500 letters from the American public expressing concern and sympathy in response to the assassination attempts.

A majority of them were things like, Were glad youre OK, Get well soon, and things like that, Luecke said.

3. Fords wife didnt know about second assassination attempt until she asked him, How was your day?

The attempts to take Fords life happened during a time when news didnt travel too quickly without the wide existence of the internet. On the day of the second assassination attempt, Fords wife, Betty Ford, was not with her husband. Instead, she was out and about doing her own thing.

When Betty Ford boarded Air Force One  hours after a shot was fired at the president  she blindly asked her husband, How was your day?

There was just dead silence after that, Luecke said. She didnt know that (had happened). You can just imagine the stress having to find out that your husband was shot at that day hours after the fact.

4. The two would-be assassins are both free after spending decades in prison.

Separate juries convicted Fromme and Moore for their roles in the attempted assassinations of Ford. Both women were sentenced to life in prison.

However, Moore was paroled from prison in 2007 at the age of 77.

RELATED: White House photographer remembers standing between President Ford, Sara Jane Moore when she fired shots

I definitely think that it was wrong, Moore said of the assassination attempt during a 2009 interview with NBC. I think I was misled. I think I was mistaken. I think I made a serious error.

At age 60, Fromme was paroled from prison in 2009 after spending more than three decades behind bars.

Both women are still alive and living in the United States.

5. Gun used in one assassination is on display at museum in Grand Rapids.

The museum has the pistol that Fromme used in her unsuccessful attempt, along with letters and other materials from both attempted assassins.

The semi-automatic pistol Fromme had confiscated by Secret Service when she tried to assassinate Ford is on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

Resting in a glass case for view, the gun sits with the bullet-proof vest Ford was given after the second attempt on his life.

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HILLSDALE COUNTY, MI  A Hillsdale County Sheriffs sergeant accused of assaulting a female inmate in the county jail is heading to trial.

Sgt. Ronald Leggitt, 43, of Marshall waived his right to a preliminary examination Wednesday, July 17, sending his case to the Hillsdale County Circuit Court. He allegedly repeatedly pepper sprayed a female jail inmate in the face only inches away from her eyes while she was restrained, according to the Michigan Attorney Generals Office.

Leggitt was arraigned, March 17, on six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of misconduct in office. He is currently on unpaid administrative leave from the sheriffs office.

Law enforcement officers have an obligation to protect the physical safety of those within their custody, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. When their conduct stoops to criminality, we must take such allegations very seriously. My department prioritizes matters of public integrity and will continue to hold those who violate the rule of law accountable.

Related: Hillsdale sergeant accused of repeatedly pepper spraying restrained inmate, faces 7 felonies

Police arrested the woman Dec. 16, 2021 and she allegedly became combative with jail deputies during the booking process, officials said.

Officers brought the woman into to the jail, where Leggitt was supervising operations and staff. Staff at the jail were informed the woman had resisted officers during her arrest, and she continued to exhibit resistant and disruptive behavior while entering the jail, officials said.

The attorney generals office contends over the course of 80 minutes, Leggitt assaulted the inmate six times with aerosol subject restraint, commonly known as mace or pepper spray, spraying the chemical irritant from a distance of inches.

During five of the six alleged assaults, the victim was secured in an emergency chair, restrained in wrist and ankle cuffs and at the chest, preventing her from moving, officials said.

On Dec. 22, 2021, six days after the alleged assault, the Michigan State Police contacted the Hillsdale County Sheriffs Office to report several troopers had witnessed Leggitt using excessive force on the arrested woman, Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire said in a written statement.

The sheriffs office launched an internal investigation and contacted a Michigan Sheriffs Association team, asking it to launch its own investigation as an independent third party, Hodshire said.

Leggitt was placed on administrative duties only during the course of the internal investigation. The association team then sent its findings to the Attorney Generals Office in February 2022, Hodshire said.

Leggitt continued to work at the sheriffs office until March 13, when the sheriffs office was notified of pending charges and placed him on unpaid leave. Leggitts police certification, through the Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards, was placed on hold after charges were announced, Hodshire said.

No trial date has been scheduled.

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CASS COUNTY, MI -- Police arrested a man after finding him in possession of 21 guns inside a travel trailer in Southwest Michigan, the Cass County Sheriffs Office reports.

On Monday, July 15, Cass County detectives received information about a known felon in possession of several firearms and possibly selling narcotics.

Police were told the firearms were being held in a travel trailer in Howard Township. With assistance from Pokagon Tribal police, a traffic stop was made on the vehicle and travel trailer in the 2500 block of Lake Shore Drive in Niles.

During the investigation, detectives observed through a bedroom window several firearms on the bed. A 40-year-old man was arrested for felon in possession of firearms, police said.

Detectives searched the trailer and found 21 firearms and large quantity of ammunition. Two of the firearms were stolen, police said.

The suspect was lodged at the Cass County Jail on firearms charges and his name is being withheld pending arraignment.

Anyone with information regarding this case or any other criminal activity is asked to call the Cass County Sheriffs Office Tip Line at 1-800-462-9328 or contact the Sheriffs Office through the Anonymous Web Tip Line at www.ccso.info.

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KALAMAZOO, MI  Following an on-stage comment about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, comedy rock duo Tenacious D has canceled all upcoming performances.

The duo, which had been scheduled to perform a sold-out show Oct. 25 at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, has also placed all future plans on hold, band member Jack Black said in a statement.

At a Sunday, July 14 concert in Sydney, Australia, Black ushered a costumed robot to the stage with a (birthday) cake for bandmate Kyle Gass, according to Relix. Black then urged Gass to blow out the candles and make a wish.

Gass said his wish was, Dont miss Trump next time, Relix reported. This was just hours after the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.

After concluding the show, Black is said to have broken with his bandmate of 30 years. Gass agent Michael Greene has also since parted ways with the guitarist and co-vocalist, according to Rolling Stone.

I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday, Black said in a statement, released on Instagram. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.

The post, which Black turned off commenting for, has over 630,000 likes.

Gass also took to social media, issuing his own statement, which has drawn much less support, with just over 50,000 likes.

The line I improvised on stage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake, he wrote. I dont condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.

What happened was a tragedy, and Im incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those Ive let down and truly regret any pain Ive caused.

The Kalamazoo show was among five stops scheduled for Octobers Rock the Vote tour. All proceeds of the tour were to be donated to Rock the Vote  a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on registering young people to vote.

As such, all shows were to be held in Midwest college towns, including Columbus, Ohio; Bloomington, Indiana; Madison, Wisconsin; and State College, Pennsylvania.

The duo, which has been vocally in support of President Joe Biden in his reelection campaign, was in the midst of a tour in Australia.

The Tenacious D website no longer lists any tour dates, but one can still see a prior news announcement when Octobers Rock the Vote tour was announced.

Wings Event Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment, regarding refunds for the show. The event center still has the show listed on its website and has not posted on social media regarding the band canceling its tour.

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MUSKEGON, MI -- Dozens of residents gathered Wednesday to watch a 155-year-old Italianate mansion be wheeled through the streets of downtown Muskegon.

The mansion, known as the Nelson House, was first a private residence and later served as the rectory for the long-vacant St. Jean Baptiste Catholic Church. Purchased by Muskegon Public Schools, it was set to be demolished before the city of Muskegon expressed interest. City leaders just purchased it in June for a nominal fee of $100. The cost of the move and setting a new foundation is near $230,000.

The house was moved from its location at 1292 Jefferson St. to a vacant, city-owned lot at 382 W. Muskegon Avenue by Deitz House Moving Engineers of Fruitport.

As I look at this I think, Wow, I can really see how this used to be a beautiful mansion, said resident Dave Duggan, who was taking pictures as the house rolled through the corner of Third Street and Webster Avenue.

The mansion was built in 1869 at what is now Hackley Park by Charles D. Nelson. It features a curved main staircase and intricately carved wood reliefs and wood paneled doors.

Nelson was in the lumber business and served the community in many ways: he was the first register of deeds for the county, supervisor of the Village of Muskegon from 1862-67, a city alderman for four terms and president of the board of education. He later served as a state senator, and the former Nelson School was named after him in 1926.

The house was first moved in 1891 from Hackley Park to the Jefferson address, said Jamie Pesch, city planner for Muskegon.

From what I understand, it was by a team of horses and it rolled on logs, Pesch said.

The modern move on Wednesday saw workers attending to all sides of the house as it slowly creeped around the corner and down the street, tires pressing down from the weight.

At times, movers were completely underneath the home making adjustments, while others used machines to move large pieces of broken wood from the foundation.

Consumers Energy and other energy and cable companies were on site moving cables so the building could pass through.

According to the city, the Nelson mansion, now in the Houston Historic District, will be listed for sale in as-is condition to be renovated by a future private owner.

Duggan said he hopes the home will be preserved and open for tours by the public, similar to Muskegons Hackley and Hume homes.

I hope it doesnt just become a private residence where people cant go in, Duggan said. This is another example of the history from back in the day when this was a booming lumber town.

Pesch said while the city will require the private owner to make certain rehabilitative changes, because it will be privately owned it wouldnt be a publicly accessible structure unless the future owner wanted it to be that.

The city planner requested any residents that have photos of the home to send them to his office to assist the future owner in proper preservation.

Anything that can help a future owner piece together how the house might have been laid out, whatever it might be, its always helpful to have ... to make sure theyre doing things historically appropriate for the house and giving them an idea of the changes that have occurred over time, Pesch said.

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BAY COUNTY, MI  Eastbound US-10 will be closed overnight for a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) road project, agency officials announced.

MDOT is implementing the overnight closure  which will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, and end at 5 a.m. Thursday, July 18  at the Mackinaw Road overpass for beam setting in Bay County, according to a news release.

Traffic will be detoured via the Mackinaw Road ramps.

The road work is part of a $32.8 million project to rebuild westbound US-10 from 7 Mile Road to Bay City, MDOT officials said. The agency is planning on demolishing and rebuilding the Mackinaw Road bridge while also building two roundabouts at the overpass.

The project has led to nearly 400 jobs, according to MDOT, and addresses important bridge repairs ensuring road safety.

Closing US-10 is necessary Wednesday night and into Thursday morning to provide the safest work area possible for crews and motorists, MDOT officials said.

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JACKSON COUNTY, MI - A 16-year incumbent supervisor of a Jackson County township will have his position challenged by another Republican in the Aug. 6 primary election.

Republican Jerry Adams is seeking re-election, having served as supervisor since 2008, after a 12-sear stint on the board as a trustee. His opponent is Republican Mary Hall, a longtime executive in the salon industry and co-founder of the Rives Parks and Recreation Committee.

The winner in the primary will likely win the seat as no Democrats filed to run for the position.

MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund to provide the Vote411.org voter guide.

In responses to the voter guide questionnaire, the candidates discussed their experience and qualifications, top goals and more.

Note: All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

What in your education and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this position?

Adams: I have held the position of Rives Township Supervisor since 2008 and was a Rives Township Trustee from 1996-2008.

Hall: For most of my adult life, I have worked in many management roles, most recently as an account executive for the salon industry. I have created budgets, found solutions to increase revenue, and present marketing plans to business owners. As one of the founding members of the Rives Parks and Recreation Committee, I have shown the ability to work as a team, problem solve, organize meetings and complete projects. I feel the characteristics that qualify me for supervisor are my strong leadership skills. Strong leadership skills start with good listening skills. I firmly believe you cannot lead if you are not listening to the concerns of the people you are leading. I am fair, honest and compassionate.

Why are you running for this office, and how would you be an asset?

Adams: The historical knowledge I possess about township ongoings for the last 27+ years is unprecedented in todays day and age. I am the continuity Rives Township needs and deserves.

Hall: I am running for supervisor because I am compassionate about the community I live in and the people in it. I want the community to feel heard and decisions be made with the best interest of the community, not personal feelings or beliefs. With my strong leadership skills and ability to work as a team, I feel this would make me a great asset to the township.

What are the most important challenges facing the community, and how would you propose to address them?

Adams: My top three focuses for the upcoming term are roads, the Rives-Tompkins Fire Department, and the potential future business opportunities for Rives Township. I will continue to support proper funding of roads at a 70-30 split with us and Jackson County. I will continue to support the fire department with their utilization and replacement of proper equipment as needed to ensure the protection and safety of Rives-Tompkins residents. I will continue to participate with an open mind all proposed business ventures within the township.

Hall: One of the biggest challenges facing our community is public trust. Being open, honest and maintaining an open door policy would be a huge step towards restoring trust throughout the community. Another challenge we face is a communication gap. Effective listening and communication can bridge that gap and create a unified community.

What do you see as the most pressing issues with the police and fire departments?

Adams: From my experienced position this is the strongest the Rives-Tompkins Fire Department has been in over 27 years with the correct trusted leaders in the correct positions to properly train, evaluate, and execute any and all tasks or emergencies presented!

Hall: Rives Township does not have a police department but we do have an amazing fire department. I feel one of the biggest challenges our fire department faces, is funding to maintain a safe environment for our firefighters. Firefighting and first aide equipment and supplies are extremely expensive. Our fire department does a phenomenal job and they deserve top of the line equipment for the life saving measures they take on a daily basis.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  An Ottawa County businessowner and attorney is challenging incumbent Kendra Wenzel to represent District 6 on the countys board of commissioners in the Tuesday, Aug. 6 Republican primary.

Whichever Republican wins the primary will face Democrat Michelle Dieleman for the District 6 seat in the November general election.

Wenzel, who is a member of the far-right political group Ottawa Impact, was appointed by the county board to fill a partial term as District 6 commissioner after former Commissioner Kyla Terpstra resigned. Wenzel was appointed last December. She was one of 11 applicants for the role.

RELATED: Ottawa County Republican Party leader chosen to fill vacant county board seat

Ottawa Countys sixth district covers the nine southernmost precincts of the 17 Georgetown Township precincts.

The Republican challenging Wenzel for the seat is Shawn Haff, 50. He is a business owner and criminal defense attorney. Haff has a bachelors degree in political science from Grand Valley State University and a law degree from Cooley Law School.

Wenzel, 58, is an executive committee member of the Ottawa County GOP. She has been an Ottawa County Republican precinct delegate since August 2022. According to her website, she is a sales consultant and client support specialist. She and her husband lead a small group together at their church.

Dieleman, 60, is a cosmetologist and owns her own salon. According to her website, Dieleman has served on nonprofit boards for over 25 years, including as a chairperson.

RELATED: Michigan voter guide now live for August primary

MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund this year to provide voters with a Vote411 election guide. Candidates filled out general information about their campaigns and answered a list of questions from the League of Women Voters.

All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

Information on other state, county and local primary races can be found at Vote411.org.

Wenzel did not fill out the Vote411 questionnaire.

Please indicate what, if any, affiliations and organizations assist you in decision-making.

Haff: I am endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan and Conservative Ottawa Pac. I would consult with them about issues that will come up before me as a Commissioner. I also have friends who are democrats and will throw ideas off of them as well. In the end, I will make my own decisions based on what I think is best for everyone.

Please share your thoughts on how to work with the public and the media to communicate how the Board of Commissioners is meeting the needs of the county. Are there unmet needs at election time?

Haff: I will be open and honest with the media. I will not hide from the Media. The majority of the board has no interest in talking to the local media.

I will always respond to e-mails and voice messages from constituents promptly and with respect.

What is your view of good county governance (considering fiscal policies, hiring & firing practices, disciplinary processes and serving the needs of your constituents)?

Haff: Good county governance is the retaining, promoting and bringing on the best people for the position, regardless of their political viewpoints and party affiliation. Good governance is not censuring fellow commissioners out of political disagreements and not denying elected commissioners proper representation in committees. Good governance is being a fiscally conservative and making sure our money is being spent wisely and without waste.

What do you see as the function of public comments during county commission meetings?

Haff: Public comments need to focus more on the business on hand. We see far too many people talking about the Covid-19 vaccine, God and their preferred political candidates. These comments should be pushed to the second public comment section near the end of the meeting.

MLive, separate from the League of Women Voters, sought to offer voters further insight into the candidates and asked additional questions. Those can be found here:

Do you plan to sign the Ottawa Impact Contract with Ottawa? Why or why not?

Haff: No. I will not sign any contact. My allegiance is to the citizens of District Six only, not Ottawa Impact or any other political organization.

Wenzel: I agree with all of the governing principles of the contract so, yes, I have signed the Contract with Ottawa. It is a clear delineation of my promise to the people of Ottawa County. I hope that voters take the time to actually read the contract for themselves (https://ottawaimpact.com/contract-with-ottawa) as I believe most would be pleasantly surprised and find themselves in agreement with this type of local government leadership. As I have been speaking with my constituents throughout District 6 I have found many have been misled by the media and others on what the Contract with Ottawa means or stands for without having read it for themselves. When truth has been shared and eyes have been opened to it, there has been an initial sense of relief and a calming reassurance that they understand the truth and are no longer being misled. They value strong, conservative leadership, and I am proud to have signed that document stating my promise to them as their commissioner.

What are the most important issues facing Ottawa County?

Haff: The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners is not running as a fine-tuned commission, thanks to the Ottawa Impact majority. I will work to repair the damage done to the reputation of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners over the last 17 months. I want to work with the best team of people we can put together, find common ground, keep the countys AAA bond rating, and stop avoidable litigation. The board needs to take its time to make sure things are done correctly the first time.

Wenzel: I see a tremendous spiritual battle for the soul of Ottawa County and believe it is at a tipping point with an uncertain future for our children and grandchildren. I believe the most prominent issues are the current hypersexualization of our children, maintaining our Constitutional freedoms, and keeping government overreach in check.

What do you view as the role of county government?

Haff: County government should protect the civil rights and liberties of the people living in Ottawa County. County government should be small and very limited. I will work hard as commissioner to make sure everyone in District Six is able to receive the services they need that are provided by Ottawa County. County government should listen to the needs of the business community, farming community and non-profits. County government should provide oversight by monitoring and evaluating the work of numerous department officials. This makes sure county-funded services run efficiently. The Board of Commissioners should establish policies for internal county business. These policies would apply to services, budgets and capital improvements. It is also important to let people know what the county government is not able to do. The county does not oversee township or city boards. The county has no role with school boards, a school budget or the school curricula.

Wenzel: I see the role of county government as a critical service provider for its people, while limiting itself so that it preserves and protects their individual liberties as provided in the US and Michigan Constitutions. I believe as commissioners we have a duty to serve the people we represent, by establishing strong policies and providing much needed fiscal oversight into how the taxpayers dollars are being spent for those services.

Should faith play a role in county government?

Haff: From the Revolutionary War, to the creation of our national documents and all the way to modern times, God and religious principles such as faith have been a part of our Republic. As a person of faith, I will pray constantly that God will give me wisdom to make the best choices for my constituents. (See James 1:5) My faith requires that I reject Christian nationalism and support religious liberty for everyone in Ottawa County.

Wenzel: Faith is defined in the dictionary as: complete trust or confidence in someone or something. I believe that whether a person believes in God or holds to a Biblical worldview, or not, that they are bringing their faith into their role within county government. So, even those without faith in Christ would be bringing their secular worldview into that same position. Faith absolutely plays a role in county government either way.

As someone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ, I hold to a Biblical worldview and carry that faith with me into every aspect of my daily life, and His Word will always be my plumbline. (Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6). If I am re-elected as commissioner I will continue to bring my loving faith into the conversations with my constituents as well as the decisions I make in my role as commissioner.

How do you plan on communicating and be transparent with your constituents?

Haff: I will communicate and be transparent through social media, by answering emails and returning phone calls from my constituents. I plan on explaining my votes as much as possible at Board meetings.

Wenzel: I believe in openness and transparency, and welcome the opportunity to communicate with my constituents and listen to their concerns, or help them find a resource for something at the county level. I am thankful for this election season where I have been able to get out into my district and have met with many constituents who dont normally attend the Board of Commissioner meetings. I will also be attending Georgetown Township meetings on occasion, as well as countless Ottawa County Republican Party events throughout the county. I am on the Executive Committee for the Ottawa County Republican Party as well as being the Chair of Membership for the OCRP. As Chair I have developed a team that engages and activates citizens to become Precinct Delegates for the Party, and helps acclimate and train them for this valuable position as grassroots representatives of the citizens in their voting precincts, county-wide. My county email is: kwenzel@miottawa.org and I also have a website kendrawenzel.com

Why are you running for county commissioner?

Haff: I cant stand by idly and watch my county flounder under the avoidable burden of lawsuits, the habitual failure to appoint the best people and the refusal to slow down and stop making unforced errors. I will provide Ottawa County with conservative leadership that is in touch with my constituents. I will appoint and hire the best people with public sector management skills and professional qualifications beyond shared ideology. As your county commissioner, I will use my conservative conviction to set up Ottawa County as a Citadel of freedom. I will do my best to make Ottawa County a refuge of economic sanity. I will have the decency to work with, listen and treat everyone in Ottawa County with respect. I will have the courage to do what is right.

Wenzel: I am running because I want to ensure the protection and freedom of Ottawa County residents. I want to ensure that parents rights are protected in the care and upbringing of their children as well as guarding against the hypersexualization of our children. I will ensure that our Constitution is upheld and honored and that residents do not have to fear retribution or intimidation from local elected officials and staff for practicing their constitutional rights and freedoms.

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GENESEE COUNTY, MI  Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson will be challenged by newcomer Jeff Salzeider for sheriff in the November election.

Both candidates are vying to be elected to a four-year term as Genesee County Sheriff in the November election. Each candidate is running uncontested as a Democrat (Swanson) and Republican (Salzeider) in August.

Swanson, the popular Genesee County Sheriff who began IGNITE and was recently featured in a Joe Biden reelection ad, first took office in 2019 when former Sheriff Robert Pickell retired.

He won the general election in November of 2020.

Jeff Salzeider, of Montrose, is challenging Swanson. He filed as a Republican.

Salzeider didnt submit answers to the voter guide and could not immediately be reached for comment.

MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund for information on all state and federal races in Michigan, as well as local ballot proposals for many county and local races.

All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

See the voter guide here.

Please explain characteristics or attributes about yourself that make you an ideal candidate.

Salzeider: N/A

Swanson: The role of Sheriff is one of the most unique, challenging jobs in law enforcement, and is critical to protecting a community. I have been honored to serve the Genesee County Sheriffs Office for the past 31 years, working in a multitude of roles from corrections, patrol, paramedic, investigations, and over a decade as Undersheriff. Performing the tasks of each role in a Sheriffs Office is the only way to uniquely understand how best the office can positively impact our community. I have taken this to heart, and utilized that experience while serving as your Sheriff the past 5 years.

What top issues/areas of improvement do you feel the County faces in law enforcement and response? If elected, what will you do to address them?

Salzeider: N/A

Swanson: Above all else, a Sheriffs Office must be a community partner. Listening to the needs and concerns of residents, and giving each person we interact with the dignity and respect they have earned. We must also understand the needs of our community are diverse, and ever changing. Whether it is our paramedic division responding to medical emergencies throughout our County, going door-to-door during a Water Crisis handing out bottled water and filters, or protecting our children by creating the G.H.O.S.T. task force against human trafficking, it is our job to always answer the challenge.

What programs do you support to reduce crime rates, reduce recidivism, and ensure fair treatment of all citizens? Please explain.

Salzeider: N/A

Swanson: Protecting the most vulnerable among us is vital, and a true test of character for any community. Combating elder abuse, financial exploitation of seniors, animal cruelty, opioid addiction among our youth, and sex trafficking right here in Genesee County must continue to be top priorities in our office. I founded the G.H.O.S.T. task force to identify and apprehend child predators who target our children online. Our I.G.N.I.T.E. program brings educational and life skill opportunities to inmates needing a productive pathway in society. It has become a model replicated across our nation, and has academic studies showing proven results in reducing recidivism.

Public trust in elected and appointed officials is strained across the nation. Do you support signing an ethics promise as a means to build/ensure public trust? Please explain.

Salzeider: N/A

Swanson: I am proud of the dedication exhibited each and every day by the Deputies, Paramedics, Command and Support staff of the Genesee County Sheriffs Office. Their commitment and sacrifice give me strength each and every day, and I remain dedicated to leading by example to earn the publics trust each day as well. While I would welcome a formal ethics document, that commitment remains regardless of whether or not one exists.

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PORTAGE, MI -- Vice President Kamala Harris decried political violence in a campaign visit to Michigan on Wednesday, July 17, in the first Biden-Harris campaign event since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania last weekend.

Harris took the stage at the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum in Portage around 2:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Americans must denounce political violence, Harris said, but still must have a robust discussion of different policies, ideas and visions for the future.

Harris also said her heart goes out to the family of Corey Comperatore, the man in Trump rally crowd who was killed in the shooting.

My husband Doug and I are thankful (Trump) was not seriously injured, Harris said. That day, as soon as we saw what was happening, we said a prayer for his well-being. ... The bottom line is, no one should have to fear for the safety of a loved one because they serve in public office, Harris said.

Harris also called for unity during her remarks.

While our nations history has been scarred by political violence, violence is never acceptable, Harris said, drawing applause. There can be no equivocation about that.

Harris spoke to a crowd of Michiganders on Wednesday, including a group of local Democrats. Those in attendance included Portage city council members and Mayor Patricia Randall, city of Kalamazoo commissioners and Kalamazoo Township trustees. The event was originally billed as open to the public.

One issue at stake in this election is reproductive freedom, Harris said.

Former Trump national security official Olivia Troye and Amanda Stratton, a Michigan mother and former Republican voter, joined Harris for a moderated conversation about reproductive freedom.

Kalamazoo County Sherriff Richard Fuller opened the event, taking the stage to show support for Harris. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow followed, criticizing Trumps new running mate J.D. Vance.

Despite political division at a national level, having the first Black, female vice president visiting Southwest Michigan is a historic event, said Portage Councilmember Vic Leadbetter.

Candidates are calling Michigan a battleground state, with a unique voter demographic that could swing the presidential election in favor of either party on Nov. 5.

This is Harris fourth trip to the state in 2024, according to a press release, and her seventh since taking office.

RELATED: Motown is Joetown: Bidens campaign recovery tour rolls into Detroit

Her visit follows President Joe Bidens rally in Detroit on Friday, July 12, where he addressed over 2,000 supporters.

Former President Trump will be making a campaign stop in Grand Rapids on Saturday, July 20 -- his first rally since accepting the Republican nomination this week at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

RELATED: Trump to visit Michigan in first public rally since assassination attempt

The last two active vice presidents also visited the Kalamazoo area. Former Vice President Mike Pence visited Portage on the 2019 Keep America Great campaign trail, as did President Joe Biden while campaigning with former President Barack Obama in 2009.

Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive will have additional coverage of the event after its completion.

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HASTINGS, MI -- For the past four years, Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf has been on a quest to prove there was fraud in the 2020 elections, a conspiracy touted by losing presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Now Leaf himself is in the middle of an election, running against more contenders than he has during two decades in office.

Squaring off against Leaf are Joel Ibbotson, a 36-year-old legacy farmer and truck driver with no law enforcement experience; Mark Noteboom, a 42-year-old deputy Leaf brought into the department specifically to investigate voter fraud and Sgt. Richelle Spencer, who went from working in fast food to law enforcement and became a K-9 handler for the Barry County Sheriffs Office.

All are running as Republicans.

Related: Extremist or hero? Meet Michigans freedom-loving constitutional sheriff

Leafs controversial stances and involvement with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association may be partly to blame for the extra competition. At least two of Leafs contenders  Spencer and Ibbotson  said Leaf has spent too much time on frivolous issues that dont impact Barry County residents. They want to redirect the focus of the sheriffs office and end the voter fraud investigation.

Leaf has become a divisive figure over the past five years, a small-town sheriff who acquired a national platform for bucking pandemic lockdown mandates, for his connection to men accused (and acquitted) of kidnapping Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and, finally, for the endless voter fraud investigation.

Has he gone too far?

Barry County resident will decide on Aug. 6. No Democratic candidates have filed to run against the winner.

Related: Acquitted in Whitmer kidnap plot and running for office: How extremism is going mainstream

Thanks to Leafs growing national prominence in conservative circles, the 64,000-resident, 550-plus-square-mile Barry County has been at the center of numerous statewide and national discussions over the last four years. MLive sat down and interviewed the normally media-shy Leaf for a more extensive profile about his background, which is why he is not being included here. Instead, this story is intended to give readers some insight into the people running against him.

The three contenders are presented below in alphabetical order.

Ibbotson

The grumbling, smoking motor of an industrial mower comes to life and slowly cuts a path through tall grass in a 110-acre field near Hastings.

The machine soon breaks down as Ibbotson of Rutland Township looks on with his wife, 12-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.

By next year, Ibbotson -- who also owns a trucking company and has never worked in law enforcement -- hopes to trade views of the open road and fields for the confines of the Barry County Sheriffs Office in Hastings.

Barry County Sheriff candidate Joel Ibbotson puts together one of his campaign signs in a farm field in Barry County in May of 2024. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Ibbotson became disillusioned by both the Republican and Democrat parties in 2018, leading him to start a government watchdog group named the Government Accountability Forum, which now has nearly 800 members on Facebook.

Ibbotsons group has also taken aim at the sheriff, mostly related to the voter fraud investigation.

I dont think there is an election fraud theory that he hasnt believed  and that lack of discernment is very concerning, Ibbotson said.

Ibbotson, like Leaf, was initially suspicious about possible widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election, but after taking a deeper look, he said thats changed. His group held a meeting in 2021 specifically looking at and debunking some of Leafs claims.

My goal with the forum was always to protect peoples rights, and here Dar is intimidating people from exercising their rights by telling them the election process is stolen, (that) its broken, Ibbotson said. And this is part of my frustration, too: here we are down this rabbit trail  when really the run for sheriff in Barry County should be about law enforcement, not election processes.

A photo of Mark Noteboom who is running for the Barry County Sheriff seat.Photo provided by Mark Noteboom

Noteboom

Noteboom, who publicly announced his candidacy in April, is one of two Barry County officers gunning for his boss job, which Leaf said is always awkward.

Noteboom, originally from Hastings and now living in Nashville, graduated from Maple Valley High School. While there, he first met Leaf, who was working as a school resource officer in the late 1990s.

Leaf remembers Noteboom as kind of a clown but a good kid. Theyve remained in contact since.

Noteboom knew he wanted to be a police officer since childhood.

I was, I dont know, 5 or 6, lying on the living room floor at my parents house watching Cops, he said. Thats how long ago I knew I wanted to do this.

Following graduation, Noteboom moved to South Carolina where he started his law enforcement career working in the jail and state prisons. That lasted a little longer than a year and he was hired as a deputy with the Spartanburg Sheriffs Department.

The Spartanburg County Sheriffs Department said Noteboom received no public or internal complaints during his employment.

I worked there for many years until I moved back here, and then I was contacted by the current sheriff to see if I would do a certain job  and you know what that job was, Noteboom said.

Noteboom was brought in to work on Leafs voter fraud investigation in March 2022.

Any job he had given me would be done at 100% of my ability, Noteboom said, regardless of what I thought of that assignment.

By January of this year, Notebooms voter-fraud assignment ended and he moved to road patrol.

Definitely the thing that is going to make me different is the transparency Im going to bring to that office, Noteboom said. Theres absolutely no point in hiding any mistakes that are made 

Everybody is human, everybody makes mistakes and you learn from those mistakes and move on.

Noteboom said he is not a member or follower of the CSPOA but is a supporter of the U.S. Constitution, touting a pro-gun rights stance and plans to instill an elevated level of transparency and accountability.

Using the campaign slogan, putting citizens before politics, Noteboom said he wont sling mud and talk trash about any of the candidates.

And they can throw it at me all they want and I will not throw it back, he said.

Spencer

Spencer, the first sheriffs candidate to file in December 2022, said she began talking to other deputies, looking for an internal candidate to take over amid rumors that Leaf would retire. The consensus, Spencer said, was that she be the candidate.

Spencer is a high school dropout who grew up in a very poor, unstable home with parents who divorced when she was 11.

By the time I was 13, I knew I didnt want to live like that, she said.

Spencer was filled with ambition when she was young. She began working for a fast-food restaurant group that owned Subway and Burger King stores by age 15. Before that, she worked on a farm.

Seriously, making Whoppers is fun, she said, but I knew I wanted something more for my life.

Barry County Sheriff candidate hugs her 10-year-old nephew Brent Spencer as he arrives at her campaign event at the Barry Expo Center in Hastings, Mich. on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Spencer started working for the sheriff department in 2001. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Spencer joined a Barry County-sponsored 4H club focused on dog handling and later began showing dogs, eventually professionally.

The people I met invested in me, Spencer said, and I saw a different lifestyle.

One day, a police K9 handler walked into her Burger King for lunch.

And it just clicked, Spencer said. I thought how cool it would be to prove to the world that I am nothing like my father.

By 19, shed take a job as a corrections officer in the county jail. I loved it, Spencer said.

While working full-time managing at Walmart and in the jail, she began attending the police academy at Kellogg Community College and became a Barry County Sheriffs Office road deputy in 2002, eventually being promoted to K9 officer from 2005 to 2015. Then, she began a three-year stint working with a state police-led, multi-county drug taskforce.

Following the task force assignment completion in 2018, she returned to road patrol and found herself handling somewhat petty issues -- neighbors arguing about fence lines and leaves blowing into their yard, she said. Now she wants to be sheriff.

She said that Leafs involvement with the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association changed him  and her outlook on him.

By 2012, he started to change and have a more global approach than what he has locally, she said.

Spencer vows to bring a more localized focused to the sheriffs office.

I never thought Id be a politician, Spencer said.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  A longtime Park Township resident is challenging current Ottawa County Commissioner Gretchen Cosby for the District 1 seat on the countys board of commissioners.

Cosby is being challenged by Jim Barry in the Republican primary on Aug. 6. The winner of that primary race will face Democrat Danielle Smith for the seat in the November general election.

District 1 is one of 11 districts that make up the Ottawa County Board of Commissioner seats. The district covers Port Sheldon and Olive townships, along with most of Park Township.

Barry, 69, is a licensed real estate broker and a former financial adviser. He has formerly served as a board member for Herrick District Library and is a board member at his church, Grace Episcopal Church. Barry also serves as a Republican precinct delegate and is active in the Ottawa County GOP.

Cosby, 59, has a masters degree in nursing and worked in nursing leadership for several decades. She also is a member of the Ottawa County GOP executive committee. She was elected to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners in 2022 as a member of the far-right conservative group called Ottawa Impact.

Smith, 46, is a human resources executive. She serves on multiple professional boards, including the Grand Valley State University HR advisory board. As she does not have a Democratic challenger, Smith will move on uncontested to the November election for the District 1 seat.

RELATED: Michigan voter guide now live for August primary

MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund this year to provide voters with a Vote411 election guide. Candidates filled out general information about their campaigns and answered a list of questions from the League of Women Voters.

All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

Information on other state, county and local primary races can be found at Vote411.org.

Please indicate what, if any, affiliations and organizations assist you in decision-making.

Barry: None

Cosby: I was elected to represent Districts 1s voice. When making decisions about issues that affect our community, I first research the issue by going to GEMBA, to the actual place or person who will be impacted by my decision. I have spoken with families, farmers, consumers, employers and program directors to learn more about requests or concerns in our community. Recognizing that I represent 30,000 people, in a world that is more divided than any other time in my life, consensus is difficult if not impossible. Neither does the loudest voice nor the most published voice represent the People.

Please share your thoughts on how to work with the public and the media to communicate how the Board of Commissioners is meeting the needs of the county. Are there unmet needs at election time?

Barry: In order to serve the public, commissioners should be visible in the community and in regular contact with other community leaders. Elected officials should also be available to the media, a free press is protected in the Constitution because it serves a public purpose. In my campaign Ive met with all 3 township supervisors, spoke to the West Ottawa School Board, and introduced myself to all 3 township boards, as well as several non profit organizations. I intend to maintain that communication after Im sworn into office. There are unmet needs, the public has lost confidence in the current board to lead with generally accepted business practices. An immediate unmet need is filling the coordinator position for Ottawa Food!

Cosby: Communications have many channels, I recommend attending actual Commission meetings, if you cant attend review the video recording. Ottawa County needs include, affordable housing, we have a deficit of 18,000 units and we have partner with LS Habitat for Humanity and Jubilee Ministries to build single family homes and communities. Many people looking for homes in our community are the most vulnerable, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As Board chair of CMH we are reviewing millage dollars provided in 2016 to see if we are meeting todays current needs, Preparing for FY2026 Budget as Finance Chair, I have asked for countywide building usage and efficiency plan, and review of fleet of cars. COVID changed the way we work.

What is your view of good county governance (considering fiscal policies, hiring & firing practices, disciplinary processes and serving the needs of your constituents)?

Barry: I served on the Herrick District Library Board for over 15 years with two different executive directors and we would never have operated in the reckless and unprofessional way the county board has been led. A public organization has an obligation to operate in an open, professional way, following policies and guidelines. All positions should be posted, with a written job description, prerequisites for consideration, confirmation of references and resume, and an interview process. For major positions, a recruitment firm should be engaged to seek out the best possible candidate and there should be opportunity for public input. Recommitment to following process conducting county business.

Cosby: Governance has nothing to do with hiring and firing. One is vision and one is tactical. The commissioner role is all about vision, it is about listening to the people and doing all we can do to implement the will of the people. Hiring and firing is the work of the bureaucracy that is hired to do the actual work to implement the policy of the commission. Never the two shall meet.

What do you see as the function of public comments during County Commission meetings?

Barry: I believe public comment should be on matters before the board or at least focused on issues that the county has an interest in. I think public comment is a way for the board to receive input from citizens but what weve seen recently does not serve the board or the public well.

Cosby: Simple, democracy demands that we listen. I must be willing to listen to people who argue at the top of their lungs those things I would argue against at the top of mine. Its a long and arduous process, but if we dont how can we claim that we are a place where freedom rings.

MLive, separate from the League of Women Voters, sought to offer voters further insight into the candidates and asked additional questions. Those can be found here:

Do you plan to sign the Ottawa Impact Contract with Ottawa? Why or why not?

Barry: No, I do not plan to sign the Ottawa Impact Contract with Ottawa. I am an independent thinking, conservative Republican. Im not signing a contract or pact with anyone. My responsibility is to represent the best interests of the people of Ottawa County. I certainly dont need someone to tell me how to vote either.

Cosby: I have not been asked to sign the Contract with Ottawa again, but I would. The contract is model after Newt Gingrichs 1994 Contract with America. The contract holds me/candidates accountable to fulfill my campaign promises and actions as an elected commissioner. I am accountable to the People.

Contract with Ottawa related outcomes:

Approving and funding expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Approving funding for body cameras for the Sheriffs Department

Increasing Sheriffs Department employees pay

Constitutional County Resolution

Resolution to Protect Childhood Innocence

Adoption Day Resolution

The Heros of Freedom Resolution

Resolution on Childhood Vaccine Waivers for School and Childcare

What are the most important issues facing Ottawa County?

Barry: My first priority as a county commissioner will be to get the county back to best practices of good business procedures and resolve these numerous lawsuits. For instance, hiring should be based on merit not connections. Positions should have written job descriptions, a list of prerequisites for consideration, verification of credentials, and for a position like county administrator there should be public input for transparency and public confidence. By doing that we would go a long way in ending the circumstances that have led to so much litigation. The county also needs to turn its attention to other pressing issues like the need for affordable housing and aquifers that are depleting themselves creating risk to agriculture and future development.

Cosby: Water scarcity, Ottawa County is bordered by the 4th largest freshwater body in the world, Lake Michigan, and yet we have a water shortage in Ottawa County. In a second term, I would like to see more collaboration with local, state and federal elected officials to determine funding for a long-term solution for Ottawa Countys water needs. I have challenged legislators to help seek that solution.

Energy security, I aim for a thoughtful, balanced approach to addressing the energy needs of our community, one that meets both immediate and long-term requirements. As County Commissioner, I would work with community stakeholders to pursue innovation and apply it with practical consideration.

China is building 400 coal fired plants this year while supplying the United States with lithium batteries and solar panels, something is wrong with this picture.

Housing in Ottawa County is at crisis levels, with a growing population and economy, we have a reported housing deficit of 18,000 units. Ottawa County government needs to continue to partner with local government units, Home Builders Association, Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity and Jubilee Ministries to develop a long-term strategy to build single family homes and communities that meets the demands of our growing county.

I would like to point out that many of the people looking for homes in our community are the most vulnerable, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Autism is aging out and so are the parents of Autistic citizens. Ottawa county voters are generous and have provided a mental health millage to support the needs of the most vulnerable, I would like to serve again so we can explore if the funds provided through the mental health millage could be allocated to help develop and plan residential settings for the ID/D population who desire live independently. The way society treats the most vulnerable members is a reflection of its humanity (Mahatma Ghandi).

What do you view as the role of county government?

Barry: Quoting Abraham Lincoln, The legitimate object of government is to do for people what needs to be done, but which they can not, by individual efforts at all, or do so well for themselves. With Lincoln in mind, county government should be focused on the local administration of services like public safety, public health, public parks, administrative, judicial services and finding ways to support economic development all within a balanced budget.

Cosby: County government conducts local services rather than the state, for example: Parks and recreation programs, disaster preparedness, solid waste management, road administration, water, sewer and drain resources, property tax administration, county highway patrol, jail management, elections. Counties engage their services at a local level and often collaborate with cities, townships and villages.

County Commissioners are elected by the People to represent the Peoples interest. County Commissioners provide leadership for the county government holding seats on local, regional and state committees, they provide budgetary oversite, strategic planning and outcome-based policy making.

Should faith play a role in county government?

Barry: Faith plays an important part of who I am. My faith informs my thoughts on morality and how I should treat others. While faith is my guide, the role of government is the common good and to serve others regardless of whatever faith anyone might have or not have. We do not have a theocracy.

Cosby: I think my personal faith and experience are the core of who I am and reflected in my work as County Commissioner.

Over sixty years ago the Supreme Court took God out of government and out of education. Looking at the current discourse in our country and in our county, I cant help but wonder if the decision made in 1962 was a mistake.

I dont want government or a school to tell me which God I should pray to, how to pray or what religion I must practice but I do want government and education to reflect the principles of our founding fathers when they wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Many of the founding fathers came to America to escape religious persecution.

God is mentioned on our money In God We Trust, and in almost every state constitution, our religious values, from my perspective are implied.

How do you plan on communicating and be transparent with your constituents?

Barry: I have a long history of being involved in the community and have made myself accessible. During my campaign I have been active on social media, I have held meet and greet events, I have attended numerous township meetings, and have met with elected officials and representatives of non profit organizations. I intend to maintain my outreach after Im elected. Ill be out there and Im pretty easy to reach.

Cosby: I have been available to my constituents and residents of Ottawa County throughout my tenure. I have invited the most vocal adversaries to coffee so we can engage in civil discourse. I return emails and I have interviewed with: New York Times, Washington Post, MLive, Grand Rapids Press, and Fox 13, I have never interviewed with Holland Sentinel or Grand Haven Tribune, but I have been available for questions.

Why are you running for county commissioner?

Barry: Like a lot of people. Ive become concerned about governance issues in Ottawa County. Since the beginning of 2023, the county has faced at least five lawsuits, hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal expenses, and has millions of dollars of exposure from unresolved lawsuits. This has to stop and I feel like I am a person that can make a difference. I have the time, as a Realtor I have a flexible schedule, my kids are grown, my wife supports what Im doing. I have a background with previous board experience, a career working in the.private sector, experience with investments and development. Most importantly, Im ready to collaborate and work with anyone looking to help make Ottawa County a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Cosby: As the District One Commissioner of Ottawa County, Michigan, I have actively worked to align government actions with communitys needs since my election in 2022. Recognizing the countys exceptional growth and vibrant community, I have championed transparent governance, financial responsibility and integrity in leadership.

I will focus on sustainable solutions for water management, energy needs, affordable housing, agricultural development, economic growth, election integrity, freedom of speech- all vital for the countys economy.

Consistent with my extensive experience in nursing and healthcare leadership I have a passionate commitment to public service, I want to continue to drive impactful governance in Ottawa County, serving where and as needed on boards, committees, and with county departments to foster a thriving, resilient community.

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SALINE, MI  Election requirements for Saline officials could potentially change after the primary election on Aug. 6.

The proposed amendment would require people running for City Council or mayor or who would like to be appointed to boards or commissions to have one year of residency in Saline. Now, such candidates must have lived in the city for two years.

Saline City Council voted unanimously Monday, April 1 to officially propose the changes, and the amendment will appear on the August ballot.

Read more: Residency rules for elected leaders in Saline could shift under proposed charter changes

The change aligns city rules with existing case law in Michigan, Saline City Manager Colleen OToole told city leaders in April. The state approved the proposal to appear on the ballot.

None of the changes would eliminate residency requirements for elected and appointed public office in Saline, only making changes to the length of the requirement.

The proposal would also change the language of the city charter from referring to all people with he/him pronouns, to gender-neutral pronouns.

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Michigan Democrats are pushing back on a new lawsuit filed by Donald Trumps presidential campaign over using federal offices to expand voter registration in the state.

It is unfortunate that this divisive, partisan lawsuit was filed yesterday, Secretary of State spokesperson Angela Benander said Tuesday, July 16. Making it easier for veterans and small business owners in Michigan to register to vote should not be controversial.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and a state elections official, were named as defendants in the federal lawsuit filed Monday by the Republican National Committee and Trumps presidential campaign. Benson and Whitmer are Democrats.

The lawsuit claims Whitmer overstepped her authority when she arranged for Veterans Affairs medical centers and Small Business Association offices to act as voter registration agencies. Those federal departments, and their leaders, were also named as defendants in the suit.

Trumps legal team is asking a judge to bar further use of those locations for voter registration unless authorized by the Michigan Legislature.

Related: Trump campaign sues Whitmer, Benson over using federal offices to register voters

The lawsuit claims that while Michigan lawmakers empowered a previous governor, John Engler, to authorize more offices to act as voter registration agencies, that was a one-time authority.

So when Whitmer over the past year expanded the list of voter registration agencies to the VA and SBA via agreements and executive order, she lacked authority from the legislature to do so, the lawsuit claims.

Under the National Voter Registration Act, offices designated as voter registration agencies must provide members of the public with information about and assistance with registering to vote.

Whitmers executive order last year was the first time in nearly 30 years that the list of Michigans voter registration agencies had been updated under the act.

The act requires certain state offices to be designated voter registration agencies, and Whitmer previously said it also encourages state agreements with federal offices to act as voter registration agencies.

A spokesperson for Whitmer told MLive on Monday that her office is reviewing the complaint.

House Elections Committee Chair state Rep. Penelope Tsenoglou, D-East Lansing, called the lawsuit a blatant attempt to disenfranchise Michigan voters ahead of the upcoming elections.

The governor and the secretary of states actions to designate additional voter registration agencies are consistent with state and federal laws, and so I am hopeful that this attempt at voter suppression will not stand, Tsenoglou said. Free, fair and accessible elections are the cornerstone of our republic, which is why making voter registration easier for all  most certainly including our veterans  is vital to our democracy.

But state Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, who served two terms as Secretary of State, pushed back on claims of voter suppression and said Whitmer and Benson lacked the authority to designate new voter registration agencies.

Everyone that wants to register should be able to, and we already have that, right? Johnson said. Your local clerk, your county clerk, all the Secretary of State offices. You can register online. We have every way you can imagine to register.

Whitmer formalized an agreement with the VA in 2023 allowing three department locations  the Saginaw VA Medical Center, the Detroit VA Medical Center and the agencys Detroit regional office  to be used as voter registration agencies.

A similar agreement with the SBA was formalized last month.

Secretary of State spokesperson Angela Benander said it wasnt immediately known how many people had utilized the VA sites to register to vote.

Benander said its her understanding that SBA has not started providing voter registration services yet. SBA officials did not return a request for comment.

If the lawsuit is successful, it wasnt immediately clear if those who registered to vote at the VA sites would have their registrations invalidated. Benander declined to speculate but noted that it isnt something the Trump campaign is seeking in the lawsuit.
DETROIT, MI  Two fellow Democrats aim to unseat U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigans 13th Congressional District.

The Detroit-area congressman and businessman faces challenges from Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters and attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins in the Aug. 6 primary.

The winner will face Republican Martell Bivings in the November election, though the district is heavily Democratic.

It stretches from Romulus, Taylor and Southgate to Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck and over to Grosse Pointe.

Thanedar won the seat in 2022 with over 71% of the vote against Republican Martell Bivings in the November election.

Thanedars victory in the newly drawn district then left Detroit, which is nearly 80% Black, without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the 1950s, the Associated Press reported. That has been a continued topic of discussion this election cycle.

One of Thanedars would-be opponents, former state Sen. Adam Hollier, was disqualified in May after Thanedar challenged his petition signatures and election officials found close to half were invalid.

That was a major boost for Thanedars reelection bid and a blow to Detroits Black community after coalescing around Hollier, who is Black, the Associated Press reported.

Both of Thanedars remaining primary opponents are Black women. Waters, who is endorsed by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, touts she was the first Black woman to serve as Democratic floor leader in the Michigan House of Representatives where she helped garner millions of dollars for Detroit and Wayne County.

Hawkins, who was born and raised on the east side of Detroit, says she would be a strong voice for the people and as a public defender for over 15 years she fought for those accused of crimes and fought for legal reform and mental health services.

Thanedar says he grew up in poverty in India before becoming an American entrepreneur and hes passionate about fighting to improve the lives of hard-working families in metro Detroit.

MLive/The Ann Arbor News has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund to provide the Vote411.org voter guide.

In responses to the voter guide questionnaire, the candidates discussed why theyre running and weighed in on topics such as their legislative approach, immigration policy and abortion.

Note: All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

GENERAL BIO: Why are you running for U. S. Congress?

Hawkins:

Born and raised in Detroit, my mother was a police office and then a nurse. My father worked in skilled trades at Chrysler. I started my legal career in legal aid, before becoming director of a domestic violence shelter while also raising my son. For over a decade, I was a criminal defense attorney, where I took cases throughout Wayne County, often on a pro bono basis, as I believed everyone was entitled to strong representation. I am now ready to take that same work ethic and passion for justice to D.C. and fight for the people in the 13th District. I am running to make a difference, protect democracy, and bring about real change.

Thanedar:

Im running for U.S. Congress in the Michigan 13th District because Ive seen firsthand the struggles faced by families in our community. Too many are trapped in poverty with limited opportunities. I want to change that. As an immigrant who overcame adversity, I believe in the American Dream. But its slipping away for too many. Ill fight against political gridlock and special interests to bring resources back to our district, protect social security, reproductive rights, workers rights, and more. Legislation like Bidens infrastructure bill can make a real difference, creating jobs and improving infrastructure. Ill work tirelessly to

Waters:

Living in the 13th District, I have seen how redistricting has left our community without a voice in Congress. For years, I have worked in the Detroit City Council and the State House of Representatives to ensure that the voice of the people is heard. I hear and see the need for strong federal action to bring quality, affordable housing to our community, to help restore our school districts, and to protect our vulnerable seniors. I am running because the people are ready for change, and my deep roots in the community will allow me to win.

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS: How, and to what extent, would you negotiate and compromise with your colleagues to pass critical legislation?

Hawkins:

As a lawyer, I am skilled in negotiating. As a member of Congress, I would strive to arrive at a mutual agreement and a win-win by developing strong working relationships with people on both sides of the aisle. True negotiating isnt winner take all. It is about assessing the underlying needs of each side and arriving at an agreement that is not only acceptable to each side but also beneficial. When elected, I will collaborate with stakeholders in my district and then work to achieve the goals weve outlined. I resolve to ensure that the work of the people gets done. While strong-willed and detrmined, I am also discerning and diplomatic.

Thanedar:

I am focused on finding areas of common ground to pass legislation that helps the people of the 13th District. For example, as a Small Business Committee and Homeland Security member, I proposed an amendment to the NDAA that helps small businesses get government contracts. Im proud to say that it was passed by the House and signed into law by President Biden. However, I will never compromise my core values such as protecting womens rights, workers rights, voting rights, etc.

Waters:

I have always worked in a bipartisan way to get things done for our community. When I served in the State House of Representatives, as a member, and then Democratic Floor Leader, I worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass major legislation, such as the AMBER Alert system, establishing the Michigan Housing and Community Development fund, provide free lead poisioning testing for children, and reforming our criminal justice system. I believe in approaching others with respect, taking the partisanship out and working across the aisle to find common ground. In these hyper-partisan times, I will work to return respect to our Congress.

IMMIGRATION: What recommendations, if any, would you propose to change U. S. immigration policy?

Hawkins:

I would support legislation that increases border protection through the use of technology and the hiring of more border security personnel. Any policy enacted should provide a path to citizenship for those who enter legally and protect dreamers. I support policies that allow for family-based immigration allowing citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor family members for immigration. I also support employment-based immigration allowing businesses to hire skilled foreign workers when there are shortages in the U.S. Finally, we should maintain refugee and asylum systems to aid those fleeing persecution and violence.

Thanedar:

I propose comprehensive immigration reform focusing on three key pillars: 1) Creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already contributing to society, 2) Strengthening border security through smart technology and resources, and 3) Streamlining legal immigration processes to reduce backlogs and promote family reunification and employment-based immigration. This balanced approach respects human rights, enhances national security, and boosts the economy. In Congress, Ive cosponsored legislation such as the American Dream and Promise Act, Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, U.S. Citizenship Act, and more.

Waters:

I believe in creating a clear, expedient pathway to citizenship for all the undocumented people without a criminal past. I will fight in Washington, DC to create an immediate pathway for all DREAMers and build a plan for families with established residency here to obtain citizenship in a reasonable timeframe. I will work to properly fund immigration courts and CIS to process all the paperwork. I will also work with my colleagues to create an effective guest worker program, and will remove the legal caps that have prevented our nation from being a truly welcoming place for refugees.

HEALTH CARE: What policies, if any, will you advance regarding reproductive health?

Hawkins:

I support single payer, universal healthcare or Medicare for All, including funding for mental health assistance. Roe v. Wade should be the law of the land. I fully support reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, allowing individials, along with their healthcare provider, to make decisions regarding own bodies. We also need to lower the cost of life-saving prescription medications.

Thanedar:

Im dedicated to comprehensive reproductive health policies, ensuring access to contraception and abortion services irrespective of status or location. My priorities include sex education, affordable contraception, and better maternal health outcomes. I defend reproductive rights, support organizations like Planned Parenthood, and strive to eliminate barriers to care. Ive co-sponsored HR 782 and H.R. 561, among other legislation, to protect and promote reproductive rights.

Waters:

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, and the Right to Choose is part of that right. From Detroit, to Lansing, to Washington, DC, I have fought and will continue to fight to expand access to quality care while enshrining Roe V. Wade in federal law. On the City Council, I led my colleagues in calling on Congress to enact Medicare For All, ensuring all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. I will take this advocacy to the House of Representatives, and will also fight to curtail healthcare marketing and set drug price caps while bringing more resources to the district to support federally-qualified health centers.

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They were accused of trying to tear down the government. Now they want to join it.

Two men with ties to anti-government militias who were charged (and acquitted) in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are campaigning for office this election season.

Eric Molitor, 40, of Clam Lake Township, wants to be the next Wexford County sheriff and William Null, 42, is running for a trustee spot in Barry Countys Orangeville Township.

I started getting to know some of these politicians and seeing what happened with the corruption in our government if we dont start, as people, to stand up for ourselves, Null told MLive by phone from a jobsite where he was installing drywall recently. Thats why I decided to run.

Political experts say its part of a growing trend of anti-government, conspiracy politics at the local level, whether it be Joe Moss and his devoutly religious Ottawa Impact, a conservative group that usurped power in Ottawa County or Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, whos conducted a four-year investigation into alleged widespread  but unproven  2020 election fraud conspiracies.

Related: Extremist or hero? Meet Michigans freedom-loving constitutional sheriff

You sort of have this normalization of these ideas, said Javed Ali, a counterterrorism professor at the University of Michigan and a former Homeland Security and FBI counterterrorism employee. These are not backroom discussions (or) in the dark corners of the internet. Theyre all out in the open and theyre being endorsed by very senior people in Washington, all the way down to people at the state and local level.

Photo is courtesy of Jeff and Jess Dobbs, Framed by Nature Photography.Courtesy of Framed by Nature Photography

Conservative, small government views

Molitor, an unemployed, divorced father of two, has worked in security but has no law enforcement experience (which is not required to run for sheriff in Michigan). He is facing off against Sheriff Trent Taylor in Wexford County, a 34,000-resident rural community in Michigans northern Lower Peninsula.

Null, a married father of two children, 17 and 20, who operates a construction business with his twin brother and son, is running against four other candidates seeking two open trustee seats in Orangeville Township, located in Barry County, home to one of Null and Molitors heroes  Sheriff Dar Leaf.

Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf poses for a portrait outside the Barry Co. Sheriff auxiliary post in Middleville, Mich. on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Leaf has served as Barry County Sheriff since 2004.Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Like Leaf  whom they consider a mentor  both candidates espouse conservative, small-government views. Leaf even shared a stage with the Null at the Grand Rapids Michigan Patriots Rally, sponsored by gun-toting Michigan Liberty Militia members, in May 2020. Also in attendance, armed and near the stage, was Molitor.

Null called Leaf a good sheriff, whos different.

Hes a human being, Null said. You can talk to him.

Like Leaf, Null believes people need to stand up to an ever-encroaching government.

My main focus would be to stop corruption from the state trying to force their way into our counties and our townships, said Null, who has freedom tattooed on his forearm.

Related: Meet the contenders who want to unseat Michigans constitutional sheriff

A Tattoo William Null had inked on his forearm following his acquittal in the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnap plot.Courtesy of William Null

Nulls public Facebook page doesnt contain information about his political agenda but includes various memes and statements that are misogynistic or demeaning to transgender individuals.

Sundress season in canceled! Too many chicks have wieners, says a meme he shared on June 15.

Null doesnt fancy himself a Republican but said there is no better political option.

The Democratic Party have lost their minds with what theyre doing to children, and this whole indoctrinating your children in school with these trans policies and hiding it from the parents, Null said. Thats what pushes me more toward conservatism than anything.

Molitor said hes ready to stand in between  tyrannical, overreaching government and my people.

Thats one of the reasons Molitor decided to run for sheriff in the first place.

On his candidacy page, Molitor writes that he and his brother, who owns a gun shop registered as a federal firearms dealer, visited Taylors office to ask whether the incumbent, eight-year sheriff would enforce Michigan red-flag gun laws enacted in February.

The law allows judges to unilaterally order the confiscation of firearms from those deemed an emergency risk based on petitions from the public.

Taylor said he would in fact execute red-flag laws if a judge gave him an order, Molitor wrote. Before that experience I planned on running for my township supervisor. But at that moment, I knew that someone who would violate any right over an unconstitutional order is not fit to be in that position.

Wexford County Sheriff Trent Taylor. Photo submitted to MLive on July 9, 2024.Wexford County Sheriff's Office

Taylor confirmed he met with Molitor and that he would execute the gun law, adding that he believes the law unnecessarily places law enforcement in harms way.

Were not in these positions to, as sheriff, try and interpret the law, Taylor said. I think it would be irresponsible of law enforcement to not enforce the law and it would be borderline anarchy.

Molitors personal Facebook page shares largely conservative, anti-government views, but rarely mentions partisan politics.

He promotes traditional religious and family values, one meme depicting a cleric apparently marrying two men with the caption: If the pastor at your church performs gay marriages  Hes not a pastor and its not a church.

Molitors candidacy website says he wont enforce unconstitutional laws if elected, including mask mandates or red-flag laws, and will limit other unnecessary government interference, giving examples of seatbelt and jaywalking laws.

He wants to create a potentially deputized civilian emergency response team of volunteers that would be trained and equipped to help handle natural disasters, search and rescue and community-based defense. Molitor plans to take a harsher stance against drug dealers  although he doesnt want to punish users  and lists greater mental health support among his initiatives.

Taylor has spent 32 years in law enforcement and now oversees the operations and budget of a 150-inmate jail with 23 corrections officers, in addition to supervising 25 sworn deputies, a three-person animal control shelter and several administrative staff.

He questioned whether Molitor has the experience for the job.

This is a big operation with a lot of moving parts, Taylor said. To try and come in with zero knowledge and zero background, its going to take you years to get caught up.

Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia members, including William Null, center, join other open carry advocates at the state capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 to advocate for gun rights in Lansing. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May | MLive.com

Militia ties

Molitor and Null have something on their resumes other candidates generally do not  alliances with right-wing militias.

Both admitted past involvement with unsanctioned groups of armed residents preparing to become the last line of defense should the government go awry. Its what led them to their alleged involvement in a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over pandemic lockdowns and mask mandates.

Molitor said hes attended training exercises and regularly communicated with militia members.

When I first got into militias, I was really gung-ho about joining them and being part of a group, he said. But then when I got in, I saw what they were really about. Its a bunch of fat white dudes running around the woods trying to play Rambo.

He still considers himself a prepper with dreams of starting a survivalist training school.

Null wasnt only a member of a militia, but its founder.

He created the Michigan Liberty Militia in 2015, which grew to nearly 20 members and disbanded after his arrest in October 2020.

Null said the group started in response to what he saw as a wave of liberal ideology and violence sweeping the nation and stifling opposing, usually right-wing views.

The media would say Black Lives Matter and all these other groups, theyre not violent, but we were witnessing it firsthand, Null said. If they were Trump supporters, they were getting the shit kicked out of them at some of these rallies, and they were just voicing their opinion.

Nulls armed militia acted as security for right-wing politicians, including former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck who ran a failed campaign for governor against Whitmer in 2018, and groups putting on politically controversial rallies.

We were always peaceful, Null said. And then the 2020 happened and the craziness with coronavirus. You werent even allowed to pump gas, you couldnt get your hair cut, you couldnt go to gyms, so we started leading protests there, too.

Open carry advocates gather inside of the state capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 to advocate for gun rights in Lansing. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May | MLive.com

Null and his group entered the Michigan State Capitol Building in April 2020 with what Null referred to as battle rattle, meaning they wore military gear with pistols and long guns. They hoped to compel  opponents say intimidate -- the Legislature not to extend Whitmers coronavirus stay-home orders that were in effect at the time. The protest led state officials to ban open carry of firearms in the Capitol the following January.

Although physical membership in his militia was small, Null said the groups Facebook page reached its maximum limit of digital members.

So the government  thought we had like 5,000 people, he said. It was just a Facebook page. We were not that big of a militia.

Kidnap plot

Things took a turn when officials started charging militia members in the kidnap plot.

The AGs Office accused Null and Molitor of helping two since-convicted plotters, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., in their plan to kidnap Whitmer from her vacation home in Elk Rapids.

Null and Molitor took the stand during trial and downplayed their knowledge and support of the overarching plan. They believe they were entrapped by an overzealous government investigation.

I had no idea where we were going, what we were doing, Null told MLive. I ended up getting thrown in a car with an FBI informant and he drove us around.

Molitor said he was duped into taking a daytime ride with Fox and a paid FBI informant to conduct surveillance at Whitmers lake house in August 2020. Molitor claims he didnt know where they were going, initially.

Null was oblivious to an FBI investigation until he and his brother were swarmed by law enforcement and arrested at a gas station in October 2020.

People were freaking out, threatening to shoot my brother, Null said. I was like, what the hell is going on.

Molitor remembers dozens of state police and FBI agents raiding a family gathering at his mothers home with guns drawn on his children.

I was personally abused by these people and it has changed me a lot, Molitor said. I no longer back the Blue. Just because you have a uniform, like youre a good guy. No, man. I know way better now.

Both Molitor and Null were charged with providing material support to a terrorist act, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, punishable by a mandatory two years in prison.

But the charges didnt stick. A jury found them not guilty in Antrim County last year. In total, five accused plotters were acquitted, five were convicted by juries and four admitted guilt as part of plea deals.

The two men expressed lingering resentment over their treatment. They spent months in jail, nearly a year under house arrest -- later monitored by GPS tethers -- and feel they were unfairly demonized by state and federal officials and the media.

Whitmers office declined to comment for this story.

Molitor blames the negative stigma of the case and his prior inclusion on government no-fly and terrorist watch lists as reasons hes not been able to find employment in the private security industry since the acquittal.

Molitor and Null said they vaguely knew each other prior to their arrests, but through the three-year prosecution and shared experience became friends.

Before this, I was wary of government, but I didnt know the true depths of their evil at that time, Molitor told MLive, explaining how the kidnap ordeal motivated him to run for office.

Taylor, the current Wexford County sheriff, has heard concerns from the public over Molitors candidacy, based on links to extremism and the kidnap plot.

I remind them that he was acquitted, anybody can run for sheriff and I leave it at that, Taylor said.

People are excited

Molitor and Null believe they have found an audience.

People, if they recognize me, they want to get a picture taken with me, Null said. Some of its negative, but a lot of them knew it was a bullshit case, so they were happy that we got acquitted.

People are excited to see that somebody (whos) been affected by the government, who actually knows from the inside how corrupt this ... is, that Im willing to stand for them at great risk to myself, Molitor said. People are pretty happy about that.

The spread of extremism in politics is part of a larger trend nationwide, according to experts.

Professor Peter Trumbore, who chairs the political science department at Oakland University, said these candidacies represent an emboldened radical fringe spreading in a lot of places around the country.

These movements have become increasingly willing to exercise violence in the pursuit of their objectives, Trumbore said. And, I think thats something that we need to be aware of, that these are potentially dangerous movements that reject the authority of what I think the majority of Americans consider legitimate democracy.

Trumbore believes some of the violence reminiscent of the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack has died down because far-right extremist groups believe Donald Trump will win the upcoming presidential election.

Their expectation is that once their guy wins, hell take revenge on the right wings political enemies, so they dont have to do anything, Trumbore said. I think the danger becomes much greater should Trump lose the election.

And then I think the climate will once again be much more conducive to political violence from the far right.

Trump himself became a target of political violence when a shooter attempted to assassinate the former president at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

Molitor said he plans to continue challenging unjust authority if elected sheriff.

Let me put it this way, he said. Lets say Im sheriff, youre coming into my county to effectively abuse my constituents, how far are you willing to take it? Because I will stop you  whatever it takes to stop you from injuring innocent people, is what Im willing to do.

How far that goes depends on how far youre willing to go.

Whether he wins or loses, Null has even bigger plans for the future  to run for governor when Whitmer term limits out of office in 2026.

Its going to happen, one way or another Null said. The chances of winning are slim to none, but Id like to see my name on the ticket anyway.
CLAY TWP., MI  Have you dreamed of running a bed and breakfast?

Or is your dream to live on the water with views from nearly every window in your house in a perfect slice of Michigan summer sunsets?

This mansion has that and more.

Located at 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac, this gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.

This one-of-a-kind property is MLives House of the Week. Homes across the state of various architectural styles and prices are showcased every Wednesday.

Located on St. Clair Rivers North Channel, this historic home was built in 1931 on nearly two acres on the water.

A six-bedroom, three-bath and two half-bath residence has been meticulously renovated and is in amazing condition inside and out, Asplund said.

It has a circular driveway with a large fountain at the center greeting visitors as they arrive. In the backyard there is a large covered porch, in-ground pool and stone paver patio for pristine summer gatherings and entertaining guests.

If an in-ground pool isnt enough water for you, how about an indoor hot tub for year-round enjoyment?

Still want more water?

This property has it. And the view, well, its spectacular.

Many of my clients have vacation homes up north and have a 3 to 4-hour drive there and back on the weekends, Asplund said. This is the ultimate waterfront vacation property less than an hour outside of Metro Detroit.

With 138 feet of water frontage, the property features a stunning boathouse. Local ordinances no longer allow for the construction of new boathouses, but this one is grandfathered in, Asplund said.

The boathouse, complete with indoor and outdoor boat lifts, has been fully renovated and includes a tiki bar inside as well as an expansive deck.

A lot of people love being in that area. You can watch the barges, and youre right there across from Harsens Island for a lot of people who have homes with boats, and its a destination, Asplund said. Its an absolute gem.

It is located directly across the river from Harsens Island and the Old Club, which will provide for great outings for social opportunities, as well as food at great restaurants.

And for homeowners familiar with property on water, it is located in a no flood zone.

The property also includes a 4-car detached garage and workshop.

The homes basement features a wine cellar and a salon.

This beautifully maintained and renovated historic brick colonial has new windows on all buildings, renovated bathroom, new furnaces and a whole home generator.

A well-manicured lawn and property features an in-ground sprinkling on the full two acres and pulls water right from the river, so future homeowners wont have to worry about additional costs, Asplund said.

As for the aforementioned bed and breakfast, this property is registered and pre-approved for it.

Neighbors all say the home used to be the Sears department store families summer home, Asplund said.

The ferry boat in nearby downtown Algonac goes to Canada as well.

Living in Michigan means taking advantage of the water, Asplund said. This estate does exactly that. From the pool and patio overlooking the water to the tiki bar, deck, and boathouse built over the St. Clair River, this is what a waterfront home is all about.

Scroll down to see 13 of the images from the photo gallery for a glimpse inside this home to see why its MLives House of the Week.

Exterior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Exterior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Exterior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of the boathouse at 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Interior photographs of the boathouse at 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Exterior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

Exterior photographs of 2703 Pointe Tremble Road in Clay Township near Algonac. This gem is listed for $1,599,000 through @properties Christies International Real Estate with associate broker Nicholas Asplund.(Photo by Lux Partners Global, provided by Nicholas Asplund)

View the listing on the realtor website here. View all 48 photos of the home here.

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NASA recently marked the two-year anniversary of the first images from the historic James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and chose to celebrate it in the best way possible.

On July 12, 2022, NASA released the first images from JWST. This was a historic moment as this is the most powerful telescope ever made. To celebrate that anniversary, NASA has released a fun image of a galactic duo that appear to be a cosmic penguin and egg.

Two galaxies (NGC 2936 as the Penguin and NGC 2937 as the Egg) can be seen interacting with each other, distorting NGC 2937 and causing it to appear as a cosmic penguin. Image provided by NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScl.NASA

This image was captured using a combination of Webbs various infrared light sensors to see more light and detail than what any of our own eyes would be able to. The galactic duo, named Apr 142, is roughly 326 million light years away from Earth, according to NASA. That means that it has taken the light from these galaxies 326 million years to reach JWST, meaning that we are actually seeing this duo as it looked 326 million years ago! It is made up of two galaxies: NGC 2936 as the penguin, and NGC 2937 as the egg.

In the image, the two galaxies are seen interacting with each other, causing the larger one (the penguin) to become distorted and lose its typical spiral shape that galaxies typically possess. The egg, on the other hand, maintains its collective shape. NASA reports that, because it is an elliptical galaxy, there is less gas and dust to be distorted, allowing it to appear unchanged from this cosmic interaction.

This exchange started between 25 and 75 million years ago and will eventually end once the two combine into one single galaxy in hundreds of millions of years.
Guest Commentary

By Jay Goldberg

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau managed to do two terrible things in one fell swoop: raise costs for Canadians at a time they can least afford it and risk a trade war with the United States.

The Trudeau government pushed its new Digital Services Tax (DST) through Parliament before quitting for the summer.

The governments DST targets large foreign companies operating online marketplaces and social media platforms, such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Airbnb, earning revenue from online advertising. It is a three percent tax on all revenue these companies generate in Canada.

Two red flags should pop up immediately for taxpayers. First, these companies wont just eat the tax; theyll pass it on to consumers. Second, the United States government is sure to retaliate.

On the first point, there were clear signs that prices for Canadian consumers would increase because of this tax long before it was passed into law.

When the DST was in its proposal stage, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated how much the governments new tax would cost Canadians.

The PBO estimated the governments DST would lead to an additional $7.2 billion in federal tax revenue over the next five years.

Where is that money coming from?

While major foreign companies will be the ones paying the tax directly, Canadian consumers will be hit with the bill.

It is expected that businesses in the targeted sectors will adjust their services and prices in response to the new law, the PBO said.

In other words, Trudeau is imposing a multi-billion-dollar tax on taxpayers  at a time when 50 percent of Canadians say theyre $200 away from not being able to pay their bills.

Not only will Trudeaus new DST increase consumer costs, but Canada also risks a trade war with the U.S. over the tax, which would cost Canadians even more.

In the wake of Trudeaus Digital Services Tax getting through Parliament, the U.S. Trade Representative warned that the U.S. will do whats necessary to respond to Trudeaus new tax. U.S.TR Katharine Tai warns she will look at all available tools as part of the U.S. response.

Tais isnt the only voice in the U.S. calling for retaliatory action.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association, representing tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Uber, which Trudeaus new tax will target, is calling on the Biden administration to fight back.

With Canadas DST now law, the time has come to announce [retaliatory] action, said the associations vice president, Jonathan McHale.

The president and CEO of the Tax Foundation is warning that U.S. retaliation would likely come through hiking tariffs on imports from Canada.

Given that the U.S. is by far Canadas largest trading partner, making it more expensive to get Canadian goods into the American marketplace could have a detrimental impact on Canadas economy, costing us both economic growth and jobs.

More than two years ago, the U.S. Trade Representative warned against the Trudeau government taking measures that single out American firms for taxation while effectively excluding national firms engaged in similar lines of business.

But Trudeau chose to ignore those warnings and do exactly that.

To add insult to injury, the law authorizing the Trudeau government to bring the DST into effect (whenever it so chooses) allows it to do so retroactively, all the way back to 2022. Companies could be on the hook for huge sums for tax years in which the law didnt even exist.

No wonder the Americans are threatening to fight back.

The bottom line is that Trudeau has put Canada in a terrible position. He is risking higher prices for Canadians and tariffs on our exports to the U.S. market, all in a lust for more cash. And the revenue the government is likely to bring in through the DST, an average of $1.4 billion a year, would be spent by this government in just one day.

Its not too late for Trudeau to back down. Cabinet could choose not to implement the tax and avoid retaliation from the U.S.

For the good of taxpayers and the Canadian economy, Trudeau must abandon the Digital Services Tax.

Jay Goldberg is the Ontario & Interim Atlantic Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
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After a month holidaying overseas, the last thing anybody wants is to open their front door to find their ceiling has collapsed.

Luke Britton said he walked into his home after an almost one-month stay overseas last month to find his living room ceiling had totally collapsed, leaving behind a mountain of destruction. Source: TikTok/Supplied

An Aussie who said he's paid almost $20,000 to his insurer over 12 years but never made a claim was incensed to discover the company wouldn't cover his collapsed ceiling, which fell in completely during a recent holiday in Bali.

West Australian Luke Britton, from the Fremantle area, said he walked into his home after an almost one-month stay overseas last month to find his living room ceiling had totally collapsed, leaving behind a mountain of destruction.

A CommInsure customer  the Commonwealth Bank's insurance branch that was purchased by the South African-owned Hollard in 2021  Britton said the company initially told him "the adhesive glue sticking the ceiling's beams to the roof" was not properly maintained, and therefore they wouldn't be liable. That is, despite there being no previous signs the beams had become faulty or loose.

Insurer criticised for failing to pay out before TikTok clip

West Australian man Luke Britton said his insurer, Hollard, initially refused to cover his fallen ceiling until he attracted social media notoriety. Source: Supplied

He said it wasn't until he made a video and posted it to social media, which attracted tens of thousands of views, that Hollard eventually changed its tune, issuing an apology and offering to cover the costs of the roughly $6000 job.

"I went to Bali for about nearly four weeks, I came home, my ceilings have collapsed in one of my rooms. At first I was like, 'oh  that's okay. That's what I've got insurance for'.

"I did a claim, they came out and assessed it and then three and a half weeks later, they say 'no, it's a non-insurance claim. They didn't help clean up or anything. There were live wires everywhere and just nothing, no help.

Britton said it took four weeks to have the situation resolved. Source: Supplied

"I got annoyed and so I made a video. Then, they ring yesterday  after the video's got like 400,000 views  and said, 'look, the the assessor was a bit unfair'.

"Initially they said the glue had failed and you should have maintained the ceiling with a qualified trades person. Then they backflipped and said that was 'a bit harsh', and they're now going to honour the claim and waive the excess."

Britton said Hollard offered him an apology over the phone and in the end he was satisfied with the outcome. Though, he questioned whether such a result would have been forthcoming had he not attracted such a response online. He said there are many Australian families doing it tough right now that mightn't have had the same luck.

"I've never made a claim in my life, ever," he said. "And this was the first time I needed it and they made me wait four weeks. We're in the middle of winter and that's one of my main rooms. It's freezing."

Hollard apologises to customer

While initially annoyed the insurer declined to pay out, Britton said it's "great" they've changed their minds. "I'm glad they changed their mind. I feel like I've just won a little battle," he said.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Hollard spokesperson reiterated their apology to Britton.

"Hollard has measures in place for customers to request a review of claim outcomes," the spokesperson said. "In this instance, as a result of following this process, the original decision regarding this claim was overturned. We apologise to Mr Britton for any inconvenience caused."

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Meghna Mittal MEGHNA MITTAL is Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com
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Responding to concerns from locals, Greek authorities are making moves against overcrowding at popular tourist beaches.

Greek authorities are cracking down on overcrowded beaches including those on Corfu and Rhodes islands (pictured), as well as in the Chalkidiki peninsula, and Attica among others. Source: Getty

Another popular travel destination has succumbed to pressure from locals who've complained of overcrowding as skyrocketing rates of international tourism continue to put pressure on local amenities and businesses.

Greek authorities recently announced a crackdown at tourist hotspots such as Corfu, Rhodes, Chalkidiki peninsula, and Attica  the region around Athens  with locals expressing frustration over overcrowded beaches, with sunbeds or rental chairs often covering every inch of sand.

Campaigners have long complained about high prices and a lack of access to the beaches for locals. While it does vary, the cost to hire a sunbed can be up to A$166 (100) depending on the island.

More than $566k in fines issued over five days

A record-breaking 33 million people visited Greece last year, five million more than in 2022, it's been reported.

The issue however is with restaurants, bars and rental companies offering sunbeds as beach seating to customers without a permit, leaving little room for locals. Earlier this month, local news outlets reported over 1,000 complaints were received resulting in over A$566,000 (350k) in violation fines being issued in just five days.

"Our goal is to protect, on the one hand, both the environment and the citizens right to free access to the beach, and on the other hand, to preserve our tourist product as well as the healthy entrepreneurship represented by business people who do the job right," Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, said recently.

New rules to protect Greek beaches

By law, beaches in Greece must now be 70 per cent sunbed-free, or 85 per cent for those in protected areas, where construction is now strictly limited.

Under new rules introduced in March, umbrellas and deck chairs must be at least four metres from the shoreline and no chair rentals are allowed on smaller beaches with less than four metres of sand. However many businesses haven't obliged.

Drones will now be used to monitor beach usage, as well as the installation of an electronic reporting system so people can highlight violations. Residents will also be able to report wrongdoing via an app.

New laws prevent restaurants and bars from offering beach chairs for hire to customers without a permit after complaints from locals about overcrowding. Source: Getty

European hotspots cracking down on tourists

The move in Greece follows the likes of neighbouring European countries including Spain, Italy and Denmark with authorities from each country recently announcing major moves to help control the influx of tourists.

In Venice, Italy day visitors were subject to a trial where they paid an $8 entry fee during peak hours in a bid to preserve the city from overcrowding. While in Barcelona, Spain thousands took to the streets in protest of mass tourism, saying it had worsened their quality of life.

Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, authorities are taking a very different approach. They're now offering incentives to travellers that help sustain the city and its environment through a bold new rewards program. Bali, Indonesia has been on a mission to control unruly tourists, and earlier this year introduced a new tax on arrival for travellers.

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Paris Hedger, 20, was told it's likely she developed the condition from flying too soon after she was kicked by the horse.

Paris Hedger, 20, developed a 'rare' condition after flying soon after a horse kicked her leg while she was holidaying in Vanuatu. Source: Supplied

A young woman who developed a "rare" condition while on holiday after being kicked by a horse has been dealt a shocking blow  she must now undergo a 10-hour open-heart surgery to save her life.

Paris Hedger, 20, will go into surgery next week where surgeons will "drain all the blood" from her body in the hope of locating and removing the hundreds of blood clots inside her lungs. These blood clots have severely impacted Hedger's ability to breathe and subsequently had a knock-on effect on her heart, turning her life upside down in the seven months since she's battled Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH).

Doctors believe the condition was brought on by Hedger flying on a long-haul flight to the US weeks after a horse kicked her leg in November while she was on holiday in Vanuatu, impacting her blood pressure and having a cascading impact on her health ever since. Now, all she can do is wait for the surgery next week, where she is considered a "high-risk" patient.

"My emotions change all the time. Sometimes I'm stressed about it but I'm just trying to stay positive because the outcome is out of my control," she told Yahoo News.

The Adelaide woman will fly to Melbourne on Thursday where she will likely stay for months, with her future uncertain.

After being kicked by the horse (right), Hedger has been in and out of hospital with health complications caused by blood clots. Source: Supplied/TikTok

Aussie woman could be in induced coma for months

The surgeons intend to place Hedger into an induced coma for several days after the surgery to give her body a chance to heal, but if there are complications they may be forced to keep her in that state for months, with there being a high chance she may need a lung transplant if things don't go to plan.

"I just want to have the surgery and hopefully be cured from this, because the surgery is the only option for me to live a normal life again," she explained. "But because the pressures on my heart are quite a bit higher than most people, they're not too sure if I will make a full quick recovery."

"I could barely walk down the street without feeling like I was going to faint and I had a really bad cough... it [the surgery] needs to be done," she said.

Hedger's heart has become enlarged due to her compromised breathing ability. Source: Supplied

Plea to Aussies to 'take chance' in own lives

The woman admits her "perspective" has changed drastically after her health deteriorated and has urged others to throw caution to the wind.

"All the times I've been sitting in hospital, I'm just grateful for the things that I did with my life... I just want to encourage people to just go out there and live the life that they want to live," she said. "Just take the chance."

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family financially as they relocate to Melbourne to support Hedger.

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July 17, 2024 / 21:17 IST

In a coordinated sea-air operation, the Coast Guard on Wednesday rescued an Indian fishing boat, which was in a critical condition due to flooding from a hull rupture, with 11 crew onboard off the Kerala coast, amid heavy rain and challenging weather conditions.

An ICG Dornier aircraft on maritime surveillance had located the distressed Indian fishing boat (IFB) on the night of July 16, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

"The vessel was in a critical condition due to flooding from a hull rupture near the keel and loss of propulsion, which posed a threat to the safety of the crew," the ministry said.
In footage taken in Sydney on Sunday, band mate Kyle Gass was heard making light of the recent assassination attempt of former US president Donald Trump.

Comedy-rock duo Tenacious D have cancelled the remainder of the Australian leg of their world tour after backlash over a joke made about the assassination attempt of former US president Donald Trump. Source: TikTok/Ap

Jack Black-led comedy-rock band Tenacious D has sensationally cancelled the remainder of their Australian tour after copping swift backlash over an on-stage joke about the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump.

The pair, fronted by the Hollywood megastar, had planned on touring in multiple cities around the country and in New Zealand but announced the shock news overnight, which followed remarks by band member Kyle Gass in Sydney that were recorded live and widely shared on social media.

Black is seen in the vision presenting member Kyle Gass with a birthday cake during their performance at the ICC Sydney Theatre on Sunday, in footage shared with Yahoo News.

Ticket holders will be offered a full refund as Jack Black announced on social media that he'll be taking a break creatively following the controversy. Source: Supplied

Jack Black 'blindsided' by band mate's on-stage remark

"Make a wish," he urges, with Gass then seen blowing out the candles and says in a hushed tone, "Dont miss Trump next time"  causing the crowd to erupt. While some are heard laughing and clapping, others are less impressed.

"You could hear a couple of oohhs  like too soon sort of vibes  but the vast majority was laughter, one audience member told Yahoo News. Several fans praised Gass comment, while others online have criticised the band, calling it a "bad joke".

RELATED: Crowd divided over 'bad joke' at Sydney gig hours after Trump shooting

The comments provoked an outpouring of anger in Australia and around the world, forcing even former Australian prime ministers to weigh in. Black announced via social media overnight that after "much reflection", the remainder of the tour would not go ahead.

"I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form," Black said in a statement on Instagram. "After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding."

Following Black's statement, Gass apologised on Instagram. "The line I improvised Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake," he wrote on Tuesday. "I don't condone violence in any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement."

Former PM Kevin Rudd, who is the current Australian ambassador to the US, denounced the remarks. It makes me feel sick someone would joke about violence. Physically ill, he told media. "People might think its a bit of funny haha at a concert to run off at the mouth off about this stuff its not."

In an email to ticket holders and media, promoters Frontier Touring said affected customers will be offered full refunds. "Frontier Touring regret to advise that the remaining dates of Tenacious Ds tour of Australia and New Zealand have been cancelled," the statement said.

"All purchased tickets will receive a full refund. Patrons should allow approximately 30 business days for the refund to appear in their account. Please do not contact Ticketek regarding your refund."

Tenacious D's Jack Black previously jokes about 'evil' Trump

Its not the first time a member of the group calling itself the greatest rock band in the world"  known for its outlandish humour  has vocalised their dislike of Trump.

During an interview with Conan OBrien in 2017, Jack Black was asked if he believed Tenacious Ds Im the best and everything I do is amazing shtick" had influenced the former US president.

"Yes. In fact I feel Donald Trump saw a Tenacious D concert, because thats our whole thing, just like we are the greatest band in the world, no one can touch us, we are the best," Black responded.

"And he just saw us and said, 'Im going to use that technique. Im the greatest president. I got all the greatest people' and then he used it and became president.

"And now, when we go out and perform Tenacious D, I always have like, a little twinge of guilt, because its like this evil f***ing warlock stole our magic, but just took out all the irony. And it worked and now hes destroying the universe."

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Our lax driving laws are allowing motorists to put themselves and others at a fatal risk and it's time to take action, writes Adam Lucius.

Drivers put themselves and others at risk when they get behind the wheel of a high powered vehicle. Source: Getty/Supplied

Putting a driver of a standard car into a high-powered vehicle is like handing a weekend horse rider the reins to Winx and leaving them to it. Too much horsepower  literally  and not nearly enough experience to harness and handle the extra grunt.

Yet the lax driving laws in Australia allow anyone with the money to purchase one of these powerful beasts and drive among us without question.

It's as stupid as it is dangerous.

Just because you've got the money to afford a luxury car, like a Lamborghini, Maserati or Ferrari, or a range of the other "supercars" or "hypercars" on the market, doesn't mean you should buy one.

These are specialist cars that need to be handled with extreme care after intensive training.

Their price-tag doesnt include road smarts as an optional extra.

Nor does it make you bulletproof.

Most Aussie drivers don't have the skills required to drive a high powered vehicle like a Lamborghini. Source: Getty

Every vehicle on our roads, in the wrong hands, is a potentially deadly weapon.

And high-powered cars are not immune just because they cost a fortune, even with the most responsible of driver at the wheel.

South Australia authorities have gone some way towards addressing the growing problem of high-powered cars being driven by ill-equipped drivers following a tragic fatality in 2019.

Teenager Sophia Naismith was killed after an out-of-control Lamborghini mounted a footpath and struck her.

From December, any SA driver wishing to drive a high-powered car will be required to acquire a special U-class licence after undergoing specialised online and practical training.

Sophia Naismith, 15, was killed when a luxury car mounted the kerb and hit her. Source: Instagram

An ultra high-powered vehicle (UHPV) is defined as any vehicle  other than a bus, motorbike or motor trike  with a gross vehicle mass of up to 4.5 tonnes, that has a power-to-weight ratio of 276 kilowatts per tonne or more. There are said to be around 200 makes of vehicle in this category.

Australia's relaxed road rules slammed

Mark Butcher, managing director of Melbourne-based Performance Driving Australia, has been educating and training drivers for 27 years.

He shakes his head at some of our loose road rules.

"It is crazy to think that people can obtain a licence in a small hatchback and then drive anything they like  day, night and in all weather," he told Yahoo News.

"The existing licence standards and testing fails to measure a driver's ability to drive  rather just measures their ability to pass a test.

Mark Butcher says many Aussie motorists lack essential driving skills. Source: Supplied/Getty

"With today's modern electric cars and ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, we are seeing the average driver often behind the wheel of cars with similar performance to that of supercars."

He said the main difference between a conventional car and a high powered or supercar is that they have the potential to "lose traction under acceleration" and "arrive at corners going too fast".

"Most of the modern 'supercars' have many driver aids that help keep the car stable and I believe a large part of training is to educate drivers on the potential outcomes of switching them off.

"The aids should only ever be switched off at a racetrack in a controlled environment and, even then, only when the driver can fully appreciate and manage the vehicle without the driving aids."

Training is the solution for road fatalities, expert says

Butcher said the SA initiative was "a small step in the right direction towards creating safer drivers" but more needs to be done to bring Australia's shocking road toll down.

He pointed out: "There is no training for drivers at all post learner standard.

"Training is the solution to most of our road deaths and injuries. Nearly all crashes can be prevented by drivers being more situationally aware and by applying defensive driving strategies.

"Nearly all defensive driving providers in Australia offer training (to cover) the knowledge and skills gap.

"Further education for all drivers would be beneficial."

Luxury car drivers should not be given a free ride because they can afford a vehicle worth two years' salary.

A good start would be for all states to take on SA's idea and adopt U-class licences. But maybe all drivers just need a refresher on the rules every now and then and further training years after they pass their original tests.

We should all be willing to do whatever's necessary to bring down our horrific road toll.

You simply cant put a price on road safety.

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The comedy-rock duo sensationally cancelled the remainder of their Australia tour overnight, but according to a leading publicity specialist, that's 'an overreaction'.

Comedy-rock duo Tenacious D cancelled the remainder of the Australian leg of their world tour after backlash, but PR expert Catharine Lumby said it's an 'overreaction'. Source: Getty/TikTok

Comments said onstage by Tenacious D band member Kyle Gass in Sydney on Sunday were "clearly a joke" and weren't implying somebody should "literally take another shot at Trump", a leading public relations expert argues.

Professor Catharine Lumby from Sydney University's Media and Communications department said Black likely had his "multi-million dollar film career" in mind when making the decision to cancel the band's remaining Australian and New Zealand tour dates, which she said in her opinion was an "overreaction".

At the gig, a birthday cake for Gass was brought onstage and he was asked to make a wish, when he jokingly replied "Dont miss Trump next time" to mixed reactions from the crowd.

While Lumby's views have been echoed by many around the country and across the world, it appears that equally as many people were left outraged by Gass' joke, with Australia's own former prime minister Kevin Rudd  who is now our ambassador to the US  on Wednesday going as far as saying the comments made him "physically ill".

PR expert Professor Catharine Lumby has weighed in on the 'overreaction' to what is 'clearly' a joke. Getty/Supplied

But speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Lumby said Gass "was not actually actively encouraging violence" but rather leaning into the band's trademark "edgy comedy". The joke he made was, while in poor taste, also "one a lot of people have made over the dinner table", she said.

"It was a joke, right? It's clearly a joke," Lumby told Yahoo, adding that cancelling the tour likely added fuel to the fire, resulting in the controversy becoming a bigger deal than might have been.

Aussies divided over joke 'everyone's making'

Online, Australians seemed torn over whether the Tenacious D joke was acceptable, or tongue-in-cheek. "Encouraging political assassinations has no place whatsoever in today's society, regardless of what side of politics you sit," a person wrote on social media.

"His band, his choice," wrote another. "Only said what a lot are thinking," somebody else said.

University of Technology Sydney Professor of Public Communication Jim Macnamara said some might've been offended, but we still have free speech in Australia.

"The comment was disrespectful and odious to many people but what happened to free speech in our society. People have the right to express their opinion," he told Yahoo News.

From a PR perspective, Lumby argued, "the thing to do would have been to have Gass make a statement clarifying it was a joke and apologising for it being in poor taste".

"But it's in the context of comedy. It'd be different if a Democrat got up and made that joke at a rally," she said. "People that they appeal to in the first place are the sort of people who appreciate a bit of edgy comedy. I really think it's an overreaction.

The attack rocked America, and resulted in even more of a divide between Republicans and Democrats. Source: Associated Press

"When it comes to comedy, comedians have a contract with their audience. They'll say things that they mean the opposite of at times, you know, that's part of comedy. So there's a relationship of trust that's established between the comedian and his or her audience."

Violent jokes an 'unequal contest' between parties

Lumby makes the point that when it comes to jokes about violence, the Democrats and Trump-Republicans face an "unequal contest".

"You can really see that Democrats and progressives are in a bind, because the decent thing to do is to deplore violence. But at the same time, Trump-Republicans have no such a sense of decency," she said.

"Trump went out publicly and joked about Nancy Pelosi's husband being attacked with a hammer  Trump's gone no holds barred! So it's an unequal contest. It's incumbent on people on the progressive side of politics to deplore violence, whoever it's aimed at.

RELATED: Tenacious D cancels all remaining Aussie tour dates after 'bad' Trump joke backlash

"On the Trump side of politics, it's anything goes. He's actively encouraged violence. He's out there doing that all the time at his rallies. Not to mention the insurrection, and not to mention that Trump's supporters wanted to hang his vice president."

Back in 2022, a committee formed in the wake of the January 6 riots heard testimonies that indicated the then President Trump expressed support for hanging his deputy, after rioters who swarmed the Capitol were heard chanting "hang Mike Pence".

In September last year, Trump mocked Pelosi's 82-year-old husband's serious head injuries, telling a crowd of supporters: "Hows her husband doing by the way?" adding that a "wall around her house" didnt do a "good job" of protecting him.

Australia's US ambassador, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, said the comments made him "physically ill". "It makes me feel sick someone would joke about violence. Physically ill," he told media. "People might think its a bit of funny haha at a concert to mouth off about this stuff  its not."

Other conservative commentators held a similar stance.

United Australia Senator Ralph Babet on Tuesday demanded the band be deported from Australia over what he said was an "evil" joke. "I condemn in the strongest possible way the call to political violence by Tenacious D in Sydney on Sunday," he said.

"To advocate and or wish for the assassination of a president is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form."

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Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_
Royal Enfield has launched the new Guerrilla 450 in the Indian market after the success of the Himalayan 450 which was launched last year. It is important to note that the Himalayan is the donor model for the Guerrilla 450 so both motorcycles do share a few components. The price of the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 starts at 2.39 lakh ex-showroom introductory. Bookings in India are open and test rides and retails would start from 1st August.

The Guerrilla 450 is offered in three variants - Analogue, Dash and Flash. Where the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is an adventure tourer, the Guerrilla 450 is a roadster that is meant to run around the city. So, it gets slightly aggressive ergonomics with a lower handlebar and a bit rear-set foot pegs.

Also Read : Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 all-set to launch today. What to expect

There is a circular LED headlamp that we have seen on the new Royal Enfield motorcycles. The tail lamp and the exhaust unit have been carried over from the Himalayan 450. However, there is a difference in the seat. It is now a single-piece unit instead of a split setup. The fuel tank is also smaller because the Guerrilla will mostly be doing city duties.

Also Read : Royal Enfield Classic 650 trademark filed, will be the most affordable 650 Twin

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Specs

Powering the Guerrilla 450 is the Sherpa 450 engine that is doing on the Himalayan 450 as well. It is a 452 cc, single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that puts out 39.52 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 40 Nm of peak torque at 5,500 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch. However, Royal Enfield is using a different engine map for the Guerrilla 450.

The Guerrila 450 will be available in three variants.

Also Read : Royal Enfield's first electric bike patented, may launch in 

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Features

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 gets the same all-digital instrument cluster as the Himalayan 450 which comes with support for Google Maps. However, on the lower variant, there is an analogue instrument cluster with a digital display with Tripper pod which is being used on the Shotgun 650, Super Meteor 650 and other motorcycles. There is also a USB port to charge mobile devices and hazard lights. Royal Enfield is offering two riding modes, ride-by-wire technology and LED lighting.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Hardware

Royal Enfield is using a tubular frame with the engine as stressed member. It is suspended by 43 mm telescopic forks in the front and a monoshock at the rear. There is 140 mm of travel in the front and 150 mm of travel at the rear. Braking duties are being performed by 310 mm disc in the front and a 270 mm disc at the rear. There are 17-inch alloy wheels on offer that are wrapped in 120/70 and 160/60 tyres.

There are three variants and six colour options on offer with the Guerrilla 450.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Dimensions

The Guerrilla 450 has a wheelbase of 1,440 mm and ground clearance of 169 mm. The seat height is of 780 mm and it weighs 185 kg with all the fluids topped up. The fuel tank capacity is of 11 litres.

Check out Upcoming Bikes In India.

First Published Date:
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On July 15, Yu Chengdong, Chairman of Huawei's Consumer BG and the Intelligent Automotive Solution BU, disclosed on a live broadcast the latest developments in Huawei's car-making collaboration with JAC Group. The two companies new joint automotive brand will be named "Zunjie" (in Chinese pinyin), dispelling previous rumors of the name "Aojie."

AITO, LUXEED, STELATO lineup; photo credit: Huawei Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance

This announcement completes the naming of Huawei's collaborations with four car manufacturers. The other three brands are Wenjie (AITO in English) with SERES, Zhijie (LUXEED) with Chery, and Xiangjie (STELATO) with BAIC Group.

On the other hand, JAC Group recently also shared updates at the 2024 China Auto Forum. Xiang Xingchu, Chairman and General Manager of JAC Group, stated that the collaboration with Huawei is progressing rapidly. He revealed that their first vehicle has entered the comprehensive testing phase and is scheduled for production by the end of this year, with market launch expected in the first half of 2025. Development of subsequent models is also underway.

In March, Yu Chengdong hinted that the first model under the Zunjie brand would be priced at a premium, competing with ultra-luxury brands like Maybach and Rolls-Royce. To achieve this, Huawei and JAC Group have developed a new platform and smart electric architecture, planning multiple products. Their partnership, which began in 2019, has now seen the near completion of a factory with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 16, NIO celebrated the launch of its 50th battery swap station in Europe, marking a significant milestone in the company's expansion within the continent. This new facility is located in Oslo, Norway.

Photo credit: NIO

Back on September 16, 2022, NIO's first battery swap station in Europe, produced by the NIO Power Europe Plant in Hungary, was shipped to Germany. Beginning operation of the NIO Power Europe Plant is a landmark achievement, signifying NIO's strengthened presence in the European market. The plant promises enhanced efficiency and a comprehensive service system for smart electric vehicle users across Europe, offering an improved charging experience.

As of July 16 this year, NIO has established 50 battery swap stations and 19 electric vehicle charging stations across five European countries: Norway, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Additionally, NIO has had access to over 600,000 third-party charging piles. The company is committed to further expanding its charging and battery swapping infrastructure to provide a more convenient charging experience for its European customers.

Meanwhile, NIO has set up a total of 2,443 battery swap stations across China, 809 of which are built along expressways. The company has also operated 3,904 electric vehicle charging stations and 22,822 charging piles in the country. This extensive network positions NIO as the largest battery swap network operator globally and the leading automotive brand in China in terms of charging pile deployment.
Yves here. Extra links today due to Trump shooting post-mortems.

* * *

A history of contact: Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans ScienceDaily (Kevin W)

New Memristor Device Challenges the Von Neumann Bottleneck With Ionic Innovation SciTech Daily (Chuck L)

Startup Makes Butter Using CO2 and Water New Atlas

Belarus Registers Worlds First Patented Lung Cancer Vaccine From Cuba Sputnik (Robin K)

Self-Awareness Might Not Have Evolved to Benefit The Self After All ScienceAlert (Chuck L)

#COVID-19

Reminder: If you recently had covid, the recommendation is that you not exercise for at least 6-8 weekseven if your symptoms were mildto not put more stress on your body, which could lead to Long COVID. Conserve your energy as much as you can.  Milan  (@milanaldebaran) July 17, 2024 "New study links mild COVID to new health problems up to 3 years after virus passes"

And just to be clear, the whole 3 year thing is just because enough time hasn't passed to prove it's happening after 4, 5, 6, 7 years. https://t.co/0g2eqljanT  tern (@1goodtern) July 16, 2024

Climate/Environment

China?

Cyanide killed 6 foreigners in Bangkok hotel, police say DW

Haiti May End Up Foiling US Plans for Kenya Orinoco Tribune (Robin K)

European Disunion

Old Blighty

Gaza

New Not-So-Cold War

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch
Yves here. Having never used a check for payment at a retail store, I cannot confess to nostalgic attachment to this practice. In fact, even in the stone ages of my youth, I wondered why stores accepted them, since unless the customer was known and trusted, there was no fast and simple way to verify the check would not bounce.

However, this piece serves as an excuse to mention another facet of the war on cash, which could be reframed as the war on non-electronic payments (however, in fairness, the author below does urge retailers to use cash as the fallback for checks, and does not push electronic or card payments).

Your humble blogger does like to use a check to pay certain business expenses, since it makes it easy for my accountant to determine which vendor or contractor got the money. There are far too many mystery/poorly described entries on both bank and credit card statements, and its a time sink to sort them out.

However, banks of late have been pressuring customer hard to give up on checks. One friend had an experience that does make it make sense. Someone apparently got a check image, and then created a raft of fake checks and ran them through Chase successfully, getting roughly $20,000 from the account. What is astonishing is how poor the banks security was (and that the perp was clearly an insider and knew how to avoid triggers). The check were all just below $200, most in exactly the same amount, with check numbers outside the range of any checks printed on that account. Oh, and many checks were cleared each day on many successive days before anyone woke up to what was happening.

Chase did eventually restore most of the money, but (understandably) shut the consumers account, depriving them of access of the rest of the funds in the account for what I inferred was an unpleasantly long time (the customer was well heeled but the compromised account was the primary transaction account and working around the loss of that was not easy). The customer also had to go to a branch in person (I dont recall how many times) to get a new account opened and the sequestered funds moved over.

I recently opened a small business account at Citi and was given a huge lecture about not using checks due to account compromise risk and was urged to use their ACH. But the amount of set-up when I only have 10-12 parties I pay this way was grotesquely disproportionate. Apparently their small business customers are much bigger than me and have accounts payable staffers who would use a system like this often and so would become conversant in this bloatware and not forget how it operated between uses. I dont write checks often enough to justify the time cost of such a cumbersome, feature-larded system.

By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University. Originally published at The Conversation

Can you still use a check to make purchases? In increasing numbers of stores across the U.S., the answer is no. The large retailer Target stopped accepting checks on July 15, 2024. It follows decisions a decade earlier by supermarketchains Whole Foods and Aldi to no longer accept this form of payment.

Target said it was phasing out checks because not many customers use them. Its a fair point: Check usage has fallen dramatically around the world in recent decades.

However, as a business school professor who studies how people pay for goods and services, I wonder if Target might have another, unspoken motivation. After all, customers started the switch away from checks years ago. Whats new today is a rise in check fraud.

A Brief History of Checking

Checks have been around a long time  centuries, in fact. Paper checks are simply directions telling banks how much money to move from one account to another. Today, these directions take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to be carried out. Thats why stores prefer customers pay with debit cards, which act like checks but remove money from an account immediately.

Checks were a huge part of the U.S. economy only a few decades ago. The Federal Reserve, the U.S.s central bank, processed 17 billion checks a year back in 2000, compared with 3 billion today.

While the Fed doesnt process every check  for example, checks written between accounts at the same bank dont go through the Fed system  the numbers offer a sense of the overall decline. In 2000, the average American wrote roughly 60 checks cleared by the Fed each year, compared with about nine today.

Until 20 years ago, all checks had to be physically returned to the person writing the check after they were processed so that the writer could make sure the amount they wrote the check for matched what was deducted from their account. Years ago, I paid all my bills by check, and each month, my bank would send a fat envelope  which I never opened  containing my canceled checks.

To physically return all the checks, the government maintained a special fleet of planes that each night flew canceled checks around the country. Then in 2004, a new law allowed banks to send customers pictures of their checks, which eliminated the need to fly them.

Who Still Writes Checks in 2024?

While the Fed may be processing 80% fewer checks than it was in the early 2000s, its data shows the average person is still writing at least nine checks a year. So who is writing all those checks? The answer includes many people who deny ever writing checks.

Let me explain. Many people now use their banks online bill payment service. While many of these payments are done electronically, payments to smaller businesses and individuals are done by the bank writing a check on your behalf.

Plus, there are still people who write out checks to landlords, contractors, charities and government agencies. Many people still give checks at weddings, births and other special occasions. Last, many businesses still write checks to other businesses when paying their bills.

Why Stores Dont Want Checks

Given that checks are still being used  albeit less often than before  why are businesses like Target, Whole Foods and Aldi refusing them? I think an important part of the story is that check fraud is becoming rampant in the U.S.

The U.S. Treasury has a dedicated department that fights monetary crimes, called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCen for short. FinCen gets Suspicious Activity Reports from banks about activities from money laundering to loan fraud. FinCen reports that the number of check fraud cases has exploded since 2020, nearly doubling from 2021 to 2022.

One of the biggest places where this fraud occurs are checks written at the cash register. As the Atlanta Fed points out, Anyone with graphics software and a high-quality printer can readily turn out counterfeit checks.

Merchants are hit with a double whammy when check fraud occurs. First, they lose the merchandise, which cannot be sold to a legitimate customer. Then, unlike shoplifting, the store is faced with more financial pain because most banks charge both the merchant and the check writer when a counterfeit check is presented. Both sides are charged because the Federal Reserve charges high fees for returning uncollectable checks.

Targets most recent annual report mentioned a problem with theft, saying, We continue to experience higher inventory shrink, as a percentage of sales, relative to historical levels. Translated into plain language, this means people are stealing more from Target than they have in the past.

The increase in check fraud means Targets recent announcement will likely be repeated soon by other chains. I expect in the future only stores like Costco, which photograph every member and has every customers address on file, will allow checks.

Since retailers often raise prices when check fraud happens to cover the losses, curbing check fraud lowers prices and is in the interest of every honest consumer.

And for those stores worried about increasing check, debit and credit card fraud, there is a simple answer: Encourage your customers to use cash. Paper money is safe and secure, and once handed over, any retailer knows the transaction is paid. Going old-school with paper money has real benefits.
International Bird Flu Summit discussing mass fatality management plan to be held in Washington, D.C. before election

An International Bird Flu Summit has been scheduled for October in Washington, D.C., prompting concerns that another plandemic could be in the works.

An official brochure for the event, which will take place from October 2 to 4, says that it will focus on a highly virulent strain" of the virus that has the ability to infect humans.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been getting increasing air time in the media lately, with some sources claiming it could have a death rate of between 25 and 50 percent. The CDC recently confirmed a fourth human case of the virus in the U.S. linked to a multistate outbreak involving dairy cows. However, all of the cases so far have involved people who work on dairy farms with infected cows. The person in the latest case only experienced eye symptoms and made a full recovery.

However, while the CDC believes the current risk to the public is low, the summit seeks to capitalize on fears that this is the start of the next pandemic. The informational brochure notes: With the emergence of a highly virulent strain of bird flu affecting both cattle and humans, it is imperative that we come together to discuss preparedness, response strategies, and the future implications of this evolving situation.

One of the breakout sessions planned will focus on the topic of Mass Fatality Management Planning, while another session, Global Influenza Surveillance Networks & Delivery of Vaccine & Antiviral Medication will discuss vaccine optimization and equitable access, among other subjects.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Another worrying topic they intend to address is Surveillance and Data Management. The organizers note in the description that the session on this subject will Discuss strategies for enhancing surveillance systems, early warning mechanisms, and rapid response protocols, which sounds a lot like the digital health passports that were used to keep unvaccinated people out of all manner of stores and venues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conferences website identifies several groups under the category of who should attend, including public health officials, epidemiologists, government representatives, policy makers, NGOs, and those in the pharmaceutical industry.

Independent journalist Leo Hohmann believes this convention could be meant to influence people ahead of the election, noting: The scare mongering is ratcheting up quickly, just as we approach the November presidential election. Whether this next pandemic will be timed for November or sometime in 2025, its not a good sign that the elites have scheduled this tabletop exercise.

Vaccine programs already underway for bird flu

Finland has already started to vaccinate vulnerable populations, such as farm workers, against bird flu from its stock of 10,000 two-dose vaccine series that it obtained in a deal between the EU and vaccine maker CSL Seqirus that will provide 15 nations with 40 million vaccines.

The American government has given Moderna a $176 million contract to develop an mRNA bird flu vaccine, completely ignoring the numerous failures of the mRNA vaccines they came up with for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that dozens of cows with bird flu have died or been slaughtered in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Colorado and Michigan, something that Forbes notes is unusual because cows are expensive to slaughter and 90 percent of them typically make a full recovery.

The World Health Organization notes that bird flu does not transmit easily from person-to-person and that in the rare cases in which it has affected humans, the individuals involved had close contact with infected poultry. Nevertheless, they note that human-to-human spread of bird flu has pandemic potential.

Sources for this article include:

LeoHohmann.SubStack.com

CDC.gov

Forbes.com
Canadian doctor brags about killing hundreds through ASSISTED SUICIDE

A doctor in Canada is proud of her assisted suicide kill count

Jonathan Von Maren outlined this in a July 10 piece on LifeSiteNews, naming the killer as Dr. Ellen Wiebe. The doctor apparently "has never shied away from speaking publicly about the act of ending someone's life," per a July 6 feature by the National Post. The same piece also mentioned that "for Wiebe, medical assistance in dying (MAiD) is 'incredibly rewarding' work."

A former abortion provider, Wiebe has since shifted to providing euthanasia  still in the category of taking lives and playing God. While she insists that she only helps people die, she has actively ended their lives by lethal injection. Wiebe told the National Post's Sharon Kirkey that her kill count totals in the "hundreds."

"I know the exact number. It's become a weird thing, people talking about their numbers or criticizing people who talk about their numbers," the doctor said. But during a testimony before the Canadian Parliament's special committee on MAiD, Wiebe confessed to ending at least 430 lives by May 2022.

Wiebe has gained many nicknames, including the "pro-choice doctor providing peaceful deaths" and a "de facto ambassador" of MAiD. Despite this, she acknowledged that not everyone is happy about her work. "We know that angry family members are our greatest risk," she told euthanasia advocates in Scotland, adding that these family members are most likely to bring up complaints against euthanasia practitioners.

The bad doctor has also insisted that the killing she does be carefully cloaked in Orwellian language. Wiebe reportedly told a podcaster: "In Canada, we don't use the term euthanasia. That's what we use for our pets. Here, we call it assisted dying."

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Wiebe ought to serve as a warning to Canada

According to Wiebe, both euthanasia and infanticide are "about honoring people's wishes" and "empowering people to have control over their own lives." She also remarked: "It's wonderful that I have the opportunity to do that."

Wiebe has faced multiple complaints against her to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. In one instance, the relatives of "Ms. S"  a 56-year-old woman with advanced multiple sclerosis  lodged a complaint against her in 2017 over her provision of death to the patient. Ms. S reportedly starved herself to meet eligibility criteria that her death was "reasonably foreseeable."

Also in 2017, Wiebe was accused of "borderline unethical" behavior for entering the Louis Brier Home & Hospital, an Orthodox Jewish long-term care home in Vancouver. She reportedly provided assisted suicide to 83-year-old cancer patient Barry Hyman, despite being aware that the facility prohibited MAiD on its premises. Hyman's family had invited Wiebe in to honor his wish to die in his room.

The doctor's pro-death stance was a far cry from her origins in a conservative, Bible-believing Mennonite home in Alberta province. She abandoned her faith by age 17 and eventually went astray. This culminated with Wiebe and her colleague, also an abortionist, flying to the Netherlands in 2016 to meet with euthanasia practitioners and learn the trade.

Von Maren concluded his piece by stating that Wiebe's enthusiasm about assisted suicide should serve as "a warning for Canada." He added: "We have seen tens of thousands of Canadians die by lethal injection and many others speak out about how they feel pressured or pushed into euthanasia." (Related: OFFING THE POOR: Canadian man facing homelessness applies for medically assisted death.)

Head over to Euthanasia.news for similar stories.

Watch a shocking video on legal assisted suicide for kids in Canada.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Disabled Canadian man reveals hes been offered EUTHANASIA multiple times by hospital staff.

Physically healthy 28-year-old Dutch woman with autism and depression given approval to end her life through assisted suicide.

HOSPITAL HOMICIDE: New study points to evidence that some COVID-19 patients were euthanized by hospitals.

Social media influencers pushing ASSISTED SUICIDE on children: "It's OK to pass away today."

Globalists aiming to "peacefully" depopulate six billion people with mass euthanasia.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

Brighteon.com
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Changan Mazda rolls off all-electric MAZDA EZ-6 model

On July 17, Changan Mazda celebrated the production of its first B-segment sedan riding on a BEV (battery electric vehicle)-dedicated platform, the MAZDA EZ-6, at its Nanjing factory.

Photo credit: Changan Mazda

Great Wall Motor hits production milestone of 600,000th POER pickup

Recently, the 600,000th vehicle under Great Wall Motor's high-end pickup range, POER, officially came off the automakers factory in Jingmen city, Hubei province, according to a post on Great Wall Motor's WeChat account.

Trumpchi E8's Honor Edition MPV hits market, starting at only 166,800 yuan

GAC Group's Trumpchi brand officially put the E8 Honor Edition onto the market with two editions offered: the Honor Edition priced at 179,800 yuan and the Zhizai Edition priced at 166,800 yuan. The Trumpchi E8 Honor Edition is positioned as a mid-sized hybrid electric MPV and features the i-GTEC2.0 super hybrid power system. Previously, the Trumpchi E8 was only available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle model.

NIO Energy shares charging facilities with Huawei HIMA's users

On July 17, NIO Energy and Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) officially announced a collaboration to improve charging services.

NIO's 50th battery swap station in Europe comes online

On July 16, NIO celebrated the launch of its 50th battery swap station in Europe, marking a significant milestone in the company's expansion within the continent. This new facility is located in Oslo, Norway.

GAC AION inaugurates Thailand factory with 2nd-generation AION V model rolling off production line

On July 17, GAC AION announced the completion and commencement of operations at its new smart factory in Rayong, Thailand. At the factory, it also celebrated the global rollout of the second-generation AION V.

Hesai Technology serves as supplier of Baidu Apollo sixth-generation Robotaxi's primary LiDAR

LiDAR maker Hesai Technology announced that Baidu Apollo's sixth-generation Apollo Go Robotaxi, which is powered by Hesais LiDAR, will be released to the market this year.

Li Auto sets up dedicated unit for end-to-end smart driving large model R&D

Recently, Chinese new energy vehicle maker Li Auto announced its entry into the development of end-to-end large models. Earlier this month, during its intelligent driving summer launch event, Li Auto unveiled a new autonomous driving technology architecture based on end-to-end models, VLM (Vision Language Model), and world models. The company also initiated an early bird program for this new architecture.

Nullmax launches pure-vision multimodal autonomous driving tech 'Nullmax Intelligence'

On July 16, autonomous driving tech company Nullmax officially launched its next-generation autonomous driving technology, Nullmax Intelligence (NI). The new technology focuses on developing full-scenario autonomous driving applications with pure vision, true HD map-less, and multimodal capabilities to drive the evolution of automotive intelligence.

TOSUN partners with UK's Acur8 for local EV solution development

Recently, Shanghai TOSUN Technology Co., Ltd., a provider of automotive electronic toolchain products, officially signed a long-term partnership agreement with Acur8 Engineering Ltd. This collaboration marks TOSUN's first overseas distributor in the European market, signifying a major breakthrough in its global expansion efforts.

NavInfo's AutoChips puts new intelligent cockpit chip into mass production

NavInfo's automotive chip arm AutoChips announced that its new-generation intelligent cockpit domain controller SoC, the AC8025, has been integrated into the intelligent cockpit system of a domestic automotive brand, marking the chip's entry into mass production.

Huawei's Yu Chengdong discloses official name of new luxury EV brand with JAC Group

On July 15, Yu Chengdong, Chairman of Huawei's Consumer BG and the Intelligent Automotive Solution BU, disclosed on a live broadcast the latest developments in Huawei's car-making collaboration with JAC Group. The two companies' new joint automotive brand will be named "Zunjie" (in Chinese pinyin), dispelling previous rumors of the name "Aojie."
Charlie Kirk absurdly claims Israeli attack on USS Liberty is a conspiracy theory

Political activist and talk show host Charlie Kirks historical ignorance was on full display recently when he tried to claim that Israels attack on the USS Liberty, a well-documented historical event that even Israel itself does not dispute and has officially apologized for, is a conspiracy theory.

In video footage shared online of an event with Kirk, an attendee who was given the opportunity to ask him a question said: From America First perspective, why do we give 3.8 billion dollars to Israel, which is more aid than weve given to Africa, more aid than weve given to South America, and more aid than weve given to the Caribbean combined, which is home to a billion poor people, especially when they deliberately attacked the USS Liberty in the 1970s?

Kirk interrupts him to say: That is incorrect. Do not peddle conspiracy theories in our event. That is not acceptable. Do not say that. The anger in his voice is palpable as he tries to silence the man for bringing up an event whose existence has never been in doubt.

Okay, Dean Rusk disagrees with you and he was the Secretary of State at the time, but thats fine, the man says before moving on to his next question, apparently deciding it was not his job to educate Kirk, a community college dropout, on history.

Charlie, we have news for you: the attack absolutely did occur, and the families of the 34 Americans it killed and the 171 who were wounded likely wish it was nothing more than a conspiracy theory. If the incident truly never happened, what would compel Israel to apologize for it and offer millions of dollars in compensation for the incident and restitution for the victims?

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Israel attacked USS Liberty during the Six-Day War, killing 34 Americans and injuring 171

The USS Liberty was a noncombatant naval technical research vessel, and it was sent to the waters off the Northern Sinai coast during the Six-Day War in 1967 by the National Security Agency to monitor what was going on around the front lines in Syria and Egypt.

An Israeli aircraft carrying out routine reconnaissance spotted the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967, and reportedly couldnt determine its country of origin. Those on the boat reported an unknown aircraft circling overhead, and their commanders ordered them to destroy the sensitive documents they had on board.

Shortly thereafter, Israel launched a two-hour attack on the boat that involved slamming it with torpedoes, napalm and bombs. Survivors say the aircraft was not marked and strafed their life rafts, while the ships distress signals were reportedly blocked by the Israelis.

The Israelis later claimed that they mistook the ship for an Egyptian one, and Israeli and American government inquiries concluded this was the case. However, many survivors dont buy their story because the ship was flying an American flag and had the name USS Liberty written on its hull.

While accidents can and do happen in the heat of war, especially at a time when technology wasnt nearly as advanced as it is today, some survivors and American officials think the Israelis had plenty of motivation to deliberately attack the ship. Some theorize they may have wanted to cover up their plans to seize the Golan Heights, which the ship may have picked up with its listening devices, or they might have wanted to bring U.S. into the war on the Israeli side.

Then-U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk, whose name was mentioned by the man questioning Kirk, was one of those who did not accept the official Israeli explanation, saying: I didn't believe them then, and I don't believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous.

Whether the attack was a case of mistaken identity, as the Israelis claim, or something more sinister aimed at stopping a U.S. intelligence operation, there is one thing that has never been in dispute: Israel, as the man at the event claimed, deliberately attacked the USS Liberty in the 1970s, and the fact that Kirk labeled it a conspiracy theory because it is inconvenient to whatever narrative he is trying to peddle should be enough to make anyone question every word that comes out of his mouth.

Sources for this article include:

Military.com

X.com

History.com
Death toll in Gaza could hit nearly 600,000 people as indirect deaths pile up, The Lancet projects

A new report from the medical journal The Lancet estimates that as many as 598,000 Palestinians could die as a result of Israels attacks on Gaza if the war were to end today.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported just shy of 38,000 deaths since the war began, but there are numerous obstacles facing those trying to keep count, and the death toll continues to rise.

The Lancet argues that it is important to also consider indirect deaths in the tally. The numbers that are typically reported include those who have died in attacks such as airstrikes, but there are even more Palestinians who are dying in Gaza every day due to starvation and other problems who would have likely otherwise lived had the war not taken place.

These indirect deaths could continue well into the future due to the spread of disease, severe water and food shortages, and highly damaged healthcare infrastructure.

In recent conflicts, such indirect deaths range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths. Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza, the journal notes.

This conservative estimate would equate to nearly 9% of the Gaza population. However, a more cynical calculation using the upper estimate of 15 indirect deaths for every direct death would place the death toll at 598,336, which represents 26% of the Gazan population.

The journal also drew attention to the challenges involved in accurately counting deaths, especially as the war continues. Many bodies are buried beneath the rubble of buildings and homes that were bombed by Israel, and they have not all been recovered and identified. Meanwhile, the difficulties involved in identifying certain bodies has led the ministry to report identified deaths, where they know the victims name, in a separate category from unidentified deaths.

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Current death toll figures are likely a significant underestimate

The figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry are based on reports by hospital officials, which means they only include bodies of the dead brought to hospitals and injured individuals who died while under the care of a hospital. The fact that many of Gazas hospitals are no longer functioning is only adding to the chaos.

Its easy to see how the official figures could be a dramatic underestimate of what is really happening there. In late February, the United Nations estimated that more than a third of the buildings in the Gaza Strip had been destroyed by bombing and 10,000 bodies could be buried under the rubble. An NGO that tracked deaths during the 2003 war in Iraq, Airwars, determined that not all of the identifiable victims have been included in the list provided by the Gaza Health Ministry.

The studys authors also address accusations that the Gaza Health Ministry has a vested interest in inflating the numbers. They note that Israeli intelligence and international rights organizations have accepted their figures as accurate, and studies have not shown any evidence they are inflating the numbers. As the authors of the current study note, the number is far more likely to be an underestimate than an overestimate.

Sadly, the deliberate destruction of the infrastructure in Gaza needed to support human life in every respect, from food, water and shelter to sewage, sanitation and healthcare, means that the suffering in Gaza is far from over, and the death toll is going to continue to climb.

Sources for this article include:

TheCradle.co

TheLancet.com
Check out the FBI employee and other TDS exhibitors who posted disappointment that Trump wasnt assassinated

The internet is awash with frustration as leftists who hate Donald Trump moan and rage about the fact that the former president is still not dead.

One of them, Jenna Howell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), complained on Facebook using a meme that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old Pennsylvania Republican who reportedly tried to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Penn., failed to strike the former president's head rather than just his upper ear.

"Awwww so close," reads a meme shared by Howell depicting the grim reaper playing an arcade game in which a claw drops a toy made in the image of Trump  see below:

Howell works in the FBI's NICS firearms background check unit, by the way. She holds top secret clearance and is an outspoken opponent of the Second Amendment.

A product of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that Howell helps manage was named after James Brady, who was wounded in an assassination attempt on the late former President Ronald Reagan.

"Jenna is a typical 'pro-Palestine,' rabid 'LGBTQIA+ ally' and hater of conservatives across the board," tweeted podcaster and "recovering FBI agent" turned whistleblower Kyle Seraphin.

"She is confrontational and insulting to veterans with total impunity. The FBI culture encourages and empowers these low level Leftists."

Jenna Howell, an @FBI employee who works in the NICS firearms background check unit, posted her disappointment @realDonaldTrump survived an assassination attempt. Jenna has a Top Secret clearance. This is a typical #FBI support employee. And she hates gun owners. The National pic.twitter.com/0L48K6XxoV  Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) July 14, 2024

(Related: Just a few days before Crooks shot at Trump, actress and "professional lesbian" Lea DeLaria, 66, posted a video of herself on Instagram calling for Joe Biden to assassinate Trump using the Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling as cover.)

Rep. Benny Thompson's staffer tweets that next shooter needs to make sure he hits target Trump

Not to be outdone by Howell was Jacqueline Marsaw, staffer of Congressman Benny Thompson (D-Miss.) who basically tweeted that someone else should pick up where Crooks left off and actually hit target Trump the next time around.

"I don't condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time ooops [sic] that wasn't me talking," Marsaw tweeted with full unprofessionalism.

Responding to Marsaw's tweet, Newt Gingrich called for her immediate firing, especially after it was revealed that she introduced the very resolution that cut off Secret Service protection for Trump back in April.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

"With staff like this, the poison is deep, Gingrich wrote.

Biden called for Trump's assassination on July 8

Joe Biden technically called for the very same thing on July 8, 2024, when he tweeted that he and America are "done talking about the debate" because "it's time to put Trump in a bullseye."

"Defend that. Go ahead," responded Joe Concha about Biden's call to assassinate Trump. "Try to defend that rhetoric after what we all just witnessed with Trump coming with [sic] a centimeter of being assassinated."

CNN's Jake Tapper was quick to defend Biden's call for Trump to be assassinated, claiming that "there is no proof that such rhetoric caused this shooting." Keep in mind that Tapper once blamed Sarah Palin for causing the shooting of Gabby Giffords.

"Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation," Biden also tweeted back on June 28, 2024. "He's a threat to our freedom. He's a threat to our democracy. He's literally a threat to everything America stands for."

Colorado congressman calls Trump "the devil" after shooting

Denver lawmaker Rep. Steven Woodrow (D-Colo.) tweeted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the Trump rally in Butler, Penn., that "The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are," the "devil," in this context, referring to Trump.

Woodrow later apologized for the comment after public outcry backed him into a corner.

"We must always resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box  not through violence," Woodrow said in a carefully crafted statement. "I know people are hurting, and (I) apologize that my words caused additional pain."

House Democrats sponsored bill to strip Trump of Secret Service protection before Butler rally

The following nine Democrat members of the House of Representatives, many of them from the Black Caucus, sponsored House Resolution 8081 to strip Trump of his Secret Service protection  this before his recent rally in Butler:

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.)

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Fla.)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Bonnie Coleman (D-N.J.)

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.)

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio)

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)

"Anyone in a position of public service making comments like that has no place in government," wrote "MAG2A us" (@armsparts2) on X about all these political calls for Trump to be assassinated.

"Thompson's actions and his staffer's words show a dangerous level of disrespect and hostility. She should be fired immediately, and there needs to be a thorough investigation into this toxic behavior."

Another wrote concerning Jenna Howell's comments that Beth Ann Coyne, the woman she worked for, "should have a talk with Jenna about the Hatch Act covering on-duty Facebook posts."

"Seems like her clearance should be suspended while they get to the bottom of it."

"I wonder if we had the forethought to grab some choice screenshots of Jenna Howell's FB page before sharing it here? Kyle Seraphin wrote. "That would be a heads-up move."

The latest news about Trump's re-run for the White House in 2024 can be found at Trump.news.

Sources for this article include:

X.com

NaturalNews.com

X.com

DenverPost.com
Israeli army approves BRUTAL and SHOCKING free-for-all violence in Gaza

Al Jazeera broadcasted several disturbing videos of what was described as "summary executions" last month. In the videos, Israeli soldiers can be seen shooting Palestinians walking near the coastal road in the Gaza Strip on three separate occasions.

In all the videos, the Palestinians seemed unarmed and did not pose any immediate threat to the soldiers. Footage like this is rare because of the severe restrictions faced by journalists in the area and the constant danger to their lives.

But these executions, which did not seem to have any security rationale, are supported by the testimonies of six Israeli soldiers who spoke to interviewers after their release from active duty in Gaza in recent months.

Israeli soldiers "authorized" to open fire at will on Palestinians

The testimony of the six soldiers corroborated the testimonies of Palestinian eyewitnesses and doctors throughout the Israel-Hamas war. According to the soldiers, they were "authorized to open fire on Palestinians virtually at will, including civilians."

All but one of the six sources spoke under the condition of anonymity. They discussed how Israel Defense Forces (IDF) often executed Palestinian civilians just because they entered an area that the military considered a "no-go zone."

Two of the soldiers also testified to a brutal policy of setting Palestinian homes on fire after occupying them. (Related: Congress orders State Department to cover up Israels war crime death toll.)

Several sources talked of how the ability to shoot without restrictions gave soldiers a way to get rid of their pent-up energy or to relieve their boring daily routine.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

S, a reservist who served in northern Gaza, said some soldiers "want to experience the event [fully]." S often fired a few bullets for no reason, and these incidents were reported as "normal fire," a codename for "Im bored, so I shoot."

B, another soldier who served in the regular forces in Gaza for several months, including in his battalions command center, explained that they had "total freedom of action." In Gaza, Israeli soldiers were free to shoot even if they only had "a feeling of threat."

B added that when soldiers see someone approaching, they are allowed "to shoot at their center of mass [their body], not into the air." The soldiers could shoot anyone, from a young girl to an old woman.

In Gaza, every man between 16-50 is "suspected of being a terrorist"

B also explained that it was often difficult to distinguish civilians from combatants in Gaza because Hamas members usually walked around "without their weapons." However, this meant every man "between the ages of 16 and 50 is suspected of being a terrorist."

Because it is forbidden to walk around the area, soldiers consider anyone who is outside suspicious. The army believes that any contact with the population endangers soldiers, and a situation must be created in which it is forbidden to approach them under any circumstances.

B added that this taught the Palestinians to run away if soldiers entered an area.

Soldiers also engaged in extensive shooting even in areas that are seemingly unpopulated or abandoned areas of Gaza in a procedure called "demonstrating presence."

S said some of his fellow soldiers would shoot their guns, even without a valid reason. He added that sometimes, soldiers would shoot to flush out anyone who could be hiding.

M, another reservist who served in the Gaza Strip, said these orders would come directly from company or battalion commanders in the field. M added that if there weren't other IDF forces in the area, soldiers would engage in "very unrestricted" shooting using small arms, machine guns, tanks and mortars.

Even without orders from above, M said soldiers in the field regularly take the law into their own hands and get permission to shoot.

S said he once heard over the radio about a soldier stationed in a protective compound who shot a Palestinian family walking nearby. The soldier first said there were "four people."

But S said the family was made up of two adults and two children.

The only soldier interviewed willing to be identified by name was Yuval Green, a 26-year-old reservist from Jerusalem.

Green, who served in the 55th Paratroopers Brigade in November and December 2023, recently signed a letter by 41 reservists announcing their refusal to continue serving in Gaza, following the armys invasion of Rafah.

Green said there were also no restrictions on ammunition.

Presently, 324 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. The army claims that at least 28 of them died by friendly fire.

Green said these incidents were the "main issue" endangering soldiers lives. He added the friendly fire stressed him out at times.

A, an officer who served in the armys Operations Directorate, testified that his brigades operations room, which "coordinates the fighting from outside Gaza, approving targets and preventing friendly fire," did not receive clear open-fire orders to transmit to soldiers on the ground.

A explained that the soldiers weren't briefed, and no one received instructions from higher up to pass on to the soldiers and battalion commanders. A also said that while there were instructions not to shoot along humanitarian routes, in other areas soldiers had to "fill in the blanks."

Most of the time, soldiers operated under the assumption that if shooting was forbidden in one area, it could be permitted in another.

A explained that shooting at areas like clinics, hospitals, schools, religious institutions and buildings of international organizations required higher authorization. However, soldiers were rarely told not to shoot.

An IDF spokesperson who responded to a request for comment sent the following statement: "Open-fire instructions were given to all IDF soldiers fighting in the Gaza Strip and on the borders upon entering combat. These instructions reflect the international law to which the IDF is bound."

The spokesperson claimed that open-fire instructions are regularly reviewed and updated while considering the changing operational and intelligence situation and that they are "approved by the most senior officials in the IDF."

Visit IsraelCollapse.com for more updates about the ongoing conflict and genocide in Gaza.

Watch the video below as a displaced family from Gaza talks about their current living conditions.

This video is from the alltheworldsastage channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Pentagon chief recommends avoiding Israel-Hezbollah war but sends fighter jets to Israel anyway.

Documents reveal Israeli governments concerted effort to promote Zionist propaganda across U.S. media.

Israeli military investigation reveals many Oct. 7 Israeli casualties were caused by IDF rather than Hamas.

Over 47,000 Palestinians killed, wounded or missing in Gaza since Oct. 7.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

972Mag.com

Brighteon.com
Ivermectins neuroprotective properties could protect against damage from EMFs, vaccines

Science has uncovered more uses for the generic antiparasitic drug ivermectin, which was the subject of great controversy during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" because it was recommended by President Trump as both a treatment and as a prophylactic for the illness.

It turns out that ivermectin can be repurposed to treat many different health conditions beyond just parasites and COVID, including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and more.

Dr. William Makis recently wrote a piece specifically about ivermectin's neuroprotective benefits that cites a number of studies about the drug's efficacy. He found that ivermectin bears unique properties that promote remyelination in demyelination diseases such as MS, which adds to the drug's long-known potential use against motor neuron disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Ivermectin is so powerfully effective at repairing and protecting the nervous system that Belgian scientists filed a patent application for the drug back in 2007, which was covered in a paper called "Use of ivermectin and derivates thereof for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" (Publication No.: WO/2008/034202A3).

(Related: Dr. Mary Talley Bowden says she has successfully treated many of her COVID patients with ivermectin.)

mRNA causes Parkinson's

Most of ivermectin's neuroprotective power lies in its ability to modulate P2X4 receptors, which also gives the drug strong potential to help prevent alcohol use disorders by reducing alcohol cravings, this in addition to helping prevent motor neuron disease.

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

"Ivermectin (IVM), a positive modulator of P2X4Rs, enhanced levodopa (L-DOPA)-induced motor behaviour," new research on the subject explains. "Thus, IVM is increasing striatal dopamine release through enhanced cholinergic activity on dopamine terminals."

Recognizing that humans in the modern age are regularly bombarded with electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) and other toxins that disrupt proper nervous system function, ivermectin might be worth taking for preventative purposes to keep the nervous system optimized through stabilization of P2X4 receptors.

Stabilizing P2X4 receptors is important because expression of P2X4 is a major driving factor in ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, chronic neuropathic pain, migraines, epilepsy, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety.

"In various pathological states, such as trauma, ischemia, chronic pain, neurodegenerative processes and several neuropsychiatric disorders, de novo expression of P2X4 and / or an increase in cell surface P2X4 density has been reported in microglia and / or neurons, thus suggesting possible key and multiple roles of neuronal and microglial P2X4 receptors in the establishment and/or maintenance of these pathologies," research shows.

"Changes in the intracellular expression of P2X4 may also have important consequences in the pathophysiological context."

Keep in mind that the mRNA (modRNA) "vaccines" introduced through Operation Warp Speed during COVID are also linked to the development of these various nervous system disorders, which taking ivermectin could help to remediate.

"Ivermectin may not just be the anti-parasitic, anti-cancer, anti-viral repurposed drug we recognise but may have multiple other neuroprotective benefits for humanity in an era where we all may be subjected to neurotoxins  some apparent, and others invisible like EMF," writes Dr. Justus R. Hope about the findings.

It is important to note that ivermectin has been linked to a downturn in births among sheep given the antiparasitic drug for veterinary purposes. Some people believe that this points to ivermectin possibly affecting fertility in a negative way, so do your own due diligence.

"Take active charcoal and eat cilantro and other detox foods," one of our readers commented about how to target parasites naturally.

Another suggested chlorine dioxide (ClO2) at a dose of one drop per 50 pounds of weight in water daily to keep the body cleansed of parasites and toxins.

Learn more about how to protect your health naturally at Remedies.news.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
Software expert: Thousands of DUPLICATE BALLOTS were counted during 2020 election in Fulton County

Thousands of duplicate ballots were reportedly counted during the 2020 election in Georgia's Fulton County, according to a software expert's court filing.

Per the filing, a state review of the county's audit of the 2020 presidential results found errors and inconsistencies in the vote count. This included around 3,000 duplicate ballots cast for President Joe Biden and illegally counted. Unfortunately, the state review and outside experts deemed the errors weren't enough to alter the election results.

Philip Davis, the software expert, later provided detailed testimony on how election workers allegedly manipulated the ballot-counting process using different tabulators. He expounded on the mechanics of the alleged vote fraud before state lawmakers. (Related: Vote fraud: Illinois primary votes are being switched between different candidates.)

"Youll see that they took batches from tabulator 794, batches eight through 11. They brought it to tabulator 791. They then started grabbing pieces of those four batches," the software expert said.

"With those four pieces, they made up brand new batches for tabulator 794. Some of the ballots were in reverse order. They were from multiple batches. In the very first one, you can see that they took batch 22, 20 ballots in reverse; batch 23, four ballots in normal order; batch 20, 10 ballots in reverse; batch 23, five more ballots and so on. This pattern repeats over and over for tabulator 794."

Davis' testimony highlighted a repetitive pattern, suggesting a systematic approach to duplicating ballots. "We see the exact same pattern repeated with a different set of ballots. So once again, they got ballots from tabulator 791. They grabbed four sets of batches," he continued. "They did create brand new batches by picking and choosing pieces out of those other batches to make the new batches. That would be tabulator 74 batches 20 through 26."

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Election integrity a major problem in the Peach State

According to YourNews, these alleged actions took place in Georgia during the contentious 2020 election, which Biden won by a narrow margin of 11,779 votes. This victory came after Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger assured on Nov. 4, 2020 that the ballot counting was nearly complete and that former President Donald Trump's substantial lead of over 103,000 votes was secure.

Davis's revelations suggest that the counting of ballots multiple times could significantly alter election outcomes. He further testified that 3,030 duplicate ballots were counted in Fulton County during the machine recount.

The implications of these allegations are profound, raising questions about the integrity of the election process in Georgia. With the narrow margin of victory in the state, the impact of the alleged duplicate ballots could be substantial. The testimony has sparked renewed calls for comprehensive election audits and reforms to ensure the accuracy and fairness of future elections.

Meanwhile, a federal judge is expected to issue a ruling on whether Georgia's voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems are vulnerable to hacking and violate voters' constitutional rights. The ruling threatens to shake up the Peach State's election procedures heading into the 2024 presidential campaign.

The lawsuit was filed by a good government group in 2017, years before Trump claimed allegations of election fraud. The trial for this case featured a testimony by cybersecurity expert J. Alex Halderman, who demonstrated a dramatic machine hack in open court.

The state purchased and implemented the existing Dominion system with a whopping $107 million contract, which includes ballot-marking devices that allow voters to make their choices on electronic voting machines. The machines then print receipts, with plain-text summaries of the voters choices and QR codes that the ballot scanners use to count the voters' choices. But in 2019, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg barred the state from using its last completely digital voting system over concerns about the security of the paperless system.

Visit VoteFraud.news for similar stories.

Listen to the Health Ranger Mike Adams explaining how to stop vote fraud using amnesty confessions.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Vote fraud looms: Biden administration plotting a federal takeover of the 2022 midterm elections.

Flashback: Vote fraud specialist reveals his secrets about how to steal elections.

BUSTED: Election official dismissed vote fraud allegations as his county benefited from Zuckerberg-linked nonprofit.

Trump promises to prosecute those involved in voter fraud if elected for second term.

Donald Trumps sentencing in hush money case DELAYED until September 18, right before election.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

Brighteon.com
Alex Soros continues to support Biden despite growing calls for the president to drop out of the 2024 presidential race

Alex Soros, the son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, has not withdrawn his support for President Joe Biden despite growing calls for the latter to step down from the 2024 presidential race.

The disastrous CNN presidential debate performance of the 81-year-old Biden on June 27 left the Democratic Party divided, with an increasing number of high-profile members, including several members of Congress, urging Biden to step aside from the race.

Since then, Democratic Party members and megadonors have argued that another candidate, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, might be better suited to challenge former President Donald Trump. (Related: Two more Democrat megadonors confirm they are no longer supporting Bidens presidential campaign.)

"Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him. Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump. For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside  to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders," Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat representing a competitive congressional district, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Ryan is the latest of those who believe Biden should withdraw.

But Alex Soros has taken a different course among other Democratic supporters.

Instead of criticizing Biden for stumbling through several answers and occasionally losing his train of thought during the debate, Alex Soros, the chair of Open Society Foundations (OSF), called for unity within the Democratic Party on X.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

"Let's stop running against ourselves and run against the existential threat that is Donald Trump! Biden-Harris 2024!" he posted on July 11.

Hollywood elites and high-profile personalities want a new Democratic nominee

But despite Soros's call, he cannot change the fact that a growing number of Hollywood elites and high-profile personalities want a new Democratic nominee.

A few days ago, actor and influential Democratic supporter George Clooney publicly called for the Democratic Party to select a new nominee in his op-ed article for the New York Times. Clooney, fresh from co-hosting a star-studded fundraiser for Biden, expressed his deep respect and admiration for the president but stressed that time has taken its toll.

"I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he's won many of the battles he's faced. But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can," Clooney wrote. "It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe big F-ing deal Biden of 2010. He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

And it is not just Clooney.

The actor's call followed similar appeals from prominent figures like actor Rob Reiner and author Stephen King earlier this July, who despite their prior vocal support, have expressed similar concerns. Other high-profile personalities have also joined the chorus.

The latest stories about the 2024 presidential election can be found at BigGovernment.news.

Watch InfoWars founder Alex Jones predicting that Joe Biden will drop out of the presidential race.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Panicked Biden donors are asking for their money back after disastrous debate and cognitive catastrophe.

George Clooney the latest influential figure to call on Biden to step aside and urge Democrats to choose a new nominee.

JOE BI-DONE: 25 House Democrats preparing to call for Biden to end reelection bid.

DNC considering early nomination for Biden after clown show debate performance.

After Bidens disastrous debate last week, Democrats are truly panicking and desperately looking to replace him.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Newsweek.com

NYTimes.com

Deadline.com

TheAnkler.com
Tractor Supplys liberal employees quit following company decision to roll back DEI initiatives

Following Tractor Supply Company's decision to drop its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and back away from its pledge to reduce carbon emissions, many of the company's liberal-minded employees have submitted their resignations

The rural lifestyle retailer and Fortune 500 company swiftly abandoned its perceived progressive agenda, following pressure from conservative activists, impacting its workforce spanning 50,000 employees across 49 states. (Related: END WOKENESS: Tractor Supply backtracks support for woke goals about DEI, LGBTQIA and carbon targets.)

Among the contentious issues was Tractor Supply's implementation of LGBTQIA+ sensitivity training for its employees, which topped the list of grievances for critics.

This sudden corporate reversal was hailed as a significant example of the influence of citizen activism, resembling ongoing efforts in several conservative-leaning states to curtail government-funded DEI programs.

"Going forward, we will ensure our activities and [charitable activities] tie directly to our business," said the company on its website.

Along with dropping its mandatory LGBTQIA+ sensitivity training and withdrawing prior carbon emissions reduction commitments, the company has also stopped sharing data with the pro-LGBTQIA+ organization Human Rights Campaign; eliminated "DEI roles and [retiring] our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment;" and focused even further on "rural American priorities, including [agriculture] education, animal welfare, veteran causes and being a good neighbor and stop sponsoring nonbusiness activities like Pride festivals and voting campaigns."

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Liberal employees leaving Tractor Supply

Not all of the company's approximately 50,000 employees were happy with Tractor Supply's decision. One such employee is Joe Montello, a longtime manager for Tractor Supply's store in Saranac Lake in northern New York, who spoke with the Albany-based newspaper the Times Union about his decision.

Montello claimed that for more than four years he has enjoyed his job and developing positive relations with customers who come in looking for anything from lawnmowers to pet food and cowboy boots. But Montello quit following the company's announcement it was dropping its DEI efforts.

"When I went to work. I got a call from my boss asking me if I had seen the email yet," said Montello who, as a gay man, said that the sudden turnaround left him disturbed and with the strong belief that Tractor Supply was no longer the company for him.

And so, he resigned, leaving behind his roughly $80,000-a-year job. Montello said one of his co-workers resigned with him and multiple others were discussing resigning en masse.

"Employees are gay, lesbian and a lot of our customers are very diverse," said Montello, who "ran into quite a few [regular] customers" during a recent pride parade in the town. "I'm not out there marching every day  [but] A lot of my customers are not big farmers."

"I worked there since last summer," said Jacob Vennie-Volrath, who runs a farm just outside Saranac Lake and has been employed at Tractor Supply's store in the small town since it opened seven years ago, where he enjoyed helping out Montello, who was struggling to find employees.

Vennie-Volrath said he was enraged by the company's announcement, but decided to remain with the company only to support Montello. But when his manager left, so did Vennie-Volrath, who noted how he was especially disturbed at the alacrity and public manner by which Tractor Supply reversed its "progressive" track record and commitment to inclusion and the climate.

Learn more about the fight against DEI and other liberal-minded policies at Wokies.news.

Watch this report from Newsmax discussing Tractor Supply's decision to end its adherence to DEI policies.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Anti-white DEI industry in full collapse as woke America runs out of steam.

Bidens latest DEI hire deletes past anti-White and anti-police tweets.

Former Google UX researcher reveals Google Maps lacks "scenic route" feature because of DEI policies.

DEI expert on White supremacy laments no one will hire him because hes White.

MIT eliminates DEI statements from faculty hiring process because "they don't work."

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

TimesUnion.com

Brighteon.com
Calls to replace Biden as Democratic nominee conveniently stalled following Trump assassination attempt

The campaign to replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's candidate in the upcoming presidential election has dramatically slowed following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on July 13.

Before the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Biden faced growing pressure from Democrats and influential donors to withdraw from the race due to his lackluster performance in the CNN presidential debate on June 27. Since then, the Democratic Party and its influential supporters have urged Biden to step aside and give way to a new nominee.

However, the political landscape shifted abruptly when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots against Trump, injuring the former president. The incident occurred while Trump was delivering his speech and Crooks was positioned on a nearby rooftop with a clear line of sight on the former president. (Related: Trump shot in the ear, survives assassination attempt as questions emerge about Secret Service and local police.)

In response to the tragedy, Congressional Democrats have temporarily set aside their intense calls for Biden to drop from the presidential race. A senior House Democrat described the atmosphere within the party as too "chaotic" for internal leadership battles. Instead, the incident has refocused Democratic lawmakers' priorities from political disputes to security.

"We're all just focused on expressing condolences and keeping our teams safe," said one House Democrat, who has been a vocal critic of Biden.

"This is a tough business. There's a lot at stake. Emotions can run high," Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) said about the recent heated discussions with Biden in his "Face the Nation" interview. Crow stressed the importance of unity this time around.

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who had run a primary campaign against Biden, emphasized the need for national unity and healing.

"An American is dead, a former president and others are wounded, and a shell-shocked country is left wondering how to restore reason and respect," Phillips said. "It would be unpatriotic and unprincipled to direct energy to anything other than yesterday's national tragedy over the coming days. The only conversation about President Biden should be about how he can console our country, address the anger, and meet the moment."

Biden expressed his support for Trump and his family following assassination attempt

Shortly after the assassination attempt, Biden himself also addressed the nation. He condemned the violence and expressed his support for Trump and his family.

"I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trumps rally in Pennsylvania," Biden said. "I'm grateful to hear that hes safe and doing well. I'm praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."

In addition to his public statement, Biden reportedly spoke with Trump over the phone, though details of their conversation remain undisclosed. Biden also contacted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy.

Furthermore, Biden's campaign swiftly canceled plans for ads attacking Trump. Staffers were instructed to "refrain from issuing any comments on social media or in public."

Visit Trump.news for more news related to the former president's journey to earning back the White House seat.

Watch the actual assassination attempt at the Trump rally below.

This video is from the Real Free News channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Subtle death threat? Alex Soros tweets bullet hole and $47, apparently insinuating Trump ASSASSINATION.

Subtle like a brick through a window  CIA outlet approves Donald Trump assassination.

Trump shot, survives ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT in Pennsylvania; shooter, one rally attendee killed, others wounded.

Trump maintains substantial lead against Biden in six swing states that could decide the election.

In brutal CNN interview, Dem senator says Trump could beat Biden in landslide; Stephanopoulos doubts another term.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Axios.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
UN experts: Children in Gaza are dying because of Israels targeted starvation campaign

Ten independent United Nations (UN) experts have accused Israel of enforcing a "targeted starvation campaign" that has resulted in the deaths of children in Gaza

In their statement, the UN experts declared that "Israel's intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza."

The experts also encouraged the international community to "prioritize the delivery of humanitarian aid by land by any means necessary" and "end Israels siege and establish a ceasefire."

While the UN has yet to officially declare a famine in the Gaza Strip, the experts, including UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri, argued that it is hard to deny that there were famine conditions in the Palestinian territory. The UN experts added that at least 34 Palestinians have died from malnutrition since Oct. 7, "the majority being children."

The experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but they do not speak on behalf of the United Nations. (Related: Pro-Palestine protesters burned American flag during Gaza solidarity march on Independence Day.)

Israel's mission to the UN denies charges

The statement from UN experts was heavily criticized by Israel's mission to the UN in Geneva, which claimed that Fakhri and the "so-called 'experts' who joined his statement" are used to spreading misinformation, "as they are to supporting Hamas propaganda and shielding the terrorist organization from scrutiny."

Israel's leaders and military commanders have always blamed the human suffering in Gaza on the enclave's long-time Hamas rulers, who triggered the devastating ongoing war with their unprecedented Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

The October attack resulted in the militants killing an estimated 1,200 people. At least 240 others have been taken hostage.

At least 80 of the hostages are still believed to be alive and held captive in Gaza. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the goals of his country's war with Hamas are to "destroy the group and rescue the hostages."

The Gaza Health Ministry claims that the war has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians in the coastal territory.

At least 3 children in Gaza recently died due to malnutrition

The UN experts listed three children who had recently died "from malnutrition" after many others allegedly starved to death in northern Gaza earlier this year.

Fayez Ataya, who was barely six months old, died on May 30. Meanwhile, 13-year-old Abdulqader Al-Serhi died on June 1 at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, said the UN experts.

Ahmad Abu Reida, who was nine, died two days later "in the tent sheltering his displaced family in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis," said the experts.

The experts also claimed that the death of these children from starvation "despite medical treatment in central Gaza," proves that "famine has spread from northern Gaza into central and southern Gaza." They have also criticized the rest of the world because it isn't doing enough to prevent the disaster.

"When a two-month-old baby and 10-year-old Yazan Al Kafarneh died of hunger on 24 February and 4 March respectively, this confirmed that famine had struck northern Gaza," said the UN experts.

They added that the whole world "should have intervened earlier to stop Israel's genocidal starvation campaign and prevented these deaths Inaction is complicity."

Gaza has struggled with a terrible humanitarian crisis since the war began and the UN has warned for months of a "looming famine," particularly in the north, but one has yet to be officially declared.

While a famine declaration does not have any legal implications, it can help to incite much-needed international support for the affected population.

The Israeli mission also emphasized that the latest assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification partnership ruled that famine had not materialized after aid access somehow improved in Gaza.

The mission said that "Israel has continuously scaled up its coordination and assistance in the delivery of humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip," adding that Hamas "intentionally steal and hide aid from civilians."

For months, the United States has tried to convince Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza. The administration of President Joe Biden has also ordered the military to build a floating pier on the territory's Mediterranean coast to help get more food and other vital supplies in Gaza.

However, the $230 million pier project has faced several logistical challenges and never managed to generate a significant amount of aid entering Gaza. The project has often been described by U.S. officials as an additive measure, while also acknowledging that Gaza's land borders, which are regulated by Israel, are the only way to get sufficient aid into the area.

Aid agencies have also accused Israel of controlling the flow of aid into Gaza and creating bureaucratic hurdles to movement around the war-torn area.

But Israel dismisses those allegations and instead claims that Hamas is the one interfering with humanitarian work in Gaza.

Visit IsraelCollapse.com for more stories about the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Watch the video below to see how skin diseases, dysentery and hepatitis are spiking in Gaza due to the Israeli destruction of water facilities.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Starvation could lead to MASS DEATHS in the Gaza Strip, resident warns.

COLD-BLOODED MURDER: Palestinian civilians were shot execution-style during Gaza hostage rescue operation.

Palestinian child dies of malnutrition as hunger crisis rages in Gaza.

Israel approves largest LAND GRAB in the Palestinian West Bank in over 30 years.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

CBSNews.com

Brighteon.com
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Tool of the Deep State: Dominion Voting Systems accused of racketeering operation by Colorado lawyer Tina Peters

A well-known Colorado lawyer by the name of Tina Peters is subpoenaing Dominion Voting Systems over the company's alleged racketeering operation to overthrow the United States government by rigging the 2020 and 2021 elections, according to Peters.

Dominion is reportedly fighting back against the subpoenas by not complying with them.

Peters probed election records from 2020 and 2021 to find that many, around 29,000, had either been deleted or altered. She alleges this allowed the deep state to install Joe Biden into the White House rather than Donald Trump for a second term.

??BREAKING: Dominion is currently fighting subpoenas brought by Tina Peters. Because anything else, itll show Dominion carried out as a racketeering operation the overthrow of the United States government. It was her duty to preserve the finger print, the DNA, the blood https://t.co/Id6VVP6x4c pic.twitter.com/Yh82BMDsDm  ??RealRobert?? (@Real_RobN) July 12, 2024

(Related: In 2020, Dominion's vice president of U.S. engineering Eric Coomer admitted that Trump was "not gonna win" because the election that year was fixed for Joe Biden.)

Dominion's disbanding could help protect the integrity of the 2024 election

Peters says that Dominion's voting machines can, in fact, connect to the internet during an election. Dominion's voting machines also cannot be properly audited, she explains, probably since the votes they log can reportedly be switched undetected.

"Dominion voting systems (1) are not auditable, as required by federal and state law (2) they can connect to the internet during elections, which violates federal and state law; and (3) they are capable of manipulating ballots and vote tabulations, which violates federal and state law; (4) the software overwrites Windows Operating System log files that are recorded during elections, which are required by federal and state law to be preserved," court records reveal.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

"All these deficiencies make Dominion voting systems illegal to use in Colorado elections."

As usual, Colorado's elected officials are "fighting tooth and nail," to quote one source, to stop the public from seeing the malicious code that Dominion installs into its voting machines.

After Peters presented evidence indicting Dominion as part of an upcoming court trial, Yehuda Miller announced a $1,000 reward to any software expert who can disprove attorney John Case's declaration about the illegitimacy of Dominion's easily hackable voting machines.

"They stole America using Dominion electronic voting machines," tweeted "Truth Justice" (@SpartaJustice) about the case. "They switched votes from President Trump to criminal Biden."

"Biden knows he's not the real president. The CIA has a major role in implementing electronic voting machines for the sole purpose to overthrow governments."

J. Hutton Pulitzer likewise revealed that Dominion's voting machines are hackable when he testified in front of a Georgia hearing on election fraud.

"After that, another computer expert did the same thing in front of a judge in 2024," tweeted "Swan Creek" (@Swan_Creek1). "How much proof is needed?"

"In order to prove Democrats did anything wrong, I guess you have to be there at the exact moment they are doing the cheating and catch them in the act  and even then it won't be believed!"

Dominion's Coomer, by the way, was also caught telling Antifa in a taped statement from back in 2020 that the domestic terrorist group need not worry because "Trump won't win."

"We fixed that," Coomer admitted about how his company rigged the 2020 election for Biden, the illegitimate "winner."

"If it's illegal to use in Colorado, it would seem for a national election that you shouldn't be able to use it anywhere," tweeted "Derpstated" (@Derpst8d). "I could see SCOTUS having to rule on this, but they could fast-track it with an election pending."

Sources for this article include:

X.com

NaturalNews.com
Arizona Rep. Gosar blasts Dem lawmakers who VOTED AGAINST the SAVE Act

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) slammed his Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives who voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act

The House passed the SAVE Act on July 10 in a 221-198 vote. Five Democratic representatives broke ranks with the party, voting alongside Republicans to approve the bill. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), the SAVE Act requires states to ask for proof of American citizenship before individuals can vote in federal elections.

"I find it both laughable and preposterous that the same people who, for the past four years, forced you to carry a vaccine passport to dine in a restaurant, hold a job or get on a flight are the same people now opposing common-sense legislation requiring individuals to show proof of American citizenship to vote in elections," Gosar, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

"Voters are overwhelmingly concerned about the integrity of elections and rightfully so. In fact, most states today continue to allow illegal aliens to receive a driver's license, thus allowing voter registration materials. With 11 million lawbreakers pouring across [President] Joe Biden's open border, this legislation is a crucial step towards ensuring our elections are fair and honest."

The SAVE Act amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, needing proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The measure also establishes criminal penalties for election officials who fail to implement this requirement and orders the removal of noncitizens from voter rolls.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

"We will only be able to keep this republic as a republic as long as our citizenship as Americans remains meaningful. That's why I introduced the SAVE Act in the first place, and it's why the People's House passed it," said Roy, who stressed the importance of the bill.

Democrats falsely claim the SAVE Act is voter suppression

The House's passage of the SAVE Act comes amid a heated debate on election integrity. The Biden administration opposed the bill, arguing that it would complicate voter registration for eligible Americans and possibly lead to the wrongful purging of voters from rolls. (Related: Biden administration opposes bill that would require PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP for voting in federal elections.)

U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) compared the proposal to historical voter suppression tactics, in particular the Jim Crow poll tax. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) also voiced out her displeasure, stating: "Our fundamental access to our democracy is being politicized."

But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) accused Democrats of deceiving the public about the SAVE Act's intentions. He remarked: "Democrats have tried to mislead the American people about our efforts to prevent noncitizens from voting. We must protect American elections by passing the SAVE Act."

The congressman for the Pelican State introduced the SAVE Act in May, pushing for its passage before the Independence Day recess. But with its July 10 passage, the bill  which has more than 100 GOP co-sponsors  now encounters the challenge of passing through the Democratic-controlled Senate.

"As expected, the Democrats voted against House Speaker Johnson's election integrity bill and therefore are in favor of 'cheating' in the coming November election," ZeroHedge pointed out. "However, Americans would also be interested to know who the five Democrats who voted for law and order and election integrity were."

Follow VoteFraud.news for more news about the issue of election integrity in America.

Watch this clip of Texas Rep. Chip Roy announcing the SAVE Act, which passed on July 10, during a press conference.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

RIGGED: Biden regime says it opposes SAVE Act, which would ensure illegal aliens cant vote.

Theyre going to CHEAT AGAIN: WI Supreme Court legalizes drop boxes so that Democrats can flood election with fake ballots.

AFL urges election officials in all states to halt voter registration of non-citizens.

Lawfare with Tom Renz: Seth Keshel says America is in unparalleled crisis due to lack of election integrity  Brighteon.TV.

B-Alert News with Bishop Leon Benjamin: Americans can prevent or expose efforts to undermine election integrity  Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

YourNews.com

Brighteon.com
9 House Democrats tried to nix Secret Service protection for Trump months before assassination attempt

Nine Democratic members of the House of Representatives had sought to strip former President Donald Trump of his Secret Service protection just months before his assassination attempt.

In April, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced the Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act or DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, a bill that would terminate Secret Service protection for former presidents convicted of federal or state felonies. (Related: Theres another culprit in the Trump murder attempt.)

The proposed legislation, co-sponsored by Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Yvete Clarke (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Joyce Beatty (D-OH) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), sought to ensure that "those who have been sentenced to prison following a conviction for a Federal or State felony" would no longer receive Secret Service protection. In short, only prison authorities would be responsible for their security.

Thompson claimed the necessity of updating the law to prevent protective status from translating into special treatment for convicted individuals, including former presidents.

"Unfortunately, current law doesn't anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee  even a former President," Thompson said. "It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatment  and that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them."

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

This plan to nix Trump of his Secret Service protection came a few months before the assassination attempt on July 13. Fortunately, the proposed legislation was not able to pass through the Republican-controlled House.

Republicans condemn Thompson and his fellow Democrats in their plan to leave Trump unprotected

After the failure to pass the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act and the unsuccessful assassination of the former president, a staffer for Thompson reportedly made a now-deleted Facebook post suggesting that the now-deceased 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks "needed shooting lessons" to succeed.

"I don't condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time oops that wasn't me saying that," Jacqueline Marsaw, Thompson's case manager and field director, posted on Facebook on the same day of the attack.

Thompson already gave his statement about the incident and expressed regret over it. He then clarified that the staffer was no longer in his employment.

But Republicans have condemned the Democrats' efforts to strip Trump of his Secret Service detail. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), stressed the potential danger of such a move, calling it a "sobering reminder" of the impact of political rhetoric and actions.

"I can only imagine what could have happened had House Democrats been successful in their attempts to terminate his Secret Service detail. This should be a sobering reminder to them and others on the Left that their rhetoric and actions matter," McCaul said. "Our democratic process will not be deterred by this baseless act, as President Trump so powerfully demonstrated. Millions of Americans will never forget seeing his fist in the air  a symbol of hope, courage and strength in the face of despicable evil."

Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president.

Watch the actual assassination attempt at the Trump rally below.

This video is from the Real Free News channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Subtle death threat? Alex Soros tweets bullet hole and $47, apparently insinuating Trump ASSASSINATION.

Subtle like a brick through a window  CIA outlet approves Donald Trump assassination.

Trump shot, survives ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT in Pennsylvania; shooter, one rally attendee killed, others wounded.

Trump shot in the ear, survives assassination attempt as questions emerge about Secret Service and local police.

Now FBI staffer is in hot water over vile posts about Trumps assassination attempt.

Sources include:

JustTheNews.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Jordan Peterson demands Elon Musk enact mass censorship to stop people from making fun of him

The Daily Wire's Jordan Peterson on Friday threw a fit on Twitter demanding mass censorship of all anonymous accounts after someone used AI to make fun of him.

(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)

Peterson tagged Elon Musk with an AI image someone made of him looking like a rat and demanded he hold them "accountable."

The post Peterson whined about to Musk for portraying him as a rat was swiftly censored for violating "X's rules against Hateful Conduct."

"This all started because YOU called ME a rat," Nick Fuentes responded. "But now that your insult is being thrown back at you, you demand the unmasking of anonymous to ensure 'accountability' -- which really means chilling free speech under threat of retaliation. You are a shameless hypocrite and a fraud."

Peterson issued similar demands for mass censorship of anonymous accounts on YouTube after his viewers overwhelmingly criticized his embarrassing, fawning interview of then Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu in Dec 2022.

He had another meltdown whining about "Nazi troll rats" on Thursday and started blocking everyone who criticized him.

He also whined at Andrew Tate for saying he refused to sell out to Israel.

This tweet angers you because you said yes  Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) July 12, 2024

This man sold his soul for money.

Old Z-onist troll rat Publicly melting down on Twitter Popping benzoscrying into the ether Blocking everyone who criticizes him From 12 Rules for Life To Apologist for Genocide pic.twitter.com/aT5g9dEijv  Chris Menahan ?? (@infolibnews) July 11, 2024

Read more at: InformationLiberation.com
Eliminate him: A look at the violent rhetoric against Donald Trump

While the attempted assassination of Donald Trump has been roundly condemned by his political opponents, liberal politicians and pundits have  implicitly and explicitly  called for his death before.

(Article republished from RT.com)

Trump narrowly avoided death at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, when an assassins bullet apparently clipped his ear as it whizzed past his head. The shooter  named by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks  killed one spectator at the rally and wounded two others before he was shot dead by Secret Service agents.

US President Joe Biden decried the attempt on Trumps life, declaring that theres no place for this kind of violence in America. Ever since Trump won the 2016 election, however, he has faced a steady stream of threats from members of Bidens party and their allies in the media.

Off with his head

Hollywood celebrities reacted with outrage to Trumps shock defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016. 80s pop icon Madonna spoke of wanting to blow up the White House; actor and activist Peter Fonda called for the presidents youngest son, Barron, to be put in a cage with pedophiles; and comedienne Kathy Griffin grabbed headlines when she posed for a photoshoot holding a mockup of Trumps bloodied and severed head.

Kathy Griffin should be arrested/jailed for inciting an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/G6i4WmnDoH  Gain of Fauci (@DschlopesIsBack) July 14, 2024

Addressing the audience at Britains Glastonbury Festival in 2018, Johnny Depp wondered when was the last time an actor assassinated a president?, adding maybe its time. This reference to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was echoed by Broadway star Carole Cook several months later, when she asked a photographer wheres John Wilkes Booth when you need him?

Take him out

Speaking to MSNBC after Trump formally announced his presidential campaign last year, Representative Dan Goldman declared that his fellow New Yorker cannot be allowed to see public office again.

He is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy, and he has to be, he has to be eliminated, Goldman proclaimed.

He [Trump] has to be eliminated." - Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY), 2023 pic.twitter.com/TuoanEYi66  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 14, 2024

While Goldman later apologized for his choice of words, he is not the only Democrat lawmaker to apparently threaten Trumps life. Michigan State Representative Cynthia Johnson was stripped of her committee assignments in 2020 when she warned Trump and his trumpers to walk lightly, or else her soldiers would make them pay.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used similar rhetoric last week when she declared that the upcoming presidential election is not a normal election, and that Trump must be stopped. He cannot be president.

Two weeks before the shooting, BBC reporter David Aaronovitch wrote on X that if he were President Biden, Id hurry up and have Trump murdered on the basis that he is a threat to Americas security. On Sunday morning, Aaronovitch said that he had deleted the tweet, claiming that his words were clearly satirical.

A threat to democracy

Bidens response to Saturdays shooting was one of unequivocal condemnation. The US president, who will face off against Trump in this Novembers election, said that he was praying for his political opponent, and that we must unite as one nation to condemn political violence.

In a post on social media less than a month earlier, however, Bidens team described Trump as a genuine threat to this nation.

Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation. He's a threat to our freedom. He's a threat to our democracy. He's literally a threat to everything America stands for.  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 28, 2024

Hes a threat to our freedom. Hes a threat to our democracy. Hes literally a threat to everything America stands for, they posted on the presidents social media accounts.

While Biden has never explicitly wished physical harm on his opponent, at least one would-be assassin has used similar words to justify his plans to kill Trump. 77-year-old Thomas Welnicki was arrested for phoning US Capitol Police in 2020 threatening to take down then-President Trump. His lawyer later told prosecutors in New York that Welnicki was distraught at the threats to our democracy posed by former President Trump.

Stripped of protection

Had Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson got his way, Trump would have had no Secret Service protection at Saturdays rally. Earlier this year, Thompson proposed legislation that would strip this protection from former presidents convicted of felonies, as Trump was in May. The act was explicitly tailored to target Trump, Thompsons office said, explaining that the former presidents criminal charges have created a new exigency that Congress must address.

Immediately following Saturdays shooting, one of Thompsons staffers wrote on Facebook that the shooter should get some shooting lessons so you dont miss next time. She deleted the post  which Mississippi Republicans called despicable  shortly afterwards.

Read more at: RT.com
Mandating COVID shots one of the greatest mistakes, former CDC chief says

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield confirmed the dangers of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday, calling them  toxic  and saying they should never have been mandated.

(Article by John-Michael Dumais repulished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org)

Redfields admissions came during a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on government oversight of taxpayer-funded high-risk virus research.

The late admission of vaccine injuries underscores the failure of public health agencies and the medical establishment to provide informed consent to the billions of vaccine recipients worldwide.

Its important that he is telling the truth now, vaccine researcher Jessica Rose, Ph.D., told The Defender. Adverse events were hidden and still are being hidden to prevent injection hesitancy.

Redfield, who led the CDC from 2018 to 2021, didnt stop there. He declared biosecurity our nations greatest national security threat, calling for a halt to gain-of-function research pending further debate.

The hearing, which featured contentious exchanges between senators and witnesses, also touched on controversial topics such as the COVID-19 origins lab-leak theory and allegations that health agencies suppressed data.

mRNA vax should have been open to personal choice

During the hearing Redfield, who oversaw the CDC during the crucial early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, elaborated on his recent statements about mRNA vaccine safety.

I do think one of the greatest mistakes that was made, of course, was mandating these vaccines, Redfield said. They should have never been mandated. It should have been open to personal choice.

Redfield went further, admitting that the spike protein produced by mRNA vaccines is toxic to the body and triggers a very strong pro-inflammatory response.

He noted that in his own medical practice, he doesnt administer mRNA vaccines, preferring killed protein vaccines instead.

Redfields statements stand in stark contrast to the CDCs official stance during his tenure, which strongly promoted mRNA vaccine uptake as safe and effective.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pressed Redfield on the issue, highlighting concerning data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Johnson presented figures showing over 37,000 deaths reported following COVID-19 vaccination, with 24% occurring within two days of injection.

Redfield acknowledged there was not appropriate transparency from the beginning about the potential side effects of these vaccines. He criticized attempts to underreport any side effects because they argued that would make the public less likely to get vaccinated.

I truly appreciated Dr. Redfields honesty at the hearing today. pic.twitter.com/X06znrxe12  Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) July 12, 2024

FDA should release all of the safety data

Redfields criticism of data withholding extended beyond vaccine side effects. He expressed disappointment in the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) handling of vaccine safety information.

The FDA should release all of the safety data they have, Redfield said. I was very disappointed to hear that they were planning to hold on to that until 2026. That really creates a sense of total lack of trust in our public health agencies towards vaccination.

Johnson echoed these concerns, revealing his frustration with the lack of follow-through by health agencies and the committee itself.

Im not getting cooperation out of the chairman of the permanent subcommittee investigation to issue subpoenas to get this, Johnson said, referring to unreleased data and documents.

The senator displayed a chart comparing adverse event reports for various drugs, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, to those for COVID-19 vaccines. The stark contrast in reported deaths from these therapeutics  with COVID-19 vaccines showing significantly higher numbers  fueled Johnsons demand for more transparency.

As important as the cover-up of the origin story is, theres a lot more thats being covered up, Johnson asserted. The public has a right to know. We pay for these agencies. We pay their salaries. We fund these studies.

Redfield agreed with Johnsons assessment, stating that withholding the information is counterproductive.

Redfield doubtful of any benefit from [gain-of-function] research

Redfields testimony took another controversial turn when he called for a pause on gain-of-function research, experiments that involve making pathogens more infectious or deadly.

Im not aware of any advanced therapeutic or vaccine that has come to pass because of gain-of-function research, Redfield said. I do think there has to be a very aggressive debate of whether theres any benefit from that research.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) seized on this point, introducing his Risky Research Review Act. The bill aims to establish an independent board within the executive branch to oversee federal funding for high-risk life sciences research.

If the Risky Research Review Act had been in place, it might have prevented the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul said, citing Redfields endorsement.

MITs Kevin Esvelt, Ph.D., inventor of a technique for rapidly evolving proteins and other biomolecules who was also instrumental in developing CRISPR gene-editing technology, reinforced these concerns.

Highlighting gaps in current oversight, he described an experiment where his team  with FBI approval  successfully ordered DNA fragments of the 1918 influenza virus from 36 of 38 providers.

Everything that we did and the companies did was entirely legal, Esvelt said, underscoring the potential for misuse. There are no laws regulating DNA synthesis, even though the industry group, the International Gene Synthesis Consortium, has requested congressional regulation.

The hearing revealed a growing consensus among witnesses for stricter oversight of potentially dangerous research, with Redfield suggesting such studies should be highly regulated to protect national security.

Redfield reaffirms COVID lab-leak theory

The hearing reignited debate over the origins of COVID-19, with Redfield reaffirming his belief in the lab-leak theory.

Based on my initial analysis, I believe then, and I still believe today, that the COVID infections were the direct result of a biomedical research experiment and subsequent lab leak, Redfield stated.

This assertion led to a heated exchange between Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Carrie Wolinetz, Ph.D., former chief of staff to then-director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Francis Collins. Hawley accused NIH officials of deliberately suppressing the lab-leak theory.

Your office, Dr. [Anthony] Fauci and others tried to actively censor them, Hawley said. There was a propaganda effort that this paper was the center of, and now everybody says, Oh, well, we just werent sure at the time.

Hawley referred to the 2020 Proximal Origin paper that argued against the lab-leak hypothesis.

Wolinetz defended the NIHs actions. I do not believe censorship took place, sir. She maintained that discussions about the viruss origins were part of normal scientific discourse.

Redfield, however, criticized the lack of thorough investigation into both natural origin and lab-leak hypotheses. Unfortunately, this didnt happen, he said, adding that four years later, he believes theres no meaningful evidence supporting a natural origin.

The former CDC director also revealed that he did not learn about concerning biodistribution studies of the vaccines lipid nanoparticles until as late as the summer of 2021, suggesting a delay in critical information reaching top health officials.

Biosecurity is our nations greatest national security threat

Redfield emphasized the critical importance of biosecurity in national defense.

In 2024, 2025, biosecurity is our nations greatest national security threat, Redfield stated. You need to think of it the same way we thought about the verge of nuclear atomic [sic] in the late 40s, 50s, and 60s.

He called for a proportional response to the threat, suggesting the creation of a dedicated agency within the U.S. Department of Energy to address biosecurity concerns.

We have a $900 billion Defense Department for the threat of China, North Korea and Russia, Redfield noted. We dont have really any systematic agency or network of private sector contractors to help us with the biosecurity threat.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) echoed this sentiment. In my humble mind, a viral biosecurity issue is a bigger issue than Chinas military threat to us.

Gerald Parker, DVM, Ph.D., associate dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M University, supported the call for enhanced oversight, recommending an independent authority to consolidate secure functions in a single entity with a dedicated mission.

The hearing also touched on the potential for future pandemics, with Redfield repeating his warnings about the potential spread of H5N1 bird flu.

As the hearing concluded, senators from both parties expressed concern over the lack of transparency and oversight in high-risk research.

Paul summarized the sentiment: We cannot stand idly by. We must demand accountability, strive for transparency and ensure the safety of our citizens is never again compromised by negligence or deceit.

Watch the July 11 hearing: Risky Research:

Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org
Modernas mRNA COVID jab 30% more deadly than Pfizers, VAERS data shows

Since 2021 not long after the launch of Operation Warp Speed, investigative journalist Steve Kirsch has been warning that Moderna's mRNA (modRNA) Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccine" is deadlier than Pfizer's mRNA "vaccine." Now we have data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to back up that claim.

According to the government-run VAERS, Moderna's mRNA shots generate 30 percent more death reports than Pfizer. Early on, Kirsch estimated based on VAERS data that Moderna's injection kills about 50 percent more people than Pfizer's, with Johnson & Johnson's viral vector COVID-19 vaccine being even deadlier than both the Moderna and Pfizer shots.

Using a new technique that compares the all-cause mortality (ACM) rates of different injection brands distributed to the Czech Republic, Kirsch was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that COVID injections in general "caused unacceptable increases in all-cause mortality for those who opted for the shots."

(Related: Did you know that both Pfizer and Moderna are rolling out a new lineup of universal "catch-all" mRNA injections made for "pandemic influenza?")

COVID "vaccines" deadliest shots ever produced

While Pfizer churned out 57 percent more doses than Moderna, making it the most received COVID injection in the world, Pfizer only accounts for 21 percent more deaths than Moderna.

"The only way that can happen is if Moderna has a 30% higher death rate than Pfizer," Kirsch writes. "Even if Pfizer is a completely safe vaccine, Moderna is a disaster."

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Kirsch is outraged that Moderna's mRNA injections still have not been pulled from the market despite these revelations. Not a single country in the world that distributed them is even willing to look at the damning data let alone do anything about it.

"If they did, they could quickly validate this," he says. "I'll even supply the source code."

Kirsch presents various imagery on his website illustrating the differences in death rates between Pfizer and Moderna, explaining that never in his life has he seen a vaccine "that has created so many vaccine deaths and injuries."

"And most of them are from the Pfizer vaccine," he emphasizes, since Pfizer produced and released the most shots compared to all of the other brands. "Other vaccines have far more doses than the COVID vaccines, but the COVID vaccines are the worst as far as reported deaths. How can they explain that?"

Even in Pfizer's own "gold standard" trials, the data patently shows that deaths in the vaccine group far exceeded at all times deaths in the placebo group  and the same is true for Moderna. How, then, can the vaccine hawks continue to claim "safe and effective" for these things?

It was revealed on July 11, 2024, via the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (VSRF) that any health epidemiologist who tries to come forward to blow the whistle about all this is "rewarded" with firing or worse: charged with false criminal charges  watch the video below:

Kirsch believes that not a single health authority anywhere has bothered to take the time to look at the ACM rates one year from the time when patients were injected with various COVID jab brands. If they would, they would quickly see the same things Kirsch is seeing.

Kirsch cites numerous examples, including Health New Zealand, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and the Santa Clara Public Health Department, all of which rejected his efforts to present them with truthful data about the deadly shots.

"All the doctors who told you that the Moderna vaccine was safe misled you. And the media, lawmakers, public health officials, and U.S. Presidents all told you this s--- was safe without hard data showing it was safe."

If you don't want to potentially die early, it is probably best to never inject yourself with any kind of mRNA. Learn more at VaccineDeaths.com.

Sources for this article include:

KirschSubstack.com

NaturalNews.com
Netanyahu secretly changes flight plans to evade potential ICC arrest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secretly changed his flight plans to evade a potential arrest under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Great Game India reported on the development, citing reports from the Times of Israel (ToI) and the Kan public broadcaster. The Israeli leader is set to fly to the U.S. to address Congress on July 24. But instead of stopping over at a midpoint location, he opted for a direct flight "to avoid potential legal complications."

"Netanyahu considered, then decided against, visiting the Czech Republic and Hungary on the way to the U.S. when he travels to address Congress on July 24  amid fears the ICC was readying an arrest warrant against him," the ToI wrote.

"When the prime minister's aircraft  known as the 'Wing of Zion'  is fully loaded with passengers, it must stop en route to North America. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has reportedly chosen to travel light to complete the transatlantic flight in a single trip. This will spare the European nation that is hosting the layover from having to refuel, which could have been politically unpleasant," Great Game India continued.

The independent outlet added that the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and others not only affects the Israeli leader's travel but also highlights the political and diplomatic challenges faced by countries involved in ICC proceedings.

But apart from influencing the possible movements of "wanted" individuals, the warrant is mainly symbolic. However, it poses a political conundrum and can cause tension in some countries' ties.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

The ICC, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands, depends on each signatory nation to the Rome Statute to carry out its decision  even though it lacks an enforcement mechanism. Both Prague and Budapest are signatories to the Rome Statute, but Tel Aviv is not.

ICC arrest warrant against Israel divides tribunal's employees

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan issued the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in May. The warrants accused the two Israeli officials of "causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict." But Netanyahu and Gallant weren't the only ones issued with warrants, as Khan also issued similar arrest warrants for Hamas senior leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.

"Israel, like all states, has a right to take action to defend its population. That right, however, does not absolve Israel or any state of its obligation to comply with international humanitarian law," the ICC prosecutor said in a statement following the warrants' issuance. (Related: ICC issues statement outlining arrest warrants for Israels alleged war crimes in Gaza.)

"I have consistently emphasized that international humanitarian law demands that Israel take urgent action to immediately allow access to humanitarian aid in Gaza at scale. Those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my office takes action."

Great Game India noted that Khan's move to issue the arrest warrants sparked outrage and divisions within the ICC. He reportedly blindsided his staff when he announced the pursuit of arrest warrants. According to Khan's office, he proceeded with his decision because he had not received evidence from Tel Aviv demonstrating "genuine action" to address alleged crimes.

Both Israel and the U.S. expressed their displeasure and criticism of Khan's decision soon after he issued his warrants. Even several members of the U.S. Congress warned against the ICC issuing a warrant against Netanyahu. But the tribunal didn't flinch, instead issuing its counter-warning against attempts to intimidate it.

Head over to IsraelCollapse.com for similar stories.

Watch Nick Fuentes talking about the ICC's arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu in the clip below.

This video is from the Liberum Arbitrium channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Like THUGS, members of U.S. Congress make threats against ICC if arrest warrants are issued against Netanyahu for Israeli war crimes.

ICC warns against attempts to intimidate the court into not issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu, other Israeli officials.

U.S. government fighting imminent ICC arrest warrant for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli sources: Netanyahu confessed to Biden that he is AFRAID of ICC arrest warrants.

Netanyahu begs Biden to block ICC from trying to put him in prison for war crimes.

Sources include:

GreatGameIndia.com

ICC-CPI.int

Brighteon.com
Whale stranding is a phenomenon wherein any species of whales, aquatic mammals under the order Cetacea, washes up dead along a shore of a beach or any immediate coastal area. This event can happen to other marine animals, including dolphins and sharks, and occur in different parts of the world. Across the Atlantic Ocean, mass whale deaths were observed from the United Kingdom to the United States.

Recently, 77 pilot whales (Globicephala) mysteriously washed up dead along Orkney Beach in Scotland. However, local authorities found that the mass whale strandings were likely caused by orcas or killer whales (Orcinus orca). Based on initial investigations, the pilot whales were healthy and were feeding in the waters off Scotland before they got stranded, as cited by local reports.

77 Pilot Whales Stranded

Based on findings from post-mortem examinations conducted by experts, the 77 pilot whales stranded along Orkney Beach potentially died from killer whales which were spotted off the coast in Scapa Flow. Out of the fatalities, 12 whales initially survived the strandings but were euthanized following failed rescue attempts, according to reports.

The recent incident in the Scottish waters was deemed by authorities to be caused by natural factors such as predation by orcas. This likely forced the pilot whales to flee out of fear and became stranded along the shore.

A probe into the incident is still ongoing to prevent or mitigate the deaths of whales in the future; this is especially necessary if the deaths were caused by people or their activities indirectly. Yet, related deaths of marine animals in the past were linked to anthropogenic factors such as vessel strikes or ship collisions, plastic pollution, or even offshore wind turbines.

But there is no scientific explanation yet if these factors have been the main cause of mass whale deaths reported globally.

Also Read: Mass Whale Stranding Due to Strong Social Bond Leads To Death Of Over 50 Whales

Mass Whale Deaths in Scotland

Scotland is not a stranger to mass whale deaths since scientists have recorded multiple whale strandings along the Scottish coast since the early 20th century. However, various studies and reports throughout the decades have shown that the increase in human activities, intensification of climate change, and ocean warming exacerbated life-threatening risks for marine life.

In 2011, marine experts conducted an operation to save up to 70 pilot whales from dying in Scottish waters after a pilot whale from their pod was found dead along Loch Carnan.

In 2023, authorities also discovered more than 50 dead pilot whales off a remote island in Scotland. These phenomena of mass whale deaths have occurred on separate occasions and affected different pods of whales off Scotland.

Experts who conducted a probe into the incident suspected that the mass deaths were caused by the whales' strong social bond. This social behavior forces the rest of the pod to also follow their kin in distress, even when stranded on the shore.

Related Article: Humpback Whale Washes Up Dead Along South New Jersey Beach, Adding to State's Previous Whale Stranding Cases
Sea level rise is a major environmental, ecological, and societal problem as of the 21st century. In the context of anthropogenic climate change and global warming, the current water levels of Earth's oceans have significantly increased over the past several decades. One of the main causes of rising sea levels is the accelerated glacier melt in Antarctica and other icy regions of the world, caused by rising global average temperatures.

Sea Level Rise Threat

Based on prevailing scientific research, many coastal areas of island territories and even mainland countries are at risk of being submerged by the ocean by the middle or the end of the 21st century. Due to this threat, there have been various proposals to mitigate or prevent the impacts of rising ocean water levels. Some scientists even resort to glacial geoengineering by building barriers against sea level rise, recent reports say.

According to new research led by the University of Chicago, glacial geoengineering could be a viable solution when it comes to addressing the sea level rise threat. Researchers say that building barriers and the use of available technology in the arsenal of humanity could halt the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Their findings were published on the university's website earlier in July 2024.

Despite the bold idea, there are many people who are opposed to building walls as a solution against rising sea levels. Over the past decade, some scientists have suggested constructing seawalls, which can prevent or decrease the impact of coastal flooding or erosion. Based on current developments, the notion of sea barriers has created contestation among the scientific community.

Also Read: New Links Between Greenhouse Gases and Sea Level Rise Found in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica

Climate Change and Glacier Melt

For decades, climate scientists have warned that the continuance of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel burning will aggravate the natural process of the greenhouse effect. The latter is a phenomenon wherein the trapped gases in the atmosphere accelerate the absorption of solar heat. This process results in atmospheric and oceanic warming of the planet.

In the context of sea level rise, climate change is indirectly affecting glacier melt since Earth's temperature has increased by an average of 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit (0.06 degrees Celsius) since the year 1850. This is according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which reported in 2023 that most areas of the world are warming rather than cooling, affecting even the global oceans.

This means that the global warming effect is impacting icy structures like glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost more than ever. In 2023, the United Nations reported that the rate of melting of the world's glaciers in 2022 spiked. The organization highlighted certain challenges in saving these natural structures.

If this trend persists, sea level rise will continue in the coming decades, threatening low-lying coastal areas such as Maldives and some other island nations.

Related Article: El Nino Phenomenon, Climate Change Increase Sea-Level Rise From 2014 to 2016, New Report Shows
Donald Trump hasn't posted on Elon Musk's X. Win McNamee/Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

Elon Musk has endorsed Donald Trump, and he's reportedly giving $45 million a month toward a win.

But Trump hasn't really posted on Musk's X since 2021. He has an exclusive deal with his own Truth Social.

Gotta admit ... LOL.

Donald Trump hasn't really tweeted since 2021  even though Elon Musk unlocked his account and has now reportedly pledged $45 million a month toward getting him elected.

It's kind of funny if you think about it: the richest man in the world, super thirsty for a former president to post  please, just post anything!  on the troubled Twitter, err X. But Trump is so far refusing.

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Of course, there's a reason Trump hasn't tweeted since 2021, save for a picture of his mugshot and a link to his website last August. It's because of his deal with Truth Social, the platform owned by his Trump Media & Technology Group  Ticker symbol DJT. (He has a 60% share.)

That deal says any of his posts have to be exclusive to Truth Social for six hours before they can be posted elsewhere. Sure, he could post the same thing to X hours after he posts to Truth, but he just hasn't.

Elon Musk has been good to Donald Trump

This is even after Musk said he "fully" endorsed Trump after the past weekend's heinous shooting. And after Musk reportedly has pledged about $45 million a month to a new Trump-focused super political action committee.

The endorsement and donation aren't even the first big things Musk has done for Trump: Soon after taking over Twitter, one of the first things he did was reinstate Trump's Twitter account, which previous owners banned after the January 6 insurrection. Musk took a poll of users and announced, "The people have spoken," when bringing back the former president.

The people have spoken.



Trump will be reinstated.



Vox Populi, Vox Dei. https://t.co/jmkhFuyfkv  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2022

Certainly, Musk would love to have Trump once again posting on X. Trump, when he tweeted, was a juggernaut of attention (for better or worse  I make no claims here that Trump's tweets were "good"). Having Trump tweeting again would be a boon for X. His tweets would attract media hype and bring users to the service.

Story continues

And X CEO Linda Yaccarino loves nothing more than to hype up how exciting X is and how engaged its audience is. It's hard to imagine she wouldn't be excited to have the most notable tweeter going hard again.

And yet  Trump still won't tweet.

Already over 2 BILLION impressions around the debate last night. X remains on !  Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) June 28, 2024

Trump hasn't posted to Instagram or Facebook, either, even though Meta  which had also banned Trump's accounts after January 6, reinstated them in 2023. But that might make Meta perfectly happy, since it's less hassle for them to deal with possible content moderation issues.

But here's why Trump might also be reticent to post  anywhere aside from Truth Social: Trump's deal with the company is highly lucrative. Trump Media & Technology went public via SPAC back in May. The stock has been volatile, but it's up more than 178% over the past year and its market cap is over $7 billion  and Trump owns over 60%, making his stake around $4 billion.

Trump probably really wants to tweet

It's hard to imagine Trump not feeling the need to tweet. And it is even harder to imagine Trump playing by the rules and following a contract.

But indeed  for $4 billion, he's apparently willing to play by the rules.

For Musk, that's gotta sting.

To be sure, Musk's endorsement and donation toward his reelection efforts obviously aren't an attempt to get Trump to tweet. Musk has other significant business interests where he'd prefer Trump as president: Tesla in China, government contracts for SpaceX, etc. He also probably just simply believes in Trump's message. I've asked for comment from PR people for both men.

But you gotta admit: It is pretty funny that Musk is really doing everything he can to appear to suck up to Trump, and Trump isn't doing the one thing that might make Musk very happy: tweeting.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In late June, the Swiss government unveiled bold new proposals for expanding its corporate sustainability reporting rules to align with international standards, namely the EU's CSRD. From lowering the employee threshold from 500 to 250 to setting financial thresholds at CHF 50 million in sales, the proposed changes would increase the number of Swiss companies required to report on sustainability from 300 to 3,500. Moreover, this enhanced, binding regime would impose stricter environmental, human rights, and corruption risk disclosure requirements.

Despite recent scepticism about a potential slowdown in the ESG movement, corporate commitment to sustainability is intensifying. Published on 1 July, the third annual global "Sustainability in the Spotlight" survey from Spencer Stuart and the Diligent Institute reveals a strong corporate resolve to tackle sustainability challenges, with executives across various industries bolstering their ESG strategies and oversight.

Given the world's pressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges, innovative multinational companies with ambitious ESG agendas will be crucial in driving inclusive and sustainable development, with Switzerland's strong public-private collaboration poised to help lead this transformative journey.

Embedding Swiss Culture of ESG

Switzerland's commitment to ESG is not merely regulatory but also deeply rooted in its corporate culture. By setting rigorous ESG standards, the Swiss government ensures its firms are not just compliant but leaders in sustainability, underscoring the power of effective policy in driving innovative corporate action.

Take the ambitious collaboration recently announced between Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Zurich-based carbon removal pioneer Climeworks to help flyers cut their Scope 3 emissions through Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. By capturing unavoidable carbon emissions straight from the air and using this CO2 to manufacture sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)vital for the green transition according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)this Swiss partnership aims to accelerate net-zero innovation in the hard-to-abate aviation sector.

Thanks to Climeworks' revolutionary DAC solution, SWISS now offers its customers a premium add-on service, "Aviation Tech Pioneer," promising 20% emissions reduction via DAC and 80% through SAF, with the airline seeing this new venture as key in progressing its strong corporate environmental targets. What's more, for Climeworks, this undertaking builds on its previous agreement with SWISS's parent company, Lufthansa Group, to involve customers in slashing challenging emissions via carbon removal.

In the Lausanne region, Prilly-based global security solutions provider SICPA has also joined the group of innovative Swiss multinationals, placing ESG at the core of its operations. Recognising its talented, driven workforce as its greatest strength, SICPA's robust corporate ESG processes and regulations, ranging from diversity and inclusion to health and safety, have seen it ranked among the best Swiss employers for the fourth consecutive year in 2024including a top 15 position in PME Magazine's and Handelszeitung's 'Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals' category.

Capitalising on private sector's global footprint

Not satisfied with its status as the first company in French-speaking Switzerland to receive this employer distinction, SICPA has actively exported its ESG approach to fuel community-level sustainable development in its many countries of operation, guided by its participation in and annual reporting to the United Nations Global Compact.

Among its recent initiatives, SICPA Uganda launched a partnership with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to enhance access to clean water and sanitation in its communities, including 30 new public water points as well as new trees and learning materials for local schools. This project notably builds on SICPA's ESG initiatives to provide a local village in Togo with a solar-powered borehole and hundreds of indigenous trees to help counter extreme drought in Kenya.

Swiss giant Nestle has similarly aligned its ESG commitments in Africa to help fuel sustainable and inclusive development within local communities. As reported in March, Nestle has teamed up with suppliers Cargill and ETG | Beyond Beans on two groundbreaking agroforestry projects in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. These initiatives aim to rejuvenate land surrounding cocoa farms and slash carbon emissions across Nestle's supply chains by accelerating regenerative agriculture and reforesting degraded areas.

This Nestle-led venture will see over two million shade trees planted by nearly 20,000 farmerswho will receive technical training and finance support to fuel this long-term effortwith an anticipated reduction and removal of over 500,000 tonnes of carbon over two decades. What's more, these projects will create new jobs for local residents while conserving community forests and their crucial socioeconomic and biodiversity benefits. Citing such initiatives as central to its corporate net-zero journey, Nestle plans to expand to 18 cooperatives within five years as part of its broader sustainability agenda.

Swiss model complementing African-led development agenda

As Jeanelle Connolly of South African business process solutions firm SoluGrowth has recently highlighted, ESG-driven multinationals operating in Africa currently have significant opportunities to not only access new trade benefits, but also to enhance ESG reporting in Africa to help embed lasting socioeconomic and environmental change.

Citing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the key to this endeavour, Connolly positions the private sector-fueled ESG agenda as a vital supporting player in the AfCFTA's mission to lift 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and ramp up the incomes of nearly 70 million more people. With corporate sustainability reporting in Africa standing at only 56% compared to over 90% for S&P companies, Swiss ESG leaders have an important role to play in driving these rates up and inspiring other multinational firms to invest sustainably in their communities and catalyse local development efforts.

More broadly, beyond Swiss companies' well-established experience in ESG projects and its public sector's leadership in ESG reporting regulation, the country's historically neutral stance on the international stage makes it a promising counterpart to the competing, geopolitically-charged development cooperation offers of the EU and China in Africathe Global Gateway and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), respectively.

A global blueprint for future

Looking ahead, Switzerland's dynamic approach to ESG underscores the enduring importance of innovative multinational companies in promoting sustainable and inclusive development. With strong public sector support, Switzerland is not only advancing its own sustainability agenda but also setting a global benchmark for ESG practices.

By creating a robust framework for transparency and accountability, Switzerland sets a high bar for other nations to follow, showcasing how concerted efforts between the public and private sectors can lead to substantial progress in sustainability, addressing the pressing environmental and social challenges of our time and ensuring a better future for all.
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Ohio Weatherman Allegedly Present At The Beating Of Elderly Couple In Road Rage Fight

A minor fender bender in a restaurant parking lot turned explosive as the occupants from one vehicle beat an elderly man and woman unconscious in a road rage fight, landing both in the hospital. Since the incident in late June, family members claim theres been no consequences, but now people in Cincinnati are hopping mad since video of the fight was shared online.

This is why you shouldnt engage in road rage.

To be clear, WCPO Chief Metereologist Steve Raleigh hasnt been charged for any crime and local news outlet City Beat reports he wasnt present for the attack in The Boathouse parking lot. Some swear they can identify him in the video, but City Beat says his son, Carter Raleigh, was named as the other driver involved in the minor collision.

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However, local attorney Eric Deters posted on X that Steve Raleigh is in fact shown in the video before stating, Hope the family contacts me. Steve Raleigh has since seemingly deleted all his social media accounts.

This all happened on June 22, leaving the daughter of the victims, Stacie Morrow-Stickrod, to take to Facebook back on July 10 to express frustration at the lack of criminal charges. She states in that post, I feel like there has been so much time that has past with no arrest made and continuing to watch my mom struggle is hard to swallow.

Her mother not only was knocked unconscious by her attackers, Morrow-Stickrod shared she suffered multiple cuts and bruises, a concussion, skull fracture, bleeding on the brain, a contusion on the back of her head that had to be stapled shut, plus a lens on her eye was detached.

Morrow-Stickrod also shared the only video she has of the incident, asking for others to share theirs since there were lots of witnesses.

As the New York Post reports, the minor crash was caused by Carther Raleigh failing to yield to traffic in the parking lot. He collided his grandfathers Cadillac Escalade with the elderly couples Ford F-150. When the elderly man insisted on calling police, the other party didnt like that. Morrow-Stickrod states her father suspected they had been drinking and thats why the other people became violent.

Story continues

We dont care who you are or what your motivation is: beating an elderly man and woman over a fender bender or even a serious crash is just plain wrong.

Watch the video for yourself here.

Images via Stacie Morrow-Stickrod/Facebook
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Smuggled Lamborghini and Mercedes Supercars Demolished in Vietnam

A Lamborghini and a Mercedes AMG G63, smuggled into Vietnam and left unclaimed for four years, were demolished by police in Quang Binh Province. The demolition marked the end of an unresolved case involving these high-end vehicles, which had been exposed to the elements and deteriorated during their prolonged impoundment.

The supercars, both previously used and lacking the necessary legal documentation, were intercepted by police in central Vietnam. In 2019, Truong Thanh Binh, a 56-year-old resident of Hanoi, was transporting the Lamborghini and Mercedes AMG G63 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on National Highway 1. During a routine check by the police in Quang Binh, Binh failed to provide valid papers to verify the cars' legal origins. Further investigation revealed that the national vehicle registration system had no records of the two vehicles.

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Since their seizure, the cars were stored at the Quang Binh police headquarters. Despite their high value, no claims were made on the vehicles, leaving them to deteriorate over the years. The decision to demolish the cars came after authorities exhausted all avenues to find their rightful owners and validate their origins.

The disposal of these luxury vehicles underscores the stringent measures Vietnam is taking against smuggling and illegal importation of high-value goods. It also highlights the challenges authorities face in dealing with unclaimed and undocumented items, regardless of their worth.

While the destruction of these luxury supercars might seem drastic, it serves as a deterrent against future smuggling attempts and reinforces the importance of adhering to legal processes in vehicle importation. The case of the Lamborghini and Mercedes AMG G63 in Quang Binh stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of illegal activities in the automotive world.

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Vivek Ramaswamy eyes Trump V-P pick Vance's Senate seat

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ivek Ramaswamy, the India-descent biotech entrepreneur, has thrown his hat into the ring for the US Senate seat that will fall vacant if former President Donald Trump wins the presidential polls, taking away its current occupant J.D. Vance, the Republican nominee for Vice-President.

To be frank, I would strongly consider it if I were asked to serve, Ramaswamy told NBC News.

I have not discussed this with Governor DeWine, but, you know, I look forward to evaluating what the future holds in store. I would strongly consider it if asked, he added.

Under US rules, Ohio Governor Mike DeWin will nominate someone to complete Vances six-year term that started in January 2023, after which that person will have to run for the seat or leave it for others to fight for it.

DeWine is a Republican like Vance and Ramaswamy is from Ohio state which Vance represents in the US Senate.

DeWine has said its much too early to name a replacement.

If DeWine picks him, Ramaswamy will become the only Indian-descent member of the current Senate and only the second of Indian-descent.

The first Indian American in the US Senate was Vice-President Kamala Harris. But when she was elected as V-P along with President Joe Biden, her Senate seat fell vacant and because she represented California in the Senate, it fell to the states Governor Gavin Newsom to name her replacement. Newsom picked Alex Padilla.

This practice landed a Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, in jail when he tried to auction the seat vacated by Senator Barack Obama on his election to the White House in 2008.

Ramaswamy may even land a position in a second Trump administration if the former President wins. He has impressed Trump with his complete embrace of the latter's MAGA agenda and for forcefully defending him from attacks by critics such as former Governors Chris Christie and Nikki Haley during the Republican primaries; Trump had ignored the primaries while staying miles ahead in polls.

Ramaswamy had quit the race endorsing Trump and had been a part of the starting line of contenders who auditioned for the V-P slot on Trump ticket, but did not make it.

But Trump went on to indicate, according to reports, that if elected, he might name Ramaswamy to head the powerful Department of Homeland Security, which runs, among other things, the countrys immigration services.

So, even as he eyes Vances vacated Senate seat, Ramaswamy is keeping his options open.

I would also want to have a serious conversation with President Trump about the other ways I could have an impact on the country, he said, adding, "My top passion is taking on the regulatory state.

He added, There are ways to address that from the executive branch. Some things need to be done by Congress and the Senate too. So, I look forward to those conversations after President Trump is successfully reelected with J.D. Vance.

 Vivek Ramaswamy eyes Trump V-P pick Vance's Senate seat

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Rajasthan's GDP increased to 12.58 pc in 2024: Dy CM

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ajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on Tuesday said that Rajasthan's GDP rate in December 2023 was 11.58 per cent while in March 2024, it increased to 12.58 per cent.

The Chief Minister is carrying a vision of 16.53 per cent. The state got an additional Rs 2000 crore for infrastructure in the last financial year, she said while responding to the Budget debate in the house on Tuesday.

She said that the government will build quality roads in 1000 villages while farmers will get the power supply by 2027.

Roads will be built up to the Indo-Pak border posts in Barmer district at a cost of Rs 48 crores, in the first phase, roads will be built up to nine posts this year, she added.

She said that the state government will also give scooty to 500 polytechnic girl students every year and also run a special train to Ayodhya.

Rs 10,000 will be given for the health of women and children under the Pradhan Mantri Matra Vandan Yojana. Till now the Central government was giving Rs 5,000 under this scheme, she said.

She said that the number of mobile vans will be increased for breast cancer screening.

Breast cancer vans will be made available at every medical college, special packages will be provided for the treatment of lungs and kidneys in RGHS. State Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management will be also established in the state, she said.

She said that the Revenue Board Modernisation System will be implemented while Rs 50 crore will be spent on it in the next five years.

An Anti-Narcotics Task Force will be formed to prevent drug abuse in the state. Also, borewell digging as per new norms will have to be registered with the government to ensure kids don't lose their lives in case they are left open, she said.

She said that the children suffering from rare diseases will get Rs 5,000 per month under the Ayushman scheme.

Bal Sambal Yojana will be started within the scheme itself. Also, 2000 new dairies will be opened in the state, she said.

She said that the government has made a provision of more than Rs 7,000 crore this time as compared to the 2023-24 budget of last the government.

We have also made a provision of Rs 96, 787 crore for the farmers, she said.

 Rajasthan's GDP increased to 12.58 pc in 2024: Dy CM

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Eliminate 'root causes' of Ukraine conflict, devise new European security architecture: Russia

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he world should address the "root causes" that caused a "crisis" in Europe and sparked the Ukrainian conflict, while the West must back off from threatening Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Any political and diplomatic settlement (of the Ukraine conflict) should be accompanied by specific steps aimed at removing the threats to the Russian Federation posed by the (West)", he told a ministerial summit at the UN Security Council, listing the measures to "restore trust and stabilise the situation", RT reported.

"The root causes of the crisis that has broken out in Europe should be dealt with once and for all."

He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had in June outlined specific conditions for "sustainable peace" in Ukraine, saying a ceasefire could be initiated if there was a full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from "all Russian territories", including Donetsk and Lugansk, and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, and Kiev also undertake a legal commitment never to join NATO.

Any final deal should be recognised in Western capitals and pave the way to lift sanctions against Russia, the Russian leader had added. Both Kiev and Western powers dismissed the offer, which came around the "Ukraine Peace Summit" in Switzerland.

The Russian Foreign Minister also stressed that Russia and the West need mutual "guarantees and agreements". He also said that the "new geostrategic realities on the Eurasian continent" should be taken into account as well and a new "pan-continental architecture of truly equal and indivisible security" come up.

He also called for the restoration of the global and regional balance of power, "along with repairing injustices in the world economy".

A multipolar world should not have any monopolies in the financial or currency regulation, trade, or technologies, Lavrov said, as he also sought reformation of the World Trade Organisation to reflect the real weight of non-Western centres of growth and development.

 Eliminate 'root causes' of Ukraine conflict, devise new European security architecture: Russia

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Arunachals revenue will double in 5-10 years if proposed power projects are executed: CM

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runachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Tuesday that the states annual revenue is about Rs 500 crore at the moment which can soar to more than Rs 1,000 crore in the next 5-10 years if all the proposed hydropower projects are executed successfully.

In his opening remarks during the pre-budget consultative meeting with the states community-based organisations (CBOs), the Chief Minister said that hydropower is the best bet for revenue generation in the state.

Five hydropower projects with a total generation capacity of 2,626 MW are now in the pipeline in Shi-Yomi district, which would greatly benefit the northeastern region.

CM Khandu informed that to execute the power projects, MoUs have been signed only with reputed Central government agencies that include NHPC, NEEPCO, NTPC, and SJVN.

No project would be implemented without the consent of the local communities, he told the CBOs.

The Chief Minister also called upon the CBOs to suggest, cooperate, and assist the state government in realising the goal of self-sustenance, multiplying state-owned resources, and turning resources into revenue.

He said the CBOs representing all the communities of the state had in the past put in valuable suggestions, especially in health and education sectors, which the government considered and incorporated in the annual budgets, reaping rich dividends.

The Chief Minister pointed out that based on the governments commitment to inclusive governance, pre-budget consultative meetings form the core around which the state budget is prepared.

Emphasising on converting resources into revenue, Khandu highlighted two sectors  hydropower and tourism  which, he said, can be tapped systemically to enhance the pool of state-owned resources.

CM Khandu also urged the CBOs to communicate the benefits of tapping the states massive hydropower potential that can make Arunachal Pradesh self-sustainable for the respective community members.

With the Inner Line Permit system in place, we can easily control and regulate the tourism sector that would benefit the local communities, generate income for the youth, and contribute to the state-owned pool of resources while keeping our environment intact, he said.

CM Khandu also cited the tourism policy followed by Bhutan, which solely depends upon tourism and hydropower, and said that a similar policy can be implemented in Arunachal Pradesh.

He urged the CBOs to encourage their community members to invest in homestays and if possible, in high-end hotels to attract high-end tourists.

The Chief Minister also drew the attention of the CBOs towards the malice of money-for-vote culture that was rampant in the recently concluded Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in a few constituencies.

I have been repeatedly campaigning for the end of money culture in elections, but in vain. I have reports with me on the use of huge money to influence the voters in some of the Assembly constituencies," he said.

 Arunachals revenue will double in 5-10 years if proposed power projects are executed: CM

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Mexican President urges stepping up gun control in US in wake of Trump shooting

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exican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged the US government to better regulate weapons sales following the campaign rally shooting of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

At his daily press conference, the Mexican president also called on Trump and the current US president, Joe Biden, to sign "a commitment to regulate the sale of guns" if they win a second term, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I think it would help a lot to control the sale of weapons in the United States, it is something that urgently needs to be done," Lopez Obrador told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

The United States is undergoing a "social crisis" that must be resolved from the roots, he added.

At a rally where Trump spoke on Saturday, a man fired various shots at the candidate, wounding his right ear.

According to Lopez Obrador, since he took office in December 2018, Mexican authorities have seized 50,000 weapons, about 75 per cent of which were smuggled into Mexico from the United States, particularly the state of Texas.

Mexico's government has repeatedly called on the United States to adopt tougher gun laws to reduce the supply of weapons and stem arms trafficking into Mexican territory.

 Mexican President urges stepping up gun control in US in wake of Trump shooting

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CM Chandrababu Naidu meets Amit Shah in Delhi, apprises him of Andhra's financial crisis

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ndhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday and apprised him of the state's financial condition.

The meeting took place at the residence of Amit Shah.

https://x.com/ncbn/status/1813272159416164722

In a post on X after the meeting, CM Naidu said, "Today in New Delhi, I met with the Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShahJi, to apprise him of the devastating condition of finances that Andhra Pradesh had slipped into over the past five years.

CM Naidu added, "I also discussed the findings of the four White Papers released, outlining the staggering debt accumulated between FY 2019-24 that spiralled our State's finances out of control. Economic incompetence, gross mismanagement, and rampant corruption by the previous government have caused irreparable damage to our State."

"Honouring the mandate given by our people to the NDA, the Central and State governments will devise a comprehensive recovery plan and bring our State's economy back on track. We shall fulfil people's aspirations together," his post added.

Earlier, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu on Monday accused the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government of looting natural resources, creating litigation, and exploiting lands and minerals in the state during his tenure.

He also claimed that forests were deforested under their administration. "We have identified records of their corruption," he added.

Earlier on July 9, the Andhra Pradesh government under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu floated a whitepaper around its power sector, where it discussed its status and raised allegations against its predecessor government under Jagan Mohan Reddy.

As per the whitepaper, there was a phenomenal increase in the power tariff burden among consumers, the debt of state power utilities increased, and there were losses due to inefficient governance.

Total loans of Andhra Pradesh power utilities increased from Rs 62,826 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 112,422 crore in 2023-24, with an increase of Rs 49,596 crore or a 79 percent increase.

Further, the paper also alleged that investors lost confidence and that the brand image of Andhra Pradesh was spoiled.

The average tariff for domestic consumers increased from Rs 3.87 per unit to Rs 5.63 per unit, a rise of 45 percent, during the Reddy government, the whitepaper noted.

It also noted that a delay in the commissioning of thermal power plants resulted in a total additional burden of Rs 12,818 crore.

It particularly mentioned the delay in the commissioning of the Polavaram Hydroelectric Project. A contract was awarded on December 6, 2017, with an expected commissioning date of May 2023.

Later, according to the whitepaper, the contract was terminated and the commissioning date was revised to January 2026.

Due to ongoing arbitration, the whitepaper asserted that it led to an expected loss of up to Rs 1,500 crore. The impact of price variation was Rs 350 crore.

 CM Chandrababu Naidu meets Amit Shah in Delhi, apprises him of Andhra's financial crisis

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Myanmar's Shwedagon Pagoda attracts over 3.6 million visitors in first six months of 2024

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he Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the 'Golden Pagoda' in Myanmar, attracted over 3.6 million visitors in the first six months of 2024, U Boe Thin, a member of the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Among those visitors, over 36,000 were from foreign countries, he added.

During this period, countries with the most visits to the pagoda are China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he said.

The entrance fee for foreigners is 20,000 kyats (about 9.5 U.S. dollars) per person, he told Xinhua news agency.

The visiting hour to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is set from 4 am to 10 pm local time, starting from June 21 this year, according to the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees.

 Myanmar's Shwedagon Pagoda attracts over 3.6 million visitors in first six months of 2024

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Coral bleaching detected in waters around Taiwan due to heat wave

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ocal environmentalists have expressed concern about a large-scale coral bleaching in the southern and eastern waters off the coast of Taiwan, which has been occurring since June due to a prolonged heat wave.

Elaine Chen, Secretary-General of Taiwan Eco-Angel Environmental Conservation Association, told local media that divers have detected coral bleaching in waters off the coast of Kenting in southern Taiwan as well as around Little Liuqiu, Orchid, and Green islands since June.

Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association, another environmental nongovernmental organisation, also reported instances of coral bleaching in June and July, reports Xinhua news agency.

When the seawater temperature exceeds 28 degrees Celsius for two weeks, symbiotic algae within coral polyps emit toxins that are harmful to coral polyps, causing them to expel from the coral and revealing transparent coral polyps with white coral skeletons. The phenomenon is commonly known as coral bleaching.

According to Lee Kun-hsien, a volunteer with the Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association, the seawater temperature around Little Liuqiu Island typically ranges from 28 to 29 degrees Celsius during the summer, but it has consistently been between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius since June of this year.

He warned that if high temperatures persists after bleaching, corals are likely to die.

The previous large-scale coral bleaching around Taiwan occurred in 2020. Bleaching will result in short-term harm to coral reefs but with time and a favorable environment, most healthy and stable coral reefs will gradually recover.

Noting that bleached coral reefs are extremely vulnerable, environmentalists have called for reduced human activities near the reefs and greater measures to prevent and control seawater pollution.

According to Lu Shiau-yun, chief of the island's ocean affairs department, a draft of a coral conservation action plan is being developed and is expected to be released this year or the next. She said that the department is collaborating with academic institutions to continue monitoring this issue.

 Coral bleaching detected in waters around Taiwan due to heat wave

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Photo shows stir-fried rice noodles, a specialty dish in Hutou township, Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)



The Prime Minister's Family Banquet, a famous 16-dish feast from southeast China's Fujian Province, emphasizes both flavor and frugality, according to Li Ruirong, who carries on the tradition.

Li is a 12th-generation descendant of Li Guangdi, a grand scholar at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity during Emperor Kangxi's reign (1661-1722) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"The key ingredient for this table of dishes is the seemingly plain rice noodles," said Li, emphasizing the banquet rice noodles as a main ingredient instead of pricey items like bird's nests, highlighting the virtue of simplicity.

Photo shows a specialty dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Lanyan)







The Prime Minister's Family Banquets brand power and popularity continue to grow, attracting tourists to Anxi county.

Photo shows a dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)



Hutou township was a major center for trade and transport during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), leading to the rapid development of local culinary culture.

The township now has 130 unique snacks, including the famous Hutou rice noodles, which are popular among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Li acknowledged that the Hutou rice noodle industry still has room for growth and aspires to strengthen the brand, engage more people, and expand the industry's reach to captivate a global audience.

Photo shows a dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)



The Prime Minister's Family Banquet was recently named a Cuisine of Geographical Indication in China.

An official from the Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce said the province will continue exploring the deep history and culture of local food, promote well-known food brands, and allow more people to enjoy the great tastes of Fujian cuisine.

Fujian plans to increase the number of large catering enterprises to over 2,000 by 2025, with the catering industry's annual revenue surpassing 300 billion yuan ($41 billion).
A recent study published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology summarized the challenges associated with adiposity assessment in clinical settings.

Obesity increases cardiometabolic risks and decreases life expectancy. Nevertheless, elevated adiposity might not solely underlie this increased risk, as adipose tissue distribution in the body influences the risk of disease independent of weight. Thus, understanding adipose tissue distribution can provide insights into obesity pathophysiology and assist therapeutic approaches.

This requires accurate measurement of adipose tissue and its distribution, which is challenging, particularly in clinical settings. Several measurement techniques exist, and each offers different insights. Therefore, it is challenging to select a single, universal method. As such, the present study discussed how these challenges influence the interpretation of research data in the context of obesity and the design/implementation of clinical guidelines.

Perspective: The challenges of assessing adiposity in a clinical setting. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock

Adiposity differences across populations

Adipose tissue function varies based on its anatomical location. Besides, its function and distribution can differ between adults and children, ethnic groups, and males and females, warranting age-, sex-, and ethnicity-specific standards to analyze body composition. Assessing body composition changes associated with childrens growth is challenging as it occurs in spurts.

However, elevated body mass index (BMI) in adolescence is associated with a higher risk of disease later in life. Further, sex and ethnicity influence adiposity distribution and obesity prevalence in children. Patterns of adipose tissue distribution vary across ethnic groups, albeit the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Asian individuals typically have more visceral adipose tissue (VAT) than Europeans or Africans within the same obesity category, which might explain the increased T2DM risk in some Asian populations than in other ethnic populations. Notably, randomized trials reveal benefits from weight loss in all ethnic groups. Nevertheless, unreported ethnicity/race remains a problem; besides, White individuals are overrepresented in many clinical trials and risk-association studies.

Furthermore, females live longer with obesity or overweight without developing T2DM than males. This might primarily be due to adipose tissue distribution differences, as females have more gluteal and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) with a pear-shaped distribution. In contrast, males have an apple-shaped distribution with more VAT.

Sex differences in adiposity appear during puberty and diminish at menopause. Menopause shifts the adipose tissue function and distribution towards a pattern reminiscent of males. Therefore, the biological actions of estrogen and its receptor are crucial to sex differences in adiposity. Moreover, females with elevated testosterone are at a higher risk of T2DM than those with normal testosterone levels, regardless of BMI and age.

Adiposity measurement in the clinic

Various methods and tools have been introduced to quantify body composition and adiposity, each with advantages and limitations. Their relevance relies on factors, including the required level of accuracy, specific population, and accessibility. BMI and other surrogate measures are poor predictors of metabolic risks and adipose tissue distribution. As such, measures that estimate the relative placement and proportion of adipose tissue, bone, and muscle are more valuable.

Anthropometrics are quantitative measures of the body to evaluate physical characteristics, such as weight, height, BMI, skinfold thickness, and circumference of the waist, limbs, and hip. BMI is easy to calculate and has been extensively used in obesity research and clinical practice. However, BMI has limitations; for instance, because BMI does not account for muscle mass, individuals with higher muscle mass may be misclassified as overweight or obese.

BMI is also not sensitive to lipid and adipose tissue distribution, which is critical to assessing metabolic health. Consequently, BMI is poorly associated with cardiometabolic outcomes. Further, while waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios and waist circumference are superior to BMI in cardiometabolic risk prediction, their clinical implementation is challenging.

For example, waist circumference is measured at the navel, but a drooping belly can displace the navel after weight loss. As such, repeat measures over time can be inaccurate. Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), the anteroposterior diameter of the abdomen, could be a promising alternative to these methods. SAD has been strongly associated with visceral adiposity, regardless of obesity, age, and sex.

Assessment of body composition

Body composition is the distribution and amount of lean tissue, bone, and adipose tissue. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is the easiest and quickest method to predict body adiposity. However, BIA has limitations, which tend to overestimate adipose tissue percentage in children and underestimate it in adults.

Nevertheless, hydrostatic weighing is more accurate than BIA to assess total fat content. Notwithstanding, these techniques have limitations due to bone mineral density variations. Tomographic imaging methods are the best to assess the distribution of adipose tissue. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the most used imaging technique.

While it is practical to use DXA due to its availability and accuracy, it has limitations regarding muscle quantity and VAT, as regional volumes are estimated using anatomical models and not measured. Besides, DXA cannot measure ectopic fat. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), unlike DXA and computed tomography (CT), does not involve ionizing radiation, allowing for longer acquisition times. However, a limitation of MRI is that scanning and image analysis are time-consuming.

Concluding remarks

Together, the challenges for adiposity measurement in clinical settings are profound. Using only BMI for adiposity measurement is not an option. While MRI and DXA are highly accurate for ectopic and visceral adiposity, it is challenging to deploy them at scale compared to anthropometric measures. The authors contend that SAD is the best and most straightforward measure of visceral adiposity. Overall, the debate on the best clinical adiposity measures ensues, and the team believes that improved strategies that better reflect adiposity distribution will be developed.
An article published in the journal Cell describes a study that enabled a group of researchers to discover how SARS-CoV-2 evades the cytotoxic immune response by identifying a protein called ORF6 that is a key factor in this mechanism.

The cytotoxic immune response involves T-lymphocytes that kill pathogens when they recognize cells bearing a specific antigen while sparing neighboring uninfected cells.

The study was led by Wilfredo Garcia-Beltran and Julie Boucau, research scientists at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University in the United States. The first authors of the article are Marcella Cardoso, a Brazilian postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and MGH, and Jordan Hartmann, also of HMS. Scientists affiliated with institutions in Brazil and Germany also took part.

We discovered that SARS-CoV-2 is able to evade detection by the immune system by diminishing the vestiges that point to the presence of the virus in cells. In this process, the virus disturbs certain proteins on the surface of infected cells to inhibit interaction between them and T-lymphocytes." Marcella Cardoso, a Brazilian postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and MGH

Defense cells known as natural killers (NKs) are fundamental to detect and combat viruses. They are part of the innate immune response, the first barrier against infection. NKG2D, a protein expressed on the surface of NKs, recognizes and kills infected cells (and cancer cells) by targeting stress-induced ligands released by the infection, such as MIC-A and MIC-B. This recognition is essential for contaminated cells to be removed from the organism.

Systematic analysis of the proteins in SARS-CoV-2 led to the finding that ORF6  unique to and conserved among mammalian sarbecoviruses (the subgenus of Coronaviridae to which the virus that causes COVID-19 belongs)  participates actively in the removal of these important signalers of infected cells, facilitating viral proliferation in the host organism.

Confirming this evasion mechanism, when MIC-A and MIC-B receptors were protected with 7C6, an antibody used as a "shield", NKs were far more successful in finding and destroying infected cells.

The co-authors of the article include four other Brazilians: Maria Cecilia Ramiro, a PhD candidate at the State University of Campinas's School of Medical Sciences (FCM-UNICAMP); and Fernanda Orsi, Licio Velloso and Erich de Paula, professors at FCM-UNICAMP.

According to De Paula, UNICAMP's participation was linked to projects funded by FAPESP during the pandemic.

"Our group collaborated with the discussion of strategies and the sharing of a clinical cohort used to validate the data," he said.

De Paula was principal investigator for the project "Evaluation of the mechanisms of hemostatic activation in COVID-19 and their modulation by bradykinin inhibitors".

Velloso was principal investigator for the project "Clinical trial of bradykinin inhibition in hospitalized adults with severe COVID-19", from which some of the clinical data and samples were obtained.

"Studies of the immune response in severe COVID-19 patients showed that this elimination of proteins also occurred in these cases. Data collected from patients during hospitalization were key to this cross-border research project, demonstrating the importance of the role of collaborative research with hospitals to contain pandemics in real time," Cardoso said.

Samples collected at UNICAMP's general and teaching hospital (Hospital de Clinicas) displayed greater diversity of clinical outcomes in response to the action of different strains of the virus. "In parallel, we conducted in vitro experiments in which lung tissue cells were infected with the live virus," Cardoso said.

Monoclonal antibodies and new research fronts

In light of recent preclinical oncological trials showing that monoclonal antibody 7C6 can prevent elimination of MIC-A and -B (which stimulate NKs and T-cells), the researchers decided to see if it would also be effective to curtail evasion of the immune system by the virus.

"We expected this approach to not only stimulate elimination of infected cells but also increase co-stimulation of CD8+ T cells [lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system, often called cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or CTLs], thus activating both the innate and adaptive immune systems," Cardoso explained. A series of experiments and in vitro assays were conducted to test the hypotheses.

"Knowing how SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses affect these proteins and how this influences the immune response helps us understand better how they interact with the body. It also helps identify possible targets for novel treatments to strengthen the immune system and combat viral infections," Cardoso said.

The results open up research fronts in the field of host-directed antiviral therapies since the discovery of the role played by the antibody 7C6 in boosting the elimination of cells infected by SARS-CoV-2 also points to possible innovative therapeutic strategies.

"Based on these results, it will be possible to conduct in vivo trials using transgenic animal models with the aim of evaluating the clinical applicability of the strategy. Further stages of the research are still needed, but the results are highly promising," Cardoso said.
A University of California, Irvine research team has developed and implemented an intervention to enhance cancer care support services for racial and ethnic minority patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The electronic patient-reported outcome tool is a web-based application that allows individuals to enter their health data into a smartphone, tablet or computer. In this study, the ePRO was available in multiple languages and coupled with digital analytics. At each treatment visit, participants digitally recorded and submitted their symptoms and side effects, enabling oncology pharmacists to conduct real-time assessments and proactively intervene.

Published online today in the journal JCO Oncology Practice, UC Irvine's ePRO trial was conducted between July 2021 and June 2023, with a focus on newly diagnosed adult cancer patients receiving intravenous anticancer therapies. Researchers found that Hispanic and Asian participants reported higher levels of pain, nausea and vomiting compared to non-Hispanic white patients and were also more frequent visitors to urgent care centers for their symptoms.

Racial and ethnic disparities significantly affect symptom burden and severity, but early recognition of health issues is often hindered by patients' limited health literacy or poor communication due to language barriers. To address these challenges, it's crucial to develop innovative solutions that enhance treatment strategies tailored to each person's specific needs. By leveraging technology and the specialized knowledge of oncology pharmacists, we can help create a more equitable healthcare system." Alexandre Chan, corresponding author and UC Irvine chair and professor of clinical pharmacy practice

The study, led by oncology pharmacists, was conducted at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in Orange. A total of 250 people were enrolled: 42.4 percent of them non-Hispanic white, 30.8 percent Hispanic and 20.4 percent non-Hispanic Asian. They reported symptoms at each visit, with nausea and vomiting being the most common, followed by pain and fatigue. Results were reviewed by oncology pharmacists who provided personalized treatment and counseling, and 90 percent of the patients expressed satisfaction across all visits.

"Past studies have utilized ePRO for symptom management in cancer patients, but they were primarily implemented in mostly non-Hispanic white populations and seldom involved pharmacists," Chan said. "By reducing language barriers, using real-time analytics and allowing pharmacists to provide timely and personalized symptom management, our approach shows the potential to facilitate patient-centered care for accurate and effective interventions, to minimize adverse effects and to improve health outcomes."

Other team members included research specialists and graduate students from the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and pharmacists at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

This work was supported by research funding from the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association.

Chan has consulting or advisory roles at Blueprint Medicines, Lilly and Hengrui Medicine.
Opioids have long been known as natural substances with substantial pharmacological effect. They have been used as effective painkillers. A very prominent example is morphine, which was first isolated and synthesized in the early 19th century. It is a relief for severely ill patients in the last phases of their lives. However, when opioids are used inappropriately they can cause addiction and even the development of extremely serious undesirable effects, such as respiratory depression. In the USA, opioids were once widely promoted through the media and, as a consequence, were often prescribed to treat what were in fact mild disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were nearly 645,000 cases of mortality due to opioid overdose in the United States between 1999 to 2021. And the opioid crisis has arrived in Germany, too. The main problem is street drugs and the fact that the synthetic opioid heroin, in particular, is cut with other, cheaper opioids, such as fentanyl. While a dose of 200 milligrams heroin is fatal, just two milligrams of fentanyl can kill. In 2022, more than 1,000 people in Germany died as a result of the consumption of opioids.

Starting with a database of 40,000 natural substances

Governments have introduced measures to contain this epidemic. However, opioid addiction rates are high. Others suffer from extreme pain that needs to be alleviated. There is thus an urgent need for safe analgesics. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) - with financial support of the Research Training Group "Life Sciences - Life Writing", funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) - have now made progress towards this goal. "A natural product called aniquinazolin B that is isolated from the marine fungus Aspergillus nidulans stimulates the opioid receptors and could possibly thus be used instead of opioids in future," explained Roxana Damiescu, a member of the research team headed by Professor Thomas Efferth.



In the search for new compounds, the team started with a chemical database of more than 40,000 natural substances. It was their aim to determine how effectively each substance would bind to the corresponding receptor. And, in addition, they had to ascertain whether these had the properties required of a pharmaceutical drug. Such a compound must be water-soluble to some extent, for example. This research required calculations in the form of approximations, with the results becoming increasingly more precise the more frequently these calculations were performed. Each substance was the subject of some 750,000 individual calculations. Such a colossal number of calculations would vastly exceed the capacity of a standard PC. Therefore, the team utilized the MOGON supercomputer at JGU. The top 100 candidate products of these calculations were subsequently assessed using other analytical methods.

Further detailed investigation in the lab

The resultant top ten found their way into the lab, where they underwent biochemical analysis. The initial priority was to establish safety. Using preparations of human kidney cells, the researchers looked at whether higher concentrations of each substance would prove toxic to the cells and even kill them. Finally, two other aspects had to be subjected to testing.

We needed to confirm that the high binding energy of the substances to the pain receptors that had been predicted by the theoretical calculations was actually also produced in the real physical world." Professor Thomas Efferth, Head of the JGU Department of Pharmaceutical Biology

However, binding of a substance to the receptors is not alone sufficient. The binding must also influence the functioning of the receptors. Thus, the research team used a second test system to assess whether there was the kind of inhibition of biological activity that occurs on opioid use. One of the two compounds passed all tests with flying colors: aniquinazolin B, the substance present in the marine fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

"The results of our investigations indicate that this substance may have effects similar to those of opioids. At the same time, it causes far fewer undesirable reactions," concluded Roxana Damiescu.



The corresponding research paper has recently been published in ChemMedChem.
As of February 2, 2024, India boasts 12,146 operational public EV charging stations.

This marks a substantial increase from the past few years, reflecting the countrys commitment to supporting EV adoption. To put this growth into perspective, there were only 6,486 public EV charging stations in March 2023.

This near doubling of the number of charging points in less than a year highlights the rapid pace at which India is developing its EV infrastructure. The expansion is driven by various factors, including governmental policies, urbanization patterns, and advancements in EV technology.

Recently, we interacted with Dinesh Arjun, CEO Cofounder, Raptee.HV. He shed light on the growth of EV charging points in India.

Geographic Penetration of Charging Points

Urban and Metro Overview

The distribution of EV charging stations is heavily concentrated in urban and metropolitan areas. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai have the highest density of charging points. This urban focus aligns with higher EV adoption rates in these regions, driven by larger populations, better infrastructure, and greater environmental awareness.

State-wise Distribution

Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra lead with the highest number of EV charging stations. These states have proactively implemented policies and incentives to encourage EV adoption and infrastructure development. Conversely, some states lag behind, highlighting a need for more uniform policy implementation across the country.

Key Players in the EV Charging Market

The Indian EV charging station market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 percent from 2024 to 2029. Major companies operating in this sector include Tata Power Company Limited, Charzer Tech Pvt Ltd., Mass-Tech Controls Pvt Ltd., ABB Ltd., and Exicom Telesystems Ltd. These companies are instrumental in expanding the charging infrastructure, enhancing technology, and making EV charging more accessible to the public.

A notable recent development is the $19 million commitment from British International Investment (BII) to CHARGE ZONE, Indias fastest-growing EV charging network. This significant investment aims to accelerate the expansion of CHARGE ZONEs network, further boosting the availability of charging points across the country.

The Road Ahead: What the Sector Needs to Explode

To achieve widespread EV adoption and meet the governments target of 30 percent EVs by 2030, India needs to address several challenges. Heres what the sector requires to truly flourish:

Increased Public Charging Infrastructure: The current ratio of 1 charging station per 135 EVs is far below the global standard. To meet the projected demand, India needs to significantly ramp up its charging infrastructure, targeting a ratio of 1 station per 20 vehicles.

The current ratio of 1 charging station per 135 EVs is far below the global standard. To meet the projected demand, India needs to significantly ramp up its charging infrastructure, targeting a ratio of 1 station per 20 vehicles. Integration of Renewable Energy: Utilizing renewable energy sources for EV charging can help meet the growing power demand sustainably, reducing the environmental impact.

Utilizing renewable energy sources for EV charging can help meet the growing power demand sustainably, reducing the environmental impact. Development of Fast-Charging Technology: Investing in fast-charging technology will reduce charging times, making EVs more convenient for long-distance travel.

Investing in fast-charging technology will reduce charging times, making EVs more convenient for long-distance travel. Incentivizing Private Sector Investment: Government incentives can encourage private companies to invest in EV infrastructure, accelerating the sectors growth.

The Need for Charging Points Like Petrol Pumps

As EV adoption increases, the need for a widespread and reliable network of charging points becomes crucial, much like the existing network of petrol pumps. Significant capital investment is required to build this infrastructure, but it is essential for the EV sectors success. Ensuring that EV owners can charge their vehicles conveniently and reliably will drive further adoption and confidence in electric mobility.

Conclusion

Indias journey towards becoming an EV-friendly nation is well underway, with a significant increase in the number of public charging stations. However, to achieve the ambitious goals set for 2030, continued investment in infrastructure, technology, and policies is essential.

By addressing these needs, India can ensure a smooth transition to electric mobility, benefiting the environment and enhancing the overall transportation landscape.
Adani group-owned Mumbai airport has witnessed a significant rise in passenger traffic, marking a 7.7 percent increase year-on-year.

In the first quarter of financial year 2024 (Q1FY24), footfall soared to 13.46 million passengers, up from 12.49 million in Q1FY23.

Mumbai : Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) says  CSMIA continues its impressive growth in passenger traffic through the first quarter of FY2024. This quarter recorded over 13.4 million total passengers travelling through CSMIA, with 3.7 million travelling ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

During this period, 3.7 million passengers flew internationally, while 9.7 million traveled on domestic routes from the airport.

The surge in passenger traffic coincides with peak holiday months, especially during Indias summer season.

According to Business Standard, May emerged as the busiest month in Q1FY24, hosting 4.7 million passengers. The peak day was May 18, recording 163,166 passengers.

Operated under the name Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai airport saw over 59,775 domestic air traffic movements (ATMs) and approximately 21,519 international ATMs during the same period.

Top domestic destinations from Mumbai included Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Internationally, Dubai, Singapore, and London remained the top choices.

IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara secured the highest market share among Indian carriers, both domestically and internationally.

CSMIA prioritizes safety and security, ensuring a seamless experience for all travelers. As we continue to achieve new milestones, we remain committed to surpassing passenger expectations and setting benchmarks in global aviation, the airport stated in a release.
Union Budget 2024 LIVE: Explore the key expectations from Budget 2024-25 Discover all the essential details about Budget 2024 alongwith real time updates and latest news here.

Budget 2024 Expectations on Taxation Harsh Punjabee, founder and CEO of SMEST Capital, said, As the Union Budget 2024 approaches, we can anticipate significant tax reforms that simplify the current structure. Increasing the basic exemption limit and providing more tax-saving investment options will help individuals better manage their personal finances. Also, with the rise of digital finance, there is an expectation for the budget to promote digital financial inclusion. This could involve incentives for digital payments and investments in technology infrastructure to make financial services more accessible. Citizens are looking forward to budget provisions that ease their financial burden. Expectations include higher tax deductions for essential expenses such as education, healthcare, and housing. These reforms will play a crucial role in helping people manage their finances more effectively, leading to a more stable and prosperous economic environment.

Budget 2024 Expectations: YES Bank CEO Prashant Kumar Shares 8 Key Areas to Focus Prashant Kumar, MD & CEO of YES Bank, said, The Union Budget 2024 is expected to play a crucial role in shaping Indias economic future. This is especially true as the tax revenue collections have remained robust and the government is also armed with a bumper dividend from the RBI. The government is expected to remain committed to the reforms process and be focused on eight key areas: Sustainable growth, financial sector, infrastructure and investment, women, youth & farmers, last-mile connectivity, inclusive development, and economic expansion  all essential towards achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047. The government has exhibited its commitment towards fiscal discipline, much necessary to signal economic stability and build investor confidence. However, the government is also expected to balance this objective together with the needs for economic growth and providing adequate outlays for key social sector programs, in an effort towards inclusive growth and ensure that the benefits of economic development reach all segments of society. In this context the government is likely to lay stress on ensuring skill developments, focus on enhancing the strength of the manufacturing sector via sharpening the PLI scheme and provide adequate support for small business to grow, he added. At YES BANK, we are prepared to support the governments push for enhancing digital infrastructure and promoting financial inclusion. This aligns with our commitment to bringing advanced banking services to underserved regions and supporting initiatives in green mobility, affordable housing, healthcare, and education. These efforts will not only spur economic growth but also ensure holistic development, Kumar said. He also said he is particularly excited about growth in manufacturing and support for MSMEs, which are vital for job creation and economic dynamism.

Budget Expectations from Real Estate Sector B K Malagi, COO at Experion Developers, said, We believe that the forthcoming budget will address the main issues facing the real estate industry, especially by giving homebuyers tax relief and expanding the deduction for house loan interest. Reforms aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing, such as better financing for housing projects and expedited approval procedures, are also essential. Further stimulating growth will be providing incentives for sustainable development and improving infrastructure in developing metropolitan areas. All things considered, these policies will not only stimulate the housing market but also increase the number of people who can become homeowners.

Budget Expectations from Healthcare Sector Girish Agarwal, co-founder of Zeno Health, said, While the government has increased healthcare expenditure in recent years, it remains lower compared to neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Bhutan. According to the National Health Policy 2017, the government aims to raise healthcare spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. To achieve this, increased allocation toward technology integration in public healthcare systems is crucial. Given our large population, collaboration with organizations and startups can improve distribution and monitoring of healthcare services. These technological advancements can benefit services delivered through the ASHA network, government hospitals, primary health centers, ambulance services, and insurance delivery. Despite government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY), access to generic medicines remains limited in India. Two factors contribute to this limitation: quality control at the source and the lack of prescription law enforcement. To address this, the government should enforce a law requiring doctors prescriptions to include drug names rather than specific brands. Such a change would enhance transparency and directly benefit consumers, he added. We hope that during the upcoming Budget session, the government will prioritize these initiatives, as they hold significant promise for future generations, Agarwal added.

Budget 2024 Expectations from Hospitality Sector Pranav Dangi, founder & CEO of The Hosteller, said, As an Indian hostel chain owner, I am hopeful that the upcoming Union Budget will provide much-needed support and relief to the hospitality sector. Key expectations are: * Tax incentives, such as reduced GST rates and investment-linked deductions, to help the industry recover from pandemic-induced losses. * Easier access to affordable credit to facilitate infrastructure upgrades, expansion, and working capital requirements. * Policies that boost domestic tourism, including incentives for young travellers and students to explore India, which can significantly benefit the hostel industry. * Improved connectivity through investments in transportation infrastructure, enhancing accessibility to tourist destinations. * Subsidies and incentives to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices, such as renewable energy and eco-friendly operations, in the hospitality sector.

Budget 2024 Expectations from Fintech Sector Karan Desai, founder of Interface Ventures, said, The Indian fintech industry is looking forward to a Union Budget that will continue building on the development of digital infrastructure across the entire financial services ecosystem. Digital India has been a pet project of the government and in their 3rd term, expectations are that even more investment will go into driving this revolution.

Budget 2024 Expectations: Healthcare Need of Senior Citizens Neha Sinha, Co-founder and CEO, Epoch Elder Care The Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 is important for the health industry, especially for the overall health of our senior citizens, who deserve more dedicated attention as they strive for self-sufficiency, aiming to manage their daily lives independently and with dignity. We look forward to the proposed extension of Ayushman Bharat, wherein all the elderly above 70 years of age will also be covered and will get the benefit of free treatment under this Yojana. This proposed expansion will provide much-needed financial security and access to quality healthcare services for the elderly. The budget should focus on addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals, and further incorporation of technology into healthcare services, with special emphasis on tele-medicines, which will give impetus to improving service delivery and accessibility, benefitting the seniors in our country. The budget should also look at allocating sufficient funds for care and counseling required for combating the rising health burdens of dementia, Parkinsons, and other neurological diseases that are mostly prevalent among the elderly in India. As we await the budget announcement, we are hopeful that the governments allocations will portray a comprehensive approach to providing the required support to senior citizens, including several components such as healthcare, social security, and mobility needs.

Budget 2024 Expectations on Cybersecurity Infra Trishneet Arora, founder and CEO of TAC InfoSec, said, As we approach the Indian Union pre-budget, it is crucial to bolster our cybersecurity infrastructure. The evolving digital threats demand robust support and incentives for the cybersecurity sector. I urge the government to prioritise investments in infrastructure, advanced training, and innovation in cybersecurity. Strengthening our cybersecurity framework will protect national interests and enhance Indias global reputation in digital security. Robust cybersecurity measures are essential for fostering cross-border trust, enabling secure international collaborations and trade. By positioning India as a leader in cybersecurity, we can build a resilient digital ecosystem that benefits both our nation and the global community. With the Union Budget 2024 on the horizon, we anticipate a strong government focus on cybersecurity, data privacy, and responsible AI development. The Data Protection Data Privacy (DPDP) Bill and new legislation on deep fakes are commendable steps forward, he added. We urge increased investment in cybersecurity infrastructure and human capital development. With cyber threats escalating, its vital to educate businesses and government entities about risks and provide cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions and skilled professionals. The budget should prioritize funding for educational and training programmes to build expertise in AI and cybersecurity, Arora added. Umesh Kumar Sahay, Managing Director NES Data, said, With a stable union government in the saddle there are expectations for the budget to include incentives for creating critical infrastructure, such as data centres, which are crucial for national security. The rapid increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing technologies, is leading to a significant demand for server space and data centres. Budgetary support would help meet this industry demand more swiftly.

Date and Timing of the Union Budget 2024-25 Presentations The full Union Budget 2024-25 is going to be presented on July 23 in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will start her Budget Speech at 11 am. This will be Sitharamans seventh Budget Speech in a row, making her Indias second finance minister to do so. Read full Article

Budget 2024 Expectations Live Updates: Healthcare Needs Attention Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said, As the nation eagerly anticipates the upcoming budget, the health sector remains a focal point of discussion. The health sector is not just a critical component of public welfare but also a significant contributor to the nations GDP. Currently, the healthcare sector contributes approximately 1.7% to the GDP. With strategic investments and reforms, this contribution can be significantly increased. The budget should aim to elevate the healthcare sectors GDP contribution to around 5% over the next few years.

Budget 2024 Expectations Live Updates: Gold Loan NBFCs Wishlist As a prominent player in this sector, we would like to continue to advocate to provide cushion and offer maximum benefit to customers by urging the government to grant eligible gold loan NBFCs with priority sector status. We believe that providing priority sector status to eligible gold loans NBFCs will be a step forward in driving financial inclusion as it majorly impacts the small borrowers whose borrowing needs are frequently less than Rs 50,000. We also propose for a Gold linked credit line via UPI that can go a long way in helping households/small business owners meet their financing needs and monetise idle gold jewellery. Once the NBFCs are allowed to link with the UPI payment system, this will act as a secured credit that would be extended by NBFCs at a lower interest rate (12%-18%) compared to the high interest rates (around 36%) charged by credit cards.We further seek a level playing field by bridging the disparity and aligning the single counterparty exposure limits for gold loan NBFCs in comparison with other NBFCs i.e. 20% of Tier-1 capital. This restriction impacts the ability to lend credit and negatively impacts our potential customers.

Budget 2024 Expectations Live Updates: Amrit Kiran Singh On Online Gaming Sector Increased GST on Online Games has created a huge tax arbitrage that is inadvertently giving the 500 million players a huge Indian market to foreign ( primarily Chinese) companies at the expense of Indian companies. Would expect FM to address the anomaly in the budget. First by announcing an in-depth study of the pros and cons of this industry and then determining the appropriate level of taxation. And secondly, in the interim, restoring taxes to pre-October levels to stop the hemorrhage of Indian companies. Addiction and other negatives can adequately be addressed through application of smart tech.

Union Budget 2024 Expectation: MSME Wishlist Subash Vasudevan, CBO and Co-founder, iBUS Networks, The upcoming Union Budget presents a critical juncture to catalyze Indias economic growth and competitiveness. For MSMEs, it is important to preserve favorable payment terms. The quicker receipt of accounts receivable is beneficial and can be further explored & accelerated. It is essential to implement measures that enhance the MSME ecosystem by extending credit facilities and increasing the overall credit available relative to the companys net worth. Given Indias ongoing development and investment in digital infrastructure like payment gateways, it would be good to have policies designating digital infrastructure as an essential service to accelerate digital transformation. This would help reduce barriers to deploying mobile internet or fixed lines, such as exorbitant rentals for public or private property, and ensure affordable internet access for all. Additionally, targeted incentives for sustainable practices in the power-intensive telecom sector and a more favorable tax regime for ESOPs are essential to foster innovation and attract top talent.

Budget 2024 Expectations from Steel Sector Budget 2024 Expectations LIVE: Ram Agarwal, CEO of Goodluck India Ltd, said, Engineering steel products play a significant role in the Indian steel industry, driven by pivotal government projects that accelerate growth. As we enter Modi 3, sustaining the robust growth trajectory witnessed during Modi 1 & 2 is paramount. Crucial infrastructure projects in railways, roads, and cutting-edge advancements in Defence, aerospace, and space industries, coupled with investments in renewable energies like solar and green hydrogen, are imperative for our nations sustainable development. Our industry is prepared to work closely with the Government to capitalise on these opportunities. World is looking to us to partner in global projects like metro rails, and continents connecting projects as well, he added.

Budget 2024: 14 Provisions in IBC, Companies Act, Competition Act, May Be Decriminalised Budget 2024 LIVE Updates: In Budget 2024, the government is likely to decriminalise 14 provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, Competition Act, 2002, and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016. These Acts fall under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The Companies Act, IBC, and CCI Act under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs are being considered for decriminalisation of some provisions. Eight provisions have been identified at the department level, while six have been shortlisted by the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) for decriminalisation, according to a Moneycontrol report citing an official.

Budget 2024 Live Updates: Utilise man power, technology to prevent backlog of audits, says PwC

Budget 2024 Expectations: Budget expectations from Prashant Kumar, MD & CEO, YES BANK The Union Budget 2024 is expected to play a crucial role in shaping Indias economic future. This is especially as the tax revenue collections have remained robust and the government is also armed with a bumper dividend from the RBI. The government is expected to remain committed to the reforms process and be focused on eight key areas: sustainable growth, financial sector, infrastructure and investment, women, youth & farmers, last-mile connectivity, inclusive development, and economic expansion  all essential towards achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047.The government has exhibited its commitment towards fiscal discipline, much necessary to signal economic stability and build investor confidence. However, the government is also expected to balance this objective together with the needs for economic growth and providing adequate outlays for key social sector programs, in an effort towards inclusive growth and ensure that the benefits of economic development reach all segments of society. In this context the government is likely to lay stress on ensuring skill developments, focus on enhancing the strength of the manufacturing sector via sharpening the PLI scheme and provide adequate support for small business to grow. At YES BANK, we are prepared to support the governments push for enhancing digital infrastructure and promoting financial inclusion. This aligns with our commitment to bringing advanced banking services to underserved regions and supporting initiatives in green mobility, affordable housing, healthcare, and education. These efforts will not only spur economic growth but also ensure holistic development.We are particularly excited about growth in manufacturing and support for MSMEs, which are vital for job creation and economic dynamism. YES BANK stands ready to contribute to Indias journey towards becoming one of the worlds largest economies

Budget 2024 Live Updates: We would have got tax laws if revenue was not forgone, says PwC
Nasscom on Wednesday raised concerns over the Karnataka Bill on 100% private sector employment reservation for Kannadigas in Group C and D jobs, which has been cleared by the states Cabinet, and said it could hamper the growth of the industry, impact jobs, and force companies to relocate. Urging the state government to withdraw the bill, the software body also seeks an urgent meeting for industry representatives with state authorities.

The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday approved the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, that made industries, factories and other establishments mandatory to appoint local candidates in 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent in non-management positions. It also mandates 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in private sector for Group C and D posts, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Its deeply disturbing to see this kind of Bill, which will not only hamper the growth of the industry, impact jobs and the global brand for the state. Nasscom members are seriously concerned about the provisions of this bill and urge the state government to withdraw the bill, Nasscom said in a statement.

It added that the Bills provisions threaten to reverse this progress, drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state. At the same time, the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce.

Nasscom is seeking an urgent meeting for industry representatives with state authorities to discuss the concerns and prevent the states progress from being derailed, it said.

It said in todays highly competitive landscape, knowledge led businesses will locate where talent is as attracting skilled workers is crucial for success. Globally, there is a huge shortage for skilled talent and Karnataka despite the large pool, is no exception. For states to become a key technology hub a dual strategy is key  magnet for best talent worldwide and focussed investment in building a strong talent pool within the state through formal and vocational channels.

The technology sector has been crucial to Karnatakas economic and social development, with Bengaluru known globally as Indias Silicon Valley. The technology sector contributes almost 25% of the state GDP and has played a key role in enabling higher growth for the state, higher per capita income than the national average. With over a quarter of Indias digital talent, the state houses over 30% of the total GCCs and around 11000 start-ups.

About the Bill

The Bill mandates 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in private sector for Group C and D posts.

On the appointment of Local Candidates, the bill says, Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy per cent in non-management categories. If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language, they must pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the Nodal Agency, it says.

If the qualified local candidates are not available, the establishments within three years with active collaboration of government or its agencies should take steps to train them, it says.

If sufficient number of local candidates are not available, then an establishment may apply for relaxation from the provisions of this Act to the government.

Such orders passed by the Government shall be final: Provided that, the relaxation provided under this section shall not be less than 25 per cent for management category and 50 per cent for non-management categories, the proposed bill says.

Every industry or factory or other establishment should inform the nodal agency about the compliance of the provisions of this Act in such form, within such period as may be prescribed, the copy of the bill read.

The role of the nodal agency will be to verify the reports furnished by an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment and submit a report to the government indicating the implementation of the provisions of this Act.

The nodal agency will have powers to call for any records information or documents in the possession of an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.

The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer for the purpose of compliance of the provisions of the Act.

Any employer or occupier or manager of an establishment, who contravenes the provisions of this Act, should be liable for a penalty between Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.

If the contravention continues after penalty has been imposed, then, with further penalty which may extend to one hundred rupees for each day till the time contravention so continues, the proposed bill says.
Petrol, Diesel Prices Today On July 17, 2024: Oil marketing companies (OMCs) announce fuel prices, maintaining consistency despite the inherent volatility of these commodities at 6 am every day. The OMCs adjust prices in response to global crude oil prices and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, ensuring consumers are always informed about the latest fuel costs.

Government oil marketing companies release the latest petrol and diesel prices daily at 6 am in the country.

The prices have remained unchanged in most parts of the country since March 2024 when the central government cut petrol prices by Rs 2. Before that, the fuel prices remained steady since May 2022, following a reduction in fuel taxes by the central government and several states.

Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate table below)

Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on July 17:

City Petrol Price (Rs/litre) Diesel Price (Rs/litre) Delhi 94.72 87.62 Mumbai 103.44 89.97 Chennai 100.85 92.44 Kolkata 103.94 90.76 Noida 94.66 87.76 Lucknow 94.65 87.76 Bengaluru 102.86 88.94 Hyderabad 107.41 95.65 Jaipur 104.88 90.36 Trivandrum 107.62 96.43 Bhubaneswar 101.06 92.91

Factors Affecting Petrol And Diesel Prices In India

Crude oil price: The primary raw material for the production of petrol and diesel is crude oil; as such, its price directly influences the ultimate cost of these fuels.

The exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the US dollar: As a major importer of crude oil, Indias petrol and diesel prices are also influenced by the exchange rate between the Indian and US dollar.

Tax: Various taxes on petrol and diesel are imposed by both the central and state governments. These taxes may differ across states, exerting a notable influence on the ultimate prices of petrol and diesel.

The cost of refining:

The final price of petrol and diesel is additionally influenced by the expenses incurred in refining crude oil into these fuels. The refining process can be costly, and the refining expenses may fluctuate based on factors like the type of crude oil utilised and the refinerys efficiency.

The demand for petrol and diesel: The demand for petrol and diesel can also affect their prices. If demand for these fuels increases, it can lead to higher prices.

Know the price of petrol and diesel through SMS

You can also find out the latest petrol and diesel prices in your city through SMS. If you are a customer of Indian Oil, then you will have to write RSP along with the city code and send it to 9224992249. If you are a customer of BPCL, then you can get information about the new price of petrol and diesel by writing RSP and sending it to 9223112222. Whereas, if you are a customer of HPCL, then you can find out the price of petrol and diesel by writing HP Price and sending it to 9222201122.
House Rent Allowance (HRA) exemption is a benefit provided to salaried individuals to help them with rental accommodation expenses. It allows individuals to reduce their taxable income, decreasing their tax liability.

HRA Calculator

The amount of HRA you can exempt is the lowest of the following:

Actual HRA received: This is the amount mentioned as HRA in your salary slip.

Rent Paid minus 10% of salary: This considers your actual rent expenditure and a basic deduction.

HRA limit based on city type:

50% of your basic salary + dearness allowance (DA) for metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai).

40% of your basic salary + DA for non-metro cities.

To claim HRA deduction on your Income Tax Return (ITR), you may need the following documents depending on the situation;

Rent Agreement: A valid rent agreement for the current financial year. This document serves as proof that you have rented accommodation.

A valid rent agreement for the current financial year. This document serves as proof that you have rented accommodation. Rent Receipts: Duly stamped rent receipts for the monthly rent payments made during the financial year. Even if you pay rent electronically, receipts are important.

Duly stamped rent receipts for the monthly rent payments made during the financial year. Even if you pay rent electronically, receipts are important. Landlords PAN Card: If your total rent paid in a year exceeds Rs 1 lakh, a copy of your landlords PAN card must be submitted to your employer to claim HRA exemption.

If your total rent paid in a year exceeds Rs 1 lakh, a copy of your landlords PAN card must be submitted to your employer to claim HRA exemption. Proof of Payment: Bank statements, online transaction receipts, or any other evidence showing the actual payment of rent can also be helpful.

Bank statements, online transaction receipts, or any other evidence showing the actual payment of rent can also be helpful. Rent to Family Members: Income tax laws do not prohibit paying rent to family members. However, maintaining proper documentation even when the rent is paid to a family member is crucial.

If filing an ITR is mandatory for the family member, the individual should request them to declare the rent received as income in their tax return.

Employee Declaration Form: If youre a salaried employee, your employer might require you to fill out a declaration form to claim an HRA exemption. This form typically includes details about the rented accommodation and the rent paid.

These documents are usually required to be submitted to your employer if you want them to deduct HRA and reflect it in your Form 16. However, you can still claim HRA while filing ITR even if you didnt claim it earlier.

The above information is for general understanding. Its advisable to consult a tax advisor for specific details and the latest regulations.
In a recent development, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has reportedly issued notices to around 12 private schools in Noida and the Greater Noida area of Uttar Pradesh for failing to take admission of students under the guidelines of the Right to Education Act (RTE). The district official mentioned despite sending multiple notices to the schools over the tenure of four months, the schools still failed to abide by the rules that are placed by the central government of the country. The Right to Education Act mandates that private schools reserve 25 per cent of their seats for students belonging to economically weaker sections.

Rahul Panwar, basic education officer, Noida, mentioned that under the recommendation of the District Magistrate, a special committee will be formed. The committee will probe the alleged irregularities and issue a report. The decision to officially cancel the recognition of the schools will be taken after the investigation report is submitted by the committee. As per reports, the committee will be led by subdivisional magistrate Ved Prakash Pandey. The district disabled empowerment official Ashish Kumar and principal of Kumari Mayawati Government Girls Inter College Chhavi Singh will also be part of the probing committee.

The schools that allegedly failed to abide by the rules of the government are Bal Bharti Public School of Noida, The Millennium, Ramagya School, Raghav Global School, Fortune World, Army Public School, Sanskar Roza Jalalpur, Oxford Green Public School, Samsara The World Academy, Shiv Nadar School, Delhi Public School- Knowledge Park-5, and Darbari Lal Foundation World.

Regarding the future process, Rahul Panwar said, The committee has sent notices to the schools, seeking their reply within a week. Several attempts were made to warn the schools earlier. If the schools fail to respond within a week, the DM may process the withdrawal of their recognition.

Commenting on the recent development an official from Delhi Public School, Knowledge Park-5, Greater Noida West, mentioned that their admission process is still underway. They are expected to complete the pending admissions soon.
The Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board issued the admit card for the Chhattisgarh State Eligibility Test (CG SET) on July 15. To download their admit cards, candidates need to visit the official website at vyapam.cgstate.gov.inand log in using their registered mobile number and password. This step is mandatory for all applicants who have applied for the exam.

The CG SET is scheduled to take place on July 21 and covers 19 subjects. Its primary goal is to assess candidates for eligibility as Assistant Professors in universities and colleges across Chhattisgarh. The exam will be conducted in two shifts: the first shift from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and the second shift from 2 PM to 5 PM.

CG SET Admit Card 2024: How to Download

Step 1. Visit the official website of the Chhattisgarh board i.e.,vyapam.cgstate.gov.in

Step 2. Now, click on the Admit Card option present on the homepage.

Step 3. Click on the first link that reads Chhattisgarh State Eligibility Test Admit card 2024.

Step 4. A new window will be opened asking you to fill in your registered mobile number and password.

Step 5. After filling in the information, click on the Login button.

Step 6. Your CGSET admit card 2024 will appear on the screen.

Step 7. Download and remember to take a screenshot or print out the CGSET admit card 2024 for future reference.

Two papers will be conducted in this exam. Paper I will be a general aptitude test, which is common for all candidates. CG SET Paper II consists of 100 subject-specific questions.

Notably, candidates are required to bring extra copies of their admit cards to the exam venue. The reporting time for each shift will be specified on the admit card, and it is advisable to arrive punctually. Candidates who arrive late may not be permitted to enter the exam hall. Candidates will not be allowed to enter the exam hall once the shift starts. They will be directly considered disqualified.

If any candidate faces difficulty regarding the exam centre, they can contact the helpline number 0771-2972780 or the mobile number 8269801982.
Two years since its inception, the PM Shri Yojana continues to be a focal point of debate and development in the education sector. Launched by the central government, this ambitious initiative aims to transform 14,500 primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools across India into model institutions aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.

Financial Allocation and Disbursement Issues

With a whopping budget exceeding Rs 27,000 crore allocated for five years, PM Shri Yojana underscores a significant investment in educational infrastructure. However, the scheme has faced challenges, notably from states such as Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal, which have declined to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) required for participation. Consequently, these states have missed out on crucial funding, highlighting friction between the center and non-participating states.

Implementation and School Selection

The selection process for PM Shri schools operates through a Challenge Mode, where schools meeting specified criteria can apply online. Urban schools must score at least 70%, while rural schools require a minimum of 60% to qualify. A special committee oversees the final selection, ensuring transparency and adherence to set benchmarks.

Geographical Distribution and Participation

Uttar Pradesh leads with the highest number of PM Shri schools (1,865), followed by Maharashtra (910) and Andhra Pradesh (900). Interestingly, states not governed by the BJP have shown mixed responses, with some opting out due to existing state-specific educational initiatives.

Future Prospects and State Governance

While the PM Shri Yojana aims for nationwide impact, its success hinges on broader state participation. States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have shown interest despite not signing the MoU, underscoring a complex interplay between federal policies and state autonomy in educational matters.

As the PM Shri Yojana continues to evolve, its impact on educational standards and infrastructure remains a critical benchmark for future educational reforms. The schemes integration into broader national policies and its reception among states will likely shape the educational landscape for years to come.

This comprehensive overview illuminates PM Shri Yojanas objectives, challenges, and the path forward as it strives to redefine educational excellence across India.
Puja Khedkar, an IAS probationer from Pune, recently made headlines for allegedly falsifying OBC and disability certificates to gain entry into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Following a report submitted by the Pune District Collector and multiple allegations against her, she has now been pulled from training and recalled to the academy.

The Maharashtra government, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), and a single-member committee from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) have launched investigation into her credentials.

Senior sources in the government say Khedkar is likely to be terminated for forgery and falsification of entry level documents. But why has the government launched multiple inquiries at several levels against an IAS probationer? Why cant it terminate her service?

Senior bureaucrats say the government is doing the right thing because it is legally bound by a set of administrative rules that are uniform for all candidates.

Despite all the clamour, the government must conduct thorough inquiries before taking such an action, adhering to strict administrative rules that ensure fairness for all candidates. Senior bureaucrats highlight that these investigations are crucial not only for the due process but also to pinpoint and rectify any systemic vulnerabilities.

The government needs to identify and address the point of breach into the system and take actions, penalise the responsible persons, they added.

Why are Inquiries Essential?

News18 spoke with retired and service IAS officers to understand the need for the elaborate exercise, the inquiries ordered by the state and central government into Pujas case, despite the fact that she is not even an IAS officer yet, but a probationer.

Sanjeev Chopra, former director of LBSNAA and a retired IAS officer said, There is a set of rules that govern the All India Service (AIS) officers and there are rules that are meant for the probationers or trainees. An IAS probationer is a trainee under observation. It is the most crucial time for them and they cannot afford to show signs which may lead to unbecoming of an IAS.

Their services are not confirmed until they pass their period of probation complying with the rules and maintaining integrity. They do not have the rights of the IAS officers. About the allegations of falsifying documents, it is a call of UPSC and DoPT. Director of the training academy may take action based on the reports, he added.

Reacting to multiple allegations against several serving officers coming to the fore following Puja Khedkar case, Chopra said, The system has been breached at some point. The government has to identify the point of breach through inquiry. The officers, who faked documents to get entry to this service, can be pulled up, penalised in accordance with the law. Forgery is a criminal offence under Indian laws. It does not matter when they committed the crime, now or 10 years back. If the offence is proved, they might be punished by the law.

What Does the Probation Rule Say?

The probationers are governed by the Indian Administrative Service (Probation) Rules, 1954. The Central government keeps adding instructions or amending some sections depending on the requirements.

In October, 2022, the DoPT, in an office-memorandum, issued a set of instructions related to the confirmation of service for a probationer.

In the memorandum, accessed by News 18, the DoPT listed several instructions to streamline the process of confirming Direct Recruit officers of the IAS.

The instructions covered various aspects relating to probation. A probationer who is found not to possess the basic qualities of character and ability essential in a member of the Indian Administrative Service should be discharged early from the service. There is little to be gained by continuing such a probationer in service for long. It would also not be fair to the probationer, the order said.

The rules and instructions issued by the DoPT clearly define the modalities of confirming the service of a probationer or extending the period of probation.

In case of discharging a probationer of service or terminating his or her tenure, the DoPT said, A probationer, who is not making satisfactory progress or who shows himself or herself to be inadequate for the service, in any way, should be informed of his shortcomings well before the expiry of the original probationary period so that he can make special efforts at self-improvement.

This can be done by giving him or her a written warning to the effect that his general performance has not been such as to justify his confirmation in the Service and that, unless he showed substantial improvement within a specified period, the question of discharging him or her from the service would have to be considered. Even though this is not required by the rules, discharge from the service being a severe, final and irrevocable step, the probationer should be given such an opportunity before taking the drastic step of discharge, the DoPT added.
Fifteen children are believed to have died of a suspected viral infection  Chandipura virus  in Gujarat since July 10. So far, 29 cases have been reported on the disease. State health minister Rushikesh Patel has confirmed about the alarming situation.

As of Wednesday, 15 deaths have been reported out of which one is confirmed due to the Chandipura virus while others are suspected but symptoms are all similar in all cases so its assumed that all cases are the same, a health department official said, as quoted by The Hindu.

The number of suspected cases has gradually increased, with the hospital now treating three patients from Aravalli, one from Mahisagar, and one from Kheda. Additionally, there are two patients from Rajasthan and one from Madhya Pradesh, according to the health minister.

The first four suspected Chandipura cases were reported in the civil hospital at Himatnagar in Sabarkantha district.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had recognised the Chandipura virus as a potential priority disease in 2017.

Let us understand what this infection is and how it spreads.

What is the Chandipura Virus Infection?

The virus was first identified in 1965, and was named after a village in Maharashtra called Chandipura. It belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family, which also includes other members such as the lyssavirus that causes rabies.

The name Rhabdo, meaning rod-shaped in Greek, refers to the bullet-like shape of the virus, scientists AB Sudeep, YK Gurav, and VP Bondre wrote in a 2016 review article published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Several species of sandflied like Phlebotomine sandflies and Phlebotomus papatasi, and some mosquito species such as Aedes aegypti, which is also a vector for dengue, are considered vectors of Chandipura virus.

The virus resides in the salivary gland of the insects, and can be transmitted to humans or other vertebrates like domestic animals through bites.

Cases in India

The virus primarily affects humans, particularly children, and has been detected during sporadic outbreaks in various parts of India and other countries in Asia and Africa.

The 2003-04 outbreaks in central India were particularly devastating, resulting in 322 child deaths: 183 in Andhra Pradesh, 115 in Maharashtra, and 24 in Gujarat. The fatality rates were alarmingly high, ranging from 56% in Andhra Pradesh to 75% in Gujarat.

What are the Symptoms?

The infection is characterised by sudden onset of flu-like symptoms, including high fever, seizures, diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, and altered sensorium. In severe cases, the viral infection can lead to coma and death. According to a report by trio scientists, the primary cause of death for most infected patients is encephalitis, an inflammation of active brain tissues.

Some studies from India have also reported other symptoms such as respiratory distress, bleeding tendencies, or anaemia.

The infection affects children below the age of 15 years. The infection progresses rapidly after encephalitis, which may lead to mortality within 24-48 hours.

Whats the Treatment?

At present, there is no antiretroviral therapy or vaccine available for treatment. As a result, it is crucial to manage brain inflammation to prevent death.

Some paediatricians say the disease can progress rapidly from high fever in the morning and the kidney and liver being affected in the evening.

Supportive care remains the primary approach, focusing on treating symptoms and preventing complications. Further, effective management including controlling the vectors and maintaining good nutrition, hygiene, health, and public awareness can help curb the spread of virus.

Dr Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and paediatric surgeon, said the outbreaks are often reported in rural, tribal and peripheral areas, and the same may have a correlation with the prevalence of sandflies in these areas, as quoted in a reported by The Indian Express. He added that there is also a seasonal aspect to the infection where outbreaks are reported more when the sandflies population increases.

How is Government Trying to Stop the Spread of Virus?

Gujarat health authorities, as a precautionary measure, have screened over 44,000 people in 8,600 houses from across 26 residential zones.

Health minister Patel said the State Health Department had undertaken intensive surveillance of the affected districts, and a special advisory had been issued to the community, and to primary health centres, sub-district hospitals and medical colleges, to treat suspected cases with certain symptoms, including Chandipura virus cases.

Patel also told PTI that the situation is under control and advised the public to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms persist.

Chief District Health Officer, Aravalli, MA Siddiqui, shared with ANI, 50 teams have been constituted to do dusting at a mass level. I appeal to farmers to use insecticides and pesticides to kill mosquitos. Kids should be made to wear full-sleeved clothes to prevent them from mosquitoes.
The Karnataka government has approved a legislation that made it mandatory for all private industries to hire only Kannadigas in Group C and Group D categories, chief minister Siddaramaiah said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The Bill mandates industries, factories and other establishments to appoint 50% of local candidates in management categories and 75% in non-management categories.

According to the provisions, violation of the provisions of The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, would attract a penalty of up to Rs 25,000.

What are the Provisions of the Bill?

To qualify for reserved positions in management and non-management categories, candidates must have a secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language or pass a Kannada proficiency test set by a designated nodal agency.

If qualified or suitable local candidates are not available, the industry or factory or other establishments should take steps to train and engage local candidates within three years.

According to the Bill, there is a clause, which provides relaxation to the industries if sufficient number of local candidates are not available. In such a case, these establishments could apply for relaxation from the provisions of this Act to the Government and after due enquiry the Government may pass appropriate orders.

A nodal agency will also be set up under the Act which will verify reports on people employed by Industries. It will also submit a periodic report to the government.

The companies, which will not follow the provisions of the Bill, will attract a penalty of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000, and Rs 100 will be collected every day until the local employer count is as per the bill.

Who is a Local Candidate?

The Bill defines a local candidate as an individual born in Karnataka, residing in the state for at least 15 years, fluent in Kannada and passing a test administered by the nodal agency.

Management category includes supervisory, managerial, technical, operational, administrative, and higher roles, with the exception of directors.

Non-management category covers clerical, unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, IT/ITES employees, and contract or casual workers in various establishments.

In February, the minister for Kannada and culture, Shivaraj S Tangadagi, told the legislature that all MNCs operating in the state must prominently display the number of Kannadigas employed on notice boards. He also said failure to comply with this requirement could result in the revocation of permissions granted to these companies.

What are Industry Leaders Saying?

Several industry leaders have criticised the governments move, calling it discriminatory, and raised apprehensions that the tech sector may suffer.

Mohandas Pai, the Chairman of Manipal Global Education Services said that the Bill is fascist and also unconstitutional. This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test? Pai said in a post on X.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, said Karnataka should not let this Bill affect its leading position in IT, and there should be some exemptions for highly skilled recruitment.

As a tech hub, we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy, Shaw posted on X.

RK Misra, the Co-Chairman of ASSOCHAM Karnataka and the Co-Founder of YULU called the Bill shortsighted and said if a government officer is appointed in every private company to monitor its implementation, it will scare away Indian IT and Global Capability Centres.

Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short-sighted, Misra posted on X.
California becomes the first state in the US prohibiting policies that force schools to inform parents if their children ask to use a different name or pronouns. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law on Monday.

The law bans school rules requiring teachers and other staff to disclose a students gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person with the childs permission.

Parents would retain the right to access their childs school records, and minors are still required to get permission from their parents or guardians before legally changing their name or gender.

The legislation comes amid a nationwide debate over local school districts and the rights of parents and LGBTQ students.

LGBTQ supporters have hailed the law, and said it will help protect LGBTQ students who live in unwelcoming households.

The passing of AB 1955 into law has sparked a major backlash among anti-transgender groups on social media, particularly on X, which Elon Musk owns.

What is the Need for the Law?

The new law comes after several school districts in California passed policies requiring that parents be notified if a child requests to change their gender identification. That led to pushback by Democratic state officials, who say students have a right to privacy.

States across the US have sought to impose bans on gender affirming care, bar transgender athletes from girls and womens sports, and require schools to out trans and non-binary students to their parents, according to NBC News.

In Northern California, the Anderson Union High School District board approved a parental notification policy last year. But the teachers union recommended that teachers not enforce the rule.

Controversial Policy

The Chino Valley school board approved the policy over the last summer to require school staff  including principals, counsellors and teachers  to notify parents in writing within three days of the school finding out their child asks to be identified as a gender different from what is listed on official records. The policy also requires staff to tell parents if their child begins using bathrooms designated for a different gender.

School district policies requiring school staff to notify parents of their childs gender identification change bubbled up after a bill by Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, which would have implemented the policy statewide, failed to receive a hearing in the Legislature last year.

Why is Elon Musk Against The Law?

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he will relocate the headquarters of his companies, SpaceX and X, from California to Texas. Musk elaborated that he had previously warned Governor Newsom that laws like this would push families and companies out of California.

Musk has an estranged relation with one of his children who is transgender, a situation that has been previously reported by Axios.

Will It Be a Challenge for X?

Critics say the move to shift X headquarters to Texas was likely planned regardless of the California legislation and that he is using the law as a convenient justification. They also point out Musks contentious relationship with his eldest child, who reportedly faced conflict with him after coming out as transgender.

The impact of relocating SpaceXs headquarters from Southern California, a crucial hub for defence contractors and the aerospace industry, is yet to be fully understood. Southern California has long been home to major companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon, which play a significant role in the regions economy and workforce.

In 2021, Musk relocated Teslas headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas. He himself also moved his personal residence to Texas. However, just a few years later, Tesla had to relocate its global engineering headquarters back to California due to challenges in finding top-tier engineering talent willing to work in Texas.
Communal tension prevailed in Rajasthans Baran city on Wednesday morning after the dome of a Ganesh temple was found displaced.

BJP workers and activists of Hindu outfits staged a dharna and said they would not allow Tazia processions in the city. They also demanded immediate arrest of those responsible for the incident.

BJP MLA from Baran-Atru, Radheyshyam Bairwa also joined the demonstrators, who chanted the Hanuman Chalisa.

However, following negotiations between representatives of Hindu and Muslim organisations of the city in the presence of Baran Collector Rohitashv Singh Tomar and SP Rajkumar Choudhary, the Hindu outfits agreed to let 10 of the 11 authorised Tazia processions to pass through the same route, while the route of one Tazia was altered through Sarafa Bazar from Chomukha Bazar.

Tomar and Choudhary rushed to the spot after the incident and a large police force was deployed on the routes of Tazia processions.

Teams have been formed to trace and nab the miscreants and CCTV footage of the area are being examined, Tomar told reporters.

People were infuriated at displacement of the dome of an ancient Ganesh temple in the Chomukha Bazar and they alleged ill-motive behind it, Choudhary said.

Now everything has been resolved after a negotiation with groups of the two communities and the Tazia procession is underway peacefully, the SP said.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday heard Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals bail plea related to the Excise policy case and reserved the order in the matter. The court also reserved its order on the plea challenging the chief ministers arrest.

During the hearing, the AAP Supremos counsel argued that he is a Chief Minister and not a terrorist who cannot be granted bail.

The previous hearing occurred on July 2, during which Justice Neena Bansal Krishna directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to respond within seven days.

Arvind Kejriwal Is Not A Terrorist: Lawyer

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal during his bail hearing on Wednesday said he was not a terrorist who cannot be granted bail on the grounds of tampering with evidence or fleeing the country.

The CBI FIR was filed in August 2022 and Kejriwal wasnt named in that. In April 2023, he was summoned under Sec 160 CrPC as a witness, Singhvi said in court.

The Supreme Court doesnt think Kejriwal can tamper with evidence, or hell fly to England and the SC tests my bonafide, he argued.

I Was Not Heard: Kejriwal on June 26 Arrest

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Arvind Kejriwal said, The trial court gave me (Arvind Kejriwal) regular bail under PMLA on June 20 and after four days CBI took the order to question me in judicial custody and arrested me on June 26. I never got a copy of the application. No notice was given, and the order was passed. I was not heard.

In Kejriwals case, there is a very interesting sentence in Justice Khannas order, that interrogation by itself cannot be a ground for arrest. It is a remarkable case. Its not that you put on a blindfold and allow the arrest, Singhvi said.

CBI Says Dont Have Luxury To Pick Terms

CBI in its submission said that the agency should be able to perform independently and it must be left to them to investigate and call people for questioning.

Countering, Kejriwals Insurance Arrest argument, the Central probe agency said that the term has no legal sanctity, and the agency has no luxury to use such terms.

His Role is Not So AAM: CBI on Kejriwals Bail Plea

On Kejriwals legal teams claim that there was no substantial evidence or reason behind his name in the chargesheet, CBI on Wednesday said that the Delhi Chief Ministers role will be discussed in detail with the court.

The agency also said that there was nothing AAM about his role in the scam case. CBI also said that it did not arrest him because the Supreme Court granted him bail.

Kejriwal filed his plea in the High Court on July 1, challenging the Delhi Rouse Avenue Courts June 26 decision that sent him to CBI custody for three days. He remains in judicial custody until July 25.

The CBI is investigating allegations of corruption against Kejriwal linked to the liquor policy. He was arrested from Tihar Jail on June 26, where he was already detained in a money laundering case related to the same case.

Before this, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 and remanded to custody by the Rouse Avenue Court.
The Anti Gang Squad (AGS) of the Delhi Polices Crime Branch has apprehended Sumit Dagar, wanted in multiple heinous crimes, including armed robbery and murder. Dagar who was absconding since 2022, was arrested from his hideout in Delhis Rohini area.

The proclaimed criminal was involved in a high-profile armed robbery which took place on December 1, 2022, at Mahadev Jewellers in Kothapet, Hyderabad. Along with his associates, Dagar forcibly entered the jewelry shop, fired at the staff, and looted approximately 4 kilograms of gold and cash. The incident left one jeweler severely injured.

The pursuit of Dagar spanned across multiple states, with Telangana Police seeking assistance from the Delhi Police Crime Branch due to his links in the national capital. Despite efforts to evade capture and changing his location frequently, the police acted on a tip-off and conducted a raid in Rohini. Dagar attempted to resist arrest, but the team successfully apprehended him after employing necessary force to gain access to his hideout.

During interrogation, the offender revealed his criminal history, including his involvement in multiple cases of murder, armed robbery, and possession of illegal firearms. The activities of the accused spanned over various regions of Delhi and Telangana, where he operated with a network of his associates. Despite being declared a proclaimed offender in one case, he continued to evade authorities by frequently changing his hideouts and living arrangements.

He further revealed that he was granted parole during the COVID-19 pandemic but failed to surrender to authorities. Instead, he continued his criminal activities, culminating in the sensational gold robbery in Telangana.

Additionally, Dagar was also implicated in a murder case traced back to March 1, 2019, at PS Bindapur, Delhi. In this case, he and his accomplices fatally shot Imran during a dispute, stemming from longstanding personal rivalries.
Is Pakistan now involving its ex-Army personnel to foment terrorism in Jammu? The theory is gaining credence after the recent Doda attack which killed four from Rashtriya Rifles.

It requires military level training to take such precision strike at unarmed parts of body and remain hidden in forests for so long, a source told CNN-News18.

Prima facie evidence suggests that the Doda martyrs were targeted on areas which were left uncovered by the helmet and bulletproof jackets.

ALSO READ | Doda Attack A Work Of Jaish Group In Jammu? Exclusive From Intelligence Sources On Terror Network In Region

Agencies are now looking at the possibility of the involvement of Pakistani SSG  their Special Service Group  in the recent spate of attacks in Jammu Division. The security grid suspects that Pakistans Retired regulars could have infiltrated as mercenaries. Pakistan had sent its regular army men from the Northern Light Infantry in the Kargil war.

The SSG is the special secret operations force of the Pakistan army, whose members are directly recruited to their Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

NO CONTACT WITH OUTSIDE WORLD; HAVE WEAPONS USED IN AFGHAN WAR

The Kashmir Tigers, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) shadow group, has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

Probe has revealed that the Doda terrorists used armour piercing bullets and US-made M4 carbines, which were used in the Afghanistan war. Officials said the manner in which the Doda terrorists have refrained from any contact with the outside world and remained hidden in forests shows military level training.

Sources said the probe is also looking into the possible involvement of SSG of Pakistan in other recent incidents of terrorism in the Jammu division.

In a statement, the Army said it has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir. All formations of northern command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue, the Army said.

#LtGenMVSuchindraKumar, #ArmyCdrNC laid wreath to pay homage to the #Bravehearts Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra & Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh, who laid down their lives in the line of duty to ensure peace in the region, while undertaking a counter terrorist pic.twitter.com/wtCWSIvae5 NORTHERN COMMAND  INDIAN ARMY (@NorthernComd_IA) July 16, 2024

THE MONDAY ATTACK, THE SEARCH IS ON

Captain Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling, Naik Dokkari Rajesh from Andhra Pradesh, and Sepoys Bijendra and Ajay Kumar Singh from Rajasthan suffered fatal injuries in the gunfight in the Desa forest area, where troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a cordon-and-search operation on Monday night. Following the encounter, security forces have launched an extensive operation in the Desa forest belt to flush out terrorists.

ALSO READ | 50 Young, Trained Terrorists Who Dont Need Local Support: Intel Sources On Paks Strategy in Jammu | Exclusive

The Army, along with para-commandos and aerial support from drones and helicopters, is intensifying its search operation to eliminate the terrorists who are suspected to have infiltrated from across the border and taken refuge in the forest area.

The Jammu region, once relatively peaceful, has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities since 2021. Over 70 people, including 52 security personnel, mostly from the Army, have lost their lives in these attacks.

With PTI Inputs
A 27-year-old woman, employed as an executive at a private firm in Noida, died by suicide amid allegations of physical and mental harassment by her colleagues.

According to her family, the woman, a resident of Ghaziabad, had faced harassment at her workplace for the past five to six months. She worked as a tele-caller for a third-party company contracted by Axis Bank, both situated in the Axis House building in Noida.

Following her death from alleged poisoning on July 12, her brother lodged a complaint at Nandgram police station in Ghaziabad, where an FIR was lodged under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The brother stated that a note found in her room indicated she committed suicide due to harassment by these persons as well as some other staff members, according to the FIR.

Alleging that his sister ended her life due to physical and mental harassment, he said these people are responsible for her suicide.

He also stated that his sister had confided in the family about her ordeal three to four days before her tragic decision.

My younger sister was working at Axis House, Noida. She had told the family three-four days before committing suicide that the employees working with her were harassing her physically and mentally for the last five-six months, her brother alleged in the FIR, mentioning names of three colleagues, including a woman.

Being troubled by the actions of these people, my sister consumed poisonous substance on July 12 at around 4.15 pm, after which we went to MMG Hospital, Ghaziabad and she was treated there, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad Police have launched a probe into the case. We are examining CCTV footage from the work place of the deceased. We are also questioning her colleagues to ascertain facts of the matter. A detailed probe is underway, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Nandgram) Ravi Kumar Singh said.

In a statement, Axis Bank said it was deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident relating to the executive but clarified that she was not an employee of the bank.

She was an employee of QUESS Corp limited. From a preliminary review of the incident, we understand that there was a significant disagreement between the executive and another QUESS Corp employee at our Noida Office, Axis Bank said.

She was under investigation by QUESS Corp and was issued a show-cause notice on July 10 and disciplinary action was taken by QUESS Corp, Axis Bank said.

We are cooperating with the authorities in the investigation into this unfortunate incident. Axis Bank has a zero-tolerance policy for any code of conduct violation, it added.

(With inputs from PTI)
In a shocking incident in Hyderabad, a physiotherapist allegedly killed his wife and two toddler daughters on the demand of his girlfriend and remained scot-free for almost 45 days. The accused, 32-year-old Boda Praveen, continued living a normal life with his girlfriend for days after the incident, before the police nabbed him.

Praveen allegedly killed his wife Kumari (29) and daughters Krishika (5) and Kritika (3) on the demand of his girlfriend Soni Francis on May 28 and projected it as a car accident. He killed his wife by administering a high dose anaesthetic injection, the name of which has been withheld by police fearing misuse. Subsequently, he killed his two daughters in the front seat of a car by covering their noses and mouths and suffocating them.

After 48 days of the incident, the police arrested Praveen and sent him to judicial remand.

According to Kondal Rao, SHO of Raghunathapalem Police station of Khammam District, Praveen was in the hospital for treatment of minor injuries and returned to Hyderabad to lead a normal life.

Initially, we suspected by seeing needle marks on the body of Kumari. There were no other injuries found on the bodies of Kumari and the kids. After the postmortem, we handed over the dead bodies to their family members. On the same day, an investigation team visited the scene of the offence. The accident was not as serious as Praveen projected. We searched the entire car and found a syringe in it. It was empty, but we treated it as a clue, Kondal Rao told News18.

The police sent the syringe to the forensic laboratory for further investigation. Meanwhile, Praveen continued living a normal life, working as a physiotherapist at Germanten Hospital in the Attapur area of Hyderabad.

Sources have said that Praveen was staying in a separate rented house with his girlfriend Soni Francis, who is a nurse in the same hospital, for days after the incident and carried no remorse.

Praveen felt he was completely safe as we didnt even call him for almost 45 days. He was under the impression that he was out of the case as we initially registered it as an accident case. As soon as we received the forensic report of the syringe, we arrested him in the Attapur area of Hyderabad. Everything had come out in our investigation, SHO Kondal Rao said.
The troubles for trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar have escalated as Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) took decisive action against alleged encroachments outside her familys bungalow in Baner, Pune. In a significant move, a bulldozer was deployed to clear encroachments on the footpath adjacent to her residence. The Khedkar family had reportedly beautified their property by extending into the footpath area with trees and plants, prompting a notice from PMC. Despite the notice, no response was received from the family, leading to the bulldozer operation.

Watch the video here:

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Action being taken against illegal encroachment at IAS trainee Pooja Khedkars Pune residence. pic.twitter.com/xvBQhxxtIO ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

Adding to the controversy, questions have surfaced regarding Puja Khedkars disability certificate. Allegations suggest discrepancies in the address provided for the disability certificate, which reportedly pointed to a factory instead of a residence. Furthermore, concerns were raised over the documentation submitted for the certificate, with Aadhaar card requirements allegedly replaced by a ration card. The income declared for the disability benefits also raised eyebrows, reportedly at Rs 5 lakh annually.

Moreover, investigations revealed that Puja Khedkars disability was certified at 7 percent, significantly below the 40 percent threshold required for government benefits. Following these revelations, the State Disability Commissioner has urged the District Collector and Pune Police Commissioner to launch a thorough investigation into the authenticity of the disability claims, emphasising the potential for legal action if found fraudulent.

Allegations also surfaced against trainee IAS Puja Khedkar, accusing her of demanding VIP privileges from Pune Collector Suhas Diwase immediately upon joining. It is reported that Khedkar requested a car, bungalow, and staff from Diwase, prompting him to file a complaint with the General Administration Department (GAD). According to sources, Diwases complaint on June 24 detailed undue pressure allegedly exerted by Khedkars father, Dilip Khedkar, concerning accommodations at the Collectors Office. Despite being a probationary officer, Khedkar purportedly insisted on special facilities.

Additionally, controversy surrounds Khedkars use of a personal Audi car adorned with a number plate featuring red and blue lights and the inscription Maharashtra Government. Appointed as Assistant Collector at the Pune Collectors Office on June 3, 2024, Khedkars father reportedly instructed office officials to prepare accommodations ahead of her arrival, sparking further controversy.

The unfolding situation has led to escalating revelations about Khedkar, including recent claims that she may have applied for the UPSC exam using forged documents.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday called to abandon the minority morcha, giving a new slogan of Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath, instead of the partys Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, on the grounds that he had appealed to nationalist Muslims to vote for the BJP, but they didnt. The states Leader of Opposition (LoP) later clarified, saying his words had been taken out of context and vowed that those working against the interest of the nation needed to be exposed. The BJP, meanwhile, said Adhikaris views were personal and not the stand of the party.

While addressing the BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata, the Bengal LoP said, I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. But I will not say this anymore. Instead, we will now say, Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath. Stop this Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Minority Morcha is not needed.

#WATCH | At BJP state executive meeting in Kolkata, West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. But I will not say this anymore. Instead, we will now say, Jo Hamare Saath, Hum pic.twitter.com/mvqKGuJ9iN ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024

PERSONAL OPINION, SAYS ADHIKARI; PARTY DOESNT ENDORSE IT, SAYS BJP

Amid attack from all quarters, Adhikari in a press conference said, What I said was my personal opinion. The party should rethink its stand in Bengal Mamata Banerjees party tries to tag us as an only-Hindu party. They are telling minorities not to vote for us. This was a political comment, which had nothing to do with the government slogan.

He added on X: My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who dont stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldnt divide people in majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Ministers call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.

My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are Nationalists, stand for this Nation and Bengal, we should be with them. Those who dont stand with us, work against the interest of Nation and Bengal, we need to expose them. Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 17, 2024

Former BJP Bengal President Rahul Sinha said: Those are his personal views. His statement is in no way endorsed by the party.

Sukanta Majumdar, Bengal BJP president, said: Which proposal will be granted will be decided by the State President and his team. Adhikari was a delegate here. In the entire country, we have minority morcha.

The @BJP4Bengal LOP @SuvenduWB Deviates from Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Slogan of Sh. @narendramodi himselfGuess hes stature is probably taller than Mr. Modi in BJP! He also says Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath & there is no need of Minority Morcha in BJP. Which pic.twitter.com/SvXDDx3TS9  (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) July 17, 2024

THE CRITICISM

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress launched a scathing attack on the BJP.

TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta posted on X: The @BJP4Bengal LOP @SuvenduWB Deviates from Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Slogan of Sh. @narendramodi himselfGuess hes stature is probably taller than Mr. Modi in BJP! He also says Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath & there is no need of Minority Morcha in BJP. Which essentially means @BJP4India is a party only for the Hindus and there is no place for Muslims in it. This is Unconstitutional & Anti National!

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also posted the video on X.

PORTAL FOR THOSE WHO COULDNT CAST VOTES

On Tuesday, Adhikari launched a portal for voters who could not cast their votes in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and bypolls.

As promised yesterday, I have launched a portal where genuine voters can register their names, who were not allowed to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and the recently concluded Assembly Bypolls. Whoever was not allowed to vote, can register themselves, and full secrecy will be ensured. Heres the link:- https://savedemocracywb.com, Adhikari said in a post on X. He also went to the Raj Bhawan with the issue.

As promised yesterday, I have launched a portal where genuine voters can register their names, who were not allowed to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and the recently concluded Assembly Bypolls.Whoever was not allowed to vote, can register themselves, and full secrecy will Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 15, 2024

During the Lok Sabha poll campaigning, the West Bengal LoP made an appeal to the Muslim community to vote for the saffron camp in the polls. I want to tell Bengals Muslims that they made Mamata Banerjee the chief minister in 2021 because 95 % of them voted for her. Only non-Muslims voted for the BJP, said the BJP leader as he asked them to switch sides. I appeal to the Muslims to hit the streets against her and vote for us. The welfare policies of the Prime Minster are meant for all. Muslims are living in prosperity in (BJP-ruled) Uttar Pradesh and Assam. Go and see for yourself, he had said.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress secured victory on 29 out of 42 seats, while the BJP won 12 seats, down from 18 seats in 2019. The Congress won one seat in the recently held general elections.
A worker employed at Kuwait Embassy in central Delhis Chanakyapuri has been arrested for allegedly molesting a housekeeping staff, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Abu Bakar (70), was arrested after an FIR was registered on Thursday, they said.

According to a senior police officer, a PCR call was received on Thursday from a caller, who reported the alleged incident claiming to be the husband of the 20-year-old victim.

He said that Abu Bakar, who has been employed at the embassy for the past two years, has sexually harassed his wife while she was at work, the officer said.

A team from the local police station reached the spot and conducted the probe, the officer said.

A case under section 74 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) act was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station and the accused was arrested, the officer said.

The officials said the victim was employed at the embassy in February this year. Further probe is underway, they added.
The Madras High Court recently ruled in support of a police constable who was punished for growing a beard in adherence to Prophet Mohammeds teachings.

Justice L Victoria Gowri noted that while the police force requires strict discipline, this should not lead to the punishment of minority community members for their religious observances.

The court emphasised the importance of respecting the rich diversity of religions and customs in India. upkeeping discipline in the department does not permit the respondents to initiate punishment on employees belonging to the minority communities, particularly Muslims for maintaining a beard which they do throughout their lives, said the court.

Police constable G Abdul Khadar Ibrahim filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, praying the high court to quash the punishment order issued by the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City. Ibrahim, who joined the police force in 2009, stated that he had maintained a beard as part of his Muslim faith.

His case was that during a sanctioned pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina in 2018, he developed a leg infection and sought an extension of his leave upon returning. Despite presenting a medical certificate, he was instructed by a duty Sub-Inspector to seek permission from the Assistant Commissioner instead of being granted a leave extension.

Eventually, in March 2021, the Deputy Commissioner of Police issued a punishment order against Ibrahim, stopping his salary increment for three years with cumulative effect. This decision was later modified by the Commissioner of Police, reducing the penalty to a two-year stoppage of increment without cumulative effect.

Before the high court, Ibrahims counsel argued that the Commissioner of Police without application of mind and appreciation of the standing orders had modified the punishment.

The high court perused the Madras Police Gazette of 1957 and observed that the permission to grow beards cannot be granted to police officers other than Muslims and Muslims are permitted to maintain trim and tidy beards even while on duty.

Furthermore, regarding the charge of absence without leave, court noted that Ibrahim sought medical leave after returning from his pilgrimage which should have been granted by the respondents.

Therefore, court quashed the punishment order and remanded the matter back to the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City to pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced a new scheme called the Ladla Bhai Yojana for youths who have passed the 12th examination in the state.

Under this scheme, students who have completed their 12th grade will receive Rs 6,000 per month. Additionally, those with a diploma will be given Rs 8,000 monthly, while graduates will be provided with Rs 10,000 each month.

Some people said that Ladki Bahin Yojana (for women) has been launched; what about Ladka Bhau (beloved brother)? We are now announcing a scheme for Ladka Bhau They will receive this stipend from the government during their on-job training in the industry, Shinde told the media.

Stating, This is the first time in history that the state government has started such a scheme.

Maharashtra CM emphasised that under this scheme, young job seekers will receive apprenticeships in factories, with the government providing them with a stipend.

The state government will pay the stipend during the youths apprenticeship in the industry, he added.

The Ladla Bhai Yojana is similar to the governments Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was announced in the state budget assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last month. Under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, eligible women aged 21 to 60 receive an allowance of Rs 1,500 per month from the state government.

However, despite the similarities, Shinde clarified that the Ladla Bhai Yojana is not exclusively for men, while the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is for women.

The announcement of the scheme comes as the state prepares for the upcoming assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held later this year.

(With inputs from PTI)
Have you ever heard of a place where Muharram is celebrated even though no Muslim families are living there? Yes, its true. Lets delve into the details of this unique tradition in Karnataka.

Murlapur Village, located in Koppal, Karnataka, consists of about 150 to 180 houses, all inhabited by non-Muslim families. Despite this, Muharram is celebrated annually in a non-religious, inclusive manner.

Every year, Murlapur village, considered one of the most remote in the Koppal district, enthusiastically celebrates Muharram. The villagers participation in the celebration has never wavered, with everyone coming together to mark the occasion.

What makes this village special is that, despite being predominantly Hindu, the villagers cheerfully celebrate Muharram every year. Murlapur is situated on the outskirts of Koppal taluk.

In the village, the Hindu residents themselves build an Ashura Khana and worship the Aalaya gods during Muharram. Additionally, on every new moon day, as well as on Fridays and Thursdays, villagers, including the local Mallaiyajja, visit the Ashura Khana with devotion. The villagers emphasize that, despite the absence of Muslims in the village, they would never miss celebrating Muharram.

During Muharram, the villagers install a God Aalaya. Each year, they invite a mullah from the neighbouring village of Kavalur to conduct Islamic rituals during the festival. The mullah stays in Murlapur village and performs the rituals throughout Muharram.

Even in the urban areas of Koppal district, Hindus gather together to celebrate Muharram grandly. This tradition highlights Karnatakas rich spiritual heritage, reflecting the regions history of reverence for both Martyrs and Sufi saints.
The Indian Navy on Wednesday successfully rescued nine crew members, including eight Indians and one Sri Lankan, during a search and rescue (SAR) operation after a Comorian-flagged oil tanker Prestige Falcon capsized off the Oman coast. The warship INS Teg was deployed for the mission.

The sultanates Maritime Security Centre (MSC), which is operated by the Omani defence ministry, confirmed that one crew member from the merchant vessel was found deceased, without specifying the nationality.

Search and rescue operations have successfully found 10 crew members of the oil tanker Prestige Falcon, 9 found alive. Tragically, one crew member was found deceased. The search and rescue operations continue for the remaining members of the vessels crew, Maritime Security Centre shared on X.

(Update) Breaking News:Search and rescue operations have successfully found 10 crew members of the oil tanker Prestige Falcon, 9 found alive. Tragically, one crew member was found deceased. The search and rescue operations continue for the remaining members of the vessels    | MARITIME SECURITY CENTRE (@OMAN_MSC) July 17, 2024

The crew of the merchant vessel Prestige Falcon, which included 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans, went missing after the ship capsized on Monday southeast of Ras Madrakah, Oman.

The Navy stated that the search and rescue efforts by Indian and Omani assets are being conducted under challenging weather conditions, with the area experiencing rough seas and strong winds.

#IndianNavys mission deployed warship #INSTeg, rendering SAR assistance for the capsized Oil Tanker MV #PrestigeFalcon, has rescued 09 (08 Indians & 01 Sri Lankan) personnel.The MV had capsized about 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah, #Oman on #15Jul 24 & SAR efforts in pic.twitter.com/ExXYj6PBTN SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 17, 2024

Indian Navys Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in search for survivors, it added.

According to MSC, the cause of the capsizing has not yet been specified. In a statement on Tuesday (July 16), the MSC identified the vessel as Prestige Falcon, and said it has 16 crew members on board. As the search continued, they added, The crew of the ship are still missing.
Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani proudly presents Dashavatar, a spectacular audiovisual experience showcasing the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Ambani family is deeply spiritual as was witnessed at Anant and Radhika Ambanis recent wedding.

Dashavatar, a captivating exploration of Hindu tradition inspired by the holy city of Kashi, was specially curated for the wedding celebrations of Anant and Radhika, held at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), home of the arts and artists, has taken this commitment further with this cultural extravaganza open for public viewing.

The experience beautifully embodies the richness of Hindu culture and extends this spirit of inclusivity for all to witness.

The shows will be available in English and Hindi at the Ground Level, NMACC, and Mumbaikars can book their tickets now at nmacc.com and bookmyshow.com.

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space in the sphere of arts, within the Jio World Centre, located in the heart of Mumbais Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The Cultural Centre is home to three performing arts spaces: the majestic 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seater Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seater Cube.

The Cultural Centre also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards with the aim of housing an array of exhibits and installations from the finest artistic talent across India and the world.

Spread across its concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including Kamal Kunj  one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India.
PhonePe founder and CEO Sameer Nigam slammed the Karnataka governments move mandating 100 per cent reservation to the locals calling it a shame. Nigam cited his fathers example who worked in the Indian Navy and asked if his kids dont deserve jobs in Karnataka as per the bill.

I am 46 years old. Never lived in a state for 15+ years. My father worked in the Indian Navy. Got posted all over the country. His kids dont deserve jobs in Karnataka? I build companies. Have created 25000+ jobs across India! My kids dont deserve jobs in their home city? Shame, the PhonePe founder wrote in an X post.

I am 46 years old. Never lived in a state for 15+ yrsMy father worked in the Indian Navy. Got posted all over the country. His kids dont deserve jobs in Karnataka? I build companies. Have created 25000+ jobs across India! My kids dont deserve jobs in their home city? Shame.  Sameer.Nigam (@_sameernigam) July 17, 2024

The Karnataka government, however, has put on hold a bill mandating reservation for locals in the private sector. The Karnataka cabinet will discuss the issue in detail in the next cabinet meeting and decide on the future course of action. The latest development comes amid huge backlash over the bill.

The bill approved by the cabinet to provide reservations for Kannadigas in private sector organizations, industries and enterprises has been temporarily put on hold. This will be revisited and decided in the coming days, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in an X post.

Earlier in the day, the Karnataka cabinet approved a bill mandating 100 per cent reservation to Kannadigas, or local residents, for C and D-grade posts in private industries. The move was met with widespread by IT firms with Nasscom raising concerns over the bill, saying could hamper the growth of the industry, impact jobs, and force companies to relocate.
IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is being investigated for allegedly using fraudulent means to clear her UPSC exam, obtained a disability certificate from a Pimpri hospital under a fake address, which was also used to register her luxury Audi car that was confiscated by the Pune police for having a red beacon light on it.

According to officials, Khedkar obtained a partial locomotor disability certificate from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in Pimpri in Pune district in August 2022. But, she got this certificate under a fake address and attached a ration card as address proof instead of mandatory Aadhaar card details, sources told News18. They added that the address on this certificate is of Thermoverta Engineering Company, under which her luxury Audi car was also registered.

The controversial junior officer allegedly misrepresented herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories, and has been accused of misusing power and privileges during her posting in Pune. The new details about her medical certificates emerged as the state disability commissioner wrote to the Pune police and the district collectorate to investigate the disability claims made by the controversial junior IAS officer.

The Office of the Commissioner For Persons With Disabilities has an IAS-level officer under the social justice and special assistance department of the Maharashtra government. In the letter, the disability commissioner asked the police to register a case if the medical certificates pertaining to these claims were found to be bogus.

Pune police will conduct an inquiry into the authenticity of the medical certificates submitted by her, officials said. We have received a letter from the Office of the Commissioner For Persons With Disabilities. They have asked us to check the authenticity of certificates submitted by Puja Khedkar. We will verify the facts about these certificates, from where they were obtained, which doctor or hospitals certified them will also be scanned, a senior police official said.

A doctor at the YCM hospital in Pimpri said the disability certificate, issued on August 24, 2022, stated that Khedkar had 7 per cent disability in the knee. She applied for disability certification about her left limb knee joint back in 2022. She visited here for medical examinations and was assessed by multiple departments, said Dr Rajendra Wable, dean of the government-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital at Pimpri.

He added: It was found that she has a 7 per cent locomotor disability.

Khedkar had earlier submitted two certificates, provided by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021, to the UPSC under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category. Additionally, she had applied for a disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune in August 2022, but after medical tests her application was rejected.

She had submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) multiple medical certificates  one of them indicating visual impairment, under the PwBD provision. It has also emerged that she had submitted a fitness certificate while securing admission to a private medical college in 2007.

While Khedkar has called the accusations a misinformation campaign against her, last week the Centre set up a single-member committee to verify her candidature and submit a report in two weeks. The government said the probe will be conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify the candidature claims and other details of the IAS officer.

The Pune police are also looking for her parents in a separate criminal case, after an FIR was registered against the couple and five others as a video emerged showing Pujas mother Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute.

(With PTI inputs)
The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) on Wednesday expressed disappointment and concern over Karnatakas new bill mandating reservation for locals in private sector jobs.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024 states that private firms should recruit Kannadigas in Group C and D category posts.

Also, it requires private firms to give priority to local candidates in the jobs.

In a statement, the tech body said, Nasscom and its members are disappointed and express deep concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024.

NASSCOM is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group that primarily serves the Indian technology industry.

The association noted that the tech sector contributes 25 per cent of the states Gross Domestic Product, houses a quarter of the countrys digital talent, over 11, 000 start-ups and 30 per cent of the total Global Capacity Centres.

Restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce, it cautioned.

In todays highly competitive landscape, knowledge-led businesses will locate where talent is available and attracting skilled workers is crucial for success, it pointed out.

Globally, there is a huge shortage for skilled talent and Karnataka despite the large pool, is no exception. The technology sector has been crucial to Karnatakas economic and social development, with Bengaluru known globally as Indias Silicon Valley.

NASSCOM expressed serious concern about the provisions of this bill and urged the state government to withdraw it.

The bills provisions threaten to reverse this progress, drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state. At the same time, the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce. The association said it is seeking an urgent meeting for industry representatives with state authorities to raise concerns and prevent the states progress from being derailed.
More than 30 months ago, then DG Border Security Force (BSF) and current Deputy National Security Advisor Pankaj Singh had warned about the possibility of Pakistan using Taliban fighters, as well as arms and war equipment left behind by US-led forces in Afghanistan, to disturb Jammu & Kashmir.

Similarly, former DG CRPF and NIA Kuldiep Singh had also warned about Pakistan potentially using trained Taliban fighters, arms, and ammunition in Kashmir. However, no one expected that such plans were made for both Jammu and Kashmir.

Unfortunately, all these concerns now seem to be taking the shape of reality which is set to make the coming days tougher for security forces.

Apart from recovery of American-make weapons after different encounters, data also hints at the same direction for supply of weapons from Afghanistan to Pakistan that have reached Kashmir, posing the next level of challenge for security forces.

BSFs latest official data shows a year-on-year increase in both weapon recoveries and AK-series weapon recoveries since 2021. This year, up until May, the BSF had recovered close to 1,600 rounds of AK-series ammunition, compared to just 435 rounds last year. The recovery of hand grenades also saw a massive increase last year, with a total of 309 grenades recovered compared to 19 in 2022. Additionally, the recovery of IEDs has been increasing year after year.

Last week, terrorists were found using American-made M4 carbine assault rifles during attacks in Kathua. Indian agencies suspect that these weapons, left behind by the US Army after their withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, have finally reached Kashmir and are now in the hands of terrorists targeting civilians and security personnel.

Last year, central Intelligence agencies also received a lead indicating that the logistics, arms, and ammunition used in the Poonch attack, which resulted in the deaths of five RR jawans, came from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The local police investigation into the Poonch attack also suspected that the bullets used in the attack were from Afghanistan, left by US forces post their exit.

In fact, on many occasions, security forces have found sophisticated weapons beyond just AK-47s. In December 2022, J&K police in the Jammu region seized a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including seven AK-47 rifles, one US-made M4 rifle, and three pistols, along with grenades. The J&K Police reported that four terrorists were seeking an opportunity for an encounter to target security forces.

Although data compiled by J&K Police shows a significant improvement in controlling terror activities and killing terrorists, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently stated in Parliament: A robust security and Intelligence grid is in place to thwart any attempt of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Further steps taken by the government to prevent terrorist incidents and to safeguard the lives of civilians in the valley include group security in the form of static guards, round-the-clock checking at strategic points, night patrolling and area domination, identification of vulnerable spots, and security arrangements through appropriate deployment of police, army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and intensified Cordon and Search Operations.
The festival of Rath Yatra was held recently with the Ulta Rath ceremony being held on July 16. On the occasion of Rath Yatra, many across the state of West Bengal and Odisha celebrate the festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath in their way. A school in South Bengal celebrated the occasion with a Mid-Day Meal program for the students. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of food, creating a festive atmosphere that captivated people. In conjunction with Rath Yatra, the government organised a special event known as Tithi Bhojan at Sabita Bhakta Smriti Primary School, located under Rajapur Police Station, Howrah district, Block 2, by government directives.

The primary school of the block was selected to host this auspicious occasion. The Tithi Bhojan was a feast arranged specifically for the students, featuring a delightful array of dishes. The mid-day meal menu included sauteed cabbage, potato posto (poppy seeds), mung dal, chicken curry, chutney and papad, complemented by treats like jalebis and jackfruit.

Education Supervisor Dhananjay Khara graced the event with his presence, emphasising the importance of such cultural and educational gatherings in Block 2, Uluberia. The principal, along with all the teachers and parents, actively supported and participated in making the day a success. Principal Swapan Kumar Chattel expressed his satisfaction, stating, We always strive to provide a wholesome experience, incorporating elements of Rath Yatra, along with the culinary delights of jalebi and jackfruit, as per government guidelines.'

Tithi Bhojan refers to a traditional Hindu practice where a meal is prepared and served in memory of a departed loved one according to the Hindu lunar calendar. The Tithi Bhojan scheme, along with guidelines for all states to follow, was approved by the Ministry of Education in 2017. The program aims to encourage more community involvement and foster engagement from religious and charitable organisations.
The Assam Police on Tuesday killed three suspected militants in heavy exchange of fire in the Bhuban Hills of Cachar near the Assam-Mizoram border. Three police officers suffered injuries in the encounter.

The firing took place when a team of Cachar Police, led by Superintendent of Police Nomal Mahatta, ventured into the Bhuban Hills, with three suspected members of the Hmar militant outfit arrested earlier in the day in Dhalai Ganga Nagar. The three were travelling in an autorickshaw. Police seized one AK-47 rifle, one pistol and other arms from the vehicle.

Other militants hiding in the area launched an ambush, opening fire on the officers. The police responded, leading to an intense exchange of gunfire that lasted for about an hour. In the crossfire, the three militant cadres  two from Cachar and one from Manipur  who were taken into custody were shot dead.

The Cachar district has been on high alert following this incident, with security forces intensifying operations to track down and neutralize remaining militant elements in the region. Mahatta said the police are committed to restoring peace and stability in the area and are working tirelessly to prevent further violence.

Local residents have expressed concern over the escalating violence and have urged for increased security measures to ensure their safety.

The Bhuban Hills, strategically important owing to its proximity to the Assam-Mizoram border, has been a hotbed of militant activity, necessitating continued vigilance by law enforcement agencies.

Authorities have not disclosed further details about the operation, but an investigation is being carried out. The bodies of the militants have been sent for post-mortem, while the injured policemen are receiving medical treatment at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
The Mahakaleshwar Temple Ropeway Project in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain district has been sanctioned, union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari announced on Tuesday.

In a post on social media site X, Gadkari said that the project will reduce travel time by almost 75%, from 25-30 minutes now to a mere seven minutes with the ropeway. It will connect Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga with Ujjain railway station.

, , we have sanctioned the following the concession agreement signed between NHLML and M.S. Infraengineers Ltd.This 1.762 , utilizing pic.twitter.com/cNO3R4GDzI  Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 16, 2024

National Highways & Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) is a body under MoRTH.

The 1.7 km project will have three stations starting from Ujjain railway station. It will connect Triveni Museum and Ganesh Colony as well.

Gadkari also said that the project will utilise monocable detachable gondola technology and will significantly enhance convenience for around 64,000 devotees daily, accommodating 2,000 passengers per hour per direction.

News18 has learnt that the project is expected to be ready by July 2026.

The ministry in the last couple of months has shifted its focus on the ropeway projects, particularly in the urban setup and remote locations.

Another project, Indias first urban ropeway, is coming up in Uttar Pradeshs Varanasi that will also connect the Kashi Vishwanath temple with the Varanasi Cantt railway station, reducing the travel time to just 16 minutes from 45 minutes now.

The foundation of the Varanasi ropeway project was laid in March 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Costing around Rs 650 crore, it is expected to be ready by March 2025.

It is almost four kilometres long with a monocable detachable gondola and 29 towers. It will have five stations including Vidhya Peeth, Rath Yatra, and Girja, and carry nearly one lakh passengers per day.

At least eight ropeway projects are expected to be ready by 2026 in India, several of them connecting famous temples.
A lot of influential stars and guests attended Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants July 12 wedding, which was nothing short of a fairy tale. Many were astounded by the exquisite details and elaborate arrangements when Sukriti, one of the famous influencers, recently shared her memorable time at the wedding on Instagram.

Sukriti began by expressing her disbelief at the beautiful design, especially the pavilion with a Banaras motif. This pavilion, which showcased everything from exotic ittars to classic Banarasi sarees, was a feast for the senses. Live displays of local Banaras craftsmen exquisite weaving techniques, which highlighted the rich legacy of the area, added to the overall ambience.

Check out her post right here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sukriti (@hisukriti)

Sukriti highlighted the existence of the largest passenger lift in the world, which served as a symbol of the size of the wedding planning. But what really showed how much thought had gone into the bathrooms were the smart amenities. Mentos, safety pins, hairpins, and hairbrushes were among the necessities available to guests, guaranteeing they had everything they needed to be comfortable during the ceremony.

A mouthwatering selection of culinary treats was also available at the Banarasi Pavilion. One of the most delicious sweets was the Malai Gilori, which has the shape of a betel leaf. To the joy of the guests, the pavilion included a lassi bar serving two delectable types of this cool drink.

The culinary choices gained global character with the addition of waffles made by a Belgian chef and a 3D floral jelly imported from Thailand. The Rain of Love, a cloud-shaped chocolate mousse that wowed visitors with its flavour and elegance, was another dessert to remember.

The pavilions savoury side did not let us down either. The attendees taste buds were delighted by the traditional Banarasi chaat and Chhena Dahi, which were made by vendors who were flown in from Benares and offered the ideal fusion of local and foreign flavours.

Everyone is left wanting more lavish celebrations like Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding after reading Sukritis descriptive account of her experience, which gives an insight into the opulent and culturally diverse celebration.
Janhvi Kapoor often wows her fans with her fashion finesse. Be it a glitzy bodycon dress or the ethnic elegance of a traditional saree, the actress can do it all. With her grace and dignity, she pulls off every outfit with utmost perfection, demanding all our attention. And, we are here for her. For Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants mameru ceremony, Janhvi made heads turn in a mesmerising lehenga.

Janhvi Kapoor brought her captivating charm to the Gujarati pre-wedding tradition called Mameru, hosted by the Ambani family. To blend with the festive vibe of the ceremony, the Mr and Mrs Mahi actress was dressed in a stunning lehenga that came in shades of orange and red. The intricately designed patterns on the skirt, adorned with golden zari, beads, and crystals, added to the overall charm of the outfit. Further accentuated with elephant and tree embroidered motifs, it elevated the appeal of her outfit for the night.

Giving her traditional ensemble a sultry twist, she wore a sleeveless, fitted blouse with a plunging neckline. Flaunting her bare midriff, she draped her hand-embroidered vintage bandhani dupatta over her shoulder, enhancing the feminine elements of her outfit. The sleek zari hemline and colourful palette of the dupatta worked magic for her.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arpita Mehta Official (@arpitamehtaofficial)

Ditching subtle makeup, she opted for a glammed-up makeover. A dewy foundation with a generous amount of blush and contour, perfected brows, and a wash of golden shimmer on her eyes further highlighted with soft winged liner and a nude brown lip shade added the finishing touch to her glam appearance.

Taking it a notch higher with her choice of accessories, Janhvi truly cemented her position as a fashion icon and we are here rooting for her. With a broad neckpiece and a matching pair of jhumkas encrusted with colourful stones and beads, the Mili actress served ethnic elegance like a pro. Lastly, her dark, voluminous tresses, which she kept loose, allowing them to cascade down her shoulder, sealed the look.

Meanwhile, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are set to enter marital bliss at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on July 13. Guests have started receiving the Save the Date invitation for the three-day function.
Muharram is considered the second most sacred month in Islam after Ramadan. It marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year. In 2024, it began on July 7 and will conclude on July 17 with Ashura. On the last day, Muslims worldwide observe the day with Tazia processions. They carry the replicas of the tomb of Imam Hussain, the son of Hazrat Ali and grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Imam Hussain was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, fighting against the army of the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I. In this article, we will understand the meaning of the Tazia procession and the significance of Ashura.

Tazia Procession

Tazia is a symbolic structure made from bamboo, decorated with colourful papers, fabric, flowers and lights. The structure is usually brought home between the first and ninth days of Muharram. On Ashura, the Tazia is carried to a cemetery for burial. During this procession, followers dress in black and walk on the streets, chanting Ya Hussain and Ya Ali while beating their chests.

Significance Of the Day Of Ashura

Ashura is among the most sacred days for Sunni and Shia Muslims, and it is observed differently by each group. Sunnis observe the day by fasting to remember the moment when Prophet Musa (Moses) and the Israelites were rescued from Pharaoh by the parting Red Sea. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad encouraged fasting on this day to appreciate the miracle.

For Shias, Ashura is a day of mourning to honour the sacrifice of Imam Hussain ibn Ali, after he was killed in the Battle of Karbala fighting for his people.

Meanwhile, both Muslim communities also observe Ashura with special gatherings where religious leaders recount the historical events and share spiritual lessons. People also do religious charity, offer food to the less privileged and offer prayers.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani made their first visit to Jamnagar, Gujarat, after their wedding, receiving a grand and warm welcome. The couple was greeted by a large crowd, showered with flower petals, and welcomed with a carpet of rose petals and aarti.

Videos shared by paparazzi show the couple being warmly received in Jamnagar. Women performed aarti for the newlyweds, blessing them, while dancers entertained the crowd as Anant and Radhika waved to their enthusiastic well-wishers.

Radhika opted for a simple yet elegant pink suit set for the occasion. She wore a breezy anarkali kurta, perfect for summer, featuring a white stripe pattern, full-length sleeves, intricate silver thread embroidery on the trims and neckline, a flowy silhouette, and horizontal silver gota embellishments on the front. She paired the kurta with a matching georgette dupatta draped over her shoulders and dual-toned pink palazzo pants. To complete her look, Radhika accessorized with diamond ear studs, a stunning diamond ring, embellished juttis, a no-makeup look, and a sleek ponytail.

Anant complemented Radhikas look with a bright rani pink kurta adorned with golden embroidery and quarter-length sleeves. He added a matching sleeveless vest jacket featuring a bandhgala design, front button closures, and intricate embroidery. White pants, Kolhapuri sandals, and a large brooch completed his outfit.

The Ambani family has deep familial and business ties to Jamnagar. Anant and Radhika previously celebrated their pre-wedding festivities in the city, with a three-day event featuring performances by Rihanna, Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul, Diljit Dosanjh, and illusionist David Blaine. Jamnagar holds special significance for Anant, as it is his grandmothers birthplace.
Abhishek Bachchan recently drew attention after liking a post on social media that discussed the difficulties of divorce and the increasing trend of grey divorces. Abhisheks online activity comes just a few days after his actress-wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made a solo appearance at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding.

The post, shared by authors Heena Khandelwal, featured an image with the words, When love stops being easy. Couples who have been married are now parting ways. What has prompted their decision and why are grey divorces on the rise? The picture was shared with the caption about the article on the rising divorce cases.

Divorce is never easy for anyone. Who doesnt dream of a happily ever after or envision recreating those heartwarming videos of elderly couples holding hands as they cross the street? Yet, sometimes life doesnt unfold as we hoped. But how do people cope when they separate after decades together, after spending a significant portion of their lives relying on each other for both big and small things? What drives them to sever ties, and what challenges do they face? This story delves into these questions. Coincidentally, grey divorces or silver splittersterms for those seeking marital dissolution typically after age 50are on the rise globally. The reasons, though varied, are not surprising, the post read.

Abhishek was one of the many people who liked the post. This move raised eyebrows. A screenshot of the same was shared on Reddit and several people took to the comments section to weigh in. While many speculated for the worse, there were also a few who defended Abhishek and said that it might be a general like and not related to anything personal. Kaise tum log itna observe kar lete ho yaarjust howowowow, a social media user said in awe. (It) could just be a general like on a topic/post that makes sense, another added.

Aishwarya raised eyebrows when she walked on the red carpet of the Ambani wedding without the Bachchan family members. She was seen accompanied by her daughter, Aaradhya, moments after Abhishek posed for the cameras with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan. However, in videos and photos from inside the wedding venue, it was revealed that Aishwarya and Aaradhya reunited with Abhishek and attended the wedding together.

Abhishek and Aishwarya have been married for 17 years now.
Lalita Dsilva, who used to care for Taimur and Jeh, sons of Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, previously looked after Anant Ambani as well. Anant recently married Radhika Merchant in Mumbai. Despite the years that have passed, the Ambani family remembered Lalita and included her in Anants wedding celebrations. Lalita attended the festivities in Mumbai and later shared happy photos with the family, writing a touching note for Anant and his parents.

Disclaimer:

Sharing photos with Anant, Radhika, Nita and Mukesh Ambani, Lalita wrote, Im deeply grateful for the joy and love that Anant baba and the Ambani family have brought into my life. I cherish the fond memories and warm moments weve shared, and Im thankful for their unwavering love and respect.

Lalita added that the Ambanis continue to treat her like family. She added, Even after all these years, their kindness and generosity continue to inspire me. Im blessed to have Nita bhabi and Mukesh sir in my life, who still embrace me as a part of their family. I pray that Anant and Radhika are blessed with abundant love, happiness, and good health. The Ambani familys love and support mean the world to me, and Im honored to be a part of their lives.

Lalita, reflecting on Anants big day, shared an old picture with him from their trip to Disneyland Paris. She mentioned that Anant has always been a good boy. She wrote, This is me and Anant Ambani in Paris Disney World. This is where I started my baby care job. Anant was very good boy in his childhood. Till now he is loved by everyone in family and in social group. Today his big day i am wishing him all the best for his happy married life God bless this couple.

Meanwhile, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, who tied the knot in a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on July 12, reached Jamnagar on Wednesday to a warm welcome with a shower of flower petals, aarti, and a rose carpet.
BLACKPINKs Jennie and BIGBANGs G-Dragon are once again at the centre of dating rumours, over a year after they were initially linked. On July 16, 2024, speculation began doing the rounds that the two K-pop icons reconciled secretly in August 2023. Netizens pointed out that Jennie and G-Dragon were spotted wearing matching items, including rings and scarves.

G-Dragon has been seen liking numerous photos of Jennie and reportedly gifting her various items, according to Kpopstarz.com. This follows a 2021 report by Dispatch that first revealed Jennie and G-Dragon were dating, though their relationship lasted just over a year. Now, their possible reunion has again left social media excited.

Since August 2023, Jennie and G-Dragon have frequently been caught wearing matching rings. In June, Jennie hosted Billie Eilishs listening party in Seoul, while G-Dragon made an appearance at a KAIST technology talk show. Both were noted wearing identical rings during these events.

Further fuelling the rumours, earlier this year, Jennie and G-Dragon caused a stir after side-by-side photos of the two sporting matching rings went viral. Jennie had posted a photo of herself wearing a set of rings in August last year, while G-Dragon was seen with similar rings when he faced police questioning over drug use allegations in November 2023.

In February, Jennies YouTube vlog showed her wearing a scarf similar to one G-Dragon wore at a party with celebrities earlier in the year. G-Dragons recent social media activity, including likes on Jennies photos and videos, has not gone unnoticed. He liked posts about Jennies appearance on Lee Hyo Ris Red Carpet talk show and supported her new agency ODD ATELIER in December 2023.

Online communities are abuzz with discussions on whether Jennie and G-Dragon have rekindled their romance. Some netizens are convinced the stars are dating again, while others believe these are mere coincidences. Both Jennie and G-Dragon have yet to release statements addressing these latest rumours.
Malayalam music director Ramesh Narayan faced backlash on social media over allegedly insulting actor Asif Ali at an event. According to reports, Ramesh Narayan refused to take an award from Asif Ali at the trailer launch of the Malayalam anthology series, Manoranthangal. He has now reverted back to the controversy against him, claiming that it was never his intention to insult and discriminate against Asif Ali. Director Nadirsha also reacted to the controversy by indirectly taking a jibe at him. He wrote on Facebook that music sense is not enough, common sense is also needed.

Ramesh Narayan faced a huge criticism for his behaviour towards Asif Ali. The video that has been posted online, gave rise to the controversy. It has been revealed that, after receiving the award from Asif Ali, Ramesh Narayan handed over the memento to Jayaraj. It may have been an expression of gratitude towards the director. According to Jayaraj, Asif did not feel insulted, and Ramesh is not a person who would behave like this.

Ramesh Narayans response was that, although it is correct that Asif was not noticed, he was not insulted or discriminated against. According to reports, Ramesh Narayan claimed that he never intended to insult the actor. Ramesh Narayan also claimed that he was not called on the stage, though everyone who worked for the anthology was invited and given awards. The music director also added that Aswathy, the daughter of MT Vasudevan Nair, made all the arrangements to hand over the award to him after realising that he was not invited on stage. The anchor called him by the name, Santhosh Narayanan.

He again mentioned that he received the award from Asif Ali, but wanted Jayaraj to join as well, as he was the director of the film. By the time Jayaraj reached near him, Asif had gone back to his own seat, according to Ramesh.

Ramesh Narayan also claimed that there is a problem when netizens attack without understanding the facts.
Renowned music director Hamsalekha has recently raised his concerns regarding the growing trend of Kannada Superstars obsession with pan-India movies. He shared his views at the upcoming film Gowris song release event, which is currently garnering everyones attention. Sharing his view regarding this topic, Hamsalekha highlighted that many Kannada superstars are now getting caught up in the pan-India craze, causing them to lose touch with their Kannada roots. He also warned that while this trend may offer short-term fame and financial gains, it ultimately disconnects the actors from their cultural heritage. Drawing comparisons with South legends like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, and Mohanlal, Hamsalekha noted that even these stars wouldnt sustain long-term success in Bollywood.

He further shared that the current trend is a merry-making period for Kannada superstars, akin to a fleeting honeymoon phase.

Hamsalekha concluded his speech by advising Kannada performers to stay connected with their origins, since genuine progress comes from their connection to Sandalwood, not pursuing pan-India acclaim.

In the end, Hamsalekha has praised director Indrajit Lankesh for his film Gowri.

Gowri is written, directed, and produced by Indrajit Lankesh. The upcoming Kannada film is all set for release on August 15.

Gowri marks the debut of Samarjit Lankesh, son of Indrajit Lankesh, along with Saanya Iyer. According to the makers, Gowri is based on a true incident and is one of the biggest musicals made in Kannada in recent times.

Hamsalekha is an Indian film composer and songwriter who has worked in South Indian cinema, predominantly in the Kannada film industry, since the late 1980s. He is also a screenplay writer, dialogue writer, instrumentalist, and conductor, having composed and written over 500 albums.

Hamsalekha has received one National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards in the Best Music Director category, seven Karnataka State Film Awards  four for music direction and three for lyrics  and an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University.

His collaboration with V Ravichandran resulted in successful soundtracks for mainstream Kannada films.
Priyanka Chopra is back to work from the grand Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding. After returning from Mumbai, the actress has now headed straight to Australia to resume shooting. Shes currently busy working on her upcoming Hollywood film, The Bluff. Ever since she started filming for it, Priyanka has constantly been updating her fans with photos and videos from the films set. After sharing glimpses of the injuries she sustained and her daughter Malti Marie Jonas humming adorably on the set, she has now given us a sneak peek of her makeup and prosthetics required for the film.

Priyanka took to her Instagram stories to share a short clip of Australian makeup artist Sharon Robbins working on her look. In the clip, we see Priyanka in her vanity with her right hand which seemingly looks injured with blood spots. Her finger still looks like blood oozing out from them, especially her fingernails. While the clip might look scary and concerning to her fans at first glance, fortunately, it turns out to be nothing more than some makeup done using fake blood.

We also get a glimpse of the makeup artist brushing a blood-like liquid on her fingers to make them seem injured. I need a manicure, she wrote.

Earlier, the actress had shared a series of photos along with a video of herself with messy hair and a blood-soaked face, along with injury marks below her neck. Yeah. When you do action movies, it is really glamorous. Another day at the office, she says in the video. The post also included pictures of her daughter, her friends and the crew members of The Bluff.

From the glimpses the diva treats us to from the making of The Bluff, we are sure the film is going to have some intense stunts, action and drama.

The Bluff, directed by Frank E Flower, narrates the story of a former female pirate, played by Priyanka. According to the plot, she is striving to protect her family while struggling with her mysterious past. The film also has Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green and Vedanten Naidoo in key roles. After last years hit franchise Citadel, The Bluff marks Priyankas second collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios and AGBO.
Since the pandemic, actor Sonu Sood has gained popularity as a philanthropist as well. During the lockdown, he spent quite a lot to ensure that people had adequate treatment, food and attention. Even post-pandemic, he continued his welfare work and was admired by the common man. The actor recently spent time with a group of students who aced Uttarakhands board examinations. During the meet and greet, Sonu interacted with the kids and shared a delicious meal with them. These students were awarded for their academic excellence with a trip to Mumbai.

Sonu Sood shared a video and a picture of himself with the students and wrote, Was such a pleasure meeting these talented kids from Uttarakhand who were rewarded with a holiday to Mumbai for their academic excellence. Boarding an aircraft for the first time is always a special experience, and I was delighted to share some happy moments with them. There is nothing more satisfying than giving back to society. Jai Hind. The actor celebrated the kids achievements and shared samosas with them. Reportedly, the actor also showed them an exclusive trailer of his upcoming film, Fateh.

Was such a pleasure meeting these talented kids from Uttrakhand who were rewarded with a holiday to Mumbai, for their academic excellence .Boarding an aircraft for the first time is always a special experience and I was delighted to share some happy moments with them. Always pic.twitter.com/MdNhSxefx4 sonu sood (@SonuSood) July 16, 2024

Fateh, is Sonu Soods first directorial venture and stars him as the lead with Jacqueline Fernandez. The film also stars Vijay Raaz and Shivjyoti Rajput in key parts. Recently, even Naseeruddin Shah joined the cast. Fateh is expected to be a dramatic and action-packed movie, and its intriguing premise has generated widespread curiosity. The films plot revolves around a former criminal who is hired to guard a young woman. To keep her safe, he must employ all of his abilities while also discovering the nature and origins of the threats she confronts.

Sonu Sood recently helped people in Mumbai as the city experienced severe rain. A huge crowd gathered outside his home to seek assistance, and he made sure to address their concerns.

Sonu Sood could be seen in the video explaining and helping people through the heavy rain, holding an umbrella. His followers were quite happy to see the actors willingness to meet people despite the bad weather conditions.
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have been in the spotlight since their separate arrivals at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding, which took place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on July 12. Recently, Abhishek also caused a stir by liking a post discussing the difficulties of divorce, which sparked speculation about their relationship. Amidst this buzz, a throwback interview of Abhishek has resurfaced, shedding light on his views regarding equality and support in marriage.

In the interview, Abhishek was asked if he had ever placed restrictions on his wife. He responded that only an insecure or untrusting man would do such a thing. Abhishek also expressed his frustration with the societal expectation that he, as a husband, should not accompany Aishwarya to her public events, while she is expected to attend his.

Ive often been asked how it feels to walk the red carpet with your wife at Cannes, Abhishek told Filmfare in 2012. I find this attitude chauvinistic. It means that you are the husband, so how can you walk with her? Do you ever ask Aishwarya why she walks the red carpet with me at the premieres of my films? She attends all my events, but I cannot accompany her. Thats wrong. If my wife supports me, then its my duty to support her.

Abhishek further elaborated on the idea that restraining a partner stems from insecurity and a lack of trust. If a man tries to restrain his wife, then there must be two reasons for it. Firstly, hes insecure. Secondly, he doesnt trust her. I am a secure person and have complete faith in my wife. And why just wife, if a man tries to restrain his girlfriend, mother, or any girl, then either hes insecure or he doesnt trust them. And thats not how I was brought up.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been a regular at the Cannes Film Festival since 2005, often accompanied by Abhishek after their marriage in April 2007. Their first appearance together at Cannes was in May 2007.
Several brilliant images were captured during the assassination attempt on Trump. But two of them stand out. Both pictures were taken just moments from each other. In the first picture, Trump is delivering a speech at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, with no knowledge that a bullet with his name on it is headed towards him. Moments later, the second picture  a defiant, bleeding Trump standing tall, fist up in the air with the American flag waving behind him. This is the moment that has single-handedly redefined Trump in the eyes of the world.

Whether it is luck or divine intervention as Trumps followers put it, this incident changes everything here on out about the 2024 presidential race.

Now, the US is no stranger to assassination attempts, failed or otherwise, on its Presidents and presidential candidates. From Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy, to Ronald Reagan who survived a bullet that ruptured his lung, Trump is the ninth US President to face an assassination attempt.

What could have been a tragic end to the fiery election campaign of the former US president is now a moment etched in history  because Donald Trump had not only survived the assassination attempt, with the bullet grazing his ear just millimetres close to killing him, but he stood back up bravely, pumped his fist in the air and with blood dripping down his face, yelled fight at his supporters. When he did this, the chaos on the ground paused and his supporters let out a cheer so loud, it is sure to give the Democrats many, many sleepless nights ahead.

Both pictures capture instantaneous change in perception  one captures the Donald Trump of yesterday  one who was mired in indictments and petty politics and the other shows the Donald Trump of today and possibly, the future  a leader who refused to run off the stage after surviving gunfire, an attempt on his life, and instead addressed the crowd, riling them up with confidence. And what else could they ask for? Their leader had not just survived, but he was fearless, defiant and angry. Could he have looked more presidential in that form? Even for his biggest critics, Trump could not have handled it better. This was straight out of a Hollywood movie.

Now, this single moment, captured perfectly on camera, has put Trump on a pedestal. To his supporters, he is a true hero. His credentials proven by his brave conduct. To his enemies, hes a bigger threat than ever. And to the fence-sitters, he has earned respect and possibly even their vote.

Before this incident, Trumps approval rating of 47 per cent was just a point ahead of Bidens 46 per cent as per the ABC News poll. But that is likely to change now. Take a look at this  Polymarket, a political prediction platform, shows that following the attempt on his life, Trumps chances of winning have surged by 8 per cent, reaching an all-time high of 70 per cent.

The shooter was eliminated immediately after he fired a few shots and we are yet to know his exact motivation. But it is an undeniable fact that opposition to Trump in American media had hit a boiling point  trials against him in court seemed unfair to many  depicting him as a criminal on charges related to firstly, paying off Stormy Daniels, a pornstar he allegedly crossed paths with. Then the charges related to mishandling of classified documents when he was President and thirdly, the allegation that he attempted to overturn the election result in the light of the events of January 6, 2021. Critics saw these trials as a way for the Biden administration to cull the opposition and possibly disqualify Trump before the November election. In February, a New York judge handed a penalty so brutal, it threatens to wipeout Trumps entire stockpile of cash. This was a $355 million penalty in a civil fraud case taking the total penalty on Trump to over $450 million. Many saw these trials as motivated, and intended to bankrupt Trump ahead of the election.

Hyper-polarisation has been evident in American politics for a few years now. Trump and his supporters are often likened with Nazis and his supporters are equally cut off from the Democrats and what they call the woke mob. Debates on race, gun control, abortion, immigration and transgender rights have torn the countrys social fabric apart. Its hard for both sides to see eye-to-eye on anything.

Then there was the debate between Trump and Biden where Bidens senility got the better of him and triggered a countrywide debate about the Presidents mental and physical faculties to go on. Trump won that debate even in the eyes of his biggest critics, and the desperation was evident as they called on Biden to pull out of the race. With less than four months left to spare, the Democrats have started to grasp the possibility of yet another defeat at the hands of Trump. Its the sense that a future with Trump as President is no future at all that has led to desperate calls to vilify him and remove him from the race by any means possible. This has bred violence that came less than an inch away from taking his life and throwing the country into a very real possibility of civil war. But many others do not still agree  some have openly called it a staged attempt. Others have tried to convey that Trump called it upon himself.

It is, however, in President Joe Bidens reaction that the Democrats may get the seriousness of the matter. Within hours of the incident, Biden said, An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation. Its not America, and we cannot allow this to happen.

Today, his message was deeper. He called on the masses to cool down and unite. I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember, when we disagree, we are not enemies, we are neighbours, we are friends, co-workers, citizens and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together, he said.

The President even pulled out his campaign ads targeting Trump as a convicted felon and sent out new ads focusing on his own achievements. Perhaps, this came with the realisation that positive messaging is the need of the hour. But its more than just that  the Democrats are fast losing the moral high ground at a time when Trumps support base is growing and hardening. The rally-around-the-flag effect has come into action, where the people unite around their leader. With just a few months left, it will take a genius strategy if not a miracle for Biden to upturn his decline and prevent a Trump victory.
Since the annexation of Tibet in 1950, China has been exploiting Tibets rich natural resources, especially water, along with violating the human rights of the Tibetan population. Known as Asias Water Tower, Tibet is the worlds largest freshwater reserve outside the polar regions. Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas are also the primary sources of some of the major river basins in South and Southeast Asia such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, Indus and Mekong. Most of these rivers are transboundary in nature and flow through many South and Southeast Asian nations. This inevitably makes these low-riparian nations dependent on transboundary rivers.

To give a clearer picture, Bangladesh has over 57 transboundary rivers, while it shares 54 of them with India. These river basins, thus, are vital not only for meeting the economic needs, but also for the preservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity of the lower riparian nations.

With Tibet under Chinese control, water resources have emerged as Chinas new weapon to achieve hydro-hegemony. Pertinently, China has undertaken substantial hydroelectricity projects as hydroelectricity is Tibets second largest energy source for China, after coal. Chinas hydro-hegemonic ambitions, however, are coming in the way of lower riparian countries reliance on transboundary rivers flowing through these countries and their increasing demand for water in the face of rapid climate change. Chinas hydro hegemonic ambitions are reflected in its big dam construction projects, aimed at water diversion and the use of artificial rain projects to regulate rainfall in barren areas of the Tibetan plateau.

Chinas mega dam construction projects are rooted in its motive of meeting the countrys large energy demands, accounting for about 31 per cent of global hydropower as per 2022 data. The development of hydropower based on the Yarlung Tsangpo River finds mention as a priority in Chinas current 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). Because of its dominant position as an upper riparian nation and in order to cater to its increasing hydro-energy demands, the development of Chinas infrastructure on upper riparian rivers has had a significant impact on water flow, adversely affecting the Mekong and Yarlung Tsangpo rivers.

Meeting energy demands, however, is not Chinas only interest here. Beijings control of water flow and river diversion through the operationalisation of mega dams aims to have influence and exert dominance over its neighbouring lower riparian nations. In order to understand this game, it is important to see the flow of upper riparian rivers in China; the Yarlung Tsangpo and Mekong, are both known to be major transboundary rivers. Yarlung Tsangpo River, the worlds highest river, originates in the Manasarovar Lake in Tibet that eventually flows through the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh (as Siang River) and Assam (as Brahmaputra) and bordering country Bangladesh before draining into the Bay of Bengal. The Mekong River, which also originates in the Tibetan plateau of the upper Mekong Basin, flows through six nations in Southeast Asia before flowing out to the South China Sea. This makes Mekong Southeast Asias largest river basin.

The announcement of Chinas plan to build the worlds biggest hydropower dam (50-metre high with a capacity of 60 GW power production) on the lowest reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river, in Medong country bordering Indias Arunachal Pradesh, is a case in point. Believed to be three times the size of Chinas Three Gorges Dam, the worlds largest dam presently, the Super Dam on the Brahmaputra River is claimed to strengthen Chinas water security and meet its clean energy goals. However, the location of this new mega-dam construction has raised suspicion for its neighbouring countries.

Accounting for 30 per cent of Indias freshwater resource, Brahmaputra River is significant not only for India, but is equally important for Bangladesh. Around 70 per cent of the Bangladeshi population reside in the Brahmaputra River basin. Chinas opaque approach in its river diversion plan, through this new mega-dam construction, thus risks affecting both countries.

With India, China is already engaged in disputes along the borders and on infrastructure projects. The relationship, in this context, has witnessed further deterioration since 2020. Once constructed, the Super Dam is likely to trigger floods in Indias Northeast regions during monsoons and cause severe water shortages during the winter season. Moreover, the construction of dams on the Brahmaputra River would also lead to the consolidation of Chinas baseless territorial claims over the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The satellite images revealed last year that China has been implementing a dam construction project since 2021 that is close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China had also withheld hydrological data during the Doklam Standoff in 2017, violating legally binding accords. This also added to New Delhis difficulties in managing annual floods affecting its Northeastern states. It is a reflection of how China has been weaponising water resources. Another similar case was witnessed in 2019 when China regulated the water flow of the Mekong River through its 11 large hydropower dams operational along the river basin. The Chinese actions had led to the worst drought witnessed in decades by lower Mekong countries; Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam the following year. It had adversely affected millions of people in these countries whose source of livelihood and food were dependent on the Mekong River.

Last year, Bangladeshs Daily Asian Age had reported that Chinas approach toward water resources, reflected in its rampant dam construction projects, had adversely impacted environmental conditions, and caused large displacement of people and huge debt to low riparian countries in South and Southeast Asia.

China is not only exploiting its neighbours by leveraging its upper riparian status but also using it as an excuse to consolidate its claim over Tibet. The weather modification programme to induce artificial rain over barren plateau is one such example, causing disastrous effects on the climatic conditions of the Tibetan plateau. Chinas major artificial rain experiment, the Sky High or Tianhe Project plan (2018), aims to boost extra rainfall over the plateau region through the process of fuel-burning chambers that will induce artificial rain. More than 500 of these fuel-burning chambers were reported to be installed across Tibetan mountains in 2018 itself.

The $19 million project witnessed further expansion in 2020, covering an area of over 5.5 million square kilometres (to be developed by 2025). In 2022, drones and rockets launched for the purpose of cloud seeding were seen over Chinas Sichuan province. This was done to induce rainfall over more than 600 square kilometres of land witnessing extreme heatwaves and drought. Interestingly, now these areas have been witnessing their worst flood conditions for the past two years after the experiment.

The artificial alteration of weather through use of cloud seeding technology is controversial for many reasons, as it directly affects the ecosystem. The Tianhe Project, covering such an expansive area, not only endangers Tibets environment, but also Chinas neighbouring countries, especially India. China, through its dam construction projects and weather modification programmes, seem to be weaponising water for its geostrategic interest.

Chinas recent unilateral decision to donate 3,000 tonnes (1,500 tonnes donated in March and 1,500 tonnes in May) of potable glacial water from Tibet to Maldives, at the latters request, is the latest example of Chinas exploitation of Tibets water resources for geopolitical gains. However, this act of Chinese benevolence had also raised concerns among the Tibetans in Tibet. Apparently, Chinas water conservation regulations that set the limit on water usage in the Tibetan region were unveiled barely a week prior to the first consignment of water being dispatched to Maldives in March 2024.

Reportedly, Tibetans themselves are facing water shortage in Tibet due to decades of water management and conservation campaigns run by China for the exploitation of Tibetan water resources throughout the plateau. This, along with the dam construction projects, has paved the way for frequent displacement, including, the forced displacement of Tibetans from their ancestral land. Not to mention, Chinese water exploitation has been endangering the climate, flora and fauna of the Tibetan plateau as well.

Being a non-signatory of any transboundary water treaty, China seems to be exploiting Tibetan transboundary water sources as its own sovereign resources, demonstrated by its unilateral and belligerent actions. By leveraging its upper riparian status, China is using water as a weapon, raising environmental and livelihood concerns not only for its neighbouring countries, but also for the Tibetan plateau itself, the source of this water weapon.

The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Sri Lankans have fought for their freedom, rights and equal opportunities as citizens of a single nation since the time the country lost its independence in 1815. After the ruthless crushing of the 1818 rebellion by the British rulers, educated Sinhala and Tamil leaders commenced a movement to demand a share of power peacefully. In 1833, the Colonial Office agreed to set up a Legislative Council comprising ten official members and six unofficial members. However, the strategy was to give representation to the British planters to appease their demands for increased power.

The protest against this injustice of appointing only British planters as unofficial representatives was headed by Ponnambalam Arunachalam. In 1911, Ponnambalam Ramanathanwhose leadership was unhesitatingly acknowledged by the Sinhala leaders of that timecontested the legislative council election as a candidate for the Educated Ceylonese seat and was elected to the Legislative Council, defeating eminent physician Marcus Fernando. Ramanathan was supported by Sinhala leaders D S Senanayake, E W Jayewardene and many others, who rightly believed Ramanathan was better suited than Marcus Fernando.

Former Chief Minister of Sri Lanka Northern Province, C V Vigneswaran, described it as the best of times as there was a cordial relationship between the two communities.

Last Friday, during Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardenas visit to Jaffna, Tamil leaders hailing from the north engaged in cordial discussions on the ways and means of solving the problems in the province and accelerating the development of school and university education to provide employment opportunities for youths. The district development coordination meeting saw the attendance of Tamil MPs C.V Vigneswaran, M.A. Sumanthiran, Dharmalingam Siddharthan, Angajan Ramanathan, and Minister Douglas Devananda. Their discussions with the prime minister brought hope of reviving the spirit of bonhomie that existed in their fathers generation.

PM Gunawardena, who donated a consignment of valuable books to the Jaffna Library, emphasized the need to enhance educational facilities in northern schools. His visit served as a reminder of the longstanding camaraderie that once existed between the two communities, particularly during the era when leftists spearheaded the fight for peoples rights, including workers rights.

It was Jaffnas leftist leaders and their committed cadres who defied the colonial rulers and helped socialist leaders N.M. Perera, Philip Gunawardena, Colvin R. de Silva, and others escape from prison to take shelter in the north. They then crossed over to India, where they worked for the Indian freedom struggle.

The leaders who fought for workers rights include A. E. Gunasinghe, N. Shanmuganathan, Edmond Samarakkody, Robers, Philip Gunawardena, and Bala Thampo. The Government Service Clerical Services Union was headed by Alva Pillai, who was later succeeded by T. B. Illangarathne, who became a minister in Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaikes government together with Philip Gunawardena and William Silva.

Prime Minister Gunawardena recalled that Minister Devanandas father was also an activist fighting for workers rights. Similar sentiments were expressed by all the leaders who desired communal amity.

In this newly revived spirit of amity, the prime minister travelled from Jaffna to Kilinochchi by road. There were no protests, and he was received warmly and cordially at both venues. We are totally committed to developing the north. New allocation is made for development by the President, taking on the responsibility of allocating provincial funds and special funds for development to every district, every province and, every AG division is to be covered, he said.

I thank all the officials and the members of parliament who contributed to that, taking on issues of development. We empower all of you, especially the MPs and the District Secretaries, to work along with the Governor and the district leaders in order to achieve this, he further said.

All the Tamil parliamentarians and the minister assured the prime minister of their unstinted support to speedily implement the development program, thus opening a new hope to keep the spirit of commonality alive.

Sugeeswara Senadhira is an Advisor to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Some 24 years ago, we invited the then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to our home in New Delhi for a meal. His security team came over a week before to assess the threat level. We were asked who else would attend. We mentioned that there were just two more guests for the evening: Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley. Back then their threat perception was not judged to be that high, so the security team promptly got down to work accordingly to sanitise our house.

The house was inspected by sniffer dogs and men with mysterious gadgets. Every single rooftop and balcony with a clear line of sight to our house was surveyed and at least one security personnel placed there. Our own roof had several of them. Vendors and parked cars in the vicinity were removed. The service lane in the rear was cleared of all movable objects. Even the drivers of the taxi stand opposite our house were asked to park their cabs elsewhere for a day.

The dinner went off without incident, but it did lead to much speculation in the neighbourhood about why there was such a security cordon in the area. As the DPMs cavalcade came and went very unobtrusively, people concluded that a terrorist cell had surely been busted there. And the paanwala returned to his spot on the pavement near our house the next day and authoritatively told his clientele that a large cache of arms had been unearthed in the service lane!

Needless to add, standard VIP security protocols have changedand increased exponentiallysince then, especially when the now Prime Minister Modi attends an event in India or abroad. That is why glitches like having his cavalcade stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 20 minutes due to farmers blocking the highway became such a big deal. There is simply no room for mistakes when the threat perceptions of todays political leaders have risen to dizzying heights.

In that context, a 20-year shooter bear crawling onto a rooftop and letting off several shots from a semi-automatic AR-15 type rifle at former President Donald Trump giving an election speech 130 yards away, is an utterly shocking and unacceptable security breach. That the Secret Servicetasked with protecting a former presidentwas responsible for this egregious security lapse is even more astounding, considering it is thought to be the best in the business.

Some of their errors would be particularly glaring to Indians, as we have gotten used to ever-increasing security protocols ever since the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Not since the 1980s has any unvetted person been allowed anywhere near a high-profile protecteea familiar Indianism nowadays. Even the vast crowds at desi election meetings are vetted with metal detectors and all high vantage points are routinely occupied by security personnel well ahead of time.

Days before a VIP visits an area in India, local police and domestic intelligence services assess the presence of suspicious people; they also ascertain if any criminal or terror elements have been seen there. They also activate informants to suss out unusual activity. In this case, the shooter had actually bought the bullets from a local store there just a few hours before Trump was due to address an election rally and yet no informant or cop raised any red flags!

Even more chillingly, just a few minutes before the gunman fired, bystanders saw him on the roof of the factory and desperately tried to alert the police. It is being said that one cop did climb up and see the shooter, but inexplicably climbed down rather than engage. Ideally, the Secret Service should have been immediately informed and they should have jumped up and shielded their protectee till some security personnel went up to that rooftop and gave the all-clear.

Instead, the gunman had time to fire and injure Trump, who had providentially turned his head at that very moment, causing a bullet to clip his ear instead of entering his brain. The Secret Service reportedly did not do a sweep of that building as it was outside some notional security perimeter. So that building was left to the police force of the town of Butler, Pennsylvania to sanitise. Canor shoulda small-town police force be entrusted with such a task?

This was an astounding display of non-application of mind, for which many headsincluding the head of that coveted service itselfshould certainly roll. The Secret Service team charged with securing the immediate location for Trumps visit were also outrageously non-alert. They failed to keep tabs on local law enforcement and hence did not realise one of the policemen had seen the gunman when told by some bystanders about his presence on a roof.

It begs the question whether that team would have taken those bystanders concerns seriously either, had they been alerted by the local police force about him in time, that is. Conspiracy theorists may indeed wonder whether the fact that the people were obviously Trump supporters had something to do with their testimonies being discounted by federal security personnel. Partisanship has seeped into many institutions of the government in the US, after all.

Investigators have reportedly said that Trumps Secret Service contingent was beefed up as he had been deemed the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidential election. That meant more personnel including snipers besides drones and even robotic dogs. In that case, it would not be far-fetched to assume that the personnel chosen (original as well as extra) are not the brightest pennies in the piggy-bank given their obvious lack of foresight and attention to detail.

It is inconceivable that the Special Protection Group (SPG) which is Indias security force charged with protecting the Prime Ministerthe current one with arguably one of the highest threat perceptions of any head of state in the worldwould leave any place with a view of a podium unattended. The SPG, even when it has to depend on the state police forces for security preparations, sets very high standards; and after the Punjab that level has been raised further.

A little under 22 years after that dinner for the then DPM, an invitee at that earlier meal came again to our placeas PM. Security protocols were even more rigorous and more targeted than in 2000, with both overt and unobtrusive components. The SPG personnel were polite but intractable, and preternaturally alert. It is time the US Secret Service takes a few tips from our SPG or sends personnel to India for refresher courses on latest security protocols.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Why the US is in No Position to Lecture the World on Democracy

Who is safe in the United States of America? Certainly not school children. People going about their day-to-day lives are not safe either. They can find themselves at the receiving end of a gun, whether they are in shopping malls, public gatherings and celebrations, or even places of worship. The shocking assassination attempt on Donald Trump has once again brought to the fore the crisis staring the

United States in the eye. With guns and ammunition available as easily as candy, going on a killing spree in America is, frankly, a childs play.

That is what the world witnessed with 20-year-old Thomas Mathew Crooks climbing up a roof near Donald Trumps rally venue in Pennsylvania and subsequently taking his shot at the former president with relative ease. What does that prove? That even presidents are not safe in the United States. To date, seven American presidents have either been assassinated or survived an attempt on their life. Interestingly, six of these presidents were Republicans.

That brings me to a larger point. Should a country which can keep neither its children nor presidents safe have the moral authority to preach democracy to the world? The answer is as clear as day. The US has lost all rights to go about lecturing the developing world about how their democracies should function. This is not a right the US has lost recently, in fact, it never really had the right to begin with. It was simply a luxury that Washington accorded itself, on the back of its economic and military might as well as its control over global institutions. Now that its own society is being torn at the seams, the need for America to embark on inward soul-searching has never been greater.

Perhaps if the US spent less time focusing on the state of democracy around the world and acted diligently to fix its own system, it would not have become a butt of jokes globally. There is no denying that the US has become a shadow of its former self in recent years  a trend which has only been catalysed by a president who the world knows is in rapid cognitive decline.

The political atmosphere of the United States has been vitiated beyond measure. There are no longer rivals in American politics. Instead, there are only enemies. This is why when news of Trump being shot at first emerged, a sea of Democrat supporters and liberals were quick to label the incident as staged. Many even joked about how it was unfortunate that the shooter missed, or that Trump slightly tilted his head, thereby saving his own life. This is the same crowd that has for years likened Trump to Hitler and other dictators, while accusing his supporters of taking America down the path of fascism. The worst part is that the top leaders of the Democratic party are guilty of engaging in such reckless and alarmist rhetoric.

When influential leaders begin actively fanning such alarmist rhetoric, it hardly comes as a surprise that a hot-blooded man takes matters into his own hands, as Thomas Mathew Crooks did by attempting to kill Donald Trump in broad daylight. While his motive may never be known, it is likely he thought he was shooting Trump to save American democracy. This is among the many perils of political parties and leaders abdicating their responsibility of engaging in civil, issue-based rhetoric and instead labelling their rivals as enemies of democracy and the Constitution.

Such reckless talk goes a long way in inciting violence and bringing nations very close to a civil war. After all, if the bullet had indeed taken Trumps life, the United States would likely find itself engulfed in a kind of violence not seen since the 1860s.

Wither American Democracy?

For all of the United States moral grandstanding on the topic of democracy, its own record of late has been highly blemished. Not only has there been an open and rather brazen attempt to prevent Donald Trump from contesting the presidential election, but some Democrat-ruled states even went to the extent of removing Trump from the primary ballot. This push was rightfully nipped in the bud by the US Supreme Court, but it did lay bare how a country which champions the cause of democracy globally has been betraying democratic values rather comfortably back home. Joe Bidens comment about putting Donald Trump in the bullseye is just one example of this mindset.

Besides, a salvo of legal cases has been fired at Trump by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over the past one year. Does the timing of it all seem suspect? Of course, it does, because it is aimed at convincing Americans that Trump remains a man on trial, accused of various criminalities. From the FBIs raid of his Mar-a-Lago residence to a judge on Monday dismissing the classified documents case in toto, the effort to paint Trump as a man who steals state secrets has suffered a devastating blow. Perhaps this blow has come due to the fact that the DOJs case was always standing on shaky ground.

Without the Supreme Courts intervention, in which it said that Trump was immune to prosecution for acts committed while he was president, the Biden-run DOJ would have probably found a way to nail the Republican nominee before the November polls.

Read More: Why Donald Trump Remains the Strongest Republican in America

Then there is the question of the assassination attempt itself. Obviously, there were lapses on the part of the Secret Service and local law enforcement, with reports now even suggesting that the shooter was first seen in the vicinity a grand 30 minutes before he pulled the trigger from the rooftop. Was this a lone-wolf attack, or is there a larger ploy to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president again? Given the state of American democracy, this question should hardly be taboo.

What about guns, then? Will the assassination attempt on Trump finally force the United States to behave as a democracy, where guns are not as easily available as toys? The chances of this happening are slim. Guns are deified in the US by a vast section of the populace. The National Rifle Association (NRA) would rather see innocents die and presidents shot at than take one step in the right direction and support gun control. In a country where gun culture is celebrated, one should hardly be surprised if violence becomes the order of the day.

Can such a country be a model democracy for the world? Obviously not. As such, it has no right to sermonise the world, especially countries in the Global South of their democratic responsibilities. Washington will be well advised to get its own house in order before it goes about telling the world how to live and govern.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
In a major development, 28 members from the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have switched allegiance to the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction, sources told CNN-News18.

On Tuesday, four NCP leadersincluding Pimpri-Chinchwad units city president Ajit Gavhane, student leader Yash Sane, and two former corporators, Pankaj Bhalekar and Rahul Bhosalequit the party in the wake of its dismal performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to join the NCP (SP).

This development comes after Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, an OBC leader from the rival Ajit Pawar faction, met Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai on Monday and sought his intervention in the Maratha quota issue.

Speaking about the meeting, Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said, Bhujbal came to meet me. I had a fever. I took two days off. I was told that he has come, that he has been waiting for an hour and does not want to leave. After that, I met him and he spoke to me at length. He asked me to work together to improve the social environment in Maharashtra, to work together in the states interest.

However, Bhujbals request was met with a retort by Sharad, who questioned why the Opposition was being taken into confidence after all decisions had been made.

They are in power, they took a decision on Maratha reservation, and now they want to ask the Opposition to state our position? asked Sharad, maintaining that it was important to ensure that the rights of OBCs were maintained while also asking the government to clarify what promises were made to Maratha reservation leader Jarange Patil and which of these were delivered.

Sharads comments come after leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, NCP (SP), and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), did not attend the all-party meeting convened by state Chief Minister Shinde on July 9. They had claimed that the opposition was not consulted regarding the Maratha reservation issue.
After wooing women through Laadki Bahin Yojana (Dear Sisters Scheme), the Maharashtra government has announced a scheme to provide a monthly stipend, in the range of Rs 6,000-10,000, to young men for six-month internships in various industries. The initiative, Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana, aims to enhance skill training and boost employability among the states youths.

Announced during the state budget among a range of welfare initiatives, the scheme received official Cabinet nod on Monday. It is set to benefit around 10 lakh youths and is estimated to cost approximately Rs 10,000 crore.

GR TO BE RELEASED SOON

Although the state government is yet to issue a detailed Government Resolution (GR), officials aware of the matter elaborated on details of the scheme.

Rs 6,000 per month for Class 12 pass

Rs 8,000 to diploma holders

Rs 10,000 to graduates and postgraduates

A mobile application will likely be developed to facilitate the application process for the programme. Beneficiaries will undergo a week-long training focusing on both soft skills and domain-specific knowledge.

Currently, there are no qualifying criteria, implying that all eligible applicants might receive aid. A GR detailing the schemes modalities is expected to be released soon.

CM SHINDE UNVEILS SCHEME IN PANDHARPUR

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde unveiled the initiative on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi Day in Pandharpur on Wednesday. He stressed the importance of this stipend in helping students gain crucial work experience through apprenticeships, enhancing their employability.

Our government is focusing on creating a skilled workforceThis decision will increase the number of skilled youth in the industry, and students will benefit greatly from this stipend while doing apprenticeships, said Shinde.

Shinde emphasised that this initiative is part of the Mahayuti governments broader efforts to tackle unemployment and support the youth of Maharashtra. Students will receive this money for a year-long apprenticeship. After this, they will have gained work experience, which will help them secure jobs, he explained.

He further highlighted that it is a first-of-its-kind scheme introduced by any government in the country. The stipend is designed to enable students to gain practical experience in factories and other industries, easing their transition into the workforce.

BROTHERS TOO ARE DEAR TO US

Shinde reiterated the governments commitment to supporting the underprivileged. The grand coalition government belongs to the poor. Along with sisters, brothers are also dear to us, he said.

This announcement marks a significant step towards creating a skilled workforce, reducing unemployment, and providing financial support to students as they gain valuable work experience.

Earlier this month, an additional interim budget was presented by the ruling Mahayuti government, in which they announced Rs 1,500 monthly financial help scheme for eligible women under Laadki Bahin. The states scheme got tremendous response.

While these schemes will put pressure on the government coffers, after debacle in the general elections, the state government wants to woo the youth and women ahead of the assembly polls.
Is all not well between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya? The Sarkar versus Sangathan controversy has deepened in the state after the deputy CMs almost hour-long meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda in Delhi on Tuesday evening.

Though party sources said BJPs strategy in the upcoming by-elections and the partys poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls were the agenda for the meeting, there is buzz in political circles as this was Mauryas second meeting with Nadda in the last 48 hours.

Earlier, the deputy CM met Nadda on July 14 when the latter presided over the state executive meeting in Lucknow where Yogi Adityanath, Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and around 3,500 delegates  including the partys sitting MLAs and MPs and all Lok Sabha candidates who lost the poll  were present.

It was on this day that the Sarkar versus Sangathan controversy first arose.

Addressing the meeting, Maurya said no government was bigger than the organisation. I am first a party worker, then a deputy CM.

Soon after the meeting, he put up a post on X, repeating the same line  Sangathan Se Badi Koi Sarkaar Nahi Hotihar ek karyakarta hamara gaurav hai.. (Organisation is bigger than the governmentNo one is above the organisation. Every worker is our pride.

Mauryas post set the cat among the pigeons as some political observers noted that the statement was meant to douse dissent among party workers. However, others said it was the fallout of a discord between Adityanath and Maurya, signalling trouble in UP BJP.

SK Diwedi, former head of department of political science, University of Lucknow, said: Of late, there were instances when voices of dissent were heard within the saffron camp. Recently, former minister Moti Singh and MLA from Badlapur, Jaunpur, Ramesh Mishra gave rebellious statements against the government. Mishra had said that BJP was not likely to come back to power in 2027 and that the party was in a very bad shape in UP. He had also sought intervention from the central leadership to set things right in the state. Singh, meanwhile, had said that corruption had increased manifold under the Adityanath government.

However, party insiders said Mauryas statement was a dig at Yogi Adityanath and added that it would give more ammo to the Opposition to corner the BJP government.

Though his remark was genuine and factually correct, it conveys a different meaning in the present context. His statement is being seen as an attack on the one running the government, said Sashikant Dubey, head, department of political science at Lucknows Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University.

Dubey said there were hints of discord among the two BJP leaders after the Lok Sabha polls too when Maurya did not attend government meetings and even skipped cabinet meetings twice.

Another issue in discussion was his overstay in Delhi post the 2024 polls where he was meeting BJP leaders and key ministers of the Union government. This again sparked a controversy, he added.

Party insiders who were part of Sundays meeting termed it tense. Despite attempts by Nadda and the chief minister to allay concerns by emphasising on collective responsibility, the underlying tension seemed significant. The party meeting aimed at portraying a united face but the message that has gone out was about the rift between the two leaders, a party insider said.

Amidst the buzz, former Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi mocked the ruling party, claiming that Uttar Pradesh now has three chief ministers.

UP BJPs review meeting was hilarious! Infighting coming out to surface and public catfight in the meeting. UP now has three CMs  two of them desperate to remove Deputy from their designations, Singhvi said. Evidently clear the top bosses have decided to dethrone the local chieftain! he added.
The BJPs poor show in Uttar Pradesh in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections  in which the party won 36 seats compared to Oppositions 43  seems to have set off turbulence in the state unit.

Changes are expected both in the BJP organisation and the state cabinet in Uttar Pradesh  the BJP could get a new state chief as Bhupendra Chaudhary has offered to resign after meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda. Cabinet reshuffle is also expected in the state. The only Cabinet expansion in Yogi 2.0 was earlier this year when four ministers were added as RLD, SBSP became part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). More backward faces, faces from areas where BJP faced losses in 2024 could also find representation.

With buzz of discord between chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya, the central BJP has asked state leaders to stop public sparring and focus on the upcoming 10 bypolls. The chief minister met ministers on Wednesday over 10 upcoming by-elections but both the deputy chief ministers  Maurya and Brijesh Pathak  were missing from the meeting.

Rumours of sparring between the leaders began in political circles when Maurya skipped multiple cabinet meetings chaired by Adityanath in the last one month.

The deputy CM added fuel to fire when he said at a BJP meeting in Lucknow  where Yogi Adityanath, Pathak and around 3,500 delegates were present  that no government is bigger than the organisation (sangathan). No one is bigger than the sangathan. We are proud of our workers, he said.

The statement reflected how a section of BJP leaders felt bureaucracy in UP was outweighing the BJP organisation. This was flagged as one reason why BJP workers did not aggressively work in the recent elections in Uttar Pradesh.

NDA ally Sanjay Nishad has backed Mauryas statement, saying many officers are aligned with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which led to the BJPs poor show in the state.

In a damage-control exercise, Maurya met BJP chief JP Nadda on Tuesday. BJPs strategy in the upcoming by-elections and the partys poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls were the agenda for the second meeting between the leaders in the last 48 hours. Earlier, the deputy CM met Nadda on July 14 when the latter presided over the state executive meeting in Lucknow.

Taking pot-shots at the BJP, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said: In the heat of BJPs fight for power, governance and administration in UP has been put on the back burnerBJP is sinking in the quagmire of internal conflicts.
Andhra Pradesh minister and TDP leader Nara Lokesh on Wednesday invited IT firms to relocate businesses to Visakhapatnam.

Lokeshs comments follow the Karnataka governments decision to mandate a 100% quota for locals in select private jobs, which faced a huge backlash and was put on hold a day later, with the government stating it will be revisited and decided in the coming days.

In a social media post on X, the TDP MLA quickly pointed out that Andhra Pradesh is ready with the most suitable skilled talent with no restrictions from the government.

Dear @NASSCOM members, we understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag. We will offer you best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, infrastructure and the most suitable skilled talent for your IT enterprise with no restrictions from the Government. Andhra Pradesh is ready to welcome you. Please get in touch! the Mangalagiri MLA wrote in an X post.

Dear @NASSCOM members,We understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag. We will offer you best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, infrastructure and the most suitable https://t.co/x2N0CTbnfp  Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 17, 2024

Nara Lokeshs remarks came after Nasscom on Wednesday raised concerns over the Karnataka Bill on 100% private sector employment reservation for Kannadigas in Group C and D jobs, which has been cleared by the states Cabinet, saying could hamper the growth of the industry, impact jobs, and force companies to relocate.

Earlier in the day, the Karnataka cabinet approved a bill mandating 100 per cent reservation to Kannadigas, or local residents, for C and D grade posts in private industries. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who made the announcement in a social media post, deleted it after severe criticism from IT firms.

Former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai termed it very regressive, unnecessary, draconian, unconstitutional and illegal bill. He also pointed out that the bill discriminates under Article 19.

I think it is a very regressive, unnecessary, draconian, unconstitutional, illegal bill. It is illegal because it discriminates under Article 19. The Haryana government tried to do something but the High Court struck down saying that it is not reasonable. Secondly, look at the definition of local. A local is a person who was born here, been here for over 15 years and can speak, read, and write in Kannada. The evidence of speaking, reading and writing is through the school leaving certificate. If I dont have that and I apply for a job I will be considered non-local, Mohandas Pai said.
In a big blow to Ajit Pawars NCP, four top leaders resigned from the party and are likely to join the faction led by Sharad Pawar later this week. The leaders who left the party include Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavahane, Pimpri student wing chief Yash Sane, as well as former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar.

A day after submitting his resignation, Gavahane said he and the three other leaders will seek the blessings of Pawarsaheb (Sharad Pawar). He said a meeting will be held with former corporators of another assembly constituency to decide on their upcoming strategy.

I resigned yesterday; today, we will have a meeting with all ex-corporators of another Vidhan Sabha constituency. We will then decide on our upcoming strategy. Today, we are going to seek blessings of Pawarsaheb (Sharad Pawar). We will make a decision together. Rahul Bhosale, Yash Sane and Pankaj Bhalekar have also resigned with me. If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad city, it was developed very well and Ajit Pawar had a great contribution towards it. But since 2017, the BJP started holding the PCMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) and, since, the development has taken place in a wrongful manner. If you look at another constituency, the kind of development that has taken place shows that wrong things have taken place here. There has been corruption too. The sitting MLA is responsible he added.

Many in the party believe that Gavahane resigned after failing to secure a ticket for the Bhosari assembly constituency, as part of the seat distribution within the Mahayuti for the elections scheduled to be held later this year. He met Ajit a few days ago to convince him that the NCP should contest the Bhosari seat, which the BJPs Mahesh Langde has won twice.

Any leader or leaders quitting the party is a setback. But we are confident that Ajit Gavahane will stay with us. Ajit Gavahane is known for his proximity to our leader Ajit Pawar. And, therefore, we are sure he wont take any decision in a haste, NCP spokesperson told IE.

Last month, Sharad Pawar had said he will not be accepting those who wanted to weaken his party, but will take in leaders who will not hurt the partys image.

A rebellion led by Ajit Pawar split the NCP into two factions, with him joining hands with the ruling Mahayuti comprising the BJP and Shiv Sena. He was appointed the deputy chief minister in the government led by Eknath Shinde, who had also engineered a split in the Shiv Sena leading to a successful coup and the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

The shocking switchover of Ajit  important leaders like Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal also left Sharad Pawar  did not produce satisfactory results in the general elections as the party could win only one seat while his uncle secured eight.

Did Sunetra Pawar meet Sharad Pawar?

Ajit Pawars wife Sunetra Pawar has given rise to much speculation that she may have met Sharad Pawar at Modibaug area in Pune on Tuesday (July 16). The estranged uncle of her husband has a house in the area, which is among the most prestigious residential projects in the city.

Sunetra Pawar went to Modibaug today to meet the sister of deputy CM Ajit Pawar, said NCP functionary Suraj Chavan. But, this visit set political circles abuzz as it came a day after senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal met Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar is the senior most member of the Pawar family. So, if she met him, I think she did a very good thing, Bhujbal said.

Maharashtra industries minister and leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Uday Samant said, If Sunetra Pawar met Sharad Pawar today, only she can comment on it. But I want to make it clear that all is well within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

(With PTI inputs)
A recent college graduate in China has turned himself into a walking billboard by printing his resume on a T-shirt, wowing online observers. The guy named Song Jiale, 21 recently graduated with a bachelors degree from the School of Geomatics at Wuhan University in central Chinas Hubei province. Before starting his postgraduate studies, Song tried to get an internship but was unsuccessful despite numerous applications. Inspired by elderly locals in his hometown in central Chinas Henan province who often walk around with advertising signs, Song came up with the idea of printing his resume on a T-shirt. With so many people walking on the streets, Im like a walking billboard that gets noticed by employers and HR managers, Song wrote on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media site.

The front of his T-shirt reads: Class of 2024 looking for jobs, please see back. On the back is a copy of his resume, which includes his name, university, field of study, student activities and internships. He also cleverly placed a QR code above his photo to make it easier to contact people. Next to the QR code, it says: HR managers who are impressed and any other graduates who want to build a network, just scan this code! Finding a job is just as hard as finding a partner, lets help each other, it continues.

Wearing his resume T-shirt, Song travelled back to Hubei from his hometown by train. While his eye-catching outfit didnt land him a job immediately, it sparked a series of conversations with curious fellow travellers. It also gained him viral attention on mainland social media after a passerby posted his picture online, which was viewed around 385,000 times on Douyin.

This attention led to several companies reaching out to him. Eventually, Song found an internship at a company in the running apparel industry. The viral post may have been a key factor in his acceptance.

When I arrived at the company for an interview, an employee raised her phone and asked, Is that you? Song said on Xiaohongshu. Online observers praised Song as a talent in social media marketing. You should work in social media, one person said.

I wish he could work in our company. Dont you see how good he is at creating viral content? Hes a real talent, another said. Chinas job market has become increasingly difficult. This year, 11.58 million new college graduates entered the job market, 8,20,000 more than last year, and the unemployment rate for young people between the ages of 16 and 24 rose to over 18 percent.
An Indian YouTuber has found herself at the center of a heated controversy after her travel blog about documenting her journey in China went viral. In the video, Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger, is seen flouting local regulations and making racist remarks while documenting her trip from Shanghai to Beijing. The vlog shows her travelling on a high-speed train, hopping on a strangers scooter and boarding two buses without following any rules, causing inconvenience to everyone she encountered along the way.

The video begins with Malhotra boarding a high-speed train, only to discover that she did not get a window seat. She promptly asks a fellow passenger whom she calls Cheeni Bhai, to swap seats with her. The visibly confused passenger obliges and moves to the middle seat.

Later in the vlog, Malhotra attempts to secure a ride across an intersection from a woman on a two-wheeler. The woman explains to Malhotra that she was headed to the other direction but the vlogger kept on persisting to drop her. Eventually, the woman seeks help from a police officer to make Malhotra understand but she continues to record the video while speaking in Hindi.

The video also captures Malhotra boarding a bus and ignoring the drivers request to purchase a ticket. She heads straight to her seat and later tries to disembark at a traffic signal, arguing with the driver and pointing to her destination. The driver informs her that the bus only stops at designated drop locations.

Throughout the video, Malhotra makes several condescending remarks about the local people. She continues to speak in Hindi or English, languages not understood by the people she interacts with further exacerbating the situation.

Although Malhotra posted the travel vlog on her YouTube channel about a month ago, it went viral when the video featuring excerpts from her 35-minute vlog was recently posted on X. The caption read, High caste youtuber in Ask for a window seat in a commanding tone. Forcibly boarded the old ladys scooter without consent & asked her to travel in the opposite direction. Forcibly stopped a moving bus, took the bus without a coin (twice),& asked the driver to stop at a non-station place.

High caste  youtuber in Ask for a window seat in a commanding toneForcibly boarded old lady's scooter without consent & asked her to travel in opposite direction.Forcibly stoped a moving bus, took bus without coin (twice),& ask driver to stop at a non-station place. pic.twitter.com/doZTzEFJRD (PRC Cool Image) (@136Division) July 13, 2024

Malhotras behaviour left the internet fuming with numerous users lashing out in the comment section.

One user remarked, Disgusting behavior by an Indian woman!! This is price people in China, Taiwan, US, UK and Europe will pay for writing thousands of media articles about how Indian women are getting oppressed and raped by patriarchy. Does she look like an oppressed woman? while another added, Completely pathetic behaviour.

Disgusting behavior by Indian woman!!This is price people in China, Taiwan, US, UK and Europe will pay for writing thousands of media articles about how Indian women are getting oppressed and raped by patriarchy. Does she look like an oppressed woman?  Save Indian Family Foundation (@realsiff) July 13, 2024

Completely pathetic behaviour Veena Jain (@DrJain21) July 15, 2024

A person commented Boorish behaviour. Getting second-hand embarrassment watching this!

Boorish behaviour. Getting second hand embarrassment watching this!  Sherin  (@Molar_Mechanic) July 13, 2024

Another user wrote, This is so annoying! The arrogance. Shes not even respecting them. And is she talking in Hindi? So typical! Shes lucky that they are being courteous.

This is so annoying! The arrogance. Shes not even respecting them. And is she talking in Hindi? So typical! Shes lucky that they are being courteous. @PLEKarnataka https://t.co/AcNPbG7rDi  Benlita Pinto (@Benlita_Pinto) July 13, 2024

The video posted on X has received over 1.6 million views so far.
While the world watches Ukraines struggle against Russia, Bihar is playing an unexpected role in supporting the Russian military. Hajipur, a rapidly growing city in the state, is making news for a unique reason. Competence Exports, a local company, is producing safety boots for Vladimir Putins men. According to ANI, since 2018, the company has been manufacturing Made in Bihar boots and in 2023, they exported 1.5 million pairs. They plan to boost this number by 50% next year. Following the success of safety boots, the company is planning to introduce designer shoes for the European market.

Speaking to the portal, Shib Kumar Roy, the general manager of the facility, said, Their requirements are that shoes should be lightweight, slip-resistant, have special features in the sole, and withstand extreme weather conditions like -40 degrees Celsius. We manufacture the safety shoes, considering these conditions. The ambition is to make a world-class factory in Bihar and contribute to state employment. We are trying our best to give maximum employment to employees, of which 70 percent are women out of 300 employees.

Made in Bihar: Hajipur Shoes Become Favorites of Russian Soldiershttps://t.co/vC9R3fNCDZ pic.twitter.com/3sZYf3dd3H idrw (@idrwalerts) July 14, 2024

Shib Kumar Roy mentioned that while the Bihar government has supported and promoted local industries, they still require better infrastructure, such as improved roads and communication systems, to enable smooth contact with buyers from Russia. The general manager also claims that they need skilled workers and suggests establishing an institute to train workers before they can start their jobs.

Interestingly, Competence Exports also sends luxury or fashion shoes to countries such as Italy, France, Spain and the UK. Mazhar Pallumiah, who leads the fashion development and marketing team, explained that few a foreign companies were initially hesitant to sell their products, but their concerns were gone after they received product samples. As a result, the company is looking forward to meeting some of the team members from these companies next month. Interestingly, they are even in talks with a Belgian company.

India and Russia have a long history of trade connections. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Moscow and his meeting with Vladimir Putin recently, both nations have set a goal to raise their bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, which currently stands at $67 billion. With this move, India aims to increase its exports to Russia in various sectors.
One incident of two people eloping, before their adult childrens marriage, in Kasganj Uttar Pradesh has become a hot topic of discussion. This bizarre incident shocked everyone living in that area. A strange incident has come to light where the in-laws, that is the mother of the bride and the father of the groom, while arranging their offsprings marriage, eloped together. The incident reportedly took place in the first week of June, after which an FIR was filed against the man in the Ganj Dundwara police station, on the complaint of the womans husband, accusing him of kidnapping. According to reports, this man has come to fix the marriage of his son and eventually fell in love with the mother of the bride. The two started talking to each other whenever they visited their in-laws house. Two months ago, they arranged the marriage of their offsprings.

The brides father claimed that his daughter was engaged with the accuseds son. After the engagement, the brides mother and the grooms father started talking to each other. The marriage was also set to take place this month, meanwhile the accused came to the brides house and kidnapped her mother before their marriage.

The girls father claimed that the accused, who is the father of 10 children, kidnapped his wife and took her somewhere else. On the other hand, it has also been revealed that the girls mother has seven children. The police are currently searching for the woman based on the husbands complaint.

Providing information, CO Patiyali Vijay Rana of Kasganj district said in this regard that on June 8, a resident of the village of Sujawal pur of the Thana Ganj Dundwara, informed that his wife is missing till June 3. A missing report has also been filed against this incident at the Ganj Dundwara police station. An application has been submitted by Pappu on July 11, 2024, where he accused Shakeel of kidnapping his wife. A case has been registered under relevant sections as per the rules. Investigation is underway and legal action will soon be taken.
Bengaluru, noted for its soothing weather due to its height of more than 3,000 feet above sea level, has recently become the subject of a humourous social media debate. Anurag Das, a man from Kolkata who visited Indias Silicon Valley, tweeted about the stark contrast in temperature. Das, who is used to the hot and humid weather of the city of joy, was pleasantly surprised when he stepped out of Bengaluru International Airport on July 14.

Stepping out of Bengaluru Airport, the air outside is almost as pleasant as AC. In July, Anurag Das wrote. Compare it with the open-air sauna that is in Kolkata, which leaves you drenched in sweat in minutes. I am now willing to do a PhD. in Kannada if it means I can stay here forever, he added in his post.

Stepping out of Bengaluru Airport, the air outside is almost as pleasant as AC. In July.Compare it with the open-air sauna that is Kolkata, which leaves you drenched in sweat in minutes. I am now willing to do a PhD. in Kannada, if it means I can stay here forever.  Anurag Das (@anurag_das2015) July 14, 2024

Anurag Das posted this tweet only three days ago, and it has now received over 89,000 views and countless comments. Many social media users praised him for being eager to learn the local language to settle in the city. However, some recommended him to think about other elements of Bengaluru before deciding to relocate based purely on the weather.

A user welcomed him, stating, Welcome to Bengaluru Your intent to learn Kannada is enough.

Welcome to bengaluru You intent to learn kannada is enough. Swaroop Shrivathsa (@knswaroopin) July 14, 2024

Another said, These kinds of people who are open to assimilate are the ones who deserve to get domicile in Bangalore. Interact with locals and natives in the old Bangalore region to fully get the real Bangalore vibe.

These kind of people who are open to assimilate are the one deserved to get domicile in banglore. Interact with locals and natives in old banglore region to fully get real banglore vibe. Kiran U S (@kiranus97) July 15, 2024

However, not everyone came to an agreement. The same you will crib about the same BLR once u realise it takes 30 mins to finish 1.5 km! One rain and our roads are lakes! If the weather is the criterion why not shift to some hill station? BLR is already crowded and we locals encourage people to move out! commented a user.

The same u is gonna crib abt the same BLR once u realise it takes 30 mins to finish 1.5 km! One rain and our roads are lakes!If weather is he criteria y not shift to some hillstation!? BLR is already crowded & we locals encourage ppl to move out!   Mr.Ravan (@thereal_ravan) July 15, 2024

Try driving around, even in a cab 4 days a week. Calcutta will seem like heaven, another person remarked.

Try driving around, even in a cab 4 days a week. Calcutta will seem like heaven. Hot Head  (@HotHead999111) July 15, 2024

First live for just 1 year in Bangalore & after one year if you still feel the same way about the city then you can think about staying there forever, an user noted.

First live for just 1 year in bangalore & after one year if you still feel the same way about the city then you can think about staying there forever. Bangalore has pleasant weather throughout the year but do you want to make a "staying forever" decision only based on weather?  A.S.A (@AdityaSameer0) July 15, 2024

Meanwhile, the debate continues with a focus on Bengalurus attraction as well as the practicalities of city life.
Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is one of the most visited places in the world. Tourists from across the globe visit the place to enjoy their vacations. But for some people, these enjoyable moments become worse. Something similar happened with six individuals who visited the beautiful country to enjoy their holidays. Among them were three men and three women.

They were staying in a five-star hotel. But what happened next left everyone astonished. From the initial investigation the police officials mentioned that they were shot to death, but the officials failed to find any evidence of gunfire. The police were more puzzled by the findings.

To closely account for the incident, Thailands Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin also visited the crime scene. He mentioned that all six members who were allegedly killed were from Vietnam while some of them had dual citizenship of the United States. As per reports, the officials found that they had been dead for around 24 hours before the police found them.

A post-mortem is being conducted to uncover the truth. Talking to the media, Metropolitan Police Chief Lieutenant General Thiti Sengsawang said that the room was booked under the names of seven people. Still, only five people checked in and one person is currently missing. The identity of one of the victims found dead in the room does not match the official records.

The police mentioned in its report that the people had ordered food in the suite, but it remained untouched. The tourists were reportedly supposed to check out of the hotel on Monday. But when the housekeeping staff went to clean the suite, they found the bodies of all six people lying in the living room and bedroom. According to the police, the condition of the room does not suggest any fight among them. There is no evidence of robbery or theft as well. The police officials further mentioned that there were no serious wounds on anyones body Just one person had a minor injury which was likely caused by falling.

The police official further mentioned that they found open containers of tea, energy drinks and honey in the bathroom. It seemed that two of the victims tried to reach the suite door, which was locked from inside. As a part of the investigation, the belongings of all the victims were searched. The officials suspect that they were poisoned to death as there was no evidence of conflict or fight. The officials are presently in search of the seventh person who might be associated with the alleged murder.
New research indicates that the Earths rotation is slowing down due to the melting of the polar ice caps, resulting in an unprecedented increase in the duration of days. The melting of Earths ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica is widening the waters close to the equator, changing the pace at which the Earth spins, according to a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

According to the paper, the drag effect on Earths rotational speed increases with the amount of water that flows from the polar regions into the worlds seas, especially into equatorial regions. Co-author Benedikt Soja of ETH Zurich compared this phenomena to when a figure skater does a pirouette, first holding her arms close to her body and then stretching them out. Due to physical inertia, the initially quick rotation slows down as mass travels away from the axis of revolution.

In physics, we talk about the rule of conservation of angular momentum, which also regulates the rotation of the earth. The days lengthen as the Earth rotates more slowly. Thus, while not significantly, climate change is also affecting how long days are on Earth.

Despite being called a sphere, Earth is really more appropriately defined as an oblate spheroid, with a tiny equator bulge that resembles a satsuma. Tectonic plate movement, the daily tides that alter the seas and crust, abrupt and dramatic changes brought on by earthquakes and volcanic activity  all contribute to this shapes ongoing flux.

Every 24-hour revolution has 86,400 seconds, a number that is determined by the moon. According to the BBC, the Earths rotation is being slowed by its gravitational pull, a phenomenon known as tidal braking, which is lengthening our days by 2.3 milliseconds every century. In order to move somewhat farther away from Earth, the moon uses the energy generated by Earths rotation. The moon will be further away from Earth in 200 million years, causing Earth to rotate more slowly and perhaps extending a day to 25 hours.

While that is a naturally occurring phenomenon, the researchers believe that climate change may have a greater impact than the moon. We humans have a greater impact on our planet than we realize, and this naturally places great responsibility on us for the future of our planet, Soja said.

Days have already gotten longer by around 0.8 milliseconds since 1900 as a result of climate change. In comparison to baseline times, days may be extended by 2.2 milliseconds by climate alone by 2100 in the most dire scenario of high emissions. Co-author Surendra Adhikari of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory told AFP that it holds significant implications for space and Earth navigation, despite the fact that this rise might not be noticeable to humans.

Communicating with a spacecraft as far away as Voyager requires precise knowledge of Earths position in space. Even a small error of a centimetre can result in the signal being kilometres off target by the time it reaches the spaceship.
Situated amidst the picturesque Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, Manali is a beloved destination both nationally and internationally. Annually, it attracts countless tourists, drawn to its natural beauty at the edge of Kullu. Yet, what intrigues many is the captivating story behind its name. Legend has it that Manali derives its name from Manu-Aalaya, translating to Manus abode. According to ancient mythology, after a cosmic deluge that submerged the world, the sage Manu arrived in Manali to reestablish human life. His settlement in Old Manali later became the cradle for the recreation of humanity and the universe.

The Kullu administrations official website further elaborates on this legend, stating that Manu, renowned for his compilation of Manu Samhita, descended to Earth in a celestial boat and chose Manali as his residence. Over time, Manu-Aalaya evolved into the present-day Manali, with an enduring temple dedicated to the sage still standing in Old Manali, drawing visitors and devotees alike.

Attractions and Accessibility:

Manali remains a top pick for tourists, not only for its scenic vistas along the Beas River and winter snowfall but also for its cultural landmarks. The famous Hadimba Temple, linked to the Pandavas from the epic Mahabharata, and the origin of the Beas River at Rohtang Pass, where saint Ved Vyas meditated, are among the highlights. Additionally, Naggar boasts attractions like the Art Gallery and the Atal Tunnel.

Travel Information:

Bhuntar Airport serves as the nearest air link to Manali, with regular flights connecting to Delhi. For rail travelers, Joginder Nagar, approximately 160 km away, offers the closest station on the Mandi-Pathankot route. Alternatively, Kiratpur in Punjab, 240 km distant, and Una also provide railway access. The journey from Delhi via Chandigarh Manali National Highway further facilitates road travel to this enchanting city.
Captain Anshuman Singh, who tragically lost his life in a fire incident in Siachen, was posthumously honoured with the Kirti Chakra, Indias second-highest peacetime award. His wife, Smriti Singh, accepted the award on his behalf. However, following the ceremony, Captain Singhs parents alleged that Smriti took their sons belongings, including the chakra and left the house. The story quickly went viral online, leading to Smriti facing severe backlash on social media. However, it was later discovered that the person being criticised online was actually Reshma Sebastian, a fashion influencer from Kerala.

Many internet users mistakenly identified Reshma Sebastian as Smriti Singh due to perceived similarities in their facial features and hairstyles. Notably, Reshma Sebastian resides in Germany and is a mother to a four-year-old girl.

Reshma Sebastian has now issued a clarification, urging people to stop harassing her and revealing that she has filed a defamation case. Taking to her Instagram handle, the influencer wrote, There is a limit. This is not Smriti Singhs (widow of Indian Army soldier Capt Anshuman Singh) page/ig account. Please refrain from spreading false information and hate comments. Later, in her stories, Sebastian added, There is a limit for harassment. We filed case against defamation.

Reshma Sebastian also shared a screenshot of posts featuring her photo, where she was unfairly trolled and accused of abandoning Captain Anshuman Singhs parents. Sharing the posts on Instagram Stories, the fashion influencer wrote, On what basis are you all creating these false information and hate contents.

Captain Anshuman Singh displayed extraordinary bravery by rescuing people during a fire accident in Siachen in July 2023. Later, when the fire started spreading to a medical investigation shelter, Singh attempted to retrieve crucial medicines but suffered severe burns in the process. Despite his efforts, he tragically succumbed to his injuries. Recognising his bravery, President Droupadi Murmu awarded him the Kirti Chakra to his family. The late captains wife, Smriti Singh, and his mother received the honour on his behalf, acknowledging his sacrifice and courage in fulfilling his duty to the nation.

After receiving the Kirti Chakra, Smriti Singh spoke about her husbands bravery and dedication. Smriti recalled that her husband wanted to be remembered for his courage, saying he would rather die with honour and recognition than as an ordinary person.
Two lion brothers were filmed performing an extraordinary life-and-death feat by swimming across a 1-kilometre stretch of Ugandas Kazinga Channel. African lion brothers, Jacob and Tibu embarked on a night journey across the channel which posed threats from Nile crocodiles. They have set a new record for long-distance swimming.

The researchers joined hands with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and used heat-detecting drone cameras to track the movements of Jacob and Tibu. The researchers explained that lions occasionally hunt on both crocodiles and hippos, but are vulnerable when in water. They explained, When crossing rivers in Africa, there is a high risk of injury or even death if you encounter a very large Nile crocodile or hippopotamus."

Their video was shared on YouTube and the research has been published in the journal  Ecology and Evolution. The video left the internet stunned. A user wrote, Absolutely incredible this lion is, him and his brother to swim that far is astonishing and what he has been through makes it so much more remarkable. Hopefully, they get some females after that monumental swim." Another wrote, We are probably the last generations to be able to see such magnificent creatures."

One of the brothers, Jacob is a 10-year-old lion and well-known to the local experts. He has a history of remarkable, almost miraculous survival. He has dealt with poison from poachers, the horns of a buffalo and got a leg amputated after he was caught in a poachers trap.

Researchers found that Jacob and Tibus journey may have been motivated by a search for a mate. But this brave adventure sheds light on the impact of the poaching of lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Alexander Braczkowsi, lead author of the study and a conservation biologist at Griffith University in Australia shared that the population has further declined by almost half in the last five years.

Interestingly, there is a safe route that does not involve crocodile-infested waters to travel, which is a road bridge. As per the conservationists, the lions assumably avoid taking the safer route due to the presence of people and security forces here.
Many parts of Maharashtra are celebrating the Devshayani Ekadashi, a Hindu festival during which devotees perform prayers to Lord Vithal. This year, the festival falls on July 17, which is the 11th day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashadha. A farmer and engineer from Pune marked the festival by making a unique image of Lord Vithal. He made a 120-foot-long image that was made in a farm by using paddy plantations. The paddy was planted in such a way that it outlined the figure of Lord Vithal. A video that captured the aerial view of this painting is now raking in likes.

All India Radio News shared this stunning drone shot video on X and wrote, A farmer who is also an engineer creates a 120-foot image of Lord Vithal on his farm using paddy plantations in Mulshi village, Pune. This clip has gathered 3.6 lakh views within a day.

#Maharashtra: A farmer who is also an engineer creates a 120-foot image of Lord Vithal on his farm using paddy plantations in Mulshi village, Pune.#AshadhiEkadashi pic.twitter.com/XOmYnateUe All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) July 16, 2024

In the comments, many people lauded the farmer for making this paddy art. Commenting on this video, a user wrote, Where there is will, there is a way! The power of determination combined with incredible creativity and unwavering devotion is unstoppable.

"Where there is will, there is a way! The power of determination combined with incredible creativity and unwavering devotion is unstoppable.  #creativity #devotion" The Tribal Box (@TheTribalbox) July 17, 2024

Someone described Lord Vithals image as This is so beautiful!

This is so beautiful!! Pathik Joshi (@pathikj80) July 17, 2024

Another person said, He has wasted a fertile land & crop. Either he will have to remove the crop to re-cultivate or waste a season. Bhakti makes ppl do stupid things.

He has wasted a fertile land & crop. Either he will have to remove the crop to re cultivate or waste a season. Bhakti make ppl do stupid things. https://t.co/8BDFRXo65q  | Prasad |  |    |  (@Manjina_Hani) July 17, 2024

The Paddy art seen in the above mentioned video was first invented in Japan. It is called Tambo Ato. The art form was invented by farmers of Inakadate village in 1993 when they collectively created an image of the iconic Mount Iwaki on a farm by using rice crops with leaves of different colours. This soon became a very popular art style, with other farmers taking part in it. In many ways, paddy art is not just unique but also a sustainable way of creating spectacles.

Now, every year in July and August, visitors flock to Japans Tohoku region to witness the stunning paintings made on paddy fields. To allow the visitors to get a better view of the paddy art, a viewing tower was installed in the Inakadate village from where one could get a full view of the homegrown artworks. Annually, the village farmers meet and decide on a design. So far, they have replicated famous Japanese art pieces like Hokusais The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a scene from the film Itomichi, and even a Godzilla.
One of the leading luxury hotel chains in the world, the Oberoi Group is known for its top-class hospitality, providing a comfortable and memorable service to all its guests. However, there was a time when the five-star hotel actually denied a late check-out to a billionaire. Kapil Chopra, the former Oberoi Group president, recently shared how billionaire Michael Dell was once refused a late check-out from the Oberoi Hotel in Gurgaon.

Speaking on The BarberShop podcast with Bombay Shaving Company founder Shantanu Deshpande, Chopra shared the incident while discussing the topic of customer complaints.

Mentioning that a lot of customers had shared problems with the strict check-in and check-out timings, Kapil Chopra gave the example of Michael Dell.

Michael Dell walked up quietly in his own unassuming way to the front desk. The bad luck at the hotel was a receptionist on her first day, and she had no idea about him. The members were all on the phone, so he was all alone in the lobby, and he suddenly realised that he had to leave in the evening, Kapil Chopra shared.

Continuing it further, the former president added, He walks up to the desk and says, Can I get a late checkout? The lady quoted the policy and said, Sir, checkout is till 12 PM. If you stay until 6 PM, its a half-day charge. If its post-6 PM, then its a full-day charge.'

Chopra recalled receiving a call from the country head of Dell. The country head calls me and says, You could have charged us more. Why was Michael Dell refused? Now he wants to check out because he wants to set an example, he added.

Who Is Michael Dell?

The chairman of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell, is one of the most prominent figures in the tech industry. He founded Dell Computer Corporation in 1984 with the aim of selling customised PCs. Later, the company went public in 1988.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister vowed Wednesday to punish those responsible for killing six people in ongoing student protests over civil service hiring rules, hours after police forcibly dispersed a funeral ceremony to mourn the dead.

Six people were killed Tuesday in clashes around the country as rival student groups attacked each other with hurled bricks and bamboo rods, and police dispersed rallies with tear gas and rubber bullets.

The worst day of violence since demonstrations against public sector job quotas began this month prompted Hasinas government to order the closure of schools and universities nationwide until further notice.

Hasina, whose administration is accused by protesters of misusing the quota scheme to stack coveted government jobs with loyalists, condemned the killings and insisted that perpetrators would be brought to justice.

I condemn every murder, she said in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening, after a day of clashes between police forces and demonstrators.

I firmly declare that those who carried out murders, looting and violence  whoever they are  I will make sure they will be given the appropriate punishment.

Her speech did not assign responsibility for Tuesdays deaths, but descriptions from hospital authorities and students given to AFP earlier suggest at least some of the victims died when police fired non-lethal weapons to quell demonstrations.

Earlier around 500 protesters staged a public funeral ceremony at the capitals prestigious Dhaka University, carrying six coffins draped with the red and green national flag to symbolise those killed the previous day.

But riot police had already cordoned off roads leading to the campus with barbed wire and stopped the procession with tear gas volleys and stun grenades soon after it began.

Domino effect

Students at the university had spent Tuesday night scouring dormitories and expelling pro-government classmates in what they said was a bid to end the violence.

Members of the student wing of Hasinas ruling Awami League party had clashed with demonstrators over the previous two days, resulting in at least 400 injuries on Monday.

When students were killed yesterday, it caused massive anger, Dhaka University masters student Abdullah Mohammad Ruhel told AFP.

It was like a domino effect. The female students started kicking out the Awami League students first, then the male dormitories followed.

Others on campus told AFP that all members of the governing partys youth wing had been ordered to leave their dorms, and those who refused were dragged out.

The government told every school and university in the country to shut indefinitely late Tuesday, soon after deploying paramilitary forces in several big cities to restore order.

Police later raided the headquarters of the countrys main opposition party in central Dhaka, arresting seven members of its student wing.

Detective branch chief Harun-or-Rashid told reporters that officers had found a cache of Molotov cocktails and other weapons at the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) offices.

Internet users around Bangladesh reported widespread outages of Facebook, the main platform used to organise the protests.

Online freedom watchdog Netblocks said multiple internet providers in Bangladesh had completely restricted access to the social media platform in the wake of Tuesdays crackdown.

Protests nonetheless continued around the country on Wednesday, with police firing tear gas to disperse another demonstration blocking a highway outside Barisal, the southern citys police commissioner Jehadul Kabir told AFP.

Our protests will also continue no matter how much violence they can unleash on us, Dhaka University student Chamon Fariya Islam told AFP.

Cant get work

Near-daily marches this month have demanded an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the countrys 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.

If you are a university student in todays Bangladesh, you would know how dangerously uncertain your future is, Asif Saleh, the director of one of Bangladeshs largest charity BRAC, wrote on Facebook in response to the unrest.

My inbox is flooded with requests seeking jobs. If I go to a village, fathers will tell me, I spent so much to educate my son, but he cant get work.'

Rights watchdog Amnesty International and the US State Department have both condemned this weeks clashes and urged Hasinas government not to crack down on peaceful demonstrators.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday told Black voters at the 115th NAACP National Convention that his administration is ensuring that people are not incarcerated for using or possessing marijuana.

He also said that his administration is working to expunge the records of those who have been jailed or arrested as it creates barriers for their personal growth.

Im making sure no one goes to jail for mere use or possession of marijuana, and their records should be expunged.Its time we right those historic wrongs.  President Biden (@POTUS) July 17, 2024

Were making sure that no one goes to jail for the mere use of possession of marijuana. Their records should be expunged. It holds them back, he said.

Im making sure no one goes to jail for mere use or possession of marijuana, and their records should be expunged. Its time we right those historic wrongs, he later said in an X post.

The statement from the US President at the event hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)  a US civil rights organization that fights racial discrimination and advocates for equality  is crucial.

Biden is trying to shore up his support among vital Black voters. The veteran Democrat relied on African American voters to help him beat Donald Trump in 2020, but some polls show those same voters are increasingly deserting him ahead of Novembers rematch with the Republican.

While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rate, Biden had earlier said in 2022.

A recent American Civil Liberties Union report found that in 2018, Black people were nearly four times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates. This disparity has remained unchanged since 2010.

Despite Bidens 2020 pledge to decriminalise cannabis, this commitment has not been realised in the first three and a half years of his administration.

US President Joe Bidens administration formally proposed in May reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion.

Marijuana has been classified since 1970 as a so-called Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)  the same level as with heroin, ecstasy and LSD. That classification means it is deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

But it would be downgraded to a Schedule III drug under the proposal, putting it alongside drugs like ketamine and painkillers containing codeine, considered to have a moderate to low likelihood of dependence.

That wouldnt make it legal, but it could lead to fewer arrests at the federal level.
Thai police on Wednesday said that cyanide poisoning was likely the cause of death of six foreigners whose bodies were found in the room of a Bangkok hotel, with one of the dead the suspected killer.

Addressing a press conference, police said cyanide was found on drinking glasses and a water container and interviews with relatives of the dead revealed there had been a dispute over debt.

The six were of Vietnamese origin, several with US passports. Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals and said there were three males and three females.

Thai investigators said the bodies were foaming at the mouth, an officer from the Lumpini police station told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The victims had booked several rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel under seven names, and some were staying on a different floor from the room where they were found dead, Thiti said.

Police are still looking for the seventh person included in the booking, Thiti said at a news conference at the hotel. He said there were no signs of a struggle. The residents of the room where the bodies were found were supposed to have checked out earlier Tuesday and their luggage had already been packed, he said.

The bodies were discovered by a maid who went to the room after they failed to check out and found it locked from the inside, Thiti said. There was food that had been ordered earlier from room service that was left uneaten, but drinks had been consumed, Thiti said. He would not confirm a cause of death, but said the deaths appeared to have occurred about 24 hours before police arrived on the scene Tuesday evening after being called by hotel staff.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin went to the hotel in the evening, and later told journalists that the incident was neither a robbery nor a random assault, and that it should not affect Thailands lucrative tourism industry. Earlier, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said U.S. officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two US citizens in Bangkok. We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families, he told reporters in Washington.

(With agency inputs)
Britains former home secretary, Priti Patel, is expected to contest the Conservative Party leadership race to replace Rishi Sunak as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons.

According to UK media reports, the 52-year-old British Indian member of Parliament is considering throwing her hat in the ring after she won her Witham, Essex, seat with a comfortable margin even as her party suffered its worst defeat in the general election earlier this month.

Sunak, 44, had announced his resignation on July 5 as the Labour Party landslide win unfolded and will attend the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday as interim Opposition Leader until the election process for his successor has been finalised by the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs.

Priti has kept a low profile and done her best to support others, she feels colleagues also need time to digest the general election result and dont want posturing in the media from prospective candidates, The Daily Telegraph quoted a source close to the senior Tory MP as saying.

She has quietly put a team together, as many colleagues from different sides of the party have over the past week urged her to run and she now has key MP supporters and campaign staff in place including some high profile Conservative donors, the source added.

Patel, who also served as Indian Diaspora Champion in former prime minister David Camerons government, swore her oath as a re-elected MP in the House of Commons on the Bible last week.

It is an honour to once again be elected to Parliament by the great people of the Witham constituency, and it was a privilege to swear the Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty the King, Patel said in a statement on social media. I will continue to be a strong and vocal advocate for our beautiful part of Essex and stand up for our values, she said.

Patel, whose parents are of Gujarati-Ugandan descent, has served as international development secretary and home secretary in former Tory Cabinets under Theresa May and Boris Johnson. She was conferred a Damehood in the latters resignation honours list, moving to the backbenches under Rishi Sunaks premiership and often voicing criticism of his governments high taxation policies.

As part of her leadership plans, Patel is believed to have appointed a treasurer for her campaign and former Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) staff with experience of past leadership elections. She is also expected to have lined up several high-profile donors who have given money to the party in the past during the leaderships of Johnson and Cameron.

If she joins the fray to take over from Sunak, she is likely to face competition from other former Cabinet ministers including fellow Indian-origin colleague Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick. The frontrunner in the race until now has been seen as shadow minister Kemi Badenoch, with Tom Tugendhat among the other shadow ministers expected to contest.

The 1922 Committee, meanwhile, has elected Bob Blackman as its new chair who has said that the group would be finalising the guidelines for the leadership contest in the coming weeks.
A UK-based startup has taken inspiration from Mumbais famous dabbawalas and has employed the iconic Indian tiffin box, aka dabba, and are transporting those using a cargo bike.

No betteror more deliciousevidence of reverse colonization! pic.twitter.com/WESge3Rvni  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 28, 2024

The company, Dabbadrop, whose video of delivering dabbas has gone viral on social media, delivers tiffin at door step by their cyclist within 30 minutes, a report by Mashable India said.

Their clip has also garnered reactions from industrialists like Anand Mahindra. No betteror more deliciousevidence of reverse colonization! Mahindra had said earlier this year when Dabbadrop became an internet sensation.

Founded by Renee Williams and Anshu Ahuja in 2018, Dabbadrop now proudly claims that they have prevented the usage of over 375,660 plastic takeaway containers and wish that they will soon expand their service to the rest of the UK.

Their menu is not limited to Indian food, they also serve items like Jackfruit Kottu Roti, a famous dish from Sri Lanka, a report by Homegrown said. They have collaborated with Hanoi Ca Phe and offer Vietnamese dishes like Nom salad, vegan pork lettuce wraps, and a creamy Ca Ri Chay curry as well. They also serve Japanese dishes like Yaki Nasu and Greens Goma-Shoga.

They regularly serve Goan delights like Baby Aubergine Recheado with Portuguese spices and their Punjabi platter contains items like Aloo Gobi, Saag and Pindi Chhole.

They also cater to the British Pakistanis living in London offering Dal Bukhara, Cashew Qorma and Sabzi with Jeera rice.

Weve been in operation for almost SIX years now! How time flies. So far weve saved over 375,660 plastic takeaway containers from being used and weve only just begun!! Somewhere in the not so distant future we hope to go NATIONWIDE  spreading DabbaDrop love across the UK, the company said in one of its Instagram posts.
Days after the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, a 21-year-old man was arrested Monday near the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee after being found with an AK-47 pistol and a ski mask. US federal and local law enforcement spotted the suspect approaching the events perimeter with a tactical bag, the Fox News reported.

Inside, police discovered the firearm and a full magazine. The mans intentions remain unclear, and he does not have a concealed weapon license. US media reports said that charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office. The arrest is part of a series of security concerns at the RNC in the wake of the recent Trump shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania that shocked the world.

Trumps failed primary challengers are to take the stage Tuesday at the Republican Party convention, in support of the partys newly designated US presidential candidate. The unified front comes a day after the ex-president triggered high emotion when entering the convention hall in Milwaukee as he made his first public appearance since surviving a weekend assassination attempt.

Knife-Wielding Man

On Tuesday, a man was shot and killed by police about two miles from the convention site after brandishing a knife. Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the convention.

Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, Milwaukees police chief said Tuesday.

Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them said, Hes got a knife. Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that began Monday and concludes Thursday.

The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighbourhood located about a mile from the convention site. The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukees mayor and a spokesperson for the conventions joint command center, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.

(With agency inputs)
Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai princess, divorced her husband Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum accusing him of infidelity.

Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you. I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife, Sheikha Mahra wrote in an Instagram post.

Sheikha Mahra is the daughter of the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the vice-president and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Reports by news outlets said that the royal couple earlier stopped following each other on Instagram and also removed all photos of one another from their respective profiles.

Sheikha Mahra and Sheikh Mana tied the knot almost a year ago. They had announced their engagement in March through a poem penned by the father of Sheikh Mana, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum, through the Arabian Royal Agency.

They were married in a traditional Islamic marriage ceremony in May last year and had organised a lavish wedding reception in Dubai in June.

The couple also have a child. Their first child, a baby girl, was born in May 2024. The daughter is named Mahra, after her mother.
Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum have fallen apart a year after their marriage.

The Dubai princess accused her husband of infidelity and being busy with his other companions.

The couple had gotten married in 2023, joining their respective royal families. Sheikha Mahra is the daughter of the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the vice-president and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The couple announced via the Arabian Royal Agency in March last year that they will be getting engaged.

The momentous occasion was marked by Sheikha Mahras father-in-law, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum, penning a poem to celebrate the union.

The couple had a dream wedding and Sheikha Mahras shared pictures of her father and her then-fiance at their Katb Al-Kitab, captioning it with a heart emoji.

The lavish wedding reception was held in Dubai in June. Their pictures, where Sheikha Mahra, was seen donning a white embroidered ball gown designed by Dubai-based designer Ezra Couture.

The couple were also seen engaging in fun activities together and shared photos of their date nights as well. They shared photos of them visiting the upscale restaurant Novikov Cafe in downtown Dubai.

They went on their honeymoon in the Greek islands of Mykonos. Her now-divorced husband also shared photos of their honeymoon, sharing photos with captions like the happiest night of my life.

The couple welcomed their first born in May this year and held a lavish gender reveal party in February.

Throughout these events it was not understandable to the general public and the couples fans that there was trouble brewing within.

The couple were also seen together when their daughter was born in the hospital with Sheikh Mana pictured beside Sheikha Mahra.

However, this week Sheikha Mahra informed the world via an Instagram post that she is divorcing her husband alleging infidelity on his part.

Dear Husband, As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you. I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife, Sheikha Mahra wrote in an Instagram post.
A knife-wielding homeless man was shot and killed near the Republican National Convention in the US state of Wisconsin on Tuesday. The incident follows the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Milwaukees police chief said five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired. Two knives were recovered from the scene, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference.

Press Release  Officer Involved Shooting https://t.co/lENl6zuWcU Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) July 17, 2024

This incident came as Trumps failed primary challengers are to take the stage Tuesday at the Republican Party convention, in an act of support for the partys prominent figure and newly designated US presidential candidate. The unified front comes a day after the ex-president triggered high emotion when entering the convention hall in Milwaukee as he made his first public appearance since surviving a weekend assassination attempt.

Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them said, Hes got a knife. Several officers then yell Drop the knife! as they run toward two men standing in a street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police fired their weapons. Someones life was in danger, Norman said. These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someones life today.

Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that concludes Thursday. According to The Associated Press, the shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site. The Columbus Division of Police said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.

A cousin and others identified the man killed as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe. Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention. About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.

They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. What are you doing in our city, shooting people down? Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.

Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to de-escalate the situation. The shooting happened near King Park, roughly a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters gathered before marching on Monday.

(With agency inputs)
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday released a video lashing out at her rival and Donald Trumps running mate JD Vance. In her video she said that the bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy fame will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country.

Donald Trump has picked his new running mate: J.D. Vance.He will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country. If elected, he will help implement the extreme Project 2025 plan for a second Trump term. Were not going to let that happen. pic.twitter.com/z4UKczVdbv  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 17, 2024

Donald Trump has picked his new running mate: JD Vance. He will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country, Kamala Harris said, captioning a video message that she posted on her X page.

If elected, he will help implement the extreme Project 2025 plan for a second Trump term. Were not going to let that happen, he further added.

Kamala compared Vance to her predecessor Mike Pence and said unlike Pence, Vance would have helped Trump overturn the results of the 2020 elections.

In February, while seeking Trumps endorsement, Vance stated that he would have used the vice presidents role in overseeing the electoral count to recognize Trump electors from states that Trump did not win. He believed Congress should have debated the election results, which he claimed had significant issues, according to a report by the Washington Post.

She also highlighted that Vance supports a national abortion ban and is against IVF and warned that he will implement Project 2025.

News agency AFP in a report described Project 2025 as a sweeping blueprint from the hard-right Heritage Foundation to remake the federal government in Trumps image and said that it has been characterised by opponents as an authoritarian, right-wing wish list.

Its 887-page Mandate for Leadership sets out how to replace thousands of federal workers with ultra-conservative loyalists should Trump prevail against Democratic President Joe Biden in November.

It calls for a makeover of almost every function of the federal government, reshaping its numerous agencies to centralize power in the White House and push policy to the right on everything from abortion to immigration.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts said in early July, adding: Were in the process of taking this country back.

Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming to know nothing about the project or the figures behind it, as Roberts remarks provoked a firestorm of outrage.

I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it, he posted on Truth Social.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that Vice President Kamala Harris could be president of the United States while addressing the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention.

Folks, I know what a Black job is  its the vice president of the United States, said Biden, referring to his running mate Kamala Harris, the first Black and female VP.

Shes not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States, Biden, 81, said of Harris, 59, who is best placed to replace him if the US President decides to retire.

The octogenarian chief executive returned to the campaign trail with a speech to crucial Black voters at the NAACP advocacy group in Las Vegas.

He opened his speech by saying he was grateful that Trump was safe after the shooting, and said he wanted to renew efforts to ban the kind of semi-automatic rifle that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks used.

For the NAACP crowd, Biden seized on Trump recently referencing Black jobs, drawing big applause by joking, I love the phrase.

He also referenced Barack Obama as the nations first Black president, and his own appointment to the Supreme Court of its first Black and female justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Joe Biden wants to demonstrate his administrations support for Black voters, a cornerstone of the Democratic coalition and his personal political base. He is also reaching out to the Democrat Hispanic Americans as he plans to address UnidosUS, a key Hispanic advocacy group, on Wednesday.

The 81-year-old Biden has dismissed numerous calls from within his party to step down, assuring the US public that he is the best Democrat to defeat Trump.

At the NAACP meeting in Las Vegas, there was widespread support for Biden staying on.

I found President Biden very full of energy, said Donna Jackson-Houston, an NAACP member from California.

She admitted that I and many others had doubts about Bidens age and gaffes after the debate, but he did a great job today convincing me.

Tony Fields from New Jersey said Bidens speech was very insightful, adding that the bad debate was just a moment that the President had that evening.
The United States received intelligence in recent weeks about an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump, CNN said on Tuesday, and a U.S. official said the Secret Service shared details of an increased threat with the Trump campaign.

The White House declined to comment but said there were no indications that the suspected shooter in Saturdays attempted assassination of Trump had any foreign or domestic accomplices.

Iran said the accusations against it were unsubstantiated and malicious.

U.S. officials have for years worried that Tehran would retaliate against Trump for his ordering the January 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.

As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration, said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

These threats arise from Irans desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority, she said.

CNN reported that the intelligence about the Iranian plot was passed on by a human source.

A U.S. official said that on learning of the increased threat, the National Security Council contacted the Secret Service, which added resources and assets for Trumps protection.

The Trump campaign was also made aware of an evolving threat, the official said.

In a statement to Reuters, Irans mission to the United Nations in New York said these accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious.

From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice, Irans statement said.

The Secret Service has been sharply criticized since the 20-year-old gunman who shot at Trump on Saturday was able to access a roof overlooking the rally and open fire, grazing Trumps ear, killing a rallygoer and wounding two other attendees.

President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of how the gunman could have come so close to killing Trump, and the Secret Service also faces probes from Congress.
The latest round of campaign finance disclosures for North Dakota's congressional candidates reveal that Democrats have continued to fundraise at levels far beyond many of their efforts to challenge Republicans in recent years.

Republicans have also seen a steady stream of money flowing into their campaign coffers, ending with more cash on hand than their competitors in the November general election. But Democrats' cash inflow may indicate that they will be able to put up more of a fight than they have in the past few election cycles.

The latest filings were due to the Federal Election Commission by the end of the day on Monday, covering a period lasting from May 23 to June 30. Quarterly reports typically cover a three-month period, but that time frame was cleaved by pre-primary disclosure requirements. Candidates last filed finance reports in early June that detailed transactions from April 1 through May 22. North Dakota's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and one of its two U.S. Senate seats are both on the ballot this November.

Democratic Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen, an assistant engineering professor at the University of Jamestown who is mounting her second bid for Congress' upper chamber, outraised her opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, by more than $35,000 during the disclosure period, which lasted around five weeks. Christiansen brought in almost $340,000, while Cramer's haul exceeded $300,000. She also outraised Cramer during the pre-primary disclosure period, when she brought in more than $350,000 -- nearly double the amount he did.

Though Christiansen may be bringing in more money than Cramer, she's also spending more: She dropped more than $230,000 while Cramer's spending exceeded only $50,000. And Cramer isn't strapped for cash. He's got a war chest of nearly $3.3 million, boosted by his years in the Senate. Christiansen, on the other hand, ended the disclosure period with just over $200,000 on hand. Neither Christiansen nor Cramer had a primary election opponent.

The race to fill North Dakota's House seat is without an incumbent, with Kelly Armstrong running for governor, but Republicans saw a costly primary take place in June that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in outside spending. Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak came out on top, and her latest filing disclosed she brought in nearly $370,000 in the weeks immediately before the primary and afterward through the rest of the month. Her campaign spent more than $490,000, with a majority of that spending happening before the primary. Fedorchak ended the filing period with nearly $265,000 in her campaign accounts.

Military veteran Trygve Hammer, the Democrats' candidate for U.S. House, brought in more than $170,000, spending nearly $145,000 during the disclosure period and ending with more than $160,000 on hand.

North Dakota residents will weigh in on the two congressional races, as well as the presidential race, multiple statewide ballot measures and other elected roles on Nov. 5.
The director of the US Secret Service has sparked a debate online after a somewhat bizarre explanation for why an agent was not stationed on the roof where gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on former President Donald Trump.

Kimberly Cheatle, who faces calls for resignation over the security failure, revealed that the US security agencywhich provides round-the-clock protection to sitting and former presidentsconsidered the roof of a nearby warehouse too risky for an agents placement during Trumps rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

NEW: Secret Service director Kim Cheatle, good friend of Jill Biden and the new face of Americas competency crisis, didnt post snipers on the roof where Trump was shot at because it was a sloped roof and she was afraid someone might slip and fall.You cant make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/XEkonoRh2p  Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 16, 2024

On Sunday, Crooks, 20, scaled the building and took position on the roof, where he fired at Trump, hitting him in the ear and killing a rally attendee. Cheatle explained to ABC News that the decision not to place an agent on the roof was due to its sloped design, which was deemed too dangerous for a security post. Instead, the Secret Service chose to secure the building from the inside.

The lapse in security allowed Crooks to evade both police and Secret Service agents, despite having been flagged as suspicious. Witnesses reported seeing Crooks climb onto the roof with his AR-style rifle, but security officials failed to act in time to prevent the attack.

It was unacceptable

Cheatle admitted that the US Secret Service was aware of the buildings vulnerabilities but maintained that no personnel were assigned to the roof. She stressed that the rapid unfolding of events and the challenges in locating Crooks contributed to the failure. Cheatle said, The buck stops with me. It was unacceptable, and its something that shouldnt happen again.

Dan Bongino, a conservative radio host and former Secret Service agent, said an unimpeachable source told him that someone was supposed to be on the roof where Thomas Crooks shot from but didnt show up. According to my source, that roof was supposed to be a police post [there] was so supposed to be someone there, he claimed. Theyre now making up excuses saying the pitch of the roof. My source says to me that no one knows why the post didnt show up.

NEW: Dan Bongino says an unimpeachable source tells him that someone was supposed to be on the roof where Thomas Crooks shot from but didnt show up.Bongino also claimed that the Biden admin is telling the USSS director to keep her mouth shut if she wants to keep her pic.twitter.com/1ZZL1cWaG1  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 17, 2024

Former FBI special agent Kenneth Gray slammed the Secret Service for its poor handling of the situation, suggesting that the agencys recent focus on increasing diversity may have impacted its operational effectiveness. Republicans and other critics are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident. House Judiciary Committee member Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota stated, Somebody, somewhere has a lot of serious questions to answer.

Cheatles handling of the incident has drawn scrutiny, especially since she was not present at the initial FBI press conference. US President Joe Biden has expressed confidence in the Secret Services commitment but questioned whether the agency could have anticipated the attack. He stressed that the Secret Service members who responded were willing to risk their lives but left open the question of whether they should have prevented the incident.
Former GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy took the stage at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Tuesday night and delivered an impassioned speech backing Donald Trump ahead of the presidential election in November.

Addressing the crowd of 2,400 delegates and hundreds of supporters of the former US President in Milwaukee, the Ohio-based Indian-American businessman underlined the former presidents role in uniting the United States through actionable results rather than rhetoric.

The 38-year-old Republican focused on addressing diverse American groups, urging black Americans, legal immigrants, and Gen Z to support conservative values and the vision of Trump. He argued that Trumps presidency represents a return to fundamental American ideals of merit, rule of law, and effective governance.

Well said

Were in the middle of a national identity crisis. Faith, patriotism, hard work, and family have disappeared  replaced by race, gender, sexuality & climate. But were not going to win this election by just criticising the other side. Were going to WIN this by standing for our own vision, he said. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently endorsed Trump, praised Viveks fiery speech at the GOP event in the US state of Wisconsin. Well said, wrote Musk while posting a video of Vivek.

The rising Republican leaders address was part of a broader effort by Trumps former primary rivals to demonstrate party unity. The most important reason to root for Donald J. Trump: he is the President who will actually UNITE this country. Not through empty words, but action. Success is unifying. Excellence is unifying. Thats who we are as Americans, he added.

The most important reason to root for Donald J. Trump: he is the President who will actually UNITE this country. Not through empty words, but action. Success is unifying. Excellence is unifying. Thats who we are as Americans. pic.twitter.com/YJ84GOlc7T Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 17, 2024

Great speech by Vivek

Social media users praised Viveks unifying speech at the RNC. Find someone else who brings the heat like Vivek does Ill wait, wrote one of the users on X. Another said, VIVEK ON FIRE. Every word of this. What a masterclass. Great speech by Vivek! I can support him for JDs VP in 2028, said yet another user.

Alongside Ramaswamy, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly endorsed Trump. Haley, who had previously criticized Trump during the primaries, reiterated her support, acknowledging the necessity of a unified Republican Party for the nations well-being.

Trump, who appeared with a bandage on his ear from a recent assassination attempt, received a warm reception from delegates. Despite the unifying tone of the evening, some discord was evident, particularly during Haleys speech. With less than four months until the election, Trumps campaign is seeking to consolidate support in the face of political and mounting legal challenges.

On Monday, Trump had solidified the Republican ticket by announcing Vance, a 39-year-old US senator from Ohio and a one-time harsh critic turned uncompromising supporter, as his running mate. Vance, who says his modest Rust Belt upbringing makes him a voice for working-class voters in left-behind America, is set to address the convention Wednesday evening.
A Milwaukee man was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon by police officers from Columbus, Ohio who were in town to provide security for the Republican National Convention, authorities say. Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the man had a knife in each hand and refused police commands, the AP reports. He said five Columbus officers fired at the man. The shooting happened almost a mile from the convention site, in an area Columbus police said was at the "outer perimeter of the RNC, within the operational zone to which our officers were assigned," reports NBC News .

Dozens of officers from Columbus are among an estimated 4,000 police from other jurisdictions providing security during the RNC. Columbus police said the shooting appeared to be unrelated to the convention. "Someone's life was in danger," Norman said. "These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone's life today." Witnesses said the man shot by the out-of-state officers lived in a homeless encampment across the street from King Park, where he was shot, and was well-known in the community, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Community activists and relatives of the man who was shot asked why out-of-state officers were so far from the convention, the AP reports. "They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park," said Linda Sharpe, the man's cousin. "What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?" Vaun Mayes, an activist who works with the neighborhood's homeless community, tells the Journal Sentinel that he has successfully de-escalated fights in the area and he believes the man would not have been shot if Milwaukee officers had been involved. (More Republican National Convention stories.)
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Guo Wengui, a self-exiled Chinese business tycoon whose criticism of the Communist Party won him legions of online followers and powerful friends in the American conservative movement, was convicted by a US jury Tuesday of engaging in a massive multiyear fraud that ripped off some of his most devoted fans, the AP reports.

Once believed to be among the richest people in China, Guo was arrested in New York in March of 2023 and accused of operating a racketeering enterprise that stretched from 2018 through 2023.

Over a seven-week trial, he was accused of deceiving thousands of people who put money into bogus investments and using the money to preserve a luxurious lifestyle. He was convicted of nine of 12 criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors said hundreds of thousands of people were convinced to invest more than $1 billion in entities Guo controlled.
A meteor streaked across the sky above New York City on Tuesday morning, stunning residentsat least those who could be bothered to look up. "A meteor that had traveled millions of miles through deep space entered the atmosphere, passed above the Statue of Liberty, zoomed over the tourist boats of New York Harbor, streaked over the Midtown Manhattan skyline, and exploded very, very high over the region," the New York Times reports, adding that the daytime show was mostly overlooked amid the chaos of the city. As NBC New York reporter Pat Battle noted, "I heard it ... but I never thought to look up."

Still, some observant residents as far away as New Jersey reported seeing a fireball late in the morning. There were also reports of shaking, though NASA said this could be explained by "military activity in the vicinity," per ABC News. Based on reports, NASA's Meteor Watch made a "very crude" determination that the small meteor, about a foot in diameter, was initially spotted about 49 miles above New York Harbor around 11:17am ET before flying over the Statue of Liberty and breaking up some 29 miles above Midtown. Traveling at around 38,000mph, it "looked like a flaming, long rod ... flying through the sky," one witness tells ABC.

Another teary-eyed witness waxed poetic on the magic of the moment. "You forget about these incredible moments in life, when so much else is going on," the woman tells the Times. Meanwhile, a Brooklyn resident suggests it was a sign that "something's brewing." NASA said the meteor was too small to pose a danger. "We do not (actually cannot) track things this small at significant distances from the Earth," the agency said. "So the only time we know about them is when they hit the atmosphere and generate a meteor or a fireball." A fireball so small is "incapable of surviving all the way to the ground," the agency added. (More meteor stories.)
A 72-year-old man who was scheduled to fly out of Los Angeles last Wednesday was arrested and accused of lying about his role at the helm of one of Syria's most notorious prisons in a bid to gain US citizenship. Samir Ousman al-Sheikh has been a permanent resident of Los Angeles since 2020 and is accused of attempted naturalization fraudspecifically, giving multiple false answers when asked whether he persecuted anyone for their political beliefs or a role in any killings. Al-Sheikh ran Syria's Adra prison and served as a police commander, intelligence officer, and brigadier general.

He had been scheduled to take a one-way flight to Beirut, Lebanon, at the time of his arrest. The New York Times speaks with Syria expert Andrew Tabler, who framed the arrest thusly: "Adra prison is one of the crown jewels of the Assad regime's gulags. The fact that someone who was in charge of this torture chamber made it into the United States is on par with Nazi commanders living comfortably in Latin America after World War II."

Former prisoners kept at Adra say they were beaten, starved, and tortured. The New York Times shares what two former inmates told US investigators, per court documents: In one case, that a guard broke his back with al-Sheikh's authority. In the other, the inmate alleged al-Sheikh told other inmates to kill him so his death would go less noticed; he said an inmate who came to his aid was beaten with electric cables in al-Sheikh's office. Al-Sheikh's wife first became a naturalized US citizen and then applied for her husband to join her in LA; he arrived in the city on a green card in March 2020 and started the naturalized US citizen application process. (More Syria stories.)
James Beard award-winning chef Naomi Pomeroy put Portland on the culinary mapand now the city and foodie world beyond is mourning the 49-year-old, who died in a river accident on Saturday. The New York Times reports that Pomeroy, husband Kyle Linden Webster, and a friend were floating down the Willamette River together; they had tied two inner tubes and a paddle board together to do so. Their makeshift craft hit a partially submerged branch and they were thrown into the water. Webster and the friend managed to make it to shore. Pomeroy was trapped by the paddle board leash that was attached to her, Captain Chris Duffitt said, per the AP.
UPDATE

Jul 23, 2024 7:10 PM CDT

Donald Trump has denied reports that he's considering JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon or BlackRock CEO Larry Fink for Treasury secretary if he wins a second term. "I don't know who said it, or where it came from, perhaps the Radical Left, but I never discussed, or thought of, Jamie Dimon or Larry Fink for Secretary of the Treasury," Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. Bloomberg reports that when Trump was asked in a June 25 interview whether he would consider Dimon for the role, he said, "He is somebody that I would consider, sure." In a New York Post column on Sunday, Charles Gasparino claimed Trump is "still seeking out Fink for insights into the economy."

Jul 17, 2024 1:57 PM CDT

"I've never been a big Jamie Dimon fan," Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post last year, slamming the JPMorgan Chase CEO as a "highly overrated Globalist" after he urged people to support then-rival Nikki Haley. But the former president may be warming to the leader of the country's biggest bank, Quartz reports. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek conducted in late June and published on Tuesday, Trump said Dimon is "somebody that I would consider" as Treasury secretary in a second Trump administration.
The US Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who were found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a horrific port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks, the AP reports.

On July 17, 1944, munitions being loaded onto a cargo ship detonated, causing secondary blasts that ignited 5,000 tons of explosives at Port Chicago naval weapons station near San Francisco. The explosion killed 320 sailors and civilians, nearly 75% of whom were Black, and injured another 400 personnel. Surviving Black sailors had to pick up the human remains and clear the blast site while white officers were granted leave to recuperate.
Fairbanks, AK (99701)

Today

Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%..

Tonight

Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court has sentenced two Bahraini men to prison terms following a violent road rage incident that resulted in one of the individuals sustaining a permanent injury. The incident occurred on 28 December 2023 near the Al Ramli traffic signal in Bahrain.

The High Criminal Court heard that the first defendant, while driving his car, had cut off the vehicle of the second defendant, leading to an argument that quickly escalated into a physical altercation between the two men.

During the fight, the first defendant used his mobile phone to assault the second defendant, causing a laceration to his head and a fracture to the ring finger on his left hand. The injury to the ring finger was deemed to have resulted in a permanent 2% disability, as assessed by the Forensic Department.

In retaliation, the second defendant also struck the first defendant, causing swelling to his little finger, a bruise on his right elbow, and a bruise on his right forearm. Both defendants confessed to the assault charges during the Public Prosecution investigation. The first defendant admitted to using his phone to attack the second defendant, while the second defendant acknowledged his involvement in the physical altercation.

The High Criminal Court sentenced the first defendant to six months in prison, while the second defendant received a one-month sentence. In considering the punishment, the court took into account the second defendant's previous criminal record, which included a charge of assault.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain strongly condemned the shooting incident in Al Wadi Al Kabir area of Muscat Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman, which caused the death and injury of a number of people.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced this heinous attack that goes against all religious and moral values and aims to destabilise security and stability of Oman.

Bahrain affirmed solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman in the security measures it is taking to safeguard its security, stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry conveyed the condolences of the Kingdoms leadership and people to the victims families, Omani government, and people. The Ministry wished the injured a speedy recovery.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain has successfully concluded the third phase of its national afforestation campaign, Stay Green, with impressive results.

According to the National Initiative for Agricultural Sector Development, 40,043 trees and shrubs have been planted across 14,243 square meters and 7,463 linear meters, completing 47 afforestation projects throughout the country.

This ambitious undertaking was accomplished through collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture, the Supreme Council for the Environment, and various stakeholders from both public and private sectors.

H.E. Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development, expressed her gratitude to all participants.

She highlighted that this campaign aligns with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to address climate challenges and achieve Bahrains commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2060.

The initiative, launched under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and Chairperson of the Advisory Council of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development, saw widespread participation across the kingdom.
TORONTO, July 17, 2024 /CNW/ - The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN), a national registered charity dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating on behalf of colorectal cancer patients and their caregivers, is proud to announce that TD Bank Group (TD) has renewed its funding in support of CCRAN's innovative My Colorectal Cancer Consultant program. Colorectal cancer remains a pressing health issue in Canada, as it is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the country.

TD Bank Group (TD) renews its funding in support of CCRAN's innovative My Colorectal Cancer Consultant program. Post this The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) is proud to announce that TD Bank Group (TD) has renewed its funding in support of CCRANs innovative My Colorectal Cancer Consultant program. (CNW Group/Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN))

CCRAN identified a critical need for reliable, easy-to-access, evidence-based information that could help metastatic colorectal cancer patients navigate their diagnosis and treatment. My Colorectal Cancer Consultant is a biomarker-driven online tool, designed to empower metastatic colorectal cancer patients with personalized information about potential treatment options to discuss with their treating oncologist. By guiding users through a series of questions utilizing their pathology report, the tool generates a comprehensive, personalized report outlining potential treatment options suitable for their unique diagnosis.

The goal is to help patients have a thoughtful discussion with their treating oncologist by empowering them with evidence-based information on the potential colorectal cancer treatment options available. My Colorectal Cancer Consultant was designed to encourage informed and joint decision-making between the patient and their treating oncologist, to ultimately promote a better understanding of the patient's colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment setting.

"We are incredibly grateful to TD for their generous support," said Filomena Servidio-Italiano, President & CEO of CCRAN. "This funding allows us to continue to offer and improve upon a vital resource that can significantly impact the lives of metastatic colorectal cancer patients, giving them the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their care."

"CCRAN's My Colorectal Cancer Consultant not only works to deliver personalized information about diagnosis and treatment, but also helps to remove barriers to health education and support for patients living with colorectal cancer," says Robyn Small, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group." Through the TD Ready Commitment, we're proud to continue our support for CCRAN and their efforts to improve health outcomes and increase access to equitable care for those living with this chronic illness."

CCRAN's My Colorectal Cancer Consultant tool has been instrumental in offering support and guidance to countless individuals across Canada. With TD's financial support, the program is poised to reach a greater number of Canadians, providing them with the evidence-based information they need to navigate their cancer journey with competence and hope.

About CCRAN:

The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) is a national, patient-focused advocacy group championing the health and wellbeing of Canadians touched by colorectal cancer and others at risk of developing the disease. We provide support , education , and advocacy to patients (and their caregivers) to help improve patients' quality of life, as well as their longevity.

CCRAN has recently expanded its patient-focused mandate to serve multiple tumour type patients through its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) patient evidence submissions, educational events and advocacy initiatives, to ultimately reduce the burden of cancer in Canada.

My Colorectal Cancer Consultant can be accessed, for free, here: https://www.ccran.org/my-crc-consultant.

SOURCE Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN)

For further information on the disease, screening, and patient-focused programs CCRAN delivers across the country, contact CCRAN's Communications Coordinator, Trisha Banerjee at [email protected]
The application deadline is September 6, 2024

TORONTO, July 17, 2024 /CNW/ - AGE-WELL is pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge: Solutions for Healthy Aging, one of the most dynamic and inspiring pitch competitions in Canada.

The annual competition recognizes top startups and supports entrepreneurship in Canada's AgeTech sector. It is open to any entrepreneur or startup with a technology-based solution that can support the health and quality of life of older adults and/or their caregivers. The technology or service must be in, or very close to entering, the market.

AGE-WELLs 2024 pitch competition will spotlight top innovators in Canadas technology and aging sector. (CNW Group/AGE-WELL)

The deadline to submit an application is September 6, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. From these applications, finalists will be selected to pitch their innovations to a panel of expert judges on October 24 as part of the AGE-WELL Annual Conference being held in Edmonton, Alberta.

The winner of this year's competition will receive $25,000 in cash plus in-kind prizes, and the runner-up will be eligible for a $5,000 cash prize. There will also be a People's Choice Award based on online voting.

To apply or find out more about the AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge: Solutions for Healthy Aging, please visit the competition main page.

"We are thrilled to host this signature event that showcases leading innovators in the Canadian AgeTech space whose innovations are designed to transform the healthy aging experience throughout the life course," says Dr. Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director and CEO of AGE-WELL, Canada's technology and aging network. "This competition exemplifies AGE-WELL's commitment to accelerating the delivery of healthy aging products that will significantly impact older Canadians and their caregivers, while strengthening Canada's AgeTech sector."

For almost a decade, AGE-WELL has served as a catalyst for technological innovation that advances Canada's AgeTech sector and empowers older adults to live healthy, independent and engaged lives.

The Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) is the key sponsor of this year's National Impact Challenge: Solutions for Healthy Aging, with additional support from Bereskin & Parr.

About AGE-WELL:

AGE-WELL is Canada's Technology and Aging Network. As a dynamic pan-Canadian network with global reach, AGE-WELL has mobilized a vast community of researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations and future leaders to accelerate the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of older Canadians and their caregivers. AGE-WELL serves as a catalyst for technological innovation that supports healthy aging while driving Canada's growing AgeTech sector. AGE-WELL's groundbreaking programs are funded by the Government of Canada through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Networks of Centres of Excellence program. Discover how AGE-WELL is changing the future of aging at: www.agewell-nce.ca

SOURCE AGE-WELL

For further information, please contact: [email protected]
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 16, 2024 /CNW/ -- Bank of America reported its second quarter 2024 financial results today. The news release, supplemental filing and investor presentation can be accessed at Bank of America's Investor Relations website at https://investor.bankofamerica.com/quarterly-earnings.

Investor Conference Call information:

Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan and Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick will discuss the financial results in an investor conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today. For a listen-only connection to the conference call, dial 1.877.200.4456 (U.S.) or 1.785.424.1732 (international), and the conference ID is 79795. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.

Investors can also listen to live audio of the conference call and view the presentation slides by visiting the Events and Presentations section of the company's Investor Relations website.

Replay information for Investor Conference Call:

Investors can access replays of the investor conference call by visiting the Investor Relations website or by calling 1.800.934.4850 (U.S.) or 1.402.220.1178 (international) from noon on July 16 through 11:59 p.m. ET on July 26.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Investors May Contact:

Lee McEntire, Bank of America

Phone: 1.980.388.6780

[email protected]

Jonathan Blum, Bank of America (Fixed Income)

Phone: 1.212.449.3112

[email protected]

Reporters May Contact:

Bill Halldin, Bank of America

Phone: 1.916.724.0093

[email protected]

Jocelyn Seidenfeld, Bank of America

Phone: 1.646.743.3356

[email protected]

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation
An Essex County man admitted Tuesday that he was the orchestrator of theft ring that stole 40 cars in three states, including New Jersey, and sold dozens of them for cash after putting them up for sale online, federal prosecutors said.

Warren Guerrier, 47, of Newark, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of New Jersey.

The scheme ran from November 2016 through June 2020 when Guerrier and others identified vehicles to steal, then photographed, tracked, and advertised them for sale on the internet, the office said.

Buyers were given electronically-programmed keys and phony certificates of title for the stolen cars in exchange for a negotiated purchase price in cash, investigators said. The unsuspecting buyers were also given fake identity documents so the conspirators could hide their true identities.

They collected about $285,000 from the sale of the vehicles, which they sold for between $6,500 to $15,000 each, charging documents stated.

The types of cars werent revealed by the office, but previous documents mentioned Acura, a Ford Explorer and Hondas.

The subjects targeted mostly older model vehicles made by Honda or Acura because valet keys for such vehicles were easier to access, prosecutors explained in court papers.

In examples of 2017 thefts provided in charging documents, thieves stole cars in Parsippany, Paterson, Rockaway and East Orange. The following year, cars were stolen at the Edison train station, and in Bridgewater and Piscataway.

Guerrier and the others placed GPS tracking devices on the vehicles in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia to learn the owners travel patterns and then advertised the cars on two websites over the course of the nearly four-year period of time, authorities said.

The key fobs were then electronically programmed using a scanner that renders inoperable all the other keys associated with the vehicle, the office said.

Over the years, many of Guerriers crew and Guerrier himself had been arrested or stopped for car theft and identity fraud in towns across New Jersey. In March 2017, one of his crew was arrested in Woodbridge for car theft. In April 2017, Guerrier was pulled over in Hackensack driving a rental van from Enterprise, registered to a Derek Fuqua, authorities said.

During the investigation, police found an apartment in Hackensack where Guerrier lived, listed under the alias Michael Smith, according to the complaint.

After the FBI began investigating, they found one of Guerriers electronic devices in his apartment, where agents found records of his accessing Covert Tracker, a GPS tracking company, the complaint said. Law enforcement also found photos of many of the cars that had been reported stolen, the complaint said.

Guerrier was arrested in June 2020 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, authorities said.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
A Jersey City man was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison Tuesday on weapons offenses related to a 2020 incident in which authorities say he shot a man on a crowded street, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Christian Freire, 29, had pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
UPDATE: Fireball likely caused those loud booms in N.J. and NYC, experts say

Astronomy experts from NASA say a bright meteor apparently zipped across the sky over parts of several eastern states on Tuesday, including New Jersey and New York, before the meteor disintegrated about 29 miles above the Statue of Liberty.

However, the space agency said theres no evidence the meteor is what caused a series of loud booms and house shaking that had been reported by people in many areas of New Jersey and Staten Island at about 11:20 or 11:30 a.m.

NASA said the booms and shaking may have been linked to military testing that was reported in the Ocean County area of New Jersey, but it isnt certain.

In a post on its Facebook page devoted to meteor sightings and research, NASA said a daylight fireball  which is a very bright meteor  was spotted over New York City at 11:17 a.m. Tuesday.

There have also been a few reports filed on the American Meteor Society website, and that information has permitted a very crude determination of the trajectory of the meteor, NASA wrote.

Based on this data, we estimate that the fireball was first sighted at an altitude of 49 miles above Upper Bay (east of Greenville Yard), the agency added. Moving a bit east of North at 34,000 miles per hour, the meteor descended at a steep angle of just 18 degrees from vertical, passing over the Statue of Liberty before disintegrating 29 miles above midtown Manhattan.

NASA added a few important points in its Facebook post: 1) This trajectory is very crude and uncertain; it is based on a few eyewitness accounts and there is no camera or satellite data currently available to refine the solution. 2) No meteorites were produced by this event. 3) There are reports of military activity in the vicinity around the time of the fireball, which would explain the multiple shakings and sounds reported to the media.

Several people on the X social media platform reported hearing what some described as a loud explosion. One X user said he heard a boom in Secaucus accompanied by a rattle on the windows.

Others said they heard loud booms that sounded like thunder, even though no thunderstorms were anywhere near the New Jersey region at the time, and one said they thought a truck had crashed nearby.

A spokeswoman for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst said we have nothing significant to report at this time and noted the military base routinely posts a monthly calendar on its Facebook page that lets the public know about upcoming training activities that could generate various levels of noise.

The July calendar lists training activities scheduled for Tuesday that could create moderate noise, including .50-caliber weapons, rocket fire and rotary cannons. No training activities deemed high noise are scheduled at the base until July 21.

However, loud noises were expected Tuesday at the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range in Ocean County, according to the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department.

The police department reported: Activity at the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range will take place today between the hours of 10am and 11am. Expect to hear sounds relating to military weapons activity during that time.

The Warren Grove range is used for training by members of the New Jersey Air National Guard.

Even if military training was occurring Tuesday morning in Ocean County, it remains unclear whether the sound waves could travel as far as Bergen and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, where people reported hearing loud booms and feeling some shaking.

While there are no indications that the meteor crashed into the ground, since NASA believes it disintegrated high in the air, experts say meteors can cause loud sonic booms when they zip through the Earths atmosphere. So perhaps thats what people in New Jersey and New York heard?

As of late Tuesday, that question remains unanswered.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.
A 25-year-old woman found bleeding on the side of a road in Ocean County last month told police her boyfriend had shot her moments before she was flown to a hospital and died, according to court documents.

Gabriella Caroleo, of Barnegat, told officers the boyfriend, Maxwell Johnston, had shot her in the left side about 5 p.m. on June 27 as she walked near a liquor store on Ridgeway Road in Manchester Township, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

At least one passing motorist saw Caroleo in the street on her knees, arguing with a man who drove off in a gray Honda Pilot after the shooting, according to the affidavit, filed by prosecutors to support charging Johnston with murder and weapons offenses.

Caroleo texted her mother about the alleged killer before the shooting. One of the texts referenced Maxwell Johnston, while another said to call the police, according to the affidavit.

Police determined Johnston, who went by Caeser, drove a 2011 Honda Pilot, and investigators linked him to the crime scene through an automated license plate reader and cell tower data.

Caroleo, the mother of a 3-year-old boy, was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where she died at 7:55 p.m.

No motive for Caroleos killing has been disclosed, but her mother told detectives her daughter was in fear of Johnston, who had a criminal history and access to firearms, according to the affidavit and other court records.

Johnston served eight years in prison for drug and weapons convictions before he was paroled on Aug. 23, 2023, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Police and SWAT team members on July 5 surrounded Johnston in a home on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River in an attempt to arrest him for Caroleos murder, but he fatally shot himself after a seven-hour standoff.

A woman in the home with Johnston at the time, Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, was charged with harboring a fugitive from justice after police said she let him stay in the home with her for four days.

Earlier this week, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office revealed Johnston had killed the Ravenwood Drive homeowner on July 3 by shooting him with a .22-caliber pistol and that Mascarelli and others helped cover up the crime.

Kerry Rollason, 56, died of multiple gunshot wounds and blunt-force trauma before his body was dismembered and transported to a home on Toms River Road in Jackson.

Detectives discovered numerous body parts in black bags, in the basement of the home during a search on July 12, according to the prosecutors office.

Further investigation revealed that Johnston was responsible for the murder of Mr. Rollason at the Ravenwood Drive residence. It was also determined that the (defaced .22-caliber) firearm found at the Ravenwood Drive residence belonged to Mascarelli, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

Mascarelli, who is being held at Ocean County Jail, has since been charged additionally with desecration of human remains, hindering apprehension and multiple weapons offenses, authorities said.

Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick; and Jarred Palumbo, 36, of Manchester; have all been charged with desecration of human remains and hindering apprehension, the prosecutors office has said.

Attorney information for those charged was not listed in online court or jail records.

The crimes committed against Mr. Rollason are unsettling and disturbing. I am thankful for the law enforcement professionals that worked diligently to uncover these depraved and soulless crimes, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement.

Billhimer asks anyone with information about the investigation to call Ocean County Det. Denis Mitchell at 732-929-2027, ext. 2476; or Toms River police Det. James Carey at 732-349-0150.

Editors note: NJ Advance Media typically limits reporting on suicides to those that occur in crowded public places, involve public figures or, in special circumstances, where there is a larger public impact. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be reduced with the proper mental health support and treatment. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
In the second major corruption trial of the last decade federal prosecutors finally managed to convict Senator Bob Menendez. Took them long enough.

Menendez faced prosecution back in 2017 for a deeply weird case involving the Dominican Republic, private planes and the worlds shadiest ophthalmologist, Dr. Salomon Melgen. That trial ended in a hung jury, a result Menendez clearly took as exoneration as he continued on in a political career that would see him rise to chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That political career is now over -- who are we kidding, its been DOA for a while now -- as Menendez was found guilty on charges of corruption and violating national security laws.

The case this time around was no less odd, as Menendez and his wife were accused of taking bribes from shady businessmen acting as representatives of the Egyptian government. Payment for services rendered came in the form of gold bars, certified used luxury automobiles, and big sweaty envelopes full of cash.

The defense strategy was two-pronged and dumb.

The first prong was to claim that the nearly half million in cash rat-holed around the senators house was a result of his meager beginnings. The defense claimed that Menendez kept wads of cash in duffle bags and coat pockets because he grew up poor and his way of processing that trauma was to hoard money.

The second prong was the time-honored tradition of throwing your spouse under the bus. Menendez claimed -- despite voluminous text messages, emails, and communications to the contrary -- that his wife Nadine acted independently and managed to squeeze the Egyptians for cars and bars while poor Bob was none the wiser. It didnt sound any more credible in the courtroom than it did when you just read it here.

The soon-to-be-former Senator Menendez will face sentencing in the near future, and at this point his best hope to avoid a lengthy prison sentence is to buy Clarence Thomas an RV and hope for the best.

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Joe Biden announced what it would take for him to drop out of the presidential race against Donald Trump.

Hearing it from a doctor.

The president said if doctors told him he had a medical issue then he would step aside, per an interview with BET News. It comes as a prominent Democrat with close ties to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called on Biden to pass the torch.

If I had some medical condition that emerged, Biden said after he was asked if there was anything that would make him reconsider. If doctors came to me and said, You got this problem, that problem.

It was the first time Biden even opened the door to dropping out despite divisions within his party. They emerged after Bidens debate performance last month.

Congressman Adam Schiff called on Biden to bow out. Schiff said in a statement to the LA Times he has serious concerns that Biden could defeat Trump, adding, A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy. He added: There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.

Schiff is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat that was long held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Nearly 20 congressional Democrats have called for Biden to leave the race, though public calls for him to step aside have stopped since the assassination attempt against Trump over the weekend. Privately, the internal party debate about Bidens future is far from over.

Democrats are deeply splintered on Capitol Hill over the presidents ability to carry on his campaign and win reelection, and a constituency that should provide a groundswell of support for the sitting president instead is worried they could lose not only the White House to Trump, but control of Congress to Republicans.

Schiffs statement comes a day after it was reported he warned donors in a private meeting their party could lose to Trump and face heavier losses down ballot with Biden at the top of the ticket.

Schiff rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Trumps first impeachment trial and has long been recognized as a prolific small-dollar fundraiser.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Newark Council President LaMonica McIver easily won a crowded special primary election Tuesday for the Democratic nomination to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in Congress, formally making her the frontrunner to take over the post.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:30 p.m., just half an hour after the polls closed.
Peninsula Transport, the Sub-national Transport Body for the Southwest Peninsula, has unveiled a regional transport strategy aimed at transforming the transportation landscape across Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay.

Approved by the Peninsula Transport Board in March 2024, the strategy marks a significant step towards a more resilient, reliable, and accessible transport system designed to bolster economic growth and promote sustainable travel.

Developed over five years, the strategy is rooted in extensive evidence and incorporates feedback from a wide-ranging consultation period that began with the draft release in December 2023.

The consultation involved government bodies, industry stakeholders, businesses, and local communities, ensuring that the strategy addresses the diverse needs of travellers within the peninsula.

The strategy sets out four key outcomes to be achieved by 2030, guiding the region towards its ultimate objective by 2050 of a fully integrated, safe, and net-zero transport network.

The outcomes include:

Easier Journeys: Creation of an integrated public transport system tailored to customer needs, enhancing travel accessibility and improving active travel connections with bus and rail networks. Going Electric: Expansion of affordable zero-emission transport options through a reliable electric vehicle charging network and alternative fuel choices for road freight and buses. A Connected Peninsula: Development of safe, reliable, resilient, and sustainable transport links that support climate adaptation across the peninsula. Completing the Transport Network: By 2050, the strategy aims for a fully integrated and improved transport network, ensuring seamless connections and advancing towards net-zero emissions.

To advance these outcomes, Peninsula Transport's current work programme targets several critical areas.

These include integrated ticketing development, rural mobility solutions, road and rail network resilience, electric vehicle infrastructure, freight initiatives, and carbon emissions forecasting.

Additionally, the establishment of a Regional Centre of Excellence will support partner organisations in achieving these goals.

Peninsula Transport will also advocate for the enhancement of strategic road and rail links across the peninsula, aiming to improve journey safety, efficiency, and resilience.

Complementing the strategy, a Strategic Implementation Plan is in development, expected to be finalised by late 2024.

This plan will prioritise specific schemes and initiatives essential for the strategy's successful execution, guiding government and stakeholders on the unique transport needs of the peninsula.

Councillor Mark Coker, Peninsula Transport Chair, said: The Peninsula Transport Strategy marks a major milestone as it sets out our advice to government on the regions transport needs.

We have placed the user at the heart of the strategy, and we want to see hassle-free, more sustainable and better connected journeys. Through the strategy, we provide a collective regional voice, which will help to boost our key transport links and complement the work of our local authorities to enhance regional connectivity.

The STB will continue to bring partners and organisations together to ensure we deliver for the peninsula, acting as champions and providing the vital link between national, regional and local transport policy.

Tim Steer, Vice Chair of the Tarka Rail Association, expressed his support: For too long, the Southwest Peninsula has been dominated by car-based culture: I am pleased to see that the Peninsula Transport strategy reflects this. I fully support the strategy to decarbonise this area of the UK with extending and upgrading sustainable transport infrastructure. Connectivity of districts such as Torridge are very poor, and this new transport document can help demonstrate the strategic importance on why this now needs to change.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Secret Service is facing multiple congressional investigations into its actions surrounding a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13.

Bipartisan members of Congress widely condemned the assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and several have announced investigations into the Secret Services security arrangements for the event, with a series of hearings planned beginning the week of July 22, when Congress reconvenes.

Former President Trump was speaking at the rally on July 13 when, at 6:11 p.m., he was shot at by Thomas Matthew Crooks from the roof of a nearby building. One bullet grazed the former presidents right ear, which was bleeding as he was rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents. A rally attendee was killed and two were wounded.

Mr. Crooks was immediately fatally shot by Secret Service counter-snipers. The incident was the first time in more than 40 years that a U.S. president was wounded in an assassination attempt, since John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981.

The Secret Service, by law, is charged with protecting current and former U.S. presidents, and the agency has secured all of former President Trumps political rallies during his current presidential campaign.

The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed on Saturday when a madman attempted to assassinate President Trump, killed an innocent victim, and harmed others, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, wrote in a statement. Mr. Comers committee, on July 22, will hold the first public hearing regarding the incident and will feature Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again, Mr. Comer said in his statement.

The committee sent a letter to Ms. Cheatle demanding that she turn over all documents, audio and video recordings, text messages, emails, maps, and surveillance data used by the Secret Service to secure the rally before the hearing, at which she will be questioned by lawmakers.

Those lawmakers plan to question why the rooftop from which Mr. Crooks fireda mere 430 feet from the stage where former President Trump stoodwas not secured before the rally began. Attendees of the rally saw Mr. Crooks on the roof and pointed him out to police officers before the shots were fired, according to videos from the rally reviewed by The Epoch Times.

A spokesperson for Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), a member of the Oversight Committee, told The Epoch Times that he would be very interested in understanding how law enforcement failed to provide a secure perimeter, why law enforcement ignored multiple warnings that an assassin was positioned on a nearby roof, and whether law enforcement ignored President Trumps requests for beefed up security resources.

The Secret Service has refuted allegations that the Trump campaign had asked for extra security for the Pennsylvania rally but was denied.

This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The House Homeland Security Committee also plans to hold a hearing with Ms. Cheatle on July 23 regarding the incident that will also feature Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Mr. Mayorkas oversees the Secret Service, while the FBI is leading the criminal investigation into Mr. Crooks and his motives for the shooting.

Ms. Cheatle has declined to resign after the incident despite calls from Congress for her to do so. Both she and Mr. Mayorkas acknowledge that the Secret Service failed in its mission to prevent the shooting.

A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not occur, Mr. Mayorkas said on July 15.

In the Senate, an investigation into the Secret Services security failures at the rally is being conducted by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It plans to hold a hearing by Aug. 1 to hear testimony from Ms. Cheatle, Mr. Mayorkas, and Mr. Wray.

This committee has an obligation to unearth the truth about the failures on Saturday and before, no matter how inconvenient to the government. We will leave no stone unturned, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the committees ranking member, said in a statement announcing the investigation.

Several other Senate and House committees are also looking to investigate the Secret Service.

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has an obligation to exercise its jurisdiction and oversight authority, Republican senators of that committee wrote to its chairman, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

We will also work with the appropriate Congressional committees on any oversight action, Ms. Cheatle wrote in a statement.

The Secret Service was supposed to virtually brief lawmakers of the House Oversight Committee on July 16 regarding the incident, but the briefing did not occur after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allegedly refused to confirm a time, a spokesperson for the committee told The Epoch Times.

The spokesperson said the committee would formally subpoena Ms. Cheatle for its July 22 hearing to head off any attempt by DHS to backtrack on her appearance.

The congressional investigations into the Secret Service are being conducted alongside an independent review ordered by President Joe Biden regarding the shooting.

Well share the results of that independent review with the American people, President Biden said.

At a White House news briefing on July 15, Mr. Mayorkas said that the review would identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions needed to prevent such a shooting from occurring again.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service did not respond to The Epoch Times requests for comment.

From The Epoch Times
A raid Tuesday on Northland Avenue resulted in the recovery of three handguns, almost $15,000 in cash, suspected narcotics and the arrest of a 24-year-old man, Buffalo police said in a news release.

Jarrett Gauer, a city resident, faces an array of charges, including two counts of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class A-1 felony, police said.

City, county and federal agencies executed a search warrant on the 900 block of Northland.

Police said the suspected narcotics they recovered include about 7 pounds of fentanyl pills, about a pound of methamphetamine pills and about two grams each of powder cocaine and fentanyl.

One of the handguns was a ghost gun.

- Aaron Besecker
People will be able to "shake their money makers" when the rock legends the Black Crowes play Hard Rock Casino in Gary this fall.

The hard rock band from Atlanta, George will bring its The Black Crowes: Happiness Bastards Tour (The Reprise) to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indianas Hard Rock Live venue at at 5400 W. 29th Ave. in Gary on Friday, Oct. 18. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The Black Crowes are touring nationally in support of their 10th studio album and first album in 15 years.

"Serving as a salute to their past and a celebration of the present and future, Happiness Bastards, released in March 2024, included 10 new tracks, with a very special feature from Grammy-winning country superstar Lainey Wilson on 'Wilted Rose,'" the Hard Rock Casino said in a press release. "Produced by Grammy Award-Winning producer Jay Joyce, the project emphasizes The Black Crowes influence as one of the most vital rock bands of this generation. Following decades marked by sex, drugs, fights, breakups, and divorce, Happiness Bastards finds the brothers leaving their bullshit behind and leaning into their creative common ground to deliver their most compelling work to date."

The band will join Aerosmith's "Peace Out" tour later this year.

The Black Crowes are known for hits like "Twice as Hard," "She Talks to Angels," "Hard to Handle," "Jealous Again" and "Thorn in my Pride." They burst onto the scene in 1990 with the debut album "Shake Your Monkey Maker," which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

After breaking up in 2015, the band reunited in 2019 and has since toured the world.

"Upon their return from the road, they knew they needed something new to show for their lost time," Hard Rock Casino said in a press release. "The Robinson Brothers and longtime bassist Sven Pipien headed to the studio with producer Jay Joyce in early 2023 and the experiences of years past transcribed themselves through the music as the band found their way back to their roots. And it's finally here - Happiness Bastards is out now."

Tickets for the 21+ show start at $79.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

For more information, call 219-228-2383 or visit hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com.
Laura Nagel, who was killed Monday night in her Cedar Lake home after a tree uprooted during a fierce storm crashed through the roof, is remembered by her husband as "the rock of the family."

"She cared for everyone all while keeping us all in line," said Matt Sealey.

Sealey and the couple's daughter were home at the time of the incident and escaped injury, he and officials said.

"She adored Kenny Chesney and going on hikes with her loving furbabies," he said of his wife. "She just recently achieved a lifelong goal of conquering her fear of heights by going skydiving."

Sealey said 44-year-old Nagel tirelessly provided guidance and support to her children and was always striving to be a better version of herself.

"She will be missed by me as well as her children, siblings, parents, cousins and coworkers past and present," he said. "She will forever be in our hearts."

Cedar Lake Police Chief William Fisher said Nagel was in the master bedroom of her home Monday night when the tree crashed into the house, killing her.

"Due to the structure of the house being compromised, it took several hours for the Cedar Lake Fire Department to safely remove the victim from the residence," Fisher said in a prepared statement.

The death came during a storm that delivered at least one radar-confirmed tornado and knocked out power to more than 100,000 NIPSCO customers, officials said. The number of outages remained at about 48,300 as of approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Cedar Lake police and fire departments responded around 10 p.m. Monday to the Nagel's home in the 8900 W. block of 141st Lane, Fisher said.

"Dispatch advised emergency responders that a tree had fallen on that residence and that an occupant in the house had been injured," he said. "During this time, a large storm with extremely high winds was travelling through Northwest Indiana, specifically the Cedar Lake area."

Officers arrived on scene to discover a large tree had fallen on the roof of the house and discovered Nagel in the bedroom with fatal injuries, Fisher said. She was later declared dead by the Lake County Coroner's Office.

An autopsy was planned for Tuesday, but the coroner's office said the manner of death is an accident due to a tree falling on the house as a result of the storm.

One tornado was radar-confirmed and is believed to have started in eastern Illinois and continued on into Porter County as part of the strong storm system that tore its way through the Region, according to the National Weather Service office in Romeoville, Illinois.

Seven teams were out Tuesday surveying damage across northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana, which is part of the process of officially confirming the presence of tornados, according to the NWS.

"So far, we have 29 different paths of potential damage that we will be investigating today and in the coming days to identify potential tornado tracks."

The Porter County Emergency Management Agency has requested the Indiana Department of Homeland Security set up its 211 Reporting System for residents affected by Mondays storm. Porter County residents are encouraged to contact Indiana 211 at 866-211-9966 or visiting in211.communityos.org to report storm damage.

Currently, only residents in Porter County should utilize Indiana 211 for July 15, 2024 storm damage reports, officials said. This may change and more counties may be added as the recovery process continues, so keep an eye out for updates.

Agricultural damage should be reported to the Purdue Extension, officials said.

Man molested girls, saying he wanted marriage, baby, Portage police say "(One of the alleged victims) said Jeremy was telling her she was going to have a child with him, and he was going to marry her," police said.

Crown Point Fire Rescue reported much storm damage late Monday night.

"South Street is blocked between Maple and Indiana avenues due to trees and power wires down," the department said. "There are extensive outages, power lines down and trees down. Please stay home, do not go out sight seeing. Do not call 911 unless there is an immediate threat to life or property. NIPSCO will have extended ETA to lines down. Stay safe, everyone."

NIPSCO reported widespread storm damage, including downed wires and tree limbs, and broken poles.

"The most impacted communities include Chesterton, Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Goshen, Griffith, Hammond, LaPorte, Portage and Valparaiso," the company said.

More than 250 crews were working Tuesday afternoon to assess damage, make necessary repairs and restore power quickly and as safely as possible, NIPSCO said.

Approximately 60 tree trimming contractor crews have also been engaged to help with the restoration efforts, NIPSCO said.

The company has identified 2,900 individual repairs that need to be completed. An estimate of when power will be restored is unable to be determined at this time, the company said.

Due to the extent of the damage, we expect this to be a multi-day outage for some customers, the company reports. We recommend customers make the plans necessary to keep themselves and their families safe during an extended outage.

The Indiana Department of Transportation Northwest office urged caution on area roadways Tuesday.

"We're seeing a lot of damage/impacts from the storms last night, including high water, downed power lines, and debris," INDOT said. "Be careful during your travels today."

3 nabbed transporting deadly drug fentanyl, police say Police said during a search of the vehicle they found the illegal drug in vacuum-sealed packages hidden under the gear shift area.

"Slow down so that you have longer to react to debris in the road," the office said. "Do not drive through water covering the roadway or over downed power lines. Treat intersections where the signal is out as four-way stops. Be prepared to seek alternate routes for roads closed due to storm damage."

The Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force reported Tuesday morning that E. 125th Avenue, between Gibson Street and Randolph Street, was closed due to storm damage.

"Yes you can go around the signs, but until the tree is moved you cant get though," the department said.

Tornados are confirmed on the ground by the presence of debris being lifted into the air, a National Weather Service official said.

The office suspects there may have been a number of tornados touching down as part of Monday night's storm. An investigation is underway.

The best puzzle toys for clever dogs 1. Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Hide N Slide Toy 2. Barkwhiz Level 3 Dog Puzzle Toy 3. Brightkins Suprise Party Puzzle Dog Toy 4. Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Paw N Play Dog Toy 5. Houndgames Dog Puzzle Interlocking Toy
Richard Hofstadter, the Buffalo-born historian, died in 1970, but his works remain just as timely in our time.

Today we are not only aware of our own violence; we are frightened by it, he wrote that year. We are now quite ready to see that there is far more violence in our national heritage than our proud, sometimes smug, national self-image admits of.

Hofstadter graduated from Fosdick-Masten Park High School (now City Honors) in 1933 and from the University of (now at) Buffalo in 1937. He became one of the preeminent scholars of American history, twice winning the Pulitzer Prize for history (for 1955s The Age of Reform and 1963s Anti-Intellectualism in American Life).

His 1970 essay Reflections on Violence in the United States arrived in the aftermath of the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy and the 1968 assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy:

Today, despite the anguished memory of recent assassinations and the expressed interest of a great majority of the public in stronger gun laws, despite the appearance of armed rioters and mounting complaints about criminal and political violence, the nation still lives under the chaotic governance of twenty thousand permissive and porous federal, state, and local laws regulating guns; and the state of the laws still abets assassins, maniacs, impulsive murderers, and potential political terrorists at the expense of the general population and the civic order.

Erik Brady: Mark Griffis Emerges' in the First Family of Buffalo Sculpture Mark Griffis and his wife, Patty, live in a rambling waterfront home in Fort Erie, Ont., that's been in the Griffis family for more than 100 years. And what a family it is.

A would-be assassin used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to shoot at Donald Trump the other day. The immediate reaction of some on the far left was to say the shooting had been staged to make Trump look heroic, even as some on the far right said it was an inside job by the government. It was neither, of course, but Hofstadter would have recognized these as conspiracy theories concocted by one lunatic fringe or another. (Nowadays such theories gain unearned traction on the internet that Hofstadter never knew.)

The Library of America is publishing three volumes of Hofstadters writings. The first, out in 2020, includes Anti-Intellectualism in American Life and 1965s The Paranoid Style in American Politics. The Princeton University history professor Sean Wilentz, editor of the series, told the Princeton Alumni Weekly in 2020 that Hofstadters work still resonates today.

Theres no doubt that Donald Trump is the culmination of a lot of things Hofstadter was writing about more than 50 years ago, said Wilentz, who called Hofstadter perhaps the greatest historian of the mid-20th century and an extraordinarily powerful stylist.  History, after all, is a literary art.

Some of his histories became bestsellers largely thanks to their pithy prose. Of agrarian dissatisfaction in the 19th century, he wrote: Here was the irony from which the farmer suffered above all others: the United States was the only country in the world that began with perfection and aspired to progress.

When the New Yorker editor David Remnick wrote about the attempt on Trumps life, he turned to a passage from Hofstadters 1970 essay:

Erik Brady: Mark Twain and Joyce Carol Oates offer us the litter-ature of cats Mark Twain and Joyce Carol Oates are literary heroes of Western New York. They have something else in common, too  their cats.

For historians violence is a difficult subject, diffuse and hard to cope with. It is committed by isolated individuals, by small groups, and by large mobs; it is directed against individuals and crowds alike; it is undertaken for a variety of purposes (and at times for no discernible rational purpose at all), and in a variety of ways ranging from assassinations and murders to lynchings, duels, brawls, feuds, and riots; it stems from criminal intent and from political idealism, from antagonisms that are entirely personal and from antagonisms of large social consequence.

Hofstadter was at UB when he met a fellow student, Felice Swados, a Buffalo native and novelist who would be his first wife; she died of cancer at age 29. Two years later he married Beatrice Kevitt, also a Buffalo native. (After he died, she married Theodore H. White, the historian who won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction for The Making of the President 1960  so both of her husbands won Pulitzers.)

Beatrice Hofstadter White later made donations to UBs archives of Hofstadters working library (some of the books came with comments in the margins) and a cache of his personal effects, including family photos and correspondence. UBs collection of Hofstadter material actually began in 1964, when he instructed his British publisher to send the university a duplicate copy of the uncorrected manuscript for Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, complete with handwritten notations. (Columbia University, where he taught from 1946 to 1970, holds his papers.)

Hofstadter began his studies as a philosophy major at UB before shifting to history through the influence of Julius W. Pratt, his professor and mentor. Hofstadters senior thesis, on tariff issues and the Civil War, would become his first published work of history (in a 1938 issue of the American Historical Review). His last work published during his lifetime was that 1970 essay.

Every aspect of violence in our history, from riots to presidential assassinations, has been exacerbated by the fact that ours is a gun culture  a thing without parallel among the industrial nations of the world, he wrote. In some measure our gun culture owes its origins to the needs of an agrarian society and to the dangers and terrors of the frontier, but for us the central question must be why it has survived into an age when farmers are few and the frontier long gone.

Erik Brady: A local author spins a tale of how Confederate spies roamed the Niagara Frontier during the Civil War "Rebel Falls" is a historical novel based on a lesser-known fact of the Civil War: Confederate spies on the Canadian side of the Falls hoped to turn the tide in the late stages of the Civil War.

Why did the United States, alone among modern industrial societies, cling to the idea that the widespread substantially unregulated availability of guns among its city population is an acceptable and a safe thing?

Richard Hofstadter wrote that 54 years ago, not long before his death at age 54. His question goes unanswered still.
Indiana's Republican U.S. Senate nominee promised delegates attending the Republican National Convention Tuesday that he will be a loyal Senate ally for Donald Trump  and not a "wimpy Republican"  if they're both elected Nov. 5.

During his four-minute, prime-time address, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, proclaimed Trump "saved the American dream" during his first term as president, and vowed Trump will again "take our country back" if he becomes just the second president ever to win an additional, nonconsecutive term.

"Americans want a president who is proud of their country and who they can be proud of. Joe Biden is an embarrassment. We went from the strongest president of my lifetime in President Trump to the weakest president in history in Joe Biden. We need President Trump back in the White House if we're going to make America great once again," Banks said.

Indeed, national pride seemed to be the theme of Banks' presentation to the Republican delegates gathered in Milwaukee. He said only Republicans believe "America is the greatest country in the history of the world," while insisting Democrats do not.

"Only in America could a kid like me who was born in a trailer park, the son of a factory worker and a nursing home cook, end up here. I'm Jim Banks and I have lived the American dream, and I'm proud of it," Banks said.

The 45-year-old, four-term congressman only briefly touched on the policies Trump might implement in a second term. But Banks nevertheless pledged to be the "back-up" Trump will need in the Senate to enact his preferred policies into law.

Specifically, Banks warned on immigration: "If you came here illegally under Joe Biden, you're going back to where you came from under Donald Trump." He also declared on trade: "Trump was the first president of my lifetime to hold China accountable for taking our jobs. He brought manufacturing back to Indiana and boosted wages for hardworking Hoosiers."

"This is no time for wimpy Republicans. That's why I'm running."

The congressman did not specifically identify anyone he considers a "wimpy Republican." But he likely was referring to U.S. Sen. Todd Young and former Vice President Mike Pence  two Hoosier Republicans who have said they will not endorse Trump's bid for a second term, due in part to Trump's favorable stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin (Young), and lack of respect for the constitution and reduced commitment to ending abortion and paying off the national debt (Pence).

Banks also misstated that Indiana will be the first state television networks call for Trump on election night at "at 6:01 p.m. Eastern Time," since the networks typically wait until the polls close an hour later in Northwest Indiana, at 6 p.m. Central Time, before announcing their projected winner of Indiana's 11 electoral votes.

The Republican convention delegates, however, seemed not to noticed Banks' time zone error or his attack on fellow Hoosier Republicans as they heartily cheered his tribute to Trump  who Banks described as "the greatest president of my lifetime."

Trump later rewarded Banks for his loyalty Tuesday night by allowing Banks to sit in Trump's reserved seating area at the convention alongside the former president and his new running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

Banks' opponents in Indiana's U.S. Senate race were less impressed. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Valerie McCray said it's clear Banks has pledged his allegiance to one man and has no interest in serving Hoosier families in the U.S. Senate.

"I am concerned that the Republican Party continues to instigate fear-based politics, using undocumented immigrants as political pawns. If we deported every undocumented immigrant today, as Banks wants to do, our economy and businesses would suffer. What happened to the America that says: 'Give me your tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free?' McCray asked.

"Hoosiers deserve a voice in the United States Senate who will work to make meaningful change. As your senator, I will go to work on the issues Hoosiers care about: growing and protecting union jobs, restoring Roe v. Wade, and keeping the record job-growth going."

Meanwhile, Libertarian U.S. Senate nominee Andrew Horning said Banks' condemnation of "wimpy Republicans" masks that all sorts of elected officials, including Banks, have over the years backed "the woke agenda, importation of foreign voters, more power for politicians and fewer rights for us."

"None of them are constitutionalists, of course, but also, none of them can even speak against what is at the heart of all of our nations worst problems  the trade of influence for campaign donations. Follow the money. The 'deep state' puppet masters who really run our government are happy to give millions to candidates every election cycle, because they get billions back. They don't much care who wins any election, they just care that whoever wins, picks up the phone when they call," Horning said.

Horning insisted only a candidate who doesn't belong to either of the two major political parties, such as himself, can break "the corrupt system" controlled by Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C.

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A New Jersey man was charged on Tuesday in the death of his 8-week-old daughter, who, prosecutors said, had been left alone in his car for an extended period on a day when local temperatures reached the mid-90s.

The man, Avraham Chaitovsky, of Lakewood, was charged with child endangerment, Bradley D. Billhimer, the Ocean County prosecutor, said in a news release. The investigation is continuing, and Mr. Chaitovsky, 28, could face additional charges, Mr. Billhimer said.

Mr. Chaitovsky was taken into custody on Tuesday and released from the Ocean County Jail later in the day on a judges order. Information about his legal representation was not immediately available.

Lakewood police officers responded to a report of a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest in the area of New Egypt Road around 1:45 p.m. Monday, Mr. Billhimer said. When they arrived, they found members of a local ambulance service trying to perform lifesaving measures on the baby. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Mr. Billhimer said.
New Yorkers have lived through their fair share of unusual events recently. There was an earthquake, an eclipse and the criminal trial of a former United States president, all against the backdrop of nail-biting national political crises and the hottest year on record.

On Tuesday, the city added what seemed like a cosmic freak occurrence to the list: a meteor that had traveled millions of miles through deep space entered the atmosphere, passed above the Statue of Liberty, zoomed over the tourist boats of New York Harbor, streaked over the Midtown Manhattan skyline, and exploded very, very high over the region.

In a chaotic week, many New Yorkers did not seem to notice. Or, if they did hear a strange noise, they did what New Yorkers often do, especially when in Midtown Manhattan. They minded their own business.

I heard it, yes I did indeed, Pat Battle, an anchor on the local NBC News broadcast, told viewers on Tuesday, with wonder in her voice. But I never thought to look up.
In November 2022, after the Republicans lackluster showing in the midterms, I wrote a column titled Donald Trump Is Finally Finished. I keep a printed copy on my desk as a humbling reminder of how wrong I can be.

How did Trump go from a disgraced has-been  even Fox Newss Laura Ingraham implied he was putting his own grudges ahead of whats good for the country  to the man of destiny he had become even before he dodged that bullet on Saturday?

A simple explanation goes something like this: The G.O.P. ceased to be a normal political party in 2016 and became a cult of personality, less interested in winning elections than in burnishing the savior-victim myth of its charismatic leader. As a cult, the party could never realistically allow any other Republican to successfully challenge Trump for the nomination. And as a nominee, Trump would only gain strength once the extent of President Bidens mental decline became obvious.

But this analysis, true to a point, falls short in at least three respects. It doesnt give Trump the political credit he deserves. It fails to reckon with the Biden administrations political blunders. And it reduces the Democrats problem to a Biden problem. Their problem is bigger than that.
A year after school boards in California emerged as unlikely culture war battlegrounds, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed the nations first law prohibiting policies that force educators to tell parents if their children ask to use a different name or pronouns.

The new law was applauded by L.G.B.T.Q. organizations who said it would protect the privacy and safety of transgender students, especially those who might fear their parents would not support their identity. But conservatives vowed to challenge the law in court, and Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive, called it the final straw in a post on X, vowing to move the headquarters of X and Space X to Texas as a result of the bill signing.

Over the past year, more than a dozen school boards in California  largely led by conservatives who were elected in the aftermath of pandemic disruptions  enacted policies that would have required school employees to notify parents if students asked to use a name or pronouns other than the ones listed on their school records.

Similar policies have been enacted in conservative states, such as Tennessee and North Carolina, as part of a sweeping parental rights movement backed by national conservative organizations. But liberal leaders in California saw the school board polices as an unwelcome incursion that would forcibly out transgender and nonbinary students.
Erie County Family Court will soon expand by one judge.

Legislation adding to the number of family and civil court judges appointed and elected statewide will bring an additional judge to the Erie County Family Court bench.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed the legislation aimed at reducing a well-documented case backlog and delays in the states family and civil courts.

Civil and family courts adjudicate some of the most sensitive issues New Yorkers face, and for too long, backlogs and delays have inhibited their ability to function effectively, Hochul said. This legislation gives our courts the tools to tackle the case backlog and carry out the fair and efficient justice system New Yorkers deserve.

The legislation calls for the addition of 28 judges throughout New York. Erie County is one of 10 counties in the state to see an increase in the number of family and civil court judges. That includes the addition of two each in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Sixteen judges will be added in New York City.

The Erie County Democratic Party is already accepting resumes from individuals interested in serving on the Erie County Family Court bench. As a result of the legislation signed by Hochul, there will be one additional seat on Novembers ballot, according to Erie County Democratic Party Executive Director Jacob Kobler.

Addressing the needs of families in distress is one of the highest priorities of the New York State Unified Court System, said New York State Court of Appeals Chief Judge Rowan Wilson. Creating these new judgeships across the State, together with the augmentation of resources required to serve our families, will greatly enhance our ongoing efforts to improve the lives of children and families and to ensure that individuals appearing in Family Court receive the fair, thoughtful and expeditious delivery of justice that they deserve.
In the summer of 2003, as Martha Stewarts trial on charges connected to securities fraud was nearing its conclusion, the CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper aired a segment speculating about how severe her punishment would be if she were convicted.

Sometimes, Mr. Cooper said, it seems as though rich criminals seldom end up swapping smokes on Cell Block H. So if its not hard time in the joint, what kind of sentence could she get?

His guest was Herbert Hoelter, a sentencing reform advocate who, to fund his nonprofit work at the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, had become a concierge to the federal prison system for white-collar criminals, helping them to secure alternative or shorter sentences and to navigate life as an inmate.

Our philosophy isnt that punishment should not occur, Mr. Hoelter said, its that it should occur in different ways.
Anne Fundner, a California woman whose 15-year-old son died in 2022 after taking pills laced with fentanyl, faulted President Biden on Tuesday night over his border policies and the flow of illegal opioids into the United States during an emotional speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Her message brought some delegates to tears on the second night of the convention, which was focused on issues related to crime and immigration  and included several speakers who delivered the political equivalent of victim impact statements.

Ms. Fundner said that even her best efforts to protect her son, Weston, and to tell him about the dangers of peer pressure had not saved him.

And fentanyl still found my son, Ms. Fundner said, overcome by tears. I hold Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the border czar  what a joke  and Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son.
Adam Frisch, a Democrat trying to flip a Republican House seat in Colorado, was frustrated enough that calls for President Biden to step aside  including his own  were having little impact on the president.

Then reports came Tuesday that leaders of the Democratic National Committee were moving to confirm Mr. Biden as his partys presidential nominee by the end of July and his anger boiled over.

Its so frustrating, to Democratic voters, to donors, to the double haters who dont like Biden or Trump, Mr. Frisch said in an interview on Tuesday. This is why people hate politics. It looks like the books are being cooked.

The debate over whether Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee has alternately simmered and boiled since his disastrous debate performance late last month. Now the party is seeking to rapidly bring that conversation to a close with a virtual roll call of state delegates in July that would make Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris the official nominees.
The crowd gathered on the second night of the Republican National Convention was promised a 60-pound bulldog. And when Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia walked on to the stage without one on Tuesday night, they began shouting the dogs name in annoyance.

Babydog! They chanted en masse, with an energy generally reserved only for former President Donald J. Trump or his brand-new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio.

They neednt have worried. After a brief few sentences, Mr. Justice  who is running for Senate in his state  relented. I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy, he said.

And on cue, out came Babydog, a plump bulldog, belly swaying as she trotted across the stage before being quickly plopped by a human helper into a cushy armchair.
For a fourth and final night, thousands of Republican delegates, donors and party leaders crowded into the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee to celebrate former President Donald J. Trumps campaign to return to the White House.

Though the event began just two days after an assassination attempt against him, the mood was boisterous, with attendees donning makeshift ear bandages in support of him. Mr. Trump formally accepted his partys nomination for president during his speech Thursday night, where he spoke publicly for the first time since the shooting.

Heres what New York Times photographers are seeing on the ground in Milwaukee.

Day 4: Trump Takes the Stage
Former President Donald J. Trump has scheduled his first campaign rally since surviving an assassination attempt last weekend in Pennsylvania for Saturday in the swing state of Michigan. It will also be his first rally appearance with Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio since naming him as his running mate.

They will visit Grand Rapids, Mich., for a rally early Saturday evening. Mr. Trump picked Mr. Vance, the author of Hillbilly Elegy, a best-selling memoir about his troubled upbringing and the struggles and pathologies of the white working class, on Monday, the first day of the Republican National Convention.

Mr. Vance, who went from being a Never Trumper to a top surrogate for Mr. Trump, edged out his colleague, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota to join the ticket.

Pete Hoekstra, Michigans Republican Party chairman, said that he expected that Mr. Vance would be particularly helpful to Mr. Trump in Midwest swing states.
When word got back to Tucker Carlson a few weeks ago that former President Donald J. Trump might be wavering on J.D. Vance as his running mate, Mr. Carlson intervened.

Mr. Carlson, who was visiting Australia on a speaking tour, phoned Mr. Trump and delivered an apocalyptic warning. Their conversation, according to two people briefed on the discussion, was included in an article in The New York Times exploring the yearslong process of how Mr. Vance won over Mr. Trump.

In their phone conversation in June, Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump that another top running-mate contender, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, could not be trusted  that he would work against him and would try to lead America into nuclear war. Mr. Carlson, who declined to comment, told Mr. Trump that the other top contender, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, could not be trusted, either.

Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump in that phone call that he believed that if he chose a neocon as his V.P.  an abbreviation for Republicans who favor using U.S. power to implant democracy abroad  then the U.S. intelligence agencies would have every incentive to assassinate Mr. Trump in order to get their preferred president.
The widow of the slain victim in Saturdays shooting in Pennsylvania spoke with former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday, she said in a social media post.

He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead, Helen Comperatore wrote, adding that she had told the former president that her husband, Corey Comperatore, left this world a hero, and God welcomed him in.

Mr. Comperatores sister, Kelly Comperatore Meeder, said members of the family had also spoken with representatives of the Trump campaign on Monday night. Ms. Comperatore Meeder said they had declined an invitation to speak with President Biden.

Mr. Comperatore, 50, was an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump and was eager on Saturday to see the former president for the first time in person. His sister said on Tuesday that her family believed that anger toward Mr. Trump was sown by President Biden and media outlets and had led to the fatal shooting.
Winston, a silverback who ruled over a peaceful gorilla kingdom at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for decades and whose 451-pound frame concealed his tender personality, died on Saturday. He was 52.

The decision was made to euthanize Winston after staff observed a decline in his health, according to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He was a western lowland Silverback gorilla, a critically endangered species.

This gentle giant will be remembered for his quiet strength, easygoing nature and heart of gold, park officials said in a statement posted on social media. Winston served as the protector of his family and was recognized as one of the oldest silverbacks in the world.

Winston, native to Central Africa, was born in the wild and raised in England before arriving in San Diego in 1984. His craggy face  to be honest, it was a little scary! said Peggy Sexton, a lead mammal keeper, of Winstons arrival in a 2018 article on the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliances website.
Two Israeli strikes killed more than 20 people in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, including at a United Nations school turned shelter, according to local health officials, the latest in a string of recent bombardments that have hit U.N. buildings in the enclave.

Paramedics found at least five bodies and eight injured people at the former school in central Gaza, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, an emergency medical service. The building, in Nuseirat, was being used to shelter people displaced by the Israeli-Hamas war.

The Israeli military said it had been targeting militants operating inside the building. Hamas, it said, systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and the population as human shields.

It was the sixth former U.N. school facility to be hit in 10 days, according to the main United Nations agency aiding Palestinian refugees in the area, UNRWA. Last Tuesday, at least 27 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike near the entrance to a school turned shelter on the outskirts of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to the local health authorities.
Earl Knauss had been retired for about 14 years when he learned from a friend in 2007 that fresh vegetables that arent pretty wind up in the waste heap, instead of on the dinner table.

They could be too big, or not quite straight, or have small blemishes.

They cannot sell oversize vegetables in a supermarket, Knauss said. Its a shame that the farmers could raise good vegetables, and because Mother Nature grows them faster than they can pick them once in a while that they cant sell them.

That is when he had the idea of getting the fresh produce to food pantries where people could use it.

He lived in Eden at the time, and asked Bill Zittel of Amos Zittel & Sons if he could pick through the farms discarded peppers and give them away.

Two years later, food insecurity spotlighted by Tops shootings is a local priority Since the racist mass shooting at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue in 2022, food access has become a more visible priority in Buffalo, with an array of public, non-profit and corporate entities stepping up to support solutions. At the same time, the problem of hunger continues to grow, and there is a lot more work to be done, community advocates and food providers say.

I started delivering food to pantries in the city and in the Southtowns, he said.

Soon, he was stopping at Henry W. Agle & Sons and W.D. Henry & Sons, also in Eden, to pick up their cast-off vegetables. None of the food is spoiled, just misshapen or homely.

A cucumber doesnt taste any different if its straight or got a little crookedness in it, Zittel said. But the system were in, weve got to grade some stuff out, and that grading stuff can, at least, be used and give people a chance for fresh vegetables.

This means the world to us, said Bill Bateman, director of Operation Good Neighbor, a food pantry on South Creek Road in North Evans that helps about 120 families.

Kim Reynolds is the director of the Resurrection Life Church food pantry on Old Union Road in Cheektowaga. She said the pantry, like the 1,200 families it serves, has to get the biggest bang for the buck. Fresh produce is more expensive than some nonperishable food, and is not something either can afford.

It doesnt matter that this is the stuff thats maybe not the prettiest looking zucchini. They dont care if its shaped funny, Reynolds said. To them, its fresh produce that they cant afford. Its their health. It truly is the things that are going to keep them healthy.

Food providers back proposed bill to increase nutrition benefits in NY Emergency food providers throughout the state are experiencing a surge of people needing assistance since the minimum benefit for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dropped from $95 a month to $23 as of March 2023.

Knauss, 92, for years ran the program by himself, contacting food pantries and delivering the produce with the help of a couple friends.

A Rotarian for 50 years, he asked the Rotary Club of Hamburg to take over the Farm to Family program in 2018. He still manages the program, meets the drivers at the farms every morning and keeps track of how much food goes where.

It is a six day a week operation, from May until November.

The red truck the Rotary Club uses to make the pickups and deliveries has 178,000 miles on it, and now the club has a second truck. West Herr Cares, in partnership with the Scott Bieler Family Foundation, donated a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, a former rental with 9,000 miles, to the club this month.

When the Rotary effort started six years ago, volunteers delivered 50,000 to 60,000 pounds a year.

Last year, volunteers delivered 125,000 pounds of fresh produce to 22 food pantries, serving about 3,000 families.

If it wasnt for the farmers, we wouldnt be able to do this, Knauss said.

When you have 50 acres of peppers, youre going to have blemishes and things that are non-saleable to the chain store, Zittel said.

Knauss, father of three, grandfather of eight and great-grandfather of of three, retired in 1993 from his contracting business. He said he when he was younger he was busy raising his family and running his business. He started helping out at food pantries after he retired.

Why do I keep doing it? I probably could have done maybe more when I was raising my family than what I did, Knauss said. This is part of me. Its as much part of me as there is in anything in my life right now, helping other people.
The surprise hit Baby Reindeer, a Netflix drama about a comedian and his stalker, picked up 11 Emmy nominations on Wednesday, including one for best limited series.

The seven-episode show, which was viewed more than 56 million times in the four weeks after it debuted, according to data released by Netflix, follows an aspiring comedian named Donny Dunn as he is tormented by a woman named Martha, primarily through emails and voice mail messages.

The series was created by the comedian Richard Gadd, who plays Dunn. It was billed as a true story based on Gadds experience, which led to online efforts to uncover the actual identities of the characters onscreen  and eventually embroiled the streaming service in a legal dispute.

Fiona Harvey, a woman who says the Martha character was modeled after her, sued Netflix last month for defamation, claiming that the show falsely suggested that she was a convicted stalker. Netflix has said it stands by Gadds right to tell his story.
The 2024 Primetime Emmy nominations were announced on Wednesday. James Poniewozik and Margaret Lyons, two television critics for The New York Times, discussed who made it and who didnt, why Emmy categories are increasingly irrelevant and which nominations made them smile.

JAMES PONIEWOZIK Happy Emmy day, Margaret! It seems like we were just talking about the Emmys  which we kind of were, the most recent awards having been handed out in January because of a strike delay.

That strike pause  coupled with the recent retirement of some hall-of-fame shows like Succession  may have something to do with one of the larger trends this year: The cupboard feels a little bare. Theres plenty of good-enough TV (dare I say Mid?) on the prize list, not a lot of great. (Though we can discuss the exceptions: Very happy to see recognition for Reservation Dogs.)

Still, there are simply a lot of awards, so theres always something to talk about. It was a big year for The Bear in comedy (is it one?) and Shogun in drama series (it sure felt like a limited series when I watched it complete its story). It feels like there has been a lot more talk this year about categorization and category-gaming, but let me know how youre feeling.
Jon Hamm is back in the Emmy Awards saddle.

Nine years after winning his first statuette for his performance as the philandering advertising executive Don Draper in the Madison Avenue drama Mad Men, Hamm picked up two more acting nominations on Wednesday, for his performances in Fargo and The Morning Show.

The first, for lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, was for his villainous turn as Roy Tillman, a power-hungry Christian nationalist sheriff on Fargo, FXs darkly comic anthology crime drama inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers movie. The series, which was created by Noah Hawley, picked up 15 nominations for its fifth season, including best limited series.

Hamm also scored a supporting actor in a drama nod for his role as Paul Marks, an Elon Musk-like, space-loving billionaire in Season 3 of The Morning Show, Apple TV+s behind-the-scenes look at a fictional broadcast news program.

In an interview shortly after the nominations were announced  on the way to a voice-over session in Lower Manhattan for the animated show Grimsburg, in which Hamm, 53, plays a small-town detective  he shared his inspirations for his characters and what he thinks of Netflixs limited series contender Baby Reindeer.
The FX hit Shogun, an ensemble drama set in 17th-century Japan, has been nominated for 25 Emmys, the most of any series this year. The show is in competition for several of the nights biggest drama categories, including outstanding drama series, lead actor (Hiroyuki Sanada), lead actress (Anna Sawai) and outstanding directing (Frederick E.O. Toye).

Shogun quickly became a hit after its debut in February, with many viewers and critics praising its epic scope and attention to authenticity. A majority of the American seriess dialogue was in Japanese, and its success is the latest evidence that U.S. viewers are increasingly open to shows with subtitles.

An adaptation of the 1975 James Clavell novel, Shogun tells the story of an English sailor, John Blackthorne, who lands in Japan and becomes embroiled in a deadly political conflict involving the shrewd Lord Toranaga and his translator, Lady Mariko. Unlike the enormously popular 1980 mini-series version, which was oriented around Blackthorne, the new Shogun was told primarily through the viewpoints of its Japanese main characters.

In the 1980 mini-series, the Japanese characters played subsidiary roles in Chamberlains journey, Motoko Rich wrote in The New York Times, referring to Richard Chamberlain, who played the first Blackthorne. (Cosmo Jarvis plays him in the FX series.) The intermittent Japanese dialogue was not even translated. In large stretches of the new version, by contrast, the Japanese is subtitled, and significant plot lines revolve exclusively around the Japanese principals.
Biden faces increasing isolation

As President Biden contends with the rebellion against his candidacy within his own party, he has relied for advice on family members and a few loyalists, who are true believers in the mythology of Joe Biden as the comeback kid.

The result has been a standoff between Biden and his inner circle on the one hand, and, on the other, broad swaths of voters and elected Democrats who fear an electoral wipeout in November.

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has muted some of the pressure on Biden to exit the race. But weeks after the presidents disastrous debate performance, the Democratic Party is still divided about his prospects and his acuity.

Adam Schiff, a California representative running for Senate, gave a warning during a private meeting with donors over the weekend. We may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House, Schiff said, according to people with knowledge of the remarks.
Vance in the spotlight

All eyes are on Donald Trumps running mate, J.D. Vance, who is set to deliver a prime time speech at the Republican convention in a few hours. The political newcomer, who joined the Senate just last year, has had few opportunities to connect with American voters beyond his constituents in Ohio. This will be his biggest chance to do so.

Like Trump, Vance has been skeptical of American intervention overseas. Heres a look at where he stands on key issues:

Ukraine: Vance has been a staunch opponent of U.S. support for Ukraine. Ive got to be honest with you, I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other, he said in a podcast interview in February. He led a battle in the Senate, unsuccessfully, to block a $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine.

Middle East: A steadfast supporter of Israels war against Hamas, Vance has pushed for aid to Israel while trying to deny aid to Ukraine. He acknowledged the civilian casualties in Gaza, but he maintained that the blame lies not with Israel but with Hamas.

Climate: A strong supporter of the oil and gas industry, Vance has said that climate change is not a threat. He is skeptical of the science showing that human activity is driving global warming, and he has voiced opposition to wind and solar energy and to electric vehicles.
MSNBCs prime-time coverage of the Republican National Convention has featured a typical TV tableau: anchors at a desk perched high above the convention floor, pontificating as the starred-and-striped political pomp unfolds below.

But Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki, Joy Reid and the rest of MSNBCs A-list anchor team have not been inside the convention hall. They were not even in Milwaukee.

Instead, they were broadcasting from a studio in Midtown Manhattan, as a live feed of the convention floor was projected onto an LED screen behind them.
Dear Headway reader,

The other day, I wrote about two new branch libraries in New York City, which share an unusual feature: Theyre both paired with 100 percent affordable housing developments.

I had reported a while back on similar projects in Chicago. After my recent column was published, I heard from readers about more examples in Boston, San Francisco and elsewhere. These library/apartment combos respond to the current housing shortage with a workaround to the scarcity of cheap, available land in some of these cities.

Some history is useful here. New York once owned an abundance of vacant and abandoned land, some of which came into its possession after landlords walked away from back taxes on distressed properties whose values had plummeted to zero. Back in the 1970s, teetering on bankruptcy, City Hall sold acres of this land to raise cash, even auctioning off gutter spaces: irregular, useless parcels, remnants of surveying errors and other zoning anomalies, which sold for as little as $25.

Today, Manhattans land value is somewhere in the trillions of dollars. The economics of building subsidized housing in America depends on land that costs little or nothing, which almost inevitably means building on public land. But having sold off much of what it owned, New York no longer has a large inventory of big, usable lots for deeply affordable projects, at least not in parts of the city linked to parks, grocery stores and public transportation, where residents want to live.
When I first saw Anatomy of a Fall back at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, I expected that the courtroom drama would be critically acclaimed. I could even imagine an Oscar win. What I did not foresee was the fancams.

These vertical video edits of clips focus on a celebrity or character, usually set to pop music. If you want to nitpick, you can also call them fan edits, especially if they involve multiple people onscreen. The fancam phenomenon grew out of the world of K-pop, where enthusiasts often make videos focusing solely on one member of a large band.

These days, my feeds are full of film and TV fancams, which I have come to love and seek out. But perhaps the most notable one was from last year and focused on Swann Arlaud in his role as the defense attorney Vincent Renzi in Anatomy of a Fall. Set to Rina Sawayamas song Comme Des Garcons (Like the Boys), he runs his fingers through his hair, he lights a cigarette, he stares intensely, he sighs. The music is timed to begin on the lyric Im so confident, thus signaling that Vincent is a bit of a badass. Suddenly, through a savvy bit of editing, a character actor in a serious French drama got the same treatment as a pop heartthrob.

There are other Anatomy of a Fall fancams, including ones dedicated to Sandra Huller, who plays the author on trial for the death of her husband, and the sassy prosecutor trying to convict her. But theres something, dare I say, brilliant about the Arlaud fancam. For one, its a little subversive in the way it applies the language of pop music to art cinema. Its also just an example of good editing in the way it matches Arlauds glances and movements to the beat of the song, the lyrics of which further present him as a swaggering star  with a touch of irony, given that hes a humble, often stressed-out lawyer in the context of the movie.
A New York City councilwoman was charged with assault after a heated protest at the Brooklyn site of a proposed mens homeless shelter at which, the authorities say, she bit a police chief.

A crowd of protesters clashed with officers around 6 a.m. Wednesday on 86th Street in Bensonhurst, with video showing dozens of people waving American flags and crowding an intersection. Several rushed officers and barricades.

In the midst of the skirmish, one arm handcuffed, fighting with officers over a barricade, was the councilwoman, Susan Zhuang.

Ms. Zhuang, 38, prevented officers from getting close to a woman who was on the ground by shoving barricades into them, the police said. When officers initially tried to arrest Ms. Zhuang, she bit a chief, twisted and pulled away, they said.
Forum on digitized conservation of cultural heritage opens in Beijing

Xinhua) 08:14, July 17, 2024

Guest attend the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Fang Sixian)

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing.

Under the theme "RE-shape: Digital Heritage Driven by Technological Innovation," and featuring two parallel sessions, the four-day symposium will focus on the new technologies and models of digital heritage, with multiple panels and events scheduled.

Over 300 representatives from 20 countries and regions are attending the symposium, where more than 100 professional reports and cases covering various fields will be presented and discussed.

Addressing the opening session, Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, said that he believes the pioneering discussions held at the symposium will have a positive impact on the development of cultural heritage, science and technology, education and other areas, and bring significant value to society.

Xie Bing, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, said the rapid development of digital technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for the conservation of cultural heritage. He extended his welcome for more countries to join the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia for further exchanges and cooperation in that regard.

A signing ceremony was also held during the opening event for the China-Greek Joint Laboratory on Digital Heritage, involving a number of entities from both China and Greece.

The first CHCD was held in 2010.

Guest to the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization look at posters in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Fang Sixian)

Guest attend the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Fang Sixian)

A guest to the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization speaks during an interview in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Fang Sixian)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey barreled toward a confrontation with his own party on Wednesday, as fellow senators demanded he resign from office after his conviction in a sweeping bribery scheme, or face the possibility of a rare expulsion vote.

Mr. Menendez, a Democrat, gave no indication that he was prepared to step down voluntarily. He vowed to appeal Tuesdays guilty verdict and ignored questions about whether he would continue to serve as he faces many years in prison.

I have never been anything but a patriot, he told reporters in New York, warning that the ruling was so wrong it would put at risk every member of the United States Senate.

But even before he left the Manhattan courthouse, his path forward appeared to be rapidly crumbling. Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, who would appoint any replacement, reiterated a call for Mr. Menendez to step aside, and longtime friends in the Senate said they had given him more than a fair chance to clear his name.
The steeple on the oldest church in Rome, N.Y., built in 1853, crumpled. A mural of an American revolutionary was destroyed when the red brick building it decorated collapsed in the wind. The windows of businesses were shattered and shards of glass were strewed across downtown.

The tornado that blew through Rome, a city of 32,000 less than 50 miles east of Syracuse, was one of four that touched down on Tuesday in cities and towns across upstate New York, killing at least one person. Rome was hit hardest: Twenty-two buildings, not including houses, sustained structural damage, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, and four of them were entirely destroyed.

I came down just to see my city, and it was just chaos, said Kevin Hoehn, 70, a lifelong Rome resident, describing what he saw Tuesday night.
I found out during a live comedy show that the former president had been shot at. My phone was locked in a pouch and when the first comic told the audience that Donald Trump appeared to have survived an assassination attempt, we couldnt tell if it was a bit. The second comic confirmed what the first one said, and joked that if this had happened in another era, they probably would have canceled the show. But at this point were all so primed for political chaos and inured to news of fresh violence that the audience  including me  barely reacted. In our defense, none of it seemed real.

When I walked out of the theater two hours later, got my phone out of the pouch and looked at social media, there was already a flood of conspiracy theories gaining traction: From the left, that the shooting had been staged. From the right, that it was the result of a deep-state plot. Alongside these theories were endless memes  the internet immediately metabolized an assassination attempt for the LOLs, even though a man named Corey Comperatore was dead and two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were seriously wounded.

A new book by the journalist Elle Reeve, Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society and Capture American Politics, describes how we got to this deeply unserious and ultimately apathetic place. As Becca Rothfeld put it in a review of Black Pill for The Washington Post, The flotsam of the internet is childish, ridiculous and, consequently, easy to underestimate. But even absurdities can be dangerous.

Reeve spent the years of the Trump administration covering the alt-right, was on the ground for Vice News during the tragic Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., and had access to some of the major figures of the movement, including Elliott Kline, who helped plan the rally as part of a white supremacist organization called Identity Evropa.
At the outset of Christopher Marlowes late 16th-century play The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, the scholar at the center of the tale abandons all the learning he has mastered. Law, philosophy, medicine  none of these have fulfilled his boundless ambition. Instead, he turns to magic, making the fateful decision to sell his soul to the demon Mephistopheles, for what he most desires  a world of profit and delight, /Of power, of honor.

That brand of striving, so strong that it compels Faustus to sell what is most essential to him, must lie somewhere in the makeup of Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, who on Monday was offered and accepted the invitation to be Donald Trumps running mate. What he has renounced in the process is in the public record for all to see.

Eight years ago, during the heated days of the 2016 Republican primary, Mr. Vance wrote that Mr. Trumps policy proposals range from immoral to absurd. A few months later, he referred to Mr. Trump as cultural heroin, and called him unfit for our nations highest office. And memorably, in a text conversation with a former roommate, the future senator worried that Mr. Trump might be Americas Hitler.

After Mondays announcement, of course, Mr. Vance distanced himself from those comments. Mr. Trumps White House tenure, he said, had changed his mind, but its hard to take the senator entirely at his word.
Shannen Doherty was difficult.

If you were alive and sentient in the 1990s  whether you, like me, were a devoted fan of Beverly Hills, 90210 and E! or you were just the most casual reader of People magazine  you knew this to be true. The sky is blue. The earth is round. Shannen Doherty, the star of multiple hit movies and television shows, is difficult. She was, per the tabloids, a volatile, unmanageable diva, and that reputation was only reinforced by the pouty, prima donna roles in which she was so often and so brilliantly cast.

Ms. Doherty died on Saturday, at the age of 53, of the cancer that was diagnosed in 2015. Since the news broke, the tenor of the conversation around her has changed. Instead of being an eye-roll-inducing wild child, Ms. Doherty is now being praised for the sensitivity and candor with which she discussed her cancer diagnosis and her time in the spotlight. And those 90s tabloid stories? Theyre hitting differently. The glee with which they were once consumed no longer feels appropriate. Ms. Doherty made her fair share of mistakes, but Gen Xs quintessential bad girl no longer looks all that bad.

If this reassessment feels familiar, its because in death, Ms. Doherty has joined the growing ranks of female celebrities whose scandals and legacies are being reconsidered by a newly sensitive culture.

In 2002, when Britney Spearss high-profile relationship with Justin Timberlake ended, she was a train wreck, a bad joke, a problem. Eventually, her career and her money were placed under her fathers control. In 2008, Katherine Heigl went from queen of the rom-com to Hollywood purgatory for the sins of taking herself out of Emmy contention and having the temerity to say that Knocked Up was a little sexist. In 2009, Megan Fox got slammed  and fired  for calling out Michael Bay, her director on Transformers, for a desire to create this insane, infamous madman reputation. (OK, maybe she did also compare him to Hitler, which never ends well.)
Oklahoma City | $399,000

A 1926 Tudor Revival house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot

This house is in the Gatewood neighborhood, a few blocks from Gatewood Elementary School and Oklahoma City University, a private school with about 1,400 undergraduate students. It is less than a mile from Oklahoma Childrens Theatre and a five-minute drive from McKinley Park, which has a splash pad and a playground.

Driving to downtown, on the banks of the Oklahoma River, takes about 10 minutes. Will Rogers World Airport is less than 20 minutes away. Tulsa is about a 90-minute drive. Dallas is three and a half hours away.

Size: 1,851 square feet

Price per square foot: $216

Indoors: The house is set back from the street, behind a wide lawn shaded by mature trees. A paved path steps up to the main entry and a patio large enough to hold a table and chairs.

The arched front door opens directly into a living room with hardwood floors, a fireplace with an original tile surround and French doors that open into a bedroom currently used as a study. Through a wide doorway is a windowed dining room with a goldtone pendant fixture.
Last month, J.D. Vance flew to San Francisco to hold a fund-raiser for Donald J. Trump and to host a private dinner afterward with two dozen tech and crypto executives and investors.

The location was the opulent Pacific Heights mansion of David Sacks, an entrepreneur and podcaster whom Mr. Vance had met through the tech investor Peter Thiel. Mr. Vance, now 39 years old, had worked for one of Mr. Thiels investment firms in San Francisco in 2016.

During the $300,000-a-person dinner that night, Mr. Trump, seated between Mr. Sacks and another tech investor, Chamath Palihapitiya, informally polled the room about whom to choose as his running mate. Even with another vice-presidential hopeful, Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, in attendance, Mr. Sacks, Mr. Palihapitiya and others all had the same answer: Pick Mr. Vance, they told Mr. Trump, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange.
The 2024 presidential race just got even more Californian.

Vice President Kamala Harriss credentials are already well-known: She was born in Oakland, graduated from U.C. Law San Francisco, and went on to become state attorney general and a U.S. senator representing California.

But Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, who was formally chosen this week as the Republican vice-presidential nominee and is best known for his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, about growing up poor in Appalachia, has connections to the Golden State, too. And he has already leveraged them to help former President Donald J. Trump.

While studying at Yale Law School, Vance met his wife, Usha Vance, who grew up in a San Diego suburb. The two soon moved to San Francisco, where J.D. worked as a venture capitalist for Peter Thiel, a conservative megadonor and an early Trump supporter. Usha worked at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson. (She resigned from the job this week to focus on caring for our family, SFGate reported.)

The couple moved to Ohio in 2017, but their Bay Area years followed them. When Vance ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, then a U.S. representative, thought Vances time in San Francisco was political gold among working-class voters, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Representative Adam B. Schiff of California said on Wednesday that President Biden should end his campaign, restarting a drip of opposition within the Democratic Party that had paused after the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend.

Mr. Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a senator, a vice president and now as president has made our country better, Mr. Schiff, who is running for Senate, said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times. But, he said, A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Mr. Schiff had said over the weekend, in a private meeting with donors, that if Mr. Biden remained the partys nominee, Democrats were likely to lose not only the White House but also down-ballot races. But his public statement on Wednesday was a significant escalation.

He emphasized that he would support the Democratic ticket, even if Mr. Biden stayed at the top, but said he believed it would be better for Mr. Biden to pass the torch.
President Biden has become more receptive in the last several days to hearing arguments about why he should drop his re-election bid, Democrats briefed on his conversations said on Wednesday, after his partys two top leaders in Congress privately told him they were deeply concerned about his prospects.

Mr. Biden has not given any indication that he is changing his mind about staying in the race, the Democrats said, but has been willing to listen to rundowns of new and worrying polling data and has asked questions about how Vice President Kamala Harris could win.

The accounts suggest that Mr. Biden, privately at least, is striking a more open-minded posture than he did last week when he lashed out at a number of House Democrats who pressed him to step aside.

One person close to the president said that it would be wrong to call him receptive to the idea of dropping out but that he is willing to listen. But this person emphasized there was no sign that Mr. Biden was changing course at this point.
In the last days of the 2016 presidential campaign, when Donald J. Trump preemptively accused Hillary Clinton of stealing an election that many assumed Mr. Trump would lose, his critics included his future running mate.

If he decides to make this election about how it was stolen from him, then folks are going to be angry and they will be less engaged in the political process than they otherwise would be, J.D. Vance warned in a CNN interview that October. He said he hoped that Mr. Trump, if he lost, acts magnanimous.

But after Mr. Trump did, in fact, lose and contest an election, four years later, Mr. Vance took a very different position.

We have a fake country right now, Mr. Vance  at the time, a Senate candidate vying for Mr. Trumps endorsement in a Republican primary  told a reporter for The Vindicator, a newspaper in Mahoning County, Ohio, in October 2021. There were certainly people voting illegally on a large-scale basis.
Peter Navarro, who led the U.S. Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy under President Donald J. Trump, was released from prison on Wednesday  in time to fly to Milwaukee to speak at the Republican National Convention.

Mr. Navarro was released after completing a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. (Another close Trump adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, recently began serving a four-month sentence for the same offense.)

He is listed on the schedule of convention speakers for Wednesday night, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Central time, according to a person briefed on the planning.

Mr. Navarro was closely involved with Mr. Trumps attempts to overturn the election results and remain in power, working with Mr. Bannon and others to try to delay Congresss certification of the results on Jan. 6. In interviews and in a book he published in 2021, he has openly discussed those efforts, which included pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to reject the electors of states that had voted for Joseph R. Biden Jr.
For eight chaotic years, Republicans battled in public and private, fighting over Donald J. Trumps polarizing personality, his divisive policies and his history of electoral defeats through lawsuits and leadership battles, felony convictions and suburban defections.

Yet even before a single balloon has dropped at their national convention this week, Republicans have united  seemingly without reservation  behind the man and his message. Across downtown Milwaukee, delegates, officials and lawmakers appeared to be taking a victory lap in the middle of a race that many believe is breaking their way, galvanized by a would-be assassins bullet and the chaos gripping the rival party.

Even Mr. Trumps most potent Republican primary foe, Nikki Haley, was greeted on Tuesday with a standing ovation as she testified to his fitness to return to the White House  an issue she had often questioned on the campaign trail.

President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity, Ms. Haley said, adding: Im here tonight because we have a country to save. And a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her.
J.D. Vance, a newcomer to the Senate from Ohio, stood on the chamber floor in April and scolded his more experienced colleagues for their desire to continue backing Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Have we learned nothing? Mr. Vance railed as the Senate debated a stalled military aid package to Ukraine, referring to the debacles of the Iraq War. Have we updated nothing about our mental thinking, about the standard that we apply for when we should get involved in military conflicts?

Mr. Vance, a Republican elected in 2022 and a strident opponent of assisting Ukraine, lost later that day when the Senate gave overwhelming bipartisan approval to tens of millions of dollars of assistance for Ukraine.

But that defeat helped position him for a real victory this week, when former President Donald J. Trump chose Mr. Vance, 39, as his running mate. In many ways, Mr. Vances short time in the Senate was a high-stakes audition for that post, where he showcased his willingness to break with Republican orthodoxy and his lawyerly ability to mount a public case for MAGA policies both at abroad and at home.
F.B.I. officials told members of Congress on Wednesday that the gunman who tried to kill former President Donald J. Trump used his cellphone and other devices to search for images of Mr. Trump and President Biden, along with an array of public figures.

The 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., also looked up dates of Mr. Trumps appearances and the Democratic National Convention, according to people on two conference calls held to answer lawmakers questions.

And, at least once, his browsing history signaled concerns about his own mental state.

The disclosures, made during private briefings to lawmakers by the F.B.I. and the head of the embattled Secret Service, offered the most complete portrait so far of a would-be assassin with no criminal history, or even clearly discernible political beliefs, who came close to killing Mr. Trump. Still, no clear motive for the attack has emerged.

The official assessment aligned with recollections of people who knew him. Several former classmates have said they never heard the gunman express any particular political ideology. But Vincent Taormina, a former classmate who said he attended middle school and high school with the gunman, said in an interview that Mr. Crooks showed a general disdain for politicians in both parties.
Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said that Taiwan should pay the United States for defending it from China, a remark highlighting the uncertainties  and high stakes  of how he might handle the smoldering Taiwan Strait dispute if he should win a second term.

Taiwan depends on political and military support from the United States to help resist pressure from Beijing, which claims the island as Chinese territory. Mr. Trump warned that Taiwan is perilously exposed to any attack from China and far away from U.S. protection, and signaled that he would take a more bluntly conditional approach to Taiwan.

I think Taiwan should pay us for defense, Mr. Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that published on Tuesday. You know, were no different than an insurance company.
At last, a Kings Speech that the king himself might have written, at least in its bridge-building, planet-saving passages.

On Wednesday, King Charles III formally opened Britains Parliament, presenting the priorities of Britains new Labour government, a center-left legislative agenda that chimes with some of his own cherished projects, from curbing climate change to cultivating close ties with the European Union.

It was a stark contrast to last year, when Charles presented the agenda of the Conservative government, which included plans to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Critics said that was at odds with Britains net zero emissions goals; the Labour government has promised to end new oil and gas exploration.

Nothing in the kings demeanor suggested that he was any more enthusiastic speaking the words drafted for him by Prime Minister Keir Starmer than he was with last years speech, prepared by Mr. Starmers predecessor, Rishi Sunak.
Millions of travelers pass through Italian airports every year, but most probably dont know that Romes airport is named for Leonardo da Vinci, Pisas is named for Galileo Galilei, and Palermos is named for Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two prosecutors who were murdered in 1992 as payback for their anti-Mafia crusades.

But the decision this month to name Milans main international airport after Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul and former Italian prime minister who died last year at age 86, did not go unnoticed.

The renaming of Milan Malpensa Airport as International Airport Milan Malpensa  Silvio Berlusconi has unleashed a maelstrom of protests from left-leaning lawmakers, a barrage of memes and an online petition to block the designation, which as of Wednesday had more than 160,000 signatures.

It also has made global headlines.

Why not Bunga-Bunga airport, said one, in a German-language publication, referring to the sex-fueled bacchanals at Mr. Berlusconis villa that he described as merely elegant dinners.
Attacks claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria this year are on the rise and on track to double last years count, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, indicating a resurgence of the terrorist group a decade after it wrought destruction and death across the region.

The group, also known as ISIS, took responsibility for 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria in the first half of this year, according to a report by the militarys Central Command, despite continued operations targeting the organizations operatives by a U.S.-led coalition and partner forces in both countries. In all of last year, ISIS claimed 121 attacks in Iraq and Syria, a defense official said.

The group, a Sunni Muslim organization that traces its roots to Al Qaeda, exploited the power vacuum that emerged after Syrias civil war broke out to conquer large areas. Notorious for kidnappings, sexual enslavement and public executions, ISIS took its largest prize when it seized Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, before being beaten back in 2014.
A hostage, a search for explosives, heaps of royal jewels and a five-foot mace. Welcome to the reopening of Britains Parliament, replete with ancient traditions and elaborate rituals.

The restart of parliamentary business centers on a speech by King Charles III, a ceremonial duty in which he sets out the governments agenda. Charles delivered his first Kings Speech last November, and he delivered the Queens Speech on behalf of his mother, Elizabeth II, in 2022, but Wednesdays was the first heralding a new partys time in power.

Despite the name, the speech is not written by the king, but by government officials. The monarch just reads it out.

Prime Minister Keir Starmers Labour Party, which won a landslide victory in a general election earlier this month, announced more than 35 proposed pieces of legislation on issues including energy, transport and the makeup of the House of Lords.
Trekking Across Switzerland, Guided by Locals Hand-Drawn Maps Nostalgic for a time before ubiquitous connectivity, a writer ditched his phone and relied instead on serendipity  and maps made by people he met along the way.

I hadnt expected snow. But now it was blowing sideways, and the wind was strong enough that it was hard to stand. Clouds swirled around me. Visibility at a minimum. I was OK but felt close to the edge  closer than Id expected on a summer day.

But this was also the day that Chris, an American sitting in a mountain hut, drew me the last sketch I would need, leading me all the way to Lake Constance and the Rhine. So perhaps the most difficult day was also the day I knew for sure that I would make it  that Id find my way across Switzerland with nothing but the hand-drawn maps of strangers.

Last summer, frustrated with the predictability of recent travel experiences, I set out to walk across Switzerland without a phone or a preplanned route. I allotted 12 days, beginning on the shores of Lake Geneva, in the west, and heading in the general direction of Lake Constance, in the northeast  a distance, as the crow flies, of about 150 miles.

Nostalgic for the time before ubiquitous connectivity, when we relied on paper maps and conversations with strangers, I came up with a novel way to organize my trip: Each day, I planned to ask locals I met to sketch hand-drawn maps for me, which I would then follow as best I could.

I wanted to know if it was possible to walk across a country like this. I wanted to know what it would teach me about how technology and convenience have changed the way we travel. I wanted to be lost, and to find my way through the artwork of strangers.

Day 1 5 miles, from a lakeshore through the old town of Montreux, through woods and Alpine meadows, to the clifftops of Rocher de Naye.

I start at the edge of Lake Geneva. The sun is shining; only much later will I realize that what I crave more than a map is a weather forecast.

At a cafe in the lakeside town of Montreux, where I begin my walk, I meet a girl named Melanie, who draws me a map  annotated with beautiful, tiny script  that leads me uphill past a castle: the Caux Palace. She adds details about its history, as a site of negotiations on the future of postwar Europe.

The path uphill quickly enters a narrow river gorge  lush trees and suddenly a different world from the lakeside. I am alone. Higher, the woods open out into Alpine meadows, which hum with insects. The grass is so thick that at times I lose the path and wade upwards through a sea of flowers.

I hike for three hours  past the castle and its narrow turrets  then sleep out in the open, on a viewing platform near the summit. Im elated: I made it through my first day.

Day 2 24 miles, directed by two cheesemakers and a retired schoolteacher, I walk down then up again, twice over, through two river valleys and past countless cows.

The next morning, I head downhill toward a farm near Col de Chaude, a mountain pass where two cheesemakers draw my next map. First, though, is breakfast: cream piled on bread with a big wooden scoop. Meanwhile, a huge cauldron of milk heats over an open fire, on its way to being cheese.

Their map is simple: down from the farm, across a valley beside a dam and up toward a pass. Almost all the detail is in the house and the cowshed  there are five doors on the shed and a big chimney on the house, because, they say, thats where we make cheese over the fire.

This teaches me something unexpected about maps. I was asking people how to get somewhere. But more often than not, what they illustrate were the things to which they pay attention. For these farmers, what is important is the number of doors on the cowshed and the limits to the valley they call home.

Later that day in a cafe in Chateau dOex, I talk to Charlotte, the retired schoolteacher sitting next to me. She orders ice cream for lunch. I have watched my weight for 60 years and now I dont care anymore, she says.

Her map includes the number of meters Ill need to climb and descend to reach the next valley. She remembers them exactly because she once ran over these passes.

Our attention is a gift. Reading maps is an act of empathy. They tell us as much about the person who made them as they do about the world.

Days 3 to 5 63 miles, from the gentler hills around the town of Gstaad into the higher Alpine terrain of the Bernese Highlands.

In my tent at night Ive been reading Homers Odyssey. Ive learned that in the ancient world, before hotels, travelers relied on the kindness of strangers  on expectations of what was called xenia, or hospitality  to form bonds with those who might otherwise have turned them away. Hosts also provided help for a guests onward journey.

I stop at a farmhouse, still ragged with sleep from my camp on a mountain pass. Through the half-open door an old couple and their grandson are eating breakfast. They have been up since dawn to milk the cows. They invite me in for coffee, bread and jam.

The farmer, Rudy, carefully draws me a map in between his morning tasks. He is busy, he says, but he wants to make me a good map: I dont want you to get lost, he says. He gets out one of his own maps to check the compass points, then pencils them in. He tells me the farm has belonged to his family since 1664.

That night, having hiked along a winding path through crags and cliffs into Gstaad, and then along a rising stream toward a pass studded with farmhouses, I squeeze through a gap into an empty barn. Im on the hillside above the town of Lenk and a thunderstorm has begun. I am drenched. I sit in the straw and eat the piece of cheese Rudy gave me as I left. I read about the chariot Nestor gives to Odysseuss son to help him reach Sparta  help for the onward journey. I hang everything out to dry and listen to the roar of the rain.

The next day I follow the profile map that a man near the village of Adelboden drew for me, including where to find a freezing shower. I avoid it and swim in Oeschinen Lake instead, before sleeping in the grass of a meadow above.

Atop the Sefinenfurgge Pass, I ask two women, Lillan and Dora, to draw me a map to take me farther east. They work together, laughing wildly while they produce a picture thats mostly of cows and flowers. Lillan is Norwegian and Dora is Australian. They are friends who havent seen each other in years but who have come to hike here together.

Once they finish, one of them says, You thought you were asking us for something, but actually it was you who gave us a gift.

Day 6 27 miles, past the imposing north wall of the Eiger, then over a pass toward the glacial Reichenbach Falls, made famous by Sherlock Holmes.

On my second climb of the day, up a mountain pass called the Grosse Scheidegg, I play a game to take my mind off my aching legs. Its simple: Guess where the path will go next.

The map Im using was drawn by Susana, a Portuguese woman who married into a local family and now runs a mountain refuge near the village of Grindelwald. The map mostly shows me the refuges Ill pass, and what I should eat at each  which is delightful. But Im also exhausted, and my guesses about which way the path will go are often wrong.

I have a habit of looking ahead. Even when doing something I love, I often imagine whats coming next. I realize as I walk that not having a phone or a proper map  and thus not knowing whats around the bend  has snapped me out of the habit. If I dont know whats coming, I cant imagine myself there. Suddenly Im present and engaged in a way I rarely am.

I look up to find a falcon hanging in the wind, caught in the roar of the air. It swoops, veering away down the valley.

Late that evening, I stumble into Victoria Restaurant, in the village of Meiringen. I eat the best meal of my trip. Simon, the chef, draws me a map that points uphill past several springs to the top of a mountain, where hes added the label Power Energy Stone. Its a special place, he says.

Theres a hotel above the restaurant. I stay the night, glad to have somewhere dry to sleep. In the morning Ill go looking for magic rocks.

Days 7 and 8 43 miles, past three lakes (I swim in the second) and up a long valley to the Surenenpass, home to what I think might be the prettiest church in Switzerland.

Nature is a murky concept here. In spite of the mountains, the landscape is very manicured: grazing meadows, clearly marked paths, carefully managed woods. Whats wild is well hidden.

In the evening I see a fox crossing a meadow above the town of Engelberg  all fur, and so light on its feet that it looks like a marionette: afloat, barely touching the stage. Marmots, a pair of them, very young, peer at me from across the path. Theyre gone so quickly I barely see them move.

The curated landscapes make Switzerland the perfect place for this kind of adventure. It would be foolhardy to do this in Tasmania, where Im from, or in the American West  places where you could really get lost. Here, yellow signs point to well-maintained public trails. (An article of the Swiss Constitution mandates that footpaths and hiking trails be maintained.) Villages and trains are never far away. Even with roughly sketched maps, it is possible to (mostly) not be lost.

In any case, Kris, a solo Danish hiker I meet beside the Trubsee Lake, draws me a map. I ask her for a weather forecast. Rain all week. Maybe snow.

Wilderness enough.

Days 9 and 10 43 miles, through the original heart of Switzerland and the turquoise lakes of the canton of Glarus.

Our brains, what the neuroscientist and philosopher Andy Clark calls prediction machines, get better over time at anticipating reality. Often we can imagine the world so well that we no longer have to look at it. And so, in familiar surroundings, its rare that our senses alert us that weve made a mistake  that what we first thought was a shadow is really an ibex poised under a tree in the dawn, for example.

Predictability is a privilege. It makes daily life easier. But its also a curse. By not paying attention, we dont see the unexpected. We arent looking at the hillside trying to work out if the hand-drawn map we have is upside-down.

Before this trip, I imagined all the hours I would be able to simply think while I walked. What I didnt account for is how much time I would spend thinking about whether I was lost. I also didnt realize what Id see when I paid attention to uncertainty, or how slowly time would pass when I had to look so closely at the world.

I walk through the sprawling canton of Schwyz, along a path made of huge granite slabs, following a map drawn by Peter and Andrea, two cheesemakers whose farm I pass. This is the heart of Switzerland  the original cantons that formed the Old Swiss Confederacy, the precursor to the modern-day country. I hardly see another person all day; it feels like the most isolated place Ive been.

The next morning, after camping in a damp meadow above a lake called the Klontalersee, I stop for breakfast at Gasthaus Richisau. A couple working at an artists retreat there draws me a map to get me to the Walensee, a lake near the border with Liechtenstein. They cannot understand why I insist on walking in the rain. They draw a bus on their map. Why dont you take this? they ask. You wont get lost. It always leaves on time.

Days 11 and 12 47 miles, through the craggy peaks and clifftop paths of northern Switzerland, toward the Rhine.

As I get closer to Lake Constance, my endpoint, the rain falls harder, until it is snowing sideways. Im nearly blown over. Its freezing, and so I start to run downhill to warm up. I laugh at how silly this whole thing is  and Im still laughing when a tractor drives toward me. The farmer inside is dry and warm. He looks at me and laughs, too.

A man called Jon draws me a map of how to cross the canton of Glarus, which is bookended by the Klontalersee and the Walensee, two exceedingly pretty lakes. With the inclement weather behind us, we forage for blackberries while we talk. He is there to BASE jump with a wingsuit and is camping by the lake in a van. His map is marked with cliffs and valleys  and the airport, which I guess one has to watch out for when youre also a kind of flying machine.

Later, Chris, an American who has lived for decades nearby, draws me my final map. He has climbed and skied all over this region, and his map is among the most detailed of all: couloirs and climbing areas. I want to go in every direction. Theres material here for a lifetime of wandering.

When I finally get to Lake Constance, I jump in, despite the cold. Afterward, I calculate that Ive walked about 250 miles. I largely avoided getting hopelessly lost.
Six Questions

We Asked 65 Republican Convention Attendees

With the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week, we wanted to learn how the party has changed and where it might be going, not from the officials who will give prime-time convention speeches, but in the words of some of its most committed members from across the country. We spoke with 65 delegates and other attendees, a majority of whom were going to their first convention. We asked them their views on Donald J. Trump, the issues that drive them, what theyve seen change, formative political moments, their favorite Republicans and who might be the next leader of the party. The initial conversations happened before the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump on Saturday, and we followed up with respondents at the convention.

Heres how 65 Democrats answered the same questions.

1/6 How would you describe your feelings or level of enthusiasm about Donald Trump as the nominee?

Most of the attendees we spoke to said they were very enthusiastic about nominating him. Some said they were energized by his felony conviction in Manhattan in May. While the delegate selection process varies by state, the presumptive nominee has significant influence on who is chosen.

This is a time where our country needs a hero, and I believe that Donald Trump is that hero. Jason Soseman, 52, Missouri

self-employed worker He has nothing to gain. He doesnt need the money, he doesnt need the jet, he doesnt need the big house. Jeff Rawls, 59, Florida

construction company owner On a scale of one to a hundred for enthusiasm  one being I dont want to leave the couch on Election Day and a hundred being that I would crawl over broken glass  Im probably at a 99. AK Kamara, 40, Minnesota

contract courier

When asked at the convention how they felt about the shooting, many said they were even more determined to see Mr. Trump elected. Another common response was the belief that God had intervened to protect him. Some expressed hope that the political temperature would cool down, while others blamed the rhetoric of Mr. Trumps detractors. When you dehumanize people, it opens the door for others to take action in some ways, said Matthew Rust, a delegate from Wisconsin.

In conversations leading up to the convention, some respondents expressed their support for Mr. Trump but acknowledged that he was not always their first choice, or that they preferred his policies to his personality.

There were other candidates that I liked better, but of course I will still support him come November. Hayden Head, 20, Texas

student I like the guys policies. As far as hanging out with him ... Todd Gillman, 57, Michigan

disabled veteran Over the years he could have chosen his words a little more carefully about people, but the alternative is just really sad. Gwen Ecklund, 66, Iowa

retiree

Just one participant said he was not at all enthusiastic about Mr. Trump. Jason Watts, a former district party treasurer who was impeached after telling The New York Times that he had not voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 or 2020, says he feels like an abandoned orphan in the party.

It doesnt serve our candidates up and down the ticket if we are stuck with a cult of personality instead of a decipherable platform. Jason Watts, 47, Michigan

political consultant

2/6 Is there a particular issue that drives you toward or excites you about the Republican Party right now?

The economy was mentioned by more than 40 percent of respondents. Younger Republicans were more likely to be concerned about the cost of living. It is near impossible to buy a home, to get married and afford to have kids, said Stevie Giorno, a 24-year-old delegate from Tennessee.

We are the crushed and destroyed generation, whether its on rent, whether its on quality of life, whether its on wages that have been far outstripped by inflation and the cost of living. Kip Christianson, 33, Minnesota

donor adviser The cost of living for Americans. And I think the national deficit is another issue that weve got to get under control. Logan Z. Glass, 22, Alabama

county government official The ability to actually take care of your family, buy milk, pay an electric bill, not put everything on credit. Thats my biggest driving factor survival. Bethany Wheeler, 45, Michigan

government employee

Immigration was mentioned just as frequently (most respondents raised more than one driving issue), especially among older attendees. The responses track with a recent Times/Siena College poll in which more than half of Republicans said either the economy or immigration was the most important issue in deciding their vote.

Last week, Republican Party members approved a new, significantly pared down party platform reflective of Mr. Trumps priorities. The document calls for mass deportations as well as sealing off the border to migrants.

Trumps policies when it comes to the Southern border and shutting it down is the No. 1 thing. Mike Crispi, 31, New Jersey

talk show host I just feel the country is just not safe anymore. You can say its partly because of all the people we let into the country that we just dont know who they are. Janice Fields, 55, New Jersey

retiree I dont think everybody coming into this country is bad, but weve got to have a process to vet these folks that come across that border. Susan Aiken, 71, South Carolina

retiree My ancestors came also legally from many, many years back from Pakistan. If you want to come, you can come, but go through the legal channels. Dont just cross the border. Arif Shad, 66, Alabama

retired customs agent

Several respondents talked about the size of government and the national debt, long-held Republican priorities that were largely dropped from the partys platform.

Abortion came up less frequently in the survey. The new party platform softens the partys stance on the issue, reflecting Mr. Trumps recent position that it should be handled by the states, upsetting many anti-abortion activists.

A handful of respondents mentioned issues surrounding education, gender and sexuality, including the Biden administrations revised Title IX rules. A few respondents included election integrity as important to them, or offered that they believed in the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

3/6 Is there something youve seen change in the party?

You have grassroots conservatives who are getting activated, and a lot of the establishment Republicans  the old-style Republicans  are either stepping down or being pushed out. Bob Witsenhausen, 62, New Mexico

electrical contractor Since 2016, I think its become more of a working-class party rather than a big business party. Matthew Bingesser, 29, Kansas

attorney I dont think weve got the cohesiveness now that we had a dozen years ago. Jim Stalzer, 78, South Dakota

state legislator

Nearly all of the respondents hold positions within their local or state parties, or are members of groups for young Republicans or Republican women. Some hold public office. Many acknowledged an internal struggle in the party stemming from an influx of conservative activists.

We have a serious rise in purists that want everyone to agree with them 100 percent. They want to push every normal human out. Bethany Wheeler, 45, Michigan

government employee Because of all the battles were fighting  with the health freedom, with Covid, with parental rights and all of that stuff  a lot more people have gotten involved. Rachel Cadena, 54, Iowa

insurance adjuster I can say that the grass roots are finally heard. Were finally taking over from the local party up to the national. David Lara, 58, Arizona

self-employed worker Some parts of the party have gotten very radical, and I dont think they were like that during the Reagan days. Jennifer Cunningham, 46, South Carolina

child care director

Other respondents said theyd seen a sustained movement of the working class toward their party since blue-collar voters helped secure Mr. Trumps victory in 2016.

We had a reputation before of maybe the elite party, and now were the working persons party. Weve been more embracing of everyone. Deborah McMullen, 74, Florida

real estate broker, entrepreneur When you look at the millionaires that we have in the United States, most of them are running with the Democrat Party. Jack Ladyman, 77, Arkansas

state legislator Since the arrival of Trump at the scene, there has been a lot more voice to issues that are specific to our region, namely trade and loss of industry. Ian Shetron, 33, Michigan

finance operations manager

When it comes to foreign conflicts like in Gaza and Ukraine, they say todays party is less willing to be involved.

The Republicans were always the party of being pro-war, and Democrats were not. In the past four years or five years, theres really been a shift there. Jake Hoffman, 33, Florida

Co-founder of a digital media company Why dont we take care of our own in our own country, before we spend millions outside of our country? Juan Carlos Porras, 27, Florida

state legislator, small business owner

Some, but not all, who mentioned diversity said it had increased. In surveys over the past year, Mr. Trump has improved his standing with young and nonwhite voters.

The Republican Party is very much open to some different ideas, and more open to different kinds of people. Nina ONeill, 60, District of Columbia

teacher My Moms for Liberty group has seen a tremendous inpouring of younger people coming into the party and wanting to get involved. Amber Schroeder, 42, Wisconsin

stay-at-home mom, political consultant We dont have a pipeline, a future. I am the only Native American going to the delegation for New Mexico, and the only one in the county party. Leanna Derrick, 56, New Mexico

research analyst

4/6 Has there been a particularly meaningful or formative political moment in your life?

Most of the respondents said they had been Republicans their entire lives (or at least since they could vote). One said he campaigned door-to-door with his mother when he was still in the womb. Another recalled running a Reagan re-election campaign at his elementary school as a first grader.

I remember going around third grade telling all my friends, My mom is voting for Romney. And no one else was saying the same thing. Liliana Norkaitis, 20, Maryland

student I have this beautiful picture with my mom and me and Laura Bush, and each one of us holding one of my daughters. My mom was the one who did politics with me, and she passed away recently. Christine Peters, 47, New Hampshire

educator On Richard Nixon: I remember watching him leave the White House with my girlfriend; we were having a sleepover, and we were crying. Nina ONeill, 60, District of Columbia

teacher

Researchers have estimated that the years between age 14 and 24 are the most formative in shaping political preferences. Many of the major national or world events cited by respondents as meaningful occurred during their young adult years. Karl Von Batten, a 37-year-old lobbyist in Washington, remembered that after Sept. 11, President George Bush got on a bullhorn and made a call for action. He added, I joined the Army after that.

The Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Personally, I thought that there wasnt much evidence to these accusations. I felt it was politically motivated. Sydney Salatto, 25, Florida

grass-roots organizer The disasterous withdrawal from Afghanistan in the Biden administration. Bill G. Schuette, 28, Michigan

state legislator I remember seeing the Elian Gonzalez saga every day on TV and going with my parents to the solidarity marches. Kevin M. Cabrera, 33, Florida

Miami-Dade county commissioner When Reagan became president. I really felt a connection to the party at that time. Deborah McMullen, 74, Florida

real estate broker, entrepreneur

For most, an election or a campaign event activated their involvement. For the few who were not lifelong Republicans, these moments motivated them to join the party.

The Ron Paul campaign in 2008 gave me the conservative bug. Jon Smith, 46, Michigan

online salesperson The Dan Quayle political rally in Farmington, N.M. Gerrick Wilkins, 46, Alabama

automotive consultant In 2019, President Trump came to Bossier to endorse Eddie Rispone and had a rally. Ive been in politics since I was 13. It was the highlight of my life. Parker Ward, 32, Louisiana

property manager The election of Ronald Reagan and the optimism that he brought to the country. Shortly after that, the rise of Rush Limbaugh, who day after day explained the virtues of conservative doctrine. Dean Black, 58, Florida

state legislator, small business owner Hosting Pat Buchanan for my first political fund-raiser. When you fast-forward 16 years later, Trump won on the policies that Buchanan advocated for in that campaign. Dan Mason, 46, Oregon

property manager

The pandemic was also frequently mentioned.

During Covid, I think everybody saw what a lot of us felt was overreach of the government and other institutions. Matthew Rust, 55, Wisconsin

product developer Our kids were starting to be locked out of schools, and we saw this tremendous amount of learning loss happening in our public education system. That really woke me up. I actually ended up recalling four school board members. Amber Schroeder, 42, Wisconsin

stay-at-home mom, political consultant

5/6 Which Republican figure do you consider your favorite, or think aligns most closely with your positions?

Many respondents mentioned Mr. Trump. But more than half, including those born long after his presidency, mentioned Ronald Reagan. Any true Republican should hold Reagan in the highest regard, said Arik Amundsen, a 24-year-old delegate from Oklahoma.

Reagan, of course. I just think he was the full package  he was charismatic but he was also rhetorically sound in everything he said. Sandy Graves, 68, Florida

retiree He was able to disagree with folks without being disagreeable. Dan Schuberth, 40, District of Columbia

executive I feel like the circumstances are somewhat similar in the sense that as gracious as Jimmy Carter was, he was not a good president. And Ronald Reagan brought back a lot of the economy and so forth that was in a mess. Renee Gentle Powers, 72, Alabama

retiree

Many people couldnt name just one favorite. In all, they mentioned 40 Republicans. These were named more than once:

Ronald Reagan Donald Trump George W. Bush Barry Goldwater Abraham Lincoln Ron Paul George H.W. Bush Dwight Eisenhower Bob Dole Ronald Reagan Donald Trump George W. Bush Barry Goldwater Abraham Lincoln Ron Paul George H.W. Bush Dwight Eisenhower Bob Dole

There were a wide range of others mentioned once, including several home-state lawmakers.

On the former representative Fred Upton of Michigan: A willingness to compromise to get to the best solutions is something I think we've lost. Jason Watts, 47, Michigan

political consultant I love Tucker Carlson. Hell speak truth to the media. Hell do a lot things that most journalists will never do. Carson M. Butler, 27, Alabama

electrician On Representative Daniel Webster of Florida: Hes not sexy  hes no Matt Gaetz. But hes a gentleman, hes a worker, works behind the scenes, he gets things done. People in both parties respect him. Ralph Smith, 67, Florida

tire store owner

6/6 Is there someone you see as the next leader of the party after Trump?

Participants named 25 people they thought had potential to lead the party after Mr. Trump. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida received the most mentions, from more than one-third of respondents.

Were huge fans of Ron DeSantis down here in Florida. Jake Hoffman, 33, Florida

Co-founder of a digital media company Ive found myself wanting to be a citizen of Florida at times, because they have a strong leader who gets things accomplished for his citizenry. Aaron Bullen, 37, Utah

engineer I think it could be someone like DeSantis. It could be someone like Tulsi Gabbard, maybe Kristi Noem. Lori Martinez, 63, Arizona

mortgage loan originator and property manager

These responses were compiled before Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio was announced as Mr. Trumps running mate, with some attendees saying they were waiting to see who the choice would be. The most common names mentioned after Mr. DeSantis were Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and the former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley  all onetime primary contenders.

Tim Scott was unknown to so many of us. Really like him. Mack N. Butler, 61, Alabama

state legislator, small business owner The only thing I could see as far as competence-wise ... maybe one of the boys, maybe Don Jr., or Eric. Jason Mikkelborg, 51, Michigan

disabled combat veteran I see a lot of people up and coming, like Vivek Ramaswamy. I think he could really make an impact in the future. A lot of people right now probably just think hes too young. Taylor Broyles, 26, Oklahoma

county employee

More than 20 percent of participants did not name anyone with the potential to take up Mr. Trumps mantle.
Chinese prosecutors recently filed lawsuits against at least 16 companies accused of requiring female jobseekers to undergo pregnancy testing.

Chinese law explicitly prohibits employers from carrying out pregnancy tests as part of pre-employment examinations, but some companies are so worried about the costs of maternity leave and benefits that they prefer to make sure the women they hire are not pregnant. Earlier this month, prosecutors in the Tongzhou district of Nantong, Chinas Jiangsu Province, announced that it had sued 16 companies for illegally testing female job applicants for pregnancy without even formally informing them about it. Their investigation revealed that companies violated womens right to equal employment opportunities, as at least one candidate was rejected after it was revealed that she was pregnant.

Photo: freestocks/Unsplash

Prosecutors began their investigation after receiving an anonymous tip, and by the end, they found at least 16 companies that unlawfully required female jb seekers to take pregnancy tests, as well as two hospitals and a physical exam center where 168 pregnancy tests had been carried out on behalf of the offenders. In most cases, the women were not informed in writing about the pregnancy testing and only offered verbal hints.

In one case, a woman who was expecting a baby in a few months was not hired because of her pregnancy. After the investigation, the offending company hired the woman and offered her compensation.

We can speculate from this evidence that the pregnancy tests were required by these companies, and it had violated womens rights to equal work opportunities, the prosecutors concluded.
The Better World Campaign has hired FleishmanHillard for strategic communications and PA to strengthen support for the work of the United Nations in the US.

Headquartered in Washington, BWC launched in 1999 following entrepreneur Ted Turners $1B donation to advance global peace, security and health through the UN.

BWC engages with American policymakers, media and the public to increase awareness of the critical role that the UN plays in world affairs.

FHs international affairs & PA team and members of DDC Public Affairs handle the BWC push.

The U.N. is a critical forum for the U.S.and the American peopleto safeguard our interests and navigate global uncertainty at a time when the world is rife with challenges, said Colin Hart, FH partner.
Todd Kaplan

Kraft Heinz recruits former PepsiCo CMO Todd Kaplan to serve as CMO, North America. Kaplan left PepsiCo last month after almost 18 years, having served in positions including VP, marketing for Pepsi, as well as for the companys water portfolio. He will oversee marketing across Kraft Heinzs $22 billion food and beverage portfolio in North America, including such brands as Heinz, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, Maxwell House, Grey Poupon and Cool Whip. He will also lead the companys North American Growth Office and The Kitchen, its in-house content studio.

Julia Phillips

Bluerock, an alternative asset manager with more than $18 billion in acquired and managed assets, hires Julia Phillips as managing director and CMO. Phillips most recently served as a principal in Blackstone's private wealth solutions group, where she led product marketing for the firm's real estate strategies. Before that, she was head of marketing and product for Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors. At Bluerock, Phillips will be responsible for leading the firm's marketing and communications strategy and elevating its brand position in the private wealth alternatives space. Julia's expertise in developing impactful communication strategies to illustrate the benefits of alternatives allocations will play a key role in Bluerock's growth," said Ramin Kamfar, Bluerock's CEO and founder.

Courtney Brown Warren

Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform, promotes Courtney Brown Warren to CMO. Warren has been with the company since April 2023, previously serving as VP of brand marketing. She was previously global head of brand at Twitter and head of creative at Audible. In her new post, Warren will oversee all aspects of Kickstarter's marketing strategy, including product marketing, creative, communications, content, social, experiential, partnerships, and sponsorships. She will also oversee Kickstarters sales and community outreach strategy. Courtney's passion for storytelling and her proven marketing expertise have already made a mark on our brand, said Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor. Im excited to see how she continues to leverage marketing to continue to invigorate the brand and champion the voices and ideas of our creators and backers around the world.
An Offaly senator has said pressure on services like healthcare should not be an argument to protest against the arrival of 55 Ukrainians in Edenderry.

The people, mostly women and children, will finally move into the revamped shoe factory in Edenderry this month after months of works and delays.

The Department of Education says it is working with local schools to cater for those children of school age that have arrived as part of this cohort.

READ NEXT: Women and children the majority of 55 Ukrainian refugees moving into old Edenderry factory

Green Party Minister Pippa Hackett has welcomed the news, and expressed her firm belief that the people of Edenderry will receive the guests with open arms, adding that pressure on services was no argument against helping people fleeing the war.

The profile of Edenderry is one of people with a strong sense of pride of place, and that is shared among those who grew up in the area and those who moved here, whether from other parts of Offaly, commuting workers based in Dublin, and those who have come from further afield, she said.

This is a town where people are committed to creating a family-friendly environment, and Im completely committed to supporting them in their ambitions.

There may be bad actors who will use red herring arguments such as pressure on services to try and stir up ill-will towards this decision, but my answer to that is that there is pressure on services, and in a town of 8,000 people, that is not an argument to turn away 55 people fleeing for their lives. Instead it is an argument to build up the local health infrastructure, to further support local schools, and to intensify the push to put in place new community facilities, such as the swimming pool.

Edenderry is a town that is open for business, a town that welcomes visitors no matter how long they will stay, and a town that has the raw material to thrive, but it needs government support to do that. But most importantly, the welcoming, friendly nature of the people of this community will make this a place where our new visitors can stay safe from war and violence, allowing them to recover and heal, before in time become active and contributing members of a community  whether thats here in Offaly, or back in Ukraine.

READ NEXT: Belongings stolen from car in Aldi carpark in Edenderry as gardai issue statement

Weve all seen the horrific scenes from Coolock and all I can say about that is that I condemn the criminality, and I hope for a full recovery for those who were injured. But that is not who we are here in North Offaly, we are delighted to welcome in anyone, and my role now is to ensure that the town has everything it needs to cater for everyone who lives here, whether theyve been here for 50 years or 5 minutes," Senator Hackett concluded.
A Sinn Fein Councillor was accused of having 'some neck' at last Thursday's meeting of Tullamore Municipal District when she expressed concern about privacy issues regarding the use of CCTV.

Tensions arose when a discussion on the installation of closed circuit television for detecting illegal dumping was being discussed during the course of an environment report.

Councillor Aoife Masterson said she had a ''huge interest'' in the subject as her background was in law and human rights. She said she used to work with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and CCTV was a ''hobby horse'' for her.

''I appreciate it's not everybody's cup of tea and how frustrating it can be if you have people like myself rabbitting on about it,'' she added.

She asked when a report from the oversight committee would be available and what was the proposed timeline for the implementation of CCTV.

''At least Councillor Masterson is consistent in this regard,'' said Councillor Neil Feighery. Reading from a post on her Facebook page dated August 15 last, when there had been an IT glitch at the Bank of Ireland allowing people to withdraw 1,000 whether they had it in their account or not.

Cllr Feighery quoted Cllr Masterson who he said posted: ''Many Bank of Ireland customers took out money in good faith and belief that they had this money and will now face high costs, unauthorised overdraft fees and upcoming bills going unpaid until it is cleared. Bank of Ireland must positively engage with customers to avoid undue hardship and distress. If you are in the Tullamore area and need advice or assistance engaging with the banks please reach out and I would be happy to talk through it with you and help.''

''Now that really took some neck,'' said Cllr Feighery. ''I for one am glad that we are now going to be able to use the CCTV that is available to local authorities and the Garda Siochana and that we will be able to use this in the criminal justice system, so that chancers who are clearly doing a mean act can be caught and we can protect the ordinary decent people and make sure that their civil liberties are protected.''

Responding, Cllr Masterson said; ''It's ironic that Cllr Feighery talks about chancers. I think we all know bringing something up about the banks when we are talking about the environment is a fair stretch, so good luck. I appreciate that Councillor Feighery might not have the same appreciation for civil liberties that I do. I am concerned about people who experience domestic violence and who might not know how much they have in their bank account. People who work cash in hand, they might not know, others who might experience coercive control who don't have access to their bank account, these are the people I deal with. Cllr Feighery might not understand that people who live on the margins might not always be in control of their bank account,'' she said.

Cllr Masterson went on to say she was not opposed to CCTV but she wanted it ''done correctly'' with the proper procedures in place. ''Cllr Feighery is from the law and order party, we have to respect law and order,'' she said.

Fianna Fail Councillor, Tony McCormack, said he didn't know whether he was at a Tullamore Municipal District meeting or a Dail Eireann meeting.

''I think we need to remember where we are. We are in Tullamore MD and not the chambers of the Dail. I do agree with Cllr Feighery, I saw the queues that were at the Bank of Ireland in Tullamore and most of those people, at least 99 percent of them hadn't got a 1,000 in their bank account, but they were taking a chance that they might get a 1,000 and wouldn't have to pay it back. I agree wholeheartedly with Cllr Feighery on that one. You can go on about the minority and the vulnerable people in society and I absolutely agree with you, if you are in that boat. But the Bank of Ireland took every case individually and they knew who was in that situation and there were very few of them,'' he added.
Tullamore pub The Old Warehouse has been nominated across three categories in the 2024 Bar of the Year Awards.

The pub has secured nominations for the Best Newcomer award, the Local Bar of the Year Award and the Gastro Bar of the Year Award.

Located in the site of the former Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre which dated back to 1829, the pub opened its doors recently in 2022.

READ MORE - Women and children the majority of 55 Ukrainian refugees moving into old Offaly factory

Clara PGA Tour star Shane Lowry opened the pub in partnership with businessman Alan Clancy less than two years ago.

The venue now comprises of two floors, with a bar on the ground floor and a restaurant located upstairs and employs 50 full and part-time staff.

The Old Warehouse secured the top spot in the Sunday Worlds popular 'Pub Spy' rankings, a top 10 list of Irelands best bars, earlier this year in January.

The Bar of the Year awards will take place on Monday, August 19, and the Old Warehouse will be looking to secure another award to add to their silverware.
Tullamore men's clothing store Guy Clothing is inviting locals to register for a major exclusive event they are hosting tomorrow, featuring an All-Star lineup of some of hurling's biggest stars.

The shop is hosting an All-Ireland hurling final preview tomorrow, ahead of the highly anticipated clash between Clare and Cork.

High Street store Guy Clothing have said they are "delighted" to be hosting the preview, which they promise will include some of hurling's biggest names.

READ ALSO - Popular British television show Salvage Hunters to feature antique store in the Midlands

Store employee Anthony Kearns revealed in a post on social media that the exclusive event will feature 9-time All-Ireland winner and Kilkenny star Jackie Tyrrell, as well as Galway right wing-back and three time All-Star winner Padraic Mannion.

The event will also feature local talents from the Offaly under-20 hurling side, including 'Captain Fantastic' Dan Bourke and Adam Screeney.

Anthony Kearns said the men will be kept "on the straight and narrow", as they are all joined by four time All-Ireland referee and Clara native Brian Gavin "who will issue yellow or red cards as needed".

The MC of the night will be Midlands 103's own Joe Troy. The event will also feature a Q&A with all players involved.

The event promises to be a fun-filled, entertaining night, kicking off at 6:30pm in Guy Clothing. The event is ticketed, and those looking to register for a ticket can do so at this link or by scanning the QR code in-store.

The event will be recorded live and will be shared across Guy Clothing's social medias prior to Sundays Big Game.

The event is strictly over-16s.
Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain this week could face extreme temperatures with some weather models suggesting temperatures could exceed 40C in parts of the country.

The Spanish Meteorology Agency AEMET has issued a number of 'maximum temperature' weather warnings and one Irish forecaster watching weather models thinks temperatures could hit 43C.

Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather posted a number of stark images of blazing red weather maps showing the extent of the heat expected to hit Spain.

He said: "Heading away to Spain in the next few days for some heat? Well you could get more than you want. Prepare for some hot weather, up to 40c by Thursday and could get up to 43c early next weekend!"

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs here has issued advice to holidaymakers caught up in the extreme heat.

READ NEXT: Irish holidaymakers heading to Spain hit with serious balcony warning

A statement read: "During the summer months, Spain can experience heatwaves with exceptionally high temperatures recorded in parts of the country. You can monitor information and alerts, including severe weather warnings, on the website of the Spanish Meteorological Agency, AEMET, and on its social media channels.

"High temperatures also increase the risk of forest fires. Unseasonal heatwaves have continued into autumn 2023 and the risk of fires remains elevated, including in the Canary Islands. Up-to-date information on the current situation in relation to forest fires is available on the website of the Department of Civil Protection and Emergencies and on its social media channels.

"Irish citizens should avoid engaging in any action that may contribute to the risk of forest fires, and follow the advice of local authorities if they find themselves in affected areas."

People are also told to avoid the direct sunlight in areas affected during the hottest parts of the day, early to mid afternoon. They are told to follow local advice to avoid serious injury or illness as a result of extreme weather.
It is no secret that, like many industries across New York State, our farms and agricultural sector struggle to find workers to fill vital jobs. Across the state there are approximately 5,000 vacant agricultural jobs that desperately need to be filled and, with expansions to existing dairy processing facilities and new ones anticipated to come online soon, this number is only expected to grow.

New York, one of the most diverse agricultural producers in the country, has farmers who are national leaders in highly labor-intensive commodities like dairy, apple, and cabbage production. My family has been in the dairy farming business for over four generations now, and I have seen first-hand that when farmers cant find workers to harvest our apples or milk our cows, it only leads to crops left in the fields, less available local food, and rising food prices negatively impacting all Americans.

Over the past two years, we have seen thousands of asylum seekers arrive in New York who desperately want to work and are obtaining the necessary legal documentation to do so. In fact, to help the process along, New York State has launched a portal linking employers with asylum seekers with work authorization.

The idea of new Americans working on farms in this country isnt new or radical. Immigrants and American farms have a long shared history. Todays challenges offer an opportunity to continue that rich legacy. For new arrivals seeking work, the farm industry offers ample opportunity to find employment and a welcoming environment to begin new lives.

Farm work offers unique benefits that cannot be easily replicated in other areas of the state. For starters, many asylum seekers already have agricultural experience in their home country, as they have either owned or worked on farms. Additionally, farm workers are often provided housing on or near farms by the farms where they work, which eliminates a major cost for people who have left very trying circumstances in their home country. This can be a win-win for both the agricultural and asylum-seeking communities.

Newcomers deserve our support to find and be placed in good jobs  especially jobs that domestic workers are not interested in filling. We face an opportunity to help the newest New Yorkers in their pursuit of the American dream while boosting regional agriculture. The time to act is now and in doing so, we can strengthen our local food system and rural economy while helping those in need.
Irish businesses continue to face challenges in complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), six years on from its introduction, according to new research.

The research, which was conducted by Ipsos B&A, found that just 15% of businesses consider their organisation to be fully compliant with the legislation, which is billed as the toughest privacy and security law in the world.

A further 58% of respondents indicated their organisation was materially compliant, and 25% say their organisation was somewhat compliant. In order to achieve their compliance targets, half of the businesses surveyed believe they need more resourcing, financial investments or further expertise in this space.

The findings were presented by Forvis Mazars and McCann FitzGerald LLP in their latest joint survey, "GDPR and Digital Legislation: A Survey of the Impact and Effect on Organisations in Ireland.

The research also found that 82% of respondents believe the risks associated with GDPR non-compliance are increasing, with respondents citing reputational risk as the most important factor in determining an organisations data protection risk appetite, followed by fear of fines. Eight in 10 (81%) of the businesses surveyed say they intend to improve their compliance status.

This is the eighth edition of the Forvis Mazars and McCann FitzGerald LLP annual survey on the impact of GDPR on organisations in Ireland.

As well as examining the latest perceptions among Irish businesses regarding GDPR compliance, the report also assesses awareness and readiness for a wave of new legislative developments from the European Union in response to rapid technological changes.

Findings show that 60% of those surveyed are concerned about the impact of new digital legislation on their organisation, which includes DORA (the Digital Operational Resilience Act), the AI Act, the Data Act, the Data Governance Act, the Digital Services Act, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2) and the Cyber Resilience Act.

There is also a high degree of uncertainty regarding the new legislation with many respondents being unsure of their applicability to their business, which suggests further education and awareness is required within organisations.

Liam McKenna, Partner in Consulting Services at Forvis Mazars, said: This survey underscores the essential need for organisations to remain up to date with both current and forthcoming regulations in the digital space.

"Irish businesses must diligently maintain their compliance initiatives, particularly amid the significant financial and reputational risks at stake.

Although GDPR regulations were implemented in 2018, that only 15% of Irish companies are fully compliant is a concern for Irish business, particularly in light of further digital legislation coming down the tracks including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), AI Act, Data Act, and Digital Services Act, among others," he continued.

"Irish companies therefore need to urgently focus on GDPR adherence, while actively gearing up for new legislative requirements.
An Irishman who is the last known surviving fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain has celebrated his 105th birthday at a ceremony in Dublin.

Group Captain John Paddy Hemingway, who was a member of the group Sir Winston Churchill described as the few, attended an event to mark his birthday at the British embassy in the south of the city.

The event was marked with the unveiling of portraits reflecting different stages in Mr Hemingways life, which were painted by British artist Dan Llywelyn Hall.

Representatives from the Royal Air Force and Mr Hemingways family also attended the event on Wednesday.

Mr Hemingway made a short speech at the reception, saying: I cant talk very much as my breath doesnt allow me. But thanks so much for being here. Its made my day.

Born in Dublin in 1919, he joined the RAF in 1938, and was one of the young pilots that took part in the Battle of France.

In 1940, Mr Hemingway was recorded as destroying a German airliner, the following day he downed a German Luftwaffe but his Hurricane fighter plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and he had to make a forced landing.

He then became one of the front-line squadrons of 11 Group and responded to the daily attacks from German aircraft, which became known as the Battle of Britain.

Mr Hemingways logbook records up to five daily sorties he and the other pilots undertook in defence of the United Kingdom.

In August 1940, during hectic dogfights, Mr Hemingway was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricanes, landing once in the sea off the Essex coast and in marshland on the other occasion.

On July 1, 1941, Mr Hemingway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and in September that year, he was mentioned in Despatches.

His son, Brian Hemingway, said: I think my father was born in a time where flying was very glamorous, it is a wonderful thing to do. As an 18-year-old he joined the RAF to have a lot of fun, travel the world and of course the war intervened and he became a fighter pilot.

In those days it was a different world. They were flying at an early age.

Imagine an 18 or 19-year-old today getting into a machine and fly it at 300mph, attacking people in dogfights which lasts seconds and it was absolute chaos.

These were kids and people, to try and appreciate what it was like, have to go back to 1938 when it was a different world. They suffered great hardships.

His entire world was the squadron. Their friendships were formed in war, which is perhaps the strongest.

People should think about what it was like to sit in a Hurricane and go up every morning, sometimes five times a day, to find the enemy and shoot them when youre exhausted.

Artist Dan Llywelyn Hall said: In creating a series of portraits, I have emphasised different character facets of Johns rich personality.

He is above all, a proud Irishman and occupies an utterly unique moment in our history  a shared history between Britain and Ireland  finding himself the final voice and embodiment of a defining period.

The portraits will be auctioned at a later date, with some of the proceeds donated to Trinity Nursing Home in Dublin, where Mr Hemingway resides.

Chief of Staff of Irish Defence Forces Sean Clancy, who also attended the event, said: As someone who was very fortunate to be born on the continent of Europe, where peace and democracy has reigned for so long, and it has reigned because weve been able to stand on the shoulders of people like Paddy and his fellow aircrew who fought bravely form 1939 to 1945.

We should be forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made, so we can say we live in a peaceful world.

Unfortunately, thats been shattered in recent times.

Mr Hemingway went on to serve as an Air Fighter Controller for Operation Overlord and in 1945, he served in the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces with 324 Wing and eventually commanded 43 squadron, which served in Italy.

It was during this time that he was forced to bail out a fourth time.

While attacking enemy forces near Ravenna in April 1945, his Spitfire was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire.

He parachuted into enemy territory and with the help of Italian locals, managed to contact Italian partisans, who helped him return to his squadron.

In 1966, he became Officer Commanding RAF Leconfield and eventually attained the rank of Group Captain.
Safe housing should be at the top of any city governments priority list. Families in New York State rental properties have the legal right to expect an environment free of toxic lead paint and other threats. Regular inspections of rental housing would find such deadly hazards, but though they are required by law, these inspections are not being effectively carried out in Buffalo.

Thats why a coalition of local community groups and individual residents have taken to the courts to compel the city to fully implement its Proactive Rental Inspections Law, enacted in 2020.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Partnership for the Public Good, PUSH Buffalo and the Center for Elder Law and Justice  as well as four city residents  are the petitioners in the suit. Were not asking for anything new. Just for the city of Buffalo to live up to its own stated standards, said Steven Haagsma, of Housing Opportunities Made Equal.

Whatever becomes of the lawsuit, the city should not need to be compelled to carry out the PRI program. It should be aggressively inspecting rental properties for health and safety hazards, full stop  without any prodding.

This is not only about lead paint. The inspections are also meant to target foundation and roof problems, inactive smoke detectors, window deterioration, unsafe stairs, buckling ceilings, leaky plumbing and electrical problems.

But lead paint is very much at the forefront. Since at least the early 1990s, Buffalo has ranked among the nations worst cities for childhood lead poisoning  a function of its aging housing stock and concentrated, segregated poverty.

With 93% of homes in Buffalo built before 1978  the year lead paint was banned  lead hazards are common. They are also preventable and programs are available to help with remediation costs. However, the lead has to be detected first. While the Erie County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is responsible for the case management of lead poisoned children in Erie County, county officials inspect buildings after children have tested positive for high levels of lead in their blood. Preventative inspecting of buildings for lead and many other unhealthy dangers  including rodent infestations and unusable plumbing  is the mission of the citys proactive inspections policy.

Its called proactive for a reason. The idea is to find lead before a child is poisoned.

Earlier this year, the News Deidre Williams reported that, according to Buffalos permits and inspections commissioner Catherine Amdur, the inspection program lacked the funding to be sustainable and the PRI ordinance should be revised. Since then, however, as Williams reported on July 11, the city has doubled the rental registry fees paid by landlords specifically to raise money for the PRI program.

Now we have both halves of the puzzle: First, a PRI law unanimously adopted by the Common Council in 2020 that requires the interior and exterior inspection of 36,000 rental units every three years; and second, increased rental registry fees that, according to Amdur, could help pay for an estimated 20 additional inspectors to help get the job done.

And lets not forget, Buffalo rents are not low: Zillow data shows that average rents in Buffalo went up $371 between December 2018 and 2023.

Thus far, the City of Buffalo has not even begun to approach the initial PRI goal of 36,000 units every three years. Since 2020, there have been fewer than 5,000 rental properties inspected and fewer than 500 certificates of compliance issued.

It doesnt take a lawsuit to highlight this level of inadequacy. The poor conditions of many Buffalo rental properties have been well publicized by The News and other local media.

Buffalos PRI program needs to get revved up and start fulfilling the promises it made when it became law in 2020.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Douglas Mwonzora, has announced plans to meet with three presidents attending the upcoming SADC Heads of State Summit in Zimbabwe this August. The discussions aim to highlight the country's urgent need for electoral reforms.As President Emmerson Mnangagwa prepares to assume the chairmanship of SADC, the MDC sees the summit as a prime opportunity to promote principles of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe."SADC's coming to Zimbabwe is a good thing as Zimbabwe assumes responsibility in SADC because then Zimbabwean leaders, especially President Mnangagwa, may understand the principles of SADC, especially the principles governing free and fair elections," said Mwonzora.Meetings with Heads of StateMwonzora confirmed that his party has secured appointments with three Heads of State to discuss electoral reforms but refrained from naming the leaders due to diplomatic protocol."We are going to meet them. Unfortunately, I can't tell you which Heads of State have agreed to meet us, but we have so far about three," Mwonzora stated. "I have to see them first, then tell you about them formally."Advocating for Electoral ReformsThe MDC leader emphasized the necessity of electoral reforms to improve public participation and ensure the integrity of electoral systems."We want the diaspora vote; we want the people who are outside this country, who are Zimbabweans, to have a say in who rules their country," Mwonzora asserted. "People outside the country don't want to remain in the United Kingdom, Botswana, or South Africa forever but want to come back home to a better Zimbabwe and have a say in who governs the country."Mwonzora stressed that Zimbabweans living abroad should have the right to vote, highlighting their significant contributions through remittances.Reforming the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)Mwonzora called for an independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), criticizing its current structure and financial dependence on the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. He also opposed the European Union's (EU) funding of ZEC, citing concerns over corruption and lack of transparency."We want the reformation of ZEC. ZEC is not independent; we are not worried about the commission itself but worried about the committees under the commission," he explained.Continuing the Fight for ReformsMwonzora revealed that the MDC has reconstituted the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA), a platform where political parties and civil society collaborate on electoral reforms."In a few weeks, you will be seeing NERA roll out its program. We are doing something about reforms as the MDC; we don't believe in voodoo politics. We don't say God is in it, we say God is in us," Mwonzora stated. "God gives us the brain to challenge. God does not just stand there when you do nothing; he will do something. God does not work that way; we believe God works within us."The MDC's initiative at the SADC Summit underscores its commitment to securing meaningful electoral reforms in Zimbabwe, aiming to foster a fair and transparent electoral process.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The government should release reports by two commissions that investigated the Gukurahundi genocide "as part of truth telling" ahead of new public hearings in Matabeleland which President Emmerson Mnangagwa hopes will bring closure to victims, the Heal Zimbabwe Trust said on Tuesday.The Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach Programme launched by Mnangagwa in Bulawayo last Sunday is a "significant step, but it must be accompanied by sincere and inclusive efforts," the NGO said."The government must release the reports of the Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe Commissions of Inquiry as part of truth-telling," Heal Zimbabwe Trust said.The Zimbabwe Commission of Inquiry into the Matabeleland Disturbances set up by the late former president Robert Mugabe and chaired by Justice Simplisius Chihambakwe carried out its work between 1983 and 1984 but its findings were never published.It came after another enquiry in 1981 when Justice Enoch Dumbutshena led a panel of seven which inquired into the mutinous disturbances which took place in February 1981 at Glenville Military Camp, Ntabazinduna Military Camp, and Entumbane ZANLA and ZIPRA Camps.Mnangagwa, then the justice minister, told the Supreme Court in 2003 during a lawsuit brought the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Legal Resources Foundation that the findings and recommendations of the Dumbutshena Commission "were solely for use by the government and the government had no legal duty to divulge the findings to the general public.""In any case, because of the sensitivity of the matter at the time the report was presented to government, it was not reproduced and as of now it has not been located," he added.Retired High Court judge Selo Nare, as chairman of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) in 2019, told journalists that the government had told him that both reports "have been lost."Few however believe the documents have been lost, and fear that the newly announced Gukurahundi hearings are designed to whitewash the atrocities carried out by a special army unit in Matabeleland and Midlands.The Gukurahundi Outreach announced by Mnangagwa will be led by traditional chiefs, but the process remains unclear.Heal Zimbabwe also observed that past actions, such as the repeated vandalism of memorial plaques in Bhalagwe and the restricted engagement with affected communities have eroded trust in the government's commitment to justice and reconciliation.Heal Zimbabwe instead is encouraging the government to "take a step back" from leading the process to avoid conflicts of interest, allowing traditional leaders to genuinely guide the outreach programme."While President Mnangagwa has said traditional leaders are leading the process, he must not be seen as handholding the chiefs," the group said.The campaigners also want a witness protection mechanism to prevent the re-victimisation of survivors who come forward to narrate what they witnessed."A bottom-up approach is critical in correctly capturing the voices, demands, and wishes of the victims and communities affected by Gukurahundi," the organisation stated.Heal Zimbabwe recommended learning from transitional justice processes in other African countries such as Liberia, South Africa, and Rwanda "to foster effective healing and reconciliation in Zimbabwe."
"If we make peaceful revolution impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable." John Fitzgerald Kennedy

In my talks all over the world I explained that there is a 60% chance tat we the world we know will be destroyed. The Genocide in Gaza woke up hundreds of millions of people but it is not yet clear that this pressure is enough to change the western subserviance to forces (deep state) promoting colonialism, imperialism, and especially now Zionism that drive the world to the abyss. To compound the problem the oppressive forces are no longer led by rational megalomaniacs but by lunatics like Netanyahu, Biden, and Trump. Those individuals and their smaller clones/disciples (JD Vance, Kamala Harris, Ben Gvir, Smotrich) do not consider any logical argument because they answer to strong motivation driven from other interests. They have command of resources and are willing to sacrifice people (and now the planet) at the altar of egos. While there existed before them people like that (Hitler, Musolini, Milosovitch, Bush etc.), the era we live in cannot afford this. There will not be human winners and losers in the next global or even regional wars. The technology advancements and easy availability of nuclear, drone, hypersonic, and satellite weaponry ended that era. But wars also are climate change issues. Israel produced more Green House gasses in its genocide in Gaza (from Jets and bombs) than what France produced in a whole year of all its sources (cars, industries, planes etc). And scientists recorded the highest global temperatures ever. Will more people awaken and challenge the catastrophic direction. The Gaza Strip provides the best torch of awakening. With estimated 180,000 killed directly or indirectly (disease, famin), will that be enough "motivation" to grow the pressure to finally end the forces of (irrational) evil engulfing the planet? Or will cockroaches inherit the earth? Millions of us increase our activism against all odds, for others who are spectators, they can watch the destruction of human rights and the rule of law and keep prayers that they can keep their lives going. But "Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,.." preamble of the universal declaration of human rights

Bethlehem Natural History Museum: A snapshot of Palestine before Israeli colonial terraforming: Mazin and Jessie Qumsiyeh's Bethlehem-based museum not only preserves endangered species but also safeguards Palestinian culture amidst the ongoing war in Gaza For more on our work, see this short video

Yesterday five houses were demolished in the village of Al-Walaja by the fascist colonizing Zionist regime (terraforming). A farmer there once told me that he felt his land was heaven and after he dies he wants to be in his village heaven.Here are some links of our earlier actions in Al-Walaja. See also.

Here are some images of Palestine that explains why we Palestinians will never give up our homeland (we are willing to share it but will never give it up even after genocide).

We Must Understand Israel as a Settler-Colonial State.

Russiagate was Israelgate

US supplied weapons work to cause maximum civilian casualties.

Israel's Most Illicit Affair: A book reveals that Israels secret relationship with apartheid South Africa went far deeper than previously understood. Now comes Sasha Polakow-Suransky, who is an editor at Foreign Affairs magazine, a Rhodes scholar, and an American Jew whose parents emigrated to the United States from South Africa. His singular achievement in his new book, The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa scheduled for publication on May 25, is to have unearthed more than 7,000 pages of heretofore secret documents from the bowels of South Africa's Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Armscor, the state defense contractor, including the secret 1975 military cooperation agreement signed by defense ministers Shimon Peres and P.W. Botha. Secret South African documents reveal that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the apartheid regime, providing the first official documentary evidence of the state's possession of nuclear weapons.

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home

Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine

facebook pages Personal Institute

French
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu PF activist Benson Rutendo Manyarare has been convicted of contempt of court and jailed for three months by a court in Johannesburg, South Africa.The sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he does not make further defamatory statements about Innscor Africa and its major shareholder, Zinona Koudounaris.Justice Gcina Malindi of the Gauteng Division of the High Court found the 46-year-old was in contempt of two judgements by different judges after persisting with a social media campaign of demonizing Innscor and its founder.The dispute relates to claims posted by Matinyarare on social media last year accusing Innscor of selling GMO foods in Zimbabwe, and also labelling Koudounaris as a "Rhodie", which means white Rhodesian. Koudounaris is of Greek descent and did not arrive in Zimbabwe until the mid-1980s.In a ruling on January 9, 2024, Justice Thina Siwendu ordered Matinyarare to take down the defamatory posts on Facebook and X, and to desist from posting any further unsubstantiated claims against Innscor and Koudounaris.Undeterred, Matinyarare wrote more defamatory posts about Innscor and Koudounaris between February 28 and March 5, 2024.On March 20, Justice Brad Wanless granted Innscor a second relief against Matinyarare and ordered him to delete any slanderous posts on Innscor and Koudounaris, and to desist from making further offensive posts. That too did not discourage him.Justice Malindi said Matinyarare was in contempt of both orders as he granted Innscor's application to have him committed to jail."Matinyarare is committed to a period of imprisonment of three months, which committal is suspended on condition that he does not disseminate, directly or indirectly, false and defamatory allegations pertaining to the Innscor Africa and Koudounaris, or in any other manner breach the orders by judges Siwendu and Wanless," Justice Malindi ruled.The judge said Matinyarare was also liable for Innscor and Koudounaris' legal costs "on an attorney client scale, including the costs of two counsel on scale C (maximum rate)."Matinyarare's former lawyer Simba Chitando, who represented him for several months in his fight with Innscor, has filed a separate criminal complaint against him in which he says the Zanu PF activist lied to the High Court when he claimed he was unaware of the court judgements against him.Chitando wants him arrested and charged with perjury. The lawyer also revealed that Matinyarare had informed him that his new lawyers were being paid by controversial tycoon Simon Rudland "because he does not like Koudounaris' control of the Zimbabwean economy."
It is sometimes said that some of us are lucky enough to get old. Of course, that might be just one perspective. It might also be said that those who die young are the lucky ones, unspoiled by life's trials and tribulations. After all, it is said that only the good die young. Billy Joel's music has more recently popularized this notion, but it does go way back in time. From Greek mythology those favored by the gods will die young preserving their beauty and innocence. The Bible shares a similar rationale, wherein the youthful dead are spared the evil and suffering that their elders enjoy. But now that I, myself, am old, I have to admit that I see this as lucky.

There once was a newborn boy by the name of David, who had only six days before he passed away, due to a medical condition that science would not develop the capability to operate on for decades. If he had lived, he would have eventually known me as his little brother. I once proclaimed that if David knew love, and felt loved, regardless of how short the duration, he missed nothing of life and living. But now I feel differently. I think I was the lucky one of the two of us. All of the memories that David would never know, amount to something of considerable value. Billy Joel, the Bible, and the Greeks were all wrong about this.

As I begin writing this piece, a movie icon from my past has died this week. She was 75, a year younger than I am. Shelley Duval was a starlet whom I will continue to remember as a beautiful young woman. This week I have seen photos of her as an old woman. But for me, Shelley Duval will always be that starlet from The Shining, looking shocked and shaken with Jack Nicholson coming through the bathroom door the hard way, quoting Ed McMahon. Shelley Duval had the most wonderful eyes, with a beauty and depth that were unbelievable. Shelley Duval had "those eyes." And those eyes will remain a lasting fond memory of mine, for at least as long as I continue to live. David never got the chance to remember them.

Memories are a mysterious factor in the experience we call life. If you are lucky enough to be old, you have a wealth of these things to look back on.

Memory - The M-word

Memory is not as much a key component of our mental existence as we might suspect. It is far more a component of physical bodily existence. Yes, of course, memory happens in the mind, but perhaps it is far more connected with just the physical brain. Memory is heavily related to the concept of time consciousness, which itself is highly related to physical bodily existence. Learning to use memory begins with learning to manipulate our bodies. Only a bit later do we adapt this learning to include the learning of thoughts and ideas.

The primary initial function of memory is to make our use of the physical body more fluid and coordinated, more functional, predictable, and adaptable. A finely tuned professional athlete is the perfection of this process. Newborn babies are highly uncoordinated. They have no memories of bodily control except for stretching maneuvers in a very limited environment. They need to learn and then remember just how their bodies work and how to effectively control them, using the physical tools available. Babies must first learn how to use their muscles, and how to develop and strengthen those muscles.

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As the Pentagon certified the continuation of the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic nuclear missile today, 716 scientists, including ten Nobel laureates and 23 members of the National Academies, are calling for the program to be canceled.

In a letter to President Joe Biden and Congress, scientists recommend entirely retiring the nuclear triad's land-based leg, calling it "expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary," as stated by writer Kyle Ann Sebastian in her story "More Than 700 Scientists Call on Biden, Congress to Scrap Plans for New Land-Based Nuclear Missiles: Canceling "Expensive, Dangerous, and Unnecessary" Sentinel Would Save $100 Billion."

Dr. Tara Drozdenko, director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: "There is no sound technical or strategic rationale for spending tens of billions of dollars building new nuclear weapons." She also said the weapons - stored in silos across the plains states - place a target on communities and increase the risk of nuclear war while offering no real security benefits and that the US could eliminate the land-based leg of the triad and the US public would only be safer for it.

The Pentagon review of the Sentinel came after the project's projected cost rose 37 percent to $131 billion, requiring a re-evaluation of the program and possible alternatives under the Nunn-McCurdy Act. This law requires a government audit if a defense project increases too much after initial planning.

Dr. Barry Barish, recipient of the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics, member of the National Academy of Sciences and signatory to the letter, said: "It is unconscionable to continue to develop nuclear weapons, like the Sentinel Program. The Russell-Einstein Manifesto in 1955 stated that 'such weapons threaten the continued existence of mankind'. Today's more advanced weapons only emphasize that profound statement."

While the ballooning cost is reason enough to cancel the program, silo-based nuclear missiles also pose a danger to the US public, according to the letter by the scientists. A recent study found that an attack on US land-based missiles - which are intended to act as a "sponge" to attract and absorb incoming adversary missiles - would result in millions of deaths across the US due to radioactive fallout. Because the locations of these missiles are well known, they are vulnerable to attack. The US military keeps these missiles on "hair-trigger" alert so they can be launched within minutes, increasing the risk of nuclear war due to false alarms, misunderstandings as well as miscalculations.

Improvements in other legs of the U.S. nuclear triad have rendered the land-based leg redundant and unnecessary. Nuclear-armed submarines hidden at sea are as accurate as silo-based missiles, quick to respond, and invulnerable to attack. Previous research by the Union of Concerned Scientists found US land-based missiles superfluous and argued they could be eliminated without sacrificing U.S. security.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III recommended continuing spending on the overbudget and behind-scheduled Sentinel program. However, President Biden and Congress should examine this, conclude that the costs outweigh the benefits, and cancel the program, saving U.S. taxpayers over $100 billion.

Will we choose security or what's suitable for the military-industrial complex?

Jason Sibert is the Lead Writer of the Peace Economy Project


Jheronimus Bosch 011.

(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA







A friend of mine, long dead

Said, You're a poet, Michael.

I don't know about that

But home is where you hang your hat.



So to the cockroaches and rats that may survive

The war and eventually learn to read

Re-invent computers and find the cloud

Containing this amidst the fallout



I say, We didn't mean to do it.

Most of us anyway. We were just whistling

Not in the dark but in the light

Of what we knew but chose not to



Save ourselves but wait for God

Who to the great surprise of many

A fearful and devout believer

Does not do miracles. [1]





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(Image by World Union of Deists, Inc.) Details DMCA



Eight-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs was a priceless, beautiful and intelligent little girl living in Queensland, Australia. She suffered from type 1 diabetes. Her parents, unfortunately, were Christian Bible-believing people of faith, not people of God-given reason. They valued the superstition/"revealed" religion of Christianity more than they valued their gift from God of innate reason. This belief caused them to withhold Elizabeth's insulin from her, which caused the death of their daughter, Elizabeth, on January 7, 2022. Their trial has just started, and it is expected to last for several months.

Elizabeth's parents and adult brother belong to a Christian sect called the Saints. As Christians, they falsely believe the Christian Bible is the Word of God. This bogus belief that the Bible is the Word of God causes them to truly and sincerely believe the empty and false promises the Bible is overflowing with are true and are from God. This belief is why they withheld Elizabeth's insulin from her, as is evident by a statement Elizabeth's mother, Kerrie Struhs, made to police. She said, "...I believed that God would heal her. I thought maybe this is what God planned so everyone gets to see his power."

Brendan Stevens is the leader of the Christian sect Elizabeth's parents and brother belong to, the Saints. He made a telling statement when he said, "the Bible is filled with Jesus Christ working miracles, including raising the dead. We are within our rights to believe in the word of God completely as we do."

Stevens' wife, Therese Stevens, told police,

"We are Christians, so we believe that God raises people from the dead. No one said 'She's dead'. It was more like 'She sleeps now', because we believe that it is only sleep. And at some point, God will rise her again in this lifetime because that's a promise."

Prosecutor Caroline Marco told the jury that Elizabeth was dead for 36 hours before her father, Jason Struhs, called police. Jason Struhs said, regarding his calling the police, "Even though God will raise her again, we couldn't leave a corpse in the house."

The reason they waited 36 hours until they called authorities is because they believed promises in the Christian Bible such as John 14:12-14 in which the anonymous author of the Gospel of John wrote that Jesus promised people who believe in him will be able to do all the things he did, which includes bringing dead people back to life, plus "greater things than these". They gathered around Elizabeth's dead body and prayed that God would bring it back to life. "They believed, following Elizabeth's passing, God would raise her from the dead so she could walk amongst them again in this worldly existence," Ms. Marco said.

One probable reason they did not go beyond 36 hours is because of the science of death. A few hours after a person's body dies, their body goes into rigor mortis, which causes the muscles to contract and tighten. By the time 36 hours has elapsed, a body begins to decompose and begins to bloat and to smell. This reality probably inspired the Christians to end their faith-based efforts and to call police. (By mentioning the real-world reality of this, I'm not trying to be crude, I just want to make the reality of what happened comprehensible so we can better understand the importance of beliefs, and the consequences the actions based on those beliefs lead to.)

Christians who rely on Bible-based faith healing are too often referred to as extremists. Relative to the Christian Word of God, the Christian Bible, they are most definitely NOT extremists. The Christian Bible has multiple promises of faith healing in addition to John 14:12-14. For example, James 5:14-15 teaches Christians:

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

When we reach religious people with Deism, we are empowering them to realize the "holy" books of the man-made "revealed" religions are NOT the Word of God, and that the Creation IS the Word of God. This, in turn, empowers them to break free of the falsehood that a man-made book is the Word of God, and to begin to appreciate and use their gift from The Supreme Intelligence/God of innate reason. And this, in turn, makes beautiful and priceless children like Elizabeth safe from being victims of religious nonsense.

Knowledge is power. If you're interested in gaining knowledge about deadly faith healing, listen to this two-part interview with Rita Swan, the founder of Children's Health Care is a Legal Duty , conducted by our fellow Deist Tim Wingate. Both Rita and Tim have since passed on after doing much good in the world. Here is the link to part one , and here is the link to part two
Isaac Bissu Bali is a prominent figure in the medical supplies industry, recognized for his pioneering role in the transformation of Farmacos Darovi. With an innovative vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Isaac has led the way to significant advancements. As a partner and CEO of Farmacos Darovi, Isaac Bissu Bali has demonstrated exceptional ability in identifying growth opportunities and developing effective strategies to maximize them. Under his leadership, the company 
A longtime Klamath County sheriffs supervisor who said he faced retaliation after initiating investigations into the sheriffs two sons and then reporting Sheriff Chris E. Kabers attempt to protect them has filed a whistleblower suit against the county, the sheriffs office and the sheriff.

Capt. Brian Bryson resigned earlier this year after nearly 30 years with the agency, citing ongoing harassment. Bryson is now running for sheriff.
Weeks after undergoing a medical procedure that required intravenous anesthesia at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, Anthony Laszlo was perplexed to find a letter in the mail from the hospital suggesting that he might have exposed other patients to an infectious disease.

Laszlo said his primary care doctor followed up with a phone call in early June, about three weeks after the procedure.
On Monday, a team of Italian scientists revealed their discovery of a cave on the moon in a study published in Nature Astronomy.

The newly-discovered cave is located at the Sea of Tranquility, near where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their famous steps in 1969. The scientists told the Associated Press they suspect there are other such caves, formed from collapsed lava tubes.

The researchers believe there may be hundreds of lava tubes on the moon as well.

The cave discovered by the scientists is estimated to be at least 130 feet wide.

Scientists said the cave findings suggest a way to shelter future astronauts.
Oregon Department of Justice officials announced Wednesday that they closed their investigation into a former cryptocurrency executives $500,000 political donation to the state Democratic Party in 2022 without finding enough evidence to prove the misreported contribution criminally violated state campaign finance laws.

Nishad Singh, who in 2022 was an executive at FTX, sent the Democratic Party of Oregon its largest donation on record in the final weeks of the competitive 2022 election for governor. At the time, Democrats reported the money was from a Las Vegas payment processing company called Prime Trust. After The Oregonian/OregonLive inquired about the transaction, the party said the money was actually from Singh.
The Falls fire near the town of Burns has grown to 91,269 acres and destroyed 23 structures since it started last Wednesday, according to a statement from Falls Fire 2024, an official information source about the fire provided by state and federal agencies.

The wildfire, about 13 miles north of Burns and 15 miles southwest of Seneca, is 0% contained. Level 3 Go now evacuation notices are in effect for much of north Harney County and some parts of south Grant County, according to an official evacuation map.
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

The love of cigarettes led a Guruve man in hot soup after he allegedly struck his mining colleague with an iron bar to death.

Bothwell Manyika (34) of Hamayemhuka village in Guruve is assisting police with investigations following the death of his colleague one Tom.Sources close to investigations alleged the incident happened on July 13 near Chirwa mine in Guruve."The two were sleeping at their base in Guruve when Manyika discovered that his cigarettes were missing asked for his cigarettes from his colleague who said he never saw them," the source said."A misunderstanding ensued and the two went for bed the following day Manyika also discovered that his US$33 and another pack of cigarettes was missing he picked a iron bar and struck Tom several times all over the body and went away."It is further alleged that Manyika came back a few hours latter and discovered that his colleague had died and he tried to take the body to a bushy area down a mountain.The dead body was discovered by his friend Israel Gwaze who trailed blood stains down the mountain and he filed a police report leading to the arrest of Manyika.
News / National

by Staff reporter

People from Mashonaland have welcomed the launch of the Gukurahundi Community Outreach Programme by President Mnangagwa in Bulawayo, viewing it as a significant step towards national healing and reconciliation. This programme aims to provide a platform for affected communities to share their experiences and work towards closure. Led by local chiefs, the initiative ensures a grassroots approach to healing.Mr. Robert Nhekede from Chitungwiza expressed optimism that this initiative would bring closure to the long-standing issue, urging unity among all Zimbabweans. He emphasized the importance of finding lasting solutions over constant complaints. Mr. Justice Mfiri praised President Mnangagwa for involving grassroots communities in addressing the Gukurahundi issue, noting that previous efforts lacked success due to the absence of community involvement.George Nyakutumba, a war veteran from Goromonzi, highlighted the initiative's potential to unite Zimbabweans and heal divisions between Shona and Ndebele people. Mr. Farai Mlanga underscored the importance of confronting the past to build a new future, lauding the President's commitment to healing and reconciliation.The outreach programme has also gained significant attention on social media, with many citizens expressing support. Mr. Allen Bazaya described the move as a bold step towards national unity, while Mr. Thabo Malinga suggested allowing affected people to choose their representatives in the discussions. Mr. Joshua Ziyambi emphasized the need to address imbalances and create a nation free of tribalism and regionalism, promoting unity, progress, and development across the country.
Domtar's Kingsport Mill Health and Safety Manager, Randy Adams, Wins PPSA's Highest Honor

DeWayne Bone (left), senior safety director for the Paper Excellence paper and packaging business unit, presented the PPSA Distinguished Service Award to Randy Adams, Health And Safety Manager at the Kingsport Mill. DeWayne Bone (left), senior safety director for the Paper Excellence paper and packaging business unit, presented the PPSA Distinguished Service Award to Randy Adams, Health And Safety Manager at the Kingsport Mill.

July 17, 2024 - Domtar announced that Randy Adams, Health and Safety Manager at the company's containerboard mill in Kingsport, Tennessee, recently won the Pulp and Paper Safety Association's Distinguished Service Award. The award is the PPSA's highest honor, recognizing individuals for their leadership and service to the association and the paper industry during their careers.

"I was surprised but honored to be recognized by the PPSA," Adams says. "Personally, it means that I left a legacy with my organization. Professionally, it means I got to share this with an organization that values safety just as I do."

Adams started his career as a clerk in 1979 and soon moved into managerial roles in production, quality and raw materials, as well as environmental, health and safety. He joined the paper industry in 2009 as the environmental, health and safety manager for Kruger Products. After a decade, he moved to Graphic Packaging International's mill in West Monroe, Louisiana, as the health and safety manager. Adams briefly returned to Kruger Products before becoming the Kingsport Mill health and safety manager in April 2024.

"My very diverse background has taught me many life lessons over the years, but building lasting relationships has been the steppingstone for success," Adams says. "Health and safety are a value, not a priority. Values do not change, but priorities do."

Adams continues to build relationships with his Kingsport Mill colleagues.

"I see my current role as an effective way to show the employees I care about them," he says. "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. That is all part of building the relationships to partner for safety success. Listening to the employees and their safety concerns will always add value to the conversation."

For Troy Wilson, Kingsport Mill manager, Adams' role as Kingsport Mill health and safety manager is key to ensuring employees return home safely after each shift.

"Randy is very deserving of this award, not only for his work at our mill, but for his successful career in the health and safety field," Wilson says. "We are very happy to have him as a member of our team."

Kingsport Mill

Domtar's Kingsport Mill has the capacity to produce approximately 600,000 tons per year of high-quality, recycled linerboard and corrugated medium annually. To do so, the mill will convert about 660,000 tons per year of recovered fiber from regional sources.

Domtar is a leading provider of a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and airlaid nonwovens.

SOURCE: Domtar
The missing 75-year-old man from New Sharon, Maine has now been discovered alive and well after vanishing for four days.

The senior, named Michael Altmaier, was found in a bog very near from the Mount Blue State Park scenic overlook by a game warden and his k-9 dog.

Timeline of Disappearance and Search Efforts

Altmaier was last seen on July 8, driving on Colby Miller Road in Wilton, Maine, on his way to a meeting in Weld. When he failed to arrive at his destination, concern quickly grew among family and friends. Despite initial efforts to locate him, Altmaier remained missing for several days.

On the evening of July 11, staff from Mount Blue State Park found Altmaier's car at the Mount Blue State Park Scenic Overlook in Weld. This discovery prompted the Maine Warden Service to launch a formal search operation the following morning. The search effort was extensive, involving multiple game wardens, search volunteers, and K-9 units.

At approximately 3:45 p.m. on July 12, Game Warden Kayle Hamilton, accompanied by a K-9 named Ash, located Altmaier in a bog about three-quarters of a mile from where his car was found. Altmaier was discovered lying in the bog, unable to move due to a fall and subsequent disorientation.

Details of the Rescue Operation

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife provided further details on Altmaier's ordeal. It is believed that Altmaier had fallen down a ledged embankment on July 8, the day he went missing. Disoriented from the fall, he wandered into the bog where he became immobilized and remained for four days.

First responders, including game wardens, search volunteers, and a paramedic, were able to reach Altmaier and provide him with immediate first aid.

Despite the harsh conditions and his extended exposure, Altmaier was set up to be in unexpectedly good condition. This was a testament to his flexibility and the effectiveness of the emergency response brigades.

A Maine Forest Service chopper was stationed to airlift Altmaier from the bog to a waiting ambulance. From there, he was transported to a local hospital for more evaluation and overnight observation.

The quick collaboration and response by the hunt and deliverance brigades were pivotal in guaranteeing Altmaier's survival and timely medical care.

Community Response and Ongoing Investigation

The successful deliverance of Michael Altmaier has been met with relief and appreciation from the domestic community.

Family members, friends, and neighbors had been anxiously awaiting news of his whereabouts and condition. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife praised the cooperative labor of all involved in the hunt and rescue operation.

Emergency rescue labor force noted Altmaier's remarkable condition given the circumstances. Still, the hospital has yet to release an update on his current state. Authorities continue to probe the events leading up to Altmaier's exposure and are seeking more information from the public.

The Maine Warden Service has prompted anyone who may have seen Altmaier or has information about his activities on July 8 to come forward. Altmaier is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with meager grayish hair and weighing roughly 220 pounds.

Any applicable information could be pivotal in understanding how Altmaier ended up in the bog and securing like incidents are averted in the future.

This incident underscores the significance of timely hunt and rescue efforts, especially in remote and grueling surroundings. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife emphasized the need for out-of-door safety and preparedness, particularly for senior individualities or those with medical conditions.
Bella Thompson, a 10-year-old TikTok star named Bella Brave, sadly died shortly after being placed in a medically-induced coma.

Bella, who amassed a large audience for her uplifting videos while fighting three severe genetic disorders, passed away peacefully in her parents' embrace, as shared by her mother, Kyla, in a touching online message on Sunday.

Bella's Brave Journey

Bella's journey had a profound impact on many people as she faced multiple health struggles with incredible courage.

Bella's followers were deeply touched by her story of resilience and courage, despite being born with Hirschsprung's disease, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), and cartilage hair hypoplasia.

In 2014, Kyla, Bella's mom, started recording Bella's medical experiences and posting about their daily challenges and successes on social networking sites.

The family's transparency and Bella's steadfast determination motivated countless individuals, transforming her into a symbol of optimism and encouragement.

Bella was put into an induced coma due to a viral infection in her lungs that caused a fast decline in her health.

Physicians believed she could have developed Bronchiolitis Obliterans, a blockage in the tiniest lung airways caused by inflammation, possibly triggered by the immune system.

A Legacy of Courage

Through a heartfelt social media post, Kyla shared the heartbreaking news of Bella's death, describing their brave daughter's legacy on earth and her transition to a more peaceful place. Bella peacefully departed while in the embrace of her parents.

She urged Bella's supporters to preserve her legacy by exchanging tales of how Bella had influenced them and motivated them to display courage.

Kyla stressed that Bella would like everyone to keep in mind the significance of love, courage, and the simple happiness of holding a cherished plush toy, no matter how old you are.

Bella's significant medical needs were apparent since she was born. Bella's significant medical requirements were apparent since she was born.

Shortly after Bella was born, she was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's complaint and had to suffer multiple surgeries to remove the parts of her bowel that weren't working.

At 11 months old, she was also set up to have SCID, making her largely susceptible to infections. A bone marrow transplant was essential in treating this condition when the case was 15 months old.

Bella's third diagnosis, which is cartilage hair hypoplasia, impacted her growth and physical development, resulting in her having the height of a significantly younger child.

Although faced with these difficult obstacles, Bella's lively personality and passion for life stood out, making her a popular presence on TikTok.

A Community Mourns

The online community feels a significant void due to Bella's passing. Ryan Reynolds, a Canadian actor, expressed his sympathies during a visit to Bella following her bowel transplant at SickKids Hospital in Toronto.

The video of Reynolds sitting beside Bella's hospital bed became popular online, receiving over 3 million likes. When Kyla looked back on Bella's life, she felt thankful for the help they got from individuals globally.

Kyla explained to CJME, a Canadian radio station, that Bella's three conditions are rare individually, and having them all together is extremely uncommon.

Bella's story emphasized the need for raising awareness about rare genetic conditions and showcased the remarkable resilience of those affected by them.

Before her passing, Bella described her vision of heaven as a vast castle made of clouds with God present. Her legacy remains an inspiration, highlighting the enduring power of bravery and love.
In the newly released court ruling by South Dakota's judge, the abortion questions will be kept for this year's November 2024 ballot voting.

Judge John Pekas' ruling marks a significant achievement for the constituents of South Dakota fighting against one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country.

South Dakota's abortions questions will be kept for the November ballot as the state's judge releases the newest decision.

However, the losing party pledged to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court which leaves numerous citizens of the state confused and on the edge for the upcoming election.

South Dakota Abortion Ballot Receives New Ruling

Judge John Pekas dismissed a lawsuit filed by the anti-abortion group Life Defense Fund, which aimed to remove the question despite the supporters gathering more than enough valid signatures.

Adam Weiland, co-founder of Dakotans for Health, celebrated the ruling, stating that the opposing party did everything they could to hinder the people of South Dakota to vote against bodily autonomy of women.

Weiland added that the soon appeal of the decision is another failed effort of a small group who are opposed to giving women the right and choice to terminate pregnancy in cases due to incest, rape, and life-threatening conditions women face.

Republican Rep. Jon Hansen, co-chair of the Life Defense Fund, and a lawyer for the group did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Implications of the Amendment

The constitutional amendment that Dakotans for Health aims to alter is to bar the state from hindering a woman's choice to have an abortion during her first trimester.

However, it allows for regulations in the second trimester but only if they are directly related to the physical health of the woman.

Following theU.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which permitted states to assess abortion bans, South Dakota is now among 14 states that have banned abortion at all stages of gestation.

The correction's success would follow the trend of abortion- rights groups winning all seven statewide abortion- related ballot measures since Roe was overturned.

This time, parallel questions are set to appear on ballots in five states, with four added states, including Nebraska, awaiting verification of signatures to get their questions on the ballot.

Read Also: New York City Health Department Confirms Two Measles Cases in Migrant Shelter

Support and Opposition

The Secretary of State's Office validated the petition in May, estimating that 46,098 of the signatures were from registered South Dakota voters, well above the required 35,017.

The current regulation in South Dakota prohibits abortions in every stage of pregnancy except only when it is meant to preserve the life of the pregnant woman.

The ballot measure would legalize abortions in the first trimester and allow the state to impose limited regulations in the second trimester, with a ban in the third trimester, except to protect the life and health of the mother.

As representatives from the Life Defense Fund left the courtroom, they expressed disappointment and vowed to appeal the decision.

On the contrary, advocates for the abortion in the state welcome the ruling. Dakotans for Health attorney Jim Leach, publicly addressed the media encouraging to let the people vote and let the people decide.

Previously, Dakotans for Health had sought federal intervention to stop the state case from proceeding.

The federal judge declined to intervene, awaiting the resolution of key issues in the state lawsuit. According to Rick Weiland, chairman of Dakotans for Health, the dismissal of the state case likely renders further federal action unnecessary.
In the western tradition of historiography or historical writing, there has often been a tendency to focus on outsize individuals, to write history effectively as biography  and not merely in such obvious cases as Plutarchs famous Parallel Lives of the noble Greeks and Romans and his lives of twelve Roman emperors and his Life of Alexander, or Suetoniuss The Twelve Caesars, or Eusebiuss cloyingly hagiographic Vita Constantini. Historians still commonly speak of the Augustan Age, and Elizabethan England, and the Victorian period, and Jacksonian America.

Obviously, Caesar Augustus doesnt exhaust what is important about the Augustan Age. After all, this was the period in which the Roman poets Virgil and Horace and Ovid and Sextus Propertius and Tibullus flourished, as well as the historian Livy (Titus Livius). And among the chief ornaments of Elizabethan England are not only Elizabeth I herself but the explorers Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, the composers William Byrd and John Dowland (recordings of whose lute music I commonly played at night, as a teenager, when I was going to sleep), the foundational natural philosopher, statesman, and proto-scientist Sir Francis Bacon, and the writers Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, and (cue drum roll) William Shakespeare.

Likewise, the Victorian period has the long-reigning monarch Queen Victoria at its head, but it is scarcely reducible to her. Its also the era of Gilbert and Sullivan, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Oscar Wilde, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Anthony Trollope, the three Bronte sisters, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), John Stuart Mill, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins, Thomas Carlyle, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Christina Rossetti, John Henry Cardinal Newman, John Ruskin, Matthew Arnold, Charles Darwin, Rudyard Kipling, and a small host of others

Moreover, the concept of Jacksonian America uses Andrew Jackson as an apt symbol of the broader democratizing trends of the era (e.g., the displacement of the Virginia planter-aristocracy that had, to a large extent, founded the American republic and led it up until his rise) and of the rapid expansion of American civilization westward. President Jackson is a good symbol, and not merely a symbol. But he hardly exhausts the significant people and ideas of the period that is named after him.

Reacting against what they saw as an overemphasis on the role of specific politically important individuals, many historians revolted against the great man view of history. (Marxism is an extreme example of such rejection, as was the Hegelianism from which it sprang.) And, to an extent, this reaction was quite justified. Furthermore, it produced some very great works of historiography, among them such tomes as Fernand Braudels pivotal La Mediterranee et le monde mediterraneen a lepoque de Philippe II (1949) and Marshall G. S. Hodgsons incomplete three-volume The Venture of Islam: Conscience and History in a World Civilization, which had an enormous influence on me when I encountered it (and read and re-read it) in graduate school. Social and economic history must not be overlooked. Demographic trends (e.g., diminished family sizes or large numbers of surplus young men) are fundamental.

But rejection of the great man conception of history  notably and perhaps ironically, as illustrated by references above to the Elizabethan and Victorian periods, the great men can sometimes be great women  can go too far. Those who minimize or negate the importance of particular individuals, claiming to see them as not merely constrained by surrounding social and economic and technological forces but actually almost helplessly carried along by such currents, have, I think, not sufficiently studied the lives and careers of such individuals as Sir Winston Churchill and President Harry S. Truman, who seem to refute the notion of history as merely the working out of large-scale trends.

Had Gustav Stresemann not died in late 1929 at the young age of fifty-one, would Hitler and the Third Reich have come to power in 1933? Would there have been a Second World War? (The Nazis seem to have recognized his having been a danger to them when, in 1935, not terribly long after assuming total control of Germany, they destroyed Stresemanns tomb monument near Berlin.) Had Neville Chamberlain stood up to Hitler at Munich, would Germany have invaded Poland in 1939? Had Churchill not taken control of the British government just when he did  had it been Lord Halifax, instead  would the United Kingdom have negotiated a humiliating peace with Germany? What if one of the many attempted assassinations of Adolf Hitler had succeeded? Would Germany and in fact the entire world have descended into the abyss created by his insane ideology and his personal charisma?

We have, I think, a very clear illustration of the continuing relevance of the great man view of history in the attempted assassination of former president Donald J. Trump on Saturday, 13 July 2024.

Can anyone seriously argue that, had Mr. Trump been killed by Thomas Matthew Crooks, American history would not have been significantly altered?

Let me back up just a tiny bit: Ronald Reagan came to the governorship of California and ultimately to two very consequential terms in the White House as the political leader of a conservative movement that was larger than he was (populated by such others as, among many, Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley, Jr.) Absent Mr. Reagan, that movement might not have attained the presidency, but it would not have disappeared. It preexisted him and, at least for a decade or two, survived him.

I see Mr. Trump differently  and this has nothing to do with whether I approve of him or disapprove of him. Rather like Peronism in Argentina, it is difficult to pin down exactly what Trumpism (for lack of a better word) stands for apart from the personal and sometimes changing views of its leader. Nationalism, clearly. Perhaps something approaching isolationism? Maybe. Is it for free trade? Not especially. Is it opposed to abortion? Thats no longer entirely clear. Is it for limited government? Property rights? Strict construction of the Constitution? Again, unclear.

Even, however, if you dont share my personal view of the relationship between Mr. Trump and Trumpism, what Im getting at is that, were Mr. Trump to be eliminated (whether by natural or other causes), it would make a substantial difference in the history of the United States that would extend well beyond the next four years  and possibly in the history of such places as Ukraine, Taiwan, Korea, and elsewhere. Would Trumpism survive the departure of Mr. Trump? His selection of J. D. Vance as his running mate makes such survival somewhat more likely than I would have thought a week or two ago, but it still isnt clear that even Senator Vance has the kind of mysterious magnetism that many Americans sense in Mr. Trump.

The would-be assassins bullet missed killing Mr. Trump on Saturday by substantially less than an inch. Did a fly land on the shooters nose at the very second he pulled the trigger? (Well never know, of course, but one thinks of the proverbial butterfly  in chaos theory  flapping its wings.) Did a breeze, or the failure of a breeze, suddenly change the bullets trajectory? Had Mr. Trump not turned his head at just the right moment, would he have died there in rural Pennsylvania? Who would have claimed the nomination this week, in that case? What differences would that have made?

On such things  in addition to the huge, impersonal forces of economics and demographics and technological innovation  hang the contingencies of human history.
Microsoft Designers AI art and editing capabilities are becoming more formally integrated into Windows and Microsofts services today, as they move into Photos, Word, and PowerPoint.

Designer is the next stage of Microsofts evolution of AI art, which began in 2022 with Bing Image Creator, migrated to the more advanced Dall-E 2 model, then became part of Microsoft Designer, the wonderful AI-powered design tool that debuted in 2022. Designers layout elements compete directly with Canva, but Microsoft isnt confining the Designer elements to just the app. Instead, its applying them to several different applications within Windows and Microsoft 365.

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The most simple integration is within Word and PowerPoint. Youll need a Copilot Pro subscription, but if you have one, youll be able to use AI to generate a background for a PowerPoint slide or an integrated graphic inside of a Word document. This should all feel familiar. Before, youve pulled in images from the Web to fulfill these functions. Now, you can use AI as an option too. (Microsoft said that AI-generated banners will be coming soon within Word).

Note, however, that to generate AI art within Word and PowerPoint youll need both a Microsoft 365 subscription (at least $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year for Microsoft 365 Personal) and a Copilot Pro subscription, which is an additional $20 per user per month.

Designer can already be used to create greeting cards, one of the features Microsoft is highlighting. Youll also be able to use Designer to create AI-generated frames for your art, plus stickers. Prompt templates (a sort of Mad Libs style suggestions with fill-in-the-blank elements) can be used, too. Restyle image can turn a photo into a painting or 3D art.

Microsoft Designer as an image editor. Microsoft Designer as an image editor. Microsoft Microsoft Designer as an image editor. Microsoft Microsoft

Microsoft is also tapping (and branding) Designer within the Windows Photos app, too. You can already use Photos to remove backgrounds or make lighting adjustments. Photos allows you to erase objects by painting over them and removing with AI, though you have to do it manually.

It sounds like Microsoft will be using AI to automate this process a bit more. However, this sounds like it wont be arriving on mainstream PCs quite yet, as the features will be released in preview for Windows Insiders in English, Spanish, German, Italian, or Portuguese-language regions. Russia, Belarus, and China are excluded.

Finally, Microsoft is launching Designer as an Android and iOS app, which will include generative AI features.

Youll be able to restyle images within Microsoft Designer, too. Youll be able to restyle images within Microsoft Designer, too. Microsoft Youll be able to restyle images within Microsoft Designer, too. Microsoft Microsoft

All of these AI capabilities are powered by boosts, which will be showcased as a small icon in the bottom of the Designer screen.

Designer comes with 15 daily boosts to create or edit AI powered images faster. Boosts are automatically used when creating images both in Designer and where Designer is integrated. When you run out of boosts, your creations will take a bit longer to make. A Copilot Pro subscription will unlock 100 boosts per day, Microsoft said.

When you run out of boosts in Image Creator, youll also be reminded that you have the option to redeem Microsoft Rewards points for more boosts, a Microsoft representative said in an email.

Updated at 9:10 AM with additional detail.
Renowned Entrepreneur and Executive Chairman of the KGL Group, Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, today warmly welcomed the Director General of the Lottery Regulatory Commission (LONACI) of Cote DIvoire and President of the African Lottery Association (ALA), Mr. Dramane Coulibaly and Madame Elfat Diomande, lottery Product Manager at LONACI.



Mr. Coulibaly arrived in the company of Mr. Samuel Awuku, Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Ghana, with Mr. Christian Salamouni, Director of technology partner KEED also in attendance to welcome guests of the KGL Group.



The focus of this official visit is to foster goodwill, and mutual respect as well as explore synergies and insights of mutual benefit to LONACI, NLA and the KGL Group of companies.



KGL Technology Limited, it is recalled, began full operation of the National Lottery Franchise, 590 Mobile in Cote DIvoire in partnership with LONACI as part of a deliberate expansion drive into the sub-Saharan region. KGL Technology in a short space of time has now become the leading digital lottery operator in Cote DIvoire and this is a testament to the fantastic collaboration and synergy between all parties.



Mr. Coulibaly in his remarks expressed appreciation for the warm reception and highlighted the significance of the collaboration between both parties. He emphasized the significance of sharing knowledge, strategies, and innovations to enhance the lottery sector in both countries.



Mr. Samuel Awuku, Director General of NLA, highlighted the visit's role in strengthening bonds between sister organizations. He reaffirmed NLA's commitment to collaboration with LONACI and other lottery bodies to promote fair gaming practices, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive industry growth.



The delegation toured KGL Technology facilities, where they were briefed on cutting-edge solutions and innovations in the lottery and gaming industry. Discussions included potential collaborations in technology transfer, joint projects, and strategies for market expansion.



Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, Executive Chairman of the KGL Group, expressed his appreciation to the delegation, stating, "I want to thank Mr. Dramane Coulibaly and Mr. Sammy Awuku for this visit and engaging in productive discussions that centre on the collective growth of our partnership. This visit highlights a shared vision for growth and cooperation, and we look towards the future with optimism."



He also stressed on the importance of ensuring all stakeholders benefit from advancements made in the lottery industry. He added, I appreciate the impact of the African Lottery Authority and their work in advancing modern technological practices among member countries. This will propel equitable growth among all stakeholders, leading to advancements for member countries because of lottery.



The visit concluded with a reaffirmation of shared goals among KGL Group, NLA, and LONACI to promote sustainable growth and development in Africa's lottery industry. The parties agreed to continue engaging in productive dialogue and exploring opportunities for mutual benefit.

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Standard Chartered's Chief Investment Officer for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, Manpreet Gill, has underscored the pivotal role of global asset allocation amidst evolving market conditions.



In a dynamic presentation titled 'Adapting to Shifting Winds', in Accra, he outlined the bank's comprehensive outlook for the global investment landscape in the second half of 2024.



Reflecting on the first half of 2024, Gill highlighted the success of their 'sailing with the wind' approach, noting robust performance across various asset classes, particularly growth-oriented strategies.



Looking ahead, he emphasized the theme of adaptation amidst changing market dynamics, encapsulated in the outlook titled 'Adapting to Shifting Winds'.



"Our outlook for the remainder of the year revolves around three key messages," Gill continued.



"Firstly, we foresee continued strength in global equities relative to bonds and cash. Secondly, regional disparities will shape equity performance, with the U.S. expected to lead amid concentrated market focus. Lastly, we see emerging opportunities in sectors like emerging market bonds and gold, driven by supportive central bank policies," he elaborated.



Mr. Gill is a key member of Standard Chartereds Group Investment Council and an advisor to the Banks Discretionary Portfolio Management division.



Mr. Gill also addressed broader economic factors, including the anticipated impact of the U.S. presidential elections on global markets. "Regardless of the election outcome, historical data suggests that presidential election years tend to be positive for stock markets," Gill asserted, highlighting resilience across different political scenarios.



Touching upon investment strategies, Gill advocated for a balanced approach, emphasizing the importance of foundational allocations alongside opportunistic investments.



He noted the attractiveness of current bond yields relative to cash, urging investors to consider locking in yields amid potential future rate cuts by central banks.



Additionally, Mr. Gill expressed cautious optimism about global economic stability, highlighting potential risks such as elevated market valuations and geopolitical uncertainties.



"Navigating these challenges requires agility and strategic foresight," he remarked, underscoring Standard Chartered's commitment to guiding clients through the complexities of the global investment landscape.



Henry Baye, Chief Executive Officer , Standard Chartered Jersey, United Kingdom, outlined three distinct roles that define the bank's approach: as a "Risk Manager," navigating global financial risks; a "Diversity Bank," focused on long-term wealth management; and a "Lifecycle Bank," offering comprehensive financial services throughout clients' life cycles.



These identities, he emphasized, reflect the bank's commitment to supporting clients at every stage of their financial journey.



He posited that with increasing international and inter-generational mobility, affluent clients have growing needs to manage their wealth across different jurisdictions. With that in mind, Standard Chartered globally, has sought to significantly strengthen its International Banking proposition  across its footprints to create a network of expert wealth advisory solutions. He mentioned that the Bank offers an extensive range of tailored wealth services, including access to specialist expertise.



Furthermore, he emphasized the bank's client-centric approach, citing dedicated relationship managers and a wide array of financial products tailored to meet individual client needs. From student accounts to sophisticated wealth management solutions, Mr. Baye stressed the bank's flexibility and commitment to exceptional client service.



On his part, Jojo Bannerman, Head of Financial Markets at Standard Chartered, restated his earlier recommendation from the first half of 2024, urging both individual and institutional investors to diversify their portfolios across domestic and international markets, emphasizing the heightened significance of ongoing geopolitical events.



"Recent developments have been tough teachers, but invaluable ones. They've underscored the importance of resilience in investment strategy. The biggest takeaway remains clear: maintaining a well-diversified portfolio not only mitigates risks but also positions investors to weather uncertain times with greater stability and confidence, he said.



The presentation concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where attendees engaged Mr. Gill and Baye on topics ranging from sector-specific insights to regional market forecasts, affirming the relevance of Standard Chartered's forward-looking approach amidst a backdrop of economic transformation and market evolution.

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The President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Malta have granted an audience to Ghanas top diplomat and candidate for Commonwealth Secretary-General, Ms. Shirley Botchwey, in the capital, Valetta, and expressed satisfaction with their relations with Ghana.



Ghana hosts the Mediterranean archipelagos only diplomatic mission in sub-Sahara Africa, which opened in January 2023.



Ghana is an important partner for us, Foreign Minister Ian Borg told his Ghanaian counterpart. We have 24 companies who are doing business in Ghana. They have no complaints; theyre happy.



Last year, Mr. Borg led a delegation of 45, most of them investors, when opening the High Commission of Malta in Accra.



Ghanas High Commission in Malta, established in 2014, is also the only fully-fledged sub-Saharan diplomatic mission in Valetta.



In her meetings with Mr. Borg as well as Prime Minister Robert Abela and current President Myriam Spiteri Debono, Ms. Botchwey stressed the importance of trade and investment as against aid.



Trade and investments are very critical for creating jobs for our young people to help stem the tide of illegal migration, she said.



We need desperately to create opportunities for young people. We dont want them to leave Africa; we need strong advocacy for the interests of young people  in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific said Ms. Botchwey, who served multiple terms as a legislator for the most populous constituency in Ghana.



Trade and investment, and skills training and start-ups for the youth across the Commonwealth are among Ms. Botchweys priorities for the 56-member Commonwealth which has a population of 2.6 billion, nearly two-thirds of whom are below 30 years.



She said the Commonwealth could punch above its weight, citing the World Health Organizations (WHO) Health Worker Protocol, and the Highly-Indebted Poor-Country Initiative (HIPC) which gave relief to debt-stressed countries, as examples of what the Commonwealth was capable of.



Prime Minister Abela agreed, saying, We should discuss Ghana and Africa in terms of trade and not aid.



Unfortunately, Africa is often discussed in terms of migration. I think we should see Africa in terms of mutual opportunities; the potential is there, said Mr. Abela whose Commonwealth nation of 530,000 people joined the European Union (EU) twenty years ago.



Through May of this year alone, over 800 migrants are reported to have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean; last year an estimated 3,100 reportedly lost their lives.

Ms. Botchwey also paid a courtesy call on President Debono.



She also discussed the threat posed by climate change to small island states such as Malta and others in the Pacific, and in the Caribbean where Hurricane Beryl has left havoc in its trail just weeks ago.



The Commonwealth can rally its members towards raising critical financing to help build resilience among these vulnerable states, Ms Botchwey said.



She cited the Pacific island nation of Kiribati whose highest point is a mere four metres above sea level, as an example of a Commonwealth country facing what she called an existential threat. She said the collective voice of our commonwealth must be engineered to make a difference.



Ghana and Malta have exchanged state visits in recent years, with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo being received in Malta in 2019, and Ghana hosting President George William Vella in March this year,one month before retiring and handing over to President Debono, 71, for a five-year non-renewable term.

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Contractors working on three of the four bypasses on the Accra-Kumasi Highway have reported that illegal mining activities have affected the progress of their work.



They stated that the mining operations have made the soil soggy, requiring more filling to compact the road, which has consequently delayed project timelines.



According to a report by graphic.com.gh, the contractors disclosed this during a tour by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, to assess the progress of the projects.



The ongoing bypass projects at Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi, and Konongo are significant components of the Central Corridor Road project.



However, the contractors maintained that they are working diligently to ensure the contract is delivered on schedule.



Dolittle Kwaku Sintim-Aboagye, the Project Lead for STIM Ltd, the contractor for the Osino bypass project, stated that additional materials were required to treat the soil before the commencement of the main construction.



He noted that the situation had ultimately affected the project's design, as the ponds left by the miners need to be decommissioned as part of the overall process.



The company is supervising the construction of 11.6 kilometres (km) of the Osino South-bound bypass on the Apedwa-Ejisu section of the Accra-Kumasi Road.



This project is part of the 160-km Apedwa-Ejisu Road dualisation initiative aimed at enhancing socio-economic activities along the Central Corridor.



The project began on June 15, 2023, and is expected to be completed by December 14, 2025.



In addition to the mining challenges, he mentioned issues related to compensation for some affected property owners along the project area, particularly farmers.



He reportedly stated that the Ghana Highways Authority is addressing compensation matters with the crop farmers.



So far, about 45 per cent of work on the project has been completed.



On the Anyinam Project, consultant David Brobbe cited similar challenges faced by the contractor.



He explained that the pits along the construction path necessitate more laterite to level the ground.



He also noted that illegal developments have begun to emerge along the project site, requiring government intervention.



Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Roads and Highways, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far.



He acknowledged that the challenges faced by the contractors might slightly affect completion timelines but expressed hope that the projects would be delivered on schedule.



He added that in addition to the bypasses, the government is implementing other measures within the corridor to improve transportation with neighbouring communities.



These interventions, the report said, include the provision of underpasses, overpasses, culverts, and a 40-metre bridge over the Birim River.



















Source: ghanaweb.com









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by Staff reporter

The rehabilitation of Harare roads needed in preparation for the hosting of the 44th SADC Summit next month is 90 percent complete and on schedule.Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga presented a report to Cabinet yesterday on progress made in the preparations for hosting the summit in August.The Government is rehabilitating three main access roads leading to the venue of the Summit, the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, including the internal circulation roads. Most of the rehabilitation was already scheduled, and any changes on timelines have normally been just deciding what section of a highway to work on first.These include the Harare-Chirundu Road, Harare-Kanyemba Road and the Old Mazowe Road.Rehabilitation of the Harare-Chirundu Road is ongoing and the scope of works includes construction, landscaping and street lighting of the section of Julius Nyerere Street from the Main Post Office in the Central Business District to the intersection of Sam Nujoma Extension and Nemakonde Way (formerly Lomagundi), and along Nemakonde Way to the Westgate Traffic Circle.Work to rehabilitate the Harare-Kanyemba Road is also ongoing and the scope of works includes dualisation, widening, upgrading, reconstruction, rehabilitation, street lighting and landscaping of the section of Sam Nujoma Extension from Nemakonde Road to, and including, the traffic circle at the intersection with the New Parliament Boulevard, past the Henderson Research Institute area to the Mvurwi turn-off.Rehabilitation of Old Mazowe Road is underway and the scope of works includes construction and landscaping from the Westgate traffic circle to Mt Hampden, the Loop Road and New Parliament Building access roads, and the New Parliament Boulevard to the intersection with the Bindura Road.The government is also continuing the rehabilitation of Greater Harare roads with the scope of works including rehabilitation, street lighting and landscaping of 37 roads that link the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to the City, and also to Mt Hampden and the New Parliament Building in particular.Overall progress of works is 90 percent and the target completion date is the end of this month.Meanwhile, construction of the Museum of African Liberation is underway while rehabilitation works at the State Pavilion at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport are expected to be completed by the end of this month.
The World Public Relations Day Festival organized by Global Media Alliance culminated in a grand event on Tuesday July 16, 2024, bringing together public relations practitioners, students, media representatives, and industry players from various industries. Held under the theme, "The Future of PR in a Changing World," the summit offered a platform for insightful discussions and networking opportunities.



The Deputy Minister of Information, Hon. Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, delivered an inspiring address, emphasizing the critical role of public relations in today's fast-evolving landscape. "In a world where information travels at the speed of light, the role of public relations professionals is more vital than ever. We must harness the power of strategic communication to shape narratives, build trust, and drive positive change," he remarked.



Adding to this perspective, H.E. Edward Boateng, Former Ambassador of Ghana to China, spoke passionately on the importance of shaping the African narrative. "Africa's story is one of resilience, innovation, and growth. As communicators, we have the responsibility to amplify these stories and present a balanced and authentic view of our continent to the world," Boateng stated.



He further emphasized, "By telling our own stories, we reclaim our identity and showcase the incredible potential that lies within Africa, inspiring future generations and fostering global partnerships."



The summit's highlight was a panel discussion featuring H.E Edward Boateng, Sophia Kudjordji, Corporate Communications Manager for the Jospong Group, and Mr. Ben Anane Nsiah, Deputy CEO, General Services of the Ghana Tourism Authority. The panel delved into the theme, offering diverse perspectives on the future of public relations.



Mr. Nsiah highlighted the intersection of tourism and public relations, saying, "Effective PR is essential in promoting our tourism sector. It helps us tell compelling stories that attract tourists and showcase the unique beauty and culture of Ghana." He also emphasized the role public relations played in amplifying the Beyond the Return initiative and how strategic communication efforts helped boost Ghana's tourism sector.



By leveraging effective PR campaigns, the initiative successfully highlighted Ghana's cultural heritage, attracting international visitors and fostering economic growth. He noted that the collaboration between public relations professionals and tourism stakeholders was instrumental in driving the initiative's success, showcasing the power of well-crafted messaging in achieving national objectives.



Sophia Kudjordji highlighted the role of technology and innovation in PR, noting, "The digital age has transformed how we communicate. PR professionals must adapt to new tools and platforms to reach and engage their audiences effectively. Embracing technology is not an option; it's a necessity."



H.E. Edward Boateng reiterated the importance of authenticity in communication. "In an era of misinformation, authenticity and transparency are paramount. Our narratives must be rooted in truth, reflecting the genuine experiences and aspirations of our people."



The World PR Day Festival Summit successfully brought together a vibrant community of PR students and professionals, fostering an environment of learning, collaboration, and inspiration. As the event concluded, attendees left with renewed energy and a deeper understanding of the evolving dynamics of public relations in a rapidly changing world.





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The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Richard Ahiagbah has described the GH8.1 billion to support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) as a game-changer.



Ahiagbah states that this is evidence that the economy will continue to recover steadily.



The planned investment of GH8.1 billion to support SMEs is a game-changer for these businesses and the youth. This is evidence that the economy will continue to recover steadily."



"I commend H.E. Akufo-Addo for his vision and the Finance Ministers drive to deliver. Its possible with Bawumia-NAPO. Lets work hard to achieve victory on December 7 because Ghana needs it, he wrote on X.





The planned investment of GH8.1 billion to support SMEs is a game-changer for these businesses and the youth. This is evidence that the economy will continue to recover steadily.



I commend H.E. Akufo-Addo for his vision and the Finance Minister's drive to deliver. It's pic.twitter.com/JO3bcd8AbQ  Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) July 17, 2024





President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday July 16 unveiled the SME Growth and Opportunity (GO) Programme at the SME Growth and Opportunity Summit held at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra.



The comprehensive programme is backed by a GHS 8.2 billion funding package and aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are pivotal to the nations economic prosperity.



President Akufo-Addo emphasized the critical role SMEs play in Ghanas economy, highlighting that they constitute 92% of businesses and contribute 70% to the GDP. Despite their significant contributions, SMEs face numerous challenges, particularly in accessing finance, which hinders their potential for growth and innovation.



The entrepreneurial spirit of Ghanaians has always been a driving force behind our economic transformation. Our SMEs are the backbone of our economy, and it is imperative that we support them to overcome the barriers they face, President Akufo-Addo stated.















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on politicians to create jobs now or risk agitations and demonstrations before the end of this year.



The General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah Tanko said this in reaction to the report by the statistical service on job creation in Accra.



Figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicate that 1.9 million youth have no employment, no education and training while 1.2 million female also have no training and education.



Over 790,000 of male also have no education, employment and training, according to the GSS report.



The Ghana Statistical Service projected in its report that the situation could be dire if government fails to act swiftly.



On June, 11, 2024, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, expressed concern about the state of unemployment among the youth.



He predicted that it could result in demonstrations and agitations, especially with the upcoming elections.



After a month of his pronouncement, the Mr Tanko fears the situation could escalate.



He cited the report by the GSS indicating that duty bearers should act fast.



Whatever we can do to take the youth out of this situation, it must be done, and it must be done now, let no politicians take this thing for granted, he said.



He added that despite the policies by government to create jobs, more has to be done.



When your policies are doing well, the people themselves will tell you, what you see here is a clear indication of danger. Nobody should praise himself; this one is a clear danger.



He asked the President Akufo-Addo and politicians to help forestall any impending danger.



The constitution says sovereignty resides in the people, so if people should commit their sovereignty and delegate that power to you to act for and on their behalf, you cannot say that you have delivered. When you have delivered, they know because they are the principals, so what I am saying is that we are sitting on a time bomb, Mr Musah cautioned.





Source: 3news









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The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered Ghana to release information on the death of Peter Mensah, who was killed in The Gambia, to his son within four months.



This ruling followed a decision by a three-member panel of the ECOWAS Court, presided over by Justice Edward Amoako Asante, which found that Ghana violated the son of the deceaseds right to information by refusing to release the UN/ECOWAS Committee Report to the applicant.



Mr. Isaac Mensah, the first applicant, sued the Republic of Ghana as the surviving son of Mr. Peter Mensah, a Ghanaian national and Community citizen who allegedly disappeared after his arrest by state agents in The Gambia in July 2005.



The first applicant in the suit represented 23 other individuals who claimed to be family members of Mr. Peter Mensah; however, the court struck out the other applicants for lack of locus standi.



The panel, which also comprised Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara and Justice Ricardo C.M. Goncalves, on July 12, 2024, found that the respondent (Ghana) violated the applicants right to information by failing or refusing to release the UN/ECOWAS Committee Report to the applicant.



Consequently, the ECOWAS Court ordered that the respondent (Ghana) take steps to release the report to the applicant no later than four months from the date of service of this judgment.



The court further ordered that the 2009 UN/ECOWAS Committee Report delivered to Ghana be given to the applicant.



The panel also stated that the coroners/pathologists report on the bodies returned to Ghana in 2009, a report on the disbursement of the money paid by The Gambia to the families, a copy of the videotape of the burial ceremony of the six bodies returned to Ghana, and a copy of the picture taken when the money was handed to the Mensah family should be released to the applicant.



The second applicant, a registered trustee of the African Network Against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANKED), a human rights NGO based in The Gambia, was struck out as a party to the case for lack of standing.



The respondent, the Republic of Ghana, is an ECOWAS member state and a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1981 (African Charter) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 (ICCPR), on which the applicants rely in the case.



The panel also decided that all other reliefs sought by the parties which were not granted in whole or in part are dismissed, urging that the parties bear their own costs.



Applicants Case



According to the applicants, Mr. Peter Mensah, the father of the first applicant, was a citizen of Ghana who lived in Akomadan (in the Ashanti Region) and worked as a cocoa farmer.



In March 2005, when the first applicant was only 12 years old, Mr. Peter Mensah embarked on a journey to Europe through Senegal. However, his wife, the first applicants mother, who had been communicating with Mr. Mensah, eventually lost contact with him.



In July 2005, the family heard news of the arrest and killing of some West African migrants (mainly Ghanaian nationals) in The Gambia, with the only survivor being one Martin Kyere, a Ghanaian who managed to escape.



The applicants say that later in 2005, when Mr. Martin Kyere returned to Ghana, he worked with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an NGO, to locate the families of the Ghanaian migrants who were presumably killed.

Mr. Martin Kyere confirmed that Mr. Peter Mensah was among the West African migrants who were arrested in The Gambia when they were trying to get on a ship to Europe.



However, he had no knowledge of his fate as the detained migrants were subsequently separated into two groups, with Peter Mensah falling into a different group from his.



After an unsuccessful fact-finding mission by Ghanaian authorities to The Gambia in August 2005, The Gambia later allowed an investigative team from Ghana into The Gambia in March 2006.



However, the findings of the investigations are still unknown as neither Ghana nor The Gambia furnished the first applicant with any information about the said investigation.



Subsequently, in August 2008, a joint UN/ECOWAS Fact-Finding Team was established in collaboration with Ghana and The Gambia to investigate the incident.



According to the applicants, the report of the investigation was not shared with the public. However, the investigations established that a group of migrants had indeed left Senegal on July 22, 2005, for Europe but were dropped off the coast of The Gambia and had since not been seen or heard from.



The report also indicated that rogue elements of The Gambian security forces were responsible for the death of some of the migrants and the disappearance of others but found no evidence of direct government involvement.



Based on these findings, Ghana and The Gambia, without any consultations with the families of the victims, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 2, 2009.



Under the MOU, the government of The Gambia, without acknowledging responsibility, agreed to make a financial payment to the families of six Ghanaians found dead in The Gambia in accordance with African traditional values. Both parties also agreed to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators.



In September 2009, it was reported that the remains of about six to eight of the Ghanaians who were killed in The Gambia were returned to Ghana. No DNA samples were collected from the first applicant, Mr. Isaac Mensah, or any of his family members to enable identification of the possible remains of Mr. Peter Mensah among those returned. Instead, the government of Ghana proceeded to conduct a mass burial.



In December 2010, the government paid 10,000 cedis (approximately 6,800 US dollars at 2009 exchange rates) to 27 families, including the Mensah family, out of the 500,000 US dollars paid by the government of The Gambia pursuant to the MOU signed by the two countries.



The applicants say that the rest of the 500,000 dollars was spent on questionable items such as payments to grave diggers and the rental of red carpets and plants.



After the mass burial and the payments, the first applicant and his family have not heard from the government of Ghana again.



The applicants claim that contrary to the findings of the Joint UN/ECOWAS Fact-Finding Team, which stated that the migrants were killed by rogue security agents, new evidence from investigative journalists, a Human Rights Watch report, and a confession by a former Gambian soldier reveal that the killings were ordered by then-President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh.



Additionally, in July 2019, two former operatives of The Junglers, an armed group controlled by Yahya Jammeh, testified before The Gambias Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that the West African migrants were suspected to be mercenaries and were killed by the Junglers on Jammehs orders.



According to the applicants, Ghana has failed to follow up on any of the new information uncovered about the 2005 killing or disappearance of the Ghanaian migrants in The Gambia despite its pledge to do so under the 2009 MOU with The Gambia.



In October 2019, the first applicant wrote through the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to request from the government of Ghana the following documents:



A copy of the UN/ECOWAS Investigation Report;



The coroner or pathologists report on the bodies returned to Ghana in 2009;



A copy of the videotape of the burial ceremony of the six bodies returned to Ghana;



A report on the disbursement of the money paid by the government of The Gambia; and



A copy of the picture taken when the payment was made to the Mensah family.



The applicants contend that the government of Ghana has failed to provide the information requested and has not communicated to the family the steps it has taken to investigate the disappearance of Mr. Peter Mensah since July 2005.



These failures violate the rights of the first applicant and his family to know the truth about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Mr. Peter Mensah, the father of the first applicant.



Ghanas Case



According to the respondent, the human rights abuse complained of was committed outside the jurisdiction of Ghana in the Republic of The Gambia at a time when the Ghanaian government had neither knowledge nor access to intervene in the matter.



This case must therefore be treated differently from other cases where the violation takes place within the respondent state.



According to the respondent, The Gambia is a sovereign state and, therefore, for an effective investigation to be conducted, there must be cooperation between The Gambia and Ghana.



The best approach to resolving the matter is the approach adopted by the respondent, which involves engaging the Republic of The Gambia diplomatically.



The respondent states that it sought the assistance of the domestic investigative machinery of The Gambia as far back as the commencement of this unfortunate event in 2005.



Consequently, it initiated an investigative process once the tragic incident was brought to its attention by sending a team of experts, led by the Director of Criminal Investigations, to The Gambia to seek assistance in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the murder of the Ghanaians.



The President of the Republic of Ghana and the Foreign Minister of Ghana also held high-level consultations with their Gambian counterparts to support the special investigation mission in establishing the truth.



Both governments made efforts to facilitate the resolution of the matter in line with the principles of justice and respect for human rights and dignity.



This resulted in the establishment of a fact-finding committee comprising representatives of the UN and ECOWAS.



The respondent states that the UN/ECOWAS Fact-Finding Committee set up at the request of both the respondent and The Gambia, included experts in criminal investigation from the Ghana Police Service, representatives from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, and a family member of the victims.



At the end of its investigations, the committee concluded that the government of The Gambia owed the victims a duty to protect their human rights under international law, even if it was unclear who the perpetrators were or whether the government of The Gambia was directly involved.



The committee stated that since the atrocities were committed within the jurisdiction of The Gambia, the country was liable under international law.



Therefore, the government of The Gambia should provide compensation and other forms of redress.



The conclusions of the fact-finding committee led the governments of the two states to pledge to use all means to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice, emphasizing the cooperation and willingness of both states to ensure appropriate redress.



Therefore, the respondent acted in utmost good faith when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Gambia, pledging that the perpetrators would be dealt with appropriately to ensure justice is delivered to the victims.



Regarding access to the UN/ECOWAS Fact-Finding Committee Report, the respondent states that in June 2020, Ghanas Attorney General and Minister of Justice wrote to the Gambian authorities requesting a waiver of confidentiality in respect of the 2009 UN/ECOWAS Fact-Finding Committee Report in light of emerging information and consistent with international best practices.



The Attorney General of The Gambia, in a letter dated August 24, 2020, acceded to the waiver and promised to communicate the same to the UN Special Procedures by the end of August 2020.



The respondent formally received the grant of the waiver of confidentiality by a letter dated September 9, 2020.



Regarding continued investigations into the killings and disappearances in The Gambia, the respondent states that the process to arrest and punish the perpetrators is still ongoing.



The burial of the victims and the payment of compensation did not bring finality to the matter.



The respondent is mobilizing to undertake the second phase of the investigation.



According to the respondent, it has worked with the applicants up to this stage, paid compensation to the families of the victims, identified mass graves, evacuated the bodies from The Gambia, and assisted with the mass burial of the eight identified bodies.



All these actions are part of an effective remedy. Therefore, the respondent remains committed to investigating, prosecuting, and punishing the perpetrators since it has lost its citizens.



However, the respondent contends that the court has no jurisdiction over the application since the events giving rise to the case occurred in The Gambia rather than Ghana.



The respondent requests that the court dismiss the application on grounds that the court has no jurisdiction and that the application is inadmissible.



Reliefs Sought



The applicants request the court for the following reliefs:



. A declaration that Ghana is in breach of its duty to investigate a violation of a peremptory norm of international law.



. A declaration that as a result of the failure of Ghana to provide an effective remedy, Ghana has violated the right of Isaac Mensah to an effective remedy under Articles 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the African Charter and Articles 2(3), 6(1), 7, 9, and 16 of the ICCPR.



. A declaration that Ghana is in violation of Isaac Mensahs right to information, guaranteed by Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Section 1 of the Right to Information Act of Ghana, Article 19(2) of the ICCPR, and Article 9 of the African Charter.



A declaration that consequent upon the breach of the right to an effective remedy, Ghana is in violation of the right to truth under Article 2(3) in conjunction with Article 7 of the ICCPR.



An order directing the Republic of Ghana to implement its obligations under the African Charter, ICCPR, and the RTI Act in relation to Peter Mensahs disappearance.



An order directing the Republic of Ghana to conduct an effective investigation into the circumstances of Peter Mensahs disappearance and his whereabouts/fate, including his alleged death.



An order directing the Republic of Ghana to provide Isaac Mensah with the documents previously requested. These are a copy of the UN/ECOWAS report delivered to Ghana; the coroners/pathologists report on the bodies returned to Ghana in 2009; a report on the disbursement of the money paid by The Gambia to the families; a copy of the videotape of the burial ceremony of the six bodies returned to Ghana; and a copy of the picture taken when the money was handed to the Mensah family.



The sum of 1,500,000 USD as compensation to the first applicant.













Source: starrfm









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CWG Ghana, a leading technology solutions provider, has been licensed by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) as a Tier 1 Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSP). This prestigious recognition places CWG Ghana among the first companies to receive this accreditation under the Ghana Cybersecurity Act, 2020, marking a significant milestone in its journey and reinforcing its position as a regional cybersecurity leader.



"This is an immensely proud moment for us. It validates our relentless commitment to working hard and smart while following best practices for the best interests of our clients and stakeholders. This recognition is not just an accolade, but a responsibility we take very seriously, Harriet Attram Yartey, Managing Director of CWG Ghana, said.



CWG Ghana offers a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services that address current challenges in the national digital landscape. These services include Identity and Access Management, Penetration Testing, Breach and Attack Simulation, Data Protection, Email Security Solutions, Enterprise and Endpoint Security, Threat Intelligence & Digital Risk Protection, Enterprise Fraud Management, Anti-Money Laundering, and Governance, Risk and Compliance solutions.



Mrs. Yartey elaborated on the company's approach, explaining that it deploys context-aware, customer-aware, real-time, cross-channel solutions that monitor enterprise-wide 360, digesting all transactions and actions for necessary intervention and prevention. This is particularly crucial at a time when Ghana has already experienced 4 million data breaches halfway through the year. Our goal is to create a robust defence against the ever-evolving cyber threats, she added.



To meet the stringent requirements of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020, CWG Ghana has implemented a series of robust measures. These include conducting regular internal and external audits, providing continuous employee training on cybersecurity best practices, establishing incident reporting systems, and maintaining thorough documentation of all compliance activities.



The company is also at the forefront of adopting advanced technologies to stay ahead of cyber threats. "We are investing in AI-driven security analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify and respond to threats in real-time," Mrs. Yartey explained. "We are also implementing a Zero Trust security model and enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication for all access points to add extra layers of security, she added.



Looking to the future, CWG Ghana has ambitious plans to contribute to strengthening Ghana's cybersecurity infrastructure, including the launch of a robust cybersecurity training and awareness drive through our CWG Training Academy.



"This initiative aims to empower corporate institutions and individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves in the digital space. We believe that investing intelligently in AI-driven solutions and human capacity building is key to staying ahead of the curve in protecting individuals and businesses in both the real and digital worlds, the CWG MD stated.



The company's future strategy also includes closer collaboration with the CSA and participation in national and international cybersecurity initiatives. This approach aims to ensure that CWG Ghana remains at the cutting edge of cybersecurity practices and continues to meet the highest standards in the industry.



As cyber threats continue to evolve and the line between the physical and digital worlds becomes increasingly blurred, CWG Ghana is positioned to play a pivotal role in safeguarding Ghana's digital future. "We are not just protecting data; we are securing Ghana's digital future, and this Tier 1 CSP status is a testament to our capabilities, but more importantly, it is a pledge to our clients and Ghana that we will continue to innovate, educate, and protect against the cyber threats of today and tomorrow."







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Celebrated Ghanaian artist and Absa LAtelier Ambassador, Michael Jackson MJ Blebo, is currently showcasing his solo exhibition 'A Thatch of Ochres' at the Noldor Residency Gallery in Accra.



This distinctive installation, which runs until August 16 2024, is presented in collaboration with the South African National Association of the Visual Arts (SANAVA).



According to Michael Blebo, 'A Thatch of Ochres' explores the subconscious and represents a post-Wakanda utopia, where signs become critical forms.

The exhibition's centrepiece is the adakadan, a multidisciplinary site-specific installation and time capsule named Space Travel.



It explores an indigenous traditional culture where I incorporate modern materials like mirrors and glass to fuse in a traditional way of building, he said.



He said, Its also related to awareness and sustainability. We all know in our country that the prices of cement have hiked, and we are pushing back the kind of materials we are using to build our homes, he noted. I realised that Ghana has about a 1.2 million deficit of homes.



I believe this is a perfect place for architects and the government to also explore these ideas in educating the children and the older residents, he added.



Senior Specialist: Art and Museum Curator at Absa Group, Dr. Paul Bayliss, praised the exhibition saying, We are proud to support the arts on the continent and recognise the importance of stories like MJs and the people of Ghana, told through art. The Absa LAtelier is a testament to our brand promise of 'Your Story Matters', and we are excited to bring this exhibition to Ghana, where it will undoubtedly resonate with art enthusiasts."



The Absa L'Atelier art competition is hosted annually by Absa in partnership with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA). Every year emerging visual artists from across Africa are allowed to showcase their talents. Additionally, the competition offers them a platform to explore themes and contemporary issues, while setting the stage to bring their possibilities to life.



Artists, aged 21 to 40, who are citizens, permanent residents and living in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, are eligible to enter the competition.



'A Thatch of Ochres: A Solo Installation by Michael Jackson Blebo' can be experienced at the Noldor Residency Gallery in Accra, Ghana, from July 12 to August 16, 2024.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Atik Mohammed has slammed the Members of Parliament (MPs) for their proposed use of sirens.



The Ministry of Transport has laid before Parliament a Legislative Instrument (L.I) seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012.



The new changes, if passed, will grant MPs, Ministers and Supreme Court Justices privileges for emergency and specialized vehicles which is to grant them the right of way.



The amendment of Regulation 74 of LI 2180 will permit the installation of sirens as warning appliances on their vehicles.



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Atik Mohammed questioned the logic in this proposal and wondered what has occasioned their request for such preferential treatment.



"You now want to live like you are in different class than us...Elsewhere, Ministers and MPs strictly follow traffic regulations. If you want to go somewhere early, wake up early...Everybody is silent because they all want to feel like Arabian Kings in town," he blasted them.



To Atik, the MPs want to use sirens just so to be allowed to drive recklessly and avoid Police arrest for violating traffic regulations.



"They want us to legalize their carelessness. If you have a parliamentary meeting that you are required to be there at some point in time, what stops you from waking up early? You see, the fact that MPs and Ministers were arrested means nobody is above the law...This is what we call constitutional chaos. You want to legalize this chaos."



"What kind of chaotic country are we trying to build?", he questioned.



LI granting siren use rights to MPs, Ministers withdrawn



The controversial Legislative Instrument (LI) seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 has been withdrawn in Parliament.



The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, withdrew the LI on behalf of the Transport Minister, citing public and stakeholder concerns.



He added that "the withdrawal became necessary based on extensive engagement with leadership."



He further announced, "Mr. Speaker, I would like to move that the Road Traffic Amended 2024, which was laid on Friday, June 14, be withdrawn... it is so withdrawn."



The Ministry of Transport had previously laid the LI before Parliament to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012. If passed, it would grant Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers of State privileges typically reserved for emergency and specialized vehicles.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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After filing a notice with the state to lay off 100 Massachusetts-based employees, Yankee Candle Company, Inc. confirmed it is relocating some operations from a Massachusetts distribution center to one in Newville, Cumberland County, a spokesman from the company told MassLive on Tuesday.

The clarification comes after the company  the nations largest specialty brand of premium scented candles with headquarters in South Deerfield and owned by Newell Brands  gave details last week about plans it initially, but vaguely, announced in January.

Yankee Candle notified the state last week it intends to layoff 100 employees from the 27 Yankee Candle Way location by September. Last week, the company said it would move warehousing to two nearby distribution facilities but when asked for the facilities address, a spokesman for Newell Brands said Tuesday that some of 27 Yankee Candle Ways operations will move to Pennsylvania.

The spokesman did not say how many total employees work in that facility.

In January, the company said it would close a warehouse at 14 Industrial Park Drive by the end of the year and move those operations to a large facility at 27 Yankee Candle Way, according to The Daily Hampshire Gazette. Tuesday, the spokesman confirmed we will no longer use 14 Industrial Park Drive.

Read more: Yankee Candle sets date for warehouse consolidation

The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notification with the Commonwealth last week announcing employees of the 27 Yankee Candle Way location in South Deerfield will face layoffs starting Sept. 9.

Severance letters were given to employees affected by the layoffs last week.

The 27 Yankee Candle Way location will remain open and is the only facility impacted by consolidation efforts in the Deerfield area at this time, according to the spokesman.

Importantly, there are no changes to our other Yankee Candle operations in Western Massachusetts, the company said in a statement last week. Yankee was founded in the area, and we are committed to maintaining a strong local presence with our flagship Yankee Candle Village store and various research, manufacturing, distribution and office facilities.

Newell Brands announced plans to make consolidations in January 2023, including cutting 13% of its global work force and closing corporate offices in South Deerfield. Offices in Boca Raton, Florida were also reported to be closing.

When asked this week if those South Deerfield corporate offices ever closed, the spokesman would only say that offices at 16 Yankee Candle Way are not impacted by (the July layoff) announcement.

Read more: Yankee Candle fully moves into Hatfield warehouse

In 1969, Michael J. Kittredge II started making candles out of his childhood home in South Hadley out of crayons, according to his 2019 obituary. The company grew to become one of the largest employers in Western Massachusetts, with about 1,400 employees in the region at the time, including at the offices and flagship store in South Deerfield, the Whately factory and a facility in East Longmeadow, his obit says.
Pennsylvania undergraduate students attending the 10 state universities will be spared a tuition increase again in the coming academic year.

The State System of Higher Educations governing board on Wednesday voted unanimously to freeze the rate undergraduates pay at $7,716-a-year for a seventh consecutive year and to maintain the systemwide technology fee at the same rate of $478 for the year.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Four people died, and 18 others were injured on Monday when a Toyota Hiace kombi veered off the road and overturned around 4 pm along Hamutyinei Road, Gweru. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi reported that the accident occurred at the 3km peg. The victims' bodies were taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital for post-mortem, with 17 injured victims admitted to the same hospital and one referred to Bulawayo United Hospitals.This incident marks the third fatal kombi crash in the last two weeks. Last Friday, at around 9:30 am, two people died and eight were injured when a Toyota Hiace kombi collided head-on with a Mazda B2200 double cab at the 47km peg along 22 Miles-Mafararikwa Road. The victims were taken to Victoria Chitepo Hospital for post-mortem, with the injured admitted to the same hospital.Earlier in the week, five people died, and nine were injured when their kombi overturned near Sunway City turn on the Harare-Mutare Highway. The driver, Elisha Mandemo (34), lost control of the vehicle, which landed on its roof. The kombi was en route to Marondera with 18 passengers.Police have urged motorists to observe speed limits and road regulations to prevent further accidents.
Billy Ray Cyrus has scored a win of sorts in what has been a very ugly, public divorce from Firerose.

According to PEOPLE Magazine, Cyrus was granted an emergency order which stops Firerose from using his credit cards. The ruling was made in a Tennessee court where this is all taking place.

PEOPLE reported that the judge in the case ruled that there was no legitimate reason for Firerose to have access to Cyrus cards. The site said she is restrained from using them effective immediately.

People previously reported that Cyrus claimed that Firerose ran up $96,986 in unauthorized charges on his business account. The site reported that Cyrus claims $70,665 of that went to payments for her lawyers. Cyrus claimed that the charges made him concerned that she may make other fraudulent, unauthorized charges to my business and personal credit cards and accounts.

When he filed for divorce, Cyrus listed irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as his reason, per People. The couple was reportedly married for just seven months.

Through her attorneys, Firerose has denied that she made any fraudulent charges, according to People.

Throughout the divorce proceedings, the parties are to live as per the status quo during the marriage, her lawyers reportedly argued. Wife was simply living as she has since October 10, 2023, and Husband has no right to cut her off.

People did report that Cyrus and Firerose did agree when he filed for divorce that she would move out of his home immediately, and that he would provide financial support for her for 90 days or until the dissolution of the marriage, whichever comes first.

PEOPLE reported that the judge also ordered the two to exchange income and expense statements by July 11 and engage in good faith mediation by Aug. 31.

The argument over money hasnt been the couples only issue throughout the process.

They have accused each other of abuse, and recently Firerose called Cyrus an evil man in a recent interview.

The 37-year-old also claimed that the 62-year-old Cyrus had strict rules for her during their brief, seven-month, marriage.

I didnt have a car, she told Page Six. I was only allowed to go to the local chiropractor and allowed once a month to get my nails done  it was systematic isolation, and I couldnt find the courage to leave.

She also claimed that she had to ask Cyrus for permission to send text messages and emails.

Just last week Cyrus responded to other accusations of abuse from Firerose by claiming that she, in fact, was abusive to him.

He denied her claims of extreme abuse while reportedly admitting that he was certainly vocal, frustrated and angry. However, in court filings, he reportedly claimed that it is the Plaintiff who, in fact, has been abused.

Cyrus reportedly claimed that he was verbally, emotionally and physically abused by Firerose.

He also reportedly countered Fireroses claims of abuse by arguing that if true it would be mindboggling to try and explain why, upon vacating (Billy Rays) premarital residence, (Firerose) would leave (Billy Ray) a handwritten note and then send him a text message stating in her word, I am sorry and please give me a chance to make this right. I can explain everything but I need you on my side.

Firerose, again, has denied the claims.

The only individuals backing his false claims are those on his payroll, whose credibility is questionable, her rep told InTouch.

Its just another ugly chapter in the former couples split.

According to People Magazine, Firerose claims that Cyrus filed for divorce last month just a day before she was set to have a preventative double mastectomy. The site said she made the filing in Tennessee on June 14.

People said shediscovered she had the BRCA1 gene mutation which gave her an increased chance of getting breast cancer, and in March doctors highly recommended she have the procedure done to prevent that from happening.

But she reportedly said in her filing that chaos ensued at home as her surgery date grew near and that Cyrus continually launched verbal attacks against her. People said it reached out to Cyrus representatives, but they had no comment.

When Wife would attempt to voice certain concerns, Husband would often call her a selfish (expletive) and continually alleged that she was using him, the filing said per People. With Wifes major surgery date looming, she was reasonably afraid to leave or seek any type of help because she feared hat Husband would interfere with her surgery or her lengthy recovery at home.

The report said she also accused Cyrus of extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse. It said she also accused him of having substance abuse issues and that causes him to be unpredictable and volatile.
If you are a country music fan in central Pa. you will not want to miss this opportunity to see one of the genres biggest stars on tour in Dauphin County this September.

Luke Bryans Farm Tour will now make a stop at Bow Creek Farm in East Hanover Township on Sept. 19, the Dauphin County Sheriffs Office announced Tuesday.

Parking for the Dauphin County show begins at 2 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. The show is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

Tickets to the show start at $65 in advance and $80 at the door. The ticket presale begins at 10 a.m. on July 17. Parking is $10 in advance and $20 at the door.

The six upcoming Farm Tour concerts in September will benefit charities and college scholarships for students of farming families. Other locations for the Farm Tour include Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

The Farm Tour shows, which began in 2009, will start after Bryans Mind of a Country Boy tour ends in mid-September.

The Mind of a Country Boy tour is making stops throughout the United States from July through September with help from special guests Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore, Peach Pickers with Rodney Clawson, and DJRock.

Bow Creek Farm, located at 769 Ridge Road in East Hanover Township, is a local business that raises red Angus cattle. The farm supplies local hotels and high-end restaurants with premium beef and other goods from its retail store.
Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) Berks County has placed 15 youth who have disabilities or face other employment barriers with summer jobs thanks to a partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) My Work.

In its fourth year, the program has expanded to provide employment experiences to 280 program participants with almost 80 employers, including a growing number of nonprofits, a press release said.

I really think its important because this program gives people in our community a chance to get out there and learn a job skill that can be so beneficial to them in so many ways, YAP Berks County Program Director Amy Schermerhorn said in the release. To me, it feels like were giving back to the community because were working with other nonprofits in a positive way.

MaKayla is working as a camp counselor at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club. She assists youth with activities such as boat riding, canoeing, and art; among other things. 'I enjoy hanging with the kids, learning new things about them and being there,' she says.Youth Advocate Programs

YAP Berks County, Pa. program participants are working at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club of Reading & Berks County , the Hope Rescue Mission and the LGBT Center of Greater Reading . The summer employment program was created by OVR to provide high school students with disabilities the opportunity to work at jobs in their communities. The goal is to provide participants with skills that set them up for success in the job market following graduation.

Founded in Harrisburg in 1975, YAP is a leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nations overreliance on youth incarceration and residential care. Program participants who receive YAPs services come to the agency through partnerships with youth justice, child welfare, developmental disabilities, education, and other public systems.

In 35 states and Washington, D.C., YAP empowers youth by helping them see their strengths and connecting them and their families with individualized tools to meet their economic, educational, and emotional goals.

Recent high school graduate and YAP Berks County, Pa. program participant MaKayla, who stutters when she is anxious, is working as a camp counselor at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club. She assists youth with activities such as boat riding, canoeing, and art; among other things.

I enjoy hanging with the kids, learning new things about them and being there, the 18-year-old said. They enjoy me being around them too.

YAP Employment Specialist Lenny Stinson is also at the Olivet Boys and Girls site with program participants and says they are all learning how to socialize and shake off any fears they may have of being in a work environment.

They all have potential and I believe in their potential, he said. With their developmental disabilities, they have challenges communicating with their peers, but while here they are being more open. I think they will be able to overcome their challenges.

Stinson works with MaKayla and three other YAP program participants at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club.

[MaKayla] is really outgoing and is doing well, Stinson added.

In addition to placing students ages 16 through 21 with disabilities in summer jobs across the state, the program allows YAP to connect participating employers with other young people who typically have a tough time finding work  those who live in rural communities - and/or individuals who have been justice system involved.

Everything is about exposure, said Olivet Boys & Girls Club CEO Rick Perez, who worked at YAP while in college. You dont know that you can achieve something until you are actually exposed to it and try. Its about youth being able to socialize in a different setting, efficiently communicate, and most importantly, its about flexibility. Things arent so cut and dry when youre working with kids. Its about being able to pivot, adjust, and still be successful. There are so many different things that theyre learning.

With her summer work experience in tow, MaKayla plans to find a masonry job.

I graduated with knowing how to do brick-laying, MaKayla said. That is my biggest career goal, to learn different things and to be successful.

YAP has placed My Work participants in jobs with employers in counties throughout the Commonwealth including: Adams, Bradford, Carbon, Crawford, Delaware, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, and York.

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org .

OVR programs are supported by U.S. Department of Education. A total of $144,731,271 or 78.7% is financed with federal funds. The remaining 21.3%, including additional matching fund costs ($39,171,233) is funded by state appropriations and other non-federal allowable sources.
Polly want some mouthwash?

A parrot with a penchant for rather colorful language is ruffling feathers with phrases like Do you me want to kick your [expletive]? Apparently, though, many people have become endeared to the bird for this very reason.

The Washington Post reports how the beaked potty-mouth  who goes by the name Pepper  was surrendered to the Niagara County SPCA in Niagara Falls, N.Y., last month along with six parakeets by a woman who claimed she couldnt take care of them any longer. It soon became evident the words Pepper mimics went beyond the average fowls.

According to USA Today, the male white-front Amazon got his own post on the Niagara SPCAs Facebook page describing his rather shocking habit.

Bringing home a cursing conure might seem like a fun idea until Pepper offends grandmas Tuesday night knitting group, the post admits. On the bright side, if you want to keep unannounced company from dropping in, adopt Pepper.

Theyll think twice after being cussed out by your new foul-mouthed feathered friends.

Apparently, a lot of people cant stand their grandmas knitting group: The same Washington Post article states that a whopping 400-plus adoption applications were submitted to bring Pepper into a new home. And one stuck.

WFRZ confirms how, as of this past Tuesday, Pepper will be swearing up a storm in the home of affianced couple, Tiffany Turner and Tim Sage.

Hes really sweet, and he seems to love women, said Turner of Pepper. I could tell he was definitely a ladies man.

Lets just hope he doesnt get fresh.
An 8-week-old girl died after being left alone in a hot car by her father for an extended period Tuesday afternoon in Lakewood, authorities allege.

Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, of Jackson, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said. Additional charges are possible.

Lakewood police were called to the area of New Egypt Road at 1:45 p.m., authorities said. Hatzolah Medical Services  a private ambulance service  was already rendering aid when officers arrived, but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene.

Chaitovsky was arrested and sent to the Ocean County jail, where he remains held. Attorney information and the date for Chaitovskys first court hearing wasnt listed in court records as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The childs name wasnt disclosed.

The temperature in the Lakewood area at 2 p.m. Monday was 89 degrees with a heat index of 103, the National Weather Service said.

Officials didnt say where the car was parked. However, TheLakewoodScoop.com, a local news site, said the vehicle was in a lot outside a Kallub  an institute where where rabbinic literature is studied. The girl was left for about two hours, the website reported.

The infant is the 11th child to die in a hot car nationwide this year and the first in New Jersey, according to Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit group that works to protect children and pets in and around vehicles.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
By Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE  Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a Milwaukee man on Tuesday, fueling anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.

The man was shot by officers with the Columbus, Ohio, police department, according to a statement released by that citys police division. Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that began Monday and concludes Thursday.

The Columbus Police Department, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukees mayor and a spokeswoman for the conventions joint command center, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.

Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention. Dozens of police officers stood behind police tape at the scene, declining to answer questions about what had happened.

They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?

Sharpe said her cousin, who she identified as Samuel Sharpe, lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.

Residents said the man was well known among locals and others who lived in and near the encampment.

Kenneth Johnson, a volunteer with Friends Without Shelter, said he often dropped off food to the man and others who lived in the tents  and questioned what an out-of-state officer had been doing at the location.

Charter buses detour around a crime scene where one person was shot and killed by police during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention,Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. The shooting occurred outside of the security perimeter for the Republican National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)AP

They shouldnt have jurisdiction to be in this area. This isnt near where the zones are, Johnson said. These are tent communities over here, they shouldnt be over here.

In a statement, the Columbus Police Department said the shooting was within the operational zone to which our officers were assigned.

The Columbus Police Department has received attention because of its special unit deployed to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relationships and had a visible role in guiding the largely uneventful protests on Monday.

The shooting happened near King Park, roughly a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters gathered before marching on Monday. That demonstration was followed by dozens of Columbus police officers, wearing blue vests that read: Columbus Police Dialogue.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office said an adult male was shot and killed. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

The Milwaukee Police Department didnt respond to an email seeking more details about Tuesdays shooting.
By Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press

HOUSTON  Drawn guns. Thrown rocks. Threatening messages. Houstons prolonged outages following Hurricane Beryl has some fed-up and frustrated residents taking out their anger on repair workers who are trying to restore power across the city.

The threats and confrontations have prompted police escorts, charges in at least two cases, and pleas from authorities and local officials to leave the linemen alone so they can work.

Beryl knocked out power to nearly 3 million people in Texas  with most of those in the Houston area  after making landfall July 8. The Category 1 storm unleashed heavy rain and winds that uprooted trees and damaged homes and businesses along the Texas Coast and parts of Southeast Texas. State authorities have reported 18 deaths from Beryl. In the Houston area, some have been due to heat exposure following the loss of power, according to the medical examiners office in Harris County.

FILE - Utility crews work to restore electricity in Houston, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Houstons prolonged outages following Hurricane Beryl has some fed-up and frustrated residents taking out their anger on repair workers who are trying to restore power across the city. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi, File)AP

As of Tuesday, crews were still working to restore power to some residents.

Linemen are our friends and are doing their job. Do not threaten them. I understand youre angry and mad and frustrated, but lets get through this together, Mayor John Whitmire said during a news conference on Monday.

Houston police have investigated at least five cases involving threats made to workers and other employees, whether in person or online.

In one of these cases, police arrested Anthony Leonard, 38, charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities allege Leonard on Saturday threw rocks and pointed a gun at a group of CenterPoint Energy workers who were at a staging area.

Leonard remained jailed Tuesday. His attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said over 100 line workers had to be evacuated from the staging area on Saturday. He said such threats are counterproductive as crews have to be moved to safer areas, delaying their work.

So many of our fellow Houstonians have addressed this situation with patience and grace. And I want to thank them. But unfortunately, there have been instances where either acts of violence have been threatened or actually committed against our crews that are working this vital restoration. This is unacceptable. The safety of our crews is paramount, Wells said.

KPRC reported that a charge of making a terroristic threat has been filed against a woman from the Houston suburb of Baytown. The Texas Department of Public Safety alleges the woman made multiple online threats of murder, assault and deadly conduct against employees, including Wells, at CenterPoints headquarters in downtown Houston. The woman has not been arrested.

Chief Deputy Mike Lee with the Harris County Sheriffs Office said his agency has investigated a break-in of a CenterPoint vehicle and three cases where residents refused to let linemen enter their properties.

Ed Allen, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 66, which represents workers at CenterPoint, said in 42 years in this industry, hes never seen a response like this where workers are being threatened.

Allen said he spoke to one crew that said while they were working in a suburban Houston neighborhood, several men stood across the street from them and held an assault type rifle in a menacing way.

It is very disheartening to see the community that Ive worked in and that Ive dedicated my life to provide electricity to act the way they have during this event, Allen said.

Crews on Tuesday told Allen they havent received any new threats.

I hope its gotten better out there. Part of that I think has a lot to do with the fact that regardless of what anybody thinks, the restoration effort has gone really well, Allen said.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, CenterPoint reported that less than 82,000 customers remained without power.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to CenterPoint demanding information from the company, including what actions it will take to reduce or eliminate power outages during future storms and how it will improve communication with its customers before, during and after a weather event.

Texans must be able to rely on their energy providers to keep the power flowing, even during hurricane season. It is your responsibility to properly prepare for these foreseen incidents and work tirelessly to restore power as quickly as possible when it is lost. Anything less is unacceptable, Abbott wrote.

In a statement, CenterPoint said its addressing Abbotts request and that its work with officials and community leaders to increase the resiliency of the electric grid is essential in creating and sustaining an environment in Texas where people want to live and build their businesses.

Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said the threats to CenterPoint workers and out-of-town crews only makes it harder and longer to get your lights back on.

These folks are just here trying to help. Let them do their work and help us and tomorrow will be a better day, Garcia said.

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
WILLIAMSPORT  The estate of a woman who committed suicide in Schuylkill County Prison in 2020 has reached a $32,500 settlement of its claims against the Coaldale Borough and three police officers.

The settlement, which needs the approval of U.S. Middle District Magistrate Judge William I. Arbuckle, resolves only those claims the estate of Stacey Redclift brought against the Coaldale entities.

Remaining unresolved are those against Schuylkill County, its prison, a former warden, 14 corrections officers, the prisons human services administrator, PrimeCare Medical Inc of Harrisburg and 10 of its employees.

Terms of the proposed settlement with the Coaldale defendants that was reached without an admission of liability have the estate receiving $10,833 of the $32,500 with the rest going toward attorney fees and costs.

Redclifts cellmate found her unresponsive on the evening of Jan. 7, 2020, with a noose made out of shoelaces around her neck. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead the following day.

Sean Redclift filed the wrongful death suit as administrator of his wifes estate alleging indifference to her medical and mental health needs.

Stacy Redclift, 48, a mother of three, had, according to the complaint, psychiatric issues that included bipolar disorder, severe depression and anxiety. She had attempted suicide twice before.

This is a synopsis of events leading up to her death taken from a court document:

Coaldale police were dispatched to the home about 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2020, for a domestic dispute Stacy had with her husband and a son.

She was taken into custody, arraigned and released to her mothers home. However, she returned to the marital home and again exhibited erratic and non-complaint behavior.

Police arrested her and took her immediately to the county prison, which was the first time she had been incarcerated.

Her husband and son advised the police that the woman had a history of mental illness, psychotic episodes and suicidal tendencies.

Claims against Coaldale police included taking her to prison without properly assessing her mental state and not telling people at the jail her mental health history.

Prison officials, including PrimeCare Medical and the nurses, are accused of not taking any precautions or safety measures against suicide. That included letting her wear normal prison clothes and shoes.

Allegations against the corrections officers are they failed to adequately supervise the inmate to prevent a suicide.
A former staff member at an alternative school in Cumberland County will serve a minimum of six months in prison for her role in providing vapes and permitting sexual hook-ups by kids under her supervision.

Jessica Ann Kelley, a former counselor at Diakon Wilderness Center in South Middleton Township, will also be placed on the states public registry of sexual offenders for the next 15 years because of her guilty plea to having sexual contact herself with one of the Diakon students.
Funding for Pennsylvanias K-12 public education system is the centerpiece of the 2024-25 budget deal approved last week  both in terms of sheer dollar value and the legal issues that have surrounded it.

Most lawmakers have cited a figure of $1.1 billion in new spending for public education, with roughly half of that intended as a downpayment on the multi-billion price tag attached to last years landmark court case finding that the education funding system is inequitable and therefore unconstitutional.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Government has attributed the current power cuts in Zimbabwe to reduced power generation at Hwange Power Station. The country is implementing 12-hour power cuts to manage domestic demand, as the nation requires at least 2,200 MW at peak times.Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka indicated that the recent increase in power cuts is due to outages at Hwange. Two units were expected to start contributing to the grid soon. The Minister of Energy and Power Development reported that current generation is around 1,400 MW per day, supplemented by imports, with total generation reaching between 1,500 MW and 1,600 MW against a daily maximum demand of 1,825 MW. As of the latest data, Hwange Power Station was generating 899 MW and Kariba 292 MW, totaling 1,191 MW.Masuka also warned against unfair distribution of social welfare assistance following reports of such issues in Mashonaland Central. The government aims to assist 6.1 million individuals out of 9.2 million in rural areas with 7.5 kg of grain per person per month until September, increasing to 8.5 kg from October to March 2025.Information Minister Jenfan Muswere provided details on the cereal requirements from the National Strategic Grain Reserve, amounting to 448,350 metric tonnes from July 2024 to March 2025. Monthly requirements include 45,750 metric tonnes from July to September 2024 and 51,850 metric tonnes from October 2024 to March 2025. Additionally, 121,482.6 metric tonnes are needed for the school feeding program from July 2024 to April 2025.Muswere also highlighted ongoing efforts to support women's participation in key sectors and decision-making positions. The government will strengthen facilities to support women-owned enterprises, community projects, and micro, small, and medium enterprises with affordable long-term funding for re-tooling.
A federal prosecutor has asked a judge in Washington to reverse his ruling and detain pending sentencing a Centre County man found guilty on charges from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Hutton Marshal in a brief filed Friday in District of Columbia federal court says Terry Allen, 65, of Spring Mills, should be either jailed or placed under house arrest.
Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard.

You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | July 17, 2024

Parents are demanding accountability as well as answers after students were caught impersonating teachers on TikTok. Some schools will be getting free period products. Record snowfall fell in one area over the weekend. Finally one university has developed a skin substitute from soy.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.

As sponsored by Renewal by Anderson of Central PA.
By Mayors Danene Sorace, Paige Cognetti, Derek Slaughter, J. William Reynolds, Salvatore J. Panto Jr., and Matthew Tuerk

Cities are the economic backbone of our communities. That is why the PA Mayors Alliance, a bipartisan group of mayors from across the state, have joined forces to elevate the importance of Gov. Josh Shapiros new 10-year plan for economic development, specifically its call to build vibrant and resilient regions.
Less than 4% of the U.S. population hunts, and that number continues to decline. Yet, this small minority is pushing through a bill to eliminate the one day a week that wildlife can go about their daily activities in peace.

Wild animals must find food and water, locate shelter, care for their families, and do many other things in order to survive. When hunters turn forests into war zones, it isnt hard to see how animals suffer.

Perfect shots are rare, particularly when animals are running for their lives. Many are left injured to suffer and die slowly. Wildlife biologists put the wound rate for ducks and geese at up to 40%. For bowhunting of deer, the rate climbs to 50%.

Hunting is as unnecessary as it is cruel. Hunters only manage species to suit their own interests. When left undisturbed, deer reproduce just to the level that their food sources and habitat can support. After hunters slaughter tens of thousands of them, the spike in resources results in increased breeding and more twins. Killing natural predators means even more deer.

Hunting has pushed many species to extinction, and the consumptive model of conservation ignores animals that hunters have no interest in, such as endangered pollinators.

Instead of killing more animals, Pennsylvania should kill this bill.

Michelle Reynolds, Research Specialist, Hunting & Wildlife Issues, The PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Va.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is coming to Harrisburg on Wednesday to announce a $500 million federal investment toward the replacement of the aging I-83/South Bridge.

The funding will go toward the estimated $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion cost of replacing the regions busiest bridge that carries 125,000 vehicles a day over the Susquehanna River through Harrisburg.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Josh Shapiro will be among those joining Buttigieg for the announcement from the competitive bridge investment program funded through President Joe Bidens bipartisan infrastructure law.

Buttigieg told reporters in a Zoom call on Tuesday that Shapiro along with other members of the states federal delegation pushed hard for federal dollars to support the South Bridge project. The 64-year-old span is critical to the regions highway network, for both passenger vehicles, as well as tractor trailers. It was first identified as being in need of replacement in early 2021.

It was such a key priority to the state and I think would have been such a challenge to do any other way but with this funding, Buttigieg said.

The funding for the project is one of 13 grants going to 16 states, totaling 12.5 billion over the life of the program and $5 billion in this latest announcement. The South Bridge project is the only Pennsylvania span that was mentioned during the press call as being in line for funding.

I cant emphasize enough how not only do these bridge projects create great jobs and good-paying jobs but they also spur economic activity as much of our [gross domestic product] crosses these critical bridges across the country, said Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, on the call.

Construction on the project is slated to begin in 2026, but finding funding has been the challenge. At one point, the state Department of Transportation listed it as a candidate for tolling but that drew widespread opposition that led to a lawsuit and ruling by the Commonwealth Court that put an end to that plan.

Buttigieg said without the federal dollars, it was just not clear how this could get done or if it could get done, it would have had a cascading effect by devouring funding that PennDOT would have needed for many other road and bridge projects around the state.

White House deputy chief of staff Natalie Quillian, who was also on the call, said this investment in bridges by the Biden administration is a key component of the presidents vision to rebuild our country through historic investments in our infrastructure including our roads and bridges that have too long been in need of repair.

A PennDOT official testified in an April 2023 court hearing in the bridge lawsuit brought by Cumberland County that the I-83/South Bridge was nearing the end of its serviceable life.

We are seeing significant fatigue cracks, which can threaten the integrity of the two-beam span, said PennDOTs then-acting executive deputy secretary Melissa Batula. Without repairs, she said, it could lead to the imposition of a weight restriction or worse, closing it down. She said that would drive traffic to nearby roads ill-equipped to handle high levels of traffic to get to other bridges that cross the Susquehanna.

Commuters in recent months have experienced congestion due to lane closures as bridge inspections and other work was conducted.

Along with building a new bridge to the south of the current span, the project is expected to include work to the interchanges on both ends in Lemoyne and Harrisburg.

Speaking broadly about all 13 of the bridge projects to receive funds, Buttigieg called the funding great news for everyone who drives, walks, takes the bus, bikes, really anybody who buys anything in America, which is to say all of us. It is $5 billion to fix or replace 13 of the largest and most economically significant bridges in America.

He said the bridges chosen to receive funding all have one thing in common: Their condition means they need major urgent investment to help keep people safe and to keep our supply chains running smoothly.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X at @JanMurphy.
Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick cast the November election as a choice between the countrys greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline as he spoke on the stage of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

McCormick spoke on night two of the convention, with his home state delegates seated immediately in front of the stage.

For McCormick, it was his second moment this week in the national spotlight. He was also scheduled to be one of the speakers at the Trump campaign rally in Butler on Saturday where the former president was the target of an assassination attempt. McCormick was seated near Trump when gunfire started and has spoken about the harrowing moments after the shooting in multiple interviews since.

I want to first acknowledge what transpired just a few days ago in my home state, McCormick said in his speech, Where I witnessed from a literal front row seat in Butler, President Trumps remarkable strength and resolve in a terrifying and unpredictable moment. The president rose brilliantly to the challenge. What a sad and frightening day for the families of those injured or lost, and for our great country.

Pennsylvania is a hugely critical state that could determine who becomes president, and, in McCormicks race against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, which party controls the Senate.

For such a politically important state, Pennsylvania does not have many Republican Party leaders with national profiles. McCormick is the only Pennsylvania candidate scheduled to speak during the convention.

He spoke last in a lineup for GOP Senate candidates including Kari Lake, who is running in Arizona, and Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

McCormicks speech came after a montage of images of Trump rallies with crowds cheering wildly juxtaposed with images of empty seats at Biden events and a video of Biden walking slowly into a Wawa in Philadelphia with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

He called the country less safe under Biden and Casey and praised Trump. Under President Trump, Americas future was strong and prosperous and our adversaries feared stepping out of line, he said.

McCormicks support for Trump comes just two years after Trump backed his challenger, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, in an extremely close and bruising GOP Senate primary. Trump railed against McCormick then calling him a friend of China after endorsing Oz days before the election.

And early in his campaign, it was unclear how strongly McCormick would embrace Trump, whom he endorsed this year but has largely avoided speaking about.

A theme of this week has been Republicans coming home to the former president. Trumps vice presidential pick, JD Vance, is a former critic and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a Trump rival this year who drew thousands of protest votes, also spoke Tuesday night.

The Senate race ahead

McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO who splits his time between Pittsburgh and Connecticut, is hoping to unseat six-term Casey, a household name in Pennsylvania whose father was governor of the state.

In most polls of Pennsylvania, he narrowly trails Casey, who has managed to poll ahead of President Joe Biden. Caseys campaign contends that McCormick lies about living in Pennsylvania and has slammed McCormick for his leadership at Bridgewater Associates, the global hedge fund he led, which invested heavily in China.

McCormick touted his Pennsylvania bona fides on the stage on Tuesday describing himself as a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian born and raised in the Keystone State.

And, a day after McCormick called for a suspension of negative advertising in the Senate campaign after the assassination attempt on Trump, he attacked his opponent from the convention stage.

He called Casey a do-nothing, out-of-touch, liberal, career politician.

When he votes, its for Joe Bidens old, tired ideas, McCormick said, describing the election as a choice between strength and weakness. And between Americas greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline.

McCormicks strategy has been to emphasize the relationship between Casey and Biden, who are longtime allies. Following Bidens bad debate performance last month, McCormicks team put out ads saying Casey was lying about Bidens fitness for office.

A new digital ad focuses on McCormicks career as a high school wrestler and then in the military, juxtaposed with images of Biden, who is 81 and facing calls to drop out of the race.

McCormick grew up about 60 miles from Scranton near Bloomsburg, where his father, James, was president of Bloomsburg University. James McCormick went on to lead the state higher education system, and his family is still well-known in the area.

He served as a cadet at West Point, a paratrooper in Iraq during the Gulf War, and later in George W. Bushs administration, where he was a top international economic adviser. He is married to Dina Powell, a former Trump administration official and former partner at Goldman Sachs.
Becky Stock, right, from Penticton founded Anything Bagel Co. after moving to town and realizing there was nowhere to get a good bagel. Co-owner Joel Chamaschuk, left, is pictured making pizza.
News / National

by Staff reporter

NetOne Private Limited, a telecommunications company in Zimbabwe, has been identified as technically insolvent and at risk of being unable to sustain its operations, according to a recent report. Released by acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga, the report revealed that as of 2022, NetOne's liabilities exceeded its assets by ZWL$32 billion.Kujinga highlighted, "The company's total liabilities surpassed its total assets by ZWL$32 billion, with current liabilities exceeding current assets by ZWL$20.9 billion (compared to ZWL$20.5 billion in 2021)." She emphasized that these conditions indicate significant uncertainty about NetOne's ability to continue operating as a going concern.In addition to financial challenges, NetOne experienced a decline in active subscribers, recording a 5.52% decrease in the first quarter of 2024, down to 4,017,167 subscribers. The company's market share also contracted by 6.66 percentage points, falling to 11.84% in the same period.The firm reported a staggering loss of ZWL$40 billion for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, exacerbating its financial woes from a ZWL$31 billion loss in the previous year. Kujinga attributed part of NetOne's difficulties to ineffective debt management practices, noting discrepancies in the handling of post-paid customer accounts with outstanding balances.Furthermore, the auditor flagged issues with forex conversions used in financial reporting, impacting the accuracy and comparability of NetOne's financial statements between 2021 and 2022. Despite these challenges, Kujinga clarified that the effects of non-compliance with International Accounting Standards were considered significant but not pervasive to the financial statements.In response to the audit findings, NetOne committed to addressing unaccounted cash deposits and upgrading its software systems to enhance performance monitoring and data management capabilities. These efforts aim to mitigate financial vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with regulatory standards moving forward.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The new United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms. Pamela Tremont, presented her credentials to President Mnangagwa on Wednesday, officially assuming her ambassadorial role after her initial nomination by President Joe Biden two years ago.President Biden re-nominated her on January 3, 2023. Her nomination was well received during hearings in May 2023, and she took her oath on June 10, 2024.Ms. Tremont is the first substantive U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe since Mr. Brian Andrew Nichols, whose tenure ended three years ago before President Biden appointed him Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.During the oath of allegiance ceremony last month, Deputy Secretary for State Management and Resources Mr. Richard Verma praised Ambassador Tremont, saying, "We are dispatching one of our best to Zimbabwe, and I look forward to Ambassador Tremont's leadership in advancing the relationship."But who is Ambassador Tremont?According to the United States Department of State, Ms. Pamela Tremont is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. Her most recent position was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, where she also served as Charge d'Affaires for 18 months.Previously, Ms. Tremont held roles as Assistance Coordinator and then Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. She was also Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, and has held positions as Deputy Director for NATO Policy in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Political/Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, and Political Military Officer at the U.S. Embassy in London, United Kingdom.With three decades of experience as a career diplomat, Ms. Tremont has a proven track record of leadership and a wealth of experience across various regions and substantive areas, making her a well-qualified candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe.Her other assignments include representing the State Department as a student at the National Defense University, serving as Political Military Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, working as a Desk Officer for South Africa in the Bureau of African Affairs, and acting as a Watch Officer in the State Department's Operations Center. She has also been posted to assignments in Port Louis, Mauritius, and Calgary, Canada.Ms. Tremont earned her B.A and M.A degrees from Baylor University and has received multiple State Department performance awards, as well as the U.S. Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service. She speaks French and Turkish.
The United Kingdom's Jamie Walden triumphed in Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Holdem at the 2024 World Series of Poker, held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Walden secured his first gold bracelet and a top prize of $313,370 after defeating Naseem Salem in a heads-up match that spanned over four levels. Shortly after his victory, PokerNews asked Walden about his feelings on winning the bracelet.

"I'm feeling exhausted to be honest. Well, I'm feeling amazing. I slept badly last night, and I kept waking up dreaming of poker hands. I only slept four hours or so I think."

Walden outlasted a field of 1,119 entrants to claim the lion's share of the $1,970,906 prize pool. This victory saw Walden nearly tenfold his previous best score, bringing his live tournament winnings to just under $500,000. When asked about his future plans, Walden said he will be playing more, but that he prioritizes family.

"I play quite a bit on the UK tours so I think potentially one or two in the UK. I was meant to be going to Barcelona, but it's my daughter's first day of school, so obviously, family comes first"

Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Place Player Country Payout 1 Jamie Walden United Kingdom $313,370 2 Naseem Salem United States $208,919 3 David Stamm United States $148,183 4 Adam Hendrix United States $106,598 5 Ankit Ahuja India $77,787 6 Martin Finger Germany $57,594 7 Christopher Stevenson United States $43,275 8 Akinobu Maeda Japan $33,006 9 Henrik Juncker Denmark $25,559

Final Table

Denmarks Henrik Juncker knew he had the most work to do today, as he came into the final table with just five big blinds. He put them to work on just the third hand of play by three-bet shoving ace-six over a Walden open. Walden had pocket nines, which held up, sending Juncker to the rail in ninth place for $25,559.

Not long after Juncker's exit, Akinobu Maeda was eliminated in eighth place for $33,006. Maedas bustout was far more brutal than Juncker's, as he slow played aces and was punished by David Stamms flopped set.

It took another 40 minutes of play for the next elimination. Unfortunately for Christopher Stevenson, he was the player finishing in seventh place, taking home $43,275 for his efforts. Stevenson shoved from the small blind for roughly seven big blinds with ace-ten but ended up second best to Waldens king-queen from the big blind.

Christopher Stevenson

The only final table player with a WSOP bracelet was Germanys Martin Finger, who won one back in 2013. Coming into the final table as one of the shortest stacks, he would have been pleased to have moved up a few places on the pay ladder. His exit in sixth place came at the hands of Stamm after his ace-two couldn't improve against the ace-seven of Stamm, pocketing $57,594 for his impressive deep run.

The next elimination came almost instantaneously after Fingers. Ankit Ahuja had ducked and weaved his way so far at the final table to stay alive. But just before the break, Ahuja found the perfect spot to shove from the small blind with only Adam Hendrix to get through in the big blind. Hendrix peeled back two ladies and made the call. There was no miracle for Ahuja, and he would make his way to the cashiers desk to claim $77,787 for his fifth-place finish.

The remaining four players had all secured themselves a six-figure payday. Next to depart was the $25K fantasy player Hendrix, who jammed all-in with king-two from the small blind, only to be called by Salem from the big blind holding ace-four. Hendrix didn't improve enough to win and had to settle for a score of $106,598.

Adam Hendrix

With three players remaining, Stamm found himself as the shortest stack. When it folded to him in the small blind, he put his last six blinds into the middle with pocket queens. Salem made the call with fours from the big blind and managed to spike a set on the turn to seal Stamm's departure in third, collecting $148,143 to add to his bankroll.

When heads-up play started, the stacks of Walden and Salem were almost even, with the chip lead going back and forth regularly. However, after about an hour of play, Walden found himself on the ropes with more than a 2:1 chip deficit. PokerNews asked Walden how he felt at that point and what helped him keep his composure.

"I was just trying to make good decisions the whole time. Where I play poker at home, I've got a sign that says 'make good decisions'. That's my mantra. It doesn't matter how many chips you got, if you are trying to make good decisions, then what will be will be."

Naseem Salem

Walden followed that motto as he made good decision after good decision, slowly chipping up before eventually regaining the chip lead. In the final hand of the tournament, Walden check-raised all-in with a flush draw and was called by Salem with two pair. Walden spiked his flush on the turn to take a commanding lead, and when the board didn't pair on the river, he and his rail erupted in jubilation at his victory and his new status as a WSOP bracelet winner. Walden told PokerNews how he planned to celebrate:

"I am actually leaving tomorrow. I was supposed to be leaving today, but this got rescheduled. So we'll probably go for dinner and yeah"

Jamie Walden

That concludes PokerNews coverage of the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em. Stay tuned for more coverage as the 2024 WSOP draws near to a close.
As the series winds to a close, the final PLO event of the 2024 WSOP comes in the form of Event #97: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed, where 844 players came out to give one last shot at a bracelet in this variant. This created an overall prize pool of $2,253,480, of which 127 players saw a piece in the form of at least a payout of $6,021. The final 17 are guaranteed a minimum payout of $20,595, with all eyes on the first-place prize of $390,621 on top of the WSOP gold bracelet.

Leading the way is Andrew Watson, who bagged up 5,200,000 for the third day. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident secured his fifth WSOP cash of the year and will be working on getting his first WSOP bracelet. With $1,303,842 in lifetime earnings and multiple deep runs in PLO events this year, he looks to use his massive stack effectively tomorrow in his quest to run deeper.

Others who bagged included Martin Zamani (3,250,000), Ronald Keijzer (2,735,000), Ari Engel (1,880,000), Dylan Weisman (1,825,000), Alex Livingston (1,685,000), and Shaun Deeb (1,675,000). Each of them is looking to carve out a piece of WSOP history as the series approaches its end.

Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts

Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Andrew Watson United States 5,200,000 130 2 Martin Zamani United States 3,250,000 81 3 Shai Elbaz United States 3,200,000 80 4 Francisco Benitez Uruguay 2,975,000 74 5 Christopher Roth United States 2,850,000 71 6 Hokyiu Lee Hong Kong 2,795,000 70 7 Ronald Keijzer Netherlands 2,735,000 68 8 Ari Engel United States 1,880,000 47 9 Dylan Weisman United States 1,825,000 46 10 Alex Livingston Canada 1,685,000 42

Day 2 Action

It did not take long for the bubble to burst, as 134 players returned to their seats and 127 places were paid. When the bubble came around, it was Chino Rheem who called off correctly with aces in a massive pot on the flop against Hokyiu Lee who only held second pair. He managed to pair up with one of his other cards to see Lee scoop the sizable pot while Rheem exited the tournament one shy of the money.

After that, an array of big names in the poker world fell as the day progressed. Jared Jaffee (115th - $6,021), Danny Wong (113th - $6,021), and Ray Fishman (88th - $6,172) all fell quickly after the bubble burst. Start of day chip leader Scott Ball (74th - $6,322) saw his hopes for a third bracelet dashed. Last years WSOP Player of the Year Ian Matakis (60th - $6,532) was unable to keep the momentum going to secure another bracelet.

After that, the eliminations kept coming as Patrick Moulder (54th - $6,927), Yuri Dzivielevski (48th - $7,534), Ethan Rampage Yau (45th-$8,401), Lawrence Brandt (38th - $9,598), and Jim Collopy (24th - $13,439) all fell before nights end. They will have one final shot tomorrow to win a bracelet this summer before turning their eyes outside of Vegas to claim one.

Play will resume at 1 p.m. on July 17 at Level 23. Blinds will return to 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante. Levels will last one hour each, and play will continue until a winner is crowned.

Stay tuned right here as PokerNews provides live updates throughout the day.
President Joe Biden is set to call for major changes to the Supreme Court, including ethics reform and term limits for Justices.

The Washington Post reported:

President Biden is finalizing plans to endorse major changes to the Supreme Court in the coming weeks, including proposals for legislation to establish term limits for the justices and an enforceable ethics code, according to two people briefed on the plans.

He is also weighing whether to call for a constitutional amendment to eliminate broad immunity for presidents and other constitutional officeholders, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

Bidens shift on the Supreme Court is massive and incredibly smart. The Supreme Court has never been as unpopular as it is currently. The courts conservative majority is corrupt, rogue, and out of control. Term limits on Supreme Court justices would mean that justices like Alito and Thomas would be sent off into retirement and replaced by two new justices that President Biden would choose.

Bidens support for Supreme Court reform is also politically savvy, as it keeps the reproductive rights issue front and center while putting Trump and the Republicans in a position of having to defend their deeply unpopular Supreme Court majority.

If Biden wins this election, Democrats will probably keep the Senate and win back the House.

The stakes in 2024 just got even higher as a Democratic victory could mean the end for Alito and Thomas.
The latest AP poll is focused on Democrats wanting President Biden to drop out of the race, but buried in the poll is the finding that a majority of Americans want Trump to drop out.

The AP decided to frame their polling story on how many Democrats want President Biden to drop out, but buried in the story was nugget:

People arent just sour on Biden on as they size up their choices this election season.

About 6 in 10 Americans want Trump to withdraw  but relatively few Republicans are in that camp.

As for Biden, younger Democrats are especially likely to want to see him bow out  and to say theyre dissatisfied with him. Three-quarters of Democrats under the age of 45 want Biden to drop out, compared to about 6 in 10 of those who are older.

Here is the chart that the AP chose not to highlight, which is very important:

The same survey shows 57% of Americans want Trump to withdraw. Why not share that as well? pic.twitter.com/8b5qAIDmX4  Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) July 17, 2024

A majority of Independents want Donald Trump to drop out. A majority of the country wants Trump to drop out. The nation does not want Trump back as president.

If Democrats would stop the self-created angst about Biden and get back to work trying to defeat Trump, the election would be in a much better position for them. Most of America wants to reject Trump. Democrats should not let their moaning and groaning cost themselves an election that they could win.

It wont be Bidens fault if Democrats lose. The blame will be on those in the party who chose to make a crisis instead of win an election.
News / National

by Staff reporter

South African police officers at the Beitbridge Border Post arrested a male suspect driving a suspected stolen vehicle on Tuesday.The vehicle, a late model Mercedes Benz believed to have been stolen from KwaThema near Johannesburg, was seized. This marks the third vehicle theft incident reported in three days.According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, spokesperson for the South African Police Services (Saps) Limpopo Province, the vehicle was spotted at a service station during a stop-and-search exercise."On Tuesday, 16 July 2024, around 02:00, police at Beitbridge Port of Entry (POE) conducted a stop-and-search operation along the N1 north when a white Mercedes Benz was stopped near Shell Ultra City filling station," he said.The driver, who could not produce a driver's license or vehicle documentation, was found with three different sets of number plates. The Vehicle Inspection and Safe Guarding Unit (VIS) determined the car's owner to be in the Kwa-Thema Policing area in Gauteng province, where it was stolen earlier this month.The 36-year-old male suspect was apprehended for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and was found to be in the country illegally, resulting in an additional charge of contravention of the Immigration Act. The suspect is expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate Court today.
COLUMBIA  Some state legislators are hoping South Carolina follows in the footsteps of Louisiana, whose governor signed a bill in June making it the first in the nation requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, a set of laws recorded in Christian and Jewish religious texts.

But passage of a similar law in the Palmetto State is far from a sure thing, and the constitutionality of such a mandate is already facing a challenge in federal court.

Civil liberties groups filed a lawsuit against Louisiana days after it was signed, arguing the law violates the clause of the First Amendment prohibiting the government from establishing religion. The law states that the commandments must be posted by Jan. 1. A new agreement reached in the lawsuit says they cannot be posted in classrooms before Nov. 15.

The U.S. Supreme Court has previously upheld that position, ruling in 1980 that a Kentucky law requiring schools to post the commandments was unconstitutional.

But with the current court soundly in the hands of conservatives who have been willing to reconsider religious issues, some Republicans see the legal challenge as an opportunity. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared in June that he "cant wait to be sued" over the law, which applies to public schools up to the university level, according to a report from The Tennessean newspaper.
The Port of Charleston's biggest business closed the fiscal year with a 3.4 percent decline in cargo volume, driven in part by changes in consumer spending and an unexpected software outage that shut down the waterfront for several days this spring.

The S.C. State Ports Authority said it handled nearly 1.38 million containers between July 2023 and June 30, down from about 1.43 million during the prior 12 months, according to the newly released figures. The drop was about 10 percent below the maritime agency's original forecast of 1.55 million boxes.

But shipping trends appear to be stabilizing after pandemic-induced gyrations and the unplanned May 18-21 technical outage that disabled the high-tech operating system that SPA relies on to run its terminals, said CEO Barbara Melvin.

Last month, for instance, the number of cargo boxes that came though the port was up 7 percent from a year earlier. Also, a backlog of ships anchored offshore after the outage has been cleared, Melvin told SPA's board at its July 16 meeting in Mount Pleasant..

"When we look at June and ... project forward we look like we're on track for container volumes," she said.

Melvin stressed that the latest annual tally was up 10 percent from mid-2019, which she called the "last normal" comparable period, before the COVID-19 lockdown fueled a U.S. shopping spree for overseas products. As health restrictions lifted, the consumer spending pendulum has since swung away from imported household goods and more toward so-called experiential purchases, such as traveling and dining out.
Opinion / Columnist

It is very unfortunate that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa pretends as if he did not see the Notice of Demand For The Restoration Of Matabeleland State delivered to the President's office by MLO President Cde Paul Siwela in 2015. The Notice puts it unambiguously clear that Matabeles want out of Zimbabwe to restore Matabeleland State to join the family of nations as The Republic of Matabeleland RoM.We find it extremely insensitive, heartless, hurtful and hateful that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa as the main architect and perpetrator of Matabeleland genocide, continues to torture and abuse the victims of Matabeleland genocide emotionally and psychologically. This is done through conducting an illegal government orchestrated and sponsored Matabele genocide hearing outreach program aimed at covering up bloody tracks of Matabeleland genocide using Matabele chiefs who are also survivors of the genocide in need of healing.MLO will never recognise such a diabolical program. We see it as another stage of Matabele genocide, waste of money, waste of people's time and energy.So the mass murderer of Matabeles in the government of Zimbabwe and Mnangagwa wants to hear and gather information from Matabele survivors on how they killed them? They want to gather all Matabeles in the community halls, schools and under the trees so that they narrate how more than 40 000 innocent Matabele civilians were dastardly murdered? How new born children were hit against the wall to be killed? How some were pounded in the maize pounders? How the unborn had to be removed from the wombs of their mothers by ripping open the stomachs of their mothers?The perpetrator wants to hear how more than more than 100 000 Matabele homes were burnt down, some with the whole family inside? He wants to hear how the Zimbabwe National Army 5th Brigade that was deployed by him to wipe out Matabele nation from the face of earth, tortured and maimed more than 300 000 Matabele civilians?The genocide perpetrator and oppressor of the people of Matabeleland knows how brutal Matabele civilians were murdered and tortured for it received daily briefings from the Zimbabwe Army 5th Brigade commanders and Mnangagwa run Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation during the genocide. They know every shallow grave, mine shaft and cave were Matabele genocide victims were buried. They are the very people who can assist the Matabele people and the world in truth finding.They enjoyed and celebrated the slaughtering of Matabeles in public rallies conducted in Mashonaland and right in Matabeleland. They will laugh and enjoy behind closed doors when they watch videos wherein Matabeles narrate the pains of Matabeleland genocide.The intention of the Zimbabwe government is not to solve Matabeleland genocide problem. They want Matabeles to shout and cry in the so called " gukurahundi hearings" sponsored and choreographed by the Zimbabwe government with hope that when they talk before their chiefs who are also victims of Matabeleland genocide, will heal on their own and stop tormenting the the oppressive government of Zimbabwe by demanding the restoration of Matabeleland state.Matabeles must realise that the government of Zimbabwe has no intention of solving Matabeleland genocide it purposefuly committed to annihilate Matabeles. Matabeles must think or sink.It is fearless demands for the restoration of Matabeleland state and perpetual articulation of Matabeleland grievances of tribal marginalization and tribal oppression that has forced the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe to come out 44 years after Matabeleland genocide to pretend to be taking action against the genocide. The main aim is to try and stop Matabeleland restoration cause, an uphill task that they will fail to achieve like Rhodesia which failed to stop the independence of Zimbabwe.The hand that murders and destroys cannot heal or build. The perpetrators of Matabeleland genocide, dripping of Matabele blood cannot provide the solution for Matabeleland genocide. The so called Zimbabwe Matabele genocide hearings sponsored by the Zimbabwe government are a waste of time and money. MLO will never recognise such insensitive nonsense meant to cause more pain and anger for the people of Matabeleland.We stick to our demands as follows:i) restoration of Matabeleland state as at 3 November 1893ii) US $ 100 billion as reparations for Matabeleland genocideiii) immediate withdrawal of trumped up treason charges and warrant of arrest against MLO President Cde Paul SiwelaThreats to end our lives for demanding what is rightfully ours from Zimbabwe will not stop Matabeleland cause which is gaining traction and recognition everyday.Shouting threats in the rallies and conducting illegal genocide hearings using Matabeleland chiefs who are survivors themselves and unqualified to handle such events emotionally motivates us to intensify the fight for Matabeleland restoration.It is very naive for the government of Zimbabwe to believe their death threats against us will stop us. Our silence must not be mistaken to cowardice. We always hear Shona government officials claiming that they have degrees of violence. For your own information, Matabeles are masters of violence. Each Matabele men or woman is a moving killing machine. We just observe revolutionary discipline not to abuse the special gift from God.Anyone who stands on the way of Matabeleland revolution based on the falsehood that they own degrees of violence and therefore hold monopoly to violence and war will spark an already brewing bloody battle between Matabeles and Shonas which no one in the world would be able to stop.Remember that the oppressed that are provoked, humiliated and dehumanised on a daily basis do not sleep or rest. Every day and every night of our lives are spent seeking ways and means to liberate ourselves.Only one stupid day that will not be known to our boastful and arrogant enemy but well known to our God and us, Zimbabwe will wake up to unusual hair raising events. That is when the Shona supremacist government and their high flying supporters will come to know that we mean serious business.Izenzo kungemazwi!Israel DubeMLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 72F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear. Low near 45F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
ATLANTIC BEACH  Fearful their town is fast-tracking an 18-story oceanfront condo-hotel, some Atlantic Beach landowners are asking the court to stop town officials from issuing any permits for the project.

A local nonprofit called Supporters for Tysons Ancestral Restrictions on the Deeds filed a lawsuit last year in county court to halt the project, arguing the land for the high-rise has restrictive covenants that prohibit non-residential uses. That case remains pending, but last month Town Council gave initial approval to a rezoning for the project. If the court doesnt issue an injunction to stop town leaders from rezoning the land, the plaintiffs contend the high-rise will be approved before they can have their day in court.

The Town is broadcasting that it intends to move forward with approval of this rezoning application as hastily as possible, STARD said in a June 26 court filing. If Town Council approves and permits re-zoning for the Defendant Developers proposed use, permitting the construction of a CondoTel for its intended commercial use will naturally follow.

Called The Black Pearl of the Atlantic, the condo-hotel project is expected to cost more than $60 million. It would be located near 30th Avenue South and South Ocean Boulevard and offer 90 units  including 18 hotel rooms, 18 short-term rentals and 54 condos  with parking on the bottom floor, according to town records.

Both supporters and opponents of the project agree that it could transform the 100-acre town of fewer than 300 residents, though they have clashed over whether that impact would be positive.

Historic significance and long-held interest

Atlantic Beach holds both historic and cultural significance. Starting in the 1930s, the town became a popular vacation spot for Black families during the segregation era because it was one of the few beaches accessible to them. Black entrepreneurs opened hotels, shops and restaurants there. It was nicknamed The Black Pearl.
Beneath the surface, sediment has accreted near the mouth of the creek by the public docks. The shallows can make this area impassable at low tides. At extremely low tides, the floating docks could "ground out," causing damage to boats and other vessels that use the docks.

The solution, according to Project Manager Kevin Mitchell, will be to remove roughly 6,550 cubic yards, or 375 dump trucks' worth of sediment, from the creek. This would bring the waterway to a depth of around 8 to 10 feet.

According to Mitchell, deepening the creek will improve navigation for the boats and vessels that traverse Shem Creek, but moreover, this project is an environmentally-driven one.

"We've identified some areas where there's a lot of accretion that is occurring, and instead of hauling that material off, we're going to test it and transport it over to the marsh area," he said.

The sediment removed from Shem Creek will be tested for contaminants as well as sand grain size to ensure it can be reused in another location. If it can be, the material will be placed in the marshy area near the boardwalk through a process called thin-layer placement.

If it's not compatible, the material will be hauled offsite and disposed of.

Thin-layer placement is a relatively uncommon practice, Mitchell said. The process consists of placing thin layers of sand or sediment in an area to increase the elevation or thickness.

The town will work with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium to implement the technique, which has never been used on Shem Creek before. The marsh area will be built back up to better resist sea-level rise, Mitchell said.

"The benefit to the environment is moving that accretion towards the mouth of the creek, and renourishing ... the marsh with the sediment that has been lost in a very thin layer so it doesn't damage the Spartina (grass)," Mitchell said.

The last time Shem Creek was dredged was through a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in 2014, to redig the creek to a 12-foot depth and pump the removed material to Morris Island.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
On the presidential campaign trail, there was no love lost between former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Donald Trump.

Haley attacked Trump's age and vitality. He gave her a condescending name.

But all that vanished at the Republican National Convention in Haley's nearly 12-minute speech where she called on her supporters and other Americans to get behind Trump as the GOP nominee when so extensive a plate of national security matters are at risk.

"Trump has my strong endorsement, period," she said to cheers inside Milwaukee's 18,000-seat FISERV Arena in a speech delivered moments after Trump entered the convention hall, sitting and listening to the speakers.

"I don't always agree with Donald Trump," she added. "But we agree more than we disagree."

Haley, a former candidate for president in her own right who often found herself at-odds with her party on the campaign trail for her hawkish foreign policy positions and prior opposition to Trump, was initially not supposed to speak at all. She'd been left out of the convention schedule until a surprise announcement shortly after the July 13 attempt on Trump's life at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

That came after announcing she was releasing all 97 of her delegates from her failed 2024 White House bid but wanting them to pledge to Trump  a sharp contrast to when former Trump challenger Ted Cruz in 2016 told his 551 delegates to "vote your conscience" on the RNC stage after a brutal primary election fight.
SPARTANBURG  Dianne Lanford was in a rental car the night she and a truck driver caused a wreck on Interstate 26 in Spartanburg County that killed five people from the same family.

She was in a rental car because just six days earlier, Lanford had passed out at the wheel while driving in Spartanburg and wasnt waking up. Officers broke her window to free her.

Paul Herzig, the trucker who ran into Lanfords car on Feb. 24, told troopers he didnt see the silver Toyota she was driving before the wreck. Video of the crash doesnt appear to show any traffic.

The Peterbilt he drove did not appear to be equipped with the automatic braking technology that could have prevented the crash in the absence of his attention. The truck manufacturer did not respond to a request for comment.

According to a report from the Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, known as MAIT, the only people who didnt contribute to the fatal crash were the five family members who died when their 2004 Honda collided with Herzigs Peterbilt as it crossed into the oncoming lanes after hitting Lanford.

The deceased were 35-year-old Ashia Ballenger of Campobello, 14-year-old Ashton Olley of Spartanburg, 11-year-old Jaicurious Gist of Spartanburg, 8-year-old Jalecia Gist of Spartanburg and 57-year-old Leroy Covington of Campobello. The three children were siblings, and Ballenger was their aunt. Covington was their grandfather.

Pamela Ballenger, Ashias mother and the siblings grandmother, has filed a lawsuit against Lanford, Herzig and RW Haulers, accusing them of negligence.

The Ballengers have experienced a lifetime of loss and grief in a single moment, family attorney Hugh McAngus said in an email. The wreck nearly wiped out an entire family. The wounds are still fresh, the wounds are with them every moment of the day, and the wounds will be with them every moment of their lives.

Herzig was not charged for his role in the crash. Neither was Lanford, despite driving well below the minimum speed limit of 45 mph with drugs in her car.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 17:00:53

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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / AAA Holding Group proudly announces its pivotal role as the main sponsor of theIraq Britain Business Council (IBBC)Spring Conference 2024, held at the esteemed Mansion House in London on July 2nd. This conference marked a significant milestone for IBBC, celebrating 15 years of fostering economic ties between Iraq and the United Kingdom. The event drew over 300 delegates, including government officials, industry leaders, and experts, reflecting the deepening collaboration between the two nations.The IBBC Spring Conference 2024 facilitated insightful discussions across various sectors crucial to Iraq's economic diversification. Notably, panels focused on finance highlighted the importance of investment frameworks and regulatory reforms to attract foreign capital into Iraq's burgeoning markets. Discussions on education underscored initiatives aimed at enhancing skills development and fostering a robust talent pool to support Iraq's growing economy.Moreover, AAA Holding Group's sponsorship underscores its dedication to nurturing Iraq's economic landscape beyond traditional sectors. As Iraq moves towards enhancing its technological infrastructure, discussions at the conference explored opportunities in the tech and digital sectors, highlighting the potential for innovation and growth in areas such as e-commerce and digital services."We are honored to have supported the IBBC Spring Conference 2024, a platform that exemplifies our commitment to Iraq's sustainable economic development," said Amet Selman, CEO of AAA Holding Group. "The insightful discussions and collaborations forged during the conference underscore the immense potential for growth and partnership between Iraq and the UK." Looking ahead, AAA Holding Group remains steadfast in its mission to contribute to Iraq's evolving economic landscape through strategic investments and partnerships. The company continues to explore opportunities that align with Iraq's vision for economic diversification and sustainable growth, reinforcing its role as a key player in the region's development.For more information on AAA Holding Group's initiatives and contributions, visit https://aaahg.co.uk/home/ Media Contact: Gary F. SantiagoMarketing Manager gary.santiago@360digimarketing.com SOURCE: AAA Holding Group
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 17:25:44

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Surety industry veteran brings decades of national underwriting and brokerage experience to ALKEMELADERA RANCH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / ALKEME, a Top 40 Insurance Brokerage, is excited to announce the appointment of Scott Salandi as the new Senior Vice President, Director of Surety. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades in the surety industry, Salandi brings a wealth of experience in the domestic and international surety markets. Most recently, Salandi was instrumental in growing a profitable construction surety portfolio business across the Southern California marketplace.ALKEME Hires Scott Salandi as Senior VP / Director of Surety Surety industry veteran brings decades of national underwriting and brokerage experience to ALKEMEIn his new role, Salandi will focus on establishing a national surety practice to service the surety bond needs for ALKEME. Salandi will be responsible for actively underwriting, marketing and placing surety bond business, working to provide strategic surety guidance to clients in need while providing executive surety leadership to the national practice and maximizing long-term growth plans."We are thrilled to welcome Scott to the ALKEME team," said Curtis Barton, CEO of ALKEME. "His extensive experience in the surety industry and strong reputation in the marketplace will be extremely valuable to our producers and construction clients with surety needs. We are confident that Scott will play a pivotal role in driving our continued success in the surety sector." "I am excited to join ALKEME and contribute to its continued focus in the surety industry," said Scott Salandi, Director of Surety. "I look forward to working with the talented team at ALKEME to develop and implement a national surety practice that will add value to the existing client relationships and expand into new surety markets. Together, we will achieve our long-term growth objectives and create significant value for our stakeholders." ABOUT ALKEMEALKEME is a full-service insurance agency providing businesses and individuals with an extensive array of commercial and personal insurance, employee and executive benefits, retirement and wealth management services. Since its founding in 2020, ALKEME has completed over 40 acquisitions and serves its customers from over 35 locations in 16 states. ALKEME is ranked by Insurance Journal as one of the top 40 largest agencies in the United States and by Business Insurance as the #5 fastest-growing broker. Founded by owner/operators with a unique vision, ALKEME is fueled by its proven operating methodologies providing its partner agencies with the autonomy, resources and support to grow and thrive in an ever-changing insurance landscape. Visit https://alkemeins.com for more information.Contact InformationJosh BenvenisteMarketingjbenveniste@ alkemeins.com SOURCE: ALKEME InsuranceView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 16:02:48

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MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Americas Generators, a leading provider of commercial, mobile and industrial generators, is proud to announce its 30th anniversary. Since its founding in 1994 by David Johnston, Americas Generators has been at the forefront of delivering high-quality power solutions across the globe.Americas Generators 30 Year Anniversary Starting as a seller of used equipment, Americas Generators quickly evolved and began manufacturing Triton Power Generators in 2001, known for quality, durability, and performance. As a veteran-owned business, Americas Generators has built a reputation for its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Over the past three decades, the company has grown from a small startup to an industry leader, serving a diverse clientele that includes federal agencies, commercial enterprises, and industrial clients."Our journey over the last 30 years has been marked by relentless dedication to our staff, customers, and continuous innovation," said Eric Johnston, CEO of Americas Generators and son of founder David Johnston. "From the very beginning, our goal has been to provide reliable and efficient power solutions. Reaching this milestone is a testament to the hard work of our team and the trust of our customers." Americas Generators has distinguished itself through its use of top-tier components and a focus on maintaining a robust inventory for both the North American and international markets. The company manufactures and stocks non-emission certified, UL2200 EPA Certified and Tier 4 Final Generators, ensuring compliance with the highest industry standards.The company's product range includes custom generators, trailers, and fuel tanks, tailored to meet the unique needs of their clients. Americas Generators offers fully customized power solutions, providing flexible and reliable options for any power requirement. Their nationwide dealer network ensures that customers receive unparalleled support and service.Throughout its history, Americas Generators has remained committed to the community and the industry. The company has donated generators during hurricanes, supports FEMA and consistently delivers during critical times of need."Our success is deeply rooted in our values of quality, integrity, and service," Eric Johnston added. "We are proud to be a veteran-owned business that gives back to the community and contributes to the industry's advancement." As Americas Generators celebrates this significant milestone, the company is poised for future growth and innovation. With plans to expand their product offerings and continue their leadership in the power generation industry, the future looks bright. The company is constantly growing, adding new team members to better serve its expanding customer base."Thank you to our customers, partners, and team members for being part of this incredible journey. Here's to the next 30 years of powering the world together," Johnston concluded.Contact InformationYamile CarpioMarketing Managerycarpio@ gopower.com 3055926800SOURCE: Americas GeneratorsView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 21:30:33

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, "Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 12:00:24

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ANCHORAGE, AK / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Arctic IT Government Solutions (AITGS), a subsidiary of Doyon Technology Group, is proud to announce its acceptance into the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program. This certification enhances Arctic IT Government Solutions' ability to compete for federal contracts and grants in the government contracting sector."As a new subsidiary of an Alaska Native Corporation, we are thrilled to achieve our 8(a) certification," said President of Arctic IT Government Solutions, Steve Schmitz. "This is a significant milestone, reflecting our commitment to excellence and our dedication to deliver innovative cloud business applications designed to transform how federal agencies serve their constituents." The SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program is a robust nine-year program created to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. It offers a unique and valuable opportunity for Arctic IT Government Solutions to partner with various government agencies, providing a wide range of IT services and solutions that meet the evolving public sector needs."Leveraging the benefits of the 8(a) program allows our family of companies to expand our service offerings and drive growth," said Thomas Mercer, President of Doyon Technology Group. "This status strengthens our ability to support the federal government with cutting-edge IT solutions and exceptional service, and to support Doyon, Limited's ongoing mission to support their shareholders through economic development." Arctic IT Government Solutions provides advanced technology services to government agencies, including business application modernization, program management, and strategic planning. With the 8(a) certification, the company is poised to enhance its contributions to the federal sector.About Arctic IT Government SolutionsArctic IT Government Solutions (AITGS) is a leading provider of information technology solutions for the federal government. As a subsidiary of Doyon Technology Group, Arctic IT Government Solutions is dedicated to driving innovation and efficiency in public services. With a deep commitment to enhancing transparency and accessibility, we harness cutting-edge technology to empower government agencies. Our solutions enable seamless communication and collaboration, ensuring citizens have easy access to vital information and services. For more information about Arctic IT Government Solutions and its services, please visit arcticitgov.com About Doyon Technology GroupDoyon Technology Group, a subsidiary of Doyon, Limited, an Alaska Native Corporation, was established in 2023 in Anchorage, Alaska to manage the Doyon portfolio of technology companies: Arctic Information Technology (Arctic IT), Arctic IT Government Solutions, and designDATA. Each company offers a variety of technology services including managed services, cybersecurity, and professional software implementations and support for Microsoft and ServiceNow cloud business applications.Contact InformationMary GasperlinDirector of Marketing and Communicationsmgasperlin@ arcticit.com 9076021003SOURCE: Arctic IT Government SolutionsView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 09:05:29

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / BioNxt Solutions Inc. ("BioNxt" or the "Company") (CSE:BNXT)(OTCQB:BNXTF)(FSE:BXT) is pleased to report that it has signed a statement of work ("SOW") with a German-based international contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (the "CRDMO"). The SOW is focused on the Company's flagship Cladribine oral dissolvable film ("ODF") development program.The SOW sets out a number of important deliverables, including but not limited to technology transfer and implementation, evaluation batch production (GMP material under GMP conditions), stability testing, cGMP manufacturing of clinical study samples, and preparation of the PK study Investigational Medical Product Dossier for EU submission.BioNxt is developing a 100% owned and proprietary ODF Cladribine dosage form, directed at the multiple sclerosis ("MS") market. Cladribine tablets are currently approved for use in over 75 countries, including by the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") and the European Medicines Agency ("EMA"), with annual sales in excess of one billion USD. Cladribine tablets are approved for several indications, namely highly active forms of relapsing-remitting MS and certain forms of leukemia. MS represents the largest market segment for the sale of Cladribine with approximately 2.3 million people living with MS worldwide, with the highest prevalence in North America and Europe, noted by Atlas of MS. The global Multiple Sclerosis drug market is expected to top USD 41 billion by 2033 according to Market.us The CRDMO has a head office in Munich, Germany, with an international network of pharmaceutical service providers with facilities in five countries and over 500 employees. They offer GCP/GLP/GMP/ISO/IEC-certified services and GMP certified manufacturing of clinical trial supplies (Phase I-III) with a specialization in solids, semi-solids, liquids, oral films, and transdermal patches as well as integrated lab analytical services during development & GMP manufacturing, including API characterization, method development, optimization, validation, permeation studies, stabilities studies, etc.The Company has filed Cladribine ODF-related provisional patent applications with three to four patent applications expected to be on file in major international jurisdictions by late 2024 to early 2025 with potential patent protection extending to 2044.About BioNxt Solutions Inc.BioNxt Solutions Inc. is a bioscience accelerator focused on next-generation drug formulations and delivery systems, diagnostic screening tests, and new active pharmaceutical production and evaluation, including: precision transdermal and oral dissolvable drug formulations; rapid, low-cost infectious disease and oral health screening tests; and standardization and clinical evaluation of emerging active pharmaceutical ingredients for neurological applications. The Company has research and development operations in North America and Europe, with an operational focus in Germany, and is currently focused on regulatory approval and commercialization of medical products for European markets.BioNxt Solutions Inc.Wolfgang Probst, CEO and DirectorEmail: info@ bionxt.com Phone: +1 780-818-6422Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" InformationSome of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.SOURCE: BioNxt Solutions Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 21:00:32

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LAKE MILLS, WI / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Christopher M. George and Greenwoods Financial Group, Inc., the sole shareholder of Greenwoods State Bank, are pleased to announce a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Greenwoods Financial Group, Inc. by Mr. George. The transaction, which will see Greenwoods State Bank become indirectly wholly owned by Mr. George, has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Greenwoods Financial and Greenwoods State Bank and is subject to customary closing conditions, including shareholder approval and federal and state regulatory approvals. The acquisition is targeted to close in the first quarter of 2025.Christopher M. George Christopher M. George is a prominent leader in the mortgage banking industry. His extensive background will be instrumental in informing and shaping strategy, as well as enhancing products and procedures to better support customers and banking relationship opportunities. His experience as the past Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and his ongoing role on the MBA's Board of Directors, along with founding CMG Financial, a mortgage lender, in 1993, provide him with a comprehensive understanding of the mortgage industry's regulatory landscape and best practices. His focus on increasing affordability and access to homeownership across the United States will help guide Greenwoods State Bank in navigating the current environment and fostering growth."I look forward to working with the entire Greenwoods team to assist in expanding the bank's footprint and market share in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. Together, we will build on the strong foundation established by Greenwoods while continuing to invest in people and technology for the benefit of customers in the communities that Greenwoods serves today," stated Mr. George. "In today's high-rate environment, we are excited to bring innovative products and ideas to help address the challenge of creating better access to affordable housing options and through investments aimed at enhancing the Greenwoods banking experience, we aim to create solutions that will meet ever-changing customer needs." Greenwoods State Bank, a Wisconsin state-chartered bank with 10 branches throughout southern Wisconsin, will continue to be led by Bill McDonald, CEO of Greenwoods Financial, and Rob Cera, President of Greenwoods State Bank. All current bank employees will remain with the bank following the consummation of the transaction. This will ensure continuity and stability for customers and staff."The Board and I believe this is a tremendous opportunity for the bank's long-term future and for all employees. We are excited to work with Mr. George and leverage his extensive experience and innovative approach to banking," said Bill McDonald, CEO of Greenwoods State Bank.Customers of Greenwoods State Bank will benefit significantly from this acquisition through planned investments in people and technology. These enhancements will expand their banking relationships while maintaining the excellent customer service and the banking expertise customers have relied on for decades. Mr. George's dedication to affordable homeownership and creating value for banking customers is designed to increase core deposits, open doors for new banking relationships, and continue driving stability and predictability. This will continue to distinguish Greenwoods State Bank as the preferred banking partner in the markets and communities it currently serves, offering a high-touch, personalized banking relationship. Focusing on access to homeownership at a local level fosters community stability and economic growth by encouraging property conservation, civic engagement, and local investment. This leads to safer neighborhoods, better educational outcomes, and stronger social ties among residents, which is why homeownership is one of the bedrocks of the American dream.Advisors:Advisors on the transaction include Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and RSM US LLP for Christopher M. George while Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. is advising Greenwoods State Bank.About Christopher M. George:Christopher M. George is a highly respected figure in the mortgage banking industry. He has served as a past Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is a current member of the MBA's Board of Directors. He is also a past Chairman of the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) and has served on many advisory boards and task forces within the industry. Mr. George is the founder and CEO of CMG Financial, a mortgage lender, with a distinguished career spanning four decades. He has created numerous ventures with various organizations in real estate, mortgage financing, and property development, helping to increase affordability and access to homeownership throughout the U.S. In addition, Mr. George founded the CMG Foundation in 2011, which supports building smart homes for those injured in the line of duty, provides financial assistance to families with loved ones undergoing medical treatment, and donates to organizations that provide support services for those battling cancer.About Greenwoods State Bank:Headquartered in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, Greenwoods State Bank was founded in 1893 and is a non-member state-chartered bank with locations in Jefferson, Green, Rock, Racine, Walworth, and Waukesha counties. Greenwoods is a high-touch, community-focused bank centered on its customers. The bank offers a range of products and services, including business and personal banking, internet banking, and mobile banking. Greenwoods State Bank takes pride in being a strong partner in the local communities it serves, investing in local loans to neighbors, families, and businesses while providing a superior banking experience.Contact InformationNadine FlahertyExecutive Assistantmedia@ christophermgeorge.com 925-983-3123SOURCE: Christopher M. GeorgeView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 13:01:56

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. ("CenterPoint" or "the Company") (NYSE:CNP). Investors who purchased CenterPoint securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CNP Investigation DetailsOn July 8, 2024, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 storm. The impact of the storm left roughly 2.2 million CenterPoint customers without power. Six days after the storm, some 270,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area were still without power. At a press conference on July 14, 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he was demanding an investigation into CenterPoint's response to Hurricane Beryl. Among other comments, Governor Abbott said that CenterPoint did not have "an adequate number of workers pre-staged" before the storm hit. On this news, CenterPoint's stock price fell $2.02 per share, or 6.67%, to close at $28.28 per share on July 15, 2024.What's Next?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchased CenterPoint securities, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/CNP . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his client relations manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC: 332-239-2660.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & GrossmanBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.ContactBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 15:01:46

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Context Analytics' new product, Computext, retrieves impactful information from financial documents with higher reliability and accuracy than standard artificial intelligence.CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Context Analytics (CA) has released its new product Computext. Computext is used to retrieve impactful information from financial documents with higher reliability and accuracy than standard artificial intelligence.Insights of Computext Computext identifies events with polarity, constructs a sentiment score, and uses labeled sentences to train LLM models.How does it work? In the most basic sense, Computext goes into filings from both domestic and international companies and searches and tags relevant sentences for specific financial topics. Computext uses documents in CA's Machine Readable Filings (MRF, currently over 1.5 million documents), Global Machine Readable Filings (GMRF, currently over 1.25 million documents), and S&P Earnings Call Transcripts extracting sentences on items from Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow Statements. The extracted sentences are labeled with specific financial items, additional color on them, sentiment, as well as document and company identifiers. Computext currently covers 20+ items (ex. Sales, Inventory, Cost of Goods Sold, etc.) with the expectation of expanding to all items covered by Compustat.Computext is the next step in training your Large Language Models (LLMs). While LLMs are a black box, Computext's rules-based approach allows for a defined and established structure. Computext provides ready-to-use labeled data which allows companies to skip LLM development costs and enhance their LLMs. Computext's labeled insights on a variety of topics from regulatory documents and earnings call transcripts provide users with a quick and easy way to analyze textual data.Contact InformationMadison Wray Business Development Analystmadison@ contextanalytics-ai.com (312) 788-2607Related FilesComputext Intro Deck 06-12-2024SOURCE: Context Analytics Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 13:00:25

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Electric Metals (USA) Limited ("EML" or the "Company") (TSXV:EML)(OTCQB:EMUSF) is pleased to announce it will present at the Battery & Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference July 23rd. The Company will also host 1x1 meetings with investors during the event.DATE: July 23rd through July 26th, 2024PRESENTATION: July 23rd, 12:30 PM EasternREGISTRATION LINK:Battery & Precious Metals Investor Conference WebsiteTo schedule a meeting with management, please register for the conference. If attendees cannot join the live presentation during the conference, an archived webcast will also be available after the event.About Electric Metals (USA) Limited Electric Metals (USA) Limited (TSXV:EML)(OTCQB:EMUSF) is a US-based mineral development company with manganese and silver projects geared to supporting the transition to clean energy. The Company's principal asset is the Emily Manganese Project in Minnesota, which has been the subject of considerable technical studies, including National Instrument 43-101 Technical Reports - Resource Estimates. The Company's mission in Minnesota is to become a domestic US producer of high-value, high-purity manganese metal and chemical products to supply the North American electric vehicle battery, technology and industrial markets. With manganese playing a critical and prominent role in lithium-ion battery formulations, and with no current domestic supply or active mines for manganese in North America, the development of the Emily Manganese Project represents a significant opportunity for America, the State of Minnesota and for the Company's shareholders.About Virtual Investor ConferencesVirtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.For further information, please contact: Electric Metals (USA) LimitedBrian SavageCEO & Director(303) 656-9197orValerie KimballDirector Investor Relations720-933-1150 info@ electricmetals.com SOURCE: Electric Metals (USA) Limited
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 22:01:54

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Hagens Berman urges Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/ABR Contact An Attorney Now: ABR@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (ABR) Investigation:Arbor Realty Trust faces mounting pressure as federal authorities reportedly investigate its lending practices and loan book performance, according to sources cited by Bloomberg on July 12, 2024. This news sent Arbor's stock price tumbling over 20% during intraday trading.The investigation follows a series of critical reports published by Viceroy Research, a forensic financial research group. Since November 16, 2023, Viceroy has issued 22 reports on Arbor, raising concerns about the company's financial health and the value of its loan portfolio.Viceroy's initial report, "Arbor Realty - Slumlord Millionaires," labeled Arbor's stock "uninvestable" due to its allegedly poor loan quality and overvalued collateral. The report further claimed that Arbor's entire loan book is distressed and unlikely to be refinanced elsewhere.More recently, Viceroy's May 9, 2024 report, titled "Arbor Realty Trust - Fraud," alleged that Arbor has engaged in a "con" by financing purchases of its foreclosed assets through off-balance sheet entities controlled by former Arbor associates. These purchases were reportedly financed with Arbor's own equity capital and loans originated by Arbor itself.Viceroy has also directed its criticism towards Arbor's auditor, Ernst & Young (EY). In a July 11, 2024 email to EY, Viceroy reportedly highlighted "overwhelming evidence" suggesting Arbor's loan book is significantly impaired. The email further accuses Arbor of manipulating delinquency rates through loan modifications and financing structures that appear to be self-serving.Arbor has not yet responded publicly to the latest federal investigation or Viceroy's specific allegations. The company previously maintained the accuracy of its financial statements and declined to comment on short seller reports. Over the past year, Arbor's stock is down over 18 percent.These developments have prompted shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman to commence an investigation into potential violations of the securities laws."We are investigating whether Arbor may have concealed distressed deals and other assets," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Arbor and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Arbor investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Arbor should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email ABR@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman's team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-17 02:03:06

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Targeting efficiencies of scale in gold production & future optimisationHIGHLIGHTSLive webinar with Q&A hosted by Small Caps AustraliaTuesday, 23 July @ 09:00 London / 10:00 Zurich / 16:00 Perth / 18:00 SydneyADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 16, 2024 / Barton Gold Holdings Limited (ASX:BGD)(FRA:BGD3)(OTCQB:BGDFF) (Barton or Company) is pleased to announce a live webinar hosted by Small Caps Australia. MD Alex Scanlon will share a new corporate presentation detailing the results of a preliminary Scoping Study at the Tunkillia Gold Project (Tunkillia).This study has outlined a prospective 5Mtpa bulk open pit mining and processing project, with:1an initial 6.4 year life-of-mine producing ~833,000 oz payable gold and 1,993,000 oz payable silver;average annual production of ~130,000 oz payable gold and ~311,000 oz payable silver;a competitive All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) of ~A$1,917 / oz payable gold (set of silver credits);an average operating cashflow of ~A$1,626 / oz payable gold (net of silver credits);a higher-grade Starter' pit producing ~181,000 oz payable gold and 420,000 oz payable silver during the first 18 months of mining, with average operating cashflow of ~A$2,265 / oz gold; andan NPV7.5% of ~A$512m, a 40% IRR and a 1.9 year payback period (all unlevered, and pre-tax).Webinar detailsThe webinar will be hosted bySmall Caps , with live Q&A following Mr Scanlon's presentation.The webinar will start at 09.00 London time on 23 July 2024 (being 10:00 Zurich, 16:00 Perth, and 18.00 Sydney on the same date).Register freehere .Commenting on the recent Tunkillia Scoping Study results, Barton MD Alexander Scanlon said:"In only 3 years' time we have grown Tunkillia to a 1.5Moz Au JORC Resource and outlined a project that, were it in operation today, would rank favourably by AISC among Australian gold producers. We plan to continue systematically building up Tunkillia's potential over the next 12 months, targeting an optimised Scoping Study, while also pursuing complementary higher-grade mineralisation in the neighbouring Tarcoola Goldfield."With over A$10m cash we are very well positioned to continue advancing our strategy to develop a new large-scale South Australian gold producer, and we look forward to discussing these results with investors next week." Authorised by the Managing Director of Barton Gold Holdings Limited.For further information, please contact:Alexander ScanlonManaging Director a.scanlon@ bartongold.com.au +61 425 226 649Shannon CoatesCompany Secretary cosec@ bartongold.com.au +61 8 9322 1587About Barton GoldBarton Gold is an ASX, OTCQB and Frankfurt Stock Exchange listed Australian gold developer targeting future gold production of 150,000oz annually, with ~1.6Moz Au JORC Mineral Resources (52.3Mt @ 0.94 g/t Au), multiple advanced exploration projects and brownfield mines, and 100% ownership of the only regional gold mill in the renowned central Gawler Craton of South Australia.*Tarcoola Gold ProjectExisting brownfield open pit mine within trucking distance of Barton's processing plantUnder-explored asset with untapped scale potentialTunkillia Gold Project1.5Moz Au Mineral Resources (51.3Mt @ 0.91 g/t Au)*Scoping Study for initial 6 year, ~130kozpa Au mineInfrastructure650ktpa CIP process plant, mine village, and airstripTarcoola ~40 person lodging to support mine operationsTunkillia camp to support dedicated project teamCompetent Persons Statement & Previously Reported InformationThe information in this announcement that relates to the historic Exploration Results and Mineral Resources as listed in the table below is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by the Competent Person whose name appears in the same row, who is an employee of or independent consultant to the Company and is a Member or Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) or a Recognised Professional Organisation (RPO). Each person named in the table below has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration and to the activity which he has undertaken to quality as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 (JORC).ActivityCompetent PersonMembershipStatusTarcoola Mineral Resource (Stockpiles)Dr Andrew Fowler (Consultant)AusIMMMemberTarcoola Mineral Resource (Perseverance Mine)Mr Ian Taylor (Consultant)AusIMMFellowTarcoola Exploration Results (until 15 Nov 2021)Mr Colin Skidmore (Consultant)AIGMemberTarcoola Exploration Results (after 15 Nov 2021)Mr Marc Twining (Employee)AusIMMMemberTunkillia Exploration Results (until 15 Nov 2021)Mr Colin Skidmore (Consultant)AIGMemberTunkillia Exploration Results (after 15 Nov 2021)Mr Marc Twining (Employee)AusIMMMemberTunkillia Mineral ResourceMr Ian Taylor (Consultant)AusIMMFellowChallenger Mineral ResourceMr Dale Sims (Consultant)AusIMM / AIGFellow / MemberThe information relating to historic Exploration Results and Mineral Resources in this announcement is extracted from the Company's Prospectus dated 14 May 2021 or as otherwise noted in this announcement, available from the Company's website at www.bartongold.com.au or on the ASX website www.asx.com.au . The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the Exploration Results and Mineral Resource information included in previous announcements and, in the case of estimates of Mineral Resources, that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates, and any production targets and forecast financial information derived from the production targets continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the applicable Competent Persons' findings are presented have not been materially modified from the previous announcements.Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis document may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "target" and "intend" and statements than an event or result "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information is subject to business, legal and economic risks and uncertainties and other factor
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CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / The Restricted Property Trust Scholarship for Insurance Students, founded on the principles of innovation and excellence, is proud to announce its call for applications from undergraduate students across the United States. This prestigious scholarship, valued at $1,000, aims to empower the next generation of insurance industry leaders and visionaries.At the heart of this scholarship stands the legacy of the Restricted Property Trust (RPT), a pioneering vehicle for tax mitigation and asset appreciation developed by industry expert Ken Crabb. Crabb's decades of expertise in tax-deductible life insurance strategies have paved the way for the success of the RPT and inspired the creation of this transformative scholarship program."The Restricted Property Trust Scholarship for Insurance Students is a testament to our commitment to nurturing the brightest minds in the insurance industry," said Ken Crabb, the visionary behind the RPT and the driving force behind the scholarship. "We are excited to provide financial support and a platform for aspiring insurance professionals to showcase their vision for the industry's future." The scholarship is open to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in insurance, risk management, actuarial science, or related fields. Applicants are required to submit a well-crafted essay (500-800 words) outlining their vision for leveraging their education and skills to make a positive impact in the insurance industry. Applicants are encouraged to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today and articulate their aspirations for the future."This scholarship is a unique opportunity for students to not only secure financial support for their education but also to demonstrate their passion and innovative thinking in the insurance sector," said Crabb. "We are eager to see the brilliant ideas and perspectives that the applicants bring to the table." The deadline to apply for the Restricted Property Trust Scholarship for Insurance Students is April 15, 2025, and the winner will be announced on May 15, 2025. Interested students are invited to submit their essays to apply@ restrictedpropertytrustscholarship.com , including their full name, university name, major, and contact information.About the Restricted Property Trust Scholarship for Insurance Students The Restricted Property Trust Scholarship for Insurance Students is a prestigious scholarship program founded on the principles of innovation and excellence. Powered by the legacy of the Restricted Property Trust (RPT), a visionary vehicle for tax mitigation and asset appreciation created by industry expert Ken Crabb, the scholarship aims to empower the next generation of insurance professionals and shape the future of the industry.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Restricted Property TrustOrganization: Restricted Property Trust ScholarshipWebsite: https://restrictedpropertytrustscholarship.com Email: apply@ restrictedpropertytrustscholarship.com SOURCE: Restricted Property Trust Scholarship
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MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 /Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSXV:CJC)(FSE:YXEP)(OTCQB:CJCFF) (" QPM " or the " Corporation ") announces that at its annual shareholders' meeting held on July 16, 2024, shareholders of the Company overwhelmingly approved all the resolutions, as follows:Election of Genevieve Ayotte, Normand Champigny, Wanda Cutler, and James Shannon as directors; and,Appointment of KPMG LLP as auditors.Deferred shares units and stock optionsThe Corporation announces the issuance of 1,145,000 deferred stock units (the " DSUs ") pursuant to its Deferred Share Unit Plan (the " DSU Plan "). Of this number, 1,070,000 DSUs have been granted to its directors and officers, and 75,000 to one employee. In accordance with the DSU Plan, the DSUs shall vest in accordance with the terms of agreements granting same and one year from the date of such grant, subject to the provisions of TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") Policy 4.4 and the Company's security-based compensation plan, and are payable in common shares of the Company, or in cash at the sole discretion of the Company, upon the holder ceasing to be director, officer or employee of the Company.The Corporation also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 30,000 stock options (the " Options ") of the Corporation to one consultant. Each Option entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share. Options granted to the consultant are exercisable for a two-year period and will vest immediately. Options are granted in accordance with Policy 4.4 of the TSXV and the terms and conditions of the QPM's stock option plan.About Quebec Precious Metals CorporationQPM has a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. The Corporation focuses on advancing its Sakami gold project and its newly discovered, drill-ready Ninaaskuwin lithium showing on the Elmer East project. In addition, the Corporation holds a 68% interest in the Kipawa rare earths project located near Temiscaming, Quebec.For more information please contact:Normand ChampignyChief Executive OfficerTel.: 514 979-4746 nchampigny@ qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation
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SACRAMENTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 /River City Bank (the Bank) reported net income of $17.2 million, or $11.66 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which compares favorably to the $14.4 million, or $9.65 per diluted share, for the same period in 2023. Net income was $35.9 million, or $24.29 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2024, which compares favorably to the $27.3 million, or $18.28 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The Bank's earnings for the first six months ended June 30, 2024, represented a healthy 16.6% return on equity capital and 1.41% return on assets. The Bank's book value per share rose to $310 as of June 30, 2024, from $261 per share as of June 30, 2023.RCB Blue RCB Blue squareSignificant items impacting quarterly net income for June 30, 2024, and the same period in 2023 include the following:Higher loan balances - Average loan outstandings in the current quarter were $520 million higher than the prior year quarter, helping to increase net interest income by $5.0 million over the same period in 2023 despite rising deposit costs.Increased cash and investment balances - Average cash balances grew by $331 million and average investments balances grew by $118 million, when compared to the same period in 2023. The increased balances, at higher yields, provided a $9.7 million increase in income from cash and investments versus the prior year quarter.Deposit growth - Average deposits grew by $946 million compared to the same period a year earlier, supporting the Bank's loan growth while reducing higher cost borrowings and increasing liquid assets.The provision for credit losses on loans for the current quarter of $3.0 million was lower than the $6.5 million that was recorded for the prior year quarter. The Bank continues to add provision for credit losses as the loan portfolio grows. During the quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Bank did not experience any actual credit losses and the Bank's Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans was a robust 2.60% of Gross Loans as of June 30, 2024.The Bank crossed an important milestone in our history as we ended the quarter with over $5 billion in total assets. "Our customers continue to appreciate the value the Bank provides with over 50 years of consistently exceptional service as evidenced by our significant growth in total deposits from $3.6 billion at June 30, 2023, to $4.5 billion as of June 30, 2024," said Steve Fleming, president and chief executive officer. "The Bank's balance sheet remains highly liquid with $377 million in cash and $726 million in high-quality short duration investments (investment portfolio effective duration of only one year). At the same time, our loan quality remains pristine with virtually no delinquencies or non-performing loans. We believe we can continue to grow our commercial real estate loan portfolio as we focus on loans secured by multi-family, retail, and industrial properties, as well as expanding our geographic footprint to other western states outside of California. We will remain diligent with our monitoring of potential impacts to the office segment of our commercial real estate loan portfolio from the reduction in demand as employers continue to provide work-from-home opportunities for their employees." "The Bank's high-quality investment securities portfolio continues to perform well with relatively small unrealized losses of 1.7 percent and there are no investment securities categorized as held-to-maturity," said Brian Killeen, chief financial officer of River City Bank. "Operational efficiency remains a core competency for the Bank, as evidenced by our 26 percent efficiency ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2024."Shareholders' equity for River City Bank on June 30, 2024, increased $29 million to $447 million, when compared to the $418 million as of Dec. 31, 2023. The increase was driven by growth of the current year's retained earnings. The Bank's capital ratios remain well above the regulatory definition for being Well Capitalized with a Tier 1 Leverage Ratio of 8.7% as of June 30, 2024.Additionally, Steve Fleming announced that the Bank's board of directors has approved a cash dividend of $0.37 per common share to shareholders of record as of July 25, 2024, and payable on Aug. 8, 2024.ABOUT RIVER CITY BANK:Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past seven years, River City Bank is the Sacramento region's premier business bank with assets of over $5 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer, and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, concierge-like level of service, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with an office in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.Contact InformationPamela HansenVP/Director of Marketing and Eventspamela.hansen@rivercitybank.com 7075484292Related FilesQ2 2024 earnings dataSOURCE: River City BankView the original press release on newswire.com
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SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / TEAL, a pioneering force in the Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity space, is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with AquaSpy, a leading innovator in agricultural technology. This collaboration marks a significant leap forward in the realm of soil moisture monitoring, enhancing both reliability and efficiency for farmers worldwide.AquaSpy Connected by TEAL AquaSpy Connected by TEAL"The primary reason for our success with TEAL is the excellent carrier coverage. Operating in rural America and internationally, we need access to the carrier with the best signal strength at any location. TEAL's eSIM cards always find the best carrier, ensuring our devices work seamlessly," said Peter Ellegaard, AquaSpy CTO.Before partnering with TEAL, AquaSpy faced significant challenges in offering a fully wireless, seamless solution for soil moisture monitoring. Traditional systems relied heavily on solar power, cables, and towers, which were prone to damage by critters or farm equipment. This often led to potential data loss and increased maintenance costs. Additionally, AquaSpy required a connectivity solution that could provide consistent carrier coverage, particularly in rural and remote areas where signal strength can be variable. Managing multiple SIMs and carrier contracts also posed a logistical challenge, especially as AquaSpy expanded its operations globally.TEAL is helping AquaSpy by providing advanced connectivity solutions through its universal global profile and cutting-edge eSIM technology."We have better global reach since TEAL has an excellent global profile across thousands of carriers around the world. Our clients no longer need to figure out the best carrier coverage in their area. TEAL's solution just works," Peter Ellegaard added.By leveraging TEAL's advanced eSIM technology, AquaSpy has significantly enhanced its product offering, streamlined global operations, and improved the reliability and efficiency of its soil moisture monitoring systems.Kathleen Glass, the VP of Marketing at AquaSpy, emphasized the importance of global connectivity: "We work with international food and beverage brands and large ag retailers focused on helping their growers conserve water while ensuring consistent yield and crop quality. TEAL's wireless technology supports partners and growers as far away as Chile, Nigeria, and Egypt with ease." With TEAL, AquaSpy is able to offer a state-of-the-art, fully wireless solution that meets the needs of modern, regenerative agriculture worldwide."Merging our eSIM technology with AquaSpy's cutting-edge soil moisture sensors empowers farmers with critical data and tools to refine their irrigation techniques. This collaboration is set to drive sustainability and boost productivity in farming operations globally," said Robby Hamblet, CEO of TEAL.This partnership underscores both companies' commitment to driving technological advancements in agriculture, ensuring that farmers around the world have the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive market.---About TEAL TEAL's patented, GSMA certified technology connects any compatible device onto any data network worldwide. With more network operator agreements than any other connectivity provider, TEAL gives businesses everywhere the flexibility and control to remotely switch between networks, ensuring the highest level of reliability and performance for any internet of things (IoT) deployment. TEAL supports customers across many industries including, agriculture, fleet management, robotics, drones, industrial IoT, healthcare, railways, smart city infrastructure, and oil & gas.For more information, please contact: info@ tealcommunications.com About AquaSpy AquaSpy, a leading innovator in agricultural technology, empowers global farmers with real-time insights into crop growth dynamics. Utilizing an intelligent, cloud-based IoT Agriculture platform, AquaSpy connects growers with specific plant behaviors, providing actionable insights that enhance crop yields, conserve water, and improve soil management. Their technology integrates advanced Ag Tech and Precision Irrigation, optimizing irrigation and nutrient use while minimizing runoff.AquaSpy's IoT Agriculture Technology Platform is reliable, accurate, affordable, and easy to deploy. Supported by a global distribution network, AquaSpy leads in regenerative agriculture, ensuring healthier, sustainable soil for future generations.Kathleen Glass, VP of Marketing at AquaSpy: kathleenglass@ aquaspy.com Contact Information TEAL MarketingCMObb@ tealcommunications.com +14255238976Kathleen GlassVP of Marketingkathleenglass@ aquaspy.com SOURCE: TEALView the original press release on newswire.com
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. ("Lamb Weston" or "the Company") (NYSE:LW) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Lamb Weston is the subject of a report published by the Wall Street Journal on April 4, 2024. According to the Journal, "The company lowered its full-year forecast for sales to between $6.54 billion and $6.6 billion, and for adjusted earnings per share to a range of $5.50 and $5.65. Those numbers were down from prior guidance of sales between $6.8 billion and $7 billion and adjusted EPS to between $5.70 and $6.15. The report adds, "Chief Executive Tom Werner attributed the reduced guidance to soft near-term restaurant traffic trends and a transition to a new enterprise resource planning system in North America that has hurt its financial results more than expected." Based on this news, shares of Lamb Weston fell by more than 17.7% in morning trading on the same day.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
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NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Trident Royalties PLCRECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION of TRIDENT ROYALTIES PLC by DETERRA GLOBAL HOLDINGS PTY LTD(a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Deterra Royalties Limited)to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangementunder Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006UPDATE ON SCHEME TIMETABLEOn 13 June 2024, the boards of Deterra Global Holdings Pty Ltd (" Bidco ") and Trident Royalties Plc (" Trident ") announced that they had agreed the terms of a recommended cash acquisition of Trident by Bidco pursuant to which Bidco will acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Trident (the " Acquisition "). The Acquisition is being effected by means of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006 (the " Scheme ").Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the shareholder circular relating to the Scheme published by Trident on 4 July 2024 (the " Scheme Document "). All references to times are to London, UK, times unless otherwise stated.Trident and Bidco are pleased to provide an update with respect to the Scheme timetable.A Scheme Sanction Hearing has now been scheduled for 29 August 2024 and an updated expected timetable of principal events is set out below. The times and dates given are based on Trident's and Bidco's current expectations and may be subject to change. If any of the times and dates set out in the expected timetable change, Trident will give notice of this change by issuing an announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.The Acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the Conditions and further terms that were set out in Part 3 of the Scheme Document.EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTSEventExpected time/date (1)Publication of the Scheme Document4 July 2024Latest time for lodging Forms of Proxy or for submitting proxy instructions via the CREST electronic proxy appointment service for the:Court Meeting (blue Form of Proxy)10.00 a.m. on 24 July 2024 (2)General Meeting (white Form of Proxy)10.15 a.m. on 24 July 2024 (3)Voting Record Time6.00 p.m. on 24 July 2024 (4)Court Meeting10.00 a.m. on 26 July 2024General Meeting10.15 a.m. on 26 July 2024 (5)The following dates are indicative only and are subject to change (6)Scheme Sanction HearingCurrently scheduled for 29 August 2024Last day of dealings in, and for registration of transfers of, and disablement of CREST for, Trident Shares30 August 2024Scheme Record Time6.00 p.m. on 30 August 2024Suspension of dealings in Trident Shares7.30 a.m. on 2 September 2024Expected Effective Date of the Scheme (7)2 September 2024Cancellation of admission of Trident Shares to trading on AIMBy 7.00 a.m. on 3 September 2024Latest date for dispatch of cheques and crediting of CREST for Cash Consideration due under the SchemeWithin 14 days of the Effective DateLong Stop Date11.59 p.m. on 31 October 2024 (8)Notes(1) All times set out in this timetable refer to London time unless otherwise stated. The dates and times given are indicative only and are based on Trident's current expectations and may be subject to change. If any of the expected times and/or dates above change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified to Trident Shareholders by announcement through a Regulatory Information Service with such announcement being made available on Bidco's website at www.deterraroyalties.com/investors/proposed-acquisition-of-trident and Trident's website at https://tridentroyalties.com/recommended-offer and, if required by the Panel, Trident will send notice of the change(s) to Trident Shareholders and other persons with information rights and, for information only, the warrant holder and to the holders of options under the Trident Share Scheme.(2) It is requested that blue Forms of Proxy for the Court Meeting be lodged no later than 10.00 a.m. on 24 July 2024 or, in the case of an adjourned meeting, 48 hours (excluding any part of a day that is not a Business Day) before the time fixed for the adjourned Court Meeting. Blue Forms of Proxy not so lodged may be completed and handed to the Chair of the Court Meeting at any time before the start of the Court Meeting.(3) White Forms of Proxy for the General Meeting must be lodged no later than 10.15 a.m. on 24 July 2024 or, in the case of an adjourned meeting, 48 hours (excluding any part of a day that is not a Business Day) before the time fixed for the adjourned General Meeting.(4) If either the Court Meeting or the General Meeting is adjourned, the Voting Record Time for the relevant adjourned meeting will be 6.00 p.m. on the date falling two Business Days before the date of the adjourned meeting.(5) Or as soon thereafter as the Court Meeting is concluded or adjourned.(6) These dates are indicative only and will depend, among other things, on the date upon which: (i) the Conditions are satisfied or (if capable of waiver) waived; (ii) the Court sanctions the Scheme; and (iii) the Court Order is delivered to the Registrar of Companies.(7) The Scheme will become effective pursuant to its terms upon the Court Order being delivered to the Registrar of Companies.(8) The latest date by which the Scheme may become Effective (or such later date as (a) Trident and Bidco may agree or (b) (in a competitive situation) specified by Bidco with the consent of the Panel, and in either case as the Court may approve (if such approval(s) are required)).Enquiries:Bidco / Deterra+61 8 6277 8880Julian Andrews, Managing DirectorBronwyn Kerr, General Counsel and Company SecretaryJ.P. Morgan (Financial adviser to Bidco and Deterra)+44 (0) 20 3493 8000Mathew HockingJamie RiddellJames RobinsonJonty EdwardsGresham (Financial adviser to Bidco and Deterra)+61 2 9224 0210Neville SpryMichael SmithTom WaddellTridentAdam Davidson, Chief Executive Officer+1 (757) 208-5171Richard Hughes, Chief Financial Officer+44 (0) 7967 589997BMO (Rule 3 adviser and financial adviser to Trident)+44 (0)20 7236 1010Gary MattanTom RiderAndrew CameronNick MacannGrant Thornton (AIM Nominated Adviser)+44 (0)20 7383 5100Colin AaronsonSamantha HarrisonSt Brides Partners Ltd (Financial PR & IR)+44 20 7236 1177Susie GeliherCharlotte PageImportant Notices Relating t
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 17, 2024 / Usha Resources Ltd. ("USHA" or the "Company") (TSXV:USHA)(OTCQB:USHAF)(FSE:JO0), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce that the Company has executed an option (the "Option" or "Option Agreement") with Abitibi Metals Corp. ("Abitibi" or the "Optionor") for the right to purchase an undivided 100% interest in the Southern Arm property ("Southern Arm" or the "Property", Fig. 1).Highlights:Southern Arm hosts a ~7.3 km copper-gold trend along the regional-scale Bapst fault within the volcanic rocks of the Brouillan-Fenelon Group, which hosts the nearby Selbaie Mine (~15 km W) and B26 Deposit (~16 km SW) and is prospective for polymetallic VMS-style mineralization.Multiple drill targets identified including "Hollywood" where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that is open along strike.The Property is situated in a region famous for its endowment in precious and base metals. Notable nearby projects include:~16 km from the high-grade B26 Copper deposit, which hosts an indicated resource of 6.97 Mt at 2.94% Cu Eq (1.32% Cu, 1.80% Zn, 0.60 g/t Au and 43 g/t Ag) and an inferred resources of 4.41 Mt at 2.97% Cu Eq (2.03% Cu, 0.22% Zn, 1.07 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag; and~15 km from the Fenelon Gold Project, which hosts as indicated resource of 2.4 Moz Au and inferred 1.7 Moz Au; and~15 km from the historic Selbaie mine, which produced 53 Mt at 0.96% Cu, 1.9% Zn, 0.58 g/t Au, 40.7 g/t Ag.Exploration targets at Southern Arm were produced by the Abitibi Metals technical team, who will be acting in an advisory role as the Company progresses the proposed exploration strategy . Fully funded drill program planned for Fall 2024.The Southern Arm Option was negotiated following payment of US$75,000 by Stardust Power, Inc. (MC $675M) pursuant to the Letter of Intent granting the right to earn up to a 90% interest subject to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty in Usha's Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project for total consideration that could total up to US$26,025,000 over five years inclusive of payments comprising US$1,525,000 cash, US$750,000 stock, US$15,750,000 stock or cash at Stardust Power's election, and a work commitment of (US$8M).The full details of the LOI are included in Usha's press release dated May 17, 2024. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions. The Company cautions that there is no guarantee that the Definitive Agreement will be completed.Deepak Varshney, CEO of Usha Resources, commented: "We are very excited to partner with Abitibi Metals on Southern Arm, which establishes Usha as a diversified metals company in North America with an opportunity to develop a company-making asset in the best mining province in Canada. Through their rigorous systematic exploration approach, we are starting with a 7 km+ trend with multiple targets including Hollywood, where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that remains open. We look forward to working with the Abitibi team to advance Southern Arm and plan on completing a fully funded maiden drill program this coming Fall." Figure 1 - Regional Claim MapSouthern Arm Property DetailsThe Property comprises 76 claims totaling more than 42 km 2 in the deposit-rich Abitibi mining camp (Fig. 1). The Property contains geology favourable for polymetallic VMS-style mineralization (Fig. 2) and historic drill logs documented brecciated felsic exhalite horizons that underwent chlorite and sericite alteration associated with elevated Zn values [i] (Fig. 2).It is situated on the eastern side of the Brouillan pluton and the bedrock geology is dominated by the volcanic rocks of the Brouillan-Fenelon Group, which also host the nearby Selbaie Mine and B26 Deposit. These rocks are situated along the regional-scale Bapst fault, which represents a splay of the Southern Detour deformation and is associated with Zn, Pb Ag, Mo and Cu mineralization along trend.The property hosts a ~7.3 km conductive trend with multiple drill targets already identified including "Hollywood" where anomalous metals values have been identified over a ~1.8 km footprint that remains open.Figure 2Terms of the AgreementPursuant to the Option Agreement, the Company may acquire a 100% interest in the Property by issuing an aggregate of 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company and completing $2,000,000 of work expenditures as indicated in the table below:PaymentSharesWork CommitmentSigning2,500,000 1, 21st Anniversary2,500,000 22 nd Anniversary2,000,000Total5,000,000$2,000,000NotesPayable within fifteen (15) days from receipt of approval to the Agreement from the Exchange (the "Approval").Shares of the Company are to be issued at a deemed value based on the Discounted Market Price at the time of issuance.The Company has granted to the Optionor a 2% net-smelter returns royalty (the "NSR") on the claims making up the Property with no historical royalty.The transaction contemplated, including the issuance of the shares, is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture (the "Exchange"). The shares will be subject to the applicable hold periods in accordance with securities laws in Canada and exchange policies.Qualified personThe technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Deepak Varshney, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical reports provided by the optionors were reviewed by the qualified person. The information provided has not been verified and is being treated as historic non-compliant intercepts.About Usha Resources Ltd.Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality critical metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes Southern Arm, a copper-gold VMS project in Quebec, Jackpot Lake, a lithium brine project in Nevada and White Willow, a lithium pegmatite project in Ontario that is the flagship among its growing portfolio of hard-rock lithium assets. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0.USHA RESOURCES LTD.For more information, please call 778-899-1780, email info@ usharesources.com or visit www.usharesources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regula
The Nigerian government said Wednesday that the country has attracted over $2 billion in investment in the renewable energy sector.

President Bola Tinubu disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Africa Natural Resource And Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Over the past decade, Nigeria has attracted over $2 billion in investment in the renewable energy sector and this has become a fast-growing sector in the economy. Our commitment is to continue this trajectory and attract more private sector involvement in the renewable energy space that includes manufacturing locally produced solar panels and batteries.

By encouraging local production of equipment, we can reduce the cost of implementation thereby lowering the threshold for electrification, Mr Tinubu said.

Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said natural gas is a transition fuel that will aid in the fundamental restructuring of the nations economy.

In our transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy systems, we also recognise the pivotal role that natural gas plays. To meet our electrification targets, we must recognise the importance of renewable energy in our energy mix. Renewable energy, particularly solar, remains the most cost-effective solution to connect our rural communities to electricity, he said.

He explained that the discussion on energy transition must also include the significance of the petroleum industry as a cornerstone of the economy.

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While we strive to embrace renewable and cleaner energy sources, we acknowledge that oil and gas continue to play a vital role in our energy and economic landscape. These resources are critical not only for domestic energy needs but also for driving economic development and facilitating investment.

Our goal is to attract more investment in the oil and gas industry and grow our oil production to 2.1 million barrels a day by December 2024. Furthermore, we will invest in our midstream and downstream infrastructure, tackle theft and hold to account developers to the highest environmental best standards, he added.

He noted that the administrations commitment is to manage these resources responsibly by minimising their ecological footprint and maximising their benefits for the nation now.

According to the president, for Africa to fully realise its full potential and meet global climate targets, it must put collaboration at the forefront of the collective national transition plans.

Mr Tinubu said his administration will continue to work with the international community and African neighbours to initiate and develop cross-border infrastructure systems that will allow goods and services to move easily across Africa and fully harness the potential of the African Free Trade Continental Agreement (AfCFTA).

It should not be easier to transport natural gas from Nigeria to the far-east than to North Africa. We also acknowledge that at the core of all our decisions on harnessing the abundant natural resources of our dear continent is the safeguarding of the environment and local communities.

We are but custodians of the offices we now hold and the land that we inherit. We must strive to not repeat the mistakes of the past where environmental considerations were superseded by economic gains, Mr Tinubu said.

In his address, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said AFNIS 2024 is not just a gathering but a convergence of visionaries, policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders, all united by a shared commitment to unlocking the full potential of the continents natural wealth.

We are here to explore how Africas abundant resources can be leveraged to drive economic growth, social equity, and environmental sustainability. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda championed by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, we are committed to transforming Nigerias solid minerals sector into a cornerstone of our nations economic diversification strategy.

Our approach is multifaceted, focusing on policy reforms, sustainable practices, infrastructure development, and human capital enhancement. We are currently implementing comprehensive reforms that will create a conducive environment for investment in the solid minerals sector, he said.

These reforms, he said, aim to enhance transparency, regulatory clarity, and investor confidence, fostering a competitive and thriving industry.

This aligns with Mr Presidents vision of an open and transparent government that works for the people of Nigeria. Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. We are adopting best practices that minimise environmental impact and promote social responsibility.

Our goal is to ensure that mining activities contribute positively to the economy while safeguarding the environment and enhancing the well-being of local communities, reflecting the ethos of the renewed hope agenda, he said.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to only issue mining licenses if they are tied to local value addition.

This is to ensure that young Nigerians are actively engaged in economic activities, acquiring skills and contributing to the overall development of the economy.

The president gave the directive on Wednesday during the opening session of the African Natural Resources & Energy Investment Summit, 2024, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

President Tinubu, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said his administration is fully committed to creating an enabling business environment to attract investment that encourages value addition on solid minerals before they are exported.

We recognize the losses incurred from exporting crude mineral commodities and understand that it is time to change this narrative. By doing so, we aim to ensure that our teeming youth are actively engaged in economic activities, acquiring skills, and contributing to the nations foreign exchange earnings. Therefore, the Ministry will only issue mining licenses if they are tied to local value addition, the president noted.

President Tinubu noted that his administrations target in the solid minerals sector is to make Nigeria a leader in critical metals.

While commending stakeholders for the establishment of the African Minerals Strategy Group with Nigeria as the first chairperson of the initiative, the president said, We aim to set new standards in the mining industry and ensure that Africa gets an equitable slice of supplying the world with critical metals.

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In our transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy systems, we also recognize the pivotal role that natural gas plays. Natural gas is a transition fuel that will fundamentally restructure our nations economy, he added.

In leveraging opportunities in the renewable energy space, President Tinubu explained that Nigeria has attracted over $2 billion in investment in the renewable energy sector, making it a fast-growing sector in the economy.

Our commitment is to continue this trajectory and attract more private sector involvement in the renewable energy space, including manufacturing locally produced solar panels and batteries.

He, however, emphasised that discussions on the energy transition must also include the significance of the petroleum industry as a cornerstone of the nations economy.

While we strive to embrace renewable and cleaner energy sources, we acknowledge that oil and gas continue to play a vital role in our energy and economic landscape, he stated.

The president highlighted strategic priorities in the sector to include the goal to attract more investment in the oil and gas industry; grow oil production to 2.1 million barrels a day by December 2024; improve investment in midstream and downstream infrastructure; tackle theft; and hold developers accountable for the highest environmental standards.

President Tinubu further restated the administrations commitment to manage resources responsibly, minimizing their ecological footprint and maximizing their benefits for the nation.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, announced the governments strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda to position Nigeria as a major player in the global minerals market.

We are committed to transforming Nigerias solid mineral sector into a cornerstone for our nations economic diversification, he said.

The minister noted that the government is implementing wide-ranging reforms to create a more attractive environment for investors, with a focus on enhancing transparency, regulatory clarity, and investor confidence.

The plan, he explained, encompasses several key areas, including policy reforms, sustainable practices, infrastructure development, and human capital enhancement. These initiatives are designed to address longstanding challenges in the sector and unlock the full potential of Nigerias vast mineral resources.

This summit represents a significant milestone in our collective journey toward addressing Africas vast natural resources and sustainable economic development, Mr Alake said.

Dignitaries at the summit included the senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Mohammed Musa; Minister of State for Environment, Ishaq Salako; Minister of State for Steel Development, Uba Ahmadu, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Mary Ogbe.

Others were Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of Sierra Leone, Julius Mattai; Minister of Mining of South Sudan, Martin Abucha; Minister of Mining of Malawi, Monica Changanamuno; Minister of Mines and Energy of Liberia, Wilmot Paye; Deputy Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Geology of Chad, Oumar Moussa, and representatives of the governors of Abia, Ebonyi, Taraba, Kwara, Enugu, Nasarawa and Akwa Ibom States, among others.

*Stanley Nkwocha*

*Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications*

*(Office of The Vice President)*

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Social media has been abuzz with a viral video of Pastor Williams Kumuyi, the founder and General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church.

In the video, Pastor Kumuyi debunked rumours of his relocation to the United Kingdom, clarifying that his recent travels are part of his global crusade, a testament to the far-reaching impact of his ministry, and not a permanent move.

The speculations were rife in May after The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, confirmed his relocation to the US.

The 83-year-old televangelist addressed the issue during a church service on Sunday, which was shared on the churchs official Facebook page.

Mr Kumuyi mentioned how he recently travelled through countries, and the time differences between the countries he visits and Nigeria make transmitting his activities back home impractical.

Time difference

His global crusade took him to various countries, including the United Arab Emirates, necessitating travel adjustments and rest periods.

He said, You must have read that I relocated to the UK. Did I relocate? he asked. I did not relocate anywhere. But because I went for crusade and conference and the conference and crusade is not being transmitted here, we do it over there.

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We have a time difference. Some countries I visit, like the one I visited in May, have about a seven-hour time difference. When it is 7 a.m. here, it will be 2 a.m. in another country. There is no way I could transmit that here because of the time difference.

He narrated how he jetted from Aba, Nigeria, to the Philippines, to Dubai and other cities in the UAE, and how he needed to rest, leading to his short trip to the UK.

It was a long trip, and after that long trip, I jumped into the plane and went here and there. After those trips, I needed a few days to rest so I would not come back weary, tired, and could not preach again. So I waited. And because I spent that time, they told you I have relocated.

The influential pastor emphasised that the claims about his relocation are misleading.

He urged his congregation to dismiss these rumours and focus on the truth of the Word of God, reaffirming his commitment to their spiritual well-being. You must have read that I relocated to the UK. Did I relocate? I did not relocate anywhere, he stated, emphasising his unwavering dedication to his church.

Mr Kumuyi expressed surprise that some church members believed the rumours. He recounted an instance where a member addressed a letter to the UK church branch, assuming he had relocated there.

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Veteran actor Tajudeen Oyewole, known as Abija, has caused a buzz on social media after a TikTok video of him seeking financial aid went viral.

The TikTok video of the 66-year-old actor, famous for playing the role of a traditionalist in Yoruba movies, sparked conversation across social media platforms on Tuesday.

The viral footage of the actor begging for financial assistance on TikTok comes barely two months after beggars did the same.

In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some beggars abandoned traditional methods and took to TikTok to beg for alms.

Video analysis

This newspaper obtained viral footage showing Abija dressed in traditional attire, including a Hausa cap, sitting in front of an unpainted fence.

In the footage, he appealed to his fans for financial assistance while offering prayers for them.

Meanwhile, a voice in the background mentioned that some fans requested Abija to share his account number as he expressed gratitude to those who donated.

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He said, We will send it now, Larry Larry. We will send it to the comment section. The evil people of this world will not trap you. You will not live alone. You will grow old. Larry Larry, you will grow in sound health. Youll not die young; you will live to an old age.

I have sent the account details to the comment section of Baba Legba. I appreciate you. You will also not beg to survive. The real Igbalaye, thank you. You will not suffer in life. The account details are in the comment section, posted by Baba Legba. Thank you, everyone.

Throughout the one-minute and eighteen-second video, the actor remained silent about his reason for begging.

TikTok

In addition to donations, the actors account can earn income through other features.

When the TikTok account goes live, creators can receive virtual gifts (diamonds) from viewers based on the videos popularity.

Users can exchange these diamonds for TikTok rewards, including money. Viewers send these gifts during the live session to show appreciation.

As the video gains popularity, the account owner earns more diamonds. However, earning and redeeming diamonds is subject to TikToks policies.

TikToks reward system allows livestreamers to earn money. One diamond on TikTok is worth around USD 0.005 (approximately N7.66).

Prior financial appeal

In July 2023, this newspaper learned that the actor famous for his role in Koto Aye had appealed to his fans for a car.

He made this request during a Facebook Live session on skit maker Akinyoola Ayoolas page, known as Kamo.

During the session, Abija explained that he approached Kamo after witnessing his successful fundraising for colleagues Fatai Adetayo, aka Lalude and Ganiyu Nofiu, known as Alapini Osa, including cars.

Abija said he always felt embarrassed going to movie sets without a car.

He said, I would have mentioned needing a house, but one of my children is already building one for me. Six years ago, actor Abiola Kazeem, aka Jigan Babaoja, helped me by giving me a car, but its now old and in poor condition. I was ill for several years, and even though Ive recovered, most people are unaware of my improved health.

During my illness, when I spoke, no one could hear me. Im reaching out to you, Kamo, to ask for your help in finding a reliable car that I can use for transportation and work. I cant go to work without a car, and going to filming locations without one makes me feel unhappy and embarrassed. Please, help me.

Abija is one of many actors who seek financial assistance. Over the years, many actors have publicly appealed for support to address health, family, and other challenges.

Veteran actors like Margret Olayinka, aka Iya Gbonkan, Lalude, Alapini Osa, and Olusola Olaonipekunz, known as Pariolodo, are among those who have done so.

TAMPAN

However, the National President of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Mr Latin Amusan, refrained from commenting on the viral footage.

In a phone conversation with this newspaper on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Latin said, I have no comments. Baba Abija is an adult.

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Sad news hit me hard on Tuesday, June 25, in this year of Our Lord  my inimitable guru Tam Fiofori passed away.

Tam Fiofori was in his lifetime celebrated as a filmmaker, photographer, journalist, publisher and documentarian. Not many people knew that the icon popularly hailed as Uncle Tam was once a poet.

It was a pleasant surprise to me when not so long before his passage he sent me the scan of his three poems published in the esteemed American journal Evergreen Review.

Tam signed off his message to me with the following words: Maxim, these are for your eyes only ono go begin playing pranks releasing them o, please! Regards, from an ex-poet, Tamunominabo Fiofori.

Well, Ive never been known to obey rules, so I went ahead to disobey Tam by publishing the poems without fear or favour, and with no apologies whatsoever!

After all, Franz Kafka advised his friend and literary executor, Max Brod, to burn all his unpublished manuscripts after his death, but the authors request was disobeyed and the world was rewarded with the publication of the immortal classics: The Trial and The Castle etc.

Its so thrilling to me that our own Tam Fiofori stood up to be counted amongst the writers of the Beat Generation in America. According to Tam, Actually, I was known as a poet in New York as from 1966, hanging out with Leroi Jones, Ted Joans, Alan Ginsberg, Gilbert Sorrentino, Gregory Corso and the lot.

Allen Ginsberg had in 1956 published arguably the most famous poem amongst the Beat Poets as per his classic Howl that starts thusly:

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I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix

Tams three poems were published on Page 27 of a 1968 edition of Evergreen Review. In the words of Tam, These three poems were published in the prestigious Evergreen Review where the literary elite then were published.

Tam Fiofori added for good measure: I wrote many other poems published in Negro Digest/Black WorldThese are temporarily lost to me. Also, I had plays and essays published between 1968 and 1970. Then I gave up creative writing and concentrated on music journalism and managing Sun Ra.

In 2022, Tam published his 416-page book on the maverick American musician Sun Ra: Space. Music. Myth.

Tam Fioforis book on Sun Ra took a long time in coming, for in the words of Tam, I had promised Sun Ra in New York City in late 1966 when I started working with him and his Arkestra as Secretary/Manager/Booking Agent, that I would write a book on him.

The book Sun Ra: Space. Music. Myth was initially planned for publication in 2013, that is, 20 years after the passing away of Sun Ra. Then it had to be rescheduled for publication in 2014 to mark 100 years of the birth of Sun Ra.

In the end, Sun Ra: Space. Music. Myth was published five decades after Tam Fioforis initial promise. It was through Tam Fiofori that Sun Ra met Robert Moog, the legendary innovator of the Moog Synthesizer.

Down home in Nigeria, Tam Fiofori had in 2011 published A Benin Coronation: Oba Erediauwa, a book which according to the author has technically provided for 84 pages of photography featuring about 150 original photographs, accompanied by 72 pages of text; all about the Benin City Coronation ceremonies of Oba Erediauwa as the 38th Oba of the Benin Kingdom, from March 23 to 30, 1979.

Born in Okrika in present-day Rivers State in 1942, Tam was educated at Kings College in Lagos and Kings College, London, England. I can swear on Felas Shrine that Tam completely lived his life according to his own terms.

There was this day back then when a lady friend of Tams  she was actually the sister of a one-time second-in-command of Nigeria  bought a brand new 504 car and came to launch it with Tam. Tam told the lady that I was the guy of the street who would take them to where we would have a few drinks on the car. I had to abandon my work in THISWEEK magazine office on Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, and we drove to Wazobia hangout in Apapa.

We settled on a table to have a few drinks only for Tam to bring a strange girl to join our group. I could not understand the matter of Tam bringing another girl when he already had a delectable lady friend.

Well, I could not but bring in another girl to join us so that I should not be accused of encroaching on Tams 504 lady.

When night was coming on, Tam, the 504 lady, yours truly, and the two other girls decided to leave Apapa and drive up to Pepple Street in Ikeja to witness Felas show at the Shrine. When Tams original lady said it was time for us to depart from the Shrine, Tam said he was still enjoying the show and was in no mood to go home.

I was asked by the lady to appeal to Tam, but he would not let me speak up or he would blow his f-g top!

In the end, I had to leave with the three ladies, and Tam stayed put at Felas Shrine. Tams lady drove home in the wee hours while the two strange girls passed the night in my place. Back in the office the next day, Tam Fiofori came looking for me with this expression: Nothing spoil

Adieu, my great guru Tam Fiofori.

Maxim Uzoatu first published this piece on his Facebook Page

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On 13 July, the Federal Executive Council, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, approved a contract to procure advanced solution technology in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, announced the deal at a press briefing, saying it will enable the country to track every cargo of crude oil loaded in Nigeria up to its destination.

The project is expected to install the necessary on and offshore flow metres in all of the countrys exporting points. This, the minister said, will significantly curb oil theft and diversion, ensuring that our revenues are protected.

The contract was awarded to P-Lyne Energy Limited and is expected to be completed in 180 days.

However, PREMIUM TIMES can report that the contract approved by the Tinubu administration duplicates an already-awarded contract.

Existing contract

In March 2023, the administration of Former President Muhammadu Buhari engaged Antaser Nigeria Limited to implement a Cargo Tracking System for 15 years.

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) signed the agreement with Antaser Limited and four other companies on a No Cure, No Pay Basis and with a revenue sharing ratio of 60:40 accruable to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Consortium, respectively.

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The existing contract is a PPP arrangement with no cost to the federal government.

The Tinubu administration has now awarded a duplication of that contract.

Details of the initial contract

The previous government said the aim of giving the existing contract to Antaser Nigeria Limited was to correlate the real flow with declared quantities and correct the problem by introducing electromagnetic flow metres with remote data acquisition.

Using these flow metres, the Antaser team will receive data in real-time and make the exact loaded tanker volumes available to the relevant authorities.

This information would then be correlated with the declared volumes or verification. Any discrepancies would make issuing the eCTN certificates impossible.

To deliver this promise, Antaser Nigeria Limited said in the agreement that it was committed to procuring and installing the necessary on and offshore flow metres in all of the countrys exporting points.

The data from these flow metres would be collected to Antaser core using technology, according to details of the contract obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

Records show that the Nigerian government lost huge amounts of money annually due to under-declaration, wrong classification, concealment, and under or over-invoicing.

In addition, it is estimated that $532 million would have been generated had eCTN been implemented between 2015 and 2021.

The project, signed in 2023, is expected to generate $2.3 billion over ten years, with the Nigerian government directly receiving N1.2 billion on a 60:40 revenue-sharing ratio for the Federal Government of Nigeria and Antaser Nigeria Limited.

To achieve this revenue generation, Antaser Nigeria Limited said it would make a substantial initial investment within the country, to set up the local project infrastructure, export and oil infrastructure installations, which is conservatively estimated to cost $52 million, from its own funds over a period of one year.

The total costs for running the operations over the initial 10 years, including our global network, maintenance and upgrades of IT infrastructure, licenses, equipment recalibration etc, is estimated to be $1 billion, with an annual average cost of operations at $109 million, the contract proposal shows.

Clearance certificate issued

The National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA) issued a certificate of clearance on 25 January 2023 before the contract approval was given to Antaser Nigeria Limited.

The cost of electronic crude flow meters, installed in all Nigerian offloading bays, for providing live crude offloading volumes was put at N27 billion.

According to the agreement, the terminals that would have electromagnetic flow metres connected to the Antaser systems are 15 Nigeria Crude Oil Terminals (FPSO PLATFORMS), 6 FSO Platforms and 5 Crude Oil Terminals (Land Platforms).

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the NITDA certificate was issued on the condition that the project will be financed by Antaser financial institutional partners during the duration of the operations and that the financing partners are Nigerian banks with a track record of good financial performance.

And that based on a simulation ducted by the consultant, given the projected parameters agreed with stakeholders, recovering the investment requires 13  15 years to operate and an additional 5  10 years of operations to mark a profit at international standards. Resulting in 25 years of estimated concession, the contract agreement said.

It remains unclear why the Tinubu administration awarded a duplicate of this contract to P-Lyne Energy Limited.

An official of Antaser Nigeria Limited told PREMIUM TIMES that, to the best of his knowledge, the contract awarded to his company has not been cancelled. He said his company would write to President Tinubu and heads of relevant MDAs to complain about the duplication of the contract.

READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery set for petrol sales start after ending rift with oil suppliers

Presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale could not be reached to comment on this report. His mobile phone could not be reached on Tuesday and he has yet to reply to a text message.

PREMIUM TIMES also contacted the Minister of State for Petroleum for comment but he has not responded to our text message. A spokesperson for the Minister of Blue Economy, Ismail Omipidan, also did not respond to a text message sent to him.

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President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday requested the National Assembly to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act with an increase of N6.2 trillion.

President Tinubu also requested that the Finance Act 2023 be amended to impose and charge windfall tax on banks and provide for tax administration and related matters.

The requests were contained in a letter read on the floors of both chambers by the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Wednesday.

Last November, President Tinubua N27.5 trillion 2024 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly at the temporary chamber of the House of Representatives.

About three weeks later, the two chambers passed the budget with an increase of about N1.2 trillion to make the budget a total of N28. 7 trillion.

In Wednesdays letter, Mr Tinubu requested the amendment of the 2024 Appropriations Act by allocating an additional N3.2 trillion for capital expenditure and N3 trillion for recurrent expenditure.

The president said the funds would be sourced from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

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Mr Tinubu thereafter asked members of the upper chamber to give his request the desired consideration and approval.

Pursuant to section 58, sub-section two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, I forward herewith the above bills for consideration and passage by the Senate.

The Appropriation Act Amendment Bill 2024 seeks to amend the principal act to provide the sum of N3.2trillion for renewed hope infrastructure projects and other critical infrastructure projects to be undertaken across the country.

And the sum of N3 trillion to meet further recurrent expenditure requirements, necessary for the proper operation by the Federal Government expenditure, which are to be funded by expected revenue accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

If the National Assembly grants President Tinubus request, the 2024 budget will be increased to N34.9 trillion.

In June, the National Assembly extended the implementation of the capital component of the 2023 budget and the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget till 31 December.

Meanwhile, following its introduction, the bill was listed in the House for first and second reading and given a speedy passage without debate.

The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Appropriations for further legislative action.

The two requests have already been listed on Wednesdays Order Paper at the Senate as executive bills for consideration.

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Gunmen have abducted eight people, including a naval operative in Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria.

The victims were kidnapped on Monday night at Classic Point Hotel, a relaxation spot in Ibaka, in Mbo Local Government Area of the state, Punch newspaper reported.

The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, who confirmed the incident to the newspaper, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Waheed Ayilara, led a team of operatives to the community, where he was briefed on the incident.

Reported cases of kidnap-for-random in the state have soared since the beginning of the year, threatening the states status as one of the most peaceful in the country.

The latest incident occurred a few days after eighteen passengers and a driver, travelling from Uyo to Port Harcourt, were kidnapped at Azumini in Abia State.

Azumini, where the passengers were intercepted and kidnapped, is a boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom States.

Gunmen have stepped up criminal activities in the area with the abduction of high-profile persons.

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Two months ago, PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen abducted Okon Abang, the paramount ruler of the Mbo local government area.

The gunmen had stormed the royal fathers palace at Ebughu in the night and abducted him.

The traditional ruler was abducted a week after the wife of Asuquo Okon, a prominent politician in the area, was abducted in Oron, a neighbouring local government area to Mbo.

Also in the same area, John Esu, a medical doctor, was abducted, prompting the Nigeria Medical Association to direct its members to withdraw its services from both public and private hospitals in the state, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

This newspaper last December reported how a High Court judge, Joy Unwana, was kidnapped while her security guard was shot dead while returning to Uyo from Oron Local Government Area, where she had a court session.

The judge was freed after spending five days in captivity.

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The three-member faction of the Rivers House of Assembly has dismissed a resolution passed by a rival faction barring Governor Siminalayi Fubara from spending money from the state consolidated revenue fund.

The three-member faction led by Victor Oko-Jumbo as speaker is backed by Mr Fubara, while the other 27 of them are pro-Wike, and Martin Amaewhule leads it as speaker.

The two rival factions have been holding parallel sittings after the Appeal Court reinstated the pro-Wike lawmakers as assembly members.

Mr Amaehwule-led faction on Monday wrote to Governor Fubara, stopping him from spending money from the consolidated revenue funds following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum they gave to the governor to re-present the N800 billion 2024 budget to them.

The pro-Wike lawmakers had, at their sitting at the Assembly Quarters along Aba Road on Monday, said Mr Fubara violated the Constitution by spending money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state without an appropriation law, Punch newspaper reported.

Dismissing the resolutions at a plenary held on Tuesday at Government House, an alternative venue provided for the assembly by Governor Fubara following the demolition of the assembly complex, Mr Oko-Jumbo, the speaker of the three-member assembly said, the pro-Wike lawmakers lack the power to issue such order after their seats were declared vacant following their defection to the All Progressives Congress.

This is contained in a statement signed by the clerk of the assembly, G. M. Gillis-West, and emailed to PREMIUM TIMES by Governor Fubara spokesperson Nelson Chukwudi.

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By virtue of Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which is self-executing, and consequent upon their defection, on the 13 December 2023, Edison Ehie as the then duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Justice Danagogo on the 12 December 2023 and pursuant to Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant, Mr Oko-Jumbo said.

Mr Oko-Jumbo described the pro-Wike lawmakers as former members of the state assembly and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a by-election in the state to fill the vacant positions.

Mr Oko-Jumbo said the assembly was waiting for the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next three financial years, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, No 8 of 2010, to prepare for the 2025 fiscal year.

The general public is, therefore, called upon to disregard and ignore those misguided former members and also discountenance their illegal actions, he said.

Governor Fubara had also, at the meeting, dismissed the seven-day ultimatum by the pro-Wike lawmakers. He said he was busy working on the states 2025 budget.

Backstory

The re-representation of the budget was part of the controversial peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu to end the political rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is the FCT minister.

Governor Fubara had presented the N800 billion budget to the four-member assembly led by Edison Ehie and later signed it into law within 24 hours after the assembly considered and approved it.

Mr Ehie later resigned as speaker and also his membership of the assembly before Governor Fubara appointed him as his chief of staff.

The peace deal later collapsed after the pro-Wike lawmakers overrode Mr Fubaras veto and passed some bills into law.

Following the endless rift between the pro-Wike lawmakers and Governor Fubara, Mr Oko-Jumbo emerged as the new speaker assembly through the governors backing.

READ ALSO: Another Rivers local council chairperson appoints over 300 aides

Mr Oko-Jumbo, shortly after emerging as speaker, obtained a court order restraining the pro-Wike lawmakers from parading themselves as lawmakers, but the Court of Appeal reinstated the lawmakers, stating that the state High Court lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the matter.

Buoyed by their reinstatement and overwhelming majority, the pro-Wike lawmakers resumed sittings. They issued Mr Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to re-present the budget and subsequently barred the governor from spending funds from the consolidated revenue funds following the expiration of the ultimatum.

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A Chippewa Falls man charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl over a period of four years has entered a not guilty plea.

Nicholas A. Chatfield, 41, 5640 165th St., is charged in Chippewa County Court with sexual assault of a child under the age of 16 and repeated sexual assault of a child.

Chatfield appeared in court last week, where he entered the not guilty plea. Judge Benjamin Lane allowed for 30 days for each party to file motions, and he set a return court date for Sept. 24. No trial dates have been set.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told an investigator that she was sexually assaulted multiple times by Chatfield at a residence in the city of Chippewa Falls, as well as in his truck and at a home in the Lake Wissota area. The assaults included sexual intercourse. She said the assaults began when she was 11 years old and the most recent assault occurred in April or May of 2022.

Chatfield has no prior criminal record in Wisconsin, online court records show. He remains free on a signature bond. As terms of his release, he cannot have contact with the victim, the victims residence or any juveniles without permission of his probation agent.
The founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, on Tuesday raised the alarm that corruption and indolence among the nations civil servants could derail the public service if not checked.

The legal icon stated this in Ado-Ekiti at the opening ceremony of a two-day training workshop, titled, Public Policy and Administration.

The workshop was organised by the university, in collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Capacity Development and Training, for officers in the special cadres of the ministry.

As part of the solutions to the misdemeanor, Mr Babalola canvassed for improved remuneration of workers, so that their earnings could take to them home.

According to him, Corruption has eaten deep into Nigerias civil service. The civil service of today is riddled with corruption, indolence and eye-service. I am a victim myself, and some of my key staff can testify to this.

It is so bad that if you write ordinary letter to the minister, you have to do follow-ups, and I think you understand what I mean by that, without which the letter will not get to its destination, talk more of allowing action to be taken on it.

Also, if you want anything from the ministry, you have to do something, for action to be taken.

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Mr Babalola noted that the civil service in the old western region was formidable.

He lamented that the current civil servants in many parts of the country, who are meant to be the eyes and ears of the government, had usurped power, and do corrupt things before discharging their official duties.

The civil service was put in place to formulate, implement, evaluate and review government policies and programmes. It was meant to be a channel between the people and the government.

During the old western region, the civil servants were feared and respected, but later when they realised the enormous power they wielded, they virtually usurped power from the government and rendered the leadership powerless, he said.

The respected lawyer said the unfortunate situation led to corruption, inefficiency, eye service, and bootlicking in the civil service.

He stressed that with the seizure of power from the leadership, it became almost impossible for the people to have access to the governor without bribing their ways through the civil servants who were supposed to be the eyes of the governors.

While advocating sufficient remuneration to civil servants in the country, Mr Babalola noted that such would aid productivity in public service.

Special attention must be paid to the salaries and emoluments of civil servants, having regard to the parlous state of the nations economy.

As things are today, the monthly take-home of an average civil servant cant take him to the next bus stop. To make them productive, civil servants must be properly remunerated, he said.

On his part, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Capacity Development and Training, Patrick Tedela, hailed Mr Babalola for partnering with the ministry to organise the training programme geared towards developing officers and positioning them for the upcoming endeavours.

The commissioner, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Olaleye Olawale, added that the state government was committed to providing continuous training and development opportunities for public officers.

Mr Tedela expressed hope that the training would enhance service delivery in the state civil service.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Smaranda Olarinde, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor on Administration, Olasupo Ijabadeniyi, said the workshop would enable the ministry to contribute to the general well-being of the state and the country.

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President Bola Tinubu has congratulated one of Nigerias finest journalists and professor, Olatunji Dare, on his 80th birthday.

President Tinubu celebrates the former Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper and weekly columnist of The Nation for his commitment to journalistic integrity and ethics, even when he faced adversity and repression during the military era, presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement, Tuesday.

Mr Tinubu said Mr Dare, a recipient of several national and international academic and professional awards and Emeritus Professor of Communication from Bradley University, Illinois, United States, has significantly contributed to public discourse in the country and beyond through his incisive columns in national newspapers and research papers in reputable journals.

The president added that his satirical writings have been the subject of academic research in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

President Tinubu commends Professor Dares continued engagement in quality journalism and mentorship of younger professionals to build a stronger Nigeria, the statement said.

May God bless Professor Olatunji Dare with good health and happiness, and grant him more years to behold a greater and prosperous Nigeria.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has also felicitated Mr Dare.

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Governor Sanwo-Olu in a congratulatory message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, described Prof. Dare, a renowned communication scholar and The Nation Newspaper columnist, who will clock 80 on July 17, as a statesman and respected voice in the society.

The Governor noted Mr Dares dedication to the growth and development of Nigeria, particularly through the literary and media sector is highly commendable.

He wished the erudite scholar and former Chairman of The Guardian Newspaper Editorial Board, good health, strength, long life and wisdom to keep thriving as he joins the league of octogenarians.

The governor praised the professor for his courage and boldness, which are depicted in all his insightful write-ups on topical issues in the country.

He said: I join family members, friends, associates and professional colleagues to wish Prof. Olatunji Dare, a happy 80th birthday.

As Prof. Olatunji Dare celebrates his 80th birthday, I pray that God will grant him good health to enable him to render more service to humanity.

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The People Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has vowed to reclaim all public leadership positions occupied by other political parties.

The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, made the vow at the opening of the forum meeting on Wednesday at the Government House, Enugu.

According to him, it is a unique and ambitious meeting in the history of the party as they are in Enugu to make history and unite the party.

Today we are here to unify ourselves, discuss issues that affect the party and various matters within ourselves.

Our agenda will go through governance across party administration, discuss inter party affairs, congress and other things we need to do in providing credible alternative to Nigerians.

He revealed that the meeting involved PDP governors and other party stakeholders including the National Working Committee and various organs of the party.

The governor added that their assessment had shown at the national level that the country was driving toward anarchy, stressing that, We will not allow that because we share history, we share aspiration for Nigerians.

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It is high time the party reclaimed its leadership position in all the states that are currently being occupied by other parties, he said.

Mr Mohammed commended Governor Peter Mbah for hosting the meeting and for taking care of them since they arrived on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governors present were Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

Others are Ahmed Fintiri of Adamawa, Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Peter Mbah of Enugu State who is the host governor.

(NAN)

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A State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has barred Nigerias main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting its congress in the state.

The judge, Sobere Biambo, gave the order in a suit filed by David Omereji and ten others (as applicants) against the PDP, its national chairperson, national financial secretary, and national organising secretary (defendants).

That an interim order is hereby issued stopping or suspending the PDP congress in Rivers State scheduled to hold on 27 July or to be held on any order date or any other location pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.

That order interim is hereby issued restraining the defendants by themselves, agents or otherwise howsoever, from taking any decision or giving any directive to further extend howsoever the already expired tenure of the last state, local government and ward executive officers of the PDP in Rivers State, the judge declared before adjourned the matter to 19 July.

The order was contained in a court document sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Nelson Chukwudi, the spokesperson to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The suit is part of the protracted political battle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister.

PDP has failed us  Fubara

Last month, Governor Fubara vented his disappointment with the PDP, telling visiting National Assembly members that the party had failed him and his supporters.

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In our state today, we are no longer doing parties. We are doing a movement, so you dont blame me if I dont go to the side of the party too much, Mr Fubara said in a meeting with the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The party has failed us here, so what we are doing here is to stand with our two legs on the soil of Rivers State to defend democracy, he added.

Mr Fubaras anger may have stemmed from the frustration he faced in April when the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) accepted the list of caretaker committee members submitted by allies of Mr Wike.

Messrs Fubara and Wike, two estranged allies, are fighting over the control of the political structure in the state.

Governor Fubara rejected the lists of the caretaker members, which he said were fake, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

We had a meeting and agreed that not just in Rivers, but in all the states affected, the Executive Council of PDP should be extended for three months.

This extension is not meant to bring in new names, the extension also did not say that you are working without the authority of the governor.

So, for those lists that you saw and those ones altered, I can assure you that they are not going to stand, Mr Fubara said in April when the caretaker committee members were considered.

The PDP said it accepted the list from Mr Wikes allies because of a Federal High Court order in Abuja restraining it from altering the lists.

The (PDP) NWC, at its emergency meeting on 23 April, reviewed the issue of the caretaker committee of Rivers State.

After extensive deliberation, the NWC noted the existence of an ex-parte order issued by the Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining the NWC from further action with respect to the status of the Rivers State caretaker committee lists as published, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesperson, said in a statement in April, Leadership newspaper reported.

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Thirteen Nigerian governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun a closed-door meeting at the Government House, Enugu.

The governors, under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum, arrived in Enugu State on Tuesday ahead of the meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

In attendance at the meeting were Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara States.

Others were Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and the host governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

Apart from the governors, other party leaders were also in attendance.

Some of the party leaders at the meeting include the Chairperson of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, the Acting National Chairperson of the party, represented by the Deputy National Chairperson, South, Taofeek Arapaja, former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, and former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu.

Agenda for the meeting

In his opening speech, Governor Mohammed of Bauchi State and Chairperson of the PDP Governors Forum said the governors would share ideas on how to move the party and the nation forward.

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This meeting is very unique and auspicious because we are here to showcase our history as a party. We have been leading in this country as a party. We have all the structures established before the commencement of the APC administration.

Our agenda will go through all the indices of governance and of course, party administration, and refire ourselves, he said.

The governors said they would also discuss the partys congresses ahead of the upcoming elections in Edo State and the 2027 general election.

We need to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians because we need it.

Actions at the national level have shown that we are drifting to anarchy, and we cannot allow this.

We have a shared history and a shared aspirations to make sure that Nigeria places itself well in the comity of nations where we lead as usual, Mr Mohammed stated.

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Nigerias Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, says sustainable mining can generate substantial revenue for the government through royalties, taxes, and other fees.

The minister disclosed this while speaking on the theme: Balancing Development with Environmental Stewardship at the 3rd edition of the Africa Natural Resource And Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Salako urged the government to direct revenue generated from sustainable mining activities towards infrastructure development, social programs, and other priorities.

The mining sector can generate employment opportunities, stimulate other industries and contribute to overall economic growth, the minister said.

In the quest for prosperous economic growth, Mr Salako said, it is imperative to tackle the challenges of climate change and harness the countrys natural resources through sustainable exploration and exploitation.

Additionally, he emphasised that the mining sector has huge potential to significantly impact the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria and Africa if managed effectively.

The delicate art of balancing development with environmental stewardship is essential to ensure a prosperous future for all, the minister said.

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We must, therefore, ensure that our development programmes deliver maximum benefit with minimum pain to our people.

While acknowledging that Mining activities are indispensable to modern life, the minister said if not well regulated and managed with a sustainability lens, developmental cum economic activities can result in severe environmental and public health effects.

Some of these effects, he said could include pollution, erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, contamination of soil, ground and surface water and contribute significantly to climate change through greenhouse gas emission.

The rigorous and intrusive operations required for economic activities like mining, exploration, agriculture and construction often result in environmental impacts on local ecosystems, public health and broader implications for planetary and global health, the minister said.

Having the right legal and normative framework for such activities through the domestic laws of the host country, contracts, international hard and soft laws, voluntary standards by the industry players and customary rules and their enforcement is, therefore, the first step in the promotion of sustainable development, he said.

Prospects

In her remarks, Maryam Yaro, Executive Secretary of the Zamfara State Government, said as countries embark on mining activities, they must recognize the critical role of sustainable practices in natural resource management and energy production.

We are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that our development efforts do not compromise the environment or the well-being of future generations. It is our duty to strike a balance between economic progress and ecological preservation, she noted.

From the vast mineral deposits that lie beneath our soil to the powerful rivers that flow through our lands, the opportunities for growth and development are immense. Our mission at this summit is to harness these resources responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that they benefit all Africans, she added.

She explained that the summit underscores the importance of collaboration, innovation, and strategic investment in driving economic growth and improving the quality of life for the African people.

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The Lagos State Government has denied news circulating on social media that it has re-introduced the monthly environmental sanitation and that there would be movement restriction by the end of July.

The state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in response to the widespread misinformation about the monthly exercise, appealed to residents to disregard the report.

In a statement by the ministrys Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina, the Commissioner reassured residents that there will be no restriction of movement on the last Saturday of July as erroneously stated in the fake news, urging them to go about their lawful business endeavours.

Mr Wahab reiterated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olus words during a sanitation sensitisation exercise held at Campos playground Lagos Island, that the state will start a weekly community-based sensitisation and awareness exercise that will involve all residents.

The governor also stated that State Government officials will lead from the front every week by going round to join residents in cleaning their environment in a voluntary manner, while preaching the message, he said.

Mr Wahab added that at no time did the governor make a pronouncement that the monthly exercise and restriction will start in July or any other month for now.

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President Bola Tinubu says the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) will thrive on fairness and equity and promote inclusiveness by removing the financial barrier to higher education for Nigerian students.

The president, who launched the digital NELFUND disbursement exercise at the State House on Wednesday, said the provision of loans to students will encourage more people to seek knowledge, go for higher education, and become valuable contributors to national development.

As I earlier said, my belief is that education is the greatest weapon against poverty. Without education, there is no vision; without education, there will be no development; without education, you cannot successfully conquer poverty, insecurity, and abuse in society.

Education is that light at the end of the tunnel, and no matter how sluggish it moves, it will give you light and the hope you need. We are investing in it. We do not want to try ignorance as an alternative. We want education from the foundation to the topmost level.

I am glad we are achieving it with NELFUND and that the leadership has accepted this responsibility, and they are working hard, the president said.

President Tinubu commended the Chairman of the Fund, Jim Ovia, and the Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, for their efforts in driving the critical agency.

The president expressed his determination to ensure the success of the Fund and the fulfilment of the dream of higher education by indigent Nigerian students.

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The tool is available, and the hope is here; genuine, and the commitment to inclusiveness is what democracy is all about. I am fulfilling one of my greatest promises of the campaign. We are building an inclusive society. You can find many ways around any opportunity, but you cannot find a way if you are not well-educated, President Tinubu stated.

The President emphasised that education is an essential antidote to some of the challenges faced by the nation.

We cannot even fight terrorism and banditry unless there is inclusiveness, and our people are properly educated and can invest in their own lives. I promise that we will hand a banner without stain to our children. Therefore, it is my honour to launch the portal, the president said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of NELFUND thanked the president for the privilege to serve the nation.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here today for Mr. President to formally launch the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Mr. President, I would like to make reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, of which education is number four.

The president has recognised that; hence, he inaugurated and also signed into law in February the NELFUND. We are all grateful for Mr. Presidents time for inaugurating and also sanctioning the activities of NELFUND, Mr. Ovia said.

The managing director of NELFUND affirmed that there were enough funds to meet the initial requests of students across the country.

Your Excellency, at this stage, we have more than enough funding. When we start to promote properly, we might need more, but right now, we can disburse to any single person who has applied, he said.

Mr. Sawyerr said the portal was opened on 25 May and had so far received 110,000 applications, with more than 164,000 visits; noting that the applications have been increasing daily.

Clearly, what we want to ensure is that there is equity in the distribution of the loans across the six geo-political zones. So, we are having to look very closely at the data we are receiving to ensure that we are doing the right things and pushing the right buttons to ensure that those who need these funds get them, and that it is seen to be fair and equitable, Mr. Sawyerr added.

President Tinubu presented cheques to some of the students and institutions that had already been processed by NELFUND.

Students are to receive stipends for their upkeep, while tuition goes directly to the institutions.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 17, 2024

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Ten out of the 13 governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have so far arrived the Enugu State Government House for the partys Governors Forum meeting on Wednesday.

The governors were Oluwaseyi Makinde of Oyo, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara states.

Others were Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and the host governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu State.

The agenda for the meeting remained unclear for now.

Sources disclosed that the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, and other key party leaders were expected to join the governors in Enugu.

The sources said the governors would most likely deliberate on organising successful state congresses nationwide on 27 July, preparing for the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states off-season governorship election.

They are also expected to review the implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, as well as mass defections of top party members in Imo, Abia states, and the recent defection of the former President of the Senate, Pius Anyim and others to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

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The governors of Osun Ademola Adeleke and Bayelsa Douye Diri were yet to arrive at the time of filing this report.

(NAN)

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The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has reinstated Aliyu Abdulkadir as Emir of Gaya after downgrading the emirate to a second-class status.

Mr Abdulkadir was first appointed as emir by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on 26 September, 2021, four days after the death of his father, Ibrahim Abdulkadir.

Before his first appointment, Mr Ibrahim held the traditional title of Ciroman Gaya.

Governor Yusuf also appointed the district head of Rogo Local Government Area, Muhammad Mahraz, as Emir of Karaye.

He also upgraded the district head of Bunkure, Muhammad Umar, as Emir of Rano.

The governors spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, announced the development in a statement on Wednesday.

He said the reinstated emir of Gaya and the new appointees in Karaye and Rano will serve as second class emirs and subordinates of the emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi.

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The statement congratulated the reinstated emir and the newly appointed emirs, and enjoined them to be custodians of culture, peace and unity of the people in thier respective emirates.

He said their appointments are with immediate effect.

Background

The emirate crisis in the state followed the repeal of the State Emirate Council Law 2019 on 23 May.

The state lawmakers amended the emirate council law to scrap the emirates of Gaya, Rano, Karaye and Bichi and restore Kano as the only emirate in the state.

The latest law signed by the governor on Tuesday reversed the dissolution of the three emirates but downgraded them to second-class.

The new second-class emirates include Rano with Rano as headquarters and Bunkure and Kibiya LGAs under it.

Karaye Emirate has Karaye as the council headquarters and Rogo LGA as part of its domain.

Also, Gaya Emirate, with its headquarters in Gaya, has Ajingi and Albasu LGA under it.

With the new development, the three second class emirates cover only eight of the 44 local government areas of the state, leaving Kano emirate under Lamido Sanusi as first class emir with 36 local government areas.

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A woman who collapsed in the Chippewa County Jail has now been declared brain dead.

Chippewa County coroner Ron Patten told the Leader-Telegram on Friday that the woman was declared brain dead at an area hospital either late Thursday night or Friday morning.

Patten said the woman was being left on life support systems while seeing if she will become an organ donor. Patten said it is unclear if an autopsy will be performed. He wasnt sure what caused her to collapse.

This case, its really vague at this point, Patten said.

Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes said an investigation on what happened is underway and he couldnt comment further at this time.

Details of the womans identity, why she was arrested and how long she had been in the jail before she collapsed have not been released.

Deaths in the Chippewa County Jail are rare. In April 2011, 22-year-old William A. Ball of Minot, North Dakota, died by suicide in the jail, days after he had been convicted by a jury of of shooting and killing Kyle Ryba. Changes were made within the jail to prevent a similar type of suicide attempt after Balls death.

The shooting happened in Boyd on April 3, 2010.
The Senate on Wednesday sacked its Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, for criticising President Bola Tinubus administration.

The upper chamber replaced Mr Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Borno South Senatorial District with Tahir Monguno (Borno North).

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision after many of the senators supported it during the plenary.

The decision followed a letter from Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the APC, and Bashir Ajibola, the party secretary, which the senate president read during the plenary.

In the letter, the APC national leaders recommended that the Senate relieve Mr Ndume of his position because of his unguarded utterances that are against the federal government.

The APC leaders described Mr Ndume as someone who is bent on dividing the country and as someone who is not putting the country in a better position in the international community.

The party subsequently recommended that Mr Ndumes position in the Senate should be taken over by Mr Monguno.

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After reading the letter, the senate president put it to vote and the senators voted overwhelmingly in support of it.

Mr Akpabio approved the recommendation and directed the Sergeant at Arms to walk Mr Monguno to the seat of the senate whip at the front row.

Last week, Mr Ndume told journalists that President Tinubu has been caged in the Presidential Villa and that some forces are preventing well-meaning people from physically discussing the truth with him.

He claimed that the situation did not allow the president to know that many Nigerians are hungry.

Ndumes previous ordeal

This is the second time Mr Ndume will be stripped of his position in the senate since he was elected into the upper chamber in 2011.

He was first elected into the upper chamber on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but defected to the APC in 2013.

The Bukola Saraki-led Senate appointed Mr Ndume as the Senate Leader but was subsequently removed in 2017 as a result of the recommendation of the then APC caucus in the senate.

Change in standing committee leadership

Mr Akpabio announced that Mr Ndume will now chair the Senate Committee on Tourism. He is to be assisted by Anthony Ane (APC, Ebonyi) who was named the deputy chairman of the committee.

The senate president also said that apart from his new role, Mr Monguno will be the new deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, in line with the practice of the upper house of the National Assembly.

He said the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters chaired by Mr Monguno will now be headed by Adeniyi Adegbomire (APC, Ondo Central). Mr Adegbomire is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

With the elevation of distinguished Senator Tahir Monguno to the position of the Majority Whip of the senate. His committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters will not go to the only Senior Advocate of Nigeria that we have in the 10th senate, Distinguished Senator Adeniyi Adegbonire SAN.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism becomes Distinguished Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

The Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation in line with the earlier practice lies with Distinguished Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno. In addition to the chief whip of the senate, Mr Akpabio said.

Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North) will be chairman of the newly-created Senate Committee on the Reparation and Repatriation while Musa Mustapha (APC, Yobe East) will be chairman of the Committee on Livestock Development, a new ministry just created by the federal government.

Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) will be chairman of the Senate Committee on Agricultural Institutions, Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) was reinstated as chairman of the committee on population.

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Students of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, commenced a protest over the poor power supply on the campus and asked the university management to reverse a recent memo over electricity rationing.

The protesting students barricaded the school gate while a sizable number of them gathered at the universitys administrative building, even as they carried placards.

The protest, which began around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, has been backed by the Students Union (SU) and continued around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, students told PREMIUM TIMES.

The students union has demanded constant power supply and reversal of a recent fee hike by the university.

There will be neither lecture nor transportation within the school premises on the 17th of July, 2024, the union declared in a protest resolution letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES and signed by the president, Aweda Bolaji; general secretary, Ogundijo Japheth and Speaker, Opegbemi Busoye.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the university spokesperson, Joke Akinpelu, she was driving. She has yet to respond to messages delivered to her line.

Cause of protest

One student who didnt want to be named for fear of victimisation told this newspaper that the protest is (about) the new policy that was sent out about rationing of electricity supply on campus.

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The university management on Tuesday released a memo stating that the Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale, a professor, had approved a 10-hour daily electricity supply on the campus.

With this directive, students are now to enjoy electricity from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the day and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at night, according to a memo from the universitys director of works, Olufemi Adetolu.

Angered by what it described as power rationing, students took to the streets to demand a reversal of the order.

Students list demands

Meanwhile, the students union leadership has listed its demands to include the withdrawal of the contentious memo, provision of constant power supply and the reversal of a recent fee hike by the university.

The school authority in association with maintenance must withdraw the memo on electricity rationing, dated 16th of July, 2024, and in addition, there must be constant power supply within the school effective immediately, it said.

There must be a total reversal of all fees, and not reduction. Those that have paid must be refunded.

The students leadership also called for an end to the ongoing victimisation of three students of the university over their involvement in a protest in May.

The students are; Aduwo Ayodele, Olamide Gbadegesin and Nice Linus.

Like UI, Like UNIBEN

Earlier this month, the management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) shut down the university immediately after students refused to shift grounds on their demands for adequate electricity.

The students had blocked the Benin-Ore highway to protest weeks of power outage on their campuses even as they have only two weeks to their first semester examinations.

The university was thrown into a blackout following the inability to reach an agreement with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) over a contentious electricity bill. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) had increased the institutions electricity tariff by over 200 per cent, which the university protested.

The Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, had also lamented an electricity bill that accrued to N3.6 billion a year, following the increments of electricity tariff.

The Nigerian government recently increased the electricity tariff for customers under the Band A, which offers over 20 hours electricity, from N68 to N206 per kilo watts.

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A prosecution witness has revealed how a senior staff member of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Usman Kwakwa, allegedly used his company and personal account to divert the agencys funds.

The witness, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bariki Zaknayaba, appeared in the witness box on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja to testify in the trial of Mr Kwakwa on corruption charges.

At least seven officials of the agency, including Mr Kwakwa, have been charged separately by the ICPC for various amounts of funds they allegedly stole from the agency between March and July 2023.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the officials allegedly stole up to N1.2 billion through the agencys payment platform.

In Mr Kwakwas case, ICPC charged him with four counts of stealing N298 million before the trial judge, Emeka Nwite.

Testifying in the case as the first prosecution witness on Tuesday, Mr Zaknayaba testified that the investigation revealed how REAs N130 million and N85 million, totalling N215 million, were unlawfully paid into the bank account of Mr Kwakwas company, Bizairabbi General Supply and Co, between March and June 2023.

Led in evidence by ICPCs lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the witness said another N97 million was paid into Mr Kwakwas Zenith Bank account within the same period.

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According to Mr Zaknayaba, the transfers were made under the pretence of payments for the project monitoring exercise.

He said the money formed part of the N1.2 billion allegedly diverted by some senior workers in the Finance and Account Department of the organisation, including Abubakar Sambo, Director of Finance and Account of the agency.

How investigation began and revelations from it

The investigator said several petitions were received from non-governmental organisations and the National Assembly concerning the activities of the top senior staff members of the organisation.

The head of the Investigation Department assigned the petitions to our team for investigation.

The team drafted a strategy, and it was approved.

The petition is on embezzlement of N1.2 billion against the management of Rural Electrification Agency, he said.

The witness, who identified Mr Kwakwa in the dock, said the investigation team wrote letters to some banks, including Zenith Bank, First Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) and United Bank for African (UBA) to request the bank statements and account opening packages in relation to the investigation.

The bank statements and account opening packages were obtained and analysed.

During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that monies were paid into the accounts of the defendant (Kwakwa) and other accounting officers of Rural Electrification Agency.

Investigation revealed that from March 2023 to June 2023, the sum of N97 million was paid into the defendants Zenith Bank account.

Also, from March to June 2023, the sum of N130 million and another N85 million was paid into the defendants companys account with the name Bizairabbi General Supply and Co Ltd.

During the same period, in March and June, some money was transferred to the defendants account by the accounting officer of the Rural Electrification Agency.

All these payments were made from the GIFMIS (Government Integrated Financial Management Information System) platform of the Rural Electrification Agency.

This payment was made in the narration: Payment for Project Monitoring, the witness said.

No approval

Mr Zaknayaba told the court that the investigation revealed that there was no written approval by the agencys authority for the payments.

A formal procedure starts with a memo by the managing director for approval, he said, but that did not happen in the case.

If the Managing Director approves the request, it will be transmitted to Finance and Account, where payment vouchers will be raised.

After raising the payment vouchers, the approval and payment vouchers will be forwarded to the initiator.

The initiator will use the documents to input into the computer system.

The same documents and the payment initiated in the system will be forwarded to the reviewer.

The reviewer will review the documents, and if he is okay with it, he will then forward it to the finaliser, who will go through the documents and finalise the payment, the witness said.

According to the witness, none of these happened in the case.

The investigator said the investigative team invited the officials after receiving some accounting staff members of REA, including Mr Kwakwa.

He said the team obtained Mr Kwakwas statement voluntarily.

Tendering of exhibits

Mr Zaknayaba confirmed copies of the petitions and bank statements that the prosecution counsel, Akponimisingha, handed him.

However, when the ICPC lawyer sought to tender the documents in evidence to prove their case, Mr Kwakwas lawyer, Aliyu Lenu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the documents.

Mr Lenu argued that the two Zenith Bank account statements were inadmissible because the witness, through whom the prosecution tried to tender them, was not the maker.

He also argued that the statements of account were not properly certified.

The lawyer said there was neither a name nor signature on the documents required for valid certification.

Mr Lenu argued that the copies of the two petitions were also not properly certified, citing sections 104 and 83 of the Evidence Act, 2011, to back his argument.

The prosecution lawyer disagreed with Mr Lenu.

Mr Akponimisingha argued that Mr Lenus objection had no foundation in law.

He said that the petitions were submitted to ICPC by an NGO called Stop Corruption in Nigeria Now and the National Assembly, particularly the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives.

Citing section 102 of the Evidence Act, he argued that the documents had become part of public records.

He said the ICPC received the petitions in its public registry in ICPC, entitling the commission to certify it.

The lawyer cited a Supreme Court judicial precedent, which he said had decided that documents recovered during investigation can be tendered in court.

He equally argued that there was no authority regarding certifying bank statements before being tendered as the statements carried Mr Kwakwas photograph.

We said that this objection has no jurisprudential blessings and should be thrown away, he said.

Ruling on admissibility of exhibits

The trial judge, Mr Nwite, adjourned the matter until 21 November to rule on the admissibility of the documents and for the continuation of the trial.

On 6 June, the ICPC arraigned Mr Kwakwa on four counts of fraud.

He pleaded not guilty to the counts.

The court subsequently granted him bail in the sum of N50 million. The prosecution lawyer, Mr Akponimisingha, did not oppose the defence lawyers bail request.

Other staff members facing prosecution over the REA fraud are Henrrientta Onomen Okojie, Emmanuel Pada Titus, Musa Umar Karaye, Aminat Asuni, Laure Abdullahi and Abubakar Sambo, the REAs Director of Finance and Account.

The defendants face separate trials before Mr Nwite and two other judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja  Bolaji Olajuwon and Nkeonye Maha.

(NAN)

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the deputy governor of Edo State, three months after the Edo House of Assembly impeached him.

The judge, James Omotosho, declared on Wednesday that Mr Shaibus impeachment by the state assembly was illegal, Channels Television reported.

Mr Omotosho ordered the inspector general of police to restore Mr Shaibus security details. He directed that his salaries and allowances be paid since April, when he was removed from office.

The Edo Assembly has appealed the judgement and filed for a stay of its execution pending the determination of the appeal.

Mr Shaibu had vowed to challenge his impeachment, saying he was confident that the legal system would vindicate him.

READ ALSO:Court nullifies Edo PDP governorship Primary

He described his removal from office as a dangerous descent into dictatorship and a threat to democracy, adding that it was hatched because of his governorship ambition.

His removal was the peak of his political rift with Governor Godwin Obaseki, who did not support his ambition to succeed him.

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The Edo Assembly had accused Mr Shaibu of perjury and disclosure of government secrets.
Suspected bandits, on Wednesday, shot a man in Kuchiko El-Rufai community near the Nigerian Law School in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The man, identified as Nathaniel Dosunmu, was attacked when the bandits invaded the community between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Mr Dosunmu was said to have been shot in the elbow when he turned down the request of the bandits to open his door.

A resident of the community, who requested not to be named for security reasons, told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone that the bandits threatened to shoot the victim if he did not comply while conversing with him through his window.

The kidnappers entered Mr Nathaniel Dosunmus residence. They made several attempts to abduct him but failed. However, Mr Dosunmu was shot in the elbow, he said.

The resident further said during the kidnapping attempt, Mr Dosunmu tried to use chemicals at his disposal to fend off the attackers through his window before he was shot.

He said the chemical also affected the victims hand due to its harmful nature.

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The resident added that the local vigilante intervened, exchanging gunfire with the bandits, who subsequently fled the community.

Before the Nigeria Police and the Army arrived, the kidnappers had already left. Currently, Bwari Police Station and the Nigerian Army checkpoint are on high alert, he said.

Inadequate medical facilities

The residents reportedly mobilised and transported Mr Dosunmu to Bwari General Hospital for treatment, but the hospital management said it could not treat gunshot wounds.

Bwari General Hospital referred us to Kubwa General Hospital. At Kubwa, we had an X-ray done and bought some drugs, but when they examined the wound, they said they couldnt treat it, he said.

The hospital said they couldnt treat both the gunshot wound and the chemical burn on the same hand. They referred us to the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi. We have registered him there, and Mr Dosunmu is under intensive care, the resident added.

Police unaware

In a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said she was unaware of the incident.

You just woke me up now, asking me to comment on something. How can I know anything in my sleep? she said.

Ms Adeh did not respond to subsequent calls to her mobile telephone.

Recurring kidnappings

This newspaper learnt that over the past two years, more than 13 residents have been abducted from Kuchiko El-Rufai, mainly due to its proximity to Niger State.

The persistent threat has forced many landlords to abandon their homes, turning them into tenants in safer areas.

This community has become a target for kidnappers who can strike at any time. Just two months ago, a director from the Federal Capital Development Authority was kidnapped and has yet to be released.

Kidnappers have taken over parts of the FCT. Its almost as if they are waiting to hoist their flags, the resident said.

It was learnt that the community has repeatedly appealed to security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Police, and the Nigerian Army, for increased security measures.

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The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, Jalal Arabi, has said the commission used the N90 billion subsidy from the federal government to bridge the payment gaps for Hajj fares for pilgrims.

Mr Arabi said this in an interview with DCL Hausa, an online Hausa news platform. PREMIUM TIMES monitored the interview.

In May, the federal government announced the provision of N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 National Hajj operation, a move criticised by many Nigerians who questioned why the government was subsidising a religious activity at a time the country could not adequately fund basic amenities like schools and hospitals.

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the gesture during the inauguration of the 2024 National Hajj operation at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi State.

Despite the subsidy, some state governors expressed dissatisfaction with NAHCONs management of the Hajj operations, citing inadequate provision of accommodation in Muna and insufficient Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for pilgrims from states.

This raised questions about the commissions utilisation of the funds.

Also, on Thursday, the House of Representatives constituted a committee, chaired by Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), to probe NAHCONs performance during the pilgrimage.

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Arabis response

In the interview, Mr Arabi revealed that the commission used a large part of the N90 billion to bridge the payment gaps for Hajj fares owed by pilgrims.

The federal government granted us a N90 billion subsidy, which we carefully utilised to address the unprecedented increase in Hajj costs.

The high dollar exchange rate caused the cost per seat to surge above N9 million, necessitating our intervention to mitigate the burden on pilgrims.

To address the issue, we convened a meeting with representatives from all states to discuss the matter. We then compiled a list of intending pilgrims who had already paid the approved N8 million.

Subsequently, we supplemented the remaining N1.6 million for each of the over 50,000 pilgrims to complete the payment, ensuring that their Hajj journey was not disrupted, he said.

The N1.6 million used to supplement the Hajj fares of 50,000 pilgrims would amount to N80 billion, leaving about N10 billion from the money provided by the government. In the interview, Mr Arabi said the remaining funds were prudently used for other logistics but did not provide the breakdown.

He said while the commission exercised prudent financial management, scrutinising every expenditure, it remained steadfast in providing the highest quality services for pilgrims, sparing no effort to ensure their comfort and well-being.

He also highlighted that, unlike other commissions in Nigeria, NAHCON does not receive regular subventions from the federal government, either monthly or annually, to fund its operations.

Despite not receiving regular subvention from the federal government, either monthly or yearly, apart from salary allocations, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria strives to deliver exceptional services to all, maximising its resources to provide the best possible experience.

In our first year in the helms of affairs, we made concerted efforts to deliver optimal results, acknowledging that we faced some obstacles. Nevertheless, we have drawn valuable insights from our experiences and are committed to building upon our progress.

The commission has already commenced preparations for next years Hajj, and we are confident that our services will be even more efficient and effective, surpassing the expectations of our esteemed pilgrims.

Mr Arabi commended the federal government for the support, state governments, and all stakeholders who made the exercise successful.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) successfully concluded the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with the final transport of 312 pilgrims from Kwara State.

A total of 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims performed the sacred ritual in the holy land, while 40 of them died during the exercise.

Editors Note: This story has been updated to correct the amount Mr Arabi said was spent on each pilgrim (N1.6 million) from the subsidy provided by President Tinubu.

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The House of Representatives has passed the 2024 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The House approved the N1.9 trillion budget on Wednesday following a clause-by-clause consideration of the budget report submitted by the Committee on NDDC.

Chairperson of the Committee, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, presented the report, which was considered by the Committee on Supply chaired by

According to the report, the House approved N38.5 billion for personnel costs, N29.2 billion for overhead, N8.7 billion for internal capital projects, N1 trillion for legacy capital projects to be funded through borrowings, and N835 billion for projects.

On the revenue side, the House approved N170 billion as arrears from the federal government, N1 trillion from borrowings, N324.8 billion as federal government contributions, N25 billion as ecological funds, and N12 billion as money brought forward.

The House adopted the report without opposition.

Allocation of Projects

The nine states in the commission will receive N1.5 trillion worth of projects. Additionally, N284.9 billion is allocated to the head office.

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Delta State leads in terms of projects, with N284.9 billion allocated. Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States received N243 billion and N231 billion, respectively.

Over N225 billion in development projects has been approved for Rivers State, N155 billion for Edo State, N115 billion for Ondo State, N110 billion for Abia State, N113 billion for Imo State, and N87 billion for Cross River State.

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Wednesday, described as spurious and baseless the allegation that he swindled one Ms Fagbule in a $180,000 marriage scam.

Reacting to a trending news on social media, the monarch cautioned women to avoid making themselves victims of internet marriage fraud.

According to a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, the Ife monarch said, It is worrisome the level at which ladies have been making themselves victims of marriage frauds on the internet despite our several warnings to the general public, particularly ladies whose ultimate ambition is to become queens of the Ooni by all means.

Even though it is not in our tradition to respond to fake news like this posted and promoted by a criminal faceless source through a Twitter (now X) account, it has become imperative to make this response for necessary clarifications in order to calm the inundation of the genuine concerns expressed by subjects, friends and lovers of the Ooni globally on this matter.

The following assertions are hereby made for necessary clarifications: That the news as posted by a Twitter (now X) handle called 99% OPPRESSED is fake, untrue and absolutely an unfounded allegation only adopted as a nugatory character assassination tactic, aimed at achieving cheap popularity with a view to drawing huge followers/traffic for avaricious monetisation from Twitter (X).

That the so-called Ms Fagbule was and is never known to the Ooni of Ife for any interpersonal communication or relationship whatsoever, talk less of being so promised with a marriage proposal.

Ooni Adeyeye does not operate any Facebook accounts personally. He runs the palace as an institutional organisation with a functional media directorate, which has a section that operates his social media handles  Instagram, Facebook etc, the statement read in part.

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Mr Ogunwusi asked that if the alleged victim is from Osun State or Ile-Ife in particular, why didnt she come to the palace to meet him in person throughout the so-called relationship?

Rather than taking her matter to the appropriate agencies like EFCC and the Police for professional investigation, which could have adequately helped her, she chose to make it a social media brouhaha.

If, for whatever reason, she had preferred social media to the Police and EFCC who are professionally trained, shouldnt she have engaged a credible mainstream media organisation  print and electronic, or consulted credible Human Right crusaders like CDHR, Femi Falana Chambers and their likes in the country, who undoubtedly possess tested capacity and passion for applying principles of justice and fairness in their efforts of thorough investigation in any matter of injustice against the oppressed, the Ooni further asked.

The monarch described the said letter of marriage shared on social media as a fabrication of lies.

He affirmed that the letterhead used for the letter does not reflect the originality of the palaces official letterhead, adding that the body of the letter does not also grammatically reflect letters he personally signs.

With the Oonis status in wealth, business success, philanthropy and highly revered royalty, to allege or even suggest that he would be collecting money from any lady for travel expenses and others in exchange for marriage with a huge portfolio of billions of naira being handled by Ooni Ogunwusi for humanity, can only be viewed by reasonable people in the society as a figment of the imagination of Mrs Fagbule and her social media Messiah.

If the lady truly has a genuine case of marriage proposal fraud against anyone, whether or not it affects the name of the Ooni, she is hereby invited to the palace in Ile-Ife to physically meet the Ooni for fatherly assistance, and with the help of the law enforcement agencies to uncover the perpetrators of this inhuman crime against her, the statement highlighted.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja rejected on Wednesday former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bellos application to halt his arraignment on N80 billion money laundering charges.

The judge, Emeka Nwite, also referred Mr Bellos lawyers  Abdulwahab Mohammed and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN)  to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for probe over alleged professional misconduct.

Mr Nwite directed the LPDC to investigate and possibly sanction the two lawyers for allegedly violating the legal practitioners rules of professional conduct by reneging on the undertaking they gave to produce Mr Bello in court for arraignment.

Ordinarily, I would have taken this matter head-on, but I would prefer to refer the matter to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to propose necessary recommendations and necessary sanctions against the lawyers, the judge said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mr Bello with 19 counts of money laundering involving over N80 billion, which he allegedly diverted from the Kogi State Governments treasury.

However, since filing the charges, the commission has not been able to bring him to court.

Before Wednesdays proceedings, Mr Bello had snubbed five court sessions scheduled for his arraignment on 18 April, 23 April, 10 May, 13 June, and 27 June.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the defence team promised on 10 May to produce Mr Bello at the subsequent hearing session. They made the promise after the judge dismissed their application to stop the trial.

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Subsequently, on 27 June, the court slated Wednesday for ruling on an application by the prosecution lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, a SAN, seeking to cite Messrs Mohammed and Adedipe for contempt of court for failing to fulfil their undertaking to produce their client in court.

Prosecution, defence clash

Tension rose in court on Wednesday as the prosecution and the defence engaged in fiery arguments over whether or not the court could proceed with its scheduled rulings in light of the two appeals the defence filed to challenge prior decisions that emanated from the case.

Mr Mohammed made frantic efforts to persuade the court to order a stay of proceedings, citing two appeals they filed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to challenge the trial judges decisions.

He maintained that the court could not go ahead with the rulings because they touched on whether the court had jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Mr Pinheiro argued that Mr Bellos lawyers were trying to arrest the courts ruling on their alleged contemptuous acts.

He cited several authorities to establish that since the matter brought before the appellate court had not been determined, the trial court should not halt proceedings on the matter before it.

Responding, Mr Nwite asked whether it would not amount to judicial rascality for him to continue proceedings on the matter after receiving affidavits and other documents drawing his attention to the pending appeals.

But Mr Pinheiro said it would not amount to judicial rascality, citing section 40 of the EFCC Act.

He added that the mere filing of an affidavit about the filing of an appeal cannot suffice as grounds to stay criminal proceedings.

He urged the court to stick to its schedule to deliver its rulings on the arguments presented on 27 June.

Mr Abdulwahab, however, told the court that the judge was misled on 27 June.

To avoid controversy, and in order not to render the appeal nugatory, this should not continue.

Even if Yahaya Bello were to be here, you cannot arraign him since the appeal has been entered, he argued.

He argued that the two appeals challenged the jurisdiction of the trial court to entertain the charge.

We urge your lordship to expunge the record of the proceedings on 27 June because at that time, an appeal had been entered, and the proceedings should not have happened. The court was functusofficio, he insisted.

He said going ahead with the matter would bring the court in conflict with the Court of Appeal.

Ruling

Ruling on the EFCCs application to hold Messrs Mohammed and Adedipe for contempt of the court, Mr Nwite asked the LPDC to investigate the two senior lawyers for professional misconduct.

He stressed that Mr Bellos lawyers had failed to bring their client for arraignment against their assurances and undertakings before the court.

The judge also rejected the call by the defence for a stay of proceedings in reverence to the appeals they lodged at the Court of Appeal.

The judge held that the defendant wanted to use the appeal to delay proceedings in the trial.

The judge initially refused to grant the application of withdrawal of services of Mr Adedipe as one of Mr Bellos lawyers.

However, the judge later granted Mr Adedipes request, after the prosecution lawyer, Mr Pinheiro, joined him in appealing to the judge.

Yahaya Bello to appear in court?

Mr Abdulwahab told the judge he would try to bring Mr Bello to court at the next sitting. However, he did not give any commitment to that effect.

On his part, Mr Pinheiro informed the court that the prosecution would make the necessary arrangements to bring the former governor to court as the EFCC was making efforts to liaise with other sister security agencies to extract the defendant from the Kogi State Government House where he is hibernating.

On 17 April, the court issued a warrant for Mr Bellos arrest and the EFCC subsequently declared him wanted.

However, the efforts have yet to bring him to court.

The judge adjourned the matter till 25 September for arraignment.

Bello is facing prosecution alongside his nephews, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19 counts of money laundering involving N80.2 billion.

Ali Bello and Mr Suleiman also face charges of diverting N10 billion belonging to Kogi State in a separate trial.

(NAN)

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The Imo House of Assembly has asked Governor Hope Uzodinma to sack the states Chief Judge, Theresa Chikeka, over allegation of age falsification.

The assembly made the resolution during their plenary session on Wednesday, TheCable reported.

How it began

A civil society organisation, the Civil Society Engagement Platform, had petitioned the assembly alleging that the chief judge falsified her age.

The groups director of investigation, Ndubuisi Onyemaechi, signed the petition.

On 3 July, the assembly set up a four-member committee to investigate the chief judge following the petition.

The report

During the assembly plenary, on Wednesday, the four-member committee submitted its report which confirmed that the chief judge forged her age as claimed by the petitioners.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Ikenna Ihezuo, while presenting the report to the assembly, described the act as gross misconduct.

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Mr Ihezuo said the committee invited the petitioners, the head of service, the secretary of Imo State Judiciary Commission and Mrs Chikeka, in the course of the investigation.

He said while others honoured the invitation, the chief judge did not.

The lawmaker said the committee also wrote the secretary to the council and director of administration of the Nigerian Law School to find out the date of birth which the chief judge filled in her form for admission into the school.

He said the committee found that the chief judge, Mrs Chikeka, allegedly falsified her age from 27 October, 1956, to 27 October 1958.

Consequently, the committee recommended that the Governor of the State, Hope Uzodinma, should remove the Chief Judge of the state, Honourable Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka Chikeka, from office for misconduct in keeping with the Section 292 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he said.

In addition, the committee ruled that the House resolution on the issue be forwarded to the National Judicial Commission for further action.

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I have read the story published by Businessday newspaper in its edition of 16th July, 2024 with the headline: Worlds Most Opaque Company Stench Trails NNPC Secret Deals. As the spokesperson of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, I would have ignored the story which was basically a rehash of false allegations that were rooted in ignorance. To be sure, the allegations, in their various shapes and dimensions, have, over the years, been proved to be untrue. But I am compelled to reply for two reasons.

First, I am mindful of the fact that falsehoods left unchallenged have always become accepted as the truth. Second, I have noticed a consistent, but worrisome trend of negative reportage verging on antagonism from the Businessday. A few examples will suffice: Between January and now, almost every report on NNPC Ltd is given a negative slant. Some, among others, went with headlines such as: Compared to Its Peers, NNPCs N2.5tr Profit Leaves Little to Cheer  29th January, 2024; While NNPC Forages for Cash, Its Peers Pay Bumper Dividend  7th May, 2024; and NNPCs $6bn Payment Backlog Fuels Petrol Queues  5th July, 2024.

In the report under reference, the newspaper stated that non-publication of financial accounts and refusal to disclose contracts signed with oil companies may be justifying public sentiments that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is the worlds most opaque oil company. The question, I ask, arising from this, is: Which financial accounts or contracts has NNPC Ltd refused to publish?

NNPC Ltd is on record to have consistently published its Audited Financial Statements since 2019. Even before its transition to a limited liability company in 2022 under the Petroleum Industry Act, it had started publishing its annual financial statements. As can be seen above, Businessday published the story of the publication of the companys 2022 financial statement on 29th January, 2024. It is worthy to note the negative slant the newspaper gave the story. All the companys Audited Financial Statements are published on its website. But Businessday does not and cannot see them because of its fixation on hanging the tag of opacity on the NNPC Ltd.

Keen on justifying its predetermined schema of painting NNPC Ltd negatively, the newspaper went ahead to rejig an allegation by the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that NNPC Ltd failed to remit foreign exchange to the Federal Government, an allegation that had been proved to be false. It is a fact that NNPC Ltd, in spite of its new operational status as limited liability company, entered into an arrangement in which it remits its forex earnings to the CBN. That arrangement, which was well reported in the media, is deliberately lost on Businessday for reasons best known to it. Rather, it went to town with a spurious report on how NNPC Ltd was the opaquest company in the world.

Not done with its malicious agenda of portraying NNPC Ltd in bad light, the newspaper went ahead to cite the companys acquisition of stake in the Dangote Refinery as another example of its opaque transactions. Riding on the recent disclosure that NNPC Ltd could not go through with the acquisition of the 20% stake it had earlier announced, Businessday came up with the allegation that the transaction was not transparent. But how could a transaction that was announced to the world when it was carried out be opaque? It is on record that when the transaction was announced, there was so much public outcry against it. Many questioned the rationale behind it. But NNPC Ltd, in keeping with its commitment to the operational philosophy of Transparency, Accountability, & Performance Excellence (TAPE), came up with explanations as to the reasons why the Federal Government directed it to acquire the equity stake, and the furore died down.

Since the appointment of Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Ltd, the company has been conducting its business transparently. It is in furtherance of its transparency push that it signed up as a supporting company of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2019 to become a member of EITIs state-owned enterprise network.

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With that, it upgraded its operations to meet the standard for EITI supporting companies. Since then, NNPC Ltd has not looked back in its transparency journey, publishing every information that the public should know. In the face of various allegations of financial malfeasance, NNPC Ltd has always made itself available for probes or opportunities for reconciliation of figures with other agencies of government as the case may be; and, it has always been vindicated.

But Businessday, for whatever reason(s), chose not to see NNPC Ltd.s tremendous strides in transparency, preferring to rehash past allegations that had been proved to be false in every respect. Rather than hang the tag of opacity on a company that has shown so much commitment to transparency, Businessday, which in 2021 conferred the award of Energy Executive of the Year on Mele Kyari, should have been more circumspect with its report that was at best shambolic. Indeed, for descending so low as to publish rehashed, stale and false stories[SO1] to justify its bias, Businessday should hang its head in shame.

As a media professional, I respect the roles of the media in society, but the point must be made that the obvious bias, exhibited in the Businessday report as well as in the various other reports before it, in which the NNPC Ltd had been cast in bad light, calls to question the professionalism of the newspaper. I therefore demand that Businessday should allow professionalism to, henceforth, guide its reportage.

I take this opportunity to make this avowal: that a new era in communication and information management has begun at the NNPC Ltd. The days of intimidating the company with falsehoods are over. Baseless and unconscionable allegations will no longer go unanswered. Through my office, we will decisively respond to any false claims made against the NNPC; and if the false claims are so egregiously damaging, necessary legal steps to preserve the integrity of the company will be taken. The time for passive acceptance of allegations that are lurid and ridiculous had passed; it is time to stand firm in defence of the truth exemplified in the NNPCs operational philosophy of TAPE.

 Mr Soneye is Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Limited.

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The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, on Tuesday, inaugurated the 5.5 million economic tree planting exercise, to preserve the ecosystem and mitigate effects of climate change. The governor inaugurated the campaign at Andaza village in Kiyawa Local Government Area of the state.

The exercise is being implemented by the states Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) project.

He said the government would distribute 5,000 tree seedlings for planting, and enjoined the residents to plant trees to restore the endangered green environment in the state.

Mr Namadi said the state government produced 5.5 million tree seedlings to facilitate smooth running of the 2024 Tree Planting campaign, designed to control desertification, deforestation and environmental degradation caused by inadequate forest cover.

We thank Allah. Who preserve for the concerted efforts we are making to preserve, protect and nurture our natural environment for the sake of the present and future generations, he said.

He said that human interference with the natural environment negatively affected the environmental sustainability, loss of flora and fauna as well as livelihoods of the people.

He said the state government had adopted sound programmes to preserve forests, and stressed the need for community engagement in environmental campaigns to address the menace.

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We must all take responsibility and promote initiatives that are environment-friendly and support environmental resilience.

It is against this background that protecting the environment featured as a key priority in our 12-Point Agenda. Indeed, he said.

Mr Namadi reiterated the commitment of his administration towards ensuring environmental conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources through the protection, afforestation and reforestation programmes as well as enforcing compliance with existing legislations and safeguards on environmental protection.

He said his administration had constructed Kilometre-drains and reclaimed 72-kilometres of eroded areas across the state.

On flood mitigation, Mr Namadi said the state government has de-silted 72 kilometres along Hadejia River from Gagiya in Guri LGA to Wacakal in Yobe, adding that the projects were either completed or at various stages of completion.

The Commissioner for Environment, Nura Ibrahim said the ministry would continue to produce tree seedlings for distribution to the people.

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The police in Kogi have confirmed the arrest and detention of a police officer, Aminu Mohammed, an inspector, for alleged robbery and car theft.

The command spokesperson, Williams Ovye-Aya, a superintendent of police, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

Mohammed, a crime officer with the C Division at 200 Unit, Lokoja, is cooling his heels at the A Division of the command.

Already, the State Commissioner of Police (CP) Bethrand Onuoha has ordered an investigation into the involvement of the inspector in the crimes labelled against him, Mr Ovye-Aya said.

A reliable source told NAN that Mr Mohammed was in the police net for robberies around his duty station in the Lokoja metropolis.

The stolen car was found in the workshop of the policemans panel beater, Arome Moses, who was already working on changing the cars colour at Ochadamu village.

Those who know the vehicle and were aware of the robbery incident in the owners house on 14 June quickly raised the alarm upon sighting the car.

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An alarm was raised, and the panel beater was arrested by policemen of the Quick Response Unit (QRU) attached to the Police Area Command, Idah.

On interrogation, the panel beater spilt the beans, and the officer was invited and apprehended.

The car plate number had already been changed to an Abuja number just as a car dealers receipt was backdated to 2020 and presented by the officer as evidence that he bought it, the source said.

(NAN)

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Vigilante group in Anambra State have arrested eight persons suspected to be among the gunmen terrorising residents of Awka, the state capital.

The State Commissioner For Homeland Affairs, Chikodi Anarah, announced the arrest of the suspects to reporters in Awka on Tuesday, Punch newspaper reported.

Mr Anarah said the vigilante group also recovered some arms and ammunition from the suspects.

The commissioner said the arrest was in response to the recent killings and kidnappings in the area and the entire state in general.

He said information about the arrested suspects would not be made public because it would affect investigations and (further) operations of security operatives.

Police speak

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police have begun combing relaxation centres to track down other criminals in the state.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the police had earlier warned residents against harbouring cultists and other criminals in the state.

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The (police) command has reiterated its advice to proprietors of hotels, drinking bars and other relaxation centres to be mindful of the characters of those that patronise them as the government would not hesitate to close down any place that is discovered as a take-off point of operations by those criminals, he said.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigeria, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

In recent times, there has been an upsurge of criminal attacks in Awka, the state capital.

Last Saturday, for instance, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some gunmen abducted at least three yet-to-be-identified people in two different attacks in the state.

The first attack occurred at about 2 p.m. along Ifite-Amansea-Awka Road in Awka North Local Government Area of the state while the second attack took place in evening of the same day along Agulu-Oraukwu Road in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO: Anambra judiciary workers begin indefinite strike

Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some of the deadly attacks in the region.

However, the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria.

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Steve Hawkins appointed President of Syngenta Crop Protection, effective Oct 1, 2024

BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (the "Company") (SZSE 000553), a leading crop protection company, announced that its board of directors has appointed Gael Hili as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2024. Hili will join the Syngenta Group Leadership Team and will be based in Tel Aviv.

ADAMA Announces Gael Hili as President and CEO Replacing Steve Hawkins

Mr. Hili will succeed Steve Hawkins, who has been appointed President of Syngenta Crop Protection and a member of the Syngenta Group Leadership Team, based in Basel, effective October 1, 2024. Steve will continue to be fully dedicated to driving ADAMA's ongoing business and transformation plan until his official appointment.

Jeff Rowe, President and CEO of Syngenta Group, said: "I am pleased to welcome Gael Hili as the new CEO of ADAMA and member of the Syngenta Group Leadership Team. Gael brings extensive experience and a proven track record of driving profitable growth and leading successful organizational change. He is the ideal candidate to accelerate the implementation of ADAMA's transformation plan, successfully launched by Steve and the Global ADAMA Leadership Team earlier this year, to address the near-term financial health of the company and capture the fast-growing Value Innovation customer segment in ADAMA's leading markets. Under Gael's leadership together with ADAMA's strong Leadership Team, and the continued support of Syngenta Group, I am confident that ADAMA will turnaround, revalue and reposition for the benefit of all its stakeholders including customers, employees, investors and bondholders around the world."

Gael Hili commented: "I am honored to take on the role of President and CEO at such a pivotal time for ADAMA. The Transformation plan has already shown promising improvement in ADAMA's cash flow, demonstrating our commitment to financial health and operational excellence. My focus will be on accelerating this momentum, ensuring we meet our profit and cash targets over the next three years. By building on the solid foundation laid by Steve and the leadership team, I am dedicated to driving long-term success and value for all our stakeholders. Together with ADAMA's committed and professional global teams, we will continue to transform ADAMA into a stronger, more resilient company."

Mr. Hili has dedicated most of his career to the agriculture industry, starting with operational and commercial roles at Dow AgroSciences in Europe and later at Dow Chemical Company, where he served as Global Marketing Director. In 2017, he joined Syngenta as Head of Europe East, where he led the team to significant market share growth in both the Seeds and Crop Protection businesses. Since December 2023, he has served as the Head of Europe Syngenta CP and Seeds Field Crops.

Mr. Hili holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, France.

About ADAMA Transformation Plan

As announced in the Company's full year 2023 financial results report, ADAMA initiated a plan in the first quarter of 2024 to revalue ADAMA by improving the quality of the business to turnaround the Company. The Company-wide transformation plan is aimed at gradually delivering profit and cash targets over a period of 3 years (2024-2026). Main aspects of the plan include:

Evolved Operating Model

Changes in the senior leadership team An evolved operating model to create focus and alignment to effectively deliver our strategy and better serve ADAMA's markets, including organizational changes in R&D, marketing, commercial and operations.



Geographic and customer focus: Focus on strategic crop segments within the Value Innovation customer segment, with high-value differentiated formulations .

Focus on strategic crop segments within the Value Innovation customer segment, with high-value differentiated formulations Portfolio focus:

Increase high-margin products: Continue to enhance the sales mix by increasing the proportion of high-margin products, supporting business quality and gross margin, as achieved in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. Product transition: Phase out certain products to streamline offerings. Strong Pipeline: Maintain investment in differentiated products that offer added value to customers.



Production Network Optimization: Reassess the operational model, including the balance between procurement and manufacturing, as well as optimize the supply chain, to align with market realities.

About ADAMA

ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects, and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, as well as state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing, and formulation facilities. With a culture that empowers our people to listen to farmers and ideate from the field, ADAMA is uniquely positioned to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations, and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2463309/ADAMA.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg

ADAMA Contact: Efrat Dayan, Corporate Communications, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ADAMA Ltd.
Expected to lead the industry with adjusted pretax margin of 15.8%

Achieved a completion rate of 99.5%, among the highest in the industry

Reached tentative agreement with Alaska flight attendants represented by AFA

SEATTLE, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) today reported financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2024, and provided outlook for the third quarter ending September 30, 2024 and full year 2024.

"It's clear that premium airlines are rising above the rest of the industry, and Alaska's product and performance put us in that top tier, with a strong long-term outlook to grow and compete," said CEO Ben Minicucci. "That's how we brought in record quarterly revenue and achieved a 15.8% adjusted pretax margin that should lead the industry. Thank you to our 23,000 employees for being safe, operating well, and taking care of our guests through our biggest summer travel season ever."

Financial Results:

Reported net income for the second quarter of 2024 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $220 million , or $1.71 per share, compared to net income of $240 million , or $1.86 per share, for the second quarter of 2023.

, or per share, compared to net income of , or per share, for the second quarter of 2023. Reported net income for the second quarter of 2024, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $327 million , or $2.55 per share, compared to net income of $387 million , or $3.00 per share, for the second quarter of 2023.

, or per share, compared to net income of , or per share, for the second quarter of 2023. Reported adjusted pretax margin of 15.8% for the second quarter.

Repurchased 663,177 shares of common stock for approximately $28 million in the second quarter, bringing total repurchases to $49 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024 .

in the second quarter, bringing total repurchases to for the six months ended . Generated $580 million in operating cash flow for the second quarter.

in operating cash flow for the second quarter. Held $2.5 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of June 30, 2024 .

in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of . Ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 45%, within the target range of 40% to 50%.

Operational Updates:

Reached a tentative agreement with mainline flight attendants that recognizes their outstanding contributions. Voting on the agreement is expected to conclude by mid-August.

Certified substantial compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice's second request for information regarding our proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, maintaining open communication with the DOJ during its review process.

Finished the second quarter with a completion rate of 99.5%, among the highest in the industry.

Received six 737-9 aircraft and three 737-8 aircraft during the quarter, bringing the totals within the Alaska fleet to 70 737-9s and four 737-8s.

fleet to 70 737-9s and four 737-8s. Received one E175 aircraft during the quarter, bringing the total in the Horizon fleet to 44.

Added a second 737-800 freighter to Alaska Air Cargo's fleet and expanded the freighter network with twice-weekly service to Los Angeles .

. Purchased a 600,000 square-foot facility in Renton, Washington to serve as the new home for Alaska's training programs and operational teams following completion of renovations in 2025.

to serve as the new home for training programs and operational teams following completion of renovations in 2025. Moved Air Group operations at San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which will improve guests' travel experience with advanced technology in the lobby and convenient proximity to our partners.

International Airport to Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which will improve guests' travel experience with advanced technology in the lobby and convenient proximity to our partners. Enhanced onboard offerings with the return of hot meals to the inflight menu within the Main Cabin.

Began expansion of our lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to offer more than double the seating and improved amenities.

Network and Commercial Updates:

Announced 20 nonstop routes to provide guests with more winter travel options, including new service to Vail, Colorado as well as La Paz and Monterrey, Mexico .

as well as and . Announced seasonal daily service from Portland to New Orleans beginning January 2025 , our 55 th nonstop destination from Portland .

to beginning , our 55 nonstop destination from . Expanded partnership with British Airways to offer guests the ability to book nonstop flights between London and multiple U.S. cities directly at alaskaair.com or via the Alaska Airlines app.

Sustainability Updates:

Released our 2023 Sustainability Report, sharing the company's progress on its goals for sustainability, safety, and our people, as well as highlighting accomplishments and ongoing initiatives.

Launched option for guests to reduce their environmental impact by purchasing sustainable aviation fuel credits in the flight booking path, while also providing Mileage Plan members the ability to earn up to 5,000 elite-qualifying miles annually for their contributions.

Awards and Recognition:

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan named best U.S. airline frequent flier program by WalletHub for 2024.

Named to Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity list, receiving the highest ranking of all U.S. airlines.

Received the highest satisfaction score for 2024 among all U.S. airlines from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

As recently released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Alaska generated the fewest customer complaints per 100,000 guests of any U.S. airline in 2023, finishing 75% better than the industry average and 35% better than the second-ranked airline.

The following table reconciles the company's reported GAAP net income per share (EPS) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 to adjusted amounts.



Three Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023 (in millions, except per share amounts) Dollars

Diluted EPS

Dollars

Diluted EPS Net income per share $ 220

$ 1.71

$ 240

$ 1.86 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (5)

(0.04)

1

0.01 Special items - operating 146

1.14

186

1.44 Special items - net non-operating 



6

0.05 Income tax effect of reconciling items above (34)

(0.26)

(46)

(0.36) Adjusted net income per share $ 327

$ 2.55

$ 387

$ 3.00

















Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023 (in millions, except per-share amounts) Dollars

Diluted EPS

Dollars

Diluted EPS Net income per share $ 88

$ 0.69

$ 98

$ 0.76 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (18)

(0.14)

21

0.16 Special items - operating 180

1.41

250

1.94 Special items - net non-operating 



6

0.05 Income tax effect of reconciling items above (39)

(0.31)

(67)

(0.52) Adjusted net income per share $ 211

$ 1.65

$ 308

$ 2.39

Statistical data, as well as a reconciliation of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables. A glossary of financial terms can be found on the last page of this release.

Alaska will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss second quarter results at 8:30 a.m. PDT on July 18, 2024. A webcast of the call is available to the public at www.investor.alaskaair.com. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the call.

References in this update to "Air Group," "Company," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated by our forward-looking statements, assumptions or beliefs. For a comprehensive discussion of potential risk factors, see Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Some of these risks include competition, labor costs, relations and availability, general economic conditions including those associated with pandemic recovery, increases in operating costs including fuel, inability to meet cost reduction, ESG and other strategic goals, seasonal fluctuations in demand and financial results, supply chain risks, events that negatively impact aviation safety and security, and changes in laws and regulations that impact our business. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K and in our subsequent SEC filings. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such new risk factors on our business or events described in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made today to conform them to actual results. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements may differ from the anticipated results, performance or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, assumptions or beliefs and such differences might be significant and materially adverse.

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. We offer our guests a premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow oneworld Alliance members and additional Global Partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (in millions, except per share amounts) 2024

2023

Change

2024

2023

Change Operating Revenue





















Passenger revenue $ 2,651

$ 2,598

2 %

$ 4,655

$ 4,582

2 % Mileage Plan other revenue 174

170

2 %

338

324

4 % Cargo and other revenue 72

70

3 %

136

128

6 % Total Operating Revenue 2,897

2,838

2 %

5,129

5,034

2 %























Operating Expenses





















Wages and benefits 782

754

4 %

1,586

1,477

7 % Variable incentive pay 49

57

(14) %

93

104

(11) % Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and

losses 615

573

7 %

1,180

1,238

(5) % Aircraft maintenance 129

125

3 %

251

249

1 % Aircraft rent 46

54

(15) %

93

113

(18) % Landing fees and other rentals 173

167

4 %

338

319

6 % Contracted services 106

95

12 %

203

190

7 % Selling expenses 84

81

4 %

161

147

10 % Depreciation and amortization 128

113

13 %

254

217

17 % Food and beverage service 67

60

12 %

125

114

10 % Third-party regional carrier expense 64

54

19 %

118

106

11 % Other 186

182

2 %

391

359

9 % Special items - operating 146

186

(22) %

180

250

(28) % Total Operating Expenses 2,575

2,501

3 %

4,973

4,883

2 % Operating Income 322

337

(4) %

156

151

3 %























Non-operating Income (Expense)





















Interest income 24

22

9 %

41

39

5 % Interest expense (36)

(28)

29 %

(71)

(56)

27 % Interest capitalized 6

7

(14) %

12

14

(14) % Special items - net non-operating 

(6)

(100) %



(6)

(100) % Other - net 

(7)

(100) %



(16)

(100) % Total Non-operating Expense (6)

(12)

(50) %

(18)

(25)

(28) % Income Before Income Tax 316

325





138

126



Income tax expense 96

85





50

28



Net Income $ 220

$ 240





$ 88

$ 98



























Basic Earnings Per Share $ 1.74

$ 1.88





$ 0.70

$ 0.77



Diluted Earnings Per Share $ 1.71

$ 1.86





$ 0.69

$ 0.76



Weighted Average Shares Outstanding used

for computation:





















Basic 126.337

127.440





126.153

127.470



Diluted 128.310

128.919





127.857

128.860





CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)













(in millions) June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023 ASSETS





Current Assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,115

$ 281 Marketable securities 1,394

1,510 Total cash and marketable securities 2,509

1,791 Receivables - net 370

383 Inventories and supplies - net 106

116 Prepaid expenses 179

176 Other current assets 212

239 Total Current Assets 3,376

2,705







Property and Equipment





Aircraft and other flight equipment 10,734

10,425 Other property and equipment 1,941

1,814 Deposits for future flight equipment 383

491

13,058

12,730 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization 4,537

4,342 Total Property and Equipment - net 8,521

8,388







Other Assets





Operating lease assets 1,142

1,195 Goodwill and intangible assets 2,033

2,033 Other noncurrent assets 270

292 Total Other Assets 3,445

3,520







Total Assets $ 15,342

$ 14,613

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited)













(in millions, except share amounts) June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current Liabilities





Accounts payable $ 203

$ 207 Accrued wages, vacation and payroll taxes 513

584 Air traffic liability 1,576

1,136 Other accrued liabilities 852

800 Deferred revenue 1,312

1,221 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 153

158 Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases 359

353 Total Current Liabilities 4,968

4,459







Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion 2,313

2,182







Noncurrent Liabilities





Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 1,050

1,125 Deferred income taxes 746

695 Deferred revenue 1,329

1,382 Obligation for pension and post-retirement medical benefits 358

362 Other liabilities 352

295 Total Noncurrent Liabilities 3,835

3,859







Commitments and Contingencies













Shareholders' Equity





Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized: 5,000,000 shares, none issued or

outstanding 

 Common stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized: 400,000,000 shares, Issued: 2024 -

140,570,032 shares; 2023 - 138,960,830 shares, Outstanding: 2024 - 126,475,292

shares; 2023 - 126,090,353 shares 1

1 Capital in excess of par value 757

695 Treasury stock (common), at cost: 2024 - 14,094,740 shares; 2023 - 12,870,477 shares (868)

(819) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (287)

(299) Retained earnings 4,623

4,535

4,226

4,113 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 15,342

$ 14,613

SUMMARY CASH FLOW (unaudited)









Six Months Ended

June 30, 2024

Three Months

Ended March 31,

2024(a)

Three Months

Ended June 30,

2024(b) Cash Flows from Operating Activities:









Net Income (Loss) $ 88

$ (132)

$ 220 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by

operating activities 291

168

123 Changes in working capital 493

256

237 Net cash provided by operating activities 872

292

580











Cash Flows from Investing Activities:









Property and equipment additions (587)

(57)

(530) Supplier proceeds 162

162

 Other investing activities 290

213

77 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (135)

318

(453)











Cash Flows from Financing Activities: 87

(5)

92











Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 824

605

219 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 308

308

913 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period $ 1,132

$ 913

$ 1,132

(a) As reported in Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2024. (b) Cash flows for the three months ended June 30, 2024 can be calculated by subtracting cash flows from the three months ended March 31, 2024 from the six months ended June 30, 2024.

SPECIAL ITEMS (unaudited)

Air Group has classified certain operating and non-operating expenses as special items due to their unusual or infrequently occurring nature. We believe disclosing information about these items separately improves comparable year over year analysis and allows stakeholders to better understand our results of operations. A description of the special items is provided below.

Fleet transition: Fleet transition costs are associated with the retirement and disposition of Airbus and Q400 aircraft.

Labor agreements: Labor agreement costs are for retroactive pay for Alaska flight attendants pursuant to the tentative agreement reached in the second quarter of 2024 and for changes to Alaska pilots' sick leave benefits resulting from an agreement signed in the first quarter of 2023.

Integration costs: Integration costs are associated with the proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.

Litigation: Litigation costs represent expenses associated with the Virgin trademark license agreement with the Virgin Group and recorded following a negative ruling in an appeal case in the second quarter of 2024.

Net non-operating: These costs are for interest expense associated with certain A321neo lease agreements which were modified as part of Alaska's fleet transition.



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023 Operating Expenses













Fleet transition $ 41

$ 186

$ 67

$ 199 Labor agreements 30



30

51 Integration costs 30



38

 Litigation 45



45

 Special items - operating $ 146

$ 186

$ 180

$ 250















Non-operating Income (Expense)













Special items - net non-operating $ 

$ (6)

$ 

$ (6)

OPERATING STATISTICS (unaudited)













Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

Change

2024

2023

Change Consolidated Operating Statistics:(a)





















Revenue passengers (000) 11,888

11,592

3 %

21,662

21,444

1 % RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 15,309

14,936

2 %

27,833

27,491

1 % ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 18,196

17,160

6 %

33,575

32,865

2 % Load factor 84.1 %

87.0 %

(2.9) pts

82.9 %

83.6 %

(0.7) pts Yield 17.32

17.40

 %

16.73

16.67

 % PRASM 14.57

15.14

(4) %

13.86

13.94

(1) % RASM 15.92

16.54

(4) %

15.28

15.32

 % CASMex(b) 9.89

10.08

(2) %

10.67

10.25

4 % Economic fuel cost per gallon(b) $2.84

$2.76

3 %

$2.95

$3.07

(4) % Fuel gallons (000,000) 219

207

6 %

406

396

3 % ASMs per gallon 83.1

82.9

 %

82.7

83.0

 % Departures (000) 112.4

104.4

8 %

208.1

199.8

4 % Average full-time equivalent employees

(FTEs) 23,368

23,301

 %

23,190

23,140

 % Operating fleet(c) 326

307

19 a/c

326

307

19 a/c

(a) Except for FTEs, data includes information related to third-party regional capacity purchase flying arrangements. (b) See a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure and Note A for a discussion of the importance of this measure to investors in the accompanying pages. (c) Includes aircraft owned and leased by Alaska and Horizon as well as aircraft operated by third-party regional carriers under capacity purchase agreements. Excludes all aircraft removed from operating service.

GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited)

We are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. Amounts in the tables below are rounded to the nearest million. As a result, a manual recalculation of certain figures using these rounded amounts may not agree directly to the actual figures presented in the tables below.

Income (Loss) Before Income Tax Reconciliation









Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (in millions) 2024 2023

2024 2023 Income before income tax $ 316

$ 325

$ 138

$ 126 Adjusted for:













Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment (5)

1

(18)

21 Special items - operating 146

186

180

250 Special items - net non-operating 

6



6 Adjusted income before income tax $ 457

$ 518

$ 300

$ 403















Pretax margin 10.9 %

11.5 %

2.7 %

2.5 % Adjusted pretax margin 15.8 %

18.3 %

5.8 %

8.0 %

CASMex Reconciliation

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (in millions) 2024

2023

2024

2023 Total operating expenses $ 2,575

$ 2,501

$ 4,973

$ 4,883 Less the following components:













Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 615

573

1,180

1,238 Freighter costs 13

12

28

26 Special items - operating 146

186

180

250 Total operating expenses, excluding fuel, freighter

costs, and special items $ 1,801

$ 1,730

$ 3,585

$ 3,369















ASMs 18,196

17,160

33,575

32,865 CASMex 9.89 

10.08 

10.67 

10.25 

Fuel Reconciliation

Three Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023 (in millions, except for per-gallon amounts) Dollars

Cost/Gallon

Dollars

Cost/Gallon Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost $ 610

$ 2.79

$ 555

$ 2.68 Losses on settled hedges 10

0.05

17

0.08 Economic fuel expense $ 620

$ 2.84

$ 572

$ 2.76 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment (5)

(0.03)

1

 Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses $ 615

$ 2.81

$ 573

$ 2.76 Fuel gallons



219





207

















Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023 (in millions, except for per gallon amounts) Dollars

Cost/Gallon

Dollars

Cost/Gallon Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost $ 1,175

$ 2.89

$ 1,188

$ 3.00 Losses on settled hedges 23

0.06

29

0.07 Economic fuel expense $ 1,198

$ 2.95

$ 1,217

$ 3.07 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment (18)

(0.05)

21

0.05 Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses $ 1,180

$ 2.90

$ 1,238

$ 3.12 Fuel gallons



406





396

Debt-to-capitalization, including operating and finance leases (in millions) June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023 Long-term debt, net of current portion $ 2,313

$ 2,182 Capitalized operating leases 1,203

1,283 Capitalized finance leases(a) 

64 Adjusted debt, net of current portion of long-term debt 3,516

3,529 Shareholders' equity 4,226

4,113 Total Invested Capital $ 7,742

$ 7,642







Debt-to-capitalization ratio, including operating and finance leases 45 %

46 %

(a) We included our capitalized finance lease balance as of December 31, 2023, which was recognized within the 'Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases' line of the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Adjusted net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, rent, and special items (in millions) June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023 Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases $ 359

$ 353 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 153

158 Long-term debt 2,313

2,182 Long-term operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 1,050

1,125 Total adjusted debt 3,875

3,818 Less: Total cash and marketable securities 2,509

1,791 Adjusted net debt $ 1,366

$ 2,027







(in millions) Twelve Months Ended

June 30, 2024

Twelve Months Ended

December 31, 2023 Operating Income(a) $ 399

$ 394 Adjusted for:





Special items - operating 373

443 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (41)

(2) Depreciation and amortization 488

451 Aircraft rent 188

208 EBITDAR $ 1,407

$ 1,494







Adjusted net debt to EBITDAR 1.0x

1.4x

(a) Operating income can be reconciled using the trailing twelve month operating income as filed quarterly with the SEC.

Note A: Pursuant to Regulation G, we are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. We believe that consideration of these non-GAAP financial measures may be important to investors for the following reasons:

By excluding certain costs from our unit metrics, we believe that we have better visibility into the results of operations. Our industry is highly competitive and is characterized by high fixed costs, so even a small reduction in non-fuel operating costs can result in a significant improvement in operating results. We believe that all domestic carriers are similarly impacted by changes in jet fuel costs over the long run, so it is important for management and investors to understand the impact of company-specific cost drivers which are more controllable by management. We adjust for expenses related directly to our freighter aircraft operations to allow for better comparability to other domestic carriers that do not operate freighter aircraft. We also exclude certain special charges as they are unusual or nonrecurring in nature and adjusting for these expenses allows management and investors to better understand our cost performance.

CASMex is one of the most important measures used by management and by the Air Group Board of Directors in assessing quarterly and annual cost performance. CASMex is also a measure commonly used by industry analysts, and we believe it is the basis by which they have historically compared our airline to others in the industry. The measure is also the subject of frequent questions from investors.

Adjusted pretax income is an important metric for the employee incentive plan, which covers the majority of Air Group employees.

Disclosure of the individual impact of certain noted items provides investors the ability to measure and monitor performance both with and without these special items. We believe that disclosing the impact of these items as noted above is important because it provides information on significant items that are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Industry analysts and investors consistently measure our performance without these items for better comparability between periods and among other airlines.

Although we disclose our unit revenue, we do not, nor are we able to, evaluate unit revenue excluding the impact that changes in fuel costs have had on ticket prices. Fuel expense represents a large percentage of our total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices often drive changes in unit revenue in the mid-to-long term. Although we believe it is useful to evaluate non-fuel unit costs for the reasons noted above, we would caution readers of these financial statements not to place undue reliance on unit costs excluding fuel as a measure or predictor of future profitability because of the significant impact of fuel costs on our business.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Adjusted net debt - long-term debt, including current portion, plus capitalized operating and finance leases, less cash and marketable securities

Adjusted net debt to EBITDAR - represents net adjusted debt divided by EBITDAR (trailing twelve months earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, special items and rent)

Aircraft Utilization - block hours per day; this represents the average number of hours per day our aircraft are in transit

Aircraft Stage Length - represents the average miles flown per aircraft departure

ASMs - available seat miles, or "capacity"; represents total seats available across the fleet multiplied by the number of miles flown

CASM - operating costs per ASM; represents all operating expenses including fuel, freighter costs, and special items

CASMex - operating costs excluding fuel, freighter costs, and special items per ASM, or "unit cost"

Debt-to-capitalization ratio - represents adjusted debt (long-term debt plus capitalized operating and finance lease liabilities) divided by total equity plus adjusted debt

Diluted Earnings per Share - represents earnings per share (EPS) using fully diluted shares outstanding

Diluted Shares - represents the total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as stock options, were exercised

Economic Fuel - best estimate of the cash cost of fuel, net of the impact of our fuel-hedging program

Freighter Costs - operating expenses directly attributable to the operation of Alaska's Boeing 737 freighter aircraft exclusively performing cargo missions

Load Factor - RPMs as a percentage of ASMs; represents the number of available seats that were filled with paying passengers

PRASM - passenger revenue per ASM, or "passenger unit revenue"

RASM - operating revenue per ASMs, or "unit revenue"; operating revenue includes all passenger revenue, freight & mail, Mileage Plan and other ancillary revenue; represents the average total revenue for flying one seat one mile

RPMs - revenue passenger miles, or "traffic"; represents the number of seats that were filled with paying passengers; one passenger traveling one mile is one RPM

Yield - passenger revenue per RPM; represents the average revenue for flying one passenger one mile

SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc.
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross announced today that it has elected three new members to its Board of Governors.

The newly-elected members are:

Christina Chiu , President of Empire State Realty Trust

, President of Empire State Realty Trust Mary G. Berner , President and CEO of Cumulus Media Inc.

, President and CEO of Cumulus Media Inc. Gunjan Kedia , President of U.S. Bancorp

"We are delighted to welcome three exceptional leaders to the American Red Cross Board of Governors," said Chairman Gail J. McGovern. "Each of them brings tremendous experience and a deep dedication to the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross. Christina Chiu, Mary G. Berner and Gunjan Kedia will provide our Board of Governors with expertise and guidance that is vital to our organization as we continue to deliver comfort, relief and hope to those facing disaster and emergencies."

About Christina Chiu

Christina Chiu is President of Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT). Chiu previously served in other roles at ESRT including as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. Before joining ESRT, Chiu spent 18 years at Morgan Stanley, where she was Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Listed Real Assets Investing business, responsible for business development and capital raising efforts, institutional investor and consultant relationships, oversight of the day-to-day investing business, and execution of strategic initiatives. She began her career as a real estate investment banking analyst on both principal investing and strategic advisory transactions.

About Mary G. Berner

Mary G. Berner has been President and CEO of Cumulus Media Inc. since October 2015, after having served on the company's Board of Directors for six months. Before joining Cumulus, Berner served as President and CEO of MPA - The Association of Magazine Media, where she leveraged her deep understanding of media to aggressively champion and advocate for the industry among advertisers, investors, consumers, and regulators. Berner previously served as CEO of Reader's Digest Association and President and CEO of Fairchild Publications. When Fairchild became a division of Conde Nast Publications, she continued her leadership role while also serving as an officer of Conde Nast.

About Gunjan Kedia

Gunjan Kedia is President of U.S. Bancorp, where she oversees the Bank's three business lines  Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; and Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking. She also serves as a member of the U.S. Bank Managing Committee, its senior most leadership group. Kedia brings 30 years of financial services experience to her role. Before joining U.S. Bancorp in 2016 she held leadership positions at State Street Financial in Boston, where she was executive vice president and led the investment servicing business in the Americas; BNY Mellon, where she was head of global product management; and McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner and a core leader of the financial services practice. She began her career at PwC.

The Red Cross is led by a Board of Governors who govern, direct and oversee management of the business of the organization. At the Annual Meeting of the Red Cross held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Chiu, Berner and Kedia were each elected to a three-year term by delegates from local Red Cross units. In addition. the delegates elected Cliff Holtz, Red Cross president and CEO, to the Board and re-elected other current Board of Governors members for additional terms.

For more information about the Red Cross Board of Governors, visit redcross.org/leadership.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

SOURCE American Red Cross
Temporary and Contract Employees to Be Honored Sept. 9-15

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Temporary and contract workers from across the U.S. will be celebrated during National Staffing Employee Week, Sept. 9-15, the American Staffing Association announced today.

National Staffing Employee Week is a time to recognize and honor the nearly 13 million temporary and contract workers employed in virtually every occupation and industry in the labor market. Four out of 10 staffing employees work in higher-skill occupations.

National Staffing Employee Week recognizes outstanding staffing employees throughout the United States.

Throughout the week, ASA member companies will host various events and activities to recognize and thank their staffing employees. These celebrations will include award ceremonies, appreciation luncheons, and social media campaigns showcasing the stories and successes of staffing employees.

"Temporary and contract employees provide the essential support, expertise, and flexibility that organizations need to be successful," said Richard Wahlquist, chief executive officer at ASA. "National Staffing Employee Week provides a unique opportunity to recognize the millions of temporary employees and contractors whose achievements help bolster the economy every day."

More information on National Staffing Employment Week can be found at americanstaffing.net.

About the American Staffing Association

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.

Contact

Megan Sweeney

American Staffing Association

703-253-1151

[email protected]

SOURCE American Staffing Association
BANGKOK, July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amity Solutions (ASOL), a leading software and AI business from Thailand, together with its parent company, Amity Corporation, today announced the completion of a US$60 million Series C financing round. This funding will support the company's mission to transform customer engagement software products into Generative AI (GenAI) centric applications that are able to create significantly more value and utility for enterprises.

The funds will primarily be allocated to GenAI research and development, as well as the company's M&A strategy to further acquire SaaS (software as a service) companies with the highest potential for GenAI integration, transforming their offerings into use-case focused GenAI products.

Korawad Chearavanont, Executive Chairman and Founder of ASOL said, "ASOL is focused on the untapped value that GenAI applications can deliver for the end-user business segment. We see a significant market gap in applying and integrating GenAI with tried and tested SaaS and software products. Most resources these days are dedicated to progressing large language models which form the basis for Generative AI. The market for developing high value use cases with existing SaaS software is underserved and we see immense potential there. Our AI labs will lead the efforts through developing our own products, acquired products, and partnered products."

Since early 2023, ASOL's Al Labs has seen good success in enhancing end customer-facing software with GenAI. One notable example is Amity Bots Plus, an enterprise platform whose chatbot mimics human conversations through GenAI learnings, resulting in better customer service delivery and profitability. Within a year of its launch, its GenAI version not only saw an 8-fold growth in annual recurring revenue but also now accounts for 27% of the product line's ARR. The product has been adopted by some of Thailand's largest state enterprises, leading retailers, and financial services firms.

Keng Teik Koay, Group CEO at ASOL, shared his vision: "With this funding, we are ready to accelerate our growth strategy by pursuing acquisitions and investments in SaaS companies that align with our vision. Our goal is to build a powerful ecosystem of GenAl-centric applications that address real business needs across various industries. In particular, we see great potential for offerings that enhance communication, productivity, and customer satisfaction. It is an exciting time for ASOL, and we are poised to make the most of opportunities that lie ahead in the Al space."

The funding round breakdown is as follows:

ASOL raised US$41.6 million , led by Insight Capital with participation from several other new and existing investors.

, led by Insight Capital with participation from several other new and existing investors. Amity Corporation, the parent company, raised US$18.4 million , led by existing investor SMDV, with participation from Gobi Partners and several existing investors.

, led by existing investor SMDV, with participation from Gobi Partners and several existing investors. The financing includes debt, which was led and structured by Asia -focused private credit financier, AlteriQ Global.

ASOL's innovative work in this field has garnered international recognition, with ASOL's GenAI work being highlighted by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella keynote address at the company's recent global developer conference called ' Microsoft Build 2024 '.

This investment comes at a crucial time for ASOL, which spun out from Amity Corporation in 2023, in preparation for its planned listing on the Thai Stock Market. The move allows ASOL to focus on its core mission of GenAI application investment and development while leveraging the support and resources of its parent company. Amity Corporation will be collaborating with ASOL as well as looking at other GenAI application opportunities.

Vantage Capital Markets HK Limited acted as the financial advisor to ASOL.

About Amity Solutions

Amity Solutions is a multi product software group based in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally founded in 2012, Amity Solutions's products are used by over fifty of Thailand's leading companies including leading SOEs, government agencies, banks, financial services firms, retailers, and many more. Core products include Amity Bots, its enterprise chatbot platform, Amity Voice, a voicebot platform, and Eko, a collaboration platform for non-desk workforces. Since early 2023, Amity Solutions has shifted its primary focus to building and developing Generative AI applications and solutions on top of its existing SaaS products.

About Insight Capital

Insight Capital is an independent private equity firm headquartered in Hong Kong specializing in Technology and Sustainability. Established in 2009, the firm manages an aggregate portfolio of USD 500 million and has a successful track record in identifying emerging technology trends and industry winners leveraging its unique insight, extensive network and expertise in capital markets to deliver sustainable and enhanced risk-adjusted returns. Artificial Intelligence has been a core strategy of Insight Capital to invest for a sustainable future. In addition to AI SaaS and vertical applications, the firm is also active in AI compute and infrastructure along the value chain. Follow us on www.linkedin.com/company/insightcapm

About Vantage Capital Markets

Vantage Capital Markets HK Limited provides world class financial solutions to their extensive institutional client base including rapidly growing corporations, leading investment banks, commercial banks, asset managers, private equity funds, family offices and hedge funds. The firm's services include capital market offerings and placements, corporate finance advice, wholesale brokerage and execution of cash and derivative products (both listed and OTC) across a range of asset classes. VCM has offices in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Dubai from where they service their global client base. The firm's strength lies in the experience and quality of their teams, supported by excellent operations and infrastructure.

SOURCE Amity Solutions
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Asian Hall of Fame is pleased to announce Millennium Hotels & Resorts as its Official Hotel Partner.

The Biltmore Los Angeles currently hosts Asian Hall of Fame ceremonies and will provide customized hospitality and catering for premiere Asian Hall of Fame events. Millennium Hotels & Resorts will also serve as a hospitality consultant on projects in Asia and Europe.

The Biltmore Los Angeles

Millennium Hotels & Resorts is a 2024 Corporate Inductee. Kwek Leng Beng, Founder and Chairman of its holding company Hong Leong Group, is a Class of 2024 Inductee.

"The Biltmore Los Angeles inspires our dignitaries to engage with Asian Hall of Fame's global impact and timeless elegance. We are excited to develop a lasting legacy with Millennium Hotels & Resorts and look forward to hosting immersive experiences at their iconic destinations," said Maki Hsieh, President and CEO of Asian Hall of Fame.

States Benedict Ng, Owner's Representative, MHR, "We're pleased to announce Millennium Hotels & Resorts as the official hotel partner for the esteemed Asian Hall of Fame. This collaboration emphasizes our shared commitment to excellence, grandeur, and innovation. We eagerly anticipate highlighting the unique experiences curated by the Asian Hall of Fame at our properties, promising a memorable synergy. Together, we're dedicated to enhancing guest experiences and ensuring the success of this prestigious event."

Since 1923, The Biltmore Los Angeles has hosted luminaries from President John F. Kennedy to The Beatles. It was the first home of the Oscars and was designated a Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument in 1969.

Media assets available here.

Asian Hall of Fame is a leading cultural, educational, and research institution that advances public recognition of Asian and Indigenous legacy globally. [email protected] (626) 600-9418, www.asianhalloffame.org.

Millennium Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company which owns, manages and operates nearly 140 hotels across some 80 locations. Renowned for its commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences across its diverse portfolio of hotels and resorts worldwide, Millennium has several distinct hotel brands, including Grand Millennium, Millennium, The Biltmore, M Social, Studio M, M Hotel, Copthorne and Kingsgate, throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand and the United States. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and community engagement, Millennium Hotels & Resorts strives to create memorable moments for guests while contributing positively to the destinations in which it operates. www.millenniumhotels.com

SOURCE Asian Hall of Fame
MORTSEL, Belgium, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Annual Meeting of AHRA (the Association for Medical Imaging Management), Agfa Radiology Solutions will demonstrate how its solutions help customers address staffing shortages and tight budgets.

Agfa's comprehensive portfolio supports "The Next Generation" in medical imaging by using intelligent and innovative technologies to ensure every X-ray image counts. With accurate and high-quality diagnostic information from the first image taken, retakes are reduced: speeding up workflows and enhancing the experience of radiologist, radiographer and patient.

Agfa Radiology Solutions uses intelligent and innovative technologies to ensure every X-ray image in healthcare counts. Post this

"We understand the challenges our customers are facing in terms of staffing shortages and decreased budgets. Our productivity features and 'one image is all it takes' approach empower each X-ray expert to work more efficiently. Additionally, the DR 100 Essential and VALORY are designed to be budget-friendly, but still deliver all the essential functions healthcare facilities need  including our renowned MUSICA image processing software. They demonstrate our commitment to offering solutions that ensure healthcare facilities never need to compromise on image quality, regardless of their staff and budget constraints," says Bruce Romaglia, Vice President  North America at Agfa Radiology Solutions.

At Agfa's booth, visitors can discover solutions and special packages that help bring those advantages to every healthcare organization, whatever their budgets.

Intelligent technologies for image processing and workflow assistance:

MUSICA, which comes standard with all Agfa DR and CR systems, automatically analyses the characteristics of raw images and optimizes the processing parameters, independent of body part or dose deviation. Its high image quality and low-dose features have made MUSICA the "gold standard" in image processing for radiology departments around the world.

which comes standard with all Agfa DR and CR systems, automatically analyses the characteristics of raw images and optimizes the processing parameters, independent of body part or dose deviation. Its high image quality and low-dose features have made MUSICA the "gold standard" in image processing for radiology departments around the world. The SmartXR portfolio adds X-ray intelligence to Agfa's DR solutions, to provide image acquisition support and lighten the radiographer's workload. Predictive workflow assistance for dose, alignment, patient positioning, image rotation and more help improve operational performance in image acquisition.

About Agfa

Agfa develops, produces and distributes an extensive range of imaging systems and workflow solutions for the printing industry, the healthcare sector, as well as for specific hi-tech industries such as printed electronics & renewable energy solutions.

The headquarters are located in Belgium. The largest production and research centers are located in Belgium, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, China and Brazil. Agfa is commercially active worldwide through wholly owned sales organizations in more than 40 countries.

For more information on Agfa please visit www.agfa.com

Follow us at Twitter

Agfa, the Agfa rhombus, MUSICA and SmartXR are trademarks of Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Belgium or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

All information contained herein is intended for guidance purposes only, and characteristics of the products and services described in this publication can be changed at any time without notice. Products and services may not be available for your local area. Please contact your local sales representative for availability information. Agfa diligently strives to provide as accurate information as possible, but shall not be responsible for any typographical error.



Only the English version of this press release is legally valid. The versions in other languages only represent a translation of the original English version.

SOURCE AGFA US Corp.
Prestigious award recognizes innovative insurance solutions that support access to gene therapy

CHICAGO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BCS Financial is proud to announce it has been named "Most Innovative Company of the Year" in the prestigious 16th Annual 2024 Golden Bridge Awards. The Golden Bridge Awards honor the best in business and innovation across various industries around the world.

BCS earned the award due to its history of innovation, and its new insurance products designed to improve access to, and affordability of, life-saving gene therapy treatments.

BCS Wins Most Innovative Insurance Company of the Year

"We are thrilled to be recognized by the Golden Bridge Awards for our work in innovative gene therapy insurance solutions," said Mehb Khoja, Head of Large Claims Solutions, BCS. "The pipeline for gene therapies is growing rapidly, and our mission has been to help health plans, payers, and ultimately patients gain access to these life-saving treatments. This award is a reflection of our team's dedication to innovative and creative problem-solving, and their hard work in making this vision a reality."

"Congratulations to all the winners of the Golden Bridge Awards for your remarkable innovations and outstanding business achievements," said San Madan, President of Globee Awards. "Your dedication to excellence and groundbreaking contributions are setting new standards and inspiring others across the globe."

Explore the complete list of 2024 winners here: https://globeeawards.com/innovation/winners/

For more information about gene therapy insurance solutions, visit bcsf.com.

About BCS Financial: BCS Financial Corporation has 75 years of experience delivering a wide range of insurance and financial solutions for Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations and commercial markets nationwide. Through its subsidiaries, BCS Insurance Company and 4 Ever Life Insurance Company, BCS is licensed in all 50 states and is rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. BCS Financial is headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Learn more at bcsf.com.

Media Contact:

Nathan Post

Phone: 630.472.7860.

SOURCE BCS Financial
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global beauty and personal care products market size is estimated to grow by USD 50.9 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.37% during the forecast period. Growing popularity of anti-pollution skincare products is driving market growth, with a trend towards emergence of beauty and personal care products with natural ingredients. However, adverse health effects of chemical/synthetic ingredients poses a challenge. Key market players include AMOREPACIFIC Group Inc., Avon Products, Beiersdorf AG, Chanel Ltd., Coty Inc., Edgewell Personal Care Co., Helios Lifestyle Pvt Ltd., Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., Kao Corp., LOreal SA, LVMH Group., Natura and Co Holding SA, Oriflame Cosmetics S.A., Revlon Inc., Shiseido Co. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., The Procter and Gamble Co., Unilever PLC, and VI JOHN GROUP.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global beauty and personal care products market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report

Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2017 - 2021 Segment Covered Product (Skincare products, Haircare products, Color cosmetics, Fragrances, and Others), Channel (Offline and Online), and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled AMOREPACIFIC Group Inc., Avon Products, Beiersdorf AG, Chanel Ltd., Coty Inc., Edgewell Personal Care Co., Helios Lifestyle Pvt Ltd., Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., Kao Corp., LOreal SA, LVMH Group., Natura and Co Holding SA, Oriflame Cosmetics S.A., Revlon Inc., Shiseido Co. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., The Procter and Gamble Co., Unilever PLC, and VI JOHN GROUP

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

The beauty and personal care market is experiencing a shift towards natural and organic products due to growing health consciousness and consumer awareness of the potential health risks associated with toxic chemicals. Vendors, including ESSE SKINCARE, are responding to this trend by producing a range of skincare and hair care products with natural and organic ingredients. These products cater to various skin concerns and are free from harmful chemicals such as parabens, toluene, formaldehyde, artificial fragrances, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), petroleum-based chemicals, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and sulfates. The affordability of these natural and organic offerings is crucial to attracting price-sensitive consumers. The market's growth is expected to continue as more manufacturers focus on developing natural and organic beauty and personal care products. ESSE SKINCARE offers a comprehensive range of product categories, including cleansers, toners, treatments, masks, exfoliators, and moisturizers, to cater to this demand. The potential health risks associated with harsh chemicals in traditional beauty and personal care products, such as skin allergies, irritation, and cancer, further highlight the market's growth potential.

The Beauty and Personal Care Products market is experiencing significant trends among consumers. Skin care and color cosmetics remain popular categories, with millennials and Gen Z seeking natural, nontoxic, and organic ingredients. Sales channels have expanded to include e-commerce and specialty stores, reaching male consumers and those preferring vegan cosmetics and eco-friendly products. Manufacturers respond with product innovation using natural formulations, such as mushroom-based skin care from Shroom Skincare and Mycelium Glow. Merger and acquisition activities continue, with companies like Shinehigh Innovation buying Pacifica and NARS Cosmetics merging with Shiseido. Consumers are also turning to home-made remedies and DIY beauty treatments as alternatives to conventional beauty products. However, concerns over side effects from chemical filters, parabens, silicones, nanoparticles, PEG, and other chemical ingredients persist. The European Commission regulates these ingredients, and some consumers prefer organic beauty products over their conventional counterparts. Overall, the Skincare and Haircare markets remain dynamic, driven by consumer preferences and industry innovation.

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Market Challenges

The beauty and personal care industry faces a significant challenge due to increasing consumer awareness regarding the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients in their products. Ammonia, a common ingredient in hair coloring agents, is one such chemical causing concerns. Found in shaving foams and hair dyes, ammonia can lead to skin irritation, respiratory issues, and hair damage. Other chemicals like peroxides, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene, toluene-2,5-diamine, and resorcinol, found in various beauty products, can lead to skin irritation, allergies, hair dryness, and even cancer. As consumers become more health-conscious, they are turning towards natural and homemade remedies for skincare and haircare. This shift in consumer behavior is expected to limit the growth of the global beauty and personal care products market during the forecast period.

The Beauty and Personal Care market faces several challenges, including consumer preferences for nanoparticle-free and PEG-free products, the rise of chemical filters and natural formulations, and the side effects of chemical ingredients. Hair problems continue to be a concern, particularly for Gen Z consumers. European regulatory bodies, such as the European Commission, are increasing scrutiny on cosmetic ingredients. Product innovation is key, with a focus on ESW (ethical, sustainable, and waste-reducing) initiatives. Merger and acquisition activities among brands like Shinehigh Innovation, Pacifica, NARS Cosmetics, Neon Hippie, and new entrants like Mushroombased skin care, Shroom Skincare, and Mycelium Glow, are shaping the market. Consumers are also turning to home-made remedies and DIY beauty treatments, while international trade and e-commerce platforms expand access to conventional and organic beauty products. Vitamin C and mushroom extracts are popular ingredients, driving growth in the skincare and haircare markets. Specialty stores and online platforms cater to diverse consumer needs.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This beauty and personal care products market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Product

1.1 Skincare products

1.2 Haircare products

1.3 Color cosmetics

1.4 Fragrances

1.5 Others

Channel

2.1 Offline

2.2 Online

Geography

3.1 APAC

3.2 North America

3.3 Europe

3.4 South America

3.5 Middle East and Africa



1.1 Skincare products- The skincare segment in the beauty and personal care products market is experiencing consistent growth due to increasing global awareness of skincare and customers' willingness to invest in premium products. Natural and organic skincare products, free of synthetic chemicals, are gaining popularity as consumers seek maximum value. Air pollution and the demand for specialized anti-aging and skin cleansing products are additional growth drivers. North America and Europe dominate the market, while digitalization and online retailers, including Amazon and Sephora, expand reach and accessibility. Millennials, who prioritize health and style, are the primary consumer group, influenced by brands with strong social media presence. The market is poised for continued growth during the forecast period.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017 - 2021) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

Probiotic cosmetics, enriched with beneficial bacteria, are gaining popularity for their skin health benefits, including hydration and anti-inflammatory properties. The market is expanding as consumers seek natural skincare solutions. Beauty drinks are beverages infused with vitamins, minerals, and collagen, promising skincare benefits from within. This market is driven by increasing health consciousness and the desire for convenient beauty-enhancing products. Cosmetic oils, such as argan and coconut oil, are renowned for their moisturizing and anti-aging properties, driving growth in skincare and haircare products. The market is characterized by the rising demand for organic and natural ingredients in personal care formulations.

Research Analysis

The Beauty and Personal Care Products market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand from consumers for Skin care, Color cosmetics, and Hair care products. Millennials and Gen Z are leading this trend, with a preference for Cosmetics that contain Natural ingredients, Nontoxic ingredients, and Organic ingredients. Sales channels have expanded beyond traditional retail stores to include E-commerce and Specialty stores. Male consumers are also embracing the market, with a growing interest in Vegan cosmetics and Ecofriendly products. Product innovation continues to be a key driver, with an emphasis on Natural formulations and ESW (Ethical, Sustainable, and Waste-free) initiatives. Merger and acquisition activities have been frequent in the market, with the European Commission closely monitoring for compliance with regulations. Home-made remedies and DIY beauty treatments are gaining popularity, but they face competition from Conventional beauty products and Organic beauty products in the Skincare market.

Market Research Overview

The Beauty and Personal Care Products market is a dynamic and evolving industry, catering to the diverse needs of consumers worldwide. Skin care, color cosmetics, and hair care are the major segments, with a growing focus on natural, nontoxic, and organic ingredients. Millennials and Gen Z are driving demand for cosmetics with clean labels and eco-friendly packaging. Sales channels include specialty stores, e-commerce, and international trade. Male consumers and vegan cosmetics are emerging trends. Product innovation is key, with companies exploring natural formulations, merger and acquisition activities, and the use of ingredients like mushroom extracts and Vitamin C. However, concerns over parabens, silicones, nanoparticles, PEG, chemical filters, and other chemical ingredients continue to surface, leading to a shift towards more natural alternatives. Home-made remedies and DIY beauty treatments are also gaining popularity among some consumers. The European Commission is closely monitoring the industry for regulatory compliance. Overall, the market is expected to continue growing, driven by consumer preferences and advancements in technology.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Product

Skincare Products



Haircare Products



Color Cosmetics



Fragrances



Others

Channel

Offline



Online

Geography

APAC



North America



Europe



South America



Middle East And Africa



7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
WESTFORD, Mass., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to SkyQuest, the global Big Data Analytics Market size was valued at USD 272.80 billion in 2022 and is poised to grow from USD 309.35 billion in 2023 to USD 845.97 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.40% during the forecast period (2024-2031).

Furthermore, the enormous advancements in computing, the abundance of data, and the infrastructure that makes knowledge creation possible have all contributed to the growing popularity of big data analytics. By applying analytics to big data, various businesses can establish enormous opportunities to gain numerous insights with better future outcomes. Big data utilization is helping the major global firms beat their rivals in a variety of industries. Proactive leaders started utilizing big data analytics to rapidly develop their companies. The effects of mastering big data will include improved competitive advantage for long-term investments and extraordinary capacity.

Download a detailed overview:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/big-data-analytics-market

Big Data Analytics Market Overview:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $309.35 Billion Estimated Value by 2031 $845.97 Billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 13.40% Forecast Period 20242031 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Component, Data Type, Enterprise Type, Application, Business Function, Industry Vertical and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Report Highlights Advancements in computing and data infrastructure have popularized big data analytics Key Market Opportunities Increasing demand for comprehensive data integration and advanced analytics tools Key Market Drivers Predictive analytics for enhanced outcomes and cost management

Segments covered in Big Data Analytics Market are as follows:

Component Hardware (servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and data centers), software (credit risk management, business intelligence solutions, CRM Analytics, compliance analytics, workforce analytics, and others), services (consulting services, system integration services, and managed services).

Enterprise Type Large enterprises, small & medium enterprises (SMEs).

Application Data discovery & visualization (DDV), advanced analytics (AA), others

Industry Vertical BFSI, automotive, telecom/media, healthcare, life sciences, retail, energy & utility, government, others



Request Free Customization of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/big-data-analytics-market

Harnessing Big Data Analytics Components for Enhanced Operational Efficiency and Strategic Advancement

Within the field of big data analytics, components come in a variety of forms, such as data management systems, analytics tools (like Tableau), processing frameworks (like Hadoop), and data storage systems. There is efficient handling of big data that occurs through integration, hence enabling companies in a couple of industries to gain competitive edges and operational insights.

Business intelligence solutions facilitate thorough data integration, analysis, and decision-making, which is why they are essential to the worldwide big data analytics industry. In this era, data-driven ideas are encouraged by these solutions to foster innovation across all industries. Moreover, they will enhance efficiency in operations and assist in strategy execution.

The consulting, implementation, and support services necessary for implementing and optimising analytics solutions are included in the services category of the global big data analytics industry. These services ensure that big data investments generate maximum profit and business strategies evolve continuously by using analytics programmes efficiently, responding to business demands, and providing ongoing support.

View report summary and Table of Contents (TOC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/big-data-analytics-market

Unveiling Industry Verticals and the Evolution of Custom Analytics Solutions

In the worldwide big data analytics market, industry verticals refer to particular industries, such manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and retail, that use analytics to optimise operations and obtain new insights. The increased competitiveness in these sectors that foster innovation and streamline operations in turn necessitate the personalized data insights solutions.

The global big data analytics market is dominated by the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) industry, which uses data analytics to improve client experiences, better manage risks, identify fraud, and maximise operational savings. Big Data analytics drives innovation, improves compliance and facilitates strategic decision-making in the finance sector. Consequently, such merits ensure sustainable expansion and outdo competitors in a market dominated by information.

The healthcare segment plays a crucial role in the global big data analytics industry, as it leverages analytics for enhanced patient care, operational efficiency and research. This transformation of healthcare delivery is driven by big data analytics, leading to improved patient care and induced innovative treatments. Additionally, it enables predictive analytics for personalised medicine, improves clinical outcomes, reduces costs and makes population health management easier.

Unveiling Industry Dynamics and Strategic Insights in the Big Data Analytics Frontier

Big data analytics is becoming a vital component of contemporary company strategy thanks to the advancements in computing and data infrastructure. Businesses which use analytics can benefit through getting deep insights, improving their competitive edge as well as spurring innovation. Data analytics are used by many healthcare innovators in offering personalized care or aiding research while for many BFSI leaders it has been a vital tool in enhancing customer experience by reducing risks. Tailored solutions to many issues such as enhancing customer service have contributed significantly to the growth of different sectors like manufacturing and retail.

Related Reports:

AI Market

Predictive Analytics Market

Video Analytics Market

Risk Analytics Market

Cloud Analytics Market

About Us:

SkyQuest is an IP focused Research and Investment Bank and Accelerator of Technology and assets. We provide access to technologies, markets and finance across sectors viz. Life Sciences, CleanTech, AgriTech, NanoTech and Information & Communication Technology.

We work closely with innovators, inventors, innovation seekers, entrepreneurs, companies and investors alike in leveraging external sources of R&D. Moreover, we help them in optimizing the economic potential of their intellectual assets. Our experiences with innovation management and commercialization has expanded our reach across North America, Europe, ASEAN and Asia Pacific.

Contact:

Mr. Jagraj Singh

SkyQuest Technology

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA (+1) 351-333-4748

Email: [email protected]

Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg

SOURCE SkyQuest Technology
ARLINGTON, Va., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Law today announced its participation in the upcoming American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting & Conference in Chicago. As a silver sponsor, Bloomberg Law will highlight its latest advancements in content development and legal technology, including Dashboard Legal, its recently acquired project management and collaboration tool.

During the conference, scheduled from July 20 to July 23, Bloomberg Law will feature its robust AI and machine learning capabilities, including the newly integrated Clause Adviser and Representation Analytics, as well as recent enhancements to Docket Key. These tools are designed to streamline legal workflows and improve decision-making processes.

Key features include:

AI-powered tools: Bloomberg Law will demonstrate its latest generative AI-powered tools, such as Clause Adviser, which assists in drafting M&A agreements by evaluating clause favorability and providing plain-English rationales.

Expanded Dockets functionality: Bloomberg Law's market-leading Dockets have been enhanced with the addition of over 400 state courts, bringing the total to over 1,400, and with innovative features like the AI-powered Docket Path and Time to Rule Analytics. Additionally, an enhancement to Docket Key, Bloomberg Law's proprietary filing search tool, leverages machine learning to allow searching for over 200 specific motion types and their corresponding briefs in federal district court civil dockets. Users can now search by the filer of those motions as well as by the outcome to find the most persuasive examples.

Practical Guidance expansion: Bloomberg Law provides over 8,000 guidance documents, with additions covering specialty litigation, commercial, and regulatory topics, as well as guidance focused on current developments such as AI and greenwashing.

In Focus resource pages: More than 10 new pages provide deep dives into critical legal issues, including In Focus: Chevron, Loper & Agency Deference and In Focus: Overtime Exemptions & Eligibility, offering comprehensive resources to help legal professionals stay ahead in their practice.

& Agency Deference and In Focus: Overtime Exemptions & Eligibility, offering comprehensive resources to help legal professionals stay ahead in their practice. Dashboard Legal: Bloomberg Law's recently acquired project management and collaboration tool simplifies task tracking, document management, and team communication, enhancing productivity and organization. Key features include real-time visibility of legal matters, deadline tracking, supporting Bloomberg Law's vision to enhance daily legal workflows through advanced technology.

Bloomberg Law's presence at the conference will be highlighted through its active participation in key panel discussions. Bloomberg Law's panel, "SCOTUS: A Year in Review," will be held on Monday, July 22, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am CDT. Moderated by Eleanor Tyler, Principal Legal Analyst at Bloomberg Law, this panel will delve into the Supreme Court's recent decisions on critical issues such as Chevron deference, gun regulation, and FDA regulations, providing insights into their implications for the legal landscape.

Additionally, Bloomberg Law Library Relations Director Madeline Cohen will participate in a panel, "You Are Kenough: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome for Career Growth" on the same day from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm CDT. The session focuses on the challenges of imposter syndrome in the legal field.

"We are thrilled to demonstrate how Bloomberg Law's continuous innovation and customer-focused enhancements make a real difference in the daily work of legal professionals," said Joe Breda, president, Bloomberg Law. "Our value our participation at AALL and look forward each year to connecting with the library community to showcase our latest advancements."

About Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg Law combines the latest in legal technology with workflow tools, comprehensive primary and secondary sources, trusted news, expert analysis, and business intelligence. For more than a decade, Bloomberg Law has been a trailblazer in its application of AI and machine learning. Bloomberg Law's deep expertise and commitment to innovation provide a competitive edge to help improve attorney productivity and efficiency. For more information, visit Bloomberg Law.

SOURCE Bloomberg Law
SHARJAH, UAE, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Honorary President of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), has launched the 'Read You're in Sharjah' campaign, implemented by Menassah Distribution Company. The initiative aims to foster a culture of reading across society and solidify Sharjah's reputation as the cultural capital of the Arab world.

Bodour Al Qasimi Launches 'Read Youre in Sharjah' Campaign (PRNewsfoto/Emirates Publishers Association)

Inspired by Sharjah's renowned slogan, "Smile You Are In Sharjah," the campaign celebrates the emirate's profound reverence for books and knowledge. Sharjah, acclaimed as the "World Book Capital" in 2019 for its steadfast support of culture, reading, and literature, epitomises a beacon for intellectual pursuits.

Sheikha Bodour underlined the campaign's mission to embed reading as a daily practice, particularly among youth and adolescents. She emphasised the collective responsibility of cultural institutions in Sharjah to inspire and engage the younger generation through tailored initiatives that resonate with their interests, nurturing their thirst for knowledge and awareness.

Aligned with Sharjah's cultural aspirations and its global outreach through literature, the campaign reflects a commitment to cultivating cultural creativity within the Arabic language, Sheikha Bodour confirmed.

Rashid Al-Kous, General Manager of Menassah Distribution Company, stated that the launch of the campaign, under the generous patronage of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, reflects Menassah's commitment to instilling a love of reading in future generations and promoting Emirati publishers' publications. As part of its efforts to realise Sharjah's cultural vision, a key priority is nurturing a reading society that contributes to the emirate's cultural enrichment. Al-Kous praised Sheikha Bodour for her pivotal role in instilling a culture of reading within the local community and her tireless efforts to make books accessible to all.

He added: "Through this campaign, we aim to offer high-quality Emirati and Arab cultural content to members of the community to support and promote this content in all its forms, and to encourage reading in the Arabic language. This is part of our mission to enhance the intellectual renaissance in the Emirate of Sharjah and enrich its cultural landscape, consolidating its status as the cultural capital of the Arab world, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah."

The campaign spotlights and celebrates Sharjah's rich cultural heritage, integrating reading spaces within the emirate's historical landmarks to perpetuate its authentic values through generations.

Menassah Distribution Company plans an extensive promotional drive targeting Sharjah's local community, with a special focus on engaging the youth through compelling narratives that enrich their lives with pleasure and knowledge. This initiative espouses a community of avid readers, reinforcing connectivity and cultural exchange among people.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2463395/Bodour_Al_Qasimi.jpg

SOURCE Emirates Publishers Association
An Ohio police officer shot and killed a man just blocks from the Republican National Convention's security perimeter on Milwaukee's north side Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

In a statement, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 President Brian Steel said no officers were injured in the shooting by the Columbus police officer. It's not clear what prompted the shooting.

Bystander Wanda Kimble told reporters at the scene she saw multiple police officers fire at least 20 shots at a man she and another bystander said was named Jehovah. She said the man lived in a tent in an alleyway for months.

"They shot him down in broad daylight, in front of the King Center," she said, which is named for the slain Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnsons chief of staff, Jeff Fleming, said he didnt know what prompted the shooting, though he and Alexi Worley, a spokesperson in the conventions joint command center, said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself. Worley referred additional questions to the Milwaukee Police Department.

That agency didnt immediately respond to an email seeking more details. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office said an adult male was shot and killed. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

Kenneth Johnson, who works with Friends Without Shelter, a group that helps feed those in need, told the Wisconsin State Journal on scene he feeds people who live in the same alleyway regularly and they have never given him an issue.

Kimble complained that the security perimeter around the convention is making it difficult for residents in predominantly Black neighborhoods on Milwaukee's north side to access resources in the city, which are primarily downtown near the RNC.

The news comes just a day after Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming, at a breakfast event at the RNC, said Milwaukee "right now is the safest place on the face of the planet" thanks to the huge presence of police and other security officers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BrainLit is delighted to announce the installation of its Biocentric lighting system at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. This initiative, completed in collaboration with Hagerman, positions Brebeuf Jesuit as a leader in adopting innovative technologies to enhance educational environments.

This installation is part of an ongoing effort by BrainLit and Hagerman to introduce Biocentric lighting to a variety of environments, including educational institutions, corporate offices, and healthcare facilities.

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School is the first high school in Indiana to implement Biocentric lighting, a system designed to replicate natural light patterns and improve the well-being and academic performance of students and staff. The installation, set to be completed by August, will revolutionize the school's lighting environment, providing numerous benefits supported by scientific research.

"Brebeuf Jesuit believes in the care of the whole person, and mental health and wellness is a key part of that focus," said JD Ferries-Rowe, VP for Campus Operations at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. "The Biocentric lighting in our Tim Boldt Lounge and our Formation Room helps create an environment that supports overall well-being and contributes to academic excellence."

Traditional school lighting often fails to support the circadian rhythms essential for good sleep and cognitive function. BrainLit's Biocentric lighting system addresses this by mimicking the natural light cycle, which helps regulate sleep patterns, reduces stress, and improves mood and alertness. Studies have demonstrated that students exposed to blue-enriched light perform better academically and experience fewer sleep disturbances.

Jeff Hagerman, Chairman of Hagerman, shared his excitement about the collaboration, stating, "Partnering with BrainLit and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School on this project will provide spaces to enhance the learning environment. Biocentric lighting is a transformative technology that we believe will become standard in educational settings."

This installation is part of an ongoing effort by BrainLit and Hagerman to introduce Biocentric lighting to a variety of environments, including educational institutions, corporate offices, and healthcare facilities. The partnership aims to showcase the versatility and benefits of this advanced lighting technology.

Kyle Harris, CEO of BrainLit, emphasized the broader impact of the partnership, saying, "Our collaboration with Hagerman is enabling us to reach new heights in creating environments that enhance well-being and performance. The installation at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School is a prime example of how Biocentric lighting can benefit diverse settings."

The successful implementation of this system at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School sets a new standard for high schools in Indiana and beyond, demonstrating the significant passive advantages of adopting Biocentric lighting solutions.

For more information about BrainLit and its Biocentric lighting solutions, please visit BrainLit's website.

About BrainLit

Founded in 2012 by Tord Wingren, one of the inventors of Bluetooth technology, BrainLit is dedicated to improving life under artificial light. The company has pioneered the development of Biocentric lightinga technology that simulates natural daylight indoors to enhance health, well-being, and performance. Today, more than 35,000 individuals across various sectors experience the benefits of BrainLit's environments daily.

About Hagerman

Hagerman, founded in 1908, is a family-owned construction company headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With a rich history spanning over a century, Hagerman has built a reputation for excellence and innovation in the construction industry. The company specializes in a wide range of services, including general contracting, construction management, and design-build projects. Hagerman is committed to delivering high-quality projects that meet the unique needs of their clients, with a focus on sustainability, safety, and community engagement. Through its collaborative approach and dedication to customer satisfaction, Hagerman has become a trusted partner for educational institutions, healthcare facilities, commercial developments, and more.

About Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a private, Catholic high school founded in 1962. Guided by the Jesuit tradition of education, Brebeuf Jesuit is dedicated to the formation of the whole personmind, body, and spirit. The school offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a strong emphasis on social justice, and a commitment to community service. With a diverse and inclusive student body, Brebeuf Jesuit fosters an environment where students are encouraged to grow intellectually, morally, and spiritually. The school's mission is to prepare students for lives of leadership and service, rooted in the values of compassion, integrity, and excellence.

SOURCE BrainLit North America Inc
"Saman and I have the same trial philosophy as Shook, which is one of the few firms that can take cases all the way through trial, if necessary. We believe our clients benefit from having top-tier trial counsel as part of a strategic approach to managing litigation," said Kondon from Shook's Los Angeles office.

"We were drawn to Shook's investment in a business model and structure that works for its lawyers and clients," said Rejali, speaking from Los Angeles. "Additionally, I was attracted to a firm that develops and promotes women, particularly in management roles. You don't see women as chairs of major law firms too often, and I'm looking forward to Madeleine McDonough's leadership."

Kondon and Rejali represent management in all aspects of employment law, with a focus on employment-related litigation. Kondon brings more than 30 years of experience, and has obtained several defense verdicts. He counsels clients on terminations, employment discrimination, wage and hour, and has handled administrative proceedings before various state and federal agencies as well as arbitrations before tribunals throughout the state of California. Kondon has worked across many different industries, including manufacturing, technology, shipping and health care.

Rejali has been second-chair in jury trials and in arbitration. She manages a diverse portfolio of litigation and has successfully obtained summary judgment in favor of companies in a wide variety of industries including health, technology and consumer goods, which align with Shook's clients. Both Kondon and Rejali have successfully defeated class certification in wage and hour class actions, and have overseen the litigation and resolution of many PAGA actions.

Shook's national employment litigation and policy team, led by William Martucci and Carrie McAtee, represents corporate employers including as national counsel for a number of Fortune 500 companies.

"We are thrilled to be expanding our depth and bench of trial lawyers in California," said Employment Litigation Partner Carrie McAtee, who serves on Shook's Executive Committee and is a leading national employment litigator and policy strategist. "In particular, California has become a hotbed of wage and hour lawsuits. Chris and Saman bring a high level of experience that will complement our existing national team and be of great value to our clients."

"This powerful duo builds perfectly on Shook's strategic focus in the ever dynamic and complex California Employment Litigation and Policy Practice," said Shook Partner William Martucci who leads the practice.

Kondon and Rejali will practice nationally from Shook's Los Angeles office, which marks its five-year anniversary in 2024 and has exploded from five to 27 lawyers. The office, managed by Michael Mallow, who also co-leads Shook's Class Action and Appellate teams, recently located to a larger space in Century City to accommodate accelerating growth. The Los Angeles office recently added Partners Alycia Degen, Jan Dodd, Michael Shortnacy and Stephen B. Weisburd, all from larger firms.

"It's a special homecoming for me. There's no doubt about it," said Kondon. "Collaborating with Michael Mallow, Colm Moran and Robert Feyder again is something I am really looking forward to." Kondon, Mallow, Moran and Feyder practiced together for many years early in their careers.

Shook's litigation and trial teams represent most of the world's leading health, science and technology companies on just about every type of claim. ALM selected Shook as a finalist for the Litigation Department of the Year  Product Liability in 2023. Best Lawyers awarded Shook the 2024 Practice Group of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action  Defendants.

Kondon earned his law degree from Loyola Law School  Los Angeles. He is ranked among The Best Lawyers of America.

Rejali earned her J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, cum laude. She speaks and writes frequently in her area of law.

Shook currently has California offices in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco.

About Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 19 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling.

SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
Tuesday Health's Supportive Care Services Now Available to Ohioans Receiving Health Care via CareSource's MyCare Services at No Extra Cost

CLEVELAND, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeast Ohioans with the most serious medical needs have a new resource they can turn to for help as a result of a new partnership between Tuesday Health and CareSource.

"We are excited to partner with CareSource to bring our transformative supportive care services to eligible MyCare Ohio members," said Jim Wieland, CEO of Tuesday Health. "Our member-centric approach, coupled with CareSource's commitment to delivering exceptional care, will ensure that seriously ill individuals receive the support and resources they need to live their best lives."

Tuesday Health: Value-Based Supportive Care (PRNewsfoto/Tuesday Health)

Tuesday Health is a pioneer in providing high-quality supportive care for patients with serious illnesses, including support for managing symptoms associated with treatment for severe conditions, making sure treatment choices match members' goals and values, and helping complete advanced directives if needed. Thanks to the new partnership with CareSource, people in Northeast Ohio who are members of CareSource's MyCare Ohio services will have access to Tuesday Health's expertise and care at no extra cost.

"Tuesday Health can tackle complex medical cases and surround patients with comprehensive, whole-person care, while also supporting their caregivers," said Steve Ringel, Ohio Market President for CareSource. "They have the same mission-driven, patient-centered approach as CareSource, and share our passion for innovation, value and operational excellence. This is a natural partnership of like-minded people and organizations and I'm excited about the benefits it will bring to CareSource's MyCare Ohio members."

The new services are available immediately to seriously ill CareSource MyCare Ohio members in Northeast Ohio. To learn more about Tuesday Health, visit www.TuesdayHealth.com . CareSource MyCare Ohio members can call Tuesday Health at 1-440-491-8077 to enroll.

About CareSource

CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with more than 2 million members. CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care. For more information, visit us at www.caresource.com/oh/plans , or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter , LinkedIn or Facebook .

About Tuesday Health

Tuesday Health is a value-based supportive care organization that delivers patient-directed, whole-person care and support for seriously ill patients and their caregivers. The company is dedicated to transforming supportive and end of life care through clinical expertise, industry-leading data, and technology. Launched in 2023, Tuesday Health was developed from a partnership of Valtruis, Mass General Brigham Ventures, and Blue Venture Fund.

Media Contacts

Joe Kelley

Media Relations Manager, CareSource

[email protected]

513-509-8466

Kelli Campbell, RN

Communications, Tuesday Health

[email protected]

844-698-8373

SOURCE Tuesday Health
Johnny Depp reveals a collection of four tarot-inspired artworks referencing the ancient card deck

The artworks will go on sale from 2pm BST/ 9am EDT 18 July 2024 , exclusively at www.castlefineart.com and their nationwide UK galleries

, exclusively at www.castlefineart.com and their nationwide UK galleries The collection draws upon Depp's previous artwork, acting, and deeply personal experiences in a uniquely symbolic style

The four artworks, 'The Lovers', 'The Emperor', 'The Empress' and 'Strength' can be appreciated individually or as a set

Hear Johnny Depp discuss the story behind Tarot: https://youtu.be/sMaSRqazS1o

LONDON, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnny Depp, the acclaimed actor, musician, and artist, reveals his new art collection, Tarot, a series limited to 195 editions, exclusively available from Castle Fine Art today.

Tarot includes four distinct works: 'The Lovers', 'The Empress', 'The Emperor', and 'Strength'. These captivating figures are inspired by Depp's life, dreams, and subconscious mind and are portrayed in a unique symbolic style.

 Johnny Depp, Tarot, 'The Lovers', 'The Emperor', 'The Empress' and 'Strength' & 2024. Image courtesy of Castle Fine Art.

This latest release follows Depp's four acclaimed collections. In 2022, Depp's debut worldwide release Friends & Heroes I sold out in a matter of hours, Friends & Heroes II and Five (2023) followed with the same iconic photographic references. Last year, Depp started a new artistic direction journey with The Bunnyman Genesis. An insight into powerful self-expression, the series explored a night-time vision of a benevolent creature, an inseparable friend and powerful self-representation of Depp.

The new collection draws inspiration from the intriguing iconography of tarot. 'The Emperor' and 'The Empress' are both major arcana cards in traditional decks and are depicted as crowned rulers in the artist's interpretation. Similarly, 'The Lovers', typically depicted nude, are dressed in elegant formal wear. Another unique interpretation is seen in 'Strength', where the traditional lion is replaced with an elephant, chosen for its symbolic qualities by the artist.

A lover of the supernatural, Depp has long incorporated tarot into his life. Depp has assimilated the age-old iconography for this new series, taking the storied imagery of the cards as his muse. As he's reflected, "I've always been tremendously curious about tarot and there's a great art to the cards". Across the artworks, he conjures themes of parenthood, love, relationships, and career.

Depp joins a tradition of artists who have played with tarot, including Salvador Dali, who spent a decade crafting his dreamlike pack, and Mexican painter Leonora Carrington, who populated her cards with mythological creatures. Depp's four cards rework traditional designs and themes, merging the artist's passion for symbolism, spirituality and storytelling.

'The Lovers' is "the beginning of the story" and conjures depictions of kindred spirits, with fluid colours reflecting a balance between masculine and feminine, conscious and subconscious. The cinematic scene, which evokes Hollywood glamour, allows for numerous readings. Depp himself has said that the male figure who holds the rose is warding off danger and "protecting" the female. The work evokes an equilibrium beyond purely romantic love. Swept into the hazy composition are themes of harmony, choice and commitment.

Although an eyeless and mysterious figure, 'The Emperor' is authoritative and powerful but "not necessarily to be trusted". The character, styled as a 17th-century French Monarch, was inspired by a work Depp created while filming Jeanne du Barry in Versailles. A metaphor for acting out roles, Depp says of 'The Emperor', "He's not really there.", and seems to stand for the many guises that we all wear. 'The Emperor' invites you to look beneath the cloak of power and authority for the true sources of strength. Depp says "it kind of represents ignorant power. I certainly wouldn't dare put my own face as an emperor. Never. I made 'The Emperor' somewhat faceless because if you put the Emperor next to the Empress who do you trust?... The Empress"

'The Empress' pays tribute to Vanessa Paradis, the mother of Depp's two children, and takes inspiration from a painting he did that was used for the cover of Paradis' studio album 'Divinidylle'. Of the tarnished crown adorned by 'The Empress', Depp says, "It looks like a crown that has weathered storms. It shows a certain courage and strength of commitment. the Crown has been through a lot; she still shines." Through this artwork, Depp has paid tribute to Paradis, with whom he has remained "very close". Seated in a stoic pose, she appears as the artist has described her, "I know who she is inside. She's magnificent. She's pragmatic. She's practical."

'Strength' is inspired by a large-scale painting Depp created when expecting the birth of his first child with Vanessa Paradis. The philosophical question "Why do you want to fight with something that doesn't want to fight with you?" is etched into the surface as if spoken by the majestic elephant that gazes at the viewer. The elephant is important to Depp, who says, "They don't live with any sort of menace in their bone and protective their own to the bitter end." The maternal instincts Depp saw in Paradis made him explore ideas of inner strength when painting the original elephant, stating that "a veil was lifted" when he became a parent for the first time.

Depp hopes collectors will form their own meanings and interpretations from the artworks, which can be read individually or as a set of four. He says the artworks could "represent in a way, a reading for me that I lived but also activating all the characters that I've played throughout my life."

Ian Weatherby-Blythe, Managing Director of Castle Fine Art, said: "This latest collection from Johnny Depp is perhaps his most revealing and evocative. The four artworks are clearly deeply personal and showcase Johnny's formidable skills as an artist."

Notes to editors:

Sale opens Thursday 18 July, 2pm BST / 9am EDT exclusively from Castle Fine Art nationwide UK galleries, partner gallery Castle Contemporary 413 West Broadway, Soho, New York and worldwide, www.castlefineart.com

High-res images and BTS imagery are available via this Dropbox link

Images should be used in conjunction with the correct image credit:

 Johnny Depp, Tarot 'The Lovers', 'The Emperor', The Empress' and 'Strength' 2024. Image courtesy of Castle Fine Art. Photographic credits of Johnny Depp: Pantheon Art.

Listen to Johnny Depp share the story behind the Tarot collection: https://youtu.be/sMaSRqazS1o

Direct link to purchase: https://www.castlefineart.com/uk/artists/johnny-depp/tarot

Edition Information:

Image size: 29'' x 46'', Framed Size: 34" x 50". Edition size: 195.

Medium: Silkscreen and Archival Pigment on 640gsm Waterford paper, with hand deckled edges and 24ct gold leaf. 'The Lovers' is also embellished with red marbled leaf.

Each piece is individually hand signed by Johnny Depp.

Emboss stamped by hand with Johnny's mark of authenticity, The Bunnyman.

Individual framed retail: 3,950/$4,500.

Set paper retail: 13,950/$14,500, Set framed retail: 14,950/$15,950.

The non-framed set is presented in a portfolio, handmade using the finest materials, hand-screened branding and logos to the front and reverse in gold archival pigment. The interior is covered in high-quality archival black paper with inserts to hold the artworks securely and help protect the paper's deckled edges. The interleaf, which protects the face of the artwork inside the folio, is a 90gsm acid-free, PH-neutral semi-transparent paper.

Johnny Depp Artist Biography

For Johnny, art has been a constant outlet for his personal creativity. With his sketchbook as a permanent fixture in this hand, Depp is constantly sketching or visually conceptualising the world around him. His mind rejects the ordinary, challenges the accepted and oscillates between the pictural and the lyrical, giving rise to his own multi-layered expressionistic style.

About Castle Fine Art

As the UK's leading group of retail art galleries, Castle Fine Art has been at the heart of the contemporary art movement for nearly 30 years. Specialising in original fine art, hand-signed limited editions and sculptures, we unite collectors with artworks from some of the most renowned figures in the art world.

Recent releases include work by Johnny Depp, Bob Dylan, Billy Connolly, Paul Kenton and John Myatt in addition to renowned British sculptor, Steve Winterburn. Castle Fine Art also works with artist of miniatures, Nic Joly and Scarlett Raven, whose textured landscape paintings have positioned her as one of the most exciting female artists in the UK today.

We offer an exceptional collection of art for all, discover more at our network of 38 galleries across the UK or worldwide at castlefineart.com. Find us on social media @castlegalleries.

Castle Contemporary is the partner gallery to Castle Fine Art. Located at 413 West Broadway, Soho, New York, Castle Contemporary opened in 2023 and brings a wide range of contemporary artists including work from exclusive artists Bob Dylan and James McQueen, as well as exclusive pieces from Johnny Depp.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2463397/JD_Tarot.jpg

SOURCE Castle Fine Art
Vivid Images Reveal the Myriad Scenes of China's Modernization

BEIJING, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "The reform and opening-up, China's second revolution, has not only profoundly changed China but also deeply influenced the world!" The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, held in Beijing from July 15 to 18, 2024, marked the start of a new era for China's reform and opening-up, when more energy would be injected into a turbulent and interconnected world.

The Poster of "New Chapters in the Reform and Opening-up"

The Global Chinese Programming Center of CCTV-4 under China Media Group, broadcast a 13-part special series, "New Chapters in the Reform and Opening-Up" from July 6 to July 18. Focusing on China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, the programs show how the reform and opening-up is being implemented in practice in each region and recount from multiple angles the story of China's modernization.

These special programs, in capturing and exploring the features of China's coordinated development and innovative practices, focus on various aspects, such as the economy, technology, culture and the environment, and fully reveal the great success of the reform and opening-up across the country. For example, "The Beijing Chapter" turns the lens on the newly-upgraded Zhongguancun high-tech zone and the city's green ecology. "The Hebei Chapter" studies the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, as well as that of Xiongan, the smart city of the future. "The Hainan Chapter" highlights the coordinated development of technology and the environment at the Hainan Free Trade Port. "The Shanxi Chapter" showcases energy transformation and the integration of culture and tourism. And "The Xizang Chapter" takes as its theme how the highest-altitude transport network in the world is making life happier for the people living in the region.

Feature Page of "New Chapters of Reform and Opening-Up"

https://tv.cctv.com/2024/07/10/VIDAjaN1dj9t7fZXiR1TUPoL240710.shtml?spm=C55953877151.PjvMkmVd9ZhX.0.0

SOURCE CCTV4
DUBAI, UAE, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Commitbiz LLC, one of the reputed management consulting firms, recently setup a co-workspace in Oman called Muscat Business Park. Located inside Jasmine Complex in Al Khuwair, the business park aims to support global investors in Oman with a convenient workspace concept, for the purpose of company registration and to carry out initial business operations in Oman.

The management consulting firm helps entrepreneurs set up a business in the Middle East by offering numerous services with regard to business registration. In addition to this, they offer fully furnished, modern office spaces to cater to businesses of all sizes. Equipped with contemporary furniture, the co-workspace meets the highest standards of aesthetics, comfort, and functionality, enabling teams to focus and work efficiently.

Commitbiz's vision of establishing the Muscat Business Park is to expand into multiple countries and become a global brand. Some of the amenities and services offered in the business park include spacious meeting rooms, 24x7 Wi-Fi, water, electricity and AC utilities, seating area for guests, access to the Express highway road, and security cameras, among others.

Commitbiz LLC is the only registered management consultant vendor inside Sohar and Salalah free zones in Oman. Moreover, they have ensured that Omanisation laws are taken care of by employing 40 percent of Omani nationals in their office.

About Commitbiz LLC

The award-winning firm, established by a group of professionals in 2007, has been at the forefront of easing business setup in Dubai and the Middle East. They provide world-class management advisory services, following a client-centric approach. Working closely with multiple government authorities, their business consultants are well-equipped to address the concerns of business people and provide them with tailored business solutions.

Over the years, Commitbiz LLC has accomplished many milestones. It includes opening its first branch office in Abu Dhabi, expanding business operations to Bahrain, and catering to 10,000+ happy clients across 150+ countries, among others. They have managed to do so by staying true to their mission of simplifying business registration across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Middle Eastern countries. Numerous prestigious awards bestowed on them during the 17-year-long journey reflect the trust placed on them by entrepreneurs.

Commitbiz LLC, which boasts a team of over 175 business consultants, is one of the trusted names when looking to incorporate a business in the Middle East. Contact them to realise your entrepreneurial dreams.

SOURCE Commitbiz LLC
Restaurant Platform Company Introduces Unique Around-the-World Hot Dog Concept In-Store and Online

CHICAGO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Hot Dog Day, Craveworthy Brands ("Craveworthy")  the innovative fast casual restaurant platform company  is excited to announce the upcoming launch of Nomad Dawgs, a quick service concept that takes guests on a journey to savor unique varieties of hot dogs from around the world. Nomad Dawgs will be available in-store and digitally at participating Wing It On! locations, starting July 22, 2024.

The one-of-a-kind concept stems from the culinary genius of Craveworthy's Creator Chef Robert Kabakoff and VP of Culinary and Supply Chain Becca McIntyre, who had the vision of creating a home-grown brand inspired by their travels. Each "dawg" is inspired by a location or culture from around the globe and features the local cuisine, including "The Empire State," "The Munich," "Fast and Furious" and many others.

"Along with Craveworthy's dedication to embracing every culinary segment in our vast portfolio, our lead chefs and the rest of the team have a real knack for travel, and trying various cuisines in the places we visit," said CEO and Founder of Craveworthy Brands, Gregg Majewski. "We wanted to bring some of these experiences to life by introducing a unique concept that has really never been done before with hot dogs, offering a little taste of the world under one roof."

Nomad Dawgs will be offered at participating Wing It On! locations across the nation, from the original store in Waterbury, Connecticut to Mt. Dora, Florida near Orlando and Copiague, New York on Long Island. The around-the-world hot dogs will be included on Wing It On!'s craveworthy menu of perfectly crispy chicken wings and boneless bites with 20-plus unique sauces, hand-crafted chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and an array of tantalizing sides. Guests will be able to order from the well-traveled lineup in-store as well online for pick-up and digitally through third-party.

"Nomad Dawgs is the perfect add-on to Wing It On!'s already robust menu, creating a synergy between consumer favoriteschicken wings with innovative sauce options and a flavorful, global experience of a complimentary food like hot dogs," said Wing It On! Founder and Brand President, Matt Ensero. "In addition to deepening the bench of culinary options for guests at Wing It On!, the new concept will also create new avenues of revenue and opportunity to tap new consumers for existing and prospective franchise partners."

Accompanied by Wing It On!, Nomad Dawgs will also be opening its first stand-alone, brick-and-mortar location in Las Vegas along with others in the coming future.

Craveworthy Brands was created with the mission to serve a variety of delicious foods to accommodate different palates and Nomad Dawgs' hot dog creations are a true testament to offering guests options, from anywhere, whenever they crave it.

To learn more about Craveworthy Brands and Nomad Dawgs, please visit https://www.craveworthybrands.com. To find your nearest Wing It On! location, please visit https://www.wingiton.com.

About Craveworthy Brands

Craveworthy Brands, the parent company of Bd's Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill, Hot Chicken Takeover, Krafted Burger Bar + Tap, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Pastizza Pizza & Pasta, Nomad Dawgs, Scramblin' Ed's, Sigri Indian BBQ, Soom Soom Mediterranean, taim Mediterranean Kitchen, The Budlong Southern Chicken and Wing It On!, is dedicated to invigorating and supercharging legacy brands while nurturing and growing emerging brands. The company brings together diverse, yet complementary brands and an accomplished, veteran leadership team in the growing culinary space. In addition to building and operating leading restaurant brands, Craveworthy Brands is active in the communities it serves and creates exciting career opportunities for its team members. Bridging the distinctive individuality of its concepts with a shared culture and spirit of collaboration, the Company's goal is to create truly unique and craveworthy experiences every day, every shift and at every turn. Learn more about Craveworthy and its brands at CraveworthyBrands.com.

SOURCE Craveworthy Brands
Market-leading Real Estate Developer, Investor and Operator Honored for Industry and Community Leadership; Outstanding Projects Across Industrial, Life Science, Office and Multifamily

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Crescent Communities as its 2024 Developer of the Year  the association's highest honor. The award will be presented during NAIOP's CRE.Converge conference in Las Vegas this October.

"We are honored to be named this year's Developer of the Year by NAIOP, and we are humbled that the organization has recognized our extraordinary team and our community-driven development approach as an industry game-changer," said Crescent Communities Chairman and CEO Brian Natwick. "Our mission is to build community and better people's lives, and we believe that starts from the inside out. We are as equally dedicated to designing and developing commercial and multifamily communities that enrich the way people work and live, as we are to creating an internal culture of connection and innovation, and this award underscores our unwavering commitment to these principles."

Formed in 1963 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Crescent Communities' development portfolio has included more than 82 multifamily communities and 24 million square feet of commercial space. Crescent Communities is active in 17 markets nationwide and has eight offices in the U.S., including Charlotte; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Orlando, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix.

Crescent Communities continues to thrive even in difficult times due to its ability to expand business offerings by leveraging extensive experience and innovation.

In 2021, Crescent expanded its multifamily portfolio offering to include a mid-market brand called RENDER by Crescent Communities and a single family built-to-rent brand called HARMON by Crescent Communities to complement the existing award-wining luxury brand of NOVEL by Crescent Communities, which has become nationally recognized since 2010.





In 2022, Crescent chose to brand its long-standing industrial developments AXIAL by Crescent Communities to further leverage brand awareness across markets. Lastly, Crescent branded its life science developments, THE YIELD by Crescent Communities in 2023 after the successful launch of its first project with over three million square feet of highly amenitized campus-style life science and advanced manufacturing space in 2021.



Despite the current challenges of office development, Crescent Communities has continued to invest in strategic and selective locations, including Carson & Tryon, a 31-story mixed-use development in Charlotte's South End  recognized as one of the nation's hottest development submarkets  which will include more than 30,000 square feet of employee-centric amenities. Crescent also led the complete overhaul of Charlotte's iconic One Independence Center with 20 stories of modern Class A office space complemented by a new food hall called Monarch Market, including several upscale bars and additional retail that has helped reimagine this portion of Uptown Charlotte.

Overall, the developer had a banner year in 2023, with $7.2 billion of active multifamily and commercial investments under construction and in planning including 7.5 million square feet of industrial, life science, and office space, and more than 15,000 multifamily units under its NOVEL, HARMON, and RENDER brands. Since 2010, Crescent Communities has raised over $7.8B in third-part capital, working with over 82 capital partners.

Guided by its core values  "Do What's Right, Be Curious, Innovate Always, Deliver Excellence"  Crescent Communities has implemented daily practices to further its commitment to stewardship, including its impactful work through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force and its intentional partnerships with minority and women-owned businesses. Crescent Communities has also been recognized as a national leader for its sustainability efforts, with developments that incorporate LEED, National Green Building Standard (NGBS), Fitwel and WELL certifications. And the developer is currently pursuing One Planet Living designation across The River District, its 1,400-acre master planned development in West Charlotte, the first community in the Southeast to implement this ambitious and forward-looking framework that supports circularity, responsible transit, health and a reduced carbon footprint.

"All our core values are integral to the work we do, but our commitment to 'do what's right,' is truly something we believe in and put into practice every day across all of our projects and communities," said Crescent Communities Commercial President Brendan Pierce. "It's that integrity, and the innovation that results from finding the right answer  not the easy answer  that enables us to adapt across multiple sectors and serve as a leader in the commercial space."

Since 1979, the NAIOP Developer of the Year award has been presented to a development company that best exemplifies leadership and innovation in the commercial real estate industry. Crescent Communities was selected from an impressive slate of nominees and was evaluated by a team of seasoned developers on the following criteria: outstanding quality of projects and services; active support of the industry through NAIOP; financial consistency and stability; ability to adapt to market conditions; and support of the local community.

"It is NAIOP's honor to recognize the tremendous work of Crescent Communities as the 2024 Developer of the Year. Its ongoing commitment to advancing the commercial real estate industry through cutting-edge innovation and exemplary real estate development across many property sectors is impressive," said Marc Selvitelli, NAIOP president and CEO. "Crescent Communities has demonstrated significant market resilience and adaptability, overcoming economic headwinds to consistently deliver value."

About NAIOP

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the leading organization for developers, owners, investors and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP provides unparalleled industry networking and education and advocates for effective legislation on behalf of our members. NAIOP advances responsible, sustainable development that creates jobs and benefits the communities in which our members work and live. For more information, visit naiop.org.

About Crescent Communities

Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate investor, developer, and operator of mixed-use "communities." We create high-quality, differentiated multifamily and commercial communities in many of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Since 1963, our development portfolio has included more than 85 multifamily communities and 24 million square feet of commercial space. Crescent Communities has offices in Charlotte, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix. Our multifamily communities are branded NOVEL, RENDER and HARMON by Crescent Communities, our industrial developments are branded AXIAL by Crescent Communities, and our life science developments are branded THE YIELD by Crescent Communities.

SOURCE NAIOP
48-star American Flag flown on US Navy 'first wave' landing craft during Invasion of Normandy, retrieved as souvenir by sailor onboard ship, flies high at $73,800

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- June 29th was an exciting day for war historians who attended or bid remotely in Milestone Auctions' Premier Military Auction. Collectors boldly stepped up to claim their unique prizes from a 700-lot selection representing conflicts from the Civil War through Vietnam era. The auction closed the books at $900,000 and, as predicted, the top seller was a US Navy D-Day archive whose centerpiece was a 48-star Ensign #10 American Battle Flag.

US Navy D-Day grouping including D-Day Ensign #10 American Battle Flag flown on LCI-538 during first wave to land at Omaha Beach, Invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944. Provenance: Motor Machinist's Mate First Class Frank R Maratea, who was aboard the ship during the invasion. Archive included WWII US Navy Commission streamer flag, Maratea's military papers, photographs, D-Day Landings 50th Anniversary Reunion ephemera. Sold for $73,800 against an estimate of $40,000-$60,000 WWII D-Day 'Operation Neptune' Omaha Beach West (Vierville-sur-Mer) map marked 'TOP SECRET BIGOT' and showing landing operations and associated airborne operations for Tuesday, June 6, 1944 Allied Invasion of Normandy, Operation Overlord. Mint condition. Sold for $23,370 against an estimate of $4,000-$5,000

The iconic red, white and blue textile was flying on LCI-538 as the "first wave" of naval craft landed at Omaha Beach during the June 6, 1944 Invasion of Normandy. A near-sacred symbol of the coordinated effort in which the Allied Armies' land, air and sea forces united to achieve the largest military invasion in history, the flag was retrieved as a souvenir by Motor Machinist's Mate First Class Frank R Maratea, who was aboard LCI-538 as it made landfall on that fateful day. The archive also included a WWII US Navy Commission streamer flag, Maratea's own Honorable Discharge and military papers; original photographs taken on Omaha Beach and on the deck of LCI-538, and ephemera from the D-Day Landings 50th Anniversary Reunion. A unique grouping with impeccable documentation, it sold for $73,800 against a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Another highly important D-Day memento was a map critical to the Omaha Beach West assault phase of "Operation Neptune," the code name for the Battle of Normandy. Showing the area in and around the community of Vierville-sur-Mer, the map also included landing and associated airborne plans for the D-Day invasion. It was marked "TOP SECRET BIGOT"  BIGOT being an acronym for "British Invasion of German Occupied Territory." Carefully preserved for 80 years, the mint-condition map easily found its way to $23,370 against an estimate of $4,000-$5,000.

A circa-1941/'42 Nazi German Luftwaffe "honor" goblet was die-struck, hammered and of silverplate over nickel/silver construction. Its obverse bore the image of two eagles engaged in aerial combat, while its reverse showed the 1939 Iron Cross. The German inscription included the recipient's name, rank and date of the award plus a German phrase that translates to "For Exceptional Achievement in the Air War." It sold for $6,765.

The auction included many significant items from the now-closed American Armored Foundation Inc Tank and Ordnance Memorial Museum of Danville, Virginia. With a mission to display and preserve as many tank and cavalry artifacts as possible, the 333,000-square-foot museum's core holding was the private collection donated by high-tech entrepreneur and military history expert William Gasser. Among the museum's artillery holdings was a 1940s 20mm Orlikon MK II "cutaway" cannon of a type that was used as a teaching device by both sides during WWII. The auction example displayed ship/anchor proofs throughout and was marked GM for its manufacturer, General Motors. It sold within estimate for $11,070.

An unusual-looking WWII Nazi German totenkopf (skull and crossbones) helmet painted with the skull shield of the Finnish 4th Division, Kev Os 4 (Light Unit No. 4) rose to the top of the helmet category. Soviets nicknamed the unit "Belaya Smjert," or "White Death," in reference to the accomplished ski troops who painted the macabre skull motif on their helmets to intimidate the enemy. The helmet surpassed its $1,000-$5,000 estimate to achieve $6,900.

Visit Milestone online at www.milestoneauctions.com

Media Contact:

Miles King, Milestone Auctions

440-527-8060

[email protected]

SOURCE Milestone Auctions
After a slow ascent, business travel appears poised to meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels, despite headwinds from high prices and sustainability goals

NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Key takeaways

Amid rising prices and increasing trip frequency, 73% of travel managers surveyed expect their companies travel spend to climb in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting an average rise of 14-15% each year, according to Deloitte's 2024 Corporate Travel Report.

Corporate travel spend by U.S. companies is expected to grow between 8% and 12% to meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024 .

. Amid rising prices and increasing trip frequency, 73% of travel managers surveyed expect their companies' travel spend to climb in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting an average rise of 14-15% each year .

in 2024, and 58% expect it to increase in 2025, with those projecting gains expecting . Live events are among the top growth drivers for corporate travel, as 6 in 10 business travelers surveyed expect to attend a conference, trade show or exhibition this year .

. Client-related travel remains a top driver of trip frequency, as 1 in 5 frequent travelers say they travel for sales or project work more than once a month.

as 1 in 5 frequent travelers say they travel for sales or project work more than once a month. Companies may look to mitigate costs through compliance tools, though only 56% of travelers surveyed who are aware of the company booking platform say they always book trips through these managed channels .

. Travel managers surveyed report significant progress on the sustainability front in the past year, as companies shift to identifying new metrics and increased certifications in the booking path.

in the past year, as companies shift to identifying new metrics and increased certifications in the booking path. Return-to-work still influences travel as companies continue identifying opportunities for in-person interaction.

Why this matters

While leisure travel has taken off post-pandemic, corporate travel has been slower to recover. As companies evaluate when and how employees should travel, they are faced with high prices, sustainability requirements, and the impact of hybrid and remote work. In its new report, "Upward Climb with Uphill Struggles: 2024 Deloitte Corporate Travel Report," Deloitte examines how companies are balancing the need for more face-to-face interaction with financial and environmental considerations.

Corporate travel continues to climb

After several years of historically low volume, corporate travel appears to be finding its post-pandemic stabilization. By the end of 2024, Deloitte predicts U.S.-based companies' travel spend is expected to reach, and perhaps surpass, pre-pandemic levels. What's more, most of those surveyed traveling for work again say they enjoy it.

Business travelers are packing their briefcases more regularly, as trip frequency per-traveler is up compared to last year. In 2024, 20% of travelers expect to take six to 10 trips (versus 15% in 2023), and 10% say they will take more than 10 trips (up from 7% in 2023).

Company travel spend is on the rise. Most travel managers surveyed expect their organizations' spend to grow in both 2024 (73%) and 2025 (58%). For those projecting gains, expectations average out to 14-15% each year. However, travel managers expect that to slow by a couple of percentage points come 2025.

Amid the return to conference rooms and airport lounges, 83% of those surveyed consider business travel to be overall "enjoyable," and they see both professional and personal value in it. About half place networking opportunities (51%) and exploring different cities (47%) among the top three benefits of business travel.

Many travelers surveyed also find chances to enjoy the trip without the business: Two-thirds of corporate travelers say they extended a business trip for leisure in 2023. One in 7 say they did so three or more times.

Conferences and clients drive travel demand

Events and exhibitions are playing a role in corporate travel growth, as well as client visits, as many seek to reignite in-person collaboration.

More than 6 in 10 business travelers (63%) surveyed expect to attend at least one conference in 2024, while half of travel managers rank industry events among the top two growth drivers.

While more employees are traveling to attend conferences, they are traveling more often for clients, Deloitte found. Among frequent travelers, about 1 in 5 surveyed say that they traveled once per month or more in the first half of 2024 for client project work (23%) or sales and client relationship building (21%), compared to just 13% for conferences and exhibitions.

International travel is also on the rise and stirring demand, increasingly toward trips beyond North America . Travel managers surveyed expect international trips' share of total spend to increase slightly through 2025, pointing to the easing of entry requirements as the third-biggest driver of 2024 trip growth, behind live event attendance and budget increases.

. Travel managers surveyed expect international trips' share of total spend to increase slightly through 2025, pointing to the easing of entry requirements as the third-biggest driver of 2024 trip growth, behind live event attendance and budget increases. Return-to-office protocols have a waning impact on business travel, as 1 in 5 travel managers cite significant return-to-office by client base and significant return-to-office by respondent's company as the top two drivers of increased travel.

Key quote

"Business travel has been slower to come back following pandemic slowdowns, but this could be the year that it accelerates to new heights. More employees are traveling for business  and enjoying it  underscoring that in-person connection often remains a critical component. As companies see a renewed benefit in the opportunities business travel provides, business leaders can capitalize on the enthusiasm and prioritize travel experiences that are valuable to both the organization and employee."

 Eileen Crowley, vice chair, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services attest leader

Costs impact corporate travel's bottom line

Amid higher prices for airfare and paid lodging, travel managers surveyed say pricing's impact on travel volume is 1.5 times more significant than budget cuts. Most seek to mitigate costs by increasing booking compliance through company booking tools, though getting travelers to use them presents a challenge.

Nearly one-quarter (22%) of travel managers surveyed say that high prices are the biggest drag on trip volume for their companies, and 40% put prices in the top two.

Higher costs also present issues for travel suppliers, as many travel managers say suppliers have moved toward tougher negotiating stances.

In an effort to mitigate costs, 55% of travel managers surveyed cite booking compliance as a top cost control measure, ahead of all other options. Another half of travel managers report that their companies are encouraging or mandating lower-cost flights.

However, only 56% of travelers who are aware their company has a corporate booking tool or agency say they always book trips through these managed channels.

While frequent travelers may seem more likely to eschew compliance tools, responses indicate age is a stronger predicter of booking compliance than travel frequency: GenX and Boomers are significantly less likely to say they always use managed channels.

Flexibility and loyalty matter for those booking direct. The biggest driver of booking direct with suppliers is easier management of trip changes, followed by earning loyalty points.

For those surveyed turning to online travel agents, they do so to find the best deal (56% for airfares and 61% for hotels) followed by easier shopping (46% for airfares and 35% for hotels) and change management (39% for airfares and 38% for hotels).

Companies are still mapping the route for sustainable travel

For many organizations, balancing the increased demand for more travel with sustainability goals is top-of-mind. Companies are making progress toward more visibility into their environmental impact, but most travel managers surveyed still say emissions targets will hinder travel.

Most travel managers believe companies need to reduce travel to meet 2030 sustainability goals. More than half say they need to cut trips by 10 to 20%.

Meanwhile, more travel managers surveyed report their companies have moved toward adoption of travel-related sustainability measures, encouraging and enabling employees to make greener travel choices. One-third of travelers confirm their companies are encouraging them to choose more sustainable providers when traveling for business.

Overall, companies are more prepared and active in their approach to sustainable travel this year: 46% say they have a strategy in place to assign travel emission budgets to teams and individuals, up from 30% in 2023.

Despite efforts from their organizations, travelers surveyed are slow to adopt sustainable travel booking. Only 1 in 10 corporate travelers say they always factor carbon emissions into flight selection, while nearly half do it on occasion. Similarly, 1 in 10 say they always consider sustainability ratings when choosing hotels, while 53% do it on occasion.

Nearly half of travel managers surveyed say that before investing in more concrete integration of sustainability in their travel purchasing path, they want to be more convinced travelers will take action.

Key quote

"The stabilization of corporate travel holds both opportunities and challenges as the industry adapts to new norms and priorities. Travel buyers and suppliers should work together to navigate these shifting dynamics. As companies manage pricing pressures, suppliers who lean into flexibility to help companies meet employee expectations can build loyalty and be well-positioned for the road ahead."

 Kate Ferrara, vice chair, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services non-attest leader

Deloitte's "2024 Corporate Travel Report" is based on two Deloitte surveys. The first surveyed 104 U.S.-based corporate travel managers, executives with various titles and travel budget oversight, between May 16 and 18, 2024. The second survey, fielded between May 28 and June 3, 2024, reached 1,389 U.S.-based corporate travelers, 834 of which said they either oversee a travel budget or approve travel requests for their teams.

Connect with us on Twitter at @DeloitteUS or LinkedIn @EileenCrowley and @KateFerrara.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's approximately 457,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

SOURCE Deloitte
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Browse in-depth TOC on "Digital Pathology Market"

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DANAHER CORPORATION (US): Leader in Digital Pathology Solutions

Danaher Corporation, through its subsidiary Leica Biosystems, has established itself as a strong player in the digital pathology market, offering a comprehensive portfolio from biopsy to diagnosis across radiology, pathology, surgery, and oncology. Strategic partnerships have significantly bolstered its market position. In March 2023, Danaher partnered with Paige, a global leader in digital pathology solutions and clinical AI applications, to enhance digital pathology workflows in hospitals and laboratories. The company also collaborates with the European Society for Digital and Integrative Pathology (ESDIP) to promote digital pathology adoption across Europe, fostering continuous growth and innovation in diagnostic technologies.

KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. (Netherlands): Prominent Player in Digital Pathology

Philips is a prominent player in the digital pathology market, offering solutions that enhance efficiency, collaboration, and diagnostic accuracy for pathologists globally. Philips' digital pathology solution transitions pathologists from traditional microscopy to digital workflows, achieving efficiency gains of 15-20% per case. By digitizing pathology processes, Philips facilitates remote and collaborative environments, addressing the global shortage of trained pathologists and enabling multidisciplinary collaboration. Their solution supports remote consultation, real-time case sharing, and multidisciplinary discussions among clinical teams, enhancing comprehensive patient care. With insights from over 300 customers and 20 hospital pathology laboratories, Philips continually refines its solution to meet diverse healthcare provider needs.

HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K. (Japan): Key Player in Digital Pathology

Hamamatsu Photonics has solidified its position in the digital pathology market, achieving an annual growth rate of 4.4% in medical-bio instruments from 2021 to 2023. The company's strategic developments in expanding its digital pathology product portfolio and significant R&D investments are set to propel its growth. In March 2023, Hamamatsu signed a major distribution deal with Siemens Healthineers to provide imaging slide scanners for digital pathology in the Americas and Europe. This partnership aims to bridge the gap between radiology and pathology, enhancing patient care through advanced diagnostic imaging solutions. Hamamatsu's commitment to innovation underscores its role as a key player in shaping the future of digital pathology.

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Product Segmentation: Digital Pathology Scanners Lead

The digital pathology market is divided into scanners, software, and storage systems. In 2023, the scanner segment captured the largest market share, driven by increasing demand for accurate and timely diagnoses alongside a growing volume of pathology cases worldwide. Government approvals for digital pathology scanner systems, such as Roche's VENTANA DP 200 slide scanner, further boost this segment's growth. Technological advancements, regulatory support, and enhanced diagnostic capabilities are key factors driving heavy investment and adoption of digital scanners.

Type Segmentation: Human Pathology Prevails

The market is categorized into human pathology and veterinary pathology. In 2023, the human pathology segment dominated, fueled by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases globally. This segment's prominence is attributed to its diverse diagnostic needs, the increasing burden of diseases, the integration of AI for improved diagnostic capabilities, and supportive regulatory frameworks that promote the adoption of advanced digital pathology solutions.

Regional Insights: Europe Expected to Grow Rapidly

The digital pathology market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe is anticipated to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, driven by the adoption of AI-based pathology tools across various NHS trusts in the UK. Initiatives like collaborations with international firms, including Sectra, and substantial government investments, such as the USD 57 million allocated in 2020 for digital pathology and imaging AI, underscore Europe's commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure. These efforts are expected to facilitate faster, more accurate diagnoses through automated image analysis and telepathology capabilities.

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Related Reports:

In Vitro Diagnostics Market

Tissue Diagnostics Market

Molecular Diagnostics Market

Immunohistochemistry Market

Anatomic Pathology Market

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MIAMI, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Larkin Community Hospital is proud to announce that Dr. Danay Rodriguez-Arritola, esteemed Chief Nursing Officer of Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus, has been named President-Elect of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) - Miami Chapter for the term 2024-2026. Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola's extensive experience and dedication to nursing and community service make her an exemplary choice for this leadership role.

In her new role as President-Elect of the NAHN Miami Chapter, Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola aims to further the Chapter's goals of promoting professional growth, academic and leadership development, and quality care for Hispanic Americans.

"I am honored and excited to serve as President-Elect of the NAHN Miami Chapter. This organization's commitment to fostering the professional growth of Hispanic nurses and improving the quality of care for Hispanic communities aligns perfectly with my values and passion for nursing. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make a meaningful impact," said Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola.

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses - Miami Chapter is dedicated to the professional growth of Hispanic nurses and nursing students through mentorship and scholarships. The Chapter strives to promote academic, leadership, and professional development while building a culture of quality care and increasing active membership.

Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola has a distinguished career spanning 18 years in healthcare. Throughout her career, Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola has contributed significantly to several healthcare organizations, including Hialeah Hospital  Tenet Healthcare, Memorial Miramar, and Larkin Community Hospital, where she currently serves as Chief Nursing Officer. She has also been an adjunct professor and the PAC chair at Miami Regional University.

Her exceptional contributions have earned her numerous awards, such as the Employee of the Year (2009), the Special Recognition Award for Excellence in Nursing and Clinical Informatics (2011) at Hialeah Hospital, and the Tenet Hero Hall of Fame Inductee (2021). At Memorial Hospital Miramar, she received the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for Patient Experience (2014) and Emergency Services (2015 and 2016). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola was instrumental in ensuring the safety of front-line workers and the community, earning recognition as a Tenet Hero and induction into the Tenet Hall of Fame.Dr. Rodriguez-Arritola's dedication extends beyond her professional roles. She supports the community through various initiatives, including serving the most vulnerable populations with the Miami Rescue Mission.

She is a proud Miami Dade College alumnus, holding an Associate in Legal Studies (1993) and an Associate in Nursing (2004). Furthering her education, she received a Bachelor's in Nursing from Western Governors University in 2011, a Master's in Nursing in 2016, and her Nurse Practitioner License in 2017. In 2021, she earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a Master's in Business Administration from Miami Regional University in 2023.

SOURCE Dr. Danay Rodriguez-Arritola
Increasing government regulations and awareness will drive demand for drug abuse testing.

Law enforcement and drug trafficking will drive the market for drugs of abuse testing.

WILMINGTON, Del., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The drugs of abuse testing industry was worth US$ 5.9 billion in 2022. A CAGR of 13.5% is expected from 2023 to 2031 for a total of US$ 18.7 billion in 2031. By providing cutting-edge approaches to drug detection, research and development efforts focused on creating novel testing methodologieslike breathalyzer technologies and saliva-based testshelp to expand the industry.

Specific policies for drug abuse testing may differ throughout organizations and environments. For instance, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has mandatory occupational urine testing criteria that normally include testing for five substances of abuse: amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and PCP. However, other drugs might also be checked for depending on the particulars.

The FDA runs a website called Device Advice, which offers information on a variety of tests that it regulates, including testing for drugs of abuse. Among the major contributors is the high prevalence of cannabis, opioids, cocaine, and amphetamine abuse. Testing methods that are accurate and efficient are crucial to detecting drug abuse and keeping the community safe.

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The global drug of abuse testing market is experiencing robust growth driven by several key factors. Increasing substance abuse cases, coupled with stringent government regulations mandating drug testing in workplaces, and sports, are significant drivers. Technological advancements, such as rapid testing kits and high-throughput screening technologies, enhance the market's capabilities, while growing awareness about the health consequences of drug abuse fuels demand. Current market trends include the adoption of rapid testing kits, integration of Artificial intelligence (AI) for improved accuracy, and the rising popularity of home-based testing kits for privacy and convenience.

AI's ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data at incredible speeds is a game-changer for the drug testing industry. Through the implementation of advanced machine learning algorithms, AI can identify patterns and anomalies that may be indicative of substance use with greater accuracy than traditional methods. This means that AI could reduce the incidence of false positives and negatives, ensuring that individuals and organizations can rely on the results with a higher degree of confidence. For a company like JEMSU, which specializes in digital advertising, this evolution within the drug testing industry could provide new avenues for targeted marketing strategies and client education campaigns focused on the latest technological advancements. The market is expected to continue its upward trajectory, supported by ongoing innovations in testing methodologies and the expansion of telehealth and remote monitoring solutions.

Key Findings of the Market Report

Based on product type, rapid testing devices are anticipated to drive the market for drugs of abuse testing market.

With the advancement of technology, the market for breath sample tests is expected to grow.

The criminal justice testing market is likely to grow in demand due to the rise in drug trafficking cases.

Based on end-user type, forensic laboratories are expected to drive demand for drugs of abuse testing.

As the market for drugs of abuse testing grows, North America is expected to benefit significantly.

Drugs of Abuse Testing Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2031 Base Year 2017-2021 Size in 2022 US$ 5.9 Bn Forecast (Value) in 2031 US$ 18.7 Bn Growth Rate (CAGR) 13.5 % No. of Pages 219 Pages Segments covered By Product Type, By Sample Type, By Testing Type, By End-user

Global Drugs of Abuse Testing Market: Growth Drivers

Drug testing is mandated by governments worldwide, especially in the workplace, schools, law enforcement, and rehabilitation facilities. Kits and services for testing drugs of abuse are in high demand due to these regulations.

Many employers conduct random drug tests and pre-employment screenings to maintain a drug-free workplace. As the demand for drug testing during employment screenings increases, this market is experiencing an upward trend.

Ongoing developments improve drug detection sensitivity, accuracy, and speed in testing technology, including chromatography, immunoassays, and quick testing techniques. Due to growing public awareness of the detrimental effects of drug addiction on productivity, health, and society, individuals are encouraged to submit to voluntary drug testing.

Rapid drug testing kits are becoming more popular as healthcare becomes more decentralized and there are more point-of-care testing facilities. As a result of its affordability, speed, and convenience, point-of-care testing has become increasingly popular.

and there are more point-of-care testing facilities. As a result of its affordability, speed, and convenience, point-of-care testing has become increasingly popular. The demand for preventative healthcare measures and rising healthcare spending worldwide are driving growth in the drugs of abuse testing market. To enhance patient care and results, healthcare facilities make investments in cutting-edge testing technologies.

Global Drugs of Abuse Testing Market: Regional Landscape

Due to the rising prevalence of substance use disorders and the necessity to address drug abuse concerns in the public, drugs of abuse testing has received a lot of attention in North America . The Patients and Communities Act in the United States is one of the government's programs to track drug use in the population. These initiatives seek to improve public safety and health while addressing the issue of drug usage.

. The Patients and Communities Act in is one of the government's programs to track drug use in the population. These initiatives seek to improve public safety and health while addressing the issue of drug usage. Drug abuse testing is commonly utilized in North America in a variety of settings, such as businesses, medical facilities, and court cases. The need for reputable healthcare facilities, the growing number of people exposed to addiction, and the rise in drug use in the workplace are the main drivers of the demand for drug misuse testing services.

in a variety of settings, such as businesses, medical facilities, and court cases. The need for reputable healthcare facilities, the growing number of people exposed to addiction, and the rise in drug use in the workplace are the main drivers of the demand for drug misuse testing services. A well-established healthcare industry, a rapidly growing population, and drug testing programs contribute to the region's dominance in this industry. Regulations and rules that may govern drug misuse testing may have legal ramifications.

For instance, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have their drug testing programs with unique guidelines. Furthermore, each state may have its laws governing drug testing in particular situations, such as employment drug tests and the legalization of marijuana.

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Global Drugs of Abuse Testing Market: Competitive Landscape

Several international players dominate the global market for drugs of abuse testing. Therefore, prominent drug abuse testing companies produce products with liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) technology to give employers and healthcare providers great sensitivity and trustworthy results.

Key Players Profiled

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Danaher Corporation

Abbott

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Siemens Healthineers

Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA

Shimadzu Corporation

CareHealth America Corp.

Key Developments

In September 2023 , Danaher Corporation reduced the price of its Cepheid's Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra diagnostic test cartridges for tuberculosis tests from $9.98 to $7.97 in high-TB-burden countries.

, Danaher Corporation reduced the price of its Cepheid's Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra diagnostic test cartridges for tuberculosis tests from to in high-TB-burden countries. To support greater access to high-quality TB testing in less-developed countries eligible for Cepheid's Global Access Program, Danaher will provide each test cartridge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Global Drugs of Abuse Testing Market: Segmentation

By Product Type

Analyzers Immunoassays Analyzers Chromatographic Devices Breath Analyzers

Rapid Testing Devices Urine Testing Devices Oral Fluid Testing Devices

Consumables Fluid Collection Devices Others



By Sample Type

Saliva

Breath

Urine

Blood

Hair & Sweat

By Testing Type

Pain Management Testing

Criminal Justice Testing

Workplace Screening

By End User

Hospitals

Diagnostics Laboratories

On-the-spot Testing

Forensic Laboratories

By Region

North America

Latin America

Asia Pacific

Europe

The Middle East & Africa

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Largest prize pool awarded for exceptional Duck Tape prom attire

AVON, Ohio, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two talented teens used dozens of rolls of tape and dedicated nearly 250 hours to craft their own Duck Tape prom attire  and now their hard work is paying off! Today, Duck brand announces Monica Walsh of Dryden, Ontario, as the Grand Prize Dress Winner and Isaac Cervantes of Pilot Point, Texas, as the Grand Prize Tux Winner in this year's Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest. The contest challenges high school students from the U.S. and Canada to show off 'Ducked out' promwear made of duct tape for a chance to win cash scholarships.

After contest judges selected the top 10 finalists out of over 150 entrants, online voters picked Walsh's pop-art style dress and Cervantes' culturally-inspired Mexican American tux as their favorite ensembles, crowning each of them with $15,000  the largest Grand Prizes awarded in contest history.

"We applaud this year's participants for their epic displays of creativity and congratulate Monica and Isaac on their first-place finishes," says Kerry Haugh, director of product marketing, duct tapes, at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, the company that markets the Duck brand. "It takes true talent to turn Duck Tape into jaw-dropping styles and this year's entrants were no exception. Seeing the students incorporate their cultures and passions into their masterpieces is what makes this scholarship contest so special year after year."

In addition to the Grand Prizes, the top 10 finalists also had a chance to win new Judge's Choice Awards worth $1,000 each. Victoria Schoenherr of Spearfish, South Dakota, wins the Runway Worthy Award for her baroque-style gown. Bree Austin of Edmond, Oklahoma, is the Trust E.'s Choice Award winner for her vibrant, rainforest-inspired tube dress. Grand Prize winner Isaac Cervantes also secured the Most Inspiring Award by paying homage to his heritage, bringing his scholarship winnings to a grand total of $16,000.

All of the eight runners-up will each receive $1,000 cash prizes as well as Duck Brand prize packs worth $100. The other finalists rounding out the Top 10 include Jessica Ong of Great Neck, New York; Celeste Sotelo of Waynesboro, Virginia; Josie Authers of New York, New York; Finn Beauregard of York, Pennsylvania; Mario Casstillon of Hemet, California; and Aidan Flanagan of Decatur, Alabama.

Learn more about this year's Grand Prize winners:

2024 Stuck at Prom Grand Prize Dress Winner: Monica Walsh

Inspired by Brazilian artist Romero Britto's use of vibrant colors and patterns, Walsh pushed the limits of today's prom fashions to create her pop-art style dress. Complete with a matching headpiece, purse and shoes, Walsh used 13 rolls of Duck Tape and spent 126 hours on her artful design, which was the public's favorite dress.

"Somewhere between grade 7 and 8, my friends mutually agreed that bright colors and fun patterns were 'out', except me," Walsh says. "I still like having color in my everyday outfits as I think it adds life to the outfit and is a way to express my happy vibe."

2024 Stuck at Prom Grand Prize Tux Winner: Isaac Cervantes

After 16 rolls of Duck Tape and 123 hours, Cervantes created a decorative and snazzy suit that nods to the captivating Charro style originating in Mexico. His tux combines colors from the American and Mexican flags and includes a bolero jacket, vest and stylish sombrero, which took three days to complete. A fish, cross, dove and butterfly are also embedded in the design.

"The intertwining of these colors and symbols exemplifies how my faith and both cultures have played a role in defining who I am," Cervantes says. "Much like the Monarch butterfly, my identity is cultivated by both Mexico and this great nation.

About Duck Tape Brand Duct Tape

An American original, Duck Tape brand duct tape is the fix-all to help with everyday repairs, projects or crafts. Duck Tape offers a vast array of innovative, forward-thinking solutions that help everyone  from makers and creators to do-it-yourselfers and professionals  bring their ideas to life. The brand sets trends with its wide variety of colors and designs, inspires creativity and leads the way in DIY or jobsite projects, crafting, and more, by providing the tools consumers need to make or repair anything. Duck Tape brand is marketed by Shurtape Technologies, LLC, an industry-leading manufacturer of adhesive tape and consumer home and office products, with facilities worldwide. Visit DuckBrand.com for additional product information and everyday inspiration, imagination and creativity.

SOURCE Duck Brand
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp) launched its much-anticipated Virtual Symposium on July 8, with discounted international attendee registration rates using world zones. This initiative underlines iaedp's commitment to providing equitable access to education for professionals around the globe, particularly in low and middle-income regions.

Recognizing the diverse economic conditions across different countries, iaedp ensures that more professionals can access quality educational opportunities. This strategic pricing model aims to break down financial barriers that may prevent individuals from accessing high-quality professional training in eating disorders.

"The iaedp Virtual Symposium has always been about inclusivity and spreading knowledge as widely as possible," said Dawn Gannon, Interim Executive Director of iaedp. "By introducing discounted rates based on geographic regions, we are taking a significant step toward equity in education, enabling healthcare providers everywhere to gain the skills and insights needed to treat eating disorders effectively."

The symposium features a lineup of world-renowned experts in the field of eating disorders, delivering keynotes, workshops, and sessions focused on the latest research, therapeutic methods, and clinical best practices in both English and Spanish. With a fully virtual format, the symposium ensures that professionals from all corners of the world can participate without the need to travel.

Key Highlights:

- Accessible 24/7 worldwide to stream sessions to accommodate different time zones and schedules.

- Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) necessary for professional development and certification as well as a prestigious Certificate of Participation for international attendees.

- Discounted rates based on the registrant's country of residence, with special considerations for those from low- and middle-income regions.

Learn more about the symposium, including a detailed schedule and information on the discounted rates.

The iaedp Foundation , since 1985, has provided quality education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions. The prestigious iaedp Foundation Presidents Council , providing year-round organization support, includes Alsana Eating Disorder Treatment & Recovery Centers; Banyan; Center for Change; Center for Discovery; Clear Step; Eating Recovery Center; Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists; Laureate Eating Disorders Program; The Meadows Ranch; Mind Over Body; Monte Nido; Montecatini; Moriah Behavioral Health; Rogers Behavioral Health; The Renfrew Center; Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center; Within Health; and WD Recovery and Wellness Center.

SOURCE iaedp Foundation
OAKLAND, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EdSource, California's largest nonprofit newsroom focused on education journalism, announced today that it will partner with the California Local News Fellowship program to host an early-career journalist.

This fellowship, based at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, is a state-funded initiative aimed at improving local journalism  particularly in underserved communities.

"The survival of local journalism is in the balance, and its survival is not optional," said Berkeley Journalism dean Geeta Anand. "Robust local reporting makes a difference for all that we hold dear: the education of our children, safety and dignity for vulnerable community members, the protection of our environment and more."

Fellowship participants across the state will gain crucial experience in daily newsrooms alongside training and mentorship from leaders in the journalism industry.

EdSource's fellow, Vani Sanganeria, will be based in the Los Angeles area, covering the local community and other education stories across the state as needed. Sanganeria grew up in Kolkata, India, before moving to the U.S. in 2012. She has spent the past five years in Los Angeles, as a journalism student at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. At USC's student newsroom, Annenberg Media, Sanganeria served as South Los Angeles editor, equity board leader and investigative reporter, and her work has been published in L.A. Public Press, Knock LA and L.A. TACO, among others.

EdSource is committed to working closely with young journalists and empowering them to launch a career in the field, especially for first-generation college students and students from local public universities. Through its California Student Journalism Corps, EdSource mentors and trains college students, and publishes their work.

"Supporting young journalists is a critical component of EdSource's mission to ensure that key stakeholders have clear, accurate, relevant information to use in making decisions that impact students, teachers and families across California not only today, but in the future. As an organization, we're proud to partner with UC Berkeley to open up new opportunities for young journalists to take the first steps to a career in education journalism," said Adam Eisenberg, EdSource managing editor.

ABOUT EDSOURCE

As a nonprofit, independent news organization, EdSource knows that an informed, involved public is necessary to strengthen schools to improve opportunities now and in the future. Since 1977, EdSource has delivered education news analysis and continues to report on the most pressing education issues in California and the nation.

FOLLOW EDSOURCE

EdSource.org

EdSource.org/subscribe

twitter.com/EdSource

facebook.com/EdSource

MEDIA CONTACT

[email protected]

SOURCE EdSource
Companies inked a three-year agreement to roll out Connected Hydration across Chevron sites.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicore Biosystems (Epicore) , a digital health solutions company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables, today announced that it has inked a 3-year master services agreement (MSA) with Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to equip Chevron's industrial frontline workers with its Connected Hydration solution. The first deployments are expected to begin in the US in the summer of 2024.

This milestone MSA marks a pivotal moment for Epicore on the heels of several field deployments with Chevron and other enterprises. The Chevron health and safety teams have deployed Epicore's Connected Hydration solution across multiple work sites and conditions over the past two years, leading to its commercial launch in April 2024. Chevron Technology Ventures also invested in Epicore to support the development and commercialization of Connected Hydration.

Connected Hydration is a sweat-sensing wearable biosensor and cloud analytics solution that measures sweat loss, sodium loss, skin temperature, and movement to provide actionable rehydration strategies in real time to industrial workers ahead of adverse dehydration events. The technology enables workers to quantify hydration biomarkers and create actionable routes to rehydration and recovery for industrial workers. Epicore's Connected Hydration solution is a proven sweat-sensing technology that provides individualized rehydration strategies and real-time haptic vibration alarms felt by the workers to proactively inform them to stay safe and hydrate.

"We have spent years developing, validating and deploying Connected Hydration. A master service agreement with a large enterprise like Chevron is a testament to how Epicore Biosystems is bridging the global gap in worker safety when it comes to proper hydration and heat stress solutions," said Dr. Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO and co-founder of Epicore Biosystems. "We are honored to work with Chevron as one of our first customers and to deploy Connected Hydration, enabling tailored and preventative hydration practices for their frontline workers. The reality is that a conventional, one-size-fits-all approach to heat index tracking falls short in meeting workers' hydration and recovery needs."

Chevron compiled datasets from over a thousand sweat sessions in total across multiple work sites in the U.S. to explore how behavioral changes take shape when workers utilize Connected Hydration compared to conventional approaches. Health and safety experts along with industrial hygienists observed that Connected Hydration informed and improved hydration habits significantly by increasing worker fluid and electrolyte intake over a one-month time window, via real-time awareness of fluid and electrolyte losses. This sustained change in behavior in response to rehydration feedback was rapid and took place within a few weeks of Connected Hydration use.

"The entrepreneurial ecosystem's speed, together with the know-how of incumbents - that's a very powerful combination," said Jim Gable, VP of Innovation and President of Technology Ventures for Chevron. "In this case, Chevron and Epicore were able to leverage thousands of work session datasets across multiple sites to enhance the impact of the Connected Hydration technology to keep our employees safe."

Since its launch in 2017, Epicore has lined up several global collaborators and customers. These enterprises include Chevron, PepsiCo, Denka, Gatorade, Fluor, Nitto, the U.S. Air Force, Office of Naval Research, Army and more.

About Epicore Biosystems

Founded in 2017, Epicore Biosystems is a digital health company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time personalized health insights for hydration, stress and wellness. Their clinically validated biowearable products and cloud analytics are deployed globally and licensed by leading Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Health. To learn more, visit https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/.

SOURCE Epicore Biosystems, Inc.
Escala Completes $12M Round to Consolidate its Position as the Leading CRM for Hispanic SMBs. Post this

Escala recently completed a $12 million funding round co-led by IGNIA and Alaya Capital , with participation from High Alpha and other investors. This capital will enhance Escala's features, including advanced WhatsApp integration and Artificial Intelligence, and expand its team dedicated to improving clients' sales results.

Escala addresses critical marketing and sales challenges faced by SMBs. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), only 20% of SMBs in LatAm utilize digital tools in their sales and marketing processes, hindering efficient growth. Escala aims to change this by simplifying the adoption of proven technologies and methodologies to drive sustainable growth. The platform offers affordable, easy-to-use tools complemented by personalized support from Customer Success Managers, enabling businesses to digitize and optimize their sales funnels. Companies using Escala have reported doubling their revenue, generating 300% more leads, and increasing operational efficiency by 70% within six months.

"This investment will allow us to continue driving innovation to meet the growing needs of businesses in the region," said Alfonso Santiago, CEO of Escala, who recently joined after serving as the global COO of Open English. "Our goal is to keep improving the customer experience and provide SMBs with the tools they need to manage and grow their businesses efficiently," added Santiago.

Christine Kenna, Partner at IGNIA, stated, "Having worked together for many years, Andres Moreno and Alfonso Santiago have a profound understanding of the challenges faced by SMBs. We are thrilled to support their vision and dedication to empowering small businesses throughout Latin America."

About Escala

Escala is a strategic partner for SMBs in Latin America and the US Hispanic market, focusing on optimizing business processes through advanced tools and personalized training. Created by Andres Moreno, Escala leverages years of experience in advising and building successful businesses, aiming to drive development in the Hispanic market. The company has assembled a team of experts across various business areas to develop effective solutions for attracting and retaining customers, helping businesses reach the next level.

For more information: Escala.com

CONTACT: Vanessa Duran, [email protected]

SOURCE Escala
The growth of electric vehicle (EV) composites is driven by several key factors, including the ability of lightweight materials like carbon fibre reinforced polymers and glass fibre reinforced plastics to reduce the weight of EV components by up to 50% compared to traditional materials, improving performance, energy efficiency, and driving range, providing moderate strength suitable for various applications like body panels, hoods, doors, and interior components, offering high strength-to-weight ratios that can absorb and dissipate energy during collisions to enhance passenger safety and provide corrosion resistance and fire protection for critical components. Specific thermal properties used for battery enclosures and insulation to maintain optimal operating temperatures, improving efficiency and lifespan, moldability enabling more aerodynamic shapes and complex designs that reduce air resistance and improve efficiency.

Browse in-depth TOC on "EV Composites Market"

227  Tables

74  Figures

257  Pages

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Carbon fiber type segment is expected to grow with highest CAGR in EV composites market during the forecasted period.

The EV composites market is segmented based on the fiber types into carbon fiber, glass fiber and other fiber. Carbon fibers are twice as strong and 30% lighter compared to glass fibers and has been used in electric vehicles for the major purpose of weight reduction. carbon fiber composites can be moulded into complex shapes, simplifying the assembly process and reducing part counts, and the lightweight nature of carbon fiber composites reduces the carbon footprint and emissions of EVs, making them a more environmentally friendly option compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

In Feb 2023, Toray Industries Inc. developed a rapid integration molding technique for CRFP (Carbon Reinforced Fiber Plastic) mobility components. This innovation will aid in molding CFRP mobility components in a better and faster way than traditional molding setups. The versatility and superior characteristics of carbon fiber composites make it an attractive option for EV industry, driving its adoption and growth in the market.

Thermoplastic resin type segment is expected to grow with highest CAGR in EV composites market during the forecasted period.

The EV composites market is segmented based on the resin types into thermoset and thermoplastic. In recent years, the use of thermoplastic resins as a matrix material in fiber-reinforced composites has surged. These resins, combined with continuous fibers, create structural composite products with several key advantages. Unlike thermoset resins, thermoplastic composites can be reshaped and reformed, making them easily recyclable. This recyclability has contributed to their growing popularity over the past decade. Additionally, thermoplastic resins allow for faster molding cycles since no chemical reaction is required for curing, and they offer superior impact resistance compared to thermosets.

When used with long fibers, thermoplastic resins provide high stiffness and lightweight properties, which are particularly beneficial for EV applications. In June 2016, LANXESS AG from Germany developed multiaxial Tepex, a product designed to enhance the mechanical performance of automotive components. This innovation has helped the company address the increasing demand for lightweight electric automotive parts.

Ultra-premium segment type is expected to have third largest share during forecasting period in terms of value

In this segment, The electric vehicles which costs more than 100,000 USD are considered to be ultra-premium. In ultra-premium segment, composites offer not only performance benefits but also exclusivity, allowing manufacturers to create bespoke vehicles with unique designs and advanced features, attracting discerning customers seeking unparalleled sophistication. The use of composites in ultra-premium electric vehicles is set to grow as manufacturers seek to enhance performance, range, and sustainability. Innovations in materials and manufacturing processes will likely continue to drive this trend, making composites an integral part of the future of high-end electric mobility.

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Battery enclosure segment is expected to have third largest share during forecasting period, both in terms of value and volume during the forecast period

The demand for EV composites in battery enclosure applications within the electric vehicle (EV) composites market varies across premium, ultra-premium, and non-premium segments, driven by distinct factors tailored to each segment's requirements and priorities. In the premium segment, renowned for luxury and cutting-edge technology, automakers prioritize advanced materials like composites to enhance the performance, safety, and longevity of EV battery systems. Similarly, in the ultra-premium segment, the demand for automotive composites in battery enclosures is driven by the desire to offer state-of-the-art solutions that uphold the brand's reputation for excellence and sophistication. Composites offer advantages such as lightweight construction, corrosion resistance, and thermal insulation, contributing to the overall reliability and durability of electric vehicle battery systems. These factors are expected to boost EV composites in battery enclosure application.

Asia Pacific region is expected to registered highest CAGR both in terms of value and volume during forecasted period

The EV composites market has been studied in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa.

The Asia Pacific EV composites market is experiencing explosive growth, fueled by a potent mix of factors. The Asia Pacific electric vehicle (EV) market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by supportive government policies and incentives, environmental awareness and sustainability, technological advancements, affordability and cost savings, increasing urbanization, and the development of charging infrastructure. Governments are providing significant subsidies and tax rebates for EVs, such as China's subsidies based on battery size, and the Indian government's Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for ACC Battery Storage Manufacturing. The region's growing concerns about air pollution and the need for cleaner mobility solutions are also driving demand for EVs. Technological advancements and sustainability goals aligns perfectly with the advantages of EV composites, ensuring continued demand in the years to come.

Key Players:

Prominent companies include Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan), Teijin Limited (Japan), Syensqo (Belgium), Piran Advanced Composites (UK), HRC (Hengrui Corporation) (China), Envalior (Germany), Exel Composites (Finland), Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), SGL Carbon (Germany), POLYTEC HOLDING AG (Austria), Plastic Omnium (France), Rochling SE & Co. KG (Germany), Mar-Bal, Inc. (US), ElringKlinger AG (Germany), and Faurecia (France), The Gund Company (US), IDI Composites International (US), TRB Lightweight Structures (US), CIE Automotive India (India), ZhongAo Carbon (China), Atlas Fibre (US), Jiangsu Kangde Xin Composite Material (China), Euro Advanced Carbon Fiber Composites GmbH (US), Owens Corning (US) and among others.

Browse Adjacent Market: Fibers & Composites Market Research & Consulting

Related Reports:

Automotive Composites Market - Global Forecast to 2028

Composites Market - Global Forecast to 2028

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Agency wins clients across food, wine, spirits and lifestyle sectors

NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Evins Communications ("Evins"), a New York-based marketing communications and public relations agency known for delivering innovative programs with business-changing impact, achieved notable new client growth in the first half of the year, exceeding expectations. The Agency, along with its Teuwen division, proudly welcomed AVE by Korman Communities, Connect the Dots Collective, Jos. A. Magnus & Co., Coppercraft Distillery, Fox & Oden, Flying Ace, Thatcher's Organic Artisan Spirits, Farage Cioccolato, Klocke Estate, The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

Evins Communications

"We are so excited to work with these incredible organizations," said Jacqueline Long, President, Evins Communications. "They share our vision for building brands by combining disruptive creativity with personalized experiences, informed by technology."

Evins has been tapped by these businesses to provide marketing communications services including media relations, brand positioning, social media strategy, awareness-building campaigns and influencer programming, among other agency proficiencies.

"As a growing real estate brand, we intentionally sought a partner who understood hospitality brands as we continue to expand our national footprint, and Evins immediately connected with our unique vision and service," said Ashley Cerasaro, SVP Communications, AVE. "Their team quickly rolled up their sleeves and did extensive research on our brand and markets. We are looking forward to a long, mutually beneficial partnership."

AVE specializes in elevated apartment living, pioneering the hospitality approach to residential real estate. Fully furnished and contemporary unfurnished apartments are available at 14 communities across six states (and coming Fall 2024: AVE Santa Clara and AVE Paradise Valley). Evins is responsible for building overall brand awareness and visibility through both national and regional media relations, as well as new property launches.

Connect the Dots Collective is an all-female brand innovation company offering an exclusive integrated approach to marketing, sales, public relations, new product development, eCommerce and digital innovation for legacy and new proprietary wine, non-alcohol, adaptogenic, and CBD/THC beverage brands. Evins is leading their communications strategy, including media relations, thought leadership positioning, and new product introductions.

Evins first began working with CraftCo on a project basis with their flagship whiskey portfolio, Joseph A. Magnus and was subsequently engaged to work on their entire portfolio. Based in Holland, Michigan, the brand's portfolio of award-winning craft brands includes Coppercraft Distillery, Fox & Oden, Flying Ace and Thatcher's Organic Artisan Spirits, in addition to Joseph A. Magnus. Evins has launched a brand and portfolio marketing communications program to drive awareness, engagement and trial through media relations, influencer relations, brand partnerships and trade initiatives.

Farage Cioccolato, the Milan-based brand renowned for its artfully designed chocolates, teas, jams and porcelains, is known for unrivaled quality and enchanting design. The brand engaged Evins to redevelop and relaunch the brand internationally through a comprehensive marketing communications program that includes brand strategy and positioning, brand expansion and brand experiences, events and promotions, website redesign and e-commerce expansion, media and influencer campaign, and social media strategy.

Sitting on 160 acres of vineyards and orchards, Klocke Estate offers an immersive distillery experience coupled with exceptional earth-to-glass brandy and terroir-driven menu offerings. The Estate, located in New York's picturesque Hudson Valley, engaged Evins to provide media relations, influencer relations, social media and brand partnerships.

The mission of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is to promote the world-class image of New York grapes and wines from across the state to responsibly benefit farmers, producers and consumers. This spring, Teuwen launched an integrated communication plan to authentically connect New York Wines with consumers, media and trade through media relations, social media initiatives, trade and consumer promotions.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, the legendary Napa Valley winery whose Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the highest honor in the red wine category at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, continues to cultivate perfection with precise viticulture and forward-thinking winemaking practices. Teuwen, who began work with the brand in March, has developed a comprehensive communications program to engage media as well as trade and consumers, and bring the storied brand to new audiences.

"The wine expertise of Evins Communications' Teuwen division, characterized by a successful track record of transforming the marketing landscapes for previously under-appreciated regions, stands as a beacon of potential for us," said Sam Filler, NYWGF Executive Director.

Since its inception in 1987, Evins has operated at the intersection of communications, culture and community, developing a reputation for impactful work. The Agency's philosophy is rooted in the belief that hospitality is an ethos transcending an industry and that personal, culturally relevant experiences are what drives brand building. The continued expansion of the agency's portfolio, as well as the acquisition of Teuwen in 2023, reinforces the effectiveness of its approach to public relations and furthers the expertise and offerings in the wine and spirits industry.

About Evins Communications:

Evins Communications is an independent marketing communications agency with an established track record for providing consequential business strategies and success for leading beverage, hospitality and lifestyle brands. For over 35 years, Evins has developed PR campaigns that drive conversation, build communities and spark change by breaking barriers to help clients achieve results for their businesses and for the better good. For more information, please visit www.evins.com.

About Teuwen Communications, An Evins Communications Company:

Teuwen is an award-winning wine and spirits public relations and marketing group with insight and influence. A collaborative and creative team of industry experts with authentic media, trade and influencer connections, Teuwen produces personalized, strategic and integrated programs with powerful results. Teuwen's capabilities, expertise and knowledge are amplified by the enhanced reach, resources, and experience of Evins. For more information, please visit www.teuwen.com.



This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Evins Communications
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global EVTOL aircraft market size is estimated to grow by USD 12.27 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 52.65% during the forecast period. Demand for enhanced customer service is driving market growth, with a trend towards increasing potential of evtol in various industries. However, high production cost of evtol aircraft poses a challenge. Key market players include Airbus SE, ARC Aerosystems, Archer Aviation Inc, BETA Technologies Inc., EHang Holdings Ltd., Elbit Systems Ltd., Elroy Air, Embraer SA, Joby Aviation Inc., Karem Aircraft Inc., Lilium GmbH, Moog Inc., SkyDrive Inc., Textron Inc., The Boeing Co., Urban Aeronautics, Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd., Volocopter GmbH, Wisk Aero LLC, and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global eVTOL aircraft market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report

Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Application (Cargo and Passengers), Technology (Lift plus cruise, Multirotor, and Vectored thrust), and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America) Region Covered Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Key companies profiled Airbus SE, ARC Aerosystems, Archer Aviation Inc, BETA Technologies Inc., EHang Holdings Ltd., Elbit Systems Ltd., Elroy Air, Embraer SA, Joby Aviation Inc., Karem Aircraft Inc., Lilium GmbH, Moog Inc., SkyDrive Inc., Textron Inc., The Boeing Co., Urban Aeronautics, Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd., Volocopter GmbH, Wisk Aero LLC, and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd.

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

The eVTOL aircraft market is experiencing significant growth in various industries, including transportation, agriculture, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), search and rescue missions, and law enforcement. In transportation, eVTOL aircraft, or air taxis, offer a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional ground transportation, particularly in densely populated areas. In agriculture, eVTOL aircraft can enhance farming operations through smart surveillance, selective pesticide dusting, and data collection using UAVs or drones. In EMS, eVTOL aircraft ambulances can reduce response times and improve patient outcomes, potentially saving thousands of lives in remote areas. For search and rescue missions, eVTOL aircraft can quickly access disaster sites and provide visual assistance. In law enforcement, eVTOL aircraft and drones can increase situational awareness and enable officers to respond effectively to crimes or threats. Overall, the versatility and potential applications of eVTOL aircraft are driving the growth of this market, with the US passenger eVTOL aircraft market size projected to reach USD17.7 billion by 2040.

The Evtol aircraft market is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the commercial segment. Next-generation travel solutions are in high demand, with maximum take-off weights and efficient motors being key factors. Safety is a top priority, with multi-facet benefits including reduced noise, improved trip timing, and increased transportation capacity for various sectors. These include medical services, agricultural activities, rescue missions, logistics, and national security. Electronic technologies are driving innovation, from runway sensors to semi-autonomous aircraft. Manufacturing units are investing in strategic partnerships and raw materials to meet increased demand. However, supply chain challenges and delayed orders remain concerns. The aviation sector is embracing air mobility, with commercial companies like Flapper, AIR, Volare, and Eve Air Mobility leading the way. Military applications are also exploring hybrid-electric, battery-electric, and hydrogen-electric options. Public acceptance and safety concerns are being addressed through strict regulations. Drones and air ambulances are also part of the evolving landscape. Motors manufacture and aircraft efficiency are critical focus areas for manufacturers. Overall, the Evtol aircraft market offers exciting opportunities for investments in this urbanizing world.

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Market Challenges

The global eVTOL aircraft market faces significant challenges due to high investments in infrastructure and research and development, as well as the lack of 5G infrastructure. These challenges could hinder the market's growth, as eVTOLs have the potential to revolutionize urban and regional transport with reduced travel times and improved mobility options. The size and complexity of eVTOL aircraft increase production and maintenance costs, which may deter initial implementation. Notable investments, such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s USD394 million investment in Joby and Volocopter's USD113 million investment, demonstrate industry commitment. However, the development of revolutionary AI and the modification of existing technologies for airspace navigation and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers for eVTOL aircraft add to the considerable production costs. Uber predicted a USD1.2 million manufacture price for a four-seater air taxi, and the development of infrastructure for this vehicle may be excessively expensive for industries. Current aerospace manufacturing methods may also prove too sluggish and expensive for eVTOL aircraft. These factors may negatively impact the growth of the global eVTOL aircraft market during the forecast period.

investment in Joby and Volocopter's investment, demonstrate industry commitment. However, the development of revolutionary AI and the modification of existing technologies for airspace navigation and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers for eVTOL aircraft add to the considerable production costs. Uber predicted a manufacture price for a four-seater air taxi, and the development of infrastructure for this vehicle may be excessively expensive for industries. Current aerospace manufacturing methods may also prove too sluggish and expensive for eVTOL aircraft. These factors may negatively impact the growth of the global eVTOL aircraft market during the forecast period. The Evtol aircraft market is experiencing significant growth as aerospace manufacturers and transportation service providers look to address the challenges of urbanization and faster commutes. However, this market faces hurdles such as power electronics and software failures, safety issues, and regulatory approvals. Key players like Joby Aviation, Bell Helicopter, and Boeing Company are investing in various types of propulsion, including vectored thrust, multirotor, and lift plus cruise. These aircraft come in piloted, autonomous, and semi-autonomous modes. Powering these aircraft are various options like fully electric, hybrid, electric hydrogen, and hydrogen fuel cells. Regulatory bodies are focusing on infrastructure development for urban air mobility, addressing concerns related to cervical spondylosis, corporate workers, and potential cervical injuries from vehicle accidents. The vectored thrust segment, piloted segment, semi-autonomous segment, and battery-electric segment are expected to dominate the market.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This evtol aircraft market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Application

1.1 Cargo

1.2 Passengers

Technology

2.1 Lift plus cruise

2.2 Multirotor

2.3 Vectored thrust

Geography

3.1 Europe

3.2 North America

3.3 APAC

3.4 Middle East and Africa

and 3.5 South America

1.1 Cargo- The eVTOL aircraft market witnessed significant growth in 2022, with cargo being the largest segment. Most eVTOL aircraft are designed for urban air mobility, medical assistance, and personal use. In 2020, JumpAero introduced a small, one-seater eVTOL aircraft for emergency services, expanding the capabilities of first responders. The Canadian Air Mobility consortium studied the benefits of eVTOL aircraft for hospital-to-hospital transportation in 2022. Companies like Vertical Aerospace and Babcock International collaborated to use eVTOL aircraft for aerial emergency medical services (EMS) and cargo. They aim to establish a joint working group to explore potential applications in critical services and build modular maintenance solutions. Similarly, Dufour Aerospace partnered with V-Star Powered Lift Aviation to focus on eVTOL aircraft for domestic applications, including medical, commercial, and search and rescue operations in Australia. These collaborations will drive the growth of the global eVTOL aircraft market through the cargo segment, offering efficient and environmentally-friendly solutions.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The market for aircraft ejection seats is driven by advancements in safety technology and military modernization efforts. Key players focus on enhancing survivability rates through innovative designs and lightweight materials. With airlines seeking flexibility and cost-efficiency, the commercial aircraft leasing market is expanding rapidly. Lessors provide airlines with newer, fuel-efficient aircraft, enabling them to manage fleet sizes dynamically. The aerospace parts manufacturing sector is pivotal in supporting aircraft production worldwide. Demand is fueled by rising air travel, defense spending, and technological upgrades in materials and manufacturing processes.

Research Analysis

eVTOL aircraft, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, are poised to revolutionize transportation in urban environments. These innovative machines offer point-to-point transportation solutions, reducing traffic congestion and maximizing the use of vertical space. Passengers and cargo can be transported efficiently, making eVTOL aircraft an ideal option for air taxi services, emergency response, and aerial logistics. Urban populations stand to benefit greatly from eVTOL aircraft, as they provide a next-generation travel solution for those suffering from conditions like cervical spondylosis, enabling them to travel without the discomfort and strain of traditional vehicles. Corporate workers can save valuable time, while those with cervical injuries or who have been involved in vehicle accidents can access medical services more quickly and easily. Aircraft producers are developing eVTOL aircraft with impressive ranges and maximum take-off weights, ensuring they meet the demands of various commercial segments. Safety is a top priority, with multi-facet benefits including reduced emissions and minimal noise pollution. With trip timing and transportation becoming increasingly important, eVTOL aircraft offer a promising solution for urban air mobility.

Market Research Overview

eVTOL aircraft, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, are poised to revolutionize urban transportation by providing point-to-point solutions in congested urban environments. These aircraft can carry passengers and cargo, reducing traffic congestion and the need for large runways. EVTOLs offer a noise-free and eco-friendly alternative to traditional air taxis and delivery drones, using electric propulsion systems and advanced lift technology. However, challenges such as software failures, safety issues, and battery technology limitations must be addressed. EVTOL aircraft are being developed by various aerospace manufacturers and transportation service providers, collaborating with regulatory bodies and infrastructure developers. The market includes segments such as vectored thrust, multirotor, lift plus cruise, piloted, autonomous, and various modes of operation like optionally piloted, fully electric, hybrid, and electric hydrogen. The benefits of eVTOL aircraft extend beyond faster commutes and urbanization. They can serve various industries like medical services, agricultural activities, rescue missions, logistics, and national security. As urban populations continue to grow, eVTOL aircraft will become a next-generation travel solution, offering multi-facet benefits such as improved trip timing, increased efficiency, and reduced carbon emissions. The aerospace sector is investing heavily in eVTOL aircraft production, with companies like Joby Aviation and Bell Helicopter leading the way towards commercially viable air taxi services. The future of urban mobility is electric, vertical, and on-demand.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Application

Cargo



Passengers

Technology

Lift Plus Cruise



Multirotor



Vectored Thrust

Geography

Europe



North America



APAC



Middle East And Africa



South America

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
As environmental awareness grows, so does the demand for sustainable solutions. Solvent-free coatings, with their reduced emissions and eco-friendly properties, have become a focal point in the paint and coatings industry

BOSTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 'According to the latest BCC Research study, the demand for 'Global Markets and Advanced Technologies for Paints and Coatings' is expected to grow from $203.8 billion in 2024 and should reach $263.2 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% from 2024 to 2029.'

The global paints and coatings market is segmented by technology, chemistry, and end-use, with a comprehensive analysis at both global and regional levels. The base year for this analysis is 2023, with market estimates and forecasts provided from 2024 through 2029 in terms of revenue (U.S. dollars, million). By technology, the market is divided into water-borne, solvent-borne, powder coatings, UV cure, and emerging technologies such as nano-coatings/smart coatings, vapor permeation technology, thermal barrier technology, and others. Chemically, the market includes acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane, alkyd, polyester, vinyl, and others like silicone, urea-formaldehyde, and phenolic resins. End-use segments consist of architectural and industrial coatings.

The following factors drive the global market for paints and coatings:

Automotive Industry Demand: The automotive sector drives the demand for paints and coatings due to the need for enhanced vehicle aesthetics, corrosion protection, and customization. High-quality coatings improve vehicle appearance, protect against rust, and allow for personalized finishes. They also improve performance by reducing drag and enhancing fuel efficiency, while reflective coatings increase safety by enhancing visibility at night. Stricter environmental regulations encourage the development of eco-friendly coatings, and the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) necessitates specialized coatings for battery protection and thermal management.

Architectural Coatings Demand: Architectural coatings are essential for buildings, homes, and infrastructure, driven by the construction boom, which increases the need for coatings. These coatings enhance aesthetics, protect surfaces, and extend their lifespan by providing weather resistance. They also contribute to energy efficiency through cool roof coatings and improve indoor air quality with low-VOC paints. The demand for sustainable coatings aligns with green building certifications, and coatings are vital for building renovations and maintenance, ensuring continued protection and appeal.

Request a Sample Copy of The global market for paints and coatings Report.

Report Synopsis

Report Metrics Details Base year considered 2023 Forecast Period considered 2024-2029 Base year market size $194.0 Billion Market Size Forecast $263.2 Billion Growth rate CAGR of 5.2% from 2024 to 2029 Segment Covered By Technology, Chemistry, End-Use, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (the Middle East and Africa and South America) Key Market Drivers  Increasing demand from the automotive industry  Increasing demand for architectural coatings

Key Interesting Facts About the global market for paints and coatings:

Scratch Resistance: Nanoparticles reinforce coatings, making them more resistant to scratches and abrasions.

UV Protection: Nanocoating's can block harmful UV rays, preserving the underlying material.

Self-Cleaning: Nanostructures create hydrophobic or superhydrophobic surfaces, allowing dirt and water to roll off easily.

The global market for paints and coatings report includes in-depth data and analysis addressing the following important queries:

What is the projected market size and growth rate of the market?



The global paints and coatings market is projected to grow from $194.0 billion in 2023 to $263.2 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% during the forecast period.



What are the key factors driving the growth of the market?



The key factors driving the growth of the paints and coatings market include:



 Increasing demand from the automotive industry.

 Increasing demand for architectural coating.



What segments are covered in the market?



The paints and coatings market are segmented based on technology, chemistry, end-use, and region.



By technology, which segment will dominate the market by the end of 2029?



The water-borne coatings segment will dominate the market by the end of 2029 in terms of value.



Which region has the highest market share in the market?



Asia-Pacific holds the highest share of the market by value. A few of the main factors propelling the Asia-Pacific market are several domestic and foreign companies producing paints and coatings, technological advancements, and increasing construction and automotive industries' growth across several countries in Asia-Pacific .

Some of the Key Market Players Are:

Akzo Nobel N.V.

Asian Paints

Axalta

BASF SE

Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd.

PPG Industries Inc.

The Sherwin Williams Co.

Browse More Related Reports

Medical Device Coatings: Global Markets: The medical device coatings market is diverse, with several types of coatings tailored for specific applications. These include antimicrobial coatings to prevent infections, hydrophilic coatings for improved lubrication, drug-eluting coatings for targeted therapy, and anti-thrombogenic coatings to prevent blood clotting. These coatings are applied to a range of materialspolymers, metals, and ceramicsand find use in general surgery, cardiovascular devices, orthopedics, radiology, dentistry, neurology, and gynecology. Geographically, the market spans North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the Rest of the World.

Global Markets for Conformal Coatings in Electronics: This comprehensive report delves into the global and regional markets for conformal coatings and coating equipment. It offers detailed estimates and forecasts, analyzing industry growth variations across different regions. Market trends, growth drivers, and challenges are explored, alongside considerations of the impact of COVID-19. The study provides market size estimations based on volume and revenue, with forecasts spanning from 2022 to 2027. Material types, applications, and end-use segments are covered, and profiles of major manufacturers are included. Despite pandemic-related disruptions in 2020, governments worldwide are implementing measures to mitigate economic slowdowns.

Directly Purchase a copy of the report with BCC Research.

For further information or to make a purchase, please get in touch with [email protected].

About BCC Research

BCC Research provides objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities with detailed market research reports. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help you make informed business decisions, free of noise and hype.

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Email: [email protected],

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For media inquiries, email [email protected] or visit our media page for access to our market research library.

Data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher.

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SOURCE BCC Research LLC
Fast-growing bath remodeling franchise has opened 150+ new territories in the past 2 years with 82% of all territories being owned by multi-unit owners

SPRINGVILLE, Utah, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Five Star Bath Solutions, one of the fastest-growing bath remodeling franchises in the world and part of the Five Star Franchising platform of home service brands, was recently named one of the Top 150 Brands for Multi-Unit Owners by Entrepreneur Magazine ranking No. 139 on the list.

The rankings, which appear in the July/August issue of Entrepreneur, identify brands that most appeal to prospective franchisees interested in multi-unit ownership in addition to current franchisees who are looking to expand their business portfolio.

Five Star Bath Solutions was recently named one of the Top 150 Brands for Multi-Unit Owners by Entrepreneur Magazine ranking No. 139 on the list.

Currently, 82% of Five Star Bath Solutions' 200-plus territories are owned by multi-unit owners with multi-unit owners averaging over three territories each. In the past two years, the brand has opened over 150 new territories. Since July 2023, Five Star Bath Solutions has increased its total locations by nearly 100 with an additional 23 multi-unit owners.

"At Five Star Bath Solutions, we dedicate ourselves to ensuring our franchise owners have the necessary training, support tools and technology to be successful, whether they own one unit or multiple locations," said Dean Hartley, president of Five Star Bath Solutions. "This recognition reflects our brand's ability to evolve and develop innovative strategies that push our franchisees to the next level."

This recognition helps Five Star Bath Solutions continue to build on an already impressive year. Earlier this year, the franchise was ranked #314 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list, 113 spots higher than they were ranked in 2023. In addition, they were named one of the Fastest-Growing Franchises and a Top Franchise for Less Than $150,000.

"Five Star Bath Solutions continues to cement itself as one of the top bath remodel brands for business owners," said J. Andrew Mengason, chief growth officer for Five Star Franchising. "By offering customers an excellent product with great value in addition to providing franchise owners with extraordinary growth potential, Five Star Bath Solutions has proven they are a great choice for those looking to venture into multi-unit ownership."

Five Star Bath Solutions provides premier bath solutions for everyone and every need, with a mission to design and build dream bathrooms through expertise and trust. Five Star Bath Solutions is advancing the bathroom renovation industry through innovative technology, custom products, and attention to customer service.

To learn more about franchising with Five Star Bath Solutions, visit https://www.bathsolutionsfranchising.com/.

To view the full rankings for the Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners, visit https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/top-multiunit-ranking/page-3 or pick up a copy of the July/August 2024 issue of Entrepreneur.

About Five Star Bath Solutions

Five Star Bath Solutions is the premier bath transformation franchise in the home remodeling industry. The company, named a Top Low-Cost Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review, designs and builds dream bathrooms through expertise and trust providing affordable transformations and beautiful solutions. Part of the Five Star Franchising portfolio of home service brands since 2014, Five Star Bath Solutions is one of the fastest-growing bath remodeling franchises in the world with more than 200 franchise locations. For more information, visit fivestarbathsolutions.com. To learn about franchising with Five Star Bath Solutions, visit bathsolutionsfranchising.com.

About Five Star Franchising

Five Star Franchising is an innovative, growing platform of home service brands with more than 1,400 total locations throughout North America. Franchise owners across Five Star's brands, including Five Star Bath Solutions, Gotcha Covered, Bio-One, Mosquito Shield, 1-800-Packouts, and Card My Yard enjoy a robust support network and access to industry-leading tools such as ProNexis, the 24/7 sales support solution tailored for home service businesses, and Five Star Marketing Services, Five Star Franchising's elite marketing engine. Five Star Franchising's commitment to core values  Driven, Real, Innovative, Vital, and Enthusiastic (DRIVE)  ensures its brands are category leaders and empowers franchise owners to maximize profitable growth and secure their financial destiny. Five Star Franchising is consistently recognized as one of the most successful companies in Utah, ranking among the fastest-growing businesses in the state on the MountainWest Capital Network Utah 100, the Utah Valley BusinessQ UV50 and the Utah Business Fast 50 lists. For more information, visit fivestarfranchising.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Five Star Bath Solutions
WARSAW, Poland, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flipster, a crypto derivatives trading platform, is delighted to announce a partnership with BONK. To celebrate this collaboration, Flipster is launching two exciting campaigns with attractive rewards.

Get more BONK for your buck

Flipster and BONK Announce Exciting New Partnership

Users can win a share of the daily 6,000 USDT launchpool reward by staking BONK and trading. Participants can increase their staked amount by up to 4x and earn a larger share of the rewards by trading:

1x Multiplier: Stake BONK.

2x Multiplier: Trade more than 5,000 USDT across any crypto .

. 3x Multiplier: Trade more than 10,000 USDT across any crypto .

. 4x Multiplier: Become a Flipster VIP.

The campaign runs from 15 July 2024 to 20 July 2024 and offers participants to earn additional USDT rewards by staking BONK and increasing their trading volume.

For more information on the campaign: BONK Launchpool

May the best memes win

In addition to the Launchpool, Flipster is hosting a BONK x Flipster meme contest with a total prize pool of 5,000 Flipster Bonus. 25 participants will each win 200 bonus, giving the community a chance to join the fun and reap the rewards.

To participate:

Follow BONK and Flipster on X.

on X. Like and quote repost the BONK x Flipster meme contest post with their meme.

Use the hashtag #BONKOnFlipster.

The top 15 memes, determined by the number of reposts and comments, will each receive 200 Flipster Bonus. Additionally, 10 randomly selected participants will also be awarded 200 bonus each.

About Flipster

Flipster is among the fastest-growing crypto derivatives trading platform, offering lightning-fast perpetual futures listings on the latest cryptocurrencies. The easy-to-use platform provides users with an all-in-one trading experience with leverage of up to 100x on over 250 tokens with high liquidity and zero trading fees. For media enquiries or interview requests with the team, please reach out to [email protected] .

CONTACT:

Shirlyn Tan

Marketing Specialist

[email protected]

SOURCE Flipster
In its latest growth period, FLX continues to expand beyond distribution to offer "the go-to Network" for asset and wealth managers.

BERNARDSVILLE, N.J., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FLX Networks today announced new milestones across its rapidly expanding platform, including 18 new asset management firms joining the FLX community, and a quadrupling of Community Pages to more than 400 asset managers.

Asset manager members of all sizes are looking to FLX to solve pain points and drive growth. FLX is providing these firms with workflow enhancements, aggregated insights, and purpose-built solutions that are cost-effective and interoperable with client business models. New asset management firms joining FLX include FS Investments , Pender Capital , Principal Asset Management , SCG Asset Management , and more.

"The market is embracing FLX as a central destination for asset and wealth managers." -- FLX Networks CEO Brian Moran. Post this

The significant expansion of asset manager Community Pages, which include company overview information needed for the due diligence process, helps further simplify a fragmented ecosystem. FLX Community Pages reduce sources of information, data, vendors, and costs, and will draw a more diversified community of members into the platform.

"The market is embracing FLX as a central destination for asset and wealth managers because they can network with peers, identify prospective opportunities, access investment products and insights, and leverage business solutions to expand productivity, cost savings, and growth," said FLX Networks CEO and Founder Brian Moran.

FLX's growing membership, consisting of enterprises and individual professionals, benefits from an integrated experience, including:

The Network, which can streamline and digitize daily workflows and routines, while delivering timely data, thought leadership, and investment ideas through its proprietary Exchanges (Investment, Intelligence, Solutions, and Wealth).

which can streamline and digitize daily workflows and routines, while delivering timely data, thought leadership, and investment ideas through its proprietary Exchanges (Investment, Intelligence, Solutions, and Wealth). Solutions, a curated marketplace, which provides flexible implementation and integration of shared technology and professional services that meet the stated needs of asset and wealth management members.

"While our capabilities are comprehensive in scope, our customer journey is increasingly simple and logical," said Mark Spina, President and Chief Revenue Officer at FLX Networks. "All members start their journey with our Network. Members can then tailor their experience, selecting the Solutions that maximize their savings and goals. With a profile established and solutions in place, asset managers can choose to amplify their reach with Distribution Services, in digital or personnel formats."

About FLX Networks

FLX Networks solves substantial pain points shared by asset and wealth managers. We've created a single destination for aggregated insights, investment ideas, engagement, and solutions. Our members enterprises and individualstailor their experience based on their business needs and goals, offering productivity, cost savings, and growth potential.

SOURCE FLX Networks
The government's efforts to elevate the standards of healthcare facilities have made a significant contribution to the development of the industry. Along with technological advancements, the speed of treatment has been enhanced due to better healthcare infrastructure and facilities.

WILMINGTON, Del., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the help of several key forces influencing the growth of the sector, the CNS therapeutic market will encompass a near-to-impressive CAGR of 7.7% through the forecasted period.

The progress of the competitive landscape will help the market valuation reach USD 231.8 billion by 2034. The last recorded size of the industry was USD 102.4 billion in 2023.

The likelihood of various neurological disorders is growing with the rising senior population across the world. Along with this, many psychological disorders are observed to have increased with the growing geriatric population.

The growing levels of stress, anxiety, and other related factors are fueling the increasing number of psychologically challenged patients. Due to this, patients seeking medical attention increased, driving the global CNS therapeutic market.

Get a PDF Sample of this Report Now!

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The growing cases of brain damage and brain disorders surge the demand for suitable treatment and therapies. As such diseases are closely related to central nervous systems, the demand for the market will likely increase.

With the introduction of new drugs and therapies in the sector, the competitive landscape is constantly developing. Due to this, the scope for new entrants is continuously increasing, helping organizations explore new market openings.

Technological innovation is playing a vital role in developing new drugs. This has been helping key players to constantly introduce new treatments, therapies, and medicines for patients, driving the market.

The development of the healthcare sector is another contributing factor to the development of the competitive landscape. Due to the growth in the industry, new prospects are generated for the CNS therapeutic market, leveraging the growth rate of the industry.

With government support for the exploration of new avenues in the field, key players explore new market openings, diversifying the competitive landscape. As a result, this is another crucial driving force for the ecosystem.

Central Nervous System Therapeutics Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2034 Base Year 2020-2022 Size in 2023 US$ 102.4 Bn Forecast (Value) in 2034 US$ 231.8 Bn Growth Rate (CAGR) 7.7 % No. of Pages 174 Pages Segments covered By Drug Class, By Disease Type, By Distribution, By Region, By End-user

Key Findings from the Market Report

The competitive landscape can be segmented based on various categories that contribute to the growth of the CNS therapeutic market. Based on the drug class segment, analgesics have great importance. Neurological surgeries are highly painful, and hence, to manage the pains of patients, analgesics are used.

Based on the disease type, neurodegenerative disorders have been seen to have increased recently. As a result, more prospects are created by the segment for leading players to explore a wider market landscape.

With the growing stress levels, anxiety issues, and various other related issues, the mental health segment will likely create more prospects for the industry.

A hospital is the category based on the distribution channel that creates the highest prospects for the CNS therapeutic market due to the growing number of complex surgeries.

Regional Profile

The bolstered healthcare infrastructure in North America creates many lucrative growth prospects for leading players in the CNS therapeutic market.

creates many lucrative growth prospects for leading players in the CNS therapeutic market. With the growing number of mental health disorders in Europe , more emphasis will be placed on bolstering the healthcare systems dedicated to addressing the issue.

, more emphasis will be placed on bolstering the healthcare systems dedicated to addressing the issue. Asia-Pacific projects a growing geriatric population, which will likely drive the market, creating several opportunities.

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Competitive Landscape

With the presence of several large-scale organizations, the competitive space of the industry is cluttered. Product launch is a key mode of expansion adopted by such companies.

Biogen is a key player in producing a wide range of medicines, including Aduhelm, Avonex, Gazyva, and Fampyra.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is another organization working in different sectors. It produces EQUELLE for women, BeanStalk for infants, and many other products.

Dulaglutide, Insulin Lispro, and insulin delivery medical devices are some key products of Eli Lilly and Company.

Key Players

Biogen

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Eli Lilly and Company

Merck & Co. Inc.

AstraZeneca

Novartis AG

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Pfizer Inc.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson Services Inc.

Key Developments in the Central Nervous System Therapeutics Market

In May 2024 , Biogen acquired Human Immunology Biosciences. This move helped the organization expand its portfolio.

, Biogen acquired Human Immunology Biosciences. This move helped the organization expand its portfolio. In May 2024 , Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. launched a new basic skincare line to cater to epidermal imbalance.

Market Segmentation

Drug Class

Analgesics

Anti-Cholinergic Agents

Anticonvulsants

Sedatives and Hypnotics

Anti-Depressants

Others (Antipsychotics, etc.)

Disease Type

Neurodegenerative Disorders Alzheimer's disease Parkinson's disease Huntington's disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Others (Multiple Sclerosis, etc.)



Mental Health Anxiety Disorders Epilepsy Psychotic Disorders Others (Mood Disorders, etc.)



Neurovascular Diseases

CNS Trauma

CNS Cancer

Others (Infectious Disorders, etc.)

Distribution Channel

Hospitals

Biopharmaceutical Companies

Research Organizations and Academic Institutes

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

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In About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Augments Crisis24's existing proprietary suite of SaaS-based risk management solutions, adding deep mass communication capabilities

Enhances risk management innovation capabilities, with product development and software engineering talent

Customers to benefit from a more integrated critical event management and mass communication offering

MONTREAL, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Garda World Security Corporation ("GardaWorld" or "the Company"), an entrepreneurial-minded corporation focused on building global champions in security services, AI-enabled security technology, integrated risk management and cash automation solutions announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the business of OnSolve, LLC ("OnSolve"), a leading provider of critical event management, including risk intelligence, mass communications, incident management and travel risk management solutions to enterprise customers, small and mid-market businesses and government agencies.

GardaWorld expects to join OnSolve with its Crisis24 business, a global AI-enhanced platform in integrated risk management. Crisis24, a pioneer in synergizing human and AI-driven analysis and expertise to produce relevant, hyperlocal and real-time risk management solutions, will integrate with the OnSolve Platform, boosting its comprehensive ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a wide range of risks and critical events, making customer organizations more resilient and secure.

"Our Crisis24 business is renowned for empowering prominent organizations, disruptive brands, and influential individuals to operate with confidence. As companies and organizations navigate an increasingly complex world, Crisis24 stands out as a global leader in comprehensive risk management and protection. Our industry-leading SaaS platforms provide organizational resilience to the world's top organizations, enabling them to thrive during disruptive events," said Stephan Cretier, Founder, President and CEO of GardaWorld.

"Along with Crisis24's existing critical event management platforms, TopoONE by Crisis24 and Crisis24 Horizon, the addition of the OnSolve Platform will enable Crisis24 to offer the most advanced and comprehensive risk management services in the industry, ensuring greater resilience and security for organizations and businesses worldwide," continued Cretier.

"Joining forces with Crisis24 is a natural fit for OnSolve. Together, we will continue to empower security and resilience across the world. Crisis24's global footprint, particularly with the world's most influential businesses and people, and their deep understanding of the risk management space, ensures that our teams will continue to innovate on our award-winning technology platform and deliver exceptional value for our customers while developing new segments and markets," said Mark Herrington, CEO of OnSolve.

OnSolve has approximately 400 employees across the United States, United Kingdom and India. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

About Garda World Security Corporation

GardaWorld is an entrepreneurial-minded corporation that builds global champions in security services, AI-enabled security technologies, integrated risk management and cash automation solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals across the globe. Driven by a relentless entrepreneurial culture and core values of integrity, vigilance, trust and respect, GardaWorld's global champions offer sophisticated, tailored security and technology solutions through high-touch partnerships and consistently superior service delivery. With a deep understanding that security is critical to the organizational resilience of business operations and the safety of communities, GardaWorld is committed to impeccable governance, professional care and the well-being of everyone. Thanks to a well-earned reputation, GardaWorld businesses are long-standing security partners of choice to some of the most prominent brands, influential individuals, Fortune 500 corporations and governments. For more information, visit gardaworld.com.



About Crisis24

Crisis24, a global, AI-enhanced platform in travel risk management, mass communications, critical event management, crisis-security consulting, and personal protection solutions including a global medical concierge practice, allows prominent organizations, disruptive brands and influential people to operate with confidence in an uncertain world. Backed by proprietary AI-enabled SaaS technologies, advanced Global Operations Centers, and the largest team of private sector intelligence analysts in the world, we deliver localized insights and global perspectives alongside medical, security, crisis response and consultancy services as a preferred partner for Fortune 500 corporations. With a uniquely integrated and scalable platform, Crisis24 has an unrivaled financial profile that enables greater investment in technology than industry peers. For more information, visit crisis24.com.

About OnSolve

OnSolve is a leading critical event management provider that proactively mitigates physical threats, allowing organizations to remain agile when a crisis strikes. Using the most trusted expertise and reliable AI-powered risk intelligence, critical communications and incident management technology, the OnSolve Platform enables enterprises, SMB organizations and all levels of government to detect, anticipate and mitigate physical threats that impact their people, places and property. With billions of alerts sent annually and proven support for both the public and private sectors, OnSolve is used by thousands of entities to save lives, protect communities, safeguard critical infrastructure and enable agility for the organizations that power our economy.

Contact: [email protected]
Local companies to provide solar/battery storage installations in low-income communities hit hardest by long and frequent outages

WAUKESHA, Wis., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Generac Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC), a leading global designer, manufacturer and provider of energy technology solutions and other power products, today announced the company has been awarded a grant of up to $200 million over the five year term of the award agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). Under the PR-ERF's Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program), Generac will facilitate the installation of residential solar and battery storage systems for disadvantaged Puerto Rican households. Installations will begin in August of 2024.

Generac and its local project affiliates in Puerto Rico will offer clean and resilient energy in low-income areas that experience frequent and prolonged power outages as well as to households where a resident with an energy-dependent disability resides. This funding also will support clean energy jobs and help Puerto Rico achieve its renewable energy goal of meeting its electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050. Puerto Rico residents interested in applying for the program can visit the Programa Acceso Solar website to learn more.

"We've been providing reliable backup power solutions to the people of Puerto Rico for more than 20 years, including after Hurricane Maria devastated the island's power grid and left 95% of residents without electricity," said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO at Generac. He added, "We are proud to be a recipient of this DOE grant to provide clean, resilient, efficient power for those who are often underserved during outages."

"The Programa Acceso Solar will have a transformative impact on vulnerable households by improving access to reliable and affordable energy," said Maria Robinson, Director of DOE's Grid Deployment Office. "DOE is pleased to partner with Generac to install residential solar and battery storage systems across Puerto Rico, improving energy resilience for households with some of the greatest need."

Generac will be working with several companies to support the program:

Two community affiliates in this effort include PathStone, a nonprofit organization providing community and workforce development and humanitarian services in Puerto Rico since 1998 and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a clean energy non-profit established in 1982 that leads groundbreaking community programs and market research, will together coordinate additional local community efforts to serve as liaisons between Solar Ambassadors, installers, and eligible recipients.

since 1998 and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a clean energy non-profit established in 1982 that leads groundbreaking community programs and market research, will together coordinate additional local community efforts to serve as liaisons between Solar Ambassadors, installers, and eligible recipients. FR-BLDM, a leading local contractor with years of government program management experience will lead installations working with other local, small, family-owned businesses in Puerto Rico .

. Juapi Energy, a PWRcell installer and Generac Service Dealer in Puerto Rico will provide service support to residents and will perform installations.

will provide service support to residents and will perform installations. Palmetto, a leading climate technology company accelerating the adoption of clean energy, will extend three of its commercial software applications: fintech platform, installation partner portal, and asset management services, to help facilitate homeowners' transition to solar and storage in Puerto Rico .

These companies will help lead workforce development and training efforts that focus on providing jobs for residents in vulnerable communities across Puerto Rico.

"Supporting local companies is an important part of our objective to provide reliable and sustainable energy solutions to Puerto Rico's most vulnerable communities," said Norm Taffe, president of Energy Technology at Generac. "By working with local installers and businesses, we not only gain valuable on-the-ground support but also foster job creation and community development. This collaboration helps ensure that we can deliver high-quality, resilient power solutions while uplifting the local workforce and economy."

For more information, visit the Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office website.

About Generac

Generac Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC) is a leading energy technology company that provides backup and prime power products and energy storage systems for home and business applications, as well as energy monitoring and management devices and services, along with other power products. Founded in 1959, Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the automatic home standby generator category. The Company has continued to expand its energy technology offerings in its mission to lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions.

Media Contact: Jonathan Stern

[email protected]

SOURCE Generac Power Systems, Inc.
Life-threatening diseases are increasing among the population, requiring constant medical support through surgeries. Despite the rising preference for minimally invasive treatments, the focus on reducing patients' blood loss drives the demand for hemostasis products.

WILMINGTON, Del., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The progress of the global hemostasis market is attributed to various drivers that will elevate the size of the industry from USD 2.5 billion, measured in 2023, to USD 4.5 billion by 2034. Owing to multiple trends and market drivers, the progress of the competitive landscape is estimated to traverse a moderate advancement path, projecting a CAGR of 5.7% through the forecasted period.

With the growing number of accidental cases, the number of surgeries required is proliferating. Due to this rising number, the demand for hemostasis products is expected to increase, which will likely drive the global landscape. The rising number of chronic diseases is expected to fuel the demand for surgical interventions.

This will fuel the demand for hemostasis products to reduce blood loss during surgeries. Orthopedic disorders are expected to drive the momentum toward the global hemostasis products realm. With the rising demand in new and emerging sectors, such products will cover a wider spectrum, creating prospects for key players.

The elevation of safety features and rising precision in drug delivery systems will likely augment products in the industry. The growing field of biotechnology will also help the proliferation of the products portfolio, driving the demand for the sector. The growing research and development activities in the competitive landscape will help leading manufacturers augment products. Innovations will elevate the overall efficiency of drug delivery, increasing the demand for products.

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Hemostasis is the body's natural response to an injury that results in bleeding. This response halts the bleeding and enables the body to begin healing the wound. It is a multi-step process that causes a bleeding artery to form a plug that seals off the damaged area and stops the blood flow. In order to achieve hemostasis, different types of inorganic materials, metal-containing compounds, synthetic polymers, and natural polymers are used. Examples of natural polymers used in the medical industry for hemostasis include chitosan, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, alginate, collagen, and fibrin.

Further, materials such as peptides, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol are used to manufacture synthetic hemostatic materials. It is interesting to note that the type of hemostatic material to be used is strongly dependent on its mechanism of action. For instance, hemostatic materials in the form of hydrogels encourage clotting through thickening the blood and raising the concentration of platelets and clotting factors. These substances absorb water and then swell, creating a local compression effect.

An astounding 310 million major surgical procedures are carried out annually across the globe, with 20 million occurring in Europe and 4050 million in the U.S. Estimations suggest that 1-4% of these patients encounter mortality, while 15-25% experience significant postoperative morbidity. Additionally, 15-25% of these patients are readmitted within 30 days of the procedure. At 15% of all trauma deaths, post-traumatic hemorrhage ranks as the second most common cause of trauma-related mortality in humans. The rising number of surgical procedures worldwide, coupled with the expanding geriatric population of the globe is poised to bolster the hemostasis products market. The recent years has witnessed the advent of a number of external hemostasis products, examples of which include QuikClot powder, advanced coagulation sponge, and combat gauze. These hemostats are developed based on materials such as kaolin and zeolite, chitosan, gelatin, alginate, collagen, and others and are known to function by promoting hemostasis through physical compression or by triggering the coagulation cascade. In this context, in November 2023, Ethicon announced that it received the CE mark for ETHIZIATM, an adjunctive hemostat solution, clinically validated to achieve sustained hemostasis in case of severe bleeding complications.

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Technological development is another crucial factor that governs the growth of the ecosystem. As mentioned before, the development of biotechnology will aid elevated features for drug delivery systems. This factor will drive the demand for hemostasis products. Government initiatives to bolster the healthcare infrastructure will benefit key players. More prospects will be generated in the industry, which can be used to expand in the industry, benefiting the market.

Key Findings from the Market Report

The competitive landscape of hemostasis products can be categorized into many segments. Based on products, topical hemostasis products are expected to gain the highest traction. This is due to the ability of products to administer the agent locally.

To cater to internal injuries and control internal blood loss, infusible hemostasis products are used. This segment is gaining traction due to such cases.

Based on the application segment, surgery is the category generating the highest revenue for the industry. The rising number of surgeries is fueling the demand for the segment.

Based on the end-user industry, hospitals are found to hold the highest market share. Due to the cutting-edge facilities in hospitals, the demand for hemostasis products is expected to rise.

Regional Profile

Due to the development of the healthcare infrastructure in North America , more prospects will be created for leading players.

, more prospects will be created for leading players. With the growing geriatric population in Asia-Pacific , the demand for hemostasis products will likely spur in the region.

, the demand for hemostasis products will likely spur in the region. Governments in European countries emphasize research for the healthcare system. Due to this, the prospects for the market in the region are optimistic.

Hemostasis Products Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2034 Base Year 2020-2022 Size in 2023 US$ 2.5 Bn Forecast (Value) in 2034 US$ 4.5 Bn Growth Rate (CAGR) 5.7 % No. of Pages 213 Pages Segments covered By Product, By Application, By End- User, By Region

Competitive Landscape

With several organizations cluttering the competitive landscape, innovation is a key mode of expansion adopted in the industry.

Pfizer, Inc. is a key player, which produces respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, quinapril HCI, hydrochlorothiazide, and many other products.

Baxter International, Inc. manufactures advanced surgical instruments, syringes, infusion systems, IV and irrigation solutions, and various other products. The organization also operates in different industry verticals.

Medtronic plc. is another key player operating in various verticals. The business produces ablation products for arrhythmias, electrosurgical products, smoke evacuation systems, and several other products.

Key Developments in the Hemostasis Products Market

In February 2024 , Pfizer, Inc., along with The American Cancer Society, announced a USD 15 million aid to bridge the gap in cancer care disparities. This collaboration is made for the next three years.

, Pfizer, Inc., along with The American Cancer Society, announced a aid to bridge the gap in cancer care disparities. This collaboration is made for the next three years. In April 2024 , Baxter International, Inc. introduced new injectable products in the United States . This products launch bolstered the position of the organization, thereby diversifying the products portfolio.

Key Players

Pfizer Inc.

Baxter International Inc.

Medtronic plc.

Abbott

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon)

CSL

Becton, Dickinson, and Company

Precision Biologics

Sysmex Corporation

Market Segmentation

Products

Topical Hemostasis Products Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose Gelatin Polysaccharides Collagen

Infusible Hemostasis Products Factor VIII Platelet Concentrate from Donor Blood Prothrombin Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP)

Advanced Hemostasis Products Thrombin Flowable Synthetic Sealants Fibrin



Application

Surgery

Trauma

Others

End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Others

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

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Blood Testing Market - The global market is anticipated to rise from US$ 80.2 Bn in 2021 to US$ 218.2 Bn by 2032. The research study projects that the global industry for blood testing solutions is likely to expand at a CAGR of 9.6% between 2022 and 2032.

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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

Contact:

Transparency Market Research Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,

1000 N. West Street,

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
Resource highlights EV charging and campsite locations encouraging adventure and exploration

CAMDEN, N.J., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hipcamp , the world's leading campsite booking company, in partnership with Subaru of America, Inc. today announced a resource of 10 electric vehicle-ready road trips across the United States. From easy access EV charging to pet-friendly and family stays, road-trippers can filter for options along each route to find the best camping location that fits their needs.

The new feature is the first road trip resource provided by Hipcamp and showcases routes located across the country. Post this Subaru of America, Inc. has partnered with Hipcamp to provide a resource that can help drivers and their friends and family to explore and access the outdoors and all the beauty it has to offer. Hipcamp and Subaru of America, Inc. have partnered to offer a resource of 10 electric vehicle-ready road trips located across the United States. From easy access EV charging to pet-friendly and family stays, road-trippers can filter for options to find the best camping location that fits their needs.

The new feature is the first road trip resource provided by Hipcamp and showcases routes located across the country. The routes, which include classics like Route 66, Texas's Chihuahuan Desert, and the California coast, can be explored in their entirety or in shorter segments.

Thanks to Hipcamp's ever-growing community of hosts and the increase in EV infrastructure, more than 80% of Hipcamp sites are now located near publicly accessible EV stations. Campers can easily use Hipcamp's EV charging station map layer to best plan their stops.

Alyssa Ravasio, Hipcamp Founder and CEO: "Our mission at Hipcamp is to get more people outside. With our new collection of routes that prioritize EV-charging opportunities, we hope to make it simpler than ever to plan your next outdoor adventure. We are here to make your camp experience all the better, and have shared some of our top points of interest and national parks."

Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America, Inc.: "At Subaru, we believe everyone deserves access to the outdoors and all the beauty it has to offer. We are excited to be partnering with Hipcamp to provide a resource that can help drivers and their friends and family to explore."

From the car to the campsite, kick off an unforgettable journey, redefine adventure, and embrace the spirit of discovery with these 10 American Roadtrip Routes:

Blue Ridge Parkway : Starting in stunning Shenandoah National Park and leading to the beautiful Smoky Mountains, this route features two national parks, the vibrant city of Asheville, and waterfall hikes.

: Starting in stunning Shenandoah National Park and leading to the beautiful Smoky Mountains, this route features two national parks, the vibrant city of Asheville, and waterfall hikes. California Coast: Travelers can start this route in Redwood National and State Park and continue their journey south experiencing breathtaking views of the West Coast as they pass through places like Glass Beach, Capitola Beach , and Huntington State Beach with a final destination of Cabrillo National Monument.

Travelers can start this route in Redwood National and State Park and continue their journey south experiencing breathtaking views of the West Coast as they pass through places like Glass Beach, , and Huntington State Beach with a final destination of Cabrillo National Monument. Chihuahuan Desert: Beginning in Austin and making stops in San Antonio and the breathtaking Santa Elena Canyon, the final stop in this route is in Marfa at El Cosmico.

Beginning in and making stops in and the breathtaking Santa Elena Canyon, the final stop in this route is in at El Cosmico. Olympic Peninsula: Starting in Seattle , drivers can make their way through the Olympic Peninsula and take in the unbelievable views of the mountains in places such as Hurricane Ridge and beautiful beaches like Shi-Shi and Ruby Beach , marking their final stop at Kalaloch Beach.

Starting in , drivers can make their way through the Olympic Peninsula and take in the unbelievable views of the mountains in places such as Hurricane Ridge and beautiful beaches like Shi-Shi and , marking their final stop at Kalaloch Beach. Utah's Mighty 5 : Kicking off in Moab , this route hits all of Utah's national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon , Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Take your time driving while soaking in the breathtaking beauty that the Beehive State has to offer until arriving at Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Kicking off in , this route hits all of national parks: Arches, , Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Take your time driving while soaking in the breathtaking beauty that the Beehive State has to offer until arriving at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Route 66: Sightseers looking for a longer trip can begin their journey along the famous Route 66 in Chicago and travel through staples including Route 66 State Park, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Tulsa, Albuquerque, and the Santa Fe National Forest, ending the route at the iconic Santa Monica Pier.

Sightseers looking for a longer trip can begin their journey along the famous Route 66 in and travel through staples including Route 66 State Park, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Tulsa, Albuquerque, and the Santa Fe National Forest, ending the route at the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Sierra Nevada : This route begins in Yosemite National Park with stops at Nevada Falls, Eastern Sierra Lakes, and Kings Canyon National Park ending at the giant sequoia in Sequoia, the General Sherman Tree .

This route begins in with stops at Nevada Falls, Eastern Sierra Lakes, and Kings Canyon National Park ending at the giant sequoia in Sequoia, the General . Grand West: Starting in St. Mary , this route stops at Montana sites like Whitefish, Flathead Lake State Park, Bozeman , and Yellowstone National Park before ending in Jackson, Wyoming .

Starting in , this route stops at sites like Whitefish, Flathead Lake State Park, , and before ending in . Great Lakes: This lakeside journey beginning in Duluth guides travelers through a picturesque road trip making stops at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

This lakeside journey beginning in Duluth guides travelers through a picturesque road trip making stops at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Grand Canyon State: Starting in Flagstaff, drivers make their way through this scenic route with stops in Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Antelope Canyon with a final stop in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Press images: HERE

Additional roadtrip information: HERE

Visit Hipcamp Collections: HERE

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Hipcamp

Over the past decade, Hipcamp has unlocked access to over 120,000 campsites on 5 million acres of private land around the world. No matter how you campwe got you covered with our collection of private tent sites, idyllic spots for your rig, and cabins in top outdoor destinations. Each year, Hipcamp helps millions of campers sleep happily under the stars, boosting local economies and biodiversity along the way. Everything we do is guided by our belief that getting outside is good for the health of people and our planet. For more information, please visit hipcamp.com .

Diane Anton

Corporate Communications Manager

(856) 488-5093

[email protected]

Adam Leiter

Corporate Communications Specialist

(856) 488-8668

[email protected]

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.
Win big with the "LET GO AND HOVER" summer campaign and enjoy unbeatable discounts on Amazon Prime Day on the HOVERAir X1, the ultimate self-flying camera

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Zero Robotics' brand HOVERAir just launched their "LET GO AND HOVER" Summer Travel Campaign. This campaign invites users to capture and share their summer travel moments using the HOVERAir X1, the pocket-sized self-flying camera revolutionizing aerial photography. Additionally, in celebration of Amazon Prime Day, the HOVERAir X1 is available at its lowest prices ever, making it the perfect travel companion for capturing stunning summer moments.

"LET GO AND HOVER" Summer Travel Campaign

Let go and Hover!

From now through August 5, 2024, HOVERAir invites you to unleash your creativity with the HOVERAir X1 for a chance to win fantastic prizes. Participants are to capture and post their best moments on Instagram, tagging @hoverair_global and using the hashtag #LetGoAndHover. By engaging their audience with comments about where they would take the HOVERAir X1 and what they would capture, participants can win a variety of exciting prizes, for example: Star Alliance Round-the-World Travel Ticket, Travel Accessories, Amazon Vouchers, etc.

Additionally, five winners will be selected by the HOVERAir team to receive special medals and titles: The HOVERAir Creator, The HOVERAir Editor, The HOVERAir Adventurer, The HOVERAir Innovator, and The HOVERAir Storyteller.

To enter, participants must capture at least 5 photos or a video of at least 15 seconds. Content must be original and focused on summer travel. Initial selection will include up to 100 entries; to qualify, entries must have over 15 likes and demonstrate high quality and creativity. Multiple entries are allowed. User voting will determine the winners, with announcements made on August 20, 2024. Winners will be contacted via Instagram and must respond by August 31, 2024, to claim their prizes. Additional information on the campaign and full terms and conditions can be found at hoverair.com.

Exclusive Prime Day Deals

From July 16 to July 17, 2024, customers can take advantage of special Prime Day prices on Amazon and the brand's website. The HOVERAir X1 Standard, normally priced at $429, will be available for $309, a 28% discount. The Combo package, which includes the device, an extra battery, and a charger, is reduced from $479 to $359, a 25% discount.

The HOVERAir X1 offers unparalleled portability, performance, and ease of use. Launching in seconds to capture cinematic moments with an array of autonomous flight modes, users can fully immerse themselves in the moment without needing to use controllers or sticks. Its safety-first, cage-like design and intuitive operation make it accessible to everyone.

About Zero Zero Robotics

Zero Zero Robotics, was co-founded in 2014 by Stanford Phds, MQ Wang and Tony Zhang. Zero Zero specializes in embedded AI technology to create intelligent devices characterized by machine vision and high-precision control systems. Zero Zero's team members are dreamers, engineers, inventors, and builders hailing from top universities and research institutions around the world. Its investors include IDG, ZhenFund, and other top US investors. Zero Zero holds more than 140 core patents and has pioneered new technologies, such as fully enclosed portable propeller design and bi-copter design.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2460124/DSC01750.jpg
BOSTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Huddle Up , the leader in supporting children's growth, development, and mental health, is excited to announce its groundbreaking sponsored partnership with Massachusetts Head Start Association . This collaboration aims to improve access to comprehensive mental health care for children from low-income families, ensuring they receive the support they need for their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

A Shared Commitment to Children's Well-being

Huddle Up logo (PRNewsfoto/Huddle Up)

Massachusetts Head Start Association has a long-standing tradition of promoting school readiness by enhancing the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age five. Dr. Colleen Kraft, a Huddle Up board member, exemplifies the transformative power of Head Start. As part of the class of Head Start students in 1965, Dr. Kraft was encouraged to pursue her dreams and was told she should become a doctor. She went on to realize that dream, becoming a pediatrician and serving as President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as a professor of pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.

"Head Start changed the trajectory of my life by providing me with the support and encouragement I needed at a young age," said Dr. Colleen Kraft, Board Member at Huddle Up. "Through the collaboration between Huddle Up and the Massachusetts Head Start Association, we can better support the growth, development and mental health of children and adolescents and create even greater opportunities for future generations to succeed and thrive."

Strengthening Mental Health Services

The partnership will focus on several key initiatives:

Mental Health Consultations and Services: Huddle Up will offer mental health consultations, evaluations, and therapy sessions to children in Head Start programs across Massachusetts that choose to participate.

Huddle Up will offer mental health consultations, evaluations, and therapy sessions to children in Head Start programs across that choose to participate. Expanding IEP Support: Huddle Up will offer support to Head Start programs to continue partnerships with public school districts for Individualized Education Program (IEP) services, ensuring that children with special needs receive the tailored support to which they are legally entitled. These services extend beyond mental health, into school psychology, speech pathology, and occupational therapy.

Huddle Up will offer support to Head Start programs to continue partnerships with public school districts for Individualized Education Program (IEP) services, ensuring that children with special needs receive the tailored support to which they are legally entitled. These services extend beyond mental health, into school psychology, speech pathology, and occupational therapy. Sponsored outreach to programs for support and resources: Huddle Up will sponsor outreach efforts to Head Start programs to promote the consultations and services available, as well as sponsor educational sessions and resources for Huddle Up programs.

"Many of the children Head Start serves in Massachusetts are on waitlists for mental health services for a long time," said Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director at Massachusetts Head Start Association. "Huddle Up gives our programs the opportunity for newfound access to mental health consultations and services across Massachusetts."

Looking Toward a Collaborative Future

This partnership is just the beginning of a more collaborative future between Huddle Up and Massachusetts Head Start Association. Together, the organizations aim to:

Increase the supply of qualified mental health providers through apprenticeships and upskilling programs.

Advocate for policy changes that support better mental health services in early childhood education.

Develop and implement new strategies for integrating mental health support into everyday classroom activities.

Together, Huddle Up and Massachusetts Head Start Association are dedicated to fostering the growth, development, and mental health of children by actively engaging communities, supporting families and educators and creating a more inclusive learning environment for all.

For more information about Huddle Up and the Massachusetts Head Start Association, visit huddelupcare.com and massheadstart.org.

About Huddle Up

Huddle Up supports the growth, development and mental health of children and adolescents. By bringing together providers, families, and educators, Huddle Up creates a circle of support around children and adolescents, transforming the care experience and creating new levels of engagement and outcomes beyond traditional, in-person offerings. Technical innovation extends the high quality nationwide network of providers, enabling them through peer-to-peer interactions, speciality support and outcome driven personalization. Available in 50 states, and over 25 insurance plans, Huddle Up serves near a thousand schools in diverse regions throughout the nation. The company boasts nearly 900,000 sessions delivered, a 4.5/5 student star rating and a 96% provider retention rate.

Huddle Up serves children and adolescents with three solutions:

IEP Huddle: A transformative solution that goes beyond traditional support of speech therapy, occupational therapy, school psychology, and mental health needs for the evaluation, care services, and management of IEP-related, 504, and RTI programs.

A transformative solution that goes beyond traditional support of speech therapy, occupational therapy, school psychology, and mental health needs for the evaluation, care services, and management of IEP-related, 504, and RTI programs. All Student Huddle: A solution that extends mental health support to the entire population from Tier 1 screening and self-guided care to Tier 3 one-on-one individual service needs, and works in place of, or alongside SEL, tiered and MTSS offerings.

A solution that extends mental health support to the entire population from Tier 1 screening and self-guided care to Tier 3 one-on-one individual service needs, and works in place of, or alongside SEL, tiered and MTSS offerings. Family Care Hub: An innovative, first-of-its-kind platform that empowers self-guided care, courses, and education for students and their families, bringing them together to create new levels of engagement and outcomes.

About Massachusetts Head Start Association

The Massachusetts Head Start Association serves as the voice of Head Start in Massachusetts by providing collaborative learning opportunities, leveraging partnerships, and advocating for Head Start programs.

Head Start is a federal program that provides high-quality early education and comprehensive services to vulnerable children and families. Head Start and Early Head Start serve pregnant women and children birth to age 5. Programs provide early education and comprehensive services, including health, mental health, nutrition, services for children with disabilities, and family services.

Contact Information:

Huddle Up

Nicola Kamath, CMO

[email protected]

SOURCE Huddle Up
Hyundai donates $100,000 to Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) for the Injury Prevention and Child Passenger Safety Program

Hyundai and CHLA will host community child safety seat checks and LA Street Smarts events for pedestrian safety

To date, over 300 families have been served at child safety seat check events and 100 car seats have been replaced

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America announced its donation of $100,000 to Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) towards its Injury Prevention and Child Passenger Safety Program. Through Hyundai's corporate social responsibility initiative, Hyundai Hope, this partnership continues to impact local communities throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. By increasing the number of child passenger and pedestrian safety events for families, Hyundai seeks to protect the well-being of children while on and near the road.

(left to right) Raelynn Blackwell, Hyundai Motor America, Brian Latouf, Global Chief Safety and Quality Officer, Hyundai Motor Group, Helen Argobast, Dawn Wilcox, CHLA, Cole Stutz, Chief Safety Officer, Hyundai North American Safety Office, Chad Filiault, General Manager, Western Region, Hyundai Motor America at Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley, CA on July 15, 2024. (Photo/Hyundai)

Since the beginning of the partnership, Hyundai and CHLA have held four child safety seat check events where over 325 families were served, and 100 car seats were replaced with new units. Additionally, over 200 students, caregivers, and teachers have participated in LA Street Smarts events on pedestrian safety.

"At Hyundai, we value our partnership with CHLA and our shared commitment to enabling safety in the communities where we work and live," said Brian Latouf, global chief safety and quality officer, Hyundai Motor Group. "The Injury Prevention and Child Passenger Safety Program is world class in delivering technical knowledge and resources that parents and caregivers need to help keep their children safe and it is making a difference."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost half of car seats and booster seats are installed incorrectly or improperly used. NHTSA also estimates that safety seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

Through the partnership, Hyundai and CHLA will host child safety seat checks throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. At these events, families will be invited to receive a free inspection by certified child passenger safety technicians, who will inspect seats for manufacturer recalls, expiration dates, and proper fit of the seat for children. Additionally, families will receive replacement seats if needed.

Hyundai and CHLA will also host additional LA Street Smarts events in various communities to address the issues of pedestrian safety. LA Street Smarts consists of a mobile, life-size set with active traffic signals and interactive components that teach children about the hazards associated with walking near streets. Children experience real-life situations that could occur while walking on streets and practice proper pedestrian safety techniques.

"We are immensely grateful for Hyundai's ongoing support for our injury prevention efforts," says Helen Arbogast, Dr.P.H., MPH, manager of the Injury Prevention Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "Hyundai's generosity allows us to reach more children and families with critical, lifesaving child passenger and pedestrian safety information and to support the hospital's mission to create hope and build healthier futures."

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine, offering acclaimed care to children from across the world, the country, and the greater Southern California region. Founded in 1901, Children's Hospital Los Angeles is the largest provider of care for children in Los Angeles County, the No. 1 pediatric hospital in California and the Pacific region, and is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of Best Children's Hospitals. Clinical expertise spans the pediatric care continuum for newborns to young adults, from everyday preventive medicine to the most medically complex cases. Inclusive, compassionate, child- and family-friendly clinical care is led by physicians who are faculty members of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Physicians translate the new discoveries, treatments and cures proven through the work of scientists in The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angelesamong the top 10 children's hospitals for National Institutes of Health fundingto bring answers to families faster. The hospital also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, and visit our blog at CHLA.org/blog.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (in development in Georgia), and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai's 835 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a recent economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
Expanded Partnership Supports Next-Generation AI Use Cases and Delivers IGEL-powered solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) on Lenovo ThinkAgile MX Systems

SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IGEL , provider of the secure endpoint OS for now and next, today announced new developments resulting from its deepening partnership with Lenovo. Through advanced collaboration and joint development, IGEL and Lenovo are releasing new AI-ready endpoint devices pre-loaded with IGEL OS as an extension of IGEL OS' new integrated support for the Intel Core Ultra processors family. The companies have also united in the development of a powerful, integrated solution to enhance virtual desktop infrastructure with Microsoft Azure Stack HCI and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).

Based on this Intel Core Ultra processors support, IGEL and Lenovo are empowering enhanced user experiences and remote protocol resilience with AI-ready Lenovo devices  including ThinkPad L14 Gen5 (Intel), ThinkPad L13 Gen5 (Intel) and ThinkPad L16 Gen1 (Intel)  that benefit from direct access to neural processing units (NPUs) through IGEL OS 12. These new AI-ready Lenovo devices, pre-loaded with IGEL OS 12, join the growing list of Lenovo notebooks and thin clients to be globally available, with an integrated license of IGEL OS, directly through any Lenovo authorized channel.

"Leveraging our support for Intel Core Ultra processors, IGEL, together with Lenovo, is simplifying the deployment of AI, virtual desktops and apps that make next-generation endpoint computing both cost effective and prolific," said Bill McCarthy, Vice President of Strategic Alliances, IGEL. "Through our expanded joint development with Lenovo, IGEL OS 12 is now able to expose Lenovo NPU capabilities to the operating system to help customers realize better audio/video content experiences, improve remote protocol resilience in even the most congested networking environments and help security tools better identify individual user behavior. It's a joint move that positions IGEL OS as the most AI-ready Linux operating system for the enterprise endpoint."

In addition, IGEL and Lenovo announce the availability of IGEL-powered solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) on Lenovo ThinkAgile MX650 V3 devices. Optimized for both scale and performance, and Accelerated by Intel offerings, the Lenovo ThinkAgile MX systems, powered by IGEL OS, reduce the time-to-value for environments that want to bring all the cloud benefits of AVD on premises to meet data sovereignty and regulatory requirements. By leveraging the strengths of IGEL's Preventative Security Model, Lenovo's comprehensive hardware architecture and the latest Microsoft security technologies the ThinkAgile MX solutions set a new industry benchmark for virtual desktop environment security.

"Our goal is to ensure that every piece of hardware we develop supports the complex needs of modern enterprises, from security to performance," said Jonathan Pollock, Director, Worldwide Commercial PC at Lenovo. "The integration of our AI Ready technologies with IGEL's secure operating systems transforms how organizations deploy and benefit from virtual desktops."

The collaboration between IGEL and Lenovo builds on the recent news of IGEL's deepened collaboration with Microsoft and represents a significant advancement in how enterprises can securely and efficiently manage their IT infrastructures in a cloud-centric world. Organizations looking to enhance their security posture while improving operational efficiency will find a comprehensive solution in the combined offerings of IGEL, Lenovo, and Microsoft.

IGEL's integrated support for Intel Core Ultra processors also extends to any endpoint device based on this chipset.

These new developments with Lenovo will be featured during IGEL DISRUPT 24, the industry's largest EUC event which will take place September 16 and 17 in Munich, Germany. IGEL DISRUPT 24, Munich will be sponsored by Microsoft, HP, LG Business Solutions, Lenovo, Citrix and Omnissa as well as dozens of other IGEL Ready partners. For more information and to register, visit https://www.igel.com/disrupt24.

For more information on Lenovo solutions powered by IGEL OS, visit: https://www.igel.com/lenovo/ and https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/software/igel.

About IGEL

IGEL is the leader in providing a secure endpoint OS for enterprises now and next. Designed for VDI, DaaS, SaaS and secure browsing, IGEL OS delivers a first-class user experience while being seamless to manage  saving money, fuelling growth, supporting sustainability and driving organizations forward. IGEL OS supports a Zero Trust approach to security through the unique IGEL Preventative Security Model removing the attack vectors often exploited by bad actors. Trusted by leading healthcare, financial services, retail, manufacturing, and government leaders worldwide, IGEL has a growing ecosystem of more than 100 integrated IGEL Ready ecosystem partners and is represented by partners in over 50 countries. For more information on IGEL, visit www.igel.com.

SOURCE IGEL
BRUSSELS, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA), a groundbreaking think tank, has officially launched. Composed of leading independent music labels from around the world - it is a first for the music ecosystem.

ORCA's mission is to develop and promote research that underscores the economic, social, and cultural value of music. It is coordinated through the Center for Music Ecosystems.

ORCA's founding members include independent music labels that have discovered and developed the careers of various global artists, such as Adele, Nirvana, The National, Mitski, and ODESZA:

Because Music ( France )

( ) Beggars Group (UK)

(UK) City Slang ( Germany )

( ) Domino Recording Company (US)

(US) Everlasting Records ( Spain )

( ) Exceleration Music (US)

(US) Hopeless Records (US)

(US) !K7 Music ( Germany )

( ) Ninja Tune Records (UK)

(UK) Partisan Records (US)

(US) Playground Music ( Sweden )

( ) Secret City Records ( Canada )

( ) Secretly Group (US)

(US) Sub Pop (US)

Christof Ellinghaus, Founder/CEO of City Slang, commented: "City Slang is just one of many exciting independent music companies that contribute to the global music industry. We are excited to have joined forces with other leading independent labels to launch ORCA. Together, we are creating comprehensive, data-driven reports and independent studies to demonstrate the significant value our daily investments in art and culture contribute to society."

ORCA is committed to demonstrating the benefits and return on investment of supporting artists long-term and developing thriving music ecosystems. It aims to highlight music's role in transforming economies and inspiring social impact, including job creation.

ORCA invites policymakers, business leaders, and communities to recognize music as an economic ecosystem, providing evidence-based research to make music more inclusive and build collective value.

ORCA's inaugural report, "Setting the Stage: How Music Works" provides an in-depth introduction to the music industry - its stakeholders, activities, and the wide-ranging economic, cultural, and community benefits it generates. It is available as an interactive website and a standalone PDF.

Helen Smith, Executive Chair at European Independent Trade Association, IMPALA said: "ORCA's report sets out the unique work of independent labels and their vital contribution to the music ecosystem. It is the first piece of comprehensive research devoted to independent labels on this scale. This is essential reading for those looking to understand why labels are increasingly inundated with artists seeking long-term partnerships."

For more information, visit: www.orcaformusic.com.

Alexandra Dewar; [email protected]

SOURCE Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA)
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The intraoperative neuromonitoring market size in US is estimated to grow by USD 573.22 million from 2023-2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 5.8% during the forecast period. Increasing number of surgeries that require ionm is driving market growth, with a trend towards increasing number of acquisitions related to IoNM. However, high cost of ionm devices and procedures poses a challenge. Key market players include Accurate Neuromonitoring LLC, Assure Holdings Corp., Cadwell Industries Inc., Comprehensive Care Services, Computational Diagnostics Inc., EMOTIV, inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, IntraNerve Neuroscience Holdings LLC, Medsurant Health, Medtronic Plc, Natus Medical Inc., Neuro Alert, NeuroMonitoring Technologies, Neurosoft, Nihon Kohden Corp., Nuvasive Inc., Orimtec, ProPep Surgical, SpecialtyCare Inc., and Technomed.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market in US 2023-2027

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Market Scope In US Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017 - 2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.8% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 573.22 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.15 Regional analysis US Performing market contribution North America at 100% Key countries US Key companies profiled Accurate Neuromonitoring LLC, Assure Holdings Corp., Cadwell Industries Inc., Comprehensive Care Services, Computational Diagnostics Inc., EMOTIV, inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, IntraNerve Neuroscience Holdings LLC, Medsurant Health, Medtronic Plc, Natus Medical Inc., Neuro Alert, NeuroMonitoring Technologies, Neurosoft, Nihon Kohden Corp., Nuvasive Inc., Orimtec, ProPep Surgical, SpecialtyCare Inc., and Technomed

Market Driver

The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) market in the US is witnessing an uptick in strategic acquisitions. Notably, Assure Holdings Corp., an IONM and remote neurology service provider, acquired the assets of Neuroprotect Neuromonitoring, LLC and its affiliated entities in late 2022. This acquisition included material contracts, commercial partnerships, tangible assets, and accounts receivable. In another development, INN, an IONM services provider, expanded its footprint in Minnesota in September 2021 and acquired a Midwest IONM provider in December 2022. These acquisitions enable vendors to broaden their geographic reach and fortify their market presence, fueling the growth of the IONM market in the US.

The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) market in the US is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing number of surgeries for demographic-specific health conditions like stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and mental disorders. The lack of awareness about IONM among surgeons and healthcare providers is a major challenge. The skilled personnel required for IONM are in high demand, leading to a shortage and increased costs. Insourcing and outsourcing IONM services are becoming popular trends, with hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) opting for both. The market is segmented into system and service segments, with spinal and orthopedic surgeries dominating the market. Technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are being integrated into IONM to improve accuracy and efficiency. Reimbursement policies, recession, and healthcare budgets are factors affecting market growth. The elderly population, with conditions like cerebral stroke, osteoarthritis (OA), and joint replacements, are major consumers of IONM services. The Nervous System Disorders Association and Osteoarthritis Action Alliance are advocating for increased awareness and funding for IONM. Medical imaging and remote patient monitoring are complementary technologies to IONM. The World Health Organization and NIMH are also promoting the use of IONM for complex bone reconstructions and neural pathway monitoring. The market is expected to grow despite challenges, with the auditory pathways, brainstem, motor nerve function, and electromyography (EMG) segments showing significant potential. Electroencephalography (EEG) is another emerging technology in IONM. The market is expected to continue growing, driven by the increasing prevalence of neurological conditions and the need for improved patient safety during surgeries.

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Market Challenges

The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) market in the US is experiencing growth, but the high cost of IONM devices and procedures is limiting their adoption by end-users. IONM devices, such as EEGs, come in various channel numbers, with 1-32 channel devices costing between USD1,000 and USD25,000 , and those with more than 64 channels costing over USD25,000 . Portable amplifiers for longer EMG recordings can cost over USD20,000 . End-users also face additional expenses for maintenance and instruments. Many opt for refurbished IONM devices, which offer cost savings and benefits like warranty and after-sales services. Companies like Alternative Source Medical provide refurbished IONM devices, impacting sales of new devices from established vendors. Patients, even with insurance coverage, find IONM procedures expensive due to additional technology, equipment, and operator costs, prolonged hospital stays, and surgical complications. Medicare payments for IONM are lower than those from private insurers, not covering technicians. These factors contribute to the high cost of IONM, hindering market growth in the US.

and , and those with more than 64 channels costing over . Portable amplifiers for longer EMG recordings can cost over . End-users also face additional expenses for maintenance and instruments. Many opt for refurbished IONM devices, which offer cost savings and benefits like warranty and after-sales services. Companies like Alternative Source Medical provide refurbished IONM devices, impacting sales of new devices from established vendors. Patients, even with insurance coverage, find IONM procedures expensive due to additional technology, equipment, and operator costs, prolonged hospital stays, and surgical complications. Medicare payments for IONM are lower than those from private insurers, not covering technicians. These factors contribute to the high cost of IONM, hindering market growth in the US. ai_dominating_segment_factor

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This intraoperative neuromonitoring market in US report extensively covers market segmentation by

Application

1.1 Orthopedic and neurosurgeries

1.2 Cardiovascular surgeries

1.3 ENT surgeries

1.4 Others

Type

2.1 Insourced IONM

2.2 Outsourced IONM

Geography

3.1 North America

1.1 Orthopedic and neurosurgeries- Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) is a valuable tool used in various complex spine surgical procedures such as cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine fusion, nerve root decompression, and corrective procedures for scoliosis in pediatric and adult patients. With the increase in complex spine surgeries involving aggressive deformity correction and tumor resection, the risk of neurological complications post-surgery has become a significant concern. IONM helps assess, in real-time, the function of the spinal cord and nerve roots, reducing the risk of neurological complications, including cauda equina syndrome, spinal length discrepancies, and nerve root injuries. IONM modalities, including SEPs, MEPs, BAEPs, EEGs, and EMGs, provide simultaneous clinical neural information throughout the surgery, allowing for prompt corrective action if necessary. IONM is also used in neurosurgeries for brain tumor removal procedures, microvascular decompression, peripheral nerve injury, brachial plexus nerve injury, and brainstem decompression. In orthopedic surgeries, IONM is used to monitor the integrity of neural pathways during procedures such as acetabular fractures, hip joint surgeries, including total hip arthroplasty revisions, periacetabular osteotomies (PAOS), hip arthroscopy, arthroscopic-assisted treatment of hamstring avulsion, and ischial tunnel syndrome. The use of IONM in orthopedic and neurosurgeries will drive the growth of the IONM market in the US during the forecast period.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2023-2027) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The global neuromodulation market is rapidly expanding, driven by advancements in medical technology and increasing prevalence of neurological disorders. Neuromodulation devices, such as spinal cord stimulators and deep brain stimulators, offer effective treatment options for chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. Market growth is supported by rising healthcare expenditure and growing aging population globally.

The global neurology devices market is poised for substantial growth, fueled by rising neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and stroke. Devices such as MRI systems, neurostimulation devices, and neurosurgery instruments are critical in diagnosis and treatment. Technological advancements, coupled with increasing healthcare awareness, drive market expansion, particularly in developed regions. Innovation in minimally invasive procedures and personalized medicine continues to shape the market's evolution.

Research Analysis

The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) market in the US is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as Brain implants for Parkinson's disease and Deep brain stimulation for Movement disorders and Neurological disorders. IONM is essential in Neurosurgery, especially during Cardiovascular conditions, to ensure patient safety. The geriatric population, with a higher prevalence of Chronic diseases, is a significant consumer of IONM. Neurosurgery devices like Surgical microscopes, Ophthalmic surgical devices, and Surgical robots are integral to IONM. However, the lack of awareness and skilled personnel pose challenges to the market's growth. Stroke, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Mental disorders, and Cancer are other conditions where IONM is used. Medical imaging, Artificial intelligence, and Machine learning are transforming IONM, while Healthcare reimbursement policies continue to evolve. Osteoarthritis (OA) is not directly related to IONM but can indirectly benefit from it through improved surgical outcomes.

Market Research Overview

The Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) market in the US has been gaining significant traction due to the increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Stroke, as well as the growing number of elective surgeries and elderly population. IONM is essential for ensuring patient safety during surgeries, particularly those involving the nervous system, such as brain implants, deep brain stimulation, and spinal surgery. The market is segmented into system and service segments, with insourced and outsourced monitoring options. Neurological conditions like brain tumors, cerebral stroke, and epilepsy require real-time monitoring of neural pathways and motor nerve function. The use of surgical microscopes, ophthalmic surgical devices, and surgical robots facilitates precise surgeries, reducing the risk of complications. However, challenges such as lack of awareness, skilled personnel shortage, and healthcare budget constraints may hinder market growth. Reimbursement policies, recession, and remote patient monitoring are other factors influencing the market dynamics. The market includes various technologies like electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), and auditory pathways monitoring. The market caters to hospitals, ASCs, and outpatient settings, with a focus on minimally invasive procedures and post-imaging assessments. The World Health Organization and organizations like the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance emphasize the importance of addressing demographic-specific health conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA), heart disease, COPD, and diabetes, which may require IONM solutions. The aging population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cancer and mental disorders, further boost the market demand. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in IONM solutions enhances the accuracy and efficiency of monitoring, making it an indispensable tool in healthcare.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Application

Orthopedic And Neurosurgeries



Cardiovascular Surgeries



ENT Surgeries



Others

Type

Insourced IONM



Outsourced IONM

Geography

North America

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
LAS VEGAS, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Fit Bedding, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a company founded by Karen Caines that aims to transform how beds are made with her patented new construction for flat sheets and blankets. The patented construction, featuring a flat sheet or blanket with a unique elastic bottom edge and corners, represents a significant leap forward in bedding technology. This brings to the industry a much-needed new construction for flat sheets, which will not only be made of the most luxurious fabrics but will also solve the difficulty of making a bed. Since the fitted sheet was invented in 1959, innovation has yet to capture the comfort and convenience of Better Fit Bedding's new fitted flat sheet.

Better Fit Bedding New Innovative Flat Sheet Design Better Fit Bedding new construction for flat sheet

Better Fit Bedding's New Patented Flat Sheet will enable quick and easy bed-making and will be a game changer and disruptor in the industry. The company has established relationships with two top textile manufacturers who will produce Better Fit Bedding's innovative sheets for DTC, retail, and hospitality customers. Better Fit Bedding was also tested and certified by the Arthritis Foundation and has been recognized as a needed improvement for redesigning the flat sheet for individuals with physical limitations. See how the innovation works: Better Fit Bedding-V1 (1).mp4.

Reflecting on her journey, Caines shared, "Better Fit Bedding is not just about convenience; it's about reimagining how we make our beds daily. Just as the woman before me perfected the fitted sheet, I see this innovation as perfecting the flat sheet and completing the legacy of creating the perfect bedding for consumers and businesses globally." Between 2012 and 2014, Caines was honored with two utility patents and one design patent for her groundbreaking innovation, underscoring the exceptional quality and ingenuity that defines Better Fit Bedding and sets it apart as an industry leader.

Recently, Caines partnered with TAVO Media Group and successfully launched social media campaigns, advertising, and public relations, establishing Better Fit Bedding as a company to watch.

For more information about Better Fit Bedding, visit www.betterfitbedding.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Anne Stendel

PR Specialist

TAVO Media Group

Anne Stendel

www.tavomediagroup.com

818-297-2569

SOURCE Better Fit Bedding
PITTSBURGH, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted an easier way for my indoor plants to receive the adequate sunlight they require without having to rearrange my home," said an inventor, from Victoria, Texas, "so I invented the INDOOR PLANT SHELF. This shelf is one of the only, if not only shelf, that allows plants to sit above window curtains adding aesthetics to your home and windows. It allows plants to take advantage of the sunlight that creeps through the top of the curtains."

The patent-pending invention provides a shelf that can be positioned above a window for displaying plants. In doing so, it ensures plants get enough sunlight. It also ensures plants are easier to maintain. The invention features a practical and decorative design that is easy to install and use so it is ideal for households.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-CTK-8254, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
PITTSBURGH, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a way to transfer recycled water from a shower to a nearby toilet to help save water," said an inventor, from Carpentersville, Ill., "so I invented the WATER SAVING SYSTEM. My design reduces water waste and it could help reduce utility bills."

The patent-pending invention provides an effective way to utilize recycled shower/bath water for flushing a toilet. In doing so, it helps conserve water. As a result, it increases efficiency, and it reduces waste. The invention features an environmentally-friendly design that is easy to install and use so it is ideal for households, apartments, etc.

The original design was submitted to the Chicago sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-CHK-1045, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
GREENWICH, Conn., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Addtronics, LLC ("Addtronics"), a consolidator of high-quality, niche automation technology and solution providers innovating for the life sciences and other industries, announced today the promotion of Janet Ceddia to President & COO.

Ms. Ceddia joined Addtronics as COO in September 2023. Since joining she has already led multiple value creation initiatives, including establishing back-office shared services, upgrading integration efforts, and launching lean manufacturing initiatives.

Janet Ceddia

Ms. Ceddia has over two decades of experience building high-performing teams and enhancing profitability at multiple industrial service businesses. She is a seasoned business builder and a proven executive of both founder-owned and private equity-backed companies. She is also a successful entrepreneur, having founded and grown multiple companies. She is a distinguished alumna of the Harvard Business School and earned her BA with high honors from Colby College.

On her promotion, Ms. Ceddia said, "I am honored to take on this larger role at Addtronics. It is a true privilege to be of service to our Operating Companies, supporting them in their growth goals and working to help each team realize their full potential."

Max Katzenstein, Executive Chairman of Addtronics, commented, "It has been a pleasure to work alongside Janet over the past nine months, and Addtronics is lucky to have an executive of her caliber help to lead our business as we strive to achieve the Addtronics mission."

Addtronics is actively searching for additional businesses to add to its family of automation solution providers. Ideal candidates will be excited about joining a mission-driven organization that values the uniqueness and entrepreneurial spirit of each of its operating companies.

About Addtronics: Addtronics is a consolidator of high-quality, niche automation technology and solution providers innovating for the life sciences and other industries. Addtronics seeks to be the acquirer of choice in this space by allowing its operating companies to retain their entrepreneurial spirit while enjoying the benefits of scale and partnership with other Addtronics companies. For more information on Addtronics, please visit www.addtronics.com.

SOURCE Addtronics
The Company is seeking to tighten its share structure, negotiate debt payoffs, and limit stock conversions

MELBOURNE, Fla., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kona Gold Beverages is pleased to announce that its management team has initiated discussions with its largest debt holder to negotiate the purchase and complete removal of the debt from the company's financial statements. This strategic move aims to eliminate the need for any future debt conversions, providing a stronger financial foundation for the company's growth and development.

The management team has conducted thorough research and data analysis, demonstrating that the past conversions and sales associated with its largest debt holder having yielded substantial returns. With this solid groundwork, Kona Gold Beverages is confident that a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached, enabling the company to retire the debt completely.

The Company's primary goal is to strengthen Kona Gold Beverages' financial position and pave the way for new investments and opportunities. The Company believes that by removing this significant financial obstacle, they can drive the company's growth and success to new heights.

By pursuing this debt purchase and removal, Kona Gold Beverages aims to enhance its attractiveness to potential investors, ensuring a clear and compelling path forward. The company is committed to maintaining transparent and open communications with all stakeholders throughout this process.

Kona Gold Beverages is pleased to announce the successful initiation of a production run for its HighDrate drinks. The initial production runs were smooth, with the cans boasting a striking appearance and the taste receiving positive feedback. However, subsequent to these runs, the manufacturer has been unresponsive and has proven unable to meet Kona Gold's large order demands. Consequently, Kona Gold Beverages is actively collaborating with several other manufacturers to ensure the timely and efficient production of HighDrate drinks, aiming to bring them back on track and to market as soon as possible.

Kona Gold Beverages would like to provide an update on the company's name change to NuVibe, Inc. The process is still underway, with an attorney having been retained, compensated, and diligently working on the necessary steps. This will be an extremely positive step forward for the company and its new direction. We are hopeful to have more concrete updates in the next few weeks and appreciate the patience and support of our shareholders during this transition.

For more information regarding Kona Gold Beverage, please visit: https://konagoldbeverage.com/

About Kona Gold Beverage, Inc.

Kona Gold Beverage, Inc., operates as a holding company for innovative brands. Through its subsidiaries, Kona Gold LLC, Covert LLC, and Surge Distribution, LLC, it offers a diverse range of healthy energy drinks and other premium products and distribution services. Kona Gold's premium line of energy drinks caters to health-conscious consumers, alongside its innovative HighDrate D9 Drinks. Covert LLC, operating out of Charlotte, NC, specializes in high-quality products, including Delta-8, THCa, THC-P, and Kratom. Surge Distribution, LLC, operating out of Melbourne, FL, is a diverse distribution company offering beverage and CPG products to a variety of retail locations from big box grocery stores to small family-owned specialty shops. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, Kona Gold Beverage, Inc. is actively engaged in expanding its market presence through strategic acquisitions.

Investor Relations Contact:

Phone: 844-714-2224

Email: [email protected]

Safe Harbor Statement:

The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Kona Gold Beverage, Inc.
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LANGaware, a pioneering AI-driven healthcare technology company, has been awarded a national group purchasing agreement for Patient Engagement Solutions with Premier, Inc. Effective July 1st, 2024, the new agreement allows Premier members, at their discretion, access to LANGaware's advanced screening technology at special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Premier.

LANGaware utilizes AI to predict and monitor neurodegenerative and behavioral health conditions such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and Depression. By analyzing digital biomarkers based on language, voice, and speech, LANGaware's platform offers unmatched accuracy in early detection, leading to improved patient outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and reduced healthcare costs. The integration of LANGaware's technology can help providers reduce costs through enhanced early diagnosis and timely interventions, while also driving revenue by offering a new billable service and improving patient satisfaction with accurate and efficient assessments.

Developed through years of rigorous research and testing, LANGaware's patented technology is transforming early cognitive and behavioral health disease detection. By minimizing the risk of misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments, LANGaware provides healthcare providers with a powerful tool for early detection, personalized support, and treatment monitoring.

"We are thrilled to join Premier's network and extend our digital assessment tool's reach to more patients, hospitals, and providers," said Vassiliki Rentoumi, Founder and CEO of LANGaware. "Our goal is to revolutionize early diagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and drive positive changes in the healthcare industry."

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in expanding access to advanced diagnostic services across the United States. Combining Premier's extensive member network with LANGaware's cutting-edge technology aims to revolutionize healthcare through innovative solutions.

Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 4,350 U.S. hospitals and 300,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, consulting and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost.

LANGaware leverages AI technology to revolutionize cognitive and behavioral health screening. By utilizing speech analysis and proprietary voice and speech biomarkers, LANGaware provides early, accurate and objective detection of conditions, enabling more effective treatments, reducing healthcare burdens, and improving overall well-being. For more information about LANGaware, please visit www.langaware.com.

Media Contacts:

Virginia Korma

646-878-9063

[email protected]

SOURCE LANGaware
Dr. Mettler comes to Le Bonheur from Johns Hopkins Children's Center

MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Le Bonheur Children's Hospital has named Bret A. Mettler, MD, its new Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Executive Co-Director of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Mettler will also hold The Susan and Alan Graf Endowed Chair in Pediatric Heart Surgery at Le Bonheur.

He comes to Le Bonheur and UT Health Science Center from Johns Hopkins Children's Center, where he serves as Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Co-Director of the Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center.

Before his time at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Mettler served as the Director of Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

"I am excited for Dr. Mettler to join our talented and dedicated team at Le Bonheur and UT Health Science Center," said Le Bonheur President Trey Eubanks, MD, FACS. "Bret brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will allow us to continue our Heart Institute's mission of providing excellent care for children with complex heart conditions."

Dr. Mettler specializes in the surgical repair of complex congenital heart disease, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. His research interests include insights into complex congenital heart defects and the development of an artificial pulmonary valve using stem cells.

"Le Bonheur is committed to excellence and providing outstanding care for patients," said Dr. Mettler. "The Heart Institute has a world-class faculty built by Drs. (Chris) Knott-Craig and (Jeffrey A.) Towbin, and I am pleased to be part of building on that foundation. Le Bonheur really shines for its care for children in an environment built just for them. I am excited about our continued vision for growth and service to the community."

Le Bonheur Children's Announces Dr. Brett Mettler, page two of two

Dr. Mettler assumes the chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and executive co-director of the Heart Institute roles from Christopher Knott-Craig, MD, who last year announced he plans to step down as chief and executive co-director of the Heart Institute. Dr. Knott-Craig, along with Dr. Jeffrey A. Towbin, the executive co-director of the Heart Institute and chief of Pediatric Heart Failure and medical director of Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Services, have been responsible for leading Le Bonheur's Heart Institute to become a Top 10 program in U.S. News & World Report. They have built the reputation of Le Bonheur's Heart Institute as an elite surgical and medical program and developed the new 31-bed Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. Le Bonheur will honor Knott-Craig and his tenure later this summer.

"I want to thank the medical, surgical and nursing members of the Heart Institute for their very substantial role in helping to recruit Dr. Mettler and for their long-term commitment to excellence and the special care given to their patients," said Dr. Towbin, who also serves as chief of Cardiology at Le Bonheur and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and tenured professor, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology at UT Health Science Center. "I am excited for Le Bonheur's future and for the innovation that Dr. Mettler brings to Memphis. He is a wonderful addition to our outstanding team."

Dr. Mettler is a native of South Dakota. He, along with his wife Kelly and their two daughters, will move to Memphis later this year.

About Le Bonheur Children's

Le Bonheur Children's, based in Memphis, Tenn., provides expert care for children in more than 45 pediatric subspecialties, encompassing robust community programs, a pediatric research institute and regional outpatient centers in Jackson, Tenn., Tupelo, Miss., and Jonesboro, Ark. Le Bonheur also features a 255-bed hospital in Memphis and a 21-bed satellite hospital within Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tenn. As the primary pediatric teaching affiliate for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Le Bonheur trains more than 350 pediatricians and specialists each year. Nationally recognized, Le Bonheur has been named a U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospital for 13 consecutive years and is a Magnet-designated facility, the ultimate credential for high-quality patient care and nursing excellence.

For more information, please call (901) 287-6030 or visit lebonheur.org. Connect with us at facebook.com/lebonheurchildrens, x.com/lebonheurchild on Instagram at lebonheurchildrens.

About University of Tennessee Health Science Center

The mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is transforming lives through collaborative and inclusive education, research, scholarship, clinical care, and public service. With six colleges  Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy  at its main campus in Memphis, in addition to educational and clinical campuses at major hospitals in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, and sites across the state, UT Health Science Center strives to fulfill its vision: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. You can find the University of Tennessee Health Science Center on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

CONTACT:

David Henson

(423) 304-9400

[email protected]

Ariss Arena

(901) 283-5584

[email protected]

SOURCE Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global leo satellite market size is estimated to grow by USD 7.13 billion from 2023-2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.92% during the forecast period. Rising demand for earth observation-related applications is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing satellite-based telemetry applications. However, stringent government regulations poses a challenge. Key market players include Airbus SE, Blue Origin Enterprises LP, GomSpace AS, Honeywell International Inc., Inmarsat Global Ltd., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Kepler Communications Inc., L3Harris Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin Corp., Maxar Technologies Inc., Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., OHB SE, OneWeb Holdings Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Telesat Corp., Thales, The Boeing Co., and BAE Systems Plc.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global LEO Satellite Market 2023-2027

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Leo Satellite Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017 - 2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 15.92% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 7.13 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 14.67 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, Canada, China, Germany, and UK Key companies profiled Airbus SE, Blue Origin Enterprises LP, GomSpace AS, Honeywell International Inc., Inmarsat Global Ltd., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Kepler Communications Inc., L3Harris Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin Corp., Maxar Technologies Inc., Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., OHB SE, OneWeb Holdings Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Sierra Nevada Corp., Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Telesat Corp., Thales, The Boeing Co., and BAE Systems Plc

Market Driver

The demand for satellite-based telemetry is on the rise due to the growing need for reliable telemetry infrastructure. This technology is utilized in various civil, commercial, government, and military applications. For instance, researchers employ satellite telemetry to track animals and birds on Earth using orbiting satellites. By receiving radio signals from transmitters attached to the targets, researchers obtain updated information on the target's location with every move. The distance between the transmitter and the satellite is calculated using the signal, allowing the target's location on the ground to be determined geometrically. Sensors added to the transmitter can also provide data on temperature, depth, and light. Satellite telemetry is extensively used in defense and military applications. The US employs it to provide satellite tracking, telemetry, and commands to its users via ground antennas worldwide. The US Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) reconnaissance satellites offer strategic ballistic missile warning capabilities, enhanced with dual-band telemetry and tracking and communication capabilities. The US Air Force Satellite Control Network, established in 1980, manages the operations of US Air Force and other Department of Defense satellites, as well as launch and orbit tracking for spacecraft. In 2020, Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, a national security solutions provider, was awarded a USD4.9 million contract to modernize the systems and infrastructure connecting AFSCN facilities, ensuring their operational readiness for potential conflicts. These factors are anticipated to fuel the expansion of the global LEO satellite market during the forecast period.

The Leo Satellite Market is experiencing significant trends in propulsion systems, with a focus on liquid propulsion systems offering high thrust and specific impulse capabilities. Liquid fuels like hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide are popular choices for precise orbital maneuvers, providing mission flexibility. Electric propulsion, such as ion and Hall-effect thrusters, offer fuel efficiency and extended mission lifetimes. Gas-based propulsion systems, including cold and warm gas thrusters, use compressed gases like nitrogen and xenon. These advancements enable high-speed internet and communication services in LEO satellites, improving operational efficiency for various applications, including imaging, connectivity services, communications satellites, military reconnaissance, and more. The mass properties of satellites are also crucial, with ballasting and solar panels optimizing fuel usage during launch. Launch vehicles, such as rockets, play a vital role in delivering large and medium-sized satellites to LEO orbit, ensuring efficient fuel usage and minimizing propagation delay from Earth's surface.

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Market Challenges

The Leo satellite market faces regulatory challenges due to various international space laws. The US, with its comprehensive national space law and regulatory regime, sets a precedent for many nations. The US is a party to four UN space treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty, Agreement on the Rescue and Return of Astronauts, Liability Convention, and Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space. The UK's Space Industry Act 2018 (SIA 2018) is a new regulatory regime that governs UK-based space activities, such as launches, returns, operation of a satellite in orbit, operation of a spaceport, and the provision of range control services. While the SIA 2018 regulates UK activities, the Outer Space Act 1986 (OSA 1986) continues to regulate launches and satellite operations from outside the UK. Strict government regulations under both the SIA 2018 and OSA 1986 may hinder the growth of the global Leo satellite market.

The Leo Satellite Market faces several challenges in the areas of orders and delivery schedules due to the increasing demand for LEO-based services from various industries, including remote sensing for Earth observation and communication purposes. The complexities of LEO constellations, such as GEO, MEO, and LEO, require international community agreements and policies and regulations to ensure efficient use of spectrum and minimize conflicts. Small satellites, like CubeSats and Satellite buses, offer cost-effective solutions but present unique challenges in terms of on-orbit activities, RF mapping, and space debris management. Regulations surrounding satellite type, mass, and performance are also crucial for the success of LEO satellite initiatives. The Artemis Program and armed forces rely on LEO satellites for satellite-enabled communication, navigation, and low-latency telecommunications. Alternate power-sharing technologies and satellite antennas are essential for enhancing satellite efficiency and performance. The satellite industry must address these challenges to meet the growing demand for LEO satellites in telecommunications, navigation, scientific technology, and critical infrastructure sectors.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This leo satellite market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Type

1.1 Small satellite

1.2 Medium satellite

1.3 Large satellite

1.4 Cube satellite

End-user

2.1 Commercial use

2.2 Government and military use

2.3 Others

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 APAC

3.4 Middle East and Africa

and 3.5 South America

1.1 Small satellite- Small Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, often referred to as nanosatellites, serve various commercial applications. These include space observation programs, interplanetary missions, systems testing in orbit, and biomedical research. Nanosatellites come in different sizes and costs, with some being small enough to fit in the palm. NASA defines a nanosat or small satellite as having a mass between 1 and 10 kg. In September 2020, Swarm, a Californian nano-satellite company, launched its first 12 commercial satellites into LEO, planning to announce prices and services soon. With the increasing number of internet services and mobile users, satellites are essential for civilian applications such as communications, weather, and GPS-enabled navigation. GPS receivers, offered to civilians, provide accurate time and position measurements for research, surveying, and aviation. The growing demand for these services is expected to fuel the growth of the small satellite segment in the global LEO satellite market.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2023-2027) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The global satellite market continues to expand, driven by increasing demand for telecommunications, broadcasting, and remote sensing applications. Key players are investing in advanced satellite technologies to enhance connectivity and coverage worldwide.

GNSS systems like GPS and Galileo dominate the global navigation satellite system market, supporting precise positioning, timing, and navigation across various sectors including aviation, transportation, and defense. Ongoing advancements in satellite technology promise improved accuracy and reliability.

The global low-cost satellite market is witnessing rapid growth, fueled by miniaturization and cost-efficiency in satellite manufacturing. These satellites are revolutionizing Earth observation, IoT connectivity, and scientific research by offering affordable access to space-based services.

Research Analysis

The Leo Satellite Market refers to the growing industry of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems. These satellites offer versatility in applications such as telecommunications, Earth observation, navigation, and remote sensing. Technical service providers play a crucial role in the development and deployment of these satellites. LEO satellites come in various sizes, including small CubeSats, medium, and large satellites, each with different masses and performance capabilities. Advanced mechanics and propulsion systems enable LEO satellites to provide low-latency telecommunications and navigation augmentation services. The space industry continues to invest heavily in this sector due to the efficiency and accessibility of LEO satellites, making them an essential component of modern technology infrastructure.

Market Research Overview

The Leo Satellite Market encompasses a range of advanced LEO satellite systems designed for various applications in the space industry. These systems are manufactured by technical service providers using mass production processes and short lifecycles to meet the demands of investors. LEO satellites offer versatility and advanced mechanics, providing satellite data for a multitude of purposes, including remote sensing, scientific technology, communication, navigation, and Earth observation. Technologies employed in LEO satellite manufacturing include liquid propulsion systems, electric propulsion, and gas-based propulsion systems. Liquid propulsion systems offer high thrust and specific impulse capabilities, utilizing fuels such as hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide for precise orbital maneuvers. Electric propulsion systems, including Hall-effect thrusters and ion engines, provide fuel efficiency and extended mission lifetimes. LEO satellite systems serve various industries, including telecommunications, navigation, and scientific research. Applications include satellite-enabled communication for armed forces, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement agencies, as well as LEO navigation augmentation and low-latency telecommunications. Small satellites, such as CubeSats, Medium satellites, and Large satellites, are manufactured using satellite buses and payloads, with various satellite antennas and communication systems. The LEO satellite market is subject to import-export regulations, orders, and delivery schedules. LEO-based services also face international community agreements, policies, and regulations, including spectrum management and space debris mitigation. The Artemis Program and alternate power-sharing technologies are also significant factors in the LEO satellite market. In summary, the Leo Satellite Market is a dynamic and evolving sector of the space industry, driven by advanced technologies and the growing demand for satellite data and services. LEO satellites offer versatility, advanced mechanics, and a range of applications, from scientific research to communication and navigation, making them a vital component of the space industry's future.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Type

Small Satellite



Medium Satellite



Large Satellite



Cube Satellite

End-user

Commercial Use



Government And Military Use



Others

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



Middle East And Africa



South America

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
WESTPORT, Conn., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LogicSource, a leading provider of procurement services and technology solutions, announces James H. Gellert as Chair of the LogicSource Advisory Board. Gellert will lead a robust team of executives dedicated to the global growth of supply chain efficiency across industries, leading the Advisory Board voice and introducing industry leaders to procurement and cost-saving solutions.

Gellert is an internationally recognized authority on corporate counterparty risk management, supply chain risk, the health of public and private businesses, and U.S. rating agency regulation. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Chair of RapidRatings, a leading financial health data and analytics company based in New York City, retiring from his role as CEO in 2023. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the industry make him a trusted leader in the field. James also serves as the President of the National Board of Young Audiences/Arts for Learning Inc., the oldest arts-in-education non-profit in the US.

Gellert's professional path began in investment banking, culminating at Deutsche Bank, where he facilitated the entry of non-U.S. corporations, financial institutions, and sovereign entities into the U.S. public and private debt capital markets. Transitioning into the technology sector, he led four private companies in data, risk, media, and investment banking. His acquisition of RapidRatings marked a strategic shift towards focusing exclusively on financial risk for credit and supply chain risk professionals, further solidifying his expertise in the field.

"Collaborating with people I admire and respect has been a source of immense satisfaction for me throughout my career. I am filled with a deep sense of commitment and enthusiasm as I step into the role of Chair of the Advisory Board network," said James Gellert. "As companies place greater emphasis on supply chain risk and efficiency, I am excited to assist organizations across all sectors in optimizing their indirect spending  in line with LogicSource's innovative operational approach."

Gellert is a recurring broadcast news guest and regularly provides commentary on a wide variety of industries in globally recognized publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Fortune, and more. He has testified as an expert witness to the Senate Banking Committee and three times to the U.S. House of Representatives Finance Committee's subcommittees on Capital Markets and Oversight and Investigations. He has also been a frequently invited panelist and speaker at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators.

James' advocacy work and legislative experience align with LogicSource's Center of Excellence, adding further value to the organization's vast array of cross-industry knowledge to better negotiate on behalf of clients. "Gellert is the ideal leader to activate the Advisory Board network and drive innovation across all the industries we serve," said David Pennino, CEO of LogicSource. "Supply chain and procurement professionals are facing exciting yet uncertain times. Strong, experienced leadership is crucial to navigate these challenges, and we're thrilled to have James on our team to enhance the value of our Advisory Board."

About LogicSource:

The innovative leader in procurement services and technology, LogicSource is purpose-built to drive profit improvement, mitigate risk, and ensure supply chain continuity through better buying. LogicSource focuses exclusively on the sourcing and procurement of indirect goods and services, which typically represent 20% of an organization's revenue and the area of greatest spending inefficiency. These include complex categories like marketing, packaging, corporate services, facilities, information technology, distribution and logistics and more, for which organizations often lack the capacity, focus and scale to achieve best-in-class buying. Unlike traditional advice-based consultants, LogicSource is a purpose-built buying utility with assets that are configurable to their clients' needs and ready to deploy. By combining decades of sourcing and procurement expertise, superior market intelligence, cross-portfolio spending leverage, and their OneMarket Source-to-Pay technology, LogicSource executes customized solutions that deliver immediate savings and sustainable value. For more information visit www.logicsource.com .

Media Contact: Erica Olenski, [email protected]

SOURCE LogicSource
The partnership offers people the chance to purchase or win a custom, island-inspired Kona Big Wave e-bike from Murf Electric Bikes

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Murf Electric Bikes, the SoCal lifestyle brand known for its high-quality electric bikes and accessories, has partnered with Kona Big Wave, bringing together two brands dedicated to adventure and the spirit of the great outdoors. Starting July 17th, customers can enter for a chance to win a custom Kona bike from Murf Electric Bikes at konabigwave.com/murfebike2025sweepstakes. In addition, the limited edition e-bike will be available for purchase while supplies last starting July 10, and there will be exciting giveaways on social media and at nationwide retailers throughout the summer, providing multiple chances to win.

The centerpiece of this collaboration is a beautiful, island-inspired Murf Higgs Step-Thru bike painted in the iconic Kona Blue Wave blue and adorned with colorful Hawaiian flowers, stylish whitewall tires and a lockable storage crate perfect for keeping a case of Kona Big Wave secure while on the go.

"Our partnership with Kona Big Wave perfectly captures the essence of the beach lifestyle," explained Murf Electric Bikes CEO and Founder, Josh Jones. "We are excited to offer this unique opportunity to really showcase our bikes, and are confident that this partnership has allowed for our best custom design yet."

The centerpiece of this collaboration is a beautiful, island-inspired Murf Higgs Step-Thru bike painted in the iconic Kona Blue Wave blue and adorned with colorful Hawaiian flowers, stylish whitewall tires and a lockable storage crate perfect for keeping a case of Kona Big Wave secure while on the go. The bike's compact design and step-thru frame make it effortless to maneuver and transport. Equipped with the same power, speed and range as the larger Alpha models, its 52-volt battery allows for speeds up to 28 mph and 50 miles of range, yet its lightweight, easy on-easy off step-thru frame accommodates riders of all sizes, while a unique Straight Bar Pass Thru ensures added stability. The Higgs Step-thru truly delivers all of the speed and range needed to tackle any commute or adventure with ease.

Other key features of the Kona Big Wave Murf Electric Bike include:

26" x 4" Fat Tires to effortlessly conquer any terrain.

Pedal Assist Levels with five levels to making pedaling easier.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes to stay in control with top-notch braking power.

Integrated Super Bright Off-Road Headlight, which will Illuminate your path with 18W 1080 lumens of light.

Class 2 or Class 3 Operation for riders to choose their preferred riding mode.

Thumb Throttle in Class 2 Mode to effortlessly accelerate with ease.

Single-Speed Configuration, allowing riders to enjoy simplicity and efficiency with a robust 750-watt motor and a high-capacity 52-volt, 20 amp-hour battery.

These custom bikes will also be exhibited alongside Kona Big Wave displays in over 170 grocery stores, as well as at a variety of summer events in coastal communities across the country. Here, customers can find more ways to win a custom bike and learn about the regional giveaways and promotions.

For over 30 years, Kona Big Wave has strived to bring refreshing, easy-drinking vibes to fans around the world. Now, they're spreading the aloha even further through the Kona Big Wave x Murf Higgs Step Thru. Visit konabigwave.com/murfebike2025sweepstakes to enter before August 22, 2024, and to read the full terms and conditions.

Learn more about Murf's full fleet of e-bikes and accessories, as well as what sets the Murf community apart, at murfelectricbikes.com .

About Murf Electric Bikes

Founded in 2016 in San Clemente, CA, Murf E-Bikes is a trailblazing brand committed to revolutionizing urban commuting and outdoor adventures. Its e-bikes seamlessly blend cutting-edge technology with sleek design, delivering powerful, yet comfortable solutions for cyclists of all levels. With an array of models tailored for diverse riding experiences, Murf E-Bikes offers approachable options and unbeatable customer service to all those looking to unleash fun. Learn more at https://murfelectricbikes.com/ .

About Kona Big Wave

Founded under the golden sun of the Big Island of Hawaii in 1994, Kona Big Wave embraces the aloha spirit while spreading its foundations of balance, respect for nature, authenticity, and building community with your ohana. Today, the easy-drinking, island-style premium beer brings the aloha across the mainland U.S. and more than 30 countries globally. For more information visit konabigwave.com, and follow @KonaBigWave on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Anheuser-Busch

At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact in the world. We hope to build a future that everyone can celebrate, and everyone can share. For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America's most loved beer and beyond beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA, Cutwater Spirits, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Bud Light as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

2024 KONA BIG WAVE MURF E-BIKE NATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES

No Purchase Necessary. Open to US residents (excluding Hawaii) who are 21+. Sweepstakes begins on 7/17/24 and ends on 8/20/24. Visit konabigwave.com/murfebike2025sweepstakes for entry and Official Rules. Message & data rates may apply. Void where prohibited.

Mahalo for Enjoying Responsibly

 2024 Kona Brewing Co., Kona Big Wave, St. Louis, MO. Founded in Hawaii, Brewed on the Mainland.

Media contact:

Matt Kovacs

[email protected]

310-395-5050

SOURCE Murf Electric Bikes
One of the Nation's Fastest-Growing Pizza Brands Earns No. 8 Spot out of 150 on Prestigious Ranking

TOLEDO, Ohio, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, has been recognized in Entrepreneur's second annual ranking of the Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners. The ranking identifies the brands with the most appeal for prospective franchisees interested in multi-unit ownership, as well as existing franchisees looking to expand their portfolios. Marco's Pizza jumped two spots this year, ranking No. 8 and claiming the title as the only pizza brand in the Top 10 list.

To determine the top brands for multi-unit ownership, Entrepreneur asked franchisors a few relevant questions: Do they offer discounts to franchisees purchasing multiple units? What percentage of their franchisees own multiple units? What percentage of their brand's total units are owned by multi-unit franchisees? What is the average number of units owned by each franchisee? And finally, do they only sell multiple units or master licenses? Entrepreneur also factored in each company's Franchise 500 score, which is based on an analysis of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial stability.

Marco's jumped two spots this year, ranking No. 8 and claiming the title as the only pizza brand in the Top 10 list. Post this

"Franchising is about fulfilling ambitions. For some franchisees, their ambition is to simply be their own bossand for others, it's to own an ever-expanding collection of businesses as a multi-unit franchisee," says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. "We created this list for people with big vision, to help them find the brands that most support growth at all stages."

Nearly half of Marco's current franchise network is comprised of multi-unit operators.

The brand's development strategy prioritizes franchisee relations and a development support system, including technology and tools to help identify territories for expansion, plus support in real estate, construction management, field operations, and information related to financing.

FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, reports Marco's 2023 FUND Score of 895 is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is among the top three scores for all QSR brands. These impressive rankings are a testament to the brand's commitment to financing guidance as a core focus of its franchise development strategy which has led the 1,200-unit brand on the path to continued growth.

Prospects are taking note of the business opportunity, as Marco's Franchising Franchise Disclosure Document reports the Top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated average net royalty sales of AUV $1,208,653 during the 2023 fiscal year*.

"We are incredibly honored to be recognized by Entrepreneur as one of the top brands for multi-unit ownership," said Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco's Pizza. "This ranking fuels our continued commitment to supporting our franchisees with the resources, tools, and guidance they need to expand their portfolios. At Marco's, we are dedicated to not only growing our brand, but also empowering our franchisees to achieve their ambitious business goals  this recognition underscores that."

For more information Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or contact Jamie Cecil at [email protected] or 866-731-8209.

To view Marco's Pizza in the 2024 Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners list, pick up the July/August issue of Entrepreneur magazine, on newsstands now, or find the list online at https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/top-multiunit-ranking.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA

Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,200 stores in 35 states with locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 48 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2024 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, earning a spot on QSR's Top 50, and being featured on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.

*Based on the Average Sales Volume of the top 50% of U.S. Franchised Stores for our fiscal year 2023. Based on our fiscal year 2023, 185 of 447 Franchised Stores in the category (or 41%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of Marco's Franchising's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document ("FDD") - please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Individual results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.

SOURCE Marco's Pizza
"At Watercrest, we believe our collective values determine the extent to which our collective vision is realized," says Marc Vorkapich, Principal and CEO of Watercrest Senior Living Group. "Achieving seven years of Great Place to Work certification exemplifies our mission and unity amongst our teams by celebrating each associate and their God-given talents which in turn, enhances the lives of our residents. Our associates value their impact as integral members of the Watercrest family."

Market Street Viera is an award-winning senior living community in Melbourne, Florida prestigiously recognized by U.S. News & World Report in 2022 and 2023 as a 'Best Memory Care Community' and selected as a 'Best Memory Care Community in Florida' by Assisted Living Magazine.

Prior to hiring at Market Street Memory Care, candidates complete a thorough behavioral based interview process to discover how their values align with the Watercrest mission and vision. Selected candidates proudly display their core value on their name badge, honoring a call to serve seniors. In 2024, Watercrest launched a widespread campaign across its organization entitled 'We Are Watercrest,' spurring associates to celebrate their core values in partnership with excellence in service.

Great workplaces are defined by employees' levels of trust, pride and camaraderie, but the best workplaces are characterized by factors such as executive team effectiveness, innovation experience, complexity, and financial sustainability, all which contribute to a great workplace for associates at every level within the organization.

Multiple elements of team members' experience on the job were evaluated, including the feeling of being welcomed as a new employee, the belief that their work makes a difference, and feeling their work has special meaning. Rankings are based on employees' experiences, regardless of title or position.

In the 2024 survey, close to 90% of Watercrest associates responded that they, "feel they make a difference," "their work has special meaning," and "they are made to feel welcome" when joining the company. One associate quoted, "It's unbelievable the amount of care and support that is provided to employees and residents it is a great teamnothing compares to this place."

"The positive feedback from our associates reinforces our position as one of the nation's premier senior living providers where a strong foundation of leadership, training, and trust encourages associate growth and an exceptional experience for our residents," says Joanie Williams, Principal and CFO of Watercrest Senior Living Group.

Market Street Memory Care Residence Viera offers world class care, multi-sensory programming, diverse culinary experiences, and unparalleled associate training honoring seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia. The community is conveniently located at 6845 Murrell Road in Melbourne, Florida; for more information, contact the community at 321-730-2444.

The Watercrest Senior Living Group certification of Great Place to Work encompasses all of the senior living communities operating under the Watercrest Senior Living umbrella, including Market Street Memory Care Residences, Pelican Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care, and LifeBUILT Architecture.

About Watercrest Senior Living Group

Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. A seven-time certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com.

About Activated Insights

Activated Insights is the senior care affiliate of Great Place to Work, the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its aging services certification program, Activated Insights helps Great Place to Work recognize outstanding workplace cultures in the aging services industry and produce the annual Fortune "Best Workplaces for Aging Services" as well as other Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small & Medium Companies, and various regions. Through its employee engagement platform, Activated Insights helps clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, and retention.

SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group
Growth investment strengthens development of innovative core banking software solutions and further expansion into global markets

ATLANTA, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Matera, a leading banking software provider, today announced a $100 million investment from Warburg Pincus, a leading global growth investor. The investment will be used to fund the company's expansion into the North American market and further expand product development.

Founded in Brazil, Matera is a trusted technology provider of core banking, instant payment, and QR code payment solutions for financial institutions, backed by over 30 years of experience in providing best-in-class software solutions. With offices in the United States and Brazil, the company's core offering is a mission-critical suite of modern technology solutions used by more than 250 banks, credit unions and financial institutions globally, including two of the top three banks in the world and over one-third of all banks in Brazil. This investment comes at a moment of significant growth for Matera, the company has grown 4x since 2020, achieving $77 million in revenue for 2023, while maintaining a strong profitability profile.

Matera is the pioneer provider of next-generation software enabling real-time payments in Brazil, a country which is a global standard when it comes to payments infrastructure, led by a long-standing innovative central bank agenda. In Brazil, Central Banks' real-time payments rails ("PIX") already accounts for over 40% of all electronic transactions in the country, and Matera's solution alone processes over 5 billion transactions a year. Nearly half of those are initiated by scanning a QR Code.

The company expanded into North America with solutions centered around the same principles, leveraging their multi-decade expertise in banking software. Matera's flagship offering for North America is called Digital Twin, a next-generation, high-performance ledger built to work on top of bank's existing core platforms to enable them to solve two of their biggest pains: core banking modernization and creating real-time digital user experiences despite an inflexible legacy infrastructure. They're also offering their QR Code payments solution that enables billers and merchants to present QR Codes to be paid by mobile phone. It also powers consumers to generate QR Codes from a mobile app to make payments.

"PIX set the standard for the digital finance revolution. At Matera, we know first-hand the pressure for banks to modernize their infrastructure to keep up with innovative new payment methods such as instant payments and pay-by-bank. We're honored to leverage our PIX expertise with proven solutions to help financial institutions across North America keep pace with their customers' digital demands," said Carlos Netto, Co-Founder & CEO of Matera.

"We have been closely tracking Matera as PIX emerged in Brazil and have seen first-hand their ability to innovate and deliver world-class, mission-critical software that is both scalable and consistent. We now look forward to expanding this expertise into North America where we see immense opportunity for Digital Twin to help banks seamlessly modernize their core systems," said Henrique Muramoto, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus. "We are excited to partner with Carlos and the Matera team in their next phase of growth."

Warburg Pincus is one of the most active growth investors in enterprise technology and cloud-based platforms, investing over $33 billion in technology companies and over $16 billion in financial services companies since inception.

Bank of America and Freitas Leite acted as advisors to Matera in this transaction.

About Matera

Matera is a trusted provider of technology solutions for financial institutions. With over 30 years of experience and a team of over 1,000 professionals, Matera has deep expertise in Core Banking, Instant Payments and QR Code Payments. Two of the top three global banks, three of the top 10 U.S. banks and one-third of all banks in Brazil trust Matera. Matera operates in both Brazil and North America. To learn more, visit: www.matera.com.

About Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global growth investor. The firm has more than $83 billion in assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 225 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Since its founding in 1966, Warburg Pincus has invested more than $117 billion in over 1,000 companies globally across its private equity, real estate, and capital solutions strategies. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.warburgpincus.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact

Warburg Pincus

Sarah McGrath Bloom, Warburg Pincus

[email protected]

Matera

Sarah Hoisington, Matera

[email protected]

SOURCE Matera
Teen career development program grows 42% in 2024 with 38 students working across Company's US markets

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DPR Construction, one of the nation's top technical builders, has welcomed 38 participants to its Build Up High School Intern Program, the largest cohort since the program began in 2017 and a 42% increase in participation compared to 2023.

The program gives eligible high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to spend their summers working side by side with skilled project teams on major construction projects. Participants get the same experience as college-aged interns, learning about managing multi-million-dollar projects, the technology powering construction planning, schedule and design while also learning about the variety of roles and career paths in construction. Build Up is an eight-week program that pays participants weekly at hourly rates. Out of 154 participants in the program to date, five have been hired as full time DPR employees and 25% have continued with the company as college interns.

"In my first Build Up internship, I worked with project engineers, superintendents, safety managers and more on a Seattle project," said Selome Muruts, a returning Seattle-based DPR Build Up intern. "I initiated conversations with these people, not knowing what to expect, but I received willing mentorship. It's clear DPR's values run deep, and I wanted to return to experience that dynamic on the office-side. This summer, I am back for my second internship working with Preconstruction and Virtual Design and Construction teams. I applied for the DPR internship out of curiosity for the industry, but I came back because of my admiration for the company."

"Build Up is designed as a program to help broaden possibilities for talented high schoolers who are often going to be the first in their families to go to college," said Diane Shelton, DPR's community initiatives leader. "Participant cohorts are also more diverse than our industry as a whole, which we hope will contribute to a shift as we welcome a new generation into AEC. They can help the construction workforce of the future look more like the communities we serve."

Build Up interns are in every DPR location in the United States. The success of the program is featured in DPR's first Global Social Responsibility (GSR) annual report, highlighting the company's philanthropy and progress toward sustainability and diversity goals, including efforts to increase supplier diversity.

About DPR Construction

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. DPR's portfolio of work ranges from large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and special projects. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the world. The company is strategically focused on delivering more predictable outcomes through applications of virtual design & construction, prefabrication, its team of self-perform craft, and leveraging data to learn and improve from. DPR consistently ranks among the top building contractors and employs approximately 11,000 professionals across its family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.dpr.com .

For more information, please contact:

Jay Weisberger

DPR Construction

[email protected]

SOURCE DPR Construction
Press Release

July 17, 2024 EDCOM 2 HRep Commissioners file concurrent resolution on creation of cabinet cluster for education Commissioners of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) at the House of Representatives filed yesterday, July 16, House Concurrent Resolution No. 28 urging President Marcos to create a cabinet cluster for education. Introduced by EDCOM 2 Commissioners Rep. Roman T. Romulo, Rep. Mark O. Go, Rep. Jose Francisco B. Benitez, Rep Khalid Q. Dimaporo and Rep Pablo John. F. Garcia, the concurrent resolution further echoes the need to provide a strong oversight on all education agencies under the Executive Department to ensure the cohesive and coherent implementation of laws, policies, reforms, and regulations and formulation of a long-term integrated national education and workforce development plan. "It has been three decades since the trifocalization of our education system. And the comprehensive national assessment of the performance of our education sector that we are doing in EDCOM 2 highlighted critical areas of coordination that still need to be done. And as lawmakers, we owe it to all Filipino learners to provide them with quality education and a learning environment that enables and empowers them to be productive individuals," says EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep Romulo. It can be recalled that the trifocalization of the education system allowed the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to focus on the sub-sectors they represent, however, attempts to institutionalize an oversight body to ensure the coordinated implementation of a cohesive education strategy through the National Coordinating Council for Education were unsuccessful. "Findings of our Year One report show that In the absence of a coordinating body, at least 68 interagency bodies involving the education agencies have been established as coordination mechanisms tackling a broad range of concerns on education. This is already very inefficient, and the lack of a coordinating mechanism further aggravates the problem," says EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Yee. "On behalf of my fellow education champions and EDCOM 2 commissioners, Rep Mark Go, Cong Kiko Benitez, Rep Khalid Dimaporo, and Rep Pablo Garcia, we urge the President to create a Cabinet Cluster for Education that can help urgently address the learning crisis in our country, alongside the many other education reforms that we need to implement now," adds Rep Romulo. The Commission has also previously sent a letter dated June 27 to President Marcos, urging him to create a Cabinet Cluster for Education.
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Since last year, Memory Treatment Centers (MTC) has been a leading provider of the novel Alzheimer's treatment, Leqembi, providing hundreds of patients with the first-ever proactive approach to treating and preventing progression of the disease. Now, MTC continues to innovate in neurocognitive care by giving Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients additional treatment options. Through its national network of partners with Pure Infusion Suites, MTC is now offering access to the recently FDA-approved therapy, Kisunla (donanemab).

"The full traditional FDA approval of Donanemab not only marks the advent of a new class of disease modifying therapy but signifies the neurodegenerative community's dedication to changing the way we view and treat Alzheimer's disease" encouraged Dr. Samuel Giles of Memory Treatment Centers Jacksonville. "We feel we have momentum towards offering true hope to our Alzheimer's patients and caregivers and note the ongoing cohesive collaborations between clinicians, researchers, biotech and pharmaceutical organizations is at an all-time high."

Memory Treatment Centers is excited to be one of the first to administer Alzheimer's medication, Kisunla (Donanemab). Post this

Kisunla: A Second Option to Treat Alzheimer's

On July 2nd, the FDA granted a long-anticipated approval of Kisunla (Donanemab), marking the start of a new class of drugs designed to tackle beta-amyloid buildup in those with AD.

The FDA was expected to decide in March but delayed approval to gain more insight from the advisory panel about potential side effects. The treatment is associated with amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) which is a consequence of plaques being removed. The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously on the efficacy of Kisunla for the treatment of early AD.

While ARIA-related side effects were observed in a minority of patients, serious complications occurred in only 1.6% of people. With Alzheimer's leading to reliance on caregivers, eventual fatality, and 13 million expected to be diagnosed by 2050, the ability to target a root cause of cognitive decline vastly outweighed the risk of side effects.

MTC has reported no issues thus far in administering Kisunla. The clinical team understands the risks of ARIA and is working tirelessly to ensure patient safety. Clinics are using the most up to date imaging techniques and indicators, such as blood-based biomarkers, to assess patients' disease progression and response to therapy.

While Kisunla is similar to the treatment Leqembi, Kisunla is the only amyloid-plaque targeting therapy that uses a limited duration treatment cycle. The treatment is given as a biologic infusion every four weeks. It can be stopped once amyloid-plaque levels reach a certain threshold. Some patients were able to stop treatment after only six months, with most patients ending treatment by the 18-month mark.

The advent of Kisunla creates exciting opportunities in determining which preventative treatments are most effective for certain patients based on factors like genetics, disease progression, and age. More treatment options also allow for a collaborative approach to healthcare.

"The ability to now have therapeutic options to choose from allows for improved patient/provider shared decision making. We've seen our patients and caregivers want to be informed about their disease and available therapeutics, and we now will be able to provide more guidance" stated Dr. Donald McCarren of MTC in Bonita Springs.

Who is considered a good candidate for Kisunla?

Specific factors that may decide if Kisunla or Leqembi is more effective in certain segments are being continually evaluated and will require more time before key insights are known. However, Kisunla initially offers comparable results with a less disruptive treatment schedule, and for some may be more efficacious.

While Leqembi requires continual infusions every two weeks, Kisunla is infused once a month and can be stopped when amyloid levels are low enough. Research has shown that it may take up to four years for amyloid plaque levels to reappear in which patients will be re-dosed at that time.

This type of medicine does not restore previous levels of cognitive function, it only slows the progression of cognitive decline by reducing amyloid plaques. Therefore, it is crucial that treatment begins as early as possible.

Dr. Jamie Plante of Memory Treatment Centers Bonita Springs added "We have just begun to explore the real-world longitudinal benefits with these therapies and identify who best will be served by each. Through continued clinical and academic evaluation, we are excited to learn more about managing the disease process from a preventative standpoint."

To be approved for treatment, patients must be evaluated by a healthcare provider for either mild dementia, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor state to Alzheimer's dementia. Patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's dementia are unfortunately not eligible for this therapy, due to the preventative nature of treatment.

Cognitive Impairment: Signs and Symptoms of Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment is often signaled by minor changes in memory and communication. Changes in lifestyle are also common, like ability to maintain work duties, social relationships, or keep routines.

Many people with early cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment) continue to work and socialize as usual but begin to note a slight difference in their ability to manage daily life. Family or friends may notice these differences as well.

As cognitive function declines, an individual may progress from MCI to more advanced stages of dementia. Several factors contribute to the development of MCI and dementia which underscores the critical role of a comprehensive neurocognitive assessment to diagnose early symptomatic AD timely and accurately.

What Type of Specialist Diagnose Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease?

Despite a vast majority of physicians acknowledging the importance of diagnosing AD in the earliest stages of MCI and mild dementia, making an accurate early diagnosis is no easy task.

A Neurologist specializing in neurocognitive medicine has the ideal skills necessary to evaluate patients for MCI. Unfortunately, a mere fraction (~5%) of Neurologists specialize in neurocognitive medicine, posing substantial barriers to timely evaluation and care.

As the annual incidence of AD continues to rise, this presents a critical challenge to our healthcare system at large. This results in costly delayed diagnoses which will severely limit the effectiveness of the new preventative treatments.

Dr. Robert Mannel of Memory Treatment Centers Jacksonville added "We are moving towards being able to determine which therapeutics are most likely to be the most efficacious based on genetic factors, symptomatic disease stage and age. We are thrilled about the most recent approval with Donanemab and look forward to additional therapeutics coming down the pipeline in the near future".

Where can I be evaluated for MCI, mild dementia, AD, and treatment?

Patients affected by cognitive impairment from early symptomatic AD and who may qualify for a preventative treatment like Kisunla can generally undergo neurocognitive evaluations via telehealth from anywhere in the US. If you're in Florida, please visit one of the MTC facilities.

At MTC, we provide comprehensive evaluations via our neurocognitive specialists to assess the presence of cognitive impairment. We also utilize up-to-date biomarker testing to pinpoint the diagnosis. Our goal is to thoroughly evaluate and accurately diagnose our patients in a comfortable, streamlined, and friendly environment. Through this process, we can design a care plan that reflects each individual patient and family's goals and wishes.

All of us at MTC are dedicated to bringing hope and relief to patients with all types of cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's Disease. If you or a loved one are interested in finding out if Kisunla or Leqembi is right for you, we are accepting new patients and are eager to assist you on your journey to better health.

SOURCE Memory Treatment Centers
Alex Foreman joins Mesirow Currency Management's 24-hour global trading team from Russell Investments

Foreman joins amid a 41% surge in trading volume and 38% AUM growth over the past three years1

CHICAGO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mesirow, an independent employee-owned financial services firm, announced today that Alex Foreman has joined Mesirow Currency Management's trading team from Russell Investments. Foreman brings twelve years of strategy and execution expertise and joins a highly skilled trading team that averages over 20 years of experience and serves a global institutional client base on a 24-hour basis.

Mesirow Currency Management Expands Global Trading Team: Alex Foreman Joins Mesirow Currency Managements 24-hour Global Trading Team from Russell Investments

"We're excited to have Alex join the team," said Joe Hoffman, CFA, CEO of Mesirow Currency Management. "Last year our trading volume exceeded $715 billion and our AUM has continued to increase every year for the past ten years. Our commitment to our clients is our top priority, and we've been happy to be able to add new team members to the group as our client offerings have expanded and our long-term partnerships with institutions around the world have grown."

Before joining Mesirow, Alex spent over a decade at Russell Investments as a currency portfolio manager and FX trader. In his roles, he specialized in customizing solutions for clients and identifying ways to minimize transaction costs.

About Mesirow Currency Management

With more than $169B in currency assets,1 Mesirow Currency Management has been delivering innovative, customized currency solutions to institutional clients globally since 1990. Being a private, employee-owned firm, Mesirow is free from many conflicts of interest associated with bank-affiliated organizations or publicly held firms and is fully aligned with the interests of its clients. Mesirow Currency Management is a signatory to the FX Global Code of Conduct and is a member of the FXPA.

About Mesirow

Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with locations around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. To learn more, visit mesirow.com, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to Spark, our quarterly newsletter.

Mesirow has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Crain's Chicago Business multiple times and is one of Barron's Top 100 RIA firms.

Media

[email protected] | Michael Herley | 203.308.1409

Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.,  2024, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Investment management services provided through Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc., Mesirow Institutional Investment Management, Inc. and Mesirow Financial Private Equity Advisors, Inc., all SEC-registered investment advisor, a CFTC registered commodity trading advisors and member of the NFA, or Mesirow Financial International UK, Ltd. ("MFIUK"), authorized and regulated by the FCA, depending on the jurisdiction.

1. As of 6.30.2024. Currency assets under management includes AUM associated with (i) active and passive currency risk management products $166.71 billion, (ii) non-fx overlay strategies such as equitization and beta overlays $602.60 million, and (iii) alpha strategies $1.78 billion. In all such cases, AUM is calculated based on notional value of currency investments. Additionally, AUM for alpha strategies is adjusted because clients can select a volatility target (generally between 2% and 12% annualized), which is normalized to 2% in order to create a consistent depiction of alpha strategy AUM. This results in a "scaled" AUM, which is higher than the actual aggregate notional value of all alpha strategy portfolios if clients have selected a volatility target higher than 2%. As of 6.30.2024, the "unscaled" AUM for alpha strategies was $434.68 million.

Award recognition disclosures: https://www.mesirow.com/award-recognition-disclosures

SOURCE Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.
PRINCETON, N.J., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH), a technology-driven leader in building and operating regulated financial markets across multiple asset classes and geographies, today announced the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved MIAX Sapphire LLC's (MIAX Sapphire) application for registration as a national securities exchange.

MIAX Sapphire will be MIAX's fourth national securities exchange for U.S. multi-listed options and will operate both an electronic exchange and physical trading floor. The electronic exchange is expected to launch on August 12, 2024, with the opening of the physical trading floor to follow in 2025. The MIAX Sapphire trading floor will be the first national securities exchange to establish operations in Miami, Florida, and will include a next-generation trading floor, ancillary office space for MIAX employees and market participants, conference facilities and broadcast media space.

"The launch of MIAX Sapphire provides our members, liquidity providers and market makers with a new exchange designed to meet their evolving demands for improved access to options liquidity," said Thomas P. Gallagher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MIH. "The launch of our fourth U.S. options exchange also provides our market participants with access to 100% of the multi-listed options market, all supported by our proprietary technology designed to enhance liquidity and promote improved price discovery."

MIAX Sapphire will utilize Taker-Maker pricing and a Price-Time allocation model while leveraging existing MIAX-based technology and infrastructure, enabling existing MIAX Exchange members access to the new exchange with minimal additional technology efforts.

"The SEC's approval of MIAX Sapphire represents a significant milestone for MIH as we execute on our strategy of operating exchanges built using our proprietary trading technology designed to support the high performance demands of the U.S. derivatives industry," said Douglas M. Schafer Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of MIH. "The launch of the MIAX Sapphire electronic exchange will be followed by the opening of our state-of-the art trading floor in Miami in 2025. Construction of the new MIAX facility is well underway and we are excited to showcase this new facility to the industry when it opens next year."

For more information on MIAX Sapphire, including key milestone dates, member on-boarding and technology requirements, please visit miaxglobal.com/markets/us-options/sapphire-options or contact MIAX Trading Operations at [email protected].

About MIAX

MIAX's parent holding company, Miami International Holdings, Inc., owns Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC (MIAX), MIAX PEARL, LLC (MIAX Pearl), MIAX Emerald, LLC (MIAX Emerald), MIAX Sapphire LLC (MIAX Sapphire), Minneapolis Grain Exchange, LLC (MGEX), Ledger X LLC d/b/a MIAX Derivatives Exchange (MIAXdx), The Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) and Dorman Trading, LLC (Dorman Trading).

MIAX, MIAX Pearl, MIAX Emerald and MIAX Sapphire are national securities exchanges registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are enabled by MIAX's in-house built, proprietary technology. MIAX offers trading of options on all three exchanges as well as cash equities through MIAX Pearl Equities. The MIAX trading platform was built to meet the high-performance quoting demands of the U.S. options trading industry and is differentiated by throughput, latency, reliability and wire-order determinism. MIAX also serves as the exclusive exchange venue for cash-settled options on the SPIKES Volatility Index (Ticker: SPIKE), a measure of the expected 30-day volatility in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

MGEX is a registered exchange with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and offers trading in a variety of products including Hard Red Spring Wheat Futures. MGEX is a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) under the CFTC, providing DCM and DCO services in an array of asset classes.

MIAXdx is a CFTC regulated exchange and clearinghouse and is registered as a DCM, DCO, and Swap Execution Facility (SEF) with the CFTC.

BSX is a fully electronic, vertically integrated international securities market headquartered in Bermuda and organized in 1971. BSX specializes in the listing and trading of capital market instruments such as equities, debt issues, funds, hedge funds, derivative warrants, and insurance linked securities.

Dorman Trading is a full-service Futures Commission Merchant registered with the CFTC.

MIAX's executive offices and National Operations Center are located in Princeton, N.J., with additional U.S. offices located in Chicago, IL and Miami, FL. MGEX offices are located in Minneapolis, MN. MIAXdx offices are located in Princeton, N.J. BSX offices are located in Hamilton, Bermuda. Dorman Trading offices are located in Chicago, IL.

To learn more about MIAX visit www.miaxglobal.com.

To learn more about MGEX visit www.miaxglobal.com/mgex.

To learn more about MIAXdx visit www.miaxdx.com.

To learn more about BSX visit www.bsx.com.

To learn more about Dorman Trading visit www.dormantrading.com.

Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities of Miami International Holdings, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company), and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer; solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

All third-party trademarks (including logos and icons) referenced by the Company remain the property of their respective owners. Unless specifically identified as such, the Company's use of third-party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between the owners of these trademarks and the Company. Any references by the Company to third-party trademarks is to identify the corresponding third-party goods and/or services and shall be considered nominative fair use under the trademark law.

Media Contact:

Andy Nybo, SVP, Chief Communications Officer

(609) 955-2091

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1396492/MIAX_Logo.jpg
Consumer packaged goods veteran CEO Jeff Caswell joins premium pet food company

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mid America Pet Food, parent company and manufacturer of premium pet food brands including VICTOR Super Premium Pet Food, has appointed Jeff Caswell as its new CEO. The company's interim CEO, Mark Schiller, will transition to the company's board of directors.

A seasoned consumer-packaged goods CEO, Caswell has extensive experience building world class brands. He most recently served as CEO and board member for Sabrosura Foods, where he led aggressive growth over the past three years. Prior to Sabrosura, Caswell cultivated growth across numerous consumer food brands within General Mills, Tyson Foods, Hillshire Brands, ConAgra Brands and more.

"Jeff is an exceptional leader who consistently cultivates company culture, strengthens customer relationships and builds brands that consumers love," said Schiller. "His proven track record of accelerating brands while maintaining a strong commitment to quality and customer service makes him well positioned to lead Mid America Pet Food through its exciting next phase of growth."

As the company has grown, Mid America Pet Food has invested heavily in its team and manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant to achieve industry-leading standards for quality and food safety.

"I was drawn to Mid America Pet Food for its strong team, outstanding growth potential and the company's unwavering commitment to making premium quality pet nutrition at a great value," said Caswell. "I understand and appreciate the special connection our consumers have with their pets, and I look forward to providing them wonderful products that help strengthen that bond."

Caswell officially assumed the role of CEO on July 9, 2024.

About Mid America Pet Food, LLC

Founded in 2007, Mid America Pet Food's family of brands includes VICTOR Super Premium Pet Food (VICTOR), Nature's Logic, Eagle Mountain Pet Food (Eagle Mountain), and Wayne Feeds. Based in East Texas, Mid America Pet Food offers super premium pet nutrition at a variety of price points. VICTOR's dog food formulas have been nationally recognized and are a trusted nutrition source for pet owners across the country, including outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, trainers and breeders. More information about Mid America Pet Food and its brands is available at www.mapf.com , www.victorpetfood.com , and www.natureslogic.com .

Media Contact:

Kendra Byrd

[email protected]

817-329-3257

SOURCE Mid America Pet Food
AUSTN, Texas, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Midas Immersion Cooling (Midas), a leading provider of cutting-edge immersion cooling solutions, has joined hands with the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI) in a groundbreaking partnership aimed at advancing the realm of immersion cooling technology. As part of this collaboration, Midas has generously donated state-of-the-art immersion cooling equipment to the University of Florida (UF), fostering a shared commitment to innovation and research in the field of semiconductor cooling.

This collaboration marks a significant step towards addressing pressing industry challenges. The research will focus on exploring novel applications in defense sectors, enhancing energy and water efficiency in future data centers, creating semiconductor designs optimized for liquid cooling, and delving into optical technologies within liquid environments. Through this partnership, both entities are set to pioneer innovative research that will shape the future of cooling technologies. Leading the team from FSI is Dr. Hamed Dalir, a researcher who specializes in AI, Semiconductor Laser, and high-speed photonics computing. He is the director of CHIP Lab, where he oversees the development, construction, and validation of a variety of pioneering technologies, including artificial intelligence devices, ASICs, D/A converters, blockchains, and secure hashing algorithms. Dr. Dalir has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field, including the prestigious Yoshida Foundation Award for the Development of Future Leaders for Changing Times and the JSPS "Young Scientist Fellowship" in 2011 and 2014, respectively.

About FSI: The Florida Semiconductor Institute at UF serves as a statewide hub for research, development, innovation, and workforce initiatives focused on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies. FSI expertise spans emerging materials, chip design, process development, microsystems, heterogeneous integration, advanced packaging, and cybersecurity.

About Midas Immersion: With over 0.5 GW of installed capacity, Midas Immersion Cooling is the leading supplier of immersion cooling equipment solutions. The patented plenum and weir system design provides many advantages including increased cooling capacity, easy installation and maintenance, highest density deployment, and operational confirmation to deliver lowest total cost-of-ownership. Midas Immersion's integration with a proven, redundant North American supply chain of coolers, pumps, and heat exchangers has made it the continuing choice of leading data centers. Engage Midas for superior engineering of container or structural deployment solutions  it's all about heat removal.

For more information on the Florida Semiconductor Institute, please visit: https://fsi.institute.ufl.edu/. For more information on Midas Immersion Cooling, please visit: https://midasimmersion.com/.

CONTACT:

Darren Burgess

[email protected]

SOURCE Midas Immersion Cooling
NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global motion control market size is estimated to grow by USD 5.69 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 6.03% during the forecast period. Integration of motion control systems with digital drives is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing adoption of iot in the motion control industry. However, inherent challenges related to use of automated systems poses a challenge. Key market players include ABB Ltd., ACS Motion Control Ltd., ADVANCED Motion Controls, Aerotech Inc., Beckhoff Automation GmbH and Co. KG, Delta Computer Systems Inc., Dover Motion, Eaton Corp. Plc, Galil Motion Control, Kollmorgen Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Moog Inc., Nanotec Electronic GmbH and Co. KG, OMRON Corp., Parker Hannifin Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and Yaskawa Electric Corp..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global motion control market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Motion Control Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.03% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 5696.1 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.59 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 53% Key countries China, US, Japan, Germany, and UK Key companies profiled ABB Ltd., ACS Motion Control Ltd., ADVANCED Motion Controls, Aerotech Inc., Beckhoff Automation GmbH and Co. KG, Delta Computer Systems Inc., Dover Motion, Eaton Corp. Plc, Galil Motion Control, Kollmorgen Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Moog Inc., Nanotec Electronic GmbH and Co. KG, OMRON Corp., Parker Hannifin Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and Yaskawa Electric Corp.

Market Driver

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing various industries by enabling real-time data collection and transmission from connected devices. In the motion control market, IoT is driving the adoption of advanced technologies such as digital control, wireless communications, and low-cost sensors. Companies worldwide are focusing on connecting their machinery, equipment, and motion control systems to enhance performance, efficiency, and accessibility. Programmable multi-axis motion controllers, like Galil's EDD-3701x and OMRON's NX1P, are key components of this transformation. These controllers support Ethernet-based networks, enabling seamless communication and data exchange. Galil's EDD-3701x series can control various motor types and offers multiple digital and analog I/O interfaces. OMRON's NX1P Machine Automation Controller provides extensive IoT capabilities, enabling predictive maintenance and real-time data monitoring. Both controllers support industry standards for programming and motion control, ensuring compatibility and ease of use. IoT's ability to facilitate decision-making, detect anomalies, and handle high-speed operations will continue to fuel market growth during the forecast period.

The Motion Control Market is experiencing significant growth due to trends like digitalization, AI, and automation. Digitalization is driving the adoption of motion controllers for precise target positions and trajectories in various industries. Renewable energy sectors like solar and wind power are integrating motion control systems for resource utilization and waste reduction. Safety is a top priority, with motion controllers ensuring worker safety in compressor stations and machinery. AI and self-organizing factories enable autonomous decision-making, reducing production downtime and replacement expenses. Motion control systems are essential for industrial robots and manual controls in closed-loop and open-loop systems. Advanced motion controls are transforming factories into smart, energy-efficient solutions through real-time data analysis and remote monitoring. Servo motors and sensors are crucial components, while communication protocols ensure seamless integration. Metal cutting applications, automation, and factories are major markets for motion control systems. Heavy maintenance and servicing are streamlined through advanced motion control technologies. Overall, the market focuses on energy efficiency, worker safety, and productivity.

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Market Challenges

Businesses worldwide face the challenge of adapting to ever-changing consumer demands, leading many industries to consider upgrading their motion control systems. However, the inflexibility and high costs associated with these systems can deter small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from making the investment. Upgrading motion control systems, which often involve hydraulic equipment, can take years to recoup the initial investment. Moreover, the computerized nature of automated material handling equipment means that a single component failure can cause widespread downtime. Despite these challenges, the adoption of motion control systems is crucial for advanced manufacturing processes. The high capital investment required for these systems, including the cost of replacing outdated information networks, can be a significant barrier. Additionally, vendors must continually invest in research and development to stay competitive, comply with regulations, and meet customization demands. These factors contribute to the high cost of motion control systems, making it difficult for vendors to maintain profitability and market growth during the forecast period.

In today's business environment, motion control systems play a crucial role in factory automation and manufacturing processes. Automation of machinery and robotic systems using servo drives, variable frequency drives, and precision motors is essential for energy efficiency and speed. However, challenges persist in implementing advanced motion controls, such as real-time communication, sensors and feedback, and smart factories. Heavy maintenance and servicing can be time-consuming and expensive, leading to replacement expenses. Industrial Revolution 4.0 brings modern technologies like Information technology, Industrial IoT (IIoT), connected machines, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins, requiring energy-efficient solutions and seamless communication protocols. Manufacturing companies must adapt to these trends while ensuring safety and minimizing accidents. Motion control components, including motors, drives, and position controls, must be integrated with sensors and feedback to optimize performance and improve dosage formulations. The automotive sector, e-commerce, logistics, and warehouse automation are significant industries driving the demand for motion control solutions.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This motion control market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Application

1.1 Metal and machinery manufacturing

1.2 Packaging and labeling

1.3 Robotics

1.4 Semiconductor and electronics

1.5 Others

Product

2.1 Electronic devices

2.2 Actuators

2.3 AC drives

2.4 Motion controllers

2.5 Others

Geography

3.1 APAC

3.2 North America

3.3 Europe

3.4 Middle East and Africa

and 3.5 South America

1.1 Metal and machinery manufacturing- The Motion Control Market refers to the industry that produces and supplies automation systems for controlling the movement of machinery and robots. These systems enable precise and efficient production processes in various industries, including manufacturing, automotive, and electronics. Key components include motors, drives, sensors, and controllers. Market growth is driven by increasing automation in industries and advancements in technology. Companies like Bosch Rexroth, Siemens, and Schneider Electric are major players.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The global electric car rental market is experiencing rapid growth driven by increasing environmental awareness and government initiatives promoting sustainable transportation options. Consumers are increasingly opting for electric vehicles (EVs) due to lower operating costs and reduced carbon emissions. Key players in this market are expanding their fleets with EVs to meet rising demand. The shift towards electric car rentals is not only reshaping urban mobility but also contributing to efforts aimed at reducing global carbon footprints. As infrastructure improves and technology advances, the market is poised for further expansion in the coming years.

Research Analysis

Motion control systems play a crucial role in automation and manufacturing industries, enabling precise control of machinery and robotic systems. These systems utilize motors, drives, position controls, and sensors and feedback to ensure accurate and efficient movement. With the rise of smart factories and industrial IoT (IIoT), motion control systems are becoming more energy-efficient and interconnected, allowing for resource utilization, waste reduction, and real-time remote monitoring. In addition, the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and control algorithms enables self-organizing factories, reducing production downtime and improving worker safety. Warehouse automation is another area where motion control systems are making a significant impact, streamlining operations and increasing productivity. Overall, motion control systems are essential for optimizing manufacturing processes and enhancing the performance of modern factories.

Market Research Overview

Motion control systems play a crucial role in automating factories and machinery, enabling precise control of robotic systems, servo drives, and variable frequency drives. These advanced technologies are integral to modern manufacturing, from automotive to pharmaceuticals, logistics, and renewable energy. Sensors and feedback systems, communication protocols, and real-time data analysis are essential components of these systems, driving the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and digitalization. Smart factories employ energy-efficient solutions, reducing replacement expenses and downtime. Factories are becoming connected and self-organizing, with industrial IoT (IIoT) and edge computing enabling autonomous decision-making and digital twins. Precision and speed are key benefits, with motion controllers managing target positions and trajectories using control algorithms. Modern technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and safety features are increasingly important, ensuring optimal resource utilization, waste reduction, and worker safety. Renewable energy applications, such as solar and wind power, also benefit from motion control systems, with compressor stations and servo motors ensuring efficient energy transfer. Manufacturing companies must invest in regular servicing and maintenance to ensure the longevity and optimal performance of their motion control systems. Manual controls are being phased out in favor of closed-loop systems for improved accuracy and open-loop systems for simpler applications. The future of motion control lies in the integration of AI, IIoT, and digitalization, enabling real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and predictive maintenance.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Application

Metal And Machinery Manufacturing



Packaging And Labeling



Robotics



Semiconductor And Electronics



Others

Product

Electronic Devices



Actuators



AC Drives



Motion Controllers



Others

Geography

APAC



North America



Europe



Middle East And Africa



South America

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
STOCKHOLM, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Munters has signed an agreement to acquire Geoclima, an Italian manufacturer of air- and water-cooled chillers. Geoclima's product offering completes Munters Data Center Technologies (DCT) cooling portfolio enhancing the company's ability to offer full solutions to the total data center cooling market.

Munters Group is a global leader in energy-efficient air treatment and climate control solutions. The acquisition of Geoclima is a key part of Munters strategy to expand into new markets and broaden the product portfolio.

"We are delighted to welcome Geoclima to the Munters family. This strategic acquisition allows us to accelerate our development of energy efficient data center cooling solutions and strengthens our global offering," says Klas Forsstrom, President and CEO of Munters.

Through the proposed acquisition Munters gains access to chiller technology, which plays a critical role in the data center cooling market today.

"The addition of Geoclima's technology and talent to DCT is truly exciting. Geoclima has a very similar DNA to Munters in that it focuses on more energy-efficient solutions and has the competence to tailor solutions to the customer's needs. Through this acquisition, our range of comprehensive solutions for our customers becomes more complete," says Stefan Aspman, President of DCT and Group Vice President, Munters Group.

Geoclima's net sales for FY 2023 amounted to approximately MSEK 455 (MEUR 40.1). The privately owned company was established in 1994, employes 165 people and has its headquarters in northeastern Italy. Geoclima has sales offices in Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Australia and US as well as production sites in Italy and Thailand. Geoclima was founded by Paolo Ferraris who has operated the company as CEO for 30 years, he will remain as Managing Director for at least the next year to ensure a successful transition.

Closing of the acquisition will occur after a restructuring of the legal entities of the Geoclima group is completed and is subject to customary closing conditions applicable in Italy. The proposed acquisition will be fully financed through existing credit facilities and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024.

For more information

Investors and analysts

Ann-Sofi Jonsson, Vice President, Investor Relations and Group Risk Management

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: +46 (0)730 251 005

Line Dovarn, Director Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: +46 (0)730 848 844

Media

Eva Carlsson, Director External Communications

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: +46 (0)70 88 33 500

This information is information that Munters Group AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 07.00 CEST on July 17, 2024.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/munters-group-ab/r/munters-signs-an-agreement-to-acquire-geoclima-and-broadens-its-offering-for-data-center-cooling-sol,c4015715

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/15490/4015715/2918912.pdf Munters press release 17 Juli 2024 https://news.cision.com/munters-group-ab/i/geoclima-supplier-of-air-and-water-cooled-chillers,c3320430 Geoclima-supplier-of-air-and-water-cooled-chillers

SOURCE Munters Group AB
SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With its new label imprint created with music giant Mi5/Universal Music Group, Music City San Francisco, the newly revamped $30 million, 30,000 sq. ft. performance, rehearsal, restaurant/bar, hotel, and SF Music Hall of Fame epicenter located in the heart of the San Francisco, takes a giant step closer to fulfilling its dual mission; To create opportunity for local musicians and to restore San Francisco to its rightful place on the international music map.

Rudy Colombini - Message of Love

The MCSF-Mi5/UMG partnership activates with Rudy Colombini's album "Message of Love," a collection of sparkling, heartfelt, inspirational rock 'n' roll. The music captures a timeless sound and sentiment that counters the doom loop narrative circulating about San Francisco, and the uncertainty and uneasiness in the world.

Garnering adult contemporary and alt rock and radio play in major markets across the U.S. and in Europe, "Message of Love" ranks at No. 23 on the DRT Global Rock Radio Chart (July 13, 2024).

Listen here .

About the Music City San Francisco-Mi5/Universal Music Group Label Imprint

Music City San Francisco's Label Imprint results from a strategic partnership with Mi5 Recordings/Universal Music Group and its President Ted Mason, former member of the hit band, Modern English, and a multi-platinum music producer who has personally worked with Pharrell Williams, Santana, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Jeff Beck, Robert Plant, Snoop Dogg, Peter Gabriel, Nikki Minaj, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Queen Latifa, and Donna Summer.

The collaboration encompasses music distribution, retail marketing funding (non cash advances to artists), additional social media support, production, mixing and mastering services, and additional film, video, educational programs and services. The partnership opens up opportunities with Mi5/Universal's London, Paris, New York offices, and future Universal artists collaborations within the San Francisco music scene and Music City SF in all genres.

About Rudy Colombini's "Message of Love" Album

The release of "Message of Love" through the Universal Music Group is a career culmination for Colombini, who has recorded original music for four decades and has led The Unauthorized Rolling Stones for nearly as long. The album charted in the Top 40 when it was first released in 1998. Because of the album's timeless sound, pop production, and its shout out for hope and compassion, Universal Music Group rereleased the songs. For Colombini, this is his first album through a major distribution channel.

The album release party takes place on July 25, 2024, Music City San Francisco, 1355 Bush St, SF, CA., 6-10 pm. Eventbrite ticket link: rudycolombinialbumrelease.eventbrite.com

About Music City San Francisco

Dovetailing with his music career, Rudy Colombini started Music City San Francisco with the hope of stoking the dormant fires of musical creativity in his hometown and the musicians around him, who had been held down by high rents and costs of creating music in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.

All the elements of the Music City San Francisco complexits five stages, 20 streaming-enabled rehearsal/education rooms, SF music-themed hotel/hostel, bar/restaurant, its 80 exhibit SF Music Hall of Fame, and now the Universal imprint labelcoalesce into a platform that empowers and exposes Bay Area musical talent.

"My goal is to wake up San Francisco's artistic soul," says Colombini, who presides over Music City San Francisco like an impresario. Colombini's vision of MCSF as a music playland of inspiration, imagination, performance, and fun for musicians and fans alike prompted Canadian publication Range Magazine's Guide to San Francisco to aptly describe him as "the 'Willy Wonka of the Rock World.'"

Press Contact:

Aprill Lacey

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 415-298-8483

https://musiccitysf.com

Social Links Music City SF:

https://www.facebook.com/MusicCitySF

https://www.instagram.com/musiccitysanfrancisco

Social Links Rudy Colombini:

https://www.facebook.com/RudyColombiniBand

https://www.facebook.com/RudyColombini

https://www.instagram.com/rudycolombini

SOURCE Music City San Francisco
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Media accreditation now is open for the launch of NASA's ninth rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. This mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

The crew of NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station poses for a photo during training in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

Launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission is targeted for no earlier than mid-August from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, pending completion of the company's ongoing Falcon 9 investigation. Crew safety and mission assurance are top priorities for NASA and its partners.

The launch will carry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, commander; Nick Hague, pilot; and Stephanie Wilson, mission specialist; along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, mission specialist. This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Gorbunov, the second mission to the orbiting laboratory for Hague, and fourth spaceflight for Wilson, who has spent 42 days in space aboard three space shuttle Discovery missions  STS-120, STS-121, and STS-131.

U.S. media, international media without U.S. citizenship, and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations must apply by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 31. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA's media accreditation policy is online. For questions about accreditation or special logistical requests, email: [email protected]. Requests for space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections are due by Thursday, Aug. 1.

For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy's newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Para obtener informacion sobre cobertura en espanol en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en espanol, comuniquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371.

For launch coverage and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA
Activists Demand that Congress Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Freedom to Vote Act and Other Key Pieces of Legislation

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, there will be a John Lewis National Day of Action and Candlelight Vigils with over 83 events nationwide, including a flagship program and national broadcast sponsored by Mayor Muriel Bowser in Washington, DC.

The Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) is hosting this event in partnership with the Black Voters Matter Fund, the Public Citizen, the League of Women Voters US, the ACLU, Declaration for American Democracy, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Concerned Black Men as part of the John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action.

"This event will feature over 83 'Good Trouble' community-based actions and candlelight vigils taking place in 28 states and Washington, D.C. These events aim to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Rep. John Lewis and call on Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the DC Admissions Act, thus granting Washington DC statehood," said Barbara Arnwine, President and Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition.

"In line with Representative John Lewis' vision of a just democracy, these four pieces of legislation will fight vicious voter suppression across America, safeguard the freedom to vote, eliminate political gerrymandering, reduce the influence of money in politics, and make Washington DC the 51st state of our country!," added April Albright, General Counsel for Black Voters Matter Fund. "Democracy is on the line. Our nation is at a crossroads, and people are mobilizing to demand a multi-racial, multi-generational democracy where all of our voices are heard," said Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Co-Director of Public Citizen's Democracy Campaign. "We are demanding that Congress acts on these key bills, and we are making sure that people can overcome the barriers to vote in the 2024 election until they do."

"The ongoing threats to democracy underscore the urgency of this moment in our history. Our goal is to inform, inspire, and mobilize our community to push for the passage of several reform bills," added Christine Wood, with the Declaration for American Democracy. This is a nonpartisan event and is free to attend.

Local residents and activists, including those in Washington, D.C., are leading the nation, especially GenZ, in demanding that Congress pass a series of democracy reform bills, including the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and the Washington D.C. Admissions Act. Their leadership is inspiring and empowering, and we invite you to join this movement.

The John Lewis Day of Action is a nationwide series of more than 83 events honoring the legacy of Rep. John Lewis. Further, added Daryl Jones, Co-Leader and Board Chair of the Transformative Justice Coalition, "This Day of Action demands that Members of Congress take action and pass these four pillars of legislative protection to realize Congressman Lewis' dream of a beloved community where every citizen's vote is treated fairly and to achieve the ultimate American goal of a robust, multiracial and inclusive democracy." For additional information, check out the Mobile Map for John Lewis National Day of Action Event Locations: https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/

What: "JOHN LEWIS NATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION AND ACTION"

Who: Barbara Arnwine, Esquire, Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, DC

EZ Street, WHUR, Washington, DC

U.S. Congressional Leaders

Duke Ellington Choir, Washington, DC

When: Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 6:00 pm, with pre-events starting at 5:45 pm

This event will be live streamed via: https://mobilize.us/s/JlwBty

Where: John Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Transformative Justice Coalition seeks to be a catalyst for transformative institutional changes that bring about justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learn more at tjcoalition.org.

For more information, contact:

Barbara Arnwine  (202) 359-9864

[email protected]

SOURCE Transformative Justice Coalition
PITTSBURGH, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The annual list of Military Friendly Companies has been released on www.militaryfriendly.com

Military Friendly is pleased to introduce the 2024 Military Friendly Company Awards and designations for organizations that have met or exceeded our standard in at least three out of four critical areas of commitment to the military community:

Nation's Top Military Friendly Companies Announced Post this

Recruiting, hiring and training of veterans (Military Friendly Employers)

Recruiting, hiring and training of military spouses

(Military Spouse Friendly Employers)

(Military Spouse Friendly Employers) Partnering with and supporting Veteran-Owned Businesses

(Military Friendly Supplier Diversity Programs)

(Military Friendly Supplier Diversity Programs) Commitment to military consumer protections and having a positive brand reputation in the military community (Military Friendly Brands)

The #1 Military Friendly Company awards for 2024 was earned by USAA in the over $5 Billion Revenue category. Additional #1 Companies include: Combined Insurance, a Chubb Company in the $1 Billion-$4.9 Billion category, ROUSH Enterprises, Inc. in $500 Million-$1 Billion, The Citadel in the Less than $500 Million Category, and the final #1 company in the Non-Profit Government category was Sanford Health. Companies who also were recognized in the top ten honors are as follows VERIZON, Lowe's Companies, Inc., HILTON, Windstream Holdings, Comcast NBC, Navient Solutions, Wells Fargo & Company, AT&T, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

In total the 2024 Military Friendly Company designation was awarded to 238 organizations. For more information on the awardees you can view the list at https://www.militaryfriendly.com/2024mfc

"Military Friendly Companies list represents a growing number of organizations who are taking a holistic approach on engagement, retention, and support in the military and service member community. Their dedication, persistence, and evolution in their programs are what sets these companies apart. This holistic approach is what creates scalability. " - Kayla Lopez, Senior Director of Strategy.

Ready to Pledge your company as Military Friendly? Get registered at: https://www.militaryfriendly.com/account/register/

For Additional information visit https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/

About Military Friendly

Military Friendly is the standard that measures an organization's commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Only about 15 organizations competed for Military Friendly designation upon its founding in 2003. Today, that number is over 4,500. Military Friendly ratings are owned and produced by Viqtory, Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business founded in 2001. They are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or the federal government. The data-driven Military Friendly lists and methodology can be found at www.MilitaryFriendly.com . Data calculations are evaluated for completeness and accuracy by Ernst & Young.

SOURCE Military Friendly
HICKSVILLE, N.Y., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: NYCB) (the "Company") today announced that it plans to issue results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 at approximately 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Thursday, July 25, 2024. The earnings release and presentation will be posted to the Investor Relations portion of the Company's website, ir.myNYCB.com shortly after issuance.

The Company will conduct a conference call at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on the same date, during which Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph M. Otting and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Craig Gifford will discuss the Company's second quarter 2024 performance.

Conference Call Dial-In Instructions :

Once you dial-in to the call, please enter the conference ID (5857240) and press #. You will then be prompted to provide your name and company name before being placed directly into the call. Participants should dial-in at least 15 minutes in advance of the call start time.

The conference call will be simultaneously webcast at ir.myNYCB.com and archived through 5:00 p.m. on August 22, 2024.

Conference Call Details :

Conference ID: 5857240 Dial-in for Live Call:



Domestic (888) 596-4144

International (646) 968-2525 Dial-in for Replay:



Availability July 25 (11:00 a.m.)  July 29 (11:59 p.m.)

Domestic (800) 770-2030

International (609) 800-9909

About New York Community Bancorp, Inc.

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Flagstar Bank, N.A., one of the largest regional banks in the country. The Company is headquartered in Hicksville, New York. At March 31, 2024, the Company had $112.9 billion of assets, $83.3 billion of loans, deposits of $74.9 billion, and total stockholders' equity of $8.4 billion.

Flagstar Bank, N.A. operates 419 branches, including strong footholds in the Northeast and Midwest and exposure to high-growth markets in the Southeast and West Coast. Flagstar Mortgage operates nationally through a wholesale network of approximately 3,000 third-party mortgage originators. In addition, the Bank has approximately 100 private banking teams located in over ten cities in the metropolitan New York City region and on the West Coast, which serve the needs of high-net worth individuals and their businesses.

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. has market-leading positions in several national businesses, including multi-family lending, mortgage origination and servicing, and warehouse lending. Flagstar Mortgage is the seventh largest bank originator of residential mortgages for the 12-months ending March 31, 2024, and the industry's fifth largest sub-servicer of residential mortgage loans nationwide, servicing 1.4 million accounts with $367 billion in unpaid principal balances.

Investor Contact:

Salvatore J. DiMartino

(516) 683-4286

Media Contact:

Steven Bodakowski

(248) 312-5872

SOURCE New York Community Bancorp, Inc.
GREENVILLE, N.C., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nipro Medical Corporation, a leader in the global healthcare and medical device industry, proudly announces its significant expansion in the United States with the establishment of its first North American manufacturing facility in Greenville, North Carolina. This strategic development is set to generate 232 new jobs and involve an investment of approximately $398 million over the next five years.

Governor Roy Cooper Welcomes Nipro to North Carolina

Governor Roy Cooper expressed his enthusiasm about Nipro's decision to expand to North Carolina, highlighting the state's reputation as a center for advanced manufacturing. "We are delighted to welcome Nipro to North Carolina," Governor Cooper stated. "This initiative not only reinforces our status as a prime location for advanced manufacturing but also demonstrates our state's capability in providing a skilled workforce and a superior quality of life."

Nipro to Enhance Local Production and Job Creation

Founded in Japan, Nipro stands as a Tier 1 manufacturer renowned for its high-quality medical devices and healthcare solutions. Tsuyoshi Yamazaki, Senior Managing Director of Global Business at Nipro, shared his excitement about the new facility. "We are thrilled to start manufacturing our cutting-edge medical devices in the U.S., which will support local healthcare professionals and patients with a stable supply chain and reduced transportation costs," said Yamazaki. "Our close proximity to customers will allow us to better respond to their needs and provide them with timely and effective solutions."

This investment highlights Nipro's commitment to innovation, growth, and environmental sustainability.

By establishing manufacturing in the United States, Nipro will significantly reduce global transportation needs, cutting down on carbon emissions. This initiative underscores Nipro's dedication to minimizing environmental impact and fostering a sustainable future. "Our new facility in Greenville is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, reflecting our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint," said Mr. Yamazaki. Nipro continues to lead by example in the medical device industry, championing environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

A Testament to International Commitment

Akira Shimizu, CEO of Nipro Medical Corporation, reflected on the significant impact of this expansion. "This new facility marks a major milestone in Nipro's commitment to the U.S. market, allowing us to deliver high-quality medical devices that enhance patient outcomes and quality of life across the country," said Shimizu.

Significant Economic Impact and Job Opportunities

The new facility in Pitt County marks Nipro's first venture into producing advanced medical devices directly in the U.S. market. The advanced manufacturing site will host a range of positions from engineering and production to administrative and management roles. Nipro values ownership, flexibility, and team spirit among its employees. People who are willing to make a difference and contribute to Nipro's mission are welcome to join and grow with the company.

North Carolina: A Hub for STEM and Manufacturing Talent

N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders noted, "North Carolina's rich environment for STEM talent and our robust manufacturing workforce make it an ideal location for global healthcare leaders like Nipro. Our commitment to fostering growth ensures that North Carolina remains at the forefront of medical innovation and manufacturing."

Supporting Patients with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

The North Carolina facility is set to produce state-of-the-art medical devices that support patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and other renal health issues, reflecting Nipro's commitment to enhancing the quality of patient care through innovative medical technologies.

Vice President of Manufacturing Operations and Inaugural Site Leader for the Greenville Medical Device Plant Anticipates Collaboration and Success

Krizay Elenitoba-Johnson, Vice President of Manufacturing Operations and Inaugural Site Leader for the Greenville Medical Device Plant, expressed anticipation for the collaborative opportunities ahead. "I look forward to working with our dedicated team and the supportive community here to achieve great successes," Elenitoba-Johnson remarked.

Nipro Medical Corporation (https://www.nipro.com [nipro.com]), headquartered in Bridgewater, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nipro Corporation, headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Established in 1954, our parent company employs more than 38,000+ team members and specializes in medical, pharmaceutical, and glass products. Nipro Corporation is the global leader in medical technology  alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

SOURCE Nipro Medical Corporation
HONG KONG, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In June 2024, a surgical team led by Professor Richard Y. Su and Dr. Jane J. Pu from the Faculty of Dentistry at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with United Imaging Intelligence (UII), has achieved a groundbreaking AI-assisted oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery using uAI MERITS platform. uAI MERITS platform, which stands for Metaverse Ecosystem for Robotic Intervention, Therapy, and Surgery, is powered by a large multimodal model for medicine.

Overcoming Challenges in Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery

Dr. Pu marks the perforator vessels for the fibula flap based on the projected 3D reconstructions of bones and vessels. The perforator vessels are visualized in purple. The intraoperative use of uAI MERITS

This surgery helped a patient who had lost part of her mandible due to cancer by successfully reconstructing the mandible and restoring normal aesthetics and functions. The surgery involved the transplantation of a free fibular flap from the patient's lower leg, which encompassed bone, and soft tissue, to reconstruct the missing mandible and oral mucosa. At the same time, dental implants were placed in the newly transplanted bone, restoring the patient's masticatory functions, anatomical structures, and facial aesthetics.

Maxillofacial reconstruction surgeries have been constrained by the complexity of anatomical structures, the high demands for aesthetics and functionality, and the necessity for surgical precision. In this case, the accurate identification and localization of perforator vessels within the soft tissue were pivotal to the success of mandibular reconstruction using a free fibula flap.

In traditional approaches, it is imperative for surgeons to possess an exceptionally high-level of expertise and extensive surgical experience to minimize errors when localizing perforator vessels. Historically, physicians have relied on auxiliary tools such as ultrasound to estimate the location of these perforator vessels, a method that often lacks precision and fails to achieve optimal surgical outcomes. Moreover, the surgical process demands a significant expenditure of time and effort from the surgeons, who must manually compare and delineate between conventional cross-sectional CT images and the surgical site. This process poses considerable challenges to the efficiency and accuracy of the surgery.

AI-Assisted Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery Achieves Outstand Results

For the first time, Professor Su's team successfully completed an oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery with the assistance of a large multimodal model for medicine. The innovation of this technology lies in its ability to address the clinical challenge of surgeons relying on empirical knowledge and best estimates to locate perforating vessels during free flap harvesting surgery. This solution is achieved through a robust, large-scale transformer model trained on a diverse array of medical images for precise segmentation preoperatively, and a large multimodal model for 3D image and video registration, prospective projection, and dynamic visual tracking intraoperatively. This integrated approach significantly improves surgical efficiency and accuracy.

Empowered by AI, the mandibular reconstruction surgery utilized the UII Discover - Runoff CTA system, an advanced intelligent system for evaluating the arteries of the lower extremity. This system facilitated rapid and automatic reconstruction of a comprehensive 3D model of the lower limb's arteries, bones, and skin, offering a multimodal, 360 rotational view. It intelligently identified and outlined the perforator vessels in the leg, and displayed them in various colors, which streamlined the preoperative planning process and enhanced surgical efficiency.

During the surgery, the uAI MERITS system, which integrates advanced AI technologies such as large multimodal models and digital twins, played a pivotal role in enhancing precision and efficiency. It provided real-time projection of anatomy that intelligently and dynamically aligned the 3D reconstruction from the CTA system with the patient's surgical site, seamlessly adapting to patient movement without compromising the accuracy of the procedure. This goggle-free approach allowed for the rapid and precise delineation of the surgical field, significantly improving the precision and success rate of the surgery.

The success of this oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery is a testament to the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and large multimodal models, with real-world medical use cases. It also marks the world's first oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery driven by a large multimodal model for medicine.

Currently, the team has successfully completed three oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgeries using the uAI MERITS platform. Notably, distinct from the first two free fibula flap surgeries, the third surgery marked a milestone by introducing another groundbreaking technique of harvesting the anterolateral thigh flap for the first time.

At the International Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Conference held in Hong Kong in June, Professor Su shared a successful case of using uAI MERITS for oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, which garnered widespread attention from the attending experts and clinicians. Additionally, James J. Xia, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at United Imaging Intelligence, shared the latest advances of AI technology in the field of medicine. He expressed that the company will continue to collaborate with medical professionals to discover more clinical use cases and develop more clinical applications leveraging large model technology, thereby expanding possibilities for physicians and patients worldwide.

Disclaimer: Products and features mentioned herein may not be commercially available in all countries. Their future availability cannot be guaranteed.

SOURCE United Imaging Intelligence
UPPSALA, Sweden, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Making progress, while the OX124 review time extended

Q2 2024 highlights

Total net revenues of SEK 154.0 m (157.7)

(157.7) EBITDA of SEK 5.0 m (5.6)

(5.6) Net earnings of SEK -35.9 m (-12.6)

US Commercial segment net revenues of SEK 147.9 m (145.4), in local currency USD 13.9 m (13.8)

(13.8) Cash flow from operating activities of SEK -6.5 m (-12.7), cash and cash equivalents of SEK 139.7 m (251.1)

(251.1) Earnings per share before and after dilution amounted to SEK -1.04 (-0.37)

Second patent in the US granted for OX640, a nasal epinephrine powder product

The financial guidance for 2024 reiterated

Important events after the end of the period

Orexo ABs sustainability work ranked among the top five percent of all 70,000 businesses worldwide reviewed by EcoVadis

For OX124, a high dose naloxone rescue medication for opioid overdose, a complete response letter was received from the FDA, requesting additional technical data on the final commercial product and additional data from a new human factor (HF) study. A new HF study was successfully conducted in early July.

SEK m unless otherwise stated 2024

Apr-Jun 2023

Apr-Jun 2024

Jan-Jun 2023

Jan-Jun 2023

Jan-Dec Net revenues 154.0 157.7 293.2 316.8 638.8 Cost of goods sold -16.3 -17.2 -29.6 -46.0 -88.9 Operating expenses -153.5 -153.4 -284.2 -343.0 -659.5 EBIT -15.8 -12.9 -20.5 -72.3 -109.5 EBIT margin -10.3 % -8.2 % -7.0 % -22.8 % -17.1 % EBITDA 5.0 5.6 20.9 -35.4 -32.5 Earnings per share, before dilution, SEK -1.04 -0.37 -1.30 -2.22 -3.73 Earnings per share, after dilution, SEK -1.04 -0.37 -1.30 -2.22 -3.73 Cash flow from operating activities -6.5 -12.7 -25.4 -70.5 -95.0 Cash and cash equivalents 139.7 251.1 139.7 251.1 171.0

CEO comments in brief: Strong Zubsolv recovery and focus on getting OX124 to the US market



"I am pleased to report our Zubsolv sales grew slightly year on year, with a strong improvement from the first quarter. This is the third consecutive quarter that we have achieved a positive EBITDA, despite additional costs for a new human factor study (HF study) for OX124, increased legal expenses and a retrospective adjustment of Abstral royalties. The improvement in Zubsolv sales was expected following the inventory adjustments at the beginning of the year and sales in the quarter to wholesalers and pharmacies have become more aligned. Both also grew slightly compared to last year. We have made good progress in preparing for the launch of our second medication on the US market, OX124, but close to the publication of this Interim Report we received feedback from the FDA with a request to complement the application with additional technical data from the final commercial product. In the quarter we addressed the initial concerns raised by the FDA in April and have recently successfully conducted a new HF study. We are investigating the implications of the new request, but we are optimistic we can address these new concerns expeditiously, but there will be a delay in the original time guidance."

For the full CEO comments view attached PDF.

Contact persons quarterly report:

Nikolaj Srensen, President and CEO

Fredrik Jarrsten, EVP and CFO

Lena Wange, IR & Communications Director

Tel: +46 18 780 88 00, +1 855 982 7658,

E-mail: [email protected].

Presentation:

On July 17, at 2 pm CET analysts, investors and media are invited to attend a presentation, incl. a Q&A.

To attend via teleconference where you can ask questions verbally:

https://conference.financialhearings.com/teleconference/?id=50048737

When registered you will be provided phone numbers and a conference ID to access the conference.



To attend via webcast: https://ir.financialhearings.com/orexo-q2-report-2024/register

Prior to the call, presentation material will be available on the website under Investors/Reports/Audiocasts.

This information is information that Orexo AB (publ.) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact persons set out above at 8 am CET on July 17, 2024.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/orexo/r/orexo-q2-2024-interim-report,c4015814

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/694/4015814/2918894.pdf Orexo Interim Report Q2 2024 published July 17
INDIANAPOLIS, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thompson Thrift, a full-service nationally recognized real estate company, announced today that its CEO, Paul Thrift, has been recognized for the third consecutive year in the Indiana Business Journal's Indiana 250 list. The list honors Indiana's most influential and impactful business and community leaders. Honorees include executives and up-and-comers from public and private companies, law firms, universities, not-for-profits, government groups and community organizations.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious accolade," said Paul Thrift, CEO of Thompson Thrift. "This recognition wouldn't be possible without the dedication of our team members who embody our core values of excellence, service and leadership and their commitment to making a positive impact. My story is one of pure providence, any glory goes to God."

First launched in 2022, IBJ's Indiana 250 list was compiled by the executives, editors and newsroom staff at IBJ Media's three news brands: Indianapolis Business Journal, Inside Indiana Business and Indiana Lawyer. The list will be celebrated at an exclusive reception featuring remarks by Vice President Mike Pence on July 17.

Since Thrift co-founded the company in 1986 with John Thompson, Thompson Thrift has grown from a locally focused development and construction company into a full-service, integrated enterprise with more than 600 team members. The company has successfully developed more than $5.4 billion in real estate, providing more than 21,000 multifamily homes in 22 states, and is engaged in all aspects of acquisition, development, construction, leasing and management of quality multifamily, mixed-use, industrial and commercial projects.

The $550 million Fishers District expansion that is currently underway is Thompson Thrift's most ambitious Indiana project to-date, and has the company's commercial, residential and construction business units partnering to bring first-class developments to Indiana's residents and visitors.

Thrift was born and raised in Terre Haute and graduated from Indiana State University. A lifelong learner who takes great pride in the opportunity to mentor tomorrow's leaders, Thrift has served and chaired a variety of business, civic, and non-profit organizations across the state, including the National Association of Home Builders Multifamily Leadership Board, the National Multifamily Housing Council, International Cooperating Ministries, and Indiana State Chamber.

At a corporate level, Thompson Thrift's philanthropic arm, TT Serve, partners with more than 35 local and national organizations with a key focus on community revitalization, youth, and education. The group also seeks to aid those in need in international communities.

Thompson Thrift earned national recognition this year with a 2024 Top Workplaces USA award and five Culture Excellence awards as well as a 2024 Multifamily Development of the Year for Slate at Fishers District in the CoStar Impact Awards. The company was also recognized on the IBJ Fast 25 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Indiana.

Thompson Thrift is a full-service real estate development company focused on ground-up commercial, residential and mixed-use development across the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. The company continues to expand its footprint with eight new residential developments targeted for 2024, including new markets in Georgia, Utah and Idaho.

About Thompson Thrift Real Estate Company

Thompson Thrift is an integrated full-service real estate company with offices in Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Indiana; Denver; Houston and Phoenix. Three business units drive Thompson Thrift's successThompson Thrift Residential which is focused on upscale Class A multifamily communities and luxury leased homes, Thompson Thrift Commercial which is focused on ground-up commercial development, and Thompson Thrift Construction, a full-service construction company. Through these business units, Thompson Thrift is engaged in all aspects of development, construction, leasing, and management of quality commercial real estate projects across the country. The company earned national recognition from Energage as a winner of a 2024 Top Workplaces USA award and five Culture Excellence awards, the latest accolades that reflect the company's ongoing commitment to excellence in the community and workplace. For more information, please visit www.thompsonthrift.com.

Contact:

Jennifer Franklin

Spotlight Marketing Communications

949.427.1385

[email protected]

SOURCE Thompson Thrift
BEIJING, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Solenis & PhaBuilder: Cooperate on Green Innovation

In June 2024, Beijing, China, Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals for water-intensive industries, has signed an agreement with Beijing PhaBuilder Biotechnology Co., Ltd., (hereinafter referred to as PhaBuilder), an innovative synthetic biology enterprise, to collaborate on further developing key PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) - based technology for the paper packaging market.

This is PhaBuilder Inside - Let us introduce how the factory transforms microorganisms to PHA (an eco-friendly biomaterial) through bio-fermentation.

"The global agreement between Solenis and PhaBuilder will enable unique technology to the paper packaging market", said William (Bill) Kuecker, Senior Director, Global Strategic Marketing at Solenis, "to meet the growing needs of more sustainable solutions for the packaging industry."

"This strategic cooperation will help enhance the application of PHA-based materials," said Ms. Sherry Xu, President of PhaBuilder, "the newly developed technology will ultimately reduce the impact on the environment, bringing a greener and more sustainable future."

"I'm delighted to witness the strategic agreement signing between Solenis and PhaBuilder," said Ed Connors, President of Global Business and Consumer Solutions at Solenis, "Solenis has been committed to improving our sustainability - and the sustainability of our customers. This agreement is a new milestone in our demonstration to the sustainable strategic vision."

Using PhaBuilder PHA Products, Hengxin obtained the World's First Certificate for PHA coated Paper Product

Also in June 2024, DIN Germany announced that Hefei Hengxin Life Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Hengxin) has obtained the world's first DIN certificate of PHA coated paper products. Chairman Yan Deping of Hengxin stated that this achievement is the result of years of research, continuous innovation, and pursuit of excellence by Tsinghua University, PhaBuilder, and Hengxin. This product not only has excellent physical properties and environmental benefits, but also has made a significant breakthrough in the processing techniques, filling the gap in PHA market.

PHA is a green and sustainable material manufactured through green and low-carbon bio-fermentation. Its application in paper products will help promote the eco-friendly development of the paper industry.

The PHA coating of the paper products manufactured by Hengxin is made from the PHA raw material of PhaBuilder. PhaBuilder was established by Professor George Guo-Qiang Chen from Tsinghua University who specializes in synthetic biology.

Lars Kellmer and leaders of DIN Germany also highly praised Hengxin at the meeting. Lars Kellmer said that the DIN certificate is an important proof of the company's technological innovation and product quality. Hengxin will continue to take the responsibility of promoting the development of PHA coated paper products, deepening research and development, optimizing processing technology, and improving product quality and performance in order to meet the growing needs of the market and customers.

In the future, Hengxin will actively promote the application of PHA coated paper products with PhaBuilder, cooperate with more business partners and customers, and jointly promote the greening and low-carbon process of the consumer goods packaging industry.

About Solenis

Solenis is a leading global producer of specialty chemicals focusing on delivering sustainable solutions for water-intensive industries, including consumer, industrial, institutional, food and beverage, and pool and spa water markets. Owned by Platinum Equity, the company's product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids, functional additives, and cleaners and disinfectants, as well as state-of-the-art monitoring and control systems. These technologies help customers improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact, and create cleaner and safer environments. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 69 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over 16,100 professionals in 130 countries across six continents. Solenis is a 2024 Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree, recognized four years in a row.

For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.com or follow on social media.

About Hengxin

Hefei Hengxin Life Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is a modern high-tech enterprise dedicated to R&D, production and sales of environmentally friendly products. It is a model of a large-scale production enterprise of polylactic acid (PLA) products in China, and occupies an important position in the global PLA FMCG product market.

As a leading player in the sector of bio-degradable products, Hengxin has connected a broad network of partnerships with over 100 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. Hengxin is the pioneer in China to authenticate the DIN in Europe, BPI and FDA in the US, and LFGB in Germany. And with its powerful ability, Hengxin supplies sustainable food service packaging to a number of famous chain restaurants.

Hengxin values technical innovation and has established a scientific institute for PLA application technology. It is a VP company under the Specialized Committee of Degradable Plastics of CPPIA and the Flexography Branch of PTAC. Hengxin has been awarded of the 3rd and 5th Contribution Award for "Promotion of Biology Base and Biodegradable Materials Technology and Application".

Hengxin's manufacturing operation is Sedex, ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO22000, BRC/IOP, and QS accredited. Therefore, Hengxin can provide full guarantee in product quality, safety, environmental protection and corporate social responsibility.

About Phabuilder

PhaBuilder is an innovative technology company focusing on the frontier field of synthetic biology, fulfilling its core mission of "From Microbes to a Green Future". Through the modification and engineering of halophilic microorganisms, PhaBuilder realizes the industrialized production of the green polymeric biomaterials - PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates).

PHA is a new type of biopolymer with low-carbon, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties. It can completely degrade in the natural environment within 1-3 years, and the degradation efficiency is 100 times higher compared with traditional plastics. At present, PhaBuilder has obtained over 10 authoritative certificates from China, the European Union, and the United States. It is the only enterprise in the world that can sell food contact PHA products in China, the United States, and Europe, and its products are sold to more than 20 countries and regions.

PhaBuilder continuously explores over 10 billion combinations of PHA families, develops applications that meet market demands, collaborates with industry partners to provide total solutions for PHA industrialization, and ultimately promotes the beautiful vision of "making PHA Life a way of life for thousands of households" and implements the synthetic biology innovation path of "PHAmily-PHAbrary-PHAdustry-PHA Life".

In the future, PhaBuilder will provide sustainable solutions based on green bio-based materials to customers worldwide by positioning itself as "a global leader in synthetic biology and bio-manufacturing".

For additional information about PhaBuilder , please visit www.phabuilder.com or follow on social media.

SOURCE Beijing Phabuilder Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
ATLANTA, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pye-Barker Fire & Safety  the largest fully integrated and full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider in the United States  has acquired Allstar Fire Protection, a complete fire protection company, servicing a wide swath of the Southeast, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. The addition of Allstar's local teams will complement Pye-Barker's established presence in the region while providing opportunities for continued growth.

"We looked for a partner who would uphold the high standards we've set for our team. Pye-Barker is the right choice." Post this From left to right: Rod DiBona, COO of Pye-Barker's Sprinkler Division; Casey Milhorn, CEO and Co-owner at Allstar Fire Protection; Glenn Harris, Allstar Co-founder; Shannon Day, Allstar CFO; and Justin Merrick, VP at Pye-Barker, celebrate the partnership in Nashville.

Allstar Fire Protection was founded by Glenn Harris and Mark Hillis in 1990 to protect the Nashville, Tennessee, community through mission-driven fire sprinkler services. Later Allstar added brick-and-mortar locations in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

As Harris and Hillis entered retirement, day-to-day operations were entrusted to Casey Milhorn, current CEO and Co-Owner. Maintaining values of integrity and community throughout their growth, Allstar now offers full-service fire protection including fire sprinkler and suppression systems, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, kitchen hood systems, and emergency and exit lighting.

"Allstar Fire Protection has become a stalwart in our communities by remaining true to our core values, providing quality service and giving back to local organizations," said Casey Milhorn, CEO and Co-Owner at Allstar. "When evaluating our next step, we looked for a partner who would uphold the high standards we've set for our team and would allow our team to continue to strive to meet Allstar's vision statement: 'A safe place to live and work for everyone.' Pye-Barker is the right choice to continue the Allstar legacy."

"Allstar's leadership has found the elusive balance between rapid growth and staying true to its roots, caring for team and community," said Bart Proctor, CEO at Pye-Barker. "Getting to know the team has been an absolute pleasure, and we're looking forward to the impact we'll make together to protect lives and livelihoods."

Allstar's highly skilled team will continue to serve customers in the Southeast.

About Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 8 on the SDM 100.

Visit pyebarkerfs.com/acquisitions to learn why Pye-Barker is the industry's acquirer of choice.

Contact:

Rod DiBona

COO, Pye-Barker Sprinkler Division

605.348.2342

[email protected]

Media:

Alycia Volpe

[email protected]

SOURCE Pye-Barker Fire & Safety
Investor outlook is extremely positive despite ongoing challenges with financing costs, rising home prices, limited inventory, and competition from institutional and traditional homebuyers

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate investor sentiment jumped by 16% from the previous quarter, according to the new RCN Capital/CJ Patrick Company Investor Sentiment Index. Sixty percent of investors viewed today's market as better or much better than it was a year ago, compared to only 20% who felt it was worse or much worse. Investors were equally bullish on where the market is headed, with 61% expecting it to continue to improve, while only 14% expected it to decline  the highest percentage of positive responses and lowest percentage of negative responses since the inception of the RCN Investor Sentiment Survey.

Summer 2024 Investor Sentiment Survey Release Marks the Launch of the Investor Sentiment Index Post this View PDF Summer 2024 Investor Sentiment Survey View PDF Summer 2024 Investor Sentiment Index

The RCN Capital/CJ Patrick Company Investor Sentiment Index (ISI) was designed to track the pulse of real estate investors across the country and gauge their market outlook. The ISI is based on the quarterly RCN Capital Investor Sentiment Survey of residential real estate investors and focuses on their responses to four specific questions:

Current Market Outlook - How does the environment for residential real estate investing compare to one year ago?

Future Market Outlook - What's your outlook for residential real estate investing over the next 6 months compared to today?

Expected Home Price Increases - What do you expect home prices to do over the next 6 months?

Number of Properties Compared to Past 12 Months - How does the number of properties you plan to invest in over the next 12 months compare to the number of properties you've invested in over the past 12 months?

"Despite numerous challenges, real estate investors feel much better about the investing environment today than they have over the past year and are equally optimistic about where the market is heading," said RCN Capital CEO Jeffrey Tesch. "Rental property investors are slightly less positive than fix-and-flip investors, which may be due to rental prices flattening and even declining in many markets across the country."

The Summer 2024 Investor Sentiment Survey from RCN Capital, conducted by market intelligence firm CJ Patrick Company, again highlighted growing concerns among investors about increasing insurance costs or the unavailability of insurance in markets subject to frequent extreme weather events. Over 84% of the investors surveyed noted that rising insurance costs or the unavailability of insurance coverage was a factor in their decisions to buy and sell real estate. Almost 68% noted that these insurance issues had caused them to miss out on an investment opportunity. Both of these findings were significantly higher than in the prior quarter's report.

The problem is particularly acute for investors in states that have seen unusually high levels of extreme weather events over the past few years. 100% of the respondents who invest in California properties cited insurance issues as a consideration in their decision-making, and almost two-thirds (73%) said insurance problems had cost them a deal. In Florida, 83% acknowledged factoring insurance into their investment planning, and 67% noted that insurance issues had caused them to miss out on an opportunity.

Another growing issue appears to be the prevalence of squatters, who were cited as a problem by 76% of respondents in their markets; 53% of the respondents noted that they'd experienced problems with squatters on a personal level. The problem appears to be more severe for fix-and-flip investors than for rental property owners: 90% of flippers cited squatters as an issue, compared to just under 50% of rental property investors.

The Summer 2024 Investor Sentiment Survey is the fifth quarterly report from RCN Capital, taking the pulse of real estate investors across the country, identifying market challenges and opportunities, and getting feedback on current trends and events.

Flippers More Optimistic Than Rental Property Investors

There was a significant contrast between the market sentiment and outlook between fix-and-flip investors and rental property investors. Flippers were overwhelmingly positive, with 73% saying the market today is better or much better than a year ago compared to only 35% of rental property investors. Similarly, 75% of flippers expect market conditions to continue to improve, while just 37% of rental property owners feel the same way. Investors who felt that market conditions today were similarly split by type of investment: only 11% of flippers felt conditions today were worse than a year ago, while 36% of rental property investors responded that way.

It doesn't appear that these differing opinions are based on expectations for the U.S. economy; despite being more optimistic about the market, 75% of flippers believe the economy is likely to enter a recession this year, while only 35% of rental property owners do. Both groups expect home prices to continue to rise, with 88% of flippers and 61% of rental property owners anticipating price increases. And almost all of these investors  92% of flippers and 86% of rental property investors  plan to continue investing primarily in their home states.

Challenges Faced by Investors

Investors cited many of the same factors as major challenges to their success as in previous surveys, but reflected some changes to current market dynamics. The high cost of financing was mentioned most frequently  by 74% of respondents. Lack of inventory (45%) replaced rising home prices (35%) as the second-most cited challenge. Investors also continue to cite competition from institutional investors (44%) and from traditional consumer homebuyers (26%) as major issues.

Looking ahead, investors appear to see market conditions shifting slightly, as only 67% noted the high cost of financing as a top concern, and inventory issues (42%) and rising prices (32%) were also cited less often. On the other hand, respondents also seem to expect more competition from both institutional (47%) and consumer homebuyers (29%) six months from now.

Some of these trends were very similar for both flippers and rental property investors. Financing costs were noted by 77% of flippers and 76% of rental investors; and lack of inventory by 46% and 45% respectively. But there were also some significant differences noted in key challenges. Flippers cited competition from institutions much more frequently (53%) than rental property investors (35%), whereas rental property investors complained about rising home prices with more than twice the rate (53%) than flippers did (21%).

"It's interesting to see some of the nuances in the investor sentiment data, and consider some of the implications" noted Rick Sharga, CJ Patrick Company CEO. "It appears that recent reports of increased flipping activity  and improvements in flippers' gross margins  may be fueling some of the optimism from that set of investors. Meanwhile, flat and declining rent rates, an influx of hundreds of thousands of apartments, and rising property acquisition costs may be dimming the outlook for some rental property investors."

About RCN Capital

RCN Capital is a South Windsor, CT-based national, direct, private lender. Established in 2010, RCN provides commercial loans for the purchase or refinance of non-owner-occupied residential properties. The company specializes in new construction financing, short-term fix & flip and bridge financing, and long-term rental financing for real estate investors. For more information on RCN Capital and RCN's loan programs, visit www.RCNCapital.com.

About CJ Patrick Company

Founded in 2019, CJ Patrick Company is a Market Intelligence and Business Advisory firm working with companies in the real estate and mortgage industries. Visit www.cjpatrick.com for more information.

About the RCN Capital/CJ Patrick Investor Sentiment Index (ISI)

The RCN Capital/CJ Patrick Investor Sentiment Index (ISI) was designed to track the pulse of real estate investors across the country and gauge market outlook. The ISI is based on a quarterly survey of residential real estate investors and focuses on their responses to four specific questions:

Current Market Outlook - How does the environment for residential real estate investing compare to one year ago?

Future Market Outlook - What's your outlook for residential real estate investing over the next 6 months compared to today?

Expected Home Price Increases - What do you expect home prices to do over the next 6 months?

Number of Properties Compared to Past 12 Months - How does the number of properties you plan to invest in over the next 12 months compare to the number of properties you've invested in over the past 12 months?

More detailed methodology available upon request

SOURCE RCN Capital
Financing Round Co-led by Catalys Pacific and SR One, Investment to Drive the Development of Sparsentan for IgA Nephropathy in Japan and Other Asian Countries

TOKYO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Renalys Pharma, Inc., a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company has completed a 6.0Bn Series A financing. The financing was led by Catalys Pacific and SR One, along with additional investors, including JPS Growth Investment Limited Partnership, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Co., Ltd., Japan Co-Invest IV Limited Partnership, NVCC NO.9 Investment Limited Partnership.

The Series A financing will enable Renalys Pharma to complete its Phase III clinical trial for sparsentan, a promising treatment for IgA nephropathy, in Japan. IgA nephropathy is a prevalent kidney disease in Japan and throughout Asia. Renalys Pharma obtained the rights to sparsentan through a licensing agreement with Travere Therapeutics, Inc. In April 2024, Renalys Pharma submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for sparsentan to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan and plans to initiate an open-label registrational study in Q2 2024, with anticipated results from the urine protein/creatinine ratio endpoint in the second half of 2025. This Phase III registration study will bring Renalys Pharma closer to providing a much-needed treatment option for patients living with IgA nephropathy across the region.

"Renalys is committed to developing innovative treatments that address growing healthcare inequities for patients in Japan and Asia," said BT Slingsby, founding CEO of Renalys Pharma and Founder and Managing Director of Catalys Pacific. "At Renalys, our paramount objective is to introduce new medicines that transform clinical medicine and patients' lives, beginning with sparsentan for IgA nephropathy."

"SR One is proud to actively partner with entrepreneurs, offering our full support to build transformative biotechnology companies," said Rajeev Dadoo, PhD, Managing Partner of SR One. "We are thrilled to join forces with Renalys as they push forward their pipeline of what we believe to be innovative renal disease therapies. Our investment in Renalys reflects our confidence in their ability to develop much-needed new medicines for patients in Japan and across Asia."

About Renalys Pharma, Inc.

Renalys Pharma, a privately held late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company based in Japan, is committed to the development of multiple innovative therapeutics targeting unmet needs in the management of renal disease for Japanese and Asian patients. Founded by Catalys Pacific and SR One in 2023, the company aims to address the growing problem of "drug loss" by catalyzing access to new treatments for kidney disease patients in Japan and other Asian regions. To learn more about Renalys Pharma, please visit https://renalys.com/.

About Catalys Pacific

Catalys Pacific is a transpacific life sciences investment firm that provides solutions for patients worldwide through the creation of investments in biopharma companies. Catalys Pacific is led by a team of entrepreneurs and investors who work closely with partners in academia, venture capital, and the pharmaceutical industry. The firm maintains offices in Japan and the West Coast of the US. For more information, visit catalyspacific.com.

About SR One

SR One is a transatlantic biotechnology investment firm that collaborates with entrepreneurs and investment partners in an eort to build elite biotechnology companies. SR One's mission is to translate innovative technologies and scientific discoveries into next-generation medicines with the potential to benefit patients with significant unmet medical needs. For more information, visit www.srone.com.

Disclaimer

Information concerning pharmaceutical products (compound under development) contained herein is not intended as advertising or medical advice but intended for disclosure of management information.

SOURCE Renalys
SARASOTA, Fla., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RevContent, an industry-leading native advertising platform, today announced that it has been selected as a preferred native advertising partner for the Local Media Consortium (LMC), an organization focused on providing strategic partnerships for more than 5,000 local media outlets across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico to deliver economic value.

The partnership will support local publishers by providing consistent revenue through RevContent's suite of web, mobile app and email newsletter monetization products.

RevContent Local Media Consortium combined logos

RevContent has existing partnerships with top media companies, including Hearst, MediaNews Group, Tribune Publishing, Allen Media Broadcasting, Adams Publishing Group, The Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Boone Newspapers, The Dallas Morning News, Forum Communications, Lee Enterprises, Morgan Murphy Media and Patch. RevContent's new alliance with the LMC will serve as a springboard for both entities to further their presence in the local media space by driving new revenue and increasing user engagement.

RevContent's approach to the native space is unique. Their first party advertiser marketplace minimizes exposure to the volatile programmatic ecosystem, resulting in a superior implementation that drives lightning fast technology and a significantly improved user experience vs. alternatives in the market. Many publishers experience a complete revenue lift across their entire programmatic stack when implementing RevContent compared to other native advertising platforms.

"The LMC is focused on enabling our member media companies opportunities with flexible and consistent revenue partners," said Local Media Consortium CEO Fran Wills. "We chose RevContent because of their focus and commitment to strong local media partnerships and track record of driving meaningful revenue for news publishers. Their platform is a great fit for our membership."

Richard Marques, RevContent's CEO, said, "RevContent has always been a proud supporter of the local news ecosystem and is thrilled to deepen its partnerships with LMC members. Our advertisers love the high quality publisher websites and engaged user base that LMC members bring and that translates to strong revenue performance and sustainable partnerships."

About RevContent

RevContent is a leading content marketing and native advertising platform that leverages lightweight, customizable technology to empower the web's leading publishers and marketers to reach and exceed their monetization, engagement, and growth goals. RevContent uses advanced algorithms to deliver personalized content recommendations to users based on their interests and behaviors, leveraging native ads that blend seamlessly with the surrounding content, providing a non-intrusive advertising experience for users.

RevContent has been featured in industry-leading publications, such as TechCrunch, Forbes, Digiday, and AdExchanger.

More information can be found at www.revcontent.com

About the Local Media Consortium:

The Local Media Consortium delivers more than $50M in annual economic value through digital partnerships and strategic initiatives on behalf of more than 100 local media companies in top markets across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and includes more than 5,000 newspapers, radio, TV and online-only news outlets. By harnessing the combined volume and scale of its members, the LMC reduces costs and increases revenue with technology and service providers like Google, Meta, Monster, and others. The aggregated LMC audience footprint spans 200 million unique monthly visitors, and its member companies serve more than nine billion pageviews to consumers. More information is available at http://www.localmediaconsortium.com/

SOURCE Revcontent, LLC
HOUSTON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GATE Energy is pleased to announce that Richard Clark has joined our Board of Directors. With over 25 years of experience in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Mr. Clark has a strong track record of successful exploration and exploitation programs.

In the recent past, he served as the President of the GoM business unit for Kosmos Energy. Prior to that, he founded Deep Gulf Energy and was one of the principals that led the buy-out of the US assets of Hardy Oil and Gas to form Mariner Energy.

Richard Clark Joins GATE Energys Board of Directors

Mr. Clark remarked, "I am excited to serve on GATE's board. The GATE Energy family of companies provides best in class services in their areas of focus. The employee-owned structure is a great way to ensure good stewardship of the brand as they look to expand their footprint in the energy service space. Their depth of expertise coupled with the vision of international expansion is perfectly suited for the growth that will come in the near and long-term futures."

Lee Jordan, CEO of GATE Energy, said "Richard's experience, expertise, and proven track record of leadership in the energy industry provide a significant addition to the capabilities of our Board. His knowledge and perspective will aid us in fully realizing the opportunities we foresee to further support our global client base in the planning, delivery, operation, optimization, and decommissioning phases of their assets. On behalf of our employee owners, I am both pleased and proud to welcome him to our team and am excited for our future."

About GATE Energy

GATE Energy is a 100% employee-owned ESOP and family of companies that provide scalable, fit-for-purpose services for the energy sector including engineering, commissioning and specialty field services.

For more information on GATE Energy, visit www.gate.energy.

For more details, contact: Karthik Annadorai, [email protected]

SOURCE GATE Energy
BETTENDORF, Iowa, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond Auctions is thrilled to announce their role as the presenting auction house for the highly anticipated Bettendorf Americana event, hosted by American Pickers' star Rob Wolfe. The auction will take place on Friday, August 2nd at The Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino in Bettendorf, Iowa, transforming this charming riverside town into a haven for antique enthusiasts.

American Pickers star Rob Wolfe

Richmond Auctions will present 300 remarkable lots featuring an array of Petroliana, Automobilia, Soda, Country Store, and Farming antique advertising memorabilia. Collectors and enthusiasts can look forward to an impressive assortment of neon signs, porcelain signs, tin signs, advertising displays, gas pump globes, and oil cans. This is a unique opportunity to acquire rare and nostalgic pieces that reflect the rich history of American advertising and industry.

"We are looking forward to this one-of-a-kind opportunity to work alongside Rob Wolfe of American Pickers and bring this auction to life," said Jordan Richmond Owner and Founder of Richmond Auctions. "Rob Wolfe is an icon, and we know that this event will be like no other. We are excited to present this assortment of unique pieces to collectors and enthusiasts alike."

Bettendorf Americana is a three-day event from August 1st through 3rd and features a vintage car show, antique show, swap meet, antique advertising auction and live music. In preparation of the auction, detailed information and high-resolution images of the auction items are available for review on the official Richmond Auctions website [Bid.RichmondAuctions.com].

This event will be open to both in-person attendees and online bidders, ensuring that collectors worldwide can participate and potentially acquire these rare pieces. Bidders are encouraged to register in advance on the Richmond Auctions website to streamline the bidding process.

About Richmond Auctions

The founder of Richmond Auctions, Jordan Richmond, has over 10 years of experience in the antique advertising business. Jordan's passion for automobilia, gas, soda, oil, and other collectibles are what drive Richmond Auctions. The goal of Richmond Auctions is to bring the highest quality pieces with full length descriptions and professional grading all done in house. As a collector himself, Jordan Richmond ensures that he provides the highest quality audio and visual descriptions ever seen in the market.

Murray Benson | Smoak Public Relations

843.685.5852 | [email protected]

SOURCE Richmond Auctions
Dedicated Lab works with leading brands to develop AI and future tech use cases that will drive agile, impactful research

NEW YORK and VANCOUVER, BC, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rival Technologies, the world leader in insight communities and conversational research, today announced the launch of Rival Labs. As a new division, the Lab will drive innovation through rapid experimentation on the company's already robust conversational research platform.

Rival Technologies Launches Rival Labs to Pioneer Future Tech and Innovation in Conversational Research

Comprised of seasoned researchers, developers, and AI experts, the Lab's mandate is to test and identify new features and solutions that can help executives, marketers, and research leaders uncover insights faster. The Lab is also collaborating with forward-thinking companies like OURA for a few initiatives before bringing them to market.

"Launching our insight community on the Rival platform has allowed us to increase our capacity for research and contributed invaluable insights to our overall business strategy," says Kati LaBeaume, Director of Consumer Insights & Brand Strategy at OURA. "Rival consistently delivers on its product roadmap and has introduced several innovative consumer research tools, such as their AI Summarizer. The power of AI in the tech space is undeniable, and I'm thrilled to be partnering with Rival Labs to test additional AI developments that allow us to unlock deeper consumer insights."

Agility is a key tenet of how Rival Labs runs, which is why it will run various proofs of concept that are standalone by nature and can also create value when integrated with the Rival platform.

"Challenged with delivering high-quality insights faster with less resources, marketing and insight leaders today are recognizing that it's time for change," says Andrew Reid, CEO and Founder of Rival Technologies. "We launched Rival Labs to push the boundaries in AI and future tech and help our customers stay ahead of the curve. Set up to be agile, this team will enable us to experiment in a systematic and iterative fashion and deliver innovation seamlessly both for our customers and the respondents that participate in their research."

Dale Evernden, a Founding Partner at Rival Technologies, will be leading Rival Labs as the new Head of Innovation.

"Iteration is the fuel of innovation: every cycle of experimentation brings power to discovery and growth," Evernden remarks. "By embracing the unknown and learning from each attempt, we transform curiosity into breakthrough solutions. In every experiment lies a step forward, a chance for improvement, a refinement toward the making of something extraordinary."

Since its launch, Rival Labs has already undertaken important innovations, including:

AI Tone Refinement  AI-driven recommendations to enhance the tone and style of surveys, making them more natural and conversational.

 AI-driven recommendations to enhance the tone and style of surveys, making them more natural and conversational. AI Summarizer  Provides quicker insights from unstructured qualitative data and video open-ends, saving time, effort, and money.

 Provides quicker insights from unstructured qualitative data and video open-ends, saving time, effort, and money. AI Probing  AI-powered follow-up to qualitative open-ended questions helps address brief or less thoughtful responses, making it easier to derive meaningful insights.

 AI-powered follow-up to qualitative open-ended questions helps address brief or less thoughtful responses, making it easier to derive meaningful insights. AI Thoughtfulness Scores  Evaluates the thoughtfulness of open-ended survey responses by assigning scores based on various criteria. These include the depth of insight, relevance, specificity, clarity, coherence, originality, critical thinking, emotional and empathetic engagement, breadth of consideration, use of supporting evidence, and constructiveness with AI.

 Evaluates the thoughtfulness of open-ended survey responses by assigning scores based on various criteria. These include the depth of insight, relevance, specificity, clarity, coherence, originality, critical thinking, emotional and empathetic engagement, breadth of consideration, use of supporting evidence, and constructiveness with AI. Scripting Co-pilot  A sophisticated conversational agent designed to assist researchers in debugging and developing intricate research scripts on the Rival platform, enhancing both efficiency and precision in their workflows.

Kati LaBeaume from OURA will join Rival's Andrew Reid for a presentation at the 2024 Quirk's Event in New York to talk about OURA's Inner Circle community and share about her experience testing Rival's new proof of concept on AI Probing. Rival is exhibiting at the event in Booth 419, alongside its sister company, Reach3 Insights, an award-winning market research and consulting firm.

Rival Tech will share innovations coming out of Rival Labs on a regular basis, and invites research leaders to follow its LinkedIn page for regular updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rival-technologies/

About Rival Technologies

Rival Technologies is a pioneer of conversational market research technology and the leading authority on insight communities globally. Our platform transforms conventional surveys into personalized research experiences that emulate the way people communicate today. Built by a team with over 30 years of deep research experience, our platform brings both the voice of the customer and market into the boardroom to answer essential business questions. Rival's suite of conversational research solutions is amplified by the power of AI to drive higher response rates, boost engagement, and accelerate time-to-insights. Our customers get faster, richer, and more authentic insights with less time and effort. Rival Tech is used by some of the most innovative research teams in the world, including Coca-Cola, Kimberly-Clark, Dell Technologies, and Land O' Lakes. For more information, please visit rivaltech.com

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, [email protected], +1-541-815-3951

SOURCE Rival Technologies
New center will employ 150 aerospace experts and drive customer service and operations support

BENGALURU, India, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, announced the establishment of its new Customer Service Center in Bengaluru. The new center will be part of Pratt & Whitney's India Capability Center and will drive customer service and operations support for Pratt & Whitney Canada's 68,000 engines in service.

The facility is expected to employ more than 150 aerospace experts and engineers who will support a global customer service ecosystem. The center will be co-located with Pratt & Whitney's supply chain operations, engineering, and digital transformation centers of excellence in India.

"With the new Customer Service Center, we are leveraging our existing investments in India and using regional talent to augment our world-class product and service dependability and customer experience service level," said Nivine Kallab, vice president, Customer Programs, Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Employees at the Customer Service Center will deliver a wide range of services such as maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) support, spare part management, engine leasing, engine reliability analysis and contract administration. The center's customers are expected to include Indian and global airlines, original equipment manufacturers, MROs, regulatory bodies and small operators.

Pratt & Whitney Canada's turboprop engine families power the majority of India's regional aviation fleet. Indian airlines like IndiGo, Alliance Air, Fly91 and SpiceJet operate over 90 ATR-72, ATR-42 and DHC-8-400 aircraft, powered by various Pratt & Whitney engines. The business also powers Indian Air Force's C-295 aircraft.

With an Indian workforce of more than 6,000 employees, across Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace, RTX has one the largest presences amongst aerospace and defense firms in India.

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more, visit www.prattwhitney.com.

About RTX

With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses  Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon  we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected]

SOURCE RTX
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryght, a leading enterprise generative AI (GenAI) technology company dedicated to improving clinical research, proudly announces its new partnership with CancerX, a public-private partnership aimed at boosting innovation in the fight against cancer.

CancerX, launched in February 2023 as part of the White House's reinvigorated Cancer Moonshot, is a public-private partnership co-hosted by the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), alongside the Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). As a CancerX member, Ryght joins other leaders in oncology and digital health to set priorities and practices aimed at harnessing the full power of innovation to combat cancer.

"We are thrilled to join forces with CancerX and contribute to this monumental effort," said Chadi Nabhan, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Strategy at Ryght. "Our mission at Ryght is to empower the clinical trials industry with cutting-edge AI solutions that enhance research and operations to improve clinical outcomes. By collaborating with CancerX, we can accelerate the adoption of AI-driven innovations that drive clinical research and make a positive impact on the way cancer care is delivered for all patients everywhere."

Ryght is a secure, world-class generative AI software platform featuring industry-leading copilots and applications designed for clinical research sites and trial sponsors. These copilots help sites, sponsors, and CROs operate more efficiently, increase revenue, reduce costs, and uncover new opportunities. Ryght's vision is to create a global network of AI-enabled partners, utilizing AI as the underlying fabric to connect systems and enhance collaboration.

CancerX establishes best practices, builds capacity, and demonstrates the impact of innovation on the life of every person on a cancer journey. By integrating Ryght's advanced GenAI solutions into this work, CancerX aims to further enhance these initiatives, ultimately improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.

"CancerX is the home for collaborators to harness the collective power of digital innovation in the fight against cancer, and we're honored to welcome Ryght to work with us as we achieve the ambitious goals of the Cancer Moonshot," said Doug Mirsky, Vice President, DiMe. "Together we are establishing best practices, building capacity, and demonstrating the impact of digital innovation to improve the lives of every person on a cancer journey."

About CancerX

Announced by the White House Cancer Moonshot in February, CancerX is a public-private partnership to boost innovation in the fight against cancer. Co-hosted by the Moffitt Cancer Center and Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) , alongside the Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), it convenes the many diverse stakeholders needed to unleash the power of innovation to reduce the burden of cancer for everyone. To learn more or participate in CancerX's pre-competitive, evidence-generating efforts, Accelerator cohort, or demonstration projects, sign up today.

About Ryght

Ryght is a privately held healthcare technology company based in California, USA, that is developing the next generation of safe and secure generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) solutions for the clinical research industry. The Ryght platform securely leverages and optimizes multiple industry specific copilots and AI applications across multiple large language models (LLMs) with its unique orchestration platform that ingests real-time data streams and makes actionable knowledge directly available to biopharma discovery, clinical, and commercial teams. The platform enables healthcare professionals to rapidly leverage the power of GenAI within compliance of data security standards required by the industry. To learn more about Ryght's generative AI solutions or discuss collaboration opportunities, please email [email protected] or contact us .

Contact:

Ryght PR Team

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Ryght
Category Creator That Sits at the Intersection of Pets and Wellness Marks Momentous Expansion

JUPITER, Fla., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Just 3 and a half years after opening its first franchise location, the nation's first dog hygiene and wellness franchise, Scenthound, announces the opening of its 100th location in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The Scenter is located at 405 Faison Road and will host their grand opening on July 22nd.

Behind the milestone opening is multi-unit owner and avid dog-lover, Tara Reddy. After obtaining her master's degree, Reddy dove into the consulting world where she gained a wealth of operational knowledge. While in search of her next professional venture, Reddy's dog was diagnosed with cancer which rerouted her search into canine wellness. She soon after discovered Scenthound, fell in love with its mission, and became one of the brand's first franchisees.

"We founded Scenthound on a mission to keep dogs clean and healthy so they can live longer, happier lives and with every Scenter that opens, we're fulfilling that mission," says Tim Vogel, Co-Founder and CEO of Scenthound. "Opening our 100th location in under four years is a source of immense pride for our team and inspires us to drive towards our next milestone. Our goal is to make monthly hygiene services and wellness care accessible to all dogs. We plan on making routine hygiene the new normal for dog parents everywhere."

Scenthound leadership, based in Jupiter, FL, will join Reddy in South Carolina to celebrate the milestone occasion with a grand opening event and ribbon cutting. The new Scenter will also be holding a giveaway where ten customers will receive $100 credit to use toward any of Scenthound's services.

"One of the reasons I decided to become a Scenthound franchisee and have re-invested into the brand is because of its commitment to innovation and redefining the dog care experience," says Tara Reddy. "It's been so rewarding to see how the brand has evolved since joining their team in 2020 and I'm honored to be a part of such a big milestone."

While Reddy was an early addition to the franchise system, Scenthound's very first franchisee, Stacy Klein, shares the reason she joined was not only because of the unique business model, but how dedicated the leadership team was in helping her succeed in her entrepreneurial journey. Klein states that the brand's consistent commitment to franchisee support has played a huge role in its growth and will continue to set them apart from competitors moving forward.

Looking towards its next era of growth, the leadership team has identified several states and the Northeast region as key growth areas for franchise expansion and has prime territories available nationwide. Being category creators in a recession-resistant industry, both multi-unit operators and aspiring entrepreneurs are flocking to Scenthound's franchise opportunity.

With the pet industry expected to reach $277 billion by 2030 and the personal services sector expected to maintain its position as the top industry for franchise development, Scenthound is primed for explosive growth. Voted Top 50 Franchise Opportunities from Franchise Business Review, Scenthound is looking for potential multi-unit franchisees to come be a part of the next big thing in the pet space.

To learn more about the brand, visit www.scenthound.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To find out more about franchise opportunities, visit www.franchise.scenthound.com.

About Scenthound

Founded in 2015, Scenthound, the nation's first dog wellness franchise concept, offers monthly hygiene services for affordable and accessible routine dog care. With a unique focus on pet health and hygiene, the brand's services are elevated through the integration of innovative technology, including its proprietary S.C.E.N.T. Check (Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails, and Teeth) detailing an assessment of each dog's external well-being following its monthly visit to a 'Scenter.' Today, Scenthound has finalized plans for over 279 franchised and corporate-owned locations across 25 states and is positioned for explosive growth across the U.S. For more information about Scenthound's unique membership offerings, visit www.scenthound.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To find out more about franchise opportunities, visit www.franchise.scenthound.com.

Media Contact: Lauren Kirkley, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847.945.1300

SOURCE Scenthound
KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiamCareNetwork, through its Value-Based Care Alliance, is excited to announce BickfordSeniorLiving has joined the Value-Based Care Alliance of Virginia to introduce an innovative value-based care health model to its Virginia communities. This collaboration aims to enhance the quality of care for senior residents while improving health outcomes and reducing costs.

By joining Serviam's Value-Based Care Alliance of Virginia, Bickford Senior Living can participate in a value-based care system without needing its capital, relationships, or density of lives needed in a value-based care model. The partnership will combine Serviam's expertise in value-based care with Bickford Senior Living's commitment to exceptional senior care. Together, they will integrate Serviam's HigherPath Operating System through the Alliance, tailored to the unique needs of seniors, ensuring a higher standard of personalized, efficient, and effective care.

"Senior care today is reactive, expensive, and siloed. It's a sick-care system, not a healthcare system designed to keep seniors healthy. Most of us have accepted this status quo because it feels too big and complex to change. Not us. We're taking the road less traveled and championing a higher standard of senior care," said Andy Eby, CEO of Bickford Senior Living. "By partnering with Serviam's Value-Based Care Alliance, we are taking a significant step towards revolutionizing senior care in Virginia. Our residents deserve the best possible care, and this partnership will ensure they receive the right care at the right time."

Since joining the Value-Based Care Alliance of Virginia, Bickford Senior Living has observed remarkable improvements, including a 55% decrease in falls with injury, a 10% decrease in weekly ER visits, and zero medication errors. These outcomes highlight the effectiveness of the value-based care model in enhancing resident safety and health.

The value-based care model focuses on preventive care, disease management, and coordinated health services, which enhances the quality of life for residents and contributes to overall cost savings by reducing hospital readmissions and emergency room visits.

"Bickford Senior Living is a Founding Member of Serviam Care Network, and our missions have always been aligned to transform the way that America cares for seniors," said Tim Donnelly, CEO of Serviam Care Network."Through the Value-Based Care Alliance, we will create a healthcare environment that promotes wellness, independence, and dignity for all residents."

Bickford Senior Living has long been a leader in senior care, known for its dedication to providing a nurturing and supportive environment for its residents. This partnership is a testament to Bickford's ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in senior living.

For more information about the partnership and the services offered, please visit Via.Serviam.org or contact:

Rachel Keller

VP of Sales

Phone: 816-663-4039

Email: [email protected]

Justin Stein

VP of Sales and Marketing

Phone: 816-663-4039

Email: [email protected]

About Serviam Care Network

Serviam Care Network was created to serve a coalition of senior living providers with the purpose of transforming how America cares for seniors. The rapidly growing network currently includes 41 operators across 49 states and more than 90,000 lives. For more information about Serviam Care Network, visit via.serviam.org.

About Bickford Senior Living

Bickford is a leading, family-owned senior living provider committed to helping their residents live happier, healthier, and longer through their innovative HigherPath Senior Health model. With a strong emphasis on personalized care and a dedication to quality, Bickford offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care across more than 50 communities in 7 states.

SOURCE Serviam Care Network
Growing government contractor will provide essential support for SBA Office of Performance, Planning and OPPCFO

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Significance Inc. announces they were recently awarded three pivotal task orders under the overall BPA to 1) provide budget and strategic planning support in the National Capital Region, 2) provide fraud risk management support to the Office of Performance, Planning, and the Chief Financial Officer (OPPCFO), and 3) provide loan accounting support services in Denver, CO. The mission of the U.S. SBA is to help Americans start, grow, and build resilient businesses. The OPPCFO, responsible for the financial leadership of the Agency, oversees all Agency disbursements, planning, budgeting, analysis, acquisitions, risk management, program evaluation, and performance management functions. Significance has been financial management support for these critical functions to government agencies for more than 10 years.

"This contract with the SBA underscores Significance's dedication to excellence and innovation in client service. We look forward to future opportunities to support the SBA's mission of empowering small businesses and fostering economic resilience across America" said Mary Ahern Snyder, Founder, President, and CEO of Significance Inc.

"The pandemic significantly increased the responsibilities of the OPPCFO, adding complexity to program requirements aimed at aiding small business proprietors. Significance brings proven expertise, strategic capabilities, and a trusted, highly capable team to support the SBA in meeting this increased challenge" said Leland Owens, Significance's Vice President of Delivery. "We are honored to have been selected for this important work by the SBA and look forward to helping the organization achieve its mission in the years ahead."

About Significance Inc.

Significance Inc. is designated an Economically-Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) with offices in Old Town Alexandria, VA and Annapolis, MD. Founded in 2014 by Mary Ahern Snyder, the company is trusted to provide government consulting services in the areas of Financial Management & Audit Support; SAP; Business Systems; Program & Project Management; Emerging Technologies & Cybersecurity; Transformation & Strategy; and Systems Support Training. To learn more, visit www.significanceinc.com

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

SOURCE Significance, Inc.
Empowering Businesses with Advanced AI Tools for Unparalleled, Trustworthy Conversational Experiences

ATLANTA and STOCKHOLM, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinch which is pioneering the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, today announced the debut of Sinch AI. This groundbreaking capability equips forward-thinking businesses with advanced tools to craft smarter, safer, and more efficient conversational experiences, setting them apart in an increasingly competitive market.

In today's fast-paced business environment, the challenges are immense. With customer expectations reaching new heights and market conditions constantly evolving, maintaining customer loyalty remains critical, yet harder than ever. Exceptional conversational experiences are a reliable key differentiator, allowing businesses to distinguish themselves and rise above the competition. Recent advancements in AI have significantly enhanced these interactions, making them not only more impactful and valuable but also impossible to ignore.

Our mission is to enable our customers to create impactful conversational experiences that transform interactions from mere engagement to genuine delight. "As an organization, we believe AI must be intentional and address our customers' communications needs. AI has always been central to our vision, and Sinch AI truly represents the next evolution in this journey," said Sean O'Neal, Chief Product Officer at Sinch.

Seamlessly integrated throughout the Sinch Customer Communications Cloud, Sinch AI delivers intelligent solutions across all major business functions. Sinch AI accelerates marketing and support teams with generative writing tools and sophisticated bots throughout our suite of applications. For developers and product managers, Sinch AI provides smarter building blocks that detect conversational nuances like sentiment and intention via our robust API platform. Additionally, within our Super Network, Sinch AI proactively filters out fraud, enabling operators to connect with confidence.

The AI we create is purpose-driven, designed to help people work faster, solve important problems, and integrate reliably. By speeding up their work, helping spot and reduce fraud, and enhancing message understanding, we ensure our customers can achieve more with Sinch AI.

No matter what, a business needs to create exceptional conversational experiences, Sinch provides the most advanced solutions. "While innovation is at our core, being a trusted partner isn't negotiable," said Sibito Morley, Chief Data & Transformation Officer at Sinch. "The current AI landscape is complex, with both exciting innovations and potential pitfalls. To ensure businesses can confidently use Sinch AI, we are committed to embedding robust AI governance from the onset. These safeguards are integral and present at the highest levels within Sinch."

Sinch's commitment to intentionally applied AI is evident in its customer success stories, such as the recent collaboration with Moet Ik Naar De Dokter (MINDD) in the Netherlands. By utilizing Sinch AI, MINDD transformed patient triage, making the process faster, prioritizing patient safety, and addressing biases to ensure effective and equitable navigation for all users.

"It's been a great experience working with Sinch because feedback flows both ways. They think deeply about the problems we're trying to solve," said Geertina Hamstra, MINDD Conversational AI expert.

To learn more, please visit Sinch AI

For more information, please contact:

Janet Lennon

Director of Global Communications

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

SOURCE Sinch AB
ARLINGTON, Va., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) is pleased to announce the addition of five new members in Q2 2024.

"I am delighted to welcome our newest members and am proud that these companies are turning to SOCMA at pivotal moments in their business endeavors," said Jennifer Abril, SOCMA President & CEO. "Their enthusiasm for our programs reaffirms SOCMA's position as a catalyst for regulatory expertise, safety excellence, and collaborative growth across our industry."

New manufacturer members are:

Third Coast Terminals operates a global network of affiliates that provides contract manufacturing, terminal services, customized sales, and marketing solutions.

"Joining SOCMA isn't just about networking; it's about driving excellence in petrochemical manufacturing," said Angie Griffin, Chief Commercial Officer, Third Coast Terminals. "As a contract manufacturer committed to innovation and industry best practices, we recognize the power of collaboration in advancing safety, sustainability, and quality standards."

Suparna Chemicals is a global producer of specialty chemicals focusing on sodium, potassium, and lithium alkoxides.

"As the premier association in the North American specialty chemical sector, SOCMA offers valuable training programs for our team as we grow in the U.S. market," said Himanshu Mody, Head of Global Business Development at Suparna. "Our decision to join SOCMA is guided by aligning its mission with our core values and competencies."

Additionally, SOCMA welcomes three affiliate members, including:

abgi, which provides specialized financial services, such as R&D tax credits, cost segregation, and various international incentives.

which provides specialized financial services, such as R&D tax credits, cost segregation, and various international incentives. Critical Chemicals Company develops new methods for producing organometallic and metal-organic products. According to Alan Dyke , Founder & President, new company start-ups benefit from SOCMA's "guidance on working safely, structures for operator training, information about changing regulations, and opportunities to make new commercial connections."

develops new methods for producing organometallic and metal-organic products. According to , Founder & President, new company start-ups benefit from SOCMA's "guidance on working safely, structures for operator training, information about changing regulations, and opportunities to make new commercial connections." DLC Contract Manufacturing is a consulting firm led by long-time industry leader Mike De La Cruz , who said it is essential to join SOCMA "because of strong advocacy for the chemical industry, which promotes growth, connectivity, and environmental, health, and safety programs."

For SOCMA membership inquiries, contact Jenny Gaines at [email protected].

About SOCMA:

SOCMA is the only U.S.-based trade association dedicated to the specialty and fine chemicals industry. Our members play an indispensable role in the global chemical supply chain, providing specialty chemicals to companies in markets ranging from consumer products and electronics to pharmaceuticals and agriculture.

Visit https://www.socma.org.

Contact:

Nate Bell

Sr. Manager, Member Communications & Programs

571-348-5100

[email protected]

SOURCE Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates
SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA), the nation's first legal civil rights organization focused primarily on fighting anti-Asian workplace discrimination, today announced a significant leadership transition and the launch of its Workplace Justice Fund.

This unprecedented fund aims to provide comprehensive legal support and resources for Asians in America facing workplace discrimination, marking a significant escalation in SwAA's fight for equality in American workplaces.

New President, COO and Board

SwAA welcomes a dynamic new leadership team and board to drive its mission forward:

Michelle Lee , President, General Counsel and Board Chair





, President, General Counsel and Board Chair Brian Pang , COO and Head of Partnerships





, COO and Head of Partnerships Justin Zhu , Co-founder and Board Member





, Co-founder and Board Member April Moh , Board Member

"I'm honored to lead SwAA into this new chapter. By harnessing the power of law, we aim to create lasting change and ensure equal opportunities for our community. With our dedicated team, board and supporters, I'm confident that we can make a real difference in the lives of Asians across the country," said Michelle Lee, President, GC and Board Chair of SwAA.

Launch of Workplace Justice Fund

The Workplace Justice Fund, a cornerstone of SwAA's expanded mission, is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to provide comprehensive legal support and education for Asians in America facing workplace discrimination.

With a goal to raise $1 million by year-end, the fund has already secured $100,000 from anonymous donors over the last month, with growing interest from independent contributors.

The launch of the fund comes at a critical juncture. Recent studies1 show that AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) employees consider lawsuits at higher rates than other employees of color. Nearly one-third report having contemplated or discussed filing a lawsuit against current or former employers due to identity-based mistreatment.

SwAA's 2023 joint survey with Blind uncovered that fear of retaliation and skepticism about effecting change are the primary deterrents for Asian employees reporting discrimination.

The Workplace Justice Fund aims to address these challenges head-on.

"Our Workplace Justice Fund will be a game-changer for our community. It represents our commitment to not just raising awareness, but also actively and directly fighting for the rights of Asians in the American workplace," commented Brian Pang, COO and Head of Partnerships of SwAA.

Key features of the fund include:

Direct Legal Action and Advocacy: Building an in-house team of legal experts to offer direct pro bono and affordable representation, focusing on cases with potential to create social justice impact or set important precedents in workplace discrimination law for Asian Americans.





Building an in-house team of legal experts to offer direct pro bono and affordable representation, focusing on cases with potential to create social justice impact or set important precedents in workplace discrimination law for Asian Americans. Education, Research and Training: Developing comprehensive resources and programs to educate both employers and employees about workplace rights and issues affecting Asians in America. Funding in-depth studies on systemic workplace discrimination against Asians in America to inform policy recommendations and corporate best practices.





Developing comprehensive resources and programs to educate both employers and employees about workplace rights and issues affecting Asians in America. Funding in-depth studies on systemic workplace discrimination against Asians in America to inform policy recommendations and corporate best practices. Community Services and Support: Establishing a robust support platform for plaintiffs and the wider community, facilitating incident reporting, community building, therapy, healing, and ongoing learning.





Establishing a robust support platform for plaintiffs and the wider community, facilitating incident reporting, community building, therapy, healing, and ongoing learning. Partnerships: Collaborating with nationwide law firms, corporations, and civil rights organizations to amplify the fund's impact and extend its reach.

Looking Ahead

With its new leadership and the launch of the Workplace Justice Fund, SwAA is poised to significantly expand its impact.

Amongst a series of ambitious targets, the organization aims to counsel at least 25 potential plaintiffs in 2025, with the goal of supporting them through their legal actions.

"This is just the beginning," said Justin Zhu, co-founder, board member and out-going executive director. "With the Workplace Justice Fund and our new leadership team, we're building a consequential movement that will empower the Asian community to stand up against discrimination and reshape the American workplace. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of my co-founders Dave Lu and Wendy Nguyen, who also served on the board. As they pass the baton to our new leadership team, SwAA is poised to catalyze unprecedented change for Asians across the nation."

To support the Workplace Justice Fund and get involved in SwAA's mission, interested individuals and organizations can donate by contacting [email protected] .

About Stand with Asian Americans

Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA) is America's first legal civil rights organization focused primarily on fighting anti-Asian workplace discrimination. Through the power of law, education and community, the organization aims to protect and advance the rights of Asians in America.

Anyone can get involved in creating a world where Asians in America are empowered to exercise their civil rights and constitutional liberties.

Join the fight, visit https://standwithasianamericans.com/ to learn more.

You can also engage with SwAA on the following platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stand-with-asian-americans/

Instagram, Threads, Facebook: @standwithasianamericans X: @StandwithAAs

Press contact: [email protected]

1 Inclusion@Work 2023/2024 Executive Leadership Risk Report

SOURCE Stand with Asian Americans
A noticeable increase in the incidence of venous obstructive disorders, driven by lifestyle factors, sedentary habits, and obesity, impacts global health significantly. The global geriatric population is surging, leading to a higher prevalence of age-related venous issues.

WILMINGTON, Del., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global venous stents market stood at US$ 1.1 billion in 2023, and the global market is projected to reach US$ 2.4 billion in 2034. The venous stents market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2024 and 2034.

The venous stents market is experiencing significant growth, driven by a combination of increasing incidence of venous obstructive disorders and a surging global geriatric population. Venous stents, crucial for treating conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and chronic venous insufficiency, are seeing heightened demand as these conditions become more prevalent.

Lifestyle changes, including increased sedentary behavior and rising obesity rates, contribute to the growing number of venous disorders. Consequently, the need for effective treatment options, including venous stents, has surged.

Advancements in medical technology are also propelling the venous stents market forward. Innovations in stent design and materials have led to the development of more efficient, durable, and biocompatible stents, enhancing patient outcomes and expanding the potential applications of these devices.

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Additionally, minimally invasive procedures associated with venous stent placement are increasingly preferred over traditional surgical methods due to their reduced recovery times and lower complication rates, further driving market growth.

The aging global population is another significant factor influencing the market. As the number of elderly individuals rises, so does the prevalence of age-related venous conditions. Older adults are more susceptible to venous insufficiency and other circulatory issues, increasing the demand for venous stenting procedures.

This demographic shift is particularly pronounced in developed regions, but developing countries are also witnessing similar trends as healthcare infrastructure improves and life expectancy increases.

Geographically, North America dominates the venous stents market due to advanced healthcare systems, higher healthcare expenditure, and a substantial patient pool.

The venous stents market is poised for robust growth, supported by technological advancements, demographic shifts, and increasing awareness about venous health. As healthcare providers continue to adopt and refine venous stenting procedures, the market is expected to expand further, meeting the rising demand for effective venous disorder treatments.

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Advancements in stent technologies, such as the development of bio absorbable and drug-eluting stents, are propelling market growth by improving patient outcomes and reducing complications. The venous stents market is also driven by an increasing prevalence of chronic venous diseases and a growing aging population, which is more susceptible to venous insufficiencies.

Market trends include the rising adoption of minimally invasive procedures, increased focus on personalized medicine, and a surge in clinical trials aimed at enhancing stent efficacy and safety. Furthermore, collaborations between healthcare providers and medical device companies to develop innovative treatment solutions are on the rise. It is anticipated that the venous stents market would keep expanding in the future. The market for cutting-edge stent technology will be propelled by rising healthcare costs as well as increased knowledge of venous disorders and associated treatments. Moreover, continued research and development initiatives will result from the emphasis on enhancing the quality of life for those with venous illnesses. Better patient outcomes and more treatment alternatives will be made available to the market as new goods and technology are developed.

As new products and technologies are introduced, the market will benefit from enhanced treatment options and better patient outcomes. Thus, increasing launches of technologically advanced venous stent system which is expected to boost the market growth. for instance, On June 2024, Koninklijke Philips N.V., launched Duo Venous Stent System for treatment of symptomatic venous outflow obstruction

Key Takeaways of Market Report

Global venous stents market to generate absolute dollar opportunity worth US$ 2.4 billion until 2034.

until 2034. Global venous stents market is valued at US$ 1.1 billion in 2023.

in 2023. North America is forecasted to hold the largest share in 2023.

Venous Stents Market: Growth Drivers

Multiple studies indicate a high prevalence of chronic venous insufficiency across various population groups, with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) being a significant obstructive disorder affecting the lower limb venous system. This condition impairs the venous reflex mechanism, necessitating effective treatments.

Venous stenting has advanced significantly with the development of dedicated venous stents and sophisticated thrombectomy devices. The approval of several new venous stenting devices by regulatory authorities has notably boosted the market value. These innovations have enhanced treatment efficacy, driving demand and expanding the venous stents market.

Venous Stents Market: Regional Landscape

North America held a dominant share of the venous stents market, driven by advanced healthcare infrastructure, significant investments in research, and substantial healthcare funding. These factors collectively enhance market dynamics and innovation in the region.

held a dominant share of the venous stents market, driven by advanced healthcare infrastructure, significant investments in research, and substantial healthcare funding. These factors collectively enhance market dynamics and innovation in the region. The Asia Pacific region is experiencing the highest CAGR in the venous stents market, primarily due to a steep rise in the geriatric population in countries like Japan and China . Although the prevalence of venous diseases is relatively lower than in the West, the increasing elderly population fuels the demand for venous stents to treat venous obstructive disorders.

Venous Stents Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2034 Base Year 2020-2022 Size in 2023 US$ 1.1 Bn Forecast (Value) in 2034 US$ 2.4 Bn Growth Rate (CAGR) 7.2 % No. of Pages 312 Pages Segments covered By Technology, By Material, By Stent Design, By Placement of Stent, By Indication By End-user

Venous Stents Market: Key Players

In 2023 , Bentley InnoMed GmbH introduced an advanced venous stent system designed to enhance flexibility and durability, addressing specific challenges in treating complex venous obstructions. This development emphasizes improved patient outcomes and procedural success, reinforcing Bentley InnoMed's commitment to innovation in the venous stents market.

, Bentley InnoMed GmbH introduced an advanced venous stent system designed to enhance flexibility and durability, addressing specific challenges in treating complex venous obstructions. This development emphasizes improved patient outcomes and procedural success, reinforcing Bentley InnoMed's commitment to innovation in the venous stents market. In 2023, Boston Scientific Corporation launched a next-generation venous stent featuring cutting-edge design and material technology for superior performance in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and chronic venous insufficiency. This stent offers enhanced deliverability and conformability, reflecting Boston Scientific's ongoing efforts to expand its portfolio and improve treatment options for venous obstructive disorders.

Venous Stents Market: Segmentation

Technology

Iliac Vein Stent Technology

Wallstent Technology

Others

Material

Nitinol

Elgiloy

Stainless Steel

Stent Design

Braided

Laser-cut

Open-cell

Closed-cell

Placement of Stent

Lower Limbs

Thorax

Abdomen

Upper Limbs

Indication

Chronic Deep Vein Thrombosis

Post Thrombotic Syndrome

May-Thurner Syndrome

Nutcracker Syndrome

Hemodialysis / Arteriovenous Fistulae

Others

End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Specialty Centers

Others

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

& Latin America

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
The No. 1 chili lime seasoning and No. 1 mayonnaise brand in the US announced a new collaboration, bringing a flavor-filled dressing to the market.

NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tajin, the No. 1 chili lime seasoning in the United States*, has partnered with the No. 1 mayonnaise brand in the nation, Hellmann's, to introduce Hellmann's new Chili Lime Mayonnaise Dressing, made with Tajin Clasico seasoning. The new creamy condiment features Tajin Clasico seasoning, a blend of chili peppers, lime, and sea salt  offering mild heat and a hint of zesty lime.

Tajin and Hellmanns Join Forces On Hellmanns Chili Lime Mayonnaise Dressing, Made With Tajin Clasico Seasoning

Tajin's unique flavor and Hellmann's iconic taste are coming together to add an exciting spin to your favorite dishes in endless delicious ways. These two beloved brands are uniting to bring a burst of flavor to your meals.

"There are thousands of ways to enhance the flavors of your favorite foods with the unique taste of Tajin," Haydee Fernandez, Director of Alliances for Tajin USA International, said. "We are so excited to partner with an iconic American brand to prove this. Through our partnership with Hellmann's, we are offering consumers endless ways to enjoy their culinary creations with Tajin."

Fans of both iconic brands can experience the new chili lime mayonnaise, made with Tajin, in a variety of recipes, most notably: Mexican street corn (or elote), avocado toast, tacos, salmon, grain bowl, lunch sandwiches, and wraps. The fusion of flavors doesn't stop there  the new chili lime mayonnaise is sure to be summer's hottest grill accessory all summer long:

Smear on buns for classic burgers

As a dip for fries

Stir into tuna, chicken, or egg salad

Spread on a BLT sandwich or wrap

Tajin's seasoning adds additional flavor to Hellmann's tried-and-true ingredients to provide a new spin on original recipes for all to enjoy.

Hellmann's Chili Lime Mayonnaise Dressing, made with Tajin is available at grocery stores nationwide for the suggested retail value of $4.49. To find more recipe ideas, visit www.tajin.com.

To learn the latest on Tajin, visit Tajin.com and follow Tajin on all social channels at @TajinUSA.

About Tajin

Industrias Tajin is a Mexican-owned company and market leader in both Mexico and the United States in the chili powder category, in addition to being one of the most important brands in producing and commercializing products derived from chili worldwide. Today, it has a presence in more than 65 countries around the world. Tajin was founded in 1985, surprising consumers with the perfect blend of mild chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. In 1993, Tajin made its first export to the United States and Tajin International Corporation was established in Houston, TX, from where all commercial activity of the brand in the U.S. is managed. The brand arrived in Central American and European markets in 2006. For more information, visit www.tajin.com.

About Hellmann's

Hellmann's is committed to helping people enjoy great tasting food for the simple pleasure it is, without worry or waste. For over a century, the condiment manufacturing brand has helped people turn even the simplest ingredients into delicious meals. Hellmann's believes in the power of taste, because when food tastes good, less of it gets wasted. This belief has driven Hellmann's to be a force for positive behavior change around household food waste. Hellmann's partnered with experts to conduct one of the longest and largest consumer behavior studies on household food waste working with 2,000 families in the US and Canada. Hellmann's will continue to champion household food waste reduction through its "Make Taste Not Waste" campaigns. For more information, visit www.hellmanns.com.

SOURCE Tajin USA
Mechanics, Service Attendants Demand Fair Contract with Teamsters Health Insurance

SALT LAKE CITY, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryder Truck Rental mechanics and service attendants represented by Teamsters Local 222 have voted unanimously to reject the company's last, best, and final offer, terminate the contract extension, and authorize a strike.

"Our Ryder members are tired of substandard, expensive benefits and are demanding change," said Spencer Hogue, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 222. "They have stood firm on their demand for union insurance which not only provides better coverage but does so at a lower cost than the employer's plan. These members unanimously rejected an offer from Ryder and every member of Local 222 is proud to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at Ryder who are fighting for a fair contract."

Workers are demanding that the employer come to terms on a fair agreement that includes Teamsters Health and Welfare coverage.

"The company has reported recorded profits year after year. We are standing united and demanding affordable health insurance because this is how you retain employees and bring in new talent," said Ralph Gonzales, a 10-year veteran at Ryder.

Ryder Truck Rental agreed to meet with Local 222 once more on July 18.

Teamsters Local 222 serves more than 4,500 members working for 35 employers across the state of Utah. For more information, visit Teamsterslocal222.org.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
More Information and Investigations Needed

AUSTIN, Texas, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Consumer Association (TCA) calls on the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and state lawmakers to delay all transmission and distribution system resiliency plan cost increase proceedings before the Commission until state agencies' investigations and CenterPoint's internal reviews are completed. This will also allow for adequate time to fully review all cases in which companies are requesting approval of resiliency plans.

The PUC should also delay all settlement talks on existing CenterPoint rate cases until the agency investigation is completed. It's important that the Commission not automatically approve past actions only to learn from the investigations there were better and more efficient uses for ratepayer money.

In his July 14 letter to PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson, Gov. Greg Abbott said he was "directing the [PUC] to undertake a rigorous study to determine the causes of the repeated and ongoing power failures in the Greater Houston area after severe weather events. Some questions that must be answered include: Is the cause of the magnitude and duration of customer outages a result of physical infrastructure or personnel issues? What was the utility's pre-event planning process? Why exactly were so many Texans left without power for so many days? When and for what purposes did utilities use their mobile generation resources?"

TCA President Sandra Haverlah agrees these are great questions. More importantly, CenterPoint's answers to these questions could impact all the plans submitted by electric delivery companies across the state, whether their challenge is wildfires, hurricanes, or high winds. Therefore, it would be prudent to wait for the investigation to determine if the submitted plans take into consideration CenterPoint's real-time experience and the outcomes of the investigations.

Currently, CenterPoint has two pending cases before the PUC, which would significantly increase customer rates. Given that one of the rate cases was filed based on past CenterPoint processes, which proved ineffective during Hurricane Beryl, approving any increase based on those practices and business investments would be imprudent. TCA believes that all of CenterPoint's existing cases, as well as all electric delivery proposed investment proposals, are best delayed until a comprehensive investigation is complete.

Haverlah said: "Customers pay for services expecting reliability. Depending on where they live, they believe they pay for hurricane protection, wildfire outage prevention, or a system hardened for high wind. It should be made transparent what work was completed and it should be clearly communicated the level of measurable reliability customers can expect. Customers and the PUC should have a clearly defined way to measure the utilities' success or failure at their 'one job'  keeping the power on. Customers deserve to know where their money goes and whether it was well-spent. We don't have that now. Based on CenterPoint's current performance, there's no reason to believe that money customers paid for the past 25 years was spent in a way to improve reliability or storm response."

Haverlah said before any plans are approved, it's important to note that lawmakers may set new standards as part of the process that will impact all electric delivery companies, so approval of any proposed plans should be halted too, at least through the legislative session.

"If lawmakers and the PUC determine there should be new standards, it could dramatically impact electric delivery companies' plans. The PUC should only approve plans with the latest information available, which will come from the PUC and future legislative investigations," she said. "Customers should not pay for services that the legislature will change in nine months."

Based on the uncertainty of the legislative session, any rate increases approved by the PUC before the end of session can be called into question. It is prudent to delay any existing proceedings for both customers and investors.

Texas Consumer Association is a non-profit organization representing individual and small-business consumers on pocketbook issues for over 50 years. Find TCA at https://www.texasconsumer.org/ and on X (Twitter) @TXConsumer. Email [email protected]. For more information or questions, you can reach Sandie Haverlah, President of TCA, at (512) 423-0913.

SOURCE Texas Consumer Association
ST. LOUIS, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Better World Campaign (BWC), a sister organization to the United Nations Foundation, has appointed FleishmanHillard as the communications agency to provide strategic communications and public affairs support, reinforcing the importance of the U.N. goals, work and impact in the United States.

The BWC works to foster a strong, effective relationship between the United States and the United Nations that promotes core American interests and builds a more secure, prosperous and healthy world. BWC engages policymakers, media and the American public to increase awareness of the critical role played by the U.N. in world affairs and the value of constructive U.S.-U.N. relations.

The work is being led by FleishmanHillard's International Affairs and Public Affairs teams, and will also include members of DDC Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

"We are thrilled to support the Better World Campaign in its effort to promote a stronger relationship between the United States and the United Nations," said Colin Hart, FleishmanHillard partner and International Affairs lead for the United States. "The U.N. is a critical forum for the U.S.  and the American people  to safeguard our interests and navigate global uncertainty at a time when the world is rife with challenges."

"The world needs strong partnership between the United Nations and the United States more than ever," said Peter Yeo, president of the Better World Campaign. "We are excited to have FleishmanHillard's support as we continue the mission started by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner as part of his historic $1 billion gift to advance global peace, security and health."

About FleishmanHillard

FleishmanHillard specializes in public relations, reputation management, public affairs, brand marketing, digital strategy, social engagement and content strategy. FleishmanHillard was named 2020, 2021 and 2022 Campaign Global PR Agency of the Year; 2023 ICCO Large Agency of the Year  The Americas; 2022 and 2023 PRWeek U.S. Agency of the Year; 2022 and 2023 PRWeek U.S. Outstanding Extra-Large Agency of the Year; 2023 Campaign US PR Agency of the Year; 2021 PRovoke APAC Consultancy of the Year; and 2021 PRWeek UK Large Consultancy of the Year. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom PR Group and has nearly 80 offices in more than 30 countries, plus affiliates in 45 countries.

About Omnicom PR Group (OPRG)

Omnicom PR Group (OPRG) is the largest global network of communications and consulting agencies in the world. It is home to three of the top global PR agencies FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli and more than a dozen specialist agencies in corporate and public affairs, political consulting and advertising, language strategy, global health strategy and organizational transformation. OPRG is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). www.TeamOPRG.com.

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SOURCE FleishmanHillard Inc.
JAMAICA, N.Y., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Terminal One at JFK, an all-international terminal scheduled to open in 2026, is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for security services. The new world-class airport terminal is on a mission to deliver extraordinary experiences for passengers, services providers and employees and is seeking a Professional Security Service Provider (SSP) with experience operating at the highest standards for both aviation services and security.

The New Terminal One is a key component of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class gateway, with two new terminals, two expanded and modernized terminals, a new ground transportation center and an entirely new, simplified roadway network.

The New Terminal One invites qualified firms to submit proposals for security services. The preferred provider will be able to deliver maximum levels of safety and security by optimizing the facilities, systems and services in place, with a focus on a seamless and customer-oriented experience for both passengers and staff.

As part of the RFP, the provider will be able to provide services and personnel related to the management of the terminal's security operations, as well as personnel and operations for the terminal's security dispatcher, curbside coordinator, terminal patrols and alarm response, employee screening checkpoints, sally port and loading dock operations, curbside staff, and credentialing coordinator. Optionally, potential providers may also submit a separate proposal for the management and staffing of an alternative off-site consolidated screening facility, to be used for the delivery of consumable goods for concessionaires as well as supplies for terminal business partners and tenants.

Aligned with the New Terminal One and the Port Authority's commitment to diversity and creating economic opportunities in the local community, the developer strongly encourages local, minority, women and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses to participate in the RFP. All participants in the RFP must submit diversity participation plans detailing their strategy to achieve the New Terminal One's goals of 30% MWBE and 10% LBE participation.

With the first phase scheduled to open in 2026, the New Terminal One will be a state-of-the-art gateway to the New York metropolitan area and the United States. The project's Phase A comprises expansive and light-filled departures and arrivals halls and an initial 14 gates. At full completion in 2030, the New Terminal One will be the largest terminal at JFK Airport, anchoring the south side of the busiest US airport for international traffic.

"We are committed to providing a safe, secure and seamless experience for all passengers traveling through The New Terminal One," said Simon Gandy, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at The New Terminal One at JFK. "This RFP focuses on the security of employees, goods and equipment that enable our passengers to receive extraordinary experiences every day and marks yet another step in our journey to deliver a world-class international airport terminal."

Interested participants may contact [email protected] for further information on how to take part in the RFP. Participants in the RFP will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The deadline for proposal submissions is September 9, 2024.

About The New Terminal One at JFK

The New Terminal One (NTO) at John F. Kennedy International Airport is a bold and exciting project to develop a world-class international terminal that will serve as an anchor terminal in the Port Authority's $19 billion transformation of JFK into a global gateway to the New York metropolitan area and the United States. NTO will set a new standard for design and service, aspiring to obtain a Top 5 Skytrax ranking and be considered one of the finest airport terminals in the world.

The New Terminal One is being built on sites now occupied by Terminal 1 and the former Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, where it will anchor JFK's south side. Construction is taking place in phases. The first phase, including the new arrivals and departures halls and first set of 14 new gates, is expected to open in 2026. At completion, anticipated in 2030, the New Terminal One will be 2.6 million square feet, making it the largest terminal at JFK and nearly the same size as LaGuardia Airport's two new terminals combined.

NTO will be a 23-gate, state-of-the-art, international-only terminal. Sustainably designed and future-focused, the terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology, and an array of amenities, all designed to enhance the customer experience and compete with some of the highest-rated airport terminals in the world.

The New Terminal One consortium of labor, operating, and financial partners is led by Ferrovial, JLC Infrastructure, Ullico, and Carlyle. NTO is being built by union labor and we are committed to local inclusion and labor participation, focusing on diversity and capacity-building opportunities, including ambitious participation goals of 30% for minority and women-owned enterprises, 10% for local business enterprises and 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

To learn more about the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, visit https://www.anewjfk.com/projects/the-new-terminal-one/

SOURCE The New Terminal One at JFK
OKLAHOMA CITY, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- COOP Beverage Works is expanding the Fiesta of Flavor this summer with exciting new flavors from its line of TAMPICO Hard Punch.

Fruit Punch and Pineapple Coconut are joining the party alongside the classics, Citrus and Island, creating the ultimate flavor lineup for any occasion. All four offerings of TAMPICO Hard Punch feature a smoother, more flavorful experience thanks to a new, lower 5% ABV, and for the first time are now available in a convenient six-pack format.

The TAMPICO Fiesta of Flavor expands this summer with Fruit Punch and Pineapple Coconut.

To celebrate this new launch, TAMPICO Hard Punch is giving away an exclusive trip for two to sunny Cancun, Mexico valued at $5,000  the perfect escape to soak up the sun and enjoy some relaxation. Head over to TAMPICO Hard Punch's Instagram, @tampicohardbevs, for details on how to enter the sweepstakes.

"We believe in enjoying life to the fullest, and our redeveloped lineup of TAMPICO Hard Punch reflects that," said Ryan Stump COOP Beverage Works vice president of business operations. "With its bold new flavors, lower ABV and convenient six-pack format, TAMPICO Hard Punch is the perfect option for creating memorable moments with friends. So, grab a can, savor the taste and enjoy more of what matters."

TAMPICO Hard Punch offers a refreshing flavor experience in four irresistible options: Citrus, Island, Fruit Punch, and Pineapple Coconut. Every 12-ounce can of TAMPICO Hard Punch contains 5% ABV and real Tampico juice drink concentrate, letting you responsibly enjoy the bold flavors without compromising on the fiesta.

TAMPICO Hard Punch Fruit Punch blends orange, blackberry, raspberry, apple, pineapple and cherry flavors to bring a fruit-packed paradise in a glass.

blends orange, blackberry, raspberry, apple, pineapple and cherry flavors to bring a fruit-packed paradise in a glass. TAMPICO Hard Punch Pineapple Coconut brings the tropical escape with the sweet taste of pineapple and coconut, packing the tropical flavors for a refreshing and delightful adult-beverage.

brings the tropical escape with the sweet taste of pineapple and coconut, packing the tropical flavors for a refreshing and delightful adult-beverage. TAMPICO Hard Punch Citrus combines orange, tangerine and lemon flavors to create a crisp, explosion of fruit flavor that is bold and unique to kick off any occasion with friends.

combines orange, tangerine and lemon flavors to create a crisp, explosion of fruit flavor that is bold and unique to kick off any occasion with friends. TAMPICO Hard Punch Island brings the tropical taste of vacation to your next get-together. It has a smooth blend of pineapple, banana and orange flavors to bring back nostalgic memories you love and know.

TAMPICO Hard Punch is made with natural and artificial flavors at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5%. All four flavors are available in 6-pack 12 oz cans. TAMPICO Hard Punch Citrus and TAMPICO Hard Punch Island are also available in 24 oz single-serve cans.

To find a store near you and follow the latest on TAMPICO Hard Punch, visit tampicohardbeverages.com.

About TAMPICO Hard Punch:

Inspired by the colorful and irresistible fruit flavored juice drinks of Tampico Beverages, COOP Beverage Works and Tampico Beverages partnered to create a full-flavored malt beverage for adults of legal drinking age to enjoy. TAMPICO Hard Punch is currently available in Citrus, Island, Fruit Punch and Pineapple Coconut flavors and is a flavorful and delectable take on Tampico Beverages iconic flavored drinks. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tampicohardbevs.

About Tampico Beverages, Inc.:

Tampico Beverages was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1989 and it is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of high-quality and value-added juice drinks. With manufacturing facilities in Chicago, Texas and Brazil, Tampico Beverages has developed its TAMPICO brand into a global brand selling its portfolio of irresistible fruit flavored beverage drinks in over 50 countries. With substantial brand awareness in the United States and throughout the world, Tampico Beverages has a longstanding tradition of success and maintains a leadership position in the juice drink category. For more information, please visit www.tampico.com.

About COOP Beverage Works:

COOP Beverage Works is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based craft brewery COOP Ale Works. COOP Beverage Works develops and markets alcoholic beverage products in the seltzer, ready to-drink (RTD) and malt-beverage categories. Brands include SONIC Hard Beverages (SONIC Hard Seltzer, SONIC Hard Slush and SONIC Hard Southern Sweet Tea), TAMPICO Hard Punch beverages, WELCH'S Craft Cocktails and future licensing partners. For more information, please visit coopaleworks.com.

SOURCE COOP Beverage Works
Join us for a unique experience and contribute to a meaningful cause!

BREA, Calif., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ThreatHunter.ai, the leading provider of Threat Hunting as a Service, XDR & MDR (MxDR) SOC Services, is thrilled to announce our participation in DEFCON 32 and VETCON in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year, we're bringing back our highly anticipated annual Whiskey Tasting event, hosted by our CEO, James McMurry (@whiskeyhacker).

The event will take place during DEFCON 32, and entrance is free. However, attendees must possess the one-of-a-kind @whiskeyhacker coin for 2024 to gain access. The coin is a coveted item, and only the 2024 edition will be accepted for entry.

Event Details:

Whiskey Tasting: Experience a selection of exquisite whiskies, curated by James McMurry , a renowned whisk(e)y aficionado and honorary Chief Petty Officer (USCG)

Experience a selection of exquisite whiskies, curated by , a renowned whisk(e)y aficionado and honorary Chief Petty Officer (USCG) Entrance Requirements: Obtain the 2024 @whiskeyhacker coin to gain entry. Details on how to acquire the coin will be revealed through our social media channels.

Obtain the 2024 @whiskeyhacker coin to gain entry. Details on how to acquire the coin will be revealed through our social media channels. Book Donation: Each attendee must bring a single book for donation. These books will be collected and donated to veterans who reside long-term at the VA Hospital in Long Beach, CA. The books will be distributed personally by our CEO, James McMurry , later in August.

"As a veteran and honorary Chief Petty Officer, I understand the importance of giving back to our fellow service members," said James McMurry, CEO and Founder of ThreatHunter.ai. "DEFCON and VETCON are not just about networking and learning; they're also about supporting others. The annual whiskey tasting event is a great way to connect with fellow Cybersecurity people, while also supporting veterans who have given so much for our country. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the whiskey tasting and making a significant contribution to our long-term care hospital-bound veterans who love to read."

Call to Action: Stay tuned to our social media channels for details on how to get the 2024 @whiskeyhacker coin. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to enjoy fine whiskey, engage with cybersecurity professionals, and support a worthy cause.

About ThreatHunter.ai

ThreatHunter.ai operates a 24x7x365 unique service that provides Threat Hunting As A Service using customers' existing security infrastructure, backed by ThreatHunter.ai's AI/ML platform and the team of Expert Human Threat Hunters. For 17 years, ThreatHunter.ai's team of Threat Hunters have stopped thousands of threats and assisted organizations in protecting themselves around the clock. ThreatHunter.ai focuses on the best combination of AI, ML, and Human Correlation to scout for threats, assist with incident response activities, and protect hundreds of customers around the clock. ThreatHunter.ai is proud to be a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, dedicated to supporting our nation's cybersecurity needs.

It's ThreatHunter.ai. Obviously, We Protect Your Brand.

www.threathunter.ai | +1.888.674.9001 | [email protected]

ThreatHunter.ai, Inc., is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business started in 2007.

ThreatHunter.ai Media Contact: Lydia Coulter

Marketing

[email protected]

714.515.4011

SOURCE ThreatHunter.ai
SINGAPORE, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TradeFlow Capital Management (TradeFlow) is pleased to announce its first eNote tracker certificate has been listed on Obligate, the leading on-chain capital markets platform. The certificate offers investors a unique and innovative investment opportunity to track the performance of the USD TradeFlow Fund transparently, efficiently and within a regulated environment. This gives European and global investors the cost benefits of a Cayman fund structure but through a regulated digital asset security.

This development follows the strengthened collaboration between Obligate and TradeFlow over the past six months, during which millions of dollars of fixed-income assets were successfully issued by TradeFlow via Obligate. The financial innovation represented by this listing marks an important step towards increasing liquidity in the trade finance sector, offering a new solution to support SMEs in the commodities sector.

The tracker certificate, issued as an eNote, enables investors to participate in the performance of the fund in a tokenized form. Investments can be made in USD-backed stablecoin (USDC), with custom certificates available for issuing starting from USD 100k. By tokenizing this fund for the first time through an eNote tracker certificate, Obligate enables Digital Assets investors to get direct exposure to a secure yet higher-yielding investment opportunity at a much lower ticket size and far more easy subscription process.

In addition, the collaboration will expand with the launch of a first fixed income eNote issuance linked to the TradeFlow EUR fund and denominated in EUROe stablecoin. This allows EUR-based investors to gain exposure to the TradeFlow strategy without taking additional FX exposure.

Fund tokenization, which involves converting rights to a fund's assets into digital tokens, is increasingly shaping the future of finance by enhancing liquidity, transparency, and accessibility.

Dr Tom James, CEO and CIO of TradeFlow said: "Going LIVE represents a pivotal step from theory to reality. TradeFlow is proud to pioneer the tokenisation of our commodities-backed Funds to open up a new source of liquidity, allowing us to support more trade growth for the SMEs around the world we work with. Digitalisation is at the core of Tradeflow's success as a specialist fund manager over the past 8 years in international trade asset finance, and so it was only natural to embrace the digital asset tokenisation technology and be able to offer investors even more ways to access our TradeFlow Funds and this asset class."

Tobias Wohlfarth, Head of Origination at Obligate, commented: "We are pleased to support TradeFlow with the introduction of their first tracker certificate to efficiently tokenize their funds. This strengthens our partnership, boosting liquidity and offering investors new opportunities for accessing TradeFlow's funds. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and exploring further ways to provide versatile and innovative investment solutions."

Further expansion of the collaboration with TradeFlow and Obligate is in the works, with the potential launch of ESG-themed products linked to TradeFlow's new Critical Minerals fund.

Media Contacts

For TradeFlow: Daniel Chua, Head, Stakeholder Relations and ESG : [email protected]

For Obligate: Hannah Frojd, Head of Marketing, [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1994878/TradeFlow_Tagline_Logo.jpg
With the 'Great Wealth Transfer' on the horizon, millions of Americans will enter the probate process, and nearly all underestimate every element of the process

SAN DIEGO, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trust & Will , the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform in the U.S., today released the findings of "The State of Probate in America," a groundbreaking study that unveils a startling lack of awareness surrounding the probate process among millions of Americans.

Probate, the legal procedure for estate settlement, remains shrouded in misunderstanding and fear. Despite its significance, only 65% of Americans understand its definition, while 19% remain uncertain. The study reveals a significant gap in understanding, with 35% admitting to not comprehending the process at all.

Americans are Blissfully Unaware of the Cost and Length of the Probate Process. Post this

The study findings underscore the urgent need for heightened awareness and preparation in estate planning. Key findings from Trust & Will's 2024 Probate Stud y include:

Underestimation of Probate Process : Most Americans vastly underestimate the duration and costs associated with probate. Despite the average timeline of 20 months, only 2% of respondents believed it would take that long, while 37% were uncertain of the timeline. Similarly, 56% have no idea about the costs involved, with 10% expecting it to be $1,000 or less, and only 4% anticipating costs to exceed $10,000 .

: Most Americans vastly underestimate the duration and costs associated with probate. Despite the average timeline of 20 months, only 2% of respondents believed it would take that long, while 37% were uncertain of the timeline. Similarly, 56% have no idea about the costs involved, with 10% expecting it to be or less, and only 4% anticipating costs to exceed . Perception of Difficulty : Over half (52%) perceive probate as somewhat or very difficult, emphasizing the emotional and procedural complexities involved. Despite this, only 40% believe they have a strong understanding of the process.

: Over half (52%) perceive probate as somewhat or very difficult, emphasizing the emotional and procedural complexities involved. Despite this, only 40% believe they have a strong understanding of the process. Need for Guidance: Most Americans (40%), even with their general lack of knowledge about probate, said that it will be "somewhat difficult" to manage the probate process. A staggering 65% of Americans would seek help from a probate attorney, highlighting the reliance on professional assistance during the complex process.

Americans are Blissfully Unaware of the Cost and Length of the Probate Process

Despite its inevitability for many, probate's costs and duration are widely underestimated. Nearly half of Americans are unaware of the costs, with 56% having no idea of the financial implications. Furthermore, the average timeline of 20 months is drastically underestimated, with most respondents believing it to be significantly shorter.

Americans vastly underestimate the financial costs of probate. More than half (56%) have no idea what it costs; 10% believe it will be $1,000 or less, and only 4% believe it will cost more than $10,000. It is commonly estimated that probate costs average 3-7% of the total value of the estate1, so an estate valued at $750,000 could incur probate fees ranging from $22,500-$52,500.

Most Americans are more optimistic than realistic about timelines: 15% of people believe it will take just 1-3 months, and another 15% think 4-6 months is the average timeframe. Twelve percent believe an estate can be wrapped up in 10-12 months. The majority, 37%, say they aren't sure what the probate timeline will be.

Probate will greatly delay the 'Great Wealth Transfer'

Experts and economists are predicting the 'Great Wealth Transfer,' one of the largest transfers of assets from owners to inheritors in modern history, with an estimated $72.6 trillion expected to transfer between generations. But most people are unprepared - Trust & Will's 2024 Millennial Study found that 62% of millennials do not have a Will or Trust and 34% do not know if their parents have an estate plan.

Probate is a process that can be avoided with proper estate planning. Without the existence of a solid estate plan, probate is dictated by location, and many people aren't aware of whether they'd have to go through the process. Half (50%) of Americans have no idea if they live in a state or county that requires probate to settle an estate.

"As the United States stands on the brink of the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, our latest study reveals a concerning lack of preparedness among Americans regarding the probate process," said Cody Barbo, Founder and CEO of Trust & Will. "For most Americans, the inheritance process is far from easy - and the lengthy and costly probate process can make it even more difficult, especially as people are grieving the loss of a loved one. Amidst an aging population that isn't fully prepared for end-of-life via estate planning, millions of Americans will be plunged into the long, expensive, and emotionally draining process of probate. We hope to shed light on this topic and make it less taboo, while also providing resources and education to ensure a smoother transition of assets."

To learn more and see the full results of the study, visit: https://trustandwill.com/documents/probate-study-2024

Methodology

Trust & Will worked with OnePoll to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older. This survey was conducted from March 13-18, 2024.

ABOUT TRUST & WILL

Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we've helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is a certified B Corporation and is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. To learn more, visit trustandwill.com .

Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. Trust & Will is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

1 Estimates made by estate planning attorneys and CFPs who have written extensively on the topic, including Chris Nudo , Margarita Cheng and Philip B. Shane , a professor at College of William & Mary - Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

SOURCE Trust & Will
KALKARA, Malta, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks a significant milestone in the world of cooperative investment with the launch of Coop Exchange Limited ("Coop Exchange") in Malta. This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionise the economic landscape by connecting the immense amounts of patient capital that exists in the pensions markets  predicted to hit $40 trillion of ESG assets by 2030[1]  with businesses that deliver long-term sustainable growth through purpose-driven and people-centered approaches: cooperatives.

The launch event, held at the historic Villa Bighi in Kalkara, was attended by prominent leaders from the cooperative, mutual, and sustainability sectors, including members from local cooperative bodies, representatives from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), and the Minister for Finance, Clyde Caruana. Notably, the event featured a distinguished lineup of speakers.

Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, delivered a video address, highlighting Malta's ambition to lead in sustainable finance and digital transformation. He expressed pride in Coop Exchange's decision to establish its EU base in Malta, noting that it aligns with the country's efforts to drive funds towards activities that support climate neutrality and societal welfare. Abela assured that his administration will fully support Coop Exchange in becoming an integral part of Malta's dynamic and progressive financial sector.

Stephen Gill, Founder and CEO of Coop Exchange, set the context for the following speakers by painting a vision of an economic landscape dominated by businesses prioritising social good and governance. "Imagine a world where public ownership is characterised by community-driven investments that shape the future for the benefit of those communities. Investments supported by purpose-oriented investors and institutions who appreciate that sustainable financial investment and socially conscious impact investing are not mutually exclusive but can be a force for good. This transformative shift in our economic paradigm is what Coop Exchange is at the forefront of."

He emphasised the importance of aligning investments with cooperative values: "Younger generations are demanding a new way of doing business, pushing those in power to address wealth inequality and driving investment towards community-owned, purpose-oriented organisations. Cooperatives, with their inherent values of equity, solidarity, and mutual support, align closely with the principles of ESG investing."

Dr. Ariel Guarco, President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), highlighted the global impact: "Coop Exchange is a fundamental instrument for the fulfilment of our cooperative principles and for increasing the economic power of the cooperative movement on a global scale. By directing resources towards a triple impact: economic, social, and environmental, Coop Exchange demonstrates that cooperative principles can and should be put into action through concrete tools that generate visible fruits for cooperatives and strengthen the cooperative ecosystem globally."

Shaun Tarbuck, Non-Executive Director of Coop Exchange and CEO of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), spoke about the long-term perspective of the cooperative movement: "The cooperative movement is now necessary because we are long-term thinkers. The UK government's pledge to double the size of the cooperative economy over the next five years is inspiring. Imagine if 25 governments made similar commitments by 2025, it would change inequality and create a fairer society and jobs."

Dame Pauline Green, Non-Executive Director of Coop Exchange and former ICA President, emphasised the need for innovative solutions for cooperative capital: "Coop Exchange is a creative, new way of doing business for cooperatives, and it has the potential to help double the size of cooperatives in the UK and hopefully worldwide. This launch marks our progress towards resolving the challenges of cooperative capital acquisition."

Barry O'Dwyer, Non-Executive Director of Coop Exchange and Group CEO of Royal London, underscored the importance of ESG considerations: "Recent research shows that ESG considerations are in the top three priorities for millennials, and the only priority for Gen Z. Coop Exchange offers the opportunity to connect the immense amounts of patient capital in the pensions markets with businesses that deliver long-term sustainable growth based on doing the right thing: being purpose-driven and having people at their core."

Jeroen Douglas, recently appointed ICA Director General, addressed the issue of growing inequality: "Prosperity for all cannot be achieved without inclusive finance. Coop Exchange will offer a unique opportunity to close the income gap and provide finance for those who need it most."

Jane Zammit, a Masters student in Sustainability, Climate Change and Transition to Net Zero Economy, echoed the importance of cooperatives in addressing the climate crisis: "Our generation is acutely aware of the climate crisis. Cooperatives play a crucial role in the transition to a net zero economy by aligning economic activities with social and environmental goals."

Martin Chrisney, One Americas ESG Chief Operating Officer, concluded with a vision for the future: "The business principles of cooperatives align 100% with the SDGs and the Paris climate goals. Coop Exchange is the platform where cooperatives and investors can define new products, services, and structures to meet the requirements of the cooperative movement, solving some of the most pressing global problems."

For more information, please contact:

Stephen Gill, [email protected]

Photos from the event can be downloaded here: Coop Exchange Malta Launch Event

Coop Exchange's logo can be downloaded here: Coop Exchange High Resolution Logo

Note to Editors: Please credit photographs to Matthew Green when using images from the event.

About Coop Exchange

Coop Exchange is building a global network of stock exchanges dedicated to Cooperatives and Mutuals, allowing anyone to invest with impact. It is an international platform for raising capital and trading financial instruments rooted in the cooperative and mutual sector. This platform enables institutionsand, subject to regulatory approval, individualsto invest in cooperative financial instruments. It is designed to uphold cooperative values and principles, ensuring investments align with these ideals while safeguarding coops against liquidity risk. Together, we're turning capital into a force for good  where capital empowers people, rather than people empowering capital.

Further information can be found on our website: https://coop.exchange

About Cooperatives

Cooperatives are people-centred enterprises jointly owned and democratically controlled by and for their members to realise their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations. As enterprises based on values and principles, they put fairness and equality first allowing people to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity. Managed by producers, users or workers, cooperatives are run according to the 'one member, one vote' rule. Globally, there are over 3 million co-ops, with a combined annual turnover of of over $2.4 trillion, and 1.2 billion people are members of coops.

The UN has declared 2025 the Year of Cooperatives.

Further information can be found on the ICA's website: https://ica.coop

About Robert Abela

Robert Abela, born in Malta in 1977, graduated with a law degree from the University of Malta in 2002. Dr. Abela has experience working in the family law firm and has served as a legal consultant for various organisations, including public entities and trade unions.

Elected as a Member of the Maltese Parliament in June 2017, he was subsequently appointed as the legal adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers. On January 13, 2020, he became the 14th Prime Minister of Malta after being elected as the Party Leader of Partit Laburista.

Dr. Abela was re-elected on March 28, 2022, following a decisive victory in the General Elections held on March 26, 2022, where Partit Laburista won with the largest majority in Maltese history.

About Stephen Gill

Stephen Gill is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coop Exchange, an innovative platform dedicated to facilitating the growth and development of cooperative enterprises through sustainable finance investment. Since founding Coop Exchange, Gill has been a driving force in revolutionising how cooperatives access capital, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable economic landscape.

Gill's entrepreneurial journey is rooted in a deep commitment to cooperative principles and social entrepreneurship. Before establishing Coop Exchange, he gained extensive experience in the technology sector, where he led an MBO of VME, a software business, before converting it to a cooperative in 2020.

At Coop Exchange, Gill's vision is to democratise finance for cooperatives, enabling them to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Under his leadership, Coop Exchange is building a unique platform that connects cooperative businesses with investors who share their values and commitment to sustainable growth. This approach not only enhances the financial resilience of cooperatives but also empowers communities by fostering local ownership and economic empowerment.

Stephen Gill holds a Masters degree in Management of Cooperatives and Credit Unions, which underpins his strong analytical and strategic capabilities. His academic background, combined with his practical experience, enables him to navigate the complexities of the financial world while maintaining a clear focus on the unique needs and values of cooperatives.

As the CEO of Coop Exchange, Gill is dedicated to promoting transparency, collaboration, and sustainability. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to the cooperative movement, ensuring that Coop Exchange remains at the forefront of fostering economic justice and social impact. Through his visionary approach, Stephen Gill continues to inspire and empower cooperative enterprises to achieve their full potential.

About Ariel Guarco

Ariel Guarco is the President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), a position he has held since November 2017. With a deep-rooted commitment to the cooperative movement, Guarco has dedicated his career to promoting and advancing cooperative principles worldwide.

Born in Argentina, Guarco has a rich background in cooperative organisations, particularly in the utility sector. He began his journey in the cooperative movement with the Electric Cooperative of Coronel Pringles in Buenos Aires Province, where he served as President. His leadership and vision significantly contributed to the growth and success of the cooperative, making it a model for others in the region.

Guarco's influence extends beyond national boundaries. He has been actively involved in various regional and global cooperative bodies. Prior to his presidency at the ICA, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Co-operative Alliance for the Americas (ICA-Americas), where he played a crucial role in strengthening the cooperative network across the continent.

As ICA President, Guarco champions the cooperative model as a viable and sustainable alternative for economic and social development. Under his leadership, the ICA has focused on enhancing cooperative identity, promoting cooperative entrepreneurship, and advocating for a more inclusive and democratic global economy. His tenure is marked by efforts to integrate cooperatives more closely into the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasising the sector's potential to contribute to poverty reduction, equality, and environmental sustainability.

Guarco holds a degree in veterinary medicine, showcasing his diverse expertise and commitment to serving communities in various capacities. His academic background complements his pragmatic approach to cooperative development, fostering a holistic view of community empowerment and sustainable growth.

Ariel Guarco's leadership is characterised by his unwavering dedication to the cooperative principles of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. His vision for a more cooperative world continues to inspire and mobilise cooperative members and supporters globally.

About Shaun Tarbuck

Shaun Tarbuck's distinguished career in the mutual sector is highlighted by his long-standing commitment to the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), where he embarked on his journey in 1995. By 2005, Shaun's visionary leadership propelled him to the role of CEO, during which he has significantly expanded ICMIF's membership from 65 to 210 members across 60 countries, underscoring his pivotal role in the global mutual insurance landscape.

A recognised authority on impact investing and sustainable business, Shaun authored the ICMIF Global Manifesto "Protecting Lives and Livelihoods" in 2015, reflecting a steadfast commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. His expertise in climate change, disaster risk resilience, and responsible investing positions him as a key influencer in shaping insurance policies for sustainability.

Under Shaun's stewardship, ICMIF has forged strategic global partnerships with key UN agencies and the Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), enhancing the role of mutual insurance in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda. As a founding member of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF), Shaun has been instrumental in fostering unique public-private collaborations that address insurance-related issues at the highest levels of global policy.

Beyond his environmental and policy achievements, Shaun is celebrated for his thought leadership in the mutual sector, frequently addressing topics like governance, innovation, and mutual sector strategies. His board positions with the Climate Bonds Initiative further demonstrate his dedication to promoting green finance and pioneering mutual insurance development.

In addition to being a non-executive Director of Coop Exchange, Shaun's dedication to the mutual insurance sector and sustainability is reflected in his numerous roles and achievements, including serving on the ICMIF Board, the ICMIF Executive Committee, the UNDRR Investment Advisory Board, and the Global Reporting Initiative's Insurance Sector Taskforce. He has also played a crucial role in developing the world's first Insurance SDG Calculator with Swiss Re.

As Shaun prepares to retire from his role as CEO of ICMIF in November 2024, his legacy of growth, sustainability, and innovation continues to inspire and shape the future of the mutual insurance industry.

About Dame Pauline Green

Dame Pauline Green is an internationally respected leader within the cooperative movement, having held a number of pivotal leadership positions within the European Parliament, Coops UK, and both the European and international ICA bodies  including being a former ICA President.

Dame Pauline was born in Malta and brings an invaluable wealth of cooperative experience, networks, and governance expertise. Her work with other recognised leaders on the Blue Ribbon Commission helped shape cooperative capital without compromising on cooperative principles and values.

Dame Pauline is a former Labour and Cooperative Party Member of the European Parliament and former Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists. In 2003, Dame Pauline was appointed President of ICA Europe until her election as President of the ICA in November 2009. As with her appointment to Coops UK, Dame Pauline was the first female president in the ICA's history.

Committed to cooperative values and principles, Dame Pauline has worked on a number of initiatives relating to cooperative capital, including the ICA's Blueprint for a Cooperative Decade research paper and the Blue Ribbon Commission.

About Barry O'Dwyer

In addition to being a non-executive Director of Coop Exchange, Barry O'Dwyer is the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal London, the UK's largest mutual life, pensions, and investment company. Appointed in September 2019, O'Dwyer brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the financial services industry, guiding Royal London through a period of significant growth and strategic transformation.

O'Dwyer has spent over two decades in senior leadership roles within the insurance and investment sectors. Before joining Royal London, he served as the CEO of Standard Life Aberdeen's UK business. His tenure at Standard Life Aberdeen was marked by successful leadership through complex regulatory changes and significant market challenges, showcasing his ability to navigate and thrive in dynamic environments.

Barry began his career at Standard Life in 1988, when it was a mutual. In 2008, he moved to HBOS and shortly afterwards to Prudential UK & Europe, where he became Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He returned to Standard Life in 2013, where he became Chief Executive Officer of Standard Life's platform, pensions and savings business. His extensive experience encompasses a broad spectrum of responsibilities, from business strategy and development to operational management and customer engagement.

As the CEO of Royal London, O'Dwyer is committed to the company's mutual ethos, which prioritises the needs and interests of its members and customers over shareholders. His leadership focuses on delivering value, transparency, and trust, ensuring that Royal London remains a leader in customer service and innovation in the financial services industry.

Under O'Dwyer's stewardship, Royal London has continued to expand its market presence, launching new products and services tailored to meet the evolving needs of its diverse customer base. His strategic vision emphasises sustainability, digital transformation, and the importance of financial education and inclusion.

O'Dwyer qualified as an actuary, and he is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. His technical expertise and strategic insight are complemented by a genuine passion for making a positive impact on society through the provision of fair and accessible financial services.

Barry O'Dwyer's leadership at Royal London is characterised by his dedication to the principles of mutuality, customer-centricity, and long-term value creation. His vision and direction continue to shape the future of the company, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the industry while maintaining its core values and commitment to its members.

About Jeroen Douglas

Jeroen Douglas is the newly appointed Director General of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), a global organisation dedicated to promoting and strengthening cooperative businesses worldwide. Taking on this role in 2024, Douglas brings a wealth of experience in international development, cooperative movements, and organisational leadership.

Douglas has an extensive background in sustainable development and social enterprise, with a particular focus on agriculture and rural development. Before joining the ICA, he served as the Executive Director of Solidaridad Network, a renowned international civil society organisation that works towards sustainable supply chains and inclusive economies. His leadership at Solidaridad was marked by significant advancements in promoting fair trade, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

Throughout his career, Douglas has been a passionate advocate for sustainable supply chains, emphasising their potential to drive inclusive growth and community empowerment. His work has spanned multiple continents, including Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where he has collaborated with a diverse range of stakeholders, from smallholder farmers to multinational corporations, to create equitable and sustainable economic opportunities.

As the Director General of the ICA, Douglas aims to enhance the visibility and impact of cooperatives globally. His strategic vision includes strengthening the cooperative identity, fostering innovation, and deepening the integration of cooperatives into the global economic framework. He is particularly focused on leveraging cooperatives as vehicles for achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advocating for their role in poverty alleviation, gender equality, and climate action.

Douglas holds a Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology from Radboud University in the Netherlands. His academic background, coupled with his practical experience, enables him to navigate the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the cooperative sector today.

Jeroen Douglas's leadership at the ICA is characterised by his commitment to cooperative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. His vision for a more cooperative world is set to inspire and mobilise the global cooperative community, driving forward initiatives that foster sustainable and inclusive development.

About Jane Zammit

Jane Zammit, born in 1996 in Malta, is an emerging leader in the field of sustainability and environmental management. She holds an undergraduate degree in Business Management, which has provided her with a solid foundation in corporate operations and strategic planning. Currently, Jane is furthering her education by pursuing a Master's degree in Sustainability, Climate Change, and Transition to a Net Zero Economy.

Jane's academic and professional journey reflects her deep passion for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues. Her commitment to creating sustainable solutions and driving positive change in the corporate world positions her as a key advocate for responsible and forward-thinking business practices. Jane's expertise and dedication make her a valuable asset in the global effort to address climate change and transition towards a sustainable future.

About Martin Chrisney

Martin Chrisney is a strategic advisor specialising in sustainable finance topics, providing expert guidance to corporates, banks, governments, and the international community. With over 25 years of experience, Martin has honed his skills in strategy, operations, and program delivery, successfully building and leading multidisciplinary teams across diverse geographies. His work focuses on implementing initiatives that generate both positive social and environmental impacts and are consistent with sustainable financial return.

Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer for KPMG's One Americas ESG, Martin coordinates the delivery of programs for clients throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. His previous roles at KPMG include Director and Senior Director at the International Development Assistance Services (IDAS) Institute and he spent over two decades at the Inter-American Development Bank, overseeing private sector operations and sustainable development projects. Previously he was a lead economist at the Institute of International Finance and researcher at the World Bank's Research Department.

Martin has published numerous thought leadership pieces on international development finance and sustainability, establishing himself as a respected voice in the field. His professional experience spans across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where he has cultivated a robust network of professional contacts and deep regional insights. Martin holds advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University, SAIS.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/global-esg-assets-predicted-to-hit-40-trillion-by-2030-despite-challenging-environment-forecasts-bloomberg-intelligence/

SOURCE Coop Exchange Limited
BATON ROUGE, La., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the spread of anaplasmosis reaching unprecedented levels across the United States, University Products continues to be the leading provider of the world's only inactivated Bovine Anaplasmosis vaccine, offering a cost-effective, easy-to-administer, and sustainable solution for a cattle industry under siege. While traditional methods such as pest control and chlortetracycline (CTC) medicines provide some relief, they fall far short of the comprehensive protection needed to protect herds now and in the future.

Anaplasma marginale Bovine Anaplasmosis Vaccine

"Antibiotics were never meant to be a routine cure, but are an emergency response to breakthrough infections," said Gene Luther from University Products. "Antibiotic overuse can lead to major antibiotic resistance. They're also not cost effective. Vaccination is really the only route that makes sense, both biologically and economically."

Why Traditional Methods Are Insufficient to Combat Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis in cattle is primarily spread through bites from infected ticks and horseflies. The transmission process begins when these parasites feed on an infected animal and acquire the Anaplasma marginale bacteria. The bacteria complete part of their life cycle in each tick's gut before moving to the salivary glands and being transmitted to other animals through repeated bites. Similarly, horseflies can spread the disease for up to two hours after feeding on an infected host.

Eliminating these pests is nearly impossible, while battling them has become a never-ending, costly, and mostly futile effort for ranchers.

Once infected, the disease continues to spread through blood or contaminated equipment that is improperly cleaned and reused. Symptoms in infected animals appear 3-6 weeks post-infection, ranging from mild anemia, fever, depression, and isolation; while severe infected adults exhibit jaundice and other symptoms, potentially leading to death.

Early diagnosis is particularly challenging in young animals, which may only exhibit fever and increased breathing rates due to their faster red blood cell regeneration. This can easily lead to chronic carriers that often do not show signs unless they are immunocompromised, before going on to infect many others before symptoms become apparent.

And this is why most treatment regimens improperly focus on treating animals after they have been infected, rather than using vaccination.

University Products' Anaplasmosis Vaccine: A Superior Solution

University Products' anaplasmosis vaccine offers a straightforward and economical approach to disease mitigation for multiple reasons:

Cost-Effective: The vaccine is significantly less expensive than the cumulative costs of CTC feed and ongoing pest control efforts. Testing animals for anaplasmosis and subsequently culling or separating infected animals adds further financial strain to ranchers, making vaccination a more budget-friendly option.





The vaccine is significantly less expensive than the cumulative costs of CTC feed and ongoing pest control efforts. Testing animals for anaplasmosis and subsequently culling or separating infected animals adds further financial strain to ranchers, making vaccination a more budget-friendly option. Ease of Use: With just two doses in the first year, followed by an annual booster, the vaccine simplifies the mitigation process. Producers can eliminate the guesswork and labor associated with ensuring cattle consume adequate medicated feed.





With just two doses in the first year, followed by an annual booster, the vaccine simplifies the mitigation process. Producers can eliminate the guesswork and labor associated with ensuring cattle consume adequate medicated feed. Reliable Protection: Unlike CTC feed, which may not provide consistent protection, the vaccine offers great protection against the loss of animals due to anaplasmosis, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance and ensuring healthier herds.

"Our vaccine has always been a game-changer  we've got 25 years of experience to prove it," said Gene Luther. "And a simple vaccination allows producers to focus on other critical aspects of their operations, without the constant worry of pest control and medicated feed."

A detailed description of the vaccine and its method of administration is publicly available for PDF download. For more information on vaccine availability for ranchers and veterinarians, please contact University Products directly.

About University Products LLC

Based in Louisiana, University Products specializes in approved (for experimental use) bovine vaccines. Their anaplasmosis vaccine minimizes clinical signs in at-risk animals, is safe during pregnancy, and requires two initial doses plus annual boosters. The company is also researching vaccines for bovine babesiosis and theileriosis. Veterinarians can inquire about availability by emailing directly at [email protected].

Media Contact:

Gene Luther, Director

1-225-334-0851

[email protected]

SOURCE University Products LLC
SHANGHAI, July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- USI is delighted to announce the official opening of its new Tonala Site in a grand ceremony on July 16th. The ceremony was attended by prominent guests, including Roberto Arechederra as Jalisco Governor's Rep and Economic Minister of the state, Sergio Chavez Mayor of Tonala Municipality; Alfonso Olvera Economic minister of Tonala and Guillermo del Rio, Index Chamber President. The event took place in Industrial park Axis, located in Nuevo Periferico Oriente, and highlighted the company's strategic vision and commitment to growth in the region.

USI Expands Global Footprint: New Completion of Tonala Site in Mexico

Bernardo Santos, General Manager of the Guadalajara and Tonala Sites in Mexico, shared his mission for the new facility, emphasizing the commitment to innovation, quality, and community engagement. Santos will affirm, "Our mission at the Tonala Site is to foster a collaborative environment where cutting-edge technology and local talent come together to drive success and contribute to the region's economic development."

Matthew Behringer, Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations Development and General Manager of North American Operations, addressed the business landscape and the significant role the Tonala Site will play in USI's expansion strategy. "The Tonala Site represents a pivotal step in our North American operations, enabling us to enhance our service capabilities and better meet the needs of our clients in this dynamic market."

Representing the USI headquarters, Clement Chen, Corporate Senior Vice President of GS&S/COD, stated the company's strategic goals for sustainability and the importance of Mexico within this framework. Chen highlighted, "As a responsible member of our planet-wise enterprises for business sustainability alliance, USI prioritizes Sustainable Development Goals through four core strategies: Low Carbon, Circular, Collaborative, and Inclusive. In 2023, our GDL factory achieved a 100% Green Electricity Ratio. The sustainability program will soon extend to our Tonala factory, reinforcing our dedication to responsible business practices and environmental stewardship."

Roberto Arechederra, Jalisco Governor Rep., said, "The announcement of this investment by USI opens the door to continue consolidating what has been happening since 1962 in the state of Jalisco, a long-term vision, where innovation and high technology are part of our DNA, manufacturing and quality work. They operate with a long-term vision. In Jalisco, we feel very honored that USI has trusted the state since 1997, and we celebrate this technology that USI is going to make in Jalisco, and we celebrate its expansion in our country and our state."

Sergio Chavez, Mayor of Tonala Municipality, said, "Tonala is the fifth most populated municipality in Jalisco, with enormous growth, and what a few months ago was just empty land, today there will be technology that will be exported to Europe, Asia and America. We are talking about an investment of almost 82 million USD with 3,000 new jobs, and that is what we mayors have to promote. We must make the investment arrive, take care of them and help them with the necessary permits."

The Tonala Site is poised to become a center of excellence, driving technological advancements and contributing to the local economy. USI is excited to embark on this new chapter and looks forward to the positive impact the site will have on the region and beyond.

About USI (SSE: 601231)

USI, Universal Scientific Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., is a global leader in electronic design and manufacturing as well as a leader in the field of SiP (System-in-Package) technology. With Asteelflash and Hirschmann Car Communication, USI has 30 production and service locations across four continents of Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, and offers customer diversified electronic products with D(MS)2 product services: Design, Manufacturing, Miniaturization, Industrial software, and hardware Solutions, and material procurement, logistics and maintenance Services. USI is a subsidiary of ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 3711, NYSE: ASX). To learn more, please visit www.usiglobal.com and engage with us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

SOURCE USI
GREENVILLE, S.C., July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VentureSouth, one of the top 10 angel groups in North America, is excited to announce investments totaling $5.5 million into 24 early-stage companies in the first half of 2024. In addition to the investment activity, despite quieter M&A markets, VentureSouth also distributed nearly $2 million in returns to investors from prior investments.

Like many early-stage investors, investing activity this year has focused on existing portfolio companies, with investments into 20 existing companies. Four new companies, which received approximately $1 million of investment, also joined the VentureSouth portfolio.

Existing portfolio companies receiving investment included KIYATEC and 6AM City in Greenville (which announced a major round of funding led by Tegna in February), and Trio Labs and Redbud Labs in Raleigh.

VentureSouth Managing Director Paul Clark commented, "While signs are pointing to its improvement, 2024 has been a challenging year for companies raising capital in our region. Thus, we are proud to have devoted support and funding to our portfolio companies to help them continue to thrive. We look forward to continuing this support for the rest of 2024."

New companies joining the portfolio were: Phinite, which turns animal farms into renewable fertilizer mines, in eastern North Carolina; MPath Health in Winston-Salem, NC, which uses automation to improve the performance of healthcare systems; UrbanSDK in Jacksonville, FL, a traffic management software company helping state and local governments better understand their traffic flows; and Seafarer Exploration, an underwater archaeology technology company in Tampa, FL.

Clark further added, "VentureSouth has invested in an interesting variety of compelling new technologies and businesses this year. From studying traffic to finding buried treasure, our investors have the opportunity to invest in fascinating technologies and talented entrepreneurs while supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystems across the southeast."

VentureSouth also completed several new strategic activities this year. It launched new groups in Savannah, GA, and along the "Space Coast" in Melbourne, FL, conducted educational workshops across the southeast, and helped curate and launch the Upstate Upstarts list of early stage technology companies in the Upstate region of South Carolina. The group also enjoyed record attendance of over 250 investors at its annual VentureSouth Summit, held earlier this year in Greenville, SC.

Media Contact: Paul Clark, [email protected]

SOURCE VentureSouth
LOGAN, Utah, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Visionary Homes is pleased to announce Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. has partnered to acquire 51% of the company on June 18, 2024. Misawa Homes America, Inc. (MHAM) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Misawa Homes Co. with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Visionary Homes is a 20-year-old, top-ranking homebuilder in Utah with a strong market share and brand position making the partnership attractive for Misawa's expansion aspirations. Misawa Homes Co. aims to achieve substantial growth through the Visionary Homes partnership combined with other previously acquired homebuilders.

In 2018, Misawa Homes Group entered their first market outside of Japan by investing in Australian-based Homecorp Constructions Pty Ltd., and just one year later entered the housing industry in the US by acquiring an interest in Impression Homes LLC., a homebuilder established in the Texas market. The investment in Visionary Homes is Misawa's first within the western US, which will support the parent firm's goals to accelerate the growth of its overseas housing portfolio reaching $497.5 million (approximately 80 billion) in fiscal 2024. The combined Misawa Homes sales of overseas business in these two countries amounted to $368.7 million (approximately 59.3 billion) in 2023.

Visionary Homes was founded in 2004 and is a privately held homebuilder with the largest footprint of Utah builders from Logan to St. George. The homebuilder has thirty active communities that serve both first-time and second-time homebuyers. The company's vast mix of home designs across single-family and multifamily communities also offers the company flexibility to adapt to changing consumer demands while being able to serve increasing migration rates across the state over the last several years and counting. To keep up with changes in consumer preferences, the company is focused on adopting cutting-edge technology to improve its systems and processes for growth and has further differentiated itself in the market with an award-winning design center experience.

Visionary Homes has expanded its market share through steady sales performance and a dedication to evolving while meeting the needs of today's customers. Visionary has strategically adjusted its product mix to not only include single-family homes, but also townhomes and condo communities. In 2022, the share of multi-family housing in the company's total sales of 804 units reached 40%. Visionary has not only offered homebuilding growth through starts and sales year over year, but the firm also takes pride in being named "Best Homebuilder" four times throughout 2021, 2022, and 2023 across The Best of Northern Utah and The Best of Southern Utah awards programs. Additionally, Zonda and other internal Visionary Homes measures have respectively reported the company as being the fourth largest builder based on sales in 2022 and 2023.

Visionary Homes looks forward to leveraging the Misawa partnership to grow, explore new technologies and cutting-edge building practices cultivated in Japan, and collaborate on best practices shared among other builders in the portfolio. Jeff Jackson, Founder and CEO stated, "The Misawa partnership provides a wonderful opportunity for the future of the company. We started as a small custom homebuilder that was completing only a handful of homes per year. Reflecting on two decades of planned growth across the state, coupled with the dedication of our team members, makes this strategic partnership a cornerstone that will fortify our position as a premier builder in Utah and paves the way for our expansion into neighboring markets. Visionary Homes is well known for its dedication to quality, value, and customer experience, and our Misawa partnership not only supports these deeply rooted traits but also allows Visionary to secure the long-term viability of the company."

About Visionary Homes

Visionary Homes is one of the largest privately held homebuilders across Utah. Since 2004, the passion of company founders Jeff Jackson and Justin Cooper has been to edify all within the company's circle of influence: employees, customers, trade partners, industry partners, and the broader community. The Visionary team strives to carry on this legacy by creating homes and communities that reflect expert craftsmanship and deliver exceptional living experiences. Visionary Homes has earned numerous accolades for its outstanding quality and value, solidifying its reputation as a trusted leader in the industry. With a strong and rapidly growing presence across Utah, Visionary Homes continues to impact the home-building landscape, making homeownership a reality for countless families. Visit visionaryhomes.com to learn more.

Inquiries may be directed to:

Jennifer Cooper

Chief Marketing Officer

Visionary Homes

720.557.1697

[email protected]

SOURCE Visionary Homes
MONTREAL, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra, a leading provider of essential business services to companies and funds, is pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline Baker as Country Managing Director (CMD) for North America.

Caroline Baker, Country Managing Director, North America

In March this year, Vistra set out its renewed purpose to partner with clients as they pursue their growth ambitions, helping them to drive progress and contribute to prosperity globally. This newly created role further reinforces the strategic importance of the North American market to Vistra as it seeks to support its clients' growth ambitions. As part of its strategy, the company will invest and grow its brand and scale in the US and Canada, two of the largest economies in the world.

Vistra understands that clients across both countries are increasingly in need of cross-border services, and it has also witnessed rising interest from international clients wishing to expand and raise capital in North America. In response to these trends, Caroline will drive an active growth strategy for the region, expanding Vistra's Commercial team. The expansion of Vistra in North America is already underway with the recent appointments of Kristen Badgley to lead the US Corporate Solutions Commercial team and Chris Murphy in the US Fund Solutions team.

Caroline reports to Jonathan Ferrara, Regional Managing Director for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Channel Islands, India, Americas, and Middle East (UKICIIAME). Jonathan states, "I'm thrilled to appoint Caroline in this new role for Vistra. We have an ambitious strategy, vision and goals, and her presence in this important market will be critical to achieving our objectives. Her global experience, most recently in Asia and North America, positions her perfectly to support our reimagined business. She is a strong leader for our colleagues and will play a huge part in making operating globally feel borderless and frictionless for our clients."

Caroline Baker, Country Managing Director for North America at Vistra, comments, "I've been with Vistra through multiple phases of its growth journey and this next step feels the most exciting. We aim to create, innovate, and do great things that accelerate global progress, and our market presence in North America will play a huge part in achieving this ambition. I'm delighted to take on this new role to help our clients grow with confidence, and to bring new opportunities for our colleagues."

Caroline began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Montreal, before moving to Sydney, London, and Singapore. She then became CFO at a large investment firm with USD$5bn of listed, private equity and real-estate investments across Asia. Caroline joined Vistra in Singapore in 2014 where she has held various leadership roles in Alternative Investments, Private Equity, and country management. She moved to Canada in 2018 to establish the Toronto office before returning to Singapore as Managing Director for Southeast Asia. In 2024, she relocated back to Montreal where she is based, and is now both the CMD for North America and Global Head of Operations for Funds.

In her funds role, she supports Abdel Hmitti, Global Head of Funds, and the broader Funds Business Unit with key global relationships and connections across Vistra's global funds markets including Asia, Europe and the US. Vistra works with almost 70% of Private Equity International's top 300 funds by facilitating the rapid deployment of private capital worldwide, and ultimately helping its clients achieve their fund growth goals.

Caroline is a Chartered Professional Accountant and member of CPA Canada, with a bachelor's degree and postgraduate diploma, majoring in accounting from Concordia University in Montreal. A native English speaker, she is also fluent in French.

For further information, please contact:

Ellie King

[email protected]

About Vistra

Vistra is a leading provider of essential business services to help companies and private capital funds grow across the entire business and investment lifecycle.

Here at Vistra, our purpose is progress. As a close ally to our clients, our role is to remove the friction that comes from the complexity of global business. We partner with companies and private capital managers along the corporate and private capital lifecycle. From HR to tax and from legal entity management to regulatory compliance, we quietly fix the operational and administrative frustrations that hamper business growth. With over 9,000 experts in more than 50 markets, we can accelerate progress, improve processes, and reduce risk, wherever your ambition takes you.

For more information about Vistra, visit vistra.com

SOURCE Vistra
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Paris, July 17 : French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation, but asked him to stay as the head of a caretaker government until the establishment of a new administration, the presidential office has announced.

"For this period to end as soon as possible, it is up to the Republican forces to work together to build unity around projects and actions in the service of the French people," the Elysee said in a press release on Tuesday.

As a caretaker government, Attal and his governmental team can only oversee the normal operation of administrations, and intervene in the event of an emergency, Xinhua news agency reported.

Succeeding Elisabeth Borne, Attal was nominated prime minister on January 9 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest to hold the position in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Attal submitted his resignation to Macron on July 8 after the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the snap legislative elections. But Macron asked him to stay on the post "for the moment" to ensure the country's stability.

On Thursday, the elected deputies are expected to choose the speaker of the new National Assembly. According to the French electoral laws, ministers in office cannot cast their ballots. But with the resignation accepted, Attal and his ministers who were elected deputies, now can vote in the speaker election.

The winner alliance of the legislative elections, the New Popular Front (NFP), has not yet been able to propose a candidate to be the next prime minister. Macron's decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly.

In the two rounds of legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, Macron's centrist coalition finished second with 163 seats, trailing the left-wing parties' alliance, the NFP, which secured a relative majority with 182 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.

The French president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9 and called for new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament elections.
Bangkok, July 17 : Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered an investigation after six foreign nationals were found dead at a hotel in downtown Bangkok.

Police have dismissed earlier reports that they were killed following a shooting.

Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Thiti Saengsawang said the bodies of three men and three women were found in a single hotel room on Tuesday and the cause of the deaths has not been confirmed, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said initial investigations suggest that the incident may have been linked to poisoning, as suspicious substances were discovered in the hotel room and no signs of struggle were found at the scene.

Prime Minister Thavisin has ordered the investigation into the incident to "prevent any impact on the public".
Cairo, July 17 : Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has held a phone talk with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian presidency has said in a statement.

During the call on Tuesday, Sissi briefed Macron on Egypt's mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, while highlighting the need for uniting international efforts to ensure the success of mediation and deliver adequate humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave, Xinhua news agency reported.

Macron expressed appreciation for Egypt's persistent efforts since the onset of the ongoing Israel-Palestine crisis. The two leaders agreed on the importance of enhancing international cooperation to prevent the conflict from expanding and the region from slipping into further turmoil.

The two leaders reiterated the need to advance the two-state solution as the best way to achieve lasting security and stability in the region, according to the statement.

Egypt and Qatar hosted a new round of negotiations over the past week, with the participation of the United States, aiming for a ceasefire agreement and a detainee swap deal between Israel and Hamas. However, little progress has been made.
Seoul, July 17 : South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik on Wednesday called for firm readiness against North Korea's "provocations", his office said, amid the North's "repeated threat" to respond to anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by South Korean activists.

Shin made the remark in a meeting of top military commanders that was held to discuss potential provocations North Korea may stage and South Korea's response capabilities against such threats, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the defence ministry.

The meeting came a day after the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned that South Korea will face "gruesome and dear" consequences if it lets North Korean defectors continue to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North, just two days after she issued a similar statement Sunday.

Also discussed in the meeting was maintaining a firm readiness in response to ongoing downpours that have pummeled the greater Seoul area and providing support for recovery efforts in flood-hit areas, the ministry said.

The ministry warned against the possibility of land mines planted by the North flowing into the South due to heavy rain and advised the public not to touch suspected land mines or suspicious objects in the border area.
Seoul, July 17 : Samsung has launched an energy management service for Tesla electric vehicles in the United States as part of their strategic partnership aimed at enhancing connectivity at home, industry sources said on Wednesday.

Samsungas aSmartThings Energya platform is now available for Tesla drivers in the U.S., allowing them to monitor and control the charging status of their EV batteries and the power generated by solar panels, according to the sources.

Synced with the Tesla app's Powerwall "Storm Watch" function, the AI-powered SmartThings connectivity platform alerts users on their connected Samsung TVs and mobile devices in case of extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes and heavy snowfall.

The new service is part of the new alliance between the South Korean and U.S. tech giants, which was announced at CES 2024, a global IT exhibition, earlier this year.

The Samsung-Tesla collaboration focuses on integrating Samsung Electronics' SmartThings Energy with Tesla's energy product lineup, including the Powerwall home battery, Solar Inverter, Wall Connector charging solutions and electric vehicles.

Samsung Electronics said it plans to expand the service outside the US in the future.
Milwaukee, July 17 : Police officers from Ohio shot and killed a man, who was wielding knives, near a Republican Party National Convention site in Wisconsin.

According to the police, the man, identified as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe, was holding a knife in each hand. The situation escalated when Sharpe charged at an unarmed individual, prompting the officers to open fire. Two knives were recovered from the scene.

"Someone's life was in danger," Milwaukee police chief Jeffrey Norman said during a Press conference. "These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone's life."

The incident occurred on Tuesday amid heightened security in Milwaukee, where thousands of officers from various jurisdictions are deployed to ensure the safety of the Republican National Convention, which started on Monday and is set to conclude on Thursday.

The shooting has sparked outrage among Milwaukee residents, who questioned the necessity of out-of-state officers patrolling their neighbourhood, which is located over a kilometre away from the convention site. Many locals gathered at the scene, voicing their anger and planning a nighttime vigil to honour Sharpe.

"They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park," said Linda Sharpe, Samuel's cousin. "What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?"

Linda Sharpe described her cousin Samuel as a long-time resident of a tent encampment situated across the street from King Park, where the shooting took place. This encampment is a known fixture in the neighbourhood, which hosts several social service clinics and a shelter.

Residents believe that Milwaukee police officers, familiar with the local homeless population, might have been able to de-escalate the situation more effectively.

Norman explained that a group of 13 Columbus officers, part of a bicycle patrol, were in their designated area when they noticed the altercation involving Sharpe. They reached there and repeatedly commanded Sharpe to drop his weapons, but he ignored their orders and moved towards the unarmed individual, prompting the officers to fire.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has scheduled an autopsy for Wednesday and further investigation into the shooting is underway.
Jaipur, July 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) have arrested Sanjay Badaya, a close aide of former Water Supply Minister Mahesh Joshi, in the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam case.

This is the fourth arrest made by the ED in this case under sections of the money laundering law.

ED sources said that Badaya was produced before the court late on Tuesday evening and has been remanded for four days. The officials said that Badaya was called to the ED office at 9 a.m. and questioned for about five hours.

An ED official, on condition of anonymity, said that they have found some incriminating evidence and documents indicating Badaya's active role in money laundering related to the JJM case.

"Even during the raids conducted at 18 to 20 places by government officials and others in Jaipur in September last year, we received information about illegally earned money," the official said.

During the investigation, it was found that Sanjay Badaya was in touch with private contractors and middlemen and was taking bribes on behalf of PHED officials.

He was playing the role of a bridge between the officials and the contractors. Investigation revealed that Sanjay Badaya was the right-hand man of former PHED Minister Mahesh Joshi and had interference in the office and its files.

So far, ED has arrested Piyush Jain and his father Padam Chand Jain and Mahesh Mittal in this case.
New Delhi, July 17 : As millions of people remain concerned about the safety of their data when they browse the web, Apple has revealed how data tracking is still all-pervasive and browsers can expose users to it without their permission - tracking their behaviour for advertising purposes.

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) As millions of people remain concerned about the safety of their data when they browse the web, Apple has revealed how data tracking is still all-pervasive and browsers can expose users to it without their permission  tracking their behaviour for advertising purposes.

The threats are multiple -- data companies can track you across multiple websites, your location data can be collected without your permission, web extensions can violate your privacy and even if you go into private mode, your protections are limited.

In contrast, according to Apple which has released a new film on browser safety, Safari prevents cross-site tracking; helps you protect your location data; has privacy-preserving web extensions; and a state-of-the-art Private Browsing mode with real protections.

Some websites include 100 or more trackers from different companies on a single page.

Data companies are also constantly evolving new techniques to track people, so Apple has gone beyond just blocking cookies by creating 'Intelligent Tracking Prevention'.

The company uses machine learning to learn which domains are used to track you, and then it immediately isolates and purges the tracking data from your device.

"If you want to see what Intelligent Tracking Prevention is protecting you from, you can look at the Safari Privacy Report," according to the tech giant.

Safari also hides IP address from known trackers.

"This is important, because your IP address can be used to identify you across websites and sessions, and it can reveal your precise location," according to Apple.

However, new techniques known as fingerprinting even go so far as to track your system configuration, your fonts and your plug-ins that have been installed.

Even your screen resolution can be used as part of a fingerprint.

This allows them to combine these characteristics of your device to create a "fingerprint" to track you online.

To combat fingerprinting, Safari presents a simplified version of the system configuration to trackers so more devices look identical, making it harder to single one out, Apple informed.

Safari also supports the official WebExtensions standard, so it's easy for developers to offer extensions from other browsers.

"With Safari, users are informed about the information the extension can access before they enable it. And they can restrict the access an extension has to just a day or to just specific websites," said the company.

Safari was the first browser to introduce a Private Browsing mode, back in 2005.

The additional privacy protections of Private Browsing in Safari 17.0, Safari 17.2 and Safari 17.5 set a new bar for user protection.
Mumbai, July 17 : Actor Avinash Tiwary, who was recently seen in the theatrical mad-cap comedy 'Madgaon Express', recently went to Kashmir for a holiday and had a gala time visiting the place where he shot for his film 'Laila Majnu'.

While in Kashmir, the actor explored places like Srinagar (the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir), the scenic hill station of Tosa Maidan and Cheranbal in Kulgam.

He told IANS that he also went for a "crazy off-roading" session which turned out to be great fun.

He said: "My recent trip to Kashmir was a magical experience. Kashmir will always hold a special place in my heart because I have cherished, most beautiful memories of my life during 'Laila Majnu'."

'Laila Majnu', which marked his third film, also features 'Animal' star Triptii Dimri. The film is based on the classic folklore of Layla and Majnun. It was directed by Sajid Ali, the brother of auteur Imtiaz Ali.

Avinash said that Kashmir is his go-to place whenever he seeks peace. He told IANS: "It feels so warm when my fans come to me and express their love, which makes my time in Kashmir even more special. Whenever I need peace, I run away to Kashmir, there is something magical, melancholic about that place."

"My fans also arranged a meet and greet at my favourite cafe which was the highlight of the trip. Meeting them is always special for me. My heart is full," he added.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Avinash is set to reunite with Neeraj Pandey for 'Sikandar Ka Muqqadar'. The two earlier collaborated on 'Khakee: The Bihar Chapter'.
Yavatmal : , July 17 (IANS) In view of the unending saga of farmer suicides in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday urged the Centre to provide Rs 1 lakh crore to tackle the agrarian crises in the state and rein in deaths in farmlands in the country.

In a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman  who will present the Union Budget 2024-2025 in Parliament on July 22  and copy to PM Narendra Modi, SS(UBT)'s farmer face Kishore Tiwari has proposed a 16-point charter of demands which can bring succor to the tillers all over.

"We request the FM and PM to consider the demands positively At least 620 farmers have ended their lives in the past six months in the state and more than 27,300 have committed suicide since 2001. Hence we have made a demand for a decent amount in the budgetary allocation for farmers and taking up an Integrated West Vidarbha Agricultural Welfare Programme," Tiwari said in the letter.

Elaborating, he said that the western Vidarbha comprises Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal districts famous since 1846 for its 'white gold cash crop' or dryland cotton farming.

However, since 1998 when the agriculture crisis started and farmers started ending their lives from 2001, the then NDA government of PM AB Vajpayee took serious note of the agrarian issues.

Later, the UPA government of PM Manmohan Singh appointed the National Farmers Commission headed by Dr. MS Swaminathan, who visited Vidarbha and recommended long term solutions.

"However, the then government preferred aid packages and loan waivers which failed to serve the basic purpose owing to huge corruption at lower levels and the problems of cotton-soybean farmers did not end. The NDA headed by PM Modi promised to address the core issues of costs, crop, credit in 2014, but it had little impact and the 'genocide' continued in farmlands," Tiwari said.

Against this backdrop, Tiwari put forth the key 16-points elaborately which he claimed can resolve the agriculture crisis and also arrest farmer suicides.

They are: Reduce cultivation costs by addressing soil-water problems and input price regulator; Fair MSP for cotton-soybean which is at present less than the cultivation costs as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations; implementing 5-year credit provision policy to avoid exploitation by the RBI-regulated NBFCs; 100 per cent subsidy for change in cropping system and reduction of areas under cash crops; farmer as the unit for an all-encompassing crop insurance scheme.

The other points include: Village-wise Farmer Produce Organisations linked to all other stakeholders; free health facility in rural areas; free professional education for rural students; include all agricultural field work in EGS/MGNREGS; provision for free irrigation/electricity in the drought-prone areas; processing and warehousing facility in all villages; recognition to landless, tenant, women and tribal farmers; food security provision under Antyodaya Scheme in west Vidarbha.

Besides, Tiwari sought action against corrupt officials exploiting farmers from the village level and above in connivance with the elected public representatives, and fixing the responsibility of each suicide on the District Collector.

Tiwari said he had sent the letter to FM Sitharaman for favourable consideration in the Budget 2024-2025 proposals, President, PM, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Maharashtra Governor, CM, and other officials.
Agartala, July 17 : Even as the ethnic violence-hit Ganda Twisa in Dhalai District is limping back to normal, the Tripura government on Wednesday announced Rs 1.60 crore compensation for the 166 affected families, officials said.

Large-scale arson, attacks and looting took place in Ganda Twisa on July 12 after the death of a tribal college student Parameshwar Reang, who succumbed to his injuries after being assaulted on July 7.

According to officials, over 40 houses, 30 shops, and many vehicles were either burnt or severely damaged by the attackers in Ganda Twisa situated 130 km southeast of Agartala.

Over 300 villagers took shelter in special camps after the violence.

A senior official on Wednesday said that Rs 6 lakh has been sanctioned in favour of Kharagaram Reang, father of Parameshwar Reang while Rs 1.54 crore has been sanctioned for providing financial assistance to 165 affected families.

He said that already financial assistance of Rs 25,000 was given to each of the affected families as interim relief.

"Detailed assessment of the affected houses, shops and other properties is being carried out and soon after the completion of assessment the balance financial assistance will be made shortly," the official told the media.

The families who took shelter in the relief camp are being regularly assisted and health camps have been opened there.

Dhalai District Magistrate, Saju Vaheed A. and Superintendent of Police Avinash Rai and other senior officials have been visiting Ganda Twisa almost regularly since July 12.

A four-member BJP delegation led by Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy on Monday visited the violence-hit area and faced the wrath of the affected people.

An elderly person, whose house was also burnt down in the arson, claimed that as many as 11 wedding ceremonies in the area were cancelled due to the violence.
New Delhi, July 17 : Nasscom, representing India's $200 billion technology industry, on Wednesday said it is seriously concerned about the provisions of a Bill providing for reservation for Kannadigas in private companies in Karnataka.

Nasscom and its members said they were disappointed and expressed deep concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024, saying restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce.

"Nasscom members are seriously concerned about the provisions of this Bill and urge the state government to withdraw it," said the IT industry's apex body.

"The Bill's provisions threaten to drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state. At the same time, the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce," Nasscom added.

The apex industry chamber said it is seeking an urgent meeting of industry representatives with state authorities to discuss their concerns and prevent Karnataka's progress from being derailed.

Globally, there is a huge shortage of skilled talent and Karnataka despite the large pool, is no exception.

"For states to become a key technology hub a dual strategy is key - magnet for best talent worldwide and focussed investment in building a strong talent pool within the state through formal and vocational channels," Nasscom noted.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has deleted a social media post announcing 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in all Group C and Group D jobs in private companies in the state.

On Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah had posted the 100 per cent reservation news on X.

The technology sector contributes almost 25 per cent of Karnataka's GDP and has played a key role in enabling higher growth and higher per capita income than the national average.

With over a quarter of India's digital talent, Karnataka houses over 30 per cent of the total GCCs and around 11,000 startups.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 17 : A book by a former journalist titled 'Solar (Vi)shesham' (solar and after) has claimed that the solar scam in Kerala was orchestrated to politically and personally destroy late Congress leader Oommen Chandy.

Chandy was the Chief Minister of Kerala on two occasions, first from 2004 to 2006 and then had a full term from 2011 to 16. It was in his second tenure that the solar scam took place.

Written by John Mundakayam, who headed the Thiruvananthapuram bureau of the Malyala Manorama for several decades, his book contends that the solar scam was orchestrated to politically and personally destroy Oommen Chandy.

"The opposition believed smearing Chandy's image was essential to regain power, leveraging his popularity from projects like the Kochi Metro Rail and the Vizhinjam project. The scandal began when certain ruling party members conspired with the opposition," says Mundakayam.

He traces the origin of the scam when widespread discussions about solar energy as an alternative to hydroelectric projects and Team Solar led by Biju Radhakrishnan and Saritha S. Nair, emerged.

They defrauded investors by falsely claiming connections with leaders. When complaints surfaced, both were arrested, sparking rumours about Nair's ties to Chief Minister Chandy. Allegations of her frequent visits to Chandy's office added a political angle to the scandal.

"The politically motivated allegations scaled the scam to fraudulent schemes worth 10,000 crore rupees and significant losses to the treasury, along with sexual harassment allegations. Despite investigations by state police and the CBI, none of the accusations were proven," says the book.

The book also reveals the political conspiracy involving opposition members, ruling party factions, and the bar mafia who were unhappy with the policy changes.

The book will be launched a day after Chandy's first death anniversary with numerous functions at the church where he is interred at Puthupally in Kottayam and other places in the state.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will launch the book here on July 19 with popular writer Rosemary receiving the first copy.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan will preside and former diplomat Venu Rajamani will introduce the book.

Initially, the opposition's accusations were financial but shifted to sexual when investigations found no government support for Team Solar.

These allegations led to statewide violence and a Secretariat blockade.

Mundakkayam writes that he was contacted by fellow journalist and friend, who headed the CPI-M channel Kairali at the time, John Brittas, presently a Rajya Sabha member, to explore options for settling the staged protest.

The book gives more behind-the-scenes details of CPI-M leaders negotiating with Chandy to end the strike despite John Brittas's denial and attempts to suppress the information.

The book points out Chandy's secret meeting with Biju Radhakrishnan who was to address a complaint about Nair's relationship with a cabinet member and Chandy despite coming under pressure never revealed about the meeting. The book details, why Chandy kept it a secret.

It also explores the controversial letter allegedly written by Saritha, highlighting inconsistencies and the political motives behind including Chandy's name.

Mundakayam also shares his direct experiences with Chandy's charitable activities, revealing his decision to forgo costly treatment in New York, after being identified with throat cancer.

Examining the Solar Commission judicial report, the author attacks its lack of substance and details and how the court dismissed the report as baseless.
Bengaluru, July 17 : Contradicting the announcement of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on reservation for Kannadigas in the private sector, Large and Medium Industries Minister M. B. Patil on Wednesday said that the state cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialisation.

Speaking to reporters here, Minister Patil, a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah, said, "Karnataka is a progressive state, and we cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialisation."

"We will make sure that everyone's interests are safeguarded. The Industries are assured that they need not have any fear or apprehensions and can rest assured," he said.

"India is currently experiencing a manufacturing and industrial revolution driven by the global China Plus One policy. In this competitive era, states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana are striving to be at their best. It is of utmost importance for all states to be at their competitive peak," Minister Patil maintained.

"Keeping the interests of Kannadigas paramount, I will discuss this issue with CM Siddaramaiah, IT-BT Minister, Law Minister, and Labour Minister. We will have wider consultations," Minister Patil said.

"We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries," he maintained. The government will provide skill training for Kannada people to enable them to get job opportunities, he said.

CM Siddaramaiah had announced that his government would introduce a bill on the session providing reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector.

He had stated that 100 per cent reservation would be given in 'C' and 'D' category jobs.

Sources said that the bill provides reservations for 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent of non-management positions to Kannadigas.
Patna, July 17 : After the gruesome murder of Jitan Sahani, Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav visited the house of his son Mukesh Sahani in Darbhanga on Wednesday and consoled him and his family. He demanded the immediate arrest of the accused followed by a speedy trial to ensure justice for the victim and capital punishment for the accused.

Pappu Yadav raised serious concerns about the law and order situation in Bihar.

"The way he was murdered has shocked everyone in the country. I have urged the immediate arrest followed by a speedy trial and capital punishment for those who were involved in the murder. It has put a serious question mark on the law and order situation in Bihar," Yadav said.

He expressed his shock and grief over the killing of Jitan Sahani and highlighted his concern over the frequent murders in various districts of Bihar.

"I want to ask the state government to call an all-party meeting to address the rising crime rate. The criminals do not have caste or religion," he said.

The Purnea MP said that he met the ADGP Bihar and the Chief Secretary on Tuesday and discussed the incident. He urged them to solve the case promptly.

Meanwhile, the Darbhanga police have made significant progress in the investigation of the murder The district police have detained four individuals based on CCTV footage.

Police sources indicated that the deceased, Jitan Sahani, had lent money on interest to two of the four suspects. An altercation occurred because Sahani had kept the bike of one of the suspects as a guarantee a day before the incident.

The police are gathering information about the financial transactions and mobile call history of the four suspects. The CCTV footage has not been released to the public yet.
Gadchiroli : , July 17 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and Industry Minister Uday Samant had a narrow escape on Wednesday after the helicopter in which they were travelling from Nagpur to Gadchiroli lost its way due to poor visibility amid bad weather.

However, the pilot skilfully managed to get back on course and landed the helicopter safely.

The trio had gone to Gadchiroli for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 10,000 crore Surjagad Ispat integrated steel project in Aheri tehsil of the district.

It was Ajit Pawar who narrated the incident at the function, crediting the pilotas skill in their safe landing.

"The helicopter properly took off from Nagpur for Gadchiroli. I was quite comfortable after our take-off, watching the clouds. I also told Fadnavis to see them. However, during the journey, the helicopter lost its route due to monsoon clouds. Despite this, Fadnavis was quite calm and was chatting with me. I was getting restless and worried. However, Fadnavis told me not to worry saying that he had met with six accidents earlier and escaped safely. He told me that I will also be safe today," he said.

The NCP chief said Fadnavis repeatedly told him not to worry.

"I was getting worried about a safe landing. But Fadnavis was quite cool. Uday Samant told me to watch out for the landing site. After looking at it from the window, I heaved a sigh of relief," he added.
Pandharpur, July 17 : After the 'Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' for women in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced a scheme for the 'Ladka Bhau (beloved brother)' under 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya-Prashikshan Yojana' that provides on-the-job training with a monthly stipend.

The CM announced this after performing a traditional 'puja' on the auspicious occasion of Aashadhi Ekadashi in Pandharpur.

He said the government was resolved to implement the 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya-Prashikshan Yojana' for fiscal 2024-25 in a serious bid to increase the employability of the youth of the state by giving them real work training after their education.

The ambitious scheme, which was proposed by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in the annual budget 2024-25, is meant for 'Ladka Bhau' after the government announced the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana to provide a month aid of Rs 1,500 to eligible women (Rs 18,000 annually) between 21 and 65 years of age.

After the Ladki Bahin Yojana announcement, the opposition was questioning why the government had not proposed any scheme for brothers. The government issued the Government Resolution in this regard with an annual outgo worth Rs 10,000 crore for its implementation.

The governmentas initiative is designed to provide internship opportunities to unemployed youth and enhance candidatesa employability through practical training with entrepreneurs.

The CM chose to clarify that the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya-Prashikshan Yojana is meant for Ladka Bhau wherein the trainees will be given a monthly stipend as per their educational qualification. For Class 12th, the government will pay a stipend of Rs 6,000 per month, ITI/Diploma Rs 8,000 per month and Graduate/Postgraduate Rs 10,000 per month.

The on-the-job training will be provided in industrial and non-industrial establishments to 10 lakh youth every year to provide employment opportunities to the needy youth and make available trained manpower to industries. The duration of the on-the-job training will be six months and the eligible candidates will get a monthly stipend for six months.

"Some people criticized the government after the Ladaki Bahin Yojana was introduced asking what the government did for Ladka Bhau (beloved brother). I want to tell the critics that the government is looking after the beloved brothers too. Job-seeking candidates and employers providing employment will be connected through the website created under this initiative. Job-seeking candidates will get practical work experience and their training skills will be enhanced. Entrepreneurs will be provided with the manpower required for their industry through the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana. Candidates seeking employment and entrepreneurs seeking training will easily register on the department's website," said Shinde.

As per the scheme, the minimum age of candidates should be 18 years and a maximum of 35 years. The minimum educational qualification of the candidate should be 12th Pass/ ITI / Diploma / Degree / Postgraduation. However, candidates who are still studying will not be eligible to participate in this scheme.

Other eligibility criteria include the candidate being a resident of Maharashtra, the candidate having an Aadhaar registration, and the bank account of the candidate should be attached to the Aadhaar. The candidates should have obtained an employment registration number by registering on the web portal of the Commissionerate of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

As far as the industries and establishments are concerned, they should be working in the state and registered with the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation web portal as an employer. They should have established their unit for three years and should be registered with RPF, ESIC, GST, DPIT and Udyog Aadhar and have a certificate of incorporation.
Kolkata, July 17 : Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, on Wednesday called for the scrapping of the minority cell in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP MLA also said that it would be better to coin a new slogan -- 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Sath' (those who are with us, we are with them) -- instead of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (with everyone and for development of all).

"I have spoken about nationalist Muslims. You all said 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'. But I will not say this anymore. Instead, I will say 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Sath'. There is no need for minority morcha," Adhikari said while delivering his introductory speech at the BJP's working committee meeting to evaluate the party's performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections and Assembly bypolls in West Bengal.

Adhikari also claimed that several Hindu voters were not allowed to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls and the by-elections.

"Previously, only opposition party workers, especially those from the BJP, were attacked and stopped from casting their votes. But now Hindu voters in general are being prevented from casting their votes. As per my estimate, around 50 lakh Hindu voters in the state could not cast their votes in the recent Lok Sabha elections," Adhikari claimed.

The BJP leader also claimed that although there was heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) during the elections, they were not properly utilised by the state administration.

Addressing the meeting, Adhikari also expressed apprehension that he might not be able to cast his vote in the Assembly polls scheduled in 2026.

"There is a high possibility that 50 jihadi goons will block my door so that I don't reach the polling station," he said.
Mumbai, July 17 : Armaan Malik, who will be seen as the new head of the "Bigg Boss OTT 3" house, will be seen nominating Lovekesh Kataria and Sana Sultan for eviction.

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Armaan Malik, who will be seen as the new head of the "Bigg Boss OTT 3" house, will be seen nominating Lovekesh Kataria and Sana Sultan for eviction.

In the upcoming episode, Bigg Boss will take the powers of the housemates for nomination and will give the power to the house head Armaan, who will be nominating Sana Sultan and Lovekesh Kataria, a source told IANS.

In the forthcoming episode, Sai Ketan Rao and Love Kataria will be seen getting into an ugly verbal spat after the two hurl abuses at each other after. However, Lovekesh went up to Sai Ketan to apologise.

The promo showed Bigg Boss asking the housemates to agree to his decision or going with Sana Sultan's decision. The promo did not share much about what the decision was about.

To which, Lovekesh was heard telling Sana that she changed her sides and decision. Sai chimes that Sana did not change sides but the situation was such.

After the altercation, Lovekesh will be seen going to Sai Ketan to apologise. Sai will be seen saying that he does not need his apology as he feels it is not genuine.

The show airs on JioCinema Premium.
Mumbai, July 17 : Actress Saba Azad has started shooting for the second season of the medical comedy-drama 'Who's Your Gynac?'

The upcoming season will delve into the overarching theme of balance as the lead character of Vidushi oscillates between her career, friendship, family, and a blossoming romance.

As her professional responsibilities grow, so do her personal challenges, especially her relationship with Arth and her friendship with Swara.

Talking about the new season of the streaming show, Saba Azad said: "The love we received for season 1 was amazing. I'm just so happy we can tell more of Vidushi's story. I can't wait to play the ups and downs of her journey in Season 2. What's most delightful about Vidushi's struggles and triumphs is how real and relatable they are."

She added: "I think everyone will be able to see a little bit of themselves in her story. The kindness and support from our fans has been so wonderful and we're excited to bring them more laughs, tears, and memorable moments with this new season."

Created and produced by The Viral Fever (TVF), the second season also stars Karishma Singh, Aaron Arjun Koul, Kunal Thakur, and Vibha Chibber.

The show will be available to stream on Amazon miniTV.
Yangon, July 17 : The Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the 'Golden Pagoda' in Myanmar, attracted over 3.6 million visitors in the first six months of 2024, U Boe Thin, a member of the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Among those visitors, over 36,000 were from foreign countries, he added.

During this period, countries with the most visits to the pagoda are China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he said.

The entrance fee for foreigners is 20,000 kyats (about 9.5 U.S. dollars) per person, he told Xinhua news agency.

The visiting hour to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is set from 4 am to 10 pm local time, starting from June 21 this year, according to the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees.
Bengaluru, July 17 : Karnataka government under fire from industrialists following the announcement of the proposed Bill reserving jobs for Kannadigas in the private sector, assured on Wednesday that the interests of both locals and industries would be protected.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the Bill, former Infosys CFO, Mohandas Pai posted on X, saying, "Indeed! It's discriminatory, regressive, and unconstitutional. As a tech hub, we need skilled talent. While local jobs are important, we can't jeopardise our leading position in technology."

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who is also the Chairman of the Vision Group for Biotechnology, said on X: "As a tech hub, we need skilled talent, and while the aim is to provide jobs for locals, we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy."

On its part, the Karnataka government gave clear signs that they would take a relook at the issue.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries, MB Patil on Wednesday assured resolution of concerns over the draft Bill on quota for Kannadigas in private companies.

He promised that a team of four ministers would discuss the matter with CM Siddaramaiah.

Patil, assured that any confusion regarding the draft Bill would be resolved amicably and added that the interests of both Kannadigas and industries would be protected.

"The content in the draft Bill regarding providing reservations to Kannadigas in managerial posts is advisory in nature, and industry stakeholders need not have any apprehension," Patil explained.

The draft Bill states that when two equally qualified candidates are eligible, industries should prioritise appointing locals, but this is merely advisory, he mentioned.

Patil noted that this has already been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister.

Patil said that he and the law, IT/BT and labour ministers would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister to resolve any confusion.

"There is no doubt that protecting the interests of Kannadigas is of paramount importance, however, industries also need to thrive. It should be a win-win situation for both. Keeping this in mind, any confusion will surely be addressed," he noted.

The minister stated that he had also taken note of reactions from entrepreneurs Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Mohandas Pai regarding the draft Bill.

CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had announced that a Bill providing for reservation for Kannadigas in private companies has been cleared by the Cabinet and will be introduced in the state Assembly.
New York, July 16 : Four in five Americans are concerned about increasing political violence following an assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, and fear that the United States "is spiraling out of control," a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The shooting became an alarming headline of news and social media forms, and sent political shocks across the country, with only over three months away from the presidential election, Xinhua news agency reported.

Some 84 per cent of voters in the poll said they were concerned that extremists will commit acts of violence after the November election, an increase from the 74 per cent of the previous result in May.

Around 80 percent of US voters, including Democrats and Republicans, agreed that "the country is spiraling out of the control."

Only 5 per cent of respondents said it was acceptable for someone in their political party to commit violence to achieve a political goal, down from 12 per cent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll from June 2023.

According to the poll, Republican presidential candidate Trump leads a margin over Democratic President Joe Biden, with 43 per cent to 41 per cent.

It suggested that the attempt on Trump's life had not sparked a major shift in voter sentiment, Reuters said after the poll.

The poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 1,202 US adults nationwide, including 992 registered voters.
Hyderabad, July 17 : In another horrific incident, an 18-month-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Hyderabad, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the Jawahar Nagar area on Tuesday night when the boy was playing outside his home. A stray dog pounced on the toddler and dragged him away. Other stray dogs also attacked the hapless child, causing him severe injuries.

Hearing the boyas cries, his parents Bharat and Lakshmi rushed out and chased away the stray dogs. The badly injured Vihaan was shifted to a hospital but he had already succumbed.

On a complaint by the victimas family, Jawahar Nagar police registered a case.

The family had migrated to the city from Siddipet. The area in the northeast part of Hyderabad is home to many migrant families and is also the site for a landfill of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed grief over the incident. He instructed officials to take immediate action against the menace of stray dogs. He asked them to establish a call centre or a toll-free number to receive complaints.

The latest incident has once again brought into focus the growing menace of stray dogs. The city and other towns and villages in the state report dozens of dog bite cases every day. Similar incidents in the past had led to some temporary measures by the municipal authorities but the menace continued.

In May, a five-month-old baby boy was mauled to death by a dog in Telanganaas Vikarabad district. The dog entered a house and pounced on the child sleeping unattended. The childas parents had left for work at a nearby stone unit, leaving the child alone.

In April, stray dogs mauled a two-and-a-half-year-old girl to death while she was playing with her sister outside a construction site in the Gayatri Nagar area in Hyderabad. In December 2023, a five-month-old boy died when stray dogs attacked him in a hut when he was sleeping unattended. The incident had occurred in the Shaikpet area of Hyderabad. In February 2023, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Hyderabad. After this incident, municipal authorities had announced new measures to check the menace of stray dogs but citizens say the measures have not resulted in any change on the ground.
New Delhi, July 17 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a plea filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the CBI in the alleged liquor policy scam.

A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also reserved its verdict on CM Kejriwalas plea seeking release on interim bail.

Earlier, the Delhi HC had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file its response by July 17 to Kejriwalas plea assailing the validity of his arrest by the agency and the subsequent custody.

On June 26, Kejriwal was formally arrested by the CBI when he was produced before Rouse Avenue Court and was sent to three-day CBI custody for interrogation.

His plea seeking regular bail in the CBI case will be taken up for hearing on July 29.

The Delhi High Court on Monday fixed August 7 for a hearing on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea against the trial court order granting bail to the AAP supremo in a money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.

The Supreme Court, on July 12, ordered CM Kejriwal to be released on interim bail in connection with the money laundering case linked to the excise policy case. However, he was not able to walk out of jail since he was arrested by the CBI.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court last week extended till July 25 the judicial custody of Kejriwal in connection with the corruption case lodged by the CBI. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order upon the expiry of the previously granted judicial custody.
New Delhi, July 17 : India must have a robust drug regulation framework to maintain the title 'pharmacy of the world', said Union Health Minister, JP Nadda on Wednesday.

The Union Health Minister said this at a high-level review meeting on regulation of drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices, in the national Capital on Wednesday.

"For India to become the global leader in drug regulation to match our global reputation of 'Pharmacy of the World', we need to have a world-class regulatory framework matching our scale of operations and international expectations," Nadda said.

This comes as contaminations were detected in several India-made drugs recently by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, among others.

Highlighting the global position of India as the leading producer and exporter of drugs, Nadda urged the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to draw a road map with timelines for achieving global standards in its mandated activities.

The minister stated that the upscaling "needs to be systems-based focussing on highest standards of uniformity, technical upgradation, and futuristic approach".

For the export of drugs and pharmaceuticals, the system should be designed for proper intervention to maintain the quality of drugs being exported, he emphasised.

He also underscored the importance of transparency in the working of CDSCO.

"In order to achieve global standards, our focus needs to be on transparency of procedures at CDSCO and within the drugs and medical devices industry," Nadda said.

"Our focus should be on developing mechanisms that ensure ease of doing business for the drugs industry within the regulatory requirements. For this, CDSCO needs to be a user-friendly organisation with state-of-the-art facilities matching global standards," he stated.
Chandigarh, July 17 : The Governor would remain Chancellor of all 12 state-run universities in Punjab with the President of India refusing to give consent to a 2023 Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly.

The Assembly had passed a Bill to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister as the Chancellor.

The Bill comes amid a war of supremacy between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Banwarilal Purohit over appointing Vice-Chancellors.

The Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill of 2023 was returned without assent by the President to the Punjab Raj Bhawan last week, official sources said.

Official sources said two other Bills -- the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill of 2023 and the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill of 2023 are awaiting presidential assent.

The Bill for universities was brought by the AAP government after a standoff between the Governor and the Chief Minister over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot.

These Bills were kept on hold for months after the Governor declared the Assembly session called for their passing "patently illegal."

Later, the Supreme Court declared the session constitutionally valid and asked the Governor to take a call on the Bills.

Apart from the AAP, the universities laws Bill was supported by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member of the House.

Replying to the debate on the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, CM Mann had said the West Bengal Assembly, too, passed a similar Bill last year (2022).

Also, the Kerala Assembly passed a Bill to replace the governor as the Chancellor of universities in the state.

CM Mann had informed the Assembly that "Punjab has rich culture, traditions and heritage, which need to be perpetuated among the younger generations. For this, educational institutions, especially universities, can play a pivotal role.

"To carry forward this legacy, men of high integrity, prudence and repute need to be appointed in the universities of the state as Vice-Chancellors. However, the Governor, who is not from the state and is not aware of its history and culture, is empowered to appoint the Vice-Chancellors, who also creates unnecessary hurdles, which are unfair."
Bhopal, July 17 : Women family members of the tribal youth, who died in police custody, on Wednesday stripped naked as a mark of protests outside the District Collector's Office in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district.

The protest turned ugly when some women stripped their clothes at the collector's office which prompted security personnel to disperse the protesters.

The collector met the aggrieved family at his office and received a written complaint. However, when the police personnel asked the protesters to leave, the protesters resisted, which led to a clash. During the clash, at least two cops were injured.

Sources told IANS that at least 25 women have been booked for creating a ruckus at the collector's office on Tuesday.

The victim, identified as Deva Parathi, died in police custody on Sunday after he was brutally beaten up by the police in custody. However, the police said Deva died of cardiac arrest.

The victim had complained about chest pain while being taken by the police for questioning, following which, he was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead on arrival.

Police had arrested Deva along with one of his relatives, Gangaram, on alleged theft charges. The family members had demanded that an FIR should be registered against the local police.

Police said that the victim's family had initially sought an autopsy to be done in Bhopal but later agreed to a magisterial probe after assurances from authorities.

"Deva and Gangaram were taken into custody for questioning over a theft charges. During the recovery of the stolen items, Deva reportedly complained of chest pain. He was first taken to the Myana Hospital and then to the district hospital, where he was treated. The doctors also administered CPR for 45 minutes but could not save him. He also had seven criminal cases against him at various police stations," Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mann Singh Thakur said.
New Delhi, July 17 : India is the most sought-after destination for medical tourism and preventive healthcare, said Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, on Wednesday.

He said this while addressing the second healthcare summit of the American Chamber of India (AMCHAM) in the national capital.

"Gone are the days when people used to visit other developed nations to access medical facilities," Singh said.

"Now India has become a hub and is the most sought-after destination for medical tourism and among the frontline nations in preventive healthcare," he added.

Noting the achievements like the Ayushman Card, and the Digital healthcare mission, PM Jan Aaushadi, the Minister noted that in the last 10 years, healthcare has been a priority sector for the government. He also pointed out "the world's largest vaccination drive in the Covid pandemic."

Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision for a healthy India. This includes "elimination of communicable diseases and reduction in non-communicable diseases, developing health indices", and the right of accessible healthcare for every citizen.

He also stated the crucial role of technology in ensuring equitable access to healthcare.

The integration of tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), "is revolutionising the healthcare sector", he said.

The tools can help "enhance efficiency, reduce wait times, and improve overall healthcare delivery," he added.

The Minister also described India as among the top six bio-manufacturers of the world with one of the most cost-effective and efficacy-based bio-manufacturing as well as cost-effective healthcare destinations.

He said the bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry has grown 10 times from $13 billion in 2014 to $130 billion in 2024.
Mumbai, July 17 : The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is preparing to initiate stern disciplinary action against seven Maharashtra MLAs suspected of cross-voting in the recent biennial elections for 11 seats to the state Legislative Council in the state, official sources said here.

"Upto seven MLAs have been identified and the state Congress has submitted its report to the General Secretary K. C. Venugopal for the necessary further action. The decision of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in consultation with other senior leaders is expected shortly," a senior party functionary told IANS.

Similar indications were given by Venugopal after the MLC elections in which the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-supported Peasants and Workers Party candidate Jayant P. Patil was trounced, embarrassing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

Later, an irate state Congress President Nana Patole said that the seven suspect MLAs were identified and the party would initiate stringent disciplinary action against them for letting down the MVA nominee Jayant P. Patil.

NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar referred to the incident this afternoon in Pune at a media interaction and while not pointing fingers at anybody, admitted that the PWP leader's defeat was indeed "a political miscalculation and a wrong strategy."

Congress circles have been agog with speculation on the seven purported legislators who allegedly defied the party whip to indulge in cross-voting in the MLC elections on July 12, when 12 candidates were vying for 11 seats, in what was considered a mini-battle ahead of the October Assembly elections.

The cross-voting is said to have helped the ruling MahaYuti ally and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s second candidate sail through at the expense of the PWP contender Jayant P. Patil, though the MVA parties had sufficient votes in their quota.
Gurugram, July 17 : Six people, including a Nigerian national, were arrested on Wednesday and over six kilograms of contraband was seized from their possession in Gurugram.

The arrests were made by a joint team of the Crime Branch of Gurugram Police and the Narcotics Cell.

The arrested were identified as Oseji Alex a native of Nigeria, Sonu, Gajepal, Vikas, Jaya Sheikh and Ashok.

The joint team seized over 6 kilograms of ganja, 12.50 grams of MDMA (ecstasy drug) and 1.3 grams of smack and motorcycles.

The suspects were arrested by the Gurugram police team from different locations.

Suspects were in the city to sell narcotics at a high price, the police said.

"Cases under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) were registered against all the suspects at the different police stations. We are checking the other criminal record," said Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson of the Gurugram Police.
Kolkata, July 17 : The family of a 38-year-old mentally challenged man, found at the Golabari railway station in Nachol, Bangladesh, has been traced to West Bengal's Murshidabad district.

Md Hasan Ali went missing from home nearly six months ago and all efforts to trace him were futile.

On Wednesday, Md Abdul Ghani, a resident of Golabari, spotted Hasan Ali sitting alone at a corner of the railway station. He was curious as people are normally at home with their families on Muharram - a day of mourning and reflection for most Muslims in the subcontinent.

After questioning Hasan Ali for a while, it came to light that he was an Indian national.

Abdul Ghani informed others and the matter soon reached the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), an organisation of dedicated amateur radio operators who have a record of reuniting lost persons with their families.

"We got in touch with Abdul Ghani and told him to speak with Hasan Ali kindly to learn more about his background. We also received Hasan Ali's photograph, though we didn't know his name till then.

"We circulated the photograph and whatever other details we had with our members and friends across the state. Soon, the photograph was identified by the family of Md Ashraf Ali, Hasan Ali's father, from Nowdapara in Kaladanga, Murshidabad," said WBRC member Ambarish Nag Biswas.

Hasan Ali is presently being provided shelter by WBRC's contacts in Bangladesh. The process to repatriate him to India as per the law will commence soon, Nag Biswas said.
New Delhi, July 17 : Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, launched two years ago on September 7, 2022, is an ambitious scheme of the Modi government to impart high-quality education to students and equip them with 21st-century skills, in order to make them 'future-ready'.

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Prime Ministeras Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, launched two years ago on September 7, 2022, is an ambitious scheme of the Modi government to impart high-quality education to students and equip them with 21st-century skills, in order to make them afuture-readya.

The flagship scheme, with an outlay of Rs 27,000 for five years a" to be shared by the Centre and states will work towards upgrading about 14,500 schools into aexemplara institutions across the country, by showcasing the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.

Under the scheme, Centrally operated, state govt-run schools along with Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) are set to upgraded into amodela schools, pan India.

However, the scheme has been met with resistance by some state governments, particularly the Opposition-ruled ones.

To establish PM SHRI schools, the state governments had to sign a memorandum (MoU) with the Union Education Ministry. Though most of them signed pacts for the same, five states namely West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Delhi wrote to the Centre raising aapprehensions and objectionsa over the scheme.

After the Centre took a tough stance and threatened to stall the disbursal of funds, they dropped their resistance and agreed to sign the pact. A couple of them lent support to the scheme with afar-reaching implicationsa in the education sector and also got the funds sanctioned.

However, three states and UTs including West Bengal, Punjab and Delhi remained adamant and refused to give a nod to the PM SHRI scheme. The premise for rejection was disagreement over state funding and also claimed of their own aschools of eminencea as a better alternative to the Centreas scheme.

The Centre, taking exception to this, went to halt the funding for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the flagship school education program to these three states for their refusal to join the PM-SHRI yojana.

The fund allocation, which apparently remains the main contention point by the states stands aclose-to-evenlya distributed, with 60:40 funding ratio, as per information posted on the official portal.

Centre is expected to shoulder 60 per cent of the expenditure while state governments have to shell out 40 per cent of the total cost. The fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and North-Eastern States and UT of J&K stands at 10 per cent and a full 100 per cent for the UTs without any legislature.

The total cost for the five-year project is Rs 27360 crore, out of which the Central govtas share is Rs. 18,128 crore and the state governmentas share is Rs. 9,232 crore.

The motive behind the flagship PM SHRI schools scheme is to build a new schooling ecosystem that is resilient in the face of an increasingly unpredictable, dynamic, and non-linear world. The aexemplara schools will nurture students to make them engaging and contributing citizens, as envisaged under the National Education Policy 2020.

The PM SHRI scheme seeks to nurture students as nation-builders and afuture-readya citizens.
Mumbai, July 17 : Undeterred by its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the BJP has begun preparations for the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

The BJP will hold a day-long meeting on July 21 at Pune in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Raksha Khadse, state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and co-in charge Ashwini Vaishnav to brainstorm on the partyas poll strategy, especially with the Shiv Sena and NCP as allies.

The meeting is crucial as Amit Shah has reportedly told Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP national president Ajit Pawar that the MahaYuti will contest the assembly elections together and scoffed at rumours about the BJP going it alone.

Nearly 5,500 delegates from the mandal level to the state level will participate in the day-long meeting. The BJPas state election management committee chief Shrikant Bhartiya said, aaThe meeting will discuss the party's assembly poll roadmap and crack the Maha Vikas Aghadias fake narrative. It also aims to boost and charge up the party office bearers and cadres in the run-up to the state assembly election.aa

State unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has already announced that the MahaYuti will win 200 plus seats in the 288 member assembly while signalling that the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP are capable enough to checkmate the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

During the convention the party will pass two resolutions -- one political and another on welcoming the pro development budget presented during the monsoon session. The political resolution will congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming the PM for the third time in a row and heading the NDA government. Besides, the resolution will expose the opposition for spreading the fake narrative of changes in the Constitution and an end to reservations during the general elections. The resolution will outline the BJPas strategy to effectively counter the oppositionas narrative by aggressively flagging the Centreas decision to observe Constitution Day and Chief Minister Eknath Shindeas announcement to construct Constitution Bhavans across Maharashtra.

The political resolution will also touch upon the ongoing protests over the Maratha and OBC reservation issues holding the opposition responsible for adding fuel to the fire. It will ask the opposition to clarify its stand on the Maratha and OBC reservation stalemate instead of dividing the politically vibrant communities to gain political mileage.

This apart, the second resolution will congratulate the MahaYuti government for proposing a slew of sops and incentives in the budget for various sections including girls, women, youth, tribals, downtrodden, industry and other sections.

During the Pune convention the party will finalise the statewide Samvad Yatra programme from August 9 to 15. The Yatra would be led by 19 leaders with the objective to reach every corner of the state. The Yatra will reach 48 Lok Saha, 288 assembly constituencies, Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and municipal areas. During the Yatra, the party will convey the information about a slew of projects to be implemented during the NDA rule and also various schemes announced by the MahaYuti government in the annual budget.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
Chandigarh, July 17 : Punjab Police's Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police, has arrested three associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi and US-based Goldy Brar gangs, Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.

Chandigarh, July 17 (IANS) Punjab Policeas Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police, has arrested three associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi and US-based Goldy Brar gangs, Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, Maninder Singh, and Harcharanjit Singh. All the accused have a criminal history with cases pertaining to murder and attempt to murder, the Arms Act and the NDPS Act have been registered against them.

Police teams have also recovered two .32 calibre pistols along with six cartridges from their possession.

DGP Yadav said acting on a tip-off, AGTF teams under the supervision of ADGP Promod Ban along with police teams from Bathinda apprehended accused Harcharanjit Singh, who was also wanted in an attempt to murder case with cooperation with the Rajasthan Police.

He said during interrogation, the accused admitted that he was working on directions of gangster Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, who tasked him to help accused Gurpreet and Maninder Munshi eliminate a rival gang member.

Manna, who is currently lodged in Ropar jail, is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.

The DGP said following the disclosure of Harcharanjit Singh, police teams launched a manhunt to nab both the accused and managed to arrest them from Bathinda.
Tolentino: Landmark measure declaring PH's Maritime zones passed by bicam panel

The landmark measure seeking to declare the country's rights over its maritime zones has moved a step closer toward approval.

On Wednesday (July 17), the bicameral conference committee composed of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives (HOR) unanimously passed the reconciled version of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (Senate Bill No. 2492 and House Bill No. 7819).

"This will be the first time that the term 'West Philippine Sea' will be embodied, mentioned, and referred to in a law that will be passed by Congress," noted Tolentino, the principal author and sponsor of SBN 2492.

He added that the measure renames the Philippine Rise - a 13 million hectare underwater plateau located off Aurora province - into the 'Talampas ng Pilipinas.'

"We also settled issues raised on the provision defining internal waters and archipelagic waters," the senator further noted.

Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, and Sen. Win Gatchalian joined Tolentino in the Senate contingent.

The House panel was led by Pangasinan (3D) Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas, Negros Occidental (3D) Rep. Francisco Benitez, and Rizal (2D) Rep. Emigdio Tanjuatco III.

Asked by reporters how the measure will benefit Filipinos, the senator stressed: "This will clearly define our rights and boundaries, including the areas where our fisherfolk can sail and fish."

Tolentino cited two recent cases that can be related to the measure, including the 'hit-and-run' incident in Subic, Zambales, and reports that personnel of the Chinese Coast Guard had entered the waters off Lubang, Occidental Mindoro.

The senator was in Subic on Tuesday (July 16) to visit the family of Jose Mondoniedo, the fisherman who remains missing after figuring in a 'hit-and-run' incident involving a foreign cargo vessel in the waters off Subic, West Philippine Sea, last July 3. Tolentino also provided assistance to Jose's children and brother, Robert, who survived the incident.

The Philippine Maritime Zones Act is one of the 28 measures announced last month as priorities by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Jammu, July 17 : In the aftermath of the killings of five security personnel by terrorists in Doda District, demonstrations were held at many places in Jammu and Kashmir wherein protesters demanded 'Operation all-out' against the ultras.

Led by Rashtriya Bajrang Dal chief, Rakesh Kumar, the activists rallied against the killings and Pakistan's support to militancy in Jammu region. Protesters burned effigies and chanted slogans condemning Pakistan.

"We strongly condemn this cowardly act. The government must launch 'Operation All-Out' to eliminate foreign mercenaries targeting Army personnel and civilians", Kumar told reporters here.

In Samba and Rajouri districts, the Congress and Youth Congress units staged anti-Pakistan protests urging the government to initiate decisive anti-militancy operations and restore confidence among the local population.

They also demanded assurances for the safety of minorities in the Valley.

In Doda and Bhaderwah, traders and civil society members also held similar protests, burning effigies of Pakistan and calling for 'Operation All-Out' against terrorists.
Kolkata, July 17 : Hours after stating that there is "no need for a minority morcha" in the BJP, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, clarified that his comments were taken out of context.

Kolkata, July 17 (IANS) Hours after stating that there is "no need for a minority morcha" in the BJP, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, clarified that his comments were taken out of context.

Delivering his introductory speech at the BJP's working committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Adhikari said, "I have spoken about nationalist Muslims. You all said 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'. But I will not say this anymore. Instead, I will say 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Sath'. There is no need for a minority morcha."

Clarifying his comments, the BJP leader later said in a post on X that by coining the slogan 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Sath', he meant that the party should be with those who are nationalists and stand for the country and Bengal.

"My statement is being taken out of context. What I meant was that the party should stand by those who are nationalists, and speak for the nation and Bengal. Those who don't stand with us, and work against the interest of the nation and the state need to be exposed.

"Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn't divide people into majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit our Prime Minister's call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'," Adhikari said in the post.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the working committee meeting, Adhikari also said that his comments were based on his realisation that the Muslims in West Bengal don't vote for the BJP.

He also said that his comments on 'Sabhka Sath, Sabka Vikas' should be looked at from a political perspective, and not an administrative perspective.
Bangkok, July 17 : Thailand's Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday it will deliver its verdict for a case seeking to disband the main opposition Move Forward Party on August 7.

The judges agreed that the case is a dispute on legal technicalities and there is enough evidence to make a ruling, the court said in a statement.

The case came after the country's Election Commission petitioned the court to dissolve the Move Forward Party over its efforts to amend the royal defamation law, claiming campaigning on the issue had violated the constitution, Xinhua news agency reported.

In January, the same court ruled that the Move Forward Party's campaign to change the royal insult law was an attempt to undermine the constitutional monarchy and ordered it to cease any efforts aiming to abolish or amend the law.

The lese-majeste law, or Section 112 of the Criminal Code, stipulates that whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.

The Move Forward Party emerged as the largest party in the lower house of the National Assembly in Thailand's general election last year, but its prime minister candidate fell short of securing the majority support of the parliamentarians.
Sydney, July 17 : A man has been taken into custody and another remains at large after a suspected stabbing critically injured one male victim in Perth on Wednesday.

Western Australia Police Force issued a statement at around 3:46 pm local time, noting that emergency services were responding to an incident on Canning Highway in South Perth, where an injured man was located at the scene.

"At least two other males believed to be involved in the incident remain outstanding and may be in possession of an edged weapon (knife)," police said, also urging members of the public to avoid the area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hours after the incident occurred, officers arrested one man in the vicinity of the Como Bowling Club, while the victim in his 30s is receiving treatment at a hospital for serious but non-life-threatening wounds.

Early indications have suggested that the men involved may be known to each other, according to police.

With inquiries still in progress, the authority didn't disclose any further details about the weapon used.

South Perth is one of the inner-city suburbs in Western Australia's capital Perth. Home to more than 43,000 residents, it sits roughly 4 km south of Perth's central business district.
Mumbai, July 17 : Amid 25 Zika virus cases reported in the state from January to July, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday appealed to the citizens not to panic but, at the same time, not to take any fever lightly and visit the nearest state-run hospital, where the best diagnosis and treatment is available free of cost.

Of the total of 25 Zika virus cases reported, 21 patients have been found in Pune city alone.

The government has asked private medical professionals, who examine the Zika patients, to get the blood samples of the patients tested from the National Institute of Virology, Pune.

The governmentas appeal came days after Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, issued an advisory to states in the wake of Zika cases in Maharashtra highlighting the need for maintaining a state of constant vigil.

He has asked Maharashtra and other states to strengthen entomological surveillance and intensify vector control activities in residential areas, workplaces, schools, construction sites, institutions and health facilities.

The state Health Department has swung into action by putting its entire machinery on high alert to prevent the spread of the Zika virus with the implementation of measures to prevent Aedes mosquito breeding through integrated pest management.

"Among the preventive measures, blood samples are collected by conducting a survey within a 3 to 5 km area of the patients under a rapid fever survey campaign. These measures also include examination of blood samples of pregnant women, treatment of all patients based on symptoms and guidance to pregnant women and fertile couples," a Public Health Department official said.
Jaipur, July 17 : Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who is also AICC General Secretary, on Wednesday, said that the 2020 phone-tapping controversy must be thoroughly investigated.

He also strongly criticised the state government for mulling to implement new laws in Rajasthan which will curtail government benefits for a particular community, adding that the state has certain laws for politicians too.

He also attacked the state government over the Budget, saying that the Budget does not address the immediate concerns of the farmers and the youth.

Interview excerpts:

IANS: The 2020 phone-tapping controversy has resurfaced again. The recordings have gone viral in which one of the voices purported to be of the former Chief Minister. How do you view this controversy?

Sachin Pilot: The matter is sub judice so I am unable to speak much about it but there should be an unbiased inquiry in the case. The invasion of privacy is not unacceptable in a country like ours. Issues like Pegasus have also come up in the last few years and veteran leaders like K.C. Venugopalas phone also had spyware installed in it. A thorough investigation is a must in this case.

IANS: The state government has said that a new law will be implemented in which government benefits will be curtailed for couples who have more than two kids. The BJP state President has also supported it.

Sachin Pilot: It is a political statement which has come without any substantial groundwork, without any framework or official discussion. Political leaders talking about such subjects are tinkering with the laws of the land. By doing this, they are only creating confusion in society. We have provisions in Rajasthan which says anyone having more than two kids cannot contest panchayat elections. For the politicians, who want to lead the society, these laws are fine but for common men, discussing such laws without paperwork or official discussions leaves them worried. Such a trend is not good for the state.

IANS: The INDIA bloc performed good in Rajasthan, especially the young politicians. Will we see more youth politicians in the coming days?

Sachin Pilot: I have always advocated for youth participation. During Congressa Udaipur Declaration, it was decided that young leadership would be promoted in the party across India. It was also decided that 50 per cent of party posts would be given to party workers below 50 years of age in the Udaipur Declaration. So both party President Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi are committed to the Udaipur Declarationas strong implementation across the country.

IANS: How do you see the INDIA bloc winning 11 seats after 10 years-hiatus in Rajasthan?

Sachin Pilot: People in Rajasthan have given a befitting reply to the BJP-led state government. There are multiple power centres within the BJP. That is why you see confusion in the state. Only within a few months after the formation of government, a state minister has resigned and there is no status if his resignation has been accepted or rejected. The state has seen the worst in terms of water and power crisis in the summers. There is also no clarity in the Budget they (BJP) have announced. They say they are determined to give four lakh jobs in five years. Will they be contractual or regular? There is no clarity again. There is no roadmap or commitment of the state government. Also, the Central government has yet to announce the Budget. How can the Rajasthan government announce it then? It raises many questions. The state government has tried to make it a long-term Budget but issues of today like youth, farmers, and women have been ignored. Congress is hoping to win all five seats in the upcoming bypolls.

IANS: What about the 2028 Rajasthan Assembly elections? Who will be the next Chief Minister of Congress?

Sachin Pilot: We are confident that Congress will win the 2028 Rajasthan Assembly elections but it is too early to speak about it. Changes in any organisation are a regular and routine process. I don't see any immediate changes in Rajasthan Congress. As far as the Chief Minister is concerned, it is a tradition that there are no announcements about this post. In Congress, the members of the legislative assembly elect their leader. In recent 2023 polls, although there was a Congress Chief Minister (Ashok Gehlot) but still the Chief Minister candidate was not announced. We fight as a team and the winning candidates elect their leader.

IANS: Now you are AICC General Secretary and Jharkhand in-charge. Do you miss Rajasthan?

Sachin Pilot: I am fully involved in what the party is doing in Rajasthan but my responsibility is in Chhattisgarh too. I am participating in the Assembly as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. What is important to discuss here is the resurgence of Congress after Rahul Gandhi became LoP. He is leading from the front and is becoming the voice of the people. Right now we are strengthening the organisation and preparing for upcoming elections in states like Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.
Visakhapatnam, July 17 : Bahujan Samaj Party's Andhra Pradesh state coordinator and former DGP Dr J. Purnachandra Rao on Wednesday alleged that north Andhra suffered due to "political domination by outsiders".

At a zonal meeting of the BSP here, he vowed to fight for the cause of the region, saying it suffered damage due to lack of local representation in politics.

He lashed out at the apathy of the political parties that ruled the state for long, and left Uttarandhra (north Andhra) high and dry, despite the region being endowed with excellent natural resources and human capital.

The BSP leader alleged that since Independence, the region has been languishing in every field, and cursed with the continuous political representation by settlers.

"Gifted with 350-km odd coastline, verdant forests and hill regions, fertile lands, and copious rainfall, besides amicable and hardworking people, the region has not got its due. For example, in the last four decades, all the members of the Vizag Parliament constituency were imported, and they failed to meet the expectations of the people, owing to a lack of emotional connect with the region. Similarly, several MLAs are settlers," he said.

Purnanchandra Rao said that the most recent systematic destruction and plunder of the region by the YSRCP's de facto rulers of the region only worsened the situation.

"Aggravating the situation are the drug menace, pollution and lack of education, medical and logistics infrastructure in the Agency region," he said.

He stated that the region has many unsolved issues that require commitment and sincerity, "both grossly absent among leaders".

"The privatisation of the steel plant, delay in realization of the railway zone, expansion and development of ports, pollution, fishermen's issues, drug menace, and negligence of irrigation projects, to name a few. We demand that all these be addressed by the alliance government, on a war footing."

He demanded the state government to conduct the BC caste census and honour all promises made to backward classes during the elections.

He also criticised the "double standards" of the TDP-led alliance government, for not embarking on the crucial backward class caste census.

"It is ridiculous when the TDP promises 34 per cent seats in local bodies, and 33 per cent seats in the Legislative Assembly, for BCs, without caste census. This is impossible to implement and only seems like an eyewash and a false promise. We find it shocking that the skill census has taken the place of the caste census which has been in demand for decades. We demand that the government launch the BC caste census and keep all its promises for BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities," he added.
New Delhi: A June 2024 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) reveals that China systematically changed the names of around 630 villages that held historical and religio-cultural significance for the Uyghurs of the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Although renaming villages is a process that is in force since 2009 and has affected some 3,600 villages until now, a close examination exposed that a fifth of these changes, which mostly took place between 2017 and 2019, signalled a deliberate attempt at cultural erasure.

This revelation is far from anomalous considering Chinese activities in the bordering territory, officially called Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which is also the largest province in China.

In the past few years, several reports by international human rights organisations, journalists and research groups have increasingly pointed to the egregious cultural re-engineering and atrocious human rights excesses that the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs have been subjected to by the Chinese state.

The Uyghurs are an ethnic minority group, constituting half the population (around 12 million) of the Xinjiang province. Historically located along the ancient silk route, the region was a hub of cross-migration, reflected in the diversity of the ethnic groups that inhabit it. Apart from the Uyghurs, it also houses the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Mongols, Uzbeks, Tatars, as well as the Han Chinese.

Since 2018 when the UN alleged that China had detained at least one million Uyghurs in what it calls acounter-extremisma centres, the province has come to international limelight. However, the Chinese stateas tussle with Xinjiang can be traced far back, at least, until the first half of 20th century. In 1933 and 1944, an independent East Turkestan was declared in the region, but the movement came under the Chinese jackboot when the region was annexed in 1949.

The PRC claims that Xinjiang has been an integral part of China since 206 BC. More recently, in the 1990s, there were violent attacks that were linked to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) that demanded an independent state of East Turkestan in place of Xinjiang.

Thereafter, the post 9/11 Global War on Terror enabled China to justify its actions against the Uyghur community as its battle against athe three evilsa of separatism, religious extremism, and international terrorism.

An end to religio-cultural repression and ethnic discrimination have been long-held demands of Uyghurs, but the Chinese state has always met their protests with brutal crackdown, most exemplified in the Ghulja massacre of 1997.

The year 2009 also witnessed riots in the regionas capital Urumqi as Uyghur demonstrators outraged against state-driven Han Chinese migration, ensuing in a bloody state response.

This marked a turning point and the CCP then directed all the stateas might to collectively punish the Uyghur people in the name of counter-extremism.

The most glaring of the PRCas repressive acts against the Uyghurs has been the programme of mass arbitrary detention and indoctrination, officially referred to as Vocational Education and Training Centres (VETC).

Initiated in 2014 and expanded in 2017, these heavily guarded are-educationa camps have been grounds for systematic torture, forced labour and sexual abuse, according to multiple reports.

In 2019, the Chinese government claimed that they had closed most of these VETCs, but reports from international research institutes such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) raise concerns that the PRC may be increasingly utilising the formal prison system for Uyghur repression. A 2022 HRW report revealed that half a million people had been prosecuted in Xinjiang since 2017.

Moreover, along with the state-incentivised Han Chinese migration into Xinjiang, the Uyghurs are subjected to forced sterilisations, abortions, and IUDs, in what many have termed ademographic genocidea.

Between 2015 and 2018, birth rates in the Uyghur regions of Hotan and Kashgar plummeted by over 60 per cent, compared to the nationwide statistic of 4.2 per cent. Combined with this is the programme of mass surveillance involving frequent checkpoints, collection of biometrics, and face-recognition cameras. This Panoptican policing regime prominently emerged under Chen Quanguo, Xinjiangas Communist Party Secretary, infamous for already implementing his methods of social control in Tibet.

This high-tech surveillance system is then put to the service of mass-imprisonment of Uyghurs, who are routinely picked up for donning a veil, growing a beard, texting Quranic verses, visiting mosques- essentially practising their religion.

Additionally, there are intense restrictions on travel and even contacting people from countries China considers asensitivea. The Chinese surveillance-state even sends out party officials to stay in Uyghur homes from time to time to check in on their behaviours. Not to mention, the Chinese state has also enacted the alteration or destruction of several mosques across the region in recent years.

While some countries label Chinese activities in Xinjiang as agenocidea, a 2022 UN report claimed that they could have amounted to acrimes against humanitya.

Few countries such as the US, Canada and so on, as well as the EU have consistently raised this issue and even gone on to sanction Chinese officials and entities linked to human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

However, China has been able to utilise its economic and strategic heft to make many countries kowtow to its official line. The most notorious among these are the Muslim-majority countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, UAE, Iran, CARs, Turkey, and so on, which have not just kept silent but went above and beyond to advocate anon-intervention in Chinese affairsa by the international community.
Tehran, July 17 : Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Wednesday dismissed US media reports of Tehran's plot of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

In a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry early Wednesday, Kanaani made the remarks in response to CNN's claim on Tuesday that US authorities "obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service beefing up security around the former president."

Kanaani stressed that Iran was determined in Trump's prosecution owing to his direct role in the "crime" of assassinating top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, Tehran strongly rejected any involvement in the recent armed attack against Trump or claims that the country intended to take such an action, said Kannani, noting, "Such claims are made based on biased political objectives and motivations."

Trump survived, albeit with an ear injury, an assassination attempt by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, which left one spectator dead and two critically injured.

CNN, in its report, quoted a US national security official as saying that the Secret Service and Trump campaign had been made aware of Iran's "threat" before Saturday's rally.

The report, however, said there was no indication that Crooks was connected to the plot.

Iran's UN mission rejected CNN's claim as "baseless and biased" in a statement issued in New York, according to the official news agency IRNA.

It added that from Iran's perspective, Trump "should be punished at a court for ordering Soleimani's assassination," stressing that, however, Tehran had chosen a legal path to hold Trump to account.
Hyderabad, July 17 : Solemnity and mourning marked 'Yaum-e-Ashura' on Wednesday as the historic 'Bibi-ka-Alam" procession was taken out in the old city of Hyderabad in a traditional manner.

Thousands of people participated in the 'Bibi ka alam' procession which passed through various parts of the old city before concluding at Chaderghat on the banks of the Musi river.

aYaum-e-Ashuraa or the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is observed in memory of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammedas grandson Imam Hussain and his followers at the battle of Karbala.

The 'Bibi ka alam', believed to contain a piece of wooden plank on which the Prophet's daughter Bibi Fatima Zehra was given the final ablution and installed over 430 years ago during the Qutub Shahi dynasty, was carried on a caparisoned elephant, brought from Karnataka. It started from Bibi Ka Alawa and passed through Sheikh Faiz Kaman, Yakutpura Darwaza, Etebar Chowk, Charminar, Gulzar Houz, Penjeshah, Mani Mir Alam, Purani Haveli and Darulshifa.

A total of 25 groups of self-flagellating mourners were leading the procession, which started from Bibi ka Alawa in Dabeerpura. Blood oozed out from the heads and chests of bare-chested Shia mourners who flagellated themselves with sharp-edged objects.

Amid cries of 'Ya Hussain' and recitation of 'marsiya' (elegies) and 'noha-khwani' (poems expressing sorrow), barefoot youths using knives, blade-encrusted chains and other sharp-edged weapons, inflicted injuries on themselves to show solidarity with the sufferings of the martyrs. Others were seen crying and beating their chests.

Police made elaborate security arrangements for the procession. Traffic was diverted at a few points for the annual procession.

Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Sreenivas Reddy, other police officials, leaders of different political parties and family members of Nizam, ruler of erstwhile Hyderabad State, offered 'dhattis' en route. Santhi Kumari personally supervised the arrangements made for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the procession. She congratulated the police for making perfect arrangements.

"It was my lifetime experience," she said on offering aDhattia.

Nawab Mir Muhammad Azmet Ali Khan, the ninth titular Nizam of Hyderabad, and other family members offered aDhattia at Purani Haveli.

The aalama was carried on a female elephant named aRupavatia, which was brought from Karnataka. The transport of the jumbo, belonging to Shri Jagadguru Panchacharya Mandir Trust in Davangere, was delayed due to certain issues with the Central government tweaking rules for inter-state transportation of captive elephants. Telanganaas Forest Minister Konda Surekha had intervened and spoke to her Karnataka counterpart Eshwar Khandre.

The Muharram procession dates back to the regime of Qutub Shahi King Abdullah more than 400 years ago. It is said Abdullahas mother Hayat Bakshi Begum had initiated the annual procession. Camels, horses and elephants were used for the procession during the Qutub Shahi period.

The Sunni Muslims observed the day by fasting and holding meetings to remember the sacrifices of Imam Hussain and his followers who were martyred in 61 Hijri or 681 CE at Karbala in present-day Iraq. The fasting is observed on two days a" ninth and 10th or 10th and 11th Muharram.

The day was also observed in various parts of Telangana in a traditional manner. Hindus also joined the processions in towns and villages.
New Delhi, July 17 : The Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize on Wednesday announced 'Tantra on the Edge - Inspirations and Experiments in Twentieth-Century Indian Art' by art historian Madhu Khanna, published by DAG, as the winner of its second edition.

The award ceremony was hosted by May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway to India and Sri Lanka, underscoring the significance of this literary accolade.

Instituted in collaboration with Visual Arts Gallery in 2022, Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize is India's only prize that recognises outstanding contributions to the field of art books.

Madhu Khanna and DAG were felicitated with the trophy, a certificate and Rs one Lakh Indian Rupees cash by the Chair of Jury Dr. Alka Pande; Ambassador of Norway to India and Sri Lanka, H.E Mprize . May-Elin Stener and Ms. Sunaina Anand, Founder and Director, Art Alive Gallery in the presence of artists, gallerists, designers, publishers, authors, diplomats and literary enthusiasts from the industry.

In addition to the winning title, the jurors appreciated two more titles: Shilpa Shah & Rosemary Crill's 'The Shoemaker's Stitch: Mochi embroideries of Gujarat' in the TAPI Collection published by Niyogi Books and 'Thota Vaikuntam's Thota Vaikuntam: A Celebration' published by Aleph Book Company.

Speaking at the ceremony, the winner Madhu Khanna said:, "Receiving this award from the Oxford Bookstore is a momentous occasion in our history. Writing this book has been a journey of passion, and dedication. As we move into the 21st century torn by violence and ecological degradation, we must reclaim the spiritual heritage of Tantra and Yoga inherited from the anonymous Shilpi-yogins and sage-scholars of the past. It is because of their legacy that we are able to celebrate today, the timeless modernism of Tantra Art and its philosophy."

"It has been an exciting journey of collaborating with my fellow jurors in the selection of the Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize Winner. An interesting diversity of artistic expression across mediums, disciplines, and visual culture was showcased within the nominated works. Picking a winner from the pool of fascinating works was a challenging task, but ultimately, 'Tantra on the Edge' rose to the top," said the Chair of Jury, Dr. Alka Pande while announcing the winner.

Ambassador Stener stressed that for her being a part of the jury was also in line with Norway's sustained and renewed focus on art and culture.

"At home in Oslo, we are increasingly looking at promoting art and culture as a cherished export of Norway, one that comes with a strong foundation and rich heritage. Norway also strongly advocates for artistic freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of expression. By being a part of this prize, we at the Embassy, are delighted to contribute to the art world in India."

The jury commissioned for the second edition of the prize included Stener; Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, Priti Paul; Museum curator, art historian, author and jury chair, Dr. Alka Pande; Director General, Bihar Museum, Anjani Kumar Singh; and Founder and Director, Art Alive Gallery, Sunaina Anand.
Bengaluru, July 17 : Amid stiff opposition from the industry bodies and business tycoons to the bill reserving jobs for locals, the Congress government in Karnataka is all set to introduce the controversial bill in the assembly on Thursday, sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made his intention clear by the reposting of the message on social media handle 'X', sources stated. Meanwhile, Kannada organizations met CM Siddaramaiah and thanked him for the decision.

A team led by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president T. A. Narayana Gowda met CM Siddaramaiah at his Cauvery residence in Bengaluru and felicitated him welcoming the move.

Sources said that despite the controversy surrounding the bill, Siddaramaiah had given the green signal to table the bill in the assembly. It is likely to be passed in both the Houses as any opposition to the bill will invite the wrath of the people against the BJP and the JD (S).

In the post on X, CM Siddaramaiah said, "The Cabinet meeting held on Monday has given consent for the act giving 100 per cent reservation for Kannada people for the posts in 'C' and 'D' category jobs in all private companies operating in the state. It is the objective of the government to prevent Kannada people from being denied job opportunities and to give them jobs to build lives peacefully in their motherland. Ours is pro-Kannadiga government. Our priority is to protect the interests of Kannada people."

He stated, "the Cabinet had given consent to provide 50 per cent reservation for management posts and 75 per cent reservation for non-management posts in the private industries and other organizations."

Minister for IT & BT Priyank Kharge and Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil maintained that the bill was just a proposal by the Labour Department and the recommendations were given without consulting the other departments.

They had made an appeal to the industrialists not to be worried as the recommendations would be implemented only after detailed discussions with the CM.

Nasscom, representing Indiaas $250 billion technology industry, on Wednesday said it is seriously concerned about the provisions of a Bill providing for reservation for Kannadigas in private companies in Karnataka.

Nasscom and its members said they were disappointed and expressed deep concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024, saying restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce. It has sought withdrawal of the Bill.
Hyderabad, July 17 : Solemnity and mourning marked 'Yaum-e-Ashura' on Wednesday as the historic 'Bibi ka Alam" procession was taken out in the old city of Hyderabad in a traditional manner.

Thousands of people participated in the 'Bibi ka Alam' procession which passed through various parts of the old city before concluding at Chaderghat on the banks of the Musi river.

aYaum-e-Ashuraa or the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is observed in memory of the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammedas grandson Imam Hussain and his followers at the battle of Karbala.

The 'Bibi ka Alam', believed to contain a piece of wooden plank on which the Prophet's daughter Bibi Fatima Zehra was given the final ablution and installed over 430 years ago during the Qutub Shahi dynasty, was carried on a caparisoned elephant, brought from Karnataka. It started from Bibi Ka Alawa and passed through Sheikh Faiz Kaman, Yakutpura Darwaza, Etebar Chowk, Charminar, Gulzar Houz, Penjeshah, Mani Mir Alam, Purani Haveli and Darulshifa.

A total of 25 groups of self-flagellating mourners were leading the procession, which started from Bibi ka Alawa in Dabeerpura. Blood oozed out from the heads and chests of bare-chested Shia mourners who flagellated themselves with sharp-edged objects.

Amid cries of 'Ya Hussain' and recitation of 'marsiya' (elegies) and 'noha-khwani' (poems expressing sorrow), barefoot youths using knives, blade-encrusted chains and other sharp-edged weapons, inflicted injuries on themselves to show solidarity with the sufferings of the martyrs. Others were seen crying and beating their chests.

Police made elaborate security arrangements for the procession. Traffic was diverted at a few points for the annual procession.

Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Sreenivas Reddy, other police officials, leaders of different political parties and family members of Nizam, ruler of erstwhile Hyderabad State, offered 'dhattis' en route. Santhi Kumari personally supervised the arrangements made for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the procession. She congratulated the police for making perfect arrangements.

"It was my lifetime experience," she said on offering aDhattia.

Nawab Mir Muhammad Azmet Ali Khan, the ninth titular Nizam of Hyderabad, and other family members offered aDhattia at Purani Haveli.

The aalama was carried on a female elephant named aRupavatia, which was brought from Karnataka. The transport of the jumbo, belonging to Shri Jagadguru Panchacharya Mandir Trust in Davangere, was delayed due to certain issues with the Central government tweaking rules for inter-state transportation of captive elephants. Telanganaas Forest Minister Konda Surekha had intervened and spoke to her Karnataka counterpart Eshwar Khandre.

The Muharram procession dates back to the regime of Qutub Shahi King Abdullah more than 400 years ago. It is said Abdullahas mother Hayat Bakshi Begum had initiated the annual procession. Camels, horses and elephants were used for the procession during the Qutub Shahi period.

The Sunni Muslims observed the day by fasting and holding meetings to remember the sacrifices of Imam Hussain and his followers who were martyred in 61 Hijri or 681 CE at Karbala in present-day Iraq. The fasting is observed on two days a" ninth and 10th or 10th and 11th Muharram.

The day was also observed in various parts of Telangana in a traditional manner. Hindus also joined the processions in towns and villages.
Silchar : , July 17 (IANS) At least three suspected militants, belonging to Assam and Manipur, were killed and three police personnel were injured during an encounter in Assam's Cachar district on Wednesday, officials said.

Silchar (Assam), July 17 (IANS) At least three suspected militants, belonging to Assam and Manipur, were killed and three police personnel were injured during an encounter in Assamas Cachar district on Wednesday, officials said.

Cachar's Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta said that the militants, belonging to a Hmar extremist outfit, were part of a larger group, which reportedly was planning to carry out "subversive activities" along the Assam-Manipur inter-state border area.

Acting on secret information, a police team rushed to the Krishnapur road area and arrested the three militants along with sophisticated weapons near Ganganagar while on the way towards Bhuban Hills in an autorickshaw. An AK-47 rifle, a single-barrel rifle, and a pistol, along with live ammunition, were recovered from the three, he told the media.

Mahatta said that during interrogation, the militants disclosed that some of their cadres were hiding in a nearby forest in Bhuban Hills and planning to undertake subversive activities along the Assam-Manipur border. Subsequently, a special operation was launched along with commandos on the Bhuban Hills side to apprehend the hiding militants on the basis of inputs provided by the three arrested extremists, who were also taken along.

"When the security force team reached the hills, the hiding 6-7 extremists started indiscriminate firing. The security personnel retaliated, ensuing a heavy exchange of fire between the both sides," he said. The accompanying apprehended militants, who were wearing bulletproof jackets and helmets, suffered grievous injuries during the encounter and were immediately taken to the Sonai Primary Health Centre and later shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), where the doctors declared all three dead, the SP said.

He said that three police personnel were also seriously injured during the gun battle and were admitted at the SMCH. The police official said that the hiding militants, however, managed to flee, taking advantage of the deep forest and uneven terrain. Security personnel recovered another assault rifle along with live ammunition and a number of empty cases from the encounter site.

The security personnel are continuing a search operation to apprehend the fleeing militants.

The slain militants were identified as Lallungawi Hmar, 21, and Lalbikung Hmar, 33, both residents of southern Assam, and Joshua, 35, a resident of Manipur's Churachandpur.
Kolhapur : , July 17 (IANS) The ongoing anti-encroachment drive at the historic Vishalgad Fort here is fast snowballing into a political issue besides fueling tension among communities in a village nestled in the lush green hills.

Adding a fresh angle to the row, Yuvraj Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who is spearheading the campaign for the past four days, has claimed that a convicted terrorist and the co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen (IM), Yasin Bhatkal, had reportedly lived in the Vishalgad Fort vicinity, where there are chunks of minority population.

A former President nominated Rajya Sabha MP, Yuvraj Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati is the 13th descendent of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and great-grandson of the revered Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.

Interacting with the media, he said: "The chief conspirator of the German Bakery bomb blast (Pune, February 2010), Yasin Bhatkal, who is involved in over half a dozen other terror cases, had stayed in the Vishalgad area. He is a terrorist and the founder of IM... Such a person lived there"

Incidentally, his father is the sitting Congress MP from Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj, a highly-respected personality.

Taking strong cognisance of Yuvraj's statement, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said the government would probe the issue thoroughly to find out when, why and how Bhatkal came to stay there.

On July 14, Yuvraj Sambhajiraj Chhatrapati had led a march to the Vishalgad Fort but even before he reached there, violence erupted with stone-pelting at a police team, damaging properties and leading to the arrest of 21 persons.

Around four to five dozen houses and shops, plus a mosque in the minority-dominated Gajapur village, around 4 km downhill from the fort, were targeted, resulting in tension as the police beefed up security.

The trigger for the violence was purportedly the stopping of a group of right-wing activists from Pune at the base of the hill given the prohibitory orders clamped in the region.

State Congress President Nana Patole and Working President M. Arif Naseem Khan have accused the government of attempting to give a communal colour to the encroachment drive to which it is not opposed.

In a letter to the CM and DGP Rashmi Shukla, Patole and Khan urged the ruling MahaYuti to desist from such political tactics ahead of the October Assembly elections, and demanded strong action against the rioters, assuring the terrified villagers of safety and security, compensation for their losses and normalising the situation there on priority.

"Under the pretext of encroachments in Vishalgad, homes of the minority community in Gajapur village were attacked, vandalised, set on fire, and the residents were assaulted. The encroachment case is sub-judice (in court), and the police were aware of the planned march to Vishalgad, yet adequate police protection was not provided. It is clear that the rioters were given a free hand to take the law into their own hands," Khan said in the letter, and also during a meeting with the DGP.

MahaYuti ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique also condemned the violence targeting the minority community and urged CM Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar to order a fair probe into the matter.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the MahaYuti government for the mob attack on the mosque and people from the minority community, saying they will reply through the ballot.

Fadnavis said the state government is working to bring peace in the Vishalgad Fort vicinity and also remove the illegal structures within the legal framework, not only there but from all the forts in the state.

Over 965 years old, the Vishalgad Fort was under various dynasties till it was conquered by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1659, and centuries later in 1998, it came under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Gurugram, July 17 : As part of efforts to improve the public transport system in Gurugram, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav on Wednesday inspected the identified land site for the proposed ISBT in Sihi village along the Dwarka Expressway, and gave necessary directions to the revenue officials.

He said a bus terminal will be built on the lines of Delhi's ISBT on 15 acres of land in Sector 36A adjoining the Dwarka Expressway.

Yadav also said that the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) has about 147 acres of land for public utility in Sector 36A, out of which 15 acres will be transferred to the Transport Department under the PPP model.

A heli hub is also proposed in the middle of the above land. In such a situation, the Transport Department will identify 15 acres of land based on passengers' convenience.

Yadav directed the Manesar Tehsildar to mark 15-15 acres of land on the Delhi Jaipur National Highway and Elan Mall side and ensure that its map is sent to his office.

"There was not enough space for the employees in the administrative building in the old bus stand building built in the middle of the city. There is often a traffic jam here due to the movement of buses. Since the population of the district is increasing, a bigger and more modern ISBT is needed," Yadav said.

He said the new ISBT to be built in Sihi village will be more viable due to its proximity to the Dwarka Expressway, SPR, proposed Global City, heliport, Delhi-Gurgaon National Highway, and the railway station.
Patna July 17 : CPI-ML National General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Tuesday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the poor law and order situation following the murder of Jitan Sahani.

"The murder of Mukesh Sahani's father, who was sleeping alone, indicates that the morale of criminals has significantly risen in the state. The criminals have no fear of the government or of the administration," Dipankar Bhattacharya said after he visited Darbhanga to console Mukesh Sahani, the Chief of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), over the gruesome murder of his father Jitan Sahani.

He said that Nitish Kumar's claim of good governance, where people can roam anywhere during the night however a person gruesomely murdered while sleeping in his house contradicts his claims.

"Such incidents should be urgently addressed and the government must guarantee the safety of its people," Bhattacharya said.

He said that crime has sharply increased in Bihar since the Lok Sabha election, making people feel unsafe.

Darbhanga Police has detained four persons in the murder case of Jitan Sahani.

Reportedly, the deceased had lent money on interest to two of the four suspects.

A day before the incident, an altercation occurred because Sahani had kept the bike of one of the suspects as a guarantee.

The police are gathering information about the financial transactions and mobile call history of the four suspects. The CCTV footage has also not been released yet.
New Delhi, July 17 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, held bilateral discussions for deeper economic ties and moving ahead on free trade agreements (FTAs) with his counterparts from the UK and EU on the sidelines of the G7 trade ministers' meeting at Reggio Calabria in Italy, an official statement said on Wednesday.

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, held bilateral discussions for deeper economic ties and moving ahead on free trade agreements (FTAs) with his counterparts from the UK and EU on the sidelines of the G7 trade ministersa meeting at Reggio Calabria in Italy, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Goyal congratulated Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on his appointment and discussed deepening bilateral economic relations.

The conversation included plans to take forward the discussions on the FTA between India and the UK.

Goyal also held discussions with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, focused on promoting India-EU trade and economic collaborations, including the ongoing FTA negotiations.

Both sides explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, the statement said.

During his discussions with Antonio Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, both agreed to enhance bilateral trade and investments, industrial co-production, and cooperation in clean technologies.

Goyal also congratulated Tajani for hosting a productive G7 Trade Ministers' meeting.

In his talks with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay, Goyal explored opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investment ties for mutual growth.

The discussions aimed at giving further impetus to the existing strong trade relationship between India and New Zealand.

The Minister also met Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs & Climate Action, Germany, and discussed opportunities to elevate the growing Indo-German trade and economic partnership.

The discussions focused on the upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in Delhi.

These bilateral engagements are expected to pave the way for significant advancements in India's trade relations with key international partners, the official statement added.
Bengaluru, July 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigating the Tribal Welfare case in Karnataka, has detained former minister B. Nagendra's wife for questioning.

Sources said Nagendra's wife Manjula was taken into custody from her residence located in the upscale Dollars Colony in Bengaluru.

It is alleged that money has been also transferred from the account of Nagendra, who is in custody, to his family members and also to his wife's account.

The opposition has been demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and is also demanding a probe by CBI in the case.

They have alleged that the case involves Rs 187 crore which has been fraudulently transferred to fake accounts in Telangana and used during the Lok Sabha election.
New Delhi, 17 July : Indian Navy warship INS Teg on Wednesday rescued nine crew members, including eight Indian nationals and one Sri Lankan, who went missing after an oil tanker capsized off the coast of Oman.

The Indian Navy said in a post on X on Wednesday evening: "#IndianNavy's mission deployed warship #INSTeg, rendering SAR assistance for the capsized Oil Tanker MV #PrestigeFalcon, has rescued 9 (8 Indians & 1 Sri Lankan) personnel. The MV had capsized about 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah, #Oman on July 15 & SAR efforts in coordination with Oman Authorities are in progress since July 16.

"The MV is reported to have had a total of 16 crew, including 13 Indians & 3 Sri Lankans. The #SearchAndRescue by Indian & Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea & strong winds. #IndiaNavy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in the search for survivors."

The MT Falcon Prestige, a Comoros-flagged oil tanker, with 16 crew members had capsized near the port town of Duqn in Oman on Monday.

The Indian Embassy in Muscat said in a post on X: "Embassy is coordinating SAR ops with Omani authorities and @indiannavy for MT Prestige Falcon, a Comoros flagged vessel that capsized off the coast of Oman on July 15. Nine crew including 8 Indians have been rescued today by INS Teg. Search for the remaining survivors continues."
Dimapur : , July 17 (IANS) The BJP, which is the second-largest constituent of Nagaland's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government, has urged the NDA government at the Centre and the Naga groups to expedite the process of finalising the much-awaited political solution for lasting peace and all-round development of the state, party leaders said on Wednesday.

A BJP leader said that in the Extended State Executive Meeting, held in Dimapur on Tuesday night, 11 resolutions were adopted including for an early solution to the much-delayed Naga political issue.

The resolution said that the BJP Nagaland unit wholeheartedly supports an early, inclusive, honourable solution to the decades-old Naga Political issue.

"We appreciate all the Naga political groups which have been engaging in peace talks with the GOI (Government of India), and all the groups which have entered the peace process by heeding the voice of the people so as to pave the way for a final settlement. The BJP Nagaland unit appeals to the GOI and the negotiating parties to expedite the process of finalisation so that there can be lasting peace in Nagaland which will positively facilitate the process of all-round development and economic upliftment of the state in the near future," it said.

The Central government signed the vital Framework Agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) in 2015 and also signed the Agreed Position with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups in 2017. However, with the NSCN-IM, the dominant Naga group, remaining adamant on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas, there is a delay in reaching the final solution.

The BJP leader said that the meeting resolved to strengthen the party at the grassroots and increase the party membership. The BJP state executive resolves to complete the formation of booth-level committees in all the polling booths in the state before the next State Executive meeting at Tuensang District.

Addressing the meeting, state BJP President Benjamin Yepthomi urged the aKaryakartasa not to be discouraged by the recent Lok Sabha election results in Nagaland - where Congress candidate S. Supongmeren Jamir wrested the state's lone Lok Sabha seat from the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party -, but to continue to work hard to uplift the party.

Citing the results of the recent Urban Local Body elections, Yepthomi said that the BJP nominated a total of 52 candidates in one Municipal Council and 9 Town Councils in Nagaland and 25 of them, including 11 women, were elected.

"It was a matter of pride that 44 per cent of the BJP councillors are women. It reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modias endeavours of aNari Shaktia and the mantra of 'Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Vishwas, Sab Ka Prayas," he said.
Hyderabad, July 17 : Doctors at the Osmania General Hospital, the oldest government-run hospital in Hyderabad, have successfully performed a liver transplant on a three-year-old boy.

Modugu Chohan Aditya of Khammam district was suffering from congenital biliary atresia and liver failure.

An advanced liver donor transplant procedure was performed successfully on July 3 by Madhusudan and his team of surgical gastroenterology and liver transplantation at the Osmania General Hospital.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Ministeras Office, the child's mother Amla donated a part of her liver to her son. Both the mother and child were discharged on July 16.

So far, 30 cases of liver transplant, including 8 paediatric liver transplant cases, have been successfully performed at the Osmania General Hospital.

Established in 1910, Osmania Hospital is the oldest hospital and one of the biggest government-run healthcare facilities in Telangana.
Imphal, July 17 : Assam Rifles Director General Lt. Gen. Pradeep Chandran Nair on Wednesday briefed Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey about the prevailing security situation in the state.

A Raj Bhavan official said that Lt Gen Nair, accompanied by the force's Inspector General, South, Major Gen. Ravroop Singh, informed her about the deployment of Assam Rifles personnel in the state in the wake of the ethnic conflict which has been continuing since May last year.

They also explained in detail about the preparedness of the force to face any eventualities at any point in time in the state, the Raj Bhavan official said.

The Governor often holds meetings with top officials, including Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, the state government's Chief Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh to review the prevailing situation in the state.

The ethnic strife-devastated Manipur still witnesses incidents of violence. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was killed and three other security personnel got injured when suspected militants ambushed a joint patrol party in Jiribam district earlier this week. The three injured include a CRPF jawan and two Manipur Police personnel.

Jiribam witnessed a wave of violence after the killing of 59-year-old farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh on June 6, leading to 900 tribals belonging to the Kuki and Hmar communities taking shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages in Cachar district of southern Assam, while around 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the Meitei community, are now sheltered in seven relief camps in Jiribam.
Kolkata, July 18 : With the West Bengal government issuing a notification on Wednesday evening regarding the formation of a seven-member committee to review the three new criminal laws, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose immediately raised questions on the objectives of the panel.

"The state government is pleased hereby to constitute a committee for reviewing the said criminal laws, i.e. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanita, 2023 (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA)," read the notification released by the state government.

The office of the Governor, within an hour, issued a statement, which stated that the Governor has sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the objectives of the committee.

In the statement, Governor Bose also reminded the Chief Minister that West Bengal cannot be a "banana republic".

"The West Bengal Governor has called upon Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to furnish an immediate report on the objectives of the committee for the review of the amended CRPC, IPC and Evidence Act. Governor wants specific report on whether the West Bengal government, has responded to the proposal on time when asked for by Govt of India," the Governor's office said.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Romance has acquired Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by Katrina Emmel, a contemporary dual POV YA romance set in the American West in which a teen girl from Wyoming finds herself trying to teach a teen actor from Hollywood how to ride a horse like a cowboy in only a few weeks; Alison Romig will edit. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency sold world rights.

Joy Peskin at FSG has bought Strays, a middle-grade novel by Gia Gordon (The Redemption of Daya Keane), in an exclusive submission. Everyone in 11-year-old Campbell's life is lost somehow, and it takes a little stray dog, whom Campbell needs to keep secret from her dad (the head of their town's animal control department), to give them all a path home. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.

Kristy Quinn at DC Books for Young Readers has acquired world rights to Matthew Dow Smith's middle grade graphic novel DC Misfits of Magic. When a group of magical middle schoolers meet at the local library for summer camp (along with their camp counselor, Zatanna Zatara), there are strange goings-on; of course they're going to investigate supernatural mysteries. Publication is set for spring 2025; Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary did the deal for world rights.

Tara Walker at Tundra Books has bought, at auction, A Door Is to Open by Kyo Maclear (l.), illustrated by Julie Morstad, in a mid-six-figure, two-book deal. The picture book is a whimsical celebration of doorways and thresholds. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.

Karen Lotz at Candlewick has acquired world rights to Dear Library, a picture book by children's songwriter and ukulele player Emily Arrow (l.), illustrated by Meera Lee Patel (Start Where You Are; How It Feels to Find Yourself), a love letter to the joy and wonder of libraries. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Brandi Bowles and Gwen Beal at United Talent Agency represented the author, and Wendi Gu at GreenburgerKids represented the illustrator.

Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has bought world rights to A Village Made of Rainbows by debut author Jo Wu (l.), illustrated by Alina Chau (Love Like Chocolate). This picture book highlights war veteran Huang Yung-fu, also known as "Rainbow Grandpa," who transformed and saved his Taiwanese village with colorful art. Publication is planned for winter 2027; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the illustrator.

Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has acquired The Warm Fuzzies by Darren Farrell (l.), illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey, a picture book about a girl who discovers a puffy little creature in the hollow of a sugar pine tree, and the imaginative fun that ensues. Publication is set for fall 2026; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary negotiated North American rights for the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management negotiated world rights for the illustrator.

Josh Gregory at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to It Started with a Book Ban by Linda Ravin Lodding (l.), illustrated by Carlianne Tipsey, a timely picture book which starts off with a ban on books about Mars and ends up with bans on everything, sowing chaos. Publication is slated for September 2025; Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.

Grace Maccarone at Holiday House has acquired world rights to Matzah Day! by Charlotte Offsay (l.), illustrated by Jason Kirschner, a rhyming picture book about the unleavened bread eaten during Passover. From matzah pizza to matzah candy and more, the book celebrates this traditional food while highlighting family, connection, and Jewish joy. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.

Carol Hinz at Lerner Publishing has bought world rights to The Ocean's Heart by Jilanne Hoffmann (l.) (River of Dust), illustrated by Khoa Le (A Few Beautiful Minutes). This nonfiction picture book recounts how the ocean's zooplankton take part in the largest migration of animals on earthevery nightand are an essential part of the ocean's food chain. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Lori Steel at SteelWorks Literary represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.

Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has acquired Welcome to Whalebone Mansion by Laken Slate (l.), illustrated by Bindy James, a picture book about discovering creatures at a whale fall, through the adventures of a pair of fish. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Alice Jin Zhang at Astound US represented the illustrator.

Augusta Harris at Disney Hyperion has acquired Swati Teerdhala's Maya in Multicolor, a college-set YA romance where after a heartbreak, an Indian American girl seeking to reclaim her life sets her eyes on planning the best Holi festival the university has ever seenexcept that she has to partner with the biggest bachelor on campus, whose new ideas for Holi clash with her own traditional ones. Publication is set for spring 2025; Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.

Andrew Karre at Dutton has bought This Moth Saw Brightness, a debut novel by A.A. Vacharat. In this near-future YA novel, high school senior 'Wayne Le is randomly selected for a teen health study, but when he notices a change to his personality, he wonders if he and his fellow participants are unwittingly involved in something more sinister than a simple research project. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Kelly Dyksterhouse at the Tobias Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.

Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired the nonfiction title Famished by Sarah Miller (The Borden Murders; Hanged!), a suspenseful survivors'-eye view of the Donner Party for young adults. Publication is tentatively scheduled for spring 2027; Wendy Schmalz at Wendy Schmalz Agency brokered the deal for world rights.

Lisa Yoskowitz at Little, Brown has bought bestselling YA author Lynn Painter's middle grade debut, The Wish Fiasco. The novel follows Emma as her four wishing well wishes start to come true, but for the annoying new boy down the street instead of for her, and the two must work together to set things right before the wishes upend both of their lives. Publication is planned for summer 2025; James McGowan at Bookends sold world English rights.

Calista Brill at First Second has acquired Inbetweens, a middle grade graphic novel by Faith Erin Hicks about twin sisters who attend their dream animation school during the summer, but slowly learn it's not everything they thought it would be; Samia Garcia-Fakih will edit. Publication is set for 2026; Bernadette Baker-Baughman at Victoria Sanders & Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.

Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow has bought, at auction, world rights to Seven Ways Through the Woods, the picture book debut by A Game of Fox & Squirrels author Jenn Reese (l.), illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz, in which an intrepid narrator invites readers on a fantastical journey through the woods, celebrating curiosity, imagination, and wonder. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Holly Root at Root Literary represented the author, and Seth Fishman at the Gernert Company represented the illustrator.

Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Fall Is for Beginnings by Newbery Honoree Rajani LaRocca (l.), illustrated by Abhi Alwar, in a two-book deal. Ravi is excited to begin the school year but is disconcerted when a new girl claims she's going to be his best friendeven though he already has onein a story about fresh starts, school adventures, and friendships old and new. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Alexandra Levick at Writers House represented the illustrator.

Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought Before and After, a picture book by author-illustrator Katie Palazzola, about a father and young daughter wondering together, imaginatively exploring questions of past and future, and finding comfort in embracing uncertainty. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary sold world rights.

Liz Bicknell at Candlewick Press has acquired world rights to Night Flight by David Barclay Moore (l.), illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu; Carter Hasegawa will edit. In this picture book, a boy who falls asleep missing his dads finds himself soaring through a wintry night in Harlem on the back of an ancient beast before waking to discover what he was searching for all along. Publication is set for fall 2025; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author, and Jessica Saint Jean at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented the illustrator.

Erika Turner at Little, Brown has bought world rights to The Bridge to School, a picture book by Stefanie Foster Brown (l.), illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell, about the bond between siblings and the paths that the eldest paves for those that come after. Publication is slated for winter 2027; Wendi Gu at GreenburgerKids represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the artist.

Gianna Lakenauth at Knopf has acquired world rights to Sunday Scaries by Debra Kempf Shumaker (l.), illustrated by Lavanya Naidu, about a girl who must tackle the fear of Monday and the week ahead. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; James McGowan at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.

Melanie Cordova, while at Candlewick Press, bought world rights to Daddy's Face by Taunya English (l.), illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice; Sarah Ketchersid will edit. The picture book is about a boisterous preschooler who notes her father's every smile, scowl, and eyebrow waggle as the pair move through their day togethera celebration of the loving bond between a father and child. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.

MaryKate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to SPIN! There's a Ghost Behind You, a picture book co-authored by Steve Bramucci (l.) (the Danger Gang series; Race for the Ruby Turtle) and DJ Le Chev (c.), illustrated by Sonya Abby (r.). Based on the song of the same name, the Halloween-themed tale tells of two kids who find their town taken over by monsters and ghouls with motives that are far less nefarious than they seem. Publication is set for July 2026; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary represented the co-authors, and Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.

Kristen Mohn at Capstone has bought world rights to Scratching the Surface: Exploring Earth's Layers by Kate Allen Fox (l.) (Pando: A Living Wonder of Trees), illustrated by Erin Brown, a picture book celebration of wonder and geological discovery as it takes the reader on a journey down through the layers of Earth to its core. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Leslie Zampetti at Open Book Literary represented the author, and Erin Tisdel at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.

Rebecca Glaser at Amicus Ink has acquired world rights to Baby Pterosaur and Baby Spinosaurus by Julie Abery (l.), illustrated by Gavin Scott. The rhyming board books follow a day in the life of baby dinosaurs as pterosaurs glide on the updrafts, and spinosaurus snaps and clacks her crocodile jaws, while navigating the hazards of their prehistoric world. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Amy Fitzgerald at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.

Jaime Gelman at Little Bee Books has bought Diwali: Love and Light and an untitled book about Holi, written and illustrated by Darshika Varma, two board books celebrating contemporary religious life. Publication is planned for summer 2025 and spring 2026; Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art sold world rights.
Always Here Bookstore, an indie pop-up with a temporary retail location in Portland, Ore., is not just a haven for bibliophiles, but a welcoming space for queer, trans, Latinx, and neurodivergent people of all ages. Married co-owners Rafael and John Hart, who both use they/he pronouns, intend Always Here to become a go-to source for books with LGBTQ authors and queer and trans content. Their stores name comes from the guiding principle that queer and trans stories are always here and have always been shared and told, John said.

Rafael was the one who aspired to own a bookstore, and they learned the trade while working at Two Rivers Books in the Portland neighborhood of St. Johns. In April 2023, during a road trip through Salt Lake City, Rafael and John stopped at queer bookstore Under the Umbrella and imagined what it would be like to create a similar gathering place. They have the proper merchandise area, and then they have community rooms you can book for your affinity group or your meetup or your D&D night, John said. It would be an absolute dream to find that kind of retail space.

When they returned to Portland, the pair organized pop-up bookstore supplies in time for June 2023s Pride festivities. Rafael took the lead as bookseller, and John helped set up at street fairs and markets. I was a bike courier guy, so we offered free bike delivery of books, which was fun for Portland, John said. As it got bigger, we realized we needed a lot more labor than any one person can handle.

By January 2024, theyd secured their current space, with Rafael managing the purchasing and operations, and Johnthe more loquacious of the twodeveloping partnerships with area schools and organizations including Pride Northwest, the bike-powered mobile library Street Books, and SMYRC, the Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center. Two Rivers owner Christine Longmuir kept in touch, providing mentorship and connecting Always Here with professional resources including the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

Rafael and John envision Always Here becoming a community hub akin to Portland feminist bookstore In Other Words, which closed in 2018. Books for all ages line their shelves, and they scour sites like journalist Dana Rudolphs Mombian to find inclusive works for everyone from young readers to adults. In addition to supplying books for elementary school groups, we have neighborhood kids who come to our store on the way home from school, Rafael said.

John enjoys making recommendations: I have this toxic trait where if someone comes in and says, Im having a bad timecan you recommend a book that'll make me feel happy?, Ill say, Have you read A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers? Thats my feel-good existential crisis read. Other store favorites include graphic novel Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Lane, horror YA Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White, and picture books No One Owns the Colors by Gianna Davy and illustrated by Brenda Rodriguez and From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom and illustrated by Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching.

Always Here is growing its network of authors as well. At a July 30 in-store event, Portland author Sydney Langford will launch their debut, The Loudest Silence (Holiday House), the platonic YA love story of two queer, disabled teens who become a musical duo. Aiden Thomas, author of the forthcoming Celestial Monsters (Feiwel & Friends), will conduct a Q&A with Langford. Thomas has become a regular presence at the store, signing books with Tehlor Kay Mejia (Sammy Espinozas Last Review) on Independent Bookstore Day. Wed done a personalization preorder campaign with Aidens novel The Sunbearer Trials when I was at Two Rivers, Rafael said. When we started this shop, I emailed him, and hes been a huge supporter. Now were doing his preorder campaign for Celestial Monsters.

On August 2, Always Here will host its first offsite event, a conversation between TJ Klune (Somewhere Beyond the Sea) and Chuck Tingle (Camp Damascus). Tingle is touring for his horror novel Bury Your Gays (Tor Nightfire), about a Hollywood scriptwriter whose studio bosses assign him to write the deaths of the gay characters in a hit streaming series. He and Klune will appear at Portlands Clinton Street Theater, and the 200-seat venue already is sold out. Its going to be wild seeing us on the marquee, John said. When we first started putting up pop-up shelves in a tent on the street, we didnt think wed be working with an institution like that, and with Chuck Tingle and TJ Klune and Tor.

Although Always Here presently shares a rental property with an entrepreneurial Asian American artists venture called Jelly Cup Collective, but the Harts are seeking a more permanent bricks-and-mortar home than their month-to-month lease will allow. Amid this onslaught of political action against our communities," they wrote in a promotional statement underscoring their mission, "queer and trans folks need community spaces perhaps now more than everparticularly space that is inclusive of the multiply marginalized: queer youth, disabled queers, and QTBIPOC folks."
The Atlantic has announced that veteran publishing and books reporter and editor Boris Kachka, most recently books editor at the Los Angeles Times, has joined as senior editor for books. The move comes after the Times let Kachka go in Januaryone of a reported 115 people (reportedly about 20% of the newsroom) laid off in one of the largest workforce reductions in the paper's history.

Boris is an elegant, experienced editor with deep knowledge of the literary landscape, a reporters instinct, and a curiosity for the big ideas that are preoccupying readers," said Atlantic deputy editor Jane Yong Kim in announcing the hire. "Boris joins us at a time when our Books ambitions are growing immensely, and I cant wait to see what he does here."

In addition, the Atlantic also announced the move of senior editor Gal Beckerman to a staff writer position, where he will write about books. Kim said Beckerman "has shaped our daily Books coverage in myriad ways," and in his new role will write on "an array of subjectsincluding books, of course.

Before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2020, Kachka was the books editor at New York magazine, where in 2018 he was charged with "tripling" books coverage in the print magazine and across its web verticals Vulture, the Cut, Daily Intelligencer, the Strategist, and Grub Street. He had been a contributing editor at the magazine for the previous 14 years.

Kachka is also the author of one of the great books about publishing, Hothouse: The Art of Survival and the Survival of Art at Americas Most Celebrated Publishing House, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (Simon & Schuster). Published in 2013, the book chronicled the rise of one of the country's most storied publishers.

In a review, PW called the book a "juicy narrative" that chronicles "an epochal shift in the industry: from the old FSG, with its shabby offices, lewd banter, nonstop adulteries, dysfunctional quasi-familial relations between authors and the publisher, and febrile literary passions, to the new era of bland media conglomerates."
Steven Millies, director of The Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union, describes himself as a political scientist, a theologian, and a public intellectual. In his new book, A Consistent Ethic of Life: Navigating Catholic Engagement with U.S. Politics (Paulist Press, out now) he deploys every aspect of that self-description.

With his eye on the November elections, Millies presents the religious, social, political history and current importance of a "consistent ethic of life" to every Catholic voter. The concept is rooted in findings of the Second Vatican Council, and championed by theologians such as the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. It cites a long list of acts from abortion to genocide to worker exploitation and many more affronts to human health and dignity as "dishonoring God." Millies writes in his book that "the promotion of human life and human welfare that supports a flourishing life must guide our conscience toward ethical and political decisions that reflect the most prudent choices that are available."

PW spoke with Millies two days after an assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, when partisan flames were flaring on social media.

You present a commitment to a consistent ethic of life as a way of thinking, of sorting through all the moral choices and reaching a decision. But people are so overwhelmed right now. Why not just reach for your church's voter guide?

There's such an overload of information and misinformation and disinformation that it is very hard to sort through and arrive at a good conclusion. So, we depend on trusted intermediaries and this inevitably silos us into partisan camps, whether in the church or in public life.

 Politics is the resolution of conflicts without violence. So, whatever threatens politics threatens life. 

Some would see the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as one more silo. What happened to their wider moral leadership?

The consistent ethic of life foundered for 40 years because it got stuck in the culture war about abortion and became about that. It remained controversial for that reason. We forgot how to behave politically with one another, which I think is another way of saying that we were forgetting how to behave together like a church, because those two things are very close. They're both about living in a community together in peace. The constant ethic of life was always intended to be a public argument, an appeal to the world, Catholic or not. It was always intended to be political. If we can't have politics, we can't defend life.

What do you mean by "politics."

We often say 'politics' when we are really talking about partisanship. Partisanship is our problem. Politics is what the consistent ethic calls us to. Politics is listening. It's admitting to other perspectives. It's discourse based on a sense of rational self-interest, which is the reason we have the vote in the first place. Before there can even be a discussion about the dignity of the human person and the consistent ethic of life, we have to first have politics. Politics is the resolution of conflicts without violence. So, whatever threatens politics threatens life.

If you believe in the dignity of the human person, if you believe in a consistent ethic of life, which the Roman Catholic Church certainly does, then you have to first support peaceful politics, the rule of law, and that we settle our conflicts without violence.

Can this book help people stop screaming past each other?

The same gospel has been proclaimed by the Catholic Church for 2000 years, and people haven't gotten all that much better across all of those centuries, either. A certain comfort with futility is built into Christian life.

But, being more serious now, I aimed this book at a popular audience because the most properly-speaking "political" thing that we can do is to join a rich discourse together where we listen to one another's points of view. The point of the ethic is to overwhelm and overcome partisanship, really, and to be consistent about what defends the human person. It's political, finally, because it is always inviting a conversation within the church and between the church and the world. Only conversation will save us.
Ellis Reups with IVP

Kelli Trujillo at IVP has acquired world rights to Weathering Change: Lessons from the Birds on Finding Peace in Transitions by Courtney Ellis. Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary brokered the deal. In the book, Ellis, an author and pastor, looks at how birds cope with change to share insights on how we might become more adaptable, and explores what change might tell us about the goodness of God. The book is scheduled for early 2026.

IVP Takes Book on Battling Lust

Kelli Trujillo at IVP has also inked a world rights deal with unagented authors Jay Y. Kim and Isaac Serrano for the tentatively titled Offer Your Bodies, in which the pair help readers recognize, understand, and battle the power of lust and pornography, as well as expand their vision of sexuality based on the Bible. The authors are lead pastors of separate churches in California. The book is scheduled for a fall 2026 release.

Artist Makes His Mark with IVP

The unagented Nathan Lloyd Nicholson, founder and creative director of NUMA Art, LLC, has signed a world-rights deal with Nilwona Nowlin, associate editor at IVP, the tentatively titled Make Your Mark. The book will feature Nicholsons art alongside short reflections on creativity. Nicholson is a multidisciplinary artist, and digital specialist for the Evangelical Covenant Church and an ordained elder/cleric in the Church of God in Christ. The book is scheduled for a spring 2026 publication.

Two Books by Giles to W-M

Estee Zandee, editor at WaterBrook Multnomah, has inked a world-rights deal for two books by pastor, media personality and speaker Joshua Giles. the first book in the deal, This Is Your Moment: Seize Gods Timing and Build the Future You Want to See will be released in spring 2026. No pub date has been announced for the second book, The God Frequency: Tuning In To Hear, See, and Know the Voice of God. Jevon Bolden of Embolden Media Group handled the deal.

Revell Takes Book for Christian Alcoholics

Revell executive editor Rachel McRae has take world rights to the tentatively titled Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic by Jon Seidl. Tom Dean of A Drop of Ink Literary negotiated the deal. Seidlowner of The Veritas Creativeoffers hope and help through his story and others who have been "stuck in a destructive relationship with alcohol" and helps readers "define their struggle with alcohol and how to break free." The book is set for an October 2025 release to coincide with Sober October.
Editorial Patmos, Spanish-language arm of Brazilian publisher CPAD, is marking its 25th anniversary this year. The company, which is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, and focuses exclusively on Christian titles, has seen significant growth in the U.S. market over the past quarter-century, with the U.S. now accounting for 52% of its total business, a testament to the growing Spanish-speaking population in the country.

"We started small, primarily focusing on Sunday School curriculum," Thomas Souza, business manager for Editorial Patmos, said. "From there, we grew to publishing trade books on other Christian topics and study Bibles. Now we publish all sorts of books, from Bibles and books for church leaders, to academic books, children's titles, or titles that are adaptable to the secular markets for a general audience. We just released a new curriculum."

Souza said the companys growth has been fueled in part by immigration trends. "We have millions of Spanish-speaking churchgoers here in the U.S. who are gathering every week," he noted. "Every two or three months, they need new materials. They need new Bibles for the new people coming in. They need new materials for the kids."

The company has also observed significant expansion beyond traditional Hispanic population centers. "We have been seeing a lot of growth in other areas of the country, especially up north, such as in Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Maryland. We've even seen bookstoreseven some opening in remote areas like Alabamawhich are now primarily Spanish speaking."

Among Editorial Patmos's most recent releases are Exegesis y Espiritualidad, a Spanish translation of essays by the late Pentecostal theologian Gordon Fee, and Impacto de la Santidad, a book on holiness by prominent Brazilian pastor Luciano Subira.

While the company has traditionally published around 30 titles annually, it is now shifting strategy to prioritize fewer, more targeted releases, primarily focused on its Christian readership. "We're making some decisions to start publishing titles that are very Christian titles and not intended to cross over, Souza explained. "We're gearing towards being a very niche publishing house."

Addressing the drastic decline in the number of traditional Christian bookstores in the U.S. Souza said he felt there was potential for market recovery, a feeling that surging religious book sales appear to support. "I feel like the market is going to ask for it again," Souza said, referring to physical Christian bookstores. "I don't think Amazon, especially talking about religious books, or is able to give the guidance and the support that is needed."

Nevertheless, Amazon remains a crucial sales channel for the company, Souza said. "I cannot complain about them," Souza noted. "We've seen a lot of updates that they have been doing lately, and it is clear are not going anywhere.

The company is also exploring growth in e-books and audiobooks, particularly with an eye towards future demand in Latin American markets.

"We just started playing with audiobooks. It's been an interesting experience," Souza shared. "We haven't seen a lot of interest, especially from the Latin American countries, but were going in now so that when the market embraces audiobooks, we're already there."
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Frasier Crane returns to Seattle in a Season 2 episode of the Frasier reboot, which premieres in September, Paramount+ announced Wednesday.

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That episode also reintroduces Dan Butler (Bob Briscoe), Edward Hibbert (Gil Chesterton) and Harriet Sansom Harris (Bebe Glazer).

Peri Gilpin, who plays Roz Doyle, will guest star throughout the reboot's second season.

"The series follows Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships and -- with hope -- finally fulfill an old dream or two," a Paramount+ press release states.

The revival's first season features Frasier teaching at Boston University. Season 1 was nominated for three Primetime Emmy nominations including Outstanding Production Design for a Half-Hour Narrative Program, Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Multi-Camera Series and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Multi-Camera Comedy Series.

Season 2 premieres Sept. 19 with two episodes, and additional episodes will drop every Thursday on the streaming platform.

"In my heart, I thought, 'I know we can do this and I know we can do it really well,'" he said in an interview. "And I didn't want to do what some of the other shows had done, sort of come back and be the same show. I thought this all played exactly how it was meant to be."
A Vietnamese pheasant that escaped from a zoo in Wales was safely returned to the facility the following day after an extensive search.

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The Plantasia Tropical Zoo in Swansea said Thursday that the male Vietnamese pheasant, also known as an Edwards' Pheasant, was found to be missing from his enclosure and was believed to have flown the coop.

"The pheasant is not in any way dangerous but it might be shy and scared which is why we are asking anyone who spots it to report that sighting to us immediately rather than approaching the bird," the zoo said on social media.

A follow-up post Friday said the pheasant, named Jack, had been found after numerous reported sightings Thursday night and Friday morning.

"Thanks to several helpful leads, our team searched the areas mentioned late last night and early this morning. I'm delighted to confirm that at 10:15 a.m., Jack was safely retrieved and returned to Plantasia Tropical Zoo," the post said.

Officials wrote Jack does not appear to be injured and "seems unfazed" by his adventure.

"For now, he will remain in a quarantined area of the zoo for close monitoring and a full health check by our vet before returning to roam our hot-house with the rest of his family," the post said.

"A thorough investigation is underway to understand how he escaped, and we will take measures to ensure this doesn't happen again."
Artificial intelligence apps have the potential to boost the African continents economic growth by close to US$3 trillion over the next six years  and mobile operators will be key to unlocking that, says the GSMA, the worlds biggest mobile operator association.

The GSMA released a new report on Monday that identifies over 90 AI use case applications in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa that it says can "drive socio-economic and climate impact."

According to the report  "AI for Africa: Use Cases Delivering Impact", which combines existing research with interviews with experts across civil society, NGOs, academia and the private sector  the vast majority of potential AI use cases in Africa are related to agriculture (49%), climate action (26%) and energy (24%).

The GSMA says these use cases could be part of a wave of emerging AI apps that, according to a March 2024 study from AI4D Africa, could boost the African continents economic growth by $2.9 trillion by 2030, the equivalent of increasing annual GDP growth by 3%.

For example, in sub-Saharan Africa  where up to 80% of food is produced by traditional smallholder farmers who lack access to information that would help improve yields the majority of AI use cases in agriculture involve machine learning (ML) enabled digital advisory services, which equip farmers with data-driven advice to adopt climate-smart farming practices and optimise productivity.

Meanwhile, AI can also enable more affordable and reliable energy services with use cases such as predictive maintenance, smart energy management, energy access assessment and productive use financing to monitor and extend services in energy-scarce areas, the report says.

With African countries being disproportionately impacted by climate change, AI could also support use cases to mitigate that impact, such as biodiversity monitoring, wildlife protection and early warning systems for climate emergencies and other natural disasters.

According to the GSMA report, most (98%) of these kinds of use cases are essentially predictive AI applications that leverage ML approaches, due to the availability of historical datasets, ease of application and lower computation requirements compared with generative AI models.

This is key because major barriers to AI adoption for African countries include limited availability of data centres and the rising cost of cost of hardware and software. AI requires GPU-level compute power, and in countries like South Africa and Kenya, for example, the cost of a GPU representing 22% and 75% of GDP per capita, respectively, the report says. Even when data centres get built, the energy demand is an extra expense that also taxes the power grid.

Which is why the GSMA report recommends taking advantage of the fact that mobile networks are the primary modes of internet access to ease the availability of smartphones and use mobile-based AI solutions as a practical way to circumvent current limitations and tap into AIs full potential across the continent.

Essentially, the idea is to reducing reliance on high-powered data centres by using mobile networks to develop distributed or hyperlocal edge computing, where tasks occur on devices including phones and laptops. After foundational models are trained on large datasets, AI models can be transferred to smartphones for fine tuning.

With smartphone penetration at 51% and expected to reach 88% by 2030, mobile-based edge computing will be central to expanding the proliferation and capabilities of AI in Africa, the GSMA report says.

That said, its not all about mobile. The GSMA report also lists other barriers and challenges that need to be addressed. Key among these is the lack of availability of local-language data, which is needed to train AI models so that they reflect the complexities and nuances of African markets rather than mimic data from the Global North.

Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, GSMAs head of Mobile for Development, said that there also needs to be a strong focus on increasing skills for both AI builders and users, especially among underserved populations. Better training programmes are essential, particularly in the face of a global brain drain on AI talent.

Giacomelli added that AI development in Africa will further require strong partnerships across a broad ecosystem of partners including big tech, NGOs, governments, and mobile operators.

Also, he continued, Policies must also evolve to address inequality, ethics, and human rights concerns in AI deployment.
'We are confident that over the next few years the government will strike a fine balance between populist measures and growth, and manage coalition partners well.'

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary during the Halwa ceremony as the final stage of Budget preparations commences at North Block in New Delhi, July 16, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

"Investors should consider sectors that stand to benefit from the government's infrastructure push, as well as potential advancements in the defence sector, which remains a key area of focus," Nischal Maheshwari, CEO for institutional equities at Centrum Broking, tells Puneet Wadhwa/Business Standard in an e-mail interview as the markets approach the Budget scheduled to be announced on July 23.

The markets are now at the cusp of the Budget. What proposals can surprise them positively and negatively?

Currently, the government is well positioned as their receipts have been robust on the back of buoyant tax collections and an over 100 per cent dividend transfer from the Reserve Bank of India.

With a rather slow first of the calendar year 2024 due to elections and the monsoon season, the government is unlikely to make significant changes in its capex spending.

However, we believe that higher-than-expected importance would be given to populist measures this year, thereby addressing the employment levels and rural stress.

How should investors approach the Budget? Is it time to buy the domestic economy-focused sectors?

With the rural economy poised for a significant rebound and the government's emphasis on infrastructure and manufacturing, we anticipate continuation in policy making here.

The forthcoming Budget should prioritise rural revitalisation through various initiatives, therefore, it is advisable to focus on rural-driven consumption themes.

Additionally, given the favourable monsoon season, increased attention to the agricultural sector is advisable.

Investors should also consider sectors that stand to benefit from the government's infrastructure push, as well as potential advancements in the defence sector, which remains a key area of focus.

Overall, a diversified approach encompassing these growth-oriented sectors could prove beneficial.

Are the markets a bit worried about how the Bharatiya Janata Party will carry out reforms and big bang policy overhaul in such a large coalition?

Even though the BJP wasn't able to garner a majority on its own, it is important that it has formed the government with its pre-poll partners and is not a post-poll alliance. This signals continuity in governance and policy making.

Moreover, with incumbent Cabinet ministers continuing to manage their existing portfolios gives us confidence for stable policy continuation for the next five years.

Is there a worry somewhere lurking in the minds of investors that the government may not last the full-term given the size of the coalition, and the fact that somewhere down the line these coalition partners may extract their pound of flesh?

It is encouraging to note that the pre-poll alliance of the BJP and its partners has remained intact and there was no change to it post elections. There is likely to be continuity in reforms, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

We are confident that over the next few years the government will strike a fine balance between populist measures and growth, and manage coalition partners well. We see the government completing its full term.

How comfortable are you with the overall market valuation at this stage?

Valuations are reasonable and the outlook is improving in information technology, BFSI and FMCG. Defence, engineering and power are clearly overpriced and some profits can be taken.

Can you explain your stance on the banking and the IT sectors?

The IT sector faces near-term challenges with a slowdown in discretionary spending, though green shoots are appearing in consulting, BFSI and TMT segments.

Gen AI is expected to lead the industry's recovery. However, a Rate cut by the Fed (US Federal Reserve) could stimulate demand for IT services.

On the banking side, deposit growth has been lacklustre, likely anchoring overall credit growth.

However, there's anticipation that the finance minister might increase tax-free interest income from the current Rs 10,000 to provide relief on fixed deposit interest income in the Budget, which would aid in increasing liabilities in banks.

When will the foreign investors chase Indian stocks with 'animal spirits'?

Indian markets are providing tough competition to other EMs to attract foreign inflows, but are disadvantaged by elevated valuations. Therefore we don't see foreign flows to be substantial driver of Indian bourses in the near future.

Domestic flows will continue to drive the markets.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
To boost domestic manufacturing under the Make in India initiative and reduce dependency on imports, the government is expected to announce in the Budget an increase in the minimum local content requirement for public procurement, with certain sectors being granted exceptions.

Currently, firms producing goods, services, or works with at least 50 per cent local content are classified as Class-I local suppliers and are preferred the most in government procurement.

Class-II local suppliers, whose goods, services, or works have 20-50 per cent local content, receive second preference.

Non-local suppliers, with less than 20 per cent local content, are generally the least preferred under the Public Procurement Order, unless no Class-I or Class-II suppliers are available for a specific need.

The inter-ministerial consultation is at an advanced stage.

"A reference to the proposal is likely in the upcoming Budget.

"The plan is to implement it in a graded fashion, said a government official.

Business Standard on May 13 reported that manufacturers in certain sectors, such as defence production, electronics and information technology, telecommunications, mines, railways, power, ports, and shipping & waterways, may be exempt from the higher local procurement requirements.

However, the official noted that an exemption list has not been finalised.

Initially, the higher local content requirements may be enforced in sectors, such as steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and consumer goods.

This development comes at a time when new private sector investment announcements in the June quarter of FY25 hit a 20-year low of Rs 44,300 crore, as estimated by Bank of Baroda, with the previous lowest level recorded in June 2005.

The increased local content requirement could potentially attract higher foreign direct investment (FDI) by necessitating foreign companies to establish a local presence to access the lucrative government procurement market.

FDI inflows to India dropped by 43 per cent in 2023 to $28 billion amid a global decline of 2 per cent, as reported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) last month.

P K Singh, chief executive officer of Government e-Marketplace (GeM), had earlier told Business Standard that this move would be positive for Make in India.

GeM, through which central, state, and local governments conduct a significant portion of public procurement, surpassed Rs 4 trillion in gross merchandise value in FY24.

An industry executive said that while the governments move is encouraging, it needs to ensure all ministries adhere to the guidelines during public procurement.

As departments have been left to separately notify the order, there is often a gap between intention and implementation, he added.

Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda, said that this would be a good move, especially since certain industries, like mobile components, currently import and assemble parts for sale.

To truly create value and generate backward linkages, such conditions will be effective.

"We need to ensure we build internal foundations for most industries, he said.
Subhash Dandekar, chairman emeritus of Kokuyo Camlin and the man known for bringing colours to artists as well as students in the country, passed away on Monday at 85.

Photograph via Instagram

This happened when the country was used to importing colour.

He took over Camlin from his father, Digambar Dandekar.

Camlin started in 1931 as an ink manufacturer and then started selling office stationery.

Talking about his brother, chairman Dilip Dandekar said artists were not open to using Camlins colours because they doubted the quality of the products.

But, he convinced artists to use Camlin colours and also told them the company gave the guarantee for their paintings and that the colours would last.

The uniqueness of the products is that they are for every age group  for the customer to associate with our brand, which was Subhashjis vision.

"He also expanded into writing instruments, his brother said.

He expanded the firm into a complete stationery company.

When Camlin launched colours in 1964, it formed the art material division of the company and in 1971 launched writing instruments, which included stencils and geometry boxes, and formed a joint venture in collaboration with the State Development Corporation of Malaysia for distribution in Southeast Asia.

Under Dandekars leadership, it diversified into pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals in 1982.

It is a separate company whose leadership is with his son, Ashish Dandekar.

In 2011, a Japanese stationery, office furniture and office equipment major picked up a little over a 50 per cent stake in the company for Rs 366 crore.

In a statement, the company said he was ill for the past few days and passed away on Monday morning.

He was linked to the Citizens Co-op Hospital. He became a guide to various social organisations as well as many organisations like Sikam.

"He was former president of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"He was also honoured with the award Game Changers of Maharashtra and Life Time Achievement Award, the statement added.
Unlike the previous visit, where TDP MPs accompanied Naidu to meetings, sources termed the current visit as "low profile", with one-on-one meetings with key Union ministers.

IMAGE: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu with Union Home Minister Amit A Shah in New Delhi, July 16, 2024. Photograph: Kind courtesy N Chandrbabu Naidu/X

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu landed in the national capital on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit, his second in less than a fortnight, in which he is slated to meet Union Home Minister Amit A Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Andhra CM had visited New Delhi on July 4, when he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and half-a-dozen Union ministers to discuss financial aid and infrastructure projects for his state.

Sources in Naidu's Telugu Desam Party described the progress on one of his demands -- the setting up of an oil refinery in Andhra Pradesh -- as satisfactory.

On his previous visit, Naidu had asked Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to direct BPCL to set up a refinery in Andhra in consonance with Section 93(4) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

The memorandum that Naidu had submitted to Puri had said that an announcement towards establishment of a refinery in Andhra in the FM's Budget speech would 'augur well' for increasing refinery capacity of the country in its journey towards achieving the objective of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

TDP sources said they expected that such an announcement will be made in the Union Budget.

While Naidu's previous visit was Budget-focused, the current one will have him discuss Andhra's medium-term financial and infrastructure needs, sources said.

Unlike the previous visit, where his party MPs had accompanied him to the meetings, sources termed the current visit as "low profile", with one-on-one meetings with key Union ministers.

During his current visit, Naidu will discuss the status of his other demands, such as a financial package for Andhra's backward regions.

In the run-up to the July 4 visit, the Andhra CM had released 'white papers' on rebuilding of the state's capital in Amaravati and the Polavaram Irrigation Project.

In the last few days, Naidu has released two more 'white papers' -- one on the 'looting of the state's natural resources' by the preceding YSR Congress Party government, and another on the pitiable state of Andhra's power sector.

The TDP is a crucial ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government at the Centre.

TDP sources said Naidu's meetings with Shah and Sitharaman were confirmed but a one-on-one with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi is still in the works.

Leaders of the other crucial ally of the BJP, the Janata Dal-United, have also been meeting Union ministers.

On Monday, JD-U national Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha met Sitharaman and sought higher funds for Bihar in the Budget.

On Tuesday, Bihar's Industries Minister Nitish Mishra met Puri and other officials of the ministry and oil sector PSUs.

'We discussed the opportunities of taking forward the compressed biogas initiative in the state of Bihar,' Puri posted on X.

Naidu's list of demands included financial assistance worth Rs 1 trillion from the Centre for Amaravati, the Polavaram Irrigation Project, and its backward regions on the lines of the Bundelkhand package.

Naidu had also sought the Centre handholding the state finances in the short-term, incentives for industrial development and additional allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for capital investment, targeting essential sectors, such as roads, bridges, irrigation and drinking water projects.

He had also sought assistance for the Dugarajapatnam port.

The Andhra CM had suggested that the Centre set up a mechanism to 'effectively coordinate' with the state government for 'timely intervention' on issues that it has flagged.

In his meeting with Shah, Naidu had sought his help in resolving pending issues related to division of assets and bifurcation of institutions, besides sorting out financial issues between the power distribution companies of Andhra and Telangana.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
There is no use of the BJP targeting Mamata Banerjee and M K Stalin, directly by the party's political bosses, both in Delhi and the respective state capitals, or even using the Raj Bhavans to fire those salvos from. Successive elections have proved that it's counter-productive, if anything.

But the BJP is yet to understand it, acknowledge it, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in New Delhi, July 16, 2024. All photographs: ANI Photo

Two out of 13 is not a tally that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre would have liked, even if anticipated, in the recent assembly by-elections spread across the country.

Yes, it cannot be called a referendum on Modi 3.0 but it indicates the continuance of a trend set in the nationwide Lok Sabha polls, wherein the victorious ruling combine was made to feel as if it had lost while the third-time loser, in the form of a combined INDIA Opposition, could think that it had 'won'.

Where does the problem lie for the BJP? It's a mindset problem, or a problem of the party's inability and/or unwillingness to change the mindset from a distant past to an unpredictable future through a predicative present.

Between the Lok Sabha polls and the by-polls, nothing seemed to have changed on the ground for the voter to take a re-look.

This was true of the parliamentary behaviour of the BJP, whose leaders, starting with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and Home Minister Amit A Shah, convinced the voters that nothing in them had changed, at the very least.

Between them, the BJP leaders and ordinary MPs were busy trying to score debating points.

This at a time when their own supporters outside had been convinced that the party had 'actually' lost the Lok Sabha poll, and were trying especially to decipher why and how the BJP lost Uttar Pradesh, despite the colourful Ram Mandir consecration by the PM ahead of the election.

IMAGE: Modi addresses economists ahead of the Union Budget 2024.

Yes, the Opposition too did the very same things, at the very same expected moments, and even in a predictable manner like the ruling party. But here, a Rahul Gandhi pulling out a picture of Lord Shiva re-energised his party cadres and those of the thus-far united INDIA cadres, who alone were possibly watching the parliamentary proceedings as keenly as their BJP counterparts (alone) used to do through the past decade and more.

For the Opposition cadres, as different from the apolitical voters, some of whom might have sided with them in the parliamentary polls, all of it signalled that their parties and leaders have finally shed their defeatism and lethargy, and were now ready to take the bull by the horn.

It is again a mirror image of what was happening to the BJP supporters as different from the future bhakts of Narendra Modi, the man and the leader, who was yet to arrive on the national scene, in the long run-up to elections 2014.

That was when the 2-G scam, the Commonwealth construction fiasco and the 'Nirbhaya case' caught the nation's imagination, alongside many other such instances and incidents.

In a way, Modi was the right person at the right place at the right time. He holds the unique record of being the only political leader in the country to enter a state assembly (only) as chief minister and Parliament directly as prime minister.

His determination and political astuteness (call it 'cunning', if you want) repeatedly won the day for him. His twin record may not be matched, leave alone beaten, for a long, long time to come.

IMAGE: Modi being welcomed by Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, right, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, centre, and state Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, left in Mumbai, July 13, 2024.

Maybe, for the very same reason, Modi is unable to or unwilling to acknowledge the shifting sands under the feet when it happens.

His long journey since before the Emergency has always tempted him to refer to that dark era in the nation's post-Independence history.

In the process, he and his BJP compatriots who are at the top of the heap in party and governmental affairs tend to forget that his own generation has only a fading memory of those days, and Gen X, Y and Z among the voters do not know what it was all about, for them to worry about it and vote on it, yet.

These voters are always on the move and move forwards with time, and not backwards -- and unfortunately so, at times.

It is not about politics and the BJP's views of events and developments from the past, or about the Opposition harping on the RSS's 'anti-Independence' stance in what is now a 'forgotten era' for NewGen voters.

These are the voters who constitute a majority and they vote on live issues that are current.

That's how the ruling BJP lost in 2004, and the Congress lost 2014 while in power.

It was again the same approach that the voter had adopted to give the ruling party and its leader a thumping victory in 2019 but one with a reduced margin in elections 2024.

Truth be told, the BJP needs the kind of shake-up that it faced in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when a man from Gujarat landed in Delhi without notice, and his name 'Modi' was enough to rupture the national fabric in (positive) ways that had been thought impossible since the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi less than a century earlier.

The comparison should stop there, as the ideologies preached and practised by the two made up different and distant poles in social transformation of the Indian society of their times -- and reflected those realities, too.

In the reverse, neither may have worked. The telescoping of time, especially in our era of social media, which the 'Modi magic' exploited in full at a different time, cuts both ways -- and the BJP leadership has not acknowledged it, as yet.

Today, there is a grudging respect for Rahul Gandhi's determination to stay and fight back, despite 10 long years of lampooning from the rival BJP that was designed to destroy not only his personal image and political pedigree, but also his self-confidence even more.

Just as there was/is no equivalent to Modi's ascent and arrival on the national scene just over a decade back, there is hardly any parallel now or ever to the indomitable spirit of the man that is Rahul.

IMAGE: Modi inaugurates multiple development projects in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, as Chief Minister M K Stalin looks on.

Yes, the story of the late DMK veteran M Karunanidhi, who sat out and fought friend-turned-political foe in breakaway AIADMK founder MGR through the 1970s and 1980s is there.

For the present generation, even in Dravidian Tamil Nadu, that is what myths and mysteries are made of.

They know Stalin, EPS, OPS and a few others of their generation -- and their political knowledge and electoral needs stop there.

Less said about their counterparts across the country, who have had no way of knowing enough about the life and times of Karunanidhi than they may have got to know about his minister-grandson, Udhayanidhi, in the context of the Sanatan Dharma row attaching to his name.

Yet, there is the reality that this very card did not help the BJP win even a single extra vote either in Tamil Nadu or anywhere else in the country in the Lok Sabha polls that followed, despite the Mo-Sha campaigns against them.

Otherwise, too, the repeated BJP haranguing of the Nehru-Gandhi family, going back to decades and decades, that too by the likes of Modi and Shah, only meant that the first-generation tech-users got to Google those names, and got to know that there was more to them than what they were being sought to made to believe.

Between them, Jawaharlal Nehru and daughter Indira Gandhi were the ones who laid the foundations for an industrialised nation, from one of 'snake-charmers'.

India's very many space odysseys that the BJP spin doctors made out to be Modi's individualistic achievements as PM, and also the advent of the atomic age in Indian history, all had commenced there -- and the 2K kids too got to know about it.

Before Pokhran II under BJP's Vajpayee, there was Pokhran I, during Indira Gandhi's time. And there was the 'Bangladesh War' victory, too, under her, that kind of offset at least a part of the China disaster of 1962 under her father.

Yes, Hindutva was not the issue in the Lok Sabha poll and Hindutva was not the issue in the assembly bypolls.

As anti-Modi, anti-BJP social media activists had punned to make fun of them both, the party lost the 'Ayodhya' seat (Faizabad, to be precise) in the Lok Sabha poll, despite the temple consecration, and Badrinath, another Hindu pilgrim centre, this one in Uttarakhand, in the assembly by-election.

The message was very clear: People had real problems and they wanted real solutions. They had lived through 10 years of the Modi raj, with the fond hope and clear expectations that after initial hiccups and hitting back at the Congress predecessors, this government would create jobs, add to family incomes, check price rise and ensure availability of essentials, and such other things that are within the ambit of the common man's legit aspirations.

Instead, harping on the Congress's past, as if the present-day voters care, was the greatest of strategic errors that the BJP committed in the Lok Sabha polls.

Even if they do not do any new things for the voter, even if they do not talk about their own credible achievements that the voter can touch, feel and measure, as long as the BJP continues to criticise the Congress and various regional party rivals in their respective turf, it is not going to work. Rather, it's going to work in the negative, for sure.

IMAGE: Modi interacts with IAS officer trainees of the 2022 batch posted as assistant secretaries, New Delhi, July 11, 2024.

Today, there is no use of the BJP targeting the likes of Mamata Banerjee and M K Stalin, directly by the party's political bosses, both in Delhi and the respective state capitals, or even using the Raj Bhavans to fire those salvos from. Successive elections have proved that it's counter-productive, if anything.

But the BJP is yet to understand it, acknowledge it. The fact is that the party is going through the inevitable transition phase, or it has already begun.

It could be Amit A Shah, or someone else, if Modi's era as PM runs out with his current third term.

At the end of this term, he would have also overtaken Nehru as the longest-serving PM -- that is if he decides to stay on till the end, and does not desire to move upstairs as the next President.

But any BJP prime ministerial candidate in Modi's place, in 2029 or even five years later, will not get the kind of launch that he had when he arrived in Delhi, rather reluctantly in 2012 or thereabouts.

It means that the party has to begin working almost from scratch. Then and then alone would the leadership know if the grassroots-level base it has put in place over the past decades and strengthened under Modi's care, was useful or useless, productive or counter-productive.

It should be done with the full realisation that Modi won the party and won for the party, and that the party still needed Modi more than the other way round. His successors might not be blessed as much as he is.

It's the kind of dilemma that the Congress led itself into after Indira Gandhi took over the leadership by storm, post-1967.

Her open revolt against the old and worn-out Syndicate leadership of the party, but fought more forcefully and in the open, as always has been the Congress trait, has had its parallels, later, when Modi side-stepped his mentor and guardian angel, in Lal Kishenchand Advani, equally effectively and even more effortlessly.

There is a repeat value in all this, and so also in issues that mount one by one, one after another, in the voter's mind -- to form a cumulative view of the previous five years a government and leader are in office. In recent memory, it was the 2-G scam, Nirbhaya and the rest for the Congress-led UPA-2.

It's still Agniveer, unemployment, and amusing the super-rich in Modi's time. And Agniveer was/is not what the BJP had assumed the youth in north India would especially make out to be -- as they had correctly pre-judged in the case of post-demonetisation woes in 2016 and the Covid lockdown and the consequent long trek back home, only a couple of years later.

The voter had changed, his mood had changed, but the ruling party was not wiser to it.

What made this ground level shift and its inability to measure it adequately is for the national leadership to be more concerned about than anything else.

Suffice to point out how on assuming office in Modi 3.0, Steel and Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy, stirred the pool by declaring that an American firm was getting a Rs 3.2 crore subsidy for every job they created in Modi's Gujarat.

That the Janata Dal-Secular leader from Karnataka might have said it on the sly, to indicate that his progressive state was losing out to Gujarat on the industrialisation index on uneven scales like this one, only owing to such politico-administrative sleight-of-hand.

The media mostly ignored it, but on social media across the country, 2K kids yearning for those jobs, would have taken note of the storm in the teacup.

Such piling up of individual grievances, when left unaddressed, is going to be the ruling party's bane in elections 2029.

Yes, that is a long way off, and that is also the time for more grievances to get added on to the common man's endless list, from government to government, generation to generation, and election to election.

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'The Indian private sector knows how to build and run educational organisations, what is needed is a large dose of removal of restrictions.'

'Government restrictions hold back universities in India from launching medical schools,' argue Ajay Shah and Vijay Kelkar.

IMAGE: Police use water cannons to disperse National Students Union of India activists during a protest against the alleged paper leak of the NEET-UG exam, nursing scam and Agnipath scheme in Bhopal, July 15, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Failures in the operations of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) have aroused much ire.

It is possible to think about the NEET problem statement and improve its implementation.

We should peel the layers of the onion and go deeper.

Why should every medical college in India be subject to central control of how it admits students? Why is there so little medical education?

Our first instinct is: We have a failure of operations, so let's go do the operations better.

We can add more policemen and armoured cars to protect the papers from leaking.

This is a bit of a mug's game, given the extreme supply-demand imbalance in medical education and the high incentive in favour of examination fraud.

There are too many civil servants involved at too many points in the process.

It is not wise to ask flawless performance of government organisations in India.

As with most policy problems that we see in India, we need better thinking and not mere execution of poorly thought out concepts.

How could we do better than the worm's eye view?

A better centralised examination

Why should there be a high-stakes examination, organised in person all over the country, on one date?

In fact, putting an identical question paper in front of multiple different candidates is well known to be an inefficient statistical estimator of the candidate quality.

Computerised testing based on 'item response theory' obtains a better estimator of each candidate. This is how the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) works.

If there was any one fixed exam, there would be a bunch of people with a perfect score (and the people slightly behind would not be materially different from the bunch at the top).

Modern statistical methods tease out the difference between the 95th percentile and the 99th percentile by probing them with difficult questions.

These are administered from a large bank of questions, each of which is the subject of research and measurement based on the past performance of the question.

In this arrangement, testing would take place all through the year, with the test taker making an appointment to take the test.

This avoids the bad luck of flood, a heatwave, or illness.

It is operationally easier: Instead of having 2.5 million people being tested on one day in a year, we break up the problem into 10,000 persons being tested every day.

From a management point of view, it is more feasible to establish a process of data release, research, criticism, and then iterative policy modifications, so as to learn how to do 10,000 tests per day correctly, 250 times a year.

This requires organisational capability at the level of the Educational Testing Service, the private American firm which runs the GRE.

It would be good to build the policy reforms to get testing activities out of the Indian State.

This would help, but can we do better?

A better college-admission process

How should a university choose from many applicants? This is the legitimate choice of the managers and the board of the university.

The purpose and strategy of each university would shape the mechanisms that it uses to choose students.

There is no one-size-fits-all. Some universities might like to take in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) propeller heads, some might emphasise multiple personality traits, some might like to use allocation based on lotteries.

It might surprise us in India, but a significant portion of doctors in the US have backgrounds outside of science majors.

Doctors require strong communication capabilities, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, which are fostered by a liberal arts education.

A wise leadership of a medical college is best placed to choose an admission algorithm that is consistent with its strategy.

Medical college admission is, then, one of a piece with the array of situations all across the Indian landscape, with excessive centralisation and excessive government control.

There is no reason for Union government control of medical admission: Each medical college should do as it pleases.

We need the policy reforms to get the Union government out of medical admissions.

This would help, but can we do better?

A better medical-education system

There is a massive shortage of doctors, to the point where Indian students are going to China or Ukraine.

Domestic requirements, medical tourism, and telemedicine services delivered to overseas users: All these imply that a 10- or 20-fold increase in the number of doctors would be readily absorbed by the economy.

There are no shortages of telephone connections or scooters in modern India.

What happened to those queues and corruption? The solutions lay in injecting superior ideas, not superior execution, into the policy process.

The root cause of conflict around admission to medical colleges is the shortage of seats.

This shortage is caused by mistakes in the rules made by the government, which hold back entry.

There is an analogy in this field. The emergence of the Indian software industry was threatened by a shortage of engineers.

This was solved by policy reform with the entry of private educational organisations.

The education market and the labour market know how to distinguish 'good' from 'bad' in the colleges; we don't need government involvement in helping students or employers combat asymmetric information.

The Indian private sector knows how to build and run educational organisations, what is needed is a large dose of removal of restrictions.

Government restrictions hold back myriad universities in India from launching medical schools, which many could do in partnership with private hospitals.

It is efficient for the best private hospitals to add medical education alongside their core operations.

A medical university must have faculty members who are not just practitioners: They need to be researchers.

This is good for the private hospital as they would command more respect and be sought after.

This requires a way of life different from that of conventional private hospitals.

The role of the government is to establish a research-funding mechanism through which grants go to such researchers.

Ajay Shah is a researcher at XKDR Forum and Vijay Kelkar is vice-president, Pune International Centre.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee on Wednesday dismissed Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand's allegations that 228 kg gold bought for lining the Kedarnath temple's internal walls is missing, and asked him to approach authorities if he had any evidence.

IMAGE: The Kedarnath Dham. Photograph: ANI Photo

Swami Avimukteshwaranand on Tuesday alleged irregularities in gold plating the internal walls of the temple a few years ago and asked where 228 kg of the precious metal brought for the purpose disappeared.

Temple committee chairman Ajendra Ajay also asked Avimukteshwaranand not to push the "agenda of the Congress" by making false allegations.

The confusion being spread in the media on the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is part of a conspiracy, he alleged.

Ajay said the gold plating of the temple had been done entirely by a donor who had experience in that line of work.

The Shankaracharya's claim that 228-230 kg of gold was brought for lining the walls of the temple has no factual basis, he said.

"The temple's internal walls were earlier covered with silver plates weighing about 228 kg which led some media-persons to the conclusion that the gold plates must also have weighed as much, which is not true. Gold plating is done on copper plates by depositing only a thin layer of gold on them," Ajay said.

"Still, if the Shankaracharya can produce any evidence in support of his charge, he should approach competent authorities," he said in a statement and a video.

Apart from permitting the donor to undertake gold plating of the temple walls appreciating his sentiment and experience in the field, the committee had no role to play in it, Ajay said.

The entire work of buying the gold to inlaying it on the walls was done by the donor, the temple committee chairman said.

Official bills and vouchers of the gold and copper plates installed in the sanctum sanctorum by the donor through his jewellers were submitted to the committee after the completion of the work, he added.

Ajay said no condition was placed before the temple committee by the donor or any firm for this work done as a donation, nor did the donor ask for a certificate under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

The sanctum sanctorum of the Badrinath Temple was also covered with gold by the same donor in 2005. There was no opposition then, but in the case of Kedarnath, malicious allegations are being made under a well-planned conspiracy, he said.

Ajay said the gold plating work was done under the supervision of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India.

Around 23 kg gold worth Rs 14 crore and 1,001 kg copper worth Rs 29 lakh were used, he said.

Some priests of the Kedarnath temple have released videos demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the gold lining work.

In videos released to the press by the supporters of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, former president of the Kedar Sabha Kishan Bagwadi, he alleged that along with 528 gold plates, 230 silver plates are also missing.

Vice-president of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Tirtha Purohit Mahapanchayat Santosh Trivedi, who brought the gold issue to the fore in the Kedarnath temple, said he has been raising questions on the quality of gold from the very beginning.
On July 14, 2024, former United States president Donald J Trump was hit by a bullet in the upper part of his right ear when he was on stage at a rally in Butler county, Pennsylvania.

The suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue.

On Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Hindu Sena members held a prayer meeting and havan for Trump's long life and well at the Maa Baglamukhi Shakti Peeth in New Delhi.

IMAGE: Priests perform the havan. All Photographs: ANI Photo

IMAGE: The priests chant mantras during the havan.

IMAGE: Hindu Sena members at the prayer meet.

IMAGE: Meanwhile, civil rights attorney and Republican Party leader Harmeet Dhillon offers ardas (prayer) at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 15, 2024.

IMAGE: Harmeet Dhillon during the convention.

IMAGE: Republicans watch Harmeet Dhillon at the convention.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday met ministers from the state at his residence in Lucknow to discuss the upcoming assembly bypolls in 10 constituencies.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses the State Working Committee meeting, in Lucknow on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The floods in the state, which have so far affected more than 700 villages across 17 districts, were also discussed during the meeting.

The meeting comes weeks after the Lok Sabha elections in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party performed poorly. The party was reduced to 33 seats, a drop of 29 seats from 2019.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) gained ground with the Samajwadi Party (SP) securing a win on 37 seats, a jump of 32 seats as compared to 2019, and the Congress winning on six seats.

"The meeting today was especially held to discuss the upcoming elections and we will win all the 10 assembly seats where by-elections are to be held," Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said after the meeting.

All the Uttar Pradesh cabinet ministers and ministers of state were present in the meeting, sources said.

Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, who also attended the meeting, said 'discussions were held on floods along with developmental works'.

The 10 assembly seats, which are set to go to bypolls, are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Nine of the 10 seats fell vacant after the MLAs resigned following their victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Prominent among these seats was Karhal (Mainpuri), which fell vacant after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav resigned following his elections to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.

SP's Irfan Solanki's Sisamau assembly seat in Kanpur Nagar was declared vacant following his disqualification in view of his seven-year imprisonment by MP/MLA court.

CM's meeting with ministers comes amid buzz about less-than-warm relations between him and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Hours after Maurya met BJP chief J P Nadda in New Delhi on Tuesday, a post on X by the office of the Deputy CM quoted him as saying, "The organisation is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organization, the workers are the pride."

Maurya had made these remarks at the state party's extended executive meeting on Sunday.

Now, this post by his office after his meeting with Nadda has caused a flutter in political circles.

In private conversations, a number of BJP leaders from the state, including those who lost in the Lok Sabha polls, have been critical of the chief minister's working style and cited it as one of the reasons for their loss.

However, Adityanath is seen by his supporters as a popular chief minister who has aggressively pursued the party's Hindutva agenda and maintained a firm grip on law and order.

Earlier, at a state working committee meeting of the BJP on July 14, Adityanath said that overconfidence had hurt their expectations in the state.

-- with inputs from agencies
Thai billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi has reportedly announced plans to merge his power company Gulf Energy Development with its telecoms unit Intouch Holdings, which owns telco Advanced Info Service (AIS), with the resulting combined entity potentially valued at US$20.5 billion.

According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, current Gulf Energy shareholders will receive 1.02974 shares of the merged business, while Intouch holders will get 1.69335 shares for every stock held.

According to Bloomberg, the merger and restructure is part of Saraths plan to restructure his businesses that deal in renewable energy, telecoms and data centres.

The combined expertise will benefit both companies and all stakeholders, increasing the potential of the new company to be a leader in the energy and telecommunications business, Sarath said in a joint statement from Intouch and Gulf Energy, which already owns around 47.4% of Intouch after taking control of the company in 2021.

Meanwhile, under the proposed restructure plan, Sarath, Gulf Energy, Intouch and Singtel Strategic Investments will make a tender offer for 36.25% of AIS at THB216.30 a share each, the report said. Singtel currently owns 24.99% of Intouch, while Intouch owns 40.44% of AIS.

Bloomberg adds that Singtel will end up with a 9% stake in the newly combined Gulf-Intouch company, and will book a gain of SGD400 million (US$298 million) from the deal. Singtel also said in an exchange filing that the deal will simplify its stake in AIS by removing Intouch as the intermediary holding company.

The merger plan also calls for Gulf Energy, Intouch and Sarath to buy 58.9% of Intouch-owned satellite operator Thaicom at THB11 apiece, the report said.

Subject to the usual regulatory approvals, the restructure is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2025.
The Delhi government has shown lack of sensitivity over protecting the environment, the Supreme Court said while rapping it for granting permission to the Delhi Development Authority to chop 422 trees in the Southern Ridge's reserve forest area for the construction of a road.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said it is an admitted position as reflected in the statement made by the tree officer that for felling 422 trees, the officer did not grant any permission.

The apex court was hearing suo motu (on its own) contempt proceedings against the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority over alleged cutting of 1,100 trees in the ridge forest for a road widening project.

"The Delhi government must take the blame for granting permission to fell 422 trees, though there was no statutory power vesting in the Delhi government to grant such permission," the bench said in an order dated July 12.

"Thus, apart from the trees in the ridge area, the government facilitated cutting and felling the trees outside the ridge area without permission under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994," it said.

The top court said, like the DDA, the Delhi government has shown a lack of sensitivity over protecting the environment.

The bench said the Delhi government has not even provided the tree officer and the Tree Authority an office or basic infrastructure.

The Delhi government must come before the court and tell "how it will compensate for the damage caused to the environment due to its illegal acts", the bench said.

"The affidavit of the Delhi government also shows that this is not the only instance where the forest department of the Delhi government purported to grant permission for the felling of trees. They had done it earlier also," it said.

The Delhi government's stand is that "the DDA has accepted that they misread the notifications issued by the Delhi government", the bench said.

"That will not absolve the Delhi government of its responsibility of passing orders permitting the felling of trees, though no statutory power is vested in the Delhi government," it said.

The top court said the Delhi government must also come out with an action taken report, if any, against the erring officers who are alleged to have granted permissions for the felling of trees.

"Apart from a statement on oath which we expect the Delhi government to make about compensating the loss caused to the environment, we hope and trust that the Delhi government will immediately stop exercising the non-existent power of granting permissions for the felling of trees," it said.

The bench said, "While we do so, we direct the Delhi government to ascertain how many such permissions have been granted by the Delhi government in the last five years and place all those permissions on record."

During the hearing, the apex court expressed anguish over continuous "cover up" by authorities over the role of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in tree felling in the ridge area and directed the DDA to inform it whether the order to cut trees was passed on basis of the LG's oral permission or the DDA independently took the decision.

Senior advocate Aditya Sondhi, appearing for the Delhi government, assured the court that office infrastructure, staff and necessary hardware and software will be made available to the Tree Authority and the tree officer within six weeks.

The bench said, "The Delhi government shall also ensure that the Tree Authority is properly constituted before the next date. Regarding the forest department of the state government, the entire infrastructure must be put in place within two months from today."

"The Delhi government must file an affidavit indicating what measures the forest department is taking to prevent environmental damage, including keeping vigil to stop the illegal felling of trees," it said.

The court had earlier issued a notice of criminal contempt against DDA vice chairman Subhasish Panda for allowing large-scale felling of trees in the Southern Ridge's Satbari area to construct a road from Chhattarpur to the South Asian University.
Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said the party is bigger than the government, a cryptic remark on X that has fuelled speculation over a "rift" in the Bharatiya Janata Party state unit.

IMAGE: Union Health Minister JP Nadda receives a warm welcome from UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya on his arrival in Lucknow as CM Yogi Adityanath looks on, July 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

"The organisation is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organisation, the workers are the pride," the post shared by the office of the deputy CM on X said.

It quoted a part of Maurya's address during the BJP's working committee meeting in Lucknow on Sunday. The post also had a picture of the meeting in the backdrop.

"The organisation was bigger than the government and will always be bigger. The doors of my residence at 7 Kalidas Marg are open to everyone. I am deputy chief minister later but first I am a worker," Maurya said in the meeting.

He also urged all the ministers, MLAs, and public representatives to respect party workers.

Maurya's post comes a day after he met BJP president J P Nadda in New Delhi amidst rumours of an alleged rift between him and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Neither the BJP nor Maurya said anything about the meeting while senior BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and finance minister Suresh Khanna, have also remained mum.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged "infighting" in the BJP and claimed it was harming people's welfare.

"In this fight for power, it is the people of Uttar Pradesh who are suffering," Yadav told reporters at the SP headquarters here earlier in the day.

"In the BJP's fight for power, governance and administration in UP has been put on the back burner. The BJP used to sabotage other parties but now the same is happening with it. The BJP is sinking into a quagmire of internal conflicts. No one in the BJP thinks about the public," Yadav said in a post in Hindi on X on Wednesday.

Responding to the SP chief, Maurya wrote on X, "SP head Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, BJP has a strong organisation and government both in the country and the state while the SP's PDA is a fraud.

"The return of SP's hooliganism in UP is impossible as the BJP will repeat its 2017 performance in the 2027 assembly elections," Maurya said.

Before the Lok Sabha elections, Yadav had coined the slogan of PDA -- Pichhda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak (backward, Dalit and minority) -- to woo the voters of these communities.
The Himachal Pradesh high court has submitted to the Supreme Court a report in a "sealed cover" in response to a plea by two district and sessions judges alleging their merit and seniority were not considered for judgeship in the high court by its collegium.

IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo

The plea was filed by senior-most district and sessions judges Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra.

The high court's registrar general has said the HC's chief justice had written to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on December 11 last year, seeking guidance on whether the apex court collegium needed any further inputs about the suitability of Singh and Malhotra for elevation as HC judges, according to sources.

The report, according to the sources, states that the HC did not get the note of the Supreme Court collegium on the issue even after six months.

The plea of Singh and Malhotra came up for hearing on Monday in the Supreme Court.

"The report in sealed cover is furnished by the registrar general of the Himachal Pradesh high court. A copy of the said report be furnished today itself to Bina Madhavan, the counsel assisting Arvind P Datar, senior counsel appearing for the petitioners. The matter be re-listed on July 23," an apex court bench noted in the Monday order.

Earlier in May, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy had sought a response from the HC's registrar general on the plea of the judges.

In their plea, Singh and Malhotra have alleged that their merit and seniority were not considered by the high court collegium in selection of names for HC judgeship.

Datar, appearing for the petitioners, had said judicial officers who are junior to them had been recommended for HC judgeship under the in-service quota.

Singh and Malhotra, at the time of filing the petition, were serving as the district and sessions judges at Bilaspur and Solan, respectively, in the Himachal Pradesh.

Referring to a January 4 resolution of the apex court collegium and a subsequent communication of the law ministry to the Himachal Pradesh high court, Datar, a senior lawyer, had said according to these, the names of the petitioner judicial officers should have been considered by the HC collegium.

"The petitioners are the senior-most judicial officers in the state and they have unblemished records," Datar had said.

The plea questioned the selection process of the judicial officers by high court collegium for elevation as HC judges and said their -- Singh and Malhotra -- merit and seniority were ignored despite the issue being specifically referred to in the apex court collegium's resolution.

The plea said the apex court collegium's decision to send their names for reconsideration by the HC collegium was followed by a communication from the Union law minister to the chief justice of the high court, urging him to reconsider the names of the petitioner judicial officers.

It alleged that the high court collegium did not consider these and proceeded to deliberate upon the names of other judicial officers.
The Tibetan government-in-exile and China are continuing to hold back-channel talks and the last round took place this month, just days before US President Joe Biden signed a legislation that seeks to press Beijing for a negotiated settlement to Tibet's demands for greater autonomy.

IMAGE: A sign marking 70 years since Chinese rule over the Tibet Autonomous Region, Potala Palace Square, Lhasa. Photograph: Martin Pollard/Reuters

"Last round of talks happened at the beginning of this month," Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or political head of Tibet's government-in-exile, said on Wednesday.

The Tibetan side has been joining the back-channel negotiations with a long-term perspective and that it does not have any expectations from the Xi Jinping-led Chinese government, he told a small group of journalists.

"We just cannot think of the short term. We cannot only think about Xi Jinping. He will be there for sometime and then he will be gone. But we have to keep our communications (with Beijing) going," he said.

In April, Beijing rejected reports of the back-channel talks with the Tibetan government-in-exile and said it will hold negotiations only with the representatives of the Dalai Lama.

"The back-channel talks are going on. However, China never acknowledges them. It is their policy not to acknowledge," Tsering said.

From 2002 to 2010, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's representatives and the Chinese government held nine rounds of dialogue that did not produce any concrete outcomes. No formal talks have been held since then.

The back-channel talks were seen as willingness by both sides to re-engage over a decade after the formal dialogue process hit a dead end in view of anti-China protests in Tibet and Beijing's hardline approach towards the Buddhist region.

Sikyong said the talks are taking place in a third country and it was Beijing which reached out to Tibet's government-in-exile for the negotiations.

At the same time, he said there has been no contact between the two sides since Biden signed into law the "The Resolve Tibet Act".

"My Administration will continue to call on the People's Republic of China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet," Biden said after signing the Act on July 12.

The legislation, seen as significant in Tibet's struggle for autonomy, says it is Washington's policy that the conflict must be resolved in accordance with international law through dialogue without preconditions.

"If there has to be a resolution, it should be based on international law -- that is the first aspect of this act," the Sikyong said.

"Even though we are asking for some kind of autonomy under the Middle-Way policy, the concept of autonomy is not defined in international law. The only thing that is defined in international law is self-determination," he explained.

"And that is what the US recognises that the Tibetan people have the right to self determination just as the UN General Assembly passed a resolution way back in 1961."

Tsering said the Tibetan people are very committed to the 'Middleway' policy of the Dalai Lama to resolve the conflict.

"We are very very committed to the Middleway policy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that is approved by the majority of Tibetans and unanimously adopted by the Parliament way back in 1997," he said.

"We remain committed to His Holiness's thinking and try to find a non-violent, negotiated, mutually-beneficial lasting solution to the cause of Tibet," he said.

"But we decided to change our policy a little bit in the sense that when we speak about the Middle-way, then there needs to be polarities. Without polarities, there cannot be a middle-way and without recognition of the polarities, there is no value for middle-way," Tsering said.

Explaining the two polarities, he said one is the present situation in Tibet under the "repressive" Chinese communist government and the other is the historical status of Tibet as an independent State.

Another significant aspect of "The Resolve Tibet Act" is the US's assertion that China is wrong in claiming that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times.

In its talks with China between 2002 and 2010, the Tibetan side pitched genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people in line with the Dalai Lama's middle way policy.

China has in the past accused the Dalai Lama of indulging in "separatist" activities and trying to split Tibet and considers him as a divisive figure.

However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has insisted that he is not seeking independence but "genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet" under the "Middle-Way approach".

After a failed anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and came to India where he set up the government-in-exile. The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met in formal negotiations since 2010.

Beijing has been maintaining that it freed "serfs and slaves" from a brutal theocracy in Tibet and bringing the region on the path of prosperity and modernisation.
An 18-month-old boy died, while another boy suffered injuries when street dogs attacked them in separate incidents in Telangana, the police said on Wednesday.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the boy's death in Hyderabad and directed officials to take steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future.

The boy died after allegedly being mauled by a pack of stray dogs at Jawahar Nagar in Hyderabad when he came out of his house Tuesday night.

A dog dragged him to some distance and later some strays bit him resulting in injuries, they said.

The boy was initially rushed to a private hospital and from there referred to a state-run hospital where he died last night, a police official at Jawahar Nagar police station said.

Based on a complaint from the boy's parents, a case was registered.

The family hails from Siddipet district and shifted to Jawahar Nagar in Hyderabad two months ago.

The grief-stricken mother of the boy told mediapersons that she had gone out from home to get medicines.

The boy, who was playing inside, came out of the house when the pack of dogs attacked him.

The boy did not survive though he was rushed to a hospital, she said.

"Our fate has become like giving away the children to dogs. We used to treat him with a lot of love and attention. We fail to understand how this has happened. It happened in just five-10 minutes. We wanted to go to our village for a festival (Ekadashi). But we are taking him like this," the woman, who was in tears, said.

The number of street dogs in the locality is very high, she said, adding the authorities should take steps to check the menace of dogs so that others do not have to face such tragedies.

Noting that incidents of dog attacks were being reported often, CM Revanth Reddy told officials to establish either a toll free number or a call centre to receive complaints from residents of localities where street dogs' menace is prevalent, an official release said.

He suggested forming a committee of experts comprising veterinary doctors and representatives of animal welfare organisations like Blue Cross to study the reasons for the dog attacks, an official release said.

He also instructed officials to take up vaccination drives to check the canine menace.

Health department officials were asked to ensure that medicines to treat patients of dog bites are available in all urban health centres in Hyderabad and all primary healthcare centres in the state.

In another incident, a seven-year-old boy, who was playing in front of his house Tuesday evening at Mangela village in Jagtial district was attacked by a stray dog, police said.

The boy sustained bleeding injuries and was admitted to a government hospital. The boy was stated to be out of danger.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manikanth Rathod has been arrested in connection with theft of rice meant for Anna Bhagya scheme, police said on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Karnataka Youth Congress supporters stage a protest against the central government over the alleged stalling of state's Anna Bhagya Yojana, outside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office, in Bengaluru on July 5, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Shahapur police arrested Rathod from his residence in the district headquarter town of Kalaburagi.

"Manikanth has been arrested in connection with the theft of 6,077 quintals of rice worth more than Rs two crore from a government warehouse in Shahapur in Yadgir district," the sources said.

The BJP leader was summoned by the police to appear before it for questioning, which he ignored due to which he was arrested.

Rathod had contested the 2023 assembly election on the BJP ticket against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge and lost.

Anna Bhagya scheme offers 10 kg food grains to each member of the family belonging to the economically weaker sections of the society every month.
Several Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and corporators returned to the Sharad Pawar camp on Wednesday, a day after resigning from the Ajit Pawar faction.

IMAGE: NCP leaders meet Sharad Pawar at his residence in Pune, July 17, 2024. Photograph: ANI/X

Former NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, Ajit Gavhane, was among the leaders who joined Sharad Pawars faction at his residence in Pune.

Three other senior leaders of the NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit -- Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane -- who quit the party on Tuesday also joined the founder's camp.

In reaction to this, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said that Sharad Pawar has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years, and even people from the opposition look at him with great hope.

"I think many people in the party have different experiences. We have always ensured that our ideology of development remains strong. Pawar sahab has been continuously working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years. We have faith in Pawar sahab's ideology, and at the same time, many people in the opposition also look towards him with great hopes, which is why people are joining him," Sule said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Ajit Gavhane said that he along with some other party workers who have also resigned from their posts will be seeking blessings from the NCP founder.

"I resigned yesterday, and today all the ex-corporators will be holding a meeting to strategise our next moves. We will also take the blessing of Sharad Pawar," Gavhane said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

The Nationalist Congress Party split last year when Ajit Pawar led some MLAs and joined the ruling Eknath Shinde Sena and BJP government.

Gavhane claimed that the development work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.

"If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the BJP has been ruling PPMC. The development work here was done in the wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here, and the sitting MLA is responsible for it," Gavhane said.

Speaking about other party leaders who have resigned from their posts, Gavhane said, "Along with me, corporators like Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane have resigned."

When asked if he was interested in contesting the upcoming state assembly elections, Gavhane said, "Yes, I am interested in contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections."
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday attributed the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal to lack of support from the minority community, asserting that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' was unnecessary and proposing instead 'Hum unke saath jo humare saath' (we are with those who are with us).

IMAGE: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing the extended session of the Bharatiya Janata Partys state executive committee, Adhikari dismissed the need for a Minority Morcha of the party.

Later, he clarified that his comments had been taken out of context and asserted that he embodies in letter and spirit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.

While addressing the session, Adhikari said, "I have spoken for nationalist Muslims as well. We all used to say 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', but I would not say this anymore because I think it should be 'Hum unke saath jo humare saath' (we are with those who are with us)... no need for Minority Morcha."

The minorities in West Bengal, constituting nearly 30 per cent of the electorate, helped the Trinamool Congress sweep minority-dominated pockets in southern West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls, whereas the division of the community's vote between the Left-Congress alliance and the TMC in north Bengal helped the BJP score in several seats in the region, according to political observers.

In 2014, the BJP's slogan was 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', and in 2019, it was 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'.

Adhikari claimed that during the Lok Sabha polls, "Hindus were not allowed to vote by jihadi goons of the TMC in many areas."

"In West Bengal, free and fair elections are not possible. The jihadi goons of the TMC will not allow it. Free and fair elections are only possible by implementing the Disturbed Areas Act in the state. We don't want to capture power in the state through backdoor implementation of President's rule.

"We will come to power when we win elections with the people's mandate. But for that, free and fair elections have to be ensured," he said.

Later, when his remarks triggered a controversy, Adhikari, in a post on X, said he doesn't believe in dividing people on the basis of majority and minority.

"My statement is being taken out of context. I am clear that those who are nationalists stand for this nation and West Bengal, we should be with them. Those who don't stand with us, work against the interest of the nation and West Bengal, we need to expose them.

"Also, like Mamata Banerjee, we shouldn't divide people into majority and minority and see them as Indians. I embody in letter and spirit, the Prime Minister's call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'," he posted on X.

While talking to reporters, Adhikari said his comments were not against any community.

"My comments were not against any community. In this Lok Sabha election, there are few realisations, one that despite not having a level playing ground as TMC has unleashed a reign of terror, the BJP has emerged as its main challenger. The second realisation is that Muslims in West Bengal don't vote for the BJP," he said.

"The third realisation is that the CPI-M has helped the TMC in splitting the Hindu votes. So the Hindus in West Bengal should be aware that if they don't unite they won't exist in West Bengal in future," he said.

When asked about his remarks that the party should do away with 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' slogan, Adhikari said his remarks were meant for "political reasons".

"My comments were not meant for administrative purposes but for political reasons. I believe that administratively, it should be 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. In West Bengal, during the 2021 assembly polls, 91 per cent of the Muslims had voted for the TMC and in 2024, that percentage went up to 95," he said.

The extended session of the BJP state executive committee comes after the party lost three assembly seats to the TMC in last week's by-elections, marking another disappointment for the saffron party following its poor performance in the parliamentary elections, in which its tally fell to 12 from 18 in 2019.

Reacting to Adhikari's remark, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, "BJP is trying to find excuses to pacify their own cadre base following the Lok Sabha debacle in the state."
The United States had received intelligence from a human source about an Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump weeks before the assassination attempt against the former US President on Saturday, according to national security officials.

IMAGE: Former US President Donald J Trump is assisted by Secret Service agents after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

This led to increased security measures for Trump.

Officials, however, said that there is no known connection between this Iranian plot and the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate Trump on Saturday.

The US Secret Service and the Trump campaign were notified of the Iranian threat, and security was boosted as a result, as confirmed by a US national security official.

Trump and his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, have faced threats from Tehran since the 2020 drone strike that killed Qassim Soleimani, the leader of Iran's Quds force, in Iraq.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the US Secret Service, said that it and other agencies were 'constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources as needed'.

He added, "We cannot comment on any specific threat stream, other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly."

Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said that US security officials had been 'tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years'.

The Iranian mission at the United Nations dismissed the report as 'unsubstantiated and malicious', adding that Trump 'is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law'.
Security forces and terrorists exchanged fire twice briefly within a span of four hours in a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, officials said on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Army personnel stand guard near the site where the encounter took place between security forces and terrorists, in Doda on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Village Defence Guards (VDGs) also opened fire on observing suspicious movement outside their village, while two explosive shells were recovered from Gandoh area, they said.

The exchange of fire was first reported at Kalaan Bhata at 10.45 pm on Tuesday and then near Panchan Bhata at 2 am during the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in the Desa forest area, where four Army personnel were killed in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

There are no reports of any casualties in the latest exchange of fire. Taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick foliage, the terrorists managed to slip away, the officials said.

Troops of Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a joint cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town, late on Monday evening following information about the presence of terrorists.

Despite the challenging terrain and weather conditions, efforts are underway to track down and neutralise the terrorists who have links with the banned Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the officials said.

The Army, along with para commandos and aerial support from drones and helicopters, is intensifying its search operation to eliminate the terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and taken refuge in the forest area.

The officials said village defence guards opened fire on observing suspicious movement near their Melan village in Desa area during the intervening night.

Police along with Army have reached the village and a thorough search of the area was launched this morning, they said.

The officials said two explosive shells were recovered during a separate search operation in Sinoo forest area of Gandoh in Doda district.

Sinoo forest witnessed a day-long encounter on June 26, resulting in the killing of three foreign terrorists and recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including a US-made M4 carbine.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Army had said it had been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who had infiltrated from across the border and were moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.

"All formations of the Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue," the Army had said.
The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), which as its name implies, brings together the regions telecommunications and ICT regulators, is apparently hoping to encourage infrastructure sharing to lower the cost of internet access in West Africa.

The Executive Secretary of the body, Mr Aliyu Aboki, suggested recently that such infrastructure as gateways and data centres are facilities that could be shared by countries in the region.

However, as Aboki pointed out, lack of interconnectivity is another issue driving up the cost of telecom services in the sub-region. It seems that, for content hosted in one African country to be accessed in another African country, it has to first go through Europe via submarine cables because of the lack of direct connectivity among data centres.

As online resource Nairametrics notes, increasing internet penetration, mobile connectivity, and a tech-savvy youth population have led to rapid growth in West Africas digital economy. WATRA figures suggest that the digital economy currently contributes around US$30 billion annually to the regions GDP. However, the cost of internet access across West African countries is still high.

As an organisation that plays an important role in harmonising the regulatory framework and policies for telecommunications and ICT in the West African region, WATRA may be well placed to encourage the type of coordination that could bring down prices for the growing number of internet users across the region. However, whether its members respond positively to such an initiative remains to be seen.
Glimpses from day 2 at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

IMAGE: A person holds a Super Trump colouring book at the RNC. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

IMAGE: Donald J Trump with his running mate J D Vance on day 2 of the RNC. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

IMAGE: An attendee wears a shirt in support of Trump. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

IMAGE: An attendee wears a cutout of Trump's face as others wave signs. Photograph: Callaghan O'hare/Reuters

IMAGE: Attendees hold signs in support of the Trump-Vance ticket as former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley speaks on Day 2 of the RNC. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

IMAGE: 'Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period... There are some Americans who don't agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time. My message to them is simple: You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,' Nikki Haley told delegates at the RNC. Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

IMAGE: Trucks displaying messages against Trump drive through downtown Milwaukee ahead of day 2 at the RNC. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, sources said, and is believed to have briefed him on a host of issues related to the party's organisational matters in the politically crucial state.

IMAGE: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Chaudhary and the state's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had met Bharatiya Janata Party national president J P Nadda separately on Tuesday amid signs of dissonant voices emerging from within the party in the state where it suffered shock losses in the Lok Sabha polls at the hands of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.

Maurya's differences with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are widely acknowledged even within the party, and his comment at a state party meeting that the "organisation is always bigger than government and no one can be bigger than the organisation" was seen by many political watchers as a message to the monk-politician.

He had made the remarks in presence of Adityanath and Nadda, while the chief minister blamed "over-confidence" for the electoral reverses in the state and suggested that the party could not effectively counter the opposition INDIA bloc's campaign.

With the party's top brass speaking to Maurya and Chaudhary, considered a sober and objective voice, they seem to be taking steps to put their house in order against a resurgent opposition in the state, which has been critical to the BJP's rise as the dominant national force since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The deputy chief minister further stirred the pot on Wednesday by posting his "organisation is bigger than government..." comments from his office's handle. In private conversations, a number of BJP leaders from the state, including those who lost in the Lok Sabha polls, have been critical of the chief minister's working style and cited it as one of the reasons for their loss.

However, Adityanath is seen by his supporters as a popular chief minister who has aggressively pursued the party's Hindutva agenda and maintained a firm grip on law and order.

A senior party leader acknowledged that comments from several leaders in the state have dented its image of a disciplined party but added that it was also expected as they needed to vent out their feelings after suffering a defeat which few saw coming.

BJP sources said their top priority right now is to do well in the assembly bypolls to 10 seats in the state. The Election Commission is likely to announce the date for the polls soon.

The BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party held five seats each. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the INDIA alliance of the SP and the Congress had won 43 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP-led NDA won 36. The NDA had won 64 seats in 2019.
'He fulfilled his farz to his country,' a grieving mother says of Major Mustafa Bohara who was awarded the Shaurya Chakra, the nation's third-highest medal for gallantry in peacetime.

IMAGE: President Droupadi Murmu confers the Shaurya Chakra upon Major Mustafa Bohara, 252 Army Aviation Squadron, posthumously. It was recieved by Major Mustafa's mother Fatema Bohara and father Zakiuddin Bohara. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan

When Mrs Fatema Bohara travelled from Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi to her home in Udaipur, it was the most difficult journey of her life.

Sitting in the plane, she kept thinking that this was the same route her only son had taken on his final journey home, his coffin draped in the national flag.

She felt she would die with grief. In her lap, she carried the Shaurya Chakra, India's third highest gallantry medal for bravery that was presented to her by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan the previous day.

On reaching Udaipur, she did not go home, but to the cemetery where her son, Major Mustafa Bohara, 27, was buried last October in a military funeral.

"I placed the medal on his grave and told him you could not wear it on your chest and placed it in your mother's hands -- but it is yours," says Mrs Bohara, her voice quivering with pain and stifled by tears as she spoke over the telephone from Udaipur.

On reaching home, she placed the gallantry medal beside his framed photograph.

IMAGE: Major Mustafa Bohara. Photograph: Kind courtesy Fatema Bohara

As Mrs Bohara spoke, her voice was overwhelmed with love, pride, grief, admiration, loss and tears. There were moments, she spoke clearly and then there were times when she broke down.

"I don't want to show my tears because mothers should not cry for their soldier sons who sacrifice their lives for the nation. But I am a mother after all. I remember every moment spent with him. Yet, I get strength from Mustafa's last moment," she says as tears inundate her again.

"I often wonder would Mustafa not have known that these were the last moments of his life? Would he not have thought whether he should save his life or the lives of others?"

"I feel that in that last decision, he thought of others and not of himself -- and similarly, it is my duty to think of others rather than myself."

"I should be brave and not complain that my son will never return to me. He is always with me. He is upholding me in my weakest moments. His love surrounds me everyday," she says fighting back tears unsuccessfully.

IMAGE: Major Mustafa Bohara during one of his flying sessions. Photograph: Kind courtesy Fatema Bohara

Major Mustafa Bohara, an army aviation pilot, was killed along with Major Vikas Bhambu and three crew members after completing a flying mission on October 21, 2023 near the China border in the dense hills of Arunachal Pradesh.

The helicopter caught fire and started losing height in the difficult terrain. Both the pilots were experienced aviators with more than 600 hours flying experience on the helicopter and 1,800 service flying hours between them, according to Honourpoint, an online memorial to Indian soldiers.

They could have landed the chopper right away which would have saved their lives, but that would have caused loss of civilian life on the ground.

The pilots turned the chopper towards the jungle and crash-landed away from habitation. All five soldiers died in the crash.

"The soldiers saved the lives of others by sacrificing theirs," says Mrs Bohara.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Fatema Bohara

Three days before the unfortunate mishap, Mrs Bohara had sensed the unimaginable. Her mind was blank, tears kept rolling down her cheek and she could not bring herself to eat.

She missed her son acutely. For most of her life, she had lived with her son and daughter while her husband worked in Kuwait. After Major Mustafa left for the National Defence Academy aged 17, she had her daughter for company, but made it a point to visit her son every 2-3 months.

She travelled to Pune, Dehradun, Nashik, Pathankot, Allahabad -- in the 11 years he served the Indian Army, she had visited him wherever he was stationed.

The only place, she had not been was Arunachal Pradesh. He had left home for his posting in the north east by car on August 1, travelling nearly 3,500 kms over 4-5 days.

Mrs Bohara wanted to travel the long route with him, but he dissuaded her for undertaking such a tough journey.

It had nearly been three months since he left home and the long absence for her seemed like fighting a war of her own.

"He used to make a video call every night. He spoke to us the night before like he did every night. My daughter told him that 'Mama is not eating and crying all the time. You take her with you'," says Mrs Bohara.

"When he asked, 'Mama, have you eaten?' I said I had juice and he said that was not enough."

"I noticed the glow on his face, there was an aura. I thought kahi meri nazar na lag jaye. I could not understand why I felt that way."

"I did not know what terrible news the next morning would bring."

IMAGE: Major Mustafa Bohara by his machine. Photograph: Kind courtesy Fatema Bohara

In the months after his passing, Major Bohara's father, Mr Zakiuddin Bohara, left his job in Kuwait and returned to India.

Their daughter who finished her dental internship recently moved with her husband to Dubai.

His fiance who Mrs Bohara still refers to as 'bahu' has married.

At the solemn ceremony at Rashtrapti Bhavan, Mr and Mrs Bohara accepted the medal while their daughter and son-in-law sat among the guests.

"The live telecast made it possible for the nation to unite in that moment. I was seeing my whole Hindustan and felt what the country would have felt," says Mrs Bohara.

IMAGE: Mrs and Mr Bohara (second row, standing behind Prime Minister Narendra D Modi) and the other gallantry awardees with the President, the vice president, the prime minister and the defence minister. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan

The defence investiture ceremony is the most solemn occasion to honour India's greatest heroes. In attendance are the bravest of the brave gallantry awardees and the next of kin of heroes who laid down their lives for the country.

"There was a constellation of stars in the hall that day. The story being told was not of my son alone, but that of many brave sons. The story of every mother was the same," says Mrs Bohara.

Later in the evening, Mr and Mrs Bohara were invited along with other gallantry awardees to the chief of army staff's residence.

When General Upendra Dwivedi, the chief of the army staff, met them, she told him that she had given birth to her son and brought him up, but his second upbringing was in the NDA and the fauj.

"I told him, 'Sir, the biggest lesson you taught him was that 'desh se bada kuch bhi nahi hai [the country is supreme] and when it comes to the country, you have to give your life for it. He was true to his duty and I salute my son for that'."

Just as she raised her hand in a salute, the army chief saluted her, saying, "I want to salute the mother who gave birth to such a hero."

Then the two saluted each other. It was the most poignant moment of the evening.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
BRATTLEBORO  There is a moment in "Lost Nation," the new historical film by Vermont director Jay Craven, when state founding father Ethan Allen stands alone outside the building where Congress met in Philadelphia and says, "God, how I wish you did exist ..." Congress had just refused to recognize Vermont as the 14th state.

" ... to damn them all to hell," Allen continued.

This was one of many lines in the Revolutionary War-era action drama that drew knowing chuckles from an audience of around 380 at the film's world premiere July 10 at the Latchis Theatre. A second showing the following night saw around 300 attendees.

The laughter in these moments, often after a line by Allen, was not so much an expression of humor but of appreciation.

Allen, as portrayed in the film, was a man of bluster and ambition, but with enough noble intent and charm to be a sympathetic character. In one scene, so confident he would be made commander of the Green Mountain Boys, Allen locked himself in handcuffs and said he would get himself out with a nail in his teeth while his fellow soldiers voted. He lost to Seth Warner.

"Lost Nation," in around 100 minutes, explores the parallel and intersecting journeys of Allen in his quest for Vermont statehood and Guilford settler Lucy Terry Prince, whose poem, "Bars Fight," is the first known work of African American literature. The film was shot in 2022 in Vermont, Western Massachusetts and Nantucket, with scenes filmed locally in Marlboro and Brattleboro. Craven, of Peacham, founded Kingdom County Productions with Bess OBrien in 1991.

Kevin Ryan, the Irish-born Los Angeles actor who portrayed Allen, called his character an "underdog hero fighting for the right reasons." In the scene where Allen tells Congress to recognize Vermont as a state, he calls for the end of slavery, suffrage for non-landowners and the establishment of free public education.

"It was a great opportunity to play this very complex character that couldn't be compared to anything," he said, noting that Allen has seldom been portrayed in film. "Most people, when I say I played Ethan Allen, they talk about a furniture store."

Ryan and co-stars Eva Ndachi, who portrayed Lucy Terry Prince, and Ariel Zevon, who portrayed Ethan Allen's wife, Mary, came to Brattleboro for the film's world premiere and, alongside Craven, answered questions  such as what drew the actors to their roles  from audience members at the Latchis. Standing alongside them were John Brochu and Nicole Doerges, students in Kingdom County Productions' Semester Cinema program, an intensive program through which professionals mentor and collaborate with students to make a feature film.

Ndachi, of Los Angeles, was born and raised in Kenya, and told the audience she had never heard of Prince before her role in "Lost Nation"  a role, as it turns out, she was surprised and honored to play.

"This was one of those ones where I was like, 'I am never going to get this one; it's just not gonna happen,'" she said. She worried her accent was not convincing as a colonial American, but, as it turned out, this was exactly what Craven wanted.

"If you actually had everybody's proper dialect according to the period, you wouldn't know what they were talking about," Craven added. "But second of all, why wouldn't a formerly enslaved person who came from Africa have some African accent?"

Zevon, of Peacham, said her role shed light on a woman about whom very little is written in history books.

"It allows one to put yourself in the shoes, try to imagine what that existence was like," she said of her role. "Then, to try as an actor to put that into a few lines in a scene and hope that it conveys a story behind that, is a big challenge."

Craven noted that in the film, Mary Allen takes the most articulate stance against her husband in his determination to execute David Redding, a young Tory accused of treason and hanged in Bennington in 1778. (In another example of Ethan Allen's bluster, he told a crowd at the gallows that "if not Redding, then I, the hero of Ticonderoga, Ethan Allen shall be hanged.")

While Allen is a wheeler and dealer with grandiose plans, Prince is also portrayed as savvy in her own right, but all she wants to do is live freely with her family. In the beginning of the film, she successfully negotiates for the freedom of her children. Immediately after settling in Guilford, her family attracts the bullying of Yorker John Noyes, who says the family's New Hampshire land title isn't legitimate. In a particularly poignant scene, when Noyes and fellow Yorkers are searching the Prince home for a runaway slave, Lucy orders Noyes out of her home.

"I was like, 'I have to try and do my best to give her justice,'" Ndachi said.

Audience member Ken Estey, of Newfane, noted that much of history is subject to interpretation, and asked Craven how his own hypotheses about what happened informed the film. Craven said he believes the intervention of the American Revolution helped the Green Mountain Boys substantially. The film also heavily suggests a theory that Allen killed Yorker and Loyalist Crean Brush.

"My take on Ethan was sort of what we show: that he was larger than life, that he was legacy-conscious, he could be pretty harsh-talking, he was a heavy drinker  we underplayed that," Craven said, noting that the only handwriting of Allen that exists is in the form of a three-page bar bill from one night at a tavern.

Michelle Bos-Lun, of Westminster, who happens to be a state representative, asked Craven how many actors were Vermonters depicting Vermont history. The answer included Zevon and Rusty DeWees, who lives in the Stowe area and played Yorker Asa Locke. Brochu, one of the students who had a role in the film, attended Northern Vermont University. There were also many local extras (there were cheers in the audience when local resident Frederic Noyes appeared in the credits).

The film's editor was Waterford resident Patrick Kennedy. Additionally, the film was co-produced with Upper Valley Vermont resident Elena Greenlee.

After her question was answered, Bos-Lun shared this tidbit tying some of the less sympathetic characters from the film to modern-day politics:

"Thomas Chittenden and Daniel Noyes  I believe are both descendants of the people that are depicted on your screen  are currently serving in the Vermont Legislature. And I should just say, both of them are really good guys. Daniel Noyes is a great advocate for the elderly. He serves on the Human Services committee  so people can change." The audience laughed and cheered.

Jerry Levy, a retired Marlboro College professor  of whom Zevon was a student  said it was good to see his former student acting, and had warm words about the film overall.

"It's just wonderful what you're doing. This is a very, very significant film  perhaps, your most significant," he told Craven. "I'm just proud to be here watching you all."
BRATTLEBORO  A local man with a history of altercations at hospitals was sentenced to five to six months in prison after kicking his probation officer.

Kyle Hamilton, 24, pleaded guilty Wednesday to simple assault on a law enforcement officer and admitted to violating conditions of probation that prohibited him from engaging in violent or threatening behavior. He had been placed on probation in 2022 on charges related to threatening hospital staff and causing disruptions at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend.

Brattleboro man sentenced for emergency room mayhem BRATTLEBORO  A Brattleboro man was released from prison after he pleaded guilty to numerous

Last July, Hamilton kicked his probation officer in the shin, according to the plea agreement accepted Wednesday by Judge John Treadwell in Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division. The judge, prosecutor and defense wished things had worked out differently in the case.

Deputy State's Attorney David Gartenstein said the underlying sentence Hamilton will serve for violating probation stems from repeated incidents at local hospitals, where Hamilton was "substantially interfering with the ability of those facilities to deliver care to members of the community."

"We had ongoing consultations with hospital personnel about the disruption the defendant's conduct there was imposing," Gartenstein said. "We made an effort to structure a sentence that would give the defendant opportunity to show that he could lead an ordinary and industrious life in the community on probation. Unfortunately, the defendant's probationary supervision did not yield positive results that the state had hoped for."

Attorney Joshua Atkisson of the Windham County Public Defender's Office said Hamilton has nearly 17 months of credit for time served, however, open cases in three other Vermont counties prevent him from being released at this time. He blamed childhood trauma for causing behavioral issues for Hamilton as he transitioned into adulthood.

Although Hamilton had been evaluated three times, Atkisson said he has "continued concerns" about Hamilton's competency to assist attorneys.

When given an opportunity to address the court, Hamilton declined.

"It is unfortunate that we are here today," Treadwell said. "I think all parties agree this is not where we wanted to end up in terms of supervision in this case."

Treadwell deemed the sentence in the plea agreement appropriate.
A rapidly growing wildfire about 26 miles southwest of Clarkston kept firefighters from the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies busy throughout Tuesday and into the night.

Level 3 evacuations were issued from the Cougar Creek area to Washington State Route 129 near Boggans Oasis as crews tackled the flames climbing hillsides near the Grande Ronde River. Residents in that area were told to grab important papers, medications, pets and leave immediately.

As of Tuesday night, the fire was at 621 acres and spreading, according to fire officials.

A Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management team has taken the lead, and a command center will be set up at the Lincoln Middle School in the Clarkston Heights. A larger team is expected to take over today.

Level 2 evacuations are in place for south of the Grande Ronde River and north of the U.S. Forest Service boundary between State Route 129 and Wenatchee Creek. This level means residents should be prepared to go at a moments notice.

Level 1 evacuations have been issued from the intersection of Mill Road and State Route 129 west to Wenatchee Creek and south to the U.S. Forest Service boundary. Folks in the Level 1 areas should be on alert and ready to leave, if necessary.

Local cattle producers began taking steps to relocate cows in the area after the fire was reported, according to the Blue Mountain Fire Districts Facebook page.
KENDRICK  Four structures and more than 1,300 acres have been burned by the Texas Fire, which continues to be active northeast of Kendrick in Latah County.

Certain areas were put on a Level 3 evacuation, which means leave right now, while some spots, including the city of Kendrick, were in Level 2 (be ready to leave at a moments notice), and other areas were in Level 1 (be ready).

The fire has torched groups of trees and occasionally spotted in front of itself. Flame lengths of 3 to 4 feet have been observed in grassy areas. There is no containment on the fire. Two water-scooping airplanes, four helicopters and two single-engine air tankers along with 100 ground-based firefighters are working to suppress the blaze.

Matt Dimick was driving up Cedar Ridge Road to his home on Linden Road near Kendrick on Monday evening when he saw smoke and flames on both sides of the road.

Soon, he could barely see the road in front of him because it was enveloped in smoke. At one point, he looked up and the top of a tree was on fire.

It turned instantly really kind of scary, he said.

As of early Tuesday evening, Dimick and his wife have not had to evacuate their home, but their bags are packed just in case. He said Sheriff Richie Skiles stopped by and encouraged them to leave. Dimick said they are holding out as long as they are allowed to because they have animals on the property. He said the farmers that live near them are doing the same.

Dimick, who is the Lewiston Tribune building maintenance manager, said as long as the wind does not change, they should be safe.

American Red Cross set up an evacuation shelter inside Kendrick High School for displaced residents. No one was at the shelter early afternoon Tuesday, but Red Cross volunteer Max Nuxoll said they are available to provide cots, water, food and an air-conditioned space for those who need it.
HAT Distribution has signed a sole agreement with software licensing automation vendor Licenseware to offer its solutions across Australia and New Zealand.

According to HAT, the vendors platform can identify and eliminate unused or underutilised software licenses. Additionally, the distributors general manager, Josh Gammer, claimed Licenseware offers an alternative modular approach to reactive business operations.

This agile model aligns closely with the actual usage patterns of most businesses, making it a more efficient and cost-effective solution for our clients and partners across Australia and New Zealand, he said.

The deal is the first time Licenseware has signed a distribution agreement in the A/NZ region, with the vendors CEO and cofounder, Alex Cojocaru, stating it would help it expand its presence in the region.

With HAT Distributions expertise and reach, we are confident in delivering exceptional value to our clients across Australia and New Zealand, Cojocaru added.
The new soldiers are headed to brutal conflict zones after only 3 months of training.

Ceremony concluding the first batch of training under Myanmar junta's people's military service law held in southern Shan state, July 28, 2024.

The first round of soldiers recruited under Myanmars controversial military draft law have completed their training and are being deployed to the frontlines of the juntas war against rebels in the countrys remote border areas, their family members said Tuesday.

The deployment marked the latest chapter in the juntas bid to shore up its forces amid heavy losses against various ethnic armies and rebel militias since its 2021 coup detat, prompting the junta to enact the Peoples Military Service Law in February.

Under the law, men between the ages of 18 and 35 and women between 18 and 27 can be drafted to serve in the armed forces for two years.

The announcement triggered a wave of assassinations of administrators enforcing the law and drove thousands of draft-dodgers into rebel-controlled territory and abroad.

The military carried out two rounds of conscriptions in April and May, training about 9,000 new recruits in total. A third round of conscription began in late May, with draftees sent to their respective training depots by June 22.

The first batch of recruits completed their three-month training on June 28, and family members told RFA Burmese on Tuesday that the new soldiers were sent to conflict zones in Myanmars Rakhine and Kayin states, and Sagaing region, beginning in early July.

While the junta has never said how many recruits were trained in the first group, a mid-April report by the Burmese Affairs and Conflict Study, a group monitoring junta war crimes, indicated that it was nearly 5,000 young people from across the country.

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My husband told me that orders from [the junta capital] Naypyidaw directed the deployment of new recruits from training batch No. 1 to conflict-affected areas, including Rakhine state, said Nwe Nyein, the wife of a new recruit from Ayeyarwady region.

They [the junta] had previously said that new recruits under the Peoples Military Service Law would not be deployed to the frontlines, she said. However, I am worried because my husband was sent to the remote border areas.

Nwe Nyein said that the second batch of recruits are expected to complete their military training on Aug. 2 and reports suggest that they will also be sent to the frontlines.

Used as human shields

A resident of Myanmars largest city Yangon, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said that some people close to him had been injured in battles in northern Shan state and have since returned home.

"A young man from our town was shot in the arm, but he never underwent an operation to remove the bullet, the resident said. He also said that almost all the new recruits sent to the frontlines had been killed, and their families didnt even receive their salaries."

Recruits from the first batch of training under Myanmar junta's people's military service law seen on July 16, 2024. (Pyi Thu Sitt via Telegram)

In southern Myanmars Tanintharyi region, residents told RFA that the junta is deploying new recruits to battle.

Min Lwin Oo, a leading committee member of the Democracy Movement Strike Committee-Dawei, condemned the deployment of new recruits with only short-term military training, suggesting that they are being used as human shields.

Flagging morale

Former Captain Kaung Thu Win, who is now a member of the nationwide Civilian Disobedience Movement of former civil servants that left their jobs in protest of the militarys power grab, told RFA that the junta urgently needs more soldiers, and he expects that nearly all new recruits will be sent to the frontlines.

"About 90% of these new forces will be dispatched to the battlegrounds, regardless of whether they engage in combat [with rebel groups] or target people [civilians], he said. Their [the junta's] main objective is to ensure they have more soldiers equipped with guns."

Kaung Thu Win also said that the junta faces many challenges in its propaganda efforts to persuade new recruits to fight, but is also increasingly unable to trust its veteran soldiers as losses mount.

Recruits from the first batch of training under Myanmar junta's people's military service law seen on July 16, 2024. (Pyi Thu Sitt via Telegram)

Than Soe Naing, a political commentator, slammed the junta over the reported deployment and echoed the former captains assessment of the militarys low morale.

"Young people are being sent to die after  [mere] months of military training, he said. Even veteran soldiers in their 60s who have been sent to the battlefield have lost their motivation."

5 years of service?

The junta has yet to release any information about the deployment of new recruits to the frontlines.

Meanwhile, although the Peoples Military Service Law states that new recruits must serve for a total of two years, reports have emerged that the junta is telling soldiers that they will have to fight for five.

Junta officials have publicly denied the reports.

Attempts by RFA to contact the office of the chairman of the Central Body for Summoning People's Military Servants in Naypyidaw for further clarification went unanswered Tuesday.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
The fighting has claimed civilian lives, with 3 women dying in a shell blast.

Mandalay Peoples Defense Force in front of Yay Nant Thar Police Station in Madaya township, Mandalay region on July 4, 2024.

An anti junta group in Myanmars Mandalay region is continuing to make gains in a key township following the collapse of a truce between insurgent armies and the military who seized power in a 2021 coup.

The Mandalay Peoples Defense Force, or PDF, captured a junta camp at the Alpha cement factory in Madaya township on July 14, and one at Taung Ta Ngar two days later, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Madaya is just 30 km (19 miles) north of Mandalay, the capital of the region and Myanmars second-largest city.

The Mandalay PDF has been fighting alongside the Taang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, since late October 2023.

The TNLA, which has also teamed up with the Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army as part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, pushed back junta forces in several regions before agreeing a shaky China-brokered truce with the junta in January.

When the ceasefire collapsed on June 25, the TNLA attacked Mandalays Mogoke township and several towns in Shan state to the regions east, while the Mandalay PDF focused much of its attention on Madaya and Singu townships in Mandalay region. The defense force said it had captured 28 junta camps as of Wednesday.

Weapons and ammunition seized after Mandalay PDF captured the junta base at the Alpha cement factory in Madaya township, Mandalay region in a photograph released on July 16, 2024. (Mandalay PDF)





Mandalay PDF spokesman Osmon, who goes by one name, told Radio Free Asia Myanmars military suffered heavy losses in the battle for Madaya.

There were many casualties on the side of the junta in these operations. We have seized corpses and arrested junta soldiers, he said. There were some casualties on the side of Mandalay PDF.

Osmon didnt disclose the numbers of casualties on either side but said the PDF took more than 150 prisoners.

He added the group is now engaged in a fierce battle with junta forces at Madayas Kyauk Ta Dar base.

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On Tuesday, three people were killed when a shell hit Madaya town, close to its train station and main market.

It happened around 8 a.m., said a resident who didnt want to be named for fear of reprisals. A 44-year-old woman, a 30-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl were killed.

The man said he didnt know which side had fired the shell, while another resident said the blast happened close to where junta troops were stationed.

It was about 10 to 14 meters away from them, he said, also requesting anonymity for security reasons. It was also close to where the junta soldiers always come to drink tea.

RFA phoned the junta spokesman for Mandalay region, Thein Htay, for details on the fighting in Madaya, but he did not answer calls.

The National Unity Government, a shadow government formed by members of the civil administration ousted in the 2021 coup, said on June 27 that PDFs and their allies have made sweeping gains in Mandalay region and Shan state to the east, in a campaign it dubbed Operation Shan-Man.

The Mandalay PDF said it had captured 11 junta camps in Singu township, 80 km (50 miles) north of Mandalay city, by July 7. Now the junta is fighting back, damaging around 100 houses and injuring more than 20 people in airstrikes on July 16, as it seeks to flush PDF forces out of Singu town.

The PDFs Singu-based head of information, Than Ma Ni, said the junta carried out more than 20 airstrikes on Tuesday and also bombarded the town with heavy artillery.

The juntas air force has been striking all day as Mandalay-PDF has taken over Singu town, he said Wednesday. There were no deaths, but those who were hit by shrapnel have been moved to a safe place and are receiving medical treatment. The entire town was pretty much destroyed.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.
Thai police say they appear to have died of poisoning.

UPDATED at 2:22 p.m. ET on July 16, 2024.

Police in Thailand are investigating the deaths of six foreign nationals whose bodies were found at a luxury hotel in the center of Bangkok on Tuesday evening.

The six, four Vietnamese nationals and two Vietnamese with U.S. citizenship, were found in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, having apparently died from poisoning, metropolitan police chief Lt.. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang told a news conference.

Police arrived at the hotel at around 5:30 p.m. local time after being alerted by staff. Thiti said the six had likely died around 24 hours earlier and there were no signs of a struggle, dismissing earlier media reports of a shooting.

Six glasses were found in the hotel room, he said, adding that tea or coffee had been drunk.

The glasses are being studied by a forensic team, with police saying they expected to be able to release the results on Wednesday. The bodies have been taken to Chulalongkorn Hospital for examination.

Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials visit the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where it is believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok, July 16, 2024. (Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters)

Thai media named the six as Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55, both of whom had American citizenship, and Vietnamese nationals Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the scene Tuesday night, ordering a swift investigation.

"The prime minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism," the Thai government said in its statement.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing in Washington that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with new Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa early Tuesday but they had likely not seen news about the incident before they spoke.

We are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok, Thailand, Miller said. We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families.

He said U.S. authorities would be in contact with their Thai counterparts to discuss their investigations into the deaths.

The 380-room Grand Hyatt Erawan is in the Thai capitals upscale Ratchaprasong district, just north of Lumpini Park, an area popular with tourists.

On Oct. 3, a 14-year old Thai boy opened fire in Bangkoks upmarket Siam Paragon shopping mall, killing two women from China and Myanmar and injuring five other people.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel is seen in Bangkok on July 16, 2024. (Pimuk Rakkanam/RFA)

Edited by Mike Firn and Malcolm Foster. Updated to include comments from the U.S. State Department spokesperson.
They say the Peng Lei Buddhist House follower never asked the public for help or donations.

Lawyers defending a Vietnamese religious group, whose members were convicted of incest and fraud in July 2022, have issued a statement protesting additional charges against one follower of the Peng Lei Buddhist House.

Two years ago, the Peoples Court of Long An province sentenced Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen to four years in prison for abusing democratic freedoms under Article 331 of the criminal code.

However, they suspended a case of fraudulently obtaining a donation of VND 100 million (US$4,000), which they have now taken up again, according to lawyers Dao Kim Lan, Nguyen Van Mieng, and Dang Dinh Manh. The lawyers all fled Vietnam for the United States in June last year, fearing that they would be prosecuted for talking about the Peng Lei case in public.

According to the Thanh Nien online newspaper, Long An police records show that Nguyen, along with his mother Le Thu Van and sister Le Thanh Ky Duyen, received the money from a donor at a coffee shop in the province on Jan. 4, 2022.

Police said Nguyen told them money was donated by several people. However, he refused to sign a police report and was released,

In a statement on July 14, the three lawyers said Nguyen had been a monk since childhood but had never asked the public for help or donations.

The decision of the Long An Provincial Security Investigation Agency to prosecute Mr. Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen for the crime of fraud is completely malicious, unjust and illegal, to conceal their true purpose of suppressing freedom of belief, the statement read.

The lawyers said evidence had been falsified and the Long An Province Security Investigation Agency had set a trap for Nguyen.

They called on Vietnamese authorities to suspend all legal proceedings related to Nguyen and other Peng Lei members, and to restore the monks legal rights.

Money receiving incident staged

Lawyer Dao Kim Lan said that the money-receiving incident was staged in order to have a pretext to arrest people and search their home, so that they could pursue charges of abusing democratic freedoms.

They set it up to humiliate people  not to prosecute, he told Radio Free Asias Vietnamese service. Actually, their purpose was to prosecute under Article 331. There was no fraud, there was no need to prosecute.

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Another lawyer Dang Dinh Manh said that since Nguyen had been a monk since childhood, it was completely normal for him to receive donations, like most other members of home-based monasteries in Vietnam.

However, in order to create a pretext to convict Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, the prosecuting agencies in Long An province blatantly stripped him of his monk status, he told RFA Vietnamese.

Since he no longer had the status of a monk, they had reason to conclude that Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen had committed fraud by taking advantage of the false pretense of religion to profit from public donations and donations.

He said the government of Long An province is still looking for ways to completely destroy the Peng Lei religion.

There are many reasons why [Peng Lei] was suppressed by Long An Provincial Police, Manh added.

The reason is [Peng Lei followers] dared to accuse the police of asking for bribes to issue identity cards, kidnapping people, violating women's bodies, and covering up for a group of criminals who invaded homes, assaulted people and stole property.

RFA called Long An Provincial Police many times to request comment on the statement of the three lawyers but no one answered the phone.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.
Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head."

"Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details.

"There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."

"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollahs political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.

Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.

Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.

Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States.

"Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities."

Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel

Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon.

Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting.

Late on October 8, the Syrian government said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike in Damascus. A war monitor said the strike targeted a building used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.

Israel did not immediately comment and the reports could not be verified.



The Israeli military said earlier on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.

Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel.

The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah.

There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.

The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.



Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments.



The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.

Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.

In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group.

On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of the IRGC -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Tel Avivs campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict.

Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.

With reporting by CBS and AP
TBILISI -- Throughout Georgia's decades-long tight partnership with the United States and Europe, the Caucasus country's Western partners have typically not played favorites in the country's domestic politics.

But following the ruling Georgian Dream party's recent turn toward anti-Western rhetoric and authoritarian practices, there are increasingly strong signals from Georgia's Western partners that they would prefer the party gets voted out in the October parliamentary elections.

The signals are indirect -- and Western officials insist the elections should be decided by Georgian voters -- but to many in Georgia the messages from the United States and Europe over the past few weeks have been conspicuous.

Georgia's international partners have hardened their approach since the passing of a controversial "foreign agent" law, which imposes tight controls on foreign-funded media and NGOs that get more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. Russia has used that same designation to clamp down on opposition and independent media.

The EU ambassador to Georgia said that Georgia's accession has been halted as a result of the Georgian Dream government's actions and that he hoped Georgians would make "the right choice" in the upcoming elections. The European Union formally announced that it intended to reduce political contacts with Georgian government officials and increase cooperation with civil society, which has mobilized to defeat Georgian Dream in the fall. The Pentagon announced that it was postponing regular joint U.S.-Georgia military drills scheduled for this summer but that it hoped the cooperation could resume next year.

Georgian Dream officials have responded cautiously, suggesting that at the very least the moves create the impression of favoritism.

"It is not helping Georgia," Maka Botchorishvili, a Georgian Dream member of parliament, told RFE/RL. "Internally, it is a card in the hand of the opposition to show that things are deteriorating with our strategic partners."

She said it is only a matter of "speculation" that the West intends to boost the opposition in the elections.

"But it is also a fact that it is playing that role here in Georgia," she said. "Whether there is an intention or there is no intention, it is doing so."

Many of the ruling party's allies have not been so circumspect.

The United States' postponement of the military exercises "serves only one purpose: to put pressure on the Georgian electorate to vote for parties that will blindly engage in any war their patrons demand," said Sozar Subari, a member of parliament for People's Power, a Georgian Dream offshoot party, in a television interview.

Drifting Away From The West

Georgian Dream came to power in 2012 on a promise to maintain the country's Western trajectory while also trying to reduce the temperature on tensions with Russia, which had invaded the country four years earlier. Georgian Dream officials blamed the previous government of Mikheil Saakashvili for provoking Russia's attack in 2008 by launching an offensive into the breakaway region of South Ossetia, and one of their key talking points has been that they, unlike their predecessors, have managed to keep the country out of war.

The efforts to reach accommodation with Russia prompted regular accusations from the opposition that Georgian Dream was in the pocket of the Kremlin. Those accusations grew louder following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Georgia took a cautious and occasionally anti-Ukrainian position.

Until recently, Western officials were sympathetic to Georgia's vulnerable position vis-a-vis Russia and to Georgian Dream's efforts to navigate the fallout of the Ukraine war. The EU even granted Georgia long-coveted candidate status in December 2023.

But that sympathy has, by many accounts, run out.

The party's rhetoric has lately grown more anti-Western and conspiratorial; they regularly accuse a shadowy "global war party" of trying to drag Georgia into the Ukraine war. And the government has taken increasingly antidemocratic steps, most prominently passing the "foreign agent" law, which was strongly opposed by the United States and the EU.

While the Georgian Dream government seems to have been betting that it could play chicken with the EU, making progress on accession even while it defied the bloc's demands, that is no longer a viable strategy, one Western diplomat in Tbilisi said on condition of anonymity to speak more frankly.

The diplomat pointed to a recent statement from the EU that the Georgian government's actions had resulted in a "de facto halt in the accession process," an unprecedented move for the bloc, and noted that that statement had been signed even by Hungary, Georgia's erstwhile strongest defender in the EU.

"If they are gambling this time, this time it's not going to fly," the diplomat said. "The ['foreign agent'] law was the last straw."

Just Friendly Advice?

The question of U.S. and European involvement in the elections is a sensitive one. It has become even more so now that Georgian Dream's narrative around the "foreign agent" law has been centered around a criticism of the West for trying to influence Georgia's domestic affairs via foreign-funded NGOs and media and their allies in the opposition.

And Western officials have taken pains to argue that they are not taking sides.

"The United States does not support one political party over another," said U.S. Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya in an interview with the news site Civil.ge. "We do, however, expect our partners to ensure a genuine competitive democratic process. It's up to the Georgian people to decide."

In the Georgian opposition itself, officials have long complained about what they say has been the United States' and the EU's excessively deferential position toward Georgian Dream and the party's defiance of Western capitals. In the last elections, in 2020, the U.S. and EU ambassadors faced sharp criticism from opposition parties for accepting the legitimacy of the vote. Georgian Dream won reelection for the third time, but the opposition claimed the vote was marred by voter fraud and irregularities, sparking protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and in other cities around the country.

Opposition leaders now welcome the harder line from the West and expect it to boost their chances in the fall, while pushing back against accusations that it amounts to improper interference.

"It's clear that there's a policy shift from the U.S. as well as the European Union, where European and American political leaders have been clear that under this government they see no prospects of Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration advancing," Tina Bokuchava, the leader of the United National Movement party, Georgia's largest opposition force, told RFE/RL.

"Nobody's telling anyone, from outside of the country, who to vote for," she said. "They are just being clear about the prospects that our country would have under this government. And that's fair and that's necessary, because the Georgian people should not be misled."

"I don't put the responsibility on the shoulders of our Western friends. It's our responsibility to change things here," said Giga Bokeria, chair of the opposition European Georgia party. "But some policies are helpful, some are not. And a policy of downplaying the trajectory of Georgia was unhelpful for domestic democracy and for Western interests, too. And now the s**t has hit the fan. And yes, we see a reaction of the free world. It's natural."

Western governments remained more or less neutral on domestic politics "until you couldn't deny anymore that Georgian Dream's course is what it is," said Sonja Schiffers, director of the Tbilisi office of the German-based Heinrich Boll Foundation. "The EU and all of Georgia's Western partners would like to work with a democratic and pro-Western government, that's no secret."

While Western responses are being made with the elections in mind, "I would say that the Western response would be similar even if there were no elections," she added. "It's a choice that Georgians have to make. But they also need to understand that the country can't count on the same level of support if there's autocratization and an embrace of Russia."

The Western involvement is likely to remain limited unless the government takes dramatic antidemocratic steps, Schiffers argued.

"I wouldn't say that the EU and the U.S. are completely siding with the opposition," she said. "It is not their business, strictly speaking, and as long as there is no major election rigging or state violence, I don't think they will explicitly endorse the opposition."

'Either You Start The War, Or You Leave Power'

It remains unclear what effect the European and American actions will have on the elections. Georgian Dream has tried to mobilize voters with the message that they are standing up for the country's independence and sovereignty against an opposition controlled by a West that doesn't have Georgia's best interests in mind.

At the party's formal election campaign kickoff on July 16, Georgian Dream's founder and still de facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili accused the "global war party," acting via "the European and U.S. bureaucracy," of promoting the opposition.

Those forces "decided to bring back to power the union of people without the motherland, the collective United National Movement," Ivanishvili said, using the party's favored epithet for the opposition. "'Either you start the war, or you leave [power]': This is an unacceptable proposition, and the Georgian people will give a clear response to it on October 26," Ivanishvili said.

The "appearance that [the EU and the United States] are trying to influence elections here" could backfire, said Georgian Dream's Botchorishvili.

"It will not help the opposition, and it will not damage Georgian Dream, but what will be damaged will be how the United States and European Union look in Georgia, to Georgian society," she said.

But Bokuchava of the United National Movement said the West's harsher line will help attract voters who might have supported Georgian Dream but are concerned about Georgia's relations with the West.

"I think it will affect the vote very significantly," she said.
A video widely shared on social media on July 16 shows women in the Iranian city of Karaj appearing without hijabs, or Islamic head scarves, at a procession marking Ashura, the holiest day on the Shi'ite religious calendar. Police officials said that they had identified some of the women and called them in for questioning. Their appearance at the religious festival is part of a broader movement of Iranian women rejecting the Islamic dress code and risking a sometimes brutal response from the authorities.
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
Ten years after a Malaysian airliner was blown out of the sky over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, the mother of one of the victims says she still has questions. A Dutch court has ruled that Russian intelligence agents worked with a Ukrainian separatist leader to transport a Russian military missile system that was used to shoot down flight MH17. More than two-thirds of the victims were Dutch, and three people were convicted in absentia of murder by a Dutch court -- with investigators concluding there were "strong indications" of Russian President Vladimir Putin's personal involvement. Selene Fredriksz, who lost her son and his girlfriend, says she believes Putin is "guilty as hell" and still hopes for further convictions.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. To subscribe, click here.

Starting next Wednesday, July 24, this newsletter will be going out every week. Be sure to follow along for the latest news, unique analysis, and reporting from the ground that's assembled for you in an easy-to-read format and sent directly to your inbox.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now.

NATO Eyes Its China Era

In a NATO summit in Washington centered on the war in Ukraine and extending support to Kyiv, the Western military alliance also took aim at China for being "a decisive enabler of Russia's war" by supplying Moscow with dual-use products.

Finding Perspective: Beijing promptly batted away the label as "lies and smears" but the criticism continued to mount in Washington.

NATO has steadily increased its focus on China over the last several years, with Beijing's support for Moscow amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine marking a tipping point for the alliance to shift how it views the world's second-largest economy.

At the summit, which wrapped up on July 11, the joint declaration by all 32 NATO members warned about unspecified consequences to "its interests and reputation" for enabling "the largest war in Europe in recent history."

Speaking on stage in Washington, Benedetta Berti, NATO's policy planning director, said that China's steady supply of critical dual-use goods was the reason why Russia has been able to keep waging its war against Ukraine.

And while there was no official announcement, several NATO officials said that the alliance was discussing how -- and whether -- it could reclaim some Chinese-owned infrastructure projects in its member states. Those investments are now seen as security liabilities should a wider conflict with Russia break out in the future.

For NATO, such moves are seen as giving China a choice: stop supporting Russia's war effort and build a constructive relationship with the West or be treated as an adversary.

NATO also invited Indo-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea to Washington, where they discussed how to deepen cooperation and coordinate pushback against potential Chinese designs in the South China Sea and elsewhere in the region.

Counterprogramming: There were signs, however, that this message was not well received.

On the eve of the NATO summit, China and Belarus kicked off 11 days of joint military exercises near the Belarusian city of Brest, some 5 kilometers from the Polish border, as I reported here.

Beijing said the exercises were not directed at any particular country, but Vladimir Kupriyanyuk, the deputy head of the General Staff of the Belarusian armed forces, said the maneuvers were a response to the "West's aggressive foreign policy toward Belarus" and to "Ukrainian provocation."

While small in scope, the drills highlight growing cooperation between Beijing and Minsk at a time of high tensions.

As Katia Glod, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told me, that's valuable for Belarus's autocratic leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, as he spars with the West, but looks to balance his dependence on Russia with a tighter embrace of Beijing.

In addition to the drills in Belarus, Chinese and Russian naval forces kicked off a joint exercise at a military port in southern China on July 14.

Why It Matters: Realistically, there are few cards up NATO's sleeve that can stop Chinese companies from assisting Russia's war effort, but the alliance can apply new pressure on Beijing in Europe and elsewhere.

NATO is a defensive alliance focused on Europe and there has been concern and pushback from its members over too much emphasis on Asia, but as the maneuvers in Belarus show, China is also active along the alliance's borders in Europe.

Beyond the new messaging against China, the elephant in the room at the summit was the looming U.S. presidential election and former U.S. President Donald Trump leading the polls.

Both Trump -- and J.D. Vance, his newly announced running mate -- have been critical of NATO in the past and many on the Republican side are advocating for drawing down U.S. support for Ukraine in order to better direct resources towards China and the Indo-Pacific.

But as China's close ties with Russia and the series of drills around the NATO summit show, those two different theaters in Europe and Asia are becoming increasingly blurred together.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. China's Big Economic Meeting

After months of unexplained delay, top officials from China's ruling Communist Party gathered in Beijing on July 15 for the so-called third plenum, a major closed-door meeting held roughly once every five years to map out the general direction of the country's long-term social and economic policies.

The Details: The conclave is important because it signals the direction forward for the Chinese economy as it faces major challenges and deepening tensions with the West.

China's businesses and consumers have suffered in recent years through stumbling growth, a property-sector meltdown, and a blight of debt among local governments.

Officially, China's economy is doing well. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first quarter, a solid rate that Beijing says validates its strategy of redirecting resources away from property and local government infrastructure projects, which once drove nearly a third of the economy, and into advanced industry instead.

Proof of the success of this new model, Chinese officials say, is China's emerging dominance of green-energy-transition industries such as electric vehicles. A new report from Global Energy Monitor found that China is building two-thirds of the world's wind and solar projects, and that figure doesn't even include the expansion under way outside of the country.

But the country is also dealing with economic problems on the back of years of stringent pandemic controls that have triggered mounting social frustration over falling property prices and reduced employment opportunities that have seen ordinary Chinese curb their spending.

On July 15, Beijing released new data that showed a sharp slowdown in economic growth. China also registered a record $99 billion trade surplus in June, adding to concerns that Beijing is leaning on exports to try and pull itself out of an economic slump.

2. Taiwan For Ukraine?

At the Republican National Convention on July 15, Trump chose Senator J.D. Vance as vice president on his ticket.

Vance has been one of the U.S. Congress's most vocal opponents of aid for Ukraine and previously stated the biggest threat to the United States was a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

What You Need To Know: While it's by no means clear how much sway Vance would have over a future Trump administration's foreign policy, it's safe to say that his selection amplified doubts about continued U.S. support for Kyiv should Trump be elected.

As a senator, Vance has said that he wants to limit U.S. attention on Europe and reorient the country's resources toward countering China's rise.

In February, Vance told the Munich Security Conference that the United States needed to focus its efforts in Asia instead of Ukraine, a region that he argued would dominate U.S. foreign policy for the next 40 years. He also argued that manufacturing Patriot system missiles for Ukraine would deny such weapons to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

It's also worth noting that Taiwanese officials, speaking to me and to other reporters, have actually advocated for strong U.S. support for Ukraine, saying that not allowing Russia to gain from its war is the best way to deter China from deciding to launch its own invasion.

Vance has based his support for Taiwan in mostly economic terms, saying the self-governing island that China has vowed to retake by force, if necessary, must be protected because of the risk that an invasion could "decimate our entire economy."

3. Serbia's Nuclear Energy Chessboard

Driven by a need to diversify its energy sector and pivot away from cheap Russian gas, Serbia is moving to end the country's decades-old policy banning the construction of nuclear power plants on its territory.

But in doing so, Belgrade also finds itself on a new geopolitical fault line involving nuclear energy in Eastern Europe, Mila Manojlovic of RFE/RL's Balkan Service and myself reported.

What It Means: Several Serbian ministries announced on July 10 that the country was weighing whether to end the 35-year-old, Yugoslav-era ban on nuclear reactors and said public debate was being opened on the shake-up of Belgrade's long-standing energy policy.

Prior to the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion, Serbia relied on cheap local labor and discounted Russian gas to make its mining and manufacturing industries competitive and attractive to investors.

But Western sanctions and market turbulence have increased the price of Russian gas and seen Brussels and Washington attach a political price tag to making new deals with Russian companies.

That leaves Vucic walking a tightrope between the need to improve Serbia's energy security by adding nuclear power and the geopolitical considerations brought by the country Belgrade decides to partner with.

Serbian officials are actively weighing their options, with companies from France, Britain, and China leading the pack, along with a potential plan to buy a stake in a Hungarian nuclear plant near the two countries' shared border.

Across The Supercontinent

Belarus Joins The SCO: As expected, Belarus became the 10th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as the regional security bloc continued to position itself as an alternative to the West.

Central Asia Spotlight: After the SCO summit in Astana, Chinese leader Xi Jinping went to Tajikistan for a state visit, where he repeated the growing Chinese talking point for the region by promising that Beijing will defend the "territorial integrity" of Tajikistan.

Modi Between China and Russia: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a high-stakes visit to Moscow on July 9, where his growing frictions with Beijing may be leading him to bolster relations with Russia, my colleague Dragan Stavljanin writes.

Saudi Hedging: Is Saudi Arabia replacing the United States with China in its security mix? Riyadh is building rapport with Beijing and increasing its imports of Chinese weapons amid pressure from Washington over human rights issues.

One Thing To Watch

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made headlines with his controversial trips to Moscow, Beijing, and Mar-a-Lago, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi, and Trump, respectively.

The private meetings sparked backlash in Brussels and were focused around the war in Ukraine, with Orban saying in a private letter to EU leaders -- seen by RFE/RL -- that Trump will quickly demand peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if he wins November's U.S. presidential election and has plans to do so.

In the letter sent to European Council President Charles Michel and other EU leaders, Orban also noted that Xi believes it is likely that "the next round of international peace talks will take place already before the end of the year" with both Ukraine and Russia in attendance.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream, confirmed that the affiliated group People's Power will join Georgian Dream in a common list for the upcoming parliamentary elections. This announcement was made during his speech at the opening of the election campaign and the new central office of Georgian Dream.Mdinaradze emphasized the significance of this year's elections, describing them as decisive and comparable to the pivotal 2012 elections. He underscored the challenges posed by what he referred to as "agents of global war forces" using false narratives against the government."I greet the invited guests, I greet each member of Georgian Dream, starting with Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, our honorary chairman and founder, and ending with each soldier of Georgian Dream. I also greet a group of our friends, an affiliated group called People's Power, and this greeting, among them, is not accidental, because you will hear from me probably for the first time today, I will confirm that they will participate in the parliamentary elections with a common list with us," said Mdinaradze.Mdinaradze expressed confidence in Georgian Dream's victory in the upcoming elections, highlighting their commitment to the peaceful development of the country, de-occupation, preservation of national identity and traditions, and achieving membership in the European family.US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated the United States' support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people while expressing concern over the Georgian government's recent actions. Speaking at a briefing, Miller highlighted the divergence between the government's actions and the country's democratic trajectory."We continue to support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people, but as we have seen, the Georgian government has taken a different path," Miller stated. "We've seen the government of Georgia pass laws that move Georgia away from its democratic trajectory. You know how the law they passed could affect civil society and enable the government to crack down on legitimate democratic rights."Miller emphasized that these actions by the Georgian government have fundamentally altered its relationship not only with the United States but also with other European countries. "It is the Georgian government's actions that have fundamentally altered its relationship with the United States, but not just with the United States, but with other countries in Europe as well," he noted.
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All 298 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when it was blown out of the sky. We take a look at what investigators say actually happened over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. (Originally published in 2017.)
Ukrainian policemen urge locals to evacuate Lyptsi, a war-torn village in the country's Kharkiv region some 5 kilometers from the border with Russia. Only a handful of villagers have remained in the once peaceful settlement amid increased Russian aerial assaults. One local man has chosen to stay in the area and is feeding abandoned dogs that live among the ruins of the destroyed village.
Streets were lined for dozens of kilometers by Ukrainians welcoming 95 soldiers who returned home on a convoy of buses following a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on July 17. Some are back after being held in harsh conditions as prisoners of war in Russian detention centers for more than two years. Some of them vowed to swiftly return to the Ukrainian armed forces and continue their fight against the Russian invasion.
A growing number of Vietnamese furniture makers are turning to readily available certified Canadian softwoods as a viable, more affordable option than traditional hardwood species.

Most recently, Phan Le Production, a well-established furniture maker based in Binh Duong, successfully trialed the use of Canadian western hemlock as a promising alternative.

The trial was part of the "Try Canadian Wood" campaign, a program that provides small quantities of wood for product trials so manufacturers can become more familiar with the properties and workability of Canadian softwoods.

The initiative is by Canadian Wood Vietnam, a government agency operating in Thu Dau Mot City in Binh Duong Province, which is dedicated to helping Vietnamese industry professionals source high-quality certified wood from Canada.

Their technical specialists work directly with manufacturers, stockists, traders, or importers to identify the right wood species and grade for a wide range of furniture and interior applications.

A bedroom set designed by Malene Lillelund Michaelsen made by Phan Le shows the unique versatility of western hemlock, which is able to take almost any stain and achieve a diversity of looks, colors, and tones. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

According to Vince Tran, Country Director for Canadian Wood Vietnam, as part of the "Try Canadian Wood" initiative, the team works in close collaboration with Vietnamese manufacturers to better understand the design, colors, and overall appearance they are trying to achieve.

Canadian Wood Vietnam then helps their fabrication team understand the technical considerations of using Canadian wood as an affordable substitute for more expensive species they may currently be using.

"We can even help guide them through creating a sample prototype they can use as a proof of concept and as a direct comparison to hardwoods, such as white oak and ash," said Vince.

Canadian softwoods are strong, durable, and easy to work with. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

Easier to saw, plane, and sand than traditional hardwoods, Canadian-grown softwoods, such as hemlock, can speed up production and reduce costly equipment wear-and-tear.

Fabricators can achieve a similar look and feel for their designs using Canadian softwoods.

"They often remarked on hemlocks strength, stability, and relative density and liked that it could provide a similar look and feel as hardwoods. Along with being easy to work with, hemlock is non-resinous and able to take any stain or paint color," Vince added.

Canadian softwood species, such as Douglas fir, offer a unique, stand-out look that can serve as a market differentiator.

Douglas-fir is a strong, tight-grained option loved for its warm aesthetic and can be used for solid doors and door frames, furniture, and general millwork.

Vince said that there are Vietnamese-based furniture makers using Douglas-fir as part of niche product lines, allowing them to achieve a more exclusive look.

Spruce-pine-fir (SPF), referring to white spruce, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir, all having common characteristics and properties, is grown in the interior regions of British Columbia, Canada.

This hardy species thrives in all sorts of environments, from waterlogged bogs to dry, sandy soils.

It can be used for solid doors, doorframes, furniture framing, and even modular housing.

It is also commonly used for a number of other general industrial purposes, such as packaging, crating, cable reels, and concrete forming.

"And when it comes to durable indoor and outdoor furniture and applications, Canadas western red and yellow cedar species are unmatched," he added.

Western red cedar is a popular species for outdoor furniture and projects and is also a great complement to interior finishes.

It exhibits outstanding decay and termite resistance, along with dimensional stability.

Yellow cedar is one of the worlds most durable woods, with exceptional longevity.

It has proven popular for furniture manufacturing, doors, door jambs, and window frames.

Douglas fir, a Canadian-grown, eco-friendly material, is versatile, easy to work with, and can be sanded to a smooth finish. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood Vietnam

Along with these benefits, all five of these sustainably-harvested Canadian wood species can help Vietnamese wood fabricators meet the nation's Timber Legality Assurance System requiring manufacturers to source wood products from legally logged forests.

In response to this decree, Canada has been identified as a trusted international supplier and recognized as a legal and sustainable provider of forest products.

Canada accounts for almost 35 percent of all certified forests globallythe largest of any country worldwide.

See more about the benefits of sustainably harvested, certified Canadian wood products here , or contact the Canadian Wood Vietnam team at info@canadianwood.com.vn to learn more about the "Try Canadian Wood" program.

Canadian Wood Vietnam, a government-funded agency in Thu Dau Mot City, helps Vietnamese manufacturers source high-quality certified Canadian wood for furniture and manufacturing applications. Their Try Canadian Wood initiative allows manufacturers to test softwood species and identify suitable Canadian wood suppliers for stockists, traders, and importers. See more about Canadian Wood on the website.
FBI investigators will collaborate with Thai police to investigate the deaths of a group of Vietnamese and American nationals in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thai PM said.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told the press on Wednesday that the FBI would be joining local authorities to investigate the deaths of the six guests at Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in downtown Bangkok.

He said the FBI's involvement was due to the presence of two Vietnamese-American individuals among the victims, The Strait Times reported.

Earlier, Thai authorities confirmed that the victims were two Vietnamese-Americans and four Vietnamese nationals, aged between 37 and 56.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said earlier that U.S. officials are aware of the reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the families on their loss. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance to those families," he said, as cited by AP.

The bodies of the victims, three men and three women, were found in a locked room on the fifth floor of the hotel. Their deaths may have been caused by poisoning, police and officials said.

Hotel staff alerted the police around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, after using a back door to enter the room for inspection, as the group had been overdue for check-out by about 24 hours.

"We are still waiting for forensic evidence and the initial hypothesis suggests this is a personal case," Bloomberg quoted Srettha as saying.

Thai authorities have not yet concluded whether this was a case of suicide or homicide. Initially, the police ruled out the possibility of a murder-robbery and do not believe it was related to national security or terrorism.

Bangkok police commissioner Thithi Saengsawang said at the press briefing that the victims were not dead from suicide but from the killing of others.

According to the hotel's records, seven people booked five rooms on the fifth and seventh floors at the hotel, but only five checked in for the five rooms. Four rooms on the seventh floors were scheduled for check-out on July 15, and their bags were packed. Their bodies were discovered by hotel staff in a fifth-floor room on the day.

The victims ordered food at around 1 p.m. on Monday, but the food appeared to be uneaten, but six cups were found empty and drinks appeared to be consumed, Vietnam News Agency reported.

According to Thiti, none of the bodies showed any signs of suffering physical violence. Only one victim had a facial wound, and police assumed the person fell onto a hard object.

Authorities are currently searching for the seventh person who was part of the hotel booking, and is now a suspect.

The investigation agency is examining the closed-circuit television footage since they touched down in Thailand to clarify the case.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is working with competent authorities in Thailand to clarify the case and carry out necessary citizen protection measures.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating the deaths of around 850 wild Atlantic salmon in a County Sligo river.

The deceased salmon have been found in the lower Ballisodare River, near Ballisodare, south of Sligo town.

IFI is working closely with Ballisodare Fishing Club and other agencies to establish the cause of these mortalities, including with the Marine Institute Fish Health Unit, and veterinarians from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine who are assisting in the expert examination of the affected fish.

IFI staff are conducting a full environmental analysis within the catchment in an effort to investigate whether water quality issues may be contributing to mortalities.

Commenting on the investigation, Dr Cathal Gallagher Deputy CEO of IFI, said: We are saddened by these salmon fatalities, at a time of year when salmon are returning to their river of origin to spawn.

Understanding the causes of these fish fatalities is crucial. IFIs environmental, operational and research teams are closely investigating possible factors causing these salmon mortalities, alongside other agencies and local organisations.

Salmon populations across Ireland face the threats of water pollution, illegal fishing and climate change, so its essential that we do what we can to help this iconic fish species survive and thrive. To date, only adult salmon deaths have been recorded and no other fish species appear to be affected in the river.

IFI will continue its investigation to try to establish the root cause of this large loss of returning adult salmon.

IFI - the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats - continues to urge the public to report instances of fish kills, water pollution, habitat destruction, or illegal fishing to our confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24.
A campaign to keep a much-loved local priest in the Drum/Clonown area of South Roscommon has intensified with hundreds of parishioners signing a petition opposing the move by the Bishop of Elphin to relocate the curate.

Its understood that a local committee, representing the local community, is now considering seeking a meeting with Bishop Doran or a representative to ask him to reconsider moving curate Fr. Michael Hickey. The petition with hundreds of signatures from parishioners was also gathered by the committee at its meeting held on Monday.

In a recent letter to parishioners outlining diocesan changes, Bishop Kevin Doran confirmed that Fr. Hickey would be returning to his religious order, the Holy Ghost Missionaries, at the end of August.

Fr. Hickey, aged in his eighties, has served as a very popular curate in the Drum/Clonown area for the last seven years.

I take this opportunity to thank Fr. Michael who has served generously in the parish for seven years, and well beyond the normal age of retirement, Bishop Doran said in his letter. The Bishops correspondence also outlined that following the changes in the St. Peter & Pauls parish, the team will be at normal strength.

However, parishioners have expressed shock, sadness and anger over Fr Hickeys proposed relocation. More than two hundred people attended a public meeting in Drum Parish Hall last week, voicing their opposition to Bishop Dorans decision.

The meeting was told that there was a deep sense of sadness combined with shock and anger at the way the decision was communicated to the priest and to the parish community.

The Roscommon Herald contacted the Elphin Diocese for comment and were guided to the letter sent out to parishioners.

Mary Moore, one of hundreds of parishioners in the Drum/Clonown area opposing the Bishop of Elphins decision to relocate Fr Michael Hickey, has described him as an amazing man.

A carer to her 48-year-old special needs daughter Martina, Mary said she was shocked at the decision to move the hugely popular priest who has had such a positive impact on the community.

Im disappointed about the way the decision was made. We adore the man in this house. We have a special needs daughter and she absolutely adores Fr. Hickey, she explained.

There's something very special about the man  hes an amazing man. We have known him for seven years and its like we have known him for an eternity.

This man I know is elderly but he's still doing his job. The Pope is older than him and hes head of the Catholic Church. Fr Hickey is an energetic man, she said.

Because she is a carer, Mary explained that she doesnt often attend meetings, but was determined to attend last weeks public meeting in Drum Parish Hall where more than two hundred people turned out to voice their opposition to the Bishops decision.

At the meeting, many people shared their personal testimony of how Fr. Hickey had helped them and many others in the community, particularly attending to people at times of isolation, sickness or bereavement.

There's a huge depth of feeling about the whole thing, and talk about the crowd that filled Drum hall. The support there that night - it would bring tears to your eyes. Thats the truth, that's how I felt about it, she said.

Like many parishioners, she is hoping that Bishop Doran will reconsider his decision to move Fr. Hickey.
A GoFundMe page set up to help Roscommon woman Tori Towey to clear her financial debt following her traumatic ordeal in Dubai has raised more than 8,500 to date.

Tori had been trapped in the United Arab Emirates after being charged with attempted suicide and alcohol abuse, and served with a travel ban after police found her distraught in her own home.

She arrived home in Ireland on Thursday last after the charges were dropped.

The GoFundMe page was set up at the weekend by a family member with a target of 10,000. To date, it has raised more than 8,500 to help the 28-year-old get her life back on track.

Organisers explained: We are the family of Tori Towey. What started out as a hopeful journey for Tori has turned out to be a living nightmare. She fell victim to physical and psychological abuse and financial control. We have got her home but she is left bearing not only scars of abuse but also the heavy burden of credit card and car loan debt. She lost her car along with many other possessions. We will help Tori through the trauma. We are asking for help in clearing the debt Tori unjustly finds herself in. Any remaining funds will go to DIVAS and Radha Stirling from Detained in Dubai.

Tori arrived back to her County Roscommon home last Thursday but is still haunted by her harrowing time in detention with memories of the primitive conditions and the women she met there.

She was fortunate to have rung her mother prior to all her possessions being taken from her after which she was subject to a strip search and left with no idea of what was going on.

However, her mother was able to get in touch with local Deputy Claire Kerrane who immediately contacted Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who raised the case in the Dail.

This prompted Taoiseach Simon Harris to take immediate action and within a day the charges were dropped against Ms Towey and she was allowed to fly home.

The GoFundME page can be accessed online by searching for 'Justice for Tori Towey'.
To combat fake news, Vietnamese authorities have proposed that only verified social media accounts be allowed to post comments, requiring users to provide real names, phone numbers, and emails.

At a Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council meeting Tuesday, Lam Dinh Thang, director of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications, said regulations regarding information management on social media have no guidelines or mechanisms with which to be enforced.

Therefore changes should be proposed, he argued.

Thang suggested banning all unverified social media accounts in the long run, but as a first step at least prohibiting commenting by social media accounts. Trans-border accounts would also need to abide by Vietnamese law, he said.

Verifying social media accounts requires that their owners provide their real names, phone numbers and email addresses.

In a draft of a decree on managing and providing Internet services, the Ministry of Information and Communications also proposed that accounts be verified with their owners real names and phone numbers before they can write posts, comments and do livestreams. Social media platforms, both inside and outside of Vietnam, must verify their users and provide their identities upon authorities request, the ministry said.

Thang said fake and inaccurate news mainly spreads online through trans-border online services like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, which are all popular with Vietnamese. While Vietnamese authorities can deal with local violations, he said, completely eliminating fake news on trans-border social media remained difficult.

Thang said businesses that manage trans-border social media services do have legal representatives in Vietnam. When authorities request removal of content, most businesses find ways to avoid doing so.

The information department has cooperated with HCMC police to crack down on suspected criminal activities in cyberspace. Last year, the department had handed over 28 cases, and 18 this year, to authorities. The department has also proposed that the information ministry deal with 30 flagged social media accounts showing signs of violations.
Stampede like situation at Air India's Walk-in Interview as over 50,000 turn up for 1,800 vacancies

A major chaos broke out in Mumbai's Kalina on Tuesday

Mumbai Air India Walk In Interview Stampede like situation news: A major chaos broke out in Mumbai's Kalina on Tuesday as thousands of jobseekers turned up for a walk-in interview hled by Air India Airport Services Ltd. According to information, as many as 15,000 people turned up for 1,800 vacancies for the post of handyman and utility agent in Air India. Handyman and Utility agents are those who perform various repair and maintenance tasks.

Despite limited vacancies at Air India, a huge crowd turned up outside the recruitment office where the situation went out of control. In order to prevent a stampede-like situation, the applicants were asked to deposit their resumes and leave.

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As per George Abram, general secretary, Aviation Industry Employees Guild, as quoted by India Today, the recruitment process was mismanaged and claimed that 50,000 jobseekers turned up for the interview.

#Stampede like situation at Air India's Walk-in-Interview as over 50,000 turn up for 1,800 vacancies



#AirIndia pic.twitter.com/KNMMOUN5Mk  Rozana Spokesman (@RozanaSpokesman) July 17, 2024

"There were around 50,000 people who turned up as per my sources there. We had warned the company against such drives. There was a 1 km-long queue. Police had to be called. Applicants were asked to leave their application, and they would be called later. There are vacancies for 1,786 handyman and 16 utility agents. This shows the joblessness among the people," Abram said.

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The minimum qualifications for the posts were slated to be SSC/10th pass while the age limit for the same was maximum 23. Likewise, the salary was fixed at Rs 22,530 per month. Reportedly, the position was on a fixed-term contract, basis of 3 years.

As per the union, 50,000 applicants turned up. Rambabu Chintalacheruvu, CEO of AI Airport Services Limited said "about 15,000 people" came to submit their applications.

For those who dom't know, Air India Airport Services Ltd was formerly known as Air India Air Transport Services Limited.
Two Romanians in the EP leadership

Romania has two vice-presidents in the European Parliament: Victor Negrescu (S&D) and Nicolae Stefanuta (Greens).

The new European Parliament (Photo: Copyright:  European Union 2024 - Source : EP / Photographer: Philippe BUISSIN)

Corina Cristea, 17.07.2024, 14:00

Two of the 14 vice-presidents of the new European Parliament are Romanians: Victor Negrescu and Nicolae Stefanuta, who were elected in the first round of voting, on Tuesday, in the first session of the EP. Victor Negrescu ran on behalf of the Social-Democrats group, and Nicolae Stefanuta on behalf of the Greens, but both enjoyed the support of the parliamentary majority formed around the Peoples Party, Social-Democrats and Liberals from Renew. Aged 38, Victor Negrescu represented Romania as a member of the European Parliament (2014  2017, 2020  present), also holding other administrative roles in the European Parliament, such as quaestor and vice-president of the Education and Culture Commission. Last but not least, Victor Negrescu was appointed chief negotiator of the European Parliament regarding the European budget for 2025.

The new vice-president Victor Negrescu said that he would seek to be more than a vice-president of the European Parliament, that he would continue to be a strong voice for Romanians at the level of European institutions because today, more than ever, we must demonstrate that we can count and that we can impose our points of view with professionalism, while also pointing out that he appeared before the MEPs with three clear priorities: democratization and opening of the European Parliament to citizens, respect for all MEPs from all member states and strengthening the role of the Parliament in the European decision-making process.

Victor Negrescu: I would like to influence the budget of this institution and the decision-making process at the level of several committees in the European Parliament, so that the agenda of the European Parliament should correspond more closely to the agenda of the citizens.

The other vice-president from Romania, Nicolae Stefanuta (42), an MEP since 2019, has obtained the current MEP mandate as an independent, but in the European Parliament he is affiliated with the Greens, the fourth largest group in the European legislature, a group which, although not officially within the majority, supports the idea of isolating the extremes.

Nicolae Stefanuta: The Greens are participating in the sanitary cordon, in this initiative to preserve the pro-European center and we want to show that we are serious partners. I hope that the other groups will also be serious partners for the governance of this continent.

He also added that it is an honor for him to become vice-president of the European Parliament today, but also a great responsibility. He aims to bring Parliament closer to people, especially young people. The social crisis, inequality and discrimination make young people worried about the future. We, the entire office of the Parliament, have the duty to show them that European democracy works, that their rights are respected and that their voice is heard, said Nicolae Stefanuta. (LS)
Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab is set to "gradually wind down" its operations in the US.

The company decided after the Department of Commerce announced a ban on the firm selling its products in the United States.

The shutdown of Kaspersky Lab's US operations will start on July 20, according to the company's statement. The company will lay off its US-based employees.

"The company has carefully examined and evaluated the impact of the US legal requirements and made this sad and difficult decision as opportunities in the country are no longer viable," Kaspersky Lab said.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had last month said that Moscow's influence over the company posed a significant risk to US infrastructure and services.

However, Kaspersky, which had been operating in the US for two decades, denied the allegations.

Raimondo said the US was compelled to take action due to Russia's "capacity and... intent to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans".

"Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use," the Commerce Department said.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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French stocks fell on Wednesday to extend losses from the previous session as fears over Trump's presidency overshadowed the prospect of U.S. interest-rate cuts in 2024.

The phenomenon known as the "Trump trade" has gained new momentum in financial after Donald Trump chose Ohio senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Also, Trump said he thinks Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense claiming the country "doesn't give us anything."

The benchmark CAC 40 was down 27 points, or 0.4 percent, at 7,552 after declining 0.7 percent in the previous session.

In corporate news, Pernod Ricard shares rose 1.3 percent.

The conglomerate has inked a deal to sell its international wine brands to Australian Wine Holdco Limited, a consortium of international institutional investors and owner of Accolade Wines.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Elon Musk announced he would move the headquarters of both his spacecraft maker SpaceX and social media platform X out of California, and to Texas over a new California law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom related to transgender students.

Newsom's new student transgender law, signed on Monday, bars school districts in that state from requiring parents to be notified of a child's gender identification change. California is said to be the first US state where schools are banned from forcing teachers to notify parents about such changes to their kids.

Responding to the law, Musk, in post on X, said, "This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas."

And X HQ will move to Austin, he noted.

Musk further said, "I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children."

Musk, who is also the founder and CEO of Tesla Inc., in 2021 had moved the corporate headquarters of the electric vehicle maker to Austin, Texas from Palo Alto, California due to issues with the state's regulations as well as clashes with officials regarding the opening of the Fremont facility during the pandemic period. The Palo Alto area has been Tesla's base since its founding in 2003.

In 2020, amid the severe spread of Coronavirus, Musk had lashed out at California government officials for forcing to temporarily close down Tesla's main factory, and later had threatened to move the company's headquarters and future programs out of California and to Texas/Nevada. Musk had personally moved to Texas from California in 2020.

In mid-June this year, Tesla's shareholders had approved a resolution to move its state of incorporation to Texas, the base of its largest U.S. factory, from Delaware, following a significantly positive response from Musk's followers in X after the Delaware judge's decision to void his $56 billion pay package.

Responding to the ruling, Musk then had stated, "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware. I recommend incorporating in Nevada or Texas if you prefer shareholders to decide matters."

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Three Republicans who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for nomination as party's candidate for the presidential election have voiced their support for Trump at the party's convention on Tuesday night.

Trump's toughest and top rival at the primary stage, Nikki Haley offered her strong endorsement for the party nominee, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the former President over his economic and border policies.

Trump smiled as he watched from his box at the Republican National Convention speeches by Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy, who all rallied behind him, reflecting an evident display of unity in pursuit of a Republican victory.

"I'll start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement," said Haley, who was Trump's lone remaining prominent rival in the race to win the Republican primaries. She announced in March that she is leaving the presidential race.

She did not endorse Trump for nomination at that time, but urged the front-runner to earn the support of those who voted for her.

Haley, who was the US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, said he had asked her to speak at the convention in the name of unity.

"For the sake of our nation we have to go with Donald Trump," she told the crowd in Milwaukee.

Ron DeSantis urged Americans to stand with Trump. "Let's make the 45th President of the United States the 47th President of the United States."

Vivek Ramaswamy addressed "legal" and "illegal" immigrants in his speech. He said the GOP cares about Black communities.

Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, sat alongside Trump at the event. They will speak at their first joint campaign event in Michigan Saturday.

The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday, within two days of Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, at a rally.

The four-day event will conclude on Thursday with Trump's speech accepting the GOP nomination for president.

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President Joe Biden has announced a set of new actions to lower housing costs, and to make renting more affordable for millions of Americans.

Biden has called on Congress to pass legislation giving corporate landlords a choice to either cap rent increases on existing units at 5 percent or risk losing current valuable federal tax breaks.

The President called on Congress to pass the Biden-Harris Housing Plan, which would build 2 million homes, and provide $10,000 in mortgage relief to unlock home-ownership for millions of Americans. Already, more units are under construction than at any time in over 50 years, and the rate of new housing starts is up 17 percent compared to the last Administration, the White House said.

Under the Housing plan, corporate landlords, beginning this year and for the next two years, would only be able to take advantage of faster depreciation write-offs available to owners of rental housing if they keep annual rent increases to no more than 5 percent each year. This would apply to landlords with more than 50 units in their portfolio. It would include an exception for new construction and substantial renovation or rehabilitation.

Some corporate landlords have taken advantage of the shortage of available units by raising rents by more than increases in their own costsresulting in huge profits at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to cover rent each month. And recent analysis showed that the six largest publicly-traded apartment companies reported large profits earlier this year, and many of these same landlords are named in pending litigation for their alleged use of proprietary algorithms to raise rents on tenants.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is announcing new actions to protect renters in multifamily properties financed by loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These protections apply to future loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who have financed an average of 1.2 million multifamily rental units over the past three years.

The President is calling on all federal agencies to assess surplus federal land that can be repurposed to build more affordable housing across the country. The White House said it will work with federal agencies with land disposition authorities, as well as agencies that provide financing tools for housing and infrastructure. This action is aimed at quickly building more housing that is affordable for working families and climate resilient, which will bring down energy costs, while protecting local lands and waters.

The Bureau of Land Management is opening a public comment period on a sale of 20 acres of public land to Clark County, Nevada, for below market value at just $100 per acre, which is estimated to enable the development of nearly 150 affordable homes for households making less than 80 percent of area median income. BLM will also soon announce the proposed below-market sale of an additional 18 acres to the City of Henderson, which is estimated to provide nearly 300 affordable housing units for rent.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is announcing $325 million in Choice Neighborhoods grants to build 6,500 units of new housing, support small businesses, build childcare centers and new parks.

The recipients of these grants include the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority; the City of Las Vegas; Syracuse, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Huntsville, AL; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; Trenton, NJ; Phoenix, AZ; Shreveport, LA; Cleveland, OH; Baton Rouge, LA; Camden, NJ; Winston-Salem, NC; Lewiston, ME; and Norfolk, VA.

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A federal court has prohibited a West Virginia company from manufacturing, distributing or selling unauthorized nicotine vaping products.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, the government alleged that Soul Vapor LLC and the company's owner, Aurelius Jeffrey, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by causing tobacco products to become adulterated or misbranded while they were held for sale after shipment of one or more of their components in interstate commerce.

According to the complaint, the defendants manufactured and sold e-cigarette products, including products under the Soul Vapor brand. The Food and Drug Administration had warned the defendants that their products were adulterated and misbranded.

The government's complaint alleged that the defendants falsely told FDA in their registration form that the company was "inactive" and "out of " even while it continued to manufacture its products.

The court also ordered Soul Vapor to destroy their ENDS products that are currently in their custody.

The injunction against Soul Vapor is the most recent judicial enforcement action finalized since the Justice Department and FDA announced the creation of a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. The FDA has so far authorized the sale of 27 specific tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products and devices. These are the only e-cigarette products that currently may be lawfully marketed and sold in the United States.

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Researchers at King's College, London, found that do-it-yourself human papillomavirus tests could encourage women in England to participate in cervical screening in the next three years.

The trial, named YouScreen, was conducted in partnership with NHS Cancer Alliances in North Central and North East London, NHS England and the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.

During the trial, the self-testing kits were provided to over 27,000 women, and people with a cervix, aged 25-64 who were six months overdue to screening. Out of this, 8,838 people sent back self-samples.

Lead investigator Dr Anita Lim, said, "Women who don't come for regular screening are at the highest risk of developing cervical cancer. Cervical screening participation has been falling in England for over two decades; currently almost a third of eligible women aren't getting screened regularly and in some parts of London this is as high as 50 percent".

The DIY kit consisted of a long cotton wool bud to be used as a vaginal swab. It was later sent to a laboratory to test for human papillomavirus which causes most cervical cancers. If the test comes out as positive, the participant was invited to conduct a follow-up test.

Dr Lim added, "The YouScreen trial has given us the evidence we need to demonstrate that self-sampling helps get more women screened in England. It's really encouraging that we received self-samples from groups that have been historically underserved including people from deprived and ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQI+, people with learning disabilities and victims of sexual violence".

Many women are embarrassed or worried about cervical screening as it is an intimate procedure. However, self-testing kits would encourage them to take the tests as per their convenience.

NHS director of screening and vaccination, Deborah Tomalin, commented, "It's extremely promising that this study suggests simple DIY swab tests could have a really positive impact in supporting more women to take part in cervical screening from their own homes, and the NHS will now be working with the UK National Screening Committee to consider the feasibility of rolling this out more widely across England".

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The people of the Sahel region continue to suffer, said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a recent Security Council briefing.

Terrorism and violent extremism continue to plague communities, a trend that has only exacerbated and accelerated since MINUSMAs forced withdrawal [the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali], she said. Governments are struggling to reclaim control over territory, and are recording record levels of violence. All the while, some governments are engaging in heavy-handed counterterrorism tactics while neglecting the causes of marginalization, worsening the security situation.

And the threat is only further spreading, warned Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield:

This year, we have seen attacks and continual displacement in Benin and Togo. We have seen deterioration of security in the Lake Chad Basin. And we have seen an uptick in attacks and abductions in northeastern Nigeria.

The United States is committed to democratic governance, based on respect for human rights and human dignity. And on this front, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, there have been glimmers of hope.

We applaud Liberia and Senegals democratic transfers of power following elections this year. We welcome positive steps taken by the Gambia to reform its justice system, and develop a hybrid court with ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States], she said. Indeed, it was encouraging to hear from Foreign Minister [Mamadou] Tangara last month on the Gambias positive partnership with the Peacebuilding Commission and we commend their decision to defeat the bill on FGM [female genital mutilation].

At the same time, however, the United States remains concerned by shrinking access to political and civic space in the region, including through the banning of protests and curtailment of freedom of expression.

This is in addition to the increasingly dire humanitarian situation throughout the Sahel and West Africa. Across the region, 32.9 million people are food insecure.

The United States is the largest single humanitarian aid donor to Africa, having provided more than $1.9 billion in assistance across the continent since the beginning of this year.

And yet, it is still not enough to meet the need. The international community needs to give more, urged Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.

In the meantime, the crisis in Sudan continues to unfold, with human rights abuses and famine.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield urged the Security Council to step up its commitment to the region. Terrorism, she added, is a global problem that requires a global solution in support of African leadership. We must commit to collective action.
Scientists have created a drug, which increased lifespan of mice by 25 percent, raising expectations that it will have similar effect in humans.

Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science and Imperial College London conducted the study on mice, who were known as "supermodel grannies" in the lab because of their beautiful appearance.

First and co-corresponding author Assistant Professor Anissa Widjaja said, "This project started back in 2017 when a collaborator of ours sent us some tissue samples for another project. Out of curiosity, I ran some experiments to check for IL-11 levels. From the readings, we could clearly see that the levels of IL-11 increased with age and that's when we got really excited."

During the study, the researchers found that switching off IL-11 increased the healthy lifespan of mice. The protein is responsible for ageing, muscle wasting, chronic inflammation, and metabolism disorder in human.

Professor Stuart Cook, who was a co-corresponding author of the study, said, "The treated mice had fewer cancers, and were free from the usual signs of ageing and frailty, but we also saw reduced muscle wasting and improvement in muscle strength.

"In other words, the old mice receiving anti-IL-11 were healthier," Cook continued.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, showed increase in lifespans of mice depending on the experiment and sex of the mice.

"Our aim is that one day, anti-IL-11 therapy will be used as widely as possible, so that people the world over can lead healthier lives for longer. However, this is not easy, as approval pathways for drugs to treat aging are not well-defined, and raising funds to do clinical trials in this area is very challenging," Cook added.

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Electric 2W sales June 2024 list was topped by Ola Electric with a 46% share of total retail sales

Electric 2W sales were in high demand in June 2024 with 79,530 units sold, a 72.48% YoY growth from 46,108 units sold in June 2023. It was also a 3.41% growth on a MoM basis when compared to 76,907 units sold in May 2024. Every 2W OEM on this list has shown off outstanding sales performance on a YoY basis, though retail sales comparison on a MoM basis were somewhat subdued.

Electric 2W Retail June 2024 YoY Vs MoM

Electric 2W sales in India are increasing by leaps and bounds. Government of India subsidies, tax incentives and other benefits to promote adoption of electric vehicles have stood it in good stead.

Sales of electric two wheelers in June 2024 that experienced significant YoY and MoM growth had Ola Electric at No. 1 with a lions share in total sales. Ola retail sales stood at 36,723 units in the past month, a 107.57% YoY growth from 17,692 units sold in June 2023. The company retail sales however fell on a MoM basis by 1.35% when compared to 37,225 units sold in May 2024.

TVS Motor, with a single electric 2W model iQube has contributed 13,904 units to total 2W retail sales in June 2024. This was a 76.74% YoY and 17.95% MoM improvement over 7,867 units and 11,788 units sold in June 2023 and May 2024 respectively.

At No. 3 was Bajaj Auto with Chetak electric scooter sales at 8,990 units last month. The company reported an astronomical 198.57% YoY growth over 3,011 units sold in June 2023 while MoM sales performance dipped by 2.43% from 9,214 units sold in May 2024. Chetak 2901, the newest offering is priced at Rs 95,998, ex-showroom  Bangalore. It promises an ARAI-certified range of 123 km.

Ola Holds Top Spot

Ather sales also improved significantly by 32.61% YoY to 6,104 units in June 2024 from 4,603 units sold in June 2023. MoM saw a very marginal improvement by 0.98% from 6,045 units sold in May 2024. The Ather Rizta electric scooter marked its entry into the segment. It is presented in two variants of Rizta S and Rizta Z and priced from Rs 1,09,999 to Rs 1,44,999 (Ex-showroom Bengaluru).

A massive YoY growth was reported by Hero MotoCorp with a 560% YoY hike in retail sales to 3,069 units in June 2024. This was up from a meagre 465 units sold in June 2023. MoM sales also showed off promise with a 24.96% growth from 2,456 units sold in May 2024.

Greaves Electric two wheeler retail sales also improved YoY and MoM by 88.40% and 38.70% respectively to 2,713 units. Bgauss sales also scaled new heights with a 456.02% YoY improvement to 1,062 units last month from 191 units sold in June 2023 while there had been 1,158 units sold in May 2024 relating to an 8.29% MoM decline.

Electric 2W Retail June 2024  Sub-1,000 Unit

Unable to cross sales above the 1,000 unit mark was Wardwizard with 896 unit sales in June 2024. This was a 103.64% YoY but a 28.95% MoM decline. Quantum Energy showed off the highest YoY growth with a 754.43% improvement to 675 units from 79 units sold in June 2023 while MoM sales grew by 29.06% over 523 units sold in May 2024.

Lower down the sales list was Revolt (660 units) reporting a YoY and MoM decline in sales while sales of Okaya (517 units) and Kinetic Green (457 units) projected outstanding YoY improvement in sales. Lectrix EV also revealed a 245.22% and 89.95% YoY and MoM growth with 397 units sold last month.

Okinawa sales on the other hand fell significantly by 85.80% and 23.93% respectively to 382 units. Other electric 2W OEMs contributed 2,991 units to total retail sales last month. However, this was a 52.10% YoY decline from 6,244 units sold in June 2023 but a 2.15% MoM growth over 2,928 units sold in May 2024.
ELKO  Authorities said they have arrested three people involved in an elaborate drug trafficking operation run out of an Elko hotel room.

Anthony Robinson, 45, of Henderson; Mercedes Martinez, 30, of Spring Creek; and Alanis Harrelson, 26, of Elko, were arrested on July 10 by officers with the Elko Combined Narcotics Unit.

According to police, Robinson was tracked down to an address in Carlin, where he was apprehended along with Harrelson and Martinez.

A search warrant executed on an East Idaho Street hotel room by members of the narcotics unit found approximately 5,000 blue fentanyl pills weighing more than 528 grams, and over 495 grams of methamphetamine.

An investigation by the Elko Police Department Crime Suppression Unit revealed an elaborate operation, involving multiple rooms and multiple people who had made their way across much of Nevada.

According to court documents, Carlin police detained Robinson and Harrelson in a vehicle. Robinson was found with a small digital scale in his pocket that had a white residue on it that was believed to be methamphetamine.

A wallet that belonged to Harrelson had several small pieces of tin foil and a tooter.

Martinez had been charged with drug possession in the past. She was arrested in 2019 on charges of possession of heroin and methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia at an Elko motel as part of an investigation by the narcotics unit.

At the time, officers recovered a small quantity of drugs and paraphernalia. She was booked in Elko County Jail three years later and charged with felony child abuse or neglect.

She was arrested twice last year on warrants alleging failure to appear in court after a bail on a felony crime.

Robinson was charged with two felony counts of high-level trafficking in a controlled substance of more than 400 grams. His bail was set at $200,000.

Harrelson was charged with possession of a controlled substance of less than 14 grams. Her bail was set at $10,000.

Martinez was charged with violating probation or a condition of a suspended sentence and is being held without bail.

Its the seventh arrest this year in an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking by local law enforcement agencies.

The Elko SWAT Team raided the closed Elko Inn and Studio Motel and Greenacre apartments in March.

Rocky Salazar, 42, was arrested in April for second-degree murder in the suspected fentanyl death of Eric Cabibi, 24, in a portable restroom at Johnny Appleseed Park in October.

Police arrested Ashley A. Rose, 45, on May 2 for possession of 59.2 grams of methamphetamine, 30 fentanyl pills, a gram of heroin and amphetamine pills.

Ernest C. Milligan, 46, was booked in Elko County Jail on charges of selling methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl and possessing 29 firearms.

In June, Daniel Wiebe, 48, and Heather Monger, 48, were arrested at their northside home by the ECNU on charges of drug possession, firearms possession and trafficking in methamphetamine, cocaine and mushrooms.

Michael D. Overholser, 46, was arrested June 26 after a search warrant was executed at an Elm Street residence where the Crime Suppression Unit found five pounds of methamphetamine, 500 fentanyl pills, mushrooms and hydrocodone pills. Two stolen firearms were also found in a search of Overholsers car.
CCTV: This year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinpings proposition of building a China-LAC community with a shared future. How does China view its progress and whats Chinas expectation for China-LAC relations in the years ahead?

Lin Jian: Ten years ago on July 17, 2014, President Xi Jinping attended the China-Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries Leaders Meeting in Brasilia and delivered a keynote speech entitled Build a Community of Shared Destiny for Common Progress. In the speech, President Xi for the first time made the proposition of building a China-LAC community with a shared future, which pointed the way forward for China-LAC relations in the new era and was warmly received among LAC countries. Over the past decade, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, continuous progress has been made in building a China-LAC community with a shared future and the China-LAC relationship has ushered in a new era characterized by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and more benefits for the people.

Political mutual trust has been strengthened. President Xi Jinping visited the LAC region five times, received leaders of many countries in the region and had meetings with them on bilateral and multilateral occasions to pool strategic consensus. Practical cooperation has been deepened. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation MOUs with 22 LAC countries. Annual trade volume between China and LAC countries amounts to nearly US$ 500 billion. China is the second largest trading partner for Latin America and the biggest trading partner for countries, including Brazil, Chile and Peru. People-to-people and cultural exchanges have flourished. Various flagship events were held, including the China-LAC Cultural Exchange Year and the Bridge to the Future China-LAC Young Leadership Training Program, and projects such as the Confucius Institute and the Luban Workshop were implemented, gaining immense popularity for such cultural exchange and mutual learning activities. The China-CELAC Forum has made steady progress. Under the China-CELAC Forum, a total of over 90 events that cover 28 fields were held, including three ministerial meetings. Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum. The two sides are in close communication on holding commemorative events. The two sides have worked closely with each other on international coordination. China and LAC countries are committed to true multilateralism and have maintained sound communication and collaboration on global issues. The Common Understandings on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis jointly issued by China and Brazil not long ago received active support and response from over 100 countries and sends out the strong message of upholding peace, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation from China and LAC countries.

This year and next year, the G20 Summit, the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, the BRICS Summit and the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC will be held in Latin America. We can anticipate shining LAC moments of global governance. The spotlight will once again be on LAC, which also means important opportunities for the growth of China-LAC relationship.

China and LAC countries are developing countries and members of the Global South. China will continue to follow the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, enhance solidarity and cooperation with LAC countries and work together to advance the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, further synergize high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the development strategies of LAC countries, promote steady progress in building a China-LAC community with a shared future, and usher in another promising decade for China-LAC relations.

Reuters: Former US President Donald Trump has given an interview, in which he said Taiwan should pay for its defense. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment?

Lin Jian: Let me reiterate once again that the Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair and brooks no external interference. We are opposed to making China an issue in US elections.

RIA Novosti: The Hungarian Prime Ministers Political Director in an interview said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent a plan on settling the Ukraine issue to EU leaders. Did China receive Prime Minister Orbans plan?

Lin Jian: Yesterday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi took a call from Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto to hear Hungarys views on the Ukraine crisis and its recent effort for peace. China commends Hungarys constructive mediating role for peace. We stand ready to work with Hungary to bolster the force for peace and steer the situation toward a political settlement.

Beijing Daily: The US State Department spokesperson issued a statement saying that the US continues to promote accountability in defense of human rights in China and that the State Department is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials for their involvement in repression of marginalized religious and ethnic communities. Whats Chinas comment?

Lin Jian: The US again uses disinformation to smear the human rights conditions in China and abuses visa restrictions on Chinese officials. Such a move constitutes serious interference in Chinas internal affairs and violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it and has lodged a serious protest with the US. As a countermeasure, China will, in accordance with the law, adopt reciprocal visa restrictions on the US officials who concocted lies, pushed for sanctions against China and undermined Chinas interests in the name of human rights issues.

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council adopted unanimously Chinas report on the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review, which fully shows that the international community highly recognizes Chinas achievement in protecting human rights. The US has no right and is in no position to point fingers at other countries human rights condition. The international community has long watched and detested how the US manipulates human rights issues. If the US truly cares about human rights, it should abandon double standard, take a hard look in the mirror, reflect on its own human rights violations, and deal with the mounting human rights issues within the US itself, instead of interfering in other countries domestic affairs and sanctioning them in the name of human rights.

Bloomberg: The US is considering using even more strict measures that would put pressure on companies in countries like Japan and the Netherlands to restrict chip trade with China. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comments?

Lin Jian: China made clear its position more than once on the USs malicious attempts to block and suppress Chinas semiconductor industry. The US overstretches the concept of national security, politicizes trade and tech issues and uses them as weapons to tighten control over chip export to China and coerce other countries to go after Chinas semiconductor industry, which severely undermines international trade rules, destabilizes global industrial and supply chains, and serves no ones interests. China firmly opposes it. We hope relevant countries will do the right thing, firmly resist coercion, and jointly uphold a fair and open international trade order to protect their own long-term interests.

Reuters: We understand that a recently signed agreement between China and the Philippines will open a direct line of communication between both countries leaders offices to help prevent confrontations in the South China Sea from spiraling out of control. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment?

Lin Jian: China is always committed to properly handling maritime issues with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation. At the ninth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea held earlier this month, the two sides talked about improving the maritime communication mechanism between the two countries. China and the Philippines agreed to further enhance communication and dialogue between diplomatic and coast guard agencies, so as to jointly keep the maritime situation and the overall bilateral relationship stable.

Dragon TV: We noticed that there has been growing interest in China recently in the international tourism market. The number of flights to China and hotel searching and booking volume have seen a significant increase compared with last year. According to some international tourism agencies, recent demand for China travel among foreign tourists is more than four times that of last year. Many foreign vloggers who have been to China are posting their shop hop videos on social media. China Travel has become a hot trend. Do you have any comment on this?

Lin Jian: Im glad to see more and more foreign friends visit and explore China. I myself have seen quite a few video clips taken by foreign friends strolling in Chinese cities and towns, visiting parks, tasting local delicacies, taking boat tours and enjoying folk custom performances, which seem to have become quite trendy for foreign tourists in China. The videos they shared about unique experiences in China, such as learning square dancing, exploring tasty food in night markets, taking photos with giant pandas and riding driverless taxis, have gained millions of likes from foreign viewers.

I believe you have noticed our new facilitation measures for cross-border travel. We have rolled out a 15-day visa-free entry policy for 15 countries, including France, on a trial basis, and expanded the coverage of our 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 ports of entry. We now allow visa-free entry for all foreign tourist groups traveling by cruise ship, and have improved mobile payment, ticket purchase at scenic spots and other supporting services. These measures have made foreigners traveling, working and living in China easier and allowed them to fully experience the charm of China as they ride the new trend of China Travel.

We welcome more foreign friends to visit as many Chinese cities and scenic spots as possible to experience a more open and beautiful China and share their first-hand experience with the rest of the world. Hope more people will come and unlock their own unique China Travel experience.

China News Service: In November 2023, China and the US held consultations on arms control and non-proliferation in Washington DC. During the past few weeks, some US senior official accused China of declining a new round of consultations with the US and not providing a substantive response to the suggestions that the US put forward. Whats Chinas comment?

Lin Jian: Over the past weeks and months, despite Chinas firm opposition and repeated protest, the US has continued to sell arms to Taiwan and done things that severely undermine Chinas core interests and the mutual trust between China and the US. This has seriously compromised the political atmosphere for continuing the arms control consultations. Consequently, the Chinese side has decided to hold off discussion with the US on a new round of consultations on arms control and non-proliferation. The responsibility fully lies with the US.

China stands ready to maintain communication with the US on international arms control in line with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, but the US must respect Chinas core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue and exchange.

NHK: From today to next week, several Japanese political figures will visit China and plan to carry out exchanges with China at various levels. What is your comment on this development between China and Japan?

Lin Jian: China attaches importance to having exchanges and interactions with Japan at various levels and hopes such exchanges will contribute to the improvement and growth of China-Japan relations.
China ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for travel and tourism.

China is welcoming more tourists with new visa policies.

Many visitors have changed their perspective on China after their visits of the country.

CHANGSHA/SHANGHAI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Jin Yeong-deg, a 72-year-old man from the Republic of Korea, opened his Korean payment app Kakao Pay and showed the QR code to the cashier. Within seconds, the scan was complete, and he successfully purchased his items.

This would be a very ordinary transaction in the Korean cities of Seoul or Busan, but it actually took place in Zhangjiajie, a tourist city in central China's Hunan Province.

"Traveling in Zhangjiajie is very convenient," said Jin. "I didn't expect to be able to use mobile payments here just like a local."

This was Jin's second visit to the breathtaking landscape of Zhangjiajie -- home to the real prototype of the floating mountains in the Avatar -- and he saw significant changes since his first trip in 2004.

According to the Travel &Tourism Development Index 2024 of the World Economic Forum, China ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for travel and tourism.

Tourists from the Republic of Korea visit the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, May 30, 2024. (Photo by Deng Daoli/Xinhua)

TRAVEL MADE EASY

According to a recent survey conducted by Beijing Foreign Studies University, among 714 foreign tourists from 103 countries, 86 percent of those who have visited China believe the payment experience has become more convenient. The vast majority of these tourists used mobile payment methods.

By the end of 2023, China's mobile payment penetration rate had reached 86 percent, the highest in the world. Foreigners can now easily bind their overseas bank cards with Alipay or Tenpay, China's two major payment apps, thanks to simplified mobile payments.

In the first half of this year, foreign card transactions using mobile payment platforms surged 6.65 times from the previous year to nearly 37.4 million, according to data from Chinese online payment clearing house NetsUnion Clearing Corporation.

The apps also enable convenient transportation for foreign tourists.

Spanish couple Miguel and Irena Rodriguez Jimenez used Alipay to take the subway in Shanghai and book ride-hailing services.

"Some warm-hearted locals helped us download the app and register," said the wife. "It was a bit complicated at first, but now we can use it adeptly."

A police officer answers questions about visa-free entry permits for foreign passengers at the border check section of Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

GATE OPENING WIDER

China is welcoming more tourists with new visa policies.

On Monday, China expanded its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 entry ports. Foreign nationals from 54 countries, including the United States, Canada and Britain, are eligible for the policy for short-term travel and business visits.

The country is also piloting visa-free travel for ordinary passport holders from more than a dozen countries, including France, Spain, Australia and Poland, allowing them to enter China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit.

Data from the National Immigration Administration showed that the number of foreigners visiting China in the first half of this year exceeded 14.6 million, an increase of 152.7 percent compared with the same period last year. Of these, more than 8.5 million, or 52 percent, entered visa-free, a 190 percent increase year on year.

Eva Gajewska is the manager of a travel agency in Warsaw, Poland. Since the visa-free policy started, she has received lots of phone calls asking about tours to China.

"In the past, a visitor usually spent about 100 U.S. dollars for the visa to China, and had to wait for seven days," she said, hailing the new policy a "long-awaited" move. The company is now designing new routes to offer their clients more choices for their China trips.

Edward Iglesias, a 61-year-old Australian tourist, embarked on a 17-day tour of China, starting from Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Having applied for his visa before the policy change, he felt the new policy would definitely make things easier for travelers.

With simplified entry procedures, Iglesias plans to recommend China as a tourist destination to his friends, praising its "nice people and beautiful scenery." He expressed a desire to return when the weather is cooler, "maybe in autumn or spring."

Foreign tourists pose for a photo in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, or Qiniandian, at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, July 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Many visitors have changed their perspective on China after their visits of the country.

Colombian tourist German Raigosa was visiting China with his family for the first time. "It's surprising to see the public transportation, and how clean the cities are compared to other cities like New York," said the 71-year-old father.

"I didn't know that Chinese people are so nice," added his 29-year-old daughter, Susana Raigosa. "I was surprised at how little I knew about these cities."

Arnr Herrmann from New Zealand returned to Shanghai 28 years after his first visit. "Back then, I only remember seeing the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower as the landmark," said the leader of a 60-student group. This time, he marveled at China's development and the juxtaposition of both historical and modern buildings in the metropolis.

"We are impressed by the cleanliness of all the places," said Samuel Juara from Mexico via WeChat, which he downloaded for his trip to China. "The respect from all the people and their willingness to help, the amount of electric cars and beautiful buildings, the electronic advances and communicating measures ... are very impressive."

This photo taken on May 28, 2024 shows a payment service center for foreign tourists of the Bank of China at the Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Yujie)

New measures are being implemented across China to better serve international travelers in tourism cities. For instance, the Bank of China's Zhangjiajie branch has upgraded the airport's self-service currency exchange machines. These machines now accept over 20 currencies, including Australian dollars, up from six previously.

Chinese customs authorities have made declarations easier for foreign passengers by using mobile phone apps. "Foreign tourists can now complete their arrival process and pass through customs in just 30 minutes," said Liu Jinbo, director of Zhangjiajie Customs. He added that the average clearance time for inbound passengers is expected to drop further to under 10 minutes by the end of September.

"You will know how beautiful China is only after you visit the country," said Shin Young-yun, a team leader with Korean travel agency Modetour.

"China is a very safe and lovely country, which I have recommended to my compatriots. I know many of them who have visited once would like to go there again," he added. "Hopefully in the future more Koreans, more foreigners, can visit and see the real China."

Editor: ZAD
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong province. (Mao Siqian/Xinhua/Shi Lei/Nanfang Daily)

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is expected to even out economic disparity in the Pearl River Delta, boost the region's global competitiveness and make commuters' lives much easier, experts said.

The long-awaited 24-kilometer link, built with an estimated cost of 44.69 billion yuan ($6.38 billion), opened to traffic on June 30 after seven years of construction, establishing a vital transportation connection across the Pearl River region.

The infrastructure marvel, which features two bridges, two artificial islands and an undersea tunnel, triumphed over numerous technical challenges during its construction and set multiple engineering records.

The eight-lane expressway in Guangdong province, which is designed for a traffic speed of 100 km per hour, starts at Shenzhen airport interchange and crosses the Pearl River estuary to connect with Ma'an Island in Zhongshan.

It joins the city clusters of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou in the eastern part of the Pearl River Delta to the cities of Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in the western part, strengthening connectivity of people, businesses, manufacturing and infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area.

Vehicles travel in the undersea tunnel of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong province. (Chen Jimin/China News Service)

Balancing growth

The link shortens the travel times between the cities, and has significantly altered the regional landscape, said Wei Jianzhang, vice-president of the Belt and Road Initiative's International Cooperation and Development Research Institute in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

"It accelerates the region's development by facilitating economic coordination, efficient transportation, cultural exchanges, and social integration. This infrastructure serves as a bridge transforming the Greater Bay Area's global competitiveness," he said.

The project also greatly benefits several cities on the western bank of the Pearl River and will help promote co-construction of industrial and innovation systems, Wei said.

"In terms of residents, both sides can enjoy high-quality living standards. Shenzhen residents can purchase more comfortable housing in Zhongshan at lower prices, while Zhongshan residents can easily access cultural activities in Shenzhen, such as top class performances," he said.

Liu Daizong, the East Asia director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy based in Beijing, sees the link as a catalyst to promote regional integration and growth, and eventually, coordinated development of the GBA.

"Enhancing transportation connectivity is the first step toward promoting regional integration," he said.

Liu divides the GBA into three areas: Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and Macao on the western bank of the Pearl River; Hong Kong and Shenzhen on the eastern bank; and Guangzhou on the northern bank.

The link provides excellent development opportunities for the economically less-developed cities on the western bank, allowing them to engage in direct business with Shenzhen and other cities, he said.

"This infrastructure opens up possibilities for strategic interactions among the three regions, which represents a form of benign competition. Overall, it will promote the coordinated development of the Greater Bay Area," he said.

Wei said the development of the region relies on various elements such as labor, capital, technology, information, data, and land. Cities on the western bank can benefit from these key elements being combined in new ways to boost efficiency and output.

This will improve wages, profitability, and returns, and ultimately drive economic growth and improve the region's global competitiveness, Wei said.

"The link not only accelerates the flow of these elements and opportunities, but also fosters economic coordination, efficient transportation, cultural exchanges, and social integration in the region," he said.

Vehicles line up at the Cuihengdong toll station in Zhongshan to enter the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link on June 30. (Liu Dawei/Xinhua)

Benefiting people

The link, which reduces average travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan from approximately 2 hours to just 30 minutes, commenced trial operations at 3 pm on June 30.

On its opening day, motorists flocked to try the link, resulting in traffic jams. Within the first 24 hours of operation, 125,000 vehicle trips were recorded.

The new infrastructure project quickly became a trending topic on social media platforms, with photos of drivers breaking traffic rules to capture sunset views from the bridge, which went viral.

Residents on both sides have eagerly embraced the link, anticipating the improved connectivity and economic opportunities it will bring.

Shenzhen resident Huang Mu said her friends and relatives have been talking for a long time about the new transportation passage and its potential benefits.

The 40-year-old has a cousin who lives in Zhongshan. Before the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link opened, motorists had to make a detour via the Humen Bridge to travel between Zhongshan and Shenzhen.

"Me and my cousin mean to see each other more often, but the traffic is pretty challenging, especially during the holidays," she said, referring to the notorious traffic congestion on the Humen Bridge, which opened in 1997.

"We local people always say it is better to have three spare hours to cross the (Humen) bridge during the holidays."

Huang plans to drive with her son to Zhongshan via the new link to visit her cousin during the summer vacation.

Many people working in Shenzhen, including one of her colleagues, have bought an apartment in Zhongshan because of the lower property prices, Huang said.

"As soon as the new link opened, my colleague began considering commuting between Zhongshan and Shenzhen every day, instead of staying in a rented apartment in Shenzhen during weekdays," she said.

Zhongshan resident Ye Qifan, 27, said his friends were also excited about the link opening. He said that the bus commute between the cities is convenient and affordable.

"It's great news for us. I think I will travel to Shenzhen and Hong Kong more often," he said.

Vehicles are seen entering and exiting the immersed tunnel on the west artificial island of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. (Zhong Zhihui/Nanfang Daily)

Multiple access

In addition to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, three other transportation passages cross the Pearl River Estuary, linking the region's eastern and western sides. The Humen Bridge and Nansha Bridge both connect Guangzhou and Dongguan, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge connects the three cities.

Situated 30 km south of the Humen Bridge and 31 km north of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is strategically positioned to significantly alleviate traffic congestion and facilitate the movement of people and goods across the Pearl River.

The densely populated Greater Bay Area, with over 86 million people, needs a more developed transportation network, and local government is making plans to build more transportation links to better connect the region, said Li Hui, an assistant professor at the School of Media and Communication at Shenzhen University.

The transportation cluster will play a significant role in propelling the development of the region, fostering mutual growth among cities, and creating a win-win situation for everyone involved, he said.

"With the opening of the new link, it is poised to not only benefit Zhongshan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, but also establish a more robust transportation network that connects major metropolitan areas with medium-sized and smaller cities in the region, fostering shared development," he said.

Cities on the Pearl River's western bank can accommodate Shenzhen's industrial shift, leading to mutual growth, Li said.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong province. (Mao Siqian/Xinhua/Shi Lei/Nanfang Daily)

Engineering challenges

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link has been recognized by the global engineering community as the second "disappearing bridge" built by China, following the opening of the 55-km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in October 2018.

The new link is one of the most challenging cross-sea cluster projects to have been built, and has set multiple construction records in areas such as suspension bridge engineering, tunnel construction and underwater highway interchanges.

The link has garnered global recognition for its innovation and quality, and stands as a testament to China's engineering excellence and commitment to pushing boundaries, according to experts.

In May, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association awarded the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link the title of "One of the 50 Iconic Projects in the Global Tunnel and Underground Engineering Sector".

In June, the project was honored with the George Richardson Award at the International Bridge Conference, receiving high praise from international peers for its engineering innovation and quality. The IBC is recognized as the preeminent arena of the global bridge construction industry.

The undersea tunnel represents a significant engineering feat, and was one of the most formidable challenges of the project. As the world's longest and widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel, it features a tube section spanning 5,035 meters.

Ning Jinjin, a senior engineer from the First Harbour Engineering Company of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), said innovation was key to solving problems encountered in such a monumental project.

Ning was responsible for the intricate task of submerging the tube underwater, and emphasized the importance of identifying and resolving issues in a systematic manner.

"For engineers, the challenges encountered in projects are fundamentally straightforward  it's about progressing through the process of identifying and resolving issues, a simple cyclical approach," he said. To overcome logistical hurdles, engineers built a vessel equipped with an automated navigation system to transport the tube from the manufacturing base, situated roughly 50 km from the construction site.

To expedite the tube's movement through the primary navigation channel of the Pearl River, engineers sought ways to control the vessel's speed.

"Solving practical problems lies at the heart of our work," said Ning, who drew on his involvement in the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's undersea tunnel for the latest project.

Suo Xuhong, another senior engineer from the engineering company, said he is proud of the team's utilization of the Beidou Navigation System for precise placement of the undersea tube, which highlighted the accuracy and reliability of the China-developed system.

In addition to the remarkable undersea tunnel, a series of groundbreaking achievements were realized in bridge construction.

The Shenzhong Bridge has set several world records, including boasting the longest span for an offshore steel box girder suspension bridge at 1,666 meters, and achieving the highest navigational clearance of 76.5 meters.

Qiu Quanlinin Guangzhou and Liu Kunin Wuhan contributed to this story.

Editor: ZAD
This combo photo shows inside painting works displayed at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.

Inside painting, or inner painting, is a traditional Chinese art form. It originally involved tiny snuff bottles which had pictures and calligraphy painted on their inside surfaces.

A inside painting is produced by manipulating a specialized brush through the neck of a bottle. The painting process, which is totally reversed inside the bottle, requires absolute precision from the artist.

Sun Hongyan, a 49-year-old interior of inside painting, has integrated Yunnan's natural scenery, ethnic customs, among others, into her works, thus creating the unique Yunnan school of this art.

While adhering to traditional techniques, the inside painting has gained popularity among the young with innovations. "We are elevating the inside painting to a higher level, infusing this ancient craft with a new brilliance from the modern era," Sun said. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan (L) explains inside painting technique to an apprentice at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

This photo shows inside painting works displayed at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

Sun Hongyan (C) explains inside painting technique to apprentices at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan creates an inside painting work at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Sun Hongyan arranges inside painting works for display at an art academy in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 3, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Editor: GSY
This photo taken on July 1, 2024 shows a concentrated solar thermal project in Yumen City, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Cao Peixian)

LANZHOU, July 16 (Xinhua) -- On the edge of the sprawling Gobi Desert lies the Chinese city of Yumen, a place that has worn many faces over the decades.

Once hailed as the "cradle of China's oil industry," it later made headlines as a "ghost town." Today, Yumen is reinventing itself as a green energy powerhouse, with arrays of glistening solar panels and towering wind turbines dominating its vast desert landscape.

Yumen, a county-level city in northwest China's Gansu Province, was one of 69 resource-depleted areas striving to rejuvenate amidst the country's shift towards green development.

FROM BOOMING TO FORGOTTEN

In its heyday, Yumen pulsed with the rhythm of oil pumps. Lifelong resident Ma Jinyue, 57, recalls a time when Yumen was the envy of the region. "We Yumen folks were among the first in China to live in modern apartments and enjoy Hollywood flicks at the local cinema," Ma said.

In 1957, China's first petroleum industrial base was established in Yumen, which is home to the country's first oil well drilled in 1939. At its peak, the Yumen oilfield produced around 90 percent of China's total oil output. The city also nurtured the country's first generation of oil experts, who later spearheaded efforts at other petroleum bases.

However, by the late 1990s, Yumen's oil reserves were rapidly depleting. Although Yumen's oil production never came to a complete halt, many businesses closed, government agencies relocated, and people moved away. Ma was among those who stayed, witnessing his hometown's decline.

"The Yumen you'll find on maps now is the new city, 70 km west of the old one where I live," he said.

The old city, once home to over 130,000 people in the 1980s, now houses fewer than 20,000 residents. Its dilapidated Soviet-style buildings stand as weathered sentinels of a bygone era, earning Yumen the label of a "ghost town."

HARNESSING GREEN POWER

Despite all the setbacks, Yumen is rising anew. In 2009, after the city was designated a resource-depleted area, it broke ground on China's first 10-million-kilowatt wind power base.

Cradled between two mountain ranges, Yumen boasts rich wind and solar resources and vast tracts of land available for energy development. The average wind speed at 70 meters height reaches 7.9 meters per second. The city also enjoys over 3,300 hours of sunshine annually.

As a tactical shift in 1997, Yumen established one of China's earliest wind farms -- the first in Gansu -- amid China's push for renewable energy.

Since then, the city has quickly expanded its green energy portfolio and now hosts facilities for wind power, photovoltaics, concentrated solar thermal, and hydrogen production.

At the site of one of Yumen's largest new energy power projects, workers are in the final stretch to complete a section of the solar thermal power plant by the year's end. This project features wind power, photovoltaic, and concentrated solar thermal systems.

Once fully operational, the project will generate 1.76 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.35 million tonnes, explained Zhu Yi, operation manager of the project.

It is equivalent to the emissions from around 700,000 long-haul flights of 10,000 km each, Zhu said.

At present, Yumen not only meets its local power demand but also collaborates with other new energy bases in Gansu to provide green electricity to 25 provincial-level regions across China, according to State Grid Gansu Electric Power Co., Ltd.

BEYOND ENERGY

Yumen's resurgence goes beyond energy production. It has evolved into a hub for manufacturing new energy equipment, with 13 projects driving its economy. In 2023, the total output value of this industry reached 3.7 billion yuan (about 518.73 million U.S. dollars).

According to Zhu, all equipment used in his project is domestically produced, with many items manufactured locally in Yumen.

The old oil city has also found new life through the expansion of the petrochemical industry chain. In August 2023, a large-scale hydrogen production project was launched in old Yumen, followed by the inauguration of a new materials project earlier this year.

As Yumen strides into its green future, it continues to honor its industrial heritage. A national scenic spot has been established to preserve its historical sites. Excavators and bulldozers can be seen on the streets of the old city for infrastructure upgrades, with the government investing nearly 400 million yuan since 2016.

Chen Yuhong, a local resident who returned to old Yumen after two decades away, recently accompanied her friends from outside Gansu to visit a preserved nodding donkey oil pump, marking the site of China's first oil well. "I wish people could see both our past and our promising future," she said. 

Editor: JYZ
Central Africa-focussed gold explorer Oriole Resources updated the market on its 82.2%-owned Bibemi orogenic gold project in Cameroon on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded firm said BCM International was currently funding up to $4m in exploration expenditure in exchange for up to a 50% interest in the project.

It said the project was currently undergoing a fully funded phase five drilling programme, comprising 7,060 metres across 62 holes at the Bakassi Zone 1 prospect.

To date, 10 vertical holes totaling around 1,244 metres have been completed at the main Bakassi Zone 1 mineral resource estimate area.

Samples from the holes were being prepared in-country, with initial results expected in the third quarter.

Encouragingly, multiple shallow-dipping and steeply dipping quartz and quartz-tourmaline veins, up to 2.40 metres wide, had been intersected, indicating potential for additional near-surface mineralisation within the existing open pit design limits.

The programme planned include a further 23 inclined and four vertical holes focused on expanding and upgrading the existing JORC inferred mineral resource estimate.

Additionally, 25 holes were planned at two along-strike target areas, BZ1-NE and BZ1-SW, where previous exploration identified coincident geochemical and geophysical targets.

SGS South Africa had been engaged to conduct the next phase of mineralogical and metallurgical test work on representative mineralised material from Bibemi.

Furthermore, Oriole Resources had submitted an exploitation licence application to the Cameroon Mines Ministry.

It said that licence was essential to secure the tenure of the Bibemi licence as exploration and development activities continued.

The drilling at Bibemi is making good progress and we continue to investigate opportunities to accelerate the programme, said chief executive officer Martin Rosser.

The drill cores from the initial vertical holes look promising and we are looking forward to reporting the results in due course.

These results will feed into our ongoing technical and economic studies as part of the ELA process with the government.

At 1440 BST, shares in Oriole Resources were down 1.55% at 0.32p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Local councils will have to adopt mandatory housing targets within months under planning reforms to be unveiled on Wednesday as part of Keir Starmers first kings speech, which the prime minister says will be focused on economic growth. Starmer will introduce a package of more than 35 bills on Wednesday, the first Labour prime minister to do so in 15 years, as he looks to put the economy at the centre of his first year in office.  Guardian

Harland & Wolff, the owner of the Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic, has insisted that it is still awaiting a government decision on a 200m intervention despite signs that Labour is due to reject the financial lifeline. The company is presenting an early test of the Labour governments industrial policy, with 1,500 workers fearful the company is running out of time to secure funding needed to make it ready to build three warships for the Royal Navy.  Guardian

Rachel Reeves is under pressure to launch a 2bn inheritance tax (IHT) raid on pension pots to help fund public spending pledges. Economists are calling on the Chancellor to introduce a death tax on unspent defined contribution (DC) pension funds, which are currently exempt from IHT. It came as Jeremy Hunts chief of staff revealed that Ms Reeves predecessor had considered the policy himself in order to fund cuts to the headline rate of IHT, while Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister, said the Treasury was likely to revisit the policy.  Telegraph

Octopus Energy is poised to build hundreds of onshore wind turbines across the countryside as Labour pushes ahead with its manifesto promise to double production. The company is preparing to submit planning applications this autumn for multiple onshore wind projects after Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, scrapped a de facto ban on new sites.  Telegraph

An Australian computer scientist who was found by a High Court judge in London to have falsely claimed to have invented bitcoin could face a criminal investigation for alleged perjury. Craig Wright, 53, had publicly claimed to be the true figure behind Satoshi Nakamoto, the author of the 2008 academic paper that serves as the foundational text for the cryptocurrency.  The Times

The UK competition regulator has launched a formal investigation into Microsofts hiring of some former staff of Inflection AI and its partnership with the start-up. The Competition and Markets Authority is looking into Microsofts recruitment strategy as it seeks to ensure that the development of AI technologies remains an open market.  The Times
A boy removes items from a UN-affiliated school after an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of Gaza Strip, on July 16, 2024. Israeli aircraft targeted with at least one rocket at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli shelling killed 23 people and injured 73 others with varying degrees of injuries who were transported to hospital. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua)

People conduct clean up work at a UN-affiliated school after an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of Gaza Strip, on July 16, 2024. Israeli aircraft targeted with at least one rocket at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli shelling killed 23 people and injured 73 others with varying degrees of injuries who were transported to hospital. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua)

People conduct clean up work at a UN-affiliated school after an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of Gaza Strip, on July 16, 2024. Israeli aircraft targeted with at least one rocket at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli shelling killed 23 people and injured 73 others with varying degrees of injuries who were transported to hospital. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua)

People remove items from a UN-affiliated school after an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of Gaza Strip, on July 16, 2024. Israeli aircraft targeted with at least one rocket at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli shelling killed 23 people and injured 73 others with varying degrees of injuries who were transported to hospital. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua)

People remove debris from a UN-affiliated school after an Israeli attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of Gaza Strip, on July 16, 2024. Israeli aircraft targeted with at least one rocket at United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday. Medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli shelling killed 23 people and injured 73 others with varying degrees of injuries who were transported to hospital. (Photo by Marwan Dawood/Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded adequate allocation of funds in the upcoming Union Budget to tide over the state's deepening financial crisis. According to sources, the meeting at Home Minister Shah's residence particularly expressed the continuance of the causative effects of the 2014 bifurcation and mismanagement by the previous regime.

During his two-day visit to the national capital, Naidu is scheduled to meet with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to reportedly present their case on the state's financial requirements. According to sources, a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely.

Data from the Andhra Pradesh government spells out an unnerving fiscal trend, with public debt going up from 31.02 per cent of GSDP in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating a deteriorating financial situation over the past five years.

This is Naidu's second visit to Delhi within a fort-night. On July 4, he met the Prime Minister and presented a seven-point development agenda that discussed ways on how to overcome the post-bifurcation problems faced by the state.

Union Budget 2024. Naidu's push for enhanced allocation comes a day after JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha met Sitharaman with a similar demand, seeking higher allotments for Bihar in the coming budget. TDP and JD(U) are both crucial partners in the BJP-led NDA alliance; TDP used that coalitional equation to bat for Andhra Pradesh's financial requirements in the run-up to the

During his earlier visit to Delhi, Naidu met Shah and other union ministers, including Sitharaman, and took up the state's financial requirements. His meetings here are continuations of that, with an added emphasis on the need for enhanced funding to help the State tide over its acute fiscal crisis.
eScan, a leading provider of advanced cybersecurity solutions, proudly announces its participation in the esteemed CIO 500 event series across major cities in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata. This premier gathering brings together top IT decision-makers to explore groundbreaking innovations and discuss future trends shaping the digital landscape.

The CIO 500 event series kicked off on May 17th and will conclude on July 19th, 2024. eScan made its presence felt in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, by hosting over 100 CXOs and IT leaders for insightful discussions and networking opportunities. The upcoming event in Kolkata on July 19th is poised to continue this trend of excellence and knowledge sharing.

As industries undergo digital transformation, the demand for robust cybersecurity measures has never been more crucial. eScan stands at the forefront, addressing these challenges with state-of-the-art solutions designed to protect sensitive data and ensure secure operations across various sectors. By participating in the CIO 500 event series, eScan aims to demonstrate its extensive expertise in cybersecurity and establish meaningful connections with key IT leaders in these influential cities. This strategic engagement underscores eScan's commitment to empowering organizations with advanced cybersecurity solutions in an increasingly digital world.

"We are pleased to be a part of the CIO 500 event series. It provides us a valuable opportunity to engage directly with top decision-makers, gain insights into their cybersecurity challenges, and showcase eScans solutions effectiveness in mitigating risks and safeguarding critical digital assets", said Govind Rammurthy, CEO and Managing Director, eScan.

These five cities serve as epicenters for various industries including Manufacturing, Retail, Automotive, Healthcare, Hospitality, Finance, IT & ITeS, Aviation, Defense, Real Estate, Chemical, Education, Services, Mining, EPC, among others. eScans participation underscores its dedication to supporting these sectors with robust cybersecurity measures tailored to meet the evolving digital challenges.
Photo taken in the early morning of July 5, 2024, shows the misty and verdant landscape of Saihanba National Forest Park in Chengde City, north China's Hebei Province, and the endless sea of forests outlines a magnificent picture. (Liu Mancang/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken in the early morning of July 5, 2024, shows the misty and verdant landscape of Saihanba National Forest Park in Chengde City, north China's Hebei Province, and the endless sea of forests outlines a magnificent picture. (Liu Mancang/Guangming Picture)

Editor: ZAD
JSW MG Motor India has bolstered its automotive presence by becoming the first OEM in India to achieve 40% of its sales from its EV portfolio. MG Motor has successfully repositioned its EV sales through various business strategies, resulting in a 50% increase within six months, according to Satinder Singh Bajwa, Chief Business Officer at Morris Garages India.

Currently, MG has diversified portfolio including Hector, Gloster, ZS EV, and Comet as one of the most popular EV names. MG that used to sell around 400 Comet half a year back has now sold around 900 Comet last month, due to its repositioning strategy i.e customization for its customers. Making it the first OEM in India to power its 40% sales through electric cars,  our EV volume contributed almost 40% of our total monthly volume in June and a month before it was 35%, added CBO.

The company has recently repositioned its two variants, the ZS EV (priced at INR 18.98 Lakh) and the Comet (priced at INR 7.45 Lakh), to boost its EV growth in India. This repositioning comes in response to declining sales during the first half of FY24. In January, MG sold 2,922 units, marking a 7.2% year-over-year decline. February and March saw positive sales for MG, but at the beginning of the financial year in April, the company experienced a 10% year-over-year sales drop. May recorded slightly positive sales, but the decline continued in June with a 9% negative growth.

Talking about the need to re-strategise the techniques for MG, Bajwa said, I think it is very important that the product (ZS EV) has got a very strong acceptance. That's the strength of that product. Customers who are using ZS EV, they're very happy with the product. When you buy an EV, your anxiety is largely about the range. ZS EV, I think largely the product is delivering to the expectation of the customers".

To boost its EV portfolio , MG Motor is planning to launch new products in the coming years as reported by ETAuto earlier. The first new product launch is expected to be in the Q3 of FY25. Following that, we are lining up that we should have a new product every five to six months and we will be present in the segments, said Bajwa. However, the company, which predominantly features SUVs in its portfolio, might enter the sedan and hatchback segments when the timing is deemed 'appropriate' for the company, stated Bajwa while discussing the company's potential expansion into different segments.

MG is emphasising on its fundamentals in India through vehicle selling and it is parallel focusing on building consumer confidence. We are not in a hurry right now because we have to only focus on building volumes. I think we are first trying to put the fundamentals in place, and then bring the right products to the Indian market and then look at scaling it up gradually, added Bajwa. The company currently has 400 touch points (including sales, service, secondary outlets, and others) and aims to increase this number to 600 by the end of the year, with a target of achieving an additional 20% of sales from non-urban areas.
Naresh Dhoundiyal, a passionate member of the Amrita Chander Jankalyan Charitable Trust, aims to transform the lives of underprivileged children in India through education. His commitment ensures that every child, no matter their background, gets the chance to learn and grow.

Scholarships for Higher Education

One of the standout efforts by Naresh Dhoundiyal is providing scholarships to students who want to pursue higher education. For many families, sending a child to college is financially out of reach. These scholarships cover not just tuition fees, but also books, transportation, and living costs. This support allows students to focus on their studies and achieve their dreams without worrying about money.

Helping Rural Primary Schools

Mr. Naresh also focuses on improving education in rural areas. Many primary schools in villages lack primary supplies like books and educational materials. To change this, the trust donates books, educational supplies, multimedia equipment, and other resources to these schools. This initiative helps create a more acceptable learning environment, encouraging kids to stay in school and continue their education.

Early Childhood Education

Understanding the essence of starting young, Mr. Naresh fosters early childhood education for kids who haven't experienced pre-school. Many children in underprivileged communities start school without any formal learning background, which can set them back. By supporting preschool programs, the trust helps these children get a strong beginning, preparing them for primary school and beyond.

Supporting Struggling Students

Mr. Naresh's efforts dont stop at just getting kids into school. He also assists those who struggle academically. Through extra classes, tutoring, and various activities, he ensures these students get the support they need to improve. This approach not only boosts their grades but also builds their morale and personal development.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

The distinguished intention of Mr. Naresh's work is to smash the cycle of poverty that traps many families. By giving youngsters access to better schooling and the resources they require, he empowers them to build better tomorrows for themselves and their family members. Education is a powerful factor for transformation, and Naresh Dhoundiyal is using it to make a real difference.

So, Naresh Dhoundiyals willpower to bridge the education gap for underprivileged kids is transforming lives. Through scholarships, aid for rural schools, early childhood programs, and assistance for struggling students, he's opening doors for brighter futures. His work with the Amrita Chander Jankalyan Charitable Trust shows how schooling can transform lives and break the cycle of poverty.
UPDATE: Feds need to investigate ASAP whether toxic Jersey Shore site could be spreading, congressman says

Chunks of rock-like material that washed up on the bayshore in Keyport about four miles away from a toxic Superfund site have tested positive for lead  raising public health concerns for the NY/NJ Baykeeper, NJ Advance Media learned Tuesday night.

Besides the well-being of people who visit the Raritan Bay area, locals are worried about the nearby fish and bird species and suspect the debris came from the lead-contaminated site thats among the list of toxic properties in New Jersey awaiting cleanup.

Addressing the public health and environmental risks posed by the lead slag is the top priority, Greg Remaud, CEO of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, said Tuesday after providing the positive test results from a Cinnaminson lab used by state regulators in the past.

People fish, crab, wade in this water water and walk along this beach, he said. They must be protected immediately.

The Environmental Protection Agency was made aware of the situation and is in touch with Remaud as it investigates the matter further, agency spokesman Stephen McBay said Tuesday night in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media.

Remaud, the baykeeper as hes known, said he was conducting a site visit in June on that slice of the Jersey Shore when he stumbled on strange heavy lumps of rock-like pieces at the popular fishing spot near Cedar Street.

On Tuesday, after Remaud had lab tests  from widely-accredited EMSL Analytical, Inc.  come back, he said his fears came true. The pieces contained hazardous lead, according to results shared with NJ Advance Media, and were found less than a 10-minute drive away from the contaminated Raritan Bay Slag Site in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge and in Sayreville.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection could not be immediately reached for comment by Wednesday morning.

While the source of the contamination is currently unknown, the lead pieces are similar to those found in other spots along the Raritan Bayfront and deemed hazardous 15 years ago.

The lead slag at the Superfund site further north originated from the waste used half a century ago to build flood-protection infrastructure, including a seawall and jetty. That material later was found by the NJDEP to have elevated concentrations of lead, antimony, arsenic and copper and would lead to further concerning findings.

In 2021, the EPA took over the remediation of the site, which includes various areas, with state officials saying NL Industries, who was held responsible for the pollution, did not come through with their commitment to do so.

As for the Laurence Harbor area  which in some ways mirrors Keyports shore in appearance  still today it is fenced off with white signs that caution visitors not to swim or fish there because exposures to lead ... may be harmful to public health, especially children and pregnant women.

The new pieces in Keyport were found on a roughly 100-foot stretch of beach and at least 75 feet out from the water, the NY/NJ Baykeeper said this week.

Whats the extent of this stuff throughout Raritan Bay? What efforts have been made to determine if theres more lead slag at the bottom of the bay on other coastlines? Remaud said at the bayshore, growing anxious as other questions came to mind.

More broadly: When will the cleanup of the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site ramp up?

Every day counts, said Remaud, noting the health impacts of lead take time but dont make solving the problem less timely. Its a significant public health risk.

Greg Remaud, CEO NY/NJ Baykeeper on the beach in Keyport with pieces that tested positive for hazardous lead. NJ on Monday, July 15, 2024Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media

News of the possible contaminants was scary for Noe Soriano, a father who takes his three kids to catch crab near the Keyport shore.

Looking for signs to ward off visitors  none of which existed there  Sorianos first thought was of his childrens health. His family and friends often eat the crab and other species he catches there.

I come here, yeah, but not just me. A lot of people come here  from Elizabeth and Trenton, from farther  to catch crab, the 38-year-old from Matawan said in Spanish, moments after striking out Monday with zero crabs caught.

I think they need to do a cleanup, Soriano said regarding the discovery of lead, at the very least for the kids that come to swim here.

New Jersey holds the unenviable belt of most Superfund Sites in the country. Today, there are currently 115 such toxic sites where cleanup and remediation are needed. But ask any climate advocate in the state, or any neighbor of a site for that matter, and theyll note those cleanups are often years and sometimes decades in the making.

Lawsuits, a lack of funds and bureaucracy can get in the way of fast cleanup work which means people, often in Black and brown communities, suffer more of the environmental consequences.

Adding to the concern for groups like NY/NJ Baykeeper is not only the monetary resources needed to complete remediation work, but the lack of clarity sometimes on the extent of efforts made to determine how widespread health hazards have spread.

Cant see the map below? Click here.

What happens now?

Environmentalists said it will be critical to find those responsible for the latest lead finding near the bay.

In the late 1960s, slag from NL Industries in Perth Amboy  slag that mostly came in the form of blast furnace pot bottoms from a secondary lead smelter  was used to build a sea wall along the Raritan Bay. It was also used to spruce up a jetty at Cheesequake Creek Inlet.

The slag included lead and other hazardous metals, which leached into surrounding soils, sediments, and surface waters. Battery casings and construction debris also litter portions of the site, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a summary of the site.

In the years after, the infrastructure where the material was used sustained severe erosion and damage from storms.

The larger NL brand, formerly known as National Lead, has faced claims and lawsuits for years about what its exposed residents to  from what its used on seawall structures to how its recycled batteries in South Jersey.

After looking into the matter throughout the Raritan Bay, a waterway of much concern to bay advocates, the EPA in 2013 held NL Industries as the primary party responsible for the pollution there.

NL Industries officials could not be reached right away.

Some cleanup of the sites (Laurence Harbors spanning about 1.5 miles) began in 2018  but has not ramped up since, New Jersey advocates noted.

Greg Remaud, CEO NY/NJ Baykeeper thinks he found slag in Keyport, NJ in the summer of 2024. He stood about 4 miles away from an existing Superfund Site, in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge and in Sayreville, (pictured here). A sign behind the fence warns visitors that the area was deemed a public health hazard.Steven Rodas | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The remediation of the bulk of the contamination which lies in the jetties and seawall within the Superfund Site has not yet begun, but EPA has stated to the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site Citizens Advisory Group that the next phase of remediation should be starting shortly, said Remaud, of the NY/NJ Baykeeper.

The area where Remaud found the lead pieces is also a stones throw from Aeromarine, another facility with its own history of environmental issues. However, he was not aware of lead being manufactured at that site.

The former airplane hangar now serves as an industrial park  home to several small businesses, a railing company, auto mechanic, landscaping business and small production companies.

In 2021, the borough of Keyport filed a lawsuit claiming a privately-owned landfill  on the same site  was improperly capped when it was closed more than 40 years ago and those actions led to garbage and toxic contaminants making their way into the Raritan Bay.

That lawsuit was later taken over by the state but remains ongoing.

Pieces of what Greg Remaud, CEO NY/NJ Baykeeper later said tested positive for lead. Keyport, NJ. Summer 2024.Photo courtesy of Greg Remaud

Besides holding those responsible accountable, the NY/NJ Baykeeper said addressing the public health concern in Keyport will be important.

Once in the body, lead affects a childs developing brain and central nervous system, causing reduced intelligence, lower educational attainment, behavioral disorders, increased tendencies for violent crime and reduced lifetime earnings, reads a summary of the health impacts of lead from UNICEF.

I believe that area of the beach will be fenced off quickly to protect the public from contact with the lead and adjacent sediments that will contain some of the decayed slag, Remaud said.

From there, a more drastic but possibly necessary step may be needed, the Baykeeper advocate said. The grounds where he made his Keyport lead find may be added as an extension of the existing Superfund site, but its also possible that EPA might handle this separately.
By Noah Goldberg

Los Angeles Times

Mary Gaturud walks along the Eel River with her dog NAME TK on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Redcrest, California. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/TNS)TNS

At first authorities thought the remains found near a Humboldt County river were just animal bones.

Now theyre not so sure, and the search is on for more of what could be human remains.

The macabre discovery was made by a Redway resident who was swimming in the Eel River on July 6, when they saw what appeared to be animal bones, according to the website Redheaded Blackbelt.

When the resident removed the bone pieces from the sand, they thought that they were actually a human tibia, broken near the ankle, according to the website.

The resident sent photos to the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office, who in turn gave the investigation to the coroners office.

The coroners office initially determined the bones unlikely to be human, but sought a second opinion from outside experts. Thats when the mystery deepened.

To conduct further confirmation of the bones origin, the Coroners Office elected to have the bone examined by anthropologists, who have deemed the bone as possibly human  further examination is pending, the Sheriffs Office said in a statement released Tuesday.

Authorities are conducting follow-up searches at the river location for additional bones with the help of cadaver dogs.
Following an on-stage joke about the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, Tenacious D, a band fronted by actor Jack Black, is cancelling the remainder of its current tour, ABC News is reporting.

During a show in Australia, band member Kyle Gass joked, Dont miss Trump next time, while making a wish on birthday candles, the report said.

In an apology issued Tuesday on Instagram, Gass said the comment was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.

Gass wrote that he dosent condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and Im incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement,' he said. I profoundly apologize to those Ive let down and truly regret any pain Ive caused.

Black himself claimed in a separate Instagram post to have been blindsided by the joke, adding that hed never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.

After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding, Black said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A recent study ranked the most desirable urban areas in which to live, work and visit, and the Big Apple topped the list.

Yes, New York City took first place, according to research by Resonance, a respected global consulting firm.

The research was based on a methodology that includes a large variety of crucial statistics on livability, desirability and prosperity.

Rankings were based on cities with over half a million residents, and the study was recently published in a Travel and Leisure digital post.

Finding the best city in America is no easy task, but each year the consulting company ranks cities based on shopping, landmarks, sights and categories. And New York takes the top spot on this list for the ninth consecutive year.

In 2024, it is U.S. urban recovery writ large, with a dizzying roster of new shows, hotels and parks  and record real estate prices,' Travel and Leisure quoted from the report. But the Big Apple is always worth the price of admission, especially in these glory days.

Estimates show that the city would recover 97% of its pre-pandemic visitation levels by the end of this year, the report stated.

Despite booming tourism, it is not all good news for New York City. Office occupancy is at 50% from pre-pandemic levels, and subway ridership is down as well, the report noted.

Second on Resonances list of the best cities in America is Chicago. The company highlights its infrastructure and affordability that eludes many other iconic global cities.

Chicago was second in the nightlife subcategory and first in the convention center subcategory, measuring the size of the largest convention center in the city. The metro area also hosts the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters in the country, behind New York, and ranks in the top five in several prosperity categories, including job postings and professional services.

Los Angeles takes the bronze.

The City of Angels has some of the best restaurants in the country, the report found. And it ranks second for museums.

The report also highlighted the citys LAX investment project and Americas first high-speed, all-electric rail, which, by 2028 is expected to connect Los Angeles with Las Vegas  a boost to tourism and job growth while reducing the citys carbon footprint.

Miami and Las Vegas round out the top five best cities in America, according to the study, with Sin City also ranking first in the attractions subcategory and Miami in the foreign-born residents subcategory.

The study ranked San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C., is the sixth, seventh and eighth spots, respectively. The last two spots are for Seattle (ninth) and Houston (10th).

And the Big Apple can hold its on own an international level, as well.

Its one of only two American cities named one of Renosances top 10 of the best world cities in 2024, along with San Francisco.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Amazon delivery drivers from Skokie, Ill. picketed outside a Staten Island warehouse on Wednesday to demand a fair contract on one of the retail giants busiest days of the year  Prime Day.

More than 100 drivers who organized with Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago and have been on strike since June 26, formed a picket line outside the LDJ5 Amazon warehouse in Bloomfield during Amazons annual Prime Day.

Warehouse and delivery associates say that during this uptick in customer demand workers are required to meet extreme productivity quotas.

Amazon Teamsters from Skokie are demanding the company provide affordable, quality health care, safe working conditions and fair wages.

Amazon dodges responsibility for its drivers through its Delivery Service Partner subcontractor business model, but every Amazon driver knows who our true employer is. We wear Amazons uniforms and drive their trucks, said Luke Cianciotto, one of the striking Amazon drivers from Skokie.

Amazon decides if were hired or fired, and sets our workplace standards,' he added. Thats why we organized a union with the Teamsters to get our fair share. We will be out on the picket line and meeting with Amazon workers all across the country until we get the contract and respect that we deserve.

More than 100 drivers who organized with Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago and have been on strike since June 26 formed a picket line outside the LDJ5 Amazon warehouse in Bloomfield during Amazons annual Prime Day.(Courtesy of Teamsters Local 705)

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) on Tuesday released internal Amazon documents alleging injury spikes during Prime Day.

...Prime Day is also a major cause of injuries for the warehouse workers who make it possible, says a written statement from Sanders office. This interim report sheds light on Amazon workers experiences during Prime Day and the holiday season. It also makes public, for the first time, the companys internal data on warehouse injury rates, which reveal just how dangerous its warehouses are during peak seasons.

The Teamsters say pickets are opportunities for the Skokie workers to meet with and foster unity among Amazon workers throughout the country.

An Amazon spokesperson called the event a distraction and said the Teamsters are spreading false information.

Todays demonstration was initiated and attended by outside organizers, and the activities had no impact on our operations,' said Mary Kate Paradis, an Amazon spokesperson. The Teamsters continue to fuel the spread of misinformation regarding companies that no longer deliver for Amazon. Despite this distraction, our employees continued to do what they do every day - deliver for our customers.

Staten Island Amazon warehouse workers unionized in 2022 forming the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which was Americas first and only Amazon union.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A Staten Island deli has put the borough in the spotlight in the best possible way: a heartwarming series of TikTok videos have gone viral, with a store worker connecting with youth in the community and using a unique program of free treats to encourage good grades.

One of the most popular videos made the national news, featuring a young boy rushing into the store to share his honor roll achievement with a worker, who then kept a longstanding promise by letting him choose anything he wanted for free from the store.

On Tuesday, Borough President Vito Fossella also recognized the gesture of community spirit at Zacks Finest Deli & Grocery in Port Richmond, honoring both I.S. 51 student Zameir Davis and the manager of Zacks Finest Deli & Grocery, Wail Alselwi, with certificates.

This follows a Good Morning America story highlighting Alselwis efforts working with Davis to create a motivational system aimed at improving academic performance.

We all want our children to do well in school, Fossella told Alselwi. We all want them to do well in life. Sometimes kids, like everybody, are encouraged and do things because of different incentives. The point is that people just came together and youve touched this young mans life and his family.

He added that Alselwi had no obligation to help Davis, whos mother recently suffered a heartbreaking health setback. But at the end of the day, it was a meaningful choice.

Videos of I.S. 51 student Zameir Davis making honor roll went viral on TikTok, highlighting the motivation he received from a neighborhood deli employee. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi) Priya Shahi

It feels good, Davis said about being acknowledged by the borough president. I just want to make my parents proud because recently my mom had a stroke and she had to get her leg amputated. I just want to make her proud.

The corner deli is more than just a place for hot food, snacks and household supplies.

Alselwi began promoting academic achievement to neighborhood kids when Davis, a regular for three years, showed him his report card and they struck a deal: If Davis earned good grades, he could choose anything he wanted from the deli. Then, Davis set out to make it to honor roll.

He kept doing better and better, Alselwi said. Every time hed get his report card, hed come straight running to the store and then in June, when he got his final grades, he had honor roll.

Davis gleefully went around the store picking up his favorite snacks, including his favorites  an Oreo milkshake and Doritos. Soon enough, other neighborhood kids were showing up at the deli with their report cards, and getting free stuff for good grades.

Davis parents shared that they are very proud of their son. They encouraged Davis to shoot for the stars.

Borough President Vito Fossella poses with Wail Alselwi, Zameir Davis, and Davis' family members outside of Zacks Finest Deli & Grocery on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi) Priya Shahi

I.S. 51 Assistant Principal Demetra Stoupakis congratulated Davis for pursuing his goals and for his achievements. She also expressed gratitude for the community involvement that helped him along the way.

It really does take a village to help encourage students to do well in academics, she said. Just the value of that being seen by someone within his community ... at a deli. Thats just very beautiful.

Alselwi shared that he saw potential in Davis and, seeing how happy he was with his grades, wanted to encourage other kids to do the same.

Alselwi recounted a failure in his own life and the benefit of having someone support him.

Wail Alselwi, a manager at Zacks Finest Deli & Grocery in Port Richmond, has created a system with neighborhood kids  motivating them to get good grades. (Staten Island Advance/ Priya Shahi) Priya Shahi

I failed,' he said. I had a business in the Bronx and I failed. It went out of business. It put me all the way down. But my brother pushed me to try one more time and told me he would be there for me. He pushed me when I gave up.

Alselwi had lost his motivation to run the business after a near-death experience, he said.

There was a shootout,' he recalled. I almost died there. It was like 20 bullets and I dont know how I lived. I didnt want to open a deli anymore. I gave up. I closed it for two months and then I reopened it, and we went out of business, he said.

Since 2022, he has been managing Zacks Finest Deli & Grocery.

With my brother behind me, I gave it one more try,' he said. And I did it.

Alselwi is a father to three daughters, aged 10, five, and one, who currently reside in Yemen with his wife. His greatest motivation is to bring his entire family to the United States in the near future, he said. To this day, he has not yet met his one-year-old daughter in person.
By Chris Sommerfeldt, Rocco Parascandola and Thomas Tracy

New York Daily News

Brooklyn City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, arrested during a protest, is removed by officers from the 62nd Precinct in Bath Beach for transport to Brooklyn Central Booking, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in New York City. (Jeff Bachner/New York Daily News/TNS)TNS

NEW YORK  A Brooklyn City Councilwoman was arrested for biting an NYPD chief Wednesday during an unruly protest against the construction of a homeless shelter in Bensonhurst, police said.

Councilwoman Susan Zhuang was taken into custody during the 6 a.m. protest that drew about 150 demonstrators to 86th St. near 25th Ave., cops said.

The first-term conservative Democrat bit the chief in the arm, leaving an impression of her teeth in his skin, according to the NYPD.

Cops charged Zhuang with felony assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction of government administration. Several other demonstrators were also taken into custody during the heated protest, cops said.

Felix Tager, Zhuangs spokesman, confirmed the councilmember was still in custody at the 62nd precinct as of late Wednesday morning. He said she was trying to help an elderly woman when the arrest happened.

She was trying to help a woman who was getting pushed into the barricade, Tager told the Daily News.

The early morning protest erupted after workers showed up to start preparations for demolishing existing buildings on the site to pave the way for construction to begin on the shelter.

A video of the protest posted on X shows cops racing to put up metal barricades to hold back protesters trying to charge the construction site as workers boarded up the address.

In a video posted on her X handle, Zhuang recorded herself screaming at an NYPD one-star chief, claiming the homeless shelter was being built without the proper permits. It was not immediately clear if she is accused of biting that chief or another high-ranking NYPD official.

They do not have the permits, she screams. You cant only protect the developer, thats no public protection.

Zhuang goes on to claim Mayor Eric Adams approved the construction of the shelter without the proper permits.

Is the mayor above the law? she asked.

Buildings Department spokesman Andrew Rudanksy disputed Zhuangs claim, saying there are active DOB-issued demolition permits to take down the existing building on the site.

City records show an application was filed last October to build the shelter, which would have 32 rooms and house single adult men. Rudansky said that application has not yet been approved.

The mayors office wouldnt comment directly on Zhuangs arrest but touted the shelter as a much needed addition to the community, noting that various services, including medical assistance and employment programs, would be available for residents on site.

Every community must have the resources they need to support their most vulnerable neighbors, and this community has no shelters, Adams spokesman William Fowler said. We maintain open lines of communication with the community and remain committed to ongoing engagement to address the neighborhoods needs.

Council Speaker Adrienne Adams office didnt immediately return a request for comment.
MILWAUKEE, WIS.  Multiple Staten Island elected officials are congregating at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee this week where they say theres is a surge of energy despite the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

In fact, the conventions atmosphere might not be what many people think  instead of terror over the what-ifs, three Staten Island elected officials agreed that spirits are high.

What I am sensing here is not fear at all, however, but rather a renewed sense of purpose and a palpable enthusiasm and energy. The would-be-assassin may have tried to scare or dishearten Americans, but it is clear from the conversations Ive had since arriving here that he has only strengthened our resolve and our commitment to making Trump our president once again, Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island/South Brooklyn) said.

Theres a sense of shock that [the] president was almost assassinated. Theres gratitude and appreciation that hes alive today, and its emotional. Its emotional to see the outpouring of support that he has here, and how much the people present at the convention love him, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said.

Malliotakis has not yet spoken to the former president in person, but did send her well wishes to him via text. She expects to see him before the convention ends later this week.

"Theres a lot of enthusiasm here and I am in awe at the amount of young people attending the RNC as a Delegate or Alternate  from New York alone there are at least 25. It signifies a welcome and refreshing change of course for the GOP, Chairman of the New York State Young Republicans and alternate delegate Peter Giunta said.

J.D. Vance as vice president

The congresswoman got shouted-out by Sean OBrien  the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters  during the keynote speech last night alongside Trumps new vice-presidential pick: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).

J.D. Vance is young, hes energetic, hes a great communicator. He is somebody who has served as a veteran. He has an interesting story that resonates with so many Americans. His father left him as a child, at a very young age; his mother suffered from a drug addiction; he was raised by his grandparents He will be an inspiration to Americans who have the same experience, but also, he has the ability to reach out to the youth, Malliotakis said of the former Vice President Mike Pence replacement.

Vances past rhetoric towards Trump has not always been flattering. According to CNN, Vance once privately wondered whether Trump was Americas Hitler in February 2016, and a few months later wrote in The Atlantic that Trump was cultural heroin.

At a press conference on Sunday, State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore), while standing beside other Republican elected officials, said this of the left, whom he partially blames for the assassination attempt: Listen to what has been said about Donald Trump for 10 years. The left, both in Hollywood, the media, in government  have not said his policies are bad. Theyve demonized him for 10 years You turn on the television, any morning show, and you hear people who have a following, especially among young people, say things like, Hes Hitler. Lanza stated.

What do you think is going to happen when you say the man whos running for office is Hitler? What do you think some impressionable, deranged, demonic person might think to themselves after youve convinced them that the person running for president is Hitler?

Safety at the RNC

When asked about safety concerns at the RNC, Carr had this to say: I am confident the organizers have taken significant steps to keep all attendees here safe, on the heels of the horrific events this weekend.

Councilman Joe Borrelli (R-South Shore) and Malliotakis echoed Carrs sentiments. Borelli called security there tight.

Other Staten Island officials, like Borough President Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island), Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn), Staten Island Republican Party Headquarters Chief Operating Officer Anthony Reinhart and First Vice Chair Mary Reilly, as well as Staten Island GOP law chairman Robert Brown are also present at the RNC this week.
NANJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- A collaborative team of scientists from China and the United States has found ample evidence for gene flow between modern human and its prehistoric cousin Neanderthals.

Neanderthals are an extinct species of archaic humans who lived as hunter-gatherers in Europe and Western Asia around 400,000 years ago before disappearing around 30,000 years ago.

When modern human populations traveled from Africa to the Middle East, they are thought to have shared both the timeline and the landscape with the Neanderthals, marking a period of coexistence and possible genetic mixing.

Researchers from Southeast University in Nanjing and Princeton University developed a method for estimating the presence of human-introgressed sequences within the Neanderthal genome, which they then applied to whole-genome sequence data from a diverse sample of 2,000 contemporary humans and three Neanderthals.

The result has shown that the Neanderthal genomes contain between 2.5 and 3.7 percent of genetic sequences originating from modern humans, according to the study published in the latest edition of the weekly journal Science.

The genetic data also revealed that the Neanderthal population was significantly smaller, approximately 20 percent less than previous estimates had suggested, implying that harmful mutations were more likely to accumulate in the Neanderthal gene pool.

The team also suggested the possibility of two distinct waves of gene flow from humans to Neanderthals, occurring approximately 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, respectively.

The smaller estimated population size and inferred admixture dynamics are consistent with a scenario in which Neanderthal population decreased in size over time and ultimately being absorbed into the modern human's gene pool, said the researchers.

Editor: WXY
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Bernard Angelo Lopez, 72, passed away on Jul. 14, 2024. Born in Brooklyn, Bernie devoted his life to education, serving as a teacher and administrator in Queens. He was also president of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Bernard is survived by his wife, son, granddaughters, cousins and in-laws. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Karen Dare-Gentile, 71, died unexpectedly on Jul. 7, 2024. A teacher in Staten Island and Mays Landing, NJ, Karen was an avid equestrian and animal lover who never let being a Type 1 diabetic or double amputee slow her down. Together with her late husband Michael, she devoted time to charitable causes. Karens proudest achievement was raising their six children and grandchild. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Louise Phillips, Esq., 69, passed away on Jul. 9, 2024. A Brooklyn Law School graduate, Louise worked as an Assistant District Attorney before retiring to raise her sons. A woman of deep faith, she served her church and community. Louise is survived by her husband William, sons Brian and Daniel, siblings, grandchildren, and extended family. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Concetta Connie M. Innes, 79, passed away on Jul. 11, 2024. Born in Brooklyn, Connie worked as a Lunch Helper for the Department of Education for 30 years. She was married to George for 53 years and was a faithful member of Our Lady of Good Counsel church. Connie is survived by her husband, son George, and granddaughter Jiordia. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Vincent A. Palladino, 63, passed away on Jul. 15, 2024 after a battle with cancer. A native of the Bronx, Vincent was a funeral director for over 40 years. He is survived by his wife Rosalyn, brother Dr. Michael G. Palladino, and many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces/nephews. Vincent loved entertaining, cooking, and yearly trips to Aruba and the Jersey Shore. Read the full obituary on SILive.

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story based on data from Legacy.com. It was reviewed and edited by Staten Island Live staff.
Truly, Mr. Trump dodged a bulletand so did we. (Associated Press/Evan Vucci)AP

Saturday night, July 13, 2024, at about 6:15 p.m., former President and current Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump dodged a bullet . . . and so did we.

In a small western Pennsylvania town, Butler by name, Trumps thump-and-stump speech was interrupted by multiple rounds from a snipers rifle fired only 130 yards away from the former president. Provincially, the snipers fire only grazed Trumps ear drawing blood. Tragically three male attendees were wounded, one fatally, by the gunfire. They were hit while shielding their families (Please remember and pray for the family of Corey Comperatore, who passed from his wounds). Coincidently (providentially) Trump had moved his head just slightly. If he hadnt maneuvered in just the right manner and at just the right time, Donald Trump would be dead. Stone cold dead. Truly, he dodged a bullet  and so did we.

It is by Gods intervention alone that the former president is among the living today. It is miracle that he could release a statement saying: Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. Truly, Mr. Trump dodged a bulletand so did we.

There are already accusations and ranker across the great Republican and Democrat divide. Rightly or wrongly, the blame game is in full swing. Picture the anger, the threats, the actions and reactions if the assassination attempt was successful. Right now, the population is suspect of our government. We are just one or two incidents away from a full-blown revolt. The nation is polarized and volatile. A civil war, it seems, is more likely than civil discourse. Please remember the words of Jesus: a house divided against itself cannot stand.

The events of the last few days affirmed what we all already knew. The state of our republic is not healthy. The rhetoric and ranker is out of hand. The anger and the hatred is palpable. The unimaginable is now thinkable. The unthinkable is now imaginable. The America we love is on the verge of something bad, very bad. Something is very wrong with the soul of our nation. Im reminded of the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1787 when our Constitution was first ratified. Franklin famously said: You have a republic, if you can keep it.

Sadly, for the first time in my lifetime, I have my doubts.

Please understand that what is going on right now is not only in this world that we can see, but also in that world that we cannot see. It is a battle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. It is primarily not between political parties or social ideologies. It is between good and evil, between God and Satan. It is spiritual in nature. It is won or lost not with earthly weapons, but spiritual ones, weapons mighty for the tearing down of strongholds. Plainly and simply, it is won on our knees.

Saturday night, July 13, 2024, Donald J. Trump dodged a bullet . . . and so did we. Miraculously and wondrously, Trump escaped the now neutralized (dead) 20-year-old assassin. God in His wisdom and mercy gave Mr. Trump a lifeline, an extension of life. He sent his angels to distract the shooter or deflect the bullet or to move the former presidents head. God intervened. Donald Trump, the person, the husband, the father, the grandfather, the entrepreneur, the builder, the reality TV star, the former president and the current candidate once again for President was spared by God. Thank you God!

Saturday night, Donald J. Trump dodged a bullet . . . and so did we. In my opinion, our God has given our nation a reprieve, a season to seek Gods face in prayer and to seek Gods pleasure through repentance and a change in behavior; a season, as well, to seek to heal the political wounds that are getting deeper and deeper as the days go by. Our nations soul needs a spiritual awakening.

Gods church needs to lead the way. We, Gods people, need to repent of our idolatry. We have made politics and political candidates something they were never intended to be for us. They arent our solution, the Lord is. They arent the answer, Jesus is. They cant solve our problems, only Almighty God can. We dont trust in government; We trust in God. We dont pray to the government. We pray to the LORD. And speaking of prayer, we have been praying sporadically and casually when we should have been praying frequently and intensely. We have taken our responsibilities to be salt and light as Jesus described us way too lightly. We are now seeing the fruit of our lukewarm Christianity.

Please, I urge you, I plead with you, I beg you, from now through the foreseeable future, pray for our nation, for our political leaders and for Gods church. Pray like the survival of your nation depends on it, because it does.

Saturday night, July 13, 2024, at about 6:15 p.m., former President and current Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump dodged a bullet . . . and so did we . . . for now.

(Dave Watson is pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mariners Harbor.)




WASHINGTON  Democrats intend to hold a virtual vote to formally make President Joe Biden their nominee in the first week of August, pushing ahead with plans to do so before the partys convention opens in person two weeks later  even amid intensifying calls from some in the party for him to bow out of the race.

The maneuvering comes as California Rep. Adam Schiff, a prominent Democrat who is running for Senate this year, said he believes it is time for Biden to withdraw from the election.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch, Schiff said in a statement. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

The Democratic National Conventions rules committee will meet on Friday to discuss its plans, according to a letter sent to members obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, and will finalize them next week. The letter from co-chairs Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz states that the virtual roll call vote wont take place before Aug. 1, but that the party is still committed to holding a vote before Aug. 7, which had been the filing deadline to get on Ohios presidential ballot.

We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, Daughtry and Walz wrote, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work.

The Democratic convention opens Aug. 19 in Chicago, but the party announced in May that it would hold an early roll call to ensure Biden would qualify for the ballot in Ohio. Ohio originally had an Aug. 7 deadline but has since changed its rules. The Biden campaign insists that the party must operate under Ohios initial rules to ensure Republican lawmakers cant mount legal challenges to keep the president off the ballot.

The DNC rules committee might have moved closer to setting a date for the virtual roll call during its Friday discussion but decided to delay hammering out a date in a move pushed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Even if Democrats conduct a virtual roll call vote ahead of their convention, meanwhile, it wouldnt necessarily lock Biden into the nomination. The Democratic National Committee rulemaking arm could vote to hold an in-person roll call in Chicago, said Elaine Kamarck, a longtime member of that committee and expert on the partys nominating process. But since the Ohio law doesnt go into effect until Sept. 1, Biden appearing on the states ballot remains a real concern, Kamarck said.

This is a failsafe for the Democrats, Kamarck said, adding that the convention is the highest authority in the nominating process.

The move to schedule the roll call vote comes after nearly 20 Democratic members of Congress have called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in the wake of his halting debate performance against Republican former President Donald Trump last month. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday, sharply undercutting his post-debate claim that average Democrats are still with him even if some big names are turning on him.

The poll, conducted as Biden works to salvage his candidacy two weeks after his debate flop, also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, down slightly from 40% in an AP-NORC poll in February.

The letter from Daughtry and Walz comes a day after a contingent of House Democrats wary of swiftly nominating Biden as the partys pick for reelection circulated another letter raising serious concerns about plans for a virtual roll call. Their letter to theDNC, which has not been sent, says it would be a terrible idea to stifle debate about the partys nominee with the early roll call vote.

It could deeply undermine the morale and unity of Democrats, said the letter obtained by the AP.

A spokesperson said that Huffman was pleased with the decision to delay and would hold off sending the letter from House Democrats as they continue monitoring the situation.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Smoke billowing from wildfires in western Canada will sweep into New York over the coming days, according to Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.

The smoke will flow into New York behind an approaching cold front forecast to bring severe thunderstorms to New York City.

Smoke is predicted to move in on Thursday and could persist through Friday before clearing out of the area, Roys said.

Wildfire smoke from Canada is expected to move into New York on Thursday, July 18, 2024. This file photo from June 8, 2023, shows a hazy sun above flags blowing at Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk. (Staten Island Advance/Luke Peteley)(Staten Island Advance / Luke Pe

The inbound coverage could produce poor conditions for those with respiratory issues. Roys advises those prone to such problems take precautions against the particles.

Were not going to see anything like last year with the smoke, said Roys. If anything, it will make very pretty sunrises and sunsets. During the day, it might add a tint, it might make the sun a little bit hazy.

Aries Dela Cruz, the executive director of public information for New York City Emergency Management, put out a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, shedding light on the development.

Theres no Air Quality Health Alert expected tomorrow, but wildfire smoke is moving into Western, Central and Northern NYS Wednesday afternoon & evening. Hourly particulate matter readings will fluctuate but 24-hour forecast expected to remain below advisory levels.  Aries Dela Cruz (@AriesNYCEM) July 16, 2024

Theres no Air Quality Health Alert expected tomorrow, but wildfire smoke is moving into Western, Central and Northern NYS Wednesday afternoon & evening, the post reads. Hourly particulate matter readings will fluctuate but 24-hour forecast expected to remain below advisory levels.

Another post by Dela Cruz reports that Emergency Management will continue to monitor the smoke and will send out alerts through Notify NYC, the citys official emergency notification system, if conditions worsen.

Initially, there was low confidence that such smoke would find its way to the state. However, as AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson foresaw, the wind direction and trajectory are coming together to push the smoke down into New York.

Canada is currently experiencing an abundance of wildfires. Larson notes that the amount of these blazes exceeds the usual amount of wildfires experienced in Canada.

Wildfire smoke in NYC last year

In June of 2023, smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouded New York City in an orange hue for multiple days.

Wildfire smoke from Canada is expected to move into New York on Thursday, July 18, 2024. This file photo from June 7, 2023, shows the Staten Island Mall carnival in an orange haze resulting from Canadian wildfires. (Sonya Gugliara/Staten Island Advance)(Sonya Gugliara/Staten Island Advance)

On June 7 of last year, Staten Islands Air Quality Index value  measuring pollution on a value between zero and 500  reached 413 by 4 p.m., a level considered seriously hazardous for healthy people and severely dangerous for those with underlying conditions.

Gov. Kathy Hochul noted the worsening air quality in the state as an emergency crisis.

Residents donned masks to defend against the unhealthy conditions casting the city with a rust colored sky.

Im 67 years old, Ive never seen anything like this, never, said Christine Hansen, a Westerleigh resident who pushed a small child in a stroller at the Staten Island Mall on June 7. Im asthmatic and full of allergies, but the best thing to do is wear a mask.

Schools canceled outdoor activities at the time and some flights were grounded as a result of the smoke.
Venture Minerals has unveiled what it says is its best-ever rare earths hit of 57m at 3430 parts per million total rare earth oxides (TREO) at its Jupiter target in Western Australias Mid West region, paving the way for an intriguing maiden resource for the 40-square-kilometre plot to be delivered by years end.

The news comes just a day after the company confirmed it was now sitting on a $12 million war chest, aimed squarely at aggressively exploring Jupiter, following the $3 million sale of its Riley iron ore mine in Tasmania. Management had previously reported its biggest rare earths hit of 58m at 2723ppm from Jupiter just last month.

Venture Minerals has recorded another record-breaking rare earths hit at its Jupiter deposit.

The headline hit was part of a final batch of assays that has now been delivered to round out a 356-hole program covering 22,000m of drilling across a 500m-by-250m grid. Venture says the extensive exploration into clay-hosted mineralisation, reaching up to 80m in thickness in several areas, has demonstrated excellent continuity in both grade and width.

The potential the assays indicate for our upcoming Maiden Resource has heightened our anticipation. Venture Minerals managing director Philippa Leggat

The companys most recent drilling campaign produced an array of significant intersections including 38m at 1521ppm TREO, 40m at 1836ppm, 20m going 2363ppm, 45m reading 1652ppm and 78m at 1495ppm.

Venture Minerals managing director Philippa Leggat said: The potential the assays indicate for our upcoming Maiden Resource has heightened our anticipation. These results come at a time when we have secured 100% ownership of the Project and attracted high-quality institutional investors to fund the Company for the next 18 months.

The companys further assessment of its latest assay suite also confirms that the magnetic rare earths component consistently averages 23 per cent, while uranium and thorium levels remain low throughout the Jupiter system  a critical factor when considering the cost economics of a project. It says it now has a sufficiently extensive dataset to be able to launch its work on a maiden resource estimate for the entire Jupiter alkaline intrusion.

Management is aiming to have it completed by the end of the year and is also getting set for a comprehensive metallurgical program.

The Jupiter project is part of Ventures bigger Brothers project that was formerly known as Iron Duke. Detached from local population centres and close to essential infrastructure, including a bitumen highway and the Mid West gas pipeline, it is 60km from the Port of Geraldton, giving it ample access to a ready-made workforce.

With 1180sq km of granted exploration licenses and another 178sq km of exploration license applications under its belt, Venture is perhaps not only on a mission to Jupiter, but also to the moon with its highly-prospective clay-hosted rare earths at Brothers. Shallow, high-grade mineralisation close to infrastructure is the stuff that exploration dreams are made of.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
When it comes to money buying happiness, more is better. Thats according to new research from a senior fellow at the Wharton School who has argued that the correlation between wealth and well-being does not plateau once incomes reach a certain point.

Matthew Killingsworth, who studies the causes of human happiness at the Pennsylvania business school, said both millionaires and billionaires are significantly happier than people earning more than $US500,000 ($740,000) a year in an update to a study published last year that argued against the notion of a so-called happiness plateau.

Who says money cant buy happiness? Credit: Louie Douvis

The results suggest that the positive association between money and well-being continues far up the economic ladder, Killingsworth said.

Last year, Killingsworth was part of team of scientists including the late psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who published a study challenging a famous 2010 paper by Kahneman and economist Angus Deaton that said happiness tends to go up with incomes until about $US60,000 to $US90,000 a year, at which point it flattens.
Mining giants including Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto lobbied the Albanese government to weaken national environmental reforms, warning the governments nature positive plan could cost billions of dollars in lost investment and tens of thousands of jobs in Western Australia alone.

Documents released under freedom of information laws show a consortium of mining interests  including Hancock Prospecting boss Garry Korte and Simon Trott, the chief executive of Rio Tintos iron ore division  wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in March, asking him to personally intervene in the environment laws drafting process.

Hancock Prospecting CEO Garry Korte pictured with Gina Rinehart.

They also sought early consultation on the complete reforms package before legislation is introduced into parliament.

Several of the signatories  who describe themselves as members of the WA state government and industry peak bodies  requested their names and organisations be redacted from the documents released publicly.
Full disclosure: When I was a rookie psychologist, I had a dalliance with a colleague. During morning meetings, our feet fondled under the desk and furtive eye contact lingered too long. I daydreamed of what wed been up to, just hours earlier.

We felt special  but we werent.

Half of all workers admit to flirting with a colleague, while 43 per cent have married someone they met at work. Credit: Istock

Workplace romances are rife. Forbes research published earlier this year suggests more than 60 per cent of adult workers have had a workplace romance. Forty per cent of those romances involved cheating on an existing partner with a co-worker. On a brighter note, 43 per cent of work romances led to marriage.

If you suspect COVID dampened proceedings, 2022 data showed a 6 per cent rise in office affairs during the pandemic, which adds a new plot twist to a Zoom invite.
NSW Premier Chris Minns insists he will slap two-way tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel only if motorway charges are lowered for the majority of drivers who use the citys patchwork of toll roads.

Minns emphasised that he has yet to decide, but outlined the unfairness of the existing system by noting one-way tolls on the government-owned bridge and tunnel had risen by just 20 to $4.20 since 2009, while those on the privately operated M2 had jumped from $4.40 to nearly $10.

Premier Chris Minns on Wednesday at a tunnelling site for the Western Harbour Tunnel on Sydneys north shore. Credit: Louise Kennerley

Theres got to be some essential equity when it comes to how people move in and around the city, he said.

A final report into Sydneys toll roads by former competition watchdog chairman Allan Fels has recommended the revenue from two-way tolls on the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel, along with the Eastern Distributor, be used to lower charges across the motorway network.
A third woman has accused a Sydney doctor of sexual assault days after a magistrate gave the GP bail subject to a $1 million surety.

Ahmed Al-Sudani was arrested at his Arncliffe practice on Friday after female patients, aged 19 and 28, complained to police.

Dr Ahmed Al-Sudani was arrested at Arncliffe Doctors Clinic on Friday. Credit: NSW Police

Police will allege that Al-Sudani indecently assaulted the 28-year-old at the Arncliffe Doctors Clinic on June 4. Later that month, police say a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted during a consultation at the same medical centre.

He was arrested at the Wollongong Road clinic and taken to St George Police Station where he was charged with sexually touching without consent and sexual intercourse without consent.
Drunk men are among the biggest dangers to women in Sydney.

Of the 230,217 domestic assaults involving female victims in NSW over the past decade, one in three of those involved alcohol.

Some of Sydneys most exclusive harbourside enclaves  including North Sydney, Mosman, the Northern Beaches and Woollahra  saw an even higher percentage of DV assaults involving booze, according to data compiled by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and obtained by the Herald.

A horror year of high-profile domestic violence deaths, including that of three children allegedly killed by their father in a Western Sydney house fire, and Forbes woman Molly Ticehurst allegedly murdered by her ex-partner while he was on bail for attacking her previously, has firmly planted the issue on the political agenda and in the public conscience.
Brittany Higgins has less than $10,000 to her name, a court has been told before Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds succeeded in a bid to access her former political staffers trust deed.

The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing Higgins for damages over a series of social media posts she says damaged her reputation.

Senator Linda Reynolds outside court in Perth at a previous hearing. Credit: Jesinta Burton

Ahead of an August trial for that case, the senators legal team on Wednesday prevailed over Higgins legal team in a skirmish to access Ms Higgins trust documents.

It was created in late 2022 to hold the proceeds of a $2.4 million financial settlement made with the federal government amid claims she was not supported by Reynolds after Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped her.
Of all the names remembered at the ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the downing of flight MH17, five sent a chill down the quiet audience gathered in Parliament Houses Great Hall in Canberra.

Beneath the halls tapestry of an Australian forest of gum trees, and behind a wreath dotted with sunflowers in recognition of the Ukrainian field over which the remnants of the Malaysia Airlines plane fell, both Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her predecessor, Julie Bishop, uttered those five names.

Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko were convicted  in absentia  in 2022 for their involvement in firing the missile that brought down the Boeing 777 and killed its 298 passengers and crew.

Sergey Muchkaev has had sanctions imposed on him by Australia for his role as commander of the Russian brigade that supplied the missile that brought down the doomed flight from Amsterdam en route to Kuala Lumpur.
A first home buyer who bought a condemned hoarders house has shared her shock at what she discovered inside.

Sydney Lima has documented every step of the mind-boggling cleanout on her social media account for her thousands of fans.

Syd Lima showing off a vintage outfit found in the hoarder house she bought in Jersey City, in the US. Credit: @sydlima TikTok

Far from vermin, junk and dirt, what she and her partner unearthed in the property in Jersey City, New Jersey, lived in by an elderly man who grew up in it and packed it full of possessions, is a treasure trove.

In the sale, they become responsible for everything within  and all of it was pristine, although jam-packed.
Batam, Indonesia: The father of NRL star Payne Haas will be spared the death penalty if he is extradited to Indonesia and convicted there of serious drug charges.

Gregor Haas has been in prison in the Philippine capital of Manila since mid-May after he was busted in a dramatic sting for his alleged involvement in an attempt to smuggle about five kilograms of methamphetamine into Indonesia.

Brisbane Broncos player Payne Haas (left) and Gregor Haas at the 2019 Dally M Awards. Credit: AAP

Police in Indonesia alleged the 47-year-old was connected to the infamous Sinaloa drug cartel and had tried to import the drugs into Jakarta inside a shipment of ceramic tiles sent from the Mexican city of Guadalajara.

If convicted in Indonesia, the quantity of drugs would be enough to qualify Haas for the death penalty, an untenable outcome for the Australian government, which has maintained a long-held position opposing capital punishment.
New York: Sue Mi Terry, a prominent voice on US foreign policy, had a refined palate, a love for top-shelf sushi and a taste for designer labels. She liked coats by Christian Dior, handbags by Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton, and Michelin-starred restaurants.

And, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, she accepted such luxury goods and other gifts in exchange for serving the South Korean government in Seoul.

Sue Mi Terry had a refined palate, a love for top-shelf sushi and a taste for designer labels. Credit: Getty Images for ABA

Terry, a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, is accused in a 31-page indictment of a yearslong effort to assist South Korean spies. The indictment says she even introduced the spies to congressional staff members, an action that she described as bringing the wolf in.

The charges, which were brought by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, were part of a concerted push by the Justice Department to combat foreign influence in US affairs, which has produced dozens of prosecutions in recent years.
Im not going to speculate about the effect of Saturdays attempted assassination of Donald Trump on the 2024 presidential race. I will, however, make one observation: some on the political right are using the attack to imply that the criticism of Trumps past efforts to overturn the results of the last election, and any suggestion that he poses a threat to democracy, is now out of bounds.

But two things are true at the same time: Political violence is unacceptable, full stop. And the efforts by Trump and his most hard-core supporters to undermine American democracy continue to be unacceptable. As Republicans head into their convention this week, its important to understand the potential ramifications of both their official platform and their unofficial aspirations, embodied by Project 2025.

For anyone new to this: Project 2025 is a blueprint by and for some of Trumps close allies, put together by the Heritage Foundation, to ensure that if Trump wins in November, MAGA will hit the ground running. It seeks to provide both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration. The particulars are laid out in a roughly 900-page document, Mandate for Leadership, with specific action plans for many parts of the federal government.

How radical is the Project 2025 agenda? This month, Kevin Roberts, Heritages president, said that the country is in the midst of a second American Revolution that will be bloodless if the left allows it to be.
PHILIPSBURG:---The Permanent Committee of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure (VROMI) of Parliament will meet on July 17, 2024.

The Committee meeting, which was adjourned on July 4, 2024, will be reconvened on Wednesday at 15.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure will be present.

The agenda point is:

Discussion regarding the report by TNO entitled "De Energietransitie in Aruba, Curacao en Sint Maarten" (IS/827/2023-2024 dated June 18, 2024)

MP S.A. Wescot-Williams requested this meeting.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules. The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure will be present.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament
~ House search in Great Bay~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Several detectives, both from the Police Force of St. Maarten (KPSM) and the Royal Marechaussee, were seen on Great Bay Road on Tuesday afternoon as police conducted a major operation.

SMN News learned via confidential sources that police were busy arresting persons involved in an armed robbery.

Police Spokesman Inspector Felix Richards confirmed that three persons were arrested and that police were busy with a house search. Richards also confirmed that the operation was related to an armed robbery and that the Police and Swat team were busy.

The detectives and Swat team arrested a fourth male suspect around 7:30 pm Tuesday.

Police Spokesman Felix Richards said the fourth suspect was also arrested in the same ongoing robbery investigation>
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure and the non-profit Nature Foundation Sint Maarten are thrilled to jointly announce the expansion of the Coastal Resilience Needs Assessment (CORENA) project.

With the signing, the CORENA project will be awarded an additional 82,972 through a RESEMID grant via the Ministry of VROMI to support activities through December 2024, including biodiversity research, educational initiatives, and capacity-building. RESEMBID, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, supports sustainable human development efforts in 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).

This is a great program, and one I am very clear-minded and enthusiastic about supporting, said Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs during the signing of the joint agreement. For years, the Government has talked about environmental conservation and management without creating the right conditions necessary to protect our island ecosystems and human communities. We cannot afford to continue down our current path, where we mistake short-sighted development for progress. CORENA offers a foundation to make responsible coastal and marine management on Sint Maarten a reality.

Originally set to end in April 2024, the agreement between the ministry and Nature Foundation will build upon a years worth of ongoing cooperation. Since July 2023, the Nature Foundation has received RESEMBID funding through the government to conduct the first comprehensive coral reef health analysis since 2016, hire contractors to carry out a terrestrial biodiversity assessment, and develop a map of Sint Maartens coastal and marine habitats. The funding has also been used to carry out marine spatial planning workshops and organize public presentations for students and stakeholders, with over 500 adults and nearly 700 children having benefited to date. The extension also supports a revived junior ranger program, welcoming seven local students in June.

We are so happy that CORENA has been extended with the earnest support of Minister Gumbs and key VROMI policy advisors, said CORENA Project Coordinator Sabrine Brismeur. Ultimately, this project is about improving the governments capacity to make informed policy decisions, so the cooperation between the Nature Foundation and Ministry of VROMI on the highest levels makes us feel hopeful for the future of our natural ecosystems.

The CORENA project focuses on advancing the sustainable management of Sint Maartens marine and coastal environment through biodiversity research, educational initiatives, and planning recommendations. The RESEMBID-supported project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure as the primary beneficiary and the non-profit Nature Foundation as the partner.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina met with representatives from the Nationaal Algemene Politie Bond (NAPB St. Maarten) to discuss several important issues affecting their members. The meeting, held at the Government Administration Building, marked an important step in addressing the police union's concerns.

One of the primary topics of discussion was the inclusion of NAPB St. Maarten as an official member of the Committee for Civil Servants Unions (CCSU). Prime Minister Mercelina expressed his support for this move, stating, "The official inclusion of NAPB St. Maarten in the CCSU would be a positive step towards ensuring that the voices of our police officers are heard and their concerns addressed within the broader framework of civil service unions. This will enhance dialogue and foster a collaborative approach to resolving issues."

Additionally, the legal position of NAPB members was a key point of discussion. The Prime Minister acknowledged the ongoing efforts to address this matter and reassured the union of the government's commitment to finding a resolution.

"The government is actively working to resolve these issues, and we are committed to ensuring that the rights and responsibilities of NAPB members are adequately protected."

The meeting concluded positively, with both parties expressing their commitment to continued collaboration and dialogue. "I am encouraged by our constructive discussions today," Prime Minister Mercelina added. "Our police officers and all justice workers play a vital role in maintaining the safety and security of our community, and it is our duty to support them in every way possible."
PHILIPSBURG: --- The Minister of VSA Veronica Jansen Webster warned on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that the contractor contracted to construct the New General Hospital would need to import foreign labor to conduct critical and specialized work.

The Minister said she heard that there is much talk about the influx of foreign labor, but she wants the community to know that the new hospital is a project of national interest. Jensen Webster said that FINSO would have to bring in at least 300 people to work on the hospital; she said this was disclosed to her in a meeting with the contractors.

The Minister of Labor further explained that FINSO also participates in local job fairs and trains locals to work on the project. Jensen Webster said the last project of such magnitude that required foreign labor was Sonesta Resorts when the resort was being rebuilt.

The Minister of Labor said that the government has been working with the contractor, but those very skilled and specific laborers would have to be brought in.

The lack of Teachers was also discussed.

The Minister also explained that she held a meeting with various school boards that expressed concerns about the global shortage of teachers. The Minister explained that the subsidized schools have always been seeking teachers overseas, but since there is a shortage of teachers globally, the government has been working with these boards to see how they can facilitate them.
~ Called on Political Parties and candidates to stop inciting violence. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announced on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that he intends to bring in assistance from the neighboring islands to assist the Police Force of St. Maarten on Election Day. Mercelina said he had a meeting with the police, who expressed concerns over the level of violence in the community and shared concerns about the safety and security of the people during the election.

Mercelina condemned the political parties and/or candidates who he said are busy on social media and other platforms inciting violence. He said that as Prime Minister, he would do everything he could to ensure that all persons on St. Maarten remain safe. Mercelina said the people of St. Maarten are not accustomed to any form of viciousness during election campaigns.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that he has decided to spend the limited budget on providing better safety and security by bringing in International Observers. Mercelina said that bringing International Observers to the island is very costly, and as Prime Minister, he had to choose to protect the people of Sint Maarten over International Observers.

LACK of Human Resources and Vehicles for KPSM

Asked by SMN News if KPSM discussed the lack of Human Resources and vehicles with him when they met and how he intends to fill this gap. The Prime Minister made clear that when he took office, he met all the problems he is currently dealing with. He said some people believe that he is responsible for the state of affairs in the country.

Mercelina said that since taking office, he found a country that had collapsed and has been dealing with each of the issues presented to him. Since taking office, everything that I encounter is in the status of less, less manpower, less energy, less police cars, and the only thing I am trying to do since taking office is correct the things that had to be done for years. After years of negligence, everything is collapsing.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The United Peoples Party (UP Party), long known for its staunch support of business and investment in St. Maarten, has announced a groundbreaking initiative to accelerate the island's development and improve the destination's tourism product. The Honourable Omar E.C. Ottley, leader of the UP Party, announced the plan in a press release issued Tuesday. The plan promises significant tax write-offs for businesses that make substantial financial contributions towards developing St. Maarten's infrastructure, education, Tourism, and housing sectors.

Under this new plan, the United People's Party will reward businesses that invest in critical areas such as infrastructure and Community Development, Schools, Tourism, and Housing with substantial tax write-offs if given the Mandate. "This initiative aims to stimulate private sector involvement in public development projects, creating a symbiotic relationship where both businesses and the community benefit," said MP Ottley.

He explained that companies investing in constructing and maintaining roads, bridges, and public utilities will receive tax benefits. These development initiatives will enhance the island's infrastructure and create numerous job opportunities. Businesses funding the construction and renovation of schools and classrooms will be rewarded with tax deductions. This will help address the need for more educational facilities, providing better learning environments for students. Benefits will also go to businesses that invest in building affordable homes and improving tourism infrastructure products. They will also qualify for tax write-offs, helping to alleviate the housing shortage and improve living conditions for residents while making our tourism product once more the best in the Caribbean.

Jamaica, Singapore, and Puerto Rico have seen success with similar initiatives. The government of Jamaica introduced tax incentives for businesses investing in tourism infrastructure, which led to the development of new hotels and resorts, boosting tourism and creating thousands of jobs. The increased revenue from tourism has had a positive ripple effect throughout the Jamaican economy. Singapore's extensive use of tax incentives to attract multinational corporations has been a cornerstone of its economic strategy. Singapore has transformed itself into a global financial and technological hub by offering tax breaks to companies that invest in high-tech industries and infrastructure.

Puerto Rico has implemented tax incentive programs to attract businesses in various sectors, including manufacturing and services. By offering tax exemptions and reductions, Puerto Rico has drawn significant investments, which have helped modernize its infrastructure and create job opportunities for its residents. "This initiative is an example of 'we saving we' and moving towards greater independence," said MP Ottley. "By incentivizing businesses to invest in our community, we are fostering a sense of self-reliance and ensuring that all feel the benefits of development." The ultimate goal of this initiative is to boost the local economy by creating more jobs and increasing the spending power of the people of St. Maarten.

"This is not just a policy plan; it's a vision for a self-sustaining future," MP Ottley emphasized. "We are committed to creating an environment where businesses thrive and the community prospers. He said the UP Party would be a "game-changer" for the island, leveraging the power of private investment to achieve public good. With this initiative, St. Maarten stands on the brink of a new era of growth and prosperity, driven by a collaborative effort between the government and the business community.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the years, Social & Health Insurances SZV has been flexible in its policies to include measures that allow director majority shareholders (DMS) who fall outside the scope of the law to get access to medical insurance. However, in recent cases where SZV attempted to collect unpaid premiums for the registered insured, the Court of First Instance reminded SZV that premiums for sickness, accident, and severance insurance could only be collected for the registered insured, as defined by the respective ordinances. SZV is now faced with the risk of being non-compliant with the laws and increased financial risk, and as a result, has been conducting urgent meetings with the Ministry of Public Health and stakeholders to emphasize the urgency of implementing changes to the Sickness and Accident and Cessantia National Ordinances.

The urgency we are faced with to address these changes in the law is not new. We continue to get one step closer to realizing that more persons can access health insurance, but the time is now to have these laws implemented finally. SZV is being reminded to be more strict in implementing the laws, but in doing so, it will have a major social and financial impact. We continue to be as flexible as we can, so people do not suffer more than they have to, but the real solution is to change the laws.  Mr. Glen A. Carty, SZV Director.

An example of a group of persons who fall outside the scope of the law includes company directors who own more than 50% of the company's shares. In accordance with case law, the DMS cannot be regarded as an employee within the meaning of the National Ordinances for Sickness, Accident, as well as for the Cessantia National Insurance, due to the lack of authority relationship (In Dutch: gezagsverhouding).

SZV management has recently decided to move forward with its people-centric approach and delay the implementation of the DMS policy effective September 1, 2024. This policy entailed the cancellation of insurance for director majority shareholders who were registered as insured employees prior to September 1, 2022. This decision to delay is until further notice and is based on a broad analysis of the expected social and financial impact during the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season.

It is clear that we need to secure access to health insurance for a wider group of persons in our community. SZV has been addressing these persons' concerns, which includes additional assessments to provide alternative options for getting access to insurance from SZV or otherwise. Together with SZV, we will work towards realizing fast-tracked changes in the laws and policies, where possible. Compliance with the laws is important, and as we look toward Health Financing Reforms, we must create laws and policies that support the prosperity of our people, the health and wealth of our country. - Minister of VSA, Veronica Jansen-Webster.

Company directors who are registered at SZV will be informed via e-mail and the SZV Employer Portal of the recent developments surrounding their insurance entitlement and next steps. SZV takes this opportunity to remind all employers to ensure that their company information, contact details, and employee registry are up to date in the Employer Portal, as this greatly improves the communication exchange with SZV about their registration, decisions, and compliance support.
Christian Filmmakers' 'Toxic' Movie Takes Off On Major Middle East Airlines

New action movie, 'Toxic,' showcases 'power of forgiveness' in mostly non-Christian Middle East





'TOXIC' MOVIE TAKES OFF IN MIDDLE EAST: "Toxic," a new Arabic-language feature film produced by Middle East Christian media ministry SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org), has been added to the in-flight playlists of four international airlines in the Middle East. Watch the movie trailer here.



NEWS PROVIDED BY

SAT-7 USA

July 17, 2024



BOONE, Iowa, July 17, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- A new action movie shot entirely in Arabic that showcases "hidden" violence and the power of forgiveness is now available to watch on four major international airlines operating out of the Middle East.



While the movie is not a "faith flick," its Christian producers hope "Toxic" will introduce thousands of Middle East airline passengers to the core Christian value of forgiveness.



Watch the movie trailer here.



Produced by Middle East-based Christian media ministry SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org), "Toxic" has been added to the in-flight playlists of Emirates, Qatar Airways, Saudi Airlines, and Kuwait Airways.



It's the first foray into feature-length filmmaking for the organization that broadcasts free-to-watch programs via satellite television and online streaming across the Middle East and North Africa  a region that's 96% non-Christian.



Emirates is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and operates almost 2,000 flights every week from Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest travel hubs. In 2022-23, the airline carried more than 43 million passengers  a huge potential audience.



'Power of Forgiveness'



"This means many more people will be introduced to the film's message about the power of forgiveness," said Maged Mounir, director of the ministry in Cairo, Egypt, where the movie was primarily shot.



With an all-Middle Eastern cast, "Toxic" is described as a "powerful portrayal of human relationships, with a strong focus on violence and forgiveness."



Based on true life stories, the plot follows a woman rejected because of her appearance, a man who witnesses the murder of his father by religious fanatics, and a woman who faces intense oppression.



Producer John Adly said, "Each one realizes revenge cannot heal... forgiveness is the way to overcome the harm done to them."



Producers hope passengers will check out other programs broadcast by SAT-7 in local languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Tajik and Dari. Local presenters discuss hot-button issues like domestic violence and respond to viewers' questions about Christianity.



The film was produced in partnership with the Norwegian Mission Society.



The movie reflects SAT-7's vision to make God's love visible to people in their own language and cultural setting.



MEDIA INTERVIEWS: Arrange your interview now. Contact: DeWayne Hamby, dhamby@inchristcommunications.com, (423) 505-0041 (text or phone).



Launched in 1996, SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) -- with its international headquarters in Cyprus -- broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television and online programs to the Middle East and North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and support the church in its life, work and witness for Christ.



SOURCE SAT-7



CONTACT: DeWayne Hamby, 423-505-0041, dhamby@inchristcommunications.com


PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on July 18, 2024.

The Public meeting, which was adjourned on June 27, 2024, will be reconvened on Thursday at 11.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be present.

The agenda points are:

2. Approval of the Outline Agreement ENNIA, including Annexes A, B, and C (IS/621/2023-2024 dated April 19, 2024)

3. Ratification of the decision list of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) held from June 7-10, 2024, in the Hague, the Netherlands (IS/798/2023-2024 dated June 11, 2024)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament
By Catherine Sas, K.C.

Special to The Post

The delivery of Canadas immigration program is a shared responsibility between Canadas Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), the Honourable Marc Miller and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honorable Dominic Le Blanc as is set out in Section 4 of the Immigration, Refugees and Protection Act (IRPA).

While immigration officers process the majority of immigration applications, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers often deliver immigration services at Canadian ports of entry and are an integral part of Canadas immigration program. Individuals may obtain visitor, study and work permits at a port of entry as well as become permanent residents of Canada.

It is essential to the smooth delivery of immigration services that all officers, both IRCC and CBSA, are properly trained and familiar with Canadas immigration program to ensure that people are able to obtain the status that they are seeking in a timely fashion. When programs and systems are introduced in rapid succession, such has been the case for the past many years, such training often does not take place resulting in hassle and inconvenience for prospective immigrants. It also results in a waste of precious human resources which equates to increased costs to Canadian taxpayers in the delivery of Canadas immigration program. Lets take a look at some real-life case examples!

Jose-Luis is a Mexican citizen seeking to obtain permanent residence in Canada as an entrepreneur through a PNP program. He has been in Canada since November 2021 with a valid work permit and has invested a significant amount of money to establish a business and hire Canadians. On February 29, 2024, the Minister of Immigration re-imposed a visa requirement on Mexican nationals such that they can no longer travel freely in and out of Canada without a visa. For more information, please refer to our blog on March 12, 2024 - The immigration game has changed for Mexico.

In addition, on June 21, 2024, the Minister announced that temporary applications could only be processed at major border crossings on Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm. (https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/settle-setablir-eng.html)

Jose-Luis work permit expired on Canada Day - July 1, 2024.

Prior to the expiration of his permit, we prepared a work permit application for him to present at a Canadian port of entry on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 10 am. When he arrived with his work permit application, a CBSA officer got angry with him and told him that the 10 am to 4 pm time frame was merely to set an appointment that would be scheduled weeks ahead. He was further advised that he had to apply from within Canada for the extension of his work permit. This is incorrect. Having spent several hours travelling to the border with a US visa, a lawful Canadian work permit and a new work permit application, he was turned away by a hostile CBSA officer who gave him incorrect information.

What was Jose-Luis to do in these circumstances? As a businessman with Canadian employees, he needs a valid work permit AND he frequently travels for work. He also had travel plans with his children for their summer vacation such that he could not remain in Canada for the three to six-month processing time for an inland work permit application. So in order to allow him to continue to work in Canada for only two weeks, we prepared and filed an inland work permit extension application knowing that Jose-Luis would be departing Canada prior to any officer reviewing this application. It is clearly a waste of time and effort on his part and that of the Canadian immigration officers who will ultimately review this in-Canada application.

If Jose-Luis returns to Canada and waits for the processing of his work permit application, he will not be allowed to work upon his return. In order to be permitted to work while his extension application is in process, he must remain in Canada continuously. Knowing that he was going to Mexico to see his family for their summer family vacation, we prepared and submitted a THIRD online work permit application. Following their family vacation Jose-Luis will remain in Mexico with his family until such time as his new work permit is approved such that he can return to Canada to run his business.

Clearly this is a waste of resources. Jose-Luis followed the instructions set out by the Minister and went to a Canadian border during the Ministers prescribed times to obtain a new work permit prior to the expiration of his work permit. The CBSA officer sent him away refusing to process the application necessitating two further work permit applications given Jose-Luis particular circumstances.

Another case in point is that of Maria, also a Mexican citizen. Maria is an international student and completed a Masters program in Canada following which she obtained a three year post-graduate work permit ( PGWP). When the Minister re-imposed the visa requirement for Mexican nationals, he stipulated that those persons in Canada with valid study or work permits would not require new Electronic Travel Authorizations ( ETAs) and that they would be free to travel on their previous ETAs. (ETAs are necessary for air travel for all countries except the US). Maria had to go to see her family in Mexico. When she went to confirm her ETA in early June 2024, she found that it had been cancelled (contrary to the Ministers announcement). She applied for a new ETA which was not immediately issued ( they are usually issued within a matter of hours). She sent several webforms as did our office on her behalf. (A webform is IRCCs preferred method of electronic communication designed to obtain speedy transmission of information and replies). Suffice to say that the webform system is grossly inadequate and she did not receive any reply prior to her trip on June 15, 2024.

As she could not delay her travel, she decided to travel to the US by car, and then take a flight from the US to Mexico and return in the same fashion. On June 17, 2024, she received confirmation that her ETA was valid after she had already travelled by car to the US. On Monday, July 8, 2024, she received another confirmation that her ETA was still valid more than a month from when she first communicated with IRCC and more than two weeks after she returned to Canada. This is a good example of the Ministers announcements not being properly implemented necessitating multiple applications, including turning to MPs in many cases, in order to obtain the service that should be provided as a matter of course.

The lack of adequate service in the delivery of our immigration programs is a matter of public record. The Auditor General year after year provides a scathing report of the shortcomings of both IRCC and CBSA in providing immigration services. Applications are routinely backlogged and desperate clients are required to make numerous and repeated efforts to try and get through to a person who can inform them as to the status of their applications. This should not be happening in a first world country such as Canada.

To Canadas Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Dominic Le Blanc: You have a joint responsibility for the administration of Canadas immigration program. You need to ensure that your officers at all levels are property trained to deliver Canadas immigration program in the most expeditious and effective means possible. The saying haste makes waste certainly rings true in the current delivery of immigration service and Canadians and prospective immigrants - both temporary and permanent - deserve better!

Catherine Sas, K.C. has over 30 years of legal experience. She provides a full range of immigration services and is a leading immigration practitioner (Lexpert, Whos Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada). Go to canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected].
Orion is located on the celestial equator and can be seen throughout the world.

The constellation is named after the hunter in Greek mythology is one of the most obvious and recognizable constellations in the sky.

Two of the ten brightest stars in the sky are located in Orion  Rigel (Beta Orionis) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), according to a stargazing website Astronomy Trek.

Where is Orion?

Orion is located on the celestial equator and can be seen throughout the world. (Image credit: Eerik via Getty Images)

Orion is clearly visible in the night sky from November to February. Finding Orion's Belt is the easiest way to locate the Orion Constellation. Orion's Belt is formed by three bright stars; Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak. Orion is in the southwestern sky if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or the northwestern sky if you are in the Southern Hemisphere. It is best seen between latitudes 85 and minus 75 degrees. Its right ascension is 5 hours, and its declination is 5 degrees.

Betelgeuse, the second brightest star in Orion  according to the night sky guide website In-The-Sky.org, establishes the right shoulder of the hunter. Bellatrix serves as Orion's left shoulder. Other stars in the constellation include Hatsya, which establishes the tip of Orion's sword that hangs off the belt, and Meissa, which forms Orion's head. Saiph serves as Orion's right knee. Rigel, Orion's brightest star, forms the hunter's left knee.

How many light-years to the stars in the Orion constellation? (Image credit: All About Space Magazine, M42 image credit: NASA/ESA)

With one exception, all of the main stars in Orion are bright young blue giants or supergiants, ranging in distance from Bellatrix (243 light-years) to Alnilam (1,360 light-years). The Orion Nebula is located around 1,350 light-years away from Earth. One light-year is the distance light travels in a single year, about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

The exception is the star Betelgeuse, which is a red giant and one of the largest stars known. Observers with a keen eye should be able to see the difference in color between Betelgeuse and all the other stars in Orion.

Orion observing targets

The Orion Constellation is home to many interesting stargazing targets, we explore a handful of them here. Though some of these targets can be seen with the naked eye, for a better view we recommend using binoculars or a telescope. If you need equipment, our best binoculars and best telescopes guides may help.

Jargon buster

Magnitude: An object's magnitude tells you how bright an object is as it appears from the Earth. In astronomy, magnitudes are represented on a numbered scale. Quite confusingly the lower the number, the bright the object. For example, an object of a -1 magnitude is brighter than one with a magnitude of +2.

Right ascension (RA): Right ascension is to the sky what longitude is to the surface of the Earth, corresponding to east and west directions. Measured in hours, minutes and seconds since, as Earth rotates, we see different parts of the sky through the night

Declination (Dec): Tells you how high your object will rise in the sky. Like Earth's latitude, declination measures north and south. Its units are degrees, arcminutes and arcseconds. There are 60 arcmins in a degree and 60 arcsecs in an arcmin.

Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is located below Orion's Belt. This image was captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. (Image credit: NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team)

Orion Nebula Magnitude: +4.0 Approximate distance from Earth: 1,350 light-years Location: 05h 35m 17.3s (right ascension), -05 23' 28" (declination)

Casually glancing below the three stars of Orion's belt, you should be able to make out the Orion Nebula as a smudge in a dark, light pollution-free sky with your naked eye. The Orion Nebula  a formation of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases rather than a star  is the middle "star" in Orion's sword, which hangs off of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky, according to NASA.

Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33)

Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) Magnitude: 6.8 Approximate distance from Earth: 1,500 light-years Location: 05h 40m 59.0s (right ascension), -0227'30.0" (declination)

The Horsehead Nebula is a tricky target to find, but it is not impossible. The nebula can be found just south of the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. The shape of the nebula is forged by radiation from the surrounding stars. According to NASA, the nebula is only visible because the dust is silhouetted against a brighter nebula.

De Mairan's Nebula (Messier 43)

De Mairan's Nebula is shaped by a single star. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team)

De Mairan's Nebula (Messier 43) Magnitude: +9 Approximate distance from Earth: 1,600 light-years Location: 5h 35.5m (right ascension), -5 16' (declination)

De Mairan's Nebula is only separated from the Orion Nebula by a dark lane of dust, according to NASA. The nebula was revealed to be a distinct nebula by French astronomer Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan in 1731. According to NASA, astronomers refer to De Mairan's Nebula as a miniature Orion Nebula, because of it's small size. The Nebula is shaped by just one star, whereas the Orion Nebula is shaped by four, according to NASA.

Trapezium Cluster

Trapezium Cluster Magnitude: +4 Approximate distance from Earth: 1,600 light-years Location: 05h 35.4m (right ascension) -05 27' (declination)

The Trapezium Cluster is a young star cluster and contains hundreds of young stars at various staged of formation. According to ESA, high-speed jets of hot gas released by some young stars are sending shockwaves through the nebula at speeds of 100,000 mph. The cluster is easily located as the brightest four stars form the shape of a trapezoid.

Orion exoplanet possibilities

The constellation of the hunter has also proven a fertile hunting ground for extra-solar planets, or exoplanets, planets beyond the solar system. Here are a few of the planets (or potential planets) that have been discovered in stars that fall within Orion's boundaries in the Earth's sky.

The star CVSO 30 is 1,200 light-years away and likely hosts a couple of potential planets. In 2012, the Very Large Telescope in Chile managed to image possible exoplanet CVSO 30c directly, an incredible feat given that CVSO 30 is roughly 280 times farther than Earth is to the nearest star system (Alpha Centauri). CVSO 30c (if it exists) is a gas giant that orbits its star at a distance of 660 astronomical units (Earth-sun distances) and makes an orbit every 27,000 years. The other candidate planet is gas giant CVSO 30b, which by contrast is extremely close  just 0.008 AU from its star.

A Jupiter-size potential exoplanet, PTFO8-8695b, is about 1,100 light-years from Earth and (if it exists) is so close to its star that its outer layers are being ripped away from the rest of the planet. The star's system showed high-energy hydrogen emissions that can't be explained by stellar activities or features, according to astronomers.

There are a few other probable planets in Orion as well, although their existence may be proved or disproved with more observations. These include HD 38529 b and HD 38529 c (two gas giants orbiting in a system with a huge debris disk), HD 38858 b (a gas giant orbiting in the habitable zone of its star) and HD 37605 b (a gas giant that orbits extremely close to its parent star.)

Mythology

In Greek mythology, Orion was a hunter. According to greekmythology.com, there are several stories about Orion's birth as well as his death. According to the oldest version, described on greekmythology.com Orion was the son of the god Poseidon and Euryale, daughter of King Minos of Crete.

Orion inherited the ability to walk on water from his father and made his way to the island of Chios. It was there that Orion drank too much and made sexual advances to Merope, the daughter of the local king. King Oenopion had Orion blinded and thrown off the island. Orion then made his way to the east where Helios  the sun god  restored his eyesight. Confident in his hunting abilities, Orion declared he would kill every animal in the world but Gaea  the goddess of the Earth  angered by Orion's claims, sent a scorpion to kill him.

Upon Orion's demise, Zeus turned him into a constellation, along with the scorpion that killed him. According to a constellation website constellation-guide.com, the scorpion (constellation Scorpius) and Orion were placed on opposite sides of the sky so that when Scorpius rises in the sky, Orion flees and sets below the horizon.

While the name Orion is steeped in Greek mythology, many cultures have been influenced by the story of this constellation. According to constellationguide.com, the three stars of Orion's Belt are known as Drie Konings (the three kings) or Drie Susters (the three sisters) in South Africa. In Spain and Latin America, the stars are called Las Tres Marias, or The Three Marys. Ancient Egyptians believed Orion's Belt was the resting place of the soul of the god Osiris, according to the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Additional resources

See how our view of Orion will change over the next 450,000 years with the European Space Agency.

Embark on a journey through the Orion Nebula with NASA.

Observe the Orion Constellation in infrared light with this impressive image on ESA's website.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com contributor.
Gaza civil defence says 48 killed in three strikes



Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, July 16 (AFP) Jul 16, 2024



The civil defence agency in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said three air strikes in less than one hour on Tuesday -- including on a school -- killed 48 people.

Israel said it carried out two of the strikes that the civil defence agency said also left dozens more wounded.

According to an updated toll, 25 people died at the UN-run Al-Razi School in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, an agency director, Mohammed al-Mughair told AFP.

At least 18 people were killed and 25 wounded at Al-Mawasi near the southern city of Khan Yunis. Five people were killed in a strike on people stood near a roundabout at Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, according to the official.

The Israeli military said "terrorists" used the Nuseirat school to launch attacks on its troops and that a Hamas "company commander" was the target of the attack at the Al-Attar district of Al-Mawasi.

At least seven schools, many of them managed by the United Nations when in operation, have now been the targets of Israeli strikes in 10 days. Most of Gaza's schools have become shelters for thousands of people displaced since the war started on October 7.

Al-Mawasi is where more than 90 people were killed in a huge Israeli bombing raid on Saturday aimed at the Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and one of his deputies.

Tens of thousands of people had sought refuge in a tent city in Al-Mawasi after Israel declared it a safe zone from military offensives in Gaza.

Mohammed Zaqut, Gaza's director general of hospitals, told AFP that Israeli forces "carry out massacres in the Al-Mawasi area, which it claims is safe, knowing that any bombardment, even with a small missile, will kill dozens of people and cause many injuries because these are densely populated areas."

The Israeli military said it was "looking into the reports stating that several civilians were injured as a result of the (Khan Yunis) strike. The details are under review."

The Israeli military said after the latest strikes that "numerous steps were taken in order to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of aerial surveillance, precise munitions, and additional intelligence."

It said Hamas "systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and population as human shields for its terror attacks".

The war began with Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 38,713 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry.
Germany says not possible to continue military cooperation with Niger



Abidjan, July 16 (AFP) Jul 16, 2024



Germany can no longer cooperate militarily with Niger because of a lack of "trust" in relations with the West African country's military regime, German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.

Germany already announced on July 6 that it will end operations at its airbase in Niger and pull out its remaining three-dozen troops by August 31.

"It was not possible to continue because the trust that existed before was no longer there," Baerbock said during a visit to nearby Ivory Coast.

"At the same time, we have not stopped humanitarian aid because the people of Niger are not responsible for what happened," she said during a joint press conference with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara.

Niger has been run by a military regime since a coup d'etat in July 2023 ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held as a prisoner ever since.

The regime has turned its back on other Western allies such as France and the United States to sidle towards Russia.

At the end of May, Germany and Niger reached an interim agreement allowing the German military to continue operating its airbase in the capital Niamey until the end of August.

But negotiations to extend that agreement broke down, notably because the base's personnel would no longer benefit from immunity from prosecution.
200 more Kenyan police deploy to tackle Haiti violence



Port-au-Prince, July 16 (AFP) Jul 16, 2024



Another 200 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti Tuesday under a UN-backed mission to try to quell rampant gang violence in the troubled Caribbean nation, where they were welcomed by senior Haitian and Kenyan police officials.

Haitian sources say the new batch brings the total to 400 Kenyan boots on the ground in violence-ravaged Port-au-Prince, part of a closely watched offer to send some 1,000 police officers to help stabilize the country.

The Kenyan contingent of what is shaping up to be a multinational mission has run into persistent legal challenges in Nairobi, where embattled President William Ruto is simultaneously trying to calm roiling anti-government protests at home.

The East African nation is leading a force expected to number a total of some 2,500 personnel.

Other countries, mostly in Africa and the Caribbean, are also contributing to the mission, which is blessed but not managed by the United Nations.

"In the name of the government and the transitional presidential council, welcome," Rameau Normil, director general of the Haitian police, told the soldiers alongside Godfrey Otunge, the Kenyan commander of the police contingent in Haiti.

On July 1, Kenya's National Police Service issued a statement to scotch rumors that seven officers had been killed in Haiti.

The forces deployed had been "received warmly", and were "all safe and ready to discharge their clear and specific mandate," it said.

They were "working closely with their host, the Haitian National Police, and have so far undertaken strategic mapping of the likely areas of operational concerns and conducted several joint patrols within Port-au-Prince."



- Rule of law -



Kenyan police sources say 600 officers have left for Haiti, counting those that arrived Tuesday.

"More will be departing soon until we have all the 1,000," a source told AFP.

The deployment was approved by a UN Security Council resolution in October, only to be delayed by a Kenyan court decision in January that ruled it unconstitutional.

The court said Ruto's administration had no authority to send officers abroad without a prior bilateral agreement.

While the government secured that agreement with Haiti in March, a small opposition party, Thirdway Alliance Kenya, has filed a lawsuit in another attempt to block it.

The United States had been eagerly seeking a country to lead the mission and is supplying funding and logistical support.

US President Joe Biden flatly ruled out putting US boots on the ground in Haiti -- the poorest nation in the Americas, where Washington has a history of intervention.

Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the Haiti mission and doubts over its funding, while watchdogs have repeatedly accused Kenyan police of using excessive force and carrying out unlawful killings.

Haiti has long been rocked by gang violence, but conditions sharply worsened at the end of February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, saying they wanted to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.

The violence in Port-au-Prince has affected food security and humanitarian aid access, with much of the city in the hands of gangs accused of abuses including murder, rape, looting and kidnappings.

burs/nro/dw
N. Korea plants 'tens of thousands' of mines on border: Seoul



Seoul, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



North Korea has recently laid tens of thousands of new landmines along its border, forcing its soldiers to work in grim conditions as they suffer multiple casualties, Seoul said Wednesday.

"Despite sweltering heat and the monsoon season, the North Korean military has laid down mines and erected wall fences along the front-line areas," the defence ministry said in a statement.

"The newly planted mines are estimated to number in the tens of thousands," it added.

During the months-long effort to strengthen defences along the demilitarized zone -- already one of the most heavily mined areas in the world -- there have been at least 10 instances where mines exploded, resulting in "multiple casualties" among the soldiers, the ministry said.

North Korean soldiers mobilised for this effort have been living under "inadequate barracks conditions without weekends or change of duty, working 12 to 13 hours a day on average", the ministry noted.

A photo released by the ministry showed three soldiers carrying what appeared to be wooden boxes, which the ministry identified as landmines.

Another photo showed a group of soldiers carrying an injured comrade on a stretcher.

South Korean soldiers are bracing for "defections" by North Korean soldiers labouring under these "poor working conditions", the ministry said, as well as further potential breaches into southern territory.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, after the North's leader Kim Jong Un declared the South his "principal enemy" earlier this year, and moved to jettison agencies dedicated to reunification, while stepping up security along the border.

North Korean troops have crossed the border multiple times in recent months, Seoul has said, apparently accidentally during the efforts to reinforce the border.

Pyongyang has also further ramped up its weapons testing this year, as it draws ever closer to Russia. Seoul has accused Pyongyang of shipping arms to Moscow for use in the Ukraine war.
Trump says Taiwan 'should pay' US for defence against China



Taipei, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



Taiwan "should pay" the United States for defence, US presidential candidate Donald Trump said in a wide-ranging interview that has cast doubt on the relationship between Washginton and Taipei should he be re-elected in November.

In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published on Tuesday, the former president was asked if he would defend self-ruled Taiwan from China, which claims the island as part of its territory.

"I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defense," he said, according to a transcript released by Bloomberg.

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

While Washington does not diplomatically recognise the island, it is a key partner and major weapons provider to Taipei, and recently passed a multi-billion-dollar military aid package aimed at countering Beijing in the region.

Taiwan is also a major powerhouse in the crucial semiconductor industry, producing the majority of the advanced microchips needed to power the global economy.

A leader in the field is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which has been a key beneficiary of Washington's Chips and Science Act -- passed in 2022 to attract companies to invest in building chip factories on American soil.

Thanks to the law, TSMC is building two plants in the United States and announced plans for a third in April, bringing its total investment up to $65 billion.

Trump lamented in the interview that Washington was "giving them billions of dollars to build new chips in our country, and then they're going to take that too".

"I don't think we're any different from an insurance policy. Why? Why are we doing this? They took almost 100% of our chip industry, I give them credit," he said.

Acknowledging Trump's comments on Wednesday, Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai pointed out Taipei had steadily boosted its defence budget in recent years.

"We are willing to take on more responsibility; we are defending ourselves and ensuring our security," he told reporters during a press briefing.

"We are also clear that Taiwan-US relations have been very strong in recent years. Maintaining peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region is our common responsibility and goal."

China has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and has also ramped up rhetoric about "unification" being "inevitable".

aw-dhc/smw
Deadly strikes pound Gaza as Israel PM vows to ramp up pressure



, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



Israel kept up its air strikes on Gaza Wednesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ramp up the pressure on Hamas as hopes fade for a US-announced ceasefire plan.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of deliberately undermining negotiations for a truce and hostage release deal because it did not want to end the war.

The Israeli military said it had carried out 25 strikes in 24 hours, targeting "military structures, terrorist infrastructure, terrorist cells and rigged structures".

It said its troops were also "continuing precise, intelligence-based operational activity" around the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Netanyahu, who has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas, insisted Tuesday that despite the pressure Israel was coming under, there could be no let-up in Israel's campaign against the militants.

"This is exactly the time to increase the pressure even more, to bring home all the hostages -- the living and the dead -- and to achieve all the war objectives," he said.

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said 52 people, most of them women and children, had been killed in Israeli strikes over the previous 24 hours.

The UN humanitarian office OCHA said multiple strikes across Gaza on Tuesday killed and wounded dozens.

The territory's civil defence agency said 30 people had been killed in three strikes in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, one on a UN-run school, another on a house and a third on a mosque.



- Talks deadlock -



In southern Gaza, two people were killed in Israeli bombardment of the Shakush area, northwest of Rafah, a medical source at Nasser Hospital said.

At least 90 percent of Gazans have been forced from their homes, many of them seeking refuge in UN-run schools. Seven of them have been hit by Israeli strikes since July 6.

Nearly 70 percent of UN-run schools across Gaza have been hit during more than nine months of fighting, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

"Why do they target us when we are innocent people?" asked Umm Mohammed al-Hasanat, sheltering with her family at a UN-run school in Nuseirat, which was among those hit.

"We do not carry weapons but are just sitting and trying to find safety for ourselves and our children."

Washington has been pushing for a truce deal between Israel and Hamas since President Joe Biden released details of what he said was an Israeli ceasefire roadmap on May 31.

But despite the efforts of Egyptian and Qatari mediators, indirect negotiations between the foes have made no headway.

In a telephone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan late Tuesday, the Hamas leader blamed Israel for the deadlock.

"We dealt positively with the proposals put to us by the mediators but the occupation is avoiding the required outcome and does not want to reach an agreement under which it ends its war," Haniyeh said.

His comments came after a senior Hamas official said Sunday that the group was withdrawing from the current talks following Israel's deadly strikes but was ready to return if its attitude changes.



- Hostage families demand deal -



The war began with Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza including 42 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed at least 38,713 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.

Critics in Israel, including tens of thousands of demonstrators who have taken to the streets to demand a deal to bring home the hostages, have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war.

The families of five Israeli women soldiers among the hostages said Tuesday they were "begging" the prime minister to "make the deal happen".

"We are waiting for a face-to-face meeting with you (Netanyahu) to ensure that the negotiations are moving towards a signed deal," said Ayelet Levy, whose daughter was abducted on October 7.

Meanwhile ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters fought police near Tel Aviv, hours after the Israeli military said it would begin issuing draft notices for men in the community from Sunday.

Historically exempt from compulsory military service, ultra-Orthodox seminary students are being called up as the Gaza war and a potential conflict with Hezbollah strain the armed forces' manpower and fuel resentment against those who do not have to serve.
China says halted nuclear arms talks with US over Taiwan weapons sales



Beijing, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



China said Wednesday it had suspended negotiations with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control in response to Washington's weapons sales to Taiwan.

The US and China in November held rare talks on nuclear arms control, part of a bid to ease mistrust ahead of a summit between leader Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Further dialogue had not been publicly announced since, with a White House official in January urging Beijing to respond "to some of our more substantive ideas on risk reduction."

But China's foreign ministry on Wednesday said recent US sales of arms to self-ruled Taiwan were "seriously undermining the political atmosphere for continued arms control consultations between the two sides".

"The US has... continued its arms sales to Taiwan, and taken a series of negative actions that seriously damage China's core interests and undermine political mutual trust," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

"For this reason, China has decided to suspend negotiations with the United States on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations," he added.

The Pentagon in a congressionally mandated report last October said that China was developing its nuclear arsenal more quickly than the United States had earlier anticipated.

China possessed more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.

The United States currently possesses about 3,700 nuclear warheads, trailing Russia's roughly 4,500, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which counts 410 warheads for China.

"China is willing to maintain communication with the United States on international arms control issues on the basis of mutual respect," Lin said.

"But the United States must respect China's core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue," he warned.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but it has remained Taiwan's most important partner and biggest arms supplier, sparking repeated condemnations from China.

Washington in June approved two military sales to Taiwan worth approximately $300 million in total, mostly of spare and repair parts for the island's F-16 fighter jets.
Drones target Iraq base housing US-led coalition: security sources



Baghdad, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



Two drones were launched against a base in Iraq where forces of the US-led anti-jihadist coalition are stationed, security officials said Wednesday.

"An attack using two drones" targeted Ain al-Assad base in Anbar province on Tuesday evening, a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

"One drone was shot down outside the base by defence systems, and the second exploded inside the base without causing any injuries or damage," he added.

The attack comes amid escalating regional tensions fuelled by the war in Gaza between Washington's ally Israel and the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have largely halted similar attacks on US-backed troops in recent months, but have continued to threaten action should war break out between their ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel.

A senior security official in Baghdad confirmed Tuesday's attack, saying he believed it was meant to "embarrass" the Iraqi government and pressure the international coalition to leave Iraq, a long-time demand of the Iran-backed groups.

The US military has some 2,500 troops deployed in Iraq and 900 in Syria with the international coalition.

The coalition was deployed to Iraq at the government's request in 2014 to help combat IS, which had taken over vast swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups, has carried out more than 175 rocket and drone strikes against US-led troops in Iraq and Syria.

It says the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza, demanding an end to the Israeli offensive.

In April, rocket fire from northern Iraq targeted a base hosting the international coalition in Syria.

In late January, a drone strike launched by Iraqi armed groups killed three US soldiers in a base across the border in Jordan.

In retaliation, the US launched deadly strikes against pro-Iran factions in Iraq and Syria.

Baghdad has sought to defuse the tensions, engaging in talks with Washington to negotiate a timeline for the coalition's withdrawal.
India navy says nine crew rescued from capsized oil tanker off Oman



New Delhi, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



India's navy said Wednesday that one of its warships had rescued nine of 16 crew members aboard an oil tanker that capsized off the coast of Oman earlier this week.

The Comorian-flagged MV Prestige Falcon overturned and sank in the Arabian Sea late on Monday night with 13 Indian and three Sri Lankan nationals aboard.

Indian warship INS Teg was diverted from its operations in the area to assist for a search and rescue operation hampered by "rough seas and strong winds", a navy statement said.

Eight Indians and one Sri Lankan had been rescued by the vessel in the "challenging weather conditions", it added.

The vessel was headed for the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to shipping website marinetraffic.com.

Oman's Maritime Security Centre did not specify the cause of the capsize.
French church's best-known humanitarian accused of sexual assault



Paris, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



France's best known priest, the late Abbe Pierre, a revered and beloved champion of the homeless, has been accused of sexually assaulting several women and a girl, his charities said Wednesday.

A Capuchin monk since 1932 and an ordained Catholic clergyman since 1938, Henri Groues died in 2007 aged 94. He left behind a legacy as a friend to the poverty-stricken and founder of the charities Emmaus and the Abbe Pierre foundation.

On Wednesday, however, his reputation was in tatters after it was revealed that seven women had made credible allegations of sexual assault or harassment by the elderly cleric dating back to between 1970 and 2005.

"Our organisations celebrate the courage of the people who have given testimony and, through their words, allowed these facts to come to light. We believe them," homeless charity Emmaus and the abbot's foundation said in a joint statement.

The allegations are detailed in an independent report commissioned by the charities after a first claim that Groues had assaulted a woman.

"This work meant the testimonies of seven women could be gathered, attesting to behaviour that could be interpreted as sexual assault or sexual harassment," between 1970 and 2005, the charities said.

One of the women "was underage at the time of the events", they added.

A source at Emmaus told AFP that no criminal complaint had so far been filed.

In a social media post the bishop's conference of France's Catholic Church expressed "shame that such acts could be committed by a priest".



- 'I need it' -



Some 17 years after his death, Groues's gaunt, bearded features remain a familiar sight on charity shops posters and in metro stations urging French people to think of the poor.

He gave his inheritance away aged 18 to join the order of Capuchin monks, later becoming active in the Resistance to Nazi occupation and spending several post-war years as a member of parliament.

In 1949, he founded the Emmaus community that preaches self-help for excluded people, which has since spread to dozens of countries.

He was also a backer of the "Restos du coeur" soup kitchens movement and clashed with city authorities that failed to lodge the homeless.

The report's author Caroline de Haas said she had gathered testimony pointing to "inappropriate behaviour of a personal nature, a sexual proposition, repeated comments with sexual connotations, attempts at unsolicited physical contact and unsolicited contact on the breasts".

One of the women reported that Abbe Pierre had "started groping her left breast" while she was "at the foot of the stairs, in an airlock type place".

A few years later, she was in an office.

"I walked up to him to shake his hand. He tried to pull me towards the window. I told him 'No, Father'. He told me, 'I need it'. I said: 'No', and he left," she told the investigation.



- 'Idolatry' -



Another woman said Abbe Pierre would "put his hands on her chest, breasts" while they "were talking about work".

And another stated that, one day, "when saying goodbye, he inserted his tongue into my mouth in a brutal and totally unexpected way".

De Haas said the investigation had triggered rising astonishment that Abbe Pierre's behaviour had gone unexposed for so long.

She pointed to a "form of influence fuelled by the age difference, the status of Abbe Pierre and a form of idolatry, or the situation of subordination between him and the people."

After the initial complaints had been heard, a confidential system for gathering evidence was put in place at three associations.
China says halted nuclear arms talks with US over Taiwan weapons sales



Beijing, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



China said Wednesday it had suspended negotiations with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control in response to Washington's weapons sales to Taiwan -- a move the State Department called "unfortunate."

The US and China in November held rare talks on nuclear arms control, part of a bid to ease mistrust ahead of a summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Further dialogue had not been publicly announced since, with a White House official in January urging Beijing to respond "to some of our more substantive ideas on risk reduction."

But China's foreign ministry on Wednesday said recent US sales of arms to self-ruled Taiwan were "seriously undermining the political atmosphere for continued arms control consultations between the two sides".

"The US has... continued its arms sales to Taiwan, and taken a series of negative actions that seriously damage China's core interests and undermine political mutual trust," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

"For this reason, China has decided to suspend negotiations with the United States on a new round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations," he added.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but it has remained Taiwan's most important partner and biggest arms supplier, sparking repeated condemnations from China.

Washington in June approved two military sales to Taiwan worth approximately $300 million in total, mostly of spare and repair parts for the island's F-16 fighter jets.



- Nuclear arsenal increasing -



In a congressionally mandated report last October, the US Defense Department said China was developing its nuclear arsenal more quickly than the United States had anticipated.

China possessed more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023 and is likely to have more than 1,000 by 2030, it said.

The United States currently possesses about 3,700 nuclear warheads, trailing Russia's roughly 4,500, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which counts 410 warheads for China.

Washington for its part criticised China for halting the negotiations.

"China has chosen to follow Russia's lead in asserting that engagement on arms control can't proceed when there are other challenges in the bilateral relationship," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

"That step they have taken is unfortunate," he said.

"We think this approach undermines strategic stability. It increases the risk of arms race dynamics."

Lin had said that China is "willing to maintain communication with the United States on international arms control issues on the basis of mutual respect".

"But the United States must respect China's core interests and create necessary conditions for dialogue," he warned.
For years, Vance sucked up to the idiotic Don Jr and Eric Trump to win their fathers favour and brought billionaire tech bro friends, such as his mentor Peter Thiel, into the Republican fold. As a son of the rust belt, he says Trump has tasked him with winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, but the white, rural working-class are already pro-Trump. Vance, 39, has youth and brains but I cant see him attracting suburban moms. All ladies, including cat lovers, have a vote and have proved their power several times over in the mid-term elections and on abortion-related ballots. You can see why Kellyanne Conway, Trumps astute former White House adviser, warned against nominating Vance for vice-president (though she has since fallen into line).
Politicians on both sides have without a doubt worsened the climate with ever uglier and more violent rhetoric. Trump has been the worst, openly predicting a bloodbath if he loses the election in November. But Biden is now retaliating in kind. The ageing president was forced to admit in an interview with NBC on Monday that his words to donors last week that it was time to put Trump in the bullseye were a mistake.
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There is no a good service again on the Circle Line after the line was hit by minor delays due to a shortage of trains. But there are still delays on the London Overground while TfL fix a signal failure at West Croydon.
Ireland is very keen to see a closer relationship between the UK and Europe, we believe it is in our interests, we also believe it is in the interests of the European Union to have its closest neighbour with a closer relationship.
We will level up workers rights, so every person has security, respect and dignity at work; we will create a new industrial strategy and invest in cleaner, cheaper British energy; and we will harness the power of artificial intelligence as we look to strengthen safety frameworks.
The SNP Westminster leader added: The decision over whether to scrap the two-child cap is an early and important litmus test of whether the Labour government is capable of delivering the full scale change people in Scotland want to see  or whether it will impose the same damaging cuts and failed policies as the Tories.
Not only is what is stated in the document untrue, making no reference to the LDI crisis precipitated by the Bank of Englands regulatory failures; but I regard it as a flagrant breach of the civil service code, since such personal and political attacks have no place in a document prepared by civil servants  an error made all the more egregious when the attack is allowed to masquerade in the document among key facts.
On Facebook, Mrs Pittalis - who is flying out from Bristol with his younger brother to join the manhunt - urged locals: He is a very sweet boy, you can approach him without fear, please, if you see him stop him, talk to him, but dont leave him alone.
=Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), declared on Wednesday that he would propose a man for the position of European Commissioner that belongs to Romania in the new composition of the European Commission.

He participated on Wednesday in the ordinary election conference of PSD Sector 3, where the current mayor of Sector 3, Robert Negoita, was elected as the head of the social-democratic organization.

"After two proposed ladies, I think we will propose a man. I repeat, twice Romania came with two proposals for commissioner, ladies. I think that this time, Romania can make a proposal for a gentleman", Marcel Ciolacu said when asked whether he will have two proposals for the position of European Commissioner that will return to Romania, for equal opportunities, respectively "a woman and a man".

Also, the head of the Government was asked about the negotiations conducted by the Romanian side for the post of European Commissioner

"Just as in the case of the Commission and the leadership of the Commission, just as in the case of the European Parliament, you saw that the PSD is represented and Romania is represented by a vice-president in the [European] Parliament. These positions, by custom, are divided according to the political families. Romania will have a representative in the position of commissioner. First, the positions of commissioner are divided within the political families. In fact, we informed the European political family we belong to, S&D, of social democrats, the fact that we want the economy commissioner, the current economic commissioner being Mr. Gentiloni. We will see how the negotiations will go. But you also know that we, Romania, are different from the others. I will nominate the commissioner, and Mr. President Iohannis, according to a decision of the CCR that I am not commenting on, but we are implementing, are negotiating within the European Council," answered Ciolacu.

At the same time, the prime minister specified that he had discussions with his other counterparts on this subject.

"I tried to have direct contact with as many prime ministers as possible, primarily social democrats from Europe, and I also had discussions with Chancellor Scholz, and Antonio Costa, and Pedro Sanchez, and Mette from Denmark. There are some negotiations that we are conducting during this period", stated Ciolacu.

In the same context, he was also asked about Ursula von der Leyen's chances of obtaining a new mandate at the head of the European Commission.

"I know, for a fact, between the big political families, between S&D, PPE and Renew, there is a political agreement, and tomorrow there will be a vote to continue a new mandate for Mrs. Ursula, as president of the Commission, followed by Antonio Costa from S&D to take over the European Council and I saw that Mrs. Metsola was already voted for two and a half years at the head of the European Parliament. There are always discussions about whether the votes will arrive or not. The same discussions were held five years ago. I am firmly convinced that this time the three European families will secure the necessary votes for Madam President Ursula to take a new mandate and to respect the agreement concluded between the European families", said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Romania is in a complicated budgetary context and a balanced approach is needed from the authorities to ensure maintaining within the assumed deficit, but healthcare must remain a priority sector, according to the Council of Foreign Investors (FIC)'s representatives.

The sustainability of the healthcare sector is important not only for improving the care of citizens, but also for supporting a solid business milieu and sustainable economic growth, mentions a press release from the FIC, sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

"Following the long-term trend of Romania's GDP according to the National Strategy and Forecasting Commission, the average growth rate has almost halved compared to the period 2000-2008. This decrease occurred mainly through the reduction in the contribution of the labor factor, which could end up including zero or negative contribution to the GDP-potential growth in the future (...). This decrease is not only caused by migration and the aging of the population, but also by factors related to the health of the population and the reduction of the number of hours worked as a result of various ailments", the document reads.

According to the quoted source, the investment in healthcare and the increase in allocations to the healthcare sector can reverse the tendency to reduce the contribution of human capital, especially in prevention, reducing the indirect costs of diseases (lost productivity), including additional tax revenues. "Estimates show that only in the case of cancer, the loss of GDP is estimated at approximately 3% of GDP per year, and approximately 1% of GDP loss of tax revenues", the FIC informs.

The Council of Foreign Investors published in May a document outlining a series of measures to ensure the sustainability and innovation of the medical system with an emphasis on adequate financing.

In July, together with the Ministry of Health, the FIC organized a roundtable meeting entitled "Investments in healthcare are investments in Romania's future. Financing and development of the medical system". According to FIC, the main message of this conference was: human capital and healthcare must become a national priority.

"All 40+ speakers from different segments of the medical system presented their point of view on the medical system and also on the measures taken by the institutions or organizations they represent. One single message was constant and indispensable in the intervention to everyone, regardless of whether it was authorities, investors, healthcare experts, representatives of patient organizations or doctors, hospital managers and non-profit organizations - human capital and healthcare must become a national priority. The FIC appreciates the measures adopted by the Ministry Health for the stimulation of investments in healthcare from European and private funds and at the same time, the increase of the amounts allocated for investments and expenses in the country by the Ministry of Finance", the press release states.

The FIC members will continue to work together with the two ministries to jointly identify the appropriate financing, through all available financing mechanisms, both from their own sources, but also through allocations from European funds and through public-private partnerships, the release states.

"Our common goal is to ensure the necessary prevention, medical care, access to medicines and the latest technologies in order to reverse the data that today places Romania in the lower positions in the EU rankings", reveals the quoted source.

The Council of Foreign Investors (FIC) is the association that brings together the most important investors with foreign capital in Romania, approximately 110 of the largest companies in the country with a cumulative turnover that represents approximately one fifth of the gross domestic product and that have a significant contribution to the state budget. In the more than 25 years since the establishment of the organization, FIC member companies have always supported the importance of dialogue between the business community and the authorities.
Romania - Sri Lanka maritime trade cooperation is essential, given the geographical position of the two countries, is the opinion voiced by president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR) Mihai Daraban at a meeting on Wednesday with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Ali Sabry, on the sidelines of the official visit to Romania by representatives of the Sri Lankan government.

Referring to ways of boosting trade relations with Sri Lanka, the CCIR president emphasized that the geographical position of the two states "essentially shapes" their maritime cooperation.

"Sri Lanka is a maritime trade hub in the South Asian region, with trans-shipping accounting for 75 percent of the activity of the Port of Colombo. At the same time, Romania, through Constanta Port - the only left functional at the Black Sea - is the gateway for goods entering Central and Western Europe. It is worth noting that over 170 Sri Lankan companies are present in our country, and we consider them to be true ambassadors of this state to Romania, which, together with domestic businesses, can bring added value to the economies of the two states," said Daraban.

In his turn, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry stated that due to its access to the Black Sea, but also to the fact that it is a EU member, Romania represents a major interest for the economic development of the South Asian island state.

Today, relations between the EU and Sri Lanka are governed by a comprehensive cooperation agreement on partnership and development, which came into force in April 1995. Thus, the EU became Sri Lanka's second-largest trading partner after China and its second main export destination, absorbing 22.4 percent of Sri Lanka's exports in 2020. At today's meeting with the CCIR management we identified real business development opportunities for Romanian and Sri Lankan entrepreneurs. For us, the connection we established with CCIR - Romania's most important business promotion vector - is essential, said Ali Sabry.
A C-27 J Spartan aircraft, configured for firefighting, and a C-130 Hercules aircraft, for logistic support, from the Romanian Air Force have been in action since Wednesday in support of the intervention forces of the Republic of North Macedonia to extinguish wildfires.

According to a press release from the National Defence Ministry (MApN), the aircraft took off from Otopeni Air Transportation Base 90 at around 9.00 am, and the missions will continue in the coming days, depending on the actual situation on the ground.

The air mission is being carried out following a decision issued on July 16 by the National Committee for Emergency Situations.

In firefighting configuration, the C-27J Spartan aircraft can carry 6,000 liters of water (six containers) per pass. Aircraft of this type of the Romanian Air Force have acted since 2017 to date to extinguish several wildfires in Romania in the counties of Mehedinti, Alba, Hunedoara and Buzau.

Also, in previous years, aircraft of this type carried out missions to extinguish wildfires in France, the Republic of Slovenia, Greece and North Macedonia, Defence Ministry representatives also said.
Border guards at the Nadlac II customs offices on Wednesday morning found 17 people from Cuba, Syria and Iraq hidden in a lorry driven by a Turkish national shipping goods to Belgium.

"A Turkish national showed up for customs clearance on the way out of Romania behind the wheel of a road vehicle registered in Turkey that was shipping, according to the cargo manifest, various goods from Turkey to Belgium. Based on a risk profile, a thorough control of the vehicle was carried out, as a result of which the border guards found, in the compartment intended for the transport of goods, among the transported goods, 17 foreign nationals, who were taken for investigations. During the checks, our colleagues established that there are citizens from Syria, Iraq and Cuba, who intended to illegally cross the state border," the Arad Border Police reports.

The Turkish driver is being investigated for migrant smuggling, and those hiding in the lorry for attempting to illegally cross the state border.
JEFFERSON CITY  A top deputy in Gov. Mike Parsons administration is running for Congress in Florida, raising questions about how much time hes spending on his six-figure state job in Missouri.

Aaron Dimmock, who earns $103,000 as a leadership training supervisor in the governors Office of Administration, is seeking to topple U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Republican primary for a district in the Florida Panhandle.

Dimmocks campaign told the Post-Dispatch in an email Wednesday that he works remotely from northern Florida, although he travels to Missouri for certain in-person events and conferences about once a month.

Aaron works 20-40 hours per week in this role, depending on the program volume, the campaign said in a statement, adding that he notified his supervisor that he was running for the position.

Parson spokesman Johnathan Shiflett confirmed Wednesday that Dimmock discussed his candidacy in Floridas Aug. 20 primary with his superiors before launching his run in April.

Mr. Dimmock did inform the Office of Administration of his decision to run for political office. His candidacy is not prohibited under Missouri law, Shiflett said. Mr. Dimmock continues to fulfill his responsibilities to the State of Missouri.

Remote work from out of state locations is outlined in a 2021 administrative policy statement. The worker must receive written permission from a supervisor. The provision was instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

St. Louis County property records show Dimmock and his wife, Kimberly, own a house in Chesterfield.

On his campaign website, Dimmock describes himself as a former naval aviator who retired after 20 years. He says he resides in Pensacola with his wife and four children.

In the Navy, Dimmock flew missions over Bosnia and Serbia, as well as anti-drug missions in Central and South America, the website notes.

According to Dimmocks LinkedIn page, he teaches business executives how to lead with candor, which he describes as the ability to give feedback in a way that shows people you care about them personally and are willing to challenge them directly.

In Missouri, as part of an initiative first pushed by former Gov. Eric Greitens that has continued under Parson, Dimmock has led classes of state employees seeking to improve their leadership skills.

Dimmock reported raising $285,000 in the most recent quarter. The lone contribution from Missouri came from former U.S. Sen. John Danforth, who wrote a check for $3,300.

Gaetz, who has been in Congress since 2017, played a key role in the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October 2023.

In May, Politico reported that a top McCarthy adviser helped vet Dimmock for the challenge. Dimmocks campaign committee also has the same treasurer as American Patriots PAC, an organization linked to McCarthy during the previous election cycle.

Although publicly available polling shows Gaetz favored by voters in the district, Shiflett said Dimmock will leave the state payroll if he wins.

Should he win election to political office, he would need to resign or his position with the state will be terminated, Shiflett said.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Accentro Real Estate AG / Key word(s): Financing/Real Estate

ACCENTRO Real Estate AG informs about the planned deferral of the interest due in August re. the 2020/2026 bond and the status of the ongoing negotiations with bondholders



16-Jul-2024 / 23:41 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



ACCENTRO Real Estate AG informs about the planned deferral of the interest due in August re. the 2020/2026 bond and the status of the ongoing negotiations with bondholders Berlin, 16 July 2024 - ACCENTRO Real Estate AG (the "Company") announces that negotiations on a restructuring solution to secure the Company's continued existence with a group of significant bondholders of the 2020/2026 bond (ISIN DE000A254YS5 / WKN A254YS, "2020/2026 bond") and the bondholder of the 2021/2029 bond (ISIN DE000A3H3D51 / WKN A3H3D5, "2021/2029 bond") are ongoing. To avoid prejudicing these negotiations, the Company intends, as a purely precautionary measure, to initiate proceedings to obtain approval with regard to a deferral of the interest due in August on the 2020/2026 bond until 13 December 2024 in accordance with the German Bond Act (Schuldverschreibungsgesetz). For the same reason, the Company intends to simultaneously obtain the consent of the bondholder of the 2021/2029 bond regarding the deferral of the interest due in September on the 2021/2029 bond until 20 December 2024, on the condition that the consent of the bondholders of the 2020/2026 bond is granted as requested. Corresponding announcements will be made available to the bondholders of the 2020/2026 bond in due course. Notifying person: Thomas Eisenlohr, Head of Investor Relations

Phone: +49 (0)30 887181272

eisenlohr@accentro.de Berlin, the 16 July 2024 The Management Board

ACCENTRO Real Estate AG

Kantstrasse 44/45

D-10625 Berlin ISIN: DE000A0KFKB3 / DE000A3H3D51 / DE000A254YS5 Stock exchanges: Frankfurt Stock Exchange, regulated market (Prime Standard) / Luxembourg Stock Exchange



End of Inside Information

16-Jul-2024 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Possible E. coli contamination closed the exchange food court at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea  Authorities closed the base exchange food court Wednesday after a routine inspection discovered possible E. coli contamination, according to a base spokesman.

A sample taken Tuesday from a facility water line by the 51st Fighter Wings bioenvironmental engineering flight tested positive for the harmful bacteria the following day, according to an email to Stars and Stripes from wing spokesman Capt. Kippun Sumner.

Consumers were advised to boil or avoid using the water from building 965 for drinking, showering, bathing and washing clothes, the email said. No other building is believed to be contaminated.

Drinking water contaminated by E. coli may cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms.

There have been no reported cases related to any E-Coli contamination at this time, Sumner wrote. The wings Public Health Office recommended closing the food court until the source could be identified or until all water samples are confirmed safe.

Sumner said the 51st Medical Group sampled water from throughout the exchange to identify the source of the contamination.

The 51st Civil Engineering Squadron is currently working to flush the water lines to ensure there is no further contamination. After the water lines are flushed, an additional certification test will be conducted to ensure the water is safe to drink again, Sumner wrote.

Once the water sample tests show no bacteria or concerns for contaminants, the wing will update the buildings status, he said.
Japanese, American and United Nations flags flap in the breeze at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, April 14, 2023. (Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  A Japanese yachtsman was taken into custody this week after landing at White Beach Naval Facility, according to the Navy and Japans coast guard.

U.S. military police arrested a Japanese man who landed within the premises of White Beach on a yacht and reported it to the coast guard at 1:25 p.m. Tuesday, a coast guard news release said. The man was handed over to the coast guard at 3:13 p.m., according to the release.

A spokeswoman for Fleet Activities Okinawa said the man sailed a leisure vessel into restricted waters near White Beach. The coast guard towed the vessel away, according to an email from spokeswoman Candice Barber.

U.S. Security forces responded, and at no point was the security or protection of the base in question, she wrote. As a reminder to the public, access to a U.S. Navy installation is restricted to authorized personnel.

The man identified himself as Minoru Tomono, 77, of Saitama prefecture, just north of Tokyo. He carried no identification and coast guard officials could not immediately confirm his identity, a coast guard spokesman said by phone Wednesday. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, the spokesman said.

We only know that he departed from Yonabaru Marina, he said. Yonabaru is approximately 12 miles southwest of White Beach across the open water.

The man remains in custody at the Nakagusuku Coast Guard Office. Japans coast guard will either release him or forward his case to prosecutors within 48 hours of the arrest, the spokesman said.

If convicted of an offense, the man could face imprisonment for up to a year or a fine of up to 2,000 yen, or $12.67, according to the release.

White Beach Naval Facility, near the tip of Katsuren Peninsula, is used as a staging ground for U.S. Marines and their equipment on Okinawa, according to the Navy Region Japan website.
(Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Vicenza, Italy, March 30, 2006: Jen Dean holds the American flag and a sign that says it all as she greets her husband, Capt. Joel Dean of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, back to Vicenza, Italy. Dean and his fellow soldiers were returning from a years deployment to Afghanistan.
Personnel with the 374th Contracting Squadron gather for linguist training at Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 11, 2024. Technology presented in the course aims to create an easier path for translating domain-specific languages by utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning. (Irene York/U.S. Air Force)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  When the contracting squadron at this airlift hub in western Tokyo needed help translating DOD geek speak into Japanese, it turned to artificial intelligence, or AI.

Members of YokoWERX, an innovation lab at Yokota that helps airmen solve technical problems, referred the 374th Contracting Squadron to Lilt, an Emeryville, Calif.-based company whose founders worked at Google Translate before starting their own firm.

They were able to create a machine learning model specifically for our organization, so all of the DoD geekspeak we have could be incorporated into our own AI application for translation, squadron commander Lt. Col. Mark Wagner told Stars and Stripes in an interview July 2.

Translation is just one aspect of AI that interests the Defense Department, which established the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office on June 1, 2022.

The Pentagon is requesting $1.8 billion to support the delivery and adoption of AI-enabled capabilities, workforce development and data management efforts for fiscal 2025, according to a Defense Scoop article from March 11.

Lilt specializes in AI-based translation applications using large language models, a form of AI that uncovers patterns across large amounts of text and applies it to generate responses.

The Defense Department awarded Lilt a $5.8 million contract that expires in March 2028, according to usaspending.gov. The company started work in December with units in Japan and South Korea in several fields, including medical, intelligence and contracting, according to usaspending.gov and Phil Stiefel, Lilts director for DOD and Asia-Pacific.

We officially got on contract to work in December of 2023, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

Stiefel visited Yokota in January 2023 for a site survey and to meet some squadron leaders and learn about challenges that Lilts AI translation model could help them overcome.

Weve been looking to do something for a long time, Stiefel said in the interview. It just took a while to find a funding source and to get on a contract.

Last month, Stiefel returned to Yokota as part of a series of visits to U.S. military bases in Japan and South Korea to teach the contracting squadron how to train its AI model to accurately translate documents and contracts.

The service is web-based and provided by Lilt, but DOD will have exclusive control of it once its fully established, Wagner said

To convert a document, Yokotas contracting squadron uploads it to the translation site and selects the language it needs to be converted to, Wagner said.

After a few minutes, the site provides a translated version of the document, which is sent to a human translator to correct any errors the AI made, he said. During the review, translators can add words and acronyms to the AIs vocabulary.

The software then receives the corrected document and learns the corrections and added vocabulary, so it doesnt make the same mistakes on future translations, Wagner said.

The contracting squadron plans to officially launch the AI model after its had more time to train it, he said.

My intent for this is to broaden who we do business with and increase competition, which will hopefully lower costs, he said.

Wagner foresees wider applications as the Air Force works with other U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.

The second goal of this technology is to use that in an Agile Combat Employment environment, he said. If we have to go out and operate in another location like the Philippines or anywhere else in the region, we can use this technology to generate documents in the native language and from the native language back to ours very quickly.
A news programme about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is seen on a giant screen at a shopping mall in Beijing July 14, 2024. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (Tribune News Service)  In China, the message of former President Trumps assassination attempt was clear: Just another sign of its biggest rivals inevitable decline.

The Global Times, a Communist Party-run tabloid, wrote that the shooting Saturday in Pennsylvania was a symptom of an increasingly divided and disorderly nation.

A cartoon from the publication titled Democracy in Danger depicted a wave of water labeled political violence rising to overtake the Statue of Liberty.

Such violence is likely to become more frequent as the country is further polarized, the paper wrote. The shooting also exposed the high degree of instability and unpredictability of U.S. politics, further triggering doubts among its allies over Washingtons leadership.

On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally, killing one attendee and striking the former presidents right ear. The gunman, whose motives remain under investigation, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents.

Across much of the world, the attack was greeted with shock, horror and expressions of sympathy. But many U.S. enemies and rivals were quick to say it symbolizes the dwindling power and hypocrisy of American democracy and global leadership.

Chinese predictions of Americas decline arent new. In 1991, Wang Huning, a senior leader of Chinas Communist Party, published a book titled America Against America, recounting his time in the U.S. and what he saw as the flaws of capitalism and democracy that undermined the countrys future.

At that time, the U.S. was firmly seen as a world leader in economic development and international diplomacy, while China was just beginning to engage in global affairs. But as Chinas influence and economic power have grown, so have tensions between the two nations.

Under President Xi Jinping, who has encouraged nationalism and increased internet and media censorship, such narratives of Americas demise have become more prevalent. Discord in the U.S. over the past few years has only bolstered Chinas case.

During the pandemic, China touted its ability to contain the spread of the virus, in contrast to surging infections in the U.S., as an example of its superior governance. Chinese commentators have also pointed to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Black Lives Matter protests, mass shootings and perceived weaknesses of this years two presidential candidates as further evidence of the shortcomings of Western democracy.

These kinds of incidents, this kind of political violence, fits with that narrative that America is a failing political system, said Pradeep Taneja, senior lecturer on Asian politics at the University of Melbourne. A weaker America, a divided America, thats good for China.

China is facing a host of domestic issues, including a stagnating economy, declining birth rates and growing malaise among its middle class. In the last couple years, the number of Chinese migrants arriving at the U.S. border has surged, after undertaking dangerous journeys through Latin America in hopes for economic opportunity and political freedom.

However, a Global Times report said that the Chinese publics perception of America has turned more negative over the past several years. In a 2021 survey by the state-run outlet, 8.1% of respondents believed China should look up to the West, compared to 37.2% five years prior.

In the U.S., unfavorable views of China have grown even more sharply, polls show.

Fewer Chinese young people see the U.S. as more attractive alternative, said Mallie Prytherch, a researcher with the Centre on Contemporary China, who did a 2022 survey of Chinese college students.

Just because they had been disillusioned by the Chinese system did not mean they saw the Western systems as something they wanted, she said.

Xi, who took office in 2013, has presented China as an alternative style of global leadership to what he sees as Western hegemony, strengthening ties with U.S. adversaries like Russia and North Korea and courting the friendship of other countries in the Asia-Pacific through trade and diplomatic visits.

Chinese officials have said little about the shooting. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Xi had extended his sympathies to Trump and was following the situation. But the assassination attempt was widely discussed on Chinese social media, where even high-profile academics propagated conspiracy theories of the gunmans motives. Many agreed that the shooting would likely boost Trumps chances at winning reelection.

There is likely no beneficial outcome for China come November, as both Trump and President Biden have sought to prove themselves hard-line negotiators in the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship. Analysts said that while Trump is more unpredictable than Biden, his election could also undermine Americas alliances with other countries, giving China an opportunity to strengthen its own foothold in regions like Asia and the Middle East.

Theyre putting forward this idea that there is this deep internal division in the U.S. that really affects its ability to be a leader on the world stage, Prytherch said. From an American point of view, this is a moment in history. But in China, this is just another act of violence in America.

Special correspondent Xin-yun Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.

2024 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands with at the prime ministers Office in Tokyo on Tuesday. (The Japan News)

TOKYO  On the first day of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, which opened in Tokyo on Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held separate meetings with the leaders of four Pacific island countries and announced Japans support measures based on the needs of each country one after another.

The PALM, held at the initiative of Japan, has become part of Japans bid to compete against China for influence with the island nations, but the Japanese government is trying to draw attention to its stance of standing by the island nations in a way that does not unduly stir up confrontation with China.

Kishida met with Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai on Tuesday and expressed his hope for stronger ties with the island countries. I would like to take this opportunity to further strengthen the ties between Japan and the island nations, and to communicate to people in Japan and abroad the direction in which we are moving forward together, Kishida said during the meeting with Salwai.

On the same day, Kishida also met with the leaders of Tuvalu, Niue and Papua New Guinea, and informed them of Japans plans for free provision of fisheries research vessels and disaster prevention equipment, among other items. In recent years, South Pacific island nations have been the focus of a tug-of-war between China on one side and countries including Japan, the United States and Australia on the other.

The Japanese government was keenly aware of China in holding the PALM. The government aimed for a greater number of heads of government in attendance than at a similar conference held by China in 2018, and it secured the attendance of 14 of the 16 participating island nations and regions. Kishida plans to hold separate meetings with all the heads of government in attendance.

On the other hand, some of the island countries are economically dependent on China. Prior to the PALM, Salwai and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele visited China on Friday and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A senior official of Japans Foreign Ministry said, It is likely that [they] struck a balance in order to attend the Japanese conference.

Japan aims to use the PALM to curb the island nations dependence on China and to share with them the importance of an international order based on free and fair rules.

However, there is also a tendency on the part of the island nations to avoid getting involved in confrontations between major powers.

The leaders declaration to be adopted on Thursday is expected to include opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force with China in mind, while avoiding directly mentioning that country by name. The Japanese government intends to distinguish itself from China by offering support that takes advantage of Japans technological capabilities, such as the improvement of cyber defense systems.
A portion of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is pictured on May 24, 2017. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  South Koreas military has warned that heavy rains may dislodge small, camouflaged land mines the size of leaves planted by North Korea inside the Demilitarized Zone.

Since April, the North has been deploying mines that resemble tree leaves in the northern region of the DMZ, which divides the Korean Peninsula, an unnamed South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said Wednesday, according to a Yonhap News report that day.

These land mines, colored green and brown, contain about 1.4 ounces of explosives and are among tens of thousands of mines the South Korean military believes are buried in the DMZ, the official said in the report.

The mines are difficult to see with the naked eye and the Souths Ministry of National Defense has not ruled out the possibility of the explosives being moved by torrential waters during the summer, the official reportedly said.

Seoul routinely urges Pyongyang to warn the South of water discharges from its dams, particularly during the summer, the rainy season. Flooding caused by unexpected discharges from North Korean dams killed six South Koreans in 2009.

We are currently facing a complex crisis in which we must prepare for the threat of North Korean provocations and unpredictable natural disasters, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in a Joint Chiefs news release Wednesday.

North Korean troops work inside the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea in this undated photo provided by the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 17, 2024. (South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff)

North Korea last released a small amount of water without warning on July 9, according to a news release that day from the Souths Ministry of Environment. The ministry said South Korea began releasing water from its own dams throughout the country last week due to the increased water levels.

The Souths military reported an uptick of North Korean soldiers laying mines, reinforcing roads and constructing barriers on their side of the border starting in April. Some of the soldiers were injured after inadvertently triggering at least 10 landmines, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

These North Korean working parties, composed of both men and women, worked around the clock in 12- to 13-hour shifts and lived in squalid conditions inside makeshift tents, the ministry said in a news release Wednesday.

The ministry is preparing for the possibility that some of the North Korean troops may cross the border to defect, due to their living conditions, according to the release.

South Koreas military has detected North Korean soldiers crossing the DMZ on multiple occasions since June. Those crossings prompted South Korean soldiers to fire warning shots and make loudspeaker broadcasts ordering the intruding forces back across the border.

Relations between the two Koreas have soured after both countries withdrew from a military deconfliction agreement that set limits to military exercises and flights near the DMZ.

Seoul in November partially suspended the agreement after Pyongyang launched a military satellite. Afterward, North Korea completely scrapped the accord.

Seoul formally withdrew from the agreement in June and resumed artillery drills near the DMZ after Pyongyang sent thousands of balloons carrying trash across its southern border.
Yokota Air Base in the suburbs of western Tokyo is home to U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  Japans government has denied a claim it withheld information about a contaminated water spill last year at this airlift hub in western Tokyo.

The spill of around 167 gallons occurred at the receiving dock at the Yokota Community Center, which houses the base commissary and exchange, on Jan. 25, 2023, the Tokyo Shimbun reported July 10, citing unnamed officials.

The U.S. military provided information about the accident to the Japanese government in March at a meeting of the two nations Environment Subcommittee. In June, the members agreed to withhold the accident details from local government officials, the newspaper reported.

However, no such agreement to withhold information was made, the North Kanto Defense Bureau, an arm of Japans Defense Ministry, told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.

As the report on this case was very detailed, we have been told by the U.S. side that they are continuing to investigate and confirm the facts and circumstances and there has not been any agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments to keep the information from being disclosed, the bureau spokesman said by phone.

Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.

The Defense Ministry takes residents anxiety and concerns about contaminated water seriously, the spokesman said. It will continue to work with relevant ministries and agencies and U.S. officials to provide an explanation to local governments as soon as possible.

The U.S. military reported seven leaks at Yokota between 2010 and 2022 to the ministry, which explained them to local governments, according to Tokyo Shimbuns report.

The water that spilled near the community center, which flowed onto concrete, contained high levels of PFAS, short for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, the newspaper reported.

PFAS, a class of chemicals used in nonstick coatings on cookware and in firefighting foam, among other uses, is linked to an increased risk of certain tumors of the liver, testicles, breasts and pancreas, according to the American Cancer Society.

U.S. Forces Japan, headquartered at Yokota, told Japans Defense Ministry that there was no leakage outside the base because workers blocked a discharge outlet and mopped up the contaminated water, Tokyo Shimbun reported.

Last month, USFJ denied claims in the newspaper of possible water contamination at Yokota as inaccurate and regrettable.

USFJ did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Wednesday morning.
Trumps pick for Vice President, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, arrives on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Presidential candidate Donald Trumps pick for running mate is J.D. Vance, a memoirist turned senator who has been very critical of China across a range of issues.

Vance has suggested the U.S. military should drop everything and focus on Beijing, called for broad tariffs on Chinese imports and introduced legislation that would restrict the Asian nations access to the American financial system.

I dont like China, Vance has said. I dont like that China has stolen a lot of American jobs.

American vice presidents dont usually play big roles in setting policy and its unclear if that would change in a second Trump administration. Still, Vances harsh views of Beijing add to signs that if Trump wins in November, his government would again be very tough on the worlds second-biggest economy.

Heres a look at some of the things Vance has said about China:

Taiwan

Vance has said that a top priority for the U.S. should be preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Hes highlighted the risks of that scenario to the American economy and accused the Biden administration of failing to do enough to bolster the democratically run archipelagos defenses.

The thing that we need to prevent more than anything is a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he said in a speech last year at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. It would be catastrophic for this country. It would decimate our entire economy where the computer chips, so much of those are made in Taiwan.

That stance contrasts with comments Trump made in a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, when he indicated hes at best lukewarm about standing up to Chinese aggression regarding Taiwan.

Military capacity

Vance has also argued that the U.S. doesnt have the resources to fight simultaneous conflicts and should focus instead on China.

We do not have the industrial capacity to support a war in Ukraine, a war in Israel, potentially a war in East Asia if the Chinese invade Taiwan, so America has to pick and choose, he told Fox News in April.

He has also pushed back against the argument that a show of strength against Russias Vladimir Putin deters Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Chinese are focused on real power, he said. Theyre focused on how strong we actually are, and to be strong enough to push back against the Chinese, weve got to focus there, and right now, were stretched too thin.

Tariffs & trade

Vance has called for broad-based tariffs, especially on goods coming in from China, beyond just solar panels and electric vehicles.

We need to protect American industries from all of the competition, he said on CBSs Face the Nation in May. The reason China beats us, its not because they have better workers, its because theyre willing to use slaves to make things there.

That appeared to be a reference to the U.S. accusation that China uses forced labor in its far western region of Xinjiang  a charge that Beijing vehemently denies.

He has also blamed Beijing for problems in the U.S. employment market. I dont like China. I dont like that China has stolen a lot of American jobs, he said on the same show. We dont make enough stuff because we pursue a ridiculous foreign policy very often. We have to be more self-reliant.

Globalization

The Republican vice presidential nominee has also argued for a rethink of globalization, saying it had failed to liberalize countries like China.

The thinking in previous decades was that if we make China more like us, it will be worth it in the long run, he told Politico earlier this year. If that fundamental goal has not materialized, then I think you have to rethink the entire project.

The Ohio senator has also raised concern about the U.S. losing ground to China in the race to develop advanced technologies, especially if American companies continue to partner with the Asian nation.

You cant have technological innovation if youre offshoring so much of your industry to China, he told a Senate hearing last year. If were making American industry more expensive and were making Chinese industry cheaper, then that strikes me as a really bad deal for American consumers, a really bad deal for American technologists and ultimately a really bad deal for our national security.

Financial markets

Vance has also introduced legislation aimed at restricting Chinas access to U.S. financial markets, especially if it broke laws on finance, trade and commerce.

If the Chinese Communist Party doesnt want to play by American rules, they shouldnt be allowed access to our financial markets, he said in March. Ohio workers and our manufacturing industry have suffered the consequences of the CCPs illegal currency manipulation for far too long. Its about time we hold them accountable and force them to follow the law.

Cybersecurity

Vance has expressed concern about Chinese hackers targeting U.S. tech infrastructure. In May, he wrote a letter the the U.S. governments Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency about Volt Typhoon, which the U.S. has identified as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group.

The impact from a full-scale Volt Typhoon attack on U.S. critical infrastructure would be devastating and could result in our nation being thrown into disarray at the exact time it is under military attack from foreign adversaries, Vance wrote.

The consequences of a Volt Typhoon attack would presumably include a threat to the U.S. military by disrupting power and water to our military facilities and critical supply chains.

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Soldiers drive M915 tractor trucks in a cross-country convoy in the U.S. in May 2024. Three U.S. Army transport trucks collided on highway A6 near Ansbach, Germany. Four people, including three service members, were injured during the accident. (Du-marc Mills/U.S. Army National Guard)

This story has been corrected

Updated 12:25 p.m. Central European Time, July 19, 2024

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Four people were injured when three U.S. military trucks collided with each other and a car traveling on highway A6 near Feuchtwangen on Wednesday.

Three U.S. soldiers and the 33-year-old car driver were seriously injured and taken to surrounding hospitals, chief inspector Rudiger Gartner, an Ansbach police spokesman, said in a statement Thursday.

A sergeant, specialist and private from the 529th Combat Service Support Battalion were among the injured soldiers, according to Lauren Harrah, a spokeswoman with U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

Each soldier is receiving the appropriate medical care, and two have returned to their unit. One is in stable condition.

We continue to care for the soldiers, are in contact with families, and are working with the authorities leading the investigation, Harrah added.

The accident, which occurred near the Bavarian state border around 8:30 a.m., led to significant traffic disruptions, said chief inspector Stefan Kull, an Ansbach police spokesman.

The convoy of five U.S. military trucks was traveling towards Heilbronn when it pulled up to a traffic jam, police said.

The leading truck was able to brake in time, as was the second truck, Gartner said. However, the (third) driver was unable to brake in time and hit the semitrailer in front of him. The same happened to the following semitrailer.

The trucks did not carry explosives or hazardous materials, according to police, and U.S. military police are assisting with the investigation.

The accident happened in the two westbound lanes between Feuchtwangen-Nord and the Feuchtwangen/Crailsheim interchange, roughly 30 minutes from U.S. Army installations in Ansbach. The highway was closed in the direction of Heilbronn from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Gartner said.
A family pet sits in a carrier after being unloaded from the Patriot Express at RAF Mildenhall, England, in May 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new regulations for bringing dogs into the U.S. (Anthony Hetlage/Air Force)

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany  An airline relied upon to send many Europe-based military families with pets back to the United States plans to stop transporting most dogs beginning next month, a decision that could mean added costs and complications at the height of the military moving season.

Lufthansa, a German airline which code shares with United Airlines on many flights from Europe, made the decision to stop accepting pet dogs starting Aug. 1 in reaction to a new U.S. rule that requires airlines to verify canine health records.

Lufthansa is one of the primary carriers in Germany used to fly service members on permanent change of station orders back to the U.S., said Vera Flierl, an agent at the Vilseck office for Sato Travel, the agency responsible for booking official flights for military personnel.

The commercial airline is the only one used for pets during hot summer months, because they alone have temperature-controlled cargo areas among airlines the SATO office is authorized to book, she said.

U.S. airmen unload pets from the Patriot Express at RAF Mildenhall, England, in May 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new regulations for bringing dogs into the U.S. (Anthony Hetlage/Air Force)

Were still waiting for something in writing where they said either the pets which are confirmed [after Aug. 1] are still good or if they will also get canceled, Flierl said.

Service dogs will still be accepted, as required by U.S. law, Lufthansa spokesman Tal Muscal said in an emailed statement Thursday. He did not respond to a follow-up email asking whether preexisting reservations past Aug. 1 would be honored.

Lufthansas decision is a result of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rule released in May.

It states that any dog imported to the U.S. starting Aug. 1 must be at least six months old, healthy and microchipped. Dogs must also have proof of rabies vaccination and serologic test results from a CDC-approved laboratory.

If airlines fail to police the new requirements, they could be held responsible for shipping the animals back to the country of departure within 72 hours.

The rule is primarily focused on preventing the reintroduction of canine rabies, which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2007.

Airlines for America, an industry trade organization representing American, Delta and United Airlines, among others, on July 9 sent a letter to the CDC requesting an extension.

We remain very concerned that the rule will have unintended consequences harmful to the travelling public, the letter states. These unintentional harms will occur during the peak of summer travel season.

On July 11, Liz Hensel, founder of Leave No Paws Behind USA, a group that assists service members with resources and pet transportation costs, called on Congress to exempt military families from the new CDC rules and to increase vaccination facilities.

The new regulations and Lufthansa embargo are already causing considerable distress and hardship for military families, Hensel wrote.

When asked by Stars and Stripes on Wednesday if they would postpone the rule, the CDC said in a statement that they were aware of the concerns and actively working with federal and international partners to discuss the feedback received.

The U.S. Transportation Command has no plans at this time to alter schedules or increase in-cabin pet spaces on Patriot Express flights to the U.S., spokesman Nate Allen said in a statement Tuesday.

The Patriot Express is a commercial charter contracted by the Defense Department.

If presented with significant increase in requirements we have and will engage with commercial partners to increase capacity where possible, Allen said.

Both Muscal and Flierl recommended troops use an air freight carrier that specializes in animal transport to ship pets, such as Lufthansa Cargo.

Service members are eligible to receive up to $2,000 for one cat or dog in reimbursable expenses for PCS moves to or from the continental U.S. and $550 on domestic flights.
NATO jets intercepted two Russian fighter jets July 15, 2024, which an alliance statement said were flying with no transponder and no coordination with civilian air traffic control over international waters close to NATO territory. (Facebook/NATO Allied Air Command/Swedish air force)

STUTTGART, Germany  Two fighter planes flying from Russias military hub in Kaliningrad were intercepted over the Baltic Sea this week by allied quick reaction aircraft, according to NATO.

Pilots from NATOs two newest members, Finland and Sweden, scrambled Monday when air operations centers tracked the Russian planes, NATO said Tuesday.

Both NATOs Combined Air Operations Center in Germany and similar centers in Sweden and Finland were monitoring the flight path of the Russian fighters.

These (airplanes) were not on a flight plan, not in radio contact with civilian air traffic control and did not use a transponder signal as customary under international aviation rules, NATOs air command said in a statement.

NATO did not specify the models of the Russian aircraft.

The operation highlights how Finland and Sweden have integrated into NATOs military operations, and the alliances missile defense plans and air policing strategy.

The Nordic allies also have forged closer ties with the United States, with both countries now part of the U.S. National Guards State Partnership Program, which assigns countries to various American states to foster military cooperation.

For NATO, enhancements to the readiness of its air defenses have been a priority over the past year.

At the alliances summit last week in Washington, members agreed on a new rotational model. It provides additional forces that can be transferred around alliance territory on short notice to safeguard airspace.

In the short term, NATO will rotate modern air defense systems across the eastern flank to strengthen its deterrence posture, while over the medium term, it will improve surveillance, interceptors and command and control systems, Maj. Gen. Matt Van Wagenen, deputy chief of staff for operations at NATOs military headquarters, said in a separate Monday statement.

The U.S. is planning over the next two years to deploy to Germany long-range artillery units, Tomahawks and other hypersonic weapon systems under development.

The moves, announced during the NATO summit, involve episodic deployments that will eventually lead to the basing of such forces in Europe, the White House said.

Moscow has lashed out in response to the decision.

Europe is a target for our missiles, our country is a target for U.S. missiles in Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday. We have enough capacity to contain these missiles, but the potential victims are the capitals of these countries.

On Russian state television, other politicians and talking heads made similar threats, singling out U.S. bases in Europe as potential targets for missiles launched from Kaliningrad, a military exclave situated between Poland and Lithuania.

Since Moscows 2022 invasion of Ukraine, military saber rattling directed at NATO has become commonplace from a Kremlin furious over the alliances backing of Ukraine.
Leaders from the New York National Guard and the Swedish military sign an agreement for joint training at New Yorks Freedom Tower on July 12, 2024. From left, Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, left, the adjutant general of New York; Pal Jonson, Swedens defense minister; Marcos Soler, New Yorks deputy secretary for public safety; and Maj. Gen. Johan Pekkari, Swedens chief of policy and plans, sign the document. (Stephanie Butler/New York National Guard)

The New York National Guard has entered a partnership with Swedens armed forces that will see the two sides regularly work together.

The deal marks the latest military agreement inked by Sweden, which in March ended two centuries of neutrality by joining NATO amid ongoing concerns over Russias expansionist ambitions.

Under the National Guards State Partnership Program, New York and Swedish troops will engage in activities ranging from training exercises and personnel exchanges to disaster response work.

This partnership will not only enhance operational abilities, it will also strengthen the bonds of friendship and a new understanding between our forces and our countries, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in a statement Friday, when the partnership was signed.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a separate statement, said the capabilities of both militaries were set to improve under the partnership.

A Swedish air force ASC 850 surveillance plane at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, earlier this month. The aircraft's mission marked Sweden's participation in NATO operations across the north Atlantic for the first time as an alliance member. (Facebook/NATO Allied Air Command/Filip Djarv)

There are nearly 100 such partnerships between state National Guards and foreign countries. They began in 1993, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were paired with Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania, respectively.

The three Baltic countries had recently emerged from the breakup of the Soviet Union and worked with the National Guard troops to reform their militaries.

In May, Swedens neighbor Finland signed an agreement with the Virginia National Guard.

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted both countries, which had long ruled out NATO membership, to apply to join the bloc.

The militaries of both countries had frequently trained with the alliance before joining and worked with NATO troops in places such as Afghanistan.

In the days leading up to Swedens signing of its partnership agreement with the New York National Guard, the countrys air force participated in NATO operations across the north Atlantic for the first time as a member.

Sweden deployed an ASC 890 aircraft and support staff to Keflavik, Iceland, to conduct surveillance and combat control flights during the NATO summit in Washington last week.

Earlier this week, Sweden and Finland launched their quick reaction alert forces to intercept two Russian fighter planes flying over international waters in the Baltic Sea, NATO said.
Members of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service stop cars at a checkpoint near the Romanian border in Veliatyno, Ukraine, in November. (Alice Martins/The Washington Post)

KYIV  As Ukraine prepares to ramp up military conscription to defend against Russias invasion  after a key deadline to register with recruitment offices passed this week  some men are dodging the draft preemptively by paying thousands of dollars for help to illegally leave the country.

Smugglers who assist with border crossings often charge more than $5,000, according to Ukrainian officials and men who have paid for the service. One man was driven by bus with others in masks to a forest. Guides then led them on foot to breach a fence at the Hungarian border.

Another man said that he and more than 20 other men walked more than 10 miles across difficult terrain and past surveillance posts, drones and even search dogs. One man could not keep up and was left behind.

Those caught often face exactly what they were hoping to avoid: military service.

The main thing was that I realized at some point  what scared me - that I would not be able to make my own decisions about whether to mobilize or not, that I would not be able to decide the fate of my freedom, said Oleksandr, 37, who paid $8,000 for help crossing the border in late May.

Like others in this story, he declined to provide his surname because he broke the law.

The high costs and risks some men are willing to undertake to avoid conscription underscores a growing tension in Ukrainian society: More than two years after Russias invasion, people strongly support the military but few men who havent already volunteered to fight want to do so now.

With units on the front badly depleted, Ukraines parliament adopted the mobilization law requiring all draft-age men to renew their personal data online or at military offices by July 16; failing to do so is a criminal offense. The law also lowered Ukraines minimum conscription age to 25.

Now that the deadline has passed, many expect a spate of draft slips to be distributed. Ukrainian officials havent specified how many men they intend to conscript, but the former commander in chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny previously suggested up to 500,000 were needed to replenish ranks. Zaluzhnys successor, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, has said significantly less men will be drafted but has not offered any details.

Even before the deadline, officials said the number of newly mobilized soldiers has increased  more than doubling in May and June compared to the previous two months.

Men aged 18 to 60 have been barred from leaving the country without permission since martial law took hold in February 2022. Kyiv increasingly has clamped down on who is allowed to leave legally for a short time and for a specific purpose. Even some members of parliament have complained that their requests for business trips were denied.

Oleksandr, who worked at an IT company, said he decided to leave in May after a week in which three men in his office were mobilized on their way to work by draft officers patrolling the streets.

Through a friend of a friend, he was connected to someone organizing passage out of the country. Oleksandr pooled his savings and paid $2,000 in advance.

He was told to pack water and arrive at a meeting point near Ukraines border with Moldova. There, the back of a freight truck opened. Twenty men were already inside, Oleksandr said. The journey included a 12-mile walk, so the group was given screenshots of the coordinates for the route and advised to download offline maps in advance.

After a four-hour hike through dense forest and swamps, he reached Transnistria  the pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova.

At the border itself, there are ditches and there are so-called dragons teeth, Oleksandr said, referring to concrete pyramid barriers. We must have triggered the sensors because the lights came on, and somewhere further, we saw lights moving toward us and heard dogs.

One guy who could not physically withstand such an adventure, the stress, he fell behind at some point and didnt make it with us, he added.

After reaching Transnistria, Oleksandr said he was driven to a hotel in Moldovas capital, Chisinau, where the person who coordinated his travel arranged for someone to pick up Oleksandrs passport and have it stamped, making it appear that he entered Moldova legally. After that, Oleksandr boarded a plane to Germany, unsure if or when he will ever return to Ukraine.

I have mixed feelings about it, Oleksandr said. There are hours when I regret it, and hours when I dont. Ukraines borders with Moldova and Romania have been the most popular for people to attempt illegal crossings, said Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for Ukraines border guard service.

More than 30,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed into both countries since the start of Russias invasion, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported recently, citing data from the Moldovan and Romanian border police. Some routes are especially perilous. Demchenko said nearly 40 people have died trying to swim across the Tysa River along Ukraines western border.

There are a lot of situations where our servicemen manage to pick up people from the water when theyre already on the verge of dying  some from hypothermia, some from exhaustion, he said.

Demchenko said that there had not been a major increase in attempted illegal crossings since the law overhauling Ukraines mobilization process came into effect in May. There were fewer attempted breaches in June than in May, he said.

One reason for that could be because the prices smugglers set for help getting out of the country spiked, according to men who inquired about the option. Demchenko said members of more than 500 such criminal groups have been arrested since the war started.

Some have charged nearly $20,000, Demchenko said.

Artem, 27, who left the country by crossing into Hungary a month ago, said he paid $9,000. He had been considering his future for a year  to join the army as many of his friends did, or to leave Ukraine altogether.

He started to fear going outside his home at all because it risked being handed a draft slip on the street. Artem traveled to western Ukraine and then waited four days for the organizer he paid to tell him that it was safe to attempt crossing the border. Guides led Artems group, even raking over the mens tracks, and created an opening at the fenced border.

Once in Hungary, the men turned themselves over to the police.

They searched us, threw away our nail scissors and all that, he said. We were put in a border guard car and driven to the border. At the Hungarian border, they took our passports, put us in some garage and we waited for about an hour while the investigators interrogated us.

They asked us how we crossed the border, how we ended up in Hungary, how much we paid, what our route was.

Artem said his interrogation lasted about 15 minutes before he was told to have a good trip, and let go. Demchenko said that while neighboring countries border services exchange information with Ukraine about tactics people use to illegally cross, not all of them turn away or deport the fleeing Ukrainians they catch. Some men have sought to avoid conscription through legal loopholes, such as enrolling in postgraduate studies. Before 2022, up to 8,000 people enrolled in postgraduate studies annually, according to Ukraines Ministry of Education and Science. But in 2024, more than 246,000 people registered for the entrance test for masters and postgraduate studies. As a result, admission rules have been stiffened.

Others are waiting to make their decision about whether to leave. One 35-year-old man living in Kyiv already has his escape plan organized. It will cost about $7,000  through smugglers his friend used that got him across Ukraines border with Moldova. The main motivation to leave, the man said, was that he is unsure of his future in Ukraine amid constant Russian bombing and a war that is unlikely to end anytime soon.

I want to have a kid, he said. And I just dont see any prospects to raise a family here. Anastacia Galouchka contributed to this report.
The Pentagon is seen on Oct. 21, 2021. (Robert H. Reid/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON  Upcoming negotiations over an annual defense policy bill will see lawmakers debate a measure that would grant back pay to military officers whose promotions were delayed by the Senate.

The Senate Armed Services Committees version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which was filed last week, attempts to rectify the financial damage caused by a monthslong hold on promotions Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., initiated last year.

The House version of the bill, which sets priorities for the Defense Department and passed the chamber last month, makes no such effort.

Senators said they will fight in the coming months to secure language in the compromise version of the must-pass legislation that gives the more than 400 senior officers affected by Tubervilles block retroactive promotion dates and back pay.

Tuberville began his blockade in February 2023 in a bid to force the Pentagon to rescind a policy granting leave and travel cost reimbursement to troops who need to travel to obtain reproductive health care, including abortions. He eventually dropped his hold under immense pressure from members of both parties.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, of which Tuberville is a member, voted on its version of the defense authorization bill last month and the legislation now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., first introduced legislation to adjust affected service members promotions and make other administrative fixes in December. The standalone bill was co-sponsored by Tuberville and unanimously passed the Senate later that month.

Manchin on Tuesday praised the inclusion of the measure in the mammoth defense policy bill and said lawmakers need to do right by troops.

We have a responsibility in Congress to make them whole, he said. I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure the passage of our bill to compensate our troops and strengthen Americas national security.

Rounds said many of the impacted officers spent much of 2023 waiting on promotions and raises they had earned through exemplary service, often in combat zones.

At least 22 field officers awaiting their first star lost about $2,600 per month as they performed the duties of a flag officer without a corresponding pay raise, according to a fact sheet compiled last year by the Democratic staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee. About 20 general officers nominated for their second star lost nearly $2,000 per month.

This legislation would make certain they and their families receive the benefits they missed out on for several months, Rounds said.
Secret Service agents approach the stage after shots were fired during a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

On Saturday afternoon, Thomas Crooks, 20, climbed onto the roof of a building in Butler, Pa., carrying an AR-style rifle purchased by his father more than a decade ago and loaded with ammunition Crooks bought that morning. People in the audience spotted him and pointed him out to law enforcement, but Crooks managed to open fire at former president Donald Trump before he could be apprehended. He was killed shortly afterward by a Secret Service sniper.

Its not clear why Crooks did what he did. He was a registered Republican but appears to have made a small donation to an organization ostensibly focused on turning out left-leaning voters. His classmates identified him as politically conservative; neighbors reported seeing Trump signs outside his familys house.

We cant draw many conclusions from this collection of facts. Perhaps we will be able to do so once more information comes in. But we can say two things with certainty: There is no evidence that Crooks shot at Trump because he had been influenced by anti-Trump political rhetoric, and there is no evidence that Crooks was literally or figuratively part of a collective effort to sideline or kill the former president.

Its important to point this out explicitly because, in the days since the attack, allies of Trump have repeatedly suggested both that Democratic rhetoric is to blame or that the shooting was done by some nebulously defined they - a group that is generally meant to include Trumps political opponents.

Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham from the Republican National Convention on Monday night, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) suggested that the shooting was a continuation of a pattern of hostility to the former president.

The bottom line is this: First, they tried to censor and silence President Trump. Then they tried to indict and imprison President Trump, Mills said. Now they tried to kill President Trump.

Mills went on to suggest that, from his experience, this seems intentional - presumably meaning the security failures that allowed Crooks to open fire. On Tuesday morning, Mills made similar comments to right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk. (Mills also blamed diversity initiatives for unspecified reasons, saying, D-E-I means D-I-E.)

The congressman wasnt Ingrahams only guest to suggest that they tried to take out Trump.

They have done everything to strip him of his wealth and of his fame. Theyve tried to break up our family and done everything to try to get him and kill him, Trumps son Eric Trump said on the same program. And they literally tried to kill him this week. He made a similar claim on CNN on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier on Monday, former congressman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) suggested that calls for unity were dubious, given the moment.

My question, not trying to be cynical, is what is it going to take for that unity to last more than just one news cycle? he asked.

They tried to kill the leading candidate for president!

A moment later, he clarified that somebody tried to assassinate Trump - suggesting that perhaps the person had been compelled by an irrationality rooted in anti-Trump rhetoric.

The idea that such rhetoric was at fault has been far more prevalent than the specific they tried verbiage. Right-wing commentator Kurt Schlichter fumed at a New York Times reporter on social media, asserting that [o]ne of your people just tried to murder Donald Trump. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) lamented the death of an attendee at the rally at the hands of Democrat political violence.

Speaking at the convention on Monday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) linked the attack to broader criticism of Trump and to his criminal indictments.

Nobody has endured more than what he has gone through, she said of Trump. Theyve attacked his reputation. They impeached him. They tried to bankrupt him, and they unjustly prosecuted him. But even in the most perilous moment this week, his instinct was to stand and to fight.

That framing is why all of this has emerged. Trumps campaign has been centered on portraying him as a victim from the outset.

That he was targeted by a shooter folds into that presentation neatly.

Theres just that one nagging little problem: Theres no known connection between the known shooter and the broad, nebulous galaxy of opponents Trump and his allies envision. Crooks wasnt carrying a left-wing newspaper in his pocket or listening to a liberal podcast. He wasnt a contract employee of the CIA or a staffer for the Justice Department. He wasnt even a Democrat.

So Crooks and his actions become abstract. They did it or they facilitated it or they caused it. And, for the purposes of political rhetoric, that will have to suffice.
The AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas in 2022. (Rebecca Slezak/Dallas Morning News/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  AT&T now faces a legal fight after more than 100 million U.S. customers who used the companys wireless services between March and October 2022 had their phone numbers stolen in the companys second major data breach of 2024.

The case ( 3:24-cv-1797 ) is a class-action lawsuit against the Dallas-based telecommunications giant, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas late Friday night by 15-year AT&T customer and named plaintiff Dina Winger. The suit alleges that AT&T was not transparent with the severity of the breach, did not safeguard important data from malicious parties and earned unjust enrichment from customers after failing to protect their information.

As a direct and proximate result of AT&Ts failure to exercise adequate and reasonable care and use commercially adequate and reasonable security measures, the [personally identifiable information] of Plaintiff and Class Members was accessed by ill-intentioned individuals who could and will use the information to commit identity or financial fraud, the lawsuit reads. Plaintiff and Class Members face the imminent, certainly impending, and substantially heightened risk of identity theft, fraud, and further misuse of their personal data.

AT&T declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Patrick Yarborough, a Houston-based lawyer representing Winger who helped file the case, confirmed Monday that this was the first lawsuit filed against AT&T in Dallas for the breach. Should more plaintiffs sue AT&T, their cases could be lumped into Wingers class-action lawsuit. Yarborough said he wouldnt be surprised if dozens more plaintiffs and law firms get involved in the future due to the scope of the data breach.

AT&T revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday that the cause of the breach was a threat actor who illegally accessed company workspaces on a third-party cloud platform in April of this year. This actor gradually siphoned nearly six months of call logs dating from May 1 to October 31, 2022 as well as Jan. 2, 2023, compromising the phone numbers of nearly all AT&T customers.

AT&T said that the breached channel is now closed and the stolen information is not publicly available nor personally identifiable (like social security numbers, names or ages), but phone numbers can still be traced to individuals with easy-to-access online tools like Whitepages.

Wired reported Sunday that AT&T paid more than $300,000 in Bitcoin to one of the hackers in May to delete the stolen data, which it confirmed with video evidence. The hacker obtained the data by breaking into one of AT&Ts cloud storage accounts hosted by software company Snowflake, Wired reported, which also serves companies like Ticketmaster, Advance Auto Parts and international banking firm Santander. All of those companies, plus roughly 150 others, were subject to breaches between April and May.

Like most companies that deal with large amounts of data, we often use specialized and trusted cloud services platforms for various functions, an AT&T spokesperson wrote in an email. These platforms enable companies to work with large amounts of data in a centralized place. In this case, we had put a copy of the data on the third-party platform for analysis related to our business.

Even if the primary dataset has been deleted, it remains unclear how many AT&T customers data is still vulnerable in unknown hands. This has forced customers to protect themselves from identity fraud by freezing credit or closing financial accounts, among other time- and money-intensive measures, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claims that this is an unjust burden on consumers who were guaranteed data security by AT&T, and warrants compensation.

AT&T alone was, and is, in a position to protect against the harm suffered by Plaintiff and Class Members as a result of the Data Breach, the lawsuit says.

Class-action lawsuits are the most popular and effective type of case when dealing with companies of AT&Ts size or issues as wide-spanning as a data breach, said Carliss Chatman, an associate professor of law at Southern Methodist University. This is because suing on behalf of a class of people rather than a case-by-case basis keeps costs down for both plaintiff and defendant and reduces logjam in the courts.

In this lawsuit, the proposed class members include all persons whose [personal identifying information] was accessed and/or acquired in the data incident, meaning any person who fits that definition is entitled to damages unless they opt out. Establishing a class in cases like this where the harm  stolen data  is clear is much easier than doing so in cases with lots of unique personal injuries, Chatman said.

You want it to be easy for a court to put a settlement matrix together. Thats your ultimate goal, The lawsuit defines its class as all persons whose [personally identifiable information] was accessed and/or acquired in the data incident.

Class definitions are one of the most finicky parts of class-action lawsuits and often one of the first things that gets contested, Yarborough said. Combined with lengthy meetings with courts, fellow plaintiffs, fellow law firms and, in this instance, AT&T representatives, this case could be stretched out multiple years.

A trial is far less likely than a settlement for most class-action lawsuits, Chatman said. Its possible AT&T would settle quickly if the class is certified to avoid a lawsuit from shareholders or intrusions by Federal regulatory agencies. AT&T said in its SEC filing that it does not expect the breach to materially impact its financial condition.

Chatman said that since lawyers front the cost of high-risk, high-reward class-action lawsuits their payout upon settlement is substantial  often more than a third of the total sum. If a settlement is reached with AT&T and the class is large enough, clients and attorneys could bag a hefty take-home prize.

But she said the solution to the lawsuits allegations doesnt have to only be money. If we were to say this cost everyone $100 a person, or if they say something like, we want AT&T to pay for privacy monitoring, or to pay to freeze everyones credit reports, or to pay for people to have a service that monitors their credit, their privacy, whatever, in addition to the cash, courts can do that, too.

Whatever the resolution, the scale of the breach means a quick, cheap and easy fix is unlikely.

I think this is a pretty unique case, and so its pretty hard to say how much (AT&T) should be accountable for, Yarborough said. If youre talking about as many as 100 million people, its hard to even talk about what a settlement or a verdict would look like. But let me tell you, its in the B-billions. No question.

2024 The Dallas Morning News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
U.S. Secret Service agents and counterassault team react moments after shots were fired toward Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Local police alerted the Secret Service before former president Donald Trumps rally Saturday that they lacked the resources to station a patrol car outside a key building where a gunman later positioned himself and shot at Trump, according to local and federal law enforcement.

Richard Goldinger, the district attorney in Butler County, Pa., where the Trump rally took place, said the Secret Service was informed that the local police department did not have manpower to assist with securing that building.

Goldingers account was confirmed by a Secret Service official briefed on the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about a sensitive, ongoing investigation.

The Secret Service official confirmed that positioning an officer outside the building was considered one of the ways to protect against the risk that the agency prepares for at all public events  that a shooter on high ground has a clear line of sight on the president or other senior officials being protected. The building, owned by Agr International, was just outside the security perimeter for Saturdays rally.

Authorities from a number of jurisdictions were on the ground Saturday, and officials are still determining how the building was guarded  and how the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, reached the roof. But the warning from local law enforcement of insufficient manpower adds to questions about whether there was adequate security for the high-stakes presidential campaign visit.

Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pa., used an AR-style rifle that was purchased legally by his father in 2013. Authorities have confirmed his father purchased more than a dozen guns over the years, but it was not immediately clear how many of those he still owned at the time of the shooting, two officials said.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, also said a remote trigger device was found on the roof with Crooks after he was shot. The FBI has previously said that rudimentary suspicious devices were found in Crookss vehicle, near the shooting site, and at the home where he lived with his parents. Authorities are still trying to determine why Crooks launched the attack. So far, they believe he acted alone.

The proposal to station a patrol car and officer outside the Agr International building complex had been part of the Secret Services advance planning for securing this prominent structure, which had a expansive roof with an unobstructed view of the rally stage less than 150 yards away, where Trump would later stand, the Secret Service official told The Washington Post.

Federal authorities have launched a growing number of investigations into the shooting at Saturdays rally, which left Trump wounded, one rallygoer dead and two others critically injured. It is considered the most serious security failure by the Secret Service since the attempted assassination of then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

The FBI is leading the criminal investigation, and President Biden has called for an independent probe of the shooting and the security situation.

The Department of Homeland Securitys Inspector General office said Wednesday it is investigating both the Secret Services efforts to secure the Trump rally and the agencys counter-sniper team to determine how it prepares for and responds to threats. The office is considering other reviews related to USSS programs and operations as well.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he will establish a bipartisan task force to conduct the congressional investigation into the attempted assassination. The reason were going to do it that way is because that is a more precise strike. It goes quicker, theres not a lot of the procedural hurdles, and well have subpoena authority for that task force as well, Johnson told Fox News in an interview.

The reason were going to do it that way is because that is a more precise strike. It goes quicker, theres not a lot of the procedural hurdles, and well have subpoena authority for that task force as well, Johnson told Fox News in an interview.

On Wednesday afternoon, officials from the Secret Service and the FBI provided updates to members of the House Senate on the incident.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena Wednesday to U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, demanding her testimony at a hearing next week, according to a copy of the subpoena provided to The Post. U.S. Secret Service officials initially indicated that Cheatle was committed to appearing before the Oversight Committee. But in a letter accompanying the subpoena, Comer claimed that DHS officials appear to have intervened, calling Cheatles attendance into question.

The lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the committee on this pressing matter by both DHS and the Secret Service further calls into question your ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the attached subpoena compelling your appearance before the Oversight Committee, the letter said.

Cheatle took responsibility for the security failures that led to the shooting in an interview with ABC News. But the first attack on a U.S. leader under the agencys protection since the 1981 shooting that wounded Reagan has raised broad questions about the elite protective agencys planning, strategy and response to the attack.

Crooks climbed onto the roof of the Agr International building and fired shots at Trump before a Secret Service sniper killed Crooks. The Post has reported that local police snipers were inside the building complex as the gunman opened fire, and that bystanders at the rally alerted local police that they had spotted a man climbing onto the roof.

The Secret Service was responsible for the overall security plan, but Cheatle said in an interview that the agency relied on local law enforcement in areas outside the security perimeter, including the building where the shooter was. She also said they made the decision to keep officers off the sloped roof because the incline presented a safety issue.

The decision was made to secure the building from inside, Cheatle said.

Secret Service countersniper teams may have initially been unable to spot the shooter as he crawled up the roof because of its slanted sides, as well as trees in the area, The Post has reported. Jacqueline Alemany, Devlin Barrett, Shawn Boburg, Lisa Rein, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Aaron Schaffer, Perry Stein and Jon Swaine contributed to this report.
Ulviyya Shahin

In the first half of this year, the government of Azerbaijan allocated 1 billion 953.5 million manats to the reconstruction and restoration of territories freed from occupation, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Finance.

According to the information, this amount represents 51.1% of the 3 billion 825 million manats allocated for this purpose in the 2024 state budget. These funds were disbursed based on cash order documents submitted by customer organizations for respective projects.

Additionally, 1 billion 64.9 million manats were financed based on orders issued by executives for state capital investment (investment) expenses, which constitutes 42.9% of the allocated expenses for this year. This amount reflects a 40.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
Alex Gannon, with an address at Carnlough Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply.

A father of one caught with nine wraps of crack cocaine and 3,000 in cash on a Dublin street had turned to dealing to pay for his own addiction, a court heard.

Alex Gannon (23) was having a very stressful year when gardai found him in possession of the drug after seeing him in a suspicious transaction.

He was jailed for four months at Dublin District Court.

Gannon, with an address at Carnlough Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply.

The court heard gardai were on patrol at Oliver Bond House in the south inner city on December 29, 2022, when they saw Gannon in a suspicious transaction.

He attempted to flee, was caught after a short foot chase, and was found with nine wraps of crack cocaine and 3,000 in cash.

He had no previous convictions.

The accused had had a very stressful year, his solicitor John Feaheny said.

At the time, he had no alternative to pay for his own addiction. Gannon had come to realise that with the pressures of life, there was no quick fix, the solicitor said.

He was no longer taking drugs. Gannon was previously employed as a labourer but had not been able to get work for the last three years.

Judge John Hughes sentenced the accused to seven months in prison, three months of which he suspended for two years.
Ms Bartlett and her husband had been in Killarney to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary

Andrea Barlett and her husband Bill celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary at Kitty OSes Seafood restaurant in Killarney.

A 24-year-old man who is alleged to have robbed an elderly American tourist of her handbag causing her to fall to the ground during the attack and break her arm is to face trial at the Circuit Court, after the judge in the District Court refused jurisdiction.

Lithuanian Tomas Starodubcevas (24) of Tudor Lodge, Woodlawn Road is charged that on April 22 last at Port Road Killarney, he did rob American tourist Andrea Bartlett of 325.

He appeared before Listowel District Court in May and was remanded on bail with a number of conditions. He appeared before Killarney District Court this week where solicitor Brendan Ahern said the question of jurisdiction was to be decided.

Sgt Stephen OBrien outlined the nature of the allegation. Ms Bartlett aged 81 was walking with her husband at Port Road on the evening of April 22.

The accused who was unknown to her approached from behind. Her handbag was taken from her and she fell to the ground and broke her arm, he told the court.

Judge David Waters sought clarification on the injured partys age. This was 81 he was told. Judge Waters said he was refusing jurisdiction.

He adjourned the matter to September for a book of evidence for the Circuit Court.

Stock image of Killarney District Court. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Mr Starodubcevas has been remanded on continuing bail until then on conditions which include signing on daily at Killarney Garda Station, observing a curfew, surrendering his passport, and remaining in the jurisdiction.

He is also to stay out of Killarney National Park and stay away from the Port Road

Ms Bartlett and her husband had been in Killarney to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary she has previously said in a public statement, issued through local councillor Marie Moloney thanking the people of Killarney and Gardai for their support.

The couple were on their her way back to their accommodation at Port Road, alongside the Killarney National Park from a celebration dinner at Kitty OSes seafood restaurant when the incident allegedly happened.

Her ancestors had emigrated from Kerry in the 1880s and she was hoping to trace the towns they left from. As a result of her injuries to her head and to her arm she had to cut her holiday short, she previously said in her statement.
Text messages found on Young's phone were key to smashing gangs operation

How an international drugs gang operated by Barry Young was able to operate in his hometown was laid bare before Sligo Circuit Court last Friday.

The court heard how drugs and cash were stashed in Sligo and moved on to other counties like Donegal.

And, significant information about the gangs operation came to light following the arrest of leader Barry Young (39) on January 11th 2022 as he sat on board a Ryanair flight to Alicante at Dublin Airport.

Sligo native Young, formerly of Geldof Drive, Cranmore was taken off the flight by Detective Garda Neil Cotter and arrested at 9.45am.

His mobile phone was seized and as a result of its analysis those working for Young in Sligo were exposed.

One of the drug dealers operating for Young was father of three, Keith Harris (37) of 16 Meadow Vale, Sligo who appeared before Sligo Circuit Court last Friday for sentencing across a range of charges.

Keith Harris

The seven count Harris pleaded guilty arise out of a Garda raid on his home on foot of a search warrant executed on January 16th 2021 - his name having come up on Youngs phone. Details of calls and text messages between the two men were read to the court.

Harris pleaded guilty to having cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply at his home, possession of weighing scales and a mixing agent for cocaine, Benzocaine. Harris also admitted having 5,800 in cash, the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr Leo Mulrooney with State Solicitor, Ms Elisa McHugh, outlined how Detective Inspector Ray Mulderrig began working with Det Supt John OFlaherty in April 2021 as part of a team investigating the criminal activities of a criminal organisation known as the Barry Young Organised Crime Group.

The gang was involved in organised drugs trafficking on an international scale and associated crimes of money laundering and of threats and intimidation.

In a statement by Det Insp Mulderrig read to the court by Mr Mulrooney, he outlined how he personally oversaw numerous surveillance and tactical operations which resulted in the prevention of murder, multiple seizures of drugs and sums of cash.

He was the senior investigating officer for at least 30 separate investigations into plans by the Barry Young Organised Crime Group which resulted in the seizure of 1.3m of controlled drugs including cocaine, cannabis MDMA, Xanex and Amphetamines.

Mr Mulrooney outlined how on March 20th 2023, Young was jailed for 12 years, with one year suspended at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for directing the activities of a criminal organisation.

Detective Garda Eamon McDonnell, led by Mr Mulrooney, outlined how a search warrant was obtained for Harriss home as a result of the information on Youngs phone.

The warrant was executed on January 16th 2022. During the search, Harris handed over a metal container which stored cocaine. Also found was 5,000 and 800 in cash, two weighing scales and a cocaine mixing agent.

Det Garda McDonnell said Harris told him that he was holding the cash and drugs for Barry Young.

Harris also admitted that he handed over a bag containing 16,000 of Youngs money to a man in the car park of the Riverside Hotel, this information coming from evidence on the latters phone and also from CCTV of the handover.

The cocaine at Harriss home was over 24 grammes and had a street value of 1,684.27.

Garda Kieran Staed in a statement read by Mr Mulrooney stated that he arrested Harris on March 25th 2023 by arrangement and interviews took place at Sligo Garda Station.

It was agreed by Det Garda McDonnell that the interviews were one of complete co-operation.

Harris was working with AbbVie at the time and had grown up in the area and married in 2019. The couple had three young children.

He did an apprenticeship as an electrician and was working at AbbVie since 2010.

He was also undertaking a Supply Chain Management course through Limerick University. His hobbies included fishing and cars.

Harris accepted that he had known Barry Young previously from around the town when he was younger.

The defendant admitted he was in communication with Young over the years.

He said the drugs at his house were always for himself or his mates. Harris admitted to buying drugs off Young and to selling them around town. He ended up running up a cocaine debt of 7,000 to Young, Harris told Gardai.

Det Garda McDonnell said he would agree this is what happened here. Harris said he was in fear.

The Garda accepted that Harris was controlled by Young.

Details of text message sent via Whatsapp between Young and Harris were handed in to court and were read out by Mr Mulrooney.

They confirmed drug dealing between the two men. In one text sent to Harris in August 2019 Young stated that there was a drug drought in Europe.

Another text sent in September 2019, Young asks Harris to send him on a list of the money he has.

It shows how Young is directing him (Harris) what to do, said Garda McDonnell. There were also texts in relation to Letterkenny.

The Garda agreed with Judge Keenan Johnson that some texts stating, handy for me, extra paper (money) covers the holidays suggested Harris was very much a willing participant and saw the operation as a way of generating extra cash.

In reply to Mr Colm Smyth SC with Mr Keith OGrady BL (instructed by Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor), Garda McDonnell agreed Harris had a good job in AbbVie which he had now lost.

Witness accepted the defendant did not have any previous convictions.

Judge Johnson said the case was an example of how drugs permeate every facet of life and was a terrible indictment of modern life.

Yes, and we are dealing with it every day, said Det Garda McDonnell. Mr Smyth said the defendant had lost his job but was now undertaking an apprenticeship as a plumber with Nordic Plumbers.

Mr Smyth asked Det Garda McDonnell was it likely to see the defendant in court again.

I imagine not through my experience, said the Garda.

Harris, in evidence, said he got involved in taking cocaine in 2018 or 2019. He was with the wrong people.

My wife didnt really know what was going on, I got caught up in it, he said. He used to get cocaine for himself and his mates and he ended up getting involved with Young.

It was put to Harris by Mr Smyth that he did seem that he became comfortable with what Young wanted him to do.

There were multiple threats, said Harris.

You were in it for money too - Judge Johnson.

Harris told Mr Smyth that working with the plumbing firm had got him out of the house as he hadnt got out much after he was named in the local newspaper on the front page.

A number of testimonials were handed in to court on behalf of Harris including one from Nordic Plumbers.

Harris said he had let everyone down but said the courts would never hear from him again. Judge Johnson noted that a probation report found him to be at low risk of re-offending. Harris said that after his house was raided by Gardai that was the end of it.

He gave up taking drugs having done this on his own with no counselling. There was no urine analysis report before the court but Harris said he was absolutely drug free.

I need to be satisfied hes off drugs, remarked Judge Johnson.

Given his background, Judge Johnson said his culpability was all the greater.

Theres absolutely no reason why you should have started taking drugs, said the Judge. Harris said it began with nights out.

Your case is a warning of a life being altered for the worst with a lifelong conviction, said Judge Johnson.

Harris had mentioned not being able to visit a brother in New York as a result of a conviction.

No, you wont ever get to visit your brother in New York, said Judge Johnson.

The court was told Harris spent a week in custody from September 21st to September 28th 2023 after being charged with the offences.

Mr Smyth pleaded that Harris got in over his head and while there was a certain amount of comfort there was very little gain, He got a small amount for holidays and was paying off a debt.

There was a strong element of control from Barry Young in the messages, he said. Mr Smyth added there was utmost co-operation and that the defendant came from a strong, working background.

He took drugs, liked what he was doing in taking them and ran up a debt as a result. He has learned a stark lesson. He has no more contacts with criminal elements in Sligo, pleaded Mr Smyth.

Judge Johnson adjourned sentence to Friday at 10am. Also before last Fridays court was father of three, Michael Duffy (42) from 2 Orchard Grove, Carney who admitted stashing 28,050 in cash belonging to the Barry Young gang at his home. Duffy pleaded guilty to a money-laundering charge in respect of the cash which was seized on January 15th 2022 and also to having cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply on the same occasion.

The court was told that following the arrest of Young at Dublin Airport a search warrant was obtained for Duffys home on foot of the analysis of text messages between the two men.

Det Garda McDonnell outlined with Mr Mulrooney that Gardai had to negotiate a locked front door, inside door and sitting room door on the day they executed the warrant. Garda Colm Dolan found 28,050 in cash and cannabis herb in the house. The cannabis weighed 300 grammes and was valued at 5,867.86.

Duffy was asked who the money belonged to and he replied: Its nobodys until someone collects it but I dont own it. He told Gardai that he did not work for Barry Young but that he owed money to him and he had to find a way of paying it back but he believed the money was destined for the gang leader.

At interview, Duffy said Barry Young was the man he was asked to collect the cash for. He got into debt and Young took over that debt. Duffy first came into contact with Young in August 2020. Every time Duffy did a collection for Young he got money knocked off his bill.

The contents of text messages between Duffy and Young were read to the court including one from somebody asking to buy cannabis from him.

Duffy, who did not have any previous convictions, had spent a week in custody from November 23rd to November 30th after he had been charged with the offences.

Duffy, in evidence, said he smoked cannabis before he got involved with Young. He owed between 35,000 and 40,000 at the time but he had it paid off more or less. For each collection he did he got 2,000 off the bill which was built up due to his cocaine use.

Sligo gang boss Barry Young

He said he had never been in trouble before and had worked previously in hospitality while he had also been a carer for his mother and also to his sister who passed away three years ago and who had been left quadriplegic following a road traffic accident.

Ive been a good lad all my life, said Duffy, adding, it was 18 months of madness.

He said he first took cocaine on February 20th 2020 following the death of a friend.

I took it for months after and then involved in trouble with this Young fellow then, he said.

During that period, he said he lost his family, his partner and children. His partner did accept him back later.

Duffy outlined how he had a number of conditions including, Bi-polar ADHD and OCD. He also had spinal stenosis and was awaiting an operation. He had to use a walker to get around. He took cannabis still once a month or once in a blue moon if I get a panic attack.

He told Judge Johnson -youll never see me in this seat again, not even for a speeding ticket. Duffy stressed that he wasnt a bad person.

Mr Smyth SC with Mr Keith OGrady BL, instructed by Mr Damien Martyn, Solicitor remarked: Its the same old story, paying off debts.

Judge Johnson said there were stark similarities between this and the Harris case previously.

It seems the modis operandi is to catch them and envagel them into it, he said. Sentencing in this case was also adjourned to Friday at 10am.

Also before the court was single mother of one, Sinead McCormack (36) of Bruach na hAbhainn, Coolaney whom Gardai discovered had sent 725 via Western Union at Ballisodare Post Office on August 1st 2020 to a person in China to pay for the cocaine mixing agent, Benzocaine which had been sent to her from a company there on behalf of a John Kennedy who was part of the Barry Young gang.

Again, Kennedys name was found on text messages on Youngs phone after the latters arrest in Dublin Airport.

McCormack pleaded guilty to arranging for the purchase and delivery of the mixing agent between August 1st 2020 and July 29th 2021.

Mr Mulrooney outlined with Det Garda McDonnell how a search warrant was got for Kennedys home and a box was found there containing 21kgs of Benzocaine. The label on the box showed it had been shipped to McCormack at her address. Kennedys phone was seized and analysed and there were texts between him and McCormack.

On November 7th 2022, Det Garda McDonnell arrested McCormack under warrant at her home and she was subsequently interviewed on three occasions but made no admissions.

She had a number of previous convictions in 2012. She also spent a week in custody from January 23rd to January 30th after being charged.

Mr Colm Smyth SC with Mr Eoin McGovern BL, instructed by McGovern Walsh Solicitors, said McCormack would be at the very bottom of things concerned with what we have heard today.

Garda McDonnell remarked: This gang seems to target vulnerable people from all walks of life and they seem to be able to find them.

Mr Smyth pleaded that the defendant was a carer for her father and that her mother was deceased. She was a single mother with one daughter.

McCormack in evidence, said she had been born in Wales and came to Ireland in 2002. Her daughter was aged 18.

The defendant said her mum died in August 2020 and her father had MS.

Whatever I did I did off my own accord and I hold my hands up for what I did.

My life was not good at the time, she said.

She was now working as a diagnostics assistant.I apologise for what I did. It was a stupid, stupid thing I did. Itll never happen again, she said.

Mr Smyth said the defendant was a vulnerable individual who was clearly targeted by this gang and I would ask you to consider a non-custodial sentence.

Judge Johnson also adjourned sentencing in this matter to Friday at 10am. All of these cases are connected to some degree, he said.
Canon Patrick McEntee (70) is originally from Monaghan

New charges have been put to a Co Tyrone priest currently awaiting trial for historical sexual abuse charges against two males, some of which date back over four decades.

Canon Patrick McEntee (70), from Esker Road, Dromore, requested a leave of absence in 2022 while a serious safeguarding investigation was carried out.

Last year, he was charged with sexual offences against two males which allegedly occurred in the Co Fermanagh area.

He denies four counts of indecently assaulting one complainant on dates between 1988 and 1989.

There is also a single count of indecently assaulting another complainant between 1980 and 1981.

The case is currently before Dungannon Crown Court, where, after entering not guilty pleas to all charges, McEntee was informed that his trial would be scheduled to begin in September, which is expected to last around a week.

However, during a recent review hearing, a prosecuting barrister said further complainants have since come forward and an additional case is in the system.

Judge Fiona Bagnall enquired if there is a possibility the new charges could be added to the existing matters and that all cases could be heard together in one trial. However, the prosecution said there is no decision on the way forward at present.

Today , McEntee appeared before Enniskillen Magistrates Court for a committal hearing accused of a further four counts of indecent assault against three males  two counts against one and single counts against the other two.

Offending is alleged to have occurred on various dates between 1978 and 1987.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court there is a case to answer, which was agreed by Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy.

When asked if he wished to call witnesses or give evidence on his own behalf, Canon McEntee replied: Not at this stage.

Judge Kennedy set bail at 500 and ordered McEntee to reside at his current address and no other.

He is also banned from all contact with the complainants and any person aged under 16.

The case will be listed at Dungannon Crown Court for arraignment on September 17, with the judge remarking all charges are likely to be joined together.

Originally from Monaghan,McEntee joined the staff of St Michaels College, Enniskillen, in 1997, teaching religious studies and sitting on the Board of Governors.

He was also college president between 1994 and 2000, moving on to take up the post of parish priest at St Davogs Church in Dromore, Co Tyrone, in 2001, where he has remained until his recent leave of absence.

Previously, the Diocese of Clogher confirmed: Canon Patrick McEntee PP, Dromore, Co Tyrone, has asked for a period of leave to allow a safeguarding matter to be addressed. The Diocese of Clogher has robust safeguarding policies and practices in place. The Diocese of Clogher takes seriously all allegations, suspicions or concerns of abuse.

When asked about McEntees current status, given the charges he now faces, a spokesperson replied: Canon Patrick McEntee is on leave while a safeguarding matter is dealt with and will continue to be on leave from ministry until all due processes have been completed.
The action has been brought by 19-year-old John Mulrooney Sugrue of Manorfield Green, Clonee, Dublin

A teenager charged with murder has launched a High Court challenge aimed at halting his trial until new laws protecting his rights have been enacted.

The action has been brought by 19-year-old John Mulrooney Sugrue of Manorfield Green, Clonee, Dublin who is charged with the murder of Aaron Keating, Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15 on June 13 2023.

Mr Mulrooney Sugrue, whose case is pending before the Central Criminal Court, was a minor when the alleged offence is said to have occurred.

Represented by Seamus Clarke SC, he argues that if he is convicted of the offence of murder the sentencing judge will have no option other than to impose the mandatory life sentence on him.

In such a scenario the judge will not be able to take into account that the alleged offence of which he has been charged which took place when he was a child.

The fact that a person in his position would not be able to receive a determinate sentence or a review, it is claimed, amounts to a breach of his constitutional rights, and his rights under the European Convention of Human Rights, it is argued.

The current legal situation it is claimed has prejudiced the applicant, and his legal advisors' ability to advise him.

As part of his arguments to the court, he submits that the 2019 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommend that states abolish all forms of life imprisonment, including indeterminate sentences for all offences committed by persons who were below the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offence.

Aaron Keating

It is claimed that this situation has come about due to a legal oversight, rather than through an intentional decision by the Oireachtas.

However, he claims that it is vital that the issues raised in this case are addressed before he is obliged to indicate a plea in respect of the charge he faces.

In his action against the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ireland and the Attorney General, Mr Mulrooney Sugrue seeks various orders and declarations including an order preventing his further prosecution until such time as provision is made in law for sentencing powers which are capable of reflecting the fact he was a child at the time of the alleged offence, and an order for damages for the breach of his constitutional rights.

He also seeks a declaration that the State has breached his constitutional rights by failing to have a sentencing regime in place that allows a sentencing judge to take account of the fact that a convicted person was a child at the time they committed the offence of murder.

He further seeks declarations including that the part of the 2001 Children's Act is under-inclusive as it fails to provide for the imposition of a determinate sentence or for a review of a life sentence for an accused who was a child at the time an offence of murder was committed.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is a notice party to the proceedings.

The matter came before Ms Justice Niamh Hyland on Monday, who on an ex-parte (one side only represented) basis, granted permission to bring his challenge.

The matter and other related cases will be mentioned before the court later his month.

Floral tributes on Main Street, Ongar, where Aaron Keating was fatally stabbed. Photo: Colin Keegan

Two other judicial review actions where similar legal points have been raised were brought earlier this month.

They have been taken by Noah Musueni Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin and David Amah, Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate Dublin.

They are both charged with the murder of Tristan Sherry at a Dublin restaurant last Christmas Eve.

The two, who were also minors at the time of the alleged offence but have since turned 18 years of age, have been sent forward to trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Their challenges remain pending before the High Court.
The driver of the other car spent five weeks in hospital after he suffered a bleed on the brain, a fractured skull and other injuries

A woman who broke a red light and hit another car side-on was trying to get away from a dangerous person, a court has heard.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Amy Reynolds (38) was "under a level of coercion when her car collided with another in a high-speed impact which left the other driver seriously injured.

The driver of the other car spent five weeks in hospital after he suffered a bleed on the brain, a fractured skull and other injuries, the court heard.

Reynolds was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at the junction of Walkinstown Avenue and the Long Mile Road during the night of January 2 and 3, 2022.

Amy Reynolds

She also admitted to leaving the scene in an attempt to evade liability and driving without insurance or a driving licence.

Reynolds, with an address at Prior Hall, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, had been disqualified from driving for five years at the time of the offence.

In a ruling today, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of five years, adding that he would have imposed a considerably higher sentence were it not for the element of coercion in the case.

Judge Nolan said it should have been obvious to Reynolds to obey the red light, but that for her own reasons she broke the light in a case of wilful bad driving.

Amy Reynolds

The judge acknowledged that at the time, Reynolds was under the influence of a very difficult and dangerous person and that she was in fear of this man.

But he said a custodial term could not be avoided as Reynolds was a mature woman and responsible for her actions.

The judge pointed out what he said were serious aggravating factors, including that Reynolds left the scene and that she had been disqualified from driving at the time.

Reynolds had 26 previous convictions, including multiple for traffic offences, the court heard.

Judge Nolan disqualified Reynolds from driving for a further five years.

Footage was previously played in court of Reynolds driving at speed through the lights and hitting the other mans car side-on, causing it to spin around across the junction.

No victim impact statement was submitted but the injured man was present in court and seemed to have made a good recovery.

Counsel for Reynolds told the court that she had been driving to get away from a man who had made threats to her and had previously broken her eye socket.

Judge Nolan accepted that Reynolds had had a difficult life and had been under the influence of a dangerous person.
Route 303 service has been removed from O'Malley Park and Carew Park until further notice

Bus Eireann has suspended service through two areas in Limerick city after their drivers were attacked.

The route 303 has been suspended in OMalley Park and Carew Park in the Southill area until further notice.

Bus Eireann continues to investigate a serious anti-social behaviour incident that occurred in the OMalley Park area of Limerick on a route 303 service (Kilmallock Rd - Pineview) on 12 July 2024, a spokesperson said.

SIPTU said passengers boarded the vehicle and fired an air gun at the driver. This left the driver with bruising at the side of her eye.

The Bus Eireann driver received minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

A further incident occurred on route 303 at Carew Park on Sunday 14 July 2024 where a number of youths confronted our driver whilst in service, the Bus Eireann spokesperson added.

As a result of these incidents Route 303 service has been removed from O'Malley Park and Carew Park until further notice and this is currently under review.

"Customers are advised to check the service updates section of our website for the most up to date travel information.

The incidents have been referred to An Garda Siochana and Bus Eireann are providing assistance as required, including making CCTV available to gardai.

"Bus Eireann does not tolerate antisocial or criminal behaviour towards our customers or staff, the company added.

"As this matter is currently subject to a Gardai investigation we are not in a position to provide any additional information on this specific incident.

"The safety of our passengers and staff is of paramount importance to Bus Eireann and any incidents reported are taken very seriously and are fully investigated. Customers can report any incidents to Gardai, to the driver or to our Customer Care team on 0818 836 611 or via customercare@buseireann.ie.

Siptus Transport Divisional Organiser, Adrian Kane, said the attacks were shocking incidents.

The time for words of concern on the issue of the increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour and violence on our public transport system is now over, he said.

We need real action by the Government to ensure that the public transport system is a safer place for workers and passengers.

Gardai released the following statement: Gardai in Roxboro Road were alerted to an incident in O'Malley Park, Southill, Limerick on a bus on Friday afternoon, 12th July 2024 at approximately 12:10pm.

The female bus driver, aged in her 30s, was assaulted by a number of youths but did not require immediate medical attention.

Investigations are continuing, authorities added.
Identify the men who are engaging in this awful behaviour

A Dublin City Councillor has reported two men to gardai for killing foxes in a Dublin suburb.

Fianna Fail Deirdre Heney said that individuals in Dublin 5 are using high powered torches to startle animals and then set dogs on them.

"I reported the issue of two men with dogs for lamping foxes, ie using a high powered lamp to daze the animals to keep them still and set dogs on the foxes, in Raheny, Lough Derg Rd at 3am last Sat morning, Deirdre said.

The local politician added that this is an ongoing problem in the area surrounding St. Annes Park.

I previously reported this in March and April in St. Annes Estate. I emailed Raheny Gardai at raheny_ds@garda.ie and also the Wildlife Enforcement Support Unit at WildlifeEnforcement@npws.gov.ie.

The Garda response today said the area will be patrolled. The National Parks and Wildlife Enforcement Units response said the matter has been referred to relevant staff for investigation.

Fox with cub

Hopefully the Gardai patrolling the area will identify the men who are engaging in this awful behaviour, Deirdre said.

Fox hunting is still legal in Ireland and takes place regularly.

The social media page for Fox Hunting Ireland states: Fox hunting in Ireland truly is an exciting and invigorating challenge. There is nothing quite like it.

A click on the above Facebook page group link brings viewers to a site called horsesinireland.com.

Fox hunting is illegal in England, Scotland and Wales.

Fox hunting is legal here as foxes are not a protected species. Lamping, the night-time hunting of rabbits with lurcher dogs and bright lights, is legal.

Animal rights campaigner Nora Smith of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals previously said: We are embarrassingly behind when it comes to hunting with dogs legislation. Scotland did this in 2002 and updated that legislation last year so there is a blue-print there for a really robust piece of legislation that we can use.

"England and Wales introduced the ban in 2004.

"We can learn from those other jurisdictions. We are embarrassingly behind when it comes to advancing animal welfare.

"There is a lot of political support for the ban, unfortunately not all of our politicians are in that place. We know that they are out of step with the majority of people here who want to see a ban on hunting with dogs.

"There is a small minority of people who want to see this continued... that's where the public have a really important role in this.

The reality of fox hunting is that packs of dogs end up cornering families of foxes and tearing them to shred in their dens, in front of each other.

Those in favour view the animals as a nuisance which they say are a threat to chickens etc
Mark Mulligan from Dublin is a convicted stalker who chatted with Plumb as he hatched his plan and together they discussed Willoughbys kidnap.

An Irishman who once stalked celebrities and posed on a dating site as an ordinary guy was exchanging sick messages with security guard Gavin Plumb as he plotted to kidnap rape and murder TV star Holly Willoughby.

Mark Mulligan from Dublin is a convicted stalker who chatted with Plumb as he hatched his plan and together they discussed Willoughbys kidnap.

Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about Mulligan, Plumb and the chat sites where fantasists can find like minded individuals.

MORE EPISODES 
OConnor, who is a grandad, has been at the centre of feuding gangs in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin since the turn of the century.

Gangland heavy Jay OConnor is facing a jail sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to murder Charlie Cooper - man who was shot eight years ago.

OConnor, who is a grandad, has been at the centre of feuding gangs in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin since the turn of the century where he was once part of the notorious Westies gang.

So how has OConnor lived under threat and at war for almost three decades and can age or a stretch behind bars abate his fighting spirit?

Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about a criminal who has spent a lifetime feuding with rivals.

MORE EPISODES 
The Polish national had been on remand in jail since the October 2022 murder of father-of-three Tony Browne

Wiktoria Maksymowicz stabbed Tony Browne in the neck while he slept

Killer Wiktoria Maksymowicz has become a barista behind bars, the Sunday World has learned.

And the 35-year-old murderer had told inmates in Hydebank Prison she was locked up for fraud  until her cover was finally blown when she was convicted of murder last week.

The Polish national had been on remand in jail since the October 2022 murder of father-of-three Tony Browne.

After enduring six months of domestic abuse at the hands of Maksymowicz, including a knife wound the night before he died, his on-off girlfriend ended Tonys life by stabbing him in the neck.

But the vicious killer has told fellow inmates in jail that she was awaiting trial for fraud.

The truth was revealed last week when she was sentenced to 14 years in prison, following her guilty plea to murder in May.

She had preyed on her victim after meeting him at a vulnerable stage in his life.

Twins Bobbi-Leigh, left, and Shannon McIlwaine

Tonys twin daughters, Shannon and Bobbi-Leigh McIlwaine, spoke out after her sentencing to highlight the often-hidden impact of domestic violence on men.

Shannon revealed shed had a haunting premonition the first time she met Maksymowicz that she would murder Tony, and the twins were so concerned they set up daily daddy checks on their dad.

Their fears became a tragic reality when she fatally stabbed Tony in the neck in the bedroom of his Woodside Park home in west Belfast. His distraught 22-year-old twins later had to identify his body.

Tony Browne

Its claimed that Maksymowicz has now been given the privileged position of a barista in Hydebanks cafe and is presenting herself as a model prisoner.

In a passionate Facebook post, Bobbi-Leigh has pleaded: If you or anyone you know knows someone in Hydebank, please let them know she is a dirty murdering scumbag. She is not in for fraud, she is in for murder.

The grieving young woman adds: She is alive. How is this justice?

Maksymowicz has joined a small band of female lifers in the jail whose crimes have become notorious.

Hazel Stewart

Former Sunday school teacher Hazel Stewart has been protesting her innocence since her 2011 conviction for the double murders of her RUC officer husband Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell, the wife of Stewarts former lover Colin Howell. The pair killed their spouses after admitting their affair in 1991, and arranged the bodies to look like a double suicide in a fume-filled car.

But dentist Colin Howell confessed to the crimes in 2009 in an attack of conscience after the accidental death of his eldest son, and implicated Stewart.

He was sentenced to 21 years in jail in 2010. A year later she was given 18 years, and has since lost two appeals.

In 2021 she tried to claim she was the victim of coercive control  as Howell had drugged her to have sex with her  but the PPS decided not to charge him with the offences.

Their sordid affair and heartless murders were dramatised by ITV in The Secret, starring Jimmy Nesbitt as the killer dentist.

Karen Walsh

Murderer Karen Walsh  also a fellow inmate of Maksymowicz in Hydebank  is serving 20 years for the murder of 81-year-old grandmother Marie Rankin on Christmas Day 2008.

The pharmacist from Galway, a neighbour of Mrs Rankins, was convicted in 2011 of the brutal murder. She had battered her victim with a crucifix as she lay ill in bed, breaking 15 of her ribs.

Walsh appealed her conviction in the Appeal Court in 2015 and lost. She then tried to take her case to the Supreme Court, but that was rejected.

Another notorious female prisoner in Hydebank is lone wolf bomber Christine Connor, jailed for the attempted murder of a PSNI officer.

Christine Connor

In a bizarre case, she catfished two men, pretending to be a Swedish model, to gain cash and parts for an improvised grenade. Connor claimed she was the leader of made-up republican group United Front. Both men later killed themselves.

In two attacks on PSNI officers in 2013, she made hoax calls claiming she was the victim of domestic abuse.

Connor was convicted in 2017, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.

At a second trial in 2020 she was jailed for four offences, including attempted murder and possessing explosives with intent to endanger life.

Connors original tariff of 20 years was later increased to 25 years by the Court of Appeal.

However, she has refused to join the main prison population in Hydebank, claiming she is a political prisoner. Shes housed in the 500,000 Fern 4 unit within the prison.
As can be seen in the following clip a device was previously placed under the car, the gardai are seen removing the device from under the wheel and putting this fire out.

A man stands in front of a line of gardai during the incident in Coolock, north Dublin on Monday. Photo: PA

A claim gardai set fire to their own vehicle during scenes of unrest in north Dublin on Monday has been debunked in a clarification note on X.

A clip posted on social media currently has 150,000 views with the headline: BREAKING: Coolock Ireland...

Irish police set fire to their own garda car! Wholl get the blame?

In the video, smoke is seen coming from squad cars tyre as officers crowd around the vehicle.

Xs community note states: As can be seen in the following clip a device was previously placed under the car, the gardai are seen removing the device from under the wheel and putting this fire out.

Post on X

It comes as Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the disturbances were fuelled by "misinformation and disinformation" on social media.

"This has been a difficult policing day. What we have seen today was unacceptable. We have seen attacks on Gardai, criminal damage and offences of serious public disorder.

"All of these will be fully investigated. We have 15 people charged and we will have further charges," Commissioner Harris continued.

"I would like to comment on how well members of An Garda Siochana, including local gardai and Public Order units dealt with a very volatile and difficult situation for over 12 hours.

Newly-elected Dublin Cllr Gavin Pepper gave a speech at the site of the former Crown Paints factory where he claimed the Government is ignoring people.

"Helen McEntee promised communities she would engage with them across the country, and they didnt, he said.

"Why is it always the working class and rural communities that this happens to? Its never the posh areas. In the city centre they put up barriers to keep illegal migrants out.

"These communities need money. They are deprived. They need job programmes, apprenticeships, playgrounds. But they neglect them constantly.

"The rich areas never suffer, its the working class communities. The country is saying no and youre not listening.

"They are worried about their children. I blame everybody in the Dail.

On Tuesday, Cllr Pepper posted a video of a 62 year-old-woman who said she was pepper sprayed by gardai whilst waiting at a bus stop.

sundayworld.com received a statement from Garda Representative Association President Mark O'Meara following the events.

Mr OMeara decried the delayed deployment of the Public Order Unit to the scene.

Smouldering Garda car

"The GRA would first like to commend its members who bravely stood firm at the Coolock site and to their colleagues from all over the city that came to their assistance, he said.

"However, there was a clear delay in the deployment of the Public Order Unit which potentially exposed our members at the scene to extremely volatile and dangerous conditions for a number of hours.

"This was an organised operation, however, as a result of the delayed deployment of the Public Order Unit it was extremely fortunate that our members did not suffer more serious injuries than those that were sustained.

"We will now be raising this matter with the Commissioner and senior garda management and we will express serious concerns on whether lessons were learned from the incidents of last November and demand that we are better prepared for any possible future attacks.

"The safety of our members is paramount."

A total of 21 people have appeared in court charged with a range of public order offences following Mondays events.

Thirteen men and two women appeared before a late night sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday night.

They were granted bail on their own bond of 300.

All defendants were released subject to the same bail conditions, including that they must stay away from the former Crown Paints site, and not to engage in any protests.

A further six people, five men and a woman, were charged on Tuesday.

All accused were granted bail with conditions ordering them to stay away from the former factory on the Malahide Road and other nearby locations.
It is a special kind of cruelty to engage in such conduct

Two Irish brothers stole more than $435k of a retired mans savings after pressurising him into allowing them carry out repairs on his Washington home, according to federal prosecutors.

Patrick McDonagh and Matthew McDonagh allegedly stole the money the man had built up after they pretended to carry out the work.

According to the US Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington, the McDonaghs had convinced the man that they were home repairmen doing contracted work in Shoreline, where he lived, just outside Seattle.

They stopped at his home and told him they spotted a hole in his roof and offered to repair it and to clear his roof of moss, a report in the Sacramento Bee reveals.

Prosecutors said that Matthew McDonagh had returned from inspecting the roof with a shingle purporting to show damage.

According to the criminal complaint, the McDonaghs successfully persuaded the homeowner to write them cheques worth $15,000, $20,000 and $26,000, after the he accepted the brothers offer for repairs.

The alleged victim was also told his home needed other repairs with the Irishmen claiming he had a cracked foundation that they could repair with a titanium tie rod system, according to prosecutors.

The roof had no hole, and the foundation was not failing, prosecutors said in a press release.

The brothers dug trenches at the mans home, poured concrete and demanded more money for the work  including $20,000 for taxes, while acting as if they were repairing damage, according to prosecutors.

However, the homeowner was unaware both brothers had defrauded homeowners before and belonged to a travelling group of accused scammers, prosecutors said.

Nearly half of the money the McDonaghs stole from the man, $200,000, was demanded by them for building supplies.

When the man objected to their demands, saying he couldnt afford to pay them, court documents say that Patrick McDonagh told him to transfer his retirement savings to pay him.

After the mans bank account was almost cleared out, the man became suspicious, and his family called the police, according to court documents.

The US Attorneys office said both brothers were arrested by US Customs and Border Protection in June, and have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

This type of fraud on our elderly neighbours is heartbreaking, US Attorney Tessa M Gorman said in a statement. To pose as someone trying to help them, while all the while the goal is to steal as much as they can from the victims hard-earned retirement funds. It is a special kind of cruelty to engage in such conduct.

The FBI has linked the McDonaghs to other instances of fraud in Spokane, 350km from Seattle, and Washington County, Oregon, where they are accused of stealing $50,000 after making similar claims to homeowners about them needing repairs.

In those cases, they used fake photos of holes in the homeowners roof or alleged problems with the houses foundation or posed as local-reputable businesses, prosecutors said.

When the McDonaghs appeared in federal court in Seattle on July 12, prosecutors filed a motion requesting their detention, arguing that they present a flight risk and dont have legal status in the US

The list of their victims is growing, prosecutors added

When an expert working for the government later examined the Washington mans home, they found no evidence of a $435,000 construction project describing any recent work as minimal and cheap.

The US Attorneys office advises homeowners to get multiple estimates for home repair work, to verify whether a contractor is licensed and has insurance and to check with agencies  including the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission  to see if any complaints have been made against a contractor.

Washington residents can search for contractors on the Washington States Department of Labor & Industries website.

If Patrick and Matthew McDonagh are convicted of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, they could face up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Defense attorneys representing the brothers didnt immediately respond to media requests for comment on July 16.
The cocaine parcels had been hidden beneath crates of bananas that were destined for export to Europe

Cops pose with some of the wrapped packages

This is what six tonnes of cocaine wrapped up in 5,630 packages looks like.

The massive haul seized by Ecuadorean cops was discovered in a banana shipment at a port near Guayaquil, the countrys prosecutor's office stated.

Security officers, with the assistance of sniffer dogs, found the stash during a routine inspection of a container stored at Posorja deep-water port, southwest of Ecuadors largest city.

The 5,630 parcels were filled with a white substance that later tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine parcels had been hidden beneath crates of bananas that were destined for export to Europe.

It is believed the shipment was destined for Germany. Anti-narcotics officials estimate the street value of the massive cocaine haul at $224 million (204 million) if it had reached its destination.

Five people had been arrested following the discovery, according to the prosecutor-general's office.

Cops pose with some of the wrapped packages

A representative of the export company responsible for the shipment was one of those arrested in connection to the drug discovery.

Prosecutors allege that he had been present at the inspection and later gave officials the names of four other suspects, including the managers of the banana plantation where the cocaine is suspected to have been added to the fruit shipment, as well as the driver who took the container to the port.

Ecuador has become a major transit country for cocaine produced in neighbouring Peru and Colombia

Transnational criminal gangs use Ecuador's ports to ship the drug to Europe and the US.

Last year, Ecuadorean security forces seized more than 200 tonnes of drugs, most of it cocaine. Only the US and Colombia seized more drugs in 2023.

Dangerous gangs have caused a wave of violent crime in Ecuador, leading President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency and deploy thousands of police officers and soldiers in an effort to combat them.

These security agencies have intercepted large stashes of cocaine from being shipped to Europe. In January, officers found the largest stash ever seized in Ecuador, with 22 tonnes of cocaine buried on a pig farm.

According to the annual World Drug Report published recently by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), estimated cocaine production increased by 20 per cent between 2021 and 2022.

In 2022, cocaine production hit a record high with 2,757 tons produced  a 20 per cent increase from 2021 when 2,304 tons were produced.

The prolonged surge in cocaine supply and demand has coincided with a rise in violence along the supply chain, most notably in Ecuador and Caribbean countries, the report found, which has led to an increase in health harms in countries of destination, including in Western and Central Europe.

While Colombia remains the worlds number one cocaine exporter, in Ecuador local gangs are now operating alongside Colombian, Mexican, and Balkan cartels to move the drug along the countrys waterways and to its international ports.

As conflict over the routes has worsened, homicides have soared, politicians and political candidates have been assassinated, and the country has fallen into a near-permanent state of emergency, InSight Crime reports.

In the Caribbean, where island nations are used as a stopping point to move cocaine to North America and Europe, local gangs have unleashed fighting to establish and defend their territory, and homicides have risen.

Routes between South America and Europe have become well established, with Ecuador, the Southern Cone, and Brazil being the major exit hubs. The North Sea has become the primary entry point, the report found.

The effects of this in Europe and in Ireland have already been felt, with Revenue intercepting and seizing a record 800kg of cocaine, valued at 56 million, last year.
Their bodies were recovered after firefighters were called to the scene of a blaze on a dirt road in the Fosie industrial estate in the coastal city of Malmo on Sunday

There are fears that the bodies of two suspected gangland victims found shot dead in a burned out rental car are those of two British men reported missing in Sweden.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting the families of both men who have gone missing and are in touch with the local authorities.

It follow the discovery of the bodies of the driver and passenger in the gutted remains of a Toyota RAV4 that had been rented in Denmark and driven across the border to Sweden.

Their bodies were recovered after firefighters were called to the scene of a blaze on a dirt road in the Fosie industrial estate in the coastal city of Malmo on Sunday.

Local media is reporting that the pair are understood to have been shot before the car was set alight, with police treating the incident as a double murder with potential links with gang violence.

Police in Sweden have launched a murder hunt after two bodies were found in a burnt-out car in Malmo (Oleksandr Prykhodko/Alamy/PA)

It has been reported that the car was rented at Copenhagens Kastrup airport before it was found in the nearby Swedish city located across the border.

The victims were last seen travelling past the Oresund Bridge toll station on Sunday afternoon.

According to MailOnline, while the identities of the deceased have not yet been shared, police officials say they have an idea of who they are.

It is understood that authorities now fear that more violence could follow as a result of what is believed to be a gangland hit.

Meanwhile, the bodies will be examined forensically this week as police attempt to confirm the identities and notify the next of kin.

Rickard Lundqvist, press spokesperson for the southern police region, confirmed a manhunt was underway on Sunday but said there was no suspect at present.

Police only identified that the victims were not Danish since it was a Danish-registered car but Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet has stated that the victims were British.

Police appealed for information on the burned out car after confirming they are now working with foreign police on the case.

We are interested in talking to people who have seen the car... a black Danish-registered Toyota of model RAV4, Kerstin Gosse, spokesperson for the Swedish Police Authority, is quoted as saying.

They are now asking anybody who saw the car between 11.30am and 2pm on Sunday, July 14 to get in touch.

We are working hard with various measures in this investigation to bring clarity to this, she added.

The scene is still cordoned off and a crime scene investigation is underway, according to local media.

Police declined to say whether the apparent attack was connected to gang violence.

We have to keep everything open. It is nothing that I can speculate on this early in the investigation, Gosse said.

So far, we are keeping tight and restrained so that the preliminary investigation can have its way, she added.

A statement issued by the Swedish Police Authority, reported by Sky News, said: The two people who were found dead in a burnt-out car on Sunday afternoon have not yet been identified.

The bodies are being examined by forensic medicine. The incident is currently being investigated as a murder.

Several witnesses have been interviewed and the police are interested in further observations and tips.

The number of murders reported in Sweden increased 39 per cent between 2013 and 2021 with 60 people shot in in 2022, marking a record in modern times, the government said last year.

Malmo, the country's third largest city with a population of some 300,000, had the fourth highest figure behind Stockholm, Gothenburg and Vasteras.

The UK government continues to issue foreign travel advice about travelling to Sweden.

Violent crime does occur. Gang-related crime, including knife crime, shootings and explosions, has been reported in Malmo, Stockholm and Gothenburg, it reads.
Hidden in plain sight, the Glynn home was just twelve doors down from the RIC Barracks, which is now the principal Garda station in Sligo

The decade of commemorations that marked 100 years since the War of Independence and Civil War has recently passed. Everyone in 1920s Ireland was affected by the violence and turbulence of those years, and for some the impacts continue to be felt today.

Many of the key political figures on a national scale have been the subject of detailed historical studies and their names are well-known.

More often than not, however, the thousands of men and women who were politically active in the 1920s have been all but forgotten.

Similarly, most of the buildings and places in the landscape that were key to the guerilla warfare of the period have also fallen out of memory and have been destroyed.

Sligo is no different. In recent weeks, the Civil War headquarters of the IRA in Sligo town has been completely demolished.

The house on Chapel Street was home to Peadar Glynn and his sister May Glynn.

Peadar was Officer Commanding (OC) of the Active Service Unit (ASU) of the IRA in Sligo during the 1920s.

May was an active member of Cumann na mBan.

The Glynn home served as an IRA safe house during the War of Independence.

In June 1920, arms and ammunition were brought from their house across Lough Gill for the unsuccessful IRA attack on Fivemilebourne (Newtownmanor) RIC Barracks in County Leitrim.

Peadar Glynn worked closely with General Officer Commanding (GOC) Billy Pilkington throughout the revolutionary period.

The former Glynn home on Chapel Street, Sligo has been demolished.

For instance, they were both instrumental in the June 1921 break-out from Sligo Gaol of IRA leaders Charles Gildea, Frank OBeirne and Tom Deignan.

During the Civil War, in September 1922, Peadar Glynn was arrested by the National Army following the planned evacuation of the IRA from their base at Rahelly House in North Sligo.

Six of Glynns comrades were subsequently killed on the mountains, later becoming known as Sligos Noble Six.

The IRA headquarters in the Glynn family home on Chapel Street remained undiscovered, however, until December 1925  two years after the Civil War had ended.

During the raid on Glynns house, the Gardai discovered a hidden room on the top floor of the house, where a large space had been secretly partitioned-off.

The door which led to the hidden room had been wall-papered over.

When the Gardai prised open this hidden door, they entered a small narrow passage that ended at a brick wall.

On closer inspection they discovered a second secret door set into the brick wall. Beyond this door was a small room lit by a skylight. This hidden space had served as the IRA headquarters throughout the Civil War.

The fact that the headquarters had remained hidden for so long was recalled many years later by Tom Scanlon, Officer Commanding of the Sligo Town IRA, who was responsible for its construction.

In the 1950s, Scanlon told Ernie OMalley: I was 12 months at the building [of it] with my uncle  We made a kind of closed-up room and we concreted it up completely and we papered the wall outside as if it was a disguise.

This was in Glynns  At the sides [of the room] we made a door, then and we matched the paper.

The spring lock [on the door] was connected to a nail in [a] picture. What you did was this.

You took off the picture and you pulled off the nail, and it released the spring lock. The door then swung open, and it allowed us into a passage between the room and the roof.

We had a bed there and a table and chairs. It was often used for an emergency for sleeping there at night. Billy [Pilkington] used the place as his Divisional Headquarters when he was in the town.

Peadar Glynn later clarified the significance of this room:

My home was Divisional H.Q. during the Civil War. We cut off two or three rooms and got them back only in 1927.

Sligo Garda Station on Pearse Road/Chapel Street which was an old RIC barracks.

Hidden in plain sight, the Glynn home was just twelve doors down from the RIC Barracks, which is now the principal Garda station in Sligo.

The IRA were co-ordinating and planning military tactics right under the noses of the RIC and, later, the National Army.

Residents of Chapel Street grew up hearing about the Glynn safe house, but the majority of people in Sligo never knew of its significance.

With time, the house fell into disrepair, was abandoned and became derelict.

This summer the Glynn safe house  the Civil War headquarters of the IRA  was demolished, and with it a central part of Sligos revolutionary heritage has been lost.

This article is based on an excerpt from a forthcoming book, An Irish Civil War Dugout: Tormore Cave, County Sligo, by Marion Dowd, Robert Mulraney and James Bonsall, which will be available from October.
Mother-of-two Niamh McGill from Co Meath was only just back to work when two elephants died within a week of each other

Vet Niamh McGill was just back after maternity leave when Dublin Zoo lost two elephants to a virus.

A Dublin Zoo vet, who is just back from maternity leave, has her husband bring their baby to her in the zoo so she can breastfeed as she works to protect the herd of sick elephants.

Mother-of-two Niamh McGill from Co Meath was only just back to work when two elephants in the Dublin Zoo herd died within a week of each other.

Eight-year-old Avani died from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) on July 1, while seven-year-old Zinda died from the same virus on July 7.

Zinda (7) was the second elephant at Dublin Zoo to die of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus.

Now, a third elephant, 17-year-old Asha, mother of Zinda, has also tested positive for EEHV. The virus causes acute, fatal haemorrhagic disease in wild and captive juvenile Asian and African elephants, and in severe cases, the virus can result in death within 24 hours.

Its been nonstop for the last 10 days, Ms McGill told the Sunday World.

There hasnt really been a start time or a finish time and nobody has to be asked. Everyone wants to give the elephants everything they can and do whatever possible to help the elephants get through this.

The whole focus is on getting these elephants through and protecting them

I have a young baby and Im just back from maternity leave. With any job youre trying to ease yourself in and Im still breastfeeding my baby. My hours were originally worked out around that. Then the elephants got sick and all of that went out the window for everybody.

My husband has been bringing my baby to the zoo. I would feed him while looking after the elephants.

The whole focus is on getting these elephants through and protecting them. Thats everyone on the team, not just me.

You cannot imagine how quickly a virus can act

The elephants are family, the keepers spend their whole week with them, you get to know them so well. For them, its a devastating loss.

You cannot imagine how quickly a virus can act. Were remaining vigilant. We still have one vulnerable youngster and were continuing to monitor Asha.

Vet Niamh McGill says the death of the elephants is a devastating loss for Dublin Zoo.

Ms McGill believes the work done at Dublin Zoo is extremely important and contributes to saving animals around the world.

I qualified as a vet 15 years ago, and my vision has always been to work with wild animals and in conservation, she said.

Every year I went to a different conservation project around the world. I went to Borneo for the orangutans and I went to Thailand and worked with Asian elephants. I went to Uganda for the mountain gorillas.

Then I got my lucky break. I finished the masters in conservation medicine, and I started working with vets Frank and Emma a couple of years ago in Dublin Zoo. To say its a dream come true is an understatement. It is everything Ive always wanted.

The captive populations that are breeding are really important to support the conservation efforts

These animals are connected to wild conservation projects all around the world, thats really where we need to educate people. We need to make people aware of the threats facing these animals and EEHV is one such threat.

Our Asian elephant programme is very important. Asian elephants are endangered, their numbers are decreasing in the wild. The captive populations that are breeding are really important to support the conservation efforts that are happening in the field. Were contributing to a wider perspective.

Ms McGill loves her job, and she continues to be amazed by the animals at the zoo each day.

I love the chimpanzees. They are just fascinating, so clever and theyre so like humans, she said.

The keepers that interact with them, they track everything, and they get to know their keepers and they co-operate. They want to be interacted with and spoken to. Its phenomenal to witness that. So, if a keeper tells us an animal is potentially off form, we know it is. We dont need any more evidence because they know them so well.

Dublin Zoo said in an unprecedented effort to save Zinda, the Irish and UK governments facilitated the urgent importation of vital blood products from Chester Zoo to provide the antibodies and help fight the infection.

Currently, no other elephants in the herd are showing signs of the virus.
Its not representative of the people in Dublin because on that day I met a lot of very nice people

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has said he was not upset after being subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse and insults in Dublin although he was disappointed that his beloved Kerry GAA team was beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Shocking footage was posted on X showing the independent TD being sworn at and being called a traitor, and a dirty sell-out while being told to f**k off back to Kerry.

Deputy Healy-Rae who was in Dublin to attend the semi-final between Kerry and Armagh in Croke Park, was verbally attacked as he stood on the street.

You should be ashamed of yourself, one woman tells the politician as he initially tries to interact with the people around him.

You should take that off your neck as well, she says, referring to a green band he is wearing. Ya shouldnt have any green on ya at all, ya bleedin traitor.

Meanwhile, a mans voice repeats in the background: Put a hijab on ya, put a hijab on ya.

Go back down to Kerry with all the other Muslims, another mans voice says. Then another man arrives on the scene.

Im from around here, this man who has a bike with him, says, as he gestures aggressively at the TD.

The entire time Deputy Healy-Rae stands impassively with his hands in his pockets, now trying to ignore the abuse while talking to another man.

In the Dail, the other day, crying about what people have on their phones? Disinformation? We get all the disinformation from you, a man is heard shouting.

The man who arrived on the bike then begins again.

The money youre making, bringing people into the country, the f**king cheek. Theres people starving, homeless in this country. And all you think about is money.

Your shops, your garages, youre dirt.

The voice of the first man adds: Youre not wanted in Dublin anyway. He then gestures at passing Kerry fans, here, take him with youse, hes not wanted here in Dublin.

Kerry doesnt even want you, Michael, the woman adds.

Kerry doesnt you Michael, f**k off.

You and your brother, the man shouts, and the woman says, ya, the two of them in it.

There are more cries of: Kerry doesnt want ya, Ireland doesnt want ya, f**k off.

He has no shame, the woman adds,  look, hes just standing there. Even people from his own county are telling him to f**K off.

Deputy Healy-Rae told sundayworld.com it had started off with two or three (people) and then there were more.

"A while earlier I had met some of my family and I can put up with it but you dont want other people (to hear it). Its not nice for them, he said.

"But in my opinion its not representative of the people in Dublin because on that day I met a lot of very nice people. Most Dublin people I meet are very nice people but I just happened to meet reactors.

But they wont stop me doing my work, or going to matches either, a defiant Healy-Rae said.

Whats more upsetting than that was that we lost to Armagh.

Last September, several politicians and staff including Michael Healy-Rae were subjected to verbal abuse when an anti-government and immigration demonstration "spiralled out of control".

About 200 people had held a protest outside Government buildings as the Dail resumed following the summer recess.

Politicians and staff were prevented from leaving Leinster House until gardai escorted a convoy of politicians' cars out of the gate.

It led to several arrests, and afterwards, the independent TD condemned the conduct of some protesters as he and an office intern attempted to leave the area.

He told Independent.ie: I come to Dublin to represent the good people of this country.

Nothing will ever deter me from doing my job.

Ive no issue with protesting, never have, never will but you can see the videos circulating and judge for yourselves if that behaviour and use of language is acceptable.
Its a shock for people to come to terms with. They are all in our thoughts at the moment, and my sympathies are with everyone who is affected by this very sad passing.

Tributes have been paid to a Tipperary woman who died in a two vehicle crash on the N80 in Carlow on Monday evening.

Denise OMeara who was in her 30s and from Portroe, Co Tipperary died following a crash between her car and a van at around 5.50pm in Ballintrane, Co Carlow.

The news of her death has come as a huge shock to the north Tipperary village, where the OMeara family are widely respected and well known.

Her father Denis runs a dairy partnership with his wife Maura, and the couple have three other children, Declan, Triona and Eimear.

Fianna Fail Cllr Ryan OMeara said the tragedy has most definitely shocked Portroe but also the surrounding areas. She is very well-known and very well-liked individual.

Its a shock for people to come to terms with. They are all in our thoughts at the moment, and my sympathies are with everyone who is affected by this very sad passing.

Denise O'Meara

Fianna Fail Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill, who was a former president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), said it was every parents nightmare.

Its a tragic accident. Her father would be a very well-known dairy farmer. He would be recognised as one of the best dairy farmers in the country, said Deputy Cahill.

Your heart goes out to the family. Its another young life lost on our roads, added Deputy Cahill. Its every parents worst nightmare.

Tipperary North Irish Farmers Association (IFA) Chair, Baden Powell said: "The O'Meara family are a very hardworking farming family and well respected in the area.

"I have three young boys myself who are just starting to drive and the roads are such a worry for me. I can't imagine what the family are going through right now. To get news like that is just devastating for a family.

"Myself and the rest of the IFA in Tipperary send our condolences to the O'Meara family. As I said, they are a really hardworking family and there is a lot of respect for them in Tipperary."

Denise was predeceased by her grandparents Hubert Oakley and Michael OMeara. She is mourned by her parents Denis and Maura, her brother Declan, sisters Caitriona and Eimear, her partner Calum, nephew and nieces Ella, Niall, Keira and Emily, grandmothers Nancy OMeara and Maureen Oakley, sister-in-law Grace, partners Donal and Matt, and by a wide circle of aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Ms OMeara will lie in repose at her home in Ballingear this Thursday and Friday, July 18 and 19, from 5pm on both evenings. Her remains will arrive at St Mary's Church, Portroe, on Saturday, July 20, for requiem mass at 12 noon, followed by burial in Castletown Graveyard, Castlelough.

Meanwhile, Gardai in Carlow continue to investigate the crash in which Denise died. The two men in the van were both airlifted from the scene to two different Dublin hospitals and are both recovering from their injuries.

Carlow Superintendent Anthony Farrell is urging any witnesses to the crash to come forward to gardai.

The N80 is the main vehicular artery between the M9 Motorway and Rosslare Port. We are focusing on people who may have been using this part of roadway around the time of the collision between 6.15pm and 7pm.

You may have been travelling towards Carlow or Ballon at the time. You might have noticed either vehicle, a white Audi A4 or indeed the White Mercedes Vito van. You might have dashcam footage, you might have seen either vehicle pass.

Indeed if you have any information to support the garda investigation, please contact Tullow garda station on 059 915 1222, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Superintendent Farrell also asked people not to share images of the crash online.

This is not helpful to the garda investigation, but more importantly to the family, friends and community who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

Carlow county councillor Ben Ward lives just two minutes away from where the crash occurred. He said the local community are devastated to see another life lost on the N80 in Carlow.

"Everyone in the area is shocked and saddened to hear the news, but also I suppose in a way they are not surprised that there has been another accident on that same stretch of road. It's not the bad spot at Shirley's Bend, but it is a little bit up from that.

"It does feel like that stretch of road is increasing the amount of accidents that are happening on the N80. Every time there is an accident in Carlow, it just feels like it is always that same stretch of road. It is unnecessary. "

Cllr Ward added that in order to reduce deaths on the N80, a combination of measures must be implemented as soon as possible to make the road a safer place for motorists.

"These accidents are emphasising the point that we need to reduce the speed limits, slow people down, put in speed cameras and speed calming measures and ultimately get the road straightened out at that bend. We need to make the road safer for people.

"We need to use every lever that we can to make the roads safer. Reducing the speed limits is just one thing. Is everyone going to adhere to that straightaway? No they won't. But I always come back to the example of the smoking ban. I think that's a brilliant example of how people resisted the change at first, but over time, like hopefully we will see with the speed limits, it will change people's behaviour, said Cllr Ward.
On its website he describes Paul Byrne Media as a pioneering project that will reimagine the media landscape

The journalist Paul Byrne, who left Virgin Media last month after settling a High Court action over its decision to bring internal disciplinary proceedings against him, has launched a news network.

On its website, he describes Paul Byrne Media as a pioneering project that will reimagine the media landscape. It has been created with Norbert, a web designer in Cork, and is being billed as the markets most cutting-edge news website.

Among the stories covered are shots being fired at a house in Cork, an imitation firearm being seized in the city, and former Cork lord mayor Michael OConnell accusing the GAA county board of a snub after he was declined a ticket to the All Ireland hurling final.

The news website does not have a paywall. Mr Byrne says it aims to deliver unparalleled content, seamlessly blending insightful journalism with state-of-the-art technology.

The journalist, who was with TV3/Virgin Media for 26 years, brought the station to the High Court over what he claimed was a flawed disciplinary process. The claims were denied.

When the matter came before the court on June 4 for mention, the journalists barrister said following a mediation, the dispute had been settled. He asked for the case to be struck out.

Mr Byrne later announced on social media that he was leaving Virgin.

The High Court had previously heard that Mr Byrne was suspended from his role following a live report on February 9 about the death of a boy in Co Waterford.

The court was told that the journalist had stated that one line of inquiry being considered by gardai was that the boy had allegedly been drowned and placed in a car. The claim was broadcast after Mr Byrne checked it with at least two credible sources, and after two other media outlets published the same information.

It turned out not to be true, and soon afterwards Mr Byrne claimed his employer suspended him for allegedly breaching the broadcaster's News Guidelines and Production Handbook, because he had failed to speak to his line manager about the matter in advance of the broadcast.

He claimed the disciplinary process could have resulted in his dismissal. The journalist denied any wrongdoing, and claimed the process was flawed, punitive, disproportionate and should be set aside.

In correspondence Virgin Media rejected the claims and said that, given its role as a public broadcaster, the alleged breach was deemed "serious in nature" and "steps needed to be taken to avoid a repeat".

No details of the eventual settlement were given in open court.
A breakdown of the nine wards eligible for voting shows the number of people who had already voted in the Maori Te Awanui ward was 13.65 per cent  the lowest result yet.

Voting opened on June 29 and, by Monday, the cumulative return of votes already returned was 16.69 per cent, or 18,249 votes.

The final day to vote in Tauranga City Council s election this year is on Saturday, when the election will see the city return to democracy with a fully elected council, replacing the government-appointed commissioners who have been in place since 2020.

There are concerns that sluggish voter turnout for Taurangas first Maori seat on the city council could impact the future of the ward for elections to come.

By comparison, the Te Papa ward drew 14.6 per cent, Mauao/Mount Maunganui drew 15.48 per cent, Papamoa 15.7 per cent, Welcome Bay 17.05 per cent, Tauriko 17.46 per cent, Matua-Otumoetai 17.88 per cent, Arataki 18 per cent and Bethlehem 19.01 per cent.

Te Awanui candidate Ashley Hillis says he's concerned.

Hillis joins Mikaere Sydney and Suaree Borell in vying for the Maori seat, the first in Tauranga council history.

We are just not seeing the numbers. It is slightly disappointing. Its not just us [Te Awanui hopefuls], its the candidates that have pushed for a greater voter turnout, and the council team has been working hard too, Hillis says.

In total, just 40.28 per cent of eligible people voted in 2019. The 2016 turnout was 38.07 per cent and it was 37.78 per cent in 2013.

Unlike other New Zealand councils, Tauranga did not have an election in 2022 because of the appointment and extension of commissioners, whose term ends on Saturday.

The commissioners were appointed to replace the 2019-elected council, which was deemed to be too dysfunctional to carry out its duties.

Ashley Hillis is running for the Te Awanui ward in the 2024 Tauranga local body election. Photo / Alex Cairns.

This election marks the first time the city has seen orange voting bins placed around supermarkets, shopping centres and council and community spaces to encourage more voting.

It is also the first time the council has offered 90-second video profiles of candidates on its website.

Hillis says the low voting numbers in Te Awanui so far could be reflective of people taking more time to determine and analyse the candidates.

Im only postulating at this point but Im going to assume people are taking their time in doing due diligence in working out who to vote for.

He says he's among those who have only just voted, for this reason.

However, he's concerned that, if the low numbers don't improve, they could have far-reaching consequences.

Suaree Borell, candidate for the Te Awanui ward in Tauranga's election. Photo / Mead Norton.

Im worried that people on the outside, particularly those who are against Maori wards, see that as a reason not to have them. Thats a concern for me.

The subject of Maori wards in local government has sparked referendums in opposition.

A referendum to reverse a council decision on Maori wards needs just five per cent of the areas population to vote against a council decision and this is binding.

No other governance process is contested in this way.

The previous Government removed this legislation but the current coalition Government plans to reinstate it. A bill to do so has already passed its first reading.

In 2022, Local Democracy Reporting found Maori wards in Taranaki were only partly successful, with voter turnout a third lower than overall turnout across the region.

Hillis message to people was get out and vote.

It doesnt have to be for me. Id prefer it was but its just so important for people to vote, regardless.

Tauranga electoral officer Warwick Lampp says the introduction of orange voting bins has already made a difference to voter turnout in this year's election.

Taurangas current election is out of sync with other local government elections, held every three years, because of the appointment of the commissioners.

The city will return to the national cycle in 2028.

These people that we elect will be running the city for the next four years, Hillis says.

Borell is also concerned about the poor turnout figures in her ward and says there are several factors worth considering, such as historical disenfranchisement, socio-economic disparities and systemic barriers.

Many Maori feel marginalised and disengaged from the political process ... It is hard to be interested in something that has never served or met your interests.

It's important to note that addressing low voter turnout among Maori is a complex issue requiring ongoing efforts from the Government, community and individuals, she says.

There has already been efforts to address this, such as greater awareness and education around voting, promoting Maori representation and community-led initiatives that empower Maori to take part in the democratic process.

By promoting inclusivity, raising awareness and providing accessible information, we can work towards increasing Maori voter turnout and ensuring that Maori voices are heard in the democratic process, she says.

The citys electoral officer, Warwick Lampp, says last week that the orange bins were making a positive difference, compared to the traditional postal system.

There appeared to be more votes, in general, early on in the election compared with the same time in the 2019 election, he says.

Mikaere Sydney has been contacted for comment.

-Bay of Plenty Times.
In 1981 Mum and Dad bought the shop and took a lease on the land, says Andrew Bentley.

It has been 21 years since the business closed. It is still owned by the Bentley family who ran the business from 1981 to 2003, but is due to change hands this week.

Its graffiti-clad exterior has given it cult status, and it has been used as a backdrop for many a photo. But anyone wanting to include it in their snaps needs to get a wriggle on.

But the former Pongakawa Service Station on the corner of Pongakawa Station Rd and SH2, east of Te Puke, will be familiar to, if not millions, then hundreds of thousands.

As landmarks go, its not quite up there with the Sky Tower or the Beehive.

They bought the property outright a few years later.

Mum and Dad are Jean and the late Les Bentley.

When they took it over, from Hank Lynch, it was also a service station, selling Mobil fuel, but the tanks were removed in the mid-1990s.

The whole operation was closed 21 years ago.

It was simply not worth staying open.

Les and Jeans age, the condition of the building that required extensive investment to bring back up to modern standards, and the dwindling numbers of customers were all factors.

We shut the doors - all the stock stayed in there except food and slowly over the years weve just put other stuff in there as storage, says Andrew.

Pongakawa Service Station - mid-1980s.

There was no serious attempt to sell it as a going concern.

Jean says running the business had its moments like everything else.

There were good times and there were sad times, she says.

The shop sold whatever people wanted, says Andrew, and was a hub for the community.

My late husband has a little workshop there where he would help people with their cars. Many cars in those days would need a tinkering, he was very good at that.

Then there were a lot of people come in and tell us about the history and who had [previously owned the business] and what happened to them.

Popular with school children, the store supplied lunches to Pongakawa School.

All the school kids would come in and see Mum, says Andrew.

I was granny to come of them, says Jean.

But there was a darker side and more than once the store was robbed.

I did have one chappie come in one afternoon. There was not a soul within sight. He came in quite boldly, he said Ive come to rob you.

I said have you? Youre too late, Les has already gone to the bank.

Despite the road being much busier today, before the tanks were removed, the service station was one of three selling petrol in the immediate district.

Cars didnt have big fuel tanks and didnt have good economy so there were three service stations out here. Then the tanks came out because they were over 50 years old. It was at a time when it wasnt economical and oil companies were shutting down service stations, not growing them, says Andrew.

The same view today.

The economy of the area also changed.

You saw the district changing from being mainly dairy to what it is today, says Jean.

The many dairy farms in the area made gypsy day - June 1, when sharemilkers and mobs of cows would move between farms - interesting.

There were some lively times when herds came through from Gisborne on foot - that was always very interesting.

Those moving on would often come into the shop to say goodbye.

Theyd be teary and were sorry they were going, but then we had the new lot come in and wed listen to their tales while they settled in.

For some, says Jean, it was a good idea to make sure they had settled their accounts before they left the area.

The store was open seven days a week, but sometimes that wasnt enough for customers.

We had occasions in the night when people would bang on the door at the house and would want petrol and it wasnt an easy job to get up and go out in the pitch black dark and open things up.

Youd get all these hard-luck stories and they would give you a cheque and you would wonder if it was going to bounce.

It was only in the last few years the store was open that the Eftpos system was in place.

It was so much better, much easier - you didnt have to worry.

Recognised as much for its graffiti as its history these days, Andrew says there was never a serious attempt to clean it up.

I think I only tried once and, you know, its a waste of time. You can worry about it or just give up - youre not going to stop it.

Its a great place to have photographs and quite a lot of wedding parties have stopped off and had a memento with the bride and everybody, says Jean.

And tourists as well - its been well-documented. Its a bit of an eyesore, but you get used to it.

Andrew says over the years a lot of people have asked about buying the land and buildings, but until now the time hasnt been right.

Part of it is my age I suppose, he says. When you look at it, mowing the grass and looking after everything, if I dont hurry up and enjoy life more there wont be anything left.

Nick Johnson from Pongakawa firm Trenching and Irrigation NZ, set to be the new owners, says it is about 15 years since he started to think the site might be ideal for the business. The plan is to demolish the building and build a shed to be used as a workshop.

Any approaches had been knocked back until now.

When Nick approached me [most recently] the decision had actually been made that previous month - Id decided, okay, Ive got to make serious plans to do something. The building was coming down no matter what, it was whether I developed the site or just moved on - so it was just the right time, its time for me to move on.

Jean says she will be sorry to see it go but change has got to happen.

It would never make a fortune in todays world as a corner store, she says.

-Te Puke Times.
Waikato and Western Bay of Plentys regional economic development agencies have called for greater inter-regional collaboration.

Priority One, the Western Bay of Plentys regional economic development organisation, and Te Waka, their Waikato counterpart, have asked the Government to lead discussions with local decision-makers to develop a strategy to strengthen the base of the Golden Triangle.

In a paper released by Priority One and Te Waka, the organisations outlined how the two regions, New Zealands fastest-growing ones, could jointly lead the countrys transition to a more sustainable, innovative, and productive economy through strategic inter-regional collaboration.

Te Waka chief executive Fiona Carrick says Hamilton and Tauranga formed two-thirds of the Golden Triangle which drives 42 per cent of New Zealands freight and accounts for 50 per cent of the national population and GDP.

We need a coordinated approach across the combined region to capitalise on the symbiotic relationship between the regions economies, however, achieving this goal will require commitment at local, regional, and national levels, she says.

The combined regions have experienced a 49 per cent population increase since the year 2000, with Hamilton and Tauranga consistently among the fastest-growing cities in New Zealand.

The regions have also seen significant GDP increases, with the Waikato seeing a 77 per cent rise and the Western Bay of Plenty experiencing a 132 per cent increase over the same period, Fiona says.

Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt added the Waikato and Western Bay of Plenty were growth engines with significant untapped potential.

As export-led economies with strong logistics connections, complementary industries such as high-value manufacturing, energy and decarbonisation, infrastructure and life science, and comparative advantages, we have a real opportunity to accelerate economic development, he says.

Te Waka and Priority One says Waikato and Western Bay of Plenty needed coordinated investment strategies and with targeted policy settings, these regions could collaborate effectively to attract investment and talent, drive innovation and export growth, and boost productivity.

Priority One advocated for central government to collaborate closely with regional and business leaders to design and implement policies based on the papers recommendations.

The news comes after Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced 15 regional summits to discuss regional priorities, aspirations, opportunities and the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

The Waikatos summit will be held in Hamilton on September 3. The Bay of Plentys summit will be held in Whakatane on September 20.

In a release, Shane says the Government was focused on strengthening and growing the economy.

Supporting the regions to prosper is key to achieving this. Through the RIF, we are looking to invest and co-invest in resilience infrastructure that improves regions ability to absorb, adapt and respond to stresses and shocks, Shane says.

We are looking to the regions to identify their priorities themselves, to leverage existing opportunities, investment and strategies, and bolster the ambitions of local communities.

This starts with conversations about central government and regional priorities and where they align, how we maximise the impacts of strategic investment and where we can work together.

-Waikato Herald
Whitianga residents have described hearing two explosions, one after the other, early today on the waterfront.

Police are investigating after three vehicles were destroyed in Whitianga overnight.

A nearby resident said two explosions were heard about 3am.

Cooks Beach plumber Jamie Bramley was on the scene this morning and photographed the damage.

While he did not have further information, his father father-in-law and Coromandel photographer Alan Duff described the scene as bloody awful.

You have to nip this type of thing in the bud.

Police confirmed a witness called emergency services after hearing an explosion and seeing the glow of flames shortly after 3am.

Attending fire crews discovered three vehicles had been set alight at the Ferry Landing on Panorama Avenue, on the opposite side of the channel to Whitianga Wharf.

The explosions were reported to have occurred at the Ferry Landing. Photo supplied.

Police said the road was closed while emergency services responded, and no injuries were reported.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand responded to the incident just after 3am with crews from Cooks Beach and Hahei.

Three cars were on fire and it took around 10 minutes to extinguish. Fire crews responded with two pumps and one water tanker.

A fire investigator is to attend the scene today, a FENZ spokesperson said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police via 105 and reference the file number 240717/0766.

-Waikato Herald
A.T. Seville Wednesday, 17 July 2024, 18:44 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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Travelling by motorhome in Andalucia is a unique experience that allows you to discover some of the most beautiful beaches in southern Spain. With 1,200 kilometres of coastline fronting the Mediterranean and Atlantic waters, Andalucia offers a wide variety of beaches to suit all tastes.

However, camping is not an easy thing to do in Spain. In fact, in general, fines for illegal camping can range from 30 to 3,000 euros, depending on the circumstances. It is only possible to camp in areas designated and licensed for this purpose. That is why here we present a selection of seven beaches in Andalucia that have areas nearby where you can legally spend the night in yourcamper van.

Valdevaqueros beach (Tarifa, Cadiz province)

Valdevaqueros beach, located near Tarifa, is a paradise for lovers of nature and water sports. This four-kilometre long stretch of coastline boasts light-coloured sand that glistens with the intense blue of sea and sky. The beach is famous for being an excellent place for kitesurfing and windsurfing, thanks to the constant winds that characterise it. For overnight stays, you can opt for the motorhome area in Tarifa, which offers 50 spaces at a cost of 8 euros per night. The maximum permitted stay is 48 hours and camping extras - e.g. awnings - are not allowed to be unpacked.

Los Alemanes beach (Zahara de los Atunes, Cadiz province)

Zoom Playa de los Alemanes. ABC

Located behind a hill in Zahara de los Atunes, Los Alemanes beach is known for its breathtaking natural beauty. The contrast between the green of the hill, the golden sand and the crystal clear waters make it an ideal destination for relaxation. In addition, the Camarinal lighthouse offers a picturesque viewpoint with spectacular views. You can spend the night in a car park (private spaces plus public parking) next to the beach for a fee of 17 euros.

Matalascanas beach (Almonte, Huelva province)

Zoom Matalascanas beach. ABC

Matalascanas is a unique beach due to its proximity to Donana National Park, one of the largest sanctuaries for nature's biodiversity in Europe. The beach stretches for four kilometres and combines some built-up areas with wilder areas within the park. Here you will also find the Torre de la Higuera, known as the "plug of Matalascanas" (a ruined watchtower that sits by the shoreline and indeed does rather resemble a giant sink plug). There is a public/private car park next to the beach with a rate of 6 euros per night.

Punta Umbria beach (Punta Umbria, Huelva province)

Zoom Punta Umbria beach. ABC

Punta Umbria is a charming fishing village with an extensive fine sandy beach stretching from La Canaleta to El Portil. Its pleasant climate and natural environment, surrounded by pine forests and dunes, make it an attractive destination for both relaxing and enjoying the local cuisine. To park and sleep in a camper in Punta Umbria, there are designatedareasnearthebeachandtowncentre, providing easy access to both nature and the town's services.

Calahonda beach (Nerja, Malaga province)

Zoom Calahonda beach. ABC

Located in the centre of Nerja, Calahonda beach is famous for its views and its proximity to the Balcon de Europa. This small stretch of coastline is distinguished by the fishermen's houses with whitewashed walls and bright blue doors that lend a special charm to the place. You can spend the night in a public/private car park close to the beach for 16 euros.

La Rada beach (Estepona, Malaga province)

Zoom La Rada beach. Tripadvisor

La Rada beach is Estepona's main town beach, with more than two and a half kilometres of fine grey sand. As it is located next to the town centre, it is perfect for those who wish to combine beach days with strolls through the town. In summer, the promenade is full of activities and offers a wide variety of beach bars. The port of Estepona has a free car park with public spaces where you can camp without any problems.

Los Genoveses beach (Cabo de Gata, Almeria province)

Zoom Los Genoveses beach. ABC

Los Genoveses beach is an unspoilt jewel in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park. This bay, free of buildings and beach bars, offers an exceptional natural environment, surrounded by wild lavender, thyme and old windmills. The MorrondelosGenoveses, a volcanic promontory, dominates the landscape. The CabodeGataCamperPark has 50 spaces providing one overnight stay and water refills for 7 euros. It also has additional services such as washing-up sinks, barbecue, washing machine and tumble dryer.
Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 17 July 2024, 14:49 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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New feasibility studies will examine the possibility of extending the Malaga - Fuengirola coastal train line further along the western Costa del Sol following after a landmark agreement was reached between provincial leaders and the Spanish government.

It is important, above all, because it has marked the technical and administrative roadmap necessary for a train that runs along the coast and reaches the Campo de Gibraltar to become a reality one day.

Representatives from central government in Madrid, regional, provincial leaders and mayors - while discussing the crucial project in Malaga today (Wednesday 17 July) - agreed to undertake the first feasibility study imminently and then later to put out to tender the study "of a train service model for the coast".

During the meeting, with participants from the eastern and western strips of the Costa del Sol and from Campo de Gibraltar, the possibility of the railway line reaching from Nerja to Algeciras was discussed at all times, according to sources present at the meeting.

The first phase, the feasibility study, will begin to be drafted now and will take a few months: "The important thing is to define the model by listening to the mayors and the Junta de Andalucia. The informative study will be put out to tender in 2025.

A working group has been set up with the Andalusian government and respective Costa del Sol mayors, contrasting the results of the studies with the Junta and the town councils, in a bid to "define the train model".

Secretary of state for transport Jose Antonio Santano, regional minister of public works Rocio Diaz, provincial council president Francisco Salado and Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre all took part in the speeches that closed the meeting.

"There are lots of questions that need to be answered," said Santano, in response to questions from journalists about the length of the railway and the type of train (suburban or high-performance), whether from Fuengirola or with an independent track. "These are the answers we need to obtain, as a result of listening and a feasibility study, to see what best resolves the mobility problems."

The meeting also highlighted the need to shift users from private vehicles to public transport. "The train is a long-term commitment, but we also need short- and medium-term measures," said the regional minister of public works Rocio Diaz. At the moment, the key is to improve urban and interurban bus services, which is the responsibility of the regional government and local councils. To deal with all these issues, several working groups have been created, with representatives from all institutions.

The next meeting is scheduled for early next year, around January or February, and it is hoped that this meeting will bring data and reports to continue moving forward.

A-7 toll road

Regarding the complaints of the Costa del Sol mayors and the Junta, regarding the high toll prices on the AP-7 motorway, the Secretary of State pointed out that this road has a concession, so the first thing will be to analyse the conditions of the contract. But the important thing at this point is that the Ministry has agreed to study proposals for discounts, thinking of the most vulnerable groups, such as workers and students.

President of the provincial authority, Francisco Salado, acted as spokesperson for the mayors, and highlighted their general "satisfaction" with the outcome of the meeting. "More than two million people are waiting for us today and are expecting results," he stressed.

"We are satisfied because there has been an important understanding between the Spanish government, the regional government and the town councils, there is already a roadmap and a work plan; we have taken a very important step."

He added, "The priority is the coastal train, together with short and medium term measures, such as the AP-7 toll issue and the mobility and accessibility problems on the A-7 motorway."

It is also planned that a round table forum will study the problem of saturation of the accesses from the ring roads to Rincon, Velez, Estepona and the northern access to Malaga Airport. This is in addition to the proposed improvements to the current commuter train network: larger trains, increased stops, more frequencies and night services.
Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 17 July 2024, 11:50 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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Local Cercanias trains will run every 20 minutes instead of every half hour during this year's Malaga feria in a bid to combat overcrowding in the carriages and on railway station platforms.

Angry passengers, Malaga city council and mayor Francisco de la Torre demanded action from Spain's state railway company after serious issues last year. Renfe responded by announcing that from 17 to 24 August, line C1, the coastal line, which is the most in demand, will have a train every 20 minutes during the evenings, which is the highest possible frequency. This will happen from 9.30pm until the end of the service.

Renfe also announced the service will be extended from 11.30pm until 12.10am, with trains running every 20 minutes. Also, on the Fuengirola line, a special train has been scheduled to take fairgoers home after the night's partying, departing at around 5.35am from Victoria Kent every day. There will be one more early morning train in addition to the current two, departing at 5.20am and 5.55am from the Centro Alameda in the city centre.

Guadalhorce

There will also be improvements on the C2 line, which serves the Guadalhorce valley, between 17 and 24 August to benefit residents of towns such as Cartama, Pizarra and Alora. There will be a special night-time service at around 11.40pm (the usual last departure is at 9.40pm). For the return home, a train will leave Malaga at around 5.45am on 18 August (the first Sunday, as Monday will be a public holiday) and on 24 and 25 August (Saturday and Sunday).

The Guadalhorce C2 line will also have extra trains to transport people home

These are the improvements that are being considered currently, when there is still a month to go before the start of Malaga city's festivities, although it is not ruled out that more could be added. "We are analysing the possibilities of increasing the offer, not only in the early hours of the morning, as has been the norm, but also in the later hours of the day," according to Spain's ministry of transport.

Meanwhile, according to these sources, regarding the request for occasional reinforcement of the Cercanias during the period of the fair, Renfe will increase the information and customer services at the Malaga-Centro Alameda stations, for those going to the centre, and at Victoria Kent, for those going to the Cortijo de Torres area.

Good, but insufficient

The news leaves a bittersweet taste for the train's regular passengers: it is positive as the service is improved during these August holidays; although it will be insufficient, unless an extra train is scheduled during the busiest hours of the morning to return home.

"Everything that is done to improve mobility is welcome, that's something, but I think the night timetable is very fair," said Francisco Moya, an active user and staunch defender of the public service on Malaga's Cercanias line. "If I go by train to see a performance in the auditorium I can't take a train back. The normal thing during the fair is to return home at 1am, 2am or 3am, so the timetable should be similar to that of Easter, when there are trains during the early hours of the morning."

During the week of the Easter processions, in the early hours of Wednesday to Thursday and Good Friday, line C1's last departure from Malaga-Centro Alameda towards Fuengirola was at 2.50am. Meanwhile, on the nights of Monday to Tuesday and Wednesday, there was a return train from the centre to the coast until 1.50am. And on Palm Sunday, the last departure was at 12.50am, the same as on Good Friday night.

Moya said the reinforcements that have been scheduled (for the moment) will favour above all families with children, who tend to go home earlier. But on this point, he also called for more security both inside the carriages and in the stations, due to the mix of people under the influence of alcohol and the crowds that are expected.
Rome, N.Y.  A recreational softball player was shot and killed Sunday in a postgame struggle with an opposing player over an illegal gun, Rome police said.

Theodore J. Chrystie, 34, of Greig, died Tuesday from a gunshot in the neck, police said. He was shot with his own gun, police told the Rome-Sentinel.

The shooting happened after the last game of a tournament Sunday night and as players and spectators left Haselton-Wright Park.

Officers first went to the park around 8:15 p.m. Sunday for a dispute. The softball leagues officials asked officers to remove Chrystie, who was arguing with players on the opposite team, police said.

But organizers changed their minds and allowed Chrystie to stay so long as he stopped getting into fights, police said. Officers stayed at the park for some time and did not see other disputes, police said.

As players and spectators left the park, Chrystie and other players started another argument. One of them pulled out a gun, police said.

The handgun went off as Chrystie and the other player struggled over it, police said. The gun was possessed illegally, they said.

No arrests have been made as of Tuesday.

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com.
The Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard police blotter of arrests from police agencies around Central New York was updated today.

The arrests added this week were between June 12 and July 14. Those charged were 18 to 66 years old.

Among the crimes charged this week were rape and gang assault. Others were luring a child to commit a felony, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child, aggravated family offense, drug possession and theft of services.
A recent collection the best bars in the country included a new Upstate New York stop that delivers Spanish-inspired tapas and a carefully curated Spanish sherry bar.

Mirador, located in Kingston, was included in Esquires list of best bars in America. Owned by certified sherry educator Nick Africano and managing partner Harry McNamara, the tavern pays homage to the local Andalusian tabancos, otherwise known as sherry bars.

Africano, who spent a lot of time in Spain himself, opened the Hudson Valley bar in late 2023. His passion is seen through his imported beverage showcase from Andalucia in southern Spain, where sherry is one of the most famous varietals.

The bar also includes a curated selection of the best wines from all parts of Spain, as well as craft cocktails.

Mirador in Kingston, NY has been included on a list of 42 of the best bars in America. Josh Goleman | MiradorJosh Goleman | Mirador

Esquire wrote, Thanks to Africanos boundless enthusiasm and granular knowledge of the subject, if you have questions, youll come away with a deeper appreciation for the different styles, and their history, and how these wines mesh with the soulful and precisely executed menu of tapas and small plates.

The publication recommends ordering The Vieux Jerez, a sipper of Spanish brandy, rye, sherry vermouth, and oloroso.

Want to know more about sherry? Mirador periodically hosts sherry classes so you can expand your knowledge about this Spanish spirit.

Mirador in Kingston, NY has been included on a list of 42 of the best bars in America. Josh Goleman | MiradorJosh Goleman | Mirador

Mirador also offers coffee and tapas as well as a retail area where guests can purchase imported Spanish goods.
The cast of truTV/TBS Impractical Jokers  James Murr Murray, Brian Q Quinn and Salvatore Sal Vulcano  are returning to Upstate New York for two more must-see live shows this weekend: One at the Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel on Friday, July 19 and the other at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs on Saturday, July 20.

Cant make it this weekend? The comedy group will also perform at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse on Friday, August 23.

In addition to spearheading truTVs longest-running and top-rated original comedy show, which has inspired multiple spinoffs and a movie, the guys have toured extensively over the last eight years, performing sold-out shows for more than one million fans in the US and UK.

Their hybrid-comedy tour, Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive, features standup, banter and some of their classic practical jokes adapted for the stage.

A complete list of their tour dates is available here.

Where to buy Impractical Jokers tickets

Ticketmaster and Live Nation have limited standard admission tickets available online. However, greater deals and availability are available on secondary ticket market platforms like Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub.

Heres a look at the best resale prices available (including fees):

Bethel, NY - Friday, July 19

Saratoga Springs, NY - Saturday, July 20

Syracuse, NY - Friday, August 23

Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Buffalo had a lot to celebrate today on July 16, otherwise known as 716 Day, when part of the massive pedestrian bridge that has traveled across Upstate New York from Albany, reached its final destination.

The Ralph Wilson Park Bridge, which started its journey in Italy where it was made, has completed the last leg of its 12-day journey on the calendar date that matches Buffalos area code.

The Ralph Wilson Park Bridge passes through Tonawanda on its way to Buffalo. The bridge was transported across Upstate NY from Albany to Buffalo by Carver Companies. Provided photo | Carver CompaniesProvided photo | Carver Companies

To celebrate, a community watch party took place at Freedom Park along Buffalos waterfront to watch the bridge as sailed through the Black Rock Canal.

The Seneca Chief, a traditionally-built, full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat with the same name, will be there to guide the bridge barge home, along with Buffalos Red Headed Bagpiper.

Carver Companies, which owns and operates the Port of Coeymans, located south of Albany, used a tug-and-barge system to get the bridge across 34 locks along the canal.

Along the way, the public was invited to see the barge and many gathered at the Erie Canal to view this event on the historic canal that is not often seen anymore since transporting goods by rail became much faster.

People gather to see a pedestrian bridge being taken to Buffalo by boat in Baldwinsville on July 10, 2024.Sunny Hernandez

Being able to transport this large structure by water, traveling at 5mph, helped avoid closing roads to traffic or navigating under low street bridges.

Carver Companies tug CMT Otter and one of the two barges, CMT Kelly, carrying the 266-foot pedestrian bridge, will arrive first. The second half of the bridge, aboard the CMT Hofmann barge, is stationed in Pittsford, NY and will be retrieved later, so will still have a chance to see the tugboat and barge in Western New York this month.

When it is installed this fall, it will be a new entryway for pedestrians into Ralph Wilson Park, a 100-acre conservancy, across I-190 from Fourth Street. It will connect the west side to waterfront bike paths.
Washington  U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called Wednesday for federal aid for parts of Upstate New York badly damaged in Tuesdays storm.

The senators are urging Federal Emergency Management Agency to approve any New York state request for a major disaster declaration. The request follows devastating damage from the rain and wind storms that tore through Upstate New York.
Jeff Frank is professor and department chair of education at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, has called for warning labels on social media platforms because social media use can harm teenagers mental health.

In response, commentators have articulated the benefits of social media, and in a recent piece for syracuse.com, Rev. Michael Heath offered useful guidance for how parents might help their children moderate social media usage. Though well-intentioned, apologies for social media prevent us from thinking seriously about what social media is stealing from our children.

For too many children in the United States, screens have become pacifiers. Unlike the blankie that offers momentary soothing and allows the young person to get on with their day, the screen is never left behind. The screen traps a child, arresting essential development.

D.W. Winnicott, the influential pediatrician and psychoanalyst, used the term transitional object to describe the process of moving from a parents love to the loved object (blankie, stuffed animal), and ultimately to successful and resilient coping with the world.

If the child is given a screen when they are distressed, they are passive. By contrast, the child with a loved object talks to the object. The child actively invests the object with magical properties.

To the outside world, the scrap of fabric is next to meaningless. And that is the point. By learning how to enchant their world with meaning, the child figures out how to live with resilience and purpose.

We are short-circuiting this essential process. The screen does all the work, and it robs children of the essential skill of coping with an often hostile and indifferent world.

The child knows they must leave their loved object at home. Not so the screen. The screen is always there: from the smart phone to the devices children use at school. The pacifier is ever-present.

Whenever a child feels discomfort, they can retreat to the screen. We are creating a world where children dont know how to use their own resources to manage difficult emotions and feelings.

Just as screens are keeping children from learning how to enchant their life with meaning, screens make it so that children arent learning how to create a shared social world worth living in.

In a prescreen era, parents often worried about children getting caught in the stage of parallel play. Picture a playground. Parallel play occurs when children are in their own worlds, playing their own games. Children may be in proximity to each other, but they arent playing together.

Meaningful social play happens when children co-create games together. The playground becomes a lighthouse. Meals are cooked, stranded boats are saved, threats are averted. Children learn, without supervision, how to coordinate their activities. Children learn how to be assertive and cooperative. They learn that the social world can be made more interesting and entertaining through their own efforts.

A screen stands in the way of children learning these skills. Each child, behind their own screen, is endlessly entertained. When children do finally play with others, it is often highly structured and supervised. If conflict arises, parents helicopter in, and  if need be  snowplow anyone who gets in the way. Parents think they are helping, but they are undermining essential skill development.

To return to the Surgeon Generals call for a warning label on social media, imagine asking a teenager to limit their screen time. The addict often cannot give up their addiction without addressing underlying psychological issues. For many screen-addicted teens, the underlying issues are twofold.

First, if a screen was used as a pacifier, the teenager may need to learn how to invest their world with meaning. They will need to learn how to live with difficult emotions. It is just so much easier to scroll than learn how to manage difficult emotions.

Second, if a child never learned how to play with other children, then social life with peers will likely induce extreme anxiety. Once again, it will often be easier to avoid this challenge. The screen both keeps the child from developing these skills and is always at hand when the child is nervous about creating these skills. It is a vicious cycle.

The Surgeon Generals warning label is for us, the parents. It should read: Children dont need social media. Before giving your child a screen, understand that screens undermine essential development. Time spent on social media is time not spent enchanting the world and investing personal relationships with meaning.

Before assuming that a life on screens and social media is unavoidable, consider what our children are being robbed of with every hour they spend on their screens. Our children only get one childhood. They deserve better. Rather than apologizing for social media, we need the courage to shield our children from its pernicious effects.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)  An Upstate New York man whose 750-pound alligator was seized is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet he looked after for more than 30 years.

Conservation officers entered Tony Cavallaros home in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg in March, sedated the 11-foot alligator named Albert, taped his mouth shut and drove off with him, saying Cavallaros license to keep the reptile expired in 2021 and hadnt been renewed.

In his lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court, Cavallaro says the agencys denial of his license wasnt factually based, his attorney, Peter Kooshoian, said Tuesday.

Were hoping that he will get his license to have the animal reinstated, and from there wed like to either negotiate or litigate to have the animal brought back to Mr. Cavallaro because we feel that he should have had a valid license at the time, as hed had for the last 30 years, Kooshoian said.

The DEC does not comment on pending litigation, a spokesman said via email when asked for a response to the claims. It previously said Alberts enclosure didnt sufficiently ensure that he would not come into contact with people, and that the alligator was afflicted by blindness in both eyes and spinal complications  conditions Cavallaro disputes.

Officers seizure of the alligator, caught on video, and Cavallaros videos and photos of him petting and kissing Albert in the custom indoor pool he built led to an outpouring of support for the duo. Bring Albert Home signs still dot some neighborhood lawns and more than 4,500 followers keep up with Cavallaros efforts on Facebook.

Im hoping we get this thing resolved. Thats all I can do, Cavallaro said of the decision to sue. Its overwhelming me. ... Its ruined my whole year, destroyed it.

Cavallaro bought the American alligator at an Ohio reptile show in 1990 when Albert was two months old. He considers him an emotional support animal and gentle giant.

This undated photo, provided by Tony Cavallaro, shows his 750-pound alligator, Albert, in Cavallaro's personal enclosure, in Hamburg, NY. Cavallaro, whose alligator Albert was seized, is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet he'd raised for more than 30 years. (Courtesy Tony Cavallaro via AP)AP

The license became an issue following a change in regulations for possessing dangerous animals adopted by the DEC in 2020. After Cavallaros license expired in 2021, the agency said he failed to bring the holding area into compliance with the updated standards to ensure the alligator did not pose a danger to the public.

Cavallaro said the DEC failed to follow its own licensing requirements governing people who already owned a wild animal when the new regulations took effect.

Albert was taken to Gator Country, a Beaumont, Texas, rescue facility where visitors can interact with the alligators and other reptiles.

You can interact with them in all different ways. Its like a kick right in my teeth, Cavallaro said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a statewide state of emergency after powerful storms swept through much of Upstate New York.

The storms caused power outages across much of the state, with more than 100,000 customers affected Tuesday night, according to the National Grid outage map.
Syracuse, N.Y.  There is a risk of severe storms Wednesday afternoon and into the evening in Central New York, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service Binghamton warned people to be weather aware for one more day. The main threats will be damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall.

Isolated to scattered severe storms will be possible this afternoon and evening. After today, there will be a period of much quieter weather.

The storm affected areas throughout Upstate New York Tuesday and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had declared a statewide state of emergency.

The state of emergency was declared in Glens Falls, with wind gusts reaching 87 miles per hour, according to the New York State Mesonet at the University at Albany. Downed power lines and trees, a well as flooding, caused dozens of roads to be closed, according to the citys Facebook page.

More than 100,000 NYSEG and National Grid customers are without power across the state this morning. Oneida County is the hardest hit with 19,637 National Grid customers out. Rome has 9,849 customers without electricity.

National Grid, on its website, is not estimating when the power can be restored.

In Madison County, one person was killed. Rome Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan said the city looks like a war zone.

The storm also ripped through downtown Rome, leaving businesses with shattered windows, torn sidings and damaged roofs. Storm winds reached up to 79 mph.

Some of the citys iconic buildings were hit: Windows blew out of the Capitol Theatre on West Dominick Street and the roof was wrecked at the Grand Union Grocery Store on Erie Boulevard.

The storm had enough power to blow the iconic Mohawk Valley B-52 plane at the entrance to the former Griffiss Air Force Base several feet off its platform, officials said Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a radar confirmed a tornado touched down and Rome. The weather service is sending a survey team today to confirm.

Hochul posted on social media that she had spoken Tuesday evening with Lanigan, Romes mayor, and Anthony Picente Jr., the Oneida County executive. She pledged the full support of the state and was working to send personnel from state agencies to help the area recover from the storms.

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com
What just happened? NASA transmitted hip-hop artist Missy Elliott's iconic track "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" to Venus, making her the first hip-hop artist to have her music sent into space. The Deep Space Network at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory beamed the song 158 million miles to our celestial neighbor using its powerful radio antennas.

NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) sent Elliott's funky lyrics and beats hustling through the vacuum of space at lightspeed on July 12, 2024, with the signal taking around 14 minutes to reach its Venusian destination. The transmission was handled by DSN 13's 112-foot wide radio dish antenna at NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex close to Barstow, California.

Brittany Brown from NASA's communications team initially pitched the idea of a collaboration to Miss E's team. Brown said both space exploration and the hip-hop artist's art have been about "pushing boundaries." She noted that Elliott has a history of incorporating space-centric storytelling and futuristic visuals into her music videos, making the opportunity to work together on something "so out of this world" genuinely fitting.

Elliott was over the moon about the interplanetary premiere of her 1997 smash hit.

"I still can't believe I'm going out of this world with NASA through the Deep Space Network when "The Rain" (Supa Dupa Fly) becomes the first ever hip-hop song to transmit to space," gushed the rapper.

She also tweeted that she chose Venus for the transmission because it symbolizes "strength, beauty, and empowerment."

YOOO this is crazy! We just went #OutOfThisWorld with @NASA and sent the FIRST hip hop song into space through the Deep Space Network. My song "The Rain" has officially been transmitted all the way to Venus, the planet that symbolizes strength, beauty and empowerment. The sky is pic.twitter.com/g6HofNQSt1  Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) July 15, 2024

The trajectory of Elliott's three-decade career has been as stratospheric as the recent journey of her music. Similarly, NASA's DSN has spent over 60 years communicating with robotic explorers venturing beyond Earth's bounds.

The stunt is more than just a one-off novelty act. It's an early overture that prologues three new missions to study Venus in unprecedented detail over the next decade. NASA has scheduled Venus-bound Davinci and Veritas probes to launch in 2029 and 2031, respectively. The European Space Agency is also prepping its Envision orbiter, with crucial contributions from JPL.

While Elliott's hit may be the first hip-hop track to go interplanetary, it's not the maiden musical voyage for the DSN. The network beamed the Beatles classic "Across the Universe" towards the North Star Polaris back in 2008.

"Send my love to the aliens," quipped Paul McCartney at the time, one of the two remaining Beatles giving their cosmic sing-along an official blessing.

Masthead credit: Jurik Peter
What just happened? Elon Musk says he will move the headquarters of two of his companies, former Twitter platform X and SpaceX, from California to Texas in response to the former's new gender identity law, which the billionaire called the "last straw." Musk said the law and others like it attack both "families and companies."

In a post on X yesterday, Musk wrote that SpaceX will be moving its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to an existing facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The X HQ, meanwhile, will be moving from San Francisco to Austin.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Monday that forbids any school policies requiring parents to be notified if their child wishes to change pronouns/sexual identity or identifies as transgender. Several school districts in the state had already introduced the rules.

I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024

"The state will take away your kids in California," Musk added in a follow-up X post.

Musk wrote that he'd told Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.

While Musk said the new law was the main reason why he was moving his companies' headquarters, the CEO also mentioned that, when it comes to X's current San Francisco HQ, he'd "had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building." Musk's announcement follows previous reports that he was considering moving X's headquarters before the bill was signed this week.

SpaceX and X employ thousands of people in California. Musk never mentioned how many positions would be transferred to Texas.

Newsom responded to Musk's decision with his own message on X: a screenshot of a 2022 Donald Trump post in which the former president mocked Musk, saying the billionaire would have dropped to his knees if Trump had asked. "You bent the knee," Newsom wrote.

You bent the knee. pic.twitter.com/5CNAWvZFSv  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 16, 2024

In 2021, Musk himself moved from California to Texas, where there is no state income tax on individuals. He moved Tesla's headquarters from California to Texas that same year, but later confirmed that California would remain its engineering hub.

In February, Musk changed SpaceX's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas after a judge in Delaware voided his $56 billion Tesla compensation package.
What just happened? Confidential documents have revealed that Google offered a lucrative package worth over $500 million to cloud firms, hoping to keep their antitrust complaint against Microsoft alive. However, the ultimately opted to cut a deal with the Windows maker instead.

Bloomberg notes that the rejected proposal outlined a generous five-year partnership. At its core, it had around 455 million in Google Cloud licenses bundled with 14 million in cash incentives. However, it came with a notable string attached  the conglomeration of companies known as the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) had to continue its EU antitrust grievances targeting Microsoft's software licensing practices.

The overture seems to have been further sweetened by a separate roughly 6 million contribution from Amazon Web Services. However, despite these substantial added incentives, the pan-European cloud providers stuck to their guns with Microsoft.

Under the Microsoft agreement, CISPE members gain enhanced access to Azure cloud services and can deploy Microsoft business applications through their local infrastructures. Insiders claim Microsoft also pledged around 10 million to the association as part of the agreement.

Google has consistently lagged behind Amazon and Microsoft in the cloud market, although its division has shown impressive momentum recently. After achieving profitability last year, the company's Cloud Platform raked in a $900 million operating income in Q1 2024  solidly exceeding Wall Street projections. Any increase in regulatory scrutiny of Microsoft's cloud dominance will further aid Google's ascent.

The European Commission is known for its massive Digital Markets Act antitrust fines of up to 10 percent of global revenues. The nature of the DMA creates compelling incentives for tech giants to proactively settle complaints from groups like CISPE to avoid potential mega-penalties down the line. Although Microsoft has resolved CISPE's cloud grievances, it still faces EU heat on other fronts. The company's $13 billion stake in OpenAI is under the regulatory microscope over the AI firm's exclusive reliance on Azure cloud services.

The original CISPE antitrust grievance stemmed from allegations that Microsoft abused its market position by tying its productivity software like Office to its Azure cloud platform. The move purportedly made it difficult for customers to switch to rival cloud providers, hampering competition in the European cloud market.
It seems like Elon Musk has already had enough of California for the operations of his companies as the renowned tech CEO is looking to move X and SpaceX's headquarters down to Texas soon. There are several reasons revealed by the famed billionaire regarding this move, with one of the reasons being the latest law passed in the Golden State.

Should this move to Texas continue, this would follow Musk's Tesla who has since moved to the Lone Star State almost three years ago.

Elon Musk: X, SpaceX Headquarters to Move to Texas

Musk made it clear in his recent posts that moving X and SpaceX's headquarters away from California is now under consideration, looking at Texas as the new home for his two companies. The renowned tech CEO made it clear in his statements that the many changes and happenings in California are prompting this move, with two of his companies relocating.

It is known that Musk first made its move to Texas with Tesla, with the clean energy company also establishing a Gigafactory in Austin.

Why is Elon Musk Leaving California Behind?

According to Musk, the "final straw" behind his decision to move SpaceX's headquarters from Hawthorne, CA toStarbase, Texas (a.k.a. Boca Chica) is the latest law passed by California and its governor, Gavin Newsom. This is the new California bill, AB-1955, which would prevent schools to create or enforce policies that would reveal a student's gender or sexual orientation without their consent.

And  HQ will move to Austin https://t.co/LUDfLEsztj  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024

In another post, Musk also claimed that X will be moving to Austin after facing "gangs of violent drug addicts" in their California headquarters in San Francisco.

Elon Musk and His Fondness of Texas

Several years ago, the massive move by Musk toward Texas was made apparent with his clean energy company, Tesla, and at first, it was only an expansion to the state. However, after confirming the news behind Gigafactory Austin, the executive later confirmed that Texas will now be its new headquarters from Palo Alto, its original location.

It is also known that during this time, SpaceX was already on its way to build the 'City of Starbase,' centering on an area in Boca Chica that would carry out its operations near its previous testing facility.

That being said, Musk is also looking to move Tesla's incorporation from Delaware to Texas, and this was when his shareholders and a judge declined his $56 billion bonus.

Back when Musk first stepped onto Texas with Tesla, the CEO helped the state when it faced horrendous snowstorms by using its clean energy solutions to share power with affected houses and buildings.

After moving SpaceX's incorporation to Texas, its next change would be to bring over its headquarters to the state, alongside X's HQ, with both leaving behind their California origins for new beginnings, almost 1,600 miles away.
While the iPhone 16 series launch is just around the corner, rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup, particularly the "Slim" model, are already swirling. Here's a breakdown of the key details gleaned from reputable sources so far.

A Potential Price Bump: Aiming for the Top Tier

As spotted by MacRumors via The Information, the iPhone 17 "Slim" could carry a hefty price tag, potentially exceeding the current iPhone 15 Pro Max starting price of $1,199. This positioning hints at it becoming the new flagship, possibly aligning with the long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" moniker.

Enhanced Selfies: Capturing Every Detail

When we see Ming-Chi Kuo in an article, we automatically think that a new Apple rumor is up in the air. The renowned Apple analyst predicts an upgrade to a 24-megapixel front-facing camera across the entire iPhone 17 lineup.

The significant improvement over the current 12-megapixel camera found in iPhone 14 and 15 models (expected to remain unchanged in the iPhone 16 series) translates to sharper photos that hold up well when cropped or zoomed. The accompanying six-element lens also promises slightly better image quality.

Internal Powerhouse: A Jump in Performance

Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities predicts the iPhone 17 "Slim" will boast 8GB of RAM, a notable upgrade from the 6GB in the iPhone 15 Plus. However, it's worth noting that all upcoming iPhone 16 models are also expected to receive the same 8GB bump, likely to meet the demands of Apple's in-development "on-device Apple Intelligence" features.

The Information further suggests the device will be equipped with the next-generation A19 chip, potentially built on an optimized version of TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process.

Improved Display Protection and Viewing Experience

According to Chinese Weibo leaker Instant Digital, all iPhone 17 models will come with an anti-reflective display coating that surpasses the scratch resistance of the current Ceramic Shield found on iPhone 15 models.

Rumors point towards a "super-hard anti-reflective layer" that enhances both scratch resistance and reduces glare. While details remain unclear, this description aligns with the latest innovation from Corning, the manufacturer of Gorilla Glass.

ProMotion for All: Smoother Scrolling and Video Playback

South Korean online newspaper The Elec reports that all iPhone 17 models are likely to feature OLED displays with low-power backplane technology. This paves the way for ProMotion technology to finally grace Apple's non-Pro iPhones for the first time.

ProMotion allows the display refresh rate to dynamically adjust between a smooth 120Hz for scrolling and video content and a power-saving 1Hz for static content. This technology is what enables the always-on displays on the iPhone 15 Pro models.

A Slimmer Design with Potential Dynamic Island Tweaks

Another report from The Information claims the iPhone 17 will usher in a significant design change, featuring a noticeably thinner aluminum chassis compared to the titanium build of Apple's Pro models. Additionally, the news outlet suggests a narrower Dynamic Island cutout, possibly due to a smaller "metalens" technology for the Face ID system. Codenamed D23 internally, this redesign is said to be a major shift, comparable to the transition seen with the iPhone X.

Display Size: Rumors Remain Unsettled

Initial reports from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu suggested a 6.6-inch display for the iPhone 17 "Slim." However, Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young offers a slightly smaller prediction of 6.55 inches. Apple is likely still evaluating different designs for the slimmer phone, so the final display size might change before launch.

While these rumors offer a glimpse into the potential features of the iPhone 17 "Slim," it's important to remember that details can change before the official unveiling.

Recently, another iPhone rumor hinted about the new "Rose" color. This time, it teased about the potential colorway for the iPhone 16 Pro model.
Mercedes-Benz is now expanding on its EV charging stations across Interstate 5, now teaming up with Starbucks to deliver 400kW electric vehicle chargers available to access. The new charging stations would be present where Starbucks coffee shops are available, all across the iconic Interstate 5, following the new plans of the automaker.

As much as 100 Starbucks locations will feature Mercedes-Benz's EV charging stations, following last year's induction of its first station.

Mercedes-Benz, Starbucks Team Up to Bring EV Chargers Across I-5

A teaser revealed by Mercedes-Benz USA confirmed its partnership with Starbucks, with both companies teaming up to deliver new electric vehicle charging hubs across Interstate 5. According to a report from The Verge, the German car manufacturer would install new charging stations in 100 Starbucks locations in the stretch of the I-5.

This historical stretch of road is known for traversing the West Coast starting at Canada and down to Mexico.

This is the next step towards Mercedes-Benz's plans to install 2,500 EV charging stations worldwide, with its first one opening last year in Atlanta, in partnership with ChargePoint. In this specific location, Mercedes-Benz and ChargePoint delivered its 400kW fast chargers for EVs to utilize.

Recharge Your EV and Yourself with Mercedes-Benz and Starbucks

Mercedes-Benz would be responsible for all the changes in these Starbucks locations, claimed The Verge, as the technology and its installation would be fulfilled by the German automaker. Starbucks would only need to provide the space to accommodate the charging hubs in the parking area of its coffee shops.

The $1 billion project's 50 percent would come from MN8 Energy, helping Mercedes-Benz in its program.

Mercedes-Benz's Electrification Program

The renowned German luxury car company, Mercedes-Benz, is known for committing itself to the future of the automotive world, diving deep towards its electrification program for clean energy solutions. The company previously announced its plans to improve its EV motor factory which will expand more of its production to reach 1 million units per year.

Last year, the company also announced its commitment to expanding its charging solutions in the United States in partnership with ChargePoint, also including other international locations. This is the first EV fast charger of the company that opened in Atlanta, boasting of its 400kW charging speeds under its $1 billion budget for this expansion.

Creating electric vehicles is only the first step of the equation that would eventually deliver clean energy solutions to the world, with the next to consider charging. Now, Mercedes-Benz is looking to expand more of its charging hubs in the country together with Starbucks, with its new program focusing across the long stretch of the iconic Interstate 5.
T-Mobile continues to dominate the US mobile landscape, according to Ookla's Speedtest report for the first half of 2024. Here's a breakdown of the key findings:

T-Mobile Takes the Crown

T-Mobile secured top honors across several categories. Boasting a median download speed of 234.82 Mbps, T-Mobile delivers the fastest overall mobile experience. It's also the most consistent network with a network consistency score of 86.6%. This means that it has reliable connectivity across various locations.

Furthermore, T-Mobile delivers a smooth video streaming experience with a Video Score of 77.78 and a sub-second video start time. It even takes the cake when it comes to video experience specifically on its 5G network.

Verizon Makes Strides

While T-Mobile takes the lead, Verizon shows signs of progress: According to Phone Arena's report, Verizon delivers the fastest speeds on its 5G network with a median download speed of 265.80 Mbps, trailing behind T-Mobile.

What's more, it has the biggest 5G speed increase with a significant 60% increase in 5G download speeds compared to last year. With a Game Score of 88.32 and lower latency, the carrier offers the best gaming experience on its 5G network.

Next to Verizon is AT&T Fiber which delivers the fastest fixed broadband service. When it comes to state rankings, Connecticut reigns supreme for fixed broadband download speeds, while Illinois boasts the fastest mobile network speeds.

Overall Network Improvements

Positively, all major carriers show progress in network speed and consistency. This indicates healthy competition within the US mobile landscape.

Network Coverage Considerations

Despite its current performance lead, T-Mobile still lags behind AT&T and Verizon in overall network coverage, particularly in rural areas. However, T-Mobile's rapid 5G network deployment in urban areas makes it the market leader in those regions.

T-Mobile currently leads the pack in terms of speed, consistency, and video experience. However, Verizon's significant improvements and AT&T's strong presence in fixed broadband indicate a competitive mobile landscape in the US. Consumers have a variety of options to choose from depending on their specific needs and location.

Earlier this month, T-Mobile aced another test but this time with Opensignal's study. According to Tech Times, it's the top US carrier for network performance and customer satisfaction. Despite, several outages and security issues, T-Mobile managed to stay on top of the competition.

In the meantime, check our latest report about the best Kobo e-readers you can buy in 2024. For digital bookworms who love to waste time reading online, the Kobo Libra Color, Kobo Sage, and Kobo Elipsa 2E are the best options out there.

To know more about their pros and cons and features, click here.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a shakeup in Apple's supplier chain for future M5 MacBook models expected in late 2025.

Sunny Optical, a Vietnamese company, is expected to become the new provider of compact camera modules (CCMs) for these upcoming MacBooks.

Shifting Gears: Sunny Optical Steps In

Commissioning Sunny Optical marks a strategic shift for Apple. Previously, LG InnoTek and Sharp held the reins as primary CCM suppliers for MacBooks. However, the lens maker offers a distinct advantage: vertical integration, per 9to5Mac.

Unlike its competitors, Sunny Optical can provide both CCMs and lenses as a complete, compact imaging system. This streamlined approach potentially simplifies Apple's supply chain and could lead to increased efficiency.

M5 MacBooks and Beyond: A Broader Partnership?

Kuo suggests that a successful CCM rollout for M5 MacBooks could pave the way for Sunny Optical to become a supplier for future iPhone and iPad models as well. This broader partnership hinges on the smooth production and delivery of CCMs for the upcoming MacBook lineup.

"My latest survey indicates that starting from 2H24, iPhone orders will gradually return to Sunny Optical. This is due to Sunny Optical's continuous production improvement and communication with Apple," Kuo wrote on his Medium blog.

M4 MacBooks on the Horizon

While the spotlight shines on the M5 series, Apple's immediate focus lies with M4 MacBook Pro models. We can anticipate a refresh of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip as early as late 2024, potentially even before the year's end.

High-end models - the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro - are also expected to receive a late 2024 refresh boasting M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

A Glimpse into the Future: Thinner Design and Face ID?

Rumors swirl surrounding future MacBook Pro designs. As spotted by MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that Cupertino is working on a thinner version, drawing inspiration from the ultrathin 2024 iPad Pro. This design philosophy aligns with Apple's reported commitment to offering the slimmest and lightest products in each category. While the 2024 refresh isn't expected to include design changes, 2025 could be the year we see redesigned MacBooks powered by the M5 chip.

Another intriguing rumor is the potential integration of Face ID into the Mac lineup. The MacBook Pro might be one of the first beneficiaries of this technology, although concrete details regarding this feature's arrival remain under wraps.

With the M5 series on the horizon, Apple appears committed to continuous innovation in its MacBook lineup. The partnership with Sunny Optical signifies potential supply chain improvements and paves the way for future camera advancements. Whether a thinner design or Face ID integration materializes remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the Mac ecosystem is headed for exciting developments.
EU and Serbia to sign deal on 'critical raw materials'



Berlin, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



The EU and Serbia are set to sign a deal over the supply of battery materials, the German government said Wednesday, a day after Belgrade allowed work to resume at a disputed lithium mining project.

Lithium is a strategically valuable metal crucial for making electric vehicle batteries and is key to helping Germany's flagship automotive sector transition to greener production.

On Friday Serbia and the EU will sign a memorandum of understanding on "a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery supply chains and electric cars", German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin.

The agreement is planned at a "critical raw materials summit" in Serbia which will be attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, Hebestreit said.

He added that the deal came against the "backdrop of a sustainable lithium extraction project" in Serbia, which has been a political fault line in the Balkan country in recent years.

On Tuesday the government in Belgrade said operations could restart at a site near the western Serbian city of Loznica where vast mineral deposits discovered in 2004 are to be mined by Rio Tinto.

The project triggered mass protests and a long legal battle but last week Serbia's constitutional court issued a ruling paving the way for work to resume.

Rio Tinto says the area holds one of Europe's largest reserves of lithium and could produce 58,000 tonnes annually, enough for 1.1 million electric vehicles.

However, opponents have expressed worries over the mine's impact on the environment and public health.

Rio Tinto has insisted that the project "will be subject to stringent environmental requirements in compliance with Serbia and EU regulations" and Hebestreit said the planned deal with Serbia would also include an "obligation to meet high environmental and sustainability standards".

Vucic has hinted that Serbia could begin mining lithium as early as 2028.
Oil slick off Yemen after Huthi tanker attack: charity



Dubai, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



An oil slick stretching nearly the length of Yemen's Red Sea coast was spotted after a Huthi attack damaged a crude tanker, the Conflict and Environment Observatory said Wednesday.

Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency showed the slick on Tuesday near the location of the Huthi attack on the Chios Lion vessel, said CEOBS, a UK charity which monitors the environmental impact of conflict.

The apparent slick, measuring 220 kilometres (135 miles) long, suggested the "damaged vessel was releasing oil", it said on social media platform X.

The Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion was attacked 97 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Monday, according to maritime security agencies.

An uncrewed surface vessel "impacted" the tanker, resulting in minor damage, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported.

CEOBS said the oil slick started 106 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, a location consistent with Monday's attack on the Chios Lion.

An image posted by the charity showed what it said was an oil slick in the Red Sea near the Farasan marine sanctuary off the coast of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday the Joint Maritime Information Center, run by a Western naval coalition, said the Chios Lion was investigating a potential oil spill following the Huthi attack.

The Huthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November in a campaign they say is intended to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

In March, they sank a Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated vessel carrying 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertiliser on board.

The incident triggered concerns that leaking fuel and chemical pollutants could spill into the Red Sea, harming coral reefs and marine life.

"These ongoing strikes on various oil, chemical and cargo tankers not only put risks to maritime personnel and shipping traffic in general, but seriously deteriorating ecosystems in the Red Sea," said Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace-building group PAX

"The current strikes are a further threat to the environment and coastal communities in Yemen," he told AFP.
Southern Italy wildfire kills two firefighters



Rome, July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2024



Two firefighters died on Wednesday while battling a wildfire near the southern Italian city of Matera, Italy's fire and rescue service said on X.

"This afternoon, during operations to fight a wildfire, two firefighters lost their lives. The circumstances of this event are yet to be determined," it said.

Rome city hall said another "vast" fire had broken out near the city and advised inhabitants within three kilometres (1.9 miles) of the blaze to keep their windows closed and avoid physical activity outdoors.

Small wildfires have been breaking out on an almost daily basis in Italy, particularly in the south and on its islands, amid a heatwave.

A blaze near Rome on Tuesday interrupted rail connections between the Italian capital and the southern city of Naples.

Scientists agree that human-caused climate change is making extreme weather events including heatwaves and wildfires more likely and more intense.

Last year, Rome recorded a record peak temperature of 42.9C on July 18, according to city hall.
Even as finalists Kevin George and Andrea Zayas spent nearly eight hours Monday trying to persuade community members that they are the right c
Dr. Jeffrey Elder is an emergency physician at University Medical Center and associate chief medical officer at LCMC Health.
Ulviyya Shahin

Ankara is considering possibilities for cooperation with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) to increase gas transportation to Bulgaria, Azernews reports.

Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye, mentioned this in an interview with the "Bloomberg" agency.

"Turkiye is ready to sell more natural gas to the European Union, but it requires long-term commitments to justify the necessary infrastructure investments. What we need is an increase in the Turkiye-Bulgaria inter-grid capacity, which currently can only handle half of the 7 billion cubic meters of gas per year that the Turkish side can technically supply," he stated.

Bayraktar added that Ankara can collaborate with SOCAR to enhance gas supply to Europe to 10 billion cubic meters per year through the Turkiye -Bulgaria interconnector.

The minister also described the scenarios currently under consideration for supplying alternative gas to Europe, as a replacement for Russia's "blue fuel", as "complex".
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Baku hosts the first Congress with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands affected by French colonialism, organized by the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe and with the support of the Baku Initiative Group, Trend reports.

Addressing the participants, Foreign Minister of New Caledonia Mickael Forrest noted that the Baku Initiative Group provides opportunities to hold discussions and find solutions to problems of colonialism. "We have to appreciate this opportunity. We have a political goal that must be achieved. We must contribute to the establishment of a new world order and find our place in it. We have the right to absolute sovereignty".

Further speaking, Head of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov announced that the BIG will provide scholarships to young people from countries fighting colonialism.

"Starting this year, our organization will provide scholarships to young people who want to study in Azerbaijan," he said.

Abbasov added that an exhibition dedicated to the history of colonialism, organized by the Baku Initiative Group, will be held at COP29 in November.

Secretary General of the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe Jean-Jacob Bicep, in his turn, pointed out that Azerbaijan supports the countries suffering from French colonialism to voice their problem. "This conference demonstrates the preciousness of our cooperation. Azerbaijan allows us to voice our problems on this platform. This congress is historic and strengthens our voice internationally. We aim to hold France accountable for its crimes and bring this to the attention of the world. We will work even harder to strengthen our solidarity. We are fighting for justice and freedom".

The meeting then proceeded behind closed doors.

The idea of holding the Congress belongs to the political parties and movements fighting for the independence of the overseas territories of France.

Three organizations from the islands of Bonaire and Saint-Martin, which are colonies of the Netherlands, will take part in the Congress as guests of honor.

The congress, which will last two days, will be an opportunity for the participating parties to discuss ways to coordinate result-oriented action to overcome French colonialism by creating a common platform for a more organized struggle for independence. Representatives of the colonies will also discuss the most effective practices and strategies for the struggle for self-determination.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established by the participants of the conference "Towards the Total Elimination of Colonialism" on July 6, 2023, in Baku, within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, chaired by the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Baku Initiative Group has been supporting the struggle for the freedom of people suffering from colonialism for a year now. In this regard, BIG has already organized up to 15 international conferences. Of these, four have been organized at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, one in Istanbul, and the rest in Baku.
In what he describes as a super-modern decision, Louie invites Irene along to his bucks weekend in the bush, appeasing the separation anxiety that defines his relationship.

Birdeater uses the seclusion of the landscape to build and sustain a deep psychological unease. The Australian feature debut, which premiered at the Sydney Film Festival last year, opens with a young engaged couple, Irene (Shabana Azeez) and Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley), going about their regular home routines. There are subtle hints that their relationship has an element of unhealthy codependency; a repeated motif of water pouring into a glass is a clue that eventually becomes explicit.

Theres something about the Australian outback that, when captured correctly, can evoke a sense of claustrophobia and dread. Perhaps its the quiet isolation of it  a beautiful landscape that could suddenly turn harsh, and no one can hear you scream.

Louies friends, particularly the boorish Dylan (Ben Hunter), epitomise the blokey Australian pack mentality. The presence of women  another friend, Charlie (Jack Bannister), also brings his partner, Grace (Clementine Anderson)  complicates the dynamic of the typically male ritual.

Irene and Grace are passive viewers of both their own degradation and the substance-fuelled antics characteristic of the bucks party; the latter descends into an hour-long dreamlike sequence, in which reality and hallucination seem to blur as horror, fear and derangement increase.

Shabana Azeez and Mackenzie Fearnley play Irene and Louie in the psychological thriller. Credit: Roger Stonehouse

Birdeater is highly stylised in a way that feels distinctly Australian  a glimpse of a poster for Wake in Fright, Ted Kotcheffs 1971 film considered the quintessential classic of the Australian new wave, hints at filmmaking duo Jack Clark and Jim Weirs aesthetic influences. The haunting original score by Andreas Dominguez, and the wild, sparse atmosphere of the films setting  it was shot on location in the remote village of St Albans, NSW  both effectively add to the creeping dread of the whole affair.

The films characterisation and pacing leave more to be desired. Louie is the archetypal nice guy  we all know by now that these are the men who are often perpetrators of emotional abuse and coercive control, so its not new or surprising commentary. The talented Hunter deftly switches between larrikinism and malice as Dylan, but the character is almost cartoonishly villainous. Charlie and Grace are revealed to be Christians saving themselves for marriage, which seems at odds with their relaxed personalities and debauched habits; this plot point does serve a purpose, but is introduced in a sudden and jarring way.
When Nicholas McCarthy was 14 he had an epiphany during school assembly. He sat in the audience, watching as a friend played a piece by Beethoven, and in that moment saw the rest of his life unfold. It felt like this is what I was put on this Earth to do, he recalls.

That night he couldnt wait to share the news with his family. I said, Mum, Mum, I want to be a concert pianist. And I remember her face  smiling, but slightly blank, thinking youve got one arm, darling, are you sure? Theres some easier options out there.

Nicholas McCarthy performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

But his parents were supportive and McCarthy, who was born without a right hand, threw himself into learning. They bought him a keyboard and, through a combination of listening to the radio and watching YouTube, McCarthy spent hours in his room teaching himself to play and finding his own way around the keyboard.

I used to play with what I call my little arm, he explains. Ive got most of my [right] arm, and then Ive got my elbow, and then some of my forearm, and then it stops. And so my little arm is able to play one single note. Anything with a one-note melody line, a one note-tune in the right hand I could play.
The Serpent Queen



Stan* (new episodes every Friday)

Its been almost two years since the end of the first season of this lavishly produced account of Frances Italian-born monarch Catherine de Medici, and the wait has definitely been worth it.

In the season one finale, the brutal scheming of Catherine, played with flinty brilliance by Samantha Morton, reached a new high - or low - as she was forced to improvise a plan on the fly when her bonkers idea of kidnapping her own son was thwarted, inadvertently, by Francis himself, whose consumption caught up with him, in a (coughing) fit of bad timing.

Samantha Morton plays Catherine de Medici with flinty brilliance.

I wont go into detail for the sake of those yet to experience the joy of watching Morton as a woman whose circumstances forced her to become a ruthless operator, but suffice to say things did not look good. But again, Catherine turned events to her favour, albeit after the death of her son Francis, and with more members of her court now aware of just how calculating she can be.
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Eating outSpecials board 15 of Melbournes best pasta deals from $20 lobster linguine to great date nights The servings are generous, the wine is flowing. These great value pasta nights make going out more fun and affordable right now. Give them a twirl. Tomas Telegramma July 18, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Pasta is never a bad idea. But while Melbourne shivers through an icy blast and every second person you follow on Instagram lives it up on the sunny Italian coast, behold the latest edition of Specials board, all about the citys best (and best-value) pasta nights. Pinchys lobster linguine is $20 on Thursdays. $20 lobster linguine at Pinchys Are you a lobster lover? Thursday is the night to visit recently refurbed CBD seafood and champagne bar Pinchys because thats when its new signature lobster linguine is half price. For just 20 bucks, get a bowl loaded with lobster meat and tossed through miso butter. Level 1, 200 Bourke Street, Melbourne, pinchys.co

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Its $50 each for two people to get three courses and some wine at Marameo. Supplied $50-a-head pasta for two at Marameo Take a date (or a mate) to suave city Italian joint Marameo on Wednesday night for an excellent-value three-course feast  costing just a pineapple a head  complete with a half-litre of Italian red or white to share. The main event? Baked, bechamel-y spinach-and-ricotta-filled conchiglie (large pasta shells) in a rich ragu of both pork and beef. 6 Russell Place, Melbourne, marameo.com.au Pasta night at Joanies. Supplied

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$18-$19 pasta mezzanotte at Joanies Baretto Curb your late-night pasta cravings  without breaking the bank  at charming Thornbury bar Joanies Baretto. From 10pm to midnight Friday and Saturday, spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and oil) is $18 and cacio e pepe rigatoni is $19. Nearby sibling Umberto Espresso Bar also has a deal: $25 pasta and wine, four days a week. 832A High Street, Thornbury, joaniesbaretto.com.au $35 gnocchi with wine at Comma

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At Moorabbins neighbourhood gem Comma, Thursdays celebrate gnocchi  perhaps with slow-cooked beef ragu and parmesan, or spiced pumpkin, brown butter and sage. $35 buys you a big serve and a glass of vino, and you can add on a cocktail for $15. 2 Station Street, Moorabbin, wearecomma.com.au Agnoletti at Roccos Bologna. Supplied $45 date night at Roccos Bologna Discoteca Theres a lot to love about this Wednesday special at Roccos Bologna Discoteca. The $45-a-head spread includes Jerusalem-artichoke agnolotti, a cotoletta Milanese roll (you can swap for the signature meatball sub), a soft-serve, and a half-litre of wine.

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15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, roccosbologna.com Enjoy lasagne and wine for $25 at Puttanesca. Paul Jeffers $25 lasagne with wine at Puttanesca Wednesdays from noon, pull up a seat in the front bar of Puttanesca, Guy Grossis eastside osteria, for a budget-friendly slab of bolognese- and bechamel-heavy lasagne, with wine. Bonus: at weekday lunchtimes, the puttanesca parmigiana is $25 in the front bar. 99 High Street, Kew, cliftonhotel.com.au

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$25 pasta night at Tipico On a regular night, you could pay as much as $38 for a pasta at Windsor Italian spot Tipico. But if you go on Wednesday, the entire pasta menu drops to $25 apiece. So, will it be squid-ink tortelli with Moreton Bay bugs, or tagliatelle with lamb-shoulder ragu? 242 High Street, Windsor, tipico.melbourne Pasta specials are among the dishes on offer at the revamped Gertrude Hotel. Supplied

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$29 pasta and vino at The Gertrude Hotel Have you checked out Fitzroy pub The Gertrude Hotel since its most recent makeover? Drop in on hump day and be rewarded with a $29 pasta and vino special. The pastas rotate but you might find rigatoni with vodka sauce or a spicy, garlicky broccoli penne. 148 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, thegertrude.com.au $30 icons only at Bar Carolina On Monday nights, South Yarras Italian stallion Bar Carolina is revelling in Italys most iconic pasta dishes with a weekly changing special for $30, announced on Instagram. Upcoming options include spaghetti alle vongole and spinach-and-ricotta cannelloni.

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44 Toorak Road, South Yarra, barcarolina.com.au $30 pasta and wine at Greta Flinders Lanes Euro-inspired wine-diner Greta has a great Thursday-night lure: your choice of two pastas and a glass of very good wine for only $30. (Hot tip: Wednesday night is dedicated to $22 parmigiana). Walk-ins are welcome, but bookings are encouraged. 450 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, gretamelbourne.com.au

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Rossis gnocchi comes with a choice of (clockwise from top right) carbonara, wagyu beef ragu or roasted pumpkin sauce. Arianna Leggiero $35 live music with gnocchi at Rossi What sets Rossis gnocchi night apart? Its soundtracked by live jazz, hip-hop and neo-soul. On Wednesdays, your gnocchi choices are threefold  wagyu beef ragu, carbonara or roasted pumpkin  and each comes with a vino from Mitchelton label Preece Wines. 162 Greville Street, Prahran, rossi.bar Squid ink spaghetti with nduja crumb at Lagotto. Supplied

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$75 pasta with friends at Lagotto Last year, The Ages chief restaurant critic Besha Rodell declared Lagotto one of Melbournes great under-appreciated restaurants. Still sleeping on it? Rally the troops and book one of these long Sunday lunches for a less-expensive-than-usual experience. Find the weeks menu on Instagram, but you can expect it to be centred around pasta. 1 York Street, Fitzroy North, lagotto-fitzroynorth.com.au $15 pasta night at The Cheeky Pint Monday nights are cheap and cheerful at no-frills west-side pub The Cheeky Pint. Theres always a trio of different $15 pastas to choose from  maybe fettucine allamatriciana or spaghetti bolognese  and select wines and schooners for $5.

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231 Barkly Street, Footscray, thecheekypint.com.au Enjoy pasta specials with a sea view at Sebastian in Williamstown. Justin McManus $35-$42 pasta night at Sebastian The team behind the Spanish-leaning Sebastian, right on the beachfront in Williamstown, is set to open an Italian cafe-restaurant in Cremorne called Amatrice. And its giving diners a taster at its new Friday pasta nights, where you might find gnocchi with porcini mushroom and lavato cheese, or a traditional spaghetti carbonara. 26 Esplanade, Williamstown, sebastianwilliamstown.com.au

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WARWICK HARTIN November 18, 1933-June 3, 2024

When he was eight, Dr Warwick Hartin wrote his father a letter telling him that he wanted to publish a book. Somewhat precociously, he asked for help: and his childhood dream did become a reality. He was to write numerous books and articles on how to thrive and survive in intimate relationships. Given his psychoanalytic training, he might agree with the statement show me the child and I will show you the man.

No strangers to intergenerational trauma, Warwick and his brother and sister experienced it first-hand. He was born in Sydney in 1933, the son of a survivor of Villers-Bretonneux, the Somme and Passchendaele. The enormous impact of war trauma on individuals, families and future generations was little known at that time. Just as it happens today, his fathers attempts to return to civilian life proved difficult, and he returned to farming. He sought solace in his family, the land and his religion.

Theology, families, and healing became the focus of Warwicks life and work. Ordained as a Baptist minister, his first pulpit was in the Brisbane suburb of Stafford. Pastoral-care demands on him in this thriving parish led him to contemplate making a major career change. He sought training in counselling and psychotherapy. It was the therapeutic work of the Cairnmillar Institute that attracted his attention; this resulted in the young family relocating to Melbourne.

A feature of the institutes early days was its focus on integrating theology and the spiritual dimension with the healing methods of contemporary psychotherapy. Widely practised by psychotherapists now, in the early 1960s it was trailblazing. It created great interest in Cairnmillar around the world. Many therapists sought to understand such a therapeutic approach and came as visitors.
The Australian Medical Association does not support resources being directed to the modification, extension or strengthening of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula agreement, said Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson. But Kearney said the request for an extension did not mean the government had given up on reform. Im just really asking for time for us to have a really holistic approach to this, she said. Kearney said the health department would review retailer marketing activities for infant formula and ask the Food Regulatory System to consider additional regulation for toddler milks. The message Im giving to mums out there is that our request to the ACCC is not us giving up. I want to have a really good look at what levers we can pull at a federal level to make a difference in this space.

The assistant health minister was concerned to hear from women who opted to use formula who said they did not feel they were getting enough information about the substance from hospitals. Shortly after she gave birth to her third child, Kearney contracted salmonella and had to formula feed for a period. My milk dried up, and it was really horrible. I was vomiting and had diarrhoea for a month or so, Kearney said. Jayne Le Dan says she struggled to access advice about formula feeding when she was unable to breastfeed. Mums who feed their babies formula also need good-quality information, whether its about sterilisation of bottles or how to use formula when out and about. We need to make sure women get the right advice wherever they are  in hospitals, community settings, or anywhere across the health system. Mother Jayne Le Dan said she desperately tried to breastfeed but was forced to move to formula after four months of mixed feeding due to a lack of supply.

The attitude toward formula and education needs to change, she said in a submission to the review of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula agreement. I was using a formula that ended up not being the best option for my baby, but I didnt know how to get advice to change. My lactation consultant through private care didnt help me; the Child and Family Health Service public nurses also made me feel awful about this. Doctors say toddler milk is unnecessary and potentially unhealthy. Credit: Getty Images Le Dan said the current approach to messaging only added undue stress and guilt to an already fragile parent. Robson, the AMA president, said efforts should be made to ensure that parents who were unable or chose not to breastfeed could still access appropriate support and information to allow them to effectively feed their infant.

Medical practitioners can be an appropriate source of reassurance and support through this period of feeding pattern uncertainty, if informed regularly on the current options for breast-milk substitutes, and how they can be used appropriately, he said. Loading Consideration for health professionals must be made in any regulation-strengthening relating to the marketing of infant formula. Kearney said she was also troubled that unnecessary and expensive toddler milk powders were being marketed as a natural flow-on from infant formula. The toddler milk industry is giving the message out to mums that if you are not giving your child toddler formula, you are doing them an injustice, she said.

Australian families expect that anything being marketed to infants or toddlers should meet the absolute highest standards and with health claims that are accurate and appropriate. Loading Infant Nutrition Council chief executive Jonathan Chew said toddler milk drinks were scientifically researched and formulated to supplement the nutritional needs of young children aged one to three years. The council, which represents the major manufacturers and marketers of infant formula and toddler milk drinks in Australia and New Zealand, has applied to the ACCC to have the current agreement extended by five years. The Infant Nutrition Council believes the existing agreement is working well in its current form, Chew said
Sacrilege! France may be the gourmet capital of the world (C8), says Judith Rostron of Killarney Heights. But one of my French textbooks announced that spaghetti Bolognaise was Frances favourite family meal.

Forget the meat pies, declares Peter Miniutti of Ashbury. How much Vegemite is being shipped to our Olympic team in Paris?

More kids on faith (C8), this time from Robert French of Kiama: My grandson, who attends a Catholic primary school kindergarten class came home and informed his mother that today we went to the big house, meaning the church next door. Asked if they had mass there he replied: Oh no, you dont do maths there you just stand up and sit down all the time.

Recently, one of our Thoroughbred mares had a Caslicks procedure, says Kate Fraser of Scone. Her trainer left a voicemail message, which when translated by Telstra, came through as Your mare has been Catholicked.

Discussing old ways of telling the time, reminds one of the story of the farmer milking a cow near a village in Italy who was asked the time by a passerby, writes Barry Ffrench of Cronulla [Things really are getting Gallic in here - Granny]. The farmer lifted the cows udder and declared it was 7:05 am. The passerby admitted his astonishment that time could be told by lifting an udder. The farmer replied that was how he could see the village tower clock.
Three of Australias largest mental health organisations are pushing back against bipartisan support for an outright ban on social media for people under 16, arguing it risks alienating young people and ignores some of its benefits.

Instead, governments should force social media companies to give users more control over their algorithms and limit harmful features such as infinite scrolling, a joint submission from Beyond Blue, ReachOut and Black Dog Institute argues.

April Willis, 21, says that while social media did negatively impact her mental health, it also helped her find friends at a time when she was struggling. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman said an outright ban would let social media companies off the hook and state and federal governments would be better off regulating platforms to make them healthier for young people who will use them anyway.

Prohibition drives behaviour underground, Harman said. We want open, healthy conversations with our young people about how to stay safe online.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Azerbaijan supports the countries suffering from French colonialism to voice their problem, Secretary General of the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe Jean-Jacob Bicep said, Trend reports.

He made the remark at the first congress held in Baku with the organizational support of the Baku Initiative Group with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands suffering from French colonialism.

"This conference demonstrates the preciousness of our cooperation. Azerbaijan allows us to voice our problems on this platform. This congress is historic and strengthens our voice internationally. We aim to hold France accountable for its crimes and bring this to the attention of the world. We will work even harder to strengthen our solidarity. We are fighting for justice and freedom," he added.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established on July 6, 2023, in Baku by the participants of the conference "Total Elimination of Colonialism" within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Initiative Group has already organized about 15 international conferences.
UPDATE: Due to a complaint the Rivermakers Markets has shifted to a monthly schedule and will operate every third Sunday of the month until further notice. The next market is on Sunday, August 18.

Erected in 1917, the sprawling brick buildings in what is now known as the Rivermakers precinct in Morningside were originally a factory that made acetate of lime for World War I armaments.

During the Second World War the site became a naval barracks and later, a migrant hostel and home of the Queensland Fish Board. In the 1970s it was taken over by the Hans Smallgoods factory.

Rivermakers in Morningside is a historical site now given over to hospitality, events and markets. Credit: BMI

Now known as Rivermakers and part of the Irvine familys BMI group, the picturesque development houses a brewery, a gin bar, a boutique butcher, a pottery studio and function spaces.
Labors primary vote has dipped to its lowest level in years, increasing pressure on Premier Jacinta Allan as the party deals with the fallout from allegations of kickbacks, standover tactics and links to underworld figures in the CFMEU.

The findings are contained in a survey by Resolve Political Monitor, conducted exclusively for The Age, which shows Labors primary vote has dropped one percentage point in the past two months, putting support for the Allan government at just 27 per cent.

Labors primary vote has continued to fall with the Coalition now 10 percentage points ahead of the Allan government. Credit: The Age

Another fall in support for Labor represents a 12-point drop in core support for the government in the 10 months since Allan became premier. It is Labors lowest primary vote since Resolve started tracking it three years ago.

Over the past two months, the Coalitions primary support has remained at 37 per cent, giving the opposition a 10-point lead over the government.
Two Melbourne lawyers accused of doctoring a medical certificate to get a client out of a court appearance have failed to have their cases hidden from the public after they were charged with perverting the course of justice.

Zoe Davis, 34, and Rachelle Badour-Taha, 25, had their cases called in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, when their defence lawyers withdrew an application, opposed by this masthead, to suppress their names on mental health grounds.

Lawyers Zoe Davis (left) and Rachelle Badour-Taha outside Melbourne Magistrates Court last week. Credit: Chris Hopkins

Davis and Badour-Taha are accused of altering a medical certificate for a woman they were acting for, who was charged with traffic matters and due to face Frankston Magistrates Court on September 23 last year.

Detective Senior Constable Jamie Shanks said that on the morning of the clients hearing at Frankston, Badour-Taha emailed the court with a letter purportedly from a medical professional stating their client could not attend court that day.
More than $10 million was spent on local campaigns in the Queensland council elections this year, new Electoral Commission of Queensland data shows.

Almost half of that was spent in Brisbane, Australias largest council and the most expensive media market in the state.

In the capital  the only local government area where major political parties run tickets  $4.35 million was spent. Statewide, the figure was $10,462,257.42, according to returns lodged with the ECQ.

More than $10 million was spent during this years Queensland council elections. Credit: Graphics

And that total could increase. Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said about 100 candidates were yet to lodge their returns from the March 16 polls.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The regular meeting of the board of the New Azerbaijan Party was held, Trend reports.

According to the information, the Deputy Chairman of the Party and Head of the Central Office, Tahir Budagov, informed about the agenda of the meeting.

Tahir Budagov noted that Azerbaijan has successfully completed the period of the history of modern statehood rich in important achievements and has stepped into a new era.

Under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, as a result of our outstanding victory in the 44-day II Karabakh War in 2020 and one-day localized anti-terrorist measures in 2023, the full restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, constitutional order, and raising of the Azerbaijani flag in all territories liberated from occupation has been ensured. Thanks to the farsighted policy of the President of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party Ilham Aliyev, aimed at socio-economic progress, growth of military power and defense capacity of our country, strengthening of its positions in the international arena, ensuring national and regional security, new realities have emerged both inside the country and in the region as a whole, and new prospects have opened before our country," he said.

The New Azerbaijan Party Deputy Chairman emphasized that in the victorious elections held in February 2024, the absolute majority of the people once again demonstrated their deep faith in the policy pursued by supporting the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, President Ilham Aliyev.

Nowadays, Azerbaijan is on the threshold of another important socio-political process. The election to the Azerbaijani Parliament will be held throughout the country on September 1, 2024, for the first time in the history of our independence. The New Azerbaijan Party, which plays a leading role in the political system of the country, participates in this election with goals arising from the realities that emerged after our grandiose national victory under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev," Budagov noted.

Then the list of persons nominated by the New Azerbaijan Party in connection with the extraordinary election to the Azerbaijani Parliament, scheduled for September 1, 2024, was announced and approved after discussion.

Deputy Chairman of New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov, members of the party's board Hikmet Mammadov, Tahir Mirkishili, Bahar Muradova, Anar Iskandarov, Elmar Gasimov, Eldar Ibrahimov, Azer Badamov, and Kamal Jafarov, addressing the meeting, noted that the Azerbaijani Parliament, the supreme legislative body of the party, is also entrusted with great responsibilities for the realization of strategically important objectives facing Azerbaijan in the most important period of the modern history of statehood. It was emphasized that representation in the parliament is honorable and, at the same time, responsible. Deep gratitude was expressed for the high trust given to the President of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, Ilham Aliyev.

Subsequently, the issue of members of election commissions with the right of deliberative vote and persons who will observe on the day of voting in the constituencies and polling stations was considered, and the lists were approved.

In conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the Party and Head of the Central Office, Tahir Budagov, wished success to the candidates and expressed confidence that they would do their best to justify the high trust given to them by the Head of State, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan" Party, Ilham Aliyev, and would do their best to fulfill the tasks set for them.

Tahir Budagov emphasized that the New Azerbaijan Party has so far played an exceptional role in the very important historical achievements of Azerbaijan and will continue to contribute to the implementation of the strategic course for the progress of our country - the purposeful and far-sighted policy of President Ilham Aliyev.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. We can hold discussions and find solutions to problems through this congress, the Foreign Minister of New Caledonia Mickael Forrest said, Trend reports.

He made the announcement at the first congress with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands suffering from French colonialism, held in Baku with the organizational support of the Baku Initiative Group.

Such an opportunity was provided to us by the Baku Initiative Group. We have to appreciate this opportunity. We have a political goal that must be achieved. We must contribute to the establishment of a new world order and find our place in it. We have the right to absolute sovereignty, he said.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established on July 6, 2023, in Baku by the participants of the conference "Total Elimination of Colonialism" within the framework of the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Initiative Group has already organized about 15 international conferences.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The Baku Initiative Group will provide scholarships to young people from countries fighting colonialism, Head of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov said, Trend reports.

He made the statement during the first congress held in Baku with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands suffering from French colonialism.

"Starting this year, our organization will provide scholarships to young people who want to study in Azerbaijan," he said.

Abbasov added that an exhibition dedicated to the history of colonialism, organized by the Baku Initiative Group, will be held at COP29 in November.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established on July 6, 2023, in Baku by the participants of the conference "Total Elimination of Colonialism" within the framework of the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Initiative Group has already organized about 15 international conferences.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Members of pro-independence movements were illegally arrested by French police during the recent riots in New Caledonia, Head of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov said, Trend reports.

He made the remark during the first congress held in Baku with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, and Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands suffering from French colonialism.

They were treated as terrorists and smuggled to Paris where they were subjected to various tortures. There are women with small children among them. Baku Initiative Group states that it will help the families of political prisoners and the lawyers who defend them. The families of some of these political prisoners are taking part in our event today, he said.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established on July 6, 2023, in Baku by the participants of the conference "Total Elimination of Colonialism" within the framework of the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Initiative Group has already organized about 15 international conferences.
A developed Cgarh for developed India





Staff Reporter :

RAIPUR,

Mor Sapna Mor Vikas Chhattisgarh event held July 16 Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that vision document is being prepared with everyones participation to make Chhattisgarh a developed state. He was addressing a state-level programme Mor Sapna Mor Vikas Chhattisgarh at New Circuit House in Raipur city. Chief Minister Sai further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to make India a developed country by the year 2047. To fulfill the Prime Ministers dream to make India a developed country, we will make a developed Chhattisgarh, he added. Chief Minister Sai said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become the fifth largest economy in the world in the last 10 years. The Prime Minister has called for making India the third largest economy in the world in the next five years.

The Chief Minister said that Chhattisgarh will also have an important contribution in achieving this objective. Chhattisgarh is a rich state with abundant natural resources, forest wealth and human resources. The land of the state is fertile and there are hardworking farmers. Youth, farmers, women and experts of the state shared their views. By adding value to the resources here, we can create a developed Chhattisgarh. Everyones cooperation will be necessary in this. Chhattisgarh is a young state, we have implemented a new education policy, in which emphasis has been laid on vocational training, said the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister said that the State Government is bringing reforms in every field with everyones cooperation. Continuous steps are being taken to bring transparency in government functioning. The State Governments policy is zero tolerance towards corruption, he added. The Chief Minister said that youth, farmers, women and intellectuals shared important ideas for building a developed Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister said that the State Government has set a target to dedicate the vision document and new industrial policy of Chhattisgarh to the general public on the occasion of the State Foundation Day, November 1.

Earlier, in the inaugural session, Finance Minister O P Choudhary stated that all participants emphasised that the ideas of the experts could significantly contribute to the progress of the nation as well as of the state. Minister Choudhary extensively discussed the topics such as export-oriented industries, green energy, solar energy, ethanol-based technology, and production-linked incentives. Chief Secretary and Vice-Chairman of the State NITI Aayog Amitabh Jain and Secretary of the Planning Department Ankit Anand also addressed the programme. Around 200 participants also participated in the programme. Padma Shri Ajay Mandavi, Padma Shri Jageshwar Yadav, female farmer Udeshwari, Shubham Dixit, Simran, Ankit Jain, Shatabdi Pandey, Sudha Verma and others also shared their views in the programme. Advisor to Chief Minister Dhirendra Tiwari, Member of the State NITI Aayog K Subramanyam, Secretary of the State NITI Aayog Anup Shrivastava and Secretary to Chief Minister Rahul Bhagat were also present. Chhattisgarh NITI Aayog has initiated consultations with all departments and sector experts to prepare the Vision Document related to Amrit Kaal: Chhattisgarh Vision @ 2047. Eight working groups have been formed for this purpose, and continuous meetings are being held for deliberations. The Commission has also launched a web portal, Mor Sapna-Mor Viksit Chhattisgarh, available at http://sdgspc.cg.gov.in/viksitcg/#home, inviting public representatives and citizens to share their visions for a developed Chhattisgarh.
4Army soldiers killed in action in Doda





JAMMU ;

FOUR Army personnel, including a captain, lost their lives in a fierce gunfight with heavily armed terrorists of Pakistan-based banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The fallen soldiers were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling, Naik Dokkari Rajesh from Andhra Pradesh, and Sepoys Bijendra and Ajay Kumar Singh from Rajasthan. The encounter, which took place in the dense forests of Doda district late Monday evening, has sparked widespread condemnation and protests in Jammu and other regions. In New Delhi, the Opposition Congress attacked the Centre with Rahul Gandhi asserting that the Government should take full responsibility for the repeated security lapses and take strict action against the culprits. Gandhi also said such horrific incidents one after the other are extremely sad and worrying, and that Army soldiers and their families are bearing the brunt of BJPs wrong policies.

The latest incident marks the third major clash between security forces and terrorists in Jammu region within the past three weeks, highlighting the escalating tensions in the area. It comes a week after terrorists ambushed an Army patrolin theremoteMachedi forest belt in Kathua district which claimed the lives of five soldiers and injured as many. The KashmirTigers,aJeM shadow group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Security forces, including troopsof theRashtriyaRifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police, swiftly launched a joint cordon and search operationin theDesa forest belt following the encounter. Despite the challenging terrain and weather conditions, efforts are underway to track down and neutralise the militants who have links to banned Jaish-eMohammad terror group, officials said. TheArmy,alongwithparacommandos and aerial support from drones and helicopters, is intensifying its search operation to eliminate the terrorists who are suspected to have infiltrated from across the border and taken refuge in the forest area.

In an official statement, the Army said the gunfight eruptedlateMondayevening in theDesa forestarea,where troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and KashmirPolicehadlaunched a cordon-and-search operation.Despitechallenging terrain and low visibility, the security forces engaged the hiding terrorists. DEEPLY SADDENED: RAJNATH ON DEATH OF 4 SOLDIERS IN DODA ANTITERROR OPERATION: DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said he is deeply saddened by the death of four Army soldiers in an anti-terroroperationin Jammu and Kashmirs Doda district and asserted that the security forces are committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in the region. ChiefofArmyStaffGeneral Upendra Dwivedi briefed Singh on the ongoing operation. Deeply saddened by the loss of our brave and courageous Indian Army Soldiers in a counter terrorist operation in Urrar Baggi, Doda (J&K), Singh said on X. My heart goes out to the bereaved families. The Nationstands firmlywiththe families of our soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, he said. TheDefenceMinister said the counter terrorist operations areunderway, andour soldiers remain committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and restore peace and order in the region.
5 killed as bus ferrying pilgrims hits tractor on Mumbai-Pune Expressway





Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde meets the injured in the Mumbai-Pune Expressway accident, at MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.

MUMBAI ;

At least five persons were killed and 42 injured when a bus carrying warkaris or pilgrims headed for Pandharpur hit a tractor on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, police said on Tuesday. The bus was ferrying 54 warkaris, devotees of Lord Vitthal, on their way to Pandharpur in Solapur district for Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrations from Dombivli near Mumbai. Notably, tractors are not allowed on the expressway. The accident took place around midnight near Panvel in Navi Mumbai, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vivek Pansare said. The speeding bus hit the tractor from behind while trying to overtake it, police said. Three passengers from the bus and two persons riding on the tractor -- driver Tarvez Salahuddin Ahmed (27) and Deepak Sohan Rajbhar (30) -- were killed. After hitting the tractor, the bus broke through the barricade of the expressway and fell into a 20-feet deep gorge, an official said. The deceased bus passengers were identified as Hausabai Hari Patil (65), Ramdas Narayan Mukadam (71) and Gurunath Bapu Patil (65). The injured pilgrims were rushed to a private hospital.

The condition of seven of them was serious, he said. Ashadhi Ekadashi will be celebrated on Wednesday. Lakhs of warkaris from across Maharashtra and beyond undertake the pilgrimage to Pandharpur every year. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the families of the deceased will be paid financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each, and he had instructed the doctors and officials to ensure the best treatment for the injured for which the Government will bear all expenses. He was talking to the media after meeting the accident victims at a hospital in Navi Mumbai. Police were probing the causes of the accident and those responsible will face action, the CM said. I met each and every injured, who told me that they were alive due to the blessings of Lord Pandurang,Shinde said.
Biker chased by stray dogs hits stationary truck, dies





The victim being seen lying with bike at rear side of a truck-trailer in line with stray dogs running away in the CCTV footage.

Staff Reporter :

BHILAI,

A MOTORCYCLIST being chased by stray dogs crashed into a stationary truck-trailer and died on spot in a road mishap that occurred at Hathkhoj Road in Bhilai-3. The police reported that after an autopsy the body was handed over to the family members on Monday, the police said. Police sources informed the deceased has been identified as Horilal Sagar (55), son of S Sagar, a resident of Umda, Bhilai-3. As per the sources at about 4:45 pm on Sunday, Horilal Sagar was riding his motorbike home when he was chased by stray dogs. In an attempt to escape, he accidentally hit the stationary truck at the road and died on the spot at Aklordeeh-Hathkhoj road in Bhili-3. Upon receiving information, a Purani Bhilai police team reached the scene immediately and initiated necessary measures for smooth vehicular traffic through the mishap site.

The police also seized the truck involved in the mishap. The victim Horilal Sagar was a factory workers and he was returning from the workplace when he met the unfortunate mishap. SHO Purani Bhilai police Mahesh Dhruv informed that in the fatal they have already registered the offence against the accused truck driver for wrongly parking the truck. To a query that whether on being chased by the stray dogs the victim accidentally hit the stationary truck-trailer at the road, SHO Dhruv replied that they are further investigating to ascertain the complete facts.
Daylight bank robbery in Indore, Rs 7 lakh looted





Staff Reporter :

A shocking incident was reported from the commercial area of Indore where a robbery of Rs 7 lakh was committed during the daylight that has left denizens worried about their security. According to the information, a masked man possessing gun broke inside the Punjab National Bank at Vijay Nagar and looted Rs 7 lakh. The records read that the felon fired a gunshot in air creating panic among the staff and customers and managed to flee the spot. The cops based on the evidences garnered from the CCTV cameras installed at the bank premises, launched a search operation. It has been learnt that the incident occurred at 4: 30 pm and no security guard was present at the branch at the time of the incident. Additionally, speculations are revolving around the incident that the felon could be a retired army personal or a security based on the manner in which the robbery was carried. The cops are urging citizens to tip off the police officials about the suspect and assist in the investigation.
From BADto WORSE The perpetual woes of Itwari area





Traffic snarls on Itwari Railway Station fly-over. (Pic by Satish Raut)

Staff Reporter :

When we talk about traffic jam, haphazardly parked vehicles and unnecessary honking, the first image comes to mind is Itwari market area. Itwari, which is infamous for its traffic jam and crowded streets since decades, still looks the same, with the traffic issues deteriorating even further. Marwadi Chowk area near Dahi Bazar is the worst affected location where traffic jams are a common spectacle. When the Itwari Flyover was being constructed, everyone including the administration thought that it would reduce the traffic issue in the locality as vehicles heading from Machhli Bazar Chowk and Kirana Oli and travelling towards Itwari Railway Station or Dahi Bazar will not get stuck in the traffic jam. However, the struggle for commuters remained the same even after construction of the flyover and the round-about at Marwadi Chowk.



These photos depict the daily chaos that one has to navigate through while passing through Marwadi Chowk area of Itwari. Although, the quality of roads has improved in this stretch, the issue of traffic congestion is yet unsolved by the civic authorities. One can only hope that even a congested area like Itwari can breathe free and people travel freely there, someday. (Pics by Satish Raut)

The area is one of the well-known and old marketplace of the city having many retail stores, religious buildings, restaurants, pan shops and eateries. Every single day during peak hours, the stretch of road between Machhli Bazar Chowk and Marwadi Chowk is packed to the rafters with vehicular traffic. Due to it being market area and Itwari Railway Station in the vicinity, the movement of heavy vehicles especially trucks is also a major issue. The road is lined with many shops whose visitors park their two or four-wheelers infront of the shops which further narrows the motorable space due to the illegal double parking. No doubt the number of vehicles plying on road has increased manifold. However, the corresponding and necessary facilities were not built by the civic body. Overlooked and neglected for years, the Itwari area now gives an impression that everyone has gotten habitual of traffic jam and crowded streets.

Managing traffic jam is not just the responsibility of traffic authorities but also of citizens and commuters, who need to be disciplined and follow the rules of traffic. I have my shop here for more than three decades now. Traffic jam is a common view for us and we have been experiencing it from the beginning, Rajesh Telrandhe, a shop owner in Marwadi Chowk told The Hitavada. The shop owners association of Kirana Oli raised the traffic and parking issues with the Police Department and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) many times but no concrete action has been taken place so far, said Telrandhe. Aniket Rajendra Phule, another shop owner of the area said, Traffic is a big issue for us in the market place. We do not get space some times to park our own vehicle near our shops. Due to the round-about, everyone wants to go first, due to which the traffic jam takes place every day.

The stretch between Maskasath and Dahi Bazaar Square, one of the oldest and busiest markets of the region, often turns nightmarish even for the local traders. Everyday, they find it difficult to transport the goods due to haphazard parking of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and e-rickshaws on both the sides of the narrow road. Shiv Pratap Singh, President of the Nagpur Itwari Kirana Merchants Association, said that the traffic jam is a cause of big concern for the traders who are losing business because of it. Traffic jam is at its peak every day between 5 pm and 8 pm when the traders start supplying material to their customers. It takes 25-30 minutes for the vehicles to cover this small distance of less than 500 meters. Further, the customers also shy away from visiting our shops during these hours, he said, highlighting the need for traffic police to control the traffic movement. Citizens are repeatedly urging the authorities to be proactive in addressing these civic issues. Meanwhile, both authorities and citizens alike wear the cape of responsibility as one can enforce the rules and the other should follow it for a better a city.
Maharashtra Govt gave aid of Rs 15,000 cr to farmers hit by adverse weather in 2 years: CM





PANDHARPUR :

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday claimed that his Government gave compensation of Rs 15,000 crore to the farmers hit by adverse weather conditions over the last two years. Speaking at an event here, he also said he prefers using helicopter to travel to his village in Satara district than traveling by road which takes 10 hours, and in the time saved, he gets more work done.

I am a farmers son. When I go to my village, I go to my farm. Some people (referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray) say that he (Shinde) goes there in a helicopter and does farming. Now you tell me, should I drive for ten hours and go there? In ten hours I can deal with the issues of thousands of people, the CM said. His Government relaxed norms to ensure that farmers hit due to weather conditions get maximum compensation, Shinde said. We gave a compensation of Rs 15,000 crore to farmers in two years, he added. Further, his government has spent Rs 44,000 crore under different schemes for farmers, the CM said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The participation of delegations of colonial territories in the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) is planned, the head of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov said, Trend reports.

He made the announcement at the first congress held in Baku with the participation of leaders of more than 15 political parties and movements for the independence of Corsica, Melanesia, and Polynesia, a group of Caribbean and Antilles islands suffering from French colonialism.

We have already started discussing this issue. France has created serious environmental problems in its colonial territories. All these problems will be highlighted at COP29 in Baku, he said.

To note, the Baku Initiative Group was established on July 6, 2023, in Baku by the participants of the conference "Total Elimination of Colonialism" within the framework of the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Initiative Group has already organized about 15 international conferences.
NEET-UG paper leak case





NEW DELHI :

Accused stole NEET-UG paper from NTA trunk

THE CBI has arrested two persons including a key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case who allegedly stole the paper from a National Testing Agencys trunk in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, officials said Tuesday. With the two arrests, the total number of persons arrested in connection with cases pertaining to leakage, impersonation and other irregularities in the medical entrance exam has now reached 14, they said. The agency has arrested Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, who allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh, the officials said.

Kumar, a resident of Bokaro, was arrested from Patna, they said. The CBI has also arrested one Raju Singh who allegedly helped Kumar in stealing the paper and passing them on to other gang members, they said, adding that Singh was arrested from Hazaribagh. T h e agency, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, has registered six FIRs. The FIR from Bihar pertains to leakage of paper while the remaining from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are linked to impersonation of candidates and cheating.
NIT Raipur concludes high-end workshop





Participants of the high-end workshop posing for a group photo.

Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

DEPARTMENT of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur organised a weeklong high-end workshop sponsored by SERB on Exploring Semiconductor Devices: A Practical Approach to VLSI. The workshop concluded on Tuesday. Chief Patron of the workshop was Professor Dr N V Ramana Rao, Director of NIT Raipur. Patrons included Dean Academics Dr Shrish Verma, Dean R&C Dr Prabhat Diwan and Chairman CEC Dr Shubhojit Ghosh. Chairman for the workshop was HoD ECE Dr Toshanlal Meenpal. The valedictory session began with a motivating speech by Dr Toshanlal Meenpal, who congratulated everyone on the successful execution of the event.

He emphasised that the conclusion of the workshop marks the beginning of real work, encouraging participants to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge they acquired to their research and professional projects. Thereafter Dr Shubhojit Ghosh provided an insightful overview of the workshops significance. He highlighted the competitive nature of the SERB sponsorship, mentioning that out of 500 applications received nationwide, only 52 were selected through a rigorous review process. Notably, 4 of these selected workshops were from NIT Raipur, showcasing the institutes exceptional capability and commitment to advancing semiconductor and VLSI technologies. Dr Prabhat Diwan expressed his heartfelt congratulations and appreciation for the participants and organisers. He acknowledged the hard work and dedication that went into making the workshop a success.

The session then proceeded with a felicitation ceremony, where participants were recognised for their active involvement and contributions throughout workshop. 25 participants from all over the country participated in the workshop while speakers from institutions like DRDO, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Roorkee, CSIR CEERI Pilani etc gave information related to the subject. Concluding the valedictory session, Dr Ashish Kumar proposed a vote of thanks.
Police Command and Control Facility dedication today





Staff Reporter :

Will it finally end traffic gridlock?

Traffic control in city is going from bad to worse despite Nagpur Police being equipped with independent Command and Control Centre. The facility is set to be formally dedicated by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. The programme is at 6 pm and on the occasion, Fadnavis will also return the seized material to the owners. The Centre was jointly set-up by Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) and Nagpur City Police adjoining the city police Control Room at Civil Lines.

The facility is already functional yet its effectiveness in crime control and especially traffic management seems to be of little use. Especially, wrong side driving which is increasingly becoming a norm should have been controlled using the CCTV cameras whose feed is beamed on the giant screens at the Control Centre. Post formal dedication at least, citizens can have respite from mismanaged traffic in the second capital of the State, feel the exasperated people. The function is going to be held at the ground behind Administrative Building no 2. Pravin Datke, Abhijit Wanjari, Sudhakar Adbale, Krupal Tumane, Parinay Fuke, MLCs; Dr Nitin Raut, Krishna Khopde, Mohan Mate, Vikas Kumbhare, Vikas Thakre, Sameer Meghe, Tekchand Sawarkar, MLAs; are invited for the programme. Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Singal, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, Anchal Goyal, Officiating CEO, NSSCDCL, will be guests of honour at the programme. The organisers have appealed citizens to attend the programme in large numbers.

The concept of Control and Command Centre was to equip civic and police administration in easing the difficulties in burgeoning urban centres. However both the centre at NMC and with city police have failed to provide any fruitful result that could be visible on ground. Leveraging of technology now atleast will provide citizens escape from the traffic snarls, red signal jumping, wayward driving on city streets so that common man who tends to follow the law, does not feel saddened at being on right side of the law. Accepted that city police are short of manpower, but for that purpose only State invested heavily in leveraging technology to aid the modern day policing concept. Yet city police machinery it seems is still grappling with the technology and hence citizens would have to wait, only the powers that be knows how long, for restoring rule of law on the city streets.
Ratapani may soon get status of Tiger Reserve





By Ankita Garg :

Track on lines of tiger reserve being planned Forest Department has planned to prepare track in Ratapani Sanctuary same like a tiger reserve. Decision has been taken after recording the rising population tourist in the area. The sanctuary has already safari facility for the visitors. In first phase, track will be prepared from Karmai to Barkheda and Ratapani dam while in second phase, track will be made from Pampapur gate to Ghodapachar dam. In third phase, track will be prepared near Jholiapur dam.

Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is expected to get notified as Tiger Reserve soon as the State-level Wildlife Board meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has approved the same. The proposal will be soon sent to the Center for final consent. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had already given in-principal approval to the project in the year 2011. Forest officials said that if all goes well, Ratapani would get notification of tiger reserve in next three months. The proposal was pending since year 2008 for various reasons. Subharanjan Sen, PCCF Wildlife MP, said, Some formalities are still there to notify the sanctuary as tiger reserve.

This would help to connect the locals with employment opportunity. People across the globe will be visiting Ratapani to enjoy the wildlife beauty. According to Census 2022, the sanctuary broke all records with 310 per cent growth in its tiger population. In four years, tiger count in sanctuary near State capital Bhopal has risen from 18 to 56. The sanctuary area has abundance of 65 to 72 stripped cats. According to Census 2022, Ratapani Landscape (150 km area range) has 96 tigers including 7 tigers in Bhopal and 7 tigers in Dewas. Sehore forest circle has 10 tigers. As per Census 2018, there were 40 stripped cats in the landscape. Though the Forest Department claimed for 22 tigers, including 13 adult and 9 cubs, around Bhopal but after census report, real data revealed as 7 tigers. Forest department had claimed for 88 tigers in the landscape but only 8 tigers were increased in this census. Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in State having higher number of tigers after Bandhavgarh and Kanha Tiger Reserve. It is commonly known in Madhya Pradesh that insufficient space for the tigers and leopards is giving tough time to the wildlife as well as forest officials. Like Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, now Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is also facing space crunch for the tigers.

Proposal to declare the wildlife sanctuary as tiger reserve is pending for more than 15 years. Forest officials and wildlife experts have raised voice many times to make the sanctuary as tiger reserve for safe and secure habitat to the wildlife. Wildlife activists said, about 15 years back, in-principal approval to declare the sanctuary as Tiger Reserve was given by the Government. At the time, there were only 7 tigers in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is spread over 925 sqkm of area and around 60 tigers, 150 leopards and many other species are residing in the jungle.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Birlestik-2024 international operational-tactical command-staff exercise held in Kazakhstan has ended, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The military leadership of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan arrived at Cape Tokmak in the Caspian Sea aquatorium to watch the last tactical episode of the exercise.

The exercise participants carried out activities on the destruction of illegal armed groups in the coastal area of the Caspian Sea. The tasks set in the Birlestik-2024 exercise were accomplished with high professionalism and precision by the personnel of all types of troops involved in the exercise, taking into consideration the methods of conducting the modern battle.

According to the scenario, parachute descent and search-rescue services of the Azerbaijan Air Force evacuated the personnel of the crashed combat helicopter from the battlefield.

The tactical episode of the exercise was followed by a ceremonial passage of combat equipment and aviation vehicles involved in the international exercise.

Next, the closing ceremony of the Birlestik-2024 international operational-tactical command-staff exercise was held. The Defense Ministers of the participating states made a speech at the ceremony and positively evaluated the course of the exercise, the ability of the participants to effectively use modern combat equipment and means, and the professionalism of the military personnel.

In the ceremony attended by the representatives of military attaches apparatus of 15 states who awarded a group of distinguished servicemen medals and valuable gifts, the personnel solemnly marched in front of the grandstand.

In the end, the leadership of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry met with the personnel representing the country in the exercise, congratulated them for their high professionalism in the international exercise, and wished them success in their future service.

It is noteworthy that, in the Birlestik-2024 international exercise, Azerbaijan was represented by a group of servicemen of commando units of the Land Forces, parachute descent and search-rescue service, and Su-25 aircraft of the Air Force, as well as patrol and descent ships of the Navy.

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China's first commercial space launch site gears up

08:16, July 17, 2024 By Zhao Lei ( China Daily

A staff member oversees a system test at China's first commercial space launch site, located on the island province of Hainan, on June 30. (PU XIAOXU/XINHUA)

China's first launch complex dedicated to servicing commercial space operations is scheduled to carry out its debut mission in the coming autumn, according to its top manager.

Yang Tianliang, chairman of the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center in Wenchang, Hainan province, told China Daily in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that if everything goes according to plan, the center's debut launch will take place around September or October.

"This is because we need time to carry out all-system rehearsals to prepare our staff for the first launch and spot possible problems. So far, most of the rehearsal tasks have been accomplished. We will make some small changes to related procedures based on the results of the rehearsals," he said.

Construction of the second of the first two launch towers was completed in early June. Construction of the first tower was finished in late December.

In the coming weeks, workers at the complex will conduct rehearsals with a real carrier rocket, which will be used for the debut flight, after it is transported to the center, according to Yang.

He did not reveal the type of the rocket to be used in the coming mission, but sources from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp and one of the country's two major rocket makers, have said that the rocket will be a Long March 12, and the mission will also mark the model's first flight.

According to designers, the Long March 12 is the latest model in the Long March family and the first Chinese rocket with a diameter of 3.8 meters  wider than the 3.35-meter diameter of most Chinese rockets. It has two stages, with a combined height of more than 60 meters.

Propelled by six engines fueled by liquid oxygen and kerosene, the rocket will be capable of transporting spacecraft with a combined weight of at least 10 metric tons to a low-Earth orbit, or six tons of satellites to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.

Yang said that whether other launch missions will be carried out before the end of this year will depend on restoration work after the first launch. "In 2025, we plan to conduct the first launch of any privately built rocket at our center. We will also strive to make our facilities ready for more missions that will come next year," he said.

Yang's center is a joint venture of the Hainan provincial government and three State-owned space conglomerates  China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, China Aerospace Science and IndustryCorp, and China Satellite Network Group.

Construction, which began in July 2022, was undertaken by China Aerospace Construction Group.

The No. 1 launch tower is specifically tasked with servicing Long March 8 carrier rockets. The No. 2 tower is capable of servicing more than 10 types of liquid-propellant carrier rockets, including those in the Long March family and models developed by private companies.

When put into operation, the complex will become the fifth ground-based launch complex in China and the first dedicated to facilitating commercial space missions.

The other launch complex in Hainan, the Wenchang Space Launch Center, is administered by the central government and primarily tasked with serving State programs. There are three more such centers in China, located in Jiuquan in Gansu province, Taiyuan in Shanxi province, and Xichang in Sichuan province.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
Laman Ismayilova

The Azerbaijan Cultural Centre in Uzbekistan has organised an event dedicated to Western Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Salama Fataliyev gave an educational lecture on the cultural and literary heritage created by the Azerbaijani people in Western Azerbaijan.

It was brought to the attention of the participants that, as a result of the Armenian aggression, Azerbaijanis were expelled from Western Azerbaijan, and all the materials and cultural heritage were vandalised.

Thus, historical buildings, monuments, sanctuaries, and mosques built by Azerbaijanis were destroyed.

The Azerbaijan Cultural Centre in Uzbekistan will continue a series of lectures dedicated to Western Azerbaijan.

Based in Tashkent, the Centre plays a special role in Azerbaijani-Uzbek relations in the fields of culture, science, education, and tourism.

The Centre opened its doors on September 27, 2010. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the opening ceremony.

Since then, the Azerbaijan Cultural Centre has successfully implemented a number of projects, aimed at strengthening the ties between the two countries.

The Cultural Centre earlier presented a photo exhibition "Cultural Heritage and Monuments Created by the Azerbaijani People in Western Azerbaijan".

The photo exhibition reflected the historical and religious monuments of Azerbaijan in Yerevan, Goycha, Zangazur, Darelayaz, etc.

A documentary film, "Tree of Generations," was also screened as part of the event.

The project is dedicated to the theme of the return of Western Azerbaijanis to their native lands.

The film was produced by the Network of the Azerbaijani Journalists Public Association. The film's screenwriter is Ayaz Mirzaev, and producer Elnur Niftaliev.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Another round of political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Azerbaijan and Romania was held in Bucharest on July 16, the Azerbaijani ministry told Trend.

The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, while the Romanian delegation was headed by State Secretary of the Romanian MFA Ana Cristina Tinca.

During the political consultations, Azerbaijan and Romania discussed strengthening their strategic partnership as well as current and future cooperation in political, economic, energy, transport, and humanitarian areas, including within international organizations. They also reviewed strategic energy and transport projects initiated by or involving Azerbaijan.

The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijan's preparation for hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year, highlighting its potential to enhance bilateral cooperation.

The meeting included detailed discussions on the post-conflict situation in the region, Azerbaijan's efforts to normalize relations with Armenia, steps towards achieving lasting peace, the issue of landmines in newly liberated Azerbaijani territories, and the extensive reconstruction and construction activities underway there.

The sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, Rzayev also held meetings with other Romanian officials and participated in an event attended by representatives from various think tanks," the statement reads.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Climate change is not a future risk, it is a real and present danger to billions of people around the world, said COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev in a letter to parties and constituencies, Trend reports.

Climate change threatens to undermine decades of progress in global development, with devastating consequences for so many, while climate action promises a better future for all.

Growing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the international environment must not distract us from the imperative to collaborate and address climate change as the greatest transnational challenge of the century.

We will spare no efforts to act as a bridge between the developed and developing nations and steer the process to a consensus at COP29, the letter reads.

Furthermore, the letter notes that throughout the COP29 Presidencys consultations, a vision based on two parallel pillars to enhance ambition and enable action with climate finance as the top priority was presented.

These pillars are mutually reinforcing, and progress on one sends a strong signal in support of the other. Successful delivery of key mandates and action will be essential to building trust, solidarity, and momentum, the letter said.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The citizens have been refunded part of the VAT amount of 34.6 million manat ($20.3 million) for cashless real estate purchases, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani State Tax Service.

A total of 16,329 applications from citizens were received through the relevant portal from November 2022 through July 1, 2024, for 8563 of which the payment of funds of 34.6 million manat ($20.3 million) was ensured. During the first six months of this year alone, 2,597 applications were received through the portal. According to the requirements of the relevant rules, 1802 of them were paid to citizens of 9.2 million manat ($5.4 million), and 526 of them were denied.

Meanwhile, the persons engaged in construction activities since the period of launching the portal have submitted 1,398 "Information forms for each building related to the provision of residential and non-residential premises," of which 917 were approved.

The refund of part of the VAT also includes apartments for residential and non-residential spaces purchased by citizens in a cashless manner from persons carrying out construction activities through a state mortgage loan. Starting in September 2023, the funds are transferred by the tax authority to the person's virtual Edvgerial account in the client bank. This has eliminated some of the difficulties existing in this area.

To note, there are several issues that lead to the rejection of applications. These include failure to apply within 90 days of the last payment, failure to reflect the electronic receipt data in the payment destination, payments made by other persons, and failure to pay VAT and basic amounts separately.

However, persons engaged in housing construction are advised to submit forms for information on the construction of buildings in the manner prescribed by law. In this regard, the tax authorities are conducting appropriate monitoring and analytical work," the State Service noted.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The European Commission has announced the selection of 134 transport projects to receive over 7 billion euros in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU's strategic investment instrument for infrastructure, Trend reports.

According to the Commission, this marks the largest funding call under the current CEF Transport program.

Approximately 83% of the funding will support projects aligned with the EU's climate objectives, focusing on the modernization and improvement of the EU's railway, inland waterway, and maritime routes within the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network. Notably, rail projects will receive 80% of the 7 billion allocation. Additionally, the revised TEN-T Regulation will come into effect tomorrow, July 18.

Major projects set to benefit include enhancements to cross-border rail connections along the TEN-T core network, such as Rail Baltica in the Baltic States, the Lyon-Turin link between France and Italy, and the Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany.

Moreover, around 20 maritime ports in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Poland will receive support for infrastructure upgrades. Some of these upgrades will enable ports to supply shore-side electricity to ships or transport renewable energy.

Following yesterday's approval of the list of 134 projects by the Member States, the Commission will officially adopt the financing decision, and CINEA will then start preparing grant agreements. The results are provisional and will only become definitive once the Commission adopts the corresponding award decision.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. This year, two enterprisesKartash Kimya LLC, which produces construction chemicals, and Az-Tex-Import LLC, which manufactures IVECO trucksare set to start operations in the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, Trend reports.

On July 17, the Economic Zones Development Agency of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan organized a familiarization visit for media representatives to the Kartash Kimya construction chemicals production enterprise.

Director Najmeddin Tashbag briefed the media on the progress of the plant's construction and its upcoming goals.

It was noted that the construction works are nearing completion, and equipment installation will commence in the coming months. The enterprise, which will employ 250 people, has an investment cost of 20 million manat, or $11.76 million, with more than 15 million manat, or $8.8 million, already invested in the project.

In addition to producing construction chemicals, the plant will manufacture waterproofing materials and flooring products for the first time in Azerbaijan.

Kartash Kimya LLC was granted resident status in Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park in 2022. The enterprise is scheduled to launch at the end of this year and will play a significant role in import substitution and expanding Azerbaijan's export potential.

During the event, media representatives were briefed on the overall activities of the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. It was noted that this largest industrial park in the South Caucasus has granted resident status to 40 business entities with a total investment volume of 6.2 billion manat, or $3.66 billion. Currently, 24 enterprises are operational within the park, and two more are scheduled to launch this year. These new enterprises will create over 300 additional jobs, with investments totaling about 40 million manat, or $23.6 million.

To date, over 5.5 billion manat, or $3.2 billion, has been invested in the industrial park, resulting in the creation of approximately 6,800 permanent jobs. In addition to existing projects, there are plans to invest 554 million manat, or $326.9 million, and create more than 2,200 new jobs. Residents of the park have sold products worth over 11.6 billion manat, or 6.8 billion, with exports accounting for more than 4.1 billion manat, or $2.4 billion (about 35.3 percent).

In the first half of the current year, the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park produced goods worth 1.3 billion manat, or $762 million, with exports totaling 455 million manat, or $268.4 million.

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With a view to resolve border issues in a friendly manner, sector commander level meetings between Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) are carried out on a regular basis in the North Bengal Frontier of BSF.

Both BSF and BGB are engaged in preventing trans-border crimes, human trafficking and illegal crossings of an international border and to exchange timely information and investigation reports on traffickers.

In order to keep continuing the efforts in effectively securing the border between India and Bangladesh, the director general of Border Guard Bangladesh, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, made a visit to the Teen Bigha Corridor in Cooch Behar on 11 July and held a meeting with BSF officials there.

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DG BGB Major Siddiqui was accompanied by other high-ranking officials, including the region commander for the North West region, sector commander of Rangpur and commanding officer of 51 BGB.

A sector commander level India-Bangladesh border coordination meeting was held between BSF and BGB at Hilli in South Dinajpur on Monday.

The Indian delegation was headed by Mohinder Singh, DIG, sector commander, Raiganj, Border Security Force and Bangladesh delegation was headed by Md Ariful Haque, sector commander, Dinajpur Sector, Border Guard Bangladesh.

Both parties acknowledged each others concerns and dedication to resolving border issues in a friendly manner through ongoing, positive engagements at all levels. They pledged to implement the decisions made at the meeting on the ground with sincerity, a senior BSF official said.

Regarding assaults on BSF personnel by criminals from Bangladesh, they agreed to work together to reduce such incidents by increasing coordinated patrols, particularly during late night and early morning hours in vulnerable areas. They also emphasized the importance of educating border populations about respecting the international border, the official added.

Recognising the role of the coordinated border management plan (CBMP) in preventing trans-border crimes, human trafficking and illegal crossings, both sides agreed to collaborate and exchange timely information and investigation reports on traffickers.
In an ideal situation, parents are resource points and emotional pillars, to be utilised to develop the scaffolding of a childs personality. But in cases, parents with emotionally damaged mindset, could lead adverse results particularly at the backdrop against an era of jet-speed competition.

With aggressive digitalisation dominated by artificial intelligence, the biggest game changer across the world, it is high time to be aware of such an issue to search for solution points for the development and growth of children.

The sixth Arup Ghoshal Memorial Seminar, Parenting Style: Impact on Mental Health was organised by Eastern Zonal Psychological Association (EZPA) at Jadavpur University on Sunday.

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Prof Bhaskar Gupta, vice-chancellor (VC) of JU kicked off the programme.

Prof (Dr) Nilanjana Sanyal, former head of the department of psychology, Calcutta University said, Psychoanalysis emphasises formative process of childs early years particularly their relationship with primary care giver usually parents. Interactions between parents and children lay the foundation for developing ego of the latter, and build up personality that manages external world and internal desires.

Psychoanalysis also suggests unresolved issues in children lying latent in their unconscious mind manifest later in life as anxiety, phobia, and self-destructive behaviour. Through therapy individuals can explore past experiences, gain insights in their defence mechanisms, and develop healthier coping strategies, Prof Sanyal said.

Prof Madhucchanda Sen, head of the department of philosophy, JU felt that research needs to be done based on certain questions she raised before the audience.

According to Dr Rima Mukherjee, senior consultant psychiatrist, her role as a parent was very challenging. She asked mental professionals not to be judgemental but to be empathetic with the parents to understand their struggles, which in turn has a great influence on a childs personality. Parachute Parenting with hollow praise and reassurance with a critical environment is to be substituted by helping them to develop strength in coping with negative situations of life particularly in the digitalised world.

Prof Samar Kumar Mondal, philosophy department of JU, and coordinator of the centre for counselling services cited that good parents should be good listeners. Unconditional love with acceptance, secure attachment with positive discipline helps in developing confidence, motivation, responsibility without developing behavioural problems.

Payal Ghosh, a parent educator, said parenting should be done in accordance with three age group people, with 2-5 years old, with 6-11 years (junior) and when growing up reaches the teenage group (grown-up group) parents role become very vital as they must lay emphasis on their decision-making skill in a non-judgemental way, teach them to be empathetic and show gratitude giving them suggestions when required and appreciating their outcomes.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The VIII meeting of the Azerbaijan-Serbia Intergovernmental Commission will be held on July 25 in Baku, Trend reports.

The newly appointed Minister of Culture in Serbia, Nikola Selakovic, will lead the delegation, while Sahil Babayev, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection in Azerbaijan, will serve as co-chairman of the committee.

Among the issues to be discussed are the continuation of cooperation in the spheres of energy (Serbia will receive Azerbaijani gas in 2024), transport, construction, trade, and defense, the information notes.

To note, the VII meeting of the Azerbaijan-Serbia Intergovernmental Commission was held on April 28, 2023, in Belgrade.

Trade turnover between the countries grows by 1517 percent every year.
A young girls body was recovered in the Jaypur police station area of Howrah yesterday. The incident caused a stir after she went missing while watching idol immersion.

The family has accused a neighbour of kidnapping, raping, and murdering the girl. According to local sources, there was a Durga Puja in a village under the Jaypur police station. The girl left home on Sunday, saying she was going to watch the idol immersion. When she did not return home even after 10 pm, the family became worried and started searching for her. After searching various places throughout the night and failing to find her, her father approached the police.

A search was launched. During the investigation, the police detained a neighbour for questioning. According to police sources, during continued interrogation, the accused admitted that he had strangled the girl and buried her body in a field. In the evening, the police went to the spot, dug up the ground, and recovered the body. The family was notified and the body was sent for post-mortem. Police sources indicated that they are investigating whether the girl was raped.

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Police are trying to find out the motive behind the murder. The accused had been produced in Uluberia sub-divisional court on Tuesday. For the sake of the investigation, the police took the accused into their custody. They are also investigating whether anyone else was involved in the incident.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday strongly objects to the alleged demolition of slums in Delhi by Central agencies.

AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, addressing a press conference, said all seven Lok Sabha BJP MPs from Delhi, who have done little for the city during their tenure, are now engaged in destroying Delhi through demolitions.

Pathak said a Central government agency, along with the Indian Railways, has put up a demolition notice for thousands of slums in Patel Nagar and Brar Square. He lamented that Bansuri Swaraj, the BJP MP from the area, was not even taking phone calls from the affected people.

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He said a few days ago when the DDA demolished several slums in the Chandni Chowk area, there was no trace of local MP Praveen Khandelwal, the AAP leader claimed.

The silence of the BJP MPs on both these cases shows that they are in support of the demolition actions, Pathak said, alleging that the BJP wants to demolish the slums of Delhi.

He assured legal help from AAP to the affected people.

He said that a newspaper report suggests that these MPs have not even spent their MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund.

While not working for the public has always been a habit of the BJP, now their MPs have started ruining Delhi on a large scale. Two big demolition drives have been carried out by the BJP government at the Centre in Delhi in the last week. One was the large-scale demolition at DDA, which comes under the central government, and the second was at Chandni Chowk where people have been living for 70-80 years, he pointed out.
Delhi Industries Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday met the representatives of factory owners of the city to discuss revamping factory zones through a scheme with 90 per cent of costs to be borne by the government.

The purpose of the scheme is to develop and maintain industrial areas in the national capital.

Representatives of factory owners from 27 industrial areas of the city attended the meeting at the Delhi Secretariat in the presence of senior officials from the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC).

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Interacting with the trade organisations during the meeting, Bharadwaj said the Delhi government is very serious about the development and maintenance of 27 unplanned industrial areas. It has been working with organisations for a long time to develop these areas and has come up with a scheme for their revamp.

Under this scheme, 90 per cent of the costs associated with the layout plan for the development of these industrial areas will be borne by the Delhi government, while 10 per cent will be borne by the factory owners. This will ensure shared responsibility between the government and the trade organisations in these industrial areas, the minister added.

During the meeting, Brijesh Goyal, chairman of CTI, an apex organisation of traders and entrepreneurs, requested the minister on behalf of all trade organisations to consider reducing the high fee for MCD map approvals in these 27 unplanned industrial areas.

He said there are 29 authorised industrial areas and 27 unplanned industrial areas in the city. Factory owners from the unplanned areas have requested the government to include the cost of MCD map approvals under the scheme.

The minister accepted the demand and instructed officials to consider a policy where map approval fees are in line with the governments scheme.

President of the Delhi Manufacturing Federation Vijay Virmani welcomed the governments scheme during the meeting, claiming that it was for the first time in the past 30 years a government has taken an interest in the concerns of traders.

He further said that there are small factories in industrial areas like Dabri, Khayala, Hastsal, Nangli Sakravati, Nawada, Peeragarhi, Rithala, Mandoli, Haiderpur, Karawal Nagar, Shalimar Village, Samaypur Badli, Libaspur, Tikri Kalan, etc., where middle-class traders run their businesses, and thousands of people work in these areas.

Virmani added that the development of these industrial areas will not only benefit the trader community but also promote industries, create new job opportunities, and improve Delhis economy.
A fire broke out near India Gate at a famous restaurant in Pandara Road during the early hours on Wednesday, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

However, there were no reports of any casualty or any person getting injured in the incident, the fire department said.

According to the DFS, a call regarding the blaze was received from Pandara Road near Bikaner House at around 2.48 am, that the fire was at shop number 8, which houses a well known restaurant.

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Accordingly, the fire department rushed five fire tenders to the spot.

The fire services further informed that the blaze had broken out at the ground floor seating area and then the first floor above the restaurant, while no casualty was reported in the incident.

The fire was brought under control and extinguished in approximately an hour, an official said, adding that so far, the cause behind the fire has not been established.

Meanwhile, another fire incident took place in Delhis Narela industrial area at around 1.44 am today.

The fire was reported at a polythene manufacturing factory in Narela. There were no reports of anyone getting injured in the incident.

The blaze had struck the plastic granules and the finished product, and spread from the basement, to the ground, first and second floors of the building constructed on a plot size of 250 square yards.

The fire department had to rush a total of 15 fire tenders on the site to fight the flames, the department informed.

It took over three hours for the firemen to get the blaze under control, the DFS added.
A team of the Narcotics Cell of the Delhi Police arrested an African from the Dwarka district with drugs worth approximately Rs 50 lakh from him, the police on Wednesday.

The accused was identified as Arthur Ifeanyi Maduagwuana, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, said a senior police official.

According to the police, the accused was carrying 100 grams (commercial quantity) of high-quality Amphetamine drug, which is approximately worth Rs 50 lakh in the international market.

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Based on secret information about the drug peddlers in the area, a police team carried out a raid in the area and caught the Nigerian national red-handed with a crystal substance in a tied polythene bag. The substance weighing 100 grams was found to be an Amphetamine drug after checking it with the field testing kit.

The police said the accused was about to supply the drug to another Nigerian citizen.

During sustained questioning, the accused revealed that he had been living in India since 2015 and was previously involved in a case under the NDPS Act in Mumbai. He bought the drugs from an African near the Palam Flyover and was going to supply it to another Nigerian national at a pre-decided place in the Dabri area.

The drugs were to be further supplied to potential customers, he added.

Following his arrest, the accused was produced in the Dwarka Court where he was granted one-day Police custody before being sent to judicial custody.

The police initiated an investigation into the case to unearth the syndicate of illegal drug supply in the area.
Security measures have been heightened in Delhi ahead of Muharram processions on Wednesday. Elaborate arrangements are in place to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the processions across the national capital, officials said.

Visuals from the Jama Masjid area showed heavy police deployment.

Earlier, the Delhi Traffic Police also issued an advisory in view of the Muharram processions on Wednesday. As per the advisory, major routes and areas affected include Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazar, Okhla, Kamra Bangash, Mehrauli, Old Police Chowki, and Nizamuddin. Movement of city buses will be restricted and regulated on certain routes from Wednesday afternoon until night.

Similarly, in Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow, authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the Muharram observances.

Twelve companies of the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed as part of the security measures. We are also monitoring the situation via drones, and our media cell is keeping an eye on social media to ensure no rumours are spread, Lucknow Joint CP (Law and Order) Kirit Rathod told ANI on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, a rare traditional Muharram procession was held at the world-famous Dal Lake in Srinagar on the occasion of Muharram, the day before Ashura, marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

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Similarly, in Maharashtra, people attended a Muharram Tazia procession in the Dongri area of Mumbai.

Earlier this year, the All India Shia Personal Law Board had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure adequate security arrangements for the Muharram processions. The board urged the Prime Minister to ensure security on the routes determined by the state governments so that unruly elements cannot disturb the law and order.
Actress Kriti Sanon was recently seen paying a visit to filmmaker Aanand L Rais office, sparking speculation about a possible collaboration between the two talented artists.

Kriti has been enjoying a string of successes with her recent films like Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and Crew, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the industry. Known for her roles in charming small-town stories such as Bareilly Ki Barfi and Mimi, Kriti has won hearts with her authentic portrayals and endearing performances.

On the other hand, Aanand L Rai is celebrated for his unique storytelling prowess, particularly in heartfelt narratives like the Tanu Weds Manu series, which resonate deeply with audiences. His ability to capture the essence of small-town India has earned him critical acclaim and a loyal fan base.

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The prospect of these two creative forces coming together has generated considerable excitement among fans and industry insiders alike. Their potential collaboration promises to blend Kritis knack for bringing characters to life with Rais adeptness at creating relatable, engaging narratives.

Meanwhile, Kriti is also venturing into production with Do Patti, a project that marks her debut as a producer under her banner, Blue Butterfly Films. With veteran actress Kajol onboard, the film is expected to push boundaries and offer fresh perspectives in storytelling.

As fans eagerly await an official announcement regarding Kritis collaboration with Aanand L Rai, the buzz around this potential partnership continues to grow. Its a development that holds promise for delivering yet another memorable cinematic experience to audiences, further cementing Kriti Sanons standing in the industry as both an actress and now a producer.
Ben Stiller returns to the big screen in a leading role with Nutcrackers, a comedy directed by David Gordon Green, set to kick off the 2024 Toronto Film Festival on September 5. This marks Stillers first major starring role since his appearances in Brads Status and The Meyerowitz Stories back in 2017.

The film, penned by Leland Douglas, follows the story of Mike (played by Stiller), a buttoned-up professional who finds himself thrust into a new role as guardian to his four nephews after a tragic accident. The setting moves from urban life to rural Ohio, where chaos ensues amidst farm-life and unexpected challenges. As Mike navigates this unfamiliar terrain, he discovers that his nephews may have found more than just a temporary hometheyve found a family.

Joining Ben Stiller in the cast are Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss, promising a blend of comedic talent that is sure to resonate with audiences. The film is slated for its world premiere at Roy Thomson Hall, a venue known for welcoming both industry insiders and everyday movie buffs alike, in stark contrast to the more exclusive atmospheres of Cannes and Venice.

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Toronto Film Festival organizers have also announced that Rebel Wilsons directorial debut, The Deb, adapted from the hit Australian musical, will close the festival. The film centers on Taylah Simpkins, portrayed by Natalie Abbott, a rural girl with dreams of transformation at an upcoming debutante ball.

Anita Lee, chief programming officer at TIFF, highlighted the festivals commitment to showcasing diverse and compelling narratives that resonate widely. Were thrilled to feature Nutcrackers and The Deb as our opening and closing night selections, Lee remarked, emphasizing the festivals focus on accessible yet impactful storytelling that reflects the complexities of the modern world with humor and heart.

As anticipation builds for the 2024 Toronto Film Festival, movie enthusiasts and industry professionals alike can look forward to a lineup that promises star-studded premieres, compelling stories, and memorable performances.
Rebel Wilson is set to make a splash at this years Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with her directorial debut, The Deb, which has been chosen as the closing night film. The festival, now in its 49th edition, will kick off with David Gordon Greens Nutcrackers, a heartwarming tale about a man whose life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes the guardian of his orphaned nephews.

The Deb promises to charm audiences with its original storylinea musical comedy set in a quaint Australian town, following two teenage cousins on a quest to secure dates for the Debutante Ball. The film not only marks Wilsons first foray into directing but also promises to deliver laughs and heart in equal measure.

Anita Lee, TIFFs chief programming officer, expressed excitement about this years lineup, highlighting both Nutcrackers and The Deb as films that capture the essence of the festivalstories that resonate with humor and empathy. Lee emphasized TIFFs commitment to showcasing diverse cinematic voices, from seasoned filmmakers to fresh talent making their debut on the global stage.

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However, Wilsons journey to TIFF hasnt been without its challenges. Recently, she found herself entangled in a legal dispute with producers of The Deb, who filed a defamation suit against her. Rebel Wilson took to Instagram to share her dismay, alleging that the producers attempted to prevent the film from premiering at TIFF, despite its prestigious closing night slota platform she described as a dream come true for any first-time female director.

With its stellar lineup and reputation for launching groundbreaking films, TIFF 2024 promises to be a celebration of cinema that resonates across borders and cultures. The festival will run from September 5 to September 15, inviting audiences to experience a diverse array of stories and voices that capture the spirit of our times.
The trailer for Thangalaan has set social media ablaze, with fans particularly enamored by Malavika Mohanan with captivating portrayal as Aarathi. Her unconventional look and powerful presence have sparked a frenzy of excitement among viewers, who are eagerly anticipating her role in the upcoming film.

Social media platforms have been flooded with praise for Malavikas performance. Fans have described her entry in the trailer as spine-chilling, highlighting how her portrayal of Aarathi has left a lasting impression. Comments such as Malavika Mohanans entry is one to give you goosebumps! and Her look in the trailer is so fierce, Malavika, youre killing it! underscore the overwhelming admiration for her new avatar.

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One fan, clearly impressed by her transformation, remarked, Such a different look, Malavika is totally acing it! Others have echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing how her portrayal exudes power and intensity on screen.

The anticipation surrounding Thangalaan is palpable, with audiences eagerly awaiting more glimpses of Malavikas performance. While details about the film remain scarce, her striking appearance and commanding presence have already positioned Thangalaan as one of the most eagerly awaited releases of the year.

Directorial teasers have hinted at the depth and complexity of Malavikas character, suggesting a narrative that promises to resonate deeply with audiences. As excitement continues to build, its clear that Malavika Mohanans portrayal in Thangalaan is ready to leave a lasting impact, setting new benchmarks for cinematic excellence.

With each enthusiastic comment and shared post, fans are eagerly counting down to the release, eager to witness Malavika Mohanan with transformative performance unfold on the big screen. As expectations soar, Thangalaan emerges not just as a film, but as an eagerly anticipated event that promises to redefine the boundaries of storytelling and performance in Indian cinema.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov has discussed the priorities of the Azerbaijan-Italy economic partnership with Italian Parliament Senator Giulio Terzi during his visit to Italy, Trend reports via the minister's X page.

At a business lunch with Italian Senator Giulio Terzi, we explored the priorities of the Azerbaijan-Italy economic partnership. We emphasized the significance of boosting sustainable initiatives for achieving effective results. Our sincere thanks for the warm hospitality, Jabbarov wrote.

Italy is one of Azerbaijan's main trade partners, with a foreign trade turnover amounting to billions of US dollars.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Taylor Swift was on cloud nine after her recent performances in Milan, describing them as a dream come true amidst her Eras Tour. The pop icon took to social media to express her heartfelt thanks to the Milanese crowds who made the shows unforgettable.

In a post on July 15, Swift gushed, WOW. MILAN. Those were truly 2 of my favorite crowds ever. She was overwhelmed by the passion and warmth of her fans, thanking them in Italian, Grazi mille!! Well be back!!

However, the shows werent without their unexpected moments. Taylor Swift, known for her candidness, shared a quirky incident where she accidentally swallowed a bug during her performance of secret songs. I knew it would happen cause theres so many bugs here tonight, she chuckled, trying to calm the concerned audience while seamlessly continuing her set.

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Fashion was also in the spotlight as Swift dazzled in a new Roberto Cavalli minidress, personally designed by creative director Fausto Puglisi, who attended the show. Her wardrobe change during Tortured Poets Department wowed fans, showcasing a stunning white gown adorned with the phrase Whos Afraid of Little Old Me?

The adoration from the crowd was palpable as they serenaded Swift with chants of Sei Bellissima, Italian for you are very beautiful. The moment left the Grammy winner visibly touched by their affection.

Despite a minor piano malfunction during a mashup performance of Getaway Car and Out of the Woods, Swifts professionalism shone through as she joked with the audience and swiftly moved on with the show.

The European leg of the Eras Tour is in full swing, with upcoming performances at Germanys Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen from July 17-19. Swifts tour will span across Germany, Poland, Austria, and England before concluding in the United States from October 18 through December 8.

Fans worldwide eagerly await her next performances, knowing each show brings unexpected surprises and unforgettable moments from the beloved pop sensation.
With the Haryana Assembly elections a few months away State Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Wednesday, announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers deployed in the Indian Army for four years.

Making an announcement to this effect, Saini said Agniveers are deployed in the Indian Army for 4 years under the Agnipath Scheme implemented by PM Modi on 14th June 2022. Under the scheme, our government in Haryana will provide 10 per cent horizontal reservation to the Agniveers in Haryana in direct recruitment to the posts of Constable, Mining Guard, Forest Guard, Jail Warden and SPO recruited by the state government

He said the state would provide these Agniveers a relaxation of three years in the maximum age prescribed for Group B and C government jobs. In the case of the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be 5 years. The government will provide 5 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to civil posts in Group C and 1 per cent horizontal reservation in Group B, he added.

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The chief minister further said that in case an Agniveer is hired on a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, his state government will give him Rs 60,000 as a subsidy to the industry setup.
In controversial remarks, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the increasing Muslim population, and called this demographic shift a critical issue for the states future.

He highlighted the significant rise in the Muslim population from 12% in 1951 to 40% in 2024 in Assam. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death, he emphasized.

Sarma underscored the demographic changes as a major concern for the states identity and cultural integrity.

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He also pointed to recent electoral outcomes, stating that the Bangladeshi-origin minority community largely voted for the Congress party in the recent Lok Sabha elections, disregarding the developmental initiatives by the BJP-led government.

Despite the BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition securing 11 out of 14 seats in Assam, the coalition saw a decline in its overall performance in the northeastern states, winning only 15 out of 24 seats compared to the Congresss seven seats.

The Assam Chief Minister has been vocal about his stance on the states demographic trends and called for measures to address the high population growth among Muslims, particularly those of immigrant origin.

His administration has previously implemented policies such as barring individuals with more than two children from securing government jobs and contesting local elections to encourage family planning among the community.

Sarmas statement has frequently stirred controversy, particularly his appeals for family planning among Muslims of immigrant origin, which he argues is essential for reducing poverty and preventing illegal land encroachments.

Moreover, Sarmas administration has repealed the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, a move criticized for potentially increasing unregistered marriages and child marriages, contrary to the governments claims of empowerment and regulation.
The government has convened an all-party meeting on Sunday, ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, to seek the cooperation of political parties in the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament.

The Budget Session will be held from the 22nd of July to the 12th of August. The Union Budget will be presented on the 23rd of July. The government is expected to present the Economic Survey on Monday, 22nd July.

The coming Budget will be the first Budget of the Narendra Modi government in its third term. A meeting of the Union Cabinet is likely to take place on Thursday morning.

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The all-party meeting will be significant in view of the stormy proceedings witnessed in the two Houses during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmus address to Parliament in the last session.

The short session was mainly devoted to oath-taking by newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and the re-election of Mr Om Birla as the Speaker.

While the Opposition was disturbed in the session over the governments references to the 1975 Emergency, the day of the imposition of the Emergency, the 25th of June, has since been declared as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day).

A government notification last Friday declared 25th June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit to the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power in the future.

In her address to Parliament, the President had referred to the coming Budget and said: My Government will present its first budget in the forthcoming session. This budget will be an effective document of the Governments far-reaching policies and futuristic vision.

She further stated, Along with major economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget. The pace of reforms will be further accelerated in tune with the aspirations of the people of India for rapid development.

She said the government believed that there should be healthy competition among the states to attract investors from all over the world. This is the true spirit of competitive cooperative federalism, she said.

We will continue to move ahead with the belief that the development of the country lies in the development of the states, she had stated.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said the Central and state governments will devise a comprehensive recovery plan and bring the states economy back on track.

Naidu called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief later posted on X that he apprised him of the devastating condition of finances that Andhra Pradesh had slipped into over the past five years.

I also discussed the findings of the four White Papers released, outlining the staggering debt accumulated between FY 2019-24 that spiralled our States finances out of control. Economic incompetence, gross mismanagement, and rampant corruption by the previous government have caused irreparable damage to our State, said Naidu.

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Honouring the mandate given by our people to the NDA, the Central and State governments will devise a comprehensive recovery plan and bring our States economy back on track. We shall fulfil peoples aspirations together, he added.

Naidu, whose TDP is a key partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, met Amiy Shah a week before the presentation of the Union Budget in Parliament. This was Naidus second meeting with Amit Shah this month. During his visit to the national capital early this month, the Chief Minister had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other central ministers. Naidu is also likely to meet some central ministers on Wednesday.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said here on Wednesday that it is clear that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the mastermind of the liquor policy scam.

Sachdeva was reacting to the CBIs submissions in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday in a matter related to Kejriwal.

He said the Central probe agencys counsel had convincingly presented a case against the Delhi chief minister projecting him the mastermind of the scam. It was on the direction Kejriwal wholesale liquor dealers commission was raised from 2 to 12 per cent in lieu of kickbacks.

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The Delhi BJP chief claimed that the trail of Rs 45 crore kickbacks that went to the AAP was spent on the Goa elections.

He further alleged that the prime accused in the liquor scam Vijay Nayyar was allowed to live in a government bungalow, in close proximity to the Delhi CMs official residence on the instructions of no one else but Kejriwal.

Sachdeva hit out at Kejriwals counsel for citing the case of a former Pakistan prime minister while pleading for Kejriwals bail.

The Delhi BJP has all along been accusing Kejriwal and the AAP of receiving kickbacks in the (now scrapped) Delhi excise policy.

The saffron party alleged that surcharges like PPAC, etc. have been bumped up by the discoms in connivance with the Delhi government during summer forcing the people of the city to pay spiked power bills.
Responding to the allegations of demolition of slums against BJP MPs in Delhi, saffron partys state unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor hit back at AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, saying his only intention while addressing the press conference was to mislead the people of Delhi.

Accusing Pathak of trying to politically mislead the people living in shanties of Brar Square and one other place, Kapoor said he failed as an MLA.

The BJP spokesman said before posing questions to the BJP MPs, the AAP leader should answer the four questions related to the homeless poor and the jhuggi dwellers living in Delhi.

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The first question is what is the contribution of the four AAP MPs his party nominated to the Rajya Sabha during the last seven years? The second is it wrong to infer that the Kejriwal governments concerned department DUSIB totally failed the people of the city in preparing a list of the shanty dwellers of the city?

The third is why has the Delhi government not allowed the implementation of Prime Minister Awas Yojna in Delhi denying an opportunity to own a home for the homeless of Delhi?

The last question is why the Kejriwal government has not allotted a single flat to any of the homeless from the 40,000 Rajiv Awas flats of the Delhi government at Narela, and the adjoining areas, where the allotment is awaited since 2014- 15, he claimed?

Sharpening his attack on the AAP, the BJP leader said the people of Delhi, especially the poor, know that the Kejriwal Government denied better opportunities to them, and the people would not forgive the ruling dispensation in Delhi.
The terrorists who killed four soldiers in an ambush in the Doda district are now trapped in the Dessa forest area where during the wee hours on Wednesday they engaged in gunfight twice with the security forces and a Village Defence Group (VDG).

The group of terrorists was on the run after killing four soldiers on Monday but the escape routes have been plugged by the Army that has cordoned the area and taken up positions at the ridges around the thick forest area. The search operation has been intensified by inducting additional troops.

The two firefights took place between 12 midnight and 2 am on Wednesday but no casualty was reported. Taking advantage of pitch dark, the terrorists managed to escape, officials said.

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A brief exchange of gunfire took place between terrorists and VDG members in the Malan village, located in the Dessa area.

Another brief exchange of fire took place between security forces and terrorists at the Bhatta area of the Doda district.

Preliminary reports indicate that VDG members noticed suspicious movement and opened fire, leading to a brief encounter.

The latest contact with the terrorists was established after Mondays loss of four soldiers, including a Captain, in a firefight in the Urran-Baggi area of Dessa.

Security forces are continuing their search operation in the area, which has been the focus of a major anti-terrorism operation since 9 July, following reports of militant activity.

The Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army, CRPF and the J&K Police launched a joint operation in the Dessa area of Doda based on specific input about the presence of terrorists, according to the officials.

The attack was claimed by Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of Pakistan-backed terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

The terrorists have been taking advantage of the thickly forested and mountainous area to hide from the security forces. Drones and helicopters of the Army were unable to track the terrorists, taking advantage of the thick foliage, sources said.

A Defence officer said that the Indian Army has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with J&K Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas and thereafter to the Kashmir valley.

Similar relentless operations are being conducted in the Kathua area where five soldiers lost their lives last week in an ambush by terrorists.

Analysis of the large quantity of warlike stores being carried by the terrorists reveal the hand of inimical agencies from across the border, said an Army officer.
India has become the most sought-after destination for medical tourism and is among the frontline nations in preventive healthcare, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

India is also among the top six Bio Manufacturers of the world with one of the most cost-effective and efficacy-based Bio-manufacturing, he said addressing the 2nd Healthcare Summit of the American Chamber of India (AMCHAM).

The minister emphasised the use of the latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare.

Dr Singh, who is himself a renowned endocrinologist, spoke about the new burden of metabolic disorder and the challenges it posed with a wide spectrum of diseases and an increased life span bringing novel diseases.

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He underscored that summits of this nature are instrumental in convening key stakeholders-healthcare professionals, technology experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on fortifying the US-India partnership in healthcare.

Speaking on the transformation in healthcare brought about in recent times, Dr Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision for a healthy India with the elimination of communicable diseases and reduction in non-communicable diseases, developing health indices and making steady progress.

He said, India carried out the worlds largest vaccination drive in COVID pandemic; this reaffirms that Modi Government 3.0 firmly believes that accessible healthcare is a right for every citizen.

Gone are the days when people used to visit other developed nations to access medical facilities; now India has become a hub and is the most sought-after destination for medical tourism and among the frontline nations in preventive healthcare, he added.

According to the minister, in the last decade, healthcare has been a priority sector for the government. He recalled the achievements such as the Ayushman Card which ensured cashless medical treatment to the citizens.

Dr Singh stated that technology plays a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to healthcare.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday resumed hearing on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals plea challenging his arrest by the CBI in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.

During the hearing, senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal submitted that the Delhi CMs arrest by CBI was unnecessary and the dates of the case cry out for themselves.

Trial court gave me (Arvind Kejriwal) regular bail under PMLA on June 20 and after four days the CBI took order to question me in judicial custody and arrested me on June 26. I never got a copy of the application. No notice was given, the order was passed. I was not heard, Singhvi argued.

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He also referred to the case of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan where he was granted bail by the neighbouring countrys court but was arrested again in another case.

It cant happen in our country, Singhvi told the court.

He further submitted before the High Court that the Trial Court allowed CBIs application regarding issuance of production warrants despite the probe agency interrogating him on June 25 for almost 3 hours.

Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam but could not be released as he was arrested by the CBI which is pursuing the corruption angle in the same case.

The Delhi CM was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 from his residence after extensive raids. He was granted interim bail for three-weeks in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

However, he surrendered on June 2 after his interim bail expired and has been incarcerated in Tihar jail since then.

A trial court had granted him regular bail on June 20 but the decision was stayed by the High Court.

He then moved the Supreme Court but before the top court could pronounce its judgment on his plea, the Delhi CM was arrested by the CBI.
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The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in a city court against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals close aide Bibhav Kumar in the Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwals alleged assault case.

According to sources, the 1,000-page chargesheet includes statements recorded by the RS MP before the magistrate, along with statements of about 50 witnesses.

The accused, Kumar, was produced before the court virtually on Tuesday, and, while extending his judicial custody until July 30, the court also directed the Tihar Jail Superintendent to physically produce him before it on the next date of hearing.

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The final report has been submitted under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which covers a number of sections, including 506 (criminal intimidation), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), and 509 (insult caused to the modesty of a woman by the use of any words, gestures, or object intending to do the same).

The alleged incident dates back to May 13, when a PCR call was made by Maliwal, who accused Kumar of assaulting her at the official residence of Delhi CM.

Based on this complaint, a case was filed by Maliwal at the Civil Lines police station.

Following the FIR, a medical checkup of Maliwal was done at AIIMS New Delhi.

Later, Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police on May 18 and was sent to police custody for five days, which was further extended.

Last Friday, the Delhi High Court denied bail to Kumar, keeping in mind his influential position and the potential to influence the witnesses in the case.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said it has been estimated that the revision of pay and pensions will mean an additional expenditure of Rs 20,208 crore per annum for the state government.

In a statement on Tuesday on the revision of the pay and pensions of state government employees as recommended by the 7th State Pay Commission, he said that the necessary provisions have been made in the budget of 2024-25 towards the additional expenditure.

The new scales will come into effect from August 1, and will be applicable to non-teaching staff of universities, employees of aided educational institutions, and local bodies, the Chief Minister said.

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The Karnataka government has accepted the recommendations of the 7th State Pay Commission and announced a substantial revision of pay and pension for state government employees. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting on July 15, he said.

As per the new scales, the basic salary and pension of employees will increase by 58.50 per cent, with a minimum basic pay hike from Rs 17,000 to Rs 27,000 and maximum pay revision from Rs 1,50,600 to Rs 2,41,200. The minimum pension will increase from Rs 8,500 to Rs 13,500, and the maximum pension will be revised from Rs 75,300 to Rs 1,20,600, he added.

The revision will also lead to a 32 per cent increase in house rent allowance, he added.

Noting that the state government employees had been demanding a pay revision for several years, he said that the 7th State Pay Commission was constituted on November 19, 2022, to address these demands, and its recommendations have now been accepted by the government, Siddaramaiah said.
Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal paid an official visit to Switzerland at the invitation of his Swiss counterpart Federal Councillor. Guy Parmelin.

During this highly successful and productive visit, Shri Goyals engagements included bilateral delegation level talks and lunch with Minister Parmelin. The two Ministers had a joint breakfast meeting with captains of Swiss and Indian industries on the same day.

During the bilateral talks with Minister Parmelin, both sides acknowledged that TEPA provides an excellent framework for deepening of trade and investment partnership. A focused approach to creating an enabling environment would expedite realising the goals/target set under TEPA.

The two Ministers had engaging and fruitful discussions with prominent Swiss and Indian captains of industry over the breakfast meeting on 15 July. Honble CIM encouraged Swiss companies to become a part of Indias growth story and invest in its growing and dynamic market. A 12-member strong Indian business delegation mounted by CII also had business networking opportunity with their Swiss counterparts.

Earlier, Commerce Minister received Chairman/CEOs of select Swiss industry with business and investment interests in India. He also had a productive engagement with members of Indian diaspora. Director General, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on the Minister at Zurich.

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The key objectives of the visit were to discuss next steps for the implementation of the historic India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) which was signed on 10 March, 2024 in New Delhi and to identify ways and means of realising the ambitious target of US$ 100 billion investment and creation of one million jobs in India by EFTA countries in next 15 years as provided for in the Agreement.

Switzerland is an important trading/investment partner for us. It ranks as Indias 20th largest trading partner globally with bilateral trade of US$ 21 billion in 2023. It is also the 12th largest investor in India with cumulative FDI of about US$ 10 billion during April 2000 to March 2024. There are over 330 Swiss companies operating in India which have created over 1,66,000 jobs in India. Many of these companies have their manufacturing facilities and R&D centers in India.

This timely visit allowed the two sides to review mutually beneficial bilateral trade and economic ties with focus on further deepening and enhancing the engagement through TEPA
Stating that no other state government has waived crop loans worth Rs 31,000 crore in a single installment, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has directed party MPs to tom-tom the Congress governments welfare initiative for farmers in the Parliament which was guaranteed by Rahul Gandhi, even while seeking a national debate on the issue.

The chief minister who is also the PCC president directed Congress leaders and activists to celebrate the announcement of crop loan waiver by conducting bike rallies across the state and MLAs to hold programmes in their constituencies in celebration.

The chief minister today addressed a meeting with party MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other senior party functionaries at Praja Bhavan and outlined the three phases in which his government will waive crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh.

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In the first phase, loans up to Rs one lakh will be waived at 4 pm tomorrow with the state government depositing Rs 7,000 crores in the accounts of farmers. By the end of July loans up to Rs 1.5 lakh will be waived followed by a complete waiver of loans up to Rs 2 lakh by the middle of August.

Explaining this timeline Reddy reminded party leaders about the commitment made by Rahul Gandhi two years back during the Warangal Declaration for farmers before the Assembly elections which included the promise of loan waiver.

He said that it was the responsibility of the Congress government to honour the pledge made by Gandhi at Warangal. He also highlighted the achievement of the Congress government in the backdrop of the failure of the BRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao who failed to waive Rs28,000 crores of loans taken by farmers despite ruling the state for ten long years.

He admitted Financial experts have expressed concern over the feasibility of loan waiver which might lead to financial strain for the government.

However, we are committed to realising the promises made by the Gandhi family, said the chief minister. He also mentioned that in the past seven months the Congress government has spent a total of Rs30,000 crore on welfare. He asked party leaders to explain the good work done by the government to the people.
A team from Delhi Polices Crime Branch has arrested a robber connected to a case of theft in which four kilogrammes of gold were looted from a jewellery shop at gunpoint in Telangana, the police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Sumit Dagar, had been absconding in the said case since 2022.

According to Delhi Police, the theft was committed on December 1, 2022. The Telangana Police subsequently approached Delhi Police for assistance in tracing the offenders, as they were believed to be from Delhi.

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Based on the available information, the Anti Gang Squad (AGS) of the Crime Branch conducted a manual surveillance through informers. They located a suspected hideout and conducted a raid in Rohini sector 34, the police said.

Subsequently, the accused was nabbed by the police. It was also learnt that the arrested person was involved in six other cases, including a murder case in Delhi, a police official added.

The robbery case dates back to 2022, when the accused, Sumit, along with his associates Shubham and Sandeep, went to a jewellery shop situated at Kothapet in Hyderabad. They allegedly closed the shutter from inside and opened fire on the staff present there.

In this incident, one jeweller sustained a bullet injury to his chest, while another jeweller received bullet injuries in his left cheek, left arm, and left leg.

Thereafter, Sumit and his associates robbed the outlet and fled with a jewellery bag containing 3-4 kg of gold and cash.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that he had studied up to class 12th and was involved in the murder of an individual named Imran, with whom he had personal enmity.

The police added that Sumit was a proclaimed offender in the murder case.

He was also accused in an illegal firearm case and was remanded in judicial custody but was granted parole due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Subsequently, he went to Telangana where he stayed with his relatives and got involved in the robbery case.

After this, he went into hiding and frequently changed locations before returning to Delhi in 2023, where he started living with his family by changing his rented addresses.

While in hiding in Rohini, he ran a food cart and lived with his wife, the police added.
The judicial panel headed by Justice (retired) A Hariprasad to look into the mysterious death of J S Siddharthan, a second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, in Wayanad has found major lapses on part of former vice chancellor of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).

The report of Justice (Retd) A Hariprasad Commission, that was submitted to the Governor on Tuesday noted the lapses on the part of the then Vice Chancellor and Dean M K Narayanan in preventing the alleged ragging in the university mens hostel that resulted in Sidharthans death. The Commission said that the Vice Chancellor cannot shirk his responsibility in the incident merely on the ground that nobody promptly informed him about it.

The Commission also found that two incidents of ragging had happened in the varsity campus during the stint of the then Vice Chancellor and blamed him for not being vigilant and proactive.

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The Commission report stated that the Dean had failed in discharging his duties as warden of the hostel where Siddharthan was found hanging on February 18. The report said the Dean (Warden) should have seen that Siddharthan was dead by the time he reached the hostel and should have waited for the law enforcing agency to act.

The report further says that Assistant warden also failed in his duties to enforce discipline in the mens hostel.Senior students were ruling the roost in the hostel and the Assistant Warden did not care to visit the rooms to find out the unruly behavior of students in the hostel.

The Commission also found that some faculty members who were at the helm of the university administration were not interested in staying at the varsity headquarters in Pookode, Wayanad. This had led to lack of efficiency in management and led to anarchy, the report said and recommended that remedial measures should be taken.

The Commission found that political activity in the campus was not the main reason for Siddharthans death. The Commission report observes that the cruelty meted out to Siddharthan in the campus was not connected to student politics. However, the report says that political activism in the campus, that too by one organisation with the strength of external support, could be a reason to downplay the gravity of the offence and to provide help to accused persons and shield them from the clutches of law.

In the present case, the Commission does not find any reason to connect the incident of cruelty meted out to Sidharthan to student politics. Therefore the Commission does not find that political activity on the campus was the main reason for the unfortunate incident. Nonetheless, political activism in the campus, that too by one organisation with the strength of external support, could be a reason to downplay the gravity of the offence and to provide help to accused persons and shield them from the clutches of law, the Commission report said.

Sidharthans father, Jayaprakash, welcomed the judicial commissions findings.

The body of Siddharhan (20), was found hanging inside the bathroom of his hostel on February 18 allegedly after physical and mental torture by senior students. . The post-mortem report indicated that he had been brutally tortured and deprived of food for many days. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge-sheet stated that the brutal torture by the accused resulted in his death.
The notion of imposing additional taxes on billionaires has resurfaced, with the Congress party urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider such measures. This proposal, advocating a 2 per cent wealth tax on Indias 167 billionaires, aims to address the stark income inequality and fund crucial public services like education and healthcare. With India experiencing unprecedented economic growth, it is imperative to examine the implications and potential benefits of taxing the superrich.

Income inequality in India is at a historic high, with the richest 1 per cent of the population holding an increasingly large share of national wealth. This disparity not only undermines social cohesion but also stifles economic mobility for the lower and middle classes. By taxing the ultra-wealthy, the government could generate significant revenue to invest in essential public services, thus promoting a more equitable society. The proposal for a wealth tax for the ultra-rich is not without merit. A 2 per cent tax on billionaires fortunes could potentially raise 1.5 trillion rupees ($18 billion) annually, a substantial sum that could be directed towards improving the quality of education and healthcare.

These sectors are critical for the countrys long-term development and could greatly benefit from increased funding. Moreover, investments in renewable energy and other sustainable initiatives could position India as a global leader in addressing climate change. Critics argue that taxing the wealthy might drive them to relocate to countries with more favourable tax regimes, resulting in a loss of investment and entrepreneurial talent. However, this concern may be overstated. Many billionaires have deep-rooted business interests and personal ties in India, making relocation less likely.

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Furthermore, a well-structured tax policy with incentives for reinvestment in the local economy could mitigate this risk and encourage wealth retention within the country. The debate on taxing billionaires extends beyond national borders. Brazil, which now has the G20 presidency, is pushing for a global wealth tax, supported by the EU Tax Observatorys proposal for a 2 per cent levy on fortunes exceeding $1 billion. Such a measure could garner up to $250 billion annually from approximately 3,000 individuals worldwide. If adopted, this could set a precedent for international cooperation on wealth taxation and help address global income inequality.

Indias position on this global proposal will be closely watched. Supporting a global tax on billionaires could enhance Indias standing as a champion of equitable economic policies. It could also align with the countrys aspirations to play a more influential role in global governance. However, it is essential to ensure that any tax policy is carefully designed to balance revenue generation with the need to maintain a conducive environment for business and innovation. By leveraging the wealth of the ultra-rich, the government could make significant strides in improving public services, reducing income inequality, and fostering sustainable development. While concerns about capital flight and investment loss are valid, they can be mitigated through thoughtful policy design and international collaboration.
Faizabad or its twin-city Ayodhya, has a powerful symbolism for the ruling ideological persuasion of the nation. Just before the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, its back-to-back winning Member of Parliament had made a chilling comment, The government can be formed with 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha But to make amendments to the Constitution, or to have a new Constitution, we need more than two-thirds majority. He said what was already getting bandied about in the social media, and it was also statistically aligned to the abki baar, 400 paar (this time, over 400), spiel.

He soon retracted. But tellingly, he lost the election and the disquiet about the significance of that loss was significant. A new political landscape emerged with many implicit and sobering messages for the victorious coalition. Soon thereafter, the Constitution became the leitmotif of opposition concerns with their MPs brandishing copies in hand. The dispensation of the day hit back by amplifying the serendipitously timed 50th anniversary of the Emergency to countenance their own commitments to the Constitution. These competitive counteraccusations of compromising (current or historical) on the constitutional spirit have spurred the Constitution on to the national centerstage.

This can only augur well for the foundational Idea of India, irrespective of which partisan side rules. Officially, all political parties are on the same page to defend the sanctity of the Constitution, though it is the worst kept secret that changes to the same could support divergent partisan positions and preferences more effectively. But it is no cakewalk, certainly not any more. Morality aside, the Constitution has also got enmeshed with identity politics of the day, as most followers of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar have vested their own political identity to the protection of the Constitution ~ any changes to the same will be construed as an affront to their identity, hence provoking an electoral reaction.

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Results of the 18th Lok Sabha have also exposed the limits of simplistic majoritarianism, as the overarching umbrella of unitary religion didnt seem tenable, given the inherent divides within all religious denominations. Thankfully, such fragmentation works to protect the overall Constitutional spirit. It is important to sift the wheat from the chaff of differentiating between an amendment as opposed to fundamentally changing the Constitution. It manifests in the partisan intent, championing the same. That vital difference can be gauged by its plausible impact on the inherent Constitutional spirit. The fear of partisanship led to complex and elaborate checks and means of Article 368 to restrain the potential arbitrary powers of the Parliament of India.

The unbiased framers of the Constituent Assembly did not intend it to be inflexible or rigid, as that would have become suffocating and disallowed progressive incorporations. But as the visionary Dr Ambedkar forewarned, The future Parliament if it met as Constituent Assembly, its members will be acting as partisans seeking to carry amendments to the Constitution to facilitate the passing of party measures which they have failed to get through Parliament by reason of some Article of the Constitution which has acted as an obstacle in their way. Parliament will have an axe to grind while the Constituent Assembly has none.

While it is correct that the Constitution has been amended 106 times, including as the current dispensation insisted, 80 times by the leading opposition party when it ruled ~ the acid test of intent accompanying those amendments becomes relevant. These amendments included some like the 10th (Incorporation of Dadar and Nagar Haveli as a Union Territory), 11th (Election of Vice President by electoral college composed of both Houses of Parliament as opposed to Joint Sitting of Parliament), 21st (inclusion of Sindhi as a national language) etc., which really did not impact the tenor or spirit of the Constitution as envisaged by the founding fathers.

Even the inclusion of secularism to the preamble via the 42nd amendment did not diminish the majestic spirit of the Constitution ~ however what did shame the same was the imposition of Emergency. That had entailed a blatant controlling, illiberal, and intolerant intent. It is changes of that nature that ought to concern us all. The partisan lure of attempting to change the Constitution is old hat and all political parties can be credibly accused of harbouring malintent towards the same. When the current ruling persuasion had come in its first innings, murmurs of an attempt to change the Constitution had surfaced. India then had a fine constitutionalist as the incumbent President of India (also the conscience keeper of the Indian Constitution) in KR Narayanan.

In Narayanans time, the Rashtrapati spoke his mind independently, albeit as he insisted within the four corners of the Constitution. Narayanan had to officially support the review of the Constitution as scripted by the then dispensation, and he was dutybound to read the given text, but it pricked his conscience given the swearing-in oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. He had to find a creative and ameliorative way of expressing concern, which he did. The wise man chose the 50th (Golden Jubilee) of the Republics foundation to publicly question, Let us examine if the Constitution has failed us or we have failed the Constitution.

It was a loaded expression of dissent aimed at his own government to introspect. India was doubly lucky to have an equally sagacious Prime Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee who understood the depth, maturity, and significance of the Presidential concern. The matter of changing the constitution died its own death and it took two statesmen and patriots to overcome any sense of beholden or overtly partisan insistences. Today, neither the accused nor the accusers can honestly claim to have personified the Constitutional spirit or morality any better than the other. Only political circumstances have suddenly made the Constitution of India the reference lodestar to claim one-upmanship, and India can only be better off for the same. This urgency to defend the Constitution by the dispensation and the opposition is less than sincere, but welcome nonetheless, for what it will disallow.

(The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which has been implemented by hundreds of colleges in different phases with Karnataka being the first state allows students to opt for a three-year undergraduate degree or a fouryear honours degree. While there is still an ongoing battle between experts on how relevant the new education system would be, The Statesman asked a bachelors student, a PhD student, and a professor about their thoughts on UGCs announcement that fouryear UG degree graduates will be able to sit for the NET exams, and this is what they had to say-

What are your thoughts on the new guidelines released by UGC?

As I continue my B. Sc., before I would have had to go on to complete my M.Sc. then only would I have been eligible to sit for the NET exams. But now, if I maintain the 75 percent requirement each year throughout the course and hopefully qualify for the NET exams, I can right away begin to pursue my PhD and save time while getting into research for the field of my interest. I think this is a great opportunity to get there as soon as possible thus saving time.

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I see how the thought of finishing your bachelors and then continuing to your masters and then being able to do your PhD can be tedious, but I feel with this option many more people might consider this opportunity presented.

-Riya Jaiswal, botany major student from JDC

Do you think this decision can prove helpful to the students who bear the potential to pursue a PhD and manage to maintain the given score and qualify for the NET exams?

As per the national education policy, this decision is good. PhD is a tough degree, so the cutoff kept for pursuing a PhD directly is also good. However, issues will still arise among students. They will be more driven towards a PhD than any other degree like B Ed, etc. which could lead to tough competition. This decision also saves one year that would otherwise be invested in pursuing a masters degree. From graduation to PhD, it generally takes 10 years for a science student to get there.

-Zeba Anjum, research scholar, PhD in zoology from Patna University

What were your initial thoughts on hearing the announcement?

I thought it was a very good initiative. There is a cut-off of 75 per cent. The fouryear course in itself is quite a demanding course and you are allowed to have quite an in-depth knowledge of the subject. If you can score a percentage of 75 per cent in the fouryear course, then its quite good and you are quite eligible to appear for the NET exam. In our time much of the topics that were included in the MSc syllabus are now included under the fouryear UG syllabus. If a student has a thorough grasp of the subjects, then I think they are very much eligible to sit for the NET exam and pursue the PhD because they have the creative ability and the critical thinking that is necessary to pursue it. I think some of the students can benefit from that.

How different could it be from maybe, completing post-graduation first and then going for PhD?

It depends on the student. If you have a special interest in one of the subjects and you want to delve deeper into it or want to go to an advanced level then its good to go for a post-graduation in that subject where you get a more in-depth knowledge and you are exposed to more advanced frontier areas of research into that subject. And then you sit for NET and go for research. Or maybe, a student is good but he/ she could not score 75 per cent as per the requisite, then they can study for a further year in PG and then sit for the NET exam.

For the students that will go from undergraduate to straightaway PhD, they might be more inclined to interdisciplinary research which is quite popular these days.

-N. Bhattacharjee, assistant professor, chemistry department of JDC.
A Comoros-flagged oil tanker, MT Falcon Prestige, with 13 Indians and 3 Sri Lankans as crew members has capsized off the coast of Oman, the countrys Maritime Security Centre said.

The capsized Comoros flagged vessel transmitted a distress call around 10 pm on July 14 off the coast of Oman.

The merchant vessel has a crew of 16, of which 13 are Indian seafarers. The vessel seems to have capsized, the source said.

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A source said the Indian Embassy in Oman is in constant touch with the Omani authorities.

A search and rescue operation for the seafarers, coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Center (OMSC), is on. The Indian Navy has also joined the search and rescue operations, sources said.

Indian Navys warship INS Teg has been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with the Omani vessels and personnel to carry out search and rescue missions after a Comoros-flagged vessel with its crew, including 13 Indians capsized.

The Indian warship was carrying out an operational turnaround in the area from where it was directed on July 15 to carry out search and rescue missions. The warship had located the capsizing oil tanker on July 16 morning.

The oil tanker, Prestige Falcon, capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah. This is near the Omani port of Duqm.

The Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X, A Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah. SAR Ops initiated with the relevant authorities. #MaritimeSecurityCentre

The tanker was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to shipping data by LSEG.

The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007, LSEGs shipping data showed. Such small tankers are generally deployed for short voyages.

Earlier, on November 27, a cargo ship carrying 14 crew members including Indian crew members, sank off the coast of Lesbos island in Greece due to high-speed winds. The Comoros-flagged ship Raptor, which was travelling from Dekheila, Egypt to Istanbul carrying a load of salt, sank 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) southwest of Lesbos.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The issue of integrating renewable energy sources into Azerbaijan's energy system was a key topic of discussion during negotiations between Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and the World Bank's Regional Director for the South Caucasus, Roland Pryce, Trend reports, citing the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy.

The project to strengthen the transmission network to ensure the integration of green energy into the country's energy system, the progress made regarding the connection of solar and wind power from Masdar projects to the energy system, and other energy sector issues were discussed at the meeting with the World Bank delegation at the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, the ministry said.

Representatives of Azerenerji OJSC also attended the meeting.
French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Gabriel Attals resignation, but asked him to stay as the head of a caretaker government until the establishment of a new administration, the presidential office has announced.

For this period to end as soon as possible, it is up to the Republican forces to work together to build unity around projects and actions in the service of the French people, the Elysee said in a press release on Tuesday.

As a caretaker government, Attal and his governmental team can only oversee the normal operation of administrations, and intervene in the event of an emergency, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Succeeding Elisabeth Borne, Attal was nominated prime minister on January 9 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest to hold the position in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Attal submitted his resignation to Macron on July 8 after the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the snap legislative elections. But Macron asked him to stay on the post for the moment to ensure the countrys stability.

On Thursday, the elected deputies are expected to choose the speaker of the new National Assembly. According to the French electoral laws, ministers in office cannot cast their ballots. But with the resignation accepted, Attal and his ministers who were elected deputies, now can vote in the speaker election.

The winner alliance of the legislative elections, the New Popular Front (NFP), has not yet been able to propose a candidate to be the next prime minister. Macrons decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly.

In the two rounds of legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, Macrons centrist coalition finished second with 163 seats, trailing the left-wing parties alliance, the NFP, which secured a relative majority with 182 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.

The French president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9 and called for new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament elections.
A senior Russian official said that Ukraines accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be not just a direct threat to Russia but a delayed declaration of war, local media reported on Wednesday.

Russia does not pose a threat to NATO, has no plans to attack NATO member countries, and certainly does not aim to harm their residents, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council, was quoted as saying.

Any attempts to advance hostile interests in Ukraine or other countries close to Russia will continue to be met with appropriate resistance, he said.

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The more such attempts there are, the tougher our responses will be. Whether the entire planet will be torn to shreds as a result depends solely on the prudence of the other side, he added.
Photo: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, President of COP29 Mukhtar Babayev, and Slovenian Minister of Environment, Climate, and Energy Bojan Kumer have held a meeting, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani ministry.

The meeting involved an exchange of views in preparation for Azerbaijan's hosting of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

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Elnur Enveroglu

Although the issue of Armenia-France anti-Azerbaijan campaigns has become somewhat passive on the agenda due to the uncertainty in French politics following the recent elections, the Armenian lobby continues its activities in different places. Radical Armenian groups from separatist remnants, who chose Europe as a massive area for themselves, shout anti-Azerbaijani slogans under the so-called "artsakh" slogan. They are protesting the arrest of separatist leaders who once were tyrans in Garabagh. Everyone knows that such dramatic scenes have been designed for special purposes. Even the Armenian authorities, fed up with them, are very happy today because of the arrest of Ruben Vardanyan, Araik Harutyunyan, and other separatist elements.

The Armenians who left Garabagh on their own volition for a long time believed in the promises of separatist elements imprisoned in Baku and now regret everything that happened. When Ruben Vardanyan left all his business, from arms trading to smuggling, and came to Garabagh with a passion for leadership, he did not think about the future. Throwing into a political game and relying on the guesswork of someone who does not understand politics was like losing his life in gambling. By keeping Azerbaijani lands under occupation for more than 30 years, they thought that after that they would be able to change the times for their own good. However, every passing minute brought them closer to their arrest and the destruction of the so-called regime they had established.

The laws of Azerbaijan would one day be applied to the occupied territories, and in the end, it is the group of 23 separatist criminals in the Baku prison who are receiving their deserved punishment today. Azerbaijan has a word for those who question this: What were you doing in the territories of Azerbaijan?

During the September 19 anti-terrorist operations, the Republic of Armenia has repeatedly addressed this issue in several statements. The fact that no civilians were harmed during the operations and that only armed terrorist groups were the target proves it once again. The second main issue is that Azerbaijan has a full legal right to take measures to combat terrorist groups in its sovereign territories, and interference by foreign forces is against international law.

And finally, the third main issue is the attempts of Armenian lobby organisations operating abroad to boycott the COP29 international event that will be held in Azerbaijan this year. In that statement, which is similar to cynicism, it is said that Azerbaijan cannot make any contribution to climate-related initiatives, even though it is supposedly an oil and gas country.

First, Azerbaijan is one of the few countries that has over-implemented all climate-related initiatives. Participating in the global initiative, Azerbaijan duly fulfils its obligations until 2030. For example, Azerbaijan joined the "Global Methane Pledge" initiative, which aims to limit methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2020. In addition, the updated document in 2023 includes a new commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2050. In addition, it was announced that the Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions will be transformed into decarbonisation zones by 2050.

As for increasing natural gas production, science also confirms that underground natural resources cannot pose any threat to the climate. Although the waste conversion and consumption of other products produced from oil affect the environment, it cannot be considered correct to apply this to the consumption of natural gas.

For this reason, radical Armenian groups trying to denigrate Azerbaijan at any cost cannot argue this issue before the UN or any international organisation. Azerbaijan carries out all work in an orderly manner and, at the same time, tries to play the role of guarantor of peace and security in the region.
Job Title: Project Officer (5 Jobs)

Organisation: Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA)

Duty Station: Jinja, Iganga, Kaliro, Tororo and Mbale, Uganda

Reports to: Program Manager

About Organisation:

Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA) is a Non-governmental Organization registered under the laws of Uganda that strives to empower, promote and strengthen key health and development interventions in communities where we work. We envision a society in which people are fully empowered to manage their health and development needs. UDHA seeks to fill the positions below following a Subgrant award to implement the HIV/TB activities supported by the Global Fund through The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) Uganda ltd, the Second Principal recipient of the Global Fund. The Sub-grant aims at supporting the implementation of Ugandas Response to the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.

Job Summary: The Project Officer will lead on timely and efficient implementation of all project activities under the Global Fund Grant and is responsible for the delivery of project results in accordance with UDHAs core values. S/he will work closely with the Program Manager, as well as other project staff to ensure effective coordination and service delivery. S/he will support the Management of AGYW Prevention Structures and Implementation of Activities: Oversee the establishment and functioning of AGYW prevention structures within the district. Coordinate the implementation of activities aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS among AGYW in collaboration with the existing stakeholders in the district. Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of AGYW prevention initiatives to assess progress and impact. S/he will be the Focal Point for TB Contact Tracing Activities: Serve as the primary point of contact for TB contact tracing activities within the district. Collaborate with health facilities, community health workers, and other partners to identify and trace contacts of TB patients. Extend support to neighboring districts lacking office-based staff for TB contact tracing, ensuring comprehensive coverage and coordination. S/he will be the Focal Person for CBO Capacity Building: Act as the focal person for capacity building activities targeting CBOs within the district. Facilitate mentorship programs to enhance the capacity of CBOs in areas such as project management, reporting, and community engagement. Extend support and capacity-building initiatives to neighboring districts without office-based staff to strengthen the community response to various health challenges.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordination, planning, reporting, and ability to actively support project teams to manage to competing work priorities.

Prepare monthly, and quarterly work Plans and Budgets.

Supervise and mentor frontline stakeholders like the VHTs, Mentors, and Community champions to deliver desired project results.

Ensure proper utilization and accountability for all resources allocated to activities in Compliance with the approved donor budget and work Plans.

Represent UDHA in the Sector Working Groups at district levels.

Build sound and mutually respectable relations with the communities and stakeholders served by the project.

Develop and deliver project progress reports, requirements, documentation, and presentation

Hold performance reviews in the districts of operation.

Coordinate projects meetings in the district of operation and Liaise with project stakeholders in areas of operations.

Ensure that the project meets established quality standards and follows best practices in HIV/TB/AGYW and CBO programming.

Anticipate potential risks that may affect project outcomes and develop strategies to mitigate

Plan for resources needed to Implement and coordinate the daily project activities.

Maintain regular contact with partners and project beneficiaries in the districts.







Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences/Social Works and Social Administration / Public Health / Community Psychology or any other related training in Humanities.

A Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management / Monitoring and Evaluation / Training in Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health / Counselling training in HIV/AIDs will be an added advantage

Ability to ride a Motorcycle and possession of a valid ridding permit is a must.

A minimum of 3 years working experience in donor funded organizations and or / Experience of working in the rural communities specifically HIV/TB/Adolescents.

Working knowledge of DHIS2, eCBSS and MS excel will be an added advantage.

Experience with facility level HMIS tools and registers

Strong organizational skills, analytical capabilities, able to work in a fast-paced environment, demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks

Excellent analytical skills, oral and written communication skills

How to Apply:

Please provide a detailed CV that demonstrates possession of relevant competencies, current position, the job requirements specified, academic qualifications, employment experience including current position, and contact details of three referees preferably from previous or current employments. All candidates who meet the requirements are encouraged to submit in single PDF their cover letter, CV and CERTIFIED copies of academic documents of not more than 2GB via email to pila2consultants@gmail.com quoting the position of interest in the subject line.

For further details please contact

PILA Consultants Limited

Tel: +256-393 275 892, Mob: +256-78-4-219107, 0704-706910

E-mail: pila2consultants@gmail.com

You can also visit our website: www.pilaconsultants.co.ug

Deadline: 2nd August 2024 not later than 5:00pm

Note: UDHA is an equal opportunity employer therefore females and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. While PILA appreciates all the interested applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. In case you do not hear from PILA one month after the closing date, please consider yourself unsuccessful. Please note that any form of canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification. Any telephone solicitation will lead to automatic disqualification. PILA takes no responsibility of any costs by applicants that apply for any of the positions advertised here.

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline

Date Posted 2024-07-16T21:14 Valid Through 2024-08-02T17:00 Employment Type FULL_TIME Hiring Organization Uganda Development and Health Associates Job Location Jinja, Jinja, Jinja, 0256, Uganda

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Job Title: Accounting Intern (No Experience Jobs)

Organisation: Kandor Exports

Duty Station: Kikyusa, Luwero, Uganda

Salary: 450,000 / =Ugandan Shillings per month

About Organisation:

Kandor Exports, a major grower and exporter of fresh horticultural produce in Uganda, operates on 200 hectares of land, with 130 hectares dedicated to its flagship farm. Collaborating with over 1,200 farmers, the company is a leading exporter in Uganda, emphasizing innovation and superior business operations. Despite challenges from climate change, they invest in research to enhance farm resilience.

Job Summary: We are seeking a diligent and detail-oriented Accounting Intern to join our team. This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate or a student in the field of accounting to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic and growing company.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Assist with daily accounting tasks including data entry, invoice processing, and record keeping

Support the preparation of financial statements and reports

Help maintain accurate financial records and ensure compliance with accounting standards

Assist with bank reconciliations and accounts payable/receivable

Participate in financial audits and provide necessary documentation

Collaborate with the team to ensure smooth and efficient financial operations









Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an accounting program (degree or diploma)

Strong interest in accounting and financial management

Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills

Good communication and teamwork skills

Basic understanding of accounting principles and practices

Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel

Ability to work independently and take initiative

Benefits:

Gain practical experience in the accounting field

Opportunity to work with experienced professionals

Potential for future employment opportunities with Kandor Exports Limited

Monthly stipend of 500,000 Ugandan Shillings

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their CV and a cover letter explaining their interest in the position to kandorexports@gmail.com

Deadline: 23rd July 2024

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline

Date Posted 2024-07-16T21:24 Valid Through 2024-07-24T00:00 Employment Type FULL_TIME Hiring Organization Kandor Exports Job Location Kampala, Kampala, Kampala , 0256, Uganda

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Popular musician Ramesh Narayan has been in the eye of the storm after he refused to accept a memento from noted Mollywood actor Asif Ali.

The incident happened during the launch of the trailer of the anthology series, Manoradhangal, scripted by literary doyen M.T. Vasudevan Nair.

During the programme, Asif Ali was invited by the anchor to present a memento to Ramesh Narayan. However, Ramesh Narayan refused to accept it from the actor and even refused to acknowledge him. He then invited director Jayaraj to present him with the memento. Ramesh Narayan accepted the memento from the director without even looking at Asif Ali or offering a reason to the actor.

You cant do things like that to such a nice guy like #AsifAli.



Definitely not acceptable. 



It is difficult to keep your cool under such a situation. But he just taught us how to take it easy in public.



Love the way he managed to buck up.



pic.twitter.com/cCEB5vA0mk  What The Fuss (@W_T_F_Channel) July 16, 2024

Asif Ali did not lose his calm and continued smiling despite this gesture of insult.

ALSO READ: Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil come together in 'Manoradhangal', an anthology based on MT Vasudevan Nair's works

Ramesh Narayan had composed music for the movie Swargam Thurakunna Samayamwhich is part of the anthology series Manoradhangaldirected by Jayaraj.

After the video of the incident went viral, Ramesh Narayan faced much backlash, with many accusing him of insulting Asif Ali. Many on social media have demanded an apology from the musician.

Support pours in for Asif Ali

Following the incident, Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) extended support to the actor. The real music is the smile with which you faced the insolence, AMMA wrote on its official Instagram handle, in a post in Malayalam, sharing the actor's photo.

General secretary of the association, actor Siddique, shared the post on his social media handle.

Ramesh Narayan clarifies

In the wake of the controversy, the musician attempted to explain his stance, saying he did not intend to insult the actor.

He claimed that he was delighted to accept the memento from Asif Ali but also wanted Jayaraj to be there to present it to him. He said this is the reason he called Jayaraj to present the memento and accepted it from him.

He said he was not called on to the stage although everyone else who had worked for the anthology series was invited to the stage and given mementos. He said M.T. Vasudevan Nair's daughter Aswathy made the arrangements to present the memento to him after she realized that he was not invited to the stage.

The anchor (actor Jewel Mary) was heard calling me as Santhosh Narayanan, he pointed out.
At a meeting in Kolkata's Science City auditorium, the West Bengal BJP's extended state working committee analysed the party's performance in this year's Lok Sabha polls and the recently-concluded assembly by-elections and drew the future roadmap.

The BJP, which had set itself a target of 30 seats, managed to win 12 in the 18th Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal which sends 42 MPs to the lower house.

In the recent assembly by-elections to four seats, the BJP failed to win any. Interestingly, three of the seats were won by the saffron party in 2021 assembly polls.

Senior leaders such as West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari, party's former state chief Dilip Ghosh, MPs, MLAs and a host of other state and district-level leaders attended the event where the chief guest was former Haryana CM and Union Minister of Power Manohar Lal Khattar.

The biggest talking point of the meeting was Adhikari's highly polarising words against the Trinamool Congress and Muslims.

He criticised the TMC for allegedly obstructing Hindu voters from casting their ballots during the Lok Sabha polls in several constituencies including Jadavpur and Kolkata Uttar.

"[The TMC] won't even let me vote in 2026 [West Bengal Assembly elections] because I am a Hindu. Fifty jihadis will be sitting in front of my house from morning and the police will be mere spectators. We will have to rise now," the TMC-turned-BJP leader said.

He continued, "[At many places] voting took place with slips instead of voting cards. Their votes were cast but they didn't have voting marks on their fingers. I met Honourable Governor C.V. Anand Bose. We want democracy back in West Bengal."

Adhikari also contradicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Bikas'. "I used to say 'Sabka Sath Sabka Bikas'. I will not say it anymore. I will say 'Jo humare sath, hum unke sath [Those who are with us, we are with them]'."

The Nandigram MLA expressed his disappointment that the party did not perform as per expectations. But he said he will continue to work for the BJP, Sanatan Dharma and nationalism.

Soon after the meeting, Adhikari came up with a clarification on Twitter that his statement was being "taken out of context". "I embody in letter and spirit, Prime Minister's call for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas."

Meanwhile, the BJP's extended state committee meeting on Tuesday began with the felicitation of senior leaders and the recently-elected parliamentarians before Majumdar gave the opening remarks. He claimed that despite the defeat, the BJP in West Bengal is not lost.

"Going by the numbers, our seat [in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections] may have come down from 18 to 12. But we are still as much relevant in West Bengal as earlier," he said. "In the Lok Sabha polls, we got lead in 69 municipalities for the first time. In 49 assembly segments, we are behind by less than 10 thousand votes."

Majumdar, the Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, instructed his party workers to take lessons from the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and continue their hard work. He asked them to take inspiration from former state BJP leaders.

"Hard work never fails. We have many leaders who contested for the BJP when the party was not a major force. Their courage and hard work helped us later."

The Balurghat MP was also seen instructing the Bengal BJP to stop overtly relying on central agencies. "If we don't strengthen our organisation with hard work, then we will never win irrespective of who gets arrested."

Union Minister Khattar also acknowledged that the party had underperformed in West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, he also reminded party workers, "The 12 seats that West Bengal has given us has a huge contribution towards national interest and towards making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time"

He remembered the BJP workers who have been killed due to alleged political violence in West Bengal and highlighted the severity of the issue.

He said, "Everywhere the BJP workers give their sweat to the party but in Bengal they have to give their bloods as well. They have to work by putting their life on the line."
A near-stampede situation ensued in Mumbai after over 25,000 job aspirants turned up to apply for a mere 2,216 vacancies at Air India Airport Services Ltd.

Videos doing rounds on social media showed thousands of people rushing to the counters for the walk-in interview for the post of handyman and utility agent. Some of the job aspirants were seen climbing on vehicles and trees to get ahead of others and reach the interview venue.

According to media reports, the job aspirants had to wait for hours without food and water for their turn, leading to many of them feeling uneasy and unwell.

The Air India staff struggled to manage the massive crowd. As the situation went out of control, the candidates were reportedly asked to leave their CVs and vacate the area.

This is Mumbai's Kalina, where a massive crowd of job seekers emerged as the Air India Airport Services Ltd announced walk-in interviews.



The situation soon went out of control and the candidates were asked to leave their CVs and vacate the area.#Mumbai #AIAirportServices pic.twitter.com/vZoLDf40iz  Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) July 16, 2024

The minimum qualification for the job is SSC/Class X pass and the salary is just over Rs 20,000. "I have come to apply for the post of handyman. They are offering a salary of Rs 22,500," NDTV quoted a job aspirant, who travelled over 400km to attend the interview, was quoted as saying.

General secretary of Aviation Industry Employees Guild, George Abram, was quoted as saying that the recruitment process was mismanaged.

Later, the airport authorities decided to call 200 applicants for interview, an official from Sahar police station said.

All the applicants were freshers and most of them had just passed Class XII.

"No untoward incident was reported and the situation was later brought under control," the official said.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 17. The volume of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China amounted to $11.4 billion from January through May 2024, Trend reports.

Data from the country's Bureau of National Statistics shows that the volume of trade turnover increased by 6.55 percent compared to the same period in 2023 ($10.7 billion).

At the same time, exports to China for the above period amounted to $5.7 billion, which is 22.7 percent more than JanuaryMay 2023 ($4.8 billion).

In addition, imports from China from January through May 2024 decreased by 3.7 percent and amounted to $5.6 billion. From January through May 2023, imports amounted to $5.8 billion.

To note, China became Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in 2023. The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China was $31.4 billion in 2023. The volume of trade turnover increased by 30 percent from the same period in 2022 ($24.2 billion).

At the same time, in terms of trade turnover, exports to China during the aforementioned period totaled $14.7 billion, 14.7 percent greater than from January through December 2022 ($13 billion).

In addition, imports from China surged by 50.5 percent from January through December 2023, totaling $16.7 billion. In 2022, imports totaled $11.1 billion.
Police have asked controversial trainee IAS officer Pooja Khedkar to record her statement regarding allegations of harassment against the Pune district collector, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar confirmed to PTI that Khedkar has been asked to come to Pune to provide her statement.

"I am not aware of any such complaint against me. No one communicated to me about this. So there is no question of giving a reaction. I came to know about this complaint only through media reports," Pune district collector Suhas Diwase told PTI.

Another official said correspondence by Pune Police asking Khedkar to record her statement was served to her at her temporary residence in Washim on Wednesday.

Khedkar is under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and OBC certificates used to clear the IAS, as well as her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector's office.

She was transferred to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector from Pune after Diwase submitted a report to senior officials about her behaviour. Allegations against her include demanding facilities she was not entitled to as a trainee IAS official and occupying the ante-chamber of a senior official.

Women police personnel visited Khedkar at her residence in Washim on Monday, where she lodged a complaint of harassment against Diwase, an official said on Tuesday. The complaint has since been forwarded to Pune Police for further action.

Amid the row, the government on Tuesday put on hold the 'district training program' of Khedkar as she was summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action".
Observing that the country's judicial system often finds itself grappling with pervasive issues of prolonged delay and suspected political influence, the Supreme Court has revived the trial of Chhote Singh, former BSP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, in a three-decade-old double-murder case.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma said, "We also acknowledge that it is evident from the trial court's order dated May 19, 2012 that political power has been leveraged to secure the withdrawal of prosecution of accused Chhote Singh."

It noted that the nine other accused were put to trial after their applications for withdrawal of prosecution were rejected without a reasoned order.

The bench said the May 19, 2012 order was challenged by both the accused and the victims, but the matter remained pending before the Allahabad High Court for 12 years, leading to stagnation in the trial proceedings, which is "deeply troubling".

Given the gravity of the situation and the risk of miscarriage of justice, urgent action was warranted, it added.

"The judicial system of our country often finds itself grappling with the pervasive issues of prolonged delay and suspected political influence within the legal proceedings. The present case highlights the alarming trend where cases, particularly those involving influential figures, face significant delays, obstructing the administration of justice. The undue influence wielded by powerful individuals further exacerbates the situation, raising concerns about fairness and impartiality," the bench observed.

It added that the case presents concerning circumstances, wherein politically-influential individuals, accused of a double murder committed in broad daylight, have evaded trial for almost three decades.

"Considering the material on record, the political influence of accused Chhote Singh and the trial court's casual approach towards the accusations against the then sitting member of the Legislative Assembly in allowing withdrawal of his prosecution, this court is of the opinion that merely because an accused person is elected to the Legislative Assembly cannot be a testament to their image among the general public," it said.

"In the light of the discussion made above, we are inclined to set aside the withdrawal of prosecution of accused Chhote Singh as allowed by the trial court," the bench said.

The top court said matters of gruesome crime like a double murder do not warrant withdrawal of prosecution merely on the ground of good public image of an accused named in the chargesheet after thorough investigation.

"Contrary to the trial court's view, such withdrawal cannot be said to be allowed in public interest. This reasoning cannot be accepted, especially in cases of involvement of influential people," it said in its July 15 order.

The bench was also critical of the high court's approach in dealing with the case. "The high court, in repeatedly allowing the adjournment requests, has only allowed the accused persons to deploy dilatory tactics to delay their trial and failed to ensure that the justice system is set in motion and not halted due to the lamentable spectre of political influence," it said.

Singh, along with nine others, is accused of indiscriminately shooting at Rajkumar and Jagdish Sharan on May 30, 1994. Both later succumbed to the injuries.

During the pendency of the trial, Singh got elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly as an MLA on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket in 2007.

The BSP, which came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, decided to withdraw the prosecution against Singh and others in the case under section 321 of the CrPC in 2008.

In 2012, the trial court decided the application for withdrawal of prosecution in Singh's favour, observing that his image is good among the public and he is a respected citizen of the society. The trial court said the public has shown its trust in him by electing him to the Legislative Assembly.

The applications for withdrawal of prosecution regarding the other accused were dismissed. The 2012 order was challenged before the high court by those accused against whom the prosecution continued as well as the widow of one of the victims.

The apex court noted that the matter is pending before the high court since then.

The bench, in its verdict, said it is not dealing with the issue of the other accused as the complainants have approached the apex court challenging the repetitive adjournments in their criminal revision petitions against the withdrawal of Singh's prosecution.

"Other accused persons are not before us, thus we are not going into the merits of their applications seeking withdrawal of prosecution. However, acknowledging the extensive delay already caused in the case, we are inclined to request the high court to ensure that justice is not further delayed or compromised due to political influence or any other extraneous factors," it said.

Emphasising the paramount importance of ensuring the progression of a trial without further delay, the bench directed the high court to retain only copies of the trial court record for its perusal and consideration in disposing of the criminal revision petitions of the accused, and send back the original record for an expeditious conclusion of the criminal trial.
The 13 Indian nationals, crew members of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker 'Prestige Falcon' that sunk off Oman, remained missing on Wednesday too, a day after Omani authorities confirmed the vessel capsized. Besides 13 Indians, the crew of "Prestige Falcon" comprised three Sri Lankan nationals too.

India's Defence sources told ANI the Indian Navy warship INS Teg has been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I to aid Omani vessels and personnel in carrying out search and rescue missions. "The Indian warship was carrying out an operational turnaround in the area from where it was directed on July 15 to carry out search and rescue missions. The warship had located the capsizing oil tanker on July 16 morning," defence sources added.

The latest post by Oman Maritime Security Centre said search and rescue operations were still ongoing to locate the crew. The Omani centre told Reuters that the vessel remains "submerged, inverted". However, it is still unclear whether there was an oil spill.

As per the shipping data, the vessel was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden and capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007 and mostly used for short coastal voyages, Reuters quoted the shipping data.

Houthi attack

Amid the mystery surrounding the Prestige Falcon, Yemeni militant group Houthis attacked two vessels off the Yemen coast on Monday.

As per reports, three small Houthi vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, targeted MT Bently I, a Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned vessel, off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. "The unmanned small craft reportedly collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported. The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack."

The vessel's captain later reported three separate waves of missile attacks that exploded near it.

The Houthis also launched a UAV at MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged and Marshall Islands-owned oil tanker, off the same coast. The UAV hit the vessel on the port side causing some damage and light smoke.

Both ships and all crew were reported safe, the UKMTO said in a warning to mariners.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bently I and Chios Lion. The rebels have targeted more than 70 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign, killing four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November.
The Biden administration received intelligence hinting at an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump, which prompted the Secret Service (SS) to ramp up security around the former president, according to reports.

However, there is no indication that either the Pennsylvania shooting or Tuesday's knife-yielding man was in any way linked to these, said the report quoting three senior SS agents.

A US national security official told CNN that the Secret Service and the Trump campaign were made aware of the threat before Saturdays rally. "Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream. NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting. USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response to the increased threat, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday," the report added.

Irans mission to the United Nations dismissed the allegations of an assassination plot as "unsubstantiated and malicious."

The Trump campaign refused to acknowledge whether or not they were aware of the Iran threat, stating they do not comment on President Trumps security detail. It referred all questions in this regard to the United States Secret Service.

Sources told CNN that the SS officials repeatedly warned the Trump campaign against holding outdoor rallies but the warnings were more general in nature, the sources said. "The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed," Anthony Guglielmi, an agency spokesman, told CNN. "We cannot comment on any specific threat stream, other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly."

Ever since the drone killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian militarys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in January 2020, the Iranian regime has been plotting harm to current and former American officials and military officers, according to officials.

Man shot dead

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman speaks at a news conference after Samuel Sharpe Jr. was shot and killed by five Ohio police officers who were in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention |AP

The Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the convention.

Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man after he refused to heed police commands. The attacker, who has not been identified, charged another unarmed man before the police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference on Tuesday.

"Someone's life was in danger, Norman said. These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone's life today."

However, the incident fuelled anger from residents who questioned the presence of out-of-state officers in their neighbourhood. Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide additional security for the convention that began Monday and concludes Thursday.

However, there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.
Donald Trump's running mate Vice-President J.D. Vance has sparked outrage after remarking that the UK under the Labour government is an "Islamist country".

Speaking at a conference for UK Conservatives last week, Vance said he was discussing with a friend which country would be the first "truly Islamist country with nuclear weapons", and answered that, "Maybe it's Iran, maybe Pakistan kind of counts, and then we sort of decided maybe it's actually the UK since Labour just took over".

He went on to add, "To our Tory friends, I have to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this."

This comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy tried to mend ties with Vance in May when he was in the opposition. Vance had even said Lammy was his "English friend".

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner played down the controversy, saying the Ohio senator has made such "fruity" remarks in the past as well.

Tory Co-Chair Sayeeda Warsi wrote in The Independent that the UK-US ties have become nothing more than "a racist joke" and warned of "dangerous times ahead".

Shadow Veterans Minister Andrew Bowie told Times Radio that he "absolutely" disagreed with Vance's claim, adding that it's "actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour party." Shadow minister posts are positions held by the Opposition party members in the UK Parliament.

British Treasury Minister James Murray told Sky News that the British are proud of their diversity, adding that "I don't know what he (Vance) was driving at in that comment, to be honest."

Norwich South Labour MP Clive Lewis told The Independent that the comments show that "we now need to prepare for the worst-case scenario of a Trump-Vance presidency."

Canterbury Labour MP Rosie Duffield called Vance's remarks as "pretty ignorant, racist and Islamophobic".
Kolkata, Jul 16 (PTI) A consortium of Kolkata-based Ripley & Co and Bothra Shipping Services of Andhra Pradesh announced it will invest Rs 600 crore in the automation and modernization of a port berth at Haldia in West Bengal.

The stevedoring and handling company said it quoted the highest revenue share for the mechanisation of Berth No. 5 of Haldia Dock Complex, Syamaprasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, on a PPP basis.

"It is a 50:50 consortium and will invest Rs 600 crore for the modernisation of the berth. We already operate two more berths at Haldia," Ripley & Co Director Shoumik Bose told PTI.



He said the letter of award is expected this month.

The project will be executed on a DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate, and transfer) model with a concession period of 15 years.

"Berth No. 5, upon mechanisation, will provide state-of-the-art mechanised facilities for handling dry bulk cargo comprising coal, limestone, and manganese ore," Ripley & Co Director Prabal Mukherjee said.



The berth will have an annual cargo handling capacity of 5 million tonnes.

The project is likely to be completed by the end of 2026, the official said.



Ripley & Co already operates berth no 2 and 8 at Haldia.
Kolkata, Jul 17 (PTI) The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India, will be corporatised, unbundling into at least three entities for transmission, generation, and distribution to achieve greater efficiency, an official said on Wednesday.

Praising the corporation, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal asked it to expedite the unbundling exercise during a review meeting at the DVC headquarters here during the day.

He also suggested the board explore the IPO route to raise resources for its expansion plans.

DVC functions under the Centres Ministry of Power.

Established in 1948, the DVC is an integrated power major spread across a command area of 24,235 sq km in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

"The plan for corporatisation was on the agenda, but the minister wanted to expedite the process. The existing shareholding among the Centre, West Bengal, and Jharkhand governments will remain intact," DVC Chairman S Suresh Kumar told PTI after the review meeting.

The interest of the Centre and the two states is almost the same, a source said.

DVC plans to install an additional capacity of nearly 10,000 MW in thermal and green energy, ramping up its total capacity to about 16,700 MW.

This would comprise 3,720 MW of thermal power, 4,000 MW of solar power, and 2,500 MW from a pump storage power plant.

The total capex is estimated to be between Rs 50,000-60,000 crore.

The current installed capacity of DVC is nearly 6700 MW, of which 6540MW is thermal.

The minister during the meeting stressed the need to increase the renewable energy share in DVC's total energy portfolio.

Currently, DVC has a meagre green energy portfolio and is implementing a 310 MW solar plant with NTPC.

According to sources present at the meeting with the Union minister, DVC raised issues of grade slippages of coal supplies by Coal India subsidiaries, which have ramifications on generation cost and power tariff.

"We have also updated certain aspects of the Fuel Supply Agreement of coal to keep pace with demand. We also sought the ministry's help in signing Power Purchase Agreements for the future capacities and recovering legacy dues," a source said, declining to be quoted.

DVC has about Rs 300-400 crore in legacy dues out of Rs 1,000 crore with the Jharkhand state government.

DVC officials said the minister was very cooperative and assured the Corporation that the operational and financial issues faced by it would be resolved at both the department and government levels for the smooth and effective functioning of the corporation.

The minister also offered full support to DVC for its expansion plans and overall growth so that the Corporation can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the nation.

Out of the DVCs total nine thermal and hydel power stations, five are in Jharkhand with the rest being located in neighbouring West Bengal.
Kolkata, Jul 17 (PTI) The West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA) has offered to supply potatoes to the state government at Rs 26 per kg amid high prices in the retail market, officials said on Wednesday.

At present, potatoes are being sold in the retail market at Rs 37-40 per kg, depending on the size, they said.

"We have sent a proposal to the state government about supplying potatoes at Rs 1,300 per 50 kg packet (Rs 26 per kg) with a minimum size of 35mm to Sufal Bangla. The price is ex-cold storage gate," an official of the WBCSA's Hooghly unit said.

The cold storage price currently is Rs 28-29 per kg.

"We cannot handle distribution ourselves. We can arrange about 3 lakh quintals per day for the government, which is nearly 30 per cent of Kolkata's daily requirement. There was a meeting with the state administration on Tuesday and they have shown interest," the official said.

Most of the potatoes to Kolkata arrive from the Hooghly district.

Agricultural Marketing Minister Becharam Manna said state-run Sufal Bangla outlets are selling 3 kg of potatoes and 1 kg of onions per family at Rs 29 and Rs 39 per kg, respectively.

Since last week, 25 new Sufal Bangla outlets have been opened, he said.

The high prices were attributed to low production and inferior quality caused by unfavourable climate conditions, industry sources said.

Despite cold storage data indicating that 45 lakh tonnes of potatoes are available, in real terms, it is 30 per cent lower after accounting for very small size varieties and wastage, they said.

This year, the share of small-size potatoes is double that of the previous year, they said, adding the overall national production shortfall has also kept prices elevated.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed the officials concerned to address the high prices of vegetables and set a deadline of 10 days, which will end this week.

The Agriculture Task Force and the Enforcement Department are inspecting retail markets to prevent hoarding and price manipulation. However, there has been little effect with the prices yet to cool.
Tezpur, Jul 17 (PTI) Fight services will be shut at the Tezpur airport in Assam in October for one-and-half years for maintenance works, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Tezpur Airport Director G Shiva Kumar said passenger flights will be suspended from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026.

"This is due to the resurfacing works of the runway along with other projects to improve the facilities at the terminal," he said.

The Tezpur Airport is adjacent to the Tezpur Base of the Indian Air Force, and the runway is used for both commercial and fighter aircraft.

The Tezpur Air Force Base had earlier informed the Tezpur Salonibari Passenger Airport Authority about the maintenance work, for which passenger aircraft services will be temporarily halted.

Kumar said that during this time, the authority is considering providing helicopter services from Tezpur to Guwahati, but it is yet to be finalised.

At present, a 90-seater SpiceJet flight fly directly from Tezpur to Kolkata daily. In addition, two airlines operate daily flights to Kolkata via Guwahati, Pasighat and Tezpur.

The airport is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river and is 12 km from Tezpur town, the capital of Sonitpur district.

Established at Salonibari in 1942, the airport terminal can accommodate a total of 400 passengers at a time.
Eternal happiness can be attained by conquering attachment and hatred: Acharya Shri Mahashraman



There are two types of beings - Godly and Worldly: Acharya Shri Mahashraman



Surat (Gujarat) [India], July 17: Acharya Shri Mahashraman, the 11th Acharya or supreme head of the Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Dharma Sangh, received a grand civic felicitation in Surat, famously known as the city of diamonds, on Tuesday. Thousands of people participated in the event, including Surat Mayor Daxesh Mavani, Deputy Mayor Narendra Patil, Surat MP Mukesh Dalal, and representatives of religious, social and political outfits.



Addressing the participants at Saiyam Vihar, Acharya Shri Mahashraman said there are two types of beings in the world - Godly and Worldly beings. He said that those who are Godly beings are free from the cycle of birth and death, are formless, peaceful and of few words. They do not suffer from any physical, mental or emotional pain, and are completely free from such burdens. The spiritual guru said that such beings experience natural bliss from within. He explained that just as the water of a pond is external and the wells water is internal, there are two types of happiness - external and internal.



Acharya Shri Mahashraman emphasised that Godly beings have internal happiness, which is also eternal, and cannot be stolen by anyone. He said that the soul attains the Godly qualities when omniscience is revealed. He further said that to experience this revelation, one has to be free from attachment and hatred and become detached. He said the soul can attain salvation only when ignorance and attachment are removed.



Talking about the second type of beings, Gurudev further said that if worldly beings are given the knowledge of religion, they too can move towards detachment.



The holy period of Chaturmas has great importance in Jain traditions. Jain monks undertake meditation by staying in one place for the entire duration of four months of the Chaturmas. Participating in daily religious and spiritual discourses allows people to be free from routine work for about two hours. They can enhance their knowledge and find answers to questions troubling them. By paying attention, the listeners can also become good speakers.



The venerable spiritual guru also spoke about compassion, morality and de-addiction, inspiring participants to implement these qualities. He extended his blessings so that these qualities flourished in Surat. He also emphasised the importance of developing self-restraint.



In her address, Sadhvi Pramukha Vishrutvibha ji said that the company of great men can change the condition and direction of an individuals life, and noted that people of Surat have this rare opportunity to meet highly accomplished men.



Following the discourse, the civic felicitation ceremony started with the singing of Lo Sanghsumeru Surat Ka Abhinandan. Shri Bharat Shah delivered the welcome speech on behalf of the felicitation committee. Mayor Daxesh Mavani, Deputy Mayor Narendra Patil, MP Mukesh Dalal, Padma Shri Mathur Savani and other members of the civic felicitation ceremony committee presented the symbolic key of Surat city to revered Acharya Shri Mahashraman.



Muni Shri Uditkumar ji said that only those with saintliness, greatness, dynamism and the quality to inspire everyone are felicitated.



Addressing the participants, Mayor Daxesh Mavani said that Surat has been blessed by the arrival of Acharya Shri Mahashraman for Chaturmas. He said that the people of Surat will benefit a great deal from the religious discourses during the holy months.



Lok Sabha MP Mukesh Dalal said it was Surats good fortune to host Acharya Shri Mahashraman for Chaturmas. Dr. Jitu Shah, Jay Chheda, Surat City BJP general secretary Kishore Bindal, and RSS leader Suresh Master also spoke on the occasion and paid their respects to Acharya Shri Mahashraman. Sanjay Jain and Anil Jain, Founders of Bhagwan Mahavir University, welcomed the respected guru on the universitys behalf.



Ankesh Shah read the civil felicitation letter, while Sanjay Surana presented the vote of thanks. Nanalal Rathod and Vishvesh Sanghavi conducted the felicitation ceremony. A documentary on Acharya Shri Mahashraman, produced by Mahavir Semlani, Vishvesh Sanghavi and Sanjay Vaid mehta of the media team, was also screened on the occasion.



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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 17. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov will make a state visit to Uzbekistan, Trend reports.

According to the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration, the visit will take place at the invitation of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

During his trip, Japarov will hold bilateral talks with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The parties will discuss current issues of bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, as well as prospects for the Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations development.

Moreover, as part of the visit, Japarov will take part in the official opening ceremony of the Days of Culture of Kyrgyzstan in Uzbekistan. There will also be an online launch ceremony of ongoing bilateral projects with the participation of the two presidents.

Moreover, a number of other events are scheduled within the visit, such as the Kyrgyz-Uzbek Business Forum and the Forum of Rectors of Higher Educational Institutions of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Mumbai - South Indian star Nava Dhalapthy, also popularly known as Sudheer Babu, is making waves with his stunning looks in behind-the-scenes (BTS) pictures from the first-look poster shoot of an upcoming PAN India supernatural mystery thriller.



In the BTS pictures, Nava Dhalapthy looks incredibly handsome as he poses on a bike inside a studio. His confident demeanor and stylish appearance have fans eagerly anticipating the film.



The buzz around the film is growing, especially with Nava Dhalapthys aka Sudheer Babu involvement. The actors charm and style are evident in every frame, making the first-look poster shoot a hot topic among fans and the media.



Nava Dhalapthy was also spotted outside the studio during the poster shoot, where he expressed his excitement about the project. He was seen alongside producer Prerna Arora, who is known for her knack for producing engaging and successful films. Sudheer shared his enthusiasm for working on the film, highlighting the unique and thrilling aspects of the supernatural mystery genre.



Adding a special touch to the day, Nava Dhalapthy made a kind gesture towards the paparazzi. He gifted them wristbands identical to the ones he was wearing, a move that delighted the photographers and showed his appreciation for their support.



The upcoming film, with its intriguing premise and stellar cast, is set to be a significant release. Fans are eagerly awaiting more updates and glimpses of what promises to be a captivating supernatural mystery thriller, with Sudheer Babu striking presence at the forefront. The handsome actor recently landed in Mumbai for the poster shoot and was also spotted at an the Mumbai international airport where he shares his excitement for the film.



The film is produced by powerhouse producer Prerna Arora, Shivin Narang and Nikhil Nanda, Ujjwal Anand set to commence shoot in October.



https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9edvamNd6J/?igsh=MWNwMmlsZWJ2ZW9wZA==



https://x.com/komalnahta/status/1813108634660053283?s=46



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NEW DELHI, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Deakin University is delighted to announce the recipients of its prestigious Vice-Chancellor's Meritorious 100% Scholarship for 2024, following an extensive nationwide search for the most deserving students in India.



Valued at over INR 6 million, the full-fee scholarships were awarded to ten students: Vishrut Goswami, Aditi Mishra, Tamanna Kalra, Tia Kapoor, Tanvir Kaur Sohi, Tisha Vyas, Hasnain Reza Bilal, Mathanki and Aarav Verma. The winners' names were revealed during an exclusive 'Leaders of Tomorrow' episode, produced in collaboration with Deakin University and broadcast on Times Now and Mirror Now.



Now in its eleventh year, the landmark scholarship program is an extension of Deakin's 'Transforming Lives' initiative and showcases the University's unwavering commitment to strengthening ties with India and removing barriers to a world-class education for Indian students. With this year's cohort, 66 exceptional Indian scholars have benefitted from the program to date.



Professor Iain Martin, President and Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University, congratulated the recipients on their remarkable achievements.



"Congratulations to the 2024 recipients for their outstanding efforts. For over three decades, Deakin University's commitment to India and its students has gone from strength to strength, culminating in the most recent opening of our GIFT City campus earlier this year. Our approach has always been 'in India, with India, for India' and as our university prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, we acknowledge how vital this partnership has been to our growth and success," Professor Martin said.



Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia) at Deakin University, expressed her excitement about the scholarship recipients.



"I congratulate the winners and laud the dedication, talent, and passion that has helped them earn this prestigious award," Ms Pawha said. "This scholarship underlines the potential of these incredible students and provides them a gateway to transformative opportunities that can shape their future and the world around them. Deakin is excited to support this journey while looking forward to the fresh perspectives they will bring, the innovative solutions to global challenges they will create, and the Australia-India amity that they will surely extend."



The Vice-Chancellor's Meritorious 100% Scholarship is a life-changing program providing full tuition fee support and the opportunity to participate in the Vice-Chancellor's Professional Excellence Program. This holistic approach is further bolstered with workshops, development meetings, and academic mentorship empowers scholars to excel in their professions and leave lasting impacts on their local and global communities.



Vishrut Goswami, one of the 2024 scholarship recipients, shared his excitement, "The scholarship is a life changer and means a lot to me. Coming from a humble background this scholarship will support my education and enable me to explore and experiment with growth opportunities without feeling the financial burden."



The scholarship recipients' parents also expressed their pride and gratitude. "It is indeed a proud moment for us and as parents when we stand on this prestigious university platform with our son, there is nothing more we ask for," said Aarav Verma, a scholarship awardee's father.



To learn more about the Deakin University Vice-Chancellor's Meritorious 100% Scholarship, please visit Deakin University Vice-Chancellors Meritorious 100% Scholarship, India.



About Deakin University



Established in 1974, Deakin University successfully combines excellence in teaching, research and effective partnerships with industry and government to deliver high quality courses and undertake research that makes a difference to the domestic and international communities it serves.



Deakin's South Asia operations commenced in 1994 at New Delhi, India, making it one of the first overseas education provider to set operations in this region. Here, Deakin engages with the government, industry, and academia to share its vibrant culture of education and research.



For more information on Deakin University, please visit: www.deakin.edu.au



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2463242/DeakinUniversityScholarship.jpg



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NEW DELHI, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahmedabad University announces the Bagchi School of Public Health. Established in 2023, the School is now named in honour of renowned philanthropists Susmita and Subroto Bagchi. The Bagchi School of Public Health aims to revolutionise public health education and research in India.



The Bagchi couple's transformative grant of INR 55 crores will fuel the development of world-class physical, digital, and intellectual infrastructure. This investment empowers the School to become a global leader in public health education and research.



The Bagchi School leverages Ahmedabad University's unique interdisciplinary environment and integrates research, education, and action. The Bagchi School will break new ground by prioritising rigorous structured Master's and PhD programmes in specific core public health disciplines. The School's flagship programme, a PhD in Epidemiology, equips students with the necessary advanced analytical as well as soft skills to tackle complex public health challenges, both ongoing and unforeseen. Initial focus area include Environmental Health, Analytical Methods for Health including Biostatistics and Data Science. This focus on specialisation and advanced analytical methods addresses a critical gap in India's public health education landscape.



Research will focus on discovering sustainable solutions to improve lifestyle, clinical practice, policy, and the environment. The School's action arm will translate research findings into innovative, evidence-based initiatives and policies. The Bagchi School also fosters collaboration through the Sahyog Centre for Promoting Health, established in partnership with the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA). This Centre empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to make healthy and eco-friendly choices.



The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmedabad University, Professor Pankaj Chandra, said, "It is a matter of pride for us that Ms Susmita Bagchi and Mr Subroto Bagchi chose our institution to implement their vision of creating knowledge and helping the underserved. Their support will help build global leaders in public health out of India. As a University promoting interdisciplinary research and education, this is a unique setting for public health faculty, practitioners, and students to significantly define our nation's health agenda."



Mr Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of Mindtree, author and public servant, commented, "COVID opened our eyes to the huge gap in the sphere of public health education and research in India. We reached out to Ahmedabad University, as we had had several previous interactions with them that deeply impressed us with regard to their vision, ability to foster and execute innovations, and their holistic approach to education and research."



Ms Susmita Bagchi, author and public servant, added, "Initially, we had funded a Chair so that the University could attract a highly respected, globally experienced academic who would develop a School of Public Health like a start-up. Professor Kaumudi Joshipura emerged as the ideal person for this role. With great leadership in place, we feel confident that the institution will create a legacy for at least the next 100 years, and we want to up our engagement."



The Dean of the Bagchi School of Public Health, Professor Kaumudi Joshipura remarked, "The School will focus on delivering high-quality rigorous education programmes, while simultaneously identifying and promoting no-cost, low-cost, and cost-saving interventions to help improve health, especially for the underprivileged segments of society. On behalf of the faculty, the current and future generations of students, and the communities that will benefit, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Subroto Bagchi and Ms Susmita Bagchi for their invaluable contribution in this endeavour."



About Ahmedabad University



Ahmedabad University is a private, non-profit research university that was established in 2009 by the Ahmedabad Education Society to offer a world-class academic experience in one of India's most vibrant cities. With a centrally located campus and internationally renowned faculty, it offers one of the most stimulating academic environments in the country. As part of its comprehensive curriculum, Ahmedabad University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies in areas such as engineering, humanities, management, natural sciences, and social sciences.



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New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) Apex IT industry body Nasscom has expressed deep disappointment and concern over Karnataka's quota-for-locals bill mandating reservation for locals in private sector, and has exhorted the state government to withdraw the bill.

Nasscom's strong note of dissent assumes significance as it adds to the growing chorus of top industry voices, which have warned that the legislation would erode the state's edge in technology, and reverse the progress made so far.

The IT industry body has sought an urgent meeting with state authorities to discuss the concerns and "prevent the state's progress from being derailed", the association said.

"Nasscom members are seriously concerned about the provisions of this bill and urge the state government to withdraw the bill. The bill's provisions threaten to reverse this progress, drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state," a Nasscom release said.

Stating that the tech sector contributes to 25 per cent of the state GDP, houses a quarter of the country's digital talent, has over 11,000 startups and 30 per cent of the total GCCs, Nasscom contended that the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce.

Globally, there is a huge shortage for skilled talent and Karnataka despite the large pool, is no exception, the industry body argued.

"In today's highly competitive landscape, knowledge-led businesses will locate where talent is as attracting skilled workers is crucial for success... For states to become a key technology hub a dual strategy is key - magnet for best talent worldwide and focussed investment in building a strong talent pool within the state through formal and vocational channels," it said.

The technology sector has been crucial to Karnatakas economic and social development, with Bengaluru known globally as India's Silicon Valley.

"The technology sector contributes almost 25 per cent of the state GDP and has played a key role in enabling higher growth for the state, higher per capita income than the national average. With over a quarter of Indias digital talent, the state houses over 30 per cent of the total GCCs and around 11,000 start-ups," it said.

Nasscom rued that it is "deeply disturbing" to see this kind of bill which will not only hamper the growth of the industry, but impact jobs and the global brand for the state.

The Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 was approved by the state cabinet on Monday, and it seeks to reserve 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent of non-management positions in the private sector for locals.

The Bill has triggered controversy and criticism from across industry. Industry veteran Mohandas Pai termed the Bill "very regressive", and "draconian".
Bengaluru, Jul 17 (PTI) The Congress government in Karnataka went on the defensive after an aggressive push for a '100 per cent reservation' for Kannadigas in the private sector operating in the state following a severe backlash from business honchos and tech tycoons.

The Ministers who approved the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024 in the Cabinet meeting on Monday assured industries not to have any fear or apprehensions as they would have more discussions on it.



The state Cabinet on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which makes it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.



"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty per cent of local candidates in management categories and seventy percent in non-management categories," the bill read.



If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificates with Kannada as a language, should pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency,' it added.



The nodal agency will have powers to call for any records information or documents in the possession of an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.



The government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer for the purposes of compliance of the provisions of the Act.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday deleted his post on 'X' about '100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas'.



He posted another message on the social media platform that the Cabinet approved the bill to fix 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries and other organisations.



On Tuesday, he had said, "The Cabinet meeting held yesterday (Monday) approved a bill to make recruitment of 100 per cent Kannadigas mandatory for "C and D" grade posts in all private industries in the state."

State Infrastructure Development and Medium and Heavy Industries Minister M B Patil said the government will have wider consultations to protect the interests of Kannadigas as well as the industries.



"Keeping the interests of Kannadigas paramount, I will discuss this issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, IT-BT Minister, Law Minister, and Labour Minister. We will have wider consultations. We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries," he said on 'X'



He said Karnataka is a progressive state, and the government cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialisation.





"We will make sure that everyone's interests are safeguarded. The Industries are assured that they need not have any fear or apprehensions and can rest assured," he said.



Reacting to the bill, state Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge said, "The Labour Minister (Santosh Lad) had suggested so (bill) and we will be having a wider consultation along with the department of industries and the IT."

He said, "We will put forth discussions with the industry as well. This I would like to assure the industry."



However, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar spoke in favour of the bill.





He told reporters here that the Congress came to power in Karnataka to uphold the dignity of Kannadigas, be it the issue of signboards of private establishments, Kannada flag, Kannada language, culture, documents or specific percentage of reservation in jobs for Kannadigas.

Shivakumar clarified that the government will not interfere in technical areas.



"If needed we will give an exemption for technicians," he added.

The industry criticised the bill, saying it was a regressive move showing shortsightedness.



"This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution. @Jairam_Ramesh Is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of private sector? People have to take a language test?" T V Mohandas Pai, former Chief Finance Officer of Infosys said on 'X'.



Biocon Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said, "As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy."

ASSOCHAM co-chairman R K Misra said on 'X', "Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short sighted."



The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) expressed disappointment and concern over Karnataka's new bill mandating reservation for locals in private sector jobs.



In a statement, it said, "Nasscom and its members are disappointed and express deep concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024."

"Restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce," it cautioned.

Karnataka's move is similar to a bill introduced by the Haryana government, mandating 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs to residents of the state. It was, however, struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 17, 2023.
Pinjore (Haryana), Jul 17 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday inaugurated the first phase of the modern apple, fruit, and vegetable market here and announced several benefits for welfare of farmers and traders.

To boost business in this market in Panchkula district, Saini announced reduction of market fees from 1 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

Besides, he also announced the expansion of the Haryana Mukhyamantri Kisan Evam Khetihar Mazdoor Jiwan Suraksha Yojana, 2013, increasing the upper age limit for the coverage under it from the current 10 to 65 years to 10 to 75 years.

Saini said previously, no compensation was provided to farmers and farm labourers for accidents caused by being hit by lightning, now such accidents will also be covered under this scheme.

He also said under the Atal Kisan Mazdoor Canteen scheme, the government has decided to open more canteens in the state to provide subsidised meals at Rs 10 per plate throughout the year to farmers and labourers.

So far, 48 canteens have been operational while over 50 more will be opened soon.

Regarding the Vivadon Ka Samadhan policy, he announced that no compound interest will be charged from all plot holders in the market yard and all outstanding amounts will be calculated at simple interest only.

Additionally, no penal interest will be charged if the instalment is paid within 20 days of the due date, he said, according to an official statement.

He also announced the abolition of Haryana Rural Development Fund fee on all fruits and vegetables and extended the Vivadon Ka Samadhan scheme till September 30, 2024.

Saini claimed that the apple, fruit, and vegetable market in Pinjore will be the largest modern market in Asia. Spread over 78 acres, the construction of this market will cost Rs 220 crore.

The first phase has been constructed at a cost of Rs 14.66 crore over 10 acres while the second phase is under progress and will be completed by December 31, 2024.

He said the establishment of this market will benefit fruit and vegetable farmers and traders of Haryana, as well as apple growers and traders from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Saini said an average of 210 lakh quintals of fruits and vegetables are brought to various markets in Haryana annually.

Currently, the largest apple market is in Sector 20, Panchkula.

Due to insufficient space in the Panchkula market, this large market is being established in Pinjore, he said.

Previously, Haryana's fruit traders brought fruits from Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir and sold them directly in Delhi. Now, with the establishment of this market, traders can buy and sell fruits and vegetables here, the statement said.

Saini said 77 shops and plots have been sold through e-auction in this market. The establishment of this market will provide modern facilities for the maintenance and trading of fruits and vegetables to traders and producers, he said.

Saini said Pinjore, being the gateway to Haryana from Himachal Pradesh, will become a major centre for apple trade.

Apple traders from Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir are in contact with the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board for apple trade, making Pinjore a central hub for apple trade, he said.

The CM further said a horticulture market is being established in Ganaur. Similarly, a flower market is being established in Gurugram while a spice market is being established in Sersa village in Sonipat, on about 16 acres of land at Rs 35 crore.

He said the BJP government has prioritised the interests of farmers. The government has stood by farmers in every situation, providing compensation for crop losses due to natural disasters, he said.

"From Beej se Bazaar, the government has provided all possible assistance to farmers. As a result, the state's grain production increased to over 184 lakh metric tons in 2022-23. It is a matter of pride that Haryana ranks second in contributing to the central grain reserve," he said.
New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) Delhi Industries Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday held a meeting with representatives of factory owners' associations from 27 industrial areas to discuss the government's plans to revamp those areas.

According to an official release, Bharadwaj said the Delhi Government is very serious about the development and maintenance of 27 unplanned industrial areas.

He mentioned that the government has been working with trade organisations for a long time to develop these areas and has come up with a scheme for their revamp. Under this scheme, 90 per cent of the costs associated with the layout plan for the development of these industrial areas will be borne by the Delhi Government, while 10 per cent will be borne by the factory owners..

During the meeting, Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI) Chairman Brijesh Goyal requested the minister to consider reducing the high fee for MCD map approvals in these 27 unplanned industrial areas. Goyal highlighted that there are 29 authorised industrial areas and 27 unplanned industrial areas in Delhi, the statement said.

Factory owners from these unplanned areas have requested the government to include the cost of MCD map approvals under the scheme..

Bharadwaj agreed to this demand and instructed officials to consider a policy where map approval fees are in line with the governments scheme, it added.

Vijay Virmani, the President of the Delhi Manufacturing Federation, who was also present in the meeting, said there are small factories in industrial areas like Dabri, Khayala, Hastsal, Nangli Sakravati, etc., where middle-class traders run their businesses..

He added that the development of these industrial areas will not only benefit the trader community but also promote industries, create new job opportunities, and improve Delhis economy.
Islamabad, Jul 17 (PTI) Pakistan's ruling PML-N party looked confused and its leaders sent mixed signals on the issue of banning jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, a move that has been criticised by friends and foes.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML) senior leaders were either trying to put up a boldface to justify the decision or playing safe by saying that the final word on banning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party was not out yet. The cracks in the party were also visible as a senior leader opposed the decision.

The Pakistan government on Monday decided to ban the PTI on charges of illegally receiving foreign funds, involvement in riots and its alleged involvement in "anti-state" activities. The government has also threatened to slap treason charges on 71-year-old Imran Khan as well as on former president Arif Alvi, 74, among others.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Wednesday that one member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) claimed that the summary to try PTI leaders for treason under Article 6 had already been moved to the Supreme Court.

Contrarily, another member suggested that the matter would be taken to Parliament after consultations. To top it off, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that no decision had been made in the first place, leaving everyone in limbo.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was seen trying to justify the ban at a press conference in his hometown, Sialkot. He defended the decision but elaborated that the decision would be placed before the Parliament after consulting all allied parties.

He said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar initiated discussions about banning the PTI.

However, a final decision would be taken only after consulting with the governments political allies, he said.

Dar put forth a different stance.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, he said that no decision to ban PTI had been made by the party yet, adding that such a decision would first be deliberated upon by the party leadership and then discussed with coalition partners.

We need to consult our leadership and allies. Any decision to ban PTI will be made in accordance with the law and Constitution, he said.

To add to the confusion, Talal Chaudhry, another PML-N leader, mentioned on a private TV channel that the anti-state reference against PTI leaders has been forwarded to the Supreme Court, where the matter would be decided.

Some PML-N are not in favour of the ban, showing differences within the party and a lack of consultation before the announcement was made.

Mian Javed Latif, a senior PML-N who is close to the Nawaz camp in the party, told a presser that banning a political party is not a viable solution.

National political parties are an asset, and weakening them is not in the best interest of the country, he said.

Another senior PML-N leader and former federal minister, Khurram Dastagir Khan, also opposed the decision and asserted that political parties should be fought in the political arena rather than through bans and legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, Dawn, in one of its reports, stated that it was not clear if former premier Nawaz Sharif, who is president of the PML-N, was fully behind the decision to ban the PTI, and the party is also keeping mum on it.

Nawaz Sharif has reluctantly agreed to the proposal to ban the PTI as he was told that his younger brothers government has to do it, a source close to the Sharif family told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said that although Nawaz Sharif, who held a meeting with a select group of leaders to discuss the matter, was advised by the partys legal experts that the governments decision to ban the PTI might not hold up in the Supreme Court and that a second thought should be given before making a final decision.

The stance of PML-N's key ally, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is also adding to the confusion. Apparently, the party has been trying to play safe by abstaining from taking a principled stance on the issue of PTI banning, citing concerns about the lack of a consultative process within the ruling coalition, of which they were a part, according to the Express tribune report.

PPP leaders statements were neither here nor there and they seem to suggest that the party had not taken a definitive position on the matter, indicating that it would wait to see which way the wind blows before deciding their position.

However, another coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q, advised the government to exercise restraint.

The government should not hasten in banning the PTI. (PML-Q chief) Chaudhry Shujaats stance on the issue is clear: the government will have to substantiate the reasons for the ban before the Supreme Court, a party spokesperson said.

Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Monday reacted sharply to the government's decision to ban the party, saying the move came out of desperation and is a sign of panic" within the federal administration.
Dubai, Jul 17 (AP) Two attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted ships in the Red Sea on Monday as a new US aircraft carrier approached the region to provide security for the key international trade route that has been under assault since the Israel-Hamas war erupted nine months ago.

Three small Houthi vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, attacked the Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned MT Bently I off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, according to British and American authorities.

The reported unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel," the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported. The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack."

The captain later reported three separate waves of missile attacks that exploded in close proximity to the vessel.

Later on Monday, in a separate incident off the same coast, the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged and Marshall Islands-owned oil tanker, was attacked by an uncrewed Houthi aerial vehicle, which impacted on the port side causing some damage and light smoke, the UKMTO said.

Both ships and all crew were reported safe, the UKMTO said in a warning to mariners.

Late Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bently I and Chios Lion.

Early Tuesday, the US Central Command confirmed the attacks and identified the names and flags of the ship.

This continued reckless behaviour by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a Central Command statement said. The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.

Also on Monday, the Central Command said U.S. forces destroyed five uncrewed Houthi aerial vehicles, three over the Red Sea and two in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is approaching the Middle East to replace the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, which spent months in the Red Sea to counter the Houthis.

The rebels have targeted more than 70 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign, killing four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November.

In June, the number of Houthi attacks on merchant vessels increased to levels not seen since December, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, a coalition which is overseen by the US Navy. US-led airstrikes have targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain, as part of the rebels' support for the militant group Hamas in its war against Israel. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war  including some bound for Iran, which backs the Houthis.

Last week, the Houthis said they launched missiles at a US-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, marking what authorities acknowledged as the rebels' longest-range attack yet on a US-flagged vessel near the Arabian Sea. The JMIC identified the ship as the Maersk Sentosa. Maersk, a Danish firm that is the world's biggest shipping company, confirmed to The Associated Press that its vessel had been targeted. (AP) SCY

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Dubai/Muscat, Jul 17 (PTI) An Indian national was among six people killed in a rare shooting attack by Islamic State militant group near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman's capital.

The shooting on Monday night near the Imam Ali Mosque also claimed the lives of one policeman and four Pakistan nationals, while injuring 28 others.

"Following the shooting incident reported in Muscat city on July 15, Foreign Ministry of Sultanate of Oman has informed that one Indian national has lost his life & another is injured," Embassy of India in Muscat posted on X Tuesday.

"Embassy offers its sincere condolences & stands ready to offer all assistance to the families," it said.

The three attackers were also killed by security forces during the incident in the al-Wadi al-Kabir area on Monday night, according to a statement.

Pakistan said four Pakistanis were among those killed in a "terrorist attack" on the Imam Ali Mosque. India also said one of its citizens was killed.

The Islamic State (ISIS) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The ISIS has repeatedly targeted Shia ceremonies, processions and worshippers in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it has never before claimed an attack in Oman, where the Shia are a minority.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Japan will continue to provide support that contributes to achieving Uzbekistans development goals as well as reaching out to the people most in need as a trustworthy and reliable partner, Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan Takashi Hatori told Trend in an exclusive interview.

"Japan and Uzbekistan have developed strong bilateral relations based on friendship and mutual trust. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, Japan has been supporting Uzbekistan's open and stable development in various areas such as economic infrastructure improvement, health and medical care, education, agriculture, and human resources development," he said.

Takashi Hatori noted that Japan has been implementing various projects in the fields of health and medical care in Uzbekistan for many years.

"Uzbekistan focuses on health system improvement and capacity building of medical professionals to bring its medical services up to world-class standards. Japans economic cooperation projects are in line with the priorities of Uzbekistan, which provide much-needed assistance to the people," he said.

The ambassador highlighted the provision of the mobile medical container as an example of Japans cooperation with Uzbekistan. In August 2022, Japan handed over three CT scanners and one mobile medical container to medical institutions in Uzbekistan. They have been well utilized and have gained high praise from medical professionals and patients.

"On July 2, Japan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement for the new project, which builds on the success of our previous project. Under the project, we are planning to procure four additional mobile medical containers, enabling us to cover whole regions of Uzbekistan," Takashi Hatori stressed.

He emphasized that another example of Japans cooperation in the health and medical sector in Uzbekistan is the provision of medical equipment to the University Clinic of Karakalpakstan Medical Institute. Under the project, sets of medical equipment such as CT scanners, mobile clinics, and portable X-rays, including products from Japanese companies, were provided. In addition, Japan provided medical simulators for the training of medical personnel.

"Japan and Uzbekistan have enjoyed a close partnership and fruitful cooperation in various fields. Regarding the areas of focus that Japan and Uzbekistan plan to work together on, we will develop cooperation in line with a new model emphasizing Investment in People and Quality of Growth, which was confirmed at the 9th Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Central Asia plus Japan Dialogue held in Tokyo in December 2022," the ambassador added.

As he noted, in order to strengthen Uzbekistan's industrial competitiveness and to expand employment opportunities, Japan will provide support for the promotion of sectors with comparative advantages (horticulture, livestock, and tourism), foreign investment promotion, business human resources development, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) promotion, and technological innovation.

Takashi Hatori stressed that Japan will also aim to develop industrial human resources by utilizing employment opportunities in the country. Areas such as health and medical care, education, green growth, and the and the promotion of interregional cooperation in Central Asia continue to be priority areas of cooperation.

"In addition to official development assistance projects, we have observed many positive developments in our relationship, not only at the government level but also among the private sector, academic institutions, and local governments. The "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue Summit Meeting is scheduled to be held this year. We would like to take this opportunity to expand cooperation with Uzbekistan in an even wider range of fields," the ambassador added.

Meanwhile, the trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Japan reached $188.2 million from January through May 2024. This figure indicates a 162 percent increase compared to the same period last year ($71.7 million in JanuaryMay 2023).
Baku (Azerbaijan), Jul 17 (AP) The head of upcoming climate negotiations told world leaders Wednesday that a new financial aid package for poor and disaster-struck nations is the urgent, make-or-break goal of United Nations talks this fall.

Time lost is lives, livelihoods and the planet lost, said Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijan ecology minister and president-designate of November climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the same time, Simon Stiell, the United Nations' top climate official, made an emotional plea for a stepped-up fight against the growing cost of unchecked climate carnage  from his hurricane-demolished hometown of Carriacou, Grenada, in some of the first video from the devastated island.

Beryl is yet more painful proof, Stiell, executive secretary of the UN's climate agency, said from the remnants of a neighbour's house that had lost its roof and walls. Every year fossil fuel-driven climate costs are an economic wrecking ball hitting billions of households and small businesses. If governments everywhere don't step up, every economy and 8 billion people will face this blunt-force trauma head-on on a continuous basis.

Beryl, a record-breaking storm that rapidly intensified, destroyed or severely damaged 98% of the island's homes with devastation that has become all too familiar to hundreds of millions of people all around the world," Stiell said.

He noted this year's four-figure death toll from heat in India, more than 1,000 dead from heat in Saudi Arabia during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and millions of people left without power during a brutal heat wave in Texas in calling global warming a national security threat to every country.

Stiell cited a scientific study saying the world is locked in to a yearly $38 trillion economic hit from climate change, saying it puts poorer countries into a spiral of debt that prevents them from providing education or health care or digging out of the financial hole from disasters.

That's at the heart of two of key issues to be discussed in November in climate negotiations in Azerbaijan. In his letter to world leaders, negotiations president-designate Babayev said a new international goal for climate financial aid from rich to poor countries is the centerpiece and most pressing issue.

Governments have to agree on a new goal to improve upon the annual $100 billion that rich countries once pledged to give to poorer nations to help them move to less carbon polluting economies. Countries promised in 2009 they'd hit that $100 billion a year mark by 2020. They finally reached it earlier this year.

Meetings in Germany in June to lay the groundwork for some kind of new money agreement didn't get the "necessary progress'' needed, Babayev wrote.

In a statement, Babayev said his country can help build a bridge between rich and poor "but we all need to walk across it. In fact, we need to start running."

So Babayev is asking the head climate negotiators from many countries to come to Azerbaijan later this month for an informal retreat to push things along. He's also asked veteran negotiators from Denmark and Egypt to chart the path toward a new agreed-upon financial aid goal.

On top of financial aid for decarbonization, there's a fund agreed to in 2022 and enacted in 2023 called loss and damage. It is a version of reparations from wealthy nations that burn more heat-trapping fossil fuels than less developed nations, like Grenada, that not only don't use as much carbon but get hit with a disproportionate share of climate-related disasters.

Babayev said another goal is to get the loss-and-damage fund moving so it can pay out "much needed and long-awaited funds as soon as possible.

The only way out of this is together, Stiell said from Carriacou. What the climate crisis did to my grandmother's house must not become humanity's new normal. We can still prevent that." (AP)

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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Dhaka, Jul 17 (PTI) Authorities at the premier Dhaka University on Wednesday announced an indefinite closure of the institution after ongoing protests demanding reforms in the quota system in government jobs turned violent and left at least six people, including three students, dead across the country.

The students have been asked to vacate their dormitories by 6 pm on Wednesday.

This decision was taken at an emergency syndicate meeting at the office of Vice Chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal, Pro-VC (Academic) Prof Sitesh C Bachar was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

"Considering the security of the students, we have decided to close the university indefinitely and evacuate the halls," Bachar told The Daily Star.

However, students of the university are protesting the decision, and they have thronged the VC's residence, the report added.

At least six people, including three students, were killed and more than 100 others injured on Tuesday after protesters demanded quota reforms in public service and clashed with police in major cities across Bangladesh, forcing the closure of schools and colleges.

The High Court on June 5 declared illegal a 2018 government circular that abolished quotas in government jobs, and on July 10, the Supreme Court issued a status quo on the High Court judgement.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) directed all universities to suspend academic activities until further notice and instructed students to leave residential halls.

In response, an urgent meeting of Dhaka University's highest policy making body, the syndicate, was convened on Wednesday.

The UGC's directive followed a series of clashes that erupted during the quota reform protests.

The clashes, however, erupted on Monday as activists of ruling Awami Leagues student front confronted the protestors who insist the existing quota system was largely debarring the enrolment of meritorious students in government services.

Demonstrators accused the ruling partys student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League of attacking their peaceful protests with backing from police.

The protesters blockaded highways and railway routes in four major cities: central Dhaka, northwestern Rajshahi, southwestern Khulna, and the major port city Chattogram.

Police fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets as university students battled with counter-protesters armed with sticks and brickbats.

Rival student groups marched in several key locations around the capital Dhaka, some throwing bricks at each other, with traffic in the city of 20 million almost ground to a halt.

Students of the premier Dhaka University took the lead in the latest one-week protests for recruitment in first- and second-class government jobs, demanding seats to be filled based on talent reforming the existing quota system.

Under the existing system, 30 per cent of jobs are reserved for descendants of 1971 Liberation War veterans, 10 per cent for administrative districts, 10 per cent for women, five per cent for ethnic minority groups and one per cent for physically handicapped people.

Every year, 3,000 government jobs open up to nearly 400,000 graduates.
London, Jul 17 (PTI) Britains former home secretary, Priti Patel, is expected to contest the Conservative Party leadership race to replace Rishi Sunak as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons.

According to UK media reports, the 52-year-old British Indian member of Parliament is considering throwing her hat in the ring after she won her Witham, Essex, seat with a comfortable margin even as her party suffered its worst defeat in the general election earlier this month.

Sunak, 44, had announced his resignation on July 5 as the Labour Party landslide win unfolded and will attend the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday as interim Opposition Leader until the election process for his successor has been finalised by the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs.

Priti has kept a low profile and done her best to support others, she feels colleagues also need time to digest the general election result and dont want posturing in the media from prospective candidates, The Daily Telegraph quoted a source close to the senior Tory MP as saying.

She has quietly put a team together, as many colleagues from different sides of the party have over the past week urged her to run and she now has key MP supporters and campaign staff in place including some high profile Conservative donors, the source added.

Patel, who also served as Indian Diaspora Champion in former prime minister David Camerons government, swore her oath as a re-elected MP in the House of Commons on the Bible last week.

It is an honour to once again be elected to Parliament by the great people of the Witham constituency, and it was a privilege to swear the Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty the King, Patel said in a statement on social media.

I will continue to be a strong and vocal advocate for our beautiful part of Essex and stand up for our values, she said.

Patel, whose parents are of Gujarati-Ugandan descent, has served as international development secretary and home secretary in former Tory Cabinets under Theresa May and Boris Johnson. She was conferred a Damehood in the latter's resignation honours list, moving to the backbenches under Rishi Sunaks premiership and often voicing criticism of his governments high taxation policies.

As part of her leadership plans, Patel is believed to have appointed a treasurer for her campaign and former Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) staff with experience of past leadership elections. She is also expected to have lined up several high-profile donors who have given money to the party in the past during the leaderships of Johnson and Cameron.

If she joins the fray to take over from Sunak, she is likely to face competition from other former Cabinet ministers including fellow Indian-origin colleague Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick. The frontrunner in the race until now has been seen as shadow minister Kemi Badenoch, with Tom Tugendhat among the other shadow ministers expected to contest.

The 1922 Committee, meanwhile, has elected Bob Blackman as its new chair who has said that the group would be finalising the guidelines for the leadership contest in the coming weeks.
Islamabad, Jul 17 (PTI) Pakistan on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with the Afghan interim government over the deadly terrorist attack this week at a key military cantonment, reiterating its call for "decisive action" against militants hiding in the neighbouring nation.

The terror attack on the Bannu Cantonment in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday killed eight soldiers and injured many others. Security forces also killed all 10 terrorists who launched the attack at the major military cantonment.

The terrorists' failed attempt to attack the facility forced them to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the cantonment, leading to the collapse of a portion of the wall and damaging the adjoining infrastructure.

The Deputy Head of Mission of the Afghan embassy, Sardar Muhammad Shakib, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver Pakistans strong demarche over the deadly terrorist attack, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Bannu Cantonment attack is yet another reminder of the serious threat posed by terrorism to regional peace and security," it said.

"Pakistan reiterates the call for decisive action against terrorism and remains steadfast in its commitment to combat this menace and to uphold its security against all threats, it said.

The Foreign Office said the terrorist attack was carried out by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group based in Afghanistan, which, along with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials in multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

It urged the interim Afghan government to fully investigate and take immediate, robust and effective action against the perpetrators of the Bannu attack and prevent the recurrence of such attacks against Pakistan using the territory of Afghanistan.

The Foreign Office said such incidents also go against the spirit of bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.

It also reiterated serious concerns over the presence of terror outfits inside Afghanistan that continue to threaten Pakistans security.

Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns with the interim Afghan government, asking them to deny the persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and take effective action against such elements.

But so far, little has been done as Kabul rejects the presence of terrorists on its soil.

Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities over the past year, particularly in regions like Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the cessation of a ceasefire between the government and the banned TTP militant group in November 2022.

Last week, Islamabad reiterated its stance against engaging in talks with the TTP and called for Kabul's action against terrorists operating from Afghan territory.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies' annual security report, violence and casualties in Pakistan saw a notable decline in the second quarter of 2024. The report said there was a 12 per cent reduction in overall violence, with 380 fatalities reported compared to 432 in the preceding quarter.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were identified as the epicentres of violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of fatalities and 84 per cent of all attacks involving both terrorist incidents and security force responses.
London, Jul 17 (PTI) King Charles III on Wednesday outlined the new Labour government's legislative plans for the year ahead at the State Opening of Parliament, days after the UK's landmark general election.

The Kings Speech, setting out the parliamentary agenda of the newly elected Labour Party government, included nearly 40 pieces of legislation as well as other policy priorities that Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to implement.

The key highlights of the speech focus on economic growth, housebuilding and nationalisation of railways with measures focused on creating wealth in every corner of the country and improving the living standards of working people''.

My governments legislative programme will be mission-led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all, the 75-year-old monarch said, reading out the customary speech drafted by the government.

Securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission. My government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost of living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities, he noted.

Earlier, King Charles and Queen Camilla rode in a horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster in London as part of the pomp and pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament.

In a tradition dating back centuries, the British monarch wore a bejewelled Imperial State Crown and Robe of State as he delivered the address marking the first day of a new parliamentary session.

The monarch, in his capacity as Head of State, arrived at the Sovereigns Entrance to Parliament and subsequently led the royal procession to the chamber of the House of Lords where a senior officer known as Black Rod summoned members of the House of Commons into the Lords Chamber to listen to the speech.

Ahead of that, the royal bodyguards ceremonially searched the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives, commemorating the gunpowder plot of 1605  a failed attempt by English Catholics to blow up the Protestant King James I and Parliament.

In keeping with that tradition, one member of Parliament is always ceremonially held hostage in Buckingham Palace while the Sovereign attends Parliament, to ensure the Kings safe return. This role fell upon the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Samantha Dixon MP, a government Whip.

Before entering the Commons chamber, the door is shut in Black Rods face and the official strikes the door three times before it is opened. This practice symbolises the independence of the House of Commons from the monarchy.

Once the King and Queen left the chamber, marking an end to the regal aspects of the occasion, the new parliamentary session formally began with both the House of Commons and Lords beginning to debate the contents of the speech for several days before it could be voted on.

The government has said that its package of bills focuses on growing the economy through speeding up the building of houses and infrastructure, improving transport, creating more jobs and securing clean, green energy  helping to make every part of the country better off.

Among the key pieces of legislation proposed by the new Labour government, all new tax and spending changes must legally be assessed by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)  aimed at over-riding scenarios such as the disastrous mini-budget tabled by former prime minister Liz Truss which sent financial markets into freefall in September 2022.

A liberalisation of the planning laws to "get Britain building" and an employment rights bill have also been tabled, alongside plans to increase the devolution to mayors and combined authorities across England.

A new Great British Rail to govern the train system and Great British Energy as a publicly-owned clean power company to accelerate investment in renewable energy are among the other bills to be tabled.

Fulfilling the partys manifesto commitments, Starmer has proposed reforms to the House of Lords to reduce the size of the chamber. One of former prime minister Rishi Sunaks dropped pieces of legislation, a rolling ban on smoking for youngsters, has been revived by the new government.
Colombo, Jul 17 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday proposed appointing a committee to oversee the personal security arrangements of candidates who would be vying in the upcoming presidential election, days after an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump.

The committee will be chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and will also include the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Chief of National Intelligence and the Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police in charge of Elections.

A press release said a Cabinet paper submitted by Wickremesinghe aims to ensure the safety of the candidates.

However, the date for the much-awaited presidential election in Sri Lanka will be announced by the end of this month. The announcement of the date will come amid uncertainty created by petitions filed in the Supreme Court which the opposition has dubbed as the governments moves to dodge the election.

President Wickremesinghe has noted that there is a pressing need to ensure the personal security of the candidates for the forthcoming presidential election.

The proposal comes in the light of recent attacks on former US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler Pennsylvania highlighting the pressing need for security measures, the release said.

The announcement came as the independent election commission assumed power on Wednesday to name the election date for the election which must be held between September 17 September and October 16.

The President has further proposed to direct the IGP to nominate a police officer, not below the rank of DIG to coordinate all matters related to the personal security of presidential candidates and the former Presidents during the presidential election.

Wickremesinghe, the incumbent is yet to announce his candidature while the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the leader of the third force the Marxist JVPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake both have announced their intent to contest.

Sri Lanka has seen a presidential candidate assassinated in the 1994 election and five years later the incumbent Chandrika Kumaratunga survived a suicide bomb attack losing an eye.

Both attacks were blamed on the LTTE, the Tamil separatist group.
Vijfhuizen (Netherlands), Jul 17 (AP) Relatives of passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine gathered on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives, over half of whom were Dutch.

Families of the victims blamed Russian-backed rebels for the missile that took down the plane, but Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility. In 2022, a Dutch court convicted in absentia two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist for their role in the jet's downing.

Commemoration services took place in the Netherlands, Australia and the site of the crash in the Russia-controlled part of the Donetsk region, as the war in Ukraine raged on.

Hundreds of family members  set to read out the names of all the victims  joined the Dutch king, politicians and diplomats at an event at a memorial in the Netherlands close to Schiphol, the airport the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777 departed from on July 17, 2014.

Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus represented his country at the Dutch memorial site, where 298 trees were planted to commemorate each victim and sunflowers, like those that grew at the crash site, were sowed.

Today we remain unwavering in our determination to ensure truth, justice and accountability for the victims and their loved ones, Dreyfus said.

Many of the families arriving for the service also carried sunflowers, laying them next to trees. Flags of the countries that lost citizens hung at half-staff next to a field of blooming sunflowers.

Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof quoted a poem on loss called Come Back by Toon Tellegen and pledged to keep on the fight to hold accountable those responsible.

And I know it too: justice takes time, he said. But we have the time. And the patience. And the perseverance. That is my message to the guilty parties, and my promise to you.

The ceremony in Australia was held at the Parliament House in Canberra.

I don't think anyone intended to bring down a passenger plane. So in that sense, I'm heartbroken that the (Ukraine) conflict continues, Paul Guard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. His parents, Roger and Jill Guard were among 38 Australian citizens and permanent residents killed.

But I think that a lot of families would really have just liked an acknowledgment that what happened was wrong and that Russia should not have been waging war, the son added.

At the crash site in the village of Hrabov, several dozen local residents brought flowers, stuffed animals and even a model airplane to a small memorial stone installed in a field near where some of the wreckage was found. Some struggled to hold back tears, recalling the explosion that shattered windows in their homes and bodies falling from the sky. It hurts, one woman said. I feel sorry for the people."

At the time, a Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile was fatefully launched from a pro-Russia rebel-held border region. Much of the debris landed in fields that are currently under the Russian military's control.

Although the court formally found Russian puppets guilty, the Kremlin authorities led by Putin and his accomplices are behind this crime, Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement published on Facebook.

Russia continues to be pursued under international law by the Netherlands in the European Court of Human Rights and by Australia and the Netherlands jointly through the International Civil Aviation Organization Council, or ICAO, over its alleged role in bringing down MH17.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Wednesday's service in Canberra that she was appalled that Russia had withdrawn from the ICAO proceedings in June.

The case will continue and we will not be deterred in our commitment to hold Russia to account, Wong told the gathering that included foreign diplomats.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Wong's remarks, reiterating that Moscow's position on the matter is well known. He said: No arguments from the Russian side were taken into account, we did not participate in the investigation, and therefore our attitude to these conclusions is well known.

Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin said that in Russia, the downing of the MH17 was at first subjected to an unscrupulous, unbridled propaganda game  with straight-up lies, and now they try not to talk about it at all.

Ten years have passed, and in Russia, I believe, nothing (is being said) about this, Oreshkin told The Associated Press in an interview from Riga, Latvia.

The Netherlands was home to 196 of the victims while 38 hailed from Australia. Victims also came from Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, the United States and South Africa.

An international investigation initiated in the U.N. Security Council by the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia concluded that the Buk missile system that destroyed MH17 belonged to the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. The investigation concluded the missile was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down.

Malaysia reiterated its commitment to seek justice and hold those responsible for the tragedy accountable.

The Government of Malaysia is resolute that the process must pursue truth, justice and accountability, the transport ministry said in a statement. (AP) GSP
Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS.













BOM6 MH-RSS WEEKLY-NCP-BJP

* RSS-linked weekly blames tie-up with Ajit-led NCP for BJP's poor show in LS polls









Mumbai: A Marathi weekly linked to the RSS has sought to blame the NCP for the BJP's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, stating that public sentiments completely went against the saffron party after it joined hands with the Ajit Pawar-led outfit. *















BOM12 MH-PORSCHE CRASH-PANEL

* Porsche case: Panel seeks action against JJB members for 'procedural lapses' in bail to minor





Pune: The panel probing the conduct of two Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members in connection with the bail given to the minor accused in the Pune Porsche crash case has recommended disciplinary action against them for "procedural lapses", an official said on Wednesday. *







BOM11 MH-IAS OFFICER-BUNGALOW

* After civic notice, illegal structure cleared near Puja Khedkars family house: Official







Pune: An illegal structure near trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkars family bungalow in Pune has been cleared, days after the civic body issued them a notice to remove it, an official said on Wednesday. *















BOM5 MH-JOBSEEKERS-STAMPEDE

* Stampede-like situation near Mumbai airport as thousands turn up for job vacancies





Mumbai: A stampede-like situation occurred near the Mumbai airport where thousands of job aspirants gathered to apply for a limited number of vacancies for the post of loader at the facility, police said on Wednesday. *















BOM7 MH-MUMBAI METRO

* Mumbai's first underground Metro line to start from July 24, says BJP's Tawde





Mumbai: Mumbai's first underground Metro rail corridor, known as Metro Line 3, will start operating from July 24, Bharatiya Janata Party's general secretary Vinod Tawde said on Wednesday. *















BOM8 MH-NCB-DRUGS-ARREST

* NCB arrests man wanted in Rs 60 crore mephedrone seizure case



Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested a key member of a drug syndicate it busted last month after seizing mephedrone valued at about Rs 60 crore in Navi Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday. *















BOM4 MH-PANDHARPUR-SHINDE

* Shinde performs puja in Pandharpur on 'Ashadhi Ekadashi', prays for abundant rain



Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday performed puja at a temple in Pandharpur town of Solapur district on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi'. *















BOM14 MH-WAGH NAKH-MINISTER

* Shivaji's 'wagh nakh' being brought from London to get rousing welcome: Minister







Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai has said the 'wagh nakh' or tiger claw-shaped weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji will be brought to Satara on Friday and accorded a grand welcome. *















BOM2 MH-QUOTA-VBA

* Prakash Ambedkar to launch yatra over quota issue from July 25





Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will hold the 'Aarakshan Bachao Janyatra' on the reservation issue in parts of Maharashtra from July 25, party chief Prakash Ambedkar said. *

















BES7 MH-NCP-RESIGNATION

* Pimpri-Chinchwad chief of NCP quits party







Pune: In a setback to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavhane has quit the party along with two former corporators from the township near Pune. *
Gadchiroli, July 17 (PTI) At least 12 Naxalites were killed and two security personnel injured in an encounter with police and commandos in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra near the Chhattisgarh border on Wednesday, officials said.

The heavy exchange of fire broke out in the afternoon between C60 commandos and Naxals in Wandoli village and continued for six hours, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Nilotpal said.

Police have recovered 12 bodies of Maoists from the spot besides seven automotive weapons, including 3 AK-47s, 2 INSAS rifles, a carbine and an SLR, he said.

One of the slain Naxals was identified as DVCM Laxman Atram alias Vishal Atram, incharge of Tipagad Dalam.

Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has declared a Rs 51 lakh reward for C60 commando teams and Gadchiroli Police, Nilotpal said.

Further identification of Maoists and area search is continuing.

"The injured persons include a sub-inspector of C 60 and one jawan. They are out of danger, evacuated from the spot, and shifted to Nagpur," the SP added.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 17. Uzbekistan and the US discussed financing infrastructure projects aimed at developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), Trend reports.

The matter was reviewed at a meeting between Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriev with Acting Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) Helaina Matza.

During the meeting, the sides reviewed the implementation of projects aimed at the development of transport and logistics infrastructure and the attraction of private financing to these processes.

In particular, the parties discussed developing multimodal logistics centers and A-class warehouses in Uzbekistan's regions, increasing the capacity of some railway stations.

Meanwhile, the acting Special Coordinator for the PGI, Helaina Matza, is traveling to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on July 1419 to advance the ongoing US-led efforts to facilitate strategic infrastructure investments in the Middle Corridor.

During the visit to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, she will meet with government officials and private sector partners to discuss potential infrastructure projects and financing opportunities.
Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday performed puja at a temple in Pandharpur town of Solapur district on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi'.

He prayed to Lord Vitthal for abundant rain in the state that would help farmers, a statement from Shinde's office said.

The CM performed the puja along with his wife Lata Shinde.



As a long-standing tradition, the chief minister of Maharashtra offers prayers at the famous temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini in Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi every year.



Warkari couple Balu Ahire and Ashabai, hailing from Nashik, performed the ritual alongside CM Shinde in the early hours of Wednesday.





Lakhs of 'warkaris' (devotees of Lord Vitthal) congregated in Pandharpur from different parts of Maharashtra and neighbouring states for the celebration.

On Tuesday, Shinde said the development of Pandharpur temple town will be carried out only after consulting residents, ensuring no decision is imposed on them.



He stressed on the need for a comprehensive development of the town.



Notably, the Mahayuti government is planning to develop Pandharpur on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.
Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) A Marathi weekly linked to the RSS has sought to blame the NCP for the BJP's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, stating that public sentiments completely went against the saffron party after it joined hands with the Ajit Pawar-led outfit.

According to it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members and others it interacted with said they did not approve of the party's move of joining hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). It added that the unrest among the party cadre was just the "tip of the iceberg".

It also said that coordination and the importance given to party workers in decision-making and governance helped the BJP sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP's seat tally in Maharashtra came down to nine from 23. Its ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won seven seats, while another Mahayuti constituent - Ajit Pawar's NCP could just bag one. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, performed better by together winning 30 out of the 48 seats.

The weekly, Vivek, linked to the BJP's ideological fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has published an article based on an informal survey of over 200 people from Mumbai, Konkan, and western Maharashtra. It states the reasons behind the BJP's loss in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Almost every person who is either in the BJP or affiliated to organisations (Sangh Parivar) cited that he does not approve of BJP allying with the NCP (led by Ajit Pawar). Before writing this piece, we interacted with more than 200 industrialists, traders, doctors, professors and teachers. The unrest among the party cadre because the BJP allied with the NCP is the tip of the iceberg," it said.

The BJP's alliance with Shiv Sena was always perceived as natural because of the common thread of Hindutva, irrespective of some minor complaints against each other. People accepted the then MVA minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, which brought down the government. The BJP later supported Shinde, and the MLAs backed him in forming the government, making him the state chief minister, the article said.

A year later, the then leader of the opposition Ajit Pawar claimed the support of his party MLAs and workers and joined the state government as the deputy chief minister. The Election Commission of India (ECI) and legislative assembly speaker later upheld his claims.

"However, the sentiments went totally against the party (BJP) after it joined hands with NCP. The question also arises about the future plans of the party when political arithmetic went against it because of NCP," it added.

The BJP got the image of inducting leaders from other parties, completely ignoring the organisational process of grooming leaders, which in the past existed and benefited in the form of Atal Bihari Vajpayee or at the state level with Gopinath Munde, Pramod Mahajan, Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis. All of them were humble party workers and later became leaders, and they always knew this fact, the article said.

It made an indirect reference to state BJP functionary Shweta Shalini's legal notice to YouTuber Bhau Torsekar, who propagates Hindutva ideology through his channel. In one of the recent posts, he made a critical remark against Shalini, following which she issued a legal notice to him. However, she later withdrew it.

"The opposition created a perception that original party workers will always remain humble while turncoats will get plum postings. The action of some people against those who propagate Hindutva on social media also increased the unrest among the party workers. The workers also started wondering whether their opinions have any value within the party or not," the article said.

The weekly also underscored the limited acceptance of the Ram temple and the sacrifice of the RSS and BJP workers during the Emergency.

"There is no doubt about the sacrifice of party workers during the Emergency period as well as for the Ram temple movement. How much does it resonate with educated people under the age of 45 when it comes to voting? Even if the person is pro-Hindutva, he would not feel any connection with the incidents that took place three to four decades back," the article said.

It also credited coordination and the importance given to party workers in decision-making and governance with the BJP's success in Madhya Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP won all 29 Lok Sabha seats in that state.

After the Lok Sabha polls results were declared on June 4, RSS-linked magazine 'Organiser' had said the polls outcome came as a "reality check for overconfident" BJP workers and many of its leaders as they were happy in their "bubble" and enjoying the glow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aura but not listening to the voices on the streets.

An article in the magazine also noted that though the RSS is not a "field force" of the BJP, the party leaders and workers did not reach out to its 'swayamsevaks' (volunteers) seeking their cooperation in electoral work.
Jammu, Jul 17 (PTI) Security forces and terrorists exchanged fire twice briefly within a span of four hours in a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, officials said on Wednesday.

They said the firing was first reported at Kalaan Bhata at 10.45 pm on Tuesday and then near Panchan Bhata at 2 am during the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in the Desa forest area, where four Army personnel were killed in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

There are no reports of any casualties in the latest exchanges of fire. Taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick foliage, the terrorists managed to slip away, the officials said.

Troops of Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a joint cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town, late on Monday evening following information about the presence of terrorists.

Despite the challenging terrain and weather conditions, efforts are underway to track down and neutralise the militants who have links with the banned Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the officials said.

The Army, along with para commandos and aerial support from drones and helicopters, is intensifying its search operation to eliminate the terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and taken refuge in the forest area.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Army had said it had been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who had infiltrated from across the border and were moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.

"All formations of the Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue," the Army had said.
New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) A special court in Patna on Wednesday sent the key accused in the NEET-UG paper-leak case, who allegedly stole the exam paper from a trunk of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, to the CBI's custody for 14 days, officials said.

During its custody of accused Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya till July 30, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to question him on his alleged role, his linkages with other gang members, the payments received and his local contacts who were involved in the entire theft process, the officials added.

Kumar's alleged accomplice, Raju Singh, was sent to the federal agency's custody for 10 days (till July 25) on Tuesday.

The CBI has arrested Kumar, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur, for allegedly stealing the NEET-UG paper from the NTA's trunk in Hazaribagh, the officials said.

Kumar, a resident of Bokaro, was arrested from Patna, they said.

The agency also arrested Singh from Hazaribagh for allegedly helping Kumar steal the paper, they added.

Singh was arrested after detailed questioning, the officials said, adding that the agency has "temporarily sealed" the Raj Guest House in Hazaribagh in connection with the case.

The CBI has also arrested from Hazaribagh Jamaluddin Ansari, a journalist with a Hindi newspaper, the Oasis school's principal, Ehsanul Haque, and vice-principal Imtiaz Alam. Haque and Alam were reportedly designated as coordinators by the NTA in the district.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOU) of the Bihar Police had earlier said the leaked question paper of the National-Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) was allegedly obtained from the Oasis school in Hazaribagh by the notorious Sanjeev Kumar alias Lutan Mukhiya solver gang.

It had said the investigators had matched a partially-burnt question paper found from a Patna safe house with a reference question paper provided by the NTA, confirming the leak's origin.

However, it could not clearly establish who was behind the alleged paper leak, the officials said.

In interviews with the media, Haque has maintained that the box carrying the question papers could not be opened as its digital lock, which was supposed to unlock automatically, malfunctioned.

Following this, he contacted the NTA, which asked him to use a cutter to open the box, he has said.

The CBI, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical-entrance exam, has lodged six FIRs. The FIR from Bihar pertains to paper leak while the remaining ones from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are regarding impersonation of candidates and cheating.

The agency's own FIR on a reference from the Union education ministry pertains to a "comprehensive investigation" into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024.

The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. This year, the exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test.
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday met ministers from the state at his residence here to discuss the upcoming Assembly bypolls in 10 constituencies.

The floods in the state, which have so far affected more than 700 villages across 17 districts, were also discussed during the meeting.

The meeting comes weeks after the Lok Sabha elections in which the ruling BJP performed poorly. The party was reduced to 33 seats, a drop of 29 seats from 2019.

The INDIA bloc gained ground with the Samajwadi Party (SP) securing a win on 37 seats, a jump of 32 seats as compared to 2019, and the Congress winning on six seats.

"The meeting today was especially held to discuss the upcoming elections and we will win all the 10 assembly seats where by-elections are to be held," Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said after the meeting.

All the Uttar Pradesh cabinet ministers and ministers of state were present in the meeting, sources said.

Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, who also attended the meeting, said "discussions were held on floods along with developmental works".

The 10 assembly seats, which are set to go to bypolls, are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur Nagar), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Nine of the 10 seats fell vacant after the MLAs resigned following their victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Prominent among these seats was Karhal (Mainpuri), which fell vacant after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav resigned following his elections to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.

SP's Irfan Solanki's Sisamau assembly seat in Kanpur Nagar was declared vacant following his disqualification in view of his seven-year imprisonment by MP/MLA court.
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said the party is bigger than the government, a cryptic remark on X that has fuelled speculation over a "rift" in the BJP state unit.

"The organisation is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organisation, the workers are the pride," the post shared by the office of the deputy CM on X said.

It quoted a part of Maurya's address during the BJP's working committee meeting in Lucknow on Sunday. The post also had a picture of the meeting in the backdrop.

"The organisation was bigger than the government and will always be bigger. The doors of my residence at 7 Kalidas Marg are open to everyone. I am Deputy Chief Minister later but first I am a worker," Maurya said in the meeting.

He also urged all the ministers, MLAs, and public representatives to respect party workers.

The post comes a day after Maurya met BJP president J P Nadda in New Delhi amidst rumours of an alleged rift between him and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Neither the BJP nor Maurya said anything about the meeting while senior BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, have also remained mum.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged "infighting" in the BJP and claimed it was harming people's welfare.

"In this fight for power, it is the people of Uttar Pradesh who are suffering," Yadav told reporters at the SP headquarters here earlier in the day.
Chandigarh, Jul 17 (PTI) Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested two persons with 7 kg heroin and five pistols.

A case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act, it said.

"MAJOR BLOW TO DRUG SMUGGLING! Amritsar Rural Police apprehends 2 suspects, recovers 7 Kg Heroin, 5 pistols, 5 live cartridges & 5 magazines, disrupting trans-border drug smuggling networks!" Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X.

"Investigations reveal #Pakistan link. FIR registered under Arms Act & NDPS Act," he said.
Kolkata, Jul 17 (PTI) Stating that Muharram teaches not to compromise with injustice, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the people to follow the path of peace and prosperity.

"Holy Muharram teaches not to compromise with injustice. Let us all move forward on the path of peace and prosperity," Banerjee posted on X.
Prayagraj, Jul 17 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has asked the Union Health Ministry whether the central government has any plans to establish a premier healthcare institution similar to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Prayagraj.

A bench comprising justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Manish Kumar Nigam was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Sahaj-Sarathi Foundation and another entity, highlighting the "inadequacy" of medical facilities and infrastructure in the city.

The petitioners contended that with a population of over 5.9 million as per the 2011 Census, the city urgently needs improved medical facilities.

It was argued that the city is a major administrative and educational hub housing the Allahabad High Court, the Commissioner of four districts, and several central and state government establishments.

It was contended that despite its prominence, Prayagraj's medical facilities are severely lacking as the existing Medical College and TB Sapru Hospital, both state-run institutions, offer "subpar" medical services.

An affidavit was also filed in the court highlighting the alleged dilapidated conditions of the hospital buildings and the inadequacies of the medical services provided.

The petitioners also submitted that Prayagraj meets most of the criteria outlined in the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, which aims to address regional imbalances in tertiary healthcare and enhance medical education facilities.

Given these factors, they argued that the Centre should establish an AIIMS-like institute in Prayagraj to provide specialised tertiary medical services.

After hearing the counsel for the petitioners on Monday, the court directed, "The Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi to file his affidavit and apprise the court if the central government proposes to set up an AIIMS-like institute in the city of Prayagraj.

"We may observe that this is not an adversarial litigation and while directing the first respondent to file his affidavit, we hope and trust that the actual conditions prevailing in the city with regard to the availability of medical services be considered in an objective manner and the decision of the government be informed to the court."

The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 1, 2024.
New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) Terming the Constitution as the "bedrock" of any legislation, Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli has said modern laws like the proposed Digital Competition Bill, 2024, must be in line with the constitutional principles of checks and balances.

The judge was addressing an event "Taking Stock: Evaluating the Progress of India's Draft Digital Competition Bill, 2024" at the India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday.

"The bedrock of any legislation is the Constitution of India. Modern legislations must be in line with constitutional principles of checks and balances, and meet the standards of a society governed by the rule of law," Justice Kohli said while delivering the keynote address.

Justice Kohli said India, which is the second largest internet market with 881 million users, has been facing significant problems in the digital market.

These are "preferential pricing, deep discounting, anti-steering, bundling and tying, accumulation of big data and its usage, network effects, exclusive tie-ups, search and rank preferencing, restricting third-party applications, advertising policies etc", she said.

The inter-ministerial consultation process on the Digital Competition Bill (DCB), which is anticipated soon, must deal with the concerns of the digital market, Justice Kohli said.

"The impact of the Bill on various sectors and domains of the digital economy, including user experience, data protection and security, supply chains, investments, business costs and consumer affordability would have to be seen," she said.

"Before finalising industry consultation, it is crucial to carefully consider concerns voiced by companies and allied associations to thread the needle between promoting a competitive environment without deterring innovation, allaying concerns of all stakeholders and being on the lookout for the burgeoning lessons from the other antitrust regulators," Justice Kohli said.

She outlined the DCB's key provisions which empower the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to regulate Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises.

Noting the Bill's "flexible, principles-based approach" and contrasting it with the Digital Markets Act of the European Union, Justice Kohli said these measures aim to ensure market fairness and transparency.

She said proponents argue that the DCB will foster innovation and improve consumer choice, but critics warn that it might impose high compliance costs and stifle market growth.

Justice Kohli underlined the importance of balancing regulation with the need to avoid deterring innovation.

During the event, a roundtable meeting, a report by the Esya Centre, "A Survey-Based Assessment of the Draft Digital Competition Bill's Impact on Consumer Welfare in Digital Markets" was also launched.

The report provides an analysis of the potential effects of the DCB on consumer welfare and digital markets.
Hyderabad, Jul 17 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said his government would waive crop loans of up to Rs one lakh on July 18 as per his government's promise.





Speaking at a meeting of ruling Congress MLAs, MLCs and MPs and other leaders here, he said that as part of the state government's Rs two lakh farm loan waiver promise, money would be credited to farmers' accounts in phases, based on the loan amount.



On Thursday, Rs 7,000 crore in total would be credited to the accounts of farmers whose loans of up to Rs one lakh are being waived, the CM said, adding that crop loans of up to Rs 1.5 lakh would be waived by the end of July, and the loan waiver process would be completed in August when loans of up to Rs two lakh are dispensed with.



The Congress government's objective is to free every farmer from the burden of loans, Revanth Reddy said. He said his government is "not tricking ryots" in the name of loan waiver "the way the previous BRS government of K Chandrasekhar Rao did".





He explained that the waiver is being done for loans of up to Rs two lakh as a single amount (in contrast to instalments), he said.





In no other state in the country has the loan waiver been rolled out in a single phase, with Rs 31,000 crore being allocated for the purpose, he claimed.





Recalling that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had promised the Rs two lakh loan waiver at a meeting in Telangana in 2022, Reddy said it is the responsibility of the state's Congress government to fulfil what Gandhi had promised.





He alleged that former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao "could not implement loan waivers of Rs 28,000 crore", despite him being in power for 10 years.





Noting that Telangana should stand as a role model for others in the country in agriculture, Reddy, who is also the PCC president, asked the party leaders and activists to explain to the people about the Congress government's good work.
Wayanad (Kerala), Jul 17 (PTI) A massive protest erupted in a village in this hill district on Wednesday, with locals blocking a highway with an ambulance carrying the body of a man, who died in a wild elephant attack.



Raju, 52, who suffered serious injuries in the elephant attack on Sunday, succumbed to his wounds on Tuesday while being treated at a hospital in Kozhikode.



Protesters in Kalloor, near Sultan Bathery, demanded that the government find a permanent solution to end the rising number of human-wild animal conflicts in Wayanad.



They also expressed their anger towards Minister O.R. Kelu, who arrived at the scene to meet the victim's family.



The protesters demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Raju's family and a permanent government job for his son.





On Sunday, at around 8.45 pm, Raju was attacked by a wild elephant while walking home from his farm.



The elephant, which was standing near the field, suddenly turned and attacked Raju, causing injuries to his abdomen and legs.



Earlier this year, Kerala witnessed fatalities due to wild elephant attacks.



The victims included Paul, a 50-year-old forest watcher, Aji, a 42-year-old resident of Wayanad, Lakshmanan, a 65-year-old estate watcher, all from Wayanad, and Indira Ramakrishnan, a woman from Idukki district.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 17 (PTI) The Kerala government on Wednesday announced a relief of Rs 10 lakh to the mother of sanitation worker Joy, who drowned while cleaning a canal filled with filth and waste in the city a few days ago.



The decision was taken by a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the state capital.



According to a CMO release, the Cabinet decided to sanction Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund to Joy's mother.



The body of Joy, who had gone missing while cleaning the Amayizhanchan canal on July 13, was found on Monday.



The decomposed body was found in the canal on the Pazhavangadi-Thakaraparambu-Vanchiyoor road by corporation sanitation workers during a massive search and rescue operation launched by multiple agencies.



Meanwhile, various political organisations, including the BJP, Youth League, and Youth Congress, held protest marches towards the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation on Wednesday, alleging the Left-rule corporation's failure to address the waste management issue within its limits, which they claimed led to Joy's death.
Bengaluru, Jul 17 (PTI) The Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday defended its move to reserve jobs in private sector for Kannadigas in the state, even as industry veterans objected to the proposed quota, calling it 'fascist,' and 'short-sighted.'

The government also sought to reach out to the private sector, saying their interests will be protected.

The state cabinet on Monday cleared the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, making it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas in their establishments. It is likely to be tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.

"Any industry, factory or other establishments shall appoint fifty percent of local candidates in management categories and seventy percent in non-management categories," the bill read.

If the candidates do not possess secondary school certificate with Kannada as a language, they should then pass a Kannada proficiency test as specified by the 'Nodal Agency', it added.

The nodal agency will have powers to call for any records, information or documents in the possession of an employer or occupier or manager of an establishment for the purpose of verifying the report.

The Government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Assistant Labour Commissioner as the authorised officer regarding compliance of the provisions of the Act.

Any Employer or Occupier or Manager of an Establishment, who contravenes the provisions of this Act should be liable for a penalty between Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.

Hailing the bill, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said: "The Congress came to power in Karnataka to uphold the dignity of the Kannadigas--be it the issue of signboards of private establishments, the Kannada flag, Kannada language, culture, documents or specific percentage of reservation in jobs for Kannadigas."

Minister for Infrastructure Development, Medium and Heavy Industries M B Patil also backed the bill saying there is no doubt that Kannadigas should get jobs in Karnataka.

He, however, underlined that the interests of the industries will also be safeguarded.

"In private sector, certain ranks of posts will be reserved 100 percent for Kannadigas. The interests of industries will also be protected."

In a statement issued by his office, the Minister was quoted as saying that he will discuss with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, IT-BT, Law and Labour Ministers in the event of any confusion in the bill.

"The government will also work on the skill development of Kannadigas. We cannot miss the bright opportunities of manufacturing sector and industrial revolution," he said.

The government is committed to protect the interests of the local residents as well as the industries.

"This bill will be discussed with all concerned. There is no need to worry in this regard," Patil said.

The move, however, has not gone down well with industry leaders.

Well-known entrepreneur and former Chief Finance Officer of Infosys, TV Mohandas Pai dubbed the bill as 'fascist.'

"This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh (Congress leader) is govt to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a govt officer will sit on recruitment committees of private sector? People have to take a language test?" Pai said on 'X'.

Pharma company Biocon Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said, "As a tech hub we need skilled talent and whilst the aim is to provide jobs for locals, we must not affect our leading position in technology by this move. There must be caveats that exempt highly skilled recruitment from this policy."

ASSOCHAM, Karnataka co-chairman R K Misra said on 'X', "Another genius move from Govt of Karnataka. Mandate LOCAL RESERVATION & APPOINT GOVT OFFICER IN EVERY COMPANY to monitor. This will scare Indian IT & GCCs. Short sighted."

Karnataka's move is similar to a bill introduced by the Haryana government, mandating 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs to the residents of the state. It was, however, struck down the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 17, 2023.
Srikakulam, D Rajesh, has died fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir within two days of the death of fellow soldier S Jagadeshwar Rao who belongs to the same district in Andhra Pradesh. Rajesh, 25, died in an exchange of fire with terrorists during a counter-terrorist operation at Doda in Jammu which began on Monday night.







We came to know that he died in an exchange of fire with terrorists. A bullet hit my brother in the chest, Rajeshs younger brother D Madhusudhan Rao told PTI.







According to Madhusudhan Rao, the Army informed the family that Rajeshs body would arrive at Visakhapatnam airport by 7 pm today.







However, he observed that the family members are awaiting more details about his brothers death.





Reacting to the tragic development, Rajeshs relative Appanna said the entire family is drowning in sorrow, and added that the soldier was unmarried.





Rajesh had joined the army six years ago and he last visited his home three months ago.





His death comes close on the heels of 11 Rashtriya Rifles Havaldar S Jagadeshwar Raos death.



Jagadeshwar Rao hailed from Vallabharaidupeta village in Srikakulam district.





Relatives, friends and villagers assembled at Rajeshs home to pay homage.


Democrats are trying to offer political counterprograming to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, announcing $15 million to fund campaign operations in seven key swing states  even as some in the party have urged President Joe Biden to bow out of Novembers election.

The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that it is investing $15 million in state parties, meant to help them open more field offices and bolster staffing. The funding will let them add to the 217 existing coordinated campaign offices working jointly for Bidens reelection bid and state parties that already employ 1,100-plus staffers in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the DNC said.

The investments will pump nearly $3 million into Wisconsin; nearly $2 million each into Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada; almost $1.5 million in Arizona; more than $1.2 million in North Carolina; and more than $1 million in Georgia.

The outlay was planned prior to former President Donald Trump being injured in an attempted assassination during his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, which prompted Biden and his campaign to temporarily shift its reelection strategy. Trump nonetheless is attending his partys convention and will accept his partys nomination on Thursday.

Trumps campaign has spent recent weeks opening field offices, including those targeting key constituencies, in conjunction with the Republican National Committee.

We have paid staffers and volunteer-powered field programs in every battleground state, and they are expanding daily, Trump campaign spokesman Karoline Leavitt said. Our aggressive and experienced operation is focused on turning out votes and highlighting the contrast between Trump and Biden.

The DNC for months has argued that its and the Biden campaigns growing on-the-ground operation could help swing an election expected to be close. Still, top Democrats are trying to move past questions from within their own party that have persisted about whether Biden is up to continuing to seek reelection in the weeks since his debate debacle and despite the races shifting dynamics after Trump was injured last weekend.

Biden and his team have furiously attempted to reassure jittery lawmakers and donors, as well as skeptical voters, that, at age 81, the Democratic president can still win in November and handle a second four-year term. Nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers have nonetheless publicly called on Biden to step aside.

The DNC said the investments will fund new field offices and help state parties get more accurate data and better coordinate party efforts for down-ballot races.

Democrats are leaving nothing to chance and investing heavily on the ground to ensure Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win this election, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. This election was always going to be close, and regardless of beltway media narratives, the entire election is going to come down to operation and turnout in the battleground states.

Arizona Democratic Party chair Yolanda Bejarano said state officials and the Biden campaign opened a 15th coordinated campaign office in Arizona over the weekend, adding that, This election is going to be won at the doors, talking to people about the issues that they care about.

This is perfect timing from my vantage point, Bejarano said of the DNC investment. We need the resources to do the work, to hire organizers, to have town halls across the state, to get the message out through media buys.

(AP)
by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sefas Tamim Foundation

This Dvar Torah was adapted from shmuessin found in the newly published Sefer, Yehge Chochma Vol. II  The Mussar Shmuessim of HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Feigelstock ztl of the Long Beach Yeshiva. Rav Yeruchem Olshin Shlita told this author that his own mehalech in Shmuessim was heavily influenced by Rav Feigelshtok when he gave Mussar Vaadim and Chaburos in BMG.

And he [Balak] sent messengers to Bilaam Ben Bor (BaMidbar 22:5)

The Sifrei (veZos HaBracha 357) cited by Rashi darshans, While no Navi arose in Israel like Moshe Rabbeinu  one did arise among the gentiles with his power of prophecy  and that is Bilaam ben Bor. This, however, begs the question: How could it be that someone so vile and lowly, so steeped in depraved behavior (See Sanhedrin 105) could have a level of prophecy equal to Kla Yisroels greatest prophet?

Furthermore, the Rambam (Yesodei Torah Chapter 7) writes that prophecy can only reside in someone who is both brilliant and who has mastered his character traits.

Rashi answers the question somewhat when he explains that he did not wish the nations of the world to say, Well if we had a prophet like Moshe, then we would have also sought growth and truth.. and, therefore, Hashem gave the nations such a prophet. However, that may address the issue of Hashem overlooking the requirement of mastering character traits, but, nonetheless, Bilaam did have the intellectual brilliance that was necessary to possess prophecy. Why then did he not see so many obvious truths? How could he have thought that there are times when Hashem does not know all?

We must perforce say that there is another factor that prevents a person from seeing truths  even obvious ones. Let us explore what that other factor is.

Bilaam bragged to Hashem about the fact that Balak sent for him. Rashi explains his intent was as follows: You may not consider me important, but the king of Moav certainly does. This is the height of audacity and Chutzpah  taking back in such a way with the Creator of the world.

It is clear that the other factor is self-absorbance and hubris. Hubris can blind and obscure truth from even the brightest of people. Examples abound. Edison was known as one of the greatest inventors in the world, and his self-absorption caused him to be blind to the limitations of DC power which he advocated for, while the rival AC power picked up speed. Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Verner Heisenberg, was already a winner of the Nobel Prize and yet he failed to properly understand how little heavy water was needed to produce a nuclear bomb. This was something that even a first year physics student can calculate.

In Pirkei Avos (5:19), students of Avrohom are described as very humble, whereas students of Bilaam are described as haughty and filled with hubris. There is a grave lesson that can be learned here. We must actively seek to avoid any form of hubris if we wish to live a life of everyday emes.

To Subscribe to a weekly Parsha Sheet highlighting Emes please email [email protected] with the word subscribe in the subject line.
In a remarkable display of bravery and quick thinking, a 2-year-old boy was saved from drowning in a Monticello pool on Sunday, thanks to the heroic actions of bystanders and Catskills Hatzolah. Following his release from the hospital on Monday, the Orthodox Jewish NYPD Auxiliary Officer who played a pivotal role in the rescue has been honored for his courage.

As first reported by Catskills Scoop, the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon at Mountain Lodge Estates. The child was discovered submerged in the pool, prompting cries for help from his father. Among those present was Orthodox Jewish NYPD Auxiliary Officer Delevkovitz, who rushed to assist.

Officer Delevkovitz recounted hearing the fathers desperate shouts and quickly locating the lifeless child, who had turned blue due to a lack of oxygen. He promptly began performing CPR, and says he detected signs of life in the child about two minutes later.

Shortly after Officer Delevkovitzs initial intervention, Catskills Hatzolah paramedics arrived at the scene. They took over the emergency response and swiftly transported the child to the hospital, where medical professionals continued the life-saving efforts.

In recognition of his heroism, Officer Delevkovitz was honored Tuesday by the NYPD Auxiliary in recognition of service above and beyond the duties prescribed for volunteer members of the police department and the auxiliary police program.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The European Union has joined the international community in imposing sanctions on right-wing individuals and organizations in Israel, targeting five individuals and three entities in Yerushalayim and Yehuda and Shomron. The sanctions aim to curb the activities of these groups, which it accuses of promoting extremism and violence.

The Tzav 9 organization, which protests against aid delivery to Gaza while Israeli hostages are held, is among the entities sanctioned. Right-wing activists Baruch Marzel, Bentzi Gopstein, and Issachar Manne, all from Hebron or Kiryat Arba, are also on the list, along with Tzvi Bar Yosef and Moshe Sharvit, and their respective farms.

In response to the sanctions, Bentzi Gopstein told Arutz Sheva, After the Americans and the French, the European Union also imposes personal sanctions, but I have one thing to say to them  no one will break us.

This move follows the Biden Administrations announcement last Thursday, imposing sanctions on Tzav 9 and other Jewish individuals and entities in Judea and Samaria. In April, the EU sanctioned Meir Ettinger, Elisha Yered, the Lehava organization, and the Hilltop Youth.

The sanctions have sparked defiance from right-wing activists, who vow to continue their activities despite international pressure.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Israels Channel 12 News played a prank on a hotel receptionist in Qatar who said she would be honored to book a room for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Israeli media personality and comedian Orel Tsabari, who is fluent in Arabic, introduced himself to the receptionist of the Qatar Hills Hotel as Mr. Abu Ibrahim and requested to book a room for his boss, Sinwar, who has gone through a very difficult time lately.

The receptionist enthusiastically agreed to the request, saying that it is an honor to host the Palestinian statesman. She also agreed to allow him to pay the hotel with a suitcase of dollars and agreed to Abu Ibrahims demand that Sinwars vacation be kept top secret so that the Palestinian people dont hear that their leader is living it up in a hotel while they suffer from Israeli bombardment.

Watch the amusing conclusion to the conversation below:

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Following his nomination as the Republican vice presidential candidate on Monday, Ohio Senator JD Vance immediately accused President Joe Biden of exacerbating the conflict between Israel and Hamas, claiming Bidens policies were prolonging the war and hindering Israeli-Saudi relations.

Vance, a freshman senator, asserted that a swift victory for Israel in Gaza is essential for forming a unified front against Iran. Israel should win and end the war in Gaza as quickly as possible to enable the Israelis and the Sunni Arab states to form a united front against Iran, Vance stated.

Former President Donald Trump, officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the convention in Milwaukee, announced Vance as his running mate, solidifying Trumps influence within the party. Trumps choice of Vance, a former critic turned loyalist, was seen as a move away from traditional conservatism toward a more populist stance.

In an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, Vance echoed sentiments that Biden had surrendered the war on terrorism by not adequately supporting Israel against Hamas. What Biden has done is the worst of all possible worlds, Vance said. He has prolonged the war, Israels war to actually take out Hamas, but in the process, hes made it harder for us to really move towards a sustainable peace.

Vance emphasized the need for a quick resolution to the conflict and the revival of peace initiatives between Israel and Sunni Arab states. Highlighting the significance of the Abraham Accords, Vance remarked, Maybe the most important diplomatic issue of the Trump administration was the Abraham Accords, referring to the 2020 normalization agreements brokered between Israel and several Arab nations.

Criticizing Bidens approach, Vance underscored the importance of a strong stance against Iran. A lot of people recognize that we need to do something with Iran, but not these weak little bombing runs, he said. Vance praised Trumps decisive action in ordering the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of Irans Quds Force, in 2020, arguing it brought peace by checking Iranian aggression.

Vance also took aim at Bidens energy policies, claiming they undermined American energy independence. Were sitting on the Saudi Arabia of natural gas in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Vance asserted. Joe Biden would rather buy this stuff from Iran than buy it from Pennsylvania workers. However, it remains unclear what Vance referred to, as the US does not purchase oil from Iran and maintains sanctions against significant petroleum trade with the country.

On the issue of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Vance reiterated his opposition to further US support for Kyiv, aligning with Trumps America First policy. I think what President Trump has promised to do is to go in there, negotiate with the Russians and the Ukrainians, bring this thing to a rapid close so that America can focus on the real issue, which is China, Vance told Fox News.

Vances isolationist stance on Ukraine does not extend to Israel, which he described as a crucial ally for the US, particularly in defense. Israel is one of the most dynamic, certainly on a per capita basis, one of the most dynamic and technologically advanced countries in the world, Vance said, highlighting the collaboration on missile defense technology.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Hezbollah fired at least 85 rockets at the western Galil on Tuesday evening and overnight Wednesday, including Nahariya and other areas where residents have not been evacuated

About 20 rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona, seven of which fell inside the city. Ten rockets were intercepted over Meron and the remainder exploded in open areas, sparking fires. In a neis and Bchasdei Hashem, no one was injured.

Hezbollah stated that the barrages were in retaliation for IDF strikes that it claimed killed two Lebanese citizens and three children.

Residents of Israels north are fuming at the situation. Rita Ben-Yair, the head of the Fighting for the North movement, issued a statement saying: The time has come to change the equation, abandon fixed patterns, and exact a price from the state of Lebanon. Its not feasible that our houses are burning and Lebanon is not burning. Its time to win this war. We will not return [to our homes] with a surrender agreement.

We are seeing the new routine where the situation of the north, now mostly empty of its residents, is ignored. Israels north is part of the country and it is time to launch an offensive. We will not be sitting ducks.

Shlomo Salem, a member of the Shlomi city council, said: Thousands of residents are under an unprecedented attack, children and parents are shaking in shelters. How long will the policy of containment last? We demand a serious and powerful attack that will shake the whole of Lebanon. W we call on the prime minister to respond and destroy Hezbollah.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
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Theres no easy way to start this story. Should we begin with the drafts of despair? The prologue of pain? The chapters of confusion?

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When Rofeh Cholim Yerushalayim (RCY) was established in Yerushalayim in 2011, there was no support for Cholei Eretz Yisroel afflicted with cancer.

Whats worse, its extremely difficult to gain access to doctors, treatments, and insurance in Israel.

One option was to travel to the US for medical treatments, but this presented its own set of challenges, including navigating the language barrier and experiencing the shame of collecting tzedakah.

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FTSE 250-listed Polar Capital Technology Trust investors are set to vote on proposals for a 10-1 share split.

PCT said the move is 'intended to assist regular savers and those who are looking to invest smaller amounts', with its shares currently trading at over 30 each.

Shareholders of PCT, which is popular across most DIY trading platforms, will be given the chance to vote on the share split at the firm's next annual general meeting on 11 September.

New: Polar Capital Technology Trust has announced proposals for a 10-1 share split

PCT, which has total assets worth more than 4.4billion, boasts a tech-heavy portfolio that gives UK investors exposure to top holdings including Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple and Meta.

It told shareholders on Wednesday: 'The reduced market price of each new ordinary share immediately following the share split is intended to help make each share more affordable to investors'.

This, it says, will encourage 'greater participation' and provide 'greater flexibility in terms of the size of the trades for investors with different investment profiles'.

PCT shares are currently trading at 3,290p, having dipped 3.2 per cent in the wake of the proposals.

If approved by shareholders, the sub-division will result in shareholders receiving 10 new ordinary shares in exchange for each existing ordinary share held at the record date.

What does this mean for shareholders?

Speaking to This is Money, Dan Coatsworth, an investment analyst at AJ Bell, said: 'Share splits are a great way to make a stock more affordable to people who can only invest a small amount of money.

'They are useful to individuals who are keen to build up their wealth but can only put a small chunk of their pay packet each month into an ISA or pension.

PCT boasts high exposure to top performing tech giants

'Polar Capital Technology Trust currently trades around 33 a share, so someone who can only afford 50 a month would only be able to buy a single share each time.

'Replacing one share with 10 new ones will bring the price down to 3.30 per share, meaning an investor could buy 15 shares with a 50 monthly investment.

'Its a clever technique to make an investment more accessible and weve seen big name stocks like Nvidia, Tesla and Apple use this trick in recent years.'

He added: 'Polar Capital Technology Trust is currently valued at around 4billion and this valuation is not affected at the point of the stock split. Only the share price will fall to reflect the increase in shares in issue.

'Existing investors will find the value of each share falls at the point of the split, but they will own more shares. Everything balances out, so if they owned 500 of shares before the split, they still own 500 of shares after the split.

'What could potentially happen post-split is that more investors become interested in the trust because each share is more affordable, and additional demand drives up the price. We certainly saw that happen with Nvidia after its recent share split.'

Richard Evans, investment writer at Fidelity International, said: 'Its common for companies to split their shares to prevent the price rising to the point that they are out of reach of ordinary investors.

'Its particularly likely to happen among fast-growing and successful technology companies, whose share price can sometimes appreciate dramatically.

'A share split is a change in the way that an investors stake in a company is represented by the shares they own.

'It means that the trust is increasing the number of its outstanding shares while the share price falls proportionally.

'For investors, their holding will be adjusted automatically, and a share split does not change the total value of their investment but makes shares more affordable and potentially more attractive to a broader range of investors.

'It can also increase liquidity and trading volume, as more shares are available at a lower price.'

The large bulk of PCT's exposure is to the US

Should I invest when shares become more affordable?

Polar Capital shares have risen by around 50 per cent in the last year, with investors keen to build exposure to stocks like Nvidia that have soared so far in 2024.

Its net asset value has grown more than 40 per cent over the last 12 months, according to the Association of Investment Companies, but its shares still trade at discount of around 7 per cent.

According to analysts at QuotedData PCT 'remains all in on the artificial intelligence investment theme', having 'fine-tuned the portfolio towards the "AI enablers" and "AI beneficiaries" that it considers will outperform the wider sector over the long-term'.

In June, PCT was the best-selling Isa investment trust on Fidelity Personal Investing.

Ed Monk, associate director at Fidelity International, said: 'Polar capital Technology Trust shot up the rankings to first place for both ISA and SIPP investors having not featured in the top 10 list since April.

'The firms 45 per cent position in tech has driven performance and top holdings include Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon.

'A recently reduced position in Apple reflects concerns over regulatory headwinds, although it still accounts for 4.31 per cent of the portfolio.'
Nationwide has warned it will have to plough funds into bringing Virgin Moneys customer service and IT systems up to scratch.

Britains biggest building society, owned by 16m members, is buying the stock-market-listed lender for 2.9billion.

The deal  the biggest in UK banking since the financial crisis  has been criticised by some members after they were denied a vote on the plan.

Takeover: Nationwide, led by chief exec Debbie Crosbie (pictured), is buying the stock-market-listed lender Virgin Money for 2.9bn

Nationwide says the buyout will give it access to business banking, cheaper funding and the lenders profits.

It plans to run Virgin Money as a separate brand for at least four years, paying tycoon and biggest shareholder Sir Richard Branson at least 76million for the privilege, as it gradually integrates the two lenders.

But the society, led by chief executive Debbie Crosbie, refused to spell out the cost of combining the two businesses.

Members yesterday challenged Nationwide to justify the deal, which will create the second-biggest saving and loans group after Lloyds.

Virgin Money joined forces with Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank in 2018.

We need a sensible period of time to invest in [Virgin Moneys] customer service and integration, finance director Chris Rhodes told the online-only annual meeting.

There are challenges, he added. Integration of Virgin Money and Clydesdale is not as full as we would like.

The news will raise eyebrows for some members because Crosbies knowledge of Virgin Money and its leadership was meant to make the deal less risky.

Crosbie spent 22 years at Clydesdale, latterly as acting chief executive, but left in 2019 after it merged with Virgin Money and she lost out on the top job.

She said a huge amount of careful consideration had been given to the risks and opportunities of the buyout.

Nationwide was confident of more than covering the costs of integration, she said.

She declined to comment on the decision, revealed by The Mail on Sunday, to close the account of Mikael Armstrong, who led the fight to give members a say on the Virgin deal, saying: We would never de-bank anyone for their legally held views.

Fewer than 300 people logged on to the event, less than half the number who attended in-person 20 years ago, one member noted.
Harland & Wolff insisted it is still in talks with ministers over a 200million lifeline after reports Labour was set to block its request for help.

In an update to the London stock market yesterday, the shipyard behind the Titanic said no decision has been made by the Government about guaranteeing a loan to keep it afloat.

It followed reports that Sir Keir Starmer was planning to block the loan after deciding it would be an inappropriate use of public funds.

Distress call: Harland & Wolff said no decision has been made by the Government about guaranteeing a loan to keep it afloat

This fuelled fears that the 162-year-old firm could go bust after its shares were suspended this month when it failed to file audited accounts.

But Harland & Wolff yesterday said it is still discussing its application with the Government and reports were misleading.

The Belfast group is seeking to borrow cash from a consortium of UK banks but needs the Government to act as guarantor.

That means if the loans were to go bad the state would step in to repay the lenders.
The Body Shop is set to be rescued by British tycoon Mike Jatania.

The fate of the beauty retailer has been hanging in the balance since February when its administration triggered 759 job losses and the closure of 82 shops.

But now cosmetics millionaire Jatania is in talks over a deal via his investment firm Aurea.

This has raised hopes that the remaining 116 stores and around 1,400 staff will be saved.

UK cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania (pictured with wife Sonal) is looking to rescue the Body Shop chain which crashed into administration in February

A sale is expected in the next few weeks and Jatania has started due diligence checks, according to a statement by Aurea and administrators FRP Advisory.

Plans include hiring former boss of shower gel brand Molton Brown, Charles Denton, as chief executive.

The statement said: While the deal is not yet complete, we believe the combined experience of the consortium, together with the existing management, represents the best outcome for creditors and will ultimately ensure the long-term success of The Body Shop.

It said the proposed deal follows a competitive bidding process.

Those speculated to have thrown their hat into the ring include Gordon Brothers, the private equity firm behind Laura Ashley, while Marks & Spencer and Next are thought to have taken a look but decided against bidding.

Jatania, 59, previously ran Lornamead, which owned numerous bodycare brands including Yardley, Lypsyl and Harmony haircare.

His partners at Aurea include former UBS banker Paul Raphael and Pharmapacks founder Andrew Vagenas.

But Jatania and Denton face an uphill battle to turn Body Shop around. It had 198 shops and 2,200 staff in the UK when it tumbled into administration in February.

Its collapse came nearly half a century after it was set up in Brighton in 1976 by Anita Roddick.

She and her husband Gordon sold the company to LOreal for 652million in 2006. A year later, Roddick died, aged 64, after a brain haemorrhage.

Under LOreal, production moved to the Philippines and discounts drove sales.

In 2017 it was bought by Natura & Co, the Brazilian owners of Avon, for 880million. Last November it was sold for a cut-price 207million to German private equity firm Aurelius.

In February, administrators warned its store estate was no longer viable after years of unprofitability and suggested up to 100 shops could close.

It shut stores with the highest rents and other bills. This included in Bristol, Nuneaton in Warwickshire and Ashford in Kent, and four in London.
Pernod Ricard will ditch wine brands including Jacobs Creek to focus on spirits.

The drinks giant will offload parts of its wine portfolio to the owners of Australias Accolade Wines, dumping names such as Stoneleigh and Campo Viejo, and other wines made in Australia, New Zealand and Spain.

It will keep hold of its US wines and some labels in France, Argentina and China.

Sold: Pernod Ricard will offload parts of its wine portfolio, including the Jacob's Creek brand, to the owners of Australias Accolade Wines

It did not disclose the value of the deal but said the sold portfolio produces more than 10m cases every year.

It is now shifting attention to spirits, which include Jameson and Absolut Vodka, as well its champagne houses like Mumm.

In April, the Paris group said wine sales were down 9 per cent year-on-year, driven by dwindling demand in the US and the UK.

It posted more than 10billion in sales last year and profits of 2.8billion. Wine made up just 4 per cent.

Pernod said wine brands would benefit from the focus required to achieve their potential, reinforce their position, and seize new opportunities.

The firm, worth about 27billion, is run by Alexandre Ricard, grandson of founder Paul Ricard.

Accolade, owned by a consortium including US private equity giant Bain Capital, said combining businesses meant they could better meet structural challenges facing the industry.

Wine makers face the threat of climate change, making every harvest less certain, and are grappling with rising production costs and labour shortages.

Pernod shares climbed 3.3 per cent but are down 37 per cent in a year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. The signing of a document between the two countries on the transportation of Russian gas to Iran is one of the greatest successes of Iranian energy diplomacy, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji told reporters on July 17 following a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports.

According to Owji, several documents have been signed between Iran's National Gas Company and Russia's Gazprom over the past month. Under these documents, a part of Russian gas will be transported to Iran. Certain parts of the transported gas will be consumed inside the country, and the rest will be exported to neighboring countries. This will ensure the energy security of neighboring countries.

Owji stated that the document signed between Russia and Iran in the field of gas transportation can lead to economic revival in the region and guarantee the energy security of neighboring countries via Iran.

The Iranian minister added that the fuel for thermal power plants in the country is constantly supplied, and there are no problems in this field. Thus, 265 million liters of liquid fuel are distributed daily in the country, the annual cost of which is about $67 billion.

To note, on June 26, the executive director of Iran's National Gas Company, Majid Chegeni, and the executive director of Russia's Gazprom, Alexei Miller, signed a document on the transportation of Russian gas to Iran.

Iran is considered the 2nd largest country in the world, with gas reserves of about 34 trillion cubic meters. A total of 22 gas fields are operating in Iran.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Gardai are currently investigating death threats against Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris made via a social media video this Tuesday.

The Sinn Fein leader wrote on social media this Wednesday afternoon: "Last night a threat to kill me was issued online. The individual said he would shoot me dead."

She reported online that the threat was made against her, "ironically, while I was hosting a discussion on the need for zero tolerance when it comes to violence against women and girls."

The video in question was published to X with threats also made to Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris. After the week's incidents in Coolock, the masked man endorses Dublin Independent Councillor, Gavin Pepper for president, and says: "Petrol bomb the f*ck out of the lot of them. Don't worry lads, we'll be down to help you."

The video continues with further threats against the high profile figures: "Take that Drew Harris pr*ck, take his whole throat lads. He'll be getting shot before the end of the year. See Mary Lou, I'll shoot her myself for free."

In response, Mary Lou added: "This represents an escalation of targeted online abuse directed at me over the last year. It is totally unacceptable. I have reported this to An Garda Siochana."

A garda spokesperson has said: "An Garda Siochana is aware of footage posted to social media on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

"An Garda Siochana is investigating this matter."
Taoiseach Simon Harris and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are expected to discuss Northern Ireland as well as the situations in Gaza and Ukraine during their first face-to-face meeting since the UK general election.

Mr Harris said the meeting would also be used to discuss the shared aim of a reset in British-Irish relations.

The Irish premier is travelling to Chequers where he will meet Sir Keir over dinner.

Mr Harris said: The invitation extended to me by Prime Minister Starmer to meet with him at Chequers is a strong signal of the value he attaches to the friendship and closeness that saw our two countries achieve so much together in the past, and to resetting the relationship so that we can again achieve much together in the time ahead.

I look forward to getting to know the Prime Minister and to conveying to him the broad welcome across Government, and more widely across Ireland, to a reset in relations with the United Kingdom at this time.

I am fully committed to a stronger, mutually respectful and ambitious partnership between both countries, and to getting down to work to make this happen.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Sir Keir has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

One of Sir Keirs first actions after entering Downing Street was to hold a phone conversation with the Taoiseach and to invite him to the face-to-face meeting.

During the phone conversation the two leaders committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations with urgency and ambition.

A statement from the Taoiseachs office said: As well as discussing bilateral relations, it is expected that the Taoiseach and Prime Minister will discuss Northern Ireland and international issues, including the situation in Gaza and in Ukraine.

The Taoiseach will update on current EU priorities and the leaders will share perspectives on EU-UK relations.

The meeting is expected to allow both leaders to re-affirm their respective commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, and the resolve of both governments to furthering reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to use the meeting to press the case for a public inquiry into the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane.

Mr Finucane was gunned down by loyalist paramilitaries inside the family home in north Belfast in 1989.

For years, the Finucane family has campaigned for a public inquiry, after several examinations of the case found state forces colluded in the murder.

Earlier this month, a Court of Appeal ruling in Belfast gave the new government three weeks to state how it would carry out an investigation into the lawyers death which is compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ms McDonald said: In 2019, the Supreme Court in London declared that previous investigations commissioned by successive British governments into the murder of Pat Finucane by loyalists to have failed to meet the standards required by Article 2.

For decades now, Geraldine Finucane and her family have led a dignified campaign for truth and justice, seeking a public inquiry into her late husbands murder.

The Sinn Fein president added: Regrettably, the British government has not adequately or sufficiently responded to that 2019 Supreme Court judgment, forcing Mrs Finucane to fight a series of legal battles.

In the latest case last week, the Court of Appeal set out a timetable for action, requiring the British government to respond within three weeks and agree to an Article 2 compliant investigation into Pat Finucanes murder.

I have written to the Taoiseach to urge him to raise the matter directly with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when they meet and to urgently press the case for a public inquiry to be held which is long overdue and decision time draws near.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Russian gas will be transported to Iran along the Caspian Sea bed, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports.

According to him, a total of 300 million cubic meters of gas will be transported daily from Russia to Iran under a 30-year agreement signed between Iran's National Gas Company and Russia's Gazprom.

Owji added that Russia will pay the costs of infrastructure related to the transportation of Russian gas to Iran.

The Iranian minister noted that under the contract, an additional part of the gas supplied to Iran will be exported to other countries in the region. The annual financial value of this contract is $10$12 billion.

To note, on June 26, the executive director of Iran's National Gas Company, Majid Chegeni, and the executive director of Russia's Gazprom, Alexei Miller, signed a document on the transportation of Russian gas to Iran.

Iran is considered the 2nd largest country in the world, with gas reserves of about 34 trillion cubic meters. A total of 22 gas fields are operating in Iran.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Fatima Latifova

Brotherly Azerbaijan will always have a special place in our hearts, Azernews reports citing the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, as he said during a meeting in Nicosia with a group of family members of the martyrs of the Second Garabagh War.

The leader of the Turkish Cypriots expressed his pleasure in meeting with the relatives of Azerbaijan's heroes. According to him, relations between the TRNC and Azerbaijan have reached an important level.

"These achievements have been made possible with the support of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an," the politician said

Ersin Tatar highlighted the growing importance of solidarity and unity among Turkish states, as well as the development of trade and political relations, against the backdrop of globalisation processes. He stressed: "I particularly consider the establishment of connections among the youth of Turkish states to be very important. The young generation of our countries should get to know each other better and strengthen their ties."

The TRNC President mentioned that during the 44-day Patriotic War, Turkish Cypriots prayed for their Azerbaijani brothers. Addressing the guests from Azerbaijan, Ersin Tatar said: "The loss of people who are dear to us deeply saddened the Turkish Cypriots, but the victory in the Garabagh War became a bright page in history. Remember that martyrs who gave their lives for their homeland do not die. We will not forget, and we will not let the martyrs be forgotten. They sacrificed their lives to reclaim their native lands. This Victory has further strengthened Azerbaijan."

He recalled that there are also many martyrs in Cyprus. "Our people do not forget the martyrs. They live in our hearts forever," said Ersin Tatar.

Sevinc Orucova, the head of the "Victory" Public Union for Supporting the Families of Azerbaijani Martyrs, in turn, noted the importance of developing relations between the public structures of Azerbaijan and the TRNC.

The visit of the members of the martyr families to Nicosia will continue until July 28.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. On July 14, Paris revealed the latest recipients of the Legion of Honor, with Franck Murad Papazian, co-chairman of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), among those recognized.

This award for "outstanding achievements" and "personal merits to the nation" has been granted to Armenians before. We reported previously that Pastor Rene Leonian, president of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches of Eurasia and a vocal advocate of Armenian separatism, was also honored with this title.

Jean-Michel Brun, chief editor of the Paris-based online newspaper La Gazette du Caucase, exposes Papazian's activities and the real reasons behind French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's decision to bestow this "honor".

"There is no doubt that Papazian received this award because of his representation of the Armenian diaspora, not for his business acumen. He is a fervent supporter of the 'Armenianization' of Azerbaijans Karabakh and one of the most influential Armenian lobbyists in France. Through his 38 journalism schools across the country, he spreads the views of Armenian separatists among future journalists," Brun writes.

The author also highlighted that Papazian is seen as a fierce opponent of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, openly criticizing the current Armenian government and potentially seeking to overthrow it. "Papazian even orchestrated an attack on Nikol Pashinyan's convoy during his visit to France on June 1, 2021, resulting in a two-year entry ban to Armenia. After the ban was lifted, Papazian met with his religious rival, Bagrat Serpazan, to discuss toppling the Armenian government."

"Sources close to Armenian circles reveal that Murad Papazian was outraged that his friend Gabriel Attal awarded the Legion of Honor to Pastor Rene Leonian instead of him. Therefore, Attal decided to correct this 'injustice' before leaving office," the article reads.

Brun further suggests that Emmanuel Macron's approval of Papazian's medal could be perceived as a snub to the Armenian government. "It's quite likely that Macron wanted to send a positive signal to the Armenian community, whose support he might seek again in future elections," the author concludes.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Russia and China discussed the possibility of increasing electricity supplies to China, taking into account growing consumption in the Russia`s Far East, the Russian Ministry of Energy said in a statement following a meeting of the Russian-Chinese working group on cooperation in the field of electric power and renewable energy sources, Trend reports.

In addition to issues of electricity trade, during the meeting the participants discussed preparations for the upcoming Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission, as well as the recognition of certification systems for the origin of electrical energy - green certificates.

"Organizing the process of issuing and applying green certificates of origin for electricity in Russia and China will contribute to further mutual recognition of electricity certification systems between our countries," the Russian Ministry of Energy noted.
King Charles III and Camilla were forced to cut short a public event on the Channel Islands due to a threat to their safety. Reportedly, the monarchs' security suspected a possible assassination attempt on the rulers, so they took them to a hotel to verify.

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According to The Telegraph, it was a false alarm, so the king and queen returned to their public duties within 20 minutes.

The couple has already held several meetings during their two-day visit to the Channel Islands. The monarchs stayed at the Pomme d'Or Hotel, where they spent the tense 20 minutes.

Eyewitnesses told the media that the reason for the guards' alarm could have been a suspicious drone flying nearby. Most people did not even notice it, including the king and queen.

It was only when the guards approached the monarchs and quietly informed them of the possible threat that the mood around them changed, eyewitnesses said.

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"He didn't look panicked, but he was quite stern. They just escorted him out. It's a pity because he stopped to talk to us on his own initiative," said the owner of a local sea salt shop.

A source close to the royal family confirmed, "There was a small cause for concern. The investigation showed in was a false alarm, all precautions were taken, and the program resumed shortly afterward."

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
In Tatarstan, a video of Hazrat Timur Kamaev, the head of a Muslim community, teaching men to beat their wives was shown on television. In response to the hate speech, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) called for "watching the podcast in its entirety." However, this did not change the meaning of the imam's words.

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According to media reports, he was asked to explain the Qur'an passage about beating women. The imam interpreted this as the need to punish wives whose behavior seems wrong to their husbands.

According to the newly minted "TV star," women first need to be told that they are "doing something wrong." The next step is to "share the bed". This is how the Koran teaches to punish wives for not pleasing their husbands.

As the imam explained, when sleeping in different beds does not force a woman to submit to her husband's will, physical punishment is used, which is not intended to leave bruises or injuries. In particular, Kamaev advised using a miswak - a toothbrush - or elbow.

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Physical punishment is a humiliating way to force wives to do what their husbands want. The head of the Muslim community popularizes this idea, saying that it is a good thing for a woman to forgive violence.

"If a wife forgives, it will be a blessing for her. If the family remains together, if they continue to have a good life in the family, then it will be the best way for her to forgive her husband and continue to live a good life. If this continues on a regular basis, then [you should] go to a hazrat. If your husband is constantly beating you, then this is not normal," the religious "expert" said.

Tatarstan's SAM only advised outraged viewers to watch the full version of the podcast and not to tolerate domestic violence, but to contact the police or other spiritual advisors.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Camilla Rosemary Shand, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and wife of King Charles III, celebrates her birthday on July 17. The main woman in the ruler's life is 77 years old. For a long time, the British considered her a divorcee, and after the death of everyone's favorite Princess Diana, it seemed that the people would never accept the monarch's choice.

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However, as the years passed, Camilla confidently proved that she was worthy of her husband, could become a good queen, and in case of misfortune, take on very important responsibilities. Charles III's oncology became the very misfortune after which the British subjects took a fresh look at their queen. OBOZ.UA has collected interesting facts about Camilla's path to the crown.

A telephone conversation was the beginning of the end

In January 1993, a transcript of a telephone conversation between married Prince Charles and his mistress was published by the press. First, it was published in The People newspaper with the transparent headline "Charles and Camilla's love tape," after which the tabloids picked up the news.

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The conversation is said to have taken place in 1989 when Charles and Camilla were still married to other people. It remains unclear how the recording was leaked.

In a scandalous conversation, Charles told Camilla he wanted to "live inside her pants" and then joked that he could turn into a Tampax tampon. Camilla laughed and added that she missed him "desperately". It is believed that this incident was the final point in the marriage of Charles and Diana.

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The Queen has two children, and the King is the godfather of one of them

The newspapers are used to talking about the King's heirs, William and Harry, while there is not much information about the queen's children from her first marriage.

Camilla and her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, were married for 22 years and divorced in 1995. The couple has two children, Tom and Laura. King Charles is Tom's godfather.

By the way, the Queen's eldest son became a famous writer and food critic, and her daughter became an art curator.

Camilla and her husband used to spend a lot of time apart

Although Camilla and Charles' love story shows their strong bond over the decades, they are used to sharing their leisure time. According to media reports, the King likes to spend time at Highgrove Manor in Gloucestershire, while Camilla prefers to relax at her own Ray Mill estate.

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This changed over the years, and the king's illness only brought the couple closer together. The monarch admitted that he was simply following his wife's instructions to recover.

The lovers had nicknames

It is not known what nicknames King Charles III and his wife Camilla have now. But earlier, when they were young, they lovingly called each other "Fred" and "Gladys". These are the names of characters from the comedy program The Goon Show, which was broadcast on BBC radio.

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The Queen's style has changed a lot

It's no secret that the Queen, aged 77, is considered one of the most elegant royals. Nowadays, her wardrobe is carefully composed to emphasize her status. However, Camilla was a "gray mouse" in her youth as she loved business suits and horseback riding uniforms.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
For the most part . . .

This policy is good prep for the workplace and life in the public space.

On caveat . . .

How will students LEARN to conduct themselves in public if they get KICKED OUT of school for bad language?!?

So far nobody's asking that question and life lesson here is that, even if we agree with the policy, there's always a risk when public schools play the role of "thought police" in addition to so many other priorities.

Here's a more optimistic view . . .



"First-time offenders using racial slurs in Shawnee Mission schools could face penalties ranging from an office referral, detention or an apology . . . Repeat offenders are subjected to a short-term, out-of-school suspension or even expulsion for more serious, repeated offenses. This new policy has some teeth. Better late than never."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Racial slurs hurt our children. Kudos to Shawnee Mission schools for taking a stand | Opinion Hate speech can all too easily spill over into violence, as it did when a white boy repeatedly called a Black girl the n-word at SM East last winter. From Toriano Porter:

Shawnee Mission School District adds language about racist slurs to discipline guide after protests A white male student was caught in a cell phone video assaulting a Black female student and calling her the N-word at Shawnee Mission East high school. Both students were suspended, leading to calls for reforms from students of color.

Developing . . .
A quick update on the contest and the Democratic Party member of congress earning the privilege of an incumbent when it comes to fundraising.

Check-it . . .



U.S. Rep. Davids, who serves the 3rd District in the Kansas City area, took in $906,000 and spent $288,000 during the three-month reporting period to leave her with $2.8 million in cash as of July 1. Republican challenger Prasanth Reddy, who is seeking the GOPs 3rd District nomination next month, raised $224,000, spent $130,000 and ended the quarter with $830,000 in cash.



Davids cash reserve surpassed totals of two other incumbents in Congress seeking reelection in Kansas. Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of the 4th District had $1.67 million in cash,

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Reality check . . . Most of the networks ignored him.

However . . .

It kinda sucks that a Missouri Senator used his platform to trash the two most populous cities in his state and signals an unsustainable "conservative" attitude toward population centers that have marked the upward ascent of humanity throughout the history of Western Civilization.

To be clear . . . He's not wrong about crime . . . It's just that there's more to both KC & STL than just our homicide count.

In fairness, here's what he had to say that earned a great deal of support at the event . . .



Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt drew attention to crime rates over the years in Kansas City and St. Louis, which regularly make headlines.



The former Missouri Attorney Generals speech highlighted the need to defend law enforcement and hold criminals accountable.



The rule of law has disintegrated. Crime is rampant, said Schmitt. Our communities are under siege. Our brave law enforcement officers are constantly being vilified. He (Joe Biden) stood idly by as liberal DAs and mayors pushed the defund police agenda.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Missouri's Eric Schmitt to RNC crowd: "Make America Safe Again" - Missourinet "Make America Safe Again." That was the message from U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-MO, at tonight's Republican National Convention. He talked law and order during his time on stage in front a Milwaukee crowd of about 18,000. "I believe in an America where moms and dads can raise their kids in safe communities," Schmitt said.

Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt emphasizes safety during address at Republican National Convention U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt took center stage at the Republican National Convention.

Developing . . .
The most high-profile wedding of the year of 29-year-old billionaire Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant is over, but interesting facts about its financing have surfaced. The groom's father and the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani, owns Reliance Industries Limited with the cooperation of his son, who runs a solar energy subsidiary. It turned out that the billionaires are actively cooperating with Russia and are the world's first purchasers of oil from the aggressor country.

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According to Forbes, the conglomerate, which was founded by Anant Ambani's grandfather, is worth more than $108.8 billion. It is known that the company's petrochemical, oil refining, and oil and gas activities are the basis of its operations, from which it received 97% of its profits 10 years ago. According to a Ukrainian jewelry blogger named Anna on Instagram, in May 2024, Reliance Industries Limited signed an agreement with "Rosneft".

While European countries are boycotting Russia's natural resources, India is actively buying them. Moreover, payment will be made in rubles. That is, Russians will have a stable income, part of which will be converted into missiles that can later kill Ukrainians.

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It is known that Reliance Industries Limited plans to buy more than 3 million barrels (477 million liters) of Russian oil.

"In addition, they also take one or two shipments a month of low-sulfur oil from the Russian port of Kozmino for $1. Payments for the oil will be made in rubles through the Indian bank HDFC and Russia's Gazprombank. The agreement allows India to secure oil on favorable terms, and Russia to receive a stable income despite sanctions and pressure from the West. India is now the largest buyer of Russian oil at sea," explained Anna.

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As of June 2024, Russia has earned $680 billion from such agreements in circumvention of sanctions. The good relations between the two countries are evidenced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia in July this year and his friendly hug with dictator Vladimir Putin.

According to The Guardian, the three-day wedding celebration of Ananth Ambani and Radhika Merchant would have cost the family $600 million, which is only 0.5% of the family's wealth. This implies that Indian traditions were carried out on the blood of Ukrainians who suffer daily from Russian attacks.

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Moreover, the newlyweds did not hesitate to invite Russians to the celebration of their lives. It is not known how many residents of this country danced on the bones, but the Russian media reported that a wealthy Russian woman named Albina, whose existence is not even known to Russian citizens, attended the wedding. Even a makeup artist with one of the highest prices came from the aggressor country for her.

"Celebrity [Russian] makeup artist Serdar Kambarov, who says that one makeup job costs a million rubles, suddenly found himself in Mumbai for the wedding of the year. No, he's not painting the bride, he was commissioned by a certain rich Russian lady named Albina," the report said.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Hollywood actor Anthony Hopkins is 86 years old. He is still active on social media and in movies. During his life, the actor has played in 141 films.

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Hopkins is most skillful at transforming himself into criminals and historical figures. In The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony was on screen for only 16 minutes but managed to win an Oscar for Best Actor. In addition, in 2021, he became the oldest actor to receive the same award.

OBOZREVATEL talks about 5 popular films starring the legendary actor.

The Father - 2020

Directed by: Florian Zeller

The drama film won two Academy Awards in 2021. Anthony Hopkins played a character in the movie who is no different from himself.

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In the story, Anthony, despite his age, lives alone in a luxurious London apartment. He likes his solitude, so he rejects his daughter's attempts to arrange his life. The heiress sincerely wants to improve her father's life, but he doubts his loved ones and his own sanity.

Hitchcock - 2012

Directed by: Sacha Gervasi

An American biopic about the world-famous director Alfred Hitchcock. None of the Hollywood actors could have embodied the role as well as Anthony did. By the way, Hopkins knew Alfred personally.

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The film tells the story of the master of world cinema Hitchcock, who dares to move away from suspense and make a unique film called Psycho. The biopic shows the preparations for the shooting, which is accompanied by a deep psychoanalysis of the director. He reflected on the dark side of human consciousness.

The World's Fastest Indian - 2005

Directed by: Roger Donaldson

This movie also demonstrates the skill and versatility of actor Anthony Hopkins. It is based on the real life story of a New Zealand athlete.

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The plot centers on the famous racer Burt Munro, played by Hopkins. He improved his Indian motorcycle to win the race. His quiet life is turned upside down by a heart attack. However, even after his illness and thanks to years of training, the hero managed to set an incredible record.

Proof - 2005

Directed by: John Madden

Hopkins' role in the movie is not like his usual ones. The incredible story shows another side of his genius. Anthony plays the main character's mentally ill father.

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The plot centers on Catherine, who cannot accept the fact that her father, a scientist, has passed away. When he was living out his life, he began to suffer from mental disorders. A mathematician, who is a former student of her father's, helps the woman cope with her depression.

The Silence of the Lambs - 1991

Directed by: Jonathan Demme

The most famous psychological thriller of our time, The Silence of the Lambs, is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris and was released in 1991. Critics immediately dubbed the film the true gem of its genre. The film reveals the secret depths of the soul.

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Anthony Hopkins played a maniacal cannibal. Hannibal Lecter is an attractive man with perfect manners, who knows how to joke and is an art lover, but he also eats human meat with sauce and wine.
Greece is about to decommission 32 older F-16 Block-30 fighter jets and transfer them to Ukraine.

That's according to Al Jazeera, Ukrinform reports.

Greece also plans to upgrade 82 F-16s to Block-70 and acquire 24 fourth-generation Rafale fighters from France.

A U.S. congressional committee has also cleared Greece to buy up to 40 fifth-generation F-35 multirole jets.

According to sources that spoke to Al Jazeera, Greece's preferred formula for transferring the F-16 jets is to sell them back to the U.S., which would upgrade them and pass them on to Kyiv.

Some military experts are squeamish about giving away dozens of fighter jets, saying the security concerns that make Greek policy pro-Ukrainian also restrain it.

"The sale of 32 F-16s  would open a big hole in the air force.  There has to be a quorum of about 200 aircraft, which cant happen with more modern and expensive fighter jets," an air force engineer told Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity.

Officially, Greece has supplied Ukraine with an additional 20,000 155mm artillery shells, Stinger missiles and 40 Soviet-era BMP-1 armored personnel carriers. It is currently preparing to send four massive transformers that convert high-voltage DC current produced by power stations to the lower AC voltage used on local distribution grids that supply households.

Greece's northern port of Alexandroupolis has a direct rail link with Odesa via Romania or via Lviv. Military equipment can reach Ukraine within 24 hours of offloading in Alexandroupolis.

Photo: Defensie.nl
The Framework Agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Austria signed in September 2022 on the establishment of the National Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv and the construction and equipment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital "Okhmatdyt" and a modern university clinic in Kyiv has not yet been implemented, and negotiations on the projects are ongoing between the parties.

This was reported to Ukrinform's own correspondent by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs.

Read also: Austria donates EUR 153M to Ukraine via European Peace Facility in 2023

"The framework agreement currently envisages three cooperation projects, namely the reconstruction and equipment of the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, the construction and equipment of a modern university hospital in Lviv or Kyiv, and the construction of a rehabilitation centre in Lviv. In addition to VAMED, other companies, including Austrian companies, are named in the framework agreement as possible contractual partners for the further implementation of the projects. The framework agreement is open for the addition of new projects. Negotiations on projects are currently underway between the contracting parties," the Austrian ministry commented on the implementation of the Framework Agreement.

It was noted that the amount of investment envisaged by the Framework Agreement "is up to EUR 200 million".

"The planned distribution of funds is not known. Austrian and German banks are expected to be involved as creditors," the ministry said.

As for whether the Austrian side sees the need to intensify cooperation in view of Russian missile strikes on medical facilities, in particular, Okhmatdyt, it was pointed out that it is still impossible to assess the consequences of the attack on the further implementation of the project.

"The project is currently being agreed between VAMED [an Austrian company for the design, construction and equipment of medical facilities] and the Ukrainian authorities. It is currently impossible to assess any consequences of the attack on the further implementation of the project," the Austrian Ministry of Economy said.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Austria told an Ukrinform correspondent that Ukraine is definitely interested in receiving tangible assistance from Austria in implementing healthcare projects.

"Ukraine, in particular the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, is very interested in Austria supporting the reconstruction and modernisation of the Okhmatdyt clinic with financial instruments, which has become extremely important after the recent Russian terrorist attack on the clinic," the diplomatic mission said.

It was noted that the embassy is in contact with Austrian ministries and private companies in this regard. "Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko held talks with Austrian Federal Minister of Economy Martin Kocher on the sidelines of the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin and asked for strong support for this project," the embassy added.

As Ukrinform reported, on 4 September 2022, the Ukrainian and Austrian governments signed a Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation in the Development of Projects, in particular in the healthcare sector, which provides for the construction and equipment of three medical facilities.

As reported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Framework Agreement creates the legal basis for the development of such projects as: construction (reconstruction) and equipment of the National Children's Specialised Hospital "Okhmatdyt" in Kyiv (total project cost - EUR 200 million); construction and equipment of a modern university clinic in Kyiv (total project cost - EUR 350 million); creation of the National Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv (total project cost - EUR 75 million).
On Wednesday, July 17, it will be ten years since the Russian occupiers shot down Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, flight MH17 from the Netherlands to Malaysia, with a Buk missile in the skies over the Donetsk region. There were 298 people on board, including 15 crew members, and all of them died.

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Only two years ago, the Hague Tribunal found two Russian citizens and one Ukrainian guilty and sentenced them to life in absentia, and today the European Union has again called on the aggressor country Russia to admit its responsibility. Ten years later, OBOZ.UA recalls what is known about the case, the defendants, and whether the world will finally be able to make Russia pay for this crime.

A black day for Ukraine and the world

On July 17, 2014, at about 16:00, communication with the Boeing 777 aircraft, which was flying flight MH17 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), was interrupted. At that moment, it was flying over the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

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The passenger plane was shot down by a "Buk" anti-aircraft missile system delivered from the Russian Federation and deployed near the town of Snizhne in the Donetsk region, a territory temporarily occupied and controlled by the Russian Armed Forces and created by Russian special services and an armed group of local collaborators subordinate to the Russian military command.

Immediately after the downing of the plane, intercepted messages from Russian terrorists about a "birdfall" and threats to continue shooting down everything that flies in the sky over the occupied part of Donbas appeared on social media. The war criminals did not even hide because they believed that they had shot down an An-26 transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force. The Kremlin media enthusiastically reported this at the time, praising the "Donbas militia."

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But as soon as it became clear that the downed plane was a passenger flight MH17, the Russian terrorists' messages were deleted from social media. At the same time, the propagandistic Russian media launched a powerful disinformation campaign with the main goal of blaming Ukraine for everything.

The investigation into the downing of MH17

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), consisting of Ukraine, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Belgium, and Australia, has been investigating the crash for six years. Throughout this time, the aggressor country of Russia obstructed the investigation.

Eventually, it found that there were no malfunctions on the plane, the flight continued normally, and the Boeing 777 was hit by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile fired from a Buk missile system belonging to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. The system and the occupiers who maintained it were based in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The day before, the system was brought to the occupied part of Donbas, probably to the area of Snizhne, through the uncontrolled section of the border with Russia. The night after the downing, the Buk was returned to the Russian base.

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The criminal trial in the MH17 case began on March 9, 2020, in the Netherlands and lasted 2.5 years.

Who was found guilty of the disaster

There were four suspects in the case, three of whom were found guilty by the court in The Hague: Russians Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinsky and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.

Igor Girkin (Strelkov) is a retired officer of the Russian Armed Forces, former FSB colonel, and former leader of the pro-Russian terrorist group "People's Militia of Donbas". He was the first so-called Minister of Defense of the "DPR". He led the siege of Sloviansk in 2014. In January 2024, he was convicted in Russia "for public calls for extremist activities".

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Sergei Dubinsky ("Frowny") is a major general in the Russian army who was a subordinate of Girkin at the time of the downing of the passenger plane. He is also a GRU colonel and former head of the so-called military intelligence of the militants in the "DPR". In January 2015, the Kremlin removed him from this position and banned him from entering the occupied territory of Ukraine. In Ukraine, Dubinsky was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison.

Leonid Kharchenko ("Krot") is a native of the Donetsk region who in 2014 was the commander of one of the intelligence units of the so-called GRU "DNR". Together with the fourth suspect in the MH17 case, Oleg Pulatov, he accompanied the "Buk" in Donbas. In 2020, according to the BBC, Kharchenko was taken into custody in the temporarily occupied Donetsk and allegedly accused of illegal search and possession of weapons. The source said that this was done to protect him from being "kidnapped by the SSU."

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The court in The Hague ruled that the perpetrators did not intend to shoot down the Boeing 777 (although the investigation is still investigating who launched the missile from the Buk), they allegedly aimed at a Ukrainian military aircraft, but intent is still not a mitigating circumstance.

All three militants were sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia. None of them filed an appeal. Currently, all of them are either in Russia or on the territories of Ukraine captured by Russia. The court did not demand their extradition, explaining that "the Russian Federation does not extradite citizens." The Kremlin called the verdict "politically motivated".

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The court acquitted the fourth suspect, Oleg Pulatov. Prosecutors had previously indicated that he could have been involved in the security of the Buk at the launch site, but they lacked evidence.

Will Russia be punished

In 2020, the Dutch government appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to recognize Russia's responsibility for the deaths of 298 passengers and crew members of the Malaysia Airlines plane. And also for refusing to properly investigate the case. The trial is still ongoing.

The Dutch government has pointed out that Moscow played a key role in the crash, and that Russia's ongoing disinformation campaign about the downed plane is a gross violation of the civil rights of the victims' relatives. The Kremlin continues to categorically deny these accusations.

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After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the aggressor country even passed a law that refused to comply with the decisions of the European Court that came into force after March 15, 2022.

Therefore, experts say that the final decision in the MH17 case may take years. Theoretically, if Russia loses the case, the ECHR could order it to pay compensation to the victims. However, in reality, this decision will remain symbolic.

However, payments have no statute of limitations. As a result, the history of compensation owed by Moscow under the ECHR rulings may repeat the scenario of the Soviet Union paying off the tsarist debts of the Russian Empire.

On the tenth anniversary of the Boeing 777 plane crash downed by Russian militants over Donbas on July 17, 2014, the European Union once again called on Moscow to admit its responsibility. An official letter on behalf of all member states was published by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

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"No Russian disinformation operation can divert attention from these basic facts established by the court. The European Union once again calls on the Russian Federation to recognize its responsibility for this tragedy and to cooperate fully in the pursuit of justice," the diplomat emphasized.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that on the day Russian killers shot down MH17 in the Ukrainian sky, the whole world saw who came to wage war against Ukraine and that Russian evil is a threat not only to Ukrainians.

"298 people were killed, including 80 children. Citizens of a dozen countries from different parts of the world. Russian responsibility for this is inevitable. And everyone guilty of this and other Russian war crimes will definitely hear a well-deserved sentence. Eternal memory to all victims of Russian aggression!" Zelenskyy wrote on his official Telegram channel and also published a video on the anniversary of the tragedy.

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Compensation and commemoration of MH17 victims

In total, the Netherlands has allocated at least 16 million to compensate the families of the victims. The amount of compensation is 40-50 thousand. The money was supposed to be received within eight months after the verdict was announced (if someone had appealed, the payments would have been delayed).

On July 17, 2017, the National MH17 Monument was unveiled in the Netherlands, where relatives of the victims planted 298 trees in honor of each victim and sunflowers that grew at the crash site. On the tenth anniversary of the crash, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Prime Minister Dick Schoof took part in a commemoration at the monument. The event was attended by about 1,300 relatives of the victims, Dutch officials, and representatives of Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Ukraine.

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"The downing of flight MH-17 by Russian terrorists took the lives of 298 innocent people. Years pass, and Russia continues to follow its bloody path, openly lying to the whole world and destroying the lives of millions. And today, Ukraine, together with the civilized world, must put an end to this endless Russian violence!" the SSU said on the tenth anniversary of the horrific crime.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The scandalous movie "Rust", during the filming of which actor Alec Baldwin killed Ukrainian cameraman Halyna Hutchins in October 2021, may soon be released, but in a modified version. The movie plans to remove the scene in which the man was about to point a revolver at the camera. During its rehearsal, he accidentally shot a woman.

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Alec Baldwin plays the main role in the western. The team couldn't bear to release the long-suffering movie, so they decided to simply cut the scandalous scene. An insider told People magazine about this.

He explained that the script was partially rewritten before filming resumed in 2023. Now it will be impossible to see the shootout in the church in the new version.

"They cut out the scene in the church that they were rehearsing and rewrote it a bit. It's a good movie. It looks like a big studio movie," the insider said.

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It is known that during the tragic moment, which later ended in the death of the cameraman, the cameras were not working. At the time, the film crew was setting up a special blocking device for the church scene while Baldwin was rehearsing the spectacular gun pull. He had previously stated that he did not pull the trigger and did not know that the revolver was loaded with real bullets.

The filming of the movie was suspended almost immediately after the murder of Halyna Hutchins but resumed 1.5 years later. The Ukrainian woman was replaced on the set by cameraman Bianca Kline.

What is known about the case

Cameraman Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on the set of the film "Rust" on October 21, 2021. The Ukrainian woman died after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet also hit director Joel Seuss, who was standing behind her. The man was injured but survived.

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In April 2023, Alec Baldwin was acquitted of manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins. Then the filming of the movie continued. Later, the prosecutor's office found evidence again. After an examination of the revolver used by the actor, the investigation resumed on the grounds of negligent use of firearms and disrespect for the safety of others. Baldwin faced up to 18 months in prison.

On March 6, 2024, a New Mexico jury found gunman Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Ukrainian cameraman. On July 12, all charges were dropped against Alec Baldwin, and his lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case.

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The family of Halyna Hutchins cannot accept the court's decision and says they will "fight to the end." The family and the widower of the cameraman will try to bring the actor to justice again.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Police are investigating whether a second Dartmouth College student found dead in the Connecticut River was involved in a hazing incident.

On July 7 around 7:30 p.m., Hanover police and New Hampshire Fish and Game discovered the body of 20-year-old Won Jang about 65 feet offshore after an extensive search. He had been last seen the prior evening in the Boathouse Road area, near the river docks.

An initial investigation indicated no foul play was suspected, police said, but Hanover Police Chief Charles Dennis told WMUR9 last week that his department is looking into potential hazing incidents. The department is awaiting autopsy results regarding the cause of death.

"There is some evidence of alcohol involved, certainly from witnesses and talking with things like that. Again, that's all part of our investigation. We did receive an anonymous email ... through the college that there may be some hazing involved, so we certainly will look into that aspect, too," Dennis said.

A Dartmouth spokesperson told Fox News that the college had suspended two Greek organizations - Beta Alpha Omega and Alpha Phi - amid the investigation.

The school community is "grieving the tragic loss of Won Jang," the spokesperson told the outlet. "[A] counseling team has been by the family's side ... and Dartmouth is providing every possible support it can to Won's parents, family and friends."

Jang is the second student from the Ivy League school to be found dead in the Connecticut River in as many months.

The body of graduate student Kexin Cai, 26, was discovered by a Vermont fisherman on May 21; she had been missing since May 15. No foul play is suspected in her death.

About a month earlier, the Dartmouth community also mourned the loss of classmate Julia Cross, who died from a rare type of bone cancer.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Jang's death to contact the Hanover Police Department at 603-643-2222.
Maryland residents can now apply for the state's Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit program, which offers $18 million in tax credits for residents filing their 2024 tax returns.

The application period ends Sept. 15. Individuals who receive the tax credit must show they have used the full amount to pay their student loans.

To qualify, applicants must:

Maintain Maryland residency for the 2024 tax year

File 2024 Maryland state income

Have initially incurred at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or student loan debt

Have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt at the time of applying

Currently make payments on their student loans

Apply here.
July 17 2024

Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) has given the go-ahead to a second phase of its European Marine Science Park near Oban.

The regional development agency has earmarked 8.1m for Camas House, an office and laboratory facility in Dunstaffnage. TSL Contractors will move on-site within a matter of weeks to deliver the building, which has been designed by Oberlanders Architects to be carbon neutral.

Morag Goodfellow, HIEs area manager for Argyll and the Islands, said: Argylls rich marine resource has underpinned significant economic activity for generations. Weve been developing the EMSP as a centre of collaboration in marine innovation and technology that taps into this natural advantage and stimulates growth in the marine science economy..."

Built from textured fibre cement panels and engineering brick the facility purposefully omits wood cladding as used on the earlier Malin House due to the increased maintenance costs of replacing defective timbers, attributed to the exposed seafront environment.

Ground and infrastructure works are already in place with completion anticipated before the end of 2025.
July 17 2024

West Lothian Council has taken possession of the 18.3m East Calder Primary following its completion by Hub South East and Morrison Construction.

The Norr-designed school is set to welcome pupils for the start of the new term next month and follows the delivery of new schools at Winchburgh, West Calder and Calderwood.

Eileen Mackin, Hub South East's project director, said: "The new East Calder Primary School has a unique design, includes a mixture of flexible collaborative and individual workspaces and makes excellent use of its surroundings, with access to outdoor play and learning spaces."

Attention has now turned to landscaping and the demolition of the old school, save for a recent Early Years extension which will be retained.
In 1965, the famous Hungarian photographer Sandor Boyar visited Kyiv. Thanks to his work, we can find out what the capital of Ukraine was like at that time.

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The photo was published on the Facebook page of the community "City History Group 1900-1999. Kyiv" community page on Facebook. You can see what the city looked like almost 60 years ago.

"1965. Kyiv in the photographs of Hungarian photographer Sandor Boyar. He worked for the Orszag-vilag publishing house, made photo reports from different cities and countries," the post reads.

The published photos show famous locations of the Ukrainian capital, including Khreshchatyk, and Kyiv residents.

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Back in the 1960s, the embankment near Poshtova Square and the Dnipro Cliffs in Kyiv looked a bit different. And the beaches on Trukhaniv Island were much larger.

From 1878 until 1944, the City Duma building was located on the site of the current Independence Square in Kyiv. The majestic building resembled a bent horseshoe in its shape, and its roof spire was crowned with a statue of the city's patron saint, the Archangel Michael.

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The 12-month grace period for student loan borrowers ended on September 30. The "on-ramp" period helped borrowers who are struggling to make payments avoid the risk of defaulting and hurting their credit score.

"The end of the on-ramp period means the beginning of the potentially harsh consequences for student loan borrowers who are not able to make payments," said Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center.

Around 43 million Americans have student loan debt, amounting to $1.5 trillion. Around eight million of those borrowers had enrolled in the SAVE plan, the newest income-driven repayment plan that extended the eligibility for borrowers to have affordable monthly student loan payments. However, this plan is currently on hold due to legal challenges.

With the on-ramp period and a separate program known as Fresh Start ending and the SAVE plan on hold, student loan borrowers who are struggling to afford their monthly payments have fewer options, added Yu. Student loan borrowers who haven't been able to afford their monthly payments must consider their options to avoid going into default.

If you have student loans, here's what you need to know.

What was the on-ramp period?

The Education Department implemented this grace period to ease the borrower's transition to make payments after a three-year payment pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this year-long period, borrowers were encouraged to keep making payments since interest continued to accumulate.

"Normally, loans will default if you fall about nine months behind on making payments, but during this on-ramp period, missed payments would not move people towards defaulting and then being subject to forced collections. However, if you missed payments, you still be falling behind ultimately on repaying your loans," said Abby Shaforth, director of National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.

Since this grace period has ended, student loan borrowers who don't make payments will go delinquent or, if their loans are not paid for nine months, go into default.

Borrowers who cannot afford to make payments can apply for deferment or forbearance, which pause payments, though interest continues to accrue.

What happens if I don't make my payments?

Borrowers who can't or don't pay risk delinquency and eventually default. That can badly hurt your credit rating and make you ineligible for additional aid and government benefits.

If a borrower missed one month's payment, they will start receiving email notifications, said Shaforth. Once the loan hasn't been paid for three months, loan servicers notify to the credit reporting agencies that the loan is delinquent, affecting your credit history. Once the borrower hasn't paid the loan for nine months, the loan goes into default.

If you're struggling to pay, advisers first encourage you to check if you qualify for an income-driven repayment plan, which determines your payments by looking at your expenses. You can see whether you qualify by visiting the Federal Student Aid website. If you've worked for a government agency or a non-profit organization, you could also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years.

What happens when a loan goes into default?

When you fall behind on a loan by 270 days  roughly nine months  the loan appears on your credit report as being in default.

Once a loan is in default, it goes into collections. This means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go towards paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments.

What if I can't pay?

If your budget doesn't allow you to resume payments, it's important to know how to navigate the possibility of default and delinquency on a student loan. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.

If you're in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance  allowing you to temporarily suspend payment.

To determine whether deferment or forbearance are good options for you, you can contact your loan servicer. One thing to note: interest still accrues during deferment or forbearance. Both can also impact potential loan forgiveness options. Depending on the conditions of your deferment or forbearance, it may make sense to continue paying the interest during the payment suspension.

What is an income-driven repayment plan?

The U.S. Education Department offers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a fixed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have difficulty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that offer lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans.

Income-driven options have been offered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower's discretionary income. If a borrower's earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased.

What is the latest with the SAVE program?

In August, the Supreme Court kept on hold the SAVE plan, the income-driven repayment plan that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts.

Eight million borrowers who had already enrolled in the SAVE plan don't have to pay their monthly student loan bills until the court case is resolved. Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected.

The next court hearing about this case will be held on October 15.

What happened with the Fresh Start program?

The Fresh Start program, which gave benefits to borrowers who were delinquent prior to the pandemic payment pause, also closed on September 30. During this limited program, student loan borrowers who were in default prior to the pandemic were given the opportunity to remove their loans from default, allowing them to enroll in income-driven payment plans, or apply for deferment, among other benefits.
The recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump marks a rare event in U.S. history but shines light on a more common global phenomenon.

Political assassinations have long been a part of human history, often occurring in countries with limited political competition and strong polarization and fragmentation, according to research by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

These conditions can lead to a decline in political legitimacy and increased violence, especially during elections and domestic strife, the center said in a 2015 report.

Modern South Asia has been a hotbed of political assassinations. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a militant Hindu nationalist upset over his pro-Muslim sympathies.

Gandhis assassination shocked the young nation, but also spurred calls for national unity, with key leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel putting aside their differences to unify India, according to historian Ramachandra Guha.

The type of political violence that took Gandhi's life is not unique to India. All but two South Asian nations  Bhutan and the Maldives  have lost national leaders to assassins bullets or suicide bombs. While heads of state have been frequent targets, many other political leaders, from chief ministers to members of parliament, have also been victims.

The Combating Terrorism Center's research found that political assassinations have become more frequent in South Asia in recent decades, with 76% of the total occurring since the mid-1980s.

Here is a look at major political assassinations across the region and their fallout:

Afghanistan

Mohammed Daoud Khan (April 27, 1978): Killed along with his family in a coup led by the leftist Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Impact: Led to the establishment of a communist government and increased Soviet influence.

Nur Muhammad Taraki (October 9, 1979): Assassinated by suffocation on Prime Minister Hafizullah Amins orders. Impact: Led to increased political repression and paved the way for Soviet invasion.

Hafizullah Amin (December 27, 1979): Killed by Soviet special forces during a raid on the Tajbeg palace. Impact: Marked the beginning of the Soviet invasion and decades of war.

Mohammad Najibullah (September 27, 1996): Deposed communist leader Najibullah was tortured and executed by the Taliban after they captured Kabul. Impact: Marked the beginning of the Talibans first stint in power.

Burhanuddin Rabbani (September 20, 2011): Assassinated in Kabul by a suicide bomber posing as a Taliban peace envoy. Impact: Disrupted peace negotiations and highlighted growing instability.

Bangladesh:

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (August 15, 1975): Revered as Bangladeshs founding father, Mujibur Rahman was killed along with most of his family during a bloody coup launched by army officers. Impact: Led to martial law and a period of political instability.

Ziaur Rahman (May 30, 1981): Ziaur, a former army chief and president, was killed along with six of his bodyguards and two aides during a military coup launched in Chittagong, Bangladeshs second largest city. Impact: Resulted in further turmoil and the eventual rise of military rule.

India:

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (January 30, 1948): Shot dead at close range at his daily prayer in Delhi. The assassin, a right-wing political activist, later claimed that he was provoked by Gandhis pandering to the Muslims. Impact: Prompted key Gandhi followers to set aside differences to unify India.

Indira Gandhi (October 31, 1984): Shot dead by two of her Sikh bodyguards in her official residence. The assassination was apparently in retaliation for a military operation at a famed Sikh shrine. Impact: Triggered anti-Sikh riots and significant political upheaval.

Rajiv Gandhi (May 21, 1991): Assassinated in a suicide bombing carried out by a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, a now disbanded Sri Lankan separatist group. Impact: Led to a crackdown on LTTE and changed Indian foreign policy towards Sri Lanka.

Nepal

King Birendra (June 1, 2001): Assassinated along with eight family members by Crown Prince Dipendra who opened fire during a family gathering at the royal palace in Kathmandu. Impact: Led to the abolishment of monarchy and significant political changes.

Pakistan

Liaquat Ali Khan (October 16, 1951): Khan, Pakistans first prime minister, was shot at a political rally in Rawalpindi and later died in a hospital. The assassin was killed by police, but the case remains unresolved. Impact: Khans death steered Pakistan away from democracy and within seven years a military leader seized power.

Benazir Bhutto (December 27, 2007): Bhutto, a former prime minister, was assassinated in a suicide bombing and subsequent shooting at a political rally. Impact: Sparked a wave of violence and protests and led to the resurgence of Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party the following year.

Imran Khan (November 3, 2022): The former prime minister survived an assassination attempt as he was leading a protest march. Impact: Highlighted the intense political polarization and threats to political leaders.

Sri Lanka

Solomon Bandaranaike (September 26, 1959): Sri Lankas fourth prime minister was shot and killed by a Buddhist monk at his residence. Impact: Led to political instability and changes in government.
Since entering India in 2017, Rohingya refugee Noor Mohammad and his wife have been forced to move at least a dozen times to escape unsafe conditions in the refugee camps and to avoid deportation.

Over the past seven years, shanties where they lived were destroyed twice when unexplained fires swept through Rohingya refugee camps in the northern Indian cities of Jammu and Nuh.

Hindu leaders ordered us to vacate different areas a number of times in north India. They also threatened to retaliate with violent consequences if we disobeyed them, Mohammad told VOA this week from an unidentified city in southern India.

The police arrested some Rohingya on charges of illegal entry into India. To evade arrest and possible deportation with my children and wife, I kept moving from one area to another. Now, I have taken shelter in an urban slum and have gone underground, said Mohammad, 37, who migrated to India following a military crackdown in Myanmar that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

For more than 50 years, minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring countries, including Bangladesh and India, to escape persecution and discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. But in recent years in India, the Rohingya refugees have been detained by police for illegal entry and threatened with deportation.

Last week, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on India to end the arbitrary detention and forcible deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, where they would risk being subjected to serious human rights violations and abuses.

In a statement issued on July 2, the U.N. committee said it was concerned about reports of arbitrary mass detention of the Rohingya, including children, in inadequate conditions, and in some cases without due process or access to legal representation.

According to a 2019 UNHCR estimate, over 40,000 Rohingya refugees were in India, including around 22,000 who are registered with the U.N. agency. The refugees mostly work in menial jobs and live in decrepit shack colonies.

India has not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and views Muslim Rohingya refugees as "illegal immigrants, although the Rohingya have mostly lived peacefully in the country for decades.

But the refugees began facing resistance after Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014. In 2017, in the northern Indian city of Jammu, the BJP and other Hindu right-wing groups launched a campaign demanding the ouster of all Rohingya living in a nearby refugee camp.

Although no police record in India has linked the refugees to any terrorist or criminal activities, on social media, Hindu nationalist groups label the Rohingya as terrorists and jihadists, and have for years demanded their expulsion from India.

In the past seven years, Indias Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly asked state governments to identify and deport all Rohingya illegal immigrants to Myanmar, where a widening civil war has brought new violence to their homeland in Rakhine State.

According to rights activists, around 800 Rohingya, including women and children, are currently in Indian jails and detention centers after being charged with illegal entry. So far, only 18 Rohingya refugees have actually been sent back to Myanmar since 2021.

Some rights activists argue that the deportations are illegal under Indian law.

Ujjaini Chatterji, a New Delhi-based lawyer, said that even though India is not a signatory to the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, Indias constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, along with the right to equality before law for every person, including noncitizens, within the territory of India.

"The Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Foreigner's Act, 1946, define an illegal migrant who can be deported by the executive in India; however, the Rohingya are not illegal migrants. They are, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) circulated by the Union of India dated 20 March, 2019, foreigners claiming to be refugees, and they cannot be either detained or deported without their claims being assessed within the timeframes as per the SoP, Chatterji told VOA.

This is not being followed by the authorities, and detentions are happening without a fair assessment of the refugee claims.

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said that while the Rohingya are among the most persecuted communities in the world, instead of treating them with empathy, Indian authorities and ruling political leaders have incited hate against them.

There is an ongoing conflict in Rakhine State. Most governments struggle when it comes to protecting refugees, but deporting them when their lives will be at risk not only violates international law but basic decency, Ganguly told VOA.

The Indian government should instead be working with partners, including ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations], Bangladesh and others to ensure that Myanmar can have a rights-respecting government, and the Rohingya refugees can safely return.

An official from the Indian Home Ministry in New Delhi that handles refugee-related matters declined to comment on Rohingya issues.

Bangladeshi author and rights activist Farhad Mazhar said that Rohingya refugees are being hounded in India largely because they are Muslim.

BJP, the ruling party of India, supports the Hindutva forces that aim to turn India into a Hindu-only country. The party openly discriminates against Muslims, he said, noting that a recently enacted measure offering citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from neighboring countries does not apply to Muslims.

The world identifies the stateless Rohingya as the most persecuted minority in the world. Yet India is nonchalant about the plight of the Rohingya community from Myanmar simply because they are Muslim, Mazhar said.
Authorities in Bangladesh urged all universities to close on Wednesday, the day after at least six people died in violent protests over the allocation of government jobs and police raided the headquarters of the main opposition party.

Dhaka University, at the center of the violence, decided to suspend classes and close its dormitories indefinitely, a university official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.

The University Grants Commission asked all public and private universities to close until further notice, in order to protect students, but the request did not have legal force and it was not immediately clear how many universities would comply.

Authorities said that at least six people were killed on Tuesday in violence across the country as student protesters clashed with pro-government student activists and with police, and violence was reported around the capital, Dhaka, the southeastern city of Chattogram and the northern city of Rangpur.

Overnight, Dhaka police raided the headquarters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, accusing it of playing a role in the violence.

Detective chief Harun-or-Rashid told reporters that police had arrested seven members of the party's student wing in connection with two buses that were set on fire Tuesday. He added that detectives found 100 crude bombs, 500 wooden and bamboo sticks, and five to six bottles of gasoline in the raid.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP leader, accused the government of "staging" the raid to divert attention from protests.

On Wednesday, police clashed with BNP supporters in Dhaka's Paltan area after a funeral ritual for the six people who died Tuesday.

Police official Sentu Mia said they used rubber bullets to disperse the opposition activists after they attacked police, and several opposition activists were arrested.

BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused police of barring their supporters from the funeral prayers.

On Wednesday, stray protests took place at Dhaka University and elsewhere in the country. Police were deployed on the campus, while paramilitary border forces patrolled the streets in Dhaka and other big cities.

A senior leader of the ruling Awami League party said the opposition was using the protests as a weapon against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Obaidul Quader, the Awami League's general secretary and a senior Cabinet minister, said that "evil forces" have taken over the student movement, blaming the student wings of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and right wing Jamaat-e-Islami party for Tuesday's violence.

He urged the protesters to have patience until the country's Supreme Court hears petitions involving the quota issues next month.

The protests began late last month, demanding an end to a quota that reserves 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence in 1971, but turned violent on Monday as protesters at Dhaka University clashed with police and counter-protests organized by the student wing of the governing Awami League party, leaving 100 people injured.

Violence spread overnight to Jahangir Nagar University in Savar, outside Dhaka, and was reported elsewhere around the country on Tuesday.

Protesters argue the veterans' families quota is discriminatory, and argue it benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement. Ruling party leaders accuse the opposition of backing the protests. Protesters have said they are apolitical.

The quota system also reserves government jobs for women, disabled people and members of ethnic minorities, but protesters have only sought to end the quota for families of veterans.

While job opportunities have expanded in Bangladesh's private sector, many people prefer government jobs because they are seen as stable and high-paying. Each year, nearly 400,000 graduates compete for 3,000 such jobs in the civil service exam.

The quota system was temporarily halted in 2018, following a court order that followed an earlier wave of mass student protests in 2018. But last month, Bangladesh's High Court nullified that decision, angering students and triggering renewed protests.

Last week, the Supreme Court suspended the High Court's order for four weeks, as the chief justice asked students to return to classes. But the protests continued.

Hasina defended the quota system Tuesday, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their sacrifice in 1971 regardless of their current political affiliation.

"Abandoning the dream of their own life, leaving behind their families, parents and everything, they joined the war with whatever they had," she said during an event at her office in Dhaka.

Hasina maintained power in an election in January that was boycotted by opposition parties and saw opposition members jailed ahead of the polls.

Her Awami League party, under her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led the independence war with the help of India. Rahman was assassinated along with many family members in a military coup in 1975.
With the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, the conversation around guns and gun policy is heating up  even as President Joe Biden is asking the country to cool down.

This is the first assassination attempt on a former or current U.S. president since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was shot

First of all, that is preposterous, said U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas when asked about rumors that the assassination attempt was an inside job involving the current administration.

It is also dangerous to propagate rumors that are so unequivocally false and provocative, he said at a Monday news briefing. As the president so powerfully said to the entire nation, we have to tamp down the rhetoric in this country.

U.S. gun policy may see particular focus in campaigns and debates in the final approach to the 2024 presidential election.

Biden, even before the recent shooting, has been a strong advocate for stricter gun policy.

Biden served as vice president under President Barack Obama, who tried to tighten gun policy following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school that killed 26 people, mostly 6- and 7-year-olds, but was unable to pass major gun legislation.

After the Sandy Hook shooting, Obama asked Biden to lead a more concrete initiative on gun reform, and Biden met with a range of citizens to seek their thoughts on gun policy.

Trump has advocated a less stringent gun policy. His campaign calls for deregulation of firearms, and he has said he will undo some executive actions introduced by Biden.

White House reaffirms position

At the news briefing with Mayorkas on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre affirmed Bidens position on gun policy.

The president has been, obviously, a strong advocate on gun control. He has been throughout his career as a senator, as vice president, as now as president, Jean-Pierre said in answer to a question from VOA.

She noted that Congress in 2022 approved the first major gun safety legislation in 30 years. "The president led on that effort and was able to get that done.  The president has signed more than two dozen executive actions [on gun control], she said.

'Lower the temperature'

This week, Biden has also condemned the recent violence, asking the country to minimize its divisiveness.

We have to lower the temperature  there is no place in America for violence. It is important that we are really clear about that, said Jean-Pierre when asked if Biden plans to tone down his political rhetoric.

The message from the White House comes after Biden called Trump a threat to democracy on several occasions. Trump has repeatedly said you will not have a country if Biden is re-elected.

J.D. Vance, Donald Trumps recently chosen candidate for vice president, blamed Bidens political rhetoric for the assassination attempt.

Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination, he posted on X shortly after the incident.

In a Monday interview with NBC News, Biden said he regretted saying it was time to put Trump in the bulls-eye. But he defended saying that the former president is a threat.

Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Biden said in the interview

Some analysts doubt that Bidens call for a calmer climate will bring about big changes to the political landscape.

I think the immediate effect [after the shooting] is going to be that it will escalate violent rhetoric and that people are going to be more vehement and vocal in vilifying their political rivals, Valentine said.

Unfortunately, I think thats where were at, and thats what were beginning to see already.

Anita Powell contributed to this report from the White House.
By Fatima Latifova

The strengthening of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel has become more evident in recent years. These relations are primarily manifested in the economic, energy, and military sectors and hold strategic significance for both countries.

In the economic sector, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is accompanied by an increase in trade turnover. Azerbaijan is an important energy supplier for Israel, particularly in terms of oil and gas exports. Israel, in turn, provides support to Azerbaijan in the fields of agricultural technologies, water management systems, and high technologies.

In the military sector, there is also significant cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel. Israel exports modern military technologies and weapons to Azerbaijan, which enhances Azerbaijan's defence capabilities and serves as an important factor for regional security.

This close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel worries Armenia. Armenia believes that the military relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, especially the arms sales that help modernise the Azerbaijani army, will change the regional power balance. Additionally, economic and energy cooperation is seen as a threat to Armenia's economic security.

In his comment to Azernews on the issue, Dean Shmuel Elmas, Geopolitics and Energy Analyst in the Israeli most popular financial newspaper, Globes, and M.A student for International Relations and Maritime Strategy at Haifa University stated that Azerbaijan-Israel relations seriously concern Armenians.

Armenia is the main regional partner of Iran, and therefore the Armenians see the Israeli-Azerbaijani historic ties as a threat. So, it is natural for Armenia to be jealous about this burgeoning relations. Moreover, we know how significant the Israeli-made weapons and ammunition are for the Azerbaijani armed forces and their recent conflicts with Armenia, he said.

The expert brought attention to the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Israel is the best partner of Azerbaijan in our region, and we know the great relations between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Netanyahu, he noted.

The analyst stressed that Israel hosts so many intelligent Azerbaijani students that are part of the bright Azerbaijani future.

Let's take the education sector as an example. Israeli education companies help Azerbaijan improve its technology education. At the same time, we have amazing Azerbaijani students in Israel that I've met, and I know that they are a major part of Azerbaijan's bright future. I can give examples of Raphael Nabizade and Said Omanov, whom I know personally, the expert said.

The expert also discussed the options for the Armenians in the sphere of education.

While we know the top-class level of the Israeli universities, what are the options for the Armenian next generation? Tehran University? That's why I am sure that with the leadership of Ambassadors Mukhtar Mammadov and George Deek, other new mutual records are near, he noted.

The expert emphasized that despite all this, the Armenians are still criticizing Azerbaijan-Israel relations.

They are trying over and over again, in the U.S., Israel, and elsewhere. In Hebrew, we usually say "A barking dog doesn't bite". So they make noises, but when you are making noise - You don't work. This is what is all about. The basis of the Israeli-Azerbaijani relations is hard and long mutual work. This is why the relations are so successful.

It should be noted that the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Israel is carried out in accordance with the national interests of both countries and holds strategic significance. Although this cooperation increases Armenia's concerns, it strengthens the positions of Azerbaijan and Israel on regional and global levels. Time will show how these processes will develop in the future, but current trends indicate that the relations between these two countries will further strengthen.
Skincare routines should be adjusted depending on age-related changes and skin needs. Techniques and products that were relevant in your 30s may not make sense in your 40s. From finding the right hairstyle to using new serums, moisturizers, and even shampoos, the beauty industry offers a lot of tips to keep your skin looking beautiful and youthful.

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European experts watching Chinas Third Plenum say this weeks high-level meetings are unlikely to touch on political reform but will likely introduce several measures to reverse the nations economic downturn.

"Any measures to be announced on China's key economic problems will be moderate and gradual, like Chinese medicine, as opposed to a shock therapy," said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, a senior researcher at the Belgian think tank Bruegel.

The Spanish economist listed eight key problems facing the current Chinese economy: stagnation in real estate; tight local government finances; deflationary pressure; sluggish consumer consumption; an aging population; a decline in foreign investment in non-manufacturing industries; increased social security costs, such as pensions and medical care; and the failure to achieve transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency has said decisions on such matters are expected from this weeks Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which is to address policy matters spanning the next decade.

Garcia-Herrero said China's possible approaches include providing modest subsidies to low- and middle-income households to stimulate consumption; structural measures to slow down the aging of the population; opening up investment access to attract foreign investment; increasing local government taxes to make up for shortfalls caused by falling land prices; delaying retirement; and reducing government administrative costs to achieve fiscal balance.

Chinese policymakers will need to make some hard choices. A lack of social benefits prompts people to save for future emergencies, which reduces private consumption. Stimulating consumption will require greater government spending, including a better social welfare system, but this will hurt an already deteriorating fiscal position.

It remains to be seen to what extent China's economic decision-makers agree on establishing a social safety net and carrying out consumption-oriented structural reforms.

Garcia-Herrero said that in the long term, the way to solve China's economic woes is to expand local fiscal autonomy and develop high-end manufacturing, although neither seems likely in the short term.

The plenum is expected to focus on reforming the fiscal and taxation systems, and specific measures may include transferring consumption tax and value-added tax from the central government to local governments.

President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of vigorously developing "new quality productivity" and promoting China's industrial upgrading and "high-quality development."

Alexander Davey, an analyst at MERICS, told VOA, "The past reforms of investments of vast resources and personnel into modernizing China's industrial system and promoting scientific and technological innovation will continue."

But he said it is uncertain whether those investments will negatively impact the extent to which Beijing can allocate resources for local governments to service health care, education, infrastructure, government employee wages, etc."

Analysts say the Chinese modernization development model, which relies on high-end manufacturing exports to drive the economy, could exacerbate trade disputes between China and its major export destinations. The United States and Europe have recently accused China of "overcapacity" of electric vehicles and have imposed anti-dumping investigations and tariff measures.

Davey said Chinese-style modernization could be used as pretext for how Beijing decides to retaliate [against] Brussels' tariffs on Chinese EVs, among other EU de-risking actions towards China. Beijing may target European imports like brandy, wine, and certain types of cars, framing them as unnecessary luxury goods in its march towards common prosperity, imposing tariffs accordingly."

The China watchers also said specific plans for personnel changes at the top level of the People's Liberation Army are expected.

Two former Chinese defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were expelled last month from the party and the military.

Francesco Sisci, an Italian Sinologist, told VOA, "We know the focus will be the PLA and the economy. The domestic economy is not doing well with private consumption shrinking and the military is under immense stress for the unprecedented purge of two ministers of defense. The PLA seems in disarray, which is extremely dangerous."

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
Guo Wengui, a self-exiled Chinese businessman and ardent critic of Chinas communist government was convicted Tuesday in New York City by a U.S. jury on nine of 12 counts that included racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud.

His sentencing date is scheduled for Nov. 19. He is likely facing decades in prison.

During the nearly two-month trial, prosecutors told the story of the luxurious lifestyle of Guo. They said Guo deceived hundreds of thousands of his social media followers and convinced them to place their money into bogus investments. Instead of growing his investors nest eggs, he used the money to fund his lifestyle, which included a New Jersey mansion, a Connecticut estate, a red Lamborghini, a yacht and $36,000 mattresses.

Federal prosecutors said investors handed over more than $1 billion to Guo, who promised them that their money would be safe if they invested with him.

"I'm rich. I'll take care of you," is what Guo told his online followers about his investing ventures, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finkel told the jury. Guo also told his investors that some of the funds from the investments and cryptocurrency schemes would go toward financing challenges to Chinas government.

Guo produced hundreds of broadcasts and videos promising that investing with him would be safe, according to Finkel, who also said Guo spouted devious lies to trick his followers into giving him money.

"Thousands of Guo's online followers were victimized so that Guo could live a life of excess," Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement after the verdict.

Guo, who led the massive fraud from 2018 to 2023, was arrested in 2023.

"It's not a crime to be wealthy," defense lawyer Sidhardha Kamaraju told the jury. It's not a crime to have a yacht or a jet or to wear nice suits. ... It may be odd. It may even be off-putting to some, but it's not a crime.

Mr. Guo didnt care about the money, Kamaraju said, describing his client as the founder and face of a pro-Chinese democracy movement.

He cared about the movement, in a reference to his clients opposition to Chinas communist government.

Guo left China in 2014 during an anti-corruption crackdown and applied for asylum in the U.S. He is accused of rape, kidnapping and bribery in China, allegations Guo says are untrue.

Once in the U.S., he settled in New York City and eventually developed a relationship with Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump. The jury was shown a video of Bannon promoting one of Guos schemes.

In 2020, Bannon was arrested on Guos yacht in an unrelated fraud case.

Some information for this story came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
The first group of refugees from Myanmar living in Thailand and eligible for a new resettlement program flew out of Bangkok for the United States last week, more than a year after the plan was first announced, U.S. and U.N. officials have told VOA.

Some 90,000 refugees now live in nine sealed-off camps inside Thailand along the countrys border with Myanmar, driven from their homes by decades of fighting between the Myanmar military and a number of ethnic minority armed groups vying for autonomy.

Some have called the camps home since the 1980s, put off from returning to Myanmar by the ongoing fighting and mostly barred by the Thai government from legally and permanently settling in Thailand. Most of the refugees from Myanmar, also known as Burma, are ethnic Karen.

Hoping to give them a viable way out, Thailand, the U.S. government and the UNHCR, the U.N.s refugee agency, announced a new resettlement program in May 2023, allowing registered refugees in the camps to move to the United States.

The first group left Thailand for the United States last week, a U.S. Embassy official in Bangkok told VOA on Tuesday.

Resettlement operations are ongoing in cooperation with the UNHCR and the Royal Thai government, the official said. The United States appreciates what Thailand has done to facilitate assistance.

The Thailand office of the UNHCR said the group of 25 left the country on Thursday.

Photos posted online by the head of the UNHCRs Thailand office, Tammi Sharpe, show Thai and U.N. officials at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport to see the group off.

The value of the program could be felt, she wrote. Wishing those who will be on the receiving end my appreciation in advance.

Aid groups working in the camps welcomed the start of resettlement.

We are happy for these people because these people have been waiting to go to resettle for a long time, because along the Thai-Burma border  resettlement has been closed for many years, Khyaw Paw, who chairs the Karen Womens Organization, told VOA.

A previous resettlement program saw some 100,000 refugees from the camps resettled abroad between 2005 and 2015, according to the UNHCR, most of them in the U.S.

Democratic reforms that started in Myanmar in 2011 had raised hopes that most of the refugees could eventually return home. But a military coup in 2021 set off a full-scale civil war and has dashed those goals for the time being.

They are not able to go home, and Thailand has not opened up integration within the country, so for many of the refugees who have been here for a long time, its a good opportunity, Khyaw Paw said of the new program.

Refugee advocates say resettlement also can offer relief from what they describe as deteriorating conditions in the camps.

'Growing sense of despair'

The Karen Womens Organization says a growing sense of despair among the refugees over their future has been driving up everything from drug use to domestic abuse, gang violence and suicide.

Refugees are not allowed to work or study outside the camps, and they have told VOA of having meager schooling and job opportunities inside. They have little chance to earn a living on their own and must survive on an average of about $9 in food aid per person each month.

Some four decades after the first of the camps was established, most homes still lack running water or electricity and are little more than huts with bamboo walls and thatched roofs.

The quality of life is very, very bad in my opinion, and I think if they have a chance [to resettle], I think it will be better for them. When Im talking about the quality of life, Im talking about health care, Im talking about  education, Im talking about crime, said Rangsiman Rome, a lawmaker for Thailands opposition Move Forward Party.

As chair of the House of Representatives border affairs committee, he visited some of the camps a few months ago.

I know the government tries to do good, he said. The problem is they dont have freedom to go anywhere, so for me its abuse of human rights and  its better that they should have a quality of life better than this.

Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the UNHCR would say how many of the roughly 90,000 refugees registered in the camps might ultimately be allowed to move abroad as part of the new resettlement program, or at what pace.

Khyaw Paw and Rangsiman both said UNHCR staff told them in meetings in late 2023 that up to 10,000 could be resettled per year. The UNHCR did not reply to a VOA request to confirm or deny the figure.

In any case, refugee advocates suspect the ultimate number resettled per year will be far less and that the refugees also need other options. They would like to see the Thai government let the refugees legally study, work and ultimately settle permanently in Thailand outside of the camps.

Rangsiman said some refugees looking for a permanent home outside of Myanmar may prefer to settle nearby to avoid the culture shock of moving farther afield, and that Thailand, which for the first time recorded more deaths than births in 2023, could use their labor.

They have a lot of potential, and in Thailand we are an aging society, and we need human resource for our economy, he said.

Theres no need to just relocate them to the U.S.; it [Thailand] could be a choice for them, he added.

Rangsiman said talks with the government were under way on proposals to resume Thai language courses in the camps, where most instruction now is in Burmese and Karen. He said teaching the refugees to speak Thai, as well, would help them transition to higher education and jobs outside the camps, if someday allowed, and to possibly settle in Thailand for good.

Khyaw Paw has voiced hope the refugees will get more rights to study and work outside the camps.

If we compare [with] the last parliament, no one talked about refugees, she said. So, I think there is progress.
Donald Trumps former foes in the Republican party endorsed him at the partys national convention in Milwaukee. Israelis are closely watching American election as well even as their own country is politically divided as well. Hezbollah warns it will strike more targets in Israel and NATO sets up an office in the Middle East. An update from Kyiv, Chinas economic impact around the world and a look at security in Asia.
French soldiers and police are being deployed both in and along the Seine river to make it safe during the grandiose opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, when thousands of athletes will sail down the river at sunset toward the Eiffel Tower.

The unprecedented decision to use a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) stretch of the Seine as a spectacular stage for the July 26 ceremony in front of a 320,000-strong crowd has created a huge challenge for security services, who will need to ensure the safety of Olympians and spectators alike.

French authorities said 45,000 police officers and gendarmes are being deployed for the occasion, as well as 10,000 soldiers of the so-called Sentinelle military operation.

A specially created battalion has been tasked to secure the embarkation zone for athletes located along Paris' eastern portion of the river. The battalion's mission includes the full protection of the area, the boats and the attendees, in close coordination with other security forces.

This mission is complex and unprecedented, Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier, chief of operations of the battalion, said Wednesday. "Its complex because were in an environment  the Parisian environment, the Seine  which is an urban environment ... with obvious vulnerabilities. The Seine is an area where there are a lot of activities.

Former U.S. President Donald Trumps assassination attempt Saturday further raised awareness about the highly sensitive mission.

Paris has been the target of deadly terror attacks in the past decade, and the Seine flows through the heart of the city, surrounded by office and apartment buildings and used every day by barges and other ships.

We were already on a very high level of security. So the attack on Donald Trump only reinforces our vigilance, Olivier said.

Military officers requested to be identified by their first names only for reasons of security.

Specialized units have been mobilized for the operation that involves deployment of high-tech technology such as drones and sonars, as well as combat divers, boat intervention groups, patrols along the Seine and military dogs. Water barriers going from the riverbed to the surface have been installed to prevent any intrusions into protected area.

In addition, the battalion is using counter-drone systems and works in close coordination with the French Air Force, which secures the Paris skies, the lieutenant-colonel said.

The military is ready to respond to any type of threat that may be underwater, on water, on land or in the air, said Captain Quentin, who is commanding a company of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion.

Troops aboard rapid boats are able to intervene at very short notice, to any type of threat, to cross the Seine in a matter of minutes and rapidly deploy for deterrence or to take action on site, he said.

A special anti-terrorism perimeter for the opening ceremony will start being implemented Thursday. Protected areas along the Seine have a special legal status, making them off-limits to the unauthorized public.

Staff Sergeant Sofiane, from the 132nd Canine Infantry Regiment, said his 3-year-old dog, Stimo, is trained to detect intruders and would alert him by barking.

In case of an intrusion the staff sergeant could order Stimo to attack and neutralize an intruder, either hitting the person with a very rigid muzzle or attacking without the muzzle.

With France soon to be in the world's spotlight, the Olympics security mission is a unique experience for the soldiers, and even a chance for some to discover Paris.

They have the feeling that they are there for something special, Quentin said. And theyre all the more vigilant and ready for the occasion.
U.S. authorities are investigating how a young gunman managed to get to a rooftop vantage point last Saturday to shoot former president Donald Trump during a political rally when local police were in the warehouse beneath the gunman and just outside.

There was local police in that building. There was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told ABC News.

At outdoor events like Trumps rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last weekend, the Secret Service  the key federal government security protection agency for current and former presidents and their families  controlled the inner perimeter closest to Trump, while leaving the outer perimeter, including the warehouse, to be monitored by local police.

Now, questions are being raised whether the choice to leave the warehouse in the outer perimeter and in the hands of local police was the proper decision, since the rooftop was within shooting range of the rally stage where Trump was speaking.

The gunman, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to carry an assault weapon to the rooftop, and from a distance of about 140 meters, fire off as many as eight shots toward the stage. One of the shots pierced Trumps right ear, while one rally-goer was killed and two others critically wounded. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks.

Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency includes the Secret Service, said on Monday that an independent review of the assassination attempt from outside the government will start soon. He called the attack a security failure.

Video analyses of the attack scene by U.S. news media recorded some bystanders outside the immediate rally area and near the warehouse yelling at police that there was a gunman on the warehouse rooftop nearly a minute and a half before shots were fired.

Cheatle told ABC News there was only a very short period of time between those reports and when the gunman fired.

I dont have all the details yet, but it was a very short period of time, she said. Seeking that person out, finding them, identifying them and eventually neutralizing them took place in a very short period of time, and it makes it very difficult.

Cheatle, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, said she took responsibility for the handling of security at the event.

The buck stops with me, she said. I am the director of the Secret Service.

She said she did not plan to resign.

The Secret Service has said that before Trump went onstage, local officers were searching for a suspicious man who had been flagged by passersby, and that the Secret Service was notified of that hunt. But it is not clear how much earlier that search went on or when the agency was notified of it.

After Cheatles interview, the Secret Service expressed support early Tuesday for local law enforcement partners in providing security at the event despite the admitted failure to stop the attack.

We are deeply grateful to the officers who ran towards danger to locate the gunman and to all our local partners for their unwavering commitment, the Secret Service said in a statement. Any news suggesting the Secret Service is blaming local law enforcement for Saturday's incident is simply not true."

Mayorkas said the probe of the assassination attempt would examine the actions of the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies before, during and after the shooting to identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions required to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.

Trump was not seriously injured in the attack but easily could have been killed. He wore a bandage over his right ear on Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where his fellow Republicans officially named him as the partys presidential nominee for the November election.

Biden on Monday ordered Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate in the election, who trails far behind Trump and Biden in national polling. Kennedys uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963. His father, Robert F. Kennedy, was killed as he campaigned for the presidency in 1968.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the countrys chief criminal investigative agency, said it is continuing to look for a motive behind Saturdays shooting. The FBI said it is investigating the case as potential domestic terrorism, but that the probe is still in its early stages, and no motive for the shooting has been identified.

The FBI said Monday its technical specialists successfully gained access to Crooks phone, and they are analyzing his electronic devices. It said the search of his residence and vehicle had been completed.

The investigative agency said it has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement personnel, rally attendees and other witnesses and that more people are being interviewed.
Its a photo that appeared around the world. A bloodied Donald Trump, his fist raised, as Secret Service officers rush the former president from a stage.

Taken by Associated Press journalist Evan Vucci, the image captures the immediate aftermath of the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Some U.S. media outlets have described the images from that day as iconic. Some say they have the potential to alter the course of the presidential election; others have commented on the enduring legacy of still photography in the age of video.

But ethics experts are watching to see how  in a polarized time  media and others use the coverage of the attack.

Ron Burnett, former president of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Canada and an expert on images, said he believes photography can have a powerful impact.

The iconic effects of a photograph are not to be underestimated at all, actually, because truth does not stand up to icons. Icons actually always are of greater effect than truth, which is a really scary thought, but which is true, he told VOA.

He added that imagery of the attempted assassination reinforces the Trump campaign narrative.

"The photo fits very heavily with the kind of way in which he's approached every stage of this, let's call it, battle, because he sees it as a battle. The photo suggests, among many different things, that he's in a war and already in constant danger, said Burnett, who is based in Vancouver.

Subramaniam Vincent, the director of Santa Clara Universitys journalism and media ethics center, said the portrayal of the moment will play into the political discourse.

So, the real ethics of it, I think, comes in, in interpreting where the picture is, what it stands for in the narrative about American culture, politics, guns, violence, he told VOA.

WATCH: Media work to combat disinformation on Trump shooting

For Vucci, capturing the shooting and aftermath was a priority. I knew that this was a moment in American history that had to be documented, he said. I mean, it's our job as journalists to do this work.

As the news media work to verify what happened at the rally, on social media, mis- and disinformation are flourishing.

Among conspiracy theories being shared are claims that falsely say political parties on either side are responsible. Journalists are working to set the record straight.

"There's no evidence for either of these conspiracy theories, but they reflect the kind of claims that are spreading in this very polarized emotional climate in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt, David Klepper, a reporter for the AP, was cited as saying.

Two days after the attack, Trump was back on stage, this time for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Data from the cyber analysts PeakMetrics shows that in the hours after the attack, social media mentions of him are increasing, says the AP.

While the majority of posts analyzed by the company expressed sympathy, PeakMetrics found others that sought to seed conspiracy theories or spread false or misleading claims.
Hunger and looming famine are driving a growing number of people to flee war-torn Sudan in search of refuge in neighboring countries, according to World Health Organization officials.

Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO representative to Sudan, recently told journalists that he met Sudanese refugees on a recent mission to Chad whod left home only because of hunger.

They say it is not insecurity, it is not a lack of access to basic services, but because they have nothing to eat, he said at Tuesdays press conference in Geneva.

An acute food insecurity analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, in late June indicates that 14 months into the conflict, Sudan is facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded by the IPC in the country, noting that the number of acutely hungry people has risen from 17.7 million to 25.6 million over the last six months.

There is a risk of famine in 14 areas in greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, Al Jazirah states and some hotspots in Khartoum if the conflict escalates further, including through increased mobilization of local militias, says the report.

Sahbani has previously described refugees fleeing the Darfur and Kordofan regions as disturbing, heartbreaking even, explaining that women and children spoke of loss of life, loss of belongings, hunger, disease, a lack of basic services and violence, including sexual violence. All of this, he said, has led to a massive influx of refugees in the neighboring countries.

Displacement milestone

The United Nations humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, on Tuesday said the conflict in Sudan has reached another grim milestone in its displacement crisis.

Citing the International Organization for Migration, it said 12.7 million people have become displaced since war broke out in mid-April 2023, with more than 10 million remaining inside Sudan and more than 2 million displaced as refugees in five neighboring countries.

Sahbani said that Chad, which is hosting more than 700,000 refugees from Sudan, reportedly is receiving between 500 and 700 new arrivals every day.

The Chad government and the people of Adre have been welcoming. They have opened their system and their homes, he said. But this is a system already overstretched, and these are people who have nothing more to share.

The WHO is calling for stepped up cross-regional efforts to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid to millions of people trapped in Sudans escalating and ever more brutal conflict. Officials are specifically calling for a humanitarian corridor from Chad so essential relief can reach millions of starving people in Sudan.

The U.N.-linked health agency also says the Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazira states are all but cut off from humanitarian and health assistance due to the relentless fighting.

It says the situation is particularly alarming in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur where more than 800,000 people are besieged and cut off from access to food, health care and medical supplies.

The wounded cannot get the urgent care they need; children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are weak due to acute hunger, WHO representative Sahbani said. Access is crucially and immediately needed so that we can avert the disastrous health situation.

Weather could make matters worse

He warned that the situation is likely to worsen with the approaching rainy season, which can affect access to health care across the region.

Sahbani said that he expects flooding to hamper the ability of the WHO and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance, and that the international community will be needed to urgently bridge the huge funding gap.

OCHA said that 30% of the U.N.s $2.7 billion Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded, more than halfway through the year.

We urgently appeal to donors to make good on their pledges and increase their support, it said.

Sahbani warned that urgent action and a cease-fire are needed to contain an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

If we do not take action now, the rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan could spiral out of hand, permitting the unchecked reign of diseases, malnutrition and trauma, he said.

Commenting on the U.N.-mediated proximity talks with Sudans warring parties underway in Geneva, the WHO official said, There were some promising signs.

Let us wait for the coming hours, days, he said. If we cannot get a cease-fire, we hope that at least we can get the protection of civilians and the opening of humanitarian corridors.
President Joe Biden addressed Black supporters in the battleground state of Nevada Tuesday, his first campaign appearance since the assassination attempt on his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump. He linked the attack on Trump to racial and gun violence, imploring Americans to condemn violence in any form. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
On the floor of the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, vice presidential candidate JD Vance greeted and shook hands with excited delegates as he walked toward his seat.

It was a marked contrast from former President Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.

The contrast underscores the new reality facing Trump after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Pennsylvania Saturday, raising serious questions about the agency that is tasked with protecting the president, former presidents and major-party candidates. Trump's campaign must also adjust to a new reality after he came millimeters from death or serious injury  and as law enforcement warns of the potential for more political violence.

Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward.

We do not comment on President Trumps security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service, said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.

The Secret Service had already stepped up Trump's protection in the days before the attack following an unrelated threat from Iran, two U.S. officials said Tuesday. But that extra security didn't stop the gunman, who fired from an adjacent roof, from killing one audience member and injuring two others along with Trump.

The FBI and Homeland Security officials remain concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following this attack, according to a joint intelligence bulletin by Homeland Security and the FBI and obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin warned that lone actors and small groups will continue to see rallies and campaign events as attractive targets.

Underscoring the security risks, a man armed with an AK-47 pistol, wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical backpack was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is being held.

The attack has led to stepped-up security not only for Trump. President Joe Bidens security has also been bolstered, with more agents surrounding him as he boarded Air Force One to Las Vegas on Monday night. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received Secret Service protection in the shootings wake.

Trump's campaign has also responded in other ways, including placing armed security at all hours outside their offices in Florida and Washington, D.C.

Trump has already scheduled his next rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. That's where he will appear with Vance for their first event as a presidential ticket.

But the new posture complicates, at least for now, the interactions Trump regularly has with supporters as he signs autographs, shakes hands and poses for selfies at events and on airplane tarmacs.
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Serhii Kyslytsia, strongly responded to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who, during his speech at the UN Security Council, referred to images from the works of English writer George Orwell. The Russian politician chose to quote a writer whose books were banned or censored in the Soviet Union.

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Kyslytsia wrote about this on the social network X. Unlike Lavrov's "speechwriters" who worked on his speech, the world is well aware of Orwell's original works and understands that he criticized the dictator Joseph Stalin, who is now loved and revered in Russia and was hostile to Stalinism.

"Who does pathetic Lavrov take us for when he tries to mobilize Orwell in his support?" the Permanent Representative noted. "Perhaps he does not know that New York diplomats have read Orwell, and not that they are by-products of MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations  ed.) in the Soviet Union, where Orwell's books were banned or censored," Kyslytsia wrote.

On Tuesday, during a UN Security Council meeting on multilateral cooperation, Lavrov tried to confirm his words with a quote from George Orwell's "Animal Farm".

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"In the last century, George Orwell, in his short story "Animal Farm," had already foreseen the essence of a rule-based order where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. If you do the will of the hegemon, you are allowed to do anything. And if you dare and start defending your national interests, you will be declared an outcast and subject to sanctions," Lavrov said.

Kyslytsia noted that Lavrov's speechwriters did not mention that George Orwell was a critic of Stalin and was hostile to Stalinism. According to Orwell himself, his satirical work "Animal Farm", which Lavrov tried to quote, reflects the events that preceded the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. This was a period when Russia lived under the rule of Joseph Stalin's communist ideology, which is almost deified in Russia today.

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Kyslytsia explained that each animal in "Animal Farm" represents a certain class of Soviet (and at the same time modern Russian) society: Boxer, the workhorse, symbolizes the working class and Stakhanovites; Veniamin, the skeptical donkey, represents the intelligentsia, who understands everything but does nothing; evil dogs represent NKVD officers; Moses (Raven), who promises the animals a wonderful place beyond the clouds called Sugar Mountain after his death, represents the clergy; silent sheep represent the masses of people; and Squealer, the pig, represents the government-controlled media.

"At the top of the pyramid is a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar named Napoleon (an allegory of Joseph Stalin), who gradually rewrote the Seven Commandments of Animalism (an allegorical reference to communism), the main one of which began to sound like this: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," wrote Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN.

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"So what kind of animal are you, Comrade Lavrov?" Kyslytsia asked ironically.

Earlier it was reported that after the strike on Okhmatdyt, Russia organized a gala dinner at the UN. Representatives of the terrorist state enjoyed Kyiv-style cutlets while rescuers in Kyiv were still dismantling the rubble of the buildings of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital destroyed by a Russian missile.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Serhii Kyslytsia, emphasized that calling Russia's war against Ukraine a "Ukrainian crisis" is wrong and unlawful. Nevertheless, some members of the UN Security Council still continue to give this name to the Russian aggression against our country.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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In a middle school level class, students are learning about planetary science from the gases of Jupiter to the exosphere on Mercury.

That might seem no different than lessons at many schools around the world, but this session is happening at a learning center for refugees in Indonesia.

Paying close attention is Afnaan Guleid, a 13-year-old whose family fled from Somalia to the Southeast Asian country. She said in her native country her family had to worry about violence, but now she can focus on her dreams.

I want to be a scientist when I grow up because I love to do experiments and discover things, Guleid said.

She is one of the 85 students at the Cisarua Refugee Learning Center. The entire curriculum is in English, whether the students are learning math, science, social studies or basic life skills. And beginning this year, qualified students could join an online program to work toward an American high school diploma.

Massoud Azimi, 15, is one of them. Azimi is a refugee from Afghanistan who has been in Indonesia for eight years but, along with his family, is scheduled to be resettled in the United States within the next few months.

The programs at this learning center are helping me prepare for school in America, Azimi said. Its strengthening my academic skills.

Cisarua is a town in the hills, a few hours' drive from the countrys largest city, Jakarta, which has become a hub for many refugees in Indonesia.

A spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency told VOA there are about 12,600 refugees and asylum seekers in the country and approximately 1,300 of them are in Cisarua.

Refugees said the towns milder temperatures and lower cost of living compared with Jakarta make it an attractive place.

But most, if not all, of these refugees hope to eventually be resettled in a third country. The U.N. refugee agency said the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are accepting refugees from Indonesia, but the process typically takes at least seven years and placement is not guaranteed.

While Indonesia allows refugees to enroll in public schools, the Cisarua Refugee Learning Center offers its students a chance to focus on their English, which is a skill they will need if they are resettled.

We are trying to prepare them for the next country that they are going, said Reza Hussaini, the schools principal, who is a refugee himself from Afghanistan.

The learning center has refugees who fled violence or persecution in countries in Asia and Africa, including Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, and Myanmar. We have students from different cultures, students from different religions, students from different countries, Hussaini said. There is a diversity of culture here.

Zahra Sakhawat is a 12-year-old from Afghanistan who dreams of becoming a doctor. She said the students at this learning center feel a connection because it fosters a sense of community.

Everyone is very kind and dear with each other, she said.

The facilities are basic, no high-tech science labs. The learning center is funded entirely by private donations. There are also English classes for adults, which often attracts parents of the students.

All the teachers are volunteers, and many are refugees themselves, including a 39-year-old man whose identity VOA agreed to conceal out of concerns for his familys safety in his native Myanmar. He fled the countrys civil war just four months ago because Myanmars junta, which staged a coup in 2021 was about to conscript him into the army.

They were going to force me to fight for their military. So, I will not do it because I will never help the military, he said. He has a university degree in computer science and hopes he will have a chance to study artificial intelligence in a new country.

In the meantime, he said he is enjoying the opportunity to share his computer and math knowledge as a volunteer at the Cisarua Refugee Learning Center. The school started 10 years ago and has become a model for similar refugee programs that have opened elsewhere in Indonesia.

All of the refugees deserve a chance to prepare for their futures, Hussaini said.
Tehran remains open to resuming negotiations with Washington on restoring their participation in a nuclear agreement, Iran's acting foreign minister told Newsweek magazine in an interview published on Tuesday.

Ali Bagheri Kani's remarks come as he prepares to address the United Nations Security Council in New York.

The United States under President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018 from the nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers, which restricted Tehran's nuclear programs.

Indirect talks between the U.S. and Tehran to revive the deal have stalled. Iran is still part of the agreement, but it has decreased its commitments because of U.S. sanctions imposed on it.

Newsweek reported: "On the foreign policy front, he [Bagheri Kani] said that Tehran remained open to resuming negotiations with Washington toward restoring mutual participation in a nuclear deal."

However, Iran also intended to foster its deepening ties with China, Russia and neighboring nations, it quoted him as saying. Iran will also call for greater action against Israel in view of the Gaza war, he said.

The Biden administration said last week the United States was not ready to resume nuclear talks with Iran under its new president.

Bagheri Kani became the acting foreign minister after foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in a helicopter crash along with Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi in May.

Iranians then elected Masoud Pezeshkian as president, a moderate who said he will promote a pragmatic foreign policy and ease tensions with the powers involved in the 2015 nuclear pact.
Iran's Islamist rulers have made no public comment on the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump in the three days since the shooting attack on the man whom they have long seen as their nemesis and targeted with threats of vengeance since he left office.

The only references in Iranian state media to Saturday's attack on Trump have been articles citing details of the shooting at his election rally in Pennsylvania, showing images of the aftermath and amplifying conspiracy theories about whether it was real or staged.

Iran has threatened revenge against Trump and his key aides for carrying out the January 2020 assassination of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike. It was part of what Trump called a campaign of "maximum pressure" against Tehran for its nuclear and other perceived malign activities.

Since then, one of the most explicit threats against Trump has come from Amir Ali Hajizadeh, aerospace chief of Iran's top military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He told state TV in February 2023 that "we are looking to kill Trump" to avenge Soleimani.

There is no indication of Iranian involvement in the Trump rally shooting, with U.S. authorities naming only one suspect, the 20-year-old American male shooter whom U.S. Secret Service personnel shot and killed at the scene.

CNN reported on Tuesday that the Secret Service had increased security around Trump "in recent weeks" in response to an alleged Iranian assassination plot that U.S. authorities purportedly learned about from intelligence attributed to an unidentified "human source."

The Washington Post and New York Times published their own reports on the alleged Iranian threat, sourcing it to unnamed U.S. officials.

Iran's U.N. Mission in New York told VOA the accusations are "unsubstantiated and malicious."

"Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," the mission said in a statement.

U.S. Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi responded to the CNN report by telling VOA that his security agency and others are "constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed."

"We cannot comment on any specific threat stream other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly," Guglielmi wrote.

One of the Iranian state media reports highlighting conspiracy theories about Saturday's incident was published by the IRGC-run Tasnim news agency on Sunday.

It published a collage of photos of the bloodied former president with a superimposed three-word headline in Persian: "Blood and pig."

Other state media articles published photos of Trump defiantly raising and pumping his fist to his supporters after Secret Service agents helped him to get back on his feet.

Shahram Kholdi, an Iranian Canadian teacher of Middle East history at Canada's University of Waterloo, discussed Iran's state media coverage of the shooting in the Tuesday edition of VOA's Flashpoint Global Crises program.

The following interview transcript is edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Why would Iran allow its state media to publish photos of the wounded former president showing what many Americans see as his triumphant stance in the face of danger?

Shahram Kholdi, University of Waterloo, Canada: The Iranian regime's hardcore supporters in the Basiji paramilitary force and the IRGC  the people who are willing to kill and die to keep this regime in power  they don't see what you see as a positive. They see the weakness, they see division in the American masses, they see fractures in the U.S. democratic system. And the regime actually uses those pictures of Trump to reinforce this propaganda trope that the U.S. is a facade of a democracy, that there is something more sinister happening behind the scenes.

We should not be surprised to see the Iranian regime's propaganda machine focus on such sinister scenarios in the next few weeks. Even though their propaganda machine is heavily equipped and well-manned, it has been only a few days since the shooting, and it takes time for them to churn out these kinds of stories.

VOA: Given Trump's record of being tough on Iran, does the Iranian leadership have any fear that highlighting his survival of an assassination attempt will boost his election prospects and return him to power?

Kholdi: Iranian officials are fearful of that. There has been an atypical restraint by officials who are generally quick to react and make all sorts of preposterous statements on such occasions. They did not do so this time. They are on their toes right now.

The regime's Chinese and Russian allies may have assured Tehran that if Trump is reelected, they will protect its interests in any negotiations with him.

President Joe Biden's failure to stop U.S.-sanctioned Iranian oil being from exported to China, and to stop Iran from assisting Russia's war effort in Ukraine, also has emboldened the regime.

But on the other hand, given the prospect of the Islamic republic once again facing the massive pressure campaign that Trump previously imposed on it, with a massive reduction in Iranian oil production and exports and interceptions of tankers, I think the regime is erring on the side of caution in its response to the assassination attempt. But the Chinese and Russians may have advised them to do so. I wouldn't attribute that to any impeccable wisdom on their part.
Local health officials say Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

One airstrike hit a house in Al-Zawyda, killing eight people. Another hit the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing one man. Officials say an Israeli airstrike hit the same camp and killed 23 people one day earlier.

The Israeli military says it hit 25 targets in the Gaza Strip in airstrikes over the past day.

Meanwhile, a separate Israeli attack killed two people in Rafah on Wednesday, according to local medics. Residents said that dozens of homes were destroyed by Israeli tanks in the north of the city. The tanks, which quickly retreated, have been deployed in most of the city since May but had left northern parts of the city largely untouched.

Attacks on Hezbollah

Israeli forces also carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon Wednesday in the latest attacks targeting Hezbollah militants.

Israels military said that its strikes focused on Hezbollah infrastructure, and that Israeli forces also used artillery fire to respond to Hezbollah threats in the area.

Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel, with the Israeli military saying it intercepted some rockets while others fell into open areas without damage or casualties.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said during a speech Wednesday that the militant group will target new areas in Israel if Israeli forces continue killing civilians.

Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed five Syrian civilians in southern Lebanon.

The cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have raised concerns about an enlarged conflict in the region.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the Israel-Hezbollah fighting during a phone call Tuesday, the U.S. Defense Department said.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that the defense chiefs also talked about a temporary pier the United States erected on the Gaza coast to provide another avenue for bringing in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians. The pier has experienced several issues, including rough seas that caused it to be detached, and Austin told Gallant that the effort will end soon.

The secretary stressed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance through all land crossings and supporting aid deliveries to Ashdod Port in Israel for onward distribution in Gaza, Ryder said.

The Pentagon said Austin also reaffirmed the shared desire of ensuring the enduring defeat of Hamas and securing the safe release of all the hostages held captive by Hamas.

Cease-fire talks

An Israeli delegation of six officials arrived in Egypt Wednesday, said Egyptian airport officials, as cease-fire talks continue.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to negotiate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of some 120 hostages still held in Gaza, along with a halt in fighting and a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.

Gallants office said the Israeli defense chief told Austin that Israels military operations in Gaza have led to the conditions necessary to achieve an agreement for the return of hostages, which is the highest moral imperative at this time.

Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their October 7 terror attack on Israel that sparked the war. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 116 hostages, including 42 who the military says are dead.

Israel has since responded with an air and land assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, which both sides agree has killed more than 38,200 people. Israel says the majority of the dead are combatants. Gazas Health Ministry says 38,794 have died, the majority of them women and children, but it does not estimate how many of the dead were combatants.

Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population is displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.

Israeli officials announced Tuesday they will begin to send draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to fight in the war in Gaza. They were exempt until a Supreme Court ruling in June.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties in its coalition.

The decision is expected to cause some tension within the country, with protests previously taking place when the government attempted to enlist ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
North Korea and China are watching for possible regional impacts from Japan's recent enhanced security cooperation with Germany.

This weekend, Japan will hold joint drills with Germany around the Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island. Spain is slated to join them there, while France will join Japan next week for drills over Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture bordering the Pacific Ocean.

At a joint press conference in Berlin late last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said defense cooperation will be enhanced by the planned visits of German aircraft and frigates to Japan and of a Japanese training fleet to Hamburg this summer.

North Korea slammed the security cooperation as "collusion" that crossed a "red line" and is "reminiscent of the Second World War," according to North Korea's state-run KCNA on Monday.

"The defeated war criminal nations are in cahoots to stage a series of war games escalating the regional tensions," KCNA continued.

Kishida said Japan hopes to work with Germany "to deal with the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea as well as China's moves related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine," according to Nippon.com, a news agency based in Tokyo.

Kishida and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed in Berlin on Friday to boost their security cooperation after attending a NATO summit in Washington. It was Kishida's first trip to Germany as prime minister.

Pact enters into force

Also on Friday, a military supply-sharing pact that aims to exchange food, fuel, and ammunition between Japan and Germany entered into force. The agreement was signed in January.

Beijing said the cooperation between Japan and Germany should not create tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA on Monday that "cooperation between countries, including military and security ties, should not target any third party or harm their interests."

Maki Kobayashi, Japanese cabinet secretary for public affairs, told VOA's Mandarin Service during the NATO summit that Japan has been working "very closely" with NATO countries on security issues and joint exercises.

"China has been saying there is an attempt at creating NATO in Asia, which is not correct," she said.

Rather, she said, Japan has been seeking closer ties among like-minded countries "to share situational analyses and also align some policies" in support of an international order based on the rule of law.

In Berlin, Kishida and Scholz also agreed to enhance economic security including safeguarding the resilience of supply chains for key items such as critical minerals and semiconductors.

Cooperation seen two different ways

In Washington last week, the leaders of NATO and four Indo-Pacific countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, discussed how to ramp up their combined defense capacity.

"A union of defense industrial bases between NATO and IP4 countries would have significant and positive implications for international peace and stability," said Matthew Brummer, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

"Japan has recently moved to provide surface-to-air missiles to the United States, which then sends them to Ukraine," he added.

In December, Tokyo agreed to ship Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to backfill U.S. inventory after taking a major step away from its pacifist self-defense policies and easing its postwar ban on the export of lethal weapons.

"In general, the NATO-IP4 cooperation is a good thing, since it symbolizes the recognition that both the Indo-Pacific theater and the European theater are linked," Elli-Katharina Pohlkamp, visiting fellow of the Asia Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations based in Berlin said via email.

However, she continued, "Strengthening NATO-IP4 ties could exacerbate tensions with China and Russia, who may perceive this cooperation as a containment strategy," and encourage countries like North Korea to align more closely with them.

Adam Xu contributed to this report.
Paul Kagames win in Rwanda's presidential election this week was widely expected, although critics say the vote was neither free nor fair.

Lewis Mudge is the central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Mudge, who lived in Rwanda for several years, said elections there are a mere performance and always produce big wins for Kagame.

Notwithstanding the economic progress that President Kagame has made, hes effectively been in power since July of 1994. That progress has not been matched in terms of political and civil rights and that reflects open space for people to have an independent political platform that disagrees with the RPF, he said.

Kagame won over 99% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced on Monday.

Earlier this year, like many analysts, Strathmore University lecturer Edgar Githua predicted the 66-year-old Kagame would win big but had no doubt the size of the victory would be greatly exaggerated.

"Rwanda is the paradox of Africa. Paradox of Africa because the Rwandese themselves are afraid to talk about their own elections. If you have a vote where 98% votes for one candidate, that is a red flag. Nobody is that popular in this world," said Githua.

Kagame, who has held various roles since 1994, won by a similar margin in 2017. At a watch party organized by his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front, he acknowledged that some people found his margin of victory this year suspicious.

This is a strange thing, thats why there are many who dont understand it, criticize it, but instead it [votes] continues to increase. Its the uniqueness of RPF and the uniqueness of Rwandans, he said.

Indeed, Kagames supporters, including Samuel Kwazera, said they would vote for him forever if they could.

During the genocide in 1994, I was four years old; now its 30 years until today you can see the progress and you can see democracy going on, I am proud. I wish myself as I love him that he can be forever, and ever, he said.

Mudge said while there are Rwandans who will continue to vote for Kagame, this was not a free and fair election.

For our point as an organization that defends civil and political rights of people in Rwanda to express themselves, our point is the context is very different if you want to express yourself differently, if you want to criticize government policy. Theres simply no space for them to operate, he said.

Kagame faced two opponents  Democratic Green Party Candidate Frank Habineza and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana. Both received less than 1 percent of the vote.

Other candidates, including some of Kagames most vocal critics, were barred from running for president, including Diane Rwigara.

One of the reasons was that she didnt garner the 600 signatures of support needed in her application.

Mudge said in Rwandas political climate, Rwigara had no chance to get the signatures or a place on the ballot.

For people like Rwigara and [Victoire] Ingabire, its not about this technical aspect of signatures. This is about not allowing compelling, articulate women to run, to take attention, and basically challenging the narrative, he said.

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, another critic of Kagame who was a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, was arrested, tried, and jailed on charges of terrorism and threatening national security. She was released eight years later through a presidential pardon.

She said elections in Rwanda have long been predetermined.

Persistent wins of presidential elections close to 100% is not a sign of popularity but of lack of competition.  I dont understand why they refuse to allow the most credible challengers to participate against President Kagame in elections in Rwanda. Of course, this is not only in 2024 but it was the case in 2003, 2010 and 2017, she said.

Recently Kagame called her a genocidaire" and said her life will not end well.

I was surprised to hear President Kagame talking about me being from a genocidaire family but those are accusations used by the government to intimidate everyone who challenges the Rwandan government, she said.

Analysts acknowledge that Kagame does enjoy real popularity among Rwandas electorate, mainly for his ability to guide the East African country toward internal stability and economic progress since the 1994 genocide, when an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.

At the same time, they say, Kagame continues to stifle dissent, as support for the president and his policies is not unanimous.
NATO's decision to open its first liaison office in Jordan  the first in the Middle East  reflects the alliance's growing concerns about Iran and Russia's increased influence in the region.

The decision to open the office in the Jordanian capital, Amman, came during the recent NATO summit in Washington marking the 75th anniversary of the military alliance.

Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East analyst at the RANE Risk Intelligence in Washington, told VOA the move is "a solid diplomatic upgrade for Jordan creating better facilitation and lines of communication," while placing Jordan solidly in "the Western camp to enjoy some of NATO's collective defense capabilities."

In a significant gesture of cooperation, Jordan in April intercepted Iranian missiles targeting Israel as they flew through Jordanian air space.

Bohl said Jordan's active and coordinated air defense set it apart from Gulf Arab states.

"Jordan was flying sorties alongside Western fighters to shoot down these drones and missiles that were crossing their air space," he said. "That was a much more active angle than the Saudis, Emiratis or any of the other Gulf Arabs would have been comfortable in doing. They're very interested in maintaining neutrality with the Iranians. Jordan, on the other hand, is against Israel's campaign in Gaza, but it's also been very much against Iran's attempts to use the Gaza war to deepen its influence across the region."

Bohl said Jordan has acted against Iran's hostile actions that have involved using Jordanian territory, including those not directed against the kingdom itself.

"And they've been intercepting Iranian weapons going into the West Bank," he said. "They're worried about the Iranians on their northern border now that the Russians pulled out of that portion of Syria a couple of years ago. For Jordan, this NATO angle is all about Iran."

Analyst Nicholas Heras of Washington's New Lines Institute told VOA that the opening of a NATO office in Jordan also signals Western intentions to curb Russia's influence in the region.

"The establishment of a NATO office in Jordan, which is prime strategic territory in the heart of the Middle East, indicates to the wider region that NATO has a role beyond just Europe," he said. "And in fact, NATO's mandate extends throughout that southern region of Europe in the Mediterranean that Russia has been actively contesting for the better part of a decade now."

Julien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East director at the European Council of Foreign Relations, said the NATO presence may quell some Jordanian concerns over Russia.

"That institutionalizes those ties a bit more and highlights some of the risks that Jordan is facing obviously in terms of the Russian presence in Syria."

But Barnes-Dacey downplayed the significance of the new NATO office in Amman, saying Jordan already has longstanding security ties with several Western NATO countries.
The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who were found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a horrific port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks.

On July 17, 1944, munitions being loaded onto a cargo ship detonated, causing secondary blasts that ignited 5,000 tons (4,535 metric tonnes) of explosives at Port Chicago naval weapons station near San Francisco.

The explosion killed 320 sailors and civilians, nearly 75% of whom were Black, and injured another 400 personnel. Surviving Black sailors had to pick up the human remains and clear the blast site while white officers were granted leave to recuperate.

The pier was a critical ammunition supply site for forces in the Pacific during World War II, and the job of loading those ships was left primarily to Black enlisted sailors overseen by white officers.

Before the explosion, the Black sailors working the dock had expressed concerns about the loading operations. Shortly after the blast, they were ordered to return to loading ships even though no changes had been made to improve their safety.

The sailors refused, saying they needed training on how to more safely handle the bombs before they returned.

What followed affected the rest of their lives, including punishments that kept them from receiving honorable discharges even as the vast majority returned to work at the pier under immense pressure and served throughout the war. Fifty sailors who held fast to their demands for safety and training were tried as a group on charges of conspiracy to commit mutiny and were convicted and sent to prison.

The whole episode was unjust, and none of the sailors received the legal due process they were owed, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in an interview with The Associated Press.

It was "a horrific situation for those Black sailors that remained," Del Toro said. The Navy's office of general counsel reviewed the military judicial proceedings used to punish the sailors and found "there were so many inconsistencies and so many legal violations that came to the forefront," he said.

Thurgood Marshall, who was then a defense attorney for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, defended the 50 sailors who were convicted of mutiny. Marshall went on to become the first Black justice on the Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of the Port Chicago disaster, Del Toro signed paperwork officially clearing the sailors, who are now deceased. Del Toro handed the first pen to Thurgood Marshall Jr., the late justice's son.

The exonerations "are deeply moving," Marshall Jr. said. "They, of course, are all gone, and that's a painful aspect of it. But so many fought for so long for that kind of fairness and recognition."

The events have stung surviving family members for decades, but an earlier effort in the 1990s to pardon the sailors fell short. Two additional sailors were previously cleared  one was found mentally incompetent to stand trial, and one was cleared on insufficient evidence. Wednesday's action goes beyond a pardon and vacates the military judicial proceedings carried out in 1944 against all of the men.

"This decision clears their names and restores their honor and acknowledges the courage that they displayed in the face of immense danger," Del Toro said.

The racism that the Black sailors faced reflected the military's views at the time  ranks were segregated, and the Navy had only reluctantly opened some positions it considered less desirable to Black service members.

The official court of inquiry looking into why the explosion occurred cleared all the white officers and praised them for the "great effort" they had to exert to run the dock. It left open the suggestion that the Black sailors were to blame for the accident.

Del Toro's action converts the discharges to honorable unless there were other circumstances surrounding them. After the Navy upgrades the discharges, surviving family members can work with the Department of Veterans Affairs on past benefits that may be owed, the Navy said.
The Netherlands commemorated on Wednesday the 298 victims of flight MH17 with a ceremony attended by the bereaved and representatives from Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Belgium and Ukraine.

Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board, including 196 Dutch citizens, were killed, leaving the plane's wreckage and the remains of the victims scattered across fields of corn and sunflowers.

Based on an international investigation, a Dutch court in 2022 said there was no doubt the plane was shot down by a Russian missile system and that Moscow had "overall control" of the forces of the separatist "Donetsk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine since May 2014. Russia denies any involvement.

During Wednesday's ceremony, which took place at the MH17 monument in the village of Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam, loved ones read out loud the names of all the victims.

Mark Rutte, who was prime minister when the disaster happened and has been a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since, drew applause for his efforts during his time in office to keep the international spotlight on the incident.

The Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia of murder for their role in the transport into eastern Ukraine of the Russian military BUK missile system used to down the plane.

"Justice requires a long, long breath," said Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who took office earlier this month, adding that "a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars."

Commemorating the victims in his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "There is no doubt that the judicial process and the overall work of international justice will inevitably lead to entirely fair sentences for all responsible for this crime."

His foreign minster, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on X that Russia had twice killed the victims. "First with a missile. Second, with lies that abused their memory and hurt their relatives."

Moscow denies any responsibility for MH17's downing and in 2014 it also denied any presence in Ukraine. However, the EU's outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called on Russia to finally accept its responsibility.

"The evidence presented makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation," Borrell said.

"No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law."
Pakistan lodged an official complaint Wednesday with the Taliban government in Afghanistan over a recent extremist attack against a military compound in the northwest, which resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers and injuries to many others.

The Foreign Ministry said that it summoned the deputy chief of the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad to deliver a "strong demarche" or official diplomatic note regarding Mondays pre-dawn raid in the garrison city of Bannu.

The statement urged Taliban authorities to fully investigate and take immediate, robust and effective action against the perpetrators of the attack.

The Pakistani military has said that 10 heavily armed men carried out the Bannu assault and were all killed in the ensuing hours-long gun battles with security forces.

The Foreign Ministry asserted that the assailants were allies of the globally designed terrorist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, based in Afghanistan and orchestrating cross-border attacks.

The statement said the group is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani civilians and security forces. It urged de facto Afghan authorities to fully investigate and take immediate, robust, and effective action against the perpetrators of the deadly violence and prevent the recurrence of such attacks from Afghan soil.

Pakistan reiterated its serious concerns over the presence of terror outfits inside Afghanistan that continue to threaten Pakistans security, the foreign ministry stated Wednesday, reiterating Islamabads call for decisive action against terrorism.

Taliban officials in Kabul have not responded to the charges immediately, though they have previously denied such allegations and claimed no foreign groups are present in Afghan territory.

Pakistani security officials have claimed that their investigations into the Bannu attack identified one of the slain assailants as an Afghan national. They stated that he was a resident of the eastern Afghan province of Logar and an active Afghan Taliban combatant.



U.S. reaction



On Tuesday, the United States, while commenting on surging militant violence in Pakistan, renewed its call for Taliban authorities to combat extremist threats emanating from Afghanistan.

We have a shared interest with the Pakistani people and the government of Pakistan in combating threats to regional security, State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller told reporters in Washington.

We do continue to urge the Taliban to ensure that terrorist attacks are not launched from Afghan soil. That has been a priority for us in engagements with them, and it continues to be, Miller added.

The United Nations released a report on the security situation in Afghanistan earlier this month, describing the TTP as the largest terrorist group operating in the country.

TTP continues to operate at a significant scale in Afghanistan and to conduct terrorist operations into Pakistan from there, often utilizing Afghans, said the report by the U.N. sanctions monitoring team. It noted that the ruling Taliban and al-Qaida are increasingly supporting cross-border TTP attacks.

The Taliban do not conceive of TTP as a terrorist group: the bonds are close, and the debt owed to TTP is significant, the U.N. report added.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the U.N. findings, saying they are part of efforts to malign their Islamic administration in Kabul.

The TTP, commonly referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is known to have publicly pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. It provided shelter on Pakistani soil and recruits for their Afghan ideological allies to help them wage insurgent attacks against the U.S.-led NATO troops for years until U.S. and international forces withdrew in 2021, and the Taliban reclaimed control of Afghanistan.
On July 17, MP Mariana Bezuhla resigned from the Servant of the People party on her own request.

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"It has just been reported that Ms. Bezuhla has left the Servant of the People faction at her own request," MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on his Telegram channel.

According to the MP, there are now officially 234 MPs left in the Servant of the People party.

Bezuhla explained her decision by saying that she "does not understand" the priorities of her colleagues from the National Security and Defense Committee.

She also accused the faction's members of "sneakily" uniting with the opposition to sabotage the process.

"Taking into account the above situation, I no longer have the moral strength to associate myself with the faction, even formally. I have sent a letter of resignation from the Servant of the People parliamentary faction. It is final. The statement should be read out this week," she said on Facebook.

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As a reminder, Bezuhla has already submitted a letter of resignation from the faction in February.

In addition, Bezuhla noted that she still has the status of MP, so she is "still protected and the only one who dared to systematically criticize the military leadership and voice the problems that all military personnel in combat units already know, but which are not being corrected."

"These are not the 'military' who are engaged in sycophancy on social media, whose uniforms have to be changed to a larger size... These are ordinary guys and girls who are dying. They die every day. And now imagine what happens to those who dare to disagree with the Armed Forces system. Just point out the error. Task 200. Do not discredit the Armed Forces!" she wrote.

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As a reminder, Bezuhla has already applied to leave the faction. In February, she was expelled from the Servant of the People party.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Bezuhla was recently recalled from the post of head of the parliamentary subcommittee on democratic civilian control. She stated that this was a response "to the truth about the problems in the Armed Forces and the military's appeals."

Earlier, Bezuhla filed a complaint with the State Bureau of Investigation against the chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. She accused him of obstructing her parliamentary activities.

This was not Bezuhla's first criticism of the military leadership. Earlier, she demanded the resignation of the then chief of the army, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, for allegedly failing to provide a war plan for 2024, which caused outrage among the public.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Alexandra Kulikova used to come across plenty of different European languages on the streets of Saint Petersburg, the iconic city founded by Peter the Great as Russia's "window to the West".

"You could hear English, French or Italian being spoken everywhere... and we were always full," Kulikova, the co-owner of a chain of apartment rentals in the city, told AFP.

But the Kremlin's military offensive in Ukraine  and the barrage of sanctions it triggered effectively sealed Russia off to most would-be Western travelers, seriously knocking the country's tourism industry.

Russia is now looking to visitors from Asia and the Middle East to fill the void.

"I see huge numbers of Chinese groups, Arabic tourists traveling with their families, Indians," Kulikova said.

"But they must be very rich, because they stay in luxury hotels, not in apartments," she added.

That has put pressure on her business, including previously hotly sought apartments offering breathtaking views over the golden-domed St. Isaac's Cathedral in the heart of the city.

'Reorganization'

Alongside a political climate that has grown even more hostile and unwelcoming towards the West and Westerners, sanctions and logistical difficulties have further complicated travel.

Direct flights with the European Union, Britain and the United States have been suspended.

And Visa and Mastercard bank cards can't be used inside Russia.

All that has combined to spark a "reorganization of tourism towards the East," said Sergei Kalinin, who heads an association of guide-interpreters in Saint Petersburg.

During the first quarter of 2024, almost half of all foreign tourists who visited Russia came from China  an estimated 99,000 of 218,000.

Around 8,400 came from Germany, the most of any Western country, down two-thirds on the numbers that visited in 2019, according to Russia's Association of Tour Operators.

'A lot in common'

In the former imperial capital, famed for its grandiose palaces and picturesque canals, the transformation is stark.

At a Saint Petersburg train station on a long summer evening, groups of mostly Chinese tourists were rushing to catch night trains departing for Moscow.

"Russia is an interesting country, and now it's easier to get here. There are electronic visas," Liu Yitin, a 60-year-old waiting to board told AFP.

"There are many tourist sites in Russia, and our countries have a lot in common," Yitin said.

China has become Russia's most important political and economic ally amid its offensive in Ukraine, and the two leaders  Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping  regularly embrace each other as "old friends" on the world stage.

While Western governments have strongly advised their citizens against traveling to Russia, Beijing has issued no such warning, and Chinese tourism to Russia has grown exponentially.

"There are many Chinese (people) who want to visit Moscow," said Xia Kosinai  a young Chinese guide in Moscow who was leading a group of some two dozen on a trip from Shanghai.

"They only know Russia from television," she told AFP.

"Because of the fighting in Ukraine, they are a little afraid. But everything is fine" once they arrive in Russia, she said.

'Not very optimistic'

Amid isolation in the West, Russia's authorities have sought to facilitate more travel opportunities with citizens from so-called "friendly" nations.

Moscow is eyeing up visa-free travel with Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries and wants to increase direct flights to China and Iran, the Russian economy ministry has said.

Saint Petersburg has also boosted its own marketing.

City officials traveled to trade shows in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu in May, after hitting a spate of similar events in India.

They hope to visit 16 major trade fairs this year across Asia, the Middle East and former Soviet states, the city said.

Despite all these efforts, many in the industry say Russia still faces an acute shortage of tourists.

"It's not like it used to be," said Maria Khilkova, a tour guide in Saint Petersburg.

"Even with the Chinese (tourists) there is no big tourist flow, it can't be compared to what it was like before Covid," she said.

"It will take at least five years for everything to recover."
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday that 500,000 Russian troops are surrounding Ukraine and Russia is looking to add 200,000 to 300,000 more in the coming months.

He told the annual meeting in Aspen, Colorado, that 550,000 Russians have been killed or wounded so far in the 2-year-old war and that Russia is relying heavily on mercenaries, including those from Africa.

On Ukraines push to loosen restrictions by the U.S. and some others on the use of long-range weapons against targets deep inside Russia, Umerov said, "We want to change it from a limit on length to a focus on functional[ity]."

"The work is still in progress," he added. "We want to say it loudly. We are focusing on the military targets."

Earlier, Russias defense ministry said Wednesday the countrys air defenses destroyed five Ukrainian aerial drones, including attacks on the Bryansk, Belgorod and Voronezh regions, all of which border Ukraine.

Officials in Bryansk and Voronezh said on the messaging app Telegram there were no casualties or damage from the downed drones.

In Russias Kursk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine, Governor Alexey Smirnov said a Ukrainian helicopter struck a fire station, injuring one person and damaging several cars.

Ukraines military said Wednesday it destroyed four Russian reconnaissance drones.

Russian aerial attacks also included missiles directed at the Odesa and Kherson regions, the Ukrainian air force said.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Wednesday on Telegram that Russian attacks during the past day injured at least seven people and damaged more than 20 residential buildings.

Officials in the Kharkiv region also reported Wednesday damage to residential buildings from Russian shelling.

Serhiy Lysak, governor of Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram that Russia attacked the area with artillery fire and kamikaze drones, but no injuries were reported.

Despite increasing tensions, Russia and Ukraine swapped 95 prisoners each on Wednesday, exchanging 190 prisoners in total.

It was the third prisoner swap between the two countries in seven weeks  the 54th since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The United Arab Emirates helps facilitate the swaps, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UAE for assisting in Wednesdays exchange.

In a post on Telegram on Wednesday Russia's Defense Ministry said prisoners were in mortal danger while in Ukrainian captivity.

The Ukrainian Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War said on Telegram that many of the returned soldiers suffer from consequences of their wounds and have chronic diseases that require long-term treatment.

The United Nations has said that Ukrainian prisoners routinely suffer from torture and neglect while in Russian captivity. They have also reported isolated incidents of mistreatment of Russian soldiers while in Ukrainian captivity. The mistreatment is said to typically occur when Ukraine captures Russian soldiers and when transitioning prisoners to internment camps.

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
A fire at a shopping mall killed 16 people in the southwestern Chinese city of Zigong, state media reported early Thursday.

Firefighters and rescuers responded to a fire call shortly after 6 p.m. at the 14-story commercial building, and pulled 75 people to safety, according to the official news agency Xinhua.

Rescue efforts were ongoing. It was not immediately known what caused the fire or how many people were in the building when the fire broke out. The building houses a department store, offices, restaurants and a movie theater.

Social media video posts showed clouds of thick black smoke coming from the windows on the building's lower levels and engulfing the entire 14-story structure as they rose into the sky. Huge flames were visible, and firefighters fought the fire with water. Local media said firefighters also used several drones.

Fire hazards remain a problem in China, which reported 947 fire fatalities in this year's first few months ending on May 20, up 19% from the same period of the previous year, said Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration.

Li said the number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants rose 40% and that the most common causes were malfunctioning in electrical or gas lines and carelessness.

In January, a fire killed 39 people in a commercial building in the southeastern Chinese province of Jiangxi. It was caused by unauthorized welding in the basement.

In February, another 15 people were killed in a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing, after an attached parking lot that had electric bikes caught fire.
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was convicted on Tuesday on all 16 criminal counts he faced, including bribery, at his corruption trial. The second day of the Republican National Convention focuses on immigration and crime. U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly going to propose a major Supreme Court overhaul that would include term limits for justices.
The GMB union has failed to secure the right to formally represent workers at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry, central England, Amazon said on Wednesday.

The ballot result on union recognition is a blow for the U.K. trade union movement as victory in the ballot would have forced the U.S. e-commerce giant to negotiate labor terms with a U.K. union for the first time.

The Coventry workers have been involved in a dispute over pay and union recognition for more than a year and have carried out numerous strikes.

The GMB union has argued Amazon frustrated its recognition bid by recruiting hundreds of additional workers at the site so the union no longer had the numbers to make the ballot threshold.

Amazon's treatment of workers has been in the spotlight for years. It has historically opposed unionization, saying its preference has been to resolve issues with employees directly rather than through unions.

However, in 2022, workers at its warehouse in Staten Island, New York, forced the company to recognize a trade union in the U.S. for the first time.

That was seen as key moment for the union movement. However, Amazon workers at two other New York warehouses and one in Alabama have since voted against unionizing.

Amazon does interact with unions in countries such as Germany and Italy. But that is largely because it is required to by government.

Amazon employs about 75,000 in the UK, making it one of the country's top 10 private sector employers.

Britain's new Labor government has promised to give workers more rights and unions more power.

It plans to update trade union legislation, removing restrictions on trade union activity and ensuring industrial relations are based around good faith negotiation and bargaining.

Labor says British employment laws are outdated, a drag on economic growth and a major factor in the U.K.'s worst period of industrial relations since the 1980s.
U.S. forces in the Middle East are seeing new reasons to worry about the Islamic State terror group, which appears to be taking advantage of some newfound stability to wreak havoc in parts of Iraq and Syria.

The group, also known as IS or ISIS, claimed 153 attacks across both countries between January and June of this year, according to a statement Wednesday from U.S. Central Command.

ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023, it said, warning, The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability."

The latest CENTCOM assessment also suggested that IS operatives have started feeling secure enough and confident enough to begin planning attacks beyond the borders of Syria and Iraq.

We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations, according to CENTCOMs commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla.

Some independent analysts have counted as many as five external plots tracing back to IS in Iraq and Syria since the start of the year.

This is not the first time this year that U.S. officials have expressed renewed concerns about ISs activities.

Back in April, CENTCOM said IS likely had grown to about 2,500 fighters across Syria and Iraq  more than double previous estimates shared in January.

And U.S. partners have likewise warned about a possible resurgence.

Officials with the political wing of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces told VOA in January that the terror groups activities had "increased significantly," both in areas patrolled by the SDF and in areas overseen by the Assad regime.

The nonprofit Counter Extremism Project (CEP), which has been tracking IS activity in Syria, has likewise been warning of a more active and violent trajectory.

The level of violence increased in June by every metric compared to May, CEP said in its monthly report.

Several brutal attacks were carried out against local tribesmen in the Jubb Jarah region of eastern Homs that resulted in locals hunting down and killing two ISIS members, it added. Still, the vast majority of ISIS activity remained focused on [Syrian] security forces.

CENTCOM said it has begun pushing back against the renewed IS activity, launching almost 200 operations with the SDF and the Iraqi military over the first six months of 2024.

It says those operations led to the deaths of 44 IS fighters, including eight senior leaders, and the arrest of another 258 IS members.

But despite the success of the U.S. and its Syrian and Iraqi partners, there are indications that conditions are ripe for a lasting IS comeback.

The vast majority of the U.S. anti-IS operations, 137 of the 196 missions, took place in Iraq, where according to some analysts, IS poses the lesser threat.

Two-thirds of IS attacks from Iraq and Syria comes from Syria, said Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who specializes in jihadism.

Zelin told VOA the situation on the ground may be more treacherous than the numbers indicate.

Since 2020, IS has had a strategy or policy of underreporting claims in Syria, so it's likely even worse there," he said. That's why even though it's [IS] not really a daily problem in Iraq these days, its strength in Syria could once again threaten Iraq if the U.S. withdrew from Syria.

Additionally, the groups current emir, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, has been in place for almost a year, potentially creating some stability after the group lost its two previous emirs within a span of 10 months.

A report issued earlier this year based on intelligence from United Nations member states warned that IS may be even bigger than the U.S. estimates suggest.

The U.N. report said IS likely had between 3,000 to 5,000 fighters across Syria and Iraq, adding that the central Syria desert had become "a logistics and operations hub with 500 to 600 fighters."
U.S. voters are assessing the impact of Saturdays attempted assassination of presidential candidate Donald Trump. As VOA correspondent Scott Stearns reports, they are considering what the shooting means for the country and this Novembers election. VOAs Russian, Spanish, Persian and Korean language services contributed to this report.
In his short time in the U.S. Senate, J.D. Vance, the newly tapped Republican vice presidential nominee, has been a hawk on China.

He has introduced legislation to restrict Chinese access to U.S. financial markets and to protect U.S. higher education from Chinese influence.

In an interview with Fox News shortly after being named as former President Donald Trumps running mate on Monday, Vance called China the biggest threat to the United States.

When asked about Russias war in Ukraine, Vance said Trump would negotiate with Moscow and Kyiv to bring this thing to a rapid close so America can focus on the real issue, which is China.

Thats the biggest threat to our country and we are completely distracted from it, said Vance, a staunch supporter of Trumps Make America Great Again agenda.

The 39-year-old author and venture capitalist rose to fame with his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy. He advocates for a hands-off approach to foreign policy and is dubious about military intervention.

Tariffs and more tariffs

Both Trump and Vance have supported strong tariffs on China. In an interview with CBSs Face the Nation news program in May, Vance said the U.S. needs to apply across-the-board tariffs on imports.

If you apply tariffs, really what it is you're saying [is] that we're going to penalize you for using slave labor in China and importing that stuff in the United States. What you end up doing is, you end up making more stuff in America, in Pennsylvania, in Ohio and in Michigan, he said.

Trump has repeatedly accused China of stealing manufacturing jobs from the U.S., especially those jobs in the Midwestern part of the country.

Vance has supported more economic restrictions and tariffs on Chinese imports and investments, Dean Chen, a professor of political science at the Ramapo College of New Jersey, told VOA. Hence, I expect his position on China to be in line with Trump nationalists in their potential new administration.

Trump has promised that, if elected, he would impose 10% across-the-board levies on imported goods and a tariff of 60% or higher on Chinese goods to protect American industries.

Joel Goldstein, professor emeritus of law at Saint Louis University and an expert on the vice presidency, said Vance was selected because he is a very loyal supporter who has embraced Trump's policies and style and who seems disposed to defend Trump's words and conduct.

The choice seems designed to appeal to Trump's MAGA base, not to unify the Republican Party or the nation, he told VOA.

Taiwan

Experts say Vance might be more of an isolationist than Trump, as Vance was vehemently opposed to funding the war in Ukraine.

He previously served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq and felt that the lessons from that war should prevent future entanglements, Chen said.

Chen added that whether that attitude translates to lessened support for a Taiwan military contingency remains to be seen.

We all know that Trump has been clear that he won't announce whether he would send troops to help Taiwan should Beijing invade the island democracy, saying that a lucid explanation would undercut his negotiating position, he said. I expect Vance to toe the same line as President Trump.

Attracting Rust Belt voters

Vance was born on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio. He served in the Marine Corps before attending The Ohio State University and Yale Law School.

His 2016 bestselling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, detailed his familys struggles with poverty, addiction and instability. The book focuses on the hardship faced by white working-class people in the Rust Belt  the manufacturing region in the U.S. that includes parts of the Northeast and Midwest and has experienced economic decline and population loss.

Senator Vances life story and diverse accomplishments are impressive, Karen Hult, a political science professor at Virginia Tech, told VOA.

He not only is from a red Republican state, but one that is near the battleground state of Pennsylvania and may be seen as appealing to many more rural and smaller town residents in much of the Middle West, Hult said.

In the 2020 presidential election, Trump lost Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, three important swing states along the Rust Belt.

Hult said that in most presidential elections, the choice of running mates makes little difference in voting results.

That, of course, may differ in 2024, given the age of the two major party candidates and in light of Saturday's assassination attempt, she added.
A high-ranking U.S. official stressed Tuesday that the U.S.-South Korea alliance is a nuclear alliance, reinforcing the South Korean governments description of the two allies, after the United States and South Korea signed new deterrence guidelines last week.

Vipin Narang, U.S. acting assistant secretary of defense for Space Policy, told VOAs Korean Service in an exclusive interview that when we formally extend nuclear deterrence to our allies, it is a nuclear alliance, and South Korea is an example of that.

Narang explained that it would be similar to what the United States has with the European allies through NATO.

NATO publicly says, for example, that so long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will be a nuclear alliance. And the relationship with ROK, similarly, is a formal extension of U.S. nuclear, he said, referring to South Korea with the abbreviated form of its official name, the Republic of Korea. We commit to defend South Korea with all capabilities.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said earlier on Tuesday in a Cabinet meeting that South Koreas alliance with the United States has been upgraded to a nuclear-based alliance, adding that the U.S nuclear assets will now be specially assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula under the newly agreed guidelines between the two allies.

On Thursday, Yoon met U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, reaffirming their commitments to the Washington Declaration unveiled in 2023, which outlines the two countries commitment to engage in deeper dialogue and information sharing to strengthen nuclear deterrence efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

According to the joint statement released after the two leaders latest meeting, Biden reiterated that the U.S. commitment to extended deterrence to South Korea is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear.

In line with such a move, Narang, who co-chairs the Nuclear Consultative Group, a bilateral body set up by the United States and South Korea under the Washington Declaration, met his South Korean counterpart, Cho Chang Lae, in Washington last week and signed the United States and Republic of Korea Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula.

The guidelines, according to the Department of Defense, provide principles and procedures to assist policymakers and military officials of both countries in maintaining an effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture.

Narang emphasized that the guidelines would help the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) evolve in accordance with the threats faced by the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

The guidelines document is the not the end, its the beginning, and sort of sets up the NCG as an enduring body, he said. The NCG is a living body, and the work streams evolve with the threat environment and the capabilities, just as North Korea's capabilities continue to expand and diversify.

However, he made it clear that only the U.S. president will be able to authorize the use and employment of U.S. nuclear weapons, while underscoring Washington and Seoul will be approaching the extended deterrence as equal partners.

We have extended deterrence relationships. We need conventional support from our allies, he stressed.

His remarks come amid growing skepticism in South Korea over the U.S. extended deterrence, especially after Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact, which indicated Moscows willingness to engage in full-fledged military cooperation with Pyongyang.

An increasing number of South Korean people are calling for South Koreas own nuclear weapons, arguing that the U.S.-ROK alliances existing deterrence strategy would not be enough to protect South Korea from the possible attacks from North Korea, if it joins hands with Russia.

The acting assistant secretary of defense gave a strong warning against South Korea having its own nuclear weapons.

It would be in violation of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), Narang said, adding that South Korea would probably face international sanctions.

He also suggested that Seoul would be an international pariah and would become vulnerable to North Koreas nuclear attacks during the time it is pursuing nuclear weapons.

Experts in Washington remained cautious about what the new guidelines could mean for the extended deterrence for South Korea.

It shows that the United States is taking seriously South Korea as a partner in all aspects of defense, said Scott Snyder, president of Korea Economic Institute of America.

Snyder told VOAs Korean Service on Tuesday that the decision to employ a nuclear weapon should be made in a closely integrated manner between Seoul and Washington.

If its not integrated, the alliance will fail, he said.

He added that the decision will heavily depend on the U.S. inclination.

Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation, told VOAs Korean Service on Tuesday that it is difficult to see the U.S.-South Korea alliance as a nuclear alliance.

If South Korea has been given a role in planning the nuclear options, yes, but the U.S. has been implying that that hasnt occurred, Bennett said.

If they are a nuclear alliance, then it ought to describe in what way its a nuclear alliance  is South Korea being included in planning how nuclear weapons will be used? Thats what President Yoon asked for. Its not clear to me.
Usha Vance is in the spotlight now that her husband, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, has been picked as Donald Trump's running mate for the November presidential election.

The 38-year-old Yale Law School graduate and daughter of Indian immigrants was registered as a Democrat in 2014 but began voting in the Republican primaries in 2022, according to public records.

Here are some key facts about the potential second lady of the United States.

Family

Usha Vance's parents, Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri, are from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The pair eventually moved to San Diego, California, where their daughter was born.

Her father, Krish Chilukuri, is an engineer and a lecturer in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at San Diego State University. Lakshmi Chilukuri, her mother, is a biologist and provost at the University of California, San Diego.

Education

Usha Vance received her bachelors degree in history from Yale University before obtaining her master's degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge through the Gates Cambridge scholarship. She went on to get her law degree from Yale Law School, where she met her husband.

In his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance described his wife as his Yale spirit guide, crediting her for encouraging him to seek opportunities that I didnt know existed. The two met through an assignment in class where he fell hard for her.

During their time at Yale, the two created a discussion group focused on social decline in white America.

The pair graduated in 2013, marrying a year after receiving their degrees.

Career

After graduation, Usha Vance worked as a law clerk for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, during his time as a Washington appeals court judge. She then went on to work as a law clerk for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

More recently, Usha Vance worked for Munger, Tolles & Olson, a Washington law firm that self-identifies as radically progressive. She left the firm this week following the announcement that her husband would be on the Republican presidential ticket. She had worked at the firm as a litigator since 2015. Her profile has since been removed from the firm's website.

On Monday, when it was announced that J.D. Vance would be Trumps running mate, Usha Vance told SFGate news, In light of todays news, I have resigned from my position at Munger, Tolles & Olson to focus on caring for our family.

Religion

Usha Vance, like her parents, is a practicing Hindu. In an interview with Fox & Friends, she said that her parents faith was one of the things that made them such good parents, that make them, really, very good people. She attributed the positive experience with her parents as the reason she was supportive of her husband exploring his relationship with religion.

J.D. Vance was brought up Christian but identified as atheist during his undergraduate years at the Ohio State University. He was baptized as a Catholic in August 2019.

According to The New York Times, the couples union was blessed by a Hindu pandit in a ceremony separate from their wedding in 2014.

The Vances have three children: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel. Usha Vance described what its like raising children in a household with two religions to Fox & Friends.

There are a lot of things we just agree on, she said. I think the answer really is, we just talk a lot.

The campaign

Throughout J.D. Vances run for Senate, Usha Vance made few appearances. She has not been particularly vocal about political issues.

When discussing the prospect of becoming the second lady with Fox & Friends, she said, Im not raring to change anything about our lives right now. But I really, you know, believe in J.D., and I really love him. And so well just sort of see what happens with our lives.
Ukraine and Russia conducted another prisoner exchange on Wednesday, July 17. As a result, 95 Ukrainian defenders from the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and border guards returned home. Another 95 Russian soldiers also left for Russia.

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The exchange took place with the mediation of the UAE. This was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We continue to bring our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards," he wrote on his official Telegram channel.

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Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian team involved in the exchanges and to the United Arab Emirates for mediating the release.

"No matter how difficult it is, we are looking for everyone who may be in captivity. We have to return everyone," the President said.

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said that a total of 3, 405 Ukrainians have been returned home from Russian captivity since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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According to him, the staff of the Ukrainian Ombudsman's Office arrived at the exchange site to monitor the observance of human rights following international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

"Many relatives have received phone calls from the returned prisoners for a long time. Also, the families of those who were returned today will receive an official notification from the Coordination Headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war. Afterward, the returned soldiers will eat, receive clean clothes, be examined by doctors, and receive the necessary treatment and rehabilitation. We are grateful to the UEA for their help in returning our soldiers," Lubinets said.

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He added: "Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to return all its citizens to their homeland and is working in this direction.

"We are grateful to the families who are waiting for good news and believe in the government agencies that will involve international partners in the return of Ukrainians and work for the result. Let's keep working!" said the Ombudsman.

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In turn, the project "I Want to Live," created to appeal to the occupiers who wanted to surrender, published a video with the released Russian military.

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They said that since the beginning of 2024, 803 prisoners of war have already returned to Russia, which is only a small part of the total number of occupiers in Ukrainian camps.

Many of them were held in captivity for less than six months, while others have been waiting unsuccessfully for an exchange for more than two years, the "I Want to Live" organization said.

"We don't understand what this approach of the Russian side is. Ukraine treats the prisoner exchange process as a purely humanitarian one. Therefore, it is difficult to find a rational explanation for Moscow's reluctance to return people who have not seen their relatives and friends for the longest time. Ukraine has repeatedly insisted on the need for an exchange in the format of "all for all". We reaffirm our readiness to implement this at any time," the project said in a statement.

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"I Want to Live" also called on the Russian Federation to unblock the launch of mixed medical commissions and finally launch a mechanism for the repatriation of seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Ukraine and Russia intend to exchange prisoners on the morning of July 17 with the assistance of the UAE. The goal is to release 90 prisoners from each side.

This exchange was the sixth mediated by the UAE, and this year about 1,400 people have been released with the mediation of this country.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubynets said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has managed to return more than 3 thousand prisoners, military and civilian. However, Moscow is very reluctant to return the defenders of Mariupol, as they are needed by the Russians for public trials.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Zimbabwe launches hearings over Mugabe-era massacre

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday launched a long-awaited process of reconciliation over 1980s massacres by government troops.

Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday launched a long-awaited process of reconciliation over notorious 1980s massacres by government troops that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Survivors will be interviewed in a series of hearings opening the way for possible compensation, in a bid to settle long-standing grievances and tensions.

Today is a pivotal moment in our history. This is the day where we demonstrate that as a country, we are capable of resolving our disputes as Zimbabweans, regardless of their complexity or magnitude, Mnangagwa said in the southern African countrys second-largest city, Bulawayo.

This initiative is a potent symbol of our collective will to bridge the divides that have separated us for too long, he added, describing the process as a pilgrimage towards healing.

The so-called Gukurahundi massacres took place a few years after Zimbabwes independence from Britain, as former leader Robert Mugabe asserted his power.

Starting in 1983, Mugabe deployed an elite North Korean-trained army unit to crack down on a revolt in Bulawayos western Matabeleland region, the heartland of the Ndebele minority.

They killed an estimated 20,000 people over several years, according to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, a toll supported by Amnesty International.

The operation was named Gukurahundi, a term in the majority Shona language that loosely translates as the early rain that washes away the chaff.

Critics say it targeted dissidents loyal to Mugabes rival, fellow revolutionary leader Joshua Nkomo. Most of the victims belonged to the minority Ndebele tribe.

Mugabe, who died in 2019, never acknowledged responsibility for the massacres, dismissing evidence gathered by Amnesty International as a heap of lies.

After taking power in 2017, Mnangagwa promised a resolution and set up a panel of chiefs to investigate the massacres. The 72 chiefs will now preside over the village hearings.

But activists said the process was flawed and got off on the wrong foot, since there had been no official government apology.

The launch was a great opportunity to say sorry, but he [Mnangagwa] did not. He should have used that opportunity, said Buster Magwizi, a spokesman for veterans of ZPRA, a former liberation armed group loyal to Nkomo.

Mnangagwa, who has previously said the massacre was a bad patch in Zimbabwes history, was security minister at the time but has always denied any responsibility.

It is unfortunate that the exercise that must bring healing, closure, is micromanaged by those whose hands are dripping of the blood of the innocent people who were killed, Mbuso Fuzwayo of Ibhetshu LikaZulu, a pressure group, told Agence France-Presse.
Photo-Illustration: Adam Rose/Netflix, Shane Brown/FX, Katie Yu/FX

If you zoom out to the perspective of, say, a bird with bad eyesight flying a mile up in the sky, the most surprising thing about the Emmy Awards, back for a second time in 2024 thanks to the quirks of post-strike scheduling, might be that, in aggregate, they kind of got it right. The best show on television of the last season, Shogun, got the most nominations (25), and the TV Academy also found the space to recognize a wide range of quality work: Ripley, Reservation Dogs, even Girls5eva. But zoom in any closer, and the outline devolves into chaos: The Emmys went hard on prestige-ish streaming shows, skipped over movie stars and broadcast hits, and seemed generally indifferent to a lot of work that had us most excited about the current state of television. (Plus, they liked Unfrosted? Which is a TV movie?) Given how many categories the Emmys try to cover and the generally fractured industry, all this is to be expected, but it doesnt make it any less baffling. Here, Vultures TV critics did our best to make sense of the scatterplot, identifying where the Academy went right, where they whiffed it, and where their taste just got weird. Jackson McHenry

. Matt Berry gets his first Emmy nom.

Vulture has, on occasion, expressed the opinion that Matt Berry can, and should, be in most things. The fact that its taken the Emmys this long to agree is shameful. At least theyve finally come around! Kathryn VanArendonk

Its great that Reservation Dogs finally got some of the Emmys nominations it should have been collecting all through its three-season run. The cinematography of Deer Lady was beautiful, DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai snagging a Best Actor nomination is a very nice surprise, that Best Comedy nod is long overdue. But why must the Emmys be so negligent of Devery Jacobs? For years, shes led the young cast, and as the series continued wrote some of its most emotionally devastating episodes, Mabel and Eloras Dad, and directed Wahoo! Shes one of the most significant creative forces to come out of this show, and for her to be so ignored is perhaps a sign that the Emmys havent changed that much after all. Roxana Hadadi

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Shogun is the most nominated series of the year with 25 nods. Given that it is one of the most ambitious, meticulously realized series of 2024 so far, it deserves every one. Sometimes the Emmy voters do get it exactly right. Jen Chaney

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The end of Succession left a noticeable crater in the landscape of TV drama, and it was unlikely any one show would step into its place. But at the point when Mr. and Mrs. Smith, 3 Body Problem, and The Morning Show are filling three slots in Best Drama, you have to ask  are these really what we have for Best Drama? Each series has its good points, sure, but all are notably flawed shows. If it were just that, though, the Emmys might be forgiven for at least wanting to recognize a few brand-new series and for its long-standing and somewhat endearing blind spot regarding The Morning Show. But the truly egregious choice here is the nomination for The Crowns final season. Emmys voters seem to have eaten it up with a spoon (nomination for finale direction!) despite it being, without question, the worst the show has been, and also some of the most infuriating TV writing and directing of the last year. What is Peter Morgan paying them? What hold does Netflix have? Someone get Elsbeth involved. KVA

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We often bemoan the fact that broadcast networks arent producing popular, well-made television anymore, but this Elsbeth Tascioni came to the rescue! The spinoff of The Good Wife spotlighting Carrie Prestons kooky lawyer did well enough to secure a 20-episode season two, but got ignored by a TV Academy more focused on mediocre streaming fare. For shame! JM

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Its not all that shocking that The Curse failed to break through. No one seemed to watch it, there was not all that much buzz, and its general vibe falls somewhere between woof, that was hard to watch and I know it was being funny, but ouch, with a healthy side dose of wait, what happens at the end? Still, Showtime was really, really pushing this one. Christopher Nolan moderated a screening! And some of the below-the-line categories seem like potential Curse gimmes, especially cinematography or sound design. Im not mad, but I am confused? KVA

. Emma Stone deserved an Emmy more than an Oscar.

Stones performance as a self-immolating liberal white woman who convinces only herself that shes well meaning was darker and funnier than pretty much every other nominated performance  and, Id argue, much richer than her Oscar-winning work in Poor Things. But of course the Emmys simply ignored it. The Emmys also ignored Stones performance in Maniac. Maybe television just doesnt like Emma Stone? JM

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I have this weird requirement when it comes to comedies: They should make audiences consistently laugh. Few shows were as reliably good at that as the third seasons of Girls5eva and The Other Two. Both were nominated for Outstanding Writing  Girls5eva for Orlando and The Other Two for Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good  which is a testament to their quality. But if theyre so well written, shouldnt at least one of them have been nominated for Outstanding Comedy instead of, I dont know, Palm Royale? JC

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Fellow Travelers could be preachy and heavy-handed, but at least it was trying to be something. Lessons in Chemistry was mind-bogglingly inert, a show that had the idea of casting Brie Larson in a popular book and stopped there. JM

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The adaptation of Bonnie Garmuss novel is a classic example of mid TV: It looks nice, the performances are commendable, its production values are high. But it never rises above the level of fine, which is why ten nominations feels like, I dont know, at least five too many. JC

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All my favorite little weird guys of Scavengers Reign are worthy! All in all, this is a solid lineup of established favorites (Bobs Burgers and The Simpsons) and really exciting, risky, visually beautiful newbies (Blue Eye Samurai, the bravely anti-Avengers X-Men 97). To Outstanding Animated Program voters, thank you for actually watching the shows. RH

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The variety and talk spaces are, to put it frankly, some of the most stale and unexciting parts of the TV landscape. Even the ones that do it well are operating from a playbook thats existed for decades. You know whats fun, whats exciting, whats innovative and new? Everybodys in L.A.! Plus, its just insider-Hollywood enough that Emmys voters couldve easily been persuaded to go for it despite its small scale. What happened?! How did we let this one slip through? KVA

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It was always going to be a long shot, especially because Emmys voters probably saw Shogun as their big Japan show this year. But Tokyo Vice was an exceptional, immersive look at how all of Shoguns themes of honor, sacrifice, and loyalty become twisted and manipulated under the yakuza over time. Im not surprised that Tokyo Vices sprawling look at systemic corruption didnt rate when the Emmys are also the institution that blanked The Wire, but Im still disappointed. Ken Watanabe gave us one of the best performances of his career over two seasons, dammit!  RH

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Danny McBride and Rough House Pictures, the production company he co-founded with David Gordon Green and Jody Hill, remain two of the most unrecognized forces in modern television. Its nice to see Telemarketers, one of the most surprising and uncompromising documentaries of the year, grab a nomination (make sure Pat gets an invite to the ceremony!), even as Righteous Gemstones still cant break through the technical categories. Yes, their costumes and stuntwork are great, but are we ready to have the conversation about how Kristen Wiigs Lead Actress in a Comedy spot should have gone to Edi Patterson? RH

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The docuseries that shone a light on the dark side of Nickelodeon generated a lot of conversation and gave some of the people who worked there the opportunity to discuss the abuse they endured. But this was very much a typical Investigation Discovery offering and leaned more exploitative than journalistic, a tendency echoed by the objections some of its participants raised after the series came out. JC

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This is now the 22nd nomination for Antiques Roadshow in the Outstanding Structured Reality program. Is it going to win against Love Is Blind or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? Probably not? But then when will it ever get the recognition it so overwhelmingly deserves?! KVA

Two of the industrys most talented Native actresses sharing space in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category is cool. Can a casting director get inspired, please?  RH

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This is only Carrie Coons second Emmy nomination, which is insane. It is for The Gilded Age, a show that is also completely bonkers and should only ever be watched as an expression of campiness so perfect and unblinking that Susan Sontag would weep. And this nomination is specifically for Carrie Coons role in The Gilded Age, which should be studied in master classes and engraved in marble and possibly put on flags. It probably wont win, but well take the recognition. KVA

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Does anyone need to be reminded that Idris Elba is a great actor? Probably not. But did we all need some validation for how much fun it is to watch Apple TV+s goofy plane thriller Hijack? Yes, we did. KVA

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Hes back, baby! Wearing none of the stink of Unfrosted, which somehow got an Outstanding Television Movie nomination! Now that hes been recognized for Fargo and The Morning Show, can we interest you in the superior Hamm vehicle, Confess, Fletch? RH

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If you watch The Morning Show (an amazing journey into a mirror realm, both like ours and not), you know that one actor is giving an incredible, potentially unintentionally meta performance about a star who hates her own image as a beloved American icon and that the other actor is playing Bradley Jackson. However, we do have to respect the Emmys for rolling a clip where both actresses were onscreen at the same time last season. Thats hard to find! JM

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Theres something so funny about Robert Downey Jr. playing an array of white characters on The Sympathizer in a visual representation of whiteness as a colonizing and dehumanizing force in a series that is otherwise about a Northern Vietnamese man struggling to live revolutionary ideals, and then Downey being the only thing about the show that is recognized in any way. Legendary director Park Chan-wook getting passed over for Feud: Capote vs. the Swans and Lessons in Chemistry? Hilarious. Bleak. RH

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Drama is admittedly a weaker genre than usual this year. Even so, its striking that the performances featured come from just three series  The Crown, The Gilded Age, and The Morning Show, which accounts for four out of the seven nominees. Four! Wheres Moeka Hoshi from Shogun or Kristin Scott Thomas from Slow Horses, both of whom were on many Emmy-pundit prediction lists? What is going on here? JC

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The Comedy Supporting Actress category did a much better job of spreading the nominations wealth, meaning Liza Colon-Zayass excellent, lived-in performance as the tough but vulnerable Tina was rightly recognized. Yes, Jeff! JC

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Traditionally, the Emmys is absolute garbage when it comes to the truly good comedy specials out there, and some of that underwhelm is still reflected in the directing categories of this years nominations. (Say what you will about Chappelle, or Trevor Noah, or even Tig Notaro, but those specials are not notably exciting direction choices.) In writing, though, Jacqueline Novak, John Early, Alex Edelman and Mike Birbiglia all got nominations! Those are all great picks, and its a little mystifying how the Emmys suddenly got great taste in writing but couldnt translate that same taste into picks for direction or overall best? Nevertheless, whoever is influencing writing did a great job. KVA

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Look, I dont want to complain too much. What We Do in the Shadows getting eight nominations is shocking and wonderful; I delight in imagining what Matt Berry will wear to the ceremony. But its weird that it couldnt break into Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for the very adorable, very frightening Guillermo clones/animal children in Hybrid Creatures. The episode is a perfect distillation of co-writers Jeremy Levick and Rajat Sureshs incomparable oddness, and the Guillermo-dog, Guillermo-sheep, Guillermo-frog, and other creatures manage to be both unsettling and cute in a way that is perfect for the seriess world. Okay, wait, new idea: Bring them as your guests to the ceremony, Matt! Its what Laszlo would do, once he realized they werent actually murdered at his command. RH

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I hadnt thought about how nice it would be for Hawkes to receive a nod for No Use, the song he wrote and performed for the HBO series, until I saw it on the Emmy nominations list. And you know what? It is nice. JC

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Unfrosted, Jerry Seinfelds ode to toaster strudel, the early 60s, and jokes that dont land at all was a total misfire despite the involvement of many very talented people. But somehow, here it is with a nomination for Outstanding TV Movie. I am begging voters: Please, lets not give an Emmy to a project that thought it would be hilarious if Tony the Tiger stormed the Capitol. I dont think our nation can take it. JC
Photo-Illustration: Vulture

Havent you heard? Its a brat summer. Charli XCXs latest album is the template for hot-weather antics. Big feelings, slutty outfits, and partying are all on the menu. But youre not excluded from having a brat summer if youre more of an indoor kid than a club kid. Countless brat-summer book lists have popped up on social media, giving recs for hot-girl books to read at a bar with a martini and a side of fries.

These lists are good, but has anyone done the work to go track by track and pick a book for each song on the album? Of course not; that would be insane. Overly indulgent. Bratty, even. So without further ado:

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Down the Drain, by Julia Fox $29 $29 This book narrates how actressmodelIt girl Julia Fox became everywhere, so Julia. Down the Drain depicts Foxs tumultuous childhood, teen years, and adulthood. Look, theres a lot of tumult. When Kanye West is like only the fifth-most aggro and chaotic man in your life, thats a memoir. Its a book about a person who refuses to live anything less than an iconic life, despite all the problems that causes. $29 at Bookshop Buy

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Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte $9 $9 I want to read Emily, I want to read Anne, I want to read with George (Eliot). But seriously, folks, Jane Eyre is the cuntiest of the (club) classic lit canon. As a narrator, Jane is somehow clear-headed and self-deluded at the same time, the perfect brat POV. It is a hoot and a half to sit in a bar surrounded by vapid rich people and dive into a book in which the rich are just as vapid, petty, and, dare we say? Horny. $9 at Bookshop Buy

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Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys $14 $14 And then we have this book to rip off the veneer of Jane Eyres happily ever after, the same way Sympathy is a knife undercuts brats hyphy posturing with self-doubt and jealousy. Sympathy is a knife pops the all us pop girls are like a family bubble that consumer-friendly white feminism demands. Wide Sargasso Sea is the story of Jane Eyres Bertha before she became the prototypical madwoman in the attic. Its a postcolonial takedown of Jane becoming a missionary in India will fix all my problems Eyre. $14 at Bookshop Buy

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky $16 $16 I promise I didnt pick this book just because the cover is brat green. Thats only part of it. I might say something stupid is a song about feeling out of place at a party, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower is like 70 percent feeling out of place at parties. (The other 30 percent is feeling out of place at school and a third spoilery thing.) Its also about finding a sense of belonging with your fellow freaks, which is what Charlis angels feel within the fandom. $16 at Bookshop Buy

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N.P., by Banana Yoshimoto $17 $17 N.P. is a book about translation, but also about a translated book called N.P. Most of all, its about the failures of language to capture reality, to bridge the gap between people and those they love. Everyone in the book is transfixed by language while crushing on one another; they find that no language (written, spoken, English, Japanese) is up to the task of conveying the depth of their feeling. No amount of speech will bring the characters as close together as they want. Charli sings I wish youd talk talk to me, but what this book presupposes is maybe thats never enough. $17 at Bookshop Buy

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Slouching Towards Bethlehem, by Joan Didion $18 $18 From the No. 1 bitch of New Journalism, Slouching Towards Bethlehem is Didions ode to California. In much the same way, Charlis song (and the remix with Addison Rae) offers quintessential Los Angeles, with the titular Cali-based brand, references to shopping on Melrose, and the singles cover art featuring the Chateau Marmonts signature mismatched furniture. If you recognized the Chateau Marmonts furniture, this book is for you. $18 at Bookshop Buy

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Edgewise: a Picture of Cookie Mueller, by Chloe Griffin $30 $30 Cookie Mueller lived her life in a singular way that was an extension of her crazy appetite for experience. Cookie grew up in Baltimore, joined John Waterss film collective in the 70s, had a child in Provincetown, then became a literary luminary of 80s New York. Her writing romanticized everything, even meeting the Manson girls. This oral history of her life, which Waters contributed to, creates a snapshot of a woman who could find the divine in trash. It also talks a lot about falling in love (again and again) in Italy. $30 at Bookshop Buy

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Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells $19 $19 Youd think this book about mother-daughter trauma would be for Apple, wouldnt you? But Divine Secrets speaks so gorgeously about unself-conscious girlhood and the desire for all women to rewind to that time before they ordered their lives for the male gaze. In Rewind, Charli laments what shes lost by growing past that time when she was less concerned with her appearance and her position in the pop world. The same wounds wind through generations in this book. Well, with less concern for pop superstardom. $19 at Bookshop Buy

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Grief Is for People, by Sloane Crosley $27 $27 Like Charlis tribute to hyperpop inventrix Sophie, Grief Is for People is a memoir about a persons love for a friend, collaborator, and mentor. Someone who challenged them, intimidated them, and comforted them in equal measure. Whats more, its about how every death feels bigger yet smaller after COVID and the cruelties of the 21st century. $27 at Bookshop Buy

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Many options, by everybody

There are too many books about generational trauma! Too many stories, too many rotten apples. Thats probably why Apple has countless fanvids on TikTok soundtracking every story imaginable. Succession, The Bear, Ladybird  everybody gets an apple! Even Gilmore Girls. Especially Gilmore Girls. So its really more a personal choice which book best documents the love and hate and attempts to individuate that occur within a family. You could go for On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong, if youre in an epistolary mood. Or The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri, to honor Charlis Indian roots. Or the one-two punch of Unsinkable, by Debbie Reynolds, and Postcards from the Edge, by Carrie Fisher, if you want a moms POV in there as well. The possibilities are endless.

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Sex and Rage, by Eve Babitz $17 $17 Truly, an Eve Babitz book could work for almost every song on brat. The California hedonism of Von dutch brings Slow Days Fast Company to mind. The new co-biography about Babitz and Didion is perfect Girl, so confusing material. But Sex and Rage is pure B2b, with its endless samey days and an ex who keeps coming back like a turd that wont flush. Here, Babitz fictionalizes two toxic exes, Earl McGrath and Ahmet Ertegun, that she cant seem to evade. If you want good evidence for why exes shouldnt try to stay friends, read Sex and Rage. $17 at Bookshop Buy

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My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh $18 $18 You know we had to do it to them. Mean girls is a song about a New York girl whos kind of annoying but also freakishly adept at getting attention. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is basically the titular mean girl in book form  a novel thats had a certain corner of the culture in a chokehold for six years now. Shes everywhere, shes kind of annoying about it, and shes a lot darker than her ubiquity would hint at. $18 at Bookshop Buy

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Motherhood, by Sheila Heti $20 $20 In Motherhood, Sheila Heti designs her own version of the I Ching to try and figure out whether being a mother or being an artist is the better way to honor her ancestors. She vacillates between these competing ideas (that maybe dont need to compete at all) in the exact same way Charlis song does. Its eerily similar vibes. $20 at Bookshop Buy

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The Last Party, by Anthony Haden-Guest $17 $17 What better pairing for Charlis song about doing coke in the bathroom than a firsthand account of the rise and fall of Studio 54? Haden-Guest makes Studio 54 sound like both the best and worst party in the world. More important, it was a party no one was really capable of stopping. You think the feds can stop a good time? Think again. The story starts before Studio 54s founding and ends only with Steve Rubells death. $17 at Bookshop Buy

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The Moustache, by Emmanuel Carrere $23 $23 Hello goodbye is a song about a person so destabilized by a preemptive breakup they feel out of their mind and a nervous wreck. The Moustache is about a guy who loses his mind when his wife refuses to acknowledge that he used to have a mustache. Its the little things, you know? $23 at Bookshop Buy

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Sluts, edited by Michelle Tea $18 $18 Charli saved her sluttiest slut anthem for the deluxe edition. Its a song about the dance of flirting, of dirty talk, of fun lingerie, of tramp stamps. Sluts brings this same joie de vivre to the very concept of sluttiness. Are you born a slut or are you made one? Does it suck to be a slut, or does it in fact rock? These are the questions that are left overanswered by the debut collection from Dopamine Press. $18 at Bookshop Buy

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Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photo Courtesy FX

This article was published on September 28, 2023. Reservation Dogs has since received four nominations for the 2024 Emmy Awards. Read all of Vultures Emmy-race coverage here.

In the first minutes of Reservation Dogs, teenagers Bear, Elora, Willie Jack, and Cheese steal a Flaming Flamers truck, hoping to sell it for enough money to leave Okern, Oklahoma. Their friend Daniel died by suicide the year before, and the only way they can imagine living is by leaving the place they think killed him. The episode begins with a few establishing shots of town; one is an overhead drone shot of a cul-de-sac next to a long straight road extending off into the horizon. Its how the Rez Dogs picture their options: Either they head off into the unseen distance, or theyre trapped forever in this insular, unchanging, futureless circle.

The shows earliest episodes make it hard to see that choice as a lie. A worse show, one less deft and less comfortable with itself, wouldve tried to tip its hand from the beginning. These kids cant see things clearly yet! They dont understand whats right in front of them! Its very simple to fall into the same trap the kids have fallen into, the trap Reservation Dogs would spend the next three seasons gradually dismantling. Its desaturated grays and sense of hopelessness appear objective, but theyre actually rooted in the teenage perspective. As a young person, of course youd want to run far away, I wrote then about the shows first four episodes.

With the series finale three years later, Reservation Dogs comes back to those opening images. The finale begins with overhead shots of Okern, the same radio DJ greeting his audience, a slowly turning drone shot of a cul-de-sac. But the meaning has shifted. The Rez Dogs have left and come home again, separated and come back together, been forced to reconsider what they want. In each episode the show looped and re-looped through the same ideas, played out across an ever-deeper field of characters and circumstances. What does growth look like? Is it the same as progress? Progress for who, and to what end? How do you heal? How do you keep going? Every time Reservation Dogs turns back through that loop, it enacts its answer to the Rez Dogs frustration. Closing the circle is one way to move forward. By the time the series reaches its finale, Cheese says that he cant wait to be an elder. Willie Jack, future medicine woman, joins the aunties in bringing food to those who need help. Bear realizes the community needs many warriors more than it needs one great leader. Elora decides to leave for college, but only while assuring her friends that shell be back, that shes not abandoning them. For a finale episode about a funeral, its impossibly hopeful. The cul-de-sac isnt a trap. Okern looks warmer in the last episode, the yellows are softer. Over the radio, the DJ plays Will the Circle Be Unbroken.

Reservation Dogs belongs in the pantheon of great television, TV that comes with an aura of unmistakable magic. The series was made by a relative newcomer, led by four young actors with little to no previous experience, and directed and written by many people whod never been offered a seat in the room, less one at the table. It has an immediately distinctive sense of humor, full of jokes that slide sideways or wait patiently for the right moments to leap. It could move from episodes like Decolonativization, full of exasperated eye-rolling at the corporate-seminar version of Native culture; straight into Stay Gold, Cheesy Boy, a legitimately frightening episode where the youngest Rez Dog gets trapped inside bureaucratic cruelty; then to a drug trip-turned-conspiracy thriller; and then a spare, gut-punching story about reconnecting with a relative. Reservation Dogs holds all these tones and ideas together with such effortless, unshakable confidence, its easy to overlook the challenge of containing that many moods and colors at once.

Showrunner Sterlin Harjo has not received the auteur treatment that follows the cohort of white-guy writers who create shows with distinctive vision and astounding scale. But at every turn, Reservation Dogs earns that kind of grandiose language. Its hard not to wonder what kinds of descriptions would be lobbed Harjos way if Reservation Dogs had been more like an hourlong drama about male ennui. But that too feels part of its legacy; its not modeled on the broad-shouldered dramas of the prestige era. Its not about a sad midlife crisis and it has very little sex or violence. It is unique in part because until very recently, theres been so little television led by Native American creative perspectives  Reservation Dogs, Peacocks Rutherford Falls, and AMCs Dark Winds have constituted a brief but potent foothold for Native storytelling on TV. Reservation Dogs is singular because its just that good.

Singular works of art come from somewhere, though, and the fact that Reservation Dogs exists is the result of two distinct trends in TV over the past decade. It comes out of a small but powerful arm of the prestige TV ecosystem, the prestige post-comedy, which grew from the legacies of Girls, Louis, and Transparent, then proliferated into a fascinating cloud of series: Master of None, BoJack Horseman, Better Things, Fleabag, Atlanta, Russian Doll, Barry, Somebody Somewhere, Beef, The Bear. These are the prestige dramas more original, lower-budget sisters, freed from the pressure of franchises, adaptations, and marquee-drama expectations and allowed to be their intimate, experimental selves.

At the same time, the last several years were the era of Peak TV. The desperation to feed a perpetual growth chart forced executives to make as much TV as they possibly could, which meant huge names and big-budget monsters but also smaller shows made by people who werent from all the same alumni pools. At a time when studios were actually interested in making a show by someone like Sterlin Harjo (as long as he was backed by a bigger name, in this case Taika Waititi), there was an established model for smaller series that lived and thrived in the brackish tonal spaces between broad comedy and muscular drama. Without both of these forces operating at once, its tough to imagine a show like Reservation Dogs getting made.

But both of these forces are much weaker than they were five years ago. Peak TVs end is inarguable. Even if the strikes had not happened this summer, television was already moving into an era of contraction. The strikes have given studios even more cover to pare down their slates, shifting all the money onto dully familiar franchise titles and showrunners with proven records. The big announcements are not about exciting new talent and original storytelling; theyre about Harry Potter and another Game of Thrones spinoff. The half-hour post-comedy has a few big titles this year to recommend its continuing power, especially Beef and The Bear, but that particular form has become televisions go-to space for original storytelling. Even tiny budgets may not save many of these kinds of in-development shows from the post-Peak reaping.

Theres an accompanying fear: that the end of Reservation Dogs will also be the end of this small moment for Native storytelling on TV, and for the window where a boom all over the industry made space for a group of small, astounding shows. The Rez Dogs have embraced their futures, but theres no similar certainty for what will come after Reservation Dogs, not at a time of strikes and mergers and safe IP pitches. In the best case for TV, Harjo and other creatives from Reservation Dogs become established voices, building the series legacy into a flood of new stories. The other possibility is that Hollywood shuts the door on shows like this. That would be a terrible waste of talent and promise. In the final moments of Dig, the four elders sit at a picnic table and make a toast. Well, we did good, Bucky says. To the next one, Brownie replies. We can only hope there will be dozens of next ones.
Photo: Eddie Moore-Pool/Getty Images

Even though Alec Baldwins Rust manslaughter case was dismissed on July 12 over an alleged cover-up, the criminal proceedings surrounding Halyna Hutchinss death are far from over. Earlier this year, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the films armorer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on March 6. Prosecutors claimed that Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure the rounds were inert when she provided the gun to Baldwin during a scene. While Gutierrez-Reed filed an appeal on May 14, 2024, following her sentencing in April, Baldwins cover-up allegation in papers and a hearing opened the door for her to fight conviction another way. Gutierrez-Reeds attorneys filed paperwork on Tuesday, July 16, requesting dismissal or a new trial based on claims of withheld evidence  and her release while these proceedings unfold. However, on September 30, a New Mexico judge denied Gutierrez-Reed a new trial. Heres a breakdown of how we got here.

Whats happened in Gutierrez-Reeds case since Baldwins was dismissed?

The key to whats next is the new shocking evidence from Baldwins team that Troy Teske, a former Arizona police officer who knew key figures in the case, gave live rounds to the Santa Fe sheriffs office potentially relating to the Rust incident on March 6. Teske, a friend of Gutierrez-Reeds father, legendary armorer Thell Reed, described the rounds as evidence when he dropped them off; police and prosecutors knowingly filed this in a way that kept it from Baldwin. Following a hearing on this issue, the case imploded, immediately raising questions about Gutierrez-Reeds conviction  and whether it could get thrown out because of this  since firearms evidence also relates to the charge for which she was convicted.

In Gutierrez-Reeds new paperwork, her lawyers Jason Bowles and Monnica Barreras point to special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and lead investigator Corporal Alexandria Hancocks comments during the hearing. Hancock said that Morrissey was part of the decision to put the bullets in a separate case file. They claim that Morrissey  who made the shocking decision to call herself as a witness during this hearing  lied under oath when she said that she didnt know it was a separate file number. Gutierrez-Reeds lawyers, who noted that Morrissey had known about the Teske rounds for years, said they even followed up with her about them in January 2024  before her trial  asking whether the prosecution was going to pick up the rounds for testing. Morrissey, who responded to their January 8 email the same day, told them that prosecutors would not test the rounds, saying she found them visually dissimilar and not relevant. Gutierrez-Reeds team said that after Teske dropped off the rounds, they hoped that this possible evidence would be sent to the FBI for analysis so they could pursue an appeal. But instead, the states decision to put them in an unrelated case file was part of a concerted effort to hide them. In their request to case judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, they note that she threw out Baldwins case to ensure the integrity of justice. How can it be any different with Ms. Gutierrez-Reeds case, with this proven litany of serious discovery abuses? the lawyers asked. But in denying Gutierrez-Reeds new trial, Marlowe Sommer ruled that the ammunition does not qualify, as a matter of law, as material evidence because it was available to defendant in advance of and during trial, per the New York Times.

Why was Gutierrez-Reed charged in the first place?

Prosecutors argued that on October 21, 2021, Gutierrez-Reed loaded the revolver at the center of this incident. They claim that she locked the gun in a prop-truck safe before a lunch break without following proper safety protocols. Following lunch, prosecutors said, Gutierrez-Reed didnt check the gun before handing it to assistant director David Halls. They claim this was the third time she did not properly, or to industry standards and safe practices, clear and show safe the weapon and rounds.

Prosecutors said that Halls  who entered a no-contest plea to negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a six-month suspended sentence  described the weapon as cold before handing it to Baldwin. In the prosecutors view, Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for everything involving firearms on the Rust set, including safety and training, and that Hutchinss death resulted from her negligence.

How does the new bullet evidence tie into all this?

Since the shot that killed Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza was fired, everyone has wondered how live ammo got onto the Rust set in the first place. Gutierrez-Reeds defense had claimed that she was being framed and that evidence had been tampered with during the investigation. During Gutierrez-Reeds trial, her attorney pointed out there wasnt direct evidence indicating that she had brought live ammo onto the set.

In their motion to dismiss last week, Baldwins lawyers argued that the Santa Fe sheriffs office and prosecutors concealed that the live round came from a man who provided firearms to set named Seth Kenney. (During the hearing, Kenney insisted that he was not responsible for live ammo winding up on set.) The defense claims that Kenney called Teske during a police interview on November 1, 2021. Following this interview, Teske sent police a picture of ammunition that didnt match rounds discovered on the Rust set. The prosecutor later asked Teske to send ammunition from a batch that Kenney had used on another set to examine them. Teske agreed to hand it in, but the prosecution never collected the bullets. In court papers on July 11, Baldwins defense said the materials were evidence that the live rounds came from Kenney and favorable to Baldwin, so the state wanted to bury it. Judge Sommer agreed with the defense and dismissed the case with prejudice. This is why Gutierrez-Reed is turning to that evidence in pushing to dismiss her case.

Why would this help Gutierrez-Reed?

Gutierrez-Reed was tried by the same prosecutor who tried Baldwin, with a lot of the same evidence. This evidence could be even more important for Gutierrez-Reeds case than Baldwins, says veteran trial attorney Troy Lovell. Lovell pointed out that Baldwins case involved his behavior  such as pointing the gun at Hutchins  but that he was never accused of bringing ammo into Rusts set or loading the gun.

With Gutierrez, its directly relevant, says Lovell of potential evidence relating to the ammos origin. It shows how she could have gotten it, and if somehow there are circumstances where it was snuck in or could have come from a different source. If new evidence surfaces, even after a trial, the defense can take that to court. Lovell thinks this is very good grounds to set aside the guilty verdict.

Rachel Fiset, co-founder of Los Angelesbased Zweiback, Fiset & Zalduendo LLP, says that bail pending an appeal is more likely now in the wake of the evidence revelations. Gutierrez-Reeds team had said in their push for dismissal that Morrissey and police investigators engaged in extreme misconduct with their handling of Teskes evidence. Even if the evidence was given after her trial, they will dive into the prosecutors conduct throughout her trial and throughout the discovery process even deeper now, because there will be this assumption that the prosecutor is not acting ethically in perhaps multiple ways, Fiset says. (Fiset and Lovell spoke to Vulture before the new documents came out.) I think theyre going to use all of these strategies for her advantage to both get her bail pending appeal and to get the case overturned. The most likely  and best-case  scenario for Gutierrezs fight against her conviction would be if a higher court sends her case back to a lower court for retrial based on the evidence. Less likely is an appeals court deciding that the evidence issue was so fraught that Gutierrez-Reeds indictment should be tossed outright.
Photo: Focus Features

It has been a vroom-vroom summer. In Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Dementus and his Biker Horde use their scrapped-together choppers to crisscross the Wasteland and demonstrate their might and mania. In the second season of Interview With the Vampire, the Theatre des Vampires coven zooms around Paris on their motorcycles, euphorically cackling about their immortality and stopping only to feed on unsuspecting humans. And in The Bikeriders, members of the Chicago Vandals club use their bikes as a tool to forge male friendships on their own terms. In each of the three, the motorcycle symbolizes a freedom of mobility and spirit and a refusal to be contained. And thats exactly why the last scene of The Bikeriders, when Austin Butlers Benny is finally given a sliver of interiority and we hear the vroom-vroom of motorcycles looping in his head as he slumps uncomfortably in a normal life, is such a tragedy.

Benny doesnt talk much in The Bikeriders. Hes primarily a figure of smoldering beauty and unapologetic toughness, the guy who sprints into a fight and punches through a glass window and waits outside the house of the girl hes interested in for hours and hours, Romeo hoping for a glimpse of Juliet. Hes more of an object than a subject, a receptacle into which his wife, Kathy (Jodie Comer), and his motorcycle-club president, Johnny (Tom Hardy), pour their aspirations and their fears. Kathy sardonically laughs when she says she used to be respectable before getting mixed up with the Chicago Vandals, but she wants to settle down and is hurt every time Benny refuses to. Johnny wants him to lead the group and doesnt understand why Benny wont accept his succession offer. When Benny does speak, its to insist upon his disinterest in changing himself for anyone or anything  either for his marriage or for his position in the club. But Nicholss script makes Kathy and Johnnys ongoing fight over Benny an explicit part of The Bikeriders, an argument introduced in the films first act, amplified in its second, and seemingly resolved in its third, after Johnny is killed and Kathy and Benny move to Florida. But Kathy getting Benny to put down roots instead of wandering further on the open road isnt a triumph. His surrender to suburbia is a practical yet self-destructive choice, and The Bikeriders is another in Nicholss line of films about people caught in a shifting, mutating America as the countrys mores, morals, and modes either sweep them up in change or threaten to leave them behind.

Nichols often uses his films central concerns  interracial marriage in Loving, a doomsday cult in Midnight Special, religious zealotry in Take Shelter  to consider how people react to disruption of the status quo. Do they try to understand the opposite perspective? Do they lash out with fear and hatred? Do they diminish someones beliefs if they dont entirely align with their own? Think of the end of Take Shelter, in which it seems like Michael Shannons visions of gigantic storms and murderous birds are finally coming true; the final minutes are just nebulous enough to make us wonder whether this is reality or another nightmare, and to force us to consider how we would react when faced with such ominous metamorphosis. And of those previous Nichols films, the one that best aligns with The Bikeriders is the coming-of-age masterpiece Mud, in which two teen boys cross paths with Matthew McConaugheys titular outlaw. The boys are being forced into the next phase of their lives, in particular Ellis (Tye Sheridan), whose parents are getting divorced because their houseboat is being demolished by a regulatory government agency and they disagree about whether to move into town. Ellis wants to be like Mud, a solitary vigilante living on his own on the Mississippi River and hopping from island to island as he so chooses, but thats a dream and an impossibility. The river is too patrolled, the terrain too dangerous, the lifestyle too lonely. In reality, Ellis has two paths in front of him: to go with his mother to a place he doesnt feel comfortable or stay with his father in an endangered way of life. Both are shaped by institutions and forces outside of his control, and neither is exactly what he wants.

Take that framing and overlay it on The Bikeriders, and Benny becomes a version of Ellis, and his parents become versions of Johnny and Kathy. When Elliss father says to him, Enjoy the river, son. Enjoy it while you live on it, cause this way of life isnt long for this world, he could be talking about how Bennys desire to zoom forever through red lights and stop signs, careening into the wide-open country with nothing and no one around him, will eventually be tamped down. The Bikeriders feels most alive before the road runs out, when its romanticism of the infinite highway and the brotherhood it engenders is most distinct: When the Vandals ride up behind Benny, their engines like thunder and their headlights lightning, surrounding him like a cocoon; when they swarm on a bar where Benny is attacked, twisting the throttles on their bikes to make a barrage of intimidating sound in his defense; when they sit on the grass together during a picnic, drinking beers and chatting about bike parts with genuine curiosity and camaraderie. When Benny does talk during the film  intermittent as it may be  its to insist on being treated as one of the guys, someone surrounded by allies rather than stepping away from them or lording over them. He begs Kathy to not allow hospital staff to amputate his foot after hes attacked by a group of rivals because it would mean he couldnt ride anymore; he rejects Johnnys offer of leadership more than once; he mocks Kathy when she demands that he leave the club by hitting her with a Whatd you ever think this was gonna be? about their marriage. Bennys alliance is not with any one person but with the hybrid fellowship of the club and the anonymity of the road. He wants to be someone, but he doesnt want to be someone elses only someone, and he wants to be no one, but he can only be a no one out there while hes riding, in constant movement and motion. These are all contradictions that cant hold, especially as the gang becomes violent and policing becomes more widespread. Whatever idyllic Go West, young man vision Benny has for himself evaporates, just as Elliss did.

All of this means, of course, that Benny isnt really a good husband or a good mentee. (I will leave it to AO3 authors to reckon with the fact that Benny and Kathy never kiss, while Benny and Johnnys whispered conversation by the campfire about who should be at the top of the Vandals is as intimate and soul-baring as either man gets.) But its also worth considering that Kathy isnt a good wife and Johnny isnt a good mentor, given that each of them try over and over to change Benny to suit their needs. And although Benny chooses to return to Kathy after Johnny is killed, that decision goes against everything Benny has said about how he wants to live; Benny crying on Kathys doorstep after a year of no contact is an act of capitulation to whats expected of him culturally and socially as a husband and a man of a certain age, not of love.

When the films final interview is revealed to be in present-day 1973, in the couples kitchen in Florida, Kathy says twice to writer and photographer Danny (Mike Faist) that she and Benny are happy, but Comer gives the line delivery a sense of self-persuasion. She needs them to be happy because she was nearly sexually assaulted while Benny was dealing with club business, and because Johnny is dead, and because so many people from the formative years of their relationship are now gone, and because if she won the war for Benny, with all those losses, it cant be an empty victory. But to some degree, for both of them, it is. Kathy is married to a man still ensnared in the terrain of the past. He had once told Johnny, Youre a grown-up, man. I dont want that. I dont care about none of that, referring to his career, his marriage, his kids, and his responsibilities. And now here he is, holding down a mechanic job  working on cars and bikes instead of riding them. When he first asked Kathy out, it wasnt on a proper date but to a club meeting; now, all of Bennys friends are scattered, and the one thing binding them together has left them behind. Its jarring to follow Kathys eyes and see Benny seated in the houses backyard, wearing a blue mechanics jumpsuit. Kathy insists to Danny that Benny doesnt miss riding, which already feels unlikely. But seeing him look so incomplete without any Vandals gear and hearing the sound of chopper engines in his head, drowning out the conversation of his nearby relatives, makes her comment feel impossible.

A certain viewer could, of course, judge Benny for refusing to grow up, and dismiss his despondency as the self-centeredness of a child. He made the decision to marry Kathy, and that kind of vow should be honored, after all. Yet The Bikeriders, for as much as it deconstructs Uber-macho masculinity (Johnnys inspiration in forming the gang was how cool Marlon Brando looked in The Wild One, but the movie emphasizes that these guys spent a lot of their time arguing about club minutiae and playing pool rather than stereotypical tough-guy bullshit), is also gentle toward the men caught up in it. Think of Johnnys last words to Kathy: You can give everything you got to a thing  and its still just gonna do what its gonna do. He had been talking about the club, of how it had soured without his full awareness and attention, but here, those words feel like an analysis of Kathy and Bennys marriage, too, of how easy it is to live in parallel instead of together. Benny is a lost boy, aimless without his wildness, and Kathys love is the end of one road instead of the beginning of another; Benny settling down is Ellis moving into town, and both characters rambling identities being stripped away is a devastating sacrifice in the name of so-called progress.

Does The Bikeriders secretly resent Kathy? No, because it sympathizes with her immediate attraction to Benny and her frustration with their imbalanced relationship, gives her the screen time to share her perspective, and appeals to our own voyeuristic interest in wanting more of Benny. This final pullback does complicate her, though, from the seemingly self-aware narrator of the film and the guardian of the Vandals story to someone whose desire to possess all aspects of her husband has blinded her to his own aches and yearnings. The smile Benny gives Kathy when he notices her watching him is affectionate, but it doesnt entirely align with his inner turmoil. Benny had told his attackers earlier in the film that theyd have to kill him to get his Chicago Vandals jacket off. Sitting in that Florida backyard, with the dirgelike vroom-vroom of motorcycles playing in his head and his jacket nowhere in sight, Bennys future and the end of The Bikeriders both play out like a bittersweet death.
On July 17, the German government approved the budget for 2025. According to it, Berlin will allocate half as much money for military aid to Ukraine.

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According to Spiegel, the approved draft budget is aimed at stimulating the economy. It is yet to be considered by the German parliament, the Bundestag.

The planned expenditures of the German budget amount to 480.6 billion euros.

New borrowings in 2025 will amount to 43.8 billion euros.

The draft envisages an increase in defense spending by 1.3 billion to 53 billion.

This is less than German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expected.

It is expected that the Bundestag will continue discussions on defense when considering the draft budget.

It will begin consideration in September.

The German parliament is likely to approve the supplementary budget for the current year on November 8, and the budget for the next year on November 29. Until then, MPs can make changes.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Reuters said that in 2025 Germany could halve its military aid to Ukraine  to 4 billion euros, compared to 8 billion euros provided in 2024. The eurozone's largest economy avoided recession at the beginning of the year, but growth was slower than forecast, the agency noted.

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In 2028, Germany's regular budget is projected to have a deficit of 39 billion euros, and 28 billion euros will be needed to achieve NATO's goal without a special fund.

Recently, it became known that Berlin secretly transferred military aid to Ukraine, including heavy armored vehicles. In late June and early July, the country delivered another significant defense package to Kyiv.

Earlier, Pistorius asked Finance Minister Christian Lindner for additional funding for Ukraine. Approximately 7 billion euros allocated in the current federal budget are almost spent or reserved for contracts.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
I still get a special tingle when I watch a show finally find its groove. In reality TV, that formula  a combustible mix of narcissistic personalities, producer-fueled tensions, and escapism  is delicate. This week, however, the girls of The Real Housewives of Dubai figured out that careful cocktail and delivered, resulting in the first five-star episode in the franchises history. In one episode, we had two significant events and witnessed a friendship reach a tentative mending point, only to fall apart during an all-cast dinner event. Its peak docusoap excellence is only furthered by the absurdity of having Dubai as the backdrop for the simmering chaos.

Lets start at the beginning. Ayan is finally having the launch event for her much-discussed business venture, Ayan Beauty, in partnership with her makeup artist, Toni Malt. The event itself is pretty straightforward by Ayans standards, but its hard to deny how much the moment means to Ayan, who flew in her sister and brother for the occasion. The show somehow understates just how much Ayan has endured to have the life she has now. When she lets her guard down and opens up the way she does with her siblings, it becomes clear how so much of her current day-to-day feels nearly miraculous to her after everything they have endured.

While the moment may have been sentimental for Ayan and her family, we are in the business of soapy reality television where the mess doesnt stop for anyone  and Brooks and Taleen are more than eager to step up to the table. After arriving late to Ayans show with an unexpected plus one for backup (who never says a word on camera), Taleen and Brooks publicly reach an uneasy detente, with the duo revealing that they apologized to each other one-on-one. Brooks, by her own admission, accepts that she can be sharp with her words and her delivery overshadows her message. As someone well-versed in feminine passive-aggression, its obvious this declaration of peace was not long for this world. Their mouths may have said, Weve made up, but the Botox injections in their faces were declaring lifelong enmity.

Brooks lands the first blow, meeting with Sara and Lesa to spread her side of the story. Brooks admits to apologizing, but not for placing Taleen through the rumor mill  she apologized for calling her a beggar, saying it was a low blow to a friend. Despite her admitting that it was below the belt, Caroline did not restrain herself from making the case for Taleen, indeed, being a beggar: begging to be welcome in Carolines social circle, consistently asking for invites to parties, and making previous (uncredited) appearances on Bravos cameras before integrating herself into the cast. The story Brooks is peddling is believable  Taleen is a newcomer to the reality scene who was pressed for camera time and attention. A few things, however, dont square with Brooks narrative: namely, that Taleen was previously scouted for Netflixs Dubai Bling and that her and her in-laws families both have massively successful enterprises in the Emirates, automatically granting her access to social circles that Brooks is excluded from. The truth probably lies somewhere around Taleen being interested in reality TV, Brooks encouraging her to campaign for a Bravo casting, and the duo having a strategy going in that has since completely fallen apart.

Whatever the truth may be, Taleen has committed a cardinal newbie mistake: feeling secure enough to abandon the person who brought you on the show. Ayan and Lesa may not trust Brooks as far as they can throw her, but they are aware of her flaws and willing to cede her respect as part of the original cast. To the group, Taleen merely looks disloyal and strategic, even if her gripes are rooted in very real friction in her relationship with a longtime friend.

Thankfully, this meetup finally gives Lesa something to do, and she faithfully carries that conversation to a poolside get-together with Ayan, Caroline Stanbury, and Taleen. It is immediately clear that Taleen was not prepared for the information that Lesa had to relay. The Cheshire grin that was frozen on her face as she crowed about Brooks apologizing to her fell as soon as Lesa informed her that her former friend was painting her to be a social climbing hanger-on in retaliation to their conflict. Taleen immediately begins to spiral; being called a social climber in reality TV is a scarlet letter that can ruin her career early, after all. However, she dealt herself this hand in choosing to break ranks with her main ally on the show.

With all of the simmering tension in the air, Carolines upcoming housewarming is no longer an occasion for the cast to come together but a battleground where lines are quickly drawn. Brooks set the pace early, bringing sage and an uninvited guest to a seated dinner, much to Stanburys visible frustration. When Taleen arrives with her husband, she remains polite, but her demeanor is notably icy, and she is preparing for the moment when Brooks inevitably strikes. It happens at the dinner table, as Taleen makes small talk with the rest of the women; Brooks can barely contain herself, muttering fake repeatedly, yet not admitting to her clear attempt to rankle Taleen when called out on it. At one point, she whispers, Ill throw my drink at your ugly face, a juvenile insult that was completely out of scale for the level of tension in the room.

Predictably, the conflict escalates as the two camps retreat to opposite sides of Stanburys house to make their case for being justified in their frustration. Stanbury is fretting about the issue for a good reason. They are in Dubai, not America, and dont have the same license for conflict without being potentially reprimanded. Nevertheless, the women resume their fighting, with the added factor of Taleens husband intervening, throwing a new wrench in the back and forth. Now Taleen has lost the upper hand of feeling targeted by Brooks antics by involving her husband in the matter, which prompts Lesa to jump to Caroline Brooks defense. Whether or not Brooks is an alcoholic who has borrowed from her entire wardrobe is irrelevant; Raffi is now a bull in a china shop, arguing with cameramen, crew, and producers in a misguided attempt to defend his wife.

We have now reached complete civil war within the group, just before their planned all-cast vacation to Bali. What could possibly go wrong? Im sure we will continue to see the aftereffects of this conflict as the weeks continue. Until then!

Golden Nuggets

 Sergios new tan is so egregious that it looks like he went to the salon and gave the tanning specialists a picture of an Oompa Loompa as a reference point. Snooki would be proud.

 Caroline and Saras friendship breakup is a lingering storyline that simply does not interest me. Stanbury simply seems to be over Saras Instagram quotes, while Brooks is currently receptive to them. It is not a compelling or interesting dynamic shift in the group in any way, at least not at this moment.

 The quick aside that Carolines best friend Michael is funding the majority of her lifestyle was an unexpected plot twist in the Stanbury saga. Has she fully stopped trying to live off influencing at this point? How exactly is she making money to stay afloat?
Photo: Arvin Temkar/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Years of chaos could finally be catching up to the YSL case. Two judges have now recused themselves from the RICO trial against the alleged gang in Georgia that counts rappers Young Thug and Yak Gotti among its defendants. The recusals came following disagreements over a secret meeting, and amid the confusion, the jury has not heard new testimony in a month. A new judge picking up the case mid-trial seems nearly impossible, making a mistrial a question of when, not if. Theres no case I have ever read that dealt with what happens when a judge is recused mid-trial, says Andrew Fleischman, an Atlanta defense attorney.

The latest mess began when Judge Ural Glanville, who had been presiding over the case since 2022, held a private ex parte meeting with prosecutors and an uncooperative witness, rapper Lil Woody, on June 10, 2024. The defense was not privy to the meeting, but Brian Steel, an attorney for Young Thug, found out about it, and Glanville held Steel in contempt of court when he did not disclose his source. Steel soon filed to have Glanville recused from the case, and another judge eventually ruled to recuse him. We look forward to proceeding with a trial judge who will fairly and faithfully follow the law, Steel said in a statement afterward.

Its already a rarity for a case to be reassigned in the middle of such a complicated trial. But less than two days after Judge Shukura L. Ingram was assigned to the case, she also recused herself, citing an alleged relationship between another YSL defendant not in this trial and a deputy formerly assigned to her courtroom. Behind the scenes, there has to be a real question of whether she wanted to stay on this case, because its such a mess and its going to take years, says Neama Rahmini, a former federal prosecutor. The case has now been assigned to its third judge, but its far from cleaned up yet. Heres whats going on.

Whos judging this trial now?

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has been assigned to the YSL case following Ingrams recusal. She was once touted as a potential Georgia Supreme Court candidate in 2018 and has one of the lowest criminal caseloads in Fulton County, the Atlanta Journal Constitutions Jozsef Papp noted. But the question now becomes whether Whitaker will decide to take on the case and its yearslong commitment or recuse herself too. We had a problem getting jurors; imagine a judge seeing this case, Rahmani says. I wouldnt be surprised if more judges recuse themselves. (And, he notes, a judges own recusal decision cannot be reviewed.) If recusals continue, though, the defendants could eventually try to have the case dismissed under the Speedy Trial Act. Eventually, a judge will have to take this case, Rahmani adds.

What will a new judge need to do?

Whoever eventually takes over the case will need familiarity with the case up to that point. To catch up, they could read the transcripts  which Fleischman guesses could be over 10,000 pages at this point and take months to produce  or be briefed on the trial, but that still wouldnt compare to having been in court. Its really hard to step into a case, especially a complex case like this with so many different moving pieces, Rahmani says. Theres really no substitute for being there in court and hearing the testimony live. Pausing the trial too long for preparation would also affect the jurors who are still committed to the case. It already feels like a 13th Amendment violation, Fleischman says.

Even if a judge is able to catch up on the case, their previous absence will continue to cause issues. For instance, once the prosecution rests, the defense can motion for a directed verdict, arguing the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence. How can she intelligently rule on a directed-verdict motion for a trial she wasnt there at the beginning? Fleischman asks. Later on, problems would certainly arise when finalizing instructions to the jury. Attorneys have to have some evidence to support the jury instructions [theyre] requesting, Fleischman adds. How is she going know what evidence there was other than taking their words for it?

For the trial to continue, the next judge would have to handle the testimony that occurred between June 12, when the defense filed its first recusal motion against Glanville, and June 17, when Glanville paused court for the motion to be reviewed  all of which is now nullified under Georgia law. Yak Gottis attorney, Douglas Weinstein, already told Rolling Stone that he believed rewinding the case back to June 12 will be difficult, if not impossible, and would be grounds for a mistrial. From the outside, Rahmani agrees. How would you even explain that to the jurors? he says. I dont think thats a particularly good idea.

So the case is heading for a mistrial, then?

It sure looks like it. Attorneys for Young Thug filed a new mistrial motion after Judge Glanvilles July 15 recusal, and attorneys for other defendants reportedly have similar motions in the works. One of Young Thugs attorneys, Keith Adams, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the case has been irrevocably tainted amid Glanvilles recusal. The defense will likely argue for a mistrial with prejudice. They have to argue successfully that the state goaded them into a mistrial because the trial was going bad, Fleischman says. Thats very hard to do here, because while I believe the state engaged in misconduct, they did it with the intent of not being caught. That cuts against the goading narrative.

Both Fleischman and Rahmani agree that a mistrial without prejudice is much more likely, which would lead to the case being retried. It is a real possibility that were going to start all over, Rahmani says. But another trial may not be inevitable after a mistrial  prosecutors could take the mistrial as an opportunity to cut their losses and offer the defense more favorable plea deals to avoid another lengthy and costly retrial. It would be up to defendants, though, to accept those plea deals. Brian Steel is tasting blood, Fleischman says of Young Thugs attorney. His client is swearing by his innocence. Hes got a good case. He might not accept it. He might want to go forward to another trial.

What about bond?

A new judge would also offer fresh opportunities for defendants to request bond, after Glanville had previously denied all of their motions. I think they have a strong argument for bond, Fleischman says. They all showed up for trial. They have excellent, prepared counsel. Theres no evidence of threats to witnesses. Never mind that defendants would only be left waiting in prison longer after a mistrial. You should not be holding people in jail for years before they get a trial, Fleischman adds.

So how much longer is the case going to take?

If a new judge declares a mistrial, it could take months or even years for a retrial. But after Judge Glanville was criticized for the snails pace of his trial, a new judge could speed up the next trial by being more efficient in jury selection, limiting the prosecutions witnesses, or even condensing the case by severing off some defendants off. Whoever is the judge on the next case, I hope they exercise more restraint, Fleischman says. Judges are allowed to control the order of witnesses, our rules permit it, and that is something a judge needs to do to take control of the courtroom.

Still, whenever this trial finally ends, an appeal will be almost guaranteed, stretching things out even longer. So you might as well start over [now] and do it right, Rahmani says. Do what you shouldve done the first time.
The United States hopes that China can play a major role in ending the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine. However, it can only be about achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

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This was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Tuesday, July 16, Ukrinform reports. At the same time, according to the representative of the US Foreign Ministry, Washington cannot predict where the friendship between Russia and China will go.

"We have seen the deepening of relations between China and Russia, and this concerns not only the restoration of the Russian military-industrial base. It also refers to Beijing's attempts to be Russia's main strategic partner," Miller said.

He recalled that on May 16, 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin came to Beijing to strengthen his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Before that, the Chinese leader had been in Moscow at Putin's invitation.

"So I can't speculate on where this will go from here," Miller said.

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The State Department spokesman added that Washington has hinted in its dialog with China that Beijing could play a productive role in ending the war. However, he said, it should be a role "that recognizes who is the aggressor and who is the victim."

And this, according to Miller, should not be just about achieving peace for peace's sake, but about establishing a "just and lasting" peace for the Ukrainian state.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that China could play a "huge role" in ending the war waged by Russia, as Moscow depends on its export market. The United States and China, if they put aside their differences, could successfully work together in this direction.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Rome gives green light to first taxi licences in 20 years.

Rome is to increase its taxi fares and issue 1,000 new taxi licences, addressing a chronic shortage of cabs in Italy's capital, mayor Roberto Gualtieri confirmed on Tuesday.

The hike in taxi fares, first reported last week, will affect the initial fixed charge, the minimum fare, and the cost of getting to and from Rome's two airports.

The tender for the 1,000 new taxis will be published by the end of this month, ahead of the Jubilee Year 2025 when extra millions of tourists and pilgrims are set to arrive in Rome.

The city says that thanks to the new taxis and the introduction of "seconde guide" supplementary shifts, the overall number of taxis available over multiple time slots within 24 hours will go from the current 7,700 to almost 9,200 in the next few months.

Long faced with opposition from the powerful taxi lobby, the last time the city issued new taxi licences was two decades ago, in 2004.

In recent years the lack of taxis has caused headaches for Rome's tourists and residents, frequently leading to bad press for the sector.

Acknowledging the taxi crisis in the capital, Gualtieri said: "There are too few taxis, we need more as soon as possible to avoid the scenes of endless queues we are witnessing".

The city also published the "remodulation" of taxi fares on Tuesday.

The initial fixed charge, which had not been changed since 2012, will go from 3 to 3.50 on weekdays during the day, and from 7 to 7.50 at night, from 22.00 to 06.00.

A minimum fare of 9 will be introduced, with the city noting that approximately three per cent of all taxi fares are currently below this price.

The fixed rate to and from Fiumicino airport rises from 50 to 55 and the Ciampino fare goes from 31 to 40, for fares within the city's Aurelian Walls.

The city said the discount for women travelling in a taxi at night will be increased from 10 to 15 per cent, along with a new 10 per cent discount for those aged over 70.

For more details of Rome's updated taxi fares and new taxi licences see the city website. Photo credit: TK Kurikawa / Shutterstock.com.
Eimear Dodd

A serving garda has gone on trial accused of the sexual assault and false imprisonment of a woman at a Wicklow garda station almost four years ago.

William Ryan (38) has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault and not guilty to one count of false imprisonment of a woman at Aughrim Garda Station, Main Street, Aughrim, Co Wicklow on September 29th, 2020.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mr Ryan is a serving garda and was the sole member stationed at Aughrim Garda Station.

On Wednesday, prosecuting senior counsel Maurice Coffey told the jury in his opening speech that they must decide the case dispassionately and solely on the evidence, leaving aside any bias or sympathy.

He outlined that Aughrim Garda Station is a one-man station and does not open 24 hours a day.

Prosecuting counsel told the jury it is expected the woman will say she went to Aughrim Garda Station shortly after 10am on the day in question because her son's car had been seized by gardai in a neighbouring county the night before.

She had contacted Mr Ryan, who invited her to come to the garda station.

Mr Coffey said the complainant is expected to say that Mr Ryan invited her into the station through a side door.

She will say that after they discussed her son's matter, Mr Ryan then asked her to stand up and is alleged to have made a comment that's some arse, before grabbing and slapping her buttocks.

The court will hear that the woman tried to leave, but Mr Ryan allegedly prevented her by locking the side door of the station. Mr Ryan then made some lewd comments.

Mr Coffey said it is anticipated that the woman will give evidence that she showed Mr Ryan a photo of herself in a bikini in an attempt to satisfy him, then he grabbed her breast.

The court would hear that Mr Ryan then propositioned the complainant, asking her to go upstairs and telling her that she didn't have to touch him, just stand there.

He said the complainant will say she went upstairs with Mr Ryan and into a shower room where she stood facing away from him and could hear him making moaning noises.

She will also say that Mr Ryan then took her hand and placed it on his penis, but she pulled away.

Mr Coffey told the jury it is expected they will hear evidence that Mr Ryan then sexually assaulted the complainant.

In other evidence, the jury were also shown maps of Aughrim village and plans showing the layout of the garda station.

A member of the Garda mapping section agreed with Breffni Gordon BL, defending, that the public office is on the ground floor of the building, and there is no public access to the building's second storey.

The jury were also shown photos of the interior of Aughrim Garda Station.

A member of the garda technical bureau, who took the photos, agreed with Mr Gordon that he was informed before going to Aughrim Garda Station that an allegation involving a sexual element had been made against a serving member of the force, but that he was not made aware of the details.

The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and the jury.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
Waterford Green Party TD, Deputy Marc O Cathasaigh, has welcomed the news that the Cabinet signed off on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review which will see an investment of 30 billion invested into Irelands rail infrastructure over the next 20 years.

Commenting on the matter to Waterford News & Star, Deputy O Cathasaigh said the investment could lead to the reopening of rail lines including the one between Waterford and Rosslare Harbour, in County Wexford.

It is vitally important that the recent Government investment in rail, which weve seen over the past several years, is increased and expanded upon, he said.

Our rail network is a driver of economic growth and is essential for strategic regional rebalance, he added.

Deputy O Cathasaigh said good rail connections make a place a far more attractive place to live, to work and to set up business and rail services allow employees, students and tourists easier access and more comfort without being stuck in traffic congestion.

He said that in announcing that the Cabinet had signed off on the All-Island Strategic Rail review, which now awaits approval from their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure, his party colleague Minister Eamon Ryan indicated that delivery of the strategy would require about an extra 1bn a year for the next 25 years.

That would result in improvement in train speeds and frequency of services, as well as the reopening of lines such as the Western Rail Corridor and the Rosslare to Waterford line, said Deputy O Cathasaigh.

This August, will see a new later train service from Dublin to Kilkenny, and on to Waterford which will bring with it a significant boost for the South East, not only providing a vital service for commuters and those who need to travel to Dublin for services, but provide for those travelling between Kilkenny and Waterford, he added.

Commenting that growth in passenger numbers on the route had increased significantly in the first five months of the year, Deputy O Cathasaigh said: Were looking at an approximate increase of 10 per cent passenger numbers on the same period last year. Last year saw over 1.5million passenger numbers on the Dublin to Waterford line.

We need to see more investment in and provision of rail services in the regions, and particularly between regions, he said.

The West and the South-East have been poorly serviced for decades and I am happy to see that the All-Island Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) lays out a plan to increase intercity service frequencies and improve line speed on the Waterford-Limerick and WaterfordCork lines, as well as increasing intercity service frequencies to at least hourly between Dublin and Waterford, he added.

Recommendations within the strategy cover three broad indicative timelines, with roll out of elements of the plan in the short-term between now and 2030, medium-term between 2030 and 2040, and long-term interventions between 2040 and 2050.

In announcing the strategy, Minister Ryan said he would like to see work on the Athenry to Claremorris line get underway before 2030, opening up the Western Rail corridor from Ballina to Limerick and on to Cork and Waterford.

Deputy O Cathasaigh said that would immediately enhance and improve passenger travel while also facilitating greater rail freight transport along an Atlantic spine, where many industries and large companies are located, to a number of ports including Waterford and Rosslare, which will have direct rail connections.

He also pointed out that the AISSR will complement planning already underway for the metropolitan rail networks of Dublin while the four regional cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford are set out in Metropolitan Area Transport Strategies.

The AISSR approval by the Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure is to happen towards the end of July, after which time, the final Report will be published and officially launched.

In announcing the strategy Min Ryan said: We need to go back to an age of rail as we move forward  to decarbonise, to reduce gridlock, to improve the housing solutions and build houses close to where the railways stations are going.
Starting from 00:00 on Wednesday, July 17, all citizens of Ukraine aged 18-60 must have a military registration document to travel abroad, which will be checked by border guards. Citizens who have a deferment or are unfit for military service may also be denied travel if they do not have a corresponding entry in their military records.

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Colonel Andrii Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, told OBOZ.TALK on July 17. He explained that, according to the new mobilization legislation, starting from zero hours on Wednesday, all border control checkpoints must check the presence of a military registration document when citizens arrive at the border.

"The military registration document can be in paper form, issued at the territorial recruitment centers, or in electronic form. This is, in fact, the mobile application "Reserve+" with a generated QR code. Or a document issued in the ASCs, which must also have a QR code, because the QR code equates documents to electronic form, electronic format. And by scanning this QR code, border guards can get the data that is embedded in it to obtain information about the person," the spokesman said.

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According to him, the State Border Guard Service does not yet see "any difficulties" because most citizens who crossed the border from zero to seven in the morning had a military registration document. However, there were also refusals.

"In total, about 40 people were refused. Some simply forgot their military registration document, others did not have it. But let me remind you that a mandatory condition is the availability of a military registration document for all categories of men aged 18 to 60 years old who are citizens of Ukraine. I would also add that those male citizens of Ukraine aged 18-60 who have the right to cross the border through deferment or because they are unfit for military service for health reasons and are excluded from military registration must have such records in their military registration documents. If they do not, of course, they may also be denied," said Demchenko.

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At the same time, to prevent the use of forged documents or to check whether the data in military registration documents match, border guards can use the Oberig system, he added:

"Since March, the State Border Guard Service and the Ministry of Defense have been exchanging information, and our inspectors at checkpoints have access to this system to once again prevent the use of forged documents that give the right to cross the border, and, issued in the direction of the TCC."

A person who is denied entry does not simply not cross the border, but returns to the territory of Ukraine, the SBGS spokesman said.

At the same time, a person may be refused to cross the border if he or she is listed in the Oberig system as a wanted person.

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"If we establish this, then, accordingly, we do not let such a person through, but call police officers to send them to the TCC," Demchenko said.

He also emphasized that border guards serve summonses at the border, neither on the green border, outside checkpoints nor at checkpoints. However, representatives of the TCC may be present at checkpoints "in certain areas, at certain hours".

"They do not participate in border control measures, but border guards can contact them if they have any reservations about a person who provides documents, including those allegedly issued by the TCC," said the SBGS representative.

Demchenko also advised Ukrainians who believe they have the right to cross the border to refer to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 57 of January 27, 1995, "to study it carefully, to see what documents are needed, whether they fall into this category, whether they have such documents that will give them the right to cross the border. And only then go to the border.

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According to Demchenko, the number of border crossings has increased significantly since June, during the summer vacation period. Before June, the average number of people crossing the border per day was 80-90 thousand on weekdays and about 100 thousand on weekends, but now the passenger traffic on weekdays is almost 120 thousand people per day, crossing the border in both directions, exiting and entering, "and on weekends it can reach 130 thousand per day along the entire length of the border, where border control measures are carried out."

"This is, of course, the border with the EU countries, as well as the border with Moldova. At certain hours, queues can form when people arrive at the border at the same time to cross it to leave. This is usually on Thursday, Friday, and partly on Saturday. At the beginning of the week, although the passenger traffic is high, it is distributed throughout the day, there are no crowds and no long queues. Therefore, every three hours on the Facebook page of our Western Regional Department we show the state of congestion at the exit checkpoints so that people can find out where the less busy directions are and choose them instead of going to the more busy ones," the spokesman said.

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He added that the number of border crossings by men is not increasing significantly. Most attempts to illegally cross the border are recorded outside the checkpoints, i.e. on the green section of the border.

The main categories of those crossing the border now are women, children, the elderly, and foreigners.

Demchenko also said that talks about a ban on travel for boys aged 16-17 are speculation  the restrictions apply only to men aged 18 to 60.

The condition of presenting a military registration document applies only to leaving Ukraine, Demchenko added. For those entering Ukraine, no additional border crossing conditions are applied  only the presence of a passport document proving identity.

He also explained that as part of the information exchange between the SBGS and the Ministry of Defense, border guards have access to the Oberig system, and the Ministry has access to the SBGS database to check the whereabouts of a person.

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As for the number of men who did not return to Ukraine, the SBGS spokesperson said:

"We do not keep any data. We exclusively carry out border control measures under the norms and conditions prescribed by law. We are not authorized to keep statistics on the presence of Ukrainian citizens outside Ukraine."

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
As part of a major law operation in conjunction with Interpol, the Gardai and law enforcement agencies across 20 other countries around the world recently carried out enforcement under Operation Jackal.

The planned operation took place between April and July and in Ireland, under the title of Operation Skein, it resulted in 63 people being arrested.

Seventeen people were charged and six were dealt with under the Juvenile Diversion Programme.

The searches were carried out across a number of locations

A spokesperson for the Gardai told Waterford News & Star that 37 searches were carried out and 11 phones were seized along with two cars, valued approximately at 40,000, on suspicion of them having been purchased with stolen or laundered money.

The Garda spokesperson also said 81,133 and $260,953 in cryptocurrency was seized.

Some of the item seized as part of the Garda operation in conjunction with Interpol

He said that 17 bank accounts were blocked under suspicion or being opened under false names.

The searches and arrests were carried out by Gardai attached to the GNECB (Garda National Economic Crime Bureau), members of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) along with personnel from Waterford, Tallaght, Tralee, Portlaoise, Coolock, Blanchardstown, Tipperary, Galway, Lucan, Ballyfermot and Clondalkin.
James Cox

Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Leo's departure

Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he will not contest the next general election.

Mr Varadkar's legacy will be a topic for the future, but for now, his departure is the latest erosion of the Fine Gael old guard.

He is the 14th TD from the party who will stand down at the next election.

Mr Varadkar joins the likes of former tanaiste Simon Coveney, and former ministers Josepha Madigan, Richard Bruton, Charlie Flanagan, Michael Creed and Joe McHugh.

Announcing his decision, Mr Varadkar said: I have been an elected representative for more than 20 years and have been elected on five occasions, first to represent the Castleknock/Blanchardstown area on Fingal County Council and subsequently to represent Dublin West in Dail Eireann in four consecutive elections.

It has been the privilege of my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to serve my community and my country as a councillor and a TD.

I have decided that the time has come for me to explore new options and opportunities.

I have never seen myself as a career politician and I am keen to see how I can make my contribution to society in other ways.

While Government continues to insist it will serve its full-term until March, all indications point towards an autumn general election.

Fine Gael will be very busy in deciding what councillors and party figures will fill the boots of their departing TDs.

Coolock unrest

The attack on the former Crown Paints factory site in Coolock is just the latest incident of violence and arson on a building earmarked for refugees in the last year.

At the site on the Malahide Road, anti-immigration protesters set a number of fires, one of which burnt a JCB digger, injured a security guard and threw objects at gardai.

A number of petrol bombs were thrown and public order units brought the situation under control. A number of people have since been arrested and charged.

It is just the latest of over 20 incidents of arson at sites earmarked for asylum seekers over the past year.

In January, Niamh McDonald of the Hope and Courage Collective (an organisation that monitors far-right and anti-immigrant activity), told BreakingNews.ie that her organisation had documented over 20 arson attacks on buildings that had been earmarked for refugee accommodation in the past year.

In May, an RTE Prime Time Report said the figure of arson attacks now stood at 27 incidents.

A lack of engagement with communities has often been cited as the cause of tensions over the housing of migrants.

However, locals with legitimate concerns are often targets of far-right, anti-immigrant figures who look to stoke violence.

Taoiseach Simon Harris labelled the latest incident in Coolock as "pure thuggery".

"I am somewhat perplexed that this morning that I still hear in media and political discourse a reference to protesters.

"To be clear, when you decide to use a petrol bomb, you lost your right to be called a protester.

"Im not quite sure why we have decided to, in any manner or means, legitimatise in any way, shape or form the actions of people who engaged in sheer thuggery yesterday evening and try to harm the men and women of An Garda Siochana, disrupt a community and cause utter chaos.

"I want to pay respect to the people of Coolock, people who called for calm, and indeed people who cleaned up after others came to their community to cause chaos," the Taoiseach said.

"Everybody knew this facility was going to be used to provide shelter for migrants. People can agree or disagree, but no amount of community engagement is required to tell somebody not to throw a brick, not to set a digger on fire, not to harm a security guard, not to put the men and women of An Garda Siochana in danger."

"I've had it up to here with this 'whataboutery'," he said.

"We will continue to communicate better with communities  good, decent people across the country who want to talk about legitimate issues.

"There's such a role for that, every community has a right to be engaged with, [but] what we saw last night was such a distance away from my question about community engagement.

"It was sheer thuggery. It should be called out as such, and I want to really thank the Gardai for the very swift action they took in a very difficult circumstance that amounted to many arrests."

Council of State

President Michael D Higgins has taken the uncommon step of convening the Council of State over the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024.

While the Bill contains a number of undoubted positives, including allowing Defence Forces members to engage with trade unions, it also has highly controversial elements which some argue amount to a "gagging order".

The Bill is likely to be sent to the Supreme Court for consideration.

Abroad

In the UK, prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is taking shape, and Simon Harris will visit the UK's new leader on Wednesday.

Mr Harris has expressed hope that the new government will lead to a renewal in Anglo-Irish relations.

In the US, the country continues to reel from the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.

Mr Trump has not let it slow him down, as he appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandaged ear, and announced JD Vance as his 2024 running mate.

Mr Vance, a former Trump critic who once suggested the former US president was "America's Hitler", is an isolationist who shares many of Mr Trump's policy beliefs.

The assassination has temporarily paused talk around US president Joe Biden's future, but prominent figures in the Democratic Party are now resuming calls for him to stand aside in favour of vice president Kamala Harris.
The extent of the market downturn became glaringly apparent this week as the latest company earnings season kicked off with an unfolding crisis at UK luxury trench-coat maker Burberry Group and plunging sales at Swatch Group. LOreal, LVMH and other industry heavyweights backed by billionaires are scheduled to report their results later this month.

And in a further sign of more frugal times, the heiress of cosmetics giant LOreal, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, briefly lost her crown earlier this month as the worlds wealthiest woman to Alice Walton, a member of the founding family of US retailer Walmart.

As demand for luxury goods and beauty products declines in some regions, so have the fortunes of a clutch of the worlds richest people.

Overall, the fortunes of a half-dozen ultra-rich who derive their wealth from pricey products made for pampering have dropped by 4 per cent this year, or about $US17 billion ($25 billion) though Mondays close, according to the index. That compares with a rise of 13 per cent, or $US1 trillion, for the rest of the 500-person ranking. The last time the gap between the two groups was this large was in May 2022.

The decrease masks disparities that have emerged across the sector depending on factors such as brand popularity and exclusivity. The losers are Bettencourt Meyers, Arnault and his longstanding rival Francois Pinault, 87, who founded Gucci-owner Kering. The French companies the trio control have also been hit by investor wariness of their home country after President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election that has resulted in a hung parliament and no government.

Downbeat outlook

Arnaults wealth has fallen by $US7.4 billion over the past year to $US200.1 billion and now trails the fortunes of Teslas Elon Musk and Amazons Jeff Bezos. LVMH, the firm he built over more than three decades into a 75-brand juggernaut including couture house Christian Dior, jeweller Tiffanys and Hennessy Cognac, reported markedly slower sales growth for fashion and leather goods in the first quarter and an overall decline in Asia, excluding Japan.

LOreals downbeat outlook for China has weighed on the wealth of Bettencourt Meyers, 71, who in December became the first woman with $US100 billion only to see her fortune drop to around $US91 billion. With high-end brands like Aesop, Lancome and Yves Saint Laurent as well as the more affordable LOreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline, the company in which she and her family have an almost 35 per cent stake is trying to navigate the slowdown across regions and price points.
From the way he lived to the way he died, he was Australias first rock-star artist  a household name whose works sell for millions.

Now a major exhibition of paintings, sculptures and more by Brett Whiteley is debuting at Logan Art Gallery, south of Brisbane.

Brett Whiteley died in 1992 at the age of 53 and his Sydney studio has been preserved as a public gallery of his works. Credit: Andrew Fisher

Brett Whiteley: Inside the Studio brings works on loan from the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney, which has been preserved as a public museum and time capsule of the artists life.

The exhibition includes famous paintings such as the Archibald Prize-winning Self-portrait in the Studio from 1976.
Simon Birmingham, the shadow foreign minister and a senior Liberal MP, has flagged the Coalition could demand a ban on people with a criminal record acting as union delegates if Labor needs their support to legislate for a CFMEU administrator.

Earlier today, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the government would seek to intervene in support of any Federal Court application made by the Fair Work Commission to appoint a CFMEU administrator. If legal problems thwarted that regulator action, Burke said he would legislate to remove any barriers to appointing administrators to whatever sections of the construction division of the CFMEU.

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

On the ABCs Afternoon Briefing program, Birmingham was asked whether the Coalition would support such legislation if required.

Wed always reserve the right to see such legislation, but we support strong action against the CFMEU, he responded. Our concern is, at present, this is the weakest possible action by the Albanese government.

Burke has said any bill would be narrow and focus on the powers needed for CFMEU administration, but ABC host Greg Jennett asked Birmingham if the opposition would support adding a ban on someone with a criminal conviction from being a union delegate, if Labor was forced to negotiate a bill with the Coalition.

In response, Birmingham said:
This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU.

The NSW government will attempt to oust CFMEU state secretary Darren Greenfield through the courts or take the matter to parliament after images showing him allegedly receiving a $5000 cash bribe sent shockwaves through the Labor Party.

Premier Chris Minns has suspended the embattled CFMEUs affiliation with the state Labor Party, saying the revelations demonstrate the union was unable and unwilling to remedy alleged criminal behaviour.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has moved to suspend the CFMEU from the Labor Party. Credit: Kate Geraghty

After the Herald published images of Greenfield being passed a $5000 bundle of cash as part of a suspected kickback deal, the NSW government was on Wednesday preparing to remove him through the Industrial Relations Commission.

Greenfield has been charged by NSW Police over the allegations, and denies wrongdoing. There is no suggestion that Greenfield is guilty, only that it is unusual for the leader of an organisation to stay in the role after being charged with corruption. The matter is yet to proceed to trial. The Herald first published details of the allegations in September 2021.
This article is part of a months-long series investigating misconduct in the CFMEU.

A police camera hidden in the ceiling of the CFMEUs Sydney office allegedly captured NSW construction union boss Darren Greenfield being passed a $5000 bundle of cash as part of a suspected kickback deal involving money traded for union backing.

The vision was filmed on June 19, 2020, and appears to show a building company owner seeking union support reach into his pocket and remove a wad of cash he then passes to Greenfield under the table.

About 10 minutes later, the camera captured images of Greenfield allegedly placing the wad in his office desk drawer.

Images show Darren Greenfield allegedly taking a wad of cash under a table (left) and then putting it in an office drawer (right). Credit:

The vision was filmed as part of a joint NSW Police and Australian Federal Police operation targeting Greenfield. The operation led to him being charged with corruption offences in September 2021. His son, Michael Greenfield, the NSW CFMEUs assistant secretary, was also charged.
What action is the government taking?

The Albanese government has asked the Fair Work Commission to apply to the Federal Court to place branches of the CFMEU into external administration.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday its not just the Victorian branch of the union he wants cleaned out following allegations of criminality, intimidation and underworld infiltration.

What happens now?

The Fair Work Commission, Australias industrial umpire, is seeking advice on making a court application.

Its general manager, Murray Furlong, has not said when an application to the court will be made.

What can an administrator do?

RMIT industrial relations expert Anthony Forsyth says the administrator assumes the powers of the unions committee of management, taking over the organisations day-to-day business while resolving systemic issues.

In this case they would have responsibility for looking very closely at the industrial and commercial arrangements that existing officials entered into, he says. He adds that the use of EBAs would be included, following revelations they were being wielded as a coercive tactic.

Forsyth says the court would potentially make an order vacating the positions of elected union officials, while the administrator could remove employees.

The administrator can also refer matters to the police or other authorities and apply to the court to extend their time beyond the original orders.

How long will the process take?

Forsyth says it wont happen overnight. It will be decided in the Federal Court and likely take several months. If nobody in the CFMEU opposes the move in court  which seems unlikely  it could still take weeks to be approved.
Greece is going to decommission 32 old F-16 Block-30s by upgrading 82 F-16s to Block-70s and buying 24 fourth-generation Rafale fighters from France. The country plans to sell the decommissioned aircraft to the United States, and after repair, they could be useful to Ukraine.

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This is stated in the material of Al Jazeera. So far, there have been no official statements about where the partners are going to sell the three dozen fighters.

"The US Congressional Committee also authorized Greece to buy up to 40 fifth-generation F-35 multi-role aircraft. Ukraine did not hide its desire to receive them," the publication writes.

Earlier it was reported that Ukraine could expect 60 decommissioned F-16s from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. In Kyiv, it was said that the Ukrainian Air Force needs about 150 aircraft. Therefore, analysts emphasize that 32 fighter jets from Greece would help to close the gap to some extent.

But, according to Al Jazeera's sources, Greece prefers the following formula for the transfer of these fighters: sell them back to the United States, where they will be modernized and then allegedly transferred to Kyiv.

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At the same time, the publication also cited unnamed "military experts" who criticized Greece for "giving away dozens of fighter jets" and generally for its "pro-Ukrainian policy."

"Unfortunately, because of our neighbors, we are forced to have very strong armed forces. The sale of 32 F-16s... would open a big hole in the Air Force... There should be a quorum of about 200 aircraft, which is impossible to achieve with more modern and expensive fighters," the journalists quoted an anonymous Greek Air Force engineer as saying.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Warning: graphic content

The daughters of murdered Australian David Fisk have spoken publicly for the first time of their love for their father, his wicked sense of humour and their frustration at Australian officials for not providing them with key details.

The exclusive interview with this masthead and Nine News comes as police in the Philippines interrogate the alleged killer after he surrendered to them late on Tuesday.

Brittany (left) and Lacinda Fisk at home on Wednesday. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The bodies of Fisk, his Philippine-Australian wife Lucita Cortez, and her Filipina daughter-in-law Mary Jane Cortez were discovered last Wednesday at Tagaytay Lake Hotel, a popular holiday destination with views over Lake Taal.
Milwaukee: One-time Donald Trump critic Kevin Rudd says Australia stands ready to work with the Republican candidate and his chosen running mate J.D. Vance if they win Novembers election, denouncing the assassination attempt on Trump as a repugnant attack on democracy.

Speaking at the Republican National Convention, Australias ambassador to the US also revealed he has what Ive described as a texting relationship with Vance, and had contacted the Ohio Senator after Trump was almost killed last Saturday to convey his concern about the shocking event.

Kevin Rudd, Australias ambassador to the US, at the Republican National Convention. Credit: X/@mewesterhout

Asked by this masthead what he thought of the 39-year-old Hillbilly Elegy author  a former never Trump guy who transformed into a full-throated MAGA loyalist on everything from abortion and election denialism, to military aide for Ukraine  Rudd replied: Thats, of course, a matter for American domestic political opinion.

But Id say this: if the American people decide to elect President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, the Australian government stands ready to work with them, openly, constructively and positively. And were confident we can do that, he added.
Ukraine and the Czech Republic have signed an agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime and ensuring public order and security. The previous agreement between Kyiv and Prague in this area was signed more than 25 years ago.

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The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, said this on his Telegram channel. At the joint consultations of the governments of Ukraine and the Czech Republic in Prague, he held a bilateral meeting with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of the Czech Republic, Vit Rakusan.

According to Klymenko, cooperation with Czech colleagues in the fight against crime is one of the most active among European countries. Since the beginning of 2014, more than two thousand contacts have been made between the police departments of the two countries.

"Together we are successfully implementing the Cybersecurity project and participating in the Ukrainian Task Force, created on the basis of Europol to prevent human trafficking," said the head of Ukraine's internal affairs agency.

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The updated agreement, according to the Minister, ensures cooperation in the field of preventing, detecting and combating crime, as well as intensifies the process of information exchange and response to the challenges facing our countries.

"We are strengthening cooperation, combating crime, and taking care of security in our countries," Klymenko wrote.

He added that he also discussed migration policy with Vit Rakusan, as well as logistical support for the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including those serving in the combat zone.

As previously reported, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have agreed to build a new cartridge factory in Ukraine. In addition, the Czech company will produce assault rifles for Ukraine.

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Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
In the past few weeks, US intelligence agencies have received intelligence that Iran was preparing an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The US Secret Service and Trump's campaign have been informed of this.

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CNN writes about this, citing several informed sources. An unnamed US national security official said that the warning took place before the start of Saturday's rally in Pennsylvania.

At the same time, according to the sources, there is no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump at this rally, was connected to Iran's intentions.

"In response to the growing threat, the Secret Service has dramatically increased resources and means to protect former President Trump. All this was done on the eve of Saturday," the unnamed official assured CNN.

At the same time, the Trump campaign did not answer journalists' questions about whether it had been informed of the Iranian threat.

"We do not comment on President Trump's security measures. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service," the campaign said in a statement.

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Secret Service officials have repeatedly warned the Trump campaign against holding open-air rallies, which pose a greater risk than other events that the agency can better control, the sources said. According to the sources, these warnings were more general in nature.

US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that no links have been established between the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and anyone else.

The publication recalls that Iran has repeatedly promised to take revenge for the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassem Soleimani by the US military in January 2020 when Donald Trump was president of the United States. The increase in threats coincided with an increase in activity in Iranian state media, which constantly mentioned Trump, which caused additional concerns among American officials.

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As a reminder, on July 13, Donald Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania. He was injured, and there were also victims among the politician's supporters. The shooter was killed in the attack.

The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security has drawn attention to a strange factor in the attempted assassination of Trump. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired a number of shots at the politician, should not have had access to a "direct line of sight." With this in mind, an independent assessment of the incident will be conducted.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Weber State alum finds success with dental innovation

July 17, 2024

OGDEN, Utah  A breakthrough in dentistry started with a science fair project.

Jeremy Ellis, a Weber State University alum and dentist in Logan, Utah, was helping his daughter use fiber optic glass to build a jellyfish for a science fair project about 12 years ago, when it occurred to him the material would be fantastic for repairing a chipped tooth.

Both physical and chemical bonds can be used when repairing a chip, which traditionally involves reconstructing the tooth with resin, or inserting a small titanium rod to build the resin around. The problem with titanium is it can sometimes be seen through the resin, and its unforgiving and inflexible, which usually results in a chip needing multiple repairs over the years.

Ellis invention fixes the chip using a small fiber optic pin, the now patented DentXpin, which has much more flexibility and cant be seen through resin. Once the tiny pin is inserted into a small hole, it can be affixed to the tooth using any resin and adhesive on the market.

It flexes and moves, expands and contracts with the tooth, he said. They just stay in. Its been beautiful.

Ellis journey began when he attended Weber State, graduating in 1994 with a degree in zoology with an emphasis in human physiology. He also met his wife, Ruthann, while at Weber. She graduated in 1993 with a degree in nursing and child development.

Ellis went on to dental school at Virginia Commonwealth University and even though most of his classmates had attended Ivy League schools, he felt as prepared as any other student, if not more.

And I had no student loan debt, he said. Most of my buddies had six-figure debt from their undergrad. Wed compare and I found out at those big Ivy League schools youre mostly taught by the TA. Id tell them even my PE teacher had a Ph.D. and it would blow their minds.

While there are many paths to becoming a dentist, Weber State now offers several pre-medical professional programs, including pre-dentistry.

While developing the DentXpin, Ellis found a manufacturing company that could create the pin to his exact specifications and then took his renderings to the engineering and physics department at Utah State University for feedback; it just so happens some of those professors are Ellis patients. He also got input from his eldest daughter and her husband, both of whom are biological engineers.

I was hoping to cover all my bases, he said. Im really good at not knowing what I don't know, and Im not opposed to asking for help.

Ellis said his invention has been well received because its affordable, easy to use and solves a common problem in dental offices.
A new pandemic can start in the world at any moment.

According to Azernews, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this during his speech at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations body, which prepared the draft agreement on the prevention of the pandemic in Geneva.

"The current H5N1 epidemic reminds us that the next pandemic can come at any moment," said the Director General of the WHO.

He called the document prepared by the Inter-Governmental Negotiations organization "agreement of generations" and noted the relevance of the work carried out by this organization. "Completing the negotiations this year will be a historic event," Gebreyesus stressed.

The results of the work on the document are expected to be finalized at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025 or at a special session of the Assembly, which may take place by the end of 2024.

Earlier, on July 11, Gebreyesus, at a press conference in Geneva, drew attention to the latest cases of infection recorded in Cambodia and the United States and called on all countries to strengthen control over bird flu. He also mentioned the need to vaccinate risk groups, especially people over the age of 60 and medical workers against COVID-19 at least once a year.
No one knows for sure what daybreak will bring in Venezuela on July 29, the day after the presidential elections. The oppositions consensus candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, scores higher in the most reliable polls than the current president, Nicolas Maduro. Under normal conditions, the transfer of power between an outgoing and an incoming president would be a mere institutional formality, but in the context in which Venezuela finds itself, it is an unknown quantity. Opponents see a clear opportunity for change in the country after 25 years of Chavismo and consider their victory almost certain. At the same time, they wonder if the Bolivarian revolution, which now controls all the levers of the state, will accept a defeat and allow someone other than Maduro through the door of the Miraflores Palace, the seat of government, in January next year.

Urrutia has inherited almost all the political capital of Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader electorally vetoed by the government. Machado is touring the country during the oppositions campaign promoting the name of Urrutia, who until recently was an unknown diplomat who had spent his whole life moving in the backrooms of power. Urrutia has stated repeatedly that he will carry out an orderly, calm transition, without trauma or vindictiveness. In the opposition, the idea that it is necessary to facilitate an exit route for Chavismo is gaining traction. The government is concerned that once it relinquishes power, the door will open for investigations into the quarter of a century it has held the reins of the country. Maduro himself is the subject of a $15 million reward offered by the DEA.

Presidents of other countries in the region such as Colombias Gustavo Petro or Brazils Lula Da Silva have promoted  so far without success  the signing of a political agreement that would set the guidelines for the days following the vote. In the Barbados agreements, signed at the end of 2023, the will to respect the electoral result was put in writing. However, there are many voices demanding that in the 11 remaining days before the poll, Urrutia and Maduro sit down at the same table and sign a commitment to honor the results. In reality, all these efforts are focused on only one thing: that Chavismo, if it is voted out, accepts the defeat and facilitates a transition.

Maduro and his entourage have issued contradictory signals. The president has insisted on the campaign trail that he represents peace, as if in Venezuela there were a conflict with armed factions as in the case of Colombia. In a speech addressed to police officers Tuesday, Maduro stated: The ultra-right in their desperation, because they are lost [...] want to look for a tragedy, a hecatomb. In a video published days ago, at the border, Maduro said he is prepared to prevent an invasion, without specifying who would lead the assault. Although Chavismo is in control of the police, the military and the intelligence services, it has steeped itself in the narrative that it is facing destabilizing superior powers. The vice-president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, said on Tuesday at an event: Enough of hatred, gentlemen of the extreme right; enough of political stupidity, Venezuela wants to live in peace. Cabello has for years presented a television program called Con el mazo dando, in which he lashes opponents with harsh rhetoric and attacks anyone who offers an opinion about Venezuela, such as Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, who has said he hopes for fair and free elections to take place.

Nicolas Maduro at a campaign event, on July 16. MIGUEL GUTIERREZ (EFE)

Weeks ago, Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino stated that the revolution will continue no matter what happens. However, Freddy Bernal, governor of the state of Tachira, gave an interview to the media Primera Pagina in which he made an observation that has surprised many observers: Every time we have lost, we have handed over. In the wrong assumption that we will lose - which is not going to happen - do not have the slightest doubt about the democratic disposition of President Nicolas Maduro and of us. These words, spoken by one of the politicians closest to Maduro, spread like wildfire in WhatsApp messages. They were interpreted as a door for Chavismo to accept a possible defeat at the polls. If the victory of Edmundo Gonzalez [Urrutia] is declared, it is because [the ruling party] decided to leave power. Then you are left with all the rest of the institutions in your hands and six months for negotiations with the executive, explains Felix Seijas, from the polling firm Delphos.

For Seijas, it is evident that Maduro does not want to relinquish power. But if Edmundos victory is announced, it means that he had no other lower-cost alternative, he adds. On the other hand, Antonio Ecarri, an opposition presidential candidate who has not joined forces with Urrutia, believes that Chavismo is ready to vacate the presidency. In fact, he believes that the debate lies elsewhere: The problem is governance. The best favor that can be done for Maduro is for a weak government to succeed him. Venezuela must be open to state pacts. That current of opinion is gaining strength as the election approaches: according to this assumption, parties from across the political spectrum must govern together, and even include some sectors of Chavismo.

For Elias Pino, historian and former director of the National Academy of History of Venezuela, the situation has taken the government leadership by surprise: The regime has been overtaken by events. It did not expect such a massive and forceful response from society, in the face of which it still has not offered signs of an emphatic movement. It attacks specific situations as they develop, without showing any disposition to put an end to the process once and for all. They were too late to react, and that will now prove costly. Without explicitly verbalizing it, Pino is referring to the suspension of the elections, a possibility that remains in the air even at this stage. In the past, Maduro has said that there would be no free elections if Venezuela was not free of sanctions.

Time is running out. Political scientist John Magdaleno highlights that the ruling party finds itself in an extreme situation - the real possibility of losing at the polls - and that it seems to have little room for maneuver. Especially if the result suggests a gap of more than 10 percentage points in favor of the opposition. The most recent and credible polls are placing the voting intention gap between 25 and 27 percentage points of advantage for Urrutia. But political actors do not always behave rationally, if we understand by such a term the adequacy of means to ends. We will see what happens, he concludes.

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(The Center Square)  A coalition of Republican attorneys general have called on the U.S. Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a bill that would ensure additional safeguards are in place to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections.

The coalition, led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and to House Speaker Mike Johnson in support of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

The Republican-controlled House passed the bill filed by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, last week largely along party lines by a vote of 221-198.

The Biden administration opposes it, and Democratic leaders in Congress encouraged colleagues to vote against it, arguing it is a political ploy, The Center Square reported.

The bill was filed after several local Democratic-run jurisdictions nationwide have announced efforts to register noncitizens to vote, and some like the District of Columbia passed measures to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, filed a bill more than once to block the districts measure, which Democrats overwhelmingly opposed, The Center Square reported.

President Joe Bidens open border polices threaten the security of U.S. elections, the AG coalition argues. As millions of illegal foreign nationals were released into the U.S. through Biden administration policies, cities and states nationwide started allowing noncitizens to vote in their [local] elections, the coalition said. While these policies are bad enough, they argue, some states have taken an even odder approach, citing an Arizona policy.

Arizonas Secretary of State explains that voters who register to vote without proof of citizenship will be designated federal-only voters, meaning they are allowed to vote in federal, but not state or local, elections.

Two of the AGs signing the letter previously served as their states secretary of state and states chief election officers and recognize the necessity of such a measure to secure our elections, they said.

The SAVE Act protects our elections from illegal immigrants and upholds the rule of law, they argue. Under the SAVE Act, individuals must provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The SAVE Act also will help States identify and remove illegal immigrants from their voter registration rolls by providing States with access to federal databases. Those simple, common-sense reforms will protect our elections. Americans deserve to have confidence in the security of our elections.

Attorneys general joining Bird represent the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent his own letter, saying, Although federal law prohibits those who are not U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections, it also paradoxically prohibits States from requiring voters to have proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Under any circumstances, this federal prohibition against citizenship verification makes little sense, but it is especially troubling given the current scale of the illegal immigration crisis. Congress needs to correct this statutory defect by allowing states to ensure that votes are being cast legally by eligible voters.

Paxton also explains the dilemma created by Arizona, which implemented a bifurcated voting system. In the 2020 election, over 11,600 Arizona voters participated only in the federal election because they had not provided proof of citizenship, despite the fact that federal law prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, he said. That means that 11,600 voters voted in the previous presidential election without ever providing proof that they were citizens  in a state that President Biden won by 10,457 votes out of over 3.3 million votes cast. The SAVE Act would fix this problem, assure integrity in our democratic process, and make elections more secure.

The bill is unlikely to even be considered for a vote in the Democratic controlled Senate.

Roy argues the bill "would thwart Democrat efforts to cement one-party rule by upholding and strengthening current law that permits only U.S. citizens to vote in Federal elections.

Democrats oppose it "because they WANT non-citizens, including illegals, to vote, he said.
By Cate McCurry and Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The Garda public order unit has cleared protesters from a road outside a site earmarked to house asylum seekers in Coolock.

A number of protesters had gathered on Tuesday evening close to the scene at Coolock where violence had flared on Monday.

Garda had maintained a presence throughout Tuesday and the public order unit was deployed to clear the road after 8pm.

Footage on social media showed officers in riot gear and carrying shields moving a crowd off the Malahide Road.

A spokesperson said that no injuries have been reported, no arrests have been made and that gardai remain at the scene.

Protests over asylum seekers being housed at the site were hijacked by thugs, the Taoiseach has said.

Violence erupted across parts of north Dublin on Monday after clashes between gardai and rioters, which led to the arrest of 19 people.

They came under sustained attack at a disused factory designated as accommodation for asylum seekers in Coolock.

The scenes at the former Crown Paints factory have been widely condemned.

Fifteen people  13 men and two women  appeared before a late-night sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday, charged with a range of public order offences.

Six others appeared in court on Tuesday.

A youngster throws a bottle towards gardai officers during the incident in Coolock, north Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

A number of Garda cars were damaged during the disturbances and public order officers used incapacitant spray on anti-immigration protesters who threw missiles at them.

Videos posted on social media showed machinery and materials had been set on fire at the site.

The violent clashes led to a security guard requiring hospital treatment.

Simon Harris said on Tuesday that those engaged in the riots were not protesters.

He said: I am somewhat perplexed this morning that I still hear in media and political discourse a reference to protesters.

To be clear, when you decide to use a petrol bomb, you lost your right to be called a protester.

Im not quite sure why we have decided to, in any manner or means, legitimatise in any way, shape or form the actions of people who engaged in sheer thuggery yesterday evening and try to harm the men and women of An Garda Siochana, disrupt a community and cause utter chaos.

I want to pay respect to the people of Coolock, people who called for calm, and indeed people who cleaned up after others came to their community to cause chaos.

Everybody knew this facility was going to be used to provide shelter for migrants. People can agree or disagree, but no amount of community engagement is required to tell somebody not to throw a brick, not to set a digger on fire, not to harm a security guard, not to put the men and women of An Garda Siochana in danger.

Ive had it up to here with this whataboutery.

We will continue to communicate better with communities, good decent people across the country who want to talk about legitimate issues. There is such a role for that.

What we saw last night was such a distance away from a question about community engagement, it was sheer thuggery and it should be called out as such.

I was particularly pleased to see the benefit of the body-cams that Government has now provided the gardai with.

This is not protest or an issue of community engagement. This is an issue of a relatively small number of people who think they have a right to do whatever the hell they like in this country, who showed disdain for the laws of our land, disdain for the men and women for An Garda Siochana.

It was the hijacking of a situation by a group of people who engaged in utter thuggery and its not reflecting any means of the community of Coolock.

Fireworks were thrown by protesters at gardai (Niall Carson/PA)

Minister for Integration Roderic OGorman, whose department oversees the housing of international applicants, said there has been engagement with the Coolock community for the last four months.

I think its really important that we are clear in terms of the engagement that took place as regards the Crown Paint site and the community engagement team in my department would have notified TDs, councillors and Dublin City Council in late March that an offer had come in in terms of the use of this site for international protection accommodation, he said.

In early April a meeting was convened again with TDs, with councillors and with community reps through the auspices of the North-side partnership.

Subsequent to that, a detailed briefing was circulated in mid-April setting out at that point, what was the plans for the particular use of the site.

We would have had further engagement with the North-side community forum again providing further information. So four months ago, the initial information about the planned use of this site was provided and our community engagement team have been there throughout all that time.

There has been very detailed information provided on the use of this particular site. Even if there wasnt, still no excuse to throw petrol bombs, but detailed information has been in the public domain for a very considerable period of time.

The Green Party minister also defended the decision for contractors to enter the site in the early hours of Monday.

Minister for Integration Roderic OGorman condemned the violence (PA)

In terms of the operational decisions that An Garda Siochana advise our department and contractors, they are ultimately a call that the gardai made in terms of whens the best time to access a particular site, he added.

It varies in that in place to place.

An Garda Siochana were supportive of the machinery and equipment coming up to the site in terms of their direct engagement, asking the protesters to move aside. Obviously they refused.

Access was secured but subsequently a call was put out in terms of bringing people and encouraging them to engage in disruptive and violent behaviour. There is no excuse for that. But as I say, very clear information was provided over the last four months in terms of the use of the Crown Paint site.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the violence was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Speaking in Dublin, she said: Gardai responded quickly and in force and I want to commend members of An Garda Siochana for the way in which they did respond.

It is completely unacceptable that any person will be attacked when going about their business.

Significant arrests were made, 15 men and women were before the courts and I expect that there will be more arrests later today.

Importantly as well, body cameras were used yesterday and will be part of the evidence in the coming weeks and months.

This is not a legitimate protest. This is criminal behaviour and activity and it will be treated as such.
A mother-of-two faces the prospect of prison after she was caught with more than 4,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.

Enya Collins, aged 22, formerly of Kerins Pub Apartments, Lecanvey, Westport, but now residing in Belfast, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to charges of possession of controlled drugs for sale or supply.

Det Sgt Kieran Naughton said he received confidential information that drugs were located at the property Collins shared with her then partner. On November 2, 2019, a search warrant was obtained, and surveillance carried out. The apartment was searched and Collins was observed throwing cannabis wrapped in cellophane onto a bed. The 121.6gm package was valued at 2,432. Cocaine with an estimated street value of 1,918 was discovered in her handbag.

Barrister Martin Durack, representing Collins, contended that his client was like a mule carrying the stuff". He said she was 18 at the time of the offences and had been a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her ex-partner.

The defendant also appealed a decision imposed in the district court in relation to an incident on July 22, 2020, when Det Sgt Naughton saw a car driven by Collins entering SuperValu car park in Castlebar at speed. One of the back-seat passengers was hanging out of the window.

Gardai followed the car and blocked it in when it parked in the car park. Gda Naughton said some of the occupants were known to him and he suspected there may be drugs in the vehicle. The occupants of the car became abusive and aggressive and the male who had been hanging out the window was arrested.

Gda Naughton said the car contained black bags and was in a messy condition. He felt it would need to be seized in order to be searched properly.

When he informed Collins that he intended to take the vehicle, she became even more agitated and abusive. She told officers they were not getting the car and took the keys out of the ignition and put them down her pants. There was no female officer at the scene and Gda Naughton said he believed this motivated the action of Collins.

Judge Fiona Lydon handed down a three-month prison sentence at Castlebar District Court.

Mr Durack told the court that the accused was pregnant at the time of the obstruction offence and suffered a miscarriage two days later.

Det Sgt Naughton said that both Collins and others have shouted at him on the street and accused him of being to blame for her miscarriage. Mr Durack said his client wishes to apologise for those claims. She is now a mother of two young boys and has disassociated herself from harmful influences".

Judge Eoin Garavan said the conduct of Collins was quite shocking and the accusations levelled at Det Sgt Naughton were cowardly, mean, and low". He decided to increase the three-month prison term imposed in the District Court to five months.

In relation to the drugs charge, Judge Garavan said Collins was caught red-handed" but he accepted that she was not a major player and had been caught up in a sinister spider's web. The judge said he planned to impose a two-year sentence for the drug offences but believes the accused deserves a reasonable chance if certain boxes are ticked.

Judge Garvan opted to adjourn sentencing for a year to give Collins the opportunity to show proof that she was free of drugs and alcohol and to undergo counselling.

The case was adjourned until July 2025.
It seems too good to be true, but biochemist Jesus Gil speaks enthusiastically from his laboratory in London. There is no reason to think that what we have seen in mice will not work in people, he says. What they have observed in rodents is verging on the miraculous: a team of scientists has given monthly injections of a simple antibody to mice that are almost 18 months old, an age equivalent to 55 human years. These animals have lived up to 25% longer than their peers and in good health, with lower incidence of cancer, less cholesterol, and greater muscle strength. It is as if human life expectancy had skyrocketed to 104 years, instead of the current 83 in Spain, for example.

The results are visible to the naked eye, explains cardiologist Stuart Cook, co-director of the research at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences in London. The mice that received the X203 antibody looked leaner and more active, with better coat color  fewer gray hairs  and better vision, hearing, and walking ability. Antibodies are proteins that circulate in the blood to defend the body against foreign substances, such as viruses and bacteria. In the case of X203, it is designed to block another natural protein with potent effects on aging: interleukin 11, whose concentration increases with age, causing cells to stop multiplying while accumulating and releasing harmful substances that cause inflammation and damage to nearby cells.

Cook stresses that there are already trials in people of experimental treatments to block interleukin 11, but they are not focused on studying aging over years or decades. He himself has founded a company, Enleofen, which is collaborating with the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim on the first tests of a similar antibody in healthy volunteers. Two other companies, the U.S.-based Lassen and Chinas Mabwell, have also initiated similar projects, with the aim of curing pulmonary fibrosis and other age-related diseases.

We have seen no adverse effects in mice. Increasing longevity and prolonging healthy life is the opposite of an adverse effect, says Cook. The cardiologist adds that the first results in humans, from the Lassen trials, also show an excellent safety profile. In mice, the injection is made directly into the abdominal cavity for 25 weeks until euthanasia, the equivalent of administering it to a person for almost two decades. In humans, the injection is intravenous.

To date, we have observed full equivalence between what interleukin 11 does in mice and humans. In the case of longevity, mice die mostly from cancer, whereas humans die mostly from cardiovascular disease and cancer. You would expect to see fewer tumors in humans with this therapy, as has already been seen in mice, Cook explains. As for heart disease, were not so sure, but interleukin 11-blocking treatments improved metabolism and cholesterol levels in mice, so it could also have effects on cardiovascular disease in humans. We will only know if clinical trials designed to study aging are conducted, cautions the cardiologist, co-lead author of the paper with biologist Anissa Widjaja of the Duke-NUS Medical School at the National University of Singapore.

Biochemist Jesus Gil of the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences in London. Jesus Gil

Gil leads his own group at the Laboratory of Medical Sciences, a national center of the UK Medical Research Council. His team studies senescence, the state in which cells stop reproducing but do not die. As they accumulate, they promote inflammation, aging and cancer. Inhibiting interleukin 11 can inhibit senescence, says Gil, who has also conducted experiments with human cells. His results were published July 17 in the journal Nature.

Spanish biologist Rafael de Cabo, head of translational gerontology at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, applauds the new work, in which he did not participate. The magnitude of life extension in mice is quite impressive, he says. De Cabo, however, is cautious. The data is super solid, but there are details that could call the interpretation a little into question. For example, they only use one genetic line of mice: the C57BLACK6, which are very common. To carry out longevity studies you have to use several strains of mice, in several places, to avoid it being a one-time observation, as has happened on a thousand occasions, he warns.

However, the biologist is optimistic. It is clear that playing with the inhibition of interleukin 11 has beneficial effects on the health of mice. The accumulation of data from this and other studies indicates that it can probably be used for specific types of diseases in humans, he says. The problem we have right now in the field of aging research is that everyone wants to live much longer, but no one has the patience needed to do the studies well. We have to perform long studies in humans, because they have not been done.

The global scientific community is working on several promising strategies to extend healthy life, such as rapamycin and metformin, and even to reverse aging, which is the ambitious goal of Altos Labs, a U.S. company created in 2022 with a huge budget of some $3 billion. For De Cabo, there are still no certainties. In humans there is still not enough data to predict positive changes in health with any of the interventions we have done. The most solid are calorie restriction and increased physical activity, he points out: eat less and move more, without the need for injections.

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Councillors in the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District have said action must be taken to provide road safety solutions on the N17, which has seen a spate of fatal accidents this year.

Cllr Richard Finn raised two notices of motion about the issue at last weeks meeting of the municipal district. He called for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to erect modern fencing on both sides of the road between Ballindine and Claremorris in place of the existing concrete post and railing fencing.

He also called on the TII to consider the road safety risks of local roads leading onto the N17 between Ballindine and Knock and to consider all possible options to make the road a safer place for users.

Cllr Finn said speed, enforcement, driver behaviour and human error are all factors to take into consideration when accidents occur but Mayo Co Council cannot just listen to bureaucracy; action needs to be taken.

Cllr Alma Gallagher said she was shocked to learn that the councils road engineering teams do not have access to collision data because of GDPR.

We need evidence-based data for the causes of fatalities. Already we had eight fatalities on the N17 this year so far, that is one-twelfth of all road fatalities nationally, that is a stark figure and there is a responsibility on us to address it, she said.

Cllr Neil Cruise said the situation would only get better through enforcement and education. He said the municipal district needs to have a strong representation on the council's Roads Strategic Policing Committee.

Cllr Gerry Murray said he was struck by hearing Mayo Coroner Pat OConnor speaking on RTE Radio's Claire Byrne Show about the condition of road infrastructure west of the Shannon and said a motorway from Sligo to Galway would be a solution.

The logical thing would be a motorway, even though the Government is adamant there wont be a motorway from Sligo to Tuam.

This is an issue of road safety and unless we get state-of-the-art infrastructure in the west, were in trouble, he said.

Roads engineer Conrad Harley said funding had been received for the replacement of the concrete post and rail fencing and works would commence shortly. He has been working with the council's Head of Roads and TII to review the full extent of the N17 and, in particular, the section between Knock and the Galway border near Ballindine. Discussions are underway with the TII and it is hoped a package of works can be agreed shortly, Mr Harley added.
Joe Biden, most recently the toast of Ballina and the great hope of the Democratic Party in the upcoming US presidential election, now finds himself in a no mans land.

While it suited the Democrats to underline Bidens credibility as the man to defeat the populist and amoral Trump a second time around (and especially as no effective or credible alternative candidate had appeared on the horizon) the hope was that Bidens age  81 and, after a four year term, 85  would not become an election issue.

The gap between Biden and Trump in terms of credibility and suitability for the highest political office in the free world could not be starker. Biden, the essence of everything that is admirable in terms of public service, moral purpose and civic responsibility  and Trump, a fantasist who is hoping that the presidency may protect him from a series of imminent court cases.

At face value and probably in any democracy in the world  apart from the USA, that is  the alternatives couldnt be clearer and the decision at the polls more obvious. Bidens credentials for high office overwhelm those of Trump.

But now after the recent catastrophic television debate, overnight Biden has been transformed from the candidate who could be relied on to defeat Trump into the candidate who may well deliver the White House to Trump on a plate.

The Democratic Party tactic of holding their breath and hoping for the best has imploded. Biden was unmasked as the unforgiving television lens revealed an octogenarian in a panic of confusion and miscalculation with clear evidence of the cognitive deterioration that often attends old age. It is no fault of Joe Biden or the aged that we all eventually succumb to the encroachments of our declining years and that our senior moments become more regular and more debilitating.

It isnt clear at this stage how this dilemma for the Democratic Party, for America and for the free world, is going to be resolved. Will Biden insist on continuing? Or will he be persuaded to enjoy the benefits of a well-deserved retirement? What does his family really think? Are they acting out of loyalty to his need or out of concern for his or their future? Could this even be an example of ageism or even of elder abuse?

The question that surely haunts his family is: should we allow a husband, a father, a grandfather in his eighties to become either a willing or unwilling victim of the present debacle to save America from Trump?

As we move into our later years, regardless of how we imagine we havent really aged all that much, the grim reality is that  apart from the usually cosmetic efforts to pretend that somehow we can halt the ageing process  the years take their toll. As John 21:18 reminds us: When you were younger, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you to where you do not want to go.

Old age happens to everyone  if we live long enough to experience it. And while personal decision-making is a great blessing that can extend into old age, we can sometimes need reminding that there comes a time when decisions  through no fault of our own  force themselves on us.

In a recent column in The Sunday Times, the doyenne of newspaper columnists, Matthew Parris, evidenced Joe Bidens sad story, as a reason why we should quit before we embarrass ourselves  before Parris himself announced that this will be my last Saturday column.

It is a perceptive comment as we all tend to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt when people compliment us on looking well. We are easily convinced of the accuracy of a complimentary comment when, if applied to others, we could just as easily identify as plamas or merely a formulaic conversational comment.

Indeed the problem starts, long before cognitive deterioration, when we are easily convinced that somehow, while age is more than just a number, its unavoidable implications dont really apply to you or me.

Bidens catastrophic debate with Trump was an indelible line in the sand that effectively surfaced the great unmentionable question: if according to long-established Pentagon protocols an American President has just six minutes to respond to a nuclear weapon hurtling towards America, how would an 85-year-old Biden  fast asleep in the middle of the night  respond to that call? And, to compound matters, Bidens subsequent interview to re-establish his credibility was unconvincing.

A difficult truth for all of us is that we reach a point in life when we are no longer as good as we were and when our nearest and dearest need to remind us of a simple truth. It is that regardless of whether we are soldiers or sailors, presidents or priests (or newspaper columnists, as Matthew Parris pointedly reminds himself and those who need reminding!) to encourage us to ignore the reality of the sands of time slipping through our fingers is to render us a false service. Sometimes we have to be saved from ourselves. As one commentator, albeit a mite cruelly suggested, this is about taking the car keys from Granda.

Joe Biden by common consent has reached that point and pretending he hasnt is no service to the free world, the US, his family or himself. Who after all would want to expedite the humiliation of a decent man whose only discernible fault is that he has grown old? Who would want to endanger his proud legacy of a lifetime of public service by sacrificing it on the altar of political expediency and family expectation?

Sometimes we have to be saved from ourselves. Sometimes we have to be told to leave the stage. Sooner or later, hand on heart, we are all that soldier.
James Cox

The Tanaiste has described the discovery of the bodies of nine women in the same area as an Irish Aid-funded health clinic in Kenya as shocking.

A man in his 30s - suspected of being a serial killer - has been arrested, after the women's mutilated remains were found in a quarry near the clinic in the Mukuru township.

Plans for Tanaiste Micheal Martin to visit the clinic while in Kenya this morning have been cancelled.

Mr Martin said many women would use the clinic, making the killings even more upsetting.

"I think we have to await further details and background to this, but it's quite shocking. One of the strongest contributions we make through our development humanitarian aid is to support women, and young girls in particular.

"Very often in the context of conflict and war, but also in other aspects of women's health."
Weather Alert

Bulletin: ...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 degrees will result in frost formation. * WHERE...A portion of central Pennsylvania, including the Middle Susquehanna Valley. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants and vegetation from the cold. Potted plants should be brought inside. The frost will occur mainly in valley locations. &&

Info:

Type: Frost Advisory

start_time_local: 2024-10-11T02:00:00-04:00

end_time_local: 2024-10-11T09:00:00-04:00

county_name:

state: PA

headline: Frost Advisory from FRI 2:00 AM EDT until FRI 9:00 AM EDT

county_fips:

category: Met

url:

urgency: Expected

severity: Minor

certainty: Likely

geographicname: Schuylkill County

state_name: Pennsylvania
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly sunny and remaining dry but certainly rather cool..

Tonight

Mostly clear and chilly. Some mid to upper 30s possible across the Poconos with perhaps even a little frost.
Jason Fulford doesnt breathe the same way other people do. He is aware of the air entering and leaving his lungs. I feel blessed to be able to take another breath, he says, like someone who has thought a lot about the short time that goes by between being alive and being dead. Fulford is the cousin of Eric Garner, an African-American who died 10 years ago in front of a beauty supply store on Staten Island, as he begged the authorities to let him breathe. Thats what Fulford heard when he opened his Facebook page and saw his cousin on the ground, repeating the phrase I cant breathe as many as 11 times, in a video that gripped New York City and the entire country, and reminded the world about police brutality against Black people in the United States.

In 2014, Fulford was a 33-year-old school teacher who had just landed in Puerto Rico. It was the summer and he was taking advantage of the break to attend a friends wedding. At some point, from the lobby of the hotel where he was staying, he checked his Facebook page. I saw a video that was trending and many people were sharing it, he recalls. Then I looked and said, wait, thats my cousin Eric. I immediately started receiving messages and calls from my family. I didnt want to believe it. I still have that image in my head.

In the video, recorded by a friend named Ramsey Orta and later shared by millions of users, Garner is seen wearing yellow shorts and a purple sweater, speaking in an exasperated tone, outside Bay Beauty Supply, surrounded by several law enforcement agents. They were arguing over the same reason that the police had charged Garner with on other occasions: illegally selling loose cigarettes on the sidewalk. An article from The New York Times states that in 2007 Garner filed a complaint in federal court accusing a police officer of conducting a cavity search of him on the street, digging his fingers in my rectum in the middle of the street while people passed by. Garner, who had six children and three grandchildren, was known in the Bay Street area for playing games of chess on the sidewalk and selling loose cigarettes. More than once he was seen selling near the Staten Island ferry terminal, or around Tompkinsville Park.

On July 17, 2014, the police approached Garner following a complaint from Gjafer Gjeshbitraj, a neighbor who was upset by people loitering in the neighborhood.

"Why, what did I do?" Garner asked the agents.

Sell cigarettes, they responded.

At some point during the argument, the officers lunged at Garner and wrestled his 6-foot-2, 395-pound body to the ground. What came next was recorded in the conscience of the Black community forever: 11 calls for help, 11 times the phrase I cant breathe, without the officers paying attention. Daniel Pantaleo, 29, a member of the New York Police Department who was later found to have a history of abuse as a police officer, placed him in a chokehold that suffocated him. Garner was pronounced dead at 4:34 p.m. on July 17 at Richmond University Medical Center.

Jason Fulford, Eric Garner's cousin. Drew Reynolds

Now that he has just turned 43, Fulford cant help but bring up certain stories that remind him how much of a presence death and violence have had in his life. Today he is the same age as Garner when he died, and the same age as Nicholas Heyward, his friend, would have been if he had not been killed by the police when he was 13 years old. Heyward lived in the Brooklyn Gowanus Houses public housing project, where Garner also grew up. On September 27, 1994, while playing cops and robbers with some friends with plastic guns, a patrol officer responded to a call, showed up, and shot Heyward in the stomach.

Two years later, in 1996, Fulford learned of the death of his cousin Emery, Garners brother. Its something that almost no one knows, he says, but Eric lost one of his brothers to a gunshot in a street fight. In 2013, the family also received news of the death of Joe Flagg, Fulford and Garners cousin, who was shot when someone tried to rob the store where he was working in New Jersey. It was precisely at his cousin Flaggs funeral that Fulford last saw his cousin Garner. He felt like he was protecting him. We were at the grave, I remember him standing behind me. It was a very comforting feeling. A year later Garner was dead. I thought to myself how, how, how, how is it possible that my cousin, who lived his life showing everyone what a big heart he had, could be taken from us in this brutal way? Fulford says. It hurts to lose people you love to violence; the reality I have to deal with is hard. I feel like sometimes we dont understand the pain that someone has to keep inside themselves.

As the youngest cousin, Fulford had great admiration for Joe, Emery and Eric. If he had to say anything about them, he would say that they were the coolest people he ever met. They wore cool clothes, sported cool styles in their hair, and listened to cool music. It was everything Fulford wanted to be, but violence snuffed him out forever. Fulford does not hesitate to say that he has also been afraid for himself, a Black man from New York. When that kind of fear is instilled in you and people who look like you, you know, its hard not to feel it. Historically, things tend to happen not only in my family, but to people who look like me, he says. But I will say that as I get older, as I grow up, I am learning not to be afraid. Fear disconnects us from the real work we could do.

Taking Our Breath Back in honor of Eric Garner

On December 4, 2014, a Richmond County grand jury decided that Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who put Garner in a chokehold, would not be charged in the death. Although a medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, NYPD officials and officers attempted to cover up the event, attributing it to Garners poor health and morbid obesity, Stuart London, Pantaleos lawyer, said at the time. Garners death, and the jurys subsequent decision, caused thousands of people in New York and other cities such as Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Oakland to take to the streets against police brutality. It was not until 2019, after an unstoppable five-year fight by the Garner family and civil rights groups, that Pantaleo was fired from the New York Police Department, after it was proven that he recklessly caused injuries to Eric Garner by holding him in a prohibited chokehold for nine to 10 seconds, the judges said.

On Wednesday, on the 10th anniversary of Garners death, the family has called for a march starting on Staten Island and ending at the sign that reads Eric Garner Way, on the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard. Garners mother, Gwen Carr, has not stopped demanding justice for the death of her son and other Black people at the hands of police in the United States. My Aunt Gwen is one of the strongest women I have ever met in my life, Fulford says. She has been handling this in an amazing way and making an incredible impact with the things she does.

After Garners death, a series of police killings of Black people occurred: Michael Brown, 18, shot to death by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri; Walter Scott, 50, killed by another officer in North Charleston, South Carolina; Freddie Gray Jr., 25, who suffered fatal injuries while in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department. In 2020, the case of George Floyd caused people to take to the streets again despite the Covid restrictions to protest the death of another African-American, this time with the knee of a white Minneapolis officer on his neck. His last words, I cant breathe, were the same ones that Eric Garner said in 2014.

Seeing it happen to Floyd years later was very difficult, Fulford says. It was like reliving Erics murder all over again. I felt like it showed that as a society we were not taking steps forward.

A man stops at a makeshift altar for Eric Garner. Andrew Burton (AFP)

This Wednesday, in addition, Fulford debuts as a rapper. He will honor Garners memory along with the Amplify Vo!ces project by the Catalan pianist, composer and producer Albert Marques, which aims to help people who are not musicians tell their stories. The idea is to give a voice, to expand the voice of those who do not have it, says Marques, who has already extended the microphone to the African-American Keith LaMar, who has been on death row at the Ohio State Penitentiary since 1995 for a crime he says he did not commit.

Marques and Fulford met at a public high school in Manhattan, where the former teaches and of which the latter is a former student. LaMar, and the activism they have both done to demand justice, is a cause that unites them. Some time ago Marques invited Fulford so that this time he would be the one to take the microphone to tell his familys story. It was a great honor that he asked me to do that, says Fulford, who wrote the lyrics for Taking Our Breath Back, a song that mixes hip hop, jazz and rock, and which tells the story of Eric Garner.

I feel like I just want to honor my cousin, Fulford says. I feel like we all need to understand how important every breath is. In the video, where he appears reciting the lyrics he wrote, and to which Marques set the music, Fulford breathes and asks himself: How long are we going to sit back, give them excuses, while we are suffocated?

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Public Lecture by Dr Sam Challis

When: Thursday, 18 July 2024 - Thursday, 18 July 2024 Where: Origins Centre

Braamfontein Campus West Start time: 18:00 Enquiries: bookings.origins@wits.ac.za; tammy.hodgskiss@wits.ac.za; Cost: R70 adults, R40 students/pensioners. Tickets on webtickets or at the door.

The impact of contact and colonization on indigenous worldviews, rock art, and the history of southern Africa - The Disconnect, by Dr Sam Challis

Rock art in southern Africa testifies to successive interactions among hunter-gatherers, incoming African herders, African farmers, and, later, European settlers. New subject matter, however, is not simply incorporated into the preexisting tradition. Images that depict novel motifs are made differently from the traditional corpus, usually rougher in appearance (in both paintings and engravings), more dynamic, or made with vivid and chalky paints. The drop in pigment quality is likely owing to the disruption and ultimate decimation of indigenous groups and the subsequent breakdown in trade and social communicationsthe Disconnect. The changes owe more, it seems, to the increasingly mixed membership of the art-producing people and the mixing of their cosmologies, albeit with specific cultural survivals. Precolonial contact images speak to a multitude of interactions that can inform the archaeological record, and colonial-era rock art constitutes a major component of the historical archive that offers a reverse gaze from an indigenous perspective.

Dr Sam Challis is Director of the Rock Art Research Institute, Wits. His research focus is on the interaction between hunter-gatherers, pastoralists and farmers, as well as Europeans, as expressed in rock art around the world.

Tickets on webtickets or at the door. R70 adults, R40 students/pensioners

Enquiries: bookings.origins@wits.ac.za; tammy.hodgskiss@wits.ac.za; 0117174700
Peco Power empowers rural community with Rent-to-Own Electricity

The pioneering technology from Wits is transforming energy access with its new impact-driven Champion Franchise Model.

Peco Power, a trailblazer in sustainable energy solutions developed at Wits University, recently introduced this innovative approach, a Rent-to-Own Electricity and Champion Model, to the Nomzamo Agricultural Village in Ermelo in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

In bringing reliable electricity to the Nomzamo community, Peco Power addresses energy access challenges and it creates a unique opportunity for young and unemployed community members to become independent local agents of Peco Powers Powerbrick solutions, referred to as Champions.

Nomzamo Agricultural Village, like many rural areas, has struggled with consistent electricity access, hindering daily life and economic development. In response, Peco Power has collaborated closely with community leaders and other stakeholders who were identified and introduced to Peco by GreenCape, to offer a suitable solution that meets local needs effectively.

Nomzamo residents have access to a PowerBrick solution that offers safe lighting and reliable cell phone charging. The PowerBrick is a solar powered smart energy solution for communities requiring off-grid electrification. It is modular and expandable, allowing users to increase their power and energy capacity as they grow their system with the addition of more Powerbricks. These key features allow individuals to climb the energy ladder whilst maintaining eco-friendliness as existing units are not disposed of but become integrated into their existing system.

Facilitated by GreenCape, in partnership with the Royal Danish Embassy, who supported this initiative, Nomzamo residents access their PowerBrick system on a (subsidised) R99 a month rent-to-own subscription, for the duration of 12 months.

This initiative aims not only to improve quality of life for Nomzamo residents but to empower selected unemployed youth within the community. Independent local Champions play a pivotal role in fostering the adoption and utilisation of PowerBricks through community engagement and personalised support, whilst prioritising ongoing customer care. They receive comprehensive training, support and compensation that enables them to operate as entrepreneurs within their community. This approach fosters local economic growth and strengthens community resilience by creating sustainable energy infrastructure managed by local residents.

"We are excited to launch this integrated initiative in Nomzamo, which combines access to clean energy through economic empowerment," said Dorian Wrigley, CEO of Peco Power. "Our Champion Model not only addresses energy poverty but also creates opportunities for community members to become owners of sustainable energy enterprises."

Peco Power is committed to providing ongoing support and customer service to ensure that residents and champions alike receive reliable electricity and business success. By empowering local agents through the Champion Model, Peco Power seeks to build a sustainable energy ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders.

This initiative exemplifies Peco Powers commitment to driving positive social impact through innovative energy solutions. By collaborating closely with communities and leveraging sustainable technologies Peco Power aims to improve lives and promote inclusive growth.

About Peco Power

Peco Power began in the labs at Wits Universitys School of Electrical and Information Engineering. At the time Professor Willie Cronjes efforts demonstrated how innovative research could translate into socially transformative technology solutions. In 2019 Peco Power was collaboratively formed by Wits Enterprise and Social Impact Investment firm, Umbono Capital.

Peco Powers mandate was to commercialise and industrialise their technology. Endeavouring to improve lives within Africas borders has since been represented by the launch of the patented state-of-the-art PowerBrickTM range in 2022. With continued support from Wits University, Peco Power can offer consumers within Africa access to safe and reliable electrification alternatives, thereby improving their quality of life and access to basic needs. Peco Power has since operated as a research and development OEM providing a high-end range of renewable-energy technology produced in South Africa.

For more information about Peco Power and its initiatives, visit www.pecopower.co.za.
Postgrads learn how to become academic entrepreneurs

To grow their entrepreneurial spirit and skills, 70 postgraduate students attended the Pan-African Entrepreneurship Week during the winter break.

Hosted by Wits Universitys Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, the week-long workshop is one of the outcomes of the robust partnership through years of collaboration between the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Edinburgh.

Most attending students were drawn from Mastercard Foundation Scholars (some on campus in Edinburgh, Scotland, and online distance learners, based across the African continent). Ten Wits students also joined the immersive eight-day programme.

Bonolo Motau, a Master of Commerce student at Wits, said The workshop has been amazing, jam-packed with many activities on enterprise, teaching us how to become academic entrepreneurs and take our academia further.

The programme focussed on teaching entrepreneurial skills and provided a contextual understanding of these skills within the broader social and historical landscape. The students visited various entrepreneurship sites around Johannesburg to reflect and be inspired as they plan their entrepreneurial journeys.

The best thing about this collaboration between Edinburg and Wits is expanding the network of Mastercard Foundation Scholars, we brought together many students from across Africa and their networks will be bigger after this trip, said Richard Palmer, Enterprise Officer at Edinburgh Innovations.

The Entrepreneurship Week aimed to empower students to embrace leadership roles, instil a spirit of entrepreneurship, and nurture their abilities to articulate vision and build resilience.

About the W-E alliance

The Wits-Edinburgh (W-E) alliance champions extensive research partnerships, joint teaching initiatives, and shared resources.

In 2022, Wits and Edinburgh, alongside Tshimologong and the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), secured 100,000 under the Innovation in African Universities (IAU) project.

This funding established the Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic (WEC) in May last year under Wits School of Business Sciences. Additionally, 20,000 was granted to foster collaboration within the IAU community.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 18, 2024 - 00:11 | All, World

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven economies agreed Wednesday to accelerate efforts to set common standards for the procurement of critical materials to enhance economic security at a time when China is being accused of coercive trade practices.

Based on uniform standards, the G7 will consider factors other than prices when acquiring minerals and other goods in order to make supply chains more resilient by reducing dependency on particular countries, they said in a statement released after their meeting in southern Italy.

Critical minerals are items of focus in the meeting as they are vital for electric vehicles, which China is widely seen as overproducing, along with other clean technology products, with the help of huge subsidies. The G7 ministers confirmed such practices distort the market.

"We will continue to tackle nonmarket policies and practices, as well as harmful nonmarket excess capacity and other market distortions resulting from them," the ministers said in the statement.

The ministers also pledged to contribute to collective work on identifying critical goods, strategic sectors and supply chains by taking into account not only economic factors but also factors linked to their principles.

Against the backdrop of China's overcapacity, which caused massive trade imbalances and remains a threat to other economies, the United States has announced increased tariffs on Chinese EVs, and the European Union says it will impose additional duties on them.

"We will continue to work together to tackle pervasive, opaque, and harmful industrial subsidies and market distortive practices" of state-owned enterprises, the ministers said, underscoring all World Trade Organization members to ensure transparency.

Following up on the G7 leaders' commitment at their summit in June, the ministers emphasized active engagement with the private sector to strengthen supply chain resilience.

Currently, the production of critical minerals, including those used in EVs, is concentrated in specific countries such as China, while economic resilience requires de-risking through diversification and reduction of overreliance.

"We will continue to increase our capacity to monitor and exchange information on the use of export controls on critical minerals as a potential threat to our economic security," said the ministers, who called on all countries to refrain from using economic coercion and condemned any attempt to weaponize economic dependencies.

The trade ministers also expressed regret over less ambitious progress made in the WTO reform, showing commitment to having a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by the end of the year.

The G7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union.

Related coverage:

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Vast majority of nations at Swiss summit back Ukraine peace plans
Tribute to Dr Zonke Majodina

The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) and the Wits School of Law mourn the loss of Dr Zonke Majodina on 10 July 2024

Dr Zonke Majodina dedicated her life to promoting human rights through her work in psychology and the law. She held a masters degree from the University of London and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Cape Town. Having experienced exile in Ghana during the apartheid era, Dr Majodina took a particular interest in the need for support in migrating and returning to countries of origin.

In 1998, Dr Majodina was invited to develop a masters level programme in forced migration studies at Wits University. This programme later developed into the African Centre for Migration Studies. Thereafter, Dr Majodina was appointed as a part-time commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission, where she initially worked to extend human rights protections to migrants and later to promoting the right to equality in general. She has also served as chairperson of the Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA) board of directors. Finally, she was elected to serve as an expert at the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which she also chaired for two years.

Dr Majodina was an important part of the CALS and Wits Universitys extended family, first joining us as a visiting fellow and then as a member of our board of advisors. Most recently, Dr Majodina consulted and was actively involved in one of CALS flagship projects, on the review of the Equality Court system which we undertook in partnership with the South African Human Rights Commission. She brought her vast experience in law and psychology to bear in all the work she undertook.

CALS extends its deepest condolences to Dr Majodinas family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.

Constitution Hill has kindly offered a venue at the Women's Jail (Conference Room) to host Dr Majodina's memorial on Monday, 22 July at 13h00. More details to follow.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 17, 2024 - 11:30 | All, Japan

Fourteen students at a Tokyo high school were taken to the hospital Tuesday after falling ill from consuming extremely spicy potato chips, local authorities said.

An emergency call was made around 12:40 p.m. after 13 girls and one boy, all first-year students, at Rokugo Koka High School in Tokyo's Ota Ward complained of nausea, as well as stomach and mouth pain, according to the Tokyo Fire Department and local police.

All are believed to have minor symptoms.

Around 30 students had been eating the extremely spicy chips, labeled "18+ curry chips," brought to the school by one of the students, police said.

Isoyama Corp., the Ibaraki Prefecture-based company that manufactures the chips, said that while it does not have details on the matter, it "sincerely wishes for the swift recovery of those who have reported feeling unwell."

On its official website, the company "forbids" those under 18 from consuming the chips due to their extreme spiciness and urges spice lovers to eat with caution.

Related coverage:

Hundreds in northeast Japan get sick after drinking school lunch milk
KYODO NEWS - Jul 17, 2024 - 20:29 | All, Japan

Artificial intelligence-powered search engines provided by U.S. tech giants like Google LLC and Microsoft Corp. likely infringe on copyright, an association run by Japanese mass media said Wednesday.

The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, in a statement, called for companies operating such services to obtain consent from news organizations as search responses often resemble articles that are sourced without permission.

The association analyzed that AI search engines sometimes return inaccurate responses as they inappropriately reuse or modify articles and stressed that the companies should ensure the accuracy and reliability of their services before launch.

The association also urged the Japanese government to review and revise laws related to intellectual property, such as the copyright act, as a matter of urgency.

AI search engines, which combine traditional search engine capabilities with generative AI, retrieve information from multiple sites to display a summarized response to a user's query. Google rolled out the service last year.

The association argued in the statement that while traditional search engines direct users to various copyrighted material available online, AI search engines disclose the content, making them a completely different type of service.

While stressing that in many instances, the essential content of the referenced article is reprinted in its entirety and therefore constitutes copyright infringement, the association also highlighted the issue of "zero-click searches," where users do not visit the source site.

It warned that the lack of traffic could lead to the diminution of news organizations' reporting activities, which would then have a negative impact on democracy and culture.

The statement also expressed concern over potential inaccuracies in responses generated by AI search engines, which could give the impression that the source articles themselves were erroneous and damage the credibility of news organizations.

The association added that providing AI search engine services without obtaining permission to use the source articles could violate the antimonopoly law.

In a report last fall, the Japan Fair Trade Commission suggested that companies operating search engines, which serve as gateways to news sites, might hold a dominant position over media companies, warning that if usage fees for articles were very low, it would pose a problem under the law.

A spokesperson for Google said its AI search services comply with laws including Japan's copyright act.

"Google's services enable access to high-quality news and we have established long-term cooperative relationships with Japanese news organizations," the spokesperson said.

Related coverage:

Google, Univ. of Tokyo to launch AI project to solve regional issues

AI software offers multilingual tutorial videos for foreign workers
KYODO NEWS - Jul 17, 2024 - 08:00 | All, Podcast

A casual comment could be inadvertently hurtful.

Three Kyodo News reporters -- Yamaguchi-san, Toma and Peter  talk about a recent study about microaggressions, typically unintentional or casual hurtful words or actions made to members of marginalized groups, experienced by mixed-heritage people in Japan. Listen as they discuss their first-hand experiences, and what can be done to raise awareness.

Article mentioned in the podcast:

98% with mixed Japanese heritage experience microaggressions: survey

Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents.

More podcast episodes:

Podcast [English World] Episode 53: Gacha capsule toys

Podcast [English World] Episode 52: Imperial visit to Britain

Podcast [English World] Episode 51: Blocking Mt. Fuji
KYODO NEWS - Jul 17, 2024 - 19:43 | All, Japan

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologized Wednesday to victims of forced sterilization surgery under a now-defunct eugenics protection law as Japan's top court ruled it was unconstitutional and the government must pay damages to plaintiffs.

During their meeting at the prime minister's office, Kishida expressed his government's readiness to settle cases currently pending in courts and even compensate those who have not filed lawsuits.

In his first direct apology to the victims since the Supreme Court ruling on July 3, Kishida said, "The government, which enforced the law, bears extremely grave responsibility. I am deeply sorry and I offer an apology on behalf of the government."

In what is often labeled as the worst human rights violation in Japan's post-World War II history, the law allowed people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses or hereditary disorders to be sterilized without their consent to prevent the birth of "inferior" offspring.

In front of more than 130 plaintiffs, lawyers and supporters, Kishida said, "It is with deep regret that at least 25,000 people have suffered the grave harm of being sterilized," under the eugenics law, which was in effect between 1948 and 1996.

In its landmark ruling on five lawsuits, the Supreme Court said that the statute of limitations of 20 years for an unlawful act does not apply to cases involving the eugenics law.

Kishida said the government will no longer refer to the statute of limitations in the ongoing legal battles.

In the ruling, the top court said, "It is extremely unfair and unjust" to exempt the government from liability by applying the statute of limitations, and called its application by the state "intolerable," as it "goes against the duty of good faith" and is "an abuse of power."

The plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuits at five district courts in Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, were among a total of 39 people who have sought damages in similar lawsuits at 11 district courts and a branch court since 2018.

In four of the five cases, high courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered the government to pay 11 million yen ($69,500) to 16.5 million yen to each victim and 2.2 million yen to the spouse of a deceased victim.

The amounts were far larger than the one-off state compensation of 3.2 million yen given to each person who underwent forced sterilization under a law enacted in April 2019. Around 1,100 were certified to receive the money.

Kishida said compensation will be granted not only to the victims themselves but also their spouses.

"I have instructed (the relevant people) to reach a conclusion as soon as possible on the form of compensation. I will do everything in my power to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," he said.

Kishida proposed the establishment of a scheme to pay "sufficient and appropriate" compensation, taking into consideration the Supreme Court ruling. He did not specify the amount.

During the meeting, an 81-year-old plaintiff who uses the pseudonym Saburo Kita said he is not happy with the ruling and urged the government to "firmly take responsibility." He was forced to undergo sterilization at the age of 14.

Related coverage:

Plaintiffs hope for wider aid after Japan top court eugenics ruling

Japan top court orders government to pay damages over forced sterilization
By Alimat Aliyeva

Georgia more than doubled the import of passenger cars from China in January-May this year, Azernews reports.

It is reported that in January-May of this year, Georgia imported 1,100 passenger cars from China with a total value of $ 18.6 million, which is 116 percent more than in the same period of 2023.

In addition, during the reporting period, Georgia imported 492 trucks from China worth $19.9 million. This is 139 percent more than in the same period last year.

At the same time, Georgia purchased 83 units of special-purpose equipment from China in the amount of 6.6 million dollars, which is 186 percent more than in the same period last year.

In addition, China intends to open a car market in Georgia.

Only Chinese-made cars will be sold on the market.
A police officer guards at a hotel where six foreign nationals were found dead in downtown Bangkok, Thailand on July 16, 2024. Six foreign nationals were found dead at a hotel in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, dismissing earlier reports that they were killed following a shooting. (Photo by Rachen Sageamsak/Xinhua)

BANGKOK, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Six foreign nationals were found dead at a hotel in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, dismissing earlier reports that they were killed following a shooting.

Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Thiti Saengsawang said the deceased bodies of three men and three women were found in a single hotel room and the cause of the deaths has not been confirmed.

He said initial investigations suggest that the incident may have been linked to poisoning, as suspicious substances were discovered in the hotel room and no signs of struggle were found at the scene.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered an investigation into the incident to prevent any impact on the public. 

Police officers guard at a hotel where six foreign nationals were found dead in downtown Bangkok, Thailand on July 16, 2024.

Six foreign nationals were found dead at a hotel in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, dismissing earlier reports that they were killed following a shooting. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during a press conference at a hotel where six foreign nationals were found dead in downtown Bangkok, Thailand on July 16, 2024.

Six foreign nationals were found dead at a hotel in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, dismissing earlier reports that they were killed following a shooting. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)
by Zhao Kai, Xi Yue and Miao Peiyuan

MEXICO CITY, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed building a community with a shared future between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a decade have passed, during which cooperation between China and LAC countries has gone from vision to action, from plan to reality.

China and LAC countries are constructive forces for global governance. In a new period of turbulence and transformation, the world faces multiple challenges including the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. China and LAC -- a region that is experiencing a collective awakening -- aspire to jointly promote the peaceful settlement of differences and disputes between countries, and have constructively participated in the political settlement of burning international and regional issues.

In May, China and Brazil issued the common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, calling on the international community to jointly play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and promoting peace talks.

On climate governance, China has shared experiences in sustainable development and protection of marine ecosystems with small island states in the Caribbean. It has also invested in the expansion of renewable energy capacity and in infrastructure projects to mitigate climate change, thereby improving the well-being of the local population.

On poverty reduction, China has transferred advanced agricultural technology to Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and others, setting an example of equitable cooperation between large and small countries and helping local farmers increase their income.

China and LAC countries are encouraging forces for cooperation and development. From infrastructure construction to trade to emerging scientific and technological fields, the two sides have been cooperating closely, jointly promoting the Belt and Road (BRI) cooperation with a spirit of openness, inclusion and mutual benefit.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Phoenix Park industrial estate, designed and built by a Chinese company, was inaugurated in January. In Peru, the Chancay Port project built by China is in full development.

A total of 22 LAC countries have joined the BRI by signing different cooperation memoranda. China has become the region's second-largest trading partner and has signed free trade agreements with five Latin American countries.

China and LAC countries are driving forces for mutual learning between civilizations. China and LAC both have long history and splendid cultures. Through mutual learning and personnel exchanges, the two sides have learned from each other and advanced together, becoming an important part of the progress of human civilization.

This year, new direct flights between Mexico City and Shenzhen were launched. Routes such as Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo, Beijing-Madrid-Havana and Beijing-Tijuana-Mexico City have been put into operation, forming a bridge for more frequent people-to-people communication and exchanges between China and LAC countries.

At the Copan archaeological site in Honduras, Chinese and Honduran archaeologists have been collaborating since 2015 to explore what they call a "time tunnel" to the Mayan civilization.

A Latin American saying goes, "The only way to be profitably national is to be generously universal." Currently, China is concentrating its efforts on modernization, while LAC countries are focused on developing new stimuli for economic growth.

The two sides are strengthening cooperation on a solid basis, jointly advancing the building of the China-LAC community with a shared future. In so doing, they are making new contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Enditem

(Xinhua correspondents Yan Liang and Wu Hao in Mexico City also contributed to the story.)
Guest attend the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing. [Xinhua/Fang Sixian]

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua)  The seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) kicked off Tuesday in Beijing.

Under the theme "RE-shape: Digital Heritage Driven by Technological Innovation," and featuring two parallel sessions, the four-day symposium will focus on the new technologies and models of digital heritage, with multiple panels and events scheduled.

Over 300 representatives from 20 countries and regions are attending the symposium, where more than 100 professional reports and cases covering various fields will be presented and discussed.

Addressing the opening session, Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, said that he believes the pioneering discussions held at the symposium will have a positive impact on the development of cultural heritage, science and technology, education and other areas, and bring significant value to society.

Xie Bing, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, said the rapid development of digital technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for the conservation of cultural heritage. He extended his welcome for more countries to join the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia for further exchanges and cooperation in that regard.

A signing ceremony was also held during the opening event for the China-Greek Joint Laboratory on Digital Heritage, involving a number of entities from both China and Greece.

The first CHCD was held in 2010.

Guest to the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization look at posters in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. [Xinhua/Fang Sixian]

Guest attend the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. [Xinhua/Fang Sixian]

A guest to the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization speaks during an interview in Beijing, capital of China, July 16, 2024. [Xinhua/Fang Sixian]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
TOKYO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's antitrust authority is investigating Visa's Japanese unit for allegedly pressuring card companies to exclusively use its credit information system, a practice potentially hindering competition and harming consumers, local media reported on Wednesday.

The local unit of Visa, a major global credit card brand, is suspected of imposing higher fees on credit card companies that did not use its network for credit checks, thereby forcing them to abandon competitors' networks, national news agency Kyodo reported, citing sources close to the matter.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) inspected Visa Worldwide Japan Co.'s Tokyo office, suspecting violations of the country's antimonopoly law, which forbids dominant companies from enforcing unfair trading terms on weaker firms. Violations can result in cease-and-desist orders or penalties.

Visa's practice is likely aimed at excluding competitors from the market, which could keep fees high and increase the burden on consumers and shops that use the service, said the report.

Most Japanese credit card companies rely on networks operated by Visa or NTT Data Japan Corp. for credit information checks.

The JFTC is also examining Visa's Singaporean unit, which oversees Asia-Pacific operations, and investigating whether Visa's U.S. headquarters were involved.

In 2023, Japan's credit card transactions totaled approximately 105 trillion yen (about 670 billion U.S. dollars), data from the Japan Consumer Credit Association showed. 
Calls for snap election after first minister resignation

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 17th, 2024

Vaughan Gething faced calls for a snap Senedd election after he was forced to stand down as Wales first minister by mass resignations from his government.

Mr Gething, who took office less than four months ago, confirmed he will stand down after three ministers and the Welsh Governments chief legal adviser quit on Tuesday.

His leadership has been mired by controversy over a 200,000 donation from a convicted polluter, a lost no-confidence vote and the sacking of a minister accused of leaking.

Julie James, Lesley Griffiths, Mick Antoniw and Jeremy Miles penned letters of resignation after the first minister initially resisted their calls to stand down for the good of the country.

Plaid Cymru called for an immediate Senedd election, warning that the people of Wales are losing confidence in Labours ability to govern.

Unforgivable

Sian Gwenllian criticised unforgiveable chaos in the Labour party during first ministers questions in the Senedds debating chamber, or Siambr.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative group, told the Senedd the first minister refused to shake his hand that morning as they bumped into each other in a lift.

Mr Davies said it is vital that a clear timetable is put in place to appoint his successor as he questioned whether the riven Labour group in the Senedd will last until the 2026 election.

Of course, we can, replied Mr Gething. And whatever happens in the leadership contest to come  the people of Wales will decide who comes to this place in an expanded Senedd.

Mr Gething said the executive of Welsh Labour will determine the rules and timetable for the contest, adding that he will continue until the Senedd chooses Wales new first minister.

He explained: Early in the autumn a new person will be stood here as the leader of Welsh Labour, and this place will need to decide whether to elect that person as  first minister.

Poor judgement

Rhun ap Iorwerth called for a snap Senedd election, saying Wales deserves better than a revolving door of Labour first ministers.

Plaid Cymrus leader said the first minister should have stood down many weeks ago.

He told the Senedd: His response should have been to acknowledge his poor judgement and to recognise the very real perceptions created.

Mr ap Iorwerth accused the first minister of seeking to blame others, including opposition politicians and journalists, for scrutinising him.

The lack of good sense of the first minister and his unwillingness to be scrutinised has undermined the role .. and brought Welsh politics into disrepute, he warned.

Very seldom does the head of a government in a democracy ignore the will of the legislature. In ignoring a vote of confidence, he had to go.

Smears

Mr Gething hit back at smears, saying: If our politics is going to serve the country, then some of us at least have to have some integrity about the way we go about our jobs, including the criticism of other people.

The first minister rejected suggestions he had swerved scrutiny.

Referring to Boris Johnson, he said: I have not hidden during the election campaign. I have gone out and been front and centre. I havent found a convenient fridge to hide in  I have done my job for the country.

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, called for an independent ethics commissioner, suggesting it could have avoided the damage of the past few months.

He said: Were all called into politics  to make a difference in peoples lives and that becomes impossible in the absence of trust.

Politically motivated

In a personal statement to the Senedd, Mr Gething, who was applauded by some on the Labour benches, said: This has been an incredibly difficult time for me and my family.

A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue.

I have worked hard, followed the rules and done really difficult and demanding jobs for my country. In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities.

My integrity matters  I have not compromised it.

The first black leader of any country in Europe added: To those in Wales who look like me  many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment  I know that our country can be better  must be better. I know that cannot happen without us.

There will, and there must be, in the future a government that looks like the country it serves  a government for all of us to make Wales a better place with and for all of us.

Enormous pride

In a statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked Vaughan Gething for his service as Welsh Labour leader and first minister of Wales.

Vaughan should take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe, said Sir Keir.

That achievement will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond.

I know what a difficult decision this has been for him  but I also know that he has made it because he feels it is the best decision now for Wales.

I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter
Police warning over scam targeting North Wales petrol stations

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 17th, 2024

Police are urging petrol station workers to be on their guard over a scam.

It follows a member of staff at a fuel station in Denbighshire receiving a phone call from a man claiming to be the regional manager of their company.

The caller asked him to put packs of cigarettes into a plastic bag ready for collection in the morning.

Following the call, the staff member contacted their line manager who confirmed that the person on the phone was not the regional manager.

A North Wales Police spokesperson said: This type of scam is well known and has been reported to police several times in the past, so please be vigilant and make your colleagues aware in case your fuel station receives any similar calls.

If you do receive any suspicious calls which you believe may be a scam then please report them via 101 or online via the NWP website.

If you are able to then please make a note of the phone number which the call came from. On this occasion it was a mobile phone number.
Rudderless Welsh Government is bad for Wales, say Plaid Cymru and Conservatives

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 17th, 2024

Politicians have hit out at the chaos surrounding the Welsh Government following the resignation of Vaughan Gething after four of his cabinet members quit.

The Labour First Minister yesterday announced he would stand down after Mick Antoniw, Lesley Griffiths, Julie James and Jeremy Miles said they would be leaving their roles.

All four released statements calling on Mr Gething to go following months of controversy since he took the position in March.

The main rows were over a 200,000 campaign donation Mr Gething received from a businessman convicted of environmental offences and his sacking of former minister Hannah Blythyn.

Both Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives have urged Labour to quickly address the power vacuum in government.

However, the two parties differ on how this should be achieved, with Plaid calling for a snap election and the Tories asking for an interim cabinet to be formed until a new First Minister is chosen.

Mr Gething has already indicated he will carry on leading the Welsh Government until his successor is picked.

Plaids Llyr Gruffydd said that with so many pressing issues facing vacant portfolios, the devolved government is rudderless and incapable of delivering for the people of Wales.

He said: Welsh politics has entered a period of unprecedented chaos in light of Tuesdays ministerial resignations.

At a time when our steel industry is in crisis, we have no economy minister. With councils facing unprecedented pressure, we have no local government minister. And with the cost-of-living crisis still biting, we have no social justice minister.

The Labour Welsh Government is utterly rudderless and incapable of delivering for the people of Wales.

With the Labour Group in the Senedd so desperately divided, it is unclear how soon  if at all  the First Minister can appoint new members to his government.

Today is the last day of the parliamentary term before summer recess. The First Minister must come to the Senedd and set out his plans to ensure a functioning government at the very least.

The only real way to end the chaos and stop the revolving door of Labour First Ministers is to call an election.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: After four months of drift from the Labour Welsh Government, there may be still more to come.

With the Welsh Government now missing four ministers, people in Wales will rightly want to know how those ministers portfolio responsibilities will be carried out while a new First Minister is selected.

The First Minister should now appoint a new interim cabinet while that process takes place.

In his resignation statement issued yesterday, Mr Gething denied any wrongdoing.

He said: This has been the most difficult time, for me, and my family. A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue.

In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities. My integrity matters. I have not compromised it.

I regret that the burden of proof is no longer an important commodity in the language of our politics. I do hope that can change.

I will now discuss a timetable for the election of new leader of my party. Finally, I want to say thank you to those who have reached out to support me, my team and my family in recent weeks. It has meant the world to all of us.

To those in Wales who look like me  many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment, I know that our country can be better. I know that cannot happen without us.

There will  and there must be  a government that looks like the country it serves.
MANILA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A shootout erupted between police officers and alleged gunmen in South Cotabato in the southern Philippines, killing three armed men and injuring a policeman, police said Wednesday.

Police Major Rick Medel, municipal police chief of Polomolok town where the clash broke out on Tuesday afternoon, said police went to a village after residents reported the presence of armed men in their farms.

He said the gunmen opened fire at the police upon their arrival, sparking a shootout.

One gunman was arrested, while four others managed to escape, he said, adding that an investigation is underway.

Medel said police recovered two carbine rifles, one M16 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, and ammunition at the clash site. 
Two of the Maruti Suzuki India workers who were jailed-for-life on frame-up murder charges have issued statements urging workers in India and around the world to demand the immediate release of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiukthe Ukrainian Trotskyist arbitrarily imprisoned and facing grave criminal charges for opposing the NATO instigated Ukraine war.

The capitalist class trapped us, the Maruti Suzuki workers, on false charges of murder, wrote Dhanraj. Along similar lines they are trying to frame up Comrade Bogdan on false charges.

In his statement Dhanraj urges workers across India to demand Bogdans immediate release, adding, On behalf of Indian workers, I say that this war between Russia and Ukraine should be brought to an end.

Bogdan Syrotiuk

Amarjeet, who like Dhanraj was a leader of a rank-and-file rebellion at Maruti Suzukis car assembly plant in Manesar, Haryana, prior to his 2012 arrest, highlighted that Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk is being persecuted for fighting for socialist internationalism in opposition to all the belligerent governments and states. I demand, he wrote, the Ukraine government release our comrade unconditionally. Bogdan Syrotiuk did not do or say anything wrong. What he did was fight for the sake of the international working class. He fought and is fighting for workers power (soviets).

Amarjeet appealed to workers to organise protests and marches to fight for the release of Comrade Bogdan. We demand that this war be brought to an end, peace brought to both the countries and no damages be further done to its citizens and civilians.

Bogdan, aged 25 and in ill-health, has been jailed by Ukraines far-right, US-NATO sponsored, martial law regime since April 25. He faces treason charges that carry penalties of 15 years in prison, which given the horrific conditions that prevail in Ukraines prison would constitute a veritable death sentenceall based on the transparent lie that because he opposes the war on a socialist basis he is an agent of Russias reactionary capitalist government.

In fact, Comrade Bogdan is a leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists, a youth organization active in Ukraine, Russia and other former republics of the Soviet Union that is in political sympathy with the International Committee of the Fourth International, the world Trotskyist movement and the publisher of the World Socialist Web Site.

As the WSWS has demonstrated through a meticulous rebuttal of the Ukrainian states documents indicting Bodgan, he is being illegally persecuted for working with the WSWS to unite Ukrainian and Russian workers in opposition to the war, the NATO powers who instigated it, and the Zelensky and Putin regimes that represent the rival capitalist oligarchies that emerged from the Stalinist bureaucracies dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Persecuted Maruti Suzuki militant worker Amerjeet [Photo: WSWS]

Dhanraj and Amarjeet are among the 13 Maruti Suzuki workers who after almost five years of pre-trial imprisonment were sentenced in March 2017 to life imprisonment on trumped up murder charges. As the WSWS has detailed in a five-part series, they were the victims of a monstrous frame-up involving Maruti Suzuki, the police, courts, Indias two principal political parties, the Congress Party and the Hindu supremacist BJP, and the Haryana state and Indian Union governments.

Over the objections of the Haryana government and based on their having already spent nearly a decade in jail, the courts recently ordered the suspension of the convictions of the surviving 11 of the 13 pending the outcome of their appeals. Because of their release, the WSWS was recently able to interview several of the persecuted Maruti Suzuki militants.

They and their families continue to endure great financial hardship. The workers remain under grave threat of being returned to prison, as the Indian authorities and Maruti Suzuki, Indias largest automaker, continue to uphold their frame-up convictions despite their obvious bogus character.

We urge workers, youth, academics, artists and all those in India and around the world who defend democratic rights to heed the courageous call issued by the framed-up Maruti Suzuki workers and join the fight for Comrade Bogdans freedom.

You can sign the petition to the Ukrainian authorities demanding Bogdans immediate release, write a comment and donate to the fight for Bogdans freedom at wsws.org/freebogdan.

Here follow the statements from Dhanraj and Amarjeet in full:

I am Dhanraj, a victimised Maruti Suzuki worker. I oppose those who have framed up Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk and are holding him captive in prison. I demand his release from jail and urge the Indian working class to demand his immediate release. On behalf of Indian workers, I say that this war between Russia and Ukraine should be brought to an end. The capitalist class trapped us, the Maruti Suzuki workers, on false charges of murder. Along similar lines they are trying to frame up Comrade Bogdan on false charges.

* * *

On Thursday, April 25, Ukraines fascist government, working in concert with its NATO masters, had a socialist, Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk arrested by the secret police of Ukraine, in the name of the safety of Ukraine.

I strongly condemn this act of the Ukraine government. I demand the Ukraine government release our comrade unconditionally. Bogdan Syrotiuk did not do or say anything wrong. What he did was fight for the sake of the international working class. He fought and is fighting for workers power (soviets). We have to fight against such frame ups to protect the workers from injury. This is all the more necessary, as Bogdans health is not in good condition. And I appeal again for the release of our comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk.

Hereby,

Amarjeet. (Jailed Maruti Suzuki worker)
On May 24, 3,500 workers at the ArcelorMittal steel mill located at the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas in the Mexican state of Michoacan began a work stoppage, which was declared a strike on June 4. Workers placed red and black flags on the main gate to the plant and blocked access to the mill. Workers also blocked the companys Las Truchas mining complex 27 kilometers from the mine.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador meets with Lakshmi Mittal, June 2019 [Photo: Lopez Obrador]

ArcelorMittal, founded by Indian magnate Lakshi Mittal, who was once ranked by Forbes as the sixth richest man in the world and is a member of the board of directors of Goldman Sachs, is the worlds second-largest steel company. Ranked 197th in the 2022 Fortune Global 500 list of the worlds largest corporations, it is valued at around $94 billion and recorded a $4.9 billion adjusted profit last year.

The strike was declared by Section 271 of the National Miners Union (National Union of Miners, Metallurgical, Steel and Similar Workers; the SNTMMSSRM), commonly known as Los Mineros.

It was called over gross underpayment of profit-sharing payments owed the workers under Mexican law. This is a recurring issue, leading to a short-lived strike in 2022. The workers are also seeking a legally mandated bonus payment.

The mill provides 8,000 direct jobs and up to 50,000 indirect jobs and produces 30 percent of the steel for the Mexican market. It supplies key industries such as construction, automotive, and appliance manufacturing. Its downtime in turn affects the US supply chain.

ArcelorMittal claims that the illegal blockades have caused significant production losses, in the range of 500,000 metric tons of steel, and damage to its main blast furnace.

ArcerlorMittal obtained rulings from three labor courts that the strike is illegal, and an order granting injunctive relief on June 18. But the workers continued their strike. A hearing on its legality is now set for August 8 in a constitutional court.

Rulings have also blocked the arrest of nine workers sued by the company for launching the conflict.

The company has threatened a mass dismissal of the strikers, and that it would seek outright to annul the collective bargaining agreement.

However, despite its bluster, and reflecting a measure of the strikers collective strength, the company on Monday, July 8 proposed the following resolution of the strike:

To pay profits owed to the workers as determined by an independent body for the year 2021, and submit the question for the years 2022 and 2023 to an auditor selected by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare for the years 2023 and 2024;

To make a net payment of 40,000 pesos ($2,250) to each worker that would be distributed half in vouchers and half in cash, which would also be granted to members of sections 272 and 336 of the union;

To cover 75 percent of the salaries of the days not worked by strikers, calculated back to May 24; and

Not to undertake to exert pressure on workers or take reprisals derived from the present labor dispute.

Section 271s workers by Tuesday evening, July 9, voted to reject the companys proposal. Whether the company will now make additional concessions is unknown.

The national union had opposed Section 271s strike actions back to May 24, and it urged approval last week of the companys proposal, of which it was undoubtedly a co-author.

The national union is headed by the notorious Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, who fled Mexico for 10 years over accusations of embezzling $55 million from the union trust.

Gomez Urrutia has a long prior history of colluding with the government in Mexico in stripping away Mexican mine and steelworkers benefits, pensions and wages.

The Miners Union has partnered for years with the AFL-CIOs Solidarity Center, a long-time vehicle for extending US imperialisms control over foreign unions and labor struggles. Gomez is also a long-time president of the International Confederation of Workers (in Spanish, the CIT), which has ties to major unions in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, such as the AFL-CIO and the United Steel Workers.

Los Mineros in 2017 endorsed the presidential campaign of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, and Gomez Urrutia ran for and became a senator in Congress for AMLOs Morena party in 2018. He has also served as president of the Labor and Social Welfare Commission and secretary of the Economy Commission.

There are reports that Gomez Urrutia has insistently sought to meet with the Morena president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum in recent weeks, most likely to seek her influence to end the strike, but has so far been rebuffed. There is speculation in the Mexican press that this may be due in part to the fact that the incoming head of the Morena deputies, Ricardo Monreal, has other high contacts in the union bureaucracy who oppose Gomez Urrutia.

In 2019, AMLO met personally with the steel companys owner Lakshmi Mittal to thank him for promising to invest $1 billion more at Lazaro Cardenas and guarantee security for your investments.

The miners strike stands at a dangerous crossroads, with the threat of a favorable ruling for the company and reprisals that costs their livelihoods. One need only recall, among countless other examples, the thousands of firings after the 2019 Matamoros wave of wildcat strikes, although the companies had committed not to carry out reprisals.

The strikers at ArcelorMittal must prevent their struggle from being subordinated to the venal calculations of any faction of the union bureaucracy, whose privileges and careers are ultimately tied to winning the favor of management, the government and imperialism. No trust can be placed in these corporate stooges.

Strike committees must be established immediately under the democratic control of the rank-and-file workers themselves, to oversee all negotiations and contract votes, and to advance demands for what workers actually neednot what the company claims it can afford.

Steel workers are facing a massive multinational corporation, with even more powerful financial groups and governments behind it. Their rank-and-file committees must, above all else, appeal to and actively seek to mobilize steelworkers, miners, autoworkers and their class brothers and sisters in other sectors across North America and internationally to support their struggle.
The review below by Henry Seward of Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J.D. Vance, was published on the World Socialist Web Site in January 2017. After his 2016 bestseller raised his profile in corporate media and political circles, Vance began to follow the reactionary political logic of his book, dropping his initial criticisms of Donald Trump and becoming an ardent advocate of the fascistic Make America Great Again campaign.

Republican Senate candidate JD Vance holds a piece of paper with the name of former President Donald Trump written on it, as he speaks during an election night watch party, Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Cincinnati (Credit: Aaron Doster/Associated Press) [AP Photo/Aaron Doster]

In 2022, Vance won a three-way primary for the Republican nomination for a US Senate seat from Ohio, with the critical backing of Trump himself. He then narrowly won the general election contest against Rep. Tim Ryan, a right-wing Democrat, ally of the trade union bureaucracy and advocate of trade war.

After barely 18 months in office, Vance has been selected by Trump as his running mate, and will be nominated and elected Wednesday as the vice presidential candidate by the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Many of the ultra-right nostrums which are now the basis of Trumps remaking of the Republican Party were articulated in Hillbilly Elegy, above all the glorification of capitalism and individualism and the rejection of any analysis of social problems requiring collective solutions.

It is notable that Vances book won wide support among liberal Democratic Party elites as well as on the far-right, including a 2020 film adaptation directed by Ron Howard, demonstrating the fundamentally reactionary character of all sections of the American political establishment.

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Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir by J.D. Vance, a lawyer at a leading Silicon Valley investment firm, topped the New York Times Best Seller list in August 2016. It has been met with much praise by both liberal and conservative critics.

Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance

In a New York Times review, Jennifer Senior suggests the reader should admire him [J.D. Vance] for his head-on confrontation with a taboo subject. Huffington Post reviewer Lella Moshref-Danesh went further, writing July 11 that the book creates a sense of a shared experience that crosses cultural, political and class lines. Hillbilly Elegy, at its core, is the story of a family and all the harsh, beautiful complexity that comes with it.

The book deals with Vances experiences growing up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohioand many of the passages evoke genuine sympathy. However, in the end, the book is decidedly hostile to the working class and the poor, and the intellectual foundation upon which it rests is rotten.

Vance, 31, narrates the conditions of not only his life, but his familys as well. The story begins before he was born, when his grandmother (Mamaw) and grandfather (Papaw) left Jackson to seek better opportunities. The couple relocated in Middletown, where his grandfather secured a job at Armco Steel (renamed AK Steel Holding in 1993). They had several children, his mother being the youngest.

Vances childhood was tumultuous, violent, and insecure. His mother struggled with addiction and often beat and belittled him. Vance suggests that such conditions were common for a great many youth in Appalachia and the Rust Belt. Had it not been for the intervention of his grandmother, and in smaller doses, the love of his sister, he suggests he might not have been able to make it out.

While he acknowledges that poverty and drug addiction are rampant in Appalachia and the Rust Belt, these realities are never seriously examined in Hillbilly Elegy. He writes: [F]air enough, I worry about those things [the social crisis] too. But this book is about something else: what goes on in the lives of real people when the industrial economy goes south. Its about reacting to bad circumstances in the worst way possible. Its about a culture that increasingly encourages social decay, instead of counter-acting it.

The author cites data documenting skyrocketing poverty rates among working class whites, and notes that many are stuck with homes worth less than they paid for them. He concedes that the people who are trapped are usually those with the least cash. He also cites a Pew Economic Mobility Project study which found that There is no group of Americans more pessimistic than working-class whites, with only 44 percent expecting their economic lives to improve.

Unfortunately, these crushing realities mean little to Vance. In essence, according to our author, laziness causes social misery. The author attempts to bolster this claim by referring to his experience working in a grocery store at age 17. His work as a checkout clerk convinced him that poor people game social assistance programs like food stamps, while daring to purchase items like red meat and cell phones.

His stupid and stale argument comes down to this sort of upper-middle-class moralizing about the misbehavior of those living in poverty: We spend our way into the poor house. We buy giant TVs and iPads. Our children wear nice clothes thanks to the high-interest credit cards and payday loans. We purchase homes we dont need, refinance them for more spending money, and declare bankruptcy, often leaving them full of garbage in our wake. Thrift is inimical to our being. We spend to pretend that were upper class. And when the dust clears  theres nothing left over.

In addition to arguing that Appalachian and Rust Belt workers need to cure their laziness, he offers four other means by which one can improve ones lot in life: religion; the military; education; and networking to attain better employment prospects. Though continuing along the memoir path, the book begins to read like that tritest of American literary products, the self-help guide. This reviewer had to fight the urge to sleep.

The religious component of Vances memoir, unsurprisingly, involves a God who rewards those who work hard. His grandmother was devout, and he writes that the theology she taught was unsophisticated, but it provided a message I needed to hear. To coast through life was to squander my God-given talent, so I had to work hard. I had to take care of my family because Christian duty demanded it.

Escape is another component of the Vance methodand for him, it took the form of joining the US Marine Corps. Military service is presented as the antidote to learned helplessness rife among the poor.

After serving in the Marine Corps, studying as an undergraduate at Ohio State and graduating from Yale Law, Vance began to wonder why none of his high school friends from Middletown made it out. He concludes that successful peopledont flood the job market with resumes. They network. In other words, they work with social capital. Urging workers whose families and friends live in the same dire conditions they do to network is worse than useless advice.

His analysis is impressionistic and self-serving, and most importantly, ignores the history of class struggle in Appalachia and the Rust Belt. The word history appears only nine times in the book. Furthermore, one finds the word strike only four times. And only once is it related to working class struggle, in this particular instance, to a documentary about Harlan County, Kentucky. Vance instead suggests that Appalachians are isolationist and xenophobic, as well as homogeneously made up of people of Scots-Irish ancestry.

The reality is quite different. One of the largest labor uprisings in American history took place in Logan County, West Virginia. The Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921 saw 10,000 mountaineers, black sharecroppers who fled the Deep South and immigrants (mostly Hungarian and Italian) battle 3,000 coal thugs, and eventually the US military, over the course of five days.

Vance also disregards the objective impact of social devastation on the consciousness of workers. What are the consequences of the collapse of the coal industry and the shattering of entire communities? One-third of the 100 poorest counties in the United States are concentrated in the coalfields of Central Appalachia. Joblessness is rampant; home values have plummeted; public schools, clinics, and charity organizations have shuttered. Double-digit poverty rates are typical of counties in the region. Deep poverty is accompanied by an epidemic of ill health, addiction, environmental devastation caused in large measure by the profit drive of the coal companies, and poor prospects for youth.

The role of the trade unions, particularly the United Mine Workers, is central to any understanding of the economic and social decline of the region. Its abject, decades-long betrayal of the traditions of the miners is perhaps the single most important factor in the demoralization and degradation of the regions population. Vance says nothing about this.

In the conclusion of his memoir, Vance throws up his hands and implores Appalachians and Rust Belt workers to wake the hell up. He rather mawkishlyand it must be said, lazilyargues that communities in these areas should empower members with a sense of control over ones destiny with lessons of Christian love, family, and purpose through the church. He finally asks if we (hillbillies) are tough enough to do what needs to be done to save their communities.

I dont know what the answer is, he admits, but I know it starts when we stop blaming Obama or Bush or faceless companies and ask ourselves what we can do to make things better.

His solution would involve: joining the US imperialist military, getting a law degree from Yale, and publishing a memoir, perhaps as a possible prelude for a political career a la Barack Obamas Dreams from My Father (1995). One is left to conclude that those looking for answers to the problems that plague Appalachian and Rust Belt workersor any other section of the working classwill hardly find them in this book.
Striking Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) workers

The strike by Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) workers in Minnesota continued into its 13th day Tuesday, following a July 10 announcement that the walkout would be extended indefinitely, after initially being proposed for just one week. The strikers are members of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 363, which covers roughly 300 full and part-time workers. Workers voted by a 94 percent margin to strike last month.

The strike is the first in the park systems 141-year history, an expression of the militancy among park workers and the growth of the class struggle internationally. Workers are demanding substantial improvements to safety, healthcare and wages. The Minneapolis parks system is regularly ranked among the top in the US, while the workers who make it run struggle to afford rent and basic necessities.

How are you supposed to make ends meet?

During picketing on Sunday, a striker with six years working for the MPRB told the WSWS, I can tell you what my key points are and what Im interested in getting out of this strike. Its a fair starting wage for new people to come in.

Right now, the starting wage is $18 an hour. I used to do this job with the park board as a summer job while I was a teacher. I quit teaching and did this job for three years and was rewarded with a promotion to full time with a $3 an hour pay cut. I didnt appreciate that.

They also told me I would be off weekends within a year and a half. And they lied to me about that in the interview. Instead I was going to be on weekends for a minimum of five years. Ive worked on every holiday, except Labor Day for the last two years.

The park maintenance people in the suburbs surrounding Minneapolis make about $8-$10 an hour more than we do. In the forestry department in Minneapolis, our top pay is $2 an hour less than the starting wage for the St. Paul forestry department. Thats a substantial amount of money.

Again, for me, the biggest thing is the starting pay for new employees. With the cost of renting an apartment $1,500 a month, how are you supposed to make enough for that? I have a wife and two kids. How are you supposed to make ends meet?

Democrats accelerate efforts to shut down strike

Closed-door negotiations between LIUNA 363 and MPRB continued into Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday afternoon, MPRB presented a new final offer, demanding it be brought to a vote by Friday, according to local news reports. The proposal would include a 10.25 percent wage increase over three yearsan effective cut to real wages given the sharp rise in prices in recent years.

LIUNA 363 negotiators stated they accept the wage proposal, but object to other elements of the offer. LIUNA Business Manager AJ Lange said Tuesday that he was open to bringing the contract to a vote but said the board doesnt dictate the internal procedures of the union and how we conduct our votes.

The striking Minneapolis park workers are employed by the state government, placing them in a direct fight against the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, as the state Democratic Party is known in Minnesota. The DFL controls all nine MPRB commissioners, the MPRB superintendent, and the mayor.

The DFL park board has used the fact that property and commercial real estate taxes have fallen as a reason to impose this burden by slashing workers living standards. The Democrats refrain that there is insufficient money to provide workers a good standard of living and decent working conditions is a lie. The Biden administration and both parties in Congress are squandering tens of billions of dollars on its proxy war in Ukraine, and on arming and funding the Israeli government in its genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

There are growing indications that the Democratic Party is accelerating its efforts to shut down the strike and impose an austerity agreement. Democratic officials are particularly concerned to prevent the strike from becoming a catalyst for a broader upsurge of working class struggle, particularly in the midst of the explosive political crisis and instability in the run-up to the 2024 US elections.

Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey is working with both sides to reach an agreement, the mayors office said. LIUNA 363 officials have repeatedly appealed for Freya chief political representative of the Twin Cities corporate intereststo intervene.

Also on Tuesday, the city council passed a toothless resolution supporting the striking parks workers, while signaling that the walkout should be brought to an end. Appearing at a joint press conference with LIUNA 363 officials, city councilperson Aurin Chowdhury (whose candidacy was backed by the pseudo-left Democratic Socialists of America) stated, We need to push for the end of this strike and thats through a fair contract so we can return service to our constituents.

The endless appeals by LIUNA 363 officials to the Democratic Party and the MPRB are a dead end. Any deal emerging from closed-door discussions with the citys big business political representatives will inevitably be a betrayal of what workers have been striking for.

The most urgent task of workers now is to take the strike into their own hands through the development of rank-and-file committees. An urgent appeal should be made to other workers throughout the Twin Cities and the region to join and expand the walkout.

Striking Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) workers during the scheduled MPRB public meeting on July 10

The arrogance of the MPRB board officers and their outright refusal of workers demands has provoked growing indignation, including at a July 10 MPRB public meeting.

Park Board Superintendent Alfred Bangoura opened the meeting reading from a prepared text declaring he would return to the bargaining table, but only after 363 leadership allows membership to vote on the last offer.

The hall erupted with boos and a worker shouted, We already did! How many votes do you want!

Pointing to Bangoura, a 10-year veteran park worker took the microphone and said, He shouldnt be saying that he knows Local 363 members are telling him that we dont want to strike. Well? Were here!

And thats not his call. Thats our call. If hes got that much power, were just slaves then. Because thats what slavery is... and thats what youre all treating us like. And the community wont stand for it.

The worker skewered Bangoura about the fact that he pays a mere $1,300 a month on a $210,000 salary to live in a large, refurbished 19th century house located on Lyndale Farmstead Park. He compared that to the $2,000 a month that he has to pay.

You pay my rent and Ill pay yours. And Ill feel better. Because $1,300 sounds way better than my $2,000. And you make way, way more than I do.

A general strikestraight across the board

Asked about the role of the DFL in the park board strike, the parks worker on the pickets Sunday referred back to the 1985-1986 strike by UFCW Local P-9 at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota.

This is a more peaceful strike as opposed to the Hormel Strike when the Governor [Rudy Perpich-DFL] brought in the National Guard. I was a young man back then. And I felt like the union got squashed there and the workers lost their rights, they lost their working conditions, they lost their pay and they lost their jobs.

We have the right to strike. Just like anybody else, I need my pay check. But here I am. Im sticking with these guys. Im sticking with the people that are fighting for us as opposed to the management people that are fighting against us.

With that being said, I love this job. I want to continue with it, but I want to see new people coming into the job and having a fair chance in life. Youre not going to get that at $18 an hour.

If you unite all the city workers together, that would really shut the city down. People would be aware of how important everybody working together would be; a general strikestraight across the board.

However, LIUNA and the AFL-CIO have done nothing to mobilize the power of the citys working class behind the strike and will not do so.

Local 363 has based its campaign on the perspective of pressuring the Democratic Party to compromise. But at the July 10 monthly park board meeting, the commissioners and the superintendent sat stone-faced and unmoved through a raucous meeting of angered strikers. Finally, board president Meg Forney broke in and told strikers, ... I need, as I indicated, to close open time and go about our business, and the board walked out of the meeting.

The strike can be won, but a new strategy is needed.

A rank-and-file strike committee should be formed by parks workers to open communications with other sections of workers and coordinate their struggles.

Parks workers must turn to and fight to mobilize the power of the entire working class. Strikers should go to the worksites of other city workers, lobby teachers, postal workers, healthcare workers, railroad workers, airport workers, utility workers and construction workers, not only in Minneapolis but throughout the Twin Cities metro region. A special appeal should be made to college students who have been protesting the Biden administrations support of Israel in carrying out genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
Sean OBrien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks during the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [AP Photo/Morry Gash]

Amid the carnival of reaction at this weeks Republican National Convention, the speech given by Teamsters General President Sean OBrien on the first night deserves special attention. It is clear evidence that a section of the union bureaucracy is prepared to openly throw its support behind fascism.

OBriens appearance reflected political calculations of Trumps extreme-right advisers, who are seeking to play up his campaigns right-wing pseudo-populism. It followed months of courtship between the Teamsters and the Republican extreme right, including multiple meetings between OBrien and Trump, OBriens support for Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (a key co-conspirator in January 6), and tens of thousands of dollars in donations to the Republicans.

His speech called for bipartisanship based on nationalism, militarism and the integration of the unions with management and the capitalist state. We are not beholden to anyone or any party, he declared. That is, the union apparatus is prepared to do business with any corporate politician, including both Biden and Trump. He pointed to the Teamsters record in an earlier period of routinely endorsing Republican candidates for president, including Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush, all arch-reactionary hated figures associated with imperialist war and massive assaults on workers.

But beneath a show of bipartisanship, OBrien unmistakably indicated his particular sympathy for emerging American fascism centered around Trump. Referring to the attempted assassination Saturday, OBrien hailed Trump as one tough S.O.B. He singled out Hawley and J.D. Vance, Trumps newly announced running mate, as supposed friends of workers who were not funded by big money think tanks.

OBrien argued to the assembled delegates that it is in their partys interest to dispense with knee-jerk reactions to unions, noting the Teamsters critical role in US supply chains and offering to build a corporatist alliance with the Republicans. In between bouts of demagogy against corporate greed, delivered to an audience of the most ruthless representatives of American capitalism, he singled out for praise the Teamsters role at UPS, which he called the most efficient package delivery company in the world.

The cost of this efficiency is put entirely on the backs of workers through Teamster sellouts. Last years contract, dishonestly hailed as a historic victory by OBrien and his backers in the pseudo-left, is being used to lay off over 12,000 workers and close or automate hundreds of facilities.

This is not unique, but expresses the universal function of the bureaucracy as an industrial police force. The United Auto Workers is also helping to carry out thousands of layoffs, following a contract pushed through last year with the endorsement of the Biden White House. Similar roles are being played by the postal unions, the railroad unions and countless others.

The most reactionary part of OBriens speech came when he turned to the world economy. It needs to be easier for companies to remain in America, he said. In plain language, this means even more massive austerity to complete the conversion of the United States into a cheap labor platform capable of competing with China, India and other developing countries for the worst working conditions.

He then attacked multinational corporations for their supposed disloyalty to the United States. What is sickening is that Amazon has abandoned any national allegiance, he said. Elites have no party, elites have no nation.

To be frank, this statement is ripped straight out of Hitler, who frequently railed against rootless internationalespecially Jewishbankers without loyalty to blood and soil. It particularly recalls an incident in 2018 when a member of the German Parliament from the neo-Nazi Alternative for Germany party was caught paraphrasing one of Hitlers speeches along these lines.

It is also, as a political fact, false to the core. As Marx and Engels explained in The Communist Manifesto, it is the working class, dispossessed under capitalism and united on the basis of its common international interests, that has no country.

American capitalism, struggling to offset its massive decline, is compelled to rely heavily on its state as a weapon against both foreign and domestic enemies, launching catastrophic new wars and lurching towards dictatorship. This was expressed particularly sharply in the Republican convention itself.

In a prepared response, Hawley fully endorsed OBriens speech, calling it a watershed moment and the beginning of a nationalist alliance of the Republicans with the union bureaucracy. There is much that Republicans and labor can already agree on, he said, including trade war measures against China and an America First energy policy.

Those in the corporate media accustomed to political analysis resting on banalitiesabove all, the false identification of the union bureaucracy with the workersstruggled to make sense of OBriens presence. But the reality is that the union bureaucracy is a natural base of support for fascism.

Completely integrated with management, dependent on its ties with the state, the bureaucracy is deeply hostile to the working class. The unions are run as bureaucratic dictatorships, never hesitating to resort to fraud and even violence to overcome resistance from the rank and file. Politically, the bureaucracy is dominated by nationalism and anticommunism, which expresses its mortal fear of the revolutionary threat posed by the working class.

Support for Trump is not a fundamental shift, but the outcome of the bureaucracys policies, which are determined by the needs of capitalism. As Trotsky observed in 1940:

The labor bureaucrats do their level best in words and deeds to demonstrate to the democratic state how reliable and indispensable they are in peace-time and especially in time of war. By transforming the trade unions into organs of the state, fascism invents nothing new; it merely draws to their ultimate conclusion the tendencies inherent in imperialism.

Had OBrien given the same speech at the Democratic National Convention, hailing Biden instead of Trump, it would not have been out of place.

The Biden White House is entirely focused on preparing American society for war. To do this, it is building a corporatist alliance between the state, the unions and corporate management to smash the resistance of the working class and force through layoffs and austerity to free up resources for the military. This strategy was summed up last week when Biden visited the AFL-CIO headquarters and declared the unions my domestic NATO.

Biden frequently cites the mobilization of US industry during World War II as the example for today. In itself, this shows the ruling class is preparing for World War III. But the United States is a declining, not a rising power, and Bidens corporatist policies have more in common with the social regime in Italy under Mussolini than the New Deal under FDR.

The pseudo-left, including the Democratic Socialists of America and Labor Notes, has played a key role in promoting these policies. They relentlessly backed OBrien for years as one of the heads of a so-called reform movement within the bureaucracy. They are still in coalition with OBrien in the Teamsters General Executive Board, where they are represented by numerous members of the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) faction.

The pseudo-left criticized OBriens speechnot for its ultra-nationalist content, which they endorsebut for his choice of venue. It was understandable why Sean OBrien was looking for leverage vis-a-vis corporate Democrats and anti-labor Republicans, Jacobin editor Bhaskar Sunkara tweeted. He complained only that OBrien combined decent class struggle talking pointsthis is what Sunkara calls OBriens fascistic demagogywith fawning lines about Trump.

Others, however, were entirely on board with an alliance with the extreme right. Cenk Uygur called it the most progressive speech Ive ever seen at a Republican or Democratic convention.

For now, the Teamsters are the only major union to have thrown in with Trump. But as Bidens campaignand Biden himselfcontinue to inwardly decompose, it is not inconceivable that this could change. The enthusiastic response to the RNC from the liberal media is a sign that significant sections of the ruling class, demoralized by internal dysfunction and terrified of the threat of social revolution, are attracted to the idea of Trump or another strongman taking power to impose national unity.

The defense of democratic rights is only possible on the basis of a politically independent movement of the working class against capitalism and the dictatorship of the corporations, which is driving the world into the abyss. This can only be guided by a socialist and internationalist program, rejecting all attempts to subordinate workers to the national state. Connected to this must be a rebellion to smash the trade union bureaucracy, which functions as an industrial police force, and replace it with genuine organs of workers power.
The New Popular Fronts (NFP) attempt to name a prime minister and form a government after winning the July 7 snap elections ignominiously collapsed Tuesday night. The big business Socialist Party (PS) and Jean-Luc Melenchons middle class populist France Unbowed Party (LFI), the two main parties in the NFP, pulled out of talks after rejecting each others proposed candidates for the position of prime minister.

People walk past a poster reading "Vote for the New Popular Front " prior to the first round of parliamentary elections in Paris, Saturday June 22, 2024 [AP Photo/Thibault Camus]

This collapse betrays the hopes of all the workers and youth who voted for the NFP, expecting that it would form a government opposed both to Macron, the president of the rich, and to the far-right National Rally (RN). Instead, it fell into bitter internal factional struggles, even as Macron asked for and received the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. This leaves a path open for the ruling class to try to form more right-wing governments, as Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin proposes to do with the right-wing The Republicans (LR) party.

These events are rapidly confirming the warnings made by the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES). By building the NFP in alliance with the PS and its allies, the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) and the Greens, Melenchons LFI was setting a political trap for the working class. It first allied openly with the PS, the party from which Macron himself emerged, and then with Macrons Ensemble coalition, ostensibly to block votes for the National Rally (RN).

The NFPs role is now exposing the bankruptcy of the parliamentary calculations on which Melenchon made his alliances first with the PS and Macron. Large factions of the NFP are demanding that the NFP abandon its own election program and adopt a position of junior partner in a Macron-led government dedicated to policies of austerity and war overwhelmingly rejected by the French people.

Over the weekend, the PCF and then LFI proposed Huguette Bello, the Stalinist president of the regional council of Reunion Island, as prime minister. The PS vetoed Bello and instead advanced Professor Laurence Tubiana, whose candidacy rapidly obtained the support of the PCF and the Greens. An ex-member of the middle class Pabloite Revolutionary Communist League (LCR), Tubiana helped draft the 2015 Paris Climate Accords and was considered by Macron in 2018 as a possible ecology minister.

Before receiving the PS endorsement, Tubiana had co-signed an open letter published in Le Monde calling on the NFP to form a government with Macron. Calling to restore social peace and fearing that France could remain for some time without a real government, it demanded: This is why the NFP must without delay extend its hand to all the other actors of the democratic front to discuss a democratic emergency program and forming a corresponding government.

Noting that the vast majority of the union bureaucracies, academic institutions and state-funded associations backing the NFP want an alliance with Macron, the letter threatened to oppose anyone who got in the way of close ties to Macron. It stated:

We know that civil society (associations, trade unions, think-tanks, etc.) is ready to help the NFP build an emergency program that can win the support of a large part of the country. And if somehow some preferred to privilege their narrow partisan interests over the superior interests of the nation, this civil society would know how to mobilize itself to bring them back to their senses.

The open letter cynically admitted that forming a Macron alliance would require abandoning overnight the mild social promises in the NFPs electoral program, on which it campaigned and won more than 7 million votes. However, it blithely dismissed this with the argument that workers and youth would not be upset if the NFP betrayed its election promises. Calling for NFP-Macron talks, it stated:

The starting point of such talks will of course be, on the NFPs side, its program, but everyone knows and openly admits in advance that this is not where we will end up on every issue. And there will be very few people who, in our country, will be upset with the NFP for having deviated from this program on one or other subject, if it allows France to be governed in a stable and appeasing way.

Tubianas brief for an alliance with Frances president is a pack of lies. A government led by Macron, whether or not it includes the NFP, will not be a stable regime appeasing the workers but a fascistic police state waging imperialist war abroad and class war at home. It would defend not the superior interests of the great majority of the population but the imperialist interests of the French banks and the NATO alliance.

The letter made no mention of Macrons call to send troops to Ukraine to wage war with Russia or his pension cuts last year that funded military spending increases. Nor did it say anything about the Israeli genocide in Gaza, or Macrons support for the Israeli government. Silence denotes consent, and these are policies Tubiana and her backers in the NFP clearly will support in order to ally with Macron, even if these policies are rejected by the overwhelming majority of the French people, above all, among workers.

Several leading members of LFI denounced the PS for proposing Tubiana as prime minister, with LFI national organizer Manuel Bompard claiming it was not serious.

Paul Vannier, a member of LFIs election commission, tweeted: I cannot believe that after having vetoed Huguette Bellos candidacy, [PS first secretary] Olivier Faure is preparing to try to impose on the New Popular Front a Macron-compatible candidate as prime minister. It would be to betray the promises that have been made to millions of electors.

Betrayal is precisely what the PS, the PCF, and the Greens are doing. However, this also exposes the role of Melenchon and LFI, who allied with them and falsely promoted them as left. It was not difficult to predict that the PSwhich pursued policies of war in Syria and Mali, police state repression and deep austerity the last time it was in office, from 2012 to 2017 under President Francois Hollandewould reveal itself to be an ally of the banks and an enemy of the workers.

Yet ever since the PS election collapse in 2017 and the coming to power of Macron, Melenchon has sought to promote these discredited parties of capitalist rule. In 2022, he formed the New Popular Union with them, rebranding it as the NFP in the face of the danger of a far-right victory in the July 7, 2024 elections. The NFPs program, it must be added, also called for sending troops to Ukraine and strengthening the military police and intelligence forces, policies completely compatible with a Macron government.

Melenchon gave so many seats away to candidates of Macron, the PS, the Greens and the PCF in his electoral deals this month that LFI has only 72 seats in the Assembly. It is thus a minority within the NFP that it played the central role in building. Moreover, significant sections of the LFI itself, including Francois Ruffin and Clementine Autain, are deserting the LFI to join the Greens. The LFIs entire course of action over the recent years has systematically built up right-wing parties like the PS hostile to itself, but above all to the working class and to socialism.

This is a devastating experience on the role of affluent middle-class academics and union bureaucrats who have for decades shaped what capitalist media promoted as left politics. They are coming out, through documents like Tubianas letter, as defenders of Macron and of social peace against the explosive anger in the working class. By allying with Macron, moreover, they are opening up a political avenue for Marine Le Pens fascistic National Rally (RN) to continue posing falsely as the only real opposition to Macron.

The working class will inevitably enter into explosive conflict with whatever government emerges from these elections. Strikes and protests on a large series of demandsagainst war with Russia, genocide, austerity, police-state rule, anti-immigrant hysteria and neo-fascismwill proceed and must develop into a broad movement against Macron and neo-fascism. However, the essential precondition for this is to develop a revolutionary Marxist leadership among workers and youth to oppose not only Macron but also his pseudo-left defenders.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his key ministers have malevolently associated the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump with the ongoing demonstrations in Australia against the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gazadeclaring the protests to be an attack on democracy.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at ASEAN-Australia Special Summit press conference in Melbourne, Australia, March 5, 2024 [AP Photo/Hamish Blair]

Even as many unanswered questions remained about the circumstances behind the Trump shooting, Albanese called a media conference in Canberra to proclaim it was an attack on the democratic values that Australians and Americans share. He then declared that demonstrations against members of his government for its complicity in the intensifying Gaza onslaught had likewise crossed the line.

This was coupled with an expression of solidarity with the fascist ex-president. Echoing the US President Joe Bidens concern for Donald, Albanese stated: Im relieved by the news that the former president is safe and doing fine, and I wish him and his family well.

Albaneses comments were in the same vein as those of Peter Dutton, the Liberal-National Coalition opposition leader, who posted on X/Twitter: I send my best wishes to former president Trump after this shocking attempt on his life.

Like Biden and the US Democrats, Albanese made no mention of the real threat to democracy presented by Trump himself.

Trump has not only repeatedly incited or backed violence by right-wing forces, including armed attacks on state capitols by militia groups. On January 6, 2021, he summoned a mob to Washington, seeking to kill or capture members of the US Congress, attempting to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election and instal Trump as a dictator-president.

Like Biden, Albanese presented a fairy-tale image of the political situation. In Australia, as in the US, the essence and the purpose of our democracies is that we can express our views, debate our disagreements, and resolve our differences peacefully, he said.

These are governments that have threatened and attacked peaceful protests against the Gaza genocide. They have slandered participants as antisemitic and purveyors of hate speech for opposing a monumental war crime that has already killed nearly 200,000 Palestinians according to estimations published in the respected medical journal, The Lancet.

These are governments that also have combined their support for, and assistance of, the Israeli genocide with dramatically escalating the war against Russia in Ukraine and stepping up the related confrontation with China. This a drive for US global hegemony even at the potential expense of millions of lives in a nuclear conflagration.

Declaring that the temperature of the political debate had to be lowered, Albanese said: There is nothing to be served by some of the escalation of rhetoric that we see in some of our political debates, political discourse, around the democratic world.

Albanese then identified his target. Answering a journalists question about right-wing extremism and election-related violence in the US and Australia, he turned his fire directly at anti-genocide protests, not the far-right. He ramped-up his repeated denunciations of protests outside Labor members of parliaments electorate offices.

While claiming to accept peaceful demonstrations as fine, Albanese declared: Ive expressed my concern that people [who] just dismiss actions outside electorate offices. These things can escalate, which is why they need to be called out unequivocally and opposed. The sort of incidents that weve seen outside some electorate offices are inappropriate Theyve crossed the line.

In a speech on Monday, Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil was even more explicit and ominous in accusing anti-genocide protesters of threatening democracy. She charged them with terrorising politicians and adopting the methods of despots.

Speaking at the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra, ONeil said denying access to government services, terrorising politicians and their staff, painting symbols of terrorism in public spaces, smashing windows, setting buildings alightthese are the measures of autocrats, despots and tyrants.

Threateningly, as the minister in charge of national security and the domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), ONeil declared: They have no place in our democracy.

Her charges of terrorism, combined with unsubstantiated and inflammatory allegations, such as denying access to services and setting buildings alight, stink of preparations for political frame-ups and arrests.

ONeil could not point to any concrete instances of violence resulting from pro-Palestinian protests, because there have been none. Labor governments, however, have repeatedly threatened the demonstrations while directing major police mobilisations against them, some of which have involved groundless arrests and acts of police brutality.

Although ostensibly directed at events at electorate offices, ONeils accusations have a wider logic, directed against the continuing far-larger demonstrations and marches across the country over the past nine months. Their slogans and banners, such as From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, have been similarly demonised by the Labor governments and Zionist groups as advocating terrorism.

The real terrorism is being perpetrated daily by the Israeli regime, armed and defended by the US and all the imperialist governments, including Albaneses. The massacres in homes, schools, hospitals, refugee camps and aid facilities are taking to a new barbaric level decades of Zionist terrorism against the Palestinian population.

ONeil did not stop there. She insisted that the anti-genocide protests are part of a wider threat to democracy by the spread of misinformation, rise of new media platforms and foreign interference.

In keeping with the increasingly unpopular governments ever-more provocative scare campaign against Russia and China, ONeil said the government knew the nations adversaries were using information warfare and psychological methods to sow discontent and disunity in our community.

Even as she threatened the right to protest, ONeil claimed that Australia was becoming an island of democracy in a sea of autocracy.

Seeking to bolster her accusations, ONeil tried to draw a connection to last weeks still-unexplained sudden arrests of a Russian-Australian couple of vague charges of preparing for an act of espionage, supposedly on behalf of Moscow.

Just last Friday, two Russian-born Australian citizens were accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities, she said. This was the first time an espionage-related offence has been laid in Australia since new laws were introduced in 2018.

As the WSWS has pointed out, from what has been reported, this is a threadbare and politically manufactured case, apparently seeking to cultivate a wartime atmosphere against Russia.

Moreover, by insinuating the guilt of Kira and Igor Korolev, as Albanese did immediately last week, ONeil has further prejudiced any chance of a fair trial.

Writing in the Murdoch medias Australian on Monday, Albanese continued his pitch. He declared that bringing people together was important at a time of polarisation. That has always been a driving force of my government, and in a moment like this, the project of coming togetherof bridging our divides with respect and carefeels more vital than ever, he wrote.

As with Bidens pleas for unity in the USwhich Trump has also raisedthis is a political fraud. It is driven by a common fear of rising working-class disaffection with the bipartisan program of genocide, war, deteriorating living conditions and authoritarian rule. There can be no unity by workers and youth with this brutal ruling class.

In fact, the witch-hunting offensive by Albanese, ONeil and the Labor government, which threatens basic democratic rights, demonstrates the necessity for a decisive working-class break from the entire political establishment. This means turning to a revolutionary socialist program to overturn the increasingly war-mongering, crisis-ridden and dictatorial capitalist order itself.

That is the perspective of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP). We urge all our readers to use the form below to sign up as electoral members of the SEP so that we can ensure that our partys name is on the ballot for the coming federal election.
In a blatantly political ruling on Monday, federal Judge Aileen M. Cannon of the Southern District of Florida dismissed the classified documents case against Donald Trump on the grounds that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith violated the US Constitution.

Judge Aileen Cannon

The ruling is a further blow to the feeble and belated legal proceedings brought against Donald Trump and his cabal of fascist supporters, who attempted to overthrow the US Constitution and keep Trump in the White House on January 6, 2021, and his ongoing conspiracy against democratic rights in the 2024 presidential election.

In her 93-page judgment, Judge Cannon agreed with a motion by Trumps lawyers for dismissal of the grand jury indictment brought against the former president in June 2023with 32 felony counts for mishandling classified documents and eight counts for making false statements, engaging in conspiracy and obstruction of justicethat Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith without Senate approval and confirmation.

The judge also ruled that Smiths office was improperly funded by the Justice Department because it was not approved by Congress. The dismissal means that the charges against Trumps two co-defendants, Waltine Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, have also been dropped.

In her ruling, Judge Cannon wrote:

Upon careful study of the foundational challenges raised in the Motion, the Court is convinced that Special Counsels Smiths prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional schemethe role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorizing expenditures by law.

The timing of the rulingless than two days after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, two weeks after the US Supreme Court ruling in favor of Trumps claim of presidential prosecutorial immunity, and on the opening day of the Republican National Conventionmakes clear that Judge Cannon was taking advantage of the political moment.

Legal experts say the ruling will likely be overturned on appeal, in all probability ending up before the US Supreme Court. In any event, Judge Cannon is ensuring that the November election will take place without Donald Trump facing court proceedings on the documents case. Meanwhile, the three other criminal cases against him are either over or frozen.

Trumps lawyers are using aspects of the Supreme Court immunity ruling to press for dismissal of Trumps conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the hush money trial involving porn star Stormy Daniels that ended in late May, and to throw out the stalled state case concerning Trumps effort to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in Georgia. The case stemming from Trumps attempted coup of January 6, 2021 has been effectively quashed by the Supreme Courts July 1 ruling placing the president, for all practical purposes, above the law.

Judge Cannons ruling contradicts decades of precedent in US law and practice in the appointment of special counsels or special prosecutors by the Justice Department. Under a federal law passed in 1966, the attorney general has the power to appoint attorneys specially retained under authority of the Department of Justice as special assistant[s] to the attorney general or special attorney[s].

Another provision of the law, called Authority for legal proceedings; commission, oath, and salary for special attorneys, says that a lawyer appointed by the attorney general may conduct any kind of legal proceeding, civil or criminal that other US attorneys are authorized by law to conduct.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Jack Smith, said in a statement:

The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a special counsel.

Carr announced that the Justice Department had authorized an appeal of Cannons ruling.

In a New York Times Op Ed, Neal K. Katyal, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center who worked at the Justice Department in the 1990s, wrote:

Eight separate judges had already rejected the claim that Judge Cannon has now endorsed (including, by the way, the judge presiding over Hunter Bidens criminal case).

Katyal continued, Weve had special counsels and special prosecutors since at least the time of President Ulysses Grant after the Civil War.

While the US Justice Department and special prosecutor laws are by no means guarantors of democratic rights, the dismissal of the classified documents case is, like the July 1 Supreme Court ruling, a lifting of criminal liability for executive branch lawlessness, and, as such, another attack by the judiciary on democratic norms.

Judge Cannon is fully aware of previous repeated use of special counsel procedures. An entire section of her ruling is devoted to the issues involved in the 1974 Supreme Court ruling in the case United States v. Nixon during the Watergate crisis.

When special prosecutor Leon Jaworski sought to obtain President Richard Nixons Oval Office tapes, Nixon argued that, as president, he had the final say in a dispute with the Justice Department, which was part of the executive branch of government.

In its unanimous decision, the Supreme Court rejected Nixons claims and asserted that Congress has vested in the Attorney General the power to conduct the criminal litigation of the United States Government, and, It has also vested in him the power to appoint subordinate officers to assist him in the discharge of his duties.

Judge Cannons ruling advances the absurd argument that the Supreme Court ruling against Nixon did not constitute a precedent on the question of the appointment of a special prosecutor by the Justice Department.

She quotes from and supports Trumps motion that the Supreme Court language from the Nixon case about the attorney generals authority is non-binding dictum and thus should not control the Courts statutory analysis. Judge Cannon then writes that the attorney generals authority in the Nixon case was not raised, briefed, argued, or disputed before the Nixon Court, and that the Supreme Court at most assumed that the attorney general had authority without expressly ruling on it.

Another indication of the connection of Judge Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump in 2020, to far-right politics is the fact that she cited Justice Clarence Thomas concurrence from the July 1 immunity ruling in Trumps favor. In his document, which no other justices joined, Thomas said that the Nixon case only gave passing reference to the cited statutes and provided no analysis of those provisions text.

Judge Cannons ruling dismissing the charges against Trump is a continuation of her repeated interventions into the classified documents case in support of the former presidents defense team.

Trump and his co-defendants were indicted more than two years after the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) became aware that documents from the Trump White House were missing from the National Archives. Numerous efforts by NARA to retrieve 15 boxes of documents from the former president elicited false information and deliberate attempts to conceal their whereabouts.

Following a grand jury subpoena issued in May 2022, Trump certified that he would return all the documents. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined shortly thereafter that the former president had moved the boxes at his residences in Mar-a-Lago, Florida and Bedminster, New Jersey.

The FBI raided and searched Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 and found over 13,000 government documents, including 300 that were classified. At that point, Trump launched a civil lawsuit and demanded the appointment of a special master, which was granted by Judge Cannon, to review the seized documents. This ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.

In November 2022, the FBI investigation of Trumps possession of government documents was taken over by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Once the grand jury indictment was handed down, Judge Cannon sought to bring every objection by the defense, no matter how frivolous, into the courtroom for argument, instead of issuing decisions from the bench. This was a deliberate tactic intended to extend the process as much as possible and make sure it never reached a jury before the November election.
The trick attempted by the new Labour government in Wednesdays Kings Speech was to give some impression of attending to Britains deepening social crisis while reassuring big business that almost no government money will be spent.

This left Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with the task of promoting Labours grandiose claims of national renewal while insisting in the same breath that there would be no quick fix on offer for any of the problems confronting the working class.

King Charles (left) at the State Opening of Parliament, July 15, 2024 [Photo: UK Parliament/Twitter]

Austerity and cuts were hardwired into the new Labour governments legislative programme. The first bill announced by King Charles IIIthe monarch reads the speech, written by the governmentwas the Budget Responsibility Bill. This would ensure all significant tax and spending changes are subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Given that the UKs creditors will allow no increase in government debt, as was made clear by the markets torpedoing former Conservative prime minister Liz Trusss short-lived premiership for her unfunded tax cuts, and Labours promise of no additional taxes on the rich and the corporations, every other spending pledge was rendered moot.

Most high-profile has been the promise to build 1.5 million new homes this Parliament, or 300,000 a yearversus the roughly 235,000 a year built by the Conservative government in the last five. But there is no money whatsoever allocated to fund even this modest increase. It relies entirely upon a directive issued to local authorities to drum up private development, with a minor increase in the number of planning staff and a loosening of restrictions on planning law.

The homes built by the private sector are overwhelmingly at market rates, well beyond the means of most. Social housing providers like local councils and housing associations have had their budgets eviscerated.

A letter sent by the National Housing Federation (NHF), representing 600 housing associations, and the Local Government Association during the election campaign warned of a 2.2 billion black hole in housing budgets and pleaded for additional funding, warning, New-build projects are already being delayed and cancelled across the country due to significant financial pressures and uncertainty.

Much of Labours agenda has been taken over lock-stock-and-barrel from its Tory predecessors. The 300,000 homes a year target was announced in Boris Johnsons 2019 manifesto, though never achieved and dropped at the end of 2022 under pressure from Tory backbenchers.

Plans to grant renters more rights against their landlordsnotably ending no-fault evictionswere being slowly marched through parliament by Michael Gove but were ground to a halt by the landlord interest among MPs. Rishi Sunaks government was also in the process of enacting the rolling age ban on smoking, now put forward by Labour, when he announced the snap election.

Labours plan for a state-managed Great British Railways organisation overseeing train services is near identical to the scheme established by then Tory transport secretary Grant Shappsworking with prominent businessman Keith Williams, who has endorsed the new governments strategy.

The additional step planned by Labour of allowing the various regional franchises run by private operators to return to public ownership at the end of their contracts has been accepted as inevitable by all but the most frothing free market Tory MPs. Private franchises have been a disaster, with four networks already abandoned by their owners and now run by the government.

Starmers plan, in other words, is for a more smooth-running capitalism, shorn of some of the most egregious abuses and parasitic excesses developed under 14 years of Tory rule, the better to maintain the brutal exploitation of workers, underfunding of public services and a punitive welfare regime.

Nothing was said in the Kings Speech, for example, about the crippling crisis in the National Health Serviceonly anodyne promises to reduce the waiting times, focus on prevention and improve mental health provision. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made clear this reduction in waiting times is based on stepped-up privatisation and enforcing longer hours of work for NHS staff.

Nor was there even a passing reference to the looming bankruptcies facing councils, schools and universities across the countrya signal that Labour will allow this to proceed.

One of the few mentions of education was a reference to how removing the VAT sales tax exemption from private schools would fund 6,500 new teachersin a sector suffering the worst staff burnout and retention crisis in its history, in buildings falling apart for lack of maintenance. The new staff promised by Labour will not be enough to replace the numbers expected to be leaving the profession every single year after just 12 months in the job by the middle of this parliament.

Similarly hollow is the pledge to found Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean power company headquartered in Scotland, which will help accelerate investment in renewable energy such as offshore wind. It will supposedly achieve these ends, in alliance with the private sector of course, with just 8.3 billion over five years.

There was no serious reference at all to povertyaffecting roughly one in five people in the UKor Britains welfare system. Despite noises from some Labour backbenchers, no reference was made to ending the two-child benefit cap, preventing households from claiming universal credit or child tax credit for a third or any subsequent child.

Dozens more cruel restrictions and caps could be listed for scrapping, but the brutal architecture of welfare payments established by the Tories will be in safe hands under Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendal, a Blairite who used the election campaign to challenge Tory claims about being tough on benefits and rail against life on benefits.

Labours preferred method for dealing with the consequences of poverty and inequality is police repression, with the government promising to make streets safer and give the police greater powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. It intends to hire an additional 3,000 police officers and 4,000 police community support officers.

The most vicious law-and-order rhetoric was directed against asylum seekers. The Kings Speech reiterated Labours commitment to strengthen the border by establishing a new Border Security Command and delivering enhanced counter terror powers.

Measures meant to provide a progressive window dressing to Labours new government were a transparent fraud.

The pledge to introduce a new deal for working people to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights referred to an Employment Rights Bill promised in the partys manifesto rammed full of loopholes and pruned by the day. Among them is the rewritten promise to end only exploitative zero hours contracts, rather than the practice altogether.

Plans to scrap the Minimum Service Level (Strikes) Billbut not any of the older anti-strike lawsare bound up with Labours strategy for closer corporatist collaboration with the trade union bureaucracy to suppress strikes, as has already begun with the British Medical Association over the junior doctors action and with Unite calling off strike action over the closure of Tata Steel at Port Talbot, Wales.

There is no reason to believe that even the paltry agenda set out by Starmers Labour Party will be met, given the crisis-ridden world situation and the governments total commitment to British imperialism and its escalating, ever more expensive, wars.

Starmer has, for example, pledged his support for a refitting of Britains nuclear weapons and to lift military spending to 2.5 percent of GDP when possible. The Kings Speech announced the establishment of a new statutory position of Armed Forces Commissioner to act as a strong independent champion for our gallant Armed Forces and their families, to keep these commitments on track.

Labour conclude the speech with the pledge that Its commitment to NATO will remain unshakeable. It will maintain a strong Armed Forces, including the nuclear deterrent to match global strategic threats. This included continuing to give its full support to Ukraine and playing a leading role in providing Ukraine with a clear path to NATO membership, as well as committing to a secure Israel.
Medical workers encourage a 4-year-old child diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) after the injection of Spinraza at a hospital in Zaozhuang, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 1, 2022. China is striving to improve the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health campaigner Wang Yi'ou has beautiful eyes, albeit a little different from the norm; the whites of her eyes, known as the sclera, are tinted blue. Behind this unique feature lies a heartbreaking reason: she has a rare medical condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease.

Attending the third conference of the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday, Wang didn't take the podium only as a patient of this rare disease, but also as someone devoted to helping others suffering the same misfortune.

As the founder of the Beijing-based Illness Challenge Foundation, Wang recounted her experience of establishing the foundation and helping other rare-disease patients at one of the conference's sub-forums, which focused specifically on the topic of rare diseases. Her speech won the applause of all those present.

According to the definition from the World Health Organization, rare diseases are medical conditions that affect 0.065 to 0.1 percent of the world's total population. Rare-disease patients face three major hardships: difficulties in diagnosis, limited access to medication, and hefty drug prices.

In China, more than 20 million people are suffering from rare medical conditions.

With increased attention on rare diseases in the country, China has made much progress in tackling such diseases in recent years. During the process, social organizations like the Illness Challenge Foundation, medical institutions and relevant authorities have all made due contributions.

A notable achievement in this regard is the establishment of a medical service network for rare diseases. In 2019, 324 medical institutions designated by China's National Health Commission were embodied in this system, allowing them to cooperate on rare-disease diagnosis, and receiving and treating patients. The network now consists of 419 medical institutions nationwide.

This system has greatly reduced the time before patients receive a definitive diagnosis of their illnesses. "The average time to definitive diagnosis has been shortened from four years to less than four weeks," said Zhang Shuyang, president of Peking Union Medical Hospital, the leading medical institution in the network.

The rarity of drugs is another matter that has long troubled patients suffering from rare illnesses. It is estimated that of the some 7,000 rare diseases identified so far, less than 10 percent of them can be treated with specific drugs.

In order to address the patients' needs, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) gives priority to such drugs in assessment and approval procedures, said Geng Ying, an official of the NMPA Center for Drug Evaluation.

In addition, to ensure the timely provision of drugs for patients, the administration has teamed up with social organizations and other departments to source much-needed medicines.

In 2021, a patient suffering from paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare blood disorder, was unable to continue procuring a medicine for the disease. The administration worked jointly with parties including Peking Union Medical Hospital and pharmaceutical companies to search for substitute drugs, and eventually made a brand-new drug developed in Switzerland available for compassionate use at the hospital.

To alleviate the patients of their financial burdens, China has also expanded the coverage of its medical insurance. Earlier this year, 15 rare disease drugs have been incorporated into an updated catalog of medicines covered by China's national medical insurance, resulting in more urgently needed drugs being accessible at lower prices.

For instance, the price of a medicine for treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare illness that affects kidney function and causes abnormal blood clots, has been cut from over 20,000 yuan (about 2,804 U.S. dollars) a dose to around 1,000 yuan per dose.

Despite these achievements, experts noted that there is still much to be done in improving the lives of rare-disease patients.

Zhang, also vice chairperson of China Alliance for Rare Diseases (CARD), urged increased efforts to conduct epidemiological investigations and create a map of rare-disease case distribution in China to support the development and implementation of relevant policies.

Li Linkang, executive chairperson of the CARD, called on the general public to gain a greater understanding of rare diseases and illuminate the world of rare-disease patients with compassion and love.

"Caring for patients with rare diseases can rekindle their sense of hope," Li added. 
Supporters attend an Ashura ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted." (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues.

In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted."

He denied rumors about an agreement to be reached regarding the Lebanese front, stressing that "the future of the situation in the south will be decided in light of the results of the battle" in Gaza.

"If the war stops, the party responsible for negotiating is the Lebanese state," said Nasrallah.

In addition, Nasrallah accused America of "bearing full responsibility" for the killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army because it supplied weapons.

The leader also vowed to rebuild villages and towns destroyed in the confrontations.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 

Supporters attend an Ashura ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted." (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Supporters listen to a televised speech of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during an Ashura ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted." (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Supporters attend an Ashura ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted." (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Supporters attend an Ashura ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. In a televised speech marking the Islamic holy day of Ashura, Nasrallah warned Israel against "going too far" in targeting civilians in southern Lebanon, saying it will push its group "to launch missiles and target new settlements that were not previously targeted." (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Smoke billows following a missile attack from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Smoke billows following a missile attack from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Smoke billows following a missile attack from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

An Israeli firefighter tries to extinguish a fire caused by a missile attack from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Smoke billows following a missile attack from Lebanon, in the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, on July 17, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Lebanon's war with Israel will not stop as long as the offensive against Gaza continues. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)
Fashion at RNC in Milwaukee features 'so much red, white and blue'

The 2024 Republican National Convention has kicked off in Milwaukee, and, to show their support for former President Donald Trump, attendees demonstrating their passion through patriotic fashion.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff took to the streets to find the RNC's boldest outfits and hear the stories behind them. Here's a look at what people are wearing during the convention:

Attendees wore outfits featuring 'so much red, white and blue.'

Marliza Melzer on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

During the convention, Marliza Melzer sported a sequined red, white and blue cowboy hat with an American flag scarf on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention. "I just went shopping for red, white and blue before I came, and I've never had so much red, white and blue in my life."

Melzer is a delegate alternate for the state of Washington. On Tuesday, she was headed to convention proceedings after a Moms for Liberty event.

RNC attendee Duane Schwingel dressed as Uncle Sam on the second day of the convention.

Duane Schwingel, an RNC attendee, was dressed in the spirit of Uncle Sam. Schwingel wore a bandage over his ear, honoring former President Trump, and he scribbled "Fight, Fight, Fight" on the cloth.

The American Flag was everything, from skirts and scarves to pants.

Susan Reneau poses for a photo between events at the Republican National Convention.

Gail Stanart posed for a photo with a cowboy hat and a red, white and blue jacket.

Attendee Gail Stanart wears an outfit featuring red, white and blue on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Susan Reneau regularly dons her American flag skirt when shes home in Montana, but for the Republican National Convention, she decorated her denim vest in political pins.

On the second day of the RNC, Annie Garrett strolled through Convention Fest wearing a festive pair of American flag jeans. She arrived at the convention as a guest of the state of Delaware. Garrett spends a lot of her time working on the Reawaken America tour and other conservative policy efforts.

Seeing Trump was Garrett's highlight of the first day: "It was good to see him live and in person with his ear covered, and also some of the speakers were great."

Jay Kremmerer's star-spangled button-up shirt was selected by his wife, who dressed him for the day. He told reporters that she had the exact same outfit on with a bright red pair of pants. "I like the spirit of it, he said.

RELATED: Who is the band playing at the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee?

RELATED: This Wisconsin pastor gave one heck of a Donald Trump impression at the RNC in Milwaukee Monday

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What people are wearing to the RNC in Milwaukee
TAIPEI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Local environmentalists have expressed concern about a large-scale coral bleaching in the southern and eastern waters off the coast of Taiwan, which has been occurring since June due to a prolonged heat wave.

Elaine Chen, secretary-general of Taiwan Eco-Angel Environmental Conservation Association, told local media that divers have detected coral bleaching in waters off the coast of Kenting in southern Taiwan as well as around Little Liuqiu, Orchid, and Green islands since June.

Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association, another environmental nongovernmental organization, also reported instances of coral bleaching in June and July.

When the seawater temperature exceeds 28 degrees Celsius for two weeks, symbiotic algae within coral polyps emit toxins that are harmful to coral polyps, causing them to expel from the coral and revealing transparent coral polyps with white coral skeletons. The phenomenon is commonly known as coral bleaching.

According to Lee Kun-hsien, a volunteer with the Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association, the seawater temperature around Little Liuqiu Island typically ranges from 28 to 29 degrees Celsius during the summer, but it has consistently been between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius since June of this year.

He warned that if high temperatures persists after bleaching, corals are likely to die.

The previous large-scale coral bleaching around Taiwan occurred in 2020. Bleaching will result in short-term harm to coral reefs but with time and a favorable environment, most healthy and stable coral reefs will gradually recover.

Noting that bleached coral reefs are extremely vulnerable, environmentalists have called for reduced human activities near the reefs and greater measures to prevent and control seawater pollution.

According to Lu Shiau-yun, chief of the island's ocean affairs department, a draft of a coral conservation action plan is being developed and is expected to be released this year or the next. She said that the department is collaborating with academic institutions to continue monitoring this issue. 
Six years ago, Michelada Fest started out of an empty parking lot in Pilsen when Fernando Nieto said he realized that most of the street festivals in the neighborhood were organized by non-Latinos. With some help from friends and community members, he created a festival to celebrate Mexican culture.

Thousands of people showed up the first year, forming lines to try the namesake drink of beer mixed with spice and tomato juice while enjoying a Chicago summer day. Its growth since then has been exponential, sometimes challenged but also celebrated.

Miche Fest, short for Michelada Festival, is now one of Chicagos largest Latino music festivals, bringing together thousands of people from all over the city and featuring world-renowned artists who speak to different generations of Latinos.

For the first time since its inception, the festival this last weekend no longer took place in Pilsen. Miche Fest was at Oakwood Beach, and featured Kali Uchis, Los Angeles Azules, Junior H and a number of other Mexican American regional artists that have been charting hits.

The transition solidified the event as a musical festival and fulfilled Nieto and his partner Miguel Torres dream of becoming one of the few Latino promoters and event organizers in the city, he said. Many attendees compared it to Suenos, a festival backed by the city of Chicago and organized by Lollapalooza promoters.

As Nieto overlooked the crowd and the festival grounds from the main stage  with Chicagos skyline as the background and the blue of Lake Michigan surrounding them  he reflected on their beginnings.

Were doing this, he said, crediting the staff.

Both Nieto and Torres are South Side natives and children of Mexican immigrants.

Nieto, who was born and raised in Pilsen, began organizing festivals in 2013 out of his love for the music scene and his culture, he said. It started with My House Music Festival, Pilsen Taco Fest, Dia de la Concha and others mostly funded by grassroots groups, friends, and volunteers.

Miche Fest took his vision to a whole different level, he said.

We outgrew it almost immediately, he recalls. When they first hosted Miche Fest in Harrison Park in 2019 from the parking lot near Cermack Road, he was proud because that park is where he played as a child and where his daughter plays softball. He partnered with Torres right around that time, with hopes of growing it even more.

Theres not a lot of Latino organizers in the city and as a community, we are underrepresented even if we have one of the largest Latino demographics in the country, Nieto said. Ive always been an advocate that the South Side can have really cool events too, not everything needs to be in the Grant Park of the North Side.

Torres shares that same vision.

His inspiration, he said, comes from his father, a former community leader who advocated for more Latino representation in union jobs around the city.

So their partnership was organic, the two said.

Ive always had this passion to make sure that things that I do are impactful, not only for financial purposes, but also for the community, Torres said. Though he was born in Brighton Park, he was mostly raised in Pilsen, where he is now also a small business owner.

We both mutually knew what this meant for the city, for our community, and we both carry that heavily on our backs, Torres said.

Despite the summer heat and some storm warnings that delayed the start of the second day this year, the festival went on, ending with a fireworks show while their headliner, Junior H, sang El Azul, one of his top hits.

It felt like a dream, Rosy Sanchez said. While some complained about the wait times to get in and some logistics inside the festival, for the most part, attendees were excited about the Michelada Fest-turned-beach party, this time featuring two stages and an elevated VIP experience, all far from the few blocks of Michelada stands in Pilsen six years ago.

Nieto credits its success to that: We bring artists that our parents love, those that we learned to appreciate, while also keeping up with the younger generation.

When the festival was first hosted in Harrison Park, the entry fee was only $5. At the time it mostly featured more local artists.

Imagine what it meant to have Bronco play in your backyard? Torres asked. Bronco is a Mexican grupero band originating from Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, Mexico that was popular in the 80s and 90s. It was one of the first few top bookings Nieto and the team landed in 2022.

Thats when the number of attendees took off, causing some of their Pilsen neighbors to complain that the festival was blocking park access and parking for residents, as well as harming the environment.

At the time, Nieto and Torres attempted to dialogue with residents, offering free tickets, creating space for local vendors and hiring youth for the event.

But as much as we love Pilsen, we outgrew it and we knew we needed more space, Nieto said.

Attendance was reported as more than 10,000 per day.

Putting a music festival together is not easy, and perhaps not even very financially rewarding, Nieto said. The two recognize that financial risks are high, sometimes even causing them to lose money over the years, but their aspirations and vision are much bigger.

I do it because my mom calls me terco, (stubborn). A dreamer, he said. I take a lot of pride in having the Latino name during those conversations and negotiations.

Torres said he hopes their commitment to creating the festival space can have a generational impact that inspires other young Latinos to do the same.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
This image released by FX shows Eita Okuno as Saeki Nobutatsu, from left, Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko, Hiromoto Ida as Kiyama Ukon Sadanaga in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Bear went on a tear at Wednesday mornings Emmy nominations with a comedy-series record 23, and Shogun led all nominees with 25 in a dominant year across categories for FX.

Nominations for the The Bear," up for its second season in which its rag-tag band of sandwich makers tries to create an elite restaurant, included best comedy series and best actor in a comedy series for Jeremy Allen White  both awards it won at Januarys strike-delayed ceremony  along with best actress for Ayo Edebiri, who won best supporting actress last time around.

It was also boosted by a bounty of guest acting nominations, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Olivia Colman, two of many Oscar winners who landed nominations.

Shogun took full advantage of the absence of last years top three nominees  Succession, The White Lotus and The Last of Us  to dominate in drama and give FX, with 93 overall nominations, the kind of strong year often reserved for HBO, which even in this off year received 91.

Its nominations included best drama series, best actress in a drama series for Anna Sawai and best actor for Hiroyuki Sanada.

The show shook up the drama race when its makers said in May that despite reaching the end of the story of James Clavells novel about political machinations in early 17th century Japan, they would explore making more than one season, shifting the critical darling from the limited series category to the more prestigious drama one.

True Detective: Night Country was a bright spot for HBO, which lost Succession to retirement and is between seasons on The White Lotus and The Last of Us.

The show, a semi-spinoff of the True Detective franchise, led all limited or anthology series nominees with 19, including a best actress nomination for Jodie Foster for playing a police chief investigating mysterious deaths in the darkness of a north Alaskan winter.

Kali Reis, who plays Fosters investigating partner and rival on the show and is nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series, joins Lily Gladstone, in the same category for Under the Bridge, as the first Indigenous women to get Emmy acting nominations. DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai of Reservation Dogs becomes the first Indigenous actor to be recognized for lead with his best actor in a comedy nom.

The only previous Indigenous acting nominee, according to Variety, was August Schellenberg, who received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his performance as Sitting Bull in the HBO TV movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

True Detective is expected to vie for the best limited series Emmy with Fargo, which had 15 nominations and gives FX a shot at a triple crown if its favorites win drama and comedy series.

Netflix has its own pair of contenders in the category. Baby Reindeer became a minor cultural phenomenon and Emmy upstart in recent months. It got 11 nominations, including best actor for star and creator Richard Gadd. Ripley, a black-and-white retelling of Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, got 13 nominations including acting nods for Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning. The shows along dozens of acknowledgements in craft and comedy special categories, helped Netflix lead all outlets with 107 nominations.

Foster was another of the Academy Award winners to get Emmy nods, along with fellow multiple Oscar winner Meryl Streep, up for best supporting actress in a comedy for Only Murders in the Building; reigning best supporting actor winner Robert Downey Jr., up for best supporting actor in a limited series for playing several characters in The Sympathizer; and Gary Oldman, up for best actor in a drama series for Slow Horses.

Only Murders, a perennial Emmy nominee for Hulu with few wins, outdid itself this year with 21, behind only Shogun and The Bear. Leads Steve Martin and Martin Short were nominated for best actor, and, in her first Emmy nomination as a performer, Selena Gomez got a nod for best actress.

Old Emmy favorites also returned. Jon Hamm, who had one Emmy from 16 previous nominations, most of them for Mad Men, got two nominations, one for actor in a limited or anthology series for Fargo and another for supporting actor in a drama for The Morning Show. His Morning Show castmate Jennifer Aniston is considered by many the favorite to win the best drama actress Emmy to go with the comedy actress trophy she won for Friends.

And four-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub has a shot at his fifth for reprising his role as Adrian Monk in Mr. Monks Last Case: A Monk Movie.

Former Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids co-stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph each landed best actress in a comedy noms for Apple TV+ shows about wealthy women: Wiig for Palm Royale and Rudolph for Loot. Each also were nominated for their returns to host SNL.

Getting back to its traditional schedule, the show will be held Sept. 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and air on ABC.

Many still-airing shows didnt fall into this years eligibility window of June 2023 through May 2024, whether because of streaming and elite cable calendar quirks or the strikes  including House of the Dragon, Bridgerton, Yellowjackets and Severance.

And, as happened last year, The Bear has had an entire new season drop after the one that its nominated for on Hulu, the FX streaming partner that was a major driver of viewers and voters for its shows.

The Crown with 19 nominations and Hacks with 16 each make triumphant returns to the Emmys after their own years off. Each had especially acclaimed seasons.

Elizabeth Debicki is considered the closest thing in these Emmys to a lock to win best supporting actress in a drama for playing Princess Diana in the last days before her death in the sixth and final season of The Crown.

And Jean Smart will vie with Edebiri for best actress in a comedy for the third season of Hacks, in which her comedian Deborah Vance tries to land a late-night show.

Quinta Brunson also was nominated in the category. ABC's Abbott Elementary, which she also created, remains a driver of Emmy diversity with another slate of Black acting nominees, including Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams. And it remains the lone bright spot in the major categories for shows from traditional broadcast networks.

Ralph and fellow Emmy winner Tony Hale announced the nominations Wednesday morning.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Netflix was the leading outlet with 107 nominations, not FX with 93.

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For more coverage on this years Emmy Awards and recent television shows, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/television
Warning: Discussion of abuse.

Will Smith was photographed smiling away on a yacht with Johnny Depp, and, quite frankly, Ive had it.

Apparently, the two were hanging out, as they are both special guests at Andrea Bocellis 30th Anniversary Concert in Tuscany. Which, sure. Sure! Johnny Depp is one of the only people who can play guitar, after all!

Jim Dyson / Getty Images

Its not the first time Smith and Depp have hung out in recent years  they were photographed embracing last year in Saudi Arabia.

Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival

Almost a whole year after 2022's Depp v. Heard brought about the worst campaign of online misogyny and misinformation Ive ever seen.

Steve Helber / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

I was there, I remember it! I remember how a man who lost a libel case against the Sun calling him a wife beater, during which a judge found that 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence against Heard had occurred, was able to (successfully!) argue that an article where she simply referred to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse was defamatory.

Consolidated News Pictures / Getty Images

I firmly believe Heard will find her place in groveling, we-were-so-wrong media reexaminations in future years, but I dont care to wait that long. Even though I know it is entirely likely that my inbox will be filled with unhinged content from the moment this is published.

Ernesto Ruscio / Getty Images

I dont care! It shouldnt be a hot take to say, Hey man, maybe stop normalizing hanging out with people who text, 'I will fuck her her (sic) burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead, and Ill smack the ugly cunt around before I let her in. Believe me, Ive cut out plenty of men in my own personal life, and somehow I still live.

Dave Benett / Dave Benett / WireImage

Shortly after the trial concluded, I spoke to a counselor about why a public comeback of Depp would be hurtful to survivors. "It reinforces this idea that abusers are not held accountable, that nobody will believe [survivors] and they shouldn't speak up," she told me. "It's another slap in the face."

"Especially for survivors of color, who are further marginalized because of their intersecting identities," she continued. "It reinforces what the abuser is saying: 'Do you see what happened to a rich person? Nobody's going to believe you.' So they tend to stay." Dave Benett / WireImage

Honestly, this opinion piece barely even goes out to Smith, or Bocelli for that matter. They are the mere tips of the iceberg of a culture that normalizes men accused of serious abuse. Hey, look at St. Vincent posing with Depp last month! Hey, look at Depp being the face of Diors Sauvage! While were at it, hey, look at whos running for president!

I just refuse to sit here and act like it isnt absolutely freakish behavior.

f you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here .
Where is Barron Trump now? What we know

Barron Trump is the youngest of Former President Donald Trump's five children and all eyes are on him as he embarks on a new chapter of adulthood.

The 18-year old Trump recently appeared at his first-ever campaign rally on July 9, with a smile on his face and fist-pumps in the air, in support of his dad's presidential run.

"He's now going to college, got into every college he wanted to," Donald Trump said during the rally. "He made his choice and he is a very good guy."

After a standing ovation for Barron Trump during the rally, Donald Trump joked Youre pretty popular, he might be more popular than Don and Eric, we gotta talk about this." (Don and Eric are Barron's older brothers.)

Barron Trump was not present at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when a shooter attempted to assassinate his father. Two people were killed, including the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks and a spectator, Corey Comperatore. Two others were injured.

The youngest Trump, has also remained absent during this week's Republican Convention.

Where is Barron Trump?

While Melania Trump has fiercely protected and sheltered their son while growing up from the public spotlight of his father's fame, politics and scandals, it was announced in May that Barron would be a Florida delegate at the RNC convention, alongside his siblings Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany.

His mother almost instantly shot that down in a statement released by her office at that time; While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments."

Barron Trump moved into the White House when he was only 10 years old. But now, as his father makes another run for the white house, he is eyeing colleges for the next four years.

At this time, Barron Trump is not expected to make an appearance at the RNC convention this week.

Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending issues across the Mid-Atlantic region.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Where is Barron Trump now? What we know
What's your favorite fast food?

That's the question USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards recently posed to readers. Now, the results are in  and officially broken down in this reader-ranked list of the Top 10 U.S. fast food restaurants released Wednesday morning.

Not all of the top-ranked eateries are in Larimer County, but here are five you can try locally.

No. 10: Arby's

Arby's, pictured in this Coloradoan file photo, is known for roast beef sandwiches and seasoned curly fries.

The Georgia-based sandwich chain has two locations in Fort Collins:

3460 S. College Ave.

1872 N. College Ave.

No. 7: Taco Bell

Craving a Crunchwrap Supreme? Join the club, and head to any of these Fort Collins Taco Bells:

1527 W. Elizabeth St.

1530 S. College Ave.

4100 S. College Ave.

1227 E. Magnolia St.

1101 Centre Ave Mall (Lory Student Center)

From the Coloradoan vault: The tale of Fort Collins' Taco Bell house

No. 4: In-N-Out Burger

While not technically in Fort Collins, In-N-Out Burger opened its first Northern Colorado location late last year in Loveland, 1450 Fall River Drive. What's more? The burger chain also has its eyes set on Timnath.

No. 3: Chick-fil-A

Cars line up for the drive-thru at Chic-fil-A in Fort Collins, Colo. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.

The popular chicken chain has drive-thrus in Fort Collins (3605 S. College Ave.) and nearby Timnath (4531 Weitzel St.).

No. 2: KFC

Craving some Kentucky Fried Chicken in Northern Colorado? The popular chain has two Fort Collins locations:

1227 E. Magnolia St.

4001 S. College Ave.

Fort Collins restaurants: Here are the eateries that have opened, closed so far this summer

The full Top 10 fast food restaurants list

Del Taco KFC Chick-fil-A In-N-Out Burger Hardee's Captain D's Taco Bell Popeyes Zaxby's Arby's

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fast-food chains with Larimer County stores named among top 10 in US
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Green window pane doors leading to outside

Graphic designer Victoria Herrera had dabbled in interior design when she decorated her Mexico City apartment from scratch and filled it entirely with finds from local markets. But when she purchased a plot of land by Lake Atitlan near her mothers home in Guatemala, there wasnt yet an interior to decoratedesigning and building the house would be entirely up to her.

view of outdoor staircase with green door

green window pane door opening

The material selection for the house was based on what was available at the local hardware store. The front door is just a standard steel door, the kind of thing that would be at the front of a storage unit or a random shop, says Herrera. People helping me with construction kept asking, What do you mean? Why dont you want a beautiful front door? And I had to keep saying, This is beautiful to me!

I have so much respect for architecture, so in many ways I thought I had no business doing this, recalls Herrera. But taking inspiration from the areas traditional building techniques inspired her. The construction style of the small Mayan villages around the lake is simple, functional, and of another time, she says. Think: concrete blocks and metal doors. The approach helped make the construction affordable and the look completely trendproof. I was able to root [the design] in something that felt more important than aesthetics, says Herrera.

view of three levels of the home

To begin, Herrera used the software she was most familiar with as a graphic designerAdobe Illustratorto make the house plans, then had an architect review them before breaking ground. For construction, she leaned on her mother, who lives in the area and knows plumbers and electricians, and a local pro contractor, Alfredo Quiche, who brought in experienced local bricklayers. Electricity is not easily available, so the construction of this home was done without any power tools, says Herrera. Plus Lake Atitlan is surrounded by volcanoes, so digging isnt easy work. It was incredible to watch how efficiently the construction team broke through layers of volcanic rocks by hand to lay the foundation of the house, she notes.

boucle seating near kitchen in concrete living room

In the kitchen, the poured concrete sink was modeled after local pilas, wash basins that people do their laundry in.

After the design was set, there were still some surprises during construction. We really wanted to preserve trees on the property, but in order to save these two large avocado trees, we had to incorporate a large hill of lava rock, says Herrera. What I thought would be a flat, single-story house ended up being a cool elevation change that led to a sunken living room design. The pivot ended up creating 17-foot-high ceilings in the living room, which makes the 600-square-foot home feel exponentially larger than it would have otherwise. It almost has a cathedral-like quality now, says Herrera.

Another way Herrera added the feeling of more square footage to her small structure: making sure the outside acted as an additional living space. From a plunge pool to a rooftop firepit, the outdoor area is designed for relaxing.

start art in nook near window

rock staircase in backyard

Everything in the house is made by local artisans: My mom has been collecting local art for years, and I was able to pull from her collections.

Another design choice contributing to the small spaces grandiose feel? Nooks. Instead of embracing the open layout trend, Herrera divided the home up into even smaller areas defined by their function: cooking, dining, lounging, and sleeping. It makes you feel like you can really spend the whole day here, even though its so small, she says.

Herreras favorite spot in the house is this meditation nook: I meditate for 10 to 20 minutes every single day, so having a spot where I could get comfortable next to a big window was very important to me.

open window of meditation window seat

nooks next to meditation window seat

When construction was nearing completion, Herrera finally got to dive into decorating. To discover local treasures, she didnt have to go far: My mom and I would jump in the car and drive around the lake for hours, just stopping whenever something felt interesting. Together, they discovered a hole in the wall shop with piles of ceramics that they used to outfit the kitchen. Plus they had their choice of textiles. Guatemalan textiles are really special because each region has its own, explains Herrera. For example, the 12 villages surrounding the lake each has its own unique handwoven textile patterns.

The house is basically a giant concrete box, so it needs lots of light, says Herrera, who took inspiration from American artist James Turrell when designing the bedroom skylight.

interior concrete staircase with green railing

concrete shower with green window panes

All of the wood is conacaste, a local tropical type Herrera chose for its warmth, prominent graining, and slightly red undertones. I love the way it contrasts with the concrete and the green paint color, she says.

After the home was completed, next came the most important part: Herrera worked with a Mayan shaman and family friend to bless the structure. The volcanoes have life, so out of respect, you ask permission to be there and to modify the land and to bless your existence going forward, she explains. Everything in this house is to honor local traditions, from the materials to the spiritual practice.
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Credit: Alamy / John Bentley

Bod has proven it has more to offer than majestic scenery. Situated on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea, the remote town has been designated a European Capital of Culture for 2024, becoming the first destination above the Arctic Circle to receive the accolade.

A decade ago, said John Henderson on BBC Travel, the "sleepy" town was known among Norwegians as "Boring Bod", and its biggest "claim to fame" was its military base. Now, Bod (pronounced "buddha") has transformed itself into "one of the fastest growing places in Norway", dotted with high-end restaurants and galleries.

This is no accident. After its Nato airbase moved elsewhere, the town had to "create a new identity" through tourism, said Andrew Eames on the i news site. Without a historic downtown (much of Bod was "obliterated" by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War) this wasn't easy. But the town has gradually developed into a vibrant cultural hub, a journey that was kickstarted by the construction of the gleaming white Stormen Concert Hall and library on the waterfront in 2014.

The winning combination of nature and culture certainly set Bod apart. Throughout the year, the town and surrounding region will host more than 1,000 exhibitions, concerts and events, including Nordland's first-ever light festival in November. If you're lucky, you might even catch the northern lights.

What to do

Consider taking a tour boat out to Saltstraumen  one of the world's strongest tidal currents. A few minutes after leaving the harbour things get "seriously swirly", said Susan d'Arcy in The Times, as up to 400 million cubic metres of seawater forces its way through the strait every six hours. "Hydrotherapy pools will seem awfully tame" after the experience, but don't worry: "It's mesmerising rather than scary."

It's also well worth visiting Beddingen Culture House. The former boat showroom has been transformed into an outstanding live music and theatre venue, and attracts a "trendy crowd that looks like the call back audition for a Nordic noir thriller".

Be sure to try one of Bod's saunas (ideally at sunset). The "architecturally striking" Pust and more "rustic" Fauna Sauna are the best options, said Ben Olsen in Conde Nast Traveller. Both have wood-burning stoves and windows that look out over the harbour.

The "heavy-weight contender" of Bod's museum scene is the Norwegian Aviation Museum, said the i news site. Among the "remarkable collection" of military aircraft is a famous U2 spy plane that once "almost caused Bod to be obliterated by Russia".

Where to dine and drink

Head to Bjork to try northern Norway's traditional dish of stockfish (cod that's been dried in the open air on giant wooden racks). Served with "bacon lardons dripping in oil" and "roast potatoes slathered in aioli", it's the "sink-in sofa of comfort food", said The Times.

If it's killer views you're after, you can't go wrong with Roast. Located on the 17th floor of the Scandic Havet Hotel, the restaurant offers sweeping vistas of Bod along with "culinary fireworks". Expect "wickedly rich" dishes; the cod with a beurre blanc is "well worth the digestive workout".

For something a bit more casual, said Conde Nast Traveller, drop by at Bryggerikaia for a hearty bowl of fish soup washed down with locally brewed beer. Situated within a former brewery, the "stylish spot" has become a "local institution" thanks to its tasty seafood-focused menu and prime waterfront location. Over the summer months there's also an outdoor terrace and barbecue: one of the best spots for soaking up Bod's "lively harbour-side atmosphere".

Where to stay

Manshausen consists of a "spectacular" collection of sea cabins that promise a "secluded sanctuary" in the midst of the Grtyleia strait, said Conde Nast Traveller. You'll need to take a scenic ferry ride or drive for four hours to get here but the journey is well worth it. Days are easy to fill; activities nearby span everything from kayaking and scuba diving to hiking and fishing.

"Hands down the best place to stay" in Bod is the Wood Hotel, said The Times. Less than a 10-minute drive from the city centre, the hillside property features "clean-lined minimalist" rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows revealing panoramic views across Bod, Vestfjorden and the Brvasstindene mountains.
'Very Hepburn (Audrey), they're smart enough for a formal day do, but also good on holiday,' says Armstrong of turned-down brims - Sarah Brick

Plus: Lisa solves your fashion dilemmas below

If melanoma anxiety or an incipient pile-up of wrinkles has been making you think for years, I must get a sun hat, your inescapable, no-excuses date with destiny is here.

Last year it was all about the 1996 bucket hat. Great if youre a Gallagher brother and it is 1996. Otherwise, not without issues. Before that? Fedoras, panamas, fedoras, panamas  and brims the size of Ecuador, entirely conceived for Instagram. Enough said.

Straw hat, 35, Peak and Brim

Straw hat, 35, Peak and Brim

I love a fedora and a panama but theyre not for everyone, and like any straw hat, can feel itchy. I have a solution for the latter problem  wrap a silk scarf round your hair, pull it quite low on your hairline and tie it at the back before popping the hat on. Eliminates all scratching, plus, if you have short hair which can disappear completely under a hat, the scarf tails add balance, the way a ponytail might. The scarf also protects your hair from being roughed up by the straw. Brilliant, if I say so myself.

Straw hat, 19.50, Marks & Spencer

This year is a wide-open, all-inclusive hat fest. The fedora is of course a peerless classic. Ditto the panama. But running them both close in the popularity stakes are big  but not pantomime big  brims. Jasper Conran has turned-down brims in cobalt, emerald, red and bright pink that match his silk wrap dresses. Very Hepburn (Audrey), theyre smart enough for a formal day do, but also good on holiday. Unless one lives in a mansion with vast walk-in dressing rooms, hats need to multitask.

Wide brim hat, 65, Jasper Conran

Woven paper hat, 45, John Lewis

Cotton bucket hat, 32, Free People

Other styles are available. Boaters and flattish broad brims with deeper crowns and ties are back  also very Hepburn (Katharine), with more protection than a fedora.

Ten years ago I never gave my decolletage one iota of a nanoseconds thought. Now my thoughts are more often with my neck and vicinity than I ever imagined or wanted them to be. The more that well-meaning PRs invite me to try out increasingly exotic-sounding cures for crepes-Suzette necks and chests, the more I realise a broad brims the answer.

For maximum versatility, VV Rouleaux, the legendary London trims-and-buttons emporium, has VV Chapeaux, a range of hats for every imaginable occasion. Pick a plain base and theyll pimp it with feathers, flowers and whatnot  or provide them separately for you to add or remove yourself as the occasion requires.

Then theres this superb, eminently packable, organic-cotton multitasker extraordinaire from & Other Stories, which I am wearing in the first picture. At 5ft 4in, I thought I would be totally overpowered by it, but in addition to providing your very own perambulant sunshade, it adds some pleasing, slouchy attitude to the simplest of outfits.

If black seems too hot, check out Farm Rio, whose colours and prints are guaranteed happy-making. And if you still cant find a hat that suits, the Chanel-owned Maison Michel will adapt one of its existing types for you at its London boutique. If theyre good enough for Chanel

Bucket hat, 85, Farm Rio

Panama hat, 80.75, Brazilian Bikini Shop

Beach hat, 33.90, Zalletta

Lisa wears: Cotton blouse, 170, Soeur; Recycled cotton jeans, 195, Mother of Pearl; Espadrilles, 20, Tu at Sainsburys; Straw and leather bag, 390, CubaLab X Bamford; Cotton canvas hat, 35, & Other Stories; Chain earrings, 65, Jigsaw; All other jewellery, Lisas own; Hair and make-up: Oonagh Connor at Joy Goodman using Stila and staticjam; Styling: Sophie Tobin; Stylists assistant: Hansveni Dave; Location: Middle Temple Hall and private gardens can be booked for celebrations and weddings  please contact events@middletemple.org.uk

Lisa solves your style dilemmas

Lisa responds to your queries, lending her expertise to help you shop smart. Have a question for her? Submit it here.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Thailand's Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul addresses the inauguration ceremony of the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

RAYONG, Thailand, July 17(Xinhua) --China's carmaker GAC Aion, a subsidiary of GAC Group, opened its Thailand electric vehicle (EV) factory on Wednesday, as Aion's first global strategic model rolled off the assembly line in the factory, marking a milestone in the company's overseas expansion.

As the second overseas plant opened by a Chinese carmaker in Thailand this month after BYD, the factory is located in Rayong province in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with a planned investment of 2.3 billion baht (64 million U.S. dollars) and an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles.

The factory is a highly intelligent plant which applies new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to achieve more efficient production of multiple models.

Thailand's Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul said at the inauguration ceremony that the operation of a new EV factory will promote the transformation of Thailand's automotive industry and help the Southeast Asian country realize its vision of becoming a regional and global EV production hub.

Thailand has long been a major automobile production base in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. With the help of the Thai government's investment promotion, EVs are expected to account for 30 percent of the country's total vehicle production by 2030.

GAC Aion officially launched its Thailand strategy in June last year and its first product was launched in September. Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group, said that the company's deployment in Thailand has laid a solid foundation for the latter to become the center of the EV industry in ASEAN.

He added that the company will continue to improve the construction of charging facilities and energy ecosystems in Thailand, and coordinate the upstream and downstream development of the industry chain.

In recent years, GAC Group has vigorously expanded overseas markets. It now operates with automobile sales and after-sales services in 68 countries and regions. 

Guests attend the inauguration ceremony of the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows a view of the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group, addresses the inauguration ceremony of the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

Staff members work at the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

Staff members work at the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)
With temperatures through the weekend predicted to surpass the mid to high 80s (the NWS says July 2024 could even be one of the hottest on record), coping with sweltering conditions is top of mind. Extreme heat can be deadly  the Centers for Disease Control reported that more than 1,200 people die every year due to heat-related deaths.

Certain communities, like seniors and people with chronic health problems, have an increased vulnerability on high-90-degree days, so we caught up with some residents in the Lower Hudson Valley to see how they were beating the heat.

Story continues after gallery.

Mount Vernon seniors beat the heat inside at Doles Rec Center

According to the National Weather Service, one of the best ways to stay safe in ultra-hot weather is to simply stay indoors. Spending time in an air-conditioned place can help you beat the heat.

Seniors and staff at Doles Recreation Center in Mount Vernon did just that Tuesday.

Folks cooled off in the AC while enjoying community-centered activities. In addition to being an official cooling center for the area, the Doles Recreation Center provides space for people ages 60 and over to hang out, receive a hot lunch and participate in social activities  all while taking in some cool air.

"They're happy," said Gerri Christiana, the activities coordinator for the center. Christiana referenced other activities like a dominoes competition, movies every Monday night, and the Summer Breeze concert series outside City Hall held every Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, seniors played bingo in one of the community rooms as temperatures outside continued to climb. Juanita Norman and Aldora Dunham, who both visit the center 2 or 3 times a week, chatted as the bingo caller prepared for the games of the day.

"The heat brought me in," Norman said. "So I can get a little comfort and relaxation and read my book."

"In the afternoon I come here just see what's going on," Dunham said. "(But) you don't want to ask my husband because he loves the heat."

Doles Rec Center, located at 250 S 6th Ave., is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 914-665-2447 to learn more.

Senior citizens enjoy their lunch in the cool air of the Doles Center in Mount Vernon, during a heatwave July 16, 2024.

Stay cool in air-conditioned spaces in Lower Hudson Valley

Libraries made for a great haven for the heat Tuesday, and visitors flocked to Grinton I. Will Library in Yonkers to stay cool while searching the stacks. Adults and kids perused the children's section as other visitors worked on computers in quiet study spaces.

Westchester County suggests libraries, shopping malls, or even bookstores and coffee shops as a place to cool off, as these locations often offer an air-conditioned place to relax and even free WIFI access.

"A few hours spent in air conditioning [AC] can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat," the county website says.

Many libraries double as cooling centers. Check out the Westchester Library System's website (westchesterlibraries.org) to find the library nearest you. Rockland residents can head to rocklandlibraries.org, and Putnam residents can check out putnamcountylibraries.org/find-my-library to learn more.

Stay safe in the heat: Do you have heat exhaustion or heatstroke? What to know about New York's heat wave

Ina Mufson, of Connecticut, said the heat wasn't impacting her while she tutored a student at Grinton I. Will library Tuesday.

"I have two jobs," Mufson said. "I go from AC at my job in the Bronx, to tutoring in the AC, to my house that has AC."

Don't have an AC at home? There's still time to get one, with the help of the county you live in.

Eligible Westchester residents can qualify for the county's Home Energy Assistance Cooling Assistance Benefit, but time is running out. The program, which closes Friday, offers assistance with the purchase (and installation) of an air conditioning unit. A fan will be provided in cases where an AC cannot be installed. Only one AC unit or fan will be provided per qualifying applicant household.

You can apply for HEAP Cooling Assistance through the county's Department of Social Services, call 914-995-3333 to learn more and see if your household qualifies. Rockland residents can call 845-364-3100 to learn more, and apply in person at the Rockland County Department of Social Services office at 50 Sanatorium Rd. Bldg. L, Pomona. Putnam County residents can call 845-808-1500 ext. 45233 to learn more.

Other places to keep cool in the Lower Hudson Valley

With hot temperatures continuing into Wednesday, there are lots of spots to cool off if you need a break from the heat. The Westchester Department of Health recommends cooling centers to stay safe from the sun, which can be found by searching your location on the New York State Department of Health's cooling center map.

Other options for beating the heat include water parks, like the one at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, or catching a movie at a local theater, like the "Despicable Me 4" showings at the Bedford Playhouse Clive Davis Arts Center.

 Lohud's Alexandra Rivera and Ashley Fontones contributed to this story.

Samantha Antrum is the community news and outreach reporter for The Journal News/lohud. She reports on cultural and social justice issues and events, with a focus on BIPOC and underrepresented communities. You can reach her at santrum@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Where to find Westchester NY cooling centers during hot weather
CLEARWATER  On a sun-beaten highway leading to the beach and sitting just a bit east of the worlds first Hooters stands the anomaly known as Roberts Christmas Wonderland.

The sign hangs above State Road 60 like a giant Little Debbie Christmas tree cake. The roof appears gift-wrapped. And on June 25, the parking lot seemed deserted. As the temperature crept toward 90 with shirt-soaking humidity, the vibes outside were more reverse seasonal affective disorder than cheer.

The staff opened the door at 10 a.m. for another holly, jolly day.

My idea was to visit the year-round Christmas store on the calendrical opposite of Dec. 25. Would there be a single customer? Why stay open 360 days a year? Might the heat feel less unbearable amid the twinkling LED icicles and the spruces made of polyvinyl chloride?

Could I catch a glimpse of a true Christmas superfan?

The first thing that hits you upon entering, thankfully, is the air-conditioning. After that, the cavernous size. We arent used to family-owned retailers stretching as big as a modest Publix in this century. A vast variety of stuff fills all 30,000 square feet.

Fourteen types of wreaths were hung high above the ribbon and bow counter, astride bins overflowing with sprigs  so many sprigs  plus stacks of Christmas-themed puzzles and racks of holiday-shaped cookie cutters.

The Christmas tree showroom boasted pre-lit or snow-flocked options, such as a massive 12-foot, deluxe, noble, mixed-needle fir for $1,691.95. If a customer wants a tree just how its decorated on the floor, the staff will box it all up.

There were string lights, even the old, chubby incandescent style. Roberts boasts that it carries thousands of ornaments. Eyeballing it, that seems right. A workstation for customizing them with customers names stood empty for now, with a corded, landline phone for communicating between departments.

The staff keeps the place immaculate, but after 50 years, it is charmingly broken-in. When a summer thunderstorm began to drown out the background music, the empty store felt like one of those cozy, artificial intelligence-generated Instagram videos engineered to trigger feelings of tranquility and nostalgia. I was inside the real thing.

Its hard to be in a bad mood here, said Michael Winton, one of the employees milling about. And theres always plenty to do. But I was still waiting to meet a single summer Christmas shopper.

As soon as Christmas ends, the Roberts employees begin prepping for next year. Thats just how long it takes. There is no end-of-season blowout sale, because their season never ends.

While I browsed, a couple of women added price tags to ornaments. In the warehouse, a new guy pulled a pallet jack stacked high with more boxes of ornaments that had just arrived.

Sean Reynolds, who has worked there 10 years, tied lengths of ribbon into perfect bows while hardly seeming to pay attention. Reynolds must finish designing and decorating more than 100 trees long before the holiday season, because come November hes busy with private tree-decorating gigs at wealthy clients homes.

When the front door finally opened and a possible customer entered, the young visitor froze. I think Im supposed to have an interview? he said as his eyes darted around. Then he exited without saying another word.

A cashier followed him out to see if he was responding to the wanted ad. It turned out he was looking for a Mexican restaurant. He didnt know year-round Christmas stores existed.

Eventually, some families trickled in, all curious tourists who happened to be driving by on that drizzly afternoon. A child toddled through the artificial forest. What a hoot, the families said. They browsed, didnt buy.

Would I meet one actual Christmas fanatic, someone on the hunt for a Noel dishtowel who absolutely needed it in their hands today?

Roberts manager Dennis Wilkinson pointed out the rings on the warehouse floor. He could still picture the above-ground swimming pools that left them there. When he started 49 years ago, this place was called Christmas Wonderland. They sold Christmas stuff  and pools.

Only the Christmas items stuck. Around 1990, Christmas Wonderland merged with Pinellas Park competitor Roberts Christmas World to become Roberts Christmas Wonderland owned by transplants from the Bronx, New York, Bob and Rita Frank.

The vast majority of business comes in the fall and winter, of course. A few years ago, the man who played the kid who got his tongue stuck on the pole in A Christmas Story made an appearance, and the line went out the door.

Despite the busy months, Roberts revenue has probably diminished in the time of e-commerce and big-box stores. The market for collectibles in general has dwindled, and resale values on limited Christmas village figurines made by companies like Department 56, once sky-high, have taken a dive.

Year-round Christmas shops have dwindled around Florida. The businesses boomed in the late 1980s, opening across the U.S. The Tampa Bay area once had eight. Roberts last local competitor was Rogers Christmas House Village in Brooksville, but it shut down years ago.

Each store that closes, one staffer noted, makes Roberts more special.

Things change at Roberts, but rarely. The store used to play Christmas music exclusively, but theyve started mixing in non-Christmas tunes, gradually ramping it up to all-Christmas songs. Even in the Christmas store, theres apparently some limit to how much Christmas the staff can take.

Bob Frank, who owned the business for more than 45 years, died recently. Some retired employees came back to help his wife, Rita Frank, keep the place going.

Late that Tuesday afternoon, the Christmas fanatic arrived.

Chris Landgraf drove 80 miles from Inverness specifically to visit Roberts. She browsed the accessories aisle between the porcelain Dickens Christmas and the Harry Potter village displays, feeling peaceful while her husband held their granddaughter.

I have the Christmas disease, she explained. You know, out there its the real world. In here it feels like everyone is happy. Like everyone gets along.

She bought a tiny candy cane fence, a tiny blow-mold Santa and little figurines of two kids building a snowman, which shell add to her own tiny Christmas village at home.

A cashier wrapped them up with two boxes of glass ornaments for her tree and some lighted poinsettias. Landgraf left smiling.
Deseret News archives: Disneyland opened in 1955. Its been a family favorite ever since

In this Sunday, July 17, 1955, file photo, children sprint across a drawbridge and into a castle that marks the entrance to Fantasyland at the opening of Walt Disney's Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Fantasyland had been closed until late in the day. | Associated Press

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

Walt Disneys dream became reality on this day in 1955.

July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, after its $17 million, yearlong construction; the park drew a million visitors in its first 10 weeks.

And its as popular as ever.

Now it draws almost 20 million parkgoers a year. The organization has a dozen theme parks worldwide.

Sure there are folks who complain about the cost, the long lines, and well, the costs, but Disneyland still very much tries to deliver on being the Happiest Place on Earth.

Some like a specific ride, or a nostalgic spot  think the Small World ride when you were 7  while others like the new adventures or the dressed-up princess or imposing Star Wars characters. Comedian Jim Gaffigan said his favorite ride of all was the air-conditioned bus ride back to the hotel.

In this handout file photo from Disneyland, Walt Disney poses with the first two visitors, Michael Schwartner, 7, left, and Christine Vess, 5, right, on the park's opening day at Disneyland, July 17, 1955, in Anaheim, Calif. | Disneyland via Associated Press

Here are some great stories from the Deseret News archives bout the park, memories of its early days, and why Utah is a big fan. Plus, check out the time-lapse video of the construction of the park.

Chris Hicks: Disneyland anniversary brings back memories of 1955 opening

Wonderful world of Disney  After 50 years, Utah womans childhood dream finally comes true

Disney shares first ever Disneyland ticket, employee badge ahead of anniversary

50: Disneyland marks a half century

Utah is Disneys No. 1 fan

The Clean Cut: Time-lapse video captures construction of Disneyland Park 60 years ago

Rediscovering Disneyland: Despite pricey parks, Magic Kingdom retains plenty of wonderment

The mystery of Utah history: The hearse at Disneyland wasnt really Brigham Youngs, but there is a small Utah connection

My first, long-awaited, much anticipated, wonderful trip to ... Disneyland

A Utah man brought the magic of Disney into his home. Heres how you can do the same

Disney striving to keep up in a fast-changing world
The seventh annual nature photo contest for the Upper Delaware area, hosted by the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, is underway.

Photographers, both adults and those under 18, are welcome to submit entries online between Aug. 1 and 31. Both professional and amateur photographers are welcome.

Pictures taken of the natural world should be among the following five categories: landscape, wildlife, macro, water and pictures taken at the Van Scott Nature Reserve.

"Without disturbing or harming any creature or its habitat, photographers are encouraged to be creative in showcasing the diverse wildlife, plants, and special places of our region," Bethany Zarnowski, director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, stated in the press release.

Photo submissions will be judged on "creativity, originality, composition, clarity and quality, and impact," the release states. Entries must have been taken in the Upper Delaware River region and may be from any season of the year.

The Conservancy has been headquartered at the Van Scott Nature Reserve on Perkins Pond Road, Beach Lake, since 2020. The former farm is open to the public daily for hiking its marked trails and discovering nature along the way. Rolling meadows, woodlands and wetlands make up the landscape.

The winner of the Van Scott Nature Reserve category in the Delaware Highlands Conservancy annual photo contest in 2023 was Claire Shickora. Her winning photograph is shown.

A panel of judges will decide on the winning photographs, as well as a People's Choice award. The press release lists the photo contest judges to be Mary Sue Sweeney Price, Nancy Kiesendahl Bloch, Marie Liu and Alessandra Maria Iavarone.

Pictures selected are to be displayed at the ARTery gallery, 210 Broad St., Milford, this November.

Up to two pictures may be submitted by any one entrant. Those entering must adhere to the official contest rules listed online and submit a $15 entry fee, the release states. There is no fee for the youth category.

Visit www.delawarehighlands.org/photo-contest/ for details, contest rules, and to submit an entry. If there are any questions, email bethany@delawarehighlands.org.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Delaware Highlands Conservancy's 7th nature photo contest begins soon
In the 14th century, the plague wiped out 50 million across Europe and Asia. It remains one of historys most fatal pandemics. But this was not the first time the bubonic plague hit Europe. It also caused the disappearance of Scandinavian populations thousands of years earlier.

Dubbed the Neolithic Decline, huge numbers of northern Europeans started to die out 5,000 years ago. This continued for 200 years. What happened has always been a mystery. A 2019 study proved that the bacteria that caused the plague was present in the region at the time. But no one could decipher how much this caused the downfall of Europes first farming communities.

The new study analyzed the teeth and bones of 108 individuals from Sweden and Denmark. All remains date between 5,300 and 4,900 years ago.

Eighteen of these individuals, 17 percent, were infected with the plague when they died, said lead author Frederik Seersholm. Furthermore, our results suggest that the youngest plague strain we identify might have had epidemic potential.

The team identified three different strains of the pathogen. The first two were found in a few remains. But the third was more prolific. The researchers believe this is the strain that had such a devastating effect. The fact that one individual in six carried the plague indicates that the disease was widespread in Scandinavia at the time.

Better farming = more people = spread of disease

The Neolithic period featured an agricultural revolution. Farming came to Europe 9,000 years ago and flourished for 5,000 years. These first farmers originated in the eastern Mediterranean and had fairly advanced farming techniques, settlements, and monumental tombs such as Stonehenge.

Then, it was as if someone had pressed pause. For the next few hundred years, the settlements were abandoned, ritual burials stopped, and some agricultural knowledge disappeared.

But as farming blossomed 5,000 years ago, so did communities. Populations increased, and people began to live close to one another. Once a single member contracted the plague, it would, in theory, have spread quickly.

Seersholm acknowledges that this pandemic may just have been a contributing factor and that other circumstances could also have played a role.

The post Europes First Farmers Disappeared 5,000 Years Ago appeared first on Explorersweb.
EXETER  The iconic Ioka Theater marquee has found new life as its vibrant pink-and-green neon lights now shine brightly at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Laurie A. Couture, who worked to house the famous downtown Exeter landmark at the museum, drove nearly 2,000 miles from New Hampshire across four days for its official unveiling Friday.

I almost couldnt speak because its just hard to explain the surreal feeling when youve looked at it in downtown Exeter your entire life and then suddenly see this familiar old friend in a different place, Couture said after seeing the marquee on display. It looks 10 times more glitzy and new than it ever did in my entire lifetime because now it has been restored. It looked like it was brand new like it was 1940 again.

Newmarket resident Laurie A. Couture (left) and American Sign Museum founder and Executive Director Tod Swormstedt at the Ioka theater marquee unveiling Friday.

The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati is known to house the largest collection of signs in the United States, covering more than 100 years of American sign history.

Couture of Newmarket worked with Ioka developers Jay Caswell and David Cowie to rehome the 19.6-foot-wide triangular marquee as it did not fit into redevelopment plans for the old theater that has been dormant since 2008. The building is being transformed into a mixed-use space with a speakeasy-style restaurant in the basement, retail space on the first floor, and condominiums on the upper floors.

New life for Ioka in Exeter: Sneak peek at restaurant, retail, apartments

Couture started a campaign to save the marquee after original plans called for the use of the IOKA letters, which would have to be sawed off from the marquee, to be placed on the buildings facade

A "booth lady" at the unveiling of the Ioka theater marquee at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She started a petition to save the sign, which garnered more than 2,500 signatures.

Couture said the movement to save the marquee resonated because everyone has a memory of the Ioka and its marquee.

"My grandmother used to go to the Ioka theater my mom went there and I used to work at the Ioka with my best friend, Couture said.

Saving the marquee, she said, was also her way of paying tribute to her late son, Brycen.

Her son was a strong advocate who helped in trying to save the theater in the early 2010s.

This isnt about the object, this is about humanity, she added. There are people that we will never meet that have long passed away that created the blueprint and the style for that marquee This marquee represented what Exeter was like back in those days. This is about preserving history and art.

Fat Hen Brewing Company in Exeter: A perfect marriage of pies and pints

American Sign Museum puts spotlight on Ioka marquee

Tod Swormstedt, founder and executive director of the American Sign Museum, said the marquee is the centerpiece of the museum's newly added 20,000-square-foot space featuring Signs on Main Street.

The marquee currently hangs above an entranceway into a theater, featuring a movie about the sign itself and the museum's newly added space.

I really wanted a theater marquee, he said, referring to his plans for the expansion. It kind of fit the bill of exactly what I was looking for A lot of times, some of our acquisitions just seem like theyre meant to be.

The Ioka marquee currently hangs above an entrance that leads visitors into a theater on the right side and a function room on the left.

What was really ironic and funny is that when I walked into the theater and saw the marquee on the screen, said Couture. They use the space to run a little movie about the signs and about the new wing.

From replacing the panels and changeable letters to installing pink-and-green colored neon light strips, Swormstedt said extensive work was done to the marquee.

The one thing they did not do was repaint it.

Swormstedt said they wanted to retain the original distressed look of the sign.

Couture said she had a sense of deja vu when she walked underneath the Ioka marquee and into a theater at the museum.

Laurie A. Couture drove nearly 2,000 miles across four days for the unveiling of Exeter's iconic Ioka theater marquee at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Every time I would come out (of the theater), it was like I was looking for Water Street, she recalled. It was the weirdest sensation.

More: Exeter 120-plus apartment project faces opposition

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeters iconic Ioka Theater marquee shines bright in Ohio museum
Groups of students could be seen frolicking around the Bethel Farm wearing their beekeeper suits, making carrot muffins and playing games like "poison dart frog."

Approximately 30 elementary students from the Bethel School District attended the last day of the Bethel Farm Camp on Friday to learn about farm animals and harvesting vegetables.

The elementary school students operated in groups of 10 and rotated between different stations throughout the day.

Twins Helen, left, and Cassandra Byers play paddy cake after a succesful trip to the beehive at the Bethel Farm.

The Bethel Farm, tucked between Prairie Mountain School and Kalapuya High School, has played host to this three-week summer program since 2016.

The camp is in part led by students from Kalapuya High, an alternative high school in Bethel. Bethel staff partnered with the Oregon State University Extension Service to lead the daily activities.

In exchange for spending three weeks of their summer vacation guiding younger students, the high schoolers receive class credit and $15 per hour.

Cassandra Byers, left, Emiliana Doremus and camp counselor Relia Carrere play popular camp game "poison dart frog" at the Bethel Farm.

Kalapuya High School senior Genesis Villarreal said she loves working at the Bethel Farm because of each child's unique personality.

"One of the little girls came up to me, handed me a flower, and said, 'This is for you, for being such a great teacher.' It is things like that which I love," Villarreal said.

The Bethel Farm gives students from Kalapuya High School an opportunity to mentor the younger generations and gain practical work experience.

Lestat Taylor enjoys the muffins he and his fellow students made at the Bethel Farm.

"This is my dream for what education could be," said camp organizer West Kaufman, adding that the three-acre farm is a testimony of education done correctly.

"I just think that this is one of the coolest camps around here," said Ben MonDragon, parent of Jackson MonDragon. "With some camps we have done [Jackson] doesn't want to go, but he was waking us up to get ready for camp."

During this year's camp, students harvested strawberries, lettuce, kale, broccoli, snap peas and more. The food harvested from the farm is used in school cafeterias throughout the years and neighbors come to the Bethel Farm every Wednesday to collect produce.

On the final day of the Bethel Farm Camp, parents of the students came to see what each student had learned.

Cassandra Byers, left, and camp organizer West Kaufman enjoy the carrot muffins made by the students at the Bethel Farm on Friday.

The Bethel Farm Camp is free for Bethel students entering the fourth and fifth grades every summer.

More information about the Bethel Farm can be found at sites.google.com/bethel.k12.or.us/thebethelfarm/home_1

Josiah Pensado is a multimedia reporter for The Register-Guard through the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. You can contact him at jpensado@gannett.com and follow him on Instagram @jpa.photos

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Bethel Farm Camp teaches Oregon kids about farm-to-table
Aerial Chatman, 32, of Raleigh, is a criminal defense attorney with the Rogers Law Firm PLLC.

He was nominated for 40 Under 40 because "He has dedicated his time into seeking justice for those deserving as well as motivating and connecting other attorneys in the area with events held downtown Fayetteville so they can come together to help educate one another with the right tools to fight for justice in the community," nominator Renee Strickland writes. "He has volunteered at schools to speak to children about the importance of not only respecting and obeying the law but how it is important to make something out of yourself and to never give up. Overall Attorney Chatman is very well deserving due to his passion for wanting to help others and make the community a better place. He is a great role model in the community and proves this on a daily by promoting justice, professional excellence, and respect for the law."

Here's what else you should know about this member of The Fayetteville Observer's 40 Under 40 Class of 2024.

Aerial Chatman.

Who are your immediate family members?

Mom, JaVette Chapman; and dad, Dwight Murchison Jr.

What does your job entail?

I help individuals charged with criminal offenses as serious as those that carry life sentences and as small as a traffic infraction, which normally results in fines/fees.

Where did you receive your education?

I graduated from Harnett Central High School in Angier. Then studied communication at University of North Carolina, Wilmington (B.A.), and earned my Juris Doctor from Charlotte School of Law.

What community and professional groups are you affiliated with?

North Carolina State Bar, member;

Eastern District of North Carolina, member

Cumberland County Bar Association, vice president

National Bar Association, member

How do you volunteer your time in the community?

The Rogers Law Firm often sponsors art and cultural events in the Fayetteville area, dedicating our time and offering free resources to the community. You can find us in our tent at Festival Park passing out water, gifts and free consultations throughout the warmer months.

What is one thing you wish people knew or understood better about your profession?

I wish people understood the importance of having a good advocate to protect your rights in crucial moments in their lives. Oftentimes, individuals give up Constitutionally protected rights by attempting to resolve legal problems on their own. Let an experienced attorney fight for you.

What's the best advice you've ever received and/or the worst advice you've ever followed?

The best advice Ive ever received is were all running on borrowed time, so live as if today is all you have.

What goal have you already achieved, and how did you make it happen?

One goal Ive achieved is becoming a licensed professional. Through a lot of focus, perseverance and commitment I was able to graduate law school and pass the bar exam.

If you weren't in your current profession, what would you be?

Theres no other profession Id rather be. I love what I do.

What are five things (not people or pets) you can't live without?

I cant live without live music, comedy specials, warm weather, good friends and a smooth pair of Ray-Bans.

What's something you do outside of work to enrich yourself?

I spend a good amount of time reading self-improvement books like my favorite, "The Alchemist," and learning about American history.

What's a song that always makes you happy or that motivates you?

"Million Dollar Baby" by Tommy Richman.

Some responses may have been edited for style and grammar.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 40 Under 40: Aerial Chatman of Rogers Law Firm
Here's where you can get free school supplies in the Evansville/Tri-State area

The start of the 2024-25 school year is just around the corner for a lot of local communities, and one of the big tasks before the first day is loading up on supplies a child needs for the classroom.

It can be a big expense, but several companies, churches and organizations are offering school supplies for free locally. Here's a look at ones reported to the Courier & Press.

If you know of other events and giveaway locations, please send information via email to news@courierpress.com.

Free school supplies in Evansville

Salvation Army giveaway

The Salvation Army will host a supply giveaway on Friday, July 19 at its location at 1040 N. Fulton Ave. in Evansville from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Families seeking supplies are asked to bring their children, proof of residency and their back-to-school supply list to receive supplies on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. The event is open to any Vanderburgh or Warrick county residents.

Blue backpack overflowing with various school supplies. Alternative version with orange backpack:

Verizon backpack giveaway

Verizon-authorized retailer Round Room is hosting its 12th annual "School Rocks Backpack Giveaway" event.

The giveaway will take place Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. Locations for the event in Evansville are:

5000 W. Lloyd Expressway

939 N. Burkhardt Road, Suite C

Hensley Legal Group Backpacks 4 Good giveaway

The Hensley Legal Group will host a drive-through backpack giveaway on Tuesday, July 30 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Lincoln School, 635 Lincoln Ave.

Each student will receive a backpack with a wide-ruled notebook, two colorful pocket folders, No. 2 pencils, a pencil sharpener, pencil pouch, crayons, glue stick, scissors and a water bottle.

Metropolitan Seventh-Day Adventist Church back-to-school giveaway

The Metropolitan Seventh-Day Adventist Church will host a giveaway day on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at 412 E. Mulberry St. in Evansville. Healthy snacks and refreshments will be served as part of the event.

Indiana Black Expo Evansville Chapter back-to-school rally

The Indiana Black Expo Evansville Chapter will host a back-to-school rally on Saturday, Aug. 3 from noon until 2 p.m.

School supplies will be given away in a drive-through format at 663 W.R. Brown Senior Way in Evansville.

Free back-to-school haircuts at Going Forward Barber & Beauty Salon

Going Forward Barber & Beauty Salon, 1015 E. Riverside Drive, will offer free haircuts through Aug. 1. However, you must make an appointment to get the haircut. You can make an appointment by calling 812-428-2688.

Free haircuts and school supplies at KK's Hair Today

KK's Hair Today, 737 N. Park Drive in Evansville, will host a back-to-school event on Monday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The haircuts are on a walk-in basis for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. There will also be a school supply giveaway, and the location is collecting supply donations through July 22.

Back-to-school vaccine event at Vanderburgh County Health Department

The Vanderburgh County Health Department is hosting a Back-to-School Immunization Clinic, sponsored by MDWise, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, onsite at 420 Mulberry St. There will also be school supplies, food and vendors available.

"Children are eligible to be seen if they have Medicaid, no insurance, and some private insurance," a news release states. "Pre-registration is highly encouraged to reduce wait times."

Pre-registered participants will also be eligible for prize drawings. Registration can be completed online at vanderburghhealth.org. Walk-ins will have to bring vaccine records and insurance information to be seen. For questions, contact the Vanderburgh County Health Department at 812-435-2400, option 1.

Restore Outreach back-to-school event at Delaware Elementary

Restore Outreach will host a back-to-school event at Delaware Elementary School, 700 N. Garvin St. in Evansville, on Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

While supplies last, backpacks and school supplies will be available for students in pre-k through 12th grade.

Additionally, a sack lunch will be provided by Junior League of Evansville and Evansville Oasis.

Children must be present with parent or guardian for the event.

Rhythm Church backpack giveaway

Rhythm Church in Evansville will host a back-to-school backpack giveaway at 641 Washington Ave. The event will take place Saturday, July 27 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Backpacks will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Young & Established Backpack Drive

Young & Established will host a backpack and school supplies giveaway on Saturday, July 27 from noon until 3 p.m. at McGary Middle School, 1535 S. Joyce Ave. in Evansville.

Cornerstone Assembly of God Back-to-School Bash

The Cornerstone Assembly of God church at 3900 Kratzville Road in Evansville will host its Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 3 from noon to 2 p.m. Registration begins at 11 a.m. Items will be given out until the supply is exhausted.

There will be school supplies, free food and activities and other giveaways. The child must be present to receive school supplies and be entered in the giveaways.

Free school supplies in Henderson, Kentucky

Henderson County Schools Back to School Readifest

The Henderson County Schools Back to School Readifest is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23 at Jefferson Elementary School from 9 a.m. to noon. The Henderson County Schools Family Resource and Youth Services Centers host the event for students and families.

This years Readifest will provide an opportunity for families to connect with community agencies, receive school supplies and register their children for school. A Family Resource and Youth Services Center representative from each school will be present to provide parents, guardians and students with back-to-school assistance and information.

Verizon backpack giveaway

Verizon-authorized retailer Round Room is hosting its 12th annual "School Rocks Backpack Giveaway" event.

The giveaway will take place Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. The location for the event in Henderson is 2600 U.S. 41 North, Suite C.

Free school supplies in Owensboro, Kentucky

Verizon backpack giveaway

Verizon-authorized retailer Round Room is hosting its 12th annual "School Rocks Backpack Giveaway" event.

The giveaway will take place Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. Locations for the event in Owensboro are:

5035 Frederica St., Suite A

3248 Mount Moriah Ave.

Free school supplies in Newburgh, Indiana

Verizon backpack giveaway

Verizon-authorized retailer Round Room is hosting its 12th annual "School Rocks Backpack Giveaway" event.

The giveaway will take place Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. The location for the event in Newburgh is 8300 Bell Oaks Drive Suite C.

Back to school haircuts at Imagine Hair Design

Imagine Hair Design will be doing free back-to-school haircuts for ages 5-17 on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 8887 High Point Drive, Suite A in Newburgh.

No appointments are needed and haircuts are done on a first-come, first-served basis.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Free school supplies near me
It's hot out, Kansas. So at what temperature do you set your AC thermostat?

It is hot in Topeka with summertime high temperatures heating up this July, but at what temperature do you set your air conditioning thermostat?

While a cooler temperature may keep your home more comfortable, it also uses more energy, which increases your monthly electric bill.

Controlling your thermostat settings is among Evergy's energy saving tips for your home.

"During the summer, each degree you set your thermostat above 75 degrees cuts your cooling costs by about 3%," the electric utility says. "During the winter, lowering your settings by 1 degree for at least eight hours will save you about 1% on your energy bill."

A thermostat set to more than 75 degrees will help lessen energy bills, according electric utility Evergy.

Evergy and KCC offer tips to save money with temperature control

Evergy also has other tips to save energy and money during the summer, including getting a smart thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature when nobody is home.

The Kansas Corporation Commission likewise recommends not wasting money to cool an empty home. The KCC also pointed to the U.S. Department of Energy's recommendation of setting your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What's the most popular summer air conditioning temperature in Kansas?
"Investing in China is investing in the future."

Foreign companies have voiced strong confidence in China's economic outlook. #GLOBALink
The award-winning actor has a good point, but there is some nuance involved.

Getty/Gilbert Flores

Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah Scott

When our twins were born in 2018, my husband and I vowed to keep dining outalbeit with our kids in tow. And for the first year-plus of our kids' lives, we took them to restaurants pretty much every weekend (after they received their two-month vaccines). We never regretted a meal out as a family, even though we may have been a bit of a spectacle with our massive double stroller.

I distinctly remember a brunch we enjoyed when the twins were 15 months old: They sat on our laps, noshing away, smiling at fellow diners, and waving to our waitress. I remember thinking, "Weve got this. Well just keep taking them to restaurants and theyll always know how to act, thanks to sheer exposure.

The pandemic hit just a week later, causing us to avoid restaurants for over a year. When we did slowly resume our dining out habits, our kids were fully mobile, which meant the experience was definitely harder on us as restaurant attendees than it had been before.

While I certainly have my share of moments when I ask myself, Why did I think this was a good idea?" I still really enjoy taking our kids to restaurants. I think its a fun way to bond as a family, while having our kids practice important life skills.

So, when I saw a take from The Bear star Ayo Edebiri about normalizing kids in fine dining restaurants, I found myself agreeingat least mostly.

Ayo Edebiri's Take on Fine Dining Rules and Kids

When the cast of The Bear was asked, in a recent interview, to name a fine dining rule they cant get behind, Edebiri shared thoughts around the no kids allowed rule.

One [fine dining rule] that I think is very popular in America but I think outside of America is not really a thing is no kids in restaurants," she says. "Im just kind of like let em in...Maybe not all the time, but its like, how else are they going to learn?

Edebiri adds that in places like Europe, its much more common to see kids eating out with their families and enjoying food that isnt necessarily what weve deemed kid-friendly in the USand she has a point.

While on a trip in France with our kids (4-years-old at the time) last year, it was impossible to not notice how different the attitudes were towards kids in restaurants. Our kids were clearly welcomed everywhere we went, and I think they really absorbed that energy.

Our hotels concierge even scored us a late reservation at a nice restaurant, where we all attended as a family. Our kids had a wonderful time getting dressed up, trying new foods, and being treated with such kindness and respect by the restaurants staff and fellow guests.

Rethinking 'Kid-Friendly' Spaces

America has very much adopted the idea that kids belong only in kid-friendly spaces. As a result, parents have gotten the message that they can't fully enjoy the experiences they do unless their kids aren't present.

When I hear fellow parents say they havent set foot in a restaurant since welcoming their kidssometimes over a number of yearsI get it. I understand that sometimes, it simply doesnt feel worth the effort or expense when you cant fully relax. And there is value in doing some things without kids. But I also wonder if we're making it more stressful than it needs to be.

As Edebiri points out, kids in other cultures are welcome in public spaces like restaurants. As a result, theyre comfortable in a range of environments, and so are their parents. Personally, I credit my own family-centric approach to parenting to my upbringing as a child of Indian immigrants, who raised me with a mixed set of cultural norms.

When it comes to rethinking and expanding kid-friendly spaces, I believe it all starts with offering grace to families. Weve idealized other countries' norms, especially those of European countries, highlighting that no one uses screens at the table, the kids seem to stay put, and they don't exhibit signs of picky eating. In my experience, though, thats not the whole story. Kids are still kids, which means regardless of where they live, they are developmentally different from adults, with different physical needs and social-emotional behaviors.

Parents in other cultures dont fit our idealized perception either (yes, I spotted locals scrolling their phones at dining tables too while on our trip to France!). The difference comes down to ideas and expectations, at least as I see it.

Interest in fine dining overseas in general is increasing, as well. According to a 2020 study, culinary travelers' main reason for tourism is fine (or haute) dining, with interest on pace to grow even more by 2030. In addition, the same report states that the range of fine dining menu prices are expected to expand for different income levelswhich opens the door for more families to dine together.

Allowances with Nuance Makes Everyone Less Uptight

We need to allow kids to exist in public spaceslike airplanes and museums and grocery stores and yes, fine dining restaurants. We need to accept that sometimes they may be a little bit messy or noisy or squirmybecause guess whatadults can be all those things too.

In America, we judge families with kids who are active in public placesbut we also judge those whose children are quietly entertaining themselves with an iPad. And if youre having a day when your children sit calmly and eat their food? Well, then youll probably be accused of robbing them of their childhood by expecting them to do something thats not kid-friendly (yes, Ive heard this before).

At the end of the day, not every family values or enjoys the restaurant experience the way my family does, and that's okay. But like Edebiri, I dont think the concept of children in restaurants needs to be this taboo thing.

Of course, theres nuance needed here: Taking a toddler to an extremely fancy restaurant is probably not a great call. In my experience, it was actually much easier to dine out with my kids when they were babies, as opposed to toddlers. You also shouldn't just let kids run around the place with impunity, for obvious safety reasons.

But if your family is up to it (and youre game to supervise and potentially clean up after your kid if things go awry), it shouldn't be so frowned upon to dine out with kids.

And to the people who say they go out to eat specifically to get away from kids: You certainly arent expected to take responsibility for or entertain other peoples kidsbut youre also not entitled to a child-free world.



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Read the original article on Parents.
For Memphian Marvin Stockwell and his family road trips are a little different.

On June 29, Stockwell, his wife, Sarah, and his son, Cormac, set out on a four-week road trip to the East Coast. The Stockwells planned to visit Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; New York City; and New England staples including Salem and Boston.

Along the way, Stockwell  and his son, an eighth grader at University Middle School in Memphis  will sit down and interview community members at each destination to talk about neighborhood initiatives they or their organizations have launched to help enrich their communities. The duo trekked through the West Coast last year recording a few episodes of their podcast, Champions of the Lost Causes. This year will be an East Coast edition.

"Going across America is really something that I think more people should be able to experience in their life, especially being a young person, Cormac Stockwell said. Seeing these people and hearing all their stories was really inspiring.

Marvin Stockwell (middle) poses for a photo with his son, Cormac, and daughter, V, ahead of their West Coast road trip in 2023. The Stockwells embarked on a four-week East Coast trip to record the "Champions of the Lost Causes" podcast.

"People's enduring trait is goodness," Marvin Stockwell said.

Their first stop? Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to pick up his daughter Mel, who will be helping the podcast pair this go-around. (Stockwell's wife and daughters Mel and V will join Marvin and Cormac for a portion of the East Coast trip.)

During last year's trip, Cormac, who expressed an interest in multimedia, helped take photos and video of their trip, Stockwell said. The experience has been "incredibly rewarding," he said, as they traveled together and he got to witness his son learn and explore a new trade while sharing in an experience together as a family.

The podcast took root in 2019, Stockwell said. It started out as a seedling of inspiration from one of his own civic causes here in Memphis: preserving the Mid-South Coliseum.

MEMPHIS NEWS: 'Dr. Who meets Indiana Jones' on Mud Island? Immersive experience would deliver that and more

He said he began writing a book in 2018 about his experience with the Mid-South Coliseum and helping co-found the advocacy group, Coliseum Coalition. In the process he decided to explore the podcast concept as a means to better understand why people champion causes. He wanted to learn more about why some individuals had such a fire toward civic causes and how they went about sustaining these initiatives within their communities. In many ways, he said, it helped him better understand his own civic drive.

"It is more than altruism," Stockwell said. "People want to make the world better... people champion causes because they care."

Stockwell said he has partnered with national crowdfunding platform ioby to help finance the podcast. The first iteration for the West Coast trip raised $16,000 (and produced 18 episodes). Stockwell and his son are raising funds through ioby again to help finance the production and some of the travel costs for the East Coast journey.

Stockwell said partnering with ioby has been beneficial for the podcast because the nonprofit's network has helped connect them to several ground-level causes. While they interview larger nonprofits and even good-natured for-profit organizations such as Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon, ioby's network has helped establish connections with smaller groups or even individuals looking to start a new initiative or expand an existing one.

INSPIRING STORIES: How this Memphis man has helped save dozens of lives and plans to save even more

This summer's trip, Stockwell said, will help shed light on one of those smaller initiatives  The Pink House in Newbury, Massachusetts. Stockwell planned to interview an advocacy group looking to preserve the 99-year-old building, which is located on a salt marsh and is in danger of being demolished. In 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge purchased the building. An environment assessment in 2014 deemed the building in a state of disrepair, and in November 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a statement citing the need for demolition after no viable parcels of land were found to migrate the Pink House to.

"Preservation is a big trend with me," Stockwell said.

Marvin Stockwell, right, poses for a photo with Joe Vital, middle, and Dean Dovolis of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute in Minneapolis. Stockwell recorded an episode of the "Champions of the Lost Causes" podcast with the pair during summer 2023.

For Stockwell, the chance to share the stories of the organizations succeeding in their endeavors or even just the chance to share the story of how a community tried to work together to help preserve a building or a local news source, such as the Boulder Monitor in Jefferson County, Montana, is fulfilling. He jests about the old Mister Rogers anecdote and current meme, "Look for the helpers." That's a big part of what the podcast and these journeys are trying to capture, he said.

The most rewarding component, though, might be the moments in-between the interviews; during the drives where he and his family discuss what parts of these conversations were so interesting and impactful.

"There's all make and manner of good things going on," Stockwell said.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter, @neilStrebig.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis family on road trip to highlight people making a difference
WildSide, a thrilling off-road and mountain bike adventure park in the Great Smoky Mountains, opened July 19, a little over a week earlier than its original grand opening date, and is already elevating its adventure offerings to new heights.

The adventure park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has joined Uncharted Society, a company that supports a global network of more than 200 outfitters and tour operators, utilizing BRP Can-Am off-road vehicles.

''Having WildSide join our Uncharted Society network is a perfect fit. From their dedicated location in Pigeon Forge, to their history of delivering world class experiences in the area and bringing it all together with an off-road adventure on our Can-Am off-road products is truly the best of both worlds, Uncharted Society manager Tony Poll said in a press release.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Uncharted Society to offer our guests an unparalleled adventure experience," added WildSide President Bryce Bentz. "This agreement puts us on a larger playing field adding thrilling UTV expeditions through the picturesque landscapes of the Smoky Mountains to a network of international destinations."

WildSide opened July 19. More information is available at wildsidetn.com.

What is WildSide adventure park?

WildSide spans nearly 900 acres of untouched mountain land, and trails have up to 1,500 feet of elevation change. The park is the brainchild of the creators behind Anakeesta, a nature immersive adventure park in Gatlinburg.

At the new park, thrill-seekers can twist, turn, climb and drop across seven miles of mountain bike trails and eight miles of utility task vehicle (UTV) trails. There are trails for all levels of experience, from beginners to seasoned pros.

UTV adventures gives guests the opportunity to go on guided tours through forested paths and rocky terrain. There are three tour UTV sizes, ranging from two to six riders per vehicle. Tours are 90 minutes.

How much are tickets and rentals at WildSide?

There are several options to enjoy the bike and UTV trails at WildSide.

One-day pedal pass: $19.99

Annual pedal pass: $99.99

Adult e-bike rental: $79.99

Childrens e-bike rental: $59.99

Pedal bike rental: $39.99

UTV rentals: $279.99+

You can take your own bike to ride the WildSide trails, but it must have at least one form of suspension and 24-inch wheels. Adaptive bikes are not allowed. Personal UTVs are not allowed; WildSide will provide them.

Guests will need a driver's license, and those younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Kids ages 10 and older can have a chance to drive UTVs on a controlled track at the front of the property.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Bryce Bentz, co-owner and partner in new theme park WildSide, takes a sharp turn in a UTV tour of the future park in Pigeon Forge on March 12.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: WildSide in Pigeon Forge joins BRPs Uncharted Society network
Shannen Doherty said she 'desperately' wanted to be a mom. Experts explain how cancer can affect family planning.

Shannen Doherty said she and her ex-husband had tried IVF, but they stopped when she entered menopause. Tibrina Hobson/ Getty Images

Shannen Doherty had been open about her desire for children before her death.

The "Charmed" actor died on Saturday, following a nine-year battle with cancer.

Fertility experts weigh in on how a cancer diagnosis can affect family planning.

Actor Shannen Doherty said she "desperately" wanted to have a child before her death.

The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star died on Saturday after a nine-year battle with breast cancer. She was 53 years old.

On a January episode of her podcast "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty," she shared with her guest, oncologist Lawrence Piro, that she and her then-husband, Kurt Iswarienko, had turned to IVF to try to conceive.

They eventually stopped doing IVF when her chemotherapy induced menopause, she said on the podcast. But Doherty was hopeful that her menstruation would return because she "still wanted to have a baby," Piro said.

"Yeah, desperately," Doherty agreed. "Not only did I want a child for myself, but I wanted it for my husband, I wanted it for a marriage, I wanted him to have that part of himself fulfilled." The pair got married in 2011. Doherty filed for divorce last year.

The "Charmed" actor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She went into remission in 2017, but the cancer returned in 2019 and spread to her bones and brain in 2023, she shared on her Instagram.

Since her diagnosis, Doherty had been open about her desire for motherhood. In 2023, she told People she would "love nothing more than to be a mom."

"I always wanted it," she said. "I look at kids who don't have parents at all, and I think if I adopt a child or whatever it is, any amount of time is better than nothing. Maybe. I don't know."

What experts say about family planning during cancer

There is no simple answer to approaching family planning during a cancer diagnosis, fertility experts told Business Insider.

Every case is different, and the feasibility of having children after cancer depends on the type and stage of cancer and the patient's prognosis, said Dr. Tan Thiam Chye, a consultant OB-GYN at O&G The Women's Medical Specialist in Singapore.

He added that people in that scenario should have extensive discussions with their gynecologist and oncologist.

"Doctors have to ensure that the mother is physically and emotionally healthy to carry the pregnancy. Safety is the top-most priority," he said.

Cancer treatment can often impact fertility as there is high stress on the patient's emotional and physical health, as well as damage to their reproductive cells, he added. In some cases, treatment can lead to transient or permanent menopause.

With advancements like egg freezing, however, people have more options to conceive after cancer treatment, he said.

In addition, people who have been diagnosed with cancer should consider the possibility of passing down mutations in their genes that may cause cancer to their children, said Professor Ng Soon Chye, a fertility specialist and the medical chairman at Sincere IVF Center in Singapore.

"Fortunately, advances have made a world of difference," he told BI. "If [a couple] really wants to try, they shouldn't give up. We've had miracle cases where we thought it was impossible to get pregnant, but yet they managed to."

A representative for Doherty did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

Read the original article on Business Insider
I was pleased to introduce highly acclaimed storyteller, Bil Lepp, to Dennis Aslinger, John Hendrixs great-grandson. I also provided Lepp a copy of Dennis book, "The Prophet of Oak Ridge Revealed."' It was exciting to know that Lepp had continued researching the John Hendrix story and he told me he thought he had a better ending than when he first told the story in 2023.

Dennis Aslinger, left, the great-grandson of John Hendrix, and storyteller Bil Lepp at the 2024 Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge.

It was my pleasure to be available to Lepp for his original early research on Hendrix. He soon picked up details I had either overlooked or never knew. I tell an abbreviated version of the Hendrix story to every tour group to which I provide Oak Ridge history tours.

I have provided tours to 20 buses of tourists since the "Oppenheimer" movie came out last summer. Every one of them were told the John Hendrix story.

Last year Carolyn Krause wrote a summary for this column of Lepps version of the Hendrix story that he told at the 2023 festival. Lepp was a bit concerned about his lack of a strong ending for the story at that time.

This year she also reported on a talk by Dennis Aslinger. Early in his talk, Lepp said that theres an author of a new biography of John Hendrix in the audience somewhere, who promises not to yell out if Im wrong.

Here is Carolyns summary of Lepps 2024 interpretation of the Hendrix story (with some corrections and observations inserted based on Aslingers book)

***

During his June 8 performance for the seventh annual Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridges Historic Grove Theater, renowned storyteller Bil Lepp reprised his 2023 interpretation of the story of John Hendrix, the legendary prophet of Oak Ridge. Lepp conducted some of his own research, but benefited from the knowledge, writings and a video by D. Ray Smith.

Lepp started his story about John Hendrix (1865-1915), by stating that the Black Oak Ridge area was once occupied by Native Americans and then by white farm families, including a few wealthy families that owned enslaved Black people before the Civil War. After that war, the residents of Black Oak Ridge were mostly white farmers, loggers, store owners and their families.

By 1942, when World War II was underway, some of the men in the area had joined the military to go fight the war and some women may have left the area to work in factories or joined the war effort. But some 3,000 people lived in the area, mostly on farms.

But I doubt very many people expected World War II to come all the way to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Lepp said, referring to the Manhattan Project. Of course, it wasnt Oak Ridge, Tennessee yet. Oak Ridge is a manufactured city. It didnt grow organically.

Bil Lepp tells the John Hendrix story at the 2024 Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge.

The Army Corps of Engineers needed a place to build the components for the nuclear bomb, he noted, adding that the area had important advantages for the secret war project. It was sparsely populated. It was remote. There was a river, so they had a great water supply. And there was plenty of electricity because of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

And because of the ridges, they could put the factories in separate valleys. If there was a catastrophe and one of the factories blew up, the other plants wouldnt go off like a chain of firecrackers.

In the fall of 1942, Corps of Engineers personnel came to Black Oak Ridge and nailed on residents front doors a declaration of taking that said that the United States government is taking your property, Lepp said, adding that residents had up to six weeks to leave the area and were likely not paid for the real value of their property.

He noted that some families had been displaced previously because of government actions in the 1920s and 1930s creating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Norris Dam, the first hydroelectric dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

They might not like the government very much, he observed. But, he added, They wanted America to win the war. They probably would have willingly given up those houses. It was just kind of a nasty way that the government seized their property. The actions taken included tearing and burning down houses, leaving crops to rot in fields and flattening haystacks because they didnt want people hiding in or behind haystacks.

Lepp said the only ways that an evicted Black Oak Ridge resident could return to the area was to get a job with the Manhattan Project or to die and have the coffin brought back to one of the cemeteries inside the fence the Corps built.

He talked about the areas construction projects including roads, railroad tracks, housing units, nuclear fuel plants and the worlds largest building (the K-25 uranium enrichment plant using gaseous diffusion), which he said was the size of 47 Lowes Superstores. He added that Oak Ridge in the 1940s had 17 churches of different denominations and 17 cafeterias or restaurants, surmising that each church was assigned a different cafeteria every Sunday, so there wasnt this great overlapping of people trying to get to the same place to eat.

Lepp said the government brought in 75,000 people to Oak Ridge in three years (1943-45). Thinking of the 3,000 residents of Black Oak Ridge and nearby valleys and other ridges displaced in three months in 1942, he said, If only someone knew that this eviction was going to happen, maybe those people that lived here could have been better prepared to deal with it.

Then he launched into the story of John Hendrix, born in 1865 to a hard-working family that he believed was not well off.

He joked that it used to be in the old days that many people who were not well off did not know they were poor. But today low-income people know they are poor because a Dollar General store is nearby.

Lepp then told the story behind the murder charge leveled against Hendrix. He and his father were bullied and beat up by a rich guy (John Gallaher) who had been a Confederate soldier. As a kid John swore that someday he would kill that guy.

Lepp then told the story behind the murder charge leveled against John Hendrix. He and his father were bullied and beat up by a rich guy (John Gallaher) who had been a Confederate soldier. As a kid John swore that someday he would kill that guy.

One day as an adult John waited for him to come back from an errand and sort of provoked a fight. The guy pulled out a whip to beat John Hendrix (Aslinger wrote that Gallaher used a gee stick). John shot him two times, murdered him and left his body lying in the street.

John ran away, and four days later, he turned himself in. He was accused of murder, went to court, but was acquitted because the shooting was called self-defense.

A year later, in 1888, John married Julie (Julie Ann Griffith) and they had five children. Two days before the young daughter died (in 1897), probably of diphtheria, John had disciplined her, Lepp said. Maybe she was screaming, and he shook her to quiet her. His wife blamed John for her death.

"So, she took the four children and she moved to Arkansas. (According to Aslinger, Julie and the children fled to her mothers house in Morgan County, got divorced from John in 1900 after he followed her there, and with her brother rode in a train with the children to Arkansas, where she and the kids remained.)

At some point, John got committed to the poorhouse, Lepp said, noting that this Anderson County complex had a building called the insane asylum, where John was perceived to be mentally ill and was locked in a cage.

He was probably dangerous to himself or other people. He managed to escape by digging under the fence. He told the guards, Don't chase me. This is an evil place. Within 30 days, God will burn it to the ground.

Within 30 days, lightning struck that building, and it burned him to the ground. This may have been Johns first prediction. John was not hailed as a genius. People thought he was a witch.

He got heavily into religion. He asked God to see the future, and God told him to go into the woods and sleep with his head on the ground for 40 days. And God would show him the future.

He obeyed the order, went into the woods without a pillow or blanket and lay on the ground for 40 cold, rainy or snowy days. (According to Aslinger, at that time probably between 1909 and 1912, John was married to his second wife, Martha Jane Whitehead Gregory; their son Curtis was born Sept. 9, 1909.)

But as the story goes, according to Lepp, a neighbor said she found him in the woods. It was so cold that his head was frozen to the ground. She felt bad for him, so she brought him a quilt. She said that his praying and wailing made the hair stand up on her arms.

Lepp mentioned the series of prophecies John made after he came out of the wilderness. He prophesied that the L&N Railroad would come into this area. He prophesied where every stop would be. He prophesied that there would be a tunnel in the Black Oak Mountain, and that the making of that tunnel would cause the spring to go dry. He also predicted that there would be airplanes. Those things happened.

Lepp paraphrased Johns biggest, best-known prediction. He prophesied that in Black Oak Ridge there would be tremendous factories, that the construction would make the earth shake, and that the buildings would help the United States win the biggest war that had ever happened.

But Lepp noted that People didnt really believe him. They thought he was crazy. They thought that he definitely had mental problems. Then he got pneumonia or tuberculosis, probably because he had spent 40 days in the woods and became malnourished.

His wife told him to live in a shack; she did not want to care for him for fear of getting sick. But her daughter Paralee Raby cared for John. She had no fear of exposure to disease, so she cared for several neighbors. Lepp called her an absolute saint for that reason and because she had adopted this child that didnt have anywhere else to go.

Paralee was married to Perry Raby, so Lepp joked that had they lived 100 years later, Paralee and Perry would have made a great social media handle. He then noted that Hendrix was so taken by her kindness that he deeded to her 15 acres of land he owned. Hendrix died on June 2, 1915, at the age of 49.

We dont know a lot about John, Lepp said. He might have been an abusive person. He may have had mental illness. But he was definitely a hard worker. Hard work enabled him to buy the 15 acres on which he is buried.

Almost 27 years after his death, Paralee received her declaration of taking, meaning that the 15 acres she received from Hendrix was taken away from her. His son Curtis later purchased 60 acres in Black Oak Ridge, but had to leave it in 1942 when he received his declaration of taking and the government payment of $865 ($16,500 in todays money, which is not enough to buy a single acre in many areas).

Trying to make sense of the Hendrix story, Lepp asked, What if Oak Ridge area people had listened to John and if they had believed that all this construction was coming to help win the greatest war that ever will be that seemed to be underway in 1942?

Maybe they could have organized a little bit," the storyteller said.

Lepp suggested. Maybe they could have had a class action suit ready to go (so they could get more money for their confiscated property). Of course, they were probably patriotic people who still would have given their land to the government for the war effort. (Aslinger noted in his book that John made no prediction about the eviction that affected his son and Paralee.)

The takeaway

Maybe what we need to take away from this story is that there are people in our communities who may seem mentally ill so we dont pay attention to anything they say, Lepp concluded. We avoid them because they are hard for us to deal with.

Lepp, a former pastor who admitted that such people can make him uncomfortable, praised pastors, social workers and health care personnel who get involved with these people and listen to what they are saying. Maybe we can help them, and maybe they have something useful to say that we should be paying attention to.

Carolyn Krause

***

Thank you, Carolyn, for yet another excellent review of a famous Oak Ridge story retold with a definite and exceptional ending. Bil Lepp did good to add to the phenomenal John Hendrix story. It was a personal delight to get to connect Dennis Aslinger and Bil Lepp!

D. Ray Smith is the city of Oak Ridge historian. His "Historically Speaking" column is published weekly in The Oak Ridger.

D. Ray Smith, writer for the Historically Speaking column.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: How Bil Lepp re-interprets Oak Ridge prophet John Hendrixs life story
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of five columns revolving around the Summer Olympics in Paris.

When we think of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and bustling cafes likely come to mind. But have you ever wondered what this famous city looked like millions of years ago?

Let's take a journey through the natural history of Paris, exploring how the land was formed, what creatures once roamed here, and how it evolved into the vibrant city we know today.

Underwater Paris: The Eocene Epoch

About 45 million years ago, during the Eocene Epoch, the area that is now Paris was dramatically different from the big city we know today. Instead of a city, it was a very warm shallow sea. This ancient sea was full of life, and was like an underwater natural city itself.

Diving beneath the surface were a variety of marine creatures. Schools of fish darted through the water while long-necked Plesiosaurs and sharks swam through looking for prey. Coral reefs, much like those found in tropical oceans today, provided shelter and food for many organisms. Crustaceans scurried along the sea floor, and ancient crabs and lobsters hid in the coral and rocks.

The formation of limestone

Over millions of years, the remains of these marine organisms, along with sand and other sediments, settled on the sea floor. As layer after layer of sediment accumulated, the pressure from the weight above compressed them into limestone.

This process, known as lithification, created the foundation of what would much later become Paris. Today, this limestone is not only what the city sits on, but it was used to build many of the historic buildings of Paris.

Missouri shares a similar geologic story with Paris, as it was also built by a foundation of limestone deposited in an ancient shallow sea that covered what is now Missouri. This sea was home to a diverse range of marine life, including brachiopods, trilobites, and crinoids, whose remains contributed to the sediment that would eventually form limestone.

Back to Paris  the land began to gradually rise over millions of years. By the time the Pleistocene Epoch rolled around about 2.6 million years ago, the landscape was dramatically different. The area was shaped by the movement of glaciers, which carved out valleys and left behind fertile soils.

This is how the land we know came to be, but it wasnt time for humans just yet. And thats probably a good thing as it was awfully frozen!

Ancient inhabitants

Before humans ever set foot in Paris, woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and giant deer roamed the land. As the climate warmed and the Ice Age ended, forests began to spread across the area, providing a habitat for many more familiar-looking animals that we can still see in some areas today.

Humans did not arrive in Paris until about 12,000 years ago. These early inhabitants were hunter-gatherers who lived off the land, hunting animals and gathering fruits and nuts from the forests. As time passed, these nomadic tribes began to settle, and agricultural practices started. This was just the start of the next major shift in the Paris landscape.

By around 250 B.C., a Celtic tribe known as the Parisii established a settlement on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the middle of the Seine River. This was the beginning of human influence on the landscape, setting the stage for the city we know today.

However, there were many human influences before Paris became what we know now  but thats a story for another day.

So as you watch the Summer Olympics, take a few minutes to imagine the prehistoric sea creatures swimming where buildings now stand, and the woolly mammoths roaming the land that is now paved with human-packed streets and buildings.

Mike Szydlowski is a science teacher and zoo facilitator at Jefferson STEAM School.

TIME FOR A POP QUIZ

How did the limestone that Paris sits on form?

What kinds of marine life lived in the shallow sea that once covered Paris?

How did the movement of glaciers shape the landscape of Paris?

Why was it beneficial that humans did not arrive in Paris until after the Ice Age ended?

What marked the beginning of human influence on the landscape of Paris?

LAST WEEK'S QUIZ ANSWERS

Why are scientists worried about the current hurricane season?

Scientists are concerned because the ocean temperatures are much warmer than normal and that might lead to earlier and more severe hurricanes.

How do warming oceans contribute to the formation and intensity of hurricanes?

Warming oceans absorb over 90% of the excess heat from global warming. This heat increases sea surface temperatures which, when rising above 80 F, provide the necessary energy to fuel hurricanes.

What made Hurricane Beryl significant?

Hurricane Beryl was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded this early in the Atlantic hurricane season.

What are the economic implications of the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes?

Annual hurricane damage costs now exceed $500 billion a year. This includes the cost of repairing homes and infrastructure, as well as rising insurance premiums.

How can improved forecasting models help mitigate the impacts of stronger hurricanes?

Improved forecasting models can predict the path and intensity of hurricanes more accurately. However, while these measures can help save lives, they do not reduce the financial costs associated with more frequent and intense hurricanes.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Before the Summer Olympics, trek through ancient  and underwater  Paris
July 17 (UPI) -- A pair of goats decided to give a stress test to a hiker's parked SUV on a Colorado mountain -- and the moment was caught on camera.

Mindy Williford, aka Superglamp on social media, returned to her Subaru SUV after hiking on Mount Blue Sky, about 45 miles west of Denver, and discovered the tell-tale signifiers of hoofed hijinks.

"Those are hoof prints! There was a goat on my car," Williford says in a video she posted to her accounts. "That is hilarious, and it went all the way on the top here too."

The post captured the attention of the official Subaru account.

"People have said we're the GOAT but didn't think this was what it meant," the company wrote in a comment on TikTok.

Williford says in her video, "I wish I could have seen that," and her wish came true thanks to wildlife photographer Michael Ryno.

Ryno's video, posted to Instagram, shows one goat walking across the vehicle's hood while a second stomps on the rooftop cargo box.

"OMG that's my car!" Williford wrote in a comment. "Thank you so much for capturing this."

She wrote her vehicle is "goat tested, goat approved."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife shared Ryno's video on social media.

"Looks up mountain goat on top of vehicle coverage," the post said. "Mountain goats have special hooves that help them travel up cliffs, steep slopes and in this case, a car. Their hooves have a hard outer rim and a soft rubbery bottom that acts like a suction cup."

Looks up mountain goat on top of vehicle coverage pic.twitter.com/J85NY9GSfI Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) July 15, 2024
Police: 1 man arrested in deadly road rage shooting near US 290 in Elgin

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN)  One man is dead and another has been arrested after a suspected road rage incident in Elgin Tuesday night, police said in a release.

The Elgin Police Department said it responded around 7:08 p.m. Tuesday to a disturbance and shots fired call at U.S. Highway 290 and County Line Road.

Police believe the situation started as a road rage incident between the victim and another driver. Police said they both left their vehicles and got into a fight, which escalated into a shooting.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Police found a man, later identified as Joseph Stanczyk, dead from an apparent gunshot wound, EPD said.

Fabian Salas, 34, was arrested and charged with murder in the incident, police said. As of Wednesday morning, attorney representation wasnt available for Salas. This story will be updated if that information becomes available and his representation provides a statement on his behalf.

Fabian Salas, 34 | Mugshot provided by Elgin Police Department

One man is dead and another has been arrested after a suspected road rage incident turned deadly in Elgin Tuesday night, police said in a release. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)

One man is dead and another has been arrested after a suspected road rage incident turned deadly in Elgin Tuesday night, police said in a release. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)

Elgin Police Chief Chris Noble speaks with KXAN after a deadly shooting on July 16, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)

Salas was booked into the Travis County jail. His bond has not been set, EPD said.

Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or have additional information, please call Detective Ted Hernandez at 737-226-1689 or email ted.hernandez@elgintexas.gov.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Looking back at stories that appeared in the OFallon Progress 125, 100, 75, and 50 years ago;

125 years ago, July 21, 1899

The selection of Saturday evening by the OFallon Brass Band for their ice-cream festival proved to be very unfavorable on account of rain.

The morning gave fine promise, but in the afternoon it clouded up and rained in torrents and in the evening at time to commence business was still showering. Consequently everything was moved into the Town Hall and enough of the cream was sold to pay expenses.

In spite of the rain those present enjoyed a very pleasant evening and decided the cream to be of a very rare good quality.

If the evening had been favorable they would undoubtedly have done well, but there is no use in grieving over what might have been if  the best thing to do is to try it again.

100 years ago, July 24, 1924

Speeding on OFallons streets while intoxicated is becoming an expensive pastime and those who have a desire to step on the gas will do well to think twice before they take the step, judging from a case disposed of in Justice Asburys court early Monday morning when Horace Garner, a 12-year-old youth of St. Louis was fined $125 and costs on two charges, the fine and costs amounting to $135.

Unable to pay he was lodged in the county jail. He was fined $25 and costs for disorderly conduct and $100 and costs on charges of driving an automobile while intoxicated.

According to evidence introduced at the trial young Garner came to OFallon Sunday afternoon and started out by transforming the streets into a race track, taking in a wide area by speeding in various parts of the city.

The reckless driving was brought to the attention of Alderman A. A. Schobert who started to trail the St. Louisan, finally overtaking him on South Second street.

Special officer Henry Warhoover took Garner into custody with some difficulty as the man showed fight and had to be subdued before he could be taken. He was locked up to permit him to sober up.

Shortly before midnight Chief of Police Tiley was approached by Ace Garner of this city, who requested that his brother be released from jail. Due to the condition of the prisoner Tiley refused but decided to linger around the city hall for further developments. At 1 oclock Ace Garner re-appeared and was seen to enter the jail corridor.

Officer Tiley followed and saw him pass a bottle to the prisoner. This was seized and proved to be what the police claim was a bottle of whiskey. The man was arrested and locked up with his brother. The next morning Garner was taken to Belleville for a hearing before Justice Wangelin where charges of procuring liquor for another person were lodged against him. He was held to the county court under a $1,000 bond, which he was unable to furnish.

Unless Horace Garner can pay his fine he will be incarcerated in the county jail for 90 days, serving it out at the rate of $1.50 a day.

75 years ago, July 21, 1949

Pheasants, a game which is practically unknown in this area, is to be introduced by the OFallon Chapter of Illinois Sportsmen.

The organization recently procured eggs from Wisconsin and had them hatched at the OFallon Hatchery with the result that some 90 young pheasant materialized. These birds are now under the care of several members who hope to bring them to maturity for release at the Sportsmens Club grounds and other parts in this area next summer.

The local club is contemplating further wild life propagation in this section having this as one of its objectives as an organization.

Last year they partially devoted efforts in the raising and releasing of raccoons, reports from sportsmen indicating that this was a successful venture.

Those interested in the propagation movement are hopeful that with further interest in this crafty animal, which was also nearly extinct hereabouts, raccoon will again become more plentiful in the next few years.

50 years ago, July 18, 1974

A new program will be initiated at OFallon Township High School this fall which will give students on-the-job training while at the same time earning the student money and class credit.

The new office occupations program is under the direction of teacher Ben Butler.

The program is a co-operative whereby students work on the job for half-a-day and are in class the other half. Students are required to work a minimum of 15 hours per week and a maximum of 24 hours. Regular credit is given for related instruction and time spent in training on the job.

The employer will be designated to periodically fill out a rating sheet for the trainee which will be turned in to the director of the program.

There are a number of advantages to the employer with this type of program, Butler said. The employer has a source of good part-time employees, reduces turnover, and supplements training programs already established by the employer.

Butler says the community also gains with the program. The area receives a trained supply of personnel and fewer school dropouts.

We train individuals who are responsible citizens, skilled workers and knowledgeable community leaders, Butler said.

Some area businesses are taking advantage of the program. Those interested in the program, whether an employer or student, should contact Butler at the high school.
(KRON)  In the first surge operation in Oakland since California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the expansion of California Highway Patrol deployment within the city, authorities made over a dozen arrests, the CHP announced Wednesday.

The surge operation, which took place on Saturday, involved CHP Golden Gate Divisions airplane and helicopter assisting officers on the ground in targeting illegal sideshows. Each aircraft was used overhead for four hours each, CHP said. In that time, air teams assisted in seven pursuits that ended in 13 arrests, as well as the recovery of eight stolen vehicles and two firearms.

Thieves are breaking into Danville homes using garage clickers

The surge in crime will not be tolerated, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a written statement, and we are taking swift, decisive action to combat it.

On July 11, Gov. Newsom announced increased operations of state law enforcement within Oakland. Building on our partnership with local law enforcement, Im deploying a new surge of CHP officers to help provide the people of Oakland and the East Bay the safety and security they deserve, Newsom said at the time.

Acclaimed Uptown Oakland Spanish favorite Duende closes

The expanded operation, which builds on the initial presence increase that began in February, involves quadrupling the number of shifts for CHP officers and increasing surge operations over the next four months.

I want to make it very clear, if you commit a crime, we will find you, apprehend you, and ensure that you are held responsible, Duryee added.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows the head of the god Amun during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

SHANGHAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A grand exhibition on the ancient Egyptian civilization, the largest of its kind held outside Egypt over the past 20 years, opened Wednesday in Shanghai.

A total of 788 artifacts from Egypt, along with ancient Chinese artifacts, are on display at the Shanghai Museum, offering visitors an artistic feast from the two ancient civilizations.

The exhibition, "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt," is co-hosted by the Shanghai Museum and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt.

Curated by Chinese scholars, the exhibition provides a comprehensive presentation of ancient Egyptian civilization and showcases the latest results of joint archaeological efforts between China and Egypt.

Luo Wenli, deputy head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, hailed the exhibition as a bridge for dialogue between China and Egypt, both ancient civilizations.

Among the exhibits are sculptures of deities that reflect the myths and philosophy of ancient Egypt, prehistoric painted pottery and cosmetic palettes, as well as treasures from different dynasties and various pharaohs.

Yan Haiying, the chief curator of the exhibition and a professor at Peking University, said the exhibition is all-encompassing, noting that "a condensed history of ancient Egyptian civilization is told in one exhibition."

In the second hall of the exhibition, over 400 newly unearthed artifacts from Saqqara, an important burial site in ancient Egypt, are being exhibited for the first time worldwide.

The hall also showcases significant achievements from recent Sino-Egyptian joint archaeological efforts. Recently, a digital survey and research project of the newly unearthed artifacts from Saqqara was launched in Egypt. The project primarily involves digitally scanning, photographing, organizing, and researching thousands of wooden mummy coffins unearthed at the Saqqara site.

Xue Jiang, the project leader and an Egyptology scholar from Shanghai International Studies University, said in the future, a database of the Sino-Egyptian joint archaeological research will be established for global sharing and major findings are planned to be released worldwide in Chinese, English, and Arabic.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the SCA of Egypt, said that the exhibition showcases the splendor of ancient Egyptian civilization and the diversity of Egyptian society.

He expressed the hope that all the exhibits can become cultural ambassadors of Egypt. He also invited the Chinese people to come to Egypt and experience its magnificent civilization firsthand. 

Visitors look at a statue during a media preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 16, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows cat mummies during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

A visitor takes photos during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

A visitor views colored mummy coffins during a media preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 16, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

A visitor takes photos of a kneeling statue of Hatshepsut during a media preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 16, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows a colored mummy coffin during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

A visitor takes photos during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

A visitor looks at a face mask for a female mummy during a media preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 16, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows the head from a statue of Nefertiti during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Visitors view exhibits during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

A visitor views a statue of King Akhenaton during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

A visitor views the head from a statue of Nefertiti during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows the standing statue of King Merneptah outside the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square in east China's Shanghai. The opening ceremony of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

A visitor looks at exhibits during a preview of the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" at the Shanghai Museum in east China's Shanghai, July 17, 2024. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held Wednesday at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square of the city. The exhibition will be open to public on July 19, bringing Chinese visitors altogether 788 precious artifacts from different periods of ancient Egypt, most of which are being displayed in Asia for the first time. The exhibition will run until August 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)
Last weekend, there was an attempted assassination of former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

I was curious to hear non-Americans' thoughts about the situation and its impact on the US election, so I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who live in other countries to share their honest reactions.

Whether you agree or not, here's what they had to say:

1."I think there is a sense of inevitability about it. In an increasingly polarized world where there is so much hate from both sides, it was only a matter of time. I'm in the UK, and our policy for most things seems to be, 'Look what America does and do it a bit less.'"

"Happily, we throw eggs and milkshakes at our disliked politicians, and long may it stay that way. Both sides are blaming each other, and it has accomplished nothing except to divide even further. Yes, I do think it will help Trump, but I assumed it was headlining that way regardless."

RockingRuby

2."This chaos is bleeding into our lives unbidden and unwanted. The political state in Canada is absolutely fucked because of the bullshit the US has allowed to take over the country. Our conservatives were a fiscal nightmare, but not the racist, anti-government, anti-science, anti-social, self-centered white supremacists that are now somehow on open display. It's BONKERS to any reasonable human."

triple.goddess.latte Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

3."As a Canadian who follows US politics fairly closely, I fear this may have won him the election. The religion and miracle talk are crucial to a base that already views him as a messiah, and it gives him a spotlight as a fighter, whereas Biden is seen right now as an old man."

"It's probably the most influential curveball we've seen in this race. Hopefully, it'll be the last dangerous curveball (because assassination, regardless of your political views, will just cause more chaos and violence on all sides). Good luck, America, you'll need it."

Anonymous

4."I hope with all my heart that the people of the United States will see this as a wake-up call to share their different opinions peacefully and respectfully."

coolgirl32

5."All that I can think of is 2016's word of the year being 'truthy' and that being partly influenced by Trump's politics. The same sentiment still stands today. It seemingly doesn't matter what the truth is about the shooting in America."

"It doesn't matter if gun control could've prevented it; it doesn't matter who the guy was registered to vote for or how many other people's lives are ruined because of this. In the eyes of a non-American, what does seem to matter is how well it fits each party's 'truth.' This is why the right is already spinning stories, and the left has people saying that they wish it was successful even though they claim to be anti-violence and pro-democracy."

indieseed

6."As your northern border country whose political scene is a mess, this is my takeaway: I was truly shocked and saddened by the amount of celebration. No matter who you support or believe in, celebrating a murder or assassination of an individual is disturbing, and to do it on TikTok just shows how messed up US society has become."

Anonymous Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

7."Attempts on the lives of people in power worldwide are as old as time. As a non-American, what really confused me is why there are rifle clubs in schools. Is this common? Maybe they should be directing more anger and concern toward stopping school shootings."

 AnonymousThe shooter reportedly tried out for his high school rifle club.

8."I am from Germany. We are already pretty nervous about another round with President Trump in 2025. So, the assassination attempt was a shock! I'm happy he survived. But with the photo of him raising his fist, I don't believe Biden is going to win in November."

Anonymous

9."Violence is never the answer. No matter your opinion on Trump or Biden, never should you point a gun at someone. Innocents were injured. The shooter's intended target was Trump, but someone else got caught in the crossfire and paid the price for violence."

Anonymous

10."Hi, I'm from Germany. I think that Trump will use this incident to finally present himself to his supporters as a hero and martyr ordained by God. (It feels like in America, people often argue with God or God's providence, much more than here in Germany.) He will exploit it and put himself on the same level as Kennedy or Reagan."

"I also think that this day essentially decided the election in Trump's favor and that this will only convince his supporters and undecided voters even more about him. In the four years of Trump, it has become clear that neither Trump's vulgar rhetoric nor his lies scare people away but rather encourage them to trample on democratic ideas and basic structures. It is frightening to see how democracy is gradually crumbling in the United States." Anonymous Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

11."As a queer woman, this is scary. The US right now seems to have a want for violence. The right-wing in Canada has started mimicking the right in the US, and while I'm relatively sheltered from a lot of it in Vancouver, I do fear for my BIPOC, non-cis, and queer neighbors in the States even more than I did prior."

Anonymous

12."The USA loves their guns so much that one attempt on Trump's life is somehow more important than the hundreds killed every year in shootings, so he'll likely be voted in because he's a 'survivor' and 'God saved him.' Democracy is about to come to a swift end for you all, and what a devastating consequence it will have for the rest of us."

Anonymous

13."The rest of the world looks on with a total lack of surprise that Trump was shot. Given the number of guns in circulation in the US and the number of madmen toting them, the only surprise was that it hadn't been attempted before."

Anonymous Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

14."Who lives like this? Really, how are you all coping? The past decade has just been one thing after another that makes me glad my ancestors immigrated to Canada, not the States."

Anonymous

And finally...

15."Living in Central Canada, right above North Dakota, makes it awful to watch. Truthfully, the Democrats and the Republicans are so far apart that I don't think a Democrat supporter is going to switch to Trump because of this situation. What I'm actually worried about is right-wingers blaming the left and thinking more violence is somehow a defensive move."

staceyl4c2be94ab

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
We've shared posts in the past where people confessed some of the absolute worst scandals that happened at their schools.

Channel 4

Unfortunately, their experiences were very shocking, disturbing, and scarring.

ABC

In fact, their stories were so eye-opening that they inspired the BuzzFeed Community to share their own school scandal experiences.

Paramount Pictures

So, here's what they had to say:

Note: Some submissions include topics of child abuse, sexual abuse, gun violence, and necrophilia. Please proceed with caution.

1."When I was 15, the vice principal was trying to physically yank an earring out of my friends ear. I went to stick up for my friend and tried to pull the VP off my friend. He turned around to me and attempted to restrain me in a nelson hold. I slipped to the floor out of the hold. While he stood over me, he raised his foot to stomp me! I looked up and saw an open locker, and I kicked it hard into his face. I guess it broke his nose. I jumped up, and my friends were egging me on, so I knocked the VP to the floor. To this day, when he encounters me at my grandkids' teacher conferences, he wont make eye contact and stays away from me. Serves him right for abusing kids years ago."

magicalknight55

2."When my mom was a teenager, she was known for her artistic skills. She had a really pretty girl in her class who everyone was in love with. Once, a math teacher (a man in his thirties) came over to my mom with a picture of that pretty girl and asked her to 'draw her for him.' My mom refused. Later, that teacher married another of his former students just after they graduated."

millenialshrimp

Diego_cervo / Getty Images

3."When I was in high school, two female teachers found out they were having an affair with the same younger man. The man was in his early twenties, so it was legal, but the teachers were both in their fifties and married. The day after they found out, one teacher asked to talk to the other one in the parking lot outside my homeroom classroom. They ended up in a fistfight in the parking lot during homeroom. All the kids in that room just watched and cheered them on. It was my English teacher that year, who I despised, and the art teacher who ran my homeroom. The principal found out, suspended them both, and ended up calling their husbands!"

dmcrowe12

4."Our high school gym teacher made us wear thin white sweatpants without underwear and stare up at us while we sat on the bleachers. He was notorious for dating underage girls, and one year, he married a girl right after she graduated. You would see them driving around in a pickup truck with the economics teacher sitting between them."

shinygamer90

5."When I was in 8th grade, my history teacher was screaming at another student. I sneezed and he mistook it for me snickering. He came up and threw my desk across the room and into the wall before yelling in my face until I cried."

addiem49fe94063

Darkbird77 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6."We had a kid in my class my senior year whose parents kicked him out halfway through the year. He was still going to our Catholic school because his parents paid for the whole year, but he was couch surfing with various classmates while trying to graduate. Hed already gotten into art school on a scholarship and was a great artist. He was 18 when his parents kicked him out. Well, after they kicked him out and found out he was still going to school, they called the school repeatedly, trying to get him expelled. They were making all kinds of claims and threatening to come to the school to have him drug tested. But he was 18, so they literally had no power over him anymore."

"We all started a petition to 'let [X] graduate.' He ended up graduating with the rest of our class thanks to our amazing principal, who protected him, and a classmates family, who took him in. No thanks to his absolutely shitty parents."

omgitsaclaire

7."My high school was notorious for teachers sleeping with students (the female teachers did it more than the male ones). This high school was also the number one state in teenage pregnancy. They tried to cover up everything by giving most of the students in my school high test scores. So, yeah, a nice suburban school with nice test scores in a 'prestigious' school district...yeah, okay. Students all knew differently. Drugs, automatic weapons, and even explosives in kids' lockers were the norm."

magicalknight55

8."A group of the so-called 'male popular jocks' at my school decided senior year to poke pinholes in all the free condoms that were in a basket available to students before prom. People found out, but nothing ever happened to any of them because they had rich parents and were future pro-athletes."

archiepartytime

Fatcamera / Getty Images

9."A teacher who identified as LGBTQ+ was fired and ended up getting a big settlement because of discrimination. It ended with our head teacher leaving because she was the person in charge of staffing and, therefore, responsible for the discrimination. The treatment of LGBTQ+ students was also extremely poor. It wasn't generally something you got bullied for by students, but instead by the staff."

ajaff123

10."In my Catholic high school, we had a set of twin boys. They were developmentally delayed, REALLY tall and big, and the older one had severe behavioral issues. Their school district paid my school to take them. They both got expelled after threatening to shoot the entire choir, including the choir director. They then showed up at a public performance near Christmas with another friend and walked back and forth while glaring at us. Not only did the choir director get a restraining order on them, but the principal, along with our bishop, got a restraining order on the two of them. They banned them from the school grounds, the convent next door, and any public event held by the school."

luxahoy

11."Im originally from Scotland, and I moved to the US when I was nine years old. I went into 3rd grade at this small private school. I have learning disabilities, and on top of that, I was experiencing really bad depression and homesickness. I literally cried at school for WEEKS just because of how sad I was. I kept forgetting my homework either at home or I couldnt complete it because Id forgotten the necessary tools to do it at school. One day, I forgot my time tracker at school, so I couldnt do my math homework. My mum wrote a note to my math teacher, and when she saw it, she came into my homeroom classroom and screamed at me in front of everyone."

"It was so bad that my language arts teacher next door could hear it and came in to comfort me as I sat there crying. Meanwhile, my homeroom teacher sat there and did nothing.

The yelling continued for at least 10 minutes. That day, my mum picked me up from school, and when she asked how my day had gone, I started crying and told her what happened.

My mum is a 'you know not to mess with her kids' kind of person  she goes into 'Mama Bear Mode!' She did an immediate u-turn back to the school and got the teacher fired."

rachaelcferg

Ridofranz / Getty Images

12."I still remember being in 5th grade and being sent to the office because someone threw stuff whenever the teacher turned around. She thought it was me (it wasnt) and sent me to the principal's office. When I got to the principals office the superintendent was also there (I think they were friends). The superintendent was ranting about being sick of 'you bastard kids.' He picked me up by my shirt and threw me into a filing cabinet. I remember him having a hold of my shirt and screaming again that I was a little bastard, and I felt his spit hitting me in the face. I was biting my lip and trying not to cry. He threatened to beat the shit out of me if I ever told anyone, so I didnt. The principal (who I always liked before) apologized after the guy stormed out, but told me it was my fault for 'misbehaving.'"

"I always loved school before that, but then had a 'fuck it' attitude after that. School sucks sometimes ."

jeramoo

13."In the '90s at secondary school, a teacher brought a camcorder into school and taped the pretty bad behavior happening (the teachers were afraid of the kids). They recorded someone called The Phantom Crapper who would poop in the top drawer of the teacher's desk so that when the teacher would go to grab something out of said drawer, they'd get a handful of HUMAN poop. A TV program was done exposing us, and in the end the teacher lost her job."

misspinklady83

Maroke / Getty Images/iStockphoto

14."I'm a Canadian high school student. My school is notorious for a lot of stuff, including a few kids murdering somebody and for getting swatted. However, before I came to my high school, there was a science teacher who would always have this student over in his classroom after school. Kids who were vaping behind the school always saw them together. The moment the student graduated, he and the student started publicly dating. I'm pretty sure he left his job before that because he knew what would follow."

amnaf1499

15."I went to a Catholic high school in the early '90s. I found out not long after graduation that one of the nuns (a woman who still wore a habit and taught accounting) had been arrested for sexually molesting another nun. For a long time, I was able to find the news story for proof, but it was a very, very long ago."

lauracatania75

16.And, "My elementary school had a part-time janitor who also worked at a funeral home preparing the deceased (embalming, dressing, etc.). He was found guilty of stealing from the bodies when a girl at my school noticed he was wearing her father's distinctive watch a week after he passed. An investigation also discovered he was engaging in necrophilia with the female bodies when a detective literally walked in on him."

darkutuscan

Dusan Stankovic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.
Gainesville police are investigating a hit-and-run that left an eight-year-old seriously injured.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

It happened Monday at Lenox Park Apartments.

According to Gainesville police, Erickson Mondesir, 19, unintentionally drove his SUV into an apartment, seriously injuring an 8-year-old child.

The child was airlifted to the Childrens Hospital of Atlanta with serious injuries.

Instead of Mondesir helping the child, he ran away, police said.

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Mondesir was caught a short time later and booked into the Hall County Jail.

He is charged with hit and run and serious injury by a motor vehicle.

Officials did not say whether the child was in the vehicle or the apartment. The childs identity was not released.

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IN OTHER NEWS:




The Alameda County District Attorneys office on Tuesday announced the resentencing of two death row inmates amid an ongoing ordered review of dozens of death penalty cases to determine whether prosecutors in those cases intentionally excluded Black and Jewish jurors.

Ernest Dykes, the lead case that triggered the review, is one of the inmates who will be resentenced, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said at a Tuesday news conference. He would be set to be released next year on probation, the district attorney said.

Dykes was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of 9-year-old Lance Clark during a 1993 robbery in Oakland, California. Dykes admitted to the robbery and shooting, but denied it was intentional, Price said.

While preparing for his appeal, an Alameda County deputy district attorney found handwritten notes about potential jurors from the trial back in the 1990s  notes that clearly indicate that Black and Jewish jurors  were being tracked and excluded from the jury that ultimately convicted Mr. Dykes and sentenced him to death, Price said.

Prosecutors, by law, cannot exclude jurors because of race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

CNN previously shared images of notes believed to be written by prosecutors during Dykess trial. In those notes, Black potential jurors  and only Black potential jurors  had their race marked. Must go, was written next to the name of a Black man; another juror had the word Jewish underlined on their questionnaire. Farther down, a handwritten note reads: I liked him better than any other Jew. But no way.

Put in the context with the evidence and other cases it became clear there was potentially a pattern and a practice of that kind of prosecutorial misconduct in other cases, Price said.

Federal Judge Vince Chhabria ordered the DAs office to review death penalty cases dating back to the mid-1980s after being alerted to those notes. Among those cases are convicted mass shooters, serial killers, rapists and murderers.

Im almost at a loss for words, Lance Clarks sister  who did not want her name published  told CNN following the announcement of his upcoming release. Our system really has done a disservice to our family.

Price on Tuesday also announced plans to resentence Keith Thomas, who was initially sentenced in 1997. A judge will need to approve the resentencing motions before the sentences are changed.

Mr. Thomas will receive a sentence of 23 years to life, he has already served 31 years. So, he will be eligible for paroleand possible release, Price said.

Thomas had been sentenced to death for the kidnap, rape and murder of Francia Young, a 25-year-old woman on her way home from work. Racist imagery and stereotyping used during the trial, from opening statement to the penalty phase, essentially undermined the integrity of this conviction, Price said.

The DAs office is currently reviewing 56 death penalty cases.

In 40 out of 56 death penalty cases since 1978, approximately 70%, jury selection materials are missing, she said. There may well have been an effort to sanitize the files. We intend to look into that.

So far, the DAs office has found evidence of racial profiling of juries as late as 2015 and has identified seven prosecutors potentially involved. In addition to violating the Constitution, Price said last month, their behavior may have been criminal. One of the seven still works at the DAs office, but now with a supervisor, according to Price. Another currently serves as a judge in Alameda County, and yet another was just appointed as a judge in nearby Contra Costa County.

Price  who took office last year  has previously said she believes the racial profiling of jurors was potentially widespread and well-known in the department under her predecessors because, in 2003, during an appeal of a death penalty conviction, John Quatman, a former deputy DA, testified a judge said I could not have a Jew on the jury. He went on, It was standard practice to exclude Jewish jurors in death cases: as it was to exclude African-American women from capital juries.

Studies have also found patterns of racial bias in jury selection from California and Washington to Connecticut and New York as well as the Deep South.

On Tuesday, Price apologized on behalf of the DAs office to the families of victims Clark and Young for the misconduct. She also apologized to the African American community of Alameda County, to the Jewish community, to the LGBTQ+ plus community who were also denied their constitutional rights.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold a hearing on Monday, July 22 on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Committee Chairman James Comer plans to subpoena Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify. The House's second top Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise called on Cheatle to resign on Monday.

U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, and Mike Turner, R-Dayton, serve on the panel.

Facts about Trump assassination attempt: What's real, what's not and how we know

Jim Jordan: 'There's one fundamental question'

During a podcast interview at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Jordan questioned why nearby buildings at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, were not secured.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch

"In my mind, there's one fundamental question. There's a finite number of buildings in that area where a bad guy could get on top of and do what happened. It's probably not one hundred buildings, it's probably not 10, it may be three, four, five. And one of those buildings was occupied by the good guys, right?" Jordan said.

Jordan said he would like to hear from the local police officer who reportedly climbed up to the roof of the building with the sniper just before the deadly shooting and the Secret Service counter-sniper.

Mike Turner: 'You don't have to be a security expert to see the failures'

Turner, who also is chair of the House Intelligence Committee, praised the Secret Service agents on the stage with Trump and told CNN there are going to be lots of questions about the shooter and his motivations.

"You don't have to be a security expert to see the failures here," Turner said. "The fact that the perimeter was not secure really is just astounding I think to anyone who looks at it. The fact that he was able to get off shots where he had already been identified, his position had been identified is really confusing and astounding."

Was it carelessness or a Trump assassination plot?

U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, believes the assassination attempt on Trump could be more than carelessness on the part of law enforcement.

"It's such a level of negligence that it's just hard to conceive that it was simply negligence," U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, told The Enquirer Tuesday morning while attending the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin. "So the investigation has to be thorough. There are failures that are hard to explain by anyone with any remote level of training, to say that a sniper could get 130, 150 yards away from the president of the United States."

Davidson wants to know how the shooter got on top of a roof within 150 yards of Trump, and why, after he was spotted, action wasn't immediately taken. When asked by The Enquirer whether he's suggesting the assassination attempt was an inside job, he said, "It's hard to explain all the failures."

How to watch hearing on Trump assassination attempt

The hearing will be live-streamed at oversight.house.gov. at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 22.

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Trump assassination attempt: What Ohio congressmen want to know
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  A judge in Montgomery County ruled that a 20-year-old will spend the next 12 years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder for a shooting that happened just over two years ago.

On July 12, 2022, Sorie Mansaray, who was 18 at the time, shot at a vehicle in Silver Spring, hitting a passenger in the car.

The Montgomery County States Attorneys Office said Mansaray and the victim had encountered one another minutes before the shooting at the Dash In gas station in the 11000 block of New Hampshire Ave.

Gov. Moore announces $12.1M to expand electrical vehicle charging stations

When the vehicle the victim was in pulled out of the gas station parking lot, Mansaray walked up next to a Metro bus stop and fired as the car drove by.

The situation was captured on surveillance cameras and can be seen below:

The passenger was taken to a hospital for treatment of their gunshot wound injuries and survived.

The shooting occurred during daylight hours, along one of our busiest roads in Montgomery County. This sort of reckless violence in our community is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it, said States Attorney John McCarthy in a press release.

Mansaray, now 20, was convicted on April 18 on charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, possession of a regulated firearm by a person under 21 years of age and other related charges.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with all but 12 years suspended. Upon his release, he will also serve five years of supervised probation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Peter Zielinski's, whose murder conviction in the 2011 shooting death of his wife has been overturned twice, listens in Marion County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

During opening arguments Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife, Peter Zielinski's defense attorney contended he killed Lisa Zielinski in an episode of "extreme emotional defense" and asked the jury to find him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Zielinski was twice convicted of murdering his wife and twice successful in having his conviction overturned.

Now 52, Zielinski was arrested in 2011 for shooting his wife, Lisa Zielinski, 38, at their Keizer home while their 5-year-old daughter was in the other room.

Prosecutors argued the shooting was an intentional act made after months of marital turmoil and controlling behavior. Lisa Zielinski wanted to leave her husband, Marion County Deputy District Attorney Katie Suver said.

"She had enough of the defendant's drinking, anger and verbal abuse," Suver said. "She was leaving him. He made sure that would never happen."

She showed the jury a photo of Lisa Zielinski smiling along with emails her husband sent in the days preceding her death.

Zielinski knew his wife wanted out of their marriage. He promised to stop drinking, stop trying to control her and stop yelling at her. When she refused to stay in the marriage, his attitude soured, according to email records.

"I am now resolved in making it as difficult as a can for her to do so," he wrote. "I have nothing left to lose."

Defense attorney Michael Bertholf said Lisa Zielinski was checked out of her marriage by the summer of 2010, and the couple's finances had been ravaged by the 2008 housing crash.

Peter Zielinski appears in Marion County Circuit Court on Tuesday with his defense lawyer, Michael Bertholf.

"Their financials went to hell and their relationship spiraled," he said, adding Peter Zielinski was doing "anything he could to save the marriage."

Bertholf said Zielinski snapped when he shot his wife and asked the jury to side with the defense of extreme emotional distress and convict his client of manslaughter. First-degree manslaughter carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Zielinski has been incarcerated since the shooting and conviction in 2013.

The day of the shooting

Lisa Zielinski worked in sales at the KYKN radio station and sang in the choir at Saint Edward Catholic Church. She was known as a devoted mother and stepmother.

The day of the shooting, her 5-year-old daughter told police she didn't hear or see anything but when "she said goodbye to her mom, her mom didn't answer," Suver said.

Marion County Deputy District Attorney Katie Suver speaks during opening arguments Tuesday in Salem.

Peter Zielinski took his daughter to her kindergarten carpool before calling a friend, admitting to the shooting and turning himself in at the police station.

Now the Chief of Police in Keizer, Andrew Copeland was a patrol sergeant and one of the first law enforcement officers to talk to Zielinski and find Lisa Zielinski dead in the master bathroom of the family's home on Nightingale Court. Copeland said she was in pajamas and slippers. When they found items indicating kids lived in the home, they searched the house and worked to locate the children. Both were safely at school.

A 13-year legal back-and-forth ensued after Peter Zielinski's arrest. Multiple trial dates were canceled as Zielinski's attorneys fought to include expert testimony of his anxiety disorder diagnosis, which they claimed supported an extreme emotional disturbance defense.

Prosecutors sought to include evidence of marital turmoil, verbal abuse, alcoholism and physical abuse preceding the shooting.

Before he was first scheduled to go to trial in 2013, Zielinski abruptly changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. The plea was conditional, giving him the right to appeal. That year, Marion County Judge Dale Penn sentenced Zielinski to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

At Peter Zielinski's sentencing, Lisa's mother, Rhonda Tupper, called him an "unspeakable monster."

"You turned the world of a 5-year-old upside down and you took from me my beautiful daughter who was also my best friend," she said. "May you have a long time to reflect on your actions. As her family, we despise you."

Case goes to trial, conviction overturned

In an opinion issued in 2017, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled the trial court erred in excluding expert testimony of Zielinski's anxiety disorder diagnosis.

His case returned to Marion County Circuit Court for trial in 2019.

The defense argued Zielinski was in a "state of desperation," financial woes due to underemployment, undiagnosed PTSD from his military experience and failing marriage.

Much of the defense centered around Zielinski's war experiences  he was a Marine in the mid-1990s and served as as a radio operator during the Gulf War  leading to flashbacks, suicidal ideation, alcohol use and nightmares.

Prosecutors argued Peter Zielinski was demeaning and controlling.

The jury unanimously rejected the emotional disturbance defense and convicted Zielinski.

Zielinski's attorneys appealed again, and in 2022, the Oregon Court of Appeals overturned the conviction.

The appeals court found Marion County Circuit Court Judge Susan Tripp improperly allowed the deputy district attorney to examine the past clients of an expert witness during the second trial.

The case returned to court this week for another retrial. It is scheduled to run until July 23.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on X at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: 2011 Keizer murder case returns to court for second retrial
The third day of the Republican National Convention shifted its focus to issues of national security and foreign policy.

Republicans are focusing on Democratic President Joe Bidens handling of the ongoing crises in Europe and the Middle East. Former Trump administration officials have also taken the stage to express their foreign policy hopes should Trump return to the White House for a second term.

Vice presidential candidate JD Vance introduced himself to a national audience Wednesday evening when he delivered his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

As the RNC's evening session was about to begin, the Biden campaign announced that the president had contracted COVID-19 and would be flying to Deleware to quarantine.

Follow the APs Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024

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Day 3 of the convention has ended

The convention is gaveling out after a benediction from Rev. Packy Thompson of Houma, Lousiana.

Thompson thanked God for Trump. I also thank you for protecting him from the evil that was perpetrated last Saturday, he said.

And the gathering is adjourned until Thursday.

Biden campaign issues a blistering statement immediately following Vances speech

Tonight, J.D. Vance, the poster boy for Project 2025, took center stage. But its working families and the middle class who will suffer if hes allowed to stay there, Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communication director, said.

Backed by Silicon Valley and the billionaires who bought his vice presidential selection, Vance is Project 2025 in human form  an agenda that puts extremism and the ultra wealthy over our democracy.

Vance ends VP nomination speech: I will give you everything I have

Vance made a pledge to voters: I pledge to every American, no matter your party, I will give you everything I have.

He added, To serve you and to make this country a place where every dream you have for yourself, your family and your country will be possible once again.

After the speech, Vances extended family flooded the stage to an unusual song for a Republican convention  Fleetwood Macs Dont Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.

The song became a political staple in 1992 when a very different young politician from a humble background ran for national office. That was Bill Clinton, who is, of course, a Democrat.

Vance presented an unusual portrait of the housing affordability crisis

The Ohio senator mentioned speaking with someone who wondered if they would ever be able to buy a house. Vance then blamed the housing crisis on Wall Street barons, who crashed the economy, causing workers who built houses to lose their jobs and wages to stagnate. Then, he contended, Democrats let millions of illegal immigrants into the country, further increasing home prices.

But the housing affordability crisis has skyrocketed under Biden not for any of those reasons, but because interest rates have risen sharply along with inflation. Home prices were high under the prior three presidents, but low interest rates kept mortgage rates down, and homes therefore still within reach for many, especially in places like Vances home state of Ohio.

Now those mortgage rates have increased exponentially, putting previously costly but still affordable homes well out of the reach of most prospective first-time buyers. Its one of Bidens most intractable problems.

Vance takes a softer tone on immigrants

In seeking to appeal to a larger audience on immigration, Vance used the example of his in-laws, who are South Asian immigrants. These are incredible people who genuinely have enriched this country in so many ways, Vance said. And of course, Im biased because I love my wife and her family. But its true.

Vance also used the term illegal aliens to describe immigrants in the country illegally instead of the more derisive term illegals that previous speakers used. The word choice is an example of the overall tone of Vances speech, which is much softer than the speech of the man who introduced him, Donald Trump Jr.

Vance is contrasting Biden and Trump

Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington as long as Ive been alive, Vance, 39, said. For half a century hes been a champion of every single policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer.

In contrast, Vance said, Trump in four years was able to reverse all those negative trends. Just imagine what hes going to do when we give him four more years, Vance said, sparking chants of four more years.

Vance, still a relative unknown, familiarizes the crowd with his autobiography

The crowd inside the convention hall welcomed Vance warmly, but they were somewhat quiet during his remarks  at least compared to other more fiery speakers from earlier in the night.

In winning the nomination, Vance has leap-frogged a deep bench of aspiring Republican politicians in Ohio, where the GOP controls every statewide executive office, both legislative chambers and the state Supreme Court.

The muted reception was a reminder that Vance is still not well known, even among Republicans. And he was not the most talented orator among the list of veep finalists. Perhaps thats why Vance has closely followed the script for much of his speech, according to the teleprompters in the room.

Its also worth noting that the speech is more focused on Vances biography than the red-meat conservative issues that most excite Republican activists.

Vance pays homage to his Mamaw

Vance drew upon his bestselling memoir to talk about growing up in a faded Ohio town. He credited his success to his grandmother, who he refers to as Mamaw.

He recounted how she was tough as nails. Once, when Vance recalled that he was spending too much time hanging out with a local kid who dealt drugs, his grandmother said shed run the boy over with her car if Vance didnt stop.

She said, JD, no one will ever find out about it, Vance recalled.

The crowd roared and began chanting Mamaw! Mamaw!

Vance pays respect to his running mate before detailing his own life story

Vances autobiographical speech is supposed to introduce the 39-year-old freshman senator to the nation, but he seemed to have little choice but to immediately address Saturdays assassination attempt on his running mate.

For the last eight years, President Trump has given everything he has to fight for his country. He didnt need politics but the country needed him, Vance said.

They said he was a tyrant. They said he had to be stopped at all costs. But what did he call for? Vance asked. He called for national unity.

He also shared an unexpected private detail  two nights ago, he said, Trump gave each of his two adult sons a kiss on the cheek. Sorry guys, Vance joked about the moment, noting the two Trump sons squirmed like Vances own 4-year-old son when the Ohio Senator tries to kiss him.

JD Vance takes the stage

With a kiss to his wife, he walked out to Merle Haggards America First, which has played several times during the convention.

Bowing his head and waving to the crowd, the 39-year-old Ohio senator, elected just 20 months ago, proclaimed, Wow, wow! as the crowd briefly chanted JD, JD.

My name is JD Vance, from the great state of Ohio, he said.

To the chance of OH-IO, he said, We gotta chill with the Ohio love, we have to win Michigan too.

Usha Vance introduces her husband

Usha Vance, JD Vances wife and political unknown, arrived on the RNC stage for her prime-time debut.

When I was asked to introduce my husband JD Vance to all of you, I was at a loss, she said. What can I say that hasnt already been said. I mean the man was a subject of a Ron Howard movie.

Usha Vance laid out the stark differences between how she and her husband grew up. The senator is from a low-income Appalachian family and she came from a middle-class immigrant home in San Diego. When JD met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm, she said.

Biden: I am doing well after testing positive for COVID-19

Biden commented after Air Force One brought him back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The president was in Las Vegas to speak to members of a Latino civil rights organization but canceled the appearance after learning he was positive for the virus.

The White House said the president was experiencing mild symptoms, had begun treatment and will isolate at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Trump Jr. calls for unity, attacks enemies

Donald Trump Jr. spoke movingly about his fathers bravery on Saturday after a would-be assassin opened fire, saying he showed for all the world that the next American president has the heart of a lion. But he toggled back and forth between talking about his father as a symbol of national unity and slamming his enemies.

When he stood up with blood on his face and the flag at his back, the world saw a spirit that could never be broken, Trump Jr said. And that is the true spirit of America. America knows what its like to be down. We know what its like to be confused and afraid.

He quickly segued to slamming the medias lies.

They lied about Russia collusion, they lied about Hunters laptop. They lied about Joe Bidens fitness for office, they lied about the border being secure, Trump Jr said. Eventually, he said, all hell has broken loose in America.

Trump Jr. concluded by referencing his father again on Saturday. He may have moved to the ground but he stood back up, he said. He raised his fist in the air and what did he say? The crowd echoed back Fight! Fight! Fight!

The speech shows the challenge facing the convention  to give voice to the fear and frustration of their conservative base while also trying to promote Donald Trump as a symbol of hope for all voters.

Unauthorized aircraft escorted out of airspace surrounding RNC

An aircraft entered the restricted airspace surrounding the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday and was escorted out of the area by a North American Aerospace Defense Command F-35 jet.

The aircraft was not in communication with air traffic control when flying about 24 miles southwest of Milwaukee around 3:30 p.m., NORAD said. The F-35 jet was flying at about 4,000 feet and would have been visible from the ground, NORAD said.

NORAD did not provide any details about the type of aircraft it intercepted, where it was headed or if it knew it was violating the restricted airspace.

The Federal Aviation Administration has implemented temporary flight restrictions in and around Milwaukee throughout the convention which concludes Thursday.

JD Vance to highlight his Appalachian upbringing in RNC speech

Vice presidential nominee JD Vance will draw upon his poor upbringing in Appalachia in his keynote address while promising voters that he wont forget the small Midwestern town where he comes from.

Never in my wildest imagination would I have believed that I could be standing here tonight, Vance, a 39-year-old first-term senator, will say, according to excerpts of his remarks released by the campaign.

He grew up in Middletown, Ohio, a small town where people spoke their minds, built with their hands, and loved their God, family, community and country with their whole hearts.

In the speech, he uses his youth to help draw a contrast with Biden, 81, who is more than twice his age.

Vance notes he was in fourth grade when a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good American manufacturing jobs to Mexico.

In small towns like mine in Ohio, or next door in Pennsylvania, or in Michigan and other states across our country, jobs were sent overseas and children were sent to war.

Hell also reference his mother, a single mom who struggled with money and addiction but never gave up. And I am proud to say that tonight my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober.

Vance will conclude his remarks with a promise to the American people:

The people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and every corner of our Nation, I promise you this: I will never forget where I came from.

A 98-year-old World War 2 veteran took the stage to criticize the countrys 81-year-old Democratic president

William Pekrul, who said hes the father of 11 children, fought on D-Day and at the Battle of the Bulge. There were many of us left, there arent many of us left today, Pekrul said, standing on his own on stage.

But for those of us who are here, Americas still worth fighting for.

Pekrul continued that it hurts my heart to see how Biden and Harris have taken care of the country. If President Trump were the commander-in-chief, Id go back and reenlist today, Pekrul said, as Trump smiled and clapped.

Trump has a history of controversial statements about veterans, including being accused by his former chief of staff, a one-time Marine General, that he scoffed at the sacrifice of those buried in Normandy who died during the D-Day invasion. Trump has denied he made the statement.

Biden has remained supportive of Israel despite protests within his own party

As the issues from the stage turn to the Israeli-Hamas war, signs saying We are Jews for Trump are emerging from the crowd on the floor.

An Israeli flag is being waved near a woman holding a sign that says, Free hostages, Support Israel and Fight Antisemitism.

The Biden administration has steadfastly supported Israel despite major protests from within the Democratic partys own ranks. Biden visited Israel shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and hugged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden has rejected demands to halt all weapons shipments to Israel, although it did suspend the transfer of 2,000-pound bombs over fears they might be used in heavily populated areas in Gaza.

At the same time, US officials have been working since October to try and arrange a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that would see the release of hostages and at least a temporary end to hostilities.

Top Biden aides, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have met repeatedly with the families of American and other hostages still held by Hamas and pledged to work for their release.

Convention speakers turn to condemning activists on college campuses

Country singer Brian Kelley played his song American Spirit as a group of fraternity brothers from UNC Chapel Hill strode to the stage, carrying American flags.

The group was honored for taking down a Palestinian flag that activists raised in place of an American flag on their camps. The fraternity brothers then again raised the American flag.

Next up was Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish Harvard student suing his school for alleged antisemitism. After Oct. 7, the world finally saw what I and so many Jewish students across this country experience every day, Kestenbaum said.

The parents of an American man captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and held hostage ever since also spoke.

Gold Star families say Biden refused to recognize the sacrifice of their loved ones

The families of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed by a suicide bombing in August 2021 appeared on stage as Trump and Republicans look to further highlight one of the most difficult moments of Bidens tenure. Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice, Christy Shamblin, the mother of Sgt. Nicole Gee, told the crowd. Donald Trump knew all of our childrens names. He knew all of their stories.

The crowd at the RNC chanted Never forget! and U.S.A!

The parents and loved ones of those service members have been thrown into the political spotlight, appearing before congressional hearings and doing various news interviews.

Republicans have claimed that Bidens decision to remove U.S. soldiers after the two-decade war in Afghanistan was a strictly political move. But the agreement for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan was signed by Trumps administration in February 2020. The deal called for American troops to be out by May 2021, but Trump left office that January without leaving a plan in place for the actual withdrawal of forces.

The families have blasted Biden for never publicly naming their loved ones. On stage Wednesday, one of the family members named each of the 13 members, with the crowd echoing back each lost soldiers name as it was read out loud.

The Republican criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resonates with voters across party lines. Former Biden supporters, such as former New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, have cited the botched withdrawal as one reason why they want Biden to step aside.

Rep. Waltz describes Trumps relationship with the families of military service members

Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida said Trump has helped Gold Star families heal following the deaths of their relatives in combat.

Waltz talked about how Trump has hosted such families at his clubs for dinners and events as a way to thank them for their families service and sacrifice.

The former Green Beret also opened his Wednesday night comments with a crack on Biden, asking attendees, Has anyone seen charging stations in the Middle East for Bidens electric tanks?

Waltz, co-chairman of the Platform Committee, also spoke at the convention on Monday. His name has been mentioned as a possible secretary of state contender in a second Trump administration.

Kellyanne Conway highlights the women from Trumps administration

Kellyanne Conway reminded RNC attendees how many women served at top levels in Trumps White House.

The former senior presidential adviser said Tuesday that she was one of five women, along with others including former press secretary-turned-Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in top jobs during Trumps administration.

Conway noted that among them, they had 19 children in total. Party officials and strategists have noted that Trump has struggled in the past two elections  and again may in 2024  to attract suburban, college-educated women.

In 2016, Conway became the first woman to successfully head up a Republican presidential campaign.

Her comments at the 2020 RNC served as a farewell of sorts, as she had announced shed be leaving the administration.

Gov. Abbott wants to take back our land and wire it shut

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is receiving a warm welcome from the entire delegation, led by Texans waving their white cowboy hats.

I can tell you America needs a president that will secure our border, says Abbott, governor of the state with the largest section of the U.S.-Mexican border.

Abbott criticized the Biden administration for objecting to his administrations effort to secure more of its section of the border, to take back our land and wire it shut.

Abbotts remarks prompted thousands in Fiserv Forum to chant, Send them back, send them back.

GOP showcases everyday Americans

Throughout the convention, the party has been been highlighting nonpoliticians they've dubbed everyday Americans to make the case for Trump  or against President Biden.

It looks like and it feels like an invasion because it is, Jim Chilton, an Arizona rancher, said of immigration issues hes observed near his property.

Chiltons wife, Sue, said a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent was shot near their home, and she often worries for her husbands safety when he goes out on their property.

Under President Donald Trump, it wasnt like this, Sue Chilton said.

The shooting of the U.S. border agent occurred in 2018 when Trump was president.

Schumer spokesperson pushes back on ABC News report

After an ABC News report that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the case to President Joe Biden on Saturday that it would be best for him to drop his reelection bid, a spokesperson for the lawmaker is not denying the report.

Unless ABCs source is Senator Chuck Schumer or President Joe Biden the reporting is idle speculation, the Schumer spokesperson said. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday.

Ex-White House official speaks at RNC after being released from prison

The packed convention hall gave former Trump White House official Peter Navarro an ovation that spanned over a full minute when he took the stage. He was released from a Florida prison earlier today.

If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful, they can come for you, Navarro told convention goers and delegates. Navarro was released from custody after completing a four-month sentence for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Navarros defiant speech was a rare mention of Jan. 6 on the convention floor. He spoke for more than 10 minutes  one of the longest speeches yet  about what he called the lawfare jackals he blamed for locking him up. Navarro embraced his fiancee onstage to wild cheers. It was a striking reception for one of Trumps longest-standing advisors, though one who had not had a particularly high profile before his defiance of the Jan. 6 committee.

The scene was the sort of spectacle common at Trump rallies, where the presidential nominee routinely plays a recording made by those convicted of crimes on Jan. 6, who he refers to as hostages. But there hasnt been a similar moment at the convention, which has so far avoided talking about Trumps push to overturn his 2020 loss.

RFK Jr. supporters gather outside RNC entrance

A handful of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters waved flags near an entrance in support of the independent candidate who they say is a strong alternative to a two-party system where they increasingly feel out of place.

Patrick Clerkin, 31, who lives outside of Boston, said he was in Milwaukee trying to energize young voters. They really do have a third choice this time, Clerkin said, as an AI-generated pop version of a John F. Kennedy campaign jingle blared on a speaker in the background.

Clerkin described the apparent leaked video of Kennedys phone call with Trump as encouraging.

It wouldnt be happening if they didnt consider him worthy of the attention, Clerkin said.

Republicans lay the groundwork for their potential fight against Harris

Trumps former White House physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, is the latest to attack Harris.

Jackson is hammering Bidens physical and mental capabilities to perform his presidential duties and blaming the presidents staff and family for not pushing him to abandon his reelection campaign. But Jackson said, Perhaps the greatest blame lies with his own vice president. ... She has lied to us. She has put party above country. She is as unfit in character as Joe Biden is in body and mind.

In case its not obvious, Republicans are doing everything they can to lay the groundwork for a campaign against Harris if that becomes necessary.

Rep. Nancy Mace has been on Trumps bad side before, but now shes backing him

The South Carolina Republican took the stage at the RNC on Tuesday night, talking about her origins as a high school dropout and Waffle House waitress before becoming the first woman to graduate from The Citadel military college.

She also referenced the assassination attempt on Trumps life, saying that, just as Trump quickly rose to his feet after the shooting, America will soon be back on hers with him back in the White House.

Mace worked for Trumps 2016 campaign and won South Carolinas 1st Congressional District in 2020. But after she criticized Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the former president supported a Republican who primaried her in 2022.

Mace won that contest, has gotten back in Trumps good graces and now has his support as she seeks a third term.

Wednesday session is underway, promises sweeping attacks on Biden

The third night of the RNC promises sweeping critiques of President Biden as a weak commander-in-chief and head of state. There has been plenty of Biden bashing already this week  expected at a Republican convention ahead of challenging an incumbent Democrat.

The question is whether the attacks land beyond conservatives already inclined to vote for Trump.

Republican Chairman Michael Whatley previewed the line of argument in his introductory remarks, talking of a porous Southern border and asserting that Russia and China were in check when Trump was president. But the latter, in particular, is a simplified view of the realities behind Moscows and Beijings ambitions and aggressive posturing in their respective regions.

Trump spent much of his presidency making friendly overtures toward Vladimir Putin. Biden, meanwhile, has largely tracked Trumps approach on trade policy with China.

But those details and nuances wont find airtime tonight in Milwaukee.

Russian diplomat praises Vance on Russia-Ukraine War stance

Russias top diplomat is welcoming Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vances support for ending U.S. aid to Ukraine and says Moscow will work with any American leader willing to engage in equitable, mutually respectful dialogue.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a U.N. news conference that Vance is in favor of peace and thats what we need  to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons.

Then, the war will end and then we can look for solutions, he said.

Vance wants the United States to attend to its own problems  not necessarily a war thousands of miles away on a different continent, even though he has said Putin was wrong to invade. That view dovetails with presidential nominee Trump who has claimed that if elected he would end the conflict before Inauguration Day in January, though he has declined to say how.

The Russian minister stressed that any solution in Ukraine must take into consideration both the situation on the ground and the reality of political life. And a key feature is that the four Ukrainian regions Moscow illegally annexed in 2022 are now part of Russia, enshrined in the constitution, and theres no use discussing that any further  its nonnegotiable.

Biden boards Air Force One unmasked, returns to Deleware

Biden boarded Air Force One and told reporters traveling with him that, I feel good. The president was not wearing a mask as he walked onto Air Force One.

Shortly before the White House announced Bidens condition, the president had stopped at the Original Lindo Michoacan Restaurant, mingling with customers, making small talk and taking selfies as he went table to table before participating in an interview with Univision.

President Biden tests positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas

President Biden has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a speaker at the UnidosUS annual conference broadcast on the White Houses YouTube channel.

Biden was slated to speak at the event in Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon as part of an effort to rally Hispanic voters ahead of the November election. Unidos US President and CEO Janet Murguia told the guests that the president had sent his regrets and could not appear because he tested positive for the virus.

The president had previously been at the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he was greeting diners and was scheduled to have an interview with Univision.

Milwaukee police chief defends use of outside law enforcement at RNC

The role of police from outside Milwaukee has been under scrutiny after officers from Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a man wielding two knives near the convention.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman told The Associated Press today, a day after the shooting, that the officers took it upon themselves to intervene in an active imminent threat situation. He says it should restore peoples faith that law enforcement has the communitys back, no matter where they are from.

The shooting angered area residents because the police were from elsewhere. Its also reignited activists concerns about police use of deadly force.

JD Vance wont commit to VP debate until Democrats formally choose their nominee

Newly minted Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vances team says its too soon to discuss the vice presidential debate because Democrats dont formally have their nominees and President Biden could still drop out of the race.

After Vice Harris accepted a third debate date offered by CBS News and encouraged Vance to accept, Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign said, We dont know who the Democrat nominee for Vice President is going to be, so we cant lock in a date before their convention. To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate.

President Biden is the presumptive Democrat nominee but is facing pressure from party leaders to step aside after his disastrous debate with Trump. Biden has insisted hes not leaving the race.

Former White House official Peter Navarro arrives following prison release

A black SUV dropped off Peter Navarro at a Hyatt Hotel just outside the security perimeter surrounding the Republican National Convention. He is set to speak tonight night.

Navarro, who served as a White House trade adviser under Trump, was freed from a Florida prison earlier today after serving four months for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of the Republican presidents supporters, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Navarro carried his own luggage into the hotel after his release from prison earlier in the day.

Im enjoying the freedom, he told the AP.

Vance lashes out at press, says Trump delivered on toning down the temperature of rhetoric

Ohio Sen. JD Vance lashed out at the press at his first fundraiser since becoming Trumps running mate Thursday, saying they really miss what the man is made of.

Speaking to donors in Milwaukee not far from the convention site, Vance said the truth about Trump was put on display Saturday, after he survived a failed assassination attempt and Trump stood up, raised his hand in the air, and said Fight! Fight! Fight!

Trump, he said, literally got shot  came within millimeters of losing his life in the service of this country.

But instead of being mad and angry, Vance said, Trump called for national unity. He called for calm. He showed leadership, my friends.

The media keeps on saying they want somebody to tone down the temperature. Well, Donald Trump got shot and he toned down the temperature. Thats what a real leader does, he added.

Vance quips that he told Trump that hes very excited for RNC address

Trumps running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is attending his first fundraiser since becoming the official Republican vice presidential nominee.

Vance said he would use his speech Wednesday night to make the case about the importance of reelecting Trump.

Speaking to a room of several hundred donors at Discovery World, a lakefront museum and aquarium in Milwaukee, he quipped that hes told Trump hes very excited about this evening and doesnt plan to screw it up, but that its too late for Trump to change his mind.

Vance was introduced by Ohio Congressman Jim Banks, who called him the future of the Republican Party and the America First movement.

He applauded Trump for his choice, saying Vance was the best candidate to connect with working class men and women in critical states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Can anyone say 2028?

Fresh off his convention floor speech marching behind Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on the GOP circuit.

One of his first stops Wednesday: the Iowa Republican luncheon. Yes, the state that will cast the first votes of the 2028 Republican presidential nominating contest.

DeSantis finished a disappointing distant second in the Iowa caucuses in January and dropped out afterward to endorse Trump. He did not mention 2028 during his time with Iowa delegates, but he certainly sounded like a governor who was still trying to sell his record to a collection of influential Republican activists.

He ticked off several conservative policy achievements and, as he did Tuesday night, bragged about how dominant Republicans now are in what was once a coin-flip state.

The reason, according to DeSantis: We had good leadership.

New York congressional candidate says Vance is unfamiliar, but Trumps pick is my pick

Menachem M. Raitport, a delegate from New York state and a candidate for the 9th Congressional District seat there, says he doesnt know much about JD Vance or any of the other people Trump considered as a running mate.

I trust that our president did a thorough evaluation of his candidates, Raitport said Wednesday outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. And if Donald Trump decided this is his pick, then hes my pick because I put full faith in the president that he is going to lead our country back to prosperity, safety, security, secure borders and repairing our economy and repairing our nation as a whole and bringing us all together.

If Vance and Vice President Kamala Harris face off in a debate, Raitport said he would watch it with a big bucket of popcorn and laugh.

JD Vance, Im sure, has a lot to say and hell be articulate, Raitport said. On the other hand, Kamala Harris  its gonna be a comedy show.

Gingrich: JD Vance pick part of Trumps mission to transform the party and country

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is billing Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance as part of Donald Trumps ongoing process of remaking the Republican Party and the nation.

Gingrich, a Trump ally who speaks with the former president, told Iowa Republicans on Wednesday that the former president could have made a historically conventional pick to consolidate the party  a marriage like the conservative insurgent Ronald Reagan and the establishment figure George H.W. Bush who ran against him for the nomination in 1980.

He had time to think it through, and his answer is, No, people arent for me so I can compromise. People are for me so we can get things done and I need somebody who believes in what were doing, Gingrich said.

That cuts against some of the talk of party unity that has dominated the RNCs first two days. Or, perhaps more accurately, it reflects that the definition of Republican unity in 2024 is to accept Trumps vision and imprint on the party.

That influence runs so deep, Gingrich added, that every word of the Republican platform was personally written or edited by Trump.

Huckabee Sanders says the November election is her focus for now  not 2028

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as former President Donald Trumps press secretary, was asked about 2028 possibilities and whether she was intrigued by the prospects of becoming the first female president.

Right now, frankly, the only election I am focused on is November of this year. As soon as thats over, I would transition into really focusing on 2026 and getting reelected as governor in my home state, she said in a conversation with Politico at an event hall across the street from the convention venue in Milwaukee.

She was also asked about waiting to endorse Trump and whether he gave her a hard time.

I have a great relationship with the president, she said. I have maintained a great back and forth, and Im really proud to stand with him both in 2016 and 2020.

Harris calls assassination attempt on Trump a heinous, horrible and cowardly act

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during a moderated conversation on abortion access in Kalamazoo, Michigan, about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

As we all know it was a heinous, horrible and cowardly act, Harris said. My husband and I are thankful he was not seriously injured that day. As soon as we saw what was happening, we said a prayer for his well-being, she continued.

Harris also offered condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief killed while, authorities have said, defending his family from gunfire during the Saturday Trump rally in Pennsylvania.

US Sen. Stabenow lavishes VP Harris with praise while criticizing Vance as Trump clone

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow praised Vice President Kamala Harris time in the U.S. Senate and her role as a consistent tie-breaking vote for Democrats legislative agenda during a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, MI.

Stabenow said the Biden administration has done an incredible job rebuilding our country and has been able to get more done for Michigan than in my lifetime.

We watched her masterfully question Trumps Supreme Court nominees and the other people in the administration, Stabenow said. I cant wait for her to debate JD Vance. He should be shaking in his boots right now.

Stabenow then focused her attention on Vance, who she criticized as a clone of Trump while critiquing his record on abortion issues, Medicare and the results of the 2020 election.

Tonight when he makes his speech, and when he moves out across the country. The truth of the matter is JD Vance, and certainly Donald Trump, are wrong for America, she said to applause.

House Oversight panel subpoenas the Secret Service director to appear Monday

U.S. Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle compelling her to appear before the committee on Monday for what is scheduled to be the first congressional hearing on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Comer said initially that the Secret Service committed to her attendance but that Homeland Security officials appear to have intervened and there has been no meaningful updates or information shared with the committee.

Comer said the lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the committee called into question Cheatles ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the subpoena.

Cheatle has said the agency understands the importance of a review ordered by Democratic President Joe Biden and would fully participate in it as well as with congressional committees looking into the shooting.

House Oversight panel subpoenas Secret Service director to appear

The House Oversight panel has subpoenaed the Secret Service director to appear Monday at the first hearing on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Former national security adviser: TikTok is best espionage operation ever created

Former National Security Advisor Robert OBrien says the hugely popular TikTok app is the best espionage operation thats ever been created in the history of espionage.

Speaking to reporters at a forum hosted by Bloomberg News at the Republican National Convention Wednesday, OBrien said the app gives China unprecedented access to American users personal information, posing an immediate national security threat.

Trump, however, has backed off on TikTok, which he once tried to ban. OBrien noted the former president has amassed a huge following on the app, with significantly more followers than President Biden.

I think he likes that metric, OBrien joked.

OBrien is widely expected to have a role in the administration if Trump wins a second term and has said hed certainly be willing to serve, if asked.

OBrien also entertained the idea of a return for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who ran a bitter primary campaign against Trump but spoke his praises on the convention stage Tuesday night.

I wouldnt be surprised if she came back, he said. President Trumps always very generous, I think, especially when people say nice things about him. And she said very nice things about him last night.

TikTok has long rejected allegations that authorities in Beijing have access to user data.

US Rep. Schiff calls on Biden to pass the torch

California Rep. Adam Schiff says he believes it is time for President Joe Biden to pass the torch and withdraw from the election.

Schiff said Wednesday that Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents but that the nation is at a crossroads and a second Trump presidency would undermine U.S. democracy.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch, Schiff said in a statement. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Schiff, who is running for Senate this year, is a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who led the first House impeachment against Trump in 2019.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says shell be ready with popcorn for Democrats convention

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says shes enjoying the unified vibe of the Republican convention but tells her fellow Iowans that shes excited for a different reason about Democrats gathering next month in Chicago.

How many of you are going to watch the Democratic National Convention? Ernst asked at an Iowa Republican Party lunch on Wednesday.

Delegates laughed as she continued: Get the popcorn ready because this is going to be the most hilarious exercise that we have ever seen.

Ernst said proudly that she is a conspiracy theorist who for well over a year now has told people privately that President Joe Biden would not be the nominee. He is on a nosedive, and the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on earth do they get rid of him?

US Rep Adam Schiff, calls for Biden to withdraw from race

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a prominent California Democrat who is running for Senate, has called for President Biden to withdraw from the presidential election.

Man charged with carrying concealed firearm near RNC

Prosecutors have charged a 21-year-old Milwaukee man with carrying a concealed firearm near the Republican National Conventions security perimeter.

The Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office filed one misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit against the man on Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint, federal agents patrolling the conventions security zone spotted the man walking on Monday morning. The agents noticed the man was wearing black pants, black gloves and a ski mask and was carrying what the complaint described as a large black tactical backpack.

The agents stopped him and noticed a bulge in his waistband, prompting them to ask if he had a gun. The man allowed the agents to search him, according to the complaint. They found an AK-47-style pistol in his backpack. The agents also found a Scream movie mask, a flashlight and other materials.

The man told the agents he didnt have a concealed carry permit, the complaint said.

Online court records indicated the man was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Thursday morning.

Court records did not indicate if the man had an attorney who could speak on his behalf and the district attorneys office said it had no information on who might be representing him. Attempts to find a telephone number for the man were also unsuccessful.

VP Harris agrees to another date for a debate against Vance

Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to another date for a debate against Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the GOP vice-presidential nominee.

That date is Tuesday, Aug. 13, which CBS News had offered and Harris accepted, according to an official from the Biden-Harris campaign granted anonymity to discuss debate negotiations.

She had initially accepted two other dates  July 23 or Aug. 13. But the Biden campaign has only agreed to a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, while the Trump campaign has insisted on one from Fox News.

___

Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

Trump campaign adviser: Vance absolutely will help in Rust Belt states

Tony Fabrizio, Trumps pollster and a senior adviser to his campaign, said Wednesday that Vance will absolutely help in pivotal Rust Belt states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where the senators blue collar roots and populist views are popular.

His story is a compelling story, Fabrizio said while speaking at an event hosted by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and The Cook Political Report.

You will see JD Vance planted in the Rust Belt states very heavily between now and Election Day, Fabrizio said. Which leaves, by the way, the president the opportunity to go to other states that might expand the electoral map.

Delegate: People can feel happy and confident that Vance will understand them

Kathy Broghammer, a delegate from Wisconsin, said Wednesday that she had hoped JD Vance would be chosen as Trumps running mate.

No matter what level you are in your life, he can relate to you because hes been there, she said outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. I think that people can feel happy and confident that he will understand them.

Broghammer also said it doesnt bother her that a woman or person of color was not selected for the role.

I dont really see any negativity with any of them, she said. I do not see things as far as race. I do not see things as far as gender. If youre a woman great. If youre not a woman, thats fine, too. Whatever color you are, I dont really care. Its whats inside and what can you bring to the country, how can you help us.

I love this country, she added. We need everything back. Everything is upside down. Everything is lost. Ive got two kids. Theyre young, ones 29, ones 30. I mean, the fact that anybody would try to take the American dream from my kids, Im not having it.

JD is the perfect guy for Trump, says New York delegate

Delegate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman of New York expects U.S. Sen. JD Vance to bring more excitement to the ticket than former Vice President Mike Pence did.

I like Mike Pence, Blakeman said Wednesday outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Mike Pence is a good man, but Mike was the kind of guy that you probably would want to be a professor or someone like that.

JD is a doer. Hes an action guy, Blakeman continued. Hes a man of principle. He really really cares about this country in a very deep way. I think JD is the perfect guy for Trump because hes strong, and together they will project the strength that the American people want.

But that doesnt mean the two always will agree or should agree on everything, Blakeman added.

When you accept the nomination for vice president, your job is to give counsel to the president, but to do it in private, he said.

Vance speaks to a different demographic, New York congressman says

U.S. Rep. Anthony DEsposito, a Republican from New York State, said Wednesday that the selection of U.S. Sen. JD Vance as Donald Trumps running mate is part of their partys embrace of youth.

Weve often been criticized for being the older party, DEsposito said outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. I think he speaks to a different demographic in this country that has far too long been left out.

I think hes exactly what this country is looking for and what weve been lacking, DEsposito added. Hes someone whos a leader. Hes someone whos fought for this country. Hes someone whos been an experienced level-headed legislator.

DEsposito also said that Vances nomination shows that the Republican party can put our differences aside, noting that the senator was previously a critic of Trump.

House Speaker to seek the resignation of the Secret Service director

House Speaker Mike Johnson says he will be calling on the Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Johnson said Wednesday on Fox News that its inexcusable what happened and that the House will be launching a task force to investigate the security at the Trump rally last weekend.

We need answers, he said in a social media post. Cheatle was scheduled to appear before a House committee next Monday, but Johnson said hes been told she may not appear.

Most Americans  and Republicans  dont know much about JD Vance

President Donald Trumps running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, is unknown to most Americans.

According to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was conducted before Trump selected the freshman senator as his vice presidential choice, 6 in 10 Americans dont know enough about Vance to form an opinion.

About 2 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable view of him, and 22% view him negatively.

Among Republicans, 61% dont know enough to have an opinion of Vance. About one-quarter have a positive view of him, and roughly 1 in 10 have a negative view.

Democrats have doubts that Biden is better positioned than Trump to win in November

Democrats are relatively dour about their partys prospects come November, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Only about a third of Democrats believe Biden is more capable of winning than Trump is come November. About 3 in 10 Democrats think the two are equally capable of winning and 16% say victory is more likely to go to Trump.

By contrast, Republicans are overwhelmingly convinced that Trump is in the best position to win.

Trump also has the edge on Biden when Americans consider who is most capable of handling a crisis  38% to 28%. And people are about equally divided on which candidate has the better vision for the country, with 35% saying Biden and 34% Trump.

The poll did offer a bright spot for Biden: 40% of adults say hes more honest than Trump, while about 2 in 10 think the opposite.

Solid majority of Democrats want Biden to bow out, undercutting his claims average party members back him

About two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party select a different candidate, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The poll was conducted two weeks after Bidens debate flop and undercuts his claims since then that Democrats nationwide support his candidacy.

Democrats are slightly more likely to say theyre dissatisfied with Biden as their nominee now than they were before his halting performance. About half are dissatisfied, an uptick from about 4 in 10 in an AP-NORC poll from June.

Younger Democrats are especially likely to want to see him bow out  and to say theyre dissatisfied with him. Three-quarters of Democrats under the age of 45 want Biden to drop out, compared to about 6 in 10 of those who are older.

If theres a glimmer of optimism for the Biden campaign, the poll does provide some evidence that Black Democrats are among Bidens strongest supporters, with roughly half in the survey saying he should continue running, compared to about 3 in 10 white and Hispanic Democrats.

Overall, seven in 10 Americans think Biden should drop out, with Democrats only slightly less likely than Republicans and independents to say that he should make way for a new nominee.

Abortion remains top of mind for many Dems gathered in Milwaukee

Abortion was a central theme as Democratic leaders and women with harrowing personal stories of struggling to access reproductive care gathered in Milwaukee the week of the Republican National Convention.

Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar blamed Trump for abortion bans after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Trump frequently takes credit for appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.

I want to speak directly to American women to tell you theres only one team on that ballot that cares about you and thats the Biden-Harris team, she said. The Trump-Vance ticket does not care about women.

Amanda Zurawski, a woman from Austin who went into premature labor, developed sepsis and nearly died, said her story was only made possible because of Donald Trump, and if it is up to Trump and his new running mate JD Vance, it could become a reality for far too many other Americans.

Zurawski called Vances abortion agenda extreme, pointing out that he previously argued against the need for rape and incest exceptions in abortion restrictions.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw, new AP-NORC poll finds

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a new poll, sharply undercutting his post-debate claim that average Democrats are still with him even if some big names are turning on him.

The new survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, conducted as Biden works to salvage his candidacy two weeks after his debate flop, also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, down slightly from 40% in an AP-NORC poll in February.

The findings underscore the challenges the 81-year-old president faces as he tries to silence calls from within his own party to leave the race and tries to convince Democrats that hes the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump. The poll was conducted mostly before Saturdays assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Its unclear whether the shooting influenced peoples views of Biden, but the small number of poll interviews completed after the shooting provided no early indication that his prospects improved.

Read more here.

Democrats aim to nominate Biden in first week of August, as some push him to quit the race

Democrats will look to hold a virtual vote to make President Joe Biden their partys nominee in the first week of August, as Biden has rebuffed calls from some in his party to quit the race after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.

The Democratic National Conventions rules committee will meet on Friday to discuss its plans, according to a letter sent to members obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, and will finalize them next week. The letter from co-chairs Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Gov. Tim Walz states that the virtual vote wont take place before Aug. 1 but that the party is still committed to holding a vote before Aug. 7, which had been Ohios filing deadline.

We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, Daughtry and Walz wrote, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work.

Surgeon general: Thank God Trump is OK

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told The Associated Press he was horrified to learn that former President Donald Trump was injured in a shooting on Saturday.

Thank God that former President Trump survived and is OK, Murthy said in an interview.

A 20-year-old mans assassination attempt on Trump using an AR-style rifle happened just weeks after Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis in America.

Republicans have roundly rejected Murthys calls for gun restrictions. Trump fired Murthy, an Obama appointee, from the Surgeon General post in 2017. Murthy is serving a second term with the Biden administration.

Murthy said he was also thinking of Trump rallygoers on Saturday, who feared for their lives.

That kind of fear, by the way, is what millions of people experience every day in our country, Murthy said of gun violence across the U.S.

House Dems c ampaign committee says it raised a record $44M the past quarter

The House Democrats campaign committee says it raised a record $44 million this past quarter.

Despite the turmoil roiling the party over Bidens reelection, strategists have said donors are stepping up to give to congressional Democrats as a firewall against a potential second Trump White House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Wednesday the total includes $19.7 million raised in June. Bidens halting debate against Trump was at the end of the month.

3 days after attempted assassination, Trump shooter remains an elusive enigma

After three days, an enigmatic portrait emerged of the 20-year-old man who came close to killing former President Donald Trump with a high-velocity bullet: He was an intelligent loner with few friends, an apparently thin social media footprint and no hints of strong political beliefs that would suggest a motive for an attempted assassination.

Even after the FBI cracked into Thomas Matthew Crooks cellphone, scoured his computer, home and car, and interviewed more than 100 people, the mystery of why he opened fire on Trumps rally Saturday, a bullet grazing the GOP nominees ear, remained as elusive as the moment it happened.

 Read more about the investigation

Former White House official Peter Navarro expected to speak at RNC, AP source says

Former White House official Peter Navarro was released Wednesday from prison and was expected to speak just hours later at the Republican National Convention, according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity before its official release.

Navarro was released from custody after completing his four-month sentence for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Navarro will be heading straight to Milwaukee to speak at the third night of the Republican National Convention.

He is scheduled to speak in the 6 p.m. hour.

___

Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

Vance will only be loyal to Trump, VP Harris says in new video

Vice President Kamala Harris is criticizing Republican Donald Trumps new running mate ahead of the speech hes making Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention.

In a video released by President Joe Bidens reelection campaign, Harris dismissed the choice of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as Trump looking for someone he knew would be a rubber stamp for his extreme agenda.

Make no mistake: JD Vance will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country, Harris says in the 45-second video.

Trump and other top Republicans have recently intensified their criticism of Harris. That comes amid speculation she could replace Biden at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket if he were to heed intensifying calls for him to leave the race.

Congressman calls for open process to pick new Democratic presidential nominee

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first House Democrat to publicly call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, says the Democratic National Committee should not fast-forward the nominating process for his reelection bid.

Doggett said in a statement Wednesday that plans for a quick nomination  which the DNC is considering with a virtual roll call before the August convention  would jeopardize their chances of winning. He called instead for an open process to select a new Democratic presidential nominee.

Fast-forwarding the nomination process is no way to convince the many unconvinced voters in the growing number of battleground states, he said. The risk of Trump tyranny is so great that we must put forward our strongest nominee.

Short-circuiting the normal Convention process jeopardizes the White House, Senate and House, he added.

Homeland Security inspector general investigates Secret Service handling of security at Trump rally

WASHINGTON  The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general says its investigating the U.S. Secret Services handling of security for former President Donald Trump on the day a gunman tried to assassinate him at a Pennsylvania rally.

The agency says in a brief notice on its website the objective is to evaluate the Secret Services process for securing former President Trumps July 13, 2024 campaign event.

 Read more about the Department of Homeland Securitys investigation

FACT FOCUS: A look at ominous claims around illegal immigration made at the RNC

After Donald Trump triumphantly entered the hall on the second night of the Republican National Convention, the program turned to one of his signature issues: illegal immigration. An ominous video of chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border led into to a speech by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who declared, We are facing an invasion on our southern border.

 Heres a look at some of the claims made Tuesday

A pleasant conversation

The mayor of Milwaukee says former President Donald Trump called him Tuesday, and the two had a pleasant conversation.

Mr. Trump had positive things to say about his experience so far here in Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at an early-morning briefing. He shared his gratitude for the security and for law enforcement preparations.

The mayor said he wished Trump a speedy recovery during the phone call, which Johnson said lasted two to three minutes.

Police saved the life of an unarmed man in Tuesday shooting, Milwaukee mayor says

Milwaukees mayor says he was saddened by the death of a man shot by a group of bicycle police from Columbus, Ohio, who were in town to help with convention security.

The officers were briefing each other on the days activities Tuesday when they witnessed a man with two knives lunge at an unarmed man, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at an early-morning briefing.

Police body camera footage of the encounter was released Tuesday.

The information we have leaves a clear impression that these Columbus officers, they saved the life of an unarmed man from death or perhaps serious injury, Johnson said.

The shooting occurred about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometers) from the convention arena, near a park where demonstrators have been protesting this week.

JD Vance, Trumps pick for vice president, will introduce himself to a national audience at the RNC

Donald Trump s running mate JD Vance will introduce himself to a national audience Wednesday as he addresses the Republican National Convention.

The Ohio senators headlining address will be his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. Hes a relative political unknown who rapidly morphed in recent years from a severe critic of Trump to an aggressive defender.

Vance, 39, is positioned to become the next potential leader of the former presidents political movement, which has reshaped the Republican Party and busted many longtime political norms. The first millennial to join a major party ticket, he joins the race when questions about the age of the men at the top of the tickets  78-year-old Trump and 81-year-old President Joe Biden  have been high on the list of voters concerns.

 Read more about JD Vances expected appearance

Senate candidates feature prominently during second night of RNC

The presidential race was top of mind for everyone in Milwaukee. But Republicans also want to flip the Senate, and they highlighted on Tuesday night seven of their candidates hoping to nab seats from Democrats.

Only one of them was greeted with significant applause. That was Kari Lake of Arizona  a strong Trump supporter who became a conservative celebrity when she denied that Trump had lost his 2020 race or that shed been defeated in her bid for governor.

All the Senate hopefuls had a common approach: slam Biden for his stewardship of the country and then link their opponent to the president.

Overall, the Senate candidates didnt sketch out much of an individual agenda, instead hoping to tie their races to the presidential one. With most Senate elections going to the winner of the states presidential election, and Republicans bullish on Trumps odds, its not an unreasonable calculation.

DNC offers up some political counterprogramming with investment announcement

Democrats are trying to offer political counterprogramming to the RNC, announcing $15 million to fund campaign operations in seven key swing states  even as some in the party have urged President Joe Biden to bow out of Novembers election.

The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that it is investing $15 million in state parties, meant to help them open more field offices and bolster staffing. The funding will let them add to the 217 existing coordinated campaign offices working jointly for Bidens reelection bid and state parties that already employ 1,100-plus staffers in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the DNC said.

The investments will pump nearly $3 million into Wisconsin; nearly $2 million each into Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada; almost $1.5 million in Arizona; more than $1.2 million in North Carolina; and more than $1 million in Georgia.

Who is Usha Vance?

Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of JD Vance, is a Yale law graduate and attorney.

She stood next to her husband on Monday as he was named the Republican vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention.

The 38-year-old Chilukuri Vance was raised in San Diego, by Indian immigrants. Her mother is a biologist and provost at the University of California at San Diego; her father is an engineer, according to JD Vances campaign.

She received an undergraduate degree at Yale University and a master of philosophy at the University of Cambridge through the Gates Cambridge scholarship.

 Read more about Usha Vance

There's growing anticipation for Trump's speech

Trump and Vance were expected to appear in the hall each night of the convention. Vance is slated to speak Wednesday and Trump will speak Thursday.

Trump, who has long decried rivals with harsh language and talked about prosecuting opponents if he wins a second term, seemed poised to deliver a more toned-down speech. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said in an Axios interview outside the RNC that he spent three or four hours going through his fathers convention speech with him, trying to de-escalate some of that rhetoric.

But there were hints in Tuesdays programming of some of Trumps old grievances, including several references to Trumps disproven theories of election fraud. One of the primetime speakers, Madeline Brame, railed against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted Trump for illegally orchestrating a hush money scheme to influence the 2016 election. That made Trump the first former president convicted of a felony crime.

Brame accused Bragg of having mishandled the cases against the people accused of killing her son. Of Trump, she said, Hes been a victim of the same corrupt system that I have been and my family has been.

The recent attempt on Trump's life lingers over convention

Trumps survival of an attempted assassination Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania was on the minds of many inside the convention hall. One of the delegates in the crowd could be seen with a folded white piece of paper over his ear  an apparent tribute to the bandage Trump wore when he entered the hall Monday to a roaring crowd.

He was wearing it again when he arrived Tuesday night, appearing even earlier than he did the night before. Trump entered a few minutes after his newly chosen running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Many of the speakers so far have referenced the assassination attempt on Trumps life, and thats something we can expect to hear more of as speeches go on.

Unity at the RNC, and other takeaways from day 2

With Trumps primary rivals speaking, Day 2 at the RNC was an occasion for the GOP to demonstrate its unity, a sharp contrast to the Democratic partys mounting concerns over the viability of Biden.

Read the APs takeaways from night 2

Mother of crime victim brings RNC focus to NY district attorney Alvin Bragg

Madeline Brame, whose veteran son was stabbed to death in Harlem in 2018, brought the crowds focus Tuesday night to one of rights biggest boogeymen: New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Brame has publicly criticized Bragg for being soft on crime, including in the case of her sons alleged killer. The crowd responded with roaring applause as Bragg is one of the officials involved in Trumps various legal battles. They betrayed us and stab us in the back, Brame said about Democrats. Trump was right when he said theyre after us, hes just standing in the way.

Family members of victims of fentanyl overdose make forceful case for Trump

As part of the conventions Make America Safe Again session, family members of those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl overdose appeared back-to-back on the RNC stage to make the forceful and at time emotional case for why Trump would fix the epidemic.

Michael Morin, the brother of a woman who was killed by a man who was allegedly in the country illegally, said that Trump would take more action on the drug crisis than Biden and Harris have in the past three and a half years. Another speaker, Anne Funder, lost her 15-year-old son Austin to an overdose two years ago. As she got choked up on stage, the crowd began to chat Joe must go! to which she responded, Yes, he must.

Pennsylvania delegate recalls speaking to Trump minutes before shooting

Tom King, a Pennsylvania delegate from Butler, Pennsylvania, said he spoke to Trump at the rally 10 minutes before the shooting erupted on Saturday. He says he sat about 20 feet in front of Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief who was killed.

It was a great day to see the president, said King, who is general counsel for the Pennsylvania Republican Party. He was in a great mood. He was energetic, but he was very serious about what we need to do in Pennsylvania to win the election. When an AP reporter asked him to specify what he said needed to be done in Pennsylvania, King said, I wont say what he said.

We pledged to do everything we could to help him, he said. Hes a great guy.
A 21-year-old metro Atlanta woman and college student was stabbed to death in Montgomery, Alabama earlier this week.

Tiana Dye, who graduated from Riverdale High School in Clayton County, was found with stab wounds around 10:45 a.m. on July 14, according to the Montgomery Independent. She was taken to the hospital, where she died.

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Police are still searching for the person who stabbed her.

Dye was entering her final semester at Alabama State University.

Tiana Dyes life was unjustifiably cut short this past Sunday and her family is in need of some additional support if you are able to do so, officials from Riverdale High School said on social media.

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According to a GoFundMe page set up by friends, Dye was a proud member of the honor society at ASU and was a member of the Universitys NAACP chapter.

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Balancing her academic responsibilities, she also worked to support herself, embodying the spirit of resilience and determination, Danielle Luckett wrote. Tiana Dye leaves behind a legacy of achievement and inspiration for her peers and community.

You can donate to the GoFundMe HERE.




By Alimat Aliyeva

China has decided to suspend consultations with the United States on arms control and non-proliferation due to the sale of weapons by the American side to the administration of the island of Taiwan, Azernews reports.

"For a certain period of time, the United States continued to sell arms to the Taiwan administration, despite China's strong opposition and repeated negotiations. China has decided to suspend the next round of consultations on arms control and non-proliferation with the United States," he said.

The diplomat blamed the American side for the incident and stressed Beijing's readiness to maintain appropriate contacts with Washington "on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation." He called on the United States to "respect China's core interests and create the conditions necessary for dialogue and consultation between the two sides."
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes more foreign friends and hopes they will unlock their own unique "China Travel" experience, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a press conference when responding to a query about the rising number of foreign tourists visiting China.

Recently, there has been growing interest in China in the international tourism market, and the number of flights to China and hotel searching and booking volume have seen a significant increase compared with last year.

"We are glad to see more and more foreign friends visit and explore China," said Lin.

He mentioned that he has seen quite a few video clips taken by foreign friends strolling in Chinese cities and towns, visiting parks, tasting local delicacies, taking boat tours and enjoying folk custom performances, which seem to have become quite trendy for foreign tourists in China.

The videos they shared about unique experiences in China, such as learning square dancing, exploring tasty food in night markets, taking photos with giant pandas and riding driverless taxis, have gained millions of likes from foreign viewers, Lin said.

China has rolled out a 15-day visa-free entry policy for 15 countries, including France, on a trial basis, and expanded the coverage of its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 ports of entry, Lin said.

He added that China now allows visa-free entry for all foreign tourist groups traveling by cruise ship, and have improved mobile payment, ticket purchase at scenic spots and other supporting services. These measures have made foreigners' traveling, working and living in China easier and allowed them to fully experience the charm of China as they ride the new trend of "China Travel."

"We welcome more foreign friends to visit as many Chinese cities and scenic spots as possible to experience a more open and beautiful China and share their first-hand experience with the rest of the world," said the spokesperson. 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Major renovations coming to I-25 are meant to improve traffic flow, but as the project gets underway, be prepared for delays.

Story continues below

Costing nearly $280 million, its set to be the largest single highway project in New Mexico since the Big I construction nearly 25 years ago. Were excited about investments in projects like this and what it does for the city of Albuquerque, said Dan Lewis, Albuquerque City Council.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation broke ground on the long-awaited I-25 improvement project that has been in the works for the past three and a half years. This is a design-build project, which means its being designed and built concurrently. And its going to start on the Comanche side and then were going to move over to Montgomery, said Kimberly Gallegos, NMDOT District 3 Public Information Officer.

The NMDOT said these changes will improve safety and travel times for drivers as well as safety for pedestrians and cyclists. What were doing is just approving this corridor for our safety and speed, were including graded ramps, were including what they call advanced turn arounds. And so, therell be a complete re-do of Montgomery and Comanche bridges, said Gallegos.

Upgrades coming to I-25 Comanche to Montgomery Interchange

The improvements will include widening the freeway, adding new lanes, and improving interchanges and frontage roads. Were adding a southbound driving lane to I-25 and so I think thatll help omit some of that daytime traffic that backs up in those areas and causes those bottlenecks, said Gallegos.

City officials say drivers may see overnight and weekend closures and while the delays may be frustrating for drivers in the short term, they urge New Mexicans to be patient. And ask every New Mexican, every time you see one of those orange barrels, you think about improvements to our community, you think about progress, said Dayan Hochman-Vigil, New Mexico State Representative.

The City of Albuquerque said they will not be granting any permits to other construction projects in the immediate area for the next two to three years, to avoid causing more traffic delays.

Transportation officials compared the project to the Paseo Interchange revamp in 2014. With that reminder that going back ten years, weve endured, weve seen what these projects can do for our mobility, for our safety, and for our community development, said Ricky Serna, Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Transportation.

Drivers will see construction begin in August of 2024. Its expected to be completed in the spring of 2027. The NMDOT said they will have daily updates on closures and other impacts to drivers on their website.

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$253M in grant funding for drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater going to communities in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Governor Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that communities statewide will receive help to pay for 70 projects throughout the state.

NC Department of Environmental Quality has awarded more than $253 million in drinking water, wastewater and stormwater grants to 30 counties. They include construction for infrastructure, emerging contaminants (PFAS) funding and funding for lead service line inventories and replacements.

PREVIOUS: EPA report finds PFAS levels in some central NC water sources exceed recommended limit

Strong water and wastewater systems are vital for safe drinking water and economic development, said Governor Cooper. Thanks to federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration and state appropriations weve made historic investments to rebuild and replace aging systems, especially in rural communities, which will make our state stronger.

Amongst the list of communities are Fayetteville, Lee County, Orange County and Rich Square. Here are a list of notable projects this funding is dedicated to our communities:

Fayetteville Public Works Commission will receive $30,000,000 in Drinking Water State Revolving Fund funds and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Drinking Water-Emerging Contaminant funds for a project featuring construction of a Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) facility for treatment of PFAS.

The City of Sanford (Lee County) will receive $5,028,395 in State Waste Water Reserve and Clean Water State Revolving Fund funds for the Sanford Third Street Area Sewer Rehabilitation Project.

The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (Orange County) will receive $3,245,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line Replacement loans to replace lead service lines and comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.

The following local government units designated as distressed by the State Water Infrastructure Authority and the Local Government Commission will receive Asset Inventory and Assessment grants from the Viable Utility Reserve, considered a vital step in planning and inventorying that can lead towns on a path to future viability: the Towns of Creswell, Denton, Morven, Ossipee, Rich Square and Snow Hill, along with Gates County, McDowell County and Swan Quarter Sanitary District.

PREVIOUS | Aging bridges in 16 states will be improved or replaced with the help of $5B in federal funding

For more information, including a complete list of funded communities throughout North Carolina, read more here.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW)  Governor Laura Kelly has announced that $26 million in funding will be provided for 33 road improvement projects across the state.

The funds come from the Kansas Department of Transportations City Connecting Link Improvement Program, which funds highway projects that extend through cities across the state. Cities must contribute up to 25% of the projects costs based on their population, with no contribution for communities under 2,500 people.

This popular program makes it possible to improve the safety and accessibility of our local highways that are local centers of community life, said Governor Laura Kelly. Thanks to our increasingly solid financial footing at the state and federal levels, Kansas is finding ways to solve problems and bring resources to various regions of the state.

Passing lane coming to US 54 in Meade County

The projects are divided into three categories: Surface Preservation, which includes resurfacing and is funded up to $400,000; Pavement Restoration, which includes replacing the road structure completely and is funded up to $1.5 million; and Geometric Improvements, which can mean rebuilding intersections, adding turn lanes, or other improvements to traffic flow and is funded up to $1.5 million.

The projects that will begin in fiscal year 2026 are:

Atchison Surface Preservation $400,000 Concordia Surface Preservation $400,000 Abilene Surface Preservation $400,000 Clifton Surface Preservation $215,000 White City Pavement Restoration $900,000 Pittsburg Surface Preservation $400,000 Arkansas City Surface Preservation $400,000 Hutchinson Surface Preservation $400,000 El Dorado Surface Preservation $400,000 Lyons Surface Preservation $400,000 Pratt Surface Preservation $400,000 Dodge City Surface Preservation $400,000 Scott City Surface Preservation $400,000

Projects scheduled for 2027 are:

Horton Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Emporia Geometric Improvement $400,000 Wamego Surface Preservation $400,000 Alma Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Council Grove Surface Preservation $400,000 Hillsboro Geometric Improvement $500,000 Moundridge Surface Preservation $400,000 Russell Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Downs Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Norton Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Madison Geometric Improvement $1,400,000 Yates Center Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Independence Geometric Improvement $1,500,000 Coffeyville Pavement Restoration $1,200,000 Wichita Surface Preservation $250,000 Winfield Surface Preservation $400,000 Newton Pavement Restoration $1,200,000 Dodge City Geometric Improvement $1,500,000 Jetmore Pavement Restoration $1,500,000 Scott City Surface Preservation $400,000

By investing with our local partners in our infrastructure framework, we are delivering economic opportunities across rural and urban parts of the state, said Secretary Calvin Reed. These projects will address problems, so Kansans have more local transportation choices.

KanDrive.gov offers an interactive map of all current highway projects and weather or traffic delays across the state.

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These 3 Democrats are running for Missouri Secretary of State in August primary

Missouri's primary election is less than one month away and candidates for several statewide races are working quickly to wrap up last-minute campaign strategies before appearing on the ballot. One of these races is Missouri Secretary of State.

Missouri's current Secretary of State is Jay Ashcroft, who is running for governor.

The secretary of state is the chief elections official in Missouri, administering statewide elections involving individuals and issues and overseeing local verification of petition signatures for initiative petitions.

The Office of the Secretary of State serves as a clearinghouse of information in Missouri. The State Archives and Missouri State Library both fall under the jurisdiction of this office.

The Secretary of State also oversees the registration of businesses in Missouri, can authenticate official acts of the governor and has the authority to appoint and commission notaries public.

Missouri's primary election is Tuesday, Aug 6. This election narrows down the candidates to determine who appears as each party's nominee in November's general election.

Ahead of the election, there are 12 people running for Missouri Secretary of State, including eight Republicans, three Democrats and one Libertarian. The News-Leader was able to speak with 10 of the candidates about their backgrounds, campaigns and desires for the position, including all three Democrats.

More: What's on the ballot in Springfield and Greene County in the August primary elections

Haley Jacobson

Haley Jacobson is running for Missouri Secretary of State in 2024.

Democrat candidate Haley Jacobson has worked a hodge-podge of jobs throughout her life.

A St. Louis native, Jacobson is an alumna of Reed College in Portland, Oregon and most recently Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis. Throughout her multi-industry career, Jacobson has worked as an EMT, a teacher in China and Cambodia, and as a loan officer for the International Institute of St. Louis.

Today, she is a licensed nurse, working between the NICU at the St. Louis Children's Hospital and adult emergency room at St. Louis University.

Jacobson said in an interview with the News-Leader that her two main points of interest are promoting business education and supporting libraries.

"One of the things I did as a loan officer for the International Institute, I worked directly with immigrants and refugees who wanted to start a business and help them design a business plan and do market research ... so that they could be successful when they launched their business," Jacobson said. "That really got me interested in how business rules work in Missouri. It can be a bit complicated and confusing, I think, and I don't think it necessarily needs to be."

More: Access news, today's paper anywhere you go with the Springfield News-Leader app

Specifically, Jacobson said she would also like to expand the technology the Office of the Secretary of State offers to business owners, in addition to expanding the office's hours for customer service support.

As a self-described "life-long learner," Jacobson said libraries have played a "big role" in her education. As Secretary of State, Jacobson would be interested in supporting libraries in underserved areas.

Speaking to the News-Leader on June 28, Jacobson said the majority of her campaign has been conducted via word of mouth with friends and family. She does not have an official campaign team working with her.

Barbara Phifer

Barbara Phifer is running for Missouri Secretary of State in 2024.

Democrat candidate Barbara Phifer is looking to further her career in Missouri politics.

A Columbia, Missouri native, Phifer has lived and worked in the St. Louis area for the last 34 years. She attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa before pursuing a master's in divinity. She served as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 41 years before retiring in 2019. In 2020, she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent District 90, which encompasses St. Louis County.

Two of Phifer's main points of interest as a candidate are elections and local libraries.

Phifer said she would like to see more "clear and accurate" ballot language. Specifically, Phifer expressed concern with how current Secretary of State Ashcroft attempted to ban the right to abortion in the state constitution in 2023.

More: Missouri Supreme Court wont hear Jay Ashcrofts appeal of abortion ballot summaries

"Our current Secretary of State wrote ballot language on the abortion amendment question that was so skewed that our Supreme Court in Missouri, in a sudden ... decision, threw it out. That is a huge concern for me."

When it comes to elections, Phifer said she would also like to show more appreciation to election officials.

On the topic of libraries, Phifer said she would like to continue making the state's library system more "robust," allowing local organizations to delegate how local libraries function.

"It seems to me like we've got a good system," Phifer said. "Libraries across the state are going to have different types of books because of different types of populations. Local groups are the ones that need to figure that out. It doesn't make sense to run it any other way."

Phifer added that she believes parents should be the ones to determine what their children read, not libraries or the government.

During her campaign, Phifer visited Springfield during the Greene County Democrat Days of the Ozarks, which was held in April.

As of June 26, Phifer was endorsed by the St. Louis Labor Council, Missouri AFL-CIO Committee On Political Education, Sierra Club, Missouri Women's Political Caucus, PROMO and Abortion Action.

Monique Williams

Democrat Monique Williams is running for Missouri Secretary of State in 2024.

Democrat Monique Williams is a retiree looking to enter state government.

Williams has resided in St. Louis her entire life. In 2022, she retired from the City of St. Louis as an auditor and accountant. She is an alumna of University of Missouri-St. Louis and holds a Certified Public Accountant license. Prior to working for the City of St. Louis, she worked in the Missouri State Auditor's Office.

In an interview with the News-Leader, Williams said her primary focuses are elections, business registration resources and public libraries.

Williams said her primary focus for elections would be looking into why Secretary of State Ashcroft removed Missouri from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, in 2023. ERIC is a voluntary nationwide system that aims to help states combat voter fraud.

More: Jay Ashcroft withdraws Missouri from group designed to help combat voter fraud

When it comes to the business registration arm of the Office of the Secretary of State, Williams said she would like to make resource information more accessible to Missourians and strengthen customer service aids.

And for libraries, Williams said she is particularly interested in seeing stronger connections built between these institutions and school districts.

"I'm particularly interested in the reading skills of our students," Williams said. "I believe there are opportunities for the libraries to help our school districts, help the schools maintain a level of education that is moving as fast as technology."

Speaking to the News-Leader on July 2, Williams said she was just kickstarting her campaign with the support of friends and family. She did not have visits to Springfield planned.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfields LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 3 Democrats running in Missouri Secretary of State primary election
MILWAUKEE  Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) is set for the biggest moment in his young political life on Wednesday night when he addresses the Republican National Convention as former President Trumps newly designated running mate.

Vance, who was officially tapped by Trump for the post on Monday, has been in elected office for barely a year and a half, but his impact on Republican politics has been widely felt. Since his emergence onto the political scene, he has become one of the leading voices on the former presidents America First agenda.

Here are three things to watch when the Ohio Republican takes the stage tonight:

Welcome to the Big Leagues

Vance has worn a number of hats in his professional life, including venture capitalist, best-selling author and, most recently, Ohios junior senator. But nothing will be as high-pressure as Wednesdays address, which will include his first in-person remarks since becoming the VP selection.

Ever since Trump made the move official, Vance has largely laid low, having appeared two nights in a row in the presidential suite at Fiserv Forum, with a walk around downtown Milwaukee alongside his children and his newly minted Secret Service detail in between.

But the stakes for him become real tonight, and Republicans have high expectations for when he appears before delegates and attendees to deliver his speech.

Lawmakers in the days since he was picked have lauded him on multiple fronts, but none more so than his ability to be an effective messenger for Trump.

Hes just been an incredible fighter since he saw that [Trump] was real, said Donald Trump Jr., one of Vances top supporters. That kind of energy for the movement, for the country, for jobs, for world peace  I couldnt be happier.

On Wednesday night, Vance will need to deliver on the hype.

What does he say about Ukraine?

For all of Vances talk on various issues, none stick out more than his steadfast opposition to providing aid to Ukraine for their ongoing war with Russia that has continued for more than two years  a topic that has sharply divided Republicans in the process.

Vance has been one of the highest-profile Republicans to consistently oppose providing more aid for the war-torn nation. He has also argued that Kyiv should cede land in the east to Russia in order to bring the war to an end.

According to Vance, the $60 billion in funds President Biden and Congress greenlighted in the spring merely maintains the status quo and is a bad decision no matter how you slice it. He has argued that the U.S. lacks the capacity to produce the requisite weaponry that Ukraine would need to win the war, adding that the aid represents a fraction of what the nation would need. This doesnt even account for what he has claimed would be a gargantuan cost to rebuild the country.

By committing to a defensive strategy, Ukraine can preserve its precious military manpower, stop the bleeding and provide time for negotiations to commence. But this would require both the American and Ukrainian leadership to accept that Mr. Zelenskys stated goal for the war  a return to 1991 boundaries  is fantastical, Vance wrote in an April op-ed in The New York Times, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The White House has said time and again that it cant negotiate with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. This is absurd, he continued. The Biden administration has no viable plan for the Ukrainians to win this war. The sooner Americans confront this truth, the sooner we can fix this mess and broker for peace.

Whether Vance broaches this subject tonight will be interesting in itself. Whether or not he does, his nomination to become Trumps deputy also raises the question of whether future aid can pass  and the answer is murky at best despite the strong vote Republicans saw in April.

Its hard to say, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), potentially the next Republican leader, told The Hill on Monday when asked what Vances nomination means for possibly passing another batch of aid.

Trumps attack dog

Ever since his election to the Senate, it has been hard to find someone more willing to defend the president on Capitol Hill with such ferocity and precision as Vance.

A prime example came in December after Trump said that immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country, a remark that infuriated Democrats and that most Republicans recoiled in response to, either declining to comment or denouncing them.

Not so with Vance, who issued a passionate defense of the former president, decrying the idea that he was borrowing rhetoric used by Adolf Hitler and maintaining that he was talking about the drug epidemic.

First of all, he didnt say immigrants were poisoning the blood of this country. He said illegal immigrants were poisoning the blood of this country, which is objectively and obviously true to anybody who looks at the statistics about fentanyl overdoses, Vance said. This is ridiculous. If you watch the speech in context and look at whats going on, its obvious that he was talking about the very clear fact that the blood of Americans is being poisoned by a drug epidemic.

To take that comment and then to immediately assume that hes talking about immigrants as Adolf Hitler was talking about Jews is preposterous, he said. You guys need to wake up  Its an absurd question. Its an absurd framing.

The back-and-forth ricocheted across conservative media.

Now, Vance has a second full-time job: to be Trumps pit bull, and its a gig he is uniquely suited to take on.

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President Biden is beset by challenges.

Former President Trump is ahead in many polls following Bidens widely panned June 27 debate performance in Atlanta.

Bidens hold on the Democratic nomination has at times looked shockingly fragile amid criticism from within his own party.

Saturdays assassination attempt of Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., appears likely to solidify support for the former president among conservatives.

To be sure, Biden allies argue that its a time for cool heads and staying the course. They contend the race remains close, and the president will prevail.

Not all Democrats buy that theory. According to a Tuesday New York Times report, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told donors at a private meeting Saturday that Democratic losses in November could be enormous if Biden remained at the top of the ticket.

Here are the four big challenges Biden faces  and why his team believes they can be overcome.

The age issue

The debate was damaging because it played so powerfully into the chief negative perception of Biden  that, at 81, he is just too old and increasingly infirm.

An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released last week found 85 percent of adults believe the president to be too old for a second term.

Bidens postdebate performances have been neither catastrophic nor triumphant. TV interviews with ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos and NBC Newss Lester Holt have been adequate but uninspiring.

A high-stakes solo news conference at the NATO summit in Washington last week showed Bidens familiarity with the nuts and bolts of foreign policy but also his propensity to misspeak: He referred to Vice President Trump when he clearly meant to refer to his own vice president, Kamala Harris.

The pro-Biden take: Biden allies argue that his age has been baked into the race from the beginning. Trump, they note, is less than four years younger than the incumbent, having turned 78 in June.

The Biden campaign also insists the debates effect on the race has been exaggerated.

In a July 11 internal memo, Biden campaign Chair Jen OMalley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez told their team, While there is no question there is increased anxiety following the debate, we are not seeing this translate into a drastic shift in vote share.

To be fair to Team Biden, national polling does indeed indicate a close race.

The polling average maintained by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) shows Trump up by 1.7 points nationally.

FiveThirtyEight, the data and polling site, contends Biden is narrowly favored to win in November, giving the president a 53 percent chance of victory.

The battleground-state picture

Democratic gloom deepens when the focus moves to the small number of battleground states that will determine the elections outcome.

In the DDHQ averages, Trump is ahead in all six key battlegrounds: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Biden won all those states in 2020.

Democratic nerves are further jangled by polls showing previously safe states to be newly competitive.

On Tuesday, a Virginia Commonwealth University poll put Trump up 3 points in Virginia, which Biden won by 10 points in 2020.

The pro-Biden take: The presidents supporters note that many of the polls remain within the margin of error, even in the battlegrounds.

The DDHQ polling average, for example, has Biden down by just a single point in Wisconsin and by a mere three-tenths of a point in Michigan.

But it also has Biden losing by more than 4 points in Pennsylvania and in the two Sun Belt battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada.

The July 11 Biden campaign memo acknowledged that winning the Blue Wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin was the clearest pathway to victory for Biden, but insisted the Sun Belt states are not out of reach.

The ramifications of the assassination attempt against Trump

Trump was accorded a heros welcome when he made his first appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.

The Saturday shooting, in which one rallygoer was killed and two injured, complicates Democratic jabs against Trump, at least for the moment.

Attacks that are perceived as over the top could spark backlash amid broader fears about deepening polarization.

The pro-Biden take: Biden told Holt it was a mistake to argue for putting Trump in the bulls-eye recently.

But Biden also suggested he would not tread too lightly.

How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like [Trump] says? Do you just not say anything, cause it may incite somebody? the president asked rhetorically.

Discontent among the Democratic base over Gaza

Israels war on Gaza has been supplanted in U.S. headlines recently, first by Bidens debate flub and latterly by the attempted assassination of Trump.

But the bloodshed is continuing. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes overnight Monday and into Tuesday killed more than 60 Palestinians. Authorities in Gaza estimate the total death toll at around 38,600.

In this years Democratic primaries, an Uncommitted line  generally viewed as a protest vote against the presidents policies on Gaza  drew 13 percent support in Michigan and 19 percent support in Minnesota.

The political temperature around the issue is sure to rise when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington to address a joint session of Congress on July 24.

The pro-Biden take: Team Biden acknowledges real frustration among some voters over Gaza. But it also contends the electoral ramifications tend to be overstated.

Gaza tends to be well down most voters lists of concerns, they say.

They also argue that parallel fractures within the GOP base get less coverage than they deserve.

Biden loyalists note that, even after former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley suspended her presidential bid, her zombie campaign often racked up a bigger share of the GOP vote than did the Uncommitted line on the Democratic side.

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Editors note: Contributing columnist David Mastio is covering the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee for McClatchy Opinion.

Todays Republican National Convention theme is Make America strong again, but it might as well be, What will Ohio Sen J.D. Vance say in his first speech as Donald Trumps vice presidential running mate? More people in the conventions hallways and TV studios are talking all things Vance than talking about anything related to Americas strength.

Here are six things to look for in the Vance speech tonight:

Unlike some past vice presidential candidates, Vance is already well-known by millions who have read Hillbilly Elegy, his deeply personal memoir, and have seen the movie about his early life in which Glenn Close plays his Mamaw. The Associated Press reports that his personal story is going to be a big part of the speech tonight, but which of two versions of the story will he tell: the version aligned with his old Republican self that identifies the failures of his family with their own irresponsibility and bad decisions, as he writes in the book  or the more populist version in which his family is victim to the powerful forces of drugs and capitalism that shape their lives, as in more recent tellings? How much will Vance have to change positions? How hard can he lean into that right-wing populism that often echoes Elizabeth Warren more than Ronald Reagan? Can he be his full self while running with Trump, who wants to cut corporate tax rates again? How much of the isolationism he has espoused recently comes through on issues such as Ukraine and Israel, where Trump has dubbed himself a more powerful protector and ally than President Joe Biden? Speaking of populism, will we hear anything about Vances time as a minion of billionaire Peter Thiel and his work as a venture capitalist at Mithril Capital Management? It is about the least populist thing about Vance. Will he touch the live wire of what happened to Vice President Mike Pence while in the service of Trump? Chants of Hang Mike Pence! and the image of an impromptu gallows set up on the grounds of the Capitol on Jan. 6 still haunt Pence staffers who served Trump loyally. Traditionally, V.P. candidates have launched tougher attacks on their opponents than presidential candidates have. Does that hold tonight while we look forward to Trumps new nicer persona planned for a speech on Thursday? Can any tradition stand up in Trump World? On Tuesday night, Nikki Haley simply ignored her evolution from fierce Trump critic to unapologetic endorser  she barely mentioned it. Can Vance pull off the same feat when he called Trump an American Hitler?

David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com
60,000 Scouts went to this camp near McCall. An Albertson family development firm just bought it

At the closing campfire on summer Friday nights, Richard Sotto would stop the Scouts as they were going back to their campsites. He would ask them if, during their week at Camp Morrison, they did anything they had never experienced before. Every kid, he says, said yes.

The Scouting America Mountain West Council sold Camp Morrison in McCall on June 28 with the unanimous approval of the Council Executive Board, according to a news release.

The wooded camp near scenic Payette Lake was the favorite place of many generations of Boy Scouts, said Sotto, a former Camp Morrison director.

It hosted its first Boy Scouts in 1967 and welcomed its first girls troops in 2019, after the Boy Scouts of America began admitting girls and dropped the Boy before Scout as a title for members (but kept it in the organizations name).

When you go camping, the more of a wilderness experience that you can have, the more growth there will be with youth, Richard Sotto said. He was director at Camp Morrison from 2006 to 2019.

More than 60,000 Scouts have attended Camp Morrison since 1967, Sotto said. They have come from all over the nation, though mostly from Southwest Idaho and Eastern Oregon, he said.

The buyer: Albertson heirs real estate business

The camp was sold to Alscott Real Estate LLC, a Boise-based development business owned by the heirs of Joe and Kathryn Albertson, who founded the Albertsons supermarket chain. The family already owns lakefront property adjoining the Scouts property.

Brian Scott, vice president of real estate at Alscott and a former NASCAR racer, told the Statesman that he could not disclose terms of the purchase or say what the company will do with it.

Homes dot the woods across from the camps main entrance at 2306 Eastside Drive and to the west along Payette Lake, where the Valley County assessor valued the 148-acre camp property at $2.36 million as of Jan. 1. The Boy Scouts also sold an adjoining, 18-acre parcel that stretches from the camp to the lake and includes about 80 feet of beach. That parcels assessed value is $5.47 million, bringing the combined value to $7.83 million.

The two properties along the lake just south of the second parcel are owned by the Joseph B. Scott Revocable Trust, which was set up by J.B. Joe/ Scott, Brians father and grandson of Joe and Kathryn Albertson.

The northernmost one has an assessed value of $13.5 million. The southernmost one, owned by the same trust, was valued even higher, at $20.3 million, because of the additional lakefront land and presence of a 9,000-square-foot mansion and other buildings. The combined assessed value of the two properties is $33.8 million.

The Scott family has had a presence in the McCall community for nearly 100 years with a long history of respecting and preserving Idahos beauty and natural landscape, Scott said. Scouting America will continue to use Camp Morrison for up to two more years, and there are no plans at this time for any future developments. We care about preserving the land and community in McCall.

The familys other holdings include the Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club in McCall.

Zoning allows houses on both Scouts parcels

Brian Parker, McCalls city planner, told the Idaho Statesman that residential land uses are allowed on the 148-acre camp parcel with a maximum of one unit per 10 acres. The 18-acre parcel also allows residential land use up to four units per acre, Parker said by phone.

One of the biggest concerns that led to the sale of the camp was the presence of neighbors in houses across the street, said Lynn Gunter, scout executive and CEO of the Mountain West Council of the Boy Scouts.

They have been so patient and kind to us, Gunter said by email. However, early morning flag ceremonies, active range and target sports, parking, and large gatherings have had an impact.

The sale, first reported by BoiseDev, had been in discussion for the last 20 years because of the continued development and encroachment around Camp Morrison.

Scouts got to experience a wide range of activities at Camp Morrison, including active range and target sports; climbing; and spending a night in a shelter they built.

Sale proceeds to benefit 2 other Scouts sites in Idaho

Proceeds of the sale will go to further development and historic preservation of the Bradley Scout Reservation near Stanley and improvements to the Salmon River High Adventure Base outside of Riggins, Gunter said. These two combined cover over 200 acres, he said.

Both Camp Morrison and the Bradley Scout Reservation will operate as scheduled in 2024, the Mountain West Council said in a frequently-asked-questions document the council shared with the Statesman.

Camp Morrison will still run all programs, including camping and training, in 2025, while the Bradley Scout Reservation will be temporarily closed for construction. In 2026, the newly renovated Bradley Scout Reservation will host a full program year, and Camp Morrison will be permanently closed.

We will continue to be respectful to our neighbors while we transition over the next couple of summers, Gunter said.

The nearest neighbor at Bradley Scout Reservation is not within sight and probably miles away, Sotto said. This allows Scouts to not worry about staying up late or being noisy, Sotto said.

The Bradley Scout Reservation, about 18 miles north of Stanley, was a mining station in the late 1800s. The Scouts have owned it since 1956. Gunter said it has four natural hot springs that feed into a swimming-pool-shaped venue known as a plunge. It cycles natural hot spring water year-round, he said.

Gunter said the facilities will be refurbished, and new venues will include a climbing facility and other programs such as floating on the river and paddle boarding on high mountain lakes throughout the region, including Stanley Lake.

Camp named for Morrison-Knudsen cofounder, a donor

Camp Morrison was created in 1966, after the Ore-Ida Council, todays Mountain West Council, bought 150 acres adjacent to Camp Tapawingo, where Scouts had been camping since 1934. The first recorded Scout Camp on Payette Lake took place in 1916.

Camp Morrison was named after its largest donor, Harry Morrison, who donated $8,000 of the $13,000 for the purchase of the property. Morrison cofounded the former Morrison Knudsen Co. of Boise, a major 20th century builder of dams, bridges, tunnels, railroads, highways, pipelines, airports, military bases and space centers.

The rest was paid by then president of the Idaho First National Bank, John Schoonover, who contributed $2,500; and the Boise Cascade Corp., which contributed $5,000 respectively, according to the council.

The climbing program is one of the highlights of Camp Morrison, according to Richard Sotto, former camp director. He said that most camps didnt have similar programs.

The climbing program is one of the highlights of Camp Morrison, said Sotto, who was camp director between 2006 and 2019 and is now the business programs chair at the College of Western Idaho in Nampa.

A lifeguard and climbing instructor certification was added in 2008, and the climbing program was introduced in 2017.

The climbing program goes from after lunch until dinner every day. Scouts climb on natural rock sites. Those old enough can get certified to become assistants in the climbing program.

That was fairly unique to Camp Morrison  most camps didnt have that, Sotto said.

Sotto said the most rewarding aspects of his role as camp director were seeing children grow and gain confidence.

Many generations of Scouts will remember Camp Morrison as their favorite place, Sotto said. The proceeds from the sale will go to further investment of Bradley Scout Reservation.

There are people who are really upset that such a wonderful place that gave them such life-changing experiences would close, Sotto said. But he said he sees a greater opportunity at the Bradley Scout Reservation, which will be a program second to none.

Camp Morrison provides an opportunity for children to spend a night outside in a shelter that they build. About 80 kids out of a couple hundred in total decide to do that every week, according to Sotto.

It doesnt matter where you hold Scout camp  it matters what the staff is like, Sotto said.

Albertson heirs fought a Boise development that would hurt their views. Now its back

Farmer forced to close Idahos largest pumpkin patch. What Albertson family has planned

McCalls Whitetail resort sold to Idaho businessmen. The terms were not disclosed

This church was just torn down on Bogus Basin Road. Albertson heir aims to develop there
A seven-year-old boy is dead after an accidental shooting in Ohio on Tuesday.

>>Bodycam video released shows Ohio officers shoot, kill man near RNC venue

Officers were called to a home on Arvin Avenue in Springfield Township in Hamilton County around 2:18 p.m. on initial reports of a shooting, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.

Officers began performing life-saving treatment, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene, the department told Cincinnati media outlets.

Someone in the home called 911, but officers have not said who it was, WKRC TV reports.

Police have not released any details about how the child was shot and said it is being investigated as an accidental shooting.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM)  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will receive $500 million for the I-83 South Bridge replacement project in Harrisburg.

The bridge, also known as the John Harris Memorial Bridge, was built in 1960 and was widened in 1982. It connects downtown Harrisburg to the West Shore and carries more than 125,000 vehicles a day.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the bridge is nearing the end of its serviceable lifespan, which means that wear and tear requires more regular, frequent, and costly repairs.

Repairs are estimated to cost $1.1 to $1.3 billion with proposed construction starting in 2026.

Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Bob Casey, and Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined local lawmakers for the announcement on Wednesday morning.

Governor Shapiro confirmed that the bridge will not have tolls and said this grant is the largest federal grant for a single transportation project in Pennsylvania history.

For a year and a half, I have bothered the President and Secretary Buttigieg about this bridge  and because they listened to the good people of Pennsylvania, we will get this job done under the leadership of Secretary Carroll to connect our communities and grow our economy for decades to come, said Governor Shapiro.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the funding announced on Wednesday is part of more than $5 billion in Large Bridge Project awards coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Thirteen bridges in 16 states will receive a portion of the funds, including $1.4 billion for a bridge that connects Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver Washington.

For too long America let bridges fall into disrepair, which left people less safe, disrupted our supply chains, and cost people time and money  but now the Biden-Harris Administration is changing that with the biggest investment in our bridges since the Eisenhower era, said Buttigieg. There are currently about 3,000 fewer bridges in poor condition than when our administration began, and today we are proud to announce funding to repair or replace 13 of Americas largest and economically significant bridges.

About 42,400 bridges are in poor condition nationwide, yet they carry about 167 million vehicles each day, according to the federal government. Four-fifths of those bridges have problems with the substructures that hold them up or the superstructures that support their load. And more than 15,800 of the poor bridges also were listed in poor shape a decade ago, according to an Associated Press analysis.

The nations poor bridges are on average 70 years old.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
PARIS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation, but asked him to stay as the head of a caretaker cabinet until the formation of a new administration, the French presidential office said Tuesday.

As caretakers, Attal and his governmental team can only oversee the normal operation of administration, and intervene in the event of an emergency. The caretaker government cannot initiate any new projects or laws. Due to the current ambiguous political situation, it cannot be ousted by a vote of no confidence.

Attal submitted his resignation to Macron on July 8 after the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the snap legislative elections. But later that day Macron asked him to stay on the post "for the moment" to ensure the country's stability.

The French president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9 and called for new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament elections.

In the two rounds of legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, Macron's centrist coalition finished second with 163 seats, trailing the left-wing parties' alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), which secured a relative majority with 182 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.

The winner alliance of the legislative elections, the NFP, has not yet been able to propose a candidate to be the next prime minister. National Rally party Vice President Sebastien Chenu said the situation is a sign that the NFP "is not ready to govern."

Macron's decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly. On Thursday, the elected deputies are expected to choose the speaker of the new National Assembly. According to the French electoral laws, ministers in office cannot cast their ballots. But with the resignation accepted, the 17 ministers who won a seat in parliament in the election can now vote on the distribution of leadership positions.

Attal said he would propose meetings with competing political groups "to move towards an action pact" on forming a new government.

But he ruled out any prospect of staying on himself.

"I do not aspire to be the next prime minister. I will not be the next prime minister," he told the broadcaster TFI.

"For this period to end as soon as possible, it is up to the Republican forces to work together to build unity around projects and actions in the service of the French people," Elysee said in a press release.

Succeeding Elisabeth Borne, Attal was nominated prime minister on Jan. 9 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest to hold the position in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Macron still has almost three years to go as president before elections in 2027, when far-right leader Marine Le Pen is expected to make a fresh bid for power.

There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister following parliamentary elections this month, which left the National Assembly with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France's modern republic. 
$900,000 to go to EV infrastructure on Lake Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awarded a total of $905,567 to continue the development of the Lake Michigan Circuita project to install electric vehicle infrastructure around Lake Michigan.

The Lake Michigan Circuit is an initiative to support coastal tourism in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana by creating a scenic route around the 1,100-mile Lake Michigan shoreline with reliable electric vehicle charging ports.

The award will be used to install direct charge/fast charging stations and Level 2 chargers along the west coast of Michigan.

Michiganders who have made the transition to electric vehicles need to know accessible, reliable charging stations are available to them as they enjoy everything our state has to offer, said EGLE Director Phil Roos. The Lake Michigan Circuit will allow travelers to experience Lake Michigan and visit our coastal communities and attractions along and around the route. This is not only a step in building out our charging infrastructure, its an opportunity to offer the best new road trip for electric vehicle owners across the country.

This award comes after the state announced its 2025 budget, which includes over $30 million to build out the states electric vehicle charging network and support hydrogen fueling, inductive charging, and fleet transition efforts.

Heres a breakdown of where the funding is going:

Adelaide Point Qualified Opportunity Zone Business , Muskegon: $70,000 toward one 200 kilowatt (kW) DCFC ($113,245 match funding).

Chateau Chantal Winery & Inn, Traverse City: $5,000 toward one 7.2 kW Level 2 charger ($18,317 match funding).

Cloverland Electric Cooperative: Manistique: $96,285 toward one 180 kW DCFC ($60,800 match funding). St. Ignace: $96,285 toward one 180 kW DCFC ($58,733 match funding).

City of Frankfort : $5,000 toward one 19.9 kW Level 2 charger ($22,000 match funding).

City of Manistee: $10,000 toward two 12 kW Level 2 chargers ($32,736 match funding), $10,000 toward a second location with two 12 kW Level 2 chargers ($32,736 match funding), and $63,960 toward one 160 kW DCFC ($128,112 match funding).

Red E Charging: Bridgman: $135,831 toward two 320 kW DCFC ($272,069 match funding). Grand Haven: $57,619 toward one 240 kW DCFC ($138,721 match funding). New Buffalo: Two awards of $10,000 each toward two 19.2 kW Level 2 chargers ($23,630 match funding each). South Haven: $255,344 toward four 320 kW DCFC ($511,456 match funding).

City of South Haven: $10,000 toward one 19.2 kW Level 2 charger ($23,630 match funding).

Universal EV: Grand Haven: $60,278 toward one 90 kW DCFC $122,382 match funding). Muskegon: $4,985 toward one 11.2 kW Level 2 charger ($10,125 match funding). South Haven: $4,980 toward one 11.2 kW Level 2 charger ($10,110 match funding).



Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Another 95 Ukrainian defenders have been brought back home, including service members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the Border Guard, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 17.

"Our thanks to our exchange team and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for mediating their release," Zelensky said, according to his Telegram channel.

"No matter how difficult it may be, we are searching for everyone who may still be in captivity."

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the release occurred as part of a prisoner exchange, as 95 Russian captives were also released. Ukraine's Prisoners of War (POW) Coordination Headquarters later confirmed the exchange.

The number of released POWs included 49 service members of the Armed Forces, including one who was voluntarily deployed by helicopter to Azovstal in Mariupol to join the defenders during the Russian siege in 2022.

Twenty-one members of the National Guard, 10 sailors, seven Territorial Defense members, and five border guards were also released, among others.

Bloomberg reported an upcoming UAE-mediated prisoner swap earlier today, adding that this would bring the total number of prisoners exchanged under the Gulf country's mediation to 1,400.

Arab countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have repeatedly taken up the role of mediators in prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

The previous exchange took place on June 25, when Ukraine brought back 90 prisoners from Russian captivity.

As of July 17, 3,405 Ukrainian captives have been brought safely home since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram.

Read also: The Counteroffensive: Inside Ukraines prisoner of war negotiations with Russia

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine has brought 95 of its defenders back from Russian captivity.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, on social media

Quote: "We keep bringing our people back home. 95 more defenders were liberated from the Russian captivity. These are the soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard of Ukraine.

Im grateful to our team which carried out the prisoners of war swaps, and the United Arab Emirates for being a mediator in this liberation. Even though its extremely hard, were looking for everybody who could be in captivity. We must bring back everyone."

Details: The Coordination Staff specified that among the liberated Ukrainians there are 49 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including a soldier who agreed to fly to the Azovstal plant in the city of Mariupol voluntarily in order to help the Ukrainian units that were blocked there, and two members of the Ukrainian Air Force), 21 members of the National Guard of Ukraine, 10 navy sailors, seven members of the Territorial Defence Forces, five border guards, two members of the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine and one defender from a volunteer formation of a territorial community.

This time, all the liberated soldiers are men: 88 privates and sergeants and seven officers.

Among the soldiers who were finally liberated there are 23 defenders of the city of Mariupol (13 of them defended the Azovstal plant). 41 fought on the Donetsk front, nine on the Luhansk front, nine on the Zaporizhzhia front, three on the Kherson and three on the Kharkiv front. One of the liberated sailors was in Kyiv Oblast at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and defended his home village of Makariv from the Russian occupiers by joining the local Territorial Defence. He was captured by Russian soldiers while distributing humanitarian aid to residents of the local community.

Many Ukrainian soldiers who come back suffer from injuries and have chronic illnesses which require durable treatment. Most of them remained in captivity of the aggressor state since 2022. Among the liberated soldiers there is also a defender who was considered missing under special circumstances.

Note: "This is the 54th PoW swap since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. In total, the Coordination Staff managed to liberate 3405 people from captivity."

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) has recently launched a new campaign to increase suicide awareness.

A 988 Media briefing webinar was held Tuesday morning to inform residents of the service.

The 988 hotline has been used nationwide since its adoption by the FCC in 2020. Its used to allow anyone concerned about mental health, emotional or substance abuse to get in contact with a trained professional who listens without judgment.

Here are some facts and figures on why people dial 988:

27% for suicide factors

22% for wellness concerns

22% for social stress

10% for resource roll response

9% for substance abuse

4% for saety concerns

4% for disability

2% for violent factors

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or chat online at 988colorado.com

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
Abcarian: Don't let political rhetoric distract you from this truth about the Trump shooting

Former President Trump is helped off the stage after the assassination attempt. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

Im steering clear of news stories exploring the many conspiracy theories swirling around Saturdays attempt to assassinate former President Trump.

At this point, all we know about what happened last weekend in Butler, Pa., is that a young, socially awkward man with shooting experience and access to a high-powered assault weapon decided to do something that would be unfathomable to most of us but that apparently crosses the minds of young American men steeped in gun culture with alarming regularity.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, climbed onto the unsecured roof of a building within rifle range of the rally stage, crawled into position and opened fire, killing a spectator and wounding Trump and two others before he was killed by sharpshooters.

Does it matter that Crooks was a registered Republican?

Does it matter that he once donated to a liberal-leaning get-out-the vote group?

Read more: Column: The once-secretive right-wing ideology emerging as an overt threat to American democracy

I would suggest that none of that is particularly important and that political partisans on all sides should bear this awful truth in mind: We are a nation ravaged by gun violence because we make little effort to limit the availability of weapons of war.

Dont let the pageantry and heightened emotion of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week lull you into thinking that Trump should be restored to the White House. Nothing about his brush with death changes anything about the deeply antidemocratic future he and the Heritage Foundation envision for this country.

On Monday, the conventions opening day, Trump anointed a mini-me, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, as his running mate. Before Vance had his come-to-orange-Jesus moment and submitted to the former president, he called Trump Americas Hitler.

Can you imagine a Vice President Vance following in the footsteps of Vice President Mike Pence and refusing an order to overturn the will of the voters?

Read more: Abcarian: Who should replace President Biden if he leaves the race? The answer should be obvious

Vance ably demonstrated his partisan credentials when he wrote on X that the shooting was Democrats' fault and not just some isolated incident.

Well, hes half right.

Saturdays shooting was far from an isolated incident. And as long as politicians refuse to heed the will of the American people  most of whom support stricter gun laws  we are never going to be free of the bloody rampages that regularly convulse families, schools, communities and campaigns.

"We can't allow this violence to become normalized," President Biden said from the Oval Office on Sunday. "The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that." (Hmm, does that include Mark Robinson, the unhinged North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate who said in a church last month that some folks need killing"?)

I appreciate Bidens sentiment, but I think hes off base. This sort of violence has absolutely become normal in America.

As the historians Matthew Dallek and Robert Dallek wrote in the New York Times on Monday, the attack on Trump is one on a list of fairly common attempts on presidents lives. Between 1963 and 1981, gunmen opened fire on three presidents, two presidential candidates, and two national civil rights leaders. Of all the worlds democracies, when it comes to assassination attempts on government heads, the Dalleks wrote, America leads the pack. It should go without saying that we are first in gun violence among those countries as well.

On the day of the attempted assassination of Trump, at least 59 shootings took place in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. They killed 34 people, including Trump supporter Corey Comperatore, and injured 80, including Trump. The bloodiest such incident was at a nightclub in Birmingham, Ala., where four people died and at least 10 were injured in a drive-by shooting. You probably didnt even hear about it.

Given the extraordinary security surrounding presidents, former presidents and presidential candidates, the most shocking aspect of the attempt on Trumps life is that his would-be assassin was able to get within shooting range of him in the first place. This is the worst security failure of its kind since John Hinckley Jr. got close enough to shoot President Reagan at close range on a Washington sidewalk in 1981.

In a 2022 survey, the California Firearm Violence Research Center at UC Davis found that Republicans, and MAGA-supporting Republicans in particular, were much more likely than others to endorse political violence. This can't come as a surprise after what we experienced on Jan. 6, 2021.

"There is growing concern that this years elections could lead to  or even be decided by  political violence," the center's founder, Garen Wintemute, wrote in a prescient essay in the Hill last month.

I hope he was wrong, but I fear he was right.

@robinkabcarian

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A state panel late Monday finished revising a financial impact statement that will appear on the November ballot with a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights  with amendment supporters accusing the panel of a dirty trick to mislead voters.

Financial impact statements provide estimated effects of proposed constitutional amendments on government revenues and the state budget. They usually receive little attention, but the abortion measure spurred contentious debate and divided the panel.

Representatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis office and the Florida House pushed to include information in the statement about issues such as the possibility that passage of the amendment could lead to Medicaid-funded abortions and spur a wide range of costly lawsuits. Those are issues that amendment opponents have cited as they fight the proposal.

Ultimately, with the help of the panels representative from the Florida Senate, DeSantis office and the House got information they sought into the statement.

Read: Vote-by-mail request deadline approaches for Orange County residents

In part, the statement says there is uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate.

Chris Spencer, DeSantis representative on the panel, known as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, said protracted lawsuits about abortion issues would be inevitable if the amendment passes. That could include lawsuits about whether Medicaid should pay for abortions and which health-care providers would be able to perform abortions, he said.

Panel member Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislatures Office of Economic & Demographic Research, agreed that passage of the amendment would lead to lawsuits. But Baker, the panels lone dissenter, objected to including issues such as the possibility of litigation leading to Medicaid-funded abortions.

Read: Women who had abortions voice their concerns with Floridas new abortion ban

I would, personally, feel more comfortable if we just did it clean and crisp, Baker said. Were not making a political statement here. We are not trying to frighten people. There will be litigation costs.

But Spencer, who is DeSantis former budget director, pushed back against the suggestion that including the information was political. DeSantis and other state Republican leaders oppose the proposed constitutional amendment.

I dont think its a political statement, said Spencer, who was recently appointed as executive director of the State Board of Administration. I dont think its anything other than we know litigation is going to occur.

The proposed amendment, which will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 4, says, in part, that no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, as determined by the patients healthcare provider. Abortion-rights supporters began the initiative effort after DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Legislature in spring 2023 approved a bill to prevent abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

Read: Florida sees decrease in the number of abortions following six-week abortion ban, report says

The Financial Impact Estimating Conference released an initial statement for the abortion proposal in November 2023. But on April 1, the Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling that allowed a six-week abortion limit to take effect. Though the limit was approved in 2023, it was hung up in court for nearly a year.

Floridians Protecting Freedom, a political committee leading efforts to pass the amendment, filed a lawsuit in April arguing that the November financial-impact statement needed to be revised because it was outdated after the Supreme Court ruling. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper agreed with the committee, but the state appealed to the 1st District Court of Appeal, where the case is pending.

Amid the case, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, directed the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to begin meeting again to revise the statement. The panel met three times, with Mondays meeting lasting into the night.

Floridians Protecting Freedom and its Yes on 4 campaign issued a news release late Monday that described the revised statement as reading like an ad written by Amendment 4 opponents  highly-politicized and unlawfully inaccurate to mislead voters on Amendment 4.

What should have been an easy administrative fix on outdated (financial impact statement) language has become a dirty trick to mislead voters. Lauren Brenzel, campaigns director for Yes on 4, said in a prepared statement.

But Sara Johnson of the anti-amendment group Vote No on 4, told the panel during Mondays meeting that it should provide information about such issues as potential lawsuit costs.

Its important for Florida voters to know that what you see is not what you will get, Johnson said. What we will get is costly litigation for years to come that will result in policies we have not yet seen and therefore cannot yet analyze.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
WAUSAU  Wausau voters will likely see the return of the absentee ballot drop box before the Aug. 13 primary election as an option to turn in their ballots following a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling.

The drop box was removed from its space in front of city hall in April to have its lock fixed, City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde told a Wausau Daily Herald reporter. The lock was damaged by winter salt and snow. She said she intends to have the drop box back by Aug 1.

Wausau City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde

Its really critical that last week before elections when the post office doesnt recommend mailing a ballot back, Bernarde said. If people are working, away at college or theyre homebound, and they cant get here during our 8 to 4:30, its a great option for people to be able to still turn in their absentee ballots.

The city installed the box in front of city hall in 2020 as it anticipated, and received, a lot of absentee ballots due to public health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernarde said the city received over 13,000 absentee ballots in the November 2020 election.

As of the morning of July 16, the city clerks office had sent out about 2,200 absentee ballots for the Aug. 13 primary and had already received just under 1,500 back. In April, the clerks office sent out about 2,800 ballots and received about 2,700 of them back. Over 8,600 Wausau residents voted in April.

The clerks office is receiving daily requests for absentee ballots, according to Bernarde. In Wisconsin, ballots for federal elections begin to be sent out by clerks 47 days before the election, or the end of June for the August primary.

Prior to the July 5 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, which restored the ability of municipal clerks to utilize secure drop boxes to collect absentee ballots, Wausaus ballot drop box was being repurposed as a utility and tax payment drop box.

Its a nice box. Its secure, it was bolted to the ground, in a well-lit area with a security camera on it, Bernarde said. It is larger and can hold more payments and things, especially during the busy tax season.

Last Thursday, Wisconsins nonpartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidelines for how clerks can utilize absentee ballot drop boxes following the Supreme Court ruling. The guidelines included placing the drop boxes in well-lit areas, reporting damage to the boxes and emptying them before they are full.

We are still reviewing (WECs) guidance but internally we want to make sure that we are diligent and transparent on recording how people have returned their ballots to ensure that theyll have trust in this option of delivery, Bernarde said. We will continue our current process of making sure we have records of how people return their ballot, whether it was in person, via the mail, or the drop box, as well as we have an absentee ballot log of many issues that people have with their ballots if they need to be spoiled or reissued, etc.

Bernarde pointed out one section of the WEC guidance on the use of absentee ballot drop boxes regarding election observers. She said people are allowed to observe people returning ballots to drop boxes but may not interfere with someone placing ballots inside it nor intimidate them as they are doing so. This guidance is similar to rules for election observers at polling sites on Election Day or at sites where in-person absentee voting occurs.

Bernarde said the calls she receives most often during elections are from parents or college voters asking how they can turn their ballots in outside of the clerks office business hours.

Who can request an absentee ballot?

Any qualifying elector may request an absentee ballot. A qualifying elector is a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age or older, who has resided in the district in which he or she intends to vote for at least 28 consecutive days, according to WEC. A voter must be registered in their district in order to obtain an absentee ballot.

For most people, online and mail requests for absentee ballots must be made by 5 p.m. five days prior to an election. In-person absentee voting is available until the Sunday before a Tuesday election.

How does a Wausau voter request an absentee ballot?

Voters in Wausau may request an absentee ballot online at myvote.wi.gov or by mailing or otherwise taking a completed Absentee Ballot Application, which can be found on the city clerk's voter info website or the WEC website, to the clerk's office inside City Hall located at 407 Grant St.

Local school news: Wausau elementary school task force hears about enrollment concerns, needed building upgrades and underutilized space

Local business news: Ollie's Bargain Outlet is coming to Rothschild. Here's when they expect to open and what they offer.

Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Absentee ballot drop box will likely return to Wausau City Hall
A mother polar bear with two cubs rests on the snowy shore of Kaktovik Lagoon on the North Slope on Sept. 23, 2018. The lagoon is connected to the Beaufort Sea and is part of the Arctic marine ecosystem that is the subject of a NOAA Fisheries climate research plan being developed to guide work through 2024. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

A mother polar bear with two cubs rests on the snowy shore of Kaktovik Lagoon on the North Slope on Sept. 23, 2018. The lagoon is connected to the Beaufort Sea and is part of the Arctic marine ecosystem that is the subject of a NOAA Fisheries climate research plan being developed to guide work through 2024. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Climate change is making it almost impossible to decide how much, where and what to sustainably fish as the fate of future fisheries is becoming increasingly uncertain. This is leading to a slow process or inaction in adapting fisheries and their management to climate change.

This could even further exacerbate the increasing trend of overfished global fish stocks. As the Arctic Ocean loses sea ice due to climate change, fisheries access is increasing, and large-scale exploitation is on the horizon.

These changes threaten the fragile Arctic Ocean ecosystem that harbours polar bears, beluga whales, narwhals and a range of fish species, such as Arctic char and Greenland halibut.

All of these animals are culturally and socially important for coastal Indigenous peoples.

Commercial fisheries moratorium

In 2021, 10 countries agreed upon a moratorium on commercial fisheries in the central Arctic Ocean, the international high seas of the Arctic.

It provides a 16-year runway for improved scientific understanding of an ecosystem that is emerging below the retreating sea ice cover. Any future fishing activity or international management agreements are to be based on scientific information and Indigenous knowledge.

This landmark agreement provides a chance to do things differently: to establish a proactive and just fisheries management system, rather than a reactive one, that can lead to unsustainable and unregulated fishing.

While in April 2024, the nations that signed the Agreement reached a consensus on a science implementation plan. This plan includes mapping critical ecosystems, pinpointing vulnerable and sensitive habitats, and gathering Indigenous knowledge, all as mandated by the Agreement. However, previously, several nations have also made it clear that their participation is intended to secure access to future fisheries and that they consider the moratorium temporary.

Therefore, the window may be closing on this agreement. Thats why now is the time to establish a proactive, precautionary and climate-informed management framework that considers the unique and fragile Arctic ecosystem  before any explorative fishery and ideally before large-scale, unregulated fishing activities.

Such a management framework is needed despite the large uncertainty about the future Arctic Ocean. Inaction is no option.

Supporting fisheries governance

I am part of a collaboration of academic scientists, the Environmental Defense Fund and the European Polar Board that proposes integrating uncertainty to support future fisheries governance in a changing Arctic Ocean.

As a first step, we used the marine ecosystem model ensemble developed by the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project to quantify uncertainty about future Arctic fisheries. This included assessing how and why the ecosystem models differ in their projections of future fish abundance in the Arctic Ocean  most models showed abundance increases, some showed decreasing fish abundance.

Focusing on the entire Arctic Ocean, were hoping to expand the understanding of near future climate change impacts on Arctic marine ecosystems. To date, most studies have focused on a small subset of the region, such as the Barents Sea and Bering Sea. We also highlight near-term (2030-2049) decreases in fish abundance in some Arctic waters, a result rarely discussed because end-century (2090-2099) changes are much more commonly published.

We show that future changes in fish abundance, water temperature and sea ice extent varies among the different Arctic regions. The largest change in fish abundance is found in the central Arctic Ocean.

Often, the models disagree in the direction (increase vs. decrease) of fish abundance change, illustrating the substantive uncertainty about the Arctics future. Because the models are uncertain, they are unlikely to effectively inform fisheries management in the Arctic now or in the near future.

Model refinement takes time and resources. However, these models can already be used as a source for plausible, policy-relevant risk scenarios.

Risk assessment

Communicating uncertainty as risk, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines as the potential for adverse consequences for human or ecological systems, can be more tangible and actionable for policy and decision-making purposes.

This way, risks that are unacceptable can be identified and a course of action mapped to mitigate them.

One tool is structured scenario planning. It enables diverse participants, including Indigenous organizations, governmental and academic scientists, fisheries managers and members of the fishing industry, to envision alternative futures to evaluate options for preparation and adaptation.

In this context, participants could provide risk boundaries pertaining to detrimental environmental changes, such as ocean acidification, that could increase the vulnerability of a certain fish stock or marine mammal population to exploitation.

Sustainable management

Despite the large unknowns about the future of Arctic fisheries, action is needed now for a precautionary and sustainable fisheries management.

Methods and skills must be developed by key stakeholders to operate within uncertainty, to move forward with what is known and to quickly change course based on what is learned.

By doing so, scientists and policymakers can together seize the opportunity of the moratorium to combat inaction due to uncertainty about future Arctic fisheries and work towards a sustainable and just future for the Arctic.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Amazon is holding its annual Prime Day promotional sale on Tuesday and Wednesday. Environment groups are using the day to demand the company move faster in meeting its climate commitments.

On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside the Amazon Spheres and blocked lanes going north on 6th Avenue between Lenora Street and Blanchard Street. However, the lanes were back open around 15 minutes later.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) posted on X that the lanes were blocked at 10:52 a.m.

Protesters said Amazon is moving in the wrong direction toward increased pollution. Along with blocking the road, protesters painted the words, Amazon: Wrong Way On Climate across the asphalt.

In a news release from the activist group, they called for the company to accelerate its progress toward climate targets by committing to zero-emissions last-mile deliveries by 2030.

Protestors will be sending a message to Amazon executives that the company is moving the wrong way on climate, labor and public health, stated the news release. Shutting down Sixth Avenue in front of Amazons headquarters, the demonstration features a street mural and a 1,200-square-foot banner with the action message: Amazon is going the wrong way on climate.

Activists also plan to send a letter to the companys CEO Andy Jassy.

Representatives from Stand will also attempt to deliver a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, outlining steps the company needs to take to correct course and align with the latest science on climate change, wrote the news release.

The group said the company has shown little progress on implementation in the marine shipping sector and has failed to end port pollution.

Stand and partners are working to engage the company in good-faith conversations to chart a science-based pathway toward climate progress, stated the news release

KIRO TV reached out to Amazon for comment and received the following statement from spokesman Steve Kelly:

The groups protesting today are wrong about the facts and our sustainability efforts, and lack a basic understanding of our operations generally. The fact is, there are few companies that are making the progress we are to become more sustainable - which is keeping us on track to be net-zero carbon across all of our operations by 2040. Just last week, we announced that we now have more than 24,000 electric delivery vans on the road around the world, that we reached our goal of 100% renewable energy seven years early, and that weve removed 95% of plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging in North America - which means nearly all or our customer deliveries for Prime Day wont contain plastic air pillows. Well continue to invent and build advanced systems, tools, and solutions to drive our net-zero path forward, and deliver for our customers, partners, and the planet.

Protesters gather outside Amazon HQ in March

In March, a protest at Amazon headquarters pitted activists, objecting to the use of fossil fuels, against company employees trying to get to work.

I understand their point, but Im just trying to get to my morning meeting, an Amazon worker said.

At issue was Amazons use of fracked gas from a controversial natural gas pipeline project that would run from Canada through Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.




Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a veteran lawmaker and establishment fixture now running for Senate, has joined 19 other House Democrats in publicly calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race. In a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times, Schiff cited doubts over Biden's ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.

The announcement, coming from a lawmaker who had gained considerable stature after leading impeachment proceedings against Trump in 2019, represents a heavy blow to Biden and a sign that the rebellion within his party, briefly contained in the wake of an assassination attempt against Trump, is far from over.

In his statement, Schiff said that Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better." But, he continued, "our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

The Democratic Party had been engulfed in panic since a halting debate performance by Biden in June brought to light his apparent decline in fitness and ability to coherently make the case for a second term. In addition to the Democrats who have publicly urged Biden to step aside, many others are despairing in private over the prospect of him leading them to disaster  or, in the reported case of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, working behind the scenes to push the president out.

Biden has so far remained defiant, but he has often stumbled as he has tried to convince voters and lawmakers alike that is still capable of winning. In one call with House members from the moderate New Democrat Coalition, Biden shouted down dissenting lawmakers and insisted that polls showing him falling behind Trump were wrong, prompting concerns that he was aloof from reality and not receiving complete information from a shrinking circle of trusted aides and family.

An AP-Norc poll released on Wednesday found that 65% of Democratic voters want Biden out, flying in the face of repeated claims by the president that he is listening to voters and defying "elites." But Schiff acknowledged that the only realistic path to finding a new party nominee is for Biden himself to concede he shouldn't be the candidate.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch, he said. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi draws inside his tent in Deir al-Balah City in central Gaza Strip, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

At a refugee camp in Gaza, Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi captures the resilience and hope of Palestinian people with his paintings.

GAZA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- In a small corner of a refugee tent draped in clotheslines of outfits and bags of daily essentials, Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi sits hunched over a big sketchbook, quickly putting on page one after another displaced family gathering beneath their shelter tent.

The strokes are bold, leaving a sharp black-and-white contrast between a bleak forest of tents in the war-ravaged Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, and fresh Palestinian faces up front.

The protagonists seem to wear a calm, even decisive, expression, leaving outsiders no more hints to decipher, as though they refused to surrender a solemn moment of reunion to another Israeli attack, which could shatter the sheer facade of peace at any minute.

These captivating artworks not only capture a sense of "death reprieve" brought by the protracted Israeli bloodshed to millions of Gazans but also carry the traumatic memories of 45-year-old al-Maqousi, also a father of five.

The artist told Xinhua he still could not believe the beautiful central Gaza city had been destroyed, and he, like other Palestinians in the territory, had lost his home and a normal life.

Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi (C) paints with children inside his tent in Deir al-Balah City in central Gaza Strip, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

"For ten months in a row, we (Palestinians) were forced to be in a race with the death all the time because of the ongoing Israeli attacks ... we were displaced multiple times just to find safe places. However, we found nothing," he said.

"Every time we were forced to displace," the artist recalled, "I lost some of my human emotions and faith in life getting back on track someday. My personality has changed by the mental pressure we are suffering from."

Before the war, al-Maqousi used to paint for the beauty and nature in Gaza. But the war made him increasingly alert and nervous, sometimes unable to control his reactions. This upset those around him.

To rein back and to relieve the internal pressure, he resorted to painting. The anger, fears, hopelessness, and dire reality in Gaza were thus translated into artworks.

Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi draws inside his tent in Deir al-Balah City in central Gaza Strip, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Day by day, al-Maqousi started to see beautiful moments could still exist in a time of hardship and tried to deliver the feeling of normality and hope as he drew children playing at the beach while others gathered to get their lunch on the sand.

"The smiles of children had encouraged me to pick up the hope once again ... After drawing dozens of such paintings, I felt that I regained my positive energy," he said.

In a bid to help others traumatized by the war, al-Maqousi then launched a drawing workshop for displaced children from scratch and managed to overcome a severe shortage of drawing boards, paints, and even a suitable place.

"I was surprised when I saw the children draw beautiful paintings; some drew beautiful houses with their families, others drew Palestinian flags, while the third group preferred to draw the Palestinian flag," al-Maqousi said as he flashed a smile.

He added, "I felt that we (Palestinians) have the full energy to continue our life even if we lost everything now, and we will rebuild our life once the current war ends."

Palestinian artist Basel al-Maqousi draws inside his tent in Deir al-Balah City in central Gaza Strip, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

By Monday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 38,664, according to the Gaza-based health authorities. 
(Bloomberg) -- California Representative Adam Schiff, the front-runner in the states US Senate race, called Wednesday for Joe Biden to quit the presidential contest, reviving Democratic infighting over the troubled reelection campaign.

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Schiff is the first Democratic lawmaker to defect from Biden since the attempted assassination Saturday of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The shooting tamped down the public battle over Bidens candidacy, though tensions continued to simmer behind the scenes.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch, Schiff said in a statement.

The Los Angeles Times first reported the news.

Schiff was one of the most prominent congressional critics of Trump during his presidency, leading one of the impeachment prosecutions of the former president, and he is a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He had been critical of Bidens candidacy and chances in recent weeks but had stopped short of calling on Biden to step aside.

Biden has said he is staying in the race despite the calls from members of his own party to withdraw.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released earlier Wednesday found 65% of Democrats want Biden to step aside. The poll was conducted July 11-15.

Lawmakers dissatisfied with Biden in the wake of his disastrous June 27 debate performance have been struggling to revive their effort to oust him from the presidential ticket during the current congressional recess. Prior to the Saturday Trump shooting, Democrats had expected a new wave of defectors to announce their dissatisfaction with Biden over the weekend.

So far 19 other House Democrats and Senator Peter Welch of Vermont have said Biden should step aside.

House Democrats had been organizing a letter to the Democratic National Committee urging the DNC to postpone a virtual nomination of Biden planned for this month. That letter was called off after the DNC announced Wednesday that the virtual roll call will happen in August, allowing more time for the debate over Biden to continue.

What we need is a fair, open democratic process to select a new nominee that can excite and engage more Americans, Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett said in a statement Wednesday. Doggett was the first House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside earlier this month.

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Rep. Adam Schiff of California called on Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

Schiff is the highest-profile Democrat to call on the president to step aside.

Biden has repeatedly declared that he will remain in the race.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California on Wednesday became the most notable Democrat to publicly call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.

"Our nation is at a crossroads," Schiff said in a statement first reported by the Los Angeles Times. "A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November."

Schiff, who rose to fame leading then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment, is widely favored to win his Senate race this November for the seat once held by Dianne Feinstein. He is also a close ally of Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

Twenty Democratic members of Congress have now publicly called on Biden to drop out. More lawmakers have expressed concern that Trump will win in November. Trump is currently in the best national-polling position of any Republican presidential nominee in over two decades. Some Democrats are fearful that the former president could even be on the path to a blowout win, which could harm Democrats down the ballot.

Like other Democrats, Schiff praised Biden's leadership and said the final decision ultimately rested with him. He also made clear that his party should be focused on one goal: beating Trump.

"Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better," Schiff said.

Schiff's statement underlines that the push to get Biden to step aside remains ongoing. Democrats were mostly silent in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump. The party has also been trying to project a unified front during the Republican National Convention.

Politico reported that Pelosi has continued to hear out House Democrats who are concerned about Biden's standing. She raised eyebrows when she suggested during an interview that the president hadn't made a final decision. At that point, Biden had repeatedly declared he was staying in the race.

"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run," Pelosi said on July 10 on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We're all encouraging him to make that decision. Because time is running short."

Schiff is very close to his fellow Californian. Pelosi endorsed Schiff over other House Democrats to replace Feinstein. Her support, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, has helped Schiff deflect criticism about replacing an iconic woman when other women were also on the primary ballot. Pelosi also made sure it was Schiff who helped lead Trump's first impeachment, even though such power has historically gone to the House Judiciary Committee.

Amid the continued dissension, the Democratic National Committee indicated that it would proceed with a controversial plan to crown Biden the nominee before the party's convention kicks off next month in Chicago.

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California Rep. Adam Schiffs call for President Biden to drop out on Wednesday signaled a return to the raging debate among Democrats over his nomination, which had been on pause since Saturdays assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

Pressure on Biden this weekend will be intense, James Carville, the veteran Democratic strategist who has pushed for Biden to step down, told Semafor.

Schiff, an extremely high-profile Democrat on track to win a Senate seat in November, was especially notable because of his close ties to Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker who is seen as one of the few people in the party with the credibility and skill to force Bidens hand.

CBS News reporter Robert Costa reported that a source told him Pelosi was not given a heads up on Schiffs move.

Washington didnt sound as convinced, to put it mildly.

Him going all the way today is all her, one skeptical senior Democratic House aide told Semafor.

Benjys view

What everyone is still waiting to see is how much the drop Biden effort is an organized movement with a true leader and how much of it is just disparate griping from individual members that ends up nowhere near critical mass. There are constant hints of the so-called dam breaking, but its yet to occur three weeks after the debate.

So far no one individual has assumed the mantle of visibly organizing the opposition to Biden. Pelosi is famous as a political tactician during crises that require careful coordination, which is a major reason her decision to publicly cast doubt on his nomination has been so closely scrutinized.

One juicy revelation in Molly Balls recent biography of Pelosi is that she had stage-managed a turn against the Iraq War in 2005 by her close friend and defense hawk, the late Rep. Jack Murtha, in order to give it the appearance of a one-man crusade without the lefts backing. As part of that process, she deliberately did not lend him visible support, even as she faced public pressure to do so. The party, which had been divided over the war, soon began to decisively shift against it.

The question now is whether were in a similar situation in which theres a significant buildup of opposition to Biden under the surface thats waiting for a signal to go public  directly, or indirectly  from someone like Pelosi. And if shes not the one taking charge, will someone else step in to fill the role?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, two other potentially decisive players, are at minimum buying more time for the party to discuss it. The two privately helped kill a push by the Biden campaign and DNC to officially confirm him as the nominee as soon as next week, a source told Semafors Joseph Zeballos-Roig on Wednesday.

While theyve each offered generic support for Biden when asked, they mostly spent the last several weeks taking in member concerns about his candidacy with little indication as to their next move. Is this the prelude to telling Biden his standing with their members is irreparable, or to telling members that theyve been given plenty of space to air their critiques and its time to move on?

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Politicos Sarah Ferris reported on Tuesday that Pelosi was burning up the phones talking to members about Biden. One Democrat who spoke to her ended the phone call with the distinct impression that Pelosi believed Biden should exit the presidential race.

Senate Democrats are circulating polling, obtained by Semafor, that shows Biden modestly dragging down their candidates in comparison to a hypothetical ticket with Kamala Harris or Gretchen Whitmer on top.

Joe Biden met in Las Vegas with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the film producer and a top campaign adviser, who conveyed a warning: The presidents donors patience is wearing thin, and their cash soon will, too.
State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris speaks at an Alabama Department of Public Health meeting on Jan. 18, 2024 in Montgomery. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector)

The head of the Alabama Department of Public Health said Tuesday that an increase in their departments budget was due to increases in enrollment and state costs for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Dr. Scott Harris, Alabamas State Health Officer, made the remarks amid questions from Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, the chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee, who asked for clear explanations on how federal and state funds are being used, especially given a estimated budget increase of about $42 million (32%) for the 2026 fiscal year.

Youre heading in the direction that we thought we might be headed, and that is the crashing and burn scenario where money is in demand, Albritton said.

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Of the $42 million increase, $34.6 million is due to the increased Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) state match.

Harris said that CHIP, which provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, has seen an increase in enrollment and costs. A pandemic-era federal restriction prohibited states from terminating Medicaid coverage in exchange for more federal funds. As a result, Harris said, children who lost CHIP coverage were enrolled in Medicaid and stayed there until terminations started in June 2023.

Harris also said that the federal government changes the CHIP match rate each year, and its higher this year after being cut and frozen for three years during the pandemic.

More money is almost completely explained by the CHIP match, Harris said to Albritton.

Im not denigrating the plan at all. Im just trying to figure out where were going to get that money yesterday, Albritton responded, adding that in past years, it has been 100% funded by the federal government.

The State Health Officer also discussed ADPHs various services, including disease control, emergency response, and health facility inspections. Harris said ADPH is responding to a syphilis outbreak among newborns, or congenital syphilis, a severe and potentially life-threatening infection seen in newborns whose mothers were infected and did not receive complete treatment. ADPH estimates that cases of congenital syphillis rose from four in 2012 to 42 in 2022, a tenfold increase.



Harris also said they are leading a pilot program for perinatal care in underserved counties set to launch in October, a pilot program Gov. Kay Ivey proposed in the Feb. 6 State of the State address.

Harris also mentioned the departments efforts in curbing substance use disorder by providing county health departments naxalone, an opioid-overdose antidote, and said the department is closely monitoring the bird flu outbreak affecting dairy farms in some states.

The hearing also featured presentations from the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) and the Legislative Services Agency (LSA). ADVA provided an overview of its operations, describing its role in supporting veterans through educational programs, long-term care homes, and veteran service offices. The agency operates with a budget of approximately $230 million, with 46% coming from state funding and 54% from federal funding.

Kirk Fulford, deputy director of the LSA, discussed the states financial outlook. He warned that future revenue from interest on state deposits is unpredictable but said the outlook for next years General Fund budget is promising. Fulford said the state has already raised enough in the General Fund to meet its obligation next fiscal year.

The projection looks like the number is leveling out in terms of growth to be seen. We were exponentially high over the past couple three years, and so the number of the growth rate will come down, Fulford said.

Budget hearings for state agencies will likely continue through August, Albritton said.

Were trying to plan out how best to look at what we can get done as soon as we can and prepare thoroughly  with seat belts tight so we dont get jolted too much, Albritton said in between hearings.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Alabama Department of Mental Health are scheduled to present their budget outlook on Wednesday.

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When they voted earlier this year to let police officers use a dangerous form of restraint on students in schools, Minnesota Democratic lawmakers said they did so because they had brokered a compromise. A task force made up of law enforcement agencies, disability advocates and others would create a model policy aimed at minimizing the use of prone restraint  the face-down hold Minneapolis police officers used to immobilize George Floyd as he suffocated.

Now, however, some advocates say they fear that the task forces law enforcement majority wants to shut down discussion of the issues at the core of the raging debate over the perils of stationing cops in schools.

At the task forces first meeting, in June, the executive director of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training announced that the group would not discuss prone restraints or use of force, says Khulia Pringle, the task force member who represents Solutions Not Suspensions. Her coalition consists of community groups including disability and racial equity advocates.

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He said, This is not a philosophical debate and we are not going to go beyond the substance of the statute,  Pringle quoted Erik Misselt as saying. I thought for sure we would get into the weeds of what we were there for.

The board, which licenses law enforcement officers, is responsible for overseeing development of the model policy.

The compromise legislation, Pringle and other advocates say, requires the committee to address a number of issues pertaining to the use of school resource officers, whose campus presence dramatically increases student arrests. They believed the model policy  to be adopted by law enforcement agencies whose officers work in schools  would specify when police can act in schools and lay out alternatives to the use of force.

The task force is scheduled to hold the second of four planned meetings July 18 and to agree on a finished model policy in mid-September. So far, members of the group have been given little research on policies guiding police presence in schools, causing some advocates to fear the end product wont reflect best practices.

The public was told this was sorted out, that children would be protected by a model policy, says Erin Sandsmark, another Solutions Not Suspensions leader. To say you cant do the job without holding a child face-down in a dangerous hold seems extreme to us.

By law, the task force had to include representatives of the police licensing board and five other law enforcement organizations, four statewide education organizations and three community groups  one of them representing special education students. Maren Christenson, executive director of the Multicultural Autism Action Network  one of two disability-focused organizations in the Solutions Not Suspensions coalition  is concerned about the lack of representation for the students most impacted.

Related

Minnesota Dems Push to Repeal School Ban on Restraint That Killed George Floyd

We know who is on the receiving end of most types of disciplinary actions in schools, she says, especially students of color with disabilities. Limiting their representation in this discussion doesnt help.

The U.S. Department of Education has called for banning prone restraints, and the Justice Department in 2022 issued extensive recommendations for in-school policing.

More recently, the Government Accountability Office released research that draws on federal arrest data, which revealed dramatic disparities by race, gender and disability status. At schools where police are stationed, teachers and administrators often call on them to deal with student misbehavior, the report notes, dramatically ratcheting up arrest rates.

In the wake of Floyds 2020 murder, numerous districts throughout the country  including Minneapolis  stopped stationing police in schools. In 2023, Minnesota lawmakers banned the use of in-school prone restraints altogether.

But with election year politics already in play, in-school policing remained a red-hot topic. Although they control the state House of Representatives, state Senate and governorship, Minnesota Democrats have straddled a rural-urban divide on policing since Floyds death. After in-school prone restraints were outlawed, at least 16 suburban and rural law enforcement agencies pulled officers out of schools, arguing that they could not work if they were not allowed to use the holds.

Fearing the controversy would cost the party seats in November, this year Democrats stripped the ban from state law but added detailed requirements regarding training, data collection and the creation of a model policy. Among other things, the law says the policy must prohibit calling on cops to enforce school rules or assist educators with discipline; specify de-escalation techniques and other alternatives to the use of force; create a timeline for school resource officers to complete extensive, new training on juvenile issues also called for under the law; and protect student data.

Debate during the legislative session was hampered by a near-total lack of data on police presence in Minnesota schools. No one tracks how many school systems have contracts with law enforcement agencies, how many officers are stationed in schools and how often they intervene with students  much less which ones and why.

Related

New Report: School Cops Double Student Arrest Rates and Race, Gender Key Factors

Reporters kept asking, Do you know how many kids are restrained?  says Pringle, the only person of color on the task force. And [lawmakers] kept saying, Thats one of the things we will now know. 

Its not clear to her or other advocates present at the groups first meeting if data will be collected or whether any agency will track law enforcement contracts with school systems.

Disability advocates nationwide for years have campaigned to outlaw prone restraints, which were linked to 79 child deaths between 1993 and 2018. In 2015, Minnesota passed a law prohibiting school staff from using the hold and requiring education and school leaders to reduce other types of physical holds and seclusion, which are used disproportionately on children with disabilities.

Though COVID-related school closures skew the data, the use of physical restraints involving students with disabilities in schools fell from 19,000 in the 2017-18 school year to some 10,000 in 2021-22. Black and Native American children are disproportionately likely to experience restraint, as are autistic students and those with emotional behavioral disorders.

In preparation for the July 18 meeting, participants were asked to submit examples of model policies for discussion. Solutions Not Suspensions submitted the only guidance to go beyond the laws basic scope, according to a meeting preparation packet emailed to participants. Created by the American Civil Liberties Union, it contains detailed information on many of the topics raised by the legislature.

The ACLU document distinguishes between disciplinary misconduct, which should be handled by school staff, and criminal behavior requiring police intervention. School resource officers cant be called in when a student is disruptive or involved in a fight that doesnt involve a weapon or result in injury, for example. The rules also require police to collect data on their in-school activities and make it publicly available.

Other models submitted include a policy drafted by the Minnesota School Boards Association and manuals used by a school system in Georgia that operates its own police department. The Georgia materials do not address prone restraint, instead defining different levels of physical force, ranging from benign redirection to lethal steps.

Like most school board organizations, the Minnesota association typically creates policies for its members, many of whom serve on boards of districts that are too small to generate their own. So that it can be used in many contexts, this type of model policy is typically very general. The Minnesota version simply reiterates the main points of the new state statute without addressing alternative strategies.

The task force will use the school board policy as a starting point, law enforcement board officials said in an email sent to members along with an agenda for their July meeting. The group is supposed to have a finished model policy by September, after which the law enforcement board will decide whether to adopt it.

In an emailed response to The 74s request for comment about advocates concerns, Misselt wrote, All members of the working group have the opportunity to discuss their opinions and viewpoints during the meetings and all participants are expected to do so.

Lawmakers who voted both for and against allowing police to use prone restraints said they have not yet received updates on the development of the model policy and thus cant comment. Disability advocates said they expect several legislators will be present at the task forces next meeting.

In the end, Pringle is concerned that the task force wont have time to come up with a nuanced recommendation. Im just confused as to how in the world this is supposed to work, she says. It feels like whatever happens in this model policy is going to be focused on the adults.
The Treasure Valleys population boom is no secret.

Tens of thousands have flocked to the Boise area in recent years, resulting in higher rent prices, more traffic and mixed opinions from longtime residents.

All of that growth  Ada County surpassed 500,000 people for the first time, and the state is closing in on 2 million people  is fueled by many things, including a big influx of adults from California and Oregon. What might not get noticed is that the fastest-growing demographic in Idaho is people 60 and older, who account for about 18% of all Gem State residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

And like it or not, with age comes greater health risks.

Alzheimers disease, which has been on the rise nationally over the past 10 years, primarily affects people in retirement age. About 5% of Americans between 65-74 receive an Alzheimers diagnosis, and about 13% between 75-84 have the disease, according to the Alzheimers Association.

Alzheimers diagnoses are projected to increase across Idaho as the states population grows. Almost 10% of Idahoans 65 or older have Alzheimers, according to the Alzheimers Association  one big reason why the Alzheimers Foundation of America chose Boise as a site for an Alzheimers & Caregiving Educational Conference this year.

Dr. J. Audie Black, chief neuropsychologist at Idaho Neuropsychology, will be one of the speakers Thursday at the event, taking place at SpringHill Suites on Parkcenter Boulevard.

Not only do we have the highest percentage of people over 65 right now, but by 2030 (the U.S. Census Bureau) anticipates that people over 60 will hit almost 25% of our population, Black told the Idaho Statesman in an interview. That is staggering.

About 27,000-30,000 Idahoans are living with Alzheimers, Black said, and that number is expected to explode over the next decade because of the states aging population. Black said the conference will serve as an opportunity to remind people to practice regular screenings and catch Alzheimers in loved ones and even themselves early on.

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimers gets progressively worse as people suffer with it, affecting memory, the brains cognitive function and the ability to handle day-to-day tasks.

Alzheimers Foundation President Charles Fuschillo Jr., who will be in Boise for the conference, has hosted over 90 stops of the Educating America Tour over the past eight years, and he told the Statesman that the group chose Boise because of concerning Alzheimers projections in Idaho.

The Alzheimers Association projected in a report that the number of Idahoans older than 65 with Alzheimers would increase by 22.2% just from 2021 to 2025.

Fuschillo said he hopes attendees walk away with a solid understanding of the disease and its impact.

We always want to accomplish a few things, Fuschillo said. One, better educate individuals about Alzheimers disease and brain health and wellness, but also about our affiliates in the local area as well. Its very important. We want people to feel empowered at the conclusion of this conference and let them know that its OK to pick up the phone and call the AFA helpline.

The Educating America Tour has reached all 50 states and more than 90 cities across the country, and this year has already hit South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Utah and Massachusetts. Fuschillo said the organization stresses the importance of memory screening, making it a part of everyones regular health routine. The event Thursday will include free screenings.

From elementary school, weve been taught to exercise every day, eat healthy, stay active, learn new things, get enough sleep, dont smoke, watch your blood pressure, Fuschillo said. We always like to say that the last one should be to get a memory screening. Its never too late to practice healthy aging tips.

Resources for Idahoans

Black said he plans to share ways people can be proactive long before theres an Alzheimers concern or diagnosis.

All of us are going to experience age-related cognitive changes as we get older, its just inevitable, he said.

From the day were born to the day we die, our brains are constantly changing, and as a result, part of the normal aging process, were going to have cognitive changes. ... And thats normal. Doesnt mean theres any problem, even though things are different, the issue is in the early stages, before someone has a diagnosis, family members often notice that something is even more concerning than normal aging.

There are a number of resources available to those experiencing symptoms and for their loved ones, such as the Greater Idaho Chapter of the Alzheimers Association, the Jannus Organization, Idaho Caregiver Alliance and the Idaho Commission on Aging. These organizations offer support groups, educational events, home-delivered meals, caregiver education resources and other Alzheimers-related tips, Black said.

Although theres no cure for Alzheimers, it is a heavily studied disease that has seen breakthroughs for slowing down its effects on ones memory and function. Medications such as donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine can all help delay the effects, and so-called disease-modifying treatments are being studied and developed constantly.

The AFA funds thousands of research projects across the country looking for a cure, and both Fuschillo and Black said thats closer to reality than it was 10 years ago.

Last month there was a new drug therapy that was approved by the FDA, and last year there was another new drug approved that slowed down the progression of the disease, Fuschillo said. That gives us optimism that there are new therapies, and maybe with a combination of other therapies that will be approved, it will aid individuals with the disease significantly.
Illustrators and matte artists within the Art Directors Guild Local 800 have issued an open letter recommending guild members vote against IATSEs tentative deal with the studio in the ongoing ratification vote. The group is specifically opposed to the language in the deal surrounding AI Systems.

The letter follows another issued by members of another craft discipline within Local 800, the Set Designers Council, on Friday, that was also opposed specifically to the artificial intelligence terms in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees tentative deal.

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We believe the language as proposed to be both detrimental in the short term, and sets a damaging precedent for our future negotiations, as well as for our sibling locals who are about to negotiate for themselves, the letter reads. Contract language is nearly impossible to change once ratified. The studios have starved us into this position. We are trapped between a rock and a hard place.

The letter was signed by eight ADG members whom are all signatories of the IMA council, including several members of the ADGs board of directors and three who had served on IATSEs AI task force. But an individual with knowledge told IndieWire the letter was issued by individual members who are not authorized to speak on behalf of the ADGs official Illustrators & Matte Artists council. The IMA has not formally issued any official guidance on the contract, and ADG Local 800 is among the 36 local unions that have all unanimously recommended ratification of both the Basic Agreement and the Area Standards Agreement.

The signatories of the letter are Fae Corrigan, Zach Berger, and Stephen Platt of the AI Task Force, Sam Tung of the TAG AI Task Force, Rick Buoen, Phil Saunders, Matthew Cunningham, and Chris Brandt.

Reps for IATSE declined to comment when reached by IndieWire.

IATSEs Memorandum of Agreement in pages 38-43 lays out that any use of AI is now covered work, performed by a human, and no crew member can be forced to input a prompt that would replace another crew member.

However, it does not have any language that gives IATSE members the power to refuse to work with AI. Writers and actors deals negotiated with the AMPTP last year have that language. Thats the main dealbreaker for IMA members, though not their only gripe.

The letter argues it doesnt require producers to notify you if something was created with AI, which they feel can lead to some unexpected issues and loopholes. Theres also no specifications pertaining to individual craft jurisdictions. AI terms were handled on the national level for this contract, not as part of each locals own unique negotiations.

They also argue AI Systems isnt clearly defined and can result in the studios calling any proprietary software they want AI, forcing you to use the tech that will track, record, and ultimately replace you.

An independent lawyer argued to IndieWire recently that IATSEs deal thinks through some of the loopholes, saying it puts AI tech on par with other tools and regulates it in the same way, and makes sure a producer cant ask someone to do something that would displace someone else.

IMA members dont buy it. For the Art Directors Guild, they say the displacement policy is unenforceable because ADG doesnt have contractual staffing minimums. They also believe the studios promise to indemnify employees in the case of a lawsuit is an empty one because you have to fully cooperate with the defense.

Writers won the right to choose to use Al or not. We have no such autonomy: In the new contract language, how we design, build models, illustrate or create documents can be dictated by the employer, the letter reads. It is the view of the undersigned that the Al language in the proposed contract allows our combined crafts within Local 800 to be put at direct risk of an emerging technology designed to at the very least break the back of the union system, and at worst, ultimately replace us with a lower quality, but much cheaper, facsimile of our work.

Its easy to understand why Art Directors Guild members are particularly concerned. Generative AI tools for still visual images are already very advanced and arguably a more immediate threat to illustrators and graphic designers than other ADG roles.

Sara Escamilla, a graphic designer and illustrator on films like The Jungle Book and Battle of the Sexes, told IndieWire theres a general sense of panic among her peers and those in other crafts over the AI rules, and shes not alone in raising the alarm. The AI language, she said, is a Trojan horse thats described as a tool but is actually a means of job replacement. While the use of AI may still be covered work, shes an hourly employee. If AI can dramatically speed up the work, her hours and role could be reduced to a gig job.

Even if her local wants to add more terms when the next contract comes up for negotiation, or as the conversation evolves in the regular individual studio meetings mandated by this contract, she thinks its a lost cause. She already voted against the deal.

I think this contract language is so bad that if we let it get out of the gate or open Pandoras box, we cant claw back the rights weve already given away in this contract, Escamilla said.

Whether the deal is ratified may not have much to do with AI. Many crafts workers have been unemployed since the strikes last year, if not before, and cant afford to be out of work for longer. Other gains in the deal, including wages, pension contributions, safety concerns, and new holidays and overtime policies, seem to be popular.

IATSE members have until today, July 17, to cast their ballots on whether to ratify the new Basic Agreement and ASA. Results of the vote will be revealed on July 18.

Editors Note: This article has been corrected to add mention of the eight authors of the IMA Members memo. We apologize for the earlier omission.

.

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GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG)  The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has welcomed some new residents, according to officials.

UPDATE: Homicide suspect arrested after Mobile Police, sheriffs office surround home

Those two female cheetahs are Taj and Shani.

This is an exciting time for the zoo, as its the very first time we have had the opportunity to house cheetahs, explained Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo Executive Director Joel M. Hamilton.

(Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo)

(Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo)

(Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo)

Zoo officials explained the introduction of the endangered pair comes as the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo was chosen by the Metro Richmond Zoo as a Zoological Association of Americas accredited facility to become the home to the two who are part of the ZAA Animal Management Plan.

Officials said they hope the pair can be used to teach visitors about cheetahs.

It is our hope that our guests will see these cheetahs and be inspired to help support their conservation and increase awareness of the world around us, Hamilton said.

The formal announcement of the pairs arrival is scheduled for July 18 at 10 a.m., but officials said, The cheetahs have been adjusting well to their new surroundings and can often be found enjoying the shade of the palm trees in their exhibit.

3 Crestview women accused of numerous aggravated animal cruelty charges

The pair can be visited daily at the zoo between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to a press release.

For more information on the zoos animals, visit the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoos website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Braintree Police are warning residents to remain vigilant after busting a burglary ring.

Officers say theyre glad they caught three suspects, but there could be more connected to this organized crime.

Its alarming, its definitely alarming when someone violates the sanctity of their home, said Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon.

Chief Cohoon says an undercover operation in Braintree turned out successful after officers spent weeks in the Messina Woods Drive neighborhood to catch the burglars.

We had to be kind of like what we refer to as a dinosaur, we had officers in cars in backseats, they couldnt move when they spotted them the communications became very limited because we didnt want to tip them off, said Lt. Detective Brian Cohoon.

Police say it all started when the suspects broke into a home while the family was away.

Surveillance video shows the criminals going through the house for hours on June 20.

Then a neighbor spotted a hidden camera outside, pointed towards the victims house, camouflaged by the bushes.

Thats how police knew the burglars would be back.

On July 11, detectives noticed some suspicious activity in the form of a man coming out of a backyard dressed as a landscaper, where there were no landscaping crews around, said Chief Cohoon.

Authorities say they worked with the targeted family to stage a vacation.

They left their home with their bags packed and even drove to the airport.

Got the family to go along with the ruse and take off for a few days, said Deputy Chief Robert Joseph.

Thats when the criminals started to come back.

They did counter surveillance trying to verify they were gone, they went to their places of business, said Lt. Detective Cohoon.

But this time, when they tried breaking into the empty house, officers were there to arrest the three suspects, all from Colombia.

Police believe theyre connected to South American Theft Groups.

We set a trap, they took the bait, said Lt. Detective Cohoon.

Police say theyre thankful for the help from all the neighbors as well.

It at least gives our residents some comfort in knowing that were going to try to do whatever we can to not allow this to happen in the future, said Chief Cohoon.

Police say these suspects remain in custody and they could face federal immigration charges next.

From left to right: Diana Maria Alvarado-Rosano, Lizbeth Hernandez-Gantiva, Carlos Ocampo-Carrillo

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MEXICO CITY, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday urged the U.S. government to better regulate weapons sales following the campaign rally shooting of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

At his daily press conference, the Mexican president also called on Trump and the current U.S. president, Joe Biden, to sign "a commitment to regulate the sale of guns" if they win a second term.

"I think it would help a lot to control the sale of weapons in the United States, it is something that urgently needs to be done," Lopez Obrador told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

The United States is undergoing a "social crisis" that must be resolved from the roots, he added.

At a rally where Trump spoke on Saturday, a man fired various shots at the candidate, wounding his right ear and killing one person in the crowd.

According to Lopez Obrador, since he took office in December 2018, Mexican authorities have seized 50,000 weapons, about 75 percent of which were smuggled into Mexico from the United States, particularly the state of Texas.

Mexico's government has repeatedly called on the United States to adopt tougher gun laws to reduce the supply of weapons and stem arms trafficking into Mexican territory. 
Alec Baldwin - Credit: Ramsay de Give / POOL / AFP / Getty Images

Alec Baldwins lawyers have warned the Santa Fe sheriff and prosecutors of future litigation over their actions in the Rust shooting trial following the dismissal of the charge against the actor.

In a pair of preservation notices mailed Monday and obtained by Rolling Stone, Baldwins lawyers told both the Santa Fe prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Sheriff Adan Mendoza to preserve all relevant information in your possession, custody, and/or control related to the trial against Baldwin.

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Specifically, we request that you immediately take all necessary steps, including preserving all devices, hard drives, emails, text messages, and other electronic communications, to preserve any and all documents, records, electronically stored information (ESI), and other materials and data existing in any form whatsoever, that are actually or potentially relevant or relate in any way to the investigation(s) and/or prosecution(s) conducted by the State in connection with the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie, Rust, the preservation notices stated.

Last week, the judge in the Baldwin trial dismissed the single felony count of involuntary manslaughter against the actor after Baldwins lawyers filed an emergency motion alleging prosecutors and investigators withheld evidence. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that prosecutors could not re-file the charge against Baldwin.

There is no way for the court to right this wrong, New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in the July 12 ruling to dismiss.

On the trials stunning final day, the prosecution was accused of withholding evidence about how a batch of .45 caliber live ammunition belonging to famed Hollywood armorer Thell Reed, the father of Rusts rookie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, had been collected and booked by the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office last March. The evidence was not supplied to Baldwins defense either physically or through a supplemental evidence report.

In delivering her admittedly extreme ruling, Judge Marlowe Sommer said the live ammunition  surrendered by a friend of Thell Reed  could have helped Baldwin undermine prosecutors theory of the case and shore up his defense claim that the fatal shooting was unforeseeable. Judge Sommer said prosecutors unilaterally withheld the evidence and that it was both material and favorable to Baldwins defense, the two thresholds necessary for her ruling.

The Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office and the prosecution failed to disclose the supplemental [evidence] report to the defense and provide the defense an opportunity to inspect the rounds collected into evidence, Marlowe Sommer said. The suppressed evidence is favorable to the accused. It is impeachment evidence (and) is potentially exculpatory to the defense.

Due to the actions of the Santa Fe sheriff and prosecutor, who filed charges against Baldwin despite having knowledge of the suppressed evidence, the actors lawyers are now planning to sue both parties.

In the preservation notices, Baldwins lawyers ask for all communications between and among anyone at the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office (SFSO), the First Judicial District Attorneys Office (FJDA), and/or the Special Prosecutors Office (SPO) related to the Incident, as well as All documents, communications, and information referencing or relating to Mr. Baldwin.

Should you or anyone in your office alter or delete any of these materials, or otherwise fail to comply with this request, you may face serious consequences, including civil liability, court sanctions, and adverse evidentiary inferences in any subsequent proceeding, the notices warned.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now)  Families in an Alexandria apartment complex are suffering through oppressive heat without air conditioning because of a broken chiller.

At the Ashlawn complex, a part of Southern Towers just off I-395, the air conditioning stopped functioning on Monday, and was still out on Tuesday, as temperatures climbed past 102 degrees at nearby Reagan National Airport.

Residents of Southern Towers affordable housing face eviction

Residents of the building said the problems are just the latest in a long list of issues that has garnered lawmakers attention in the past.

Dawit, who has lived in the building for the past few months told DC News Now he plans on leaving next month because of all the buildings issues.

Its terrible, he said. You cannot even sleep, he said.

Meko Ahn is among many people leaving to go elsewhere to beat the heat.

[I tried] to open up the windows  doesnt help, Ahn said.

The CIM Group, which owns the building, said it is making accommodations for residents. They include first-come, first-serve portable air conditioning units, reserving room blocks in nearby hotels for residents free of charge and a cooling center inside the building.

They are also working to acquire the malfunctioning part, and anticipate they could get it on Wednesday.

Families displaced after Alexandria apartment building floods

However, the timing of the outage is frustrating for the tenants who expressed other concerns with DC News Now.

There are elderly people in the building and there are children that are worse off than me, Ahn said. I would just keep an eye out for that.

The building, which is federally-backed, is a home for many immigrant communities looking for affordable housing. Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine wrote a letter to the management group last year, urging better maintenance and safety, citing declining conditions and unresolved maintenance requests.

In response, The CIM Group provided DC News Now with a statement:

On Monday evening, The Ashlawn apartment community experienced an unexpected air conditioning outage due to a malfunctioning chiller motor. Our vendors arrived on-site shortly thereafter and have been working diligently to restore climate control. Repairs are near complete, but we are waiting for parts that were not available from the manufacturer until tomorrow. Ensuring the safety and comfort of our residents is our top priority and we have taken swift measures to support them during this period. We have been proactively communicating with residents across a variety of channels about all the resources that we have made available over the last 24 hours. Upon learning of the outage, we immediately procured a number of portable AC units for residents personal use. We have worked diligently to secure the largest room blocks possible at nearby hotels to provide to residents free of charge for a one-night stay. Further, we promptly set up an air-conditioned cooling room in our community center, offering residents water and refreshments along with access to Wi-Fi, a refrigerator, and a microwave. While this outage was unexpected, we are going to great lengths to support our impacted residents and we extend our sincerest gratitude to them for their patience and understanding. Their cooperation is greatly appreciated as we continue to diligently restore service as soon as possible. The CIM Group

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NEW YORK -- The alleged leader of a violent extremist group plotted to poison children and minorities in New York City, authorities said Tuesday.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, 20, was arrested in Moldova on July 6.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Chkhikvishvili is the leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult," an international racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist group.

Authorities said Chkhikvishvili was staying with a relative in Brooklyn in 2022 and began using encrypted mobile messaging platforms to encourage others to commit violent hate crimes. He also claimed that he committed hate crimes himself while living there.

An undercover law enforcement employee contacted Chkhikvishvili via one of these platforms and claimed to be a prospective recruit for the extremist group.

Beginning around November 2023, Chkhikvishvili allegedly asked the undercover employee to commit acts of mass violence, such as bombings and arsons, targeting racial minorities and Jewish people, and provided detailed plans and instructions on how to make bombs and Molotov cocktails, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Georgian national planned New Year's Eve attack in NYC

According to authorities, in November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began to plan an attack that would take place in New York City on New Year's Eve.

Chkhikvishvili allegedly planned to have someone dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poison-laced candy to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn.

Authorities said Chkhikvishvili told the undercover employee how to make ricin-based poisons, along with other lethal poisons and gases.

On Monday, a federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned a four-count indictment charging Chkhikvishvili with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11)  An alleged leader of an Eastern European neo-Nazi group is accused of plotting to poison racial minorities and Jewish children in New York City with laced candy, according to federal prosecutors.

Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, allegedly part of the Maniac Murder Cult, was charged with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, per the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York. He was arrested in Moldova by Interpol on July 6.

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Chkhikvishvili, 20, allegedly started planning a mass casualty attack in the city on New Years Eve, with an associate dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out poison-laced candy to racial minorities, according to prosecutors. The scheme also involved giving poison-laced candy to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn, per prosecutors.

He allegedly claimed he had committed hate crimes while living with his grandmother in Brooklyn in 2022, according to prosecutors. Chkhikvishvili is also accused of encouraging others to commit hate crimes on behalf of the Maniac Murder Cult.

An undercover FBI agent helped to uncover Chkhikvishvilis alleged plot to poison people, per prosecutors.

The white supremacist group is believed to have members in the U.S. and abroad, according to prosecutors.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

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(BCN)  Through a ride-hailing app, San Mateo police were able to arrest a man accused of robbing a check cashing business in June.

The arrest stemmed from a report of an armed robbery on June 8. San Mateo police said that around 3:15 p.m. that day, a female cashier of a check cashing business in the 600 block of South Norfolk Street reported to have been robbed by an unknown male, who disguised his appearance.

He informed her of the robbery via note and threatened to kill her with a gun he had on his person. At that time, the cashier gave the suspect almost $16,000, and he then fled the scene, police said.

Ellie Lorenzos father killed her, dumped body in garbage: San Jose police

After piecing together surveillance footage obtained from residents in the area, police learned the suspect left the check cashing business and walked to the area of Patricia Avenue, where he was picked up by a vehicle.

Police said that on June 11, they learned the vehicle was used for ride hailing. Authorities got a search warrant to sift through records of the ride-hailing company and obtained possible information identifying the suspect.

Detectives believed it was likely the subject who ordered the rideshare lied about his name, so after several additional search warrants were written and served, on July 3rd, detectives were able to positively identify the suspect in this case as Juan Pablo Sanchez. (Someone who had previously been arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by our department in 2023), police said.

On Monday, detectives served an arrest against the 21-year-old Sanchez during a traffic stop in Redwood City shortly after noon. Search warrants were then served for his vehicle and his home in San Mateo. Two loaded firearms, additional ammunition and drugs were allegedly found in his car. Purported evidence linking Sanchez to the armed robbery was also found in his home, according to police.

Photo: San Mateo Police Department

Sanchez was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery, grand theft, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. He is also accused of committing a felony while out on bail, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, possession of a large capacity magazine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a loaded firearm with controlled substances, possession of armor-piercing bullets, and possession of stolen property.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

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A supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump wears an oversize "Make America Great Again Hat" as he waits for the start of a "Keep America Great" rally at Southern New Hampshire University Arena on Feb. 10, 2020 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Drew Angerer | Getty Images)

Popular movements usually have a basis in real concerns and grievances among segments of the population. MAGA is no different and Montana Republicans have made it clear they are part of this movement. But such movements are susceptible to takeover by demagogues and authoritarians. Now, many authorities characterize todays Republican Party as essentially an anti-democratic, extremist movement operating like a personality cult to a corrupt demagogue.

Some, including former senior Republicans, refer instead to Trump and MAGA as an autocratic movement. Others use totalitarian, neo-fascist, or illiberal, the term often used to describe Victor Orbans Hungarian dictatorship. The Economist refers to this type of movement worldwide as national conservatism. But all agree that what these movements have in common is that they are anti-democratic.

Welcome to American fascism, by whatever term you prefer. Montana Republicans are a part of this movement. They exhibit this by unequivocally supporting its leader and refusing to speak out against his lies and incessant attacks on American democracy. It is sad.

The term fascism includes the central idea of the other, found throughout totalitarian movements. These are people who are deemed different or otherwise disloyal to the movement. Examples have included Christians and various enemies of the people in early Soviet Russia, and Jews, Roma, and Slavs under the Nazis and Italian Fascists.

Donald Trumps movement has many others: Immigrants  especially brown and black people and Muslims  LGBTQ individuals, liberals, womens rights supporters, Democrats, librarians, history teachers, government employees, supporters of fair elections, judges, election workers and so on.

It is a long list.

Trump and his allies promise revenge and retribution against these people, typical of fascism, and locking them up or deporting them.

Republicans have also worked diligently to seize control of the court system, another anti-democratic practice. The Republican far-right Supreme Courts recent presidential immunity decision, perhaps better referred to as the Banana Republic Decision, largely allows a president to do whatever lawless things he/she wishes as long as they can claim it is in an official capacity. This is the way banana republic dictators operate to stay in power, take unconstitutional or criminal actions, and persecute opponents.

The Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, referred to as Project 2025, explains what a fascist administration would look like. It is a presidential transition plan developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, essentially describing fascism American-style. It should frighten any decent, democracy-loving American.

All the features of American fascism are in place.

1. An autocrat of low character (liar, felon, corrupt businessman, seditionist, bigot, would-be dictator).

2. An extremist, cult-like political movement with no proven capacity or inclination to govern responsibility.

3. A politicized supreme court with little respect for the U.S. Constitution or legal precedent.

4. A large media presence that promotes lies, hate and misinformation.

5. A heavily gerrymandered electorate in Republican states that, combined with voter suppression, could make an electoral college difference in a close election.

6. A fascist plan of action supported by extremists likely to staff a Trump administration.

This is fascism on our doorstep. The 2024 election is not about whose policy issues  dealing with womens rights, economic development, or national security  are better, important as these are. It is whether, as a nation, we will continue to be a Constitutional democracy committed to the rule of law and the grand principles upon which we were founded.

Voters need to reflect seriously whether they value our democracy, imperfect as it is, as they prepare to cast their ballots this November. If we end up with a fascist, or strongman-authoritarian, government, Americans will find that their kitchen table issues pale by comparison.

Ask the Hungarians, the Turks, and the Russians.
Amtrak says Wichita Falls is designated stop for future passenger train service

Wichita Falls roots are deep in the railroads. The city traces its origin to the arrival of the Fort & Denver Railroad in 1882. Freight trains still rumble through, but the once-bustling passenger business ceased in 1967.

Now theres a chance passenger trains may come back to the Falls.

Amtrak has a preliminary route that would go from Houston to Dallas to Wichita Falls to Denver, said Ron Kitchens, president of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce. They are doing their due diligence on that now.

Wichita Falls is on a preliminary list to get passenger rail service by Amtrak.

He said a delegation from Wichita Falls spent two hours with Amtrak officials during a visit to Washington, D.C., in May.

Amtrak now lists the city as a designated stop, he said.

We wanted to make sure we got in on the front end and said we were in support of it, Kitchens said.

He said city leaders are all aboard with the project.

The mayor has sent multiple letters supporting it," Kitchens said.

Amtrak has cleared the tracks for a high-speed passenger route from Houston to Dallas with a plan to continue it to Denver.

While the Houston-Dallas link might be serviced by a bullet train reaching speeds over 200 mph, Kitchens said the Wichita Falls leg would more likely be a high-speed route reaching 85-90 mph.

The trains might be fast, but the process of getting them here will not be.

Kitchens said he thinks it would be eight to 10 years before a passenger train arrives in Wichita Falls.

And that probably is wildly short, he said.

Its something we want to keep on the burner. If we can add one more arrow to our quiver that would be a good one to have, he said.

Sept. 11, 1967 marked the last departure of a passenger train from Wichita Falls, the Texas Zephyr. The now demolished Union Station is visible at the right. At the far left is a flagman who controlled the crossing at Seventh Street until the early 1970s.

Wichita Falls was once home to an elegant passenger depot built by Joseph A. Kemp and Frank Kell that served multiple passenger lines in an era when the city was a regional hub. City leaders demolished it after passenger service ceased.

But Kitchens said some modern Amtrak stops are hardly more than bus stops.

He also said Amtrak is talking about a lot of tracks parallel to existing lines.

I think theyre doing a lot of due diligence, he said.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Amtrak says Wichita Falls is designated stop for future passenger train service
By Mark Trevelyan

LONDON (Reuters) - Four decades ago, the United States deployed cruise and Pershing II nuclear missiles in Europe to counter Soviet SS-20s - a move that stoked Cold War tensions but led within years to a historic disarmament deal.

"We can be proud of planting this sapling, which may one day grow into a mighty tree of peace," Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev told U.S. President Ronald Reagan in December 1987 as they agreed to dismantle the rival systems under a treaty that scrapped all ground-based shorter-range and intermediate-range (INF) nuclear and conventional weapons - those with ranges between 500 km and 5,500 km.

The sapling survived until 2019 when Donald Trump, then U.S. president, quit the treaty, citing alleged violations that Russia denied. But the risky implications of the pact's full unravelling are becoming fully apparent only now, as both sides set out their plans for new deployments.

On June 28, President Vladimir Putin said publicly that Russia would resume producing short and intermediate-range land-based missiles - something the West suspects it was already doing anyway - and take decisions on where to place them if needed. Security experts assume these missiles, like most Russian systems, will be capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads.

On July 10, the United States said it will start deployment in Germany from 2026 of weapons that will include SM-6s and Tomahawks, previously placed mainly on ships, and new hypersonic missiles. These are conventional systems but some could also, in theory, be fitted with nuclear tips, and security experts said Russian planning would have to allow for that possibility.

The decisions, taken against the background of acute tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine and what the West sees as threatening nuclear rhetoric from Putin, add to an already complex array of threats for both sides. They also form part of a wider INF arms race with China.

"The reality is that both Russia and the United States are taking steps that they believe enhance their security, regardless of whether it comes at the expense of the other," said Jon Wolfsthal, director of global risk at the Federation of American Scientists.

"And as a result, every move that the United States or Russia make puts pressure on the adversary to respond in some way, politically or military. That's the definition of an arms race," Wolfsthal, a former U.S. arms control official, said in a telephone interview.

STRIKE SCENARIOS

Andrey Baklitskiy, senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, said the planned deployments created "more scenarios for direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO countries" for which all sides needed to prepare.

Hypothetically, he said, these could include eventualities such as a Russian strike on a Polish base where Western weapons bound for Ukraine were being stored, or a U.S. attack on a Russian radar or a command and control post.

He said each side already has the capability to carry out such strikes using sea- or air-launched missiles, but adding ground-based weapons would give them more options to conduct an attack and withstand the enemy's response.

The risk, the experts said, is that this fuels already-high tensions and prompts a further spiral of escalation.

Wolfsthal said he saw the planned U.S. deployments in Germany as a signal of reassurance to European allies rather than a step conferring any significant military advantage.

"My only concern about the deployment of these systems is they may not really add to our military capability but they almost certainly add to the risk that a crisis could accelerate and grow out of control," he said.

Ulrich Kuehn, an arms control specialist at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said in a telephone interview: "From a Russian perspective, if you deploy these kind of weapons in Europe, they can generate strategic (threat) effects - to Russian command centres, to political centres in Russia, to airfields, airstrips where Russian strategic bombers are placed."

Russia might respond, he said, by deploying more strategic missiles that point at the continental United States.

HOW WOULD CHINA RESPOND?

Any deployment of Russian and U.S. intermediate-range missiles could also prompt a further build-up by China, which was not bound by the 1987 Soviet-U.S. treaty and so has been free to ramp up its own INF arsenal.

The U.S. Department of Defense said in a 2023 report to Congress that China's rocket force has 2,300 missiles with ranges between 300 km and 3,000 km, and a further 500 that can travel between 3,000 km and 5,500 km.

Concern about China's missiles was an important factor behind Trump's decision to quit the treaty with Russia, and the U.S. has already taken an initial step towards placing its own intermediate-range weapons in allied countries in Asia. In April it made its first overseas deployment of previously banned ground-launched missiles when it took part in a two-week military exercise in the Philippines.

"This will not be a two-party arms race between Russia and the United States and its allies, it will be a much more complex one," Kuehn said, with potential to involve China and other U.S. allies in Asia such as South Korea and Japan.

All three experts said the chances of Russia and the United States arriving at a breakthrough arms control deal of the kind that Reagan and Gorbachev struck in 1980s were remote.

"Even if Russia and the United States would totally agree that 'this whole thing is not helping anybody, let's get back to the INF treaty' or whatever, the U.S. would not be able to do that because of China, because they really need those systems to match Chinese capabilities," Baklitskiy said.

The likelihood, he added, was that "we will just continue piling up those systems and targeting them at each other. So it doesn't seem like we have a nice time ahead of us."

(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Ros Russell)
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China provides equal support to domestic and foreign enterprises in participating in the large-scale renewal of equipment and the trade-ins of consumer goods, Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji said on Wednesday.

The country has made the strategic decision to promote a new round of large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-ins, Ling said at a roundtable meeting for foreign-invested enterprises on related policy interpretation.

The campaign will effectively expand domestic demand, stimulate investment, upgrade consumption and provide vast market potential for all types of enterprises, including foreign-funded ones, Ling added.

China will advance high-level opening up, optimize its business environment, and provide equal support to domestic and foreign enterprises in participating in the campaign, as well as in related government procurement and investment projects, according to the commerce ministry.

China hopes that foreign enterprises will seize the opportunities, delve deeper into the Chinese market and boost their investment in the country, Ling said.

Representatives of foreign enterprises such as GE HealthCare, Philips and Siemens Healthineers attended the meeting and made speeches, along with delegates from foreign chambers of commerce in China, according to the ministry.

China has built a policy system to promote the large-scale renewal of equipment and replace old consumer goods with new ones, and local governments have released their action plans, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. 
Anger grows as some senior facilities left without power for days: Its horrible what the state of Texas is doing

As Tina Kitzmiller sat inside her sweltering apartment, windows and doors open in the hope of catching even the slightest breeze, she was frustrated and worried for her dog and her neighbors.

It had been days since Hurricane Beryl blew ashore from the Gulf of Mexico on July 8, causing widespread destruction and knocking out power to more than 2 million people, including the Houston senior independent living facility where Kitzmiller lives. Outdoor temperatures had reached at least 90 degrees most days, and the heat inside the building was stifling.

Kitzmiller moved there not long ago with Kai, her 12-year-old dog, shortly after riding out 90-plus-mph winds from a May derecho under a comforter on the floor of the 33-foot RV she called home. She didnt need medical care, as a nursing home would offer, and thought she and Kai could be safer at an independent senior facility than in the RV. She assumed her new home would have an emergency power system in place at least equivalent to that of the post offices shed worked in for 35 years.

I checked out the food. I checked out the activities, said Kitzmiller, 61, now retired. I didnt know I needed to inquire about a generator.

Even after multiple incidents of extreme weather  including a 2021 Texas winter storm that caused widespread blackouts and prompted a U.S. Senate investigation  not much has changed for those living in long-term care facilities when natural disasters strike in Texas or elsewhere.

There has been some movement, but I think its been way too slow, said David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. We keep getting tested and we keep failing the test. But I do think we are going to have to face this issue.

A power outage can be difficult for anyone, but older adults are especially vulnerable to temperature extremes, with medications or medical conditions affecting their bodies ability to regulate heat and cold. Additionally, some medications need refrigeration while others cannot get too cold.

Federal guidelines require nursing homes to maintain safe indoor temperatures but do not regulate how. For example, facilities face no requirement that generators or other alternative energy sources support heating and air conditioning systems. States are largely responsible for compliance, Grabowski said, and if states are failing in that regard, change doesnt happen.

Amid temperatures hitting the 90s, Tina Kitzmiller left the windows and door open of her home in a Houston senior independent living facility since Hurricane Beryl knocked out power for her and more than 2 million others. She had been especially worried about residents stuck on her buildings second and third floors. Without functioning elevators, many couldnt get to the first floor, where it was cooler. - Sandy West for KFF Health News

Furthermore, while nursing homes face such federal oversight, lower-care-level facilities that provide some medical care  known as assisted living  are regulated at the state level, so the rules for emergency preparedness vary widely.

Some states have toughened those guidelines. Maryland adopted rules for generators in assisted living facilities following Hurricane Isabel, which left more than 1.2 million residents in the state without power in 2003. Florida did so for nursing homes and assisted living facilities in 2018, after Hurricane Irma led to deaths at one facility.

But Texas has not. And no requirements for generators exist in Texas for the roughly 2,000 assisted living facilities or the even less regulated independent living sites, like Kitzmillers.

Generally, apartment complexes marketed to senior citizens, known in the industry as independent living facilities, dont have any special regulations in Texas and many other states.

Nationally, assisted living facilities and independent living facilities have been the fastest-growing sectors in senior living. Residents at such facilities often have medical needs, Grabowski said, but for a variety of reasons have chosen to live in an environment that allows more independence than a nursing home, which would provide medical care. That doesnt mean the residents in these lower-care-level facilities are any less susceptible to extreme temperatures when the power goes out.

If youre overwhelmed by the heat in your apartment, thats unsafe, he said.

Republican state Rep. Ed Thompson tried several times since 2020 to pass legislation requiring assisted living facilities in Texas to have backup generators. But the bills failed. He is not seeking reelection this year.

Its horrible what the state of Texas is doing, said Thompson, blaming corporate greed and politicians more interested in stirring up their base and raising their national profile than improving the lives of Texans. How we treat our elderly says something about us  and theyre not being treated right.

Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at a July 11 press conference that senior facility operators are accountable if they do not keep residents safe. That location is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the patients and residents that are there, he told reporters. It is that facilitys responsibility.

Under Texas law, power restoration is supposed to be prioritized for nursing, assisted living, and hospice facilities.

The resistance to adding oversight or more governmental protections has not surprised Gregory Shelley, a senior manager at the Harris County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at UTHealth Houstons Cizik School of Nursing. He said that while he believes the safety and health of residents are paramount, he recognizes that installing generators is expensive. He also said some people within the industry continue to believe extreme events are rare.

But all of us in Houston this year already learned that theyre happening more frequently, Shelley said. This is already the third time since May that big portions of Houston have been without power for long periods of time.

After the 2021 blackouts, Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted a voluntary survey that found 47% of the assisted living and 99% of the nursing care facilities that responded reported having generators.

The U.S. Senate investigation following the 2021 Texas storm recommended a national requirement that assisted living facilities have emergency power supplies to both maintain safe temperatures and keep medical equipment running.

A 2023 annual report from Texas long-term care ombudsman, Patty Ducayet, also recommended requiring generators at assisted living centers. The report suggested that all long-term care facilities maintain safe temperatures in a location that can be accessed by every resident. The report recommended requiring assisted living facilities to annually submit emergency response plans to state regulators to be reviewed by state officials. The recommendations have not been adopted.

On July 15  more than a week after Beryl hit  Kitzmiller said she just wanted the power back on. She praised the staff at her facility but said she worried for residents who were isolated on her buildings second and third floors, which were hotter amid the outage. Some were unable to keep required medicine refrigerated, she said. And without functioning elevators, many couldnt get to the first floor, where it was cooler.

Mostly, Kitzmiller said, she was frustrated with companies and politicians who hadnt yet fixed the problem.

Its their mothers, their grandmothers, and their family in these homes, these facilities, she said. All I can think is Shame on you.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  an independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Animal Foundation announced Tuesday that it is in a critical space crisis and is asking for the communitys help in finding over 500 dogs a home.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Animal Foundation had 522 dogs on campus with more arriving including 12 dogs officers were bringing with no kennels available.

In a post on the foundations website it said, Las Vegas, we really need your help. This is a critical space crisis.

Those interested in helping can go to the Animal Foundation on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. to adopt or foster a dog with no appointment needed. The foundation is also waiving all adoption fees.

The Animal Foundation said fostering a dog for two to four weeks helps them decompress away from the shelter. Fostering is free and the foundation will provide everything that is needed.

Not able to foster or adopt? Here are some other ways you can help:

If you find a healthy and friendly dog, try to find their owner before bringing them to the shelter. They likely have a home nearby and a family waiting for them to return. In the last two weeks, the foundation has taken in 1,288 animals  66% of those were strays

Check out its urgent need wishlist

Donate gently used crates, collars, leashes, and linens

Reclaim your lost pet at the shelter. The foundation can assist you with reclaiming fees

You can also make a donation

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
An air tanker drops fire retardant called slurry over and around areas in the Village of Ruidoso, N.M., on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Photo by Chancey Bush / Albuquerque Journal) PHOTO CANNOT BE REPUBLISHED

Two weeks after a team of investigators issued a brief announcement that a lightning strike ignited the deadly South Fork Fire, calls for a fuller explanation are growing from local officials and members of the public.

Both Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford and Lincoln County Sheriff Michael Wood have, in recent days, called on the Bureau of Indian Affairs to release a report detailing findings from a multi-agency investigation into the fires cause.

Crawford, in an interview Tuesday with Source New Mexico, said he doesnt think investigators are necessarily lying or covering anything up. But the lack of detailed information has meant rumors are circulating wildly, along with unfounded accusations directed at the Mescalero Apache Reservation, where the fires began, he said.

If it is truly a lightning strike, an act of God, and they have satellite imagery, then we need to show the people, Crawford said Tuesday. So that theres not speculation.

Woods office posted on Facebook on July 11 that the sheriff had made a formal request to personally review the investigative reports into the fire origin. The sheriff did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls from Source NM about why he sought the report findings.

Both fires began June 17 on the northeast corner of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, and high winds and dry conditions carried both fires through the Village of Ruidoso and toward nearby Ruidoso Downs, causing thousands to flee their homes.

Both fires are now defeated, thanks to hundreds of firefighters and early monsoon rains, but the blazes destroyed or damaged at least 1,400 homes, killed two people and burned through an area of more than 30 square miles. The rains also caused additional havoc, creating floods on burn-scarred soil that have stranded drivers, destroyed bridges and swept away homes.

On July 3, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that the South Fork Fires cause was a lightning strike, but provided no additional details of when the strike occurred and where. The same announcement said that an investigation was ongoing into the cause of the Salt Fire, and that the FBI was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for starting the Salt Fire.

Robyn Broyles, a spokesperson for the BIA, told Source NM that a report will be released with more information about the South Fork Fire investigation, but she would only say that it would be released as soon as possible.

The lightning report takes some time to compile, she said Tuesday, because it brings together Light Detection and Ranging data, known as LiDAR, along with lightning data and other sources of information, including field reports.

She did, however, confirm that the lightning strike investigators believe sparked the South Fork Fire occurred prior to June 17 and then smoldered until very windy conditions spread the fire. She declined to say, even approximately, when and where that lightning strike occurred that provided the spark for what became the 17,500-acre fire.

Broyles acknowledged in a brief phone interview that her office has heard much speculation and distrust about the fires cause from those still reeling from the fires and floods. She urged them to be patient, and stressed that, just because there were clear, blue skies the days the fire began, that doesnt mean a lightning strike isnt to blame.

These are questions the community is asking. They are valid questions. We dont have anything to hide, she said. People are not fire ecologists. They dont know how a fire could start without lightning the day the fire takes off.

Lightning data provided to Source NM by Vaisala Xweather, a firm that does lightning analyses for the National Weather Service, shows the last lightning strikes in the area of the South Fork Fire start occurred June 7, 10 days before the fire began. The closest strike was 1.03 miles from the fires ignition site listed in official reports.

Crawford said hes asked repeatedly for additional proof of lightning being the cause since July 3. He hopes to present all of the findings at a town hall meeting for transparencys sake and to quell rumors. Without more details, his constituents are increasingly angry about the devastating fire and are more inclined to pin the blame on somebody without evidence.

Theres animosity building up, he said. And it doesnt have to be.

Adding to the vacuum is the disappearance of public dispatch records that provided details about a cluster of small fire starts that occurred around the same time and area of the Salt and South Fork ignition sites.

A Source NM review of Alamogordo Interagency Dispatch records for a story June 20 showed four additional confirmed fire starts discovered between June 16 and 18. All of the fires were between a tenth and a quarter of an acre in size. Those records no longer appear in the dispatch logs.

Those dispatch records were removed as part of ongoing investigations into the causes of those fires, Broyles said. Those investigations had not been previously announced.

Broyles said it is standard practice to remove those records from public view when an investigation commences.

The fires are part of ongoing wildfire investigations, Broyles said. Information was removed from website publication as part of the investigations.

The removal of those records, Crawford said, just adds to the haze of uncertainty.

Thats what the public wants to know, he said. We knew all this before, and then all thats just evaporated.

Speculation and rumors about the fires causes started soon after the evacuations were announced, including unfounded arson rumors circulated by some elected officials and candidates.

Adding to the speculation were official incident reports approved by incident command that listed, for several days for each fire, the cause of the blazes as human. The BIA later told Source NM that the cause listed as human was an error resulting from a glitch that automatically converted text in that field entered as undetermined to human.

The day after Source NMs story about the error, the records changed and listed the causes of both fires as undetermined. Following the July 3 announcement, the South Fork Fire cause was listed as natural in subsequent reports.

Crawford said the Forest Service and other agencies have sent mixed messages that are fueling confusion and rumor-mongering, including the single, brief announcement July 3 that deemed lightning as the cause of the South Fork Fire but also offered an FBI reward for information leading to an arrest on the Salt Fire.

The July 3 announcement said that a team of wildland fire investigators and law enforcement officers were involved in the investigation, including those the BIA, FBI, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state and tribal officials. The BIA is the lead agency.
Gail Gomez plays in the water fountain at the Gloria Molina Grand Park in Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Zoe Cranfill/Los Angeles Times)

Another round of significant heat across California's interior is expected to bring potentially dangerous conditions back to the state, with weather officials warning of "relentless" heat risk over the Southwest beginning this weekend.

The National Weather Service warned of a mid-July heat wave building across the western United States  including the majority of inland California, most of Nevada and parts of Arizona, Oregon and Idaho  with "hazardous heat" expected from Saturday through at least Tuesday.

The "multi-day nature of this event will create dangerous conditions," the weather service's alert said.

We just got done from a very significant heat wave the past two weeks, and unfortunately we do see a warming trend again," said Alex Tardy, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego. It's not as severe, Tardy said, "but still a significant warming trend.

A heat dome  a ridge of high pressure in the upper level of the atmosphere  will take shape in the next few days, Tardy said, causing dramatic warming as that high-atmosphere pressure essentially traps hot air.

Thursday and Friday, it starts to build in over our region, Tardy said, with the heat dome expected to peak over the weekend as its center settles above inland California.

The length of this heat wave isn't yet clear, but the Climate Prediction Center warned that "above-normal temperatures are likely to persist across much of the West and Great Plains into early August."

An excessive heat watch has been issued for much of inland Southern California, warning of "dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 95 to 110 possible" from Friday through next Wednesday. Overnight low temperatures are generally not expected to drop below the 70s, the weather service warned.

Read more: How to stay cool and safe during California's first heat wave of the summer

In the Mojave Desert, a heat watch has also been issued for Saturday and Sunday, where highs will range from 110 to 115; Death Valley National Park can expect temperatures above 120, the warning said.

The hot, dry period will again bring increased fire risks, officials said.

"Hot temperatures, dry fuels and occasional gusty winds are likely to maintain an enhanced wildfire risk for parts of the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin and California," the Climate Prediction Center warned.

The last heat wave, which dragged on for more than a week in much of California, fueled a surge in wildfire activity across the state, engulfing several buildings, prompting evacuations and causing the first fire death of the year.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Vivek Ramaswamys speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night included a strange invitation to young people, which quickly got dumped on by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.



Our message to Gen Z is this: Youre going to be the generation that actually saves this country, Ramaswamy said at the RNC. You want to be a rebel? You want to be a hippie? You want to stick it to the man? Show up on your college campus and try calling yourself a conservative. Say you want to get married, have kids, teach them to believe in God and pledge allegiance to their country.

Ocasio-Cortez called out the former presidential candidate on X, saying, If you want to be cool so badly, try giving a damn about other people beyond yourself. Might open a few doors.

Young people dont take well to bigoted leaders who attack LGBTQ+ rights, outlaw abortion, cozy up to gun manufacturers + oil execs, and support a rapist for President, Ocasio-Cortez posted.



Young people dont take well to bigoted leaders who attack LGBTQ+ rights, outlaw abortion, cozy up to gun manufacturers + oil execs, and support a rapist for President.



If you want to be cool so badly, try giving a damn about other people beyond yourself. Might open a few doors. https://t.co/KSWkw1Rbnb  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 17, 2024

The New York congresswoman has a point, as Ramaswamy doesnt have much credibility when it comes to whats cool, unless you count his insane temperature demands while on the campaign trail. He tried to be a libertarian rapper in college known as Da Vek, with his out-of-breath bars drawing few, if any fans. On the campaign trail, he tried to use rap to pander to voters, covering Eminems Lose Yourself, his college favorite. But this led to a cease-and-desist from Slim Shady himself, who is completely against Donald Trump and embraces left-wing causes like Black Lives Matter.



If Ramaswamy thinks contrarianism is cool, maybe its because he has implied in the past that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job. Thats something he didnt mention at the RNC, along with his ideas to take away birthright citizenship and severely restrict young peoples right to vote. Young people probably wont like the fact that he was once very critical of Donald Trump before becoming one of the convicted felons biggest fans.

If Ramaswamy wants the Republican Party to attract young people, he might consider keeping his mouth shut. Because if theres one thing that repels them, its an older, out of touch guy telling them how to be cool.


AP-NORC poll says nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw

President Joe Biden walks past boxes of cereal in an aisle as he visits Mario's Westside Market in Las Vegas, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. A majority of Democrats want President Joe Biden to step down from his reelection campaign for president, according to a recent poll. | Susan Walsh

A large majority of Democrats want President Joe Biden to step down from his reelection campaign for president, according to a recent poll conducted by AP-NORC.

What the poll says

Per The Associated Press, the AP-NORC poll conducted July 11-15 says that 65% of overall Democrats would like Biden to step down and allow another candidate to take his place.

Broken down into demographics, 67% of white Democrats and 64% of Hispanic Democrats want Biden to step down. The only demographic that wants him to stay is Black Democrats, but the margin is a slim one with 50% wanting him to continue to run for president and 49% wanting him to step down.

Concerns about Bidens health, capacity and age

As previously reported by the Deseret News, Americans in general, not just Democrats, have concerns about Bidens health, capacity and age.

A CBS/YouGov poll at the end of June found that 72% of registered voters in the U.S. think Biden doesnt have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president

A 538/Ipsos poll found only 20% of voters said Bidens mental fitness to be president was good or excellent.

Another poll, from Morning Consult, found that 78% of all voters say Biden is too old to serve as president.

After what was widely considered to be a disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump, calls have gone out for Biden to take some form of a cognitive test, according to U.S. News and World Report.

What has Biden said about stepping down?

After the debate ended and the calls for Biden to step down began, he stated multiple times his intentions to keep running. I think Im the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again, he said, per NPR.

But in a clip of an interview with BET, recorded Tuesday, July 16, Biden admitted there could be a potential situation that would see him bow out. If I had some medical condition that emerged, Biden said. If doctors came to me and said, You got this problem, that problem.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis arrives for the final arguments in her disqualification hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. - Credit: ALEX SLITZ/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

It wasnt that long ago that it seemed like Donald Trump would finally face consequences for his actions conducted both in and out of office. He paid a $92 million bond while appealing a guilty verdict in a defamation case in April, then the following month posted a $175 million bond while appealing a civil fraud lawsuit. The month after that, in May, he endured his first criminal trial, which ended with the former president being found guilty of 34 felony counts.

Things have since seemed to turn around for the Republican nominee. The Supreme Court essentially ruled that presidents are above the law while in office, throwing a wrench into the legal action against him. Then, in the days following the failed assassination attempt against him on Saturday, Trump received welcome news from Florida when Judge Aileen Cannon threw out the Justice Departments classified documents case against him. The good news didnt stop there: On Tuesday, an appeal hearing for his racketeering and election fraud case in Georgia was moved until after the November election.

More from Rolling Stone

The hearing follows a two-year investigation by the Fulton County District Attorneys office, which indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on racketeering, conspiracy and election fraud charges in a case that alleges he and the co-defendants sought to overturn Joe Bidens victory in Georgia. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, has pushed to remove Fulton County DA Fani Willis from the case after it was discovered she had a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

In March, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee said although he did not believe Willis relationship with Wade amounted to any conflict of interest, he said it created an appearance of impropriety for the prosecution and ruled that either Willis or Wade must step down. Wade left, allowing Willis to remain on the case. McAfee also allowed Trump to appeal Willis involvement in the case, which he of course did. Arguments were originally set to Oct. 4, but on Tuesday, they were moved to Dec. 5.

The Fulton County case is just one of four criminal cases involving Trump.

Special Counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump over his actions that led up to the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and indicted Trump on charges related to the effort to overturn the election results. Smith is also appealing Judge Cannons dismissal of the classified documents case in Florida.

In New York in May, Trump was found guilty by a jury of his peers of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Sentencing was originally scheduled for July 11 but was rescheduled to at least Sept. 18 after Judge Juan Merchan decided he would weigh the possible impact of the immunity case, which was decided a day before Judge Merchan rescheduled sentencing.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Federal judges have once again ruled that Clark County deputies were not justified in the fatal shooting of Kevin Peterson Jr. in 2020.

According to court documents filed Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit determined law enforcement was not justified in the use of deadly force because the 21-year-old man did not pose an immediate threat to deputies or others.

Oregon woman sentenced for threatening coworkers, posting racist rhetoric online

The fatal incident drew national attention and numerous protests occurred near Hazel Dell on Oct. 29, 2020 just before 6 p.m. The Clark County Sheriffs Office reported that the Clark-Vancouver Regional Drug Task Force was conducting a narcotics investigation, when Peterson noticed law enforcement and attempted to elude officers with a Glock .40 caliber handgun in his possession.

Court documents indicated he had been in contact with a confidential informant who notified authorities that Peterson planned to sell Xanax at the Quality Inn at 7001 NE Highway 99.

The pursuit led to deputies firing 34 shots, killing Peterson.

Clark County officials initially claimed the man fired his weapon at deputies, but a later ruling determined that Peterson never threatened authorities verbally or with the firearm. Surveillance video also showed that deputies shot him in the back as he ran away.

Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez beefs up security after threat

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorneys Office dismissed the case against the Clark County deputies in August 2021, determining that their use of deadly force was justified and lawful.

Petersons family filed a wrongful death suit against the county, the involved deputies and the sheriff in May 2022. Officials filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, but Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled the case should go to trial in September 2023.

Although Peterson was armed and actively trying to evade police officers, the evidence, construed in his favor, suggests that he did not point the gun at anyone, say a word to the officers, make any harrowing gestures, or make any furtive or threatening movements towards the officers or the public, the three-judge panel wrote.

The judges also added that federal officials could not simply accept what may be a self-serving account by the police officer, because the victim  usually the best-positioned witness to rebut an officers testimony  is dead.

VIDEO: Law enforcement wrangles escaped wallaby near Tacoma

The recent ruling strikes down Clark Countys attempt to appeal the decision.

Petersons attorneys at Mark Lindquist Law announced the trial is set for early 2025.

KOIN 6 has reached out to CCSO for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Federal regulators will have to reconsider its review of a proposed liquified natural gas terminal in southwest Louisiana based on an appellate court ruling Tuesday, but judges stopped short of pulling its approval.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. District determined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) did not adequately assess the cumulative and direct environmental and health impacts from the Commonwealth LNG near Cameron. Environmental groups have sued to block the project, which the commission approved in November 2022.

Commonwealths plan calls for construction to begin on the 150-acre site on the Calcasieu Ship Channel in the first half of 2025 and LNG production to start by the end of 2028.

In Tuesdays ruling, Judge Brad Garcia wrote that FERC inadequately explained its failure to determine the environmental significance of the projects greenhouse gas emissions.

Garcia, an appointee of President Joe Biden, heard arguments in the case in February along with Judge Karen Henderson, who former President George H.W. Bush named to the appellate court.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits, which have been consolidated, include Healthy Gulf, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

This decision is a big win for communities facing the already very real and growing threats caused by expanded gas exports, Sierra Club senior attorney Nathan Matthews said in a statement. Commonwealth LNG would just be one of eight terminals either proposed or operating in Southwest Louisiana. FERCs own modeling shows that air pollution in the area will exceed national standards.

Neither FERC nor Commonwealth had immediate comment on the appellate court ruling.

By using the best available technology, our facility is designed to operate well within all regulatory requirements, mitigate impact to local wildlife, preserve wetlands, and demonstrate industry best practices to minimize methane leaks and maintain air quality, the Commonwealth LNG website reads.

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The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower courts block on a new Biden Administration rule that would expand Title IX discrimination protections for gay and transgender students in Tennessee and five other states.

The ruling comes as judges in nearly a dozen states have blocked the Department of Education rule from taking effect on Aug. 1.

Attorneys general from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia along with the association of Christian educators filed a lawsuit to block the rule from going into effect.

The Court of Appeals in its ruling agreed with a previous decision from a Kentucky federal judge that determined the new rule would unlawfully redefine sex discrimination under Title IX.

As we see it, the district court likely concluded correctly that the Rules definition of sex discrimination exceeds the Departments authority, the Court of Appeals wrote.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti in a social media post lauded the decision as another big win for Tennessee.

Court of Appeals confirms that the new Title IX rule, that would have allowed boys into girls locker rooms and private spaces, remains BLOCKED and will not go into effect this summer, he wrote.

Opponents have argued that the rule would allow transgender women to use womens bathrooms and locker rooms, while the Department of Education has said the rule should be clarified to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Multiple lawsuits are pending in other states.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Court upholds block on more Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students
European experts said that they are impressed by how AI technology helps conserve and recreate cultural heritage in China, at the 7th International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD) in Beijing. #GLOBALink








PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Thunderstorms developing across the Pacific Northwest have a chance of sparking many new wildfires across Oregon and Washington overnight.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of Oregon and Washington in response to the impending fire danger. The red flag warning will remain in effect from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday.

KOIN 6 Meteorologist Josh Cozart forecasts that the impending storms are capable of producing numerous lightning strikes and little to no rain.

Developing thunderstorms will increase the lightning count across the state of Oregon on Tuesday evening and continue through Wednesday morning, Cozart said. The threat of numerous fire starting is possible with very little rain and an abundance of lightning.



Dry lightning will be possible and the Willamette Valley and in the Cascades. (KOIN)

Multiple Oregon wildfires grow by tens of thousands of acres

Cozart reports that a few isolated thunderstorms are also possible in the Northern Willamette Valley early Wednesday morning. The highest chance of thunderstorms will occur south of Salem, especially over the Cascades.

By the time storms move into Southwest Washington, the brunt of the lightning threat will be gone, Cozart said. Gusty winds associated with Tuesday nights storms could help push current wildfires and potentially new fires into unpredictable locations.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Museum curator Nikki Walsh holds up two Revolutionary War musket balls, which are believed to be fired at the British by colonial militia men, at Minute Man National Historical Park, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Concord, Mass. Archeologists say the musket balls date back nearly 250 years and were fired during one of the first battles in the Revolutionary War. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

CONCORD, Mass. (AP)  Nearly 250 years ago, hundreds of militiamen lined a hillside in Massachusetts and started firing a barrage of musket balls toward retreating British troops, marking the first major battle in the Revolutionary War.

The latest evidence of that firefight is five musket balls dug up last year near the North Bridge site in the Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord. Early analysis of the balls  gray with sizes ranging from a pea to a marble  indicates colonial militia members fired them at British forces on April 19, 1775.

As soon as they pulled one of them out of the ground, there was kind of a look what I have, said Minute Man park ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss, who was there the day the musket balls were discovered.

And of course, everybody goes flocking to them like, Oh, my gosh. Were looking at them, and then the excitement continued to grow because it wasnt just one, he continued. And the fact that we found five of them, which is incredible all these years later.

Musket balls were previously found in the historic park of about a thousand acres outside Boston, which marks a series of opening battles of the American Revolution. About a decade ago, about 30 musket balls were found at the site known as Parker's Revenge, where the Lexington militia company led by Capt. John Parker ambushed British troops. In the early 19th century, Henry David Thoreau was walking in the area and found a few musket balls from what is believed to be the North Bridge fight.

The latest discoveries are the most ever found from that fight when militia leaders ordered their men to fire on government troops. The event led to the conflict escalating and was later dubbed the shot heard round the world by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his 1837 Concord Hymn.

About 800 British soldiers had started the day marching from Boston to Concord to destroy military supplies they believed that colony rebels had gathered. It ended with an eight-hour battle that stretched to the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston  covering 16 miles (26 kilometers) and leaving 273 British troops and 96 militiamen dead and wounded.

It prompted the militia to create an 11-month siege of Boston, leading to the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution.

This is where everything kind of changes in an instant because that moment is treason. There is no turning back, Fuoss said. To be able to pull that out of the ground and know that were the first ones to touch that since somebody else was ramming it down the muzzle of their gun 250 years ago is one of those things that sends shivers all over your body.

Joel Bohy, who was also on the dig site and is researching bullet strikes and bullet-struck objects from that day for a book, said the discovery helps validate the historical record, as well as the types of arms that the provincial minute and militia companies carried that day.

Based upon the caliber of the balls and studying them, the general location, as well as the context of the site, it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, Bohy said, adding that he had been fascinated with April 19 and the material culture since I was a 7-year-old  51 years ago. So for me, it was a great day.

The war continued for seven years after those first shots were fired, even past the July 4, 1776, adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Nikki Walsh, the museum curator at the park, also said there was plenty to learn from the lead-cast musket balls that ranged in size from .40-caliber to .70-caliber. Given their various sizes, Walsh said, archeologists concluded they were from the militia. Those men brought their own weapons and ammunition to the fight, with some being imported, and others captured or purchased by the town or province from British or Dutch merchants, according to the National Park Service. On the other hand, the British had standardized all their ammunition.

And the fact that the musket balls were intact indicates fighters likely missed their mark.

Since that lead is so malleable, you can see marks on them that indicate whether theyve been fired, whether they were unfired and dropped, she said. If they had been fired and hit something, they would have likely smushed like a pancake.

The musket balls have attracted intense interest from history buffs and tourists, with about 800 journeying to the park's visitor center over the weekend to get a first glimpse. The interest has also prompted the National Park Service to keep the exact location of the find under wraps, hoping to dissuade treasure hunters with metal detectors from showing up in search of more artifacts.

They are willing to disclose the general area of the find, a field just over a wooden bridge of the Concord River and just beyond two monuments  a 25-foot stone obelisk marking the 50th anniversary of the North Bridge fight and the Minute Man statue built to commemorate its 100th anniversary. Nearby, a smaller marker with British flags indicates where the first two British soldiers died in that battle.

Among those recently checking out the site was Jennifer Ayvaz, who came to the park with her husband, Tim, and their two children after her father heard about the discovery of the musket balls. As they passed Walsh, she offered to show the family the musket balls. Opening a tiny box, the family snapped photos and moved closer for a better look at the balls lined up in a row.

It's incredible, said Jennifer Ayvaz, who came from Castle Rock, Colorado, adding that her father would love to see the musket balls. I wish he could be here with us. It's very neat. He is a huge history buff, and he is kind of living vicariously through us.
Which Arizona school districts return to class in July?

Chandler Unified School District was the first Maricopa County district to return for the 2024-25 school year.

Students there returned to the classroom Wednesday, July 17.

The East Valley is home to most districts that go back on the early side.

Higley Unified and Queen Creek Unified are both scheduled to return on Monday, July 22.

Gilbert Public Schools are set to go back on Tuesday, July 23.

The Tempe-area districts, including Kyrene, Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union, all have students returning on Wednesday, July 24.

Other Maricopa County school district returning in July include:

Littleton Elementary, Riverside Elementary Wickenburg Unified school districts return July 29.

In Tolleson Union High School District, school resumes for the 2024-25 school year on July 30 for ninth graders and July 31 for all other students.

Tolleson Elementary School District returns July 31.

Most metro Phoenix school districts are scheduled to have students return to class in early August for the 2024-25 school year.

Here's a list of the first day of class for most of the 58 school districts within Maricopa County.

Reach the reporter at marcus.reichley@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Which Arizona school districts return to class in July?
BENTON, Ark.  A veteran from Benton is heading to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on that continent.

Jeff Watts, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, will be leading a team of 10 veterans and first responders on the expedition.

Army veteran from White County leaves life insurance policy to St. Jude Childrens Hospital

They will start the climb up the snow-peaked mountain on July 29 and are expected to reach the summit by Aug. 4.

Im looking forward to the comradery, Watts said. To get to hang out with heroes for six days and so itll be a cool trip.

The goal of this expedition is to highlight the spirit of those who have served in the military.

Watts will leave for New York next weekend and meet with the other veterans and first responders from around the country. From there they will head to Africa and begin their journey.

Texas postal worker delivers WWII veterans letters to Arkansas family

The journey up the mountain is called Kili Climb for a Cause and is organized by Sheepdog Impact Assistance, an organization that aims to give back to veterans. Its also sponsored by the owners of Sams Furniture in Springdale.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansans interested in volunteering and helping the Red Cross in disaster response now have an opportunity to train.

American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas announced Wednesday that it is sponsoring two trainings for volunteers in July.

Water rescues underway in Arkansas after a new wave of storms across US and Canada

The first training will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 23 at the Greater Arkansas Chapter, 2610 Shackleford Road, Ste. B, Little Rock. The training will cover mass care, focusing on providing meals and support after a disaster.

The second is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26, also at the Greater Arkansas Chapter address. This training will cover the disaster action team in a day, which will provide a local response to disasters like home fires, floods, or tornadoes. Volunteers in this role provide a 24-hour, 365-day-per-year response to those impacted by a disaster.

North Little Rock family picking up the pieces after fire destroys home

Registration may be made by calling 501-748-1000 (option 7) or email the community disaster program manager at andrea.sellers@redcross.org.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton praised former President Donald Trumps leadership and compassion in short speeches Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention.

Cottons remarks in Milwaukee focused on immigration. He criticized President Joe Bidens immigration policies and said Trumps policies during his term in office made the United States more secure.

Our choice is a border secure for everyone or Bidens open border, he told the crowd in the FiServ Forum.

Cotton was one of several speakers Tuesday who contrasted Trumps border and foreign policies with that of the Biden administration.

Donald Trump will secure our border once again, Cotton said. Donald Trump will protect America once again.

Sanders, who was Trumps press secretary from 2017 to 2019, spoke about how she was vilified by some in the media and denied service at a restaurant, saying that Trump defended her and told her, They attack you because youre good at your job.

Thats the Donald Trump I know and will always respect, she said.

The left doesnt care about empowering women, Sanders said, repeating a statement shes made before that they cant even tell you what a woman is.

President Trump believes in empowering every American, and that our country is worth fighting for, she said.

Under Trump, she said, America was safer. The world was safer. It felt like the next generation would have a chance at the American Dream. President Trump did the job that Kamala wont and Joe Biden simply cant. Every American knows we were better off under President Trump

Sanders, elected governor in 2022 at age 40, took a swipe at Bidens age when she recalled taking her 4-year-old son Huck to Bring Your Kid to Work Day at the White House  much like Jill now drags Joe to Bring Your Husband to Work Day.

Sanders, whose father Mike Huckabee is a Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor, ended her remarks with religious tones that echoed other speakers.

We are not called to stand still in the face of great danger. You and I were put on this earth, at this moment in time, to charge boldly ahead. We cant know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future in His hands.

Referring to Saturdays assassination attempt on Trump, she said God spared him because God isnt finished with him yet.

He isnt finished with America yet either. With God as our Guide, and President Trump back in the White House, we will show the world that America is the place where freedom reigns and liberty will never die.
ARL saves nearly 50 more dogs from Boone County puppy mill - months after initial rescue

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa rescued 46 dogs from a puppy mill in Boone County on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Nearly 50 dogs have been rescued from a puppy mill operation in Boone County, less than a year after authorities took almost 100 canines from the same location.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa returned to the 800 block of 170th Street, a few miles north of Ogden on Thursday, July 11, which is home to Paris Puppies Paradise, a breeding facility.

According to the ARL and Boone County Sheriff's Office, 46 dogs were taken from the puppy mill last week, bringing the total to more than 130 rescued dogs in the last year.

Joel Paris is the licensed breeder at the address and lives with Sara Stanfield, according to court documents. Both were charged with four counts for injury animal neglect in the fall of 2023 after authorities took 92 dogs from their property. Stanfield admitted last fall to being a caretaker of the animals at the facility.

Boone County Chief Deputy Cole Hoffman confirmed that the latest round of rescue dogs were from the same residence authorities investigated in September 2023.

The animals were initially taken from what officials described as unsanitary conditions.

Paris pleaded guilty last fall to injury animal neglect and was served a suspended prison sentence. Stanfield pleaded not guilty in November 2023. A pretrial conference is set for April 2025.

Hoffman said the department hasn't filed new charges against Stanfield or Paris.

More: Welch Ave. apartment tenants shed light on dire living conditions, search for new homes

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa rescued 46 dogs from a puppy mill in Boone County on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Welfare check leads to puppy rescue last September

A deputy from the Boone County Sheriff's Department was performing a routine welfare check on a then-missing Sara Stanfield on Sept. 21, 2023 at the rural Ogden address, according to a news release.

The deputy noticed several neglected poodles in what he believed was a functioning puppy mill. The officer called animal control and told the Animal Rescue League and the Boone Area Humane Society Animal to inspect the property in question.

Authorities took 92 dogs, 81 of which were taken to the Animal Rescue League while 11 were transported to the Boone Area Humane Society.

Multiple dogs were suffering from visible injuries and were very thin, according to court documents. The dogs were also living in unsanitary conditions and had significant matting all over their bodies from what authorities attributed to "living feces and urine."

One of the dogs had to be euthanized after suffering severe heart failure, according to the original criminal complaint.

Authorities subsequently charged and arrested Paris and Stanfield each on four counts of animal neglect in October 2023.

More: New inclusive Treehouse Village offers climbing wall, zipline, slides, accessible features

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa rescued 46 dogs from a puppy mill in Boone County on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

ARL Iowa asks for help

The Animal Rescue League has established emergency overflow housing for the newest wave of rescued Boone County dogs.

Most of the animals require medical and dental care, and many must be groomed to remove painful mats from their fur. All dogs will need spay and neuter surgeries so they no longer can be used for breeding.

In a social media post, the ARL wrote that the team needs help with funding in order to properly care for the animals. Donations can be made through their website, arl-iowa.org.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa rescued 46 dogs from a puppy mill in Boone County on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Almost 50 dogs rescued from repeat Boone County puppy mill
Italys competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Giorgio Armani Group and Christian Dior Italy for potentially engaging in unfair commercial practices following recent revelations by Milanese authorities that their direct and indirect suppliers trafficked in worker abuse and exploitation both in and outside the city.

The antitrust regulator said Wednesday that the luxury houses may have employed factories that severely underpaid workers, a number of them undocumented migrants from Asia, to make some of their high-end leather bags and accessories. Those same workers, it said, had toiled illegally long hours in unhealthy and unsafe conditions, in contrast to the boasted levels of production excellence and in violation of Italys consumer code.

More from Sourcing Journal

On Tuesday, the competition authority, with the cooperation of the Italian financial polices special antitrust unit, carried out inspections at premises run by Armani and Dior Italy. The inquiry, it said, was informed by earlier probes by the public prosecutors office that uncovered evidence of human rights violations at the companies direct and indirect contractorsones that prompted a Milanese court to place Giorgio Armani Operations and Manufacturers Dior under yearlong judicial administrations, albeit without criminal charges or fines, for the breakdowns in their due diligence.

The antitrust group said that both Armani and Dior may have issued untrue statements about their ethics and social responsibility, in particular with regard to working conditions and compliance with the law by their suppliers, which prosecutors said were able to use particularly disadvantageous working conditions, such as 14-hour workdays and wages as low as 2-3 euros ($2-$3) an hour, to charge the rarified retailers a fraction of the thousands of dollars their bags ultimately sell for.

The cases are likely to jar consumers perception of luxury goods, said Neil Saunders, managing director of market analytics firm GlobalData Retail, noting that its more embarrassing for a high-end brand to face these kinds of allegations than it is for a fast fashion one.

The decision by the Italian authorities to investigate puts luxury firms on notice that they are not above regulations, he said. It also underlines the reputational damage that can be inflicted from not controlling and policing the supply chain adequately.

But Armani said that it believes the allegations have no merit, even though it and its subsidiaries are fully committed to cooperating with authorities. The group said that its confident of a positive result following the investigation.

Dior made no such protest. The LVMH-owned company said that it is aware of the gravity of the violations and that they do not reflect the reality of the work of its artisans and the long-lasting links which exist with Italy. It said that it would place no new orders with the offending contractors, which despite regular audits evidently succeeded in hiding unworthy acts that contradict its values and supplier code of conduct.

Even so, the issue is an old one, said Luca Solca, a senior analyst at Bernstein who covers global luxury goods. He pointed to a 15-year-old report about the rampant nature of subcontracting and how that has dented the responsible halo of Made in Italy. Despite the expectation that luxury goods are being cobbled together by fairly compensated craftspeople in artisanal workshops, the reality is less idyllic due to continually soaring production costs and the pressures of globalization. Italy doesnt even have a national minimum wage that employers are required to pay. And the influx of unregulated factories, many of them Chinese-owned, has made oversight of the countrys supply chain more challenging over the years.

Indeed, high prices do not guarantee that products are made from ethically sourced or environmentally friendly materials, said Katrina Caspelich, chief marketing officer at fashion advocacy group Remake, whose latest Fashion Accountability Report rated luxury brands no higher than other categories when it came to progress on a raft of sustainability metrics, including traceability, wages, raw materials and environmental justice. (Chanel, for instance, scored just five out of a possible 150 points.)

Theres definitely a common misconception that higher price correlates to higher quality, and that higher quality, therefore, must mean higher standards for sustainability and ethics, Caspelich said. But this is simply not true. The luxury fashion sector is not exempt from labor rights abuses. Many high-end premium brands produce in the same factories as fast fashion and lower-priced brands.

If theres a lesson to learn from this, its that luxury brands need to bolster trust-based supplier relationships, said Hakan Karaosman, assistant professor at Cardiff University, chief scientist at Fashions Responsible Supply Chain Hub and chair of the Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion. Supplier expertise, he said, is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the Made in Italy imprimatur. Studies hes conducted support that.

When luxury brands provide knowledge support, emotional support, communication, and consistent orders, this leads to these brands receiving technically advanced production, supply chain knowledge, sustainability practices, process innovation and artisanal wisdom from lower-tier suppliers, Karaosman said. In return, suppliers feel supported and report interactional, procedural and distributive justice, which fosters a willingness to invest, innovate and go above and beyond for the brand.

Dior said that it will follow the evolution of its artisanal products, notably by integrating production into its own ateliers, though how this will translate into practical terms remains to be seen, considering luxurys intrinsically opaque nature and increasing demands by their employees for better pay and conditions. Still, it remained sanguine. [We] will continue to offer the best working conditions to all who contribute, with immense commitment and remarkable know-how, to create the finest quality Dior products, it added.
A 21-year-old man in a ski mask was arrested on Monday afternoon just blocks away from the Republican National Convention after police said a firearm was found hidden in the large tactical backpack he was carrying.

The suspect was spotted by U.S. Capitol Police around 1 p.m., looking suspicious, wearing a ski mask and a large tactical backpack in the street, the Milwaukee Police Department said in a statement to Fox News.

Officers performed a subject stop, and it was determined that the suspect was concealing a firearm in his backpack, the department said. The man did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin or any other state, it added.

Charges were pending on Tuesday, subject to review by the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security referred The Daily Beast to the Milwaukee Police Department, which did not immediately respond to an after-hours request for comment on Tuesday.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the district attorneys office for further information.

Citing a source in federal law enforcement, a Fox News journalist reported on Tuesday evening that the man had been caught carrying an AK-47 pistol, a full magazine, and a mask of the Ghostface killer from the horror movie Scream.

The arrest took place a day before a man allegedly armed with knives was shot and killed just outside the conventions perimeter in downtown Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the suspect was killed by five police officers from Columbus, Ohio, whod been deployed to deal with potential demonstrations.

The out-of-state officers fired on the suspect after he lunged, a knife in each hand, at another individual on the street, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman told the newspaper. The suspect and the other individual had been in the midst of an altercation when police intervened, Norman said.

The shooting took place less than a mile from the security perimeter surrounding the Fiserv Forum, where the bulk of the conventions activities are taking place.

Separately on Tuesday, a woman affiliated with the left-wing protest group Code Pink was arrested outside a convention-related breakfast event at a local hotel after tangling with Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI).

Code Pink said in a statement to The Daily Beast that the woman, a Palestinian campaign organizer, was intentionally bumped into by a bald, white member of Congress while he tried to shove past her. It said she had been arrested on false charges.

The congressman said in his own statement that he had been assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK while waiting in line for breakfast. This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this, he added. Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Sen. JD Vance took the RNC stage Wednesday night. Here's where Trump's VP pick stands on issues such as abortion, climate change, immigration and election integrity

Donald Trumps vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance from Ohio, delivered the closing speech on the third night of the Republican National Convention Wednesday.

For many Americans, it was the first time hearing directly from Vance. The Middletown, Ohio, native was once a harsh critic of the former presidents, but has become a loyalist who supports Trump on issues like abortion, immigration and election integrity.

If Trump is reelected, Vance, like most vice presidents, would likely take a backseat when it comes to shaping policy decisions. But he would be set up to run for president himself in 2028.

As Vance joins the Republican ticket, heres where he stands on key policy issues:

Abortion and reproductive health

Vance has described himself as pro-life, telling CBS Newss Face the Nation in May, I want to save as many babies as possible.

At the same time, he also indicated in that interview that his position on abortion matched that of Trumps  that its best for states to decide their own policies on the matter. What Ive said consistently is the gross majority of policy here is going to be set by the states, Vance told CBS News.

However, Vance also previously indicated that he would welcome a national law limiting abortions.

I want Ohio to be able to make its own decisions, and I want Ohio's elected legislators to make those decisions. But I think it's fine to sort of set some minimum national standard, Vance told the Cincinnati Enquirer in October 2022, when he was running for Senate.

In November, Ohioans voted to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution known as Issue 1. Vance described the decision as a gut punch in a post on X. Ohio currently bans abortions at 22 weeks and later.

Vance also echoes Trumps support for access to abortion pill mifepristone. Earlier this month, Vance said on NBCs Meet the Press, The Supreme Court made a decision in saying that the American people should have access to that medication, Donald Trump has supported that opinion, I support that opinion.

Election integrity and Jan. 6

Vance shares Trumps view that the 2020 election results were marred by fraud, despite a lack of evidence to support the claim. (Election security officials declared 2020 "the most secure in American history.")

I think the election was stolen from Trump, Vance said during an April 2022 Senate debate.

He also downplayed the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in which a mob attacked the Capitol at Trump's urging in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. Vance dismissed the notion that Trump played a role in the incitement of rioters who stormed the Capitol that day and chanted Hang Mike Pence!

Im truly skeptical that Mike Pences life was ever in danger, Vance told CNN in May. I think, look, January 6th was a bad day. It was a riot. But the idea that Donald Trump endangered anyones lives, when he told them to protest peacefully, its just absurd.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

In February of this year, ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Vance what he would have done regarding the certification of votes if he had been in Vice President Pences position on Jan. 6. If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there. That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020, Vance replied.

Vance has also called the rioters who have been criminally charged in the Jan. 6 attack political prisoners.

Energy and the environment

Vance is a big supporter of the oil and gas industry, which has a large presence in his home state of Ohio.

He has criticized renewable energy sources like wind and solar power and opposes the government encouraging the transition to electric vehicles.

The Biden administration is doing everything it can to subsidize alternative energy sources and demonize our nations most reliable sources of power, Vance wrote in an op-ed in the Marietta [Ohio] Times last year.

While Vance acknowledges that the climate is changing, he told the American Leadership Forum in 2021 that he remains skeptical that its caused purely by man because its been changing for millennia.

Immigration

Like Trump, Vance supports hard-line immigration policies and has urged the federal government to provide more resources to curb the number of immigrants entering illegally.

Vance supports congressional funding that would finish construction of the border wall along the southern U.S. border; he said on Fox News in June that the U.S. should conduct large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants.

You start with the most violent people, the people who have criminal records and youve got to be willing to deport them,  Vance said.

Vance also supports making it harder for undocumented immigrants to work in the U.S. because he says that undercuts the wages of American workers.

Israel

Vance has been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout its war in Gaza and has repeated Trumps calls for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finish the job.

Our goal in the Middle East should be to allow the Israelis to get to some good place with the Saudi Arabians and other Gulf Arab states. There is no way that we can do that unless the Israelis finish the job with Hamas, Vance told CNN in May.

Vance has also acknowledged the mounting Palestinian death toll in Gaza saying, our heart certainly goes out to them, but maintained that the blame is with Hamas, and not Israel.

LGBTQ+ rights

Vance proposed a bill last year called the Protect Childrens Innocence Act that would have charged health care providers who provided gender affirming care on minors a Class C felony, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The bill was never taken up in committee.

In April 2022, the State Department rolled out an option for people to indicate X for gender on U.S. passports. Vance introduced legislation last October, called the Passport Sanity Act, to ban that option.

The last thing the State Department should be doing is wasting its time and your tax dollars pushing far-left gender ideology, Vance had said in a statement. There are only two genders  passports issued by the United States government should recognize that simple fact. I am proud to introduce this bill to restore some sanity in our federal bureaucracy.

This bill was also not taken up in committee.

Ukraine

Vance has been a leading opponent of continuing U.S. military aid to Ukraine as it continues to to defend itself in a war started by Russia.

I think that it is absurd for us to devote so many resources, so much attention and so much time to a border conflict 6,000 miles away when our own U.S. southern border is wide open, Vance said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.

Earlier this year, he led an unsuccessful attempt to block a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine in the Senate.

In an interview with former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon in February 2022, Vance said, I think its ridiculous that were focused on this border in Ukraine. Ive got to be honest with you, I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.
Tourists try painting at the Beicang Cultural and Creative Street in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists visit the Beicang Cultural and Creative Street in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists visit the Yinghua Lane cooperative village - youth international community in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A tourist takes photos at a self-service photo studio in the Taping neighborhood of Jiangbei District, southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists visit the Taping neighborhood in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 15, 2024 shows the Beicang Cultural and Creative Street in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists visit the 1862 Yangpao Bureau Cultural and Creative Park in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 15, 2024 shows the 1862 Yangpao Bureau Cultural and Creative Park in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A barista brews coffee at a coffee shop in the 1862 Yangpao Bureau Cultural and Creative Park in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 15, 2024 shows the Yinghua Lane cooperative village - youth international community in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A technician brews tea at a teahouse in the 1862 Yangpao Bureau Cultural and Creative Park in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Tourists shop at the Beicang Cultural and Creative Street in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A tourist takes selfies at the Yinghua Lane cooperative village - youth international community in Jiangbei District of southwest China's Chongqing, July 15, 2024.

Through urban renewal efforts in recent years, many old streets, neighborhoods and factories in Jiangbei District have been mapped out artistically and commercially. The creative renovation and upgrading brings more business opportunities to tap the potential, and attracts young people to experience the vibe, infusing more vigor into the areas. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)
Within 30 minutes of the shooting at Donald Trumps Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, federal law enforcement used a byzantine paper records system to track down decade-old gun sales records to help identify the 20-year-old would-be assassin.

Law enforcement agents initially ran into roadblocks as they attempted to name the shooter, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks was not carrying any ID when he was shot by Secret Service agents. But what he did have was an AR-style rifle used to carry out the deadly shooting.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives analysts at a facility in West Virginia search through millions of documents by hand every day to try to identify the provenance of guns used in crimes. Typically, the bureau takes around eight days to track a weapon, though for urgent traces that average falls to 24 hours.

Its a process that has been used for several other high-profile and time sensitive investigations. After the Highland Park, Illinois, mass shooter fled in July 2022, police used the ATF tracing system on a firearm he left at the scene to learn his identity. And police used a firearm that bystanders wrestled away from the man who shot and killed 11 people in Monterey Park, California, to identify him.

The firearms tracing system is invaluable, Brian Gallagher, a former supervisor at the ATF Philadelphia field division, told CNN.

In situations where we have high profile shootings and where firearms are recovered, the local ATF offices can request an emergency trace for the weapons found at a crime scene, Gallagher said.

Some critics say that the ATF tracing system is cumbersome or unreliable or point out that the US is also a nation awash in guns, which can be bought and sold privately without creating official records.

In an era of high-tech evidence gathering, including location data and a trove of evidence from cell phones and other electronic devices used by shooting suspects, ATF agents have to search through paper records to find a guns history.

In some cases, those records have even been kept on microfiche or were held in shipping containers, sources told CNN, especially for some of the closed business records like in this case.

The outdated records-keeping system stems from congressional laws that prohibit the ATF from creating searchable digital records, in part because gun rights groups for years have fanned fears that the ATF could create a database of firearm owners and that it could eventually lead to confiscation.

But the urgent ATF trace Saturday proved indispensable in identifying the Pennsylvania shooter, giving authorities a key clue toward his identity in less than half an hour.

ATF completed an urgent trace through ATFs National Tracing Center based on out of business records from a closed gun dealer, the ATF said in a statement Sunday. Results were provided to the FBI and Secret Service in less than 30 minutes that helped identify the shooter.

Agents tracked the AR-15 style rifle the shooter used to a 2013 purchase from the now-closed dealer, sources familiar with investigators findings told CNN. The revelation added to complications for the FBI, ATF and other agencies who were trying to identify the gunman after he was shot and killed by a US Secret Service sniper.

ATF agents worked with the guns manufacturer, and manually searched through the closed gun shops paper records, eventually tracing the rifle to the shooters father. Investigators believe that the shooters father may have been an avid firearms collector or bought and sold weapons, sources briefed on the matter said.

The finding brought federal law enforcement officers to Crooks home and allowed investigators to hone in on who was responsible for the assassination attempt.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Athens man arrested for sexual assault of 16-year-old girl after running off to New York

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT)  The Athens Police Department partnered with a New York sheriffs office to locate and arrest a man charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

On May 9, the Athens Police Department said they received a report of a girl who was sexually assaulted.

Officers named 36-year-old Oscar Ariel Duarte Rodriguez as the suspect in the assault.

On June 27, APD Detective Melissa Meadows found Rodriguez had fled to Putman County, New York. Meadows contacted the Putman County Sheriffs Office to help her with finding Rodriguez.

He was found and arrested by the Putman County Sheriffs Office. On July 16, the Limestone County Sheriffs Office arranged to have Rodriguez transported back to Alabama.

He was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree rape. He is being held in the Limestone County Jail without bond, pending an Aniahs Law hearing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
On Wednesday and Thursday, a live online auction from Atlanta-based Ahlers & Ogletree will put rare historical documents and Asian artwork up for bid.

Among the various documents up for bid on Wednesday, the historical Americana auction includes documents signed by multiple presidents including John Adams, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower and more.

There are collections of illustrations and court documents from before the American Revolution, as well as letters and historical pamphlets from throughout U.S. History.

The Wednesday auction begins at 10 a.m. online.

On Thursday, the auctioneers will be selling a variety of Asian artwork, including Tibetan copper figures, Chinese lacquer panel screens showing different deities, Indonesian wooden masks, Mandarin-era porcelain vases, and different sculptures from various eras of Japanese history, with additional works from across the Asian continent at different historical periods available as well.

Auctions for the Asian artwork begin online at 9 a.m. on Thursday.

According to Ahlers & Ogletree, in addition to online bidding, telephone and absentee bids are also an option.

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The Atlanta Police Department is investigating a homicide, officials say.

Police say they responded to the area of Meador Avenue and Schell Road in Southeast Atlanta for a person shot call.

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When they arrived, they found a man who had bee shot multiple times. Police say the man was not alert, conscious or breathing and was pronounced dead on scene by medics.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Atlantas population is skyrocketing as well as its surrounding counties. What to know

Tens of thousands of people continue to move to metro Atlanta and call it their new home every year, and the past year was no exception, according to population data released Wednesday.

The 11-county Atlanta area added 62,700 residents between April 2023 and April 2024, according to estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). It continues several years of similar growth for the region, although the population increase was slightly less than the year prior.

The data revealed several ongoing population trends that accelerated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have maintained momentum, and Gwinnett topped 1 million people, a highly anticipated milestone.

Steady region wide growth

The 11-county metro Atlanta area has added more than 250,000 residents from April 2020 to April 2024, marking a steady climb that hasnt varied much year-to-year. The region set a record last year by adding 66,730 new residents, and while the most recent years data was about 6% less, it shows Atlantas momentum is hard to shake, according to ARC analysts.

City leaders and ARC credit Atlantas strong job market and cost of living compared to other major metros for its steady growth.

Atlanta metro area now 6th largest in U.S., Census Bureau estimates

It joins Fulton as the only Georgia counties to breach that mark, and itll be decades  or longer  before another county hits seven figures. Cobb and DeKalb are the next closest, but theyre in the high 700,000s, respectively. ARC has population projections for 2050, which has Cobb eclipsing 900,000 and DeKalb at roughly 880,000.

A-town still rises

The city of Atlantas growth rate has been unmatched over the past few years.

Georgias largest city has added more than 10,000 new residents the past two years, more than a 2% increase each year. The citys upward trajectory is expected to only increase as it leads the region in approved building permits.

Outside of the city of Atlanta, the areas experiencing the most growth are along the metros outer ring.

The past two years, Cherokee, Henry and Forsyth counties consistently saw the largest percentage increase to their populations. Urban counties with larger existing populations, such as Clayton and DeKalb, saw smaller percentage bumps in comparison.

Neither Muscogee nor Bibb counties, home to Columbus and Macon, respectively, cracked the top counties in terms of growth.

Metro Atlantas population has steadily increased for years, but that doesnt mean future growth is inevitable.

The region faces spiking housing costs along with much of the Sunbelt, and job growth has started to moderate after years of explosive post-pandemic economic recovery. ARC analysts said its important for local leaders to lay plans for densification  such as additional housing, traffic mitigation and increased public transport infrastructure  to accommodate new growth on the horizon before issues compound or growing pains arise.
COLBY, Kan. (KSNW)  The Colby Police Department and Thomas County Sheriff are investigating after receiving reports of an attempted abduction in Colby.

Law enforcement was notified Tuesday about the incident that reportedly happened Sunday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. It happened near the intersection of South Garfield and West Ash.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Two young girls reported being approached by a man in a black and red SUV, possibly an early 2000s model Chevy Suburban. The Thomas County Sheriffs Office says the man tried to lure the girls into going with him to get ice cream.

The girls ran away to a nearby park, with the suspect following them for two blocks. Witnesses saw the suspect watch where the girls went and then leave on Mission Ridge Avenue.

Investigators believe the man used alleys to enter and possibly exit the neighborhood. No arrests have been made, but the sheriffs office and Colby police will increase their presence in residential areas and areas frequented by children.

Larned police investigating alleged sexual assault of minor at city pool

The suspect is described as a white male around 30 years old with blue eyes and no visible facial hair. He was believed to be wearing a blue or black hoodie with the hood up, blue or dark blue jeans, and a partial face covering.

The Thomas County Sheriffs Office says if you witness anything unusual, your children report anything out of the ordinary, or you have a concern, contact the Colby Police Department at 785-460-4460 or the Thomas County Sheriffs Office at 785-460-4570.

The Thomas County Sheriffs Office says the incident is a strong reminder to parents to talk to their children about the dangers of talking to strangers. The National Crime Prevention Council has a guide for parents on talking to their children about stranger danger.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez addresses reporters at a July 16 press conference in Las Cruces. (Photo by Justin Garcia / Las Cruces Bulletin)

Attorney General Raul Torrez made clear in a news conference July 16 that he was deeply concerned about Memorial Medical Centers practices as he announced an investigation into southern New Mexicos largest hospital.

Torrez  flanked on the left by public officials critical of the hospital and to the right by former patients whod spoken out against MMC  told a gaggle of reporters that his office initially believed the investigation would be narrow in scope and limited to claims that MMC denied service.

But just Tuesday morning, as more former patients and hospital staff emerged from the woodwork, Torrez deemed the investigation needed to expand.

He said that his office was primarily investigating whether the hospital had violated any consumer protection laws  all civil violations with monetary penalties  but said hed be sharing information with federal authorities and refused to rule out the possibility of a criminal investigation.

But regardless, Torrez and other officials said MMC had morally injured Las Cruces and its patients.

I cant think of a better way of describing the profound implications of the alleged misconduct that is taking place at the hospital, Torrez said. And moral injury of that type only occurs when theres been a moral failure.

Overall, Torrez noted claims that MMC refused service to people who couldnt pay, had questionable billing practices and instituted a culture of fear among its employees. He also warned hospital officials not to interfere with the investigation and said that retaliation against employees would be dealt with severely.

Make no mistake, anyone engaged in any form of retaliation against patients who speak out or providers who speak out will be dealt with by this office and this agency, Torrez said.

The hospital responded Tuesday afternoon with the following statement: Memorial Medical Center was surprised to learn of this investigation by Attorney General Torrez during his press conference today. We remain committed to expanding access to care and being a good community partner in Las Cruces and Dona Ana County and will be cooperating fully with this investigation.

MMC fell under increased scrutiny following the publication of an NBC News investigation in June. The article noted a dozen people who said the hospital denied them treatment because they couldnt pay or had insurance the hospital refused to accept.

The article also noted that MMC is a for-profit hospital operated by Lifepoint Health and owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management. That model, of which New Mexico has a greater proportion than any other state in the U.S., has come under pressure as instances of prioritizing profit over patients became more publicized.

Following the NBC News article, MMCs CEO John Harris denied this allegation during a Las Cruces City Council meeting. He said the story contained a number of inaccuracies and misinformation.

What has been published is not reflective of how our hospital cares for patients or how it contributes to our community, Harris told the council on June 11.

One of the key figures in the NBC News story, Barbara Quarrell, spoke to reporters on Tuesday about her experience at MMC. When Quarrell, a former MMC nurse and longtime Las Cruces resident, was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, she said MMC rejected her from treatment almost as soon as she asked for it.

I wasnt probably even half a mile down the road when the doctor called me and said, Theyre not going to treat you because they dont take your insurance, Quarrell said.

Torrez said his office would first and foremost investigate questions about denial of care. MMC could face monetary fines and damages if Torrez proves those allegations.

We will be reaching out to our federal counterparts to engage in a deeper investigation regarding some of the billing practices that, frankly, I was unaware of until today, Torrez said.

Torrez did not specify what questions his office had about MMCs billing practices.

Local officials also responded to questions about MMC as the state and potential federal investigation get underway.

Notably, the hospital  a significant economic driver and one of only a few places to receive higher levels of medical treatment in southern New Mexico  is bound to a lease agreement with the city of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. That lease agreement stipulates that MMC will provide services to indigent patients.

The Bulletin asked the local officials whether the allegations would constitute violations of MMCs contract.

I think the lease is several hundred pages. And I think that were really committed to poring over that, understanding what role we have and working with the county to hold MMC accountable to that lease. But that process is ongoing, said Las Cruces City Councilor Becky Corran.

Its unclear how long the AGs investigation will last, but it marks a new chapter in healthcare access in Las Cruces.

The ultimate objective of an investigation like this, quite frankly, is not to secure necessarily financial penalties, but its about what the community wants, Torrez said. And what the community needs is a hospital centered on patient care.

Algernon DAmmassa contributed reporting to this article.
Attorneys for Rust armorer file for dismissal of her case or new trial after collapse of Alec Baldwin case

Attorneys for Rust movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed  convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of a cinematographer  have filed a motion for a new trial or to have her case thrown out after the related case against actor Alec Baldwin was dismissed in dramatic fashion last week.

The attorneys filed the motion Tuesday in New Mexicos Santa Fe First Judicial District Court, citing egregious prosecutorial misconduct and multiple allegations of severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state.

Gutierrez Reeds attorneys ask the court to order her prison release and to remove Kari Morrissey as the cases special prosecutor for the misconduct that has been found, and the violations committed in Ms. Gutierrez Reeds case.

On Friday, the involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin  who authorities said held the prop gun that fired the shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021  was dismissed after the judge overseeing the case ruled prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to the defense. Legal experts had said the collapse of the actors case could result in Gutierrez Reed being freed from the New Mexico state prison, where shes serving an 18-month sentence following her March conviction.

In Tuesdays filing, Gutierrez Reeds attorneys argue that her case should be thrown out or retried in part because of the judges determination of withheld evidence in Baldwins case; what they assert was Morrissey lying in court about the evidence on Friday; and what they say were other instances of suppressed evidence in the armorers case.

In a statement Wednesday to CNN, Morrissey said she would respond in writing to the defense motions.

I have always been the subject of personal attacks from Mr. Bowles (Gutierrez Reeds attorney) and Mr. Baldwins legal team, so nothing new there, Morrissey said.

The shooting, and defense attorneys allegations

The shooting happened October 21, 2021. Baldwin was on the set at a ranch outside Santa Fe practicing a cross draw with a prop gun  pulling it from a holster on the opposite side of his body from his draw hand  when it fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

As the armorer, Gutierrez Reed was responsible for firearm safety and storage. At her trial, prosecutors argued she repeatedly violated safety protocol and acted without caution in performing her duties, ultimately leading to Hutchins death. Gutierrez Reeds defense attorney argued she has been scapegoated for the safety failures of film set management and other crew members.

The evidence that imploded Baldwins trial came to light last week, when a crime scene technician testified that a man had delivered a box of ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office in March right after Gutierrez Reeds conviction. The man, Troy Teske, a retired police officer and friend of the armorers father, told investigators he obtained the ammunition from prop supplier Seth Kenney, and believed the ammunition could be associated with the Rust incident, the technician testified.

However, the technician testified the items were catalogued separately from Baldwins case and were not included in the Rust case inventory or tested to see if they matched the lethal round.

Baldwins attorneys, in a filing last week asking for the case to be dismissed, claimed that this could point to an external source of the live ammunition (prop supplier Seth Kenney) on set. The Baldwin teams filing alleged prosecutors didnt disclose the evidence because it would be favorable to Baldwin, last weeks filing shows.

Baldwin was unaware of the risk live ammunition had been brought to the Rust set, and for prosecutors to establish a link between Baldwin and the live ammunition source, they would have to show Gutierrez Reed, the armorer, had brought the rounds to set, according to the motion filed last week. Evidence that the live rounds came from Kenney is therefore favorable to Baldwin, which is why the state buried it, last weeks document states.

During a chaotic, hourslong hearing Friday, investigators testified they and Morrissey determined the ammo was not relevant to the Rust case and so did not turn it over to the defense. Morrissey also testified, saying investigators had determined the ammunition was not a match to those found on the Rust set and had no evidentiary value. The lead investigator, however, testified the rounds looked similar to the dummy rounds on the films set.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to the defense. She dismissed Baldwins case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought again.

In Tuesdays filing, Gutierrez Reeds attorneys said prosecutors  and even Gutierrez Reeds defense team itself  was aware of the ammunition Teske had before he gave it to the sheriffs office in March. Her attorneys wrote an email to Morrissey in January saying it was important to compare the powder of the Teske rounds to the powder in the powder in the live rounds found on the Rust set, Tuesdays filing reads.

Morrissey wrote back that she didnt plan to retrieve or test the rounds, because she found them visually dissimilar and not relevant, Gutierrez Reeds attorneys said in Tuesdays filing.

But on Friday during Baldwins trial, Morrissey claimed that Gutierrez Reeds attorneys did not want rounds that Teske had because they incriminated their client, Tuesdays filing reads.

That is an absolute falsehood.  Far from distancing (themselves) from the Teske rounds, defense counsel recognized their potential exculpatory value had the state tested them, the court filing said.

Teske had turned the rounds over to the sheriffs office in March, hoping that it would test the rounds while Gutierrez Reed pursued her appeal, Tuesdays filing says.

Instead, the state placed them in a separate case file and attempted to hide them, Gutierrez Reeds attorneys wrote in Tuesdays filing.

In Tuesdays court filing, the attorneys claimed an interview with Kenney, the prop supplier, was suppressed  and that the attorneys would have used his statements in cross examination in Gutierrez Reeds trial had they known about them. In that interview, Kenney spoke about her experience and had not heard allegations that she was unsafe, among other things, the attorneys wrote.

A report conducted by state firearms experts was likewise not made available to Gutierrez Reeds attorneys, and the state revealed it to Baldwins defense team only after Gutierrez Reed was convicted, Tuesdays filing says. The report said the gun used on the Rust set had unexplained toolmarks on critical surfaces of the trigger and sear, Tuesdays filing says.

Gutierrez Reeds attorneys previously made that argument in a separate court filing, which Reuters reported on last month, asking that a court release her from prison. The firearms experts finding is evidence that the gun could have accidentally fired and could have led to her not being found guilty in the case, Gutierrez Reeds attorney Jason Bowles said last month, according to Reuters.

Gutierrez Reeds defense team has also become aware of another possible 900 or so pages of material related to states witnesses that was disclosed to Baldwins attorneys shortly before his trial, but not to Gutierrez Reeds attorneys, Tuesdays filing reads.

Her lawyers were still reviewing these at the time of the filing of this motion, the filing reads.

The state violated Gutierrez Reeds due process rights because it failed to disclose evidence, her attorneys wrote in Tuesdays filing.

This court stated on July 12 that the integrity of the judicial system demanded that the court dismiss Mr. Baldwins case with prejudice, the filing said. How can it be any different with Ms. Gutierrez Reeds case, with this proven litany of serious discovery abuses?

The intentional withholding of crucial evidence  by the state has compromised the integrity of the entire judicial process, the filing continued.

Gutierrez Reed previously filed an appeal of her conviction in May.

CNNs Dalia Faheid contributed to this story.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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Augustans to gather at library for event honoring civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis

Augusta area residents will join on Wednesday for an event honoring civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis.

The event, hosted on the fourth anniversary of Lewis' death at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library on Telfair Street, will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Lewis, a civil rights activist, served in the House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in July 2020.

He chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and led freedom rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a prominent civil rights leader, served 33 years in Congress before his death on July 17, 2020.

During the event, Augustans will call on congress to pass legislation to protect the freedom to vote, end gerrymandering, and get money out of politics to realize Lewis' vision for a democracy, according to a news release.

Residents are demanding congress pass a suite of democracy reform bills, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, The Freedom To Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act and the Washington D.C. Admission Act.

"We are gathering to remember the impact of Rep. John Lewis and the need for Congress to take urgent action," said Traci George of the Indigo Honor Society.

Indigo Honor Society and League of Women Voters of the CSRA are hosting the event in partnership with the Declaration for American Democracy, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Black Voters Matter Fund, League of Women Voters, Transformative Justice Coalition, Public Citizen, and dozens of other organizations as part of the John Lewis National Day of Commemoration and Action.

A similar event will be hosted in Waynesboro at the Burke County Public Library until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Back to school: Aiken County students go back to school on July 22. Here's what families need to know

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augustans to gather for event honoring Rep. John Lewis
AUSTIN (KXAN)  After a significant campaign finance deadline passed Monday, some candidates for Austin City Council and mayor said theyre breaking fundraising records, while others lag behind.

In all, candidates for council and mayor have raised more than $1.3 million, with Mayor Kirk Watson bringing in more than half of that money.

So why should you care about how much candidates fundraised for an election that happens in November? Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edwards University, put it this way:

LIST: Whos running for Austin City Council, mayor in 2024?

Money is the best metric of determining how serious a candidate is at the local level because in local races, just a little bit of money makes you a lot more competitive. And a lot of money makes you very competitive, Smith said. When we look at 2022, almost every single candidate who outspent their opponent won at the local level here in the city of Austin.

Austin Mayor

Mayor Kirk Watson pulled in more than all of his opponents combined  and by a significant margin. This reporting period is from the first of the year until the end of June and represents a ramp up in candidates gathering funds heading into the November election.

During that period, Watson reported $710,580.84 in contributions. He has spent roughly $166,000 of those dollars, leaving him with $512,686, his filing shows.

His nearest opponent, in terms of financial contributions, is Doug Greco at $88,334.00 in contributions so far this year. Carmen Llanes Pulido gathered 71,007.00 and former Austin city council member Kathie Tovo fundraised $57,457.42.

District 6

Mackenzie Kelly, the incumbent for District 6, fundraised the most of any candidates for city council. According to her campaign, she has raised $163,712.30 during the reporting period.

This is the largest amount ever raised by a political candidate in our district since the city charter changed to single-member representation in 2014, her campaign wrote.

Krista Laine, who is challenging Kelly, also brought in a significant amount  the second most among council candidates  at $66,549.00, according to her filing.

District 7

Mike Siegel leads the pack on fundraising in District 7. He brought in $44,555.11 during the reporting period, his filing shows.

Adam Powell came in second, raising $31,785.18 overall, according to his campaign staff.

Weve been running the most grassroots City Council campaign in Austin for the past six months, said Powell in a statement. The combination of having the lowest average contribution amount of any Austin City Council candidate and the most unique donors in our race proves it.

Todd Shaw reported $15,620.00 in total contributions. Pierre Nguyen came in at $1,750.00 and Edwards Bautista brought in $240. NAACP Texas president Gary Bledsoe has also said he would run for the seat, but a filing was not available for him as of July 16.

District 10

Ashika Ganguly brought in $35,036.00 during the reporting period, her filing shows. Marc Duchen reported $12,430.00 in contributions.

District 2

Both District 2 and 4 also have incumbents running to keep their seats. The District 2 seat is currently held by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes who brought in $56,870.43 in contributions, according to her filing.

Nobody has officially declared they will challenge Fuentes as of July.

District 4

Incumbent Council Member Chito Vela reported $23,855.00 in contributions for the first part of the year.

Monica Guzman has said she will challenge Vela for his seat, but so far an updated finance report for Guzman is not available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
SYDNEY, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A man has been taken into custody and another remains at large after a suspected stabbing critically injured one male victim in Perth on Wednesday.

Western Australia Police Force issued a statement at around 3:46 p.m. local time, noting that emergency services were responding to an incident on Canning Highway in South Perth, where an injured man was located at the scene.

"At least two other males believed to be involved in the incident remain outstanding and may be in possession of an edged weapon (knife)," police said, also urging members of the public to avoid the area.

Hours after the incident occurred, officers arrested one man in the vicinity of the Como Bowling Club, while the victim in his 30s is receiving treatment at a hospital for serious but non-life-threatening wounds.

Early indications have suggested that the men involved may be known to each other, according to police.

With inquiries still in progress, the authority didn't disclose any further details about the weapon used.

South Perth is one of the inner-city suburbs in Western Australia's capital Perth. Home to more than 43,000 residents, it sits roughly 4 km south of Perth's central business district. 
Authorities arrest four suspects in deadly shooting of teen in White County

WHITE COUNTY, Ark.  Authorities said they have made multiple arrests in connection with a deadly shooting that took place in White County earlier in the month.

The White County Sheriffs Office said in a Tuesday release that four suspects from Tennessee have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Brendon Berryhill.

Deputies say teen was shot & killed at White County gas station, body left in road & hit by car

Authorities identified them as 18-year-old Jayden Solang, 18-year-old Kydavien Green, 18-year-old Jvion Todd and 20-year-old Johnathan Arrington.

WCSO officials said a deputy was patrolling the area of Salem Church Road around 3:30 a.m. on July 6 when they discovered a body, later identified as Berryhill, lying in the middle of the road.Officials said the deputy discovered that the body had multiple gunshot wounds.

Authorities said they later learned that Berryhill had been shot following a confrontation at a gas station on Highway 13 before driving himself to the Salem Church Road area.

Jayden Solang booking photo Image courtesy White County Sheriffs Office

Johnathan Arrington booking photo Image courtesy White County Sheriffs Office

Kydavien N. Green booking photo Image courtesy White County Sheriffs Office

Jvion Todd booking photo Image courtesy White County Sheriffs Office

Solang and Arrington are each facing charges of capital murder with accomplice, two counts of terroristic act with accomplice, unauthorized use of another persons property to facilitate a crime with accomplice and engaging in violent criminal group activity.

Green and Todd are each facing charges of capital murder, terroristic act, unauthorized use of another persons property to facilitate a crime with accomplice, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in violent criminal group activity.

Authorities said Solang is currently being held in the Crittenden County Detention Center, while the other three suspects are being held in the Shelby County Detention Center in Tennessee.

White County authorities provide more details on deadly shooting of teen

According to the release, the arrests were made with the help of the Shelby County Sheriffs Office and the US Marshals Service.

Officials with the WCSO said the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  In 2023, internet crime victims reported $12.5 billion in losses, according to the FBI. Theres also been an uptick in complaints filed by elderly victims.

From cryptocurrency scams, and call center schemes, to falsely claiming to buy your timeshare property  scammers are getting increasingly savvy in their targeting efforts. A longtime IRS criminal investigator joins Gabby on the New Mexico News Podcast this week to discuss his mission to inform people what to look out for.

Very intelligent people fall for scams because these scammers are much better than they were 10, 15, 20 years ago, explained Brian Watson, a former IRS Criminal Investigator who now works as a Community Outreach Specialist for the nonprofit, R.O.S.E.

Time is your friend to prevent being scammed, Watson adds. You want to take a time out, you want to get a second opinion.

How can you and your circle of family and friends avoid falling victim? What are the five tell-tell signs of a financial scam?

Watson discusses those answers and more in the full discussion above.

Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Podbean among others. The podcast is also now available in a video version on KRQEs YouTube page.

Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term KRQE or New Mexico News Podcast (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Azov Brigade shows how they captured Russian soldiers near Kreminna

The soldiers of the 12th Azov Special Operations Brigade have approached Russian positions and captured three prisoners near Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast.

Source: video released by the 12th Azov Special Operations Brigade

Details: The Russian troops made the right decision and did not resist. The Azovites took three unharmed Russian servicemen prisoner.

Later, during a chat with the brigade's soldiers, the Russians revealed what drove them to take part in the war and murder Ukrainians.

Quote: "The soldiers of the 12th Azov Brigade will kill the invaders until they leave our territory, cease killing Ukrainian children and destroy our cities.

The only option for Russia's military to survive is to surrender to the defence forces."

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Jim Justice, right, with his dog named Babydog, during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on 16 July 2024.

Jim Justice, right, with his dog named Babydog, during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on 16 July 2024. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

Jim Justice had a primetime speaking slot at the Republican national convention on Tuesday but his pet English bulldog, Babydog, conclusively stole the show.

Babydog has got a prediction for everybody here, the West Virginia governor and US Senate candidate told the crowd in Milwaukee, after an aide brought his pet out to sit panting on a chair beside him.

Babydog says that we will retain the House, the majority in the House, we are going to flip the United States Senate and overwhelmingly we are going to elect Donald J Trump and JD Vance in November.

Babydog, the governor said, was confident in her prediction, Because were worth it.

He also said his pet makes us smile and she loves everybody. And how could the message possibly be any more simpler than just that?

Babydog watched, tongue out, as Republicans lapped it all up.

As the New York Times noted, the next speaker had a hard act to follow.

I dont know about you, said Jim Banks, an Indiana congressman like Justice now running for US Senate. But thank God Babydog is a Republican.

Babydog is (probably) a lifelong GOP member. Justice, less so. The 73-year-old governor, who made his money in coal, entered office in 2017 as a Democrat but switched to the Republican party the same year. Babydog was born in 2019.

She swiftly became a state celebrity, particularly after sitting in on briefings during the Covid pandemic. But she has made national headlines before.

In January 2022, Justice responded to harsh words about West Virginia from Bette Midler by showing state legislators Babydogs bottom and saying the actor and progressive activist could kiss his pets hiney.

Midler responded in kind, retweeting a picture of Justice holding up Babydog bottom-first and writing: Here we can see a dogs asshole. Right next to it is the butt of Jim Justices dog.
Families in Cobb County can pick up some classroom essentials before school starts next month.

Amerigroup Georgia is giving away free school supplies on Wednesday during its annual Back-to-School Bash.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Riverside Epicenter in Austell, Georgia. Not only will school supplies be handed out, but kids can also participate in rock climbing, bowling and arcade games for little to no cost.

By equipping families with essential resources and support, we are preparing them for a successful school year ahead. This foundation not only boosts kids self-confidence but contributes to healthier, happier lives by reinforcing the crucial link between education and overall health, said Maria Henriquez, Director of Marketing, Amerigroup Georgia.

The supplies are on a first-come, first-service basis.

[Have a Back to School drive we should know about? Email us at newstip@wsbtv.com]

Meanwhile, WSB-TV is gearing up for our annual Stuff the Bus campaign to collect school supplies with our partners at the Childrens Restoration Network.

You can donate the approved school supplies at eight locations around metro Atlanta on July 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Click here for more information.

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Students pray over symbolic coffins of victims, one day after police reported that at least six people died and dozens injured as clashes took place during nationwide protests demanding the abolition of quotas in government jobs. Habibur Rahman/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged protesting students to await the final court verdict on government job quota reforms, as Bangladesh launches a probe into the violent protests that left six dead.

I believe, the students will get justice from the higher court, they would not be required to be frustrated, the prime minister said in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday amid the deadly protests.

Authorities reported that at least six people were killed on Tuesday after violence erupted across the country as protesters clashed with ruling party supporters and the police.

The prime minister announced the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the violence, stating that those involved in the killings, looting, and acts of sabotage would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, protesters clashed with police in Dhaka despite authorities announcing the suspension of classes and other academic activities in major universities, instructing students to vacate dormitories by evening.

Police fired tear gas and sound grenades to disperse some 1,000 demonstrators as they gathered on the Dhaka University campus in the afternoon to protest against the killings.

They also continued their demands for rationalization of the quota system.

Bangladeshs job quota system reserves more than half of the civil service posts for specific groups like the wards of the 1971 war heroes, women, people in the impoverished districts, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.

Students have been protesting nationwide for reforms in the quota system since early this month after a high court bench ordered reinstatement of the job quotas, which were abolished in 2018 in the face of massive student protest.

An appeal court, however, ordered a status quo on the job quotas until early next month, with the protesters asking the government to settle the issue once for all.

Fresh demonstrations flared up on various campuses, including at Dhaka University, on Sunday night, hours after Prime Minister Hasina, in a news conference, rejected the students demands, stating that she could not intervene while the matter was pending in court.

Bangladesh police personnel fire tear shells during clashes, one day after police reported that at least six people died and dozens injured as clashes took place during nationwide protests demanding the abolition of quotas in government jobs. Habibur Rahman/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Protesters lie on the ground near Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University campus, one day after police reported that at least six people died and dozens injured as clashes took place during nationwide protests demanding the abolition of quotas in government jobs. Habibur Rahman/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Barracks not up to snuff? Use this new Marine Corps QR code

The Marine Corps has released a new system that will allow Marines to make barracks maintenance requests through a QR code on their phone.

The QSRMax system is part of a larger initiative within the Marine Corps to improve Marines quality of life during service, dubbed Barracks 2030, with the goal of improving barracks, making management more accessible and modernizing barracks buildings.

The new system will allow Marines to submit their requests to USMCMax through a QR code on their phone. QSRMax then sends the maintenance request directly to the barracks and building managers on the base.

This restructuring increases transparency and accountability while enhancing communication between Marines and maintenance personnel, the announcement said.

No ones been fired over lousy barracks conditions, DOD official says

Maintenance requests can now be tracked through this system, allowing Marine Corps leaders to see recurring problems in the barracks.

A 2023 Government Accountability Office report revealed the poor living conditions of the barracks that hundreds of thousands of service members reside in. The GAO found safety and health concerns like sewage overflow, broken windows, inoperable fire systems and vermin.

There is a lack of accountability in the Department of Defense for these conditions that negatively impact quality of life, morale and readiness, the report and past Military Times reporting found.

The introduction of QSRMax marks a new chapter in facilities maintenance within the Marine Corps, characterized by efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness, the announcement said.

Earlier this year, lawmakers called for increased accountability for the barracks issues that plague the military, not just the Marine Corps. In a February hearing, members of the House Armed Services Committees readiness subcommittee questioned Brendan Owens, the assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., chairman of the committees readiness panel, challenged why no leader was relieved or fired over the conditions, citing how it would demonstrate to others how unacceptable this issue is.

I dont think anybody on this committee or any of you are expecting our service members to live in the Taj Mahal, Waltz said in the hearing. But this is disgusting. This is unsatisfactory.

Owens said in the hearing that the military will implement 28 out of the 31 recommendations from the GAO report to improve barracks conditions.

Receiving the necessary funding for improving the Marine Corps barracks remains an obstacle as well.

How the Marine Corps barracks got to be so bad, according to 2 generals

The Corps asked for an extra $65 million in the beginning of March from Congress in its fiscal year 2025 budget request, totaling the requested funds for barrack restoration to $274 million.

The Marine Corps needs to spend around $1.5 billion to increase the living standards and modernize the barracks, according to Marine Corps Times reporting earlier this year.

Approximately 88,000 Marines live in barracks, according to a February Marine Corps Gazette article co-authored by Maj. Gen. David Maxwell and Maj. Nicholas Boivin.

The GAO report found that as of March 2023, 17,000 Marines live in subpar barracks.
In the struggle for primacy between red and blue in battleground Wisconsin, both sides can claim theyve made some headway over the past decade.

Democrats have won more big elections (and by bigger margins) in recent years than Republicans.

Yet paradoxically, slightly more voters now identify as Republicans than Democrats in Wisconsin, according to extensive polling by the Marquette Law School. That is a significant shift from a decade ago, when Democrats had an edge of 4 points in party identification.

What does that polling tell us about each partys voting base in this state, where the GOP is now holding its 2024 national convention to nominate former president Donald Trump?

Who makes up the Republican voting coalition in Wisconsin?

How do Republican voters compare to Democratic voters, demographically and geographically?

And how do they compare to the GOP base of more than a decade ago?

To create a profile of each party's voters in Wisconsin, Marquette pollster Charles Franklin drew on several years of statewide surveys."

The first and most obvious takeaway is that while there is a great deal of overlap in the composition of the two parties, the demographic mix is quite different.

Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education

For example, Wisconsin is an overwhelmingly white and predominately blue-collar state.

But white, blue-collar voters  defined here as whites without a four-year college degree  make up a far larger share of Republican voters (62%) than Democratic voters (45%).

Put in other terms, non-college whites are a big part of the Democratic coalition in Wisconsin, but they are the dominant share of the GOP coalition.

Here are some basic demographic comparisons between the make-up of the two parties in Wisconsin, drawn from Marquettes polling. For the present-day composition of each party, Franklin combined 14 statewide surveys he has conducted since Trump left the White House in January of 2021. That is a pool of almost 12,000 registered voters. The numbers below refer to voters who identify with either major party, but do not include so-called leaners, self-described independents who say they lean toward one party:

Race: Republicans in Wisconsin are 93% white, 3% Hispanic and 1% Black; Democrats are 83% white, 4% Hispanic and 8% Black. Both parties are overwhelmingly white, and Hispanic voters make up a similar but very small share of each party, but African-Americans make up a far bigger part of the Democratic base than GOP base.

Gender and marriage status: Republicans are 53% male. Democrats are 65% female, a pretty massive gender gap. The contrast is also dramatic when you factor in marital status. For example, married men account for 36% of Wisconsin Republicans but only 20% of Democrats. Unmarried women account for 30% of Democrats but just 14% of Republicans.

Education: College-educated voters (a four-year degree or higher) represent 33% of GOP voters, compared to 42% of Democratic voters.

Religion: About a quarter (26%) of GOP voters in Wisconsin describe themselves as born again or evangelical, compared to less than a tenth (9%) of Democrats. Only 8% of GOP voters describe themselves as having no religion, compared to 32% of Democrats. More than half (53%) of Republicans go to church weekly or monthly, compared to 29% of Democrats.

Community type: Republicans are far more likely (47%) to live in rural places than Democrats (30%) and Democrats are far more likely to live in urban places (39%) than Republicans (16%). Rural voters outnumber urban voters by about 3-to-1 within the GOP, while within the Democratic Party, urban voters outnumber rural voters.

Region: The differences in how Democratic and Republican voters are distributed across the Wisconsin map is obvious in every major election here. It is also clear in the polling. For example, only 9% of self-identified Republicans live in the states biggest county, Milwaukee, compared to 19% of Democrats. Only 12% of Republicans live in the 11-county Madison media market, compared to 24% of Democrats. On the flip side, 18% of Republicans live in the suburban WOW Counties outside Milwaukee (Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington) compared to 8% of Democrats. And 46% of Republicans live outside the Milwaukee and Madison TV markets (i.e. in the west, center and north of the state), compared to 37% of Democrats.

How has the demographic makeup of GOP voters changed over time?

It has certainly changed with respect to geography. The share of GOP voters from urban areas has declined from 20% in the years 2015-16 to 16% today. The share from the four-county metro Milwaukee area is also down, from 32% to 27%. Meanwhile, the share from the states northern and western counties is up.

The GOP voting coalition is also more secular than it used to be, which may surprise some people, but this is in keeping with the decline of religious identification and frequent church attendance in the overall population. Monthly or weekly churchgoers have gone from 67% of Republicans to 53% over the past decade or so, and the share of Republicans who are born-again has declined from 31% to 26%. (In the Democratic Party, which was more secular to begin with, these declines have been even sharper).

Catholics make up a bigger share of the GOP in Wisconsin today (32%) than a decade ago (29%), while they make up a smaller share of Democrats today (24%) than they did a decade ago (28%).

In terms of education, the share of non-college voters has grown slightly within the GOP, while the share of college-educated voters has grown significantly (from 36% to 42%) within the Democratic Party.

The gender makeup of the GOP has changed over the past decade, as the party has gone from 50% men and 50% women to 53% men and 47% women. (Democrats have gone from 62% female to 65%).

The most important shift in Republican voters, however, may be a political one, not a demographic one. The share of GOP voters who describe themselves as conservative has risen from 77% to 80% over the past decade. And within that number, the share who say they are very conservative has gone from 20% in the 2012-14 period to 25% in the 2021-24 period. The share of Republicans who are self-described moderates has dropped from 19% to 17%.

Democrats have also moved further from the center, by this measure. In fact, these changes are more dramatic: self-described liberals have risen from 46% of the party to 62% since 2012-14. And within that number, the share calling themselves very liberal has risen from 13% to 21%.

In other words, the two parties have grown more polarized based on how their own voters describe their political philosophy. Moderates have declined as a share of both parties, while growing as a share of independent voters. Conservatives have shrunk as a share of Democrats from 17% in 2012-14 to 7% today. And liberals have dropped as a share of the GOP from 3% to just 1%.

This is another reminder that while there are real demographic differences between the parties, those differences arent nearly as big as the difference in political attitudes.

The numbers are also a reminder that neither party is monolithic in its population, and neither party can be too neatly summed up using demographic shorthand.

For example, a majority of GOP voters in Wisconsin are men, a huge majority are white, and a big majority are non-college. You might say based on these numbers that the typical Wisconsin Republican is blue-collar, white and male. But the share of Republicans who check all three of those boxes  who are non-college white men  is far less than half; its about a third.

Lots of Republicans belong to Democratic-leaning demographic categories: 14% are women with college degrees; 33% are college-educated; 46% are infrequent churchgoers or never go to church at all.

The inverse is true of Democrats: 29% are weekly or monthly churchgoers; 30% are rural; and more than 40% are white, non-college men and women.

Each party in Wisconsin relies on the votes of hundreds of thousands of people who dont fit into the prevailing demographic profile of that party.

At the same time, the polling underscores which segments of the electorate carry the greatest weight within each party, and how that mix is changing over time.

It also shows which fault lines are growing wider between Democrats and Republicans.

In Wisconsin, the two parties are polarizing by ideology, by geography, by gender, and by education.

Craig Gilbert provides Wisconsin political analysis as a fellow with Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Prior to the fellowship, Gilbert reported on politics for 35 years at the Journal Sentinel, the last 25 in its Washington Bureau. His column continues that independent reporting tradition and goes through the established Journal Sentinel editing process.



Follow him on Twitter: @Wisvoter.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: In battleground Wisconsin, GOP and Democrats have grown less moderate
Israeli troops are seen in Gaza on July 17, 2024. At least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli bombing on the gate of a school housing displaced people in Gaza City, said Palestinian security and medical sources on Wednesday. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

GAZA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli bombing on the gate of a school housing displaced people in Gaza City, said Palestinian security and medical sources on Wednesday.

Israeli aircraft bombed with at least one missile the gate of a school in the al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City, which houses dozens of displaced families, Palestinian security sources told Xinhua.

Also on Wednesday, the Gaza-based health authorities called on the international community to save the health system, providing support and purchasing generators necessary to ensure the functioning of hospitals.

In a press statement, the health authorities said that it has been relying on diesel generators for about nine months to supply hospitals with the necessary electrical energy.

The ministry stated that some generators have been destroyed and directly bombed by the Israeli army.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 81 people and wounded 198 others, bringing the total death toll to 38,794 and injuries to 89,364 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday. 
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Semiconductor workers held a rally on Tuesday demanding safer working conditions, fair wages, and job security as their Beaverton factory vies for federal CHIPS Act funding.

During the rally, more than a dozen employees from Analog Devices Inc. called on the company to use its public funds to usher in improved working conditions as ADI applies for federal CHIPS Act funds, which are meant to bolster the nations semiconductor industry. The company was also awarded $12 million from the Oregon CHIPS Act, according to Analog Devices Workers United.

Both President Biden and Governor Kotek have touted their CHIPS Acts as high-quality job creators, but at ADI, we dont have quality jobs, said Robbie Garecht, an operator at ADI. In order to realize the economic benefits of this historic legislation and truly bring American manufacturing back, we need to ensure the jobs created are good, family-sustaining jobs. That means fair wages, safe working environments, and job security.

Graffiti returns to I-84 within 24 hours of state-funded removal

The workers also raised safety concerns after recent incidents at the factory, along with a pattern of employee turnover due to low wages. Additionally, the union is asking for paid shutdowns after numerous periods of unpaid furloughs at ADI, during which workers had to go without a paycheck or accrue negative vacation balances, the union said.

Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor and BlueGreen Alliance Policy Manager Ranfis Giannettino Villatoro joined the rally in solidarity.

We feel strongly that when a company like ADI receives millions in public funding, they must be held accountable for how that funding is used, and first and foremost they should be paying their workers a living wage, said Ben Coffey, an operator at ADI. This isnt just about us, its about setting a standard for the entire semiconductor industry. With billions flowing from the federal CHIPS Act, semiconductors workers everywhere have a powerful case to demand accountability and real, positive change.

PHOTOS: PDX airport debuts immersive, forest-like terminal Aug. 14

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, a spokesperson for Analog Devices Inc. said, We support and respect our employees and their right to express views on critical matters. As we continue to listen and engage with our team and encourage conversations, we remain committed in working together and aim to seek opportunities to help address their feedback.

The call for better working conditions comes as the state tries to maintain its position as a leader in the semiconductor industry.

In April, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed the Oregon CHIPS Act to elevate the states semiconductor and microchip manufacturing with a $210 million investment.

The states CHIPS Act includes $190 million to support Oregon businesses applying for federal investments in the federal CHIPS and Science Act along with a $10 million investment to help public universities receive federal grants.

Oregon has been at the center of the semiconductor industry in the United States for decades, Kotek said in a statement after the signing. This bill is an absolutely essential tool for leading a coordinated effort with the private sector to ensure we can compete for federal funds to expand advanced manufacturing in Oregon.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Belgium and Ukraine have signed an agreement that launches recovery cooperation and provides for investments of about 150 million over four years.

Source: Belgian news agency Belga, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Caroline Gennez, Belgian Minister for International Cooperation, signed a cooperation agreement during a video-link ceremony on 17 July, which provides for investments of 150 million in Ukraine's recovery over four years.

The agreement allows the Belgian cooperation agency Enabel to contribute to the recovery of the affected Ukrainian regions. The main activities are planned in Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, which Caroline Gennez visited in February this year to get acquainted with the situation.

The cooperation will include the rebuilding of critical infrastructure and the construction of comfortable shelters in schools.

The first tranche of 20 million will be spent on decentralised energy installations in Kyiv and its suburbs before the next winter, with a focus on hospitals. Belgium will also support the installation of generators and solar panels in healthcare facilities and schools.

Background: It was reported that Germany is allocating 10 million to rebuild Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital after the Russian attack. Lithuania previously donated 1 million for the same purpose.

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A Belle Mead man was arrested on theft charges after allegedly embezzling more than $1.2 million from a Bergen County company over a period of more than four years, authorities said.

Sang Park, 44, was charged with two counts of second-degree theft by deception on Wednesday, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation began in December when the Ridgefield Park Police Department contacted the prosecutor's office regarding an allegation of embezzlement at a company based in the village. Investigators determined that Park, an employee of the company, used various payroll and expense systems to manipulate his pay from 2018 through 2022. Authorities did not release the name of the company.

Park was arrested at his home in Belle Mead by detectives from the prosecutor's office with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Belle Mead NJ man accused of embezzling from Ridgefield Park company
Belleville business owner says city needs to do more to fix flooding issues

A group of people huddled together beside a fire engine as rain poured down around them. In front of them was a pool of thigh-high water  mixed with trash and oil  that crept into cars, a garage, a small home and a tech repair shop.

As Belleville firefighters guided the residents of their rented home through the water, Dorian LeRoy, owner of NEC Technology Repairs and landlord of the adjacent house, watched on from under an umbrella as the stores office manager, Michelle Bilek, spoke on the phone.

More than 6 inches of rain fell across parts of the metro east on Tuesday, causing flooding in multiple areas. Flooding has been a particular problem at the corner of East Main Street and Forest Avenue.

LeRoy said his property there has flooded three to four times since he moved there three years ago.

Belleville needs to either put an efficient drainage system in or (put in) pumps, LeRoy said. They need to do something. This area floods too much.

When the residents of the flooded house climbed up onto the dry sidewalk Tuesday, LeRoy asked if the firefighters would clear the backyard sewage drain, which clogs witbh debris as flood waters try recede, just as it did again Tuesday.

The firefighters said rescue calls were constant, so they had no time for clogged drains.

They then drove away, leaving the LeRoy and Bilek alone at their now flooded business.

We should move to Collinsville, LeRoy joked to Bilek. Later, he said it as a matter of fact.

A City of Belleville worker shovels out blockage in a backlot sewer drain on July 16, 2024. According to Dorian LeRoy, owner of the property that flooded, blocked drains exasperate flooding issues.

LeRoy said his property sits in a low spot, where water tends to pool sooner than in other areas.

According to LeRoy, the East Main Street sewer drain clogs first, then the water backs up into his yard. When that gets cleared, all the water and trash gets sent into the back and clogs that drain.

Even though they didnt clear the other drains, LeRoy was still thankful that the firefighters were available to help.

Bilek said the store flooded quickly. She warned against stepping in the water due to possible electricity currents.

She also said in the past the water has backed up through the toilet.

LeRoy said if the backyard drain isnt cleared, the water could last for five to six hours. About two hours after the flooding started, a worker for the city of Belleville arrived to began clearing out the drain in the back yard, where three cars were submerged in water to the middle of their doors.

LeRoy said in a past flood, hed spent upward of $25,000 to fully repair the damages.

I just rebounded from that one last year, he said. I dont know how much this one will cost. (Belleville) either needs to fix the problem, or we need to move.

Dirt scars the backdoor to NEC Technology Repairs on July 16, 2024. This time, the water came in through this door, though, in past floods, it came through the buildings toilet.
Belleville man who was a passenger in a weekend car crash dies at St. Louis hospital

A 20-year-old Belleville man died after a car struck another vehicle, veered off of the road and hit a pole in Cahokia Heights on Saturday night, according to the St. Louis Medical Examiners Office.

Ashton Jackson, 20, was pronounced deceased Sunday at 7:19 p.m. at St. Louis University Hospital, said Tara Rick, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Medical Examiners Office.

Jackson was a passenger in the Honda Accord that was being driven by Teagan D. Kelley, 21, of the 1200 block of Greenfield Place, OFallon, when it crashed.

Kelley was pronounced dead Saturday night in the emergency room of Touchette Regional Hospital, said St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr.

Cahokia Heights Police were dispatched to Illinois Route 15 and Pocket Road after receiving a call about the accident at 7:36 p.m., Cahokia Heights Detective DeMarius Thomas said.

Kelley was traveling west on Illinois 15 when his car struck an SUV with a 63-year old driver inside. The SUV driver did not seek medical treatment, Thomas said.

The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating, Thomas said.
(Bloomberg) -- The eldest son of late former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was tempted to follow in his fathers political footsteps but for now he says hes committed to his familys broadcasting business.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I might like just the idea of getting into politics, but thats not actually for me, Pier Silvio Berlusconi said on late Tuesday at an event at the companys headquarters close to Milan, noting hes more of a corporate man than a wanna-be politician.

He also revealed that he had already refused when about a decade ago his father asked him to join his center-right Forza Italia party. Pier Silvio also denied that he ever commissioned a survey to sound out his possible political approval rating.

Pier Silvio, 55, is Chief Executive Officer of MFE-MediaForEurope NV, Italys largest commercial television best known as Mediaset. The company has recently been focusing on building a pan-European hub for free-to-air televisions. Beyond Italy it also manages operations in Spain and Germany, where MFE is ProSiebenSat.1 Media SEs largest shareholder.

Last year, Pier Silvio and his sister Marina Berlusconi formally took control of their fathers roughly 7 billion ($7.7 billion) business empire after all the heirs reached an agreement on the late billionaires will.

Forza Italia is a junior ally in Premier Giorgia Melonis right-wing government coalition, currently led by foreign minister and deputy Premier Antonio Tajani.

Its good for Italy to now have a stable government, as thats positive for citizens as well as for entrepreneurs, Pier Silvio said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office is looking to help kids get ready to head back to school by stuffing backpacks with school supplies. BCSO is accepting school supply donations at all of their substations for elementary through high school students.

Bernalillo County wants input on infrastructure, community, and safety plans

The department said they see the need in the low-income communities they serve. We understand the hardship that school brings. Getting school supplies, school clothes. So we thought creating stuff the Backpack, we could help alleviate some of that stress, said BCSO Special Victim Unit Liasion Irene Melendez.

The backpacks are getting stuffed on July 31 with kids going back to school on August 7. To see the list of items needed, click this link for an Amazon wishlist.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Bernie Sanders conceded Joe Biden has trouble speaking  but said his agenda was more important.

"Sometimes he doesn't put three sentences together," Sanders said.

The top progressive also said he believed Biden still "has a very good chance to win."

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who remains a key progressive power player in the Democratic Party, is sticking firmly behind President Joe Biden amid questions about his viability.

That's even as he acknowledges that Biden has issues effectively delivering his own message.

"I'm not aware that anyone thinks that Joe Biden is the best candidate in the history of the world, or that he's an ideal candidate," Sanders told The New Yorker. "Sometimes he gets confused about names. You're right  sometimes he doesn't put three sentences together."

But the Vermont senator said he remained the best candidate Democrats have and that "trying, in an unprecedented way, to take him off the ticket would do a lot more harm than good."

In the interview, Sanders said Biden had the "strongest record of any president in modern American history" and that both the media and his Democratic colleagues  20 of whom have publicly called on Biden to drop out  were not focused enough on the substance of the president's achievements.

"I would much prefer to have somebody who can't put three sentences together who is setting forth an agenda that speaks to the needs of working-class people," Sanders said. "Given these really horrific several weeks that Biden has had since the debate, where Democrats are busy attacking him, the media is busy attacking him, if he's not any worse off today than he was before the debate, I think that he has a very good chance to win."

Sanders' approach in the wake of Biden's disastrous debate performance has differed significantly from that of his fellow Vermont lawmakers.

Sen. Peter Welch, the other Vermont senator, is the sole Democratic senator who has called on Biden to drop out.

Rep. Becca Balint, the state's only House member, told VTDigger that her constituents "overwhelmingly" wanted Biden to drop out, though she stopped short of calling for it herself.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Senator Bernie Sanders basically admitted that President Biden is declining, but said he will support him anyway.



In an interview with The New Yorkers Isaac Chotiner, the Vermont senior senator confessed Biden sometimes [gets] confused about names.



Youre rightsometimes he doesnt put three sentences together. It is true, Sanders told Chotiner, before adding a big caveat.



But the reality of the moment is, in my view, he is the best candidate the Democrats have for a variety of reasons, and trying, in an unprecedented way, to take him off the ticket would do a lot more harm than good, Sanders added.



Sanders spoke about how impressed he has been with Bidens record in office, but didnt entirely dismiss the question over whether Biden could serve as president for another four years.

Look, I have concerns about everything, you know? And everybody should have concerns about everything. As a nation, we do a very poor job, both in Congress and in the media, of focusing on issues that impact the working class, Sanders said, dodging the question. So I would much prefer to have somebody who cant put three sentences together who is setting forth an agenda that speaks to the needs of working-class people.



When Chotiner described Biden as having trouble completing a single sentence, Sanders replied simply, He does.

Still, Sanders said that hed prefer Biden stay despite showing signs of decline. It is a candid description of Biden that one would not hear from any of the presidents other supporters, and that is probably because of Sanderss outsider reputation as an avowed socialist and independent in the Senate.



Unlike Bidens other supporters, Sanders isnt just offering warnings about the dangers of convicted felon Donald Trump returning to the White House, with Project 2025 in tow. He is steadfastly defending Bidens record over his nearly four years as president, with some criticisms.



My supporters are very upset, and justifiably so, at the President for his position on the war in Gaza. And I pointed that out in my op-ed. I think whats going on there is a humanitarian horror show. I think Netanyahu should not get another nickel, but that is not the White Houses position, Sanders said.



As the standard-bearer of the Democratic Partys left wing, Sanderss opinions likely are the same as many other progressives who profess their support for Biden staying on, including some members of the Squad. But they are being outflanked by a growing number of Democrats to their right who are calling for Biden to step down, who have renewed their efforts in recent days. While intraparty tension is often a cliche, the fact is that in order for the Democrats to present a unified front against Trump and the Republicans, these tensions will have to be resolved and fast, with or without Biden.


TOKYO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Japan is increasing at a record pace, reaching the highest levels seen in the past decade, data from the country's National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) showed.

According to the latest NIID report, 35,960 cases were reported from about 3,000 monitoring medical institutions nationwide during the week leading up to July 7.

An average of 11.46 cases per medical institution was reported during the reporting week, remaining above the warning level of five cases per institution in 38 prefectures.

During the reported period, the central Japanese prefecture of Mie recorded the highest number of cases per institution at 25.98, followed by Saitama with 18.8.

HFMD, a viral infection causing blister-like rashes on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth, primarily affects children under the age of five, who account for about 90 percent of cases.

Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, feeling unwell, skin rashes and sore throat. Mouth sores and ulcers on the tongue, gums and the inside of the cheeks can also indicate HFMD infection.

Japan's health ministry is urging increased hygiene measures to curb the spread of the disease.

A health ministry official advised the public to wash hands with soap and avoid sharing towels, adding that alcohol-based disinfectants are less effective against HFMD, which typically spreads during the summer. 
Beshear says federal government should reclassify marijuana to recognize its medical uses

Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters Monday that his being mentioned as a possible presidential contender is a positive reflection on Kentucky. The governor had just spoken at a celebration of Kentucky State Parks' 100th anniversary. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and his vice presidential prospects had been the center of speculation in his home state for weeks. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

In a Wednesday letter sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he supports reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III.

That would move marijuana from a DEA designation that says it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse to having a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.

Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug since 1970, when Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Beshears letter comes near the end of public comment on a Biden administration proposal to reclassify marijuana. The common period ends July 22. So far the proposal has generated almost 32,000 comments.

Beshears letter also comes as Kentucky is accepting applications for cannabis business licenses ahead of a 2025 legalization for medical marijuana. Medical providers can also apply to Kentuckys Board of Medical Licensure and Board of Nursing for permission to write cannabis prescriptions beginning next year.

The bipartisan House Bill 829 that became law during this years legislative session moved up the medical cannabis timeline from January 2025 to July 1, 2024.

Under this law, qualifying patients with a history of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cancer or other approved medical conditions will be able to use marijuana to treat their chronic illnesses.

The jury is no longer out on marijuana: It has medical uses and is currently being used for medical purposes, Beshear wrote. The recognition is overwhelming  and bipartisan. In Kentucky, for example, I signed a medical marijuana law that passed with support from Republican legislative supermajorities and a Democratic Governor.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended the classification change a year ago. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the Attorney General would initiate the rulemaking process to transfer marijuana to schedule III.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Colemans office did not yet respond to a Lantern inquiry into where Coleman stands on the proposed change.
President Joe Bidens 40-plus year evolution on reforming the Supreme Court appears to be complete.

Biden is finalizing plans to propose major structural changes to the third branch of government.

From a report by CNNs MJ Lee and Devan Cole:

Bidens move is a long time coming for progressives and Democrats who have been pushing for court reform based on the following evidence:

 Citing an election year in 2016, Republicans delayed the appointment of a successor to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, refusing to hold a hearing for President Barack Obamas nomination of Judge Merrick Garland, now Bidens attorney general.

 Ignoring their own election year precedent, Republicans rushed through the appointment of a successor to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, creating a new 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed justices that could last for decades.

 That new majority went in the opposite direction of public opinion, upending decades of precedent and reversing a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

 The conservative majority has also taken a more active role in striking down environmental policy while granting a form of superimmunity to presidents and reinterpreting the 2nd Amendment.

 Justice Clarence Thomas has been found to have accepted multiple gifts from billionaire friends.

 Thomas did not recuse himself from January 6, 2021, cases even though his wife actively worked with White House officials pushing for Trumps effort to overturn the election.

 Justices have ignored calls that they impose a binding ethics code on themselves.

Biden has long opposed Supreme Court reform.

In 1983, as a senator, Biden called Franklin D. Roosevelts plan to place term limits on older justices and expand the size of the court boneheaded. He may still feel that way. Bidens proposal does not appear to include an expansion of the size of the court, although Congress has made the court larger and smaller multiple times.

In 2020, during the Democratic primary, he was a voice against calls to reform the court, arguing that adding or subtracting justices would ruin its credibility. Instead, he promised to commission a panel to explore the issue.

That commission  The Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States  issued its final report years ago, in December 2021. It explored various proposals for court reform, including expansion and term limits, but did not endorse any of them. It is very clear from the report that Congress has been fighting over the Supreme Court for all of US history.

Commission members, who came from a breadth of ideologies, were split on whether Congress has the power to simply create a system of term limits for justices. There would also be obstacles to implementing the system over the course of years. There is historical precedent for expanding and contracting the court, on the other hand.

The most notable effort to expand the court  opponents call it court packing  came from Franklin D. Roosevelt, who became frustrated when the Supreme Court of the day struck down New Deal policies. The report notes that while the court packing plan was ultimately defeated in Congress, the threat of changing the court clearly changed its behavior, whats known as a doctrinal shift.

From the Commission:

Roosevelts plan, unlike anything Biden is likely to propose, had some chance of passing. Roosevelts Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority of 69 votes in 1937. Bidens Democrats are barely in the majority at the moment. Any Biden proposal would almost certainly be squashed by the Republican minority in the Senate if it were to come up for consideration this year. Next year, Republicans may hold power in the White House and the Senate with hopes to appoint new, young conservative justices, not modify the court.

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President Joe Biden made his first campaign appearances Tuesday in Las Vegas, including addressing the 115th NAACP National Convention, following the assassination attempt of Donald Trump. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI

July 16 (UPI) -- At the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas Tuesday, President Joe Biden made his first public appearance since the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

Biden addressed the NAACP convention in the afternoon local time and afterward participated in an economic forum hosted by the Vote to Live Action Fund.

"With the help of the NAACP and Black elected members of Congress, we have gotten so much done," Biden told attendees. "A presidential historian said we have gotten more done than any president since Franklin Roosevelt."

Biden said the unemployment rate among Blacks is lower than ever, the poverty rate among Black children is half of what it was when he entered office and Black-owned small businesses have experienced record growth under his administration.

Biden also was scheduled to address the UnidosUS Annual Conference at noon local time at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Nevada is one of seven swing states that could decide who wins the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Biden briefly paused his re-election campaign following the failed attempt on Trump'slife Saturday that resulted in the death of one rally attendee and serious injuries to two others.

The president hopes to shore up his support among Black and Hispanic voters in Nevada during the two-day visit to Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department beefed up its presence throughout the Las Vegas valley while Biden is in town to help ensure his safe travel to and from event locations.
The Biden administration has named the site of the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, a segregated school for Mexican American children, as the countrys newest national park, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Wednesday.

The Blackwell School was first built in 1909, during a period when segregated facilities existed not only for Black Americans but also in areas with heavy Mexican and Mexican American populations. In addition to the main adobe structure, the protected site includes a separate on-site annex built in 1927.

The school operated under what federal judges would later term de facto segregation rather than a separation ordered by law, similarly to entirely white or Black schools that were the subject of desegregation busing in the 1970s. The Blackwell School remained in operation through 1965, a decade after the Supreme Courts landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision ruled segregation in public education unconstitutional. Blackwell students were barred from speaking Spanish in 1954, the same year as the Brown ruling.

A complete history of America must include everyones story. The designation of the Blackwell School National Historic Site is an important step in telling a more diverse and inclusive history of the Mexican American experience in our country, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a statement. We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of many to save and share the story of the Blackwell School and its students in order to honor the alumni, family members and Hispanic communities affected by these practices.

Today, the Blackwell School is fully entrusted to the American people as a place of history, learning, and healing, Daniel Hernandez, president of the Blackwell School Alliance, which has long lobbied for the preservation of the site, said in a statement to The Hill. Were deeply grateful for all who have contributed their time and talents to this grassroots effort over the last two decades  especially our alumni, whose experiences will forever serve as the foundation for telling this story.

The announcement comes two years after the site was designated a National Historic Site in 2022, beginning the process that culminated with the official designation Wednesday. The most recent national park designated before the Blackwell School was the River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, designated weeks before Biden took office in December 2020.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sponsored legislation establishing the designation in 2022, praised the announcement in a statement.

For decades, young Texans of Latino descent were forced to receive a segregated education from their white peers at the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, which still stands today as a symbol of how far our nation has come, Cornyn. I am proud to see the Blackwell School finally established as a National Park after years of hard work with my Congressional colleagues, which will allow all Americans to learn from our past and honor the progress we have made as a nation.

Updated at 10:30 p.m.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Biden administration has loosened its proposed car and truck fuel economy standards, dividing environmentalists, Politico reported.

What's happening?

In 2023, the Department of Transportation announced a proposed rule that would require cars to meet an average of 55.7 mpg and SUVs and trucks to meet an average of 52.2 mpg by 2031. Now, it has revised the rule, pulling the requirements down to 50.4 mpg and 45 mpg, respectively.

The announcement was met with mixed reviews by environmentalists. Some saw the standards as an improvement, while others, like Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity, accused the administration of "[caving] to automaker pressure," per Politico.

"This rulemaking was [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's] chance to set strong standards for gas-powered vehicles, but instead it sat on its tailpipes, leaving automakers free to make cars, SUVs and pickups that will guzzle and pollute for decades and keep America stuck on oil," Becker said in a statement shared by Politico.

Why is the rule change concerning?

Transportation contributes more planet-warming pollution than any other economic sector in the United States, accounting for about a third of all emissions. As the Earth continues to overheat, we can expect to face dangerous impacts, like more severe storms that can destroy homes and threaten lives, and droughts that impact global food security.

For instance, meteorologists are predicting an intensification of hurricanes during the 2024 season. Earlier in the year, catastrophic flooding impacted people across the globe, from Florida to Brazil and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, dangerous wildfires raged across the globe, too, from New Mexico to the Amazon.

Plus, the same pollution that spikes global temperatures also directly impacts public health. According to the American Lung Association, long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution is associated with asthma onset, lower respiratory tract infections in children, and premature death.

What's being done about traffic pollution?

A number of governments are trying to cut down on tailpipe pollution to help fight rising global temperatures and protect public health. For example, Wales is banning most new roadway projects to cut down on carbon pollution, while Scotland is turning many urban areas into "20-minute neighborhoods" that will give residents easier access to public transit.

In the U.S., New York is requiring all Lyfts and Ubers to be electric by 2030, and New Jersey will require all new cars to be electric by 2035.

You can make a difference by changing the way you get from point A to point B. Try using public transportation when possible, biking more, walking if it's feasible, or making your next car an EV.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
President Joe Biden is planning to announce major reforms to the Supreme Court in upcoming weeks, according to multiple reports.

The president plans to propose legislation that would enforce term limits on justices and a code of ethics for justices, The Washington Post reported, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

Biden announced the changes during a Zoom call on Saturday, July 13 with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

I dont want to prematurely announce itbut Im about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court, Biden said, according to a transcript of the call viewed by the Post.

The president said he was working with constitutional scholars for the last three months on possible changes to the high courtmeaning Bidens office was working on these changes before the Supreme Courts controversial decision to find former President Donald Trump immune from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while holding the office.

Biden strongly condemned the courts decision on July 1, but declined to take questions from reporters at a press conference the same day.

It is unclear exactly when Biden plans to announce this legislation to the public. The White House did not return a request for comment from the Daily Beast.

Biden Tells NBCs Lester Holt: Im On The Horse Despite Democratic Doubters

Biden could be looking for momentum going into the Democratic National Convention in August, as members of his own party continue to pressure him to drop out of the race after a lackluster debate performance with Trumpwho was officially named the Republican nominee on Monday.

Bidens push for term limits and an enforceable code of ethics for justices echoes criticism from Democrats after Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose lavish vacations to Bali and stays at a manor owned by billionaire and conservative donor Harlan Crow in 2019, which were first reported by ProPublica in 2023.

Thomas finally acknowledged the trips in June, but claimed they were inadvertently omitted from his previous disclosure reports.

Earlier in June, Justice Samuel Alito also came under fire for allegedly flying the Appeal to Heaven flag and an upside-down American flag at his homes in New Jersey and Virginiaboth symbols used in recent years by far-right movements.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Biden is lauding Kamala Harris, saying his VP 'could be president of the United States'

Biden is lauding Kamala Harris, saying his VP 'could be president of the United States'

Joe Biden is singing the praises of Kamala Harris as calls for him to step aside grow.

"She's not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States," he said.

Biden has maintained that he plans to stay in the 2024 race.

President Joe Biden is heaping praise on Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she "could be the president of the United States."

Speaking at an NAACP event, he started by slamming former President Donald Trump for his claim during the presidential debate last month that immigrants are "taking Black jobs."

"I know what a Black job is. It's the vice president of the United States," he said.

"Folks, because of you, I am president and Kamala Harris is vice president," he said before adding: "And by the way, she's not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States."

This appeared to be a more articulate version of his praise for Harris at a press conference on Thursday, during which he mixed up Harris' and Trump's names.

"Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn't think she was not qualified to be vice president," Biden said during the press conference.

To be sure, Biden has maintained that he does not intend to drop out of the race amid mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers, donors, and political commentators to step aside in favor of another candidate.

In a recorded interview on Friday, Complex Networks' Speedy Morman asked Biden whether he was committed to continuing in the race.

Biden responded: "Unless I get hit by a train, yeah."

He's marching on despite at least 18 House Democrats and one Democratic senator calling on him to quit.

In a letter to House Democrats on July 8, he said: "I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."

An Ipsos poll of registered voters conducted for ABC News and The Washington Post between July 5 and 9 found that if Harris ran for the top job instead of Biden, she would have a 2-percentage-point edge over Trump.

The poll surveyed 2,431 adults and found Harris had a lead over Trump of 49% to 47% among the registered voters surveyed.

In contrast, RealClearPolitics' polling averages indicate that Biden trails Trump in six key swing states.

Biden's campaign manager has said that if Biden quits, most of his campaign's sizable war chest will go to Harris.

While Harris has backed Biden, she's appeared increasingly presidential after the debate.

For instance, on the same day that Biden held a press conference following the NATO summit, Harris put on her own show on the campaign trail in North Carolina.

VP: Understand as Trump bows down to dictators, he makes America weak and that is disqualifying for someone who wants to be commander-in-chief of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/n55nBCgLfn  Acyn (@Acyn) July 11, 2024

Her staff also changed her schedule after the June CNN debate, having her appear beside Biden for the Fourth of July fireworks and a picnic at the White House, something she had not done before, per The New York Times.

Representatives for the Biden-Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Correction: July 17, 2024  An earlier version of this story misstated when an Ipsos poll took place. It was conducted between July 5 and 9, not on July 11.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Biden may endorse big Supreme Court reforms. Do term limits for justices have a chance?

The Supreme Court is seen on Feb. 22 in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press)

President Biden has told progressives in Congress that he will soon endorse proposals to reform the Supreme Court, including by putting term limits on the justices and enforcing an ethics code.

He also spoke in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn the immunity for presidents that the courts conservative justices granted two weeks ago, according to media reports Wednesday.

But the president apparently remains opposed to expanding the court from nine to 13 justices.

If Democrats can win control of the House and Senate in the November election and Biden is reelected, some or all of these legislative proposals could move forward early next year. But polls suggest that outcome appears increasingly unlikely.

So for now, Bidens proposed reforms remain largely political talking points for Democrats and progressives.

Nevertheless, court reform advocates welcomed Bidens show of support.

The court has long been the most powerful, least accountable part of our government, and you cant ensure the long-term success of our democracy without implementing changes to our all-powerful and unaccountable juristocracy, said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court , an advocacy group for court reform.

The vast majority of the country, regardless of party, believes the justices should not serve for life, but ... should be subject to basic oversight like Congress and the executive [branch] are, Roth said.

The idea of term limits has been popular with many Republicans over the last decade, and more recently with most Democrats as well.

Sean Eldridge, president of Stand Up America, a progressive advocacy group, pointed to a national poll in March in which 64% of voters surveyed supported bills in Congress to set an 18-year limit for Supreme Court justices; 24% said they opposed the idea.

No one should have unchecked power for life, but thats exactly what is happening right now on our nations highest court, Eldridge said. Despite escalating ethics scandals and attacks on our fundamental freedoms, the Supreme Court remains unaccountable. Congress and the president have the power to fix that and restore faith in our judiciary.

The Constitution says that justices, once appointed, shall hold their offices during good behavior, which has been understood to mean they have lifetime terms.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, the courts longest-serving current member, won a Senate confirmation on a 52-48 vote in October 1991 and has now served through the terms of six presidents.

Life tenure for justices can also lead to uncertain and arguably unfair transfers of power with lasting consequences.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020, just before President Trump lost his reelection bid. Senate Republicans scrambled to quickly replace the liberal justice with conservative Amy Coney Barrett, 48, who cast a deciding vote to overturn Roe vs. Wades nationwide right to abortion.

Read more: Calm and controlled, Barrett shows in hearing why conservatives bet she'll reshape Supreme Court

While two-term Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama each made just two appointments to the high court, President Trump added three justices in his single term.

A decade ago, Republicans favored term limits for justices, while Democrats were wary, Roth pointed out.

In 2015, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, seeking the GOP presidential nomination, called for term limits for the bench.

Liberals were nowhere on the scene. They criticized it as trying to term-limit [Hillary Clintons] appointments, Roth said. But since the bench shifted to a 6-3 conservative majority, Democrats have championed proposed limits.

The term-limit proposals, if enacted, would give each new justice a single 18-year term on the Supreme Court. And each president could appoint two new justices during a four-year term in the White House.

If such a bill were to become law, a newly elected President Biden or President Trump would be authorized to appoint a new justice in 2025 and a second new justice in 2027.

Proponents say this system would be more fair and more predictable.

But proposals differ on what would happen once a new justice is appointed. Senate Democrats propose that the senior member of the court  in this instance, Thomas  would become a senior justice retired from active service. He could fill in on occasion if another justice were recused from a case.

Such a plan would surely be challenged as unconstitutional. Congress may by law change the number of justices, but it is not clear whether they could repeal the life-tenure rule for current justices.

Other term-limit proposals would add justices to the court without requiring older justices to retire. For example, a newly appointed justice could join the bench in 2025, giving the court a total of 10 justices.

Proponents of this approach say it has a much better chance of being upheld as constitutional.

Biden has not said which approach he plans to endorse. Its also unclear what ethics rules can be written into law, but Congress could set new rules for hearing complaints involving the justices.

The Supreme Court has adopted a code of conduct, but it lacks outside enforcement. Some of the justices say Congress cannot impose its rules on the court.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's cultural centre, Shusha City, will host Vagif Poetry Days on July 17-19, Azernews reports.

The event is co-organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture Ministry.

Well-known figures of literature, culture, and science, as well as poets and writers from the Turkish republics visiting Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, will participate in the Vagif Poetry Days.

As part of Vagif Poetry Days, events will be organised in various historical and cultural places in Shusha, including the Molla Panah Vagif Museum Mausoleum Complex, restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, as well as the House of Khurshidbanu Natavan, in front of the Shusha City Executive Authority and the Shusha Hotel and Congress Centre.

On January 14, 1982, the mausoleum of the great poet and statesman Molla Panah Vagif (1717-1797) and the House of Poetry were inaugurated in Shusha with the participation of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

It was at that event that National Leader Heydar Aliyev supported the initiative of the Azerbaijani literary figures in this direction and gave an instruction to hold the Vagif Poetry Days.

The festival of speech and art was organised for the first time in July 1982.

The Vagif Poetry Days, which have a forty-two-year history, are being organised for the fourth time in Shusha city, which was freed from occupation.
KABUL, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in west Afghanistan's Herat province set on fire 60 tonnes of outdated medicines and foodstuff on Wednesday, calling on drug stores and shopkeepers to avoid selling expired items, provincial director for quality checking of medicines and foodstuff, Sabour Ahmad Khaleqi, said.

"The outdated medicines, poor-quality items and foodstuff weighing more than 60 tonnes and worth more than 35 million afghanis (about 500,000 U.S. dollars) had been collected from drug stores and shops over the past three months and were burned today," Khaleqi said, adding such a practice would continue.

Three months ago, the authorities set on fire 65 tonnes of such expired products in Herat province, the official said. 
Biden is only listening to polling data from loyalists, according to new report

Biden is only listening to polling data from loyalists, according to new report

Recent polls show Trump leading Biden after Biden's poor debate performance.

Biden's inner circle is shrinking, The New York Times reported.

Many Democrats are concerned about Biden's chances against Trump, urging him to drop out.

The polls do not look great for President Joe Biden, but according to The New York Times, Biden hasn't checked in directly with his campaign's team of pollsters.

A new report from The Times describes the president's inner circle as shrinking and comprised of family members, including First Lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter, and a small group of loyalists.

The outlet reported Biden has instead been getting updates from his longtime friend Mike Donilon, a former pollster who the Times previously reported was responsible for delivering polling news, good and bad, to the president.

The Times cited conversations with more than three dozen people for its report, which emphasized a growing divide between Biden  and those who are staunchly backing him  and many Democratic voters and elected officials concerned about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump in November.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

But Biden on Monday gave some indication that he's increasingly relying on himself to make decisions about his candidacy.

In an interview with NBC at the White House, Lester Holt asked Biden who he listens to on "deeply personal issues" like whether or not to stay in the race.

"Me," Biden responded. "Look, I've been doing this a long time. The idea that I'm the old guy  I am, I'm old  but I'm only three years older than Trump, number one, and number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good."

According to a FiveThirtyEight analysis that looks at the averages of many polls, Biden and Trump were neck-and-neck for a good chunk of June. After Biden's disastrous debate perforce, FiveThirtyEight's analysis shows Trump pulling out ahead and currently leading by more than 2 percentage points.

A comparison of national polling averages from the Cook Political Report, based on 21 national polls, also found a stark gap between the candidates last week. The report found Trump polling at an average of 46.7% and Biden at 44.3%.

And polling of the presidential race isn't the only kind he should worry about.

A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll last week found most Democrats think Biden should drop out of the race after his debate performance.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden is planning to unveil proposals that could dramatically reshape the Supreme Court, including term limits on justices who now sit on the court for life, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The effort represents a substantial shift for a president who has long resisted urging from many people in his party to support reforms to the high court, and comes as he is scraping for political support to bolster his beleaguered presidential campaign.

The president has also discussed an enforceable ethics code for justices and a constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Courts recent decision offering broad immunity to presidents for official actions, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the effort.

Any significant changes would likely face a perilous path to becoming law. Congress is not expected to take up major legislation before Novembers election, where public opinion polls favor Bidens Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. If the president were reelected, hed have to overcome almost certain opposition from congressional Republicans, who have viewed the Supreme Courts latest rightward turn as a major political victory.

The White House has not consulted with lawmakers on the House or Senate Judiciary Committees about the plans, according to a person familiar with the outreach. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the presidents plans.

Earlier: Supreme Court Once Wary of Trump Gives Him Election-Year Boosts

Im not going to get ahead of the president, so I dont have anything to share at this time, she said.

But Biden hinted at the coming proposal in a call Saturday with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as he was looking to shore up political support following his disastrous presidential debate on June 27.

Liberal members of the Democratic caucus have increasingly sought to bring dramatic change to the Supreme Court after its conservative majority has delivered a series of Republican policy priorities. At the same time, some justices have come under scrutiny for accepting high-dollar gifts from conservative donors and activists.

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that had guaranteed federal abortion rights for almost half a century. The high court also struck down Bidens attempt to cancel student loan debt, and overturned affirmative action programs in college admissions.

Simultaneously, Justice Clarence Thomas has come under fire for failing to disclose expensive gifts and vacations from Republican donors.

In June, the court found that presidents could receive immunity for official acts, creating new complications for efforts to prosecute Trump in a series of criminal cases.

Biden said he believed the court had made a terrible decision in an interview Monday with NBC News. They seem out of touch with what the founders intended, he added.

Trump, in a statement to his social media platform on Tuesday, accused Democrats of attacking the Supreme Court with the proposed reforms.

The reason that these Communists are so despondent is that their unLawful Witch Hunts are failing everywhere, Trump wrote. The Democrats are attempting to interfere in the Presidential Election, and destroy our Justice System, by attacking their Political Opponent, ME, and our Honorable Supreme Court.

Democratic efforts to push reform to the Supreme Court arent new. Many in the party called for changes after Senate Republicans blocked the nomination by President Barack Obama of Merrick Garland to the court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Biden created a presidential commission to study the Supreme Court early in his term, but the panels final report ultimately provided no recommendations and he did not endorse any legal reforms.

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President Joe Biden, potentially picking up an idea that could rally party liberals to his cause as he fights off calls to end his reelection bid, is set to soon endorse a set of sweeping changes to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Citing remarks Biden made in a video conference call Saturday with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Post said the overhauls include term limits for justices and an enforceable code of conduct.

He may also support the drafting of a constitutional amendment meant to walk back the Supreme Courts recent decision surrounding Donald Trumps criminal charges, in which the court ruled presidents are largely immune from criminal prosecution for their official conduct.

The changes to the court would likely need to be signed off on by Congress, a near-impossibility in this election year, and could be blocked by Republicans via a filibuster even if Democrats retained a majority of Senate seats in November.

Still, Bidens reported shift on whether the court should be reformed would mark a big change for him. Earlier in his term, he commissioned a study of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, but did little more.

Im going to need your help on the Supreme Court, because Im about to come out  I dont want to prematurely announce it  but Im about to come out with a major initiative on limiting the court.  Ive been working with constitutional scholars for the last three months, and I need some help, the Post quoted Biden as telling the group, citing a transcript from a source it did not identify.

Democrats have focused their ire on the nations highest court in recent years, as the six-justice conservative majority on the nine-person court has rolled out powerful rulings.

In 2022, it went against almost a half-century of legal precedent to override Roe v. Wade, allowing states to restrict abortions. In June, it threw out a 40-year-old precedent called Chevron deference. That doctrine had been crucial in supporting the governments regulatory authority, because it said agencies could put in place regs and rules without waiting to see the outcome of court challenges in most instances.

The Supreme Court has also come under increased scrutiny in the wake of reporting from ProPublica that expensive and unreported gifts to two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, had gone undisclosed.

The scandals surrounding Alito and Thomas spurred Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to file impeachment articles against them.

Related...
As Biden proposes overhaul of Supreme Court, how did we get here?

For years, a storm has been brewing at the Supreme Court.

Unpopular rulings led by the courts conservative majority, overturning decades-old legal precedents, and allegations of ethical misconduct has seen approval ratings for the court plummet among Americans.

As the court has ruled to remove federal protections for abortion, effectively overturned affirmative action and more, increasing numbers of people have demand greater transparency from the nine justices.

In an effort to rein in the court, lawmakers have suggested legislation, and even threatened impeachment, to hold the justices accountable.

Now, President Joe Biden is set to propose a major overhaul including term limits for justices and an enforceable code of ethics on the institution.

The back story

The Supreme Court was formed as part of the Constitution in 1787. But the Constitution did not explicitly give the court the power it is known to have today to review legislation, or actions taken by the president.

The Constitution did establish several checks, however. The president nominates judges to the bench but they must be approved by Congress.

This artist sketch depicts arguments before the Supreme Court during a case about whether former president Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution (AP)

Congress also has the power to pass legislation that limits or changes the courts structure and rulings. But that hasnt happened in a long time, even after multiple scandals.

Last year, ProPublica investigations revealed that conservative Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of luxury vacations, private travel and tuition for his great-nephew from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for more than two decades and never disclosed it.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito took a luxury vacation with a Republican donor who had business interest in a case before the court but did not disclose it. Nor did he recuse himself from the case.

Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022 (AP)

A closer inspection of the nine justices finances revealed myriad ways that they benefited from their positions but have not disclosed. Justice Sotomayor earned millions from book sales, in part thanks to her staff encouraging schools that she spoke at over the years to purchase them.

In May, the New York Times revealed that Justice Alitos wife hung an upside-down flag - a symbol used by January 6 rioters - at their Virginia home. The incident took place while Justice Alito was deciding a case that directly affected the sentencing of some rioters.

What is Biden proposing - and why now?

Biden is reportedly planning on endorsing legislative proposals that would alter the structure of the court by enacting term limits and enforcing a code of ethics.

He told a group of lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Saturday that he has spent the last three months working with constitutional scholars on the initiative, according to The Washington Post.

Both proposals would require congressional approval, a massive hurdle in the Republican-controlled House, where GOP lawmakers have largely supported the courts decisions.

Bidens proposal is likely linked to the courts low approval ratings and recent rulings that Democrats worry could embolden Donald Trump should he be re-elected in November.

A lone protester holds a sign calling on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign to resign as the high judges issued opinions on three cases, including a federal ban on bump stocks, in Washington, on 14 June 2024 (EPA)

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of giving the president absolute immunity over core powers and sweeping immunity over official acts in office.

But Bidens plan also serves as leverage when trying to convince potential supporters to vote for him. The conservative majority of the court is made up of three Trump appointees and if the former president is re-elected, justices could step down which would allow Trump to tap other conservative judges.

Just imagine if he has two more appointments, what that means, Biden said in an interview with BET on Tuesday.

Has anyone tried to change the Supreme Court before?

At various points in history, lawmakers have proposed changes to the court - but none have come to fruition.

The closest moment was when president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) introduced legislation to pack the court or add more seats to the court in 1937. The plan was to pass a law that would allow the president to appoint a new justice for every current justice over 70. But in the end, it failed before the Senate.

Pushes for reform over the last year have met a similar fate. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, tried to fast-track a bill to improve transparency and enact an enforceable code of ethics last year but Republicans have kept it tied up at the committee stage.

Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced articles of impeachment in the House against Justices Thomas and Alito for refusing to recuse themselves from cases with potential conflicts of interest. But in a Republican-controlled House, it is unlikely the move will receive the majority vote.

What is the likely outcome?

Biden and other lawmakers efforts to reform the Supreme Court is an uphill battle.

Any legislative action, like the kind Biden is endorsing, would require the support of Republicans in the House and Senate, who are unlikely to back these changes to the court given the majority currently swings in conservatives favor.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for a limit on rent increases. Washington state lawmakers have debated rent cap legislation the past two years but no bill has made it to the governor's desk. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Democratic state lawmakers in Washington came up empty this year when they sought to cap rent increases to help tenants cope with surging costs of housing.

They view President Joe Bidens call Tuesday for limiting rent hikes as validation that housing affordability is a problem nationwide, and say it could re-energize the conversation on assisting renters in Washington.

It does support what weve been seeing and hearing that rent increases are hurting working people, said Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, sponsor of a rent stabilization measure in the 2024 session. Im glad theres a push at the federal level to recognize that.

Across the board, whether youre Republican or Democrat, rural or urban, affordability is top of mind, she continued. Its definitely a bipartisan problem. Well see if his introducing this plan will sway any of my colleagues.

Under Bidens proposal, landlords could raise rents no more than 5% a year if they want to claim a federal tax break enabling faster write-off of depreciation costs.

His proposal would only apply to owners of 50 or more units and includes exceptions for new construction and substantial renovation or rehabilitation. The Biden administration estimates this could cover more than 20 million units nationwide. If enacted, it would sunset in two years.

Rent is too high and buying a home is out of reach for too many working families and young Americans, after decades of failure to build enough homes. Im determined to turn that around, Biden said in a statement. Im sending a clear message to corporate landlords: If you raise rents more than 5% on existing units, you should lose valuable tax breaks.

Representatives of two statewide associations of rental property owners blistered the presidents plan, saying it would neither lower housing costs nor increase its supply. Accelerated depreciation is an incentive to spur investment and taking it away will result in less new construction.

We all absolutely, unequivocally agree that rent caps are not a solution to the housing crisis were experiencing, said Nick Marin, executive director of the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association, whose members would be affected by the federal plan. Collectively, the members represent 340,000 units and most have properties of 50 units or more.

Ryan Makinster, director of government affairs for the association, said in Washington we need 1 million units in the next 20 years. [Bidens] plan will chill or stop development when we need new supply.

Washington lawmakers lamented Bidens plan is short-term and only covers a segment of the rental market rather than all of it. They also said they arent waiting on Congress to act.

Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, chair of the House Housing Committee, said it should apply universally as big landlords could find a workaround to avoid being subject to the cap.

I appreciate the conversation is happening at a national level but we know we need to act locally, he said.

A reset in 2025

Democrats pursuit of a bill to limit hikes to 7% a year for many tenants made for one of the fiercer policy fights in this years legislative session.

It passed the state House on a mostly party-line vote as Republicans staunchly opposed the idea of limiting increases. But the legislation lapsed in a Senate committee as divisions emerged in the Democratic caucus, specifically when it comes to how far moderate members were willing to go in setting government guardrails around rent prices.

Trudeau and Peterson each vowed to restart the conversation in January.

I believe what we passed out of the House last session was a good, reasonable piece of legislation, Peterson said.

Sean Flynn, president and executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Washington, said the group opposed the legislation this past session and will do so in the next if it comes up.

Rent control is a failed policy. Its never worked anywhere where its been tried, he said. Bidens proposal probably adds heat to the conversation. What Im hoping is that we have cooler heads prevail than adopting a failed policy from the last century.

And it may not be the only legislation to be debated.

Bidens approach mirrors a bill authored by Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, which failed to receive a vote by the full Senate last session.

In Washington, rental property owners do not pay a business and occupation tax on rent they collect. Kuderers bill sought to change the law and start to levy a tax.

It also would have given the tax exemption to landlords who voluntarily agreed to limit annual increases to no more than 5%. There should be a public purpose associated with a tax break, and, in this situation, it would be helping keep people in their homes, she said.

It is an incentive-based approach, she said. Do we want them living in the streets or have a roof over their head? I prefer the latter.
President Joe Biden is weighing a slate of proposals aimed at dramatically reforming the Supreme Court, including imposing term limits and establishing an enforceable code of ethics, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Biden has also discussed calling for a constitutional amendment to limit immunity for presidents and certain other officeholders, in a response to the courts ruling last month that presidents should be shielded from criminal prosecution for a range of official acts.

The proposals are not yet finalized, said the person, who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. But Biden previewed the move during a call last week with progressive lawmakers, promising a major initiative to overhaul the court, and an official announcement could come in a matter of weeks.

Establishing term limits and an ethics code would both require congressional approval, including 60 votes in the Senate, likely making for a tough path to passage even if Biden is reelected and Democrats control both chambers of Congress next year. A constitutional amendment would face an even higher bar, requiring two-thirds support from both chambers of Congress or from a convention called by two-thirds of the states, as well as the approval of three-fourths of state legislatures.

The Washington Post first reported Biden's consideration of court reforms.

Proposing the package would nevertheless mark a significant shift for Biden, after dismissing calls for years to reform the Supreme Court. And it could help rebuild support among progressive Democrats, many of whom remain skeptical he can win reelection following a faltering debate performance last month.

A former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign rejected a push by liberals to endorse expanding the court. Instead, he created a commission to study possible changes  but has not taken action since that report was published in late 2021.

Yet in the latter half of his term, Biden has taken sharper aim at the court in response to a spate of rulings by its conservative majority that gutted abortion protections, blocked gun safety measures, eliminated affirmative action and rolled back other rights.

The courts presidential immunity decision, meanwhile, was cited earlier this week as the foundation for the dismissal of a criminal case against Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents.

I think the Supreme Court made a terrible decision, Biden said during an NBC News interview on Monday. I would argue, if you check, surveyed constitutional scholarship, they seem out of touch with what the founders intended.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have also been embroiled in personal ethics scandals. Thomas was the subject of extensive reporting last year on his failure to disclose lavish gifts and travel, and his close ties to wealthy Republican donors. Alito flew flags outside his homes that were associated with the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Those episodes further ramped up scrutiny of the court, whose members are appointed to lifetime terms, and spurred fresh rounds of reform calls from Democratic lawmakers representing all corners of the party.
Insights from The Washington Post, Axios, Politico, and Semafor

The News

President Joe Biden is set to add major changes to the US Supreme Court to his campaign promises, a long shot that he hopes could help his lagging reelection bid.

The proposals include establishing term limits for justices and an enforceable ethics code, a reform that has gained popularity among Democrats after revelations about members of the courts apparent ties to far-right and conservative causes, The Washington Post reported. The president is also considering supporting a constitutional amendment to eliminate broad immunity for presidents and other constitutional officeholders, according to reports.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

SCOTUS reforms are attempt to revive Bidens campaign

Sources: Axios, The Washington Post, NPR

Endorsing the changes is part of a laundry list of left-wing policy proposals Biden has taken up to get progressive voters back onside in his faltering reelection campaign, Axios noted. As a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden has historically been a staunch opponent of major changes to the Supreme Court, The Washington Post noted. In 2020, he opposed calls to expand the court, but started a committee to discuss potential changes to it in 2021. However the courts recent decisions  as well as the ethical issues surrounding conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas  may have prompted him to make combatting the courts conservative turn a key theme of his campaign, NPR wrote.

Passing reforms on SCOTUS is a long shot at best

Sources: Politico, Bloomberg Law

Any changes to the Supreme Court would need to go through Congress and obtain 60 votes in the Senate, a tough path, Politico noted, even if Biden won reelection and Democrats controlled both chambers; an amendment to the Constitution would face even more significant legal challenges, and require the approval of Congress and state legislatures. Congressional Republicans, who have viewed the Supreme Courts latest rightward turn as a major political victory, would certainly oppose any changes, Bloomberg Law noted.

Democratic Party remains at war with itself over Biden

Sources: Semafor, Axios, Politico

Talks of replacing Biden are slowly ramping up again within the Democratic Party after a brief reprieve following Trumps assassination attempt. The party remains at war with itself over Biden, Semafors David Weigel noted. Some Democrats are pushing forward with a plan to vote on Biden as the presidential nominee weeks before the partys convention, citing concerns over an Ohio ballot issue thats already been resolved. But Democrats in Congress are also reviving their rebellion, Axios wrote, and some are circulating a new poll showing that Biden alternatives are three points ahead of him on average in battleground states, Politico added.
President Joe Biden would reevaluate his decision to stay in the presidential race if doctors told him he had a medical issue, he said in an interview with BET News.

If I had some medical condition that emerged, Biden said, when asked if there was anything that would make him reconsider. If doctors came to me and said, You got this problem, that problem.

Bidens comments, made Tuesday, marked the first time Biden opened the door to a theoretical medical condition forcing him from the presidential race. In an interview with ABC News a week after the disastrous debate, he defiantly insisted that only the "Lord Almighty" could get him to drop out of the race. Last week, he laid out a different scenario, saying during a press conference that he would step aside only if aides showed him proof he couldn't win in November.

Biden has resisted growing calls from Democrats to abandon his reelection bid following the debate last month that raised fresh questions about his age and mental acuity.

He has repeatedly defended himself since then by pointing to his doctors opinions that he remains up for the job. Kevin OConnor, the White House physician, wrote in February following an annual physical that Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.

That physical included a neurological evaluation, the White House later confirmed.

In a clip of the BET interview released on Wednesday, Biden again dismissed his debate performance as a one-off, calling it a serious mistake. And while he implied that he initially planned to only be a one-term president, Biden said he changed his mind after watching the nation become increasingly divided.

I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought Id be able to move on from this, pass it on to someone else, he told BET News Ed Gordon. But I didnt anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. Quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings [is] a little bit of wisdom, and I think Ive demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country.

There remains more to do, Biden added, and Im reluctant to walk away from that.
Biden says he would drop out of race if diagnosed with medical condition as pressure from Democrats grows

Joe Biden said in a recent interview that he would consider dropping out of the 2024 election if he was diagnosed with a "medical condition" by a doctor.

Biden's determination to stay in the 2024 race despite calls from Democratic voters and lawmakers comes just as Congressman Adam Schiff joined 20 other House Democrats to call for the president to step away from the race, saying it was "time for him to pass the torch."

The president was asked during an interview with BET what would have to happen for him to consider dropping out of the race.

If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem, Biden said in an excerpt released on Wednesday.

Hours later, the president tested positive for Covid-19.

The full interview is scheduled to air at 9pm ET on Wednesday.

A recent report by Puck detailed a Zoom call the president held with moderate Democratic lawmakers described by one participant, speaking anonymously to the outlet, as worse than the debate. The source claimed that Biden frequently lost his train of thought during the call.

US President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas. Biden said in an interview released on July 17 that he would step away from the presidential race if a doctor diagnosed him with a serious medical condition (Getty Images)

Despite calls from some Democratic lawmakers to step aside, Biden has been resolute to stay in the race and face Donald Trump in November.

On Friday, Biden told rallygoers in Michigan that he had no intentions of dropping out.

I am running, and were going to win, he said.

He cited his status as being the only Democrat or Republican who has beaten Donald Trump, ever.

Biden continued, telling the crowd that the press, pundits, and donors did not select him to become the president, but the people did, and he would continue to run because of that fact.

You decided, no one else, and Im not going anywhere, he said.
The News

US President Joe Biden said he would consider dropping his reelection campaign if a doctor told him he had a medical condition that might interfere with his ability to run and govern.

In an interview with BET News released Wednesday, Biden said he would reevaluate staying in the race if a doctor came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem. Previously, he had told ABC News he would drop out only if God told him to.

The White House physician has previously said Biden is healthy, writing after a physical in February that the president is an active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.

But Bidens age and recent public missteps have led to a chorus of calls from Democrats for Biden to drop out.

A new AP poll showed nearly two-thirds of Democrats think Biden should withdraw, even though Biden has claimed average Democrats still back him.
TEHRAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Wednesday dismissed U.S. media reports of Tehran's plot of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

In a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry early Wednesday, Kanaani made the remarks in response to CNN's claim on Tuesday that U.S. authorities "obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service beefing up security around the former president."

Kanaani stressed that Iran was determined in Trump's prosecution owing to his direct role in the "crime" of assassinating top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January 2020.

However, Tehran strongly rejected any involvement in the recent armed attack against Trump or claims that the country intended to take such an action, said Kannani, noting, "Such claims are made based on biased political objectives and motivations."

Trump survived, albeit with an ear injury, an assassination attempt by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, which left one spectator dead and two critically injured.

CNN, in its report, quoted a U.S. national security official as saying that the Secret Service and Trump campaign had been made aware of Iran's "threat" before Saturday's rally.

The report, however, said there was no indication that Crooks was connected to the plot.

Iran's UN mission rejected CNN's claim as "baseless and biased" in a statement issued in New York, according to the official news agency IRNA.

It added that from Iran's perspective, Trump "should be punished at a court for ordering Soleimani's assassination," stressing that, however, Tehran had chosen a legal path to hold Trump to account. 
The News

US President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, his press secretary announced Wednesday.

The embattled US president had been scheduled to address a Latino voter meeting at a conference in Las Vegas, but canceled after developing symptoms of the virus.

The diagnosis came after Biden said in an interview released earlier Wednesday that he would drop his bid for reelection if diagnosed with a medical condition that affected his ability to govern.

Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19, Karine Jean-Pierre, Bidens press secretary, said in a statement. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms. He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.

Also on Wednesday, California Rep. Adam Schiff became the most prominent congressional Democrat to say Biden should drop his reelection bid.
President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said on Wednesday.

The president was in Nevada and is returning to Delaware to isolate, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

He has already received a dose of Paxlovid.

As he boarded a flight out of Nevada, Biden gave reporters a thumbs-up and said he was feeling good.

I feel good, he reiterated.

Biden was not wearing a mask at the time.



Bidens bout with Covid comes as the president battles a widely-held perception among fellow Democrats that he doesnt have the strength to run for another term. For Democrats, it also serves as an unwelcome contrast to Donald Trump, who last week survived an assassination attempt.

The diagnosis comes on the tail end of a two-day swing in Nevada, where Biden he gave a speech Tuesday at the NAACPs national convention and later participated in an economic summit alongside Rep. Steven Horsford.

Biden was supposed to give a speech at the UnidosUS annual conference. The appearance has since been canceled.

Biden on Wednesday afternoon taped an interview with Univision and greeted diners at a local restaurant. He tested positive shortly thereafter.

The White House, in a statement attributed to Bidens doctor, said the president had upper respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose and non-productive cough.

He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus, the doctor said.

Bidens respiratory rate and temperature were normal, with a normal pulse oximetry of 97 percent.
President Joe Biden. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.)

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to statements from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the presidents doctor.

Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19, Jean-Pierre wrote in her statement. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms.

Biden will return to Delaware to isolate while continuing to work and the White House will provide regular updates, she said.

An accompanying statement from the presidents physician said that Biden began experiencing a runny nose, cough and general malaise on Wednesday afternoon.

He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus, the doctors statement said, later adding that a PCR confirmation test is pending.

His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%, the doctor said. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth.

Biden arrived at the Las Vegas, Nevada, airport around 3:20 p.m. local time to fly back to the East Coast, according to a White House pool report.

The president said he felt good before walking cautiously up the stairs to Air Force One, according to the report.

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Biden reportedly blew up at a House Democrat who's skeptical of his candidacy on a Zoom call.

"Tell me who did something that you've never done with your Bronze Star like my son," Biden said.

Biden has insisted he will remain in the race, despite congressional Democrats' concerns.

During a tense Zoom call with members of the centrist New Democrat Coalition on Saturday, President Joe Biden reportedly took a swipe at Rep. Jason Crow's military service.

The exchange, according to Puck News, took place after Crow, a Colorado Democrat who's been publicly skeptical of Biden's continued viability in the wake of a disastrous debate performance last month, asked the president a question about national security.

Biden reportedly replied:

"I put NATO together. Name me a foreign leader who thinks I'm not the most effective leader in the world on foreign policy. Tell me! Tell me who the hell that is! Tell me who put NATO back together! Tell me who enlarged NATO, tell me who did the Pacific basin! Tell me who did something that you've never done with your Bronze Star like my sonand I'm proud of your leadership, but guess what, what's happening, we've got Korea and Japan working together, I put AUKUS together, anyway!"

Crow, a former Army Ranger elected to Congress during the 2018 "Blue Wave," earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service during the Iraq War. The award is given to members of the military who show acts of heroism in the field or had an otherwise praiseworthy tenure.

Biden's son Beau, who died in 2015, also served in Iraq and received a Bronze Star.

According to the report, Crow then said that Biden's message wasn't "breaking through" to voters.

"You oughta talk about it!" Biden reportedly replied. "On national security, nobody has been a better president than I've been. Name me one. Name me one! So I don't want to hear that crap!"

The day after the call, Crow said on CBS's Face the Nation that Biden "heard our message very clearly" and that the president "promised to come back to us with more information to address our concerns and to answer our questions."

A source familiar with Biden's calls with congressional Democrats  which in recent days have also included the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus  emphasized that Biden has open to feedback from lawmakers, rather than merely defensive.

While some of the conversations around Biden's viability have grown muted in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, they have yet to fully dissipate.

As of Wednesday, 19 House Democrats and one Democratic senator have publicly called on Biden to withdraw from the race, while others have flatly declared that they no longer believe he will be able to defeat Trump in November.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Biden tries to drum up fundraising off Elon Musk's Trump endorsement: 'The richest person in the world is now on Team MAGA'

The Biden campaign accused Elon Musk of using his vast wealth "to try to control our democracy."

In a fundraising missive, the Biden campaign said Musk "ruined Twitter."

Musk has reportedly pledged millions to a pro-Trump super PAC.

President Joe Biden is trying to spin Elon Musk's full-throated endorsement of Donald Trump in his own financial favor.

The Biden campaign blasted out a fundraising email Tuesday, warning "Musk is using his vast fortune to try to control our democracy."

In a bid to solicit donations, the Biden campaign referenced Musk's reported $45 million monthly pledge to a pro-Trump super PAC, America PAC.

"The richest person in the world is now on Team MAGA," the email reads.

It took another jab at the billionaire, adding that "Musk already ruined Twitter by allowing hate speech and disinformation to flood the platform."

The Biden Campaign sent out an email blast in the wake of Elon Musk's endorsement of Trump and reports the Tesla CEO planned to donate millions to a Trump super PAC. Screenshot

Neither reps for Musk's X nor the Trump campaign immediately responded to Business Insider's requests for comment ahead of publication.

Musk "fully" endorsed Trump after an assassination attempt on the former president at his campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.

And the Biden campaign had previously slammed Musk for making a "sizable" donation to America PAC, Bloomberg reported.

"Arrogant billionaires only out for themselves are not what America wants or what America needs," a Biden campaign spokesman told the outlet. "Elon knows Trump is a sucker who will sell America out, cutting his taxes while raising taxes on the middle class by $2,500."

Musk has said he voted for Biden in 2020, though his biographer Walter Isaacson later wrote that Musk never made it to the polls on election day. Since then, Musk has been a frequent critic of the President after Tesla was left out of an electric-car summit in 2021.

Read the original article on Business Insider
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  President Joe Biden visited a favorite local Mexican food restaurant on Wednesday, day three of his Las Vegas visit.

Lindo Michoacan, the 34-year-old Mexican food franchise owned by Javier Barajas and located on Desert Inn Road, is consistently listed as one of Las Vegass favorite restaurants. The franchise has since opened a seventh location at Palace Station  the fourth in the Las Vegas Valley.







The presidents visit follows an appearance at the UnidosUS Annual Conference at MGM Grand. The Unidos website describes the event as one of the largest gatherings of Latinos and allies committed to increasing opportunity and driving social justice for the Latino community.

Wednesday represents the third day of President Bidens Las Vegas visit. He is expected to leave the city on Air Force One from Harry Reid International Airport later today.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
WASHINGTON  House Democrats concerned about President Joe Biden's chances to defeat Donald Trump are circulating a draft letter calling on the Democratic National Committee to halt a vote planned for as early as next week that would expedite Biden's confirmation as the party's presidential nominee.

The letter, which several House Democrats are expected to sign, argues the DNC vote is no longer needed after Ohio  the state that originally prompted the accelerated nomination vote  changed its law to give Democrats more time to formally nominate Biden.

"There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month," the letter, obtained by USA TODAY, reads. "Stifling debate and prematurely shutting down any possible change in the Democratic ticket through an unprecedented and unnecessary 'virtual roll call' in the days ahead is a terrible idea."

More: Key moments from Joe Biden's first primetime interview since Trump's assassination attempt

President Joe Biden departs the White House on July 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to deliver remarks at the NAACP National Convention and the UnidosUS Annual Conference.

Instead of waiting for next month's Democratic National Convention, Democrats decided in May to nominate Biden during a virtual roll call to ensure that Biden makes the deadline to appear on the ballot in Ohio.

Ohio's Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, had threatened to keep Biden off the ballot if he wasn't formally nominated as the Democratic nominee at least 90 days before the Nov. 5 election, per Ohio law, which meant by Aug. 7. The DNC convention is set for Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago.

But to fix the problem, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine convened a special legislative session and on June 2 signed legislation that changed the deadline to 65 days before the election, enabling Biden to be on the state's ballot after being formally nominated at the convention.

"Proceeding with a 'virtual roll call' in the absence of a valid legal rationale will be rightly perceived as a purely political maneuver, which we believe will counterproductive and undermine party cohesion," the House Democrats' letter reads.

DNC standing firm on virtual vote

Among those who intend to sign the letter, according to Axios, are Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., who represents a swing district, and Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., who has called for Biden to end his campaign. In all, at least 24 congressional Democrats have called for Biden to withdraw from the race after Biden's disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump, the Republican nominee, ignited fears within the party about his reelection bid.

A date for the DNC's virtual roll call nomination vote is still not set.

The national party committee's rulemaking arm is scheduled to meet Friday morning to put the roll call vote into motion. They are expected at the meeting to give authority to DNC Jaime Harrison and DNC Secretary Jason Rae to conduct the vote before Aug. 7.

Harrison, the DNC chair, said in a statement that the party remains committed to holding a virtual roll call ahead of the convention, noting the process remains on schedule and unchanged from when the DNC made that decision in May.

We look forward to nominating Joe Biden through a virtual roll call and celebrating with fanfare together in Chicago in August alongside the 99 percent of delegates who are supporting the Biden-Harris ticket, Harrison said.

DNC members told USA TODAY they're concerned that Republicans in Ohio, including LaRose, could still seek to have Biden kept off the ballot on a technicality even with the new law. The law does not go into effect until Aug. 31, more than a week after the Democratic National Convention.

"Why would we trust a Republican legislature and a Republican governor who already tried to keep Joe Biden off the ballot with ridiculous legal challenges if we don't officially nominate the president before August 7?" DNC rules committee member Maria Cardona said. "So we're not going to risk it. We don't trust them."

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to journalists outside Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., July 15, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley also charged that Ohio Republicans involved in the process have "proven themselves to be untrustworthy" by previously threatening to withhold Biden's name from the ballot.

"So I'm not willing to take their word," Buckley said.

LaRose's office pushed back forcefully in a statement on the accusations of potential election meddling coming from Biden-backing Democrats.

The issue is resolved in Ohio, and Democrat proxies know that and should stop trying to scapegoat Ohio for their own partys disfunction. Remember, they only ran into an issue with the deadline in the first place by scheduling their convention after the well-established deadline under Ohio law. Now that their candidate is clearly floundering, they blame Republicans," said Ben Kindel, press secretary for the Ohio Secretary of State's office.

Biden has rejected calls from some elected Democrats to relinquish his delegates and quit the ticket since the June debate. He has said repeatedly that he does not plan to drop out.

Biden detractors say not to short-circuit debate

The Democratic Party is currently "engaged in a careful consideration and debate about the absolute imperative of defeating Donald Trump and winning control of Congress," the letter circulating among House Democrats says.

More: Biden's railed against Trump for years. Now he must stand by his rival after stunning attack

Some of the House members who intend to sign the letter want Biden to drop out of the race, others want him to remain, and some haven't made a decision, it says.

Regardless of their position on Biden's candidacy, the letter says moving ahead with the virtual vote could "deeply undermine the morale and unity of Democrats  from delegates, volunteers, grassroots organizers and donors to ordinary voters  at the worst possible."

"We respectfully but empathically request that you cancel any plans for an accelerated 'virtual roll call' and further refrain from any extraordinary procedures that could be perceived as curtailing legitimate debate or attempting to force an early resolution of the party nomination," the letter says.

"The Democratic Party must nominate its presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention, in regular order, as we always have."

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's Democratic detractors tell DNC to halt early nomination
Food insecurity and food deserts are growing problems in Charlotte as the population also continues to grow.

The NoDa neighborhood is one of the areas some are concerned about. But a new grocery store is opening there, and one city councilmember says more solutions could be coming across the city.

Construction at 3100 North Tryon Street is bringing a familiar sight to NoDa: More apartments. But according to our partners at the Charlotte Business Journal, in 2025, it is also going to play host to Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.

The area is just a half mile from the Lynx Blue Line and sits at the intersection of 36th and North Tryon streets.

PREVIOUS: Grocery store coming to high-profile NoDa site

For Tyler Harris-Henson who lives in this area, the new store is life-changing. The closest mid to large-sized grocer to him is a Food Lion almost a mile and a half away on The Plaza.

You have no clue, he said. Just being able, as far as convenience-wise. We walk everywhere as a luxury and as homing as well, but just having groceries around us is going to help as far as a big impact.

Spots like NoDa that have only a few or no places to buy fresh produce are common in Charlotte, according to Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson. He said city data shows Charlotte is the second-fastest growing city in the United States. According to Anderson, more is being done to attract grocers to areas of need that include portions of west Charlotte.

Anderson adds smaller brands like Sprouts are good solutions.

They can go in communities where they have a lower density population. And so they can fill the gap where a lot of the larger retailers have greater numbers, he said.

Results are already showing in the city. Along with Sprouts, a Spanglers grocery store is set to open next year in north Charlotte at the corner of Koehler and Statesville avenues. Itll serve an area that is a food desert.

Anderson said much more needs to be done to help people like Harris-Henson currently living a tough reality.

Gas. Having to either take the train or just getting transportation in general is just hectic and tough, Harris-Henson said.

(WATCH BELOW: Grocery store to built in north Charlotte to combat food desert)




Binghamton's Avelo flights are disappearing. How to fly direct to Orlando after Aug. 18

In early July, Avelo Airlines announced its service to and from the Greater Binghamton Airport is coming to an end.

Avelo, which had offered twice weekly flights from Binghamton to Orlando on a seasonal basis since 2022, will end those flights Aug. 18.

For those with end-of-summer trips planned beyond that date, here are some of the nearby airports in New York and Pennsylvania offering direct flights to Orlando International Airport (MCO) or Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB).

Base rates range from $124.97 to $342.08, and reflect prices listed at the time of publication.

Avelo Airlines will end its seasonal twice-weekly flights from Binghamton to Orlando on Aug. 18.

Syracuse flights to Orlando

At Syracuse Hancock International Airport, JetBlue and Frontier Airlines fly nonstop to Orlando International Airport.

Round-trip JetBlue flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Syracuse are available for $342.08. For more information and flight details, visit jetblue.com.

Round-trip Frontier Airlines flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Syracuse are available for $222.96. For more information and flight details, visit flyfrontier.com.

Elmira flights to Orlando

At Elmira Corning Regional Airport, Allegiant flies nonstop to Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Round-trip Allegiant Air flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Elmira are available for $152.50. For more information and flight details, visit allegiantair.com.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton flights to Orlando

At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pennsylvania, Breeze flies nonstop to Orlando International Airport.

Round-trip Breeze flights departing Thursday, Aug. 29 and returning Sunday, Sept. 1 from Wilkes-Barre are available for $179. For more information and flight details, visit flybreeze.com.

Allentown flights to Orlando

At Lehigh Valley International Airport, Allegiant flies nonstop to Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Round-trip Allegiant Air flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Lehigh Valley are available for $124.97. For more information and flight details, visit allegiantair.com.

Albany flights to Orlando

At Albany International Airport, JetBlue and Southwest fly nonstop to Orlando International Airport.

Round-trip JetBlue flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Albany are available for $326.20. For more information and flight details, visit jetblue.com.

Round-trip JetBlue flights departing Friday, Aug. 30 and returning Monday, Sept. 2 from Albany are available for $279.97. For more information and flight details, visit southwest.com.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: NY, PA airports with direct flights to Orlando: See list
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking Saudi Arabian shares extended their gains on Wednesday after launch on the Chinese mainland bourses just one day earlier, highlighting the wider opening-up of China's capital market.

The ETFs, managed by Huatai-PineBridge Investments and Southern Asset Management, respectively, offer Chinese investors an option to broaden their investment portfolio by trading equities in the Middle Eastern state.

Both funds, tracking the FTSE Saudi Arabia Index which covers over 50 medium and large-sized firms, opened on a high note Wednesday and rose by the daily limit of 10 percent during the morning trading session, following 10 percent surges on Tuesday, the first day of launch.

The funds, which raised a total of 1.22 billion yuan (about 171.06 million U.S. dollars), rank among the top Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) programs, reflecting the growing appetite of Chinese investors for overseas assets.

Analysts believe that the funds offer Chinese investors a new avenue to diversify their global asset allocation as well as access to the yet-untapped Middle Eastern market.

With the debut of the Saudi Arabia ETF, the cross-border ETF investment destinations on the Shanghai Stock Exchange now include the United States, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and China's Hong Kong.

By the end of May, there were 68 cross-border ETFs listed on the Shanghai bourse, with a total size of 207.5 billion yuan.

In November last year, Asia's very first ETF tracking shares listed in Saudi Arabia launched in Hong Kong, which analysts described as a milestone in Hong Kong's financial cooperation with Saudi Arabia and no less a landmark of financial connectivity along the Belt and Road.

China has long been working to expand the two-way opening-up of its capital market. The latest step came as the country recently granted quotas totaling 2.27 billion U.S. dollars to 53 institutions under the QDII program, a prominent channel allowing Chinese investors to trade overseas securities within a prescribed quota.

The move aims to meet the reasonable demand of Chinese residents for overseas investment, said Zhu Hexin, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, in a financial forum held last month in Shanghai, urging efforts to promote the cross-border investment business of equity investment funds.

Earlier, the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses signed agreements with Saudi Tadawul Group in September and December last year, respectively, to enhance capital market links and explore potential cooperation opportunities in cross-listing, fintech, data exchange and research, among other areas.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange has vowed to further expand and improve cross-border connectivity mechanisms in the capital market, and steadily promote high-level institutional opening-up of the capital market. 
Bitwise founders plead guilty to charges they defrauded investors out of millions

In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr.  co-founders of Bitwise Industries  pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges Wednesday in federal court as nearly 50 friends and family members packed the Fresno courtroom.

Soberal, 38, and Olguin, 43, recently accepted a plea agreement with federal prosecutors who charged them in November for their role in the collapse of Bitwise, a company that once employed about 900 people in Fresno and across the nation.

Founded in 2013, Bitwise once championed itself as a hub for technology education and innovation.

The U.S. Attorneys Office say the two tech entrepreneurs misled investors into believing Bitwise was a financially solvent company when in reality it was sinking and in desperate need of millions of dollars.

Bitwise restitution and sentencing

U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd went through the plea agreement with the defendants and their attorneys to make sure they understood the consequences of their guilty pleas.

As part of the plea agreement, Soberal and Olguin will pay restitution of no more than $115 million. The judge noted that one New York-based financial institution invested $18.4 million in Bitwise under false and fraudulent pretenses.

To each question the judge asked, Soberal and Olguin replied, Yes, your honor.

Still to be determined is their prison sentence. Each charge, conspiring to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6. As part of the process, a pre-sentencing report will be prepared by the probation department. Prosecutors have already indicated they will recommend the low end of the sentencing range.

Also factoring in support of a reduced sentence is their willingness to cooperate with authorities, the early acceptance of responsibility and the lack of criminal history.

The plea agreement also allows the defendants to recommend a sentence they believe is appropriate but it can not be less than five years in prison.

Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin comment

Although Soberal and Olguin declined to comment after the hearing, their lawyers, Daniel Olmos and Eric H. MacMichael, issued a statement on their behalf. Olmos represents Olguin and MacMichael is Soberals lawyer.

It has been a priority for Jake and Irma to take full responsibility for their wrongdoing since the moment we met them over a year ago.

These are two people who made serious mistakes but did not do so out of greed or any desire to enrich themselves. They care deeply about this community and desperately wanted to see Bitwise succeed.

The important message for today is that Jake and Irma are profoundly sorry for the hurt theyve caused.

Former employees at courthouse, along with friends and family

After the hearing, about 50 friends and family gathered in the hallway to show their support. Several people declined to speak on the record, but said they were there for their friends.

A handful of former Bitwise workers also attended the hearing.

Jenn Guerra, a former employee, said she wants to see justice for the workers who lost their jobs.

They are not above the law  they plead guilty and they should be given the maximum sentence, she said.
The Black fugitive who inspired Uncle Toms Cabin and the end of US slavery

In or around 1825, John Andrew Jackson was born enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina and trained to spend his life picking cotton.

But instead of living a life as a slave, he escaped bondage and became an influential anti-slavery lecturer and writer. He also had a key role in Harriet Beecher Stowes celebrated novel Uncle Toms Cabin, which historians have argued helped trigger the Civil War by its depiction of the subhuman treatment afforded Black men and women.

As a scholar of the lives of enslaved people and their writings, I have researched the life of Jackson for years and still remain puzzled by his obscurity from most histories of slavery in America. In my biography of Jackson, A Plausible Man, I detail his remarkable life.

North to freedom

In early 1846, Jacksons wife and daughter were sold to another South Carolina plantation. Heartbroken and furious, he was determined to earn money and buy his familys freedom. Jackson waited until Christmas Day and took a bold step  he escaped on horseback.

He found work on the docks in Charleston and eventually hid between cotton bales aboard a boat heading to Boston.

Once there, Jackson started speaking at abolitionist meetings across Massachusetts to raise money to free his wife and child. But before he could raise the necessary amount, President Millard Fillmore signed into law the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which would impose harsh penalties on anyone who assisted runaways.

Even though Jackson was living in a supposedly free state, he was in terrible danger of being returned to enslavement under the new law. Jackson decided to flee again, this time to Canada.

Along the way, abolitionists directed Jackson to sympathetic homes in Maine.

A chance meeting

One such home belonged to the stuffy Thomas C. Upham, a professor of mental and moral philosophy at Bowdoin College.

He had told his friends that while slavery was a grievous wrong, the Fugitive Slave Act was nonetheless the law and should be obeyed.

But when Jackson knocked on his door, Upham immediately put aside his scruples.

Upham invited him in and offered food and encouragement. Because Upham couldnt put Jackson up for the night, he directed Jackson to his neighbor, Harriet Beecher Stowe  a friend who had long been frustrated with the otherwise kindly professors timid politics.

A drawing of Harriet Beecher Stowes home in Brunswick, Maine. Culture Club/Getty Images

Stowe was a little-known writer at the time, living as a faculty wife of a Bowdoin College professor. When Jackson came to her threshold, she, too, broke the law.

She opened the door and welcomed him in. Jackson entertained her children, told her of his heartbreak and accepted money, food and clothing from her before leaving the next morning.

Although she never used Jacksons name, she later wrote of this incident, noting that her visitor was a genuine article from Ole Carliny State  a reference to a popular minstrel song that Jackson was to later append to his own memoir.

The little woman

A few weeks later, Stowe began drafting Uncle Toms Cabin.

It had a familiar scene. The novels heroine, Eliza, a Black fugitive, knocks on the door of a U.S. senator who had previously promised to adhere to the fugitive slave laws.

But when faced with a terrorized person at his doorstep, the senator allowed his heart to lead instead of his head. Like the real professor Upham, the fictional senator and his wife defied the law.

An image of abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe appears in her novel Uncle Toms Cabin, Heritage Images/Getty Images

Art always arises from a myriad of influences, and other individuals or experiences certainly inspired Stowes writing.

But aside from this scene that clearly drew upon Uphams meeting with Jackson, this encounter took Stowe from the broader debate of anti-slavery politics to the immediacy of direct action.

Published in 1852, Uncle Toms Cabin galvanized abolitionists across the country and became the second-bestselling book in the U.S. during the 19th century. Only the Bible ranked higher.

A decade later, when Stowe visited the White House in November 1862, President Abraham Lincoln supposedly told her: So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.

A life on the run

While Stowe was drafting her novel, Jackson was crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

He moved from Maine and settled in St. Johns, New Brunswick, for a few years. But his desire to have a broader influence in the anti-slavery movement led him to sail off to Liverpool, England, with an endorsement letter from Stowe herself.

Over the next decade, Jackson lectured across Britain, as many Black abolitionists did, including Frederick Douglass. During this time, Jackson wrote his 1862 memoir, The Experience of a Slave in South Carolina, in which he wrote of his encounter with Stowe.

During my flight from Salem to Canada, I met with a very sincere friend and helper, who gave me a refuge during the night, and set me on my way. Her name was Mrs. Beecher Stowe. She took me in and fed me, and gave me some clothes and five dollars. She also inspected my back, which is covered with scars which I shall carry with me to the grave.

It was only until after the Civil War ended in 1865 that Jackson sailed back to the U.S. from Britain.

He continued to lecture and raise money, this time for relief supplies for destitute freedmen in South Carolina. He collected money to start an orphans home, a church and a home for Black elders without families to care for them.

Few of these projects ever fully materialized, but newspapers and correspondence with government officials document his relentless advocacy.

Jacksons audacious life ended at some point in the very early 20th century. Before he died, his actions had become legend among the people who knew him in the Black community.

One of his neighbors remembered him with admiration.

In the 1930s, an interviewer asked Jake McLeod, an elderly Black sharecropper, about his memories of Jackson.

Don know how-come he run away, McLeod said, but dey didnt catch up wid him till it was too late.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Susanna Ashton, Clemson University

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Susanna Ashton received funding from The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University and the Gilder Lehrman Institute for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition at Yale University
The Maine delegation sign at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Jennifer Shutt/ States Newsroom)

For Maine Republicans, calls for unity following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump mean an end to doomsday rhetoric surrounding another Trump presidency.

At the same time, Republicans in Maine and across the country are blaming President Joe Bidens re-election campaign and Democrats characterizations of Trump for the recent shooting  though the motivations of the shooter have not yet been determined.

That is a reminder again, to me, to be careful, to not vilify people, Maine Sen. Lisa Keim (R- Oxford) said, and to recognize that we have to keep politics as politics.

Meanwhile, Democratic leaders and marginalized groups say Trumps own words and the Republican Party platform contributed to the current climate of increased violence, that also pose a threat to their lives and health.

Violence has no place in politics, period, said Bev Uhlenhake, chair of the Maine Democratic Party. We will continue to debate the ideas, present our vision for the future, and hold elected officials accountable for their policy agendas at the ballot box.

The state of democracy has been a point of focus for Maine Democrats, including Gov. Janet Mills, who said the night of the first presidential debate that democracy is on the ballot in November, as well as common sense and civility in the White House.

While calls for unity have come from both sides of the aisle since the shooting, political science experts are wary they will sustain, in part because of contrasting views on what such unity looks like.

Theres obviously a difference between criticizing someone on policy over criticizing someone on rhetoric, said Mark Brewer, who chairs the political science department for the University of Maine. Policy I think is obviously much more substantive, and its what a lot of people say they wish these debates would be about  lets get away from the name calling and the mud slinging and the fear mongering and just focus on policy differences.

But, Brewer added, American politics has never been all policy and substance.

A focus on rhetoric

Minutes after Trump became the official Republican nominee, Josh Tardy, who is one of the two Maine representatives on the Republican National Committee, described the tone at the convention as one of high morale, optimism and hope.

I think everybodys coming into this convention with profound thankfulness that President Trump was not assassinated, Tardy said, and empathy for the victims.

On Saturday, a gunman shot at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring him and two others and killing an attendee. The FBI killed the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks was registered as a Republican, according to Pennsylvania voting records.

Calling from the convention in Milwaukee, Tardy told Maine Morning Star that he hopes both Trump and Bidens campaigns will refocus election discussions around policy issues in light of the assassination attempt.

I think a call to bring down the temperature was much needed, Tardy said.

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Both Democrats and Republicans in Maine have rejected political violence following the shooting.

Please join me in praying for the health and safety of former President Trump, those who attended his rally today, and our country, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills wrote on X. There is absolutely no place for violence in our politics  none.

Maines congressional delegation and Trump-backed U.S. House candidate Austin Theriault, who won the GOP primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Jared Golden for Maines 2nd District, have similarly condemned political violence. State Senate and House Republicans joined these calls for solidarity, too. House Republican Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor implored, Let us not allow a would-be assassins bullet or heightened political vitriol to destroy our freedoms and set our nation on a permanent path of destruction.

Despite these messages for unity, the two major parties disagree on how to curb such violence.

Back in Maine, Keim, who serves as assistant Senate minority leader in the state Legislature, said that the shooting underscored for her, there are enemies of America, but they arent Biden and they arent Trump.

We just have political differences, Keim added, and that type of rhetoric just needs to get toned down and a call for unity needs to be a call for speaking about people as valuable individuals to our nation, valuing life and making sure that our political differences remain in a conversation about politics, not about persons.

Finger pointing continues

While calls to tone down rhetoric grow, at the same time, Republicans are placing blame on Democrats.

The rhetoric that theyre using, hes a public enemy, basically, thats how they vilified him, Keim said, and heres a response to that vilification.

Trumps vice presidential pick, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who Trump announced on Monday, also took to X following the shooting to allege that Democratic messaging led to the violence.

The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs, Vance wrote. That rhetoric led directly to President Trumps attempted assassination.

Keim characterized doomsday rhetoric about Trump as overblown. People that are already mentally on the edge hear this exaggeration of what is really just natural and normal political differences being phrased in dangerous rhetoric that causes some people to become unhinged, Keim said.

There is no evidence that Democrats rhetoric led the shooter to commit violence as the FBI is in the process of investigating what happened as well as the suspects possible motivations.

Brewer, the political science professor, said this sort of thinking glosses over the history of political violence in America.

Its difficult, if not overly simplistic, to draw a straight line from rhetoric talking about the existential threat that some people think Donald Trump represents to American democracy to an assassination attempt on Trumps life, Brewer said. I myself would not make that connection.

He added, What I would say is we are in a time in American politics of incredibly high tensions, and have been for some time. And, this is not the first time this has happened in American politics. Political violence has a long history in the United States.

Political violence has been trending up, particularly right-wing political violence, and hate groups and the Republican Party have also become increasingly intertwined since Trumps presidency began in 2016.

In this particular presidential race, weve got a candidate whos a former president who, at least in the eyes of some, incited an insurrection on the United States Capitol, Brewer said. He added that Trump also regularly endorsed violence on behalf of his supporters. Hes hinted at violence against those who oppose him. Hes implied violent retribution.

Brewer said that does not mean the left should be off the hook for contributing to rising political temperatures. He cited Bidens recent back peddling on a remark he made in a private call with donors days before the shooting that Trump should be put in a bullseye. In an interview on Monday, Biden argued that he meant to urge Democrats to focus on Trumps actions, rather than criticism of his debate performance.

While Biden said he did not intentionally use violent rhetoric, he did not apologize or back down from his criticisms of Trump as a threat to democracy.

Republican critiques of rhetoric about Trump being a threat to democracy echo the recent stance taken by Golden, considered a moderate Democrat, who wrote in an op-ed earlier this month that he refuses to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system  a view that Democratic lawmakers and community leaders told Maine Morning Star minimizes threats to human rights and freedoms.

This pushback was also seen at the convention in Milwaukee, where hundreds of protesters gathered on Monday, advocating for the rights of Palestinians, immigrants, women, people of color and LGBTQ+ people. Protestors pointed to Trumps rhetoric, adopted by the Republican Party, as contributing to the climate of increased violence and posing a threat to their lives.

Election impact

Its unclear whether the assassination attempt will have a lasting impact on the election outcome.

Tardy and Keim both argue it will amplify support for Trump, and Brewer said it is seemingly playing to his immediate benefit.

However, Brewer said historic precedent is not clear cut, given the differing circumstances of the last time a former president was shot while seeking re-election, Theodore Roosevelt, who did not secure the office in 1912.

For one, Roosevelt wasnt running as a major party candidate, Brewer said. And, American society was different.

One thing that I think needs to be pointed out is that we still have a long ways to go before Election Day, Brewer said. I think a lot of people are thinking, Okay, this tragic event happened. Now, weve got this convention and the end is almost here. Well, the end is not almost here, right? We still have months to go and months in campaign time is the equivalent of years in regular time.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has appointed Glenn Farner to fill out the remaining term of former Commissioner Bill Freeman on the Metro Nashville Airport Authority.

Freeman stepped down in March after serving eight years on the board overseeing Nashville International Airport and John C. Tune Airport. Farner will fill out the remaining seven years of Freeman's vacated term.

Glenn Farner

Farner has held the roles of business manager and secretary-treasurer of the Southeast Laborers District Council for 20 years, representing construction workers of the Laborers International Union of North America in the southeast region.

We are thrilled to welcome Glenn Farner to the MNAA Board, said MNAA President and CEO Doug Kreulen. "His vast experience and dedication to the workforce in the construction industry will be invaluable as we continue to grow and develop our airport facilities.

The new commissioners career at LIUNA includes dealing with workplace health and safety, labor-management relations, marketing and business development and contract negotiations, according to BNA officials.

His appointment comes as an ongoing legal battle for control over Nashville International Airports board continues to move through the Tennessee Court of Appeals. State leaders passed a law last year transferring power to appoint the majority of MNAA members from the mayor to the state legislature. The law was struck down in Davidson County Chancery Court and has been appealed by the state.

As of now, Metro leaders retain authority, and MNAA has hired New Orleans-based firm, Adams And Reese LLP, to represent their interests.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Airport Authority announces new board member chosen by mayor
Throughout his latest criminal ordeal, Sen. Bob Menendez defiantly declared himself a patriot, a duly elected representative carrying out the cause of democracy.

But a jury of 12 New Yorkers saw him simply as a grubby crook who turned his office into a general store of corruption, taking gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz and stacks of cash in exchange for helping further the interest of Egypt and a couple of friends from New Jersey who sought his help in sabotaging criminal investigations.

And now, the other 99 members of the clubby United States Senate will also have to view the 70-year-old prowling the hallways as a pariah with a new Mark of Cain  the first U.S. Senator convicted for illegally and secretly serving as an agent of a foreign country. He is also the seventh U.S. Senator ever convicted.

This wasn't politics as usual. This was politics for profit, said Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York who brought this sprawling indictment last September.

And now that a jury has convicted Bob Menendez, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end, Williams said, an allusion to the long pursuit by federal law enforcement authorities of the Hudson County powerhouse. It began in 2006 during his first run for the Senate when he came under suspicion of steering federal aid to properties he owned. The investigation produced no charges.

But more than a decade later, in 2017, Menendez escaped his first indictment on charges of using his office to help a south Florida ophthalmologist. It ended with a hung jury. He emerged defiant and vengeful. And now, his luck and his practice of plying his trade in the legal and moral gray zone between deep-pocketed power and politics  and staying one step ahead of prosecutors  has come to an end, at least for now.

Menendez, perhaps to deal with the mounting stress of the impending verdict, took to the hallway outside U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Steins courtroom on the 23rd floor of the federal courthouse, singing a ballad to himself as he gazed over the East River and out onto Brooklyn at about 11 a.m.

But shortly after 12:30 p.m. as the court filled with lawyers, allies and family, including his daughter Alicia Menendez, the MSNBC host, to hear the verdict, Menendez was stoned faced, showing no emotion, turning to look at the jury as the clerk individually polled them. And minutes later, he was on the steamy sidewalk flanked by his legal team, declaring his innocence and his patriotism and vowing to appeal.

I have never violated my public oath, he said. I have never, ever been a foreign agent. The decision registered by the jury today has put at risk of every member of the United States Senate in terms of what they think a foreign agent would be.

Kelly: Bob Menendez, a crooked NJ politician, just doesn't get it

Yet, the slam dunk verdict will go down as a watershed moment that extends beyond the rocky career of Menendez, the former Union City school board member who clawed his way to power by testifying against his mentor, the former Union City Mayor William Musto, more than four decades ago.

For the moment, the nation may scoff at the conviction as New Jersey politics as usual, another Jersey Swamp creature taking bribes. It will further enshrine Hudson County as a top candidate for Corruption Capital USA, with its long roster of bribed officials and Jersey City mayors and county executives and legislators including one, David Friedland, who faked his own scuba diving accident near the Bahamas in order to avoid prosecution.

But this will also have implications for prosecutors from across the country, who may have been gun-shy about bringing these cases in the wake of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, which narrowed the definition of bribery and set the bar higher for prosecutors to meet for convictions.

In the Menendez case, it was clear that Williams team felt that pressure. They amassed a mountain of largely circumstantial evidence to demonstrate that it was beyond logic to think that Menendez was kept in the dark while his new wife, Nadine Arslanian, was arranging deals with the Egyptian government in collaboration with co-defendant Wael Hana, or Edgewater developer Fred Daibes. Both were also convicted Tuesday.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to the media, following his bribery trial in connection with an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, in New York City, U.S., July 16, 2024.

The government's not flying the white flag of surrender here on political corruption, right? You know, we're still in business, said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. There's still lines that can be crossed. And you know, no matter what the Supreme Court says, we're still going to prosecute the laws that are on the books.

In front of the courthouse, Menendez showed none of the iron-fisted Boss bravado of seven years ago after being liberated from his first corruption by a hung jury in 2017. Back then, he put members of the New Jersey political class on notice that he had been nursing grudges during his long ordeal and he warned that maybe they should be looking over their shoulder. He had an enemies list.

To those who were digging my political grave, so I could jump into my seat, and I wont forget you, he declared at the time..

Yet, on Tuesday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was standing by with a shovel, calling on him to resign. So was Gov. Phil Murphy, who would face the task of appointing a replacement to fill out Menendezs term, which expires next January. Other Democrats, reflecting on the solemnity of the sad moment, called for him to step aside, including Rep. Donald Norcross, D-Camden, whose brother, the Democratic Party leader George E. Norcross, is the target of a separate, sprawling racketeering indictment.

Reaction: Politicians renew call for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after guilty verdict

Menendez didnt take questions from the media as he made his brief remarks. He vowed to appeal. There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution to prevent a convicted U.S. senator from running for reelection and there is no provision that calls for his automatic removal. His colleagues could mobilize to expel him, but the Senate has been loath to take that step (U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has been the exception).

Menendez has gathered enough signatures to run as an independent in the fall election for the U.S. Senate, which seems, at first blush to be an exercise in ridiculous vanity and would defy reality. He has until Aug. 16 to make the decision.

He has about $3.1 million in his campaign account, according to Federal Election Commission filings, which could, in theory, keep him in the race and let him continue raising money for what are expected to be his enormous legal bills. He does have a base in the Latino-concentrated Hudson County. He has some name recognition beyond that. A poll earlier in the year said he could siphon away about 6% of the vote from Democratic nominee Andy Kim, the South Jersey congressman.

That scenario of an independent and indicted Menendez didnt initially frighten Democratic operatives earlier in the year  New Jersey has been a reliable Democratic bastion for more than 50 years and Kim looms as a historic candidate.

But President Joe Bidens debate debacle has sent shivers down the spine of national Democrats, who are worried that he will lose and take the down-ballot candidates for House and the Senate with him. That fear has also rippled through the blue bastions like New York, where Bidens poll numbers have drooped.

The failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee, is expected to generate national sympathy and solidarity  further fueling the intraparty anxiety. That will put pressure on the party to send Menendez packing and the fastest route may be for Schumer to negotiate a deal. One idea, as one longtime Democratic Party operative theorized, may be for Schumer to rally party donors to help Menendez pay his legal bills in exchange for his departure.

Sounds like a pulp fiction plot but than again, this is New Jersey and it has a many-volume history of deceit and corruption by the duly elected.

The revised edition, featuring Menendezs fall from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one of the highest perches of power in the United States, to an Oct. 29 sentencing date, is already available.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bob Menendez verdict could change prosecution for politicians
El Artesano is a Cuban restaurant on Bergenline Avenue in Union City, where Sen. Bob Menendez first rose to political prominence. (Mark Bonamo for New Jersey Monitor)

Residents of Union City struggled to beat the 100-degree heat on Tuesday afternoon. And across the Hudson River in a Manhattan courtroom, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the citys former mayor, failed to beat the rap.

On the day Menendez was convicted on all 16 charges in his federal corruption trial, residents of this densely populated Hudson County town made it clear: He got what he deserved.

Jose Ovalles is a bodega worker who was walking down Bergenline Avenue in front of Cuban restaurant El Artesano soon after the jury in Menendezs case announced its guilty verdict. Ovalles said the senator has lost the trust of his constituents.

People around here dont believe in him no more. And why not? Because of what he did, he said. There was all this love for him, and now its gone.

The claims at the center of the Menendez case involved shocking levels of corruption, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, told reporters Tuesday. Prosecutors said Menendez, a Democrat, accepted gold bars, cash, and other items as bribes from three businessmen and, in return, did favors for Egypt and Qatar and interfered in two criminal cases to help friends and associates.

The two men he was tried alongside, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, were also convicted on all counts.

Menendezs road to becoming a convicted felon deviates far from his promising start. The son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez was elected to Union Citys school board at the age of 20 and soon became an aide to the citys then-mayor, William Musto. Musto was a father figure and mentor to Menendez until Menendez testified for prosecutors at Mustos 1982 racketeering trial.

After Musto was convicted and sent to prison, Menendez rose. He became Union Citys mayor in 1986 and was later elected to the state Assembly and state Senate. Voters sent him to D.C. in 1992 to represent parts of Hudson County in the House, and in 2006, he became a U.S. senator.

Even as his stature grew and he moved to other parts of the state, Menendez remained a commanding presence in Union City. But on Tuesday, residents here seemed to be shaking the senator off like a bad habit.

Menendez kept saying, Theyre coming after me because Im Latino. No, it was him, said Kimberly Perez, 17, a Union City student. He shouldnt have done what he was doing in the first place. He better pay for what he did, and in return, maybe hell start doing the right thing and get forgiveness.

Outside La Rica deli and grocery store at the corner of 45th Street and Hudson Avenue, just a block away from the apartment building where Menendez grew up, other residents were less charitable.

You put these people in power to help you, right? To help do stuff for the state of New Jersey, right? Well, they might do some, but then they do other stuff, said Omar Roberts, 58, a housekeeper originally from Venezuela. We have problems with corruption in South America, too. In terms of Americas image to the world, a guy like Menendez got so high up, but then he got caught. Thats a fact, and its better for everybody that he got caught.

Outside of City Hall, the scene of many of Menendezs previous triumphs, Deandre Lamar, 49, a tile worker and union member, said the verdict did not surprise him.

Its Jersey politics, for sure. It always seems weird how people have all these connections and how much things go down, Lamar said. A senator is supposed to serve the people, and youre taking bribes? This is not right. So, Menendez got away with it for a long time. Until he didnt.

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Bomb scare in Georgia turns out to be a movie prop

Bomb scare in Georgia turns out to be a movie prop

A public works employee got a nasty surprise on Tuesday when they discovered what appeared to be a bomb on a city street.

The device, which appeared to be sticks of dynamite with red wires and a timer device, was found in a neighborhood in Roswell, Georgia.

Officers and explosive device experts responded to the scene, about 20 miles outside of Atlanta, and determined that device was a movie prop discarded in the trash by a local resident who works in the film industry.

And the Academy Award for best prop goes to..this fake bomb, a message from Roswell Police Department said.

A Georgia public works employee discovered that they believed to be a bomb on July 16. Turns out, it was a movie prop (Roswell Police Department)

The department praised the workers quick-thinking following the discovery.

They did exactly what we would hope anyone would do in this situation and immediately called the police, the department posted its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The statement continued: While this was thankfully a false alarm, it perfectly illustrates the principle of see something, say something.

To prevent any further confusion, the prop was disassembled before being returned to the cinematic trash alongside Sharknado 4.

Authorities encouraged anyone who sees anything suspicious to immediately call them.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A Facebook post presumably from the owner of a Brooks restaurant about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump last weekend sparked a flurry of pushback on social media after it was shared by a sitting legislator and other conservatives. Then a bomb threat was called in.

Maine State Police were notified about an emailed threat directed at Ralphs Cafe just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the Department of Public Safety. The bomb unit responded to the building, which was not open for business at the time. No explosives were found. The threat was deemed a hoax.

State police did not confirm in the release whether the threat was tied a Facebook post, which was attributed to Ralphs owner Frank Champa that read, Hey guy with the bad aim. You had one job. The post isnt visible to the public, but a screenshot was circulated drawing an outpouring of replies from cafe patrons and community members chastising Champas statement.

One such post came from state Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield), who late Sunday shared a screenshot of Champas post, asking her friends in the Brooks area if they think its acceptable. Rudnicki identified Champa as the owner of Ralphs and wrote, Lets make him famous.

Rudnickis post was reshared nearly 180 times and received dozens of comments.

Screenshots of Champas post have circulated on Facebook, but Maine Morning Star could not independently verify the post since its not public on his page and attempts to reach Champa and Ralphs Cafe were not answered. Rudnicki also did not respond to requests for comment.

The post and subsequent threat come amid calls for unity from Republicans across the nation. Maine Republicans have amplified that message, specifically saying that Democrats should stop using extreme rhetoric when talking about the threats posed by another Trump presidency. However, they have also cast blame on President Joe Bidens re-election campaign and Democrats characterizations of Trump for the recent shooting  though the motivations of the shooter have not yet been determined.

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U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. (Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

A spokesperson for HHS said the department will respond directly to the members of Congress.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.

This story was updated at 10:36 a.m. on July 17 to add a comment from an HHS spokesperson.

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People gather for a rally on the 10th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in Battery Park on June 15, 2022, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday. Nevada Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto signed the letter, as did Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

A spokesperson for HHS said the department will respond directly to the members of Congress.

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.
NEW DELHI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen people, including 13 Indians aboard a Comorian-flagged oil tanker went missing after it capsized off the coast of Oman, officials said.

According to the Sultanate of Oman's Maritime Security Centre (MSC), the oil tanker capsized 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah on Tuesday.

Though Oman has not specified the cause of the capsize, it said search and rescue operations were underway in the area for the missing crew.

The MSC has identified the vessel as Prestige Falcon and said it has 16 crew members on board including 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans.

Local media reports quoting Indian defense officials said the Indian Navy Wednesday deployed the warship INS Teg along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-81 to assist Oman in search and rescue operations of the missing oil tanker. 
Sen. Cory Booker and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. (Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

Two Michigan lawmakers signed on, U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit).

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

HHS did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.
Sen. Cory Booker and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. Photo by Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor.

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

A spokesperson for HHS said the department will respond directly to the members of Congress.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.
Sen. Cory Booker and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. (Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives, including U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

HHS did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.

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Sen. Cory Booker and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. (Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

HHS did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.
As anyone whos seen The Departed knows, Boston doesnt like rats.

In an effort to curb the citys growing rat problem, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a rodent action plan Wednesday.

A joint group comprising the citys Operations Cabinet, Inspectional Services Department, Public Works Department, Boston Public Health Commission, Parks and Recreation, Community Engagement Cabinet, Boston 311, Boston Housing Authority, Department of Innovation and Technology and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission will determine the best way to make use of the citys resources to win the war against the rodents.

Boston takes pride in distinguishing our city through delivering exceptional basic city services for safe and clean streets, beautiful public spaces, and responsive and accessible city government, said Mayor Michelle Wu. Were working to make Boston a home for everyone. Except for rats. Our rodent action plan, which is informed by this data-driven report, will guide our approach across our neighborhoods.

The Rodent Action Plan will work off the foundation of a report commissioned by the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) and authored by Dr. Bobby Corrigan, a renowned Urban Rodentologist.

The report cites various contributing factors to the citys growing rat problem, including poor trash mitigation, storage, and removal. Because Boston is one of the nations oldest cities, its densely populated neighborhoods, intertwining alleyways, old sewer systems, and century-old cobble or brick streets and sidewalks are a rodents paradise.

The report says that unprotected trash bags, a norm in some parts of the city, are a rodent magnet. Corrigan also suggests adding rodent sensors, remote rat monitor technology above ground, and shared routine camera scoping below ground/sewers to trace infestations and vulnerabilities.

Last month, the Boston City Council said they were exploring the idea of birth control to curb the citys rat population.

Boston City Council exploring birth control to curb rat problem

The report suggests Boston do the following:

Build on the Citys ongoing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Integrated pest management stresses addressing the environmental root causes first and from there utilizing various extermination approaches

Ensure the goal of rat management program, whenever possible is preventative instead of reactionary

Utilize data related to complaints, physical inspections, geo-mapping, population cluster models, and additional emerging technology to target efforts

Establish a Priority Action Neighborhood (PAN) plan for the top 3-5 most afflicted neighborhoods to reduce currently established rodent hot spots

Incorporate specialized infrastructure-specific rat control for Parks, Sewers and Alleys, and major construction zones

Move towards alternative baits and other effective tools for controlling rats that do not present environmental threats to wildlife

Boston doesnt like rats, and rat mitigation is one of the priority quality of life issues for this administration, said Chief of Operations Dion Irish. We are excited and optimistic about the enhanced collaboration amongst city agencies whose work impacts rodent mitigation. Dr. Corrigans report will be a valuable resource that will aid us in building on the great work already being done towards developing and implementing an action plan that prioritizes addressing root causes, utilizes data & technology, and reduces environmental hazards.

According to BPHC, the current rodent population does not pose a high public health threat to Bostonians.

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Bostonians invited to weigh in on scooter, moped mayhem at community meeting

Boston residents are invited to share their thoughts about ongoing complaints of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles causing mayhem on city streets at an upcoming community meeting.

City Councilors Julia Mejia, Ed Flynn, and Enrique Pepen are hosting a virtual emergency town hall on Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The meeting will address what city leaders call escalating quality of life and safety concerns.

Boston 25 News first reported on the city-wide crackdown on illegal scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles last month.

Scooter driver wipes out on camera with Bostons crackdown underway

The city put three major food delivery companies on notice and asked each of them to ensure that their drivers are following the law.

Since then, Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police have seized dozens of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles across the city.

The latest seizure happened in Downtown Crossing on Monday night when Boston Police seized nine mopeds in the pedestrian-only zone of Washington and Franklin Streets.

We want to hear from residents about the impact this is having, said District 2 Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn. They have a good idea of where these scooters are held. They know what time theyre going out and what time theyre coming in.

Boston 25 News caught dozens of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles riding in pedestrian-only zones in Downtown Crossing in a matter of minutes on Tuesday night.

Theyre riding on the sidewalks. Theyre riding on the opposite side of the street. I almost got hit, said Tarnya Jenkins. If I get hit, theres no plate or anything on the scooter. How do I identify who ran me over?

People who work in the bustling hub of activity told Boston 25 News that theyd like to see more scooters, mopeds and motorcycles impounded for not following the rules.

I know theres a lot of people, such as myself, who are responsible drivers, said motorcycle driver Dandre Matthews. Were just trying to make it to our work or wherever were trying to go. It puts a bad name on us.

Officers issued verbal warnings, traffic citations and one summons for various motor vehicle law infractions in Downtown Crossing on Monday.

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Meatly's cultivated dog food is to go on sale towards the end of the year after taste trials - Meatly

Britain has become the first country in Europe to approve lab-grown meat, paving the way for cultivated chicken to be sold in pet stores as early as this year.

British start-up Meatly has received the green light from UK regulators for its lab-grown meat to be used in pet food, with plans to initially focus on dogs.

The first batches of pet food which include its cultivated chicken are expected to appear on sale towards the end of the year after taste trials have been conducted among dogs.

It means the UK will be the first European country where lab-grown pet food is available for people to buy.

Owen Ensor, Meatlys chief executive and co-founder, said this followed a push from regulators and government to champion food innovation and speed up approval processes after Brexit, with the UK seizing on its huge advantage.

He said: The European Union has traditionally been a more conservative regulator and the US is getting embroiled in food politics  unnecessarily, in my opinion. So the UK can really step up here.

There has been an opportunity with Brexit, both legally with the disengaging from the EU process, but also from a government perspective. Theres been a lot of enthusiasm for innovative solutions and I think that well see that continue with the current Government.

Meatly, which was founded in 2022, is the first company in the world to get authorisation for cultivated pet food, which uses meat grown from animal cells.

Some other countries including Singapore have already approved cultivated meat for human consumption.

Mr Ensor said he expected it to be at least two years before the UK gave this type of approval.

However, there are signs that regulators could move quicker. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) last year said it was considering future changes to the approval process of cell-cultivated meat. This could remove unnecessary burdens on business and cut red tape, it said at the time.

Meatly is planning to licence its technology to other companies, which may then be able to use it to create meat for human consumption. Mr Ensor said the process to create this type of meat would be very similar.

However, with a fifth of all meat consumed globally used for pet food, he said his companys explicit focus was huge ethical and sustainability challenges posed by this market.

Questions have been raised over the environmental impact of producing lab-grown meat, with one study last year suggesting that its global warming impact could be between four and 25 times higher than beef.

The study, which was led by researchers at the University of California, found that the emissions from making lab-grown meat could be much higher than those from meat which is farmed.

The research took into account the emissions from the substances which are needed to grow meat, including salt and sugars, as well as the energy used during the purification process. The elements need to be purified to avoid contamination.

However, other reports have found that lab-grown meat can be more environmentally friendly and produce less emissions, particularly once labs have been scaled up and taking into account the emissions produced by animals.

The Good Food Institute, a think tank that promotes meat alternatives, found that cultivated meat could produce as much as 92pc less greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Ensor said cultivated meat was dramatically more sustainable than meat on the market, as it helps to limit how many animals needed to be reared and slaughtered.

He said lab-grown meat ticks a lot of boxes for customers.

Mr Ensor added: Theres a real challenge for people who love animals so they want to get a pet but that requires killing other animals to feed those pets. We want to make this as available as possible.

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Britains brewing heritage being struck down by stealth, says scion of beer dynasty

Jamie Allsopp, who relaunched his family's beer brand in 2020, said the UK should do more to 'celebrate' its cask ales - Steven Joyce

Britains brewing heritage is being erased by stealth, the scion of one of Britains oldest beer dynasties has warned.

Jamie Allsopp, a descendant of the influential 19th century brewer Samuel Allsopp, said Britains cask ale industry was in danger of disappearing without a concerted effort to protect it.

Mr Allsopp said: I think our heritage is being sort of struck down by stealth. We need to have a think about why were not looking after [cask ale] and why it is a unique product.

And then we need to think about why other countries celebrate their national products and why we havent done that.

Big beer companies have snapped up many of Britains best-known brewers over recent decades and critics of these deals say they have been bad for Britains tradition of brewing cask ale, which ferments in the barrel and is served at cellar temperature.

Campaigners have pointed to a tendency among big brewers to close traditional breweries down following takeovers.

The volume of cask ale sold in the nations pubs has also dropped by about a quarter since the pandemic. Sales have fallen as pubs have turned their backs on cask ales in favour of fizzy keg beer, which last longer.

Mr Allsopp said: This is a unique product in this country, that is delicious and we should be celebrating it.

Mr Allsopp, whose cousin is the TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp, worked in finance before relaunching his familys beer brand in 2020.

Jamie Allsopp is the cousin of TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp, pictured

Beer made under the label Allsopps can be traced as far back as the 1700s, but the brand came to prominence in the early 1800s after Samuel Allsopp began making India pale ale (IPA) using a recipe first brewed in a teapot.

By the late 19th century the company was making around 460,000 bottles a year. At its peak it was one of the largest brewers operating in the Staffordshire town of Burton upon Trent, which for many years was Britains capital of brewing.

Allsopps beers were known for the Red Hand logo that adorned its bottles.

By the middle of the 20th century the family were no longer involved and the Allsopps name had been retired.

Mr Allsopp bought the familys trademark back from BrewDog and the right to the brands from Carlsberg.

He then began making beers to the original recipes after unearthing a collection of directions that had been in the possession of another brewer.

Mr Allsopp said: My tastes, my preference, and my romantic view of the brewing industry is very much towards cask ales, old-fashioned balanced beers, pale ales that are probiotic, theyre utterly delicious if looked after properly, and theyve been part of communities and pubs for hundreds of years.

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By Amanda Ferguson

BELFAST (Reuters) -Britain's new government said on Wednesday it would scrap an amnesty scheme for ex-soldiers and militants involved in decades of violence in Northern Ireland that has been opposed by all major parties in the region and by the Irish government.

The move fulfils a promise in the Labour Party's election manifesto to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, which the government said "denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles".

Specifically, it will repeal the "conditional immunity scheme," which has been found by the Northern Ireland High Court to be incompatible with Britain's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. It will also reverse the policy of prohibiting victims and families from bringing civil claims.

Victims' families, human rights organisations and both British unionist and Irish nationalist political parties have opposed the act, which has been subject to more than 20 legal challenges in Northern Ireland.

The previous Conservative government had defended the law by saying that prosecutions linked to the events of up to 55 years ago were increasingly unlikely and the bill could help draw a line under the conflict.

The Democratic Unionist Party, the region's largest pro-British party, welcomed the move to repeal what it described as "unconscionable" and "morally repugnant" legislation. Amnesty International said it was an important step towards overturning "an atrocious attack on rights."

IRISH, UK PMS MEET

The announcement comes ahead of a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Irish counterpart Simon Harris at the British government's Chequers country residence later on Wednesday.

Harris, who took office in April has called for a "great reset" of ties with Britain, which have been fractious in recent years. His government had been challenging the Legacy Act at the European Court of Human Rights. Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said Wednesday's announcement was "very welcome."

Around 3,600 people died in three decades of confrontation between Irish nationalist militants seeking a united Ireland, pro-British "loyalist" paramilitaries and the British military before a 1998 peace deal largely ended the conflict, known locally as the "Troubles".

(Writing by Conor Humphries, Editing by Michael Holden and Kylie MacLellan)
WASHINGTON, July 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who was accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz, was found guilty on all counts Tuesday in his federal corruption trial.

Federal prosecutors in New York alleged the New Jersey senator, formerly the head of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accepted bribes in exchange for helping foreign governments.

A jury convicted Menendez of 16 federal charges including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction after more than 12 hours of deliberation over three days.

Prosecutors said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discovered gold bars and over 400,000 U.S. dollars in cash hidden in various locations such as jackets and shoes within his residence.

Prosecutors alleged that in return for the bribes, Menendez assisted in securing millions of dollars in U.S. aid for Egypt.

Two businessmen are facing trial for allegedly seeking the senator's assistance illegally to benefit the Egyptian government and secure millions of dollars from a Qatari investment fund. A third businessman pleaded guilty.

"This wasn't politics as usual; this was politics for profit," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement, citing "shocking levels of corruption."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the upper chamber, immediately called on Menendez to resign from the Senate after the conviction.

"In light of this guilty verdict, Sen. Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," Schumer said in a statement.

In September 2023, Menendez willingly decided to step down from his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after prosecutors revealed the charges against him.

Menendez's conviction came as one of the piling up scandals in Congress. In December 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel New York Republican George Santos from Congress over the lies, scandals and alleged campaign finance crimes. 
Michael Morin, whose sister Rachel was murdered, speaks to the Republican National Convention Tuesday as half-sister Erin Morin Layman looks on. Photo by Caley Fox Shannon/Capital News Service

By Caley Fox Shannon

MILWAUKEE  The brother of a Maryland woman whose 2023 murder has fanned the flames of immigration policy debate addressed a packed arena Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, said Michael Morin, 40, of Churchville. But there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother. My sisters death was preventable.

Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, was reported missing Aug. 5 after going for a jog on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air. Her body was found nearby the following day.

Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler on June 15 announced the arrest of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, in connection with Morins murder. Gahler said Martinez-Hernandez entered the country illegally in February 2023 after murdering a woman in his native El Salvador. He is also accused of a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles in March 2023.

Video and DNA evidence from the California crime helped connect Morins murder to Martinez-Hernandez, who was arrested in Oklahoma and extradited to Maryland.

State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling (R-Baltimore County), a Maryland delegate at the convention, told Capital News Service last week: We have a problem with crime along the border. We have criminals that are coming to our nation that are just, not committing crimes, that theyre murdering people.

Despite high-profile cases like Morins, claims that immigrants commit a disproportionate number of violent crimes is not based on statistical evidence. A 2020 study of Texas court records by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, investigated whether immigrants there commit more violent crime than U.S. citizens, or fewer.

Whether one focuses on criminal convictions, arrests, or the number of individuals convicted or arrested, the results are the same: Illegal immigrants have a lower crime rate than native-born Americans in Texas, the report said.

The researchers noted that Texas is the only state to record criminal arrests and convictions by immigration status.

Despite that, conservative officials and pundits point to Morins case and others  like the February murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley  to underscore what they call Bidens border crisis.

At the convention Tuesday night, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, mentioned Morin in a list of women allegedly murdered by immigrants, alongside Riley and Kate Steinle of San Francisco.

Fox News host Sean Hannity invited Rachels mother Patricia Morin to his show following Martinez-Hernandezs arrest. She told Hannity, Were not protecting ourselves, were not protecting our families.

President Joe Biden has not reached out to the family, according to Randolph Rice, the familys attorney. He said Trump called the Morin family in June to express his condolences and later invited him, Patricia and Rachels sister Rebekah to lunch at his Virginia club.

Rice told CNS that the family supports Trumps candidacy and continues to support anyone willing to make changes at the southern border that will prevent another murder like Rachels.

To a crowded convention floor Tuesday night, Michael Morin concluded: I pray that we hold worldly leaders accountable for safety and justice for innocent people. I pray that we make our country safe and secure in the memory of my sister Rachel, who loved life.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) and former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) both reached out to the Morin family last month to offer condolences for Rachels death.

In June, 14 Republican state delegates wrote to Moore urging him to increase coordination between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The tragic and unnecessary death of Rachel Morin has profoundly impacted our community, said the letter, which Del. Ryan Nawrocki (R-Baltimore County) posted on Facebook. She was a mother who was brutally raped and murdered by an illegal alien from El Salvador, a violent criminal with a prior warrant for murder who should have never been in the country in the first place.

Martinez-Hernandez is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, kidnapping and third-degree sex offense. He is being held without bond at the Harford County Detention Center awaiting an October trial.

On July 9, States Attorney Alison Healey filed a notice to seek the maximum penalty of life without parole for Martinez-Hernandez.

The post Brother of Bel Air murder victim speaks at the Republican convention appeared first on Maryland Matters.
BRYANT, Ark.  Just a few minutes of sound waves made a big splash for two Bryant High School students at the SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta.

Asher Bird and Sam Morgan placed first in audio and radio production in the competition. Arkansas had never earned top honors in that category which began in 2005.

The moment they called second place, you can see the look of realization come across our faces, Morgan said. It was a lot.

Knowing that we were first was an amazing feeling because this has been a three-year journey, Bird said.

From Little Rock to Broadway: Mount St. Mary Academy students win national songwriting competition

In 2022, Bird and his partner placed seventh in the nation. Last year, Bird and Morgan received silver, the first medal for the state of Arkansas since 2013.

In June, their three-and-a-half minute audio news report built over three days was scored along with online and written tests outperformed every team in the country.

Morgan admitted he had no experience before audio and video teacher Michael Westbrook brought the two together.

I didnt know hed know Id do that good, Morgan said.

Russellville High School Quiz Bowl team celebrates first national championship win

Most of the time students dont realize what they are capable of doing, and that is my job to see their ability, encourage them, motivate them and push them along a little bit, Westbrook said.

Those abilities are translating outside of the classroom. Bird used his skills to apply for a radio job in Little Rock, and for over a year he has been editing programming for 93.3 The Fish and other stations.

Bird already has offers for radio jobs in Fayetteville where he will be attending college in the fall.

Its just taking what weve learned from the previous years and continuing to grow, and learn and do better, Bird said.

Nine Bryant High School students participated in the SkillsUSA conference, but Bird and Morgan were the only ones who placed. Each student competing nationally had to win first place in the state competition.

Searcy High School celebrating 15 students scoring above 30 on ACT

SkillsUSA draws more than 6,000 state champions from across the United States competing head-to-head in 115 skilled and leadership competitions.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ADMH Commissioner Kimberly Boswell discusses the state's mental health initiatives at its February board meeting. (Photo/Alander Rocha)

Two Alabama state agencies told lawmakers during an informal budget hearing Wednesday that they have urgent funding needs, emphasizing challenges and impacts on public services.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and the Department of Mental Health (ADMH) highlighted pressing requirements for equipment, personnel, and resources to state legislators.

ADMH Commissioner Kimberly Boswell, presenting an overview of the agencys efforts, said the agencys five crisis centers have served over 12,000 individuals since the first one opened in 2021, providing critical care and avoiding unnecessary jail and emergency department visits, she said.

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Boswell emphasized the critical shortage of crisis beds, particularly for individuals with severe mental health issues and co-occurring disorders. The agency detailed the current gaps in civil commitment beds and extended care beds. That has led patients to undergo prolonged hospital stays  where mental health services are limited  instead of getting specialized services that can be delivered when a person is committed to a crisis bed.

In July, Boswell said, the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) had 27 patients committed to its crisis beds with co-occurring mental illness and developmental disabilities. These patients were in the hospital for a total of 2,462 days but only needed specialized services for about 190 of those days. If those patients had been in the hospital for only that amount of time, Boswell said, an additional 325 patients who needed hospital care could have been served during that period.

When our individuals get stuck in hospitals, there are lots of people in that community who are not getting what they need, and those individuals are not getting what they need because they need other specialized work, she said.

One major challenge is the shift in rural hospital models, Boswell said, driven by federal regulations that limit the number of inpatient beds available. This change has resulted in the loss of critical mental health beds in some areas, exacerbating the crisis.

In 2023, the U.S. federal government authorized rural emergency hospitals (REHs) as a way to respond to rural hospital closures and to give rural communities more access to health care, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They are allowed to provide emergency services, observation care and outpatient medical and health services that do not exceed an annual per patient average length of stay of 24 hours in exchange for enhanced Medicare reimbursements and a monthly fee paid to the facility. Rural hospitals that have converted to REHs in the state have shut down inpatient services, such as psychiatric services.

Now theyre all switching their business model, and were no longer able to buy beds from them. We just recently lost 30 beds in Bullock County, Boswell said.

She said the Department of Mental Health is exploring alternative solutions, such as utilizing vacant beds in existing facilities and developing new treatment programs, but finding willing providers and securing funding continues to be a challenge.

The presentation also provided a historical context of budget cuts to the agency, resulting in significant loss of mental health services. Despite recent funding increases, Boswell said continued investment is needed to meet growing demands, with significant gaps to fill.

Boswell also said the impact of social media on youth mental health is a key factor affecting mental health in young people, citing a June 2024 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General that said adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms and that adolescent social media use may cause a decrease in life satisfaction for certain developmental stages, includes 1113-year-old girls and 1415-year-old boys.

Boswell said the department works with the Department of Education to address these issues and promote healthier lifestyles for Alabamas youth by providing licensed therapists to students in some schools but also suggested policies that can help curb screentime, such as making schools phone-free zones.

Hal Taylor, Secretary of Law Enforcement in ALEA, said there have been some recruitment challenges. Despite a yearly salary of $55,615 for a trooper trainee and competitive benefits offered to attract new recruits, the rigorous selection process combined with an increasing rate of expected retirements continues to be challenging. He was asked if they would need more funding to address those issues, but Taylor said they are managing.

He did say the price of ammunition is going up and they may need help with that in the future.

Ammo is going up, like the cost of everything. Right now were okay with that, but as we hire more, and go to the range more, and train more, we will use more ammo, he said.

Taylor did not say how much the agency spends on ammunition.

Senate Taxation and Finance General Fund Committee Chair Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, said at the beginning of the hearing that it was meant to allow agency representatives to outline their current status and future plans.

We know there are problems [in the state]  The concern that weve got is, of course, in the future with where we may be. We have been on a growth pattern, which allowed us to [increase services]. The concern is when we will have a reversal of that, Albritton said during the hearing.

Albritton said hearings on other state agencies will take place in August.

This story was updated at 10:43 a.m. to clarify that crisis beds at UAB are for people with co-occurring mental illness and developmental disabilities.

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Buffalo man admits to assault upon a police officer after dragging him with vehicle

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Buffalo man pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in connection with a 2023 incident that left a Town of Tonawanda police officer seriously injured, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced.

On May 29, 2023, a 2019 Kia Sportage was allegedly reported stolen out of East Aurora. Later that day, it is alleged that 20-year-old Dareious Akbar was pulled over in the same vehicle by a Tonawanda police officer.

Teen arrested for dragging, injuring officer has history of stolen vehicle charges

Akbar had run a red light at the intersection of Sheridan Drive and Sheridan-Parkside Drive, according to officials.

During the traffic stop, Akbar drove off, dragging one of the police officers who had pulled him over. Officer David Piatek was taken to ECMC to be treated for serious physical injuries including a head injury.

Akbar was initially charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault upon a police officer, and one count of first-degree assault. On June 6, 2024, the charges were dismissed. The district attorneys office said they are appealing the courts decision.

He is now charged with the following:

two counts first-degree assault

one count assault upon a police officer

one count third-degree criminal possession of stolen property

one count third-degree unauthorized use of motor vehicle

Akbar faces a maximum of 25 years when he is sentenced on Oct. 10 and remains held without bail.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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Buffalo Soldiers to be celebrated in the heart of California at Sequoia and Kings Canyon

TULARE COUNTY, Calif (KSEE/KGPE)  Buffalo Soldiers are going to be celebrated in the heart of California at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks during the last weekend of July.

If you know your history, you may know that July 28 is Buffalo Soldiers Day. According to park staff, it is also a fee-free entrance day  meaning visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks can get in for free.

Historic marker to be unveiled at Sequoia National Forest

This is an important celebration for these parks and a history that we are committed to preserving and sharing with the public, Superintendent Clay Jordan said. These programs recognize the significant contributions made by the Buffalo Soldiers and then-Captain Charles Young to early park protection and administration.

Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th Infantry posing for a photo while on mounted patrol in Yosemite National Park, c.1899.

Rangers say interactive activities and demonstrations about Buffalo Soldier history and their connection to the parks will be available in the Foothills, Giant Forest, Lodgepole, and Grant Grove areas throughout Buffalo Soldier Day.

A presentation by author and historian Brian Shellum is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on July 27 at the Lodgepole Campground Amphitheater, and a tree renaming ceremony commemorating the legacy of Brigadier General Charles Young will take place at 10 a.m. on July 28 at the Auto Log.

Rangers say visitors can reach the Auto Log by taking the free Sequoia Shuttle which leaves from the Giant Forest Museum.

All special event programs including interpretive talks, guided walks, drop-in programs, site interpretation, interactive booths, and evening programs are free to the public.

A detailed event calendar can be found on the parks website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Buffalo woman was sentenced to 30 days in prison and two years of supervised release after being convicted of making a materially false statement during a murder investigation, the United States District Attorneys Office said Tuesday.

In March 2023, Deandre Wilson, of Buffalo, was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences plus 30 years for the murders of Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon, Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, and Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred in September 2019.

Two plead guilty for roles in narcotics conspiracy, triple homicide

The FBI executed a search warrant at 46-year-old Deshema Clarks residence during a federal criminal investigation in October 2019, officials said. During the search, Clark spoke with an FBI Special Agent and then went to Buffalo Police Department Headquarters where she provided a voluntary statement to law enforcement.

According to officials, Clark knowingly made several false statements about the whereabouts of Wilson from the evening of Sept. 15, 2019 through the morning of Sept. 16. She falsely said that both she and Wilson returned to her home after attending a concert on the night of Sept. 15, ate dinner and went to sleep.

Buffalo man sentenced for destroying bodies in connection to narcotics conspiracy

Clark also falsely stated that a few hours later, Wilson was still sleeping when she woke up. She told investigators that she didnt remember Wilson leaving her home in the night.

Officials said Clark knew that Wilson didnt stay at her residence, eat dinner and go to sleep.

Clark originally pleaded guilty to making a materially false statement in April 2024.

Latest Local News

Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
By Miguel Lo Bianco

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Fossil bones found in Argentina of a large armadillo relative with cut marks suggestive of butchering indicate humans were present in southern South America some 21,000 years ago, according to researchers, earlier than previously thought.

The bones were from a large armored plant-eating mammal named Neosclerocalyptus, part of a group called glyptodonts that inhabited the Americas for more than 30 million years before going extinct at the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago.

The researchers said the cut marks on the bones appear to have been made by people using stone tools. That represents strong evidence for the presence of our species, Homo sapiens, though no human fossils were found at the site, they added.

Glyptodonts are related to modern-day armadillos, though much larger - some species as big as a small car. They had a large, bony carapace that covered much of the body - resembling a turtle shell - as well as armor atop the head, a large and strongly built tail and short limbs.

Neosclerocalyptus was one of the smaller species. The individual in this study was about 6 feet long (180 cm) and roughly 660 pounds (300 kilograms).

The marks on the bones were found on the pelvis, tail and body armor.

"The placement of these cut marks is consistent with a butchering sequence that targets areas of dense flesh, that is, the cut marks were not randomly distributed but focused on those skeletal elements that harbored large muscle packs like the pelvis and the tail. This is a typical pattern observed during a butchering process," said anthropologist Miguel Delgado of National University of La Plata, senior author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

The shapes of the cut marks are consistent with those created using types of stone tools called flakes and hammerstones, Delgado added.

Anthropologist and study lead author Mariano del Papa of National University of La Plata said that "the only ones capable of making them (these marks) were humans."

The timeline for the peopling of the Americas has been a matter of debate, with some recent discoveries indicating humans had arrived much earlier than previously thought. The role of people in the extinction of many large mammals in the Americas also has been a subject of controversy. The Neosclerocalyptus fossils are among the oldest evidence of human interaction with these large Ice Age animals.

The new findings represent the oldest evidence of both the presence of Homo sapiens and human interaction with large animals in southern South America during the height of the last Ice Age, a time known as the Last Glacial Maximum, and one of the oldest in all of South America, the researchers said.

"Until recently, the traditional model suggested that modern humans (Homo sapiens) entered the Americas 16,000 years ago, so most of the archaeological evidence was framed during that period. Since a few years ago, new evidence has been found indicating an earlier human presence," Delgado said.

"Currently, we know that in South America reliable evidence was recovered in Brazil from 23,000 years ago, but it's worth noting that contemporaneous sites were found in North America with material dated between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, and even earlier sites were also found in Central America dated between 26,000 and 19,000 years ago," Delgado added.

The Neosclerocalyptus fossils were unearthed in 2015 from the banks of the Reconquista River near the town of Merlo in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, dating to the Pleistocene epoch. A method called radiocarbon dating determined that the fossils were about 21,000 years old.

National University of La Plata paleontologist and study co-author Martin de Los Reyes said, "This would be the first evidence of humans in Argentina and the Southern Cone of South America."

"We are shifting the traditional paradigm that speaks of a specific moment of human arrival in the Americas," Delgado added.

(Reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco; Writing by Noelle Harff; Editing by Will Dunham and Lucinda Elliott)
Interstate 83 John Harris Memorial (South) Bridge (Commonwealth Media Service photo)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Harrisburg Wednesday to announce a $500 million Large Bridge Project grant to PennDOT for repairs to the I-83 South Bridge that spans the Susquehanna River. Its part of the Federal Highway Administrations Bridge Investment Program, which will provide a total of $5 billion in grants to fund reconstruction, repair and restoration of 13 nationally significant bridges in 16 states.

Finding the funds needed to repair the most significant bridges in America has been a challenge that escaped past administrations of both parties, and thats why President Biden created this dedicated program to deal with it, Buttigieg said on a call with reporters Tuesday. He pointed to the I-83 bridge, which was built in 1960 and widened in 1982, and carries more than 125,000 vehicles daily, according to the transportation department.

Its in poor condition, and it creates bottlenecks that make drivers less safe, Buttigieg said. It costs people time. It makes it more expensive to ship goods through this critical corridor, so awarding $500 million to build a new I-83 South Bridge, is expected to lead to 117 fewer crashes per year and to save automobile drivers 538 million hours, save truck drivers 66 million hours over the lifetime of that bridge.

The grants range from a minimum of $50 million up to 50% of the total projects cost, and are available for bridge projects that cost more than $100 million.

Buttigieg appeared with Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) at the site of the bridge on Wednesday morning. I really want to begin with a public apology to Secretary Buttigieg and and also to President Biden, because I have been a royal pain in their ass for the last year and a half talking about this I-83 bridge, Shapiro joked. Replacing this aging bridge will be transformational for this region and for all Pennsylvania. I-83, as you all know, is a vital artery here in south central Pennsylvania, that not only connects our communities on both sides of the river, its also a critical route for commerce and supply chains up and down the East Coast of the United States.

Casey, who led a bipartisan letter from Pennsylvanias Congressional delegation in April urging the Biden administration to provide federal discretionary funding for the bridge project, applauded the collaborative work it took to bring the funding to Pennsylvania; every member of the states House delegation signed the letter. Im not sure that has happened on one project in Pennsylvania history, if not American history, to have every member of the delegation, no matter whether they represented northwestern Pennsylvania or North Central Pennsylvania or Philadelphia or Pittsburgh or anywhere in between, to get all of our voices coming together to support this project was essential, Casey said Wednesday.

Once you get a bill done, as you all know, it doesnt execute or implement itself, he added. You have to have a strong commitment by the administration. You have to have a strong Secretary of Transportation to get those dollars out the door, and then you have to have a bipartisan effort here in Pennsylvania to get it done.

Buttigieg said when the Biden administration took office, Pennsylvania was an example of the need for bridge repairs that had built up over decades.

Visiting Pittsburgh in one of my first trips, I remember seeing the netting installed under the McKees Rocks Bridge in Pittsburgh to catch the pieces of concrete that would fall off of it from time to time, and that was something that was just tolerated in this country for far too long, he said. He pointed to the 2022 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, rebuilt in less than a year, and the collapse of a bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia last year, where  as Shapiro is famous for noting  the structure was reopened in 12 days.

I could keep going with examples from across the state, but the bottom line is, despite the progress that was made, there was a clear need for bridge repairs to overcome the decades of underinvestment from Washington and nowhere is that need greater than the I-83 South Bridge right here in Harrisburg, Buttigieg said Wednesday.

Buttigiegs visit was part of the launch of the Biden administrations fifth Investing in America tour, where White House and cabinet officials will visit 30 states to highlight the administrations investments in infrastructure, job creation, and manufacturing.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws Bridge Investment Program, we are reinvesting in our infrastructure and ensuring vital connections for Americans who need to get to a job, a class, or a doctor, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. These grants are helping to advance critical bridge projects across the nation that will improve overall quality of life and ensure this countrys infrastructure works for everyone.

PennDOT has slated the I-83 South Bridge for replacement and upgrade, a project that is estimated to cost more than $1 billion and take six to eight years to complete. A plan to fund the project and eight other bridges by tolling them was scrapped in 2022 following a lawsuit and Commonwealth Court ruling

I want to be crystal clear on this, that this bridge  will not be tolled, Shapiro said Wednesday. I made that clear during my campaign. I was against tolling these bridges, and I continue to be against tolling these bridges, and thanks to this federal investment and the work thats going to be done here, this will be a bridge that connects families, connects leaders, connects people going to work without having to pay a toll.

PennDOT plans to begin work on the I-83 South Bridge in 2026.

Another of the bridge projects that will receive funding under the program is the 119-year-old Market Street Bridge in East Steubenville, West Virginia, near Follansbee, that spans the Ohio River and connects to Steubenville, Ohio. That bridge, which closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic in 2023, will be replaced.

Several other Biden administration officials will visit Pennsylvania over the course of the Investing in America tour this week, the White House said, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and White House Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez.

The White House also launched two new online tools to highlight the administrations investments in rural communities and a savings explorer interactive site that lets users calculate how the administrations policies in areas like health, clean energy, student loans and junk fees could help the user save money.

Update: This article was updated at 12:45 p.m. July 17, 2024 with remarks from the press conference with Casey, Buttigieg and Shapiro.

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While Californias famous coastline is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike, especially during the summer, some may want to reconsider swimming in the Pacific to escape the summer heat.

Ten beaches, including two in Los Angeles County, were named on the Beach Bummer List as part of Heal the Bays 34th annual report card. The list outlines the 10 most polluted beaches in California.

Why some California beaches are always considered dirty

Santa Monica Pier ranked third, while Marina del Rey Mothers Beach ranked ninth.

The City of Santa Monica has wrestled for years with poor water quality at the Pier, which is plagued with droppings from roosting birds and urban runoff. The enclosed Mothers Beach in Los Angeles County might attract families because of its placid waters, but very poor circulation has led to chronic bacterial exceedances. Families beware, the report said.

These are Californias dirtiest beaches:

1. Tijuana River Mouth (San Diego County)

2. Playa Blanca (Baja California, Mexico)

3. Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)

4. Tijuana Slough (San Diego County)

5. Linda Mar Beach (San Mateo County)

6. Lakeshore Park (San Mateo County)

7. Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)

8. Border Field State Park (San Diego County)

9. Marina del Rey Mothers Beach at Lifeguard Tower (Los Angeles County)

The 10th dirtiest beach on the West Coast was El Faro in Baja California, Mexico.

However, its not all bad news. Out of the 500 beaches tested, nearly 90% of the beaches tested last year from April through October received an A or B water-quality grade for the dry-weather summer months when people typically spend the most time at the beach.

The report also stated that water sampling conducted during dry periods from November 2023 through March 2024 produced results well below average, with only 66% of beaches receiving A and B grades.

The poor grades during the dry winter period are usually due to heavy rainfall, which can cause pollutants to flow through storm drains and trigger sewage spills. The report noted that 38 million gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean and coastal waterways, due to increased rainfall that overwhelmed sewage systems.

Despite the lower grades in some areas, 12 beaches  nine in Orange County, two in San Diego County and one in Ventura County  met the highest clean-water standards for the entire year.

Lawsuit filed against Gov. Gavin Newsom over California gender identity notification law

These are Californias honor roll beaches:

1. Dana Point Harbor Fuel Dock (Orange County)

2. Huntington Harbor, Seagate Lagoon (Orange County)

3. Huntington Harbor, Trinidad Lane Beach (Orange County)

4. Newport Bay, Promontory Point (Orange County)

5. Dana Point, South Capistrano Bay Community Beach (Orange County)

6. Riviera Beach (Orange County)

7. Emerald Bay Beach (Orange County)

8. Marine Science Institute Beach (Orange County)

9. Salt Creek Beach (Orange County)

10. Point Loma Lighthouse (San Diego County)

11. Encinitas, Moonlight Beach, Cottonwood Creek (San Diego County)

12. County Line Beach (Ventura County)

Thats an improvement from last years report when only two beaches made the organizations honor roll, but still below the average 30 to 50 beaches that make the list.

The full report can be viewed here.

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PHNOM PENH, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia made 213.3 million U.S. dollars in revenue from exports of dry rubber during the January-June period this year, up 8.6 percent from 196.3 million dollars over the same period last year, said a General Directorate of Rubber's report on Wednesday.

The country exported 140,653 tons of the commodity in the first half of 2024, a slight increase of 1 percent from 139,220 tons over the same period last year, the report said.

"A ton of dry rubber averagely cost 1,517 U.S. dollars during the first half of 2024, about 107 dollars higher than that of the same period last year," Khun Kakada, acting-director general of the General Directorate of Rubber, said in the report.

The Southeast Asian nation exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China.

According to the report, Cambodia has so far planted rubber trees on a total area of 407,172 hectares, in which the trees on 320,184 hectares, or 78.6 percent, are old enough to be tapped. 
On Monday, California became the first U.S. state to legally bar school districts from notifying parents of a child's decision to change their pronouns.

The law was signed in response to local districts in California passing laws requiring school districts to notify their parents if they learn of a child changing their pronoun. Advocates of the law point out that preventing transgender children from confiding in sympathetic teachers puts them in danger and violates their right to privacy, especially if their parents do not understand the history and science behind transgender identities.

The author of the bill, Assemblyman Chris Ward, explained its importance in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety and dignity of transgender, nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California, Ward said. As a parent, I urge all parents to talk to their children, listen to them, and love them unconditionally for who they are.

Eric Vilain, a clinician and the director of the Center for Gender-Based Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Scientific American that "since there is not one biological parameter that takes over every other parameter, at the end of the day, gender identity seems to be the most reasonable parameter."

Having a trusted adult is paramount to ensuring a queer kid makes it to their next birthday, Kai, a transgender man who recently graduated from high school, said at a news conference last month, as reported by AP News. If you care about kids, youll enact this legislation that will protect their well-being and protect their lives.
California Rep. Adam Schiff says Biden should bow out of presidential race against Trump

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to bow out of the race against former President Donald Trump, becoming the most prominent elected Democrat to publicly urge Biden to drop out.

Schiff said while Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, he had serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Schiff, D-Burbank, becomes the 21st member of his party to publicly call for Biden to step aside. The list includes 19 other House Democrats and one senator.

Schiff, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California, is expected to win in November. He is a protege of Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

Pelosi, whose influence is regarded as enormous both among congressional Democrats and at the White House, recently urged Biden to consider whether to continue in the 2024 contest in an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe, despite the president repeatedly insisting he intends to run.

Schiffs full statement was shared with The Bee after first appearing in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday:

Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.

But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Biden has more than enough committed delegates to win the nomination, so he would have to voluntarily step aside in order to release them.

But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high, Schiff said.

The Democratic National Convention will be Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

The Bees Nicole Nixon contributed to this story.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., listens during the third hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Schiff on Wednesday became the 20th congressional Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection race. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The intraparty effort to convince President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid resurfaced Wednesday, when prominent U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California became the latest Democratic member of Congress to go public with his concerns.

Leading Democrats also set an early August window for a virtual roll call to officially name Biden as the partys 2024 presidential nominee. Members opposed to Bidens renomination have raised concerns a virtual roll call ahead of the partys late August convention would ease the presidents path.

Bidens disastrous debate performance in late June has now led 19 U.S. House Democrats and one senator to publicly call for him to drop his reelection bid, and several more have expressed serious concerns about his candidacy.

Still, Biden, 81, has refused to back down, saying, Im the best qualified to govern and I think Im the best qualified to win.

Democratic calls regarding Bidens reelection bid had quieted since the assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend, which killed one rally goer and left two others injured during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Virtual roll call

Also Wednesday, in a letter obtained by States Newsroom, the co-chairs of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee wrote to committee members that no virtual roll call voting to determine the partys nominee will take place prior to Aug. 1.

DNC officials, including Chair Jaime Harrison, said a virtual roll call ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which would typically be the site of an official nomination, was necessary because of an Ohio law requiring nominees to be named at least 90 days before Election Day, making the deadline Aug. 7.

Ohio lawmakers later moved that deadline to September, but Wednesdays DNC letter notes that law doesnt take effect until September. To avoid any risk of lawsuits over ballots in the Buckeye State, the party is moving ahead with a virtual roll call to beat that deadline, the letter said.

The letter specified that the Rules Committee will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has pressed for the DNC to delay the virtual roll call, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom. Schumers push came after he spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and both agreed on delaying the virtual roll call.

Prominent House member

Schiff, a former House Intelligence Committee chair and the lead impeachment manager in the first impeachment of Trump, is perhaps the most well-known nationally of those who have called for Biden to withdraw.

Schiff, who is favored to win a U.S. Senate seat in California after clinching the Democratic nomination in the blue state, called for Biden to step down in a statement Wednesday.

He noted that while the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Schiff said Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.

Schiff vowed to do everything he can to help whoever the Democratic Party ends up nominating succeed.

There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high, he said.

Dems want Biden out

Meanwhile, polling continues to point unfavorably for Bidens reelection bid.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say they want Biden to step down from the race and let the party select someone else, according to an AP-NORC poll published Wednesday.

Three-quarters of Democratic respondents between the ages of 18 and 44, and 57% of those 45 or older favored Biden stepping aside.

On the flip side, 73% of Republicans believe Trump  whom Republicans officially nominated at their convention this week  should continue his bid for the White House. Only a little over one-quarter of Republicans want him to withdraw.

Debate performance repercussions

Since the shaky debate performance nearly three weeks ago, a slow but steady progression of congressional Democrats has urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch is the only senator within the Democratic Party who has called for the president to drop out, a stance he took in a Washington Post op-ed.

For the good of the country, Im calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race, the Vermont Democrat wrote last week.

So far, the public calls have come from members of Congress who represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

A spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff listens during the third hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., listens during the third hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Schiff on Wednesday became the 20th congressional Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection race. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The intraparty effort to convince President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid resurfaced Wednesday, when prominent U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California became the latest Democratic member of Congress to go public with his concerns.

Leading Democrats also set an early August window for a virtual roll call to officially name Biden as the partys 2024 presidential nominee. Members opposed to Bidens renomination have raised concerns a virtual roll call ahead of the partys late August convention would ease the presidents path.

Bidens disastrous debate performance in late June has now led 19 U.S. House Democrats and one senator to publicly call for him to drop his reelection bid, and several more have expressed serious concerns about his candidacy.

Still, Biden, 81, has refused to back down, saying, Im the best qualified to govern and I think Im the best qualified to win.

Democratic calls regarding Bidens reelection bid had quieted since the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump over the weekend, which killed one rally goer and left two others injured during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Biden tested positive for COVID-19 after a campaign event in Nevada on Wednesday, according to a statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden cancelled a later Nevada event and planned to continue working in isolation at his Delaware home, Jean-Pierre said.

Virtual roll call

Also Wednesday, in a letter obtained by States Newsroom, the co-chairs of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee wrote to committee members that no virtual roll call voting to determine the partys nominee will take place prior to Aug. 1.

DNC officials, including Chair Jaime Harrison, said a virtual roll call ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which would typically be the site of an official nomination, was necessary because of an Ohio law requiring nominees to be named at least 90 days before Election Day, making the deadline Aug. 7.

Ohio lawmakers later moved that deadline to September, but Wednesdays DNC letter notes that law doesnt take effect until September. To avoid any risk of lawsuits over ballots in the Buckeye State, the party is moving ahead with a virtual roll call to beat that deadline, the letter said.

The letter specified that the Rules Committee will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has pressed for the DNC to delay the virtual roll call, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom. Schumers push came after he spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and both agreed on delaying the virtual roll call.

Prominent House member

Schiff, a former House Intelligence Committee chair and the lead impeachment manager in the first impeachment of Trump, is perhaps the most well-known nationally of those who have called for Biden to withdraw.

Schiff, who is favored to win a U.S. Senate seat in California after clinching the Democratic nomination in the blue state, called for Biden to step down in a statement Wednesday.

He noted that while the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Schiff said Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.

Schiff vowed to do everything he can to help whoever the Democratic Party ends up nominating succeed.

There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high, he said.

Dems want Biden out

Meanwhile, polling continues to point unfavorably for Bidens reelection bid.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say they want Biden to step down from the race and let the party select someone else, according to an AP-NORC poll published Wednesday.

Three-quarters of Democratic respondents between the ages of 18 and 44, and 57% of those 45 or older favored Biden stepping aside.

On the flip side, 73% of Republicans believe Trump  whom Republicans officially nominated at their convention this week  should continue his bid for the White House. Only a little over one-quarter of Republicans want him to withdraw.

Debate performance repercussions

Since the shaky debate performance nearly three weeks ago, a slow but steady progression of congressional Democrats has urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch is the only senator within the Democratic Party who has called for the president to drop out, a stance he took in a Washington Post op-ed.

For the good of the country, Im calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race, the Vermont Democrat wrote last week.

So far, the public calls have come from members of Congress who represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

A spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

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Rep. Adam Schiff, who is favored to win a U.S. Senate seat in California after clinching the Democratic nomination in the blue state, called for Biden to step down in a statement Wednesday. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The intraparty effort to convince President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid resurfaced Wednesday, when prominent U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California became the latest Democratic member of Congress to go public with his concerns.

Leading Democrats also set an early August window for a virtual roll call to officially name Biden as the partys 2024 presidential nominee. Members opposed to Bidens renomination have raised concerns a virtual roll call ahead of the partys late August convention would ease the presidents path.

Bidens disastrous debate performance in late June has now led 19 U.S. House Democrats and one senator to publicly call for him to drop his reelection bid, and several more have expressed serious concerns about his candidacy.

Still, Biden, 81, has refused to back down, saying, Im the best qualified to govern and I think Im the best qualified to win.

Democratic calls regarding Bidens reelection bid had quieted since the assassination attempt against former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend, which killed one rally goer and left two others injured during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Biden tested positive for COVID-19 after a campaign event in Nevada on Wednesday, according to a statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden cancelled a later Nevada event and planned to continue working in isolation at his Delaware home, Jean-Pierre said.

Virtual roll call delayed

Also Wednesday, in a letter obtained by States Newsroom, the co-chairs of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee wrote to committee members that no virtual roll call voting to determine the partys nominee will take place prior to Aug. 1.

DNC officials, including Chair Jaime Harrison, said a virtual roll call ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which would typically be the site of an official nomination, was necessary because of an Ohio law requiring nominees to be named at least 90 days before Election Day, making the deadline Aug. 7.

Ohio lawmakers later moved that deadline to September, but Wednesdays DNC letter notes that law doesnt take effect until September. To avoid any risk of lawsuits over ballots in the Buckeye State, the party is moving ahead with a virtual roll call to beat that deadline, the letter said.

The letter specified that the Rules Committee will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has pressed for the DNC to delay the virtual roll call, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom. Schumers push came after he spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and both agreed on delaying the virtual roll call.

time for him to pass the torch

Schiff, a former House Intelligence Committee chair and the lead impeachment manager in the first impeachment of Trump, is perhaps the most well-known nationally of those who have called for Biden to withdraw.

Schiff, who is favored to win a U.S. Senate seat in California after clinching the Democratic nomination in the blue state, called for Biden to step down in a statement Wednesday.

He noted that while the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Schiff said Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.

Schiff vowed to do everything he can to help whoever the Democratic Party ends up nominating succeed.

There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high, he said.

Meanwhile, polling continues to point unfavorably for Bidens reelection bid.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say they want Biden to step down from the race and let the party select someone else, according to an AP-NORC poll published Wednesday.

Three-quarters of Democratic respondents between the ages of 18 and 44, and 57% of those 45 or older favored Biden stepping aside.

On the flip side, 73% of Republicans believe Trump  whom Republicans officially nominated at their convention this week  should continue his bid for the White House. Only a little over one-quarter of Republicans want him to withdraw.

Since the shaky debate performance nearly three weeks ago, a slow but steady progression of congressional Democrats has urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch is the only senator within the Democratic Party who has called for the president to drop out, a stance he took in a Washington Post op-ed.

For the good of the country, Im calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race, the Vermont Democrat wrote last week.

So far, the public calls have come from members of Congress who represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

A spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
These are California's dirtiest beaches. Where are you swimming this summer?

As Mother Nature continues to turn up the heat this summer, those looking to cool off along the California coast might want to reconsider where they're swimming.

Ten California and Baja California beaches, including around the Santa Monica Pier and a stretch of Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey, received the poorest water quality grades based on measurements taken last year during dry periods between April and October. Four locations in San Diego County, two in Baja and two in San Mateo County also made the list, which was part of Heal the Bay's 34th annual report card of the state's beaches released Wednesday.

Of California's more than 500 beaches tested last year, 89% received top marks for water quality for the warmer seasons between April and October, when people tend to spend the most time in the ocean. However, water sampling conducted during dry periods from November 2023 through March 2024 produced results well below average, with only 66% of beaches receiving A and B grades, according to the report.

The poor grades during dry winter periods are the result of heavy bouts of rain flushing pollutants through storm drains, which can trigger sewage spills. The report notes that such spills resulted in about 38 million gallons of sewage flowing into the ocean and coastal waterways.

Read more: California beach is most polluted seen in new study. People are 'getting sick left and right'

"One of the things that contributes to the poor water quality that we see in a lot of Southern California is how urbanized our communities are," said Heal the Bay Chief Executive and President Tracy Quinn. "Nearly every square inch is covered with buildings or concrete or asphalt, and that means we have more stormwater collecting more pollution and heading for coastal waterways."

Heal the Bay's report included a beach bummer list of the 10 beaches, including two in Mexico, that consistently receive poor marks throughout the year. Heal the Bay analyzed weekly monitoring data from San Diego County for select beaches in Baja, which are in close proximity to California and have the potential to draw tourists from the state.

Here are the 10 dirtiest beaches

1. Tijuana River Mouth (San Diego County)

2. Playa Blanca (Baja California, Mexico)

3. Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)

4. Tijuana Slough (San Diego County)

5. Linda Mar Beach (San Mateo County)

6. Lakeshore Park (San Mateo County)

7. Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)

8. Border Field State Park (San Diego County)

9. Marina del Rey Mother's Beach at Lifeguard Tower (Los Angeles County)

10. El Faro (Baja California, Mexico)

Despite the heavy rains last winter, 12 beaches  nine in Orange County, two in San Diego County and one in Ventura County  met the highest clean-water standards for the entire year. That is an improvement from last year's report, when only two beaches made the organization's "honor roll." However, it's still far below the usual 30 to 50 beaches typically included on the list.

"While we had some really big storms this year it wasn't quite the same as the record-breaking year for rain that we saw last year, which I think definitely contributed to the very low level of only two honorable beaches," said Annelisa Moe, associate director of science and policy at Heal the Bay.

Read more: The 50 best beaches in Southern California

Some areas in California, including parts of San Diego County, shifted to a new water sampling protocol that doesn't align with how Heal the Bay calculates water grades, which is why some beaches may not have made this year's honor roll. Other California beaches had poor grades during dry periods in the winter, a lingering effect of strong winter storms.

Some Northern California beaches aren't tested during winter months when people are less likely to be re-creating in the ocean because of the weather. Beaches need to be tested weekly, year-round to qualify for the honor roll, Moe said.

Here are California's 'honor roll' beaches

1. Dana Point Harbor Fuel Dock (Orange County)

2. Huntington Harbor, Seagate Lagoon (Orange County)

3. Huntington Harbor, Trinidad Lane Beach (Orange County)

4. Newport Bay, Promontory Point (Orange County)

5. Dana Point, South Capistrano Bay Community Beach (Orange County)

6. Riviera Beach (Orange County)

7. Emerald Bay Beach (Orange County)

8. Marine Science Institute Beach (Orange County)

9. Salt Creek Beach (Orange County)

10. Point Loma Lighthouse (San Diego County)

11. Encinitas, Moonlight Beach, Cottonwood Creek (San Diego County)

12. County Line Beach (Ventura County)

The beach rankings are based on routine water-quality testing conducted by local officials and then analyzed for concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria that signals pollution from numerous sources including human and animal waste.

Officials recommend staying at least 100 yards away from storm drains and river outlets when entering the water and to always wait at least 72 hours after it rains before going into the ocean.

The report noted that water quality near the Santa Monica Pier continues to vex officials despite efforts like installing a stormwater capture system in 2018 and adding bird netting beneath the pier to manage pollution from bird feces.

"Unfortunately, those efforts aren't working particularly well," Moe said, adding that the organization is discussing assembling a task force with the city to make recommendations for the area.

"Just upon visual inspection we can see the bird netting is in disrepair, so there are certain things that can still be done to kind of try to bring down that particular source of pollution," she said.

Beaches with poor water circulation also continue to be an issue. Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey and Lakeshore Park in San Mateo are both enclosed by urbanized channels and harbors, which reduces water flow and allows bacteria to linger.

In other areas, sewage and runoff following heavy rainstorms is primarily to blame for the poor water quality.

Imperial Beach in San Diego County has faced water quality issues for years because of its proximity to the mouth of the Tijuana River where raw sewage flows into the ocean daily. This is the first time the location has made it onto the beach bummer list, a sign that scientists say shows the sewage pollution was significant enough this year to overwhelm natural dispersal mechanisms that typically keep open ocean beaches off the list.

Construction began this year on a new wastewater treatment plant in Mexico that officials say will dramatically reduce the discharge of sewage.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
California's Rep. Adam Schiff joins other Democrats in calling on Biden to end candidacy

Rep. Adam Schiff, R-Calif., on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to end his candidacy and "pass the torch" to a younger candidate with a better chance to beat former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Wednesday joined the growing ranks of Democrats who want President Joe Biden to end his candidacy.

Schiff is running for former Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat and says the Democratic Party might lose more than the race for the presidency if Biden is the candidate at the top of the ticket.

Feinstein died on Sept. 29 at age 90 after suffering a stroke and announcing she would not seek re-election.

Schiff said Biden's candidacy might cause the Democrats to lose the Senate as well as the presidency and stop the party from regaining the House of Representatives.

"Our nation is at a crossroads," Schiff said in a prepared statement. "A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy."

President Joe Biden refuses to withdraw his candidacy and has nearly twice as many delegates as required to secure the Democratic Party's nomination to seek a second term in office. Photo by Erin Schaff/UPI

Schiff said he has "serious concerns" about Biden's ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.

Schiff called former Trump a threat to democracy four days after a would-be assassin tried to kill Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday.

On Wednesday Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (pictured 2023), joined the growing ranks of Democrats who want President Joe Biden to end his candidacy. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

Thomas Crooks killed a rally attendee and shot two others before Secret Service snipers killed him while he was on top of a roof about 400 feet from where Trump was speaking.

"There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump," Schiff said. "The stakes are just too high."

On Wednesday Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (pictured 2020), joined the growing ranks of Democrats who want President Joe Biden to end his candidacy. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI

Schiff said it's time for Biden, 81, to "pass the torch" to a younger candidate to run against Trump, 78.

Schiff is running against former L.A. Dodgers star Steve Garvey, who is the Republican candidate for the Senate seat.

On Wednesday Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (pictured 2020), joined the growing ranks of Democrats who want President Joe Biden to end his candidacy. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Schiff is a strong favorite to win the Senate race but said Democrats will "very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House" if Biden is the party's presidential candidate.

"The choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone," Schiff said, adding that he will support the Democratic Party's nominee for the presidency, even if it is Biden.

Biden has secured 3,896 delegates during the prior state primaries and caucus votes and only needs 1,976 to win the Democratic Party nomination.

If Biden doesn't withdraw his candidacy, he has a virtual lock on securing the nomination for a second term in office and has said he won't withdraw his candidacy.

Biden is made campaign stops in Nevada on Tuesday and Wednesday and is campaigning in all six swing states that might decide the Nov.5 presidential election.

The Republican National Convention is underway through Thursday in Milwaukee, where Trump on Tuesday announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate.

The Democratic Party is scheduled to start its national convention on Aug. 19 in Chicago.
Cambridge University U-turns on fossil fuel donations  but only if they are big enough

The University of Cambridge has scrapped a temporary ban on donations from fossil fuel companies and will now accept sums if they are for a large gift usually [of] several million pounds.

The university said it had agreed on a new process for considering funding from fossil fuel companies on Tuesday that would welcome donations under exceptional circumstances.

Its Committee on Benefactions and Legal and External Affairs (CBELA) may now accept donations if they are for a large gift, or equivalent value for a research collaboration (usually several million pounds) which could not be obtained elsewhere.

Funding from such companies must also be shown to advance the universitys overall academic and institutional aims.

All other sums must be from companies committed to the UKs target for reaching net zero by 2050, the universitys website said.

It overrules a temporary ban on fossil fuel donations brought in earlier this year after an independent report warned that due diligence failings had created a high reputational risk to the university.

University staff inspect damage to the exterior of a 15th century King's College building from climate protesters - Martin Pope/Getty Images

The temporary suspension on funding, which began in March, came after a report by Nigel Topping, the UN climate champion, suggested Cambridges association with industry was not worth the reputational risk.

The report found that the fossil fuel sector made up 0.4 per cent of the universitys research and philanthropy funding in the six years up to 2022.

Announcing the move, Cambridge admitted it was aware of calls for a blanket ban on fossil fuel cash.

However, it said this may cause tension in relation to academic freedom and freedom of speech and give rise to questions regarding its obligations under charity law.

UK-based oil and gas companies BP and Shell have jointly donated more than 19.7 million to the university since 2019, according to the Financial Times.

University sidelines ethical considerations

Cambridge was also accused of sidelining ethical considerations in February when the university took 20 million in funding from Majid Jafar, owner of the Middle Easts largest oil company.

Mr Jafar is the chief executive and founder of Crescent Petroleum and the managing director of Dana Gas, the largest non-government-owned natural gas company in the Middle East. The money went towards the development of a Cambridge childrens hospital and university research institute.

The policy will replace existing advice for CBELA, the universitys body for considering donations, which ranked fossil fuel companies red, amber, or green according to their alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Telegraph understands.

The new process is understood not to have received unanimous support from the university council making the decision. It comprises senior university officials such as Prof Deborah Prentice, the vice chancellor.

Prof Jason Scott-Warren, of Gonville and Caius college, described the new policy as 'absurd' - University of Cambridge

Prof Jason Scott-Warren, one of 25 members of the council, said: This absurd decision reflects the fundamentally unethical nature of the university, which doesnt begin to get the climate emergency and which remains densely intertwined with the fossil fuel industry.

Mr Scott-Warren claimed that despite Mr Toppings report, Cambridge has decided to ditch the colour-coded donations scale in favour of these new proposals, which make the size of a donation the decisive factor.

He said the policy leaves the door open for multi- million pound donations and collaborations from fossil fuel majors.

A spokesman for the University of Cambridge said: The university will not accept research or philanthropic funding from a fossil fuel company whose business model is not aligned with the target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

No fossil fuel company is currently understood to have a business model that aligns with net zero 2050 targets.

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Up came this .45 that she had strapped to her ankle: former agent recalls 1975 assassination attempt on President Ford

(FOX40.COM)  As the video of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump Saturday evening replays on television screens across America, it conjures up the vivid images of an assassination attempt on another president 49 years ago in Sacramento.

For former Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf, these moments from September 5, 1975, are not mere snapshots of history but lived experience.

Trump on assassination attempt: I should be dead

You try to put it into slow motion, and theres no slow motion about it, Buendorf recalled over the phone.

President Gerald Ford was supposed to be led by motorcade to the California State Capitol for a speech that day, according to Buendorf.

He walked out of the hotel that morning, saw it was a beautiful day. Its always beautiful in Sacramento. He walked out and said, I think Ill walk, Buendorf said. That wasnt in the plan.

They quickly established a perimeter of the sidewalk. As the president shook peoples hands, Buendorf was right at Fords left shoulder. Among the crowd was a member of the Manson family, Lynette Squeaky Fromme.

She was dressed completely in red. When she stood up, according to Ford, he noticed that right away, City Historian with the Center for Sacramento History Marcia Eymann said.

Buendorf recalled Fromme having a .45 caliber pistol strapped to her ankle. The former Secret Service agent stepped in front of the president and reached to grab the gun.

I hit it, took it out of her hands, pushed her back in the crowd, and of course as were trained to do, they covered the president and evacuated, Buendorf said.

As Eymann took us through the Sacramento Bees images of that day, she noted how President Ford still made it to the Capitol for his speech.

They invited the president who needed a campaign stop, as he was running for president again, Eymann said.

Both President Ford and President Trump pressed on in an election year after attempts were made on their lives.

Its part of being president, its part of being a commander in chief, that you continue to move forward, Eymann said.

This was not the only assassination attempt President Ford experienced. Seventeen days later, another attempt was made by a different woman in San Francisco, according to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.

He talked to reporters and he said, I dont think anyone is president to cower in the face of a limited number of people who want to take the law into their own hands, Dr. Mirelle Luecke, Supervisory Curator of the library and museum quoted President Ford.

The American people want a dialogue between them and their president and other public officials.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
Canadas Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, on Monday delivered an apology on behalf of Canada to nine First Nations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan for decades of labeling them as refugees.

In a 650-person gathering at Whitecap Dakota Nation, Anandasangaree formally acknowledged the Dakota and Lakota as "Aboriginal peoples of Canada, a designation that comes with constitutionally protected rights.

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The Dakota and Lakota people played a critical role in defending what is now Canada during the War of 1812, but were not invited to sign treaties in the 1870s and, as a result, received no constitutional rights or benefits, including smaller reserves than Treaty First Nations.

In 2007, Ottawa rejected the claim of the Dakota and Lakota Nations that they should be included in the local treaties, a move that meant the nations weren't included in the multimillion-dollar treaty land entitlement process in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Today, on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, we seek to begin to mend this injustice with three simple words: we are sorry, Anandasangaree said. We acknowledge that you have been treated as second-class First Nations and strangers here on your own land in Canada  a Canada that you helped defend, build and develop. We recognize the hurt that this has caused generations of your citizens. We hope, today, that we can remove this stain and begin the important work of healing.

In response to the apology, many First Nation leaders called the day historic and expressed hope that it was a critical step towards healing.

For too long, the Dakota people in Canada have been treated as foreigners in their own land, said Whitecap Dakota Nation Darcy Bear in a statement.

Last year, Canada first recognized the Dakota as an Aboriginal People of Canada, and enshrined that recognition in the Whitecap Dakota Self-Government Treaty.

This apology today builds on that affirmation, and takes us one further step ahead in the journey of healing and recognition that is so long overdue, Chief Bear added.

Chief Don Smoke of the Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation said that it is essential that the apology come with land back.

This response should involve the return and conservation of lands that were not ceded, responsible governance of the land, rejuvenation of traditional practices, and a shared respect for our natural resources.

About the Author: "Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York."

Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com
This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows vessels from the Chinese and Russian navies attending a fleet separation ceremony in waters near Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo by Yang Jie/Xinhua)

GUANGZHOU, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The China-Russia "Exercise Joint Sea-2024" concluded on Wednesday, with a fleet separation ceremony in waters near Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province.

The exercise, focusing on "joint response to maritime security threats," saw the participation of seven vessels from both countries.

The event began with port planning activities, including on-map military simulation and ship tours.

When the exercise moved to the sea phase, live drills were carried out on joint reconnaissance and early warning, search and rescue, air defense and missile defense.

The "Exercise Joint Sea-2024" strengthened professional exchanges and mutual trust between the Chinese and Russian navies, promoting practical cooperation in a standardized and systematic manner.

Since its inception in 2012, the "Joint Sea" series has become a major platform for cooperation between the two navies, enhancing their ability to jointly address security threats and challenges. 

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows vessels from the Chinese and Russian navies attending a fleet separation ceremony in waters near Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo by Yang Jie/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 17, 2024 shows vessels from the Chinese and Russian navies attending a fleet separation ceremony in waters near Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo by Yang Jie/Xinhua)
Its a question that crosses the mind of every traveler heading for the Southern Hemisphere: How long do you have to go to Australia for to make it worthwhile?

The answer varies.

But it is rarely six days.

Admittedly, heads of state have different ideas to the rest of us about travel, as well as comfier planes, but it is understood that a mere six days is indeed how long King Charles will now spend in Australia on an official tour in October, after his schedule was dramatically cut back in deference to his ongoing fight with cancer.

King Charles Sends Private Message to Donald Trump After Assassination Attempt

The six days in Australia, barely enough to adjust to the 11-hour time difference, will be followed by a state visit to Samoa where the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference will be taking place.

Including travel time, Charles will be away for 10 days, according to a report in the Telegraph. It was originally intended to be closer to three weeks.

A Palace spokesperson said: Their Majesties will visit the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Samoa. The Kings doctors have advised that a further extension to Their Majesties trip should be avoided at this time, to prioritize His Majestys continued recovery.

As with all His Majestys recent engagements, his programme in both countries will be subject to doctors advice, and any necessary modifications on health grounds.

The Daily Beast reported last month that the trip, which had been planned to include a stopover in New Zealand, would be dramatically curtailed over health worries.

The king has been so publicly visible since his return to public duties in April that it is easy to forget that not only was he diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, but that he is still undergoing treatment for it.

In recent weeks, he has visited Jersey and Normandy and hosted the Japanese emperor and empress during their state visit to the U.K.

While he has sometimes appeared a little frail, he has also looked happy, and has made it clear he is very pleased to be back at public work.

However, the fact that his big foreign tour has been ruthlessly edited has naturally put back into sharp focus the reality of the kings ongoing cancer battle.

The Palace has not said what cancer he is suffering from (and declined to comment for this article), and there has been no credible reporting identifying it.

Speculation that it is bladder cancer has been floated in mainstream outlets including the New York Times, in part because the cancer was discovered while the king was having treatment for a benign enlarged prostate. The five-year relative survival rate for localized bladder cancer is 71 percent. Palace sources have made it clear that any speculation around the type of cancer affecting the king is unwelcome and unfounded.

One insider told the Daily Beast: There has been a lot of debate in the Palace about how much Charles should be doing. There are plenty of people who think a long-haul foreign tour is unwise when you have cancer. But ultimately the decisions are coming from the top and the problem is, he knows that if he doesnt do a trip to Australia as king now, it will probably never happen.

Friends of the king, of course, see a different narrative. They feel that the fact Charles is going on the trip at all is a significant sign that his treatment for cancer is progressing well.

One friend of the king told The Daily Beast: Australia is a very important country to him. Its no secret that there are Republican rumblings Down Under, and he wants to do everything he can to keep the Aussies on board. But its clear he wouldnt be going unless he was on the mend and his doctors thought he could handle it. Its a hugely encouraging sign.

Asked if the decision to cut the New Zealand aspect of the tour from the itinerary showed that in fact the king was still struggling with his health, the friend said, I think that would be a churlish interpretation. He has been very open about having cancer. It is absolutely plain to see that he is doing really well. Its very sad about New Zealand but I think its just the reality of trying to work while being treated for canceryou cant do everything.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Louisiana Supreme Court building in New Orleans (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

Two state appellate court judges and a Baton Rouge government administrator signed up Wednesday to run for a newly-created majority-Black seat on Louisianas Supreme Court.

All three candidates for the courts District 2 slot, based primarily in Baton Rouge, are Democrats.

Baton Rouge native John Michael Guidry is the chief judge for the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal and the first African American to serve in that post in more than 100 years. Prior to his time on the bench, he was a state representative and state senator.



Guidry framed himself as the most qualified person for the seat. He first joined the appellate court in 1997.

It is important to have a judge who is qualified, who is experienced, to sit on that court, he said during a press conference at the Louisiana State Archives building in Baton Rouge.

Guidry said he doesnt believe Louisiana Supreme Court justices should make laws from the bench. That role is for the Legislature and governor, he added.



My job is not to legislate, but my job is to make sure that whatever laws are made are made in accordance with our constitution, said Guidry, who also ran for state Supreme Court in 2012.

Guidry is in favor of Louisiana conducting a statewide workload study of judges to determine how many cases each state court handles. For years, a handful of legislators have pushed for an examination of how state judges use their time to see if judicial resources need to be reshuffled. So far, most judges have refused to participate in the exercise.

Guidry also said he believes state court records need to be available electronically to the public  an option not available in every parish.



The reality of it is we need to make courts accessible, and one of the ways you can do that is with technology, he said.



Guidry has the endorsement of a political action committee (PAC) affiliated with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Also qualifying was Marcus Hunter from Monroe, who was elected to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal in 2021 after serving as a state district court judge for three years. He is also a former state representative.

Hunter, who is African American, was more cautious about a judges workload study. The original proposal for the study included timesheets for judges to record how many hours per day they worked.

I think about the law from the moment Im in the shower [in the morning], to the moment my head hits the pillow, Hunter said, emphasizing it would be hard for him to quantify how much work he does per day.

Information about how much work judges might do could also be used to pit lawmakers and judges against each other, he said.



We have to make sure in this political climate, were not using information to have  attacks on other branches of government for the purpose of political gain, Hunter said.

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Hunter supports centralizing and digitizing court records, but he said judges should be careful such information isnt used to harass and embarrass people online. He is particularly wary of doxxing, when private information is collected about an individual and widely shared in an attempt to shame the person publicly.



The extent to which juvenile court records should be available also needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, Hunter said.

A third candidate, Leslie Ricard Chambers, also signed up to run in the District 2 election but did not speak to reporters after she qualified for the election.



Chambers, a Black woman, is an attorney and the assistant chief administrative officer for East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. She previously worked for Gov. John Bel Edwards and East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore.



The new District 2 seat on the Supreme Court includes much of the Baton Rouge area and parts of Lafayette, Rapides and Ouachita parishes. It extends from Iberville Parish to northeast Louisiana, adjacent to Arkansas.



The population of the seven Louisiana Supreme Court seats were extremely uneven until recently because their district lines had not been adjusted since 1997.

As part of a new court map adopted this spring, District 2 has been moved from the Shreveport area, where retiring Justice Scott Crichton serves, farther south to create a new majority-Black seat. Another majority-Black seat has been based in New Orleans for decades.

Black voters have been suing the state of Louisiana for allegedly disenfranchising Black residents under the old court map. It contained seven districts, only one of which was made up of primarily Black voters. Black residents make up 33% of Louisianas population.



With the addition of a second majority-Black seat, the new map has been expected to put that litigation to rest.

The District 2 election will take place Nov. 5. If no candidate gets over 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two candidates will be held Dec. 7.



The qualifying period to become a candidate in this race isnt over yet. Candidates can also sign to participate in the election Thursday and Friday.

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Legacy Garner, Eric Garner's youngest daughter, center, marches with family and supporters during an event to memorialize Eric Garner in the Staten Island borough of New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP)  Ten years after Eric Garner s death at the hands of New York City police officers made I cant breathe a rallying cry, loved ones on Wednesday remembered his life and legacy.

I want people to remember him and remember that he was the one that helped get laws changed, that helped implement laws, who was the sacrificial lamb and that, because of him, others have benefited, said Gwen Carr, Garner's mother, at the start of a march on Staten Island, the borough where her son died.

A few dozen Garner family members, friends, and activist supporters marched to a park that sits between the sidewalk where he was killed and a street that now bears his name  Eric Garner Way. As thousands of protesters have done over the past decade, they repeated some of his last words: I can't breathe.

Bystander video showed Garner gasping the phrase on July 17, 2014, while locked in a police chokehold. The recording spurred Black Lives Matter protests in New York and across the country. More demonstrations followed weeks later when Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9, 2014.

Six years later, George Floyd was recorded uttering the exact same words as he begged for air while a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyds neck, killing him and sparking a new wave of mass protests.

Carr noted that since her sons death, there has been an increase in the use of video cameras by police. In 2020, New York lawmakers passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, which removed legal ambiguities in official police conduct by creating a felony crime of strangulation by peace officers that causes injury or death. Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who restrained Garner, was fired in 2019, but never charged with a crime.

A decade after Garners death, Carr remembers his love of Christmas, regrets times shed yelled at him, and said she has days when she cant find the strength to get out of bed. At the park on Wednesday, Carr and her family  including some of Garners children  enjoyed a cookout as people from around the neighborhood gathered in a blocked-off street where a basketball hoop was set up by a nonprofit with the help of NYPD officers from the agencys community affairs unit.

Garner died after the 2014 confrontation with Pantaleo and other officers who suspected that he was selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on the street.

Video showed Pantaleo, who is white, wrapping an arm around the neck of Garner, who was Black, as they struggled and fell to the sidewalk. I can't breathe, Garner gasped repeatedly, before losing consciousness. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Authorities in New York determined that Pantaleo had used a chokehold banned by the New York Police Department in the 1990s, and the city medical examiners office ruled Garners death a homicide, but neither state nor federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Pantaleo or any of the other officers who were present.

Even if we could prove that Officer Pantaleos hold of Mr. Garner constituted unreasonable force, we would still have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Pantaleo acted willfully in violation of the law, Richard Donoghue, then the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said in announcing in 2019 that no federal civil rights charges would be brought.

Garner's family settled a lawsuit against New York City for $5.9 million but continued to seek justice in the form of a judicial inquiry into Garner's death in 2021.

The judicial proceeding, which took place virtually because of the pandemic, was held under a provision of the city's charter that lets citizens petition the court for a public inquiry into any alleged violation or neglect of duty in relation to the property, government or affairs of the city. The purpose of the inquiry was to establish a record of the case rather than to find anyone guilty or innocent.

One of the attorneys representing Garner's family was civil rights lawyer Alvin Bragg, who was then campaigning for Manhattan district attorney, a post he won in November of that year.

Bragg, who successfully prosecuted former President Donald Trump for hush money payments to a porn actor this year, praised Carr and other members of Garner's family on Tuesday.

While I am still deeply pained by the loss of Eric Garner, I am in awe of his familys strength and moved by their commitment to use his legacy as a force for change, Bragg said. Their courage continues to inspire me as district attorney, and I pledge to always honor Mr. Garners memory by working towards a safer, fairer and more equal city.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said during a news conference Tuesday that he remembered Garner's death like yesterday.

Adams, who was serving as Brooklyn borough president when Garner died, said he prays that there will never be another Eric Garner situation again.

Carr is still calling for the firing of other officers involved in her son's death.

We know that the police have a tough job, but when theres wrongdoing, when we have those bad apples in the police department, we have to get rid of them," Carr said.
'They can't frame people': Why Smithfield police agreed to pay $600K to former cannabis grower

"I hope what comes out of this case at the very least is the state is going to put all the police departments in Rhode Island on notice that they cant frame people and get away with it."  Defense lawyer Megan E. Sheehan

SMITHFIELD  The town has agreed to pay $600,000 to a former cannabis grower to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that police lied about having a confidential informant to obtain a warrant and search his warehouse grow.

Defense lawyer Megan E. Sheehan, who represented Joseph Ricci in the seven-year-old case, said "I hope what comes out of this case at the very least is the state is going to put all the police departments in Rhode Island on notice that they cant frame people and get away with it."

Background on the case

In October 2017, Ricci was a registered medical marijuana patient who grew the drug inside his Putnam Pike warehouse for himself and two other patients as a licensed "caregiver.

That month, local police raided his warehouse. Police officer Joseph M. Marcello said in his affidavit supporting a search warrant request that he "had received information from a confidential informant" that Ricci was cultivating large amounts of cannabis and possibly selling it on the black market.

Drug charges against Ricci were eventually dismissed. But he did plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of "visiting a common nuisance," which Sheehan described as "essentially being at a property where there is drug activity occurring."

Last year Ricci told The Journal that he'd pleaded to the misdemeanor because he wanted to put the episode behind him. He received a "filing," meaning his record would be expunged if he remained law-abiding for a year.

Former cannabis grower Joseph M. Ricci will receive $600,000 from the Town of Smithfield to settle his federal lawsuit stemming from a 2017 search of his warehouse and seizure of his property.

No evidence of a confidential informant

After his arrest, Ricci filed suit in U.S. District Court alleging that police had violated his constitutional rights against unlawful searches by lying about having a confidential informant to establish probable cause for the warrant.

The case dragged on for years as Ricci also challenged the subsequent confiscation by the state of all his personal property in the warehouse, including all his tools and supplies as a contractor. (The state settled that case in May, returning Riccis property.)

In a pre-trial motion last summer, Riccis federal lawsuit got a significant boost of support when U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy said there was a strong inference that police had indeed lied.

She said Marcellos affidavit for the warrant was clearly false, because when put under oath during a deposition, Marcello denied having any personal contact with an informant, the judge wrote.

Further, wrote McElroy, while Marcello said he knew that his [department] supervisor, defendant Michael Smith, had been the one to actually talk to the informant because Smith told him that he met with the informant, that was not accurate either, as Smith also denied under oath having personal contact with the informant.

In fact, McElroy said there was no evidence anywhere that anyone in the department had contact with the putative informant.

More to the story?

Over the last year, town officials have repeatedly referred reporter questions about both the state and federal cases to the towns lawyers, who declined comment, saying they were still pending.

On Monday, Town Manager Randy Rossi said the town continued the federal litigation so long because it felt "the town and the police department were in a good place since Mr. Ricci had pled to criminal charges, but unfortunately the judge did not see it that way. And the case was settled in the end."

Rossi added: "It's unfortunate" the way the case may have been received in the public based on the information that was in the courts. There is always more to a story. He would not elaborate.

Asked if Marcello had been disciplined for his actions, Rossi said he could not comment, because it is truly a personnel matter. All of the actions of everyone involved have been reviewed.

Defense lawyer Sheehan said the case should be embarrassing to the Town of Smithfield. My client didnt do anything wrong.

I dont know how you can employ a police officer who has completely lied about an informant. How could you possibly ever trust him to provide accurate information and testify under oath? I hope there are some serious changes internally at the Smithfield Police Department, but Im also not holding my breath," Sheehan said.

What's changed?

In a statement to The Journal, Smithfield Police Chief Richard P. St. Sauveur Jr. said, Joe Marcello is a hard-working, reliable, trustworthy and valuable member of the Smithfield Police Department. He continues to be assigned to the detective division as a detective sergeant.

As a result of the Ricci case, the chief said his supervisory officers within the detective division reviewed the departments policy relative to the preparation of search warrant applications.

The department also plans to include new training, he said, that focuses on using accurate identifiers when applying for search warrants.

Smithfield Town Councilman Sean M. Kilduff called the case an unfortunate stain on our great police department.

I will say that an abuse of investigative authority and falsifying information is not acceptable, said Kilduff. It belittles our justice system and is beneath the expectations we set on the fine officers of Smithfield.

Contact Tom Mooney at tmooney@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Smithfield police accused of fabricating witness. Town paying $600K.
Captain Freddie Hefford, who had died aged 97, flew 77 types of aircraft including gliders, helicopters, hovercraft, single-engined propeller-driven and four-engined jets; he made over 1,000 deck landings and logged 3,884 hours of flying, almost all in demanding operational or test-flying conditions, to become one of the outstanding aviators of his generation.

Frederick Hefford was born on January 7 1927 in Northampton, where his father was a cobbler and his mother a piano player, and was educated at Campbell Square School, Northampton.

As a teenager he was fanatical about the idea of flight and in 1944 joined No 5F Squadron Air Training Corps, where he learned to glide and became a Flight Sergeant, but in the end-of-war hiatus there was no opportunity to learn to fly in the RAF. Instead, he became an apprentice at Groses Garage, where he worked on many high-class vehicles including Rolls-Royce cars, an experience which proved of great value when he became a test pilot.

When Hefford heard that there were vacancies in the Fleet Air Arm, he volunteered at once and in the winter of 1947-48, after nine hours and 40 minutes of instruction, he flew solo in a Tiger Moth. He became a commissioned pilot in the Fleet Air Arm and continued flying training in 766 Naval Air Squadron at Lossiemouth and 737 NAS at Eglinton, and accomplished his first deck landing on board the carrier Illustrious in the Irish Sea on January 24 1950.

Hefford learned to fly in the Tiger Moth, going solo after 9 hrs and 40 mins

Hefford was appointed to 800 NAS and flew the Seafire Mk 47, the last iteration of the wartime Supermarine Spitfire, during a tour in the carrier Triumph. Returning home, Hefford was promoted and he converted to the Hawker Sea Fury. The Seafire had been a delight to fly, he wrote, and had performed well in FAA service, but the Sea Fury was a masterpiece of engineering and aerodynamics.

He returned to Korea to join 804 NAS, part of the 14th Carrier Air Group in Glory, and on March 17 1952 he flew three sorties, contributing to the record-breaking 106 sorties which Glory flew off that day. While Hefford and his peers flew repeated strafing and bombing attacks on bridges, sampans and troop concentrations, Glory accomplished some one thousand deck landings without accident.

Hefford, now a lieutenant, was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the DSC in 1953 for his outstanding courage, leadership and skill as a pilot. He remained in 804 NAS when it transferred successively to the carriers Theseus, Illustrious and Indomitable.

Next, Hefford went to the school for landing signals officers (known as batsmen). LSOs were expected to be fully qualified to deck-land all types, and Hefford, as a clockwork mouse, flew many varieties of aircraft and participated in trials, which gave him a taste for test flying.

Hefford, centre, with Princess Anne at Boscombe Down, which he commanded from 1968 to 1971

In 1954 he became a student at the Empire Test Pilot School and the following year became a test pilot in the structures of mechanical engineering flight. Over the next three years as a naval test pilot he flew more types of aircraft, ranging from light, single-engined planes to V-bombers.

In 1958 and 1959 at Farnborough, he tested a new ejector seat, firing with a dummy from a specially modified Canberra. Once, at low level and high speed, he discovered that he had lost pitch control of the aircraft. Climbing to altitude and attempting low-speed handling in landing configuration, Hefford found that below 160 knots the aircraft would enter a dive from which he could only recover by adding power.

Well above normal landing speed, he diverted to the long runway at Boscombe Down and warned other aircraft to keep clear in case he had to eject. Despite his Canberra bucking as he lost pitch control in the ground effect, he landed it safely. Subsequent inspection revealed that debris had become jammed in the ailerons.

With his family outside Buckingham Palace after receiving the AFC in 1971

Next, as senior pilot of 803 NAS, flying the Scimitar jet, Hefford began experimenting with single-throttle landings, but on March 6 1960, during an approach to HMS Ark Royal in light airs with little wind over the deck, he was caught by a downdraft. As his Scimitar lost height, falling below the level of the flightdeck, Hefford was faced with the choices of ejecting, trying to pick up speed in an attempt to turn away, or continuing the landing procedure.

He chose the last, hitting the round down (the aft end of the flightdeck), which damaged the hydraulics of his landing gear, but he bounced and caught the last arresting wire, bringing his aircraft successfully to a halt. Later his captain told him, Your name will be forever imprinted in my mind. Hefford quipped: And my aircraft, Sir, is forever imprinted on your flightdeck.

From 1968 to 1971 Hefford commanded the naval test squadron at Boscombe Down, and completed weapon-firing trials ashore and afloat, flying the Buccaneer low-level bomber and the Phantom fighter bomber. He also fired and approved the clearance of a manually guided air-to-surface missile from the Sea Vixen, which he afterwards reflected was an interesting challenge.

Then on June 2 1969, after touch-and-go trials, he made the first arrested flightdeck landing on the carrier Eagle in a Phantom F4K. Subsequently he was the first to use reheat to aid take-off: It was spectacular and noisy.

Hefford's touch-and-go landing in a Phantom on the carrier Eagle

He was awarded the AFC in 1971.

After desk jobs in London and Washington, he was appointed OBE in 1976. That year he obtained his pilots certificate for the SRN6 hovercraft, and he commanded the Naval Hovercraft Trials Unit at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent.

His naval career ended as an acting captain and naval and air attache in Lima and La Paz, 1978-80, when he retired as an honorary captain to be a marketing executive for British Aerospace.

Asked why he never became an airline pilot, Hefford was adamant that he never wanted to be less than active and at the top: There were risks in what we were doing but it was an everyday thing. The scientists wanted certain information, so you had to do certain things with the aircraft and then report what happened. Hefford was otherwise modest and, unlike some of his brasher flying colleagues and contemporaries, never recorded his achievements except in the cold, factual pages of his flying logbooks. He was an outstanding pilot, but also a kind, gentle, and humorous man with a dedication to friends, family, fishing, and, above all, flying.

He was secretary of the Portsmouth Services Fly Fishing Association for several years, and he last fished with his son, son-in-law and grandson for salmon in Iceland in 2015, at the age of 88.

He married Valerie Jean Smith, an Australian, whom he met while his ship was visiting Sydney. She predeceased him in 2012 and he is survived by a son and two daughters.

Captain Freddie Hefford, born January 7 1927, died May 28 2024

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If you care about elections, vote for sanity in key Maricopa County supervisor races

It is not a sure thing that if Maricopa County election results are called into question again in November, democracy will hold.

Thats because two of the five county supervisors who stood tall throughout the turmoil of the 2020 and 2022 elections decided against seeking reelection.

Both supervisors  all five, really  have been relentlessly pilloried, harassed and threatened over their refusal to declare voting irregularities and open the door for Donald Trump and other failed MAGA candidates to snatch victory from defeat.

Would MAGA candidates undermine elections?

Running for supervisor seats in the July 30 Republican primary are candidates who run under the MAGA banner or align themselves with the movement.

They perpetuate the narrative that the elections process is not to be trusted or, worse, that the system is rigged against conservatives.

Whether they would, as supervisors, halt certification of election results unfavorable to MAGA or otherwise undermine the legitimacy of elections is an open question.

Moderates and independent voters who cast a Republican ballot need to carefully weigh their choice.

The importance of the vote cannot be overstated.

Three of the districts heavily favor Republicans, which means the winners of the GOP primary have a big advantage in the Nov. 5 general election.

District 1

Incumbent Jack Sellers, a Republican, faces a primary election challenge from Mark Stewart, a termed-out Chandler city councilman.

Stewart criticized, rightfully, the countys mishandling of the 2022 election. The use of aging equipment and heavier paper led to improper printing of ballots at many voting locations. Those ballots were rejected by tabulation machines, resulting in long lines, confusion and frustrated voters.

But Stewart also used the problems of that year to call into question the countys handling of the 2020 election and election trustworthiness. He wouldnt say whether hed certify recent election results; nor would he say whether Joe Biden won in 2020 or Katie Hobbs in 2022.

He also hewed to the far-rights talking points that voting centers and drop boxes for collecting ballots must be eliminated to ensure election integrity and that voting must be restricted to local precincts.

Stewart boasts an endorsement from Rep. Andy Biggs, who was linked to the planning of the Jan. 6, 2021, protest in Washington, D.C., that led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol. Biggs also has proudly championed MAGAs grievances in Congress.

Stewart also has the backing of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, which landed itself in hot water after a vice chair said shed like to lynch the county recorder.

The committee also has, in the name of MAGA, censured everyone from former Gov. Doug Ducey to all seven members of the Arizona Supreme Court for unjustly dismissing the 2022 election challenge cases of Kari Lake and Abe Hamadeh.

While not necessarily an indicator of future performance, those associations raise questions about Stewarts values and worldview.

District 4

Two Republicans are vying to replace Clint Hickman, whose family and family business, Hickmans Family Farms, were subjected to the kinds of abuse emblematic of the MAGA movement.

(When a fire broke out at the business in the spring of 2021, destroying two barns and killing tens of thousands of hens, social media swirled with a conspiracy theory that shredded ballots from the 2020 election were burned in the blaze.)

Bob Branch, one of the two seeking to succeed Hickman, peddles similar MAGA narratives.

That includes vitriol directed at county Recorder Stephen Richer, who regularly takes to social media to knock down MAGA supporters many unfounded allegations of election fraud.

Branch, who in 2018 lost a close primary race for state superintendent, also maintained that he and Hamadeh won their elections, and that drawn-out counting of outstanding ballots overturned their victories.

Fed up with an extreme Legislature? You can change it

He claims that they were both cheated by the election system.

Branchs opponent in the primary is Debbie Lesko, a three-term representative who decided not seek reelection to Congress.

She, like Branch, is a big supporter of Trump and has a history with MAGA for which she must answer with voters.

Lesko voted with the other three Republican members of the Arizona congressional delegation  Biggs, Paul Gosar and David Schweikert  opposing the certification of the 2020 Arizona election results right after order was restored following the storming of the Capitol.

Lesko has subsequently tamped down her MAGA association.

As recounted by Hickman, Lesko abstained from signing a letter from Biggs, Gosar and Schweikert intended to raise the heat on Maricopa County and the supervisors over the 2020 election.

District 2

As we noted in a previous editorial, Trump conservative candidate Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who got caught up in a sex scandal as a state lawmaker, is taking on incumbent Tom Galvin, a traditional Republican.

In 2016, a female lobbyist accused Ugenti-Rita of trying to recruit her for a threesome. Ugenti-Rita now  and without irony  accuses Galvin of supporting a liberal county library system that stocks sexually explicit books for children.

Vote for competence: In county superintendent race

She also takes the far-right Freedom Caucus lawmakers position that regional transportation plans should be blown up to nix light rail and dilute public transportation spending  regardless of the funding compromise struck by the county, Valley cities and towns and three tribal nations.

The two other districts (3 and 5) feature serious Democratic and Republican candidates worthy of support.

Elections arent perfect and Maricopa County has had its share of screw-ups.

But to conflate earnest errors with willful manipulation of elections  to capitalize on them to undermine democracy  is unconscionable.

We have the power to prevent that starting with our vote.

This is an opinion of The Arizona Republic's editorial board.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County supervisor races are your chance to uphold democracy
Cause of Death Revealed in Case of Teen Fatally Hit by Miss. Police Cruiser, Cops Say There's No Footage

Kadarius Smith, 17, was struck by a police cruiser in Leland, Miss. on March 21

Courtesy of Ben Crump Law Kadarius Smith

A Black 17-year-old boy in Mississippi was fatally hit by a police cruiser in March.

Kadarius Smith died of massive blunt head trauma in what the medical examiner has ruled an accident, according to the autopsy report just obtained by PEOPLE.

The four-page report notes that Kadarius suffered a fractured skull and left femur, a subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral contusions and lacerations, among his injuries.

The above decedent was reportedly struck by a vehicle, Erin A. Barnhart notes in her report. The driver of the vehicle was a Leland police officer.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Kadarius family, said in a statement that the police officers involved in his death need to be held accountable for their deadly actions.

Ben Crump Law KayChia Calvert (left, holding headshot of her deceased son, Kadarius Smith), stands alongside civil rights lawyer Ben Crump (speaking at podium), April 16, 2024.

Related: Family of Miss. Teen Allegedly Run Over by Police Cruiser: 'Kadarius Is at Peace. But Were Not'

These autopsy findings document the cruel and tragic way that Kadarius left us  with his head crushed under the immense weight of a police cruiser, Crump said, adding: There is no circumstance where running over another human being with a car to the point of crushing their head is justifiable.

The circumstances behind the fatal car crash are unclear.



Citing an unnamed witness, Crump alleges that Kadarius was walking home with friends in the early morning hours of March 21 when a police cruiser began chasing him.

In a heavily redacted incident report obtained by PEOPLE, an unnamed responding officer alleges they were dispatched to a nearby home on a call claiming there were two suspects outside of the residence with handguns.

The two-page report lists just one suspect  a Black male  whose age is not provided and whose name is withheld. Kadarius is named in other parts of the report. There is no additional mention of the second suspect in the report.

Instagram/attorneycrump Kadarius Smith's father, Patrick Smith, speaks at a press conference Tuesday, April 16, 2024, less than a month after his son's death.

Related: Miss. Teen Was Chased, Fatally Hit By Police Car on Walk Home, Family Says, as They Plead for Body-Camera Video

In the weeks after Kadariuss death, his family pleaded for body-camera and dash-cam footage, which Edward J. Bogen, who represents the Leland Police Department, confirms to PEOPLE does not exist, as he says officers and cruisers were not outfitted with cameras at the time.

In the year 2024, to not have body or dash camera technology in place is irresponsible and speaks to a widespread cultural problem in these departments, says Crump, who has represented the family of Trayvon Martin as well as multiple Black teenagers who died in high profile police-involved deaths, such as Michael Brown and Martin Lee Anderson.

Officers are now equipped with both cameras, Bogen tells PEOPLE.

Around 1:45 a.m. March 21, police were dispatched to a Leland home, where an officer says in the incident report that Kadarius jumped from the porch, and took off running.

That officer lost track of Kadarius, who made his way to Huddleston Street, where another unnamed officer in a police cruiser  identified in the report only as a Black male  was also in pursuit of the teen, per the report. That officer could not stop the [cruiser] immediately at that time, thereby hitting Kadarius Smith with the patrol unit," the report says.

Courtesy of Ben Crump Law Kadarius Smith.

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The teenager was transported to Delta Regional Hospital in Greenville, Miss., and later pronounced dead, per the report.

The report includes the narratives from the officer who chased Kadarius on foot as well as one who arrived on the scene after he was struck "laying on the ground hardly responding," but does not include the narrative of the driver of the cruiser.



In the report officers do not mention finding a gun on Kadarius or the surrounding area, and Crump says that none has been recovered.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Highway Patrol were tasked with investigating the incident.

By email, on Wednesday, July 17, Bogen says the police department has never received any reports from either agency.

Bogen declined to answer a set of questions about the autopsy report.

As of publication, the identity of the officers on scene, including the driver, have not been released, and Bogen says the driver is back working for the PD.

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Read the original article on People.
The stunning fall of the woke boss at CBS News last week was a head on a stick moment at the Tiffany Network  and was a case of a divisive executive who had long been viewed as untouchable.

Thats the story Im hearing over and over about Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, a 30-year CBS News veteran who was its highest-ranking woman of color  and who abruptly stepped down as president last week after less than a year on the job.

The Dominican-born executive  who for years had weathered CBS firestorms including the sexual misconduct scandals that toppled Charlie Rose and 60 Minutes boss Jeff Fager in 2018  had once been described to me as Machiavellian.

Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, the 30-year CBS News veteran, abruptly stepped down last week after less than a year on the job. Getty Images for Operativo

Others called her political or even charming. Most agreed she had created her own universe of loyalists whom she promoted over the years  and a list of enemies that she either neutralized or maneuvered out of the company.

Last week, however, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon announced that Ciprian-Matthews will move to a temporary consulting role for the rest of the 2024 election before exiting the company for good.

As the explosive memo circulated early last Wednesday, my phone lit up with text messages from shocked insiders.

What happened? one asked incredulously.

CBS CEO Wendy McMahon encountered pushback from

Ciprian-Matthews on key directives, according to sources. Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images

The answer, it looks like, is that Ciprian-Matthews behaved like she was untouchable for longer than she actually was.

A couple of key mistakes helped pave the way for her exit in recent months, I am told.

No. 1 was Ciprian-Matthews rough handling of senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge. More than two years ago, Herridge been personally asked by a top CBS exec to aggressively cover the Hunter Biden saga, I am told.

Sources pointed to Ciprian-Matthews rough handling of senior investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, as one of the key resons for the execs exit. Getty Images

It was a directive from the highest levels  executive and ownership level  at CBS and its corporate parent Paramount Global, according to multiple sources.

Nevertheless, multiple sources said Herridge still encountered roadblocks from Ciprian-Matthews and her loyalists, Mark Lima, the Washington DC bureau chief and Matt Mosk, the head of the investigative unit.

More specifically, insiders claimed that Ciprian-Matthews had been dragging her feet  a classic Ingrid tactic that the exec implored instead of saying no to her bosses or talent looking for promotions. She also allegedly failed to act on a new cost-trimming mandate from McMahon to use local correspondents to cover stories when appropriate, the sources said.

Sources said Herrige received pushback from Ciprian-Matthews on her

Hunter Biden reporting, despite being tasked with the assignment from

the companys top brass. US District Court of Delaware

Insiders said McMahon last fall tried to light a fire under Ciprian-Matthews and Mosk by assigning two producers to the investigative unit to help Herridge. But Herridge didnt end up getting the help, the sources said.

Herridge declined to comment for this report. But she did confirm to Tucker Carlson in an interview on X last Thursday that she encountered obstacles. Those obstacles only got bigger, she said, when she turned her lens on the Biden administration.

CBS News strongly denied that Ciprian-Matthews hampered Herridges coverage.

The spokesperson noted CBS News was the first to run an interview with an IRS whistleblower who alleged irregularities in the investigation of the presidents son and another exclusive interview with the IRS agent in charge of the probe.

Everyone can plainly see that it was specifically under Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews editorial purview that CBS News reported aggressively on Hunter Biden, the rep said.

CBS Mark Lima and Matt Mosk allegedly also put up roadblocks to Herridges reporting,

sources said. rfaraino

The award-winning correspondent was ousted in February as part of layoffs across Paramount Global that claimed 800 jobs. The news division only saw 20 cuts  and surprise, surprise  Herridge was one of them.

The shock of being let go was only heightened when Herridges personal files from her office were siezed by the network.

Critics asked why CBS had retained Herridges files and no one elses files. Herridges union SAG-AFTRA protested.

The House Judiciary Committee also launched a probe into the file seizure. Herridge testified before the committee in April, likening the fiasco to journalistic rape  a moment that insiders told me shamed the company and helped seal Ciprian-Matthews fate.

The retention of the files  according to sources was not a decision made by CBS CEO George Cheeks or McMahon  but they were the ones who were forced to negotiate with the union to get the files back to Herridge.

CBS CEO George Cheeks got involved with negotiating the release of Herridges files, which had been retained by CBS after the network fired the acclaimed journalist. Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Elsewhere, a month before Herridge was fired, I published an investigation on Ciprian-Matthews which revealed that the exec had been accused of discriminatory hiring practices and favoritism by employees.

Herridge had been among the employees who complained, I am told. In the end, the probe deemed Ciprian-Matthews a bad manager but she was still promoted twice, most recently to president of the news division.

Ciprian-Matthews declined to comment on the allegations through a spokeswoman at the time.

All of this comes as Cheeks has pushed to amp up diversity at the network.

Adrienne Roark received pushback over McMahons

strategy to centralize the networks news operations. Michele Crowe/CBS News

The nearly 20 sources I spoke to for that previous story said while they supported diversity hiring, Ciprian-Matthews had sidelined the careers of some of the networks brightest young white, female journalists, and promoted less-qualified minorities.

With the recent announcement that Paramount is slashing $500 million from the budget, CBS brass had the cover to ax Ciprian-Matthews.

And if anything, it gave McMahon  who in addition to CEO shared the title of president of CBS News with Ciprian-Matthews and was rumored to be unhappy about it  a cudgel to eliminate her rival.

The exit of Ciprian-Matthews comes as McMahon is putter her mark on the network and creating a slimmed down, more cost-efficient version of CBS. AFP via Getty Images

Aside from Herridge-gate, there also is the matter of Ciprian-Matthews and her lieutenants, Lima and Mosk, aka the old CBS, resistance to orders from McMahons number two Adrienne Roark, who had visited D.C. last fall to tell them that news operations would be centralized, a source tells me.

In practice this translates to the news division relying on CBS local news reporters to cover some events, rather than sending their own reporters to also cover it  a cost-saving measure.

But the trio continued to send national reporters to cover events, despite the mandate, said a source, who mused that this must have angered McMahon.

The CBS spokesperson confirmed Roark met with the old guard but said there was no push back from Ciprian-Matthews about the proposed plan.
Naomi Pomeroy, one of the culinary worlds most celebrated chefs, died in a freak accident over the weekend.

Pomeroy, who was 49, is believed to have drowned during an inner-tubing incident in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, Portland Monthly reported. The chef was out on the water with her husband when their raft hit a snag and flipped over. Search and rescue teams are still working to recover her body. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter, August, her parents, her stepmother, and two half brothers.

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2001 Naomi and her then partner Michael re-invented the Portland restaurant scene and launched a movement whose reverberations were felt around the world, Andy Ricker, the former chef-owner of Pok Pok, wrote on Instagram. From that first supper club to the present, she repped PDX. It got messy, it broke norms, it raised bars, it opened doors for all of us. Rest easy legend, your place in history and in hearts is eternal.

For more than two decades, Pomeroy was a leader in Portlands culinary scene, making it what it is today. In the early 2000s, as Ricker noted, she and her then-partner, Michael Hebb, ran a supper club that at one point had an email list of more than 12,000 people waiting to get in, according to Kevin Alexanders Burn the Ice. Together, Pomeroy and Hebb opened a trio of restaurants that became the toast of the town, before the duos personal and professional relationship turned sour.

In 2007, Pomeroy opened her own restaurant, Beast, a fine-dining spot where guests sat at a communal table and Pomeroy wouldnt allow any substitutions. Her vision was clear, and it led to three James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef: Pacific Northwest before she won the category in 2014.

Beast was one of many pandemic casualties, closing in 2020. In the same space, Pomeroy opened the more casual Ripe Cooperative, which similarly shuttered in 2022. That didnt mark the end of Pomeroys culinary career, though: In May she opened an outpost of the custard shop Cornet Custard, and she was planning to open a new French restaurant in the near future.

Beyond her work in the kitchen, Pomeroy was an advocate for independent restaurants and their employees. At the height of the #MeToo movement, she wrote an essay for Eater condemning the boys-club culture found at many restaurants, which she owned up to having perpetuated in the past. And during the pandemic, she supported the Independent Restaurant Coalition and economic relief for eateries. She also competed on Bravos Top Chef Masters in 2011.

The culinary world has lost more than just a visionary chef. Its lost one of its fiercest and most beloved advocates, too.

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KIGALI, July 17 (Xinhua) --The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), the ruling party, and its allied parties is on course to retaining its parliamentary majority in lower chamber of Parliament, according to partial results announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Wednesday.

The RPF and its coalition won 62.67 percent of the 53 seats representing political parties and independent candidates after this week's legislative election, with more than 96 percent of the votes counted, NEC said in a statement.

This could translate to at least 33 seats out of 53 seats in the Chamber of deputies elected through direct adult suffrage.

The opposition Liberal Party (PL) led by Donatille Mukabalisa, a former speaker of Parliament, won 10.97 percent of the vote while the Social Democratic Party (PSD) led by former Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta garnered 9.48 percent, the results showed.

Other parties, including the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) and PS Imberakuri that fielded parliamentary candidates won 5 percent each, according to the partial results.

Out of roughly 9.5 million eligible voters, 8.7 million votes in the parliamentary elections had been tallied as of Tuesday, the commission said.

A total of 589 candidates contested for the 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the bicameral national legislature of Rwanda. These include representatives from political parties, special groups (youth, women, and people with disabilities), and one independent candidate.

The elections for special groups were conducted Tuesday by electoral colleges.

NEC said preliminary results of the legislative election will be expected by Saturday. 
A flag over the stage where the Trump assassination attempt took place in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A flag over the stage where the Trump assassination attempt took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Carlos Osorio/Reuters

Calls from Republicans mounted on Wednesday for the head of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, to be replaced in the wake of the failure to prevent Donald Trump being shot last weekend, as fresh reports emerged that the gunman had aroused suspicions a considerable time before he took aim at the former president from a rooftop.

Mitch McConnell, the minority leader of the US Senate, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: The nation deserves answers and accountability. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction.

He also said the near-assassination of former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy.

Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker from Louisiana, earlier on Wednesday told Fox News he was going to call for the resignation of Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, despite her staying put in the job since Saturdays shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Earlier on Wednesday, Eric Trump, Donald Trumps second-oldest son, sat for an interview with Kristen Welker, the anchor of the Sunday Meet the Press politics talkshow on NBC, to call for Cheatles resignation.

This cant happen in the United States. And somebodys got be held accountable, the younger Trump said. You cant just sweep that kind of stuff under the rug.

And on Wednesday afternoon, the Republican senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee posted on X after a briefing of senators by law-enforcement officers that Cheatle should step down.

She said the Secret Service knew there was a threat in the vicinity before Trump walked on stage on Saturday.

I just got off a briefing with the Secret Service and FBI. I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage. I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our nation if she steps down from her position, she posted.

A little later, it emerged via the briefing that the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, reportedly told lawmakers that the agency had not established a motive for the shooting of Trump despite conducting more than 200 interviews and reviewing more than 14,000 images on the gunmans phone, NBC reported.

The Washington Post reported that Richard Goldinger, the district attorney in Butler county, as saying the Secret Service was informed that the local police department did not have manpower to assist with securing the building where the gunman later positioned himself.

Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, confirmed the account. The Secret Service plan, Guglielmi said, was to station a patrol car and an officer outside the Agr International building complex, which has an expansive roof and had an unobstructed view of the rally stage. Local police told Secret Service that they lacked the resources to provide a patrol car, according to the Washington Post.

Guglielmi said that just before the shooting, local police assigned to the inside of the building warned the Secret Service security team of a suspicious person with a golf range finder and backpack. Those officers also forwarded a photograph of the person, Guglielmi said.

It was also reported by multiple outlets that senators relayed that they were told in the briefing that the shooter had been spotted and the Secret Service notified of a possible threat an hour before Trump took the stage, longer than previously reported. Law enforcement officers shot the gunman dead shortly after he fired at the former president.

Meanwhile, a picture obtained by a Pittsburgh-area TV station shows a cellphone and detonator carried by the gunman at the Butler county show grounds.

Related: Pennsylvania town aims for normality as police feel heat over Trump shooting

The items were shown on the rooftop from which Thomas Matthew Crooks used an AR-15-style rifle to fire on the former president and Republican nominee.

Trump suffered an injury to his right ear. One rally-goer was killed and two injured.

The 20-year-old gunman was shot dead by security officers.

In a febrile and partisan national atmosphere, the shooting appears to have boosted Trumps image in his campaign against Joe Biden.

Biden has called for a cooling of political invective. At the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Trump has worn a prominent bandage on his ear as speakers have celebrated his narrow escape.

WPXI, an NBC-affiliate station, obtained and reported the picture of Crookss phone and detonator on Tuesday.

Crookss car was found to contain a metal box of explosives connected to a receiver, CNN reported, adding that investigators were considering the idea Crooks intended to create a distraction during the shooting.

Cheatle has said local police officers were inside the building from which Crooks shot.

We did share support for that particular site and the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter, Cheatle told ABC News. And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter.

There was local police in that building  there was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building.

WPXI reported that local police were never stationed in the building concerned.

Tom Knight, the Butler township manager, said: So the building was outside the event area and there was conversations about the logistical coverage for the building, what the building had for access points and what access points could be controlled.

WPXI said sources said Crooks was still on the ground when Trump began speaking.

Knight said there was then a radio transmission indicating that there was a suspicious individual on the rooftop, [and it] was my understanding [that] was our officers first notification to begin moving towards that building.

Two of the officers went to what appeared to be the lowest point from ground to the roof. One of the officers actually boosted the second officer up high enough for him to grab hold of the roof. He did in fact see an individual on the roof with a weapon.

Crooks pointed his rifle at the officer, Knight said, as the officer hung on to the roof with both hands, unable to reach his radio or his own weapon.

The officer lost his own grip and fell approximately eight feet to the ground.

Shortly after that, Crooks opened fire.

Cheatle is due to appear before the House oversight committee on Monday. At least five other congressional committees have said they want to investigate.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  Preceding the controversy embroiling CenterPoint Energy as Houstonians endure prolonged power outages, the states largest citys energy monopoly has a long history of high-dollar donations to Texas lawmakers.

According to campaign finance records from the Texas Ethics Commission, CenterPoint Energy and its political arms have donated about $1.4 million to state legislators since the beginning of 2022  the vast majority to Republicans and groups that elect Republicans.

Of that $1.4 million, $95,500 went to Democratic legislators. Nearly all of the rest went to Republicans, including $500,000 to the Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund, $250,000 to Project Red, $8,800 to Texans for Dan Patrick, $5,000 to House Speaker Dade Phelan, and $4,553 to Texans for Greg Abbott.

CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells has personally made more than $69,000 in political contributions since the beginning of 2022, including $21,000 to Texans for Greg Abbott and $2,500 to Speaker Dade Phelan.

The donations have not helped CenterPoint avoid intense scrutiny from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick. State leaders have excoriated the company over the last week for a storm response they have described as unacceptable.

Abbott has threatened executive orders, financial penalties, and regulatory changes for CenterPoint, accusing the company of putting lives at risk and potentially cutting corners in their storm preparation. Patrick has promised legislative investigations into their response in the Texas Senate.

Ethics watchdogs said, because CenterPoint is not competing for customers business, they have an outsized incentive to influence lawmakers and regulators, whose decisions impact their profits and revenue recovery.

Its only real competition is government regulation and the cost recovery that its allowed by the Public Utility Commission, and ultimately, our lawmakers, Public Citizens Adrian Shelley said. Because of what it is  a for-profit company operating as a monopoly utility in one area  its got an unusual incentive to influence political decision making in Houston and in Texas. And so thats why I think we see some pretty substantial donations over the recent years.

The Public Utility Commission also announced an investigation into CenterPoint, and legislators have alluded to statewide policy change coming next session. With both parties accepting donations from CenterPoint and other energy interests, Shelley and his organization project skepticism.

Its right to look for accountability for CenterPoint right now, but its also right to follow the money and ask the question, Why was there not already oversight in place that prevented CenterPoint from falling so far behind?,' Shelly said. Ultimately, were not making it a priority. And I think you have to see the donations that are made to our leadership as a piece with that decision.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Centerville city leaders passed a measure to issue a one-year ban on applications and permits for new gas stations, discount stores, and convenience stores in the city.

A memorandum from City Planner Ian Vanness to City Manager Wayne Davis outlined reasons why the moratorium would be beneficial.

Vanness acknowledged that the Dayton region has experienced a surge in gas stations and convenience store establishments over the past few years.

>>RELATED: Official groundbreaking set for Ohios first Buc-ees in Huber Heights

The city said it is working to review its land-use policies and future land-use map as part of a new comprehension planning process.

The City is in the midst of the first round of community engagement that is gauging where the public would like to see change, and what that change might look like in the built environment, Vanness wrote.

There were also concerns that building these businesses would do more harm than good.

It is possible for these uses to oversaturate local commercial corridors, thus reducing the overall variety of goods, services, and jobs available to the community, Vanness said.

In October, News Center 7 covered that Centerville City Council members voted unanimously to reverse a decision to build a Sheetz gas station.

>> RELATED: The right decision; Centerville council votes to reverse decision to build Sheetz gas station

This came after nearby businesses expressed concern over safety issues that may arise due to the 24-hour gas station, convenience store, and restaurant.

Centerville residents can share their feedback with the city on future developments here.

We will continue to follow this story.








Challenges to books by Bill O'Reilly, Ayn Rand, Dean Koontz: What did the school board do?

Palm Beach County school board leaders decided Wednesday to deny three challenges to books by Bill O'Reilly, Ayn Rand and Dean Koontz on the library shelves at Park Vista High School.

The person who challenged the books called them lessons in "hypocrisy" as they were written by two authors with ties to candidates who have supported Florida's book restrictions but whose own works include graphic sexual content.

The books in question were "The O'Reilly Factor for Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families" by O'Reilly, "The Fountainhead" by Rand and "The Taking" by Koontz.

Kenneth Derrick, who is not a parent of a child at Park Vista, was not pushing for the books to be removed from the library.

Challenge to books sought advisory label

Instead, he suggested the school district affix an advisory label to the books that calls out authors who support book challenges but include sexual content in their own novels.

The board voted unanimously to deny his request to add the labels to the books.

"This request by the challenger is kind of outside the Florida statute. It's outside of our policies and procedures as a school district," Superintendent Mike Burke said. "I would just caution the board that we have over 2 million books in Palm Beach County schools. I'd be concerned about if we start going down the path of advisory labels, that could be a subjective process.  I'm concerned about his proposal."

Derrick did not attend the school board's hearing.

Sign holders carrying messages in opposition to book bans stand facing eastbound traffic on the south side of Forest Hill Boulevard outside of the The School District of Palm Beach County's Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center in Palm Springs, Fla., on July 19, 2023.

Florida law allows parents of students in the school system and county residents to challenge books they believe are pornographic or not age-appropriate for the students who can access them.

Derrick's challenges to the three books were denied by Park Vista's school materials review committee, its principal and Burke. The denials cited the committee's finding that the books are age-appropriate and that the school district does not typically add warning labels to books.

The three books are the second, third and fourth formal challenges in the past year to be appealed all the way to a school board hearing. Last July, a parent unsuccessfully challenged the Bible's availability to students at Olympic Heights High.

More: Palm Beach County school leaders vote to keep Bible in libraries after parent challenge

Why did Boynton Beach man challenge three books at Park Vista High?

Of "The O'Reilly Factor: A Survival Guide for America's Families," Derrick pointed to descriptions of sexual conduct in the book's chapter titled "Sex" as the reason for his challenge.

"For example, on pg. 72: 'And according to many experts and studies, quite a few of you like to pretend that you're in the Clinton White House. I mean, you casually practice oral sex, even in your early teens,'" Derrick wrote in his challenge, along with other examples from the book's chapter.

He suggested a label be placed on the book that highlights the book's author supported Florida's laws "restricting the content of books in school classrooms and libraries, but he became angry when his books were removed for inappropriate content."

O'Reilly, a conservative television commentator and former Fox News host, reportedly became "furious" in January after two of his books were removed by Escambia County's school district. He previously supported the book challenge laws in Florida, which he said were necessary to "protect children" from a far-left agenda.

Derrick also challenged "The Fountainhead" for a description of what appears to be a sexual assault. The book was written by Alice O'Connor, using the pen name Ayn Rand, and published in 1943. Derrick says in his challenge that "many individuals who support Florida laws restricting the content of books in school classrooms and libraries often recommend that young people read this book."

Public schools in Orange County removed the book from libraries last year, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Finally, Derrick challenged "The Taking" for descriptions of violent sexual conduct, including pornography and sexual assault committed by gangs. The novel was written by self-labeled conservative and Catholic horror novelist Dean Koontz and published in 2004.

Derrick argues that Koontz has "donated money to politicians who support laws restricting the content of books in school classrooms and libraries." Campaign finance records show that Koontz has donated to several Republican candidates for Congress in California over the past four years. None of those candidates appears to be connected to Florida.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Books by Bill O'Reilly, Dean Koontz challenged in school: What happened?
Changes are coming to the ACT test. Will it it make the test worth taking again?

An ACT Assessment preparation book is seen, April 1, 2014, in Springfield, Ill. On July 15, 2024, Janet Godwin, CEO of the ACT test, announced that a pair of fundamental changes would be coming to the test starting in 2025. | Seth Perlman

Changes are coming to the ACT.

On July 15, Janet Godwin, CEO of the ACT test, announced that a pair of fundamental changes would be coming to the test starting in 2025.

ACT makes science section optional

The first of the changes is to make the science section of the test, like the writing portion, optional. English, math and reading will remain as the main parts of the test, but with this change, students can now take several different versions of the ACT test:

The base ACT (English, math, reading)

The base ACT plus writing (English, math, reading, writing)

The base ACT plus science (English, math, reading, science)

The base ACT plus writing and science (English, math, reading, writing, science)

In an official release from the ACT, Godwin said this will allow students to focus on their strengths and showcase their abilities in the best possible way.

The ACT test will be shorter

The second change is make the test shorter. The base test has been reduced from three hours to two, with shorter passages in the reading and English sections and a reduced number of questions in all sections of the test. Per Godwin, this change will allow students more time to think about and answer each question.

This change is designed to make the testing experience more manageable for students, enabling them to perform at their best without the fatigue that often accompanies longer exams.

When will the changes to the ACT start?

According to the release from ACT, the changes to the test will begin with national online testing in spring 2025 and with in-school testing a year later in spring 2026.

Is it worth taking the ACT?

Back in 2020, during the pandemic, universities across the country suspended all or most of their ACT and SAT requirements, going test-optional or test-blind for undergraduate admissions. At the time, universities said that the tests and the time it took to prepare for them were not good uses of a students time, money, or emotional energy during an ongoing public health crisis, as previously reported by the Deseret News.

But recent months have seen a few schools across the country either reinstate them, or introduce plans to do so. According to Horizon Education, Ivy League schools like Yale, Dartmouth and Harvard, top private schools like CalTech, Georgetown and Vanderbilt, and several public universities have brought back ACT/SAT requirements or plan to.

In Utah, policies on ACT/SAT requirements vary.

The University of Utahs admission page says that ACT/SAT test scores are not required for general admission, direct admission programs or merit scholarships, but are required for homeschoolers and recipients of GEDs.

Utah State Universitys admission page says the ACT is temporarily not required for admission, though it is needed for certain scholarships and majors.

BYU has suspended its requirement through 2026 for most applicants, though applicants are encouraged to submit their scores if they feel it is a good representation of their academic abilities.

The ACT and SAT are optional at Weber State University, with no stated time for when that might end.

At Utah Valley University, the ACT and SAT are only required for merit based scholarships.

In a statement released in 2020, Southern Utah University stated it would be dropping its ACT/SAT requirements permanently starting in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Utah Techs admissions page makes no mention of ACT or SAT requirements.

As it stands, the reality is that schools that require standardized test scores are still in the minority. Most are high-level Ivy League or top private institutions.

Even with the changes, preparing for the test can still be a painstaking and time-consuming process. For now, whether it is worth taking the ACT will depend on individual factors, including where a student wants to go to school, if they are seeking financial assistance or if they want to highlight a special aptitude in a certain academic area.

Education companies and writers weigh in on the changes

In a press release, Kaplan, a global education services company, said it thinks the changes will be beneficial for students.

In general, we think these changes are student-friendly, especially the testing time being cut from three to two hours, the company said.

And speaking about the change to make the science section optional, the company said, This additional flexibility allows students to highlight their academic strengths to colleges that they alone decide on.

David Blobaum of Summit Prep, an ACT and SAT tutoring company based out of New Jersey, speculated on what will happen when the changes are implemented.

One of the major things is that the difficulty of the questions is allegedly going to stay the same. According to Blobaum, the ACT has said (and I believe them) that they are not going to make the questions harder  they are literally just giving students more time on them.

Past changes to the SAT test made the questions harder and saw a dip in scores, but Blobaum expects that scores will rise in the ACT, at least temporarily.

It is a tempting proposition to bet that the first few ACT tests will be easier to score higher on. So, in the short-term, I wouldnt be surprised if there was a temporary bump in scores.

But something students also need to be aware of is the reduction of questions also changes their weight. The flip side of this, Forbes contributor and college counselor Scott White writes, is that each question now has more effect on the score, with small mistakes having a greater effect.
ST. LOUIS  A Bellefontaine Neighbors man appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court on Wednesday, nearly one year after police said he punched another man to death outside a convenience store.

The beating happened on July 19, 2023, at the Euclid Market convenience store, located at the corner of North Euclid Avenue and Hammett Place in the Kingsway East neighborhood, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement.

Police said Richard E. Sanders Jr., 26, and two associates were inside the store while the victim, Lorezno Thomas, sat in his car alongside the store on Hammett.

Surveillance video shows Sanders going outside, approaching Thomas car, and starting a conversation. At some point, police said Sanders pulled a handgun from his waist and waved it around. Sanders then went back inside and left the gun and a backpack in the kitchen area.

Second bridge collapse in 2 weeks strands residents again

Police said Thomas got out of his car and called police. Thomas walked into the store while on the phone. Surveillance video shows Thomas going back to his car, with Sanders following in whats described as an aggressive manner. Sanders associates attempt to restrain him, but Sanders pushes forward and punches Thomas in the face multiple times.

Thomas falls back onto the hood of his car but regains his balance. Sanders swings again two more times and misses before connecting with the third swing. The blow knocks Thomas to the concrete, where he remains motionless.

First responders arrived and found Thomas unresponsive with minimal brain activity. Thomas was placed on life support and rushed to the hospital.

Thomas died at an Iowa hospital in February 2024 as a result of his injuries. He never regained consciousness. Thomas was 63.

The crime, initially labeled an assault, was then classified as a homicide.

Sanders was arrested on July 16. Police said he admitted to punching Thomas.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Sanders with second-degree murder.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
King Charles III opened the new legislative session of Parliament in the U.K. on Wednesday, as London ground to a halt for a day of pomp, ceremony, gun salutes, mock hostage taking, and slammed doors in a series of extraordinary and ancient customs designed to telegraph lawmakers independence from the Crown.

The day, many of the mechanics of which would be broadly familiar to a time traveler arriving from the 1700s, began long before the king and queen arrived to the sound of gun salutes in a horse-drawn carriage pulled by six gray horses in the glorious sunshine at around 11 a.m. to deliver the kings speech (which is not written by him, but by the government, and outlines their program for the legislative session).

The #KingsSpeech, written by the government, is handed to The King by the Lord Chancellor, @ShabanaMahmood. #StateOpening pic.twitter.com/7HCimzKww5  House of Lords (@UKHouseofLords) July 17, 2024

By then, the basements of the Houses of Parliament had been ceremonially searched by the Yeomen of the Guard, dressed in their distinctive Tudor-style scarlet uniforms. The symbolic gesture (MI5 isnt about to delegate national security) commemorates the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the Westminster Palaces.

My favourite bit of the state opening of parliament is when the Yeomen on the Guard get their lamps and search the chamber! #KingsSpeech

 pics from the Guardian live feed. pic.twitter.com/u0mqZzOSP8  Gemma Scott (@gemmajovi1984) July 17, 2024

Shortly after that gesture, a member of Parliament was taken hostage by the palace, the idea being that it is dangerous for the monarch to enter the Commons. The tradition has its roots in the 1649 execution of King Charles I, killed after opposing Parliament in the English Civil War, and beheaded as a tyrant and traitor. Upon the kings return to Buckingham Palace, the hostage, their role as a symbolic assurance for the monarchs safety when attending the State Opening of Parliament fulfilled, was released.

Why Labour MP Samantha Dixon will be held hostage at Buckingham Palace today



ITV News' Royal Editor @chrisshipitv writeshttps://t.co/biq0O4N3rS  ITV News (@itvnews) July 17, 2024

Another bizarre tradition sees a ceremonial official who rejoices in the name of Black Rod (the original black rod was a symbol of the holder of the offices power to dispense discipline) walk from the House of Lords to the House of Commons to summon MPs. The door is slammed in Black Rods face, who then has to beat the door with their ceremonial staff to gain entry, whereupon the MPs follow Black Rod back to the Lords.

Tomorrow the State Opening of Parliament will take place in the @HouseofLords, marking the formal start to Parliament's new session.  pic.twitter.com/BlSMv1o1kI  UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) July 16, 2024

Charles wore his Admiral of the Fleet Royal Naval Number 1 Dress with cap and sword and the Imperial State Crown, while Queen Camilla, who was celebrating her birthday, wore a silk crepe-embroidered dress by Fiona Clare, and the George IV State Diadem, familiar to followers of royal pomp as a favorite accoutrement of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Mississippi Coast man will spend 25 years in prison after a Jackson County jury convicted him on Tuesday in the burglary and attempted assault of his former girlfriend.

The jury took less than 30 minutes to convict Tommy Tien Vu, 35, of burglary of a dwelling with intent to commit an assault, the District Attorneys office said in a news release Wednesday. The state prosecuted Vu as a habitual criminal and he was also convicted of domestic violence related to the incident.

Circuit Court Judge Keith Miller sentenced Vu to the maximum term with no chance for early release or parole, the news release said.

The case began in July 2022, when Jackson County Sheriffs deputies responded to an apartment on Cimarron road after a child called 911.

The deputies found the door kicked open, the release said. Vu was inside and tried to assault his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend. The apartment belonged to the former girlfriend and their two children, according to the release.

Vu never lived at the apartment, authorities said. He took the victims phone and one of the children found another to call 911, according to the release.

Vu resisted arrest but deputies took him into custody, the release said.

This was undoubtedly a terrifying situation that could have been much worse but for the quick thinking of a child and the swift response from the Jackson County Sherrifs Deputies, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said in the release. I hope that this conviction and Judge Millers maximum sentence gives the victim peace of mind knowing that her abuser will be away for a very long time.

Assistant District Attorneys Bill Barrett and Justin Lovorn prosecuted the case.
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A 10-year-old boy has died following a jet ski crash on Old Hickory Lake.

According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), officers were sent to the lake around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16 to respond to reports about a two-vessel collision.

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Officials said a preliminary report revealed that a pair of jet skis were operating in an area near Boxwell Reservation when they collided.

The jet skis were reportedly owned by Boxwell Reservation, operated by staff and had a juvenile passenger aboard each one, officials said.

The TWRA said a 19-year-old Boxwell staff member and her 10-year-old passenger were seriously injured in the accident. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for her injuries.

Meanwhile, lifesaving measures were performed on the 10-year-old boy at the scene, who was reportedly at the site participating in the Tennessee National Guards annual Youth Development Week. He was taken to Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital where he died from his injuries, officials said.

The Middle Tennessee Council Scouting and Tennessee National Guard issued a joint statement on Wednesday, July 17, addressing the incident.

On July 16, at approximately 4:30 pm, a tragic jet-ski accident occurred on Old Hickory Lake near Boxwell Reservation resulting in the death of a 10-year-old camper of a National Guard family, and the injury of a 19-year-old Boxwell staff member, who were participating in the Tennessee National Guards annual Youth Development Week. We are all devastated and heartbroken over the tragic accident and doing everything possible to care for all those involved and affected by providing counseling and support to the families, campers, and staff during this difficult time. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with the families suffering this great loss and we grieve with them in this trying time Currently, the Tennessee National Guard and the Middle Tennessee Council of Scouting America are working closely with local first responders and law enforcement while the incident is investigated. Middle Tennessee Council Scouting & Tennessee National Guard

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

This is the third boating-related death on Old Hickory Lake in 2024, according to the TWRA. The incident remains under investigation.

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 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

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BANGKOK, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday it will deliver its verdict for a case seeking to disband the main opposition Move Forward Party on Aug. 7.

The judges agreed that the case is a dispute on legal technicalities and there is enough evidence to make a ruling, the court said in a statement.

The case came after the country's Election Commission petitioned the court to dissolve the Move Forward Party over its efforts to amend the royal defamation law, claiming campaigning on the issue had violated the constitution.

In January, the same court ruled that the Move Forward Party's campaign to change the royal insult law was an attempt to undermine the constitutional monarchy and ordered it to cease any efforts aiming to abolish or amend the law.

The lese-majeste law, or Section 112 of the Criminal Code, stipulates that whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.

The Move Forward Party emerged as the largest party in the lower house of the National Assembly in Thailand's general election last year, but its prime minister candidate fell short of securing the majority support of the parliamentarians. 
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A woman is arrested after police said her child knocked on a neighbors door without clothes on asking for food. Investigators describe conditions inside the childs home as unimaginable.

The call came in around 12:30 Sunday morning on Southwest 61st street.

Oklahoma City Police said the caller claimed they found a naked child who possibly looks malnourished.

Brothers remove graffiti targeting politicians at metro skate park

There was a person in the area that had contacted police indicating an unclothed child, small child had come to their door claiming to be hungry, said SGT. Dillon Quirk with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

When officers arrived to the neighborhood, the report explains they saw Yoriannis Columbie-Delgado and the child across the street.

Columbie-Delgado allegedly admitted to police she was getting a bath ready, when her son climbed out of a window to play with other kids in the neighborhood.

Thats when police asked if they could check inside the home due to the nature of the call.

Unimaginable conditions inside. There was trash everywhere. Just really a place thats not, not suitable for a child to live. They had limited food inside the home, said Quirk.

The report explained trash bags were blocking doorways and officers found stagnate water in the bathroom and kitchen.

Investigators also identified there were no beds in the home for the child.

For that reason, DHS was contacted. Ultimately, the caregiver was arrested on a complaint of child neglect, said Quirk.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services could not comment on the childs whereabouts currently.

OKC luxury apartments opening amid affordable housing crisis

DHS sent News 4 this statement.

Oklahoma Human Services staff work each day to protect the safety and well-being of Oklahomas children. While we cannot share details about specific child welfare cases due to state and federal confidentiality statutes, it is important for the public to know how they can protect their communitys children and how we work to do the same. If you have concerns about a childs well-being, our Abuse and Neglect hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-522-3511. When you call, well ask for as much information as you can provide about your concerns and anything you know about the child and family. State law allows our agency to intervene in cases of child neglect, abuse or exploitation by the person responsible for the childs care, like a parent, guardian, foster parent or child care staff. More than 85% of the cases we confirm each year are related to neglect. Sometimes, we can support families with services, resources and education to keep their children safe at home. However, other times the safety risk is too great, and the court decides that there is no other option than for a child to enter foster care. When that happens, we need a dedicated foster family to meet that childs needs and keep them safe while their family is getting help. If you are considering how you can support children in foster care, as well as their biological or foster families, please visit our website at OKFosters.org. It takes a community of caring individuals to keep children safe and thriving! Oklahoma Department of Human Services

One neighbor said if shes walking by the house and the door opens, the smell is unbearable.

She also said it wasnt the first time she had seen the child wandering in neighbors yards.

Columbie-Delgado is still in jail on a $50,000 bond. Her court date is not currently set.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Taylor Tomu presents Chillicothe City Council President Kevin Shoemaker with the official designation marking Chillicothe an official America250 Ohio Community.

CHILLICOTHE  As it grows closer to July of 2026 Chillicothe continues to work with America250 to show their support for the celebration. Recently, Chillicothe City Council President Kevin Shoemaker accepted the official America250 Ohio Community Certification.

The designation marks the community as one that is officially celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Locally, several groups are working on making the anniversary year a big one for residents and visitors by creating long-term and short-term projects that showcase the history of the community and America.

Read more about America250: Chillicothe City Council members help celebrate America's 250th anniversary

Taylor Tomu with America250 said she was "so excited" to have Chillicothe be a part of the Ohio America250 project. Her goal is to have every county in the state represented in some way through this program.

"I am proud and happy to be able to present you with this official certificate," said Tomu to the group of community members gathered to plan the celebrations.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Chillicothe one of several communities in Ohio celebrating America250
The News

China is testing homegrown artificial intelligence systems to ensure they embody core socialist values. Beijing has previously published rules telling chatbots to avoid topics seen as sensitive, such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, but the mandatory review process for companies like ByteDance and Alibaba marks an intensification of the governments AI censorship efforts, the Financial Times reported.

The restrictions present a challenge for both AI companies and Beijings censors: Its very hard for developers to control the text that [bots] generate, one expert said. Some Chinese chatbots reject most questions that mention Chinese leader Xi Jinping. One bot, when asked about his leadership, provided a long list of Xis accomplishments and called him undoubtedly a great leader.
Russian corvette enters the port of Zhanjiang during the Joint Sea-2024 China-Russia naval exercise

By Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) -China and Russia carried out live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea this week, Russian and Chinese state media reported, with the two countries having strengthened military and trade ties in recent years following U.S. sanctions.

Both countries were to deploy at least three vessels each for the three-day exercises, China's state controlled Global Times newspaper said late on Tuesday, citing the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The opening ceremony of the Russian-Chinese naval exercise 'Maritime Cooperation - 2024' took place in the Chinese port of Zhanjiang, the Russian defence ministry said earlier this week on the Telegram messaging app.

During their sea manoeuvres, the crews of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the PLA Navy were to conduct joint air defense exercises and anti-submarine drills with the involvement of PLA naval anti-submarine aviation, the Russian defence ministry said.

Russia's RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Russia's Pacific Fleet, that the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy conducted artillery firing as part of the joint drills.

The drills follow the completion of a separate joint naval patrol in the north Pacific, which the Russian defence ministry said earlier involved a detachment of Russia's Pacific Fleet ships, including two corvettes, the Rezky and the Gromky.

Wang Guangzheng of the PLA Navy's Southern Theatre told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday that: "the China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields."

"And effectively enhanced the ability to the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats."

The participating vessels set off from Zhanjiang in southern China's Guangdong province on Monday, the report added, citing a PLA Navy statement.

The report did not specify where in the contested waterway the drills took place.

On Tuesday in the same sea, the United States and Philippine coast guards also conducted joint training, a bilateral search and rescue exercise, according to a statement by the U.S. Navy released on Wednesday.

The operations, involving a U.S. Coast Guard cutter from the U.S. 7th Fleet and a Philippine patrol vessel, included a joint sail and search and rescue training, personnel transfer evolutions, and bilateral sailing.

"We look forward to fostering our relationship as we strive to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific," U.S. Navy Captain Tyson Scofield, who commands the Coast Guard cutter, said in the statement, which added that such operations help develop tactical interoperability across allied navies in the Indo-Pacific.

China claims control over almost the entire South China Sea, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty warship that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims and has been central to a recent standoff between the two countries.

The rising tensions have led U.S. officials to remind Beijing that their mutual defence treat obligations with the Philippines are ironclad.

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing just days before the invasion of Ukraine. China has still not condemned the invasion and has stepped up its exports to Russia, helping Moscow keep its war economy afloat.

The "no limits" partnership saw two-way trade hit a record of $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3% from a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data.

China-U.S. trade fell 11.6% last year to $664.5 billion, Chinese customs data shows.

(Reporting by Joe Cash; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Liz Lee; Editing by Michael Perry and Christian Schmollinger)
China strives to lure foreign tourists, but it's a hard sell for some

By Sophie Yu and Casey Hall

BEIJING (Reuters) - Guilherme Carvalho made his first visit to China this month, and the Italian said one of the main factors behind the trip was the post-pandemic policy to scrap entry permits for some tourists.

Previously, all foreign visitors had to go through the onerous process of applying for a Chinese visa. Now, visitors from more than a dozen countries can just fly in, and stay for up to 15 days.

"I didn't expect to feel so safe," said Carvalho, who visited Shanghai. "Everyone is so kind."

Carvalho is not alone. As the authorities focus on boosting foreign tourism in a bid to revive the economy and perk up sluggish consumer spending, thousands of visitors have flocked to China, encouraged by the visa policies and easier access to its unique digital payment services.

As of June 24, bookings from several countries under the visa policy including France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia and Thailand surged 150% year-on-year, data from China's largest online travel agency Trip.com showed.

Bookings for July and August are also set to be higher.

"We're very excited to see the trend. Lots of people had some misunderstandings about China before they came, but after they arrive, they feel cities like Shanghai are very safe, very clean," said Trip.com CEO Jane Sun.

Since December, China has granted visa-free entry to tourists from several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Poland.

Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have also struck agreements with Beijing to facilitate visa-free travel.

In the week that China announced visa-free travel for visitors from Australia and New Zealand, sales of tours jumped 133% compared to the previous week, said Yvette Thompson, general manager for sales and marketing for Australia and New Zealand at tour agency Intrepid Travel.

"Coming out of COVID, visas are just another level of complexity for travellers. So to remove that complexity, I think is a good move," she said.

LONG-HAUL RECOVERY

The recent surge in tourism comes after China closed its borders in early 2020 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and kept them shut until the start of 2023.

But even with the visa-free policy boost, far fewer tourists are coming to China now than before the pandemic.

According to official tourism data, China received a total of 49.1 million overseas visitors in 2019, with more than a third coming in for sightseeing and leisure. Revenue from international tourism reached $131.3 billion that year.

In the first half of 2024, the number of foreign nationals entering China was far lower at 14.6 million. Among them, 8.5 million entered visa-free, accounting for just over half of the total, according to the National Immigration Administration.

International tourism revenue data for China has not been published since 2019.

Travel agents say they are hopeful next year will bring in more foreign tourists as global demand for travel, and flight schedules, recover further to pre-pandemic levels.

However, China needs to do more than just waive visas to encourage foreigners, experts say.

Geopolitical tensions, a government that tolerates no dissent and China's sometimes belligerent portrayal in some Western media have kept some tourists away. Last month, two separate knife attacks on foreigners also sparked security concerns.

China must also compete for attention with Japan, which is experiencing a boom in tourism thanks to its weak yen.

"The more that we talk around the reasons to go to China - the diverse landscapes, the history, the difference between imperial Beijing versus futuristic Shanghai - I think the faster that negative PR dissipates," travel agent Thomson said.

Another potential hurdle for foreigners is China's vast digital infrastructure.

Paying for everything from transport tickets to restaurant bookings to tourist site admissions is done via QR codes linked to local payment apps such as WeChat and Alipay, making daily interactions difficult for holders of foreign bank cards.

China has allowed foreign bank cards to be linked to Alipay and WeChat, but the system and language barriers remain daunting.

"I can't imagine how a foreigner who doesn't have Chinese payment tools and doesn't speak the language can deal with all this," said Liang Hongling, a Chinese scholar living in Glasgow and who plans to travel with her Irish husband to her hometown in Xinjiang this month.

(Reporting by Sophie Yu in Beijing and Casey Hall in Shanghai; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Miral Fahmy)
The campaign rally site in Butler, Pa., after Donald Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt on Saturday. (Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)

In China, the message of former President Trumps assassination attempt was clear: just another sign of its biggest rivals inevitable decline.

The Global Times, a Communist Party-run tabloid, wrote that the shooting Saturday in Pennsylvania was a symptom of an increasingly divided and disorderly nation.

A cartoon from the publication titled Democracy in Danger depicted a wave of water labeled political violence rising to overtake the Statue of Liberty.

Then-President Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

Such violence is likely to become more frequent as the country is further polarized, the paper wrote. The shooting also exposed the high degree of instability and unpredictability of U.S. politics, further triggering doubts among its allies over Washingtons leadership.

On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally, killing one attendee and striking the former presidents right ear. The gunman, whose motives remain under investigation, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents.

Read more: 20-year-old who almost killed Trump was a bright student, had a job and belonged to a gun club

Across much of the world, the attack was greeted with shock, horror and expressions of sympathy. But many U.S. enemies and rivals were quick to say it symbolizes the dwindling power and hypocrisy of American democracy and global leadership.

Chinese predictions of Americas decline arent new. In 1991, Wang Huning, a senior leader of Chinas Communist Party, published a book titled America Against America, recounting his time in the U.S. and what he saw as the flaws of capitalism and democracy that undermined the countrys future.

At that time, the U.S. was firmly seen as a world leader in economic development and international diplomacy, while China was just beginning to engage in global affairs. But as Chinas influence and economic power have grown, so have tensions between the two nations.

Read more: Trump and Biden both say theyre tough on China. But whom would Beijing prefer to deal with?

Under President Xi Jinping, who has encouraged nationalism and increased internet and media censorship , such narratives of Americas demise have become more prevalent. Discord in the U.S. in recent years has only bolstered the case, China says.

Security officers guard the entrance to the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing, site of the Communist Party's Central Committee plenum, on Monday. (Ng Han Guan / Associated Press)

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, China touted its ability to contain the spread of the virus , in contrast to surging infections in the U.S., as an example of its superior governance. Chinese commentators have also pointed to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Black Lives Matter protests, mass shootings and perceived weaknesses of this years two presidential candidates as further evidence of the shortcomings of Western democracy.

These kinds of incidents, this kind of political violence, fits with that narrative that America is a failing political system, said Pradeep Taneja, senior lecturer on Asian politics at the University of Melbourne. A weaker America, a divided America, thats good for China.

Read more: As tensions grow, more Americans see China as an enemy

China is facing a host of domestic issues, including a stagnating economy, declining birth rates and growing malaise among its middle class. In the last couple of years, the number of Chinese migrants arriving at the U.S. border has surged, after undertaking dangerous journeys through Latin America in hopes for economic opportunity and political freedom.

However, a Global Times report said that the Chinese publics perception of America has turned more negative over the past several years. In a 2021 survey by the state-run outlet, 8.1% of respondents believed China should look up to the West, compared with 37.2% five years prior.

In the U.S., unfavorable views of China have grown even more sharply , polls show. Fewer Chinese young people see the U.S. as a more attractive alternative, said Mallie Prytherch, a researcher with the Center on Contemporary China, who did a 2022 survey of Chinese college students.

Read more: In an L.A. suburb, Chinese 'border crossers' seek a new life after harrowing journey

Just because they had been disillusioned by the Chinese system did not mean they saw the Western systems as something they wanted, she said.

Xi, who took office in 2013, has presented China as an alternative style of global leadership to what he sees as Western hegemony, strengthening ties with U.S. adversaries like Russia and North Korea and courting the friendship of other countries in the Asia-Pacific through trade and diplomatic visits.

President Xi Jinping in 2020. (Zhang Ling / Xinhua via AP)

Chinese officials have said little about the shooting. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Xi had extended his sympathies to Trump and was following the situation. But the assassination attempt was widely discussed on Chinese social media, where even high-profile academics propagated conspiracy theories of the gunmans motives. Many agreed that the shooting would likely boost Trumps chances at winning reelection.

Read more: Disillusioned with big city life, recent college graduates in China take up farming

There is likely no beneficial outcome for China come November , as both Trump and President Biden have sought to prove themselves hard-line negotiators in the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship.

Analysts said that while Trump is more unpredictable than Biden, his election could also undermine Americas alliances with other countries, giving China an opportunity to strengthen its own foothold in regions such as Asia and the Middle East .

Theyre putting forward this idea that there is this deep internal division in the U.S. that really affects its ability to be a leader on the world stage, Prytherch said. From an American point of view, this is a moment in history. But in China, this is just another act of violence in America.

Times special correspondent Xin-yun Wu in Taipei contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo Sports

It's Thursday and 'Fantasy Film Room' is back with Nate Tice and Matt Harmon. The two look into the three biggest fantasy storylines of the week as Drake Maye is set to make his debut and Spencer Rattler is set to do the same for New Orleans. Tice resists his prospect profiles for both rookie QBs and how he thinks their games will translate to the NFL. The two also dive into what the Houston Texans' passing attack will look like without Nico Collins for at least the next four weeks.
SAULT STE. MARIE  This August, Chippewa County voters will decide whether or not to support continued funding for community senior services.

The Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency supports dozens of programs and services throughout the eastern Upper Peninsula. Even though half of the funding for their services comes from federal or state sources, they still heavily rely on millage funding.

During the primary election on Aug. 6, voters in Chippewa County will decide on funding for the county's branch of senior services. The programs include small cost services such as a loan closet, but the services most dependent on the millage are food-related, such as Meals on Wheels.

Officials said the Meals on Wheels service is more than just food delivery. For some senior residents, it's the only interaction they have all day and delivery drivers are often trained to conduct a wellness check.

"Meals on Wheels is the biggest in terms of funding, but it's also really important for seniors, not just to get their nutritional value, but to get that social value that you get when you see other people. It's nutritional and it's mental," said Joe Nolan, executive director of the community action agency.

In one year, the program serves over 1,000 meals to seniors in the community. This is also the only Meals on Wheels program in the Upper Peninsula that does not have a waitlist, and they are only capable of not including the waitlist because of the funding they receive.

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our coverage

Other senior services that the millage funds include congregate meals where senior citizens can come to share a meal and an adult daycare program, which is designed to help family members of senior citizens with dementia, Alzheimer's or other mental disorders that can make it more difficult for them to live a normal life unsupervised.

County funding is separated from the other sources, so Chippewa County taxpayers will only be contributing to services in Chippewa County.

The millage proposal is not an increase but a renewal of the same millage that was voted on years ago. Last time the community action agency had a millage on the ballot it was an increase, and with that increase they were able to expand their services and open new locations, which are all still in operation.

The exact language of the ballot reads: "Shall the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution on general ad valorem taxes within Chippewa County, Michigan be renewed at .75 mill ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of four years, being 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028, inclusive for the purpose of providing operating funds to continue and enhance Chippewa County Community Action Agencys Meals Programs and Chippewa County Community Action Agencys Senior Services in Chippewa County, thereby raising in the first year (2025) an estimated $989,000?"

 Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Chippewa County voters to decide CLMCAA senior services millage funding
JINAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have decoded a novel salt-tolerance gene in wheat, resulting in yield increases of 5 percent to 9 percent in experimental varieties grown in saline-alkali soils.

The study findings have been published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Wang Meng, corresponding author of the study, from the Institute of Soil Science (ISS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said that China's primary wheat-growing regions coincide with high occurrences of soil salinization. Spring marks a crucial growth period for wheat, characterized by jointing and grain filling, yet it aligns with peak soil salinity, severely impacting wheat growth and yield.

Researchers from the ISS, Northwest A&F University and Qingdao Agricultural University analysed over 500 wheat varieties and lines cultivated for years in saline-alkali fields and identified TaSPL6-D, a transcriptional suppressor of critical salt-tolerance genes in wheat.

The research team found that due to natural genetic variation, there exists a natural variant of TaSPL6-D, termed TaSPL6-D-In in landraces, which loses its ability to suppress key salt-tolerance genes in wheat.

Using molecular-assisted breeding method, researchers introduced TaSPL6-D-In from a landrace into a leading wheat cultivar, successfully improving the yield in saline-alkali soils.

Zhao Zhendong, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Cao Xiaofeng, an academician with CAS, both said that this research provides pivotal design targets for advancing molecular breeding in salt-tolerant wheat and other crops. 
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The woman accused of shooting a Churchs Chicken employee to death appeared back in front of a judge Wednesday morning.

Monica Williams, 45, is charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting that claimed the life of Anitra West.

Although Williams was captured on video, the defense says that may not be enough to move forward and wants the case thrown out.

ORIGINAL STORY: Churchs Chicken employee shot to death outside restaurant

Williams is accused of shooting West last week while she was working at Churchs Chicken in Orange Mound. According to the affidavit, it all stemmed from an argument.

However, Williams attorney says its what you dont see in the report that he could capitalize on.

Reviewing the affidavit  we havent seen any witnesses in this case and maybe also making a motion to dismiss, said Scott Hall, Williams Defense Attorney.

Victims ex-husband says killing was over more than chicken

Sitting five rows away from Williams in court were half a dozen of her family members. Williams, who has mostly appeared unemotional, could be seen wiping away tears before lowering her mask, smiling, mouthing words, and finally giving her family an okay hand gesture.

But District Attorney Steve Mulroy says nothing about this case is okay.

Ordinary disputes, ordinary beef that would have been at the most a shoving match are now fatal, Mulroy said. It means we need tougher gun laws, but it also means we need to be extra vigilant in bringing these people to justice.

She was a good girl: Family remembers woman killed in shooting at Churchs Chicken

Mulroy also addressed the defenses claim about any possible lack of witnesses saying, Its not unusual for us to get convictions based on surveillance, even if there are no actual live witnesses.

A bond hearing for Williams is set to happen in court on Monday morning. Defense Attorney Scott Hall says the bond hearing could allow the victims loved ones to also address the court.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Sue Mi Terry has denied the charges through her lawyer - Lucas Jackson/REUTERS

A high-profile foreign policy analyst and former CIA officer has been charged with serving as a secret agent for South Koreas intelligence service in exchange for luxury goods, including expensive handbags.

South Korean intelligence officers allegedly provided Sue Mi Terry with Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants and more than $37,000 (28,400) in covert funding for a public policy programme on Korean affairs that she ran.

According to an indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan, in exchange she advocated South Korean government positions in the media, shared non-public information with intelligence officers and facilitated access for South Korean officials to their US government counterparts.

Ms Terry, who also previously held a senior position at the US National Security Council, has denied the charges through her lawyer.

The court case details how her work as an agent allegedly began in 2013, two years after she left US government employment, and lasted a decade.

She has since worked at well-known think tanks, including most recently the Council on Foreign Relations, where she has become a prominent commentator on Korean Peninsula and East Asian affairs.

The charges are part of a growing effort by the Justice Department to counter foreign influence in American affairs, which has resulted in dozens of prosecutions in recent years.

Prosecutors have accused her of failing to register under the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act, and of conspiring to violate it.

The 31-page indictment outlines a series of accusations about how she worked behind the scenes to introduce South Korean spies to congressional staff members and hosted meetings to give South Korean agents access to US security officials.

It references an instance where she reportedly passed on handwritten notes to the South Koreans from an off-the-record meeting in June 2022 with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, about US government policy towards North Korea.

On Tuesday, Lee Wolosky, Ms Terrys lawyer, issued a statement denying the charges against her.

These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States, he said.

In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake, he added.

Ms Terry was born in Seoul, raised in Virginia and now lives in New York.

A spokesman for the Council on Foreign Relations said that she had been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that the think tank would cooperate with any investigation.

South Korea is not a defendant and its embassy in Washington has not commented on the case.

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Authorities in Russia's Belgorod Oblast instituted restrictions on entering 14 towns and villages by the Ukrainian border due to an "extremely difficult operational situation," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on July 16.

Reports of rocket or drone attacks against Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, have become a common occurrence in recent months.

There have also been repeated instances of pro-Ukrainian militia groups, consisting of Russian citizens, conducting cross-border raids into Belgorod Oblast and other border areas.

Gladkov said that enhanced security measures would be instituted in the areas in question, including the suspension of public transport and the creation of military checkpoints.

Only adult men with protective gear, accompanied by soldiers and local officials, will be able to enter, the governor said.

In response to the ongoing attacks and raids at the border, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the creation of a "demilitarized" or "sanitary" zone in Ukraine that would put Russian territory and illegally occupied parts of Ukraine out of range of Ukrainian weapons.

The launch of Russia's renewed offensive against Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024 was thought to be part of the goal of establishing such a "sanitary zone."

The offensive was effectively bogged down in just about two weeks, with Ukrainian forces counterattacking near the border town of Vovchansk.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed both the lack of success in the Kharkiv offensive and the introduction of heightened border security measures on July 17, claiming that the operation to create a "sanitary zone" was still ongoing.

Read also: Russias move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure?

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo (KREX)  On Tuesday at Gelato Junction, residents gathered for a monthly coffee meeting with the city manager.

Residents expressed their concerns regarding red light cameras, speed limit areas and various other issues.

Interim City Manager Andrea Phillips states, We heard that from several individuals. Theres quite a bit of activity in terms of bicyclists, vehicles, and pedestrian traffic and so the city is trying to tackle this issue by looking at those high accident intersections and corridors and trying to find ways that we can make it safer for everyone.

Phillips, alongside Police Chief Matt Smith, sat down with community members, listened and emphasized the importance of having that connection.

I love it because its a direct line of communication with the residents and we need to hear from them in person. Because we get a lot of information from them at public meetings, interactions with city council email correspondence, Phillips said.

I think its healthy and I do think that its important that we have dialogue and then we go back and forth and then they can express their concerns. We can talk about maybe some of our response and then sometimes, you know, theres concerns that they bring up that we havent addressed, said Smith.

One local mom, Adria Graven, shows her son Jack why it is important to be exposed to the community at a young age.

I like to get him involved in the community while hes young. Well, its not as intimidating as I think, Adria states.

It was cool meeting the chief of police and the city manager, Adrias son, Jack Graven, said of the meeting.

Adria states, He was the youngest person here and its not a mixed bag. More older people come in, so having representation for all sorts of ages curled comb. I think people need to come out and do these things.

Regardless of your demographic, there is always someone willing to listen to your concerns for the community.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN)  As the city of Taylor prepares for the opening of the huge Samsung chip factory, its putting the future of downtown in the hands of those who call it home.

The city is asking for residents input to help people come back to or even visit Taylor for the first time.

(The city is) in a transition, said Lexi Little. Were coming a little bit out with the old and in with the new.

For Little, deciding where to open her business was an easy choice.

There really wasnt anywhere to work, Little said. If I wanted to have somewhere to work that was productive and very much the vibe that I wanted, I would have to drive into downtown Austin.

Thats where her idea for the The Little Collective  a co-working and event space  was born.

Elsewhere in downtown Taylor, there are plenty of storefronts that have for lease signs in the windows. Thats something the city hopes to change.

We want to welcome people. To let them know theres lots of places to shop, there are places to eat and there are places to play, said Jan Harris, who oversees Main Street for the city.

The is the first time in almost a decade Taylor has revisited its downtown plan. City officials said theyre hoping the public will give input at multiple listening sessions on how that future could look, all while hoping to maintain what Taylor is known for.

(Residents) want us to keep the small town feel, even with the growth, Harris added.

Little said its a place to check out, whether youve never been there or been a hundred times.

I think for someone who has never been to Taylor, its worth exploring. Taylor is something new. We have new things coming all the time, Little said.

City leaders added theyre hoping to bring something fresh and new back to where it once was.

Your first place is your home, your second place is your work. Your third place is where you choose to go. And we want downtown Taylor to be that third place for people, Harris said.

The city is hosting listening sessions over the next few months to get public feedback about plans and to see what residents might like things to look like.

You can visit the citys Facebook page to learn more about downtown planning.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Florida Senate faces critical issues in the years ahead, from addressing the property insurance crisis and the lack of affordable housing to improving education and protecting the environment. Members are elected to four-year terms and paid $29,697 annually. The primary election is Aug. 20.

District 21 Republicans - Ed Hooper

Republican incumbent Ed Hooper has drawn an opponent in District 21 primary, but Hooper is the only viable candidate.

Hooper, 76, has lived in the area since 1972. He was a firefighter for the better part of three decades, a Clearwater city commissioner, a state House representative and, now, a state senator. He said this will be the last election in my life.

If reelected, one of his top priorities is continuing to get property insurance rates under control. He wants the Office of Insurance Regulation to have a bigger stick to ensure that insurance companies pay legitimate claims on time. He also wants to improve water quality and availability around the state and increase transportation solutions. While Hooper supports ensuring that roads are in good shape, he said, we cant 12-lane every highway. He would also like to explore using trains to haul more of the goods coming into and through the state.

Hooper told the Editorial Board that he would also push to pass a bill that requires electric vehicle owners to pay an annual flat fee  likely about $200  to pay for their share of road repairs. Since EVs dont use gas, they dont pay the gas tax, which helps pay for roads. Hooper tried unsuccessfully to get a similar bill passed in the previous legislative session.

While this Editorial Board doesnt always agree with the way Hooper votes on issues, he is popular with his constituents. More importantly to this recommendation, his opponent isnt a serious candidate.

John Siamas, 44, is a Navy veteran who describes himself as an accountant and retired. His heart appears to be in the right place, but he had a hard time articulating to the Editorial Board a coherent plan for addressing issues facing the state. He also had some egregious errors on his financial disclosure, which he hadnt noticed until the Editorial Board pointed them out.

In the Republican primary for Florida Senate District 21, the Times Editorial Board recommends Ed Hooper.

The recommendation process

Before making a recommendation, the Times Editorial Board asks candidates to fill out questionnaires and sit for an interview. The process can also include running criminal and civil background checks, interviewing candidates colleagues and employers, reviewing voting records and financial disclosures and examining their past and current positions on relevant issues.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Editor of Editorials Graham Brink, Sherri Day, Sebastian Dortch, John Hill, Jim Verhulst and Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news.
Elon Musk is a political animal.

On Twitterer, Xthe website Musk bought to restore free speech or something like that, he routinely makes fun of trans people, claims that diversity initiatives are racist against white people, and stirs up conspiracy theories about George Soros, vaccines, and undocumented immigrants.

Yes, Musk is a political animal. That animal is an elephant.

On Saturday, after Trump was shot in the ear during a failed assassination attempt, Musk formally threw his support behind Trump, posting, I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery. He also endorsed his vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, called on Secret Service leadership to resign, claimed that news outlets had misled the public, and called Trump the toughest candidate since Theodore Roosevelt.

Then, the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk plans to contribute as much as $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump super PAC run by Silicon Valley conservatives Joe Lonsdale and the Winklevoss twins. This would make Musk one of the leading Republican megadonors and uncap his influence on the party.

Musk is the richest person alive by some counts, but hes stingy with his money and doesnt like to give it away (unless its to his own charity). Plus, its unclear if he has the liquidity he needs to make this donation: Musk famously had to take out $22 billion in loans to purchase Twitter. Does he have the cash? Will he need to sell Tesla stock to make this work?

One thing is certain about Musks political donations: If hes spending the money, hes looking at it as an investment, and his full-throated endorsement of Trump completes his transformation from tech mogulprovocateur to internet shitposter to red-pilled Twitter owner to Republican megadonor.

The South Africanborn CEO of Tesla and SpaceX became an American citizen more than two decades ago and since then has donated money to both major parties while claiming that he has consistently voted Democrat for presidenteven for Joe Biden in 2020. But since 2017, Musk has spent eight times as much money on Republican candidates as on Democrats, according to Business Insiderand hasnt given to any Democrat since Delaware Sen. Chris Coons in 2020.

His trollishness has predated his overt partisanship. In 2018 alone, Musk smoked weed on The Joe Rogan Experience, called a cave diver a pedophile after he rescued children from a cave in Thailand, and falsely claimed that he had secured funding to take Tesla privatethen told CBS News he had no respect for the SEC after the securities regulator charged him with fraud (which he settled, and later sued over the terms of the settlement).

That was all before he kinda-seriously-kinda-not-seriously campaigned to buy Twitteroverbidding with a weed-joke offer of $54.20 a share, or $44 billion, a proposal that, to his eventual dismay, was accepted by the companys board of directorsyes, a lengthy court battle ensued then too.

But in recent years, Musk has become fully red-pilled, not only laundering far-right political views but also using his social media platform to allow the free flow of hate speech, harassment, and misinformationgleefully rolling back content rules put in place under previous corporate leadership. And he has restored Trumps once-prized account, from which the former president was banned after using it to incite violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (However, despite Musks gesture, Trump has stuck mostly to Truth Social.)

But Musks embrace of Trumpand MAGA politicshas never been warmer. Theyre cut from the same cloth: Think of Musk as a Trumpian figure or Trump as a Muskian figure, both motivated by power and notoriety and narcissism.

Thus, Musks motivations to support Trump are largely practical, certainly not purely ideological. Despite his critiques of the government, Musk depends on government support for his primary businesses. SpaceX has received billions in federal contracts, and Tesla benefits significantly from electric-vehicle subsidies. Maybe hell be able to get Vance, who is pushing for the subsidization of American-made gas cars, rather than EVs, to change his tune.

Musks evolution from internet troll to wannabe Republican oligarch is nearly complete. Money isnt everything, but it goes a long way in Washington. Musk knows he might have to spend money to make money in Trumps America.
Calvin Adkins stands near an old train car, now part of the Princeville historical museum. Adkins grew up in Princeville, but took a government buyout and now lives in nearby Tarboro. Photo: Grist/Gabrielle Joseph

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grists weekly newsletter here.

You can also explore a special series by author Justin Cook on Princeville and its plight that NC Newsline published in June of 2023 by clicking here.

Princeville, North Carolina, the oldest community in the United States founded by formerly enslaved people, has been trapped in a cycle of disaster and disinvestment for decades. The town of around 1,200 people sits on a plain below the banks of the Tar River, and it has flooded more than a dozen times in the last century. The two most recent hurricane-driven floods, in 1999 and 2016, have been the most devastating in the towns history.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, which submerged the town under more than 10 feet of water eight years ago, Princevilles residents debated three distinct options: staying put on the towns historic land, taking government buyouts to relocate individual families elsewhere, or moving the town itself to higher ground. But internal disagreements and a lack of funding made it difficult for the town to move forward with any of those choices in a comprehensive way. As a result, the damaged town hollowed out as residents and businesses left one by one, becoming yet another example of how slow and painful disaster recovery can be for rural and low-income communities.

Now, almost a decade after Hurricane Matthews devastation, Princevilles fate is becoming clear  for better and for worse. The town has just received millions of dollars in new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to build a new site on higher ground, offering hope for a large-scale relocation. At the same time, a long-awaited levee project that promised to protect the towns historic footprint has stalled out, making relocation harder to avoid as another climate-fueled hurricane season begins.

The idea to relocate the town first emerged after Hurricane Matthew, when the state of North Carolina helped Princeville buy 53 acres of nearby vacant land. The state also kicked in money to help town leaders plan a mixed-use neighborhood with new apartments and businesses, and it later bought another larger parcel adjacent to the 53-acre tract. Earlier this month, FEMA officials announced that they will send almost $11 million to Princeville to build out the stormwater infrastructure for the new town. Construction could begin before the end of the year.

When the development is done, it will contain the seeds of a new town center for Princeville. There will be a fire station and a town government building, as well as 50 new subsidized apartments to replace a public housing complex that was destroyed during Hurricane Matthew. Town officials are hoping that private developers will build dozens of single-family homes and businesses on the tract. This would make the 53-acre development almost as large and well-appointed as the old Princeville, with as many stores and almost as many homes.

When he announced the new funding, FEMA administrator Robert Samaan praised Princevilles commitment to build outside of the floodplain and protect their community, saying the decision to move to higher ground is a testament to their resilience. But this was somewhat misleading: Many residents and town leaders, including the mayor, have sought for years to stay put on the towns original flood-prone site. In 2016, Jones even tried to turn down a federal program to buy out flooded homeowners in the old town.

Were open to expansion, but we are not going to leave, said the towns mayor, Bobbie Jones, in an interview with Grist.

Mayor Bobbie Jones stands in front of Princevilles rebuilt town hall

But that option looks less viable than ever. Those who wanted to protect historic Princeville have long held out hope that the federal Army Corps of Engineers would repair and expand the old levee that defends the town from the caprices of the Tar River, whose overflowing banks have long been responsible for Princevilles woes. The Corpss original levee contained critical flaws that caused it to fail during floods in 1999 and again in 2016, but it took the agency until 2020 to secure funding from Congress to build a new and larger levee.

Jones touted this new levee project as proof that historic Princeville could survive, but earlier this year the Corps told residents that it was going back to the drawing board to review the project. The agency had discovered that building the planned levee would inadvertently cause flooding in the larger nearby town of Tarboro, on the other side of the Tar River. Officials said they couldnt reduce flood risk in one place only to increase it in another. This is a cruel historical irony: The founders of Princeville only got access to the low-lying land in the 19th century because the white residents of Tarboro deemed it too flood-prone to use.

Here we are in the midst of hurricane season again, and were just praying, said Jones.

In response to questions from Grist, a spokesperson for the Corps said the agency is committed to flood protection in Princeville and is seeking funds that would allow it to commission a report looking at other options beyond the levee.

The setbacks on the levee project, combined with the sudden burst of progress on the new 53-acre development, seems to provide a bittersweet answer to the murky question of how Princeville will adapt to climate change. When it is complete, the new development will give Princeville a path toward long-term resilience, one that doesnt require keeping most residents on land thats destined to flood. But even this progress has come at great cost: Almost eight years after Matthew, many displaced residents have moved on for good, and even the promise of a new Princeville on higher ground may not be enough to draw them back.

I understand the government moves slow, said Calvin Adkins, a former resident of Princeville who took a government buyout and now lives across the river in Tarboro. But when youre talking about such a historic town, I just  in my heart of hearts, I was hoping that these things could have been done earlier.

This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/extreme-weather/princeville-north-carolina-fema-grant-army-corps/.

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rain has triggered flash flooding, landslides and mudflows in many parts of China, disrupting traffic and forcing people to evacuate.

Due to heavy rainfall in central China's Henan Province, Beijing's railway department will temporarily shut 163 passenger trains on routes passing through Henan from Wednesday to Thursday.

Between 9 a.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, 1,464 firefighters equipped with 107 boats in Henan engaged in rescue work related to rainstorms, rescuing and evacuating 548 people and discharging 44,700 tonnes of water.

In the neighboring Shaanxi Province, heavy downpours have caused landslides and mudflows alongside sections of two highways and an expressway in the city of Baoji, leading to traffic disruptions. No casualties have been reported so far, local authorities said on Wednesday.

At around 1 a.m. Wednesday, a railroad bridge in the city sustained damage from flooding, causing a train that was conducting a flood-control patrol to fall from the bridge, injuring two crew members.

Due to continuous rainfall, passenger trains passing along this railway line have been suspended since Sunday.

From 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, Baoji received an average precipitation of 67.4 mm, with the highest recorded precipitation reaching 209 mm, according to Shaanxi's meteorological observatory.

On Wednesday, Baoji imposed temporary traffic controls on seven road sections in the city and temporarily shut 70 train lines passing through the city's railway station. A total of 2,459 residents have been evacuated so far.

The province activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control at 7 a.m., and followed it with a yellow alert for rainstorms at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

The risk of geological disasters remains high in parts of the city of Longnan in Gansu Province, which borders Shaanxi, as weather authorities forecast more showers in eastern and southern Gansu on Wednesday.

A red alert for geological disasters was jointly issued by the provincial department of natural resources and the provincial meteorological bureau at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, warning of potential geological disasters in Wudu District, Wenxian County and Kangxian County in Longnan.

"Currently, Longnan railway station has suspended 38 passenger trains," said Liu Hailin, the station director of Longnan, adding that the services are expected to resume from July 19.

Additionally, Shandong Province issued a yellow alert for rainstorms on Wednesday as heavy rains are expected to continue in the southern part of the province until Thursday morning, according to the provincial meteorological bureau.

At 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, the provincial water resources department and meteorological bureau issued a blue alert for mountain torrents, which are expected to occur in parts of Shandong, including the cities of Linyi and Rizhao, from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warning procedures amid measures to prepare for evacuation.

According to the management committee of Mount Taishan, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Shandong, the rain has led to the temporary closure of the scenic area from 4 p.m. Wednesday until further notice.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency-response system, with Level I being the most severe response, as well as a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. 
A Colorado man said he was given a choice  take off his pro-life sweatshirt or leave the states Senate gallery. He did not take off his sweatshirt.

Now the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is threatening a lawsuit on behalf of that man, Jeffrey Hunt.

The free speech organization sent a letter to House Chief Sergeant-At-Arms Stephen Rosenthal, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Benjamin Trujillo and Senate Chief Sergeant-At-Arms Frank Lombardi demanding they do not enforce the ban on apparel expressing political statements inside their chambers because it violates the First Amendment.

Rosenthal, Trujillo and Lombardi did not immediately return a request for comment.

FIREs letter demanding officials not enforce unconstitutional rule

Hunt was visiting the Colorado Capitol along with colleagues from Colorado Christian University on March 21, 2023, the letter said. They were there to protest three bills that would regulate pregnancy crisis centers and sat inside the senate gallery during the floor proceedings. He had donned a sweatshirt that read Pro-Life U.

The letter said Hunt was asked to exit the gallery, which he did. Trujillo told Hunt his sweatshirt violated gallerys rules and then Hunt disagreed. Lombardi agreed with Trujillos assessment.

They gave Hunt a choice: Remove the sweatshirt or forfeit his ability to watch his state government from the gallery, said the letter. Unwilling to sacrifice his First Amendment rights, Hunt chose the latter and waited outside the gallery alone while his colleagues remained inside.

FIRE said the gallery rule that led to Hunt sitting outside is a violation of the First Amendment and does not meet the criteria the government has to in order to censor speech.

I was shocked when I was asked to leave the Senate gallery simply for wearing a pro-life sweatshirt, said Hunt. I felt like I was being targeted for expressing my American right to free speech. My goal with this case is to make sure this type of censorship doesnt happen to anyone else, especially in the heart of our states democracy.

The legal test the government would have to meet is known as strict scrutiny. It is a rigorous constitutional test that weighs out the governments right to limit another right for a compelling government interest. A regulation on speech would have to be narrowly tailored enough to meet that interest.

Suppressing silent, nondisruptive political expression is not a permissible  let alone compelling  interest in a state Capitol, said the letter. And a rule prohibiting nondisruptive political expression in a public gallery is not reasonable in light of the purpose of the gallery  ensuring Colorados legislature is open and accessible to members of the public interested in the pending legislation.

The letter from FIRE also said the gallery rule is enforced unfairly in a viewpoint-discriminatory manner.

Just weeks before banning Hunt from the gallery because of his conservative political sweatshirt, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms permitted students wearing pro-gun control Angels Against Gun Violence shirts to sit in the gallery undisturbed, said the letter. Enforcing a rule differently because of a speakers message is repugnant to the Constitution.

At the time, Secretary of State Cindi Markwell told media the rule only limit(s) expression of support or opposition (the Senate) is debating and it exists to avoid conflict.

The organization asked the Colorado House and Senate Sergeans-At-Arms to provide written confirmation they would no longer enforce the gallery rule banning pins and apparel expressing political statements. The organization also asked signage with this rule in the Colorado state Capitol be moved.

We are hopeful you will honor your obligations to respect and uphold the First Amendment rights of all Coloradans, said FIRE in the letter. Otherwise, FIRE will file a lawsuit and seek the full array of remedies including damagers and attorneys fees.

Organization attorney Josh Bleisch said, if theres anywhere peoples First Amendment rights should be safe, its in their state capitol.

Officials cant kick you out of public galleries just because they dont like the message on your shirt, said FIRE attorney Raul Ruiz. We look forward to vindicating Hunts rights, and the rights of every American, regardless of their opinions.
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  A federal grand jury in Denver indicted a Colorado Springs man for mail theft on Thursday, June 27.

Adam Christopher Turner, 40, was linked to multiple thefts from community mailboxes in El Paso County and in Parker, Colorado. The indictment also alleges that Turner used counterfeit postal service master keys  also known as arrow keys  to steal from the community mailbox units.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: EPSO recovers moving truck worth of stolen mail

When a search warrant was executed on Turners home, police found approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine, arrow keys, a firearm, and numerous pieces of stolen mail and stolen identity documents. Turner was on probation at the time of the execution of the warrant and is a convicted felon.

Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office

On Tuesday, July 16, The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado announced that Turner was indicted on 11 counts of fraud in connection with Unauthorized Access Devices, Aggravated Identity Theft, Possession of Stolen Mail, Possession of Stolen Mail Keys, Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, and for Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender.

Turner made his initial appearance on July 8. The case is currently being investigated by the El Paso County Sheriffs Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Hours before a public vigil honoring the memory of a central Ohio mother and speech pathologist who died after trying to stop the theft of her vehicle with her son inside, Columbus police on Wednesday released additional surveillance video of three suspects wanted in connection with her death.

The video shows two of the three suspects chasing on foot after 29-year-old Alexa Stakely's stolen Honda that a third suspect is driving. Those two suspects then meet up with the driver within the parking lot of the apartment complex and abandon the Honda. All three suspects continue walking northbound on Brynwood Green Drive, the last place where they were seen, police say.

Columbus police have released an updated area map where the three suspects were last seen. Homicide detectives are asking residents of The Residences at James Place and The Residences at Akita Lane to check for any video footage from the early morning hours of July 11.

Related | Video: Suspects believed to be involved the carjacking and death of Alexa Stakely

Columbus police noted that the trio continued walking after abandoning Stakely's Honda, which police say indicates that the three of them are comfortable in that area and either live in the neighborhood or have friends in the vicinity.

Homicide detectives are asking tenants of The Residences at James Place and The Residences at Akita Lane to check their surveillance footage for any video from the early morning hours of July 11.

Central Ohio single mom dies after trying to stop vehicle theft

Alexa Stakely, 29, died early Thursday morning after she was struck by her own SUV. Stakely was picking up her 6-year-old son from her babysitter's residence on the 6300 block of Blue Knoll Drive at the White Oak Park Condominiums at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday following her second job as a waitress.

Stakely was retrieving her son's belongings in the babysitter's doorway after placing her sleeping son in her SUV when she saw the vehicle pulling out of the driveway.

Police say Stakely suffered a fatal head injury when she fell to the ground after her vehicle struck her, and witnesses told police they saw two male suspects fleeing on foot. Her son was unhurt; body cam footage showed he told an officer he slept through the vehicle's theft.

Memorial planned Wednesday evening for Stakely at same school where she worked

Continuing an outpouring of support, community and family members will be holding a public vigil for Stakely on Wednesday evening at Winchester Trails Elementary School  the same school where Stakely worked as a speech language pathologist.

Alexa Stakely, 29, died Thursday morning after suffering a critical head injury while trying to stop her vehicle from being stolen with her 6-year-old son inside of it.

The vigil will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the auditorium of Winchester Trail Elementary at 6865 Gender Rd in Canal Winchester.

Visitation for family, close friends and colleagues will be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Grace Fellowship Church in Lithopolis, 11573 Lithopolis Rd NW, and her service and burial will be held there at a later date, according to her obituary. Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in Canal Winchester is handling arrangements.

On Monday, Loose Rail Brewing at 37 W. Waterloo St. in Canal Winchester will be hosting a charity drive to benefit her son. The event will feature a banner for students and friends of the school district to sign, memorial journals to be filled with words of encouragement for Stakely's family, face painting, yard games, s'mores kits and baked goods. All of the funds raised will go to a trust for the boy, the brewery said.

An online fundraiser for Stakely's son raised over $80,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, surpassing its initial goal of $15,000. Over 1,500 people donated.

Anyone with video or photo evidence that could assist with the investigation can submit it to Columbus police online, and anyone with information about Stakely's killing can reach the lead detective, Detective Lemmon, at 614-645-2558 or RALemmon@ColumbusPolice.org or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.

smeighan@dispatch.com

@ShahidMeighan

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police release more video of suspects involved in Stakely death
Tiffany Chappell Ingram holds a bag of Fritos and a THC product that mimics the packaging at the State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., on April 11, 2024. Credit - Brian CassellaGetty Images

Five companies were issued warnings by federal officials for illegally selling food products containing a potentially dangerous drug in packaging that closely resembles popular national brands loved by kids and adults alike.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to Hippy Mood, Earthly Hemps, Shamrockshrooms.com, Mary Janes Bakery Co. LLC, and Life Leaf Medical CBD Center, according to a press release published by the FDA on Tuesday. Separately, the FDA issued a warning letter to another company, GrowGod LLC, for also introducing food products containing delta-8 THC into the marketplace, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The warning letters are part of the FDA and FTCs joint initiative to reprimand companies that sell illegal copycat food products containing delta-8 THC.

Delta-8 THC is a cannabis compound. THC is the main psychoactive ingredient thats in marijuanait produces the high associated with smoking or ingesting marijuana. Because delta-8 THC isnt found in significant amounts in the cannabis plant, concentrated amounts of it are usually manufactured from CBD, according to the FDA. The FDA said in its press release that its concerned that there may be impurities or variations in the composition process, which could lead to products that may be harmful or have unpredictable effects on people who consume them.

Inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products with strong resemblance to popular snacks and candies that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it, FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandje Bumpus said in the press release. As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of delta-8 THC containing products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating complete neglect for consumer safety.

The FDA said that packaging that includes brand names, logos, or pictures that are similar to popular snack food brands can make the delta-8 THC products almost indistinguishable from many popular snacks, which can be confusing for the public. The FDA said that these copycat food products containing delta-8 THC are especially worrisome because theyre easy to buy and are often available to young people.

Previously, the FDA had warned the public about the risk of children accidentally consuming food products that contain delta-8 THC. Between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2023, the agency received more than 300 reports of children and adults who ate delta-8 THC products and experienced adverse reactions, such as hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness, according to the press release. Nearly half of those 300 reports involved hospitalization or emergency department visits, and about two-thirds of the reports came after the individual ate food products, like candy or brownies, that contained delta-8 THC.

In July 2023, the FDA and FTC warned six companies for selling edible food products that contained delta-8 THC, but were packaged in a way that could easily be confused for foods sold by popular national brands, the FDA said. All six companies dont have those products in stock anymore.

Companies that market and sell edible THC products that are easily mistaken for snacks and candy are not only acting illegally, but they are also putting the health of young children at risk, Samuel Levine, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the press release. Those that prioritize profits in front of childrens safety are at serious risk of legal action.

The FDA said it has requested written responses from the companies within 15 business days. The responses must include how the companies will address the violations and prevent them from happening again. The FDA said that if the companies dont promptly address the violations, officials may take legal action, such as seizing the products.

Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Healthcare is getting more expensive nationwide.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

In fact, federal projections show Americans are expected to spend more than $5 trillion dollars this year alone. Those numbers are expected to increase to nearly $8 trillion by 2032.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Across the country, whether its a major surgery or an x-ray, hospitals are required to post a list of shoppable services online and how much they cost in an easy-to-access format.

Thats the goal of the Hospital Price Transparency Rule which took effect in 2021. But in a congressional report from Sen. Mike Brauns office, it found only about 34 percent of hospitals are fully complaint with the rule.

Can you imagine not knowing how much something that could be thousands of dollars is until after you get the bill and then asking those patients to pay those bills within 90 days? Its outrageous that we dont know prices before, said Patricia Kelmar with the U.S. Public Information Research Group (U.S. PIRG).

Patricia Kelmar is the Sr. Director of Health Care Campaigns for U.S. PIRG. She said price transparency is key for competition.

Well start to see who are the outliers? Who in our community is charging more than every other hospital? What are these prices? Is price gouging happening, said Kelmar. It also helps insurance companies pay less, it helps them negotiate lower rates.

RELATED: New consumer report outlines how to navigate high healthcare costs

On Capitol Hill, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing about the issue. Both Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about the impact of rising costs for consumers and even called on hospitals to make changes.

For anyone that is a CEO in the industry, I would suggest you do what all the rest of us have done that run businesses, embrace competition, deal with an engaged consumer and full transparency, said Sen. Mike Braun, R  Indiana.

Hospital costs have risen faster than healthcare costs overall, these increasing costs directly impact Americans access to healthcare, said Sen. Bob Casey, D  Pennsylvania.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) represents thousands of facilities and health systems nationwide.

In a statement to Congress for this recent hearing, it said roughly 93 percent of hospitals have met the requirement to post a machine-readable file.

RELATED: Congress evaluate how to lower prescription prices by increasing competition

The organization also raised concerns about efforts to no longer recognize price estimator tools as a method to meet part of the federal rule. This change would both reduce access to a consumer-friendly research tool and unfairly penalize hospitals that have spent significant capital to comply with the regulation, in the AHA written statement to Congress.

The Health Care Price Transparency Act 2.0 is a bipartisan effort to try to address these healthcare costs. It would expand these price transparency requirements to clinical diagnostics labs and imaging centers. It would facilities to post prices for services by 2025.

Recently the House passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act but it hasnt been considered in the Senate.

The American Hospital Association also provided this statement from Ariel Levin, director of policy at the AHA, for our coverage:

Hospitals and health systems are dedicated to ensuring patients have accurate and timely estimates about the costs of their care, including through the use of price estimators and other tools. The field is embracing new technologies that make accessing such estimates easier than ever.

We are proud that the federal government, which oversees compliance with the hospital price transparency rules, in 2022 found that 70% of hospitals had complied with both federal requirements and over 80% had complied with at least one. We expect these numbers to continue to increase.

The AHA continues to believe that the best path towards helping patients make informed decisions about their care is to simplify and reduce the amount patients owe in co-pays and other cost-sharing, as well as to ensure all estimates consider the patients health care coverage.

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'There are no guardrails: Supreme Court empowers cities to take tougher steps to police homelessness

SAN FRANCISCO  The Supreme Court has granted mayors broad powers to combat the homelessness crisis, including by jailing people for sleeping outside. Now, leaders along the West Coast must decide how far theyre willing to go.

The Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling last month will have major ramifications everywhere from Northeast cities struggling with a deluge of migrants to Sun Belt boom towns facing huge shortages of affordable housing. But the effect is most dramatic along the West Coast, where lower court rulings had severely limited city officials authority to clear encampments even as the region became the epicenter of a national homelessness crisis.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed captured the frustration among many Democratic mayors when she praised the conservative-majority Supreme Courts ruling.

Those who refuse our help or those who already have shelter will not be allowed to camp on our streets, Breed said.

For years, there was a shared frustration among West Coast mayors as they tried to clear camps without running afoul of the courts: Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

The mayors griped that a patchwork of court rulings had created a legal minefield if they tried to remove homeless people from sidewalks, parks and freeway underpasses. Meanwhile, they faced voter backlash over the health and safety risks posed by growing encampments.

But the high court ruling effectively overturned those decisions, allowing cities to remove tents even when there arent enough shelter beds. The Supreme Court also ruled that arresting or citing people for camping in public spaces did not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

Still, mayors face resistance from homelessness advocates and others who warn that more draconian approaches will exacerbate suffering and simply shuffle homeless people between cities.

We are concerned that there will likely be this cruelty-arms race to the bottom, where jurisdictions try to outdo each other in being more punitive, said John Do, a senior attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, which has advocated for homeless people in cases across the West. There are no guardrails right now.

POLITICO took a look at how six cities in the West are responding to the ruling and their expanded powers.

San Francisco

Sweeps unleashed

Mayor London Breed called the high courts ruling in Grants Pass a godsend after the city spent years drowning in legal limbo. Breed faces a tough reelection fight in November, against four major challengers who have all accused her of failing to stop the proliferation of encampments.

Breed hasnt decided whether to expand arrests and citations, though her administration is considering its options. Breed said the ruling recognizes that cities must have more flexibility to compel people to seek help, adding This is about people who are refusing shelter.

Prior to the Grants Pass decision, the city had faced an injunction on clearing encampments, even as its homelessness crisis drew national ridicule as conservative politicians and media outlets amplified images of grim street conditions in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

A judicial magistrate issued an injunction in late 2022 that barred the city from removing tents using anti-camping statutes unless it had enough shelter beds for every homeless person citywide. Much of the injunction is now defunct, though more technical aspects of the case are still being litigated.

The lawsuit exacerbated our street conditions and put us in an impossible position, said City Attorney David Chiu, a former state lawmaker, who fought the injunction. San Francisco estimates it would need close to $1.5 billion to create enough shelter beds for every person on the street  which Chiu called an impossible feat.

Chiu said the ruling provides relief in the sense that homeless people who refuse shelter can be removed. However, he doubts the city will prioritize arresting people for pitching tents on the sidewalk (though the ACLU and other advocacy groups allege the city is already citing homeless people on a regular basis).

Our city's focus will be on providing services to unhoused people while keeping our streets healthy and safe, not on criminal prosecutions, Chiu said.



Palm Springs

Turning to police

Within two weeks of the Supreme Courts ruling, the desert oasis of Palm Springs, California, passed one of the most aggressive anti-camping ordinances of any Democratic city.

The City Council voted 3-1 to give police the authority to arrest and jail homeless people for sleeping in public or building encampments  a move that leaders said was intended to deal with people who repeatedly refuse shelter.

Police Chief Andy Mills said the Grants Pass decision made it easier to craft the ordinance, though it had been in the works for months.

The policy generally allows police to make arrests only if enough shelter beds are available, and Palm Springs is about to double its bed capacity with an expanded shelter that is expected to open in August.

There will be plenty of space for people to take if they want it. If all else fails, we will cite or arrest, Mills said. We cant, as a society, continue to allow people to slowly kill themselves in a public place  and thats exactly whats happening.

Councilmember Lisa Middleton, the citys former mayor and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate, said the crisis has shown simply offering shelter isnt enough to solve homelessness. The situation, she said, has forced leaders in both parties to leave their political comfort zones.

The United States Supreme Court got it right on this one. Every court is entitled to get it right once, Middleton quipped.



Los Angeles

Resisting the ruling

No big-city mayor has been as outspoken in their criticism of the ruling as Karen Bass, who has likened it to the high courts decision overturning the federal right to abortion.

At an event last week, Bass told the crowd that her first order of business is resisting Grants Pass. She said Los Angeles, which has one of the largest homeless populations in the country with more than 45,000 Angelenos lacking permanent shelter, must build additional shelter beds and interim housing projects as quickly as possible.

People need to understand that our rights were also taken away with Grants Pass, Bass told the crowd. And so the right that people had to stay on the street until there was housing is gone.

Even before the ruling, Bass warned that it could embolden people who want to criminalize homeless people.

Bass has refused to make aggressive police enforcement part of her response, even as LAs infamous Skid Row grows. Her signature program, Inside Safe, focuses on moving people off of the streets into temporary housing such as motel rooms  a program she has sought to expand, despite its hefty price tag.

Los Angeles has a progressive City Council, so its unlikely Bass will face immediate pressure to crack down from within her own government. But shes talked about the concern in the context of a possible second term for former President Donald Trump, as well as the worry that other cities and states could send their homeless residents to LA.

We have to get ready to resist the potential wave of oppression, she said.



Missoula

New camping zones

A few days before the Supreme Court handed down its ruling, city leaders in Missoula, Montana, passed an ordinance that was designed to comply with the restrictions the court was about to overturn.

But Mayor Andrea Davis, a Democrat who also works as an affordable housing developer, said Missoula doesnt plan to revisit its policy. Thats because local leaders feel like they found an unconventional approach that works.

The ordinance allows camping on city property, including parks, but only overnight, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. People must take their tents down and remove all belongings each morning.



It also creates buffer zones throughout most of the city to prohibit tents from popping up close to homes, schools or businesses. Missoula, a progressive college town in a deeply red state, receives relatively little state funding for homeless services, but it has enough park space to provide temporary camping sites.

We more or less created a diffused camping opportunity, Davis said in an interview. Were really trying to find a humane, balanced approach here.



Portland

State law limits change

Almost nothing has changed in Portland due to the courts ruling  but not because local leaders dont want it to.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, has lamented that Grants Pass will have little or no impact on Portland unless the state Legislature revises a 2021 law restricting its ability to remove camps. The city has one of the fastest growing homeless populations in the country, and conservative pundits have mocked the liberal city over its dystopian downtown center lined with empty office buildings and stores.

The 2021 Oregon law prevents cities from removing homeless camps unless they can prove their policies are objectively reasonable  a requirement shaped by a prior court ruling.

But what the state defines as reasonable restrictions on public camping is vague, creating a murky situation for cities. Wheelers office said he is lobbying state lawmakers to clarify the law in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.

His office said in a statement that Portland is focused on dealing with camps that pose the most safety risks. Wheeler declined to discuss his plans in an interview.



San Diego

Big shelter ambitions

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has cheered the Grants Pass ruling, saying it boosts the case for one of his top policy priorities: building a 1,000-person mega shelter.

Gloria, a Democrat and former state legislator, said the court eased the threat of litigation that made mayors nervous about clearing camps. He said the justices also made clear that cities have an obligation to deal with the health and safety risks posed by large encampments.

But, Gloria said, that expansive power to police homelessness comes with a moral obligation to provide beds, which he said illustrates the need for his proposal to build a massive shelter in a vacant warehouse near downtown  a plan that some neighbors and City Council members have fought for months.

It would be a mistake for a city to suddenly feel as though theyre absolved of their obligation to provide shelter, Gloria said in an interview. You cant just shuffle people around.

He scoffed at cities pursuing ordinances that make it a crime to merely sleep outdoors, calling the approach inhumane. Good luck to them when they get to the pearly gates, Gloria said.
The seal of the U.S. District Court of Colorado. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)

Colorados status as a hotbed of the election denial movement is in the spotlight of a civil rights trial in federal court this week.

Voter intimidation trial

Read more from our reporting on the USEIP case here.

Defendants Ashe Epp, Shawn Smith and Holly Kasun are accused of violating civil rights laws by launching a door-to-door voter verification project in at least four Colorado counties in an attempt to prove debunked allegations of widespread fraud in Colorados voting systems. A trio of voting rights groups, represented by the nonprofit Free Speech For People, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Colorado in 2022.

All three defendants, through their work with U.S. Election Integrity Plan and other groups, are or were associates of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, one of the the nations most prominent election conspiracy theorists and a leading benefactor of election denial causes.

Alongside other far-right activists and media figures, theyre part of a constellation of Colorado-based conspiracy theorists who were instrumental in amplifying debunked claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which former President Donald Trump lost, in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Smith, a retired Air Force colonel and Woodland Park resident, is the president of Cause of America, a Lindell-funded election integrity nonprofit.

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A key piece of evidence in the case, a County and Local Organizing Playbook containing instructions for canvassing efforts by election deniers, was prepared by USEIP to share with other groups at an August 2021 Cyber Symposium summit convened by Lindell in South Dakota.

Epp, a Douglas County resident who was described by plaintiffs attorneys on Monday as the playbooks chief architect, said during testimony that she personally canvassed three times, twice in El Paso County and once in Douglas County. Defendants and their attorneys have disputed the relevance of the document, which they say was authored after much of the groups Colorado canvassing efforts had already been conducted.

This was a knowledge-sharing document, said Epp. It was not intended for audiences in Colorado. It was not a playbook for intimidation.

Epps work as a commentator and podcaster was the subject of scrutiny during her testimony. Epp was formerly a co-host of the Conservative Daily podcast alongside Joe Oltmann, a key figure in Colorado election denial circles who has repeatedly made headlines for calling for the execution of his political opponents.

During opening arguments on Monday, Epp, who is representing herself in the trial, acknowledged that though she often communicates in a way that my political or ideological opponents may find distasteful or even offensive, none of her speech has risen to the level of voter intimidation.

Claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent or compromised have been debunked by elections officials, experts, media investigations, law enforcement, the courts and former Trumps own campaign and administration officials.

Elections officials concerns

Plaintiffs have characterized USEIP canvassers wearing of badges and use of official-sounding names as a targeted effort to intimidate voters. During opening arguments on Monday, Amy Erickson, attorney for the plaintiffs, sought to tie the activity to our nations troubling history of voter intimidation and disenfranchisement.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants conduct violated two federal laws: the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits any person from attempt(ing) to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote; and the Enforcement Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, which prohibits conspir(ing) to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy to a candidate for office. USEIP canvassers, the lawsuit alleges, often targeted high-density housing, communities experiencing growth among racial minority voters, and communities in which a high percentage of voters supported Democratic candidates in the 2020 election.

Epp, echoing the prior testimony of Smith, said that her interactions with residents while canvassing had been positive, with the exception of one older woman who seemed skeptical but not contentious in any way.

But Chris Beall, Colorados deputy secretary of state, testified Tuesday that the groups canvassing raised alarm bells within Secretary of State Jena Griswolds office, which issued an advisory alerting voters to reports of unofficial door-to-door canvassing in September 2021.

Our concern was that the use of untrained, partisan-motivated canvassers, who may or may not have been armed, would be threatening to the people they encountered, Beall said. The secretary wished to ensure that people who might have their doors knocked on would know their rights. They had a constitutional right to the secrecy of their vote, and they had no obligation to disclose how they voted.

Under cross-examination, Beall said that while the act of canvassing itself doesnt necessarily constitute intimidation, the concern stemmed from Colorado elections officials belief that USEIP volunteers were biased, intent on an outcome and unlikely to abide by standard survey techniques when conducting their questions.

Griswolds office received two written complaints about voter verification canvassing in the summer of 2021, both of which came from Mesa County voters. Though USEIP organizers had a volunteer captain in Mesa County and communicated with likeminded activists there, they maintain that the canvassing activity was a separate effort by a different group.

Beall was barred from sharing information during his testimony about other reported complaints, relayed by county clerks to top officials in the secretary of states office, by Judge Charlotte Sweeney, who called the information three levels of hearsay. Sweeney also blocked an effort by plaintiffs attorneys to ask Beall whether officials and staff in his office  all of whom are required to maintain active voter registrations, he testified  felt intimidated by USEIPs activity.

From left, Shawn Smith, Holly Kasun, Ashe Epp and Mike Lindell appear during a Nov. 28, 2021, broadcast on frankspeech.com. (Screenshot from frankspeech.com)

Please get off my property

One of the written complaints to the secretary of states office came from Yvette Roberts, a Grand Junction resident and retired history teacher. Roberts was called to the witness stand on Tuesday and testified that a man and a woman wearing professional-looking badges knocked on her door in June 2021. The man, she said, began asking questions about whether she voted in 2020 and whether she was the only registered voter in her home.

Im a little old lady, Roberts said. I dont want to tell any strange man on my doorstep that I live alone.

Roberts said she felt intimidated by the encounter, which she said took a turn when the man then asked about how she had voted in 2020. In addition to her complaint to the secretary of state, she filed a report with the Grand Junction Police Department.

I didnt think that was any of his business, she said. So I thought, gosh, this has gone on long enough, and I asked them both to leave. I said, Ive had enough. Please get off my property. Youre trespassing.

Attorneys for the defendants pressed Roberts on what they characterized as inconsistencies in her description of the incident, such as her description of the badges worn by the canvassers as homemade in her initial complaint, and as official-looking in subsequent statements. She testified that the badges appeared to have been purchased at an office supply store, and were part of an attempt to look official.

At least two other groups were conducting canvassing efforts similar to USEIPs at the time, they claimed. Roberts said that it was apparent the canvassers at her door had received training, but acknowledged she couldnt be sure which group they belonged to  only that they told her they were part of an investigation, or inquiry, or something like that.

It seemed they belonged to some organization like (USEIP), Roberts said. I didnt know what organization it was.

That conflicts with a declaration signed by Roberts in earlier proceedings in the case, in which she positively identified the two individuals as representing USEIP, said Scott Reisch, an attorney for Smith.

No one told me it was, Roberts said under questioning. I believed it to be at the time.

Misinformation and threats

Epp used her cross-examination of Beall to relitigate a variety of well-worn talking points used by conservatives to cast doubt on Colorado elections. They included a 2017 report finding vulnerabilities in certain voting systems that were subsequently addressed, and a controversy over voter-registration postcards mailed by the secretary of states office in 2022, 30,000 of which were mistakenly sent to noncitizens because of a database error.

We seem to have drifted into a fishing expedition, so Im going to ask you to move on, Sweeney told Epp.

Beall earlier testified that there have been around 20 prosecutions of individuals who the prosecution alleged were either not eligible to vote, or voted more than once in the 2020 election. Elections experts and law enforcement agencies consistently say that such voter fraud is extremely rare.

Audits of 2020 election results in Colorado similarly uncovered limited cases of human error but in no instance did they show machine error in tabulating voters, Beall said. Colorado election conspiracy theorists, including Oltmann and Smith, played a key role in surfacing and amplifying allegations of systemic election fraud in connection with Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

Those false claims figured prominently in attempts by Trumps legal team to litigate election results and in wider conspiracy theories alleging the election was fraudulent. The allegations led to a series of defamation lawsuits filed by the company against right-wing media figures, including a case that produced a landmark $787.5 million settlement with Fox News in 2023.

Other portions of trial testimony on Tuesday again focused on Smiths comments during a speech at a Castle Rock church in February 2022, in which he claimed he had evidence implicating Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold in election fraud and said that anyone involved in election fraud deserved to hang.

I was very concerned, Beall said of Smiths remarks. I believed the video clip showed the chanting and reaction at the church in Castle Rock to illustrate the impact that Col. Smiths statement was having on the people in that audience, and was likely to cause more threats. I believe history has proven me right.

We now have a security service that monitors threats agains the secretary, Beall added. And they are extraordinary.

The trial, which began on Monday with testimony from Smith, will continue Wednesday with additional testimony from Beth Hendrix, director of the League of Women Voters of Colorado  one of the plaintiffs in the case, alongside the Colorado NAACP and Mi Familia Vota. The plaintiffs are seeking an order from the court finding that the defendants violated the VRA and the KKK Act and enjoining them from future intimidating activity, as well as attorneys fees.

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Within hours of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, conspiracy theories began circulating, online and off.

If you want my true opinion on it, I feel like it was all just antics. It was staged if you ask me, Michael Bircher, 46, of Dearborn Heights, told the Free Press. That's how I feel about it.

Bircher is not alone. When the Free Press asked people on Belle Isle on Sunday for their reaction to the shooting, more than half of them said they didnt believe or questioned the official version of what happened.

Researchers say that conspiracy-type thinking is common and polling shows most people believe at least one theory that runs counter to the official story of a historical event. Its not new.

People have pointed out that America was started with conspiracy theory, said Brian Keeley, a philosophy professor at Pitzer College in California, who studies the subject. If you read the Declaration of Independence, everybody remembers the beginning ... about all men being created equal and that sort of stuff, but the last 80% is a whole bunch of grievances against King George and many of them were conspiratorial.

More: Conspiracy theories about Trump assassination attempt are a sign of the social media times

Reginald Williams, 31, of Detroit, was setting up to fish on Belle Isle with his family as he reflected on the Trump rally. He was among those who believed it was a political setup. He tied it to getting Black individuals to vote and attributed that to the candidate he still plans to vote for  former President Donald Trump.

He prefers Trumps approach to immigration and what bathrooms transgender individuals are allowed in, as a father of multiple girls, he said. Hed seen memes on Facebook and then checked Twitter to learn the news, he said, noting it was "wild."

Reginald Williams, 31, of Detroit, prepares to fish on Belle Isle with family on Sunday, July 14.

Adam Enders, an associate professor of political science at the University of Louisville, said he wasnt surprised to see the theories spring up in such a polarized environment as this election cycle.

One of the strongest correlates or causes of conspiracy theories is motivated reasoning, he said. People believe things that help bolster or protect preexisting world views and beliefs, even if they don't make a lot of sense to other people.

Enders, a Michigan native, said both sides of the political aisle do it.

We see that people who are critics of Trump, people who are Democrats, say, 'oh, this is staged. This is so that Trump can look like a tough guy,'  he said. And then you have Republicans and supporters of Trump on the other side saying, 'well, you know, this is actually the Secret Service not doing the job of protecting Trump. They actually want to get rid of him from the inside,' which plays into the long-standing deep state narratives.

U.S. Rep. Corey Mills, R-Florida, alluded to that line of thinking in an interview with Fox News. Mills, a former Army sniper, blasted the work of the Secret Service team with Trump on Saturday.

Bottom line is that this is massive negligence, to the point of me speculating on what was intentional and what wasnt, he said.

Law enforcement at the scene said that a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired several shots from a rooftop position, grazing Trump's ear and hitting three other people at the rally, one of whom died. A police sniper then returned fire, killing Crooks. The investigation is ongoing.

Identifying conspiracy theorists and those likely to act violently because of them is not easy, Enders said. There is some correlation between higher educational attainment and being less likely to believe in conspiracy theories, but its a small correlation.

Its less robust than you would think, he said. It's not like, 'oh, I went to college and so therefore, I don't believe in conspiracy theories.' There's no shortage of highly educated Democrats that will believe some kind of conspiracy theory about the Trump assassination attempt and likewise for Republicans.

Keeley said there are some group differences in the willingness to believe conspiracy theories, with people lower on the socioeconomic ladder more likely to think that way.

"People of color generally believe in conspiracy theories at a higher rate, but then again, people of color have been the victims of legitimate conspiracies at higher rates than the dominant culture," he said.

Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, the death of Princess Diana, 9/11, COVID-19, and even events like the Maui fires have all prompted conspiracies. Enders said that at one point, about 80% of the American public doubted the Warren Commission's conclusion on the John F. Kennedy assassination, that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Keeley said theres not a lot of good evidence to measure the level of conspiracy-type thinking in the public over time, but there is some.

What evidence we have suggests that we actually aren't at peak conspiracy theory now, he said. The little work that's been done, it suggests that actually it was the Red Scare during the 1950s when people were convinced that there were communists all over the place and what led to the McCarthy trials.

One difference, Keeley said, was that back then, conspiracy theories were mostly propagated by fringe groups like the John Birch Society. Today, you have presidential candidates voicing them and media coverage amplifying them.

Stronger critical thinking can help diminish the influence of such things, but they are likely here to stay, sometimes with reason, Keeley said.

Yes, there is a psychology about it, but I think the biggest cause is just that conspiracies do happen, he said. I mean, when Caesar was killed, Caesar was killed as a result of a conspiracy.

Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freepress.com or on X @jwisely

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump rally shooting prompts conspiracy theories online and off
CAIRO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional crises with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday in a phone conversation, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty highlighted that the current regional conditions proved the pivotal role of Egypt, stressing that the two countries' collaboration is important given Egypt's weight in the region and Germany's role in Europe and the international arena.

He reviewed the Egyptian endeavors in mediating the negotiation process to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, stressing the necessity to exert pressure on the Israeli government for the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions regarding ending the war and delivering humanitarian aid and the importance of continued German support for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

During the talks, Abdelatty also underscored the perilous humanitarian conditions in Sudan and their impact on doubling the numbers of refugees and displaced people.

For her part, the German minister stressed the importance of stability in the Middle East for her country.

Baerbock spoke highly of Egypt's role in alleviating the suffering of Gazans, underscoring Germany's keenness to support Egypt in this regard.

They agreed to continue coordination on regional situations and ways to resolve escalating regional conflicts. 
Construction is underway for the Beattys Ford Beach Project, which is at the end of Unity Church Road in Denver, officials announced Tuesday.

Beattys Ford Beach will give visitors access to swim in Lake Norman.

Here to help: Quick-thinking officer helps save 3-year-old girl at Lake Norman

There will also be a fishing pier and a building with concessions and bathrooms.

Drivers will be able to enter and exit the park on a looped drive and there will be additional paved parking.

Construction should be completed by the fall of 2024 and the swim beach will open to the public in May 2025.

The beach will be the third public access area for swimming on Lake Norman.

We are very excited for this project as it will add another amenity for Lincoln County families

and visitors. Lake Norman is the largest man-made lake in the state of North Carolina, and

creating a safe and enjoyable access for the public to enjoy adds to the caliber of our

community, said John Parks, the director of Parks and Recreation.




Lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla said on July 17 that she had submitted an application to leave President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People parliamentary faction.

The central figure of many controversies, Bezuhla has repeatedly made headlines with her harsh criticism of the former and current military leadership, including ex-Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and his successor, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Bezuhla made the announcement shortly after she was dismissed as the head of the subcommittee on civilian oversight over the military. She presented her dismissal as a "reaction to speaking the truth about the problems in the Armed Forces."

Opposition lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko said that her colleague Iryna Friz from the European Solidarity group initiated her dismissal, adding, "Thank you to all committee members who supported this decision."

Bezuhla's attacks against Zaluzhnyi in November led her party colleagues to call for expulsion. Bezuhla announced her resignation from the party in January but has remained a Servant of the People's parliamentary faction member.

The lawmaker claimed at the time that Zaluzhnyi did not prepare military plans for 2024 and called for his dismissal. The comments came amid widespread speculations about a rift between the commander-in-chief and the Presidential Office, which resulted in Zaluzhnyi's dismissal.

Bezuhla then went on to criticize Syrskyi and other high-ranking generals. The lawmaker said in May that she traveled to the front line in Kharkiv Oblast only days after Russia launched a new offensive in the sector, lambasting Ukrainian commanders after the trip.

The MP spoke especially harshly about Yurii Sodol, the Joint Forces commander and head of the Khortytsia group of forces facing Russian troops in Kharkiv Oblast. Sodol himself was later dismissed after criticism from other officers.

Earlier this month, Bezuhla criticized Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk for a supposed lack of preparations for receiving F-16 fighter jets from Western partners.

The lawmaker said that her decision to leave the parliamentary group should be announced later this week. Opposition MP Oleksii Honcharenko explained that Bezuhla would remain in the parliament as an independent.

Read also: MP Bezuhla backtracks on controversial bill criminalizing representing Ukraine internationally without authorization

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A 23-year-old Conway man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attacking and shooting a woman at the Chanticleer Village Apartments in July 2022.

Reginald Francis Neville was sentenced on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office said. He will be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence and will be on supervised probation for five years after his release from prison.

Neville and the woman both attended Coastal Carolina University and lived at the apartment complex, though in different buildings, the solicitors office said. She was returning home at about 11 p.m. on the night of the attack when Neville appeared behind her and forced his way into her apartment.

During the encounter, the solicitors office said Neville and the woman struggled after he pulled out a 9 mm pistol. He fired seven shots, hitting the woman in her left leg, arm, and upper chest, before fleeing.

The solicitors office said Neville had also tried to talk to the woman numerous times in the days prior to the attack. He was arrested on Aug. 8, 2022, in Auburn, Massachusetts and returned to Horry County to face charges.

The Horry County Police Department did excellent work in investigating and developing the suspect in this case, ultimately bringing him to justice, Assistant Solicitor Jim Stanko said. We hope the conviction and sentence against Neville can help the victim find some closure and return a sense of security.

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (PIX11)  A Brooklyn council member was arrested for allegedly biting a police officer during a protest at a construction site for a homeless shelter Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Councilwoman Susan Zhuang allegedly assaulted the cop when a group of about 150 protesters clashed with police officers at the site at 2501 86th St. in Bensonhurst, according to the NYPD. A photo obtained by PIX11 News shows the reddish bite mark on the NYPD chiefs left forearm.

An NYPD chief was allegedly bitten by an NYC Council member at a protest against a Brooklyn homeless shelter on July 17, 2024. (Handout)

Zhuang, who has been outspoken about her opposition to the homeless shelter, will be arraigned on charges of assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration, police said. The councilwomans office said she was defending another protester at the rally.

Council Member Zhuang was arrested while protecting an 80-year-old woman also protesting, her spokesperson told PIX11 News.

The group opposes plans for the city to build a homeless shelter for single men in their neighborhood. Construction started early Wednesday morning, and many neighborhood residents were awoken by jackhammers at around 5 a.m., according to Zhuangs spokesperson.

A video posted on Citizen App showed a large group of rowdy people holding signs in front of the building, which was barricaded off by police. One of the signs read, Fight against proposed homeless shelter at 25 Ave & 86 St.

Protesters grabbed and tossed the police barricades used for crowd control, another video posted by Oliya Scootercaster to X showed. Police officers detained several people.

Authorities said seven protesters were arrested at the scene, and six of them were released with a ticket.

More Local News

Zhuang believes the neighborhood is not the best spot for the homeless shelter.

Its next to a school; there are five schools nearby, across the street, theres a senior center here, also a day care center here. This is not the proper location, Zhuang previously told PIX11 News.

The shelter is slated to open in late 2024.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Couple arrested in northern Utah, boyfriend had 3 active warrants against him

DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A couple was arrested in Duchesne County on Friday, July 12, after detectives were informed a fugitive may have been in the Fruitland area to avoid authorities.

Pohiva Fatafehi and his girlfriend Meliame Angilau were arrested and originally booked into the Duchesne County Jail on multiple charges including theft, forgery, and drug charges, as well as Fatafehis warrants.

READ NEXT: Three men arrested after coordinated car theft operation at SLC airport

Fatafehi had three active statewide warrants out for his arrest when he was taken into custody including burglary and kidnapping charges from an incident in Springville, according to a press release from the Duchesne County Sheriffs Office.

After officials with the Duchesne County Sheriffs Office received information about Fatafehi possibly staying in Fruitland, detectives spoke with residents in the area and were able to locate the property he was reportedly staying on.

The Duchesne County Sheriffs Office did not immediately disclose how long Fatafehi and Angilau had been staying on the property in Fruitland.

Officials arrested the couple without incident and found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, forgery equipment, and identification documents belonging to other people in their possession.

Both Fatafehi and Angilau were taken to the Duchesne County jail, but Fatafehi was later transported to the Utah County Jail by the Springville Police Department for the burglary and kidnapping charges.

This case is [an] example of the Duchesne County Sheriffs Offices ongoing effort to protect the citizens of Duchesne County, and the Uintah Basin, the sheriffs office said in the press release.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Currently the most urgent matter and the most realistic goal over the Ukraine crisis are to cool down the tension as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone call with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

Szijjarto briefed Wang of his views on the current situation, especially on the Ukraine crisis as well as Hungary's recent related efforts, saying that China is an important force supporting the promotion of peace.

Hungary is willing to work with China to prevent the escalation of the conflict and accumulate conditions for a political settlement, Szijjarto said.

Wang said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a visit to China recently, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping had strategic communication with him on important issues concerning peace, demonstrating mutual trust and friendship between the two leaders and the high level of China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era.

Hungary has played a constructive role in mediating for peace, he said.

All parties must reach a consensus as soon as possible on the principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning by any party over the flames, so as to create conditions for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks, he said.

China is ready to join hands with Hungary to bring together more forces supporting peace, make more rational voices, and push the situation towards a political settlement, he said. 
Couple found dead in yard of Abilene home in suspected murder-suicide

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A couple was found dead in the yard of an Abilene home in a suspected murder-suicide.

Narsiso Alamilla, 47, and Baby Constancio, 49, were both found dead from apparent gunshot wounds in the front yard of a home on the 5200 block of S 7th Street around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Investigators say the two were in a dating relationship and that this incident is currently considered a murder-suicide. There is no perceived threat to the public.

Both Alamilla and Constancio have been sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy.

No further information is available at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Metro Council member Courtney Johnston outraised incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles nearly threefold during the last quarter in the Republican primary for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.

Johnston entered the final days of the heated primary with more than $500,000 in the bank  double Ogles' cash on hand  as total spending in the race nears $1 million, the financial disclosures show.

Meanwhile, outside political action committees have poured another $500,000 into the race  with PAC money supporting Johnston coming from inside Tennessee, while Ogles is boosted with out-of-state dollars.

Johnston is challenging freshman incumbent Ogles to represent Tennessee's 5th Congressional district, which was redrawn in 2022 to strongly favor Republicans. It now only includes a portion of Nashville.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, left, and Metro Nashville Council member Courtney Johnston, right, are running in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District.

Johnston raised $721,185 in the last quarter, according to federal disclosures filed this week. She spent $216,157 this quarter leaving her with just over $500,000 for the final weeks of the campaign.

Notable donors to her campaign include: former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam; former Nashville first lady Laura Cooper; former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker; former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist; Nashville developer Tony Giarratana; state Rep. Pat Marsh; former Nashville Vice Mayor Jim Shulman; former Metro Finance Director Kevin Crumbo; former Nashville mayoral candidate Matt Wiltshire; and Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Director Bill Young.

Johnston has also received $220,000 in support from an independent political action committee, Conservatives with Character PAC, which is funding ad buys for her. The PAC is funded by donors entirely from Tennessee, including a $140,000 contribution from the Best of Tennessee Action Fund, formed to tackle ideological extremism in the state.

Ogles' campaign raised significantly less than his challenger, bringing in just under $264,000 this quarter, including contributions from U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell. Many contributions to Ogles' campaign came from outside of Tennessee, including several contributions from Virginia, Arizona, and Florida residents. Ogles spent just over $100,000 of his own campaign funds. He has just under $255,000 going into the final quarter, according to his filing.

Ogles campaign has also received nearly $225,000 in backing from national super PACs funded with out-of-state dollars.

Americans for Prosperity Action, a national super PAC that is openly coordinating with Ogles' campaign on door-to-door outreach, has spent more than $177,000 in ad buys and mailers selling Ogles and his priorities of fiscal conservatism and limited government to voters. AFP Action is funded primarily by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch. Less than 1% of the PAC's funding came from Tennessee this cycle.

Ogles has also gotten independent support from other national super PACs, including:

Club for Growth PAC - $5,795

House Freedom Action - $34,927

Gun Rights America - $5,324

Democrat Maryam Abolfazli brought in $169,161 last quarter. She spent just under $95,000, leaving her with $74,000 going into the general election. She is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Tennessee's 6th Congressional District

Incumbent Republican Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, started the quarter with $1.3 million, and reported raising $176,643 this quarter. He spent $86,366, and has more than $1.2 million going into the general.

In the three-way primary to face Rose, Democratic challenger Cyril Focht of Cookeville is the only candidate to have filed a campaign finance report this quarter. Focht reports raising just under $6,000 this quarter, and has loaned $33,600 total to his campaign. He spent $7,300, and has about $3,000 remaining cash on hand to face Rose.

Tennessee's 7th Congressional District

Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is unopposed in the Democratic primary, and raised another $273,119 this quarter in her challenge of Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville. That brings her total contributions this cycle to more than $810,000. She spent just under $175,000, leaving her with a war chest of $460,539  a stone's throw from Green's total cash on hand  going into the general.

Megan Barry

Green is unopposed in the Republican primary, and entered the quarter with more than $380,000 on hand, according to filings. He raised $208,571, and spent $152,289, leaving him with $462,133 remaining to contend with Barry.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee 5th District: Johnston outraises Ogles in Republican primary
Crime Reports: Lots of graffiti reported in Abilene overnight

Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law.

Incidents

3200 block of S Clack Street  Graffiti

Police to a report in reference to graffiti/criminal mischief at an Abilene shopping center.

2400 block of Buffalo Gap Road  Burglary of Habitation

A victim reported her habitation was broken into and she was assaulted by a known suspect.

3100 block of S 13th Street  Assault Family Violence

A victim contacted police and reported he was assaulted by his girlfriend.

00 block of Cambridge Court  Assault Family Violence

A north Abilene resident reported her husband assaulted her.

800 block of S Clack Street  Theft of Motor Vehicle

A south Abilene business reported an unknown suspect dropped off a stolen vehicle.

1600 block of Hwy 351  Theft of Property

A chain saw, tire changing kit, and clipboard were reported stolen.

3800 block of Ridgemont Drive  Theft of Property

Clothing worth $19 was reported stolen.

1100 block of Washington Boulevard  Burglary of Habitation

A victim reported a suspect stole saws from a property.

5400 block of S 7th Street  Assault

A victim reported he was assaulted at a south Abilene bar.

1100 block of Musken Road  Criminal Trespass Habitation/Super Fund Site

A victim reported an unknown suspect entered their home without consent and left.

5200 block of S 7th Street  Murder

1000 block of Grand Avenue  Assault Family Violence

2100 block of N Treadaway Boulevard  Burglary of Building

A report was taken for burglary of building

2600 block of N Willis Street  Harassment

1100 block of N 2nd Street  Graffiti

5200 block of Hartford Street  Criminal Mischief

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION  Harassment

2300 block of State Street  Graffiti

1300 block of N 1st Street  Graffiti

2500 block of N Willis Street  Theft of Property

Several items and thousands of dollars in cash was reported stolen.

Arrests

Sam Hidalgo  Burglary of Habitation, Unlawful Restraint

Cory Ward  Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon

Shawn Caloway  Warrant

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Andy Sheridan, left, and his business partner Sam Morgan, who launched their hospitality business in 2019 - BBC 4 You & Yours

A chain of leading restaurants has been blackmailed by criminals who threatened to flood them with fake one-star reviews.

Chef Andy Sheridan and his business partner Sam Morgan, whose businesses range from Michelin-featured fine dining to gastropubs, were targeted by conmen who said they would post the reviews online unless they were paid 2,000.

Mr Morgan said he initially ignored the demands but decided to fight back when those behind the blackmail shared a one-star review.

The businessman, whose seven restaurants employ 109 staff across the north west, Midlands, and Wales, said he then decided to find out as much as he could from those behind the scam.

Thats why I got bank details from them. I got personal information from them, which is probably fake but I did everything I could, he told The Telegraph.

I had to engage with them for six days, sometimes messages at half past 11 at night, to be able to gather this information and as much information as possible.

I felt that by doing that, it would empower all those other small businesses that might be suffering with this to not pay, dont pay, there is support out there.

The popular lakeside Bracebridge in Birmingham was hit by bogus reviews - The Bracebridge

And as soon as you cut the head off the snake, it stops, theyll probably move on to something else.

Mr Sheridan and Mr Morgans flagship restaurant is 8 by Andy Sheridan in Liverpool, which features in the Michelin Guide, and was named Best Restaurant in the UK at the British Restaurant Awards last September. Mr Sheridan has appeared on the BBCs Great British Menu.

But one fake review of 8 posted on Tripadvisor read: Wine list is very poor and totally overpriced.

Our chef Jake was fantastic but the lack of drink choice and excessive price really lets this venue down. How can anyone warrant 90 for Prosecco?

Meanwhile, the pairs highly rated lakeside pub The Bracebridge, in Sutton Park, Birmingham, was also targeted by the conmen.

One Google review which is suspected to be fake criticised its lacklustre service and mediocre food quality.

One of the suspected bogus reviews posted on Google

Another suspected scam review added: The previous owner  took a lot of fake 5 star reviews on this business profile to show good rating, Dont trust their rating. This restaurant is just a scam. Be aware.

Because of the delay caused as Mr Morgan worked to obtain the scammers bank details and a copy of a passport, the conmen then raised their demand from 2,000 to 2,500.

Mr Morgan managed to persuade the scammers to send a copy of a passport, although he suspects the details may be fake

But Mr Morgan held firm, and after intervention from Google and others, the wave of fake one-star reviews slowed.

Its stress. When that review hit for the first time and theyre threatening to post thousands with verified accounts, it made me worry, it did concern me, Mr Morgan added.

I also know how fickle Joe Public is, they take it for verbatim and why not? And its just not something that I could allow to happen to our business.

He added that it was unacceptable that tech giants took so long to intervene.

Finally they [Google] acted. The press has to get involved for them to act and thats a pretty poor situation, he said.

And thats just not good enough in todays day and age, when youre a multi-billion pound organisation, making money out of small business. Its just not good enough, and not acceptable.

In 2021, Amazon and Google faced an investigation over concerns that fake five-star reviews on their websites were misleading shoppers.

Dont engage, says Tripadvisor

A Tripadvisor spokesman said: Tripadvisor is one of the only online review platforms with robust processes and policies in place to protect the businesses listed on our platform from blackmail and threatening behaviour. This kind of activity contravenes Tripadvisors guidelines and is illegal in many locations.

With regards to this incident, while Tripadvisors standard reporting processes were not initially engaged with by the business, our trust and safety team has been in contact with the owner and the review in question is no longer published to their listing page.

More broadly our message to business owners is simple. If you are threatened with blackmail  by a customer or anyone else  do not engage directly with that individual.

Report the incident to the police then contact Tripadvisor directly via the dedicated report blackmail threat feature on our platform. We will diligently investigate each and every report.

Google was contacted for comment.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Donald Trump was mere inches from being shot dead Saturday in whats been widely characterized as the Secret Services biggest failure in decades.

The near-murder of Trump was immediately damning for the Secret Servicewhose entire purpose is to protect prospective, current, and past presidents (and their families)but the blunder has become even more mind-boggling as more details have surfaced.

That included the Secret Service conceding Tuesday that local cops were inside the very building where Thomas Crooks, 20, perched himself on a rooftopless than 150 yards from Trump, a distance most proficient shooters consider an almost certain kill zone. Yet, those agents were unable to stop Cooks from climbing onto the roof, pulling out a rifle, and rattling off multiple shots toward the former presidentone going through his ear, and another fatally striking a former fire chief who was attending the rally with his wife and daughter.

Below, The Daily Beast has broken down the most egregious of the Secret Services failures known to date at Saturdays rally in Pennsylvania.

New Questions for Secret Service Boss Kimberly Cheatle over Donald Trump Shooter Fiasco

Pre-rally prep

Thomas Crooks was less than 150 yards from Donald Trump, with a clear line of sight, when he opened fire. The Daily Beast/Google Earth

Things were bad from the jump for those tasked with protecting the former president. His rally was just outside Butler, a town of 13,000, and was in a mostly-open field with only a handful of buildings inside and outside the events official perimeter.

Among those was the Agr International building, where Crooks infamously laid flat and opened fire at Trump. Despite advance teams arriving at the rally site as early as July 10 to prepare, the Agr building was designated to local law enforcement instead of the Secret Servicesupposedly because it fell outside the events official perimeter and which was a usual practice, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

That decision baffled security and military experts. The retired sniper Dallas Alexander, whose Canadian Special Operations team is responsible for the furthest confirmed kill in history, said in a video statement Sunday that Crooks was in the most fucking obvious place for a gunman, adding that even a seventh-grader wouldve known to have the rooftop on lockdown.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, whos been ordered to appear before Congress next week to attest for the security disaster, claimed Tuesday morning that the Secret Service didnt have their own snipers on the buildings roof because it was sloped, which made it a safety issue. That excuse doesnt add up, however, since Secret Service snipers were photographed on an equally slopedif not more slopedroof at the rally, behind Trumps stage.

Slipped through the cracks

There were few elevated places for a shooter to go outside Donald Trumps rally. Reuters/Brendan McDermid

Donald Trumps rally was slated to begin at 6 p.m. local time Saturday, and the former president officially started his speech about five minutes late.

Crooks had his first encounter with security at 3 p.m. Saturday during a security screening, CNN revealed. A rangefinder Crooks was carrying alerted personnel, who, according to CNN, kept an eye on him until he left the area.

Crooks next moves are uncertain, but it is believed he returned to his car to grab his rifle. He apparently used the buildings air conditioning system to climb on top of the building, a senior federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN.

Local law enforcement had their first encounter with Crooks 20 minutes before Trumps speech and deemed he was suspicious, Beaver County Emergency Services revealed Tuesday. How, then, did Cooks continue to walk just outside the rallys perimeter unchecked? That question remains unanswered, despite local officials admitting that officers at the scene deemed Crooks appeared so suspicious, that a local cop had taken a photo of him more than 15 minutes prior to the rallys scheduled start.

Failure to respond

Secret Service snipers killed Thomas Crooks within seconds of him opening fire. Reuters

Chilling videos from the rally showed that some attendees spotted Crooks crawling onto the roof well before he was in a position to open fire, calling into question authorities response time to literal screams that there was a gunman on the roof.

In one clip, obtained by The Washington Post, a man can be heard screaming Officer! Officer! as others point toward the Agr building and Crooks, a full 86 seconds before he fired his first shot. Others appeared to note that Crooks was on the roof more than two minutes before he opened fire at 6:11 p.m.approximately six minutes into Trumps rally spiel.

Look, theyre all pointing, someone could be heard saying in a separate clip, as at least one police officer walked around the side of the building. Someones on top of the roof.

There he is, right there, said another. Right there, see him? Hes laying down!

Those clips have been backed up by multiple witnesses, who claimed they desperately tried to get police to stop Crooks to no avail. That included Greg Smith, who told BBC News he and others tried to alert police for two or three minutes that an armed man had reached the roof.

The officers in the clip appeared to match the uniforms of the Butler Township Police Department, who was working in coordination with the Secret Service.

Michael Slupe, the Butler County Sheriff, told local news outlets that moments before Crooks opened fire, one of his deputies reached the ledge of the Agr buildings roof and spotted Crooks, but had to let go of the ledge and retreat when the 20-year-old pointed his rifle at him.

Just 12 seconds before the first shot was fired, an officer can be seen walking around the building Crooks was atop of. In other videos from those pivotal final seconds, people screamed that a man on the roof had a gun.

MilkBarTV compiled some of these cellphone videos and stitched together a timed montagea chilling four-and-a-half minute clip that shows the chaotic moments before a former U.S. president was nearly gunned down. The clip showed that seemingly everyone outside the rallys perimeter knew a shooter was about to open fire. Yet, the scores of snipers and Secret Service agents inside the perimeter did nothing to stop him.

They were looking at him while he was looking at them, one senior law enforcement official told CNN, describing how Crooks met eyes through the rangefinder with one of the four counter-sniper teams.

While Crooks wasnt stopped before pulling the trigger, the Secret Service said he was killed by a sniperwho fired a single shotwithin seconds after opening fire.

Secret Service Reportedly Didnt Sweep Building Where Gunman Fired at Trump

The aftermath

Harsh criticisms of the Secret Service and its director, Kimberly Cheatle, arrived within hours.

Joe Biden called for an independent investigation into what went wrong, which was echoed by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas who called the incident a security failure.

Security experts and lawmakers from both parties have agreed with Mayorkas assessment, saying theyre perplexed at how Crooks, a relative nobody, was able to come within an inch from murdering a former U.S. president.

Cheatle has been ordered to testify in front of Congress on Monday to answer about her agencys failings. As of Tuesday evening, the Secret Service is yet to concede outright that it was its own failures that led to Saturdays disaster. Instead, the agency has insinuated the fault lies with local police who failed to secure the outside perimeter.

Regardless of whos to blame, the attack exposed long-standing issues within the Secret Service. Jason Chaffetz, who was chair of the House Oversight Committee in 2015 when it penned an investigative report on Secret Service security failures, has long called for the Secret Service to hire more agents. On Sunday, he called the Trump rally a catastrophic failure.

We did all these investigations and did an extensive report so this would never happen again, he told the Post. Its as if they paid no attention to the bipartisan recommendations.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The bodies of three women and three men were discovered Tuesday in downtown Bangkok, Thailand's capital city, on the fifth floor of the five-star Grand Hyatt Erwan Hotel. Officials now say cyanide was found in the room on cups of tea after Thai police investigated the food and drinks from room service (pictured). Handout photo courtesy of Royal Thai Police/EPA-EFE

July 17 (UPI) -- The six bodies, including those of two U.S. citizens, found Tuesday in a Thailand hotel room died after drinking from cups laced with cyanide in an incident possibly tied to a financial dispute or bad investment, officials say.

Three women and three men, four Vietnamese citizens and two Vietnamese-Americans, were discovered Tuesday in downtown Bangkok, Thailand's capital city, in a possible murder by poisoning on the fifth floor of the five-star Grand Hyatt Erwan Hotel after failing to check-out by more than 24 hours.

The four Vietnamese nationals included a married couple: Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, and her husband, Hong Pham Thanh, 49. It also included Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37. The other two are American citizens Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55.

"Cyanide was found in the liquid inside the teapot, in all six coffee cups," Chief of the Police Forensic Office Trairong Phiewphan said Wednesday during a news conference.

Authorities first said they were looking for a seventh missing person part of the hotel booking as a possible suspect, only to dismiss that theory Wednesday when police identified the individual as a victims' younger sister who had left Thailand for Vietnam, indicating how police believe the person who poisoned the group very likely was among one of the dead.

Four of the bodies were located in the hotel room's living room and two in a bedroom. The room was found locked from the inside after the bodies were discovered, along with their packed bags in a discovery made by a hotel maid after the victims failed to check out Monday as scheduled.

Investigators say the bodies could have been dead for at least 12 to 24 hours as a preliminary examination of the scene by officials pointed to a poisoning. Cups of coffee and tea with traces of white powder, now identified as cyanide, were found in the room and untouched food previously brought by room service.

The incident took place in busy downtown Bangkok next to the Erawan shrine -- a place of significance for the Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities -- and site of a targeted 2015 bombing which killed at least 20 people.

All of the victims arrived on July 13 and the next day, and were staying in five different rooms, officials said Tuesday, and it was believed at the time some were family relations as they shared the same last name.

Police are leaning toward murder, not suicide, but the motive is still not fully clear as relatives point to a bad financial investment as a possible reason for the grisly scene. Police say the party on Monday all had moved into the same suite, having room service delivered around 2 p.m. local time but no person left or entered the suite after 2:17 p.m. local time.

The six victims' lips and nails turned dark purple which indicated lack of oxygen while their internal organs turned "blood red," another sign of cyanide poisoning, a Chulalongkorn University professor told BBC.

Thai police said their investigation found that Chong had allegedly ordered the food and drinks from room service and "looked under stress" when hotel staff arrived to deliver the items. She was the only person seen in the room when room service got there.

"But from what we have detected -- from observation, from internal organ check, from finding cyanide in the blood during the screening test," Dr. Chanchai Sittipunt, Chulalongkorn's dean of the Faculty of Medicine, told reporters.

"There is no other cause that would be the factor that would cause their deaths, except for cyanide," he said.

Relatives told police Thi Nguyen Phuong and Hong Pham Thanh owned a road construction business and allegedly gave money to Chong to invest in a Japanese hospital building project.

Chong allegedly hired Tran as her personal make-up artist for the trip while Tran's father told reporters his son was hired last week by a Vietnamese woman to travel to Thailand. Thai police suspect that Tran, a make-up artist based in Da Nang in Vietnam, had also been "duped" into investing.

The State Department said Tuesday it was "aware of reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Bangkok" as the investigation keeps on.

"Whenever a U.S. citizen dies in a foreign country, local authorities are responsible for determining the cause of death," said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. "We do reach out to local authorities often to communicate with them when it involves the death of a US citizen and we will certainly be doing so here."
Six people were reportedly found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on Tuesday, July 16

Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Police officers outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 16, 2024

Traces of cyanide have reportedly been disovered in the blood and cups of two Americans and four Vietnamese nationals found dead in Bangkok, according to reports.

According to AP News, six people were found dead on Tuesday, July 16, at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.

The outlet added that the victims, who were reportedly identified by Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang, consisted of three men and three women. An anonymous officer from the Lumpini police station also told the outlet they were found foaming at the mouth.

ABC News reported that an initial autopsy revealed traces of cyanide found in the victims blood, prompting Thai authorities to believe that a bad investment caused one of them to poison the others.

Per the outlet, the Thai police forces forensic vision, Lt. Gen. Trairong Piwpan also confirmed that the victims cups and thermoses had been found to contain traces of cyanide.

Bangkok Police did not immediately reply when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.

CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP via Getty Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Related: Suspicious Husband Installed Hidden Cameras in Home, Allegedly Caught Wife Trying to Poison Him: Police

Per ABC News, Chulalongkorn Universitys medical schools forensic medical head, Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, revealed at a news conference that a CAT scan also confirmed there were no signs of blunt force trauma on the victim's bodies.



According to the outlet and The Washington Post, police said the victims were from the ages of 37 to 56.

The outlets added that a husband and wife among the dead had invested around 10 million baht ($278,000) with two of the other people.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel

Related: Poison Expert Accused of Fatally Poisoning Wife  as Police Reveal Alleged Web Searches

The money was reportedly meant to help build a hospital in Japan. Per the publications, Bangkok Deputy Police Chief Noppasin Punsawat said an issue regarding the investment could have resulted in the suspected poisoning.

According to ABC News, police said that while four bodies were found in the living room, two were found in the bedroom. Two of them also appeared to have tried to reach for a door but were unable to open it before collapsing.

The deceased were last seen alive on Monday when food was delivered to their room. They were then found dead by a maid on Tuesday after they failed to check out.

In pictures released by the police, per The Washington Post, bodies were seen lying on the ground, with food  that appeared to be untouched  placed on a nearby table.

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Dallas police sergeant arrested on new charge related to theft of guns from department

A suspended Dallas police sergeant was arrested over the weekend on a new charge related to stealing weapons from the department, officials with the Dallas Police Department said in a statement.

Sgt. Thomas Fry was accused in April of having stolen three guns from the department in the division where he was assigned.

According to Dallas police, Fry was charged with three counts of theft of a firearm, a state jail felony, and turned himself in to Mesquite police at that time.

The suspended sergeants weekend arrest was on an additional charge of felony theft related to that investigation by the departments public integrity unit, officials said.

According to county records, Fry was arrested in Royse City and booked into the Rockwall County Jail before being transferred to Dallas County, where he is being held on a $200,015 bond.

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Fry is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Dallas police officials said.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is now tasking a group of state senators with looking at readiness for hurricanes and tropical storms following the prolonged power outages and damage connected to Hurricane Beryl.

The Republican leader announced the creation Wednesday of the Senate Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery, and Electricity. The group comprises 13 lawmakers, including eight Republicans and five Democrats.

Public Utility Commission of Texas to launch investigation into CenterPoint Energy over Beryl response

I am appointing this committee to review what happened and establish why certain electric utility companies appear to have been woefully unprepared for Hurricane Beryl, Patrick wrote in a statement Wednesday afternoon. The Texas Senate will work to ensure electric utility companies respond more effectively to future storms.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, will serve as the special committees chairman, while Republican Sen. Phil King of Weatherford will act as the vice chair. The other appointments include Democrat Carol Alvarado of Houston, Republican Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Republican Brandon Creighton of Conroe, Democrat Juan Chuy Hinojosa of McAllen, Republican Joan Huffman of Houston, Republican Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, Democrat Morgan LaMantia of Palm Valley, Republican Mayes Middleton of Galveston, Democrat Borris Miles of Houston, Republican Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and Democrat Judith Zaffirini of Laredo.

Schwertner shared his reaction Wednesday to leading this committee. He wrote in a statement, As Chairman of the Special Committee, I will focus on why electric utility companies failed to provide timely power restoration to millions of Texans and the decisive actions these companies will take to ensure this type of catastrophic failure never happens again.

Patrick served as acting governor when Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas last week, while Gov. Greg Abbott spent time overseas on an economic development trip to three countries in Asia. Since his return to Texas, Abbott laid out demands for CenterPoint Energy, Houstons largest utility provider, over the lengthy power outages experienced by hundreds of thousands of customers.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates utility providers in the state, announced earlier this week that it would also launch an investigation into CenterPoint as well as put forward proposed long-term fixes to avoid similar situations from unfolding because of strong storms.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
NEW DELHI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At least three militants were killed Wednesday in a gunfight with police in the northeastern state of Assam, officials said.

Three policemen were also reported wounded in the stand-off, and they have been hospitalized.

The gunfight, according to police, broke out in Bhuban Hills of Cachar district, about 330 km southeast of Dispur, the capital city of Assam.

"In an early morning operation, police killed three Hmar militants from Assam and neighboring Manipur. Police also recovered two AK rifles, one other rifle, and one pistol," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a statement posted on social media.

Police said the gunfight was triggered after its personnel cordoned off the area on specific intelligence suggesting the presence of militants. 
Dave McCormick says election is choice between Americas greatness or its sad disgraceful decline in RNC speech

Dave McCormick says election is choice between Americas greatness or its sad disgraceful decline in RNC speech

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WHTM)  Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick spoke before the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, calling the 2024 election a choice between Americas greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline.

McCormicks five-minute speech began with the former hedge fund CEO asking the crowd in Milwaukee, Whos ready to retire Joe Biden and Border Czar Kamala Harris and send her back to California? And whos ready to make Donald Trump our 47th President!

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The speech then took a solemn turn as McCormick recounted the events of Saturdays attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, where McCormick had been on the rally stage prior to a gunman opening fire.

McCormick said the former President showed remarkable strength and resolve in a terrifying, terrifying and unpredictable moment when he stood up and pumped his fist after being shot in the ear.

We all thank God that President Trump is ok, said McCormick.

McCormick then moved to take swipes at his opponent, Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Casey.

My opponents name is Bob Casey, but you probably dont know him cause he does nothing, claimed McCormick. For 18 years, Bob Casey has been warming a chair and drawing a paycheck. He is a do-nothing, out-of-touch, liberal, career politician.

Caseys been around so long that the number one song when he was first elected was The Macarena, McCormick claimed. According to the Billboard Hot 100, The Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) was number one on the charts in 1996 when Casey was first elected Auditor General. The number one song on Election Day 2006 when Casey was elected to the Senate was My Love by Justin Timberlake, Featuring T.I.

US Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Dave McCormick speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekends failed assassination attempt. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

US Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Dave McCormick speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekends failed assassination attempt. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

UNITED STATES  JULY 16: Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  JULY 16: Dave McCormick, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, and his wife Dina Powell McCormick, are seen on stage during a sound check in the Fiserv Forum on the second day of Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Dave McCormick, US Republican Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, speaks during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Former President Donald Trump tapped JD Vance as his running mate, elevating to the Republican presidential ticket a venture capitalist-turned-senator whose embrace of populist politics garnered national attention and made him a rising star in the party. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Dave McCormick, waving as he takes the stage before speaking during the second day of the Republican National Convention, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Republican Pennsylvania candidate Dave McCormick speaks during the Republican National Convention Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Republican Pennsylvania candidate Dave McCormick speaks during the Republican National Convention Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Dave McCormick speaking during the second day of the Republican National Convention, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN  JULY 16: Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and his wife, Dina Powell McCormick, former adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, are seen on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his partys presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Ultimately, the speech was more of a national introduction for McCormick after losing the 2022 primary to Mehmet Oz. He highlighted being a 7th generation Pennsylvanian, his West Point and military careers, a wrestling background, success as a business leader, and a father to six daughters.

On policy, McCormick highlighted crime, the border, and regulations on natural gas production in Pennsylvania.

My friends, the choice this November is clear, said McCormick. Its a choice between strength and weakness. A choice between Americas greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline. This is, my friends, the most important election of our lifetime.

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Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson TaNisha Cameron issued the following statement in response to McCormicks RNC speech.

David McCormick tried to hide behind false attacks because he knows he cant defend his record of investing millions in Chinese military companies, supporting an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, and funding Chinas largest fentanyl producer. This November, Pennsylvanians will re-elect Senator Casey, a leader Pennsylvanians can trust to create jobs, fight fentanyl, and deliver for working families.

Casey has led McCormick in polling throughout the race, including a June Emerson College Polling/The Hill poll, showing Casey with a 47% to 41% lead over McCormick, with 12% undecided.

According to recent Federal Election Commission filings, both Casey and McCormick have more than $8 million cash on hand, though Casey has raised nearly twice as much as McCormick, $31.8 million to McCormicks $18 million during the campaign.

Pennsylvania gets eight new laws: Doorless driving, bridge honors, and more

Election Day is November 5, 2024.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
On This Day, July 17: Drug kingpin 'El Chapo' sentenced to life in U.S.

On July 17, 2019, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life in U.S. prison for conspiracy to commit murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. File Photo by Jose Mendez/EPA

July 17 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1918, Russian Czar Nicholas II and his family were killed by Bolsheviks who had held them captive for two months. Though the whereabouts of their bodies was unknown for years, later DNA tests confirmed their identities and they were buried together in a St. Petersburg cathedral in 1998.

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began with an army revolt led by Gen. Francisco Franco.

In 1955, Arco, Idaho, a town of 1,300 people, became the first community in the world to receive all its light and power from atomic energy.

In 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif.

Family members and friends of the deceased passengers of TWA Flight 800 grieve at memorial ceremonies held July 18, 1997, at Mt. Moriches Memorial Park by the local community to remember the 230 passengers that died on July 17, 1996. File Photo by Monika Graff/UPI

File Photo courtesy USC Regional Historical Photo Collection

In 1975, three U.S. and two Soviet spacemen linked their orbiting Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft for historic handshakes 140 miles above Earth.

People visit a national monument for the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 plane crash in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands, on July 17, 2017. The crashed July 17, 2014, killing 298. File Photo by Frank van Beek/EPA

In 1981, 114 people were killed and 200 injured in the collapse of two suspended walkways at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

In 1996, TWA Flight 800, New York to Paris, crashed off the Long Island coast, killing all 230 people aboard the Boeing 747.

On July 17, 1918, Russian Czar Nicholas II (seated, 2nd-R) and his family were killed by Bolsheviks who had held them captive for two months. Seated, from left are Marie, Queen Alexandra, the czar and Anastasia, behind Alexei in front. In back are Olga (L) and Tatiana. File Photo courtesy the Library of Congress

The recovered wreckage of TWA Flight 800 stands reassembled at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Academy where it is used for training new investigators in Ashburn, Va., on July 16, 2008. File Photo by Patrick D. McDermott/UPI

In 2006, an earthquake under the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Java, killing about 700 people.

Brazilian police officers who attended the crash of flight of JJ3054 at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo were honored by being chosen to carry their countries flag into Maracana stadium for the closing ceremonies of the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 29, 2007. The plane crashed July 17, 2007, killing 200 people. File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI

In 2007, a Brazilian Airbus airliner skidded off a runway as it landed at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport and crashed into a building. Authorities placed the death toll at 200.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 carrying 298 people was shot down over rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border. All aboard the Boeing 777 were killed, including dozens of children.

Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif, on July 17, 1955. File Photo courtesy USC Regional Historical Photo Collection

In 2018, Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage broke the WNBA's single-game record for points scored -- 53 -- in a 104-87 win against the New York Liberty in Arlington, Texas.

In 2019, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life in U.S. prison for conspiracy to commit murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. The drug kingpin had twice escaped from Mexican prisons.

In 2023, Russia announced it terminated an agreement allowing Ukraine to ship out grain from its ports in the Black Sea, threatening to drive up world food prices.

File Photo by Igor Tkachenko/EPA-EFE
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN)  The Dothan City Schools Superintendent sent a letter to the Dothan community Tuesday night, defending his school and staff against what he calls constant cyber harassment and vitriol against his employees.

In his letter, Dr. Dennis Coe said the recent vitriol, meaning cruel and bitter criticism, has resulted in employees and people associated with our organization being vilified and denigrated through whatever method available.

It has energized those who thrive on the negativity and chaos to a level where they are now stalking employees of this district, both online and in person. This type of behavior must stop, Dr. Coe wrote. To this point, I have avoided addressing the constant spew of hatred, false allegations, and constant cyber harassment we are facing online, but I must now step forward and call for an end to this foolishness.

Dr. Coe went on to say that animosity and cruelty have come to be a part of everyday American life, pointing to the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend during a Pennsylvania rally as an example.

The superintendent defended his extensive staff and team against the harassment, saying because of them, test scores have increased, facilities are in good shape, and students are being taken care of in every way possible.

I am extremely proud of our team and the work that has been accomplished over the past few years. I have been fortunate to have surrounded myself with great people, and their work has been exemplary. It is in no small part because of them that the district is in better financial shape than it has ever been, said Dr. Coe.

Could we do better? Absolutely! Do we make mistakes? We all do! However, our staff arent thieves, they arent criminals, and they dont neglect their duties. They are all committed to making this school system something this city can be proud of. They shouldnt fear for their safety, or have a constant fear of legal actions against them. 

Dr. Coe ended his letter by calling out those who have engaged in the alleged cyber attacks against Dothan City Schools, saying that if they want to voice their opinions, they should do so in a civilized and professional manner.

Meet with school officials and try to collaborate with school officials in finding a solution. Most importantly, engage in civil debate!

Read the letter from Dr. Dennis Coe below:

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
Images from the 2024 Hillcrest High School graduation at Great Southern Bank Arena on May 18, 2024.

In six months, a new Missouri governor will outline his or her spending priorities for fiscal year 2026, including how much state funding will flow to K-12 and college campuses.

The unveiling of the proposed budget as part of the State of the State address is just one way the governor can steer public education in the state.

There are other ways they wield influence, such as drawing attention to education issues at the state or federal level and coming up with a plan for how Missouri will respond. They can push for changes, signal support for legislative proposals, and request funding for capital projects or specific state programs.

The News-Leader reached out to the candidates in the contested Republican and Democratic gubernatorial primary races to ask for their top education priorities ahead of the Aug. 6 election.

More than half responded including all frontrunners, based on recent polling, and those are extensively fundraising and campaigning.

Among the candidates, there was widespread bipartisan support for classrooms teachers and for raising their pay to be competitive with neighboring states.

Candidate comments focused on K-12, not higher education, and there were stark contrasts when it came to school choice, additional oversight for library books and classroom curriculum, and the future of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE.

All the candidates who agreed to an interview were asked to outline their approach or platform for education and what changes they plan to seek. The length of answers and level of detail varied.

Here's a look at education priorities for candidates who responded, in alphabetical order.

Jay Ashcroft, Republican

Jay Ashcroft

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said his No. 1 priority is "putting parents in charge of their children's education" and how that money is spent.

"We will have parents working directly with teachers that actually educate our children," he said.

Ashcroft described DESE as "bloated" and there were not enough students proficient in reading and math. "We're going to fix that. We're going to put mom and dad in charge and we're going to reach the potential of Missouri children."

He wants the state funding that typically goes to a school to educate a student to "follow that child." He proposed it going into an educational savings account, where it can be used to pay tuition if the public school a student is zoned to attend is not the best option.

"That money can be used for that private school tuition. It can be used for homeschooling materials. It can be used maybe for hiring a tutor," he said. "I want parents to truly control that."

Last year, a statewide rule that Ashcroft crafted went into effect. It required children and teenagers, up through age 17, to get parental permission for a library card. Libraries had to publicly post and submit written policies to the state. The rule also prohibited libraries from obtaining any materials considered "pornographic" or obscene under state law.

Ashcroft said the rule went as far as it could under state law but he has been working with lawmakers on a second part.

"One of the things that we've looked at is that if a...public employee violates a parent's rights with regard to that, we'd like the parents to be able to sue them, not for a lot of money but may be $400-$500, and to make the organization responsible for paying the fees and the cost of the lawsuit if a parent wins," he said. "That way, we think there is accountability."

Bill Eigel, Republican

Bill Eigel

First elected in 2016, state Sen. Bill Eigel has supported more school choice and introduced legislation aimed at "defunding" DESE and giving the governor the authority to redistribute its powers, duties, personnel and property.

"I've always been a supporter of school choice, empowering parents, expanding charter schools and allowing parents to have more choice and control over their kids' education," Eigel said.

He has repeatedly alleged the state is requiring districts to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion and teach lessons in line with the controversial Critical Race Theory.

"We have a huge bureaucracy that is taking money from the federal government and shoving these mandates and money down on our local public schools in order to get them to teach these things that nobody thinks is a good idea," Eigel said. "I am going to be very aggressive about dismantling that bureaucracy."

Eigel said the state needs to attract quality workers in all areas, including school districts, by reducing the tax level. He said teachers need to be compensated well and rewarded for their work.

Mike Hamra, Democrat

Mike Hamra

Mike Hamra, president and CEO of Hamra Enterprises, recently outlined his proposals for improving education if elected as part of a larger 42-page plan. It called for providing free breakfast and lunch for all public school students.

He noted school meals were free for families during the pandemic and certain states figured out a way to continue that option. "We know that when kids have meals instead of going hungry, when they're fed they actually thrive in school. They do better."

Hamra wants to make GED, or the high school equivalency, test free to all students and to waive college entrance exam fees for low-income students. He also wants to address student loan debt.

His plan calls for creating partnerships between public schools and businesses and working to attract, retain and develop the best teachers.

Hamra said when it comes to teacher pay, Missouri is not yet competitive when compared to adjacent states.

"We've got to do a better job supporting in supporting teachers throughout the state of Missouri," he said.

Sheryl Gladney, Democrat

Sheryl Gladney

Sheryl Gladney initially responded to a request for an interview but not to specific questions. However, a campaign platform posted on her Facebook page listed improving early childhood education as a priority.

Gladney wrote she supports investing in high quality preschool programs as a way to "level the playing field for children from all backgrounds." She also advocated for making sure early childhood education teachers have the training and resources needed to do the work.

Beyond that, Gladney was in favor of partnering with community resources and leveraging technology to enrich learning experiences for young children.

Jeremy Gundel, Republican

Jeremy Gundel

Jeremy Gundel said he supports "all forms of education" in Missouri including public schools, private and charter schools, and home schooling.

"I don't support the idea of a one sized fits all education system, because all children learn differently," he said, in a written response.

"I was a bit concerned with the price tag with the school choice law recently passed. I am still a supporter of parents picking what is best for their children's learning though. I would support higher pay for teachers if extra revenue could be found for it in the budget. I think we hold teachers in Missouri accountable for teaching probably well enough to not need a change."

Mike Kehoe, Republican

Mike Kehoe

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe said he was a "big fan" of the omnibus education bill that was passed in 2024 that increased the minimum teacher pay to $40,000. Among other things, the legislation expands access for Missouri's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, a voucher tax credit program; permits charter schools to open in Boone County; and provides incentives for districts in larger cities that operate on a five-day school week.

"My legacy, I hope, for education is that adults stop fighting about what they think is the right thing and we start figuring out what is best for kids," Kehoe said, in an interview.

Kehoe was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2010 and later served as Majority Floor Leader, where he was involved in balanced budgets that improved funding for public schools.

Kehoe said he supports an approach called "Beyond 12" to make sure students have the right tools and training to explore and prepare for careers during K-12 and after graduation. He said it's a concept that has been championed by former Missouri Board of Education member Peter Herschend.

"We've got plenty of great institutions here. We need to make sure from a very young age we're working with these kids to find out where their heart is and then working with the private sector employers to find out what the need is ... so that we match those two things up," Kehoe said.

"If we do that really, really well then kids will end up in a career that they actually like and enjoy and employers will start finding more resources to fill the needs they have in their business."

In addition to competitive salaries, Kehoe said teachers need a quality working environment, benefits and the right tools to educate students. He said teachers need to know they are supported and appreciated.

Eric Morrison, Democrat

Eric Morrison

Eric Morrison, pastor of Kingdom Word Ministries, is making another bid for governor.

He has advocated for expanding early childhood education, early intervention for students who are struggling and vocational training.

Before the pandemic, Morrison and his wife started a tutoring program and have provided back-to-school supplies. He supports more funding and "equitable opportunities" for students, especially in rural and urban districts.

"We need to be attracting teachers and developing strategies to retain quality teachers and get them into the rural areas and the urban areas

Darrell McClanahan III, Republican

Darrell Leon McClanahan III

Reached by phone, Darrell McClanahan III said he was in favor of homeschooling and school choice but refused to do an interview or provide details.

According to a campaign website, he supports skilled trades and American Constitutional Civics and opposes the "woke agenda" and "evil indoctrination in our public education system."

The Missouri Republican Party has been attempting to remove McClanahan from the ballot after he admitted being an "honorary" member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Crystal Quade, Democrat

Crystal Quade

Elected to the state House in 2016, Crystal Quade served as the Minority Floor Leader. She previously worked as a former chapter services director at Care to Learn, a Springfield-based nonprofit that meets the health, hunger and hygiene needs of students.

Quade said change starts with a conversation about funding to make sure each student "regardless of where they are from, is able to have a great education."

"We have some of the lowest paid teachers and staff in the country. We are vastly underfunding our education systems as well as transportation within that space," she said.

"We've also see that there is a huge attack on public education from Republicans in Jefferson City."

She pointed to legislation allowing public tax dollars to go to private and faith-based schools. "I am a firm supporter of public money going to our public schools."

Chris Wright, Republican

Chris Wright

Chris Wright, a business owner and former police officer who has spent 24 years in the military, wants to overhaul DESE.

"If you're a fourth grade math teacher, there are two things you care about, fourth grade math curriculum and the safety of our students. All this other stuff that is coming through the Department of Education, the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), the unnecessary stuff that we don't we need to be pushing down our kids' throat," he said, noting proficiency scores in reading and math are too low.

"We've got to get back to doing to basics in our school, keep all this other garbage out. If you're not trained and qualified in it, you don't need to be talking about it."

Wright said he'd downsize the DESE budget but keep it as long as it is smaller and "listening to the local people" about what they want for their schools.

Who is running?

There are 15 people running for Missouri governor in the Aug. 6 primary.

Democratic primary candidates include Sheryl Gladney, St. Charles; Mike Hamra, Springfield; Hollis Laster, Normandy; Eric Morrison, Lee's Summit; and Crystal Quade, Springfield.

Republican primary candidates include Jay Ashcroft, Bolivar; Bill Eigel, Weldon Spring; Darren Grant, Maryland Heights; Jeremy Gundel, Washburn; Mike Kehoe, St. Louis; Darrell Leon McClanahan III, Milo; Robert James Olson, Springfield; Amber Thomsen, Hollister; and Chris Wright, Joplin.

The sole Libertarian primary candidate is Bill Slantz, St. Charles.

Want to know more?

A look at the campaign websites or other online resource, if available, for the candidates running for Missouri governor.

Jay Ashcroft, Republican: ashcroftformissouri.com

Bill Eigel, Republican: billeigel.com

Sheryl Gladney, Democrat: facebook.com/sheryl.gladney.5

Darren Grant, Republican: None found.

Jeremy Gundel, Republican: @JerGov2024 on X

Mike Hamra, Democrat: hamraformo.com

Mike Kehoe, Republican: mikekehoe.com

Hollis Laster, Democrat: hollislaster4mo24.net

Darrell Leon McClanahan III, Republican: darrell4gov.com

Eric Morrison, Democrat: ericdmorrison.com

Robert James Olson, Republican: @OlsonDared on X

Bill Slantz, Libertarian: billslantz.com

Amber Thomsen, Republican: facebook.com/ticket4freedom

Crystal Quade, Democrat: crystalquade.com

Chris Wright, Republican: chriswright4mogovernor.com

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Candidates for Missouri governor outline approach to education issues
DEI efforts may be under attack, but companies aren't retreating from commitments

The anti-woke backlash has unnerved business leaders, but companies are not backtracking on their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, a new survey shows.

The vast majority  96%  of corporate social impact professionals in 125 major companies say DEI commitments have either stayed the same (83%) or increased (13%), according to a new survey that the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and YourCause from Blackbaud shared exclusively with USA TODAY.

While the corporate commitment to DEI has not wavered, companies have gotten quieter about their efforts and oversight of DEI programs has increased.

Nearly a third of the executives said they describe DEI work differently now, and 17% said they talk less about the work to people outside their organizations. Another 33% say they have seen additional scrutiny or legal review of DEI-related initiatives.

Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals president and CEO Carolyn Berkowitz said the survey sends a clear signal that the political environment has not weakened support for DEI.

What is the backlash against DEI?

Diversity policies and programs rushed into existence amid the nations racial reckoning in 2020 and 2021 are increasingly under the microscope.

Last years Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions only intensified that scrutiny, setting off a wave of legal challenges from former Trump administration official Stephen Miller and anti-affirmative-action activist Edward Blum. Billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Ackman have also assailed DEI efforts as racist.

Pressure campaigns have gotten results. John Deere, a Fortune 500 company, recently came under fire for diversity hiring targets and sponsoring LGBTQ+ events.

On Tuesday, the company said it would audit its policies and would no longer participate in external social or cultural awareness events. Our customers trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere, it wrote on social media platform X.

Last month, Tennessee retailer Tractor Supply, another Fortune 500 company that sells farm supplies, animal feed, tools, fencing and clothing, slashed its DEI and climate goals after a weeks-long pressure campaign.

US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024.

Trump and Vance on dismantling DEI

If he wins the White House, former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump has promised to reverse the Biden administrations woke equity programs. "Every institution in America is under attack from this Marxist concept of 'equity,' " Trump said last year.

While in office, Trump issued an executive order prohibiting DEI training by the federal government and government contractors.

The order had an immediate chilling effect on DEI efforts in the workplace. President Joe Biden rescinded the order after taking office in January 2021.

Since then, conservatives have waged anti-DEI campaigns in statehouses and courthouses across the country.

GOP-led state legislatures have introduced dozens of bills to restrict DEI in education, state government, contracting and pension investments.

J.D. Vance, a GOP senator from Ohio and Trumps pick as his running mate, last month introduced a bill  the Dismantle DEI Act  that would end all federal DEI programs and funding for government agencies and contractors that have DEI programs.

Are companies getting rid of DEI?

Publicly, most business leaders say they remain dedicated to DEI. But privately, they are scrutinizing DEI investments and backing away from initiatives like hiring targets that conservatives claim are illegal quotas.

Fellowships and internships that once were open only to historically underrepresented groups are now increasingly open to everyone. A growing number of companies have dropped mentions of diversity goals in shareholder reports. Some even list diversity, equity and inclusion as a risk factor in regulatory filings.

Last week, the Society for Human Resource Management said it was dropping the word "equity" and would use the acronym I&D. CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. told USA TODAY in May that his organization planned to lead with inclusion going forward.

Two men fought for jobs in a mill. 50 years later, the nation is still divided.

The evolving thinking and language around DEI in the workplace has sparked fears that the small workforce and leadership gains made in recent years will stall. Historic advantages have helped white people  men especially  dominate the business world, creating wide gaps in status, pay and wealth.

A USA TODAY investigation of the nations largest companies found that the top ranks are predominantly white and male, while women and people of color are concentrated at the lowest levels with less pay, fewer perks and little opportunity for advancement.

More organizations committed to DEI than in 2020

Despite criticism of DEI initiatives, there is growing evidence that corporations continue to embrace them.

Nearly three-quarters of executives surveyed by Bridge Partners Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Barometer expect to build their DEI programs in the next 24 months while only 4% say they will cut back or eliminate them.

The executives cited the benefits of DEI on recruiting, hiring and retention (94%) and the reputational boost with the public (74%).

By and large, they said the political climate has not had much impact on their DEI commitments, with 53% of executives saying it has had no impact and 47% saying it had a small impact, Bridge Partners found.

A survey from employment law firm Littler Mendelson had similar findings: 91% of executives said they are still prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion and 57% said they had expanded their efforts.

More organizations are committed to diversity now than they were before George Floyd died under a white officers knee, Joelle Emerson, co-founder and CEO of diversity strategy and consulting firm Paradigm, told USA TODAY in May.

While the anti-diversity rhetoric has had an overall chilling effect and certainly gave companies who never really valued diversity, equity, and inclusion cover to pull back on their efforts, were actually seeing most companies are continuing their work, just less vocally, Emerson said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DEI is under attack but workplace commitments are not wavering
Delay of Texas death row inmate's execution has not been the norm for Supreme Court, experts say

This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez. Gutierrez is set to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)

HOUSTON (AP)  Texas inmate Ruben Gutierrez had spent some of the hours leading up to his scheduled execution Tuesday evening talking with his wife and attorney before being eventually transferred to a holding cell at the state prison in Huntsville to await his lethal injection.

But about 20 minutes before he was to be taken into the nearby death chamber, the prison warden told Gutierrez the U.S. Supreme Court had granted him an execution stay.

Gutierrez prayed with a prison chaplain and said, God is great! I wasnt expecting this.

Gutierrezs wife and lawyer were overjoyed over the high courts decision while family members of the 85-year-old South Texas woman he was convicted of fatally stabbing decades ago said they were devasted by the delay. Gutierrez had received a similar last-minute stay in 2020.

The granting of 11th-hour reprieves for death row inmates has been rare from the Supreme Court, with a majority of justices expressing skepticism and even hostility to such requests, according to experts.

Here are some things to know about Gutierrezs case and the Supreme Courts history with last-minute requests to stay executions:

Who is Ruben Gutierrez

Gutierrez was sent to death row after being convicted of capital murder for the 1998 killing of Escolastica Harrison at her home in Brownsville in Texas southern tip.

Prosecutors said the killing of the mobile home park manager and retired teacher was part of an attempt to steal more than $600,000 she had hidden in her home because of her mistrust of banks.

Gutierrez has sought DNA testing for more than a decade that he claims would help prove he had no role in her death. His attorneys have said theres no physical or forensic evidence connecting him to the killing. Two others also were charged in the case.

Prosecutors have said the request for DNA testing is a delay tactic and Gutierrez was convicted on various pieces of evidence, including a confession in which he admitted to planning the robbery.

Gutierrez was convicted under Texas law of parties, which says a person can be held liable for the actions of others if they assist or encourage the commission of a crime.

The fact that the court stepped in and stopped this execution will give us the opportunity to try to convince other actors in the state to allow us to do the testing that weve been asking for forever, said Shawn Nolan, one of Gutierrezs attorneys. Nolan said such execution delays by the Supreme Court are rare.

How often does the Supreme Court grant requests to stay executions

Robin M. Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said Wednesday that out of 26 requests to stay executions that were submitted last year to the Supreme Court, only one was granted.

A 2023 analysis by Bloomberg Law found that of the 270 emergency stays filed by death row inmates in the U.S. between 2013 and 2023, only 11, or 4%, were granted by the high court, she said.

In a 2019 ruling by the Supreme Court denying Missouri inmate Russell Bucklews request to stop his execution, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote, Last-minute stays should be the extreme exception, not the norm.

Maher said Gorsuchs statement has been used by state prosecutors in pro-death penalty states to push back against efforts to give inmates and their lawyers more time in their cases.

I think the majority at the Supreme Court views requests for stays of execution with deep suspicion and even hostility, said Maher, whose Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit takes no position on capital punishment but has criticized the way states carry out executions.

What is it like for an inmate to be minutes away from execution

Nolan said being minutes from execution on two different occasions within the last four years has taken a psychological toll on Gutierrez, who had spent part of Tuesday meeting with his family for what he thought was the final time.

We all think about our own end of life in very difficult ways, or psychological, emotional ways. Thats certainly how Ruben has tried to deal with this, Nolan said.

Maher said what Gutierrez has now twice experienced in being minutes away from death is a form of torture.

What was the reaction by the victims family to the execution stay

Harrisons family, along with Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz, expressed frustration with the delay.

Its just devastating news, you know? Its already been over two and a half decades waiting for this to happen, Alex Hernandez, Harrisons nephew, told KRGV.

Maher said she understands the frustration of the victims family but the delay is necessary to hopefully allow for the DNA testing so that no one is executed that doesnt deserve that sentence.

Nolan said if the Supreme Court decides to accept Gutierrezs case, it will be argued before the justices. If the high court declines it, the stay will be vacated and prosecutors could ask the trial judge in the case for a new execution date. By Texas law, a new date would have to be set three months out from when a judge would enter a new order.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
A Pakistani economist hailed China's people-centered approach in an interview with Xinhua, underlining that it ensures Chinese people's strong sense of fulfillment and happiness. #GLOBALink




Destiny Wells speaks to reporters after her Saturday, July 13, 2024, win to become the attorney general Democratic nominee. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Democratic Attorney General nominee Destiny Wells on Tuesday said she would strengthen the states medical privacy protections, workers rights and the integrity of the state office if elected.

She said her policy focuses have not changed since she launched her campaign in late 2023.

Wells shared her priorities during a press conference three days after party delegates chose her as their nominee for attorney general. Wells beat her competitor, Beth White, CEO of the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, with 69% of the vote.

The Army National Guard lieutenant colonel will run against Republican nominee and incumbent Attorney General Todd Rokita in the general election, who she took time to criticize during Tuesdays event. Rokita ran unopposed at the Indiana Republican convention in June.

Womens reproductive care

Under Wells leadership, she said the attorney generals office would immediately stop asking the Indiana Department of Health to release individual terminated pregnancy reports. Access to terminated pregnancy reports, which the IDOH stopped releasing last December, is currently tied up in court. She argued that because the number of abortion procedures in the state has decreased since Indianas near-total abortion ban went into effect, the reports could be used to identify the patients.

We need to tread lightly and cautiously as we have a lower amount of abortions in the state, Wells said. That is not going to require any legislative action via the legislature on behalf of the AG, that is something that we can do internally and well do immediately.

Lawmakers, could however, clarify the statute on its own.

During Tuesdays press conference, Wells highlighted how she thought Rokita and his offices actions have negatively impacted maternal healthcare in the state.

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We know that the effects of the last couple of years have caused our OBGYNs to flee the state and that this is, overall, having an impact on health care access for everyday Hoosiers, Wells said. Its not just the abortions that are being conducted in the shadows that people could turn a blind eye to anymore. Its having an impact on the AGs office or on the state as a whole.

In 2023, the Indiana Supreme Court reprimanded Rokita for his televised comments about Indiana OBGYN Caitlin Bernard, who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio in 2022 and told the Indianapolis Star about the procedure. The state Medical Licensing Board later disciplined Bernard for publicly discussing the medical procedure.

Integrity of Attorney Generals Office

If elected, Wells said she would remove Indiana as a party of amicus curiae briefs  also known as friend of the court briefs, which allow individuals or organizations that are not parties in a legal case to share information with a court  for many federal lawsuits, specifically cases that dont impact Hoosier issues. Rokita has signed onto several multi-state amicus briefs, including a call on a U.S appeals court to provide former President Donald Trump with additional legal protections during the search of his Mar-a-Lago home for classified documents.

Our actions arent resulting in better results for Hoosiers, she said. Were just highly distracted on these issues. Most of them have to do with undermining executive authority.

Additionally, Wells said she would also stop requiring office employees to sign expansive non-disclosure agreements.

Its antithetical to everything we say we want to do in government and in regards to being transparent and that is what were going to do, she said.

Wells also said she would want to look at establishing a Childrens Bill of Rights  a purposeful contrast to Rokitas Parents Bill of Rights. The Parents Bill of Rights is a document that outlines parents legal rights to oversee and participate in their childrens education. It addresses topics including school governance, curriculum, religious liberty, health and vaccine information, library books and pronoun-change notifications. Wells said she believed the document has been used to pit parents against educators and use children and their education as a partisan tool.

Part of the Childrens Bill of Rights, would focus on regulating homeschooling in the state, she said, to protect children from potential abuse or educational neglect. She said the attorney generals office could use these regulations to make sure people dont take advantage of the hard work of homeschooling parents.

Workers rights

Wells said, if elected, she would use the attorney general offices resources to support local prosecutors who tackle issues including wage theft and the misclassification of employees. Her plans also include establishing a workers rights board.

I feel like thats what makes our campaign greatthat we make sure that we are devising policy points that will best Hoosier outcomes, she said. That will ensure that employers treat workers with dignity and respect.

She also said the attorney generals office would establish a workers rights task force and use its authority to investigate labor, sexual and human trafficking. One of her priorities would be rebuilding a human trafficking investigatory office.

Ive had sit downs with local prosecutors into their challenges and being able to keep up with trafficking, Wells said. A lot of it is because people are transient, they leave their county. And so what I want is to see a larger state umbrella to help those local prosecutors with those issues.

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In the most recent campaign finance filings, Democratic congressional candidates Christina Bohannan and Lanon Baccam outraised U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn. (Photo by Getty Images)

Democratic challengers Christina Bohannan and Lanon Baccam outraised U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn during the past three months in their congressional races to unseat the incumbent Republicans, Federal Election Commission reports show.

The most recent FEC reports, released July 15, covered the period from April 1 through June 30. That timeframe included the June 4 primary election, when Baccam defeated Melissa Vine to become the Democratic nominee for Iowas 3rd Congressional District. In this period, Baccam raised $1.3 million  more than Nunn, who ran uncontested in the primary, at more than $1 million.

Nunn ended the reporting period with more cash on hand with $2.4 million to Baccams $1.5 million. However, Baccam has earned more in fundraising than his incumbent opponent for three FEC periods in a row, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Mallory Payne said.

Lanons momentum proves that Iowans are ready to send new, effective leadership to Congress and they know Lanon will always put them first, Payne said in a statement. While Lanon has spent his life giving back to his communities, Zach Nunns anti-abortion record has brought one of the most dangerous abortion bans in the country to Iowa.

Earlier in July, Nunns campaign manager Kendyl Parker criticized Baccam in a statement for raking in hundreds of thousands from the Clinton-Biden money machine while dodging questions about his time as a paid political activist for Joe Biden. Baccam worked on Bidens Iowa campaign, as well as with the U.S. Department of Agriculture under former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

Parker said that Nunn is dedicated to fighting for Iowans in the lead-up to the 2024 general election.

With a little more than 100 days to go until election day, we will not be outworked, Parker said. Zach has released 2 TV ads, recruited 89 precinct captains in Polk County and Dallas County, and led the charge with 120 active volunteers in over 60 community events in the last three months alone. With our strong grassroots momentum and war chest, Zach is ready for the battle to continue the mission to fight for Iowans.

Bohannan outraises Miller-Meeks

In the 1st District race, Bohannan also outraised Miller-Meeks in both the most recent period, as well as in the prior three quarters. According to the July FEC filings, Bohannan raised more than $1.2 million while Miller-Meeks raised $846,883. The Democrat, who did not face a primary challenge, also has more in reserve funds than Miller-Meeks with $2.42 million cash on hand to the incumbents $2.27 million.

Miller-Meeks faced a primary challenge from David Pautsch in June, who argued that Iowas all-GOP congressional delegation was not sufficiently conservative. She won the primary race with 55.4% to Pautschs 44.6%.

Feenstra, Hinson raise more than opponents

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra also faced a challenge for becoming the 4th Congressional District Republican nominee. He defeated primary opponent Kevin Virgil of Sutherland with 60% of the vote. Feenstra will face Democrat Ryan Melton, whom he defeated in the 2022 general election.

In the July FEC report, Feenstra raised $635,115 in the most recent quarter, and has $1.2 million in reserve funding. Melton raised $22,480 in the same period and ended with $20,031 cash on hand.

In Iowas 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson raised $719,581 in the most recent reporting period, significantly more than Democratic challenger Sarah Corkerys $98,166. Both candidates ran uncontested in the June primary election. Hinson ended the period with $1.9 million cash on hand to Corkerys $69,428.

Corkery, as well as Bohannan, have called for President Joe Biden to step away from his bid to become the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. In a statement to reporters, Corkery called for Biden to pass the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden is expected to face former President Donald Trump in the November general election.
Assemblymember Zohran K. Mamdani speaking at a microphone during a climate rally outside Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's office in New York

Democratic Socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani  a staunch critic of Israel  is eyeing a run for mayor, sources said Tuesday.

The state legislator  first elected in 2020 to represent Astoria  has spoken to people involved in the Democratic Party as well as within the Democratic Socialists of America, one source briefed said.

One hundred percent hes telling people hes considering running, the source told The Post Tuesday night.

Democratic Socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani may run for mayor. Zohran Kwame Mamdani/facebook

His potential candidacy was first reported by City & State.

Even Democratic Party insiders who dont agree with Mamdani said hes intelligent and hardworking, saying he would speak for the growing pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel faction of the Democratic party.

But Mamdanis participation in anti-Israel rallies just days after Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, sneak attack on Israel, slaughtering 1,200 people and taking hostages into Gaza will likely turn off many pro-Israel voters.

He also also alienated pro-Israel Democrats last year when he introduced the Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act  legislation aimed at barring New York-based charitable groups from engaging in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity.

NYS elected officials joined climate advocates at a rally outside of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. ZUMAPRESS.com

Opposition blocked passage of the bill.

Mamdani represents a part of Western Queens that is the DSAs power base in New York. Fellow democratic socialists  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Councilwoman Tiffany Caban  also represent the Astoria area.

The campaign of Mayor Eric Adams, who has slammed the DSA as a negative force, had no immediate comment.

(Left to right) Aziz Isham, Donovan Richards, Zohran K. Mamdani, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas at the Open Worlds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Museum of the Moving Image in May. Kyle Stevens/Shutterstock

Other candidates whove thrown their hats into the ring in the Democratic primary to challenge Adams for mayor next year  or are considering doing so  include former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and current Comptroller Brad Lander.

Mamdani declined requests for comment.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, he moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. He attended public schools, including the Bronx High School of Science and graduated from Bowdoin College and started a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter there.

He became a naturalized US citizen in 2018.

Zohran is proud to be the first South Asian man to serve in the NYS Assembly as well as the first Ugandan and only the third Muslim to ever be a member of the body. For too long, communities such as these have been left out of our states politics and priorities, according to his bio.
By Helen Coster, Alexandra Ulmer and Stephanie Kelly

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Democrats are assailing Senator J.D. Vance on the issue of abortion, saying past comments made by Donald Trump's newly-tapped running mate are evidence Republicans will pursue more abortion curbs if they win in November.

Vance has previously taken a more hardline approach on abortion than the former president, who opposes abortion but backs exceptions in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is in danger. Vance once implied victims of rape and incest should be required to carry pregnancies to term but he has since said he supports those exceptions.

Trump's decision to make Vance his No. 2 gave President Joe Biden's campaign a fresh opening to go after Republicans on abortion rights, which Democrats view as a galvanizing issue that could attract independent voters and increase turnout in the Nov. 5 election. Most opinion polls show a majority of Americans broadly back abortion rights.

Going after Vance's previously stated abortion views could help Democrats raise more doubts about where Trump stands, said Christopher Devine, co-author of a book about running mates and a professor of political science at Dayton University in Ohio.

"Voters are still trying to figure out what are Donald Trump's actual views," Devine said.

Trump has distanced himself from a federal abortion ban and says the issue should be left solely to state legislatures, a position the Republican Party adopted in its new platform, to the dismay of anti-abortion activists who sought more far-reaching language. Vance said this week he agrees with that approach.

After Vance got the vice presidential nod on Monday, the Democratic National Committee launched 16 billboards and a mobile billboard in the Milwaukee area focused in part on reproductive rights.

"Trump-Vance Project 2025," read one billboard, referring to a set of conservative policy proposals known as Project 2025. "Ban abortion, punish women."

In a new video on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris depicted Vance as an extremist who "supports a national abortion ban." The Biden campaign and allied Democrats also held a press conference on Wednesday in Milwaukee, where Republicans are holding their national convention this week, to highlight their rivals' abortion policies for voters in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

"J.D. Vance is an anti-choice politician whose views on reproductive freedom and women's rights would take us back decades," Quentin Fulks, the Biden-Harris principal deputy campaign manager, told reporters.

The Biden campaign, which is also trying to fundraise off the back of Vance's past comments, says Trump is downplaying abortion restrictions that are unpopular with voters to help him get elected. The campaign argues that if Trump is reelected and Republicans take control of both houses of Congress, he would likely support any restrictive measure passed by lawmakers.

The Trump-Vance campaign said Democrats were lying about Vance's record on abortion. "He has repeatedly made clear that he supports reasonable exceptions," said campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, describing the approach as "smear tactics."

Republicans interviewed by Reuters at the party's convention on Tuesday were skeptical that Democrats would make inroads with voters by attacking Vance's abortion views.

Ten women attending said in interviews that they supported Trump's vice presidential pick and were unfazed by Vance's past comments on abortion, even if they didn't fully agree with them.

"It's not that big a deal to me," Julie Spokes, a convention attendee from Rockwall, Texas, said of abortion as an election issue. "I think people have a lot more problems than that."

VANCE'S VIEWS

In his first interview on Monday after clinching the VP nod, Vance said Trump's views on abortion are going to be the views that dominate the Republican Party.

"You have to believe in reasonable exceptions, because that's where the American people are," Vance said in the Fox News interview. "And you've got to let individual states make this decision."

That stands in contrast to his comments in 2021 - that the Biden-Harris campaign quickly seized on - when he emphasized a baby's right to life when asked whether anti-abortion laws should include an exception for victims of rape and incest.

"Two wrongs don't make a right," he said in an interview on the Spectrum News 1 "Dear Ohio" podcast. "At the end of day we are talking about an unborn baby. What kind of society do we want to have? A society that looks at unborn babies as inconveniences to be discarded?"

He added: "It's not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, it's whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child's birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society," he said.

During his 2022 Senate bid, Vance said he believed in certain exceptions to abortion, citing the case of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who had to go to Indiana for an abortion, but then stopped short of endorsing an exception in all rape cases.

He also said in 2022 that a national abortion bill proposed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, which would have allowed for exceptions in the instance of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is at risk, was "totally reasonable." He advocated for those exceptions on CNN again last year.

After Ohio voters added the right to access abortion care to the state's constitution in November 2023, Vance in an X post described the vote as a "gut punch" for abortion opponents.

Dawn Marquardt, a delegate from Wyoming, said she agrees with Trump's abortion position. The more conservative views Vance expressed in 2021 do not dampen her enthusiasm for him or the ticket.

"I like that he's younger, very conservative and not afraid to stand up to the news media and express his mind," she said.

(Reporting by Helen Coster and Alexandra Ulmer in Milwaukee and Stephanie Kelly in New York. Additional reporting by Joseph Ax and Nathan Layne in Milwaukee.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Deepa Babington)
Opinion: The Democrats Need a Hero. They Actually Already Have One

Democrats are facing two crucial questions: (1) Keep Joe or dump Joe; and (2) in the event of the latter, do you bump Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket or hold an open convention?

Most conversations between Democrats never get past these two questions. Instead, they dissolve into shouts of You dont know! Well, you dont know either! But if two Democrats could somehow agree that Harris should lead the ticket, the obvious follow-up question is: Who would be the best choice for vice president?

The media has started to throw out candidates for this scenario and theyre mainly the same ones bandied about for an open convention: Governors Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, and J.B. Pritzker.

But most governors relish their jobs as CEOs of their states. When Biden secured the nomination in 2020, he invited Michigan Gov. Whitmer to meet him in Delaware for vetting. According to Whitmer, Biden asked her, Why do you want to be vice president? She told HOUR Detroit Magazine that her response was, Joe, Im here because you asked me to be here. I love my job. I love being in Michigan. Theres nowhere else I want to go

Instead of combing over the same names, it made sense to try some reverse engineering and lay out the credentials that would complement Harris while adding general appeal and electability. Those qualities include:

Someone from a swing state

Gender, race and compelling origin story

Military experience/patriotism

Devoted to their family

Foreign policy experience

Someone whod want the job and gets along with Harris

Considering all this, only one name checks all the boxes: Senator Mark Kelly.

Kelly has represented swing state Arizona since December 2020 when he defeated incumbent Martha McSally. He won his last election in 2022, dispensing with Peter Thiel protege Blake Masters. A proud centrist, Kelly is bipartisan, especially when it comes to border policy. Arizona has been leaning blue since John McCain died, but Krysten Sinemas choice to cozy up to Wall Street has placed that in jeopardy. Kelly on the ticket might increase the odds of Democrat Ruben Gallego sliding into Sinemas seat in November.

With a woman of color running for POTUS, it makes political sense to choose a white man for the VP slot. Kellys upbringing lines up with the American Dream. He was born in New Jersey to two police officers. Lots of people have dads who are cops, but a mom? Thats a fantastic story. Kelly attended public schools and received his college degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He later added a Masters in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Living in the Naval Observatory would just make sense.

Mark Kelly, the astronaut, in 2005. NASA

After college, Kelly and his twin brother Scott joined the Navy and served as naval aviators for nine years. Kelly completed two carrier deployments to the Persian Gulf and logged 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. (Compare this to J.D. Vance who spent four years in the Marines, including six months in Iraq where he served as a combat correspondent.) Kellys service and nerves of steel resulted in a chest full of medals. Then NASA came calling. In 1996, Kelly and his brother were selected to train as Space Shuttle pilots. During his years as an astronaut, Kelly lived in Houston which might also boost efforts for Democrats to make progress in Texas.

The documentary Gabby Giffords Wont Back Down offers a remarkable glimpse of Kellys devotion to his wife after a horrific tragedy. Kelly and former Arizona Congresswoman Giffords had been married just four years and were ready to start a family. They were days away from Giffords first fertility treatment when she was shot in the head during a 2011 assassination attempt. Six people died, including a congressional staffer.

Giffords remains partially paralyzed and suffers from aphasia. A huge chunk of her skull had to be replaced. (The original chunk is preserved in the couples freezerjust watch the documentary.) The rehabilitation process was arduous and Giffords refers to Kelly as My partner. My rock. With many limitations, Giffords has regained the ability to walk, talk, sing, laugh and advise Kelly on his political career.

Giffords is an inspiration. She is also a victim of gun violence in a nation where Republicans have buckled to the NRA and done little while mass murders became a daily occurrence. With Giffords serving as second lady, perhaps that would move the needle on significant gun legislation.

Kelly also has two daughters from his first marriage. It shouldnt matter, but in Trumps America, its worth noting that the Kelly daughters are beautiful.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and his wife former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, daughters Charlotte, Samantha and son in law Mark Sudman. Kevin Dietsch

Its not foreign policy experience exactly, but Kelly can claim that he has a unique global perspective having logged 54 days in space. In one 2008 mission, Kelly commanded Discovery to deliver two essential parts to the International Space Station: a robotic arm built in Japan and a part to fix the only toilet on station. Hero!

Would Kelly want the job? Hes one of 100 senators so being the vice president who can potentially break ties in the Senate seems like a step up. Plus, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs gets to name a replacement to the senate seat should it be vacated.

Kelly and Harris also appear to have a warm relationship. In May 2023, Harris posted, Senator Mark Kelly has been a fearless leader who has served this nation in the halls of the Senate and from thousands of miles above Earth. Today, I am congratulating my friend Senator Kelly on his well-earned induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

There are unknowns, of course. Kelly has been vetted for the highest state office, but not for national office which comes with a deeper level of scrutiny. Another drawback is that Kellylike many astronautsis of average height. This shouldnt matter but again Trump.

Kelly isnt making any sort of play publicly. Last week, he was interviewed by Ian Bremmer and stated, My expectation is were going to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. He added, To go back to the Donald Trump administration would be a huge mistake.

In the past week, Kellys name has started to be discussed in this context. A recent Politico poll showed Kelly as one of four Democrats who are outpolling Biden by five points in key battleground states.

A patriot and devoted husband, Kelly would appeal to men and women. And finally, every politician wishes he could campaign in two places at once so its a huge bonus that Kellys twin is identical.

Kellys office did not respond to a request to comment.

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(Bloomberg) -- Democrats will not hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate President Joe Biden until at least August, after an outcry from some who believed the process was being rushed at his behest to head off calls for him to stand aside.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for the Democratic National Committee to make the change after consulting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The party will still undertake the process virtually  rather than at the party convention in Chicago in late August  but there will not be any delegate votes cast in July, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Leah Daughtry, who head the conventions rules committee, said in a letter to delegates.

That virtual vote wont happen before the first of August and we just need to get it done, probably by the 15th of August, Walz told reporters Wednesday at a press conference in Milwaukee. He dismissed the controversy over the issue as a parlor game.

Democrats had considered holding the vote as early as July 21, when the conventions credentials committee meets virtually.

The party was discussing such a move even before Bidens debate performance prompted alarm from allies, because Ohio had an Aug. 7 deadline for candidates to be certified for the ballot. While a new state law pushed that date back, moving up Bidens formal nomination could would essentially render moot calls for the president to be replaced.

We believe a virtual element is the wisest approach because it ensures ballot access in the states that we need to win in November and avoids potential risks if there is delay in the process, Walz and Daughtry wrote in a letter to the partys rules committee, which was obtained by Bloomberg and reported earlier by CBS News.

The accelerated push drew criticism, particularly from Democrats who have publicly urged Biden to reconsider his candidacy. On Capitol Hill, a letter arguing against expediting the nomination was circulating earlier this week among Democratic offices.

That effort has been abandoned for now, the office of California Representative Jared Huffman said.

Fast-forwarding the nomination process is no way to convince the many unconvinced voters in the growing number of battleground states, said Representative Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat who has called on Biden to step aside. Those so eager to overly protect President Biden ignore his own words inviting anyone questioning his nomination to do so at the Convention.

Intraparty hand-wringing over the vote irritated the presidents team, which has sought to refocus voters attention on Donald Trump.

The Republicans are lying to the American people about virtually every single issue that impacts their lives, and were caught up in process stories, Biden deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said Wednesday.

Biden earlier this month dared challengers who did not support his candidacy to challenge him at the convention.

Any of these guys that dont think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention, Biden during an interview with MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Realistically, theres little chance of another candidate emerging unless Biden himself announces he does not want to pursue his reelection bid. He has steadfastly insisted he intends to stay in the race.

During his press conference last Thursday, the president said delegates he won during the primaries were free to do whatever they want.

But I get overwhelming support, Biden added.

--With assistance from Erik Wasson.

(Adds Schumer and Jeffries to second paragraph)

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The News

The Democratic Partys rules committee is urging members to support a virtual vote to nominate Biden  although not next week  in a letter to DNC members and obtained by Semafor. The move is the latest in the partys back-and-forth over when to affirm the Biden-Harris ticket.

In the letter, rules co-chairs Leah Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz write that no virtual voting will begin before August 1. They add that the party should be ready to vote, though, to prevent any conceivable legal challenges to the ticket from conservatives in the Ohio legislature, who some Democrats suspect could try and keep Biden off the ballot due to a previous state deadline that has since been extended.

Our goal is not to fast-track, they wrote, explaining that they would meet on Friday to propose a framework, and then meet again the following week to consider changes. None of this will be rushed.

The August timeline is later than some House Democrats feared, after DNC and Biden campaign leaders suggested that delegates could nominate the ticket next week. It is well before the convention, however, which starts on August 19.

The stated reason: Worries about Ohio, where the Republican-led legislature moved its August 7 deadline to accommodate the later DNC.

Unless Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are selected and certified to Ohio by August 7, we are likely to face litigation about the efficacy of our filings, write Daughtry and Walz.

The Ohio issue has flummoxed Democrats for months, and there is widespread disagreement over how party leaders now see it. Yesterday, spokesmen for Ohios governor and secretary of state told Semafor that the new, later ballot deadline law, while it does not go into effect until September, will not be changed. But the Biden campaign told reporters that it could not rule out last-minute machinations by the GOP.

The View From Republicans

The Democratic angst about whether to vote early to confirm Bidens nomination has thrilled Republicans, who say that the Biden-Harris ticket is preferable to a last-minute alternative.

Great idea, RNC strategist and Maryland committeeman David Bossie told Semafor on Tuesday. I want that hole in the Titanic as soon as possible.

The View From Democrats

California Rep. Jared Huffman told Semafor that the Walz-Daughtry letter answered some of the concerns of House members, who were gathering names for a letter to oppose a July virtual vote.

Were glad to see that the pressure has worked and the DNC will not rush this virtual process through in July, he said. We wont be sending the letter at this time.

Davids view

The idea of nominating Biden before the convention to out-maneuver Ohio Republicans has divided Democrats. Some are on record wanting Biden to drop out the race entirely, which would become harder, although not impossible, once delegates nominate him.

Others see the Ohio deadline as a chimera. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who called a special legislative session to accommodate the late August DNC with a new deadline, has said flat-out that he wont go back on it to the earlier deadline. Still, Bidens allies in the DNC are relying on fear of Republicans to protect his nominations chances, arguing that the conservative legal threats could succeed, even if state law is on Democrats side. In turn, Republicans who believe that the Biden-Harris ticket is weak and beatable are aligned with Democrats who want to get the nomination done sooner rather than later  and end talk of a replacement candidate.

Notable

In the American Prospect, David Dayen and Luke Goldstein argue that the DNC is rushing the process to quash concerns about the ticket, seeing no legal basis for holding a nominating vote before Chicago. There have been ongoing deliberations among delegates about whether Biden is the best nominee for the party following his debate performance, they report. However, party leaders have explicitly tried to tamp down any unofficial conversation about this on Zoom calls and in Facebook groups.
Two senior members of Congress have asked the acting secretary of labor, Julie Su, for information and data on child labor violations and protections in federally subsidized youth work programs amid a rise in reports of labor abuses against minors, according to a letter obtained by the Guardian.

Child labor violations have been on the rise in the US in recent years as eight states so far in 2024 have passed legislation to roll back child labor protections, though elected officials in 24 states have introduced bills to strengthen child labor protections.

Congressman Bobby Scott and Congresswoman Alma Adams have asked for more information about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and school-based Work Experience and Career Explorations Programs (WECEPs).

Conservative and industry groups, such as the Foundation for Government Accountability, have heavily lobbied to roll back child labor protections, extending work times for minors, eliminating work permits for minors, and expanding the type of work that minors can do.

The US Department of Labor has reported an increase of 88% in child labor violations between 2019 to 2023 and several state labor departments have reported surges in violations as well.

Despite these increases, Democratic elected officials have faced resistance from Republicans in the House to hold a hearing on child labor to render solutions and strengthen protections.

The letter was sent as Congress is in the midst of reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). As part of the reauthorization, several business groups are pushing to remove language that would bar employers who violated child labor laws from receiving federal funds through the program.

While the undersigned organizations support your efforts to reauthorize WIOA, the inclusion of this unsound policy will only tie up law-abiding employers in red tape, discouraging their participation. In sum, these provisions would make a system intended to develop workers skills less effective, wrote business groups in a recent letter to the Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions, including the US Chamber of Commerce, National Restaurant Association and the National Retail Federation.

Related: Alabama poultry plant could be closed for 30 days for allegedly hiring minors

The inquiry comes in the wake of two egregious cases uncovered earlier this year where employers receiving funding through these programs were found to be using them to subsidize violations of child labor laws.

In February 2024, the US Department of Labor fined Equus Workforce Solutions, a contractor providing minor workers to employers through federal programs, for employing 14- and 15-year-olds outside permitted work hours and assigned minors to perform hazardous work they are not permitted to do under federal child labor laws. One minor was injured after being assigned to operate a chainsaw and pole saw on the job.

In January 2024, the state of Washington announced a fine of the construction firm Rotschy LLC after a 16-year-old was injured on the job, losing both his legs, while working in a work-based learning program. The 16-year-old was using a walk-behind trencher to dig a channel for fence posts, an exemption that was not included in the program, when he was dragged under the blades. Three months later the same firm was fined again for assigning minors to hazardous work in violation of child labor laws.

As we continue our inquiry into child labor, we view these cases as an opportunity to explore the interrelationship between youth workforce programs, unsafe work, and oppressive child labor and the extent to which legislation may be needed, wrote Representatives Scott and Adams in the letter. Our central question is whether DOL currently has sufficient tools at its disposal to ensure that children can participate in such programs free from oppressive child labor and unsafe working conditions.

The House Democrats gave the US Department of Labor a deadline of 12 August to provide information, data and responses to questions on the extent of child labor violations at employers receiving federal funds in these programs, how oversight is conducted in these programs and what tools the department has to hold employers accountable, such as whether they have the ability to suspend or ban them from the programs for violations. Many of the learning work programs include exemptions from federal child labor laws.

Scott and Adams also inquired if the Congressional Review Act resolution signed by Trump in 2017 that nullified regulations to ensure that federal contractors comply with workplace standards such as safety and child labor rules, has constrained the department from making sure federal funds are not used to subsidize child labor violations.

House policy staff noted that Republicans leading the committee on education and the workforce have ignored requests from House Democrats to act on the issue of child labor violations and have refused to act on recommendations as well as research and data coordination. House Democrats have written letters to the Republican committee chair, Virginia Foxx, requesting a hearing on child labor, but their efforts have been ignored.

We would have preferred to raise these issues during a committee hearing focused on child labor, wrote Scott and Adams. Unfortunately, although we have twice asked Rep Virginia Foxx, chair of the committee on education and the workforce, to hold such a hearing, she has yet to agree to our requests.
BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to effectively address its mountain of human rights problems, instead of frequently using human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries internal affairs and wield the big stick of sanctions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to U.S. indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials.

Lin said that the United States deliberately spreads false information, discredits China's human rights situation, imposes indiscriminate visa restrictions on Chinese officials, seriously interferes in China's internal affairs, and seriously violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes this, and has made solemn representations to the United States," Lin said.

As a countermeasure, China will, in accordance with the law, impose reciprocal visa restrictions on U.S. officials who concoct lies on human rights issues related to China, promote the introduction of sanctions against China and harm China's interests, he added.

Noting the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council unanimously approved China's participation in the fourth round of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) not long ago, Lin said this fully demonstrates that the international community highly affirms China's achievements in human rights.

"The United States has no right or qualification to comment on the human rights situation in other countries and make irresponsible remarks," Lin said, adding that the international community has long seen clearly and resented the wanton manipulation of human rights by the United States.

If the United States really cares about human rights, it should abandon the "double standards", and look in the mirror at its own human rights misdeeds, Lin said. 
Democrats on Wednesday launched a new attack on Donald Trumps running mate, J.D. Vance, calling him a Frankenstein created by the conservative masterminds of Project 2025.

The nickname came from Minnesotas Democratic governor, Tim Walz, hours before Vances speech as keynote speaker on the third night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Walz called Vance the perfect Frankenstein monster created by the Heritage Foundation at a press conference held in Milwaukee, just outside the security perimeter for the GOPs event.

Walz hammered Vance for his anti-abortion rights views, including how he has previously said he does not believe in exceptions for rape and incest. And he offered a preview of how Democrats will try to use Trumps VP pick against him by linking Vance to Project 2025, the ultra-conservative manifesto for a second term written by The Heritage Foundation, which Trump has tried to distance himself from.

Walz said he read Vances memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

The idea that this guy would understand, or have a policythe things that make small towns work this was not in Hillbilly Elegy, but it should be: mind your own damn business, Walz said of abortion rights.

However, when asked by the Daily Beast who is best equipped to challenge Vance and the GOP on abortionwhether that be President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or everyday Americans like Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who testified before Congress that she nearly lost her life under Texas abortion ban to deliver a stillborn childWalz said its not his place to say.

Its not my place as a man to lead the messaging on the issue.

Zurawski joined Walz and the Biden surrogates at the press conference Wednesday. She said what she endured was nothing short of barbaric and went at Vance hard for calling exceptions for rape and incest inconvenientsomething Vances camp has pushed back against, saying his words were taken out of context.

Its incumbent upon all of us to continue to make that message, and shes certainly a better deliverer of this message than I, Walz said, once again ignoring whether Biden can adequately make the same argument.

Sometimes, as a man, Walz continued, its time to shut the hell up.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The Democratic National Committee is pushing back its virtual roll call vote to August to nominate President Joe Biden ahead of its convention.

The move buys Democrats time as they struggle to get on the same page about whether President Biden should be at the top of the ticket.

That virtual vote wont happen before the first of August, DNC Rules Committee Co-chair and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

Walz says a vote will still happen before the Aug. 19 convention in Chicago.

The DNC had planned to vote to nominate President Biden before Aug. 7 because of Ohios ballot deadline but Ohio has since pushed that back to September.

Thats why some House Democrats drafted a letter to the DNC urging against a vote happening as early as July 21.

The letter reads in part: There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action. Democrats will now hold off on sending that letter.

A spokesperson for California Congressman Jared Huffman said, Were glad to see that the pressure has worked and the DNC will not rush this virtual process through in July.

The shifting timeline comes as more Democrats in Congress call on President Biden to drop out of the race.

The latest, and most high-profile so far: California Congressman Adam Schiff.

Schiff said in a statement in part: I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy

But President Biden insists hes all in on the race.

I think its pretty clear Joe Biden isnt going to go quietly into this good night, George Washington University Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs Peter Loge said.

Loge says despite the party infighting, a lot of this may not matter to voters.

Most voters, most of the time, dont care about Rules committee decisions of the Democratic National Committee. They want to know, can I afford to buy a house?

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Dems Will Try to Knife Biden Again Over Disastrous New Poll

A new polling memo has oiled the gears of a drive by top Democrats to drop President Joe Biden as party nominee ahead of the November election.

Put together by BlueLabs Analytics, the document shows that alternative candidates currently have an average three-point lead on the president, and it has been widely circulated among officials behind efforts to push him out, Politico reported.

Results come from interviews with more than 15,000 voters in seven battleground states including Pennsylvania, where rival Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt on Saturday, and where the Republican VP pick J.D. Vance will now be stationed for the next few months in an effort to challenge Blue Wall support.

The shooting clearly helped the strategy of Bidens team to run out the clock, one top Democrat told Politico on Monday. But its not over. Senior D leaders have not changed their minds that Biden needs to get out. I think a final push will come once the R convention ends on Thursday.

Further insights from the data include that most voters are looking for a fresh face, with the memo stating, those more closely tied to the current administration perform relatively worse than other tested candidates.

House Dems Circulate Letter Begging to Delay Bidens Nomination Next Week

Thats bad news for supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticketand a ray of hope to those backing candidates from further afield. The strongest contenders at present are, according to the memo, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who all polled ahead of Biden by roughly 5 points across battleground states.

Quiet efforts continue to urge the president to step aside, and team Biden remains dug in, a source told Politico.

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Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states

Dental therapist Sarah Chagnon treats a patient at the Swinomish Dental Clinic in La Conner, Wash., as part of a school-based "sealant week" program. More states are considering authorizing licensures of dental health aide therapists, also known as dental therapists. Experts say the midlevel practitioners can help fill gaps in access to dental health care. Courtesy of Swinomish Dental Clinic

During a game of Red Rover when she was 16 years old, Rochelle Roz Siuvuq Ferry lost a front tooth.

Ferry, who is Inupiaq, remembers having to get on a plane to get from her remote Alaskan village to the city of Nome to start the tooth replacement process.

Traveling to Nome for dental care is what everyone in her community had to do  even for a toothache or a basic cleaning. There was no such service where they lived.

Ferry knew many members of her community whose teeth decayed so badly, they needed extraction  simply because they didnt have access to care.

Her tooth mishap 28 years ago and her awareness of neighbors struggles led Ferry to become a dental therapist.

Dental therapists are licensed to fill cavities, place temporary crowns, extract diseased teeth and provide other basic preventive dental care, working under a dentists supervision. They have more training than a hygienist but not the advanced degree of a dentist.

More than a dozen states have authorized the licensing and practice of dental therapists, and the occupation is growing. Critics of dental therapy say state and federal policy should instead focus on supporting dentists. But many experts say dental therapists can help provide better access to oral health care for underserved communities  including in rural areas and for adults and children who lack insurance coverage or who are on public insurance.

About 58 million Americans live in areas with dentist shortages, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. And the American Dental Association estimates just a third of dentists across the nation accept Medicaid. More than half of Medicaid enrollees are Black, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native, and children of color experience significant disparities in oral health.

Poor oral health and gum disease are associated with more serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. And research has shown visibly poor oral health can hurt employment opportunities and a persons well-being.

It was a real kick to my self-esteem. I was knocked down, Ferry said, recalling losing her front tooth as a teen. I realized that theres a huge correlation between your self-esteem and your socioeconomic status, based on your smile.

Dozens of other countries have had dental therapists since the 1920s. But there werent any in the United States until about two decades ago, when Alaska Native students returned from training in New Zealand, ready to provide care to their remote tribal communities. Ferry was part of that group.

Ferry said she had been the first full-time dental provider in her grandmothers tight-knit Alaska village, St. Michael.

Welcoming dental therapy

Today, dental therapists are authorized in at least some settings in 14 states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and, most recently, Wisconsin, according to the National Partnership for Dental Therapy, a group of organizations focused on dental therapy awareness and education that tracks related state policies.

Ferry was the first dental therapist hired in Washington state after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law in 2017 authorizing dental therapist licensures and practice. She joined the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe Dental Clinic in 2018.

Alaska, Minnesota and Washington have the nations four dental therapy programs.

Other state efforts to authorize dental therapists to practice have stalled. A bill that would have amended the Illinois Dental Practice Act to create dental therapist licenses died in May.

Lawmakers in Florida  which has one the nations worst shortages of dental professionals  Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York also have introduced legislation to allow dental therapists to practice, said Laura Hale Brannon, project manager of the Dental Therapy Project at Community Catalyst, which advocates for policies around health equity.

We really have two dental care systems in the United States: one for people with private insurance and enough money to pay out of pocket for any additional care, and then a safety net for everyone else  and that safety net is really failing folks.

 Laura Brannon, project manager at Community Catalyst

Before Idaho passed its law, some lawmakers cautioned against creating a new midlevel position, as some dentists testified that theyd instead like to see more training for dental hygienists and higher Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Meanwhile, other states are authorizing dental therapists to practice in more places: Last year, Washington state expanded its legislation to allow dental therapists to practice at community health clinics and not just tribal clinics, providing more dental care access to Medicaid patients.

While dentists perform more complex procedures, dental therapists can tend to basic treatment for patients who otherwise would have long waits for an appointment, have to travel far or may forgo care altogether, worsening their dental health.

Brannon said there is a shortage of dentists who will accept Medicaid because of its low reimbursement rates. Research shows patients on Medicaid disproportionately end up in the emergency room because of oral health issues. Losing teeth also has been associated with a higher risk of death, according to an analysis of 49 studies published in 2018 in the Journal of Prosthodontic Research.

We really have two dental care systems in the United States: one for people with private insurance and enough money to pay out of pocket for any additional care, and then a safety net for everyone else  and that safety net is really failing folks, Brannon said.

The American Dental Association did not make officials available for an interview.

Angel hands

This month marks 27 years that dentist Raymond Dailey has practiced at the Swinomish Indian Tribal Communitys dental clinic in La Conner, Washington.

Before the clinic hired dental therapists, staff would have to juggle three to seven emergencies and walk-ins in addition to regular appointments, Dailey said. I was doing a lot of basic dentistry. So there were a lot of things I wanted to do for our patients or elders, but you cant do those extra things if youre just working on the emergency level of things. So we were definitely overwhelmed.

Now, he said, he can better care for the tribes elder community, doing implants and dentures.

Dental therapy programs began with workers who came from the communities they were serving, allowing for more culturally sensitive care. The clinic is mostly staffed by Native community members, Dailey said.

Sarah Chagnon, a dental therapist at the Swinomish dental clinic, grew up just outside the reservation. To help quell one childs nerves about going to the dental clinic, Chagnon got to know the girl outside the clinic, visiting the preschool. Step by step, Chagnon was able to introduce brushing, flossing and other care.

Now, whenever Im out in public, she runs up to me and gives me a hug, she said.

Chagnon recalled another patient who fell and broke her front tooth. After Chagnon treated her with a restorative procedure, the patient cried.

You have angel hands, she remembered the patient telling her. I can now smile again.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium estimates that more than 40,000 rural Alaskans now have regular access to dental care from dental therapists, also known as dental health aide therapists. In 2022, a federal advisory committee of dentists and other medical professionals recommended that Congress allocate $6 million annually toward dental therapy programs nationwide.

They [dental therapists] are part of a team that can be used to expand access to care, said Dr. Karl Self, a dentist and director of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistrys dental therapy program.

Our statute requires dental therapists to work predominantly in areas that serve low-income, uninsured, underserved patients or in dental health professional shortage areas, he said.

Dental therapist Savannah Bonorden, who practices in Sitka, Alaska, likened her occupation to physician assistants or nurses.

If we look over on the medical side of everything, there are so many different tiers and levels of medical professionals, she said.

Im not trying to take anyones job away. Im trying to add to the team dynamic.

Editors note: This story has been corrected to remove incorrect information provided by a source about Rochelle Roz Siuvuq Ferrys relationship with Skagit Valley College and her experience working in Alaska, and about general degree requirements for dental therapy programs.

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The Tennessee Department of Health will no longer permit teens to access routine health care -- including birth control or pregnancy tests -- without obtaining parental permission. (Getty Images).

The Tennessee Department of Health will no longer permit teens to access routine health care -- including birth control or pregnancy tests -- without obtaining parental permission. (Getty Images).

Editors note: This story has been updated to include comment from mental health advocates received after publication.

Tennessee public health clinics will no longer give teens access to routine healthcare  including birth control, sexually transmitted infection treatment and pregnancy testing  without parental consent, according to the Department of Healths interpretation of a new parental rights law in effect July 1.

The Family Rights and Responsibilities Act received scant public attention when it wound its way through the legislature earlier this year as other controversial measures came to the fore.

As applied by the states health department, the law fundamentally alters the way public health doctors and nurses interact with teenage patients seeking out preventative care at their local public health clinics  often the only available option for teens needing these services in rural Tennessee counties.

Before the law took effect, teens 14 and up could access contraceptives, HIV and pregnancy tests and a range of primary healthcare from public health clinics on their own. Now, they must bring a parent with them or allow staff to obtain verbal parental consent over the phone.

A new law, initiated by a legal firm that advocates for conservative Christian causes, prohibits Tennessee teens from receiving routine healthcare  including counseling and prescriptions for birth control  without a parent being present or parental consent.

Public healthcare providers who violate the law are subject to have their licenses revoked, suspended or not renewed  and can be sued by parents if they dont share information that is relevant to the physical, emotional or mental health of the child.

We live in a time that there are those who would fancy themself to be able to decide whats best for my children outside of my purview, Rep. Jeremy Faison, a Republican from Cosby who cosponsored the bill, told colleagues.

If someone in Tennessee is licensed, is certified through the state, decides to go behind the parents back and encourage a child in a way opposite of what that parent is allowing this allows an avenue for the parent to step up and say this isnt okay and needs to be looked at and gives them a civil action course.

Sen. Ferrell Haile, a Gallatin Republican who cosponsored the measure, noted it was brought to him by the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal firm that advocates for conservative Christian causes, among them a federal parental rights bill that mirrors Tennessees new law.

The law also requires all healthcare providers to obtain parental consent before offering counseling or psychological services. It remains unclear how the state intends to apply this provision of the law to the spectrum of mental health professionals. A law that predates the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act may carve out exceptions for older teens 16 and 17 years olds, Heather Meshell, a lobbyist for mental health organizations, noted after publication.

The Tennessee Department of Health did not respond to voicemail and email questions left since Friday about the shift in policy regarding minors. The department directly oversees clinics in 89 rural counties, while the states largest cities run their own public health operations..

"We live in a time that there are those who would fancy themself to be able to decide what's best for my children outside of my purview," said Cosby Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison when advocating for the new law. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Staff at Department of Health-run clinics in Robertson, Cheatham, Wilson and Rutherford Counties confirmed to the Lookout they had implemented the new parental consent policy as of July 1, turning away teenage patients who arrived without a parent and were unwilling to get them on the phone to offer verbal consent.

If theyre under age 18 they have to have parental consent, said Amber Bailey, a registered nurse at the public health clinic in Maury County.

Metro Nashville Public Health Department, one of six urban public health centers, has also changed its policy for teen patients.

All patients less than 18 years of age will be required to have signed or verbal consent by a legal parent or guardian prior to receiving all health department services, the Nashville department posted on its website.

Urban health clinics in Memphis, Knox, Shelby, Madison and Sullivan counties did not respond to messages left Tuesday about their own interpretation of the new state law.

The law carves out exceptions to the requirement a parent or guardian must give consent for a teen patient to be seen by public health officials if other statutes, case law or court orders conflict. It is unclear how the Department of Health officials reached the conclusion that these preceding laws, which remain in effect, no longer apply to teen patients.

One existing Tennessee law allows healthcare providers to treat minors for sexually transmitted infections without parental consent. Another allows prenatal and postpartum care without parental consent for pregnant minors over the age of 14. And a third law, in effect since 1971, allows doctors to prescribe contraceptives to minors without parental consent.

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Deputies arrested a man and gave the all-clear after bomb technicians determined a backpack left outside an Arden Arcade library Tuesday afternoon did not contain an explosive.

The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said its deputies were called just before 4:30 p.m. to the Sacramento Public Library branch at 891 Watt Ave. near Northrop Avenue when a man inside the library allegedly told an employee that he had left a suspicious package outside the building that contained a bomb.

Sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi said the library was quickly evacuated as deputies called in their EOD team  short for explosive ordnance disposal  to investigate the package, a backpack that was left near the front doors.

Gandhi said deputies quickly detained a man believed to have made the threat, identified in the Main Jail log as Robert Eric Matheson, 54.

Detectives later searched the suspects home on the 9000 block of Harvest Way in the La Riviera section of unincorporated Sacramento County and found a live device and two pounds of explosive material, Gandhi said.

He was being held without bail on a parole violation and will face one felony charge of possessing a bomb in a public place.

Matheson was expected to be arraigned on Thursday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ron DeSantis may have a future in the Republican Party after all, judging from the rapturous reception the Republican National Convention gave to an eight-minute speech in which Floridas governor tickled the partys rage and pleasure centers.

The speech was a recitation of conservative grievances and liberal putdowns well known to audiences in Florida but previously untested on any stage this large, DeSantis having suspended his own presidential campaign in advance of the Iowa Caucus.

Donald Trump, whod savaged DeSantis after the latter had the temerity to take him on, looked on, smiling benignly.

DeSantis cast the Democratic opposition as decrepit. Lets send Joe Biden back to his basement and lets send Donald Trump back to the White House, he said.

Joe Biden has failed this nation. As a veteran, I was appalled when 13 of our service members were killed in Afghanistan due to Joe Bidens dereliction of duty. As a citizen, as a husband and as a father, I am alarmed that the current president of the United States lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office, DeSantis continued.

Our enemies do not confine their designs to between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. We need a commander in chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week. America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernies presidency, he added.

Lets be honest here. Biden is just a figurehead. Hes a tool for imposing a leftist agenda on the American people. They support open borders, allowing millions and millions of illegal aliens to pour into our country and to burden our communities. But just dont send any to Marthas Vineyard; then they get really upset.

DeSantis recited a litany of conservative complaints: COVID restrictions; an unelected bureaucracy that imposes its will on people without our consent; encouragement of a shift to electric cars; attacks on Second Amendment rights; imposition DEI or, in his parlance, division, exclusion, and indoctrination.

They weaponize political power to target their political opponents like theyve done to our own nominee, DeSantis said.

And they want to impose gender ideology on everyone from our infantrymen to kindergarteners, he said. They cant even define what a woman is.

Coddling criminals

DeSantis, who suspended progressive state attorneys in Hillsborough County and the Orlando area over what at least one judge described as political differences, complained that those prosecutors care more about coddling criminals than about protecting their own communities.

Republicans, he said, support law and order, not rioting and disorder. We seek a strong, focused United States military, not one distracted by a social agenda. We reject entrenched political class, and we demand term limits for members of Congress.

We stand for strong borders and believe that our nation must have a shared civic culture, and we oppose any immigration that stands apart or in contrast to our American values. We believe in the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, that our rights come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of the Almighty, including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

DeSantis continued:

Now, Donald Trump stands in their way, and he stands up for America. Donald Trump has been demonized, hes been sued, hes been prosecuted, and he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down and we cannot let America down.

He bragged about Republican gains in Florida.

Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins. The Left is in retreat, freedom reigns supreme, the woke mind virus is dead, and Florida is a solid Republican state. Now, electing Donald Trump gives us a chance to do this all across America.

Lets make the 45th president of the United States the 47th president of the United States.
While the First Amendment litigation between Ron DeSantis and Disney is more than a month in the rearview mirror, the Florida governor isn't done lobbing insults at the theme park giant.

"Over the years so many Republicans, any time some big bad corporation opposes what they want to do, they cower in the corner like little scared kitties," DeSantis said during a Tuesday afternoon panel sponsored by Moms for Liberty in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hours before he was slated to speak at the Republican National Convention.

"So we said no," he went on. "We're going to lead the state of Florida. We're not going to subcontract leadership to a woke corporation based in Burbank, California."

He's referring to how Disney spoke out against Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, derided by its critics as 'Don't Say Gay," which restricted classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. DeSantis and GOP lawmakers responded by stripping Disney's control of its special taxing district and giving it to the governor.

Disney filed a federal lawsuit, alleging the actions were retaliatory and in violation of its First Amendment rights, but a judge ruled against the company. The company dropped its appeal of that decision last month, the day after Disney and the special district announced a development deal.

Despite the heated litigation, the governor's office released a friendly statement about its future relationship at the time. But DeSantis, it was clear Tuesday, wasn't done taking jabs.

"We won that battle with the parents' rights bill," DeSantis said about one of his state's largest employers. "We also won the battle eliminating all the corporate welfare that they had, and the result is now, they want to build all these new parks, and they're going to end up paying us a lot more money than they would have before."

During the event, DeSantis not only touted what he had done but also hinted at the future: "On higher ed, we've got more that we're going to do."

DeSantis and the GOP legislative supermajority already have taken aim at what they accuse of being progressive indoctrination in the state's public colleges and universities. They have, for example, banned funding for state college and university diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

"You have professors that are not meeting the mission, and the mission of these universities is a classical mission of education," DeSantis said.

Also passed in Florida: the "Stop WOKE Act," a key provision of which limits discussion of race, gender and other topics in state university classrooms. That's currently blocked by the courts and awaiting a final appeals decision.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at far right, at an event hosted by Moms for Liberty on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Also on the panel, from left, were group co-founder Tiffany Justice, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.

DeSantis and Moms for Liberty have history

DeSantis wasn't the only one at the event from Florida, which has been at the forefront of a national debate over not only higher education but also what's taught and read in K-12 public schools.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples also spoke at the event, though on a different panel. So did Moms for Liberty co-founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, who also hail from the state, where they created the organization that has been at the head of what it calls a parental rights movement. Some critics, however, accuse the group and its local chapters of perpetuating a "culture war," while others even bash their work as a promotion of authoritarianism.

Moms for Liberty's ascent to national notoriety has mirrored DeSantis' in many ways, with their condemnations of COVID-19 restrictions catching conservative attention. The group has been closely aligned with the governor since its 2021 founding and, like DeSantis, has loudly advocated against classroom discussion of LGBTQ topics and critical race theory.

Some of the group's most headline-generating work has been the targeting of school library books its members deem inappropriate, leading to many titles being removed, especially in Florida. DeSantis himself advocated for and signed laws that opened the Florida floodgates for what critics call "book bans."

During DeSantis' panel, he was was joined by Justice, Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, one of the conservative groups behind Project 2025, a detailed plan to reshape the federal government if Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November.

While Republicans say they are striving for a tone of "unity" after the assassination attempt on former President Trump, that sentiment largely didn't make it into the Moms for Liberty co-founders' remarks.

"We are fighting for our country and the future of our children," Justice said at the beginning of the event. "And there were some people who told us, 'Oh, don't use that word fight, Tiffany. You don't want to be too volatile.' Well, they're coming after our kids. And we always talk about at Moms for Liberty that we're fighting with a smile on our face."

Descovich said that fight was in a "battle between good and evil" and "for the soul of our children": "The enemy wants to come between us and our children," she said. "Once that happens ... our families are done. Our communities are done. And our country is lost."

Justice went on to ask the panel if the attempt on Trump's life was partly driven by "years of labeling anyone who stands for freedom, like President Trump does, like we do, as a threat to democracy?"

"When that type of venom in our politics reaches this fever pitch where now you have incidents where you have one person trying to literally snuff out the life of another, that's when it's gone too far," Donalds said. "We can have our disagreements in politics ... but there is a respect and a tolerance we must have as Americans."

USA TODAY contributed. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis slams Disney again, promises more changes to higher education
DeSantis says Biden is unable to lead while calling for voters to support Trump at RNC

Several Florida lawmakers took center stage Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged his full support for former president Donald Trump while also condemning President Joe Biden.

DeSantis said America needs a full-time leader, and Biden cannot lead around the clock.

Read: Trump assassination attempt: Photos show cellphone, transmitter found next to shooters body

Trump watched and listened to the speeches of Republicans who once ran against him, including DeSantis.

Lets send Donald Trump back to the White House, DeSantis said.

Read: Trump assassination attempt: Secret Service says it did not sweep building where gunman was located

Desantis said during his speech that hes alarmed the current president cant handle the duties of office.

We need we need a commander in chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week. America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernies presidency, DeSantis said.

Read: JD Vance selected as Donald Trumps running mate; Trump officially nominated

He called on voters to not let the country down.

Donald Trump has been demonized. Hes been sued. Hes been prosecuted, and he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down, and we cannot let America down, DeSantis said.

See more in the video above.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
CANBERRA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have made a discovery they say could improve the effectiveness of drugs used to mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

In a study published on Wednesday, a team led by national science agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) compared levels of amyloid plaques, forebrain shrinking and cognitive decline in 475 Alzheimer's patients with varying levels of cognitive impairment.

The research discovered that atrophying, or shrinking, of the basal forebrain, a key region of the brain for memory and learning, could indicate the presence of Alzheimer's disease before symptoms occur.

Ying Xia, lead author of the study from the CSIRO's Australian e-Health Research Centre, said that early diagnosis is critical to manage the symptoms of Alzheimer's and that the findings could assist in the ongoing development of drugs to reduce the decline in brain function of patients.

"Currently, drugs available to manage cognitive decline in Alzheimer's are only effective in up to 30 percent of cases," she said in a media release.

"We think we can improve on that figure, by increasing our understanding of the role played by the system targeted by the current drug treatment regimes."

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die, affecting memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for up to 70 percent of cases globally according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Xia said the new discovery could assist the development of drugs currently undergoing regulatory approval that clear amyloid plaques, abnormal clusters of protein fragments that are characteristic features of Alzheimer's, from the brain.

The plaques build up between nerve cells in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, disrupting communication and causing inflammation and cell damage.

Xia said the new drugs to clear plaques were promising but that it is not yet known whether targeting them addresses the underlying cause of memory and attention decline. 
Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told convention-goers Wednesday. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took his push to eventually become the partys presidential nominee to the Iowa Republican Party on Wednesday during a speech on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took his push to eventually become the partys presidential nominee to the Iowa Republican Party on Wednesday during a speech on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remain the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe that Biden would remain the Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying  I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. (Jennifer Shutt | States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took his push to eventually become the partys presidential nominee to the Iowa Republican Party on Wednesday during a speech on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be [on the] mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
lorida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took his push to eventually become the partys presidential nominee to the Iowa Republican Party on Wednesday during a speech on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeStantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to the Iowa Republican Party Wednesday on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan, possibly showing his interest in another bid for the presidency.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to the Iowa Republican Party Wednesday on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan, possibly showing his interest in another bid for the presidency.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.

Hinson talks goals

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said that as the mom of a 13-year-old, who could end up fighting for our country in a few years, she is especially interested in policies that focus on deterrence and protecting the United States.

We have some work to do, but I think were fired up to do it because we know whats at stake, she said.

Hinson also spoke about her primary goals in Congress, including reducing government spending, promoting rural issues and safety and security.

The Iowa delegation to the RNC also held an event Tuesday at the Pabst Mansion that featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas and Vivek Ramaswamy, another unsuccessful presidential candidate.
CAPTION: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the Iowa Republican Party during a luncheon at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the Republican National Convention. Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom.

MILWAUKEE  Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to the Iowa Republican Party Wednesday on the terrace of an Italian-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan, possibly showing his interest in another bid for the presidency.

During his 10 minutes of remarks, DeSantis, who unsuccessfully challenged Donald Trump for the nomination this year, praised the policies that have been put forward by Iowa GOP lawmakers over the years and said he would be keeping an eye on the state for other ideas.

Iowa Republican delegates are especially important to any GOP politician who wants to win the Iowa caucuses, which remains the first-in-the-nation presidential contest for the party, although not for Democrats.

Youve had strong leadership in your state, starting with your governor, DeSantis said, referring to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But your legislature  they have done more during her tenure than most states do in decades.

Iowa state lawmakers, he said, should continue leading by example, before adding that Florida Republicans are not going to let you get ahead of us.

If you guys are doing good things that we havent done, Im going to follow through and do it, DeSantis said.

DeSantis bashes Biden

Speaking from the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Republican National Convention, DeSantis said he hopes that Democrats dont pull President Joe Biden as their presumptive nominee.

I hope and pray that they dont take that nomination away from him. We want him to be the Democratic nominee, DeSantis said to cheers and applause. And Im going to be rooting for him. I know, the knives are out.

Voters saw during the first presidential debate that Biden doesnt have what it takes to be president, he said.

If someone applied to be appointed to, like, a mosquito control board, and they had Bidens faculty, and they came and sat in my office and said they wanted to be (on the) mosquito control board, Id say, No, you cant do the job, DeSantis said. So he clearly is not going to be able to do the job and so thats good for us. Thats what we want.

As DeSantis spoke, an individual speaking on background told States Newsroom that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has pressed the Democratic National Committee to delay formally nominating Biden in a virtual roll call vote that is still expected to take place before the convention.

Schumer spoke with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and the two agreed on the delay, according to the individual.

Ernst doubts Biden will be nominee

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said during the event that she didnt believe Biden would stay Democrats presumptive presidential nominee for much longer and that GOP voters planning to watch the DNC Convention in August should get their popcorn ready.

For well over a year now when Im meeting with national political figures, when Im meeting with Iowans, I have been saying I do not think that President Biden is going to be the nominee, Ernst said. Now thats kind of coming to fruition.

Ernst referenced a survey from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released earlier in the day that showed about two-thirds of Democrats dont want to see Biden become their formal nominee for president.

Oh my gosh, folks, he is in a nosedive, Ernst said. And the sad thing is theyve dug in so deep at this point, how on Earth do they get rid of him?

Ernst praised Trumps decision to select Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, saying she believes that he will appeal to a demographic of young voters out there that maybe we havent tapped as much into.

I do think were going to be able to peel little by little people out of the Democratic Party, Ernst said. Maybe theyre not going to become Republicans, but certainly we found a way that they can support our Trump-Vance ticket.
Detroit Mother Pleads Guilty to Beating Her 3-Year-Old Son to Death, Storing Him in Her Freezer

A Detroit mother of three pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an incident so heinous even the police beyond shocked. Police say her arrest was a result from a grim discovery from her freezer.



Authorities from the Detroit Police Department say an anonymous tip made to Child Protectives Services in June 2022 led them to search the home of 33-year-old Azuradee France. Authorities say they discovered the remains of a 3-year-old boy located in a freezer in the basement. During an interview with France, Detroit Police Chief James White said she admitted the remains were that of her son, Chayse, and explained how he ended up there.

In a press conference, Detroit detective Ben Biddle said France told him her son, who was blind, frustrated her one fatal evening in March 2022 because he wouldnt eat. She told the detective she whipped him a belt and eventually kicked him in the chest. He then went to lay down but when she went to check on him the following morning, she told police he was unresponsive.

In fear her other two children would be taken away from her, Biddle said she decided not to call 911 but instead stuff the boys body in a bag and put it in the freezer. As her children cried over their sibling, France told them shed take care of it, Biddle said. It wasnt until three months later that police found him.

Assistant Wayne County Medical Examiner ruled the boys cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.

Shortly after Chayses body was discovered, France was arrested. She told detectives shed been abusing her son for several months leading up to his death, police said.

Last week, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The other charges of first-degree child abuse, torture and concealing a death were dismissed, per The Detroit News. In the terms of the plea agreement, France faces between 35 and 60 years in prison.

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Detroit wants to change its rental ordinance: What to know.

In Detroit  where a majority of the housing stock is older and many are in need of maintenance and repairs  only 10% of rental homes have passed inspections that the city requires.

City officials want to amend the city's rental ordinance to make it easier for landlords to bring properties into compliance, crack down on landlords with repeat violations and revamp a program that allows tenants to put their rent payments into an escrow account if their home isn't safe.

The city of Detroit's Law Department prepared an ordinance amendment at the request of At Large Council Member Mary Waters. The proposal was referred to Detroit City Council's Public Health and Safety Standing Committee.

"The point here is to create more quality and safe housing for Detroit residents by making sure that we have more compliant landlords," said David Bowser, deputy director of the city of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department.

Bowser said the Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine, which allows people to report landlords, has seen residents "overwhelmingly" dealing with issues at their properties, forcing them to leave their homes. As of early July, the hotline received more than 970 callers concerned about property conditions. The city has been helping to relocate people while also looking into the policy side of rental conditions.

Here are some takeaways from the proposed changes:

Cracking down on negligent landlords

Over the past five years, the city has issued 100,000 blight tickets, but struggles to collect on those fines. According to a comprehensive March report from the national nonprofit Center for Community Progress, the city has collected less than 20% of blight violation fines owed.

"We collect on a very small fraction of the tickets and for tickets that aren't collected, there's not really an effective penalty," said Andrea Taverna, director of policy and implementation for the mayors office.

The proposed ordinance would increase some fines and add penalties to bolster enforcement.

For instance, it would increase the penalty for an owner who fails to obtain a certificate of compliance from $250 for the first offense to $400, from $500 to $650 for the second offense and from $1,000 to $1,150 for subsequent violations.

The draft ordinance would allow the city to file a lien on a property for unpaid tickets if a landlord doesn't get into compliance  a new provision officials hope will give more teeth to the ticketing process.

Revamping escrow program for tenants

The proposal would change the eligibility for Detroit's escrow program, which allows tenants to set aside rent money if a property doesn't meet safety and health standards, and doesn't have a certificate of compliance.

The current program is difficult to use, according to the city. Since it began in 2018, 138 renters in total have enrolled in the program with fewer than 20 using it each year. Only 12% of applicants were recently eligible.

The program currently requires an applicant to live in a single-family home or duplex and provide a written lease that is not month-to-month, proof of rental payments, identification card and utility bill. They must not have any pending litigation, such as an eviction case.

"It has to be adjusted for the realities that Detroit residents face," Bowser said. Many Detroiters may not have IDs or a written lease, he said. The amended ordinance would ease some eligibility requirements for residence type, written lease, proof of payment and ID policies.

Under the proposal, the program would move from the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) to the Housing and Revitalization Department, shifting staff around to ramp up capacity to process applications and follow up with residents who apply to the escrow program.

Streamlining compliance pathway for landlords

Detroit Future City estimates that there are more than 82,000 rental properties. As of the end of last year, 8,731 properties had a certificate of compliance.

City officials want to make it easier for landlords to comply with inspections and provide safe and quality housing. The current process is cumbersome and expensive, particularly for "mom-and-pop" landlords  owners with one or two properties, who account for the vast majority of Detroit landlords.

"Those costs are either passed down to residents or compliance is never achieved at all," Bowser said.

The cost to bring a single family rental into compliance can range from $942 to $1,267 and can take up to a year, according to the Center for Community Progress report.

Currently, there are two separate property inspections  for the condition of the home and lead safety. The proposal would combine the inspections. It also seeks to reduce fees from more than $1,000 paid to the city and inspectors to an annual fee of less than $150 to the city for rental program costs.

The plan would also target 15 core health and safety inspection measures, including ensuring that the electrical system is working, that there is hot and cold running water and that plumbing fixtures don't leak. The current 37-point checklist takes into account cosmetic requirements not directly related to safety such as exterior grass or plant growth above 8 inches and graffiti violations.

"We are not jeopardizing people's health and safety by simplifying these measures," Bowser said. "We're making this certificate of compliance process more accessible to Detroit landlords, thereby making housing conditions safer for residents."

The city wants to bring rental compliance from the current 10% to 20% to 30% within the next year or two after the proposal is approved.

"We know landlords want to participate," Bowser.

Lead inspection changes

The current lead inspection takes four to seven hours. The proposal seeks to implement what officials regarded as a nationally recognized lead safety model targeting the most common cause of lead poisoning, such as damaged lead paint, which creates lead dust. Taverna cited lead inspection standards in Grand Rapids, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the states of Maryland and New Jersey.

Detroit's lead requirement is stringent for landlords and stands in the way of complying with rental requirements, the Center for Community Progress report found. The proposed changes to the inspections would include a visual assessment and dust wipe. It takes away the requirement for an initial lead inspection and risk assessment upon rental registration, referred to as LIRA, according to the draft ordinance.

But Lyke Thompson, a political science professor at Wayne State University, raised concerns about what he said are scaled-back lead testing requirements.

"This proposal will radically reduce the testing of lead in homes and this will lead to more children having elevated blood lead levels and that is the problem. And it will substitute a low quality of testing for a very rigorous testing that they have right now," he said.

In 2021, Detroit reduced how often landlords must check lead hazard levels in their properties, scaling back inspection requirements from every three years to annually, worrying activists and residents.

Free Press staff writer Dana Afana contributed to this report.

Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @NushratR.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit wants to change its rental ordinance: What to know.
A sign marks the entrance to the Dickinson State University campus. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

Negotiations are taking place to resolve the nursing faculty mass resignation at Dickinson State University, North Dakota University System chancellor Mark Hagerott said Wednesday.

Hagerott, speaking in a meeting of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, said the situation may be resolved as early as today.

All seven faculty members of the Dickinson State nursing program resigned July 10 in a contract dispute.

University President Stephen Easton announced Monday that he is quitting and wrote that the only realistic option is for us to hire back the former faculty that created the entire problem by resigning their positions at DSU.

The nursing thing is in the process of being resolved, Hagerott said. We probably cant say much more about the contract negotiations.

Hagerott said he planned to visit Dickinson on Thursday.

The North Dakota State Board of Nursing said more than 111 students would be affected by the faculty resignations.

The most important thing is the fall, students returning, knowing Dickinson is a great place to go to school, Hagerott said.

Hagerott voiced his support for Easton and sought to dispel rumors that the president had been fired.

No announcements have been made about a successor for Easton.

In an email Tuesday to Dickinson State faculty, Faculty Senate President Shayne Wittkopp said administrators had presented a plan to bring back the nursing faculty and preserve our nursing program.

DSU is hurting right now and healing will take time, but in order for that healing to take place, we have to put away our knives and start to work together, Wittkopp said.

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ABIDJAN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The revising of the electoral list in Cote d'Ivoire will start on Sept. 30 and continue for almost a month to end on Oct. 31, the country's Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) announced on Tuesday.

Making the announcement at an awareness session for Ivorian students, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, the president of the CEI, urged those who are eligible to register massively on the electoral list, noting that the status of an elector is a fundamental right that allows one to participate in politics.

While pleading for a high participation rate, the CEI president expressed his hope that the election will be peaceful, credible, and free of violence.

The country's presidential election is scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. 
Did Lee Greenwood sing at the Republican National Convention? Tennessee artist returns to the RNC stage

Lee Greenwood performs with Sixwire during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum.

It might have seemed like a bit of deja vu on Thursday as Lee Greenwood once again sang at the Republican National Convention with fellow Tennesseans Sixwire before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took the stage.

Greenwood brought back his song " God Bless the USA" on Thursday night as Trump took the stage of the RNC for the first time to accept the presidential nomination. Trump praised Greenwood saying, "what a great talent," as the Nashville vocalist finished his song.

On Tuesday, Greenwood sang "Holdin' a Good Hand" after already using his well-known hit "God Bless the USA" on Monday when former President Trump made his first public appearance since a shooting at his Pennsylvania rally that left him and two others injured, and another man dead.

The song was the only one that Greenwood sang on Tuesday, before closing out with, "Let's re-elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United States."

On Monday, Greenwood had even more to say.

"Prayer works. This nation based on faith. Prayer works. Because He was sure, as Donald Trump turned his head just slightly, that the bullet missed him just enough to save his life to be the next president of the United States," Greenwood said.

Greenwood, a Nashville area country musician whose hit song God Bless the USA inspired a Bible with a similar namesake and also a longtime Trump supporter, continued to speak as he sang Monday. Calling on the convention to remember what they were there for, to get Trump reelected in November.

"You will not take this man down. He has the courage, the strength and he will be the next president of the United States," Greenwood said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Did Lee Greenwood sing at the Republican convention?
'They did nothing': Mom of boy who reported rape at Wayne Co. juvenile jail wants justice

The first phone call came with little detail the morning of March 15, 2023: Her son was hurt at Wayne County's juvenile jail and had been rushed to Children's Hospital. Stay put and wait for more information, detention staffers told her.

Several hours passed. Then medical personnel called that evening and shared the extent of her 12-year-old's condition: injuries to his eye, stiches for a gash on his head and his report that other youths had sexually assaulted him.

After a sleepless night of numbness and worry, it would be nearly 24 hours from the first call before she was allowed to see and then pick up her son from the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center, following a judge's sign-off on his release.

Once he came out I had a sense of relief but I could tell that he  wasnt the same, said the mother, whom the Detroit Free Press is not naming to protect the identity of her son.

They just let him out, gave me a bag of medication and sent him on his way.  They didnt handle it at all. I would think as a parent, they could have stepped up and tried to make it better. They could have gave me some type of counseling resources. They did nothing.

A mother, whose son reported he was sexually assaulted and beaten while being detained at Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center, comes forward to speak out, at her lawyer Cary McGehee's office in Royal Oak, Mich. on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The mother filed a federal lawsuit stating Wayne County, its Executive Warren Evans and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel, along with others, violated her son's constitutional rights, including protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The Free Press is not identifying the woman to protect her son's privacy. Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press

In her first interview with the Free Press since filing a federal lawsuit last week against county and state officials, the mother said she wants "justice" for children in the facility.

Her lawsuit, filed by attorney Cary McGehee, maintains Wayne County, its Executive Warren Evans and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel, along with others, violated her son's constitutional rights, including protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

More: Mom of boy who says he was raped at Wayne Co. juvenile jail sues county, state officials

It accuses officials of not properly supervising youths and putting her son in a unit with older residents, including an 18-year-old and at least one other juvenile who had a history of criminal sexual conduct. She is suing for more than $1 million in damages.

Whatever they did, they dont deserve that type of treatment in there," the mother said. "They go in there for protection. They go in there to learn. They go in there to try to be better. And they come out mentally  destroyed.

The Free Press has reported since 2022 on the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center's problems with overcrowding and understaffing, creating conditions critics have called inhumane. The Free Press first reported on the boy's alleged rape in March 2023.

More: Problems we found at the Wayne County juvenile jail

Officials with Wayne County said on Tuesday they had not been served with the lawsuit and had no comment. Officials with MDHHS said last week they had no comment on pending litigation.

An official with the Michigan State Police said last week that they are still investigating the incident, which could include criminal charges for the youths who allegedly assaulted the boy.

The boy told police he was punched, stomped in the head and raped in the facility in separate incidents off and on over several hours. A state investigation found fault with staffers and the county forced six out of their jobs. Parts of the assaults were caught on camera but not the alleged sexual assault in a room, according to the state report.

The incident prompted the county's Evans to declare a health emergency at the county-run detention facility. Evans has said this spring that steps have been taken to improve conditions, including adding more in-house mental health treatment, hiring about 100 new staffers and boosting pay 35%, funded through a $10 million budget increase.

Cary McGehee is representing a mother, whose son reported he was sexually assaulted and beaten while being detained at Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center. The mother is suing county and state officials, saying they created a "sexually hostile detention environment where the predictable but preventable happened". Both were photographed at McGehee's office in Royal Oak, Mich. on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Free Press is not identifying the woman to protect her son's privacy. Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press

But state officials said earlier this year they intended to downgrade the facility to a "second provisional license," which could ultimately lead to license revocation. Evans has faulted state officials in the past for a shortage of long-term centers in Michigan where youths can be treated after they have been ordered there by courts, causing juveniles to languish at the county facility, which is designed for short-term stays.

The woman's son, now 14 years old, is in a residential treatment facility. One of the toughest parts was not being able to be with him in the hospital immediately after the assaults when "he needed me," she said. After getting home, it took him about two days before he could talk with her about the details, she said.

More: Boy, 12, may have been sexually assaulted at troubled Wayne County juvenile jail

The mother said she still doesn't understand why her son was grouped with older residents.

I am still at a loss today," she said. "I dont understand how a 12-year-old would get put with 18-year-olds that is already fighting sexual assault cases."

"Regardless of what these kids did to get put in there, if they are not going to protect these children, they need to shut down that facility."

County officials said after the incident that juveniles were being grouped by age and alleged offense.

There have been other allegations of sexual assault at the facility since then, including two separate incidents involving adults. One county staffer was charged in one case. In a separate investigation a state staffer was arrested but no charges were filed because of a "insufficient evidence," prosecutors said.

Another alleged sexual assault involving two youths occurred June 12, 2023 in a closet in an unlocked medical room at the facility. In that incident, one youth said he was forced to have sex with the other youth, according to his interview with a state investigator.

Sheriff deputies tried to interview one of the youths with a "Kids Talk" forensic interviewer at a different residential facility, but he told them "he wasn't going to talk about that," according to Wayne County Sheriff's Office records obtained by the Free Press through the Freedom of Information Act.

The investigators wrote in the report after the attempted interview that there wasn't enough evidence to file charges in that case.

Contact Christine MacDonald: cmacdonald@freepress.com or 313-418-2149. Follow her on X: @cmacfreep.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mom of boy who reported Wayne County juvenile jail rape wants 'justice'
What did Tom Cotton and Sarah Huckabee Sanders say at the RNC?

Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Sen. Tom Cotton, former vice presidential hopefuls, took to the stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

As expected, both strongly endorsed former President and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and decried President Joe Bidens job performance.

They seemed to make the case that the interests of women and immigrants, both groups that generally tend to align with the Democratic party, are better off represented by Republicans.

More: RNC live coverage: What time does the RNC start tonight? Who are the night 3 speakers?

What did Tom Cotton say at the RNC?

Cottons five-minute speech focused relatively narrowly on immigration and his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

He opened with a story about a Mexican-American housepainter named Manuel who, he said, told Cotton that he and his siblings prospered under the Trump administration.

With Trump, weve had more work than ever. Things are good, Cotton quoted him as saying.

After Joe Biden and the border czar, Kamala Harris, reversed President Trumps immigration policies and welcomed the Third World invasion, I traveled to our border, Cotton said.

He described talking to migrants huddled under a bridge who, according to Cotton, said they had come to the U.S. not because of persecution but because they could get in to the country for work.

Cottons flight home from the border to Arkansas at the end of his trip was full of these migrants, and you, all of you, paid for their tickets, he said, pointing outwards to boos from the audience.

A Trump sign is illuminated ahead of Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 17, 2024.

He used the issue of immigration and asylum to draw a stark contrast between Trump and Biden.

Donald Trump said you cant have a nation without borders, he said, and that he banned travel to America from terrorist-infested countries.

Joe Biden thinks borders are racist, he said, and gave migrants welfare, free hotels and more.

He closed his speech by saying that to elect Biden would be to choose chaos.

What did Sarah Huckabee Sanders say at the RNC?

Sanders speech was more than twice as long as Cottons, and she seemed to take a much more personal, heartfelt approach. She began with an anecdote about taking her young son to the White House, where Trump bent down and tried to hug the child.

Later, she spoke about a time when Trump supported her after she was attacked by TV pundits, painting a warmer and more nurturing image of the former president than is often seen in the media.

Thank you, Mr. President, she said. Thats the Donald Trump that I know.

Early on, Sanders went topical, addressing Saturdays attempt on Trumps life.

Not even an assassins bullet could stop him, she said. God almighty intervened because America is one nation under God, and he is certainly not finished with President Trump.

She hammered the point that the country was better off under the former administration.

President Trump did the job that Kamala wont, she said, mispronouncing the vice presidents first name, and Joe Biden simply cant.

The left doesnt care about empowering women, she said, repeating a line she has used at appearances in her home state. Biden and Harris cant even tell you what a woman is.

We have a president (Trump) who believes in empowering every American, she said.

She also touted some of her accomplishments in Arkansas, including sending National Guard troops to the U.S. Mexico border, introducing a voucher program to fund private and religious schools with taxpayer dollars, and crack(ing) down on crime and drugs.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Tom Cotton and Sarah Huckabee Sanders RNC speeches, recapped
Did tornado touch down in Bucks County? When will power come back on in Upper Black Eddy

Thousands are still without power in Bucks County on Wednesday after a brief but powerful thunderstorm tore through the region Tuesday evening. Upper Bucks seemed to be hit hardest, and one family saw two trees crash down on their home.

Parts of Durham Township may be in the dark until Friday night, according to the township's Facebook page. Other areas of Upper Bucks can expect to see power restored throughout the day Wednesday, according to estimates provided by PPL.

It had started raining, and all of a sudden the wind started to pick up and I got a bad feeling and hightailed it to the basement. I just made it down there when the first tree hit our house and then I heard the second tree hit, said Marcia Nadeau, who lives in a ranch home on a 10-acre wooded lot on Marienstein Road in Upper Black Eddy.

When will my power come back on?

More than 2,000 buildings remained without power in Upper Bucks County on Wednesday morning. County officials said restoration may not occur until Friday at 11 p.m. for some residents, according to a Ready Bucks County public alert.

Palisades Regional Fire Rescues Station 49 at 249 Durham Road in Ottsville, Station 94 at 49 Park Drive East in Nockamixon and Station 40 at 3010 PA-212 in Springtown are open Wednesday to those needing power or water for their family and pets. Station 40 in Springtown will only be open until 5 p.m.

Additional cooling and charging stations can be found at the following locations:

Nockamixon Township Building: 589 Lake Warren Road, Upper Black Eddy; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Colonial Woods Campground: 545 Lonely Cottage Road, Upper Black Eddy; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Riegelsville Borough Hall: 615 Easton Road, Riegelsville

Was it a tornado in Bucks County Pa?

The wind damage was caused not by a tornado, but a microburst, according to Ray Martin at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

A tree fell on top of a home on Marienstein Road in Upper Black Eddy, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, when a severe thunderstorm passed through the region causing widespread wind damage.

The thunderstorm that rolled in with cool air Tuesday evening dropped extremely quickly, due to the excessive heat in the area. This led to widespread wind damage.

Tinicum Township Police Department reported multiple road closures Tuesday night, as downed trees and telephone poles scattered the area. An alert from Bucks County asked motorists to avoid Upper Black Eddy and Erwinna and said crews were enroute to clear damage.

"Tinicum Township has significant damage to major power lines, and substations following last night storm. Several roadways in the Erwinna and Upper Black Eddy area are in impassable," the message read.

In Upper Black Eddy, residents took to Facebook Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, sharing the toll of last night's damaging winds, including Nadeau's property on Marienstein Road that sustained severe damage when multiple trees were uprooted.

A tree fell on top of a home on Marienstein Road in Upper Black Eddy, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, when a severe thunderstorm passed through the region causing widespread wind damage.

The two large oak trees, which Nadeau said were about 4-feet in diameter at the base, had fallen through the roof, causing the ceiling to come down in three rooms and water damage throughout the home. Around the property, she said several more trees were uprooted and a few had been snapped.

"Were probably going to be displaced for a while," she added.

Others shared photos depicting streets, like Rock Ridge and Boulder roads, covered in debris and tree snapped in half at their trunks.

Another Bucks County storm could hit tonight

A similar storm could hit the same area today, according to the National Weather Service.

Bucks and Montgomery counties are under an excessive heat warning, with a heat index that could make it feel like 105 degrees outside. There is also a chance of thunderstorms early this evening. Wind is the most common culprit for thunderstorm-related damage, Martin said.

The heat warning is in effect through 8 tonight, and the weather service cautioned that "heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events."

Officials urged residents to hydrate, wear light clothing outside, limit outdoor activities and never leave children or pets unattended in hot cars. "Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes," the NWS said.

Bucks County has been under an excessive heat warning since Monday. The heat is expected to break Wednesday night, with highs in the 80s and low 90s for the rest of the week.

Metropolitian Edison Co outages in Upper Black Eddy

To check on an outage from Metropolitian Edison Co, also known as FirstEnergy, click here.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Did Bucks County storm spin tornado? When will my power come back on
MACON, Ga. (WJBF)  A Venezuelan man has pleaded guilty to possessing a fraudulent green card in federal court this week.

In a statement released by the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Diego Ibarra pleaded guilty on two counts of possession of a fraudulent document on July 15. He faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. His sentencing date is scheduled for Oct. 7.

Ibarras sibling, Argenis Ibarra, and former roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, also of Venezuela, were federally indicted with two counts each of possession of fraudulent document. They too face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, if found guilty.

Ibarras brother, Jose Ibarra, is the man accused of allegedly murdering Augusta University nursing student, Laken Riley, back in February of this year.

Jose Ibarra has pled not guilty in the case.

Defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Democratic party officials are growing increasingly defensive over their nominee  with the party's national chair getting pulled into a fight with a prominent polling commentator on social media.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison sparred on Tuesday with journalist Nate Silver on X after he accused Harrison and the DNC of blatantly lying about the reason behind its plan to move up its formal nominating process for President Joe Biden.

I put my trust in our legal team who make a living understanding these laws and processes & not in the pollster who promised us the red wave, Harrison wrote on X.

Harrison's social media posts with Silver became heated at times, ending with a declaration from the official: Im done with this back and forth.

Silver and Harrison did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Biden's disastrous debate performance has led to some members of the party exploring the nooks and crannies of its bureaucratic nomination procedures as the party's prospect's in November look increasingly grim. Biden has repeatedly insisted he is remaining in the race, even as a chorus of criticism about him as a candidate grows louder.

The party had begun exploring a virtual roll call option when it looked like Ohio's ballot deadline, slated for Aug. 7, might risk leaving Biden off the ticket. Ohio is not considered in play for Democrats, but the DNC decided to play it safe and hold a virtual roll call ahead of the deadline anyway.

But the fight over the virtual roll call has taken on a new tenor as Democrats are openly debating whether to replace Biden on the presidential ticket.

The discussion of moving up the roll call prompted a revolt among House Democrats  who begun working behind the scenes on a letter to the DNC this week to ask the party to delay the vote. The DNC later moved the roll call, originally slated for the end of July, and said voting would not happen before Aug. 1  prompting frustrated House Democrats to stand down from their pressure campaign.

But one of the points of contention Harrison got into with Silver is if the virtual roll call is necessary in the first place. After Democrats expressed concern about being left off the ballot, the Ohio legislature moved its ballot access deadline to after the Democratic Party convention, eliminating the need to hold an early vote rather than the customary one at the convention.

Several commentators, including Silver, questioned the reason for the roll call and suggested it might be the party trying to force Democrats to coalesce behind Biden even if he is headed for a loss in November.

Beyond Harrisons quarrel with Silver and other pundits, polling numbers indicate Democrats more broadly are losing faith in Biden. A new poll released Wednesday showed nearly two in three Democrats say Biden should end his reelection campaign, and nearly half say they are not confident in his mental capability of serving as president.

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 65 percent of surveyed Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race, while 48 percent of Democrats say they are not very or not at all confident in his mental capability to serve.

More troublingly: Only 18 percent of all surveyed Americans said they think he can win in November.

The AP-NORC poll was conducted July 11-15, surveying 1,253 American adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The Democratic National Committee is moving ahead with its plan to nominate Joe Biden ahead of Democratic National Convention in Chicago next monthand not everyone is happy about it.



Over the past week, Democrats have fought over the possibility and timeline of a virtual nomination of Biden ahead of the convention, accusing party insiders of trying to fast-track a roll-call vote.

It seems as though the Democratic National Committee is sticking to its plan to proceed with a virtual roll call for the nomination, but will operate on a slower timeline than some members of the party feared. The committee said Wednesday that the process will begin no earlier than August 1, though it will end before the Democratic convention starts on August 19. In a letter obtained by Politico, DNC co-chairs Leah Daughtry and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said they will determine exactly how to move forward at a Friday meeting.

We know that the Republican Party and its affiliated groups, like Project 2025 author The Heritage Foundation, plan on filing all conceivable legal challenges to the Democratic Partys nominees, Daughtry and Walz wrote. Having enough time to finalize our nominees and make sure they are on ballots around the country is critical. That is the driving reason for conducting a virtual voting process.

The plan for a virtual roll call was introduced in May over concerns that Biden would not be able to appear on Ohios ballot thanks to a technical law that has since been changed. But following Bidens disastrous debate performance, the rushing of the nomination has kicked off infighting in Democratic circles.



Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is reportedly pushing for the DNC to push its virtual roll call.



Another critical voice is Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett, who was the first Democratic member of Congress to publicly call for Biden to step down. Doggett warned the DNC Wednesday to drop the idea of a virtual roll call. My call for President Biden to step aside remains even more urgent, he said. Our decision must consider the reality of steadily worsening poll numbers, not just more wishful thinking. The risk of Trump tyranny is so great that we must put forward our strongest nominee.

Earlier this week, members of Congress, led by Representative Jared Huffman, were circulating a draft letter arguing that Bidens nomination should take place at the convention, as is standard practice. There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month, the Democrats warned. Since the letter from the DNC co-chairs, Huffman has said he will not send the letter for now.
The Democratic Party may prematurely squash internal debate about President Joe Bidens fitness. Jaime Harrison, the first Black person to lead the South Carolina Democratic Party and the current Democratic National Committee chair, should find a way to let the sometimes-ugly squabble go on longer.

Full disclosure: I believe Biden should allow Vice President Kamala Harris to become the presidential nominee, with maybe Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joining the ticket. Biden hasnt convinced the public  or his own party  that he is healthy enough to run the type of campaign needed to beat Donald Trump.

Issac Bailey

Loyalty to Biden should not be prioritized over preventing a man who incited a violent insurrection attempt from regaining power.

The DNC is considering making Bidens nomination official, possibly by the end of this month or a few weeks before its August 19-24 convention. If they do it virtually, it would all but ensure Biden will be the nominee. He was already in a strong position. Biden would have to free his delegates to not be the nominee, something he says he wont do.

Axios obtained an email from Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a Biden delegate from Maryland. She wrote to fellow state delegates: Behind the scenes, people at the Biden campaign and DNC are working to put in the fix. Put simply, they are trying to shut down the process earlier. We cant allow it.

Harrison said on X that the pre-convention process was set in place in May to avoid a weird Ohio ballot deadline that has been partially rectified but wont go into effect until Sept. 1.

We look forward to nominating Joe Biden through a virtual roll call and celebrating with fanfare together in Chicago in August alongside the 99 percent of delegates who are supporting the Biden-Harris ticket, Harrison told Axios.

No matter the technicalities, shutting down the debate at the end of July could fracture an already-stressed party. The incumbent party often fears harming a presidents reelection prospects so it didnt have a robust primary. Biden was barely challenged. His most ardent supporters use that to argue against calls for him to step aside.

Democrats received vital new information during Bidens first debate, though. Reporting has provided even more. Democrats didnt know Biden would have one of the most incoherent debate performances of the modern era, or that theyd have to hold their breath every time he opens his mouth hoping there is no repeat.

They didnt know insiders have been raising concerns about Bidens mental acuity for a while now, concerns largely ignored by top Biden advisors. Even before the debate, more than two-thirds of Democrats polled by the Associated Press in August 2023 thought Biden was too old to run again.

Thats why many Democrats are calling for Biden to step aside. They dont dislike the man. They just dont believe he can win. They arent convinced he can avoid another incoherent performance. Even if he can, he seems capable of only marginal performances at best, which wouldnt be good enough to turn the tide in a race where most polls show Biden trailing, though within the margin of error.

Biden has had a highly productive presidency that includes the best job creation record of any first-term president; the cancellation of hundreds of billions in student loan debt (which Republicans are challenging in court); bringing down drug prices; and steering us out of the COVID crisis. He also brought a sense of decency and calm back to the White House after four years of indecency and chaos.

This isnt about what Biden has done. Its about what he can do. Persistent and legitimate questions about his health make him a less than ideal candidate. If he remains on the ticket, the debate among Democrats can serve as a kind of primary during which Biden must convince Democrats he is up to the job.

It would be unwise for Harrison to let that debate shut down early.

Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion writer in North and South Carolina.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A man who is accused of shooting and killing his father on July 4th at Red Sands was involved in a large fight that night and his father was shot while trying to get involved in helping his son, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

Jair Navarro, 21, was arrested on Friday, July 12 by U.S. marshals in the shooting death of his father, 39-year-old Arturo Navarro, according to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office. Arturo Navarro died on July 7 from a gunshot wound to the head, the Sheriffs Office said.

Video obtained by Sheriffs deputies showed a large fight going on shortly before midnight at the popular off-road recreational vehicle site in East El Paso County.

The victim was seen on video attempting to pull the suspect, later identified as his son Jair Navarro, away from the altercation.

Later, the suspect is seen in the video getting punched by an unknown male subject, according to court documents.

The suspect is then seen pointing a handgun in the direction of the male who punched him, according to court documents.

The victim is then seen lunging at the male who punched the suspect, his son. At this point, the victim is between the suspect and the unknown male, according to court documents. The victim is then seen falling to the ground and trying to get up.

A muzzle flash was seen on the video coming from the suspects gun, according to court documents.

One of the first people on the scene, a volunteer with Texas Rescue Patrol, contacted several witnesses who pointed out the people involved in the shooting. The Texas Rescue Patrol volunteer tried to make contact but the individuals got into a vehicle.

The individuals ignored the Texas Rescue Patrol volunteers commands and sped off, according to court documents. The volunteer had drawn his weapon but his commands were ignored, according to court documents.

Marked Sheriffs Office vehicles also attempted to stop the vehicle, according to court documents.

The fleeing vehicle lost its pursuit in the desert but the vehicle was later discovered when a homeowner called police to report a vehicle on their property that did not belong to them.

Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit used video, witness statements and social media posts to track down the suspect. One of the suspects relatives also identified Jair Navarro to law enforcement when shown a still photo taken off the video from the night of the shooting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Before scandal, Fresno chief riled officers with plan to upend schedules. What now?

Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

Before Fresnos police chief announced his coming resignation following allegations of an inappropriate relationship, he had big plans to change police patrol schedules to create what he called a more efficient system with faster call response times.

Despite employing the largest-ever police force in the citys history, with 926 approved sworn officer positions and 860 filled, the citys patrol staff is relatively understaffed compared to major police departments nationwide.

The proposed changes would take an excess of 50 cops working on Wednesdays  which research shows tend to be lower crime days  and distribute that personnel into more intense weekend and evening shifts when more police are sometimes needed. The innovative schedule is something that no other police department is using in the country, Balderrama said during a June budget presentation to City Council.

Balderramas proposed reform has the potential to reduce overtime costs, affecting officers take-home pay, too. Over the past three years, the city has been steadily reducing its overtime budget and expenses in the police department from $6.3 million in 2022 to a proposed $3.3 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

But the chiefs proposed changes were unpopular with rank-and-file officers. The issue was evidently so contentious that it contributed to low morale even before news broke of the chiefs affair with the wife of an officer and former union leader, Jordan Wamhoff, multiple sources told The Bee. The Fresno police patrol schedule was also a big area of contention in the last round of contract negotiations.

Its not immediately clear how Balderramas resignation, effective July 25, might impact any potential plans for reforming the patrol schedule. Deputy Chief Mindy Casto will serve as interim chief while the city conducts a national search.

One thing is clear: Balderrama said during his June budget presentation that changing the patrol schedule was really my big goal for this next year.

The citys personnel team is currently negotiating the patrol schedule with the police union in ongoing contract talks. The last contract expired in June.

The Fresno Bee requested an interview with Balderrama and city officials participating in contract negotiations through City of Fresno Spokesperson Sontaya Rose. Instead, Rose answered The Bees questions on the citys behalf.

She said she couldnt comment on the specifics of Balderramas proposal, but confirmed that the chief had proposed a new model to reduce overlap and the number of officers scheduled to work patrol on Wednesdays.

The existing schedule was negotiated into the Fresno Police Officers Associations Memorandum of Understanding contract with the City of Fresno several decades ago, Rose said.

As a result, any changes to this schedule must be made through contract negotiations, she said.

Brandon Wiemiller, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association declined to comment for this story, citing the ongoing negotiations.

Balderrama said in June he was very, very hopeful these changes would be better for officers and the community because with more officers on patrol during higher demand shifts, officers can spend more time on proactive patrol rather than running from call to call trying to keep up, he told the City Council.

If we are able to negotiate with the union and come out with a more equitable and more efficient patrol shift, thats going to put more cops on the streets every day, every shift, every district, and youre going to see more citations, Balderrama said. Why? Because cops arent going to be just bothered by (going from) call to call to call. Theyre going to be free to actually enforce the law.

The Bee submitted a Public Records Act Request with the city of Fresno for the current patrol schedule and assignments and other records related to the proposed changes. The city is currently reviewing the records for any applicable exemptions and is expected to provide a response by July 31.

Specifics of Balderramas patrol idea

Balderrama said a working group was formed to analyze other types of shift schedules that would put more cops on the street on any given day; allow for more time off; increase officer safety and shorten police call response times.

On Wednesdays, we have a very unreasonable excess of police officers, sometimes plus 50 police officers on Wednesday nights. Not very effective, not very efficient, Balderrama said at a June 5 budget hearing presentation to Fresno City Council.

As a result, officers tend to take Wednesday off for personal matters, such as birthdays or anniversaries, he said.

Balderrama proposed a new hybrid platoon shift that would distribute the overage of approximately 50 cops on Wednesday and disperse them across the rest of the week so that there would be 25 more cops on patrol shift at any given time of the week.

How does Fresno police patrol compare to other agencies?

As of July 2024, there are 324 dedicated patrol cops out of Fresno PDs 860 sworn officers, according to department spokesperson Lt. Bill Dooley. There are 926 budgeted sworn officer positions in the citys 2024-25 fiscal year budget.

It is important to note, however, that officers assigned to Patrol are not the only officers that respond to calls for service, Dooley said in an email. Officers in special units also handle patrol calls for service, he said.

Part of Balderramas proposed schedule change would be to get more patrol officers on the street at any given time.

According to a November 2022 U.S. Department of Justice analysis of local police departments nationwide, about 60%, or 6 in 10 full-time sworn officers, had a primary job responsibility within patrol as of 2020.

A 2013 analysis published by the International City/County Management Association recommends as a general guideline that approximately 60 percent the total number of sworn officers should be assigned to the patrol function. (However, experts say there are other methods to determine patrol staffing needs that consider other factors.)

As a minimum, the ICMA recommends at least 32% of a departments total sworn officers should work patrol.

Fresnos current dedicated patrol officers comprise about 38% of total sworn officers.

What about Fresno PD special units?

Some officers are pulled off patrol for special assignments, Balderrama said in his June presentation.

For instance, last year, Fresno PD received a state grant to form an Organized Retail Theft task force, which will include 25 dedicated officers when fully staffed, according to his presentation.

Typically, when we pull people (for special units), we pull them from patrol, Balderrama said.

He explained that because of the staffing requirements of the grant, the department owes 15 police officers to its five policing districts, or three per district, Balderrama said.

The last thing I want to do is cause a deficit in patrol.

Dooley, the Fresno lieutenant, said some of these special units include: a traffic unit with 32 officers including sergeants, 12 K-9 officers and 34 school resource officers. Other units/divisions include sex crimes, domestic violence, child abuse and missing persons, narcotics, gun crimes, homicide, street violence, vice, investigations and internal affairs.

How did Fresnos patrol schedule come to be?

Rose, the city spokesperson, said the Fresno Police Department has used a 4/10 work schedule for patrol officers for many decades. Under this schedule, officers work four 10-hour days followed by three consecutive days off.

This approach is considered a best practice in law enforcement for maximizing productivity and minimizing officer fatigue, she said.

Rose said the way law enforcement agencies across the United States implement the 4/10 schedule can vary.

In Fresno, all officers work on Wednesdays and have varying days off during the week, she said. This schedule was originally chosen to allow Wednesdays to be used as a training day.

In contrast, she said, many other departments stagger officers days off throughout the week, ensuring additional coverage, including on weekends.

Fresno Bee Reporter Tim Sheehan contributed to this report.
YANGON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the golden pagoda in Myanmar, attracted over 3.6 million visitors in the first six months of 2024, U Boe Thin, a member of the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Among those visitors, over 36,000 were from foreign countries, he added.

During this period, countries with the most visits to the pagoda are China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he said.

The entrance fee for foreigners is 20,000 kyats (about 9.5 U.S. dollars) per person, he added.

The visiting hour to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is set from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, starting from June 21 this year, according to the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees. 
Who does the Secret Service protect? What to know about the federal agency

The U.S. Secret Service has been under intense scrutiny since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

During a rally in Pennsylvania, a shooter who was identified as Thomas Crooks, 20, shot at Trump, according to the FBI.

Trumps Secret Service agents were seen covering the former president after he was injured.

The Secret Service has been assigned to protect presidents since 1902 and to protect major presidential candidates since 1968, after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

Here's what to know about the 159-year-old Secret Service and its role during election season.

Who does the Secret Service protect?

The Secret Service is assigned to protect the president, the vice president and their immediate families.

Agents are also assigned to protect former presidents, their spouses and their children. While former presidents are protected for life, children are protected until they age out at 16 and spouses are protected unless they remarry.

Major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their families are also assigned agents within 120 days of the election.

Agents also protect visiting heads of state, distinguished foreign visitors and U.S. representatives doing special missions abroad.

In addition, the president can assign the Secret Service to protect a person through an executive order.

Secret Service agents will also investigate crimes committed against the people they protect.

Who leads the Secret Service?

The Secret Service is within the Department of Homeland Security, which Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas currently runs.

While Mayorkas is in charge of the DHS, Kimberly Cheatle is the current director of the Secret Service. President Joe Biden appointed her.

Cheatle has had 27 years of experience in the Secret Service, working as an assistant director and special agent in charge of a field office and a training center.

From 2019 to 2022, she led North American security efforts for PepsiCo Inc.

Cheatle has been scheduled to testify on Monday before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to answer questions about the attempted assassination.

How are Secret Service agents trained?

There are over 3,200 Secret Service agents. They spend 11 weeks in Glycon, Georgia, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, learning basic police training, which includes law, firearms training, defense tactics and report writing.

After completing basic police training, Secret Service agents and officers spend 16 weeks in Washington, D.C., learning physical protection and advanced driving techniques.

They are also trained to conduct investigations of U.S. currency counterfeiting, which was the Secret Service's original mission when the agency was created in 1865. Now, the Secret Service also undertakes investigations into unauthorized access to computer networks and financial systems, as well as other financial crimes and online exploitation of children.

Have any Secret Service agents died in the line of duty?

According to the Secret Service website, about 40 agents have died on duty.

One officer, Leslie Coffelt, was shot and killed protecting President Harry Truman from an assassination attempt in 1950.

In 1981, Special Agent Tim McCarthy was shot protecting President Ronald Reagan. McCarthy survived.

Reach the reporter at miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who does the Secret Service protect? What to know about the agency
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox holds his hand over his heart during the national anthem for the first day of the National Association of Governors' Summer Meeting at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 11, 2024. (Courtesy of Utah Governor's Office)

The same week that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox marked a year working to convince many of the nations governors and the people in their states to fight toxic polarization, someone took a shot at former President Donald Trump.

The shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally that injured Trump is being investigated as an assassination attempt, the motive of which remains a mystery. It comes at a particularly fraught moment in America as polarizing politics draw lines between friends and family.

Calls for calm and unity quickly followed the shooting, where one audience member was killed and two more were wounded. The gunman was also shot and killed by law enforcement.

Just two days before the violence that shocked the nation, Cox was with members of the National Governors Association at the organizations annual summer meeting, hosted this year in Salt Lake City, the capital of his home state. There, Cox heard a report on a Stanford study that measured the effect of public service announcements that governors and leaders of opposing parties recorded together as part of Coxs Disagree Better campaign.

Did the ads work? Yes, the researchers found.

Stanford study findings

Study participants who viewed the ads reported experiencing a change in their feelings of partisan animosity, their receptiveness to having conversations about different viewpoints, and more support for bipartisanship.

Perhaps most appealing for political candidates, the ads also boosted the favorability of the governors in the videos.

Coxs Disagree Better campaign, the initiative he led during his time as chair of the National Governors Association, focuses on breaking down tribalism and toxic partisanship, telling Americans that they dont have to agree on everything, and when they do disagree on something, they can and should still talk about it, and do so in a respectful way.

Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology and organizational behavior at Stanford University, studies polarization, which he called a thorny, multi-level problem. On the one hand, he said, Americans are dealing with it in their communities, workplaces and families. On the other, it is standing in the way of leaders responding to emergencies, solving social problems and accomplishing goals for the people they serve.

If we have any kind of state or federal level, societal level goals, were in the business of trying to address polarization. Because if you dont have a plan for navigating partisan division, you dont have a plan for social impact, not a complete one, Willer told the group.

The study played either the Disagree Better videos or nonpartisan PSAs for 6,500 people from all walks of life, then measured and compared their reactions. The viewings amounted to just 90 seconds, Willer said, but had a noticeable impact.

Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology and organizational behavior at Stanford University, presents research during the first day of the National Association of Governors Summer Meeting at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 11, 2024. (Courtesy of the Utah Governors Office)

And to those governors in highly partisan states who fear appearing too chummy with the opposing side could cost them support from their base, Willer, who also does research at times for political campaigns, shared a finding from the study that recorded an even bigger impact.

Study participants perceptions of the governors in the Disagree Better PSAs reported they found them more favorable after seeing the videos. And surprisingly, Willer said, primary voters in the survey were even more impressed.

The result held true, he noted, at both extremes of the political spectrum.

So when people saw these public service announcements, they didnt just turn towards bipartisan openness, openness to difficult conversations, they also said that those people that did that were pretty cool, Willer said.

Trumps shooting comes amid peak polarization in U.S. Is it too late to disagree better?

Even though the countrys political rhetoric has reached a fever pitch ahead of the 2024 General Election, Cox continues to push messages of hope  that its not too late for the country to change its tune. But, he said, it will take work.

The morning after Trumps assassination attempt, Cox reacted with a post on X referring to a video of his closing message on Friday to his fellow governors.

In light of the assassination attempt on Pres. Trump, I think its more important today than it was two days ago, Cox wrote. Its about building and optimism and hope. Its about loving our country and doing the hard work of bridge building. I make mistakes all the time, but Im trying to be better. I hope you will listen.

My closing message to my fellow governors. In light of the assassination attempt on Pres. Trump, I think its more important today than it was two days ago. Its about building and optimism and hope. Its about loving our country and doing the hard work of bridge building. I make pic.twitter.com/hozSH6N1B7  Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) July 14, 2024

In his seven-minute closing speech, Cox recalled a day as a young boy when his uncle gave him a task to tear down an old, decrepit barn in rural Utah. He said he couldnt wait to jump in the backhoe and knock the building down. In a matter of minutes, the barn was reduced to rubble.

Tearing things down is really easy. The dopamine hits. It is so much fun, Cox said. It turned out, I was pretty good at it.

Cox said he obviously was making a metaphor for political discourse in America today.

Weve gotten really, really good at tearing things down. And people down. And institutions down. And parties down, he said. Building is hard.

Cox said its much more difficult to build institutions than it is to tear them down. He pointed to his fellow governors in the room and said, being a governor is hard work. Because you are the builders, thats what youve been hired to do.

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The pundits can tear down. The arsonists can tear down. The conflict entrepreneurs that are all around us theyre really good at tearing down, he said. But we need some architects. We need more builders. And thats exactly what were trying to do.

Cox concluded by reading a quote from author and political analyst Yuval Levin, referring to his book American Covenant. Levin, Cox said, hates the word optimism.

He said, I think optimism and pessimism are more alike than they may seem. Theyre both basically arguments for passivity. Theyre ways of thinking about whats just going to happen inevitably. So Im not an optimist. I certainly dont think good things are just going to happen. That seems like a crazy way to react to all of human history, Cox quoted of Levin. But I am hopeful. And I think hope is the virtue that sits between the vices of optimism and pessimism. And its the view that things could be better if we are willing to make them so.

So, Cox admitted he is not optimistic about our country. And I dont think any of us should be.

I think its crazy to think our country is just going to get better, Cox said.

Cox said that he himself often says the political pendulum swings back and forth. But, thats crazy talk, and theres no guarantee that we arent going to continue to tear ourselves apart.

There is nothing that says that we wont inevitably have another civil war. Its happened before. And it can happen again. And it will happen again if we dont do the work, Cox said. But I am hopeful. I am very hopeful about our country.  Im hopeful because there are good people in this country that are willing to make it so.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox holds the hand of his wife, first lady Abby Cox, during the second day of the National Association of Governors Summer Meeting at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 12, 2024. (Courtesy of the Utah Governors Office)

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Dog owners arrested after pet was involved in fatal attack of SC woman, police say

Days after a South Carolina woman was attacked by a dog and died, the pet was euthanized, according to the Florence Police Department.

On Wednesday, a week following the death of 71-year-old Karen Nelson, the dogs owners were arrested and charged with owning a dangerous animal (which attacks and injures a human), police said in a news release.

Florence residents Justin Conroy, 40, and Ashley Maclean, 30, were taken into custody and held at the Florence County Detention Center, where they awaited a bond hearing, officials said.

On July 10, Nelson was riding a bicycle in the Brigadoone Lane area, police previously reported. Conroy and Macleans dog broke free from its leash and collar device and attacked Nelson, arrest warrants show. The dog punctured her neck, which resulted in Nelsons death, according to the arrest warrants.

The attack happened about a quarter of a mile from Conroy and Macleans home, according to jail records.

Emergency responders, including members of the fire department, went to the scene after a receiving a report about an injured bicyclist, police said.

Members of the fire department found the victim, who suffered severe, traumatic injuries from a dog bite, according to police. Nelson was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.

No other injuries were reported.

Police said animal control took possession of the dog. On July 12, Conroy and Maclean signed a voluntary surrender form agreeing that the animal would be euthanized, and it was put to sleep the following day, according to police.

According to the arrest warrants, Conroy and Maclean either knew, or should have known that their dog has a propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, cause injury, or otherwise endangers the safety of human beings or domestic animals.

If convicted on the charge, both Conroy and Maclean each face a maximum punishment of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.
I Dont Like China: What JD Vance Has Said About Beijing

(Bloomberg) -- Presidential candidate Donald Trumps pick for running mate is JD Vance, a memoirist turned senator who has been very critical of China across a range of issues.

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Vance has suggested the US military should drop everything and focus on Beijing, called for broad tariffs on Chinese imports and introduced legislation that would restrict the Asian nations access to the American financial system.

I dont like China, Vance has said. I dont like that China has stolen a lot of American jobs.

American vice presidents dont usually play big roles in setting policy and its unclear if that would change in a second Trump administration. Still, Vances harsh views of Beijing add to signs that if Trump wins in November, his government would again be very tough on the worlds second-biggest economy.

Heres a look at some of the things Vance has said about China:

Taiwan

Vance has said that a top priority for the US should be preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Hes highlighted the risks of that scenario to the American economy and accused the Biden administration of failing to do enough to bolster the democratically run archipelagos defenses.

The thing that we need to prevent more than anything is a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he said in a speech last year at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. It would be catastrophic for this country. It would decimate our entire economy where the computer chips, so much of those are made in Taiwan.

That stance contrasts with comments Trump made in a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, when he indicated hes at best lukewarm about standing up to Chinese aggression regarding Taiwan.

Military Capacity

Vance has also argued that the US doesnt have the resources to fight simultaneous conflicts and should focus instead on China.

We do not have the industrial capacity to support a war in Ukraine, a war in Israel, potentially a war in East Asia if the Chinese invade Taiwan, so America has to pick and choose, he told Fox News in April.

He has also pushed back against the argument that a show of strength against Russias Vladimir Putin deters Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Chinese are focused on real power, he said. Theyre focused on how strong we actually are, and to be strong enough to push back against the Chinese, weve got to focus there, and right now, were stretched too thin.

Tariffs & Trade

Vance has called for broad-based tariffs, especially on goods coming in from China, beyond just solar panels and electric vehicles.

We need to protect American industries from all of the competition, he said on CBSs Face the Nation in May. The reason China beats us, its not because they have better workers, its because theyre willing to use slaves to make things there.

That appeared to be a reference to the US accusation that China uses forced labor in its far western region of Xinjiang  a charge that Beijing vehemently denies.

He has also blamed Beijing for problems in the US employment market. I dont like China. I dont like that China has stolen a lot of American jobs, he said on the same show. We dont make enough stuff because we pursue a ridiculous foreign policy very often. We have to be more self-reliant.

Globalization

The Republican vice presidential nominee has also argued for a rethink of globalization, saying it had failed to liberalize countries like China.

The thinking in previous decades was that if we make China more like us, it will be worth it in the long run, he told Politico earlier this year. If that fundamental goal has not materialized, then I think you have to rethink the entire project.

The Ohio senator has also raised concern about the US losing ground to China in the race to develop advanced technologies, especially if American companies continue to partner with the Asian nation.

You cant have technological innovation if youre offshoring so much of your industry to China, he told a Senate hearing last year. If were making American industry more expensive and were making Chinese industry cheaper, then that strikes me as a really bad deal for American consumers, a really bad deal for American technologists and ultimately a really bad deal for our national security.

Financial Markets

Vance has also introduced legislation aimed at restricting Chinas access to US financial markets, especially if it broke laws on finance, trade and commerce.

If the Chinese Communist Party doesnt want to play by American rules, they shouldnt be allowed access to our financial markets, he said in March. Ohio workers and our manufacturing industry have suffered the consequences of the CCPs illegal currency manipulation for far too long. Its about time we hold them accountable and force them to follow the law.

Cybersecurity

Vance has expressed concern about Chinese hackers targeting US tech infrastructure. In May, he wrote a letter the the US governments Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency about Volt Typhoon, which the US has identified as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group.

The impact from a full-scale Volt Typhoon attack on US critical infrastructure would be devastating and could result in our nation being thrown into disarray at the exact time it is under military attack from foreign adversaries, Vance wrote.

The consequences of a Volt Typhoon attack would presumably include a threat to the US military by disrupting power and water to our military facilities and critical supply chains.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
"I'm sure the ear doesn't feel well," Eric said of his father's injury in an interview during the Republican National Convention

Joe Raedle/Getty Donald Trump

Donald Trumps son Eric Trump offered more details on the Republican presidential nominees ear injury following his assassination attempt over the weekend.

On Wednesday, July 17, Eric, 40, told CBS Mornings that his father, 78, didnt have to get stitches after the shooting, which left him bleeding from the ear. Eric added that the former president "has a nice flesh wound," calling the injury "the greatest earache he's ever had."

The businessman added: "You know, he was millimeters away from having his life expunged ... I'm sure the ear doesn't feel well.

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images Eric Trump, Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance

In a Tuesday interview with CBS Evening News, Eric stated that Donald can still hear and is "in great spirits." He also spoke about the shooter avoiding a more lethal shot, saying, "I grew up competing in the shooting sports. I know that world very, very well, and a rifle shot at 130 yards is like a four-inch punt, right? You don't, you don't miss it if you're competent."

The younger Trump believes his father was lucky in the moment, adding, "I'm not an overly mushy person ... but, you know, somebody was watching down on him because it could have gone very, very differently."

Donald was injured on July 13 after 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in what authorities have since described as an "assassination attempt."

The former president spoke to the New York Post about the "very surreal experience" the following day, during which he claimed, "The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle."

He added, Im not supposed to be here, Im supposed to be dead.

Related: Donald Trump Says Gunshot Injury Felt Like Worlds Largest Mosquito as He Explains What Might Have Saved His Life

Three bystanders were also struck during the shooting: Corey Comperatore, 50; David Dutch, 57; and James Copenhaver, 74. Comperatore was killed, while Dutch and Copenhaver were critically injured.

Detailing the events that occurred, Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin." (Investigators have not yet confirmed whether it was a bullet or shrapnel that injured him.)

Earlier this week, the former president appeared at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee with a large bandage over his injured ear, alongside his newly announced running mate J.D. Vance.

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Read the original article on People.
So Donald Trump is a lot different now? Sure he is - till his next major flip-flop | Opinion

Editors note: Contributing columnist David Mastio is covering the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee for McClatchy Opinion.

Donald Trump says hes changed since a bullet came within inches of taking his life in the Saturday fusillade from a wannabe assassin. Things are going to be a lot different, the Republicans newly-official presidential candidate says, This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together.

Talking to delegates at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, theres an interesting disconnect between the changing Trump to be revealed in his Thursday night speech and his most passionate supporters whove traveled across the country to give him their blessing. Theyre not looking for change.

Oh, he could give up his tougher rhetoric, David Farrow, a delegate from outside Pensacola, Florida, told me. Hes experienced the hand of God, but I dont want him to change. Hes the first man since Ronald Reagan to fulfill his promises.

Some even scoff at a rhetorical tweak. Change? Change from what? says Shawn McAnelly who hails from southwest Texas, Telling the truth? I am not here to hire a priest.

The feeling is universal among delegate after delegate I talk to. If someone shot me in the head, Id probably change, too, says Vonda Wiedmer from Green, Kansas. But, boy, I really like the whole Donald Trump now.

The irony is that the celebrity Donald they like so much has always been about change. In fact, that is part of his appeal across a broad swath of the party. He is everything to everyone.

Take his journey, er, position on deporting undocumented immigrants. NBC News reports it began in August 2015 with a detailed, sprawling immigration plan  Build the wall, make Mexico pay for it, deport criminal aliens, enhance penalties for overstaying visas, triple the number of ICE officers, pause immigration to try and employ unemployed Americans, cut worker visas and more. There was talk of a deportation force.

Even before he won the presidency. Trump told The New York Times hed be flexible on deporting the 11 million undocumented immigrants. He told Bloomberg News hed have the biggest heart for immigrants. In a Fox News town hall, he said he was open to softening his position. On and on, the dodging and weaving went. You might even call it change. Eventually, everyone could see their views in Trump, whether xenophobic, xenocompasionate, or in between.

Once he got into office the change continued. Deportation force? Never happened. Mexicans paying for the wall? Nope. Build more than a little wall? Nope, and not without some unconstitutional financial shenanigans to pay for it. At some point, there was more change than plan. And at the end of the day, Donald Trump deported undocumented immigrants at a slower pace than Barack Obama, the son of an immigrant president he replaced.

Donald Trump support comes from the audacity of what he says more than the reality of what he does.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Trumps history. Over his lifetime, he changed his party ID five times, including time as a Democrat, a member of a third party and as an independent before settling on life as a Republican, according to The Smoking Gun, which has the receipts.

Before his Supreme Court nominees cut down Roe v. Wade, he was a Planned Parenthood donor. You know Planned Parenthood, the government-funded organization that commits more abortions a year than anyone else.

For Petes sake, before Donald Trump and his fans chanted, Lock her up! Trump wanted Hillary Clinton to come to his wedding so much he gave the Clinton Foundation $100,000. Thats some change.

Trying to use facts to change minds about Trump is like using spaghetti to chop down a tree. Already Trumps most ardent supporters are wrapping their minds around a new new Trump for however long it lasts.

Its hard to imagine that a near-death experience  is not going to change you. Weve already seen a more disciplined and focused Trump, Kurt Schlichter, an influential Townhall columnist and Los Angeles lawyer told me.

People who believe the caricature of Donald Trump have had trouble accepting that  but his supporters understand and support him even more.

That support exists  as his most recent flip-flops on abortion attest  whatever Trump changes into Thursday night.

David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com
Before South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem blew herself up with Puppygate, I had assumed she would be Trump's pick for running mate. She has the Mar-a-Lago Barbie look, which Trump obviously loves, and putting a woman on the ticket might have helped with those suburban moms who don't like him very much. When she fell out of contention I figured Trump would choose North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a "central casting" guy who looks like he could be on money and would be the other half of a "successful billionaire" ticket. These were choices that made some political sense in a way that even Trump would see as useful to his campaign. There were others  Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina could theoretically attract some Black voters, but more likely might reassure some white suburban types who are uncomfortable with all the racism. And Florida Senator Marco Rubio might have been a draw for the Latino vote and, again, some of those squeamish suburban voters who are a little freaked out about the anti-immigrant rhetoric and see Rubio as more of an establishment type.

Trump's been openly begging the anti-abortion zealots to back off (temporarily) because he has "to win elections." And the word was that after the assassination attempt on Saturday, he had ordered that all the speakers tone down their speeches so that they could exploit the moment and "bring the country together" in its time of crisis. (The first two nights of the convention and several nasty Truth Social posts by the candidate quickly proved that to be a fleeting idea.) In several interviews, he has shown that he understands where his campaign's weaknesses are which would argue for him to use this most high-profile decision in the campaign to try to shore them up.

So of all the choices discussed over the past few weeks, Senator JD Vance of Ohio was the guy who made the least sense. He's a very aggressive MAGA extremist and his state of Ohio is already in the bag. Most importantly, he appeals to none of the constituencies Trump needs to get him over top. Trump's not the sharpest tool in the shed on many levels but he usually has a feral instinct for branding and this ticket is the "ultra-MAGA" ticket which seems like the least likely to gain him any votes he didn't already have. As the Washington Monthly notes, it may not be a very good bet:

The JD Vance pick is a "double down," like Clinton's of Gore. But while Clinton's appealed to swing voters, Trump's will repel them. "This is a ticket Democrats can beat soundly, if they can only get their own act together" writes @billscher @monthly https://t.co/liXCyWkDrY  Paul Glastris (@glastris) July 16, 2024

Vance was a vociferous Never Trumper until he decided to run for the Senate and assessed that jumping on the Trump train was his best bet to win it. There are seemingly hours of interviews and articles filled with insulting quotes from Vance about Trump and harsh criticism of his character, intelligence and policies. These are going to be played over and over again in the campaign and many have already gone viral. Considering Trump's penchant for vengeance it's hard to imagine why he is rewarding such behavior by offering Vance this plum job.

It's not unheard of for powerful men to reward former enemies if they are properly remorseful and are willing to demonstrate their newfound fealty in the most public sycophantic fashion. Often they even prefer it if the supplicant is insincere and only doing it because they have been forced into the submissive position. It shows dominance and serves as a lesson to others. Trump may very well feel that way toward Vance, whose abrupt abandonment of his conspicuous Never Trump position to immediately morph into an ardent MAGA cultist has been startlingly flamboyant, even among a great crowd of former mainstream Republicans who've given up every shred of personal integrity to seek his favor. But does he really believe he can trust him? (Could anyone?) On the other hand, he trusted his most faithful lapdog, former Vice President Mike Pence, to follow his orders to usurp the Constitution and look where it got him. Maybe he sees Vance's raw ambition as a better bet.

According to the New York Times, advisers such as Kellyanne Conway tried to convince Trump that someone like Rubio would be the best choice and none other than Rupert Murdoch himself apparently begged Trump not to pick Vance in favor of Burgum. The decision went back and forth for weeks. But Vance was championed by three people Trump apparently trusts above all the others. One was Tucker Carlson, who lobbied hard for Vance, who'd been a regular fixture on his Fox News show, impressing Trump with "those beautiful blue eyes" which he apparently mentioned frequently. Carlson is more enamored of Vance's embrace of authoritarianism and when he found out that Trump might be souring on Vance last month he called him from his roadshow in Australia, according to the New York Times:

[Carlson] delivered an apocalyptic warning, according to two people briefed on their conversation. He told Mr. Trump that Mr. Rubio could not be trusted  that he would work against him and would try to lead America into nuclear war. Mr. Carlson, who declined to comment for this article, told Mr. Trump that Mr. Burgum could not be trusted, either. Mr. Carlson told Mr. Trump in that June phone call that he believed that if he chose a neocon as his V.P.  an abbreviation for Republicans who favor using U.S. power to implant democracy abroad  then the U.S. intelligence agencies would have every incentive to assassinate Mr. Trump in order to get their preferred president.

Trump apparently found that convincing which is terrifying in itself.

The other two top advisers who sealed the deal for Vance were Trump's sons. Don Jr. and Eric. Don Jr. had been friends with Vance since he won his Senate election and both he and Eric are steeped in the online MAGA world and are participants in the lucrative MAGA "conference" and speech circuit. Vance is their kind of guy. NBC reported that in the final days before Trump made the decision, Trump was leaning in the direction of Burgum, causing the boys to go ballistic:

Don Jr. and Eric went bats- crazy: Why would you do something so stupid? He offers us nothing, a longtime Republican operative familiar with the discussion told NBC News. They were basically all like JD, JD, JD, the operative said.

It's unknown how much influence Tucker Carlson would have in a new Trump administration but it seems pretty clear that Don Jr. and Eric will be heavily involved even though they will be carrying on the family business with lucrative overseas ventures cropping up all over the place.

Don Jr. explained that he will be exercising veto power over personnel decisions that don't carry the MAGA party line:

Don Jr tells Mike Allen he wants veto power over all of his dad's personnel decisions pic.twitter.com/YuosMhs8yD  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2024

I have to say that in all the articles written about this decision, what comes across to me is that Donald Trump has lost a step. Maybe he's just so cocky about winning that he doesn't think it matters, which is possible. But from the way it sounds, he let himself be steamrolled into picking someone who on some level he knows wasn't the best choice for his electoral prospects. Maybe the 78 year old Trump is just as weak and tired as that other old guy he's running against.
The Scoop

Joe Biden met privately in Las Vegas Wednesday with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the film producer and a top campaign adviser, who conveyed a warning: The presidents donors patience is wearing thin, and their cash soon will, too.

Katzenberg, one of Bidens closest counselors and a conduit to moneyed circles in media and finance, told the president that major donors, doubtful of his ability to win in November, have all but stopped writing the kind of big checks that sustain campaigns in the home stretch, people familiar with the meeting said. One of the people said the donor warning came in a broader discussion of other campaign topics.

After this story was published, Katzenberg said in a statement that it was a misread of a private meeting and that he and Biden talked about everything from the convention to new ads. And by the way, we will raise the money we need to run a winning campaign.

Democratic donors have been privately wringing their hands for weeks, but it had been unclear until now whether their concerns had made it to a president whose inner circle has shrunk as calls for him to drop out have grown louder.

The Biden campaign had $240 million on hand at the end of the second quarter, versus Trumps $285 million, and that was before the debate kicked off concerns about his ability to run and win.

This I can confirm, James Carville, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns including Bill Clinton and a respected voice among donors, told Semafor. Donors in revolt.

The freeze extends beyond Bidens campaign and the Democratic National Committee to the web of super PACs and outside groups that make up the partys infrastructure.

Its a crisis, said a top Democratic fundraiser. The money isnt moving.

Katzenberg directed Semafors questions to the Biden campaign, which declined to comment.

Know More

Bidens loudest critics have come from Hollywood, not from the Democratic Partys other coastal donor base on Wall Street. After George Clooneys op-ed in the , actors Rob Reiner and Michael Douglas, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel all expressed concern about the presidents chances. (We are in fuck city, Emanuel said earlier this month at the Aspen Ideas Festival).

Bens view

Bidens campaign isnt at immediate risk of running out of cash. But the final months of presidential races are dominated by expensive television campaigns in swing states  made all the more necessary by Bidens inability to communicate regularly himself. That will only be exacerbated by the president testing positive for Covid on Wednesday.

Money, rather than polling or political support, is typically the trigger for a campaigns death spiral. Now Biden is edging toward the brink.

Notable

Hollywood turns its angry eyes on Jeffrey Katzenberg.  The Hollywood Reporter
BAILEYS HARBOR, Wis. (WFRV)  A northeast Wisconsin man was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor where he had reportedly traveled to Michigan multiple times to meet the victim.

A release provided by the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Michigan stated that 60-year-old Todd Stafford of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, was convicted at a jury trial and was sentenced to 156 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Kewaunee County Sheriffs Department: Missing child scam making its rounds on social media

Stafford reportedly met the victim, who was under 16 years old, online. Authorities noted that Stafford traveled from Wisconsin to Michigan three total times. During Staffords third attempt in late July 2023, he was met by law enforcement and arrested.

Before Staffords arrest, the victims father found conversations and reported them to the authorities, leading to officers with the Iron Mountain Police Department taking over the conversations and arranging to meet Stafford in July 2023.

Mr. Stafford preyed on minors and he was held accountable for his predatory actions, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. Let this be a clear message to those who seek to exploit our children and think they can hide. Protecting our most vulnerable is, and will continue to be, a top priority for our office.

Authorities in Wisconsin make arrest after month-long stalking investigation

Stafford was convicted of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and two counts of Travel in Interstate Commerce with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. The FBI and the Iron Mountain Police Department investigated this case.

It was also part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
ISLAMABAD, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were injured in a hand grenade blast at a police station in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Wednesday, police said.

According to the police, the incident happened in Jamshoro district of the province when a hand grenade went off on its own, reportedly due to heat in a storeroom of the police station, injuring seven policemen.

Following the explosion, rescue teams and bomb disposal squad reached the scene and shifted the injured people to a nearby hospital.

Police said that an investigation into the incident is still underway to ascertain the exact cause of the blast, adding that modern technology is being employed to probe the incident and collect evidence. 
Two plaques are displayed in the entrance hall of the Dutch Embassy in Kyiv. One commemorates the opening of the building, while the other is simply inscribed with the words MH17 - July 17, 2014.

At 12:31 on July 17, 2014, flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, set to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport around 12 hours later. Three hours into the flight, Russian proxy forces used a Buk surface-to-air missile to down the Boeing-777 above Ukraines Donetsk Oblast, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, among them 196 Dutch citizens.

Relative to population, more Dutch were killed on that day than Americans were killed on 9/11. In a prosperous country that has remained largely unscathed by terrorism, war, or natural disasters for at least a few generations, the event prompted the countrys first day of national mourning since the 1960s. Memorial services are held every year on July 17.

At best, Russia never claimed responsibility for the crime, and at worst, spread vicious disinformation that blamed Ukraine for the downing. Ten years later, Russias refusal to cooperate with the international investigation means that none of those deemed responsible have ever been brought to justice.

How was the crash investigated?

Three weeks after the crash, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was established under the leadership of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, together with investigators from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Belgium, and Ukraine.

The countries conducted a joint investigation to guarantee independence. Ukraine was represented in the JIT, while Russia was not as the crime was committed on Ukrainian territory.

Members of the team constantly validated the evidence and results so that these cannot be questioned on an international level, the JIT said. A team of Australian and Dutch investigators was also permanently stationed in a field office in Ukraine until the start of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kees Klompenhouwer, the Dutch ambassador to Kyiv at the time, recently recollected that it was unclear in the immediate aftermath which country or agency should be in charge of the investigation.

Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service search for bodies in a field near the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 26, 2014. (Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images)

A piece of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is pictured in a field near the village of Hrabove, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 20, 2014. (Bulent Kilic /AFP via Getty Images)

The Dutch embassy initially asked the OSCEs monitoring mission in Ukraine to visit the scene of the crash. The OSCEs deputy chief monitor arrived at the site, which was under the control of Russian proxy forces, the next day.

As the owner of Malaysian Airlines, the Malaysian government was the first party to be considered to lead the investigation due to civil aviation rules.

However, Klompenhouwer said he soon learned from a reliable source that, with Moscow's approval, Malaysian special forces had collected the black boxes and vital wreckage that could have clarified the circumstances from the crash site.

The fact that Malaysia had cooperated with Russian proxies led to great anger in Kyiv, Klompenhouwer said. Malaysia then offered the Netherlands to take the lead in the mission to recover the bodies and investigate the crash.

Read also: The origins of the 2014 war in Donbas

Klompenhower said he accepted the offer from Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifa Aman on July 21 and Malaysia handed MH17s black boxes to the Netherlands the next day.

From the outset, the Dutch government had intuitively made the only right choice, namely, to seek cooperation with the legitimate authority, Ukraine, Klompenhower said, while the OSCE was able to negotiate with Russian proxy fighters on behalf of the Netherlands to gain access to the crash site.

Once the JIT was established, the painstaking work of piecing together the evidence began. The JIT assessed all human remains, passengers belongings, aircraft wreckage, radar and satellite images, and telecom data, including intercepted phone calls. The JIT also heard from witnesses and used expert testimonies.

In May 2018, the JIT announced that it had concluded the Buk missile that shot down MH17 came from Russias 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, based in Kursk Oblast. The Buk system had been transported to a field near Pervomaiske in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. After the crash, the system was transported back to Russia days later with a missing missile.

Who shot down flight MH17?

The JIT has so far been unable to determine who exactly fired the missile that shot down MH17. However, three men have been held responsible for the decision to fire the system at the civilian aircraft.

On Nov. 17, 2022, The Hague District Court declared three people guilty in absentia of downing MH17  Russian warlord Igor Girkin, his subordinate Sergey Dubinsky, and Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian who joined Russian proxy forces. A fourth suspect, Russian citizen Oleg Puvlatov, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence about his role.

Igor Girkin (Strelkov), the former commander of Russia's proxies in occupied Donetsk Oblast delivers a press conference in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on July 28, 2014. (Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images)

The judicial process took place in the Netherlands due to an earlier decision by the JIT to prosecute the suspects under Dutch law. The Netherlands and Ukraine concluded an agreement on international legal cooperation in July 2017, to enable this proceeding.

Girkin was the highest-ranking military commander of Russian proxy forces in Donbas, and as such held final responsibility for the deployment of military equipment, the court ruled. He had proclaimed himself the "defense minister" of Russia's proxy forces in Donetsk Oblast in May 2014.

Intercepted conversations reveal that Girkin maintained very regular contacts with Moscow concerning equipment and obtaining actual military support, including anti-aircraft artillery with trained specialists, the court said.

The Hague court ruled that Dubinsky, a military commander of Russian proxy forces in Donbas, was directly responsible for coordinating the transport of the Buk missile system from Russia.

Kharchenko, who was junior to Dubinsky, was responsible for escorting the Buk system from Donetsk to a field in the village of Pervomaiske, where the missile was launched.

Kharchenko was also responsible for ensuring that the Buk system was protected at the launch site and followed instructions from his superior Dubinsky. The court considered him to be a collaborating foreman in essential actions that contributed to the actual firing of the Buk missile.

Lawyers attend the judges' inspection of the reconstruction of the MH17 wreckage, as part of the murder trial ahead of the beginning of a critical stage in Reijen, Netherlands on May 26, 2021. (Piroschka van de Wouw - Pool/Getty Images)

Girkin, Dubinsky, and Kharchenko were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 298 people and ordered to pay 16 million euros ($17.5 million today) in compensation to the victims' relatives.

The JIT said that in addition to these three men, more people were likely involved in the downing of the flight but there is a lack of evidence to prove their identity.

In February 2023, the JIT announced it was suspending its work since all leads have been exhausted. The JIT concluded that although there were strong indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to supply the Buk system, there was not enough evidence to implicate him fully.

Read also: 10 years of war: A timeline of Russias decade-long aggression against Ukraine

Putin, of course, enjoys immunity as president of his country, but we know from other cases that you have to persevere. In the end, you will get there, Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister at the time, said in response to the JITs findings.

MH17s victims

Although the majority of the victims were Dutch, among the dead were also 43 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, and 10 people from the U.K.. Four Belgians, four Germans, three Filipinos, one New Zealander, and one Canadian were also killed.

Among the Dutch victims was Joep Lange, one of the worlds most prominent AIDS researchers, and his wife Jacqueline van Tongeren, an influential AIDS campaigner in her own right.

The couple was traveling via Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference. Four others, Pim de Kuijer, Lucie van Mens, Maria Adriana de Schutter, and Glenn Thomas, were also on board to travel to the same event.

Entire families were also killed. Among the victims were a Dutch family consisting of 17-year-old Brett, 15-year-old Jinte, 12-year-old Amel, and 9-year-old Solenn, who were on board with their parents Jeroen and Nicole to start their vacation in Malaysia.

Fifteen-year-old Piers, 12-year-old Marnix, and 8-year-old Margaux were killed along with their parents, Shaliza Zain Dewa and Johannes van den Hende, as they traveled home to Australia.

Among the Australian victims were also Nick Norris and his three grandchildren, 12-year-old Mo, 10-year-old Evie, and 8-year-old Otis. Their parents had stayed in Amsterdam for a few days while their grandfather was accompanying them back to Australia for the start of school.

In total, 80 of the flights passengers were children.

Why was flight MH17 shot down?

Since the full identities of the Buk crew have never been proven, it cannot be ascertained why they fired a Buk missile at MH17, the JIT said in February 2023.

The most plausible theory is that MH17 was mistaken for a Ukrainian military aircraft. The plane was downed weeks after Russian proxy forces asked the Kremlin for longer-range air defense systems in their fight against the Ukrainian military. Evidence shows this request was granted, the JIT noted.

Girkin claimed on the day of the crash that his forces had downed a military aircraft. We just downed a plane, an (Antonov) AN-26, Girkin wrote in a post on Russian social media site VK.

We have issued warnings not to fly in our airspace. We have video confirming. The bird fell on a waste heap. Residential areas were not hit. Civilians were not injured, Girkin said. He later deleted the post and denied any involvement in downing MH17.

Igor Girkin ended up imprisoned in Russia in January 2024. He was arrested in July 2023 over his Telegram posts, considered by Russian authorities as "extremist after airing his criticism of the Kremlins conduct of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is shown smoldering in a field in Hrabove, Ukraine, on July 17, 2014. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Russian propaganda claimed that Ukraine downed the plane or that the entire crash was staged, a tactic used by Russia in other cases, such as after it was discovered Russian forces had killed hundreds of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha in 2022.

Moscow later claimed the JIT used fake evidence and was ignoring evidence provided by Russia.

The JIT has investigated everything it can without the cooperation of the Russian authorities, Andy Kraag, head of the Dutch National Criminal Investigation Department said in February 2023 when the suspension of the investigation was announced.

Any further evidence must be sought in the Russian Federation. And for this, the JIT is dependent on the cooperation of the Russian authorities or Russian (insider) witnesses, Kraag said.

Our door remains open for them.

Read also: Russias annexation of Crimea

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A lawyer for the largest private property owner in downtown St. Paul lambasted the state of the urban center in a letter to the City Council, painting a dismal picture of downtown's "very evident crisis."

The letter, sent last week, objects to the nonprofit St. Paul Downtown Alliance's efforts to expand its improvement district, which charges property owners fees in exchange for cleaning and safety services.

"Downtown St. Paul is in trouble," attorney Kelly Hadac wrote. "Crime is up. Bullet holes in the glass on the commercial buildings and elsewhere is no longer uncommon. There is rampant homelessness and drug use. Restaurants have gone out of business. Businesses have gone bankrupt. Skyways are empty. Public and private employees are working from home. I could go on and on but we trust you understand the point."

Hadac has long represented Madison Equities, downtown's largest property owner, which is marketing its entire office portfolio following the death of the company's longtime owner, Jim Crockarell. Crockarell was a longtime opponent of the Downtown Improvement District, which was eventually drawn to avoid his properties.

The tone of Hadac's letter diverges from brokers' messaging, which present the portfolio as an opportunity for a buyer to invest in an iconic landmark and prime location.

Hadac did not respond to a request for comment. In addition to Madison Equities, he filed objections on behalf of the owners of 266 7th St. E. and 249 7th St. E.

The letter urges the council to refrain from increasing costs for financially stressed buildings and questions why property taxes would not cover cleaning and safety services. Many owners already pay for private security and maintenance crews, Hadac wrote.

"Any increased tax dollars would be better spent elsewhere, including the hiring of more real police officers to provide enhanced safety," he wrote.

Joe Spencer, president of the Downtown Alliance, said the improvement district is designed to provide services that go beyond the city's capabilities. Since 2021, a team of uniformed ambassadors have patrolled downtown daily picking up trash, cleaning graffiti and offering help to those who need it.

Under Spencer's proposal, the district would double its size and budget. The funds would pay for additional safety ambassadors with better training and equipment. Spencer has also suggested hiring a city attorney exclusively dedicated cases involving chronic offenders and quality-of-life issues downtown  an idea Hadac called in his letter "absurd and illegal."

The council is holding a public hearing on the proposal Wednesday afternoon and could hold a vote as soon as next week. After that, the fate of the expansion would lie in the hands of property owners. If those subject to 35% of the proposed service charges file objections with the city, the proposal is vetoed.

The original district was set up to avoid Madison Equities buildings, since Crockarell at the time owned enough property to single-handedly veto the improvement district.

"I think their letter is reflective of the experience in their buildings," Spencer said. "And what I'll say is it's not the experience of all of downtown."
A dozen Senate Democrats have signaled they are open to taking the drastic step of expelling Sen. Bob Menendez, convicted Tuesday on 16 corruption charges, if he won't resign.

And that now includes a member of Democratic leadership. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the No. 3 in the caucus, said she backed expulsion in a statement to POLITICO.

After being found guilty, Senator Menendez should resign from the U.S. Senate. If he does not, he should face expulsion. He has betrayed the trust of his constituents and his duty to this country, she said.

Others calling for Menendez to either step aside or face expulsion include seven incumbent Democrats facing reelection this fall: Sens. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Tim Kaine (Va.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Jon Tester (Mont.). Additionally, four rank-and-file senators who aren't up for reelection this year also want to boot Menendez if he doesn't resign, according to their spokespeople: Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.). Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is also in that group, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

And Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) likely would, according to his spokesperson.

A spokesperson for Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)  Menendezs chief Senate antagonist as hes faced federal charges  declined to comment on Wednesday about expelling Menendez, but the Pennsylvania Democrat suggested earlier this year that he would support the Senate taking such a step.

Those early calls reflect the reality of a brutal political climate for Democratic senators this fall. Democrats need to hold onto nearly every contested Senate seat, many of them in purple or red states, to keep control of the chamber. Allowing Menendez to remain in the Senate despite his guilty verdict would make at-risk Democrats more vulnerable to Republican attacks, particularly given Democrats' criticism of former President Donald Trump's status as a convicted felon.

Leading the charge on expulsion is Booker, a longtime Menendez ally who ultimately broke with the incumbent last fall and called for his resignation.

He must stand up now and leave the Senate. He must do that, Booker said Tuesday on MSNBC. And if he refuses to do that, I will lead that effort to make sure that hes removed from the Senate. It is just the thing to do.

If Booker or another senator does move forward with an expulsion resolution, the process could go a few different ways.

The resolution could be referred to committee  a time-consuming effort that would delay any potential floor votes. A senator could instead try and bring the resolution to a vote through unanimous consent, but a single senator could block it from moving forward. There are other procedural quirks senators could try to navigate, but ultimately getting a vote wont be the speediest process and would ultimately require at least a two-thirds threshold to pass.



Asked about expulsion, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), whos running to replace Menendez this fall, said in a press conference Tuesday he hopes the incumbent will step down in order to avoid a drawn-out process. Menendez is still running a longshot reelection bid as an independent candidate.

Weve had a lot of votes, a lot of issues in the Senate over the last couple weeks, couple months, and the senator has not been present, Kim said, referring to Menendezs absence while on trial. We've seen how that's affected the representation that New Jersey has and our voice in the U.S. Senate, which has been cut in half because of that. And we just can't have that drag on any longer.

If Menendez does resign or get expelled, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy would be tasked with appointing a successor. He could appoint Kim, though in a statement on Tuesday he said he would nominate a temporary replacement, indicating he could be eyeing a placeholder candidate.

Menendezs office did not respond to requests for comment, though the senator vowed to appeal his conviction on Tuesday following the verdict. He also maintained: I have never violated my public oath.

And while Menendez is facing a fresh wave of calls to resign from his Democratic colleagues  including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer  most of them arent publicly backing booting him if he wont step down voluntarily. At least, so far.

POLITICO contacted the offices of every Democratic senator Wednesday to ask if they supported expelling Menendez. Most didnt respond or referred back to statements that didnt mention whether or not they ultimately supported expulsion.

Republicans have largely stayed coy on the Menendez flap and whether theyd lend their votes to expelling the New Jersey Democrat. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), whos seeking to become GOP leader in the next Congress, said Tuesday that Menendez should resign and that it would be appropriate to expel him if he doesnt.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnells office did not respond to requests for comment on how the Senate should handle Menendez.

Expelling Menendez would require support from two-thirds of the Senate. Even if Republicans ultimately unified behind the step  which they havent done so far  approximately 18 Democrats would have to vote with them to successfully remove Menendez, assuming full attendance.

Such a vote could also be delayed until after a pending ethics report. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), who lead the Ethics Committee, said in a statement Tuesday that the panel would finish its investigation into Menendez promptly and will consider the full range of disciplinary actions available under the Rules of Procedure.

Expulsion is a historically unusual and rare step for the Senate to actually take, but the threat is a familiar one for New Jersey politicians.

Back in 1981, the Ethics panel called the public corruption of then-Sen. Harrison A. Williams (D-N.J.) ethically repugnant and demanded his expulsion. The senator ultimately resigned before the matter was put to a floor vote. He served two years in federal prison.

And in 1995  the last time a senator faced the threat of expulsion  the committee voted to recommend expulsion for Sen. Robert Packwood (R-Ore.), who subsequently announced he would resign.

Just 15 members of the Senate have ever been successfully expelled from office, 14 of whom were booted for allegiances to the confederacy during the Civil War. The last actual expulsion vote occurred in 1942 against Sen. William Langer (R-N.D.) over allegations of corruption  and was unsuccessful.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  In the past two months, dozens of Utah residents traveled to Idaho where they were in close proximity to bats, prompting a public warning from local health officials.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services said dozens of Utahns from across the state visited Idaho and either slept in a cabin with bats or had direct contact with one. They are now currently being evaluated or getting preventative treatment for rabies.

Rabies  a highly fatal disease

Due to the fatal risk of contracting rabies  even without knowing it  Utah health authorities released a public service announcement warning Utahns to be aware of a few things.

First, health officials are reminding residents that while it is a small percentage, bats are still the most common carriers of rabies, a disease that is nearly 100% fatal in humans after symptoms develop. They say preventative treatment is crucial in saving someones life once they have been infected.

Rabies can spread through a bite, scratch, or saliva, however, officials say because a bats teeth and claws are often small, a bat bite or scratch may not leave a mark or even be felt.

READ NEXT: Blaze caused by fireworks destroys Layton home; 3 arrested

For that reason, anyone who has slept in the same room as a bat or been in contact with one should be assessed by a medical professional.

Next, officials say to never touch a bat  dead or alive  with your bare hands. If you need a bat removed from an area, contact the local animal control office or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Finally, if someone has been scratched or bitten by any animal, the health department says to wash the wound, call animal control to capture the animal for testing, and seek professional help.

Bats in Utah

While the most recent concerns stem from contact with bats in Idaho, Utah has more than a dozen species of bats located across the state. Utahs bat species mostly eat insects and can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes a night, according to Wild Aware Utah.

The conservation group said contrary to popular belief, bats rarely attack humans. A bat inside a room may appear to dive at people, however that behavior is meant to help the bat gain speed and control.

In Utah, bats are a protected wildlife species which means it is illegal to kill them, even if they are roosting in your home, according to DWR.

If you need help safely removing bats from your property here is a list of resources. If you believe you may have been in contact with a bat, you can use this online assessment tool.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
By Djaffar Al Katanty and Sonia Rolley

KIBATI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Under the denuded slopes of Mount Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, traders in Kibati town bartered over sacks of charcoal, a product of deforestation that an ongoing conflict has pushed to unprecedented levels, the United Nations says.

Motorbikes piled with freshly sawn planks zipped down the main road in Kibati, a community that has remained under Congolese army control even as a two-year insurgency by the M23 militia advanced in conflict-torn North Kivu province, displacing more than 1.7 million people.

"In the camp, we're dying of hunger. We've decided to make charcoal so we can feed our children," said displaced vendor Jacques Muzayi at Kibati.

The insecurity has worsened the pressure on the region's once densely forested hillsides and its protected Virunga national park, home to many of the world's last mountain gorillas.

"There used to be a forest here," said Bantu Lukambo, head of a local environmental organisation.

He was standing outside Kibati within the park in scrubland that was dotted with hacked-up tree stumps. Only a few trees around a nearby park ranger station had been left standing.

"It is since the start of the war that the combatants have been devastating Virunga," he said, describing how this paved the way for smaller-scale destruction.

Each morning in Kibati, crowds of local residents and people displaced by the fighting enter the park's territory in search of logs to burn to make charcoal for cooking. Others go deeper to cut trees for planks, or plant crops in the newly open land.

"UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS"

Forest loss in Nyiragongo and Rutshuru, two territories in the conflict zone and partly within the national park, has "reached unprecedented levels" since 2021, when authorities declared martial law in the east in response to rising violence, a United Nations report said on July 8.

In areas they control in North Kivu, armed actors from all sides are profiting off the production or trade in wooden planks, while illegal and uncontrolled logging has led to "the destruction of significant swaths of virgin forest in protected areas of Virunga," the report said.

Data from Global Forest Watch, an initiative that uses satellites to track deforestation, showed that annual tree cover loss in Virunga rose over 22% to 6,804 hectares in 2021 and a further 7,255 hectares were lost in 2022 as the insurgency rolled on.

Virunga Park Director Emmanuel de Merode said that estimating the extent of forest loss and its causes was complicated, because of the many threats, including recent eruptions by some of the park's active volcanoes.

But "the conflict has greatly accelerated deforestation," he told Reuters, describing the area around Nyiragongo volcano as a particular area of concern.

"All the slopes of Nyiragongo have been completely deforested. I fly over these areas regularly, so I see it."

For years, militia-linked insecurity has troubled Virunga, whose expanses of forest and savannah make it one of the most biodiverse territories on the continent with three types of great ape, bush elephants, and the endangered Okapi - nicknamed Africa's unicorn.

But De Merode said M23's occupation of parts of Virunga had greatly limited his rangers' ability to monitor and protect those areas.

"I want the authorities do everything possible to end this war," said Christoph Lewis, another displaced man in Kibati who earns up to 500 Congolese francs ($0.18) unloading planks, some of which were hewn from trees felled within the park.

"It is the war that drives people to destroy the environment," he said.

($1 = 2,840.0000 Congolese francs)

(Additional reporting and writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Bate Felix and Angus MacSwan)
A teenager accused of smuggling drugs and other contraband into Butler County Jail is no longer facing felony charges. She is still charged with two misdemeanors.

Felony charges against a teenager accused of smuggling contraband into an Ohio jail while working there as an intern have been dropped.

The teenager, whose internship at Butler County Jail was cut short in March, is still charged with obstructing official business and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

She was previously charged with two felonies for allegedly bringing marijuana, ecstasy and a cell phone into the jail.

The teen interned at the jail this year through the Butler Tech Criminal Justice Program. She was 17 years old when she was charged and turned 18 in June. The Enquirer is not naming her because she is being tried in juvenile court.

The teen interned at Butler County Jail while she was a student at Butler Tech.

Judge Daniel J. Phillips granted Butler County prosecutor Michael Gmoser's request to dismiss the teen's two felony charges. Gmoser would not say why he asked for the charges to be dropped.

According to an incident report from the sheriff's office, the student confessed to deputies to bringing the drugs and cell phone into the jail and to having a relationship that violated jail policies with two inmates, Willie Attaway, 32, and Larkin McGowan, 33. She also admitted to having a sexual relationship with one of the inmates.

Butler County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer said an unnamed "informant" told deputies a "CO (correctional officer) had been compromised." They learned Attaway and McGowan were involved and, because of estimated time frames, believed the teenager was the "compromised" staffer.

But the teen's lawyer argued that no evidence of contraband was found. In a motion to suppress her statement, attorney D. Joseph Auciello, Jr. said the teen's confession was coerced and said deputies interviewed her for four-and-a-half hours without a parent or guardian present.

Dwyer would not comment on the open case, but said contraband is typically not found by deputies when smuggled into jails because it is immediately distributed or held by another inmate.

The judge previously ruled that the teen's confession could be used in court. Her trial will start in September.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Drug smuggling charges against Ohio jail intern dropped
Dutch ambassador to Kyiv on F-16s, MH17, and Scythian gold  'Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but also for us'

The recent career of the outgoing Dutch Ambassador, Jennes de Mol, has been a good reflection of his country's relations with Ukraine.

A career diplomat, De Mol was the Dutch Consul General in Saint Petersburg in 2014, when he came to Kyiv to assist the Dutch embassy in the aftermath of Russia's downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on July 17, 2014, over the Russian-occupied part of eastern Ukraine.

When arriving in Kyiv in the summer of 2019 to take up his post as Dutch ambassador to Ukraine, a full-scale war with Russia was a distant idea. The Hague's relations with Kyiv had been soured by the non-binding 2016 Dutch UkraineEuropean Union Association Agreement referendum, which had a low turnout but saw a majority of voters voting against.

Over the course of Russia's full-scale invasion, however, the Netherlands emerged as one of Europe's staunchest supporters of Ukraine, becoming the fifth largest military aid supplier and leading the coalition to train and provide Ukraine with the modern F-16 fighter jets.

A week before departing Kyiv for his new posting as ambassador to Poland, de Mol sat down with the Kyiv Independent to discuss the provision of F-16 jets, Russia's war against Ukraine, and how to bring Russian perpetrators to justice.

The Kyiv Independent: A week ago, there was another attack on Kyiv, which targeted the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, among other civilian targets. What was your message to the Dutch government after your visit to the site of the attack?

Jennes de Mol: First of all, it was horrific. It was a strange weekend, we had a visit from the new Dutch defense and foreign ministers. On the first day, we visited Kyiv, and then we went to Odesa. On the way back on Monday morning, we received information that something had happened in Kyiv.

We sent a message to the Netherlands that this was really a horrific act, a barbaric act, and that it was a new low.

Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine Jennes de Mol poses for a portrait near the wall with sport T-shirts in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 15, 2024. (Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent)

It also had an impact on the population of Kyiv because we have this idea that we are relatively safe and that the air defense works. All of a sudden, this becomes very fragile, and we are not as well protected as we had hoped. We're vulnerable.

I noticed that there was actually this sort of mist around all of us, for the first three or four days, which I really felt. I really felt that we had collectively gotten a blow on the head. This is what I tried to convey to the Netherlands. It shows the need for air defense.

You mention the visit of the new ministers. In 2016, the Dutch held a highly politicized referendum on Ukraine's association agreement with the EU. Now, the Netherlands has remained stable in terms of its support for Ukraine, even though you now have a new government. Why has support for Ukraine remained high now?

The referendum was very much about ourselves, about European enlargement, and about dissatisfaction with the government. The turnout was very low, but it managed to reach the threshold of 30%, and the outcome was negative. At the end of the day, our prime minister (Mark Rutte) managed to find a way to sign, but with an addendum inside the agreement.

Read also: The downing of MH17, and Russias responsibility

The situation in 2022 was different in the sense that it was so obvious that this was an unprovoked aggression from the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, and there was no option but to provide support.

In 2022, we understood that if we do not support Ukraine and Ukraine falls, then we also have a major security risk for ourselves, because it will not stop.

That understanding was already there and the rhetoric that built up in 2021 was such that people (in the Netherlands) were getting very concerned. The Netherlands is, I would say, a pragmatic country and it gives support in a pragmatic way. We are a country of less words, more deeds.

The leadership of our prime minister (Mark Rutte) was crucial. He decided, with the government, to support Ukraine. Starting with helmets and basic things, it gradually became more urgent to provide support that really makes a difference  whether that is Panzerhaubitze, the tank coalition, F-16s, or Patriot systems.

What we had, we gave. What we could not give, we tried to buy. And what we could not buy or arrange ourselves, we tried to do that in a coalition with diplomatic support. That is actually how it works up until today.

Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine Jennes de Mol. (Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent)

We use all our diplomatic instruments to make coalitions with partners to support Ukraine. We understand that Ukraine is fighting a fight not only for itself but also for us.

This war is about democracy, freedom, and rule of law, and international world order  crucial things for the Netherlands. This is why the new government continues this support for Ukraine, because this is essential for us as well.

Flight MH17 was downed over Ukraine ten years ago on July 17, killing 298 civilians, among them 196 Dutch nationals. The trial that concluded at The Hague district court in November 2022 declared three people  two Russians and one Ukrainian proxy fighter  guilty in absentia. Do you have any hope that these people will serve their sentences in the Netherlands?

One is in prison in Russia, (Igor) Girkin, but not for this reason. Of course, there's the hope that one day they will end up in jail in The Hague. When it will happen, I don't know. (The imprisonment in The Hague of Serbian President Slobodan) Milosevic, we also didn't expect, but it happened.

So you never know. We are committed and we will leave no stone unturned to make sure that we do everything in our possibilities to get this done. So whenever we have the opportunity, we will do so.

In terms of F-16s, which are soon to arrive, do you have any expectations on how Ukraine will use these jets, and in what way they could change the situation here?

I'm not a military person, so I don't know. I know that everybody is waiting for the F-16s to fly. But it's a very complicated piece of equipment.

You need to have the logistics in place, the pilots need to be trained, you have to have the armaments and the security, and the airfields have to be adjusted. It's a complex issue. And I know that Ukraine has no time  it wants things to be fast. Of course, we understand that.

The F-16s will make a difference, but exactly how and when, I cannot tell you. First of all, because I'm not an expert. Secondly, even if I knew, I would not tell you, because it is not in the interest of Ukraine to be very open about this. Some things you just don't talk about.

There has been news in the last couple of weeks that Russia has been specifically targeting airfields in Ukraine, potentially in light of the arrival of F-16s. Is the protection of airfields being discussed among Ukraine's European partners?

I cannot comment on this, of course. This is very much up to the Ukrainian military, and they discuss these issues with their military partners but not with me.

You mentioned you originally studied archeology and law. After 10 years of limbo and legal disputes, the Scythian gold from Crimea that was on loan to an Amsterdam museum in 2014 has been returned to Ukraine. How does this feel, both as a diplomat and as an archaeologist?

Well, first of all, I remember visiting the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam where Scythian artifacts were being exhibited and I spoke to the director at that time  and then, the whole story of these court cases, it was very difficult.

We have an independent judiciary and rule of law. At the end of the day, it took a long time, but justice prevailed. It was decided that the artifacts had to be returned to the rightful owner. And that is Ukraine.

I was happy with the outcome, but it also showed the independence of our legal system. Sometimes I get thanked for this, but I shouldn't be thanked. It's actually thanks to our independent judicial system that came to this conclusion.

The exhibition that opened recently in Kyiv is nicely done and shows the richness of the cultural diversity of Crimea. And of course, the next step is the return of Crimea to Ukraine.

This war is about identity, culture, language, and history. They want to wipe you out. Today, we are having this interview on the day of Ukrainian Statehood (July 15). This morning I was at the Saint Sophia Cathedral, and I really felt when I heard the choir sing, and I saw the religious leaders and your government, that Ukraine is a part of a thousand years of culture, statehood, and tradition.

When you leave Ukraine, how do you deal with the feeling of war fatigue and that in the West, the war has become normalized?

The war has been going on for 10 years, and the full-scale invasion for two and a half years. We felt the impact in the Netherlands in terms of energy prices rising and how there are now 120,000 Ukrainians around us. They have integrated easily into our society, but they belong to Ukraine.

People understand the reality of the situation, but the sense of urgency is less. Here you feel the pressure and you see the events in the east, or news of attacks in places like Kharkiv or Dnipro. The Netherlands is only 1,500 kilometers away from Ukraine, but the sense of urgency is less.

I try to counter this by giving a lot of interviews. Normally, ambassadors are a bit reluctant to appear in the media, and we try to do our work behind the scenes. It's for the politicians to give the interviews. But I try to tell the story of Ukraine and how the war has touched every single household in Ukraine.

Jennes de Mol, Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine, sits for a portrait after an interview with The Kyiv Independent in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 15, 2024. (Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent)

If you travel to the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, you see thousands of flags of warriors who have died. That means thousands of families. I try to communicate about what I see happening here and why it is important that we continue to provide support.

I also try to do that with my own social media or by taking the opportunity to speak on Dutch television. I talk about Ukraine also because there is competition  there is the Middle East, or things happening in the U.S.. But the story of Ukraine should continue to be told.

I always say this: We live on Europe Street. We live at number 30. At number 32, we have a good neighbor. At number 34, there is a neighbor whose house is ablaze  this is Ukraine. At number 36, there is an arsonist who needs to be taken away. The fire needs to be put out at number 34, while number 32 needs to be kept wet, and number 30 needs to be very active. I cannot explain the reality of Europe in more simple terms to Dutch audiences.

Your next posting will be in Warsaw. What lessons that have you learned in Ukraine will you take with you to Poland?

As a diplomat, I always have to keep a little bit of distance from the country where I am located, but I went through so many emotions here. Two and a half years of full-fledged war. Years of war before that. I saw a lot of suffering but also bright, brilliant, committed people.

The reality is, I became a little bit Ukrainian. I will leave Ukraine but Ukraine will not leave me  it has become a bit part of my life, and also of my system. This is what I'll take to Poland, which is a very interesting country. There are a lot of Ukrainians living there and Poland is very active when it comes to Ukraine.

In Poland, I will also be responsible for politics towards Belarus. There are a lot of economic and agricultural relations between Poland and the Netherlands, as well as relations in terms of security within NATO and the EU. The position of Poland has changed over time as a result of the events in Ukraine. So, it will be interesting to be in Poland, but it will also give me the opportunity to continue to be involved in Ukraine.

Read also: Dutch minister: If you dont stop Russia now, theyll go further. Its not just Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Donald Trump has not been shy about attacking California on the presidential campaign trail, telling fellow conservatives that the place is failing under Democratic party leadership. And all signs suggest that a second Trump administration would not hesitate to take a sledgehammer to principles and policy priorities that the Golden state and other progressive bastions hold dear.

The Project 2025 policy document, a blueprint for a second Trump presidency drawn up by former Trump administration officials and sympathetic thinktank analysts, takes specific aim at California on abortion rights, fuel emissions standards and the transition to electric vehicles.

The document also raises the possibility of a large-scale crackdown on immigration and an intense focus on border security  a cornerstone of the Trump campaign that could upend the lives of millions of immigrants living in California as well as parts of the state economy, especially agriculture, that depend heavily on immigrant labor.

Related: What is Project 2025 and what is Trumps involvement?

That is not to mention the other ways Project 2025 envisions overhauling the US government, with implications for California as much as the rest of the country: enhancing the power of the presidency and eroding the independence of the justice department, dismantling what it calls the administrative state, abandoning efforts to combat the climate crisis and curbing the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.

Project 2025 is more than an idea, the California congressman Jared Huffman has warned, its a dystopian plot thats already in motion to dismantle our democratic institutions, abolish checks and balances, chip away at church-state separation, and impose a far-right agenda that infringes on basic liberties and violates public will.

What remains to be seen, though, is how much of the wishlist laid out in Project 2025s 900-page Mandate for Leadership is actually achievable. Trump himself has sought to distance himself from the document, as Democrats like Huffman have started using it as a cudgel with which to attack his campaign. And a number of policy experts at one remove from the heat and hyperbole of the election campaign believe that any dystopian plot might quickly give way to a lot of lawsuits likely to slow or halt parts of the Trump agenda for months or years.

I dont think they are capable of pulling off a lot of the things they want to pull off, said Christopher Thornberg of the Los Angeles-based research and consulting firm Beacon Economics. While an immigration crackdown similar to the one in Trumps first term seems inevitable, mass expulsions of millions of people as promised by the former president would be dizzyingly expensive and near-impossible to pull off, he argued.

As for Californias more ambitious environmental targets that Project 2025 wants to disrupt, some  getting rid of gas-powered cars by 2035, for example  are probably unfeasible.

On many other issues, California can draw on its experience of the first Trump presidency to throw up roadblocks or pass its own state legislation. The Project 2025 document may be a sign that Trump and his allies are more ready to govern this time, but  as the political consultant and co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project Mike Madrid argues  California and other blue states are better prepared, too.

Whatever the federal government decides to do, California can compensate, Madrid said. In the event of a second Trump presidency, he expected the state to start filing lawsuits almost immediately, as it did more than a hundred times during the 2017-21 presidency, and find administrative or legislative solutions to many of the problems a new Trump administration might try to create.

This state is good at finding ways around the policies, he said. The size of the economy makes it easier to do that.

In one instance  a proposal in the Project 2025 document to end a legal waiver that has enabled California to set its own fuel efficiency standards for the past half-century  the courts have already heard a suit brought by several Republican-run states and ruled in Californias favor.

None of that diminishes the threats that Trump and his supporters have been directing at Californias political leadership, or the nastiness of some of their language. In speeches over the past year, Trump has mischaracterized California as a place with so little water that even rich people in Beverly Hills cant take proper showers, a place where shoplifting and other crimes are so rampant the only solution is to shoot criminals on sight, a place where undocumented immigrants are, implausibly, offered pension funds and mansions on arrival and can vote illegally multiple times over. The world is being dumped into California, he told state Republicans last September. Prisoners. Terrorists. Mental patients.

Related: Project 2025: inside Trumps ties to the rightwing policy playbook

Project 2025s approach has been less fanciful and much more focused on policy detail. It rails, for example, against what it calls abortion tourism in California and other states and proposes a number of administrative remedies to track women who travel there because of abortion bans in their states, and to withhold Medicaid and other federal funding if California continues to insist that insurance companies make abortion part of their health coverage.

None of this, though, is as frightening to abortion rights activists in California as the part that is left unsaid: the desire of many on the political right to institute an outright national abortion ban. Asked whether she believed Trump when he said he would not support such a ban, Jodi Hicks of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California responded with a flat No.

To her, the fight in California is not about the fine print of the Hyde amendment or the Weldon amendement  tools invoked by Project 2025 that Republicans have used in the past to try to restrict abortion around the country  but rather about control of Congress to avert even the possibility of a national ban.

Hicks has identified eight swing districts in California that she believes can determine control of the House of Representatives and her organization is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the Democratic candidates there. The road to reproductive freedom runs through California, she said. We know what the intention is  they want to take away abortion rights all across the country, including California. What we need is a Congress that can push back and protect us.

The best way to thwart the Republicans plans, in other words, is to vote against them. California, as a solid-blue state, will do its part to keep Trump out of the White House. What the rest of the country does remains to be seen.
(FOX40.COM)  Community groups said they have raised enough money to replace a stolen sign that welcomes visitors to East Sacramento.

The East Sacramento Community Association (ESCA) began raising money for a new Welcome to East Sacramento sign at McKinley Park after the original one was stolen in April.

The ESCA is a non-profit led by volunteers composed of residents in the East Sacramento community. The volunteer group worked with Friends of East Sacramento, which is managed by two East Sacramento residents, to raise $3,000 for replacement costs.

Historic park in Old Sacramento gets a new name

McKinly Park visitors would often see the green and white sign on the corner of H Street and Alhambra Boulevard. The sign was not city owned, as it was originally donated to the park through a project from Friends of East Sacramento.

Thanks to the generosity of members of the East Sacramento community, sufficient funds have been raised to both replace the welcome sign and to add enhance security features including the addition of lighting, ESCA president Tricia Stevens said in a statement.

Sacramento Police said the sign was stolen around 3 a.m. on April 14 and a police report was filed nine days later.

Hanami Line cherry blossom grove opens in Sacramento

During an initial investigation, police canvassed nearby neighborhoods for possible witnesses and cameras that may have captured the suspects, police said.

Police were also checking online to see if items related to the sign are being sold, police said.

After the new sign is installed, community groups will host a celebration of the replacement sign at a later date and time.

The Welcome to East Sacramento sign has become an iconic symbol of our neighborhood and we are thrilled that so many people supported our efforts to replace it, Friends of East Sacramento co-founder Lisa Schmidt said in a statement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will allocate 200 million euros (almost $220 million) to strenghen Ukraine's energy security, the Finance Ministry said on July 16.

A key goal of the investment is to help create strategic natural gas reserves at Naftogaz, Ukraine's state-owned energy company.

The country's energy infrastructure has been heavily battered by Russia's regular aerial attacks, which also targeted Naftogaz's gas storage sites and other company facilities.

"The EBRD is a leader in supporting energy efficiency initiatives. I am grateful (to them) for understanding the urgent needs of Ukraine and making the necessary decisions," Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said.

"Today's signing is an important step towards strengthening Ukraine's energy stability in wartimes," the minister noted after penning the relevant agreement with the EBRD's Ukraine and Moldova managing director, Arvid Tuerkner.

As of July 16, the EBRD's 10 projects in Ukraine's public sector have amounted to 2.1 billion euros ($2.3 billion), while the bank's assistance across all sectors has reached nearly 4 billion euros ($4.36 billion).

The bank plans to continue investing between 1.5 billion to 2 billion euros ($1.6 billion to $2.18 billion) annually in Ukraine, the Finance Ministry's statement read.

After Ukraine went through the winter with a relatively stable situation in the energy sector, Russia began attacking the country's gas infrastructure with the arrival of spring.

Read also: Naftogaz: Russias morning attack targeted gas infrastructure

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ZAGREB, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The joint police patrols between China and Croatia have deepened the bilateral law enforcement cooperation and contributed to the Safe Tourist Destination project, said Vlatka Vulic Petkovic, director of the International Cooperation Department of the Croatian Police, in an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday.

"Deepening of the bilateral law enforcement cooperation and making Croatia a safe environment to the tourists have been the core goal of the Safe Tourist Destination project," Petkovic told Xinhua, adding that she has "high expectations" that the core goal of the project will be achieved once again in this year's joint police patrol.

The project, since its launching, has been featured by Croatia's invitation to police officers from around the world to participate in police patrols in major tourist destinations along with Croatian police officers.

China joined the project for the first time in 2018, and the eight Chinese police officers, selected for this year's joint patrol, will carry out a one-month joint patrol mission in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Plitvice Lakes National Park, and take part in activities including helping Chinese tourists, preventing crimes and establishing closer police cooperation.

In the eyes of Petkovic, the performances of Chinese police officers participating in the joint patrols have been more than excellent.

"We expect this level of professionalism, which has been shown by Chinese colleagues, will be met again this year," Petkovic said, adding that the Chinese tourists are often "thrilled" to see police officers from their home country taking part in joint patrols in Croatia.

"So we believe that it will have more than positive effect on the general number of Chinese tourists who will choose Croatia as their tourist destination," she noted.

According to Petkovic, the joint police patrol will not only contribute to the deepening of bilateral law enforcement cooperation, Croatia's tourism safety, but also to better overall cooperation between the two countries.

"Every cooperation, especially the cooperation between bilateral law enforcement agencies, will have a benefit and positive reflection on cooperation between the two countries," she said.

Along with Qi Qianjin, Chinese ambassador to Croatia, Petkovic attended the launching ceremony of this year's joint patrol held on Tuesday. 
Overshadowed by the wonderings about President Joe Bidens vigor was the actual purpose of the NATO alliances 75th anniversary summit in Washington last week. It marked three quarters of a century since Harry Truman hosted leaders of 10 nations from Western Europe, as well as Canada, to create a new, permanent defense pact in 1949.

America had had allies before going back to the Revolutionary War, when the French came to the aid of the rebellious colonists (and to thwart their British rivals). And there were many military partnerships in the years that followed, most extensively during World War II, when the Allies fought Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan on battlefields across the planet under the banner of the United Nations, which led to the birth of the world body. But all those groupings coalesced during wartime.

The new North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was, as the National Archives put it, the first peacetime military alliance ever concluded by the United States. In doing so, the nation was going directly against the admonition of George Washington, who in his 1796 farewell address, wrote: It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.

Washington, who relied on French assistance to beat the Redcoats, noted that to have a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. But NATO was not to be temporary.

George thought that the Atlantic Ocean would insulate the U.S. from Europes chaos, but as Truman said when he spoke to the assembled foreign ministers, Twice in recent years, nations have felt the sickening blow of unprovoked aggression. Our peoples, to whom our governments are responsible, demand that these things shall not happen again.

Of the treaty they were signing: It is a simple document, but if it had existed in 1914 and in 1939, supported by the nations who are represented here today, I believe it would have prevented the acts of aggression which led to two world wars. The nations represented here have known the tragedy of those two wars.

Truman was an artillery officer in combat in France during World War I (when it was called The Great War). A generation later, he was commander in chief when World War II ended.

Half of the original 12 NATO countries  France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway  had been overrun and occupied by Nazi Germany and were only liberated from the genocidal regimes jackboot four years earlier. Britain was never conquered by Hitler and with the Americans and Canadians, brought freedom back to the Continent.

Italy had overthrown their own dictator and declared war on Germany, while the last two members, Iceland and Portugal, provided valuable bases to Atlantic convoys during the war. All 12 members pledged to protect each other if attacked.

When Soviet troops invaded Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, NATO could not defend them. After the Iron Curtain fell, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia joined NATO, along with others from the former East Bloc. Today the membership has grown to 32, with the accession of Sweden on March 7, which followed Russias invasion of Ukraine.

NATO vows an irreversible path to Ukraines membership. When that happens, Ukraine will be protected like the rest.

_____
Mayor Karen Bass took the unusual step this week of vetoing a proposed November ballot measure to rework the disciplinary process for Los Angeles police officers. Assuming the City Council doesnt override her veto, the mayors decision means voters wont get to consider police accountability this year.

OK. But, if Angelenos are going to get a do-over on police reform, Bass and the City Council need to use the next two years to develop a stronger proposal that increases both the publics confidence that officers will be held accountable for misconduct and officers confidence that they will be treated fairly. And they should not wait until just weeks before the deadline for the 2026 ballot. Although city leaders had seven years to plan a well-crafted reform proposal, the council put it off until the last minute and produced a rushed one.

Read more: Editorial: Los Angeles City Council may be on verge of bungling police accountability  again

The reforms in the November ballot measure weren't terrible, just underwhelming . It would have allowed the police chief to fire officers accused of some types of misconduct and rejiggered the composition of the departments three-member Board of Rights disciplinary panels. And it would have created a binding arbitration process as a final level of appeal. Together, they were half-steps forward but far short of whats needed.

Still, there were significant disagreements over the details of the proposal, including whether the changes would ultimately strengthen the discipline system or result in even more lenient penalties in some cases. And the process was so rushed in the days leading up to the deadline to put the measure on the ballot, that there was little time for advocates and experts to weigh in. Bass, in her veto letter , sided with the skeptics, saying the proposed measure risks creating bureaucratic confusion in the Los Angeles Police Department.

Its important to get police reform right this time because the City Council has bamboozled the public before.

Read more: Editorial: Lenient all-civilian LAPD discipline panels let bad cops off the hook

In 2017, the council, on behalf of the union that represents rank-and-file officers, approved a ballot measure that significantly weakened the discipline process. Voters were fooled into believing they were toughening police discipline by permitting Boards of Rights to consist of three civilians, instead of one civilian and two police officers. They may have figured civilians would be harder on cops accused of wrongdoing, but they had it backward.

As a result, the police chief is often unable to fire officers who have committed serious misconduct. Some are considered so tainted by dishonesty or unreliability that they cant testify in court without undermining the case, and are assigned to non-law-enforcement positions that should be filled by less costly civilians. The LAPD has nearly 70 officers on its payroll that the chief would have fired if hed been allowed to do so, the LAPD estimates.

Read more: Opinion: Before Los Angeles gets a new police chief, here's what we need to know

After the passage of Charter Amendment C in 2017, council leaders promised a sweeping reexamination and overhaul of police practices and policies, including the discipline system. That never happened.

Bass must do better than past city leaders. She has a long history of observing and critiquing the LAPD. Now she has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the department. Shes expected to select a new police chief this fall, and other top positions need to be filled as well. Fixing the broken police discipline system so the next chief isn't hindered by its inadequacies should be central to that transformation.

The development of the discipline ballot measure was led by Council members Tim McOsker and Hugo Soto-Martinez, but this work is too important for the mayor to stay on the sidelines. Now that shes vetoed the first proposal, Bass should take a public leadership role in developing a more comprehensive reform package that reflects her vision for a safer, more just city.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A courtroom and a judge's gavel. (Getty Images creative)

The Kenosha man seeking a new investigation of his sons death at the hands of police two decades ago is pursuing his goal through an unprecedented strategy: Deploying a Wisconsin agency that was established to represent the interests of crime victims.

Michael M. Bells longtime ally, retired Kenosha police officer Russell Beckman, has filed a petition on Bells behalf with the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board. Beckmans petition has been filed against Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and another Department of Justice employee. It argues that Bell is a victim of a crime by public officials, including Kaul, who have ignored Bells request to give his sons death another look.

At a hearing in Brown County Circuit Court Wednesday, a judge could rule on whether the effort will be allowed to go ahead or wind up being blocked.

Its a very novel case, Beckman said in an interview this week.

A Kenosha police officer shot and killed Michael M. Bells adult son, Michael E. Bell, in November 2004 after the younger Bell was taken into police custody in the driveway of the home where he lived with his mother. The Kenosha Police Department conducted its own investigation and cleared the officers in less than three days. In 2010 the city of Kenosha agreed to a $1.75 million settlement of a civil lawsuit Michael M. Bell filed over his sons death.

Bell went on to advocate for a Wisconsin law requiring outside investigations of officer-involved deaths.

Despite the settlement, the elder Bell has continued to pursue demands for a new investigation in his sons death.

The officer who fatally shot Michael E. Bell did so after another officer on the scene thought the younger Bell had seized the second officers service weapon.

Michael M. Bell contends that there are significant discrepancies between the police account and other evidence from the incident. Based on that other evidence, the elder Bell argues that the officer who fired the fatal shot should have known he was not in danger despite his fellow officers panic.

By digging into those discrepancies, Bell contends, Kenosha police could learn more about what happened in the incident and perhaps make procedural changes to prevent a recurrence.

Bell has argued that the Kenosha Police Department, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley as well as the Kenosha mayors office have all effectively covered up the circumstances of his sons death.

City and county officials have all repeatedly rejected the assertions made by Bell and Beckman.

In 2021 after asking Attorney General Josh Kaul on 10 or more separate occasions to look into the case, Bell filed a complaint against the attorney general with Gov. Tony Evers. Evers subsequently rejected the complaint, and in a letter to Bell, Evers chief legal counsel at the time, Ryan Nilsestuen, raised the possibility that Bell might pursue his concern through the Crime Victims Rights Board (CRVB).

The Legislature created the Crime Victims Rights Board in 1997 with legislative authority to issue sanctions for violations of statutory or constitutional victim rights by public officials, agencies or employees, the Wisconsin Department of Justice states on its website.

In December 2022, Beckman, who has been working with Bell to develop new evidence in the case of his sons shooting death, filed a complaint on Bells behalf with the board.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, WI DOJ Administrator Tina Virgil, and other top WI DOJ officials have violated the rights of crime victim Michael Bell, under the Wisconsin Constitution, in their refusal to respond to many attempts by Mr. Bell and his lawful representative to consult with them regarding newly developed information about the crime, the complaint states.

The complaint also argues that the failure to act is more than just a violation of state law. Under the 2020 amendment known as Marsys Law, which gave the states victim-protection laws greater force by making them part of the Wisconsin Constitution, the violations are constitutional ones, the complaint alleged.

In November 2023, the CVRB found that there was no probable cause for the complaint. The court summarized the complaints allegations to say that DOJ officials were unresponsive to [Bells] citizen complaint and thereby participated in efforts to conceal what occurred on that day in 2004.

Nevertheless, The Board does not find that the conduct alleged are crimes that confer victim status, the CVRB concluded. The actual victim, according to the board, is government.

The Board does not find that the alleged acts, if committed, would be committed against the complainant, the CVRB declared. The alleged conduct is against the government and its administration, not against individual persons.

That conclusion has shocked Beckman. This ruling could actually apply to teachers who sexually assault their students, he said.

Beckman has appealed for a judicial review of the boards conclusions, while the CVRB and the state Department of Justice want the court to dismiss the petition. The attorney general has ignored our extensive and well-documented efforts to contact him and report these crimes, Beckman said.

At a hearing Wednesday in Brown County Circuit Court, a judge will decide whether to grant the dismissal or give the complaint a new lease on life.

This case isnt about money, Beckman said. This is about protecting the constitutional right to Marsys Law for all Wisconsins citizens.

Beckman, who is not a lawyer, has been representing himself in the complaint. Hes hoping that will change.

I have been trying very hard to get representation, Beckman said. Im not having any luck.

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FILE PHOTO: Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attends a press conference, in the city of Al-Arish

DUBAI (Reuters) -Egypt will halt load-shedding power cuts during the summer as of Sunday, after some natural gas shipments arrived, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Wednesday, in a bid to end a crisis that inconvenienced a population of 106 million.

The North African country has been grappling with power shortages as high cooling demand during summer drives up consumption. Egypt generates most of its electricity from burning natural gas.

Load-shedding refers to rotating power cuts in parts of the electricity grid to prevent failure of the entire system when demand exceeds capacity.

Egypt's daily power consumption has exceeded 37 gigawatts, up 12% from last year, Madbouly said in a televised press conference.

It has received five cargoes containing 155,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas out of 21 cargoes that it contracted for, the petroleum ministry said on Monday.

Egypt needs to import around $1.18 billion worth of natural gas and mazut fuel oil to end the long-running cuts, Madbouly said last month.

Egypt had not imported LNG since 2018, but natural gas supplies have dwindled as its growing population and urban development have driven up power demand.

The government plans to address summer energy demand in 2025 through investing in renewable energy, Madbouly added.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Rod Nickel)
Eight Republicans face off in primary to be Missouris top election official

(Getty Images).

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcrofts decision to forgo a third term in order to run for governor set off a mad dash of Republicans hoping to replace him.

Early entrants included online personality Valentina Gomez, Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller and state Rep. Adam Schwadron. They were eventually joined by longtime GOP strategist Jamie Corley, House Speaker Dean Plocher, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Judge Mike Carter.

The winner of the crowded Aug. 6 GOP primary will take on one of three Democrats: Monique Williams, Barbara Phifer or Haley Jacobson.

Valentina Gomez

Gomezs campaign for secretary of state exists nearly entirely online

Shes raised virtually no money, and doesnt appear to have much of a campaign apparatus. What she does have, though, is the ability to

draw attention from national news organizations with social media posts that are equal parts homophobia and feats of strength.

In an interview with Wake Up Mid-Missouri, Gomez said she plans to be the first successful candidate to win office without holding a single fundraiser were gonna win this with votes, not money.

Gomez describes herself on her campaign website as a real estate investor, financier, strategist, former NCAA Division I swimmer, relentless achiever, and a fierce advocate for the principle values we hold dear as Americans battling for a better future.

Born in Colombia, but made in the United States, Gomezs campaign says shes a testament of perseverance. Her success was not inherited, it has and continues to be earned through discipline and determination.

Shane Schoeller

After serving three terms in the Missouri House, Schoeller won a competitive primary in 2012 to be the GOP nominee for secretary of state.

He went on to lose in the general election, but two years later won his current job as Greene County clerk  the top elections official in one of Missouris largest counties.

Schoeller says hes the only candidate in the primary with the experience to be secretary of state.

I come ready on day one, he said. Its really important that we have a secretary of state who understands the duties and responsibilities of the office in terms of elections, voter registration and record retention.

Voters continue to have concerns about the integrity of elections, Schoeller said, and one way to alleviate that would be to revamp Missouris central voter registration program, which he said is dated in terms of its function and capacity.

When you work with that system, day in and day out, through voter registration and the administration of elections, he said, we need to have a program that is more up to date, more user friendly and that can also be better at providing information for the public.

Denny Hoskins

Hoskins served in the Army National Guard before becoming a certified public accountant. He has represented Warrensburg in the state House and Senate, leaving the legislature after this year because of term limits.

His statehouse career is defined in recent years by his membership in the Senate Freedom Caucus, where Hoskins and his cohorts

clashed with the chambers GOP leadership  creating years of gridlock in a battle over the partys priorities.

Those rumbles with Republican leaders are also a key part of Hoskins campaign message, which he insists is proof hes a fighter who will stand up for the values of his party.

Im a conservative fighter who believes our rights come from God, not state government, Hoskins recently told supporters, noting he is the only candidate in the race for secretary of state that was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life.

If elected, Hoskins says hed push for the hand counting of ballots, eliminating absentee voting except for the military and disabled and making Election Day a holiday to make it easier for Missourians to vote.

We want to make sure our elections are free and fair and people trust the election process, Hoskins told the Politically Speaking podcast. That was the thing that got me interested in this race, that we could trust our elections and one person has one vote and only legal U.S. citizens vote.

Adam Schwadron

Schwadron is the owner and operator of Clean Carpet Company in St. Charles County, and was elected to the state House in 2020.

The secretary of state oversees elections and business registration, and Schwadron believes his experience as small business owner and four-year member of the House Elections Committee give him insight into how the job should be done.

Someone competent needs to be in this office, he said. And so I felt my professionalism, the way Ive worked in the legislature with character and integrity, thats whats needed in elected office these days. And so thats why Im running.

His biggest concern related to the secretary of states office, Schwadron said, is the attempt by Democrats at the federal level to take over our elections. He believes his rivals in the GOP primary dont take the threat seriously enough.

He has sponsored legislation creating the Missouri Elections Sovereignty Act, which Schwadron says declares our elections are ours, and any attempt by the federal government to come in here and tell us how to run our elections will be met with resistance.

Jamie Corley

Corley is a veteran GOP political operative from St. Louis who has worked for three members of Congress, including as national press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.

Most recently, she spearheaded a campaign seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot

adding exceptions to the states abortion ban for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and the health and safety of the mother.

Her position on abortion, she notes, lines up with former President Donald Trumps.

She decided to run for secretary of state, she said, when she looked at the crop of candidates in the race and realized there was no one she could vote for.

We interact as citizens at the Secretary of States office more than we probably think, she said. Voting. Registering LLCs. Initiative petitions. Its an important office.

Though shes never held public office before, Corley says shes not short of experience in government. Shes worked in the U.S. Senate and House, and at a conservative think tank, so Im not new to public policy by any means.

What she does lack is experience in the absolute nonsense that has been the Missouri legislature for the past two years, she said. Its a hard sell that the people who were responsible for that nonsense are all the sudden going to be competent leaders when they have to manage a statewide office.

Dean Plocher

Plocher is an attorney who grew up in St. Louis and served as a municipal judge before winning a seat in the Missouri House.

During his time in the Capitol, Plocher rose to become speaker of the Missouri House and championed legislation aimed at making it

harder to amend the state constitution. He also sponsored the constitutional amendment repealing the nonpartisan redistricting plan.

But for the last year Plocher has been engulfed in scandal over an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving a lucrative software contract and revelations he filed false expense reports for travel already paid for by his campaign. He currently faces a whistleblower lawsuit alleging he harassed and intimidated nonpartisan legislative staff.

Plocher denies any wrongdoing, and has tried to use his trevails to his advantage by morphing his public persona from a St. Louis moderate to an embattled MAGA warrior in the mold of former President Donald Trump. In a recent interview just before the anniversary of D-Day, he compared his struggles to the troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.

Democracy is not free, Plocher said in an interview with one of his supporters. You have to fight for it. And just as soldiers went out and gave their lives for our country, the politicians are out there, and theyre elected and answerable to the people. And right now, its unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run this country. Its unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run the state of Missouri.

Mary Elizabeth Coleman

Coleman is an attorney from Arnold currently serving her first term in the Missouri Senate after six years in the Missouri House.

Asked about her time in the legislature, she is unequivocal about her proudest achievement.

Theres no more important thing that we have done, she said, than to end abortion in the state of Missouri.

Coleman was one of the architects of legislation that included a trigger allowing Missouri to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned Roe v. Wade. When that happened in 2022, Missouri became the first state to outlaw the procedure.

Ill forever be proud of that, she said. Im a conservative who delivers results. People want not just a fighter, but a fighter who can deliver. And my conservative record speaks for itself.

Like much of the GOP primary field, Coleman talks about election integrity and ensuring only U.S. citizens can cast a ballot. But she also emphasizes ways she believes she can improve how the secretary of state interacts with Missouri businesses.

We have got to do everything we can to make sure that every business owners experience is as positive and as minimal as possible, she said. We want the government to get out of peoples lives and when they have to be involved to be as effective and painless as possible.

Mike Carter

Carter is an attorney and Wentzville municipal judge who ran in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor in 2020 and state Senate in 2022, falling short both times.

He told the

Politically Speaking podcast that he decided to run for secretary of state because it was the race with the least amount of competition, the least amount of dollars dedicated to it and the largest opening for me to repeat what I did in the past and ascend to the position.

In his 2020 statewide race, Carter won nearly 27% of the vote in a four-way GOP primary. With a much more crowded field this year, he said replicating that success would likely mean victory.

Hes different from others seeking the office, Carter contends, because he wont be beholden to donors or special interests.

If I get in there, he said, Ill have to answer just to the folks in the voting booth.
Election workers attend training class in Topeka ahead of primary

TOPEKA (KSNT)  In a few weeks the polls will be busy for the upcoming primary election. Before people get to work, they have to learn the ropes.

Thats why on Tuesday, July 16, over 230 election workers attended a three-hour long class at the Fellowship Bible Church where they learned the machines and how they work, poll book usage and different voting laws.

How you as an election worker make sure you follow the statutes, you follow the provisional process that the law requires, make sure voters are taken care of, you dont deny a voter a ballot those kind of basic things, Shawnee County Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said.

This training is nothing new for Virginia Eisenbarth. Shes done it for the last 12 years and has only missed a couple in that span.

I just continue to do that. Even if you think oh I should quit, you just want to do it, Eisenbarth said. Its important of course and its good to know that theres people doing it because I know they always need help.

Fiesta Topeka, a local tradition continues rain or shine

For Carmen Metzger, she says its her responsibility as a citizen that keeps her coming back.

Well its not for the pay, but its for just to help do my civic duty and support my country in any way I can, Metzger said.

Although there was a big turnout Tuesday, Howell says theyre still looking for more workers.

We think were getting close to the number we need for this election, but were really still encouraging people to sign up, Howell said. I need at least 200 more people for November, and we still may have a little bit of need yet if we end up having some drops at the last minute.

If you would like to sign up to be an election worker you can go to the Shawnee County Election Office, or by going to their website.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Pueblo police recently executed five search warrants on local businesses as part of a city-wide crackdown on illegal gambling.

According to a Pueblo Police Department news release, officers seized approximately $20,000 in cash as evidence along with 62 illegal gambling machines.

"It really comes down to two things," Sgt. Frank Ortega, a Pueblo PD spokesman, told the Chieftain. "We obviously have to deal with serious crimes  shootings, homicides, and other violent crime  but we also have to deal with other things at the same time. Quality of life (issues) and crime was evident in those spots. By closing them down we reduced crime and increased quality of life in the area."

During the operation, 11 people were cited on suspicion of crimes such as engaging in gambling, possession of a gambling device, gambling premises, and electronic gambling.

The businesses searched as part of the investigation included 320 West Northern Ave., 1103 North Elizabeth St., 1722 South Prairie Ave., and 303 East Northern Ave. Most of the businesses appear to be convenience stores, arcades, or restaurants.

The businesses were not shut down by police as a result of the investigation and while it will be up to the owners whether their businesses remain open, Ortega stated if more illegal gambling takes place at any of the establishments, police will search them again.

Police officials said in the release that many of the machines seized "replicate those commonly used in towns where gambling is legalized in Colorado, which are Cripple Creek, Black Hawk, and Central City."

The search warrants followed an ordinance passed by Pueblo City Council in May that made the operation of illegal gambling establishments a municipal violation that can be charged in municipal court. City council passed the ordinance on May 14 and it was subsequently signed into law by Mayor Heather Graham.

More Pueblo crime news: Pueblo police: Beware phone scam where caller claims 'cartel' kidnapped your loved one

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo police crack down on illegal gambling establishments
Elizabeth Warren on 'The Late Show.' - Credit: YouTube/The Late Show

Senator Elizabeth Warren stopped by The Late Show to discuss the state of politics in American and took the opportunity to talk about the importance of gun control and Donald Trumps recent vice presidential pick J.D. Vance.

Warren told host Stephen Colbert. She said believes the Republican Party should embrace gun safety legislation and an assault weapons ban following the attempted assassination on Trump earlier this week.

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This should be the moment for it, Warren said of the need for gun control, including a ban on AR-15-style weapons. Theyre talking about how they want to have unity and everyone is deeply concerned, and rightly so, about the attack on the president. This is the moment when: lets show what unity really means. And that is Republicans and Democrats, Ill issue the open invitation, lets come together and lets ban assault weapons in this country now.

She added, This is for Donald Trump. This is for our children. This is for children in schools. This is for people at movie theaters.

Elsewhere in the interview Warren talked about President Joe Bidens record over the past four years in office, including his efforts on student loan debt cancelation and capping the price of insulin. She added that what makes a democracy work is not violence.

In a democracy we have different ideas, she said. We disagree. We may disagree sharply. We bring those ideas together. We may go back and forth about it, but we resolve it on November 5th at the ballot box, not with violence ever.

Colbert also brought up Vance, who Trump recently named as his running mate. He asked about Warren collaborating with Vance on a bill (I will work with anyone who wants to rein in the giant banks and thats what that bill was all about, she said) and what people need to know about him.

Mostly what you need to know is this incarnation of J.D. Vance, which is not the one that called Donald Trump Americas Hitler,' she replied. But he is now Donald Trump doubled It means now that on really key issues hes Donald Trump, in some cases even more so.

On Monday, the president announced that Ohio Senator J.D. Vance would join him on the 2024 ticket. The decision came just two days after a would-be assassin nearly killed the former president at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio, Trump wrote on Truth Social, going on to list some of Vances credentials.

Vance, now a staunch MAGA loyalist, was one a staunch critic of the former president. In 2016, Vance suggested that Trump might be Americas Hitler, in text messages with a former roommate. In a 2016 op-ed written for The New York Times, Vance wrote that then-candidate Trump was unfit for our nations highest office. That same year, Vance described himself as a Never Trump guy.

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(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk is going all in on right-wing politics.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a matter of days, the billionaire entrepreneur has ramped up his embrace of the conservative movement, formally endorsing Donald Trump for president and using his X platform to repeatedly amplify his support. Hes donating $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC, tapping his vast fortune to influence the race.

And on Tuesday, Musks political leanings spilled over to two of his most prominent companies, with an announcement that he plans to move X and SpaceX to Texas from California. The final straw, he said, was a new rule in the Golden State that bans school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents about changes to a students sexual orientation and gender identity.

Musk, the worlds richest person with a $269.5 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has for years been aligning himself with conservative causes such as vaccine skepticism and stopping illegal immigration. But his full embrace of the right-wing ethos marks a radical transformation for a Silicon Valley tech legend who rose to prominence as the visionary behind Tesla Inc., an electric-car company positioned at the forefront of the environmental movement.

Stephen Cheung, chief executive officer of the LA County Economic Development Corp, was at a commercialization-of-space conference Tuesday when news broke about Musk relocating the SpaceX headquarters.

Its going to definitely be a black eye for us, he said. Its not a good look for LA and California when you have these companies leave here.

Musks latest announcement signals a new type of backlash from the billionaire, said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego.

This is qualitatively different from both what weve seen from other businesses and even what weve seen from Musk before, he said. Its entirely on social policy, and if he follows through it would represent a new worry for California policymakers.

For California, the worlds fifth-largest economy, the relocations may be more of a symbolic than substantive blow. Musk has already relocated himself and Tesla to Texas. Yet few employees were compelled to move, and the car company still maintains a huge presence in the San Francisco Bay area, including a factory in Fremont that employs thousands of people. Just last year, Musk and Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Palo Alto would be home to Teslas engineering headquarters.

Newsom responded to Musks move on Tuesday by posting a Truth Social message from Trump in which the former president said the billionaire would have dropped to his knees to get subsidies for his many projects. Newsoms comment: You bent the knee.

Texas, a deeply Republican state with no corporate or personal income tax, has attracted California companies including Oracle Corp., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. and Charles Schwab Corp. in recent years. On the floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, local politicians crowed at Musks move.

Its simple, the worlds richest man cant afford to live in California with the Democrat policies, said Abraham George, the Texas GOP party chair.

Even Californias own Kevin McCarthy, the former US House speaker, used the move as an opportunity to bash the states policies.

What took him so long? McCarthy said when asked about Musks announcement. Ever since Gavin Newsom got elected hes pushing more jobs out than he ever brought in.

Climate Advantages

By shunning California, Musk is further turning his back on the state that helped bolster his fortune, with its bold climate goals and incentives for electric vehicles. He said hell be moving the headquarters of SpaceX, currently based in Hawthorne, to South Texass Starbase. The rocket company has been building out a large facility in the area in the last few years, and the site in Boca Chica is the primary location where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rocket system.

X  which Musk purchased for $44 billion in 2022, when it was known as Twitter Inc.  has long been headquartered in San Francisco, where its massive headquarters building used to be known for its Twitter bird logo. Musk has blasted the famously progressive city, saying that downtown is a zombie apocalypse. It has struggled with a large unhoused population and record office vacancies in the wake of the pandemic.

There is no more fundamental way to reshape the brand of X than to move the headquarters from San Francisco to Texas, where Elon Musk feels very much at home, said John Boyd, principal of a Princeton, New Jersey-based site-selection firm. Theres business climate advantages in Austin versus the Bay Area.

Governor Greg Abbott posted on X that the SpaceX headquarters move cements Texas as the leader in space exploration. The Republican governor has been at the forefront of pushing through right-wing social policies such as a law that bans Texas doctors from pursuing gender-affirming care for transgender children and another that limits how school teachers can talk about racism.

The California bill that upset Musk was signed by Newsom this week after a contentious and emotional debate in the state legislature. In a post on X, Musk said the law causes massive destruction of parental rights and puts children at risk of permanent damage.

The issue is personal for Musk. One of his eldest children went to court the day after they turned 18 in 2022 and changed their name, citing gender identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form, according to court filings.

Its not surprising to see someone with a long history of hateful rhetoric utilize newscycle moments as a vehicle to try to grab attention with sensational, false narratives, said a spokesperson for GLAAD, which advocates for positive portrayal of LGBTQ people in media and culture. Californias law creates a model for all leaders in education to ensure LGBTQ student safety and privacy.

California State Senator Scott Wiener, a member of the legislatures LGBTQ caucus from San Francisco, said in an interview that he sees Xs move as having little effect on his city.

The fact that Elon Musk is purportedly making decisions about the location of his company based on a law protecting trans kids says a lot more about him than it does about anything else, he said.

--With assistance from Ella Ceron and John Gittelsohn.

(Updates with net worth in fourth paragraph.)

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Elon Musk is moving X and SpaceX from California to Texas. A new law was the final straw

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a Turksat 6A communications satellite, lifts off at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, July 8, 2024. Elon Musk recently said he will move the headquarters of X, formerly known as Twitter, and SpaceX from California to Texas. | John Raoux

Elon Musk says he will move the headquarters of X, formerly known as Twitter, and SpaceX from California to Texas. And the reason is political.

Musk said on social media the final straw was California Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a bill on Tuesday banning school districts from requiring employees to tell parents about childrens gender identity and sexual orientation. The bill was passed and signed after a chaotic discussion by California lawmakers.

There was opposition to the bill because some lawmakers said it eroded parents rights and schools should not be allowed to withhold this information. Supporters of the bill said it prevented staff from inappropriate interference.

This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas, wrote Musk. I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.

The headquarters of X will be in Austin, said Musk in a separate post, also citing crime as reason he was tired of having the headquarters in California.

The tech billionaire had previously moved the headquarters of Tesla from Palo Alto to Austin in 2021. He had previously said he moved his private residence to Texas from California.

Texas lawmakers have celebrated the announcement of the move.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quote tweeted Musks announcement of the move and said, X marks the spot. teXas is the HQ for business. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on social media, Fantastic! @elonmusk Were proud you call Texas home & Texas is proud to welcome the HQs of both X and Space X. Let freedom ring!
MOSCOW, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Russian official said Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be not just a direct threat to Russia but a delayed declaration of war, local media reported on Wednesday.

Russia does not pose a threat to NATO, has no plans to attack NATO member countries, and certainly does not aim to harm their residents, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council, was quoted as saying.

Any attempts to advance hostile interests in Ukraine or other countries close to Russia will continue to be met with appropriate resistance, he said.

"The more such attempts there are, the tougher our responses will be. Whether the entire planet will be torn to shreds as a result depends solely on the prudence of the other side," he added. 
Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

Billionaire Elon Musk says he will relocate the headquarters of X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX from California to Texas, blaming a new California law that bans forcibly outing transgender students to their families.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Support Academic Future and Educators for Todays Youth Act (SAFETY Act) into law, establishing that teachers shall not be required to disclose trans students expressed gender identity without their consent. The following day, Musk wrote on X that the law was the final straw, and that because of this law and the many others that preceded it, he would be moving SpaceXs headquarters to Brownsville, TX  the current site of Musks Starbase industrial complex  while X would move to Austin.

In follow-up posts over the ensuing 24 hours, Musk alleged that the SAFETY Act constituted massive destruction of parental rights and would [put] children at risk for permanent damage. Musk, a notorious anti-trans propaganda enjoyer who has said he would ban the word cisgender as a slur on X, has committed to spending $45 million per month on a new super PAC supporting former president Donald Trump, according to the Wall Street Journal. Musk has blamed his daughters progressive school, which he accuses of incubating the woke mind virus, for his estrangement with his own adult child, who came out as trans and cut ties with her father last year.

The Vast Majority of Mass Shooters Are Cis Men. Why Does the Right Keep Saying They're Trans?

Experts explain what right-wing actors stand to gain by insisting that trans people are a threat.

But Musks move away from Silicon Valley has been years in the making, and may have more to do with tax and labor laws than the billionaires personal politics. Musk himself moved in 2020 from California to Texas, where there is no individual state income tax, the Associated Press reported. In 2021, he then moved the headquarters of Tesla to Texas as well, taking advantage of the states lax business tax laws. Tesla has repeatedly been accused of illegally blocking unionization at its facilities, along with other labor law violations in Florida and California. As MarketWatch columnist Therese Poletti wrote on Tuesday, Musk sees California as too expensive, too litigious, and too friendly to employees and their rights, making his mass relocation to Texas anything but abrupt.

Newsom hit back at Musks comments in his own post on X on Tuesday, casting the billionaire as a mere Trump crony who bent the knee to the former president. State Sen. Scott Weiner, a Democrat, called Musks announcement absolutely despicable in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday.

[T]he idea that a billionaire could come along and say, How dare you pass this civil rights law? I'm going to move my company. That's not democracy. That's oligarchy, Weiner said.

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Several commercial fishermen in New England have been sentenced in a fraud scheme that centered on a critically important species of bait fish and that prosecutors described as complex and wide-ranging.

The fishermen were sentenced for knowingly subverting commercial fishing reporting requirements in a scheme involving Atlantic herring, prosecutors said in a statement. The defendants included owners, captains and crew members of the Western Sea, a ship that operates out of Maine.

Western Sea owner Glenn Robbins pleaded guilty in March to submitting false information to the federal government regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and a failure to pay taxes, prosecutors said. Members of the ships crew conspired to submit false trip reports to the federal government from 2016 to 2019, court records state. The charges are misdemeanors.

Robbins was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation and a $25,000 fine, and Western Sea was fined $175,000. The false reports threatened to jeopardize a fish species that is vitally important as commercial lobster bait, said federal prosecutor Darcie McElwee.

The defendants in this case subverted regulations for the sole purpose of lining their own wallets  regulations that are in place to ensure Atlantic herring are not overfished and are available for future generations of fishermen and safeguard the viability of the marine ecosystem, McElwee said.

Reached by phone on Monday, Robbins said that despite his plea, he doesnt consider himself to be guilty and that he took a plea deal because of the uncertainty of taking the case to a jury.

We took the plea deal just so we wouldnt be felons, Robbins said.

A federal judge also sentenced a part-time captain and three crew members to similar sentences last week. Those defendants all pleaded guilty in March.

Four other defendants were sentenced earlier in the year and received similar sentences. All of the defendants in the case are based out of Maine or New Hampshire.

Federal rules require fishermen to submit trip reports about the species they caught, the weight of a catch and the dealers who buy the fish.

Herring is an important part of the food chain, as it is eaten by marine mammals, larger fish and seabirds. Fishing managers have raised concerns about the sustainability of the Atlantic herring population in recent years.

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TOMPKINSVILLE, Staten Island (PIX11)  Marchers descended on Tompkinsville Park Wednesday morning in memory of Eric Garner, a Black man killed by a police officer 10 years ago.

Garners mother, Gwen Carr, led the march in his memory. The event started at Staten Island Ferry Terminal at 11 a.m. and ended at the park just across the street from where Garner took his last breath.

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Protesters around the world echoed the words I cant breathe after a widely spread video showing then-NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo putting Garner in a chokehold on the sidewalk. The video shows Garner struggling on the ground while saying he couldnt breathe at least eight times before he lost consciousness in Pantaleos chokehold. He was left on the ground for seven minutes until he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

In the months following Garners death, I cant breathe became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests across the country called for police reform after a stretch of similar incidents involving white police officers killing Black civilians, including Michael Brown, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9, 2014.

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Pantaleo was fired from the NYPD in 2019 but was never criminally charged in connection with his role in Garners death. Authorities determined that Pantaleo used a chokehold, which was banned by the New York Police Department in the 1990s, and the city medical examiners office ruled Garners death a homicide. However, as then-U.S. attorney Richard Donoghue explained, Even if we could prove that Officer Pantaleos hold of Mr. Garner constituted unreasonable force, we would still have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Pantaleo acted willfully in violation of the law.

Garner, 43, left behind six children. His family continues to seek justice and filed a judicial inquiry in 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde used his time on the Republican National Conventions stage to launch attacks against some of his favorite targets.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, President Joe Biden and the media all took the brunt of his criticism.

Hovde, a multimillionaire banking mogul, continued his attempts to tie Baldwin to Biden as the Madison Democrat has distanced herself from the president. Hovde said Democratic policies have made us less safe at home.

He pointed to the southern border and the fentanyl crisis as top issues. He said peoples budgets, the border and the world were more secure under former President Donald Trump.

Jul 16, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Eric Hovde, Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies. Mandatory Credit: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY ORG XMIT: USAT-890636

Biden and Baldwin have failed, Hovde told the crowd during his approximately 3 1/2-minute speech. President Trump and I will get the job done.

Hovde lamented that the country has become too divided as he took aim at Democrats  We need to heal this division that the left has brought, he said  before going after the press.

And the media: You have to stop dividing us, he said, before using his restore the American Dream campaign slogan.

Democrats, meanwhile, have painted Hovde as an out-of-stater for his California ties, and they continued that line of attack Tuesday night.

Nothing out-of-touch California multimillionaire Eric Hovde said on stage can change the fact that for months, Wisconsinites have heard him make disparaging remarks about folks across the state while pushing policies to benefit himself and his wealthy buddies, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Arik Wolk said.

More: Wisconsin U.S. Senate race updates: Eric Hovde plows $5 million into campaign this quarter

But Hovde opened his speech by seeming to anticipate the criticism.

After he welcomed delegates to Wisconsin, Hovde let the crowd know: His family has lived here for more than 100 years.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hovde targets Baldwin, Biden and news media in RNC speech
Eroding Hilton Head beaches are getting brought back to life. Wheres all the sand going?

If all goes to plan, a $16.5 million beach renourishment project to restore eroded parts of Hilton Head Islands shoreline could kick off as early as mid-summer next year.

Healthy, wide beaches are jewels in the crown of Hilton Head. They provide an environment for sea turtles and birds, aid in storm protection for homes and businesses, and give more space to the millions of beachgoers. But as natural erosion and strong storms chew away at the islands shoreline, renourishing more heavily affected areas is vital in maintaining the beaches integrity.

Currently in the state and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting processes, the latest beach renourishment project calls for the dredging of 2 million cubic yards of sand from offshore shoals that will be funneled onto and spread across sections of the island. The undertaking is considered scheduled maintenance as part of the towns long-standing beach monitoring program, which includes beach renourishment every eight to 10 years.

Under a rough, preliminary timeline, work would start at the northern end of the island by mid-summer 2025 and the rest of the project would start in fall 2025.

Beaches receiving sand:

South Beach

South Forest Beach

North Forest Beach

Palmetto Dunes

Singleton Beach

Port Royal Plantation

Fish Haul Creek/Park

Pine Island in Hilton Head Plantation

A map of where the Town of Hilton Head Island plans to renourish its beaches in 2025.

Gauging beach erosion

For nearly 40 years, Olsen Associates has served as the towns coastal engineering consultant and it executed the initial restoration of the islands shore front in 1990.

Chris Creed, the firms principal and vice president, said before that restoration, about half of the oceanfront was armored with seawalls and revetments. At low tide, North Forest beach didnt have a sandy swath. Only waves crashed into a big rock wall.

We never want it to get back to what it was in the 80s, Creed said.

While unusual in its approach, Hilton Head has the best established beach management program, Creed said, adding that its way ahead of the curve. A 2% accommodation tax for short-term rentals goes into the towns beach preservation. Other South Carolina town and cities, like Folly and Myrtle beaches, instead depend on state and federal funding, which doesnt cover total costs.

The upcoming beach renourishment will be the fourth major project Hilton Head has undergone since its initial restoration 34 years ago. It comes with a $16.5 million price tag.

Beach renourishment workers on Hilton Head Island on Sept. 5, 2016, plan the week ahead as the project restarts following a shutdown during Tropical Storm Hermine.

Nailing down which stretches of the islands shoreline need restoring comes with decades of data and dozens of questions. Since the mid-80s, the firm has surveyed designated locations along the entire oceanfront twice a year.

Comparing the data answers important inquiries: Are the sections eroding, stable or growing? Has the former renourishment project performed as intended? Has that sand stayed in place? Are there areas that are more stable or erosional than they were historically?

Its not necessarily uniform along the entire island, Creed said. When the dredge shows up, we want to make sure that were placing sand everywhere that needs it, and that theres enough sand in those locations to provide protection over the next eight to 10 years.

Will renourishment close beaches?

Before the dredge begins, engineers must identify a sand source that matches the existing sands color, size and texture.

It seems finicky, but dumping too-different sand can come with ramifications. Sand with a smaller grain size than whats already naturally there could cause the beach to become less stable, Creed said. For Hilton Head, engineers didnt have to look too far to find similar sand. Near the island, in the Port Royal and Calibogue sounds, there are sand shoals that source the islands beach renourishment projects.

The hydraulic process starts when a huge dredge digs up sand from the shoal and mixes it with water. The 80% water, 20% sand mixture is then transported through a pipeline and onto the beach. When the water-sand slurry pours onto the beach, the sand falls out of suspension and piles up, and the water runs back into the ocean. Then, bulldozers shape the sand accordingly.

In this file photo, Weeks Marine, Inc. pushes sand while working on the Town of Hilton Head Islands beach renourishment project in June 2016.

The upcoming project, built from dredge, will move 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the beach. For perspective, one dump truck can hold 15 cubic yards of sand. Thats over 133,000 dump trucks.

As the project begins to inch along the islands shoreline next year, work will happen around the clock. Each day, workers will cover between 500 and 800 feet, which will temporarily close a 1,000-foot section of the beach while it undergoes construction, Creed said.

Can engineers or the town pinpoint which days active construction will be in front of someones private villa? No. Creed said they may know a few weeks out where the project may be, but it isnt for certain. Weather can play a major part in the projected timeline. The town will notify the public as soon as possible, Creed said, and it will have a project map.

How about the noise? Its an active construction site. The clamor of typical construction vehicles is a given.

But, in retrospect, beach renourishment on Hilton Head is a short-term disruption. The project may inconvenience a beachfront property for two to three days every eight to 10 years.

Were not responding to a storm. Were not responding to any other catastrophic event, Creed said. Its maintenance on the islands beaches thats necessary for a sustainable beach system.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  Deputies with the Escambia County Sheriffs Office are looking for a person they say stole a bike from a business.

According to an ECSO Facebook post, a person was seen stealing an Aventon Pace 500 electric bike on June 12.

The bike was stolen from a business on the 3000 block of North E St., according to officials.

97 registered Republicans in Okaloosa County got the wrong ballot  whats next

LOCATION:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Anyone with information can contact ECSO at 850-436-9620.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell listens to visitors speak against him during an Ethics Committee Commission meeting held to address alleged concerns against Mitchell on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

Rutherford County's District Attorney General and the Tennessee Comptroller should investigate an employee complaint against Property Assessor Rob Mitchell and his office, the county Ethics Committee decided Wednesday.

Commissioner Robert Peay Jr. called for the unanimous 5-0 vote after saying he and his fellow committee members lack the resources to investigate the accusations from Richard Kincade, a residential appraiser for Mitchell's office.

"I don't think we have the authority to do that," said Peay, noting the committee focuses on questionable votes by officials and whether they use public office to make financial gain.

Mitchell faces accusations: Complaint filed against property assessor raises 'ethical, moral and legal concerns'

Mitchell denied instructing his residential valuation coordinator Chance Baker to tell appraisers to delay updates on property improvements  such as added detached garages  until 2026 instead of the 2024 tax rolls.

The complaint also accused Mitchell of ignoring conflict of interest issues. Kincade's complaint accused Baker of presumably working as a real estate professional while at work at the property assessor's office.

Richard Kincade, an appraiser for the Rutherford County Property Assessor office speaks on his accusations against Property Assessor Rob Mitchell during an Ethics Commission Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

Mitchell also has faced a second employee complaint from residential appraiser John Key pertaining to the conflict of interest issues involving Baker.

Baker has resigned from his property assessor's office, Mitchell said after the meeting.

"I take ethics very seriously," Mitchell told the committee.

Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell addresses ethical, moral and legal accusations against him during an Ethics Committee Commission meeting about the alleged concerns with Mitchell on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

Mitchell responds to regulators: TN Comptroller questions Rutherford improved properties left off appraisals

An Ethics Committee Commission meeting was held, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to address complaints filed against Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell. Mitchell was also given time to address the accusations against him.

Mitchell also accused Rutherford Mayor Joe Carr of being behind the complaints.

"It's a political stunt," Mitchell told the committee. "It's targeted to get me out of office."

Mitchell also told the committee that the mayor built a green house without Kincade adding that to the tax rolls in violation of the law.

Mayor accuses Mitchell inflating value to Carr's home to increase taxes

Mayor Carr provided the following statement to The Daily News Journal after the meeting:

"Mr. Miichell in his testimony referenced a Greenhouse that I built on my farm in late 2023. He is correct, this Greenhouse is approximately 8 feet by 16 feet or 128 square feet. The Greenhouse is a hobby. Like most of Mr. Mitchell's testimony before the Ethics Committee his statement is fraught with factual errors, misrepresentations and deception.

"I first contacted Mr. Mitchell on January 24, 2024 about a serious miscalculation in the square footage of my home. The square footage of my home was over inflated by over 1,300 square feet resulting in me over paying my property taxes by thousands of dollars over the course of several years.

"When I asked Mr. Mitchell for an explanation and how many other Rutherford County property taxpayers were paying more in property taxes because of an error in his office increasing the square footage of their home, he refused to respond. I am told from within the assessors office there may be as many as 1,000 homes that are incorrect and (with owners) overpaying their property taxes."

DA confirms mayor requested investigation of Mitchell

Rutherford's District Attorney General Jennings Jones confirmed by phone after the meeting that Mayor Carr had requested the prosecutor to examine the employee complaints.

Jones said he asked the comptroller to look into the complaint.

"My office does not have the capacity to investigate this matter," said Jones, who oversees 22 attorneys prosecuting crimes.

Jones said he is certain the comptroller's office will contact him if there are any criminal issues involving the complaints.

Anything involving civil law should be handled by the comptroller, which has regulatory oversight of the property assessor's office, Jones said.

Comptroller aware of the complaint issues

Comptroller's spokesman John Dunn said the state office is unable to to provide information involving the complaints at this time.

"Our office has a firm policy to not confirm our involvement in investigations until such time as we issue a public report," Dunn said. "We also can't confirm whether or not someone has notified our office of alleged impropriety due to confidentiality provisions within state law.

"I can certainly say that we are aware of the issues and allegations that have been raised regarding the Rutherford County Assessor's Office, and we take our oversight responsibilities seriously."

Note: The Daily News Journal will be updating this story.

Mitchell faces another complaint: 2nd complaint outlines 'conflict of interest' in Rutherford Co. Property Assessor Office

Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal,sign up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: DA, TN Comptroller asked to investigate complaints of Rob Mitchell
Ursula von der Leyen was appointed by the European Council to serve a second term as President of the European Union. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

A European Union court ruled on Wednesday that the European Commission had failed to give the public sufficient access to the purchase agreements for Covid-19 vaccines.

EU lawmakers and citizens asked the commission to publish the agreements under the bloc's freedom of information laws, but the commission only released redacted versions, so they took legal action.

The court's decision is a blow to commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose conduct in procuring the vaccines has come under scrutiny, particularly due to the commission's refusal to release messages she exchanged with Pfizer chief Albert Bourla.

Von der Leyen needs to win a majority vote in the European Parliament on Thursday to remain in office after her term expires later this year.

The EU General Court ruled on Wednesday, in two separate cases that did not directly concern the messages with Bourla, that the commission had failed to demonstrate that the redaction of certain clauses in the agreements was justified.

For example, the commission redacted clauses concerning indemnity for pharmaceutical companies in the event that the vaccines are defective.

The court said that the provisions belong in the public domain because EU member states had endorsed the justification for them - that is, to compensate companies for the risks of shortening development time. It said the commission had failed to demonstrate that making these provisions public would harm pharmaceutical companies' commercial interests.

Judges also said the commission had not sufficiently explained its decision to redact the contractual definitions of "wilful misconduct" and "best reasonable efforts."

Additionally, the commission redacted the provisions on the donation and resale of vaccines. But again, the court said the EU executive failed to show how releasing these would harm companies' commercial interests.

The commission also redacted the personal information of its negotiating team on privacy grounds, but the judges ruled that the public interest outweighed the privacy concerns. The names and job titles of the negotiators were necessary to determine whether they had conflicting interests, the court said.

The commission has two months and 10 days to appeal the decision in the EU's top court, the Court of Justice.
Ursula von der Leyen was appointed by the European Council to serve a second term as President of the European Union. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

A European Union court ruled on Wednesday that the European Commission had failed to give the public sufficient access to the purchase agreements for Covid-19 vaccines.

EU lawmakers and citizens asked the commission to publish the agreements under the bloc's freedom of information laws, but the commission only released redacted versions, so they took legal action.

The court's decision is a blow to commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose conduct in procuring the vaccines has come under scrutiny, particularly due to the commission's refusal to release messages she exchanged with Pfizer chief Albert Bourla.

Von der Leyen needs to win a majority vote in the European Parliament on Thursday to remain in office after her term expires later this year.

The EU General Court ruled on Wednesday, in two separate cases that did not directly concern the messages with Bourla, that the commission had failed to demonstrate that the redaction of certain clauses in the agreements was justified.

For example, the commission blacked out clauses concerning indemnity for pharmaceutical companies in the event that the vaccines are defective.

The court said that the provisions belong in the public domain because EU member states had endorsed the justification for them - that is, to compensate companies for the risks of shortening development time. It said the commission had failed to demonstrate that making these provisions public would harm pharmaceutical companies' commercial interests.

Judges also said the commission had not sufficiently explained its decision to redact the contractual definitions of "wilful misconduct" and "best reasonable efforts."

Additionally, the commission redacted the provisions on the donation and resale of vaccines. But again, the court said the EU executive failed to show how releasing these would harm companies' commercial interests.

The commission also expunged the personal information of its negotiating team on privacy grounds, but the judges ruled that the public interest outweighed the privacy concerns. The names and job titles of the negotiators were necessary to determine whether they had conflicting interests, the court said.

"Victory before the [EU court]!" wrote EU lawmaker Jutta Paulus, one of the plaintiffs, on X. "[The European Commission] must provide [the European Parliament] access to all relevant information when it comes to joint procurement of vaccines," wrote Paulus, a member of Germany's Greens.

The commission has two months and 10 days to appeal the decision in the EU's top court, the Court of Justice.

In a statement, the commission said it "reserves its legal options."

The EU executive underscored that the court upheld most of its redactions, such as the location of vaccine production sites and provisions on intellectual property.

"It has only partially upheld the legal action on two points," the EU commission wrote of the court's judgement.

"It has ruled that the commission should have provided more explanations to justify refusing access to certain provisions in the contracts.

"It has also ruled that the commission should have provided the personal data related to the members of the negotiation teams, composed of member state representatives and commission officials."

Among the plaintiffs was EU lawmaker Michele Rivasi, a French Green politician who died in November, aged 70. "This victory is thanks to Michele Rivasi. RIP," wrote Paulus on X.
BRUSSELS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission announced Wednesday that it will earmark over 7 billion euros (about 7.66 billion U.S. dollars) for 134 transport projects across the European Union (EU), to facilitate the delivery of the bloc's climate objectives and improve its transport networks.

The projects will receive funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU's fund for strategic investment in infrastructure development. The grants are the largest under the current CEF transport program, according to a press release from the European Commission.

"The selected projects will help transform Europe's transport network, making cleaner transport modes more efficient and attractive for passengers and freight while enhancing safety across the trans-European transport(network) (TEN-T)," said Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra.

Rail projects will receive 80 percent of the total funds, to improve cross-border rail connections along the TEN-T core network.

The release also noted that around 20 maritime ports including those in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Greece will receive support for infrastructure upgrades. Some will enable them to supply shore-side electricity to ships, or transport renewable energy. 
The News

A European Union court on Wednesday rejected TikTok parent company ByteDances attempt to avoid new antitrust rules in what was viewed as a win for regulators trying to rein in Big Tech, Reuters reported.

Antitrust rules established by the European Commission in March labeled key tech companies  including Meta, ByteDance, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft  as industry gatekeepers, saying they had to change the way they operate to give users more choices such as moving between services.

ByteDance was the first company to challenge its gatekeeper status, but the Luxembourg-based court ruled that it must comply with new regulations. ByteDance can now appeal to Europes highest court.
EU gives preliminary approval for 4.2bn in financial support for Ukraine

The European Commission has given a positive assessment for the first regular payment of about 4.2 billion under the Ukraine Facility. The purpose of the Facility is to support Ukraine's macro-financial stability and the functioning of its public administration.

Source: European Commission press service

Details: Based on its assessment of the payment request submitted by Ukraine on 9 July 2024, the European Commission has concluded that Kyiv has satisfactorily fulfilled the nine reform indicators. This decision still needs to be approved by the EU Council.

These reforms cover public financial management, governance of state-owned enterprises, business environment, energy, and mine clearance.

This decision will bring the total amount of funding provided to Ukraine by the EU since the programme's launch in March this year to 12 billion.

Background:

Ukraine recently signed a 5.27 billion grant agreement with the EU.

In 2024, Ukraine expects to receive 16 billion in support, of which 3 billion will be grants.

In late June, Ukraine received a 1.9 billion tranche of financial support from the European Union under the Ukraine Facility.

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The News

Political chaos in Europe could have ripple effects in Asia, analysts said. The uncertainty in France, where recent elections effectively created a lame-duck government, could ultimately affect Europes support for Ukraine. And a Japanese security official told Nikkei that if Russia gains the upper hand over Kyiv, it will inevitably impact Asia. North Korea, which has been deepening its military cooperation with Russia, may become more assertive as a result.

Meanwhile, Asian powers have upped their military presence in Europe: North Korean and Chinese tech has ended up on the battlefield in Ukraine, while China held joint exercises in Belarus. Whereas once-weak Asian powers used to be the object of Europes strategic calculations, it will now be the other way around, a Foreign Policy columnist wrote.
FILE PHOTO: Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission, attends the Summit on peace in Ukraine near Lucerne

By Kate Abnett and Marta Fiorin

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Ursula von der Leyen has spent weeks trying to convince European Union lawmakers to back her for a second term as president of the European Commission. A day before a knife-edge vote, many said they still have not decided whether to support her.

The European Parliament will decide on Thursday whether to appoint von der Leyen, 65, for another five years, providing continuity at the top of the 27-nation EU at a time of external and internal challenges.

In her first term, the German centre-right former defence minister oversaw the launch of the world's biggest package of policies to fight climate change, implementation of Europe's 800-billion-euro ($875 billion) response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped mobilise EU support for Ukraine.

With the EU facing what some see as an existential threat from Russia's war in Ukraine, uncertainty over November's U.S. presidential election and an assertive China, von der Leyen's supporters say she offers stability.

Blocking her appointment following a European Parliament election last month could plunge the EU into political deadlock, against a backdrop of growing popularity of far-right and eurosceptic parties among its member countries.

It could also create a leadership vacuum by upending a deal on the EU's other top leadership jobs and delaying the launch of the new European Commission, the EU executive arm, until 2025.

"We all see the turmoil in the United States... It's very clear, we need stability from the European Union," said Bas Eickhout, co-head of the EU Parliament's Green lawmaker group.

Eickhout's 53 green lawmakers and others in the EU assembly say they will not decide whether to support von der Leyen until she reveals what concessions she is offering in a speech outlining her plans on Thursday.

"First, she has to commit to some concrete points," said socialist lawmaker Delara Burkhardt, citing more EU funding so that industry and households can afford the green transition.

PARLIAMENTARY MATHS

Von der Leyen needs support from at least 361 of the European Parliament's 720 lawmakers.

The support of all lawmakers from her centre-right European People's Party (EPP), socialists and liberals would give her 401 votes, but it is a secret ballot and some members are expected to break ranks and oppose her.

To pass comfortably, she may need support from parts of the 78-strong European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR) or the Greens. Internal divisions in ECR make the Greens appear the safer bet.

Winning over both factions is unlikely, given their opposing demands. The Greens want climate policies safeguarded. The ECR wants them weakened.

Von der Leyen skipped a NATO summit in Washington last week to continue weeks of canvassing support but neither group has come out in support of her. Some lawmakers have indicated they will not back her.

"I cannot imagine that we would be able to support Ursula von der Leyen," Adam Bielan, who heads the ECR's 18 Polish lawmakers, said after a meeting with her on Tuesday, citing "wrong decisions" on migration and climate change.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy group, which is part of the ECR, has not confirmed whether its 24 lawmakers will support von der Leyen.

There is no clear "Plan B" candidate for securing lawmakers' backing if von der Leyen does not do so.

Some members of the European Parliament say that thwarting her would embolden eurosceptic lawmakers - who pledge to oppose her - by indicating that their strengthened numbers after last month's election have empowered them to disrupt EU institutions.

"It would be seen as a victory, particularly for the far right," said EPP lawmaker Sean Kelly, who plans to back her.

($1 = 0.9140 euros)

(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Marta Fiorin; additional reporting by Angelo Amante; editing by Jan Strupczewski and Timothy Heritage)
Sen. Ted Cruzs message at the Republican convention Tuesday night was unmistakable  unchecked illegal immigration is a threat to all Americans.

Every day Americans are dying, murdered, assaults, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats released, the Texan warned GOP delegates gathered in Milwaukee.

And while he offered some specious reasoning, he punctuated his speech with a rallying cry that the crowd soon echoed: Every damn day, meaning somewhere, Americans are victims of heinous crimes committed by those here illegally. He offered the alarmed delegates a bright spot, promising: We can fix it. And when Donald Trump is president, we will fix it.

It was a typical Cruz performance: powerful and pugnacious. And yet he was soon overshadowed by several other speakers, many of whom could be rivals if he wants to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.

Nikki Haley. Ron DeSantis. Marco Rubio. And dont forget new vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance, who didnt speak Tuesday but entered to cheers and sat with Donald Trump, watching the proceedings.

Eventually, even Cruzs message was overshadowed by poignant stories from relatives of some of the very crime victims he mentioned.

His speech was far from perfect. He blamed President Joe Biden for a surge in illegal immigration, and while thats certainly true, Cruz claimed that 11.5 million people have crossed the border illegally under Biden. That apparently lumps together various groups, including many who were turned away or denied asylum claims. But Cruz implied that that large number was allowed to stay in the country, and thats not the case.

Cruz also said that such illegal immigration happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children. Surely, Democrats perceive some political benefit, but it would probably be decades before anyone who came over illegally was in position to become a citizen and vote.

The more convincing argument is that Democrats are so blinkered about what Hispanic voters actually value and so sheepish about enforcing American interests that they wont craft an immigration system that controls the border and imports the workers we need rather than just those who manage to make it across.

Cruz also used the tired trope that this is the most important election ever, saying never before has an election mattered so much because of the invasion of immigration.

How is it possible that, miraculously, every four years is the biggest election weve ever had?

Directionally, though, Cruzs speech landed. Chaos at the border is a real weakness for Democrats. Cruz painted a picture of families whose loved ones were ripped away. The counterargument that gets made  those here illegally dont commit as much crime as American citizens  is accurate. But it overlooks the common sense that any American to the right of Bernie Sanders can see: These crimes wouldnt have occurred if the perpetrators hadnt been let in or allowed to stay in the first place.

Cruz has made it no secret that he loved running for president in 2016, despite the outcome, and relishes the chance to do it again. First, he has to win a third term in November against Dallas Democratic Rep. Colin Allred. The race will be competitive but, in the end, it shouldnt be all that close.

No one speech or convention appearance will determine if he can pull it off. But Tuesday night proved that if he goes for it in 2028, hell certainly have plenty of competition  and that, despite being the runner up to Trump eight years ago, hes now much lower in the pecking order than he might like.

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Everything to Know About Aubreigh Wyatt's Death and Her Mom's Fight to Tell Her Story on TikTok

Aubreigh Wyatt died by suicide on Sept. 4, 2023 in Mississippi

Aubreigh Wyatt/TikTok Aubreigh Wyatt

If you've seen the hashtag #LLAW on your social media feeds, you've heard of Aubreigh Wyatt. The 13-year-old from Ocean Springs, Miss., died by suicide on Sept. 4, 2023, and since then, her story has spread far and wide.

Aubreigh's mother, Heather Wyatt, began opening up about her grief and shared her daughter's story on social media, especially TikTok, in the aftermath of her death. Aubreigh's name and photos began to spread, and the hashtag #LLAW (Live Like Aubreigh Wyatt) started trending as well.

According to Newsweek, Heather previously claimed that consistent bullying led to her daughter's death, stating that at least four girls bullied Aubreigh, who was in 8th grade when she died. Heather has also called for people to be held accountable.

Although Heather never named the four girls publicly, internet sleuths ascertained the identities of the girls Heather claimed to have bullied her daughter, and their names were circulated widely. Purported texts between Heather and Aubreigh detailing the alleged bullying were also shared online.

In response, the parents of the four teens filed a lawsuit against Heather, claiming defamation and slander, The Washington Post reported. After the July 2 filing, a judge also ruled that Heather must shut down all of her social media accounts, per the outlet. Many social media users were outraged at the ruling, saying it violated Heather's freedom of speech. Supporters of Heather, including other popular TikTokers, have posted messages of support.

Ophelia Nichols, also known as Mama Tot on TikTok, shared a message of support for Heather, which currently has more than 11 million views. In the TikTok, Nichols wrote, "Since Aubreigh's mama can't speak for her, (court ordered) I suppose we will." Nichols added, "When their voice is silenced, use yours."



According to Newsweek, the complaint against Heather reads, in part, "As a direct and proximate cause of the false, defamatory, and slanderous social media posts of the defendant, Heather Wyatt, the plaintiffs' minor children have been receiving insulting and revolting messages from around the world attacking them, calling them vulgar names, sexualizing them. These young ladies WERE IN THE 8TH GRADE!!"

However, on July 16, the parents dropped the lawsuit, according to a filing shared by Vicksburg News and reviewed by PEOPLE. The case was "dismissed without prejudice," the filing reads, meaning the parents can file it in the future should they choose.

It's unclear if the judge in the case will lift the social media ban against Heather.



As of press time, Heather's social media profiles  which garnered millions of views and shares around the world  were still not online.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The Wyatt family created a GoFundMe campaign to assist with legal fees. In the fundraiser, Heather called her daughter, "vibrant, kind, and exceptionally bright."

"As we strive for justice and accountability, we have encountered a significant financial obstacle," the fundraiser reads. It has currently raised more than $110,000.



Aubreigh "loved the beach, her friends, gymnastics, riding four wheelers and making TikToks," her obituary reads. In addition to her mother, Aubreigh is survived by her sister, brother and grandfather.



Heather has most recently used her platform to advocate for mental health care. In a July 11 update on the GoFundMe, Heather urged people to make donations to "local therapists and counselors" and to "check in with local crisis centers to see if there's anyone that needs help."



Aubreigh Wyatt/TikTok Aubreigh Wyatt

Trey Brennan, spokesman for Ocean Springs School District, shared the following statement with PEOPLE.

"Ocean Springs School District continues to extend its deepest condolences to the Wyatt family as they mourn the loss of Aubreigh Wyatt. Whenever our school community experiences a loss, we offer resources through both district and external channels, including counseling services, to assist in navigating the grieving process. Additionally, we collaborate closely with our staff to accommodate any necessary adjustments to their workload and schedule, ensuring their needs are met during periods of loss.



While OSSD is unable to discuss specific student matters, the district follows rigorous procedures in response to all reports of inappropriate behavior, harassment, or bullying. Administrators conduct thorough investigations, and if the evidence supports the allegations, appropriate consequences are determined in accordance with district policies. Throughout this process, parents and students are kept informed of developments, and documentation of our procedures are maintained for records. Students and parents can submit anonymous bullying reports both online and in person.



Despite misinformation being spread on social media, our administrators have been and will remain committed to addressing all reported incidents with integrity and dedication to the well-being of our students. OSSD strongly encourages students and parents to report any instance of bullying or harassment directly to school administration by submitting an online bullying report or by contacting their student's school.



OSSD is steadfast in its commitment to providing a healthy learning environment and meeting the needs of all our students and staff. This is achieved through the many dedicated educators and strong partnerships with agencies and community partners."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.



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Read the original article on People.
(Bloomberg) -- US prosecutors indicted a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst specializing in North Korea on charges of working as an agent for South Korea after leaving the agency in exchange for luxury goods and other gifts.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Sue Mi Terry, now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, was indicted on charges of operating as a foreign agent for more than a decade, according to the indictment filed Monday at a federal court in New York. She is currently on administrative leave from the CFR.

At the direction of ROK Government officials, Terry advocated ROK policy positions, including in published articles and during media appearances, the indictment read, referring to South Korea by its formal name. The indictment also alleged that she never registered as a foreign agent, as required by law.

In return, South Korea provided Terry with Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, high-priced dinners and more than $37,000 in covert funding for a public policy program focused on Korean affairs that she controlled, it said.

Terry did not respond to a request for comment. Lee Wolosky, a lawyer for Terry, denied the accusations.

These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States, Wolosky said in a statement sent by email. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.

Terry is one of the more prominent US-based analysts on Korean affairs who has testified before Congress, made numerous media appearances and hosted conferences. She also served as a White House official on the National Security Council under both a Republican and Democratic administration.

Asked to comment on the indictment, South Koreas National Intelligence Service said in a statement that authorities of the two countries are having close communication over the matter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.

--With assistance from Peter Blumberg.

(Updates with comment from South Koreas National Intelligence Service in last paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Ex-Franklin Co. administrator lands on his feet. Hell be staying close to Tri-Cities

Franklin Countys former administrator, who agreed last week to leave the county after just 16 months, has landed a new gig, and he isnt going far.

On Tuesday night the Sunnyside City Council announced Mike Gonzalez will be its next city manager.

Sunnyside is a community of about 16,000 in Yakima County near the Benton County line, about 15 miles from Prosser.

Im thrilled to share that Ive been selected as the new City Manager of Sunnyside, Washington! Gonzalez wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Grateful to the City Council for this incredible opportunity. Excited to collaborate with the Council and our amazing staff for the betterment of our city, he said. To the people of Sunnyside, I pledge to work diligently every day to enhance our community. Feeling blessed and appreciative of everyones support.

Mike Gonzalez

Gonzalez left Franklin County after negotiating a severance package to leave on good terms. Commissioner Clint Didier attempted to fire him outright, but the motion failed and a week later, the agreement with the county was approved.

Gonzalez exited amid a criminal investigation into Didier, Commission Chairman Rocky Mullen and Auditor Matt Beaton. He was given whistleblower protection in January, but that didnt stop him and other employees from getting caught up in the political infighting, and Beaton and Mullen allegedly asking him to lie to detectives to stop the investigation, according to court documents.

Office of Public Defense Coordinator Whitney Conner left just days later, citing the same issues. She is married to the lead investigator in that case, sheriffs Commander Marcus Conner. Didier allegedly tried to pressure her boss and Gonzalez to fire Conner, according to an April cease-and-desist letter from her attorney.

Commissioner Stephen Bauman is not under investigation in that case, but recently was accused of changing locks in his office and refusing to provide the sheriffs office with a key. Its unclear if hell face any charges in that case.

Sunnyside city manager

Sunnyside leaders will now negotiate the actual contract with Gonzalez, according to a social media post from the city.

Its been a challenging year for me professionally with everything that has transpired at Franklin County. So it goes without saying how blessed I feel, Gonzalez told the Herald. I want the citizens of Franklin County to know that I always put them before politics.

Without my faith, my incredible wifes support and the wonderful support staff members at Franklin County I wouldnt be in this position, in particular I want to thank (administrative assistant) Jennifer Medelez who was my rock, Gonzalez continued. I am looking forward to this opportunity in Sunnyside. I love the energy of the city council. There is so much potential, enthusiasm and positive energy to move the city in a positive direction.

A job listing for the position set the salary between $155,000 and $185,000 per year. The low end is roughly what Gonzalez was making with Franklin County once bonuses were factored in, though he declined his most recent bonus earlier this year.

Former Sunnyside City Manager Elizabeth Alba was terminated without cause by the city council in a 4-3 vote in February, with some members citing concerns over the citys financial health.

She was named interim city manager in 2021 and moved full time into the role in December 2022, according to the Yakima Herald Republic.

Gonzalez also was a finalist for the city manager job in Yakima, but the city council announced Tuesday night that they chose Vicky Baker, deputy director of the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments, to fill the position.

In Franklin County, the commissioners decided this week to move the county administrator duties to the commission chairman, currently Rocky Mullen, and bring in former Washington State Association of Counties executive director Eric Johnson in to discuss serving as interim county administrator.

Last week, Didier suggested the county should not hire an administrator and permanently divide up the job duties.

About Gonzalez

Gonzalez was hired by Franklin County in March 2023. He is also a commissioner for Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Before that he was the city of Pascos economic development manager and was the public relations director for Franklin PUD. Prior to moving into local government work, Gonzalez was a journalist and news anchor.

He was the news director for KAPP/KVEW ABC before leaving Tri-Cities and Yakima to take a job at a station in Phoenix, Ariz.
Ex GOP leader says US hasnt seen an assassination attempt since the 60s (apparently forgetting the 1981 try on Reagan)

Former GOP leader Kevin McCarthy incorrectly claimed there had not been an assassination attempt on a president since the 1960s as he spoke at the Republican National Convention.

The former Speaker of the House was discussing the attempted assassination against Donald Trump when as he spoke to reporters at the RNC when he made the blunder.

We just had an assassination attempt, we havent seen something like this on a president since the 60s, McCarthy told reporters at the RNC on Tuesday.

McCarthy  who resigned from Congress in December after he was ousted as speaker  appears to be referring to John F Kennedys assassination in November 1963. His brother, Robert F Kennedy, was also killed in 1968 as he was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.

However, another president was famously shot nearly twenty years later.

John Hinckley Jr shot President Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC on March 30, 1981. Hinckley also injured three others, including Reagans press secretary James Brady who was partially paralyzed.

Kevin McCarthy, pictured, shakes hands with a delegate at the Republican National Convention on Monday. The former speaker falsely claimed there has not been an attempted presidential assassination since the 1960s during a speech on Tuesday (AP)

It appears that McCarthy either forgot about the shooting of the Republican president through much of the 1980s or intentionally left Reagan off. The Independent has reached out to his camp for clarification on the gaffe.

But, that wasnt the only attempt he forgot.

In 1972, Democratic presidential candidate and Alabama governor George Wallace was also shot during a campaign event in Maryland. Wallace was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down. His attacker, Arthur Bremer, was convicted and held in prison until his release in 2007.

Ronald Reagan, pictured, raises his arm as he was shot in Washington, DC in 1981. (1981 AP)

President Gerald Ford also faced two assassination attempts in 1975 but was not injured in either incident.

McCarthys claim comes on the second full day of the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Donald Trump was named the official GOP nominee on the first full day of the convention. The former president also named his running mate in Ohio senator JD Vance. Trump is expected to give a speech on Thursday evening, the final day of the convention.

The former president also made a surprise appearance on Monday night, arriving at the convention with a bandaged ear. The crowd met him with a deafening roar and chants of USA as he paraded through the venue.
LAUSANNE, July 17 (Xinhua) -- There is a possibility that the United States loses the Olympics if its law enforcement goes too far in its investigation of Chinese swimmers, according to former senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound.

Pound, who is also World Anti-Doping Agency's founding president, told Reuters that The Rodchenkov Act the U.S. is using to investigate the contamination case of 23 Chinese swimmers is non-compliant with the world anti-doping code.

Any country not compliant with the code is not allowed to compete in or stage international sporting event. The Rodchenkov Act gives the United States broad extraterritorial jurisdiction to any international sporting competitions, either participated by American athletes or having financial connections to the U.S..

"My guess is that one of the steps that WADA is going to take at this point is to turn this particular issue over to the compliance review committee.

"Which I suspect, if or when there's a hearing on it, they will declare the U.S. non-compliant. It would mean they could not host the Olympics," Pound was quoted by Reuters.

Pound said the International Olympic Committee might consider delaying the confirmation of Salt Lake City as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics.

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) has voiced its support for WADA while expressing concerns about the safety of its officials. The U.S. Department of Justice, probing WADA's handling of the case, has summoned the executive director of World Aquatics, Brent Nowicki, to testify in the case.

A review by Swiss independent prosecutor Eric Cottier looking into WADA's handling of the case has reached the conclusion that WADA was not "biased" and had no irregularities while the audit by World Aquatics reached similar conclusions that there was no mismanagement or cover-up. 
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Nevada politician and former Las Vegas City Councilmember Michele Fiore is facing federal charges for allegedly soliciting donations to build a statue honoring local police officers killed in the line of duty and then using the money to pay for her daughters wedding and other bills.

Fiore, 53, faces four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud following a probe into her campaign finances.

Former Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore chosen as new Justice of the Peace in Pahrump

According to the indictment, Fiore solicited donations and promised donors 100% of the contributions would go toward the statue when she was a councilwoman. Fiore allegedly used tens of thousands of dollars in donations to pay off her political fundraising bills, rent, and daughters wedding.

Get the f up, we are going to the mayors office, Las Vegas councilwomen both violated city policies, report says

Currently, a justice of the peace in Pahrump, Nevada, Fiore has a controversial political history. Shes a former Nevada legislator, Las Vegas city councilwomen, and a Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Las Vegas Councilwoman Michele Fiore announces she will run for governor. This image is from her campaign video.

Fiore is outspoken, bold, and even described as a bully by some. The NAACP fought to have the councilwoman removed from the citys tourism board. She was also sued by Councilwoman Victoria Seaman who accused Fiore of breaking her finger during a physical fight at City Hall.

Las Vegas NAACP presses for Fiores removal from LVCVA post

Fiore gained national attention when she was a state assemblywoman and showed her support for rancher Cliven Bundy during armed standoffs in Bunkerville, Nevada, and Oregon as he fought the U.S. government over his cattle grazing on federal lands.

The indictment said Fiore could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

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A few months ago, Nikki Haley was one of Donald Trumps fiercest opponents. The two candidates engaged in public spats and name-calling as they campaigned for the Republican nomination. But on the second night of the Republican National Convention, Haley set aside their past conflicts and formally endorsed her ex-boss and onetime rival for the general election.

Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period, Haley said shortly after taking the stage in a call for party unity on the same night that other former Trump challengers turned backersincluding Vivek Ramaswamy, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and later Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisalso spoke. Haleys speech was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the audience.

The former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in May announced she would vote for Trump, but she stopped short of endorsing him at the time. Haley was not originally set to speak at the convention, but she said she was invited by Trump just days earlier after his attempted assassination.

The address was a crucial moment in the partys effort to project unity and solidify support for Trump as the GOP nominee. In her address, Haley emphasized the importance of Republicans rallying behind Trump, despite their past differences. She argued that the stakes of the November election were too high to allow internal divisions to weaken the partys chances. You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, Haley said. I havent always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree.

Trump is shown on screen watching as Haley endorses him during the RNC. Pedro UgarteAFP/Getty Images

Haley made a pointed effort to address the concerns of voters who might still be skeptical of Trump. She acknowledged the challenges of his presidency but argued that the alternative, a second term for Joe Biden, would be even more detrimental to the countrys future. For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris, Haley said, referring to the Democratic Vice President. After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true. If we have four more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.

She continued to level into Harris during her speech: Kamala Harris had one job, and that was to fix the border. Now imagine her in charge of the entire country, Haley said.

Haley also spoke briefly about foreign policy, an issue that she put at the center of her own presidential campaign, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine under President Biden. A strong President doesnt start wars. A strong President prevents wars, Haley said.

Haleys journey to the convention stage has been anything but straightforward. During her presidential campaign, she was one of Trumps strongest challengers, positioning herself as a candidate who could offer stability and a new direction for the GOP. Her campaign highlighted concerns about Trump's leadership, his age, and his ongoing legal troubles. At various rallies, Haley argued that the former Presidents return to the White House could spell chaos, contrasting her vision of a more orderly administration. He said that Jan. 6 was a beautiful day. I think Jan. 6 was a terrible day, she said at one debate.

Despite her persistence, the primary results were not in her favor. After a series of defeats, including losses in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina, Haleys campaign struggled to gain traction. Still, she stayed in the race longer than some expected. Her campaign never formally backed Trump during its final days, unlike DeSantis, who had exited the race earlier and publicly supported the former President.

But on the convention stage on Tuesday night, Haley presented herself as a bridge-builder within the party.

No President can fix all of our problems alone, Haley said at the end of her speech. We have to do this together. America has an amazing ability to self-correct. In this moment, we have a chance to put aside our differences and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country.

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
Former Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro was released from a Miami federal prison on Wednesday after completing a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena. Hes now slated to speak at the Republican National Convention hours later in Milwaukee.

Navarro, who promoted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, was convicted in September of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify and provide documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

He was the first senior Trump aide to serve a prison sentence for actions related to the riot. Fellow former Trump adviser Steve Bannon began serving his own four-month sentence for contempt of Congress earlier this month after losing an appeal.

Peter Navarro, former director of the White House National Trade Council, is seen in February. via Associated Press

Navarro is expected to head to the RNC, which began its third day on Wednesday, to give a speech around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to a schedule posted on the RNC website.

Trump appeared at the convention on Monday and Tuesday alongside his freshly selected vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Trump has called Navarro a good man and a great patriot, while Navarro has called his own conviction a partisan weaponization of the judicial system.

Navarros team celebrated his release on Wednesday by posting The best is yet to come! on X, the social media site previously known as Twitter.

Related...
Donald Trumps former trade adviser Peter Navarro walked out of a federal prison in Miami on Wednesday after serving a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress to a standing ovation as he strode on the stage of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Navarro appeared emotional at times as he waited the applause to die down before he quipped: I think you folks just want to know if you can see my MAGA tattoo I got there.

His time in federal prison came after a Washington, DC jury convicted Navarro on two counts of contempt of Congress last year after he defied subpoenas for his testimony in connection with a House committees investigation into the events surrounding January 6 and Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

He reported to federal prison authorities in March, becoming the first member of Trumps inner circle to go to jail for any crime connected to the attack on the Capitol and the former presidents campaign to reverse his election loss.

Before he surrendered, Navarro lashed out at the judges and jurors who heard his case and rejected his appeals, baselessly accusing them of conspiring with Democratic officials.

Democrat, Democrat, Democrat from start to finish, he told reporters before walking through a parking lot and into a prison facility.

This is the partisan weaponization of our judicial system, he said. I will gather strength from this.

Former Trump aide Peter Navarro, pictured before turning himself into prison in March, addresses the Republican National Convention on July 17 (AFP via Getty Images)

Now, months later, Navarro again lashed out at Democrats in Congress and the judge who sentenced him to prison, Amit Mehta, and warned that unless the GOP can gain control of all three branches of the American government, Republicans would not be allowed to commit crimes.

If we dont control all three branches of our government...their government will put some of us like me and Steve Bannon in prison and control the rest of us, he said.

Bannon, like Navarro a former Trump White House aide, was similarly sentenced to four months in prison for his defiance of congressional subpoenas. He reported to a facility in Danbury, Connecticut on July 1.

Several House Republicans  who have tried to rewrite the narrative of the Capitol attack and undermine the convictions of hundreds of people in connection with the assault  called on federal courts to intervene in Bannons case.

At least one House Republican filed a brief directly to the Supreme Court, claiming that the House select committees entire process was tainted and must be dismissed as a matter of law.

Bannon and Navarro join half a dozen Trump allies who have served time for obstruction, campaign finance violations, fraud, and other charges surrounding the former presidents 2016 campaign, his real estate empire, and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump  who is charged with conspiracy and obstruction after leading a national campaign to reverse his loss in states that Joe Biden won, and then failing to stop a mob of his supporters from breaking into the Capitol  has called Navarro a good man and great patriot who was treated very unfairly.

Trump has vowed to issue mass pardons, if elected, to the hundreds of people facing criminal charges for their roles in the assault. He has referred to January 6 defendants as hostages while committing to a bogus narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from him and rigged against him, and refusing to commit to accepting the outcome of the 2024 election, if he loses.
A former senior official of the White House National Security Council who also once worked as an analyst for the CIA has been indicted on criminal charges accusing her of working as an agent for the government of South Korea allegedly in exchange for luxury gifts including designer handbags.

Sue Mi Terry, the wife of Washington Post columnist Max Boot, was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to an indictment made public Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors allege that Terry promoted South Koreas policy positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their American counterparts.

Meet Na Kyung-won, the Woman Who Could Start a Whole New Nuclear Standoff

In return for her alleged actions, according to the indictment, South Korean intelligence officers lavished her with luxury gifts including a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and another $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag. Her handlers also allegedly bought her a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat and took her to multiple restaurants with Michelin stars.

They also provided Terry with more than $37,000 in covert funding for a public policy program focusing on Korean affairs which she ran, prosecutors claim.

Security camera images in the indictment purportedly show Terry standing next to one of her handlers in 2021 as he pays for the Louis Vuitton bag in a Washington, D.C., store, while another shows her carrying the Bottega Veneta handbag away from the register after another handler allegedly purchased it for her in 2019.

The indictment also accuses her of writing opinion pieces at the request of South Korean government officials. So for me to write an op ed, I need the following information, she text one South Korean official in March 2023, asking for information about relations between South Korea and Japan.

After receiving detailed responses from the official the next day, an opinion piece Terry co-authored with her Post columnist husband Boot appeared on the newspapers website. The Post notes the op-ed did not disclose Korean government involvement. Boot has not been charged with any crime and did not reply to a request for comment from the Post.

The indictment said the op-ed had been broadly consistent with the responses the Korean official had sent to Terrys questions, according to the indictment. Hope you liked the article, Terry texted the official with a link to the piece. Thank you so much for your zeal and endeavors! the official replied. Of course we do. Actually, Ambassador and National Security Advisor were so happy for your column.

The Washington Post is committed to publishing independent journalism and is reviewing the indictment. We do not have further comment, Post spokeswoman Kathy Baird said in response to her reporters questions about the matter.

Terry, 54, began her alleged work for South Korea in 2013, two years after she stopped working for the U.S. government, according to the indictment. Her activities as an agent went on for a decade despite being warned by the FBI in 2014 that South Korean intelligence officers might try to approach her and offer to pay for conferences.

In a voluntary interview with FBI agents last year, Terry admitted she was a source for South Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS), meaning that she provided valuable information to the intelligence agency, according to the indictment. Prosecutors also say Terry admitted shed resigned in lieu of termination from the CIA because the CIA had problems with her contacts with NIS officers.

The Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank where Terry is a senior fellow and an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, has placed her on unpaid administrative leave, a spokeswoman told Reuters.

These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States, Lee Wolosky, Terrys lawyer, said in a statement. In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Michelle Price

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Capital One will commit $265 billion over five years to lending, philanthropy and investment if its takeover of Discover Financial Services goes through, the bank said on Wednesday, as it aims to appease critics and win over regulators.

Under a plan agreed with four community groups, Capital One has promised to maintain the combined entity's lending to low-and-moderate income (LMI) consumers and communities at $200 billion over five years. It will retain Discover's sole branch in Delaware and will not close any branches as a result of the deal. Capital One will also maintain 30% of branches and cafes in LMI neighborhoods, and has promised no front-line staff cuts.

The McLean, Virginia-based Capital One has also committed over $35 billion to support affordable housing for LMI communities and individuals, a 30% increase over what the banks had previously planned, among other small business lending, product and education pledges.

Unveiled in February, Capital One's $35 billion Discover deal will create the biggest U.S. credit card issuer by balances and the sixth-largest bank by assets. It will also give Capital One control of Discover's card payment network, the fourth major payment network operator.

Some influential community groups oppose the tie-up between the two major U.S. consumer credit card lenders, fearing it will reduce services and increase costs for Americans. Proponents argue it could boost payments competition.

Capital One's community benefits plan, first reported by Reuters, is more than twice as big as any such plan to date, according to data from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), a network of nonprofits.

It could help assuage critics and make the deal more palatable to the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which are under political pressure to be tough on mergers. The agencies are holding a public meeting to discuss the transaction on Friday.

"I think the OCC and the Fed care deeply about this plan and the ways in which we will positively impact the community. They see this as akin to competition, financial stability and the other factors that they look at," said Andres Navarrete, Capital One's head of external affairs.

The bank will also commit $15 billion in lending to small businesses, a $5 billion spending goal with diverse suppliers, $9 billion to community development financing.

The plan also includes $600 million for community development financial institutions, sixfold what the banks had previously planned, and boosts planned philanthropic giving by 29% to $575 million.

Story continues

A Fed spokesperson declined to comment. The OCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also on Wednesday, Discover said it was selling a portfolio of student loans for up to $10.8 billion, a process it began in November.

'ESSENTIAL NEEDS'

Community groups have increasingly pushed for acquiring banks to commit to community benefits plans, arguing that consolidation since the 2007-2009 financial crisis has reduced access to affordable financial services.

While the Fed and OCC do not require such plans, the law says they must scrutinize the convenience and needs of affected communities, and the agencies consider commitments to maintain or expand services, said Chip MacDonald, an M&A lawyer and managing director at MacDonald Partners.

Skeptics say the plans often lack transparency, are not legally enforceable, and are difficult to measure.

"You don't know what the bank was already planning on doing so it's not clear what the additional commitment is," said University of Michigan professor Jeremy Kress.

Capital One said it will report progress to the regulators annually and regularly update its Community Advisory Council.

The $100 billion community benefits plan US Bancorp agreed with the NCRC in 2022 to clinch its MUFG Union Bank takeover had been the largest previous plan, according to the NCRC which has negotiated all national benefit plans.

The group has been a vocal critic of Capital One, saying the bank did not honor a $28.5 billion commitment to home loans when acquiring ING Direct USA in 2012. Capital One exited that business in 2017.

In a statement, NCRC CEO Jesse Van Tol reiterated that criticism and said that unlike home loans, credit card lending does not help consumers build wealth. The large numbers in Capital Ones plan "appear designed to dazzle," he said, but regulators "can show they won't be fooled a second time."

Navarrete said credit card and auto lending, which constitute Wednesday's $200 billion LMI lending figure, are key products that help consumers meet essential needs and build credit history.

"We made significant investments in building a mortgage business over the years, but ultimately couldn't make it work," said Navarrete. The bank said it exceeded all its other 2012 commitments.

In an unusual move, Capital One bypassed the NCRC to agree Wednesday's plan with the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), NeighborWorks America, the Opportunity Finance Network, and the Woodstock Institute which together represent around 800 nonprofits.

NALCAB CEO Marla Bilonick said she believed the plan was very generous and that Capital One's public commitment was "important because it gives accountability."

(Reporting by Michelle Price in Washington, Editing by Matthew Lewis and Nick Zieminski)
Philippines, China to set up new channels to handle South China Sea rows, source and document say

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard stand alert as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard stand alert as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea

By Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores

MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines and China have agreed to set up new lines of communication to improve their handling of maritime disputes, according to a document and a Philippine diplomatic source, as ties sour over clashes about territory in the South China Sea.

The two countries have traded barbs repeatedly over jurisdiction in the contested South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by support of defence ally the United States, challenges China's permanent presence around strategic features inside Manila's exclusive economic zone.

Three communication channels would be established specifically for maritime issues, according to the source, who provided a document with highlights of an "Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms", which was signed on July 2.

"China has always been committed to working with the Philippines to properly address maritime issues through dialogue and consultation," Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a briefing when asked about the agreement.

"The two countries have agreed to further strengthen the dialogue on sea-related communication between diplomacy and the maritime police, so as to jointly safeguard the stability of the maritime situation and the overall situation of China-Philippines relations," Lin added.

The foreign ministries of China and the Philippines and the Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond on Wednesday to separate requests for comment on the matter.

The first channel would be used by "representatives to be designated by their leaders," with the other for respective foreign ministries at ministerial or vice-ministerial level, or their designated representatives, according to the document.

The third would involve their respective coast guards "which will be set up once the corresponding MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the coast guards is concluded," the document said.

The source, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak on the issue, said the Philippine foreign ministry was discussing with its Chinese counterpart guidelines to govern the implementation of the arrangement, which follows a June 17 clash between rival vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of frequent standoffs.

CHALLENGE TO CHINA

The Philippines last month accused China's coast guard of intentionally ramming and deliberately puncturing navy boats and seizing weapons to disrupt a resupply mission to troops stationed on the vessel grounded at the shoal, seriously injuring a Filipino sailor who lost a finger.

China said the Philippine vessel had illegally intruded on its territory and had "deliberately and dangerously" approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision.

The agreement on communications channels is not the first, with the two sides establishing a line between respective maritime offices.

Antonio Carpio, a former Philippine Supreme Court justice, and a prominent advocate of Manila's maritime claims, expressed scepticism over the communication lines "because that will not resolve the dispute."

"We don't know if they will answer when we call, so we will have to wait," Carpio said. "It is good to have that but we should not expect miracles out of that."

The Philippines and China agreed during the recent meeting on the need to "restore trust" and "rebuild confidence" to better manage disputes.

The Philippine resupply missions, often accompanied by media, have riled China, which sees the Second Thomas Shoal as part of its territory, despite being 1,300 km (808 miles) off its mainland and within Manila's EEZ.

Beijing maintains it has sovereignty over most of the South China Sea based on its old maps and has deployed hundreds of coast guard vessels deep into Southeast Asia to assert its claims, disrupting offshore energy and fisheries activities of other neighbours, including Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has refused to recognise a 2016 international ruling that concluded Beijing's claims have no basis under international law.

The United States has backed the Philippines over the clashes, condemning what it calls Chinese aggression, while underlining its "ironclad" commitment to a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty under which it must defend its former colony if attacked. China has accused the United States of interference.

While China claims almost all of the vital waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam lay claims to parts.

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing; Editing by Martin Petty, Michael Perry and Kim Coghill)
BRENTWOOD  Best-selling author Brendan DuBois, who is facing six counts of possession of child sex abuse images, has withdrawn his request for a bail hearing.

DuBois, 64, of Exeter, was scheduled to appear in Brentwood District Court Wednesday after his attorney requested a hearing to review bail.

DuBois has been held in jail on preventive detention since his arraignment on July 11. The judge ordered DuBois to remain in preventative detention based on clear and convincing evidence that the "defendant's release will endanger the safety of the defendant or the public, given the substantial number of alleged sexual abuse images and the recency of the downloaded images."

Brendan DuBois

DuBois' attorney, Harry Starbranch, requested the hearing to allow DuBois to be heard on the issue of bail.

However, the hearing was canceled on Wednesday. Starbranch, of Starbranch Law in Portsmouth, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

More: Ex-EMT, charged with molesting children, gets 50 years for child sex abuse images

DuBois also waived his right to a probable cause hearing Wednesday. The case will now be transferred to Rockingham Superior Court for review by a grand jury for possible indictment. An indictment is not a determination of guilt but rather a jury's determination that enough evidence exists to warrant a trial.

DuBois was arrested by Exeter police on July 10 after he turned himself in on a warrant.

According to the criminal complaint, DuBois "did knowingly possess at least 35 visual representations of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct." The document states they were "images of nude boys and girls under the age of 18 engaging in various sexual acts."

According to a police affidavit, police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding "apparent child pornography" in March.

The tip was reported by Google and all the files were uploaded to a Google Drive account by the same IP address that police later determined belonged to DuBois.

On May 7, police issued a search warrant on DuBois' home on Juniper Ridge Road in Exeter and seized multiple items, including a Toshiba I terabyte hard drive and an Apple laptop, both located in DuBois' office.

More than 5,600 images on the computer were flagged by Axiom as being "possible child abuse content," according to the police affidavit.

DuBois is a New York Times bestselling author and writer of 26 novels, including The First Lady and Cornwalls Are Gone.

He has also partnered with his mentor and the most published author in the world, James Patterson, on several books, including The Summer House, Blowback and the recently released Cross Down.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Author Brendan DuBois drops bail request: child sex abuse images case
Experts 'surprised' after considering long-term implications of individual bird rehabilitation: 'It was like literally opening a new door in the wildlife arena'

Research has revealed that rehabilitating injured raptors can have profound long-term benefits, sparking excitement and shifting perspectives in wildlife conservation.

As The Wildlife Society reported, Lynn Tompkins and her team at Blue Mountain Wildlife in Pendleton, Oregon, have been treating a significant number of sick or injured hawks, eagles, and owls.

When wildlife biologist John Goodell investigated the center, he found they were treating up to 600 raptors annually. This led to the realization that rehabilitation facilities across the Pacific Northwest were handling tens of thousands of birds.

"It was like literally opening a new door in the wildlife arena and discovering a whole new galaxy of dedicated people working on behalf of wildlife without any pats on the back from us," Goodell said, per The Wildlife Society.

Rehabilitation, often seen as a well-meaning but ecologically insignificant endeavor, might actually have significant ecological benefits. A study published in Wildlife Biology showed that rehabilitated raptors released back into the wild are just as likely to survive as their wild counterparts, contributing to population growth over time.

Christian Hagen, a researcher at Oregon State University and the study's lead author, said they were "surprised" at the findings.

"For long-lived species, like a golden eagle, if you add half a percent back to the population and you continue to do that over time, it can become exponential growth. That was super-exciting," Hagen said.

The study suggests that rehabilitated raptors can mate, breed, and raise offspring, positively impacting their populations.

The implications of this research are significant. It bridges the gap between wildlife biologists, who focus on population dynamics, and rehabbers, who concentrate on individual animal welfare. This new understanding highlights the importance of their work in the broader context of conservation. Additionally, the study opens up new conservation strategies.

The enthusiasm for this new approach is palpable. Tompkins expressed hope that their work is significant, not just for individual birds, but for wildlife populations as a whole.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
This week, former President Donald Trump announced his running mate, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who does not hide his strong stance against abortion. Vance, 39, is most notorious for his 2016 memoir-turned-movie Hillbilly Elegy, as well as a former venture capitalist who has publicly aligned himself as a nationalist. In a November 2023 X post, he wrote: I am as pro life as anyone, and I want to save as many babies as possible.

Vance has also compared abortion to slavery and described Ohios vote to enshrine abortion rights as a gut punch for anti-abortion officials. Reproductive rights organizations are sounding the alarm that Vance is an extreme pick who has said that pregnancies conceived from rape or incest shouldnt be viewed as "inconvenient.

If the Republican Partys plan to come after our reproductive rights wasnt clear enough, look no further than Trumps VP pick, JD Vance, Jenny Lawson, executive director for Planned Parenthood Votes, said in a media statement. From supporting a national abortion ban, to voting to block nationwide access to IVF, Vance has consistently attacked and undermined reproductive freedom throughout his career  and he will take that dangerous record to the White House, cosigning every policy that comes his way, no matter the harm.

As vice president, Vance could play a key role in major reproductive bills that pass through Congress in the event of a second Trump administration. In addition to serving as presiding officer, he would have the power to break a tie vote in the Senate. As Salon has previously reported, unless Democrats hold a majority of the Senate, it will be nearly impossible to pass legislation to restore Roe v. Wade or pass a bill to expand the U.S. Supreme Court  for either future president.

He could be that break vote, Leila Abolfazli, director of National Abortion Strategy at the National Womens Law Center Action Fund, told Salon. And could he be that tiebreaker for national bans? We know the anti-abortion movement wants that national ban, and we know Trump gave them what they wanted before.

Seema Mohapatra, a health law and bioethics expert at Southern Methodist University, told Salon "with the margins the way they are" Vance "could yield an enormous amount of power."

Abolfazli added it seems pretty clear that Vance is supportive of any effort at the federal level to take away abortion rights adding that in the last 50 years, the U.S. hasnt had an anti-abortion administration where theres no Constitutional right to abortion.

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

Make no mistake, Vance will gladly do the bidding of Trump and the anti-abortion movement, including allowing the government to monitor peoples pregnancies and prosecute if they miscarry, working to ban medication abortion, and eliminating access to essential health care nationwide, Lawson said. In contrast, we have a reproductive rights champion in Kamala Harris who has been unapologetic in the fight to restore, protect, and expand access to abortion.

In a statement, Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All said that Trump selecting Vance is even more evidence that a Trump administration will stop at nothing to ban all abortion.

Make no mistake, Trump picked him because of  not in spite of  his anti-abortion bona fides, Timmaraju said. Despite some media outlets reporting last week that the GOP had softened its stance on abortion or that it backed away from an abortion ban, legal experts told Salon the party is still advocating for a national abortion ban  they are trying to conceal it using different language. Specifically, the Republican Party released its 16-page Make America Great Again policy platform ahead of the national convention stating that it supports states establishing fetal personhood through the constitutions 14th Amendment.

Timmaraju said a Trump-Vance administration will be the most dangerous administration for abortion and reproductive freedom in this countrys history.

Anti-abortion organizations are applauding Vance as Trumps pick. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called Vance an exceptional selection who has an A+ on their scorecard. Carol Tobias, the president of National Right to Life described Vance as committed to promoting the right to life and protecting both women and their preborn children, and said he shares President Trumps commitment to nominating qualified judges who will interpret the Constitution as written and not legislate from the bench.

Vance has notably centered his career around supporting a traditional nuclear family and incentivizing people to have more children. At the same time, he once said that universal daycare is a class war against normal people and has called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

The selection of Vance as vice president reinforces that reproductive freedom, affordable child care and our very democracy are on the line, Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Womens Law Center (NWLC) Action Fund, said in a media statement. Donald Trump was always going to pick an anti-abortion, anti-gender justice extremist as his running mate  at least now we know which one.
FILE PHOTO: Military vehicles equipped with US-made TOW 2A missile can be seen during a live fire drill in Pingtung

FILE PHOTO: Military vehicles equipped with US-made TOW 2A missile can be seen during a live fire drill in Pingtung

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence as it does not give the country anything, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said in an interview published on Tuesday.

Here are some facts on the relationship between Taiwan and the United States:

HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF DEFENCE TIES

During the height of the Cold War, Taiwan hosted U.S. military bases and the two had a Mutual Defence Treaty. In 1979, the United States severed official relations with the government in Taipei and instead recognised the government in Beijing. The defence treaty was terminated too.

Post-1979, the U.S. relationship with Taiwan has been governed by the Taiwan Relations Act, which gives a legal basis to provide the Chinese-claimed island with the means to defend itself, but does not mandate that the U.S. come to Taiwan's aid if attacked.

While the United States has long followed a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether and under what circumstances it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, U.S. President Joe Biden has said he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan.

The U.S. does maintain some military personnel in Taiwan for training purposes, and Taiwan sends its F-16 pilots to be trained at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

Senior Taiwan defence officials also visit the United States, and intelligence sharing takes place too.

The U.S. retains a large de facto embassy in Taipei called the American Institute in Taiwan, staffed by diplomats. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office is the name of Taiwan's de facto embassy in the United States.

DOES TAIWAN PAY FOR U.S. MILITARY PROTECTION?

U.S. treaty allies Japan and South Korea shoulder much of the cost of hosting U.S. military bases in Asia under pre-existing arrangements. Given there are no longer U.S. bases in Taiwan nor any defence treaty, there is no such arrangement for the island.

Taiwan does however spend big on U.S. weapons - it currently has a backlog worth some $19 billion of arms deliveries from the United States.

WHAT WERE TIES LIKE UNDER THE FIRST TRUMP PRESIDENCY?

In a word - excellent. Trump and then-President Tsai Ing-wen spoke by telephone shortly after he won election in 2016, drawing Beijing's ire, the first such high contact since 1979.

The Trump administration sent senior officials to Taiwan, including then-Health Secretary Alex Azar, the highest-level U.S. official to go to the democratic island in four decades, and continued to sell it weapons.

China placed sanctions on Mike Pompeo when he left office as secretary of state at the end of the Trump presidency, angered by his repeated criticism of the country, especially its ruling Communist Party, and his open support for Taiwan.

DOES TAIWAN HAVE BIPARTISAN U.S. SUPPORT?

U.S. politicians like to stress that Taiwan is a rare issue that enjoys bipartisan support, a point also made by Taiwanese officials, and Taiwan has continued to receive bipartisan visits by U.S. lawmakers and former Trump appointees.

In April, the U.S. Congress had passed a sweeping foreign aid package which includes arms support for the island, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Both Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party and main opposition party the Kuomintang have observer delegations at the on-going Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

WHAT ABOUT TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS?

As of the end of 2023, Taiwan was the United States 10th largest export market, worth $40 billion, and eighth largest source of imports, worth $88 billion.

While Taiwan was in 2022 excluded from the Biden administration's Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China's growing influence, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, Washington instead began talks with Taiwan under the "21st Century" trade initiative.

Taiwan investment in the U.S. is dominated by chipmaker TSMC's mammoth $65 billion plan to build three factories in Arizona, for which the U.S. government is providing a $6.6 billion subsidy and up to $5 billion in low-cost government loans.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Aaron Thierry, from Cardiff University, and his colleagues wrote the opinion piece to ask more academics to join the group

An Oxford scientist and two others members of Extinction Rebellion have compared their campaigning to the actions of Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks and the suffragettes as they appeal for more academics to join protests.

Tristram Wyatt, Charlie Gardner and Aaron Thierry, from the University of Oxford, the University of Kent and Cardiff University wrote an article for the Royal Society Open Science journal urging more scientists to partake in protests and acts of civil disobedience.

They are all members of XR Scientists, a subset of the hard-line environmental campaign group.

The scientists said conventional methods of producing ever more data and findings, writing papers and giving advice to governments have been insufficient to trigger suitable action from policy makers.

They urged scientists to consider civil disobedience as a way to exert the maximum amount of influence.

Emily Pankhurst arrested outside Buckingham Palace

In their opinion article, the scientists said:  We can be inspired by and learn from the history of peaceful civil disobedience (civil resistance), from the Suffragettes, Mahatma Gandhi and the non-violent campaign for Indian independence, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott organised by Martin Luther King Jr, and which have been instrumental in gaining votes for women, independence for India, civil rights, and LGBT rights.

One aim of civil disobedience is to cut through the societal silence around climate change, to influence politicians and the public, they added.

To be news-worthy, protest actions usually require a disruptive, provocative or shocking element.

The group has previously staged slow walks through London, shutting down major bridges; held a naked protest in the House of Commons, leading to a dozen arrests; sprayed fake blood on the Treasury building; targeted newspaper printing presses, including of The Telegraph; climbed atop aeroplanes and also scaled Big Ben dressed as Boris Johnson.

Aaron Thierry and his colleagues called on academics to join them in acts of civil disobedience

Tristram Wyatt, from Oxford University, participating at a Just Stop Oil protest on Tower Bridge - KRISTIAN BUUS/GETTY IMAGES

We believe that climate protest including collective direct action and civil disobedience may be the most effective way of catalysing the changes the world so desperately needs, the three members of XR Scientists write.

We need to be recruiting many more scientists, to take on the many different kinds of roles in activism. Key to our effectiveness will be working together with other social movements, in all their diversity.

They add that they hope their article will help serve as a guide and reassure budding environmental protesters that the path to scientific activism is a reasonable and rewarding one.

They conclude: Given what we know, we must help support, defend and participate in those movements pushing for transformative change! Join us!

Charlie Gardner is a scientist who works at Kent University

The Royal Society itself is criticised by the scientists for not denouncing the UK Governments licensing of new oil and gas.

Other silent senior scientists are also criticised, as are universities and organisations that receive donations from some fossil fuel companies.

When asked about publication of the piece, a spokesman for the Royal Society said: Royal Society Open Science encourages the submission of articles on topics at the intersection of science, society and public policy.

The Royal Society has been a leader on the science of climate change for decades and remains strongly committed to ensuring that the harms and risks of climate change are addressed.

For many years our work focused on the battle to get recognition of the evidence of human induced climate change and its impacts. That involved taking on groups who wilfully tried to distort and misrepresent the scientific evidence.

In recent years, our main focus has been accelerating solutions to meeting energy needs and tackling climate change, given how imperative it is that greenhouse gas emissions be reduced at a faster pace.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
All eyes on this Central WA election. Will Dems flip 3 seats in hunt for supermajorities?

A battleground district in Central Washington has become a crucial ingredient in Democrats recipe to win supermajorities in the 2025 Legislature.

Three Republican-held seats in the 14th Legislative District are up for reelection this year, and Democrats feel bullish they can flip the seats with a slate of progressive Latina candidates.

Of the eight candidates running, Ana Ruiz Kennedy, a Democrat, is the only one from the Tri-Cities. She previously ran for the Franklin County Commission, but lost decisively in the 2020 general election.

Shes trying her hand now for a statewide position in the newly redrawn district that reaches into Pasco.

We think this is something that has energized not only the region but the whole entire state around what is possible and getting better representation for the 14th, Shasti Conrad, chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, told the Tri-City Herald.

Washington Democrats are only 12 seats away  four in the state Senate and eight in the House  from earning supermajorities in the Legislature. They currently hold 29 of 49 seats in the Senate and 58 of 98 seats in the House.

Having a supermajority in each chamber would allow the party to pass changes to the states constitution, such as protections for abortion access or lowering the voter threshold to pass school bonds for construction.

If the Democrats had a supermajority, it would be very hurtful to the people of the state, argues Deb Manjarrez, a certified public accountant from Yakima, whos running as a Republican in the 14th.

Democrats in recent years have had their eyes on multiple Republican-held seats across the state.

Those include the 10th Legislative District in Island County, the 12th District in Wenatchee and Chelan and the 17th District in Southwest Washington, Conrad said.

But the new Latino voter-majority district in Central Washington offers them something new, thanks in part to a contentious redistricting process that reorganized the regions political makeup.

The 14th has definitely moved to the top of our list as far as our efforts and our possibilities, Conrad said, adding that its their best opportunity to pick up seats.

Eight candidates are running in the Aug. 6 primary for the districts two House seats and one Senate seat.

More than $660,000 in contributions have been given so far to those candidates running  a figure that could balloon as Election Day nears.

Were giving it the full menu of support, said Washington Republican Party Chairman Jim Walsh, describing the Yakima Valley electorate as common sense, blue-collar people.

To that regard, we are considering it a key district. But to say were worried or concerned is too much. Were cautiously optimistic and confident that (our) candidates are going to win, he said.

Longtime GOP stronghold

The district, a longtime Republican stronghold, covers a vast geographic range. It now stretches from the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers to the snow-covered peak of Mount Adams.

It includes parts of several communities, including Pasco, Finley, Grandview, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Yakima, Goldendale and most of the Yakama Indian Reservation. The district splits and shares the Yakima Valley with the 15th Legislative District, the states previous Latino-majority district.

Some have compared the districts new, odd shape to that of an octopus slithering along the ocean floor with its tentacles strewn about.

A U.S. District Court judge ordered the Washington Secretary of State to use a new map for state elections that included significant changes to the Yakima Valley and Tri-Cities. The new map creates legislative districts for more Latino voters to elect candidates of their choice.

A comparison of the old legislative map, left, and the new.

The new map detailing boundaries of the 14th, as well as the states 48 other legislative districts, was ordered and approved by a federal judge in Seattle after a U.S. District Court judge found that earlier boundaries approved by the bipartisan Washington Redistricting Commission in 2021 violated the Voting Rights Act and diluted the vote of Latinos in the Yakima Valley.

The order quickly became a lightning rod for Washington state politicians, with Republicans denouncing it as a partisan gerrymander and Democrats blessing it as a benefit to Central Washington Latinos.

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block WA maps ousting Central WAs first Latina senator

Regardless of opinion, whats become clear is that the process has played out to the benefit of Democrats in the 14th.

A composite of 2016 and 2020 election results listed on Daves Redistricting shows the party with a 10-point advantage over Republicans in the new district.

The new map made changes  some major, others minor  to 13 of Washingtons 49 legislative districts.

In all, more than a half-million voters changed districts, according to the Washington State Standard. That included five Republican lawmakers, among them state Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, the entire delegation of the 14th Legislative District.

Torres has two years left on her term representing the 15th despite the fact that she now lives in the new 16th District. She hasnt said if she eventually plans to challenge a longstanding Republican in that district.

Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, first elected in 2014, will retire from the Legislature in pursuit of greener pastures at home in Goldendale once her term expires at the end of the year. Rep. Chris Corry was drawn into the 15th and is running for an open House seat in that district.

Sen. Curtis King is the only incumbent running in the 14th District.

Despite being drawn out of the district, King and his wife settled to move into a new home thats 1.5 miles away from their previous home so that he could run for his seat.

It means a lot to me, the four-term Republican told the Herald. Ive worked very hard to develop relationships with people on both sides of the aisle.

Flurry of campaign cash

Maria Beltran, a deputy director with the House Democratic Campaign Committee, is challenging King for his seat in the state Senate. She grew up in Yakima, a graduate of A.C. Davis High School, and served on Washington Treasurer Mike Pellicciottis transition team.

We need someone in Olympia like me, who knows what its like to work hard to make ends meet. We need a senator who respects the value of your tax dollars and will work to lower costs for folks in Central Washington,  Beltran, a first-time candidate, says in her voter guide statement.

Since there are just two candidates, both King and Beltran will qualify for the general election in whats expected to be one of the most closely watched legislative races this year. The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

King remains the financial front runner, according to Public Disclosure Commission filings. Hes raised more than $244,000, mostly from businesses and political action committees, since starting his reelection bid in 2021.

Most of his war chest was raised in prior years. Hes raised only about $36,000 since January. But as of June 1, he had more than $192,000 in cash on hand.

Beltran has more than $136,000 in contributions since February. Most of those donations came from individual Democrats, labor unions and political action committees. She had nearly $50,000 cash on hand as of June 1.

State House races

Republicans Gloria Mendoza and Andy Kallinen, as well as Democrat Chelsea Dimas, are running for the districts State Representative Pos. 1 seat.

Mendoza, the former Grandview mayor, is the financial front runner in this race. Shes received $87,500 in contributions, with $70,000 of that coming from the House Republican Organizational Committee.

Dimas, a marketing specialist with a Seattle nonprofit, has raised more than $26,000. And Kallinen, a parks ranger in Klickitat County, has raised about $2,200.

Finally, the candidates running for the State Representative Pos. 2 include Democrat Ana Ruiz Kennedy, independent Eddie Perez and Republican Deb Manjarrez.

Manjarrez, former chair of the Yakima County Republican Party, leads with nearly $75,000 in contributions. Similar to Mendoza, Manjarrez also received a lump sum donation from the House Republican Organizational Committee, but hers was $50,000.

Ruiz Kennedy, a business liaison from Pasco, has raised more than $43,000 so far, mostly from labor unions and individual donations.

Perez, an auto service general manager, hasnt reported any campaign finance data to the PDC.

Affordability, public safety, and fentanyl

The issues of affordability, public safety, quality jobs and the rising fentanyl crisis are top of mind for Central Washington voters and their candidates.

The (Yakima) Valley part of the district is rural, and theyre seeing the affects of the fentanyl crisis, Ruiz Kennedy said. Theyre worried  for their family members, for people in their communities and for not having the facilities to help these people.

Ruiz Kennedy says many voters shes met with are also unaware of the issues happening in Olympia, and many cant even name their own representatives. Many dont know that they have a voice in these issues, she says.

Their current legislators for decades have not delivered. This district is 70 years behind. There is a lot of work we need to do and we are working really hard to talk to voters, to engage them, she said.

King argues the state, and by extension the district, has seen a phenomenal growth in crime.

We have one of the highest rates of car thefts in the country, and it all has to do with us not letting police pursue a fleeing vehicle, King says, referring to the 2021 police pursuit laws that increased the allowable standard, which have since been changed.

King is campaigning on increased public safety, government accountability and K-12 education transparency. He currently serves as ranking member in both the Senate Labor and Commerce and Senate Transportation committees.
240416-N-HE057-1516 RED SEA (April 16, 2024) An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the "Fighting Swordsmen" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, participates in an airborne change of command ceremony above the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Red Sea, April 16. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

A female Naval Aviator has become the first woman in U.S. military history to sucessfully execute an air-to-air engagement, downing an enemy craft, in combat during recent operations over and around the Red Sea, according to that service. An F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot assigned to the air wing aboard the supercarrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, or Ike, achieved this milestone during a historic nine-month deployment that included a number of other notable firsts.

The pilot in question, who does not appear to have been named at the time of writing, is a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 32 (VFA-32), the Fighting Swordsman, based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, according to a Navy press release. Ike, its air wing, and the rest of its strike group recently returned to the United States, concluding a deployment that started in October 2023. The strike group spent the bulk of that time heavily engaged in defending friendly warships and commercial vessels from drone, missile, and other types of attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, as well as striking that groups assets shore.

During their unprecedented deployment, the Fighting Swordsmen flew over 3,000 combat hours and completed almost 1,500 combat missions in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian, the Navy release says. The squadron employed over 20 air-to-air missiles against Houthi one-way attack drones, which targeted civilian merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Bab-al-Mandeb Strait. During one mission, VFA-32 became home to the first American female pilot to engage and kill an air-to-air contact.

The release does not say what weapons the female aviator used to achieve her historic aerial victory. During the course of the recent deployment, Ikes F/A-18E/Fs, as well as Super Hornets elsewhere in the Navy, gained the ability to carry more AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, in addition to more typical loads of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), thanks to a crash effort to increase their capacity to tackle Houthi drones. The War Zone was the first to report on that development, as well as related work to increase the number of AIM-120s that EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets can carry.

One of Ikes F/A-18E Super Hornets launches with a full air-to-air loadout of five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs. USN

A Growler scored an air-to-air kill during the deployment, another first. Super Hornets flying from Ike had already been seen in the past sporting victory marks denoting drone kills, as well as successful air-to-ground strikes.

It is tradition that aviators affix victory marks on aircraft indicating successful engagements against, for example, bombs dropped, missiles launched, drones destroyed, and boats destroyed. pic.twitter.com/lcP2NfzQ4v  Chowdah Hill (@ChowdahHill) July 14, 2024

Additionally, VFA-32 aircrew led two of the seven self-defense strikes into the Houthi-controlled territories of Yemen, destroying munitions and command and control facilities which were used to target civilian vessels, the Navy release adds. In total, the squadron employed nearly 120 precision-guided air-to-surface munitions in their effort to protect the freedom of navigation in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

The Navy has previously said that Ikes air wing expended 60 air-to-air missiles and 420 air-to-ground munitions in total. You can read more about the actions of the entire strike group here.

Mighty Ike weapons department. Guess what they did in the Red Sea. pic.twitter.com/LwKmQgR5K3  Chowdah Hill (@ChowdahHill) July 7, 2024

Female pilots in the Navy and other branches of the U.S. military have been flying combat sorties, including conducting air-to-ground strikes, for decades now. Still, the VFA-32s history-making aerial victory is a significant milestone, and for female Navy aviators especially. The service just marked 50 years of women in naval aviation in 2023. The Navy told Military.com last year that between seven and 12 percent of all of its pilots and around 20 percent of the services total personnel were women.

Rosemary Mariner, who sadly passed away in 2019, was the first woman in the Navy to fly tactical jets in 1974 and was also the first woman to command an aviation squadron anywhere in the U.S. military.

Then-US Navy Cdr. Rosemary Mariner in the cockpit of an EA-7L Corsair II jet. USN

There have been a number of other important firsts for women in the Navys aviation community in recent years. In 2020, Lieutenant J.G. Madeline Swegle made history as the services first-ever female African American tactical jet pilot. Lt. Amanda Stalin Lee became the first female pilot to join the famed Blue Angels flight demonstration team.

It is important to note that female pilots flying for other air forces have previously scored air-to-air kills in combat. Sources dispute whether Lt. Lydia Litvyak or Lt. Valeriya Khomyakova, who both flew for the Soviet Air Force during World War II, was the first woman to rack up an air-to-air kill. Other female pilots flew in combat for the Soviets during the war, and Lt. Litvyak and Capt. Yekaterina Budanova are generally credited as the only two women to have ever become aces.

Some eight decades later, one of VFA-32s pilots has now joined this still relatively small group of female aviators to have shot down an enemy craft in the air.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com
After Donald Trump triumphantly entered the hall on the second night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the program turned to one of his signature issues: illegal immigration. An ominous video of chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border led into to a speech by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who declared, We are facing an invasion on our southern border.

Heres a look at some of the claims made Tuesday:

VIDEO NARRATOR: Biden made one of the worst mistakes of any president in history when he told illegals to come here and surge our border.

THE FACTS: After the claim, the video cuts to President Joe Biden saying, I would, in fact, make sure that there is  we immediately surge to the border," and the narrator says, And surge they did.

But important context is missing. The clip was taken from the Sept. 12, 2019, Democratic presidential debate. A moderator, Jorge Ramos of Univision, discussing immigration issues, notes that Biden served as vice president in the administration of President Barack Obama, which deported 3 million people. He then asks if Biden is prepared to say tonight that you and President Obama made a mistake?

Biden answers by noting immigration accomplishments by Obama and discussing the policies of then-President Trump. He then adds, What I would do as president is several more things, because things have changed. I would, in fact, make sure that there is -- we immediately surge to the border. All those people who are seeking asylum, they deserve to be heard. Thats who we are.

Since then Biden has spoken repeatedly of sending agents and other law enforcement resources to the border to deal with the migrant influx.

___

VIDEO NARRATOR: Bidens incompetence has led to a horrific 300,000 Americans now dead, not from a nuclear bomb but from lethal fentanyl brought in through Bidens wide-open border.

THE FACTS: While it is correct that much of Americas fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, 86.4% of fentanyl trafficking crimes were committed by U.S. citizens in the 12-month period through September 2023, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

The fentanyl scourge began well before Biden took office. Border seizures, which tell only part of the story, have jumped sharply under Biden, which may partly reflect improved detection. About 27,000 pounds (12,247 kilograms) of fentanyl was seized by U.S. authorities in the 2023 government budget year, compared with 2,545 pounds (1,154 kilograms) in 2019, when Trump was president.

___

CRUZ: Every day Americans are dying  murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released.

THE FACTS: A number of heinous and high-profile crimes involving people in the U.S. illegally have been in the news in recent months. But there is nothing to support the claim that it happens every day.

The foreign-born population, immigrants in the country both legally and illegally, was estimated to be 46.2 million, or almost 14% of the U.S. total, in 2022, according to the Census Bureau, including about 11 million in the country illegally. Hardly a month passes without at least one person in the country illegally getting charged with a high-profile, horrific crime, such as the February slaying of a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student or the June strangling death of a 12-year-old Houston girl.

Texas is the only state that tracks crime by immigration status. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences, based on Texas Department of Public Safety data from 2012 to 2016, found people in the U.S. illegally had substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens and legal immigrants across a range of felony offenses.

While FBI statistics do not separate out crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, there is no evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants, either along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities seeing the greatest influx of migrants, like New York. Studies have found that people living in the U.S. illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes.

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Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's new Labour government set out its first package of proposed laws on Wednesday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to deliver on his promise to rebuild the country.

The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament.

Below are some of the government's key policy plans:

PLANNING REFORM

A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will seek to increase the number of homes built each year and simplify the process for approving infrastructure projects by speeding up the time it takes to get planning permission.

It will also reform compulsory purchase rules to ensure that money paid to landowners is "fair but not excessive".

The government signalled the planning bill would restrict the ability of local people to block new developments saying there would be "democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built".

WORKERS' RIGHTS

An Employment Rights Bill will ban companies imposing zero-hour contracts, outlaw fire and rehire tactics and strengthen workers' rights by providing parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal to all workers.

The bill will also make it unlawful to sack a woman who has had a baby for six months after her return to work, except in specific circumstances, and make flexible working the default when people start jobs.

ECONOMIC SAFEGUARDS

A Budget Responsibility Bill will guarantee that any government making significant tax and spending changes would be subject to an independent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the official budget watchdog.

This is intended to avoid a repeat of former prime minister Liz Truss's 2022 mini-budget, a $50-billion package of unfunded tax cuts which was delivered without an independent assessment and triggering a meltdown in financial markets.

ILLEGAL MIGRATION

The government wants to pass a new border security bill that will give law enforcement agencies counter-terrorism powers to target the gangs who bring tens of thousands of people to Britain in small boats every year.

This will include stop and search powers for border officers and stronger penalties for advertising people smuggling. Labour scrapped the previous Conservative government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

HOUSING REFORM

Renters will be able to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The Renters' Rights Bill will abolish no fault evictions, end "rental bidding wars", and make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against families with children or those receiving benefits.

FINANCIAL REGULATIONS

New financial bills will seek to encourage consolidation of smaller pension schemes, improve the process for rescuing failed banks by expanding the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and give new powers to a new auditing regulator.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

The government will pass legislation to set up the centrepiece of its green energy plans, GB Energy, backed by 8.3 billion pounds ($11 billion), to co-invest in leading technologies and help support capital-intensive projects.

RAILWAYS

It will bring rail franchises back under government control when private contracts expire. It will seek to boost east to west connectivity in northern England but will not relaunch a high-speed railway between Birmingham and Manchester.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

As part of plans to reform parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, it will remove the right of hereditary peers - passed down through family lines indefinitely and without election - to sit and vote. There are 92 hereditary peers out of more than 800 members.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

The new crime and policing bill will introduce a ban on so-called "ninja swords", seek to crack down on shoplifting and target people involved in harassment and drinking alcohol in public.

CYBER SECURITY

A Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will update Britain's regulation in a similar manner to the EU's proposed Cyber Resilience Act, forcing companies to report incidents, including ransomware incidents, to give more data on cyber attacks.

DEVOLUTION

An English Devolution Bill will give mayors and other local leaders more say over economic decisions including on transport and jobs.

Power in Britain is centralised compared to other large economies with many funding decisions made in London. The government says further devolution will help boost productivity and bring about more balanced economic growth.

CONVERSION THERAPY

It plans to ban so-called conversion therapy, which targets lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people with the aim to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

It said any ban must not cover legitimate psychological support to people exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity. The previous Conservative government had sought to introduce similar legislation.

SMOKING

The government plans to gradually phase out the sale of cigarettes as first announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Children born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes under a planned bill.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND NON-DOMS

Labour plans to start charging value-added tax on fee-paying schools and abolish "non-doms" status that lets wealthy, often foreign residents avoid tax on overseas income.

These are tax changes that are normally attached to a finance bill after a fiscal event such as the autumn statement later this year.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and the UK bureau; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Janet Lawrence)
WelcomeNST team poses with Marianna, Hanna, Margot and their cat, Alice, at the Salt Lake City International Airport on the day they arrived as refugees to the U.S. in January 2023. The team held Ukrainian flags and goodie bags for the Ukrainian women and 8-year-old Margot. | Saydi Shumway

Therapist Saydi Shumway had her plate full with kids, work, church responsibilities, and everything else in between. How can we take something else on? the Utah woman recalled thinking. But shortly after the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, she felt she couldnt ignore the refugees fleeing the war zone.

Shumway, 48, said she realized two things: Her capacity to juggle her obligations would grow, and she knew she didnt have to do it alone.

She became acquainted with WelcomeNST, a nationwide nonprofit that offers communities resources to engage with refugees.

What made it doable is knowing there is a model, Shumway said. More than a dozen other families in Holladay and Salt Lake City joined Shumway to create a sprawling support system for their new guests. The goal is to help these families become self-reliant.

In January 2023, they welcomed a Ukrainian mother and daughter duo  Hanna, pronounced Anna, and her 8-year-old daughter Margaryta, or Margot. Hannas colleague, Marianna, accompanied them.

Since military-aged Ukrainian men are required to serve in the army, its common for women like Hanna and Marianna to travel together, Shumway said. This family unit arrived with their pet cat, Alice.

Hanna described her story in a post for a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $35,000.

At 4:45 a.m., I heard explosions and saw pillars of fire and smoke outside our windows. There was a smell of burning I will never forget. I woke my daughter and said, We are being bombed! Hanna wrote. Thus our life was divided between before and after. I grabbed my child and our bag of documents and we hid in a neighbors basement for 10 days.

When the Russian military began shelling civilian homes, they escaped to the railway station and fled. They found shelter in Lviv, near the border between Poland and Ukraine, and lived there without heat or power until finding their refuge in Salt Lake City. More than a year later, they are thriving in their new home.

White House covers costs to take in refugee families

The three Ukrainian women are among the more than 230,000 individuals who fled to the U.S. as of April 2024 under the Uniting for Ukraine program.

On June 20, World Refugee Day, the White House said private funding will be available to communities who take in refugees.

Families who sponsor refugees can receive more than $2,400 for each refugee a sponsor group takes in. Thats nearly $10,000 for a family of four. The grant is available to groups who apply before July 31.

The point of the funding is to remove barriers (and) to make it easier for people, said Elizabeth Davis-Edwards, the founder of WelcomeNST, which helps communities form neighborhood support teams to welcome refugees. You have this unfathomable global need, and you have more pathways than ever before open for families to come to the U.S.

But whether these pathways will remain open in the future is unknown, so we are feeling this massive urgency, she said.

WelcomeNST has helped refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua. In most states, refugee families receive roughly three to six months of funding. They are assigned an already busy caseworker, get signed up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for groceries, and their children are enrolled in public schools, said Davis-Edwards.

I watch so many families, and I cannot, for the life of me, understand how anyone could do this without support, she said.

By comparison, Utahs Department of Workforce Services supports refugees for up to two years. This office also encourages community organizations to fill in gaps left by the state government. Youve got an actual state system that puts its money where its mouth is, Davis-Edwards said. There are nearly 70,000 refugees living in Utah.

The state is particularly good at stepping up to help refugees, and Its a little-known secret, said Davis-Edwards. Tight-knit communities and strong religious support are among the reason why. More than 80% of the communities engaged with WelcomeNST are people of faith. Many of them find the nonprofit through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints JustServe initiative, which connects volunteers with service opportunities.

The states history traces back to refugee settlements of pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who fled religious persecution.

(Utahns) understand the pain caused by forced migration and appreciate the contributions of refugees in our communities, Their Story is Our Story, a Salt Lake City refugee nonprofit, says on their website.

From left, Hanna, Marianna and Carrie Lindscott, a member of the local WelcomeNST team, attend a rally at the Utah State Capitol marking a year of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 25, 2023. Lindscott served her mission in Ukraine, and helped Ukrainians Hanna and Marianna navigate life in the U.S. | Hanna Musina

What is it like helping refugees as a community?

Before Hanna, Marianna and Margot arrived in Salt Lake City last year, Shumway and her team had already raised enough money to pay half their rent for more than a year. People were eager to help in any way they could, Shumway said.

WelcomeNST helps communities form groups to help incoming refugees with transportation, health care, education, cultural integration and employment.

Our teams were pretty active in the first six to eight months, said Shumway. Lots of transportation needs, lots of connecting them to government resources, lots of making sure they felt settled in their house. She said she was especially proud of her teams sign-up sheet for people to invite Hanna, Marianna and young Margot to Sunday dinner, or to take them on an outing, like a trip to the mountains.

The Ukrainian women were still learning English when they visited Shumways household for dinner, she recalled. They communicated through Google Translate at the time, but since then, they have learned to speak English with the help of some classes.

In another instance, the Shumway family took Hanna to the Utah Refugee Center downtown, where Hanna felt inspired to dream of a different life in the U.S. She was a pharmacist in Ukraine, as was Marianna. But her eyes were now set on being of service to other refugees. Shumway said Hanna got a job as an assistant at Catholic Community Services, exactly what she hoped to do. Her first day is next week, Hanna told the Deseret News in a text message.

Living in Utah for over a year has been an incredible journey for my daughter and me, she said. Hanna said she appreciated her sponsors for supporting her in learning a new language and helping her start a career while her daughter acclimated to a new world.

Hanna and Marianna outside the University of Utah for their first English class in March last year. | Hanna Musina

We feel happy and welcomed here and see endless opportunities for a bright future. We couldnt have done this without our sponsors help, and we are forever grateful, she said.

Marianna struggled to find consistent employment and faced difficulty adjusting to working as a lunch lady at the local high school, especially since she comes from an educated background, said Shumway. But she sponsored her son Oleg, who is in his early 30s and reunited with Marianna on Wednesday. Shumway said she expects Oleg to be of great help to his mother.

When she arrived, Margot didnt know a single word of English. She was very scared. I think she was just so confused about why she was leaving her home, said Shumway. Margot now speaks English well and has a vibrant personality, as well as a lot of friends, Shumway said.

Shes since really blossomed, said Shumway. The mom and daughter, they really want to stay forever.
Legend Jack was last seen with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, who has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. His 1-old-year brother had been found alive earlier in a ditch by a trucker.

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KADN)  The family of Legend Jack, the 4-year-old found dead behind the Louisiana Welcome Center in Vinton, has organized a fundraiser to pay for funeral expenses.

Dion Polk, the little boys paternal grandmother, said he had been in their care for the past few months. She added he was a playful, intelligent 4-year-old who loved Sonic, Ninja Turtles, and Happy Meals.

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money. The goal is to collect $20,000. CLICK HERE to donate.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Stitch Guillory said a childs body was found in the water at the welcome center on Monday, July 8. According to Sheriff Guillory, his deputies were contacted around 3 p.m. after witnesses saw the body in the water.

As the investigation continued, detectives were able to identify the child as 4-year-old Legend Jack. Detectives were advised the child was last seen on Saturday, with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, and his 1-year-old brother.

CPSO continued the search for the 1-year-old child, and Tuesday morning, July 9, around 9 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a call in reference to a passerby observing a baby in a ditch on I-10 East near Mile Marker 10. When deputies arrived, they were able to positively identify the child as the missing 1-year-old.

This is a tragic incident our detectives are currently investigating, stated Sheriff Stitch Guillory. Fortunately, we were able to locate the 1-year-old, who was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. He is now safe and in the care of authorities. We understand the communitys concern and are committed to ensuring justice for the children involved. CPSO detectives are actively working to gather all the information and details surrounding this case and the death of the 4-year-old. We will dedicate all necessary resources to ensure a thorough investigation. Our hearts go out to the family members of these two children.

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A Texas truck driver is being hailed a hero for saving the baby he spotted crawling near I-10 in Calcasieu Parish.

As I was going down the highway, I noticed an image to the right over an embankment and I thought maybe it was a doll that someone had thrown out the window, said Reginald Walton, a driver for DHL Supply Chain. But as I was passing by, I saw it move and I said that looked like a baby.

Walton told News15 he slowed down, pulled over, and called 911.

So, I got out of my vehicle and walked back down to where I thought I saw the child, and sure enough, there was a little boy sitting down there. He smiled at me and then he stood up and started crying and walked towards me, and once he walked toward me I grabbed his hand and he stopped crying, explained Walton.

The baby, who deputies believe was on the side of the interstate for two days, was taken to the hospital in remarkably good condition. He was found not far from where his four-year-old brother was found dead Monday.

Its definitely the weather that we received from Beryl on Sunday and Monday that was responsible for saving the one-year-old. We had rain bands coming in and we had a lot of clouds covering. So, in Louisiana, this time of year, is not unusual to have, you know, 92- 93-degree temperatures with a heat index of 105-106. The fact that the one-year-old survived on the side of the road for two days with no water and no food we are thankful that we had the weather that we had. Without the weather that we had, we possibly would have two dead kids, Sheriff Guillory told The Weather Channel.

The child has been treated for relatively minor injuries and was released into protective custody. Walton noted he feels a bond with the child and hopes he gets updates throughout the years.

The investigation is ongoing.

More must-reads:
Department of Commerce officials announced Wednesday that the United States is investing $400 million to build semiconductor wafer manufacturing facilities in Texas and Missouri. File Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA-EFE

July 17 (UPI) -- Two U.S. tech firms soon could build manufacturing facilities to produce 300mm silicon wafers that are critical to advancing the nation's global technology leadership, thanks to a $400M investment announced by the White House on Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Commerce officials on Wednesday announced a $400 million investment through the CHIPS and Science Act that would establish domestic production of the semiconductor chips in Texas and Missouri.

The proposed investment would support building U.S.-based manufacturing facilities for the semiconductor wafers in the two states and "usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States."

"President [Joe] Biden is restoring our leadership in the entire semiconductor supply chain, from materials to manufacturing to R&D," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said.

Silicon wafers are critical for semiconductors, officials say, pointing out that there are five main companies that currently hold more than 80% of the global 300mm silicon wafer manufacturing market and about 90% of today's silicon wafers come from East Asia.

Manufacturing firm GlobalWafers and its subsidiaries "will play a crucial role in bolstering America's semiconductor supply chain by providing a domestic source for silicon wafers that are the backbone of advanced chips," Raimondo said.

The proposed project in Texas and Missouri would generate about $4 billion in combined capital expenditures to build the manufacturing plants in the two states.

Raimondo said those manufacturing facilities would secure the nation's supply chains for semiconductor wafers, which is a very thin layer of semiconductor materials used to create integrated circuits in electronic components.

The wafers enable the construction of microcircuits that are free of impurities, like aluminum, boron and iron.

Those microcircuits enable the production of a variety of electronic devices of all sizes.

Raimondo estimated the $400 million infusion from the federal government will support the creation of 2,000 jobs in Texas and Missouri while lowering the cost of producing electronic devices using semiconductor chips.

The domestic production of semiconductors also improve"economic and national security for Americans," she said.

Biden in 2022 announced the importance of the CHIPS and Science Act that would provide $52 billion in federal funding for domestic production of semiconductor wafers and chips that would bolster national and economic security.

Domestic production helps ensure no one can tamper with "any part we're putting in a weapons system, or a helicopter - anything we have," Biden said.

Story continues

"That it's made in America, built in America, stockpiled in America, I think it's really important," he added.

Sec. of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday also announced the United States and Mexico will co-host the America's Partnership Semiconductor Symposium: Expanding the Supplier Ecosystem in September.

The event is scheduled Sept. 5-6 in Mexico City and will focus on expanding and diversifying the assembly, testing and packaging of semiconductors for the 12 nations participating in the America's Partnership for Economic Prosperity.
BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE)  When the body of a missing mother from the Jemez Pueblo turned up in a ravine, her family had more questions than answers. They claim New Mexico law enforcement agencies botched a criminal case before it even began. Lynelle Tafoyas family is now asking the feds to step in.

Latest from KRQE Investigates

Lynelle, she had a sense of humor, Brenda Tafoya recalled memories of her daughter, Lynelle. She was funny, always joking around, making us laugh, and loving with her kids.

Brenda knows her daughter is more than a statistic. However, its been a hard message to get across when the 34-year-old mother of four went missing from her home on the Jemez Pueblo in August of 2021.

She told me, Ill be back, mom, Tafoya recalled. She left, and that was it. She never came back.

More than a week had passed when Brenda got a call from a Pueblo police officer asking her to come to the station. {He} Told me that they found her. Her body in Santa Ana, said Tafoya. And I just broke down, she recalled. Telling me that she would have probably been in the ravine for maybe a week. They didnt really know.

So what happened to Lynelle Tafoya between the Jemez Pueblo and where she was found in the Town of Bernalillo near Santa Ana? Tafoyas mom has been searching for those answers for more than two years now.

She didnt do this on her own, said Tafoya. Somebody did something. Brenda Tafoya, Lynelles mom

One of the investigating officers in Tafoyas case is Bernalillo Police Officer Jeramie Nevarez. Hes since been fired from the department after a domestic violence arrest KRQE reported on last year. But the day Tafoyas daughter was found in the Ranchitos ditch near I-40 in Bernalillo, Nevarez responded to the call and wrote the police report.

He noted her pants were down around her ankles, a cell phone was found about 500 yards north, and her backpack was located futher down along the trail on Santa Ana Pueblo property. Bernalillo and Sandoval County fire departments were called to retrieve the body.

But the officer writes As of now, no signs of foul play were observed or reported. End of report. The case is filed as an unattended death.

Was the evidence mishandled?

Extremely troubling to see the evidence in this case, explained David Adams, Brenda Tafoyas attorney. I mean, I think the first signs of foul play was her being naked in the ravine.

Adams claims authorities should have opened a homicide investigation. He argues potential evidence was mishandled and destroyed.

{Police} gave me back her phone, her backpack, and thinking, you know, well, dont you guys need these to find out what happened or go into her phone or anything? Brenda Tafoya said.

Hoping another agency would dig deeper, Tafoya says she gave her daughters cell phone to Santa Ana Pueblo Police. And unfortunately, in that process, the contents of the phone were destroyed, Adams told KRQE.

Tafoyas attorney calls this case a jurisdictional nightmare for law enforcement since it involves the Jemez Pueblo, the Santa Ana Pueblo, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Township of Bernalillo; a main reason he argues, for federal investigators to step in.

Weve got 22 Tribal communities in New Mexico, Adams explained. And the second that somebody leaves the reservation, you enter a different jurisdiction. He explained the overlapping jurisdictions often lead to a lack of ownership and an overall lack of communication in an investigation.

This is an opportunity to kind of spread awareness about how many cases there are that arent being properly investigated and to ensure that they get investigated by the appropriate agencies, said Adams.

Family is now asking the feds to step in

Adams sent a letter with a synopsis of Tafoyas case to the U.S. Attorneys Office asking his office to open a homicide investigation. We have both, you know, a very unique relationship with our tribal partners and responsibility towards them and a unique ability to bring resources to solve problems, said Alex Uballez, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.

Uballez wouldnt speak about Tafoyas specific case, but the Justice Departments Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons or MMIP outreach program is a priority, he says.

As communities, as families and next of kin reach out, they have someone to reach out to, explained Uballez.

Trying to bridge that gap and get these different agencies to cooperate with each other to communicate  is a big goal of the program, explained Eliot Neal, MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southwest Region.

Neal is a full-time MMIP coordinator with the U.S. Attorneys office. In cases like Tafoyas, Neal works with federal law enforcement and tribal partners to get answers, and if possible, hold criminals accountable.

Without some of the physical evidence, were relying more heavily on witness interviews, things like that  circumstantial evidence, things like that, which is just as valuable in court, Neal explained.

The medical examiner for Tafoya wrote, This is a complicated case. The possible causes of death include toxic effects of methamphetamine and drowing, or a combination of both. The official manner of death is undetermined.

Up until the last few years through New Mexico and the Department of Justice, you see a lot more task forces being put together to help address what they consider to be an epidemic in itself, said Adams.

Determined to help in this case, Adams points to an unusual finding in the young mothers autopsy. Theres a section noting The ends of her fingers were missing.

Signs that would have suggested, you know, further investigation, said Adams. Tafoyas mom Brenda, whos now caring for her young grandchildren just wants answers. Im the grandma, yeah. But nobody can replace their mom, said Brenda Tafoya.

KRQE asked Brenda Tafoya if she believes her daughter died in an unattended death. No, Tafoya said. I dont want this on nobody, but if this happens, Brenda Tafoya went on, Have a voice. I mean, this is the only way theyre going to hear us.

Adams believes at least one of the suspects theyve identified is serving time in federal prison.

However, federal investigators wont confirm who, if anyone, theyre looking at in Tafoyas case.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The Morrow family spoke the press about the fight outside of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on July 15, 2024. The police investigation is still ongoing.

In response to the speculation about corruption and favoritism surrounding an assault last month at Montgomery Inn, the family said through their lawyer Wednesday they have no concerns about the investigation.

A cell phone video went viral last week showing Doug and Lois Morrow knocked down in the parking lot of the restaurant as a confrontation roared around them.

Police confirmed they are investigating the June 22 incident and said Wednesday the investigation is still ongoing.

Speculation started when the news broke that the fight involved the family of Steve Raleigh, a WCPO weatherman and son-in-law of former prosecutor and sheriff Simon Leis Jr.

Connie Pillich, the Democratic challenger to Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers, issued a statement Wednesday morning asking "why hasn't the politically connected suspect been charged?"

Pillich said it's been nearly a month since the attack and pointed to the Raleigh's family "deep connections to the local Republican Party." She called on state ethics officials to investigate why Powers has not pursued justice for the Morrows.

More: Family involved in alleged assault with WCPO weatherman's family tells their side of story

Attorney Konrad Kircher, who is representing the Morrow family, said his clients do not agree with Pillich's concerns.

"We are satisfied with the progress of the police investigation," Kircher said Tuesday.

In response to Pillich's statement, Powers said nothing hurts your chances of achieving justice more than a rushed or incomplete investigation. She said it could lead to innocent people getting charged or guilty people going free.

"The idea that a prosecutor should be pressuring the police to bring charges on anyone before they have completed their investigation is, quite frankly, offensive," Powers said. "It reveals a profound ignorance of how our justice system works."

Merlyn Shiverdecker, a lawyer representing the Raleigh family, echoed Powers. In a statement, he said Pillich's comments showed a lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system and the role of the prosecutor.

"Ms. Pillich's statement appears to be nothing more than a political stunt and an attempt to make political hay in an election year out of a very unfortunate incident," Shiverdecker wrote. "The Cincinnati Police Department is attempting to conduct a thorough investigation. Let them do their job. Vituperous personal accusations serve no useful purpose."

Cincinnati police have issued several statements regarding the case. Officers responded to the Montgomery Inn for a report of a large crowd fighting.

The Morrows said they were at the restaurant to pick up their son who works there. He had cut himself during his shift. While they were leaving, their vehicle was struck.

According to a crash report filed with Cincinnati police, a relative of WCPO meteorologist Steve Raleigh was driving a black Cadillac Escalade in the Boathouse parking lot when he hit the Morrows' white Ford F-150 after failing to yield to oncoming traffic.

The family said Steve Raleigh came out of the restaurant and told Doug Morrow not to call police over the crash  which Doug Morrow did anyway. The family said the suspect then punched the son in the head and attacked his parents.

Kircher said during a press conference he expects the police investigation to wrap up in the next week.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Family backs police investigation into Montgomery Inn assault
Volusia and Flagler county school districts showed notable improvement in math, according to the 2023-24 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) results released by the state Department of Education earlier this month.

This is the second year Florida has conducted FAST testing. The progress monitoring assessments are conducted three times throughout the school year and are designed to drive student improvement by providing teachers, students and parents with immediate data at the beginning, middle and end of the school year, according to the DOE.

Twelve Volusia County Schools increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency at all grade levels on the third math FAST assessment this year, according to a district press release: Blue Lake, Champion, Chisholm, Freedom, Friendship, Horizon and Pine Trail elementary schools; Campbell, Deltona, Galaxy and Silver Sands middle schools; and Taylor Middle-High School.

Additionally, Volusia middle and high school students increased 30 percentage points in Algebra 1 achievement from the previous year, and every district high school increased the percentage of students at or above grade level on Algebra 1 and geometry end-of-course exams, according to the press release. Furthermore, Ormond Beach Middle School reported a 100% pass rate for the geometry end-of-course exam for the third consecutive year.

"I am happy to report that due to the dedication and hard work of teachers, staff, students and families, Volusia County Schools continues to see an upward trend in proficiency year over year, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin said in a statement. These assessment results are evidence of intentional instructional and support strategies implemented across the school district that are resulting in success.

Use the chart below to search how your student's school performed on the 2024 math FAST exam.

And in Flagler County, high school Algebra 1 end-of-course exam scores increased by 10% while geometry end-of-course exam scores increased by 13%, according to a district press release. Additionally, Flagler County Schools scored 9% above the state average for the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam and 7% above the state average for the geometry end-of-course exam, the release reported.

"The first guiding principle of our district is 'Children First,'" said Superintendent LaShakia Moore in a statement. "I'm so proud of our faculty, staff and administration across the district in helping this next generation prepare for the future."

Use the chart below to search how your student's school performed on the 2024 math FAST exam.

Volusia, Flagler English/language arts scores

Sixteen Volusia County Schools increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency at all grade levels on the third English/language arts (ELA) FAST assessment this year, according to a district press release: Beachside, Champion, Forest Lake, Horizon, Sweetwater, Timbercrest and Tomoka elementary schools; Deltona, Galaxy and Ormond Beach middle schools; and Atlantic, Deltona, Pine Ridge, Seabreeze, Spruce Creek and University high schools.

Use the chart below to search how your student's school performed on the 2024 ELA FAST exam.

Flagler Schools saw an overall increase of 2% on its ELA FAST exam scores, according to a district press release.

Use the chart below to search how your student's school performed the 2024 ELA FAST exam.

How do Volusia, Flagler counties compare to the rest of Florida?

Performance on math tests and English/language arts tests improved statewide throughout the 2023-24 school year.

Florida students in grades 3-8 improved their math scores this school year by 42 percentage points. Only 14% of students scored at or above grade level on their first test, but 56% scored at or above grade level on the third.

Additionally, 53% of Florida students in grades 3-8 and high school scored at or above grade level in math. This was a 4% increase from the prior year in which 51% scored at or above grade level.

For Volusia County Schools, 52% of students in grades 3-8 and high school scored at or above grade level in 2024, while 45% scored at or above grade level in 2023.

For Flagler County Schools, 58% of students in grades 3-8 and high school scored at or above grade level in 2024, while 54% scored at or above grade level in 2023.

Florida students in grades 3-10 improved their ELA scores by 20 percentage points, with 33% of students scoring at or above grade level on the first test of the year and 53% of students scoring at or above grade level on the third.

Furthermore, 53% percent of Florida students in grades 3-10 scored at or above grade level in ELA. This was a 4% increase from the prior year in which 49% scored at or above grade level.

For Volusia County Schools, 50% of students in grades 3-10 scored at or above grade level in 2024, while 46% scored at or above grade level in 2023.

For Flagler County Schools, 55% of students in grades 3-10 scored at or above grade level in 2024, while 53% scored at or above grade level in 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia, Flagler FAST assessments released. How did students perform?
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  The Memphis Police Department is searching for two suspects they say robbed a father and daughter while they were closing a southeast Memphis restaurant Sunday night.

According to reports, just before 11:30 p.m., officers responded to Tokyo Grill located at 2801 Kirby Road, where they were advised that two victims had been robbed at gunpoint.

The daughter told police that she and her father were closing up the restaurant and walking out the door when they were surrounded by two men armed with guns and wearing masks.

 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.

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Police say the girl told the robbers that she had nothing to give them, but her father gave up his wallet containing around $200 in cash and the key fob to his pickup truck.

The suspects then fled the scene in what appeared to be a maroon Jeep Cherokee with a missing grill.

MPD provided a video of the suspects in the parking lot prior to the robbery.

Man caught on camera stealing Amazon van in Midtown

Police describe one of the suspects as a man with a thin build, wearing a long-sleeved white pullover, gray jeans, black sandals, and white socks. He was armed with a black and silver handgun.

The second suspect is described as a man with a medium build, wearing a black sweater, black shirt, gray sweatpants, and black shoes. He was armed with two black and silver handguns.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Call it a real life Jaws situation  but with a much happier ending. Father and son Frank and Mike Pitten were summering in Scituate, Massachusetts when a great white shark swam under their boat. The two were stunned. "I looked at Michael and I was like you know this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing, Frank recalled. And he wasn't putting it lightly.

The family members weren't trying to look for sharks on their outing, but they inarguably got more than they bargained for. The brave pair even managed to get a recording of the creature on video.

Speaking with NBC 10 Boston, the pair explained that they were really looking for a humpback whale carcass that's been spotted in the Cape Cod Bay. Sharks had been reported along the coast of Massachusetts recently, including two sharks that were seen eating a whale carcass about six miles off the coast of Scituate, but it didn't seem likely that they'd see them.

Related: Shark Expert Shares What NOT to Do When Face-To-Face With a Shark

"I never dreamt that there would be one that big six miles from Scituate," Frank told the news outlet in a video online. He was referring to the surprise guest of their trip  a humongous great white shark that swam right up under their boat.

"When I saw this thing come under me I was shocked," Miked added. Especially because the two were traveling in a 29-foot boat. But the shark was large in its own right. "The shark that we saw, I would guess, was 20 feet give or take and the most shocking part about it was the girth of the thing. You could probably fit most of the sharks that we saw inside of that shark," Mike added.

In fact, that large great white seemed to have scared away a group of five smaller sharks who were also trying to feast on the carcass.

The animal didn't seem to notice the boat as it traveled. Mike even decided to hang over the side of the boat and get the once in a lifetime experience on camera. The video has since gone viral, which is understandable as many people have never seen a shark that big up close.

Thankfully, the Pittens were unharmed during their encounter, but both agree that it was pretty darn exciting.

"Even 10-15 minutes after we got in I was like did we really just see that or is that a dream because it seems like something you only see on Shark Week," Mike told NBC 10.

"We both came in and said that might have been the coolest thing weve ever seen," Frank agreed.

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Miami developer Sergio Pino crafted multiple plots to harm or kill his estranged wife over a period of years as the couples marriage unraveled, including poisoning her with fentanyl and hiring murder crews to end her life, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. One of those crews was given the instruction to kill Pinos wife before an upcoming divorce hearing, a directive that led Tatiana Pino and the couples daughter to be threatened at gunpoint last month, the officials said.

Those details emerged the day after Sergio Pino, the founder of Century Homebuilders Group and a high-profile Miami-Dade County builder and political donor for decades, died by suicide in an upstairs bedroom of his Cocoplum estate as a SWAT team descended on his home in an effort to arrest him in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire scheme.

The FBI and U.S. Attorneys Office alleged in a press conference Wednesday that Pino had hired two separate crews to kill his estranged wife amid a contentious divorce. In total, nine people have now been arrested in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire plots, the officials said.

This case is about a husband, Mr. Pino, who decided after years of marriage that he was going to kill his wife, said Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

The attempts on Tatiana Pinos life began in 2019 and continued through June of this year, FBI officials said in related court documents. She filed for divorce in April 2022 after 30 years of marriage.

Lapointe alleged that initially, Pino tried to poison his wife with fentanyl over a period of time.

When that failed, Lapointe continued, he put out a contract on her head on two separate occasions, hiring separate groups of hitmen to do the job.

Before his death, Sergio Pino had denied any involvement in the threats against his wife. Pinos attorney Sam Rabin on Wednesday criticized the FBIs handling of the case, particularly the raid on Pinos home Tuesday.

Sadly, I no longer have a living client to allow me to respond to the governments new allegations. That is because prosecutors ignored my emails and phone conversations where I volunteered to surrender Mr. Pino if they wanted to arrest him, Rabin said.

He added: Although I have not seen any of the evidence that the government claims to have, the narrative that they are putting forth is contrary to the person and character of Sergio Pino.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, left, talks to reporters as FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, right, stands by during a press conference to address developments in the Sergio Pino murder-for-hire investigation at FBI Miami headquarters in Miramar, Florida, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

The first alleged crew of hired help included four men, including Pinos part-time employee, Bayron Bennett, federal authorities said. That crew has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run and arsons targeting Tatiana Pino and her sister, incidents that became public after the FBI first raided Sergio Pinos home and office on June 24.

On Wednesday, the FBI announced that another group had been quietly charged in connection with another threat against Tatiana Pino. Five people were arrested from a second alleged murder-for-hire crew, according to officials: Diori Barnard, Clementa Johnson, Vernon Green, Avery Bivins and Fausto Villar.

An attorney for Green, Richard Serafini, said they would be putting forth a vigorous defense. Bivins lawyer Humberto Rolando Dominguez declined to comment. Attorneys for Barnard and Villar did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and no information was filed in court records to indicate the legal representation for Johnson.

That second crew made an attempt on Tatiana Pinos life last month at her Pinecrest home, with the instruction to kill her before the next hearing in the couples contentious divorce battle, Lapointe said. Sergio Pino offered to pay $150,000 for the crew to kill Tatiana Pino, with another $150,000 if the contract was carried out without detection, according to the criminal complaint against Villar.

But when an armed Vernon Green appeared outside Tatiana Pinos Pinecrest home as she pulled into the driveway on the morning of June 23, the planned operation didnt go quietly  or well. Rather than stay still as Green waved a gun at her car, Tatiana Pino hit the gas and roared into her backyard, scraping a tree and a fence with her vehicle, honking her horn the entire time, the complaint said.

Green initially chased her into the backyard, then rushed back to the front. At the same time, the Pinos adult daughter came outside to see what was the cause of the commotion. As she turned around, the daughter saw Green as he pointed a pistol inches from her face, according to a criminal complaint. Green grabbed her and ordered her back inside, the complaint said. She complied.

With that, Green allegedly bolted from the front yard in the suburban neighborhood, jumping into a Dodge Ram pickup truck with a getaway driver that the criminal complaint does not identify.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri said Wednesday that money was disbursed as part of that plot, but officials did not specify how much of the potential $300,000 was paid out to the crew.

The day after that incident was when the FBI raided Sergio Pinos waterfront estate for the first time.

FBI agents then returned to his home Tuesday morning as part of a search and arrest operation in the case.

Between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., several loud bangs were heard from the police perimeter, though it was not clear what was happening since the home was out of view from the police line. Around 10 a.m., Coral Gables Fire Rescue vehicles arrived, and they left about 30 minutes later. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner told the Herald that Sergio Pino was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, the FBI released a statement on the search and arrest operation that involved going to two locations: Pinos residence and another home in Cutler Bay, where a man  later identified as Villar  was arrested.

Veltri said the FBI Miami SWAT team attempted to call out to any occupants of Pinos home. According to the statement, when no one came out, agents entered the home and found Pino dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, alone in an upstairs bedroom.

Miami Herald reporter Chuck Rabin contributed to this report.
The FBI searched the Indianapolis home of a former congressional candidate with Evansville ties on Wednesday, though it's unclear why.

The agency confirmed to IndyStar that it executed a search warrant at a house where public records show Gabe Whitley lives  news first reported by IndyPolitics. There is no indication anyone was arrested, the IndyStar reported.

Whitley, who ran in the Republican primary in Indiana's 7th Congressional District, declined to comment when approached by an IndyStar reporter at the home. Whitley previously declared his candidacy for mayor in Evansville but never actually mounted a campaign. The local Republican Party kept him off the ballot in 2022 when he tried to run for a state representative spot.

Bobby Kern, who also lives at the home and ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor this month, told IndyStar that agents searched the home Wednesday morning and confiscated Whitley's devices. The FBI neither confirmed nor denied that.

Whitley did post to Facebook later in the day, writing that he was "ok" and would make "an appropriate statement when the time is right."

"It's a on going investigation about corruption happening in our community," he said. "Thank you for our wonderful law enforcement doing their job."

Whitley has been in the news multiple times while mounting his political campaigns, including this year when complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission accused him of filing excessive campaign contributions and fraudulent donors during his congressional run.

Whitley's campaign finance records were the subject of a Courier & Press investigation last year. In early 2022, he filed an annual report with the Indiana Elections Division showing him raising more than $15,000 for an exploratory committee the year before, with some donors giving him hundreds  and in one case, thousands  of dollars at a time.

But there was a problem: Several of the donors listed told the Courier & Press they had no memory of ever giving Whitley money. Some said they didn't even know who he was.

The FBI raided an Indianapolis home Wednesday afternoon.

They also lived hundreds of miles away. The only donor listed on the report with an Evansville address was Whitley himself. Others hailed from far-flung locations such as New York, California and Utah, among others.

In January 2023, Whitley denied any wrongdoing and told Courier & Press reporters he had hired a "consulting firm" to handle campaign fundraising. He couldn't remember the name, though, and his 2022 annual report didn't show any payouts to a consulting firm.

"A lot of people donate to fundraising things," he said at the time. "We sent out emails. That's all we did. We sent out emails."

A little more than a month after that investigation published, Whitley filed a lawsuit against the Courier & Press, USA Today and reporter Thomas B. Langhorne in U.S. District Court. Alleging slander, he sought more than $14 million in damages and an apology article.

Gabe Whitley during a protest in Evansville in 2020.

Judge Sarah Evans Barker dismissed the complaint without prejudice on Nov. 11 "for lack of jurisdiction."

In May, Whitley lost the 7th Congressional District primary to Jennifer Pace despite the fact that she died after filing her candidacy and before the primary. A caucus of party insiders selected her replacement on the ballot, John Schmitz, whose campaign sign is in Whitley's lawn in Indianapolis.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: FBI searched home of Gabe Whitley in Indianapolis
The FBI searched the Indianapolis home of a former congressional candidate Wednesday, though it's unclear why.

The agency confirmed to IndyStar that it executed a search warrant at a near eastside house where public records show Gabriel Whitley lives  news first reported by IndyPolitics. There is no indication anyone was arrested.

Whitley, who ran in the Republican primary in Indiana's 7th Congressional District, declined to comment when approached by a reporter at the home. Around 3:30 p.m., Whitley posted to Facebook that he is "OK" and that he would make a statement "when the time is right."

"It's a on going investigation about corruption happening in our community," he wrote. "Thank you for our wonderful law enforcement doing their job."

Bobby Kern, who also lives at the home and ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor this month, told IndyStar that agents searched the home Wednesday morning and confiscated Whitley's devices. The FBI declined to comment on the subject of its investigation.

Complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission this year accused Whitley of filing excessive campaign contributions and fraudulent donors during his congressional run. After he dropped a mayoral campaign in Evansville in early 2023, the Evansville Courier & Press reported he had raised thousands from donors who said they'd never heard from him.

Whitley ultimately lost the 7th District primary to Jennifer Pace despite the fact that she died after filing her candidacy and before the primary. A caucus of party insiders selected her replacement on the ballot, John Schmitz, whose campaign sign is in Whitley's lawn.

IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson contributed.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter@kayla_dwyer17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: FBI searches Indy home where former congressional candidate lives
FDA Warns of THC-Laced Edibles That Look Like Common Children's Snacks

The agency says the THC edibles pose a risk to children, with names and packaging that deliberately resemble popular children's cookies and snacks

FDA From Left: Chips Ahoy!; and Trips Ahoy!, which was identified by the FDA and FTC for similar packaging

The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on products containing delta-8 THC that are packaged to resemble common snacks often marketed to children.

Delta-8 THC is a compound made up of a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, the National Library of Medicine explains. And per the Federal Trade Commission, it "hasnt been approved for use in any conventional food."

According to the FDA and FTC, the problem lies in the way the edible cannabis products are packaged, including eight specific examples identified by the agency. One of them is Trips Ahoy!, which resembles the popular chocolate chip cookie, Chips Ahoy!

Slizzies, meanwhile, resemble Skittles in both design and packaging, and the cannabis-infused Flamin Hot Cheetos version shows virtually no distinction  right down to the name  from the original corn snack.

FDA From Left: Slizzles, which was identified by the FDA and FTC for similar packaging; and Skittles

Related: California Third Graders Hospitalized After Consuming THC-Infused Edibles

The FTC was clear that "the companies that sell the genuine food products have nothing whatsoever to do with these look-alikes. Rather, their brands and trademarks have been hijacked by marketers selling copycat items that put kids at risk."

Companies that market and sell edible THC products that are easily mistaken for snacks and candy are not only acting illegally, but they are also putting the health of young children at risk, Samuel Levine, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. Those that prioritize profits in front of children's safety are at serious risk of legal action.

The agency says theyve received over 125 adverse event reports from Jan. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, related to children and adults who consumed edible products containing delta-8 THC.

And as the FDA notes, Ten of the reports specifically mention the edible product to be a copycat of popular snack foods.

FDA From Left: Flamin Hot Cheetos, which was identified by the FDA and FTC for similar packaging; and Flamin Hot Cheetos

Related: 2 Elementary School Students Hospitalized After Eating Gummies Containing 'Unidentified' Substance

Additionally, The Washington Post reported last year that there has been a 1,375% increase in children under 6 accidentally eating cannabis products.

The FDA has previously expressed concern about delta-8 THC, saying that products infused with the compound "likely expose consumers to much higher levels of the substance than are naturally occurring in hemp cannabis raw extracts."

In addition, the FDA warns that "some manufacturers may use potentially unsafe household chemicals to make delta-8 THC."

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Adding to the problem, FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandje Bumpus, Ph.D., said in a statement, is that inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products with strong resemblance to popular snacks and candies that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it.

As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of delta-8 THC containing products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating complete neglect for consumer safety," Bumpus' statement continued.

The commissioner added, "The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of U.S. consumers by monitoring the marketplace and taking action when companies sell products that present a threat to public health."



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Read the original article on People.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON)  Federal prosecutors teamed up with the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office to remove suspected fentanyl traffickers from the beachside community.

Several arrests were made in hot spots for illicit drug dealing and drug use. Hot spots included the sidewalk outside a homeless shelter at 115 Coral Street, and the 500 block of Water Street, prosecutors said.

The crackdown resulted in the arrests of three alleged fentanyl dealers identified as: Miguel Geronimo, 30, Jesus Nunez Martinez, 49, and Oscar Angel Alvarez, 28.

The impacts weve seen from fentanyl in our community have been devastating and unlike any drug Ive seen in my 36 years in law enforcement, said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart. The surge in overdose deaths has shattered families and left us facing an unprecedented public health crisis. By establishing our Fentanyl Task Force and forming these crucial partnerships with state and federal agencies, we are dedicated to holding those who distribute this poison accountable.

Investigators said Martinez was selling fentanyl and carfentanil, a synthetic opioid that is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

Carfentanil is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other very large mammals, the Drug Enforcement Administration said. The emergence of Carfentanil in illicit open-air drug markets poses a significant threat  even users with high tolerance to opioids could fatally overdose, the DEA said.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark said, DEA will do everything in our power to prevent those peddling poison in Santa Cruz from destroying more lives.

In 2019, five people in Santa Cruz County died from fentanyl overdoses. In 2023, the number spiked to 133 victims, federal investigators said.

According to a criminal complaint filed against Geronimo:

On May 1, detectives from the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office were patrolling the area of 115 Coral Street in Santa Cruz that is known to be a common drug-trafficking area. The detectives watched men entering and exiting a van, none spending more than a couple of minutes in the van. In the van, the detectives encountered Geronimo, who was lying down in the back-passenger section of the van. Detectives searched the van and found approximately 86.6 grams of fentanyl, sales paraphernalia, and $3,300 in cash. Geronimo was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

UCSF researchers dive into San Francisco fentanyl scene to find answers

According to the a criminal complaint filed against Martinez:

On February 9, detectives with the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office spotted Martinez driving with a suspended drivers license and expired tags. Deputies found various items, including a distributable amount of methamphetamine, sales paraphernalia, and over $750 in cash in the vehicle. On March 29, detectives conducted a traffic stop on Martinez for failing to stop at a stop sign. Another search of Martinezs car resulted in the seizure of fentanyl and carfentanil. Martinez is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carfentanil, and methamphetamine.

According to a criminal complaint filed against Alvarez:

Around 4 a.m. on February 5, a sheriffs deputy was patrolling the area of the 500 block of Water Street in Santa Cruz  an area known for drug trafficking, drug use, and other crime. The deputy spotted Alvarez outside the main office of a motel wearing two backpacks. Alvarez claimed he was trying to get a room, although the lobby of the hotel was empty. A search of Alvarez and the backpacks revealed more than 15 baggies of suspected drugs packaged for sales and $2,500 cash. After subsequent testing, the substances in Alvarezs possession were found to include more than 150 grams of fentanyl, over 95 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of cocaine. During another traffic stop on May 29, Alvarez was in possession of 54.4 grams of p-Fluorofentanyl and 27.781 grams of methamphetamine HCL. Alvarez was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

If convicted of the federal charges filed against them:

Geronimo faces 20 years of imprisonment; maximum lifetime of supervised release (minimum term of 3 years of supervised release); $1 million fine.

Martinez faces 40 years of imprisonment (mandatory minimum of 5 years of imprisonment); maximum lifetime supervised release (mandatory minimum of 4 years of supervised release); $5 million fine.

Alvarez faces 40 years of imprisonment (mandatory minimum of 5 years of imprisonment); maximum lifetime of supervised release (mandatory minimum 4 years of supervised release); $5,000,000 fine.

Martinez made his initial federal court appearance to face the charges on July 15 before Judge DeMarchi, United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of California. Martinez was temporarily ordered detained, and a detention hearing in his case is set for July 19 in United States District Court in San Jose.

The three cases are the result investigations by the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office and the DEA, with operational assistance from the FBI and the Santa Cruz Police Department. The U.S. Attorneys Office thanked the Office of the Santa Cruz County District Attorney for its cooperation in bringing the federal prosecutions of these defendants.

The dramatic increase in the use of fentanyl in the last five years has destroyed countless lives in and around Santa Cruz County. We stand prepared to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners to address the damage being done to our communities, said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. We will seek to bring to justice the purveyors of this poison in our neighborhoods  if you are considering selling fentanyl in Santa Cruz, it is time to think again.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
This 72-year-old man is moving from LA to Italy after purchasing an old home in Latronico for just $8,726

Bingwa Thomas snagged a cheap old home in Latronico, Italy, for 8,000 (about $8,726 USD) and is planning on making the move from Los Angeles this summer.

Thomas, 72, says the hilltop towns cheap home prices means he can finally turn back from a lifetime of having to rent.

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I have always had to choose between buying property or investing in projects for the community, he told CNN. In Latronico, I can do both.

To be clear, Thomas move isnt just about the money.

My main reason for establishing a residence in southern Italy was to have better access to the African continent, he says. To be able to use my pension to create, fund, network and volunteer with programs on the African continent.

Latronico is selling cheap old homes starting at 10,000

Americans have been snapping up old homes for as little as 1 in Italy  and are then spending money on renovations.

Latronico, which began advertising homes starting at 10,000, or nearly $11,000, a few years ago, began this housing initiative in order to revitalize and repopulate the community.

When the old people die, the descendants of emigres dont even return during summer, their family home lies abandoned, shut and decaying, former deputy mayor Vincenzo Castellano told CNN in 2021.

It makes no sense to keep empty dying properties as frozen assets so we decided to involve old owners who showed interest in this project and are eager to cooperate in recovering the urban landscape.

Castellano said the housing prices were all negotiable  plus, there would be zero taxes for 10 years for anyone investing 20,000 in dilapidated buildings, to incentivize these purchases.

Thomas, who says Castellano supported him throughout the home purchase process in 2022, has budgeted about 20,000 (around $21,808) for renovations, furnishings and appliances. Hes completing most of the renovations himself, but has hired local businesses to help with things like plumbing, while his friends in Italy take care of the electricals.

I wanted a residence that I would not have to spend a lot to make habitable, so that I could have more money for the African projects, Thomas explains.

Story continues

Hes also planning on creating an arts center on the ground floor of his house in the future.

As an artist, I love the challenge of taking forgotten, under-appreciated or discarded items and repurposing them, he says.

Thomas doesnt plan on residing in the property permanently, however. Hes offered to donate the home to a nonprofit, bicycle co-op in Los Angeles and is currently in the process of buying a second property for 39,000, or $42,568, in Varrazzo, a hamlet about five miles outside of Latronico.

He plans to convert this second property into a multi-purpose arts complex, with accommodations for international youth and adult artists.

Read more: Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year  but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free)

Better quality of life and closer access to his activism work

One of Thomas primary motivations for moving to Latronico was to enjoy the regions healthier, slower-paced lifestyle.

Latronico is known locally as the village of wellness for its thermal spa and clean, fresh air, which is believed to have recuperative properties.

Thomas points to the life expectancy rate in the U.S. compared to Italy  where the rate lies at nearly 81 years for males, according to CIA data.

The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention places the life expectancy for American males at around 75. For a Black male, its closer to 70.

Im already two years past my expiration date, Thomas says. But in Italy I can get 10 extra years.

Thomas plans to officially move to Latronico in September and make the town his semi-permanent residence on a visitor visa. The rest of his time will be spent in Africa, where he plans to volunteer on projects in villages in Cameroon and Senegal.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
A convicted felon was arrested for allegedly trafficking a 14-year-old girl who was discovered in Anaheim.

The suspect was identified as Marcus Boyd, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

On July 9, authorities received information about a 14-year-old girl who was being trafficked for sex. The girl was located in Anaheim and detectives began investigating the alleged trafficking.

Boyd was identified as the suspect and was spotted driving later that day. Officers attempted to pull him over but he refused to yield, leading police on a pursuit.

At one point, Boyd ditched his vehicle and began fleeing on foot. He was eventually located and taken into custody.

Marcus Boyd, 36, a Las Vegas, Nevada resident is seen in a booking photo from the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

Marcus Boyd, 36, a Las Vegas, Nevada resident was arrested for alleged human trafficking in Orange County. (Orange County District Attorneys Office)

On July 11, he was charged with:

Human trafficking of a minor

Pandering a minor under 16 years old

Possession of a silencer

Evading a police officer

Resisting and obstructing a police officer

Boyds previous convictions were not released. The case was investigated by the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF).

A critical component of the OCHTTF is the OCDAs Human Exploitation And Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, which targets perpetrators who sexually exploit and traffic women and underage girls for financial gain, including pimps, panderers, and human traffickers, officials explained.

The lead agencies involved in the task force include the California Highway Patrol, Irvine Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, Orange County District Attorneys Office, Orange County Probation Department, Orange County Social Services Agency, The Salvation Army, U.S. Attorneys Office, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Boyd remains in custody and is being held on $1 million bail.

If you or anyone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-373-7888 or call your local law enforcement agency.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
FEMA asking residents near Springdale to assist with storm relief efforts in Arkansas

SPRINGDALE, Ark.  Federal officials are seeking assistance from residents near Springdale to help the community recover from severe storms that touched down during Memorial Day weekend.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is looking for locals with experience in customer service, logistics, environmental protection, engineering or emergency management.

Arkansas Red Cross hosting disaster response volunteer training

FEMA officials said the jobs are full-time, 120-day positions that could be extended based on operational needs.

The job opportunity comes nearly two months after severe storms, tornadoes and flooding impacted parts of northern Arkansas May 24-27.

Arkansas Division of Emergency Management updates Memorial Day weekend severe weather death toll to 10

The National Weather Service confirmed that at least 17 tornadoes touched down in the state, and the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said that at least 10 people were killed.

Officials with the NWS Storm Prediction Center said that April and May had the second most tornadoes on record. As of mid-June, Arkansas had seen 31 tornadoes, with 25 of them touching down in May.

The 2024 tornado season is one of the most active on record

As FEMA begins recovery efforts, open positions can be found at USAJobs.gov. Those interested in applying can search for the keyword Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with the location of Springdale, AR.

To stay up to date on disaster recovery in Arkansas, visit FEMA.gov.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Fentanyl deaths in Texas: How much is illegal immigration border crisis really to blame?

In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

Tuesday nights Republican National Convention in Milwaukee featured an emotional speech by Anne Funder, whose 15-year-old son Weston died from fentanyl poisoning in 2022.

She and other speakers blamed the Biden administration for failing to secure the Southern border and allowing a flood of the deadly drug into the U.S.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas who also gave a speech at the RNC on Tuesday night talked about violent crimes committed by people who have illegally crossed the border during the Biden presidency, saying Every day Americans are dying.

Jul 16, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

How bad is the fentanyl crisis in Texas, one of the main pipelines into the country? In North Texas, elected leaders who talk about how illegal immigration has affected their communities frequently point to fentanyl deaths.

What is fentanyl and why is it so deadly?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but about 50 to 100 times more potent.

Prescription fentanyl is different from synthetic fentanyl. In its prescription form, fentanyl is a medicine that is typically used to treat severe pain. Synthetic fentanyl can be added to other drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. It can also be sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like other prescription opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

How dangerous is fentanyl?

As little as two milligrams of fentanyl  an amount so small it could fit on the tip of a pencil  is a potentially deadly dose if it enters the body. In 2022, the DEA Laboratory reportedly found that of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed, six out of 10 contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

How many people die from fentanyl in North Texas?

The number of Texans killed by fentanyl poisoning or overdoses has skyrocketed, devastating hundreds of families.

The Star-Telegram reported in August 2023 that a staggering surge in fentanyl-related overdoses across the Metroplex. In 2019, only 15 people died from fentanyl intoxication in Tarrant County and neighboring Denton, Parker and Johnson counties. That number increased nearly 1,400% by 2022, when fentanyl was cited in 224 deaths, according to a Star-Telegram analysis of medical examiner records.

In all, at least 672 people as young as 14 have accidentally died from fentanyl since 2019 in those four North Texas counties.

Last year, data on a dashboard that tracks Texas fentanyl deaths showed more than 2,100 people statewide had died of accidental poisoning in 2022.

What Texas politicians say about the border and fentanyl

Star-Telegram accountability reporter Cody Copeland reported in March that Southlake Mayor John Huffman, who visited the border with Keller Mayor Armin Mizani in November, says undocumented immigrants are bringing fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the country between ports of entry.

Thats demonstrably true, Huffman said in a phone interview with the Star-Telegram. You can ask anybody in border patrol.

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn has also told the Star-Telegram that the plethora of drugs in the county is one way that the immigration crisis is affecting local communities. Waybourn made his statement after hosting a press conference for U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, who cited anecdotal evidence about undocumented immigrants and crime to promote a bill he had introduced.

What border officials say about fentanyl smuggled into the U.S.

U.S. citizens actually top the list of fentanyl smugglers caught at the border, according to Homeland Security officials, who spoke to U.S. representatives in a subcommittee hearing last July on who is bringing fentanyl across the border.

Nearly three-fourths of those caught attempting to smuggle fentanyl into the U.S. since October 2022 were U.S. citizens, and they brought in more than half of all fentanyl seized by U.S. authorities, the officials said.

Mexican nationals made up for the rest of those caught smuggling fentanyl, but these were not migrants. The Homeland Security official said migrants accounted for a very small percentage of those caught attempting to smuggle fentanyl across the border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data belies the claim that migrants are drug smugglers. The Border Patrol is the law enforcement arm that secures the border between ports of entry, also known as international bridges.

More than 90 percent of fentanyl seized by CBP is trafficked in cars and trucks through ports of entry, CBP spokesperson Roger Maier told the Star-Telegram in March. He referred to the CBPs drug seizure statistics online, which can be broken down into seizures by the Office of Field Operations at ports of entry and seizures by the Border Patrol along the border in between them.

In fiscal 2023, CBP agents confiscated 175,000 pounds of drugs at ports of entry, while Border Patrol agents confiscated 65,000. Fentanyl accounted for nearly 24,000 pounds of the drugs seized at ports of entry, and less than 3,000 in between them.

Its very pathetic that some politicians are using migrants as political fodder in blaming them for the fentanyl crisis, which is an absolute falsehood, said Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

While there have been a few cases of people walking across the border with fentanyl-laden backpacks, Vigil said, that method is not sufficient to meet the demand for the drug north of the border.

They have to move fentanyl in mass in large quantities to satisfy that demand here in the United States, Vigil said, seconding what Homeland Security told Congress: Most of them that are driving the fentanyl over into the United States are American citizens.

What is Texas new law to fight fentanyl?

In June 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a drug-induced homicide law, which went into effect Sept. 1. These laws already existed in at least 25 states.

The Texas drug-induced homicide law law says someone who knowingly gives fentanyl to a person who overdosed could be charged with murder.

In 2023, Abbott also signed Senate Bill 645, which creates harsher penalties for fentanyl distribution and possession. The penalty for possessing or selling more than 4 grams of fentanyl is a first-degree felony that carries a sentence of 10 years to life. Previously, a conviction for 4 grams of fentanyl carried a maximum sentence of 20 years.

And possession of less than 1 gram will now be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Texas law enforcement and district attorneys say they intend to use the new law to send a strong message to dealers. But some experts have questioned whether the new law will do more harm than good.

Governor Abbott signs one of four bills aimed at curbing the growing fentanyl crisis during the Fighting the Fentanyl Crisis Bill Signing at the Texas Capitol, June 14, 2023. The laws , among other things, makes it clear that people who cause death by distributing fentanyl can be prosecuted for murder.

The new Texas laws also classify deaths caused by fentanyl as fentanyl toxicity or fentanyl poisoning on death certificates when appropriate.

If you or someone you know has a substance use disorder, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations national helpline; a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders, at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Also available 24/7 for Texans, the Texas Addiction Hotline is free and anonymous for any resident to receive assistance with addiction at 866-210-1303.
FHP: Pensacola woman who allegedly killed cyclist in 2023 found and arrested in Kentucky

A Pensacola woman thought to have killed a bicyclist in 2023 before driving off was arrested in Kentucky on an outstanding Florida Highway Patrol warrant.

Jessica Hendrickson, 41, is the suspect in a June 2023 hit-and-run that left a 61-year-old man dead, according to FHP.

"While traveling southbound on U.S. 41 in Kentucky, a tag alert was issued to law enforcement in the area matching the description of Hendrickson's boyfriend's vehicle," an FHP release said. "Local law enforcement were in the general area and were able to conduct a traffic stop and ultimately arrest Hendrickson."

On June 10, 2023, Hendrickson was traveling eastbound on Sorrento Road where she allegedly failed to see a bicyclist in front of her, leading to her hitting the man and propelling him and his bike into the south shoulder of the road.

Hendrickson will be formally charged once extradited to Escambia County.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jessica Hendrickson arrested for fatal Pensacola hit-and-run
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Fiesta will be on rain or shine. The food and family that come with it are too valuable to abandon.

Ronnie and Mary Lou Escobar have been cooking for Fiesta Topeka for over 40 years, and the community spirit has kept them coming back every time.

Topeka author makes NYT The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

Were not a rich community, but we are a rich in heart, Ronnie, a 75-year-old Topekan said.

I think my grandma would be proud of us and say, Hey, look, you know, theres still theyre still trying to keep traditions up. Its just a special time to celebrate. Celebrate the year, celebrate traditions, celebrate our heritage, Mary Lou, 73, said.

Tacos, burritos, enchiladas and tamales are just a few of the many Mexican foods theyre preparing.

Gina Barron-Jaramillo is the Fiesta food chairwoman.

People here all over this neighborhood, we get so excited about Fiesta, Barron-Jaramillo said. At the end of the night theyll just sit out in their yards and eat and drink. Youll hear Mexican music going all night, you know, up until two, three oclock in the morning. And so, its just a big party out here, it really is.

This year is the 91st year that Our Lady of Guadalupe church is hosting the Fiesta. Topekas Blind Tiger Brewery also created a new beer, Fiesta Cerveza, for the event, which made its debut this evening. That, paired with carnival rides, live music, dancers, and shows are some of the nightly activities that thousands will come out to enjoy.

Mannequins and more for sale at Topekas West Ridge Mall

Deborah Ortega, the Fiesta chair, said that although the festival is a Mexican celebration, it is for everyone to enjoy.

I want to call it a Topeka celebration. So, we cannot just say it is a Mexican fiesta. This is Fiesta Topeka. It represents a broader community, Ortega said.

Fiesta Topeka starts at 4 p.m. everyday and run through Sunday, July 21. Anyone can come out and enjoy. The complete schedule can be found here.

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Abortion rights activists protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024. AASHISH KIPHAYET via Getty Images

As the Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee this week, and in the wake of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump tapping JD Vance, with his anti-abortion bonafides, as his running mate, I have never been so clear-eyed that we must consolidate behind the Biden-Harris ticket as our only chance to meet this moment and protect our democracy.

Democrats cannot protect reproductive freedom without having President Joe Bidens back.

Last Friday, I joined Biden at a rally in Detroit. The president was strong and in command, and clearly articulated why he is the leader this country needs.

Meanwhile, the threat of a second Trump presidency is a five-alarm fire for reproductive freedom and democracy itself. If he wins, Trump is poised to dismantle our democracy and end rights and freedoms we hold dear.

This isnt speculation. Project 2025, the over 900-page document created by at least 140 people who worked for him, outlines a plan to make it happen starting on day one of a second Trump administration.

The blueprint includes language and policies that propagate the belief that life begins at conception. This personhood language could ban not only abortion, but also some forms of birth control and assisted fertility treatments like IVF.

And its not just our reproductive freedom at stake. The plan amounts to a full-scale takeover of the federal government that dismantles our democratic norms and consolidates power in the executive office.

There is every reason to believe Trump would follow through with it. He already worked hand-in-hand with Republicans in Congress to stack the federal judiciary  including the Supreme Court  with extremist judges who have carried out his agenda, including ending Roe v. Wade.

Meanwhile, the GOPs platform committee just confirmed what we already knew. They want to ban abortion nationwide  and theyre trying to use the 14th Amendment to do it.

But heres the thing: We can stop his dangerous agenda.

By sending Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris back to the White House and cementing reproductive freedom-backing majorities in Congress, we can restore the federal right to abortion and expand access nationwide. The president has promised to sign a bill to do just that into law.

We can ensure that Trump never has the chance to appoint more Supreme Court justices, which would set our country back and endanger our rights for decades to come. And we can intervene before he puts our country on a path towards authoritarianism we may never come back from.

This election is ultimately about our freedom, and making that clear to voters is our path to victory.

The Republican Party is responsible for taking away our right to an abortion and ushering in bans in nearly half of states in our country. People are facing horrific, and life-threatening situations every day because of these bans.

Voters are furious  and theyre ready to do something about it.

Support for legal abortion has only increased since Roe was overturned. Reproductive freedom has won every single time it has been directly on the ballot, and it has helped candidates up and down the ticket realize victory time and again.

According to a June AP-NORC poll, a vast majority of Americans support legal abortion for any reason, up 12 points from the same poll two years ago. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported this spring that abortion is the top motivating issue for one in eight voters, with over half of registered voters saying the November election will have a major impact on abortion access.

Democrats have a clear path to victory  and we have an administration whose work fighting tooth and nail to protect abortion access speaks to the values of voters nationwide.

Biden and Harris have made clear that we need to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade to undo the dangerous abortion bans across the country and protect abortion access in all 50 states. Biden has promised to sign a bill to do just that into law if its sent to his desk.

In the meantime, Biden is taking executive action to protect access where possible: protecting a persons right to emergency abortion care, expanding and strengthening access to birth control, and defending access to medication abortion.

And lets not forget, Biden tasked Harris  a fierce champion of abortion rights and access  to lead this fight.

The contrast between Biden and Trump could not be more clear. When voters understand the stakes, they reject Trump and his extremism and back Biden. We saw that in 2020, and polling data since supports it.

We must tell this story, shine a light on the stakes of this race, energize our base, and show up for this ticket. Biden and Harris will win this November if we do, but it will take every one of us coming together and stepping up to make it happen.

What happens next is in our hands. We can and we must win, but we cannot do it without Biden and Harris.
As Donald Trump made his way into the Republican National Convention on Monday, his first public appearance since the attempted assassination attempt on him, the delegates greeted him with thunderous applause.

Then came booming chants of what's become a steady rallying cry -- complete with raised fists -- for the thousands gathered in battleground Wisconsin this week: "Fight, fight, fight!"

They're inspired, of course, by the iconic moment when Trump returned to his feet after the shooting and, with blood streaming down his face, pumped his own fist in the air to those at his Pennsylvania rally and mouthed those three now-famous words.

"He put himself aside and he told us, not knowing how badly he was hurt, to keep fighting. And I thought, could I love this man any more?" said Laurie Schaefer, an Illinois delegate who said she was a Democrat until Trump ran in 2016, as she sat outside waiting to enter the second day of the convention.

MORE: Wisconsin voters speak on Trump, Biden and America's divisions in wake of shooting

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump raises his fist as he arrives on the second day of the Republican National Convention, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

PHOTO: A delegate gestures during the Republican National Convention, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Trump called for unity in the wake of the shooting, a marked shift in tone from his usual blazing rhetoric against President Joe Biden and Democrats. The former president said he is rewriting his acceptance speech for Thursday to emphasize bringing the country together.

But there's still plenty of criticism of Democrats this week from key speakers. Sen. Ron Johnson, who later said the wrong speech was loaded into the teleprompter, called Democrats' policies "a clear and present danger to America." House Speaker Mike Johnson, too, said conservative principles were being "trampled under foot by the radical left," and Gov. Ron DeSantis took shots at President Joe Biden's administration being a "Weekend at Bernies" presidency.

So, what then do the words "fight, fight, fight" mean to some of Trump's most loyal supporters? Do they clash with Trump's new call for unity?

"Take back our country the way we feel it should be run," said Randy Garber, a state representative from Kansas who is an alternate delegate. Garber then added, "Without violence, though."

Tom O'Connor, a delegate from California who is a union carpenter running for city council, said being a Republican in the blue state means "everything is a fight."

"So, for the president to literally say now's the time to fight, it's more of a war cry and we need to push, we need to get more and more conservatives in office to fix the wrongs that have been done to the American people," he said.

O'Connor, when asked about Trump's unity appeal and how it would change his campaign rhetoric, argued it's Democrats who are still stoking division and that he didn't believe Trump's messaging would ultimately change much as a result.

"Then how do we become more unified?" ABC News asked.

"That's a good question. I don't have the answers, but I'm looking for them," he said.

PHOTO: RNC delegate Tom O'Connor spoke to ABC News as he waited to enter the second day of the convention. (ABC News)

Most attendees who spoke with ABC News insisted they didn't view Trump's words of "fight, fight, fight" as calling for violence.

"We can't give up. That's what it means," said Anna Villa, a guest at the RNC who drove 13 hours from New York to be in Milwaukee. "So, you know that we can't be discouraged, that we have to really keep going. You know, it's an encouragement."

"It doesn't mean to me like I have to go and shoot someone," she said. "It means that we have to like, probably try to encourage some people that want to stay in and not go vote to get them out and vote for it."

MORE: Why it's so hard to measure support for political violence

"I think what that means to me is that go get out the vote, stay diligent to your precinct committee role to help your neighbors, make sure they vote the whole ballot, make sure they vote for good moral values, because with good morality, we have more liberty," said Clayton Taylor, an alternate delegate from Florida. "I don't think it should be taken out of context."

Matt Heilman, a state representative and delegate from North Dakota, said: "What I think of when he says that it's just to continue on and push forward no matter no matter what. The state of the environment that you're in, just keep pushing forward and you fight on and hope for a better tomorrow."

'Fight, fight fight!' has become the RNC rallying cry. Trump's supporters explain why originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
(Photo illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Photo via Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

When Jennifer Mercieca published a book four years ago titled "Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump," some of her friends immediately questioned the title. "'Genius'?" they asked. "Really?"

Mercieca stood by it. She told her friends that, over her many years studying the former president, Trump's ability to use words and images to promote himself and his agenda stood out again and again as exceptional.

That same skill set was the first thing that came to mind for Mercieca on Saturday, she said, when she watched Trump rise from a bloodied rally stage after being shot, pump his fist in the air and utter an instant political slogan: "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"To me, that was a perfectly Trumpian moment," Mercieca said. "He knows what the scene is. He's a demagogue of the spectacle. He's an authoritarian P.T. Barnum."

In the days since the shooting, elected officials, pundits and other political observers have been focused intensely on political rhetoric and its power to incite violence.

He's an authoritarian P.T. Barnum

Jennifer Mercieca, author, on Donald Trump

President Biden said it's time to "cool it down." Trump said he's writing a new message of unity into his planned speech for the Republican National Convention on Thursday. "UNITE AMERICA!" he posted to Truth Social, a social media platform largely built on the divisiveness of Trump's past political barbs.

Under such a spotlight, and in the wake of what some consider an iconic political moment in modern American history, how are voters and political observers the world over to listen to Trump moving forward? If he calls for unity, should they take him seriously?

Read more: Project 2025, GOP platform blast California, teeing up critiques of Biden stand-ins

Neither Trump's campaign nor the Republican National Committee, which is working closely with the campaign, responded to a request for comment on Trump's plans.

But Mercieca and other experts who've studied Trump, his image and the way he speaks to his base said they are skeptical that Trump will somehow change his tune now. They said they'll be listening closely for a message of unity Thursday, but don't expect it to be his only message  or for it to stick around very long.

"When I reflect back on the nine years that he's been in public [political] life, he's been very consistent about how he communicates, and it's always been a message of projecting strength, of using rhetorical strategies that belittle the opposition," said Mercieca, a political historian and communications professor at Texas A&M.

"He loves the idea of people uniting if that means uniting behind Trump," she said. "But as soon as any criticism is lodged at him, he will revert back to his normal, aggressive rhetoric."

Several experts predicted that Trump will indeed use the attempt on his life to call for unity, but in the short term. In the long term, they say, he is more likely to use it to bolster more divisive political narratives he has long relied on, including the idea that ordinary Americans are under imminent threat from an array of foreign and domestic forces, and that he is the only one who can protect them.

Robert C. Rowland, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Kansas and author of the book "The Rhetoric of Donald Trump: Nationalist Populism and American Democracy," said he would be shocked if Trump took up any real notion of unity  like "how Democrats love America, too."

Instead, Rowland predicted Trump will quickly fall back on "the themes he always falls back on  the nationalist theme, the populist theme that the elites don't care about you and look down on you, and then the theme that he's the strongman protector of people."

Read more: Republicans are mentioning 'Ka-MAL-a' a lot. But Trump shooting lowers pressure on Biden to drop out

Many on the conservative right have reinforced their claim  especially since Saturday's shooting  that Trump is a religious figure, a man sent by God to defend America and restore Christian values to government.

That idea also could become part of Trump's message, namely if others around him urge him to incorporate it into his speech Thursday or his stump speech on the campaign trail, Rowland said. But "that kind of rhetoric does not come naturally" to Trump, he said  citing the time that Trump as president walked across Lafayette Park in Washington amid street protests and awkwardly held a Bible outside a local church.

More likely, Rowland said, is that Trump will use the assassination attempt to ratchet up the sort of us-against-them rhetoric.

"Part of his appeal is that he's the straight talker who will be the defender of these groups who feel put upon by the elites," Rowland said. After Saturday's shooting, "the harshness of his rhetoric and what he is going to do to protect them has to leverage up  it can't become more moderate."

Ian Haney Lopez, a Berkeley law professor, is the author of two books on political rhetoric in the modern era, including "Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class."

The language that Trump is using is designed to promote and answer a single question: Who threatens you?

Ian Haney Lopez, law professor

Haney Lopez said American voters listening to Trump in the coming days and months will almost certainly hear the same sort of fear- and race-based messaging that he said have defined Trump's political career from the start.

"The language that Trump is using is designed to promote and answer a single question: Who threatens you?" Haney Lopez said.

"He's telling a story of constant and immediate threat that is coming from other people around you  and it can be immigrants, it can be African Americans, Black Lives Matter, it can be transgender people, it can be people insisting on gender equality," Haney Lopez said.

"He's saying look at your neighbors, look around you, look at the people near you, but whatever you do, don't look up. Don't look up at the billionaire class, don't look at large shareholders, don't look at Wall Street, don't look at the petrochemical industry."

Haney Lopez said the assassination attempt on Trump will bolster the idea already adopted wholly by Trump and his campaign that white America is "locked into racial conflict," and that "others"  such as immigrants  "need to be restrained or caged or expelled" to ensure white Americans come out on top.

Mercieca agreed.

"He's constantly telling his audience that they are the real Americans, they are the good Americans, they are the only ones who count, they have been left behind and humiliated, but he sees them as the good people they are and he will fight for them," she said. "It's a politics that is fascist, frankly. It is authoritarian."

These tactics can be effective politically, she said, but they have consequences. Such rhetoric, she and others warned, spurs the kind of political violence that people on all sides of the political spectrum are denouncing.

Mercieca said data show Trump's attacks on groups of people have spurred "stochastic terrorism"  or political violence against groups of people targeted with hostile political rhetoric.

Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino, said such data are everywhere  and undeniable.

Read more: Trump picks Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, 'Hillbilly Elegy' author, as running mate

Hate crimes against Black people, Levin said, rose when Trump used harsh language to condemn Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020. They rose against Asian people when Trump used anti-Chinese rhetoric in speaking about COVID-19. They rose against Latinos when Trump stoked fears about "caravans" of migrants arriving on the southern border.

Levin said "hate rhetoric" is always high during election years, and that everyone  voters, candidates and Trump especially  would be wise to "tone it down."

Levin said Trump's next move  and his Thursday speech  matter, but how he and others continue to discuss the stakes of the race from now until November will matter more.

"People are much more likely to embrace bigoted stereotypes when there is a narrative behind it that is repeated and repeated in a way that is entertaining and comforting," Levin warned. "And you can hear it in the lilt of Trump's voice."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ukrainian forces are still fighting in Krynky, a key village in the heavily-contested Dnipro bridgehead in Russian-occupied Kherson, but their positions are "completely destroyed," the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine said on July 17.

The statement comes after unconfirmed reports on July 16 that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from the village.

"The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to carry out combat missions on the left bank of the Dnipro, in particular in the area of the settlement of Krynky," the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine said in a post on Facebook.

"However, it is true that most of the main positions of the Ukrainian troops in the village of Krynky, as a result of intense, combined and prolonged enemy fire, were completely destroyed."

It added that the village itself had been "almost completely destroyed," but Ukrainian forces would "continue to be in designated positions and bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro."

Read also: With Krynky lost, what did the perilous operation accomplish?

Krynky is a small village in Kherson oblast on the predominantly occupied east bank of Dnipro River. Before the start of the full-scale war, fewer than 1,000 people lived there.

Ukrainian marines first crossed the river and gained a foothold on the Russian-occupied side in October of last year.

Over the next two months, they managed to secure a thin, long bridgehead along the coast.

Marines achieved the most success in Krynky in December, managing to advance around roughly 2.5 kilometers from the river coast.

Fighting for the village has been fierce for months. In February, Ukraine said Russian troops were conducting "human wave" assaults without armored vehicles in an attempt to recapture it.

First-person-view (FPV) drones formed a significant part of Ukraine's firepower against the Russian forces trying to retake the area, and a British Defense Intelligence update on 12 Jan., said 90% of Russian equipment had been destroyed in the sector.

It noted a lack of Russian electronic warfare countermeasures played a large role in this.

But despite this, since taking Krynky Ukrainian forces were unable to advance any further and the operation became controversial, not least among the soldiers taking part.

Speaking to the Kyiv Independent in December, Ukrainian marines highlighted how just crossing the river itself was highly risky and those that made it across were immediately met by Russian mortar fire, glide bombs and artillery.

Some described the operation as a "political decision" to gain a symbolic success on the battlefield despite the human costs involved.

People are killed to hold on to the ruins, a 47-year-old Senior Sergeant, Petro, said.

Read also: Ukrainian soldiers storming eastern bank of Dnipro fear their mission is hopeless

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Alphabets (GOOG, GOOGL) biggest-ever acquisition could face US pushback no matter who wins the White House this November.

The reported $23 billion bid to buy fast-growing cloud cybersecurity firm Wiz is the kind that is almost sure to attract scrutiny from Washington competition watchdogs, along with inevitable delays.

A US regulatory review could stall a tie-up into next year, making it possible that a new administration could be tasked with evaluating its competitive risks.

That doesn't necessarily mean Alphabet, which is already fighting antitrust challenges on other fronts, would be free of yet another legal fight.

"The current administration looks at vertical issues more heavily than has historically been the case," Colin Kass, a partner with Proskauer and co-chair of the firms antitrust group, told Yahoo Finance.

"But even the prior administration, under Trump, did look at vertical issues even more so than earlier administrations."

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Biden administration has tried to rein in what it views as anticompetitive behavior across a number of industries, from healthcare to groceries to tech.

But a second Trump administration may not be much friendlier, especially with the giants of Silicon Valley.

When Trump was president last decade, his administration launched antitrust investigations into Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META), and Alphabet's Google. His administration also filed a lawsuit against Google, targeting its dominance as a search engine.

That search engine case, which the Biden administration decided to continue, wrapped up earlier this year, and a decision from a judge is expected soon.

Trump suggested in an interview with Bloomberg Tuesday that major tech companies do need some reining in to limit hazards to children, though he added that he didn't want to go after them violently because the approach could destroy them.

And Trumps new vice-presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance, has called for the breakup of Google while also expressing admiration for Lina Khan, the Federal Trade Commission boss who has led the scrutiny of a number of merger attempts in the tech world.

"I guess I look at Lina Khan as one of the few people in the Biden administration that I think is doing a pretty good job," Vance said in February.

A former FTC official who spoke with Yahoo Finance and asked to remain anonymous agreed an Alphabet-Wiz deal would spark a review, no matter who is in the White House.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, attends a campaign rally in Ohio. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

But a Trump-led DOJ or FTC, the former official said, would more likely favor concessions from Alphabet over litigation if a review raised competition concerns.

Story continues

Regulators could even probe for evidence to learn if Google is already engaged in the cloud cybersecurity market in hopes of challenging the company on grounds that the deal poses a potential, rather than existing, competition threat.

The former FTC official said that evidence might not support the theory, but such an investigation could be worthwhile for regulators to explore because they are interested in further developing the law on potential threats.

That, too, could take up substantial time.

If a deal to buy Wiz does in fact move forward, either the DOJ or FTC would lead any ensuing investigation.

At preliminary stages, merger and acquisition reviews typically span 30 days, with room for extensions. If officials decide to move beyond preliminary review to whats known as a second request, the additional investigation can take six to 18 months.

Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images)

Only then, once a second request is completed, could a legal challenge to the transaction happen.

"So we're talking at a minimum of probably eight months before there's an actual challenge and, more likely, a year or more before there's an actual challenge," Kass said.

The antitrust experts said competition concerns could include fears that an acquisition would give Alphabets Google an opportunity to disadvantage rivals or diminish competition in a downstream market.

New York University professor Lawrence White said an Alphabet-Wiz deal could also receive scrutiny from regulators abroad.

That would pose additional complications for the companies since the EU keeps turning up the heat on US tech giants.

Just last month European regulators hit Microsoft (MSFT) with an antitrust charge one day after the same regulatory body charged Apple with violating European Union competition law.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Grass fire sparks at Sacramento Countys Gibson Ranch for 2nd time in 2 days, Metro Fire says

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to a small vegetation fire Tuesday at Gibson Ranch Regional Park, the second vegetation fire at the county park in two days.

The fire did not spread significantly, Metro Fire spokesman Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn said, and most of the fire units were released after the initial call was made around 5:40 p.m.

The first fire at the park in Sacramento Countys Elverta neighborhood was reported around 4:30 a.m. Monday and spread to 2 acres through heavy brush, according to Wilbourn.

No injuries or structure damage were reported, and the cause of both fires were under investigation.
NEW JERSEY (WPIX)  Social media was abuzz Tuesday after people in parts of New Jersey and New York City heard a loud boom that may have been a meteor.

NASAs Meteoroid Environments Office told Nexstars WPIX that it believes the fireball may have flown about 49 miles above Upper Bay near Greenville Yard in Jersey City.

Based on reports filed on the American Meteor Society website, the fireball may have flown at about 34,000 miles per hour, passed over the Statue of Liberty, and disintegrated 29 miles above Midtown, Manhattan.

The estimated trajectory of the fireball that caused a loud boom over New York City and New Jersey on July 16, 2024. (credit: NASA)

Bill Cooke, the lead for NASAs Meteoroid Environments Office, explained that the estimated trajectory of the fireball is still uncertain since its based on a few eyewitness accounts. He said it appears that no meteorites were produced by this event.

Fireballs are defined by NASA as a type of meteor thats exceptionally bright and can be viewed over a wide area. Theyre rare to see during the day and are not usually large enough to pass through the Earths atmosphere. Fragments of fireballs, known as meteorites, can sometimes be found on the ground, according to NASAs website.

Perseid meteor shower begins: Heres the best time to watch it

WPIX also reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey to inquire about any possible earthquake activity and received the following response:

The USGS National Earthquake Information Center received reports of shaking in the northeast New Jersey and Staten Island, New York area. An examination of the seismic data in the area showed no evidence of an earthquake. The USGS has no direct evidence of the source of the shaking. Past reports of shaking with no associated seismic signal have had atmospheric origins such as sonic booms or weather-related phenomena.

A representative from the New York City Emergency Management Office posted on X, saying NYCEM is aware of these reports. There are no reported impacts to the city at this time. He assured residents that any emergency alerts would be issued through @NotifyNYC.

The loud boom and shaking were reported from southern New Jersey to parts of Queens and Brooklyn.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a vacant hotel fire Wednesday afternoon.

According to OKCFD, crews responded to the vacant building located near S I-35 Service Road around 12:30 p.m.

LOCAL NEWS: One in custody after two people set on fire in NW Oklahoma City

Weve had multiple fires at this property throughout the months, said Assistant PIO John Chenoweth with OKCFD. This is the largest fire weve had at this property so far.

SE OKC vacant hotel fire.

SE OKC vacant hotel fire.

Officials say the fire grew to a three-alarm fire and other departments responded to help. The hotels second-story balcony later collapsed due the flames.

One person was injured and taken to a nearby hospital with a laceration. No firefighters have been reported injured.

Fire crews were able to get the fire under control.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A 2-alarm fire at the original Heist Brewery location in NoDa has been contained, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Officials first reported the fire in the 2900 block of North Davidson Street around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16. The blaze did turn into a second-alarm fire, requiring additional crews.

Firefighters controlled the fire after 40 minutes. No injuries were reported.

Officials say the incident is still under investigation; however, it is believed that the fire started in the kitchen.

Heist Brewery says the fire was minor and that staff quickly evacuated guests. The location will be closed temporarily.

During the closure, customers can visit the Barrel Arts location at 1030 Woodard Ave.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
BROCKTON  Janece Mroz, 26, climbed into the lifeguard's chair for her first shift at the brand-new Cosgrove Pool on Monday. Guarding the East Side pool is a family tradition. Her sister, brother, aunt and uncle all worked at the old pool.

"There's definitely been upgrades," Mroz said from her perch as a group of young girls from Kiddie Haven daycare were the first to splash into the renovated pool.

Talk to anyone who attended Monday's ribbon-cutting at the pool, which is beside the Plouffe School on Crescent, and you'll hear a connection to the old pool. Mayor Robert F. Sullivan, for instance, was a Cosgrove lifeguard in 1988-89.

"This is a municipal pool that hadn't really had any money put into it in decades," Sullivan said poolside, adding that the city reaped the benefits of $6 million in federal money through partnership with Congressman Stephen Lynch, Sen. Ed Markey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, all Democrats. Lynch attended Monday's ribbon-cutting.

'All I can say is 'wow''

City Councilor Moises Rodrigues was among city councilors who considered the old pool to look a bit like a prison, won changes to the pool plans. The former mayor said he's happy that the result "looks like an aquatic facility."

"All I can say is wow," Rodrigues said in a brief speech. "What's here today is what often doesn't happen with city government, the state government or even the federal government. The dump that used to be here compared to what's here now is eye-opening."

The pool is named for Lawrence R. Cosgrove, the first Brocktonian killed in World War 2. Members of the Cosgrove family, some of whom still live in Brockton, attended the groundbreaking for the project in September 2023. Sullivan said a separate ceremony with the Cosgrove family will be held in the coming weeks.

Children were the first ones to go swimming in the Cosgrove Pool on the East Side of Brockton that reopened with a ribbon-cutting on Monday, July 15, 2024.

The renovated pool boasts new bathrooms, showers and shade structures. All swimmers will be in one continuous pool that goes from a splash pad through a wading area to a lap area. The new configuration makes it easier for lifeguards to keep their eyes on everyone.

'Great for families that can't get to the beach'

Brockton's unofficial historian, Bill Hogan, attended the ceremony. He swam backstroke on Brockton High swim teams in the early 1970s. That was an era where the old Cosgrove Pool, with its 50-meter length, helped Boxer swimmers hone their skills. There was an eight-year span, Hogan said, when Brockton went undefeated in meets.

The new pool maxes out at 25 meters, so it won't likely be hosting any competitive meets. But Hogan said the revamped facility could spark interest in swimming for new generations of Brocktonians. "I'm glad to see this for the kids," he said.

State Sen. Mike Brady, D-Brockton, brought his swim trunks. After a swim, he dripped dry at a picnic table and took in the scene. "This is beautiful," Brady said. "This is great for families that can't get to the beach."

Brady attended, along with all members of Brockton's Beacon Hill delegation. State Rep. Michelle DuBois, D-10th, told the crowd good news that she helped secure $75,000 in funding for swim lessons.

The ribbon-cutting brought Gerald Carney down from New Hampshire. For seven years he managed the old pool. He told horror stories of the old diatomaceous earth filter system. The new filter system uses sand. Tim Carpenter, the city's commissioner of parks, said the Cosgrove and Manning pools now have the same system, which should make them easier to maintain.

Mroz, the lifeguard, battled the sun as her duties began. Her chair lacked a shade umbrella. But soon a city worker brought one over. She relaxed in the chair and stood watch as the first group of swimmers enjoyed Brockton's new pool.

Want to swim?

The Cosgrove Pool at 250 Crescent St. is open every day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Here's a list of other nearby places to swim.

Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X at @HelmsNews.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton's Cosgrove Pool reopens after $6 million renovation
With a nation divided, an acrimonious presidential rematch underway between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump, Biden testing positive for COVID-19, and last weekends attempted assassination on Trumps life, American politics is drawing extra attention.

With the Republican National Convention wrapping up Thursday night in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention slated to start Aug. 19 in Chicago, voters are tuning in to see what the candidates  and their partners  have to say.

More from WWD

Conventions provide the chance for spouses to humanize candidates, said Deborah Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Weve seen these roles evolve as womens roles have changed. Hillary Clinton was clearly on the front line of that [in 1996] and took some real heat for saying she could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession,' said Walsh.

Democrats first staged a convention in 1832, and Republicans followed in 1856, but first ladies didnt play a role until 1912, when President William Howard Tafts wife Nellie was said to be the first first lady to attend a political convention. In 1940, Eleanor Roosevelts speech at the DNC  a historic moment for a first lady  was a pivotal point in making first ladies voices heard. Seeking a third term at that time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had opted to skip the convention, but asked her to attend. As the U.S. was on the cusp of World War II, she showed up in a plain blue gray dress with short sleeves, a blue straw hat with lighter blue flowers, the first lady was greeted with people standing, waving, shouting and cheering, according to the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers. Brief but pointed, she told the crowd (among other things), This is no ordinary time. No time for weighing anything except what we can best do for the country as a whole. And that rests on each and every one of us as individuals.

Eleanor Roosevelt waves at the 1940 Democratic convention in Brooklyn.

Her appearance was credited with helping FDR to unify the convention and calm the delegates. She set the tone for speeches from candidates wives in terms of defining their husbands qualities from their unique perspectives, said Nancy Kegan Smith, president of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education.

Decades passed before another first lady took a convention stage: Pat Nixon in 1972.

The late 40s to the 60s was the height of the feminine mystique and women were not supposed to be high-profile political figures, said Katherine Jellison, professor of U.S. womens and gender history at Ohio University. The fact that first ladies werent speaking publicly during that 32-year period was in line with what the social expectations were for women in their positions at that time.

As womens role in society and in the workforce has evolved, so, too, has the public perception of them. What they wear is often part of their broader message.

The then-first lady Melania Trump addresses the 2020 Republican National Convention from the Rose Garden at the White House. The event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and included speeches from other locations.

Smith speculated that Melania Trump, who called for Americans to ascend the hate on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, may still draw attention for her fashion choices at this weeks RNC. I dont think the media can resist talking, mentioning, the fashion component, Smith said.

At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden and his wife Jill wave to supporters via video teleconference after Biden delivered his acceptance speech.

Trumps stylist Herve Pierre disagreed, saying Sunday, This kind of horrible situation [referring to the assassination attempt on Donald Trumps life at a rally in Pennsylvania] reminds us that clothes and fashion are frivolous in this situation.

But like it or not, the clothes that Melania Trump and Jill Biden choose to wear for when they step out before crowds at their respective conventions will be dissected by armchair critics  just as those of generations of other first ladies have been. For the pandemic-induced virtual DNC in 2020, Jill Biden opted for a lilac short-sleeve dress. Although FLOTUS has largely steered clear of talking about fashion, she landed the August cover of American Vogue.

The then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton greets delegates at the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Other first ladies such as Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush also dressed conservatively to speak at the RNC when their respective husbands were nominated. But after the unofficial matchup in 1996 between the then-first lady Hillary Clinton at the DNC and Elizabeth Dole at the RNC, it became more of a standard that candidates spouses would play starring roles. Billed as dueling superwomen at the time, their attire  a robins egg blue skirt suit and strands of pearls for Clinton, and a pale peach skirt suit with a gold necklace for Dole, were side notes, not the main attraction. It really brought this first lady role into the 1990s, said Jellison.

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara applaud during the evening session of Day One of the 2004 Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Michelle Obamas oratory skills at a few DNCs have been praised by many, and her fashion choices from independent designers like Maria Pinto and Tracy Reese have been name-checked, too. Meanwhile, at the 2016 RNC, Melania Trump (wearing a Roksanda Ilincic dress) delivered a speech that was a lowlight, when it was found that some of her remarks had been lifted from one of Obamas earlier speeches, Jellison said. Four years later she wore a buttoned-up khaki tailored Alexander McQueen ensemble for her RNC speech, but it was the sleeveless pleated neon green Valentino dress she wore on the conventions final night that attracted more attention.

Laura Bush speaks at the first night session of the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.

For first ladies, it comes down to equal coverage  what did she say and what did she wear? Increasingly, its [about] what signals is she giving and what messages is she projecting in what shes wearing, Jellison said.

On occasion, secondary personalities grab the attention without speaking such as Tipper Gore, in a light blue long-sleeve dress, who was theatrically kissed onstage by her then-vice president husband Al in 2000.

First Lady Pat Nixon with her husband President Richard Nixon at the 1972 Republican National Convention.

After being introduced at the podium by the Oscar-winning actor Jimmy Stewart at the 1972 RNC, Pat Nixon, wearing a pale blue long-sleeve chiffon dress, was greeted with more than five minutes of applause. When the crowds welcome continued, Nixon said at one point, I dont know what to do. In fact the applause was so lengthy that she had little time to speak from the stage, Smith said. Nixon was lauded for championing volunteerism, taking a humanitarian trip to Peru, and for being the first first lady to visit Africa, Smith said.

Although Nancy Reagans remarks at the 1980 and 1984 RNC were not lengthy, at the latter she not only thanked the audience for a life she never could have imagined, but reminded them that her peach-colored silk dress was a repeat from the 1980 RNC. I do hold on, Reagan said.

Barbara Bush, then Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Nancy Reagan, stand with Betty Ford and former President Gerald Ford at the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit.

That statement rang true in other ways. In 1982, Reagan had revealed that she had accepted thousands of dollars worth of designer merchandise.

Wearing her signature three strings of pearls and a gold-buttoned red ensemble, Barbara Bush stressed that she was at the 1992 convention not to give a speech, but to have a conversation and to thank hundreds of communities across the country She focused on family values and also intimated sexism, given the male-heavy roster, suggesting somethings not quite right here. In the years that followed, every presidential candidates wives spoke at their respective conventions.

First lady Michelle Obama claps after she exits the stage after speaking during Day One of the Democratic National Convention in 2012 in Charlotte, N.C.

Obamas 2008 DNC debut was extremely impactful beyond her husbands qualifications, but also her own example of realizing the American dream as an accomplished lawyer whose parents impressed upon her the importance of education, Smith said. She also spoke of how the White House had been built by slaves, which later led to the White House Historical Associations Slavery in the Presidents Neighborhood, a research initiative, Smith added.

For her 2008 speech, Michelle Obama impressed the audience in an emerald green dress from a little-known designer from her home city of Chicago: Maria Pinto. The Narciso Rodriguez black and red dress that she wore another night attracted a lot of attention on social media. For her 2012 DNC speech, she chose another independent designer  Tracy Reese, when she donned her pink sleeveless dress.

More recently, when addressing the crowd at the 2020 DNC, Obama broke precedent by taking a firm political stance, saying that Donald Trump was the wrong president for the country. And during the DNCs 2020 virtual convention, speaking from an empty high school classroom, where she once taught, Jill Biden spoke about the importance of education and her husbands attributes, wearing a Brandon Maxwell coat dress.

The speeches are really important in projecting an image of the candidate that only a wife can give. Its a more feminine and soft-powered view and they humanize their husbands. They also give a view of themselves of what kind of first lady they may make, Smith said.

Launch Gallery: First Ladies' RNC & DNC Appearances Strive for Substance More Than Style

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DENVER (KDVR)  Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the first North American case of an often deadly neurological disease was found in a Colorado mountain lion.

In May 2023, CPW officers euthanized a sick mountain lion in Douglas County. Officers said the animal was unable to use its hind legs.

An analysis later found the presence of the rustrela virus, which CPW said was recently identified as the cause of staggering disease, a usually deadly neurologic syndrome recognized in domestic cats.

CPW said this case is considered the first evidence of staggering disease in North America.

The findings were published in a new study this week in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, according to CPW.

Unexpected visitor found at Colorado Renaissance Festival

Former CPW wildlife pathologist and lead author of the report, Karen Fox, said scientists dont know how widespread the virus is in domestic and wild cats just yet.

According to CPW, the rustrela virus has been found to cause staggering disease in cats and other species like rodents, donkeys and marsupials in Europe.

Now that we know what were looking for, it should be easier to find new cases if they are out there, Fox said. With continued collaboration, we plan to learn what we can from our colleagues in Europe while we continue to look for new cases of staggering disease here in Colorado.

Veterinarians at Colorado State University and CPW will look for new cases.

If you notice a mountain lion staggering, having trouble walking or behaving abnormally, call your local CPW office to report it.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Fisker has been given the green light by a bankruptcy judge to sell more than 3,000 of its Ocean SUVs to a vehicle leasing company, a deal that will net the defunct EV startup a maximum of $46.25 million. The approval of the sale clears the way for the rest of Fisker's bankruptcy process to play out as it continues to liquidate what's left of its failed business.

The judge's decision, issued in a hearing late Tuesday afternoon, comes after Fisker and its legal team received only one major objection to the sale. The Department of Justice's office of the U.S. Trustee had argued Fisker's lawyers and its chief restructuring officer, John DiDonato, hadn't done enough work to show it properly shopped the inventory around for the best deal. The Trustee's office also said Fisker did not properly explain how it reached the valuation for the vehicles, and was unhappy with how fast its lawyers tried to get the deal done.

DiDonato answered each point in greater detail in a Tuesday morning filing. He explained that Fisker had contacted "hundreds" of potential buyers for the stockpile of Ocean SUVs prior to its mid-June bankruptcy filing, "including dealerships, rental car companies, taxicab operators, and participants in the ride-share leasing industry."

The returns on that effort were pretty grim, however. The only solid lead Fisker turned up was American Lease, the company that is now buying the inventory.

One unnamed vehicle manufacturer and an unidentified company that leases vehicles to ride-hail drivers were interested in the fleet after the bankruptcy filing, but according to DiDonato, that interest was fleeting. The committee of unsecured creditors also found an interested buyer, which was first revealed last week. DiDonato described that potential buyer as a competitor to American Lease, but noted they have withdrawn their offer.

Given all this, Judge Brendan L. Shannon agreed that DiDonato and Fisker had done as much as it could to find the best possible bid. He called American Lease "functionally a purple unicorn" since they are not only buying the cars, but agreeing to wait until the four pending recalls are cleared before operating them, performing some work on them itself and working with the newly formed Fisker Owners Association to make spare parts and software support available to 2,500-plus owners.

Shannon thanked the U.S. Trustee's office for pushing DiDonato to share more information, which he said helps establish a more robust record of how Fisker arrived at this point where American Lease is the best, and lone, option.

In the next few days, Fisker will sell around 1,000 Ocean SUVs to American Lease and receive around $14 million in return. Another 500 are likely to be handed over to American Lease next week, bringing in another $6 million.

That money will be used to keep paying the remaining employees who are working on the recalls, getting software updates out and facilitating the continued sales of the vehicles.

Where the rest of the money Fisker gets from American Lease remains under dispute, as it has from the first hearing in June.

Fisker's largest -- and only -- secured lender is Heights Capital Management, an affiliate of financial services company Susquehanna International Group. Heights loaned more than $500 million to Fisker in 2023. Those loans were not secured by any collateral, but could be converted to Fisker stock. But when Fisker's third-quarter financial filing was late in 2023, the company breached one of the covenants of the deal with Heights.

To repair that breach, Fisker secured the remaining balance outstanding to Heights by pledging all of its assets as collateral. Heights has repeatedly asserted through the bankruptcy process that this gives them first dibs on any sale of Fisker's assets.

Chapter 7 looms

During Tuesday's hearing, it was revealed that Heights plans to file a motion to convert the Chapter 11 to a Chapter 7 liquidation. The company, the U.S. Trustee, the committee of unsecured creditors and other parties were able to negotiate with Heights that it won't ask a judge to approve that motion until at least July 29.

Heights' lawyers have made it clear that they view this case as a liquidation. Scott Greissman, one of the Heights' lawyers, said Tuesday this was "probably the most telegraphed chapter 7 conversion in history." He added the firm wants to liquidate Fisker's assets as efficiently as possible without spending as much money as it takes to run a Chapter 11 process.

Lawyers for the committee of unsecured creditors, and the U.S. Trustee's office, have challenged Heights' claim to the assets in multiple hearings to date. But those arguments have mostly been made at a superficial level because the priority -- for pretty much every party -- has been getting the fleet sale approved (and making sure the process was proper) so that the company didn't completely fold.

Based on that fateful 2023 asset pledge, though, Heights' claims could extend to Fisker's many other assets beyond the remaining Ocean inventory. The company still has hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of factory equipment sitting in Austria (where contract manufacturer Magna's facility is located). The corporate entity that oversaw that part of the business, Fisker GmbH, is in its own insolvency proceeding.

That has apparently caused some tension. Fisker Austria GmbH wanted to include those vehicles in its own insolvency. DiDonato said he had to negotiate with Fisker Austria GmbH to include the 118 Oceans at the factory and another 480 at a nearby port in Belgium in the fleet sale to American Lease. That involved working with the administrators of that insolvency process as well as founder, CFO and COO Geeta Gupta-Fisker.

Linda Richenderfer, a lawyer representing the U.S. Trustee's Office, said she found this "particularly disturbing," given Gupta-Fisker's fiduciary duty to the parent company Fisker Inc. Both Gupta-Fisker and her husband, founder and CEO Henrik Fisker, are still employed by the company.

It was also revealed Tuesday that Heights has submitted a $1 billion claim on the assets in the Fisker Austria GmbH proceeding.

As the vehicle sales start to flow to American Lease, the parties will now turn their attention to the next hearings -- one on July 22 and another July 29.

"It's important that [Fisker] and the committee [of unsecured creditors] not be hamstrung by an alleged secured creditor," Doug Mannal, a lawyer for the committee said Tuesday. "We are doing our homework, but I think it's important that we be given, and afforded the opportunity, time to the 29th to see if we can reach and make progress. We just need time."
Flight attendant held up broken bathroom door for entire 16-hour trip from Hong Kong to New York

A Cathay Pacific Airways plane at Hong Kong International Airport (stock image). A flight attendant was forced to hold a bathroom door during a 16-hour flight from Hong Kong to New York City this week (Getty Images)

A Cathay Pacific Airways flight attendant was stuck holding a bathroom door for 16 hours this week after the door broke minutes after the plane left the tarmac.

The door came off its hinges three minutes after the plane left Hong Kong International Airport heading for John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday, according to the South China Morning Post.

Flight attendants tried to get the door back on its hinges but ultimately werent successful. Its not clear if someone was using the bathroom when the hinges came off.

A Cathay Pacific Airways plane at Hong Kong International Airport. A flight attendant was forced to hold a bathroom door during a 16-hour flight from Hong Kong to New York City this week (Getty Images)

Photos published by the outlet showed the flight attendant appearing upset while holding the door. The Independent has emailed Cathay Pacific for comment.

In images, the flight attendant appeared to be holding the door from behind as she sat in her seat for takeoff. Its not clear how the door came off.

Despite the mishap, the flight landed around 5pm on Monday.

In a statement to the South China Morning Post, the airline said: The defect was rectified and our engineering team is performing a follow-up investigation. The safety of our customers and crew guides every decision we make. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused.
A Florida panel approved language that will accompany a November ballot initiative on abortion, saying the initiative will have a negative impact on the state budget, a move the amendments supporters decried as a politically motivated dirty trick.

The amendment would result in significantly more abortions and fewer live births per year, and there is uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds, according to the financial impact statement.

The statement approved late Monday noted that potential lawsuits to resolve uncertainties could be costly, and that an increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time.

Florida requires proposed amendments to the state constitution to be accompanied on the ballot by a financial impact statement, which assesses the potential impact on government revenues and the state budget. The language is approved by a panel called the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, which is considered to be nonpartisan.

The panel released an initial analysis last fall but said the impact couldnt be determined due to ongoing lawsuits challenging Floridas then-15-week abortion ban. It still cited potential savings relative to the 15-week prohibition.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R) have appointed new members since then  Rachel Greszler, a senior research fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, and Chris Spencer, who previously served as DeSantiss budget chief.

DeSantiss office also hired Michael New, an assistant professor of social research at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, to advise the panel.

Lauren Brenzel, campaigns director for the Yes on 4 initiative, said the panel is trying to cause confusion and hide the fact that the amendment would end Floridas current 6-week abortion ban.

What should have been an easy administrative fix on outdated language has become a dirty trick to mislead voters, Brenzel said in a statement.

This sham of a process is a reminder to Florida voters that politicians are playing dirty tricks to overcomplicate and politicize a simple administrative fix. The only way to put a stop to the government interference is to vote Yes on 4, Brenzel said.

Michelle Morton, staff attorney for American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said the approved statement is a distorted narrative fueled by political agendas and a corrupted process. It is rife with anti-abortion talking points and far-fetched scenarios designed to scare voters into maintaining the status quo of a near-total ban on abortion.

Morton also condemned Spencer and Greszlers appointments, which shifted the focus towards wildly speculative discussions divorced from both reality and the conferences purpose.

Floridas Supreme Court approved the amendment in April, on the same day the court upheld the 15-week ban. The decision triggered the current six-week ban to take effect a month later.

DeSantis has campaigned against the initiative, calling it radical and very, very extreme.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Toby Sterling and Nathan Vifflin

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Shares in ASML, the biggest supplier of computer chip- making equipment, fell sharply on Wednesday on the prospect pressure from the U.S. government could lead to tighter restrictions on its exports to China.

The investor concerns overshadowed second-quarter earnings at Europe's largest technology company that beat forecasts and showed a rise in AI-linked bookings, as well as continued strong sales in China.

Shares fell by more than 10% after Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the U.S. is telling allies, including the Netherlands, it may take unilateral action to restrict exports of chip equipment to China if they fail to do so themselves.

"We don't comment on the rumours," said Christophe Fouquet in his first analyst call as CEO following the earnings.

ASML is already restricted from selling most of its advanced product lines in China, and Fouquet added that the company also already faces restrictions on servicing existing equipment in some Chinese plants as a result of US and European rules.

The Dutch foreign ministry said it could not comment on the report but was in close contact with allies on export controls, which it said were a matter of national security.

Fouquet said ASML continued to view 2024 as a "transition year" with broadly flat performance as it prepares for a strong 2025.

"We currently see strong developments in AI, driving most of the industry recovery and growth, ahead of other market segments," Fouquet said.

Net income of 1.6 billion euros ($1.74 billion) for the quarter ended June 30 was down 19% from a year earlier but beat the 1.41 billion expected by analysts, LSEG data showed.

Revenue fell 9.5% to 6.2 billion euros but topped an analysts estimate of 6.04 billion.

ASML dominates the market for lithography systems, complex tools that use lasers to help create the tiny circuitry of computer chips.

OLDER GENERATION

Chinese chipmakers, facing escalating U.S.-led restrictions on ASML's top-end gear, have increased purchases of equipment used to make older generations of chips widely used in cars and industrial applications.

China, usually ASML's third market after Taiwan and South Korea, accounted for more than 2 billion euros in lithography system sales in the second quarter, around 49% of the total.

CFO Roger Dassen said about 20% of the company's current order backlog is for sales to China, and those tools would likely be sold elsewhere if not in China, given the world's growing demand for older chips.

Story continues

Analysts linked the fall in share price to the Bloomberg report and remarks Bloomberg published from a June interview with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump in which he said Taiwan had taken "100% of our chip business".

ASML's top customer is Taiwan's TSMC, which makes chips for Nvidia and Apple.

"The geopolitical angle....is more likely to be in focus today than the results," Citi analysts wrote in a note.

"The arguments being referenced [in the Bloomberg report] are not new, but pressure is building" for further restrictions they said.

Shares in Europe's second-largest listed company behind pharmaceuticals maker Novo Nordisk fell 7.9% to 900.00 euros at 1236 GMT, pulling other European chip stocks lower.

ASML's shares were up 28% in the year to date following Wednesday's decline.

In the earnings report, new bookings increased to 5.6 billion euros from 3.6 billion euros in the first quarter, with about half of that coming from the its most advanced EUV product lines - vital to manufacturing AI and smartphone chips.

Analysts had expected ASML's order book to increase to about 5 billion euros, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.

"EUV orders increased substantially" in the quarter, Mihuzo Securities analyst Kevin Wang told Reuters. "We attribute this to strong orders from TSMC and Intel."

TSMC, Intel and Samsung are engaged in construction projects that will be outfitted with equipment in 2025-2027.

($1 = 0.9172 euros)

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Janane Venkatraman, Varun H K, Jason Neely and Barbara Lewis)
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  The FBI raided Sergio Pinos Coral Gables home with plans to arrest the building developer for hiring crews to kill his estranged wife Tatiana Pino, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

FBI officials alleged during a news conference that Pino hired two separate crews to kill Tatiana amid their two-year divorce battle. The FBI said it became aware of the threats in the fall of 2023.

In total, nine people have been arrested in the alleged plots, officials said.

One crew allegedly tried to shoot Tatiana last month on instructions to kill her before the estranged couples next court hearing. The crew was reportedly offered a $150,000 bonus if the murder could not be connected back to Pino.

Officials say Tatiana detailed a series of threatening incidents in recent years, including threats of arson and a hit-and-run. Threats that have led to the arrest of four people, including one of Sergio Pinos employees.

Tatiana Pino filed for divorce in April 2022 after 30 years of marriage.

Sergio Pino died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during the FBI raid Tuesday.

Sergios attorney, Deanna Shifrin, told NBC affiliate WTVJ that Sergio was an innocent man.

We can categorically state that Mr. Pino was not involved in any of the alleged conduct, Shifrin said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Florida man arrested for Jan. 6 riot, latest of over 120 insurrection arrests in state

Another Florida man has been arrested in connection with the Jan 6. insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, one of at least 127 Floridians out of nearly 1,500 people charged across the U.S., according to USA TODAY data.

Garth Nathaniel Walton, 32, has been charged with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and various misdemeanor offenses, a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia said.

Walton, of Yulee, about 24 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested Monday.

What did Garth Walton do during the Jan. 6 riot?

Garth Walton was identified as one of the people in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C.

Police bodycams show a man identified as Walton on the front lines around 1:30 p.m., confronting a defensive line of law enforcement officers near a line of metal barricades on the Lower West Plaza on Capitol grounds.

"It is alleged that Walton went up approximately four steps, approached the line of officers, and grabbed a metal barricade and pushed it into the officers," the release said.

"Seconds later, after retreating down the West Plaza stairs, Walton again charged the police line and pushed the metal barricade into officers. It is further alleged that Walton then picked up a white pole and threw it at the officers."

The case was investigated by the FBI's Jacksonville and Washington Field Offices, the release said.

In this screenshot from police bodycam video, a man identified as Garth Walton (circled) can be seen pushing a metal barricade into police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot in Washington, D.C.

How many officers were injured or killed in the Jan, 6 riot at the US Capitol?

About 140 law enforcement officers were injured when thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump marched on the Capitol to disrupt a joint session of Congress as they certified the votes for President Joe Biden. Five have died since then:

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died the next day from a stroke.

Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood and Metro Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who responded to the riot, died by suicide days later.

Metro Police Officers Gunther Hashida and Kyle DeFreytag, who also responded to the attack, died by suicide in July.

By the end of the year, about 130 Capitol Police officers had left the force, the department told a Senate panel.

In this image from police bodycam video, a man identified as Garth Walton can be seen preparing to hurl a white pole at police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

How many Jan. 6 rioters were from Florida?

As of July 17, Florida leads the nation with the number of rioters arrested, ahead of Texas' 104, according to a database maintained by USA TODAY.

Florida also has more than a third of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, the two most prominent far right extremist groups involved in storming the Capitol, charged for their actions on Jan. 6. Some of the most serious charges stemming from the insurrection have been leveled against these individuals.

Volusia County Proud Boys leader Joseph Biggs in a screen shot from video evidence presented by committee.

Former Proud Boys National Chairman Enrique Tarrio of Miami was sentenced to 22 years in prison, the longest sentence yet related to the attack. Proud Boys member Joseph Biggs of Ormond Beach, who helped lead Proud Boys at the Capitol, was sentenced to 17 years.

Just a few weeks ago, Raymund Joseph Cholod of Tallahassee was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.

Not everyone at the insurrection has been arrested or charged.

Sandra Atkinson of Fort Walton Beach was one of the people spotted marching through the doors of the Capitol building. Two and a half months later, Gov. Ron. DeSantis appointed her to the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. No mention was made of her involvement. Others across the country have run for office.

"In the 42 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,470 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol," the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office said, "including more than 530 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony."

Trump has described the violent insurrection as "patriotic and peaceful" and has promised to pardon people convicted of crimes related to it on day one of his presidency, should he win.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Garth Walton of Florida arrested on felony charges in Jan. 6 riot
Florida mom leaves child in hot car while she shopped at Walmart: police

Florida mom leaves child in hot car while she shopped at Walmart: police

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida mom is behind bars after she left her child in a hot car while she shopped at a Walmart over the weekend, according to the Hollywood Police Department.

Anastasiya Motalava, 34, originally from St. Petersburg, was arrested after officers found her child trapped inside her vehicle, alone, on Sunday.

20 people treated after bug bomb falls off shelf inside Florida Publix

Local fire crews said the vehicle was not running and the windows were only slightly cracked.

Surveillance footage captured Motalava shopping inside the store for over 30 minutes while the child sat inside the car.

Police arrested and charged Motalava with child neglect.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Florida officer accused of trying to assault woman during 911 call

Florida officer accused of trying to assault woman during 911 call

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Florida officer is accused of trying to sexually batter a woman while responding to a 911 call last week, according to an arrest affidavit.

James Bush, 33, who is a West Palm Beach police officer, responded to the victims home on July 10 after a man tried to evict his girlfriend.

Florida home developer Sergio Pino dead amid FBI raid: report

The affidavit said the victim was sleeping at the mans home when she woke up to them yelling at her and throwing her belongings out the front door.

When the woman called 911, Bush arrived at the home and told the redacted individual to stop throwing out her things. The victim told Bush the individual had been abusive with her in the past and didnt want to be near them, according to the report.

Bush then asked the victim, Do you want to go upstairs and have some fun? the affidavit revealed.

The woman asked if that meant he wanted to talk, to which he responded Yeah.

The two went upstairs when Bush grabbed her tricep, leading her to a bedroom. The affidavit said the woman offered him a kiss, as she was at eye level with his gun and thought he would try to rape her.

US 19 in Pinellas County found to be one of Floridas most dangerous roads

At one point during the encounter, Bush exposed himself and grabbed the womans neck, trying to force her to perform a sexual act.

Bush left, as the womans boyfriend returned to the apartment.

A while later, the boyfriend called the police again, wanting a restraining order against the woman. Bush and another officer showed up at the residence.

The woman told the other officer that Bush tried to sexually assault her, to which Bush replied, No I didnt, shes lying.

When she said she had the evidence on her phone, Bush grabbed her phone during a struggle and deleted the video, which was later recovered and used as evidence.

Bush was arrested on Friday and booked into the Palm Beach Sheriffs Office Main Detention Center. He is facing charges of attempted sexual battery, robbery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, and soliciting for prostitution. He is being held on a $341,000 bond.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
"We immediately understood this was an emergency," Suncoast Animal League in Palm Harbor, Fla., wrote on Facebook

Suncoast Animal League (2) Sixteen puppies rescued after an unknown individual left the dogs in the Florida heat

On July 11, someone dropped off 16 puppies they found abandoned outside a convenience store at Pasco County Animal Services

Pasco County Animal Services contacted Suncoast Animal League for help with the pups, and the rescue agreed to care for all of the dogs

Suncoast Animal League has since found foster homes for all of the puppies, who are recuperating well after being found with fleas and scrapes

A Florida animal rescue is caring for 16 puppies left outside a convenience store.

Suncoast Animal League, based in Palm Harbor, Fla., took in the pack of pups, according to the rescue's July 11 Facebook post. Suncoast Animal League added on social media that someone found the puppies outside a convenience store and brought the little dogs to Pasco County Animal Services.

"The pick-up truck pulled into the parking lot of Pasco County Animal Services with two dog crates in the back bed. Inside the crates were fifteen 7-9 week old puppies. As staff rushed to get bowls of water for the puppies, the man explained he had found them 30 minutes before next to a 7-11 convenient [sic] store inside the crates," Suncoast Animal League wrote on Facebook.

The July 11 post claimed 15 puppies, ranging from seven to nine weeks old, were found outside the convenience store, but a more recent Facebook update on July 12 adjusted the number to 16 puppies.

Suncoast Animal League's original July 11 post includes images of the puppies in two black crates outside Pasco County Animal Services.

After the Good Samaritan brought the puppies to Pasco County Animal Service, the shelter contacted Suncoast Animal League for help because many animal shelters have halted new intakes due to a recent dog influenza outbreak.

"We immediately understood this was an emergency," Suncoast Animal League wrote.

"Pasco County Animal Services has been under an intake hold due to the highly contagious dog influenza that has been circulating large animal shelters," the Florida rescue continued. "Their kennel buildings have been under quarantine for several weeks, and under no circumstances could these 15 puppies be exposed. We agreed to help with the emergency, and their staff got moving quickly."

Pasco County Animal Services provided the puppies with initial medical care before Suncoast Animal League picked them up and brought them to the rescue to continue treatment.

Related: Rescuers Carry 160-Lb. Dog Down Oregon Mountain After Pet Injures Paw on Trail

As part of its July 11 Facebook post, Suncoast Animal League asked for donations and fosters to help care for the puppies. In its social media follow-up the next day, the rescue noted that the community quickly responded to its pleas for help and that all 16 puppies are now in foster homes.

"That is such an amazing testament to what this animal-loving community can do when challenged. Bravo to all of you," Suncoast Animal League shared.

The rescue's update included photos of the dogs resting at their new foster homes, where they are already receiving plenty of attention and affection.

Related: Kansas Police Officers Rescue 13 Puppies Found on the Side of the Road amid High Temperatures

"Each of the 16 puppies is enjoying one-on-one time with families that have opened their hearts to these sweet, lost souls. But they are lost no more," the rescue wrote in the update. "Thank you friends for helping us help them. We love you for it! And you keep us inspired to keep going."

Fox News 5 reported on Monday, July 15, that the puppies are thought to be from two different litters; some of the dogs resemble pitbull mixes, and some resemble Jack Russell terriers.

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Suncoast director Rick Chaboudy detailed the condition of the dogs to the outlet, saying, "These puppies had so many fleas you can't even imagine, and a lot of them have cuts and scrapes and scars. It could be from puppy wrestling or from living in cages with wires poking out."

The outlet added that the Pasco County Sheriff's Office is currently not investigating the puppies' abandonment.

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Read the original article on People.
A Florida woman was indicted on Tuesday on a charge of first-degree murder for allegedly shooting the father of her child last month over his reaction to a dirty diaper.

A Seminole County grand jury indicted 38-year-old Laurie Adams of Winter Springs on one count of first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm in connection with the shooting death of 51-year-old Adel Tawfeek after hearing testimony from a Winter Springs Police investigator.

On June 5, Winter Springs Police Department officers responded to a report of a man shot at a home on Sheoah Boulevard. There, officers found Tawfeek unconscious with a single gunshot wound to the head. Tawfeek was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

According to police, Adams admitted shooting Tawfeek over an argument about the care of their son. Investigators say that Tawfeek returned home at around 11:30 p.m. on June 4 and found that their son had soiled himself. Adams allegedly told police that after she cleaned the child and put him to bed, Tawfeek yelled at her and assaulted her.

Adams allegedly admitted that after taking time to calm down, she retrieved a gun from Tawfeeks closet and loaded it. She allegedly saw Tawfeek smoking on the porch, walked over, and shot him in the head.

Adams has been held since her arrest at Seminole County Jail with no bond. A trial date has not yet been set.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Florissant man gets 14 years for fentanyl trafficking in Missouri

FLORISSANT, Mo  A Florissant man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for fentanyl trafficking. Sheron L. Loggins, nicknamed Bane, 50, was sentenced for supplying fentanyl to a drug trafficking organization in southwest Missouri.

According to court documents, Loggins supplied more than 34 kilograms of fentanyl to the trafficking organization.

On November 14, 2022, Loggins pleaded guilty to helping traffic illegal drugs in Missouri. He admitted to providing fentanyl to a co-defendant, Jerry R. Wheeler, 49, of Springfield, who then distributed the drugs in the Springfield area from September 23, 2018, to November 14, 2019.

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Police officers stopped Loggins on September 8, 2019, as he was traveling on Interstate 44 toward Springfield to deliver fentanyl. Officers searched his vehicle and found around 496 grams of fentanyl and a .45-caliber magazine loaded with five rounds of ammunition.

Loggins is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in this case, among 15 defendants who have pleaded guilty.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Milwaukee's King Park surrounded by yellow tape after a police shooting. Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner

The Milwaukee Police Department announced Wednesday that its own officers will now be assigned to accompany specialty police units from out of state after Columbus, Ohio police officers from a bicycle unit shot and killed a man near King Park on Tuesday.

A group of 13 Columbus police officers were in the area holding a briefing when they saw Samuel Sharpe and another man having a fight in the street while Sharpe wielded a knife. Less than 20 seconds after seeing the fight, body camera footage of the incident shows, five of the officers fired at Sharpe, killing him.

In the wake of the shooting, residents and local officials questioned why the Columbus officers were seven blocks from the security perimeter of the Republican National Convention. Milwaukee police leaders had promised ahead of the convention that out-of-state officers would not be tasked with interacting with Milwaukee residents.

[H]aving local police interacting with members of the community instead of strangers, however well-trained  is to be preferred, Milwaukee Alderman Scott Spiker said in a Wednesday statement. One might wonder whether a Milwaukee beat cop with knowledge of the homeless person encampment at King Park where Mr. Sharpe lived, and with familiarity with Mr. Sharpe himself and any potential mental health challenges he might have faced, might have behaved differently.

On Wednesday, Milwaukee Police issued a press release acknowledging that prior to the convention, officials had stated that out-of-state police wouldnt be assigned to forward-facing roles interacting with the community, but that specialty units such as the bike patrol officers from Columbus who shot Sharpe were not considered forward-facing. After the shooting, Milwaukee police officers will be embedded with specialty units operating in the city, according to MPD.

MPD has made adjustments at this time by adding MPD representation in bicycle units in an effort to best serve our community and its needs, the release states.

The Columbus unit had been assigned to demonstrations at the park the day before, the MPD statement adds. Columbus police officers wearing dialogue team vests had also monitored a Monday march and rally against the RNC near the convention site downtown.

MPD is handling all regular calls. Outside agency bicycle officers would not respond to calls for service. MPD officers would respond to calls for service, the MPD news release states. At the time of the incident, the CPD bicycle unit officers were briefing and de-briefing the days events. CPD had responded to demonstrations in the area of 14th and Vliet the day prior. CPDs response to this incident was not prompted by a call for service, but by officers observation of an armed individual threatening another unarmed person. Bicycle units are a specialty unit, assigned to tasks such as traffic control, demonstration control and surveillance of areas of concern. Bicycle units would not be considered interactive forward-facing units, as those officers on bicycles are best suited to use their bicycles as tools to navigate traffic and demonstrations.

The convention security includes the hard security perimeter of buildings such as Fiserv Forum where the main convention stage is located and a soft perimeter covering the surrounding area. In the release, MPD declined to outline which agencies are assigned to the different parts of the city, saying that disclosing specific assignments would pose a security risk. The release only stated that outside agencies have been assigned to patrol areas that include the hard perimeter, the soft perimeter, and/or the area immediately surrounding the soft perimeter.

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Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford speaks to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM)

MILWAUKEE  The public safety theme on the second evening at the Republican National Convention included a message from Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford.

His introductory remarks had a land acknowledgement tone for the host city, despite it not being explicit on the evening speech program.

It was once home to several Potawatomi villages, including a village close to where we sit today, Crawford told Republican delegates. Our ancestors occupied these lands for hundreds of years, fishing area rivers and lakes, hunting the land, tapping maple tree groves for sugar and harvesting crops and fields each fall.

There was no direct endorsement for the ticket, but he did extend goodwill in working with a Donald Trump-J.D. Vance administration in one of his last remarks to the delegate floor. I look forward to working with everyone here to make America safe again, Crawford said.

The speech lasted just under five minutes. Crawford hit on safety issues related to drugs and violence against women.

The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country. And Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels. So tonights theme, make America safe again, is especially important for us.

He did not specifically mention more federal programs to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous People that could use panels in states or under the Interior Department as models. He didnt mention additional congressional support and funding for the Violence Against Women Act, which helps with prosecutions. And he didnt get into widespread concerns about police discrimination against Native American victims that families have said theyve experienced during investigations.

Crawford is the only Native American slated to speak during the 2024 convention.

Republican comments about drugs and cartels on tribal lands are lately growing louder. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem right now is the most prominent voice with the messaging that reservations are safe havens for drug cartels. This skews public perception on the real issues with illicit drugs, said former South Dakota federal prosecutor Brenden Johnson.

Suggesting that theres some sort of pipeline between Mexico and the reservations is silly, Johnson said in a series on the topic by South Dakota Searchlight. It would be tantamount to saying, Yeah, the cartels are really focused on Ipswich. Thats stupid, and people wouldnt believe it. Unfortunately, people are more inclined to believe it (about reservations), because they have less knowledge on the reservations.

The Montana delegation sign on the Republican National Convention floor in Milwaukee on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM)

In an interview on the floor Tuesday, Montana delegate and former DEA supervisor in the state Stacy Zinn said her job was to, make positive relationships with the reservations and to do what we could to help do investigations that would negate the cartel presence.

In her role, she said, she works with multiple federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI to operate investigations on and around tribal lands. She pointed to issues in Montana with jurisdiction between local, county and state police. These problems stall or delay investigations, she said.

She had a suggestion for a fix, and its something that some tribes across the country are already doing with states. They create a legal memorandum of understanding to allow cross-jurisdictional police investigations.

If a tribe is going to be robust, and really is serious about taking care of their crime on their their lands, then I would I suggest, based on my experience, and what Ive seen, you want a (memorandum of understanding) with the local law enforcement in order to build that strength in numbers, Zinn said.

That does require a bit of a working relationship between tribes and the states. In places like New Mexico, a friendly governor can make that happen through policy. But in places like South Dakota, where the governor is banned from all nine reservations thanks to her comments, poor government-to-government relationships can stunt any progress.

If we can just lower that animosity at times, Zinn said, then the main goal is to keep the community safe.

She also acknowledged that all police agencies need to get on the same page.

If this is how were going to do things, then its a force multiplier, she said. The relationships between law enforcement all across the board should be a positive experience.

This story is part of a collaboration between Koahnic Broadcasting, ICTNews.org and States Newsroom covering the Republican National Convention in 2024 with a focus on Native America.
Key Insights

Biome Australia's significant individual investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public

A total of 19 investors have a majority stake in the company with 44% ownership

Insiders own 34% of Biome Australia

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Biome Australia Limited (ASX:BIO), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are individual investors with 56% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

While individual investors were the group that reaped the most benefits after last weeks 10% price gain, insiders also received a 34% cut.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Biome Australia.

View our latest analysis for Biome Australia

What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Biome Australia?

We don't tend to see institutional investors holding stock of companies that are very risky, thinly traded, or very small. Though we do sometimes see large companies without institutions on the register, it's not particularly common.

There are multiple explanations for why institutions don't own a stock. The most common is that the company is too small relative to funds under management, so the institution does not bother to look closely at the company. On the other hand, it's always possible that professional investors are avoiding a company because they don't think it's the best place for their money. Biome Australia might not have the sort of past performance institutions are looking for, or perhaps they simply have not studied the business closely.

Biome Australia is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Blair William Brabin Norfolk with 8.5% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 5.9% and 5.1% of the stock. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Douglas Chee Loh is also Chief Financial Officer, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 19 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of Biome Australia

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Biome Australia Limited. Insiders have a AU$51m stake in this AU$149m business. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public -- including retail investors -- own 56% of Biome Australia. This level of ownership gives investors from the wider public some power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 8.5%, of the company's shares. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Biome Australia better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Biome Australia you should know about.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Native Vote 2024. MILWAUKEE, Wisc.  The public safety theme on the second evening at the Republican National Convention included a message from Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford.

His introductory remarks had a land acknowledgement tone for the host city, despite it not being explicit on the evening speech program.

It was once home to several Potawatomi villages, including a village close to where we sit today, Crawford told Republican delegates. Our ancestors occupied these lands for hundreds of years, fishing area rivers and lakes, hunting the land, tapping maple tree groves for sugar and harvesting crops and fields each fall.

[Editor's Note: This week Native News Online is in Milwaukee covering the Republican National Convention. In a collaborative effort, Native News Online is working with Native America Calling and Source NM. This article was wrtitten by Shawn Griswold from Source NM.]

There was no direct endorsement for the ticket, but he did extend goodwill in working with a Donald Trump-J.D. Vance administration in one of his last remarks to the delegate floor. I look forward to working with everyone here to make America safe again, Crawford said.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

The speech lasted just under five minutes. Crawford hit on safety issues related to drugs and violence against women.

The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country. And Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels. So tonights theme, make America safe again, is especially important for us.

He did not specifically mention more federal programs to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous People that could use panels in states or under the Interior Department as models. He didnt mention additional congressional support and funding for the Violence Against Women Act, which helps with prosecutions. And he didnt get into widespread concerns about police discrimination against Native American victims that families have said theyve experienced during investigations.

Crawford is the only Native American slated to speak during the 2024 convention.

Republican comments about drugs and cartels on tribal lands are lately growing louder. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem right now is the most prominent voice with the messaging that reservations are safe havens for drug cartels. This skews public perception on the real issues with illicit drugs, said former South Dakota federal prosecutor Brenden Johnson.

Suggesting that theres some sort of pipeline between Mexico and the reservations is silly, Johnson said in a series on the topic by South Dakota Searchlight. It would be tantamount to saying, Yeah, the cartels are really focused on Ipswich. Thats stupid, and people wouldnt believe it. Unfortunately, people are more inclined to believe it (about reservations), because they have less knowledge on the reservations.

In an interview on the floor Tuesday, Montana delegate and former DEA supervisor in the state Stacy Zinn said her job was to, make positive relationships with the reservations and to do what we could to help do investigations that would negate the cartel presence.

In her role, she said, she works with multiple federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI to operate investigations on and around tribal lands. She pointed to issues in Montana with jurisdiction between local, county and state police. These problems stall or delay investigations, she said.

She had a suggestion for a fix, and its something that some tribes across the country are already doing with states. They create a legal memorandum of understanding to allow cross-jurisdictional police investigations.

If a tribe is going to be robust, and really is serious about taking care of their crime on their their lands, then I would I suggest, based on my experience, and what Ive seen, you want a (memorandum of understanding) with the local law enforcement in order to build that strength in numbers, Zinn said.

That does require a bit of a working relationship between tribes and the states. In places like New Mexico, a friendly governor can make that happen through policy. But in places like South Dakota, where the governor is banned from all nine reservations thanks to her comments, poor government-to-government relationships can stunt any progress.

If we can just lower that animosity at times, Zinn said, then the main goal is to keep the community safe.

She also acknowledged that all police agencies need to get on the same page.

If this is how were going to do things, then its a force multiplier, she said. The relationships between law enforcement all across the board should be a positive experience.

About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Forest fire at New Jersey military base 80% contained after overnight rain

A fire burns at the Warren Grove Air To Ground Range, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. in Bass River Township, N.J. As of Wednesday, July 17, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze was 80% contained and was not threatening any structures. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection via AP)

BASS RIVER, N.J. (AP)  Heavy rain overnight helped firefighters gain more control over a forest fire burning at a military bombing range in southern New Jersey.

Fire officials said Wednesday that half an inch (1.3 centimeters) of rain fell overnight at the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range, a training facility for the New Jersey Air National Guard in the New Jersey Pinelands.

That helped firefighters bring the blaze to 80% containment, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

As of Wednesday, it had burned 1,167 acres (472 hectares), or just under 2 square miles (5.3 square kilometers).

No structures were threatened.

Fire crews remained on the scene Wednesday working to fully contain the blaze.

The bombing range was the site of a 2007 blaze that burned 26 square miles (67 square kilometers).
What happened: The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on March 13, 2021, when Snodgrass approached the victim, questioning his presence in America and initiating a physical altercation. The victim sustained minor injuries and reported the incident to the police. Snodgrass, who appeared intoxicated and incoherent, was arrested and later resigned from his position at the fire department after 12 years of service.

No hate crime charge: Although Nguyen believed the assault was racially motivated, he could not pursue a federal hate crime charge due to the lack of hate crime laws in the state at the time of the incident. Snodgrass and his lawyer also denied any racist motivations or comments, with the attorney later claiming Snodgrass was unknowingly drugged with a hallucinogen before the altercation. Local resistance, including from Bentonville City Council member Bill Burckart, who viewed the incident as an isolated event involving an inebriated individual rather than a hate crime, further complicated the case. The incident sparked calls for authorities to take allegations of racist assaults more seriously.
Sue Mi Terry, an ex-senior CIA analyst, was arrested on charges of secretly working for South Korea's intelligence service, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. Terry was a leading expert on North Korea and appeared last month at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. Photo by Darryl Coote/UPI

July 18 (UPI) -- Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA official and a leading expert on North Korea, was arrested on allegations of secretly working for South Korea's intelligence agency, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

In a 31-page indictment unsealed by the Southern District of New York, prosecutors charged Terry with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act. She was arrested on Tuesday in New York City, the attorney's office said.

The indictment claims Terry promoted South Korean government positions in her public appearances and passed U.S. government information and contacts to Seoul intelligence agents. In exchange, she received luxury handbags, expensive dinners and more than $37,000.

Terry "subverted foreign agent registration laws in order to provide South Korean intelligence officers with access, information, and advocacy," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

"The charges brought should send a clear message to those in public policy who may be tempted to sell their expertise to a foreign government to think twice and ensure you are in accordance with the law," he said.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years, the attorney's office said.

Terry, 54, was born in Seoul and raised in Hawaii and Virginia. She was a senior analyst on Korean issues for the CIA from 2001 to 2008 and later held high-ranking roles at the National Security Council and the National Intelligence Council.

After leaving the government in 2011, Terry worked in academia and at a number of think tanks, including the Council for Foreign Relations, where she is senior fellow for Korea studies.

The CFR placed Terry on unpaid administrative leave upon learning of the charges, spokesperson Iva Zoric told UPI.

"[We] will cooperate with any investigation," Zoric said. "We take the allegations very seriously."

Terry's lawyer Lee Wolosky told UPI the allegations are unfounded and distort the work of an expert "known for her independence and years of service to the United States."

"Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade and her views on matters relating to the Korean peninsula have been consistent over many years," Wolosky said in a statement. "In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf."

"Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake," he added.

According to federal prosecutors, Terry began working with South Korean agents from the National Intelligence Service in 2013. The unnamed NIS agents -- or "handlers" -- posed as diplomats in South Korea's U.N. Mission and Washington Embassy.

Terry began by publishing opinion articles following Seoul's talking points on North Korea but later arranged meetings for the intelligence agents with U.S. national security policy officials.

She also passed non-public information along to NIS agents. In one example cited in the indictment, Terry participated in a private, off-the-record group meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2022. Immediately afterward, she was picked up in a car by her primary South Korean intelligence contact, who photographed her handwritten notes from the meeting.

In another 2022 incident, Terry invited congressional staffers to a Washington, D.C., happy hour nominally hosted by the South Korean Embassy but secretly funded by the NIS. The event allowed South Korean officials to "identify, evaluate and potentially recruit congressional staff whom they otherwise would not have been able to access," according to the indictment.

Terry also testified on at least three occasions before the U.S. House of Representatives, which required her to file disclosure forms declaring she was not a registered foreign agent.

In exchange for her work, the NIS provided Terry with gifts including a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag.

The South Korean agents also took her to several meals at Michelin-star restaurants and deposited some $37,000 into an account she controlled while working at an unnamed think tank.

In 2023, Terry participated in a voluntary interview with the FBI and admitted that she was a "source" for the South Korean intelligence service, the indictment said. She also acknowledged that she had "resigned in lieu of termination from the CIA" over the agency's concerns about her contacts with NIS officers.

"For over a decade, despite repeated warnings, Terry allegedly exploited her think tank roles to advance a foreign agenda," Christie Curtis, acting assistant director in charge of the New York field office of the FBI, said in a statement.

"Her alleged actions posed a severe threat to national security," Curtis said. "This arrest sends a clear message: the FBI will pursue and arrest anyone who endangers our nation's security by collaborating with foreign spies."

The Justice Department has used the Foreign Agents Registration Act in several recent high-profile cases targeting foreign influence in the United States. On Tuesday, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was found guilty on 16 counts of bribery, extortion and acting as an illegal foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
Tourist who simulated sex with god of fertility statue defended for amorous exaltation

The photographs of a tourist simulating sexual positions with the statue of Bacchus provoked a wave of protests - FACEBOOK

An Italian former culture minister has defended a drunk tourist who simulated having sex with a Florence statue, describing her behaviour as as an amorous exaltation.

The blonde woman, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, provoked an outcry after she was photographed climbing onto the statue of Bacchus.

A replica of a 16th-century original by Giambologna, the statue sits in a niche on a street near the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

Images posted on the Welcome to Florence Facebook page show the young woman hugging and kissing the statue and then simulating sexual positions.

Vittorio Sgarbi, the former culture minister, says 'no real man can compete' with the naked statue of the god of wine and fertility - MARCELLO VALERI/ZUMA PRESS WIRE

The social media post provoked a wave of protests from the public and cultural officials outraged by her behaviour.

Vittorio Sgarbi, an art critic and former culture undersecretary who was sacked for alleged conflict of interest earlier this year, is well known for his provocative opinions.

A drunk girl performs a critical act, not an erotic one, he said on X, formerly Twitter, of the womans late night activity.

No real man can compete with the naked statue of the god of wine and fertility, Mr Sgarbi added.

But Florentines were infuriated by the tourists behaviour and are demanding greater penalties for assaults on Italys historic treasures.

Are we sure we need these kinds of tourists in Florence? asked Marco Passeri, a former city councillor.

The 16th-century original statue of Bacchus by Giambologn is kept in In The Bargello Museum in Florence - Beppe Castro / Alamy Stock Photo

Tourists are welcome, but there must be respect for our monuments, whether they are originals or copies, Antonella Ranaldi, the city arts superintendent, told the Corriere della Sera. Not least because I doubt that this woman, who I blame, knows the difference.

Last week, a teenager was reported to police after he climbed Florences Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and filmed himself with his mobile phone as he reached its celebrated dome. He then posted photos and videos on his Instagram page.

A month ago, another tourist etched his initials in the Ponte Vecchio bridge before being stopped by police; and last year, young men clambered onto the replica of Michelangelos statue of David in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence.

These constant displays of rudeness and incivility happen because everyone feels entitled to do whatever they want with impunity, said Patrizia Asproni, from the Confcultura culture organisation.

We need to apply the Singapore model  tight controls, hefty fines, zero tolerance.

Mr Sgarbi was forced to resign from his position in the culture ministry amid allegations that a 17th-century painting in his possession was stolen from a castle more than a decade ago.

He was also accused of altering the painting to disguise its origins. He has strenuously denied the claims.

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Former Major General James Roddis's not guilty plea to sexual assault was accepted by the Service Prosecuting Authority - Holger Hollemann/Alamy

A former senior Army officer charged with sexual assault has admitted disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind.

Ex-Major General James Roddis appeared at the Bulford Military Court Centre in Salisbury, Wilts, on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.

His not guilty plea to sexual assault under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 was accepted by the Service Prosecuting Authority.

The former officer did not attend court in person and instead appeared via video-link for the plea and trial preparation hearing, accompanied by his barrister, Jane Bickerstaff KC.

Roddis received a number of accolades during his military career, including a Distinguished Service Order  an award given for highly successful command and leadership during active operations.

He was made an MBE and also earned two Queens Commendations for Valuable Service in 2008 and 2017.

Until recently, he was director of strategy for Strategic Command  an organisation comprised of special forces and intelligence units among other responsibilities.

In 2014, he was commanding officer of The Highlanders  troops from the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland  who were then the last Scottish battalion to serve in a combat role in Afghanistan.

In 2021, former Major General Nick Welch faced a four-week trial at the same venue and was then the most senior officer to face court martial since 1815.

Welch, who left the military in 2018, was convicted of a single charge of fraud in March 2021 and was jailed for 21 months for falsely claiming more than 48,000 in allowances to pay for his childrens boarding school fees.

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David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, has warned that Joe Biden has not done enough to relieve voters concern about his age since last months disastrous debate.

Axelrod spoke to the Guardian in Milwaukee as US representative Adam Schiff became the highest-profile Democrat to call for the president to drop his re-election bid.

Ive felt for a long time, and Ive said for a long time, its not in any way a commentary on his record, which I think will be honoured more by history than it is by voters right now, Axelrod said.

But its a very hard case to make that anyone should be elected president in the United States at the age of 82, not for political reasons but for actuarial reasons. This is the hardest job on the planet. It takes a lot out of you. Its a legitimate concern that people have and that concern has been intensified by what happened at the debate. I dont think anything thats happened has relieved that concern.

Biden has embarked on a blitz of speeches, rallies and TV interviews  along with a rare press conference  since his hapless debate performance in Atlanta. But nearly two in three Democrats say he should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on Wednesday.

Yet the party is pushing ahead with plans to hold a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August before its convention opens in person two weeks later.

Axelrod, chief strategist for the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaigns, was speaking after an event organised by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and the Cook Political Report on the sidelines of the Republican national convention.

One of the panelists at the event, the Republican pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio, told the audience that Democrats had formed a perfect circular firing squad, giving his party the run of the field.

Asked whether he thought Biden could survive as the nominee, Axelrod said: Thats entirely in his hands and thats been the case. This whole race has been in his hands, his decision to run and now his decision to stay.

Theres a lot to think about because I know hes laid out the stakes in this election. The question he has to answer is, what are the odds of his winning? Would the odds be better with another candidate? Im sure theres a lot of discussion about that.

Axelrod denied that Saturdays attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania had blunted the moment of Democrats pushing for a change at the top of the ticket.

I know thats been a conventional thought, but Im not sure, he said. Honestly there is a dynamic thats described this race, fair or unfair, from the beginning  and the Trump campaign has been very effective at promoting  which is the worlds out of control, Biden is not a man, hes weak, Trump is strong, vote for Trump. Thats their whole campaign.

The events of the last few weeks have hardened that and underscored that contrast to the disadvantage of the president. The only thing that may dampen the discussion is the presidents own refusal to consider it, but I dont think anyones concerns have been diminished by anything thats happened.
Former Stockton mayor to run for lieutenant governor. That was really ground zero

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs announced Wednesday he is running to replace Eleni Kounalakis as the next lieutenant governor of California in 2026.

Tubbs, a well-known champion for universal basic income initiatives and a once rising star in the Democratic Party, is currently serving as Newsoms special adviser for economic mobility. He announced his campaign for the states second-highest executive office in a video posted to social media channels Wednesday.

California is at a crossroads. We have to start solving some of these issues, he said. We need a problem-solver with a different mindset, different experience, different background, different outlook whos willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work.

Tubbs joined a small list of Democratic leaders jumping into the race, including state Sen. Steven Bradford and state Treasurer Fiona Ma. Janelle Kellman, who most recently served as the mayor of Sausalito in 2022, also is running. More than six other potential candidates have created fundraising committees in advance of the states lieutenant governor election.

Californias current lieutenant governor Kounalakis is term-limited. She is seeking to replace Newsom in the states 2026 gubernatorial election.

Tubbs anticipated campaigning on a range of issues affecting Californians, including poverty, housing prices and homelessness, and accessibility to education.

When I look towards the future of California, Im concerned with issues of affordability. I know a lot of people I grew up with cant afford to live in California he said. I want to be part of a solution to help fix that.

Ground-breaking mayor

Tubbs was born in Stockton to a 16-year-old mother and afather who has been incarcerated most of his life.

He started his career in politics as an intern at the White House during the Obama administration. Tubbs returned home to run for Stockton City Council after his cousin was killed by gun violence. He was a council member for four years before being elected mayor of Stockton in 2016.

Tubbs was voted into office at 26, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with a population larger than 100,000 and Stocktons first Black leader. At the time, Stockton had recently declared bankruptcy and had one of the highest murder rates in the nation.

That was really ground zero for a lot of issues facing the state, he said. All the issues facing the state  from homelessness to crime to economic development, education  I had a front row seat to try to solve them.

During his mayoral tenure from 2017-21, Tubbs championed efforts to reduce gun violence and increase higher education opportunities for youths. He became best-known as one of the first elected officials in the country to create a universal basic income program. He launched a privately funded pilot program where 125 Stockton residents were given $500 monthly stipends from the city for 18 months. In 2020, he founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a collective of more than 150 city leaders advocating for direct cash payments.

Tubbs was voted out of office after one term. During his reelection campaign, he was opposed by police and firefighters unions and was attacked by a local media site for unfounded allegations of corruption.

Post-mayoral ambitions

In the three years since, Tubbs founded a nonprofit to tackle poverty and took an unpaid appointment as Newsoms special advisor for economic mobility in 2021.

In the role, Tubbs helped introduce a statewide guaranteed income program, nearly $2 billion worth of child college savings accounts and a youth workforce development program, which provides paid summer jobs for young people.

Ive been able to see at least some of the mechanics of state government, he said. As lieutenant governor, I can be even a bigger advocate, supporter and proposer, for like-minded programs and whoever the governor and work with the legislature to get those things done.

Even though lieutenant governor is the states second-highest statewide position, the seat does not hold much power and is largely ceremonial. The elected official serves as the president of the state Senate and steps in to lead California whenever the governor is out of the state.

If elected, Tubbs said he will be a coalition builder and a strong advocate for Californias most economically disadvantaged residents.

I will continue to fight for a government that works for everyone to end poverty, to extend economic opportunity and to just make sure the government works for everyone, he said.

California is one of 17 states where the governor and lieutenant governor run separately. Tubbs said he does not plan on endorsing a gubernatorial candidate.

The role is commonly viewed as a pathway to greater positions of power. Newsom served eight years as lieutenant governor before becoming governor and Californias current lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, is now running in the 2026 gubernatorial race. Tubbs said he is not thinking that far ahead.

Im 100% focused on campaigning for lieutenant governor and the jobs capacity to elevate important issues, he said.
Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro spoke at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, just hours after he was released from a Miami federal prison following his completion of a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the January 6 congressional committee.

I got a very simple message for you. If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump. Be careful. They will come for you, he warned convention attendees in Milwaukee, where his former boss has been formally nominated as the 2024 GOP presidential candidate.

Navarro is one of two members of Trumps circle who was convicted for failing to comply with subpoenas from the now-defunct House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Trump adviser Steve Bannon started serving his four-month sentence earlier this month at a federal prison in Connecticut.

Navarro, who is in his 70s, worked as a law library clerk during his time in the prison camp, his prison consultant Sam Mangel told CNN.

Everybody has to work, Mangel said. It gave him a chance to write.

Mangel said Navarro was liked and respected by his fellow inmates while in the prison.

When I went to visit him, guys were coming up to him, high-fiving him, Mangel said.

Navarro ended his speech Wednesday at the Republican convention by calling his fiancee to join him onstage: This is my beautiful girl. She did the time with me.

Now heres the sweetest thing thats going to come off my lips: Vote Trump-Vance 24 for Trump 47, he said.

Defying the subpoena

When lawmakers demanded Navarros participation in their probe into Trumps election subversion schemes, they pointed to reports that he was involved in efforts to delay Congress certification of the 2020 presidential results, as well as to his own account in his memoir describing the election-related plots.

After just a few hours of deliberations, a federal jury found Navarro guilty last summer on two counts of contempt: for his failure to produce documents and for not showing up for an interview that the committee had demanded.

Before the trial, Navarro had sought to argue to the jury that he was acting at the direction of Trump, who had invoked executive privilege, when he refused to comply with the subpoena. The judge, however, barred him from putting forward that defense, having concluded that the former White House aide had not present sufficient evidence that Trump had formally asserted the privilege.

While Navarro was unsuccessful in an emergency appeal to delay his prison sentence, he is now appealing his conviction on the merits.

The federal correctional facility where Navarro has lived since March is one of the oldest prison camps in the country, housing fewer than 200 inmates in its aging infrastructure, with a large Puerto Rican population.

This story and headline have been updated.

CNNs Aditi Sangal and Andrew Menezes contributed to this report.

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French President Macron accepts PM Attal's resignation

Xinhua) 08:31, July 17, 2024

This file photo shows French President Emmanuel Macron (1st R) greeting French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in Paris, France, March 20, 2024. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua)

Macron's decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly.

PARIS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation, but asked him to stay as the head of a caretaker government until the establishment of a new administration, French presidential office announced on Tuesday.

"For this period to end as soon as possible, it is up to the Republican forces to work together to build unity around projects and actions in the service of the French people," Elysee said in a press release.

As a caretaker government, Attal and his governmental team can only oversee the normal operation of administrations, and intervene in the event of an emergency.

Succeeding Elisabeth Borne, Attal was nominated prime minister on Jan. 9 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest to hold the position in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Attal submitted his resignation to Macron on July 8 after the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the snap legislative elections. But Macron asked him to stay on the post "for the moment" to ensure the country's stability.

French President Emmanuel Macron attends the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris, France, on July 14, 2024. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua)

On Thursday, the elected deputies are expected to choose the speaker of the new National Assembly. According to the French electoral laws, ministers in office cannot cast their ballots. But with the resignation accepted, Attal and his ministers who were elected deputies, now can vote in the speaker election.

The winner alliance of the legislative elections, the New Popular Front (NFP), has not yet been able to propose a candidate to be the next prime minister. Macron's decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly.

In the two rounds of legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, Macron's centrist coalition finished second with 163 seats, trailing the left-wing parties' alliance, the NFP, which secured a relative majority with 182 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.

The French president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9 and called for new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament elections.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) stands against the other aerospace and defense stocks.

The world has been rocked with conflict over the last few years. The war between Russia and Ukraine has gone beyond 860 days, with no immediate end in sight. Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to engage in a regular exchange of fire after the latter lost control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azeris in 2020. The Middle East is up in flames, with defense experts describing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as the worst crisis in the region since the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

While the human impacts of war are undeniably tragic, it is also a time when defense companies make money and lure investors into loading up on their stocks. According to a report on CNN earlier this year, defense companies in the United States and Europe have thrived since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetalls share price had surged by a staggering 315% in two years following the start of the conflict, while BAE Systems posted a 105% gain. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in their share prices by 18% and 10%, respectively.

When the war broke out, industry analysts expected the aerospace sector to be affected by western sanctions placed on Russia. According to KPMG, the country is the source of 30% of the titanium used by Boeing and other large engine producers that power fighter jets and commercial aviation. Titanium is a key material that goes into the development of jet fan blades and landing gears. However, the supply of titanium from Russia to these companies has largely remained unaffected despite sanctions.

While sharing his insights on commercial aviation at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago on June 26, Tony Bancroft from Gabelli Funds said that he had noticed a significant growth in aircraft orders lately, with both Airbus and Boeing having a 12-year backlog of orders. He believes there are three reasons driving it. The first catalyst, according to him, is China which accounts for 20% of the growth in orders to cater to the growing middle class in both China and India who want to travel more. Another critical factor he cited during his talk was that business travel has finally returned to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Lastly, Tony highlighted the the rising middle class in the United States, and the world, which is increasing air travel and contributing to the economic growth in the industry.

Story continues

Furthermore, Bancroft identified Textron as his hot stock pick in the aerospace and defense industry. He believes the stock is undervalued at its current share price of $85, and anticipates its value to hover around the $125 range in the future. Last year in March, the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.3 billion contract to the company to develop helicopters to replace the aging Blackhawk fleet.

Another top stock that hedge funds are talking about is Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty alloys that holds a market share of roughly 40% in the aerospace industry. It was among the top picks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York back in April. Mohammed Anjarwala, the managing director of Advent Global Opportunities, shared the following remarks about the company during the conference:

We think Carpenter is one of the best ways to play the growing backlog of planes at Boeing and Airbus, as they ramp up their billing rates.

At the time of the conference, the stock was trading at around $70 per share. Anjarwala forecasted that the value could go up to around $200 per share or 20 times forward P/E. It is currently valued at $107 per share.

Methodology

Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds was assessed, as of the first quarter of 2024. We have chosen the 10 best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now based on the hedge fund sentiment towards each stock. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A commercial jetliner parked at an airport, reflecting the companies success in aviation.

The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54

The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) is a leading aerospace company that manufactures commercial airplanes, space systems, and defense products for customers in more than 150 countries. As of 2022, it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world, with defense-related sales of $31 billion, representing nearly half of the company's overall revenue. The company has been under severe pressure after a door plug of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 flight fell off after takeoff in January. It was the worst possible start to the year for the aerospace giant. Since the incident, there has been a slowdown in the production of airplanes, with an increased focus on safety.

As a result, during the first quarter of 2024, the company reported a net loss of $355 million. This, however, was less than the loss industry analysts anticipated, resulting in a negative EPS of -$0.56 against forecasts of -$1.43. The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)'s financial performance during the quarter has shown resilience and signs of improvement, marked by a resurgence across the aviation industry. Despite that, Moody's Investors Service is reportedly concerned that Boeing will struggle to deliver the 737 volumes that it requires to sell to retire debt and expand its free cash flow. Another bear case against the company is the executive-level shake-up that is taking place, causing consternation among some investors.

Most experts, however, believe that it is too big a company to fail, and with a backlog of orders worth $500 billion and international travel growing every year, The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) is likely to turn things around in 2025 after the headwinds are over. The aerospace giant is also working on several defense-related projects, including the US Air Forces Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which aims to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet to replace the F-22 Raptor by 2030.

The stock's analyst ratings range between Hold to Strong Buy, with an average price target of $223, at an upside of 24.5% from its current level. Furthermore, while hedge fund sentiment has decreased since the last quarter of 2023, there is still a sizable number of hedge fund investors in the stock, making The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) one of the best stocks to buy now in the aerospace and defense industry.

Overall BA ranks 4th on our list of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now to see the other aerospace and defense stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of BA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Former US Sen. Jeff Flake plans to quit as ambassador to Turkey in September

Jeff Flake, the former U.S. senator from Arizona and current ambassador to Turkey, acknowledged Tuesday he is quitting his post in September.

The move, first reported by Axios, makes good on Flakes intention to only serve a single presidential term in that position.

President Joe Biden named Flake, a Republican who prominently supported his 2020 election, to the top job in Turkey, a complex and critical ally that bridges Europe and the Middle East and is a vital chokepoint for marine traffic into the Black Sea, which has major implications for commerce and combat connected to Russias war in Ukraine.

Flake arrived in Turkey in January 2022, about six weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has walked a delicate line with Russia and the West, forcing both to accept a blurred role for Turkey.

In a social media post Tuesday acknowledging his decision to step down, Flake wrote, It has been an honor to serve.

In his tenure, Turkey held a pressure-packed presidential election and suffered an earthquake on its southern border that killed 50,000 people there.

In a September interview with The Arizona Republic, Flake joked about the challenge Turkey presents.

Sometimes at a couple of ambassador conferences, Ill look at some of my former colleagues who are in maybe more luxurious posts and think when everything that is going on here that makes it pretty busy, I think sometimes it would be nice to be on some island country or something, he said.

But then I think, Naw, Id be bored in a week. This is extremely challenging and fulfilling. Ive enjoyed it immensely.

Flakes work in diplomacy was no surprise. In the Senate, he was a member of the chambers Foreign Relations Committee.

Turkey was a U.S. ally in the Korean War and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a bulwark against the Soviet Union in 1952. NATO has a major air base in Incirlik, Turkey.

The nation of 82 million is often cast as the bridge, physically and culturally, from the West to the Middle East. That has historically given the country outsized importance in U.S. diplomacy.

Relations between Washington and Ankara have been strained during the leadership of Erdogan, who implemented far-reaching crackdowns after a 2016 coup failed to topple him.

During that time, Turkey has raised concerns in the West over its support for different armed groups in Syria and its closer ties to Russia.

In 2019, for example, Turkey purchased Russian anti-aircraft systems despite heavy objections from the U.S. at the time. Turkey, as a member of NATO, helped block the defense of Poland and other nations in the Baltic region in a move viewed favorably by the Kremlin.

On Flakes watch, Ankara approved the accession to NATO of Finland and Sweden, moves that could help check potential conflicts with Russia elsewhere in Europe.

Getting Turkeys approval on Sweden was especially complicated and was linked to the U.S. decision to sell Turkey F-16 fighter jets and other military equipment for $20 billion.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former US Sen. Jeff Flake plans to quit as ambassador to Turkey
Former White House official accused of being a South Korean agent: USDOJ

NEW YORK (PIX11)  A former Central Intelligence Agency analyst is facing accusations of secretly working as an agent of the Republic of Korea, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Sue Mi Terry, 54, of New York, was arrested Tuesday for failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to violate FARA, officials said.

More Local News

Terry previously worked as an analyst for East Asia issues for the CIA, as the Director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs for the White House National Security Council, and as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council.

After leaving government positions in 2011, Terry worked as an agent for the ROK, officials said.

According to court documents, in 2023, Terry voluntarily told the FBI that she provided the ROK National Intelligence Service with non-public U.S. government information.

In exchange, Terry received luxury goods, a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag, a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, and a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, officials said. The ROK also paid for expensive dinners at Michelin-star restaurants and funding for programs that Terry controlled.

FBI has successfully gained access to phone of suspected Trump rally shooter

Terry was also paid to write articles in the U.S. and Korean press that conveyed positions and phrases dictated by the ROK government, prosecutors said.

South Koreas National Intelligence Service, its main spy agency, said Wednesday that intelligence authorities in South Korea and the U.S. are closely communicating over the case. South Koreas Foreign Ministry separately said it was not appropriate to comment on a case that is under judicial proceedings in a foreign country.

Lee Wolosky, a lawyer for Terry, said in a statement that the allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.

RFK Jr. apologizes after call with Trump leaked

He said she had not held a security clearance for more than a decade and her views have been consistent.

In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf, he said. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.

Terry faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.

The AP contributed to this story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting deaths Tuesday of two people at a home near Alto, a small city in northern Banks County.

The two people were shot and killed by deputies with the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office, according to a news release from the GBI.

The GBI identified the pair Wednesday afternoon as Joshua Everett Emmett, 45, of Alto, and Meagan Victoria Feaster, 33, of Forsyth County. None of the deputies were wounded during the shooting.

The report shows the shooting occurred at a home on Cedar Drive, a small dead-end road in a neighborhood of mostly mobile homes located south of Alto.

Government Security: After previous outbursts, new security measures in place this week at Athens City Hall

Deputies arrived at the home at about 9:30 a.m. and the shooting occurred about 11:05 a.m., after the deputies entered the home, noted the report.

Forsyth County sheriff's spokesperson Stacie Miller released a report that the deputies were serving a felony arrest warrant to a sex offender who had violated the conditions of his probation. The Georgia Sex Offender Registry identifies Emmett as the sex offender. He was convicted in 2012 of child molestation, sexual battery on a child under 16 and statutory rape.

The relationship between Emmett and Feaster was not explained by the GBI.

Besides the GBI investigation, Miller said the sheriff's office will also conduct an internal investigation.

The GBI reported that Banks County sheriffs deputies were at the scene to provide support, but they were not involved in the shooting.

An autopsy has been ordered on the deceased, the GBI reported.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: GBI investigates shooting deaths of two by deputies in Banks County
A Fort Mill church announced Sunday it released its pastor after reviewing court documents from a 1997 sex offense conviction, according to a livestream on the churchs Youtube page.

The former pastor, 57-year-old Donald Ray Logan, is registered as a sex offender in South Carolina because of a conviction in Indiana for felony sexual misconduct with a minor, according to the registrys website. He had worked for Eternal Church in Fort Mill for about a decade, according to the churchs website and a Herald story from 2014.

It is unclear why the church took action in the past week  almost a decade after Logan was hired.

In the churchs livestream of its 9 a.m. service from Sunday, one of the church elders, John Zimmer, confirmed Logan was no longer pastor. The church website states Eternal Church, located on OHenry Lane, is led by elected elders and functions as an independent, reformed church.

The elders released Don Logan from his call as our pastor, Zimmer said in the service video.

The Herald went to Logans home Tuesday to ask about his dismissal. He answered the door, but declined to comment.

Zimmer did not say when the church made its dismissal decision. But the Sunday service video showed him talking about why there was a change related to Dons role as our pastor since the previous Sundays services.

The answer: church leaders reviewed court records from Logans 1997 conviction.

The session, the elders, fully reviewed and had the chance to digest and discuss, the possible implications of a set of court documents from Dons conviction 27 years ago, Zimmer said, adding that church officials would continue to release more information to small groups of members.

The Herald went to the church Tuesday seeking comment from church leaders. A person who identified himself as an elder came to the door and declined to be interviewed, but said the information released Sunday is accurate.

Zimmer acknowledged in the Sunday service video that not all church members feel the same about the issue.

He also said that Isaiah 61 in the Bible speaks about receiving beauty from ashes.

We are standing in ashes, Zimmer said in the video.

Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriffs Office, confirmed to The Herald Logan registered as a sex offender in April from the 1997 Indiana conviction. It is unclear from online registry records why Logan registered in April when hes lived in the area for years and the charges are from nearly three decades ago.

Logans separation from the church and status as registered sex offender in South Carolina was first reported last week by The Fort Mill Sun.
The Fort Worth Independent School Districts Board of Education took vague action on the superintendents contract on Tuesday night after discussing her performance in a closed session. On Wednesday morning, the board released a statement revealing that she had received a $15,000 performance bonus.

The board, in a close vote of 5-4, approved the action but did not elaborate on what the vote entailed regarding Superintendent Angelica Ramseys contract and evaluation. Board President Camille Rodriguez and other trustees declined to comment on the vote when approached by reporters after the meeting adjourned.

On Wednesday morning, a district spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that the board approved a deposit of $15,000 to be made into Ramseys retirement account, which is the lowest amount Ramsey can receive for a performance bonus, according to her contract. Each year, she is eligible to earn between $15,000 to $25,000 at the discretion of the board, payable only in the event that the superintendent meets the goals established by the superintendent and board.

Rodriguez and Trustees Anne Darr, Michael Ryan and Wallace Bridges voted in dissent of this action, which happened after a five-hour closed session that also included discussion on security implementation and real property topics.

I move to approve the superintendents evaluation and contract as discussed in closed session, said Trustee Tobi Jackson, who made the motion.

The Star-Telegram has filed a public information request to the district for the newest version of the contract.

This deposit is based on the Superintendent meeting her Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as outlined in her contract, the Board of Education said in a statement. This decision underscores our commitment to supporting Dr. Ramseys leadership and her ongoing efforts to guide the district towards achieving its goals. We believe this contract modification aligns with our strategic priorities and serves the best interests of the Fort Worth ISD community.

The phrase key performance indicators does not appear in Ramseys latest available contract. She is required to submit a preliminary list of goals and targets for the district on a date mutually agreeable by the board and the superintendent annually for the board to consider and adopt. These goals and targets are among the criteria used during Ramseys performance reviews. District officials have not released what these specific goals and targets are.

She is required to develop progress and constraint measures for these goals for use in monthly progress monitoring sessions with the Board.

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Ramsey, who is approaching two years of employment with the district, was hired in September 2022 and earns $335,000 a year, according to her previous contract. She previously served as superintendent of Midland ISD in western Texas and as superintendent of the Pleasant Valley School District in California for five years. She did not publicly comment on the vote Tuesday.

During public comment, most speakers criticized Ramseys leadership with some accusing her of creating a toxic environment within the district. Estella Williams, president of the NAACP of Fort Worth-Tarrant County, and Amanda Inay, a former Fort Worth ISD teacher who was recognized as district teacher of the year for 2022-2023, were among Ramseys critics who underscored these concerns. Williams said Ramsey failed the district especially the African-American students, and Inay urged trustees to stop the bleed, and end this contract.

Youve failed the district, the community and 75,000 students, and especially the African-American students who you neglected through a lack of proper funding, lack of adequate programs and appropriate focus, Williams said. Just not long ago, you said there would be the focus on African-American students. Were still looking for it. Its too late for us to wait.

Janie Ginn, a Fort Worth ISD taxpayer whose three children graduated from the district, was the one voice who defended Ramsey during public comment. Ginn argued that Ramsey has only had one full school year to pave her own path as superintendent after gathering insights from staff, families and community members. Ginn said the strategic planning process under Ramsey has yielded more opportunities for public input than shes seen in more than 20 years. Other public commenters complained about the delayed release of the districts new strategic plan that was originally scheduled to be complete in April.

This district is a large ship, and it was run aground. And Dr. Ramsey has come in, and shes trying to turn this ship around and get it sailing back, Ginn said. The other thing is, shes not the only person responsible for what happens with our students scores. Shes tried to bring in more parents because we need more parents involved with their own children, supporting them in their education.

After Ramseys last evaluation in July 2023, she received a one-year extension to her contract that was set to expire in 2026. Trustees in January had also tweaked her contract to allow her to disburse certain benefits into a retirement account but made no other changes. The board at the time also made a vague vote that was similar to Tuesdays when approving this.

According to district officials in January, the July 2024 evaluation would align with the Districts strategic goals and the Superintendents performance metrics. Officials did not respond to the Star-Telegram on Tuesday when asked to specify what these strategic goals and performance metrics were.

The contract changes come amid stagnant state test scores released last month, which showed that about a quarter of Fort Worth ISD students across all grades and subject areas had scored on grade level  about the same result as last year. Additionally, the percentage of third-graders who met grade level in reading this year  33%  was the same percentage of students who met that threshold in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted the education landscape into a whirlwind. Third grade has been identified by education experts as a pivotal time in a childs education career where their ability to read proficiently is crucial, as it is the time where students stop learning to read and start reading to learn.

But local and state test scores have been complicated by changes in the grading system and test format in recent years. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exams now include the use of a computer-based grading system to grade the majority of essay questions. The number of Texas students in grades 3-8 who received a zero on constructed response questions this year jumped almost 20% from last year, TEA data shows. About 54% of Fort Worth ISD students in these same grades received a zero on these types of questions this year  a 12% uptick from 2023. Although, a national testing expert previously told the Star-Telegram that the uptick in zeros has appeared in both human-graded and computer-graded tests.

In addition to the new computer-based grading system, the Texas Education Agency redesigned STAAR last year to include more constructed response prompts and fewer multiple choice questions. Chris Rozunick, director of the assessment development division at TEA, had told the Star-Telegram she suspects the new format is more connected to the uptick in zeroes, rather than the computer-based grading system, because the question types are unfamiliar compared with what students have previously seen on the STAAR test.

Another district metric, annual accountability ratings issued by TEA, are in limbo for the 2022-23 school year amid a pending lawsuit that Fort Worth ISD joined in September alongside several other districts statewide. The districts are challenging proposed changes to the A-F accountability ratings that they say change the goalposts retroactively on measures that districts and schools are evaluated on. The STAAR test weighs heavily on accountability ratings.

The 2023 accountability reports are not yet publicly available. The release of these reports is pending judicial ruling and decisions from the 88th Legislature during a special called session, according to the TEA website.

Fort Worth ISD received a B rating for the 2021-2022 school year.
France's far-right leader Le Pen says country is in a 'quagmire' 9 days before Olympics start

FILE - Police vans park outside the National Assembly during the second round of the legislative elections in Paris, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Frances far right leader Marine Le Pen says the country is in a quagmire after the chaotic legislative elections have produced a fragmented parliament and a deeply divided society as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games at the end of the month. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)

PARIS (AP)  With nine days to the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Wednesday that the deeply divided country is "in a quagmire after chaotic legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament.

France has been on the brink of government paralysis since elections for the National Assembly earlier this month resulted in a split among three major political groupings: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, President Emmanuel Macrons centrist allies and Le Pen's far-right National Rally party.

The New Popular Front won the most seats but fell well short of the majority needed to govern on its own. The leftist coalitions three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, have urged the president to turn to them to form the new government. Yet they are feuding over whom to choose as prime minister.

Macron on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers but asked Attal and other government members to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed. There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister, and it's not yet clear when he will do so.

We are in the middle of a quagmire," Le Pen said Wednesday, a day before the new parliament is to meet.

Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate and a leading far-right figure in France, blamed both Macron and the left for the post-election chaos.

She criticized Macron for failing to explain when he plans to replace Attal.

The French people do not know what is happening, Le Pen said in an interview with BFM TV.

The opening session of the 577-member National Assembly, Frances powerful lower house of parliament, is scheduled for Thursday.

The leftist alliance was hastily formed to run in the recent national legislative elections, which were called by Macron after his centrist allies suffered a massive defeat by Le Pens National Rally in the June vote to the European Parliament. It was a gamble Macron made seeking to prevent the far right from gaining power.

Leaders of four parties in the leftist alliance are calling on centrist and other left-wing lawmakers to form a republican dam in the National Assembly that would prevent Le Pen's National Rally from getting any leading positions in the parliament.

Voters, they argued in a Wednesday statement, have given them an extremely clear mandate to firmly oppose the extreme right and its rise."

Le Pen accuses the left and Macron of anti-democratic behavior by denying her partys elected lawmakers important positions in the parliament.

The left-wing alliance is doing enormous harm to democracy, she said.

___

Follow APs global election coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/ and APs Paris Olympics coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The City of Lansing is offering free parking on Michigan Avenue to encourage customers to patronize local businesses despite ongoing construction. From today until Sept. 30, two-hour parking in Lot 8 on the 2000 block of Michigan Avenue will be free. The city-owned lot spans the block between N. Clemens Avenue and N. Fairview Avenue.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Officials say that parking is only free for a maximum of two hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Handicap and safety violations will continue to be monitored and ticketed.

This free metered parking will encourage residents and visitors to shop and eat locally during the construction along Michigan Ave. Offering complimentary parking in this city lot is one way that we can help support small businesses during this construction project, said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. I look forward to a more accessible and pedestrian-friendly corridor after the construction is completed; in the meantime, the free parking will offer some relief to parking challenges for residents and visitors who want to visit these businesses.

Michigan Avenue is currently undergoing significant construction in response to public input. This includes road reconstruction and reconfiguration, sidewalk replacement, traffic signal modernization, and upgrades to utilities like sewer and water mains.

This construction will also convert Michigan Avenue from five lanes to four lanestwo westbound lanes, a center turn lane, and one eastbound traffic lane.

Officials also say that the project will also improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

I would like to express my appreciation and applaud the Mayor for his decision to allow free parking in the construction zone on Michigan Ave. This collaborative effort between the administration and the community is truly commendable, said Lansing City Council member Ryan Kost. I encourage everyone to come down and support our great small businesses by grabbing a book, having a meal, or enjoying the many other great things they have to offer. With the road closed, the free parking behind these establishments will be extremely helpful. I am proud of the work we have done on this issue.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
By Marine Strauss

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The late French Catholic priest Abbe Pierre, a lifelong campaigner for the homeless and the poor, has been accused of sexual assault, the charities he founded said, adding they believed the accusations and stood by the victims of abuse.

Seven women, including one minor at the time, had reported suffering acts that could be interpreted as sexual assault or harassment, a report published on Wednesday by Emmaus International and the Fondation Abbe Pierre said -- the first time the situation has been made public.

It said the victims were employees, volunteers from some of their member organizations or young women in Abbe Pierre's personal entourage.

"Our organizations salute the courage of the people who have testified and, through their words, have enabled these realities to be brought to light. We believe them, we know that these intolerable acts have left their mark and we stand by their side," Emmaus added.

The charities commissioned the report after a woman reported a sexual assault a year ago to Emmaus International, the non-profit movement Abbe Pierre founded in 1949. They asked the Egae group, a firm specializing in violence prevention, to conduct a listening and analysis exercise.

"The Emmaus Movement is making public acts that could be likened to sexual assault or sexual harassment, committed by Abbe Pierre, between the end of the 1970s and 2005," the NGO said in a statement on its website.

Henri-Antoine Groues, known as Abbe Pierre, was a Roman Catholic priest who renounced wealth to campaign for the homeless and became one of France's most revered men before dying aged 94 in 2007.

"These actions profoundly change the way we look at a man known above all for his fight against poverty, misery and exclusion," Emmaus said.

The not-for-profit said it would continue to collect confidential testimonies and provide support to the victims.

The French Bishops' Conference said in a statement on its website that "it is deeply saddened to learn of reports of sexual assaults committed by Abbe Pierre against women who came to work at Emmaus."

The fifth child of a silk merchant, Abbe Pierre gave up his comfortable life to become a monk. He took his nickname Abbe Pierre as a resistance chaplain during World War Two, when he forged ID papers to smuggle refugees out of France.

He began campaigning for the homeless in 1949 and shot to fame in 1954 when he went on air to demand shelter for thousands of people threatened with death during a bitterly cold winter.

(Reporting by Marine Strauss Editing by Jean-Michel Belot and Philippa Fletcher)
Its title-swapping season at Fresno City College. That special time of year when administrators jockey for promotions while the colleges most vulnerable students get the shaft.

Congrats to Dr. Robert Pimentel, the soon-to-be chancellor of the West Hills Community College District following two years as president of Fresno City. And to other administrators set to receive new jobs and responsibilities as a result of his departure.

But before Pimentel returns to Coalinga, he owes a better explanation to 50 current students soon to be made homeless on the streets of Fresno. They deserve to know why FCC administrators, people who are supposed to be looking out for students instead of furthering their own careers, opted to disband a landmark program even though funding was readily available to keep it going.

Because the explanation Pimentel and his communications staff gave for the abrupt end of the Housing Opportunities Promote Education program doesnt hold up to scrutiny. Their paranoid responses and non-answers only raise more questions.

Opinion

Since 2020, some 350 academically qualified FCC students facing housing difficulties have received rental subsidies and move-in deposits through HOPE. The state-funded program also provided academic, mental health, career and financial counseling.

But now HOPE is kaput  either through negligence or willful intent  leaving dozens of students looking for refuge at emergency shelters or stuck with apartment leases they cant afford to pay.

In late June, FCC notified those students via email that their housing subsidies would expire effective Aug. 31, despite our dedicated efforts over the past several months to address a shortfall in funding resources.

It took all of one day for Bee reporter Leqi Zhong to debunk that statement. While reporting her story, Zhong learned about a $620,976 state grant that couldve been used to keep the program going and notified city college officials.

How did FCC respond? By denying the grants existence, twice, then demanding the informations source (which turned out to be the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office.)

Only hours later did Cris Monahan Bremer, FCCs communications director, acknowledge to Zhong that her information regarding the $620,976 was accurate.

Except neither Monahan Bremer, nor Pimentel, would answer questions as to why Californias largest and oldest community college opted to shutter the program despite the availability of state money. Nor if the matter would be reconsidered.

Admins never wanted to know

From the outside, the situation defies logic. Why wouldnt FCC turn over every available rock to continue housing assistance for students such as Jalyssa Jenkins-McGill, a 36-year-old mother of two?

But to those whove seen and experienced the inner workings, this is simply a public peek into how things operate.

Im not naming names, but administrators never wanted to know what was happening, said Natalie Chavez, a former FCC instructor who created and coordinated HOPE until being laid off last month. They never acknowledged the program or offered any institutional investment of any kind.

HOPE began in 2020 (the initial funding kicked in just before the pandemic shutdown) and served 150 students during its 2023 peak. Chavez said she stopped accepting applications in March when it became evident there was no administrative support to continue the program.

Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel is selected as West Hills Community College Districts new chancellor, effective August 1, 2024.

During its four-year run, HOPE fell under the colleges Office of Educational Services & Institutional Effectiveness currently led by Vice President Dr. Ghada Al-Masri. Thats the same position Pimentel held prior to his elevation to president in 2022.

Since then, however, Chavez told me she and Pimentel havent exchanged a single word about the program or the students it served.

It might be hard for the public to accept how administrators can be so detached from the actual work that goes on at ground level, Chavez said. But thats precisely what happened.

In addition to the $620,976 state grant, Chavez claimed there were additional potential funding sources that administrators either overlooked or didnt care to explore. The former FCC instructor specifically pointed to at least $1.5 million allocated to the college by AB 132, a 2021 state law that allocated $100 million for basic needs centers across the community college system.

Our leadership knowingly and intentionally withholds public funds for students  Im willing to say that openly, Chavez said. This is part of a much larger issue at Fresno City College. (HOPE) is my corner of the world. But this is a much larger institutionalized problem.

Pimentels last official day at city college is July 31. Before departing for Coalinga, he needs to be more forthcoming regarding dozens of students about to be made homeless in Fresno.
In recent months, stock splits have stirred up a lot of excitement in an already effervescent bull market. Companies in a wide variety of industries, from retail to technology, have launched these splits to bring down the prices of their shares after a long period of gains. Investors generally applaud stock splits because a lower per-share price makes it easier for a wider range of buyers to get in on the investment opportunity.

Technology giant Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) is the latest to join the list of exciting stock-split players such as Nvidia and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The semiconductor and networking company completed its 10-for-1 split on July 12, and the shares began trading on a split-adjusted basis on July 15. Today, each share trades for about $170, versus $1,600 just a few weeks ago.

Broadcom stock, even at its high per-share price tag, climbed more than 40% in the first half of the year, adding to a triple-digit three-year gain. Now the question is, at its new lower price, what will the stock do next? Let's look to history for some clues.

Image source: Getty Images.

A look at stock splits

First, a quick note on stock splits, in general. A stock split involves the issuance of additional shares -- the number determined by the ratio of the split -- to current shareholders. This, as mentioned, lowers the share price -- but it doesn't change anything fundamental about the company. Even though the price of one share is lower, the move doesn't impact the market value of the company, the value of your holding, or the stock's valuation.

This means stock splits aren't reasons to buy or sell a particular stock. Instead, they're simply mechanical moves to adjust per-share prices.

That said, they can be seen as positive for a company because they make it easier for smaller investors to get in on a particular stock without relying on fractional shares. Stock splits also suggest the company is confident about its future and the likelihood that the stock, from its new lower price, could soar once again.

What does history tell us about what Broadcom stock may do following its recent split? Over time, companies that perform splits have shown market-beating performance in the 12 months following the announcement of a split. Historically, stock-split players have delivered an average total return of more than 25% over this period, compared to a return of just under 12% for the S&P 500, according to Statista, citing Bank of America's Research Investment Committee data.

This doesn't mean investors are buying just because these companies split their stocks. Instead, these companies' solid long-term outlooks may have attracted investors -- and the new, lower per-share price has made it easier for more of these buyers to add the particular stock to their portfolios.

Story continues

Is Broadcom heading higher or lower?

All of this suggests Broadcom could be headed for more gains in the months to come, which is great news if you already hold the stock or are thinking of buying right now. Of course, it's important to remember that history doesn't always repeat itself. It's impossible to predict the performance of any given stock with 100% accuracy. The market and individual stocks could surprise investors negatively or positively at any time.

This is why it's key to look ahead and consider whether a particular stock has what it takes to excel over the coming five to 10 years instead of focusing on short-term performance. If it does, now could be a great time to get in on that player.

So is Broadcom a solid long-term buy? The company is benefiting from the high-growth area of artificial intelligence (AI), but it isn't entirely dependent on it. It's also generating impressive growth from its recent acquisition of cloud software business VMware and is well diversified, selling thousands of products used in areas from data center networking to home connectivity and factory automation.

All of this makes Broadcom, trading at 36x forward earnings estimates, a buy today -- whether it follows history's lead and soars over the coming 12 months or not.

Should you invest $1,000 in Broadcom right now?

Before you buy stock in Broadcom, consider this:

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Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $787,026!*

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Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Adria Cimino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bank of America, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Broadcom Just Split Its Stock. History Says This Is What the Stock Will Do Next. was originally published by The Motley Fool
Fresno Friant Road to close: this is why

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Friant Road is set to close in July, according to officials with the City of Fresno.

Friant Road will close between Shepherd Avenue and south of Audubon Drive for roadwork related to the right turn lane extension project on July 20.

Officials say the full closure of all three southbound lanes of Friant Road is expected to last through Monday, July 22 at 6 a.m., pending any unforeseen delays.

Drivers are advised to utilize Shepherd, Cedar, or Nees Avenues and Fresno Street as a detour or to find an alternate route.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Nebraska voters this fall will see a rare pairing of both U.S. Senate seats on their ballots. In the senior race (top row), U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., is likely to face nonpartisan Dan Osborn. For the junior seat, U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., lower right, will face Preston Love Jr., a Democrat. (Photos courtesy of the candidates; Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

LINCOLN  Nebraskas two U.S. Senate races are drawing millions of dollars from national donors, and most of that money is flowing to Republican incumbents.

The regularly scheduled Senate race this year is the most financially competitive  the one between U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., nonpartisan Dan Osborn and Legal Marijuana Now Party nominee Kerry Eddy.

Fischer raised $679,000 from April 1 to June 30 and has the largest campaign war chest, listing nearly $3 million in cash on hand, according to federal campaign finance reports.

Nebraska U.S. Senate fundraising, second quarter

Pete Ricketts

Pre-primary $108,474

July quarterly $787,147

Cash on hand $1,708,516

Preston Love Jr.

Pre-primary $10,876

July quarterly $36,439

Cash on hand $6,542

***

Deb Fischer

Pre-primary $109,968

July quarterly $569,018

Cash on hand $2,996,473

Dan Osborn

Pre-primary $201,973

July quarterly $833,471

Cash on hand $649,719

Kerry Eddy

Pre-primary $16,384

July quarterly $1,381

Cash on hand $7,786

Source: Federal Election Commission

Osborn outraised her in the second quarter, before and after the May primary, collecting $1.04 million, reports show. His campaign listed having $650,000 in cash on hand.

Eddy raised $17,765 over the same span and listed $7,800 in cash on hand. Her campaign has been dogged for months by allegations that she might leave the race and back Osborn.

Fischer leads in cash

Fischer thanked her supporters for putting her campaign in our strongest position yet for re-election. Like most incumbents, she drew much of her support from people with business in D.C.

As expected, Fischer drew significant support from agricultural interests across Nebraska. She and her family have operated a ranch near Valentine for years, one that her sons run now.

Fischer, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also received significant support from defense contractors.

We have worked hard to visit multiple times with Nebraskans in all 93 counties, secure County Campaign Chairs in each county, invest in a robust door knocking and field effort, and earn endorsements, Fischer said in a statement.

Nebraska Democrats ran no candidate in Fischers race.

Osborn had strong quarter

Like many running for federal office, Osborn, who sought the endorsement of Nebraska Democrats before backing away, collected much of his funding from California, New York and Massachusetts.

Nebraska also ranked among Osborns highest fundraising states. Many political observers questioned whether he could maintain funding support for a nonpartisan bid without an endorsement from a major party.

Osborn, a union leader from Omaha, is known for leading a 2021 strike against Kelloggs. He has stepped away from his job as a steamfitter and is paying himself to run via the campaign.

The last non-Republican Senate candidate to raise more than $1 million in a quarter was Bob Kerrey in 2012. He raised $1.7 million in his race against Fischer, who beat him 58%-42%.

Unlike Deb Fischer, Im not taking corporate PAC money from Pfizer, Boeing, Facebook and JBS, Osborn said in a statement. No ones going to own me when I get to Washington.

Ricketts raises like former governor

The funding gap is wider in Nebraskas second Senate race, which was required when former Sen. Ben Sasse resigned. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a former two-term governor, was appointed to the seat in early 2023. He is being challenged by Omaha civil rights activist Preston Love Jr., a Democrat. The winner will serve the final two years of Sasses six-year term.

Voter registration in Nebraska, as of July 1

Republicans: 607,333

Democrats: 329,797

Nonpartisans: 272,329

Libertarians: 17,996

Legal Marijuana NOW: 7,014

Other: 183

Total: 1,234,652

Ricketts, whose family owns the Chicago Cubs and founded the company that became TD Ameritrade, raised $896,000 in the second quarter. He was the companys chief financial officer.

The Ricketts campaign listed $1.71 million in cash on hand, plus another $556,000 raised by the Pete Ricketts Victory Fund, which helps his campaign. It listed $129,000 in cash on hand.

Ricketts has continued to garner support from many of the states top GOP supporters, as well as national donors, including some PACs supporting business groups.

He also received the support of AIPAC, a group that backs the defense of Israel. He has helped bankroll statewide petition initiative campaigns supporting abortion restrictions and school choice.

Im honored to continue earning the support of Nebraskans, Ricketts said in a statement. This successful fundraising quarter has us well situated to get our message out and continue working hard to earn every vote.

Love seeking David moment vs. Goliath

Love raised $47,000 in the second quarter and listed $6,500 in cash on hand. Loves campaign touted its donations from small donors, real people who the campaign said are excited for a choice in the race. He ran for Senate as a write-in candidate in 2020.

We are up against a candidate with a wealthy family and even wealthier connections, said Sarah Brune, a Love campaign spokeswoman. Our campaign is putting people over politics, and voters are noticing. It will take an all-hands-on-deck effort to defeat our ultra-rich opponent.

Local political observers have questioned whether either race is winnable for candidates outside the majority party in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2-to-1.

One aim of Osborns campaign is a proof of concept for the idea that the Democratic Party label turns off more potential voters than it attracts in Nebraska and other red states.

Some have argued that the nonpartisan slice of Nebraskas electorate includes a sizable portion of disaffected Democrats and former Republicans open to voting against Republicans.
Here is when the funeral is planned for the ex-fire chief killed during the Trump rally shooting

Here is when the funeral is planned for the ex-fire chief killed during the Trump rally shooting

The funeral event for the man who was killed during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump are scheduled for this week - with both private and public remembrances.

A public visitation service in remembrance of Corey Comperatore, is set for Thurdsay in Freeport. A private funeral for friends and family is scheduled for the next day.

Comperatore, 50, was killed when a shooteropened fire on Trump while he spoke at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. According to Comperatores family, he had told them to get down and shielded them from the spray of bullets.

Thursdays public service is set for Laube Hall in Freeport, with visitation from 2pm to 4pm, and then from 6pm to 8pm, according to Redmond Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.

A large procession of potentially 500 fire trucks will also take place to honor Comperatore, a father of two, who was the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Flowers and a tribute to fallen firefighter Corey Comperatore are pictured at the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Station. There are public and private remembrances set for later in the week (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

He was a man that just wanted to protect and serve and love In his last moments, he was shielding his family from the gunfire, Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company 2nd Lieutenant Craig Cirrincione told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

I want people to know the Corey I knew. He loved his wife. His daughters were everything to him, added former Winfield Township Volunteer Fire Chief John Risch.

A candlelight vigil for Comperatore planned for 7pm tonight at Lernerville Speedway is meant to honor his memory, not advance political agendas, according to organizers.

People also can pay their respects at a small memorial outside the fire station. Comperatores colleagues have hung up his turnout gear and draped it in black ribbon as a symbol of mourning, and his name remains affixed to his locker in the back of the building, local outlets reported. Floral tributes have also been left.

A GoFundMe page, set up to help the Comperatore family had raised over $1.2 million as of Wednesday.

On Sunday following the shocking event, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ordered flags across the state be flown at half-staff for the Freeport Area High School graduate and former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company.

Helen Comperatore, widow of Trump rally shooting victim, has spoken to Donald Trump but not Joe Biden (Helen Comperatore/Facebook)

The New York Post initially reported that Trump would attend the funeral, but later sources said he would not be in attendance.

The former president, who has appeared twice at the ongoing Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a patch on his ear, has now spoken to Comperatores widow, Helen Comperatore, over the phone.

President Trump called me to share his condolences. He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead, Comperatore wrote, according to a screenshot of a Facebook post.

I told him the same thing I told everyone else. [Corey] left this world a hero and God welcomed in. He did not die in vain that day.

The grieving widow previously told the Post that she didnt speak to Joe Biden when he sought to make contact with her. I didnt want to talk to him. My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him, she said.
Antonio Tajani (C), Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, poses for a photo with the G7 Ministers ahead of their meeting. Francesco Algeri/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa

Trade ministers of the G7 group of democratic industrialized countries agreed on increased cooperation to deal with market-distorting practices and overcapacity at a meeting in southern Italy on Wednesday.

"We will support diplomatic efforts with those contributing to overcapacity to address the issue at its source, while intensifying engagement with developing countries and emerging markets on our shared concerns on these practices," the concluding statement said.

Part of the enhanced cooperation was to monitor non-market policies and practices as well as to exchange information and consult on respective responses, it said.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck described the talks in Reggio Calabria as important and useful. "In geopolitically challenging times, it is important for us to exchange closely with our partners with the same values," he said.

There has long been conflict between the G7 members and China over the use of unfair trading practices. The European Union and the United States believe that China's state subsidies are leading to domestic overcapacity with overproduction dumped on foreign markets.

The US has imposed punitive tariffs of 100% on electric cars and other products from China, and the EU has levied additional import duties on Chinese electric cars.

Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the group, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Antonio Tajani (L), Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomes Robert Habeck, Germany's Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate, ahead of the G7 Ministers meeting. Francesco Algeri/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa
By Angelo Amante

ROME - Trade ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies said on Wednesday they would use their "trade tools" if needed to counter practices that distort the market, in a statement that hardened language compared with a previous communique.

The G7 ministers met in southern Italy after the European Union imposed tariffs this month on imports of electric vehicles made in China to try to protect the 27-nation bloc's motor industry from Chinese EVs that the EU says are heavily subsidised.

"We will continue to tackle non-market policies and practices, as well as harmful non-market excess capacity and other market distortions resulting from them," said the six-page G7 statement, which made no specific mention of China.

"To that end, we remain committed to effectively using our trade tools, and, as appropriate, develop new tools, to identify, challenge, and counter these practices, and to promote stronger international rules and norms, together with partners," it added.

Wednesday's statement took a tougher line than a final communique published last year after a G7 ministerial meeting in Japan, which focused on discouraging protectionism and market distortion more than on deploying trade tools.

Apart from tariffs, tools to curb unfair practices may include tighter rules to scrutinise foreign investments such as those the EU proposed early this year.

Britain, the only European G7 member that is not in the EU, signalled on Tuesday it was not ready to follow Brussels in imposing levies on Chinese EVs, saying its auto companies had not complained about any unfair practices from rivals.

The ministers, who met in the southern Italian region of Calabria, also said "economic resilience requires de-risking through diversification and reduction of critical dependencies," in an apparent reference to China's dominance of critical supply chains.

"We acknowledge that non-market policies and practices not only undermine the free and fair rules-based international economic order, but may also exacerbate strategic dependencies and vulnerabilities, and hinder emerging and developing countries' sustainable development," the statement said.

The G7 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, and the European Union is also invited to participate.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; editing by Barbara Lewis)
CNN

The animosity between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was on display again Tuesday, when the latter interrupted an interview between McCarthy and CNN on the floor of the Republican National Convention to mock him about not having a speaking gig at the event.

The pair have been sparring for more than a year. Gaetz told colleagues that he led the effort to remove McCarthy as speaker last fall after the then-California congressman revived a House Ethics Committee probe into sex trafficking allegations against him, The Daily Beast reported in January. For his part, McCarthy has said that Gaetz belongs in jail, and at a Georgetown University event in April, told attendees that he is no longer speaker because one person wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old. That congressional probe is ongoing. Federal prosecutors decided not to charge Gaetz in February 2023, and Gaetz has maintained his innocence.

All that came to the forefront during a hostile exchange Tuesday in Milwaukee. As McCarthy was speaking to CNNs Kaitlan Collins, Gaetz burst into frame, badgering McCarthy with rhetorical questions about when he would be speaking at the convention.

What night are you speaking? Are you speaking tonight, or? Gaetz began, a jab at McCarthy not being on the list of speakers, while Gaetz is.

McCarthy, not turning to look at Gaetz, responded: Hes got an ethics complaint about payingsleeping with a 17-year-old.

Gaetz shot back: Hey, if you took that stage, you would get booed off of it. You would get booed off the stage.

EXCLUSIVE: Congressman Matt Gaetz interrupts Former Speaker Kevin McCarthys interview on the floor of the RNC. Gaetz had to be physically held back by security and said Youd get booed off the stage if you were to speak pic.twitter.com/unuY7kMib5  Armstrong Williams  (@Arightside) July 16, 2024

Afterwards, a man behind Gaetzwhose identity wasnt immediately cleartold him to shut up.

Dont be an asshole, he said, prompting the MAGA congressman to reply: I dont even know who you are, man.

It doesnt fucking matter who I am, the man responded. Dont be an asshole.

Prior to Gaetzs interruption, McCarthy had been arguing that the GOP was more united than in 2016.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Game-changing DIY home smear test could be rolled out on NHS

The NHS is looking to roll out a DIY cervical cancer screening kit after a successful trial found it could boost uptake by almost half a million.

Experts believe that the NHS could increase low cervical screening uptake by about 400,000 women a year by offering self-sampling kits.

A trial led by Kings College London and the NHS in north London gave women a vaginal swab kit to use at home that could then be posted back to medics to check, instead of having to undergo a smear test.

Scientists say the DIY cotton bud test is as effective as the smear test at detecting human papillomavirus (HPV), which has no symptoms but can cause cervical cancer.

The self-testing kit is already used in countries that include Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia.

DIY YouScreen cervical cancer test tube - King's College London/PA

The NHS is now considering how to roll out the test across the country as it tries to reverse poor screening rates and reach its pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

The latest figures show that cervical screening uptake among 25 to 49-year-olds, who are invited for check-ups every three years, has slumped to a 10-year low of just 65.8 per cent, while among those aged 50 to 64, who are invited every five years, it was 74.1 per cent.

Experts say women may refuse testing due to a lack of convenient appointments, embarrassment and worries about the test causing pain.

The trial involved providing more than 28,000 women who were due a test with the DIY kits either through the post or from their GP, when they had attended about a separate issue.

About 13 per cent of women returned the kits if they were posted, while 56 per cent did if they had received it from the GP.

More than half of those who returned a sample were at least two years overdue screening.

The researchers said routine rollout of the kits in England could increase screening coverage to 77.3 per cent.

Dr Anita Lim, lead investigator from Kings College London, said they had evidence that the kits were a game-changer.

Crucial to make screening easier

She said: The YouScreen trial has given us the evidence we need to demonstrate that self-sampling helps get more women screened in England. Women who dont come for regular screening are at the highest risk of developing cervical cancer.

It is crucial that we make cervical screening easier by introducing innovations like self-sampling, alongside the current cervical screening programme, to help protect more people from this highly preventable cancer.

Deborah Tomalin, the NHS director of screening and vaccination, said the results of the trial were extremely promising.

She said: The NHS will now be working with the UK National Screening Committee to consider the feasibility of rolling this out more widely across England.

She encouraged anyone due their cervical screening to come forward for a smear test in the meantime.

Women who have HPV identified are offered further tests to rule out cancer, and invited back for another test in a year.

Prof Peter Sasieni, head of the research group at Kings College London and now at Queen Mary University of London, said the UK is well on the way to turning cervical cancer into a rare disease.

He said while the introduction of an HPV jab in schools was offering huge benefits, women born before 1990 still need regular screening as they have not been vaccinated against cervical cancer.

The study was published in the Lancets journal, eClinicalMedicine.

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An Amazon truck makes deliveries in Wheeling, Ill., earlier this year. Some states have passed or considered measures that would impose a fee on retail deliveries in order to provide funding for road maintenance (Nam Y. Huh/The Associated Press).

For decades, states have relied on gas taxes to provide much of the money to maintain roads and bridges. But as cars become more fuel efficient, and some Americans switch to electric vehicles, state leaders say the gas tax wont pay the bills for much longer.

At the same time, many cities have seen their streets crowded with delivery trucks from Amazon and other companies, as consumers increasingly opt to have products delivered to their homes. In a few states, lawmakers think fees on those deliveries could be part of their road-funding solution.

If youre going to be creating wear and tear on our roads, you should help pay to maintain them, said Colorado state Rep. Cathy Kipp, a Democrat who chairs the Energy and Environment Committee.

In July 2022, Colorado became the first state with a retail delivery fee, a charge on all vehicle deliveries to consumers within the state. The fee, which currently stands at 29 cents per delivery, provides funding for highways, bridges, tunnels, electric vehicle charging stations and projects to reduce air pollution and to electrify vehicle fleets and transit systems. It has brought in more than $160 million.

Colorado leaders have had to simplify the law to help businesses comply with it, but they say its largely been a success story. Minnesota enacted its own retail delivery fee in 2023, and lawmakers in New York and Illinois have proposed similar measures. Meanwhile, legislators and transportation officials in several other states have commissioned studies to consider the concept.

Some retailers and Republican lawmakers have argued that the fee hurts consumers, and many businesses in Colorado initially had trouble complying with the law.

The 27-cent delivery fee is not trivial, its effects are not imperceptible, and it greatly affects our citizens  especially those who are already struggling to pay the bills and provide for their families, Republican state Rep. Rose Pugliese, the House minority leader, wrote in a Colorado Springs Gazette guest column several months after the law was enacted.

But backers of the fee say they see growing interest across the country, especially as delivery trucks become ubiquitous in many neighborhoods.

Future-proofing transportation funding

State law in Colorado limits the ways in which lawmakers can expand taxes. With gas tax revenues dwindling, legislators didnt have an obvious solution to pay for roads. They eventually settled on the retail delivery fee, which is not characterized as a tax.

Initially, the program was a struggle for many businesses, due to a requirement that they detail the fee separately on each receipt.

For our medium and small businesses, it was a real complicated thing and very burdensome for them to have to reprogram their software with a whole extra line item, Kipp said.

Last year, Kipp joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to amend the program. They rescinded the requirement that businesses itemize the fee on each receipt and allowed companies to cover the fee themselves rather than breaking it out on each order. They also exempted retailers with less than $500,000 in sales.

Since the fix was adopted, Kipp said she has stopped hearing complaints about the program. Chris Howes, president of the Colorado Retail Council, said he too has not heard any recent gripes.

Weve got it straightened out by now, he said. People have accepted it and moved on.

Amazon did not grant a Stateline interview request, and the National Retail Federation deferred questions to state chapters. Chamber of Progress, a tech industry advocacy group, did not arrange an interview by publication time.

Last year, lawmakers in Minnesota enacted their own retail delivery fee, a 50-cent charge on purchases of more than $100. Lawmakers heard from local governments that they were struggling to maintain their roads and badly needed state aid to make up the gap.

This is trying to future-proof our transportation funding, said Democratic state Rep. Erin Koegel, who sponsored the bill. We keep getting performance grades from civil engineers saying were at a C- or D for our infrastructure. We needed to think about ways to get more revenue in the system.

Koegel said the measure was a compromise. Her initial draft, which did not have a $100 threshold for purchases, was intended to be a deterrent, much like cigarette taxes. She said delivery trucks are increasing congestion in many cities and damaging streets that werent built to support large vehicles. However, lawmakers ultimately decided to limit the fee to more expensive purchases in order to protect lower-income consumers.

Minnesotas fee is projected to generate $59 million in its first fiscal year. The funding will be distributed to cities, counties and towns to help with their road-funding needs.

Traffic throughout the day

Cities and counties in Washington state also have asked for help, and some local leaders have asked state lawmakers to consider a retail delivery fee  or to authorize cities to collect one. State lawmakers commissioned an analysis, published last month, looking at the potential for such a program. The report found that a fee could generate $45 million to $112 million in revenue in 2026, depending on which businesses and orders were covered.

Were now seeing that theres traffic on our system throughout the day, and the growth of these delivery services is a part of that, said Democratic state Sen. Marko Liias, who chairs the Transportation Committee. Weve had a history in transportation of user-based fees. This feels like a mechanism that could help in that regard.

Liias emphasized that some version of the fee is likely to be a big topic of discussion in the next legislative session. He said hes already heard strong arguments on both sides of the issue.

In some areas, the rise in retail deliveries has put the greatest burden on the infrastructure surrounding shipping facilities. Illinois CenterPoint Intermodal Center, the nations largest inland port, connects interstate trucking, railway lines and Mississippi River barges.

There really needs to be a shift in the tax structure, since many of these facilities are not generating the local sales tax youd get at a brick and mortar, said Democratic state Sen. Rachel Ventura, whose district includes the CenterPoint facility. We have a lot of traffic going in and out, and the environmental burden and road repairs and the tax burden fall locally.

Ventura has drafted a bill that would allow communities to assess fees on intermodal facilities  locations that transfer products from one type of transportation to another. Local governments that opted in would be able to spend the funds on roads within five miles of the facilities. The fee, which would be based on the weight of each shipment, is projected to generate $33 million to $68 million per year.

The bill has not passed out of committee, and Ventura said lawmakers are still discussing the path forward amid opposition from the trucking industry.

In New York, a Democratic bill to impose a 25-cent fee on deliveries within New York City has been introduced but remains in committee. Meanwhile, state agencies in Nevada and Ohio have commissioned studies examining the feasibility of retail delivery fees. Those reports have not yet led to legislative action.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.
As Gazas doctors struggle to save lives, many lose their own in Israeli airstrikes

This handout photo taken on May 12, 2023 shows Dr. Adam Hamawy, left, a former U.S. Army combat plastic surgeon who volunteered in Gaza in May and Dr. Mohammed Tahir, a British surgeon, performing surgery on mangled hand from a blast injury at the European General Hospital, in Khan Younis, Gaza. (Adam Hamawy via AP)

BEIRUT (AP)  Dr. Hassan Hamdan was one of the few trained plastic surgeons in Gaza, a specialist in wound reconstruction. His skills were vitally needed as Israels military onslaught filled hospitals with patients torn by blasts and shrapnel, so the 65-year-old came out of retirement to help.

Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike killed him along with his wife, son, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, six grandchildren and one other person, as his family sheltered in their home in an Israeli-declared safe zone.

Israels 9-month-old war with Hamas in Gaza has decimated the territorys medical system. Israeli raids have wreaked physical destruction on hospitals, and health facilities have been hit and evacuated. But also, it has devastated Gazas medical personnel. More than 500 health care workers have been killed since October, either during assaults on hospitals or in strikes on homes, according to the U.N.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas, which it claims has embedded itself in the medical system, using hospitals as military command centers and ambulances to carry fighters. Gazas health workers deny the accusation.

Many of those killed in the campaign have been specialists like Hamdan.

Dr. Ahmed al-Maqadma, also a reconstructive surgeon and a former fellow at U.K. Royal College, was found shot to death alongside his mother, a general practitioner, on a street outside Gaza Citys Shifa hospital after a two-week raid on the facility by Israeli forces in April.

One of Gazas most prominent fertility doctors, Omar Ferwana, was killed along with his family in a strike on his home in October. The territorys only liver transplant doctor, Hamam Alloh, was killed in a hit on his home in Gaza City.

Tank shelling on a northern Gaza hospital during a siege in November killed three doctors, including two doctors working with Doctors Without Borders, according to the group. They are among a total of six staffers from the international charity killed in the war.

Israel has detained doctors and medical staff. At least two have died in Israeli detention, allegedly of ill-treatment: the head of Shifas orthopedics department, Adnan al-Bursh, and the head of a womens hospital, Iyad al-Rantisi. Israel has not returned either mans body. Hundreds of other medical workers have been displaced or left Gaza altogether.

Along with the personal toll, their deaths rob Gazas medical system of their skills when they have become crucial.

Since the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7  which left some 1,200 people dead and 250 kidnapped  Israels campaign has killed more than 38,000 people in Gaza and wounded more than 88,000, according to local health officials. Malnutrition and disease have become widespread as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians cram into squalid tent camps.

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a former U.S. Army combat plastic surgeon who volunteered in Gaza in May, said Hamdans death leaves a significant void that will be hard to fill.

Like many in Gaza, he believes Israel is deliberately destroying the health system. Israel has besieged, raided and occupied at least eight hospitals, causing heavy destruction, and has hit medical convoys and ambulances.

The Israeli army said in a statement that Hamawy's accusation was outrageous.

Israel has accused Hamas of gathering and regrouping its forces in hospitals and has shown evidence of some Hamas presence in hospitals, including weapons caches, a single dead-end tunnel under Shifa hospital and video of militants bringing several wounded hostages to hospitals. But the evidence it has made public has not appeared to show significant command centers.

Under international humanitarian law, hospitals enjoy protected status, but they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes. Even then, any military operations against them must be proportional to the threat and weighed against harm to civilians.

Twenty-three of Gazas 36 hospitals are out of service, and the rest are only partially functioning, according to the latest U.N. figures. Only five field hospitals out of nine are operational. And more than 60% of Gazas primary health facilities have shut down.

Hamdans death leaves only one other specialist in reconstructive plastic surgery in Gaza. Other doctors have had to learn the skills of repairing major wounds on the job amid relentless daily waves of maimed patients.

Hamawy saw firsthand the need during his work in Gaza as part of an international medical team that came to help the territorys health workers.

During three weeks at the European General Hospital in Khan Younis, he said he performed 120 surgeries, more than half of them on children, and all but one of them for treatment and reconstruction of war wounds. Two colleagues at the hospital were killed in strikes on their homes while he was there, and he spoke to doctors who had been released from Israeli detention and described being tortured, he said.

Hamawy said a general surgeon at the hospital stepped in to fill the demand for plastic surgeons, but he had no formal training. Five medical students volunteered with him.

They are doing their best to fill in the gap, Hamawy said.

On July 2, the European General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients, fearing it would be attacked. That left Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah and a field hospital in Rafah as the only facilities able to offer reconstructive surgery, said Dr. Ahmed al-Mokhallalati, Gazas last reconstructive plastic surgery specialist.

Al-Mokhallalati said he has been rushing between hospitals, at one point overseeing treatment for 400 patients in one and 500 in another. At the Rafah field hospital, he was doing up to 10 surgeries a day.

It is a very critical situation, he said.

Hamdan founded the burns and plastic surgery department in Khan Younis Nasser Medical complex in 2002, after serving at the territorys first such unit, at Shifa hospital. He headed the department at Nasser until 2019, when he retired.

When the Israeli army invaded Hamdans home city of Khan Younis in December, he returned as a volunteer at Nasser, Gazas second largest hospital, said his son Osama Hamdan, an orthopedic surgeon. His colleagues said he was cool under pressure. The smile never left his face, said Dr. Mohamad Awad, a surgeon who worked with him.

Soon after, Israeli forces besieged and raided Nasser Hospital, forcing its evacuation. Hamdan was displaced, taking shelter in the home of one of his daughters in Deir al-Balah, further north.

Troops occupied Nasser hospital for weeks, wreaking extensive damage. After they withdrew, the facility was rehabilitated. In mid-June, Hamdan returned home and was discussing returning to work with hospital officials.

On July 1, Israel ordered another evacuation of Khan Younis. Hamdan and his family fled again, returning to his daughters home in Deir al-Balah.

Only hours after they arrived, an airstrike hit the building on July 2  a direct hit with two rockets on my sisters apartment, Osama Hamdan said. He said no one in the family was affiliated with militant groups.

The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on the strike.

Osama was on duty in the emergency room at Nasser hospital when he received the call. His wife and two sons  3 and 5 years old  were among those killed.

I was only able to collect some body parts of my kids and their mother because of how huge the explosion was, he said.

One of his sisters died days later in the hospital from her wounds. Another sister remains in intensive care.

Osama is feeling partially responsible. I had pressed him to leave Khan Younis, he said in a text message, marked with two broken hearts emojis.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Israel ordered the evacuation of Khan Younis on July 1, not July 2, and that the airstrike that hit the building in Deir al-Balah took place on July 2, not July 3.

___

Follow APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Palestinian women mourn their killed relatives after their family house was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Five people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip and in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in the centre, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were continuing operations in the areas concerned. Individuals firing rockets at IDF troops in Rafah had been targeted, the IDF said.

It added that the Israeli Air Force had struck targets in the city on Tuesday from where rockets had been fired at Israel. Terrorists had also been killed in the centre of the Gaza Strip, the report said.

IDF troops had killed a Hamas sniper and another member of the Palestinian militant organization in the north of the region on Tuesday, it said. According to the report, more than 25 targets were hit from the air across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

The Hamas-controlled health authority reported that at least 81 Palestinians had been killed in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.

At least 38,794 people have died and a further 89,364 have been injured since the start of the current war, according to the authority. The figures do not distinguish civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified.

Palestinians search the ruins of a destroyed family house after it was hit by an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Palestinians search the ruins of a destroyed family house after it was hit by an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Carolina home inspector points out major problems in new builds  how to make sure you dont buy a money pit

If youre buying a new build, its fair to assume that the entire home is in great condition.

However, some home inspectors have taken to TikTok to show people how wrong that assumption may be.

One Carolina-based home inspector, ClearVUE Home Inspection, gave a behind-the-scenes look at newly built homes from their professional perspective.

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In a video that went viral in January, a ClearVUE inspector shows the shoddy craftsmanship behind a $1.5 million new build. There was also evidence of heavy water leakage and wooden slats sloppily laying atop one another.

I was more impressed at the fifth grade gingerbread house contest than I am right now, the ClearVUE inspector says in the video. In another video, the inspector points out that there are three things you should consider as a potential buyer before ever even submitting an offer or paying for an inspection: gutters, cracks in the walls, and the age of the home.

Yet, 22% of home buyers waive the home inspection contingency when purchasing a property, according to the National Association of Realtors May 2024 report.

However, many real estate professionals across the board say skipping out on an inspection is a surefire way to find yourself saddled with a money pit.

Why new homes are in bad shape

In the first quarter of 2024, a third (33.4%) of houses for sale were newly built, single-family homes, according to Redfins latest numbers. Thats nearly double the pre-pandemic levels.

The huge demand for homes during the COVID-19 pandemic hasnt gone down much, even as mortgage rates continue to hover around 7%. This may be the reason newly built homes have some structural issues.

There was a marked drop from 2019 to 2020 in terms of quality construction, Michael Cholewa, a Portland, Oregon-based home inspector, told MarketWatch. He added that builders were just trying to build enough housing and they couldnt keep up.

The housing demand, in general, is the main reason so many people skipped out on a home inspection, according to MarketWatch. They wanted to sweeten their offer by skipping the cost and the time to do one.

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Youre always going to find something

The average cost of a home inspection ranges between $300 to $500, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website.

While that adds another pesky cost to the already expensive home buying process, its definitely worth the time and money, says Joe Hunt, a Phoenix-based market manager for Redfin.

Youre always going to find something, whether its brand new or whether its 100 years old, Hunt told MarketWatch.

There are certain things that come up in a home inspection that can be fixed easily and at a relatively low cost. But there are others that arent worth the sales tag.

Manny Angelo Varas, the CEO of a Miami homebuilding firm, told CNBC that a leaky roof or a dilapidated foundation can put you in the $15,000 to $25,000 ballpark range.

Dishonest inspectors

Even if you get a home inspection, you never know if youre going to get an honest practitioner.

For instance, Samantha Barker bought a 1940s-era ranch style house in North Carolina in 2023, after a home inspector told her everything was fine. But according to her since-deleted viral video (which has also been reported on by other news outlets), the inspector lied and she ended up shelling out $65,000 to fix up the homes electrical system and foundation, amongst other things.

Buying a house has ruined me financially, Barker said in her video.

Although there are many honest home inspectors out there, its still nerve-racking to trust a stranger with the assessment of a huge financial purchase.

If youre still a little nervous, there are other ways you can still invest in the real estate market without buying a home.

You can purchase real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are essentially a pool of real estate assets that are traded freely on the stock market exchange. Its possible to invest in REITs with small amounts of money, making it highly beginner-friendly.

Sure, there wont be a roof over your head, but it also means you wont have to worry about a faulty home inspection or paying for major repairs.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Palestinian women mourn their killed relatives after their family house was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Health authorities in the Gaza Strip reported further deaths as the Israeli military said it was continuing operations in the centre and the south of the coastal strip on Wednesday.

The Hamas-controlled health authority said that nine people had died in a town located at the centre region of the Gaza Strip.

Staff at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported that a another nine had died in an Israeli attack on the entrance to a school run by UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

The Israeli military has previously accused Hamas of abusing UN facilities and has attacked UNRWA schools in the past. It has also accused UNRWA of harbouring Hamas militants.

According to UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini, at least eight schools in the Gaza Strip have been struck over the past 10 days, including six run by UNRWA.

Earlier, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that five people had been killed in Israeli attacks on Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip and in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in the centre.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were continuing operations in the areas concerned. Individuals firing rockets at IDF troops in Rafah had been targeted, the IDF said.

It added that the Israeli Air Force had struck targets in the city on Tuesday from where rockets had been fired at Israel. Terrorists had also been killed in the centre of the Gaza Strip, the report said.

IDF troops had killed a Hamas sniper and another member of the Palestinian militant organization in the north of the region on Tuesday, it said. According to the report, more than 25 targets were hit from the air across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

The Hamas-controlled health authority reported that at least 81 Palestinians had been killed in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.

At least 38,794 people have died and a further 89,364 have been injured since the start of the current war, according to the authority. The figures do not distinguish civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified.

Israel launched its ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip after Hamas led unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7 which kiled 1,200 people and included brutal massacres of civilians.

Palestinians search the ruins of a destroyed family house after it was hit by an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Palestinians inspect the destroyed Abdullah Azzam Mosque after an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Genoa Township family's septic woes began with new bike trail. Now they wash dishes outside

Mike and Amanda Anderson live in a nice home along a busy street, just north of Westerville. Their family of five can walk a short path from their backyard to Hoover Reservoir, one of Columbus' main sources of drinking water and a recreational haven, including a 5-year-old bike path.

The Andersons claim that Westerville hit one of the arms of their septic tank when it installed the bike path.

Mike and Amanda Anderson with children, Dakota, 14, and Liam, 10 outside their Genoa Township home, beside which septic sewage burbles up when they take showers or wash dishes.

Their Genoa Township home is supplied with water from Del-Co Water Co., which serves Delaware County and parts of four surrounding counties.

Amid this abundance of water is a dry irony: Even though their spigots produce ample pressure and volume, the Andersons are unable to use much of it without a foul, burbling stream of waste pushing from their septic tank cover, spilling into the yard.

"Logistically, it's been a nightmare, but our system worked fine before they made the (bike) path," Mike Anderson said. "We didn't cause it."

Their problems began, they say, about seven years ago when the city of Westerville installed a multiuse path on Columbus property around the reservoir. In doing so, discharge pipes from the Andersons' home that would have extended under the now-paved Big Walnut Trail broke.

The low-point section of the Big Walnut Creek Trail under which the Anderson's septic lines ran before they were sealed off about five years ago.

When a passing bicyclist complained about the nuisance and smell, a sanitary engineer with the Delaware General Health District investigated and told Anderson to seal off the broken outlet pipes. He did so, he said, capping the ends with concrete.

But shortly after, the foul-smelling discharge began to surface.

"Our system has nowhere to discharge. We're plugged up. It comes right out of the tank," Anderson said. "If you take more than a two-minute shower, this is what happens. This floods, and it stinks, and you can't stand outside."

A spokesman for the health district justified the decision to prevent septic discharge.

"Shortening the end of the line to eliminate the surfacing of sewage would eliminate the indirect connection to the reservoir allowing the homeowner to have more time to work on a permanent solution," according to a health department statement to The Dispatch.

The smell is embarrassing when the Andersons have guests. And year-round it requires them to live like pioneers, or at least to forgo household conveniences.

They hand-wash dishes outdoors when the weather's warm. In the cold, they use paper plates and plastic cutlery.

Amanda Anderson cleans dishes with son, Liam, 10, outside their Genoa Township home. In the winter, they use paper plates and plastic cutlery. They blame Westerville's placement of Blacklick Trail for their broken septic system, requiring the austerity measures.

They take minute-long showers. Any more than that tops out of their septic tank. And unleashes the smell.

"It's like a farm," says Amanda Anderson, politely. But on this hot summer day, it's overpowering.

The family has been trained to flush only occasionally, and then with bricks and other objects in the toilet's reservoir tank to displace the water flow.

Washing clothes requires running a hose from the washing machine outlet into the backyard. Or bringing dirty clothes to their relatives for washing.

Tangled jurisdictions

The home at 7111 Sunbury Road is in Genoa Township in Delaware County. Neither the county engineer nor Westerville city engineer's offices have been helpful, Anderson said. He would like to tap into the sewer lines of either, but getting permission has been a struggle  and the cost to do so prohibitive.

To use its sewer lines, Westerville would require the Andersons to annex their property into the city from Genoa Township. But it is not contiguous to city property, a requirement for annexation, City Engineer Nathan Lang said.

"Even if it could be annexed, which is not possible, (Westerville) sanitary sewer is not contiguous to the property nor in practical proximity," Lang said.

The Delaware County Regional Sewer District told the Andersons that tapping into its system would be unrealistic because: "The nearest public sewer is over 1,000 feet away and would involve at least two road crossings and atleast four property crossings," according to an engineering assessment.

The city of Columbus, which owns the reservoir and has concerns about what ends up in it, has no easy solutions either. Allowing the septic pipes to re-release closer to the reservoir would not be permitted.

A proposal to build a raised-earth mound system to release the wastewater nearer the family home is an option, but one that Columbus won't approve without detailed plans. The city also hasn't told the Andersons what it will cost to lease the Columbus property to operate the system.

"They won't even give us a ballpark price," Mike Anderson said.

"All on-lot (septic) systems eventually fail and require a lot of maintenance," said Lorraine Krzyzewski, watershed manager for Columbus. The city "doesn't have any record that the (home's) system was ever approved to be installed on city property."

Krzyzewski said the city empathizes with the Andersons' plight and has shown restraint.

"We've given the homeowners many years to come up with a solution. Given the limited options, the city did show some grace by allowing the new system to be located on our property, she said.

Ultimately, the Andersons want someone to claim responsibility for the initial septic line break and to offer help.

"There has been no evidence that shows that the path installation damaged the resident's system either directly or indirectly," Lang, Westerville's engineer, told The Dispatch.

Yet earlier this year, Genoa Township Trustee Renee Vaughan said Lang told her "that Westerville hit one of the arms of your septic tank when they installed the bike path.

"I'm willing to call him out on this," said Vaughan, insisting that Lang has contradicted himself. "I know that he admitted it to me, and there are a lot of other people who have come to the same conclusion, saying 'Let's be honest. We all know that Westerville hit the lines.'"

Given the collective restrictions and limitations that various jurisdictions have placed on the family, "It's been a government take," Amanda Anderson said. "And really, legally, they are supposed to make up for what they've put on us. And they haven't."

She can't help think that more expensive homes would have more influence in such matters.

Amanda Anderson holds some of the files and correspondence about the septic system problems they've endured over the past five years.

"If it were any other house around Hoover, they would probably find a solution," Amanda Anderson said.

Trustee Vaughan, who has no authority to correct the problem, has been working with others to do so.

"Everybody who talks to them says, 'I feel so bad,'" she said. "But they're refusing to do anything for them. Somebody needs to concede and help these people."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville bike path causes septic woes for Genoa Township family
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) chairs the Federal Cabinet in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday finalized the 2025 budget after weeks of wrangling, sending the 480.6 billion ($526 billion) package to parliament for approval.

The budget has been the subject of weeks of tense negotiations within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious - and unpopular - three-party coalition.

The 480.6 billion total is about 8 billion less than this year.

The budget now must be passed by lawmakers, likely in a vote to be held in November.

The initial framework proposal, which was agreed by the coalition leaders earlier this month, came under fire by critics who said it did not do enough to bolster the military and spur growth.

But Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Wednesday hailed the agreement as the "start of the economic turnaround" for Germany, as the Cabinet also decided on several economic policy stimuli to boost the recent weak growth.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives to attend the Federal Cabinet meeting in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Christian Lindner, German Minister of Finance, attends the Federal Cabinet meeting in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Germany's Cabinet has decided to tighten the country's Aviation Security Act in order to prevent radical climate activists and others from carrying out dangerous actions at airports.

"Anyone who trespasses on airport premises, glues themselves to taxiways and thus massively obstructs air traffic is not just risking their own life," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday. Such incidents are also dangerous for many bystanders.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing said that he hoped "this tightening of the law will deter activists and that there will be no disruptions during the current peak travelling season."

The core of the planned reform, which still has to be agreed by the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, is the creation of a new provision that makes "intentional, unauthorized intrusion" on an airport's tarmac and runways a punishable offence - if it impairs the safety of civil air traffic.

For example, anyone who cuts through a fence and then blocks a runway will in future face a prison sentence of up to two years, or a fine. Attempts will also be punishable. Previously, only a fine was due in such cases.

Intentional, unauthorized intrusion into the part of the airport that experts call the "airside" is to be punishable by up to five years in prison in future if someone is carrying a weapon or toxic substances or if the aim is to facilitate or conceal another criminal offence.

Unauthorized actions by climate activists have taken place at a number of German airports, including Munich and Berlin.
German Climate activist Anja Windl holds a banner with the inscription "Listen to the Climate Council"during a protest in Vienna. German climate activist Anja Windl has been freed in Austria after serving a 42-day custodial sentence in lieu of a fine.The protest group Last Generation Alliance said the 27-year-old had left the police detention centre in Vienna on Tuesday with a fellow activist. Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa

German climate activist Anja Windl has been freed in Austria after serving a 42-day custodial sentence in lieu of a fine.

The protest group Last Generation Alliance said the 27-year-old had left the police detention centre in Vienna on Tuesday with a fellow activist.

The young women had taken part in sit-in blockades and other climate protests and had not complied with police requests to leave the gatherings. The activists were given prison sentences at the beginning of June because they were unable to pay the high fines that had been imposed by the court.

The two women complained of poor conditions during their detention. "We increasingly had to deal with very itchy rashes," said Windl, according to a Last Generation press release.

They had demanded medical treatment for weeks until they were eventually diagnosed with scabies in a clinic. Other inmates at the centre were also affected by the rash.

For Windl, who was born in Bavaria and has lived in Austria for several years, imprisonment was the lesser of two evils. "It's shitty here, but doing nothing is much shittier," she said.

She insisted that the protests would continue until the Austrian government began to address the establishment of a fundamental right to climate protection.

For Windl and her fellow campaigners, the release is just a pause before their next spell of detention in around six months. They are then reportedly facing another 42 days of imprisonment because several tens of thousands of euros in fines still remain unpaid.

Last Generation has announced it intends to cause massive disruptions at airports with globally coordinated protests on July 27.
After lengthy debate, the German government has approved a draft budget for 2025 in which the amount of aid for Ukraine is half that allocated in 2024.

Source: European Pravda citing German media outlet Spiegel

Details: The German federal government has adopted the draft budget for 2025, which includes measures to stimulate the economy, and is submitting it to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament.

Planned expenditure, subject to the maximum expenditure threshold (known as the debt brake), is 480.6 billion. However, new debts of more than 94 billion are still planned for 2024-2025. New borrowing in 2025 will amount to 43.8 billion.

The Bundestag will start considering the draft in September and is expected to approve the supplementary budget for 2024 on 8 November and the 2025 budget on 29 November. Amendments may be made up until then.

The draft provides for a 1.3 billion increase in defence spending, bringing it to over 53 billion. This is less than what Defence Minister Boris Pistorius originally wanted (he insisted on 6 billion), and there will likely be a heated debate in parliament on increasing defence spending.

In addition to the defence budget itself, 22 billion from a debt-financed special fund is earmarked for upgrading equipment for the German military.

Up to 4 billion has been allocated for military aid to Ukraine, compared to almost 8 billion in the 2024 budget.

A few days ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the coalition's compromise on the federal budget for 2025 despite criticism from the opposition.

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FILE - People attend a protest against pollution and the exploitation of a lithium mine in western part of the country, in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sept. 11, 2021. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Serbia later this week to discuss a tentative deal with the Balkan country for the controversial excavation of lithium, a critical substance in making batteries for electric vehicles. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Serbia later this week to discuss a tentative deal with the Balkan country for the controversial excavation of lithium, a critical substance in making batteries for electric vehicles, officials from both states confirmed Wednesday.

Germany, the largest carmaker in Europe, is seeking to secure lithium for its electric vehicle makers as the European Union struggles to reduce its dependence on imports from China.

China currently dominates the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.

Serbias constitutional court earlier this month overturned a previous ruling to cancel a $2.4 billion excavation project launched by British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto in western Serbia, which is believed to be the the largest lithium discovery in Europe.

The Serbian government's decision to cancel the excavation plans came after thousands of protesters in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia in 2021 blocked major roads and bridges to oppose Rio Tintos plans because of potential hazards to the environment. The protests were the biggest challenge yet to the increasingly autocratic rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The protest leaders have pledged to restart their protests if the government's new lithium excavation plans are implemented. Serbias interior minister said that police will not allow any more blockades of roads or railway lines.

German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Scholz and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic will attend a critical raw materials summit on Friday where a memorandum of understanding between the EU executive and Serbia on a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery supply chains and electric vehicles will be signed.

There will also be a letter of intent signed by the Serbian government and several companies related to the lithium mining project, he said.

The memorandum will contain a commitment to high environmental and sustainability standards, Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin. He noted that the Serbian government has responded to criticism from the region and said it is good and important that there are now higher standards for the project.

Vucic and other Serbian officials have said the lithium excavation will go ahead if Germany and other EU states build factories for their car batteries in Serbia, rather than directly exporting raw materials to those countries.

I dont see whats wrong with that," Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said referring to the tentative deals that are to be signed. That means we have an advantage in our hands.

Scholz will be a rare EU leader to visit Belgrade as President Vucic has mostly been shunned by Western officials because of his close relations with China and Russia despite the war in Ukraine, an increasing crackdown against independent media, accusations of rigged elections and veiled military threats against neighboring states.



Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.
Mika Beuster, new Federal Chairman of the German Journalists' Association (DJV), stands in front of flags at the DJV association conference. The German Journalists' Association (DJV) has decided to boycott the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Ulf Vogler/dpa

The German Journalists' Association (DJV) has decided to boycott the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, dpa has learned, a move that comes just weeks ahead of elections in several German states that could see the AfD come out on top.

According to a position paper issued by the DJV's federal board and made available to dpa, the union states it won't "hold political discussions with representatives of anti-constitutional parties or groups" regardless of their elected positions.

Nor will DJV representatives be sent to events initiated or controlled by anti-constitutional parties and organizations associated with them, the statement continues.

So far, the new provision, which is not binding for the association's members but reflects the stance of the executive board, applies to the AfD, but could be expanded to include further parties in future, the DJV said.

Voters are set to cast their ballots in September state parliamentary elections in the eastern states of Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia, where the anti-immigrant AfD is expected to make a strong showing and contend for first place.

In Saxony and Thuringia, the AfD's state-level groups have been classified as confirmed far-right extremist, while domestic intelligence is monitoring the party as a suspected extremist group at national level.

The DJV, a professional association and union, is one of the largest media organizations in Germany. It has some 27,000 members, though numbers have been on decline in recent years.
Aftermath of the Russian attack on the Okhmatdyt childrens hospital in Kyiv. Photo: Kyiv City Military Administration

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will allocate 10 million for the rebuilding of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital damaged by a Russian missile on 8 July.

Source: European Pravda citing a Rheinische Post interview with Svenja Schulze, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development

Quote: "The destruction of the children's hospital shows how ruthlessly and inhumanely Russia is waging this war of aggression... We must not and will not accept that this place of treatment for children with cancer in Ukraine no longer exists. We have offered the Ukrainian government support in rebuilding the hospital so that children can quickly receive the necessary treatment again."

Details: This funding, along with contributions from other sponsors and donors, will be used to restore the hospital's operations and prepare it for winter. It includes repairs and maintenance of facades and medical facilities and ensuring electricity and heating supply.

Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, thanked Germany for its assistance.

He noted that Russia has completely destroyed over 210 medical facilities in Ukraine and seriously damaged more than 1,600 since February 2022.

Background:

Recently, Lithuania donated 1 million for the rebuilding of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.

Remi Duflot, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Ukraine, stated that the EU will help Ukraine rebuild the Okhmatdyt hospital.

In addition, Sweden is preparing to allocate an additional 5 million Swedish kronor (over US$470,000) as urgent humanitarian aid for those affected by the Russian attack on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.

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Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine despite possible Trump White House

By Maria Martinez and Holger Hansen

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, despite concerns that U.S. support for Kyiv could potentially diminish if Republican candidate Donald Trump returns to the White House.

German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters.

Germany hopes Ukraine will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 billion in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets approved by the Group of Seven, and that funds earmarked for armaments will not be fully used.

"Ukraine's financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Wednesday at a news conference.

Washington pushed to "front load" the loans to give Ukraine a big lump sum now.

Officials say EU leaders agreed to the idea in part because it reduces the chance of Ukraine being short of funds if Trump returns to the White House.

Alarm bells rang across Europe this week after Trump picked Senator J.D. Vance, who opposes military aid for Ukraine and warned Europe will have to rely less on the United States to defend the continent, as his candidate for vice president.

Trump sparked fierce criticism from Western officials for suggesting he would not protect countries that failed to meet the transatlantic military alliance's defence spending targets and would even encourage Russia to attack them.

Germany has faced criticism for repeatedly missing a NATO target of spending 2% of its economic output on defence.

DEPLETED MILITARY STOCKS

The stocks of Germany's armed forces, already run down by decades of underinvestment, have been further depleted by arms supplies to Kyiv.

So far, Berlin has donated three Patriot air defence units to Kyiv, more than any other country, bringing down the number of Patriot systems in Germany to nine.

Germany's fractious coalition of left-leaning Social Democrats, pro-business liberals and ecologist Greens has struggled to comply with NATO's spending target due to self-imposed rules that limit the amount of state borrowing they can take on.

Although military aid to Ukraine will be cut, Germany will comply with the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence in 2025, with a total of 75.3 billion euros.

Days after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a "Zeitenwende"  German for historic turning point - with a 100 billion euro special fund to bring the military up to speed.

From this special fund, there will be 22.0 billion euros more for defence, plus 53.3 billion euros in the regular budget, still less than that sought by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The defence budget is set to receive a meagre 1.3 billion euros more than in 2024, far below the 6.7 billion euros requested by Pistorius.

As ever-increasing annual operating costs outpace this rise, the defence ministry is being forced to cut ammunition orders for 2025 by more than half, reduce procurement by 260 million euros and research and development by over 200 million euros.

The budget for 2025 comes with the mid-term financial planning until 2028, the year when the armed forces' special fund to meet NATO's minimum spending goals is due to run out and 80 billion will be needed for defence, as noted in the financial plan.

In 2028, there is a gap of 39 billion euros in the regular budget, of which 28 billion euros are needed to comply with the NATO target without the special fund, sources from the finance ministry said.

Decisions on how the hole will be plugged are not likely to be taken until after the 2025 election.

"The 80 billion euros that have been put on display for 2028 simply do not exist," said Ingo Gaedechens, member of the parliament's budget committee from the conservative opposition party CDU.

"The coalition is not even trying to cover this up but are openly admitting it."

($1 = 0.9192 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Martinez and Holger Hansen, additional reporting by Sabine Siebold, editing by Miranda Murray and Christina Fincher)
For decades, South Africa has been China's top source for metals such as gold, diamonds and platinum but now Beijing is opening up to more agricultural exports as it moves to reduce its dependency on countries such as the United States and Australia.

The newly appointed Chinese ambassador, Wu Peng, told local media that Beijing was implementing measures to fast-track food exports

"This year, we are working hard with the South African side towards signing export protocols for yet more South African goods, including wool, dairy products, pet food, and wild aquatic products," Wu told IOL News.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"The Chinese government is committed to advancing high-level opening-up. We are ready to share our mega-sized market with all countries, including South Africa."

South Africa has been China's largest trading partner in Africa for 14 consecutive years, and in the first half of this year, the value of that trade hit US$27.5 billion, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

In the same period, imports from South Africa rose by 10.7 per cent to US$17.29 billion year on year, but Chinese exports to the African nation dropped by 18.6 per cent in that period to US$10.2 billion.

South Africa's exports to China are predominantly minerals or metals, but more recently it has started buying products such as soybeans, wine, rooibos tea, aloe gel and citrus fruits.

And later this year, South Africa is expected to start exporting avocados after the two countries signed a deal at the Brics Summit in Johannesburg last year.

Derek Donkin, chief executive of the South African Subtropical Growers' Association, said Chinese inspectors were coming to South Africa this month for a final inspection before exports could start.

"We hope to be able to send the first shipment soon after that if the inspection goes well," Donkin said.

South Africa will become the third African country after Kenya and Tanzania to export avocados to China.

Wu said some South African agricultural products, including wine, rooibos tea and aloe gel, were already very popular in China.

China plans to help African countries boost productivity to increase rural incomes. Photo: Bloomberg alt=China plans to help African countries boost productivity to increase rural incomes. Photo: Bloomberg>

Story continues

Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said there had been increased exports of wool to China although some export markets temporarily closed due to concerns related to foot and mouth disease in 2022 and 2023.

"The impact of those temporary closures is visible on export volumes of wool. In 2022, South Africa's wool exports fell by 19 per cent year-on-year to 42 239 tonnes. The major decline in volume was in the Chinese market," Sihlobo said, adding that exports recovered 18 per cent year on year in 2023.

Lauren Johnston, an associate professor at the University of Sydney's China Studies Centre, said the initial focus was expected to be on increasing exports of products for which there is demand, such as chillies, nuts, avocados and citrus fruits.

It also wants to help African countries improve productivity to help boost rural incomes, employment and food security.

Johnston also said that Beijing wanted to increase trade with African countries to reduce its dependence on countries such as the US and Australia - particularly for products such as soybeans.

China has the world's largest number of pigs and soybeans are a vital source of food for the animals. Johnston noted that the price of pork was "typically the key political or social protest risk metric in China".

She also said China would benefit by importing products such as wool and pet food from South Africa because it would free up arable land for use at home.

"Anything that reduces pressure on China's arable land and agricultural productivity without creating or deepening trade dependencies is good for China," Johnston said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Germany's military aid for Ukraine will be cut by half next year, according to a draft 2025 budget document reported by Reuters on July 17.

Berlin will provide Kyiv with around 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) this year but will only give 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025.

The move comes amid increasing concern that a Donald Trump victory in the upcoming U.S. presidential election will see a dramatic cut in Washington's support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression.

According to Reuters, Berlin is hoping that the shortfall will be made up by the profits from frozen Russian assets.

Last month, G7 leaders eventually came to an agreement on a plan to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan by the end of the year, backed by the incurred interest from the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets.

The sum, which Ukraine hopes to receive by the end of the year before a potential return of Trump to the White House, includes a $20-billion pledge by the U.S. and the EU each, Kyodo News reported on July 17.

Japan, Canada, and the U.K. are expected to cover the remaining $10 billion. Ottawa previously said it is ready to shoulder $5 billion of the loan.

The selection of Ohio Senator J. D. Vance as Trump's running mate this week has further raised concerns over the future of U.S. support for Ukraine.

One of the most vocal opponents of U.S. aid to Ukraine, Vance has an extensive back catalog of statements indicating a dramatic shift in White House policy from the current Biden administration.

Read also: I dont care  JD Vance on Ukraine, in his own words

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Germany plans to cut support for Ukraine by half in 2025  Reuters

The compromise draft budget, which the German government is expected to approve on Wednesday after lengthy debates within the coalition, includes two times less funding to support Ukraine than in 2024.

Source: European Pravda; Reuters, citing a draft document seen by the news agency

Details: The German government is due to finally approve the 2025 budget on Wednesday, after lengthy negotiations that have proved a challenge for the traffic light coalition in the face of the need to keep the national debt within the established limits. [In German politics, a traffic light coalition (Ampelkoalition) is a coalition government of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Alliance 90/The Greens  ed.]

Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner had insisted that expenditures needed to be limited after higher spending during the coronavirus pandemic and the energy crisis.

The draft budget reportedly allocates 4 billion for military aid to Ukraine, compared to 8 billion in 2024.

Background:

Earlier, it was unofficially reported that the project still has a 17 billion deficit.

A few days ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the coalition's compromise on the federal budget for 2025 despite criticism from the opposition.

Last week, Germany reported that it had sent Ukraine ammunition for the Patriot air defence missile systems and Leopard 1 main battle tanks.

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Insights from Reuters, Deutsche Welle, Semafor, and Center for Strategic and International Studies

The News

Germany plans to halve its military aid for Ukraine next year, marking a cut of roughly 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in aid from Kyivs biggest financial supporter in Europe.

Berlin hopes that Kyiv will be able to meet its military demands with the $50 billion loan backed by the profits from frozen Russian assets agreed upon by G7 leaders in June.

The move underscores the uncertainty surrounding Western countries willingness to continue funding Ukraine, even as Europe fears Republican candidate Donald Trump could end the US support if he returns to the White House. The aid cut in the draft budget was reported by Reuters and Der Spiegel on Wednesday. The draft budget still needs to be approved by the Bundestag, Germanys parliament.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Ukraines funding for 2025 remains very uncertain

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, Semafor

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, the government in Kyiv has lived hand to mouth, relying on emergency cash transfusions and repeatedly saying it is just weeks away from critical funding gaps. Ukraine faced a shortfall of $40 billion this year, and it still has a roughly $10 billion budget deficit that is yet to be covered. Beyond 2024, more questions remain. Ukraines Finance Minister said the financial outlook for next year was very uncertain, as the countrys budget gap is expected to grow by as much as $12 billion due to the impact of the war. Looming in the background is the uncertainty about whether the US will be able to pass another funding package for Ukraine, especially as one of the biggest Ukraine skeptics in the Senate, JD Vance, sees his star ascend as Trumps vice-presidential pick.





Questions remain about German commitment

Sources: Deutsche Welle, DR, Kiel Institute

The Christian Democrats, the largest opposition party, has criticized the German government for fudging the numbers on Ukraine aid. One CDU politician told Deutsche Welle there is a major discrepancy between what Germany promises to Ukraine and what it actually sends, noting that it included its support for Ukrainian refugees in Germany in its calculations for what it sends in aid to Ukraine. Experts have argued that Denmark has also been massaging its numbers, incorporating aid to Ukraine in its defense budget in an effort to convince allies that it is spending enough on its own military. Across the board, only slightly more than half of the heavy weaponry Ukraine was promised had actually been delivered, the Kiel Institute said last year.





Amidst funding uncertainty, some European countries seek creative solutions

Sources: Bloomberg, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Some European countries have proposed that the EU should borrow money collectively as a way to gather the resources needed to support Ukraine and ramp up the blocs defense industry. While the plan has support from countries including France and Estonia, Germany and other frugal European countries oppose the plan. Without it, countries with serious budget deficits like France will be unlikely to significantly increase their current levels of aid, the Center for Strategic and International Studies Max Bergmann argued. All Europe can talk about is what happens when Trump wins, yet little action is being taken to potentially fill any gap in support left by the United States in 2025, he said.
A giant cheese statue of Donald Trump has popped up during the RNC

Some delegates are embracing former president Donald Trump's arrival in the cheese state in perhaps the most Wisconsin way possible: a carving of his head in a giant block of cheese.

On Tap, a restaurant inside the Brewhouse Inn & Suites, 1215 N. 10th St., debuted the sculpture Tuesday night at a party for delegates at the Republican National Convention. The hand-carved sculpture was a "special surprise" for party attendees, the restaurant said in a news release.

A cheese replica of former president Donald Trump debuted at On Tap in Brewhouse Inn & Suites in Milwaukee during the RNC on July 16.

The sculpture appears to honor Illinois delegates at the RNC. It consists of a cheese replica of Trump's head in front of a cheese-shaped outline of the state, festooned with cheesy letters reading "RNC 2024," all topped off with star-shaped cheese cubes.

"Our team takes great pride in showcasing our local flavors and providing exceptional service in a setting that reflects Milwaukee's rich brewing history," Keanen Kopplin, the restaurant's general manager, said in a news release about the event.

Delegates were seemingly able to resist the urge to nibble off Trump-shaped bits of cheese throughout the night: the intact sculpture reappeared at the Illinois delegation's Wednesday morning meeting. Delegates recited the Pledge of Allegiance to a flag waving over the cheesy former president, according to a video posted to X by Amanda Vinicky, a correspondent for WTTW, Chicago's PBS station.

The Illinois Republican National Convention delegation begins its morning meeting each day with a prayer followed bg the Pledge of Allegiance. Behold this mornings scene, in which the American flag waves above former Pres. Trump carved into a massive block of cheese. #Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/QJOWprj3mF  Amanda Vinicky (@AmandaVinicky) July 17, 2024

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giant cheese statue of Donald Trump featured at 2024 RNC events
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW)  The FOX 8 I-Team has found another mental health evaluation scheduled for the woman charged with stabbing and killing a toddler outside a North Olmsted grocery store.

This comes after the I-Team exposed a mental health check not done before the murder.

The case is also leading to discussion statewide about how courts handle mental health cases.

Tuesday, defense lawyers told a Cuyahoga County judge Bionca Ellis is incompetent to stand trial. Prosecutors now want their own test done.

Ellis has been charged with killing Julian Wood, attacking the boy and his mom outside of a Giant Eagle store.

Inspector: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority didnt manage lead hazards or report sickened children

While defense lawyers argue Ellis is incompetent for trial, Cuyahoga County prosecutors want her evaluated by the court psych clinic.

Meanwhile, weeks ago, the I-Team revealed Rocky River Judge Brian Hagan had released Ellis from jail without a mental health check even though a magistrate had called for that. She had been in jail violating probation on a case, and her release happened days before the murder.

At this point, Ms. Ellis is incompetent and not able to assist in her defense. So, were asking the court to have her referred to Northcoast Behavioral, so she can be restored to competency, defense attorney Fernando Mack said.

Man charged after woman says she was held against her will, assaulted: Akron police

But, a county judge agreed she should also be evaluated by the court clinic. He set another hearing next month.

Ellis is pleading not guilty.

Whats happened in this case has led judges and others in the justice system to start taking a hard look at how the system might be improved in how it handles suspects with mental health issues.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Facing a lawsuit that threatened an expensive redesign of ballots for the upcoming election, Orange County Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean turned to a close friend to represent his office in court.

The supervisor, appointed to the post by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, inked a no-bid deal with Michael Sasso, a Winter Park attorney, to represent the office in a case that could open next months Democratic primary to all voters.

Sasso previously was a governors appointee to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board, and was a member of the board when it hired Gilzean. Prior to Sassos appointment, he listed Gilzean as a reference in a questionnaire he sent to the Gov. Ron DeSantis office. He also was the best man in Gilzeans wedding.

Christopher Heath, a spokesperson for the Supervisor of Elections office, said Sasso was hired due to his experience litigating cases similar to the fast-moving legal action regarding the Democratic primary that had landed in front of Chief Judge Lisa Munyon.

In a written statement, Gilzean said Sassos representation has been effective.

The litigation was filed as an emergency lawsuit asking a court to put a halt to the printing and distribution of ballots in the August 20th Primary Election, Gilzean said. My primary concern was to avoid disruption to the election process and preserve public confidence in the results. Our legal team did that by forcing the Plaintiff to abandon that demand. It saved the taxpayers approximately $250,000.

The contract wasnt put out for competitive bidding  though it wasnt required to by the offices policies.

The suit was filed by Dan Helm, a Democrat running for elections supervisor, against Cynthia Harris, a candidate with no party affiliation. Helm alleged Harris should be booted from the ballot for improperly paying her filing fee.

While Helm lost his bid for a preliminary injunction, Munyon did set a trial in the case for shortly before the election. If Helm prevails in that proceeding, that would leave only Democrats in the race and create a universal primary, where all Orange County voters can cast a ballot.

In court, Sasso said he and Helm had agreed that Helm would then seek to move the race to the November ballot, rather than force a last-second redesign of all Orange County ballots.

Every Democrat, Republican, and Non-Party Affiliation ballot for the August 20, 2024 Primary Election would need to be modified to include a new Universal Primary Contest, Sasso wrote in a court filing. That is not possible.

Sassos contract states the law firm would be paid $450 per hour for partners, $350 hour for associates and $200 for paralegals. There is no accounting of the amount spent to date.

While the contract opens the door to using Sasso in other assignments, Heath said the intention of the deal was for the attorney to represent the office in the Helm suit, as well as any potential appeals that could come from the trial scheduled for Aug. 13. Sasso didnt respond to emailed questions.

Its common for elections supervisors to be sued, especially in election years.

Under prior Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, who retired in January, the office likely would have been represented by Nick Shannin, who served as general counsel for about 12 years.

Shannin remains under contract with the office. However, Gilzean hired Ebony Cobb to serve both as his chief of staff and general counsel. Shannin said he is still often called upon to advise the office on election law and procedures.

He said Sasso was qualified to handle the assignment.

I dont second guess at all his decision to bring in an additional attorney, Shannin said.

rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com
Im holding on, like trying to get peoples attention, waving my arms. Hey, she fell out. Stop the ride,'" one witness recalled

Eyewitness News/YouTube

Rides at an Indiana county fair have been removed after a girl was thrown from one attraction, according to officials and local news outlets.

A little girl was thrown from the Rock and Roll ride, which goes up and down, and sustained injuries, according to reports from WHET, WFIE and the Bradenton Herald.

In the wake of the incident, a fair-goer named Anna Deorto shared in a Facebook post that the girl right next to me flew out of her seat during the ride.

She went headfirst. Like, her body just, like, went, falling through with her head, Deorto told WFIE, adding that the ride didnt immediately stop after the girl flew out.

Im holding on, like trying to get peoples attention, waving my arms, Deorto recalled. Hey, she fell out. Stop the ride. You need to stop this ride. The seatbelts not latched you guys. She fell out. She needs help.

She also claimed to the outlet that the rider operator never checked their seatbelts.



PEOPLE reached out to the Dubois County Sheriff's Office but did not immediately receive a reply.

Related: Ohio Man, 38, Dead After Likely Being Struck by Roller Coaster While Attempting to Retrieve His Keys

David Hosick, with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), told PEOPLE in a statement that the head of their inspections unit reached out to the owner of the rides, who "indicated the specific operator of the ride had failed to properly secure a group of girls into one of the carriages" of the ride. He said that the girl "received minor injuries" after she "fell out."

"She was given a bandage and ice pack and left the scene with her family and friends. No ambulance or additional treatment was requested or required at the scene," he said, adding that the ride was shut down after the incident.

Hosick noted that the "Rock and Roll" ride was last inspected on June 11, and during the inspection two of the rider carriages were "deemed unusable" due to safety violations.

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

During a follow up inspection on July 16, the IDHS noted "the repairs to the two original carriages in question had not been completed" and that there were additional violations to the ride. These included maintenance violations, like "missing belt fasteners" and "damage to rider carriages" and "assembly and wielding" violations like "warped" diamond plate flooring and "broken rivets."

He noted that the ride "cannot be utilized in any fashion until it passes an IDHS compliance inspection."



Related: Roller Coaster Traps Riders Upside Down for Over 3 Hours Due to 'Mechanical Failure' in Wisconsin

The Dubois County 4-H Council announced on Monday, July 15 via Facebook that they would remove rides from the Dubois County fairgrounds for the rest of the week after they were made aware of a situation that took place at the midway.

The county council did not include details of what happened, but noted that safety was top of mind.

As a Council we are doing our best to keep the community safe and make the fair the best we can for all involved, they said in a statement. Thank you for understanding and patience as we handle this situation.

The Dubois County Council did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment on the incident.

The fair is scheduled to run through July 20. It is unclear if the rides will return to the fair.



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Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani says he has no regrets about falsely accusing two Georgia election workers of rigging the 2020 election.

I have no regrets at all. Im on the side of justice, right and truth, Giuliani said in an interview Tuesday on the convention floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he repeated his past denials of having defamed anyone.

The former New York City mayor and onetime attorney to former President Donald Trump, who isnt an expected speaker at the convention this week, compared his legal plight to the Japanese internment during the second war, referring to World War II.

In December, Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million to the election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss. His bankruptcy case was dismissed last week, so Freeman and Moss  as well as other creditors  can start trying to seize his assets.

Moss and Freeman plan to immediately pursue those assets, their attorney Rachel Strickland told CNNs The Source on Friday.

Giuliani attacked the federal judges who oversaw the defamation case filed by the two election workers, as well as his bankruptcy case, calling the judges bloodthirsty and ridiculous.

Giuliani also falsely claimed Freeman and Moss legal bills were being all paid for by (President Joe) Biden.

The mother and daughter were represented pro bono by a prominent law firm and an advocacy group called Protect Democracy, which has pursued Giuliani and others who tried to subvert the 2020 election.

Their case provided a searing glimpse into the harassment election workers suffered while prominent Trump supporters spread lies about the 2020 election.

Giuliani is separately fighting criminal charges in Arizona and Georgia related to Trumps efforts to undermine his electoral loss, and he has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Earlier this month, he also lost his law license in New York because he had pushed false information in court challenging the election results on behalf of Trump.

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FILE - Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian, Noa Argamani, on a motorcycle from southern Israel, in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. Human Rights Watch released a report Wednesday, July 17, 2024, saying Hamas-led armed groups committed numerous war crimes during the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that precipitated the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo, File)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Hamas-led armed groups committed numerous war crimes during the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that precipitated the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to a global human rights group report released Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch said the acts of the Palestinian fighters, who killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 during the attack, met the international legal definition for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The group's report found that five different Palestinian armed groups, led by Hamas Qassam Brigades, engaged in war crimes and violated international law by killing, torturing, taking hostages, looting and committing crimes involving sexual and gender-based violence. The New York-based rights group said its researchers were unable to independently verify claims of sexual violence and rape but that they relied on a separate report by a special U.N. envoy who found reasonable grounds to believe Hamas fighters committed sexual violence during the attack.

The 230-page HRW report focuses only on the Oct. 7 attacks and does not examine the actions taken by Hamas or Israel during the subsequent war in Gaza. More than 38,400 people have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments in Gaza since the war began, according to the territorys Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The militants committed a crime against humanity because they launched a widespread attack directed against a civilian population, said Belkis Wille, an associate director at HRW who arrived in Israel days after Oct. 7 and spent a month researching the attack with local staff. The researchers examined Palestinian attacks on 26 civilian sites in southern Israel, including kibbutzim, cities, two music festivals and a beach party, and they spoke with nearly 100 survivors, and 50 experts and first responders.

The killing of civilians and taking of hostages were all central aims of the planned attack, and not actions that occurred as an afterthought or as a plan gone awry, or as isolated acts, for example, perpetrated by unaffiliated Palestinians from Gaza, Wille said.

After reviewing hundreds of photos and videos, the researchers determined that the majority of the Palestinians who took part in the attack were affiliated with armed groups and were not random civilians who took advantage of the open fence.

That was a claim that was made very early on, it was made by Hamas in order to distance its own fighters from the abuses, and it was made by Israel to justify attacks on civilians in Gaza, she said.

HRW observed footage of fighters, including those in civilian clothes with no military insignias, communicating with walkie-talkies and taking orders from commanders, leading them to conclude that the fighters who carried out the worst abuses, especially in the early hours of the attack, belonged to armed factions.

In a nine-page response to the HRW report, Hamas said the Qassam Brigades planned and led the Oct. 7 attack, not the Hamas political movement, and that fighters were instructed not to target civilians. HRW said they found the Hamas response false and that the intentional killing and hostage-taking of civilians was planned and highly coordinated.

The organization called on Hamas to immediately release the approximately 120 hostages and bodies of hostages still being held in Gaza, and for all sides to adhere to international law and agree to a cease-fire as soon as possible.

Human Rights Watch has a strained relationship with Israel, which it has accused of violating international law in multiple cases. In April, an HRW investigation found that an Israeli strike in October in central Gaza that killed 106 Palestinians constituted a war crime because there was no apparent military target. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames the deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in dense, residential areas. The group also accused Israel of violating international law by striking residential buildings in Lebanon with white phosphorus, a chemical munition. The Israeli military said it upholds international law regarding munitions and that it used white phosphorus as a smokescreen, not to target civilians.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
A GoFundMe has been launched for former WCW Tag Team Champion 2 Cold Scorpio.

Last month, 2 Cold Scorpio (Charles Scaggs) was arrested on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action after stabbing a man at Loves Travel Stop in Kansas City, Missouri. Scaggs has since claimed self-defense, alleging that the aforementioned man threatened and later attacked him outside the building. Amidst the scuffle, Scaggs retrieved a knife from his pocket and used it to ward off alleged attackers strikes. The man was eventually taken to the hospital with bleeding from his head, legs, abdomen, chest, and buttocks.

In the wake of this incident, Scaggs bonded out of jail, pleading not guilty. Additionally, Shirley Black, known as Scaggs significant other, has set up a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to raise funds for Scaggs medical bills. Black also indicated that Scaggs security officer job under the Kansas City Ultimate Security Inc, which remains his main source of income, did not provide Scaggs with Workers Compensation Insurance or Health Care Insurance. Until the charges against him are potentially cleared, Scaggs will not be able to return to security work either.

Its been a month, and the medical bills are rolling in, Black wrote. Scorpio had a severe concussion and had several stitches on his left thumb. Now he is having issues with his eyesight but without Workers Compensation Insurance and no Health Care Insurance, it just seems like there isnt any way out.

We are seeking contributions big or small, at this point anything will make a significant difference in proving Too Cold Scorpios innocence and getting him the medical care he truly needs.

Currently, the GoFundMe campaign has raised $1,040 of its $25,000 goal.

Read More: 2 Cold Scorpio Arrested After Stabbing A Man At Gas Station, Claims Self-Defense

The post GoFundMe Campaign Launched For 2 Cold Scorpio In Wake Of Arrest appeared first on Wrestlezone.
By Arsheeya Bajwa

(Reuters) -Wall Street's semiconductor index lost more than $500 billion in stock market value on Wednesday in its worst session since 2020 after a report said the United States was mulling tighter curbs on exports of advanced semiconductor technology to China.

Remarks from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump saying key production hub Taiwan should pay the United States for its defense deepened selling in chip stocks.

The latest worries for chip investors come after Washington in recent years has adopted a more protective stance for the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry, which it views as strategically important for competing against China.

The United States has told allies it is considering using the most severe trade curbs available if companies continue giving China access to advanced semiconductor technology, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.

U.S.-listed shares of Dutch chipmaking equipment provider ASML Holding slumped 13% following the report even though it beat second-quarter profit estimates.

AI heavyweight Nvidia fell almost 7%, losing more than $200 billion in market capitalization.

Smaller rival AMD and Arm dropped about 10%. Micron fell 6% and Broadcom lost 8%.

Companies with U.S. chip manufacturing operations gained, with GlobalFoundries jumping almost 7% and Intel edging 0.35% higher. Some analysts believe Intel could benefit from the geopolitical tensions as it is building several plants in the country.

"Market reactions are likely short-lived because the fundamental factors driving these markets haven't changed. Yes, U.S. restrictions on shipments to China will likely increase somewhat - regardless of the U.S. election outcome - but they've already been in place for a while," said Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research.

President Joe Biden's administration has moved aggressively to curb Chinese access to cutting-edge chip technology, including sweeping restrictions issued in October to limit exports of AI processors designed by firms including Nvidia.

The curbs have dented U.S. chipmakers' sales to China. Nvidia's revenue from China stood at about 18% of its total revenue in the quarter ended April 28, compared with 66% in the year-ago period.

Trump, seeking to regain the presidency in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay the United States for its defense as it does not give the country anything. That sent U.S.-listed shares of Taiwan's TSMC - the world's largest contract chip maker - down 8%.

Story continues

Taiwan plays an outsized role in the global chip supply chain. Analysts have warned that any conflict over the island may shatter the global economy.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index collapsed 6.8% in its biggest one-day decline since the COVID pandemic sent global markets into a tailspin.

The index remains up 30% for 2024, outperforming the S&P 500 index's 17% gain, thanks to the AI boom.

INTEL COULD BENEFIT

Intel has been investing heavily to restore a manufacturing edge it lost to TSMC. It is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of the U.S. Chips Act signed by Biden in August 2022, with $52.7 billion in subsidies.

Several policy experts said the U.S. focus on semiconductors will likely continue, even if Trump returns to power, with potentially more curbs on exports to China and support for domestic chipmakers such as Intel.

But they warned of uncertainty about Intel's ability to revitalize its manufacturing business, with the company's foundry segment recording an operating loss of $2.47 billion for the quarter ended March 30.

"It's likely President Trump would not only continue export restrictions, but strengthen them," said Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. "He initiated many semiconductor export controls during his first administration, including the powerful 'foreign direct product rule' that limited foreign parties from enabling Huawei's access to semiconductors."

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Noel Randewich in Oakland, California; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Devika Syamnath and Will Dunham)
Golden raised more overall, but Republican challenger outpacing him among Maine donors

(Getty Images)

In his bid for another term representing Maines 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Jared Golden has raised more money than his Republican challenger, but hes not bringing in as much from Maine donors.

As of June 30, Golden raised nearly $4.8 million including loans, compared to the $1.7 million raised by Austin Theriault, who is running for Congress after serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Golden received almost $4 million from individual donors and more than $500,000 from political action committees.

Though Golden is outpacing Theriault in almost every category, the Republican from Fort Kent has been more successful in gathering donations from individual donors within Maine. Theriault raised more than $560,000 from donors in Maine, whereas Golden is about $100,000 behind with $465,000 from Maine donors.

Golden has still received more money from donors in Maine than any other one state, but Massachusetts is a close second with individual donations totaling $403,000. After Maine, Theriault has received the second most individual donations from Florida with nearly $145,000.



Maines 1st Congressional District

Although the race for Maines 1st Congressional District is bringing in less money than the other U.S. House race, incumbent Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, is significantly outpacing her Republican challenger, Ron Russell.

Russell hasnt reported any donations from PACs and only about $3,400 in individual donations from Mainers.

U.S. Senate race

U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent, raised almost $5 million in his race against Republican Demi Kouzounas, former chair of the Maine GOP, who raised a little more than $500,000.

King has also been successful in gathering donations from individuals in Maine, hauling in about $1.2 million from them.


(COLORADO SPRINGS)  A good Samaritan helped transport an injured victim of a possible stabbing on Tuesday morning, July 16.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), officers were originally notified by members of the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) about a possible shooting at a gas station in the 1000 block of South Nevada Avenue, south of Downtown Colorado Springs.

CSPD said a good Samaritan found an adult man suffering from some kind of injury near Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road and was transporting him to a hospital when the individual spotted CSFD and stopped for medical attention.

CSPD said the victim was in an altered mental state and was not providing much factual information. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, which were determined to be caused by a possible stabbing, not a gunshot.

The incident remains under investigation and no arrests have been made.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
At the GOP convention on the second night: A tale of two ex-Trump critics

MILWAUKEE  Six months ago, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley were the two lone challengers still in the race trying to steal the Republican nomination from former president Donald Trump. On Tuesday evening, that felt like a distant memory.

Both DeSantis and Haley filled primetime speaking slots at Tuesday nights Republican National Convention session, and both expressed their support for a second Trump term. The decision to allow DeSantis and Haley to speak at the convention, who both were frequent critics of Trump while campaigning against him during the GOP primary, was part of an effort to unify the party after Saturdays assassination attempt.

Trump has led the effort. He told the Washington Examiner that he rewrote his convention speech, which will be delivered Thursday, to reflect a chance to bring the country together. His daugther-in-law, Lara Trump, the RNCs co-chair, said she, too, gave a different speech Tuesday than the one she had previously prepared. Trump campaign officials have given real-time instruction to delegates seated on the convention floor to tone down their cheers: instead of chanting fight, they asked delegates to say we love Trump; instead of booing Haley and DeSantis, they asked for respectful cheers.

On Tuesday night, DeSantis and Haley offered two different interpretations of the unity messaging: Haley called for all voters to come together to show they are blessed to live in America; DeSantis called on Republicans to unite against the woke left.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., speaking on the second day of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. | J. Scott Applewhite

Haley: We are so much better when were together

Haley was met with cheers and scattered boos after taking the stage. President Trump asked me to speak at this convention in the name of unity, she said.

Haley served in Trumps cabinet as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. During her yearlong campaign for the Republican nomination, she became a fierce critic of the former president. She frequently called him a liar and warned that he would not win in November.

She struck a different tone Tuesday. We should acknowledge that there are some Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump, she said. My message to them is you dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.

I havent always agreed with him, she added, but we agree more than we disagree.

On the campaign trail, she blasted Trumps foreign policy, saying he sides with Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, she seemed to walk those comments back. Putin didnt attack Ukraine (while Trump was president) because he knew Donald Trump was tough, she said. A strong president doesnt start wars. A strong president prevents wars.

She closed with a call for unity. We are so much better when were together, she said. We have a country to save, and a strong, unified Republican Party is essential to saving her, she said.

Let us show our children and the world that even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in America, she concluded. She was given a standing ovation, including by Trump.

A person holds up a sign during the Republican National Convention Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. | Jae C. Hong

DeSantis calls for bold leadership

DeSantis took a more aggressive tack when calling for support for Trump. He opened by saying America could not handle four more years of Biden. He blasted Bidens pullout from Afghanistan, his handling of the southern border, his judicial appointments and his inability to define what a woman is.

Biden is the first president of the United States who lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office, DeSantis said.

He called for a series of policy and social proposals, some pulled from the newly approved GOP platform and some of his own design: term limits for members of Congress; stronger border security; a shared civic culture; and requiring valid U.S. identification to vote.

He touted his leadership in Florida as the path forward for the country. Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins, he said. The left is in retreat.

Trump gives us the chance to do this all across America, he said.

People arrive at the Republican National Convention Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. | Julia Nikhinson
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice used incendiary rhetoric in his speech at the Republican National Convention  just days after Republicans began calling for unity, following the attempted assassination of their nominee.

The bottom line for why were here, the bottom line to every single thing going on in this great country today, is one thing, Justice said on Tuesday night. We become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November.

Justice: We become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November. pic.twitter.com/7dTBhAkW0i  Acyn (@Acyn) July 16, 2024

Both sides of the political aisle have been calling for politicians to tone down hostile language after former President Donald Trump was wounded during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The shooting left one rally attendee dead and two others seriously wounded.

Republicans have since criticized President Joe Biden and Democrats for their own rhetoric, in particular criticizing Bidens use of the phrase bullseye when referring to Trump before the shooting.

Trump has delivered his own violent remarks throughout both of his campaigns and presidency.

Related...
MILWAUKEE  Republicans Tuesday night accused Democrats of being weak on crime and not backing law enforcement  while simultaneously praising their nominee, convicted criminal Donald Trump, and disparaging the prosecutors and judges holding him to account.

We in the Republican party are the law and order team. We always have been, and we always will be, the advocates for the rule of law, said House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana.

Donald Trump stands with the people and the police, our men and women in blue, not with the criminals and rioters, added Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer.

And New York Rep. Elise Stefanik accused federal and state prosecutors who have brought indictments against him of doing so only to help President Joe Biden. Corrupt Democrat prosecutors and judges wage illegal and unconstitutional lawfare against Trump, she said.

They and other speakers during the Republican National Conventions Make America Safe Once Again night were cheered on with back the blue chants from delegates waving placards printed with the same message.

One retired police officer finished his remarks on stage with a salute to Trump, who is now a convicted felon awaiting a possible prison sentence. Trump, sitting in his special section of the arena, stood and saluted back.

The show enraged police officers who were beaten and gassed by Trumps followers after he incited them into attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop the certification of Bidens election win.

Donald Trump and his Republican Party destroyed my life and stole my livelihood, said Michael Fanone, a former Washington, D.C., police officer who was shocked by Trumps mob with a Taser until he suffered a heart attack. His supporters spit in my face and threaten the lives of me and my family members. All because I was a cop doing his job on Jan. 6th and then had then balls to speak the truth about it.

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who was also assaulted that day (and who, like Fanone, spoke to HuffPost by phone), pointed out that Trump continues to lie about the election that led to the riot.

Just yesterday their nominee, after calling for unity and taking down the temperature, referred to Jan. 6 as the Jan. 6 hoax, Dunn said. The first step about lowering the temperature is being honest about what got us here, and that includes being honest about Jan 6.

The Republicans gathered to make Trump their presidential nominee for the third straight presidential election cycle did not seem bothered by any of the criminal charges against him.

I dont believe that theyre legit, said Renae Wall, from Sterling, Alaska.

Nicole Palmieri, a 44-year-old family court clerk from Connecticut, said she doesnt think voters will care about Jan. 6 or any of the criminal cases. I really think people are sick of hearing about it, she said.

And Ernie Wheeler, an 80-year-old retiree from Texas, questions whether police officers were actually assaulted on Jan. 6 at all. Were there police officers beat up? Are we sure? he said.

The revisionist history of Jan. 6 has been a key element of Trumps campaign to regain the presidency. He now claims that neither he nor any of his followers did anything wrong that day, and now on occasion opens his rallies by standing at attention and saluting those behind bars for assaulting police officers on Jan. 6.

In reality, 140 officers were injured that day, some gravely. One died hours later. Four more took their own lives in the coming weeks and months.

Trump was indicted by federal prosecutors for his actions leading up to Jan. 6 coup attempt and by Georgia authorities for his effort to overturn his election loss in that state. A second federal indictment for his refusal to return secret documents he took with him to his South Florida country club upon leaving office was dismissed this week by the trial judge, but that ruling will soon be appealed and could be reversed.

Trump has already been convicted on 34 felony counts after a trial in New York City for falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn actor in the days before the 2016 election. Sentencing in that case could take place as early as September.

At the RNC convention, though, attendees and speakers both diminished the importance of any of that.

Donald Trump has only one conviction that matters, and that conviction is to make America great again, said reality TV personalitySavannah Chrisley from the stage.

Related...
GOP Lawmaker's Gaslighting Claim About Trump And Police Has Critics Saying WTF?

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) left critics scratching their heads after he argued that Donald Trump, a convicted felon who inspired a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, stands with police and against criminals.

Donald Trump stands with the people and the police, our men and women in blue, not with the criminals and rioters, the House majority whip said from the stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday while attacking Vice President Kamala Harris for having supported Black Lives Matter protesters.

The irony was not lost on critics and others on social media.

21 members of your caucus voted against giving the Capitol Police the congressional gold medal for their efforts on Jan 6th, wrote Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who helped defend the building against pro-Trump rioters during the 2021 attack.

The former president also calls the people who beat law enforcement patriots, he added.

Emmers office did not immediately return a request for comment.

21 members of your caucus voted against giving the Capitol Police the congressional gold medal for their efforts on Jan 6th. The former president also calls the people who beat law enforcement "patriots" https://t.co/Xs6YJnfvot  Harry Dunn (@libradunn) July 17, 2024

More than 1,400 people have been charged in connection to the deadly Capitol riot, during which about 140 police officers were assaulted.

Trump has vowed to pardon people convicted for their roles in the incident. He has called them unbelievable patriots and hostages.

The former president also has a criminal conviction himself. A Manhattan jury found him guilty in May of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

He is the subject of two additional criminal cases tied to his election interference efforts, and routinely attacks various law enforcement officials involved in prosecuting him.

See some of the other reactions to Emmers remark below.

I need some clarification here... which ones are the ones he's defending? https://t.co/K5QgzIdS0epic.twitter.com/sorFXFFnTZ  Elongated Muskrat (@PamBalamm) July 17, 2024

He's literally a criminal who stood with the criminals and rioters over the police but ok https://t.co/5zLwmus6K1  MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 17, 2024

Isn't Trump promising to pardon the criminals and rioters? https://t.co/FKEjLtWk5e  Paula Dockery (@Paula_Dockery) July 17, 2024

Hes literally a criminal but ok bro..  Warren (@swd2) July 17, 2024
Anne Fundner blames Biden border policies for her son's death from a fentanyl overdose at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee. Credit - Chip SomodevillaGetty Images

Donald Trump made illegal immigration an animating principle of his first run for President, riding down the Trump Tower escalator in 2015 to claim the U.S. had become a dumping ground and Mexico was sending rapists across the border.

Nearly a decade later, dark images of undocumented immigrants invading the country, killing U.S. citizens and trafficking illegal drugs permeated the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday in Milwaukee.

As Trump looked on from his red-and-white box across from the stage, speakers blamed Democrats and President Biden for countless violent crimes committed by migrants in the country illegally, and drew cheers from the delegates in the convention hall as they promised Trump would reverse the trend.

We are suffering an invasion, not figuratively, a literal invasion, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas told the crowd, adding that every day, Americans are dying murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released, and blaming Democrats for children being sold into a life of sex slavery.

This is evil and it is wrong and it is happening every damn day, Cruz said, prompting the crowd to join him in chanting a refrain of every damn day, as he described the deaths of people allegedly killed by undocumented immigrants who had been released from police custody.

Multiple academic studies have found that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans. A study published by the Annual Review of Criminology in 2023 found no association between high concentrations of immigrants and increased levels of crime.

Anne Fundner, a mother of four children, drew a strong reaction as she spoke about her 15-year-old son's death from a fentanyl overdose in Southern California in 2022, which she described as "the tragic reality of open borders.

"I hold Joe Biden and Kamala Harristhe border czarwhat a joke, and every Democrat who supports open borders, responsible for the death of my son, Fundner said. As she spoke, the crowd chanted, Joe must go. and waved printed signs handed out by convention staff that read, Stop Bidens border bloodbath.

Michael Morin came to the stage to describe the death of his sister Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother who was killed last year while exercising on a trail in Hartford County, Maryland. A 23-year-old immigrant from El Salvador in the country unlawfully was arrested in her death, police said. Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, but there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother, Morin said.

Randy Sutton, a retired Las Vegas police lieutenant, was cheered when he described an endless tsunami of illegal aliens coming into the U.S. He blamed crime in Americas cities on Bidens immigration policy and said police werent being respected. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, well, they stand with the criminals, Sutton said, adding that "these pro-criminal anti-police extremists" fear Trump's return to the White House.

The alarmist tone to many of the nights speeches follow a decline in border crossings in recent weeks, after Biden announced last month that the U.S. would stop processing asylum claims when daily arrests for unauthorized crossings spike above 2,500. Illegal border crossings have averaged 2 million per year since 2021.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary touting his anti-immigration policies, said that Biden supports open borders allowing millions and millions of illegal aliens pouring into our country and to burden our communities.

Just dont send them to Marthas Vineyard, he added. They get upset. DeSantis used Florida state funds to fly migrants to Massachusetts in 2022 to protest Bidens immigration policies.

Trump has promised on his first day in office to seal the U.S. border and begin arresting and deporting millions of immigrants living in the country without authorization. He told TIME earlier this year he would be willing to build a series of migrant detention camps to facilitate the process if needed.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
'We got this': Firefighters battling Black Fire work to protect Tonto National Monument

Authorities warned on Tuesday that the Black Fire, which has scorched nearly 9,000 acres of forest near Theodore Roosevelt Lake, threatens to destroy the Tonto National Monument.

Its an important landmark that National Park Service and Forest Service officials are fighting to protect as fire crews continued extinguishing the blaze just south of the lake, on the edge of the Superstition Wilderness.

Its one of the top 10 parks of importance throughout the United States, throughout the park service system, said Mike Reichling, public information officer for the Arizona Central West Zone Type Three Incident Management Team.

Lots of people come here, visitors throughout the years, especially when the wildflowers are blooming, he continued from the parking lot of the monuments visitors center, which remained closed Tuesday afternoon.

There, he pointed up to the pair of 700-year-old cliff dwellings that previously housed the ancestral tribes of the Apache, Pima-Maricopa and Yavapai.

When open, the center showcases the pottery, woven cloths and other artifacts tribes used.

Those items, Reichling said, are safe as theyve been temporarily relocated to a repository in Tucson.

On Monday, firefighters worked to protect the monument area and structures from the fire spreading rapidly to the east within the Tonto National Forest. A mountain just west of the monument area currently shields the structures.

We're very concerned about the fire getting over the mountain right here to the rest of us and getting on this property, Reichling said.

Along with the monument, Reichling added, the fire poses additional risks to Salt River Project powerlines in the area and wildlife like tortoises and deer.

So having those priorities helps us identify what we're going to protect first, and this is one of the first priorities for us to protect, this land, he said.

The Black Fire was ignited last Thursday when lighting struck the area. Its the latest in a string of wildfires to burn the Tonto National Forest this wildfire season.

So far this year, about 37,850 acres of the Tonto National Forest have been burned because of wildfires. Nearly 80 of the fires have resulted from human activity while 19 were started from natural causes.

Wildfire map: Track where fires are burning in Arizona in 2024

Store workers offer relief to firefighters, locals

For the cashiers at the local convenience store off State Route 188, this hasnt been their "first rodeo."

That's why we're still open, we sell water and ice to the firemen, Daniel Avila said behind the counter of the Spring Creek Store, located about two hours east of downtown Phoenix. And they appreciate us being open to give them their needs.

As of Tuesday afternoon, firefighters hadnt yet contained any part of the blaze, which burned 8,679 acres of the forest.

The fire prompted evacuation orders for various areas and communities like the national monument. Other areas under orders include Black Brush Ranch, Cross-P Ranch, Reevis Mountain School, Cottonwood Cove Picnic Area, Frazier, Windy Hill, Schoolhouse and Grapevine campgrounds.

The Quail Run, Lakeview Mobile Home Park and Roosevelt Lake Marina and RV Park communities remained under the states set orders, meaning people in those areas should stay alert and be ready to evacuate if officials send out a go notice.

Though the Roosevelt Post Office was under a pre-evacuation order, it temporarily relocated services to the Tonto Basin Post Office on Tuesday.

Boat ramps at Cholla and Windy Hill are open, while roads and trails within Tonto Basin, Globe and Mesa Ranger Districts were closed, according to the National Forest Service.

As fire crews have responded to incidents around the forest, Creek Store clerks Avila and Karol Baird have become unlikely sources of information and comfort.

The firefighters come in and we offer as much as we can for them and I think they're well taken care of, Baird said. But yeah, people come in and ask if we've heard anything, and we just kind of pass on information.

Baird, a schoolteacher in the Valley who lives and works in Roosevelt during the summer, said the store also gets calls from those who own vacation homes and are worried about whether their properties are at risk.

When fielding questions about ongoing fires, Baird said she encourages people to download the Watch Duty app on their phones, where they can get real-time updates.

Avila, a pastor whos no stranger to providing comfort during crises, credited the firefighters for sharing information with him and Baird.

The firefighters, they do an amazing job coming in, keeping us informed and we keep people informed who ask, he said.

It was the work of the firefighters and their information that kept Avila calm during the Woodbury Fire in June 2019, when more than 120,000 acres of the Superstition Wilderness had burned.

That was my first rodeo, Avila recalled. At first it was scary, but their information they fed us and Ready, Set, Go, it kept us calm and each time we have a fire it's like we got this, they got this.

'It's been super dry': Locals, crews hope for rain

Weeks before the latest fire, the Bobcat Fire scorched about 73 acres of a nearby area in the Tonto National Forest.

I feel like that one was nipped in the bud quickly, Baird said. It also helped that we had rain. We haven't had any rain. Just winds. It's been super dry.

Firefighters battling the Black Fire were expected to contend with 20- to 25-mph winds Tuesday, according to the Incident Management Team.

A thunderstorm was also anticipated to roll in by the afternoon, bringing rain and lighting.

Avila remembered working the store the night the fire started. He was trying to capture photos of the lightning striking the ground.

After work, I got out, it was about 8:30 (p.m.), I can see two orange lights out there that I knew was fire, he said, noting that he didnt capture the lightning strike that sparked the fire. The next day, you could just see it gradually getting worse and worse.

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Black Fire threatens Tonto National Monument
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum walks onstage during preparations for the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will speak at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

Burgum is scheduled to take to the convention stage just after 7 p.m. Central. He is expected to follow East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway and make his remarks before Kellyanne Conway, the former counselor to the president, though the schedule could change.

Burgum is scheduled to speak about two hours before Trumps vice presidential pick, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

Burgum was a final contender to become Trumps running mate before the former president announced Vance as his pick in a social media post on Monday.

Trump has hinted that Burgum could be appointed to his Cabinet, with some speculating Burgum could potentially serve as interior, energy or agriculture secretary.

During his remarks in a CNN interview on Monday night, Burgum declined to comment on whether he would accept a Cabinet post in a second Trump administration. He has also indicated he intends to help Trump get elected this November during the remainder of the campaign.

There are going to be no Cabinet positions that President Trump will pick out unless he wins, Burgum said in the CNN interview.

The RNC can be viewed live on broadcast and cable news stations, as well as the C-SPAN YouTube page.

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We recently compiled a list of the 20 Cleanest Countries In the World In 2024 and in this article, we will look at the cleanest country in the world.

An Analysis of Global Pollution

We recently analyzed the countries that produce the most pollution by taking into account factors such as their air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste production, and water quality and sanitation levels. Our analysis of the data reveals a complex array of various elements that contribute to the environmental deterioration and pollution of a country. A considerable percentage of the countries ranked on our list were developed nations and emerging economies. For instance, if we consider the GHG emissions the Global North is responsible for 92% of the total emissions with the US representing 40% of it, followed by the European Union, according to a study by Lancet Planetary Health. This means that the countries in the Global South, which are mostly developing or underdeveloped nations represent only 8% of the total carbon emission. The disparity of this matter is further evident by the consequences of climate change which are more severe in the Global South. The region that is home to over 80% of the total world population has been subjected to climate crisis due to the global average temperature increase in which Global North plays the biggest part. This also suggests a correlation between industrialization and emission levels. Countries in the EU region and the US are the wealthiest and the most technologically and industrially advanced and responsible for the biggest share of this mess.

Certain emerging economies such as India, China, and Indonesia are also advancing rapidly to match the pace of developed nations. These countries have not only witnessed unprecedented economic growth but also a surge in energy consumption, manufacturing, and urbanization. This rapid development has prioritized economic gains in this nation over environmental protection which has led to inefficient waste management, air pollution, deteriorating water quality, and high reliance on fossil fuels. Nonetheless, these countries are investing in clean energy solutions and green technology. But the question that arises is whether this is enough to undo the damage that has been done. Pollution is a multilayer problem with many other economic and demographic pressures accelerating the crisis. For instance, a substantial number of the polluted countries are located in population-dense regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Rapid population growth leads to increased resource consumption and waste generation. India has the highest population in the world, leading to a high amount of waste deposition and water sanitation issues. Bangladesh and Pakistan have the worst air pollution due to the practice of stubble burning, brick kilns, and industrial pollution. Moreover, factors such as inadequate governance, weak policies, and poverty are some of the biggest challenges faced by low-income countries, which further expedite the environmental issues in these countries.

Story continues

Another dominant pattern is the prevalence of pollution in Middle Eastern countries with substantial oil reserves. UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq rely heavily on fossil fuel and oil and gas resources for their economy. The process of oil extraction to its supply chain are inherently polluting activities, contributing to soil, water, and air contamination and causing GHG emissions.

Waste Management Industry

The aforementioned factors considerably contribute to global pollution. However, the waste management industry can be a potential solution and a contributing factor towards waste reduction. The waste management industry is responsible for the segregation, collection, recycling, and disposal of waste. Countries with efficient waste management practices are able to manage their waste footprint effectively. According to the Environment Protection Agency, waste managed in the US decreased by 694 million pounds in 2022. Only 5% of the waste generated by the manufacturing sector was released into the environment. The rest of it was managed through treatment, waste-to-energy recovery, and recycling. Inadequate waste disposal and handling lead to public health risks and ecological contamination. Therefore, it is important to have strong waste management systems, supported by a growing and innovative industry. The waste management industry is growing globally. In the US alone, it contributes $117 billion annually. It supported over 681,000 jobs while generating $37.8 billion in wages in 2020, as reported by the Recycled Materials Association.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a top US company with the highest market share in the waste management market. It manages waste for homes, businesses, and municipalities. The company facilitates its customers from collection, transfer, and transportation, to material recovery and recycling. For 2024, the company is highly focused on the expansion of its sustainability business which includes recycling and renewable energy. It has recently completed a large recycling upgrade in Wisconsin. This facility provides a 20% higher amount of waste up to 60 tonnes of throughput in an hour, improving the quality of the recycled product. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) plans to upgrade its 9 facilities this year and open three new recycling facilities to expand its single-stream waste network.

Its sustainability business expansion strategy also includes adding energy recovery facilities to its portfolio. The company has completed a renewable natural gas plant at its landfill in Dallas-Foort Worth. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is set to commission four other new renewable natural gas facilities this year. The company has increased its capital expenditures to support the new business expansion which will initially weigh down its free cash flow. These facilities will use gas from landfills to produce renewable natural gas to fuel vehicles and to market it to other industries.

The surge in plastic waste is one of the biggest contributors to ecological degradation and biodiversity loss. The role of the waste management industry in controlling and treating plastic pollution is evident in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) efforts to reduce landfill waste and then further convert it into renewable energy. The company is expanding its role in various waste streams. Recently, it acquired the medical waste management company, Stericycle for a total enterprise value of $7.2 billion. The company expects this transaction to add over $125 million in savings annually. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) continues to benefit from its consistent waste transfer and disposal operations while investing heavily in innovative recycling and waste-to-energy conversion and recovery solutions.

5 Cheap Tropical Places to Live that Speak English

Lisa Belle Larsen/Shutterstock.com

Methodology

To compile our list of the 20 cleanest countries in the world in 2024, we utilized IQ Airs Air Quality Index, to identify the cleanest countries based on their annual average PM2.5 concentration. Then, we employed additional metrics including total waste generation, GHG emissions production, and water and sanitation levels. We sourced the total waste generation data from the World Bank What a Waste database, and summed all types of waste to obtain the total waste produced for each country.

We then utilized water and sanitation scores from the Environment Performance Index (EPI) and GHG emissions data from Climate Watch. We have used water and sanitation levels as an indirect measure of a countrys ability to protect human health from pollution due to poor water and sanitation levels.

Finally, we assigned ranks to countries based on all four indicators. Then, we allocated percent weights to our metrics as 40% to GHG emissions, 30% to total waste generation, 20% to the air quality index, and 10% to the water and sanitation level. Our list ranks the 20 cleanest countries in the world in 2024 in ascending order of their calculated Insider Monkey Scores.

The Cleanest Country in the World

1. Grenada

Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration (2023): 4.1 g/m

Total Waste Generation (2018): 30,336 tonnes per year

Total GHG Emissions (2021): 2.37 Mega tonnes of CO2e

EPI Water and Sanitation Score (2020): 47

Insider Monkey Score: 163.1

Grenada is ranked 1st on our list of the cleanest countries in the world in 2024. The Caribbean country meets the World Health Organization's standards for air quality, with its annual average PM2.5 concentration below 5 g/m. It is home to one of the most scenic physical environments, attracting tourists and migrants from around the world. According to a 2019 UN Statistic Division survey, 97% of its urban and 92% of its rural population have safe drinking water. Like other island nations, Grenada faces the problem of plastic pollution. In its 2021 Global Commitment report, its government established legal measures that pose a ban on specific categories of plastic packaging, single-use plastic cutlery, plastic bottles in retail food outlets, and plastic imports in Grenada.

Curious to learn about other cleanest countries in the world? Check out our report on the 20 Cleanest Countries In the World In 2024.

At Insider Monkey, we delve into a variety of topics, however, our expertise lies in identifying the top-performing stocks. Currently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology stands out as one of the most promising fields. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Daniel Connors, a former state lawmaker from Cumberland was named the interim housing secretary by Gov. Dan McKee Wednesday. (Courtesy of Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services)

An administration official from Gov. Dan McKees hometown will temporarily lead the Rhode Island Department of Housing as the state embarks on a search for a permanent cabinet member.

McKees office on Wednesday announced Daniel Connors, who serves as chief of staff for the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), as the interim housing secretary. The announcement came on the last day of Housing Secretary Stefan Pryors tenure as housing czar, who is stepping down from his $238,597-a-year post for an unspecified private-sector job.

Connors, 48, represented McKees hometown of Cumberland in the Rhode Island Senate from 1997 to 2011. The governors office said picking Connors is based purely on merit.

With more than 15 years of experience across Rhode Island state government, Mr. Connors is well positioned to provide transitional support during this time, said Communications Director Andrea Palagi.

In addition to his 14 years in the General Assembly, Connors resume indicates he had his own private practice from 2008 to 2018 and taught business classes at Providence College from 2009 through 2020. He also spent three years working on real estate matters at the law firm of former Senate President and now Superior Court Justice Joseph A. Montalbano.

Connors served as a senior adviser for then-Gov. Gina Raimondo from December 2019 through July 2020, but resigned after he was arrested by Narragansett police for allegedly driving under the influence. Court records show Connors was found guilty of refusing to submit to a chemical test, a civil offense.

At the time of his appointment to EOHHS in 2023, McKee press secretary Olivia DaRocha told WPRI-12. We believe that Mr. Connors has since accepted responsibility, dealt with the consequences and worked to get himself to a better place.

I am grateful to be able to focus on the common good, as Rhode Islands housing needs are closely aligned with our mission at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services where we focus on all social determinants of health, Connors said in a statement.

Palagi said the governors office plans to conduct interviews with local candidates for the permanent housing secretary position over the coming weeks. Brenda Clement, who since 2016 has served as director of HousingWorks RI, and Pawtucket Planning and Redevelopment Director Bianca Policastro have so far been the only two potential local candidates to express interest in the role.

A longer-term national search may be initiated if the local interviews do not produce a qualified candidate, Palagi said.

Connors will not be considered for the permanent position and is expected to return to his role at EOHHS, where he makes an annual salary of $184,292. Rhode Island Current has made repeated inquiries on when a job posting will go up, but did not receive a response from the governors office.

An official job posting released to Rhode Island Current Wednesday night had not yet been made public. Rhode Island Department of Administration spokesperson Cassius Shuman said a job posting is not required for cabinet positions.

Candidates for the position in 2023 were required to have at least a masters degree in urban planning, economics, or a related field of study. The job posting also asked for five-years experience administrating housing policy and/or development.

Housing Network of Rhode Island Executive Director Melina Lodge commend Connors appointment as temporary secretary.

Stable transitional leadership will be crucial in the months ahead as we continue to work with the state to address Rhode Islands pressing housing challenges together, she said in a statement.

Lodge called on the governors office to make sure that whoever is named to the permanent post is someone with a deep understanding of Rhode Islands housing needs and is willing to collaborate with the states network of advocates and developers.

We stand ready to work with the governors office in making recommendations about the qualifications, skills, and qualities that the permanent housing secretary should possess, and remain committed to working closely with the new housing secretary to ensure that Rhode Island can move forward with comprehensive, effective and equitable housing solutions, she said.

This story was updated to include comment from Housing Network of Rhode Island Executive Director Melina Lodge and the release of the new job posting.

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Violent clashes erupt between police and protesters in Dhaka even after 6 die during campus protests

Police fire tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse students shouting slogans in favor of quota system in public service at the university campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  Several major universities in Bangladesh agreed to shut their doors Wednesday after at least six people died in violent campus protests, while protest organizers announced they would shut down all but essential services and relentless clashes between demonstrators and police stretched into the night.

After two days of demonstrations and unrest over the allocation of civil service jobs, the University Grants Commission urged all public and private universities to close until further notice. About a dozen major public universities said they would, according to officials and media reports. Wednesday was a public holiday in Bangladesh, so the number of universities that closed was expected to become clearer on Thursday.

Among them was Dhaka University, which was at the center of the violence. It has suspended classes and closed its dormitories indefinitely, a university official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

On Wednesday, the protesters announced they would enforce a complete shutdown across the country on Thursday in response to security officials' continued attacks on the campus demonstrators.

Asif Mahmud, one of the protest organizers, said on Facebook that only hospitals and other emergency services would be allowed to operate. There was no immediate response from authorities.

The country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party said Wednesday night that it would do what it could to make the shutdown a success.

The violence continued late Wednesday in Dhaka. Traffic was halted on a major highway as police fired teargas and rubber bullets at protesters who set fire to a toll booth, blocked streets and detonated explosives, Somoy TV reported.

Other news outlets said scores were injured in the hours of violence.

Protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladeshs war of independence in 1971. They argue that the system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and they want it replaced with a merit-based system.

Hasina defended the quotas Tuesday, saying veterans deserve the highest respect for their sacrifice in 1971, regardless of their current political affiliation.

Abandoning the dream of their own life, leaving behind their families, parents and everything, they joined the war with whatever they had, she said during an event at her office in Dhaka.

Hasina's government halted the quotas after mass student protests in 2018. But last month, Bangladeshs High Court nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 veterans filed petitions, triggering the latest demonstrations. The Supreme Court then suspended the High Court's ruling and is expected to rule on Aug. 7.

I am requesting all to wait with patience until the verdict is delivered," Hasina said in a televised address Wednesday evening. "I believe our students will get justice from the apex court. They will not be disappointed.

While job opportunities have expanded in Bangladeshs private sector, many people prefer government jobs because they are stable and well paid. Each year, some 400,000 graduates compete for 3,000 jobs in the civil service exam.

Hasina said there would be a judicial probe into the deaths and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Some precious lives have been lost unnecessarily, she said. I condemn every killing.

The United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk said in a post on the social platform X that all acts of violence and deadly use of force must be investigated and the perpetrators held accountable. Turk said freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights.

The protests began late last month but turned violent on Monday as protesters at Dhaka University clashed with police and counterprotesters organized by the Awami League's student wing, leaving 100 people injured. At least six people were killed Tuesday in continued violence in the capital Dhaka, the southeastern city of Chattogram and the northern city of Rangpur, authorities said.

There were new clashes Wednesday at Dhaka University, where police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who carried empty coffins to represent the people killed, witnesses said. Paramilitary forces patrolled the streets of Dhaka and other major cities.

Police also clashed with BNP supporters in Dhaka after a funeral Wednesday for the six who died. Police official Sentu Mia said they used rubber bullets to disperse the protesters who they said attacked police, and several opposition activists were arrested. BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused police of barring their supporters from the funeral prayers.

Bangladesh's ruling party blamed the BNP for the chaos, and Dhaka police raided the party's headquarters late Tuesday. Detective Chief Harun-or-Rashid said police arrested seven members of the partys student wing, and said detectives found 100 crude bombs, 500 wooden and bamboo sticks, and five to six bottles of gasoline in the raid.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP leader, said the raid was a government attempt to divert attention from the protests.

Obaidul Quader, the Awami League's general secretary and a senior Cabinet minister, said evil forces had taken over the student movement, blaming the student wings of the BNP and rightist Jamaat-e-Islami party for Tuesday's violence.

Facebook has been occasionally inaccessible to Associated Press reporters in Bangladesh since the violence erupted, although other platforms such as Slack were working. The government has not commented on the disrupted service, but London-based internet monitor NetBlocks said there may have been an official crackdown.

Our metrics indicate a high likelihood of intentional interference with Facebook as well as WhatsApp backend servers over the last few days in Bangladesh, Alp Toker, the director of NetBlocks, told AP, adding that the disruption appears to target the protests or their coverage and public visibility.

Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

___

Associated Press reporter Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report from San Francisco, California.

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This story has been corrected to show the decision to abolish the quota system in 2018 was unrelated to a court order, but was an executive order by Hasinas government.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  The Grand Rapids Police Department trained at Cornerstone University Wednesday for an active shooter situation, just days before former President Donald Trumps visit.

While GRPD Captain Dave Siver said the training was planned months ago, some of the skills officers exercised and finetuned this week during training can be applied for crowd control during notable visits from politicians.

Trump, Vance to speak at rally in Grand Rapids

Definitely small team tactics, he said. Because you see a group of four to five to six officers and they can maintain and handle a lot of work at one time with some training and communication.

The realistic, scenario-based training included a sound device that mimics the sound of gunshots, officers playing the role of shooting victims and an active shooter hiding in an unknown classroom. The Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards or MCOLES mandates that departments run an active shooter exercise every three years.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Grand Rapids police participate in active shooter training at Cornerstone University on July 17, 2024.

Obviously theres been failures around the country. Uvalde, clearly one of the big ones, Siver said. And then you go to Nashville where they handled it as best as we could have hoped. Obviously, there was loss of life and thats tragic, but the officers once they got on scene, they handled that very well. So thats what we want. We want to try to recreate that through realistic, scenario-based training.

Trump, along with his recently-announced running mate Senator J.D. Vance, are scheduled to visit Grand Rapids Saturday. This comes exactly one week after the former president was wounded during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

Unprecedented security expected at Grand Rapids Trump rally

Wednesdays training helped reinforce proper planning and contingency planning for all GRPD officers no matter what the situation is, Siver said.

The Secret Service is a federal agency, and they have a different charge then we do, but to keep our community safe when we have these big events and obviously West Michigan has become a much more political powerhouse if you will, he said. We welcome it. Its a big ask on our resources, but we handle it well.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  On Wednesday morning, the Grandview School District reported that a fight broke out between two students before a practice, leaving one with minor injuries.

According to the district, two students were involved in a disagreement. This led to one of the students suffering an injury that required stitches.

Missing Lawrence teen identified as victim in crash near Clinton Lake dam

The district said that staff promptly intervened during the fight and assured families that the original reports of an alleged stabbing were inaccurate.

According to the Grandview Police Department, the fight may have been caused by insults being posted about a student online. However, this has not been confirmed.

The cause of the injury is still unknown. FOX4 will provide this story with the latest details and updates as more information is released about this case.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
The Greater Naples Fire Rescue District relies mostly on property taxes to do its job.

At the current tax rate, the independent district has struggled to keep up with operating, equipment and maintenance costs  and population growth.

While the district's demands, costs and needs continue to mount, the millage rate it charges hasn't changed since it was created by the merger of the East Naples and Golden Gate fire districts nearly a decade ago.

Since that merger, Greater Naples Fire's service boundaries have expanded to include the Isles of Capri and Ochopee. Although that has widened its tax base, the revenues are falling far short of the needs, even as taxable values continue to rise, said Chris Wolfe, the interim fire chief.

"It's not working on the operating side," he said. "It's unable to keep up."

That's why the district is asking for a tax increase of up to 0.5 mills to fund capital costs, which could generate more than $16 million a year.

More: Mail and early voting for Collier County 2024 primary election: Here's what you need to know

The referendum will appear on the primary ballot Aug. 20, for voters living within the district's boundaries, which stretch 758 square miles, including state and federally owned lands.

The district's current tax rate is 1.5 mills. That equates to $1.50 for every $1,000 of a property's taxable value.

If approved, the tax increase would be in effect for eight years, with the district deciding whether to collect the maximum amount of 2 mills annually, based on its budgetary needs.

At most, the extra cost for an owner with a taxable home value of $400,000 would be $200 a year, or less than $17 a month, Wolfe pointed out.

At the current rate, property taxes generated about $50 million this fiscal year.

Any funds raised by the additional tax would be held in a separate account for capital improvements only.

The district receives fire impact fees collected by Collier County, which are one-time charges on new construction, designed to help growth pay for growth. Those funds can only be used to purchase land for new buildings and to acquire or construct buildings, and to buy new capital equipment to support expanded services.

Last year, the district received about $1.7 million in impact fees. Its levy is the lowest of all Collier County's fire districts, and it's not enough, Wolfe said.

Of the four special districts, Greater Naples has the second lowest property tax rate. North Collier is at 1 mill, with Big Corkscrew and Immokalee both at 3.75 mills (the maximum allowed under state law).

"There is not any room in the budget to attack current replacement needs or look to future needs on the capital side," Wolfe said.

The special district, he remarked, operates much like a small county, or city, with its own departments, from human resources and technology to facilities and fleet management. Costs have increased across the board, for everything from health care benefits to office supplies.

The district serves a year-round population of about 180,000 and based on that population its short at least 60 firefighters, which it doesn't have the money to hire without a tax increase, Wolfe said.

The tax increase would free up more money for operations, including more employees.

Now, there isn't enough money to purchase new equipment and vehicles, to maintain and repair all of the fire stations, or to build new ones, with nearly 80% of the budget going toward personnel, Wolfe said.

The cost for a new fire engine is up 70% or more since the district last purchased one, he estimated.

Station 71 needs a new roof. Whenever it rains, water leaks heavily through the ceiling.

Several fire stations are in dire need of repairs and improvements, with roof leaks and cramped quarters, supporting more firefighters and emergency workers than they were designed to house when built decades ago, Wolfe shared.

"Just like with a home, some bigger repairs need to be done, when it's 40-plus years old," added Tiffany Wood, the district's public information officer.

Wolfe acknowledged that before he came to the district, and up until a few years ago, "there was a lack of planning to develop a normal repair and maintenance schedule" for buildings, which has led to the significant challenges it's now facing.

Interim fire chief, Chris Wolfe. Provided by the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District

There's also a need to rebuild several stations, and to construct a few new ones to catch up with growth in areas that are "exploding," he said.

Currently, the district has 15 fire rescue stations and four administrative buildings, with a total of 260 employees. With more money, it plans to build a consolidated administrative building, along with a training center.

Before he retired, the district's former chief had begun to turn the operations around, after inheriting a "hot mess," Wolfe said.

More: Voters soundly reject North Collier, Immokalee fire service fees

And: Fire districts in Collier follow others in Florida with possible new fees

Response to the proposed tax increase has been 'eerily quiet'

The district has heard little feedback about the proposed tax increase, as it's worked to spread the word about the upcoming referendum, including through social media. While a few supporters and a few opponents have been vocal about it at board meetings, it's been "eerily quiet," otherwise, Wolfe said.

Surprisingly, some who have opposed the increase are the ones who would be affected the least, with more modest homes, and lower taxable values, he said.

He emphasized the district does much more than just fight fires. It's an all-hazards response organization, with advanced life support, hazardous materials, technical rescue, marine emergency and dive teams.

"This is a business, and it just happens to be in the business we're in, we're providing a sense of security to our constituents, whether its fire services, special operations, or water rescue, such as during Hurricane Ian," Wolfe said.

With more revenues the district can improve services, including response times, Wood added.

"We want to provide an even better service," she said. "Because we know we can."

Station 23 was built in 1986 to house two people. Now, three firefighters and two EMS employees work and live out of that station.

More: Mail and early voting for Collier County 2024 primary election: Here's what you need to know

Perspective from a supporter of the tax increase

Todd Eschmann, who lives in the district, is one of the more vocal supporters of the tax increase, seeing it as not only important, but critical.

He pointed to an October 2023 performance report showing the district's average response time for fire-related calls (including alarms), was 11 minutes, 23 seconds, more than twice the national standard.

The outside audit showed a similar situation in the district's response to emergency medical-related calls.

"That is a huge concern for people who live out here," Eschmann said.

Other takeaways from the report: The district would have to add about 30 fighters to reach the regional average, and about 90 to meet the national one.

"Its easy to see a lot of high quality in the people and the work of the district," Eschmann said. "They are doing the best they can with what they have. But what they have is not enough to do the job. More funding and bolder leadership are needed. Voters can help the district solve its financial problems for about the cost of a pizza every month."

An insurance agent, who owns a training school for insurance professionals, he also pointed out another ramification of the district's inability to keep up with growth: higher property insurance premiums for the people it serves.

"Hundreds of new homes and structures have been built in recent years in 'unprotected' areas, where there is no responding fire station within five miles or no adequate fire hydrant or water source on site, leading insurance companies to charge more for coverage, or refuse to write coverage. More developments in these areas are proposed or pending," Eschmann said.

His own homeowner insurance bill has skyrocketed since he moved to East Naples last year. While his insurance company initially gave him a reprieve, his premium has more than doubled to $4,400 this year because he doesn't live close enough to a fire station, or fire hydrant.

He described the situation as a "ticking time bomb," with not enough fire stations, fire engines or firefighters to meet the growing needs of residents like himself.

"It really comes down to money," he said. "They need more money to provide the service that most people expect."

Not everyone agrees.

Conservative PAC opposes the proposed tax increase

A political action committee, or PAC, going under the name Collier County Citizens Values, opposes the increase, saying the district has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

On its website, the group, made up of what it describes as "dedicated, long-standing Republicans," with a more conservative approach, criticizes the fire district, saying it should "show by example" that it can operate in a more strategic manner before "taking more money from already struggling taxpayers," and learn to be "better stewards" of its money.

The group accused Greater Naples Fire of not cooperating with other districts and sending "big $1.5 million ladder trucks loaded with three personnel" to service calls that "only require someone to be picked up at a nursing home facility."

In defense of the district, Wolfe said the characterization was "totally inaccurate."

Marvin Easton, who lives in the district, strongly opposes the increase, saying a study is needed to look at the benefits of consolidating the four independent districts into one fire agency to serve the unincorporated area, similar to how the Collier County Sheriff's Office operates.

"How many fire commissioners, chief officers and non-responding staff members would be necessary to operate a consolidated agency?" he questioned.

The agencies already respond in each other's territories, as needed, with "backup vehicles," he said.

"How many fire vehicles currently in four backup pools of fire vehicles could be eliminated by having one pool of backup vehicles, versus the present four pools? he asked. "What savings could be achieved by consolidating outside purchases of supplies and outside services, and the purchase of additional or replacement fire engines?"

Due to rising property values and new construction, the district's budget continues to naturally increase, Easton said.

Taxable values rose by 11.8% this year, on top of a more than 15% last year, according to the Collier County Property Appraiser's Office.

More: Editorial: Whats the message behind fire fee referendums failing?

In 2018, voters soundly rejected proposals that would have allowed additional fire fees to be levied annually in the North Collier and Immokalee fire districts to supplement their budgets. The districts would have still collected property taxes, but they promised to lower their millage rates, with another funding source to help cover rising operating and capital costs.

Opponents argued the fee was a regressive tax that hurts the poor.

Supporters saw the fee as a more equitable and reliable funding source to pay for fire protection and prevention. Residents would have paid a flat rate, while businesses and institutions would have paid a fee based on their square footage.

In 2012, a referendum to increase the Immokalee fire district's millage rate to the maximum amount allowed by the state passed.

However, proposals to increase the rates for the East Naples and Golden Gate districts by different amounts failed that same year. The merger of the two districts that created Greater Naples Fire happened a few years later, with affirmative votes on both sides in November 2014.

Greater Naples Fire is the largest fire district in Florida. According to its latest annual report, fire service professionals responded to more than 30,000 emergency incidents and conducted nearly 10,200 life safety inspections in 2023, seeing a 1.65% increase in calls over the year.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Greater Naples Fire seeks tax increase to catch up with needs, growth
Tracy Ashbridge was jailed for six counts of fraud. Her husband Robert Ashbridge was handed a suspended sentence - NCJMEDIA SYNDICATION

A greedy tax office worker who defrauded the taxpayer of more than 300,000 in child benefit only has to pay back 1, a court has ruled.

Tracy Ashbridge falsely claimed three of her children were disabled and also submitted false tax credits claims for another 15 children. She used details from her work computer system of members of the public to facilitate some of the frauds.

She was jailed for six counts of fraud while her husband, Robert Ashbridge, who helped her in one of the offences, was given a suspended prison sentence. Now her case has been back before Newcastle Crown Court under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The court heard she benefited to the tune of 305,952 but, as she has no available assets, she must pay back just 1  unless she comes into money in the future.

Prosecutor Neil Jones told the hearing: She has no available amount to satisfy the order. There is absolutely, definitely, no available sum.

Ashbridge had worked for HM Revenue & Customs from 2012 and had access to child tax credit claims as her role was to process them. The court heard she was paid just over 11,000 a year.

The mother-of-four began offending in 2015 when she made claims for child tax credits for her three youngest children. She thought other claimants suspected of offences were not being investigated and the temptation became too much, the court heard.

She made false claims that her children were disabled, which resulted in more than 180,000 being fraudulently obtained.

At one point Ashbridge messaged her husband saying: Shall we have another child and he replied saying Are you taking the ****, how we meant to do that. She replied: Not physically lol and he said Do you mean money?. She then asked if he could think of a child to use and he suggested a name and date of birth and Tracey replied with a texted kiss.

Ashbridge had access through her work system to legitimate claims made by members of the public and used that to her advantage. One family had written to HMRC saying they were moving to Poland and she claimed money for herself for their two children, a total of 59,000.

The fraud started to unravel when Ashbridge became a little too greedy and tried to backdate claims to 2009, which would have resulted in her receiving a further 107,000. However that money was not received, nor was another payment she sought to obtain as an investigation was launched.

Ashbridge, 44, of Plough Road, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and was jailed for two years and four months and Robert Ashbridge, 44, also of Plough Road, Sunderland, admitted one offence of fraud to the value of 180,000. He was handed 18 months suspended for two years.

Tom Storey, defending, said his client had depression and physical health problems, adding: This was out of character for her.

She lives with her husband and their four children, two of them are still teenagers. She is deeply ashamed of her behaviour and expresses remorse.

Nick Lane, for Robert Ashbridge, said: While he knew something of his wifes offending, he said he didnt appreciate the full extent of her activities until the point he was arrested and only when interviewed did he learn, fully, the sums involved.

Mr Lane added that references for Mr Ashbridge included one from a reverend. He said: He speaks of him being a trustworthy member of the congregation of his local church and he is trusted in the running and administration of the parish. In the full knowledge of the conviction, the reverend says he would have no hesitation in trusting him again in the future.

Mr Lane added: Mr Ashbridge is remorseful, he is deeply ashamed and embarrassed to find himself before the court to be sentenced for serious offences.

They didnt live a particularly lavish lifestyle. He was working as a chef in a care home and his wife earned a relatively modest salary with HMRC. They had a family to support.

This has been hanging over the family for a significant period of time already.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will take place in relation to Robert later this year.

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A former greenhouse worker at AppHarvest, who wishes to remain anonymous, poses for a portrait behind a sheet of plastic, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Morehead, Ky. Workers say they saw colleagues carried out on makeshift stretchers due to heat, and dozens more helped outside on others' shoulders. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP)  To harvest tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, to clip herbs, to prune and propagate succulents, people work in oppressive heat and humidity. Some wring out shirts soaked with sweat. Some contend with headaches, dizziness and nausea. Some collapse. Some hover on the brink of exhaustion, backs straining, breathing heavily.

Many do so not out in farm fields, but indoors  under the roofs of greenhouses. In structures designed to control the growing environment of plants, some workers described humidity with temperatures sometimes soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 38 degrees Celsius).

The heat is unbearable and the humidity equally so, said Estela Martinez, speaking in Spanish of the six years she worked in a nursery in Florida. I lost too much weight because my T-shirts were coming out soaked, soaked from the heat inside.

The number of greenhouse and nursery workers has increased by over 16,000 people in recent years, according to data from the latest U.S. agricultural census. Some work in conventional operations like commercial nurseries, others in buzzy startups that tout indoor agriculture as a climate change solution.

The data, along with stories of 10 current and former greenhouse workers approached by The Associated Press, shows a growing population of workers who are increasingly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, injuries and death as global temperatures rise and greenhouses become more popular. They work in a gray area  they're both indoor and agricultural workers, but are not always included in efforts to protect the latter.

But since it is possible to control greenhouse conditions, and many companies include greenhouses in their pitches for the promise of indoor agriculture, workers and researchers want protections and to have them enforced.

In those suffocating conditions, workers who dont get enough time for breaks outside or in cooler environments, whose shifts are not pushed earlier or later in the summer and whose managers ignore their concerns are the most at risk.

Many times we dont leave to cool off (even) for a short while. Its not because we wouldnt want to do it, but because were scared that they would dismiss us, Eulalia Mendoza said, speaking in Spanish. Mendoza worked in a greenhouse in Oxnard, California for the last three years of her 25-year career in agriculture.

We dont have an option, she said. That is the reality.

Heat and humidity, a dangerous combination

During her time in the industry, Mendoza picked cucumbers in a greenhouse where the temperature could spike between 105 and 115 degrees (41 to 46 C) in the summer, she said. Youd come out of there with your clothes drenched in sweat, as if youd soaked your clothes in water, she said. The exertion, coupled with the extreme heat and humidity, often lead to heat stress.

Many of us didnt know how to identify the symptoms of heat illness, Mendoza said.

She recalled a hot day when she felt a headache and nausea before the greenhouse looked yellow. She had stopped sweating and was wheeled outside in a cart meant to carry overheated workers to fresh air. They pressed ice and cold cloths to her head, removed her shoes and the sweatshirt, hat and face cover she wore. When she recovered, they sent her home.

That happens every day, Mendoza said, adding that the first time she felt heat illness, about five other colleagues sat outside with similar symptoms. The second time, there were about a dozen.

Isabel Rosario Velasco, who works in a greenhouse in San Diego County, described similar symptoms. When it's really hot, your head can hurt and you feel dizzy ... sometimes it feels like you can't breathe."

A worker with the now-bankrupt vertical farming startup AppHarvest also recalled fainting from hot greenhouses. The worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said everything just started closing in on me." He and others said temperatures frequently reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius). I stumbled and caught myself, but I had to be sat down and escorted out. Within 20 minutes of entering the greenhouse, another colleague passed out, he said.

Heat combined with humidity makes it harder for sweat to evaporate to cool the body, creating a potentially more dangerous scenario.

While people can acclimatize to some of these conditions, the persistent misconception that certain racial groups can better tolerate heat is entirely untrue, said Bharat Jayram Venkat, professor and founding director of the UCLA Heat Lab.

If anything, Black people, Latinos and others from communities of color are more vulnerable to extreme heat because theyre more likely to be lower income, not have air conditioning at home, or live in hotter areas, he said.

Rebecca Young, director of programs at the nonprofit Farmworker Justice, has heard about farmworker housing that can lack shade, air conditioning and have poor ventilation.

Little research or regulation, more workers

Between 2010 and 2019, nursery and greenhouse operations nearly doubled their hiring of H-2A agricultural visa holders, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. But without some legally-binding protections, their ability to speak up about working conditions becomes harder.

There are no federal heat protections in the U.S. for agricultural workers, nor are there federal guidelines specifically requiring greenhouses to measure temperatures and humidity, though the Biden administration recently proposed a rule for workplaces to address heat.

Californias branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently approved regulations for indoor heat, and several other states have their own rules on heat illness prevention. But enforcement of them can be tricky: for instance, workers are entitled to a 10 to 15-minute break, but that may be too short for them to properly shed and don their gear and so they may stay inside to ensure theyre back to work on time.

When Mendoza worked in a greenhouse, it would take about 10 minutes to walk from her work station to a shaded area for a break, then another two to three minutes to shed her work clothes and plastic covers on her shoes. By then, her break was over. So what we would normally do is not go outside, she said. Sometimes we would take our breaks inside the greenhouse... and only go outside for lunch.

OSHA only has in their database two formal complaints about heat stress specifically in greenhouses, one in 2005 and one in 2017. That may reflect workers concerns about retaliation if they report life-threatening workplace conditions, said Abigail Kerfoot, senior staff attorney at Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, a migrants rights organization. She pointed to what she calls structural issues with temporary visas and subcontracting of migrant labor in the United States.

Kerfoot said she has seen attempts by greenhouse employers to distance themselves from responsibility for its workers through the use of subcontracting arrangements," which essentially means they're not directly responsible for their workers.

Between 2012 and 2022, 418 people died from work-related exposure to heat across industries, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There is little research documenting the working conditions of greenhouse workers. Many of the studies that do exist are in countries outside of the U.S.

Few trainings for the most vulnerable

It was the summer of 2020 in Orange County, California when Emily Hernandez started her first job in a greenhouse. She recalled the humidity and intense heat she experienced 40 hours a week as she tried to swiftly weed and re-pot the hundreds upon hundreds of succulents she was tasked with.

The pressure to work fast gave her anxiety, and her back often strained from bending over. But the heat, she said, was the worst part.

Hernandez said in the five weeks she worked there, she never received heat safety training despite temperatures that could rise up to the high 80s. It was kind of learning as you go, Hernandez said.

Instead, safety and comfort tips came from colleagues: Bring a fan. And a chair. Keep one water bottle in the freezer and one with you always.

There was really no concern for safety in that way, Hernandez said. When I did bring it up, there was a company meeting about not complaining about the heat.

Universities with greenhouses do things differently. At the University of California, Davis, students, staff and researchers are required to take greenhouse safety trainings that cover heat illness protection, injury reduction, emergency guidance and the federal worker protection standard.

Most of the campus greenhouses automatically cool or heat the environment at certain temperatures, according to Bill Werner, former lead greenhouse manager for UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. On 100-degree days, researchers working in older greenhouses are encouraged to work early mornings, stay hydrated and take breaks in cooler areas. Various complexes also have shade and stations with cold potable water.

While research and commercial greenhouses share similar goals of creating optimal growing environments for plants, a major difference is the amount of time people spend in them.

Like Hernandez, agricultural workers often labor eight hours or more a day, five or more days a week inside commercial greenhouses. At UC Davis, people spend an average of 15 minutes to an hour daily inside greenhouses, said Werner, but can be in there for hours if theyre collecting data or setting up a project.

I dont think Ive ever seen anybody here just eight hours straight, he said.

Can greenhouses still be a climate solution?

In what was supposed to be a climate-resilient food system, workers say temperatures frequently reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius). That was inside facilities at AppHarvest, an ambitious startup backed by Martha Stewart with multiple massive tomato greenhouses in rural Kentucky that touted itself as a climate solution.

Workers say they saw colleagues carried out on makeshift stretchers, and dozens more helped outside on others shoulders.

I started getting really sick from the heat. And my body started shutting down on me, said one worker, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. And when I passed out and went home that day, Id just laid there, and I was thinking, like, I cant keep doing this.

It wasnt just summer heat causing these conditions: several AppHarvest workers said the company was riddled with mismanagement. They said there were a couple iterations of a worker orientation, but that it was boring and breezy and didnt adequately cover greenhouse safety. Some said they sometimes couldnt keep water bottles in the greenhouse because they might knock against the plants and damage the fruit, or because it looked bad when visitors came through on tours.

One anonymous contract worker formerly with AppHarvest, speaking in Spanish, said the company's greenhouses were "plagued by rats.

AppHarvest, which has since declared bankruptcy, did not respond to a detailed list of questions about these problems, though their 2021 sustainability report featured a section devoted to employee wages, benefits, career paths and safety. Nothing can be grown without the people that we have, the report stated, quoting the senior manager of environmental health and safety at the time. We must protect our greatest asset, which is people.

Other indoor growing companies maintain that with the right management, greenhouse growing is a promising climate solution.

Youve got climate change that is just exacerbating issues for outdoor growers, said Steve Bradley, president of Cox Farms, a greenhouse-based indoor growing company. He says that with greenhouses sheltering crops from extreme heat, his company has decoupled the growing from these external weather patterns.

Bradley said that his modernized greenhouses have the technology to be completely climate controlled.

Day temperatures in their current greenhouses range from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (about 21 to 29.5 Celsius), and humidity levels average about 80%, according to the company. Summer brings temperatures between 82 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (about 28 to 29.5 Celsius), but when equipment fails, it can soar to 95 degrees. To account for excessive heat, they adjust workers schedules, starting them earlier in the morning, breaking mid-day during peak heat, and returning in the evening as temperatures cool, the company said.

Aaron Fields, vice president of agriculture at greenhouse-based vertical farming company Eden Green in Texas, said that temperatures in their greenhouses regularly hover between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 Celsius) but can get hotter during the summer, sometimes above 90 (32 degrees Celsius). A few years ago, they shifted their workers summer schedules to earlier in the day so they arent working inside at the hottest hours.

Fields added that its important to be trained to identify symptoms of heat stress, to work in a buddy system and to stay hydrated.

He thinks the startup culture of high-tech greenhouses, which can include leaders and founders without prior farming experience, has led some to miss the importance of working conditions. Unfortunately, some of these were safety protections or the things that go unnoticed  those became the last priorities, he said.

It's all about establishing rules to protect workers, explained Young from Farmworker Justice. When temperatures are monitored; when workers get adequate breaks, water and training; when they arent trapped inside with pesticide residues too soon after application, then growing in greenhouses can be considered sustainable for humans and agriculture alike.

A greenhouse can be a very healthy place to work, Young said. Its sort of thinking about, how can we interact with the climate around us in a way that keeps people and the food that were eating healthy and safe?

While technology and good practices exist to ensure workers are safe and comfortable in greenhouses, many can't choose the environments they spend much of their days in.

We don't have the option to pick our work, Mendoza said. We have to accept what there is.

___

Pineda reported from Los Angeles.

___

The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Jan 2022 photo of a woman and her dog walking along the Eel River in Humboldt County. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

At first authorities thought the remains found near a Humboldt County river were just animal bones.

Now they're not so sure, and the search is on for more of what could be human remains.

The macabre discovery was made by a Redway resident who was swimming in the Eel River on July 6, when they saw what appeared to be animal bones, according to the website Redheaded Blackbelt.

When the resident removed the bone pieces from the sand, they thought that they were actually a human tibia, broken near the ankle, according to the website.

The resident sent photos to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, who in turn gave the investigation to the coroner's office.

The coroner's office initially determined the bones "unlikely to be human," but sought a second opinion from outside experts. That's when the mystery deepened.

"To conduct further confirmation of the bones origin, the Coroners Office elected to have the bone examined by anthropologists, who have deemed the bone as possibly human  further examination is pending," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement released Tuesday.

Authorities are conducting follow-up searches at the river location for additional bones with the help of cadaver dogs.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Grossly unfair: Retrial of Karen Read should not be allowed, defense says in new court filing

In a new court filing, defense attorneys said Tuesday that the retrial of Karen Read should not be allowed, calling the states continued push for a conviction in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe grossly unfair.

Reads attorney team made the statements in a filing in Dedhams Norfolk Superior Court, where last they filed a motion with Judge Beverly Cannone to dismiss two of three criminal charges against Read, including second-degree murder, claiming that four jurors came forward to notify them that the jury found Read not guilty during their secret deliberations.

According to information from four deliberating jurors, the jury had reached a unanimous decision that Ms. Read is not guilty on two of the three charges pending against her, namely Counts 1 and 3, the defense stated in Tuesdays filing. The Commonwealths insistence that Ms. Read must nonetheless be forced to run the gantlet once more is based on several clear fallacies.

Reads two-month trial ended in a mistrial on July 1 after deadlocked jurors sent a note to Cannone indicating they were at an impasse and future deliberations would be futile.

Even if the first trial is not completed, a second prosecution may be grossly unfair. It increases the financial and emotional burden on the accused of wrongdoing, and may even enhance the risk that an innocent defendant may be convicted, the defense added in its latest filing. Given the unambiguous post-trial evidence, it would simply be wrong to require the defendant to obtain two acquittals from two different juries for the same crime.

The Norfolk District Attorneys Office has repeatedly said that it plans to retry Read and a new trial date could be scheduled as soon as July 22.

The underlying idea of the Constitutional protection against Double Jeopardy, one that is deeply ingrained in at least the Anglo-American system of jurisprudence, is that the state with all its resources and power should not be allowed to make repeated attempts to convict an individual for an alleged offense, the defense argued.

Lawyers also argued that they werent allowed an opportunity to contest Cannones mistrial ruling.

The defense was provided no opportunity to be heard regarding the declaration of a mistrial, the filing stated. Rather, upon receiving the final jury note...The court declared a mistrial with no warning to or solicitation of objections from the parties.

Grossly unfair: Retrial of Karen Read should not be allowed, defense says in new court filing by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Prosecutors in the murder case filed documents last week in opposition to the defenses post-trial motion to dismiss Reads criminal charges.

The unsubstantiated and sensational claim made by defense attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yanneti indicating the jury reached a unanimous decision to acquit Read on second-degree murder and leaving the scene of fatal crash charges lacks any merit or legal foundation, the Commonwealth wrote in the documents.

The DAs office also said the defenses motion to dismiss is premised upon hearsay, conjecture, and legally inappropriate reliance as to the substance of jury deliberations.

Read is accused of killing OKeefe by striking him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm in Canton in January 2022.

Prosecutors said Read and OKeefe had been drinking heavily before she dropped him off at a party at the home of Brian Albert, a fellow officer. They said she hit him with her SUV before driving away.

The defense sought to portray Read as the victim, saying OKeefe was actually killed inside Alberts home and then dragged outside and left for dead.

Before the jury enters, Judge Beverly J. Cannone, right, speaks to the defense and prosecution during the Karen Read trial at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. This is their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Read. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat GreenhouseThe Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Judge Beverly J. Cannone speaks in Norfolk Superior Court, on their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Karen Read in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read talks with her legal team at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. This is their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Read. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read stands as jurors depart the court for the weekend at the trial of Read at Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday, June 25. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday, June 25. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

All stand as the jury files out to the courtroom, to start their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday, June 25. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read looks toward the jurors, as they are greeted by Judge Beverly J. Cannone at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. This is their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Read. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read stands as jurors depart the court to continue with deliberations at the trial of Read at Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Karen Read watches as jurors are seated in court to continue with deliberations at the trial of Read at Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Karen Read, left, arrives with her defense team, including Elizabeth Little at right, at Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. A jury is deliberating Read's fate, as her trial is nearing its end. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Karen Read watches as jurors are seated in court to continue with deliberations at the trial of Read at Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool)

Karen Read gets a long hug from her dad William before the jury breaks for lunch at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, while walking near defense attorney David Yannetti, right, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, left, stands in a doorway near defense attorney David Yannetti, center, as they depart Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read listens as Judge Beverly J. Cannone greets the jury, at the start of the third day of deliberations in her murder trial, in Norfolk Superior Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read speaks with her attorney, Alan Jackson as the jury leaves the courtroom to start their third day of deliberations, in her murder trial, in Norfolk Superior Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read speaks with her lawyer as the jury deliberates in her murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read watches as the jury enters the courtroom for the start of the second day of deliberation at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)

Karen Read speaks with her lawyer as the jury deliberates in her murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read awaits the juries verdict in her murder case at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)

Alan Jackson, From left, Liza Little, defendant Karen Read and David Yanetti wait for a question from the jury as the jury deliberates in Read's murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Judge Beverly Cannone looks over the verdict slip the jurors have to fill out when they reach a verdict in Karen Read's murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. The defense has asked for some modifications. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, departs Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip

Karen Read, center, departs Norfolk Superior, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. Jury deliberations began in the trial Tuesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Carol Kelly, of Canton, Mass., below right, waves a pink and white American flag in support of Karen Read while Gail White, of Canton, left, holds a sign, a block from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Lisa Hoffman, of Mansfield, Mass., right, displays a sign in support of Karen Read that features a likeness of a Massachusetts license plate, while seated a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, center left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Supporters of Karen Read display signs and a banner a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Supporters of Karen Read listen to proceedings from Read's trial from a laptop computer while gathered a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Laura McGillis, of Attleboro, Mass., a supporter of Karen Read, waves to passing cars a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Eva Jenkins, of Bourne, Mass., left, a supporter of Karen Read, waves to passing cars as other supporters place a banner, right, a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center right, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, center left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe.

Karen Read listens to family members, after the jury is dismissed at the end of the evidence phase of her murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

After the defense's last witness, Judge Beverly J. Cannone speaks to the jury during the murder trial for Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read

Retired forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Sheridan (not shown) is questioned by defense attorney Elizabeth Little during the murder trial for Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, stands amid her lawyers during a break in proceedings during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, and her defense lawyers Alan Jackson, left, and David Yannetti, right, listen as the prosecution questions their witness Dr. Marie Russell, during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, listens as the prosecutor questions Dr. Marie Russell, during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, reacts to testimony from Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a medical examiner for the state's medical examiner's office during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, reacts to testimony from Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a medical examiner for the state's medical examiner's office during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, listens to testimony during her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, sits in court with her legal team during her trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (David McGlynn/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center right, is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

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People are constantly taking digital photos with their phones -- but that doesn't mean printed photos have gone away. Sometimes having great digital photos of loved ones and happy memories makes you want physical mementos even more. Costco can help you print photos at low cost.

Although Costco no longer offers an in-house photo printing service at the Costco warehouses, Costco members can get a special 51% discount on photo printing with Shutterfly, a Costco partner. If you want to turn your photos into keepsakes like photo books, posters, calendars, wall art, and more, Shutterfly can help.

Unfortunately, Shutterfly isn't generally regarded as the best photo printer. Let's look at a few possible benefits and drawbacks of Costco members' special discount at Shutterfly.

Shutterfly Costco discount: 51% off photo printing

Costco members can get 51% off regularly-priced Shutterfly orders and free economy shipping on orders of $49 or more. It's easy to sign up for the Costco discount: you just have to add your Costco membership number to your Shutterfly account.

Shutterfly has more than 600 curated products that you can create from your own photos, or shop special artist-designed products, including professionally designed photo books. Shutterfly gives you the power to get your photos off of your phone and onto the walls of your home and into your everyday life in creative ways.

Possible downsides of Shutterfly for Costco members

Costco's partnership with Shutterfly is another example of the ways that Costco tries to provide special deals and extra value for its members. Whether it's Costco Travel to get special deals on cruises and vacation packages, Costco Pharmacy that gives people access to lower-cost prescription drugs, or Costco's partnership with Sesame that gives members special discounts on telemedicine visits, Costco membership benefits go beyond the warehouse.

But unfortunately, Costco's partnership with Shutterfly is not getting rave reviews. Costco members on Reddit have complained about receiving poor quality photo prints from Shutterfly, and some said that they miss the old in-house Costco Photo center.

The New York Times Wirecutter review did not rank Shutterfly as one of the best online photo printers; in fact it said that Shutterfly was "the second most expensive in our tests, and the print quality was average at best."

Should Costco members look elsewhere for photo printing? Here are a few alternatives to Shutterfly.

Best photo printers with no Costco discount

The Wirecutter review found that these online photo printers offer the best print quality. You won't get a 51% Costco discount from these companies, but clearer, crisper, more-colorful photo prints might be worth it.

Story continues

Nations Photo Lab

Wirecutter rated this printing site highly for "delivering good-looking prints in secure packaging" and says that it has an easy-to-use interface for uploading digital photos from mobile devices or computers. Learn more at nationsphotolab.com

Printique

Printique also ranked highly in the Wirecutter review of best photo printers. Wirecutter said that Printique's "print quality and pricing is on a par" with Nations Photo Lab. Learn more at printique.com

One more option for Costco photo printing

If you need to print a large volume of photos and you want a higher level of control over your print quality, you might want to buy a high-quality photo printer at Costco. Costco offers significant savings on printers, and the generous Costco return policy and Costco Concierge tech support can help you if you encounter any challenges with printing or achieving the level of photo quality that you want.

Bottom line

Costco's 51% discount partnership with Shutterfly has received mixed reviews from photo printing aficionados. If you want to get high-quality photo prints to make mementos, artwork, or just get hard copies of your favorite family memories, you might want to try a different photo printing service. Sometimes the best quality photos are worth pulling out your credit card.

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If youre shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, youll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Costco Members Get 51% Off on Photos From Shutterfly. Is It Worth It? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Group seeking changes to Augusta Animal Services evoke mixed reactions from around the country

FILE - This animal is among the lost pets picked up by or turned in to Augusta Animal Services.

On the surface the offer looks like a win-win for everyone. Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit based in Utah, wants to provide services with a grant it values at more than $910,000 to help Augusta Animal Services lower its high euthanasia rate.

But some animal shelter directors and volunteers who have worked with Best Friends say its not what it seems.

In May, Gina Burrows, Southeast regional strategist for Best Friends, told Augusta commissioners that in 2023 Augusta Animal Services had a save rate of 53.8%.

It ranks No. 1 in Georgia and No. 32 nationwide for shelters with the highest lifesaving gaps, she said.

Save rate is the percentage of animals brought into a shelter that are not euthanized. The grant would provide additional staff, training, and support to the Augusta shelter to improve the save rate.

Previously: Augusta officials ask animal shelter, animal welfare nonprofit to find way to work together

Best Friends stated goal is for every shelter to become no-kill by 2025. For a shelter to achieve what Best Friends considers no-kill, 90% of the cats and dogs coming into the shelter must be saved, according to the groups website www.bestfriends.org.

But theres a catch, said James Hill, director of Augusta Animal Services. To become a no-kill shelter, it would have to turn away many healthy owner-surrendered cats and dogs, he said. Because the Augusta shelter is taxpayer-funded, it cannot turn animals away.

The offer Best Friends made to Augusta would provide seven new staff positions, including a veterinary medical team, a community cat program coordinator, a Best Friends employee embedded with the shelter staff, virtual and in-person training, and mentorship to help build the program faster, Burrows told commissioners in May. Augusta officials are still considering the offer.

But some shelter directors urge caution when dealing with Best Friends.

More: Augusta volunteer, officials question need for Best Friends at animal shelter

Amy-Jo Sites, director for the Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, animal control, said Best Friends approached her in March about assessing the county-owned shelter. Later that month, representatives from the group went to the Fort Wayne City Council and the shelters commission with a proposal that was accepted.

Best Friends wanted her shelter to screen animals before accepting them, Sites said. But, like Augusta, it is a taxpayer-supported shelter, and she is obligated to take any animal.

When no-kill shelters are full, workers are forced to turn away people surrendering their animal  even in dire circumstances, Sites said.

Often it leads to more crowding in the shelter and more stress on the animals and on the staff, she said. And there would be more strays living in the streets creating a dangerous situation for the animals and humans.

Sites said she tried to work with Best Friends. The shelter began requiring appointments to surrender a pet. But because strays didnt require an appointment, people started claiming surrenders were strays.

After COVID, Best Friends wanted Sites to apply for grants for new programs only, she said. But she said she doesnt have the staff to add new programs. They pushed for a foster program, but Best Friends would only pay for supplies.

When she pushed back, representatives of Best Friends went to city leaders demanding new leadership in the shelter. And to elevate the over-crowding problem, the group wanted to house additional animals in crates stacked up in hallways.

Finally, we basically divorced them, she said.

In Danville, Virginia, Paulette Dean, executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society, said a Best Friends representative called her in November offering to take some of the overflow of cats Dean had in the shelter.

Dean said she told the representative she would be willing to send the cats, but wanted a written agreement that the cats would be kept indoors. The representative said Best Friends doesnt usually agree to sign anything.

She researched Best Friends and found they advocated practices she disagreed with. In mid-February, she got a call that Best Friends was sending a support offer.

I asked what would happen if we didnt accept their offer and was told, Make no mistake. We will not forget, and we will do what we need to do.

The agreement would require the shelter to limit the number of animals it accepts to adoptable animals, so the Humane Society declined, she said.

On June 1, Best Friends spearheaded an initiative called Danville Deserves Better, Dean said. The group has a web page that can be found at https://ddb-preview.webflow.io/ or search for Danville Deserves Better.

Their mission: To save the lives of more Danville cats and dogs, according to the website. The site includes a pre-written letter opposing the shelter that can be easily sent to city officials.

Dean acknowledged that the shelter had a terrible kill rate in 2023: 80% of the 3,000 animals entering the shelter were euthanized. Because of COVID, more people were surrendering more animals. Area shelters were full and not accepting more, so the Humane Society took them in, she said, and that led to more animals being euthanized.

But the story in Horry County, South Carolina, is very different. Naomi Jenkins, kennel supervisor for the Horry County Animal Care Center, said conditions and the shelter are 100% better since Best Friends came in about four years ago. The shelters live release rate was about 20% before Best Friends. Now its at 88%, she said.

Best Friends has provided training, helped start a Trap-Neuter-Release program for cats, helped the shelter set up adoption days with PetSmart, offered mentorship and training on creating enrichment time for animals, behavior training, networking with other shelter employees, she said.

They sometimes exchange hard to adopt animals with similar animals at another shelter to try to find them homes, she said.

Shes talked to several shelter employees in other parts of the country who say they havent had good experiences with Best Friends, but they are in different districts of Best Friends. The district that serves Augusta and Horry County is run by the same director, Gina Burrows.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Best Friends no liked by other animal shelters in the U.S.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Grand Rapids police are investigating after five people are suspected to have overdosed in Heartside Park over the last day.

In a social media post around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department said five non-fatal overdoses happened at Heartside Park over the previous 24 hours.

Its *possible* a tainted batch of heroin is the cause, GRPD wrote in the post.

Lisa Gholson was at Heartside Park Monday afternoon when she noticed something was wrong.

I was just walking through the park and I noticed a guy slumped over and so I went up to feel for a pulse and I could not feel any pulse, described Gholson. There were two other people around him that were passed out and looked like  they needed some help as well.

Gholson said she flagged down a police officer who was coming around the corner. The officer called an ambulance.

It was very scary. I dont know how long he was there but there were a lot of people around him. Im surprised no one else called for help, Gholson said.

It saves lives, new program detects danger in GRs illicit drug supply

GRPD linked to the Grand Rapids Red Project in their post, which provides kits of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, also knowns as Narcan.

I have no Narcan, which Im hoping that the police officers start carrying that on them, and Im hoping that I saved a life today, she added.

Free drug checks are offered at Red Projects outreach space at 1168 Madison Avenue SE Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. In April, Cherry Health added two new Narcan vending machines at Southside Health Center and Westside Health Center in Grand Rapids.

Police advise contacting 211 for more resources.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Guatemalan family seeks return of relative's body more than a decade after he disappeared in Mexico

FILE - An officer walks past a hole that police say was used as a mass grave, near San Fernando, Tamaulipas state, Mexico, April 27, 2011. The body of 17-year-old Guatemalan Yovanny was found among nearly 200 others in clandestine gravesites, discovered in April and May 2011 near San Fernando. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini, File)

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  Nearly a decade after Guatemalan authorities were told that Mexico had sent the wrong body to a Guatemalan family searching for their missing teenage relative, that unidentified body is still buried in Guatemala and the familys relative is lying in a Mexico City morgue.

The family, which declined to comment through its lawyer, wants 17-year-old Yovanny back, but also wants the body it buried exhumed, identified and returned to their relatives.

Standing in the way appears to be Guatemalas Attorney Generals Office.

Their Mexican counterparts requested the exhumation in April, but according to Rosmery Yax, the familys attorney, and the Forensic Commission  a body made up of experts from Mexicos Attorney Generals Office, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, various civic organizations and relatives of missing migrants  there has been no answer from Guatemalas Attorney Generals Office.

A spokesman for Guatemalas Attorney Generals Office did not respond to a request for comment.

It is another example of the slow, often troubled process of identifying and repatriating migrants who go missing on their way to the United States, despite cooperation agreements between governments.

This was a very serious error that jeopardized the familys rights, the victims identification, Yax said this week.

Yovanny left home in March 2011, bound for the United States where he hoped to find work to support his family, according to Yax and the Foundation for Justice, a Mexican organization pushing for better cooperation and efforts to identify missing migrants.

A week later, he told his family he was in Tamaulipas state, which sits across the Rio Grande from Texas. But Yovanny never made it to the river.

His body was found among nearly 200 others in dozens of clandestine gravesites discovered around the town of San Fernando in April and May 2011. That followed the 2010 massacre of 72 migrants in the same town. A drug cartel was carrying out forced recruitment and killing migrants that could potentially join the ranks of its rivals.

In the process of recovering the many remains, Yovannys were incorrectly tagged, according to the Foundation for Justice.

The following year a body was sent to Yovannys family in Guatemala. The family buried it in a local plot without ever being allowed to see the remains.

With respect to Yovannys case, (the Forensic Commission) identified and later confirmed that the profile of the body handed over in 2012 did not coincide with his relatives, the Foundation for Justice said. However, it did match one of the bodies held in Mexico City.

The family, which has remained anonymous, declined through its attorney to discuss the case.

This doesnt happen in these Indigenous towns, theyve damaged the social fabric, Yax said. "Because of its customs and traditions, the family says they not only want Yovanny to be brought back, but also that, at the same time, the other body be taken and that Yovanny occupies the site where they chose to bury him.

Yovannys is not an isolated case. About a hundred victims of massacres between 2010 and 2012 have still not been identified and the process has been plagued by mistakes.

Fabienne Cabaret, deputy director of the Foundation for Justice, said that they were awaiting identification results on some remains sent to Brazil and others in Guatemala that also may have been mixed up.

She also noted that there were some half-dozen victims who had been identified, but had not been handed over to their families because the Committee for Attention to Victims, the governmental body charged with carrying out the process, lacked the resources to do so.

Still, Cabaret maintained that the work of the Forensic Commission was the best vehicle despite the many challenges of collaboration between countries.

Guatemala's government was notified of the error in 2015, but the family was not told until 2019, according to Yax and the Foundation for Justice.

The family hopes for some resolution under the new administration of President Bernardo Arevalo, but he has remained at loggerheads with the Attorney Generals Office since his election victory last year.

__

AP writer Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.[sunbhed

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Getty Images.

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges.

 Chris LaCivita, Trump campaign senior advisor

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.

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Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at the The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Tump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, left, speaks during an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association at the The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.

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Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Dave Ramsey Slams Instagram Rich: Your Fancy Friends Are Probably Broke

No, youre not the only one whos not rich or happy. Its a repeating message: the lavish displays of wealth on social media are often not what they seem. Financial expert Dave Ramsey has a powerful message for those captivated by the opulent lifestyles they see online: "The expensive cars, luxurious vacations, and other extravagant displays are rarely true indicators of wealth."

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Its a modern twist on the age-old concept of keeping up with the Joneses. The pressure to match the lifestyles seen on social media can lead to devastating financial consequences.

You may have heard of body dysmorphic, but what about money dysmorphic? The new trend is taking down a generation. Financial advisors have coined the term money dysmorphic to describe the feelings of financial insecurity or the perception of not doing well compared to others.

29% of American adults surveyed by Qualtrics for Intuit Credit Karma said they experienced "money dysmorphic." A staggering 62% of Gen Z report financial pressure to keep up with their peers and family members.

To underline Ramseys point: A LendingTree study found that 51% of respondents admitted to overspending to impress others, and 56% are now in debt from overspending. And its not hard to get there.

Trending: General Motors and other leaders revealed to be investing in this revolutionary lithium start-up  allowing easy entry by launching at just $9.50 per share.

Lets look at that for a minute. The median American salary in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was just $59,540, or $4,954 a month before taxes. For simplicity, suppose you pay $13,000 a year in combined federal and state income taxes. That means your take-home pay is $3,878 a month.

If youve got a $700 monthly car payment and take a $10,000 vacation twice a year, youre left with just $1,511 a month for food, housing, gas and other transportation costs, insurance, medical care, and fun. Theres also probably nothing left for savings. Delete one $10,000 vacation, which is $2,428, rarely enough to make mortgage payments and buy groceries in most parts of the county.

See Also: Will the surge continue or decline on real estate prices? People are finding out about risk-free real estate investing that lets you cash out whenever you want.

So, what is the true mark of wealth? Ramsey says its three things: "making an impact through giving, leaving a legacy, and having options for how you live your life." The great news? None of those are fancy cars or Instagram-worthy vacations; you can achieve them on any budget.

Story continues

By these measures, Americans are relatively wealthy. Regular Americans made 64% of all American charitable donations in 2022, according to an analysis by the United Nations. And 68% of Gen Z and millennial Americans have already received an inheritance or expect to receive one in the future, with an average inheritance size of $320,000.

The last measure of true wealth is location and lifestyle freedom. This is a personal decision, but youll know when youve got it. It could come from early retirement or loving what you do and where you live. The freedom to choose makes America great and why you could do better than you realized.

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Warren Buffett flipped his neighbor's $67,000 life savings into a $50 million fortune  How much is that worth today?

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This article Dave Ramsey Slams Instagram Rich: Your Fancy Friends Are Probably Broke originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
From left: Wisconsin Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt and Florida Rep. Kat Cammack speak during an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association

From left: Wisconsin Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt and Florida Rep. Kat Cammack speak during an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The panel was hosted by Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the USCCA, who is pictured at the right. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of government affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.

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Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted July 16, 2024, at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted July 16, 2024, at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, left, speaks during an event hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt | States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000 percent convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita speaks with Katie Pointer Baney, managing director of Government Affairs for Delta Defense and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, during an event the organization hosted Tuesday at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

MILWAUKEE  Republicans speaking at a concealed carry event on Tuesday, just days after a gunman attempted to kill their presidential nominee, insisted the party wont change its stance on Second Amendment rights.

Attendees at the one-hour session, hosted by the U.S. Concealed Carry Association near the Republican National Convention, werent actually able to conceal carry any firearms, since it was held inside a Secret Service security checkpoint.

But those in attendance heard from Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita and three members of Congress about what the plans will be for gun rights should they sweep Congress and the White House during Novembers elections.

I think what well see is a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment and where that really comes into play is the judiciary, the appointment of judges, LaCivita said. And so that is clearly, you know, one of the largest impacts that President Trump had clearly during his first term was a remake of the judiciary.

Florida U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, speaking with reporters after the event, said that the GOP was absolutely not considering changing its support for Second Amendment rights. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday was injured by a gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person was killed and two others were injured. The shooter was killed at the scene.

I stand 1,000% convicted in the fact that the Republican Party will always stand for the Constitution and the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, Cammack said. One deranged individual, who clearly needed help, he is not going to change the United States Constitution and our right as Americans to bear arms. Absolutely not.

Cammack said it is shocking and inappropriate for any lawmaker to call for changes to gun laws in the wake of tragic events like mass shootings. She criticized Democrats for not making similar comments following the Trump shooting.

The thing that has been really shocking to me, is you see right after tragic events, many politicians and pundits come out and they say, This is the time to have the discussion about gun control when clearly thats not appropriate, she said.

In this case, I have gone through and seen the messaging of some of my colleagues, and I dont see those same calls for gun control in the aftermath of this incident, Cammack added. So it makes me think that theres a bit of a disingenuous attitude on some of the remarks that theyve been making.

Hunters, gun owners

During the panel discussion, Cammack said Republicans need to talk to the 10 million hunters and gun owners throughout the country who are not registered to vote to ensure they change that and go to the polls in November.

That is a missed opportunity for us as 2A advocates to make sure that we are actually doing the work to secure that victory, because we cannot turn the corner into January and start talking about how were going to do national reciprocity, if we dont have the votes, Cammack said.

A nationwide concealed carry reciprocity law would likely require a state with stricter concealed carry laws to recognize an out-of-state concealed carry permit.

USCCA writes on its website that (r)eciprocity simply means a concealed carry permit or license is valid beyond the issuing state.

States may have full reciprocity, recognizing all out-of-state permits, or partial reciprocity, specifying agreements with select states, the website states, referring to state-level laws. The negotiation and recognition of these agreements depend on the willingness of states to cooperate. Whatever the agreement, carriers must follow the laws of the state in which they are carrying, and those may be different from the issuing state. 

Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald said during the panel that gun rights advocates must pay close attention to lawmakers at the state and federal level, since changes to gun ownership laws are generally incremental and not sweeping.

I think that, you know, we have to be diligent as legislators that protect the Second Amendment to say, No, wait a minute, you know, this is a constitutional guarantee right, Fitzgerald said. So you can continue to pass bill after bill after bill with some cute type of name that would lead people to believe that its about security. But we have to be diligent.
MILWAUKEE - At one time Republicans Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley were doing all they could to warn primary voters that Donald Trump couldn't win the 2024 presidential election.

But millions of ballots and an attempted assassination has changed all that.

The two affirmed Trump's perch on the party's mountaintop and further solidified this week's presentation that conservatives are closing ranks as Democrats remain divided over President Joe Biden's nomination.

"President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity," Haley told delegates. "It was a gracious invitation and I was happy to accept."

Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, delivers remarks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024.

Trump's brawny populism agitates certain segments of the conservative movement because it elevates people who aren't typically thought of as Republicans. However, delegates inside the Fiserv Forum on Tuesday ate up much of the convention's tough-on-crime and border-security messages.

Throughout the evening, speakers spoke to convention-goers and the national audience's fears about migrants streaming across the southern border or reports of violent crime in U.S. urban centers.

Here are key moments from the second day of the Republican National Convention.

Haley makes plea to anti-Trump Republicans

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum.

Haley approached the lectern to growing jeers, but those taunts were quickly drowned out by supportive hoots and hollers.

The former South Carolina governor aggravated Trump's base by staying in the 2024 GOP primary longer than any other rival. She used her 11-minute speech to make a direct appeal to those who supported her campaign and outlined why they must overcome their misgivings about Trump.

"My message to them is simple: you don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him," she said.

DeSantis, the governor of Florida, similarly put his past (and often personal) clashes with Trump to the side for the greater goal of defeating Biden.

But he put that in sharper terms by questing the sitting president's capacity to serve and providing one of the most fiery speeches boosting Trump at the convention.

"America cannot afford four more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency," DeSantis said, referring to the 1989 film where two men pretend their dead employer is alive.

The moment completes Trump's takeover and is a remarkable consolidation compared to a year ago when Haley and DeSantis were looking to vanquish the former president, whose party and base increasingly are bullish about his chances in November.

Republicans emphasize making America safe again

Delegates cheer during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies.

Reality TV star Amber Rose's appearance Monday rubbed some traditional conservatives the wrong way even if it showcased Trump's attempt to broaden MAGA populism's appeal.

Before Trump's brush with death, for instance, anti-abortion activists were upset about changes to the party platform.

But Republicans returned to safer ground Tuesday with a theme that emphasized supporting law enforcement and combating violent crime, which is at historic lows according to experts

"We in the Republican Party will always be the law-and-order team," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said.

A string of GOP officials and candidates running this fall stepped forward to make that case, with many espousing Trump's plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants living in America.

"This is no time for wimpy Republicans," Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told delegates. "If you came here illegally under Joe Biden, you're going back to where you came from under Donald Trump."

Others shared dire warnings about what they described as a dangerous world from attacks on Israel to threat of Chinese communism.

Noticeably absent from the conversation was any mention of Jan. 6 rioters, who Trump and others frequently have defended as "political prisoners" on the campaign trail.

Ramaswamy makes generational pitch amid 'oldgate'

Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies.

One speaker who hyped up delegates Tuesday was former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who called on Millennial and Gen Z voters to give the GOP a chance.

The generational message was noteworthy because Biden is 81 and Trump is 78, both born before the United Nations was founded.

"You want to be a rebel. You want to be a hippie. You want to stick it to the man," Ramaswamy said. "Show up on your college campus and try calling yourself a conservative."

The 38-year-old Ohio entrepreneur challenged younger Americans to get married, have kids, teach them religious values and "pledge allegiance to their country."

Much like during his 2024 primary bid, Ramaswamy said the country must reassert "national pride." He also attacked Democrats for focusing too much on race, gender and other cultural differences.

It was a conservative remix of sorts on then-Sen. Barack Obama's speech at Democratic National Committee two decades ago, which put the rising star on a trajectory that led to his presidency.

"And if we can revive that dream over group identity and victimhood and grievance, then nobody in the world  not a nation, not a corporation, not a virus  will beat us," Ramaswamy said.

Veep speak: Harris, Vance chat but debate still uncertain

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance stands onstage during his walk-thru ahead of Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 16, 2024.

Vice President Kamala Harris tried to reach JD Vance, the newly tapped Republican VP nominee, by phone Monday but had to leave a voicemail.

"She was very gracious, very cordial," Vance said.

Both parties are bragging that their veep contenders will wax the other in a debate, arguing the other doesn't have the brain power or experience to help the top of the ticket.

But it's unclear when or if the two will tangle.

The Biden-Harris campaign accepted an invitation from CBS News for a vice presidential debate on July 23 or Aug. 13, but Trump's team has yet to respond.

RFK Jr. continues to provide Dems fodder

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a campaign rally at the Fox Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, U.S. February 5, 2024.

Republicans largely stayed on message Tuesday inside the Fiserv Forum, where the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks play, but outside it was a bit more difficult.

That's in part because of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose phone call with Trump continued to be a distraction to the GOP narrative.

Parts of the call were leaked online Tuesday by RFK, Jr.'s son, where Trump can be heard coaxing Kennedy to endorse the Republican ticket.

"I would love you to do so," Trump tells Kennedy.

But things took a turn when Trump began alluding to Kennedy's history of swimming in skepticism about vaccines, with the GOP nominee for president sharing disproven claims.

Kennedy later apologized in a post on X about the conversation coming out.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RNC Day 2 takeaways: Haley, DeSantis back Trump, promote unity
US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee. Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, once fierce rivals of former US president Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, used their speeches at the party's national convention to reaffirm he now has their full backing.

"I'll start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement," Haley told the crowd at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Trump was officially nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate for November's elections on Monday.

Haley, who was received with a mix of cheers and booing, dropped out of the race after being heavily beaten by Trump in the primaries, however she did not immediately endorse him.

Relations between Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, and Trump had been fraught with personal attacks, with Haley questioning whether the former president was mentally fit for running for office, while Trump targeted Haley, a daughter of Indian immigrants, with racist comments.

While Haley and DeSantis, the governor of Florida who dropped out of the race following the Iowa primary in January, have since both publicly endorsed Trump, their support voiced at the national convention is seen as a signal of unity within the Republican Party.

"We should acknowledge that there are some Americans who don't agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time. I happen to know some of them, and I want to speak to them tonight," Haley said.

"I'm here tonight because we have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her."

DeSantis told a cheering audience that it was time to "send [President] Joe Biden back to his basement, and let's send Donald Trump back to the White House."

Trump was watching on in person again on day two of the televised extravaganza, only three days after he was injured in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Wearing a bandage across his right ear, he followed the speeches of his former rivals, occasionally raising his fist into the air and pointing towards the cheering crowd.

(L-R) American businessman and Donald Trump's son, US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and US Senator from Ohio and 2024 Republican vice-president candidate J. D. Vance attend the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee. Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
-Discover Financial Services will sell a portfolio of student loans to buyout giants Carlyle and KKR for up to $10.8 billion, the credit card-focused lender said on Wednesday.

The loans will be sold at a premium to their principal balance of nearly $10.1 billion, the company said.

Discover, which had been weighing a sale of the portfolio since November, is one of a handful of lenders that have exited the space in recent years.

The deal could also de-risk Discover's loan book as it prepares to be acquired by Capital One.

Student debt has become a political hot-button in the U.S.

In 2022, President Joe Biden rolled out a measure that would have forgiven $430 billion of such debt, but his plan was thwarted by the Supreme Court last year after opposition from conservative-leaning states.

Nearly one in five adults say the issue will influence their vote, according to a survey from Bankrate.

Separately, Capital One said on Wednesday it would commit $265 billion over five years to lending, philanthropy and investment if its takeover of Discover goes through.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant and Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sriraj Kalluvila)
MILWAUKEE  Nikki Haley used a prime-time address at the Republican National Convention to deliver a strong endorsement of Donald Trump and encourage his lingering skeptics to cast their ballots for him in November, putting on a show of party unity just three days after the attempt on the former presidents life.

President Trump asked me to speak at this convention in the name of unity. It was a gracious invitation, and I was happy to accept, Haley said Tuesday night.

Then she played her part.

Haley delivered her pitch for Republicans to put aside their differences and rally behind their nominee. She called for a unified Republican Party to save the country. And she attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, turning particular attention to the latter as the former faces growing calls to step aside from the Democratic ticket.



You dont have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, Haley said. I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree. We agree on keeping America strong. We agree on keeping America safe. And we agree that Democrats have moved so far to the left that theyre putting our freedoms in danger.

Haleys full-throated support of Trump on Republicans biggest stage accelerated what had been a slow detente between the former rivals for the GOP nomination since the former South Carolina governor exited the race in March.

Trump, a bandage on his right ear, watched Haleys speech from a box with several of his children, his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as the former presidents press secretary. He sat with his lips pressed together for most of her remarks, letting out a laugh when she talked about their disagreements and applauding when she spoke of a unified party.

But Haley  who warned Trump when she suspended her campaign that he would have to work to win over her voters  also signaled that she did not fully believe his MAGA base was up to that task.

To my fellow Republicans: We must not only be a unified party, we must also expand our party," Haley said. "We are so much better when we are bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences. And right now we need to be strong to save America.

And her message of unity didnt reach all the MAGA faithful in Fiserv Forum. While many attendees stood and applauded Haley as she took the stage, light boos echoed through the arena.

Too little, too late, said one person in the Illinois delegation. A convention official turned to her while Haley was speaking and said no boos.

Haley was not initially invited to speak at the convention, even as she released her delegates and encouraged them to support Trump. And Trump had not publicly made overtures to her supporters since she ended her bid against him.



But Trump and his team changed course just a few days before the convention. Haley was added to the lineup the same day a gunman opened fire at Trumps rally in Butler, Pennsylvania  killing one, severely injuring two and leaving the former president wounded but safe. She delivered her remarks just before another also-ran, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Haley has a long and complicated history with Trump. She backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2016 GOP primary, then went on to serve in Trumps administration as his ambassador to the United Nations. She said she wouldnt run against Trump if he decided to seek a second term  and then became the first major Republican to launch a campaign against him. On the trail, she kept her critiques of him to a minimum  until the field winnowed. Then the mudslinging between her and Trump began. Haley hammered Trump as a bully who threw temper tantrums and said both he and Biden were too old to lead the country. Trump derided her as Birdbrain and just a bad candidate.

When Haley dropped out after Super Tuesday  ceding the nomination to Trump  she declined to endorse him, saying it was up to the former president to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond who did not support him. Her supporters and non-Trump voters looking to send a message to the three-time nominee kept casting ballots for her in subsequent primaries. Then, two months after she exited the race, she turned around and said she would vote for him in November, saying that while he has not been perfect, Biden has been a catastrophe.

Many of Haleys backers had held out hope of the near-impossibility that Trump would pick her as his running mate, as a way to smooth over any lingering tensions within the party and to appeal to independent voters and women, especially in the suburbs, who voted for Haley in droves. On Monday, he selected Vance.



Her supporters across the country watched her speech Tuesday for signs of how to proceed as they weigh whether to back the Republican ticket.

I think she proved we agree on more than we dont, said Kimberly Rice, a former New Hampshire House speaker pro tem who co-chaired Haleys campaign in the state. I definitely think she sold it.

Others watched simply because they were at Fiserv Forum.

Kelley Koch, chair of the Republican Party of Dallas County, Iowa, saw Haley and all the other Republicans come through trying to win votes last year. She rolled her eyes when asked what she thought of Haleys speech.

Needed to for her career, Koch said.

Still, Koch said she didnt appreciate the booing that came from some in the crowd when Haley took the stage.

Didnt like that, Koch said. We need unity.
What happened to the recall efforts against Michigan lawmakers over new gun laws?

Protestors in support of gun safety legislation hold their signs up and chant to block the signs and chants of counter-protestors during a rally with former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords on March 15, 2023. (Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

They garnered headlines and partisan hoopla, but four recall petitions approved last year against Michigan lawmakers all expired without anything to show for the effort.

Most of the recalls were filed after Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed gun reforms following the Feb. 13, 2023, mass shooting at Michigan State University. Several recall efforts never even made it over the first procedural hurdle.

The first of the approved petitions was against state Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan). It was filed by Fairview Area Schools board member and former Republican Alcona County Commissioner Gary Wnuk, and cited Cavitts yes vote in January 2023 when the House elected Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) as the new House speaker for the new legislative session under the new Democratic majority.

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers (BSC) approved the recall on Aug. 1, 2023. The petition had a 180-day window to collect signatures, which expired in late January.

A recall petition against Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy) was then approved by a 3-0 vote on Aug. 21, 2023, by the BSC. It was filed by Michael T. Ross, who cited MacDonells yes vote in support of red flag gun laws signed into law earlier that year.

Once the Michigan Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal of the petition on October 11, 2023, the petitions 180-day window to collect signatures expired in early April.

Similar recall petitions approved against Reps. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield) and Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) also cited their votes in favor of the red flag laws.

Arbit and Coffia also both appealed, both of which were rejected on Dec. 13, placing the 180-day expiration in early June for those petitions.

In all four cases, the Michigan Secretary of States office confirmed for Michigan Advance that no petitions were received.

MacDonnel told the Advance that the recall against her didnt succeed because voters recognize that she is working for them.

Ive championed the policies that my constituents care about, like commonsense gun reform and expanded protections for vulnerable adults. People can see that unless elected officials have done something wrong, trying to remove them with recalls is just blatantly cynical, said MacDonnel.

To initiate a recall election, supporters of the various efforts were required to submit signatures of at least 25% of the votes cast in the appropriate state House district in the last governors race. Additionally, all of the signatures must have been gathered within a 60-day period prior to being turned in.

Amid the four petitions the BSC did approve over the last year, were a bevy they rejected, including from a former Albion man who filed his sixth recall petition against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in January.

Chad E. Baase alleged Whitmers budgeting for state law enforcement was similar to Slave Licensing, Black Codes, and Jim Crow Laws that echoed the behavior of slave traders against those of color. Baase later told the Advance the effort was more focused on trying to get his drivers license reinstated than it was about actually gathering signatures and following through with the petition process.

While most of Baases petitions have been rejected, of those that were approved, none have ever been turned in with signatures, including one seeking Whitmers recall that was approved by the BSC on June 8, 2020, but which later collapsed after approximately $2,000 in campaign funds went missing.

As the Michigan Campaign Finance Network reported at the time, a volunteer with the campaign alleged Baase spent the money on a gambling addiction, while Baase claimed it had been stolen by a girlfriend whose last name he didnt know.
FONTANA-ON-GENEVA LAKE, Wisconsin  As Congress begins to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, one congressman from the Cincinnati region questioned whether the shooter acted alone.

"It's such a level of negligence that it's just hard to conceive that it was simply negligence," U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, told The Enquirer Tuesday morning while attending the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin. "So the investigation has to be thorough. There are failures that are hard to explain by anyone with any remote level of training, to say that a sniper could get 130, 150 yards away from the president of the United States."

U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy.

The FBI identified 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter and has said in statements it continues to investigate the motive. According to the FBI, the shooter appears to have acted alone but the agency continues to look into whether there were "co-conspirators associated with this attack."

Crooks was shot to death by the Secret Service after firing bullets that grazed the former president's ear.

Davidson wants to know how the shooter got on top of a roof within 150 yards of Trump, and why, after he was spotted, action wasn't immediately taken. When asked by The Enquirer whether he's suggesting the assassination attempt was an inside job, he said, "It's hard to explain all the failures."

The level of negligence would have to be so extreme that it's nearly impossible as an explanation. This photo also illustrates the gentle pitch of the roof the Secret Service appears to have deemed to steep to man

- EXCEPT BY AN ASSASIN.



These people cannot be trusted to https://t.co/Z4qZefDr4j  Warren Davidson  (@WarrenDavidson) July 16, 2024

An incredible illustration of the bullets path. Off-script to show illegal immigration charts, and a head turn to look at the charts Otherwise, that shot would have killed President Trump.



As we learn more detail about the security failures, at this point, negligence requires pic.twitter.com/GBn9neug55  Warren Davidson  (@WarrenDavidson) July 17, 2024

Davidson won't say whether he's interested in Vance's Senate seat

While Davidson is not a delegate at the Republican National Convention, he is attending along with more than 2,400 Republican delegates who have convened in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump as their choice for president. He will speak to the Ohio Republican delegation on Thursday at their breakfast in the hotel where they're staying at Fontana-on-Geneva Lake.

One of the big questions to come out of the convention is who would fill Sen. J.D. Vance's Senate seat should Trump win and Vance become vice president.

Davidson wouldn't say yes or no when asked whether he'd be interested in being appointed to Vance's Senate seat by Gov. Mike DeWine.

"There's a lot of things that have to happen between now and then," Davidson said. "So I'm just focused on this next election cycle."

He wouldn't rule it out.

"I'm focused on other things right now."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Warren Davidson questions whether the Trump shooter acted alone
Just four days after a Russian missile hit Ukraines leading hospital for children, the floors of Okhmatdyts main building looked surprisingly spotless.

The dust and shattered glass from the devastating blast that defaced the building were wiped out. Damaged furniture was removed, and the staff wearing clean scrubs rushed along the well-lit corridors. At first glance, things seemed almost normal, if not for the absence of patients.

The attack on July 8, which killed 2 people and injured 32 more while likely traumatizing scores of children, damaged most of the hospital compounds buildings but to various degrees. A smaller toxicology unit directly hit by the missile was destroyed. The bigger main facility, whose decade-long reconstruction had been completed just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was heavily damaged with its once colorful facade of windows and siding blown in or dented by the blast.

But Russias latest attack in its genocidal war against Ukraine demonstrated that Ukrainians continue to unite and resist in the face of such brutality. Thousands of volunteers have amassed to save their fellow citizens and later to help rebuild the hospital.

They gathered in the hours and days after the strike to clear the rubble, send donations, collect aid, and restore the basic infrastructure of the hospital, gradually bringing it back to life.

First, I thought that it would take weeks, months to restore the electricity, water, and medical gases, Volodymyr Zhovnir, Okhmatdyts CEO said on July 12 after a memorial event was held with a small orchestra playing for the staff outside, against the backdrop of a half-destroyed building.

Emergency and rescue personnel clear the rubble from the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, which was destroyed in a Russian missile attack, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 8, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)

A Ukrainian doctor (C) stands amid the rubble of the destroyed building of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital after a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 8, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)

But we got the water back on the second day (after the attack). On the second day, the electricity was back on, too. And on the third day, ventilation was restored, Zhovnir added.

Serhii Chernyshuk, Okhmatdyts medical director, said the immediate priority for the hospital, which performed over 9,000 operations per year before the attack, is to restore the functionality of its newest building. The aim is to get it once again providing all the hospital's basic services, though on a slightly smaller scale than before, he added.

"This building is best preserved, and most importantly, 95% of our high-tech services, equipment, and so on are concentrated here, Chernyshuk told the Kyiv Independent.

If we restore it, we will restore what we call Okhmatdyt. Okhmatdyt is not a space, not a territory. Primarily, it is specialists and the high-tech medical services they provide, he said.

After 94 children were transferred to other Kyiv hospitals to continue treatment in the aftermath of the attack, some doctors and nurses of Okhmatdyt followed.

Our staff is treating them there, and we are tidying up here in the meantime, said Valentyna Mariash, chief nurse from Okhmatdyts oncology department who has been daily visiting children relocated at the National Cancer Institute.

Photographs of bald children with drug dispensers sitting alongside the hospitals wall immediately after the attack drew outrage internationally and triggered fresh condemnation of Russia by Ukraines Western allies.

Bringing them back to a functional Okhmatdyt capable of providing top-level care was the main priority. When the blood donation center was relaunched on the morning of July 12, Ukraines Health Minister Viktor Liashko announced plans for some children to return to the oncology department as soon as possible. On July 13, CEO Zhovnir announced that 50 oncology patients were again staying at Okhmatdyt.

"It was extremely important for us to restore the services that are necessary in any ward, said Chernyshuk on the day when children started to return to the cancer department.

If there is no blood, or if it is impossible to take an X-ray, or if the sterilization department is not working, we cannot do anything. We have gradually restored them, he added.

Another primary task at the hospital is assessing the cost to repair the damage.

Days after the attack, the Health Ministry announced that it would take at least Hr 400 million (around $10 million) to replace the damaged equipment at Okhmatdyt. Chernyshuk warned that the amount of funds needed may change significantly, as it was calculated using the hospital's prices for the equipment years ago.

Since the day of the attack, donations have been pouring in from individuals and companies, reaching around Hr 800 million (nearly $20 million) by July 12, according to Health Minister Liashko.

However, not a dime from the donations has been spent yet, Chernyshuk told the Kyiv Independent on July 15. Between signing off on lists of equipment that needs to be replaced for each damaged ward, he coordinates with donors in Ukraine and abroad who are willing to help the hospital by purchasing the items themselves, sometimes through personal connections that allow them to buy cheaper than the market value.

Chernyshuk said the lists of required equipment are not public to avoid situations when donors independently buy items that dont fit the hospitals requirements. According to him, treating children with difficult conditions calls for more advanced equipment.

For example, lets take a Mercedes E-Class. It can be equipped with nothing, or it can come packed with features and cost three times more. It's the same with equipment to treat children, Chernyshuk said.

The cost of repairing Okhmatdyt's damaged buildings can be even higher. On July 16, over a week after the attack, the experts were still working to calculate the approximate sum. Some hospital staff and donors said the donations collected so far are insufficient to cover the needs.

Maryna Poroshenko, a Kyiv city legislator, wife of Ukraines former president, and head of the Poroshenko charity, said their foundation had been gradually helping to renew one of the hospitals buildings since 2013. She worries about an assessment underway to determine whether the building, over 50 years old and heavily damaged, is to be rebuilt from scratch.

God forbid to demolish it, Poroshenko told the Kyiv Independent in a recent interview.

Entering such a long and expensive project during the war will hurt the children who wont be able to receive help, and it will be really difficult to preserve the staff.

Construction of Okhmatdyts newest and biggest building, which was completed in 2021, took 10 years. The process was tainted by corruption scandals during the government of former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted by the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, and continued under the government of his successor, Petro Poroshenko. CEO Zhovnir said hospital management hoped that all the procedures will be as open and understandable as possible during the restoration.

A healthcare worker looks through a window of a damaged operating room at people clear rubble at the building of one of the largest childrens hospitals of Ukraine, Okhmatdyt, partially destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 8, 2024. (Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Officials say that shortly after the damage assessment is finished, Okhmatdyt, together with the Health Ministry, will choose the construction company to rebuild the hospital.

The one who offers the best price is the one who will probably do it, Chernyshuk said. While he was not directly responsible for choosing the contractor, he said that the hospital would ask the biggest construction companies in Ukraine to make price offers.

This can only be done efficiently and quickly by a company with extensive resources and experience. Let's just say there are not many of such companies, he said.

While reluctant to ask for more money as the repair assessment is underway, CEO Zhovnir hopes that more big donors will offer assistance in the hospitals reconstruction.

We have lost one building. Another is in poor condition. Part of the new building is in a very rough state, and the heating station has been lost, he told the Kyiv Independent. There are big problems in the buildings farther away. How many millions  not even hryvnias, but dollars  do you think it will take to restore at least this?

Yet hope that the hospital doors could fully reopen sooner rose on July 16, over a week after the attack. Chernyshuk said that Okhmatdyt is accepting patients again for urgent surgeries.

We are not talking about a full recovery yet, he cautioned.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Wednesday the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as heinous, horrible and cowardly in her first public remarks on the shooting.

But she raised a key question for the election moving forward: How Bidens campaign decries violence directed against Trump as it argues why hes unfit to be president.

There must be unity around the idea that while our nations history has been scarred by political violence, violence is never acceptable. There can be no equivocation about that, Harris said at a campaign stop in Michigan. At the same time, the hallmark of American democracy, the hallmark of any democracy, is a strong competition of ideas, policies, and a vision for the future.

Just as we must reject political violence, we must also embrace a robust discussion about what is at stake in this election, she added.



A central point of the Biden-Harris campaign has focused on the idea of Trump posing a threat to democracy, citing his record, criminal indictments and the Supreme Court presidential immunity decision, among other things. Since the shooting at Trumps rally in Butler, Pennsylvania that left one person dead and two others seriously wounded, however, Democrats and Republicans alike have denounced political violence and encouraged all sides to dial back heated rhetoric.

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt, many Democrats expressed sympathy for the former president and remained mute on criticisms of Trump. President Joe Biden pleaded with Americans to cool down the political temperature and called for unity in an address to the nation from the Oval Office Sunday.

Biden told NBC News Lester Holt Monday that he regretted urging Democrats to place Trump in a bullseye days before the shooting, clarifying he meant it as a call to focus on the former presidents actions. Still, Biden rejected suggestions that his previous comments had promoted violence against Trump, saying he was not engaged in that rhetoric unlike Trump.

Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody? Biden said.

Harris on Wednesday appeared to echo the presidents sentiment, emphasizing the delicate balance the campaign will need to strike between denouncing the attack against Trump while still underscoring their beliefs in the potential dangers of a second Trump presidency.

The surest way to reaffirm the strength of our democracy is by engaging in a vigorous and civil exchange of ideas, Harris said.

Speaking at his first campaign event in Milwaukee as the Republican vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance blamed the media for suggesting Trump has engaged in harmful rhetoric and praised the former presidents response after the shooting.

Was he mad and angry? He called for national unity. He called for calm. He showed leadership, Vance said. Donald Trump got shot and he toned down the temperature. Thats what a real leader does.
Harris says Michigan will lose the right to abortion under Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

As the battle for Michigan voters attention rages in the presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Portage on Wednesday to reiterate to Michiganders that President Joe Biden is the only candidate in the race that will protect contraception, abortion or IVF.

I think that most of us agree that we shouldnt allow supposed leaders to  do things that hurt people, Harris said at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in West Michigan. In the midst of those who are trying to take individual freedoms  this is not the time to throw up our hands; this is a time to roll up our sleeves.

This is Harris fourth visit to Michigan this year, as she most recently campaigned in Detroit in June. Bidens visit to Detroit last week marked his fourth visit this year, as well, and it followed widespread calls within the Democratic Party for him to step down from the race.

Harris would be a frontrunner to replace Biden if he steps off the ticket, though Biden hasnt given indication that hell drop any time soon, promising supporters in Detroit Friday he would stay in the race. Biden did reaffirm during a press conference last Thursday that Harris would be capable of taking over the presidency if necessary.

Harris visit coincides with the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, where former President Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee Monday and named U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate. Trump surprised the RNC crowd on Monday with an in-person appearance, two days after there was an assassination attempt against him at his rally in Pennsylvania. Trump and Vance are scheduled to stump in Grand Rapids on Saturday.

The shooting was a horrible act of cowardice, Harris said. Unity and mindful engagement with others is needed now more than ever as the nation is marked by this act of political violence.

The hallmark of American democracy, the hallmark of any democracy is a strong competition of ideas, policies, and vision for the future. And just as we must reject political violence, we must also embrace a robust discussion about what is at stake in this election, Harris said.

Speakers identified abortion rights and other reproductive health care as being in danger under a second Trump presidency. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) said Vance, who Harris may debate as the campaign progresses, wants a national abortion ban, without exceptions.

And I have to tell you, now that Donald Trump has selected Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, theres a clone right there for him, Stabenow said.

Stabenow criticized her Senate colleague further, pointing out his views on social security, no-fault divorce, reproductive rights and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. She encouraged support for Biden and Harris, saying our entire way of life is on the ballot this November.

Reproductive rights are in peril, Harris said, adding that autonomy of personal medical decisions is foundational and critical to protect.

Trump has said hes proud to be the person responsible for the overturning Roe v. Wade, which established the federal right to an abortion. He also has said that abortion access should be determined by state governments.

Voters arent going to be easily gaslit by Trump, Harris said. Pushing states rights as the driver behind a state by state approach to limiting access to abortion and contraception hurts women and families, putting them in dangerous situations as they navigate reproductive health care decisions.

Trump can deny he wants to ban abortion on a federal level or limit access to reproductive health care, said Olivia Troye, a former national security advisor for the Trump administration, but his plan is clear.

Vice President Kamala Harris talks about the importance of national protections of reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) reiterates her support for President Joe Biden's reelection and reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Vice President Kamala Harris talks about the importance of national protections of reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Amanda Stratton, a Michigan mother and former Republican voter, discusses her experience accessing reproductive care at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) reiterates her support for President Joe Biden's reelection and reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Olivia Troye, a former national security in the Trump administration, discusses Trump's connection to Project 2025 and plans to take away reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Vice President Kamala Harris talks about the importance of national protections of reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) reiterates her support for President Joe Biden's reelection and reproductive rights at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Portage on July 17, 2024. | Lucy Valeski

Trump has denied having any connection to Project 2025, a right-wing presidential transition plan created by the Heritage Foundation, which outlines plans to ban abortion, dismantle the Department of Education, elimination of gender and sexual orientation language from federal law, amongst other changes.

However, a review from CNN found 140 former members of the Trump administration, including six former cabinet members, had contributed to Project 2025s more than 900-page Mandate for Leadership.

Im here because I refuse to stay silent, Troye said. If you dont believe this is real and that they can do it, I can tell you when I was in the Trump administration I saw a draft of one of these executive orders.

Silence is not an option and the outcome of the election hinges on people connecting with their communities and encouraging people to make their voices heard on Election Day, for themselves and for the people they care about.

Lets remind people about the connection between their lives and their vote, between their power and the outcome of this election, Harris said.
A Hayward, Wis. man was sentenced for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Thousands of former President Donald Trumps supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building following a Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Jonathan Bonney, 40, of Hayward was sentenced Friday, July 12 by Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, after a rally for former President Donald Trump.

For four misdemeanor offenses, Bonney was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a special assessment of $70 and $500 restitution.

In the governments sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves had requested Bonney serve six months incarceration.

Bonney had been charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and parading, demonstrating or picketing in Capitol building.

Bonney, an owner of the popular Wilderness Walk in Hayward, appeared remotely for his sentencing.

In the April 23, 2023 criminal complaint prepared by a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it notes that on Jan. 20, 2021 the FBI received an online tip that on Jan. 7, 2021, a passage in seat 10A of American Airlines flight AA5576 traveling from Washington Dulles airport to Charlotte North Carolina was claiming he had participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol and had entered a Congressional office.

The FBI identified Bonney as the passenger in seat 10A with a residence in Grand Junction, Colorado and subsequently flight records showed he had flown from Colorado to Baltimore, Maryland on Jan. 5 and then on Jan. 7 from Washington-Dulles to Colorado with a layover in Phoenix, Arizona.

On Jan. 21, 2021, Bonney was contacted by two FBI agents at his residence in Grand Junction.

Jonathan Bonney's text messages

Later, the complaint says those same two FBI agents were able to identify Bonney from closed circuit surveillance (CCTV) footage on Jan. 6, 2021, from inside the Capitol.

The complaint includes several screen shots reported to be Bonney inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, for 12 minutes between 2:41 and 2:53 p.m.

On March 11, 2024, Bonney pled guilty to all four counts.

Sentencing Memorandum

The 24-page government sentencing memorandum is much more extensive than the original April 2023, seven-page complaint.

The tone of the sentencing document is replete with the seriousness of the charges against Bonney.

He participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol  a violent attack that forced an interruption of Congresss certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count, threatened the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 Presidential election, injured more than one hundred police officers and resulted in more than $2.9 million dollars in losses.

The sentencing document says its recommendation is based on at least seven factors including the following:

Texting multiple people in the days before January 6, 2021 about his plans to go to the U.S. Capitol and join the massive Trump rally at the Capital [sic] building on January 6 for the electoral count!! adding before that if something crazy happens, I want to be part of it!

Texting others and asking if any of you other [fers] down to go say [f] the democrats.

Walking by signs inside the Capitol saying the area was restricted.

Before entering the Capitol, texting Were storming the Capital!!!

Entering the Capitol through a door with visible broken glass, after watching other rioters push that same door open.

Walking as far as the Speakers Lobby before exiting.

Sending message to others with no regret for what he had done, including, Im not ashamed of how it went downthey need a wake up call and hopefully they got it, as well as I was ready to go in and hang Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi, former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives).

The sentencing memorandum notes, Most alarmingly, instead of being shaken by what he saw that day or ashamed of his own behavior, in the days following the riot, Bonneys text messages contained references to acts of violence against members of Congress.

The sentencing memorandum also notes text message exchanges Bonney had in which several friends and family strongly advised Bonney against going to, entering or otherwise participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol that day, and adding, None of those text message show that Bonney has any regret or remorse for his actions on January 6, 2021.

Concerning sentencing factors, the memorandum notes that Bonney had intent to be disruptive: Bonney is not someone who came to D.C. to peacefully protest as part of the former Presidents rally and was then somehow swept up in the fervor of the crowd. Rather, he went to D.C. to make sure if something crazy happened, he would be part of it.

The memorandum also notes Bonneys military record, serving in the U.S. Army from 2003-2015, with no prior criminal record, until he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant First Class, but it also notes as a former non-commissioned officer Bonney was aware he did not have permission to enter a restricted government building.

His voluntary decision to storm a guarded Government building is disturbing in light of his former military service and training, noted the memorandum. As an active-duty service member he would not have allowed civilian onto restricted military installations. In this case, Bonneys conduct and former military service demonstrates a very real need for specific deterrence in the form of incarceration.

The memorandum also makes a case that because Bonney had entered a sensitive space, such as the Speakers Lobby it places the defendant in a more serious category of offenders than defendants who remained in more public spaces, such as the Rotunda.

Support letters

Bonney had three letters of support, including one by Colonel Kenneth J. Harvey, US Army (retired) who had served with Bonney from 2004-06.

While we served together, I found Jon to be a conscientious and dedicated American, wrote Col. Harvey. He was always proud of his country, the Army and our unit. His dedication to others was exemplified when our HMMWV (military vehicle) was struck by an IED (improvised explosive device). Even though Jon was injured by shrapnel, his focus was on ensuring the casualty evacuation of our severely wounded gunner. He was a soldier to be relied on and demonstrated that time over time.

He also had a letter of support from his father, Jerome K. Bonney, a former Special Agent of the FBI.

Jonathan knows right from wrong and has never been in trouble before. However, he apparently got carried away when he flew to WDC (Washington, D.C) to support his President at a rally and unfortunately followed the crowd, wrote his father.

Bonneys mother, Jacqueline, also wrote a letter noting positive ways he made his family proud in his involvement in church, family and friends, and country.

My son, Jonathan R. Bonney, made a mistake walking into the Capitol Building Jan 6th, one that Im certain he deeply regrets. Thankfully, as seen in the video, Jon spent 12 minutes looking and acting like a typical tourist not a criminal.

As Jons sentencing approaches, I think its critically important to share a brief summary of the many positive ways in which he has made his family proud serving his church, family, friends and country, wrote his mother who expounded on the four areas.

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on July 17 the appointment of Patrick Turner to lead the mission of the NATO Representation in Ukraine (NRU).

The NRU was first created in 2015 in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. At the recent NATO summit, the alliance agreed to appoint a senior representative to the NRU, who would act as "a focal point for NATO's engagement with Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv."

Turner previously held other roles in the alliance, including assistant secretary general for operations and assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning.

"Turner brings years of leadership and experience to the role. As a committed public servant, he has a strong track record of delivering results," said Stoltenberg.

"I am sure he will excel in this important role as NATO continues to step up its support to Ukraine."

In response to the announcement, Turner said he was "truly honored to have been appointed as NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine."

"I look forward to leading the NATO Representation and to working very closely with the Ukrainian authorities and with NATO Allies and partners to help deliver NATO support to Ukraine."

Read also: Ukraine cant wait another 75 years to celebrate NATO accession, FM Kuleba says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Since its introduction in January, the BIOSECURE Act has sent shockwaves across the pharmaceutical sector.

Although the Act does not propose a blanket prohibition, its definition of prohibiting federal funding for biotechnology equipment or service from a biotechnology company of concern, has raised concerns about the Acts impact on collaborations with Chinese companies in particular. Specifically, the prohibition of the purchase of equipment or contracting services from Chinese companies like WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics, using US federal funds, has come under the spotlight. Many small and large pharmaceutical companies depend on federal grants, through the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Defence, to finance their clinical programmes.

The Act also leaves room to include other to-be-identified entities that are subject to the control of a foreign adversary, namely China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Russia.

In an exclusive interview with Pharmaceutical Technology, Anshul Mangal, President of Project Farma, a consulting firm specialising in manufacturing and technical operations for complex biologics and novel therapies, talks about the impact of BIOSECURE Act on pharmaceutical companies and outlines the steps the companies can take to mitigate its impact.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Phalguni Deswal [PD]: Following the provisions of the BIOSECURE Act, are there any alternatives to using China-based contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs)?

Anshul Mangal [AM]: Pharma companies prefer Chinese CDMOs like WuXi as they are cost-effective and efficient. That is a big driver for reliance on these CDMOs. A recent survey by the US trade association BIO found that 79% of the 124 US companies surveyed had at least one contract or product with a China-based or Chinese-owned manufacturer. The Chinese CDMO industry has evolved to a point that no other country comes close.

India offers an interesting alternative, as the costs there could be similar to China. I have heard that Indian CDMOs like Syngene International, Cipla and Aurobindo, are getting more calls from US-based entities as potential alternatives to Chinese CDMOs. There are also US-based alternatives, especially for cell and gene therapies, like the Center for Breakthrough Medicines, Catalant, and Lonza. However, the companies need to be cautious while switching CDMOs as the process is costly, requires manpower and you may not get the same results.

Anshul Mangal, President Project Farma, a consulting firm specialising in manufacturing and technical operations for complex biologics and novel therapies

The BIOSECURE Act has set a deadline of 1 January 2032 for US biopharma companies to end their contracts with these Chinese companies. So, we have a bit of time and it is possible to scale up in the eight-year period. But I have been urging all our clients to start making backup plans and think about your exit strategies. Companies need to figure out what the CDMO costs may be, both in the short term and the long term, and at what point you may want to structure alternative CDMO.

Early planning can be advantageous, as the Indian or other low-cost CDMO markets may not have a large-scale capacity, but if you contract to them early, they may scale up and can provide a good low-cost solution long term.

PD: The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said the bill will not increase the federal debt as the goods and services substitutes at a comparable price. Do you think that alternatives to companies like WuXi can provide these services at a comparable cost?

AM: It depends. For certain drugs, there may be other alternatives at a similar cost. For others, there may not be any alternatives at the same cost at all. I do not think you are going to be able to find other comparable firms at the same cost level, especially if you are looking at the US or European CDMO market.

The CDMO services provided by the Chinese firms are offered at the lowest cost whilst having nice margins. If the US biotech firms switch to European or US-based CDMOs, it will increase the cost of drug development, at least in the short term. Although low-cost markets like India may offer comparable prices, it will take time for the Indian CDMO market to mature into what is being offered currently in China.

PD: Will the BIOSECURE Act affect the drug approval process if the companies prepare data packages using data collected by Chinese CDMOs?

AM: It may not affect the drugs approval, depending on the phase of drug development. Companies may have ample time to do business with a company like WuXi and get the drug approved if they are in late Phase II or Phase III development. Even the therapies in Phase I can get approved in the US whilst using Chinese CDMOs to manufacture their products. So, the Act should not impact US drug approvals in the short term.

In the long term, say if you are a company looking to start a Phase I trial, four to five years down the line, you would be foolish to not look at other CDMOs or move manufacturing in house. Because if you are working up against the deadline with your clinical trials running into 2032, then you may not get your product made in China and face approval delays.

Even if a company that has a US-approved drug uses WuXi for manufacturing, it would need to find alternative suppliers to ensure commercial supply of the drug.

PD: How can companies mitigate the impact of the BIOSECURE Act?

AM: If a pharma company is contracting with a Chinese company, they need to make sure that they have termination rights and technology transfer provisions. They should have multiple vendors that can supply materials in the event a Chinese company or foreign suppliers came to be listed as a biotech company of concern under the BIOSECURE Act.

The same concerns apply to both large pharma players and small-to-mid-sized biotechs. A large pharma company may have the means to incur higher costs for a European or US CDMO. They may also have the financial means to build in-house manufacturing, instead of relying on any CDMO.

Small-to-mid-sized biotech companies may not have as much flexibility or capital as a large pharma company that has deeper pockets to invest in their manufacturing. So, they probably have to contract a CDMO to ensure product supply.

Due to the BIOSECURE Act, the pharma industry in general is shying away from Chinese CDMOs. Pharma companies are concerned that other Chinese companies may be added to the Act later. If a company is working with a Chinese CDMO, it would behove them to ensure that they have identified other alternatives. A company should have an identified backup plan with a non-Chinese CDMO if, for some reason, their Chinese CDMO gets named in the Act in the future.

Furthermore, companies should constantly monitor the Act and talk to others in the field to see how they are interpreting it and understand the measures they are taking to protect themselves in the future. The Act has bipartisan support and has gotten to a fairly mature state. So, no matter how the US election turns out, the Act is expected to pass in fairly the same flavour that it is now.

"Drug development costs predicted to soar as BIOSECURE Act gains momentum" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  Mesa County Public Health Department reported Tuesday it has seen a rise in COVID-19 and gastrointestinal illnesses (GI) cases.

Such digestive system illnesses are usually found in the summer months like campylobacter, salmonella and giardia. Symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain, according to the health department.

The microbes that cause gastrointestinal illness thrive in warmer weather conditions which can lead to more intestinal illnesses in the summer. We cook more outside at picnics, BBQs and on camping trips and we travel more in the summer. It makes it even more important that we take proper care with keeping foods cool and using good hand hygiene, Kathleen Satterfield, an epidemiologist at Mesa County Public Health, said in a press release.

The health department reminded residents to wash their hands frequently with soap and water, especially in these circumstances:

Before, during or after preparing food.

After touching raw meats or poultry.

After interacting with pets or animals.

After using the bathroom.

After touching your face, blowing your nose or coughing

The health department also recommended being aware of food storage and preparation. It also said not to drink untreated water or prepare food for others if feeling ill and consult a doctor if a GI is expected.

COVID-19 cases have risen both in Colorado and nationwide.

Satterfield said even though the increase isnt as bad as in peak winter months, a rise is common during the summer.

Locally, wastewater data confirms the trend that there are more Mesa County residents testing positive for COVID-19 this summer than the same timeframe last year, said Satterfield.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 5.4% of COVID-19 tests came back positive nationwide during the first week of June. Compared to this time last year, the tests were 4.1% positive.

Mesa County Public Health said prevention measures to curb the spread of the disease include staying home when sick, washing hands frequently, disinfecting surfaces at home and work and staying up to date on vaccines.

For more information, call the health department at 970-248-6900.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
Circuit Judge Richard Wilson has scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case over whether Paden City High School should close for the upcoming school year for environmental concerns. (Google Maps screenshot)

A Wetzel County judge has set a preliminary hearing in the case over whether Paden City High School should close for the upcoming school year.

Circuit Judge Richard Wilson has scheduled the matter for 4 p.m. July 25 in the Wetzel County Courthouse.

Wilson ordered the school to reopen and that any prohibitions on the schools student athletes and band members participating in their activities be stopped.

Last month, Wetzel County School Superintendent Cassandra Porter told school staff that the high school would be closed for the upcoming school year because of environmental concerns. The school site, built on ground with soil and groundwater plumes contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, a likely carcinogen used for dry cleaning fabrics, was placed on an Environmental Protection Agency priorities list in 2021.

Students and staff of the school would be relocated to New Martinsville School and Magnolia High School, the superintendent wrote.

The EPA, though, said there was no imminent health risks for students at the school, and that the agency did not recommend that the school close.

The state Department of Education said in a statement after the closure that it is confident in Superintendent Porters authority and the provided reasoning behind the decision to temporarily close Paden City High School and relocate its students and staff.

Looking beyond the EPAs acceptable risk level, the reports indicate multiple environmental condition changes that could alter the current level of risk, the agency said. Given the unknowns of potential environmental changes and the heightened environmental sensitivity that students in their developmental years face, this course of action is reasonable and fully supported. These risks are unacceptable when there is a readily available solution to keep students and staff safe.

In the ruling late last week, Wilson acknowledged that in order for Porter to legally close the school, there must have been conditions detrimental to the students health, safety or welfare and that, at the time of the unauthorized and illegal closure, there was no evidence of such conditions.

If the illegal and unauthorized closure is permitted to continue, the fundamental rights of the PCHS students to be educated at their local high school will be harmed irreparably, the order says. Further, if the illegal and unauthorized closure is allowed to continue, the students will be harmed irreparably by being blocked from participating in their chosen sport, marching band, or other extra-curricular activity at their local high school in the town where they live.

The judge noted that the plaintiffs who filed the petition asking for the school to be reopened have a high probability of winning at the full hearing. The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Teresa Toriseva and Joshua Miller.

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A court hearing for a soldier charged with fleeing to North Korea last year was delayed as negotiations between his legal team and the Army are now underway, a lawyer for the service member confirmed.

An early court proceeding known as an Article 32 hearing did not occur as initially planned on Tuesday for Pvt. Travis King, his attorney, Frank Rosenblatt, told Military Times.

A new date for the preliminary hearing  where evidence is presented to an officer who reviews the charges and makes a recommendation on if the case should move forward to a court-martial  has not yet been scheduled, Rosenblatt added.

If those negotiations are successful then it would obviate the need to have the Article 32, Rosenblatt said.

King ran across the border from South Korea in July 2023 and was held for about two months  the first American detained in North Korea in years  before returning to the United States where he faces charges under the military justice system.

Soldier held in North Korea faced discharge for fights, cop car damage

The commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division preferred eight charges and 14 specifications against King in October, according to Michelle McCaskill, a spokesperson for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. She noted that her office exercised authority over the case on July 10.

Those specifications include one of attempted escape from custody, two of solicitation, one of desertion, five of disobeying a superior commissioned officer, two of assault on a noncommissioned officer, one of a false official statement, one of assault consummated by battery and one of possession of child pornography with intent to distribute in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, McCaskill said.

A cavalry scout on rotation in South Korea as part of the 1st Armored Division, King was being sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, after being released for serving time over assault charges, The Associated Press previously reported. But instead of getting on a plane, he joined a tour of a Korean border village and bolted across the border, the outlet said.

King returned to the United States in September and spent time at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, undergoing reintegration, the soldiers attorney said. King has been detained at a facility in New Mexico, he added.

North Korean state media suggested that the Army private decided to enter North Korea because he harbored ill feelings against inhuman mistreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army, The Associated Press reported, noting that there was no immediate verification that he actually made any such comments.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Happy Wednesday, Utah! Its another round of hot temperatures and afternoon thunderstorms for the state as moisture continues to rotate through the dominant ridge in place.

Bottom Line? Isolated thunderstorms are in the forecast throughout much of the week for Utah with building heat statewide.

Daytime highs will climb into the high 90s for the Wasatch Front with a few spots flirting with triple digits. Salt Lake City is forecast to hit 100 degrees, and while this is above average, this is the hottest time of the year for us, typically with an average daytime high of 95 degrees for Salt Lake City. In southern Utah, the high heat continues with a slight chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms, mainly favoring the higher terrain today.

In addition to hot temperatures, we also will see hazy conditions due to wildfire smoke. The source of the smoke is from wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, and Idaho. As a result, we see elevated particulate matter in our air, which can impact our air quality. We also battle ozone this time of year. A combination of ozone and particulate matter brings the forecast to unhealthy air for sensitive groups in Davis and Salt Lake counties and moderate air in the other counties where air is monitored.

High pressure continues to dominate the Utah weather story with the ridge slowly shifting westward through the week. Daily showers and thunderstorms will continue across southern Utah and higher terrain through the weekend and into next week.

Thursday and Friday will bring more moisture, expanding thunderstorm chances northward across almost the entire state. The main threats will be gusty outflow winds and potential flash flooding, especially with any decent storms forming in southern Utah.

As the ridge shifts west, northerly flow will bring drier air starting Saturday, only allowing for a slight chance of storms. Daytime highs will stay above average through early next week with triple-digit heat forecast over the weekend and into early next week. Excessive heat will likely hang on in Lower Washington County, where minimum temperatures might hover around 80 degrees for St. George, leading to potential heat-related impacts.

Well give you the latest updates in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah!

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The status of a Henderson high-rise has a new stumbling block as the propertys company has declared bankruptcy, and downtown business owners and elected officials are expressing hope for a solution.

Construction on The Watermark stalled in December when contractors walked off the job, as 8 News Now first reported nearly $16 million worth of liens against the property.

Seven months after initial concerns the company associated with the property, DTH 215 Venture LLC, declared bankruptcy. The company is associated with the developer Strada Development Group.

Documents obtained by 8 News Now show the seven-story, 151-unit mixed-use apartment building is about 95% complete.

Documents obtained by 8 News Now show the seven-story, 151-unit mixed-use apartment building is about 95% complete. (KLAS)

Representatives for the property developer and the construction company contracted to complete the site, Gilett Construction, have been embroiled in a legal battle disputing work, pay, and even ownership of the building.

The bankruptcy filing from June 5, indicates approximately 50 to 99 creditors are seeking payment from the company associated with the high-rise on Water Street.

Yvonne Wallace, owner of Pacific Diner, is one of the creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing and said she wished the update came from the developer, not the news.

I guess were glad that were listed on there as a creditor, Wallace said. But it saddens me that again we find out information from the news and not from the developer that we have a lease agreement with.

Yvonne Wallace, owner of Pacific Diner, is one of the creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing and said she wished the update came from the developer, not the news. (KLAS)

Behind Wallace Pacific Diner was bustling from the recently chartered Henderson After Dark Rotary Club and she said the restaurant is still serving food and standing as a standard for the community.

We love getting those new customers, the ones that come from different parts of the U.S., she said. We just want to keep doing it and we want to do it on Water Street.

However, the regulars coming for the homemade corned beef hash and eggs have asked Wallace what the plan is for the move, for which they signed a lease agreement.

I got to the point where I was like, in Gods time, because you know, what else are we going to say, Wallace said. And here we are in July and nothing and thats just disheartening that the communication isnt there.

Behind Wallace Pacific Diner was bustling from the recently chartered Henderson After Dark Rotary Club and she said the restaurant is still serving food and standing as a standard for the community. (KLAS)

Wallace made clear she wants to move into The Watermark when it opens but they have been the lucky ones as several other businesses connected to the property have moved on or lost the equity to open.

World of Wings moved on from the property and opened a location in Inspirada, where owners said they look forward to rubbing elbows with Las Vegas Aces players.

Charles Braun, SWF Modern Barbecues executive pitmaster, told 8 News Now following a property tour that didnt match up with the documents provided and the stalling of the property, they were forced to move on with plans to open in Henderson.

Soda Oasis and Parkway Taverns parent company have not responded to 8 News Now on whether they are still connected to the property.

Wallace said the update today reminded her of another closing not too far away in Boulder City, and the challenge facing small businesses in Southern Nevada.

I heard the news of another business small business closing in Boulder City, one of the breweries, you know, it just makes my heart sad, she said. We still want to be [at The Watermark] we just want it to be finished. We want it to be completed. We want it to be what we know it can be.

Henderson City Councilman Jim Seebock spoke with 8 News Now during his Morning Meet Ups with residents, where he provided a reaction to the news of the propertys bankruptcy.

I definitely want to see it open, Seebock said. I am hoping an investor will come in and complete it in a timely manner. We would be willing to assist with discussions.

Seebock acknowledged he was aware of mediation between companies associated with the property and noted the potential of the property for small businesses success in downtown Henderson.

8 News Now reached out to Strada Development Group on Monday and the company has not provided a statement regarding the status of the property, yet.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Here's when Hunterdon County schools open for 2024-25. Check your district calendar

While the classroom is not what children are thinking about right now, Hunterdon County schools are getting ready to reopen for the 2024-2025 academic year.

We peek at when Hunterdon County students are expected to head back to school and offer a quick link to the school calendar for each district. While most districts head back in August, a few won't be ringing the school bell until after Labor Day.

Alexandria School District students in grades pre-K-8 begin school on Aug. 28 for the 2024-2025 school year.

Pre-K-8 students will head back to class in Bethlehem School District on Aug. 22.

Bloomsbury School District students in pre-K-8 will head back to class on Aug. 26.

Aug. 28 is the day pre-K-8 students are going back to school in the Califon School District.

Clinton Township School District reopens school for pre-K-8 students on Aug. 28.

Califon School District students in grades pre-K-8 begin school on Aug. 28.

Clinton-Glen Gardner School District is set to reopen schools for pre-K-8 students on Aug. 29 this year.

Delaware School District will reopen on Sept. 4, opting to wait until Labor Day passes, to begin the school year for its pre-K-8 students.

Delaware Valley Regional High School District students, grades 9-12, return to school on Aug. 28.

Pre-K-8 students in the East Amwell School District will return to school on Sept. 3.

More: Target launches back-to-school 2024 sale: 'What is important right now is value'

More: Back to school: Expert advice on anxiety, bullying, stress for students, teachers, parents

Opting to wait until after Labor Day, pre-K-8 students in the Flemington-Raritan School District will go back to school on Sept. 5.

Franklin Township School District pre-K-8 students will return to schools on Sept. 3.

Pre-K-8 students in the Frenchtown School District go back to school on Aug. 28.

Hampton School District reopens schools for pre-K-5 students on Aug. 29.

High Bridge School District pre-K-8 students head back to the classroom on Aug. 29 and 30.

Aug. 28 is the first day back for pre-K-8 students at Holland School District.

Hunterdon Central Regional High School grades 9-12 students will go back to school Sept.5.

Hunterdon County Vocational School District students begin the school year on Aug. 28.

The Kingwood School District will welcome its pre-K-8 students back on Aug. 28.

Lebanon Borough School District sees its pre-K-6 students back in class on Aug. 28.

K-8 students will begin school on Aug. 29 at Lebanon Township School District, while pre-K students begin on Sept. 3.

The pre-K-5 Milford School District opens its doors again to students on Aug. 31.

The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District for students in grades 9-12 will be back in session on Aug. 22.

Readington School District pre-K-8 students will be back to school on Sept. 5.

South Hunterdon Regional School District pre-K-12 students return on Sept. 3.

Tewksbury School District will welcome its pre-K-8 students back on Aug. 28.

Union Township School District sees pre-K-8 students beginning the school year on Aug. 22.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: When do Hunterdon County schools start for 2024-25 school year
Here's when Middlesex County schools open for 2024-25. Check your district calendar

While returning to the classroom may not be high on your child's to-do list yet, Middlesex County schools are readying to reopen for the 2024-2025 academic year.

We peek at when Middlesex County students are expected to head back to school and offer a quick link to the school calendar for each district. Most districts won't be ringing the school bell until after Labor Day.

Academy for Urban Leadership students in grades 7-12 begin school Sept. 5 for the 2024-2025 school year.

Carteret School District is set to reopen schools on Sept. 4 this year for its pre-K-12 students.

Cranbury School District pre-K-8 students return to school on Sept. 5.

Dunellen School District reopens on Sept. 3. for its pre-K-12 students.

Pre-K-12 students in the East Brunswick School District will return to school on Sept. 5.

Edison School District will reopen schools for students K-12 on Sept. 5.

The six Educational Services Commission of New Jersey schools for students ages 3-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, and/or at-risk behaviors reopen on Sept. 5 for the 2024-2025 school year.

Greater Brunswick Charter Schools K-8 students will return to the classroom starting Sept. 3.

The K-8 students at Hatikvah International Charter School will start the new academic year on Sept. 3.

More: Target launches back-to-school 2024 sale: 'What is important right now is value'

More: Back to school: Expert advice on anxiety, bullying, stress for students, teachers, parents

Highland Park School District begins the school year for its pre-K-12 students on Sept. 5.

Jamesburg School District opens for the first day of school for pre-K-8 students on Sept. 5.

Unlike most of its neighbors in the county, Metuchen pre-k-12 students will head back-to-school on Aug. 28.

Middlesex Borough School District sees pre-K-12 students beginning the school year on Sept. 5.

K-8 students at Middlesex County STEM Charter School begin the school year on Sept. 3.

Serving students in grades 9-12, Middlesex County Magnet School District will reopen on Sept. 5.

Milltown School District pre-K-8 students return on Sept. 5.

Monroe Township School District reopens on Sept. 4 for its pre-K-12 students.

For the pre-K-12 students of New Brunswick School District, school awaits them as of Sept. 5.

It's back-to-school on Sept. 3 for North Brunswick Schools District's pre-K-12 students.

Noor-Ul-Iman School reopens for pre-K-12 students on Aug. 28.

Old Bridge School District's pre-K-12 students head back to class on Sept. 5.

Perth Amboy School District opens for the first day of school for pre-K-12 students on Sept. 5.

Piscataway School District reopens for pre-K-12 students on Sept. 4.

Saint Joseph High School freshman begin the new school year on Aug. 27 with grades 10-12 starting class on Aug. 28.

Saint Thomas Aquinas High School opens for the first day of school for pre-K-12 students on Sept. 10.

Sayreville School District is set to reopen schools for pre-K-12 students on Sept. 5.

Pre-K-12 students in the South Amboy School District will return to school on Sept. 5.

South Brunswick School District will reopen schools for students pre-K-12 on Sept. 5.

South Plainfield School District pre-K-12 students will return to schools on Sept. 4.

South River School District opens for the first day of school for pre-K-12 on Sept. 4.

Spotswood School District students in grades K-12 begin school on Sept. 5 for the 2024-2025 school year.

Students in pre-K-12 at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School go back to class on Sept. 4.

It's back-to-school on Sept. 5 for West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District's pre-K-12 students.

Woodbridge School District will reopen schools for students pre-K-12 on Sept. 4.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: When do Middlesex County schools start for 2024-25 school year
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 17: Young Thug performs onstage at 'Samsung Galaxy + Billboard' during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Waterloo Park on March 17, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW) Credit - Getty Images for SXSW2022 Amy E. Price

Another judge overseeing the racketeering case against rapper Young Thug has been recused from the case, extending the longest criminal trial in Georgias history.

On Monday, Judge Ural Glanville was recused from the case after lawyers representing the Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, filed a complaint relating to alleged improper meetings between Glanville, two prosecutors, and Kenneth Copeland, a witness in the case. Glanville presided over the case for 18 months.

The judge who recused Glanville, Judge Rachel Krause, said that although she did not think the meeting or matter discussed were inherently improper, she made a decision out of the necessity of preserving the publics confidence in the judicial system. Fulton County Judge Shukura Ingram was set to replace Glanville, but disqualified herself on Wednesday shortly after she was assigned to it because of an appearance of impropriety, court documents say. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker will now oversee the trial.

Young Thug is accused of leading a street gang in the greater Atlanta area. He was arrested in May 2022, and is currently in Fulton County Jail. More than 25 others were also charged in the case, including popular rapper Gunna, though many have sought plea deals over the course of time, or are separately being tried.

You know, this isnt about just me or YSL, said Young Thug in a 2022 interview from jail. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and I see now that Black artists and rappers dont have that freedom. Everybody please sign the Protect Black Art petition and keep praying for us.

The case has been delayed due to several factors, including the stabbing of Shannon Stillwell, another defendant in the case, in jail, but has also proven arduous for the prosecution because of the high number of defendants.

Clips from the trial have also been posted to social mediaprompting snarky online reactions and viral moments. Heres what to know about the trial.

What charges is Young Thug facing?

Young Thug is facing charges for violating Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for his alleged involvement in criminal gang activity. The rapper is also facing other charges regarding possession of a firearm, possession of drugs with the intention to distribute, and participation in criminal street gang activity.

Prosecutors claim the rapper is the leader of Young Slime Life or YSL, a street gang that has committed crimes, including murder, robbery, drug dealing, among other things. YSL is also the acronym for his record label, Young Stoner Life Records. The prosecution alleges the gang is affiliated with the Bloods, a street gang that originated in Los Angeles in the 1970s but has since extended across the U.S. Judge Glanville previously ruled that the rappers lyrics could be used as evidence in court.

Young Thug has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, though other defendants in the case have taken different positions. Rapper Gunna, for instance, entered a guilty pleadespite personally maintaining his innocence. Gunna was released from jail in December 2022 after seven months in jail. He will have to perform 500 hours of community service.

Why was a new judge assigned?

Defense attorneys filed a complaint to remove Judge Glanville for the case because of a meeting between Glanville, Copeland, Copelands attorneys, and the prosecution. Representatives for Young Thug were not present at the meeting or aware that it was happening, they claim.

Copeland, also known as Lil Woody, was thought to be a key witness in the case who could speak to Young Thugs alleged criminal activity. But Copeland has gone viral online for his apparent reluctance to answer questions and actively participate in the trial.

On June 6, the state announced that it would call Copeland to testify the following day, according to court documents. Because the witness refused and said they would be invoking their fifth amendment right, the state says that it presented Judge Glanville a motion to compel the testimony of Kenneth Copeland, extending immunity for his testimony and asking the court to hold Copeland in contempt if he still refused to testify. The court agreed to the motion.

However, on June 7, Copeland said that he would still be pleading the fifth. Copeland was later put into custody for not testifying, according to the states response to the recusal. Judge Glanville then said in front of the defendants and their attorneys that he would bring Copeland back to court on June 10 to see if he would testify. On the morning of the 10th, the State requested from the Court an in-chambers meeting with counsel for Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Copeland, the Court, and an attorney for the State, to discuss the contempt proceedings initiated against Mr. Copeland upon the States motion, per court documents.

After the meeting, Brian Steel, Young Thugs attorney, asked for a mistrial because of Judge Glanvilles meeting. Steel and another attorney filed for Glanvilles recusal from the case, which Judge Krause granted.

Judge Shukura Ingram was set to preside over the case, but personally recused herself on Wednesday because a former deputy of hers colluded with one of the other defendants in the case, Christian Eppinger, to commit a felony. Since this deputy could be called as a witness in the case, Judge Ingram says that overseeing this case may undermine the publics confidence in the impartiality of the proceedings.

Where does the trial stand now?

The trial has been undeniably long, with opening statements for the case beginning in November 2023, after a 10-month jury selection process.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Texas death row inmate Ruben Gutierrez was set to be executed just after 6 p..m. in Huntsville, Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court intervened.

Texas inmate Ruben Gutierrez came within 20 minutes of his death by lethal injection before the U.S. Supreme Court intervened Tuesday evening, indefinitely staying his execution for the murder of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison.

The victim's family had driven six hours from Brownsville to the prison in Huntsville and Gutierrez was awaiting being brought into the execution chamber. If Texas hadn't abolished last meal requests in 2011, he would have already feasted on the items of his choice.

Convicted of stabbing Harrison to death more than 25 years ago, Gutierrez has long maintained that DNA testing of evidence would exonerate him. His attorneys say there is no physical or forensic evidence connecting the 47-year-old man to the Brownsville killing. Two others were also charged in the case.

But Gutierrez's repeated pleas have largely been unsuccessful in both state and federal courts.

In this appeal, Gutierrez's attorneys argued that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals violated federal precedent when it threw out a lower court's ruling finding a limitation in Texas' DNA testing statute was unconstitutional.

For the murder victim's family, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said, the last-minute change is devastating  and made more so by the fact that they found themselves in the same place four years ago.

In 2020, Harrison's relatives and Saenz drove to the Huntsville prison to witness the execution of who they believe killed her. "We were receiving final instructions on how we were going to be escorted into the chamber," Saenz said, when the phone rang. That time, the Supreme Court halted the execution on the basis that Texas' prohibition on religious advisers in execution chambers violated his religious freedoms.

"How do I explain to them, 'Well, it didn't happen again, even though you traveled for six hours to get here?'" Saenz said, speaking to the Statesman while he drove home from the prison Tuesday night. "I mean, how many more times are they going to be put through this?"

Saenz noted that in this case, the last filing had been turned in on July 11, five days before the high Court issued a last-minute stay.

"It's just heartbreaking. I just feel terrible for (the family)," Saenz said. "I understand that the courts do what they have to do, but why do they have to wait until the last minute?"

Gutierrez's attorney Shawn Nolan celebrated the Court's decision, hopeful that it would pave the way for his client to be freed.

"We are hopeful that now the Court has stepped in to stop this execution, we can ultimately accomplish the DNA testing to prove that Mr. Gutierrez should not be executed now or in the future," attorney Shawn Nolan said in a statement Tuesday night.

The high court decision temporarily pauses Gutierrez's case pending further proceedings, which will allow the justices to weigh whether to grant a hearing in the case. The stay could be lifted if they later decide to reject the case.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: US Supreme Court intervenes 20 minutes before Texas man's execution
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts speaks to reporters at the organizations all-day Policy Fest at the Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee, just blocks from the Republican National Convention, on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

Despite former President Donald Trumps denial of any connection to the conservative presidential transition plan known as Project 2025, the initiatives driver, the Heritage Foundation, promoted the platform mere blocks from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, attracting officials and personalities from the partys most conservative wing.

The project has taken heat from Democrats in recent weeks, who are warning of the plans ambitions  among them passing the most stringent abortion ban the next Republican administration can get through Congress and lowering the corporate tax rate  and Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has sought to distance himself from the proposal.

The multi-pronged project, featuring a 922-page policy prescription and a training academy, received praise from conservatives who traveled to attend the RNC and ancillary events.

The hundreds of pages in Heritages mandate promise to overhaul government agencies and restore the American family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts described the comprehensive policy plan as the unification of the conservative movement at the organizations all-day Policy Fest near the convention Monday.

For once in modern American history, we have a plan among a unified movement to speak on behalf of the everyday American, the forgotten American, Roberts said.

The reason progressive Democrats hate these ideas so much is because they are a threat to their power, Roberts continued from the stage at the Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee, five blocks from the Fiserv Forum where the RNC was just getting underway.

The foundations event on the first day of the convention featured a slate of conservative speakers including Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and media personality Tucker Carlson.

Awaiting a Trump presidency

Those who traveled to Milwaukee for the RNC packed the auditorium in collective anticipation of the possibility of a second Trump presidency and the promise of traditionalist priorities emanating from the Oval Office.

I think President Trump has learned a lot over the last few years about where the movement is, where the country is, and also some real hot spots around the world that didnt exist when he left office, Roberts told reporters. Ive been very impressed during the campaign by signals that President Trumps involving a lot of voices. I think this is going to be an administration that is very efficient.

Stitt told the audience during the afternoon session that were here this week to fight for the American dream, and really our way of life.

You know, to our founders, the American dream meant freedom to worship, for you to assemble, freedom to speak ones mind, Stitt said. It meant that there was no limit to what someone could accomplish, and freedom from a government not controlled by the government.

Democrats warn

The Democratic National Committee, President Joe Bidens reelection campaign and Democratic lawmakers have seized on Project 2025 in recent weeks  a unifier for the party message after Bidens poor debate performance unearthed party fractures.

The Biden campaign and its surrogates continued their weeks-long focus on the project Tuesday at a counter convention press event around the corner from where Trump is staying at The Pfister Hotel downtown.

Its all written down in Project 2025, Ben Wikler, Wisconsins Democratic Party chair, said at the event primarily focused on economic policies outlined in the plan.

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want to ransack the public treasury to hand out massive tax cuts to billionaires and stick working Americans with the bill, Wikler said.

Trump announced Monday he had chosen Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, as his running mate.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joined the event and warned that Project 2025 would affect Social Security.

When youve worked all your life and paid into Social Security, and you hear what Republicans are trying to do, from their policy groups, in Congress, all the way to what youve heard and read in Project 2025, folks that want to limit benefits, Booker said.

Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said, I think you should ask yourself, does this project 2025 agenda make my life better if it were to become law?

Trump denies

Trump has denied any connection to the project.

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it, Trump wrote Thursday on his social media platform Truth Social.

The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said. It is pure disinformation on their part, he continued. By now, after all of these years, everyone knows where I stand on EVERYTHING!

Degrees of conservatism

Roberts navigated the tug-of-war over Project 2025 by telling reporters Monday that the plan is meant to be a menu of options.

It is impossible for any individual conservative, I think, to agree with everything thats stated in the project, he said.

The platform adopted by the RNC ahead of the convention, short in length, drew criticism from some conservatives, particularly for shying away from supporting a nationwide abortion ban.

When asked about any potential friction among Trump, the RNC platform and Project 2025, Roberts said despite differences he sees very positive conversations ahead.

Presidential campaigns are (in) one lane, the RNC is in another lane, Heritage and Project 2025 and the conservative movement writ large is in another lane, Roberts said.

There will always be differences of opinions. We will work on those when were talking about specific legislative vehicles in January, and we know that those conversations are going to be very positive, Roberts said. We may not always agree, but I think the time now for the center-right in this country is to recognize the American people want one thing to happen and that is for power to be devolved from Washington, D.C.

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Duke Energy Florida and consumer representatives Monday filed a proposed settlement that would increase base electric rates  but not as much as Duke originally sought.

The proposal, which needs approval from the state Public Service Commission, would increase base rates by $203 million in 2025 and $59 million in 2026 and includes increases over a three-year period for solar-energy projects, according to a filing at the commission and a Duke news release.

Duke reached the agreement with the state Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers in utility issues, and other parties in the rate case  the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, Nucor Steel Florida, Inc. and PCS Phosphate-White Springs.

Read: Trump assassination attempt: Photos show cellphone, transmitter found next to shooters body

This agreement delivers the smarter, cleaner energy future customers deserve while prioritizing reliability and price stability, Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, said in a prepared statement.

The parties said in a regulatory filing last week that they were close to reaching an agreement. They asked the commission Monday to consider the settlement in August, when regulators had been scheduled to hold a hearing on Dukes original proposal.

That proposal, filed in April, called for increasing base rates by $593 million in 2025, $98 million in 2026 and $129 million in 2027. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday indicated the $593 million proposal for 2025 had been decreased to $503 million after the original filing.

Read: 9 Investigates confirms stolen Florida Patient data published to dark web

Residential, commercial and industrial customers will see lower increases in their bills than they would have experienced under DEFs (Duke Energy Floridas) original proposed rate increase, the proposed settlement said. The 2024 settlement agreement provides DEF customers with stability and predictability with respect to their electricity rates, while allowing DEF to maintain the financial strength to make investments it believes are necessary to provide its customers with safe and reliable power.

Base rates make up a major part of customers monthly bills, along with such expenses as fuel for power plants and environmental-compliance costs. Despite the proposed increase in base rates, Duke said Monday that residential customers bills are expected to decrease in January because other current costs, such as costs related to storm recovery, will drop off bills at the end of 2024.

Story continues

Utilities use a benchmark of residential customers who consume 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month. Under the settlement, such customers would see their bills go down from $165.76 in December to $157.50 in January. Spokeswoman Ana Gibbs said the company does not have projections of customer bills for 2026 and 2027.

Read: Sheriff: Deputies shoot man who was holding metal rod, acting erratically at gas station near I-4

The increases for 12 new solar facilities would total $12 million in 2025, $71 million in 2026 and $58 million in 2027, according to the utility.

A closely watched issue in rate cases is the amount of profits that utilities are allowed to earn as measured by a return on equity. The settlement would allow Duke to earn a return on equity ranging from 9.3 percent to 11.3 percent, with a midpoint of 10.3 percent. The original April proposal included a return-on-equity midpoint of 11.15 percent.

Settlements are relatively common in base-rate cases. For example, Duke, which is the states second-largest utility behind Florida Power & Light, is operating under a rate settlement that was reached in 2021 and will end this year.

Meanwhile, a proposal by Tampa Electric Co. to raise base rates also is pending at the Public Service Commission.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
MILWAUKEE  Despite former President Donald Trumps denial of any connection to the conservative presidential transition plan known as Project 2025, the initiatives driver, the Heritage Foundation, promoted the platform mere blocks from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, attracting officials and personalities from the partys most conservative wing.

The project has taken heat from Democrats in recent weeks, who are warning of the plans ambitions  among them passing the most stringent abortion ban the next Republican administration can get through Congress and lowering the corporate tax rate  and Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has sought to distance himself from the proposal.

The multi-pronged project, featuring a 922-page policy prescription and a training academy, received praise from conservatives who traveled to attend the RNC and ancillary events.

The hundreds of pages in Heritages mandate promise to overhaul government agencies and restore the American family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts described the comprehensive policy plan as the unification of the conservative movement at the organizations all-day Policy Fest near the convention Monday.

For once in modern American history, we have a plan among a unified movement to speak on behalf of the everyday American, the forgotten American, Roberts said.

The reason progressive Democrats hate these ideas so much is because they are a threat to their power, Roberts continued from the stage at the Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee, five blocks from the Fiserv Forum where the RNC was just getting underway.

The foundations event on the first day of the convention featured a slate of conservative speakers including Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and media personality Tucker Carlson.

Awaiting a Trump presidency

Those who traveled to Milwaukee for the RNC packed the auditorium in collective anticipation of the possibility of a second Trump presidency and the promise of traditionalist priorities emanating from the Oval Office.

I think President Trump has learned a lot over the last few years about where the movement is, where the country is, and also some real hot spots around the world that didnt exist when he left office, Roberts told reporters. Ive been very impressed during the campaign by signals that President Trumps involving a lot of voices. I think this is going to be an administration that is very efficient.

Stitt told the audience during the afternoon session that were here this week to fight for the American dream, and really our way of life.

You know, to our founders, the American dream meant freedom to worship, for you to assemble, freedom to speak ones mind, Stitt said. It meant that there was no limit to what someone could accomplish, and freedom from a government not controlled by the government.

Democrats warn

The Democratic National Committee, President Joe Bidens reelection campaign and Democratic lawmakers have seized on Project 2025 in recent weeks  a unifier for the party message after Bidens poor debate performance unearthed party fractures.

The Biden campaign and its surrogates continued their weeks-long focus on the project Tuesday at a counter convention press event around the corner from where Trump is staying at The Pfister Hotel downtown.

Its all written down in Project 2025, Ben Wikler, Wisconsins Democratic Party chair, said at the event primarily focused on economic policies outlined in the plan.

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want to ransack the public treasury to hand out massive tax cuts to billionaires and stick working Americans with the bill, Wikler said.

Trump announced Monday he had chosen Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, as his running mate.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joined the event and warned that Project 2025 would affect Social Security.

When youve worked all your life and paid into Social Security, and you hear what Republicans are trying to do, from their policy groups, in Congress, all the way to what youve heard and read in Project 2025, folks that want to limit benefits, Booker said.

Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said, I think you should ask yourself, does this project 2025 agenda make my life better if it were to become law?

Trump denies

Trump has denied any connection to the project.

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it, Trump wrote Thursday on his social media platform Truth Social.

The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said. It is pure disinformation on their part, he continued. By now, after all of these years, everyone knows where I stand on EVERYTHING!

Degrees of conservatism

Roberts navigated the tug-of-war over Project 2025 by telling reporters Monday that the plan is meant to be a menu of options.

It is impossible for any individual conservative, I think, to agree with everything thats stated in the project, he said.

The platform adopted by the RNC ahead of the convention, short in length, drew criticism from some conservatives, particularly for shying away from supporting a nationwide abortion ban.

When asked about any potential friction among Trump, the RNC platform and Project 2025, Roberts said despite differences he sees very positive conversations ahead.

Presidential campaigns are (in) one lane, the RNC is in another lane, Heritage and Project 2025 and the conservative movement writ large is in another lane, Roberts said.

There will always be differences of opinions. We will work on those when were talking about specific legislative vehicles in January, and we know that those conversations are going to be very positive, Roberts said. We may not always agree, but I think the time now for the center-right in this country is to recognize the American people want one thing to happen and that is for power to be devolved from Washington, D.C.
Hezbollah to hit new areas in Israel if civilians targeted, Nasrallah says

By Aziz Taher and Ahmad El Kerdi

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Hezbollah will hit new Israeli targets if Israel keeps targeting civilians in Lebanon, the group's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday, saying there had been a spike in the number of non-combatants killed in Lebanon in recent days.

Five civilians, all Syrians and including three children, were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday and at least three Lebanese civilians were killed the day before, according to state media and security sources.

Israel has said it is striking Hezbollah militants and infrastructure in Lebanon and does not target civilians.

"Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted," Nasrallah said, in comments made during a televised address to mark the Shi'ite holy day Ashura.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group and the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon, refers to all Israeli population centres as settlements and does not recognise Israel.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

Nasrallah vowed that destroyed homes would be rebuilt.

He was speaking via video link to tens of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims gathered in southern Beirut to mark Ahsura.

The annual period of mourning to commemorate the 7th century death of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, is often a moment for Hezbollah to showcase its popular support and military might.

Mourners clad in black marched and slapped their chests in a practice meant to evoke the pain felt by Hussein at the time of his killing.

Many carried images of Hezbollah fighters killed by Israel in more than nine months of fighting.

To maintain security, hundreds of Hezbollah members were deployed at checkpoints, mounted on motorbikes and positioned on rooftops, including with new weapons including technology that sources familiar with the matter said could interfere with and down drones.

This year, processions in southern Lebanon were cancelled due to the clashes with Israel.

Fears have grown in recent weeks among international observers that Israel may expand its military operations in Lebanon, risking a wider war.

Israel has said it is undertaking the necessary preparations for a wider operation but no decision has yet been made. Hezbollah has said it does not want war with Israel but is ready for it.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam and Timour Azhari in Beirut and Clauda Tanios in Dubai; Writing by Timour Azhari; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams)
Hillbilly Elegy Netflix views up 1000% since JD Vance named as Trumps VP pick  No. 1 on Amazon

Its billy bonanza.

In the 24 hours since former President Donald Trump named Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, 39, as his running mate on the Republican ticket for the 2024 presidential election, views of the Netflix movie based on Vances memoir Hillbilly Elegy have shot up 1,179%.

Citing data from Luminate, Variety reported that the 2020 film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams, was viewed 19.2 million minutes on Monday  up from 1.5 million the day before.

Views of Netflixs film Hillbilly Elegy have shot up 1000% since J.D. Vance was announced as Donald Trumps VP pick. AP

That equates to 163,836 individual plays of the movie Monday.

Close received her eighth Academy Award nomination for playing Mamaw, Vances grandmother.

Adams took on the role of his mother, Bev.

Sales of Vances 2016 popular book about his life growing up in a working class Appalachian family have fared well in the wake of the announcement, also.

On Tuesday, the paperback and hardcover editions of Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis respectively held the No. 1 and No. 2 bestseller slots on Amazons books list.

The memoir, published in June 2016, exploded as Donald Trump became the Republican presidential candidate that year, because, in a deeply personal way, explained the struggles of rural Americans.

Vances 2016 memoir currently holds the No. 1 and 2 slots on Amazons books bestseller list. AP

Former President Donald Trump named Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his pick for vice president in the 2024 presidential election. REUTERS

It is an eye-opening field guide to an unruly and hard-to-understand group, many of them born and bred Democrats, The Posts Kyle Smith wrote.

Its a superb book given an extra layer of importance by its political reverberations.

Trump announced Vance as his VP pick on the social media platform Truth Social Monday as the Republican National Convention was kicking off in Milwaukee, Wis.

After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio, Trump wrote.

J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  A Hillsdale County Sheriff Department Sergeant is headed to trial in Circuit Court on 7 charges accusing him of assault in the county jail.

The Office of the Attorney General of Michigan announced Wednesday Ronald Leggitt, 43, of Marshall, waived his right to a preliminary examination in District Court. The move sent his case up to the Circuit Court where he will face trial.

No trial date has been set.

Leggitt has been charged with with one count of Misconduct in Office, a 5-year felony, and six counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, each count a 4-year felony. Those charges were filed in March of this year.

hillsdale county courthouse_254331

The Attorney Generals Office brought the charges, and this how they explain the conduct Leggitt is accused of engaging in to support the charges:

In the early morning hours of December 16th, 2021, a woman was brought into custody at the Hillsdale County jail, where Leggitt was supervising operations and staff. Staff at the jail were informed the woman had resisted officers during the arrest and the booking process. At the jail, she continued to exhibit resistant and disruptive behavior. It is alleged that over the course of 80 minutes, Leggitt assaulted the inmate six times with aerosol subject restraint, commonly known as mace or pepper spray, spraying the chemical irritant into her face from a distance of mere inches. During five of the six alleged assaults, the victim was secured in an emergency restraint chair; restrained in wrist and ankle cuffs as well as a chest restraint. News Release, Office the Attorney General of Michigan, July 17, 2024

FILE  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (Max Ortiz/Detroit News via AP, File)

Law enforcement officers have an obligation to protect the physical safety of those within their custody, said Dana Nessel, Michigans Attorney General, when announcing the charges in March in a news release. When their conduct stoops to criminality, we must take such allegations very seriously. My department prioritizes matters of public integrity and will continue to hold those who violate the rule of law accountable.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Former President Donald Trump was named the Republican presidential nominee at the partys convention this week, just days after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13.

How the assassination attempt affects Trumps chances of reelection remains to be seen, but its not the first time that violence has roiled a major presidential election year.

In 1968, two beloved figures in U.S. society were assassinated just two months apart: civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968, and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. That was five years after Kennedys brother, John F. Kennedy, the nations first Catholic president, had been assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. In response, uprisings popped up across major U.S. cities, adding to a general climate of unrest, between worldwide student and labor strikes and demonstrations against the Vietnam War, which was growing increasingly unpopular. Thousands of anti-war protesters descended on Chicago for the August 1968 Democratic National Convention (DNC), railing against the partys nominee Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who stood by President Lyndon B. Johnsons moves to escalate the war.

Historians tell TIME that there are some echoes of 1968 in terms of whats going on in America now versus then, but also some key differences.

The existential crisis that ties 1968 and 2024

Senator Robert Kennedy after being shot while busboy Juan Romero tries to comfort him, Los Angeles, Calif. on June 5, 1968. Bill EppridgeThe LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Kennedys assassination shook up the 1968 presidential race. He was anti-war and one of the few Democratic candidates who was popular among both black voters and white working class voters, says Maurice Isserman, a professor of History at Hamilton College and expert on the 1960s social movements whose latest book is Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism. His assassination by Sirhan Sirhan, which came so quickly after King was killed, rattled the nation, and came at a time when there were increasing acts of violence on both the right and the left, building occupations, street confrontations.

You can say that Sirhan Sirhan might very well have changed history by successfully assassinating Robert Kennedy, preventing him from being the Democratic nominee and likely prevailing in the fall, Isserman argues.

Trumps assassination attempt will not have the same effect, he argues: This latest attempt was just that. It was an attempt. It was not successful, and it won't change history. While the attempt will bolster Trumps popularity, he says voters should remember that the Republican party has, since 2015, been building up a climate in which expressions citing violence have become the norm. On Saturday, the chickens came home to roost, as some clearly very disturbed young man, a registered Republican, decided to make his place in history by attempting to assassinate Donald Trump.

But the existential crisis, the feeling that democracy is under siege, is a similarity between 1968 and 2024.

People are feeling like the country is coming apart at the seams. That's exactly how it felt in 1968, says Barbara A. Perry, a Professor of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginias Miller Center and co-editor of The Presidency: Facing Constitutional Crossroads. In 1968, voters saw the violence in the streets and voted for Richard Nixon because of a sense that he would bring peace and law and order back to our country.

Civil rights leader Andrew Young, left, and others standing on balcony of Lorraine motel pointing in direction of assailant after assassination of civil rights ldr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is lying at their feet, on April 4, 1968. Joseph LouwCSU Archives/Everett Collection

Anti-war protests, then and now

As with today, war was a top political issue in 1968. Perry likens the anti-Vietnam war protests to the campus protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in 2024. But Lindsay M. Chervinsky, presidential historian and author of the forthcoming Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, points out that the Gaza and Vietnam demonstrations are on different scales. The Vietnam War protests were much more all-encompassing in society because there was a draft."

Michael Kazin, a professor of History at Georgetown University and author of What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party, agrees that the Gaza protests have not divided the Democratic Party as much as the Vietnam War did, arguing, If it did, you wouldn't have people like Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and Ilhan Omar supporting Joe Biden.

Kazin, who was a member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), one of the leftist groups protesting at the Chicago DNC in 1968, says one similarity between the conventions is dissatisfaction with the nominee. And it remains to be seen whether the assassination attempt will persuade undecided voters to pick Trump or Biden.

In 1968, there was a rise in youth political activism. There were calls for revolution, and leftist groups like the Black Panther party were rising up against the police. According to Chervinsky, In 1968 there was this question about generational turnoverwas it time for a new generation, or were the existing leaders going to continue to lead? There were all of these grassroots movementscivil rights, antiwar movementsand there have been a lot of those similar things in the last several years.

There's always been partisan division, since there have been political parties. It is, at times, much more strident, and that is something we're seeing now.

How America has historically gotten through national tumult

So how did America move on from the tumultuous year of 1968?

Perry says Americans turned to the ballot box. After Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, his successor Fords controversial pardon of Nixon, and Carters unpopular one-term presidency, Perry thinks Americans found hope again in movie star Ronald Reagan, who was elected President in 1980 and served two terms 1981-1989.

How do we get that mojo back? Its Ronald Reagan, says Perry. His running for reelection in 84 with the It's morning again in America ad is positive. If you look at Gallup polls back then, there is a burst upward of Americans positive approval about federal government.

Other historians argue that were still living in 1968. Many of the conflicts in the 60s are still with us, especially cultural onesabortion, gay rights, feminism, racism, says Kazin. As Isserman puts it, We're still very much living in the shadow of the 60s.

Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.
UPDATE: WEDNESDAY 7/17/2024 11:05 a.m.

(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) said a little before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, that CSFD units had cleared the scene of a hit gas line in southeast Colorado Springs.

According to CSFD, Colorado Springs Utilities responded to the scene at Bradley Road and Horizonview Drive and are working on repairs. CSFD said roads in the area may still be closed.

ORIGINAL STORY: CSFD responds to hit gas line on Bradley Road

WEDNESDAY 7/17/2024 9:36 a.m.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) said multiple crews are at the scene of a hit gas line which has closed Bradley Road in all directions east of Marksheffel Road.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

CSFD posted to X (formally known as Twitter) a little after 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17 that multiple CSFD crews were on the scene of a hit gas line.

CSFD said Bradley Road is closed in all directions at Horizonview Drive just east of Marksheffel Road in southeast Colorado Springs and for drivers to plan alternate routes.

According to CSFD, a construction company reported they were excavating and hit the gas line.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Gov. Kathy Hochul is beginning a push that would ban cell phones in schools across the state.

Hochul began a statewide tour earlier this week to study the effects of social media use on teenagers. It comes on the heels of a landmark bill passed in the New York State Legislature last month that allows parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platforms algorithm.

New York City has already moved on its own to ban phones in schools, as well as Los Angeles and the state of Virginia.

Michael Cornell, the president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association, said on Tuesday that cell phones are not much of an issue in elementary schools because not many children have them. Many middle schools require them to be turned off and put away during the school day, so the conversation largely revolves around high schools.

High school kids is a lot more nuanced because we have to talk about time and place, Cornell said. What are the expectations around cell phones? Theres certain places where you can and certain places where you cant. And that mirrors the world.

Cornell stressed that it is not a black-and-white issue and could end up varying based on school districts. He said that he is looking forward to engaging with Hochul on the issue moving forward.

That phone and the ubiquitous of that phone and social media makes the default setting for kids the virtual experience too often, Cornell said. And not the human, in-person interaction thats such an important part of school and the learning experiences we have in classrooms.

Latest Local News

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
A pack of House Democrats is making a Hail Mary play to stave off a plan by the Democratic National Committee to crown President Joe Biden as its nominee weeks before the partys August convention, according to multiple reports.

The letter, first obtained by The New York Times, demands that the DNC pump the brakes on a virtual roll call vote expected to cement Bidens nomination as early as July 21.

There is no legal justification for this extraordinary and unprecedented action which would effectively accelerate the nomination process by nearly a month, the letter reads, going to on to call the plan a terrible idea that would have a chilling effect on party process, stifling debate and prematurely shutting down any possible change in the Democratic ticket.

The Times reported that the letter was drafted by Rep. Jared Huffman, who began circulating it among his colleagues on Monday. (The Associated Press disputed that, reporting that Huffman was not taking the lead in circulating the letter.) The California Democrat denied that he personally drafted the letter in an interview with Axios.

I just think its a terrible idea for the DNC to do this, he said, I just think people see right through it, and at a time when we have this huge enthusiasm gap with the Republicans, to do a stunt like this is just going to make it worse.

Biden Goes to War With SCOTUS Amid High Court Ethics Scandals

More than 20 Democratic lawmakers had signed onto the letter as of Tuesday, according to NBC News. As many as 19 Democrats on Capitol Hill have publicly called for Biden to step aside and allow another nominee to take his place, an outpouring that comes after the presidents dire debate performance last month.

The crossover between the crop of outspoken legislators and letter signatories was not immediately clear. Reps. Susan Wild (D-PA), Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Pat Ryan (D-NY) all told Axios they planned to sign on. Quigley and Ryan have asked Biden to abandon his re-election bid, while Wild has expressed concern about his electability.

Regardless of whether President Biden remains our nominee, Democratic unity and enthusiasm will be critical between now and November 5th, the letter emphasizes, respectfully but emphatically requesting that the virtual roll call be canceled.

The Democratic Party must nominate its presidential ticket at the Democratic National Convention, in regular order, as we always have, it states.

But DNC leaders are committed to forging ahead, four people familiar with the matter told the Times.

We certainly are not going to leave the fate of this election in the hands of MAGA Republicans in Ohio that have tried to keep President Biden off of the general election ballot, committee chairman Jaime Harrison told the newspaper in a statement. Were moving forward with a virtual roll call, and the timeline for that process remains on schedule and unchanged from when the DNC made that decision.

The decision to hold the early roll call was announced by the party back in May, made in response to procedural concerns that Biden might not otherwise qualify for the ballot in Ohio. Frank LaRose, Ohios Republican secretary of state, had threatened to keep Bidens name off the ballot if, according to state law, he wasnt nominated at least 90 days before the general election on Nov. 5.

The state has since changed the rules around the issue, bringing the requirement down to 65 daysthereby nullifying the need for the roll call to be held before the convention, the letter argues.

Not every Democratic official feels that way, however. Three former chairs of the DNCDonna Brazile, Howard Dean, and Terry McAuliffesent a separate letter to committee members urging them to back the roll call, ABC News reported on Tuesday.

A different approach risks disenfranchising millions of voters and clouding the Democratic path to victory, their letter says, referencing lingering worries about Ohios certification process. The law bringing the nomination requirement down to 65 days does not go into effect until Aug. 31, after the Democratic National Convention has taken place.

No formal date has been set for the roll call, according to the DNC.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY)  The Hampton Police Division is asking the public for help in locating a wanted man believed to be armed with a knife.

Malcoom Shearn (Courtesy: HPD)

According to officials, Malcoom Shearn is wanted on four counts of armed robbery, aggravated sexual battery, abduction and maiming. Police said Shearn has been known to contact women from various dating websites in an attempt to meet in Hampton, where he then allegedly commits the crimes listed above. Police say he frequents Hampton and Smithfield.

Police said they hope to swiftly locate and apprehend him to prevent further interaction with him and anyone in our community.

Anyone with any information on Shearns whereabouts is urged to contact the Hampton Police Division at 757-727-6111 or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

** Correction: Hampton Police initially released the spelling of Malcooms last name as Shearns. It is spelled Shearn.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM has proposed a development plan to the government of Guyana for its seventh oil project in the country. The discovery named Hammerhead is part of the prolific Starbroek Block offshore Guyana. The development of the Hammerhead discovery involves drilling up to 30 wells, per ExxonMobils development plan.

The Hammerhead project is estimated to come online by 2029, pending government approval. The oil and gas giant expects daily production from the Hammerhead field to lie in the range of 120,000-180,000 barrels of crude. The Hammerhead project is anticipated to raise the production capacity of Guyana to approximately 1.4 billion barrels per day.

ExxonMobil has proposed the use of a Very Large Crude Carrier conversion facility for its seventh oil project in Guyanese waters. The floating production unit will be situated 15 kilometers toward the southwest of Liza Destiny, which is XOMs first oil production platform in the South American nation.

For the Hammerhead project, the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel has a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day and a storage capacity of approximately 1.4 to 2 million barrels of oil. This FPSO has a lower production capacity than XOM's largest vessels in the country, which can produce up to 250,000 barrels per day.

ExxonMobil operates the prolific Starbroek Block offshore Guyana, with Hess Corporation and CNOOC as its partners.

Zacks Rank and Key Picks

Currently, XOM carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are SM Energy SM, Sunoco LP SUN and Chevron Corporation CVX. SM Energy and Sunoco presently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, while Chevron carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

SM Energy is an upstream energy firm operating in the prolific Midland Basin and the South Texas regions. For 2024, the company expects its production to increase from the prior-year reported figure, signaling a bright production outlook.

Sunoco LP is one of the largest distributors of motor fuel in the United States. The partnership distributes fuel to independent dealers, commercial customers, convenience stores as well as distributors. Its current distribution yield is greater than the composite stocks in the industry, providing unitholders with consistent returns.

Chevron is one of the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies in the world, with its operations spread around the globe. It is currently in the process of acquiring Hess Corporation. The acquisition is seen as a major win for Chevron, as it will give the company access to Hess' high-quality assets in Guyana and the Bakken Formation.

Story continues

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Hamilton Southeastern teachers gather at the Geist Christian Church in Fishers on Friday, July 12, 2024, for a community teacher appreciation party put on by HSE parents as a way to show their support after recent comments made by Superintendent Pat Mapes left teachers feeling unappreciated.

FISHERS  The signs Hamilton Southeastern Schools parents made that lined the wall of the Geist Christian Church gymnasium sent a clear message: Families love the teachers who serve them.

One sign read, Our family moved back here because of you all  12 years laterBest decision!

The whole night, in fact, aimed to show teachers how much HSE families appreciate them, a few weeks after the new superintendent made public comments that some teachers said left them feeling disrespected.

At a June 26 school board meeting HSE superintendent Pat Mapes, who took the post in February, said "adult issues" in the district have been taking priority over student needs. The teachers union and the school district have been in disagreement over union practices and union representatives allege they have received "threatening and harassing" communications from district leadership.

In response, a group of parents led by Stephanie Hunt, president of Fishers PRIDE, came up with a plan to hold a community teacher appreciation party.

After he was completely disrespectful towards our teachers and telling them they could leave the district, I was desperate to do something so that they knew we didnt want them to leave, said Hunt, a parent to four HSE students.

More than 100 teachers and over a dozen parents and children attended the gathering last Friday.

Signs hand on the wall at the Geist Christian Church in Fishers on Friday, July 12, 2024, for a community teacher appreciation party put on by HSE parents as a way to show their support after recent comments made by Superintendent Pat Mapes left teachers feeling unappreciated.

Carolyn Porzuczek, a fourth-grade teacher at HSE, said shes never felt as defeated and unappreciated during her 20 years of teaching, as she did when she heard Mapes comments.

The party has inspired her to keep going.

This is my community, Porzuczek told IndyStar. My kids went to these schools, and so to have this event has been a huge morale boost to remember why we're here, and to continue because our families really do love us and support us.

What Mapes said to anger HSE teachers

Teachers and Mapes have been at odds soon after he took the position. The teachers union filed an unfair labor practice against the district in mid-June alleging that school district leaders were interfering with union practices and had created a hostile work environment.

Two weeks later at a board meeting, Mapes said teachers' job satisfaction should stem from their students' success and accused some teachers of putting their own interests ahead of those of their students.

If we've employed people who do not want to serve students and put their own agenda in front of a mission to educate students, then those people should leave our district because we're here to serve students, Mapes said during the meeting.

Read more about the complaint here: HSE teachers union alleges top district official created 'hostile work environment'

After the party, Mapes said in an emailed statement to IndyStar that his administration appreciates that the community is finding ways to share their support for HSE teachers. He added that since arriving in the district he has had many positive interactions with teachers and staff.

While our interactions with teachers and staff have been overwhelmingly positive, we understand that large organizations like ours, will sometimes encounter internal challenges, Mapes said. We always stand ready to collaborate to address concerns and find meaningful solutions.

HSE parents embraced the idea of a teacher appreciation party as one solution to low teacher morale.

In a little over two weeks dozens of HSE parent and community volunteers helped organize the party with free food, drinks and prizes.

More School news: Some schools start in 2 weeks. Really. See which ones in Central Indiana go back earliest

Hunt estimates that the food and prizes that were raffled off to teachers amounted to a cost of several thousands of dollars. HSE parents, local businesses and community members donated all the goods.

During the party, teachers received goodie bags filled with school supplies, dozens of Amazon gift cards were handed out and other gift baskets filled with food and drinks were raffled off.

Stephanie Hunt raffles off prizes at the Geist Christian Church in Fishers on Friday, July 12, 2024, for a community teacher appreciation party put on by HSE parents as a way to show their support after recent comments made by Superintendent Pat Mapes left teachers feeling unappreciated.

Erin Green, an art teacher at an HSE elementary school, said Mapes comments frustrated her. She worries that the district only cares about test score outcomes, not what happens in the classroom.

I dont feel like were valued for what we do, Green said. Were not there for the test scores. Im an art teacher and Im there to help the kids be creative and be excited about school, and so to hear that all they care about are test scores is very frustrating.

More HamCo school news: Carmel Schools superintendent announces retirement, board picks new leader

Green, who has worked in HSE her entire career of 23 years, said she feels like communication between teachers and the central office has been very poor and wishes that district leaders would be willing to solve issues at the table more readily.

"We want whats best for kids so when theres something we're concerned about, and we just want to talk it out with [administration], but now we feel a bit more shut down when we try to do that, Green said.

Sarah Renfro, another HSE parent who helped organize the party, said she was moved to do so after hearing Mapes's comments. She wanted to provide a night of fun for the teachers before school starts again.

I think that the teachers just need to know that they are loved and supported and that we will do all we can to have their back, Renfro said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HSE parents organize teacher party amid tensions with superintendent
Nearly 200 prisoners have been evacuated from Dartmoor jail after the discovery of dangerously high levels of radon gas forced its closure.

It is a fresh blow to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) after it was pushed to announce a major early release scheme to avoid running out of prison spaces.

The MoJ introduced legislation on Wednesday to automatically release prisoners, including some with convictions for violence, 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than at the current halfway point.

An impact assessment showed that the scheme, due to start on Sept 13, should reduce the prison population by around 5,500 to avert what Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, warned would be a disaster that could result in the breakdown of civil law and order.

The MoJ confirmed to The Telegraph that Dartmoor jail, which was built by Napoleonic prisoners of war in the early 19th century, would be temporarily closed because of the risks from radon.

Prison chiefs are under criminal investigation by the Health and Safety Executive over their handling of unsafe levels of radioactive radon gas at the jail.

They initially had to reduce the number of prisoners from 679 to 255 because of the naturally occurring gas leaking from the ground. It was thought the problems had been resolved and prisoners were being transferred back to the jail.

New daily ventilation measures, including opened windows and the opening of roof vents and doors three times a day, were reported to be in place at the jail.

However, further tests revealed high levels of the gas and the evacuation was forced.

Radon gas, which is formed naturally in parts of Britain by decaying uranium in certain types of rocks and soil, causes around 1,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the country. Around 300 prisoners and former inmates are reported to have sought legal advice about the danger in which they had been placed.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by the BBC found that peak radon levels detected at Dartmoor in 2020 and 2023 were 10 times the recommended workplace limit.

Our prisons are in crisis

An MoJ spokesman said: Our prisons are in crisis. This is the most recent illustration of why this Government was forced, in its first week, to take urgent action to release pressure on the estate. It is also why we are committed to building new prison places to lock up the most dangerous offenders and protect the public.

Ms Mahmood said she had no option but to announce the new early release scheme. In a speech at Five Wells prison in Wellingborough last week, she warned the prison crisis could collapse the criminal justice system within weeks, leading to the total breakdown of civil law and order.

As revealed by The Telegraph on Friday, prisoners released early will include violent offenders serving sentences under four years for crimes such as assault as well as burglars, robbers and thieves. Sex offenders, terrorists, domestic abusers and those jailed for over four years for serious violence will be excluded.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)  Huntsville City Schools (HCS) will not be enforcing a complete cellphone ban for the 2024-2025 school year.

HCS will uphold the current enforcement of phones, forbidding students from using it if they are learning in class.

Madison County BOE approves construction bid for first new school in 10 years

If students receive permission from a teacher, they are allowed to use their phone during instruction. Otherwise, it is only allowed in moments of free time during the school day.

Board members are encouraging parents to help enforce this policy.

Parents do need to be aware that if they have something to tell their students, they may need to wait until 3 p.m. when all students are out of school, Huntsville City Schools Executive Director of Prevention and Support Services Melissa Veasy-Lindsey said. And, students need to make sure that they dont reach out to their parents during the day and text them oh, I left my textbook at home, and, oh, I left this.'

Opposingly, Mobile County Public School Systems (MCPSS) ruled that their students will have to give up their phones at the start of the day and will receive them back at the end of the school day. Otherwise, students could just leave their phone in the car or at home.

The Huntsville City School Board said they feel as though their policy has been effective enough to not enforce something like MCPSS at the moment. They will be checking in with all of their schools to ensure the policy continues working and is being properly enforced.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, how can both parties and both candidates change the direction and tone of their respective campaigns? File Photo by David Banks/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday has brought a bipartisan chorus singing how critical it is to "lower the temperature" and return to a civil public debate in which the harshest and meanest accusations are tempered. No longer will Trump refer to the "Biden crime family" and argue Joe Biden is unfit to serve as president. Democrats will refrain from labeling Trump a threat to democracy and a "dictator" out for revenge.

And guess what? This bonhomie may last for a few days and possibly through the Republican national convention. Trump could take the high ground and call off his dogs of war. Statesmanship, a novelty for the former president, could change the tone of his campaign. And the iconic photo of a wounded Trump raising his right fist in defiance could become the image of a new campaign.

Democrats could reciprocate. Now that Trump's classified documents case has been thrown out by Judge Aileen Cannon in what many will argue is a criminal dereliction of duty and obedience to the man who appointed her, it is possible the Supreme Court's immunity decision will convince New York judge Juan Merchan to dismiss the thirty-four felonies that convicted Trump in the "hush money" case in September. That would deem Trump an innocent man, even though a judge in one of the sexual harassment cases declared Trump a "rapist."

Some of Trump's enemies will regret that the bullet missed but will keep silent. Rhetoric will soften. And all will be well.

But will it? How can both parties and both candidates change the direction and tone of their respective campaigns? Democrats are running against Trump, citing all his wrong doings and failings rendering him unfit to serve in any office. Similarly, can Republicans desist in making a mockery of Joe Biden's age and mental limitations that should disqualify him from a second term? The same restraint would apply to attacking Vice President Kamala Harris for her juvenile laughs and incompetence in handling any assignment presented to her.

Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump attends the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

Would cable networks from Fox to MSNBC give up sensationalism and instead simply report the news in a boring and unprovocative fashion that is assured to lose viewers and ratings? And would extremists of left and right forgo using the most heated commentary to describe politics? That seems unlikely.

More importantly, the basic strategies of both campaigns would have to make a volte-face to what? The need for fair criticism to be limited to facts and truth rather than lies, misstatements, and hyperbole would completely disarm the inventory of weapons to bash the other side. And is there sufficient discipline to ensure that self-control across both parties could be maintained? More to the point, will Trump the bully become Trump the gentleman?

Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump (L) and vice presidential nominee JD Vance attend the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

To many observers, these are not very likely scenarios. To others, once this short period of grace ends, the old rhetoric will return with a vengeance. This may start with the many conspiracy theories that are emerging. The basis will be to ask how the shooter remained undetected, sneaking onto an obvious spot with a clear shot at Trump and how the Secret Service snipers were able to eliminate the threat within seconds of the first shot. Clearly, this was no coincidence and could make the mystery around the Kennedy assassination in 1963 seem trivial.

The possible suspects who might have planned this attack range from Democratic or former Republican extremists who viewed Trump as a clear and present danger to national security that had to be eliminated: disgruntled graduates of Trump University or other scams; hundreds of Trump contractors who were never paid; women who were sexually abused and sought revenge; and maybe an ex-wife or two. Otherwise, gunman Thomas Crooks could never have gained access to the building. And an alert had to be passed to the Secret Service snipers, as no one was sufficiently good enough to respond in a second or two.

Of course this is nonsense. With other would-be and actual presidential assassins, their rationale has been as trivial as failing to gain a job or to impress a movie star. It may turn out Crooks had an equally bizarre motive. That he is dead, as alleged Kennedy killer Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered in the most extraordinary way in a police station, suggests we will never know.

The lesson to be relearned as this good will dissipates is that hypocrisy reigns supreme in America. Unlike many diseases, this one seems incurable unless a miracle intervenes. However, do not bet the housekeeping funds on that.

Harlan Ullman is UPI's Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist, a senior adviser at Washington's Atlantic Council, the prime author of "shock and awe" and author of "The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD: How Massive Attacks of Disruption Became the Looming Existential Danger to a Divided Nation and the World at Large." Follow him @harlankullman. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Revelations that the Idaho State Police is investigating the former commander of the Idaho American Legion on suspicion of embezzling funds should serve as a wake-up call to other Idaho nonprofits.

As Idaho Statesman reporter Kevin Fixler has been reporting, Charles Abe Abrahamson is suspected by fellow senior leadership of embezzling at least $750,000 of its funds.

Without the proper checks and balances, a nonprofit can be susceptible to fraud and embezzlement.

But there are things nonprofits can and should do to make sure they dont have a similar financial indiscretion.

Its the same kind of principles as personal finances with kids spending money or whatever, Kevin Bailey, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center, told me in a video interview. Its ask questions, and trust but verify.

Bailey suggested nonprofits employ segregation of duties, so that no one person is in control of a nonprofits finances and assets.

Nonprofit checks and balances

Its important that nonprofits set up checks and balances when it comes to four main areas:

Authorization and approval : Who can buy what? Make sure no one person has authority to make purchases without authorization.

Holding assets : Whose name is on the bank account? Make sure at least a couple of people have access to check the accounts.

Recording of transactions : Whos inputting financial data? Having a contracted bookkeeper is a good practice, someone who is an independent third party who can catch financial misdeeds.

Reconciliation of assets: The board of directors should be the backstop by checking that the nonprofits withdrawals, deposits and account balances match up.

The boards job is not to be blind trustee and friend to the executive, Bailey said. Its to be a strategic thought partner but also to carry out the main board governance duties.

Bailey also recommends that nonprofits conduct an annual audit or at least a financial review.

A full audit can be expensive, but nonprofits can hire an accountant for less money to do a financial review, which looks over the books and analyzes the checks and balances that are supposed to prevent fraud or embezzlement.

Its worth every penny, Bailey said. People always ask us, How much audit should we get? And our answer is always, As much as you can afford. Get as much audit done as your organization can manage because it builds up the trust (with) the public.

Warning signs

So what are some of the warning signs of potential financial impropriety?

Lack of reporting : If a board isnt getting basic financial information on a regular basis, that could be a red flag.

Basic questions cant be answered: I see there was a transfer out of this bank account into another fund, but I dont see that money entering the other fund? Wheres that money? If your director or treasurer cant answer basic questions like that, there might be a problem.

Unilateral decision making: If one person can decide to make a purchase or transfer money without board or finance committee approval, that could be problematic.

Limited access to bank accounts: Is there just one person with access to bank accounts? Having access to bank statements  not just an Excel spreadsheet provided by the director or treasurer  is important to ensure someone isnt cooking the books.

As a board member, Bailey said, its important to say something if you see something or if something doesnt look right or make sense.

Dont be afraid of the audits and financial reviews, Bailey said. Turning over the books to an independent financial agency that can say, Hey, you got some work to do on these areas.

He said stories like the Idaho American Legion cause collateral damage by eroding the trust that the public has in charities and nonprofits.

On the whole, the organizations that we work with, the vast, vast majority, have strong board checks and balances in place, Bailey said. Its rare for us to see audits that come back for the organizations that are going through that and dont have clean audits.

Idahos nonprofit sector

The Idaho nonprofit sector is no small potatoes.

Idaho has 2,525 financially active nonprofits that collectively hold $9.45 billion in assets and $8.38 billion in collective revenues, according to the Idaho Nonprofit Centers most recent State of the Sector report from 2022.

Idahos nonprofit sector is the fifth-largest private sector workforce in the state, employing more than 67,000 people, or 12% of Idahos private sector workforce.

About a fifth of Idahos nonprofits, 475, have annual revenues of less than $50,000.

What you can do

The Idaho Nonprofit Center puts on training sessions and provides resources for nonprofit organizations whether theyre members or not.

The center puts on a Finance 101 class that goes through the checks and balances that should be in place to protect the organizations finances. It costs $75 for members and $100 for non-members.

In addition, the center has a free online Finance 101 learning module that it makes available on its website.

The center also puts on Board Member Boot Camp, consisting of three one-hour online sessions, that teaches attendees the roles and responsibilities of nonprofit board members and the executive director. The boot camp is a pay-what-you-can, with prices ranging from $10-$60.

Ive always felt that nonprofits, especially small community organizations, are ripe for fraud. Theyre usually loosely run by a group of volunteers, usually friends or fellow parents or neighbors who by and large trust one another.

Bailey said its well worth the time and effort to make sure, no matter what size your organization, that your financials are in order.

Trust is the key currency for our sector, Bailey said. Theres nothing more important than safeguarding that trust and safeguarding the reputation that an individual nonprofit has.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation seeks help gathering more information after public bathrooms at a state park in southern Idaho were vandalized Saturday morning.

The state agency on social media posted photos of smashed up mirrors, toilets and urinals at the Malad Gorge and Niagara Springs units of Thousand Springs State Park, located in Hagerman, near Twin Falls, and said the park experienced a terrible case of vandalism. Five toilets and two sinks were damaged at the Niagara unit, and one urinal and all mirrors were damaged at the Malad Gorge unit, Parks and Recreation spokesperson Chelsea Chambers wrote in an email to the Idaho Statesman.

The department is uncertain how much the repairs will cost, but construction crews are working to clean up and make repairs while they wait to order new mirrors, sinks and urinals, Chambers said.

Attacks like these on our public lands, vandalism at your Idaho state parks has an immediate and long-term negative effect on the parks ability to operate for the rest of the year, Chambers told the Statesman. Every single dollar counts when youre serving around 7 million park visitors.

Toilets, mirrors, sinks, and a urinal were destroyed.

Chambers expects the Malad Gorge restroom to open without mirrors sometime Wednesday, but Niagaras restroom has more extensive damage. In the meantime, park visitors can access portable bathrooms.

Funding for the repairs will come from the parks operations budget, Chambers said. Most of the departments budget is raised by the park through fees, and vandalism cases can have a direct impact on park budgets, she added.

A repair team at the Thousand Springs State Park is working to fix the damage while they wait to order new equipment.

The park is working closely with the Gooding County Sheriffs Office to investigate the incident, and both park staff and Gooding County law enforcement plan to increase patrols in the park, Chambers wrote. The park is also considering locking bathroom doors at night and investing in a camera or more robust security system, Chambers wrote.

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation asks the public to contact the Gooding County Sheriffs Office at (208) 934-4421 if anyone has information about the incident.
CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA)  Illinois first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in 2024 has been announced by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

The West Nile virus is passed on through the bite of a typical mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. Symptoms usually dont show in people, but can include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. The sickness may last from a few days to a few weeks. More severe illness can be experienced by individuals above 50 years old or with weakened immune systems, such as meningitis, encephalitis, paralysis, or even death.

The IDPH said the infected individual resides in suburban Cook County and first felt symptoms in mid-June. The person is also in their 60s.

While 100% confirmation is pending from the Centers for Disease Control  which is routine procedure for the first positive case each year  commercial testing and clinical symptoms strongly indicate a case of WNV, IDPH said.

Urbana doctor explains the rise in at-risk ZIP codes for lead exposure

Last years first human WNV case occurred in late June. By the end of 2023, 119 total human cases of WNV were reported in the state. Six deaths were related to the virus.

Summer in Illinois means mosquitos, and these mosquitos increase our risk of contracting vector-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus, IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. We encourage all Illinois residents to Fight the Bite and protect themselves and their loves ones from insect bites that can cause potentially serious illnesses.

The IDPH and local health departments monitor the presence of WNV by testing mosquitoes, birds, and horses. So far, positive results have been reported in animals in 33 Illinois counties. To see the data, visit the IDPHs West Nile virus dashboard.

Central Illinois clinic opens its doors to new patients

Because there are no dedicated treatments or vaccines available for WNV, it is important to take proactive measures against mosquito bites. Here are some tips from the IDPH to help prevent WNV:

Reduce Put tight-fitting screens on windows and doors, and repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate or refresh all standing water where mosquitoes can breed  including bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

Repel Wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt outdoors. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants. Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone according to label instructions.

Report If you you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week  such as roadside ditches or flooded yards  report these locations to your local health department. They or the city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae. If you see a sick or dead crow, blue jay, robin or other perching bird, contact your local health department. They will determine if the bird should be picked up for lab testing.



For more information and data on WNV in Illinois, go to the IDPHs website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
What image did Nevada police submit for the Best Looking Cruiser contest?

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Nevada Highway Patrol is celebrating 75 years of public service and in its honor, they are commemorating by announcing their entry into the Best Looking Cruiser contest.

NHPs participation in the 11th annual Best Looking Cruiser, contest is organized by the American Association of State Troopers. Their submission includes a photo taken in downtown Las Vegas, showcasing a 1990 Ford Mustang alongside a 2024 Ford Mustang. The choice of the two models of the cars is meant to symbolize, the blend of [their] storied past and promising future, as emphasized by the NHP.

In gold lettering on top of the photo, the NHP has written, Make history leave a legacy, to reflect their core mission and values through their submission.

Make History, Leave A Legacy.(Nevada State Police)

The NHP invites community participation in the voting process, scheduled from July 15 to July 29.

To cast a vote visit State Troopers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, speaks to supporters during a stop for his U.S. Senate campaign in McAllen on Feb. 17, 2024. Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune

Unlike many Texas Democrats before him, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred wants to talk about the border.

In particular, he wants to talk about how U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who hes challenging this November, helped spike major bipartisan border legislation earlier this year  part of Allreds broader effort to paint Cruz as an obstructionist whose hardline stances have hindered long-overdue immigration reform.

At the same time, Allred is trying to define his own relatively unknown immigration views before Cruz can do it for him, running ads that call himself tough on the border and embracing a mix of proposals bolstering border security and expanding pathways to legal status.

But the notion that Allred is tough on the border is laughable to Cruz, who says his Democratic foe is trying to have it both ways and showing a newfound interest in the topic only now that hes running for statewide office. Cruz, who is also making immigration the linchpin of his campaign, said Allred is papering over a voting record and past comments that show the Dallas Democrat more aligned with President Joe Bidens unpopular border policies than he would have voters believe.

With three and half months left until Election Day, both candidates are campaigning on border and immigration issues: Allred is running campaign ads that tout headlines about him breaking with his party to condemn Biden, while Cruz laced into the presidents policies in a lively speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday, blaming Biden for several recent high-profile murders allegedly committed by immigrants who entered the country illegally. The border-centric campaigns are a nod to public opinion polls that have repeatedly shown Texas voters ranking immigration and the border as their most pressing issues  and voicing overwhelming disapproval of Bidens approach, as record numbers of migrants have attempted to enter Texas from Mexico for most of his term.

Cruz, asked about the attacks on his alleged intransigence on the bipartisan immigration package, said he opposed the bill because it was terrible policy that failed to actually secure the border. He said hes also helped pass less visible but important border measures  like allowing real-time data sharing between Border Patrol and the Coast Guard  and has seen his own commonsense bills get shot down by Democrats. One example, Cruz said, is his proposal to require mandatory minimum prison sentences for those with an aggravated felony conviction who re-enter the country illegally.

Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the annual Border Safety Initiative Conference, held close to the Rio Grande near Mission, on Monday, July 1, 2019. Credit: Veronica Gabriela Cardenas for The Texas Tribune

Over the past decade Ive repeatedly authored and introduced strong border legislation, and Democrats like Allred have repeatedly refused to agree to anything that would actually secure the border, Cruz said in an email to The Texas Tribune.

Allred disputed the idea that he has only recently made the border a priority, pointing to his ties to the border city of Brownsville, where his mother is from and his grandfather worked as a U.S. Customs officer. He acknowledged that too often, Democrats have failed to be serious about responding to border crises, though he also pointed the finger at Cruz and other Republicans for Congress long-running failure to pass a major immigration overhaul.

One of my biggest frustrations with Sen. Cruz is that he's had 12 years to try and enact any kind of reform  whether it's comprehensive or even just targeted  to try and help us do something about what's been happening at the border. And he has, every single time, refused, Allred said in an interview.

Even with his more proactive approach, though, Allred faces an uphill climb shaking his partys brand among Texas voters, who have routinely said they trust Republicans over Democrats on border and immigration matters. Andrew Smith, a political science professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said Allred is walking a tightrope.

If he doesn't go tough enough, if you will, on securing the border, he's not going to get those centrist and moderate voters that are willing to vote against Cruz, Smith said. But if he does get quote-unquote too tough, he risks alienating the younger, more progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Allreds border record

In the Democratic primary earlier this year, Allreds border stance came under fire from the left over his vote for a GOP resolution condemning Bidens open-borders policies. Allreds rival in the race, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, blasted Allred for throwing Biden under the bus  just for political expediency.

At the time, Allred said it was a tough vote that he saw as a way to show he did not support the status quo. A spokesperson for Cruzs campaign called the vote cowardly flip-flopping after Allred had "consistently voted with his party for reckless border policies that benefit the undocumented, while weakening our country and its borders."

Allred said he has made it clear when he supports Bidens border policies  like with last months executive order that halts asylum claims when illegal crossings hit a certain point  and he has spoken out where he disapproves. He said his vote for the Republican border resolution was a prime example, showing I disagreed with what I thought was a much-delayed response to what had been an obvious crisis for some time.

Cruz said if Allred really felt that way, he should have gotten behind House Republicans wide-ranging border crackdown last year.

The GOP border package passed the House without any Democratic votes. Cruz called it the most comprehensive border security legislation in decades and introduced a version in the Senate, though Democrats in the upper chamber had already made clear it was dead on arrival.

The proposal would have restarted construction on a border wall, restricted asylum eligibility, required migrants to wait out asylum claims in Mexico and stiffened penalties for overstaying visas. Democrats panned the bill for focusing only on tougher enforcement and said it was too draconian.

Allred said while he might support some aspects of the measure, the overall package was an unserious partisan messaging bill that never had any chance to become law.

It was only intended to be used by folks in an election like this to say, well, you didn't support this, he said.

Instead, Allred supports a bill penned by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, and Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar that includes a mix of security-minded features and policies addressing legal immigration and the status of undocumented people in the U.S.

That package, which failed to gain traction in the GOP-controlled House, would fund more border personnel and surveillance technology and require employers to eventually use E-Verify, the electronic service that checks employees immigration status. It also proposes expanding visa programs for temporary and skilled workers; granting some undocumented immigrants legal status if they pay a fee and pass a criminal background check; and establishing humanitarian campuses at busy areas of the U.S.-Mexico border where asylum seekers would temporarily stay while their claims are processed.

We cannot secure the border without fixing our legal immigration system, Allred said, arguing the crisis is fueled by the fact that [the system] doesn't work and that it's so broken that folks feel like they have no legal way to come to the country.

Sharon Navarro, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said Allred is on the right track strategically trying to convey support for a bipartisan approach, though she noted that voters often tune out policy specifics in campaigns dominated by sound bites.

It's a sound political strategy, but it's very difficult, because right now all voters want to hear is, can we stop the border? Can you stop the flow of immigrants? Navarro said. And so, short of that, I don't think they're convinced or want to hear the details.

The Escobar-Salazar bill also includes funding for physical barriers along the border, a concept Allred backed in his first year in Congress. But he also previously called former President Donald Trumps wall proposal racist and ineffective, comments that have drawn flak from Cruz.

Allred said physical barriers make all the sense in the world in certain spots and should be treated as one component of the countrys border security system. He contrasted that with Trumps idea of building a wall from sea to shining sea.

I've never supported, and won't ever support, this idea that we need to have some kind of symbol that people are not welcome, Allred said of a full-fledged border wall.

Recently, Cruz has been calling on Allred to talk about the recent killing of a 12-year-old Houston girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, who authorities say was murdered by two Venezuelan migrants who entered the country illegally. The suspects were apprehended by Border Patrol earlier this year and released into the country to await immigration court proceedings, federal authorities said; Cruz recently filed legislation aimed at keeping migrants in custody if detention beds are available.

In his emailed response, Cruz pointed to Nungarays death as an example of how border policies favored by Allred allow monsters into our country who have assaulted and murdered Americans. The senators campaign has claimed there has been a drastic increase in crimes by illegal aliens, and Cruz suggested as much in his Tuesday convention speech, though a recent study by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, found that migrants who entered the country illegally are convicted of homicide in Texas at lower rates than native-born residents. There do not appear to be any data showing a recent uptick in the rate of violent crime among undocumented immigrants.

Asked about Nungarays murder and Cruzs contention that his preferred policies were to blame, Allred said, I just think Jocelyns murder was a tragedy, and I can't think of anything more shameful than someone like Ted Cruz attempting to use that as a political attack.

Cruzs border record

At the same time, Allred has sought to refocus attention on Cruzs border record, questioning whether the GOP senators hawkish stances have actually produced results. He has particularly emphasized Cruzs objection to a bipartisan border package in February that included an array of border restrictions, but died after most Senate Republicans voted to block it on the grounds that it was too lax. A number of GOP senators came out against the bill after Trump called it an open borders betrayal that would benefit Democrats politically.

Cruz was one of the first Republicans out of the gate blasting the proposal, which aimed to clamp down on asylum, limit the presidents authority to admit people using parole in certain cases and send aid to help organizations and local governments pay for migrant services.

Among his objections to the bill, Cruz said it would have codified so-called catch-and-release policy, which he called the principal cause of the uptick in crossings seen under Biden. He also said the bill would have normalized allowing 5,000 migrants to enter illegally every day referring to a provision requiring the shutdown of all border crossings between ports of entry if unlawful crossings exceeded a daily average of 5,000 over a week, or reached 8,500 in a single day. Supporters had pitched it as a tool to limit unauthorized crossings, which were exceeding 5,000 a day, but critics including Cruz said the bar was too high.

At the time, Cruz panned Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for initially signaling support for the bill. He told Fox News that McConnell had ensured every single Democrat running for office would say gosh, I wanted to secure the border, but the mean old Republicans wouldnt let us. He also predicted, though, that voters will not be fooled by the attempt to provide political cover for Democrats.

Allred has seized on the political cover comment, framing it as an admission that Republicans opposed the bill to deny Democrats a political win. A TV ad recently launched by Allreds campaign attacks Cruz for opposing what was actually a good plan backed by sheriffs and border officers.

However, Cruz said he also disagreed with a provision in the bill that would have immediately granted work permits to asylum seekers while they waited to have their asylum cases decided, as long as they first passed an initial screening. Cruz said the change would have incentivized greater illegal entry.

Cruz said he continues to follow the immigration vision he has long espoused, summarized by four words: legalgood; illegalbad. It is the same slogan Cruz has used while establishing his brand as an aggressive fighter for tough border restrictions, from his opposition to the bipartisan so-called Gang of Eight bill early in his Senate term to his immigration-fueled 2016 presidential bid, where he sought to match Trumps hardline stances.

I support legal immigration, and want a pathway for hardworking, freedom-loving people to come legally into this land of opportunity, Cruz said. But right now, cartels are exploiting our open border to make billions of dollars trafficking drugs and people across the border.

Cruz outlined a handful of bills and amendments he has passed into law with support from Democrats, including a measure providing the Coast Guard with a long-range radar system at its South Padre Island station. He also authored a bill, signed into law by Biden, that directs the federal government to find better ways to detect and combat an emerging street drug called xylazine, a type of animal tranquilizer that officials have found mixed in fentanyl smuggled across the border.

I will say this: While the border issue is politically divisive, I've done everything I can to secure it and fight the drug epidemic in our country, Cruz said.

Disclosure: University of Texas at San Antonio has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune answering reader questions about 2024 elections. To share your question or feedback with us, you can fill out this form.

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer GAC Aion has today (17 July) inaugurated its first factory in Thailand.

Located at an industrial estate in Rayong province, about 180 km (112 miles) east of Bangkok, the facility has been constructed with a reported investment of Bt2.3bn ($64m).

GAC Aion says the smart factory adheres to the concept of small scale, fast output, and rolling development. Among the technologies it will make use of are big data, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and vision tools. Initially, there will be an annual production capacity of 50,000 units, which will be expanded to 100,000 in the future.

Zeng Qinghong, GAC group chairman, said: We will support Thailand's EV production and promote Thailand as an EV industry centre in Southeast Asia.

Ma Haiyang, managing director of GAC Aion Southeast Asia, commented: We are using a strategy to produce quickly in a small amount using AI, to reduce waste and minimise cost."

Thailands industry minister Pimphattra Wichaikul added: The opening of a new EV manufacturing plant strengthens Thailands potential to become a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles in this region, in line with the governments investment policy.

GAC Aion is incentivised by Thailand's electric vehicle policy. The government aims for 30% of all the cars produced in Thailand to be electric by 2030. It is part of Thailands push to become a hub of EV production in ASEAN.

GACs move into Thailand is in line with the rapid expansion of Chinese EV makers in the region. Earlier this month, BYD Motor opened an EV factory in Thailand.

Earlier this year in April, GAC Aion announced plans for a second EV factory in Indonesia.

"GAC Aion opens its first EV factory in Thailand" was originally created and published by Investment Monitor, a GlobalData owned brand.







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FILE PHOTO: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the former armorer at the movie Rust, attends her sentencing hearing at First District Court, in Santa Fe

FILE PHOTO: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the former armorer at the movie Rust, attends her sentencing hearing at First District Court, in Santa Fe

By Andrew Hay

TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - Hannah Gutierrez, the armorer imprisoned for the 2021 "Rust" shooting, on Tuesday filed a motion for her conviction to be dismissed after charges against actor Alec Baldwin were dropped on prosecutors withholding evidence linked to the 2021 fatality.

A lawyer for Gutierrez said the buried evidence of live rounds, and other information concealed from defense lawyers, were grounds for dismissal or a new trial.

Should Gutierrez be successful in her motion it would mark a complete unraveling of New Mexico's criminal prosecution of the rookie weapons handler and Baldwin for the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The motion followed the dismissal of charges against Baldwin during his trial on Friday as a judge ruled prosecutors deliberately hid the existence of live rounds handed into police that could reveal the source of the round that killed Hutchins.

The Ukrainian director of photography died when Baldwin's gun fired a live round inadvertently loaded by Gutierrez as the actor set up a camera shot in a movie-set church southwest of Santa Fe, new Mexico.

In Gutierrez's motion to dismiss, lawyer Jason Bowles said he contacted state prosecutor Kari Morrissey in January requesting that the FBI test the live rounds that were eventually handed into police on March 6, the day Gutierrez was convicted.

Bowles said Morrissey responded by saying she did not plan to retrieve the rounds or test them as they looked different to six live rounds found on the set of "Rust."

Three of the rounds handed in by Troy Teske, a friend of Gutierrez's stepfather Thell Reed, were similar to live rounds found on the "Rust" set.

Bowles listed other instances of prosecutors failing to disclose evidence to defense lawyers, including an interview with "Rust" props supplier Seth Kenney and a supplemental report on Baldwin's gun by firearms expert Lucien Haag.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer must now schedule a hearing on Gutierrez's motion to dismiss.

(Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Incredible photos show ominous clouds hovering over Massachusetts as severe weather moves through

Incredible photos show ominous clouds hovering over Massachusetts as severe weather moves through

Severe summer weather rolled through parts of New England on Tuesday evening, prompting an array of storm watches and warnings in Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings across the region as heavy rain, lightning, and damaging wind gusts wreaked havoc on some communities, leaving thousands without power. At one point, a tornado warning was issued in Hampshire County.

Many Boston 25 News viewers captured incredible images showing dark, ominous clouds in the sky as the storms rolled through.

Eric Hulette, of Gardner, shared photos and video of a menacing cloud formation of Crystal Lake.

Mary Duquette shared an image of what she described as a tornado warning at our farm in New Braintree.

Sharon McCaffrey shared images showing similar clouds over Triple Knoll Farm in Hollis, New Hampshire.

More storms are expected Wednesday in Massachusetts, moving west to east starting in the early evening.

Torrential rain and damaging gusts are expected with that late-day round of rain. Spotty showers and storms will continue overnight as a front passes slowly across the area, Boston 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear said in her latest forecast.

For more on the expected severe weather, click here.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Independence voters to decide on new sales tax that would raise pay for police officers

Voters will decide in the Aug. 6 election on a new sales tax to increase pay for Independence police officers.

If the measure passes, the additional one-fourth cent sales tax will be applied to purchases in Independence. Its expected to bring in about $5.47 million annually and would remain in effect until repealed by voters.

City officials said the tax is necessary to increase wages for police officers and stay competitive with area agencies, including the Kansas City Police Department, which recently adopted a new wage scale that hiked pay.

During a special meeting in May, Independence City Manager Zach Walker told the City Council that at the current level over 20 years, an Independence police officer would make $579,000 less than a Kansas City officer.

Entry level officers with KCPD make $65,000. Under the new proposal if voters approve the tax, Independence pay would increase to $62,000.

Officials said the boost will help recruit new officers and retain current employees.

The Independence Police Department has 230 sworn positions. Of those, 38 are vacant. The department would have to move officers away from specialized units like tactics and criminal investigations to patrol if 10 to 12 more officers left the department, Walker said.

He pointed out that there were other funding options, such as the citys $930,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money that has to be spent by the end of the year. But Walker said using that money is a one-time solution, while the sales tax is a permanent solution.

Lora McDonald, executive director of the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, or MORE2, said it was reasonable for Independences wages to be in line with KCPD. But she asked if they just keep citing each other to drive it up and is it fair to taxpayers?

McDonald also said she would rather see money being invested proactively to prevent crime rather than on reactive efforts, and voiced concern about past spending issues with that department. An officer earned $160,000 in overtime after performing construction work at the police department, a 2022 investigation found.

The city already has a one-eighth cent sales tax for police department capital improvements that is set to expire in 2028. Tax revenue from marijuana sales is dedicated to a redesign of the citys Justice Center.

The vote will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 6. You can see what else is on Missouri ballots in the 2024 KC Voter Guide.
(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi  an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly.

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India has nominated retired diplomat Vinay Kwatra as its next ambassador to the US, months before the country heads to a pivotal election, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kwatra, who retired as Indias foreign secretary earlier this month, will look to bring certainty to the India-US relationship as countries brace for a possible change in administration after Novembers US elections. An immediate priority of Kwatras will be to reach out to officials who could play an important role in India-related policy in the next administration, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.

India and the US have been growing closer for the past two decades, including under the previous Trump and current Biden administration. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former president Donald Trump shared a good rapport and held a joint rally in the US in 2019.

Kwatra, a career diplomat, has previously served in China, the US, in Modis office and as Indias envoy to France before his tenure as the top bureaucrat in the foreign ministry. The position of Indias ambassador to the US has been vacant since Taranjit Singh Sandhu completed his tenure in January.

Indias Ministry of External Affairs didnt comment when asked about the appointment. An announcement is expected soon after formalities in the US are complete, the people said.

India-US ties have strengthened under Modi, with India seeing the US as a partner in standing up to a more assertive China. At the same time, India has pursued a foreign policy much in line with its decades-old stance of not aligning too closely with any great power. India has, for example, maintained its long-standing ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, with Modi visiting Moscow earlier this month.

The US meanwhile sees India as a key bulwark in Asia to an increasingly powerful China, but the relationship has at times appeared to frustrate Washington. It has chastised India over alleged human rights violations and treatment of minorities and the relationship has been rocked by recent allegations that New Delhi tried to assassinate a US citizen for advocating a separate homeland in India for the country Sikh minority.

Despite that, the USIndia relationship has a strong business and geopolitical logic behind it but needs constant nurturing especially with any new administration, the people familiar said.

New Delhi is hoping to make rapid progress under a critical and emerging technology sharing initiative which includes the manufacturing of jet engines and semi-conductors in India.

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Indiana education officials released new statewide ILEARN results on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. The data showed slight gains in English and decreased improvement in math. (Getty Images)

New state standardized test results show stagnant progress among Hoosier students in grades 3-8, signaling a continued struggle to reverse widespread learning loss following the COVID-19 pandemic.

New ILEARN scores show 41% of Indiana students who were tested earlier this spring were at or above proficiency standards in English and language arts (ELA), according to new data released Wednesday by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Thats on par with the year prior, when 40.7% of students were proficient.

The percentage of students at or above proficiency standards in math, on the other hand, saw a slight decrease  from 40.9% in 2023 to 40.7% in the most recent school year.

If we keep on that trajectory, I'm going to be in a home before we get to any kind of acceptable results.

 State Board of Education member Scott Bess

Data released by IDOE reported 30.8% of Hoosier students passed both the math and English sections of ILEARN. Thats slightly up from last years spring test results, which showed that 30.6% earned dual passing scores.

Nearly 493,000 students sat for both exams this spring.

While many grades have seen increases in both ELA and math proficiency over the past three years, we must continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal to ensure all students have a solid academic foundation in order to maximize their future opportunities, Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a statement. A number of key tactics have been put in place to support educators, parents, families and students. It is essential that our local schools and parents/families continue to work together and stay laser-focused on improving student learning in ELA, as well as math.

Test results breakdowns

ILEARN scores continue to trail behind 2019 results, when 47.9% of Hoosiers in grades 3-8 earned passing scores on the English portion of the ILEARN, and 47.8% did so in math. That year, 37.1% of students were proficient in both sections.

But due to instruction changes spurred by COVID-19 and disruption of 2020 assessments, state officials use the 2021 ILEARN results to represent the current Indiana baseline.

When using that baseline, ELA proficiency has increased across most grade levels; third graders decreased 0.1%; fourth graders increased 2.2%; fifth graders increased 0.8%; sixth graders increased 1.2%; seventh graders increased 0.7%; and eighth graders increased 1.3%.

IDOE officials emphasized that many students who were in third grade in 2024 received instruction in either a fully or partially virtual setting during kindergarten due to the pandemic, which likely contributed to decreased student success.

The 2024 statewide ILEARN results show a slight increase in English proficiency across most grade levels compared to 2023.

The highest year-to-year increases were in grade four, up 1.5%, and grade seven, up 2.3%. Proficiency in those grades is the highest since the pandemic, according to IDOE.

Since the 2021 baseline, math proficiency has additionally increased across all grade levels.

But compared to 2023, the latest ILEARN results in math proficiency decreased across the board  except in grade seven, which had a 1% increase in 2024.

ILEARN was first implemented in 2019 to replace the ISTEP exam for students from third to eighth grade. The exam measures proficiency in various subjects starting in third grade, but the main focus is on English/language arts and mathematics. All schools test in-person and electronically, unless an accommodation requires a paper assessment.

With federal permission, the assessment was not given in 2020 due to pandemic-related school closures.

A look at certain student populations

Since 2023, Black students had the highest percentage point increase in English  1.2%  and also saw an 8% increase in math proficiency. The 2024 results show 20.9% of Black students scored proficient on the ILEARN in English, and 17% in math. About 11.7% of Black students earned passing scores on both portions of the test in 2024, according to the latest numbers.

Compared to the 2021 baseline, Black students have seen a 3.5% increase in English proficiency and a 5.4% increase in math.

Jenner called the data notable, given that its not as common to see such continued improvements. Rather, she said, education officials expect to see more ups and downs year over year.

Even so, Scott Bess, head of the Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis and member of the state education board, cautioned that more rapid improvements are needed.

While its great that our Black students have shown progress, our English language learners have shown progress, the bar was really, really low, right? Bess said. If we keep on that trajectory, Im going to be in a home before we get to any kind of acceptable results, Bess continued.

Among other student populations, proficiency in both English and math decreased slightly for Hispanic students.

Students in special education and students receiving free or reduced price meals, meanwhile, had slight gains in both English and math from 2023 to 2024.

English learners  who were identified in 2023 as needing continued targeted support in English  have since had a 0.8% increase. IDOE officials said additional targeted support is still needed in math, though, given a 0.3% decrease on that section of the ILEARN. Total English proficiency on the ILEARN among English learners this spring was recorded at 13.8%, and math proficiency at 17.6%.

Changes on the horizon

The new results come amid an ongoing undertaking to redesign the ILEARN assessment and allow an option for schools to divvy up portions of the exam across the academic year.

The assessment plan includes what state education officials call flexible checkpoints for schools to administer ILEARN preparation tests in English and math before the typical end-of-year summative tests. A dozen other states already have similar models.

The redesigned assessment will have three checkpoints and a shortened summative assessment at the end of the school year. Checkpoints will consist of 20 to 25 questions and hone in on four to six state standards. The exams are designed to be administered to students about every three months, but local schools and districts can speed up testing if they wish.

Checkpoints wont be punitive; if a student does not master a particular standard, theyll receive additional intervention and instruction before having a retest option.

So far, 72% of schools across Indiana have opted-in to participate in a pilot of ILEARN checkpoints during the upcoming 2024-25 school year, according to IDOE. The overall system will take effect during the 2025-26 school year.

Jenner and other education officials reiterated on Wednesday that the new checkpoints will provide improved, real-time student data that can be used to better target supports for students throughout the year  rather than waiting until the end of the year for results, when it may be too late for teachers to provide support.

Also upcoming are changes to the states IREAD tests, which gauges students foundational reading skills.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a separate requirement for schools to administer the statewide IREAD test in second grade  a year earlier than current requirements. Local educators must direct new, targeted support to at-risk students and those struggling to pass the literacy exam.

But if, after three tries, a third grader cant meet the IREAD standard, legislators want school districts to hold them back.

Those changes take effect in the upcoming 2024-25 school year.

Data from 2023 showed one in five Hoosier third graders were not reading proficiently. Jenner said IREAD exam results from the most recent academic year are expected to be made public next month.

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Indiana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Jim Banks speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks railed against President Joe Biden  calling him an embarrassment and the weakest president in history  during a primetime speech Tuesday at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Banks spoke as part of Senate Candidate Hour, which additionally featured remarks from GOP senate nominees in Arizona, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Nevada, Montana and Virginia.

His remarks touched on his humble upbringing but largely focused on rallying support to reelect former President Donald Trump.

Only in America could a kid like me  who was born in a trailer park, the son of a factory worker and a nursing home cook  end up here, Banks said. I have lived the American dream. And Im proud of it.

But the biggest difference today between Republicans and Democrats is that we believe America is the greatest country in the history of the world, but they dont, Banks continued. He added that  as an Afghanistan war veteran  hes never been more ashamed than he was of Bidens disastrous withdrawal from the Middle Eastern country that left 13 American heroes dead.

While focusing on Trump, Banks also reminded Americans that control of the Senate is at stake.

We need President Trump back in the White House if were going to make America great once again  again, Banks said. But ladies and gentlemen, hes going to need backup in the United States Senate. This is no time for wimpy Republicans. Thats why Im running.

If elected to the Senate, Banks said hell focus first on securing the border.

If you came here illegally under Joe Biden, youre going back to where you came from under Donald Trump, he said.

The congressman also lauded Trump for his policies that hold China accountable for taking our jobs, emphasizing that the former brought manufacturing back to Indiana and boosted wages for hard working Hoosiers.

Trump saved the American dream. But if we have Biden for four more years, that dream wont be there for my three daughters, Banks said. So, we are going to take our country back for them, for your children, for your grandchildren, for every American.

Banks was the only Hoosier to get a prime spot, though former GOP Chair Anne Hathaway is playing a significant role as one of Indianas two Republican National Committeemen.

The congressman is currently seeking Indianas open U.S. Senate seat. He easily secured the Republican nomination in May. He was ultimately unopposed on the primary ballot after Seymour egg farmer John Rust was removed.

A GOP favorite, Banks earned an endorsement from Trump in early 2023, the former presidents first of the cycle.

Banks will face Democrat Dr. Valerie McCray, a clinical psychologist, as well as Libertarian Andrew Horning in the November general election.

McCray said Banks focused on Trump instead of Hoosiers in his speech.

I am concerned that the Republican Party continues to instigate fear-based politics, using undocumented immigrants as political pawns. If we deported every undocumented immigrant today, as Banks wants to do, our economy and businesses would suffer, she said in a statement. Hoosiers deserve a voice in the United States Senate who will work to make meaningful change. As your Senator, I will go to work on the issues Hoosiers care about: growing and protecting union jobs, restoring Roe v. Wade, and keeping the record job-growth going.

The Senate seat is being vacated by Republican Mike Braun, who secured the GOP nomination in Indianas gubernatorial race and will now face Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater in November.

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If elected, Banks will be one of the youngest lawmakers in the U.S. Senate.

Republican lawmakers, delegates and other party figures are gathering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin  just days after an assassination attempt against Trump, the GOP figurehead. The party officially named Trump the GOP nominee on Monday, along with his vice presidential running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

The convention has historically provided leading party figures and up-and-coming GOP lawmakers valuable airtime to speak about the partys platform.

A number of other celebrity guest speakers  including model Amber Rose, as well as Sean OBrien, leader of the Teamsters union, who both spoke Monday  are also on the agenda.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley were also scheduled to speak Tuesday night. Both Republicans challenged Trump for the party nomination before bowing out of the race when they failed to secure primary wins.

Trump appeared at the RNC arena Monday evening but will not formally address delegates until Thursday, the last day of the convention.

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With tourism continuing to hit record highs, Indianapolis residents have become increasingly concerned over the prominence of short-term rentals and the noise and chaos they can bring to neighborhoods. Now, the city wants to intervene.

A proposal to create a short-term rental registry and permit process will make its way to the City-County Council after clearing a vote earlier this week in the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee.

Short-term rentals are defined as private residences that can be booked for fewer than 30 days at a time. Rentals often consist of entire homes or apartments but can also be an individual room or floor of a larger residence occupied by a host.

Under the ordinance, short-term rental hosts who advertise their units on sites like Airbnb or VRBO would have to pay a one-time $150 fee to register the property and acquire a permit. Property owners with multiple rental units in one building would have to register each unit individually.

Under state statute, the city would be able to revoke a permit after three violations to the ordinance. If a property owner's permit were to be revoked, they would be allowed to reapply the following year.

"It's not about taking rights away," said Councilor Kristin Jones, sponsor of the proposal whose district includes parts of the near south and west sides of the city. "Many, many of these Airbnbs are owned by out of state, non-existent landlords who don't respond, and this is simply about providing a registry and a permitting process."

In 2023, which has many rentals of visitors in town for the Indianapolis 500 and other races, created a similar registry with a $150 permit fee. That registry largely influenced Indianapolis' proposal.

More than a dozen people spoke to the committee on Monday, ranging from concerned neighbors who have witnessed violent crime at nearby rentals to local hosts who earn a steady income from renting their properties.

Two years ago, in response to increased concern about violence at rentals, neighbors in Fountain Square launched the Coalition to Address Short-Term Rentals (CASTR). One of the coalition's first steps involved creating an online form for residents to report disorderly conduct at properties across Marion County, said Dakota Pawlicki, a coalition cofounder.

Over the span of 18 months, the coalition received 137 reports from residents regarding concerns over partying, safety and parking. Just 26 rental properties comprised 70% of the complaints, Pawlicki said Monday.

"The data confirmed that we had a problem and confirmed another hunch we had which is while there are many responsible local owners and operators of short-term rentals, the majority of these problems are actually coming from a handful of bad actors," said Pawlicki, who also serves as president of the Fountain Square Neighborhood Association.

Several local rental hosts expressed support for the proposal while asking for further clarification to protect their income. Matt Swickheimer, an Indianapolis-based flight attendant who lives in the old Southside neighborhood, said he rents out his primary residence while he is traveling and collects a third of his income from short-term renters.

"Protecting me as a homeowner and protecting my investment in my neighborhood is important to me, but I totally propose that this proposal should be voted for and I'm in favor of it because of the bad players that have been involved," Swickheimer said.

Record demand: Taylor Swift's Indianapolis Eras Tour shows drive record hotel, short-term rental demand

Demand for Airbnbs in Indiana

The proposal will appear before the council during one of the citys busiest years for tourism, as single one-off events have created huge surges for short-term residences and hotel rooms. Taylor Swifts long-awaited stop in November resulted in a 7,000% increase in nearby rental searches.

Airbnb, the world's largest short-term rental booking site, says that large parties at its sites are "rare," with 0.035% of reservations globally resulting in a report of a party in 2023. According to a company report, Airbnb enforces technology and restrictions to deter "disruptive parties" on holiday weekends like Memorial Day Weekend and Fourth of July.

Attempts in 2017 by Carmel officials to ban short-term rentals sparked fierce debate in the General Assembly. Legislators ultimately passed a bill banning cities from prohibiting short-term rentals.

'These animals matter': Indy law aims to end backyard breeding, create pet registry

The Indianapolis proposal passed the city committee 11-1 and will go before the full council for a vote next month. If passed, a registry would be created at the beginning of 2025.

Alysa Guffey covers growth and development for the Indianapolis Star. Know a business opening or closing? Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy ordinance to create registry, require permits for Airbnb rentals
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Hormoz Mansouri, the indicted political donor who once hired by the City of Buffalo has rejected a plea deal in the federal case against him.

According to federal prosecutors, Mansouri was offered a plea deal of 33-41 months of incarceration. Mansouri, while in federal court Wednesday with his attorneys, said he rejected that offer. Under the proposed terms of the deal, Mansouri would agree to plea guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.

The fraud case against Mansouri will now head to trial in September. Prosecutors say Mansouri, if found guilty, could receive between 98 and 121 months of prison time.

Three years ago, Mansouri was charged by the feds with wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and money laundering. Hes accused of lying on loan applications, inflating payroll expenses to get more than $3.5 million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds and routinely transferring money back and forth through numerous bank accounts, to conceal the alleged scheme. Prosecutors say Mansouri brazenly paid more than half a million dollars to a casino using COVID funds. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, the case against Mansouri resulted in the seizure of nearly $2 million.

Town of Tonawanda backing out of deal with indicted political donor

But still, after a selection process, Mansouri and his firm were hired by the city last summer to be the consultant on the redevelopment of Shoshone and Trinidad parks. Once WIVB started asking questions about the hire, Mansouri and his company resigned from the park projects.

Theres no question that it is embarrassing, but again as I mentioned, the selection committee looked at the federal list of companies that are debarred, companies that are not allowed to bid on federal contracts and this company did not appear on that list, said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

Instead, during the selection process, the EI Team, with Mansouri as its president pitched itself as a company with an exceptional track record.

Public documents show Department of Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton signing off on both the Notice to Proceed and the contract with Mansouri. Documents on the citys scoring criteria for consultants, show the citys principal engineer Steve Buccilli and Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Recreation Andy Rabb giving glowing scores to the EI Team on the Shoshone and Trinidad park projects. Emails WIVB has received showing discussions between city officials and the EI Team make no mention of any legal issues Mansouri or his companies are facing.

We did not have that information in front of us and kind of readily, readily available so we moved forward with the evaluation of the EI Team based on what we had in front of us, Marton said.

Shoshone Park is in the University District, which city council member Rasheed Wyatt represents.

People who heard the story they were just kind of shocked and I was shocked, Wyatt said.

Since Mansouris resignation, the city has been in search of two new consultants. Even with no lead consultant, Wyatt said the redevelopment of Shoshone Park remains on track.

A lot of the heavy lifting was done already, Wyatt said. That was the good news, there are still some other pieces that need to be worked on, but for the most part its still moving forward.

Who signed off on Buffalo hiring a local political donor accused of federal crimes?

The City of Buffalo has hired two new companies to replace the EI Team on the park projects, nearly four months since their resignation. GPI will work on the Trinidad Park project, while Wendel Engineering will work on the project for Shoshone Park.

We know that its not gone as smoothly as we had liked, Wyatt said. So again, I hope that were not going to have any more issues going forward.

The citys Department of Public Works said construction on both park projects is expected next year.

In terms of reforms moving forward, the citys Department of Public Works said it plans on adding a questionnaire for consultants in the citys bidding process. According to campaign finance records, Mansouri and LLCs named in the federal indictment have given Brown about $10,000 over the years. However, Brown said in March this has nothing to do with the contract Mansouri received.

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INDIANAPOLIS  Sketchy sales tactics and false prices  a string of four auto shops under the name of "Honest Abe Auto Sales" will be forced to pay back almost half a million dollars to duped customers, according to a news release by Attorney General Todd Rokita.

The auto stores, operated by Sycamore Companies, were accused of bait-and-switch sales tactics, falsely advertised prices and preying on Hoosiers with poor credit scores.

Bait-and-switch sales tactics are scams used to mislead buyers by advertising an ideal product to a customer, but instead offering a lesser alternative. The press release said the stores advertised specific prices on vehicles but increased the prices by thousands of dollars when consumers with poor credit scores tried to buy the vehicles. The stores also did not disclose the price increase as a cost of credit.

Over 250 consumers were damaged by the stores' tactics. Honest Abe Auto Sales settled with the attorney general's office and agreed to pay back customers a total of $470,646.

We wont tolerate businesses breaking the law and duping Hoosiers into paying higher prices than advertised, Attorney General Rokita said. Regardless of their credit scores, consumers should never encounter bait-and-switch tactics in which prices change the second customers arrive in person.

The four stores are located at the following addresses: 4401 N. Keystone Ave., 5520 W. Washington St., 3201 W. 16th St. and 5422 Madison Ave.

IndyStar reached out to Sycamore Companies and individual stores, but did not receive a comment by time of publication.

The fact they call themselves Honest Abe just makes the facts of this case especially rich," Rokita said.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis auto dealership was scamming customers. AG stepped in.
Among vice presidents, J.D. Vance would be the least plausible future president since Spiro Agnew in 1969. Thats the optimistic take. The pessimistic take is that he is the least plausible future president since Richard Nixon in 1953.

Whatever one makes of Vance as a potential future president, he is nonpareil as a candidate for the vice presidency. He has no legislative record to speak of, andif we can set aside the fact that he once very publicly held the view that Donald Trump is an amoral lunatic utterly unfit for officehis rhetorical record isnt much trouble, either. Not that he hasnt said a lot of outrageous and stupid things. Vance is a Putinist social-media troll who described entitlement reform as a plot to throw our grandparents into poverty  so that one of Zelenskys ministers can buy a bigger yacht. But nobody takes anything he says seriouslyhe is so transparently a man who will say whatever his betters require him to say to get what he wants from them. Telling people with money and power what they want to hear is the only consistent throughline in his career, from Hillbilly Elegy to the present day. Once an appendage of Peter Thiels, now he is an appendage of Donald Trumps after a long and bitter apprenticeship of sycophancy.

In the short term, Vance probably will not be much help to the Trump campaign. He may help to motivate a few disaffected young men to climb up out of Elon Musks digital sewer for 20 minutes and actually cast a vote, but the Trumpist base he is meant to excite is already excited, especially after the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania. Vances native Ohio is already a reasonably reliable Trump state, and the idea that Vance will help the campaign connect better with Rust Belt and Midwestern voters is nonsense: Vance is an Ivy League lawyer and Silicon Valley money-monkey whose literary success came from writing about poor white Appalachians rather than writing to them or for them. Hillbilly Elegy was written for the class of social and economic benefactors who helped Vance along in life, not for the plebs for whom Vance has been appointed tribune without anybody having asked them. When Vance did ask, in his Senate campaign, he ran 10 points behind gubernatorial candidate Mike DeWine, the picture of an establishment Republican.

It is tempting to believe that Trump chose Vance because the former president is confident about his prospects in November and wants Vance to lead his legacy project, putting a cap and a seal on the old-school Republican Party and announcing that Republican welfare chauvinismwhich is to say, national socialism (and those are the right words, though I do not mean to indicate Nazism) as practiced in the United Stateswill be the only possible mode of Republican politics going forward. But that assumes many things that are not obviously true: that Trump has a long-term plan; that Trump is interested in political ideas; that the dynastically minded quasi-royalist Trump prefers Vance as the face of the Republican future rather than one of his own children, etc.

Theres a more likely explanation: Trump likes Vance well enough to endure his company during the campaign (and maybe a bit of it afterward, if victorious); he regards Vance as an obvious yes-man and sycophant (which Vance obviously is, and sycophancy and moral plasticity are the stuff out of which great vice presidents are made); he accurately regards Vance as disposable. Ohio voters will probably elect another right-wing populist knucklehead without too much fuss. And, if Vance proves unsatisfactory in some way, there are scores of easy replacements out there, from Tucker Carlson to Marco Rubio to Alex Joneswhatever sort of man necessity requires.

Using Vance to transform the Republican Party would be a fools errand in that the party already has been transformed. If William F. Buckley Jr. were to offer his services to todays GOP, Republican leaders would dismiss him as a harpsichord-playing elitist and replace him with some suburban dork who pretends to be a cowboy. Ten years ago, I might have written that Ronald Reagans record on abortion would be disqualifying in todays Republican Party, butno more!

Donald Trump, we can safely assume, does not spend his evenings reading the works of Immanuel Kant. He is a man for whom people are means, not ends, and Vance is a means toward small and relatively unimportant ends.

It is the job of a vice president to be unimportant. Kamala Harris great failure is that she mattersshe isnt good at anything, but Democrats believe that they cannot pass over her for a better candidate without looking like racists and sexists and people who are insufficiently respectful of the first black South Asian woman from an immigrant family to serve in John Nance Garners bucket of warm piss. Vance has every indicator that he is capable of being a man who profoundly doesnt matter. It is a kind of skill.

Vance is whomever Trump needs him to bethe perfect would-be vice president, a quite green second banana. Vance can be anybody the day calls for.

Which is to say: He is nobody.

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We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) stands against the other aerospace and defense stocks.

The world has been rocked with conflict over the last few years. The war between Russia and Ukraine has gone beyond 860 days, with no immediate end in sight. Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to engage in a regular exchange of fire after the latter lost control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azeris in 2020. The Middle East is up in flames, with defense experts describing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as the worst crisis in the region since the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

While the human impacts of war are undeniably tragic, it is also a time when defense companies make money and lure investors into loading up on their stocks. According to a report on CNN earlier this year, defense companies in the United States and Europe have thrived since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetalls share price had surged by a staggering 315% in two years following the start of the conflict, while BAE Systems posted a 105% gain. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in their share prices by 18% and 10%, respectively.

When the war broke out, industry analysts expected the aerospace sector to be affected by western sanctions placed on Russia. According to KPMG, the country is the source of 30% of the titanium used by Boeing and other large engine producers that power fighter jets and commercial aviation. Titanium is a key material that goes into the development of jet fan blades and landing gears. However, the supply of titanium from Russia to these companies has largely remained unaffected despite sanctions.

While sharing his insights on commercial aviation at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago on June 26, Tony Bancroft from Gabelli Funds said that he had noticed a significant growth in aircraft orders lately, with both Airbus and Boeing having a 12-year backlog of orders. He believes there are three reasons driving it. The first catalyst, according to him, is China which accounts for 20% of the growth in orders to cater to the growing middle class in both China and India who want to travel more. Another critical factor he cited during his talk was that business travel has finally returned to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Lastly, Tony highlighted the the rising middle class in the United States, and the world, which is increasing air travel and contributing to the economic growth in the industry.

Story continues

Furthermore, Bancroft identified Textron as his hot stock pick in the aerospace and defense industry. He believes the stock is undervalued at its current share price of $85, and anticipates its value to hover around the $125 range in the future. Last year in March, the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.3 billion contract to the company to develop helicopters to replace the aging Blackhawk fleet.

Another top stock that hedge funds are talking about is Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty alloys that holds a market share of roughly 40% in the aerospace industry. It was among the top picks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York back in April. Mohammed Anjarwala, the managing director of Advent Global Opportunities, shared the following remarks about the company during the conference:

We think Carpenter is one of the best ways to play the growing backlog of planes at Boeing and Airbus, as they ramp up their billing rates.

At the time of the conference, the stock was trading at around $70 per share. Anjarwala forecasted that the value could go up to around $200 per share or 20 times forward P/E. It is currently valued at $107 per share.

Methodology

Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds was assessed, as of the first quarter of 2024. We have chosen the 10 best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now based on the hedge fund sentiment towards each stock. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An aircraft maintenance team in a hanger working on a modern business jet.

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world and is renowned for being the manufacturer of the Virginia class of submarines operated by the US Navy. It is also the primary contractor of the Columbia-class project. There are ten business units in the company operating under the segments of aerospace, marine systems, combat systems, and technologies. It is one of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now, with 54 hedge funds bullish about the company's prospects, according to Insider Monkey's database as of Q1 2024.

During the first quarter of the year, the company reported an EPS of $2.88, which was 9.5% higher YoY, but seven cents lower than analysts' expectation. Revenues and operating earnings were 8.6% and 10.4% higher compared to last year, driven by sustained demand for fleet replenishment, Abram tanks, and other combat systems. The overall results, while robust, fell slightly short of the companys forecasts. The reason behind this was that the forecasted delivery of 15-17 G700s did not take place during the quarter because the company received the FAA certification towards the very end of the quarter.

The good news, though, is the certification is here, and the deliveries have started. The company plans to deliver 50-52 of these planes over the quarters ahead, with improving margins as time progresses, implying that overall costs will be slightly higher during Q2, before easing out in the second half of the year. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)'s figures for the combat systems also continue to increase due to a sustained demand for tanks from European countries. The business division has received orders worth more than $1 billion since Q1 2023 from the United States and its allies, primarily in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Revenues contributed by the company's marine systems also grew 11.3% YoY, predominantly owed to the Columbia-class construction.

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)'s share price has increased 33% over the past year due to the reasons stated above that drive demand for the company's products. There is consensus among analysts on the stock's buy rating, with an average share price target of $307, an upside of 8%.

Overall GD ranks 3rd on our list of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now to see the other aerospace and defense stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of GD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than GD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
A bolstered far right entered the European Parliament on Tuesday, demanding more influence, as the 720-member EU legislature convened for the first time since elections in June.

A shift to the right in the European Union characterized the election result as well as the striking reorganization of two new far-right groups in the parliament in the aftermath.

The Patriots for Europe (PfE)  created by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban  is the first group.

With 84 EU lawmakers (MEPs) from 12 countries  led by French National Rally (RN) chief Jordan Bardella  the PfE group is now the third-largest force in the European Parliament.

The second group is the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN)  a smaller camp that includes the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Frances Reconquete.

The ESN group  created by the far-right AfD  brings together 25 MEPs from eight countries.

The two groups however are viewed as politically radioactive.

And, while the far right made significant gains in the June elections, the centrist coalition made up of the conservative European Peoples Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the liberal Renew Europe is still the largest with each group holding 188, 136 and 77 seats respectively.

Red lines around the Patriots for Europe

This same centrist coalition (EPP, S&D and Renew) has also drawn a red line around cooperation with the far-right PfE and ESN groups.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen  who faces a parliament vote for a second term on Thursday  said there will be no dialogue with them.

EPP leader Manfred Weber said that whoever is against the EU cannot represent it.

A spokesman for the PfE, Alonso de Mendoza, argued that a cordon sanitaire  a strategy employed by mainstream political parties to block the far-right  was undemocratic.

Austrian EU legislators think little of the new PfE group and their perceived closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reinhold Lopatka, the leader of the Austrian Peoples Party (OVP) in the parliament, called them the accomplices of the warmonger Putin in Europe and expects little productive work from them.

The self-proclaimed patriots for Europe are not interested in the further development of the EU, but solely in its weakening, said Lopatka.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on X that the PfE group is knowingly or unknowingly serving Russias interests and thus threatening the security and freedom of Europe.

Far right remains splintered

The PfE has brought together Hungary's Fidesz, the French RN, Italys Lega, Spains Vox, the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), the Danish Peoples Party, the Portuguese Chega and Belgium's Vlaams Belang.

It also includes EU legislators from the Czech Republic (Oath and Motorists), Latvia (Latvia First) and Greece (Voice of Reason), as well as a satellite party of the Hungarian Fidesz called KDNP.

But in the EU legislature, the far right remains fragmented  with far-right and Eurosceptic parties separated between the ESN, PfE and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

Previously, the biggest Eurosceptic faction was the ECR, dominated by the far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has toned down her previous euroscepticism in power and by extension softened the ECR in view of the EPP.

This split can be seen in Belgium, for example, where the far-right anti-immigration and nationalist party Vlaams Belang joined the PfE group. The party won the most Belgian votes in the European elections and secured three seats in the European Parliament.

But Belgium also held federal elections simultaneously, in which the nationalist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) won the most votes. In the European Parliament, N-VA decided it would remain in the ECR group.

In Poland, the far-right Konfederacja alliance split in two: three of the countrys six elected MEPs have joined the ESN group, while two others are negotiating to join Viktor Orbans PfE.

Divisive von derLeyen vote awaits

The EU legislature re-elected the EPP's Roberta Metsola for another two-and-a-half-year term as European Parliament president on Tuesday.

Metsola received around 90% of the vote, the biggest majority for a president since direct elections to the parliament began in 1979, with 562 votes in her favour.

The scale of her victory demonstrates Metsola's appeal across the different parliament groups, who voted in a secret ballot, including the eurosceptic ECR.

However, a more divisive and difficult election follows on Thursday, when EU lawmakers vote on a second five-year term for the EPP's Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president.

Since EU leaders struck a hard-fought deal on her candidacy in late June, von der Leyen has been scrambling to win over lawmakers in the main political groups.

The shifting right-wing alliances however add an element of uncertainty with von der Leyen previously courting support from the ECR and Meloni's Brothers of Italy during the elections in June.

In response, the S&D, liberal Renew Europe, and the Greens sternly warned von der Leyen against seeking their cooperation.

To secure the mandate, von der Leyen needs at least 361 votes in the 720-seat chamber. It could be a close result  in 2019, she secured the post by only nine votes.

The content of this article is based on reporting by AFP, ANSA, APA, Belga, CTK, dpa, EFE, Lusa, PAP, STA, Tanjug, and TASR as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project.
The sound of rivet guns pounding fasteners into place, a robot drilling thousands of holes in metal, cranes heaving pieces of yellow primer-painted fuselage into assembly jigs. The Lockheed Martin production facility in Greenville, South Carolina, is a hive of activity. Here, brand new F-16 fighter aircraft are being built on an assembly line that the manufacturer thought might never exist.

Seven years after the last F-16 Fighting Falcon was delivered from Lockheed Martins historic Fort Worth production facility, a new manufacturing line for the aircraft is now delivering brand new jets and reacting to meet unexpected resurgent demand for the latest generation of the prolific fighter.

The plant at Donaldson Airport, Greenville, is now the center of Lockheed Martins F-16 production effort. Here, the company is building brand new Block 70/72 variants of the fighter thats known unofficially as the Viper for new and returning F-16 customers, including Bahrain, Bulgaria, Jordan, Slovakia, and Taiwan.

An F-16D in production at Lockheed Martins Greenville facility. Lockheed Martin

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the maiden flight of the F-16, which occurred on January 20, 1974. The very first YF-16 was rolled out at Fort Worth on December 13, 1973, and by November 2017 the last of 36 Block 52 F-16s for the Iraqi Air Force was delivered, heralding the end of almost 44 years of F-16 manufacturing at the Texas plant. During that time, some 3,620 F-16s were built in Fort Worth, initially by General Dynamics and then by Lockheed when it acquired General Dynamics Fort Worth Convair division in 1993.

The sprawling Texas production line pumped out an incredible 286 F-16s in 1987 at the height of production for the Viper. In addition, F-16s were built under license by the European partner nations that ordered the F-16A/B in large numbers in the 1970s and 1980s, with other examples assembled in South Korea and in Turkiye.

A total of 4,588 F-16s were manufactured globally before F-16 production was moved to Greenville in 2019. Fort Worth is now dedicated to F-35 Lightning II production and final assembly work, with the Greenville site having been repurposed from being a C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion overhaul support facility to being the new home of the companys F-16 program.

An F-16C Block 70 is prepared for delivery. Lockheed Martin JMS

We now conduct both F-16 production and the depot level maintenance of some CONUS [Continental U.S.] based U.S. Air Force F-16s here. We also have our program management operations all out of the same site, says Caleb Hendrick, Lockheed Martins F-16 production director at Greenville. The facility, located on land that is owned by SC Tech Aviation Center, is marking 40 years as a Lockheed/Lockheed Martin facility this year.

The F-35 work at Fort Worth was expanding in terms of the footprint and logistics. We just didnt have the room or capacity to continue F-16 production there as well, explains Hendrick. So we decided to complete the final F-16s that were on contract at Fort Worth in 2017, and that was a demarcation line for the company. Lockheed Martin looked at options for continued F-16 production.

Instead of petering out, new F-16 orders continued to roll in. As soon as the orders started to mount up we made the move to bring the F-16 production line here, explains Hendrick. Brand new Block 70/72 model F-16C/Ds would be built in the appropriately named hangar H16 at Greenville, which was previously used for C-130 maintenance.

In 2017, Greenville started the process of preparing for F-16 manufacturing. The aircrafts production jigs and tooling were trucked from Fort Worth to Greenville in 2018, and the initial production work on the new F-16 line commenced in 2019 when the inaugural hole was drilled for a center fuselage of the first new Royal Bahraini Air Force F-16.

An F-16D Block 70 for the Royal Bahraini Air Force at Lockheed Martin Greenville site. Lockheed Martin Hand-out

Then the international demand for the F-16 blew up again! Ive worked on many programs including F-22 Raptor, C-130 Hercules, and F-35, and I can tell you that Ive never seen the focus as intense as it is right this minute with the F-16. For a program that we thought might go into the sunset, now we are ramping up to build four F-16s per month at our new full production rate.

The mounting F-16 order book is impressive, with 140 fighters currently on contract. This comprises Bahrain (16 aircraft), Bulgaria (eight), Jordan (12), Slovakia (14), and Taiwan (66). With 11 of these delivered as of June 2024 (six for Bahrain and five for Slovakia), Lockheed had a backlog of 129 jets, including 24 that are being built for an undisclosed customer. Bulgaria has signed a Letter Of Authorization for an additional eight jets for its fleet.

We are now at a total of 4,599 F-16s delivered throughout the life of the program [as of June 2024], says Hendrick. We see potential for 300 F-16 sales in addition to our current backlog of 131, based on international interest in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Those 300 potential orders include Turkiye, which has a deal in progress for an undisclosed number of F-16s, which you can read more about here.

Block 70/72  the ultimate Viper?

The Block 70/72 variant of the F-16 builds on years of incremental development work, facilitated by Lockheed Martins multitude of customers. This has resulted in a highly capable, and now extremely affordable fighter, thats being offered to international customers through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

The Block 70/72 variant of the F-16C/D being built in Greenville incorporates a host of features from the upgrade variant known as the F-16V, which is underway within four countries as an enhancement package for existing aircraft. The Block 70/72 and Viper or V upgrades represent new blocks/new capabilities for the F-16. The C/D designation is simply the well-known, ongoing standard designation for whether a jet is a one-seater or a two-seater, Lockheed Martin states.

A Slovak Air Force F-16D Block 70. Lockheed Martin

At the heart of the F-16Vs updated avionics suite is the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which features an active electronically scanned array (AESA). This provides the jet with much-improved detection and engagement ranges, fidelity, major increase in ability to spot low-flying small signature targets like cruise missiles, and electronic countermeasure resistance. Its also far more reliable, without any components needed to physically move the sensor array around.

The F-16V also features a new Center Pedestal Display (CPD) in the cockpit. The large multi-function display augments the two 44-inch displays on each side of the Head Up Display control interface, and it offers greater space to display much more detailed information.

The Block 70/72 draws heavily on the F-16V, but as a new-build airframe that offers a service life thats been increased from 8,000 to 12,000-hours. Some 70 percent of the airframe has been modified compared to the early F-16A/Bs, building on years of historic technical data and learning from structural enhancement programs such as Falcon STAR and Falcon UP, which reinforced certain critical areas of the F-16s airframe that were susceptible to fatigue. The new build F-16s also come with the choice of engine  the Block 70 has the General Electric F110-GE-129 that offers 29,000 pounds of thrust and the Block 72 has the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 with 29,160 pounds of thrust.

The modern Block 70/72 F-16 has taken all the learning across the entire evolution of the Viper, right back to the very first A-models, says Lockheed Martin F-16 test pilot Chris Sasquach Nations. Weve improved upon it to the point that now we have solved many of those early issues and created a near flawless, highly capable aircraft that is driven towards producing the results that its customers require.

Lockheed Martin F-16 test pilot Chris Nations. Lockheed Martin Jana Somero

Inside the cockpit, there are significant improvements. The biggest one that youll notice is the CPD that gives the pilot an additional 68-inch screen. The avionics now allow me to pick and choose whatever display I want to use for what purpose. I can repeat displays across two different sensors, I can centralize maybe a map on the CPD because its a bigger, wider, area of real estate that allows me to really look into that map.

Or if I have a targeting pod, I have the ability to transition where that image is being displayed. You can place whatever system you want on whichever display, and that capability for the pilot is game-changing. Youre not locked into one item in one spot, you can really centralize whatever works for you and then capitalize on it so that you are the highest performing individual in that jet.

Neatly pairing the cockpit displays with the aircrafts sensors is a critical factor in maximizing the pilots ability to effectively conduct a mission. Theres a common misperception between sensor fusion and sensor correlation, Nations says. What were working with in the F-16 is the highest levels of correlation. We are taking all those sensors and placing them into a system that allows the pilot to make the optimal solution based on the information presented.

Additionally, the new avionics in the Block 70/72 allow simultaneous operation of those systems from the front seat and the back seat of the two seat F-16D, whereas legacy F-16s gave the back seater a simple repeater of the other cockpits information. Now, both individuals in the plane can simultaneously interact with it in a way thats never happened before.

The cockpit layout of the F-16 Block 70/72. Lockheed Martin

One of the key capabilities of the Block 70/72 is the automatic ground collision avoidance system [Auto-GCAS]. Were talking about a system inherent to the plane that saves pilots when they cant save themselves. Having done this for many, many years, unfortunately, I have lost friends who have flown into the ground. I wish wed had Auto-GCAS earlier. Ive been working on it personally for over a decade, improving the algorithms and making sure that the jet provides the optimal solution while not interfering with the pilots normal operational missions.

Auto-GCAS is designed to take control and safely recover the aircraft if the pilot becomes incapacitated, usually by pulling too many g-forces, which can lead to them becoming unconscious or severely disoriented due to a lack of blood flow to the brain. Its a real threat, something that we train to prevent, but its still something thats always present in the background, explains Nations. The GCAS system will recognize the fact that this individual is not responding and is not trying to save the aircraft.

An F-16C is prepared to move to Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO). Lockheed Martin JMS

Once it recognizes that ground collision is imminent, if it doesnt sense any pilot input it takes over the controls and provides an optimal solution to angle the jet back up into the sky, which gives the individual time to recover and subsequently resume their own control of the flight. The GCAS capability of this plane is an improvement upon all the other GCAS systems that have gone before it, and were constantly iterating and improving it to make sure the system is as safe as possible.

Production begins in Greenville

The first F-16 to enter production at Greenville was a two-seat F-16 Block 70, D-model for Bahrain. It took three and a half years to build from that first hole being drilled to its first flight on January 24, 2023. That manufacturing process has now been whittled down to 11-12 months, according to Hendrick. We are making modifications to our facilities here and building new infrastructure that will make sure we can ramp up, Hendrick explains. We have a new Material Flow Center thats designed to maximize getting the parts, tools, everything that we need here, faster.

When the site started production in 2019, we had approximately 25 technicians on the floor. As weve been ramping, we have grown our touch labor in Hangar 16 to nearly 700 across all shifts. Having stood up our production here with the help of that core knowledge and experience from Fort Worth, we are now beginning to stand on our own here in Greenville.

The F-16 production line in Hangar H16 comprises four main stages. The build process begins with the center fuselage section, which is built by Lockheed Martin and by co-producers Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI) in Greece. The increased production rate will soon see PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary in Poland, also manufacturing center fuselages. The F-16 program includes 470 active suppliers, 28 internationally in 12 nations, and the major components are produced in eight countries.

At full rate production, two center fuselages will be built by Lockheed Martin, and two will be built by co-producers each month and shipped to Greenville. Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) also manufactures some parts for the center fuselage. Our co-producers are critical to the program as we expand production rate, and weve really stabilized the program, and with our co-producers we have a well set schedule now, says Caleb Hendrick.

An F-16D in the final phase of assembly. Lockheed Martin JMS

The aft fuselage is currently manufactured solely by HAI, but that capacity will also be increased soon through the addition of PZL Mielec manufacturing. Hendrick says that the Greenville plant doesnt currently have the footprint to undertake aft fuselage production on-site. The forward fuselages include the cockpit section and these are exclusively manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Greenville due to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Once complete, the three major sections are moved to one of four mating stations, where they are carefully cranked into place and joined as one complete fuselage. This procedure will take approximately one month to complete at full-rate production. The mating process requires a lot of manual shimming, which Hendrick describes as using aluminum pieces used to fill tolerance gaps that are then buried and sealed into the mated structure. These tolerances vary, and they are currently manually measured and scribed by engineers. We are moving towards predicted shimming, using 3D scanning technology and digital modeling, Hendrick said.

The vertical stabilizer, which is made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and structures for the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) are also added at this stage. All Block 70/72 F-16s are piped for CFTs regardless of whether the customer procures these features that add an extra 3,000 pounds of fuel to the F-16s capacity. The Block 70/72 also comes with the drag chute as standard. The two-seat F-16D Block 70/72 is built with the big spine as standard, which is used to house various mission systems and avionics that are displaced by the second cockpit.

The final phase of the build process in H16 is known as Integration and Assembly. Again, it has four stations, and here the month-long process adds the undercarriage and the final wiring to the airframe. Once complete, the aircraft is moved on its own wheels to initial painting, which adds a coat of primer. Following this, the aircraft moves to Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO), where the wings, horizontal stabilizers and engine are added, before one more visit to the paint barn where the final color scheme is added.

An F-16D is towed from Final Assembly and Check Out. Lockheed Martin JMS

Manufacturing the new Block 70/72 F-16 still relies heavily on aluminium, with very few composite structures. Greenville has already introduced 15 new production techniques for the F-16, including one thats taken directly from the F-35 program. A new automatic robot is now used to drill, ream, and countersync some 2,800 holes in the center fuselage to prepare it for application of the outer skin surface. It makes for a process thats faster, more accurate and cheaper. The program is also now using augmented reality in the process of the installation of wiring harnesses, to help engineers route cabling inside the aircrafts structure.

Since 2017, we have continued to implement new 1LMX technologies into Block 70/72 production to maximize efficiency. For example, the Virtual Program Assistant is an infrastructure hub for program management, program reporting and program analytics, enabling improved and predictable program performance. Were also implementing augmented reality to do functional checks and troubleshooting, Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

Into flight-testing

Once completed, the factory-fresh and newly painted F-16 is required to complete a rigorous series of production acceptance tests prior to being delivered to the customer. The journey to the flightline is one that has been well thought-through, says pilot Chris Nations. The individuals behind the scenes are constantly checking everything you could possibly imagine to make sure that [the jet] is coming out in pristine quality. So when I leave the ground for the very first time I am content, Im happy and I feel secure.

The maintainers complete all their ground checks before I ever see the jet. Once on the flightline we follow that up with avionics and power-on checks, making sure that all the systems are operating and that we have a fully functioning avionics setup. Im there as an additional set of eyes to look over the aircraft one more time and I do a full walk-around, making sure everything looks pristine from the outside.

A Bahraini F-16D Block 70 gets airborne for its first flight. Lockheed Martin Hand-out

Then I hop inside the jet, turn on all the systems and the avionics to make sure they are still operating as expected. After that, we go through all the emergency processes. We make sure that the emergency power unit operates, make sure the jet fuel starter is doing exactly what its supposed to. We do full confidence checks in every single system. We even go so far as doing high-speed taxi tests the first time we take the jet onto the runway. We do a run-up, get up to speed, making sure that the flight controls are operating with the proper amount of airflow going over them and then I bring it to a stop ensuring the brakes work, and bring the jet back in. Thats 34 separate different checks right there. All before we ever take off on the first flight.

The first flight is again a system integrity check, looking through all the engine systems, all the in-flight possibilities. Once were confident in the full life-support capability, the flight controls, the power units, then we bring it back down before another flight. This time were checking out all the avionics, making sure the radar is working exactly how its supposed to, making sure everything is integrating the way it was designed. One of the main checks we do in that second sortie is ensuring that the GCAS is operating. We obviously put a couple of buffers in there because we dont want to point ourselves at the ground, but weve managed to prove out the system so that when the customer receives that plane, they know its going to be there in the background to save their lives.

As part of the pre-delivery testing, all new production F-16 Block 70/72s will conduct flight tests that include supersonic flying. The airspace, altitudes, times, and flight profiles are directed by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force regulations.

Each F-16 is put through a rigorous acceptance test program before delivery. Lockheed Martin Jana Somero

Once the Lockheed Martin team adds its stamp of approval to a jet, it is handed over to a U.S. government team that will repeat the acceptance process, and conduct some additional checks including the addition of external fuel tanks, checking they are feeding fuel in preparation for the delivery ferry flight to the customer.

Why Greenville makes sense for the F-16

Lockheed Martins Greenville plant makes a significant economic impact in South Carolina, contributing $1.3 billion annually to the state economy. While core capability and know-how for F-16 production came from Fort Worth, local talent and workforce opportunities are expanding. Strong ties with the military in South Carolina, particularly with the USAF F-16 communities at both Shaw Air Force Base and McEntire Joint National Guard Base, mean that there is no shortage of experienced Viper maintainers on tap. More than 40 percent of the Lockheed Martin workforce in Greenville comes from the veteran community, including former F-16 crew chiefs and maintainers who now work on the assembly line and in flight operations.

Just last night I met a new mechanic who was drilling part of the center fuselage on the production line, says Caleb Hendrick. He was telling me about his background as an F-16 crew chief and how hes been working here for three months. He has the dual capability of knowing the airplane well and is also being certified to be a structural mechanic. Weve also worked with the local technical colleges like Greenville Tech to create apprenticeship programs so we can grow that core manufacturing capability. It means we are in a fortunate position with our staff to be able to ramp up our F-16 production.

Moving F-16 production to Greenville has enabled Lockheed Martin to respond to the unexpected demand that now calls for the ramp-up in F-16 production rates. Evaluating why this demand has arisen, Hendrick says: Pound-for-pound, at the cost point, the bang for the buck you can get with the F-16 is huge, and its still proving to be a very versatile aircraft.

The availability of new F-16s presents a useful alternative acquisition route for some customers who may not want to or may not be able to procure F-35s for different reasons. The F-16 Block 70/72 offers a level of commonality and interoperability with the F-35. Approximately 95 percent of the SABR [radar] mode suite comes directly from the F-35s AN/APG-81 AESA radar, including robust and proven Electronic Protection to counter the most advanced threats, according to the radars manufacturer Northrop Grumman.

An F-16D being moved by crane inside the factory. Lockheed Martin JMS

I see the interoperability elements as a big driver of the demand for the F-16, says Hendrick. Customer nations are strengthening their international diplomatic ties, while also buying a capable and affordable 4.5-Generation multi-role fighter.

The international market may not be the only source of success for new Block 70/72 F-16s. The USAFs oldest serving Block 30/32/40/42 F-16s were built from the mid-to-late 1980s, and they are becoming increasingly hard to maintain. Similar to how the USAF is procuring F-15EX Eagle IIs to quickly recapitalize its aging F-15C/D fleet in the Air National Guard, the Block 70/72 F-16 could potentially offer the USAF a similarly straightforward option to refresh its F-16 fleet.

The USAF received its first F-16s in 1978, and a total of 2,231 were delivered to the service by the time the very last example of the F-16C Block 50 was handed over on March 25, 2005. A senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said in May 2024 that the Air Force should consider a buy of 120 new Block 70/72 F-16s, amongst other aircraft, under what he called a general investment for the USAF to help maintain force levels.

Regardless of the chances of a new domestic F-16 sale, Lockheed Martins F-16 production hub at Greenville is well-placed to meet the demands of a resurgent F-16 customer base. The Viper is showing that it remains as relevant to air forces today as it did when it first started out 50 years ago.

Contact the author: jamie.hunter@teamrecurrent.io
Inside the relationship of JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri Vance, the newest GOP power couple who met as Yale law students

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio is former President Donald Trump's running mate in the 2024 election.

Vance met his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, while they were both students at Yale Law School.

They wed in both Christian and Hindu ceremonies in 2014 and have three children.

When Fox News asked Usha Chilukuri Vance in June how she felt about her husband, JD Vance, being considered as Donald Trump's running mate, she told host Lawrence Jones that she was "not raring to change anything about our lives right now."

But it later appeared she came around, standing alongside Vance and Trump at the Republican National Convention as her husband was officially nominated to join the ticket.

Vance, the junior senator from Ohio and bestselling author of "Hillbilly Elegy," and Chilukuri Vance, a litigator whose resume includes a Supreme Court clerkship, met as students at Yale Law School and wed in 2014.

Here's a look inside the relationship of the newest GOP power couple who could become the next vice president and second lady.

Born in Ohio and raised by his grandparents in Kentucky, JD Vance joined the Marines and graduated from Ohio State University.

JD Vance. Gaelen Morse/Getty Images

Vance served as a public affairs marine in Iraq, liaising between service members and members of the press. After his military service, he majored in political science and philosophy at Ohio State University.

Usha Chilukuri Vance studied history at Yale and taught American history in Guangzhou as a Yale-China Teaching Fellow.

Usha Chilukuri Vance. Alex Brandon, File/AP

Chilukuri Vance grew up in a suburb of San Diego. Her parents are Indian immigrants.

Chilukuri Vance told Fox News in June that her parents' Hindu faith was "one of the things that made them such good parents, that make them very good people."

She was a registered Democrat until 2014.

The couple met while they were students at Yale Law School.

JD Vance and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance. Gaelen Morse/Reuters

In law school, Chilukuri Vance served as executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Technology, according to a bio on the website of her former employer, Munger, Tolles & Olson, that has since been removed.

She also worked pro bono with the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic, the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic, and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project.

Chilukuri Vance told NBC News in 2017 that she and Vance took all of their classes together and were friends before they started dating. When they were assigned to work on a brief together, Chilukuri Vance said she was impressed by his diligence.

"I've never seen anybody so starstruck," their law school professor, Amy Chua, said of Vance in an interview with NBC News. "It was love at first sight."

They wed in 2014 and held both Christian and Hindu ceremonies.

JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri Vance at an election night event. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, The American Conservative reported. Chilukuri Vance was raised Hindu.

When asked about their interfaith marriage in a June interview with Fox News, Chilukuri Vance replied: "There are a lot of things that we just agree on, I think, especially when it comes to family life, how to raise our kids. So I think the answer really is that we just talk a lot."

In 2016, Vance published his best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," in which he wrote about his relationship with Chilukuri Vance.

JD Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," came out in 2016. Jeff Swensen

Vance's memoir details his working-class upbringing and the lives of poor, white Americans. He also wrote about how Chua, his professor, encouraged him to focus on his relationship with Chilukuri Vance as a Yale law student.

When Vance asked Chua to recommend him for a federal clerkship, she warned him that it's "the type of thing that destroys relationships."

"Amy's advice stopped me from making a life-altering decision. It prevented me from moving a thousand miles away from the person I eventually married," Vance wrote.

"Most important, it allowed me to accept my place at this unfamiliar institution  it was okay to chart my own path and okay to put a girl above some shortsighted ambition," he continued. "My professor gave me permission to be me."

After law school, Vance worked at VC firms while Chilukuri Vance landed prestigious clerkships.

JD Vance with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Vance worked at Mithril Capital, a VC firm backed by Peter Thiel, in 2016. One former coworker previously told Business Insider that Vance was often away from the job promoting his book, "Hillbilly Elegy."

Thiel ended up being instrumental in Vance's rise to power in politics, donating $15 million to his Senate campaign and encouraging Trump to choose Vance as his running mate, The New York Times reported.

Vance went on to work at Revolution, a VC firm in Washington, DC, before founding his own firm, Narya Capital, in 2019.

Meanwhile, Chilukuri Vance worked as a litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson before leaving to clerk for Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the US Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts. Following her clerkships, she returned to Munger, Tolles & Olson, according to a bio on the firm's website that has since been removed.

They have three children.

JD Vance and Usha Vance with their children. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Their first child, Ewan, was born a month before Chilukuri Vance began her clerkship with Chief Justice Roberts, NBC News reported. They also have another son, Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel.

Chilukuri Vance appeared in a political ad and at campaign events when Vance ran for Congress in 2022.

JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri Vance at an election night watch party. Andrew Spear/Getty Images

In the ad, Chilukuri Vance described her husband as "an incredible father" and "my best friend."

In an interview with Newsmax about the ad, Chilukuri Vance also responded to media reports about Vance's dramatic transformation from a "Never Trumper" to a staunch Trump supporter.

"Sometimes people say that he's changed a lot, but the truth is I've known him now for so many years and he's always been so true to himself," she said.

As Trump vetted Vance for the vice presidency, Chilukuri Vance expressed ambivalence about the possibility of him being chosen.

Donald Trump and JD Vance. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

"I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I really believe in JD and I love him, so we'll see what happens with our lives," she told Fox News.

When Trump chose Vance as his 2024 running mate in July, Chilukuri Vance quit her job as a litigator.

JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri Vance arrive at the Republican National Convention. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

On the first day of the Republican National Convention, when Trump announced Vance as his vice presidential pick, a spokesperson for Munger, Tolles & Olsen told ABC News that Chilukuri Vance had left the firm.

"Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career," the spokesperson said.

Chilukuri Vance spoke at the Republican National Convention about meeting and falling in love with Vance.

Usha Chilukuri Vance at the Republican National Convention. Brian Snyder/Getty Images

Chilukuri Vance said that when they first met, Vance approached their differences "with curiosity and enthusiasm."

"Although he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food from my mother, Indian food," Chilukuri Vance said in her speech. "Before I knew it, he'd become an integral part of my family, a person I could not imagine living without."

Vance acknowledged racist attacks against his wife from white supremacists.

JD Vance and Usha Chilukuri Vance at a campaign stop. Nell Redmond/AP

After white nationalist Nick Fuentes questioned Vance's ability to "support white identity" with an Indian wife, Vance voiced support for Chilukuri Vance.

"Look, I love my wife so much. I love her because she's who she is," he said in an interview with Megyn Kelly in July. "Obviously, she's not a white person, and we've been attacked by some white supremacists over that. But I just, I love Usha."

He also hit back against the attacks on ABC News' "This Week," telling host Jonathan Karl in August, "Look, my attitude to these people attacking my wife is, she's beautiful, she's smart. What kind of man marries Usha? A very smart man and a very lucky man, importantly."

He continued: "Don't attack my wife. She's out of your league."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Inside the U.S. Coast Guards Aleutian encounter with Chinas military  and what it means

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, right, and a Japanese naval training vessel travel near the island of Unalaska in 2021. (U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, right, and a Japanese naval training vessel travel near the island of Unalaska in 2021. The Kimball intercepted a group of Chinese military vessels operating near the Aleutian Islands on July 6 and 7. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The Chinese warships werent showing up on civilian radar.

But the American commercial fishing fleet could still tell that something strange was happening in the Aleutian Islands on July 6 and 7.

Crew on the fishing vessels picked out a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, the Kimball, steaming through the area at 21 knots, or nearly 25 miles an hour.

It turned out the Kimball was in hot pursuit of four Chinese ships, including a destroyer and a guided-missile cruiser.

When the Coast Guard cutter intercepted the Chinese vessels, someone onboard called out on Channel 16, the international frequency used for urgent safety and distress messages.

This is the China Navy Task Group, they said, according to a Coast Guard account shared with a member of Alaskas congressional delegation. I noticed you are close to us; please maintain safe distance to avoid collision.

A Chinese guided missile cruiser like the one spotted near the Aleutian Islands on July 6 and 7 by the U.S. Coast Guard. (PLA Navy)

The Kimball and an American HC-130 Hercules plane shadowed the Chinese vessels for more than 12 hours as they transited the Aleutians, at one point warning them of unprofessional behavior after detecting a possible drone, according to the Coast Guard account.

The July 6 and 7 events, publicly disclosed in a Wednesday press release by the Coast Guard, were the latest in a series of U.S. encounters with Russian and Chinese vessels in the Aleutians and the Bering Sea in the past few years.

Experts say they expect to see more such incidents as nations angle for advantage in the increasingly ice-free Arctic region  and as China and Russia probe U.S. military infrastructure that could figure into a conflict over Taiwan or other areas of the Pacific.

The tilt to the Pacific is real  and the tilt to the Pacific that affects Alaskans is real, said Mead Treadwell, a former Alaska lieutenant governor whos worked in Arctic policy and business for decades. You can say its tensions, or you can say its a fact of life.

Mead Treadwell (U.S. Arctic Research Commission photo)

The Coast Guard initially released a short statement to Northern Journal saying the agency was aware of the Chinese vessels and that they operated in accordance with international rules and norms.

In its subsequent press release, the Coast Guard said the Chinese group was moving through international waters within Americas exclusive economic zone  an area that extends 200 miles offshore in which the U.S. maintains sole rights to natural resources like fish.

The vessels stated purpose, the release said, was freedom of navigation operations  an assertion of navigational rights and freedoms that the U.S. also makes in disputed waters close to China.

We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska, the release quoted Rear Adm. Megan Dean, the Coast Guards Alaska district commander, as saying.

While the Coast Guard appeared to downplay the incident, it left some local Aleutian officials unsettled  along with participants in the fishing industry.

Theres great concern from this community, said Vince Tutiakoff Sr., mayor of the Aleutian fishing hub of Unalaska, some 200 miles east of where the Chinese vessels were spotted. Were going to see more and more of this unless there is a presence. When are they going to get active military, Navy, out here in Unalaska and west to make sure that our fishing fleet is safe?

Unalaska Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr. (City of Unalaska photo)

Officials with the fishing companies whose factory vessels observed the Chinese ships shared details of the encounter but declined to be identified, citing the events political sensitivity. Brent Paine, who leads an industry trade group called United Catcher Boats, described a pucker factor for fishing crews that run into foreign military vessels.

Paine recounted a 2020 incident where U.S. fishing boats in the Bering Sea were ordered out of an area by a flotilla of Russian military vessels conducting large-scale drills, with a submarine and dozens of warships and planes.

Last year, 11 Russian and Chinese vessels conducted a joint patrol near the Aleutians, with U.S. destroyers and sub-hunting aircraft trailing them.

People are nervous, Paine said. We just want to know that the U.S. government is very well aware that these ships are there  and it would be nice to know, if they know, why theyre there.

That question  why Chinese and Russian assets are increasingly traveling through the Aleutians and the Bering Sea  is on the minds of other observers, too, including Treadwell, the former lieutenant governor.

Are they simply flying the flag here, because we fly the flag there? Treadwell said, referring to U.S. naval exercises near China. Are they preparing, learning what our response would be if they came in?

In a phone interview, Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he thinks the Chinese activity fits into the broader context of the increasing importance of the Arctic for resources, for fisheries, for transportation routes for energy.

Last summer, experts said they observed increasing Russian oil cargos being shipped to China through the Bering Strait, a trend they described as a result of the war in Ukraine and increasingly ice-free conditions in Arctic waters.

Sullivan said hes pushing the military to more quickly share information to the public when foreign assets appear off Alaska and to respond with their own ships and aircraft more swiftly and firmly  in the same way they would if Chinese or Russian vessels showed up off the East Coast.

Dispatching the Kimball and the HC-130 Hercules on July 6 and 7, Sullivan added, was a decent response. But he also described how he continued to push for a stronger Arctic military presence in a meeting with a top Coast Guard official this week.

The Arctic is really strategic territory, he said. And we need the same assets and responses that youd get if this were off Boston or New York City.

Nathaniel Herz welcomes tips at natherz@gmail.com or (907) 793-0312. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Herz. Subscribe at this link.

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(Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp. and Globalfoundries Inc. rallied Wednesday, defying a broad selloff among chip companies, as investors speculated the two could benefit from fresh policies under either a Biden or Trump administration.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Shares in Intel rose as much as 8.2% and Globalfoundries added 14%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, meanwhile, sank 4%, with all but five of its 30 components lower on the day.

The Biden administration has told allies that its considering using the most severe trade restrictions available if companies such as Tokyo Electron and ASML continue giving China access to advanced semiconductor technology. The US is also weighing additional sanctions on specific Chinese chip companies linked to Huawei Technologies Co.

Meanwhile, the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also seemed cool on the idea of protecting Taiwan from Chinese aggression. Asked about Americas commitment to defending Taiwan from China, which views the Asian democracy as a breakaway province, Trump makes it clear that, despite recent bipartisan support for Taiwan, hes at best lukewarm about standing up to Chinese aggression. Part of his skepticism is grounded in economic resentment.

Taiwan took our chip business from us, he said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. What he wants is for Taiwan to pay the US for protection. I dont think were any different from an insurance policy. Why? Why are we doing this? he asks.

Intel is the beneficiary of the comments Trump made about Taiwan, said Robert Pavlik, Senior Portfolio Manager at Dakota Wealth Management. If Taiwan potentially has to pay for its protection, does that mean China can move in on Taiwan? Intel does have manufacturing capabilities in the US, so it would be the beneficiary.

Polls show a very tight race between Trump and President Joe Biden. While the elections are still a few months off, Trump could win in November, and many Democratic leaders are increasingly concerned hell deliver Republicans control of the House and Senate along with the White House.

Most American semiconductor companies are heavily reliant on business with China. Stocks like Nvidia Corp., ARM Holdings and Broadcom Inc.  which have surged this year on chip demand as businesses race to build their artificial intelligence platforms and products  slipped in early trading on Wednesday.

The chip crackdown by the Biden administration is spurring some profit taking, said Pavlik. Some chip companies have had a strong run, very strong gains, and theres a lack of buying interest given that news.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Investigation begins after an inmate at a Wisconsin jail dies in his cell

FRIENDSHIP, Wis. (WFRV)  Authorities in Wisconsin have opened an investigation after an inmate at a county jail was found unresponsive and was later pronounced deceased on Monday night.

According to a release, deputies from the Adams County Sheriffs Office say a 38-year-old man was found unresponsive in his jail cell shortly after 6:00 p.m. on July 15.

Sheriff: Man on lake in northern Wisconsin dies after having possible medical event on boat

Jail staff immediately began lifesaving efforts while emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene. Despite a collective effort, the inmate was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead.

The Adams County Sheriffs Office says the man was first incarcerated on June 21 in another county and was transported to the Adams County Jail on July 1. Officials continued to say he was being held as a sentenced inmate.

Owner of Green Bays El Sarape, daughter identified as hikers found dead in Utah national park

A Wisconsin State Statute requires an outside agency to lead all investigations involving officer-involved deaths, but this incident does not meet the criteria. However, in order to continue transparency, the Adams County Sheriffs Office has requested the Waushara and Marquette County Sheriffs Offices to complete the investigation.

This incident remains under investigation, and no further details have been provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Poudre School District Superintendent Brian Kingsley speaks at the Rocky Mountain High School 2024 graduation ceremony at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, May 24, 2024.

Editor's note: Multiple board members now say the investigation is complete and it absolves Poudre School District Brian Kingsley of any wrongdoing.

An investigation into the nature of a relationship between Poudre School District Superintendent Brian Kingsley and a district employee is complete, but it could be more than a week before the findings are made public.

The PSD Board of Education plans to issue a statement regarding the outcome of the investigation once all seven members are briefed on the final report, school board president Kristen Draper told the Coloradoan in an email. Some members are out of town this week, so, I anticipate it may be next week before a statement is provided.

Drapers email Tuesday evening is the only response the Coloradoan has received to multiple requests to view the findings of the investigation.

The Coloradoan also asked district communications coordinator Emily Shockley for access to view the full report on Monday and filed a formal Colorado Open Records Act request for the report Tuesday. Two Coloradoan staff members went to the school district offices Wednesday afternoon, requesting to review the investigation, and were told they could not do so without an appointment. Attempts to make an appointment at that time were unsuccessful, with a member of the district's communications team, Cassie Phelps, telling them the district's chief of staff, Lauren Hooten, would be in touch to schedule an appointment.

When asked if they had seen the investigation, board members Kevin Havelda, Carolyn Reed and Conor Duffy said Wednesday morning they had not and were trying to schedule appointments later this week with Autumn Aspen, PSDs general legal counsel, to do so. Board member Scott Schoenbauer said late Wednesday afternoon that he reviewed the investigation earlier that day.

I have been made aware that the full report is available and am shuffling my schedule around to review it as soon as possible, so that we can get back to the vital business of educating our students, Havelda said in a text message.

More: New school policies prohibit 'dating relationship' between supervisors and subordinates

Why did PSD investigate Brian Kingsley and another employee?

The school board hired an outside investigator in May to determine the nature of Kingsleys relationship with a district employee, multiple school board members said at the time, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The decision to hire an outside investigator was made in one or more executive sessions related to personnel and legal matters that frequently follow the public portion of Board of Education meetings.

The Coloradoan is not naming the employee or their position with PSD at this time.

Kingsley has denied having any inappropriate relationship with the district employee and told the Coloradoan in May that an internal human resources investigation found absolutely nothing.

These baseless rumors are completely unfounded and entirely false, he wrote in a May 24 text message.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, x.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Investigation into Poudre School District employees complete
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird told the crowd at the Republican National Convention Tuesday that electing former President Donald Trump in 2024 will support law enforcement and curtail crime in the country.

Bird first won election in 2022, defeating longtime Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller who was first elected when I was just two years old, she told the Milwaukee crowd. Her win was part of a sweep of victories for Iowa Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.

At the RNC, Bird said she won her election because Iowans wanted an attorney general who would support law enforcement.

We won because Iowans were ready for an attorney general who was protecting them, not the criminals, an attorney general who would stand up to Joe Biden and the radical Democrats, and an attorney general who would defend our constitutional freedoms, Bird said. But perhaps more than anything, Iowa voters wanted an attorney general who would back the blue.

Bird said Trump has repeatedly showed his support for law enforcement, and suggested Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have not.

On the 2022 campaign trail, Bird said that her message for Biden was Ill see you in court. After taking office, she has filed and joined numerous lawsuits against the Biden administration, most recently on issues like the U.S. Department of Educations new Title IX rules prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ+ students on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation and eligibility standards for asylum-seekers following the end of Title 42.

In her speech Tuesday, Bird criticized Biden, Harris and the Democratic Party for their approach to crime, saying that they treat police like criminals and criminals like victims, a decision that leaves many victims of crime feeling abandoned by the justice and judicial systems. She linked Democratic policies with the defund the police movement that gained traction during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Never forget the Democratic Party is the party of defunding the police, Bird said. They said it, they mean it and they cant wiggle out of it. Republicans get justice for victims and we put criminals where they belong in jail. Thats why we need to elect President Donald J. Trump.

Bird has been a longtime supporter of Trump, endorsing him in October 2023 during the lead-up to the January Iowa caucuses. The former president went on to win the first-in-the-nation Republican nominating contest by 51%, a historic margin. In addition to appearing with him regularly at Iowa campaign events, she also traveled to New York as part of the former presidents entourage during the hush-money trial.

Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts in that case, but his sentencing was delayed while the judge considers a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling defining broad presidential immunity privileges. Bird did not mention the convictions in her remarks.

In addition to her speech Tuesday, Bird spoke on day one of the RNC, conducting the vice presidential nomination process for U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance after being elected a temporary chair. Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann also gave a nominating speech Monday for Trump to become the official 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said Kauble used a fake account to message a person awaiting trial. That was incorrect.

The article has also been changed to reflect the correct spelling of the names of two defendants in a separate case.

The main headline has been changed to reflect the correct nature of the case.

An Iowa City man was arrested after allegedly posing as a University of Iowa police officer on social media.

Daniel Kauble, 29, is charged with misdemeanor identity theft, tampering with a witness and third-degree harassment for a social media and email account he created using University of Iowa Police Officer Ian Mallory's name.

The saga began after a jury found Isadora Kippes and Elizabeth Jorgensen guilty of disorderly conduct on Feb. 8, 2024, following a protest on the University of Iowa campus. However, the jury did not agree that the pair were guilty of fifth-degree criminal mischief.

More: An Iowa City officer discharged their weapon Monday, injuring one along Wylde Green Road

Disorderly conduct case sparks impersonation

Kauble allegedly created fake accounts the night after the verdict, establishing a profile on Google's email platform, Gmail, and another profile on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

Criminal complaints allege that Kauble used the accounts to "disparage, annoy, harass, and engender public contempt" of Mallory, who testified at the joint trial for Kappes and Jorgenson. Mallory arrested the pair after they participated in campus protests in April and October 2023.

Court documents said Kauble messaged another person Mallory had arrested who was awaiting trial shortly after creating the accounts. In his message, Kauble allegedly said he hoped the tweets sent from the phony Mallory account on X  @IanMallory4Iowa  were making Mallory "hella mad."

Kauble's fake accounts, according to the complaint, were "intended to harass the victim, both individually and in retaliation for his testimony in a criminal trial against persons Mallory had arrested and testified as a witness at trial."

The criminal complaint also alleges that Kauble received "the benefit of the satisfaction he derived from disparaging, annoying, (and) harassing" the detective.

Posts from the account are no longer available online or in internet archives.

A no-contact order was issued by the court earlier this week.

A trial date has not yet been set.

More: Coralvilles Watermill Kitchen + Bar offers modern Midwestern cuisine with a taste of home

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa man arrested for posing as UIPD officer on social media
Iowans whose homes were destroyed by floods, tornadoes can now apply for temporary housing

Sioux City Fire Rescue uses a boat to retrieve medical devices from homes in the flooded Riverside neighborhood of Sioux City, Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Iowans whose homes were destroyed by flooding or tornadoes can now apply for temporary housing assistance, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday.

The Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Assistance Program is offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This marks the first time that Iowa has been approved for the program, which is typically used in hurricane-prone states.

Reynolds announced last week that the state was applying for the program in the wake of several rounds of tornadoes and flooding that have damaged 5,000 homes across the state, including 2,000 that suffered major damage or were destroyed.

More: Iowa launches temporary, permanent housing grants to help tornado-, flood-hit communities

Here are the details:

What is the Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program?

The Disaster Recovery Temporary Housing Program works by providing Iowans whose homes were damaged or destroyed by severe weather with temporary housing for up to six months.

Housing options could include an RV, travel trailer, mobile home or hotel.

Iowans approved for the program will not pay any costs for the home, other than utilities.

Which Iowa counties are eligible for temporary housing assistance?

Residents of 14 Iowa counties are eligible for temporary housing assistance if they meet all the program's criteria. They are:

Adair

Adams

Buena Vista

Cedar

Clay

Emmet

Jasper

Lyon

Montgomery

O'Brien

Plymouth

Polk

Sioux

Story

What do I need to do before I apply for temporary housing assistance?

Iowans whose primary residence is in one of the eligible counties must first apply with FEMA for individual disaster assistance.

They can do so by:

Visiting disasterassistance.gov.

Calling FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362).

Downloading and using the FEMA app.

Visiting a Disaster Recovery Center.

Homeowners also need to file a claim with their insurance company in order to be eligible for temporary housing assistance. They'll need to show documentation for both their FEMA individual assistance application and insurance claim to qualify.

How do I apply for temporary housing assistance?

Once Iowans have filed a claim with their insurance company and applied for individual assistance through FEMA, they can apply for temporary housing assistance.

Here's how:

Go to disasterrecovery.iowa.gov.

Call 608-480-8808 or toll free at 833-307-6030. The call center will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How to apply for housing assistance after Iowa floods, tornadoes
Christian Lindner, German Minister of Finance, attends the Federal Cabinet meeting in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday finalized the 2025 budget after weeks of wrangling, sending the 480.6 billion ($526 billion) package to parliament for approval.

The budget has been the subject of weeks of tense negotiations within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious - and unpopular - three-party coalition.

The 480.6 billion total is about 8 billion less than this year.

The budget now must be passed by lawmakers, likely in a vote to be held in November.

The initial framework proposal, which was agreed by the coalition leaders earlier this month, came under fire by critics who said it did not do enough to bolster the military and spur growth.

But Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Wednesday hailed the agreement as the "start of the economic turnaround" for Germany, as the Cabinet also decided on several economic policy stimuli to boost recent weak growth.

"With our growth initiative, we are providing important economic policy impetus to make Germany more attractive as a business location," Lindner said.

"New room for manoeuvre in the budget can only be created through more economic growth. To achieve this, we must increase our competitiveness and strengthen our innovative power," he said.

Measures include improvements to depreciation on investments, efforts to reduce bureaucracy and relief on electricity prices for energy-intensive companies.

There are also plans for tax incentives for foreign skilled workers and tougher measures for citizens receiving unemployment benefits.

The budget contains a 17 billion budget gap. The German government is betting that the ministries will not spend all the money they have been allocated. This approach is quite common, but the sum is very high.

The 17 billion gap also includes 8 billion that the federal government already has an idea for financing, but which may be constitutionally untenable.

Germany has strict rules against budget deficits, known as the debt brake, which is enshrined in the country's constitution.

The opposition centre-right party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) considers this aspect of the budget to be deeply dubious.

"The government is trying to feign the ability to act with bogus solutions," the conservative group's budget officer Christian Haase said.

He said the draft budget serves solely to maintain the coalition in power and is "a nasty mixture of creative accounting, tricks and questionable budgetary practices."

The finance minister is also planning to take on new loans totalling 43.8 billion, the maximum allowed by the debt brake.

Story continues

The 2025 budget aims to revive the economy, maintain social benefits, and respond to international security concerns.

Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will receive additional funds, enabling Germany to exceed NATO's 2% GDP target for defence spending. Security agencies will be strengthened with around 1 billion.

Lindner advocates for a balanced budget by curbing government spending. Despite this, most ministries are set to receive more money than promised last year.

To balance the budget, Lindner plans to account for interest expenses differently and hopes a package to stimulate economic growth will bring in around 6 billion more in tax revenues.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) chairs the Federal Cabinet in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Irans Foreign Ministry on Wednesday criticized malicious reports that Tehran is plotting an assassination against former President Trump, following reported claims by the Biden administration that the former presidents security was increased amid threats to his life from Iran.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that the Iranian government is committed to pursuing legal action against Trump over the 2020 U.S. strike killing Qasem Soleimani, the top general in Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

However, it strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack on Trump or claims about Irans intention for such an action, considering such allegations to have malicious political motives and objectives, Kanaani said in a statement.

The Biden administration reportedly increased Trumps security detail in recent weeks amid intelligence that Iran was plotting to kill the former president. The Biden administration has maintained security details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former special representative for Iran Brian Hook, over threats from Iran to kill the men in retaliation for Soleimanis killing.

CNN first reported on the intelligence surrounding the Iranian plot.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment by The Hill.

Trump was injured after being hit in the ear by a bullet from a shooter at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday in an apparent assassination attempt.

The 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, is not believed to be connected to an Iranian plot, and any motives remain unknown.

But Iran has also been involved in plots to kill other American citizens.

In January 2023, the Department of Justice announced it had disrupted an Iranian government assassination plot against a U.S. citizen who is outspoken and critical about Tehrans human rights abuses.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  U.S. officials confirm a threat from Iran against former President Donald Trump prompted additional security just days before his assassination attempt.

They say it was unrelated to the shooting at Trumps campaign rally, but the revelation only increases the scrutiny the U.S. Secret Service now faces.

We have no evidence that those two are connected, but we do know that the enemies of this world do not want Donald Trump back in the White House, said U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, (R-Mo.).

Alford said the U.S. has to remain vigilant against our adversaries.

If they can help take him out, God forbid, thats what theyre going to try to do, he said.

Irans mission to the United Nations called the accusations unsubstantiated and malicious. However, U.S. officials say they have been tracking threats against Trump administration officials since Trump ordered the 2020 killing of a top Iranian general.

Members of Congress suggest theres less concern about the Iranian threat itself and more about how the additional security resources did not prevent the assassination attempt.

Were investigating that, said U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, (R-Texas.).

Van Duyne supports the work of the House Oversight Committee, which plans to hold the first Congressional hearing into the shooting Monday. The committee issued a subpoena to the Secret Service director to compel her to testify.

We need to find out answers, and weve got to have them fast, Alford said.

Alford also supports House Speaker Mike Johnsons efforts to create a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt. Johnson plans to make that official Monday as well.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud.
US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee. Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Iran has rejected reports over an alleged plan to assassinate former US president Donald Trump, who was injured in an attempt on his life at a campaign rally last weekend.

US broadcasters CNN and NBC, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported the US Secret Service ramped up security for Trump in recent weeks after receiving information on a potential Iranian plot to kill him.

A spokesman for Iran's UN mission rejected the reports as "baseless and politically motivated."

For Iran, Trump is a "criminal" who gave the order to kill Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, the spokesman was quoted as saying by Iranian news agency Mehr on Wednesday.

"Trump must be condemned and punished for this, but Iran has chosen the legal path in this regard," he added.

Soleimani, who had led the elite Quds Force of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020, while Trump was president.

According to the reports, there is no evidence that the alleged Iranian plot is connected to Saturday's shooting at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump, who is vying for a second presidential term, survived the attack with injuries to his ear, but one person in the crowd was killed.

The US Secret Service declined to comment on the reports, with a spokesman saying the agency constantly receives new information about threats and reacts to them.
Last week, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines released a statement highlighting Irans role in stoking anti-Israel protests in the United States: We have observed actors tied to Irans government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters. While stressing that individuals are expressing their true opinions on the horrifying loss of life in Gaza, she warned that Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. Haines statement put the world on notice that campus protests are not entirely organic.

The usual suspects, such as the Hamas-linked Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), complained that Haines statement lacks specificity. Our government must not deliberately or accidentally resurrect (Joe McCarthys or J. Edgar Hoovers) legacy by weaponizing its power to smear or silence the American people, said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIRs national deputy director. To address these concerns, we encourage you to share much more clarifying detail about the Iranian operation.

Such criticism misses the mark. Haines warning that Iran is encouraging and even funding campus protests is new information, but that Iranian influence operations exist in the U.S. is old news. Indeed, it would be far more surprising if Iran were not involved in egging on recent protests.

The clearest example of this kind of influence is that several high-ranking former Iranian government officials have held, and in some cases continue to hold, positions at major U.S. universities. Indeed, two years ago, The Dispatch reported on Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former high-level Iranian diplomat, nuclear negotiator, and regime propagandist who nonetheless serves as a Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist, at Princeton University, where hes been since 2009. But this flew under the radar until last year. In 2023, Mousavian became the focal point of two congressional investigations, one, by the House and Senate Armed Service Committees which focused on a speech he gave to STRATCOM, and by the House Education and Workforce Committee, which focused on the wider issue of his closeness to the Iranian regime.

More recently, documents reviewed by investigative reporter Jay Solomon showed that, while at Princeton, Mousavian worked closely with former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to promote Irans messaging and engagement with the West.

Mousavian is not alone. Until recently, another former high-ranking Iranian diplomat, Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, was a professor at Oberlin College in Ohio, following a stint at Columbia University. Amnesty International has alleged that Mahallati was deeply involved in the cover-up of a regime-sponsored massacre in 1988 during his time as Irans ambassador to the United Nations. More recently, Mahallati openly bragged about his usefulness to the Iranian regime in a letter he undoubtedly thought would not get noticed in the U.S. But it was noticed, prompting a congressional investigation. During this same period, Oberlin was facing a Department of Education civil rights investigation for antisemitism based, in part, on the allegation that Mahallati had openly taught students support for Hamas and terrorism.

While Mahallati remains, technically, employed by Oberlin, he is on indefinite suspension. That suspension, however, was only after that Oberlin learned hed run a sex-for-grades operation while at Columbia. If that isnt weird enough, consider this: The Iranian Mission to the United Nations attempted to shield Mahallati from this lawsuit by secretly appointing him to another diplomatic position and thus granting him diplomatic immunity, showing that the regime continued to consider Mahallati an asset.

Irans influence is not limited to a few professors who once held positions in the Iranian regime. Iran also allegedly controls the Alavi Foundation, which is clearly influential on U.S. universities.

Alavi openly brags about its influence on U.S. universities on their website, which lists donations to at least 15, including Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia. These donations, while ostensibly made in support of Shia studies, Iranian studies and the teaching of Persian language, their real purpose seems to have another agenda. For just one example, Mohammad Jafari Mahallatis brother, Mohammad Hossein Mahallati, previously served as the Alavi Foundations director, and Alavi made a significant donation to Columbia right after Mohammad Jafari Mahallati got his appointment. The Trump administrations Department of Education opened investigations into Alavis influence on universities.

Alavis influence is not limited to universities. It also sponsors numerous Shiite mosques in America. At least two Alavi-supported mosques, one in Potomac, Maryland, and one in Houston, have featured children singing propagandistic songs to Iranian regime officials in videos and pictures it distributes online. Working to control Shiite clergy is a common tactic for the Iranian regime and is not limited to America. Irans Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust serves a very similar function in India, for example. Other organizations serve similar functions across Europe.

Founded in 1973 under the previous government, Alavi quickly fell under the influence of the mullahs after the 1979 revolution. According to the Department of Justice, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations took direct control of Alavi in 1991. One attorney with the Manhattan district attorneys Office was direct: We found evidence that the government of Iran really controlled everything about the foundation. Back in 2009, then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara filed suit against the Alavi Foundation seeking to seize its U.S. assets. While litigation remains in limbo, a Manhattan jury found that Alavi had violated Iran sanctions law and ordered a forfeiture of assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Another organization that influences U.S. universities is the American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS). Like the Alavi Foundation, it was founded before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and it sought, innocuously, to represent American institutions of higher education and research in the field of Iranian Studies. But it too has since been co-opted by the Iranian regime. AIIrS now works directly with the Saadi Foundation, an Iranian institution run by a former Iranian parliamentary speaker and close adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One Iranian expat, an expert in regime influence operations, describes Saadi as part of an extensive government-led network that advances the Islamic Republics revolutionary, ideological and political agenda in the region and across the world. Nonetheless, AIIrS still receives federal funds even while working with the highest echelons of the Iranian regime to propagandize American students.

The list of clear and suspected Iranian fronts seeking to influence politics, academics, and religious institutions in the U.S. is almost endless:

A wealthy Iranian American family, members of which have been convicted of illegally transporting more than $100 million in violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran, openly funds multiple universities in California, as well as various far-left and far-right political organizations.

A former head of political ideology, for Irans navy, who sympathizes with Iranian-backed designated terrorist organizations, openly runs a major mosque in Michigan.

There are think tanks such as the Quincy Institute, founded by Trita Parsi, a Iranian/Swedish national with documented ties to the Iranian regime and a long history of forming pro-regime pressure groups. Its supported by those with connections to fringe parts of the right and the hard left, including groups like the Rockefeller Foundation and Ploughshares Fund, both of which have also funded Mousavians work. In the past, Quincy has had trouble gaining influence outside the solid left of the Democratic party, promoting events with left-leaning senators like Chris Murphy of Connecticut, but thats started to change. Trumps vice presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance, spoke there this past May.

The so-called Iran Experts Initiative, which has earned the attention of Congress, saw Iranian foreign ministry officials directly influencing academics and those at top think tanks across the West. One of those, Ariane Tabatabai, now works at the Pentagon and maintains a security clearance. Others, such as Dina Esfandiary and Ali Vaez, worked directly with former Iran envoy Rob Malley. Malley, of course, was sidelined due to alleged mishandling of classified material, and is now teaching at Princeton and Yale.

Until Iran-backed Hamas October 7 massacre, the Biden administration sought to downplay Iranian misdeeds to the greatest extent possible, in the vain hope of reentering into something resembling the deeply flawed Iran deal. Even after October 7, the Biden administration has been slow to punish even kinetic Iranian aggression. It is thus reasonable to assume that Haines statement means the intelligence of Irans influence is overwhelming and undeniable. Far more scrutiny of the wider issue of Iranian influence is needed.

Nobody can feel good about the deaths of innocents occurring in Gaza, and undoubtedly many Americans believe they are doing the right thing in protesting Israels actions. But ultimately the finger should be pointed at Iran and its proxies, including Hamas. Irans influence operations have every incentive to tear America apart politically and to downplay its own involvement in the October 7 massacre. America and its allies should rid itself of this pernicious network.

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Credit: Left-Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Right-Guitarist Magazine

Rory Gallagher's iconic 61 Fender Stratocaster is expected to fetch between 700,000 and 1,000,000 at auction this October. However, a representative of the Irish government recently announced that the government is considering purchasing Gallagher's guitar to keep it in the country due to its national significance.

Cork, the city where Gallagher bought the guitar, is now leading the way in a campaign to keep the guitar in Ireland. Tanaiste [the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland], Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin publicly said he is working to bring the matter to the attention of Catherine Martin, the country's Culture and Heritage Minister.

I would love to [keep it in Ireland] if we could, he stated. Obviously I will talk to [Minister] Catherine Martin and see what is possible. But it would be lovely if we could get that guitar back on Leeside.

Mr. Martin also revealed that when he was Lord Mayor of Cork, he hosted a small civic reception for Gallagher. Furthermore, he had the opportunity to see Gallagher perform live.

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Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

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Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

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Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

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Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

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Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

Martin admitted that it's still unclear what the government can feasibly do in this unique case. However, he claimed that he's exploring every avenue to keep the guitar in Ireland due to its cultural significance.

Gallagher's Fender Strat has become as recognizable among guitar enthusiasts as Gallagher himself. It originally belonged to Jim Conlon, who allegedly ordered a red Strat but received the wrong model. When the red Strat eventually showed up, he put the unwanted model on sale. In 1963, Gallagher purchased it for 100 from Michael Crowley of Cork's Crowley's Music Store.

Alongside Martin's efforts, a grassroots fundraiser has been set up to keep the guitar in Ireland. Sheena Crowley, the daughter of Michael Crowley, is leading the GoFundMe campaign.
When a Marist poll in May revealed that 47% of Americans think there will be a civil war in the United States in their lifetime, my first reaction was to think that people are watching too many political fiction movies. But nobody should be laughing at such polls following Saturdays attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump.

Judging from the first reactions after the shooting, political polarization is likely to escalate to dangerous levels as we near the November elections, at a time when the number of semi-automatic weapons in civilian hands has reached all-time highs.

There are more than 20 million AR-15 semiautomatic rifles in Americans hands today, up from 400,000 in the early 1990s, according to the Wall Street Journal. The AR-15 is the weapon of choice of Americas mass shooters, and was used by the 20-year-old suspected shooter who tried to kill the former president.

While AR-15s were banned for 10 years in 1994, the prohibition was not renewed when it expired. Trump has supported the continued sale of these weapons.

The first signs that polarization may worsen came only hours after the shooting, when U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, who on Monday was picked by Trump as his running mate, irresponsibly blamed President Bidens rhetoric for the attack on the former president.

Vance did not delete his July 13 post on X, formerly Twitter, even after it was known that the suspected shooter was a registered Republican. Vance put the blame on Biden despite the fact that it was Trump who has exacerbated hatred in the country since he started his 2016 campaign denigrating immigrants and raising the specter of violence.

The former president has most recently said that immigrants are poisoning the blood of America, has raised the prospect of a bloodbath if he loses in November, and frequently praises the violent insurrectionists who took the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as patriots.

Also hours after the attempt on Trumps life, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, ridiculously claimed that Joe Biden sent the orders. To his credit, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC, Weve got to turn the temperature down in this country, much like what President Biden said after the shooting.

But Im not too optimistic that cool heads will prevail. Both Democrats and Republicans are likely to portray the other side as encouraging political violence.

Trumps entire narrative is based on the false claims that he was robbed of the 2020 election, and the dubious assertion that all the criminal charges he faces are because he is a political persecution victim. More than 60 courts concluded that Trumps claims of election fraud were baseless, and even the conservative-majority Supreme Court  with three justices picked by Trump himself  didnt find evidence to back Trumps claims.

And the Democrats, will probably continue campaigning by presenting Trump as the biggest threat to Americas democracy in recent memory. They will show videos of Trumps own speeches, including whose in which he attacks the rule of law, or incites violence by calling on his supporters to fight, or makes fun of the attempt on the life of former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband.

All of which brings me back to the Marist poll showing that nearly half of Americans fear a civil war in their lifetimes. Its not the only one. A Rasmussen poll conducted in April found that 41% of American voters believe a second civil war is likely as soon as within the next five years.

Im worried about the growing frequency with which I stumble upon the words civil war these days. A new documentary, Americas burning, narrated by Michael Douglas, says in its official promotional trailer that every day we hear that we are one step closer to civil war.

Im not among those who think there will be a civil war, but its time for Americas politicians to turn down the rhetoric and do something about semi-automatic weapons, because they are literally playing with fire.

Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com
The Isis militant group has claimed responsibility for the killing of at least nine people in a rare attack on a Shia mosque in the wealthy Gulf state of Oman.

About 28 others also sustained injuries late on Monday when several gunmen stormed into the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Kabir neighbourhood of the capital Muscat, located around 500 metres from an international school.

Four Pakistanis, an Indian national and a police officer were among those killed in the gun attack, the authorities said.

The Sunni extremist group claimed responsibility on Tuesday through an affiliated news agency, without providing evidence. It represents the first time Isis has purported to be behind an attack in Oman, where only 5 per cent of Muslims are believed to belong to the Shia sect.

A video showed a crowd running for cover inside the mosque as gunmen opened fire on believers gathered on the eve of Ashura  an annual period of mourning, where Shia Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammads grandson, Imam Hussein, and his 72 companions in the battle of Karbala in the seventh century in present-day Iraq.

Believers could be heard crying "Oh god" and "Oh Hussein" as gunshots rang out in the background.

People fleeing the scene of a shooting at the Imam Ali Mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area in the east of Oman's capital Muscat (UGC/AFP via Getty Images)

There were nearly 500-600 people in the courtyard when we first heard sounds that resembled fireworks, an unnamed Pakistani expatriate told Times of Oman.

The firing continued for more than an hour and a half as everyone tried to rush inside the mosque, the eyewitness recalled.

We were instructed to stay silent in the hall. In that moment of despair, I messaged my friend, thinking I might not live to see the dawn. Death seemed imminent.

We felt like hostages for nearly two-three hours before ROP (Royal Oman Police) officers finally made their way into the building, he added.

The extremist group said three of its "suicide attackers" fired on visitors to the mosque on Monday evening and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces until morning. It said the gunmen attacked a gathering of Shia Muslims who were "practising their annual rituals".

Police in Oman have not said whether they have identified a motive for the attack or made any arrests.

Pakistan identified four of the dead as its citizens. "This is a very unprecedented event ... the likes of it we have not seen in Oman's history," Pakistan's ambassador to Muscat, Imran Ali, said after visiting some victims in hospital.

Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences and "instructed the Pakistan embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured". "Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and offers full assistance in the investigation," he added.

Nearly two million migrants, mostly from South Asia, help power Oman's economy by filling low-skilled jobs in construction and other fields.

The US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and asked its citizens to remain vigilant and monitor local news.

Analysts described the rare shooting as the latest example of Isis returning to carrying out random international attacks after losing its fief in Iraq and Syria.

"It makes them more resilient in some ways," Aaron Y Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the Associated Press. "It's part of their reorganisation from being a group with most of its actions in Iraq and Syria to using their resources in a global network."

Isis have long targeted Shia Muslims in their violent attacks and propaganda, describing them as heretics. The group claimed responsibility for an attack in Shia-majority Iran that killed 84 people in January.

In March, the group said it was behind an attack that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow.
(Bloomberg) -- Oman said six people were killed in an attack on a Shiite Muslim mosque in Muscat, a rare incident of violence in the Gulf nation that the Islamic State terror group later claimed.

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A policeman and five other people were killed and 28 others were wounded in the attack, the state-run Oman News Agency said. Three perpetrators were also killed. The agency said the incident was still being investigated.

SITE, an organization which tracks jihadist channels, said the al-Qaeda offshoot Islamic State claimed the attack in a Telegram post. The group said three of its members opened fire at a gathering for Shiite Muslims and exchanged fire with security forces in the Wadi Al-Kabeer area. Bloomberg was not immediately able to verify the statement.

Islamic States attacks in the Middle East have remained mostly focused in Syria, against government forces and their allies. The incident in Muscat comes at a volatile time in the region, with the war in Gaza entering its 10th month and mounting concern that another war between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by the US, could ignite at any moment.

Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the X social media site that four of its nationals were killed in what it said was a dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque. Another 30 Pakistanis were receiving treatment, it said.

The shooting came on the eve of Ashoura, a day of commemoration for Shiite Muslims, which are typically a minority in most of the Gulf Arab states.

Omans Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Albusaidi expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the brutal attack.

Some Gulf countries witnessed attacks on Shiite mosques after the rise of Islamic State, which seized swaths of land in Iraq and Syria in 2014. A US-led coalition has extensively diminished the size of the group, which claimed a deadly attack in Moscow earlier this year.

What Is ISIS-K? Where Could It Attack After Russia?: QuickTake

(Updates with Islamic State claim)

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(Bloomberg) -- Negotiations aimed at winding down Israels nine-month war on Hamas in Gaza face four key sticking points, including which hostages should be released, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

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Other issues include whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to his demands that Hamas be barred from northern Gaza, according to the people, who asked not be identified because they arent authorized to speak publicly. Additionally, Netanyahu wants his forces to retain control of a key southern border corridor and that he should not be bound to an indefinite cease-fire.

Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, when it was attacked by thousands of militants who killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage. The group returned 110 captives and Israel released about three times as many Palestinian detainees during a seven-day cease-fire that ended Dec. 1. US President Joe Biden unveiled proposals for another truce May 31, but talks since then have failed to yield results.

Israel says 120 hostages remain in Gaza, 32 of them women, children and elderly or infirm men who should be freed during an initial six-week suspension of hostilities under Bidens draft deal. However, two people briefed on the negotiations said Hamas is insisting it has only 18 living hostages in that cohort.

Israel has said Hamas should return men of military age to get closer to the quota of 32. Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union, has said a release of hostages in that category would only take place during a second stage of any cease-fire.

Netanyahu is also insisting on an independent mechanism to guarantee that no operatives from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Iranian-backed militant group, or their weaponry be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip, the people said. That demand appears to square with Bidens proposal that civilians be allowed back to their homes.

However, one person briefed on the talks said that condition may be futile, because any undiscovered weapons caches that remain in the north could be accessed by fighters posing as civilians.

Another potential sticking point is a provision that requires Israel to withdraw its forces from Gazas populated areas. While Hamas and Egypt have called for any withdrawal to include the southern city of Rafah and a nearby corridor on the border with Egypt, Netanyahu has said a continued Israeli presence is critical.

Under Bidens proposals, on the 16th day of the initial truce Israel and Hamas would start mediated talks on a second stage. If those negotiations proved to be protracted, the initial truce would be extended beyond the allotted six weeks, according to the US president.

Netanyahus administration is concerned Hamas could use this provision to extend the truce indefinitely and is therefore demanding a six-week cut-off, at which point hostilities could potentially resume.

The truce talks gained momentum after Hamas dropped objections to Bidens proposed deal on July 7. Within days, negotiators met in Qatar and Egypt, which are leading the latest mediation efforts. Talks appeared to have slowed since the weekend, when Israel struck central Gazas in a bid to kill Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.

These discussions are ongoing, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday. We want to bring our people home and back to their families.

Bassem Naim, a Hamas official, declined to comment. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan last week said there are still miles to go in the talks.

More than 38,000 Palestinians have died in the fighting, according to Hamas, which doesnt distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel says its killed some 14,000 fighters.

--With assistance from Fares Akram and Stuart Livingstone-Wallace.

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By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An elite Israeli military intelligence unit may once again be about to prove its value to the nation's tech economy as Google's parent eyes cybertech company Wiz for an eyewatering $23 billion.

Alphabet Inc , a person familiar has said, is in advanced talks to buy Wiz from founder Assaf Rappaport, a former officer from the famed 8200 military unit, which has built a track record in turning out tech entrepreneurs.

As the war in Gaza squeezes Israel's economy, the deal underscores the resilience of the tech industry, which accounts for some 20% of the country's output and around 15% of jobs. It also highlights the military's role in developing one of Israel's most successful sectors.

Along with universities, Israel's military intelligence and technology units, such as 8200, have provided the leaders for hundreds of tech start ups, helping to turn Israel into what is widely considered the No. 2 tech centre globally after Silicon Valley.

Check Point Software Technologies, Nice, Palo Alto Networks, CyberArk, Wix and Waze - bought by Google for $1 billion - are a handful of companies whose founders have military roots.

Rappaport credits the Israeli military for his success, once calling the 8200 unit "the best school of entrepreneurship."

He served there with his "army buddies" Yinon Costica, Roy Reznik and Ami Luttwak, with whom he co-founded his previous cloud security company Adallom in 2012, which they sold to Microsoft three years later for $320 million.

In 2020, at the outset of the COVID pandemic, the four started cloud cyber security company Wiz, rapidly building it into a company that was given a $12 billion valuation after a $1 billion funding round in May this year.

"In a way it's like raising tigers and then releasing them to the wild," Gili Raanan, founder of Venture capital firm Cyberstarts and general partner at Sequoia Capital said of the intelligence units.

8200 GRADUATES DOMINATE

He said being from an elite intelligence unit is not a requirement for him when investing, however, "90% to 95% of the teams I see are made up made up of 8200 graduates."

"So whether I look into that or not, that's the talent pool I am looking at."

Part of the reason is the free wheeling, meritocratic nature of the units, which allow their graduates to move smoothly into the startup world after their service ends, said Raanan, who was an initial investor in both Adallom and Wiz - now headquartered in New York with R&D in Tel Aviv.

Story continues

Rappaport did not initially want to accept money from Sequoia for Adallom in 2012 and declined a number of meeting requests from Raanan.

Raanan insisted and he eventually agreed to meet at a gas station about 40 minutes north of Tel Aviv. "Essentially we signed the terms on a napkin in a gas station."

While Israel has mandatory post-high school military service, the intelligence units have the right of first refusal so they "can screen for the best people," said Dror Bin, chief executive of the Israel Innovation Authority.

8200 is the army's main information gathering unit, where 18-21-year old soldiers develop and use tools to gather information, which they pass on to senior officials. It's Israel's version of the U.S. National Security Agency.

Less known is 81, the Intelligence Corps Technological Unit that supplies cutting-edge technologies to Israeli combat soldiers.

Rappaport also served in this unit, which has been the launchpad for many cyber, AI and fintech firms once soldiers return to civilian life.

START-UP STRENGTH

Despite the cloud cast over the economy by the Gaza war, Israeli companies have been among the major beneficiaries of the boom in demand for cloud security and have benefited from a number of strong financing rounds.

Industry group Startup Nation Central on Wednesday said in a report that private funding in Israeli startups rose 31% to $5.1 billion in the first half of 2024 from the second half of 2023, with cybersecurity contributing 52% of the funding.

"One might expect the 'Israeli factor' to have a stronger impact on the Israeli tech activity, but the data suggests otherwise," Avi Hasson, Startup Nation Central chief executive, said.

If the Wiz acquisition goes ahead, it would eclipse a $15.3 billion purchase of Mobileye by Intel in 2017 and provide at least $1 billion of tax income into Israeli coffers.

"Even if it doesn't happen, it's a sign of confidence in the Israeli tech sector," said Bin.

"Deciding to make such a big investment in an Israeli based company during time of war means that it's really a good deal," he said adding he expected to see more.

"There are many good targets in Israel today for such acquisitions. And maybe even this potential decision of Google will accelerate investment decisions of others."

Amiram Shachar, CEO and co-founder of Israeli cloud security firm Upwind Security said Google potentially buying Wiz is the "best thing" that could have happened for both the cybersecurity and cloud industries and Israel's ecosystem will benefit.

"It confirms that the cloud is the future," he said, "and underscores the need to build comprehensive platforms, not just feature-specific companies, to protect it."

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Iowa State University researchers have identified receptors for the avian flu on dairy cattle mammary glands. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

As avian influenza is being detected in more and more dairy herds across the U.S., Iowa State University researchers have found a possible why connection to the virus being found in raw milk.

A study published this month by a team in ISUs College of Veterinary Medicine found that bovine mammary gland tissue held receptors for the avian influenza virus, offering a potential explanation for how cattle are being infected.

Todd Bell, a professor of veterinary pathology and co-author of the study, said the idea to look at mammary glands as a potential entry point for the virus came after it was identified in raw milk. Two ISU alums in the spring identified an illness impacting cattle in Texas as avian flu, and ever since different teams at the university and in partnerships with other organizations have been working to tackle the virus and its spread from different angles.

They really answered the what, what was actually going on, what was making these cattle sick, which is a new and novel finding, and then our job, really, at that point as researchers was to understand the why,  Bell said. Weve never seen this before. Why is this happening?

To understand the concept, Bell suggested thinking of viruses as like keys, and receptors are like locks to cells. In order for the avian flu virus to enter a cell and reproduce, it needs the right receptor. The research team found that receptor on cattle mammary glands.

Another receptor they found is connected to human influenza, Bell said, which is important because it opens up the possibility of a cell being infected by both viruses, potentially causing the creation of a new virus.

To our knowledge, that hasnt happened yet in this particular outbreak, but we wanted to look for those receptors to understand what might be possible and hopefully stop the transmission and stop that from happening, Bell said.

The team also looked at the respiratory system to try and identify evidence of the bird flu, but found little there, narrowing down the possibilities of how cattle are being infected.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, as of July 12 the avian influenza had been detected in dairy herds in 12 states, including 13 herds in Iowa. While the virus is being detected in raw milk, the pasteurization process ensures it is safe to be consumed.

Research may inform preventative policies

While Bell and his colleagues work is still very much focused on the why of avian flu in dairy herds and its spread, he said the hope is that their research will help inform regulators in making decisions on testing and biosecurity measures to try and stop the spread of the virus. He said there is some literature that states the virus can live on milking machines for a few hours after an infected cow is hooked up to them, offering one potential method of spread.

We hope that what we find will help them make those types of decisions, specifically if we can find it in mammary tissue, then how do we stop it from getting to that mammary tissue in the first place, Bell said.

Next steps for Bell and his colleagues include looking at the milk and mammary glands of other domestic animals, like sheep and goats, to see if they also carry receptors for the avian flu. Bell said they will also look at their respiratory systems and gastrointestinal tracts to see if the flu could have other points of entry, like if a wild bird with the virus defecates into a water supply and farm animals drink the infected water.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said during Iowa Press last week that longitudinal studies are also being conducted on farms to test every single animal housed there in order to track how the virus moves and determine how it exits the herd.

Because it will, it will eventually exit that herd and you want to be able to track those things and have an expectation of how long does that last, he said during the program.

This story was produced by Iowa Capital-Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate.
ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM)  An Ithaca man is facing multiple charges after police say they found a rifle, a bulletproof vest, and ammo in his home.

Jerimiah C. Greenidge, 25, was arrested on July 16 after an investigation into recent shootings and weapons violations in the City of Ithaca. According to the Ithaca Police Department, officers searched Greenridges apartment at the Arthaus, located at 130 Cherry St., on a warrant.

Wanted Groton man arrested on numerous charges after police chase

During the search, police allegedly found and seized an AR-15-style rifle, a ballistic vest, several high-capacity magazines, and numerous roads of ammunition.

Greenidge was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (class D felonies) and one count of unlawful purchase of body armor (a class A misdemeanor),

Greenidges charges were read in the Ithaca City Court and he was taken to the Tompkins County Jail. He is currently being held at the jail on $50,000 cash bail/$100,000 bond/$250,000 partially secured bond.

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In 2022, then-Senate candidate J.D. Vance sat down with Aimee Terese  a pundit and podcaster little known to the American public, but prominent in the sloppy trenches of hyper-online digital reactionaries  and removed his filter.

I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally, Vance said in the episode, explaining why regulating abortion at the state level wouldnt work. Lets say Roe v. Wade is overruled, he said. Ohio bans abortion  you know, in lets say 2024. And then, every day, George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California. And of course, the left will celebrate this as a victory for diversity.

It wasnt the only time that Vance would express support for a national abortion ban: Later that year, he characterized a 15-week national abortion ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham as totally reasonable.

Now, Vance is running on the Republican ticket with Donald Trump, who is attempting to run as an abortion moderate despite appointing three Supreme Court justices who were integral to overturning Roe v. Wade. As such, Vances history as an anti-abortion hardliner  who compared abortion to slavery  is being rewritten and sanitized.

On Monday, The New York Times erroneously wrote that Mr. Vance, like Mr. Trump, opposes a national abortion ban, saying the issue should now be left to the states. (The piece has since been corrected.)

But the state-by-state approach, the one panned by Vance, isnt a moderate policy by any means, and is in fact quite cruel.

The news that came out of Ohio after Roe was overturned and the state banned the procedure wasnt George Soros loading up 747s in Columbus to transport women to California for abortions. No, the national news story out of Ohio was about a 10-year-old girl who had to travel to Indiana for an abortion, after she was raped by her mothers boyfriend. (Vance called this story tragic, before blaming it on Democrats allowing undocumented immigrants into the country.)

In the podcast, Vance continued on with his hypothetical about California and Soros, a Democratic megadonor and perpetual bogeyman for the right. If that happens, do you need some federal response to prevent it from happening? he asked. Because its really creepy.

Hopefully we get to a point where Ohio bans abortion and California and the Soroses of the world respect it, he said.

Last year, after Ohio voters enshrined the right to abortion access in the states constitution through a ballot referendum, Vance was distraught. For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it, he wrote in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter. Weve spent so much time winning a legal argument on abortion that weve fallen behind on the moral argument.

There is something sociopathic about a political movement that tells young women (and men) that it is liberating to murder their own children, he added. So lets keep fighting for our countrys children, and lets find a way to win.

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J.D. Vance Isn't the Bridge-Building VP That Moderates Wanted: What He's Said About Women, Voting and Project 2025

Donald Trump's running mate was once a self-proclaimed Never Trumper. Now, the junior Ohio senator is moving the Republican ticket to the fringes

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance walks into the Senate chamber on April 23, 2024

After hosting months of running mate auditions on the national stage, Donald Trump decided to bring J.D. Vance onto the 2024 Republican ticket, citing the first-term Ohio senator's Ivy League education, military service and "successful business career" as factors in his decision.

Trump's VP pick pleased his most loyal fans, who see 39-year-old Vance as a promising young crusader to carry on the MAGA torch for decades to come  but it wasn't well-received by everyone, including a swath of corporate donors and moderate voters who hoped that Trump would use his No. 2 slot to diversify the ticket and widen his base.

Related: Everything J.D. Vance Has Said Against Donald Trump, His 2024 Presidential Election Running Mate

After less than two years in Congress, Vance is a political rookie, and his brief career in venture capitalism leaves him with little business record to run on. Since launching his first political campaign in 2021, Vance has flip-flopped from his "never Trump" days to embrace the far-right's mission, at times going a step further than the former president in terms of what he'll publicly endorse.

Here's everything to know about Vance's controversies and political views, including his thoughts on human rights, foreign policy and Project 2025.

Jim WATSON/getty Presidential candidate Donald Trump shakes the hand of his running mate, J.D. Vance, during the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024

Vance wants to end abortion, and once called rape and incest exceptions 'inconvenient'

Vance has repeatedly expressed firmly anti-choice views and he campaigned for the Senate on a platform to ban abortion. Though he once called exceptions for rape and incest "inconvenient," saying that "two wrongs don't make a right," he later acknowledged the "political reality" that adding exceptions makes abortion bans more palatable to voters.

The senator has offered mixed messaging on whether he supports a federal abortion ban, more recently saying that the issue should be primarily left to states. But he has left the door open for backing federal legislation. You can have some minimum national standards, which is my view, while also allowing the states to make up their minds, he said during a 2022 debate.

When Roe v. Wade was overturned, Vance released a statement saying, "Today is a great day. ... We now enter a new phase of the pro-life movement."

He opposed Ohio's 2023 ballot measure to enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution, which passed with 57% of the vote, and while he joined fellow Senate Republicans in saying that he supports IVF, he voted down a Democratic-led bill to safeguard access to IVF. He also sat out on a vote about whether Congress should move to protect contraception.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Usha Chilukuri Vance and J.D. Vance, who were married in 2014, attend the RNC together on July 15

Vance suggested that people should stay in 'violent' marriages to preserve their kids' happiness

Speaking at a Christian high school on the Senate campaign trail, Vance suggested that leaving "unhappy" and "even violent" marriages poses a threat to children. He praised his own grandparents, whom he described as violent toward one another, for staying in their "incredibly chaotic marriage."

This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, Well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, thats going to make people happier in the long term,' " Vance said.

He added that he's "skeptical" about whether dysfunctional couples can be happier after divorcing, and said that the "experiment" of divorce is bad for children whether or not it works out for the parents.

Vance has since accused the media of twisting his words, saying that as a victim of domestic violence, he does not condone it.

Related: Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Explains Comments About People Staying in Unhappy, 'Even Violent' Marriages

Vance proposed that parents be given more voting power by voting on behalf of their underage children

In his crusade to incentivize traditional family units, Vance once proposed that parents be given more than one vote at the ballot box.

The Democrats are talking about giving the vote to 16-year-olds, he said in 2021, according to The Guardian. Lets do this instead. Lets give votes to all children in this country, but lets give control over those votes to the parents of the children."

Asked if he'd be okay allowing "non-parents" a smaller voice in democracy, he responded affirmatively, and accused "the childless left"  specifically naming Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cory Booker  of setting a bad example of family-starting.

Vance added that he believes the U.S. should follow the lead of Hungary's far-right government by rewarding newly married couples with loans to start families. If the partners stay together and have kids, they would have their loans forgiven. "Why cant we actually promote family formation? he said.

Drew Angerer/Getty J.D. Vance shakes hands with Donald Trump during a rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022

Vance said he 'doesn't really care what happens to Ukraine'

Vance's outspoken foreign policy positions fall mostly in line with Trump's isolationist vision for America, as he's repeatedly downplayed Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat and signaled that the United States should pull funding from Ukraine and focus on quickly ending the war, even if that results in Ukraine forfeiting territory.

"I think it's ridiculous that we're focused on this border in Ukraine," he told a right-wing news outlet during his Senate campaign. "I gotta be honest with you, I don't really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another."

Far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban  who has worried his fellow NATO allies by becoming increasingly close to Putin and withholding his country's support for Ukraine  was seemingly rooting for Vance to join the White House ticket.

Orban's political director, Balazs Orban, repeatedly took to X in the days after Vance's nomination to praise Trump's running mate choice.

Vance said he wants to ban pornography, and blamed it for low birth rates

In an interview with Catholic media outlet Crisis Magazine, Vance told the reporter that he believes porn should be outright banned in the United States, a position that made it into the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 blueprint for the next Republican-led administration.

I think the combination of porn, abortion have basically created a really lonely, isolated generation that isnt getting married, theyre not having families, and theyre actually not even totally sure how to interact with each other," Vance said.

Vance opposes LGBTQ+ rights and has pushed harmful 'groomer' rhetoric about gay people

Vance has used his platform to target the LGBTQ+ community and promote the "parental rights" movement that birthed "Don't Say Gay" legislation.

Vance expressed opposition to the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act  which enshrined federal gay marriage protections just before he was elected  and during his first year in office he introduced legislation that would make providing gender-affirming care to minors a class C felony.

Vance has equated conversations around LGBTQ+ identities with the "sexualization of children." Like many other far-right politicians and parental rights groups in recent years, he called people who support education around LGBTQ+ topics "groomers."

By definition, a "groomer" is someone who exploits the naivety of minors over time, often with the goal of coaxing them toward engaging in sexual activity. The term has more recently been used by conservatives to describe gay and transgender people, putting the queer community at greater risk of hate by falsely casting LGBTQ+ people as perverse and criminal.

"I'll stop calling people 'groomers' when they stop freaking out about bills that prevent the sexualization of my children," Vance wrote on X in 2022.

AP Photo/Michael Conroy J.D. Vance speaks at a campaign rally alongside Donald Trump on Nov. 7, 2022

Vance is the VP candidate that Project 2025's leaders wanted

One of the Trump campaign's biggest vulnerabilities right now is Project 2025, which includes a sweeping 900-page plan to turn the federal government into a MAGA machine and marry church and state at the highest levels of government. It was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has advised every Republican administration since Ronald Reagan.

Though Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025 in recent weeks (despite previously saying that he would rely on it to "save America"), Vance has been a clear ally of the movement.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said that Vance "is absolutely going to be one of the leaders  if not the leader  of our movement."

Roberts later said that the Heritage Foundation was privately rooting for Vance to become Trump's running mate, according to The New York Times, and he called the vice presidential candidate "a man who personifies hope for our nations future."

Related: What Is Project 2025? Inside the Far-Right Plan Threatening Everything from the Word 'Gender' to Public Education

Vance has been a big proponent of one of the major pieces of Project 2025, which calls for replacing career civil service workers in federal government with Trump loyalists.

"I think that what Trump should do, like, if I was giving him one piece of advice, fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state. Replace them with our people," Vance told George Stephanopoulos in February. "And when the courts  because you will get taken to court  and when the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did, and say 'The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.' "

Of Project 2025 specifically, he's said, "There are some good ideas in there."



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Read the original article on People.
MILWAUKEE (NEXSTAR)  The third day of the Republican National Convention is all about the Republican pick for vice president.

Trumps new running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, will accept the Republican nomination for vice president.

Im very excited about this evening, Vance said.

While Senator Vance has made several appearances, Wednesday night will be the first time the political newcomer will address the nation as the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

Were gonna get out there and try to fire up the crowd tonight and make the case a very easy case to make, but an important case to make that we have got to re-elect President Donald J. Trump, he said.

Vance sprung onto the political scene after writing a memoir highlighting his working-class roots in the Rust Belt.

Delegates and lawmakers say Vance checks all the right boxes. At 39 years old, the Marine Corps veteran turned businessman turned senator, would become the first millennial vice president if elected.

This truly is a generational reach and people can relate to him, Florida delegate Tom Gaitens said.

In 2016 Vance criticized Trump for, leading the white working class to a very dark place. He has since become one of Trumps most vocal defenders.

Other prominent MAGA loyalists will deliver remarks ahead of Vances prime-time slot, including Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump Jr.

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, who was just released from federal prison Wednesday morning, is also expected to speak.

Wednesdays theme is Make America Strong Again and will focus on foreign policy and border security.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Actor Jack Black has canceled upcoming tour dates for Tenacious D after his bandmate, Kyle Gass, made a controversial comment about Donald Trump during a show in Australia  a comment that led one politician to call for the deportation of the comedy rock duo.

In a statement shared on social media, Black said he was blindsided by Gass' comment about the shooting at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday. Trump survived the attack with a wound to his ear, but the assassination attempt killed one person being killed and critically injured two others.

Gass made the controversial comment when he was presented with a birthday cake during their Sydney concert and was asked what his birthday wish was. "Don't miss Trump next time," he replies, according to videos from fans in the audience.

Black laughed at the joke on stage but later said he was blindsided by the comment. "I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form," Black said in a statement Tuesday.

Kyle Gass, left, and Jack Black of Tenacious D perform at PNC Music Pavilion on Sept. 6, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. / Credit: / Getty Images

"After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold," he said. "I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding."

Gass also apologized for the remark. "The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake," he said Monday in a statement on social media. "I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I profoundly apologize to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused."

Gass' agent parted ways with him after the comment, according to BBC News.

An Australian senator called for the deportation of Gass on Monday. "Tenacious D should be immediately removed from the country after wishing for the assassination of Donald Trump at their Sydney concert," Sen. Ralph Babet said in a statement.

Babet condemned the call for political violence, saying what Gass said was not a joke. "To advocate and or wish for the assassination of a president is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form," Babet said.

"Anything less than deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump, the 45th and soon-to-be 47th President of the United States," said Babet, the only senator from the right-wing United Australia Party.

During the popular Australian radio show "Kyle and Jackie O," host Kyle Sandilands said Tenacious D was now banned from the show, according to local news outlets.

After the shooting, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement that he was shocked by the event and relieved that Trump is safe.

"Let us be clear. The people at that event  the candidate, the crowd, the free press covering it  were participating in the democratic process. In Australia, as in the United States, the essence and the purpose of our democracies is that we can express our views, debate our disagreements and resolve our differences peacefully," said Albanese, a member of the center-left Australian Labor Party, adding that any act of violence is an affront to democracy that should be condemned.

Other comedians have previously been criticized for appearing to encourage violence against Trump. In 2017, Kathy Griffin released an image of a fake Trump head, severed from his body and dripping in blood.

Griffin apologized for the video, which nearly cost the comedian her career, with her tour canceled, CNN ending her job as New Year's Eve host alongside Anderson Cooper, being investigated and being added to a no-fly list.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says "not even an assassin's bullet could stop" Trump in RNC speech

Gov. Glenn Youngkin says Trump told him "rewrite your speech, too" ahead of RNC

Biden on what it would take for him to drop out of race, increases Black and Latino outreach
Black and Gass of duo Tenacious D accept the award for Comeback of the Year at the fifth annual Golden Gods awards at Club Nokia in Los Angeles

SYDNEY (Reuters) - American comedy-rock duo Tenacious D, formed by actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, suspended the rest of its Australian tour after comments made by Gass over the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump.

A video widely shared on social media from the concert in Sydney on Sunday showed Gass being presented with a birthday cake and Black urging him to make a wish. Gass then seemed to say "don't miss Trump next time" before blowing out the candles.

Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, which the FBI is probing as an assassination attempt. The former president has since attended the Republican National Convention with a thick bandage over his right ear.

Gass on Tuesday apologised on Instagram for his "severe lack of judgment" and said the comments were inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. Black said he was "blindsided" by the comments and that he would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.

"After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold," Black said.

Black, who has starred in School of Rock, The Holiday and Jumanji and was the leading voice role in the Kung Fu Panda animated movies, has been a vocal supporter of Joe Biden and had attended a re-election fundraiser event for him in June.

Tenacious D was formed in 1994 by Gass and Black in Los Angeles where the duo performed their "mock rock" routines in local bars. Their show in Newcastle on Tuesday was cancelled and they were scheduled to perform in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide, and in New Zealand later this month, before the tour was cancelled.

Gass's comments drew strong rebuke from Australian politicians including Australia's ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd, who said people joking about violence made him feel sick and that they must "grow up and find a decent job."

Senator Ralph Babet of the United Australia party said the band should be deported immediately.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)
Special counsel Jack Smith has formally filed an appeal against U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannons shock ruling on Monday that dismissed former President Donald Trumps indictment in his classified documents case.

The appeal, filed in the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday, argues against Cannons conclusion that Smiths appointment by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to prosecute Trump is unconstitutional because it did not go through Congress. Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, also claimed that Smiths office was improperly funded by the Justice Department.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Smiths office, said in a statement released immediately following Cannons ruling that her decision breaks from how special prosecutors have previously and legally been appointed.

Special counsel Jack Smith has formally filed an appeal against a Florida judge's dismissal on Monday of 40 charges against former President Donald Trump in his classified documents case. AP

The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel, Carr said.

He said Smiths office is not offering further comment in a statement that announced the special counsels appeal.

Trump faced 40 charges that accused him of illegally mishandling classified records after leaving the White House and of trying to obstruct the governments efforts to recover them from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump, reacting to Cannons decision on Monday, said it was a first step toward Uniting our Nation in a Truth Social post. He called for his other legal cases to be dismissed as well.

Smiths indictment could be reinstated if successfully appealed by prosecutors, though its not likely to go to trial before the November presidential election.

Related...
On Tue., July 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Joven Montecer Reyes, 39, Jacksonville, to 7 years and 11 months in federal prison after pleading guilty for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

During an investigation by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, law enforcement found Reyes cell phone contained over 200 images and 300 videos of CSAM. Investigators said he was sending the material over a social media website towards the end of 2022.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office, and the Clay County Sheriffs Office were all involved in this case.

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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  The two former Bitwise CEOs, Jake Soberol and Irma Olguin Jr., pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court as part of a plea agreement they made following the fall of the tech company last year.

Both Soberal and Olguin pleaded guilty to felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Wednesday. The two changed their pleas to guilty after reaching a plea agreement earlier this month, allowing them to walk out on their own after the hearing.

Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. leaving Fresnos federal court building.

Both Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. will remain out of custody on supervised release. Their guilty plea was made in front of a packed courtroom of family and many former Bitwise employees.

Bitwise Furloughs: YourCentralValley.coms complete coverage

The terms of the plea state the government will recommend the low-end sentence for the charges  and Soberal and Olguin will ordered to pay restitution to victims an amount the court says will not be over $115 million. It also orders the pair to forfeit all assets in order to pay restitution.

A former Bitwise employee at Wednesdays hearing says she doubts she will ever receive any money in restitution, and explained the hardship she continues to face after she lost her job in early 2023.

Whats inside Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr.s Bitwise plea deal in federal court?

I would be happy with my last paycheck because it set me back for this whole year. Ive been set back, our money and my kids, and I am struggling and Im really trying hard to keep a roof over our heads, said Laura Splotch, former BitWise employee.

The pair returns to federal court in Fresno for their sentencing hearing on November 6.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Great Quest Fertilizer Ltd.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Quest Fertilizer Ltd (TSXV:GQ) (Great Quest or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced acquisition of a 25% ownership interest in Belmont Mineral Exploration (Pty) Ltd. (Belmont), a Namibian private company (the Transaction).



Belmont holds, directly or through option agreements, 14 exclusive prospecting licenses covering 307,778 hectares of exploration licenses, including the Khorixas Gold Project, the Omatjete Gold and Lithium Project, and the Outjo Gold Project (collectively, the Projects). Please see the Companys press releases dated December 21, 2023 and May 27, 2024 for further details regarding the Transaction.

As consideration for an initial 25% equity interest in Belmont, Great Quest has:

Paid the Namibian dollar equivalent of USD$60,000 in cash to the vendor; and Agreed to fund the Namibian dollar equivalent of USD$1,400,000 for exploration expenditures on the Projects within 24 months of closing of the Transaction.

Following, the closing of the Transaction, Great Quest can acquire an additional 26% ownership interest in Belmont by funding the Namibian dollar equivalent of USD$1,400,000 for exploration expenditures on the Projects.

Pursuant to an assignment and assumption agreement dated December 20, 2023, as amended, with Sulliden Mining Capital Inc. (Sulliden), Great Quest has (i) issued 5 million Great Quest common shares to Sulliden; (ii) agreed to pay Sulliden (A) USD$50,000 in cash within 90 days of closing the Transaction and (B) USD$50,000 within 180 days of closing the Transaction; and (iii) agreed to reimburse Sullidens costs of CAD$115,824.59 within 90 days of closing the Transaction. The Great Quest common shares issued to Sulliden are subject to a four-month statutory hold period.

About Great Quest

Great Quest Fertilizer Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the development of African gold projects. The Companys flagship asset is the Sanoukou Gold Project, encompassing 24 km2 located in the Kayes region to the West of Mali and developing the Tilemsi Phosphate Project a 1,206 km parcel in northeastern Mali, containing high quality phosphate resources amenable to use as direct application fertilizer. Great Quest is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GQ, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol GQM.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF GREAT QUEST FERTILIZER LTD.

Jed Richardson

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information



Story continues

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the Transaction, the prospectivity of the Projects, the Companys future plans and objectives. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT: For more information: Please contact Jed Richardson by email at info@greatquest.com




Japan will shoulder $3.3 billion of the loan pledged by the Group of Seven (G7) to Ukraine covered by Russian assets proceeds, Kyodo News reported on July 17, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.

The G7 pledged the $50-billion loan to Ukraine during a June summit in Italy to aid the country as it faces Russia's full-scale invasion. It should be repaid using revenue from the roughly $300 billion Russian assets frozen in the accounts of Western countries and other partners.

The sum, which Ukraine hopes to receive by the end of the year before a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House, includes a $20-billion pledge by the U.S. and the EU each, Kyodo News wrote.

Japan, Canada, and the U.K. are expected to cover the remaining $10 billion. Ottawa previously said it is ready to shoulder $5 billion of the loan.

Sources told Kyodo News that individual EU member states who also sit in the G7  Italy, Germany, and France  will not participate in the lending program at the moment as they are focused on similar efforts within the EU framework.

This confirms the words of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said in June that individual EU countries would not be directly involved and would instead help develop a guarantee mechanism for repaying the loan.

Under a separate program, the EU said it would soon provide the first tranche of 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) from the frozen Russian assets profits to fund Ukraine's reconstruction and defense needs.

Read also: G7 loan from Russian assets not substitute for full confiscation, experts say

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Northwest ICE Processing Center. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)

Washington Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Adam Smith on Tuesday renewed their call to close all for-profit federal immigration detention centers.

Their letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas comes just days after Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray requested federal auditors investigate health care services at the Northwest ICE Processing Center, a privately-run detention facility in Tacoma.

Jayapal and Smith write that their letter was spurred by news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is closing a facility in Texas but plans to expand immigration detention overall.

We are deeply troubled that ICE plans to use the cost savings from this closure to expand the use of immigration detention, in particular facilities operated by private, for-profit prison companies, the two representatives write.

The letter cites a recent report from Physicians for Human Rights which found 95% of the 52 deaths in ICE custody reported between 2017 to 2021 were preventable, and 13 of the 15 immigration detention centers with the highest number of deaths were run by companies  including GEO Group, which operates the Tacoma facility and another facility in California.

Some of the most egregious abuses of immigrants occurred in detention facilities run by private companies, the letter reads. Unnecessary medical interventions, forced labor, abuse of solitary confinement, and intimidation have run rampant at privately operated detention centers.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The Tacoma facility has a history of detainees reporting abuses similar to those outlined in Jayapal and Smiths letter, and hunger strikes are common.

Northwest ICE Processing Center uses solitary confinement more than any other immigration detention facility in the country, University of Washington researchers say. ICE says they use segregation, distinct from solitary confinement because detainees in segregation are afforded certain privileges. Experts say theres not much of a difference.

In March, 61-year-old Charles Leo Daniel died at the facility while in solitary confinement, spurring calls for a federal investigation. The Pierce County medical examiner said in a report released last month that Daniel died of natural causes related to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Immigration detention is meant to be civil in nature, not punitive. Yet immigrants detained by ICE in facilities increasingly operated by private prison companies face punishing conditions and neglect that some do not survive, the letter continues.

The letter also notes that President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021 to phase out use of for-profit federal prisons, but no such directive was issued for the immigration system. In fact, the use of private prisons in the immigration system has grown.

As of July 2023, about 91% of individuals in immigration detention were held in facilities owned or operated by private companies, up from 81% in 2020, according to an August 2023 report from the American Civil Liberties Union cited in the letter.

Jayapal and Smith are co-sponsors of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would bring increased oversight and transparency to federal detention centers. First introduced in 2022, it was re-introduced again in 2023 but has stalled.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. GEO said that the company takes exception to the allegations that have been made regarding the services we provide at GEO-contracted ICE Processing Centers.

We are proud of the role our company has played for close to 40 years to support the interior enforcement mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the company said in a statement.
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) will deliver the keynote speech at the RNC on Wednesday night, marking his first full-length public appearance after Donald Trump selected him as a vice presidential candidate.

Vance has made the transition, at once remarkable and utterly familiar, over the past eight years from comparing Trump to cultural heroin to now fervently helping to sell him to the masses. Hes ambitious, a quality demonstrated by more than his shift to supporting Trump: since being elected to the Senate in 2022, hes articulated an aggressive agenda that includes deprioritizing support for Ukraine in favor of China, imposing a tariff on all imports, and ceasing federal efforts to support the transition to green energy.

A lot of this is relatively standard GOP policy, dressed up in the belligerent and aggrieved tone of modern Trumpism. Its not clear what favor Vances policy preferences will even have in the White House. If Trumps first term was any indication, hell rule largely on whim. Besides, look what happened to Vances predecessor.

Well be following along below:
JD Vance endorsed a candidate in a hot Ariz. congressional race. It's not who Trump picked

Former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024.

MILWAUKEE  President Donald Trump and his freshly nominated running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are backing different Republican candidates in the increasingly bitter GOP race to replace the retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has thrown his weight behind former Arizona attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh, an ally of U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake.

Vance, nominated Monday at the Republican National Convention as the GOP vice-presidential candidate, previously had endorsed venture capitalist Blake Masters to represent much of the northwestern Phoenix metro area in Congress.

Hamadeh and Masters have become fierce rivals in the six-way primary race that also includes former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, state Sen. Anthony Kern, Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma and political newcomer Patrick Pat Briody.

Vance endorsed Masters last year, long before he was tapped by Trump. But Masters reupped the endorsement Tuesday on social media in light of Vance's big curtain call at the Milwaukee convention.

Thrilled to be ENDORSED in my House race by our next Vice President, J.D. Vance!  pic.twitter.com/xl8EiikTke  Blake Masters (@bgmasters) July 16, 2024

Masters posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a photo of him and Vance.

"Thrilled to be ENDORSED in my House race by our next Vice President, J.D. Vance!," Masters wrote.

Masters traveled to the GOP gathering at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum this week "to be here with friends, to see Trump, and I didn't want to miss history," he told The Arizona Republic on Monday evening.

He described Vance as a "personal friend." Both are allies of the tech entrepreneur and billionaire Peter Thiel.

Earlier this month, a top Trump adviser asked Masters to take down or revise a TV ad suggesting that Trump had endorsed his candidacy.

Trump did back Masters in his unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid, but is not backing him in his House race.

The TV ad in question puts "Trump endorsed Masters" in capital letters on the screen. It added, in a smaller type font, moments later: In Senate campaign.

On Tuesday, Masters posted a photo of himself with Donald Trump Jr.

Masters is holding a Vance hat. "So ready to elect President Trump and Vice President Vance!"

So ready to elect President Trump and Vice President Vance! @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/xocPNrThbJ  Blake Masters (@bgmasters) July 16, 2024

With two weeks to spare before the July 30 primary election, the 8th Congressional District race is without a clear frontrunner.

The solidly Republican district covers parts of Arizona's Maricopa and Yavapai counties, including the communities of Glendale, Peoria, Sun City West and New River.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: JD Vance splits with Donald Trump in Arizona congressional endorsement
JD Vance is no hillbilly  and knows nothing about real conservative values

Vance is no hillbilly. He's no conservative.

Donald Trump has picked fake hillbilly and former "vulture" capitalist, Ohio U.S. Sen.JD Vance as his running mate.

Vance first gained public attention with his 2016 book "Hillbilly Elegy," a simplistic and self-aggrandizing account of his early life.

In that memoir, Vance attempts (unsuccessfully) to explain Appalachian culture, values and challenges in a way that fits into a standard conservative narrative.

Vance oversimplifies and even misrepresents the Appalachian experience; that allows him to blame the suffering of poverty and addiction on moral and cultural failings, rather than placing the blame where it belongs: economic dislocation and the wide availability of opioids, both caused by unregulated corporate greed.

CARTOONS: From 'America's Hitler' to a 'great president': JD Vance VP nomination in 11 cartoons

In his own words: What has JD Vance written about state, national issues?

With the announcement of Vance's candidacy for vice president, we have now learned that Vance is not a conservative.

By embracing Trump, Vance has adopted a political philosophy of protectionism, xenophobia, and unrestrained executive power in government.

Those are hardly conservative values. They are Authoritarian values.

Brent Taggart, Upper Arlington

Aug. 4, 2023; Columbus, Oh., USA; Sen. J.D. Vance talks with participants of the Ohio State Fair and their families in a barn at the fairgrounds in Columbus.

This was one kid

While I agree wholeheartedly with the need to tamper down the rhetoric, vitriol and hate between the two major political parties, much of it driven by the propaganda machines posing as political news shows and podcasts, let's pump the breaks a bit on this narrative of out-of-control political violence.

This was just one kid, and we still don't know the motive.

Donald Trump rally shooting is tragic. This is not what America stands for.

It's my guess that this was just some boy, a loner who was bullied, had no friends, certainly never had a girlfriend, who wanted to prove something or wanted to be famous, just like all the school shooters.

Oh, and one last thing, Secret Service: do better.

Dave Howell, Columbus

Sleep wouldn't help Trump

Joe Biden has been a fantastic president. Just look at his record, look at what hes accomplished in his life of public service and the last three years as president.

Everyone is worried about the implications of Joe Bidens performance in the first presidential debate.

Could it indicate that he wont be quite as vigorous as he was his first term?

His performance since the debate suggests that with more sleep and fewer scheduled events, he would continue to be the excellent leader he has been.

Joe Biden's warts are showing. We are starting to see his true condition. It isn't pretty.

Do you think that more sleep would eliminate Trumps behavior that has resulted in multiple bankruptcies, two impeachments, adjudicated sexual assault, business fraud and criminal felonies?

Would he quit hanging out with fascists and authoritarian despots? Would he become more sensitive to other people's feelings and needs? Would it make him dial back his vicious rhetoric?

Would he be less of a liar? Of course not.

In November reject all that he and his MAGA party stand for.

Richard D Back, New Albany

"Taking our country back" will lead to Hitler's Germany

The 1965 hit Eve of Destruction prophetically describes the dire straits currently confronting the United States.

A diabolical, morally bankrupt manipulator has successfully engineered a hostile takeover of a political party. He has brainwashed large swaths of the population while creating an impenetrable cult comprised of the gullible, dim witted and hypocritical among us.

The carnage includes the souls of mainstream Republicans, notwithstanding a brave few, who have capitulated to this convicted felon like helpless sea turtles to a killer shark.

The Constitution established the separation of powers, thereby preventing the concentration of power within one individual or facet of government. That guiding principle is currently in grave danger of being obliterated in favor of a mafia-like horde operating under the misplaced guise of taking our country back.

If American voters remain in denial of the threats proposed by Project 2025 as we approach less than 120 days to a landmark election, it is my realistic fear that a totalitarian state, tantamount to that of the demented Hitler Germany will repeat itself.

The fallout is destruction of the precious freedoms, equality and due process so embedded within the lives of our citizens and their ancestors.

Jonathan G. Gurian, Columbus

What do you think?

How can JD Vance help Donald Trump reclaim the White House? Let us know in a letter of 200 words or less emailed to Letters@Dispatch.com.

Include your full name, address and daytime phone number in the email.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: JD Vance is no hillbilly. Trump picked a self-serving phony
JD Vance introduces himself as Trump's running mate and makes direct appeal to his native Rust Belt

MILWAUKEE (AP)  JD Vance introduced himself to a national audience Wednesday after being chosen as Donald Trumps running mate, sharing the story of his hardscrabble upbringing and making the case that his party best understands the challenges facing struggling Americans.

Speaking to a packed arena at the Republican National Convention, the Ohio senator cast himself as fighter for a forgotten working class, making a direct appeal to the Rust Belt voters who helped drive Trumps surprise 2016 victory and voicing their anger and frustration.

In small towns like mine in Ohio, or next door in Pennsylvania, or in Michigan, in states all across our country, jobs were sent overseas and children were sent to war, he said.

To the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and every corner of our nation, I promise you this," he said. "I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator is a relative political unknown, having served in the Senate for less than two years. He rapidly morphed in recent years from a bitter critic of the former president to an aggressive defender and is now positioned to become the future leader of the party and the torch-bearer of Trump's Make America Great Again" political movement.

The first millennial to join the top of a major party ticket, Vance enters the race as questions about the age of the men at the top  78-year-old Trump and 81-year-old President Joe Biden  have been high on the list of voters concerns. He also joins Trump after an assassination attempt against the former president  in which Trump came perhaps millimeters from death or serious injury  underscoring the importance of a potential successor.

But Trumps decision to choose Vance wasnt about picking a running mate or the next vice president, said Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, who introduced the senator at a fundraiser earlier Wednesday.

Donald Trump picked a man in JD Vance that is the future of the country, the future of the Republican Party, the future of the America First movement," he said.

Vance shared his story and introduced his family

In his speech, Vance shared his story of growing up poor in Kentucky and Ohio, his mother addicted to drugs and his father absent. He later joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and went on to the highest levels of U.S. politics  an embodiment of an American dream he said is in now in short supply.

Never in my wildest imagination could I have believed that Id be standing here tonight, he said.

Vance gained prominence following the publication of his bestselling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which tells the story of his blue-collar roots. The book became a must-read for those seeking to understand the cultural forces that propelled Trump to the White House that year. Vance spent years as a Trump critic, assailing the former president with insults, before he changed his mind.

Vance, who had never attended, let alone spoken at a previous Republican convention, spent much of his speech talking up Trump and going after Biden, using his relative youth to draw a contrast with the 81-year-old president.

Vance says he was in fourth grade when a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good American manufacturing jobs to Mexico.

Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington as long as Ive been alive, he added. For half a century, hes been a champion of every single policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer.

The crowd inside the convention hall welcomed Vance warmly. They erupted into chants of Mamaw! in honor of his grandmother, and chanted JDs Mom! after he introduced his mother, a former addict who has been sober for 10 years.

Vance was introduced Wednesday night by his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, who talked of the stark difference between how she and her husband grew up  she a middle-class immigrant from San Diego, and he from a low-income Appalachian family. She called him a meat and potatoes kind of guy who respected her vegetarian diet and learned to cook Indian food for her mother.

Trump, again wearing a bandage over his injured ear, watched Vance speak from his family box and was often seen smiling.

Most Americans  and Republicans  didn't know much about Vance before Wednesday night. According to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was conducted before Trump selected the freshman senator as his choice, 6 in 10 Americans dont know enough about him to have formed an opinion. That includes 61% of Republicans.

Democrats have attacked Vance for his past support for a national abortion ban, his criticism of U.S. involvement in Ukraine, and his eagerness to blame Democrats for Trumps assassination attempt. But the young senator steered clear of such controversies in his remarks, which were light on the red-meat conservative attacks that convention audience typically expect.

Bidens campaign responded with a blistering statement calling Vance unprepared, unqualified, and willing to do anything Donald Trump demands.

Tonight, J.D. Vance, the poster boy for Project 2025, took center stage. But its working families and the middle class who will suffer if hes allowed to stay there, said Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communication director.

A Trump aide just released from prison electrified the crowd

Convention organizers had stressed a theme of unity, even before Trump survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania Saturday. Trump's refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the U.S. Capitol, officials said, would be absent from the stage.

But that changed with former White House official Peter Navarro, who was greeted with a standing ovation hours after being released from a Miami prison where he served four months for defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of the former president's supporter.

If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful. They will come for you, he said in a fiery speech, comparing his legal troubles to those faced by Trump, who earlier this year was convicted on 34 felony charges in his criminal hush money trial.

Also spotted on the floor of the convention: Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chair, and Roger Stone, who were both convicted as part of the investigation into Russias meddling in that election. Trump pardoned both Manafort and Stone.

Families blamed Biden for the losses of their loved ones

Beyond Vances primetime speech, the Republican Party focused Wednesday on a theme of American global strength.

In a particularly powerful moment, the relatives of service members killed during Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan took the stage, holding photographs of their loved ones.

Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee died in the attack, spoke of the six hours she said Trump spent with her family in Bedminster, New Jersey and spoke to us in a way that made us feel understood."

Donald Trump carried the weight for a few hours with me. And for the first time since Nicoles death I felt I wasnt alone in my grief," she said.

Herman Lopez, whose son, Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, was among those killed, read aloud the names of all 13 U.S. service members who died in the Aug. 26, 2021, attack.

Also featured were the parents of Omer Neutra, one of eight Americans still being held hostage in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

His parents, Ronen and Orna, said Trump called them after their son, a soldier in the Israeli army, was captured, and offered support. As they spoke, the crowd chanted Bring them home!"

___

Cooper reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Christine Fernando in Chicago, Ali Swenson in Minneapolis, Farnoush Amiri, Michelle L. Price and Bill Barrow in Milwaukee, and Will Weissert and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.
Gov. Greg Abbott delivers opening remarks at a speaking event where he announced his endorsement for President Donald Trump in his reelection campaign, in Edinburg, on Nov. 19, 2023. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

Pennsylvania GOP megadonor Jeff Yass kicked in another $4 million to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year to boost the governors bid to unseat Texas House Republicans who oppose private school vouchers.

The April 3 donation, revealed this week in a campaign finance report filed by Abbott, was Yass second major contribution to the GOP governor this election cycle. The billionaire TikTok investor donated $6 million to Abbott in December, believed to be the largest single political donation in Texas history.

Yass more recent $4 million contribution was part of a haul of nearly $30 million Abbott reported over the first half of the year, an eye-popping figure for a governor who is not on the ballot this year.

Abbott has established himself as the most prolific fundraiser in the states political history. He ended June with more than $51 million in his campaign account, even after spending some $12 million on his crusade to secure a pro-voucher majority in the Texas House.

Abbott spent much of 2023 trying to muscle a program through the House that would let parents use taxpayer money to send their kids to private schools. After hitting a wall in the lower chamber, Abbott turned to the primary elections, campaigning against Republicans  most of them from rural districts  who joined with Democrats last fall to block vouchers.

He appeared to come away from the primaries with a pro-voucher majority, helping oust nine GOP voucher holdouts and nominate four more four pro-voucher candidates to fill seats vacated by retiring voucher opponents.

After the May runoffs, Abbott declared that the House "now has enough votes to pass school choice."

The Texas Tribune answering reader questions about 2024 elections. To share your question or feedback with us, you can fill out this form.

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
(Bloomberg) -- Jeff Yass gave $4 million to Greg Abbotts campaign, adding to a $6 million check from December that the Texas governors office said was the largest single political donation in the states history.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Yass, the billionaire co-founder of market-making firm Susquehanna International Group, made the contribution in April, according to a campaign finance report released this week. That makes up the majority of the more than $5 million Abbott collected in the first half of 2024.

The Republican megadonor, worth an estimated $47.1 billion, has focused his giving on his home state of Pennsylvania and on those officials who support school choice programs, which use taxpayer money to pay for private education. Abbott has championed the cause in Texas, where he has been governor since 2015.

A representative for Susquehanna declined to comment. A spokesperson for Abbotts campaign didnt immediately reply to a request for comment.

Jim Walton, the son of Walmart Inc. founder Sam Walton, gave Abbotts campaign $200,000, according to the report. Hes worth $92.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

--With assistance from Bill Allison and Julie Fine.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Editors note: Contributing columnist David Mastio is covering the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee for McClatchy Opinion.

After Tuesday night when Donald Trump bathed in the tears of his vanquished Republican foes as they pledged fealty to the new owner of the Republican Party, President Joe Biden is facing an opponent backed by a party more united than in 2020. His own Democratic Party is falling apart as former friends try to wrest control of the apparatus from the 81-year-old.

The latest blow is influential California Rep. Adam Schiff calling on Biden to drop out of the presidential race. Usually a dogged partisan warrior, Schiff joins 19 other members of Congress in saying the same thing.

Meanwhile the progressive wing of the Democratic Party led by the far-left congressional Squad  that unofficial group of eight young Democrats of color: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Greg Casar of Texas and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania  remains among Bidens most loyal supporters.

Perhaps that is why Biden world has started to teem with new left-wing policy proposals that sound sorta odd coming from the lips of a Biden who was supposed to be the moderate, adult in the room who would turn down the temperature and conflict in our politics.

The first to come out was a plan for national rent control that would limit rent increases on existing rental units to 5% upon pain of losing important tax breaks used by large property managers. To call the plan farcical and discredited before the full details are laid out is an understatement. Finding a respected academic economist to endorse the plan is impossible because it is well-studied that rent control kills new housing production.

As a fig leaf to deal with this fact, Bidens plan does not apply to new housing. Do you know what all old housing has in common? It was once new housing. Developers are never going to believe that if they build new rentals, the government will simply expand the plan to apply to them at some later date. Theyre not stupid.

The second lefty pipe dream to leak out of the Biden camp is the idea of a new ethics code for Supreme Court justices. Thats fair enough, though it is far from clear how Congress or the White House could impose one for separation of powers reasons  the three branches are supposed to be largely independent. But Biden apparently also wants to impose 18-year term limits on the justices.

Thats a laugh for two reasons: One, it would take a constitutional amendment  good luck getting that through our divided state governments. And two, who is the very last person who could credibly advocate term limits? Maybe the guy who was first elected to the Senate when I was a 1-year-old baby living in a one-bedroom apartment in Independence. It is like Bill Clinton chiding Donald Trump for cheating on his wife.

These policy moves matter because they are a SOP to shore up Bidens left flank as he flails in his effort to remain the Democratic Party standard bearer. The more support he loses after Schiffs defection, the harder he will have to tack left. Each time he does, he makes his own election in November less likely.

The battle for Americas soul is going to take place among independents in the center of our political world. As Trump doubles down on right-wing MAGA with J.D. Vance, Biden should be staking out territory in the center. Thats not what is happening.

David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com
Amid a backdrop of shifting global economic indicators, the Hong Kong small-cap market is drawing attention with its unique investment opportunities. Recent insider buying trends suggest that some undervalued stocks in this segment may be poised for a revaluation, making it an intriguing area for investors looking to potentially capitalize on market inefficiencies.

Top 10 Undervalued Small Caps With Insider Buying In Hong Kong

Name PE PS Discount to Fair Value Value Rating Ferretti 11.4x 0.8x 44.92%  Wasion Holdings 10.8x 0.8x 35.30%  China Overseas Grand Oceans Group 2.7x 0.1x -0.71%  Kinetic Development Group 3.8x 1.7x 23.53%  Nissin Foods 14.6x 1.3x 40.53%  Transport International Holdings 11.6x 0.6x 43.70%  China Leon Inspection Holding 10.1x 0.7x 25.19%  Skyworth Group 5.8x 0.1x -320.03%  Ever Sunshine Services Group 6.0x 0.4x 15.52%  Shenzhen International Holdings 8.0x 0.7x 14.46% 

Click here to see the full list of 17 stocks from our Undervalued SEHK Small Caps With Insider Buying screener.

We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool.

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: Shenzhen International Holdings operates in logistics, including parks and services, port-related services, toll roads, and environmental protection businesses, with a focus on logistic park transformation and upgrading services.

Operations: The company generates significant revenue from diverse segments including logistics parks, services, and port-related services with notable contributions from toll roads and environmental protection businesses. Gross profit margin has shown variability over the years, highlighting fluctuations in cost management relative to revenue generation across its operations.

PE: 8.0x

Shenzhen International Holdings, a notable entity in Hong Kong's undervalued market sector, recently saw significant insider confidence with Zhengyu Liu acquiring 693,000 shares for HK$3.97 million. This move underscores a robust belief in the company's prospects amidst its strategic expansions like the Jihe Expressway project, set to enhance connectivity and economic growth in the region. Despite challenges in debt coverage by operating cash flow and reliance on high-risk funding sources, the company is poised for a 16.19% earnings growth annually, reflecting potential for upward valuation adjustments and sustained investor interest.

Story continues

SEHK:152 Share price vs Value as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: Comba Telecom Systems Holdings is a company specializing in wireless telecommunications network system equipment and services, with a smaller operation in operator telecommunication services.

Operations: The company generates a significant portion of its revenue from wireless telecommunications network system equipment and services, amounting to HK$5.82 billion, compared to HK$157.83 million from operator telecommunication services. Over recent periods, it has experienced a gross profit margin increase, reaching 0.29% by the end of the last recorded period.

PE: 369.1x

Recently, Comba Telecom Systems Holdings demonstrated insider confidence as Tung Ling Fok acquired 1.83 million shares, signaling potential underappreciation in the market. Despite a volatile share price and low profit margins this past year, the company's complete reliance on external borrowing highlights a bold but risky financing strategy. At a recent conference in Shanghai, leadership underscored strategic initiatives poised to enhance shareholder value, hinting at an optimistic future trajectory for this lesser-known entity in Hong Kongs dynamic market landscape.

SEHK:2342 Share price vs Value as at Jul 2024

Simply Wall St Value Rating: 

Overview: China Overseas Grand Oceans Group primarily operates in property investment and development, with additional interests in property leasing and other related activities, boasting a market capitalization of approximately HK$7.33 billion.

Operations: The company generates the majority of its revenue from property investment and development, contributing CN56.08 billion, with additional income from property leasing at CN0.24 billion. Its gross profit margin has seen fluctuations over recent periods, with a notable increase to 0.29% in the latest recorded period from a previous 0.14%.

PE: 2.7x

Recently, China Overseas Grand Oceans Group Limited has seen a notable decline in property sales and GFA year-on-year, signaling challenges in its core markets. Despite these setbacks, insider confidence is reflected through recent share purchases, suggesting a belief in the company's long-term value amidst current price levels. This action aligns with the appointment of new auditors and board members, potentially heralding strategic shifts aimed at revitalizing performance. These elements together paint a picture of a firm positioned for recovery, making it an intriguing prospect for those looking into undervalued opportunities within Hong Kong's smaller companies.

SEHK:81 Ownership Breakdown as at Jul 2024

Taking Advantage

Delve into our full catalog of 17 Undervalued SEHK Small Caps With Insider Buying here.

Already own these companies? Link your portfolio to Simply Wall St and get alerts on any new warning signs to your stocks.

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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.

Companies discussed in this article include SEHK:152 SEHK:2342 and SEHK:81.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Joe Biden Says He Would Consider Dropping Out of The Race If A Doctor Told Him To

President Joe Biden speaks at a 2024 Prosperity Summit on July 16 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party select a different candidate, according to a new poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It sharply undercuts his post-debate claim that average Democrats are still with him even if some big names are turning on him. Ronda Churchill via Associated Press

President Joe Biden told BET News in an interview set to air Wednesday night that he would consider dropping out of the presidential race if a doctor advised him to.

He continued, saying he thought he could pass the presidency on to someone else but didnt anticipate the country becoming so divided.

Quite frankly, the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom, Biden said. And I think Ive demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country.

He said theres more to do and that hes reluctant to walk away from that.

Bidens doctor said in February that the 81-year-old president is fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.

Bidens age has become a point of concern for Democrats, and many have asked him to drop out of the race, fearing that if he stays, former President Donald Trump will win in the fall.

Bidens performance at the debate last month put Democrats fears in overdrive as Biden struggled to string sentences together and seemed to look like he didnt know where he was.

From summer 2023 to this spring, a neurologist with expertise in Parkinsons disease had visited the White House eight times, according to the White House visitor log. Reporters questioned the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about it a few weeks ago, but Jean-Pierre wouldnt confirm the specialist even visited the White House.

It doesnt matter how hard you push me, it doesnt matter how angry you get with me, Im not going to confirm a name, Jean-Pierre told reporters. It doesnt matter if its even in the log. Im not going to do that from here. What I can share with you is the president has seen a neurologist for his physical three times.

The presidents physician, Dr. Kevin OConnor, said in a statement that doctor visits dont only involve examinations of the president.

Last week, Biden said that he would drop out of the presidential race if he were shown that there was no way he could win. Still, he fought against the claim.

No one is saying that, Biden said. No poll says that.

However, according to a poll conducted July 11-15, two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to drop out of the race. The poll, released Wednesday, also says that 3 out of 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident in his mental capability to serve effectively as president.

Related...
Joe Biden has tested positive for coronavirus and has cancelled a speech planned for Wednesday evening.

The US president, 81, tested positive on Wednesday and will now self-isolate at his home in Delaware, the White House said.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said: Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for Covid-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms.

He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The White House will provide regular updates on the Presidents status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.

Mr Bidens doctor also provided a statement, explaining that he had reported a runny nose and non productive cough with general malaise.

Joe Biden meeting people at a restaurant in Las Vegas on Wednesday, a few hours before he was diagnosed - AP

Dr Kevin OConnor added: He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for Covid-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the Covid-19 virus.

On his way back to Air Force One, which he will use to fly to Delaware, Mr Biden leant out of the window of his car and gave reporters a thumbs-up.

Asked how he was feeling, he replied: Good. I feel good.

.@POTUS is back on Air Force One and we're headed to Delaware pic.twitter.com/SLGfL8pcN1  Nandita Bose (@nanditab1) July 17, 2024

The news was first revealed by Janet Murguia, the chief executive of UnidosUS, who said Mr Biden would no longer appear at the groups conference in Las Vegas.

I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for Covid, she told conference attendees.

Biden will take Paxlovid

Dr OConnor said Mr Biden had already received his first dose of Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to treat Covid.

Mr Biden has been vaccinated, but his age means he is at a higher risk of serious complications from the virus.

The number of deaths among people over age 65 is 97 times higher than the number of deaths among people ages 18-29 years, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes.



I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people.  President Biden (@POTUS) July 17, 2024

Mr Biden has faced weeks of questions about his health, after his stuttering performance in the debate last month.

The White House has denied that he has Parkinsons disease or any medical condition that would prevent him from serving as president. Mr Biden himself has said that he intends to hold fewer public events after 8pm to ensure he rests enough during the campaign.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Biden told a Black Entertainment Television reporter that he would step down from the 2024 election race if he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

He had previously said only the Lord Almighty could convince him to give up the Democratic nomination.

Asked if there was any reason he would leave the race, Mr Biden told BET News: If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem.

The White House has said that Mr Biden remains in good health for his age, although he suffers from sleep apnea and a back condition that makes his movements stiff.

He was described as a well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory by a special prosecutor who interviewed him about claims he improperly stored classified documents in his garage after leaving office.

Mr Biden denied those claims, but has since acknowledged that his age affects his speech.

I know Im not a young man, he told supporters in North Carolina on the day after the debate.

I dont walk as easily as I used to. I dont talk as smoothly as I used to. I dont debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.

Mr Biden has had Covid twice before, most recently in a rebound infection in July 2022.

After the first presidential debate with Donald Trump on June 27, he said he had contracted a cold but his Covid test was negative.

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Editors note: The video above is from an exclusive interview WAVY conducted with John Hinckley Jr. in March.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania has sparked more than just politicians sharing their comments on social media.

John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted the assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to condemn violence.

Violence is not the way to go, Hinckleys post reads. Give peace a chance.

Timeline: The history of presidential assassinations and attempts in America

Trump was injured after a bullet grazed his ear at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13. Additionally, a former firefighter attending the rally was killed while shielding his family, and two others were hurt.

Although Trump was not specifically mentioned in Hinckleys post, many have interpreted his message as a response to the recent shooting at the Trump rally.

Still, some users have been taking jabs at the post, saying that Hinckleys sentiment was perhaps a little ironic considering his own history.

John Hinckley Jr. attempting to change his life through music

Hinckley was granted unconditional release in June of 2022, having spent around 34 years at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington D.C., and then several years under a more restrictive conditional release. He currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In previous interviews with Nexstars WAVY, Hinckley said he is turning his life around through his music.

I had a lot of therapy, Hinckley said back in March. I had a lot of time outside on the grounds. I developed a cat colony at the hospital when I was out on my grounds privileges. I took care of a bunch of cats and they helped me get through my day.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration plans to remove the George Washington statue from outside the mayors office, his spokesman confirmed Tuesday while hinting at instead honoring a Black Chicagoan with a City Hall display.

Fielding questions at an unrelated news conference after reports of the statues impending removal, the mayor would not address his reasoning or explain plans for a replacement. But his spokesman, Ronnie Reese, later confirmed to the Tribune that the statue would be moved because were just making some updates to some areas in and around City Hall.

Reese denied the reason was because of the first presidents legacy of owning slaves: No, its literally just moving a statue.

Reese did not answer questions about when it would be moved, the cost of the move or the fate of the Washington statue, which he said was on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago and remained in City Hall late Tuesday afternoon.

But he floated names of local Black historical figures as alternatives, among them Ida B. Wells, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable and Harold Washington  the citys first Black mayor whom Johnson invoked throughout his mayoral campaign.

In terms of monuments, theres a few other individuals that we can consider: Chicagoans, people who are historic in the city and the history of this city, we should continue to consider for statues, Reese said. How about a statue for some of the fallen leaders in the 1919 race riots, right?  Theres a long legacy of famous African Americans, famous Americans from the city that we could be honoring.

Johnson ally Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, added to the Tribune Tuesday that he and Reese support the creation of a public space to hold existing monuments to controversial figures, similar to Hungarys Memento Park of fallen statues of leaders from the nations Communist period. He said the Christopher Columbus statues taken down during former Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration as well as other monuments recommended for removal could go in that space.

I mentioned this idea in passing to the administration as a suggestion of what could be done with statues, and Im glad that Mr. Reese likes the idea, Ramirez-Rosa said, without commenting on the Washington statue.

The pending removal of a statue to the first president outside Johnsons office reflects an ongoing nod from the progressive mayor, a former social studies teacher, to revisit which historical figures get memorialized by city government. Thats a conversation that has long been a subject of spirited debate across the country, including in Chicago, but gained prominence during the 2020 national reckoning on race in America.

Lightfoot removed the Columbus statue in Grant Park after a bloody clash took place there that summer but punted the fate of that statue and others to a monuments commission, which recommended in 2022 that other historical figures statues be scrutinized as well.

Those recommendations have sat untouched under Johnson, but he has sought to make his own mark on reinventing Chicagos philosophy toward monuments. Last summer he announced the city will spend $6.8 million in grant money on eight new monuments, including a memorial for police torture victims.

As Cook County commissioner, Johnson led a charge to rename the countys Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day but the effort fizzled when another commissioner revealed he was descended from Freedmen, or Black Americans who were owned as slaves by indigenous people.

____
FILE - Jon Jones speaks during the UFC 152 pre-fight press conference at the Real Sports Bar and Grill in Toronto, Sept. 20, 2012. The UFC heavyweight champion is due in court Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to face a pair of misdemeanor charges that stem from a drug test at his New Mexico home in March in which he was accused of being hostile. (Matthew Sherwood/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from a drug test at his New Mexico home in which he was accused of being hostile.

Jones appeared seated next to his attorney as the pleas were entered on his behalf during a virtual hearing. An Albuquerque judge granted the attorney's request that Jones remain free pending trial on charges of assault and interference with communication in connection with the March testing session.

Jones has vowed to fight the charges. When the allegations first became public, he called them baseless, posting on social media that he had been taken off guard by what he called the unprofessionalism of one of the testers and acknowledged cursing after getting frustrated.

However, I want to emphasize that at no point did I threaten, get in anyones face, raise my voice to anyone or engage in any form of assault, Jones said in a social media post.

Considered one of the top MMA fighters, Jones took the heavyweight title more than a year ago with a first-round submission over Ciryl Gane. It was Jones first fight in three years and his first in the heavyweight division. He already was the best light heavyweight by winning a record 14 title fights.

Jones was suspended for a year in 2016 for a failed drug test and had his 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier turned into a no-contest after another drug test came up positive. Jones argued later that he would have passed under standards that were revised in 2019 by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which changed the criteria for what constituted a positive test.

A woman who worked for Drug Free Sport International, which conducts tests for professional athletes, initially filed a report with police in April. She accused Jones of threatening her, taking her phone and cursing at her while she and a colleague were at Jones' home for a drug test.

A criminal complaint states that the woman described Jones as cooperative at first but that he became agitated.

Jones told police that he thought it was his phone that he picked up and that he apologized for swearing at the woman and her co-worker at the end of the test. He posted video from what appears to be a home camera system showing the woman giving him a high-five before leaving. He said neither appeared scared during the interaction.
Jon Stewart took to the Daily Show news desk on Tuesday to roast hypocritical calls for unity at the Republican National Convention following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last weekend.

The host rolled clips of Republicans emphasizing the need to stop the vitriol and hatred and turn the temperature down, including one of the GOPs most divisive figures, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, urging attendees to turn the moment to one that helps us down the path of healing and unity.

To hear that healing rhetoric coming from Ron Johnson is impressive. I, for one, look forward to hearing his unifying remarks on the convention floor, Stewart said, before playing a video of the senator claiming the policies of Democrats pose a clear and present danger for America.

Im sorry, the late-night host quipped. I guess hes whats known as unity in the streets, divisive in the sheets. Stewart also called out Johnson for blaming his comments  which stood out against other speeches delivered by Republicans trying to rally around Trump  on his teleprompter, which the senator claimed loaded the wrong speech. What a douchebag, said Stewart, who then joked, I didnt mean to say that, that was in my teleprompter.

Despite the RNCs theme of unity, the events Make America Safe Again night was filled with lawmakers fear-mongering about migrant crime and displays of garish images including stock footage of a cadaver in a morgue, a family mourning at a funeral, and, strangely, a nuclear bomb exploding. And elsewhere at the convention, Johnson, a known peddler of misinformation on Covid-19 and the 2020 election, blamed the Trump rally shooting on schools.

To conclude Tuesdays monologue and echoing a more somber tone delivered by his fellow late-night hosts on Monday, Stewart paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed during the attempted assassination of the former president.

We dodged a catastrophe, but it was still a tragedy, said Stewart. He had given his life in service to his community and he died literally shielding his family. Hes a reminder that in those moments of crisis, there are helpers, and we can all make a choice to try and be one of those people.

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Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show desk Tuesday night and spoke about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday.

We dodged a catastrophe, but it was still a tragedy, Stewart said. He then paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died from the shooting.

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He had given his life in service to his community and he died literally shielding his family, Stewart said of Comperatore. Hes a reminder that in those moments of crisis, there are helpers, and we can all make a choice to try and be one of those people.

Earlier in his opening, Stewart joked about how the internet is a great source of information when shit hits the fan in the U.S.

For instance, within minutes, I found out that this is staged, and then I found out that it was actually an inside job, and then I found out it was Joe Biden who ordered it, Stewart quipped of the Trump shooting conspiracy theories.

The Daily Show host then discussed why people feel the need to immediately know the suspects identity and their background following a tragic event.

When we hear about a horrific event, youre on pins and needles in this sort of reverse demographic lottery to make sure that the psychopathic shooter doesnt belong to one of your teams, Stewart commented. You just sit there going, please, no democrats, no liberals, no progressives  its like that Press Your Luck game And were all doing it. We have to know what our posture will be on the tragedy.

He added, And none of us knows whats going to happen next other than there will be another tragedy in this country, self-inflicted by us to us, and then well have this feeling again.

When late-night TV returned on Monday, various hosts addressed the shooting that injured Trump and rattled the country.

My immediate reaction when I saw this on Saturday were horror at what was unfolding, relief that Donald Trump had lived, and frankly, grief for my beautiful country, said Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, adding, Though, I could just as easily start the show moaning on the floor, because how many times do we need to learn the lesson that violence has no role in our politics? The entire objective of a democracy is the fight out our differences with as the saying goes, ballot, not a bullet.

On NBCs Late Night, Seth Meyers condemned the horrifying attack against Trump and called for an inclusive politics of compassion, empathy and community.

Meyers added, What we dont need are the opportunistic purveyors of paranoia, suspicion and fear who have already rushed to fill the void with incendiary conspiracy theories and lies, before cutting to coverage of the assassination on various news programs.

Jimmy Kimmel Live guest host Anthony Anderson opened Mondays show with a joke: Everybodys still shaken up by the tragic events at the Trump rally this Saturday. All weekend, I kept thinking, I wonder what Jimmy Kimmel is going to say about this on Monday? And then I was like, oh, I am Jimmy Kimmel on Monday.

The Black-ish star added that hopefully this will be a moment that we can all take a step back from the hatred and vitriol in our politics and maybe chill the f out.

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A Tarrant County judge has denied a petition by the former Trinity Valley School piano teacher accused of indecent conduct with children to change his bond conditions, according to court records.

Trent Muse had been ordered not to have contact with anyone under the age of 17. On July 1, Muse and his attorney filed an application seeking to change the condition to no unsupervised contact with anyone under 17.

According to the petition, the condition unreasonably impinges on Muses constitutional rights.

Simply leaving his home could bring him into contact with someone under 17 years of age, the petition states. Everything from going to church to the grocery store to anonymous meeting groups could be cause for unintended contact that would be a violation of this condition.

Judge Andy Porter signed an order denying Muses petition Monday after considering the evidence in the application and the attorneys arguments, according to court documents.

Muses attorney, Monroe Solomon III, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from the Star-Telegram.

In May, Trinity Valley officials told parents in a letter that they had received reports of misconduct by a former piano teacher that had occurred during the 2022-23 school year.

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Muse was arrested June 24 and charged with five counts of indecency with a child by exposure. He bonded out of the Tarrant County Jail on July 3, according to court records.

In the formal complaint against Muse, filed June 26 in Tarrant County, he is accused of exposing himself while knowing a child younger than 17 years of age was present. One incident allegedly occurred on Feb. 28, 2023, while the other four counts are related to one or more incidents on April 26, 2023, according to the complaint.

The investigation into the allegations against Muse is ongoing, according to a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department.

Due to the sensitivity of this offense, and the fact that juveniles are involved, no other details are currently available to provide, the spokesperson told the Star-Telegram in an email.

The Trinity Valley School Board of Trustees has hired a third party, T&M USA, to review what happened leading to Muses termination and the communication about his departure from the private school.

School officials believe the charges are related to incidents that reportedly happened while he gave piano instruction to TVS students while employed at the school, acting head of school Adam Wojtelwicz wrote in a letter to parents following Muses arrest. This news is deeply upsetting.
Two Iowa nursing home workers were among Iowans who were fired recently and sought jobless benefits. (Photo via Getty Images))

An Iowa nursing home worker was fired recently amid allegations that he was too honest with inspectors. In a separate case, a worker was fired after being accused of instructing a co-worker to lie to state inspectors.

According to state records, University Park Nursing and Rehabilitation fired Jason King as the facilitys full-time maintenance director in May, after he had worked there for one year.

After a recent hearing on Kings application for unemployment benefits, Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden concluded Kings dismissal stemmed from an April inspection of University Park that was conducted by an outside agency. Golden did not elaborate on the nature of the inspection or the agency.

During that inspection, Golden stated in his ruling, King was asked about issues that needed further action. (He) told the inspector that there were items that had not been repaired by the employer since the last inspection took place.

Several days later, the home notified King that he was not a good fit for the company and his employment was terminated effective immediately, Golden found. King, the judge ruled, was honest when questioned by an inspector during an inspection by an outside entity. He provided information that the employer did not want divulged.

Golden awarded King unemployment benefits.

Golden also presided over a recent hearing in a separate, unrelated unemployment case involving an inspection at the Aspire of Washington care facility.

According to state records, the home fired its maintenance director, Angel Hernandez, in early April after concluding he was not a good fit for the company. Hernandez applied for unemployment benefits, which led to a hearing on the matter.

In his ruling in the Hernandez case, Golden stated that when Aspire of Washington was inspected by a state agency in March, the inspectors found several items in need of repair. The employees at the facility felt pressured and stressed out as the inspection was underway, Golden stated. A co-worker accused (Hernandez) of telling her to provide false information to the inspector, which was an allegation Hernandez denied.

Golden ruled Hernandez was entitled to unemployment benefits, stating that his alleged misconduct was merely an isolated incident of poor judgment. He noted that Aspire of Washington had not previously warned him that such conduct could lead to termination.

More unemployment cases

Other Iowans whose unemployment claims recently went before a judge include:

 Brad Welte, who was fired in May from the Lawton Bronson Community School District in Woodbury County, where he worked as a school bus driver. Superintendent Chad Shook testified at a recent unemployment hearing that he watched video of a May 16 incident on a school bus in which students were not wearing seatbelts and were standing up, switching seats and crawling under the seats while the bus was moving.

Welte allegedly became angry with one student in particular and told the student he was going to bust your fing face if he did not shut up. Based on the video, Welte was also accused of calling a student a dumbass and an idiot, and of leaving the drivers seat while the bus was running. Welte allegedly approached a student and twice punched the window in front of the student, calling him a little s.

After viewing the video, Shook fired Welte, later testifying that Welte had several disciplinary issues in the past related to his failure to write up students when they misbehaved. Shook testified that Weltes actions on May 16 were so severe that there was no way to morally or ethically put him behind the wheel again.

Welte was denied unemployment benefits and ordered to repay $2,604 already collected.

 Angela Stigers, who worked as a registered nurse for the University of Iowa Health Network Rehabilitation Hospital from September 2021 until she was fired in May of this year. On Feb. 29, 2024, the hospital had placed Stigers on 90 days of disciplinary probation for making dry-humping motions at work, calling a former employee a sexual assaulter and a sexual pedophile predator, and for attendance issues. She subsequently violated company policies when she picked up a syringe and squirted a colleague with saline solution. Stigers was denied unemployment benefits.

 Crystal Breed, who resigned in March from her job as a finance manager for Hegg Memorial Health Center in Rock Valley. Breed had accused the hospitals chief financial officer, William Slater, of sexual harassment, alleging he repeatedly complimented her physical appearance, asked her whether she wanted the code to enter his apartment, told her he stocked the apartment with her preferred wine, frequently asked Hegg and her husband out for meals, and carried a firearm to work at all times.

The hospital investigated Breeds claims and allegedly issued Slater a disciplinary warning while finding that his conduct did not rise to the level of harassment.

Administrative Law Judge Alexis Rowe recently awarded Breed unemployment benefits, ruling that she was subjected to conduct that rose the level of an intolerable work environment over the course of two years  It seems that the employer hoped (she) would have a change of heart over time, instead of making meaningful changes to the work environment.

When contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Wednesday, Slater declined to comment on the ruling or on Breeds allegations, saying, I cant discuss it at all.
A federal judge has dismissed the State of Georgias lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over how long the state can operate its work-requirement Medicaid program.

In court, the judge granted summary judgment to CMS, ruling against the state.

If Georgia wants to extend the program beyond the September 30, 2025, deadline, it has to follow the rules for obtaining an extension, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood wrote, dismissing the case.

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Channel 2 Action News previously reported that Pathways to Coverage in Georgia was the first Medicaid program in the country to add work requirements to some of the health benefits.

Since the programs launch in July 2023 to Dec. 15, 2023, the most recent data available from the states online Pathways tracker showed just 2,344 people had enrolled in the program, though the site is currently showing up as under maintenance.

Data through December 2023 was pulled through a July 10 archived version of the webpage.

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In data previously shared with and reported by Channel 2 Action News, Georgia officials said The allotted budget for enrollment in Pathways for FY2024 could fund coverage for roughly 100,000 individuals.

During his January 2023 State of the State address, Kemp said Heres another fact, upwards of 345,000 Georgians could qualify for the Pathways program and healthcare coverage for the first time, with no changes for those who qualify for regular Medicaid. And unlike Medicaid expansion, Georgia Pathways will not kick 200,000 Georgians off their private sector insurance.

In the year since the programs launch, the Associated Press reported that Pathways to Coverage has more than whats been reported on the state site, instead saying there were 4,300 members.

However, the AP also reported that if Georgia were to fully expand Medicaid, as 40 other states have, then about half a million Georgians would be eligible for state-managed health insurance.

The current end date for the Georgia Pathways Program, without federal revision, would be Sept. 30, 2025.

In response to Channel 2 Action News, a spokesman for Gov. Brian Kemp said in part that the state will continue to pursue the necessary time to demonstrate the programs viability by working with CMS. Just as before, we remain committed to this Georgia-specific, innovative initiative that leads not only to healthcare coverage but to better opportunity and coverage options for those who enroll in the program.

Channel 2 Action News has asked the governors office for more updated information on the number of members the program currently serves.

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The worlds two biggest smartphone makers, Samsung and Apple (AAPL), are going all in on generative AI. Take a look at Samsungs latest Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, where the company debuted its latest foldable smartphones and espoused the benefits of its Galaxy AI platform.

Apple, meanwhile, spent the majority of its WWDC event in June focusing on how its Apple Intelligence generative AI software will power new features on its iPhones. But the companies that, according to IDC, made up a combined 36.6% of the global smartphone market as of the second quarter of 2024 are taking decidedly different approaches to bringing generative AI to their users.

Samsung is angling to quickly build a large user base for its generative AI services, thus incentivizing developers to build apps for its Galaxy AI platform. And as those apps prove to be more capable and useful, Samsung will draw in more users.

Samsungs Galaxy AI features are available on this years Galaxy S24, last years S23, and 2022s Galaxy S22, not to mention three generations of its foldable phones. Overall, Samsung says it expects to put Galaxy AI on some 200 million devices by the end of the year. Apple, however, says only people who own its most powerful iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later iterations of the ubiquitous smartphone will get Apple Intelligence features.

Samsung president Roh Tae-moon speaks during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images) (EMMANUEL DUNAND via Getty Images)

Apple is banking on boosting iPhone sales in the near to medium term by getting users who are interested in generative AI apps to upgrade to the next generation of devices, rather than holding on to their current iPhones for years to come.

Despite the difference in approaches, both companies still need to prove to consumers that generative AI apps are worth the hype. And that will take time.

Through 2025, if not a little bit longer, most of the purchasing would be purchasing that would have happened anyway as opposed to [people] running out because they need [AI] features, explained Ryan Reith, program vice president for IDC's Mobile Device Tracker suite.

Samsung vs. Apple

Samsung got the jump on Apple in the AI race, debuting its Galaxy AI platform, complete with a handful of Googles (GOOG, GOOGL) AI apps, alongside its Galaxy S24 line in January. Since then, the company says 77% of S24 users have used its AI capabilities at least once per week. So far, Samsung says Googles Circle to Search feature, which lets you snap photos of objects and text and circle them to identify or translate them, is among users favorite AI options.

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

In addition to Googles Circle to Search, Samsung offers AI-powered translation, transcription, text composition, and photo editing apps. Of those, I find transcription to be the most useful. Photo editing, which lets you manipulate photos using generative AI, feels like more of a party trick than a must-have feature that people will use on a regular basis.

Still, those options are a start. And getting them into the hands of users and developers will inevitably help Samsung create more interesting and, importantly, useful AI offerings moving forward.

I think Samsung is recognizing that they want to get [Galaxy AI] out there to as many people as they can, explained TECHnalysis Research president and chief analyst Bob ODonnell.

They want to get developers excited to create things for their platforms. And so, this is a way to do that, because all of a sudden, you've got a significantly larger install base with Samsung incorporating a few previous generations, whereas, obviously with Apple, it's going be a significantly smaller install base, he added.

Samsungs approach should incentivize developers eager to reach a large user base to begin building apps for its platform. And if those developers build engaging apps, users will inevitably opt for Samsungs devices to gain access to those apps. The approach isnt going to move smartphone units in the immediate future, but if customers like using apps built for Samsungs AI services, theyll be far more likely to purchase the companys devices when theyre shopping for a new phone in the future.

Samsung's Annika Bizon speaks during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked in Paris on July 10, 2024. (Emmanuel Dunand /AFP via Getty Images) (EMMANUEL DUNAND via Getty Images)

Apple, however, isnt interested in waiting for phone sales to trickle in over time. The company clearly wants users to go buy its next-generation iPhone the moment it hits the market, likely this September. It makes sense for Apple. The iPhone is its most important product, and after sales declines in 2023 and a mixed start to 2024, getting new devices into consumers' hands sooner rather than later is a must.

Wall Street is hoping the companys Apple Intelligence platform helps power a new sales cycle in the year ahead. Tying the software to the latest and greatest iPhones gives Apple a better chance of pulling that off.

But it also means itll have a smaller install base of users for its generative AI products than Samsung. And that could hurt AI developers building on Apples software, at least in the near term.

Do consumers really want generative AI?

All of this generative AI talk, though, wont be worth a thing if consumers dont actually understand it. While Samsungs early usage numbers are impressive, they only account for users who access its AI software once per week. Considering we pick up our phones dozens of times each day, thats not exactly a ringing endorsement just yet.

Anecdotally, my family and friends are still largely confused by what adding generative AI to their smartphones means for them. While Samsung and Apple have made splashy announcements, the average consumer, at least in so far as my own circle goes, doesnt quite get the whole concept quite yet.

For now, well have to see how Apple pitches its Apple Intelligence during its expected iPhone event in September and how Samsung and Google continue to evolve their own messaging and offerings in the months ahead.

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FILE - In this image from video provided by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Aileen Cannon testifies virtually during her nomination hearing to the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, on July 29, 2020. (Senate Judiciary Committee via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP)  A judge's stunning decision to dismiss the classified documents case against Donald Trump brought an abrupt halt to what experts have considered the strongest and most straightforward of the prosecutions of the former president. But it's hardly the final word.

Special counsel Jack Smith's planned appeal of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon's order is expected to tee up a court fight that might reach the U.S. Supreme Court and could result in the reinstatement of the indictment and even conceivably the reassignment of the case to a different judge.

Theres no scenario in which a revived prosecution could reach trial before the November election  and it presumably wont take place at all in the event Trump is elected president and orders his Justice Department to dismiss it. Still, Cannons order ensures many more months of legal wrangling in a criminal case that became snarled over the last year by interminable delays.

The only good thing about this is that it is finally a decision, said Nancy Gertner, a former federal judge in Massachusetts who was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. The difficulty with Judge Cannon has been that she has made no decisions. She has simply sat on the case. And since she has made no decisions, there was nothing to appeal."

The judge's 93-page order held that Smith's selection as special counsel violated the Constitution because he was named to the position directly by Attorney General Merrick Garland instead of being appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Prosecutors vigorously challenged that argument when it was raised by Trump's lawyers.

It's impossible to say whether the opinion will stand or be reversed on appeal, though other judges in other districts in recent years have reached opposite conclusions of Cannon, upholding the constitutionality of special counsels who were appointed by Justice Department leadership and funded by a permanent indefinite appropriation.

The Supreme Court, in a 50-year-old opinion involving President Richard Nixon, held that the Justice Department had the statutory authority to appoint a special prosecutor.

And even though Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas raised questions this month about the legality of Smith's appointment, no other justice signed onto his concurring opinion in a case conferring broad immunity on former presidents.

The Smith team is likely to point to all of those court holdings in casting Cannon to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as an outlier who made not just a bad decision but one requiring swift reversal, said Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law school professor.

A spokesman for Smith's office, in announcing Monday that the Justice Department had authorized an appeal, said the opinion deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel.

But Jesse Panuccio, a former associate attorney general in the Trump administration Justice Department, said anger over Cannon's opinion  which he called a "careful and scholarly" analysis  was misplaced.

If you took out of the equation the derangement that comes from anyone analyzing anything that has to do with Trump and you just asked legal scholars 10 years ago, Hey, are there any issues involving independent counsels, special counsels?" he said, the answer would be yes.

Panuccio added: I think this is a very serious issue, and its an issue frankly that when I was at the Justice Department, I had reservations about."

Trump on Monday said the dismissal should be just the first step and the three other cases against him, which he called Witch Hunts, should also be thrown out.

Cannon, a Trump appointee, has exasperated the Justice Department since even before the indictment was filed, meaning if prosecutors do seek her removal, they could presumably cite a laundry list of grievances with her handling of the case.

Weeks after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago for classified documents in August 2022, Cannon granted a Trump team request to appoint an independent arbiter to review the seized records  a decision later overturned by a unanimous federal appeals panel. In April, prosecutors rebuked Cannon over potential jury instructions she floated that they said rested on a fundamentally flawed legal premise.

It is unclear if Smith's team will seek to have Cannon reassigned in the event that the appeals court reinstates the case. A Smith spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday on that possibility. It's an unusual request and one prosecutors in this case had avoided making.

But there is precedent for appeals courts taking that step, including in the same judicial district where the Florida case was charged.

I think it would be quite a statement if the Circuit Court removes her from the case, but I think in this instance it would be warranted, said Cheryl Bader, a Fordham University law school professor and former federal prosecutor. "There does seem to be a pattern of Judge Cannon bending over backwards to create delay and obstacles."

In 1989, the 11th Circuit reinstated a criminal case in Florida of a man charged with trafficking counterfeit Rolex watches and reassigned the case to another judge after the trial judge described the case as silly and a waste of taxpayers' money.

The court laid out three considerations for deciding whether to assign a case to a different judge, including whether such a move is appropriate to preserve the appearance of justice" and whether the original judge would have difficulty putting his previous views and findings aside.

Gerhardt, the North Carolina professor, said he did not see a downside to Smith's team making such a request.

Judges do make bad decisions sometimes, he said. But not good judges do it more often than they should, and shes done it more often than any judge should.

But Panuccio said he didn't think Cannon's order gave Smith's team sufficient cause to complain, especially given that Cannon's position was backed by a member of the Supreme Court.

I think Jack Smith would be flirting with fire if he were to make that request based on this opinion simply because he lost an issue, he said.
(Bloomberg) -- Mexicos congress could approve President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors proposed overhaul of the countrys judiciary before he leaves office at the end of September, according to a top senator who previously promised to proceed with caution on the reform.

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It would not be a bad thing if he were to enact it, Ricardo Monreal, the governing Morena partys leader in the Senate, told reporters Wednesday, although he added that times are very tight.

AMLO, as the president is known, renewed his push for the judicial reform after Morena scored huge congressional victories in June 2 elections, potentially paving the way for constitutional changes that proved elusive throughout his six-year term.

AMLOs calls for the urgent approval of the reform once lawmakers take office in early September caused sharp losses for the Mexican peso last month on fears that it would remove checks on power.

Monreal sought to allay fears about the overhaul, saying in June that lawmakers would approach it with sensitivity. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take office Oct. 1, also said that while the government should prioritize the effort, it should be discussed widely by law schools and judicial workers.

The judicial reform would require that all Mexican judges, including Supreme Court justices, be elected by popular vote, a change opposition parties and legal and advocacy groups have called a threat to democracy. Because it is a constitutional change, it requires approval by two-thirds of lawmakers in both houses of congress.

Morenas governing coalition won supermajority control of the lower house in the June vote, and fell just three seats shy of gaining two-thirds of the Senate.

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  July marks two years since the United States launched 988, a nationwide mental health crisis helpline.

According to the Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center in Portsmouth, since launch, 988 has received over 8 million calls nationwide. Virginia 988 states on their website that there has been an average of 7,933 calls per month in the Commonwealth.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also states that less than 2% of 988 calls require a response from emergency services, with most crises calls being de-escalated.

988 is confidential and available to use via phone, text or chat, day or night. Individuals facing a mental health crisis are able to talk to trained crisis counselors, and are typically connected quickly, according to SAMHSA.

Virginia 988 wants to remind people that calling 988 can be an entry point to Virginias Crisis Services, which includes mobile crisis response, community-based stabilization, crisis stabilization units, emergency services and REACH, the statewide crisis system of care for people with developmental disabilities.

For information on programs, events, presentations and support groups the National Alliance on Mental Illness offers, click here.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Justice for All party says it will sue the NC elections board

Third party presidential candidate Cornel West (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The group Justice for All in North Carolina plans to sue in federal court to be recognized as a political party, which would allow presidential candidate Cornel West to appear on the November ballot.

The state Board of Elections on Tuesday rejected Justice for Alls petition to become an official party with a 3-2 vote, with the Boards three Democrats voting against it.

Italo Medelius, chair of the Justice for All Party North Carolina said in an email that a federal claim will be filed later this week.

He referenced a 2022 Board decision not to recognize the Green Party. In response, the Green Party sued for ballot access.

Were essentially on the same boat as the Green Party in 2022 and is almost a carbon copy of their denial, Medelius wrote.

The Board ended up reversing its decision rejecting the Green Party, but the party needed a federal court order to get its candidates on the 2022 ballot after a legal deadline.

The Boards initial rejection of the Green Party and its rejection of Justice for All were over questions about voter signatures gathered on petitions.

On Tuesday, Board Chairman Alan Hirsch was skeptical about the signatures collected by a group called People Over Party, which volunteered to help Justice for All with its petition effort. The board voted 4-1 Tuesday to recognize the We the People party after a delay. That recognition will allow presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to appear on the November ballot. At a previous meeting, the Board accepted the Constitution Partys petition to become a political party.

State and congressional Republicans have leveled criticism on the Board for delays in recognizing alternative parties and for the Justice for All rejection, claiming Democrats decisions are blatantly partisan. A state House oversight committee called Hirsch and state Elections Director Karen Brinson-Bell to a July 23 meeting to explain.

Third party candidates are likely to take more support from President Joe Biden than from former President Donald Trump.

State Democrats and a super PAC aligned with Democrats worked to convince the Board to reject Justice for All and We the People.
Gov. Jim Justice, and Babydog, spoke on night 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The speech was livestreamed on the RNC's YouTube channel as seen on this laptop. (Lori Kersey | West Virginia Watch)

Appearing at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice spoke of his friendship with former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and said the United States would become unhinged if he is not reelected in November.

I want to talk to you tonight about my relationship with President Trump, Justice said. I want to talk to you tonight about an incredible man. I want to tell you the truth about him and his family. Hes tough. Hes super smart. Hes a business guy. But maybe theres something that youve missed, and that is he genuinely cares. He cares about all of us. Every last one of us. And he loves this nation beyond good sense.

More than 50,000 people were expected at the convention, where delegates on Monday formally nominated Trump to lead the Republican ticket against President Joe Biden in the election. On Monday, Trump announced his running mate in the election will be Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, author of the book Hillbilly Elegy.

Tuesday was the second night of the four-day convention. The nights theme, Make America Safe Once Again, included a number of speakers whose talks often repeated Republican talking points about the U.S./Mexico border, fentanyl and crime.

Justice, who is running for Sen. Joe Manchins seat in the U.S. Senate, appeared alongside his English bulldog, Babydog.

She makes us smile. She loves everybody, Justice said. And how could the message possibly be any more simpler than just that?

Babydog, apparently speaking through Justice, predicted that Republicans would retain their majority in the House of Representatives, flip the Senate to Republican control, and elect Trump and Vance to the White House.

During the seven-minute speech, Justice also retold a story about a hunting and fishing trip with Trumps son, Eric Trump, during which the younger Trump changed a vehicle tire that had blown.

Donald Trump has taught his kids the very best, Justice said. Hes taught them absolutely to respect the military. Hes taught them to respect our first responders. Hes taught them absolutely to treat our working men and women with love and respect all across this land.

Around 100 West Virginians  including 32 delegates and 29 alternates, were expected to travel to the convention. West Virginia first lady Cathy Justice and a number of Republican officials  including Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, State Auditor J.B. McCuskey and others  were also expected to attend.

Justices appearance at the Milwaukee event came a day after he addressed the state of West Virginia about the assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in rural Pennsylvania.

In his speech Monday, Justice called Trump a really personal friend and said he wanted to see an end to divisive political rhetoric. He said violence and hate, in his opinion, has just amped up all over the place under President Joe Bidens term in the executive office. From the standpoint of our politicians, weve got to amp down the rhetoric, he said.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  The family of Anna Moriah Mo Wilson filed another lawsuit against Kaitlin Armstrong, alleging Armstrongs family members and her ex-boyfriend engaged in fraudulent transfers to avoid paying out the Wilson family.

Armstrong was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder in November 2023 and sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of Wilson. She is currently serving that sentence in Dr. Lane Murray Unit, a womens prison in Gatesville, Texas.

A judge ordered Armstrong pay the Wilson family $15 million as part of a wrongful death suit Karen and Eric Wilson filed in May. That order, handed down by Judge Daniella DeSata Lyttle in June, allocated that monetary amount to the Wilsons to cover the mental anguish, including emotional pain, torment and suffering from the death of [their] daughter, according to court documents.

In the latest court suit filed July 11, the Wilsons allege several close to Armstrong  including her mother, Sharon Armstrong; her sister, Christine Armstrong; and her ex-boyfriend, Colin Strickland  concealed those transfers from the Wilsons in order to avoid debts which arose within a reasonable time after the transfer was made.

KXAN attempted to reach out to all defendants named in the suit and didnt hear back from any of them at the time of publication.

PAST COVERAGE: Judge orders Kaitlin Armstrong to pay $15 million to family of murder victim Moriah Wilson

The Wilsons suit points to three property sales in particular: two previously owned by Kaitlin in Austin, and a third in Lockhart she formerly purchased with Strickland. The lawsuit claims Kaitlin transferred ownership of those properties while in custody, with all three now sold to new owners.

Furthermore, a nationwide asset search indicated that a Chase Bank account owned by Defendant Kaitlin Armstrong, which contained $78,000.00, was emptied on May 9, 2024, leaving only $10.00 in the account, court documents allege as well. Upon information and belief, the funds were transferred by Defendant Christine Armstrong in her capacity as attorney in fact for Kaitlin Armstrong. The transfer of funds out of Defendant Kaitlin Armstrongs Chase Bank account was done only three days after Plaintiffs filed their wrongful death suit.

As part of this suit, the Wilsons are seeking a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction and permanent injunction against all defendants named as this latest lawsuit remains pending.

It is also probable and imminent that absent the requested injunctive relief, Defendants will further harm Plaintiffs by spending, transferring, wasting, hiding, disguising, or otherwise alienating assets or funds belonging to Defendant Kaitlin Armstrong, the filing alleges. Their past acts establish an imminent threat of future alienation or loss of the assets or funds.

Prior to this latest filing on the Wilsons behalf, court records show Kaitlin filed an evidentiary hearing request, seeking a motion for a new trial.

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OVERLAND PARK (KSNT)  A Kansas surgeon had his license to practice medicine revoked Tuesday after defrauding the federal government of millions in cash over the course of several years.

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) issued a press release July 16 with their final order in the case of Gautam Jayaswal from the Overland Park area. The board overruled an objection from Jayaswal, upholding an order from earlier in the year to revoke his license to practice medicine and surgery in Kansas.

Jayaswal pleaded guilty on May 9, 2023 in the U.S. District Court of St. Louis after admitting he ordered millions of dollars worth of unnecessary and expensive genetic tests and orthotic braces for thousands of patients as part of a telemedicine fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). For these crimes, Jayaswal faced a possible fine of up to 250,000, five years in prison or both.

Topeka man drowns in Douglas County lake over the weekend

Documents released by the KSBHA show Jayaswal entered into a plea agreement after pleading guilty of defrauding the federal government. Between January 2017 and May 2021, he ordered orthotic braces for just over 1,400 patients even though the braces were not medically necessary, leading to companies receiving more than $1.3 million due to the fraudulent orders.

Jayaswal also signed genetic test orders which caused laboratories to submit reimbursement claims to health care benefit programs. This lead to Medicare Part B payouts of more than $14.7 million for around 2,060 patients.

The KSBHA cancelled his medical and surgical license on July 31, 2023 which he later requested a hearing over. A licensee with the KSBHA will have their license revoked upon a felony conviction unless a two-thirds majority of the board members vote otherwise. The KSBHA overruled Jayaswals objection Tuesday to the revocation, citing that he has been convicted of a felony, cannot show he will not pose a threat to the public trust and does not show he has been rehabilitated.

Developer turns condemned Manhattan apartments into $300,000 luxury condos

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is approving $26 million for more than 30 road work projects across the state to help cities improve intersections and roads.

Kelly announced on July 17 a total of 33 projects scattered across the Sunflower State will be receiving funds through the Kansas Department of Transportations City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP). Cities will receive a $5.5 million in state fiscal year 2026 and $20.5 million in state fiscal year 2027.

This popular program makes it possible to improve the safety and accessibility of our local highways that are local centers of community life, Kelly said. Thanks to our increasingly solid financial footing at the state and federal levels, Kansas is finding ways to solve problems and bring resources to various regions of the state.

Kansas doctors license revoked in $16 million medical fraud schemes

Kansas cities must contribute 25% of the project cost based on population size under the rules of the CCLIP. Cities which have a population under 2,500 will not be required to provide a match, according to the Office of the Governor. Projects in the program can be designated as surface preservation, pavement restoration or geometric improvement.

By investing with our local partners in our infrastructure framework, we are delivering economic opportunities across rural and urban parts of the state, said Secretary Calvin Reed. These projects will address problems, so Kansans have more local transportation choices.

FY 2026 Projects

Atchison Surface preservation $400,000

Concordia Surface preservation $400,000

Abilene Surface preservation $400,000

Clifton Surface preservation $215,000

White City Pavement restoration $900,000

Pittsburg Surface preservation $400,000

Arkansas City Surface preservation $400,000

Hutchinson Surface preservation $400,000

El Dorado Surface preservation $400,000

Lyons Surface preservation $400,000

Pratt Surface preservation $400,000

Dodge City Surface preservation $400,000

Scott City Surface preservation $400,000



FY 2027 Projects

Horton Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Emporia Geometric improvement $400,000

Wamego Surface preservation $400,000

Alma Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Council Grove Surface preservation $400,000

Hillsboro Geometric improvement $500,000

Moundridge Surface preservation $400,000

Russell Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Downs Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Norton Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Madison Geometric improvement $1,400,000

Yates Center Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Independence Geometric improvement $1,500,000

Coffeyville Pavement restoration $1,200,000

Wichita Surface preservation $250,000

Winfield Surface preservation $400,000

Newton Pavement restoration $1,200,000

Dodge City Geometric improvement $1,500,000

Jetmore Pavement restoration $1,500,000

Scott City Surface preservation $400,000



For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  Local nonprofit Storytime Village will hold the annual Kansas Literacy Festival on Friday, July 27, an event aimed at encouraging good reading habits to children and families through art and storytelling.

It will feature eight young authors who participated in the Literacy, Entrepreneurship and the Arts Program (LEAP) summer camp. The books will be $10, and the authors will be available for book signings. All of those proceeds go to the students.

Child missing in Cheyenne County, KHP air support called

Literacy is a lifelong skill that can increase job opportunities and access to higher education. In Wichita, one-third of third-grade students scored the lowest level on state reading tests, something the nonprofit tries to address.

During the summer, there is a potential for learning loss among children due to extended periods outside of a classroom environment. During this period, the nonprofit provides literacy resources to underserved populations to help keep children and families engaged.

The festival will be held at Bradley Fair at 2000 N. Rock Rd. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information about the event can be found on Storytime Villages website.

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Karen Read lists her 4-bed, 3-bath Mansfield, Mass. home for $849,900  two weeks after murder case ends in mistrial

Karen Read put her meticulously maintained four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Mansfield, Massachusetts on the market two weeks after her murder trial ended with a hung jury.

Read, who was accused of mowing down her Boston cop boyfriend John OKeefe in 2022, listed the two-story colonial-style house for $849,900 this week.

Ms. Read has not been living in Mansfield since last year and now wishes for another family to enjoy the property she spent many years enhancing, Reads real estate agent Richard Rocci of RE/Max Platinum, told Boston.com.

Karen Read listed her 4-bed, 3-bath home in Mansfield for $849,900 this week. David McGlynn

The turn-key home built in 1972 has two bedrooms on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor, but is listed as a four-bedroom because the septic system was designed to accommodate a four-bedroom household, Roccie told the Boston outlet.

It features a working fireplace, hardwood floors throughout, central air, original wood beam accents, a large driveway, a two-car garage and an unfinished basement.

The 2,516-square-foot house is located on a suburban, tree-lined street in the Mansfield suburb, about 30 miles from Boston.

Shes definitely put a lot of time and money into it, Rocci told the local publication. The house has a lot of charm. The brick fireplace, the beams, its just really warm.

Read, 44, and her boyfriends murder investigation gained a cult following with supporters believing that she had been framed as her lawyers claimed.

The 2,516-square-foot house is located on a suburban, tree-lined street in the Mansfield suburb, about 30 miles from Boston. Josh Reynolds for The New York Post

The turn-key home built in 1972 has two bedrooms on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. Rich Ryan Photography

Read, 44, walked free after her trial for the alleged murder of her Boston cop boyfriend ended with a hung jury two weeks ago. David McGlynn

Prosecutors claimed that she drunkenly  but intentionally  ran over her boyfriend after she dropped him off at his friends home and then left him out in a snowstorm to die.

But Reads lawyers argued that she was framed by OKeefes Boston cop friends and claimed that it was his pals who beat him to death.

It features a working fireplace, hardwood floors throughout, central air, original wood beam accents, a large driveway, a two-car garage and an unfinished basement. Rich Ryan Photography

The home is listed as a four-bedroom because the septic system was designed to accommodate a four-bedroom household. Rich Ryan Photography

The opposing stories of what happened that night, Jan. 29, 2022, were enough to split jurors and on July 1, the judge declared a mistrial after five days of jury deliberations.

Rocci didnt immediately return a message from The Post.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) stands against the other aerospace and defense stocks.

The world has been rocked with conflict over the last few years. The war between Russia and Ukraine has gone beyond 860 days, with no immediate end in sight. Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to engage in a regular exchange of fire after the latter lost control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azeris in 2020. The Middle East is up in flames, with defense experts describing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as the worst crisis in the region since the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

While the human impacts of war are undeniably tragic, it is also a time when defense companies make money and lure investors into loading up on their stocks. According to a report on CNN earlier this year, defense companies in the United States and Europe have thrived since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetalls share price had surged by a staggering 315% in two years following the start of the conflict, while BAE Systems posted a 105% gain. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in their share prices by 18% and 10%, respectively.

When the war broke out, industry analysts expected the aerospace sector to be affected by western sanctions placed on Russia. According to KPMG, the country is the source of 30% of the titanium used by Boeing and other large engine producers that power fighter jets and commercial aviation. Titanium is a key material that goes into the development of jet fan blades and landing gears. However, the supply of titanium from Russia to these companies has largely remained unaffected despite sanctions.

While sharing his insights on commercial aviation at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago on June 26, Tony Bancroft from Gabelli Funds said that he had noticed a significant growth in aircraft orders lately, with both Airbus and Boeing having a 12-year backlog of orders. He believes there are three reasons driving it. The first catalyst, according to him, is China which accounts for 20% of the growth in orders to cater to the growing middle class in both China and India who want to travel more. Another critical factor he cited during his talk was that business travel has finally returned to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Lastly, Tony highlighted the the rising middle class in the United States, and the world, which is increasing air travel and contributing to the economic growth in the industry.

Story continues

Furthermore, Bancroft identified Textron as his hot stock pick in the aerospace and defense industry. He believes the stock is undervalued at its current share price of $85, and anticipates its value to hover around the $125 range in the future. Last year in March, the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.3 billion contract to the company to develop helicopters to replace the aging Blackhawk fleet.

Another top stock that hedge funds are talking about is Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty alloys that holds a market share of roughly 40% in the aerospace industry. It was among the top picks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York back in April. Mohammed Anjarwala, the managing director of Advent Global Opportunities, shared the following remarks about the company during the conference:

We think Carpenter is one of the best ways to play the growing backlog of planes at Boeing and Airbus, as they ramp up their billing rates.

At the time of the conference, the stock was trading at around $70 per share. Anjarwala forecasted that the value could go up to around $200 per share or 20 times forward P/E. It is currently valued at $107 per share.

Methodology

Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds was assessed, as of the first quarter of 2024. We have chosen the 10 best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now based on the hedge fund sentiment towards each stock. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Engineers examining stress tests of an aircraft engine, working to make sure its ready for flight.

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) is an American aerospace manufacturer of components for aircraft engines, fasteners, aluminum wheels for trucks, and titanium structures for aerospace applications. The company has 27 facilities across the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and Brazil. It was recently listed by Insider Monkey among the top undervalued stock picks for the third quarter of 2024. The company is also one of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now, with 44 hedge funds bullish about the company.

During the first quarter of the year, Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM)s EPS was reported at $0.57, which was higher than analyst expectations of $0.52. This was despite the challenge created by the Boeing 737 Max at the beginning of the year. The incident has led to a decrease in production volume for the aircraft to well below the initial target of 38 aircraft per month. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM), however, was quick to adjust and replan for the year, reducing builds to about 20 per month. Moreover, strong Airbus production, growing 9% YoY, coupled with the diversity of the company's revenue products meant that Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) largely managed to remain unscathed from the Boeing crisis.

The company's share price has soared since the announcement of strong first-quarter results, having increased by more than 20% in value. There is consensus among most analysts about the stocks Buy rating, with an average price target of $90, which will be an upside of 12.24% from its current level.

Overall HWM ranks 7th on our list of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now to see the other aerospace and defense stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of HWM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than HWM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Karen Read, the woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe, is selling her home in Mansfield.

Could Karen Read case get tossed out? Legal analyst explains possible next steps as filings mount

Reads colonial-style home at 481 Gilbert Street has been listed at $849,900, Boston 25 News confirmed through RE/MAX Platinum.

The RE/MAX Platinum listing indicates the home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms spread out across 2,516 square feet of living space.

Meticulously maintained colonial located on a scenic country road just a short distance to the commuter rail, routes 95 and 495, and Mansfield Crossing shopping, the listing reads. Mansfield is situated 30 miles from Boston and offers a suburban charm with tree-lined streets, great schools, multiple sports complexes, and a quiet atmosphere appealing to most families and those seeking a peaceful living environment. This spacious home is perfect for hosting large family gatherings.

The first floor of the home boasts a pair of generous-size bedrooms perfect for in-laws or an au pair suite, and two living rooms including a den with a large fireplace and wood-beam accents. The second floor features three additional bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

Grossly unfair: Retrial of Karen Read should not be allowed, defense says in new court filing

Read hasnt lived in the home for about a year, Boston 25 News learned.

Read is accused of killing OKeefe by striking him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm in Canton in January 2022.

Prosecutors said Read and OKeefe had been drinking heavily before she dropped him off at a party at the home of Brian Albert, a fellow officer. They said she hit him with her SUV before driving away.

The defense sought to portray Read as the victim, saying OKeefe was actually killed inside Alberts home and then dragged outside and left for dead.

Her high-profile, two-month-long murder trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month after deadlocked jurors sent a note to Judge Beverly Cannone indicating they were at an impasse and future deliberations would be futile.

Reads attorneys have filed a number of motions asking Cannone to dismiss two of the three criminal charges against Read, including second-degree murder. They have claimed that four jurors came forward to notify them that the jury found Read not guilty during their secret deliberations.

The Norfolk District Attorneys Office opposes the motions to dismiss and has repeatedly said that it plans to retry Read.

A new trial date could be scheduled as soon as July 22.

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Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake speaks on the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee.

U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake urged voters to end the Bidenvasion at the nations border and Bidenomics that she said is enabled by her Democratic rival, Ruben Gallego.

Speaking for six minutes at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, the front-runner for Arizonas GOP nomination urged a return to the White House for former President Donald Trump to reverse the nations slide.

In doing so, Lake offered the kind of stark rhetoric common in her campaign while repeatedly casting herself as a mama bear and Gallego as President Joe Bidens reliable rubber stamp.

Theyre full of bad ideas. Just last week, Ruben Gallego voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election, Lake said as some in the crowd booed.

Gallego and the Democrats have handed over control of my state, Arizonas border, to the drug cartels. Because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in, and our children are dying.

Lakes words distorted a Republican-led bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives that is expected to expire in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The measure put Democrats on the spot about cracking down on voter eligibility while invoking the threat of illegal immigration.

Hannah Goss, a Gallego campaign spokesperson, quickly pointed out that a CNN fact-checker characterized Lake's comments as a significant false claim.

"Kari Lake stood on stage and proved to everyone that she will say anything to get power  including lie to Arizonans to distract from her dangerous plan to ban abortion without exceptions for rape or incest," Goss said in a written statement.

Lakes speech underscored the prominence she has in the party compared to Pinal County Mark Lamb, who is also running for the GOP nomination. She began her Senate run with Trumps endorsement and picked most Republican senators backing since then, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

All the candidates are challenging for the seat held by the retiring U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.

Gallego and Lake parried about the proof-of-citizenship bill last week on social media.

Of course only U.S. citizens should vote, Gallego said last week in a statement. But this bill isnt about that, its about making it harder for Arizonans to vote, including married women, servicemembers, Native Arizonans, seniors and people with disabilities. This extreme bills only purpose is to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Arizonans, and I will not vote to take away the rights of Arizonans to stop something that is already illegal.

Lakes words played well with the GOP convention delegates inside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.

Jeremiah Cota, an Arizona delegate who lives in Gallegos district, said Lakes remarks on the border, drugs and crime resonated with him.Ive lived in Rubens district since 2017, and I can say things have gotten worse, he said. Its like we have no voice. Our frustrations just go into the dumpster and never get addressed.Shes exciting. I think that shes the shake-up we needed in our state.

A comment on the border drew resounding chants to Build A Wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lake said the hardest thing for her on the campaign trail is talking to those who have lost family members to fentanyl.

We are losing a generation of young people to this fentanyl crisis, and its got to stop, Lake said. The Grand Canyon State has become the fentanyl state, and its not OK with this mom. Im not OK with that.

Lake said the problems America faces are huge, but the solution is simple: build the border wall favored by Trump, put Bidenomics to the curb, and bring back MAGAnomics.

She said children are receiving psychological abuse theyre inflicting on our children through indoctrination in schools.

Lake, a former newscaster with Fox 10 in Phoenix, started her speech by dispensing with niceties and returning to a favorite subject: attacking the media.

I dont welcome everybody in this meeting, in this room. The guys up in the fake news, frankly, you guys up there in the fake news have worn out your welcome, she said to rising cheers. You have spent the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump and his amazing, patriotic supporters.

Actually, they lie about everything. Joe Bidens health, the economy, the (Hunter Biden) laptop, the border. I could go on and on and on.

Lakes remarks were clustered within a block of Republican Senate candidates.

The other speakers range from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who is widely regarded as a cinch to win the seat held by the retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to Hung Cao, the GOP nominee in Virginia who is regarded as likely to lose to incumbent U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

For its part, the Gallego campaign focused on Lakes election denialism in a digital ad released Tuesday ahead of her speech. The 30-second ad is a collection of video clips in which Lake repeatedly claims to be the duly elected governor of Arizona.

It focuses on one of the central concerns that the NRSC expressed to her months before she formally entered the Senate race in October. The NRSCs chair, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., privately urged Lake to drop the matter at that time, sources familiar with those discussions told The Arizona Republic.

Days before she entered the race, Daines publicly acknowledged the same concern in an interview with CNN.

I think one thing weve learned from 2022 is voters do not want to hear about grievances from the past, he said. I think its just going to be important for her to look to the future and not so much the past.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake targets 'bad ideas' from Biden, Ruben Gallego in call for Trump
Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, of Union, is dead and her husband James Quintua, of Union, is presumed dead after being involved in a helicopter crash in Hawaii on Thursday.

Officials called off a search for two missing people in a helicopter crash involving a Union, Ky. couple in Hawaii, according to a United States Coast Guard press release.

The couple, 60-year-old James Quintua and 53-year-old Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, were passengers on a helicopter that crashed with the pilot on board. The crash happened Thursday a quarter mile off the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, Hawaii, according to the Coast Guard.

Amy Quintuas body was recovered the same day as the crash. James Quintua and 69-year-old Guy Croyden, the pilot of the helicopter, were still missing as of Sunday when the search was called off, according to the press release.

The search was conducted by the Coast Guard and County of Kauai. Rescue crews searched for about 60 hours in an area of more than 830 square miles, the news release says.

Joe Mellencamp, president of Beacon Electric, where James worked, confirmed that James and Amy were the passengers involved in the helicopter accident. James was a senior project manager manager at Beacon Electric for the last 10 years, said Mellencamp.

Boone County property records also show the couple owned a home in Union.

Beacon Electric was notified Friday afternoon about the incident, and they received the official news that search was closed on Sunday, Mellencamp said.

James was a good friend of his and will be missed within the company, he added. "His level of professionalism and integrity was second to none."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croyden, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, said Derek S. K. Kawakami, mayor of the County of Kauai. We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search and rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.

About Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is a Hawaiian island that lies in the Central Pacific. It's Hawaii's third largest island in terms of land mass, according to PBS.

It had a population of 73,851 as of 2023, according to Census data.

The Na Pali Coast, where the helicopter crash took place, is on the island's northwest shore.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 1 dead, 2 missing in Hawaii helicopter crash, including KY couple
In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

Gov. Andy Beshear has asked the federal government to relax its restrictions on marijuana.

In a Wednesday letter to Anne Milgram, administrator for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the governor expressed his support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommendation that the DEA move marijuana from a Schedule I classification to Schedule III.

Currently at Schedule I, marijuana is classified in the same schedule as heroin and LSD, having no current accepted medical use.

The Schedule I placement also ranks it as more dangerous than Schedule II drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine. Beshear pointed to a report from 2022 that showed 80,000 Americans dying from opioid use while zero died from marijuana use in the same year.

As Governor, my job is to move our state forward, Beshear said in a press release. Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III is a significant, common-sense step forward for all Kentuckians, especially those with significant medical conditions.

In his letter, he pointed to his support for, and eventual passage of, a bill in 2023 that legalized medical marijuana for Kentuckians. That bill takes effect in 2025.

The jury is no longer out on marijuana: It has medical uses and is currently being used for medical purposes, Beshear wrote in the letter. The recognition is overwhelming  and bipartisan. For example, I signed a medical marijuana law that passed with support from Republican legislative supermajorities and a Democratic governor.

This was not the first time that Beshear has touted the work in Kentucky on a national scale.

In March, he visited the White House to join a roundtable with Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe where Harris railed against the drugs current schedule assignment.

Far too many people have been sent to jail for simple marijuana possession, Harris said at the roundtable. Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin, and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.

Coincidentally, Beshears name has been floated as a potential vice presidential pairing for Harris if she were to become the presidential nominee this year, replacing current President Joe Biden atop the ticket amid calls for the 81-year-old Biden to step aside.

With implementation for medical cannabis coming soon in Kentucky, many of the regulations dictating what it will look like are starting to take shape.

The state has split implementation into 11 regions with a maximum of four dispensaries in each region. No county can have more than one dispensary in the initial roll-out of licenses, except Jefferson and Fayette counties, which can have up to two each.

Kentucky residents are eligible to apply for a medical cannabis card if they have at least one of the following conditions:

Any type or form of cancer, regardless of stage

Chronic, severe, intractable or debilitating pain

Epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder

Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms or spasticity

Chronic nausea or cyclical vomiting syndrome resistant to other conventional treatment methods

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Under Kentucky law, doctors and advanced practice registered nurses are allowed to issue written certifications verifying the patient has a qualifying condition for medical cannabis treatment.
(Bloomberg) -- Kenyas main opposition coalition said it wont join any coalition with a grouping led by President William Ruto.

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The Azimio-OKA coalition will not be part of the proposed broad-based or any other government with the Kenya Kwanza coalition, it said in an emailed statement following a meeting of the groups on Wednesday.

It called for a people-driven national constitutional convention as a possible pathway towards the resolution of the national crisis subject to the consensus and concurrence of other stakeholders.

At least 53 people have died and more than 400 have been hurt since the protests erupted in mid-June over the governments plan to introduce levies on items ranging from bread to diapers, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

Ruto sought to quell the protests by scrapping the proposed taxes, after demonstrators stormed parliament on June 25. Hes also sacked almost his entire cabinet and accepted the resignation of the chief of police in response to the demonstrations.

The coalition called for the apprehension of rogue officers responsible for the shootings, maiming and killing of peaceful demonstrators, and that all abducted Kenyans be unconditionally released.

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NAIROBI  Kenyan journalists have accused the police of subjecting them to extreme violence during the countrys ongoing protests.

Labor unions representing the media have demanded the arrest of police officers they say are responsible for the alleged rights abuses which they say include journalists being shot at, injured, and abducted.

Wanjeri Kariuki, a reporter with local TV station K24, was shot in the thigh by a police officer while covering protests in the Rift Valley city of Nakuru on Tuesday, July 17, according to witnesses and video posted on X. This was despite her being in visible press gear. On Wednesday Journalists in Nakuru and Kiambu, just north of Nairobi, took to the streets, demanding the officers arrest.

On Wednesday morning, footage recorded by his son showed Macharia Gaitho, a veteran writer and columnist with the Nairobi-based Daily Nation newspaper, being forced into a vehicle by several men.

He was released hours later following a public uproar, with the police claiming it was a case of mistaken identity. Instead, they said, they meant to arrest Francis Gaitho  a content creator popular on TikTok and X who has voiced support for the protests. But Gaitho, however, insisted that the police were targeting him.

The police have also often fired teargas directly at reporters covering the protests for local and international media, according to a number of journalists. Others have reported being assaulted.

The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) said it is following up on reports that CNN photojournalist Fabien Muhire was sprayed with harmful chemicals by police as he documented the protests in Nairobis Central Business District.

Know More

Reuters/John Muchucha

The protest movement began in response to an unpopular finance bill and its members have since shifted their focus, calling for Rutos resignation.

The police service has been under scrutiny because at least 50 people have been killed in the protests so far, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

Several individuals have reportedly been abducted by the police, sparking widespread criticism. The government funded Independent Policing Oversight Authority has received reports of at least 10 abductions and have called for the arrest of police chiefs.

Attacks on media have allegedly included threats to media houses on government advertising. This has been criticized by media leaders. We will not allow the media to be undermined and silenced in this manner. Threats such as denying us advertisements for publishing certain stories are unacceptable, said Zubeida Kananu, chair of the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG).

Room for Disagreement

The police service has denied targeting journalists. The service said on Wednesday that Gaithos abduction was a case of mistaken identity.

We do not target journalists in any way, and todays incident is highly regrettable, a statement posted on X read. The National Police Service remains committed to working with the media while discharging our mandate of promoting accountability and transparency.

Step Back

Ruto has made a number of concessions since the protests began, including the withdrawal of the finance bill and the dismissal of nearly his entire cabinet.

He has disclosed plans to form a broad-based cabinet. He also announced a national dialogue forum, which failed to take off on July 15 as scheduled. Several leaders of the opposition coalition Azimio have refused to take part in the talks which have the backing of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
In June 2023, Ronald Krier allegedly showed up at his then-wifes work, told her she was going to die and made a slitting motion across his throat.

Pierce County prosecutors filed a felony harassment charge against Krier for that incident, but not until July 8, three days after authorities say he killed her in her Bonney Lake home.

Krier, 53, purportedly made the threats inside a Safeway on June 19, 2023. Bonney Lake police submitted a case for prosecutor review two weeks later, according to Pierce County Prosecuting Attorneys Office spokesperson Adam Faber. It took more than a year to file the felony harassment charge because of an accumulating workload in the prosecutors office, Faber said.

There is a backlog for some out-of-custody cases, and we have beefed up staffing in the Domestic Violence & Human Trafficking unit to cut through this, Faber said in an email.

Kriers bail was set at $50,000 for the felony harassment charge, court records show. He also is being held in jail on $2 million bail on a first-degree murder charge, which also was filed July 8. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf during an arraignment.

The cases will now play out in Pierce County Superior Court.

Its the venue where Kriers 53-year-old ex-wife, identified in court records as Lisha Krier, had sought legal intervention in recent years to distance herself from the man she described as abusive, according to records reviewed by The News Tribune. The couple, who married in 1989, had their divorce finalized just last month.

The records illustrate a woman doing what she could to protect herself and fearful that her former partner would do the very thing of which he now stands accused.

In five separate filings between 2020 and 2023, she documented being afraid for her life and wrote about Kriers attempts and threats to take it. Two divorce petitions and three requests for domestic-violence protection orders laid out her reportedly increasingly dire situation. The last domestic-violence order she sought came the day after the alleged threats inside the grocery store, where she held a job in the bakery.

He will kill me and has threatened to kill me multiple different ways, she wrote in the petition.

At times, the system set up to protect victims works like it should, and abusers are held accountable, according to Craig Roberts, director of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, a Tacoma-based domestic-violence victim advocacy organization. In other cases, he said, it is uncertain what could be done to prevent the abuse.

Its sad that this person had to go through this trauma in her life that ultimately ended in her death, and nobody could do anything to help, Roberts said.

Following the grocery-store incident, a year-long protection order against Ronald Krier was granted, requiring him not to harm or contact Lisha Krier and to stay away from her home. It expired two days before she was killed, court records show.

In filing the felony harassment charge, a prosecutor noted that law enforcement investigated allegations that Ronald Krier had violated the order multiple times between July 2023 and September by contacting Lisha Krier through text message and social media. The prosecutors office couldnt prove the violations, and thus didnt charge him for them, according to Faber.

She did all the right things

Domestic-violence protection orders are an important tool because they can legally prevent an abuser from harming or contacting a victim, among other available restraints.

But they arent a fix-all, and we see that so starkly in this situation, said Elizabeth Montoya, spokesperson for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Montoya told The News Tribune that its devastating when a person isnt receiving the safety they deserve while trying to protect themselves.

She did all the right things, Montoya said of Lisha Krier.

Society as a whole needs to support survivors, according to Montoya, including by listening to those who say theyre afraid for their lives and following up with them in high-risk situations. Other systems beyond legal channels can offer help, she added.

Employers can enact policies that support an employee taking time off to address a domestic-violence situation. Schools can note in student accounts that a child isnt to be picked up by an individual if that person has a protection order against them. Friends and family, who are often the first people a victim will turn to, can provide a non-judgmental ear or a safe place to sleep, or help a victim load up a car when leaving their situation.

It is hard to pinpoint what specifically any one victim can do to protect themselves, Montoya said, given that each individuals circumstances are different and its kind of out of that persons control sometimes whether or not theyre going to experience violence.

Seeking help, which is often difficult in and of itself, is a good starting point, she said. Its also important, for use in potential criminal and civil court cases, to document instances of abuse and steps taken to protect oneself.

The coalition underscores that there are more than 80 advocacy programs in Washington state that offer free and confidential emergency support, shelter and legal assistance  most of which are available 24 hours a day. A victim doesnt need to fret about making any major decisions upon contacting an advocate, such as leaving their abuser or filing a police report, Montoya said. An advocate is expected to simply offer support and not push someone seeking help in any particular direction.

Advocates also will reinforce the protection that an individual is getting through the court systems, according to Montoya. They could accompany a person to hearings, call and check up on them and perform other functions that legal systems might not otherwise have the capacity to do.

I know its really scary and hard to reach out but there is support available and youre not alone, Montoya said.

Assaults, threats documented for years

Ronald and Lisha Krier were married 35 years ago in Las Vegas. They have three adult children: two daughters and a son. As late as July 2023, Ronald Krier was reportedly working for a plumbing company in Renton, according to a Pierce County Sheriffs Department incident report into an alleged protection order violation against him.

The tumult in their relationship started as early as December 2011. Ronald Krier shot a couple of rifle rounds at Lisha Krier that didnt hit her, wrestled her to the ground and struck her in the eye with the butt of the firearm during an altercation at their home, court records show.

He was sentenced to six months in jail for second-degree assault, credited with more than three and a half months for time served, and ordered to serve a year in alcohol-abuse treatment.

He also was found to have violated a protection order apparently in place at that time and separately given a suspended sentence for that violation with the requirement that he undergo evaluations for alcohol or drugs and not contact the victim. As a condition of the assault sentencing, he was not to contact his ex-wife for 10 years, court records show.

In a victim-impact statement filed through the court, Lisha Krier defended her then-husband as somebody who had acted outside of themselves under the influence of heavy drinking and the stress of financial problems related to a business. She asked the court multiple times that the no-contact order be dropped. It was terminated in October 2013. Ronald Krier successfully completed treatment in March 2014, according to court records.

Problems were publicly apparent again by October 2019 when the two started living in separate households, court records show. Over the next four years, Lisha Krier would seek help, as documented in an array of legal filings.

Within a week after living apart from each other, she filed for divorce but opted not to pursue an accompanying protection order. The case was dismissed after neither appeared at a hearing for the matter.

In August 2020, she sought a one-year protection order, saying that her then-husband struggled with alcoholism and threatened to kill her every other day: (I)f he finds me he will choke me out and kill me with no mercy, she wrote.

The court granted a temporary protection order but, when no one showed up to a hearing, the case was dismissed and the order expired after two weeks.

Lisha Krier filed a new request for protection, this time for over a year, in October 2022. Again, she noted that Ronald Krier threatened to kill her as well as their son and her mother. She also wrote that he was not permitted to possess firearms due to the 2011 assault; verbally abusive to her daily; and had put a knife to her throat, tried to choke her and vowed to burn her alive when the two were briefly living in Florida.

She documented in the petition that he was arrested for the incident in Florida, but she dropped charges because he was in bad health and she felt sorry for him.

If I dont get immediate help, I fear for my life, she wrote.

After she didnt appear at a hearing, the protection-order case was dismissed, allowing a temporary order to expire after two weeks without being extended.

In March 2023, Lisha Krier filed for divorce for a second time, requesting that Ronald Krier transfer the deed of their home to their son because they had verbally gifted the property to him. It had been agreed upon, she said, that she and their son would live there when Ronald Krier moved to Florida the year prior.

In the filing, she detailed how she had been twice convinced by her then-husband to join him in Florida due to his health issues.

The divorce petition requested that Ronald Krier, who had since returned to Washington, vacate the home by June 2023.

My marriage is irretrievably broken due to years of emotional and physical abuse from Ron Krier, Lisha Krier wrote. He has tried to kill me several times and continues to threaten members of my family and myself with bodily harm and death.

She dismissed the petition in July 2023 after she served new divorce papers in a separate case a month earlier, court records show.

In that final divorce filing, from June 2023, she requested protection and restraining orders against her then-husband, whom she noted had again convinced her to give their relationship another try after she filed the previous divorce petition. But the situation only grew worse: Ronald Krier had threatened to kill her with kitchen knives during an argument, she said.

I truly believe that he will kill me if I stay with him, she wrote.

A temporary restraining order was granted in June 2023 and extended until an August 2023 hearing. In a response to the divorce petition, filed in advance of the hearing, Ronald Krier disagreed with petition assertions about the home, debts and spousal support and the requested protection order, which he suggested was redundant since there was already one in place through July.

The details of the divorce are confidential, but court records show that a decree of dissolution was filed on June 10.

Cycles of abuse

Roughly 24% of women and 14% of men in the United States have been the victims of severe physical violence by a partner, affecting more than 12 million people annually, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

It was a long, harrowing road that preceded Lisha Kriers murder.

No two cases are alike, Roberts said, adding that the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center has clients who it will see once or twice and others who it has served for years.

He said it represented a big step for victims to file for a protection order in cases involving domestic violence, sending a signal to an abuser that they have lost control to the courts and to the filer. Domestic violence, which is centered on control, is also cyclical, he added.

It means that thoughts can play out in victims minds even after they have sought protection orders: How will they pay rent or feed their children? Can their abuser change?

Montoya also noted the many barriers to leaving an abusive relationship, which she said range from emotional to practical reasons. Victims might not want to leave a loved one, feel pressured to stay, be ashamed or hold concerns about their safety or the safety of others, particularly because ending a relationship presents the most dangerous time for a survivor. Victims are also often blamed for abuse they experience, she said.

Lisha Krier feared financial instability at times and acknowledged offering Ronald Krier multiple second chances, court records show.

Faber, the prosecuting attorneys office spokesperson, told The News Tribune that Lisha Krier had not been supportive of prosecution in past incidents involving Ronald Krier but that she supported the felony-harassment charge. The deputy prosecuting attorney who filed it had spoken to her just days before she was killed, Faber said.

Ultimately, there needs to be more resources for domestic-violence victims, more safe places for them to go and expedited financial assistance, Roberts said.

The center maintains a program that teaches family and friends how to support their loved ones who are enduring abuse. The center educates supporters to not cast judgment but reassure victims that they are believed and not at fault; ask what assistance is needed; encourage victims to speak with a professional about a plan for their personal safety; and allow them to make their own decisions, free of pressure.

I think we need to have a much more knowledgeable community on domestic-violence issues, Roberts said, so that aid is more widely accessible.

He also thinks it is important to highlight a simple message: Help is available.

Resources for survivors and family and friends

Visit familyjusticecenter.us or call 253-798-4166 to contact the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, whose website features a list of partner organizations that also provide services.

For a list of domestic-violence victim advocacy programs in the state, visit wscadv.org/washington-domestic-violence-programs. For national or regional hotlines, visit wscadv.org/get-help-now.

The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violences friends and family guide can be found here: wscadv.org/resources/friends-family-guide. A printable guide in English or Spanish is available here: wscadv.org/resources/printable-friends-family-guide.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 if you or someone you know is suffering abuse. Visit thehotline.org to chat or text with an advocate or more information.
Would Kim Reynolds please tell Joe Biden 'thank you' for help with storm recovery?

Social media isnt so great for adults, either

The surgeon general proposes a warning label on social media for children, saying their mental health is at risk. I might also suggest a warning label for old people who scroll mindlessly through messages each day from "friends" they may not know at all. A time waster.

Recently I was kicked off Facebook for alleged bad behavior on Instagram. I don't use Instagram. Never mind. The dispute process for this decision was long and complicated, so I put it off. I find I don't miss Facebook. An average of 39 new minutes each day of leisure opened up.

One problem: I have 1,527 Facebook friends. My birthday is coming up. All their good wishes will be rejected as Facebook explains I am a violator.

Hey, Facebook Friends, it's not true!

Diane Glass, Des Moines

White House has been big help in Iowa storm recovery

Coping with the effects of natural disasters often requires the big help that only the federal government can offer. I agree with Gov. Kim Reynolds that Iowans devastated by recent tornadoes and floods "need" and deserve that help. I wish, however, that she would acknowledge that the help is coming from a Democratic presidential administration she has repeatedly criticized and from the "big government" she has often condemned. If she can't muster an "I'm sorry," at least a Thank you is in order.

Dorothy Lifka, Des Moines

Munson nailed the importance of free press

It was a nice surprise to see Kyle Munson again in print in the Register's July 7. His research and thoughts on the Register at 175  "Robust reporting, dramatic change"  was a fascinating read as well as an important reminder of the importance of a conscientious free press dedicated to the pursuit of common facts which benefit community.

Fred Nelson, Des Moines

Less spending on nutrition assistance would be wasteful and harmful

On May 24, Congressman Zach Nunn and fellow Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted to limit future updates to the USDAs Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, used by 40 million low-income Americans to purchase food.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this change will snatch away $30 billion in nutrition assistance from American children, families, and seniors in the coming decade.

In a nation that wastes nearly 80 million tons of food each year, refusing to issue federal dollars to purchase some of that food seems nonsensical and cruel. The USDA estimates that 30% to 40% of our nations food supply is left unsold or uneaten, left to molder in unpicked fields or fester in overflowing dumpsters. When the federal government adds dollars to SNAP cards, the money allows families to purchase food that already exists and would otherwise go to waste. The money spent from the SNAP program then circulates through the economy, benefiting farmers and grocers as well as the families who could not eat without that additional funding.

Please explain to Zach Nunn why cutting SNAP is a cruel waste of existing resources.

Karen Caligiuri, Des Moines

Art Center seemed to miss the symbolism

The July 10 story 11 things to do this weekend in Des Moines include 80/35, Ankeny Summerfest, IndyCar concerts mentions Coexist, a new Des Moines Art Center exhibit that delves into the rich, complicated relationship between humanity and nature, one based on both conflict and interdependence, revealing the connection between environmental activism and art.

How remarkably ironic and/or clueless of the Art Centers leaders to mount this exhibition just as they pursue the shameful destruction of the nationally acclaimed work in their permanent collection that brilliantly represents the exhibitions title and thesis, "Greenwood Pond: Double Site," the beloved installation by land art leader Mary Miss.

Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, Washington, D.C.

We tried being a Christian nation early on, and it was ugly

In a July 14 letter, Norlyn Baker proclaimed that the USA was once and should become again a Christian nation. While this may be a comforting delusion for some, in reality it is unquestionably a patently terrible notion.

Early colonial America was a hotbed of religious strife, with various sects striving, sometimes violently, for political dominance. From Puritan Boston's earliest days, Catholics were banned from the colonies, along with other non-Puritans. Four Quakers were hanged in Boston for persistently returning to the city to stand up for their beliefs. In the colonies as a whole, there was a crazy quilt of state laws regarding "correct" religious observation.

The founders of the new nation, and particularly James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, had firsthand knowledge of this level of intolerance, and specifically crafted the Constitution to be religion-neutral in order to prevent any particular religious persuasion from being able to control public policy.

As Jefferson aptly put it, "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

Ed Nellis, Iowa City

Vote for Kennedy to repudiate our 2-party system

In the past few weeks, I have heard several people complain about the two-party political system and how it leaves us with a lack of options in the presidential election. While I have been feeling this way for years, the recent conversation seems to have begun following the poor performances from both President Joe Biden and former-President Donald Trump in the most recent debates. Then, with the violence July 13, it is more obvious than ever that the two-party system will only continue to produce candidates we dont want to vote for and violence we must all denounce. This is not the way a democracy should function.

The two parties will never give us what we want unless we prove that we can vote for someone else. If there is no risk of losing our votes, why would they change? That is why this election is the perfect time to prove that the American public has the ability to vote outside of the two-party system. This election is the perfect time to prove that voters have the ability to vote for an independent candidate like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This is our opportunity to declare our independence from the two-party system that has had control of our lives for far too long.

In this election, we need to show the political power structure that we dont have to support the lesser of two evils. Instead, we can vote for a candidate who wants to heal the nation, bring people together, and end the cycle of violence that has become all too common in American politics. We can stand together. We can demand something more. We can create change. But first, we must decide to do something new and refuse to accept what we have been forced to take in the past.

Austin Harrington, Des Moines

More: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Iowa farmers must be protected from pipelines, corporate interests

Examine politicians votes, not their statements

Politics will not ignore you. Politics affects every part of our lives. It affects the food you eat, water you drink, air you breathe, workplace safety, your public safety and individual rights, and much more. I would encourage readers to examine what your politicians are doing and not saying. When a politician says they will protect the vulnerable, but votes with those in their party to strip rights from those same people, then they are not being truthful.

Watch what they do, not what they say. You will be receiving newsletters from our elected officials that will say the things you will like, but they may very well vote the opposite.

Get educated, listen and watch.

Politics will not ignore you and you need to watch what they do.

Rickey Woody, Clive

Dismissing case against Trump isnt necessarily just

Just because Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the documents case against Donald Trump doesn't mean he is innocent. It simply means Cannon is willing to put ideology ahead of the law.

Mike Martin, Des Moines

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds should thank Joe Biden for assisting in storm recovery
Real estate investment firms Peach Hill Capital and RK2 Property Group recently acquired the Georgetown Crossing apartment complex for $25.6 million.

The Georgetown Crossing apartments in south Chatham County will soon feature a new name and new amenities.

Real estate investment firms Peach Hill Capital and RK2 Property Group recently acquired the complex for $25.6 million, and the joint venture is set to renovate the property, including renaming the complex Georgetown Oaks, according to a press release on the purchase.

The acquisition represents Peach Hill's second multifamily investment in the Savannah area over the past 8 months, the press release said. Two of Peach Hill's founders, Daniel Joels and Josh Meyer, pointed to the fast-growing Port of Savannah and major economic development as reasons for entering the market.

"We view Hyundais new $7.6 billion EV plant, which is slated to open later this year, as a game-changing catalyst for further economic expansion here," Meyer said in the press release.

Planned renovations include new flooring, stainless-steel appliances and quartz countertops. The venture also plans to improve landscaping, enhance the community pool area and add a children's playground.

There are 103 units that have not been substantially renovated since the property was built in 1994, the press release said. The complex is home to 168 units in total.

By taking advantage of operational efficiencies and economies of scale, we plan to make thoughtful improvements that will enhance the tenant living experience while still maintaining affordable rents, Joels said in the press release.

Georgetown Crossing offers one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, with one bedrooms starting at $1,275 per month, according to the complex's site. There are two-bedroom units starting at $1,395 per month.

Georgetown Crossing is located at 1015 King George Blvd., adjacent to Stoner's Pizza Joint.

Peach Hill Capital focuses on multifamily properties in the Southeast. Both Joels and Meyer are former New York City real estate investment professionals.

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: South Chatham County GA apartment complex sells for $25.6 million
King Charles III donned a ceremonial crown and robe Wednesday to give a speech formally opening the session of the new British parliament. After a national election earlier this month, the U.K. legislature is decisively left-leaning for the first time in 14 years.

Wednesday's was one of the most significant public addresses delivered by King Charles since he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Charles took a break from public appearances to undergo treatment for about three months before returning to public duties earlier this summer.

Alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, Charles delivered the speech  written by the elected government, not the monarch himself  outlining the plans of the country's new Labour Party leadership to a joint session of both houses of Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Britain's King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, sits alongside Britain's Queen Camilla, wearing the George IV State Diadem, are seen before reading the King's Speech from the The Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords chamber, during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Houses of Parliament in London, July 17, 2024. / Credit: Henry Nicholls/AP

Key takeaway's from the speech included government plans to reform regulations to increase home building in Britain, bring trains services back under public ownership over time, and to create a publicly-owned "Great British Energy" body to invest in renewable sources.

Internationally, Charles said the government was committed to a "safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state." He also said the U.K.'s support for the transatlantic NATO military alliance would "remain unshakeable," and that Ukraine would continue to receive Britain's "full support" as it battles to fend off Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion.

None of the foreign policy assertions marked a significant change in course from the previous, Conservative-led British government.

The Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, defeated the long-ruling Conservatives in the U.K. general election held on July 4 in a landslide.

The British monarch's formal role in the State Opening of Parliament, formally called the King's Speech  or, for seven decades before Charles, the Queen's Speech  is a political tradition that has stuck around through the U.K.'s evolution from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says "not even an assassin's bullet could stop" Trump in RNC speech

Gov. Glenn Youngkin says Trump told him "rewrite your speech, too" ahead of RNC

Biden on what it would take for him to drop out of race, increases Black and Latino outreach
Keir Starmer, Britains new prime minister, pitched himself as an antidote to the snake oil charm of populism on Wednesday, unveiling sweeping plans to target housebuilding, crime, illegal migration and a breakdown in public trust during the first ceremonial Kings Speech of his government.

King Charles III formally opened a new session of parliament by reading out Starmers agenda at a grandiose event that brings together Britains royal pageantry and political class, two weeks after his landslide landslide election win brought a 14-year era of Conservative rule to an emphatic end.

The speech focused on Starmers central slogan of national renewal, and included pledges to nationalize Britains railways, tackle a housing crisis by changing planning laws to build more affordable homes, and intensifying efforts to tackle illegal migration.

Starmer more broadly took swipes at the Tory governments that had ruled Britain since 2010, and at the swell of populism that has rippled across the UK and Europe, attempting to lay claim to Britains center ground with a public push for pragmatism.

No more wedge issues. No more gimmicks, Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons as debate on his agenda began, insisting his government would solve problems, not exploit them.

The fight for trust is the battle that defines our political era, Starmer said.

His 40-bill agenda includes measures crafted to appeal to both older and younger generations, as Starmer seeks to maintain the broad coalition of voters that put him into Downing Street earlier this month. But his introduction to that agenda also contained an effort to counteract the rise of populism in the UK and Europe. The snake oil charm of populism may sound seductive, but it drives us into the dead end of further division and greater disappointment, Starmer said.

While the speech fleshed out some of the growth-orientated vision Starmer pitched during the summers election campaign, it was light on details on other areas, including how Starmer would meaningfully bolster Britains border security after an election campaign disrupted by public concern over small boat crossings to the UK.

And Starmer opted to swerve some of the thornier constitutional and voting changes he had pledged to make during the campaign, including an upper age limit on peers allowed to sit in the House of Lords, and the lowering of the voting age to 16.

The speech sets out the agenda of Keir Starmer, who defeated Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in this month's election. - Dan Kitwood/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Pomp and politics collide

The state opening of parliament is a rare collision of pomp and politics, featuring a series of centuries-old flourishes and conventions that catch even many of Britains lawmakers off guard.

The production began when King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, made their way by carriage from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament, before MPs were summoned by Black Rod  a role established in the 1300s  to watch his speech in the House of Lords chamber.

Starmer and his defeated rival, Conservative leader Rishi Sunak, shared a warm conversation before and after the speech, their roles dramatically reversed after the election on July 4 that saw Labour win a landslide in parliament, although with a modest share of the votes.

Once the speech began, focus shifted to the first Labour legislative plan in a decade and a half. It put at its heart an effort to build, after a decade of stalled growth that had seen housing and infrastructure projects scuppered across Britain.

Starmer also formalized plans to renationalize Britains rail network in the coming years, and to create a publicly-owned renewable energy company.

Other parts of the speech continued Labours efforts to appeal to traditionally conservative voters who have lost faith in the Tory party after a tumultuous stretch in government.

In particular, Starmer promised a clampdown on illegal migration and small boat crossings across the Channel  an issue that plagued successive Conservative governments and gave rise to a surge in support for Reform UK, a populist anti-migrant bloc that won more than 4 million votes in the election.

The speech formally opens a new session of parliament. - Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The speech pledged extra powers for law enforcement to investigate people smuggling, including stopping and searching at the border, and the creation of a new Border Security Command. It also promised to clear Britains vast asylum backlog, which has ballooned to near 100,000 people in recent years and forced the government to accommodate asylum seekers in hotels and detention centers for months while they await news on their claim.

At home, a number of institutions were targeted for modernization  most awkwardly, the very room in which Charles gave his speech. Under government plans, hereditary peers will no longer be able to sit and vote in the House of Lords, in a first step in wider reform to the chamber.

A new draft Race Equality Bill will meanwhile make it mandatory for large employers to report ethnicity and disability pay in the same way they currently report gender pay.

And legislation for a long-awaited ban on both gay and transgender conversion therapy  efforts to change someones sexual orientation or gender identity  was announced, having been first trailed by Theresa May in 2018 but never brought to light.

Sunak tells Starmer he must now deliver change

Starmer acknowledged a breakdown in belief among the British public that politics can be a force for good  trust in politics is at record lows, studies have suggested, after a lengthy period dominated by scandal in Westminster.

But his agenda will be underpinned by a large dealing of skepticism that Britains public services can be revived without a much larger infusion of cash than the government is offering.

Little in the speech focused on Britains National Health Service (NHS), or on its social care sector, where the priority will be management rather than new legislation.

After the King read Starmers speech, MPs gathered in the Commons to debate Labours agenda, with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promising to lead the opposition constructively while a drawn-out contest to replace him as Conservative leader takes place.

The party opposite has successfully tapped into the publics desire for change, but they must now deliver change, Sunak said.

He and Starmer had shared warm exchanges earlier in the day  which Starmer said had partially focused on Englands football team  but the rigor of Britains politics returned and tension crept back into the chamber as Sunak criticized the scrapping of his plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda, and claimed that Labour had inherited, thanks to his work, an economy on an upward trajectory.

And Sunak urged Starmer to match his committment to increase the UKs defense spending to 2.5% of its GDP, saying it will show the Americans that we do not expect them to bear every burden within NATO.

Those arguments will intensify in the coming weeks, as Labour introduces its first bills to Parliament  beginning with three priority measures from the speech later this week.

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King Charles III made only his second ever Kings Speech on July 17, marking the 2024 state opening of parliament.

In it, he laid out Labours vision for the country and the key legislation the government will begin working on in the coming months.

The party came to power at the start of July, ending 14 years of Tory government. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has been keen to hit the ground running, bringing a slate of new bills which seek to change the direction of the country.

My government will be committed to uniting the country in our shared mission of national renewal, Sir Keir said, introducing the Kings Speech.

For the latest political updates, follow The Independents live coverage

We will serve every person, regardless of how they voted, to fix the foundations of this nation for the long term. The era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over.

There were a total of 39 bills included in the Kings Speech, with some likely to have big impacts on the lives of UK citizens.

Here are the key bills confirmed today and what they could mean for you:

Budget Responsibility Bill

This was the first piece of legislation announced by the King today, a signal from Labour of its emphasis on the mission of economic growth.

The bill will introduce a fiscal lock by requiring any major tax or spending changes to be subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

This is a policy that has long been floated by Labour and was detailed in the partys manifesto. It is in line with chancellor Rachel Reevess vision of securonomics which sees economic growth and wealth creation prioritised with limited state intervention.

Labour says the bill is designed to ensure that the mistakes of Liz Truss mini Budget cannot be repeated.

Housebuilding and planning bill

Keir Starmer and deputy party leader Angela Rayner visit a housing development in northwest London during the election campaign (James Manning/PA Wire)

Building on Labours commitment to reintroduce mandatory housebuilding targets of 1.5 million new homes over five years, the Kings Speech included the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

This legislation will reform the planning process, speeding it up to allow more homes and infrastructure to be built. The bill will also reform compulsory purchase order rules and support local planning authorities.

The current planning regime acts as a major brake on economic growth, the government said.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will play a key role in addressing this constraint, unlocking more housing and infrastructure across the country and supporting sustained economic growth.

National Wealth Fund Bill

A new national wealth fund has been designed to attract billions in private sector investment to support UK growth.

Supported by 7.3bn in state funding, the fund is looking to secure roughly triple this in private investment, from sources such as pension funds, to boost the fund.

The bill also aims to align institutions like the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank to mobilise private capital in the industries of the future.

Pension Schemes Bill

Labour says this bill is designed to support the 15 million people who save in private-sector pension schemes, aiming to increase the amount available for pension savers.

It would do this with measures such as ensuring peoples multiple pension pots are automatically brought together and introducing a new framework for pension schemes.

The government estimates the bill could save the average earner more than 11,000 in their pension pots for retirement.

Employment Rights Bill

Labours new bill on workers rights lays out a few changes to employment law which it says are designed to make work pay.

It forms part of the governments New Deal for Working People, thought to be spearheaded by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

The measures include banning exploitative zero hour contracts, ending fire and rehire practices, making parental sick leave available from day one on the job, and strengthening statutory sick pay.

Bringing train operators into public ownership

One of the new Labour governments more radical ideas, the Passenger Railway Services Bill, will see train operators brought into public ownership over the next few years.

The government makes clear that this is an early step towards broader reforms, so we wont see them buying all the rail companies just yet.

Rather, the process will see train operations transfer to the public sector as existing contracts expire, or operators fail to meet their commitments.

The bill will also amend the law so that appointing a publicly owned rail operator is the default.

Labour says the plan will save millions in taxpayer money that is currently paid in fees to private rail operators, as well as allowing them to lower emissions.

It comes alongside the Railways Bill  which aims to create a unified and simplified rail system  and the confirmation of a pledge to improve rail links in the north of England.

Great British Energy Bill

A flagship Labour policy, and the one the party has committed the most spending to, this bill gets Great British Energy off the ground.

It will be a publicly owned energy production company that owns, manages and operates clean power projects across the UK.

The bill will allow the company to begin investments and allow energy secretary Ed Miliband to begin securing private-sector partnerships.

Labour says the plan will give the UK energy independence, create new jobs, save money for households and tackle climate change.

Water (Special Measures) Bill

This bill will deliver on Labours manifesto pledge of cracking down on water companies that dont deliver for customers or pollute rivers, lakes and seas.

The policies will see water companies put under strict special measures. These include ensuring water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking, giving the water regulator powers to ban bonus payments, and introducing a new code of conduct for water companies.

There will also be new powers to bring automatic and severe fines against water companies, and real-time monitors installed at sewage outlets to be independently scrutinised.

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

Delivering on a key manifesto pledge, Labour has introduced this bill which it says aims to protect national security by deterring Channel crossings and prosecuting the people smugglers responsible.

It will give the newly created Border Security Command and law enforcement more powers to crack down on criminal gangs and strengthens the penalty for criminals involved.

The government also aims to improve the failing asylum system with the bill, making it more efficient and ending the use of hotels by clearing the asylum backlog.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Carried over from Rishi Sunaks Conservative government, this bill prevents anyone born after 1 January 2009 from purchasing tobacco products, ever.

This would mean children aged 15 today  in Generation Alpha  will never be able to buy a pack of cigarettes.

The bill will also stop vapes and products like nicotine pouches from being deliberately advertised to children, and strengthen enforcement activity around underage sales.

Renters Rights Bill

First introduced in 2023, the Renters Reform Bill was dropped after Rishi Sunak called the general election.

Labour has now brought it back, with some slight differences.

The key measure will be the scrapping of Section 21 no fault eviction notices  the controversial power allowing landlords to evict tenants from their properties at two months notice without needing to give any reason.

Labour is expected to strengthen the bill by empowering tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

House of Lords reform

Labour made a manifesto commitment to constitutional change, and the Kings Speech has delivered on Labours planned House of Lords reforms.

After this bill passes, hereditary peers will no longer be able to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
Dasha has been found.

Earlier this week, we published the question, "Do you know Dasha?"

The Oak Ridger quickly found the answer to the question posed by Crayola, the maker of crayons.

Dasha is Dasha Gorin, her father, Audrey Gorin revealed. He has a copy of the artwork she made in third grade at Linden Elementary School still on the wall at his Oak Ridge home. Dasha, 28, is now a movie producer and director of research operation at the company Infillion.

We've also heard from one of her teachers, and Dasha herself - but we plan to talk to her more for a feature story in the near future.

But for now, we just wanted to let you know that we now know the identity of Dasha, as does Crayola.

The original story is below.

Crayola is counting on it. The company is looking to reunite a former Linden Elementary School student with the artwork she created - in 1996.

About 28 years ago, an Oak Ridge third grader named Dasha crafted a piece of art titled "Jade the Bird Ate Two Dozen Shrimp" as part of Crayolas Dream Makers program, according to a news release. The Dream Makers program ran from 1984 to 2013 to encourage art experiences in the classroom, according to the Crayola website.

When a piece is claimed, artists like Dasha have an opportunity to share how creativity has shaped their life. It has been around 28 years since Dasha created "Jade the Bird Ate Two Dozen Shrimp."

It selected pieces to display in galleries around the U.S. during that time, and eventually Crayola became the owners of a massive collection of children's artwork. Since then, Dasha's creation and others have been kept at Crayola's company headquarters.

Her artwork is one piece of many Crayola is working to return to original creators across the country through its Campaign for Creativity, which aims to inspire children's creativity.

As part of Crayola's search for Dasha, "Jade the Bird Ate Two Dozen Shrimp" recently was featured on a billboard in New York City's Times Square.

As of Wednesday, July 17, she hadn't been found, a Crayola spokesperson told The Oak Ridger by email. Dasha would now be in her mid 30s.

The artworks can be claimed on the Crayola website, crayola.com/featured/campaign-for-creativity.

And let The Oak Ridger know, too. Email your information to dsmith@oakridger.com.

The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Dasha found! Crayola sought Oak Ridge third-grade artist from 1996
What we know and don't about the police shooting in Milwaukee near the RNC

Five Columbus, Ohio-based police officers shot a man armed with two knives just under a mile from the security perimeter for the Republican National Convention on Tuesday afternoon. He died from his injuries.

Here's what we know and what we don't know about the shooting.

What happened at the police shooting in Milwaukee?

Thirteen Columbus police officers were in the area near North 14th and West Vliet Streets for a briefing when they saw an altercation between two people, one of whom was holding a knife in each hand, according to preliminary information provided by Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman late Tuesday.

The officers ordered the man to drop the knives, he said.

The man did not do so, and then suddenly charged at the other individual, which is when police opened fire, Norman said.

Body camera footage and still frames released late Tuesday by Columbus police show the man was still armed with the knives, and lunging toward another man, at the time of the shooting.

The man died at the scene.

Two knives were recovered at the scene, the chief said.

Was the shooting in Milwaukee related to the RNC?

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the shooting "was determined to be non RNC."

The officers from Columbus, Ohio, were in Milwaukee as part of RNC security, however.

Several dozen Columbus officers are in Milwaukee. They're among the 4,000 non-Milwaukee law enforcement officers who arrived in Milwaukee for the RNC to assist in security, traffic and public safety from Saturday to Friday.

Law enforcement agencies from outside Wisconsin were from 24 states across the country, as well as the District of Columbia. Most of the participating agencies arrived from Florida, Ohio and North Dakota.

Who was Samuel Sharpe Jr., the man killed by Columbus, Ohio, police officers in Milwaukee?

The man was well-known in the neighborhood. He lived in one of the tent encampments, was known by the nickname Jehovah and took care of a pit bull named Ices, they said. Police could be seen removing the dog from the encampment around 2:30 and putting it in a MADACC van.

The man was identified later Tuesday as Samuel Sharpe Jr. by a first cousin, Larayne Sharpe, who spoke to reporters at the scene of the shooting.

Eddie Johnson, 55, a friend of the man, said he was a "beautiful person" who was known to walk his dog and carry a Bible.

"I don't understand this," Johnson said. "He didn't deserve that."

Shelly Sarasin, the co-founder and director of Street Angels, said her outreach group goes to the area every Monday with a mobile shower unit.

Jehovah began using Street Angels' shower in April and used it yesterday, too, she said.

As he was leaving, he kept saying "I love you guys," Sarasin said.

We might be the last people he said that to, she said.

Was the shooting in Milwaukee near the RNC?

The shooting took place just under a mile west of the Republican National Convention's security perimeter. The area is home to roughly 70 unhoused people who live in tents between 13th and 14th streets.

Multiple blocks near the area, near King Park, have been taped off by law enforcement.

What were Columbus officers doing near King Park when the shooting occurred?

At a news conference the day of the shooting, Norman had said the officers were in their assigned zone related to RNC duties for potential demonstration response. The shooting occurred on West Vliet Street near North 14th Street.

The department provided more clarity in a lengthy statement provided to reporters the following day. The Columbus officers were in their assigned zone, which included portions of the soft perimeter and extended into the area immediately surrounding it. The department also noted a protest had occurred near Vliet and 14th Streets the day before.

"All outside agencies have been assigned to areas that include the hard perimeter, the soft perimeter and/or the area immediately surrounding the soft perimeter," the department said.

Were Milwaukee police supposed to be accompanying all out-of-town officers?

Milwaukee police officials were clear before the RNC: They did not intend to use non-Milwaukee officers for "forward-facing" roles, and they wanted Milwaukee officers to be the ones interacting with local residents.

Mutual aid agreements signed by outside agencies had similar language, saying Milwaukee officers should be the ones to make arrests and requiring at least one Milwaukee officer on most assignments.

The day after the shooting, Milwaukee police said they did not consider the Columbus bicycle unit to be a forward-facing unit, since it was a specialty unit primarily tasked with traffic control and responding to potential demonstrations.

The department made changes and said that for the last two days of the convention, all bicycle units would have representation from Milwaukee police.

Who were the officers who shot Sharpe?

Two of the five police officers have previously been investigated for uses of force.

Nicholas Mason, who has been with the department since 2007, was cleared of criminal wrongdoing after fatally shooting a driver who accelerated during a traffic stop and dragged Mason along the car in 2017, the Columbus Dispatch first reported.

Adam Groves was one of six officers sued in 2016 on allegations of wrongful arrest and excessive use of force, which resulted in a settlement of $45,000 in 2020, according to the Dispatch.

Columbus police identified the other officers involved in the shooting as Austin Enos, Canaan Dick and Karl Eiginger.

The five officers did not continue to work the RNC after the shooting, according to a Milwaukee police statement the day after the shooting.

Will the police shooting be investigated?

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, led by the Greenfield Police Department, is investigating the fatal shooting.

Norman strongly defended the out-of-state officers in the shooting.

"Someone's life was in danger," he said. "These officers who are not from this area took upon themselves to act to save someone's life today."

Tuesday's shooting in Milwaukee marks the eighth time this year that Columbus police have shot someone, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Several dozen Columbus officers, including the Division of Police's dialogue team, are in Milwaukee, as are officers from other cities around the country, to assist with security.

Multiple sources told The Dispatch that dialogue officers  who are trained to facilitate people's demonstration rights and de-escalate situations  were not involved in the shooting.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about police shooting today in Milwaukee near RNC
What to know about The Heritage Foundation's role in the RNC in Milwaukee

If you landed in Mitchell Airport this week, you might have seen welcome signs for the Republican National Convention papering the airport  and not just from the city or the Republican Party.

The Heritage Foundation's welcome signs are among the first thing convention attendees saw this week after touching down in Milwaukee. The conservative think tank is behind the Project 2025 policy proposal and a key sponsor of the RNC.

Here's what to know about The Heritage Foundation and its role in the RNC in Milwaukee.

The Heritage Foundation wants folks to know that this is *their*convention-> The first thing RNC attendees will see when they arrive in Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/SW8oQKfFJD  Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) July 11, 2024

What is the Heritage Foundation?

Heritage is a conservative think tank based in D.C. In addition to drafting policy proposals, the group lobbies and hosts thousands of meetings with lawmakers every year, according to its website.

Kevin Roberts, president of Heritage, made headlines earlier this month for saying on former Trump adviser Steve Bannons radio show that the country was in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

The comment came just weeks before the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump prompted GOP lawmakers to pivot to a message of national unity during the RNC.

How involved has The Heritage Foundation been in the RNC in Milwaukee?

Heritage's involvement in the RNC hasn't just been limited to airport billboards.

The right-wing group is an official convention partner, according to the RNC host committee's website. It is unclear how much Heritage donated to the conventions host committee, though the committee recently announced it has raised more than $85 million for the 2024 RNC.

On July 15, the opening day of the convention, Heritage rented out the Bradley Symphony Center for a day-long policy festival. The event, themed "Fighting for America's Future," featured speakers including entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

On Wednesday evening, the group will also host a social event at Uncle Buck's, a bar near Fiserv Forum, according to the conventions event calendar.

What is The Heritage Foundation's involvement with Project 2025?

The Heritage Foundation produced Project 2025, a more than 900-page policy proposal to dismantle and reconstruct the government in the event of a second Trump term.

Among other policies, Project 2025 calls for a sweeping expansion of presidential powers, an end to the Department of Education and a reversal of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of abortion pills.

It also appears to oppose same-sex marriage and gay couples adopting children by seeking to "maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family." Read more about Project 2025 and its implications here.

Though several former top Trump administration officials were involved in drafting Project 2025, the document is not the official policy proposal of the Trump campaign. In fact, Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025 in recent weeks, while President Joe Biden's campaign has buckled down on pointing out the connections between Trump's staff and the Project 2025 authors.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about The Heritage Foundation, 2024 RNC sponsor
What to know about Milwaukee's William Pekrul, a decorated WWII veteran and RNC speaker

One of the speakers scheduled for the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night is Sgt. William Pekrul, a Milwaukee native and decorated World War II veteran.

The theme for the third night of the convention is "Make America Strong Once Again."

In his speech, Pekrul said he'd re-enlist if Trump were president again.

Pekrul, 99, was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star for his service in WWII. He has received additional recognition locally since, including in 2019 when he served as Grand Marshall of Milwaukee's Veterans Day Parade.

A Milwaukee native, Pekrul signed up for the U.S. Army at Boys Tech High School (now Bradley Tech), according to an interview with the War Memorial Center that he gave as part of the Wisconsin Veterans Story Project. Pekrul fought with the 29th Infantry in the second wave of troops during the Normandy Invasion on D-Day.

In his interview with the War Memorial Center, Pekrul spoke to generations that came after him, saying, "There were more patriotic guys in my time than there are today."

He also said Americans have a duty to serve in war if they are called, but ultimately, "wars don't solve nothing."

Pekrul also described his time serving in Belgium, when his feet froze overnight after a heroic act. He had pulled his platoon leader, who had been shot, into a basement, where they waited all night in below-zero temperatures as German soldiers walked across the floors above. Pekrul survived and was awarded the Silver Star for the act.

He spent a month-and-a-half in an English hospital, where his feet healed. He then went back into the 75th Infantry and fought until the war's end. He was discharged in 1946 and met his wife one week after he returned. They have been married for 76 years and have 11 children.

At the end of his story, Pekrul became emotional and said, "I thought I'd never get back."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about WWII veteran, RNC speaker William Pekrul of Milwaukee
Hadley Duvalls abortion rights message has gone national.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, the Owensboro native is featured in a new ad from the reelection campaign of Democratic President Joe Biden. In it, Duvall directly calls out former President Donald Trump and his newly announced vice presidential running mate, JD Vance.

In a one-minute spot released Wednesday, Duvall recounts her story while she applies makeup in a mirror. She was raped and impregnated when she was 12 by her stepfather, who is now in prison for related charges.

Honestly, I didnt even know what was possible for my future when I was a kid, Duvall said. I had always wondered, like, sitting in class, do these people go home, and are they afraid of their dad, too?

Duvall miscarried, but she said in the ad  and has said many times publicly  that had she not, she wouldve gotten an abortion.

Duvalls story played a central role Gov. Andy Beshears reelection messaging on abortion in Kentucky last year, where a majority-Republican legislature passed a near-total ban on abortion in the state that took effect in 2022 with the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Like some other conservative states, Kentuckys current law does not include exceptions for people who are impregnated through rape or incest, or those who have nonviable pregnancies.

In the Beshear campaign ad, Hadley made an emotional rejoinder against the states Republican-backed ban on abortion where she recounted the pain caused by her stepfather. It ran on television for weeks, and is considered by some to be the knock out punch in Beshears five-point win over GOP candidate and former attorney general Daniel Cameron.

A bill dubbed Hadleys Law to create exceptions for rape and nonviable pregnancies was filed by a Democrat during the 2024 General Assembly. It went nowhere, despite a late push for its passage.

Duvall and Beshear have since publicly appeared together to advocate for the restoration of abortion rights, not just in Kentucky, but nationwide.

The pair headlined an event last month in Nashville hosted by a Tennessee reproductive rights advocacy group. That week, Duvall also appeared alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview on MSNBC, and accompanied First Lady Jill Biden at a campaign stop for her husband in Pennsylvania.

Earlier on Wednesday, the First Lady tweeted a video of Hadley, saying, Her name is Hadley Duvall, and you need to hear her story.

President Trump brags about overturning Roe v. Wade, Duvall says. He is proudly responsible for each and every abortion ban across the country, and he calls them a beautiful thing to watch. What is so beautiful about telling a 12-year-old girl that she must have the baby of her stepfather, who raped her?

The stakes of this election could not be higher for our choices.

President Bidens ad, too, ended with Duvall rebuking former Trump and Vance, an Ohio Senator.

Both have voiced support for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Girls like me are suffering, Duvall said. Their futures are being ripped away. Trump and JD Vance dont care about women.

When Roe v. Wade was overturned, immediately I just thought about being 12, she said. The first thing that was told to me when I saw that positive pregnancy test was, you have options.

If Roe v. Wade wouldve been overturned sooner, I wouldnt have heard that. And then it had me thinking that theres someone that doesnt get to hear that now.

Trump and Vance dont care about girls in this situation, Duvall said. They will continue to take our rights away. In this election, we have a choice.

This is a developing story that may be updated.
A Waynesville paper-making support plant that employed 200 before it was downscaled with the closure of a larger nearby Canton mill will get a new owner  along with hopes of an expanded workforce.

Pactiv Evergreen Inc. has announced that it signed an agreement to sell its Pine Bluff, Arkansas, paper mill and Waynesville extrusion facility to Brazil-based global paper and pulp producer Suzano S.A. for $110 million, the company said in a release. The deal should be closed near the end of 2024.

Pine Bluff produces liquid packaging board and "cupstock" used to make fresh beverage cartons, paper cups and other fiber-based food and beverage packaging, according to the release. Waynesville provides "incremental extrusion" processing for the board produced at Pine Bluff, the release said. As part of the deal, Suzano would enter into a long-term contract to supply liquid packaging board to Pactiv.

Once at 200 workers, the Waynesville facility staff was cut to 50 after Pactiv quickly shut down Canton's 115-year paper making operation in 2023. The move threw the town and region into turmoil, laying off about 1,000 workers who on average made $78,300 annually.

The operations are both in Haywood County and about eight miles apart. Pactiv is in talks with Missouri demolition and redevelopment company Spirtas Worldwide to buy the Canton plant.

The Citizen Times reached out to Suzano July 16 asking if the company would increase employment at the Waynesville facility.

Haywood County Economic and Community Development Director David Francis said he has heard that is possible because of the deal to supply Pactiv.

"The Pine Bluff and Waynesville facilities play off of each other and the Waynesville plant is apparently just unique in its manufacturing capabilities and what it can do," he said.

Francis said he is optimistic about the new owners, who use eucalyptus for their paper and fiber.

Pactiv CEO Michael King said the deal should help both companies and the towns.

We put considerable thought into positioning Pine Bluff and Waynesville for the future and believe this agreement serves the best interests of our stakeholders and our local communities," King said in the release.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is suing Pactiv on behalf of the state Commerce Department, saying the company violated a $12 million economic development agreement. Stein, a Democrat, is running for governor against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Pactiv received the money in exchange for maintaining operations and at least 800 jobs in the Canton facility through Dec. 31, 2024.

Story continues

More: US House Rep. Edwards seeks $38M for Western NC: Canton sewerage, Asheville police, more

Nearly year after shutdown Canton paper plant wants millions of dollars in taxes back

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Illinois-based corp. selling Waynesville, NC, paper plant
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Charles County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) said officers arrested a man after he fired a gunshot at a television and threatened two people on Saturday morning.

Police said that at around 10:50 a.m., officers responded to a La Plata home for the report of a man who fired a gun at a television and threatened two people in the home during a disagreement.

CCSO said officers immediately established a perimeter around the house while another officer contacted the suspect and convinced him to exit the home peacefully. Police then took 45-year-old Alfredo Arroyo into custody.

Police: New York man allegedly demanded gold bars from Silver Spring woman or Russia would take her money

He was charged with first-degree assault, malicious destruction of property and other related charges.

The other two people inside the home at the time were not hurt. Responding officers recovered a firearm from the scene.

Officer Harden of CCSO is investigating.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Kwame Riddle became the first person in 2024 charged with murder in Tippecanoe County.

Riddle fatally stabbed Terry Taylor early July 11 in the 1600 block of Briarwood Court, leaving him bleeding to death in the middle of the road, according to prosecutors who filed charges Wednesday. Riddle, who has been jailed since that day, will remain incarcerated without bond until his trial, which is scheduled for Nov. 12.

Prosecutors also charged Riddle, 34, with a sentence-enhancing charge of being a habitual offender for having two felony drug-related convictions in Illinois and one felony drug-related conviction in Tippecanoe County, according to court records.

A man died early Thursday, July 11, 2024, in the street in the 1600 block of Briarwood Court. Police are investigating and have detained a person of interest.

Riddle, who one witness knows only as "King," and Taylor started trash talking each other inside an apartment, and the tenant asked them to leave because she didn't want any problems, according to prosecutors. Riddle walked back to his girlfriend's apartment, which is in the 1600 block of Briarwood Court and adjacent to where the trash talking started, according to prosecutors.

Another witness told police Riddle had a knife clipped to his waistband when he and Taylor argued about 12:40 a.m. July 11, and witnesses told police that Riddle and Taylor each threw punches at the same time. But based on Taylor's reaction, it appeared that Riddle stabbed Taylor instead of punching him, according to prosecutors.

After the first blow, Taylor collapsed onto the parking lot's asphalt and died there, according to prosecutors.

Riddle's girlfriend, Keanna Hannah, 39, initially told police that Riddle had not been inside her apartment but later told investigators that he went inside it after the stabbing, according to prosecutors. A knife believed to be the murder weapon was found inside Hannah's apartment.

Hannah also said her SUV was taken after the stabbing, later admitting that she saw Riddle drive away in it. But a witness told police she heard Hannah tell Riddle to "get out of here and handed him the car keys," according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors also charged Hannah on Wednesday afternoon, accusing her of assisting a criminal suspected of murder, a Level 5 felony, obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony, and false informing, a Class A misdemeanor.

Police arrested Hannah on Thursday, but she posted bond before Friday morning.

If convicted of the most serious charge, Hannah faces one to six years in prison.

If convicted of murder, Riddle faces 45 to 65 years in prison. If he's convicted of being a habitual offender for three prior drug-dealing convictions, he faces an additional eight to 20 years in prison, according to Indiana law.

More: Police: Lafayette man kills his roommate during a fight inside their house

Taylor's death is the second homicide in the county in 2024.

The first was the killing of Charles Rhode, who was fatally shot early Jan. 11 inside a house in the 2300 block of Drexel Drive. Rhode's roommate shot him, but prosecutors have not charged him, indicating the roommate acted in self-defense.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette man charged with murder for stabbing at Briarwood Apartments
Mike Lamborn, pictured with his wife, Terry, will speak Aug. 3 at Alliance Area Senior Center at the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival Community Luncheon. Lamborn is the great-great-grandson of Levi Lamborn, a historic figure in the early days of the city.

The Greater Alliance Carnation Festival will have a very special guest as keynote speaker for its Community Luncheon on Aug. 3.

Mike Lamborn, the great-great nephew of Levi Lamborn, will speak at the ticketed event on the first weekend of the annual Alliance festival.

Levi Lamborn is a crucial part of the history of the City of Alliance. A politician, physician and horticulturist, Levi Lamborn was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Alliance to set up his medical practice.

Lamborn liked to experiment with flowers  especially carnations. In fact, hes credited with growing some of the first carnations in the United States.

After a career in medicine, he retired and decided to seek political office, first running in 1858 for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. He then sought a seat in the Ohio Senate in 1874.

He ran again, this time in 1876, and lost in a bid for Ohios 17th Congressional District seat in Washington to William McKinley. Before debates during the race, Lamborn gave McKinley scarlet carnations. When McKinley won the race, he adopted the scarlet carnation as a good luck token and wore them for the rest of his political career.

A few years after McKinleys 1901 death, the scarlet carnation was declared Ohios state flower. This year marks the 120th anniversary of that declaration.

Alliance City Schools Board of Education member Bill Koch, a self-proclaimed collector of all things Alliance, found a picture at his home and donated it to the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home, an act that helped located Mike Lamborn.

Mike Lamborn is from Lamborn Family Vineyards, located in Californias Napa Valley region. He and his family have operated a wine vineyard for four generations.

Tickets for the festival Community Luncheon are on sale now. Tickets are $15 and are available at CompuTek Computers, 703 S. Union Ave. in Alliance.

The luncheon will be 11:30 a.m. Aug. 3 at a new location this year  Alliance Area Senior Center, 602 W. Vine St.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Levi Lamborn relative to speak at Carnation Festival luncheon on Aug. 3
LaMonica McIver beat 10 other Democrats and is now heavily favored to succeed the late Donald Payne Jr. in Congress. (Courtesy of Newark)

Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver has secured the Democratic nomination to seek the 10th District House seat left vacant when Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died in April.

McIver, 38, who was the favorite to win Tuesdays primary, handily defeated 10 other Democrats and will now face Republican Carmen Bucco in the Sept. 18 special election. The winner of that election will serve out the remainder of Paynes term, which ends Jan. 3, 2025.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible, McIver told a crowd of her supporters Tuesday night. To the voters who put their trust in me, I am profoundly grateful.

Preliminary vote totals show McIver winning 47% of the vote. Her closest competitor, Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, nabbed about 14%, and in third place is Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker, at 10%.

Tuesdays victory makes McIver the favorite to replace Payne on Novembers general election ballot. Democratic officials in the districts three counties will meet Thursday to select their candidate for that race, which will determine who represents the district when the new Congress convenes in January.

Bucco is the GOP nominee for the November election, too.

Democrats are heavily favored to win the September and November elections. Republicans have not won the 10th District, which includes towns in Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, in nearly 80 years.

Payne died in April at age 65 after suffering a heart attack. His death came too late to replace him on the ballot for Junes primary (he was running unopposed).

Payne was first elected to Congress in 2012 to succeed his father, Donald Payne Sr., after the elder Paynes death.

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Lancaster man gets probation for stealing over $172K from employer

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Lancaster man was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to five years of probation after fraudulently obtaining over $172,900 in payments for work that he did not perform, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced.

Over the course of four years, 47-year-old George Bonnes obtained $172,954.95 from his employer in Amherst. He had submitted numerous falsified invoices while working as an information technology specialist at a medical office in the town between September 2018 and September 2022.

New York State Police assisted in the investigation.

Bonnes pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny in May. As a condition of the plea, he signed a confession of judgment to pay full restitution to the victim.

As of July 17, Bonnes has not paid any of the money back.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Land for affordable housing projects is what local governments need, but how will neighborhoods react when that housing ends up closer than they bargained for?

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced an effort to sell public land for $100 an acre to build affordable housing, which is about to meet not in my backyard sentiments.

The first plot of land targeted for affordable housing is on 20 acres in the middle of a Mountains Edge neighborhood in the southwest Las Vegas valley. 8 News Now has reached out to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for maps showing where all of the 525.5 acres identified as places for 15,000 units of affordable housing.

Biden seeks 5% cap on rent increases, announces plan for land to build Las Vegas housing

In Mountains Edge, backyards bordering the open land have mature trees and landscaping. More than 10 houses have backyard pools and some rooftop decks overlook the site. The paved Tenaya Paseo trail lies on the east edge of the property. A channel cuts through the property, likely requiring a small bridge from the larger of the two open areas.

The view from those rooftop decks might become an apartment complex.

A map shows the location of 20 acres where affordable housing will be built in the Mountains Edge community in southwest Las Vegas. (Bureau of Land Management)

No one denies the need for action to solve high prices by increasing the supply of housing in the valley. Reactions to Bidens announcement initially focused on the presidents request that Congress pass legislation for a 5% cap on rent increases in existing rental units  a proposal that divides free-market advocates and Democratic leaders. But that wont move forward until lawmakers can draft a law and attempt to pass it, and the general election is less than four months away.

The plan to sell public land at $100 an acre, on the other hand, is already in progress.

While the release of federal land for subsidized housing in Las Vegas is one arrow in our quiver, significant work remains in alleviating high housing costs for the middle class and eliminating federal barriers to housing development across the state, Gov. Joe Lombardo said. Like many others, Im also concerned about President Bidens rent control proposal, which studies have repeatedly shown to inadvertently raise rental costs and lead to lower-quality housing options. My administration remains committed to delivering sustainable and practical long-term housing solutions for Nevadans.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), supported the plan. A segment of her statement said, I am hopeful that by increasing the number of new homes built on public lands and by increasing the supply of existing homes we can give more Southern Nevadans the chance to live in a home they can afford. Having a roof over ones head should be a right, not a privilege.

The BLM, which controls 63% of Nevadas lands, issued a request for public comment on Tuesday, seeking input on the sale of the land on Cactus Avenue. Public comment will close on Aug. 30.

BLM confirmed that the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act  SNPLMA  land sales are at $100 an acre for the purposes of affordable housing.

That has another effect on the Las Vegas valley, where 85% of SNPLMA revenue goes to parks. As the BLM releases tracts of land to developers, it produces a windfall to fund park projects around the valley. That money will be dramatically lower when land is sold at the discounted price.

Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones represents District F, where the 20 acres on Cactus Avenue are located. He provided this statement Tuesday evening:

The challenge of affordable housing in our community has been well-known over the last couple of years and it is a challenge that the County has worked to address through the historic investment in our Welcome Home program which has dedicated $160 million toward the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing units across our community. The term affordable housing has raised some concerns in some areas of our community, but that is likely a result of not knowing who fits into that category: working families and fixed-income seniors. The Welcome Home Community Land Trust will construct single family homes for those who qualify, including teachers, administrative professionals, and others who earn $50,000 to $80,000 per year. The County maintains ownership of the land and there is a restriction on how much the home can be sold for to help ensure it remains affordable. This restriction should not have an impact on the value of surrounding homes and the homeowner will be unable to rent or sublease the home. Through the community land trust, we can get people into homes that are designed to fit within the community while allowing them the opportunity to find permanency through homeownership. Just like any other neighborhood, the Cactus Avenue project is designed to be an investment in our community while also addressing a pressing need for many of our working residents. Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones

Jones is scheduled to attend a 7 a.m. event on Wednesday morning as a traffic signal is turned on at Buffalo Drive and Cactus  just west of the property.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
How should I manage this anger? Or should I? Ukrainian author Oleksandr Mykhed asks himself following the start of Russias all-out war.

In his book The Language of War, the first major Ukrainian prose work published by a Penguin imprint, Mykhed recounts how the lives of Ukrainians were upended on the night of Feb. 24, 2022. The need to find the right words to convey this anger and all other emotions stirred by the war remains pressing throughout the book. Mykhed describes how the war now lives inside us, underscoring how it is not just a fight for survival in a genocidal war but a profound shift in how Ukrainians interact with each other and the rest of the world.

Mykhed and his wife fled their home in Hostomel, a Kyiv suburb that was the site of heavy battles in 2022, for the west of Ukraine. But they were initially unable to convince his parents, who lived in nearby Bucha, to do so.

As a result, Mykheds parents lived under occupation in Bucha for almost three weeks. The name of the town has gone on to become synonymous with Russian war crimes for the terror that unfolded there, including the murder of over 450 people. For obvious reasons, the passages in the book in which Mykhed describes his parents ordeal in Bucha are some of the most difficult to read  one can only imagine the emotional toll it took to write them and process what his parents endured.

Mykhed also transcribes his mothers testimony of that period and reflections on the history of her familys history going back to World War II. The need to speak of these layers of trauma offers an opportunity to finally liberate oneself from it, otherwise, it can become all-consuming.

After she and Mykheds father escaped Bucha and reunited with their son in Chernivtsi, a city in western Ukraine, things that once brought her pleasure, like reading, no longer appealed to her in the immediate days that followed.

I must surround myself with quiet, she tells her son. I guess this is my reaction to the sounds of explosions and everything that happened over there.

The book includes not only Mykhed and his familys wartime experiences but testaments from other Ukrainians who have lived through Russias war, including a Cyborg, a nickname for the Ukrainian servicemembers who fought valiantly to defend the Donetsk International Airport during heavy battles back in 2014.

People cross a destroyed bridge as they evacuate the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, during heavy shelling and bombing, 10 days after Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine, on March 5, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Additionally, there are chapters dedicated to listing the multitude of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil, including the burning down of the Ivankiv Museum of Local History, where 25 works by Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko were kept, as well as Russian troops use of phosphorous bombs in the Kyiv suburbs. The use of such weaponry is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.

As the title of the book suggests, war changes the ways in which people communicate. The language of war is not one of culture, business, or leisure. This is underscored by how Mykheds parents struggle to communicate with friends who fled abroad. While they complain about issues like the state of their accommodations, his parents struggle to find the words to describe what the experience of occupation was like, ultimately finding it better not to say anything at all. War not only destroys peoples homes and lives but some of the previous ways in which they connected with one another.

Mykhed also struggles to find meaning in his work as a writer and person of culture. In Chernivtsi, he helps clear out books in library storage to set up a bomb shelter. He enlists in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and regrets like hell not having learned how to assemble and disassemble a gun until only a week before the start of the full-scale war.

We will come out of this war as a changed people, Mykhed writes. Apart from creative writing, all my past experiences seem excessive and unnecessary.

The names of film directors and writers, literary methods, artistic creations now feel too convoluted and needless in the language of war. My mind prevents access to any layers of complex knowledge, focusing instead on the deeply philosophical concept of shithead invaders.

While Russias full-scale war disrupts Ukrainians ways of life and forces them to prioritize their survival, Mykhed also contends with notions of guilt. He doesnt suffer from survivors guilt, as he explains. This guilt has more to do with the fact that he could not relate to the horror experienced by those who fled the Russian invasion of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in 2014 until he also lost his home.

He feels guilt for having done so little in the eight years leading up to Feb. 24, 2022, when so many soldiers and volunteers sacrificed their lives to keep the initial Russian invasion in the east of Ukraine contained. Additionally, he feels guilt for not having been able to convince his parents to evacuate Bucha before they were trapped under occupation, and muses about finding the right words to write a self-help book on the topic.

Because one of the lessons Ive learned in these couple of weeks is that the whole world must be prepared to leave everything behind, Mykhed writes.

People gather for a memorial service at a cemetery as Ukraine marks one year since Russia's large-scale invasion in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, on Feb. 24, 2023. (Roman Pilipey/Getty Images)

A young woman reacts as she stands with her son in front of a recently inaugurated memorial, including 501 plates bearing the names of identified local civilians killed by Russian troops during their occupation of Bucha, north of Kyiv,, on July 3, 2023. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Mykhed also calls out those in the West who, despite supporting Ukraine, define its existence in relation to Russia: We are something entirely different. A young, independent, dynamic nation, who knows its history and has its own vision of the future.

For many people worldwide, Russias all-out war has drawn attention to the country and put Ukraine on the map for the first time. But the failure to appreciate Ukraines rich language, history, and culture which have persevered despite generations of Russification policies and state-sponsored violence inflicted upon the populace means that such people often fail to fully grasp what Ukrainians are fighting so fiercely to protect.

I want to shout to the world  we are larger, more interesting, broader than the box we have been put into, Mykhed writes. We are greater than the war.

A troubling result of this narrow perception is that mostly well-intentioned organizations abroad have often tried to promote dialogue between Ukrainians and so-called "good" Russians who have fled Russia. There have been numerous incidents over the past two and a half years where Ukrainian artists have publicly withdrawn their participation from major cultural events that also included Russian artists. Despite Ukrainian artists repeatedly explaining why they feel any semblance of dialogue during the war would harm the Ukrainian cause, these controversies continue to occur.

Many Western media outlets have also given a platform to Russian artists who not only bemoan the circumstances of their life in exile but take the chance to complain about what they perceive as the hostility of Ukrainians toward them. They complain about things like the dismantling of monuments to 19th-century Russian poet Alexander Pushkin across Ukraine, which, in the grander scheme of things, are insignificant.

We share your pain, Mykhed responds to them. All of us, here, in a bomb shelter.

Russias full-scale war is not its first act of aggression against Ukraine, not even in Mykheds lifetime. If Russia is not defeated in the throes of its hungry empire, as Mykhed reflects, then these cycles of tragedies point to a stark realization, one he calls a Ukrainian life lesson: he and his loved ones will likely have to live through this again.

The experience I am gaining now will be essential for me then, he writes, including a point in time where he reaches an age he cant even imagine.

Mykheds "The Language of War" provides a sobering look into the first year of the full-scale invasion through not only his and his familys experience but that of other Ukrainians as well. The book compels readers to confront the grim realities of war beyond the more palatable narratives of resilience and fortitude often embraced by outside observers.

The book highlights numerous examples of Ukrainians overcoming the inhumanity inflicted by Russian forces and finding strength in their shared experience, but Mykhed emphasizes the importance of never forgetting the extent of the horrors that occurred.

Mykheds indignation is strong and justified  such atrocities were believed to be inconceivable in the 21st century, until countries like Russia proved the world otherwise.

This book is about things one can never forget, he writes. Or forgive.

Note from the author:



Hi, this is Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading this article. There is an ever-increasing amount of books about Ukraine available to English-language readers, and I hope my recommendations prove useful when it comes to your next trip to the bookstore. Ukrainian culture has taken on an even more important meaning during wartime, so if you like reading about this sort of thing, please consider supporting The Kyiv Independent.

Read also: 10 books to better understand wartime Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LARNED, Kan. (KSNW)  The Pawnee County Attorneys Office announced Tuesday that the Larned Police Department is investigating an alleged sexual assault of a minor at the city pool.

According to Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett, he was notified on Friday morning by the LPD that they responded the day before to the report of an alleged sexual assault of a minor at Larned City Pool.

Police told McNett that they interviewed the suspect, an adult, at the scene but that no arrests were made due to concerns about the suspects mental capacity.

Teen arrested for shooting near Naftzger Park in Old Town

The crime scene was processed, and staff were interviewed.

McNett says a formal forensic interview will be scheduled with the victim and be conducted by the Child Advocacy Center.

At this time, no formal charging requests have been submitted to the Pawnee County Attorneys Office, McNett said.

KSN will provide more information as it becomes available.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But in any portfolio, there are likely to be some stocks that fall short of that benchmark. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term InCity Immobilien AG (ETR:IC8) shareholders, since the share price is down 20% in the last three years, falling well short of the market decline of around 7.3%.

Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

See our latest analysis for InCity Immobilien

InCity Immobilien isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

Over three years, InCity Immobilien grew revenue at 53% per year. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. The share price drop of 6% per year over three years would be considered disappointing by many, so you might argue the company is getting little credit for its impressive revenue growth. It's possible that the prior share price assumed unrealistically high future growth. Before considering a purchase, investors should consider how quickly expenses are growing, relative to revenue.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

This free interactive report on InCity Immobilien's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

InCity Immobilien shareholders are down 17% for the year, but the market itself is up 5.8%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 1.2% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with InCity Immobilien .

Story continues

Of course InCity Immobilien may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on German exchanges.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  As heat rises so does the number of heat-related calls for ambulance crews across the Las Vegas valley.

Treyson Hobbs told 8 News Now he has been driving ambulances for AMR for the last two years. He started in a small town in Idaho and now helps save lives here in the valley.

Here in Vegas its just constantly moving, and we have to be ready to keep moving with this city, Hobbs explained. We see an influx of heat-related calls. We live in the desert its a hundred degrees every day our bodies were not made for that in the first place.

As heat rises so does the number of heat-related calls for ambulance crews across the Las Vegas valley. (KLAS)

The most common heat-related calls they get are heat exhaustion or even an unresponsive patient with heat stroke. They start treating these patients with fluids and ice packs, but some require more extreme measures.

Ive cut open many bags of saline and started to pour them over peoples abdominals and their legs just trying to get them to cool down, Hobbs said. Because they are so hot sometimes you feel like you are going to burn your hands when you touch them.

While patients are rushed to the hospital for treatment ambulance crews have to stay safe themselves.

As heat rises so does the number of heat-related calls for ambulance crews across the Las Vegas valley. (KLAS)

Our supervisors will drive around and give out otter pops, and cooling rags to our crew members trying to keep them cool and keep them safe as they are taking care of our community members, he added.

The crews also get water, Gatorade, and can take quick breaks at the hospital as they drop off a patient. Then its off to the next call.

The easiest way to avoid going for a ride to the hospital is to stay hydrated and limit dehydrating drinks like alcohol. The one day you forget to stay safe in the heat is when those symptoms can come on quickly.

If you start to feel nausea, confusion, fast pulse, or dizziness with a high body temp then call 911 right away.

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Joe Biden addressing the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas Tuesday. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)

In President Joe Bidens first campaign event since the assassination attempt of Donald Trump, he called for the deescalation of divisive political rhetoric while maintaining that a second Trump term would be a threat to democracy.

Just because we must lower the temperature in our politics as it relates to violence doesnt mean we should stop telling the truth, Biden told a crowd of about 4,700 at the NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Since the shooting, Biden and his campaign have had to navigate a campaign strategy that both condemns Trumps actions, while cooling political rhetoric surrounding the presidential race.

After the shooting the Biden campaign temporarily paused campaign ads, but Biden did not shy away from criticizing Trump in Las Vegas Tuesday for regressive policies and legislation enacted under his presidency.

Biden highlighted the former presidents connection to Project 2025, a detailed plan crafted with the help of several former Trump officials  to dramatically expand presidential powers and restructure the federal government in the first days and weeks of a new Republican presidency.

You ought to read it, Biden said. They want to cut Social Security and Medicare. They want to wipe away protections for pre-existing conditions from 40 million people. They want to stop Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices, risking peoples lives and costing the government more money.

In a forceful delivery, Biden warned that some of the goals of Project 2025 have already played out across the country, particularly in states that have restricted access to abortion after the Supreme Court repealed Roe v Wade.

Biden laid out his own plans for the first 100 days of his second term, saying one of his top priorities is to restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land causing the audience to chant four more years. Biden also vowed to use the first 100 days of a second term to pass legislation expanding voting rights, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Bidens remarks were well received at the NAACP conference, a major partner in his efforts to drive turnout among Black voters, his core base. Despite calls from some Democrats to step aside in the wake of his disastrous June 27 debate performance, the Congressional Black Caucus continued to back Biden.

Biden criticized Trump for accusing Hawaii-born President Barack Obama of not being a U.S. citizen. Biden said Trumps divisive rhetoric has continued, pointing out his recent use of the phrase Black jobs during the aforementioned June debate.

I know what a Black job is. Its the vice president of the United States, Biden said of Vice President Kamala Harris. He also referenced Obama as the first Black president in the United States, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black and female justice, who he himself appointed.

Standing in a crowded convention room at the Mandalay Bay  the sight of the most deadly mass shooting in modern history  Biden called for an assault rifle ban.

An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump. The same weapon that killed so many others, including children. Its time to outlaw them, Biden said.

If youre going to be outspoken on one, consequence of gun violence, dont be silent on others, Biden said.

Bidens speech also comes as the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin enters its second day. During the Republican convention Trump announced Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. Biden is scheduled to speak to Latino leaders at the UnidosUS Annual Conference also in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
President Joe Biden addressing the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas Tuesday. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current)

In President Joe Bidens first campaign event since the assassination attempt of Donald Trump, he called for the deescalation of divisive political rhetoric while maintaining that a second Trump term would be a threat to democracy.

Just because we must lower the temperature in our politics as it relates to violence doesnt mean we should stop telling the truth, Biden told a crowd of about 4,700 at the NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Since the shooting, Biden and his campaign have had to navigate a campaign strategy that both condemns Trumps actions, while cooling political rhetoric surrounding the presidential race.

After the shooting the Biden campaign temporarily paused campaign ads, but Biden did not shy away from criticizing Trump in Las Vegas Tuesday for regressive policies and legislation enacted under his presidency.

Biden highlighted the former presidents connection to Project 2025, a detailed plan crafted with the help of several former Trump officials  to dramatically expand presidential powers and restructure the federal government in the first days and weeks of a new Republican presidency.

You ought to read it, Biden said. They want to cut Social Security and Medicare. They want to wipe away protections for pre-existing conditions from 40 million people. They want to stop Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices, risking peoples lives and costing the government more money.

In a forceful delivery, Biden warned that some of the goals of Project 2025 have already played out across the country, particularly in states that have restricted access to abortion after the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade.

Biden laid out his own plans for the first 100 days of his second term, saying one of his top priorities is to restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land causing the audience to chant four more years. Biden also vowed to use the first 100 days of a second term to pass legislation expanding voting rights, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Bidens remarks were well received at the NAACP conference, a major partner in his efforts to drive turnout among Black voters, his core base. Despite calls from some Democrats to step aside in the wake of his disastrous June 27 debate performance, the Congressional Black Caucus continued to back Biden.

Biden criticized Trump for accusing Hawaii-born President Barack Obama of not being a U.S. citizen. Biden said Trumps divisive rhetoric has continued, pointing out his recent use of the phrase Black jobs during the aforementioned June debate.

I know what a Black job is. Its the vice president of the United States, Biden said of Vice President Kamala Harris. He also referenced Obama as the first Black president in the United States, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black and female justice, who he himself appointed.

Standing in a crowded convention room at the Mandalay Bay  the sight of the most deadly mass shooting in modern history  Biden called for an assault rifle ban.

An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump. The same weapon that killed so many others, including children. Its time to outlaw them, Biden said.

If youre going to be outspoken on one, consequence of gun violence, dont be silent on others, Biden said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addressed the NAACP convention on Wednesday.

Bidens speech also comes as the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., enters its second day. During the Republican convention Trump announced Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. Biden is scheduled to speak to Latino leaders at the UnidosUS Annual Conference also in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nevada Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Hugh Jackson for questions: info@nevadacurrent.com. Follow Nevada Current on Facebook and X.
Las Vegas parent searched how to do CPR before 2-year-old found dead in dumpster: I said no more whoopings

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Prosecutors suspect a parent of a child found deceased in a dumpster searched how to perform CPR in the hours before a police officer made the gruesome discovery, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators reviewed.

As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported, Diaja Smith, 23, regained custody of 2-year-old Jacoby Robinson Jr. and his two younger siblings just weeks before the boys death on June 6.

Police suspect Jacoby died earlier in the day before Smith allegedly put his body in the dumpster near Lewis Avenue and 14th Street, documents said. She then called 911, claiming Jacoby was missing, police said.

Police arrested Smith on a charge of open murder the next day. Police also arrested Jacobys father, Jacoby Robinson Sr., 24. A Clark County grand jury indicted the parents on murder and child abuse charges last week.

Diaja Smith, 23, regained custody of 2-year-old Jacoby Robinson Jr. and his young siblings in April. On June 6, Smith allegedly caused Jacobys death, police said. (KLAS)

Smith and Robinson share five children, including Jacoby and the two younger siblings, records said. The Clark County Department of Family Services recorded three prior contacts with the family.

Documents previously indicated Jacoby had a twin, though court records said that information was incorrect and the boy is actually a year younger. The two older children are no longer in the parents custody, family said.

Police located Jacobys body inside the dumpster less than five hours after Smith called 911, saying someone took him from a park. Police said the boys body showed significant signs of physical injury to [his] head, torso and buttocks, documents said. Prosecutors suspect Jacoby died earlier that day and that Smith transported his deceased body in a stroller with his siblings to the dumpster. She then went to a store to call 911, prosecutors said.

Youre looking at whip marks across his chest and then scratches and abrasions to the top of his forehead and these are all in various stages of healing, a Clark County Family Services investigator told the grand jury about Jacobys injuries.

Prosecutors suspect Smith placed Jacobys body in the dumpster just after 8 p.m., documents said. Around 12:44 p.m., someone used the elder Robinsons phone to search for how to perform CPR, documents said. A person then looked for bus tickets from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and called using the device.

Inside Smiths apartment, police said they found remnants of a charging cord detectives believe she used to whip the children, documents said. Police said Smith told them she had not seen Robinson Sr. in a while, but that in reality, he was in and out of the apartment, documents said.

Police suspect Smith beat the boys with a belt and power cords, documents said. Smith denied ever hitting the children and said Jacoby had suffered a seizure the day before his death, documents said. She also said Jacoby was deceased while in the stroller in video surveillance.

Prosecutors also alleged that Robinson was with the child after the beating and saw the child throwing up and helped Jacoby get vomit out of his mouth and nose before he went back to sleep.

Initially Jacoby, when we told him that Jacoby, Jr. was deceased and that we had located his body, he said that he didnt believe that he was deceased but ultimately he said he had woken that morning to hear her beating Jacoby and Jacoby was crying, a Metro police detective told the grand jury about his interview with the father. He initially said he saw [Smith] whooping him with a belt, later changed that it was a charging cord and that at some point she did call him in to perform CPR.

Jacoby Robinson Sr., 24, initially faced child abuse charges however, his charges were later upgraded to include open murder. (KLAS)

Smith sent a letter to Robinson Sr. from jail where she revealed non-public information about the murder, prosecutors said.

I feel so bad because I feel like I wasnt doing the same for you, I was just on autopilot trying not to crash, a detective read from the letter to the grand jury, according to transcripts. [Expletive], why didnt I listen when I said no more whoopings when you told me to stop whooping the kids. I really hope you can forgive me. Love deep down I really do. I cherished every moment with you. I wish I cooked us one last meal. Im sorry I wasnt thinking right.

Robinson and Smith have denied the 8 News Now Investigators requests for interviews from jail.

Both parents remained jailed without bail as of Wednesday ahead of an August court date.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The Last Photo of Donald Trumps Would-Be Assassin Taken 45 Minutes Before Gunshots Fired

New reporting revealed that the Secret Service circulated the last known photo of the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump to local law enforcement at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The image, taken roughly 45 minutes before gunshots rained over the Pennsylvania rally by a local counter sniper and sent to law enforcement, raises questions on why the agency failed to neutralize the soon-to-be shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

Chilling photo of would-be Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks taken by sniper nearly an hour before attempted assassination https://t.co/txJ8UE5TT2 pic.twitter.com/QM1bNBgPUQ  New York Post (@nypost) July 17, 2024

The last photo of Crooks shows him crawling on the ground, looking to find a position to hunker down in while he waited to take a shot at the former president. He was wearing a t-shirt of the popular gun channel on YouTube, Demolition Ranch, with his glasses and long sandy brown hair tucked behind his ears.

The Inspector Generals office within the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it would be launching an investigation into the security failure at Trumps rally, as will the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

President Biden has also independently called on the Secret Service to increase security for Trump and investigate the incident.

Questions surrounding how Crooks was able to perch on a rooftop roughly 410 feet away from Trump after being spotted by both bystanders and the Secret Service before he took aim continue to swirl.

Snipers that were a part of the Butler County Emergency Services Unit were also stationed inside the building that Crooks had hunkered down on, increasing concerns about the obvious security failures of the team tasked with protecting the former president.

The Chief of the Secret Service said she accepts full responsibility for the potential assassination attempt, but rejected calls to resign on Monday. Ironically, the Secret Service is hunting for a new chief, according to a job listing posted on Daybook.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Last summer, we had drought conditions. Now, we're stuck in a pattern of above normal rain.

If you're under the impression that it rains just about every other day lately, you're right.

We just crossed the midpoint of July, and Milwaukee has recorded some precipitation virtually half the days since the beginning of March, according to National Weather Service data.

Participants in the Republican National Convention were greeted with a thunderstorm and lightning Monday night. Noah Kahan's concert at Alpine Valley in East Troy was canceled two nights earlier because of storms. That's pretty much the way it's been going.

"This spring we got in a wet pattern, and we haven't gotten out of it," said Mark Gehring, lead meteorologist for the National Wather Service office in Sullivan, Wis.

It's particularly noticeable because last summer was marked by dry weather, even droughts.

Lightning strikes behind a RNC 2024 Milwaukee flag display on the opening day of the Republican National Convention on Monday July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis.

In 2023, Milwaukee recorded 7.14 inches of rain in spring  March, April and May  more than two inches below normal. This spring, Milwaukee recorded 15.82 inches of rain, more than six inches above normal. River flooding and flash floods have been reported, and some farm fields have been flooded, stunting the growth of crops like corn, Gehring said.

This year, for June and the first half of July, Milwaukee has recorded 6.86 inches of rain, 0.75 inch above normal.

Different parts of Wisconsin are being hit differently.

"As you go west across southern Wisconsin, rainfall amounts went up drastically, so the far eastern part of Milwaukee was a lower area for rain," said Gehring.

There's no question the fluctuations can be attributed to climate change.

"What happens is that jet streams get stuck in a pattern," Gehring said. "If you get stuck in a portion of a jet stream where it's going to be stormy, you're going to get a lot of rain."

Despite all the rain, those that work outside remain mostly unfazed. Dan Bukiewicz, the president of Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, didn't seem concerned about work being stalled by weather conditions.

While he admitted that some elements of construction such as concrete pouring, earth moving and painting can be impacted by rainy weather conditions, he believes workers are managing well.

"For the most part, the contractors have been able to work around it, just like they do in the wintertime," Bukiewicz said. "No need to press the panic button yet."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rainfall in Milwaukee this spring, summer is higher than normal
Republican Illinois legislative candidates whose place on the November ballot is at issue in an ongoing court case have raised very little money for their campaigns, finance reports released this week show.

The candidates are on the ballot due to to a judge in June ruling unconstitutional a measure pushed by Democrats that would prevent political parties from slating legislative candidates for the November general election in contests where they had not fielded a contender in the March primary. The case is still on appeal, meaning candidates could still be knocked off the ballot by November.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the legislation shortly after it was passed, essentially minimizing Republican opposition and giving Democrats an advantage in some general election races before any votes were cast. The court case challenging the law was brought by the conservative Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center on behalf of Republicans who were circulating candidacy petitions for the November ballot when Pritzker signed the measure.

Campaign finance records indicate that while more than a dozen Republican candidates may have been granted a second chance by the judges ruling, their campaigns still face an uphill battle against Democrats in the fall.

None of the 15 Republican General Assembly candidates who filed to run after the law took effect reported having raised significant money. Those candidates include challengers to Democratic Reps. Anna Moeller of Elgin and La Shawn Ford of Chicago, as well as a challenger to Sen. Mary Edly-Allen of Libertyville.

Each of the incumbent Democrats in those races reported having thousands or tens of thousands of dollars at their disposal.

One Republican candidate whos faring better is Jay Keevan of Edwardsville, who filed his candidacy papers with the State Board of Elections after the legislation passed in the state House but before Pritzker signed the measure into law. Because of his timing, he wouldnt have necessarily been affected by the ban, but his race against downstate Rep. Katie Stuart, also of Edwardsville, was seen by some Republicans as emblematic of the Democrats quest to protect downstate seats seen as vulnerable.

Keevans campaign fund has raised $23,000 since he filed for the race, records show.

The latest campaign finance disclosures  covering April through June  showed significant fundraising in some more competitive general election races. Tosi Ufodike, a Republican challenging freshman Democratic Rep. Nabeela Syed for a northwest suburban seat, raised more than $10,000 in the past quarter and reported $68,000 in the bank; Syed reported a war chest of nearly $400,000 with nearly $22,000 raised this past quarter, and has since raised thousands more in large-dollar donations.

Democratic Rep. Mary Beth Canty, another freshman, reported raising $32,000 in the same period, while her challenger, Republican Michele Hunter, raised more than $13,000.

____
Attendees of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee are sporting what some of them call the newest fashion trend in support of Donald Trump: ear bandages.

After Saturdays assassination attempt, in which his ear was injured, Trump entered the RNC auditorium on Monday with a bandaged ear. The crowd erupted in cheers and chants of "fight."

Now, Republicans at the convention are also bandaging their ears in solidarity with the former president, The Daily Beast reported.

One woman styled the bandage with a cowboy hat and a red lanyard, while a man dressed in a Uncle Sam costume wore a fake bandage on his ear while performing God Bless the U.S.A. on the harmonica, according to a video posted on X.

CBS News interviewed Arizona delegate Joe Neglia at the convention, who also sported a fake bandage that appeared to be a folded up envelope.

This is the newest fashion trend. Im getting this going. Everybody in the world is going to be wearing these pretty soon. Its the latest thing. My wife calls me and tells me I dress like an engineer, but Im setting new fashion ground here, Neglia told CBS.

The Trump campaign has not officially announced what he was treated for following Saturdays shooting, but Trump's doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said a bullet took off a bit of Trumps ear in an area that bleeds like crazy, The New York Times reported.

The dressings bulked up a bit because you need a bit of absorbent. You dont want to be walking around with bloody gauze on his ear, Jackson said.
On 16 July, the Latvian government approved the allocation of 100,000 to support Ukrainian medical facilities.

Source: European Pravda with reference to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Details: The approved legislation authorises the Latvian Foreign Ministry to make a contribution on behalf of Latvia to support the work of Ukrainian medical facilities.

The funds will be spent on rebuilding facilities and supplying medical equipment, as well as on their operation and treatment for patients.

The Ministry of Health of Latvia, jointly with its Ukrainian counterparts and the two embassies, is also gathering information on the medicines, medical products and equipment that are urgently needed and working on organising the next shipment of donations for Ukrainian medical institutions.

Background:

A few days ago, Latvia transferred 1 million for the rebuilding of the Okhmatdyt childrens hospital in Kyiv.

Remi Duflot, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Ukraine, said that the EU would help Ukraine to rebuild Okhmatdyt.

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Law enforcement take down ghost gun trafficking operation in Queens: AG

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11)  Five individuals were arrested on a 625-count indictment in connection to a gun trafficking operation based in Queens, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Law enforcement seized 86 firearms, including 55 ghost guns and 25 assault weapons, officials said.

More Local News

The five suspects facing charges are:

Hargeny Fernandez-Gonzalez, 20, of Richmond Hill, NY

Satveer Saini, 20, of East Elmhurst, NY

Adam Youssef Senhaji-Rivas, 20, of Astoria, NY

Milanjit Sidhu, 20, of Greenwood, IN

Mateo Castro-Agudelo, 21, of Long Island City, NY

The ghost guns were assembled in Nassau County and the serialized firearms were purchased in Indiana, officials said. The suspects allegedly transported the weapons and sold and stored them in Queens.

A joint investigation involving the Organized Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations New York, and the NYPD was launched in 2023. Investigations included controlled purchases, covert video surveillance, and social media monitoring.

In addition to trafficking the firearms, Saini allegedly sold them in Queens, including at the Louis C. Moser Playground in Jackson Heights and in the parking lot of the Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, officials said.

Castro-Agudelo and Fernandez-Gonzalez allegedly stored numerous weapons and high-capacity magazines inside a garage in Elmhurst, officials said. Castro-Agudelo also allegedly posted pictures of the guns on social media accounts.

Police seize nearly 25 pounds of narcotics during drug bust in the Bronx: officials

The defendants face multiple firearm felonies and could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere announced this week it is scaling back a series of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the company said it would be eliminating or changing multiple internal policies and initiatives, adding that our customers trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere.

We will no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events, the statement read.

John Deere also announced that it would be auditing all company-mandated training materials and policies to ensure the absence of socially motivated messages, and would be reaffirming within the business that the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.

DEI in the workplace: Efforts may be under attack, but many companies aren't retreating from commitments

Our customers trust and confidence in us are of the utmost importance to everyone at John Deere. We fully intend to earn it every day and in every way we can. pic.twitter.com/8BgyPyQJQo  John Deere (@JohnDeere) July 16, 2024

John Deere to focus on 'trust and confidence' of consumers

The company also announced all employee resource groups will now focus exclusively on professional development, networking, mentoring and supporting talent recruitment efforts.

The announcement stated that the changes were based on the companys commitment to responding to customer opinion.

To best serve our customers and employees, Deere is always listening to feedback and looking for opportunities to improve, the statement read. Thats why we consistently prioritize internal policies that more closely align with our business strategy to meet the needs of our customers.

While John Deere did not address any specific customer feedback, the company was targeted earlier this month on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, by conservative activist Robby Starbuck.

In a July 9 post, Starbuck accused John Deere of funding Pride events for children, encouraging employees to list their gender-based preferred pronouns in all company communications and having employee resource groups focused on people of color and LGBTQ people.

Its time to expose John Deere.@JohnDeere has been one of the most beloved brands by conservative farmers but recently on CEO John Mays watch, theyve gone woke.



Heres some of what we found:



 Funding a pride event for kids as young as 3

 "Genderbread man" training

 pic.twitter.com/nWnSUCW08K  Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 9, 2024

Social media campaigns targeting agriculture-based companies

John Deere is the second agriculture-based company to scale back or eliminate various DEI initiatives in recent months.

Story continues

In June, Tractor Supply Company, a Tennessee-based retailer of farm goods and supplies, announced it was significantly cutting back on its DEI programs and carbon emission goals, including eliminating all DEI roles at the company.

These changes similarly followed a weeks-long social media campaign led by Starbuck.

Many companies standing firm on DEI programs: Survey

Despite the recent moves from Tractor Supply and John Deere, 96% of corporate social impact professionals across 125 major companies say DEI commitments have either increased (13%) or stayed the same (83%), according to a new survey exclusively shared with USA TODAY by the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and YourCause from Blackbaud.

But if you think you've been hearing about DEI initiatives less often, you may be on to something. The survey showed 17% of respondents said they talk less about the work with people outside their organization, and nearly a third of executives said they describe the initiatives differently.

Contributing: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Deere eliminates DEI initiatives after social media criticism
MSNBC host Lawrence ODonnell took a swipe at night one of the Republican National Convention, where former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance after his attempted assassination.

Sitting in on a panel with Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace and Joy Reid, ODonnell said on MSNBC Tuesday that the event was a very low-rated convention for Trump.

More from Variety

I think its one of the reasons why he went there, ODonnell said on TV. And I think even if he hadnt been attacked, theres a possibility he would have gone to try to pump up his ratings. He did everything he could to pump up Monday nights ratings that are lower than the Monday night ratings of his 2016 convention.

The first telecasts of the RNC on Monday drew in 18.1 million viewers across 12 cable news and broadcast networks, per Nielsen. For comparison, in 2016, the RNC drew approximately 23 million viewers across seven networks.

On Fox News, roughly 6.9 million viewers tuned in to the 2024 convention.

So thats six million ardent Trump supporters is the most they can get, ODonnell said. Less than 10 percent of ardent Trump voters decided, Im going to watch this thing last night.'

Thats really not that much of a bump for Fox, Maddow replied.

Ive written episodes of drama series that have gotten bigger ratings, ODonnell said with a laugh, referencing his tenure as a writer and producer of The West Wing, the Emmy-winning NBC drama. I used to get 20 million people routinely on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m.

Trump is famously obsessed with ratings, a fixation he developed as host of The Apprentice, the NBC series that ran from 2004 through 2015.

ODonnell and Trump have had a long-standing feud over the years. In 2019, ODonnell reported on MSNBC that Russian oligarchs had co-signed a loan provided to then-President Trump by Deutsche Bank, to which an attorney for Trump demanded that NBC retract, correct and apologize for the report, calling it false and defamatory.

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The Liberty Justice Center, a national ligitation firm, has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, challenging a new law that prohibits California school districts from notifying parents of a childs gender identification change.

The filing was announced on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The lawsuit names Newsom, California Attorney General Robert Bonta and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. It was filed on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District, which implemented the controversial policy last year, and parents with children in the states public school system.

California bill regarding politicians safety gets attention following Trump rally shooting

PK-12 minor students, most of whom are too young to drive, vote, or provide medical consent for themselves, are also too young to make life-altering decisions about their expressed gender identity without their parents knowledge. But that is precisely what AB 1955 enableswith potentially devastating consequences for children too young to fully comprehend them, Emily Rae, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, said in a statement.

School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school. Parents are the legal guardians of their children, not Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, or Superintendent Thurmond. We will continue to defend parents rights and childrens well-being by challenging invasive laws like AB 1955 in court, at no cost to taxpayers.

The governors press office responded to the lawsuit filing on X.

AB1955 preserves the child-parent relationship. California law ensures minors cant legally change their name or gender without parental consent, and parents continue to have guaranteed and full access to their students educational records consistent with federal law. Were confident the state will swiftly prevail in this case, the post said in part.

Many opponents and supporters of the law have expressed their opinions on social media.

California child prostitution bills author unhappy with amendment

Most notably, Elon Musk, who runs SpaceX, X and Tesla, announced Tuesday that he would move the space and social media companies headquarters out of California after Newsom signed AB1955 into law.

Musk moved the Tesla corporate headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto in 2021 but later announced plans to move back in 2023.

The recently filed lawsuit is pending in court.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
At least 3 young children died in the span of a week after being left in hot cars in the US

At least three people across the United States are facing charges related to the deaths of young children left in hot cars during one scorching week in the US.

A 2-month-old in New Jersey, a 2-year-old in Arizona and a 5-year-old in Nebraska died after being left in vehicles in the heat. The deaths have prompted renewed calls for safety awareness as a record-setting heat wave continues to grip much of the nation.

The incidents are the latest among at least 11 such child deaths nationwide so far this year  six in the first half of this month  according to data from the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety.

Temperatures can rise quickly in a car, leading to potentially deadly situations within minutes, safety experts say, and authorities are reminding people that children should never be left alone in vehicles  especially in hot weather.

The 2-month-old New Jersey girl died Monday after being left inside a hot car in Lakewood, according to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.

Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to a report of a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest around 1:45 p.m. Monday, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a news release. A criminal complaint notes the child was left unattended in the parked vehicle, which was not running, for more than four hours.

Officers arrived to find Hatzolah Medical Services personnel attempting to save the child, but she died at the scene, prosecutors said. Excessive heat warnings were in place Monday for portions of New Jersey and Philadelphia, with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in some areas.

The investigation determined the child died due to being left unattended in the car, the prosecutor said in the release.

The childs father, Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to the release.

Chaitovsky was taken into custody, said the prosecutor. He has since been released, Ocean County Jail records show. Its unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

An 8-week-old baby girl died Monday after being left inside a hot car in a parking lot in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. - News 12 New Jersey

In another incident, a 2-year-old girl in Arizona died after being left in a vehicle in her familys driveway for about three hours, according to the Marana Police Department.

The girls father, 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes, told officers he arrived home on July 9 and left his daughter sleeping in her car seat inside the vehicle, which he said was running with the AC on, according to a news release from police. Scholtes told detectives he did not want to wake his daughter up, the release said.

When her mother arrived home, the girl was found in the car  which was no longer running  and the air conditioning was off. The mother performed CPR until first responders arrived. The child was taken to Banner University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Detectives used surveillance video from neighbors to determine the girl was left in the vehicle for about three hours, police said. The area was under an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in Tucson at the time.

And in Nebraska, a 5-year-old boy died on July 10 after being found unresponsive inside a vehicle, according to the Omaha Police Department. The boy was left unattended inside the vehicle for an extended period of time, police said in a news release.

His foster mother, 40-year-old Juanita Pinon, has been charged with child abuse by neglect, resulting in death, and booked into Douglas County Corrections with bond set at $2 million, according to county court records. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Pinon for comment.

Juanita Pinon was charged after her 5-year-old foster son died after being left alone in a hot car. - WOWT

Heat safety warning

Children left unattended in cars are at risk for heat stroke and possibly death  and its not enough to just crack a window, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open and even when it feels cool outside, the agency warns.

About 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year, according to the CDC.

On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle, according to the National Safety Council.

With summer off to a scorching start, health officials are reminding people to take extra care in preventing heat-related illnesses. That includes never leaving a child, disabled person or pet unattended in a car, watching for signs of heat stroke and drinking plenty of water.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
At least five civilians injured in latest Russian attack on Pokrovsk

At least five civilians have been injured in a Russian attack on Pokrovsk.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office on Facebook

Details: The Prosecutors Office says the Russian army launched its latest attack on Pokrovsk at around 15:00 on 17 July 2024, most likely using UMPB D-30 SN unified multi-purpose glide bombs.

Five civilians aged 41 to 73 were injured during the attack. All received medical attention and were diagnosed with contusions and shrapnel wounds.

Damage was also caused to apartment buildings in the city. The total number of casualties is being determined.

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BERLINA nationwide manhunt is in full swing and an upper-crust lakeside town in shock after a mystery man stabbed and killed the former design boss of Rolls-Royce at his front door on Friday evening.

Security camera footage and a red backpack have police hot on the trail of the alleged killer, who may have been after a pricey luxury auto in the victims garage.

Police found Ian Cameron, a 74-year-old British national who lived in the idyllic Bavarian lakeside town of Herrsching, dead in the entryway of the family home he shared with his wife not long after 9:20 pm Friday. His wife escaped the terrifying scene and fled to a neighbors house, where she phoned emergency assistance.

Witnesses saw the killer flee the gated property, which is set against a small woodland, on foot.

I was quickly pretty sure that this was not a random act, said Julia Magenau, another neighbor, in an interview with television network RTL. It looks to me more like he was targeting the person directly.

Meanwhile, the man suspected of Camerons murder was shown shopping at a supermarket near the scene of the crime just hours before it happened. In a CCTV photo released by Upper Bavaria police Monday, he sported a trim beard, a thinning buzzcut hairline, and an emotionless gaze. Officials asked, Who knows this man? Who knows where this man is right now?

An image released by police shows the suspect at the scene of the crime, wearing gloves and a red backpack. Oberbayern Nord Police

A Royal College of Art graduate, Camerons best-known design is the 2003 Phantom, a grand and imposing luxury saloon car credited with reviving Rolls-Royces stature after a down period that culminated in a 2003 takeover by BMW, where it continues to operate as a subsidiary.

He is also credited for the 2009 launch of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, distinguished by flowing lines and long, uninterrupted surfaces, which saw the carmaker ramp up competition with luxury models at a lower price point than the premium Phantom.

Top brass at Rolls-Royce paid tribute to Cameron.

Ian played a significant role in shaping Rolls-Royce from when it was first acquired by BMW Group and moved to its home at Goodwood, West Sussex, CEO Chris Brownridge said in a LinkedIn post, adding that Cameron led the design team for all Phantom family and Ghost models, creating thoroughly contemporary motor cars that remained sympathetic to the marques design heritage. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this very difficult time.

The murder left residents of sleepy Herrsching stunned. The idyllic town, home to 11,000, sits in one of Germanys richest districts, where there are 22.8 millionaires per 10,000 inhabitants, according to the Bavarian State Statistical Office.

"I would never have thought that something so terrible would happen on our quiet street," one resident told the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. Another described Cameron and his wife as a "nice married couple." Yet another reported that Cameron could often be seen working on vintage cars in front of his garage. Neighbors who spoke to the tabloid Bild emphasized that those valuable cars were kept in the garage, which could point to an attempted robbery gone horribly wrong.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom launched just over 20 years ago revived the brand's fortunes. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

A Google Earth satellite image of Camerons property, taken in April 2022, shows two vehicles parked in the driveway, although it is unclear if either is a luxury model.

Unclear in addition to the killers identity is his motive, and whether he had any connection to Cameron, who led Rolls-Royces design team from 1999 to 2013 before founding his own consultancy. We still dont have answers to many questions, Manfred Frei, the head of the responsible investigations unit, told Suddeutsche Zeitung. An autopsy was carried out on Saturday, but police havent released results, nor have they publicly identified a murder weapon.

Witnesses who saw the suspect flee told police he is between 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-2 in height and wore light-colored pants, a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, bright yellow-green gloves, and a red backpack. He evaded an initial police search that lasted into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Two more CCTV pictures, taken at the crime scene shortly before the attack and also released by police Monday, confirmed the witnesses description.

In addition to a 30-strong investigative team, drones, a police helicopter, sniffer dogs, and divers were brought in to look for evidence throughout the weekend to search the surrounding area including the nearby Ammersee lake.

Ian Cameron's home. Google Earth/GeoBasis-DE/BKG

Bild and Suddeutsche Zeitung reported Monday that investigators found the red backpack on the lake promenade. Citing sources, Bild says it contained the clothes the suspect wore at the crime scene and goods from the supermarket he was captured at earlier, suggesting he changed before and after the killingin the supermarket image, the suspect is wearing blue trousers and a gray T-shirt. The paper also said the backpack is being tested for DNA. In addition, Bild reported that the wire to one camera on the property had been cut.

(A police spokesperson told The Daily Beast they could not confirm the papers reports.)

Police have asked the public to share any relevant footage they might have from security cameras, especially from Friday night and Saturday morning, and are also reviewing public security cameras including those at nearby train stations.

Law enforcement warned anyone who sees the suspect not to engage him. We are currently not assuming there is a danger to the general public, a police spokesperson told public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, but in a moment of extreme understatement added that the crime suggests the suspect is not entirely harmless.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Oregon's House Bill 3115, passed in 2021, says bars communities from imposing unreasonable restricts against public camping. (Getty Images)

The widespread take on the June 28 U.S. Supreme Court decision sustaining Grants Pass restrictions on public camping was widely interpreted as kicking the issue, as it did with abortion in the Dobbs decision, to the states.

In many states, few of which have state laws on the subject, that may be the effect. Oregon, which does have a state law on the subject, may be different. Here, the effect of the decision, which simply said the Grants Pass rules were not cruel or unusual, was to place the subject back before individual communities.

Oregons state law, House Bill 3115, was passed in 2021 following an earlier court decision about the Grants Pass rules. Its lead sponsor was then-speaker and now-Gov. Tina Kotek, and it sets some limits on city and county action on homeless camping, saying that communities cannot pass any unreasonable restrictions.

Following the Supreme Court decision, the next steps are likely to be  and should be  taken by local governments. As they act, they may run into the walls of state law and regulation.

That should make it clearer what action the Oregon Legislature ought to take.

HB 3115s core provision says: Any city or county law that regulates the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness.

Some of those terms are defined in the bill, but thats about it. Local ordinances have to be objectively reasonable, but it doesnt define reasonable, only saying that the availability of local shelters should be borne in mind in any restrictions. The anti-camping rules in Grants Pass that sparked the decision barred people from sleeping publicly with bedding, set fines of $295 and much more if not paid. Orders to stay away from parks could follow. As a last step, jail time was possible. The Supreme Court decision allows all that.

Would that necessarily violate the Oregon state law? We may have to wait for an Oregon court to say.

That may be the way it goes around the state, because many local communities have been moving ahead on the subject, and may move faster now.

Not all communities in Oregon have a problem with homelessness; most smaller towns do not. But larger cities, especially where more extensive social and other services are located, tend to have larger numbers, and the pressures to regulate, if not resolve, homelessness have been growing there.

Salem, Bend, Medford, Corvallis and McMinnville are among the cities that have passed rules relating to camping areas where homeless people have congregated. With the new Grants Pass ruling in hand, pressure locally likely will increase to do more.

Portland has a new revised camping ordinance, effective July 1, which Mayor Ted Wheeler said would be enforced at first on camps around the city that present the greatest health and safety risks. The plan is to develop a series of assessments and then refer them to city agencies, including the police.

Portlands approach seems likely to shift and change in the months ahead, not least because the planned assessments may uncover information and ideas that change views of what should be done. Some of the same may happen in other cities, too, as they try policies to meet area concerns about homeless health and safety issues, and advocates for the homeless push back.

Although Kotek said she wants to keep the current law on the subject in place, a number of Oregon legislators are likely to weigh in as well. Two Democrats, Sen. Mark Meek of Gladstone and Rep. Paul Evans of Monmouth, have said they would like to see more specificity in the state law so that cities have clearer guidance about what they can do.

Thats true. But the way to get there probably is to allow the cities to experiment  and they should start on that promptly  and see where the problems, legal, practical or moral, turn out to be. As they discover more, legislators probably will be able to better figure out what they should do next.

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Let he that is without sin... Lets take a hard look at political stone throwers

A Kansas City vice squad officer testified in municipal court that a woman had offered him $20 to perform a particular sex act. By fixing the price, she triggered her arrest. Now, never having collected the money or supplied the service, she was up for judgment before a crowd of other arrestees and lawyers.

This trial just happened to play out as I waited to cover a different case my editor had assigned 62 years ago when I was a young Kansas City Star reporter. Only by coincidence was I there to witness that industrious cop and the shabbily dressed woman play their parts. She had pleaded innocent. The judge found her guilty and assessed the penalty.

I fine you $5, he said. Pay the clerk.

The lady smiled and began rummaging through her purse. The officer scowled: All his clever scheming and expertise was wasted for a $5 penalty. I knew the judge himself as an affiliate of an old Pendergast political faction. The judge knew me as a Star reporter. He smiled and winked.

Its a 10,000-year-old profession, he said, as if the antiquity of the offense justified his teensy verdict. Like the cop, I felt indignant. I grew up in a dear little Southern Baptist church. Sinning is sinning, after all, though rarely does it cost us even $5.

Today, as an 89-year-old graybeard, I look back and marvel at that righteous young reporter who, had he been the judge, might have bounced that lady into jail. I was nowhere near decent enough then to follow Jesus example in John 8:3-11 as he dealt with Pharisees eager to stone a woman taken in adultery (but not the man).

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her, Jesus said. Timidly, the Pharisees retreated as Jesus told the woman, Go, and sin no more. Though I was not decent enough then, not merciful enough, I am better now  as are the vast majority of Americans.

When I was young, Black children were shut out of the good Tulsa schools I attended, their parents deprived of decent housing, jobs, medical care and friendships with white people they might have enjoyed  also depriving whites of that joy. I was 30 years old when Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, infuriating whites of the former Democratic solid South, who flocked to the Republican party.

During the 1960s Kansas City police scoured the nighttime shrubbery around Liberty Memorial arresting gay people. My gay reporter friends at The Star (whom I didnt know were gay) dared not reveal themselves.

But we treat Black people better now, gay people as well. The Gallup poll reveals that between 1996 and 2022, the percent of Americans who accept gay marriage rose from 28% to 71%. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled gay marriage legal in 2015.

Deprived of hating the gay community as an election-winning issue, this greater compassion created problems for the Republican Party. So they quickly unearthed and broadcast new sins  just one being their horror that a trans woman might dare occupy a bathroom booth next to a person assigned female at birth. (As a heterosexual male of advanced age, I do not fear all-gender restrooms.)

Republicans decry the possibility that trans female athletes might play on a team against frail girls, though its nearly always politicians  not the athletes themselves  who voice this fear. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas in a recent Supreme Court opinion even raised doubts about the future of contraception, foretelling a ban on sex without the risk of birthing babies.

Some Republicans now even call for revival of the Comstock Act of 1873, never repealed, which bans the mailing of obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile material, including devices used for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral purpose.

As for political presidential nominees, its much too late now, of course, but given the choice, I would pick someone like that decent, even Christian, court judge who so long ago let the weary woman off with a $5 fine.

Contact the columnist at hammerc12@gmail.com.
PRAGUE (AP)  South Koreas KHNP won a lucrative public tender to build at least two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic as the country tries to become more energy independent and wean itself off fossil fuels, the Czech government said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the bid by the Korean company was better in practically all the criteria than a competing bid by Frances EDF.

A contract is due to be signed by the end of March 2025. The first new reactor is expected to become operational for a trial by 2036, the second about two years later.

The government made its decision after state-controlled power company CEZ assessed the bids for the multi-billion-dollar contract.

KHNP and EDF submitted bids to build at least one reactor at the existing Dukovany nuclear power station in April.

The two new reactors will complement Dukovanys four 510-megawatt units that were completed in the 1980s. The government estimated they would each cost about 200 billion Czech crowns ($8.6 billion).

As part of the bidding, the companies had also submitted offers to build three more nuclear reactors.

The government will open negotiations with KHNP about building two more reactors at the countrys other nuclear plant in Temelin, Fiala said.

The prime minister previously said the additional reactors could reduce the price per reactor by up to 25%.

Russias Rosatom and Chinas CNG were excluded from the tender on security grounds.

The government said in January that a bid by U.S. firm Westinghouse didnt meet its conditions.

The Czech Republic already relies on six nuclear reactors to generate more than a third of its total electricity. Besides the four in Dukovany, state-controlled power company CEZ operates another two 1,000-megawatt reactors at the Temelin plant.

Unlike its western neighbors Austria and Germany, the Czech Republic is doubling down on nuclear power and renewable energy sources after deciding to phase out coal as a fuel for energy generation by 2033 in order to reduce carbon emissions.

Another two European Union countries in Central Europe, Slovakia and Hungary, have also been working to expand nuclear power production. Another neighbor, Poland, has selected Westinghouse to build its first nuclear power plant as part of an effort to burn less coal and gain greater energy independence.
A student walks through the Pomona College campus in April. The ADL announced in May that it and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a complaint against Pomona and Occidental College alleging discrimination against Jewish students. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: The recent opinion piece attacking the Anti-Defamation League is both outrageous and inaccurate. As the former ADL Board Chair for the Los Angeles Region, I can attest that ADL takes its joint mission very seriously. ADL has spent countless hours advocating for marginalized groups while fighting antisemitism. This is right and just. Even if ADL did not stand up against hate of all kinds, which it does, it would be perfectly acceptable to call out antisemitism against Jewish students.

In the piece by Mark Dery, he simultaneously validates hateful rhetoric coming out of the pro-Palestinian community and then criticizes the ADL and compares it to McCarthyism for attempting to shine a light on hateful speech and conduct.

This is a rewrite of history, but the facts remain and the court will determine whether laws were violated and if the plaintiffs are entitled to compensation.

Eric Kingsley, Encino

..

To the editor: Dery dismisses the intimidation of Jewish students as an unfortunate but merely "messy" sideline to the indignation of progressive anger at Israel's bombing of civilians.

Antisemitism is not irrelevant to the tragedy of Gaza. It is antisemitism that is at the heart of Hamas' reason for being. It is Hamas that began this conflict with a truly genocidal attack on Jews on Oct. 7. The Occidental College student who was afraid to wear her Star of David on campus is a sister to the many young women who were raped and mutilated by Hamas on Oct. 7. For Dery not to understand this is at the heart of the insensitivity of so many progressive students, Gentile and Jewish, to the sacredness of the Zionist ideal dedicated to the self-protection of Jews in a world where antisemitism is very much alive  from American synagogues where the membership has to pay an extra fee to maintain security protection during religious services to the killing fields of the music festival in Israel where Netanyahu's government failed to protect its own citizens.

Contrary to Dery's beliefs, the Anti-Defamation League's work is more important than ever.

Peter Brier, Altadena

..

To the editor: I was dismayed by Dery's opinion piece attacking the Anti-Defamation League. Underlying Dery's attacks is ADL's position that much of what has passed recently on campuses as anti-Zionism is fundamentally antisemitic requiring strong condemnation and remedial actions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In leveling his accusations, Dery blurs the line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and neglects to differentiate between vociferous criticism of Israel (not antisemitic in the ADLs view) and speech designed to delegitimize and wipe out the very existence of Israel as a Jewish homeland (definitely antisemitic in the ADLs view). In doing so, he demeans the real-world experience of a student harassed for expressing her Jewishness. He excuses unlawful protests as being OK because they were peaceful. And he normalizes speech that he admits to cross the line into antisemitism.

Richard Moss, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: I read with great interest Derys article. I have at other times enjoyed his writings. But not this one.

First, he conflates the nation of Israel with the Netanyahu government. It is one thing to protest that government, as tens of thousands of Israeli and American Jews have done and still do. It is another to deny Israels right to exist, which is what these campus protests seek  the end of Israel from the river to the sea. Dery says that the ADL blasts as antisemitic any who dare criticize Israel. That too is false. ADL and its leaders have criticized the Netanyahu government and its wingnut right-wing cabinet.

Second, calling the ADL the hitman for McCarthyite Zionism is clever wordplay, but hardly apt. Zionism is fundamentally Israels right to exist as a Jewish state, and ADLs defense of it is in no way McCarthyite. Perhaps Dery is unaware that in the Senate, McCarthy went after Jews with a passion.

Third, Dery minimizes that Jewish students on university campuses  including his alma mater  are suffering physical threats and harassment from students and faculty arising from nothing more than that they are Jewish. To that, I can only say shame on Dery. ADLs century-old commitment to its mission statement to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all is real, and ADL and its leaders live by it.

Alan Weil, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
To the editor: Robin Abcarian's piece artfully describes the push by Christian nationalists to turn back the clock on decades of American social progress. These Christians are pursuing a white supremacist ideology masquerading as a religion and Donald Trump is their vessel and their wrecking ball. In this zealous quest, they are being actively assisted by the conservative majority of the Roberts court. By seeking to push the country away from two of the most fervent aims of the Founders  the elimination of the trappings of monarchy and the escape from religious intolerance  they are returning America not to the 1950s, but to the 1760s.

Noel Johnson, Glendale

..

To the editor: Thank you to Robin Abcarian for shining a light into the dark corners of the rapidly-expanding Christian Nationalist movement. Stories like this should be featured far more prominently in the mainstream media so that people are made aware of secretive, anti-democratic organizations like the innocuous-sounding Council for National Policy and their interconnectedness with other extreme conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation.

The Project 2025 document produced by the Heritage Foundation is horrifying in its goals of demolishing government and concentrating power in the hands of their hand-picked executive branch puppet  currently Donald Trump.

The president of the Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, recently commented that the country is in the midst of a "second American revolution" that will be bloodless "if the left allows it to be" and added that the group is "in the process of taking this country back." Back to the dark ages, it seems.

Lynn Eames, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Reading Robin Abcarians column reinforced for me that the most important issue facing us in the upcoming election is that our democracy hinges on people understanding what is at stake and voting to preserve it.

The issue is not Biden vs. Trump and whether to replace either on the ballot  the horses in the race have been chosen. The Times would best serve its readers, democracy and itself by focusing on the elements in Project 2025, discussing one or two points every day. If you want to get into polling, forget the candidates, address the issues and how people stand on the elements of Project 2025. Cover their actions and proposals, not what they say.

If The Times did, they would be serving the people, the fourth estate and likely displace another paper as the nations paper of record.

Andrea Portenier, Oceanside

..

To the editor: Robin Abcarian correctly describes Christian nationalism as a white supremacist political ideology masquerading as religion. It is precisely because its adherents are pretend Christians that they are able to embrace Mr. Trump.

I differ with Ms. Abcarian only in her dating the origin of the Christian nationalist movement back only 50-odd years. In fact, it dates back at least 150 years, to the pre-Civil War Know Nothing Party. Any candid description of the positions of the Know Nothing Party is eerily applicable to the MAGA folks.

People who wonder how such a large body of professed Christians could embrace an immoral fraudster need to understand that there is no conflict in the minds of those folks. They are not looking for or interested in a Christian leader. They are looking for someone to help them pull the nation back from centuries of struggle to realize its foundational ideals.

We may lack a uniformly shared ancestry, but we embrace a shared expectation that has proven capable of binding us together: The only thing special about America or Americans is the firm certainty that there is nothing more deserving or special, about any one religion, class or ancestry. The only thing America asks newcomers to leave behind is any insistence that they are more deserving than anyone else.

Jack Quirk, Porter Ranch





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The culture wars are dead. At least, thats what Lisa Nandy thinks. In her first speech as our new Culture Secretary, delivered to staff at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Nandy declared that Britons have found multiple ways to divide ourselves from one another, and that she instead planned to serve the country by celebrating and championing the diversity and rich inheritance of our communities and the people in them.

This is hardly fighting talk from someone whos now responsible for mending a broken-down sector of the British economy, and would do better to prove her worth with some sensible suggestions, such as fixing visas for UK artists and returning arts subjects to the heart of the National Curriculum. Most cultural practitioners already lean to the Left, and would have endorsed the words above long before she said them, so much of it sounds a little hollow.

Nandy, in any case, is too optimistic regarding the culture wars. Last week, it was reported in The Stage that Restoration comedy would no longer be on the curriculum at Rada; despite its being a crucial part of our rich inheritance, it doesnt seem to me as though those at Britains best-known drama school have given it more than a cursory consideration. A document of recommendations from students in 2020, for instance, described Restoration comedy as a particularly conservative form (very white, very period)  and while the bit in parenthesis is obviously true, I think these young shavers are wrong about its conservative nature.

Restoration comedy is certainly difficult. The language can seem fussy, the plots too convoluted, and the humour simply unfunny. Thats also true of several of Shakespeares comedies, of course, and I dont see anyone trying to cancel Much Ado About Nothing. I sometimes feel that the problem with such works as The Country Wife (William Wycherley) and The Way of the World (William Congreve) is that people are weighed down by the history of mid-to-late 20th-century playing, which I often endured as a child: fruity-voiced thesps winking to the audience as if we understood every nuance of the humour, and without giving the psychology of the situation due thought.

But Restoration comedy is interesting. Rather like one of those Magic Eye posters that adorned the walls of student halls in the 1990s, you have to stare hard to understand it, yet the process can be deeply rewarding.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images

A great production such as Nicholas Hytners take on George Ethereges The Man of Mode, staged at the National Theatre in 2007 with Rory Kinnear and Nancy Carroll, delivered the plays narcissism and masculine cruelty to devastating effect. Indeed, while misogyny is almost always rampant in plays of this period, it isnt as though the playwrights forgot to give women humour or strength. Congreve is particularly good: characters such as the heiress Millamant in The Way of the World rise above questionable plotlines with erudition and wit.

Theres a tendency to assume that Restoration comedy is creaky, something that has been preserved in aspic, and is therefore hard to reshape for any age other than its own. This, too, is wrong: the genre has proved especially apt for the past 60 years. The sexual frankness and female adultery in works such as The Country Wife struck a chord with those embracing 1960s permissiveness  it was why the Victorians sought to bowdlerise such plays, if they deigned to perform them at all  and during the 1980s, much fun was to be had with plays such as Wycherleys The Plain Dealer, which spoke to that decades unapologetic embrace of greed and excess, and no doubt gave Left-wing directors the chance to stick the boot into Margaret Thatchers free-market economy.

Today, Restoration comedy speaks to us once more, as we try to find our way through this new age of uncertainty. Britain in the 18th century was a brutal place, rife with damaging gossip. As our chief theatre critic Dominic Cavendish pointed out last week when reviewing the Royal Shakespeare Companys new production of The School for Scandal by Richard B Sheridan, the plays dive inside a bubbled society bent on rumour-mongering is still sharply felt.

The fact that the RSC still sees the value in a work such as The School for Scandal makes me wonder whether Radas decision to stop teaching Restoration comedy is actually out of step with, rather than symptomatic of, our times. While the shutters come down among a politicised and easily offended few, there are signs that others are beginning to tire of the use of our literary heritage as some sort of ideological weapon.

In fact, the arrival of Slave Play in Londons West End serves as an illustration of how the tide might be turning. This 2018 American drama, by Jeremy O Harris, intertwines interracial desire with Americas troubling legacy of enslavement. It arrived here with a fair amount of hysteria, frequently described as the years most controversial play. Yet British audiences have yet to express a strong reaction  when this newspaper spoke to first-night punters, their reaction ranged from vague indignation to mild indifference  and many tickets remain unsold. Perhaps Harriss play resonates less in the UK anyway, but I suspect its also a sign that were less willing to engage in polarising debate.

As for Restoration comedies, Rada needs to realise that these plays are in the canon because theyre good; they arent included on reading lists to reduce modern teenagers to hot, angry tears. Yet still the youngsters rage. It looks as though Lisa Nandy has her work cut out.

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Cars with Belarusian registration plates will not be able to enter Lithuania starting from midnight on Thursday, 18 July.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Lithuanian Customs Service

An exception until 16 August 2024 allows the importation into Lithuania of a passenger car that is not intended for sale and belongs to a Belarusian citizen who holds a valid visa or a valid permit for temporary or permanent residence in Lithuania.

The exception does not apply to passenger cars owned by legal entities or used for commercial purposes.

Vehicles with Belarusian registration plates within the territory of the European Union, including Lithuania, must leave the EU territory by 18 January 2025, emphasised the authorities.

Until this date, vehicles with Belarusian registration plates can remain in circulation in Lithuania and can also be imported and registered in Lithuania. However, they will not be allowed to remain on Lithuanian territory after the said date.

Individuals who drive vehicles with Belarusian registration plates after the specified deadlines will be considered violators of the law and will face penalties under Article 515 of the Code of Administrative Offences, which includes fines and confiscation of the vehicle.

The ban does not apply to cars with diplomatic plates if they are necessary for the functioning of diplomatic and consular missions or international organisations enjoying immunity under international law, or if they are intended for the personal use of diplomatic personnel and their immediate family members.

Background:

Passenger cars with Belarusian registration plates are prohibited from entering Latvia starting from 16 July.

Last year, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia decided to cease allowing cars with Russian registration to enter their countries following clarifications from the European Commission. Later, Finland and Poland joined them in this decision.

The explanation from the European Commission indicated that Russian citizens may have their cars, phones, other equipment, and valuable items confiscated upon crossing the border with the European Union.

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Little Rock officials welcome World Changers to help seniors with repairs

Little Rock officials welcome World Changers to help seniors with repairs

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The City of Little Rock wants to help change the landscape for senior citizens.

City officials say they are working with the organization, World Changers, to do much-needed home repairs for the elderly.

Angels with hammers and paintbrushes: World Changers kicks off week of volunteer service in Little Rock

On Tuesday morning, a group of volunteers got straight to work.

World Changers Director Jon Hodge said they will help with painting and other repairs of 12 homes.

Its been a no-brainer to be here in Little Rock, especially with all the needs and opportunities for students to serve the people of Little Rock here in the area, Hodge said.

Hope for the Homeless: How Little Rock, community groups are helping the unhoused

World Changers has been helping Arkansans for over 18 years, and this year over 200 volunteers are in town to help with repairs.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Former President Donald Trump said he chose the Cincinnati Republican as his running mate because he "will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for," referencing workers in key Rust Belt states.

See a recap of Wednesday's events:

Vance celebrates key swing states in acceptance speech

Vance formally accepted his nomination as the GOP vice-presidential candidate Wednesday. In his address, the conservative senator said the moment is "about all of us," including in the key swing states Republicans are hoping Vance will help attract as VP pick.

JD Vance is introduced during the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum. The third day of the RNC focused on foreign policy and threats.

Its about the auto worker in Michigan, wondering why out of touch politicians are destroying your jobs, Vance said. Its about the factory worker in Wisconsin, who makes things with their hands and is proud of American craftsmanship.

Its about the energy worker in Pennsylvania and Ohio, he continued, who doesnt understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from tinpot dictators across the world when he could buy it from his own citizens right here in our own country.

'A night of hope': JD Vance accepts GOP vice president nomination. Read his RNC speech.

Vance also applauded his mom during his address, who struggled with substance use but has now been sober for 10 years. The crowd broke into chants of "JD's mom."

 Savannah Kuchar

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum.

JD Vance officially accepts vice-presidential nomination

In his speech to convention attendees, Vance discussed growing up in Middleton, Ohio, where people spoke their minds, built with their hands, and loved their God, family, community, and country with their whole hearts.

But it was also a place that had been cast aside and forgotten by Americas ruling class in Washington, Vance said, criticizing Joe Biden's handling of NAFTA, America's relationship with China and the invasion of Iraq when he served in the Senate.

RNC Day 3 takeaways: JD Vance accepts baton as MAGA heir apparent

Somehow, a real estate developer from New York by the name of Donald J. Trump was right on all of these issues while Biden was wrong. President Trump knew, even then, that we needed leaders who would put America first, Vance said.

Sudiksha Kochi

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum. The third day of the RNC focused on foreign policy and threats.

Is JD Vance a vegetarian?

Usha Vance said her husband, JD, is a "meat and potatoes" guy, but learned to cook vegetarian food for her. "He learned to cook food for my mother. Indian food."

Usha Vance introduces husband JD Vance ahead of VP nominee speech

Usha Vance, JD Vance's wife, introduced her husband ahead of his vice-presidential nominee acceptance speech and said she was initially at a loss for what to say.

The vice president nominees spouse went on to describe how the pair met at law school.

He was then, as now, the most interesting person I knew, she said, ahead of JD Vances entrance on stage.

 Savannah Kuchar

Ron Howard movie about JD Vance

When Usha Vance introduced her husband, she made reference to the movie "Hillbilly Elegy" based on his memoir.

What could I say that hasnt already been said before? Usha Vance said. After all, the man was already the subject of a Ron Howard movie. Vance's bestselling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy" was turned into a film.

JD Vance speech excerpts: Focus on family, Rust Belt issues

Vance will begin his speech tonight by crediting Trump with his response to last weekend's assassination attempt and calling for unity  a message that's been hammered throughout the convention this week.

"Even in his most perilous moment, we were on his mind," Vance is expected to say, according to excerpts released before his speech. "His instinct was for us. To call us to something higher. To something greater. To once again be citizens who ask what our country needs of us."

From there, Vance will tie his life to the Trump campaign's efforts to appeal to Rust Belt voters. He plans to highlight some of the GOP's top issues, including immigration, domestic energy production and onshoring manufacturing jobs.

In a more personal moment, Vance will introduce his mother to the crowd, who is attending the convention and 10 years sober.

Vice presidential nominee JD Vance hugs his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance, during the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum. The third day of the RNC focused on foreign policy and threats.

Biden campaign comes out swinging ahead of JD Vance's speech

President Joe Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee went after Vance in a flurry of news releases before his speech.

DNC rapid response director Alex Floyd said Vance "pretends to be a populist" but instead "leaves hard-working Americans behind." The Biden campaign also pointed to the senator's past support of a national abortion ban.

It's time to take JD Vance seriously when he says he 'certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally,'" Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said. "He is making it explicitly clear that he and Donald Trump will follow through on their Project 2025 plans and ban abortion nationwide if they win come November."

JD Vance to bring special guest tonight: His mom

CNN reported that JD Vance's mother, Beverly, will be a special guest tonight at the convention. Vance wrote about his childhood and his mother's battle with drug addiction in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

Republican delegates anticipate JD Vance's speech

Ahead of Vance's speech Wednesday night, Republican delegates from outside Ohio were eager to hear from Trump's vice-presidential pick.

West Virginia state Sen. Jack Woodrum believes Vance aligns well with Trump, but he wanted to learn more about Vance and his vision for the vice presidency. Catherine Ernsky, an alternate delegate for Connecticut, applauded Vance's decision to visit the picket line during the United Auto Workers strike and said Vance will be loyal to Trump and the American people.

"He has everything we need to help President Trump turn America around," Ernsky said.

First ads out against JD Vance

The anti-Trump Lincoln Project dropped an ad Wednesday highlighting Ohio Sen. JD Vances past criticism of the former president.

The roughly 90-second spot, geofenced around the Republican National Committee in Milwaukee, features Donald Trump reading lyrics to The Snake. Trump has referred to the song during campaign events to illustrate his position on immigration.

Peppered throughout the ad are Vances comments about Trump during the 2016 election cycle, including interviews where he called Trump noxious and referred to himself as a never Trump guy.

Vance is now one of Trumps closest allies and has said the former president proved him wrong.

JD Vance speech tonight to focus on his childhood

Vance, who lives in Cincinnati and grew up in Middletown, was expected to recount his life journey during his speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, according to a source familiar with his prepared remarks  the first time millions of Americans will become acquainted with him.

Vance published his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" in 2016, right as former President Donald Trump was gaining popularity. A personal story of how one man climbed from Rust Belt Ohio to Yale Law School  and now the vice-presidential nomination.

Read more about his life story here.

JD Vance on Trump assassination attempt: 'I was pissed'

Vance talked about the attempted assassination against Trump as he spoke to supporters in Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon.

"I was pissed," Vance said. "As soon as I knew he was OK I felt relief and then I was like, 'I cannot believe an assassin tried to take down the president of the United States.' I was mad about it. Was he mad and angry? He called for national unity. He called for calm. He showed leadership."

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, attends a fundraising event at the Discovery World museum of Science & Technology during the third day of the Republican National Convention.

Who is speaking tonight at the RNC? The Day 3 speaker list

Wednesday night's lineup of speakers at the RNC includes longtime Trump allies, U.S. House members, passed up vice-presidential picks and everyday Americans. The most anticipated speech of the night will come from Vance.

Others speaking tonight:

Donald Trump Jr.

East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway

Kellyanne Conway, former counselor to Trump during his presidency

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

-Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY

Donald Trump Jr: There's 'a very high chance' JD Vance could become president in 2028

With his ascension to the 2024 presidential ticket as Donald Trumps running mate, Vance has vaulted into the role of heir-apparent of the MAGA movement and become an instant White House contender for 2028.

Donald Trump Jr. said the nomination means theres "a very high chance" Vance could become president in 2028 if he and Trump win in November.

Was JD Vance a Marine? A look at the military record of Trump's VP pick

(Vance is) the one guy in that movement that's a current politician thats out there that actually, really speaks sort of to the America First people, he said at an event hosted by Axios Tuesday. It isnt like well be right back to the establishment.  That's where our base is. Thats where the Republican Party is.

Read more here on how Vance could be the Republican front-runner for 2028.

-Brianne Pfannenstiel, USA TODAY

More: From 'America's Hitler' to 'a great president': JD Vance VP nomination in 11 cartoons

Who is Usha Vance?

Up until recently, Usha Vance worked as a litigator for a law firm based in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. A spokesperson for the firm said she chose to leave in the wake of her husbands vice-presidential nomination.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Usha Vance grew up in San Diego and met Vance when they both attended Yale Law School. She was a registered Democrat as of 2014, according to the New York Times.

Usha Vance has previously clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Times reported. The couple have three young children: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.

 Sudiksha Kochi and Haley BeMiller

Sen. JD celebrates with the crowd as he introduced with his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance during the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

How to watch the movie 'Hillbilly Elegy'

The movie made about Vance's memoir has been getting more views on Netflix. Here's how to watch it.

What time does Donald Trump speak tonight?

Trump will deliver his keynote address on Thursday evening to wrap up the convention as delegates officially cast their votes to nominate him as the party's presidential candidate.

This story will be updated throughout the day today ahead of Vance's address.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: jd vance speech speaking tonight, focuses on family Rust Belt issues
Trump on stage at the RNC. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters)

A key objective of the Republican National Convention was to further humanize Trump for voters. On Thursday, the former president did so by recounting the shooting on Saturday at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Im not supposed to be here tonight, said Trump, who was injured in the shooting.

The audience responded with a chant of Yes you are! Yes you are!

In a moving display, Trump kissed the fire helmet of Corey Comperatore, 50, who was killed when gunfire erupted at Trumps Pennsylvania rally and led the crowd in a moment of silence for the former firefighter.

Over the past year, Trump has been found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, and was later, in a second defamation lawsuit, ordered to pay her $83.3 million. A New York judge ruled that he had violated his business assets in violation of New York law and ordered him to pay $355 million in fines plus interest. A New York jury found him guilty in a criminal trial of falsification of business records stemming from his $130,000 hush money payment to keep adult film actress Stormy Daniels from sharing her story about an alleged extramarital affair.

None of those uncomfortable facts were mentioned during the convention. Instead, three women were tasked with offering an alternative version of Trumps character.

When the president hired me, I was the first mom and the third woman ever to serve as White House press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in her speech on Tuesday. After detailing the attacks she endured from critics, Sanders added, It was President Trump who defended me.

When I look at Donald Trump, I see a wonderful father, father-in-law and, of course, grandfather to my two young children, Luke and Carolina, Lara Trump, Trumps daughter-in-law, said in a speech delivered onTuesday.

He calls me in the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going and tells me all about his. But then I have to remind him that Im in school and I have to call him back later, Kai Trump, Trumps granddaughter, said in her speech on Wednesday.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, whose urging this month that President Joe Biden end his reelection bid sparked an intraparty debate over whether the 81-year-old chief executive was up to the task, renewed his call for Biden to step aside Wednesday just hours before Donald Trump would formally accept the Republican nomination.

My call for President Biden to step aside remains even more urgent," Doggett said in a statement released by his political office. "Our decision must consider the reality of steadily, worsening poll numbers, not just more wishful thinking. The risk of Trump tyranny is so great that we must put forward our strongest nominee.

"Every day this decision is delayed, the focus is not on Trumps lies, and a new Democratic nominee is offered less time to achieve victory. What we need is a fair, open democratic process to select a new nominee that can excite and engage more Americans."

The outlook for the Biden-Trump rematch in the Nov. 5 election was scrambled when the president turned in a disjointed, sluggish performance June 27 in the candidates' first head-to-head debate of the 2024 campaign.

President Joe Biden is expected to visit Austin next week for a rescheduled LBJ Presidential Library event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the July 1964 signing of the landmark Civil Rights Act.

Democrats' worries intensified when Republicans tightened their embrace of Trump in the wake of Saturday's assassination attempt against the former president during a rally in the swing state of Pennsylvania, an embrace that has been vividly on display during the Republican National Convention. The convention opened Monday in Milwaukee and will end Thursday.

More: Key moments from Joe Biden's first primetime interview since Trump's assassination attempt

In the same news cycle as Doggett's renewed plea, another high-ranking congressional Democrat joined the chorus for Biden to end his reelection bid. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a candidate for the U.S. Senate in California, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the time has come for Biden "to pass the torch."

"A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November, Schiff said in the statement, adding his name to the growing list of U.S. House Democrats saying the party needs a new nominee.

Amid those calls, Biden is expected to be in Austin next week for a campaign fundraiser, which was postponed when the president put on hold his planned appearance at the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the landmark Civil Rights Act.

According to a flyer posted on social media by a New York Times reporter, several prominent Texas Democrats, including the late 36th president's daughter, Luci Baines Johnson, will host an invitation-only "Reception with President Joe Biden" on July 24. Three influential Texas Democrats confirmed plans for the event but said they were not authorized to speak publicly about it or to discuss its details.

Johnson did not respond to an American-Statesman email seeking comment about the fundraiser.

More: When Lloyd Doggett called on Biden to stand down, it was one old pro talking to another

An LBJ Library representative said any comment on whether the president will visit the library to mark the Civil Rights Act would have to be addressed by the White House, which did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

A visit to Texas would come with a stiff headwind for Biden. In addition to the growing concerns first publicly aired by Doggett, a poll out Wednesday by The Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found that nearly two-thirds of his fellow Democrats nationwide believe the president should withdraw from the race and let the party select a new nominee. Overall, 7 in 10 Americans believe the president should step away from the race.

The poll also found that a majority of Americans, 57%, believe Trump, too, should have bowed of the GOP race. However, Trump has Republicans' solid support.

Biden has rejected calls to stand down. On Monday, in a nationally televised interview with Lester Holt of NBC News, he said the voices of worried congressional Democrats carry less weight than rank-and-file primary voters.

"Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party. OK?" Biden told the news anchor. "I listen to them."

Statesman staff writer Bayliss Wagner contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: US Rep. Lloyd Doggett, others say Biden victory is 'wishful thinking'
Members of the U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee will question Director of the U.S. Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle next week as they attempt to uncover what failures allowed for a would-be-assassin to get within 150 yards of former President Donald Trump this past Saturday.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Action News Jax spoke exclusively with one of the Congressmen on the committee Wednesday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Former Green Barrett and current Florida Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL6th District) sits on the committee tasked with investigating the attempted assassination.

Any veteran, any shooter out there knows that 150-yard shot is basically a chip shot, said Waltz.

Waltz told Action News Jax he spoke with Secret Service agents who were there in Butler, Pennsylvania at the time of the attempted assassination.

Waltz claims they told him repeated requests for additional security were denied.

So, well be asking the director a lot of very pointed questions. How long, how often has the Trump detail been asking for more? And not just more bodies, but also things like drones overhead, said Waltz.

RELATED: Trump assassination attempt: New details emerge in shooting

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas vehemently denied requests for additional security had been rejected.

We have not received any requests for additional security measures that were rebuffed. That assertion is unequivocally false, said Mayorkas.

Waltz said he also wants to understand what kind of communication breakdowns occurred, given we now know the shooter had been flagged by law enforcement nearly and hour before the first shot rang out.

Thats the protocol. Gun, gun, gun and the close-end detail gets him out. So, did they have the appropriate communications gear? Right? Local law enforcement may not have had gear thats compatible with the Secret Service, said Waltz. That may have been part of their resources request. So, these agents are telling me they have the receipts, that they made these requests in writing and that the headquarters didnt want to expend their budget.

RELATED: Exclusive photos show cell phone, transmitter found next to Trump shooters body

The House Oversight and Accountability hearing is scheduled for next Monday.

Members of the US House Homeland Security Committee are also expected to hear from the Secret Service Director, Homeland Security Secretary and FBI Director the following day.

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Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies have released the long list of stores the companies plan to sell, should a multi-billion dollar merger between the two grocery chains be approved by regulators.

The list includes nearly 600 stores in various states, along with six distribution centers and one plant. The companies plan to sell the stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire based company.

In a news release, Kroger Co. said that the proposed merger will create "meaningful and measurable benefits" for consumers, store associates, and communities that both Kroger and Albertsons serve. The merger plans to expand access to fresh, affordable food and establish a more compelling alternative to large, non-union retailers.

The merger was previously announced in October 2022 but the Federal Trade Commission sued to stop it in February, reported USA TODAY. Here's what else to know.

Will the Kroger, Albertsons merger cause stores to close? Will there be layoffs?

Kroger maintains that no stores, distribution centers or manufacturing facilities will close as a result of the merger. The company stated that customers will actually benefit from lower prices and more choices following the close of the merger.

"Importantly, the updated divestiture plan continues to ensure no stores will close as a result of the merger and that all frontline associates will remain employed, all existing collective bargaining agreements will continue, and associates will continue to receive industry-leading health care and pension benefits alongside bargained-for wages," said Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen in a news release.

"Our proposed merger with Albertsons will bring lower prices and more choices to more customers and secure the long-term future of unionized grocery jobs," he added.

In a news release, Kroger committed to investing $500 million to begin lowering prices on day one post-close, and an additional $1.3 billion to improve Albertsons stores.

Will any stores in Tennessee be included in the Kroger, Albertsons merger?

No, stores in Tennessee stores will not be included in the Kroger and Albertsons merger. Virginia, Tennessee's neighbor to the North, however, is included. Three Harris Teeter stores will be included in the merger.

What stores will be sold in the Kroger, Albertsons merger?

The mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons involves 579 stores, six distribution centers and one plant, across 19 states and Washington D.C. They include:

Washington: 124 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores

California: 63 Albertsons Cos. stores

Colorado: 91 Albertsons Cos. stores

Oregon: 62 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores

Texas/Louisianna: 30 Albertsons Cos. stores

Arizona: 101 Albertsons Cos. stores

Nevada: 16 Albertsons Cos. stores

Illinois: 35 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores

Arkansas: 18 Albertsons Cos. stores

Idaho: 10 Albertsons Cos. stores

New Mexico: 9 Albertsons Cos. stores

Montana/Utah/Wyoming: 11 Albertsons Cos. stores

Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia/Delaware: 9 Harris Teeter stores

Story continues

According to Kroger, the above stores, regardless of banner, will be sold by Kroger to C&S Wholesale Grocers following the closing of the merger with Albertsons. Kroger operates grocery retail stores under the following banners:

Supermarkets  Kroger, Ralphs, Dillons, Smiths, King Soopers, Frys, QFC, City Market, Owens, Jay C, Pay Less, Bakers, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Pick n Save, Metro Market, Marianos

Multi-department stores  Fred Meyer, Dillons Marketplace, Frys Marketplace, King Soopers Marketplace, Kroger Marketplace, Smiths Marketplace

Price-impact warehouse stores  Food 4 Less, Foods Co

How many Kroger stores are there in Tennessee?

There are 115 Kroger stores across 55 cities in Tennessee. Stores may be searched by city using the Kroger Store Locator tool online.

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Which Kroger stores are being sold? Are Tennessee locations affected?
Local Democrats hope to keep their message in front of voters amid the Republican National Convention

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)  Local Democratic leaders are sharing their message in hopes of not losing their voice during the Republican National Convention.

If you look at what Democrats generally are pulling at across the state, were doing quite well, said DNC Delegate Amaad Rivera-Wagner. Just because there are some issues on one race does not speak to the larger dynamic. What people believe is that Democrats are investing in and supporting people, not just Democrats. People who are Republicans, people of color, people who dont vote. The policies that were trying to enact benefit everybody.

RNC Day 2: Hovde speaks as GOP unifies behind Trump

On Wednesday, the Democratic Party of Brown County hosted a conference at which community members and local leaders discussed the Project 2025 Agenda and the upcoming election.

Amaad Rivera-Wagner, who is running for the Wisconsin State Assembly, stressed he wants voters to understand there is no room for violent acts or hateful crimes in the political sphere.

We want to condemn this kind of hateful rhetoric, he said. That democracy doesnt demand that we be bad to each other; it does allow for us to disagree, and so its been sadly asymmetrical. Do I think that there is always room for improvement on all sides, absolutely, but in this race, in this moment, democrats to me have been centering democracy in a very thoughtful way and I think we all can appreciate that.

Abortion, economy top items for Wisconsin delegates at RNC, importance of gun control downplayed

In his final message, he says that regardless of your position, age should not be the determining factor for values.

Truth in the matter, its about what people do, stated Amaad. Regardless of their age, their background, what language they speak, who they love, how they approach the world, its about making sure that good people can do good work.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Long-range strike weapons plans for Europe risk bringing back one of the most dangerous aspects of the Cold War, arms control experts say

Long-range strike weapons plans for Europe risk bringing back one of the most dangerous aspects of the Cold War, arms control experts say

The US and its allies have various plans to bolster their long-range weapons capabilities in Europe.

The moves replicate one of the most dangerous aspects of the Cold War, experts caution.

The renewed long-range strike arms race with Russia runs the risk of escalating tensions across Europe.

The US and some of its NATO allies are pushing ahead with plans to develop and field new long-range strike options in Europe as the Ukraine war highlights the combat value of these weapons and a lack of restrictions in this space gives way to new movement.

The new moves reflect one of the most dangerous aspects of the Cold War, risking escalation and a deep-strike arms race with Russia, arms control experts say.

"We've been down this road before, and it took us many decades to get off it with hard-learned lessons about the dangers of" an intermediate-range "missile escalation in Europe," Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists told Business Insider.

He called the potential "tit-for-tat escalation posturing" a hallmark of the Cold War that could make a comeback now.

The US announced plans last week to place long-range capabilities in Germany, beginning in 2026 with episodic deployments prior to permanent stationing at a future unforeseen date.

"When fully developed," the allies wrote in a statement," these conventional long-range fires units will include SM-6, Tomahawk, and developmental hypersonic weapons, which have significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe."

That announcement was followed a day later by movement on plans from a handful of NATO allies to develop new long-range missiles. France, Poland, Germany, and Italy signed the initiative focusing on ground-launched cruise missiles with ranges in excess of 500 kilometers.

US Army Tactical Missile System being fired in training. South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

In both cases, the US and its European partners are responding to what they see as critical gaps in their long-range fires arsenals exposed by the war in Ukraine.

The war has "demonstrated something that many already knew: Long-range strike weapons are of great utility for fighting wars," Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project at the University of Oslo, wrote in a War on the Rocks commentary.

"The ability to engage targets at operational and strategic depth critically enables the conduct of offensive and defensive maneuvers and can shape the conditions for victory on the battlefield," he explained.

The new plans follow years of rising tension between the West and Russia on a range of issues, including long-range fires in the aftermath of the 2019 US withdrawal from the INF Treaty, which Washington accused Moscow of violating. Russia denied the allegations and later also pulled out of the agreement, opening the door for both to develop and field new ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles.

In response to the US and Germany's plans, as well as other NATO actions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said : "This is a very serious threat to the national security of our country."

"All of this," he said, "will require us to take thoughtful, coordinated, effective responses to deter NATO, to counteract NATO."

SM-6 missile fired by a US Navy warship. US Navy/Lt. Zachary Anderson

Experts pointed to Russia's violation of the INF Treaty as prompting a snowball effect. "I have long said that Russians will come to regret Putin's violation of the 1987 INF Treaty. He opened the door to significant deployments of accurate, long-range conventional missiles in Germany and elsewhere," Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a nuclear proliferation expert, wrote on X.

Though Russia set this in motion, the deployment plans for Europe certainly seem escalatory, Kristensen explained, and will likely prompt Russia to deploy more of its own long-range weapons.

"There is an element of autopilot in this dynamic because each side uses acts by the other to justify more and more steps to build up its military capabilities," he said, adding that it seems the East and West are back on track for "tit-for-tat reactions."

Kristensen's views echoed concerns from other experts and officials on the latest developments.

Jon B. Wolfsthal, a nuclear arms control and nonproliferation expert and an Obama administration official for national security affairs, posted on X that "we have recreated one of the most dangerous components of the Cold War in Europe and things will only get worse from here."

A Storm Shadow/SCALP missile on the wing of a Rafale fighter. Thierry Wurtz/MBDA

Conventional long-range strike capabilities within the 500-kilometer to 5,500-kilometer range provide a powerful ability to strike deep into enemy territory with little to no notice. Though the intention in fielding new capabilities may be deterrence, it could instead ignite an arms race.

The silver lining in the US agreement with Germany, Kristensen said, is that it's non-nuclear.

But, he added, "conventional missiles  especially fast-flying ballistic missiles  have their own problems in that they shorten the time leaders have to react and therefore increases risk of overreaction and mistakes, factors that drive worst-case planning and undermines crisis stability. And superior conventional capabilities can drive the other side to rely more on nuclear weapons to compensate."

Read the original article on Business Insider
It's the end of an era. New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells announced yesterday in an article titled "After 12 Years of Reviewing Restaurants, I'm Leaving the Table."

"Early this year, I went for my first physical in longer than Id care to admit," Wells wrote, noting that he was "about halfway through a list of 140 or so restaurants I planned to visit before I wrote the 2024 edition of 'The 100 Best Restaurants in New York City.'" The article then discusses his "scores," which he deemed "bad across the board," listing cholesterol, blood sugar and hypertension, along with pre-diabetes, fatty liver disease and the fact that he was "technically obese." He writes that after he "got to the end of all that eating," he realized he "wasn't hungry."

Wells clarifies that while his twelve years as the restaurant critic for the esteemed publication is coming to a close, he will indeed remain in the newsroom. Wells writes that "Ive decided to bow out as gracefully as my state of technical obesity will allow."

Interestingly, Wells talks about how the job is often viewed as such an amazing opportunity  which it is  but something that is "almost never [brought] up . . . is our health." He credits politeness, but also writes that "Mostly, though, we all know that were standing on the rim of an endlessly deep hole and that if we look down we might fall in."

Adam Platt, who was a critic for New York Magazine for nearly 25 years before stepping down in 2022, told Wells that "it's the least healthy job in America, probably." Wells also lists the men who died young in their line of work: A.A. Gill, Jonathan Gold, A.J. Liebling (he also notes that many female critics happened to live longer, such as Gael Greene and Mimi Sheraton).

He concludes "Its time to return the tux. Ive had the trousers let out a few inches, but a tailor can take them in again. As for the stain on the jacket, thats just pork fat. I think it adds character."
Look: Three kittens rescued from rooftop rain gutter in California

Coalinga Police Department Animal Control Officer Jonathan Bell rescued three kittens trapped in a rooftop rain gutter. Photo courtesy of the Coalinga Police Department

July 17 (UPI) -- An animal control officer in California was summoned to rescue a litter of kittens from a rooftop rain gutter.

The Coalinga Police Department said in a news release that Animal Control Officer Jonathan Bell was dispatched after officials learned of "several individuals trying to rescue five kittens from the rooftop rain gutter" of a building on E. Durian Avenue.

Bell discovered two of the kittens had already managed to escape their predicament, but three remained trapped in the gutter.

Bell climbed up onto the roof and was able to rescue the remaining three kittens and take them to the Gimme Love Animal Shelter.
The botched rollout of a revamped process to apply for federal financial aid could have long-lasting effects, with students receiving less money for college this fall and others so fed up theyre delaying their educations.

Now, with the traditional Oct. 1 start of the next financial aid season less than three months away, the U.S. Department of Education wont promise it can avoid a repeat.

The department is working toward opening the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on time and ensuring a smooth experience, a spokesperson told The 74, but dismissed last weeks bipartisan vote by the House education committee to legally enforce an Oct. 1 start as an unhelpful political stunt.

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The legislation comes as financial aid officials are dealing with another delay hindering some students from receiving final aid packages for the fall. The complications have also deterred others from even applying for assistance. Completion rates remain 7 percentage points below last years rate, suggesting enrollment will stay down this fall.

Related

Financial Aid Reform Was His Legacy. Now, Lamar Alexander Calls it a Big Mess

Are we going to close the gap? It would be a really herculean effort, said Bill DeBaun, senior director for data and strategic initiatives at the National College Attainment Network, an organization of college access organizations. Summer, he said, isnt typically FAFSA season. But even increasing the rate by 3 or 4 percentage points would mean tens of thousands of additional students receiving funds for college.

Members of Congress say forcing the department to release next years FAFSA on Oct. 1 will avoid the confusion and chaos that families and colleges endured this year. Establishing a hard deadline  will provide students, families and schools with much needed clarity and stability, Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who chairs the House education committee, said before the July 10 vote.

House education Chair Virginia Foxx, center, said the U.S. Department of Education needs a hard deadline to get next years FAFSA out on time. But ranking Democrat Bobby Scott, left, said rushing the form will create more mistakes. (House Committee on Education and the Workforce)

Six Democrats on the committee who voted against the bill argued that Congress didnt provide enough funding to help the department make the switch and predicted it could lead to even more errors.

I want FAFSA to work; we all want FAFSA to work, said Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, the ranking Democrat on the committee. What we dont want is for the department to rush to meet arbitrary deadlines and push out a FAFSA form once again that has the same technical problems.

A lot of anxiety

Schools that predominantly serve students whose parents are not U.S. citizens  the population most harmed by the FAFSA overhaul  have been especially stressed.

Its been a rollercoaster, said Ingrid Fragoso, a counselor at KIPP Austin Collegiate in Texas. Only about 10% of the charter schools students have parents with social security numbers. The redesign first blocked them from completing the form and then required extra steps to submit it. In the beginning, there was a lot of anxiety around how to help our students.

At the peak of the chaos, in February and March, the counseling team phoned the department daily to troubleshoot issues for families. While waiting on hold, the counselors used a detailed grid of each seniors schedule to quickly grab students from class when a department staffer came on the line. For parents with limited English skills, they held practice sessions prior to calls. Now, all 91 students going to four-year schools have received aid packages.

Most students at KIPP Austin Collegiate, a charter school in Texas, have parents who are not U.S. citizens, making the complications with this years FAFSA rollout especially stressful. (Ingrid Fragoso)

Some counselors and higher education officials say theyre beginning to see the streamlined FAFSAs potential.

I feel a lot better about where were at than I did a few weeks ago, said Karen Krause, the executive director of financial aid at the University of Texas at Arlington. The FAFSA completion rate is up 4% compared to last year, bucking state and national trends, and the staff was able to begin distributing aid offers in April  ahead of many other institutions. I do think its going to be a better process for students and families.

When FAFSA works, it works quickly  sometimes in less than 10 minutes. Students and parents who have submitted the forms, she said, keep asking, Is that all? The education department also kept a February promise to conduct fewer reviews of students forms. At UT Arlington, that number dropped dramatically, from over 5,300 last year to under 200, Krause said.

At the University of Texas at Arlington, the FAFSA completion rate is actually higher than last year, giving officials hope that the new form can work as intended. (University of Texas at Arlington, Facebook)

At the same time, her staff is grappling with a new setback  a backlog of corrections the department wont accept until August. Those revisions ultimately affect how much money colleges can offer students, especially those whose financial circumstances changed since they first applied.

Say a family member loses a job or there are medical expenses, explained Jill Desjean, director of policy analysis at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. In those cases, schools might issue a new offer to make tuition more affordable, but those figures wont be official until the education department approves them.

Currently, colleges can only submit such changes one at a time.

Its manual and its way more work, Desjean said.

But they cant submit them in bulk until next month, a time when students are usually preparing to register for classes and move into dorms.

Related

Ed Dept. Holds Week of Action on Financial Aid, Months After Bungled Rollout

Answers for kids

If higher education officials feel any sense of relief after such a stormy season, its partly because of their own work to ensure families dont pay the price for FAFSAs botched implementation. UT Arlington, for one, has waived late fees for students still waiting on federal aid and isnt dropping them from summer classes if they cant make tuition payments, Krause said.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency over FAFSA, allowing students to apply for state aid without completing the federal form. The move made 17,000 students eligible for merit- or need-based aid, according to a state higher education commission.

And at the University of Florida, Mary Parker, vice president for enrollment management, created a special one-year scholarship that offers low-income students up to $15,000 to tide them over until their federal aid comes through. If they end up qualifying for less federal aid than the scholarship covers, they wont have to make up the difference.

That short-term fix impressed one university official who understands the strain on families with first-time college students.

It will not be perfect, but [Parker] had enough in her budget to eat the cost of the margin of error. It was more important to prioritize first-generation students, said Penny Schwinn, the former Tennessee education commissioner who now serves as vice president for the universitys pre-K to pre-bachelors initiatives. K-12 and states are wrestling with this, and it was a really proud moment to see my colleague find innovative and immediate answers for kids.

But colleges are taking risks when they use their own funds to lower tuition costs for students, said Desjean, with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Not all schools can afford to front their own money while waiting for the federal dollars, she said. But its great to see that those who are able are doing what they can to minimize harm to students.
If youve been contemplating getting a pet, now's the time to do it.

Cincinnati Animal CARE is waiving adoption fees for all animals who are six months or older every day 1 to 6 p.m. until Sunday, the shelter announced on Facebook.

The offer is available at both Cincinnati Animal CARE locations: 3949 Colerain Ave. and 4210 Dane Ave.

Cincinnati Animal CARE is waiving adoption fees for all animals six months or older this week.

Cincinnati Animal CARE, which has committed to a "humane no-kill philosophy," is wrestling with an animal population that well exceeds their capacity, said Abby Moore, community engagement coordinator at the shelter. The waived fees are intended to encourage adoption and relieve the strain on their resources, she said.

As of Wednesday morning, the shelter had 504 dogs and 231 cats under their care, which includes animals in foster care, Moore said. Still, the number of animals lodged in Animal CARE facilities is causing crowding issues and forcing shelter staff to adapt with temporary solutions, like tub cages and pop-up cages, Moore added.

The Colerain Avenue shelter has 100 dog kennels available but has been consistently housing nearly 200 dogs as of late, according to Moore.

July is on track to be the shelter's busiest month since taking over as Hamilton County's token animal shelter in August 2020, Moore said. The shelter is on pace to intake 465 dogs and 279 cats this month based on the daily average.

Following the social media announcement, some people took to the comment section to advocate for responsible pet ownership. One user warned prospective pet owners to think twice about hastily adopting a pet without the financial means or time to take care of one.

"Free is not free if you are a responsible pet owner. Don't get a cat or dog, free ... spur of the moment," the user wrote in part.

The shelter's main priority is getting animals into safe and loving homes, and waiving adoption fees doesn't clash with the mission, Moore said.

Moore cited research that found the majority of pets adopted without a fee remained in the same home six to 12 months after the initial adoption.

"We believe in low barriers to adoption," she said.

People adopting a dog are still required to purchase a Hamilton County dog license and any other items they may need that are available at the shelter  like leashes and collars  while the fees are paused, Moore said. Adopters will be vetted using the same process, as well.

Prospective adopters can still adopt an animal at a discounted price after the adoption fee pause ends. Adoption fees will be $15 for both cats and dogs July 22 to 31, according to Moore. That's down from the standard $75 fee for dogs and $40 for cats.

The initiative to waive and lower adoption fees is a partnership with BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national organization aimed at reducing the number of animals in shelters.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hamilton County animal shelter waiving adoption fees this week
LAYTON, Utah (ABC4)  A fire that destroyed a Layton home over the weekend was caused by people lighting fireworks nearby, investigators say.

Layton City Fire Battalion Chief Jason Cook said that three people were taken into custody early Sunday morning. He said they admitted to lighting fireworks near the Kays Creek Trailhead, sparking a blaze in the brush that spread to the home.

Lightning-sparked fire burning in Box Elder Co. dubbed Tangent Fire

Kimberly Mulholland, a neighbor, woke up to an explosion around 1:30 a.m. She said she repeatedly opened and closed her curtains, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The whole home was engulfed in flames, she said.

Other neighbors rushed to the burning home, looking for the woman and two children who lived there. However, no one was inside. Mulholland confirmed this by calling the homeowner, who said she and her kids were out of town.

I Facetimed her as we watched her home burn down, Mulholland said. It was the hardest phone call Ive ever made.

Video from Mulhollands security system captured the fire. The home can be seen burning before a large explosion fills the screen. After, flaming debris can be seen swirling in the air.

In the days since the fire, Mulholland and other neighbors quickly worked to start a fundraiser and gather basic supplies for the homeowner, who is currently sorting out how to move forward. One of the efforts allows people to sign up to donate items like furniture, kitchenware and hygiene products.

This family lost everything, said Daniela Harding, one of the organizers. They need everything from toiletries up to the big items, and we want to be part of making that happen.

Nancy Sylvester, another of the organizers, said the homeowner, a single mother, is an anchor in the local community, adding that her two children, ages 10 and 12, are often seen playing in the neighborhood. She said that insurance is not covering all of the familys losses.

Its just a tragedy, Sylvester said. Good people who just need some help.

Cook, the fire chief, said the three arrested individuals will be facing charges, but he wasnt able to give more details.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Put aside the alarming debate performance, the concerning polls and the god-awful vibes: The reason Democrats are still in disarray over the viability of President Joe Bidens candidacy is because President Joe Biden keeps demonstrating, in each and every public appearance, that the concerns about his fitness and ability to campaign vigorously for the next four months  to say nothing of governing for another four years  are devastatingly valid.

Speaking Monday with NBC News Lester Holt, Biden looked and sounded all of his 81 years, conceding its a legitimate question to ask if he can keep doing this until hes 83 years old, or 84 years (hed be 86 when a second term ends). Asked about his June 27 showing, and what happens if you have another performance on that par, Biden was both incoherent and in denial.

What happened, he asked, mumbling something that the transcript describes as INAUDIBLE. Asked the question again, he answered: I dont plan on having another performance at that level.

The concern among Democrats is that no one planned on him performing at that level last time around, particularly not after the president had 12 days to rest and prepare. The Biden campaign had long sold the debate as the moment the race would reset: voters would see Trump as unhinged, Biden as normal, and the polls would soon reflect that  all the president had to do was appear more with it than six-second clips on right-wing social media would suggest.

Bidens performance shattered the trust that many Democrats had in him and his campaign. Although he has smartly cast doubts about his candidacy as stemming from elites, both in his party and the media, polls suggest a majority of Democratic voters have also lost confidence in his ability to win this November. Not even Biden is confident enough in his abilities to have another showdown with Trump in the coming weeks: Im gonna debate him when we agreed to debate, he told NBC.

That means September, or: after the Democratic National Convention, the partys last-best chance to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else more capable of communicating their agenda and the threats a second Trump presidency poses to democracy, at home and elsewhere.

Biden, who insists he doesnt need to watch his June debate performance to understand what others saw because I was there, gave more reason to doubt his abilities in an interview with Complexs Speedy Morman. A clear attempt to appeal to the youth, conducted about 12 hours after a solid if not gaffe-free press conference, he was once again slow, quiet and at times dishonest, such as when he insisted his administration is only providing Israel with defensive weapons (he resumed providing the Netanyahu government with 500-pound bombs this month).

But forget the fact checks: the interview, just in terms of optics, was excruciating  its hard to see anyone under the age of 30 sticking with it more than three minutes, which would be enough time to hear Biden claim that, in 2020, Obama had asked me to be vice president.

Teleprompters arent much better these days. Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Biden told the nation that it should address political disputes not with violence but at the battle box. In an address before the NAACP on Tuesday, Biden boasted about his proposal to cap rent increases by corporate landlords to just $55; in fact, he has proposed capping them at 5%.

Bidens calls with skeptical Democrats are reportedly much worse. Speaking to Pucks Julia Ioffe, an anonymous Democratic lawmaker said the president only validated criticism in a Saturday call with moderate members of the House caucus.

The president was rambling, dismissive of concerns, [and] unable or unprepared to present a campaign strategy, the lawmaker said.

The call was even worse than the debate, said another participant. He was rambling; hed start an answer then lose his train of thought, then would just say whatever. I lost a ton of respect for him.

So far 20 Democratic members of Congress have explicitly called on Biden to drop out. The number all but calling on him to drop out is much higher.

I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., recently told donors, according to The New York Times. Thats a sentiment reportedly shared by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has been working the phones to organize opposition to Bidens candidacy, fearing he wont just lose the White House but cost Democrats the House and Senate.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The Biden campaign, in turn, has leaned on brute force, its allies in the Democratic National Committee planning to plow ahead with formalizing the presidents nomination as soon as this month, weeks before the convention. That comes as brutal swing-state polls suggest Biden is lagging behind other Democratic candidates by more than 10%  on track for a landslide loss in the Electoral College  and comments from the president suggesting he doesnt take them seriously (and reports that hes surrounded himself with people who may be incapable of delivering the uncomfortable truth).

Some Democrats have resigned themselves to loser talk, telling reporters that they have no choice but to stick with Biden and lose in November. Others are organizing, Axios reporting that members of Congress  including Reps. Susan Wild, D-Pa., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Pat Ryan, D-N.Y.  are circulating a letter pushing back on the DNCs effort to make Biden the partys nominee as soon as possible.

[S]tifling debate and shutting down any possible change in the Democratic ticket through an unnecessary and unprecedented virtual roll call in the days ahead is a terrible idea, the letter states. It could deeply undermine the morale and unity of Democrats  from delegates, volunteers, grassroots organizers and donors to ordinary voters  at the worst possible time (after news of the letter broke, the DNC announced it was backing off).

The debate over Bidens viability cannot go on forever. But the strongest argument against the presidents candidacy can be found not in any poll or letter from nervous lawmakers, but in the fact that his candidacy asks Democrats to campaign on a lie that is exposed by just about every public appearance: that he can keep doing this until January 2029.
Louisiana's lone Democrat in Congress, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans, qualified for reelection Wednesday.

Carter, who represents the 2nd Congressional District, qualified by proxy at the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge, but provided the following statement to USA Today Network.

"I am deeply honored and humbled by the overwhelming support and well-wishes I have received from the incredible people of the 2nd Congressional District," he said. "Our collective successes over the past term have been a testament to the strength and resilience of our community.

"As I officially qualify today to continue serving you, I am more committed than ever to advancing the issues that matter most to our district. Together, we will build on our achievements and strive for even greater progress. Thank you for your trust and support."

Though Carter is a heavy favorite, he was joined in the race Wednesday by Republican Shondrell Perrilloux of St. Rose and Republican Devin Lance Graham of Gonzales.

Carter was among those who crafted the final language in the House on the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Act.

He has also been among the Democrats offering the most steadfast support of President Joe Biden's reelection.

"I'm happy to hear that the president and Vice President Kamala Harris are committed to stay in the race and continue the incredible work they've done over the last three and a half years of his administration," Carter said in an interview with USA Today Network last week.

Carter rattled off a series of what he said are major Biden administration firt-term wins. Among them: the bipartisan Infrastructure Aaw; gun safety legislation; reduction in insulin prices; and relief for student loan borrowers.

Qualifying for the Nov. 5 election continues through Friday.

More: Louisiana's only Democrat in Congress stands behind Biden 100 percent: Here's why

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana's lone Democrat in Congress qualifies for reelection
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) stands against the other aerospace and defense stocks.

The world has been rocked with conflict over the last few years. The war between Russia and Ukraine has gone beyond 860 days, with no immediate end in sight. Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to engage in a regular exchange of fire after the latter lost control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azeris in 2020. The Middle East is up in flames, with defense experts describing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as the worst crisis in the region since the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

While the human impacts of war are undeniably tragic, it is also a time when defense companies make money and lure investors into loading up on their stocks. According to a report on CNN earlier this year, defense companies in the United States and Europe have thrived since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetalls share price had surged by a staggering 315% in two years following the start of the conflict, while BAE Systems posted a 105% gain. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in their share prices by 18% and 10%, respectively.

When the war broke out, industry analysts expected the aerospace sector to be affected by western sanctions placed on Russia. According to KPMG, the country is the source of 30% of the titanium used by Boeing and other large engine producers that power fighter jets and commercial aviation. Titanium is a key material that goes into the development of jet fan blades and landing gears. However, the supply of titanium from Russia to these companies has largely remained unaffected despite sanctions.

While sharing his insights on commercial aviation at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago on June 26, Tony Bancroft from Gabelli Funds said that he had noticed a significant growth in aircraft orders lately, with both Airbus and Boeing having a 12-year backlog of orders. He believes there are three reasons driving it. The first catalyst, according to him, is China which accounts for 20% of the growth in orders to cater to the growing middle class in both China and India who want to travel more. Another critical factor he cited during his talk was that business travel has finally returned to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Lastly, Tony highlighted the the rising middle class in the United States, and the world, which is increasing air travel and contributing to the economic growth in the industry.

Story continues

Furthermore, Bancroft identified Textron as his hot stock pick in the aerospace and defense industry. He believes the stock is undervalued at its current share price of $85, and anticipates its value to hover around the $125 range in the future. Last year in March, the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.3 billion contract to the company to develop helicopters to replace the aging Blackhawk fleet.

Another top stock that hedge funds are talking about is Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty alloys that holds a market share of roughly 40% in the aerospace industry. It was among the top picks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York back in April. Mohammed Anjarwala, the managing director of Advent Global Opportunities, shared the following remarks about the company during the conference:

We think Carpenter is one of the best ways to play the growing backlog of planes at Boeing and Airbus, as they ramp up their billing rates.

At the time of the conference, the stock was trading at around $70 per share. Anjarwala forecasted that the value could go up to around $200 per share or 20 times forward P/E. It is currently valued at $107 per share.

Methodology

Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds was assessed, as of the first quarter of 2024. We have chosen the 10 best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now based on the hedge fund sentiment towards each stock. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

5 Countries with the Most Special-Mission Aircraft in the World

A military aircraft in flight, showing the strength of the company's combat & air mobility capability.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) is the largest defense contractor in the world, with over $67 billion in revenue in 2023, of which defense-related sales contributed 96%. The company was formed in 1995 after the merger between Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta and is famed for manufacturing several notable aircraft over the past decades, including the F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet. The corporation has worldwide interests and is the biggest recipient of DoD contracts in the United States.

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)'s share price has soared 29%. The stock is set for further gain with no end to the conflict in sight coupled with the aggravating situation in the Middle East. Earlier this year in April, the US government announced $61 billion in fresh aid for Ukraine and $26 billion for Israel. Most of the funds are likely to go into the procurement of pricey military equipment from companies such as Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). During the first quarter of 2024, the defense contractor posted an EPS of $6.39 per share, beating analyst estimates of $5.8, driven by strong demand for its weapons, especially HIMARS, GMLRS, and the F-35.

Analyst ratings for the stock fluctuate between Hold and Strong Buy, with an average share price target of $502, which is 9% higher than its current level of $460 per share. On the other hand, 47 hedge funds are bullish on the stock, according to Insider Monkey, making it one of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now. Maria Ricciardone, Vice President, Treasurer, and Investor Relations shared confidence about Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) being on track to meet full-year targets in the companys Q1 2024 Earnings Call:

Highlights include robust funding for munitions multi-year procurement, continued investment in hypersonics and classified activities, and ongoing support for programs such as Black Hawk, CH-53K heavy lift helicopter, the fleet ballistic missile, C-130, and F-35. There were also additions to the original budget submission, including F-35 aircraft, C-130, and combat rescue helicopters. The initial budget request for FY2025, while still very early in the process, continues support of many of these same major programs, including the F-35, CH-53K, UH-60M, and others. In addition to emphasis on advanced munitions programs such as JASSM, LRASM, PrSM, Javelin, Daimler, and PAC-3, as well as hypersonic conventional prompt strike and the long-range hypersonic weapon.

Overall LMT ranks 6th on our list of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now to see the other aerospace and defense stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of LMT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LMT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Lt. Gov. Robinson responds to ads featuring his comments about abortion and women keeping their skirt down

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee in the North Carolina governors race, is pushing back on recent ads that feature him making statements about abortion including women not being responsible enough to keep your skirt down.

A video CBS 17 obtained from a fundraiser last week shows Robinson addressing the comment when asked about it and other controversies. The video can be viewed below:

That was about a 30-minute, 20-minute talk where we talked about the irresponsibility of young men being paramount in that situation, Robinson said. Thats why they only play that much of the entire thing. They try to make it look as bad as possible because I truly am opposed to abortion as birth control. That is what we were referring to.

Robinson also spoke about the law Republicans in the state legislature enacted last year, restricting abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. It includes exceptions for rape, incest, protecting the mothers life and life-limiting fetal anomalies.

As previously reported, Robinson has said the next goal for the state should be implementing restrictions at six weeks and then just keep moving from there. But at last weeks event, he said he fully supports the current 12-week law.

We understand some people are going to get caught in situations where theyre going to have to make difficult decisions, he said. Thats the reason why we fully support the bill that was passed in the legislature. I have my opinions about abortion. I have my religious opinion and my personal opinion about it. But guess what does not rule the state of North Carolina? My opinion or yours.

Not responsible enough to keep your skirt down, Robinson says about abortion in Stein ad

The lieutenant governor continued, Its the will of the people. Even as a Christian, I have to be mature enough to accept that everybody is not going to believe like I do.

Robinson also said as governor, he would partner with crisis pregnancy centers. He added believes the issue is not a legislative fight.

This is a spiritual battle, he said. If the churches would do their part, then maybe we could get something done about it.

Robinsons comments have been featured in ads from the campaign of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee in the gubernatorial election.

Robinson: Next goal is to restrict abortion at six weeks in NC

Democrats pointed to past comments in which Robinson called abortion murder.

Weve heard from Mark Robinson that he would happily support a total abortion ban if he was to become the next governor, state Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said Wednesday.

In response to the video, Stein campaign spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder said, In what context does Mark Robinson think blaming abortion on women not being responsible enough to keep their skirt down appropriate?

The lieutenant governor also responded at the event to a question about his past statements regarding Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. In 2018, Robinson wrote on Facebook, This foolishness about Hitler disarming millions of Jews and marching them off to concentration camps is a bunch of hogwash. He has also faced criticism for other social media posts in which he used Jewish stereotypes and wrote about different conspiracy theories.

NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks at night one of RNC

The video shows Robinson saying he was not attempting to say that the Holocaust itself was hogwash.

I said that the narrative that Adolf Hitler created gun control and then killed six million people is hogwash, he said. They can read, but they cant comprehend.

Robinson pointed to the declaration he made in support of Israel soon after the attack by Hamas and the trip he took there with two Republican state senators.

The people who are saying this, I want you to ask yourself a question, Robinson said. Why is it I had to wait until [Governor] Roy Cooper left the country to show the state of North Carolina stands with the people of Israel?

NC governors race among most expensive, watched in the country

Robinson also spoke about the recent protests on college campuses, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jewish students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came to my office and begged me for relief because they were being assaulted, harassed, and threatened and Josh Stein wouldnt even answer their phone call, he said.

CBS 17 contacted Robinsons campaign for more information about this statement.

Nazneen Ahmed, a spokesperson for Stein said, Were not aware of any such group reaching out to our office. We work to respond to all constituent concerns and are always happy to meet with North Carolinians to discuss safety concerns, policy ideas, and other issues. If you hear directly from the student group, please do be sure to send them our way.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
Lululemon thieves busted after string of burglaries in Lake Forest

Lululemon thieves busted after string of burglaries in Lake Forest

LAKE FOREST, Ill.  Three women are charged in connection with various thefts at a north suburban Lululemon that resulted in the rip-off of thousands of dollars in merchandise.

Most recently, just before 4 p.m. on July 12, Lake Forest police said officers learned of a retail theft in progress at the Lululemon located at 680 N. Western Ave.

According to police, three women were involved and made off in a black vehicle with a temporary registration plate.

Officials suspect cyanide poisoning after 6 Vietnamese and American guests found dead at Bangkok hotel

Police eventually stopped the suspect vehicle, arresting four women and seizing about $3,000 in stolen merchandise.

Ashaya Garrett of Chicago and Kayla Chambers of Dolton now face a retail theft charge, a Class 3 felony. Police released the two remaining suspects without charges.

Ashaya L. Garrett

Kayla N. Chambers

Cassandra C. King

More than a month earlier, on June 7, police say two women walked into a Lululemon, swiped several items, and left without paying. Officers tracked down the suspect vehicle, a gray Alfa Romeo SUV, resulting in the arrest of a Chicago woman and seizure of $2,8000 in merchandise.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Cassandra King also faces a Class 3 felony charge of retail theft.

Lake Forest police said the department continues their efforts to identify other individuals involved.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR)  Lynchburg Gynecology has announced that it will be permanently closing on Friday, September 30.

There has currently been no official reason behind the closing. Lynchburg Gynecology said it will be sending out an official letter to all its patients.

Carilion Clinic CEO Nancy Howell Agee stepping down after 51 years

In 2023, the practice was the subject of controversy after several women accused one of its doctors of sexual misconduct. The doctor resigned; however, after an investigation, the Commonwealths Attorney in Lynchburg found there was not sufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges.

A representative with the office said they could not comment further.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
A gravesite in Macons Rose Hill Cemetery containing the remains of a family killed in a grisly murder more than a century ago was vandalized earlier this month, and investigators are looking for the suspects.

Headstones at the site  which has the remains of the nine members of the Woolfolk family murdered in 1887  were found ripped out of the ground and scattered. The bricks covering the top of the graves were also torn out.

Joey Fernandez, a preservationist who works with the cemetery and the president and founder of Rose Hill Preservation & Restoration, Inc., said the site resembled those at other cemeteries hes seen that have been run over by drunk drivers, despite the graves being far from any road. The farthest brick was found 30 or 40 feet from the site down an embankment, Hernandez said.

They just uprooted every single thing that they could possibly pull apart, Hernandez said. That site has been moved and tossed around and turned upside down.

The Bibb County Sheriffs Office is investigating the vandalism. Rose Hill Cemetery released security footage of a group of men spotted in the cemetery in the early morning hours of July 7, when the destruction is believed to have happened.

What to know about the Woolfolk murders

The Woolfolk murders are among the most well-known crime incidents in Georgia.

On the morning of Aug. 6, 1887, 27-year-old Tom Woolfolk sought help from neighbors after his father, his stepmother, his stepmothers aunt and his six half-siblings were murdered inside their farmhouse in Bibb County. He told the neighbors that he had escaped being killed by jumping out of a window.

Within hours, several thousand people rushed to the scene of the crime and the coroner conducted an inquest on the spot.

Witnesses and law enforcement were immediately suspicious of Tom Woolfolk. There were flecks of blood on his ears, a bloody handprint on his leg, he seemed agitated and nervous, and his explanation about how he survived seemed far-fetched. Tom Woolfolk was also known to have disliked his stepmother, who his father married after his mothers death, as well as his half siblings, who he felt threatened his chance to inherit the family property. There were no signs of forced entry or theft.

The coroners jury concluded Tom Woolfolk was the murderer, but the sheriff had to take him to jail almost immediately to prevent the angry crowd from killing him.

A later investigation found that Tom Woolfolk had killed all nine victims with an axe during the early morning hours. He washed himself and his clothes after the murders to try to avoid suspicion.

The killings and subsequent trial process were covered widely in newspapers around the state, and its still known as Georgias first mass murder. Tom Woolfolk was executed by hanging about three years after the murders in front of a crowd of 10,000 people in Perry. While the victims are buried in the gravesite in Rose Hill Cemetery, Tom Woolfolk is buried at a separate site in Pulaski County.

What happened to the Woolfolk gravesite?

The graves are believed to have been vandalized sometime on July 7. Hernandez said a woman who often walks her dog through the cemetery discovered the site a few days later and alerted the cemetery.

The damage inflicted to the gravesite wouldve taken a great deal of time and energy, according to Hernandez. The top of each grave is covered with around four layers of 60 total bricks held in place by cement. The vandals destroyed the first layer of bricks on all nine graves. Hernandez said he believes the vandals may have been trying to get to the buried remains.

Headstones from the Woolfolk family sit overturned in the Rose Hill Cemetery on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Macon, Georgia. The Woolfolk family marker includes nine family members who were murdered in 1887. The area was vandalized this month.

After the vandalism was discovered, the cemetery filed an incident report with the Bibb County Sheriffs Office. Herandez also reviewed security footage and saw a group of four young men entering the cemetery around 3 a.m. on July 7. He said he recognized the men from a vandalism incident about two years ago.

The Bond monument, famous for its appearance on the back of the Allman Brothers first album, was damaged by vandals when the angel ornament and the stone balusters, totaling about 700 pounds, were removed and tossed onto the train tracks at the cemeterys edge.

The cemetery did not have security cameras at the time, but did find the mens Instagram profiles where they had allegedly posted photos of themselves on the Bond monument at night around the time it was vandalized. Hernandez said there were other photos of them vandalizing historic sites around Middle Georgia. The cemetery reported the accounts to the sheriffs office, but never heard anything more.

The Bibb County Sheriffs Office did not respond to requests for comment on whether or not the suspects had been charged for vandalizing the Bond monument.

The cemetery posted the footage to the Rose Hill Preservation & Restoration, Inc. Facebook page on Monday and offered a $1,000 reward for anyone who could provide the names of the men seen in the video. Hernandez said they received the names of the alleged perpetrators and have passed them along to the sheriffs office.

Can the Macon gravesite be repaired?

Hernandez said that while it will be costly, the gravesite can be restored and the preservation group, which partners with the city, plans to make the fixes.

The tombstones that were pulled from the ground were made of granite and added to the plot in 2006, meaning they did not crack despite the rough treatment. The biggest challenge will be repairing the bricks, Hernandez said.

The layers of bricks over the grave support the grave shaft, which is a deep, rectangular structure inside of the grave with remains buried at the bottom. By removing the bricks, the vandals damaged the grave shafts, making the graves more susceptible to sinking and other damage. Hernandez said that the shafts will have to be restored using 19th century methods due to their age and historic value.

He estimates that the total cost for repairs will be between $5,000 and $6,000. City officials have met with the cemetery about how they may be able to help with the process.

Our Parks and Beautification Department has met with the Rose Hill Preservation & Restoration, and we are looking at ways we can help move the repair process along, said Chris Floore, spokesperson for Macon-Bibb County. We encourage people to let the Sheriffs Office know of any details of the vandalism they know and to donate to our partner organization to help make the repairs.

Hernandez said that while people have frequently trespassed in the cemetery in the past, it now plans to crack down and punish people who enter after hours. The cemetery has already received donations from supporters to help offer rewards in the future for information about trespassers caught on security footage. He hopes that by stopping trespassing, the cemetery can prevent vandalism like what happened to the Woolfolk plot.

This has taken countless hours of my time, it has taken a lot of everybodys time, the family members and the public, Hernandez said. Its a lot of time spent by everyone just because of trespassers.

Editors note: This story has been updated after Macon-Bibb County clarified its role in the potential repair process.
Joe Biden has announced that he will stand down and not run for reelection.

In a statement he said: I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down. It now raises the question of who should take his place in the election battle against Donald Trump.



It follows senior Democrats including Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi privately urging him to quit his campaign for re-election and make way for a younger contender after a series of embarrassing gaffes and stumbling performances, most notably his recent debate performance.

Prior to the move, an exclusive poll conducted by The Telegraph showed 87 per cent of over 96,000 voters believed Mr Biden should stand aside.



Reader Andrew Ravenscroft sided with the majority. Biden has lost whatever mental capacity he had. I wouldnt trust him to feed the cat and yet he might be POTUS for another four years. Never mind standing again, he should step down now and put his country first, like Harold Wilson did here in the 70s, he says.

Elizabeth Watts shared a similar sentiment: I feel truly sad and sorry for Joe Biden, but he is letting his ego get in the way of his countrys best interests.

He believes that he alone can win in November. Democrats will overwhelmingly vote for whomever is their nominee. Kamala Harris is by no means ideal, and a poll showed her with higher numbers than Joe Biden. It would be elder abuse to let this man take on another four years.

As speculation abounds over replacements for Mr Biden, The Telegraph asked its readers in a poll which Democrat they think could beat Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Michelle Obama came out on top with 63 per cent of the vote; 18 per cent of over 72,000 voters opted for none of the above; and Gavin Newsom trailed with 5 per cent of the vote.

It comes as a Reuters and Ipsos survey showed the former first lady, 60, would beat Trump by 10 points, with no other possible candidate beating the former president.

While to many readers Mrs Obama stands as a strong potential replacement for Mr Biden, owing to her intelligence, values and age, she remains a polarising figure. Others voice concern over her lack of experience.

Energy, good sense and honesty

Reader Irene Tuckett explains why she would like to see Mrs Obama become president: I admire her for her intelligence and her values. I am sure she would not stand if she did not believe it was the right thing to do. She has plenty of other, worthwhile, projects in her life.

She adds: In spite of the naysayers, it is a fact that America is in dire need of a viable presidential candidate who is neither a failing old man nor a deluded egotist.

Describing the positive impact of having Mrs Obama as president, another anonymous reader says: She would bring some energy, good sense and honesty to the office.

In a similar vein, John Anderson believes the former first lady would be good for the White House as she would negate the Trump threat and unite a divided US. She has relative youth on her side and she might begin to heal wounds for a large segment of the American population, black or white.

However, Huw Jenkins criticises Mrs Obamas theoretical candidacy for not being based on her own merits but that her prominence is solely due to her husband.

He continues: Its as if we had a prospective prime minister based on being married to a former prime minister, wed find that extraordinary.

Reader Duncan Maggs highlights why this makes her unqualified to hold the office: An intelligent woman though she undoubtedly is, Michelle Obama does not to my knowledge have any experience of governing at even local or state level in the US, so does not seem a sensible option.

Others caveat how Mrs Obama has consistently rejected calls to enter the political fray, with her reluctance being well-documented.

Ann Fox, for example, says: But shes always insisted that she doesnt want to enter politics. I suppose its a way for her husband to continue to be proxy president!

No discernible talent

Shortly after stepping aside, the 81-year-old offered his full support and endorsement to his running mate, Ms Harris, as the new Democratic nominee.

Despite polls showing support for the former first lady surging beyond other potential candidates such as Ms Harris, by convention all party funds raised are conditional on being for the presidential campaign of either Mr Biden or his vice-president. If a different candidate is confirmed by the Democratic Party then the $100 million funds must be returned - unless the donors allow them to be transferred to the new nominee.

I Millet insists the nomination is passed to Ms Harris to prevent a headache for the Democrats: Unless they disenfranchise the millions of Democrat voters who nominated Biden they must back Kamala Harris. All the money raised would have to be returned to the donors and they would have to start from the beginning. The Democrats must follow their own rules or risk alienating many from their base.

Most readers are unconvinced by the vice-presidents abilities, including Ronald R, who weighs in: The most likely choice is Kamala Harris. Why? Because she is technically the number two and there would be general outrage among large sections of the Democratic Party if she was cast aside.

The problem is, Kamala Harris is hopeless, unpopular and has no discernible talent other than producing word salads of meaningless nonsense. What offsets all of that is that she is a black woman. Casting her aside for a white man would be seen as heresy in a party that thrives on woke nonsense.

Similarly, Kevin Brettle doubts Ms Harris has proven herself to be a stateswoman fit for the world stage. He voices: She cant control a conversation, let alone the most successful, powerful country in the world. Is she just going to laugh uncontrollably if she meets Vladimir Putin? Come on America.

She has also become the subject of ridicule due to her motivational catchphrase, what can be, unburdened by what has been.

Yet the catchphrase resonates with reader Ray Sargent for epitomising a message of defiance despite past adversity. He shares: The unburdened statement seems pretty straightforward to me. Surely it means dont let whats happened in the past affect what can be done. A flakey way of expressing it, true, but not incomprehensible.

And Ms Harris rising up to the challenge of beating Trump is one Ron Velten is sure she can face up to given enough time: VP Harris could handily beat Mr Trump, given several months to campaign.

Ms Harris could inevitably become president by default. The 25th Amendment provides a mechanism to remove the president from his duties should he be unable to carry them out properly.

As Jerry Markham summarises: If Biden is forced to step down via the 25th Amendment, Harris is the legal replacement.

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Members of Generation Z like Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang are changing the world through innovation and entrepreneurship. I want to make sure others do it from their home in Columbia.

I know some may think: Gen Z, you mean the kids who just want to be social media influencers? Yes, one survey in 2023 showed more than half of Gen Zs members believe they could make a career out of becoming an influencer  but we shouldnt be so quick to boil this generation down to one stereotype.

Case in point, a recent Fox Business article highlighted a survey from last year showing a majority of Gen Z members want to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Two class of 2024 graduates of the Darla Moore School of Business at my alma mater, the University of South Carolina, are bringing this statistic to life.

In their freshman year at USC in 2020, Jordan Fowler and Carter Burns founded a hedge fund, Shaw Circle Management, and achieved impressive returns of 3.5% while the S&P 500 experienced an 18% downturn. This year, they secured grant funding from the newly formed SC Quantum Association, an organization founded in 2022 to advance quantum computing technology and cultivate a talent base in the state, to develop an innovative retirement investment model.

Using a quantum supercomputer at the University of Maryland, they were able to reduce the time needed for in-depth financial analyses from hours to mere minutes. Following this project, the duo leveraged their expertise in the intersection of quantum computing and finance to earn a third-place finish at MITs prestigious iQuHack Hackathon in February.

Columbia has a constant influx of the brightest young minds in our region and country as a city with six institutions of higher education that serve a population of approximately 60,000 students. Whats more is Columbias strategic location within the Southeast positions it as an ideal hub for business expansion.

Nestled conveniently between major markets like Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston, our city offers unparalleled access to a wide array of economic opportunities. This proximity allows entrepreneurs to easily connect with key industry players, attend important conferences and expand their business networks beyond local boundaries.

Furthermore, Columbias robust transportation infrastructure, including major highways and a regional airport, also ensures seamless connectivity to these other bustling economic centers. This makes it easier for businesses to reach their clients, partners and investors, facilitating growth and fostering innovation.

Story continues

In Columbia, youre not just building a business; youre strategically positioned to make a significant impact on a regional, national and even global scale as companies from Capgemini to Haldex have shown.

As Fowler and Burns, the two local young leaders from Shaw Circle Management, can attest, Columbias entrepreneurs are encouraged to be innovative and pursue their visions, knowing they have access to resources and mentorship to help them succeed. These arent just hopeful economic development talking points; they are founded in fact  and the proof is in the pudding.

Just last spring, Scout Motors announced a $2 billion investment in Richland County that will bring 4,000 jobs to the region. This is the largest capital project win for the Midlands in decades, and we achieved this milestone thanks to all the reasons listed above.

I came to Columbia from Spartanburg as a USC freshman in 1988 and, like so many others, fell in love with this city. After graduating, I started my own restaurant and, later, a renewable energy company, and began investing in the community that welcomed me with open arms. Columbia is not just where I live and work  its where my dreams took root and flourished. I want the same for every young entrepreneur who sets foot in our city.

Columbia is more than just a launching pad for entrepreneurial dreams. Its a place where those dreams can thrive. We are Columbia, and together, we can shape the future from the heart of South Carolina.

Rickenmann is mayor of Columbia.
MILWAUKEE  Donald Trump's biggest skill  perhaps his only real skill  is mugging for a camera. His first instinct, upon being nicked by a would-be assassin's bullet, was not to run for safety and certainly not to worry about those in the audience who were seriously injured or killed. No, it was to maximize the photo opp, raising his fist in a reality TV-style imitation of "defiance," as blood streaked through his make-up. The pictures sent a shockwave of fear and dread through the coalition of democracy defenders. Trump is already the cult leader of an increasingly fascist movement. The concern is that the attempt on his life will propel him to new levels of messianic power over his slavish followers.

Trump is leaning into this with all the subtlety of a pro wrestler. In a video that leaked Tuesday, Trump is heard on speakerphone talking to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his injury, which he described as like being bitten by "the worlds largest mosquito." But when Trump showed up at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Monday night, he was sporting a comically oversized bandage on his ear. The crowd responded by chanting, "Fight, fight, fight!"

Here in Milwaukee, Republicans are riled up by the shooting. But they don't seem especially bothered about almost losing their leader. Democratic voters are the ones who are fretting, both from fear of backlash and an opposition to political violence that Republicans do not share. Republicans at the convention, on the other hand, aren't worried about violence at all. Trump nearly getting killed is making the crowd inside Fiserv Forum palpably giddy. Watching Eric Trump speak about the attack Monday night was startling, as he seemed more stoked to rev up the crowd than upset over the violence inflicted on his father.

Eric Trump sounds downright giddy talking about his dad getting shot. Hea leading a crowd who is equally gleeful. pic.twitter.com/zCJ0Q4zpcD  Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) July 17, 2024

The reaction from Republican politicians and pundits has been an unnerving competition of who can lavish Trump with the most praise for having the sheer luck that the bullet mostly missed him. (A man died during the attack, but following Trump's lead, most of the GOP leaders barely noticed until Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the final speakers on Tuesday, made a mention.) Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, won that silly contest by tweeting, "Courageous, United, and Defiant," earning the reward of being the next right-hand man Trump will soon pressure to commit felonies. This behavior is insincere, rooted not in any real affection for Trump, so much as in an understanding that hyperbolic flattery is the best way to pry favors from a narcissist. For everyday Republicans who will likely never meet Trump beyond shaking hands at a photo line, the focus was on how this shooting bolsters their hopes for a MAGA victory in November.

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The Salon team spoke with Michele Morrow, a home school advocate nominated by Republicans for North Carolina's state superintendent, on Monday at the convention. Her response captured the mood. "President Trump is going to win victoriously," she gushed. "He has actually put his life, his fortune and his sacred honor on the line for 'We the People.'" She predicted that, riding high on being shot, Trump would make America "that city on a hill for the rest of the world."

No doubt, the biggest prize is a chance to muddy the waters, when it comes to who is responsible for the rising tide of political violence in the U.S. today. As Alex Shephard wrote in the New Republic, the objective answer is not mysterious:

Nor is there any real reason to believe that the shooter was motivated by politics. Much has been made of the killer giving $15 to a faux-progressive scam when he was still 17 years old, but his family's MAGA yard signs and recent Republican voter registration suggest his political sympathies leaned rightward. As Paul Campos at Lawyers, Guns and Money wrote, "It seems quite likely now that Thomas Crooks had no strong ideological motivation." His profile suggests a misfit looking for glory, in the mode of John Hinckley or Lee Harvey Oswald, not someone with coherent political goals.

People on the ground at the RNC are eager to use this shooting to deflect the entirely correct accusation that Republicans, by nominating the man who incited the January 6 insurrection, are the ones endorsing political violence. Instead, they used the shooting to level false accusations at President Joe Biden's administration. One delegate from North Carolina claimed, "We don't really have a lot of trust in the agencies that are going to be doing an investigation." She hoped for a private investigation because "there's a lot of questions" about "the FBI and who they really work for."

When I pointed out that Biden had given an Oval Office address calling on people to resolve political differences "at the ballot box" and "not with bullets," she responded by saying, "I just don't feel like he means them. I feel like it's just all talk."

Tara Jenner, a candidate for state committeewoman in Florida, also took a conspiratorial tone. "It's not who shoots the bullet, who pays for it's the one that counts," she told Salon. "That's the key you need to look at to see where that's coming from."

When I jokingly asked if she was worried that someone at the convention would not vote for Trump, she replied, "Not if they want to live." Her companion swiftly jumped in to say, "That's not a threat," and she replied, "Well, they might get bruised..." Jenner later said her comment "was hyperbole and kind of tongue in cheek."

"We don't want to exacerbate things."

One delegate from North Dakota complained about "a media narrative that people on the right are evil, people on the right are misogynistic, evil, homophobes, whatever. And it's absurd, of course, because this is the party of Lincoln."

"What else would you expect to happen when you have an administration who is calling people on the other side 'MAGA extremists' that want to harm you, that are wanting to end democracy?" he added.

Even though Salon never asked folks about gun control, many Republicans brought it up, worried that this incident might besmirch their support for even more gun deregulation. One delegate from Florida summed up the view as, "We don't have a gun problem in this country. You have a mental health problem." Tellingly, people tended to get more animated when defending the honor of guns than they did when expressing pro forma statements wishing Trump well. One gets the impression that, even if he'd been hurt more badly, they'd still be more worried about guns than about their leader's health.

Trump doesn't mean much on a human level to his supporters. He's a vehicle for what truly animates MAGA: their sense of grievance. As Paul Waldman wrote after the shooting in The Cross Section, Trump rallies have "a sustained bass note of menace and potential violence waiting to be unleashed." That feeling of barely suppressed rage comes to the surface often when speaking to Trump supporters, especially when they're talking about their sense of victimization at the hands of the liberals they imagine are sneering at their politically incorrect ways. As Waldman notes, the real heat flows when Trump waxes poetic about January 6 "hostages" or turns the crowd's ire towards the press, whom he calls "the worst people in the world." They don't love him so much as they hate other Americans who aren't like them.

That's why their response to Trump playing up his minor injury with a diaper-sized bandage was not to commiserate with his pain. Instead, the crowd chanted, "Fight, fight, fight!"
Major water well fixed in Utah-Arizona border town, but some restrictions remain

HILDALE, Utah (ABC4)  The outdoor watering ban was lifted in the Hildale, Colorado City area on Wednesday nearly a week after its largest drinking water well stopped working.

According to Hildale City, the Academy Well pump and motor failed on July 11 placing the Utah-Arizona border towns under strict restrictions in order to conserve drinking water.

PREVIOUS STORY: Outdoor water use banned in Hildale, Colorado City after major water well damaged

The pump and motor were replaced and a water sample was tested before the outdoor water restriction was lifted. The city says the water system is currently being flushed and sanitized and the water storage is recovering.

While the outdoor watering ban has been lifted, there are still Stage 3 water restrictions in place. These include no outside watering between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., no using water to clean off streets and driveways, and no use of water for fountains or other ornamental purposes.

In addition to outdoor watering, the Stage 3 restrictions also require that restaurants only serve water upon request of the customer.

We appreciate the overwhelming supportive response and compliance from residents who looked after each other during this problem, city officials said.

Hildale is located in southern Utah just minutes from the Utah-Arizona border. Colorado City is directly across the border located on the Arizona side of state lines.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

The European Parliament voted in a resolution on Wednesday to condemn Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.

With 495 votes in favour, 137 against and 47 abstentions, EU lawmakers said Orban's actions were "a blatant violation of the EUs treaties and common foreign policy," according to a press release.

Orban travelled to Moscow just days after Hungary assumed the EU's rotating presidency at the start of July, on what he said was a "peace mission."

Angry EU leaders however strongly condemned the trip and stressed that Orban did not have an EU mandate for any negotiations.

The Hungarian prime minister also undertook visits to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in a flurry of diplomacy that caused significant irritation in Brussels.

EU lawmakers assembled in the French city of Strasbourg called in the resolution for Hungary to face repercussions over Orban's controversial trips abroad.

The resolution also condemned Russia's missile attack on the Ohmatdyt childrens hospital in Kyiv and reaffirmed their support of the European Union's efforts to help Ukraine.
Man accused of beating up mechanic in OFallon over faulty job

Man accused of beating up mechanic in OFallon over faulty job

OFALLON, Mo.  A man faces criminal charges after he allegedly beat up a mechanic at a home in OFallon over a faulty car job.

The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has charged Damien White, 47, with second-degree assault and fourth-degree assault amid the investigation.

A public grand jury indictment was filed on July 11, though Whites charges date back to February 2024.

Second bridge collapse in 2 weeks strands residents again

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, White went to a home on Heather Drive and complained about automobile repair work that the mechanic completed for his wife. The mechanic refused to offer a refund for the work, which reportedly led to White attacking him.

White told authorities that he attempted to regain money for unsatisfactory auto repair and admitted to striking, but not kicking the mechanic, per court documents.

Court documents indicate the mechanic suffered a broken jaw, a possible broken nose and a concussion.

White has an arraignment hearing in this case scheduled for Aug. 8, according to Missouri court records.

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Man accused of killing woman in 2016 appears in court after fleeing to Mexico

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Nearly eight years have passed since the body of Lilia Cosco-Ortiz was discovered in a blueberry field in rural Dayton, Oregon. Now the man suspected in her death will face charges after fleeing to Mexico.

Victor Melcher-Villalba, 45, is expected to make his first court appearance in Yamhill County on Wednesday after he was successfully extradited from Durango, Mexico to face charges related to the womans murder.

People living, dumping on Oregons public lands overwhelming Bureau of Land Management

An autopsy previously revealed 37-year-old Cosco-Ortiz had died of homicidal violence. A passerby discovered her body in the field on Oct. 2, 2016.

Melcher-Villalbas car, a white 2003 Toyota Tacoma, was later found abandoned in Beaverton.

A search led investigators to Oregon, Washington State, and California before Melcher-Villalba was indicted on one count of murder in 2017. However, investigators soon discovered he had fled to Mexico.

Five years later, on July 11, 2022, Melcher-Villalba was taken into custody in Durango, Mexico for unrelated charges. After learning of his arrest, Yamhill investigators filed for his extradition.

Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez beefs up security after threat

Detectives previously told KOIN 6 that the two were in a relationship, and his actions were likely based on his suspicion that she was cheating on him.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

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Man accused of pressing gun to teens neck in Indiana County robbery

A man from central Pennsylvania is charged in an Indiana County robbery.

Pennsylvania State Police say the robbery happened after 5 p.m. on Tuesday in White Township.

The victim, an 18-year-old man, told troopers that as he was walking away from a group of friends, a man put him in a chokehold, pressed a pistol to his abdomen and demanded his wallet and Rolex watch. The victim dropped his wallet and handed over his watch when the man pressed the gun to his neck. The man then left.

Troopers started searching for the suspect, identified as Nicholas Joseph Holbert, 22, of Osceola Mills, on Tuesday  thinking he still may be armed. They conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at the Regency Mall parking lot, but didnt locate Holbert.

The victim told police that Holbert returned the stolen property sometime overnight.

Holbert was taken into custody on Wednesday and is facing charges of robbery, possessing instruments of crime and theft by unlawful taking.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Buffalo man was arraigned Tuesday for an alleged execution-style killing of another man at a Jamestown apartment complex in January, the Chautauqua County District Attorneys Office said Wednesday.

Darius Kadenhead, 33, is accused of killing 28-year-old Marlon Clay by shooting him in the back of the head on Jan. 22 at the Parkview Apartments, located on W 4th Street in Jamestown. His body was found two days later.

Kadenhead was arrested in Buffalo on Jan. 25. Prosecutors said Wednesday that at the time of the alleged killing, Kadenhead had been on parole for four months after he was released from state prison for a prior manslaughter conviction.

For the January incident, he is charged with second-degree murder. In addition, a new weapons charge is also being prosecuted by the Erie County District Attorneys Office as he was alleged in possession of a loaded gun when he was taken into custody.

Taking Mr. Kadenhead off the street on those charges satisfied our public safety concerns, which are always our number one priority when investigating violent crimes, Chautauqua County DA Jason Schmidt said in a news release. And gave us the time needed to continue our efforts to develop evidence which we eventually presented to a Grand Jury.

He will return to court on Aug. 5.

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Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting a man and assaulting another in South Lake Tahoe, according to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Authorities were alerted to a shooting around 5:50 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Eloise Avenue and Tahoe Keys Boulevard, Police Department spokesman Lt. Scott Crivelli said in a news release.

One victim, a 32-year-old man, appeared to have sustained blunt force trauma to the head and was transported to Barton Memorial Hospital. He has since been released, Crivelli said. The second victim, a 41-year-old man, was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was flown to Renown Hospital in Reno, where he remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities said there is currently no risk to the public and everyone involved in the shooting has been identified.

The suspect was arrested on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and is being held at the El Dorado County Jail without bail, police said.
Canada-based Montage Gold has initiated an equity raise of up to C$170m, which includes an investment from Chinas Zijin Mining Group.

Lundin Family Trusts will also invest C$43m, increasing its shareholding in Montage Gold.

The funds raised will be earmarked for the development of Montage Gold's Kone gold project in Cote d'Ivoire, which received a mining permit from the Council of Ministers of Cote dIvoire last week.

Montage Gold will also channel the capital towards exploration activities and general corporate requirements.

This offering, priced at C$1.75 per share, will see Zijin Mining Group acquire 32,714,829 common shares in Montage Gold, resulting in a 9.9% ownership post-transaction.

Lundin Family Trusts will purchase 24,588,865 shares, boosting its stake in the Canadian gold producer from 17.7% to 19.9%.

Company insiders also plan to participate in the offering.

Stifel and SCP Resource Finance are co-leading the syndicate of agents, including Cormark Securities, Raymond James, and Beacon Securities, to facilitate the placement.

The agents will receive a 5% commission on the gross proceeds, excluding certain specified investments.

This offering's closure is anticipated in the week of 12 August 2024, subject to regulatory approvals, including the TSX Venture Exchange's acceptance.

Montage CEO Martino De Ciccio said: "We are pleased to welcome Zijin as a major shareholder, following their in-depth due diligence and site visit, along with an increased investment in Montage by the Lundin Family. These investments strengthen our ability to deliver on our strategy to become a premier multi-asset African gold producer and validate the potential of our Kone gold project in Cote d'Ivoire.

With a strengthened balance sheet, we will be well positioned to rapidly continue unlocking value for our stakeholders by progressing the Kone project towards an anticipated construction launch by Q1 2025 while continuing to progress our exploration strategy of delineating higher-grade targets that can be slotted into the mine plan from the commencement of the operation."

The latest news comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese critical mineral investments in Canada.

In May this year, Canadas Solaris Resources abandoned its plan to sell a minority stake to Zijin Mining Group after failing to get Canadian regulatory approval following four months of review.

"Montage Gold secures investment from Zijin Mining" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







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A 41-year-old man was arrested in Yelm Sunday evening on suspicion of multiple crimes, including first-degree attempted murder, after a man was shot in the head, police say.

About 7:20 p.m., police were dispatched to the 15200 block of Chad Drive Southeast. During the 911 call, dispatchers could hear someone yelling about a gun, Police Sgt. Kevin Taylor said.

Police arrived to find the suspect outside the home, where they detained him as he tried to re-enter it, Taylor said. Inside they found an adult man who had suffered a gunshot wound to his head, Taylor said.

The victim was first taken to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and then on to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Taylor said.

Taylor said the bullet passed through the victims cheek and the back of his head, and yet, incredibly, the last he had heard was that the victim was alert, walking and talking.

In addition to being booked on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder, the suspect also was booked on two counts of second-degree assault/domestic violence and obstructing a law enforcement officer.

Taylor said the two men knew each other, but he was unsure about the relationship.
A man suspected of killing a homeless woman outside of Loaves and Fishes charity services on Tuesday has been arrested, the Sacramento Police Department announced.

Kevin Birdsong, 54, of Sacramento was taken into custody Tuesday evening by homicide detectives, police spokesman Officer Anthony Gamble said Wednesday.

He was being held without bail and faces one felony murder charge. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in Sacramento Superior Court.

Police were called out to Loaves and Fishes on the 1300 block of North C Street in the River District early Tuesday for reports of a fight. First responders found a woman unresponsive with a puncture wound, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The landmark charity, which feeds and offers services to the unhoused, closed Tuesday following the death. Officials declined to give details about the altercation or whether it was on the grounds of the facility.

What we can say is that this guest is known, & loved throughout our campus community, Loaves and Fishes officials said. She was a regular at Maryhouse, Friendship Park, & our Dining Room. It is here that she was seen & heard; we laughed & cried with her more times than we can count.
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Eric Watson, 41, has been charged with murder in connection to a homicide in south Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

On Wednesday, July 17, Watson was arrested in South Carolina by SLED, the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office and CMPDs Violent Criminal Apprehension Team.

PREVIOUS: Man killed from gunshot wound in S Charlotte: CMPD

Police say he was charged with murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon for the July 8 shooting that killed 36-year-old Derrick Byas.

This was the first incident in a violent 24 hours in Charlotte that saw multiple people killed in four separate homicide investigations. Watson is the third person arrested from the string of violent crimes on July 8 and July 9.

CMPD says this is still an active investigation. Anyone with information should contact Detective Buhr at 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

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Man arrested after threatening family with gun in road rage incident on Cape Cod, police say

A man is facing a slew of criminal charges after police say he threatened a family with a gun during a suspected road rage incident on Cape Cod on Tuesday afternoon.

Tracy Douse, 42, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, is slated to be arraigned Wednesday in Orleans District Court on charges including assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a large capacity firearm, possession of a large capacity feeding device, illegal possession of ammunition, and disorderly conduct, according to the Chatham Police Department.

Officers responding to a reported road rage incident on Route 28 in West Chatham around 4 p.m. spoke with a man who said he and his family had just been threatened by a gun-wielding motorist, police said.

Police ultimately tracked down the motorist in question, who officers identified as Douse, and reportedly found him in possession of a loaded Glock 19 handgun.

There were no additional details immediately available.

An investigation is ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA)  Asheville police has arrested a man for what they said was his role in an assault at West Asheville Library last month.

Detectives have charged Michael Solomon Brocenos, 34 with ethnic intimidation.

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Police said Brocernos was involved in a fight which broke out during a seminar at the library on June 29.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident at the library and are still working to identify people involved.

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OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  A Honduran man in the United States illegally is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office.

97 registered Republicans in Okaloosa County got the wrong ballot  whats next

An OCSO Facebook post said 20-year-old Kevin Mauricio Escobar Munoz was arrested on July 17 and booked into the Okaloosa County Jail.

OCSO officials said the victim told investigators that she woke up to a man she did not know covering her mouth with his hand and sexually assaulting her in her Fort Walton Beach home around 7 a.m. on April 21.

An exam of the girl found she was sexually assaulted, and on July 11, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was able to match the DNA from the sexual assault kit to Escobar Munoz, according to the OCSO.

Escobar Munoz was also charged with burglary with battery for forcing entry into the victims home. OCSO officials said he lived within 1 mile of the victims home.

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Officials also said Escobar Munoz was deported in September of 2022.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
(FREMONT COUNTY, Colo.)  A man died on a tubing trip on the Arkansas River in Fremont County on Saturday, July 13, after falling from his tube and being discovered unresponsive by bystanders.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) rangers were notified around 11 a.m. on Saturday that a man was receiving CPR along the riverbank a few miles downstream of Portland, east of Florence. First responders from multiple agencies including Florence EMS, the Fremont County Sheriffs Office, the Fremont County Coroner and CPW responded to the scene.

Blue ring shows where incident occurred. Courtesy: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Rangers learned that a group of seven people on innertubes got into the river near the town of Portland and planned on floating to their campsite on private land a few miles downstream. While tubing, CPW said the group got separated and one person, a man in his thirties, was reported to have fallen from his tube and into the water.

CPW said a bystander who was fishing nearby saw the man unresponsive in the river and was able to bring him ashore and begin CPR, with the help of other bystanders.

Unfortunately, resuscitation efforts failed, and the man was pronounced dead on scene by Fremont County medical staff. CPW said no personal flotation device was found near the man at the time of the incident.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, said Tom Waters, AHRA park manager.

The mans body was turned over to the Fremont County Coroner to determine the official cause of death, and for identification.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A man is dead after a fight outside of a central Las Vegas convenience store ended violently following a shooting and a stabbing, according to police.

It happened on Tuesday at 5:31 p.m. at a 7-Eleven in the 900 block of North Rancho Drive near Washington Avenue.

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Las Vegas Metropolitan police said they received reports of a stabbing at the convenience store. When officers arrived police found a man in his 30s inside the store who had been stabbed he was then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Las Vegas Metro police investigate a deadly stabbing in the 900 block of North Rancho Drive on July 16, 2024 (KLAS)

Shortly after the incident police received another report that a man, identified as 33-year-old Billy Bell Jr., was shot at the same convenience store. When police arrived and met with Bell Jr. they noticed he matched the description of the suspect who was accused of stabbing the first man. Bell Jr. was taken into custody and cooperated with detectives, police said.

Due to the initial investigation, Bell Jr. was believed to be panhandling or loitering in front of the convenience store. The other man then drove up to the store with a passenger. While the driver went into the store the passenger and Bell Jr. got into a verbal fight, according to police.

During the fight, police said Bell Jr. then charged at the passenger of the car. The passenger pulled out a gun and shot at Bell Jr. however, he was not hit, police stated. When the driver walked out of the store all three men were then involved in another verbal fight, police said.

According to police, the driver and the passenger drove off but then pulled over on the street behind the store. The driver and passenger then came back to the store parking lot and re-approached Bell Jr. and a physical fight began. The driver was then stabbed and ran into the store, according to police.

Billy Bell Jr.., 33, faces a charge of open murder (LVMPD/KLAS)

As of Tuesday night, detectives continued to look through surveillance videos from inside the store and also the nearby area.

Bell was taken to the Clark County Detention Center where he was booked for open murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 22.

Those with information about the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Danute Terrell Dixon, 28, faces 14 criminal charges after shooting into a home in Merriam, Kan. on Monday.

Police investigating overnight shooting in Merriam, Kansas

According to the Johnson County District Attorneys Office, Dixon has been charged with one count of Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, seven counts of Aggravated Assault, four counts of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, one count of Criminal Damage, and one count of Violation of a Protection Order.

These charges are in connection to a shooting that occurred on Monday, July 15.

According to the Merriam Police Department, the shooting took place at a home at the 9200 block of W. 49th Street  between England Avenue and Grandview Boulevard.

When officers arrived, they determined there had been an argument between a couple at the home earlier that day, and that one of the people involved had left the home but later returned.

Police said the fight continued and the person was eventually asked to leave. However, as they started to leave, prosecutors allege Dixon fired multiple rounds into the home.

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Dixon appeared Tuesday in a District Court, and his next appearance is scheduled for July 26 at 11 a.m.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Aerial_Views / Getty Images

Zillows Rental Market Report for June 2024 reveals that rent is growing at the fastest rate in nearly a year. Reportedly, landlords and property managers are less incentivized to offer concessions now that rent levels are seeing month-over-month growth values similar to those pre-pandemic. Rent has increased a staggering 32.8% overall since the beginning of the pandemic. More specifically, single-family rent has risen 39.6%.

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Given the rise in rent, even from just the last year, there is the question of which metros are the most affordable. According to Zillow, the most affordable metros for rent are Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Austin and Raleigh. Minneapolis, the most affordable, sees 20.4% of median income spent on rent. That value is only marginally higher for Raleigh, at 21.3%. Conversely, renters spend roughly 43.4%, 42.1% and 37.4% in the most expensive metros, Miami, New York and Los Angeles, respectively.

Taking the affordability a step further, we can consider what the housing market is like in the corresponding metro areas to determine whether an individual could reasonably transition from renter to homebuyer. This would entail the consumer spending near the average monthly rental value in the corresponding metro, were they to switch to purchasing a home.

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Minneapolis, Minnesota

According to Zillow, the median home sale price in Minneapolis is $324,933. Based on this value and a 20% down payment, the total monthly payment would be $1,955 based on Smart Assets mortgage calculator (which factors principal and interest, along with home insurance, taxes and other fees). The median rent in Minneapolis for a single bedroom apartment is $1,463, according to Zillows Rental Manager. As a result, to transition from renter to homeowner in Minneapolis will require an increase of 33.6% for housing each month.

Salt Lake City, Utah

The median home sale price in Salt Lake City is $562,000. Using the previous calculation, the total monthly payment would be $3,306. The median rent in Salt Lake city is $1,757. This would mean a renter transitioning to homeowner would spend 88.2% more on housing each month, under the same method of comparison.

St. Louis, Missouri

The median home sale price in Saint Louis is $203,333. This translates to a total monthly payment of $1,262. Meanwhile, the median rent is $1,249. This means a potential homebuyer would only need to spend about 1.04% more each month.

Story continues

Austin, Texas

Austins median home sale price is $548,333, meaning the total monthly payment would be $3,228. According to Zillow, the median rent in Austin is $1,689. Going from renter to homeowner would require 91.1% more for monthly housing.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleighs median home sale price is $429,667. The total monthly payment comes out to $2,730. The median rent is $1,535, which results in an increase of 77.9% per month.

Based on these five affordable metros, Saint Louis presents the strongest case for someone to transition from renter to homeowner  as the monthly payment is nearly identical. Minneapolis, with 33.6%, is less compelling, though it still fares much better than the remaining three, each of which entail well over 50% more in monthly payments.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These Are the Most Affordable Metros for Renters  But What About Their Housing Markets?
Man who fired on L.A. police with fully automatic rifle facing life in prison

The 31-year-old man who reportedly opened fire on two Los Angeles Police Department officers with a fully automatic AR-style rifle earlier this month is now facing life in prison, authorities announced Tuesday.

The violence erupted on July 3 around 9 p.m. when officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a white Chevrolet sedan at the corner of Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue in the South L.A. neighborhood of Willowbrook.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Malcolm Darnell Guss Jr., quickly accelerated before making a sudden stop on Broadway.

Before officers could exit the police vehicle, the suspect, armed with a fully automatic weapon, fired at officers without warning, LAPD said.

One of the officers, Joshua Rodney, returned fire but was grazed twice by incoming gunfire, resulting in wounds to his head. Rodney and the other officer, Stefan Carutasu, both sustained lacerations from glass fragments caused by bullets hitting the patrol vehicles windshield, authorities added.

Damage done to an LAPD patrol vehicle after a shootout on July 3, 2024. (LAPD)

Two LAPD officers were injured in a shootout on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, and the suspect remains at large. (OnScene.TV)

In the immediate aftermath of shootout, the 31-year-old fled the scene, and while officers attempted to follow the suspects vehicle for about 200 yards, they eventually lost sight of it near 135th Street and Broadway.

Investigators quickly combed the scene for clues  finding numerous rifle casings and other evidence  and eventually identified the suspect as Guss.

During the investigation, police located and seized the Chevrolet sedan [and] a firearm believed to have been involved in the crime, LAPD said.

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Guss was taken into custody just over a week later, on July 12.

The heinous attack on two law enforcement officers in what should have been a routine traffic stop is absolutely horrific, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon said in a news release. This unprovoked attack is a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers confront.

The 31-year-old faces charges that include:

One count of attempted murder of a peace officer

Two counts of assault with a machine gun upon a peace officer

One count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle

One count of possession of a machine gun

Two counts of possession of firearm by a felon

If convicted as charged, Guss faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, the DAs release noted.

Guss is currently being held on $2 million bail. He is due to appear in court again on July 29.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A man was found living in a GA apartment. Turns out, he escaped a prison work detail 30 years ago

An Oregon fugitive who walked away from a prison detail in 1994 was found living in plain sight in Georgia.

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On November 29, 1994, Steven Craig Johnson, 70, escaped from the Mill Creek Correctional Facility in Salem, OR. Johnson was serving a sentence for sexual abuse and sodomy.

The facility released a caution that said, Based on his record, Fugitive Johnson is a pedophile and presents a high probability of victimizing pre-teen boys. Fugitive Johnson should not be allowed contact with children.

At the request of the Oregon Department of Corrections, the US Marshals Service adopted the case in 2015.

This year, new investigative technology developed new leads in the case.

TRENDING STORIES:

During an investigation, officials discovered that Johnson had stolen the identity of a child who died in Texas in January 1962. He was able to get a copy of the childs birth certificate and obtain a social security number in Texas in 1995. Johnson got a Georgia drivers license in 1998.

In 2011, became a Macon resident, living under the name of William Cox.

On Tuesday, at 2 p.m., the US Marshals arrested Johnson at his apartment on Vineville Avenue.

Hes currently being held at the Bibb County Jail awaiting extradition to Oregon.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  The New Orleans Police Department is investigating after a man was shot and killed in the 7th Ward neighborhood early Wednesday, July 17.

Around 2:19 a.m., officers reported being called to a shooting in the 1400 block of North Claiborne Avenue.

Man surrenders to NOPD in Central City SWAT Roll

Upon arrival, NOPD offices said a man was found inside a home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Man found shot dead in St. Roch neighborhood overnight

Further details arent available at this time. The NOPD is in the process of gathering evidence and information to determine a possible suspect and motive.

The Orleans Parish Coroners Office will release the victims identity after an autopsy is done and the family is notified.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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A judge levied a 50-year-prison sentence Tuesday upon the Pensacola man who shot and killed a local activist over a social media feud.

Charles Tyree Moore III, 37, was sentenced to a half century in a Florida prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting Durrell Dupree Palmer on May 23, 2022, in a Circle K parking lot in Cantonment.

"Video of the encounter was captured by the store's surveillance cameras," a previous Office of the State Attorney release said. "The video showed Durrell Palmer stop at the gas pump to initiate contact with Charles Moore, and then, after more than five minutes of intense discussion, Charles Moore suddenly pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Durrell Palmer four times in the torso at close range."

If Moore serves his entire sentence, he will be released at 87 years old.

Defense Attorney Craig Brown strategizes with client Charles Tyree Moore III. Moore was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Durrell Palmer.

A 'heated' conversation turns deadly

The shooting occurred May 23, 2022, when Palmer drove into the Circle K gas station while Moore was filling his car with gas after taking his daughter to school.

Surveillance from Circle K presented by the attorneys show Palmer and Moore having a discussion at pump 20 just after 7 a.m. Witnesses described the conversation as heated.

After a roughly six-minute conversation, the video shows Moore reaching to his waist, pulling out a gun and firing four shots. Escambia County Sheriffs Office Investigator Lionel Martinez confirmed there were four defects in Palmers body.

Photos of the crime scene show that Palmer also had a loaded gun, but it was located in the center console of his truck.

After the shooting, Moore drove away from the scene and called 911, giving authorities his location and turning himself in.

Charles Moore previously claimed he shot in self defense

Moore appeared before Circuit Judge John Simon in March 2023 for a stand your ground hearing, where his attorney Craig Brown argued his client's case should be dismissed based on Florida's "Stand Your Ground Law."

However, Simon disagreed.

The defendant has no duty to retreat based on our stand your ground law; however, in this case it is relevant that (Moore) testified he was in fear of this man (and) had done things to change his routine, yet when the alleged victim pulls into the parking lot, (Moore) is the one that walks toward the car, Simon said just before announcing his decision. That tells the court that he was not in fear at that time and engaged in a conversation with the alleged victim in the case.

Prior to Palmers death, he made various threats against Moores life on social media posts in April 2022, according to attorneys. Moore testified that he believed Palmer thought he was having an affair with Palmers wife.

Look man, I dont have any problem with you or your wife, Moore recalled telling Palmer. I never met (his) wife, we never had sex. She gave me her phone number, but I never used her phone number.

Moore also said Palmer threatened to find him and his children and said he would blow his head off.

Durrell Palmer: Advocate, hard worker, father

After the news of Palmer's death spread, sentiments from local leaders came quickly pouring in on social media as many praised his various community projects he organized throughout the years. Some of the most notable including his Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, Easter egg hunts, job fairs and iconic Black Lives Matter mural stretched across A Street following George Floyd's death in 2020.

Palmer also received an award in 2021 from Pensacola Branch 5124 of the NAACP for "outstanding contributions and excellent service."

One of Palmer's high school teachers, Melondy Neal, said Palmer cared deeply for Pensacola while still wanting others to have a better experience than he had growing up.

Artist Durrell Palmer stands along North A Street between West Cervantes and West Gadsden Streets in Pensacola on Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

"I think that when you live it, you know what needs to be done," Neal told the News Journal after his death. "He knew, during the Thanksgiving holiday, what it felt like to not have the things that people take for granted, so, he gave out food.  He knew what it felt like not to have that kind of support, not to have good role models. He was able to become that which he knew his community needed."

After making the decision to get married young before leaving for the military, Neal said Palmer's priorities shifted. He set out to "become a man" for his wife, for his children and for the people in his neighborhood.

Neal said that to his wife and children, Palmer became everything she thought he would be when he was a teenager and just "figuring it out."

"If I have one word to describe Durrell Palmer  it is a 'man.' He stood up in every way of the word," Neal said. "He was a man in his community. He was a man in his family. He died a man. And that, in itself, to me, is a legacy."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Durrell Palmer killer Charles Moore gets 50 years in prison
Man killed in Tacoma knew his assailant, who is cooperating with detectives, police say

A disagreement that escalated into a shooting left a man dead in Tacoma on Monday near I-5 and the Emerald Queen Casino.

The man was shot just before 8 p.m. at the 2000 block of East 28th Street. He succumbed to his injuries after Tacoma officers and fire department personnel attempted live-saving measures, The News Tribune reported.

The man and the alleged shooter had an interaction earlier that day at a different location in Tacoma. It escalated into a disagreement, and the alleged shooter followed the man in his car until they reached East 28th Street, Tacoma Police Department detective William Muse told The News Tribune on Wednesday.

The shooter fired shots at the man, Muse said. Police later contacted the alleged shooter who retained an attorney, provided a statement and is cooperating with the investigation. The case will be submitted to the Pierce County Prosecutors Office.

Muse said the victim and the alleged shooter were not strangers.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A Utah man who was found guilty of causing the 2022 death of a volunteer toymaker while driving under the influence was sentenced in court on Monday.

Asael Paul Lyman, 73, was charged with negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, a second-degree felony; driving under the influence of alcohol with a passenger under 16 years old, a class A misdemeanor; and numerous other traffic infractions.

PREVIOUS STORY: Jury finds man guilty in DUI crash that killed 75-year-old toymaker

Lyman was sentenced to an indeterminate term of not less than one year nor more than fifteen years in the Utah State Prison for the charge of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in death, according to documents.

The court recommended Lyman get credit for 229 days already served, and that credit was granted for the charge of driving under the influence of alcohol with a passenger under 16 years old.

More information about the crash

In May 2024, Lyman was found guilty of the Dec. 2022 death of Claude Nile Thacker, 75, who worked as a volunteer toymaker for Tiny Tims Foundation for Kids.

According to court documents, on Dec. 1, 2022, officers with the West Jordan Police Department were dispatched to the scene of an accident and observed a large amount of toy trucks covering the westbound lanes.

Officers located a pickup truck that had been pushed through a chain-link fence, and Thacker was in the truck. Thacker was pronounced dead at the scene after fire and medical personnel responded to the scene.

One witness reported seeing Lymans vehicle sideswipe a concrete barrier before continuing into the intersection at 9000 South.

According to airbag control data, Lyman was traveling at 89-mph with 100% full throttle when he struck Thacker  but the speed limit in the area was 55 miles per hour, documents said.

Lyman consented to a blood draw, and documents said he had 0.12 grams of ethanol per 100 milliliters at the time of the crash. The legal limit for blood alcohol content in Utah is 0.05 grams.

At the time of the crash, Lyman had his six-year-old grandson in the car, and both occupants of Lymans vehicle were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

The Thacker family previously told ABC4.com that Thackers wife, Gloria, passed away on Feb. 29, 2024. Shortly after Thacker was killed, the family said Gloria developed Broken Heart Syndrome and heart failure.

She was absolutely devastated by the loss of her husband, partner and love of her life of 48 years, that we lost her as well, the family said.

The Thacker family also told ABC4.com that while many think that driving intoxicated and killing someone would immediately result in the intoxicated driver going to jail, the law is written in a way that you have to prove they were negligently operating the vehicle and that they were driving under the influence.

The Thacker family has since said they will be working to change that law with the families of other victims, as well as the Utah legislature.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The man who was caught on video slapping an autistic boy in Pacoima now faces criminal charges.

Scott Sakajian, a Sun Valley resident, was charged with willful cruelty to a child and battery on a person, according to the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office.

Sakajian is accused of slapping Alfredo Morales, 10, after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan on July 1.

Alfredo and his older sister, Claudia Morales, were crossing the street when the incident happened.

Sakajian made an immediate U-turn and followed the siblings to a bus stop. He stepped out, walked over to Alfredo who was sitting on a bench and slapped him.

His sister tried intervening and explained that Alfredo had autism, but the man still struck the boy.

Scott Sakajian pulled over at a bus stop where the siblings were sitting at a bench in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

Scott Sakajian pulled over at a bus stop where the siblings were sitting at a bench in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

Alfredo Morales explores a microphone as KTLAs Mary Beth McDade speaks with his family on July 3, 2024. (KTLA)

The crosswalk near Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Osbourne Street in Pacoima where the incident happened. (KTLA)

The Morales Family is currently homeless and living out of their truck. (GoFundMe)

Alfredo Morales and his sister is seen in the truck they live in with their family at a Pacoima park. (KTLA)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

Alfredo Morales parents are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

Los Angeles rapper Swifty Blue has vowed to help fix the Morales familys truck so they can be mobile again. (KTLA)

Alex Manzo, a good Samaritan, heard about the Morales family and created a GoFundMe to help them get back on their feet. (KTLA)

Antonio Villegas, the familys attorney, speaks to Alfredo Morales mother. He has pledged to seek justice for the family. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales parents are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales and his sister is seen outside the truck they live in with their family at a Pacoima park. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales parents (on left) are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Scott Sakajian pulled over at a bus stop where the siblings were sitting at a bench in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

Cell phone video of the confrontation went viral on social media, leaving community members outraged. The family also filed a police report.

Since the incident, Alfredos family, who is homeless and lives out of a broken truck, have been surrounded by an outpouring of support, with many saying they resonated with the story.

Along with a successful GoFundMe campaign and fundraising event, the familys broken truck underwent a complete makeover. The family is staying at a motel temporarily until local housing officials can help them transition into more permanent housing.

The boys father, Miguel Morales, recently lost his job at a restaurant and was struggling to make ends meet.

Alfredo Morales and his father, Miguel Morales, are grateful for the outpouring of support. (KTLA)

The Morales Family is overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of community support on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales familys broken pickup truck was towed away to a local dealership for a complete makeover on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales familys broken pickup truck was towed away to a local dealership for a complete makeover on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales familys broken pickup truck was towed away to a local dealership for a complete makeover on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales explores a microphone as KTLAs Mary Beth McDade speaks with his family on July 3, 2024. (KTLA)

A good Samaritan allows Alfredo Morales to enjoy the air conditioning in his truck on a hot summer day on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales Family is currently homeless and living out of their truck. (GoFundMe)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales familys broken pickup truck was towed away to a local dealership for a complete makeover on July 12, 2024. (KTLA)

Alfredo and his sister ride the bus daily to make a food and grocery run for the family. They were taking their usual bus route on July 1 when the confrontation happened.

The Morales family said they are overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of strangers and said they plan to give back in some way to everyone who has helped them.

The family also has an attorney representing them, Antonio Villegas. Villegas said he became aware of their story after L.A. rapper Swifty Blue sent him the viral video.

I will do anything in my power to help them, Villegas told KTLA. And I dont mean just by filing some sort of lawsuit, but by getting them resources to turn this tragic situation into something that helps improve their lives.

Sakajian is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on Aug. 2, at the San Fernando Valley Courthouse.

If convicted on all charges, he faces up to six months in jail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Man sentenced for 2022 deadly wrong-way crash on I-435 in Overland Park

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A 32-year-old Lenexa, Kansas man is sentenced for causing a wrong-way crash on Interstate 435 in Overland Park that left an Independence man dead in December of 2022.

Johnson County District Court Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan on Wednesday sentenced Matthew J. Ryan to 9 years and 9 months in prison for reckless second-degree murder.

Man faces 14 criminal charges after Merriam, Kansas shooting

A Johnson County jury found Matthew J. Ryan guilty back in May.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, investigators responded to westbound I-435 where witnesses told officers a wrong-way driver entered the highway traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes and struck a vehicle.

After the impact, the suspect vehicle continued westbound and collided with another vehicle head-on that was traveling eastbound approaching Quivira Road.

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The driver of the second vehicle, identified as 42-year-old Karl Wurtenberger of Independence, Missouri, was pronounced dead on the scene.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Man sentenced to prison for possessing child pornography in Miami County

A Miami County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

Chad Waymire, 35, was sentenced to 3 to 4.5 years in prison this week, according to Miami County Common Pleas Court officials.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arrested for possession of child pornography in Miami County

The sentencing came nearly two months after Waymire pleaded guilty to one second-degree felony charge of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person and five fourth-degree felony counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, according to court records.

As part of his plea agreement, the remaining six charges he was facing were dropped.

>> 1 hospitalized after early morning shooting in Dayton

As part of his sentence, Waymire will have to register as a Tier II sex offender.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Waymire was arrested in March after Miami County Sheriffs detectives served a search warrant at his Potsdam home.
From Self.inc: A college education can cause a considerable financial burden for students and their families, but just how much does it cost to be a student at different universities in the U.S.?

This study looked into the wide variety of costs that students incur, from tuition fees and books to rent and groceries while at U.S. colleges. This analysis has reviewed 200 universities (the top four in each state) and 18 different data points to determine the most expensive and the most affordable university for students.

Read more

Members of the newest Michigan Ross Weekend MBA cohort began their MBA journey in May. Ross photo

Career Accelerators: Meet the Michigan Ross Weekend MBA Class of 2026

From Ann Arbor, Michigan: The 112 members of the newest cohort of the Weekend MBA Program at the Ross School of Business began their MBA journeys in May, kicking off an accelerated two years of rigorous coursework, action-based learning opportunities, leadership development, networking, and more.

The accomplished professionals of the WMBA Class of 2026 bring unique backgrounds and diverse perspectives. Of the incoming WMBAs, 25% are women, and 9% are active military/veterans. With an average of seven years of full-time work experience, the cohorts career paths represent a variety of industries, including 24% from engineering management, 14% from finance, 11% from operations, 10% from consulting, as well as marketing, strategic planning, sales, and more. Additionally, 38% of the class already has an advanced degree.

The lockstep cohort members attend class in Ann Arbor every other weekend. They hail from states across the country, including Massachusetts, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and California.

Read more

MBA CSEA changes name  dropping the MBA

From Tampa, Florida: The MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance (MBA CSEA) has changed their name to Career Services & Employer Alliance, effective immediately.

Founded in 1994, the Career Services & Employer Alliance is a global association for individuals in the fields of graduate business career services and employers. There are more than 880 members representing a diverse group of more than 230 business schools and corporations.

The decision to change the organizations name and update the visual identity was driven by feedback from members and non-members about the growth of specialty/business masters populations on a global scale. In an effort to be fully inclusive of the current membership and allow for future growth, the MBA was removed. The organization continues to serve MBA programs, but is now clarifying through its external brand and messaging that the programs and services include all business masters programs, which includes MBAs. Business Masters was deliberately included in the new tagline to recognize the distinct populations that are served.

Story continues

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Dr. Ariel C. Armony will join Babson from the University of Pittsburgh, where he serves as Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Director of the University Center for International Studies. Courtesy photo

Babson College names new provost

From Wellesley, Massachusetts: Dr. Ariel C. Armony has been named Babson Colleges new provost and executive vice president.

Ariel comes to Babson from the University of Pittsburgh, where he currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Director of the University Center for International Studies. In this capacity, Ariel has been responsible for forging new international partnerships and deepening the Universitys reach and impactexperience that positions him well to lead Babsons global approach to educating the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. He has been a passionate leader and advocate for faculty research, innovative pedagogy, and diversity across academia throughout his career.

As Vice Chancellor, Ariel played an integral role in advancing the Universitys global learning initiatives, research, partnerships, and community engagement. His strategic efforts have consistently been focused through a lens of international advocacy and globalization. Under his leadership, the University of Pittsburghs six international and global centers were designated as National Resource Centers by the U.S. Department of Education, positioning the institution among the nations leaders in international and global studies.

Read more

DONT MISS 15 TOP MBA PROGRAMS WITH THE HIGHEST ROI

The post How Much Does It Cost To Be A College Student In The U.S.? This Report Has Answers appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Investigation underway after man shot, seriously injured in front of Cambridge tennis courts

A man was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries following a shooting in Cambridge on Tuesday night, officials said.

Officers responding to a report of gunshots in the area of Harvard Street just before 9:15 p.m. found a 48-year-old Cambridge man suffering from life-threatening injuries in front of the tennis court, according to the Cambridge Police Department.

The victim, whose name hasnt been released, was taken to a Boston hospital. He is out of surgery and remains hospitalized, according to authorities.

Investigators say that older males were playing cards in front of the tennis courts and several youths were also in the area when shots were fired and its unclear who the intended target was.

A .9mm Glock pistol as well as 10 shell casings were recovered in the area of 131 Harvard Street. Ballistic damage was also reported on two vehicles in front of the address.

Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call Cambridge police at 617-349-9151 or online at cambridgepolice.org/TIPS.

An investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Man shot in head six times while driving in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A man was shot multiple times while driving in San Diegos Corridor neighborhood Tuesday night, authorities said.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the 32-year-old victim was driving his vehicle eastbound in the 3600 block of Polk Avenue around 10:15 p.m. when an unknown suspect shot at his vehicle around 16 times.

Teen rescued from sand hole at Mission Beach

The mans vehicle was struck at least nine times and the victim suffered six gunshots to his head, police said. He was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.

Sixteen 9mm casings were located in the street.

The suspect was described as wearing a light colored hoodie and dark pants. No arrests have been made at this time and no further details were immediately provided.

Mid-City detectives will be conducting an investigation into the shooting. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man broke into a car at an East Memphis hotel, stole several credit cards, and then used them to make purchases at a Home Depot last week, Memphis Police say.

On July 8 at 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a theft from a motor vehicle at Embassy Suites at 1022 Shady Grove Road.

Local grocery store forced to close due to frequent thefts

The suspect reportedly broke into a white Chevrolet Silverado, stealing credit cards and a pistol.

MPD says after the break-in, the suspect used the victims credit card to buy gift cards at a Home Depot.

No arrests have been made at this time.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Man who suffocated young Arlington pastor with a plastic bag is on execution schedule

A state district judge in Tarrant County has set an execution date for a man who during a robbery suffocated an Arlington pastor by placing a plastic bag over the victims head.

In granting a motion that was filed by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office, Judge Steven Jumes on June 10 ordered that the execution of Steven Nelson occur on Feb. 5. Jumes, who presides in the 485th District Court, also ordered the courts clerk to issue a death warrant.

Nelson, 37, was in October 2012 convicted of capital murder in the suffocation killing of the pastor, Clinton Dobson, 28, in his office at NorthPointe Baptist Church in north Arlington while stealing a computer, credit cards and vehicle from Dobson and church secretary Judy Elliott.

Elliott was bludgeoned and survived.

In the minutes after the death penalty verdict was read on the record, Nelson, who lived in Arlington, broke a fire sprinkler in his holding cell and sent black water flooding into the courtroom.

Nelson was in Criminal District Court No. 4 convicted of capital murder in the death of Dobson, who on March 3, 2011, also was beaten and bound.

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Nelson was later accused of using a blanket to strangle a mentally ill inmate on their cellblock.

Jumes noted that it was evident that Nelson had exhausted his avenues for relief in state and federal courts.

The district attorneys office motion requested that the execution be set on Oct. 24, Oct. 29 or Oct. 30.

In selecting a February execution date, Judge Jumes gave Nelsons appellate defense attorneys time to develop arguments connected to the sentencing phase of the trial, according to one of the defense attorneys, Lee Kovarsky.

Bill Ray and Steve Gordon, the defense attorneys who at trial represented Nelson, urged jurors to hand down the alternative life without parole sentence and argued that Nelson was abandoned psychologically as a child. Nelson testified that two of the defendants friends killed Dobson while Nelson waited outside the church.

Nelsons lover testified that the lover and Nelson went to a Dallas nightclub on the night after the killing. The jury also heard testimony from an acquaintance who said Nelson admitted killing Dobson.

Prosecutors Bob Gill and Page Simpson played for the jury surveillance video showing Nelson using Elliotts credit cards at The Parks at Arlington mall to buy expensive Nike shoes and a bright green Oscar the Grouch T-shirt. He also purchased $400 in jewelry at the mall.

A man testified that Nelson sold him Dobsons laptop for $150 the day of the killing and was driving a Mitsubishi Galant that matched the description of Elliotts car that was stolen in the robbery.

Dobsons DNA and Elliotts DNA was found on Nelsons shoes, and metal studs from Nelsons belt were found at the crime scene.
Man swept out to sea from NYC beach rescued by fisherman 2 miles off NJ coast

A fisherman and his son are being hailed as heroes after police said they rescued a man swept out to sea nearly 2 miles from a New York City beach.

The father-and-son duo pulled the victim from waters outside Middletown Township, New Jersey in northern Monmouth County, the Middletown Township Police Department is reporting.

The victim told officers he thought he went into the water somewhere in Queens, a borough of New York City, around 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Deputy Police Chief Paul Bailey told USA TODAY Wednesday.

The township is about 25 miles south of New York City.

The man told officers he treaded water for about 10 hours, much of it in the dark, before being saved, police said.

New York pummeled by rain: New York Gov. Hochul declares state of emergency as severe storms pound the region

Fisherman and son rescue man swept out to sea

Police reported about 9 a.m. Monday, officers received a call about a man who had been pulled from the waters between Sandy Hook, NJ, and New York City.

The man was initially observed by a commercial fisherman and his son about 2 miles away from the shoreline of Sandy Hook, Bailey said.

After seeing the swimmer in distress, the fisherman and his son brought him aboard their boat, helped him and took him to Monmouth Cove Marina in Port Monmouth, police said.

A fisherman and his son rescued a man swept out to sea nearly two miles from New York City waters on July 15, 2024. The father-and-son duo pulled the victim from waters outside in Middletown Township, New Jersey, in northern Monmouth County.

Who was swept out to sea from a New York City beach?

Arriving officers found the victim at the marina and he identified himself as Pete Ordane, 34, of New York City.

Bailey said Ordane told officers he entered the water in New York City "to cool off" and was pulled out by the tide.

Watch: See baby moose reunite with mom after being rescued from Alaska lake

Man rescued from sea by fisherman refused medical treatment

Emergency crews assessed Ordane after he arrived at the marina, determined he was in good condition and released him when he declined further medical treatment.

Bailey said officers provided Ordane a fresh set of dry clothes and food prior to his arranging for transportation from the area.

Police said the fisherman and his son liven the Port Monmouth section of Middletown and wish to remain anonymous.

We are grateful to the alert fishermen for rescuing Mr. Ordane and saving his life," police Chief R. Craig Weber told USA TODAY. "This is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by rip currents and swimming alone or at unguarded beaches. This incident could easily have ended very tragically.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The victim was swept out to sea from NYC beach and found 2 miles away
A man died from smoke inhalation during a house fire in Peach County Monday morning, according to county Coroner Kerry Rooks.

The fire appeared to be accidental and occurred around 4 a.m. in the 300 block of Giles Road, Rooks said.

Matthew David Austin, 53, was trapped in the back of the house and died, Rooks said. Other people inside were able to escape.

A person inside called 911 at 4:08 a.m. when they noticed the smoke and smoke alarms went off, Rooks said. It is unclear what time fire rescue arrived.

It was out in the country, it wasnt right inside (Byron) city limits, Rooks said.

A pick-up truck and the house were damaged. Surrounding property was not impacted, according to Rooks.

The Georgia Fire Marshals Office is investigating the incident, Rooks said.

Theyre investigating and they havent come up with complete findings, but its going to be accidental, Rooks told The Telegraph.
Man who tried to assassinate Reagan says violence is not the way to go

John Hinckley Jr, who attempted to kill Reagan in 1981, pictured in Virginia in 2022.

John Hinckley Jr, who attempted to kill Reagan in 1981, pictured in Virginia in 2022. Photograph: Ryan M Kelly/AFP/Getty Images

John Hinckley Jr, who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981, has waded into the discourse around the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump in a social media post seemingly disavowing his own past actions.

Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance, Hinckley wrote on X on Wednesday, sentiments that drew a welter of bemused and often ironic responses.

Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.  John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) July 17, 2024

The post followed the attempt on the life of Trump, the former president who will later on Wednesday accept the Republican nomination as its 2024 candidate at the partys national convention in Milwaukee, by a 20-year-old gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Trump suffered a wound to his right ear in the shooting, while a rally-goer was killed and two others injured. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by security officers.

Hinckley, 69  who was unconditionally released by a judge in 2022 after 41 years of living in custody or under supervision for trying to kill Reagan  did not immediately expand on his post.

He has previously expressed remorse for the assassination attempt outside the Washington Hilton hotel on 31 March 1981, which left the then president seriously wounded and resulted in injuries to the White House press secretary, James Brady, that left him permanently paralysed.

A police officer and a Secret Service officer also suffered bullet wounds.

Since his release, Hinckley has tried to forge a new life as a folk musician and a painter. In March, he told a Connecticut radio station: I stand for peace now.

Hinckley was 25 and suffering from acute psychosis when he tried to assassinate Reagan, motivated by a desire the impress the actor Jodie Foster, whom he had become obsessed with after seeing her in Taxi Driver.

He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982 and ordered to stay in a psychiatric hospital. In 2016, a judge ordered that he could be released from psychiatric care with conditions attached as he was no longer considered a threat. The conditions were lifted unconditionally in 2022.
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11)  A man was injured on Tuesday in a drive-by shooting in Queens, according to the NYPD.

It happened on South Conduit Avenue and Farmers Boulevard around 6:40 p.m. The victim was walking on a sidewalk at the intersection when the suspect, driving a BMW headed east, fired multiple rounds, according to authorities.

More Local News

The man was shot in the stomach and taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, per police.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, according to authorities.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Man wanted for allegedly exposing himself 3 times in Westminster

DENVER (KDVR)  Westminster police want a man for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating in public on three separate occasions.

According to the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers and the Westminster Police Department, the man was spotted three times in the greenbelt or park area near 129th Avenue and Harmony Parkway while exposing himself.

Westminster police shared this map of where a man has been reportedly seen masturbating in public three times.

Police said the suspect is described as 30 to 40 years old, approximately 5 foot, 8 inches to 6 feet tall, and has brown or reddish hair and a beard. Police said he may have shaved his head recently to look bald.

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Westminster police shared these images of an indecent exposure suspect.

Westminster police shared these images of an indecent exposure suspect.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or online at metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Man and woman intentionally set on fire in NW Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Oklahoma City Police are investigating after they say a man and woman were set on fire Tuesday morning near Hefner and Western.

It was two people being set on fire, possibly sleeping behind the business when another person walked up to them and intentionally set them on fire, said Gary Knight from the Oklahoma City Police Department.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Police investigate two people possibly set on fire

The woman was critically burned, and the male also had significant burns, per investigators.

Police investigate transients being set on fire in OKC. (KFOR)

News 4 spoke with a neighbor who tried to save the womans life.

Cory Spencer has lived in his NW Oklahoma City home for over a year. He describes being in shock after seeing her body engulfed in flames.

Authorities say the suspect is still out there, and they are looking for security cameras and possible footage to help them in the identification process.

The two victims were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated.

The man is expected to survive but the woman is in critical condition.

Aristocats Feline Hotel & Spa is a business near the scene. They shared that theyve reported three fires in the area, not including this one.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
EXETER  Meredith Village Savings Bank is opening its newest banking office at 3 Meeting Place Drive in Exeter.

The community is invited to an all-day grand opening on Friday, July 19. The event will feature tours, giveaways, outdoor games, ice cream and treats from Clydes Cupcakes truck and the opportunity to vote for a local nonprofit to win a $1,000 donation.

MVSBs newest branch location at 3 Meeting Place Drive in Exeter.

The full-service location brings customer- and community-focused financial services to those who live, work and play in Exeter and surrounding communities. The branch is the banks 14th location across the Greater Lakes and Seacoast regions of New Hampshire, with nearby locations in Portsmouth and Rochester.

It has been exciting to watch the branch take shape over the past few months, and we are so excited to open our doors and present this beautiful new office and MVSB to the community, said Jim Carrigan, MVSB regional vice president. Our team of knowledgeable and friendly bankers and lenders are ready to serve the needs of Exeter.

Kelly Geary, branch & business development manager, will lead the office, supporting the banks local customers, employees and community involvement efforts alongside Danielle Bowles, branch services supervisor for the location.

The community has been so welcoming and supportive of MVSB and our team, and we are thrilled to continue to grow relationships and be involved in all that makes Exeter so special, said Kelly. We hope everyone will stop into our grand opening celebration on the 19th or any time to meet the team, see the new office, and allow us to share our appreciation!

In addition to the branch banking team, Deborah Miller, mortgage loan officer, will continue to support home lending clients. Julie Clement, vice president of business development & small business lender, and Angela Salb, vice president of commercial lending officer team leader, will continue assisting businesses with their specialized business banking and financing needs.

MVSBs Exeter office was designed by Warrenstreet Architects, Inc. and construction was managed by Conneston Construction, Inc.

The building features stone and cedar cladding with plenty of parking, in-office and drive-up banking, an ATM and a self-service coin counter.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: MVSB opens new full-service bank in Exeter
Students at Idaho's public universities are integrating AI into their academic experiences. (Teera Konakan/Getty Images)

The use of artificial intelligence in Idaho is a new concern state officials are faced with.

This year, Idaho lawmakers passed two laws restricting the use of AI to generate deep fakes in political campaigns and AI-generated sexual depictions of children.

Now, Idaho colleges and universities are grappling with the new technology and its implications for how students learn and perform in the classroom. As generative AI expands and evolves, academic institutions in Idaho are learning to navigate its impact on education.

Even at the highest levels of Idaho education, elected officials are thinking about AI and its use in schools.

Because we dont yet have the benefit of hindsight, we must look to the future. Im in the camp that thinks we can make AI a constructive part of learning, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield wrote in a June 25 op-ed. Some of our teachers are already doing this. When used appropriately, I believe that AI can be a tool for both students and teachers. I think considering what AI can bring to the educational sphere is the best first place to start. This means we will need to train and support teachers in how they use it and teach students responsible usage  like any other digital content available at school.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield

The introduction of AI brings different approaches, creating excitement and concern as educators and administrators work to use its potential while protecting academic integrity.

But its rise in academic settings also comes with ethical challenges.

Educators must balance the educational benefits while also maintaining academic integrity in their classrooms. AI tools can assist students in various ways, from generating ideas for brainstorming or getting instant feedback as reported by Cornell University.

How are different Idaho universities approaching the use of AI in the classroom?

Boise State University focuses on traditional academic integrity which is shown through Policy 2020.

At the end of the day, the general ethos of education is you are supposed to do your own work, Christian Wuthrich, associate vice president and dean of students at Boise State University, told the Idaho Capital Sun.

Faculty can create course-specific guidelines to make sure students have an understanding of the expectations and violations, which can result in warnings, failing grades or suspension.

Lewis-Clark State College takes a different approach, avoiding a strict campus-wide policy in favor of flexibility and communication-based policies between students and professors.

We see AI as an important tool our students will likely encounter in their future professions and one some faculty would choose to use in their classes, Dawn Lesperance, director for eLearning Services at LC State, told the Capital Sun. Limiting or defining its use too closely would not be in our students best interest, so we went another direction.

The University of Idaho uses a structured approach with tools like Turnitin, which checks for plagiarism and AI-generated content, and Zero GPT, a specialized AI text detection service.

Clear policies on using technological assistance or artificial intelligence tools are included in the University of Idahos Student Code of Conduct and Resolution Process. Professors are also encouraged to include their own policy on AI usage within their course syllabus, according to Andrea Ingram, director of Conduct and Community Standards at the university.

The College of Western Idaho emphasizes collaboration and adaptability, encouraging professors to set AI guidelines in their course syllabi.

My focus in the classroom has been on identifying productive use cases and encouraging students to cite and acknowledge their use, said Liza Long, an English professor and recipient of the Idaho State Board of Education Generative Artificial Intelligence Fellowship.

Do Idahos public colleges use AI to spot plagiarism among students?

Universities use various methods to detect AI-generated content.

Boise State University chooses not to use AI detection tools and instead relies on faculty judgment.

There are many faculty who, sometimes just in how they design their assignments, can detect AI-generated information. Faculty have ways of assessing information, even though its AI-generated, Wuthrich said.

Similarly, Lewis-Clark State College and the College of Western Idaho have also chosen to not use AI detection tools.

At this time, LC State does not have any tools in place for AI detection, Lesperance said. We used a trial version within our existing plagiarism checker in Canvas, Turnitin, but decided not to move forward with an implementation.

LC States AI Committee decided not to use the detection software until it was more reliable.

Long said plagiarism at the College of Western Idaho is not a primary concern of hers.

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Ive actually embraced generative AI pedagogy and have been teaching actively with tools like Chat GPT and Microsoft Copilot, she said.I understand how educators might have concerns about plagiarism, but it is not my concern at all.

Long has incorporated AI into her curriculum and emphasized the importance of using these tools ethically and responsibly.

When students are encouraged to use AI in ethical and responsible ways, they can produce superior work, she said. Students will need these skills in the workplace, and our college mission focuses on preparing students for the workforce.

At the University of Idaho, Turnitin and Zero GPT are used to detect AI-generated content.

Turnitin will provide the instructor with a percentage of content generated by artificial intelligence, said Ingram.

AI fellowship to promote responsible use in academic institutions

The Idaho State Board of Education has launched the Generative AI in Higher Education Fellowship program which allows Idaho professors to enhance statewide leadership on AI integration in academia, according to a press release from the Idaho State Board of Education.

These fellows will conduct research, attend conferences, and provide professional development to their peers across all of Idahos public universities.

The Generative AI in Higher Education fellowships are intended to help create better understanding and eventual Board policies to ensure the technology is used in productive and ethical ways on Idahos college and university campuses, said Dr. Linda Clark, board president, in the release.

With administrators, professors, and the Idaho State Board of Education working together, AI integration in education is rapidly advancing, setting the stage for upcoming policies.

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Should Kansas legalize marijuana? Heres what candidates for Congress in JoCo say

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As Kansas remains one of a dozen states without legal medical or recreational marijuana, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids and a Republican seeking to replace her, Prasanth Reddy, both say the federal government should provide states with wide latitude to set their own rules on cannabis.

Davids represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Johnson County and a swath of rural area southwest of the Kansas City metro. The district borders Missouri, where medical marijuana was legalized in 2018 and recreational sales began last year.

Third District residents can easily legally purchase pot by stepping across the state line but cant legally bring it back to Kansas.

The candidates separate but similar positions may avoid alienating either side of the long-running debate over the drug by supporting the power of Kansas to make its own decisions while not calling for nationwide legalization. Their stances frame the possibility of legal marijuana in Kansas as ultimately a state, not federal, decision.

Another Republican candidate, Karen Crnkovich, maintains its premature for Congress to act because of a lack of a consistent method for measuring impairment from marijuana. She also opposes the Drug Enforcement Administrations plan to reclassify marijuana as a less-dangerous drug.

States have been legalizing marijuana for more than a decade in defiance of federal law. The federal government has mostly tolerated this arrangement, but a future president or Congress staunchly opposed to the drug could ratchet up enforcement.

Even as most states move forward with some form of legal marijuana, the Kansas Legislature is gridlocked. While the state House passed a limited medical marijuana measure in 2021, the idea has repeatedly stalled in the state Senate. An extremely restrictive medical program proposed earlier this year didnt receive a vote.

Action by state lawmakers is still the fastest, surest path to legal marijuana in Kansas. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has called for medical marijuana in the past.

But this falls elections, with the presidency and control of Congress on the line, may create fresh opportunities for change at the federal level. Any loosening of federal restrictions on marijuana would create additional pressure on Kansas to respond.

Rep. Davids believes states should be able to regulate marijuana use as they see fit, understanding the potential for increased tax revenue and job creation that could follow decriminalization, Zac Donley, a campaign spokesperson for the three-term congresswoman, said in a statement.

She supports the proposed reclassification, which could make it easier for researchers to study the effects of marijuana use and for patients to access it for medical purposes.

Davids has voted for the SAFER Banking Act, which would clear the way for state-sanctioned marijuana businesses to bank more normally. Banks and other financial institutions typically refuse to work with marijuana businesses because of concerns of running afoul of federal law, which bans the drug.

The inability to access banking services forces businesses to operate with large amounts of cash, creating logistical hurdles and security concerns. Trucks transporting cash to and from marijuana businesses are sometimes stopped by law enforcement; DEA agents with local law enforcement seized $165,620 during one stop in 2021 along Interstate 70 near Abilene.

Reddy, a former executive at Labcorp in enterprise oncology and a physician, signaled interest in congressional action related to financial services. In a statement, he voiced support for the medical use of THC  the psychoactive compound in marijuana that produces a high  while also saying states should be empowered to set their own policies.

As a cancer physician, I have been a strong proponent for controlled medical THC use. In the right setting and conditions, it has strong efficacy for nausea control, appetite stimulation and pain, Reddy said, adding that he has prescribed Marinol, a THC-based drug, many times with great effect.

In Congress, I would be interested in joining efforts that reduce the risk of crime and provide for clarity among law enforcement officers and financial institutions, Reddy said. I believe the federal government should do what it can to provide flexibility to states and allow them to make their own decisions, rather than broad national policy on marijuana and its use.

Crnkovich, who owns a heating and cooling business, said in an interview her business experience affects how she views the issue. She said when Missouri legalized marijuana, she changed how she drug tests employees and prospective employees  moving from a urine test that can detect consumption up to a month afterward to a cheek swab with a roughly 48-hour window.

Marijuana businesses in areas that have legalized should have access to banking services, she said. But she opposes the DEAs decision to move marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance  reserved for the most dangerous drugs, like heroin  to Schedule III, which would recognize medical uses.

Crnkovich emphasized that no test currently exists to easily measure someones THC level in real time  similar to a breathalyzer for alcohol  and no agreed-upon standard of impairment. Congress should refrain from taking action, she said, until those are developed.

I think any other steps either way are kind of foolish, Crnkovich said.

She said the DEA made a huge mistake by wanting to declassify from I to III.

Because people are like, well, its no big deal, its pot. And Im like you know what were not talking about are the unintended consequences of this decision, she said.

Survey shows support for legalization

Republican voters will choose between Reddy and Crnkovich in the Aug. 6 primary election. Whoever wins will face Davids in November.

Kansas Republicans dont appear to have a formal position on marijuana. The Kansas Republican Party platform, posted on the partys website, is silent on marijuana. The national Republican Partys platform includes no reference to marijuana.

In Congress, the House Republican Policy Committee, a sometimes-influential group of GOP lawmakers, opposes measures like the SAFER Banking Act, which would allow banks to knowingly accept drug money. It advocates labeling marijuana a gateway drug and says Congress should work to ensure the enforcement of drug laws.

The Kansas Democratic Party platform supports the legalization of marijuana.

The 2023 Kansas Speaks Survey, conducted by researchers at Fort Hays State University, found 67% support for legalizing recreational marijuana among adults 21 and older to allow taxation of the activity. Just under 17% opposed legalization.

Proponents of legalization in Kansas often point to the potential for new revenue from regulating and taxing marijuana. For instance, Missouri has collected about $370 million in sales tax revenue on $2.5 billion in total sales since marijuana was first legally sold in 2020, according to the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association.

I would hope to think the candidates  whether Democrats or Republican  that this is something they can look at from a data-driven standpoint, said Barry Grissom, a former federal prosecutor and past Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate who is now a vocal advocate for legalization.

State lawmakers in Kansas havent written off the issue for the 2025 session. Legislative leaders have approved an interim committee to further study medical marijuana this summer and fall. Interim committees sometimes  but not always  lead to legislative action the following year.

State Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican expected to lead the panel, said understanding the consequences of future congressional action on marijuana would likely be part of the conversation on the committee.

If the federal government does it, does that mean we just dont do anything? Fagg asked. I dont know.
SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. (WPIX)  A New York Supreme Court judge has decided not to toss a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged abuse by gothic shock rocker Marilyn Manson. She publicly revealed her identity for the first time this week.

Bianca Allaine Kyne said Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, abused her when she was underage. The alleged abuse occurred in Louisiana, Texas and New York, according to court documents.

No longer a nameless victim, I stand before you as Bianca Allaine Kyne, a survivor, read a statement released Monday by Jeff Anderson and Associates PA. For years, I lived under his shadow, paralyzed by fear. But that fear no longer controls me. It has been replaced by an unwavering pursuit of justice. I stand tall, unafraid. I stand with every survivor who bravely speaks out.

Alleged Maniac Murder Cult head plotted to poison minorities in NYC: officials

In 2023, Kyne filed a lawsuit against Manson as Jane Doe. Other women, such as actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actor Esme Bianco, also came forward at the time, accusing Manson of physical and sexual abuse.

In her lawsuit, Kyne accused Manson of grooming and coercing her to participate in sex in Buffalo, New York, and again in Uniondale, New York, according to court documents.

Manson filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. However, a New York judge ruled it could proceed.

The judge also ruled that Kyne must remove all mention of her alleged grooming and sexual abuse from the factual background. She must also strike any paragraphs related to drawings she composed of the performer when she was younger and remove the claim of abuse that occurred in other states.

Several women have sued Manson in recent years with allegations of sexual and other abuse. Most have been dismissed or settled, including a lawsuit filed by Bianco.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. (PIX11)  A New York Supreme Court judge has decided not to toss a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged abuse by Brian Warner, known as gothic shock rocker Marilyn Manson. She publicly revealed her identity for the first time this week.

Bianca Allaine Kyne said Manson abused her when she was underage. The alleged abuse occurred in the states of Louisiana and Texas and in New York, according to court documents.

More Local News

No longer a nameless victim, I stand before you as Bianca Allaine Kyne, a survivor, read a statement released Monday by Jeff Anderson and Associates PA. For years, I lived under his shadow, paralyzed by fear. But that fear no longer controls me. It has been replaced by an unwavering pursuit of justice. I stand tall, unafraid. I stand with every survivor who bravely speaks out.

In 2023, Kyne filed a lawsuit against Manson as Jane Doe. Other women, such as actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actor Esme Bianco, also came forward at the time, accusing Manson of physical and sexual abuse.

In her lawsuit, Kyne accused Manson of grooming and coercing her to participate in sex in Buffalo and again in Uniondale, according to court documents.

Manson filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. However, a New York judge ruled it could proceed.

The judge also ruled that Kyne must remove all mention of her alleged grooming and sexual abuse from the factual background. She must also strike any paragraphs related to drawings she composed of the performer when she was younger. She must also remove the claim of abuse that occurred in other states.

Several women have sued Manson in recent years with allegations of sexual and other abuse. Most have been dismissed or settled, including a lawsuit filed by Bianco.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
(KRON)  An elderly Marin County woman was raped and beaten by her caretaker on Sunday. The Marin County Sheriffs Department said she, her daughter, and the caretakers girlfriend were all brutally beaten following the rape.

According to the sheriffs office, suspect Yumi Zinghkai, 23, of Rohnert Park, was the paid caretaker for an elderly woman. The woman suffered from memory-related issues and is unable to care for herself or make any decisions on her own behalf.

Woman charged for allegedly killing Vacaville PD motorcycle officer: DA

At about 5:30 p.m., law enforcement received calls that Zinghkai had brutally attacked his elderly patient and her daughter before the caretaker fled the home, the sheriffs office said.

According to the elderly womans daughter, she arrived to find Zinghkai sexually raping her mother. When the daughter yelled at the caretaker to stop, Zinghkai grabbed the daughter by the throat and choked her until she lost consciousness, the sheriffs office said.

Zinghkai then dragged her unconscious body to the kitchen, where [the daughter] woke, and Zinghkai held her at knifepoint. According to the sheriffs office, he threatened to kill her if she called the police.

After nearly two hours being held captive, the daughter was able to convince the caretaker to leave the home to handle personal matters [Zinghkai] mentioned were important to him. Zinghkai leaving the residence allowed the daughter to call 9-1-1, the sheriffs office said.

Zinghkai ultimately went home to his girlfriend, who he immediately admitted he was suicidal to. After needing to return to his elderly patient, the girlfriend accompanied him in his car.

After the girlfriend was concerned about hearing about suicidal thoughts from Zhingkai, she attempted to call 9-1-1 while in the car. Zinghkai then took her phone, and began to batter her, while they drove, striking his girlfriend multiple times while in the car.

Zinghkai arrived at the residence and found law enforcement. Zinghkai attempted to flee by pushing his girlfriend from the moving vehicle. The sheriffs office said he was apprehended by officers as he attempted to flee.

According to the sheriffs office, Zinghkai was arrested for a multitude of charges, including:

Rape

Attempted Murder

Elder Abuse Against Dependent Adult

Kidnapping

Lewd and Lascivious Act by Caretaker on Dependent Adult

Battery with Serious Bodily Injury

Robbery

Dissuading a Witness

Destroying Evidence

Displaying/Brandishing a Weapon

Domestic Violence

Damage to Victims Phone Attempting to call 911

He is currently being held in jail without bail, pending arraignment, the sheriffs office said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Marine patrol make heartbreaking discovery after locating missing whale: 'It's the reality  of what these whales face'

Scientists in Maine had enjoyed the familiar sight of a local humpback whale affectionately known as "Chunk"  so-called for a chunk missing from her dorsal fin. But sadly, Chunk was removed from the water last month after suffering fatal injuries from a fishing net.

What's happening?

In early June, a pair of whales were chasing fish off Cape Elizabeth, south of Portland, when one became wrapped up in a large fishing net. According to a witness, local station WGME reported, the nearby fishing boat "frantically began cutting their nets" to free the whale.

But after several minutes, Chunk stopped reappearing at the surface. By the time the Maine Marine Patrol responded, she was dead.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) posted an update on Facebook the following day after the necropsy was complete. According to that report, scientists had found "injuries related to this entanglement, which included congested lungs consistent with acute drowning  NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is continuing to investigate this incident."

The community mourned Chunk, who had become a beloved sight with whale watchers and locals.

"It was just so fun to have her and see her," Kali Palmer, a naturalist with Hyannis Whale Watcher in Cape Cod, told WGME. "And she really was thriving out there."

Why is this so upsetting?

The loss of any whale is considered a great blow; out of 13 subspecies of great whales, at least 6 of them are endangered or vulnerable to extinction, according to the World Wildlife Federation and the Endangered Species Coalition.

Unfortunately, human commercial activity has posed an enormous threat to species like the humpback, which were first whaled to precarious numbers and now face dangers including net entanglement. Net entrapments can even hinder reproduction.

As for Chunk, WGME reported that the NOAA had been tracking her for nearly 10 years after she was entangled in another incident in 2015. Although she recovered from that encounter, her necropsy showed the lasting scars.

"It's hard, but it's the reality, unfortunately, of what these whales face," Palmer said in the WGME report, acknowledging that "it's unfortunate that a lot of whales do become entangled multiple times in their lives."

What's being done to prevent more entanglement deaths?

The NOAA has published guidelines for fishermen regarding how to operate to pose minimal threats to whales and dolphins. Sharks, turtles, and other species also commonly become entangled in lines and nets.

For individuals, keeping personal fishing gear in good condition can help prevent nets from getting lost and turning into deadly ghost nets. If you happen to see an entangled creature struggling to survive, report it immediately, the NOAA says.

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Hiram Melendez, a Marion Correctional Institution inmate serving 15 years to life for murder, has had three years tacked onto his prison sentence due to an assault of a correctional officer in August 2019.

Melendez, who has been incarcerated since 1993, attacked the officer, striking her multiple times in the face with closed fists, according to a news release from Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan. The assault occurred after Melendez became agitated with the officer. His violent outburst required the intervention of other inmates and an additional officer, who worked together to restrain Melendez and end the attack.

The victim, whose identify Grogan said he is protecting because of her privacy and respect for crime victim rights, suffered significant bruising to her face and required medical treatment following the attack. The swift response by her colleagues and even other inmates likely prevented more serious injuries, according to Grogan.

Gavel

After a deliberation lasting seven minutes, a Marion County Common Pleas jury found Melendez guilty of additional charges related to the assault. Judge Matthew Frericks sentenced Melendez to an additional three years in prison.

Grogan said this underscores the seriousness with which the Marion County legal system treats assaults on law enforcement and correctional personnel.

This sentence sends a clear message that our justice system respects and protects its correctional officers just as it does all members of our community, he said. Even those already serving lengthy sentences must be held accountable for their actions.

Grogan praised Justin Frey and John Scott, assistant prosecuting attorneys, who handled the matter under Grogans direction.

We have some of the best prosecutors around in our office, and I appreciate their dedication to pursuing justice, he continued. I also want to thank the investigators from the Ohio State Patrol, who gathered the evidence and investigated this case.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion prison inmate sentenced for 2019 assault on corrections officer
An interview by a British journalist got tense on Tuesday when Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene went off on her when asked about JD Vance being named as former President Donald Trumps running mate.

Greene, who represents Georgias 14th Congressional District, started off her interview with a group of journalist talking about her excitement about Vance and how people evolve when asked about Vances changing views on Trump.

Jo Crawford with the Time of London asked Greene about Vances comments that the UK may not be the first truly Islamist country with nukes following this months election victory by the Labour Party.

Doesnt that paint a sour picture for relations with the U.K.? Crawford asked Greene.

RELATED STORIES:

Greene quickly turned the conversation saying the Democrats have labeled Trump as a fascist and compared him to Hitler.

She said that language led to the attempted assassination on Trumps life over the weekend.

As Crawford kept trying to question Greene, the Congresswoman kept cutting Crawford off.

No, no, no, no, no. Lets talk about people like you that demonize people like me, President Trump. You know, I have some of the highest amount of death threats because of people like you, Greene said. Because you chose to take only certain words from people and then thats what you want to report. Shame on you.

Lots of FAKE NEWS reporters at the RNC this week.



This reporter from The Times of London is one of many responsible for causing such deep division and hatred.



They lie. They twist our words. They demonize us.



It should be no surprise someone tried to assassinate President pic.twitter.com/PQRnjCvaXQ  Marjorie Taylor Greene  (@mtgreenee) July 16, 2024

Crawford went to respond, and Greene continued to cut her off.

Youre the problem, Greene said. Youre ridiculous.

Greene went on to say that she is a regular person and that shes a mother of three.

We have to put up with the most unreal amount of bulls***, because of little liars like you, Greene told Crawford.

She then told the reporter she was the reason that Trump was nearly assassinated.

Youre the cause of our country being divided. Youre the cause of President Trump almost being assassinated. Youre the cause of everything wrong in America. Youre done, youre done, go back Greene told the reporter.

In a video posted by the London Times on YouTube, Crawford spoke about the exchange.

Rather than answering my question, she went on to speak about the Democrats have said, and we heard her mention potentially the Democrats are what caused the attempted assassination of Trump, asked her for evidence, she couldnt back it up. It got quite fiery, and yeah, the conversation didnt go much further than that, Crawford said.

IN OTHER NEWS:
This article was originally published in Maryland Matters.

A grassroots organization that advocates for education equity in Maryland could soon be in a jurisdiction near you to talk about the Blueprint for Marylands Future education reform plan.

The staff with Strong Schools Maryland has already visited four counties this summer  Dorchester, Anne Arundel, Garrett and Prince Georges  to talk about the Blueprint plan with residents at local events. The 2024 Tour for Marylands Futures next stops are in Caroline County on Wednesday, Wicomico County on Thursday and Carroll County on Saturday.

At least three more are scheduled for later this month: in Baltimore County on July 17, Kent County on July 18 and Baltimore City on July 23.

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Riya Gupta, policy researcher with Strong Schools Maryland, said the goal is to visit the remaining 14 counties in the state this summer.

One aspect learned so far: Some people still dont know much about the Blueprint.

Were meeting them where they are, Gupta said. We are partnering with local organizations that are already hosting events in their counties  to create presence there, share resources, tell people about what we do.

The organization was a leading advocate in passage of the Blueprint when it became law three years ago.

One requirement in the Blueprint plan that Strong Schools supports deals with community schools, which receive a concentration of poverty grants and partner with local organizations to help educators, parents and a childs family. Some of the services include before- or after-school tutoring, English-language learner courses and food pantries.

A state law that took effect this month outlines the responsibilities of a community school coordinator. That person must determine what type of wraparound services certain students may need, develop an implementation plan and coordinate programs that address out-of-school learning barriers for students and families.

Gupta said her organization has heard complaints that some community school coordinators are asked to help with teaching and other administrative duties.

They are doing the jobs of teachers and staff when they have a full job of making sure the community school is running, she said.

After Strong Schools Maryland completes its summer tour, the plan is to put together a report and submit it to state lawmakers, the Maryland State Board of Education, the Blueprint for Marylands Future Accountability and Implementation Board, and other stakeholders.

The organization has a message for those who believe the 10-year plan that is slated to invest billions of dollars annually into education is too expensive.

Our students are worth it, Gupta said. We know we have underinvested in our students, specifically our Black and brown students, our students with disabilities, our multi-lingual learners. Theyre our future generations that are going to lead our state and our country. The only way to make them more well-equipped is to invest in them.

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and X.
Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu greet President Biden at Logan Airport in December 2023. (Image via Mass. Governor's Flickr feed)

While President Biden faces unprecedented calls from within his party to step down as the Democratic nominee, members of the Massachusetts delegation who are headed to the national convention in Chicago appear largely supportive of Biden staying at the top of the ticket, according to a new survey.

The survey of delegates, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group for Commonwealth Beacon, ran from Friday through Monday. The survey coincided with an assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump that upended American politics and overtook a focus on  and widespread Democratic teeth-gnashing over  Bidens age and ability to beat his Republican opponent in November.

Responses show a Massachusetts delegation mostly supporting the president (62%), while about 15% of respondents said Biden should drop out and another 23% said they were unsure or preferred not to say.

The survey allowed for open-ended comments, and nearly all who offered comments, whose responses were anonymized, expressed firm support for the president and took shots at what they see as a media unduly focused on the age issue. If elected to a second term, and if he serves out the full four years, Biden would leave office at the age of 86.

A majority of Democratic voters nationwide now say they think Biden is too old for a second term.

Instead of focusing on the signs of aging in Biden, the media should focus on Trumps lies, malapropisms, illogical statements, and hateful messages, one delegate wrote. We need the medias cooperation in revealing Trump to be the immoral threat to democracy that he is.

Another added: In general, members of Congress calling for the President to withdraw when hes already said he intends to stay in the race is counterproductive and weakens the nominee unnecessarily.

Massachusetts Democrats will send 116 delegates  92 of which are pledged to Joe Biden  and eight alternates to the party convention in Chicago in late August.

Just over 50 delegates began the survey, with 42, or 36% of the total, completing it in its entirety, weighing in anonymously on their presidential preferences. The numbers are not necessarily representative of the delegation, but they are illustrative of whats on their minds.

Some may have been wary of giving their view, even with the promised anonymity. Publicly, Massachusetts Democrats have sent mixed messages to the Biden camp, with Gov. Maura Healey saying the president should carefully evaluate whether he can beat Trump. Congressmen Seth Moulton, Stephen Lynch and Jake Auchincloss have raised concerns about Biden after the disastrous debate in June, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren backed Biden in her public comments.

A significant number of the delegates have ties to Boston Mayor Michelle Wus administration and political operation. I hear a lot of excitement about wanting to make sure we are getting to the point where things are official, Wu said this week. And I think the stakes remain as high as ever in terms of the need for this Democratic ticket to be successful. She added that she continues to support Biden as the nominee.

This survey puts some hard numbers to the speculation and offers a window into what delegates want when names arent attached, said Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group. Theres no recent precedent for the situation the party is in, so its hard to apply any conventional wisdom to the numbers. But, intuitively, it seems like Biden would want more of his own party insiders thinking he will win and pressing for him to stay in.

The debate over Bidens ability to weather a grueling campaign left the headlines only one day into the survey period. On Saturday afternoon, an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally injured former President Donald Trumps ear, killed one attendee, and critically wounded two others.

The days after that saw admonitions to lower the political temperature, with calls for Biden to drop out muted by statements of sympathy for the victims that segued into Democrats calling for better gun control and charges from Republican elected officials  including now vice presidential pick J.D. Vance  that the partys characterization of Trump as a threat to democracy directly led to the rally shooting. Investigators have not yet established the gunmans specific motive.

The debate over Biden appears to be resurfacing now. Days before Democratic National Convention members were scheduled to meet and expected to take a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden weeks ahead of the convention, some Democrats, including Moulton, are pushing back on the plan. While not outright calling for the president to step aside in favor of another candidate, the opponents argue the vote would unnecessarily cut off opportunity to consider non-Biden alternatives.

Alternatives exist, with 67% of respondents identifying Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate they would be most likely to support should Biden drop out, followed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at 33%. Harris is also the candidate they believe has the best chance of defeating Trump in November at 53%.

Other possibilities include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, and Pete Buttigieg, drew support in the low teens. The response to former Gov. Deval Patrick was underwhelming  just three delegates who responded to the survey said they were open to considering him.

The Democratic delegates surveyed also offered a rosier assessment of Bidens chances than current neck-and-neck polling suggests, with 64% of the delegates who responded to the survey saying they thought Biden is more likely to win the race.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Shares of semiconductor stocks fell sharply on Wednesday after the first major industry results came out from ASML (NASDAQ: ASML). Management is optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence (AI), which has pushed chip stocks higher this year, but still expects revenue to be flat for the year.

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares responded by falling as much as 7.6% in trading on Wednesday, Arm Holding (NASDAQ: ARM) fell 9.6%, and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) was off 6.2%. The stocks were down 6.7%, 9.2%, and 6.1% respectively at 3 p.m. ET.

ASML wasn't bullish enough

When stocks go up rapidly, expectations of the underlying companies go up as well. ASML is no exception and while second-quarter results were better than expected, investors were disappointed management didn't raise full-year revenue guidance from previously provided "similar to 2023."

Nvidia, Arm, and Micron aren't competitors to ASML, but they are downstream in the supply chain and they ultimately drive demand for the company's equipment. Expectations have risen for these chip stocks and ASML is the first company to indicate they may not see the explosive growth investors are expecting.

ASML Chart

There's a delicate balance between stocks pricing in growth and running so high that even a small guidance miss can crush stocks. Given the run in AI-related stocks, the market is going to pounce on any sign of weakness.

China and Taiwan are concerns again

The Biden administration said it may ratchet up restrictions on companies working with China, including ASML and Nvidia. There are already restrictions on the equipment that can be sold into China, but limiting how workers can maintain equipment could curb demand even further.

As much as the U.S. has tried to disrupt China's advanced semiconductor manufacturing, many companies still rely on China for a large amount of revenue. If companies like Nvidia, Arm, and Micron are targeted, they could see a drop in demand just as they're ramping up AI demand worldwide.

China could ultimately be forced to create its own semiconductor tooling, which it's already doing, and AI chips, which would be competition to these companies.

Taiwan, which is where most of the world's advanced chips are made, gets roped into this conflict because of its proximity to China and the country's claim on Taiwan itself. It's a tenuous position for chip companies and given the high valuation of these stocks it makes sense investors are taking a "risk off" approach today.

Rubber meets the road in AI

The tensions with China continue to ebb and flow and shouldn't surprise any semiconductor investors. I don't think the latest news presents any more risk than what investors knew about the industry a day or two ago.

Story continues

What's going to be more impactful is the demand for semiconductor equipment and chips as the AI boom matures. Investors are expecting Nvidia's revenue to more than double this year and double again in 2025. Arm is expected to grow 25% this fiscal year and Micron is expected to grow 62% in fiscal 2024 and another 52% in fiscal 2025.

Those are high bars to clear and any indication they'll fall short will hurt the stocks. It's not clear if ASML's caution is a sign the industry isn't growing as quickly as hoped, but we'll find out as earnings are released over the next month.

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Nvidia Drags Semiconductor Stocks Lower Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
FILE - The Massachusetts Statehouse is seen, Jan. 2, 2019, in Boston. Massachusetts House and Senate negotiators released a compromised version of a sweeping gun bill Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

BOSTON (AP)  Massachusetts House and Senate negotiators have released a compromise version of a sweeping gun bill that supporters say builds on the state's existing gun laws, including a crackdown on difficult to trace ghost guns," while safeguarding the rights of gun owners.

The bill  which must be given final approval by both chambers before being sent to Gov. Maura Healey for her signature  is part of an effort by the state to respond to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that citizens have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.

On ghost guns, the bill would toughen oversight for those who own privately made, unserialized firearms that are largely untraceable. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice reported recovering 25,785 ghost guns in domestic seizures.

The bill would expand the state's extreme risk protective order law  also known as the red flag law  by authorizing health care professionals and others who interact regularly with individuals in crisis to petition a court to suspend the individual's right to possess or carry a gun to protect them and others.

The bill would also prohibit the possession of firearms by non-law enforcement individuals at schools, polling locations and government buildings and impose strict penalties for the possession of modification devices such as Glock switches that supporters of the law say convert an otherwise legal firearm into a fully automatic firearm.

While the commonwealths existing gun laws have proven to be effective in preventing gun violence compared to other states, relative success is never a cause for complacency, Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano said.

The bill would also require those applying for a license to carry firearms to demonstrate a basic understanding of firearm safety principles through a standardized exam and live fire training and provide local licensing authorities with relevant mental health information of pending applicants.

District attorneys would be able to prosecute individuals who shoot at or near residential homes under the legislation, which would also ensure that dangerous individuals subject to harassment prevention orders no longer have access to firearms.

Gun rights advocates had criticized the Senate, which approved their version of the bill in February, for failing to hold a separate public hearing given the differences between their bill and the House bill approved last year.

Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka said the bill builds on the state's efforts to combat gun violence while still respecting the law.

By incorporating the viewpoints of stakeholders across the state, this final bill positions us to save lives while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, Spilka said.
RNC speaker Matt Brooks got his political start in MA. Here's what he said about Israel

Matt Brooks, a figure from Massachusetts' political past, gave a fiery speech at the Republican National Convention, condemning President Joe Biden's policies on Israel as well as student protesters.

Brooks, the chief executive officer of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Policy Center, said it was time for former President Donald Trump to take back the White House.

"There is only one pro-Israel party and it's the Republican Party," Brooks said. With "Donald Trump, we will put a stop to the rising tide of anti-Semitism. "President Trump will bring back law and order so that American Jews can once again wear a kippah and walk the streets without fear."

The theme for Tuesday at the RNC is "Make America Safe Once Again," centering on border security and immigration. This theme follows a pattern set by yesterday's "Make America Wealthy Once Again."

Who is Matt Brooks?

Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, waves as he is introduced during the Republican Jewish Coalition spring leadership meeting at The Venetian on March 29, 2014 in Las Vegas.

Brooks is the chief executive officer of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Policy Center.

Brooks is originally from Philadelphia, according to Brandeis University, but moved to Massachusetts to attend college at the school. At Brandeis, he began his political career as political career as State Chairman of the Massachusetts College Republicans as undergraduate, according to his biographing the RJC website.

He managed the Jack Kemp presidential campaign out of Massachusetts in 1988.

As well as supporting other Republican presidential bids, Brooks has primarily focused on his role as the leader of the RJC.

More: J.D. Vance went to Yale Law School. Here's what to know about his time there.

What does the Republican Jewish Coalition do?

The coalition, according to its website, seeks to strengthen ties between the Jewish community and the Republican Party.

They also publicly advocate and lobby around policies regarding Israel, Iran, school choice and combating anti-Semitism

"Since the beginning of the Biden administration, weve worked with congressional Republicans to oppose reentry into the Iran nuclear deal and block Bidens plan to open a separate diplomatic facility (distinct from the U.S. Embassy) for the Palestinians in Jerusalem," the RJC's legislative agenda section on their website said.

What did Matt Brooks say at the RNC?

Brooks spoke to the RNC crowd about Biden withholding weapons from Israel, saying that the RNC supports Israel and attempting to instill the message that the Republican Party is the party for Jewish-Americans.

"America must stand with Israel and against the terrorists, especially Iran," Brooks said.

Brooks commended former President Donald Trump for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and for getting the Abraham Accords passed, saying that Trump is the most pro-Israel president in history.

"Among his many accomplishments, many of which they said couldn't be done, but he did it. He moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem. They said it couldn't be done, but he weakened the Iranian regime. They said it couldn't be done, but he delivered the historic Abraham Accords, bringing us closer to peace in the Middle East," Brooks said. "With President Trump, we will repair and rebuild the US Israel relationship that has deteriorated after four disastrous years under President Biden."

He also talked about student protesters.

"President Trump will stop the mobs on college campuses so Jewish students feel safe when they go to class," Brooks said.

Who is speaking tonight at the RNC? How to watch live?

Other than Brooks, who was scheduled to speak at 6:30 p.m. EST, Ron DeSantis is expected to speak tonight at 9 p.m. EST.

You can find out more about tonight's speakers here. USA Today is live streaming the event.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Who is Matt Brooks? Meet the RNC speaker from the Jewish Policy Center
The Maury County Commission voted this week to adopt a new three-year ambulance agreement with Maury Regional Medical Center.

The agreement will provide $2 million per year, as well as a 5% increase each following year. This would allow Maury Regional to purchase at least two ambulances per year.

Maury County helped lead the way for ambulance agencies by being the second established service in the state on November 1, 1967, with Maury Regional Medical Center assuming management in 1996. Currently, Maury Regional EMS is designated by the state as a Regional Medical Communications Center.

The agreement also states that there would be seven 24-hour ambulances on duty at all times, along with two 12-hour ambulances.

The request for more ambulances began in 2023, when Maury Regional Health issued a letter to the county stating the need was based on continued population growth.

The previous agreement allocated $600,000 per year by the county for ambulance services.

Once brought before a vote, the agreement passed 16-1.

More: Questions loom in funding ambulance services in Maury County

Grants awarded to health dept., animal shelter

In addition to the Maury Regional's ambulance agreement, two other Maury County organizations received approval votes for additional grant money.

The Maury County Health Department will also be receiving a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health of up to $1,488,225 through June 30, 2025. The grant is to provide additional medical services to rural areas.

Maury County Animals Services will receive a $1,100 from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for a low-cost sterilization program for dogs and cats.

A presentation of the flag at the Sheriffs Rodeo on July 13 at Maury Co. Park in Columbia.

Rowland recaps 20th Sheriff's Rodeo

Prior to the main meeting, Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland spoke about the recent 20th annual Maury County Sheriff's Rodeo, which he said was "a huge success."

"It was a phenomenal weekend, and I greatly appreciate the bleachers that were donated by [the county], but we need more," Rowland joked. "We could have filled that much more up and then some. By far the two largest nights that there has ever been in that arena for any event."

A rider takes down a calf during the Sheriffs Rodeo on July 13 at Maury Co. Park in Columbia.

In addition to a packed arena and vendor alley, the Sheriff's Rodeo is also held every year as a charity benefit for the department's annual Shop with a Cop program.

"We had Christmas in July, and you guys will see the benefits come November and December in how it affects our youth," Rowland said.

Rowland concluded by sharing how the event has grown in its 20 years.

"When it started out, it was the SROs and the reserves, and now it's truly the Sheriff's Department's rodeo. and it's everybody involved," Rowland said. "It's the community's rodeo is really what it is. The proof is in the pudding, and over the last 10 years it's just gotten bigger and better."

Jay Powell is a general reporter for The Daily Herald. Get up-to-date news in your inbox by subscribing to The Daily Herald newsletter at www.ColumbiaDailyHerald.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Commission updates Maury Regional ambulance agreement for $2 million
The Chicago City Council is still without a new leader for its powerful Zoning Committee after a mayoral ally on Wednesday delayed a vote to install firebrand progressive Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez into the role.

Mayor Brandon Johnson had recently been attempting to shore up support for the outspoken Pilsen alderman and staunch Johnson supporter to fill the seat left empty for eight months after the mayors original pick resigned amid controversies over how he wielded the post. Johnsons handpicked Rules Committee chair, Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th, opted not to call the item at Wednesdays council meeting, however, without explaining why she was stopping the council from considering the mayors choice for the key position.

But mayoral critic Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, fired a warning shot earlier during the meeting as he passed out flyers indicating Sigcho-Lopez would require 34 votes rather than 26 from the 50-member body given the rushed manner in which his appointment was presented to the full council.

The delay comes three months after several City Council members tried unsuccessfully to strip Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, of his Housing Committee chairmanship. He faced criticism at the time for speaking in front of a burnt American flag at a rally calling for unruly protests during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month and featuring blistering condemnation of the Israel-Hamas war.

Sigcho-Lopez was terse in remarks to reporters after the setback Wednesday, merely saying that conversations are ongoing  (and) well take a vote eventually, soon.

Asked about her decision, Harris said she and the Johnson administration talked about process and making sure everybody can feel comfortable, before adding that she plans to set up a Rules Committee meeting as early as next week.

Harris also denied her hesitation was due to Reillys saber-rattling.

Its one person running the meeting, and thats the president, Harris said, referring to the mayor. She then waved Reillys flyers and asserted, This is irrelevant.

Reilly, meanwhile, spiked the ball, telling reporters Im glad that the administration blinked.

Asked about the delay, Johnson argued there was no heat from critics who oppose Sigcho-Lopezs appointment. He played down the controversies surrounding the Pilsen alderman and said there is nobody on the council better suited for the Zoning post.

He has fought against gentrification. He is clear about the need for economic development, as well as affordable housing, Johnson told reporters during a news conference after the council meeting. Thats what the people of Chicago want.

Still, Sigcho-Lopez has always had detractors on the council who dont appreciate his outspoken positions. And the flag incident hardened some colleagues feelings toward him.

Sigcho-Lopez maintained after his appearance at the rally in March that he did not see the flag. A Marine combat veteran set the flag aflame to protest Americas support of Israel before Sigcho-Lopez arrived, the alderman said at the time. Nonetheless, Sigcho-Lopezs stout criticism of the war in Gaza has bristled pro-Israel advocates and anti-semitism watchdogs, including the Anti-Defamation League.

The Pilsen alderman has also fiercely derided gentrification in his Latino-heavy Southwest Side ward, often earning the ire of the real estate industry. Realtors and developers say that attitude has a chilling effect on development.

By seeking to tap Sigcho-Lopez as the influential Zoning chair  a role previous 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis held when he faced federal faced corruption charges  Johnson was signaling he plans to press ahead with his leftist agenda that the Zoning Committee has not made many moves on. The more politically moderate Ald. Bennett Lawson, 44th, is keeping the Zoning seat warm on an interim basis.

The Zoning Committee has been without a permanent chair since early November, when Johnsons first pick, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, resigned amid bullying allegations. The stalemate reflects the slow pace Johnsons administration has taken with vacancies as well as the rancorous tenor of this era in City Council.

Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, was accused of manhandling Ald. Emma Mitts, 37th, after a video surfaced showing him standing in front of the council chambers door as she tried to enter the room for a vote on placing a symbolic question on the citys sanctuary status on this years primary election ballot. Three other aldermen then accused him of threatening to use his zoning power to scuttle projects in their wards if they went against him in a vote.

Ramirez-Rosa publicly apologized to Mitts, who cast a decisive vote saving him from censure, but has denied the manhandling and bullying allegations. For months, he has sought to regain the seat, but his bid to win over Black Caucus aldermen ultimately failed.

He has also done his own behind-the-scenes maneuvering to try to clear his name by commissioning his staff to do a legislative analysis of his Zoning chair decisions to prove that he adhered to aldermanic prerogative throughout his tenure, per the report that was obtained by the Tribune in a public records request. His office presented the findings to Johnsons team in late May, but the mayor nonetheless opted for Sigcho-Lopez instead.

Johnson was also attempting to appoint Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, to replace Sigcho-Lopez as Housing chair, an olive branch to the Black Caucus following the flap between Mitts, the bodys longest-serving sitting Black woman, and Ramirez-Rosa.

Burnett, a political moderate in the body, endorsed Johnsons 2023 runoff opponent Paul Vallas. Johnson nonetheless tapped Burnett to be vice mayor shortly after winning office in a bid to grow his political alliances. His appointment was also delayed Wednesday.

Major votes withheld, but zoning board gets appointees

Many of the most anticipated pieces of legislation set to come up for a vote Wednesday were ultimately withheld, putting them on long runways for potential passage given the councils August recess. Chief among those postponed was an ethics ordinance that has spurred a tiff between the mayor and progressive ally Ald. Matt Martin, 47th.

Martins ordinance would restrict lobbyist donations to Chicago mayors. A 2011 executive order from former Mayor Rahm Emanuel had codified the rule, but the citys ethics board determined it was unenforceable as the board tried to crack down on registered lobbyists improperly donating to Johnsons political committee.

The ordinance merely stops backsliding, Martin said when he advanced it through the Ethics Committee that Johnson named him to chair. Two aldermen last month used a parliamentary tactic to delay a final vote on the measure.

Martin was unsure ahead of a meeting with the mayor Tuesday if he would bring the ordinance back up for consideration. He told the Tribune Wednesday he now intends to pursue final approval in September and said he is considering additions to the legislation.

Aldermen held off on a vote to re-legalize construction of additional dwelling units such as coach houses in most parts of the city. The legislation to relax construction restrictions stalled as the mayor and sponsor Ald. Bennett Lawson, 44th, continued to discuss how it should affect neighborhoods zoned for single-family housing.

Aldermen also did not consider a Lincoln Park development near the Chicago River that would break with the councils tradition of aldermanic prerogative. The 615-unit development with a 25-story tower and 15-story tower advanced past the Zoning Committee with support from Johnson despite opposition from Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, who said the project was too big for the area.

But the council did approve two Johnson appointees to the Zoning Board of Appeals, filling the influential government panel for the first time in almost two years and adding another jolt to the mayors leftist housing agenda even as Sigcho-Lopezs nomination to Zoning foundered.

Former 46th Ward Ald. Helen Shiller and Swathi Staley, general counsel for YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, got the stamp of approval in voice votes.

The now-closed vacancies dogged Johnsons progressive program when a proposed homeless shelter in the 46th Ward failed earlier this year in a ZBA vote. And pro-development advocates complained the short-staffed zoning board was slowing down business.

Ordinance targeting hateful flyers passes, bid to drop speed limit begins

Aldermen also passed an ordinance from Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, that cracks down on the distribution of hateful flyers with new $1,000 fines. The legislation came in response to someone leaving antisemitic flyers attached to rat poison on 80 Lincoln Park cars.

The white supremacist group responsible for the flyers had been able to stay a hair within the law, but would now face punishment, Knudsen said.

Aldermen also approved nearly $22 million to settle lawsuits against the city, including an $11.25 million agreement to end a lawsuit accusing the Fire Department of sexist hiring practices.

Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, introduced an ordinance seeking to lower Chicagos citywide speed limit to 25 mph from 30 mph. The legislation would also launch a pilot program that would allow Chicagoans to take photos of cars obstructing bus and bike lines to 311, enabling the city to ticket the delinquent drivers. La Spatas ordinance was sent to the Rules committee in an apparent bid by opponents to stall the legislation.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com

ayin@chicagotribune.com
MBTA service changes planned in August as repair work continues

The MBTA is planning service changes in August on the Green, Orange, Mattapan, Red, and Haverhill lines as repair work continues.

The service changes will occur as the MBTA continues working to maintain its infrastructure and improve reliability across the system, MBTA officials said in a statement Wednesday.

The MBTA understands how these service changes affect riders daily travels during this period, but we are committed to improving your travels long term with more reliable, timely, and safe service, MBTA said in its statement. We thank riders for their patience as we deliver this important work and for continuing to ride our system.

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/alerts. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site to offer information and assistance during these service changes.

Riders can subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X (the site formerly known as Twitter) @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date service information.

On the Green Line:

Green Line B branch service will be suspended between Boston College and Babcock Street every day for 10 days from Aug. 2  11.

Free and accessible shuttle bus service will make stops between Boston College and Babcock Street.

Riders can find complete information soon at mbta.com/GreenLine.

This service change is in place to perform necessary work as part of the Track Improvement Program, the MBTA said. The Track Improvement Program will replace tracks and ties to alleviate speed restrictions along the line while crews maximize the outage by performing signal work and station amenity upgrades, including new lighting, painting, tiling, power washing, and more.

On the Orange Line:

Orange Line service will be suspended between Wellington and Back Bay during the weekends of Aug. 3  4 and Aug. 17  18.

Free and accessible shuttle buses will make all stops between Wellington and North Station.

For service through the downtown area near Back Bay, riders are encouraged to utilize parallel Green Line service between North Station and Copley.

There will be free fares with the fare gates open at Wellington, North Station, Back Bay, and on the inbound side of Copley for riders making connections to the Green Line.

Riders are encouraged to consider the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line for fare-free service between Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station.

These weekend service changes are in place to accommodate critical signal work in this area of the Orange Line, the MBTA said.

On the Mattapan Line:

Mattapan Line service will be suspended between Mattapan and Ashmont beginning at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, and through the weekend of Aug. 17  18.

Free and accessible shuttle buses will make all stops between Mattapan and Ashmont.

This service change is in place to perform track work along the line and switch work within the Mattapan car yard, officials said.

On the Red Line:

Red Line service will be suspended between JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT every day for seven days from Aug. 19  25.

Free and accessible shuttle bus service will make stops between JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT with the exception of Park Street and Downtown Crossing.

Riders heading southbound should instead disembark at Otis Street @ Summer Street and use the Winter Street concourse to travel between Downtown Crossing and Park Street.

Riders heading northbound should instead disembark at Federal Street @ Franklin Street and use the Winter Street concourse to travel between Downtown Crossing and Park Street.

Shuttle buses will also serve State (on the Orange and Blue lines) and Haymarket (on the Orange and Green lines) for easier connections to other subway lines.

There will be free fares with the fare gates open at JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT.

Riders are encouraged to consider fare-free Commuter Rail service between Braintree and South Station as well as between Porter and North Station.

Riders can find complete information soon at mbta.com/RedLine.

This service change is in place to perform necessary work as part of the Track Improvement Program, officials said.

On the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line:

A special Construction Schedule is in effect on the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line through the end of this summer. The Construction Schedule is available at mbta.com.

During this time, midday inbound trains will operate express between Ballardvale and North Station.

For service to Boston, passengers are encouraged to consider a free connection with Bus Route 137, which operates parallel service.

Passengers may also consider connecting with Lowell and Haverhill Line train service at Anderson/Woburn station.

Haverhill Station is temporarily closed to passengers through summer 2025.

Passengers are asked to instead board and disembark at Bradford. Bradford is about a half mile from Haverhill (about a two-minute drive or a 10-minute walk), features a parking lot with over 300 spaces, and includes outdoor bike storage racks.

An accessible van is operating between Bradford and Haverhill, making connections with trains at Bradford in both directions from the first train to the last train seven days a week. The vans schedule is available at mbta.com.

This service change is in place to accommodate the replacement of the South Elm Bridge, which carries the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line over South Elm Street between Bradford and Haverhill. Using accelerated bridge construction techniques to reduce customer and traffic impacts, the MBTA will replace the nearly-120-year-old bridge with a modern single-span structure with a useful life of 75 years. When construction is complete, Haverhill Line passengers will be provided with a safer, more resilient, and more reliable ride with fewer service disruptions related to the old bridge.

The MBTA previously announced service changes in July.

For more information, visit mbta.com.

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.

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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev laimed that Ukraine joining NATO would be viewed as a declaration of war against Moscow. He emphasized that only "prudence" on the alliance's part could prevent catastrophic consequences for the planet, according to his interview published by a local weekly newspaper.

Medvedev, who is currently a deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, told Argumenty i Fakty that Ukraine's membership would pose more than a direct threat to Moscow's security. "From the very beginning, we have made it clear to NATO that Ukraine's accession is not just a direct threat to Russia's national interests. It is, in fact, a declaration of war, albeit with a delay."

During the recent summit, NATO leaders pledged to support Ukraine on a path toward full Euro-Atlantic integration, including potential NATO membership, without specifying a timeline for accession.

"The actions that Russia's opponents have been taking against us for years, expanding the alliance ... take NATO to the point of no return," Medvedev was quoted as saying.

Medvedev has made numerous controversial and inflammatory statements on social media platforms and has openly challenged Ukraine's right to exist as an independent nation, declaring that "Ukraine is definitely Russia" and calling it "an integral part of Russia's strategic and historical borders."

During his presidency from 2008 to 2012, Medvedev, once seen as a pro-Western modernizer, has transformed into a staunch hawk, cautioning the U.S. and its allies that their support for Kyiv could result in a "nuclear apocalypse."

In a standard Kremlin line since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Medvedev said Russia though does not threaten NATO: "Russia ... has no intention of attacking alliance member countries, and certainly does not aim to turn their populations into fine radioactive dust," Medvedev said.

Read also: Human rights groups call on ICC to investigate prominent Russian propagandists

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ash is a 1-year-old yellow Labrador working with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control trained to assist in fire investigations.

A new, four-legged fire investigator is already hard at work in Colorado.

Ash, a 1-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, has joined the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to aid in fire investigations. Ash is trained to detect accelerants at fire scenes and as a therapy dog.

Ash deployed to seven fires across the state in less than two weeks on the job, the Colorado Division of Fire Protection and Control said in a news release Monday.

She attended training alongside her handler, fire investigator Matthew Morgan, at Jordan Detection K9 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Local fire departments will be able to request Ash and Morgan respond to help investigate suspected arson fires, Morgan told the Coloradoan.

"Were pleased to be able to offer this service of having an accelerant detection canine available to our local fire and law enforcement agencies to act as part of the investigations team," DFPC Fire and Life Safety Section Chief Chris Brunette said in the news release. "Ash is one of only three accelerant detection canines available in Colorado and she is the only one currently at the state level who can quickly be dispatched to serve our communities."

Fire agencies interested in getting Ash and Morgan's help in an investigation or in a demonstration of how Ash investigates can contact the Colorado Division of Fire Protection and Control at cdps_dfpc_invadmin@state.co.us.

"I welcome Ash to the Division of Fire Prevention and Control," Gov. Jared Polis said in the news release. "Here in Colorado, fire season has become year-round, which is why we have doubled down on our fire response efforts. We want to do everything we can to prevent major fires while investing in important response tools. Ash is not only a good girl, but is now an important part of our work to keep Colorado communities safe, and we are excited to see all that she can accomplish."

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado gets detection dog trained to aid in fire investigations
President Joe Biden is hearing calls to withdraw from the presidential race from a new source: major Democratic Party donors.



The New York Times reports that several of the richest contributors to Democrats around the country are trying to use their money to leverage support against Biden staying in the race.



If you dont publicly call for Biden to step aside, you are not getting a dime from me, said Tom Strickler, the founder of Hollywood talent agency WME, to New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrichs team last Thursday. Strickler said he had been planning to financially support seven of the most vulnerable Democratic senators, but would not be doing so because they still backed Bidens candidacy.

Its a message that Ive encouraged my friends to send as well, Strickler said. If you back Biden, you will lose our support. Over and out.

Strickler is one of the few donors willing to oppose Biden publicly, including Hollywood banker Joe Ravitch. Other high-profile Democratic donors, including Henry Laufer, Marilyn Simmons, and Haim Saban all wouldnt comment to the Times.



According to the Times, many of these donors, while committed to replacing Biden, arent sure about the best way to do so. While Strickler is holding back on donations, others are leery about bringing on a backlash against wealthy elites. They also arent sure who to reach out to in Bidens inner circle, and whether money is even the best means of persuasion.



I cant figure out whoif anyonehas influence over this, but donors certainly dont, regardless of what we do, said Ravitch. And to speak out publicly against the president only helps undermine him. Its a catch-22.

Prior to Saturdays assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, several Democrats were calling for Biden to drop out of the race. Those calls had paused after Saturday but now are back in earnest with Representative Adam Schiff becoming the latest to join the movement. Efforts to fast-track Bidens nomination are also facing a backlash. Biden is now being asked to drop out from multiple sourcesbut will any of them persuade him?


The Menendez verdict is in, but the case isnt over

NEW YORK  Twelve New York jurors found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on 16 different corruption charges, but nine Supreme Court justices may have final say on his fate.

Menendez and attorneys for a pair of co-defendants found guilty of bribing the senator said within minutes of the Tuesday verdict that they planned to appeal. But they indicated throughout the two-month trial that an appeal was almost certain if the jury found the defendants guilty.

Larry Lustberg, an attorney for a New Jersey real estate developer found guilty of bribing the senator with cash and gold bars, said hell appeal as long and as high as needed.

The defense attorneys bet may be that the high court, which has undone several of the most high-profile political corruption cases in recent years, will do so again.

Menendezs legal team includes Yaakov Roth, who represented former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in his bribery case and argued on behalf of Bridgegate defendant Bridget Kelly and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco at the Supreme Court  which overturned all three convictions.

One of Menendezs attorneys said Tuesday that appeals would focus on grave issues from the trial.

Menendez, in particular, raised repeated concerns about evidence prosecutors tried to introduce that could step on lawmakers constitutional speech or debate privileges. The clause grants members of Congress a form of immunity that is mostly impenetrable in investigations relating to the official duties of lawmakers, their aides or other congressional officials.

Soon after the trial began in mid-May, Menendezs attorneys asked for a mistrial on speech or debate grounds.

U.S. District Judge Sidney Steins speech or debate rulings created a paradox for prosecutors; each time the judge sided with them, he handed Menendezs legal team more fodder for an appeal that might intrigue the Supreme Court.



As the trial wore on, the senators legal team won at least one speech or debate fight to exclude evidence that federal prosecutors said was critical to proving their allegations that Menendez took bribes to help the Egyptian government. (Even without that evidence, the jury found Menendez guilty of aiding Egypt.)

But Stein also found there were some other communications about legislative activity that prosecutors could show jurors. The judge ultimately let prosecutors introduce a text message Menendez received about a Senate resolution expressing appreciation for Qatars help evacuating refugees from Afghanistan. Prosecutors said Menendez wanted to help a real estate developer cement a multimillion-dollar deal with a member of the Qatari royal family.

The judge also allowed prosecutors to introduce evidence about the legislative activities of other senators, so long as their names are redacted or they are given a pseudonym, like Senator 1.

Even so, Menendez attorney Avi Weitzman said during the trial that showing the resolution to the jurors is a speech or debate problem that should not have been allowed in the case, suggesting possible grounds for appeal.

Stan Brand, a former counsel to the House of Representatives who argued speech or debate issues before the Supreme Court, said Menendezs case could force the courts to revisit some of the key principles underlying Congress protections. Thats because the high court left ill-defined what it means to consider future legislative action, he said, meaning even staff discussions or analyses about future bills could be swept into prosecutions.

Another issue that may pique the interest of appeals court judges is whether Menendez took specific official acts in exchange for bribes.

Defense attorneys could attack that in several ways.

First, they could argue some of the senators actions were not official senatorial actions since some charges involved interactions Menendez had with officials in the Trump administration or at the state level  perhaps not squarely within his constitutional duties.

They could also argue that the speech or debate clause gives the senator immunity for official acts he does take and that acts it doesnt protect him from arent official acts.



Finally, defense attorneys seem likely to challenge that the piles of cash and bars of gold bars found in Menendezs home were bribes.

Prosecutors alleged a trio of New Jersey businesspeople bribed Menendez. One of the businesspeople pleaded guilty and testified against the others in the trial. The other two did not deny that they had given Menendez gifts but suggested they were not bribes but goodwill gifts, which are allowed.

Jurors were given a relatively unique instruction that the senator was allowed to receive such gifts  and they nonetheless found him guilty of bribes.

Still, the Supreme Court has wrestled repeatedly with what constitutes a quid pro quo and may do so again.

Theres a long way to go before the Supreme Court gets involved though.

In coming weeks, attorneys will try to get Stein to overturn some of the convictions using a more routine legal maneuver known as a motion for judgment of acquittal, which gives the judge powers to undo jury verdicts.

There are also more mundane legal issues, like whether the jury instructions were proper.

I have every faith that the law and the facts did not sustain that decision and that we will be successful upon appeal, Menendez told reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday. I have never violated my public oath.

But, for now, 12 jurors are certain beyond a reasonable doubt that he did.
Nvidia fell over 6% Wednesday as the US weighs heavier controls on China's access to chips.

TSM and ASML also fell, tumbling more than 7% and 10%, respectively.

The US hopes tighter restrictions on China will encourage other countries to follow suit.

Chip stocks tumbled on Wednesday, with shares of semiconductor stalwarts like Nvidia down sharply as markets digested reports of a tougher crackdown on trade with China.

Nvida fell more than 6%, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manfacturing Company was down almost 7%, and ASML dropped more than 10%.

The pain in the sector comes as President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly considering even tighter restriction on China's access to high-tech US chip products.

According to Bloomberg, the administration is weighing the use of a rule that allows controls on foreign products that use any American-made tech. It would target companies like TSMC and ASML  both of which are crucial machinery producers for China's own chipmaking business.

In practice, the rule would likely force Taiwan and the Netherlands, where TSMC and ASML respectively based, to tighten their own trade regulations with China.

Implementing the rule would be the Biden administration's latest attempt at cracking down on China's chipmaking business in the hopes of further boosting chipmaking in the US and limiting Beijing's access to cutting-edge technology.

Last November, the US Department of Commerce's Advanced Computing Chips Rule increased sanctions on American-made advanced AI chips, making it increasingly difficult for China to import those from Nvidia, whose chips have been in huge demand to power AI models. And in March, the Biden administration considered sanctions on Chinese semiconductor firms linked to China-based Huawei.

The US blocked China from importing advanced Nvidia chips in 2022, but hasn't completely stopped the chips from making their way into the country with some reports of travelers smuggling the chips in their suitcases or buying via resellers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The move could prevent anyone who planned to build services using Meta's AI models from offering them in Europe.

Meta has decided to not offer its upcoming multimodal AI model and future versions to customers in the European Union citing a lack of clarity from European regulators, according to a statement given by Meta to Axios. The models in question are designed to process not only text but also images and audio, and power AI capabilities in Meta platforms as well as the companys Ray-Ban smart glasses.

"We will release a multimodal Llama model over the coming months, but not in the EU due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment," Meta said in a statement to Axios.

Metas move follows a similar decision by Apple, which recently announced it would not release its Apple Intelligence features in Europe due to regulatory concerns. Margrethe Vesteger, the EUs competition commissioner, had slammed Apples move, saying that the companys decision was a stunning, open declaration that they know 100 percent that this is another way of disabling competition where they have a stronghold already. Withholding Metas multimodal AI models from the EU could have far-reaching implications  it means that any companies that use them to build their products and services would be unable to offer them in Europe.

Thomas Regnier, an EU spokesperson, told Engadget that the regulator does not comment on individual decisions of companies. "It is the companies' responsibility to ensure that their services comply with our legislation," Regnier said in a statement and added that all companies are welcome to offer service in Europe as long as they comply with the bloc's laws, including the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act.

Meta told Axios that it still plans to release Llama 3, the companys upcoming text-only model in the EU. The companys primary concern stems from the challenges of training AI models using data from European customers while complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU's existing data protection law. In May, Meta announced that it planned to use publicly available posts from Facebook and Instagram users to train future AI models but was forced to stop doing so in the EU after receiving pushback from data privacy regulators in the region. At the time, Meta defended its actions, saying that being able to train its models on the data of European users was necessary to reflect local culture and terminology.

"If we dont train our models on the public content that Europeans share on our services and others, such as public posts or comments, then models and the AI features they power wont accurately understand important regional languages, cultures or trending topics on social media," the company said in a blog post. "We believe that Europeans will be ill-served by AI models that are not informed by Europes rich cultural, social and historical contributions."

Despite its reservations about releasing its multimodal models in the EU, Meta still plans to launch them in the UK, which has similar data protection laws to the EU. The company argued that European regulators are taking longer to interpret existing laws compared to their counterparts in other regions.

Update, July 18 2024, 6:40 PM ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from an EU spokesperson.
NASA said that it does not track small meteors at "significant" distances from Earth, but individuals in New York and New Jersey reported witnessing the event

Gary Hershorn/Getty New York City's skyline

A small meteor was responsible for a big fireball over New York City on Tuesday, July 16, authorities said.

The astronomical event was first detected about 49 miles above Upper Bay/New York Harbor and moved west towards New Jersey at 38,000 mph, passing over the Statue of Liberty before disintegrating about 29 miles above midtown Manhattan, NASA confirmed in a statement.

Witnesses described seeing a fireball, hearing booms and feeling shakings between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time, NASA said.

It is unclear if the sounds were related to the meteor or were due to military operations happening at the same time in New Jersey, Bill Cooke, with NASAs Meteoroid Environments Office said, per ABC affiliate WABC-TV.

Related: Moon Cave Found Near Apollo 11 Landing Site Could One Day House Humans, Scientists Say

However, he added that the event was an unusual occurrence.

"Something when it's moving that fast it heats up, Cooke said. You expect to see meteors at night not during the day, so this was a rare daylight fireball."

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While no meteorites were reported, the meteor gave pause to those underneath its trajectory.

"It was long and really, really fast," Judah Bergman, who saw the meteor from his Lakewood, N.J. office, told WABC. "It looked like a flaming, long rod or something on fire and flying through the sky."

The meteor was not even on NASAs radar, at first, according to the organization.

Related: Astronaut Joe Engle, Last Surviving X-15 Pilot, Dies at 91

We do keep track of asteroids that are capable of posing a danger to us Earth dwellers, but small rocks like the one producing this fireball are only about a foot in diameter, incapable of surviving all the way to the ground, NASA said in its statement. We do not (actually cannot) track things this small at significant distances from the Earth, so the only time we know about them is when they hit the atmosphere and generate a meteor or a fireball.

While some seasoned New Yorkers were nonplussed, according to The New York Times, at least one resident who observed the moment reveled in its rarity.

Theres something magical about it, Tina Dang, a private chef, said. You forget about these incredible moments in life, when so much else is going on.

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Read the original article on People.
On 8 March 1895, a quixotic Mexican journalist-turned-revolutionary called Catarino Erasmo Garza was killed in battle a long way from home, his body tipped into a mass grave and lost.

More than a century later Garzas story has been revived by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who last week confirmed an expedition to what is now Panama had found and would repatriate his remains  even as critics questioned the use of public money when there are more than 100,000 disappeared people in todays Mexico.

Lopez Obrador has a soft spot for Garza, about whom he wrote a book. He requested the expedition and the senate approved it earlier this year, dispatching a boat with almost 100 soldiers and staff from the National Search Commission to Bocas del Toro.

As a young journalist on the US-Mexico border in the late 19th century, Garza railed against the then regime of Porfirio Diaz, whose 30-year rule saw a centralised state drive uneven development through infrastructure and foreign investment while stifling political liberties and muzzling the press.

Garza would eventually mount a harebrained incursion from Texas into Mexico with a band of fewer than 100 armed men, hoping to eventually reach the capital and dethrone Diaz.

Related: Mexico battles over legacy of revolutionary Emiliano Zapata

The last of the independent journalists, the most humble of all, today puts down his pen to take up the sword in defence of the rights of the Mexican people, wrote Garza. Down with the tyrants. Long live the Mexican people.

The scheme failed in a little over a week, and Garza retreated to the US.

Soon after, he went into exile and landed in Costa Rica, where he joined up with Colombian liberals engaged in their own civil war, hoping to make allies that might one day help him topple Diaz in Mexico.

Garza, then 35 years old, was shot dead during an assault on a barracks in Bocas del Toro, in what was then part of Gran Colombia, before his body was tossed into a mass grave.

The expedition sent by the Mexican government recovered fragments of teeth and bone from the suspected site, which was identified as Garzas thanks to genetic information from his exhumed daughter, according to the revolutionarys great-grandson, Carlos Tijerina.

Lopez Obrador described Garza as an important revolutionary and said he hoped to hold a tribute to him in Matamoros, his birthplace, to celebrate the return of his remains.

The historian Alfredo Avila told El Pais that Lopez Obrador admires Garza because he sees him as a precursor to the Mexican Revolution of 1911 that did eventually topple Diaz  and Lopez Obrador compares the governments before his own with Diazs regime.

Thats why a movement like Garzas, opposing the regime, stirs the sympathies of the president, said Avila.

The expedition was criticised by relatives of the disappeared in todays Mexico, who questioned why such resources were available to look for a long-dead revolutionary when the institutions searching for their loved ones suffer budget restraints.

Last year the National Search Commission was roiled by the departure of Karla Quintana, who had led it since 2019 and resigned citing political pressure to bring the number of disappeared down.

Quintana was replaced by Teresa Guadalupe Reyes Sahagun, who before that had been the general director of the National Institute for Adult Education.

According to reports from staff, more than 100 people have since lost their jobs or did not have their contracts renewed.

The Extraordinary Mechanism for Forensic Identification, set up in 2019 to help identify the more than 50,000 bodies lying in Mexicos forensic system, is also set to close.

How can they put so many human and economic resources into looking for this person in Panama when they arent looking for the disappeared in our own country, who moreover disappeared during [Lopez Obradors] presidency? asked Cecil Flores, founder of the Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, when the expedition was announced.

Tijerina, Garzas great-grandson, told Animal Politico, that he was excited to find out where Garzas remains are, but thought too much money had been spent on the search. He added that the Mexican government had proposed he sign a letter on behalf of his family stating that they asked for the expedition, and he had refused.

I dont want someone to say in the future: Look, because of your great-grandfather you were prioritised over thousands of people, said Tijerina. Were on the [US-Mexico] border. We know what its like here, where people are disappearing.
Miami Beach police are asking the community for help in finding a man who attacked a woman walking on the Beachwalk overnight on Tuesday.

Around 1 a.m., police were called to a woman being attacked in the 2300 block of the Beachwalk on Miami Beach police said.

Miami Beach police are asking for the communitys help in finding a man who allegedly battered a woman, authorities said.

The unidentified woman was rollerblading when a man rushed her from behind and attacked her, police said.

The suspected assailant is in his 20s to 30s who is between 58 and 59. He has arm tattoos and short-length hair twists.

Miami Beach polices sexual battery unit is investigating the crime.

WSVN 7 News obtained video of the attack, which showed a man running up behind a woman, tackling her to the ground before he fled..

WARNING, GRAPHIC:



Surveillance video obtained by #7News shows a woman on rollerblades accosted and choked, before being dragged off the beachwalk and raped near 23rd Street overnight. The attacker wanted. Call @MiamiBeachPD or @CrimeStopper305. @wsvn @jholly #Exclusive pic.twitter.com/psVIcjTESP  Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) July 16, 2024

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
For many veterans, the sounds of fireworks on the Fourth of July or any sudden bang resembling a gunshot can be triggering. For one Black veteran in Miami, her trigger was a sudden ambush from police for allegedly no good reason at all.



Naomi Simmons tells NBC Miami she was in her home on June 14 with her 7-year-old daughter when their peace was disrupted by a loud bang on her daughters window. When she went to open the front door, Simmons told reporters all she saw was two men standing with guns drawn, pointing in her face.

They didnt say anything, so I just thought it was random people, she said.

When she asked why the men were there, she said they finally identified themselves as Miami-Dade police officers. Simmons said they told her they were looking for Marquise Wiley,who had an active warrant for a felony gun charge.

To her surprise, officers told her the address on his ID was the address of her home where shed been living for over a year, the report says. Miami-Dade authorities told NBC Miami they were ordered by a judge to transfer Wiley to Miami-Dade County jail for the charge.

They also said that at the time officers responded to Simmons home, Wiley did not appear to be in custody according to their databases.

After failing to locate him at the home, the officers left. However, Simmons told reporters she decided to do her own research via her cellphone and found where Wiley was: Broward County Jail. According to the Broward County Sheriffs Office, Wiley was there for the past few months on a robbery charge and immediately transferred to prison after his guilty verdict came down in May.

So, why were the cops even at Simmons house...? The Air Force vet asked the same question but also told NBC Miami she was left shaken by the encounter, reflecting on her PTSD from serving in Afghanistan. Her neighbor, who served in Vietnam, echoed the notion, telling the outlet many soldiers died innocently opening a door only to experience gunfire.

Simmons refuses to chalk up the incidentas an honest mishap.

Frustrating and scary because you see all these things on the news about people that look like me, men and women, who are getting killed because police showed up at the wrong house, she told NBC Miami.

The incident draws eerie comparisons to the evening Breonna Taylor was killed back in 2020 during a botched drug raid. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Williams, who survived the incident, recalled his door being bussed down by shadowy figures with guns who never once announced themselves as SWAT officers with the Louisville Police Department.

After firing a warning shot and striking one of the cops in the leg, a hail of bullets came flying into the apartment, many of which struck and killed Taylor as she stood behind Williams in the hallway.

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Michael Jackson poses at a press conference before a date on his HIStory world tour in 1996. - Credit: Phil Dent/Redferns

An appellate panel in Los Angeles says Katherine Jackson should remember the time she first objected to the $600 million sale of her sons catalog to Sony more than a year ago. Because she failed to argue then that the asset sale allegedly violated the terms of Michael Jacksons will, she cant do it now on appeal, the three-judge panel says.

In a new tentative opinion expected to be adopted over the next 90 days, the appellate panel sided with Michael Jacksons estate executors and said Katherine Jackson forfeited the core claim of her appeal by not raising it in the lower court that first rubber-stamped the deal. The tentative ruling from Californias Second Appellate District went on to say that even if Katherine had raised that issue in the probate court, it wouldnt have mattered. Looking at the merits of her appeal, the judges said they agree with the prior judges ruling that the executors had the full power and authority to negotiate the sale.

More from Rolling Stone

Katherines lawyer was set to give an oral argument for the appeal effort Wednesday, but waived the appearance after the tentative was issued. The tentative, obtained by Rolling Stone, ended with the warning that this court will not entertain further briefing or grant a continuance. (The lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.)

Katherine did not contend [in the lower court] that the sale violated the terms of Michaels will or were inconsistent with the Probate Code. Indeed, as the executors note, Katherine agreed in the probate court that the will gives the executors the power to sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the estates real or personal property, the judges wrote. They pointed out that Katherine instead challenged the proposed transaction on the grounds that the assets to be sold were valuable and would appreciate over time, the estate did not need the cash generated by the sale, the sale violated Michaels wishes as communicated to various members of his family, and the executors took no steps to confirm that the sale price was at or above fair market value.

But either way, the judges wrote, We tentatively conclude that Katherines challenge fails on the merits because the probate courts order does not violate the terms of Michaels will. They said that while Katherine argued under appeal that Michaels will required the executors to sell off as little of the estate as possible after paying legitimate estate debts, the language of the will does not suggest this limitation. They said a common-sense interpretation of the will gives the executors authority to sell, invest or otherwise manage estate property until probate closes and the estate as it exists then. Once probate closes, the assets are to be distributed to the trust benefitting Michaels three children, named as his full heirs, and Katherine, named as a lifetime beneficiary only.

Story continues

The eye-watering $600 million catalog sale was first reported by Billboard and later confirmed by Rolling Stone. According to an appellate brief previously filed by the executors, the asset sale was negotiated to take advantage of an asset market that was by far the hottest it had ever been. The deal, which closed amid Katherines appeal, lets the estate maintain effective control over Michaels music while diversifying its range of assets, the filing reads.

In her appellate filings leading up to the tentative ruling, Katherine and her lawyers called the deal wholly improper. They said she was seeking appellate relief so she could sue the estate for breach of fiduciary duty. (The lower courts approval of the deal otherwise gives the executors immunity from lawsuits over its propriety.)

In a heavily redacted filing obtained by Rolling Stone, estate lawyer Jonathan P. Steinsapir called the deal a remarkable one that gives the estate the best of both worlds in terms of tax benefits and earnings. He said that under the deal, the estate retains the right to control critical decisions related to Michaels name, image and likeness and exercise day-to-day control over his trademarks. Over the past 14 years, the executors have exercised their powers with extraordinary care and extraordinary diligence with extraordinary results. As the probate court recognized in its [underlying decision], What started out as nothing but debt and substantial ongoing obligations has been turned into a $2 billion estate,' he wrote.

None of Michaels three adult kids  Prince, Paris and Bigi Jackson  filed written objections to the estate petition for court approval of the transaction. Lawyers for Prince and Paris said at a March 2023 hearing that they did not object. A lawyer for Bigi reserved the youngest siblings right to object, court filings state. In March of this year, Bigis lawyer David Coleman wrote to the court this his client considered the asset sale of paramount significance, both financially and personally, but that he did not support Katherines appeal.

Bigi objected to the proposed transaction. He believed that the executors should prove the necessity of the proposed transaction to the court, the lawyer wrote. But once the court heard from Katherine and Bigi and still decided to approve the transaction, Bigi was persuaded that the deal couldnt be stopped, he said. The chances of a reversal on appeal were quite slim, and Bigi did not wish to incur further expense in pursuing an appeal, the lawyer wrote.

Michael Jackson was 50 years old when he died of an accidental overdose of the surgery strength anesthetic propofol at his rented mansion in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009. His estate has been in probate ever since. A major roadblock to funding his heirs trust is a tax dispute with the IRS involving over $700 million in alleged unpaid taxes and penalties. According to estate filings, the final liability paid by the estate will be a tiny fraction of that amount thanks to legal maneuvering. The valuation of one remaining, unidentified asset is holding up final resolution of the tax issue, the estate has said, and in the meantime, the IRS continues to have a lien on estate assets.

Meanwhile, Michael Jacksons companies are again defendants in revived lawsuits from two of his molestation accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck. The men claim the companies are liable for their alleged abuse as children.

Best of Rolling Stone
The mom of a 7-year-old girl facing a first degree murder charge in connection with the child's death admitted to investigators that she drowned her daughter because she wanted "time alone after having a rough day," court documents say.

Hendersonville Police were called to Drakes Creek near Sanders Ferry Road on Saturday after authorities were notified that the 7-year-old drowned, according to a press release from the department.

More: Middle Tennessee mom charged in connection with child's drowning death in Drakes Creek

Brandi Elliott, 33, told police that she'd left her apartment and sat at the bottom of the stairwell, court documents say.

Her daughter, Piper, not wanting to stay at the residence by herself, refused to leave her mother alone, the documents say, noting that Brandi Elliott took the girl across the street and began to walk the greenway.

The woman told police, "Since the victim would not give her what she wanted, time alone, that she would give the victim what she wanted," the documents read.

Brandi Elliott had just celebrated her birthday two days before the incident, records show.

Kip Ziemer, a friend of the family, said the mother and daughter visited Elliott's husband, Jon, at a hospital, where he was being treated for a medical issue hours before the girl's drowning death.

Jon Elliott remained hospitalized Wednesday, his friends said.

He posted about his daughter on social media after learning of her death.

"Piper Elliott is a new angel in Heaven. A beautiful angel was taken before she could begin her journey through life. May the arms of the angels in heaven wrap their wings around her and guide her through the gates of heaven. Piper, you are loved and missed." Jon Elliott wrote in a Facebook post.

'A really hard job'

Dr. David McMillian, a Nashville psychologist, has seen cases like Brandi Elliott's before.

Cases involving parents who are accused of killing their children are more about why a parent hasn't grown up instead of why someone could do such an awful thing, McMillian told The Tennessean. He said it comes down to impulse control.

"You may have had a brother or sister and wanted to kill them... children have those feelings and certainly, all children are a pain in the (behind). And it's difficult to be a parent. It's a really hard job," said McMillian, a psychologist of 40 years.

While there is no instruction manual to being a parent, McMillian believes a parent who kills their child lacks the ability to put their children first, before his or her own needs, he said.

"She's just like all of us," McMillian said of Brandi Elliott. "We're all capable of doing really bad things."

Court records show Brandi Elliott told investigators that she told her daughter to be quiet while she held her under the water.

Brandi Elliott said she realized she had done something wrong and tried to revive her daughter with CPR after pulling the girl from the water, the documents said.

But it was too late.

Piper Elliott was taken by ambulance to TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon on Saturday.

Supporting the family

Ziemer said he's known the Elliott family for 10 years.

He set up a GoFundMe account to support Jon Elliott. Ziemer said he is still in disbelief after hearing the allegations against Brandi Elliott.

For now, Ziemer said he is regularly visiting the Elliott home to take care of the family dog and has offered to let Jon Elliott stay with him once he is released from the hospital.

There was no specific timeline on when a release might happen.

Ziemer's GoFundMe account had raised more than $4,700 to help support Jon Elliott, a disabled Marine veteran, as of Wednesday afternoon.

"He's going to need all the help he can get," Ziemer said, adding that he hopes Jon Elliott can be released from the hospital in time to see his daughter one last time before the funeral.

Brandi Elliott remained jailed without bond Wednesday in Sumner County.

She is scheduled to appear in Sumner County General Sessions Court on July 29.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Hendersonville Police Department at 615-822-1111 or the Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at 615-594-4113.

Tips can also be submitted by texting the keyword TIPHPD to the number 274637 (CRIMES).

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hendersonville mom confessed to daughter's drowning death, cops claim
Longtime education advocate Mike Moroski stepped down from the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education Monday night to focus on his work at the Human Services Chamber of Hamilton County, where he is executive director.

"This has been a very difficult decision for me to make and one Ive been considering for some time, but it is the right one for my family and for me personally," Moroski said during Monday's board meeting. He declined interviews with the press including The Enquirer.

Moroski joined the school board in 2018. The board is now taking applications for his open seat. Whoever is chosen will finish Moroski's term, set to expire in December of 2025.

To apply, candidates must be:

A Cincinnati resident.

Registered to vote.

At least 18 years old.

A U.S. citizen.

Interested candidates should apply by noon July 24. Applications are available online. The board plans to appoint its new member in early August.

Moroski is well known in the community for being outspoken about policy and equity reforms, among other, more quirky pastimes and passions. He's been known to post his thoughts and feelings on everything from LGBTQ+ issues to gun control on social media  at least once getting into a pretty nasty debate with the Hamilton County Republican Party on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Back in 2015, he dreamt up a retail store for when Ohio legalizes marijuana. You may have seen him over the last several years jogging miles and miles across the city as he's taken up long-distance running. He's also the front man for a local band, Jam Band Jovi, which plays gigs around the city and in Northern Kentucky.

Here's a look at Moroski's time on the Cincinnati school board.

An advocate for restorative practices and anti-racism

Moroski helped develop the district's anti-racism policy, which the board approved in 2020. The policy states the district rejects all forms of racism and aims to eliminate racism throughout the district by removing disparities in student discipline rates and hiring practices, among other actions.

Policy 2256 (Anti-Racism Policy) has unanimously passed. It is now official policy of Cincinnati Public Schools that we reject all forms of racism as destructive to the Districts mission, vision, values, and goals. There is much work to be done, but this is a big step.  Mike Moroski (@mike_moroski) December 16, 2020

Throughout his tenure, Moroski made sure to acknowledge student activists. The Young Activists Coalition, which has rallied against the continued presence of school resource officers for years, often thanked Moroski for his support  often lone support  in their efforts to bring more equity to Cincinnati Public Schools.

In September 2022, when the district passed a resolution committing to continue its school resource officer program, Moroski was the only no vote.

Data on police officers in schools show "a disproportionate impact on our Black students," Moroski said during a debate leading up to the 2021 election.

Aside from his work in policy and advocacy, Moroski also performs regularly at local bars and events with his band, Jam Band Jovi.

Moroski was also quick to draft resolutions that reaffirmed the district's commitment to supporting students and teachers of color whenever bills condemning diversity were brought to the Statehouse.

COVID-19 policies: Moroski was adamant about masks, vaccines

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Moroski voted most on the side of caution. He could be seen wearing a mask even after most other board members and meeting attendees stopped doing so.

He was adamant that the district come up with strict COVID-19 policies and procedures that would keep kids and students safe, especially in the early months of the pandemic, before many knew much about the virus and how it was spread.

Mike Moroski, Cincinnati Public Schools board member, speaks during a board meeting where Iranetta Wright was voted Cincinnati Public Schools superintendent Feb. 28, 2022.

While he was on the board, the district became the first in Ohio to require its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Moroski even advocated, at one point, for a student vaccine mandate. That policy never passed, but Moroski raised concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Cincinnati's schools.

"I just think it's only fair that everybody who can be vaccinated, we ask them to be vaccinated," he said during a board meeting in September of 2021.

He was frustrated when the district fought to keep its doors open despite rising rates of infection.

"If we don't shut down for this pandemic, the pandemic is going to shut us down," he said during a January 2022 board meeting, as the board discussed rising COVID-19 cases.

Moroski also texted his colleagues about his disapproval of some of the board's COVID-19 related resolutions, which were published in an Enquirer report in 2021.

Reshaping the district's policies

Moroski served as chair of the policy and equity committee for most of his time on the school board.

During his tenure he worked with this committee to update dozens of district policies. From one-word changes to full overhauls, Moroski led the effort to bring the district's policies up to par and in line with Ohio law.

His fellow board members often thanked him for this work at board meetings, as board President Eve Bolton did again Monday night.

"We extend our gratitude to Mike Moroski for his service, in particular his work leading the Policy and Equity Committee, which furthered our districts efforts to prioritize diversity, equity and excellence," Bolton said.

A voice against Ohio's unfair school funding system

Frequent school board meeting attendees can attest: Moroski brought up Ohio's inequitable and unconstitutional school funding system whenever he could.

The state's school funding model was deemed unconstitutional in 1997. Lawmakers have tried and failed to remedy the state's school funding plan  which relies heavily on local property taxes and, some, including Moroski, say unfairly punishes districts in poverty. It is an ongoing issue that leaves many districts scrambling to fund their schools year to year.

Moroski even wrote an op-ed for The Enquirer about school funding woes before he was elected to the school board, in 2014.

"Cincinnati is a segregated city in a segregated region, and that should embarrass all of us. Yes, we are making strides, but we need to make leaps. I know there are a lot of really great people in this area," he wrote in the op-ed. "My advice to those people is to get involved and make yourselves heard. Together, we can right these awful wrongs."

On Monday, Moroski lamented that Cincinnati Public Schools will always have budget woes "as long as Cincinnati remains a city in the State of Ohio."

"It is not easy trying to manage a half billion-dollar operation in a state that has no interest in the product you work to create," he said.

What does Moroski think of the future of Cincinnati Public Schools?

Moroski said he believes the school district is in good hands. He's a fan of Interim Superintendent Shauna Murphy and said as much at his last board meeting on Monday.

"I have great faith in the future of this school district under Interim Superintendent Murphys leadership, and I have great faith in my colleagues to help create an environment in which she can succeed so that she can do what is right for students and families," Moroski said. "I have long admired Ms. Murphy and I am grateful to call her 'friend.' I think she is the perfect choice to lead this school district far into the future."

School board member Mike Moroski asks a question during a Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education weekly meeting in Avondale on Feb. 12, 2018.

Moroski also said he's still going to be around. Through his role leading the Human Services Chamber, he will be in touch regularly with the district and district families.

"This district is a big system that impacts our families a great deal and when I am no longer an elected member of its governing board then I will have more opportunity to work with my 100+ members in the chamber to help CPS actualize its goals of equity and excellence in education," Moroski said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mike Moroski exits CPS. Here's what he did while on the school board
The U.S. military has not properly tracked whether service members are exposed to burn pits, according to a new report by Pentagons internal watchdog.

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, American personnel regularly used these sites  essentially giant piles of trash set on fire  to dispose of waste. Some of that garbage included plastics, chemicals, rubber and other items that turned when burned.

As a result, military service members stationed near the pits have been found to be more likely to suffer from diseases like hypertension and asthma years later. And in 2022, the president signed a bill speeding up benefits for such personnel.

At issue in the Defense Department Inspector General report released Thursday was whether the Pentagon has monitored burn pits that sit near military sites but werent created by the U.S. military itself.

The Office of the Inspector General centered this audit on Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti and investigated from November to April.

Its main finding was a missing piece of the policy. The DOD does not require military commanders to monitor burn pits created by locals rather than the U.S. military, the report said. Without such a policy, American service members exposed to toxic smoke may not have that listed in their health records.

This policy gap in identifying and reporting non-DoD-controlled burn pits can result in missing information on the DoDs watch list of known burn pits, wrote Robert Storch, the Pentagons inspector general. When this information goes unreported, the ong-term health of Service members exposed to deadly toxins from burn pits could be put at risk.

Storch recommended that the head of Pentagon acquisition and sustainment revise the policy and require commanders in the field to tell their combatant commander about any burn pits within about 2.5 miles of American military sites.

In a response to the report, Ronald Tickle, deputy assistant secretary of defense for environmental management and restoration, agreed with the recommendation and said his office would revise the policy to be clearer.
Milwaukee mayor reacts to fatal shooting of homeless man by Ohio police in town for RNC

The morning after Ohio police in town for the Republican National Convention fatally shot a homeless man, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Wednesday said the officers' response appeared to have saved another man's life.

"No one, absolutely no one, wanted this outcome, and I anticipate a full as well as thorough investigation," Johnson said during an early morning press conference outside City Hall. "The deceased individual had family, had friends, and my thoughts certainly are with them. My thoughts are also with the police officers from Columbus, Ohio. I'm sure they did not expect to be drawn into a tragic situation such as the one that they were involved in yesterday."

He added: "The information we have leaves a clear impression that these Columbus officers, they saved the life of an unarmed man from death or perhaps serious injury."

On Tuesday afternoon, five officers from Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a man identified by a cousin as Samuel Sharpe Jr., who lived in one of Milwaukee's tent encampments and was known in the near west side neighborhood around King Park.

Thirteen Columbus officers were holding a briefing when they saw an altercation between two people, one of whom had a knife in each hand, according to preliminary information provided by Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman late Tuesday.

He did not drop the knives when ordered to by police and instead suddenly lunged at the other person, which is when police opened fire, Norman said.

Police body camera footage from one of the Columbus officers shows a man armed with two knives moving toward another man and not complying with officers' orders to drop it. The footage was released hours after the shooting.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson makes his way to the podium on Wednesday, Day 3 of the Republican National Convention. Johnson's morning briefing included details on the fatal shooting from the previous day involving a Milwaukee man and five officers from Columbus, Ohio, in town as part of the RNC security force.

Mourners on Tuesday night took to the streets, condemning Milwaukee officials for hosting the RNC, a national special security event that brought 4,000 or so officers to the city from across the state and nation.

Some said the outcome would have been different had Milwaukee police familiar with the area and the unhoused people who reside there responded to the situation instead of out-of-town officers.

Johnson called the situation "tragic" but also pushed back.

"I don't want people to lose their lives," he said. "My understanding from the conversations that I've had with police officers is that the likelihood is that any officer who saw a citizen about to be attacked by somebody wielding not one knife but two knives, refused officers' commands to drop the knives and then proceeded to lunge at an individual in a manner that was threatening would have taken the same action," Johnson said.

The shooting took place at North 14th and West Vliet streets, just under a mile west of the RNC's security perimeter.

This story will be updated.

Journal Sentinel reporters John Diedrich, Ashley Luthern, Jessica Van Egeren, Sophie Carson, David Clarey, Drake Bentley, Gina Lee Castro, and Jessica Rodriguez contributed to this story along with USA TODAY-Network reporters Bethany Bruner, Bailey Gallion, Shahid Meighan, Michael Loria, Michael Collins.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee mayor reacts to police shooting of homeless man during RNC
The Republican National Convention is bringing a hoard of die-hard Donald Trump supporters from across the country to Wisconsin, where some residents are echoing they're support for the former president.

At Milwaukee Public Market, ABC News asked local voters who they plan to support in the 2024 election.

"Donald Trump, 100%. I've been voting for him since 2016, and I'll keep doing it till he stays alive," said Joseph Savaglio, who grew up in Milwaukee and has lived here for decades. "Because he hasn't changed his stance one bit on anything he's started with, and he's going to stay the same way till he goes."

Savaglio said the issues that matter to him most are the economy and border security.

PHOTO: Milwaukee residents speak to ABC News about who they are voting for and why. (ABC News)

Mary Jo McBurney, a born-and-raised Milwaukeean, also said she is all in for Trump.

"We need to balance our checkbook," she said. "In Washington, they don't care what they spend our money on. And it's not their money. It's the people's money. And they just act like it's theirs. It's okay. Spend it however they want, and it's not fair. And I think I've always thought a businessperson should run the country."

PHOTO: Milwaukee residents speak to ABC News about who they are voting for and why. (ABC News)

But for other residents of the city, Election Day is still months away and they're minds are not yet made up. These are the voters that both President Joe Biden and former President Trump will have to vye for in the critical swing state that was determined by just 20,000 votes in the 2020 election.

Wayne Beckes, said he has not decided who he will vote for in 2024, and believed both Biden and Trump were too old to be president and didn't support Vice President Kamala Harris.

The lack of choices, he said, means he will either look to go "third party or have to knuckle down to figure out which one of the other guys is going to get it."

What is he looking for in a leader?

"Somebody decisive. Somebody that wants to take control of situations that need to be taken control of and make quick decisions and get things done," he said.

Beckes said his top concerns as a voter were funds being sent overseas, as he'd like to see that money spent helping Americans, as well abortion rights and gun control. He said he supports a woman's right to choose and would like to see some form of gun control passed.

PHOTO: Milwaukee residents speak to ABC News about who they are voting for and why. (ABC News)

Atlas, a 23-year-old who just moved to the area, expressed similar frustration about Biden and Trump being the major candidates.

"It's crazy," she said. "I think it's insane. I just think, I wish anything else was happening, any other presidential candidates were possible."

As things stand right now, she said she was leaning more toward Biden.

"I don't see a world in which I vote for Trump, ever," she said. "Because he's a felon, he is sexist, misogynistic, has said racist comments."

But she said she believes both are too "old to be president."

Endia Frazier, a young Black voter, said she was trying to do research on different candidates and wasn't supportive of either Trump or Biden.

"The candidates we have is just not up to par to what the United States really needs honestly," she said, adding that an ideal candidate is someone younger who can understand the current issues most Americans are facing and someone they want to celebrate.

"I don't want to just not use my vote because my vote has been fought for through generations. So I know my vote is very important, but the candidates that are presented to me right now, they suck, honestly."

These Milwaukee voters are undecided, and unenthusiastic, about Biden and Trump originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an Owatonna car dealership employee can sue the State Patrol for injuries sustained in an unprovoked K-9 attack.

Cristina Berrier, who worked at the dealership that regularly services State Patrol vehicles, had sued after she was attacked on March 15, 2019 by Diesel, a K-9 service dog. Berrier alleged that she suffered serious and permanent injuries from the attack.

In a 4-2 decision, Justice Margaret H. Chutich wrote for the majority that the state was not immune from prosecution under Minnesota's dog-bite statute.

"Because we conclude that the Legislature plainly, clearly, and unmistakably waived sovereign immunity for claims brought under the dog-bite statute, we hold that the State Patrol may be sued under that provision." Chutich wrote.

A spokesperson for the State Patrol did not have immediate comment and said officials were reviewing the decision. Berrier's attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment.

Berrier's lawsuit was initially filed in Steele County District Court, where a judge denied a motion to dismiss by the State Patrol. But the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled last year that the State Patrol could not be held liable under the statute, citing sovereign immunity  a legal doctrine which states that the government cannot be sued without its consent.

In overturning the Appeals Court Wednesday, the Supreme Court wrote that Minnesota's Tort Claims Act established that the state can be held liable "under circumstances where the state, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant."

Berrier alleged in her lawsuit that her injuries were "a direct and proximate result" of the State Patrol's negligence.

While she did not cite Minnesota's dog-bite statute, the Supreme Court did, saying it imposes "strict liability" on the owner of a dog if it attacks without provocation. It reads:

"The owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained. The term 'owner' includes any person harboring or keeping a dog but the owner shall be primarily liable."

Last year, Berrier's attorney Grant Borgen told the Star Tribune that Berrier was seriously injured by Diesel, who Borgen said regularly hung out in the service bay area while the unnamed trooper brought his squad car in. Borgen said the trooper directed Berrier to put Diesel back in the squad car, and she followed his directive.

"She petted [Diesel] goodbye like she had done on occasions before that and the dog bit her," Borgen said. "This dog was not trained to attack; it was a trained to detect narcotics."

The bite on her hand required surgery to treat an infection, Borgen said.

Justice Karl C. Procaccini dissented from the majority opinion, citing the fact that the state's dog-bite statute, "does not plainly, clearly, and unmistakably waive the State's sovereign immunity."

Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson joined Procaccini in his dissent, while Justice Sarah E. Hennesy took no part in the decision.

Star Tribune staff writer Kim Hyatt contributed to this story.
It would be a miracle: Relic still missing from Cathedral of the Madeleine

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Last week, the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City reported that a relic of St. Mary Magdalene was stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine and, according to the latest update, it has yet to be returned.

The Diocese of Salt Lake City said the relic is a small bone fragment from St. Mary Magdalene and was stolen on July 10. It was reported the theft was discovered at 7 a.m. that day when one of the cathedral staff found the reliquary broken on the floor beneath the crucifix. A recent press release said the relic is still missing.

PREVIOUS STORY: Relic stolen from Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City

It would be a miracle if it were returned, said Father Martin Diaz, the cathedral rector.

The press release said that Fr. Martin Diaz is proceeding as though the relic will not return, and is planning to send a request to Rome about obtaining another relic of St. Mary Magdalene.

However, the press release says this will not have the same historical significance as the original, which was brought to Utah in 1918 by the Right Rev. Joseph S. Glass, second Bishop of Salt Lake.

It has no monetary value whatsoever, Fr. Martin Diaz told ABC4.com. In that sense, its both worthless and priceless at the same time. For us, there is no price and it just breaks your heart to have something that is so precious to the community just, in a sense, desecrated.

Fr. Martin Diaz said he thinks this was likely not a case of vandalism, but someone looking for something of value they may be able to sell.

They didnt have any knowledge, they didnt know what they were doing, and yet it has caused such hurt and pain in the community, he said.

The press release goes on to say that for the July 22 celebration of the Solemnity of St. Mary Magdalene, the cathedral will display a relic borrowed from the Carmelite nuns at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monastery in Salt Lake City.

The Diocese of Salt Lake City has been working with the Salt Lake Police Department to recover the relic. A reward of $1,000 has been offered for its return or information leading to its return.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.

Eleven-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane was laughing with family and celebrating the Fourth of July when she was struck by a stray bullet in Kansas City.

She was pronounced dead at Childrens Mercy the next day on July 5, 2011.

In a million years, I would have never thought Id be sitting in a chair to tell you that my daughter was struck by a bullet, said Michele Shanahan DeMoss, Blairs mother.

More than 13 years after Shanahan Lanes death, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson last week signed into law Blairs Law, which is aimed at stopping celebratory gunfire. The law, which takes effect on Aug. 28, specifically outlaws the act of recklessly discharging a firearm within or into the limits of any municipality.

Parsons signature was met with a round of applause at the state Capitol. The Republican governor said he wanted to celebrate the yearslong effort by Blairs family and friends to help ensure such a tragedy doesnt happen again.

But while supporters touted the bill finally becoming law, many have pointed to how long it took Missouri to pass it. The years-long journey also came as Kansas City has struggled with gun violence, breaking annual homicide records in 2020 and 2023.

The Kansas City Police Department has reported 19 shootings and nine homicides on the Fourth of July since 2019, according to agency data. The departments Shotspotter surveillance system has also detected more than 650 rounds fired off on the holiday since 2019.

The KCPD data provided to The Star also shows a large amount of firearm rounds detected on New Years Eve each year, totaling more than 4,300 since 2019.

Kansas City Police Department data shows the number of shootings, homicides and rounds detected on the Fourth of July and New Years Eve since 2019.

Since Blair Shanahan Lanes death, Missouri lawmakers have filed numerous bills aimed at enacting Blairs Law. Year after year, the legislation failed to cross the finish line.

It was an uphill climb with numerous distractions along the way. Over the years, sponsors of the bill termed out of office. One session ended early due to filibusters. A governor resigned in disgrace.

There were times that, you know, I pictured myself just beelining straight up to grab the gavel to be like, listen, we need to have a conversation  I cant come here another year, said Shanahan DeMoss.

Former Reps. Mike Talboy, a Kansas City Democrat, and Noel Torpey, an Independence Republican, were two of the first lawmakers to push versions of the bill in the years after Shanahan Lanes death. Torpey said in an interview that he was surprised by opposition to the bill, particularly because Republican-led Arizona passed a similar law in 2000.

I was actually, you know, a little taken aback because they had done it in some states at the time, he said. Missouri wasnt as red as it is today and Arizona was very similar, you know, or considered a very pro-gun state, and they passed it.

One of the groups that opposed the legislation when it was first filed was the National Rifle Association, Torpey said. The group has since taken a neutral stance on the bill, he said.

They never had a good answer other than they didnt want anything to change, he said. Thankfully, over the years, they, I think, recognized, hey, this is a good public policy, and its not anti-gun, its public safety.

A representative from the NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Supporters of the legislation scored a major victory last year when lawmakers approved a version of the bill attached to a sweeping public safety package. But Parson vetoed it, citing unrelated provisions included in the larger legislation.

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican who sponsored the larger bill, said he received a call from the governors office informing him of the veto on July 3, 2023.

I remember thinking this is just the worst news that you could think of because it was the day before the anniversary of Blairs death, Luetkemeyer said.

That day, he called Shanahan Demoss, Blairs mom, he said.

I told her the first bill that were going to send through the Judiciary Committee next session is going to be Blairs Law, and you have my commitment to get it back on the governors desk and signed into law, he said.

Blairs Law finally signed

The main sponsor of the legislation since 2020 has been Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat who picked it up from the previous sponsor, former Rep. DaRon McGee from Kansas City.

As someone whos had to bury a friend due to gun violence, Sharp said in an interview that the bill spoke to him. In 2006, he was invited to attend a party with his friend, 20-year-old Nathan Buie Jr. He ended up not going. Buie Jr. and another man, DeMarco Carter-Harvey, were shot and killed at the party after a fight broke out, he said.

I cant say how many times growing up, or high school age, going to a party somewhere and somebody shooting their gun in the air, trying to be cool or trying to be threatening, he said. Theres always been this very loose attitude towards firearms, specifically in the urban communities.

Sharp said that he hopes the legislation can change the temperature and tone surrounding guns in the Missouri General Assembly.

You shouldnt be recklessly discharging a firearm within the city limits, period, he said. And thats what Im hoping folks will take from this.

Missouri has among the most relaxed gun laws in the nation. Lawmakers in the GOP-controlled General Assembly have steadily chipped away at restrictions, effectively creating an atmosphere that has contributed to the proliferation of firearms.

While championing the bills passage, Kansas City-area leaders also pointed to the lengthy delay in getting Blairs Law signed.

Mayor Quinton Lucas, in a statement to The Star, called it an important and overdue piece of legislation.

We hope that increasing the punishment for reckless, deadly behavior will make offenders think twice before firing guns in the air, he said. We will continue to build ways to ensure the safety of Kansas Citys children and families.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement that it pays to be persistent. She said she was grateful to Tolboy, the former state representative, who worked with her on drafting the first version of Blairs Law.

I am grateful for the representatives who continued to file this bill while experiencing multiple defeats, she said. While it is much too late for Blair, perhaps it will save another from such great harm.

Preventing gun violence

The new law states that a person commits the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm if, with criminal negligence, he or she discharges a firearm within or into the limits of a municipality.

First offenders are guilty of a class A misdemeanor and repeat offenders can be charged with felonies, according to the law.

Sharp signaled that he had to fight hard for a Democratic-led bill dealing with firearms to get attention in the GOP-controlled General Assembly. He pointed to support from Republicans, who he said helped get the bill across the finish line.

I do think that with the passage of Blairs Law, we could see a bigger appetite for firearm responsibility and some provisions that might try to address whats really plaguing some of our cities, like Kansas City and St. Louis, with the gun violence, he said.

Shanahan Moss, Blairs mom, said the journey to getting the bill signed into law was frustrating. But she said she got up each day knowing that her purpose  making a difference  was important.

I didnt have control over that bullet taking Blairs life, but I had control over getting up, regardless of how I felt, how I looked, without any hesitation, she said.

She said her daughters story has traveled across the country. On major holidays such as New Years Eve and the Fourth of July, she said she has received hundreds of messages from people thanking her.

I would do everything differently just to keep her here, she said. But I would walk back through that door in Jefferson City again.

She said she plans to continue educating people about firearm safety and the importance of calling 911 if an individual witnesses an emergency.

We have to continue saying, if you see something, say something, she said.
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo.  A Verona, Missouri man is facing multiple child sex crime charges after reportedly admitting to having sex with a juvenile last fall.

Aurora-Marionville Police officers arrested Kenneth Shriver, 33, on July 10, following an investigation into a report from the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline back in February of this year about a 13-year-old girl being raped on two separate occasions in 2023.

According to a probable cause statement, the girl reported the abuse after telling her parents that she was raped by Shriver, a family friend.

Shriver was reportedly making plumbing repairs at the girls home when the alleged assault first happened. There, according to court records, Shriver asked the girl, who was 12-years-old at the time, to ensure the water was working in an upstairs bathroom when he followed her into the bathroom before raping her. Authorities say the girl said Shriver stayed overnight at the residence and raped her again later.

FOUR STATES CRIME

The girl went on to exchange hundreds of messages over Facebook Messenger with Shriver according to a search warrant, many of the messages were illicit. Authorities say the communication between the girl and Shriver continued until this past February, two days before the hotline report was made.

Prosecutors charged Shriver with two counts of first degree statutory rape, enticement of a child, tampering with evidence (for allegedly deleting messages), and two counts of first degree statutory sodomy.

According to police, Shriver admitted to having sex with the girl, but according to Shriver, the girl pursued him. He told police she harassed and blackmailed him into having sex with her.

The age of consent in Missouri is 17. A 13-year-old girl is not legally able to give consent.

Court records show Shriver had a previous criminal charge filed in Newton County in 2022, for statutory rape of another 12-year-old girl, but it was dismissed in 2024. According to the Newton County Prosecutors Office, court proceedings in the previous case were too triggering for the previous victim.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG)  Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood received the 2024 Public Leadership in the Arts Award at the National Association of Counties annual meeting.

Mobile County Public Schools superintendent gives big bonus to all full-time employees  what we know

The organizations, Americans for the Arts and the National Association of Counties, awarded Ludgood for her county arts leadership on Monday, July 15, as part of the National Association of Counties annual meeting in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Since 1997, the award has been granted to officials whose leadership has advanced and emphasized the value of the arts within their community.

Americans for the Arts is pleased to honor Commissioner Merceria Ludgood for her extraordinary work in revitalizing Africatown and understanding the important role that arts and culture play throughout Mobile County and across Alabama in enlivening communities, Americans for the Arts Interim Co-CEOs Jamie Bennett and Suzy Delvalle said.

74-year-old man killed after pointing gun at Loxley Police officers: BCSO

Ludgood has served the residents of District 1 with an emphasis on sharing Mobile Countys history and art since taking her position in 2007. This includes her work in Africatown, building the Africatown Heritage Houses and the Africatown Hall and Food Bank, which opened last month.

This is not the first award the commissioner has received. Ludgood has been awarded by many organizations including the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship.

Commissioner Ludgood has worked tirelessly for many years to support our four museum sites  History Museum of Mobile, Colonial Fort Conde, Phoenix Fire Museum, and Clotilda: The Exhibition at Africatown Heritage House  helping to bring Mobiles past to life for tens of thousands of visitors each year, History Museum of Mobile Director Jon Sexton said. Her significant financial support and leadership have been instrumental in creating opportunities for members of our community to engage meaningfully with Mobiles proud history.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Pfizer And Roche Advance On Their Weight Loss Drug Journeys

After previously discounting a twice-daily version of its weight loss drug due to patients having difficulties tolerating it, Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) moved forward with the once-daily version. On Thursday, Pfizer revealed it will begin studies to evaluate the optimal dose of its weight lose pill during the second half of the year. With the new formulation, Pfizer continues its attempt to catch up to Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) who are currently dominating the weight loss drug landscape.

Pfizer Has Struggled To Catch Up To Eli Lilly And Novo Nordisk

What Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer are aiming to do is provide a more convenient alternative to injections. Throughout last year, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have enjoyed soaring demand for their injections, despite hefty price tags and limited insurance coverage.

Pfizer previously discontinued its twice daily version of the weight loss drug due to side effects like nausea and vomiting that resulted in high dropout rates in midstage trials. Before this particular setback, Pfizer already dropped another daily weight-loss drug due to safety issues. More specifically, Pfizer gave up on lotiglipron due to concerns over elevated liver enzymes that were exhibited in some patients.

A New Hope

On Thursday, Pfizer revealed encouraging early study results support once-daily dosing for the new danuglipron. In over 1,400 healthy adult volunteers, no liver enzyme elevations were found. The pill is based on the compound danuglipron. This is a glucagon-like peptide, or GLP-1, similar to those used in popular weight-loss drugs produced by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Although Pfizer did not specify the exact timeline, it did reveal is plans to test multiple doses of the new version in order to identify the ideal one during the second half of the year before it moves ahead with clinical trials.

Roche also unveiled promising results.

On Wednesday, Roche (OTC: RHHBY) also unveiled promising early-stage results for its oral weight-loss drug. Also belonging to the the GLP-1 drug class, the offering from Roche also promises to rival Eli Lilly and its Zepbound as well as Novo Nordisk and its Wegovy. Roche revealed that patients who took its CT-996 lost 6.1% more of their body weight over a month compared to patients who took a placebo. With GLP-1 therapy CT-996, Roche promises to help patients address both chronic weight management as well as glycemic control indications. In May, Roche unveiled promising results for a one-weekly subcutaneous shot that mimics the GLP-1 hormone as well as GIP, another hormone like GLP-1. The CT-388 is the same mechanism used by Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Over 24 weeks, Roche reported its patients lost 18.8% more weight compared to the placebo group. Therefore, the latest news is Roche's second positive readout in less than three months, reflecting that its metabolic diseases pipeline is making good progress.

For now, Pfizer remains a distant weight-loss rival.

But, as JP Morgan analyst Chris Schott pointed out, Eli Lilly has a significant time-to-market advantage over Pfizer with its experimental weight-loss pill formulation.

Obesity is a key therapeutic area for Pfizer. Moreover, CEO Albert Bourla made it clear in June that GLP-1s have only "scratched the surface" of what is yet to come on the obesity front.

What is certain and good for Pfizer is that the weight-loss market needs both injectable and oral drugs, so whoever gets to make the right formulation will undoubtedly make its mark on this front.

DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.

This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

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 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Getty Images)

A recent state audit of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services child care subsidy program highlighting overcharges by some child care providers has cast a shadow over a profession vital to our community.

There is no question accountability is of the greatest importance when taxpayer dollars are used to aid our fellow Nebraskans. However, it is all too likely those who only saw the headline and did not review the full report missed the systemic issues that contribute to these problems. It is just as easy to overlook the broader context of a child care industry in which under-resourced and overworked child care providers struggle daily.

Nebraskas child care providers are some of the best in the country, dedicated to nurturing our youngest citizens and enabling parents to remain in the workforce. These professionals work tirelessly, often for near or poverty-level wages, to provide a public good essential for our economy and community well-being. We cant have a functioning economy without our child care professionals.

The recent state auditors report uncovered significant inefficiencies and lapses in oversight, primarily due to outdated technology systems like the Nebraska Family Online Client User System. This antiquated and complex system makes it challenging for providers to comply with billing procedures, resulting in errors that are often misinterpreted as intentional fraud.

If Nebraska isnt modernizing, we arent serving our citizens with efficient and effective services. States like Iowa have demonstrated the power of modern technology to support administration of child care subsidy. Iowa invested in making sure that all child care providers have an off-the shelf Child Care Management Software product that is a good fit for their program, and then strategically linked state subsidy billing and oversight to the providers CCMS. By adopting similar systems, Nebraska can not only help providers run successful businesses and reduce billing errors, but significantly boost data quality and efficiency for DHHS.

As a child care center director in Iowa reported, We now have iPads at the door, so every parent clocks their child in and out electronically every day. Every parent does the same thing, and the CCMS reports inform me who I bill as private pay and who has hours sent to HHS. The new system also means that parents are now doing attendance submissionsnot the teachersand the technology verifies exactly who is signing the child in at what time.

Its important to recognize Nebraskans overwhelming public support for increased investment in child care. A vast majority agree that more state funding is needed. Child care is a public good, and investing in it pays dividends in the form of a strengthened child care provider field, stronger workforce, better-prepared children, and a more robust economy.

Early care and education  along with state government in Nebraska  is one of the last sectors of the U.S. economy to benefit from a technology transformation. Only a small percentage of child care program operators are using modern technology to operate their businesses. Most operate on a shoestring, with little to no administrative support, and struggle to comply with complex and outdated administrative requirements. In short, public investment needs to focus on both systems and services.

We must stay solutions-oriented. The audits findings should be the last wake-up call to modernize our systems. Training and support for providers must be enhanced, and systems must be upgraded to reduce errors and improve oversight.

Reform is possible. A handful of forward-thinking states have begun to implement a new approach to child care subsidy management that links billing and reporting for publicly funded child care to the automated CCMS providers use every day to manage their businesses. Staff in Iowa HHS are also pleased with the new approach. From where we sit, the more providers that use CCMS, the better, said Michael Towey, income maintenance supervisor. We are super excited about this because we get timely and more accurate attendance.

Modern technology can remedy many problems identified in the audit:

Electronic check-ins and check-outs via unique identifiers such as PIN codes or QR codes can accurately track attendance.

Enrollment and attendance data can be electronically linked to authorized hours and reimbursement rates, eliminating manual calculations and reducing errors.

Unique electronic identifiers can prevent payment for duplicative services.

Harnessing the power of technology to track attendance, enrollment, rate-setting, and financial reimbursement not only improves data quality but significantly reduces the time child care programs must spend on administrative paperwork.

Nebraska would benefit from an updated system that supports our providers and ensures efficient use of public funds.
Mom Accused of Drowning Her 7-Year-Old Daughter Allegedly Said She Needed Some Time Alone': Police

Brandi Elliott, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her child, police say

GoFundMe Piper Elliott

A Tennessee mother faces a murder charge after authorities allege she drowned her daughter.

Brandi Elliott, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her child, the Hendersonville Police Department said in a press release. Its unclear if Elliot has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

On July 13, officers responded to Drakes Creek in Hendersonville, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville, after receiving a report of a child who had drowned, police said. Investigators later determined that Elliot, the childs mother, was allegedly responsible for the death, according to the release.

According to court documents obtained by WTVF, Elliot allegedly drowned her 7-year-old daughter after reportedly saying she needed some time alone.

Hendersonville, TN Police Department Brandi Elliott

The documents, which were also obtained by WKRN, further state that Elliot claimed she held the girl underwater until she felt her bubbling and told her to be quiet. Elliot said she tried to revive the girl by performing CPR after the drowning but she was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, the outlet reported.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The girl was identified by loved ones on a GoFundMe campaign as Piper. The fundraiser, which was created by a family friend of Pipers father, Jon Elliot, hopes to raise funds to offset funeral arrangements and other expenses while hes hospitalized for reasons that were not specified.

Piper brought her daddy a bunch of coloring book pictures she colored for him to hang up on the wall of his hospital room [and] a few hours later she was killed, the fundraiser reads.

Hendersonville police have asked anyone with information on the case to contact the department at 615-264-5303 or Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at 615-594-4113.



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Read the original article on People.
Traces of cyanide were found in the empty white china teacups - CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Six people found dead after drinking cyanide from teacups in a luxury Bangkok hotel likely died in a murder-suicide caused by a dispute over money, police believe.

The six deceased were found by housekeepers at the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in the heart of the Thai capital on Tuesday evening, by which point they had been dead for about 24 hours.

While the mysterious circumstances of their deaths initially fuelled rumours online, police now believe that one of the party carried out a money-driven murder-suicide.

Uneaten meals left on the table in a room in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel room where six people were found dead - Royal Thai Police via AP/Royal Thai Police

The deceased were named as four Vietnamese nationals and two Americans - CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

According to Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkoks deputy police chief, a husband and wife among the dead had invested about 10 million baht (213,000) with two of the others to build a hospital in Japan. He said this may have been a motive.

We are convinced that one of the six people found dead committed this crime, he said, without identifying the suspect.

The deceased have been named as four Vietnamese nationals: Thi Nguyen Phuong, 46, her husband Hong Pham Thanh, 49, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan, 47, and Dinh Tran Phu, 37. The two others were Americans: Sherine Chong, 56, and Dang Hung Van, 55.

The alarm was raised after the group failed to check out of the hotel on Monday.

When staff entered the room, the luggage was packed and the six bodies were not together. Police said this suggested many of the group did not knowingly consume the poison and wait to die together.

Thai police held a press conference in Bangkok for members of the media - CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Initial suspicions of cyanide emerged because the bodies showed traces of the deadly chemical and had purple lips  a key indicator of a lack of oxygen. Tests and the autopsy later confirmed this theory, with cyanide found on the bodies and in the teacups.

While photos of the aftermath of the scene show the white china teacups empty, the feast of fried rice and vegetables, which arrived at about 2pm the previous day, were untouched, still sealed in cling film.

According to the deputy police chief, Ms Chong was the only person in the room when the food was delivered. The waiter had offered to make the tea, but was refused. Authorities said Ms Chong spoke very little and was visibly under stress.

The bodies were not found together and there were no signs of a struggle - CHALINEE THIRASUPA/REUTERS

CCTV footage shows the rest of the group sporadically entering the room  which was locked from the inside  between 2.03pm and 2.17pm. When the scene was discovered at about 5pm the following day, there were no signs of a struggle.

The Thai authorities have been keen to reassure international visitors in particular that Thailand remains a safe place to visit. Last year, a shooting by a 14-year-old boy in a shopping mall in the capital spooked many visitors, especially those from China.

The country is heavily reliant on tourism, which accounts for about 20 per cent of all jobs and 12 per cent of the economy.

Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister, visited the crime scene on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday said that the fatalities would likely not affect a conference with Sergei Tsivileva, the Russian energy minister, at the hotel later on Wednesday.

This wasnt an act of terrorism or a breach in security. Everything is fine, Mr Thavisin said, adding that both the Vietnamese and US embassies had been contacted, and that American FBI officers were en route to assist in the investigation.

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Judge Mike Menahan hears arguments from lawyers Martha Sheehy and Raph Graybill, left, and Thane Johnson, right, about whether the Montana Secretary of State was correct in issuing a new directive to automatically reject "inactive" signatures for ballot initiatives. (By Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan)

The Montana Secretary of State cant automatically reject signatures of inactive voters who signed petitions to place Constitutional initiatives on the ballot, a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge ruled Tuesday, as he granted a temporary restraining order.

One initiative would make it a constitutional right in Montana to make ones own decisions about pregnancy, including abortion, and two others would change the way elections are won in the state.

At a hearing Tuesday, lawyer Martha Sheehy said the Secretary of States decision to change which signatures count on a petition was particularly galling for Montanans for Election Reform, a group proposing to increase meaningful voter access and participation.

But a lawyer for the Secretary of State argued the situation wasnt an emergency for that group or for Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights. Lawyer Thane Johnson said the number of inactive signatures was minimal, and the initiatives were headed for the ballot anyway.

Inactive voters are people who are legally registered to vote but have had an address change or didnt vote in two election years.

Judge Mike Menahan, however, said his focus wasnt on whether the initiatives from those two groups would qualify for the ballot. Rather, he said, Montanans have a fundamental right to participate in their government, and that includes signing a petition for a Constitutional initiative.

As a judge, my duty is to uphold that right and give life to it and preserve it, Menahan said.

He said he believed the groups had made the case Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen shouldnt toss inactive signatures in the middle of counting based on a new interpretation. He said doing so changed a standard that had been in place nearly three decades  and without notice.

The troubling component here is that the process was underway, Menahan said.

Although Menahan requested a temporary return to the status quo, he also said he didnt want to harm the process and would be as minimally involved as possible. He requested lawyers representing proponents for the initiatives and the state draft an order that ironed out the details; they did, and he electronically signed it Tuesday.

In a complaint last week, lawyers for the proponents asked the court to stop the Secretary of State from rejecting inactive signatures. They also asked the court to demand the Secretary of State restore the ones it had rejected.

The attorneys filed suit after they learned the Secretary of State had issued new instructions for which signatures counted and also reprogrammed a state database to automatically reject inactive signatures.

Lawyer Raph Graybill, representing Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, said an anonymous tipster told a member of their group the Secretary of State had made the change. He said they hadnt received any notice about it beforehand, and they filed a request for public information under the Montana Constitutions right to know as a result.

Graybill also is running as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.

Arguments on Tuesday focused in part on whether inactive voters are qualified electors. Graybill said a registered voter is a registered voter, and whether a person is on an active or inactive list is simply an administrative function that helps counties manage addresses.

Inactive signatures

In court, lawyer Raph Graybill, representing Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, outlined the different signature groups that needed to be accounted for.

They include ones counties reviewed after the Secretary of State issued its new directive June 28 but before software was blocking inactive signatures. They also include inactive signatures automatically rejected by the software system starting around July 2.

Graybill said its also important to ensure the Secretary of State doesnt belatedly toss out signatures that were already reviewed by counties and approved prior to the new interpretation.

Both active and inactive voters can both show up at the polls and vote, and both are qualified electors, as plainly defined in statute, he said. He said an inactive voter doesnt need to do anything besides show up to vote to become active.

Plus, Graybill said the Secretary of State was still advising counties in a presentation on its own website to accept signatures of inactive electors because they are legally registered.

If you go on the Secretary of States website right now, today, at this hearing, you will find this slide, Graybill said.

Additionally, he said, signers of the petitions need to swear theyre registered voters or face stiff penalties, but nowhere do they need to confirm whether theyre active or inactive in a database.

On behalf of the Secretary of State, however, Johnson argued a comprehensive look at the statutes in question showed the new interpretation  that inactive voters arent qualified electors  to be correct. Plus, he said, initiative proponents were going to succeed in clearing signatures thresholds anyway based on the plaintiffs own calculations.

Johnson said the groups failed in at least one criteria for a temporary restraining order: Your honor, that isnt even close to having an irreparable harm.

Johnson called a couple of attorneys who work in the Secretary of States office to testify, and one, Austin James, addressed a question from the judge. He agreed the states software program could probably be programmed to help sort out some of the inactive voters it rejected, but he said time was running short.

I really hope that the guys back at the office arent gonna kill me, James said.

Clay Leland, the other lawyer called on behalf of the state, said the reason he issued the new interpretation was he was asked about it for the first time in June, following the passage of Senate Bill 498, regarding absentee ballots, in 2023.

Leland said a look at that law, other statutes, and a case in Oregon helped him conclude inactive voters arent qualified electors. He also said the Secretary of States software was previously programmed incorrectly.

Under questioning from Graybill about the significance of the inactive designation, however, Leland admitted he couldnt point to the reason he believes an inactive voter needs to take extra steps to vote  and get on the active list  beyond simply showing up to vote.

Graybill asked for the basis of his understanding that extra steps are necessary to vote if a person is inactive.

The basis for that understanding? The basis to come to the conclusion that more information is needed is through a thorough analysis of that provision as well as other provisions throughout Montana code, Leland said.

Graybill asked if another statute in state law set additional steps for inactive voters, and Leland said he wasnt aware of any off the top of my head, but he knew ones existed. Graybill had been looking at the reactivation statute, MCA 13-2-222, which says one way an inactive voter can get on the active list is to show up to vote.

So there are other steps to take, but theyre not in the statute, and you cant tell me what they are, Graybill said.

Said Leland: I would have to review the Montana code.

At one point while questioning Leland, Graybill asked to huddle with the judge and lawyers for the defendants: I am getting statutes recited to me. I am not getting answers, Graybill said.

Judge Menahan said he appreciated the nod to changes the legislature made in 2023, but he said they didnt specifically indicate who would be a qualified elector for purposes of signing a ballot initiative.

He also said case law in Oregon, described by Leland as a sister state, wasnt any more important to Montana than case law in other states. Plus, he said, Montana has robust provisions when it comes to public participation.

I think Montana looks to itself in determining its own constitution, Menahan said.

A hearing on the request for a preliminary injunction will take place next Friday.

Reactions from Proponents of Constitutional Initiatives

Frank Garner, Montanans for Election Reform board member and plaintiff in the lawsuit against Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, issued the following statement following the conclusion of this mornings hearing:

Today was an important first step in protecting the rights of registered Montana voters who want to participate in our citizen initiative process.

The Secretary of State injected chaos and confusion into the validation process, and todays directive holds them to their own original guidance to validate the signatures of all registered voters. We commend our County Clerks and their staff for their hard work processing every single valid signature, and we will continue to fight for more voice and better choices for Montana voters.

Christopher Coburn, president of Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, said the following:

Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights is pleased that the District Court affirmed that registered voters in Montana have the right to sign a citizen initiative petition and have their signature count. Today, the District Court correctly rejected politically motivated, last-minute, and secretive rule changes by the Secretary of State. While we needed to file a lawsuit to vindicate the rights of Montanans to participate in the ballot initiative process, todays decision ensures that from this point forward, the Secretary of State must facilitate a smooth, transparent, and legal qualification process for CI-128. Montanans deserve their voices to be heard on this issue, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure Montanans can vote yes on CI-128 to protect their freedom to make abortion and pregnancy-related decisions without government interference.

From the Order

Under the Montana Constitution and state law, qualified electors may sign

initiative petitions and be counted, whether or not the elector appears on the

inactive voter list, for the purposes of this temporary restraining order only.

For the purposes of qualifying a ballot initiative, the Secretary shall not prevent

the verification or counting of the otherwise-valid signature of an elector who is

on the inactive voter rejected list.

To minimize impact to the current counting of initiative petitions, the Secretary

shall make no changes to the state software system related to the verification of

signatures prior to the July 19, 2024 deadline.

Between July 20 and 21, 2024, the Secretary shall restore the state software

system to allow the verification of inactive voters signatures, such that county

clerks may begin reviewing said voters on Monday, July 22, 2024.

By 9:00 AM on Monday, July 22, 2024, the Secretary shall produce a report to

each county of any inactive voters whose signatures were not verified. The

reports shall include, for each rejected inactive voter, the petition number,

submission number, page number, and line number.

Counties, which are political subdivisions of Defendant the State of Montana,

shall review the signatures of previously-rejected inactive voters, starting

Monday, July 22, 2024, and shall submit them to the Secretary by 12:00 PM on

July 24, 2024.

The Secretary shall, through 12:00 PM on July 24, 2024, accept from counties and

count the signatures of any previously-rejected inactive voters identified above,

who have been verified by a county and submitted to the Secretary.

The Court may revisit the 12:00 PM, July 24, 2024 deadline on receipt of clear

and convincing evidence that a county is unable to meet this deadline.

Temporary Restraining Order
Montgomery Public School students design cars of the future, judged by industry experts

Last semester, 190 Montgomery middle schoolers created designs and prototypes of automobiles in 2050.

Students throughout Montgomery Public School's nine middle schools participated in the nine-week program, which culminated in a competition that was judged by experts in the industry. The students created designs for vehicles in reaction to issues facing drivers today, said Samantha Swanigan, the Montgomery-based student fellows specialist at Ed Farm.

The top team, from Floyd Middle School, came up with the idea for an autonomous-driving-capable vehicle that could help people in wheelchairs with transportation. The second-place team, from Southlawn Middle School, designed a flying vehicle to combat hectic traffic and prevent accidents.

Montgomery Public Schools students compete in an automotive competition for middle-schoolers.

Students had to be innovative with the design looking at a challenge," said Sonya Floyd, the district's kindergarten-to-fifth grade math specialist.

MPS partnered with Hyundai and Ed Farm to produce the program.

The course prepares students for the workforce, teaching them skills that they could use in jobs in the automotive industry, which are particularly prevalent in the Montgomery area, said Scott Posey, the manager of public relations for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.

Montgomery Public Schools students compete in an automotive competition for middle-schoolers.

These are young people who are competing with their brain instead of their brawn," Posey said of the competition.

"By collaborating with Hyundai, our students gained exposure to cutting-edge technologies and industry standards, preparing them for automotive design and manufacturing careers," Swanigan said in an email.

The skills students learned can be adaptable to any field but are particularly useful for STEM endeavors.

"Through prototyping and testing, students developed practical skills in digital design tools and manufacturing techniques, enhancing their employability in the local automotive industry," Swanigan said in the email.

More: School Board 5 moves the school board made: Superintendent review, construction updates and more

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: MPS middle schoolers learn skills creating prototypes of cars in 2050
From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch

Happy Wednesday! Our favorite speaker so far at the Republican National Convention (RNC) has been West Virginia Gov. Jim Justices bulldog, Babydog, who made an appearance on the stage last night.

She makes us smile, and she loves everybody, Justice said about his pooch. And how could the message possibly be any more simpler than just that?

Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories

A Foggy Picture of Security Failure

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks during a press conference at the Secret Service's Chicago Field Office on June 4 2024, ahead of the 2024 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

The family of Jim Copenhaver, one of the two men critically wounded in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, released a statement on Tuesday. Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care, it read. Additionally, Jim would like to express his thoughts and prayers for the other victims, their families, and President Trump. He prays for a safe and speedy recovery for them all. Copenhaver and David Dutch, also injured in the shooting, remain in critical but stable condition. The widow of Corey Comperatore, who was killed on Saturday, revealed yesterday that she received a call from the former president.

Three days on from the shooting at a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, many questions remained about the security failures that allowed a would-be assassins bullets to come within a hairs breadth of killing Trump.

The FBI has continued its investigation into the Saturday shooting, which it is considering an attempted assassination and possibly a domestic terror event. But the motive of the 20-year-old gunman is still unknown even as authorities cracked the shooters phone and other electronic devices, according to an FBI press release on Monday. Scott Duffey, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News this week that getting access to the devices should allow investigators to answer more questions about the shooter. [What] theyre going to be looking for is who, if anyone, he was in contact with, Duffey said. And if not in contact with anyone, then gather information about what he was reviewing, reading, and researching.

The FBI has yet to publicly share any findings from its digital search, but the agency has seemed to err on the side of transparency in the early days of the investigation. This is not typical, but were leaning far forward here, given the circumstances, and want to keep everyone well informed, Deputy Director Paul Abbate told reporters on Sunday in a call with the FBI officials leading the inquiry into the shooting.

Still, the portrait of the shooter remains roughly where it was at the beginning of the week: He appears to be a loner without overtly clear political motivations. The gunman was a member of a shooting club near Pittsburgh that has a 200-yard rifle range, but its unknown whether he used the facility to practice for the assassination attempt. The investigations findings so far seem to confirm that the shooter acted alone. At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the presidents National Security Council, said Tuesday. The New York Times reported yesterday that U.S. intelligence agencies had been tracking a potential Iranian assassination plot against Trump in recent weeks, but that intel officials did not believe those threats to be related to what took place over the weekend.

As authorities continue to dig into the gunmans life, more scrutiny has focused on the law enforcement and Secret Service actions that preceded Saturdays shooting.

It was unacceptable, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said on Tuesday in an interview with ABC News, her first public remarks about the assassination attempt. Its something that shouldnt happen again.

The buck stops with me, she added, brushing aside some calls for her to resign from her role. I am the director of the Secret Service.

But at the same time, Cheatle suggested that the local law enforcement teams working with the Secret Service were responsible for securing the building where the shooter was positioned. In this particular instance, we did share support for that particular site and that the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter, she said. And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter. There was local police in that building. There was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building.

Local authorities have contested this version of events. Secret Service was in charge, and so it was their responsibility to make sure that the venue and the surrounding area was secure, said Ronald Goldinger, Butler Countys District Attorney. For them to blame local law enforcement is them passing the blame when they hold the blame, in my opinion. The Secret Service issued a statement early Tuesday saying, Any news suggesting the Secret Service is blaming local law enforcement for Saturdays incident is simply not true.

Ultimate responsibility for the former presidents safety lies with the Secret Service, including decisions on how to work with local law enforcement. When asked why there wasnt Secret Service personnel on the roof of the building occupied by the shooter to begin with, Cheatle gave a curious answer. That building in particular has a sloped roof, at its highest point, she said. And so, theres a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldnt want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, the decision was made to secure the building from inside.

Also coming under scrutiny is the promptness of law enforcements response to reports of the shooter crawling up on the roof. Video footage from witnesses appears to show spectators informing law enforcement that someone was on the roof at least a minute before the shooting began; some witnesses said they informed police of the shooters position for two or three minutes. Additional videos show the two Secret Service sniper teams on the buildings behind the stage, manning their rifles and scopes in the direction of the shooter approximately two minutes before the first shot was fired. There are also unconfirmed reports that local law enforcement spotted the shooter sitting on the roof nearly a half hour before shots were fired.

I dont have all the details yet, but it was a very short period of time, Cheatle said of the window between when law enforcement was alerted to a suspicious person on the roof and the shooting began. Seeking that person out, finding them, identifying them, and eventually neutralizing them took place in a very short period of time, and it makes it very difficult.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe confirmed on Monday that a local police officer tried to climb onto the roof shortly before the shooting began, but dropped off when the shooter pointed his gun at the officer. All I know is the officer had both hands on the roof to get up on the roof, never made it because the shooter had turned towards the officer, and rightfully and smartly, the officer let go, Slupe said. People think the officers are supermen, like, you hold on the roof with one hand while you are hanging on for dear life and pull a gun out. It doesnt work that way.

The unanswered questions and blame-shifting dynamic between local law enforcement and the Secret Service make a timely review of the incident all the more important, particularly as the relative dearth of information has led to an explosion of conspiracy theories online. Its preposterous, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday of conspiracies about the assassination attempt. It is also dangerous to propagate rumors that are so unequivocally false and provocative.

Mayorkas said hes in the process of selecting who will lead the independent review of the shooting ordered by President Joe Biden. We need to move with swiftness and urgency because this is a security imperative.

Trump will hold his first rally since the assassination attempt with his new running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, on Saturday after the Republican National Convention concludes. The rally will be held indoors, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Worth Your Time

The scene was shocking, to be sure. But sadly, it wasnt surprising, John Grove wrote in Law & Liberty about the horrific attempt on Trumps life. In fact, one might be forgiven for wondering at the fact that more bullets havent been flying at political rallies. You dont have to look far on any social media outlet to find people salivating at the prospect of a politics of enmity and blood.  The enmity is only slightly masked among the more respectable classes, who still present politics in existential terms, simply leaving the destroy our enemies as an unspoken implication. But the source of the enmity is surprisingly shallow. One characteristic of todays disease in the public mind is that it seems to be driven specifically by our political lifenot by underlying social conditions, Grove argued. The vitriolic politics we practice is not feeding off already-simmering social tensions. It creates these identities and communities, most of which would not otherwise cohere on their own. Rather than managing and mitigating the tensions that naturally arise in any society, our political process actively generates new ones and calls forth the worst in human nature to bolster them.

Sixty years ago, the sentence Europes fate is in Germanys hands now would have been terrifying, Noah Smith wrote in his Noahpinion Substack. What a difference half a century makes. The U.S., which was supposed to be the guarantor of stability in Europe, is now the worlds most unstable great power. The likely return of Trump to the presidency will probably signal the end of U.S. support for Ukraine, and at least a partial disengagement from NATO and the transatlantic alliance in general. Smith argued that if the U.S. does indeed withdraw from Europe, Germany will need to fill the vacuum left behind. None of this is to say that Germany is the leader of the EU, or of NATO, he wrote. But Germany is so big and important that if it doesnt step up and exercise some sort of leadership within those organizations, they will tend to be rudderless and inertial.

Presented Without Comment

President Joe Biden, in an interview with BET News:

When I originally ran, you may remember Ed, I said I was gonna be a transitional candidate, and I thought that Id be able to move from this, just pass it on to someone else. But I didnt anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings, a little bit of wisdom. And I think Ive demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country, in spite of the fact that we were told we couldnt get it done. But theres more to do, and Im reluctant to walk away from that.

Also Presented Without Comment

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, speaking at the Republican National Convention:

You dont have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, I havent always agreed with Trump.

Also Also Presented Without Comment

Washington Examiner: Biden Appears to Bungle Policy Proposal in Unsteady NAACP Speech

Look, folks, the idea, the idea that corporate-owned housing is able to raise your rent, [300], 400 bucks a month or something? [Under what Im about to announce], they cant raise it more than Biden said, pausing and leaning forward while squinting, $55. The crowd cheered in response to the major proposal. Unfortunately for those excited about the drastic rent raise cap, the real amount was probably actually 5%.

In the Zeitgeist

Lionsgate announced earlier this month that the magician-heist movie series Now You See Me will return with its third installment next year. Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman will be among the actors reprising their roles in Now You See Me 3, which is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2025.

The first film, released in 2013, followed a group of clever illusionistsThe Four Horsemenwho used their sleight-0f-hand skills to orchestrate elaborate heists before live audiences.

Toeing the Company Line

In the newsletters: Sarah and Mike broke down Judge Aileen Cannons dismissal of special counsel Jack Smiths classified documents case against Trump and both the Dispatch Politics team and Nick explored the implications for the GOP in Trump selecting Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate.

On the podcasts: Jonah is joined by American Enterprise Institute President Robert Doar on The Remnant for a wide-ranging conversation about New York City, the Eisenhower administration, and neoconservatism.

On the site: Kevin examines what J.D. Vance bringsor doesnt bringto the Republican ticket, Mike reports on the good vibes at the RNC amid expectations of victory in the fall, Cliff Smith writes about the long history of Iranian influence operations in the U.S., and Jonah reiterates the need for Biden to step down from the Democratic ticket.

Let Us Know

What are some ways that you think Americans could actually turn down the temperature in our political rhetoric and public life?

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
A KFC employee hangs a sign for job openings at a restaurant in Miami. Several states have passed pay transparency laws that require employers to be more open about the wages and benefits they offer (Joe Raedle/Getty Images).

To combat gender and racial wage gaps, nearly a dozen states recently have enacted pay transparency laws that require employers to be more open about the wages and benefits they offer.

Most of the laws require employers to disclose wages in job postings and some bar them from asking a job candidate about their salary history.

Even though its against the law, we definitely still see that women are being paid less than their male counterparts, even though theyre doing the same job, said Jessica Ramey Stender, a lawyer and the policy director at Equal Rights Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that focuses on sexual harassment and pay discrimination, among other issues. And thats a problem.

Under the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, employers cant pay different salaries on the basis of sex to employees who do equal work. States have similar protections. Nevertheless, women on average have been paid less than men as far back as federal data has been collected.

Women on average earn about 84 cents for every dollar that men earn, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Federal data also shows a racial pay gap: Latino, Black and Native American workers on average earn from 73 cents to 77 cents for every dollar a white worker earns.

Part of the pay gap comes from the fact that women and racial minorities are overrepresented in industries that pay lower wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But there is still a gap, though a narrower one, when men and women are doing the exact same job.

Pay transparency laws can close the gap further by providing women and people of color with more opportunities to see whether theyre being compensated fairly, Stender said.

The hope is that with this additional information in their toolbox, everyone  especially women experiencing the wage gap  will be able to better negotiate pay for themselves, she said.

But some critics of pay transparency laws question whether theyll have the desired effect.

Todd Zenger, a professor of strategic leadership at the University of Utah, said requiring complete transparency is an extreme way to address pay equity. Theres also mixed evidence over whether prohibiting employers from asking about salary history could help or hurt job candidates, he said.

Theres one argument that theres gender differences in ones willingness to bargain, Zenger said, noting research showing that women might not negotiate in the same way that men do. You can say, This is what I need to come and join you, and if theyre able to ask about your prior pay, that sets some sort of common ground.

Pay transparency laws also could lead to flattened pay, he said. Some people are paid more because of good performance, for example, but transparency laws could make it difficult to change pay on those less objective criteria, he argued.

Salary transparency and history bans

The number of states with pay transparency laws has grown significantly within the past few years, said Glenn Jacoby, a policy associate in employment matters at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Labor force participation still hasnt reached pre-pandemic levels, but more people are looking to join the workforce and lawmakers want the job-seeking process to be smoother, she said.

So far, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Washington state and the District of Columbia have approved pay transparency laws.

The laws take varying approaches to ensuring transparency. They may require employers to disclose salary ranges for open positions, prohibit retaliation against employees who discuss their pay with colleagues, or require employers to report pay data to government agencies, according to GovDocs, a Minnesota-based company that tracks employment laws for large companies.

Some laws also mandate that employers provide salary information upon request, or prohibit them from asking job candidates about their salary history, according to Jana Bjorklund, the senior counsel and director of employment law and compliance at GovDocs.

And this is all driven by pay inequity, Bjorklund said.

A handful of cities, including New York City, Jersey City, New Jersey, and Columbus, Ohio, have enacted their own transparency laws.

Most states with pay transparency laws require employers of a certain size to post salaries for all open job positions. In California, companies with at least 15 workers must do so. But some states, such as Colorado, where lawmakers enacted new rules this year, require the transparency from all companies, even those with a single worker.

When states first began considering pay transparency laws, they tended to focus on requiring employers to provide salary information upon request, Jacoby said. In some cases, the requirement would apply only for applicants selected for an interview. Now, several states are expanding these laws to require compensation-related information in the initial job posting, she said.

In January, a law took effect in Hawaii requiring certain job listings to include an hourly rate or salary range. It also prohibits an employer from discriminating by paying one employee in a protected category less than another for substantially similar work.

The bills original language was inspired by conversations among recent college graduates struggling to find jobs, said Hawaii state Sen. Chris Lee, a Democrat. These laws make sure everyone is on the same page through the entire hiring process, he said.

Its both fair to the companies as well as the employees or prospective employees and helps ultimately saves a ton of frustration and time and effort by a lot of other folks who would be applying for these positions, Lee said.

Still, Lee recalled that lawmakers heard complaints from small businesses concerned about being able to compete with larger companies.

In the District of Columbia, new rules went into effect last week requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings and to disclose health care benefits before the first interview. A Maryland law with similar rules will go into effect in October.

As a Black woman and as someone who works professionally, this is personal to me, said Maryland state Del. Jennifer White Holland, a Democrat who helped pass the new law. When we look at families in Maryland, its womens earnings  that matter now more than ever.

She cited the states Equal Pay Day report for 2024, which found that more than 40% of Maryland mothers are the lead or only wage earner in their household.

On average, women in Maryland are paid 86 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, according to the report. Hispanic women in Maryland have the largest gender and racial wage gap, making just 50 cents for every dollar earned by white men.

Do the laws work?

While some states pay transparency laws are just going into effect, some preliminary research shows how such laws could be helping raise salaries for all workers.

A recent study in Colorado, the first state to mandate salary transparency, in 2021, found that not only did more companies share salaries within job postings, but the posted salaries increased by 3.6%. One possible explanation for the boost is that some companies adjusted their salaries to match their competitors and reach market equilibrium, according to the paper, which was written by a pair of economists in the University of California system.

According to a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, a nonprofit for human resources professionals, 70% of organizations that list pay ranges in their job postings said they received more applications, and 65% said that listing pay ranges made the candidate pool more competitive.

Isabela Salas-Betsch, a research associate at The Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, said the results are good news for businesses.

When employees have more information, they feel more valued and motivated, which translates to greater performance and retention, she said.

But some small employers fear that pay transparency laws will make it more difficult for them to compete with larger companies for talent. Close to half of the almost 400 companies that responded to a 2022 pay clarity survey by global advisory company WTW cited possible employee reactions as a reason for holding back on communicating about pay. Still, many companies said they plan to increase transparency in their postings, even without local mandates.

Some experts warn that the laws could have unintended consequences.

In a 2016 article for the Harvard Business Review arguing against pay transparency, Zenger, the University of Utah professor, cited an experiment in which University of California faculty who discovered they were being paid less than their peers became much less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to say they might leave.

Theres always a trade-off associated with these kinds of things, Zenger told Stateline.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.
Florida Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D) and Anna Paulina Luna (R) sent a joint letter to their colleagues on Wednesday calling for peace and civility in politics.

The bipartisan pair of lawmakers sent the letter just days after the attempted assassination of former President Trump during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. In the days since the incident, policymakers on both sides of the aisle have urged Americans to tone down political rhetoric leading up to the election.

Moskowitz and Luna echoed those calls in the letter sent on Wednesday.

As Democrat and Republican Members of Congress, we call for peace and civility in our nations politics. Unfortunately, incivility and hate have become all too common in todays political climate, the lawmakers wrote.

Political violence has no place in America, regardless of ones political affiliation. The cycle of animosity and hate that has permeated our countrys political system needs to stop, they continued.

A gunman opened fire at Trumps Saturday rally, grazing the former president in the ear with a bullet, critically injuring two rally attendees and leaving one dead. The gunman was shot and killed by a counter-sniper shortly after he fired toward Trump.

President Biden spoke to Trump after the shooting and urged people to cool it down in a primetime address to the nation on Sunday.

The two lawmakers said that the proper place to settle these differences is through vigorous debate and at the ballot box, emphasizing that violence should never be the answer.

We have the ability to lead by example and show people we can disagree without dehumanizing each other. Considering the current political division in our nation, we understand that this may be easier said than done. There is a system of hatred and grifting that has infused itself into our politics. We see it on TV and social media daily, making this task challenging, the lawmakers wrote.

We must find ways to find commonality with each other. Like the two of us, many of you are parents with sons and daughters who are going to inherit what we leave behind. As collective Members of the same body, we must ensure that we do everything possible to bring down the temperature. If we do not do this, we continue to risk the safety of our colleagues and the American people, they concluded.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Most Democrats want Biden to step aside, making a plan to crown him the nominee early even more controversial

Democrats are moving ahead with a plan to crown President Joe Biden as their nominee earlier than expected.

The Democratic National Committee is set to hold a virtual roll call vote before the convention.

Their effort would help Biden head off any formal challenge to step aside.

President Joe Biden urged skeptical Democrats to challenge him on the convention floor. But under a controversial plan, he would already be the Democratic Party's presidential nominee when delegates gather in Chicago.

Top national Democrats have pledged to move ahead with a virtual roll call vote, which would head off any messy fight on the convention floor. Legally speaking, it would also make it far more difficult to replace Biden once he is formally declared the nominee.

This is why some of Biden's biggest skeptics are railing against the plan.

"Fast-forwarding the nomination process is no way to convince the many unconvinced voters in the growing number of battleground states," Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas said in a statement. "Those so eager to overly protect President Biden ignore his own words inviting anyone questioning his nomination to do so at the Convention."

In a letter to other top Democrats, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Leah Daughtry, who co-lead the Democratic National Committee's Rules Committee, defended the plan to move forward with the virtual vote. They said a Friday meeting would further discuss how the vote would work.

"We will not be implementing a rushed virtual voting process, though we will begin our important consideration of how a virtual voting process would work," they wrote.

Walz said a vote would not happen before August 1. Each of the more than 4,000 delegates elected to participate in the national convention would be able to vote in a virtual vote. Josh Putnam, a respected expert on the delegate selection process, wrote on X that it is possible that superdelegates, which include influential party leaders, could vote as well.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting member of Congress to call on Biden to drop out. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Doggett was the first congressional Democrat to call on the president to step aside in the wake of Biden's disastrous debate performance  19 other Democrats have now joined him. As Doggett pointed out, Biden once goaded skeptical Democrats to challenge him on the floor in Chicago.

"I'm getting frustrated by the elites in the party, 'Oh, they know so much more,'" Biden said during an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on July 8. "Any of these guys that don't think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention."

Ostensibly, Democrats are pressing ahead because they are concerned that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris might not make the ballot in every state. The Democratic National Committee began putting a back-up plan in May when Ohio looked like it could not change its ballot deadline. Since then, Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called a special session of the state legislature. On May 31, he signed a law ensuring Biden would be on the ballot.

But some of the party's top leaders are still not convinced.

"If we were in a simpler time, we've trusted each other and got it done," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaking at a news conference on behalf of Biden's reelection, told reporters in Milwaukee, per CNN.

Walz added, "I don't trust them in Ohio to do this."

In their letter, Walz and Daughtry also cited concerns about deadlines in Washington, Montana, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison got into a heated back-and-forth with journalist Nate Silver, who rose to fame as an election analyst, on Tuesday after Silver repeatedly pointed out that Ohio had changed its law.

"Love y'all but when it comes to election law and ballot access, I put my trust in our legal team who make a living understanding these laws and processes & not in the pollster who promised us the red wave. #ClassDismissed," Harrison said, misidentifying Silver's profession.

There's no 8/7 deadline. You're making that up. Ohio passed legislation so that whomever is nominated at the Democratic Convention will be on the November ballot. Have some guts and defend your party's ability to follow its own process. And stop lying to the American public. https://t.co/OXl0SAPpld  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) July 17, 2024

Election law experts have called out Democrats' justifications, saying they are really just designed to help Biden run out the clock on any challenge.

"Respectfully, these are makeweight arguments designed to deflect attention from the Biden/DNC plan to run out the clock, which has been discernible since at least early last week," University of Wisconsin Law School Dean Daniel Tokaji wrote on an election blog hosted by fellow respected expert Rick Hasen, a law professor at UCLA.

Hasen has called out the claim that Ohio could try to bait and switch Democrats. He argued that if something like that were to occur, then Democrats could use the statements of Ohio Republican leaders in a potential lawsuit.

"I don't think it's serious to say that Democrats need do a virtual roll call to assure their party's nominee will be on the ballot. This is about politics, not law," Hasen wrote.

The reality is that Biden still hasn't quieted his doubters.

Biden has repeatedly declared he's not going anywhere. He's stepped up his campaign schedule and granted more interviews. Still, the doubts about his standing persist, especially after two shaky interviews earlier this week.

An unnamed House Democrat told Politico, "Quiet efforts continue to urge the president to step aside, and team Biden remains dug in."

An AP-NORC poll is likely to fuel those doubts. The poll, which was released on Wednesday, found that nearly 2/3rds of Democrats want Biden to step aside.

Read the original article on Business Insider
What is the most rat-infested place in the US? Hint: Its not New York

What is the most rat-infested place in the US? Hint: Its not New York

Contrary to popular belief, New York City is not the most rat-infested place in the US  it's just one of the most rat-infested places in the US.

Yelp  the business and service review app  collected data on searches for pest control and exterminators, and found that it was not New Yorkers making the most inquiries for critter removal. It shared that report with The New York Post.

Nationwide, interest in preventable pest control rose by 165 percent in June 2024 compared to the same time last year.

As for the state-by-state breakdown  adjusted to reflect population  California had the most rodent-related pest control searches, followed by Wyoming, Washington DC, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.

Washington DC has long been home to rats, but milder winters mixed with a greater number of people moving to the city and regularly working from home has created ideal conditions for rat populations to boom according to Gerard Brown, director of rodent control for DC Health, who spoke with NBC4 about the rat issue last year.

Rats swarm around a bag of garbage near a dumpster in New York. Data from Yelp found that requests for pest removal and control were higher in cities like Washington DC and in parts of California than in New York City, which is known for frequent rat sightings (AP2000)

"The increase in food establishments over the past five years  there's been a 25% increase in restaurants," Brown told the outlet. "The mild winters for the last decade  you know, usually the winters act as a natural exterminator.... And the increase in people. You know, we got more people, 700,000, just more people living in DC."

General DC population growth, plus more people working from home means there's more trash being generated in residential areas, which in turns draws more rats, he explained.

"People are eating more at home where they would be eating lunch in the office, and trash would be disposed of there. It's disposed of now in residential cans, and thats more food waste," he said.

Back in New York, it's not all good news. The city saw a 107 percent increase in searches for "rodent exterminator" for June 2024 when compared to June 2023.

At the national level, the most requested type of exterminator during the period Yelp reviewed was for cockroaches. Requests for cockroach killers increased by 323 percent, according to Yelp.

Next after cockroaches were spider exterminators, which saw a 236 per cent increase in searches. Yelp told the New York Post that those requests were driven by the invasion of the Joro spiders, hand-sized spiders spreading throughout the east coast and the south that can build massive webs. Thankfully, the spiders do not possess venom that can hurt humans and they are not considered to be a major ecological threat, according to entomologists studying their recent arrival in the US. They're mostlyjust a very creepy annoyance.

A blue and yellow Joro spider on its web. Spider removal requests increased in the summer of 2024 as the spiders spread across the US east coast and South (David Hansche, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Bugs made up eight of the 10 spots for pest control searches this year. In addition to cockroaches and spiders, searches needed help removing wasps, termites, ants, fleas, ticks, and bed bugs. In the case of bed bugs, the searches were often more for inspections rather than removal.

Rodent control came in at number nine on the list, followed up by mosquitos in the 10 spot. In every category the searches for pest control were greater this year than at the same time last year, according to Yelp's data.

Washington DC had the most overall requests for pest control, with the most calls for bed bugs, roaches, and mosquito treatment in the country.

New York came in at fifth for bed bug inspection requests, sixth for cockroach exterminations, and 34th for rodent repellent requests, suggesting that Mayor Eric Adams' "war on rats" may be working.

The city's Department of Sanitation said in May that rat sightings in the city had dropped in 12 of the past 13 months when compared to the year prior.
TALLINN, Estonia - (NewMediaWire) - July 17, 2024 - PlusPlus Capital ("PPC"), a leading pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management group, received broad support from its bondholders for the proposed reorganization plan of its fully owned subsidiary PlusPlus Capital Financial S. r.l.



With a participation rate of approximately 89% of the outstanding principal, the participating bondholders with approximately 94% almost unanimously supported the reorganization plan.

Following the successful bondholder meeting on Friday, 12 July 2024, the Company filed the reorganization plan with the court on 16 July 2024. The hearing for the court's ruling on the proceedings of the reorganization plan is expected to take place on 6 August 2024.

PlusPlus Capital will inform about the ruling of the Luxembourg court on the reorganization process of PlusPlus Capital Financial S. r.l. in due course.



Contact:

PlusPlus Capital

Kaarel Raik, Member of the Management Board

Email: kaarel.raik@plusplus.ee

Phone: +372 56 606 148



About PlusPlus Capital:

PlusPlus is a pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management company with offices in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki. The Company acquires overdue loans and other non-performing exposures from financial institutions and non-financial sector merchants. With its core competence in handling claims against private individuals, PlusPlus prefers diversified portfolios balanced by geography, portfolio type, and other metrics.

Since its inception in 2010, PlusPlus has bought over 120 thousand claims with nominal value of approximately EUR 270 million. The Company offers its clients affordable recovery solutions and aims to avoid litigious scenarios. In doing so, PlusPlus pursues win-win solutions that allow sellers to focus on their core business, provide affordable solutions for borrowers, and ensure adequate returns for investors.

PlusPlus is a transparent and socially responsible company set to assist people in resolving problems connected with their insufficient solvency. The ambition of PlusPlus is to increase its market share and further strengthen its position as a leading player in its regional market.

pluspluscapital.eu
Mother of mastermind behind deadly home invasion that killed Zaria McKeever charged as an accomplice

The mother of Erick Haynes, the man sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the deadly Brooklyn Park home invasion of his ex-girlfriend, was charged Wednesday as an accomplice for her alleged role in failing to report Haynes' plot.

Valesha G. Parker, 47, of Minneapolis, faces four felony counts of aiding an offender  accomplice after the fact in connection with the death of 23-year-old Zaria McKeever, whose slaying at the hands of two teenagers conscripted by Haynes outraged community members and resulted in a rare intervention by Gov. Tim Walz.

Parker was charged via summons by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and is not yet in custody. State prosecutors accuse Parker of harboring at least one of the shooters in her hotel room after the murder and repeatedly lying to police about her knowledge of the crime.

Parker is the third immediate relative of Haynes' to be criminally charged in the case. Haynes' sister and brother-in-law, Eriana Haynes and Tavion Michael Darnell James, both 25, were each sentenced last month to roughly 3 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding an offender after the fact. James is also required to spend one year in the the county workhouse along with five years' probation.

It's not immediately clear why the charges against Parker are coming so much later than everyone else involved.

According to the criminal complaint and previous court testimony:

Haynes had a history of violating domestic no-contact orders against McKeever, the mother of his child. In the days leading up to her death, Haynes repeatedly stalked and harassed her, angry that she had starting seeing another man.

On Nov. 8, 2022, Haynes drove two teenage brothers to the Brooklyn Park apartment complex where McKeever's new boyfriend lived. He handed the younger boy, then 15-year-old Foday Kamara, a 9-millimeter handgun and waited in the car as the teens went inside.

They kicked in the door, hoping to confront McKeever's boyfriend. Instead they found her. She refused to let them get to her partner.

Foday Kamara unleashed a flurry of shots, striking McKeever five times at close range. One round struck his older brother, John Kamara.

Haynes drove them to a nearby hotel in Brooklyn Center, where he and other relatives had booked a room. His sister, brother-in-law and Parker were all inside when they arrived and present as Foday admitted aloud: "I shot my brother," charges say.

After Eriana Haynes and James took John Kamara to the hospital, Foday told Parker that he'd also shot McKeever, according to court records. Parker responded that he "shoulda never listened to" Haynes and that her son "was wrong for putting [Foday] in this predicament."

Later that night, Parker was lying on the bed as Haynes instructed Foday to clean and hide the murder weapon in the wheel well of a vehicle in the hotel parking lot, charges say. That's where investigators later found it.

Under questioning from police, Parker claimed she had no knowledge of Haynes' activity that night and did not know that Eriana Haynes drove anyone to the hospital. She also couldn't explain why Foday was found in her hotel room.

"Where the hell did he come from?" she said, according to the criminal complaint.

Attorney General Keith Ellison's office took over prosecution in the controversial case in March 2023, amid outrage over plea agreements offered by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty that would have spared the teen shooters adult prison time. The deals were widely decried as too lenient and Gov. Walz reassigned the case to Attorney General Keith Ellison at his request.

In May, Judge William Koch accepted Foday Kamara's guilty plea to aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder and sentenced him to a 10-year term.

John Kamara, who was 17 when McKeever was killed, was spared adult prison and is serving a two-year sentence in a juvenile facility.

Erick Haynes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in March, avoiding a lengthy trial, and was sentenced to life in prison in April.

Star Tribune staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this report.
Movie armorer seeks dismissal of her conviction or new trial in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin

FILE - Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the former armorer for the Western film "Rust," listens to closing arguments in her trial at district court, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. The movie weapons armorer is appealing her conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set. (Luis Sanchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool, File)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A movie armorer has asked a judge to dismiss her involuntary manslaughter conviction or convene a new trial in the shooting death of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin, alleging suppression of evidence and misconduct by the prosecution.

In a court filing Tuesday, defense counsel for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed argued her case should be reconsidered because prosecutors failed to share evidence that might have been exculpatory.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer last week brought Baldwin's trial to a sudden and stunning end based on misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.

This court stated on July 12 that the integrity of the judicial system demanded that the court dismiss Mr. Baldwins case with prejudice," said defense attorney Jason Bowles in the new court filing. "How can it be any different with Ms. Gutierrez-Reeds case, with this proven litany of serious discovery abuses?

Kari Morrissey  lead prosecutor in both the Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed cases  said her written response would be filed in court next week, declining further comment.

The case-ending evidence at Baldwin's trial was ammunition that was brought into the sheriffs office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwins lawyers alleged they buried it and filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Gutierrez-Reed was convicted by a jury in March in a trial overseen by Judge Marlowe Sommer, who later assigned the maximum 18-month penalty. Gutierrez-Reed already has an appeal pending in a higher court on the involuntary manslaughter conviction.

Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of Rust, where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.

She was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the Rust investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where firearms are prohibited.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for Rust, was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
To some, going from Michigan to Ohio might feel like breaking into prison. But for any Michigan movie fan brave enough to skip over the border, the city of Mansfield  just over a two-hour drive from Detroit  is a destination spot for fans of Shawshank Redemption. The best part: To get there, there is no tunneling or sewage pipe climbing required. You can see it all from the comfort of your car.

For the 30th anniversary of the film, released in 1994 and shot in Mansfield, the town is celebrating its release with a weekend-long special event along the Shawshank Trail, a series of 15 locations winding through the small towns where the movie was filmed.

Detroit's got movies, too: Jerry Bruckheimer's fond memories of Detroit are reflected in 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'

Visitors are encouraged to take themselves on the self-guided tour across Ohio, which will be celebrating the anniversary through the weekend of Aug. 9, while enjoying a number of special events, such as screenings of the film, autograph sessions with the cast, bus tours and photo opportunities. In attendance for the special weekend will be the director, Frank Darabont, and actors like Bob Gunton, Alfonso Freeman, William Sadler and more cast members.

The trail begins at the Ohio State Reformatory, which served as the setting of the fictional Shawshank State Prison. It continues through Mansfield past the pawn shop Red looks into, stopping at Brooks bench on its way to the grocery store where Brooks and Red both work while on parole. All destinations are marked with Shawshank Trail signage.

The trail continues through Ohio, along the roads traveled by the films characters. After a few recognizable stops in Malabar Farm State Park in Lucas, Ohio, the trail winds up to Ashland, Ohio, where tourists can see the setting of the Maine State Bank and walk through the massive depression-era safe at Crosby Advisory Group.

The final stop on the driving tour is in Sandusky, Ohio  along the route home for travelers from Michigan  at the Shawshank Woodshop. Visitors can see props used on screen by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in the same place Freeman uttered, Every last man at Shawshank felt free.

That is where the driving tour ends, but as fans of Shawshank will know, thats not where the characters stories end. For the most ambitious tourists, the final stop of the tour is in Frederiksted, St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Croix is where Darabont shot the final scene, with Red and Andy in Mexico.

The celebration of the 30th anniversary of the award-winning film IMDB ranks the best movie of all time begins on Friday, Aug. 9, and goes until Sunday. For more information, visit the Shawshank Trail site here.

For Michiganders hesitant to cross into Ohio, Jackson Historic Prison in Jackson offers more than 200 years of Michigan prison history, and more information can be found here.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: See 'Shawshank' filming site in Ohio, no prison break required
MPD looking for suspects involved in theft in Northwest DC

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is asking for the communitys help in identifying a person suspected of stealing items from a store in Northwest D.C. on Tuesday afternoon.

MPD said that at about 4:10 p.m., the suspects entered a store in the 1000 block of F St., took items, and left the store without paying.

Wellness Wednesday: Attempted assassination impacts

One of the suspects was seen on a surveillance camera here:

Credit:MPD

Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Departments TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

MPD currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The anger inside MSNBC after the network preempted its top morning hosts on the first day of the Republican National Convention reached a crescendo Tuesday, with people inside the network and close to the situation dumbfounded as to how executives could have created a situation that allowed its top stars to go scorched earth on them for the second time in four months.

Multiple sources described the sentiment inside 30 Rock to The Daily Beast as intense frustration, with employees eviscerating NBC News Group President Cesar Conde and MSNBC President Rashida Jones decision Monday to yank Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski off the air on the first day of the Republican National Convention.

The buck stops with Cesar, one source close to the situation said.

When you decide you want to own a news divisionthese are journalists, the source continued. Theyre truth seekers, theyre there to tell the story and theyll tell the story about their own company.

Joe Scarborough: Mika and I Will Quit if Morning Joe Is Pulled Again

The fury was on display on Tuesdays Morning Joe, where Scarborough tore into MSNBC and NBC executives over the removal. Scarborough said the hosts were told there would be one news feed across NBCs news channels, though the network ultimately simulcast NBC News Nows Morning News Now, featuring anchors Samantha Sellars and Joe Fryer.

There is a level of disappointment and disillusion in our leadership in a way that is unlike anything before, one MSNBC staffer told The Daily Beast.

CNN reported on Sunday that the network had sidelined the two hosts that day over fear they would make an inappropriate comment after Saturdays assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Next time were told theres going to be a news feed replacing us, we will be in our chairs, Scarborough said. The news feed will be us, or they can get somebody else to host the show.

Multiple sources pinned the blame on Conde, who took over as head to the NBC News Group in 2020. Those who spoke with The Daily Beast felt that Condes lack of journalistic experiencehe studied business at Harvard before earning his M.B.A at the University of Pennsylvania, working in executive roles afterwardenabled a decision like this, showcasing an inability to understand what audiences seek out MSNBCs perspective programming for and feeding into the criticisms the network is solely a left-wing melting pot.

It follows his hiring in March of former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on as a contributor, a choice framed as an attempt to consider Republican voices but one that prompted an on-air mutiny across NBC and MSNBC airwaves decrying the hirespearheaded by hosts like Chuck Todd, Scarborough, and Brzezinski. McDaniel was ousted after a weekend, and Conde eventually took full responsibility for the mis-hire.

One source familiar with the situation noted that the Morning Joe talent have often considered themselves bigger than the network, despite the fact that Scarborough or Brezezinskiwho both live in Floridado not run MSNBC.

Ultimately, [leadership is] not beholden to the talent, the source said. Theyre beholden to their talent, their affiliates, and their bosses.

Some within MSNBC speculated whether yanking Morning Joe off air Monday was an attempt by its parent companiesNBCUniversal and its parent, Comcastto appeal to a potential Donald Trump administration, particularly as Trump allies have continued to batter the network.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski address the decision to sideline their show following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. MSNBC

Theres no world in which any of this makes sense unless Comcast is attempting to curry favor, one MSNBC employee said. (While Semafor reported on initial plans to also bench Nicolle Wallace and Ari Melber on Monday, those plans were jettisoned, and opinion hostsincluding Rachel Maddowwere on MSNBCs airwaves on Monday night.)

Comcast referred The Daily Beast to NBCs news division. The programming decisions are made entirely by NBC News Group, an NBC News spokesman said.

Its unclear whether Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBCUniversal President Mike Cavanaugh would want to see a reinstated Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Roberts and Comcast as a whole over its NBC ownership. An OpenSecrets analysis of campaign donations showed Roberts has largely donated to Democrats over the last 15 years, with some donations to Republicans.

Still, the sentiment wouldnt be foreign to media executives. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslavwho oversees CNNtold reporters last week at the annual Allen & Co. Sun Valley Forum in Sun Valley, Idaho, that he wanted a president who prioritized business interests.

We just need an opportunity for deregulation, so companies can consolidate and do what we need to to be even better," Zaslav said.

The anger within MSNBC represents a broader frustration across news organizations in a time where network executivesboth old and, increasingly, newfind ways to simultaneously cover an election with almost daily unprecedented events while trying to curtail costs and resources. That has soured relationships with those who are ultimately the faces of the network: the talent.

This sort of unhappiness being aired would never have happened under Jeff Zuckers leadership at CNN, another source familiar to the situation said, referencing the ex-CNN host known for his familial-like relationship with talent.

Still, the choice to rankle the top stars of a morning program others have left sources who spoke to The Daily Beast unimpressed by Condes continued fumbling of the news divisionsprompting journalists to air their grievances in front of millions.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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While sucking up to Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, Marjorie Taylor Greene was stunned when a reporter asked a follow-up question about his running mate, J.D. Vance.



Jo Crawford, from The Times of London, asked the Republican representative from Georgia about J.D. Vances comments last week that the United Kingdom might be the first Islamist country thanks to the newly elected Labour government

Doesnt that paint a sour picture for relations with the U.K.? Crawford asked Greene, who immediately entered meltdown mode.

Lots of FAKE NEWS reporters at the RNC this week.



This reporter from The Times of London is one of many responsible for causing such deep division and hatred.



They lie. They twist our words. They demonize us.



It should be no surprise someone tried to assassinate President pic.twitter.com/PQRnjCvaXQ  Marjorie Taylor Greene  (@mtgreenee) July 16, 2024

Well, lets talk about the words of the Democrats and Joe Biden that have also labeled President Trump as a fascist, labeled all of us as Nazis and Hitler. She then went on to blame the attempted assassination of Trump on Democrats, a line shes been trying to peddle, despite the fact that the shooter was a registered Republican.



When the reporter tries to get Greene back on topic, Greene got angry, interrupting the journalist and turning to personal attacks. Lets talk about people like you, Greene said, pointing her finger at Crawford.

I have some of the most highest amount of death threats because of people like you, Greene said. You choose to take only certain words from people, and then thats what you report. Shame on you.

Youre ridiculous. And youre the problem in our country, she began to yell. Youre the cause of our country being divided. Youre the cause of Trump almost being assassinated.

Greenes anti-media attack is in line with a growing disdain on the right, which blames the media for political violence. This is your fault! an attendee of Trumps Pennsylvania rally yelled out shortly after the shooting on Saturday, pointing at individual journalists on the press fence.



In March, Greene also told former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis to fuck off when asked about her Jewish space lasers conspiracy.


A project that could bring hundreds of jobs to the Springfield area took a step forward despite concerns from residents.

The zoning agenda on Tuesday had council members vote on the proposed variances to move the warehouse forward.

Fred OConnor, Doug Kent and Charles Young made an objection to zoning docket 24-028, the multimillion dollar warehouse facility which was proposed on May 1.

More: Proposed multimillion dollar warehouse could bring hundreds of jobs to Springfield

The warehouse, which will be located on Palm Road at the southwest corner of the Chatham and Interstate 55 interchange, is currently being used as farmland with two large billboards. Texas resident John Kovski, manager for Lakeview Acres LLC, filed a request for variances on the 30-acre land.

Kovski intends to sell the property to a developer who will construct an almost 227,000-square-foot industrial warehouse with a 10-foot site security fence, a 12,00-square-foot office and more 5,000-square-foot fleet car garage. While Becknell and the city has not formally confirmed who will be the end user of the building, sources told The State Journal-Register in June Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of Pepsico, will use the location.

One of the main areas of concern for residents like Melissa Smith was traffic.

Our (school) bus routes use Lakewood Drive, Smith said. Eight to 10 at buses at Glenarm intermediate use those routes everyday  They use Lakewood Drive to turn left to go pick up Springfield students because the bus barn is right just to the southwest.

Taylor Bass, development manager for Becknell Industrial who is working with the end-user of the warehouse, made a presentation explaining why the variances were needed, and addressed the traffic concerns.

Matt McLaughlin, left, project manager for the Office of Public Works, and Taylor Bass, right, development manager for Becknell Industrial, listen to public comments during the zoning portion of the Springfield City Council meeting on July 16, 2024.

Bass said a traffic study would be done on Palm Road with the Illinois Department of Transportation during the school season to monitor bus routes and traffic. If needed, stop lights or signs could potentially be added to the area to curb traffic impediment.

The council voted to approve the variances with Becknell in a vote 6-3, with Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory not present. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended to accept the variance changes for the warehouse to the council.

Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr., Ward 4 Ald. Larry Rockford and Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano voted in opposition to the variance changes.

If you have a hard time with traffic, I dont know how youre going to put up with more semis and more trucks, Rockford said. I feel for you  Im all for jobs and I wish there was more discussion.

Fred OConnor, who lives on Lakeside Drive, addresses the Springfield City Council during the zoning portion of the July 16, 2024. O'Connor was objecting to development of a warehouse at Palm Road at the Interstate 55 exchange.

Bass said the location was chosen for its previous I-1 industrial zoning and location to utilities like sewage, water and gas to the facility. Bass also said the location near the interchange would provide easy transit.

You dont build on an exchange, OConnor said in retort. You build somewhere near an exchange, but they want to build on an exchange with (residential) buildings on both sides of where they want to build.

Several residents from Glenarm and Springfield said Redpath did not return calls leading up to the meeting and felt let down to see in the meeting Redpath voting yes for the variances granted for the new warehouse.

OConnor said he knows that the alderpersons care about their districts and the greater Springfield community, and simply asked a rhetorical  if each of the alderpersons would want this factory built near their own neighborhoods.

This decision is in your hands all of you, OConnor said. We all know that youre under a lot of pressure. We dont have any attorneys. The people youre speaking to are the people who live there.

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Multimillion dollar project in Springfield takes step forward despite concerns
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Police detained several people in Siletz on suspicion of selling narcotics early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

According to Newport police, an investigation into a house on Southwest Buford Avenue in Siletz revealed that the occupants had been selling narcotics to people in Newport as well as other parts of Lincoln County.

Authorities also said they learned that the people in the home might have firearms.

At around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said they served a warrant at the home, detaining multiple people, While searching they said they found evidence of narcotics delivery, manufacturing, and possession as well as a gun.

The incident is under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Players within the insurance value chain are experiencing a surge in prominence driven by specialisation, revamped business models, technological innovation, and customer-centric products. New products dealing with new risks, augmented partnerships, new technologies such as AI, and new customer-centric offerings, have each empowered the insurance value chain to expand towards novel frontiers.

Indeed, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, in this regard, offers a plethora of opportunities for the insurance industry. With low insurance penetration by comparison to other global markets, the MEASA region is relatively nascent, bolstered by favourable demographics and increased technological adoption. Being a dynamic geographic region, the insurance sector has long recognised the need to build extensive knowledge capabilities, ensuring local markets adhere to the latest international standards, thereby optimising client servicing. Most importantly, these capabilities build trust; a hallmark of the insurance value proposition.

DIFC: turning capabilities into action

As a premium (re)insurance hub, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has strengthened its capabilities, servicing people and businesses in the region for the last 20 years. With the highest gross written premiums (GWP) recorded in its 20-year history, close to USD $2.6bn, DIFC is continuously reviewing and fine-tuning its competencies to cater to an evolving risk landscape. DIFCs (re)insurance industry has further been bolstered through its rate of cultural innovation, access to new markets through advantageous geographical connectivity, time zone advantages, and new distribution techniques.

The rise in the number of Managing General Agents (MGAs) in the Centre is a significant trend in this direction. MGAs are specialised intermediaries, vested with underwriting authority from (re)insurers. Due to their robustness, resilience and flexibility, MGAs can cater to specific needs and can penetrate markets in a more efficient, cost-effective way. This makes MGAs attractive to more underserved countries and reinsurers looking to build a localised portfolio without incurring significant investment costs.

As a result, reinsurers have increasingly participated in the creation of MGAs over the last five years, as they offer a vehicle to specialise in specific lines of business. This positions MGAs favourably in the insurance industry, as a win-win for all partners in the value chain. The growing number of MGAs also strengthens DIFCs position as an insurance hub. According to our latest data, established international, regional and start-up MGAs in the Centre now account for 43% of the sector, contributing considerably to DIFCs premium growth.

Story continues

Similarly, insurance brokers play a pertinent role in the insurance value chain by understanding the needs of their clients and connecting them with suitable coverage options. As such, they provide fit-for-purpose, comprehensive insurance and risk management solutions, that are tailored to the needs of their clientele.

A world-class service

Through this convergence of demand and servicing, DIFC is today home to a broad range of world-class insurance brokers, five of whom are among the top ranked entities by AM Best. The Centre has also bolstered its brokered premiums by 61 per cent year-on-year in 2023, crossing the USD $2bn threshold.

By co-hosting globally renowned events such as the Dubai World Insurance Congress, DIFC stimulates innovation and thought leadership within the industry, offering opportunities for continuous engagement, market access, transparent communication, and talent development.

Certainly, a world-class regulated insurance and reinsurance market is prized by customers for the trustworthiness and peace of mind they offer through their diverse product offering and client-centric services. Being part of DIFCs ecosystem augments these hallmarks, building character and depth to the ever evolving (re)insurance sector. To learn more, click the banner on this page.

"Powering (Re)Insurance: DIFCs Value Proposition as a Principal Hub" was originally created and published by Investment Monitor, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents on stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

BUTLER, Pa. (AP)  The young man was pacing around the edges of the Donald Trump campaign rally, shouldering a big backpack and peering into the lens of a rangefinder toward the rooftops behind the stage where the former president would stand within the hour.

His behavior was so odd, so unlike that of the other rallygoers, that local law enforcement took notice, radioed their concerns and snapped a photo. But then he vanished.

The image was circulated by officers stationed outside the security perimeter on that hot, sunny Saturday afternoon. But the man didn't appear again until witnesses saw him climbing up the side of a squat manufacturing building that was within 135 meters (157 yards) from the stage.

That's where he opened fire, six minutes after Trump began speaking, in an attempt to assassinate the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. The gunman killed one rallygoer and seriously wounded two others. Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously hurt, appearing just days later at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee with a bandage over the wound.

Now come the questions, and there are plenty. Multiple investigations have been launched, both into the crime itself and how law enforcement allowed it to happen. It's becoming increasingly clear this was a complicated failure involving multiple missteps and at least nine local and federal law enforcement divisions that were supposed to be working together. Law enforcement has also warned of the potential for copycat attacks and more violence.

This story is based on interviews with eight law enforcement officials and four people familiar with a law enforcement briefing given to senators Wednesday, some of whom spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigations into the attempt on Trump's life.

Multiple agencies work together to secure events

The Secret Service always partners with local law enforcement when a president, political candidate or other high-level official comes to town, and Saturday's rally was no different. An advance team comes early to scope out the scene and identify potential areas of concern. They order vehicles moved. They set up barriers. They block off roads.

In some larger cities, one or two local agencies may work alongside the federal teams. In more rural areas, one local agency won't have enough manpower so multiple agencies are often involved. On Saturday, the show of force included members of at least six different agencies, including two sheriff's offices, local police, state police and multiple teams within the Secret Service, plus fire and emergency rescue officials. Within those agencies are individual divisions that have different duties.

In theory, more manpower is better. But it can often create communication problems, and it's unclear how the information about 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was transmitted. For instance, it's not clear how widely his photo was circulated or whether everyone was equally aware of the potential threat.

All the extra officers can be a drain on resources, leaving agencies stretched thin. The Secret Service at any given time is protecting the president, candidates and others, plus running point on major national security events. It's the same for local police, who told the Secret Service they didn't have enough people to station officers outside the building all day.

The Secret Service controls the area inside the perimeter, after people pass through metal detectors. Local law enforcement is supposed to handle outside the perimeter.

Reports of someone on the roof

The shooter, later identified as Crooks, disappeared from the crowds of Trump supporters decked out in red, white and blue. The stream of supporters entering through the metal detectors was slowing. Trump was getting ready to go on.

The rooftop from which Crooks fired is in a complex of buildings that form AGR International Inc., a supplier of automation equipment for the glass and plastic packaging industry. The building was closed for the day, except to law enforcement.

Crooks was spotted again when members of a local SWAT team, stationed inside the building complex, noticed him walking around and looking at the roof. One officer took a photo of Crooks and radioed to others to be on the lookout for a suspicious person looking through a rangefinder  a small device resembling binoculars that hunters use to measure distance from a target.

Not long after, witnesses reported seeing him scaling the squat building closest to the stage. He then set up his AR-style rifle and lay on the rooftop, a detonator in his pocket to set off crude explosive devices that were stashed in his car parked nearby.

Outside, a local officer climbed up to the roof to investigate. The gunman turned and pointed his rifle at him. The officer did not  or could not  fire a single shot. But Crooks did, firing into the crowd toward the former president and sending panicked spectators ducking for cover as Secret Service agents shielded Trump and pulled him from the stage. Two countersniper teams were stationed on buildings behind Trump, and the team further away from Crooks fired once, killing him.

In the congressional briefing Wednesday, FBI and Secret Service officials laid out a clearer timeline: Crooks was identified as a potential threat a full hour before the shots were fired, they saw him with the rangefinder roughly 40 minutes before the shooting, and then spotted him again looking through the rangefinder, about 20 minutes before the shooting.

Many investigations, few answers

We are speaking of a failure, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN. We are going to analyze through an independent review how that occurred, why it occurred, and make recommendations and findings to make sure it doesnt happen again.

House Oversight Committee Republicans have subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would set up a task force to investigate, and some Republicans have called on Cheatle to resign.

Cheatle herself said the shooting was unacceptable, in an interview with ABC News. And its something that shouldnt happen again.

Security has been stepped up for Trump and President Joe Biden, and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received a protective detail.

Biden has ordered an independent review of the shooting. The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general also opened an investigation into the Secret Services handling of the shooting.

But it's a big task. There were special agents, presidential protective teams, counterassault and countersniper teams all there that day. There were also roughly 50 firefighters and emergency personnel, plus dozens of officers from the Butler Township police, deputies from Beaver County and Butler County and Pennsylvania State Police troopers.

It will take weeks  if not months  to interview all the officers involved and determine exactly how Crooks was able to pull off the most serious attempt to kill a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

The shooter had prepared for carnage. Investigators found he brought multiple loaded magazines. He also bought 50 rounds on the day of the shooting. The rifle was purchased legally by his father years earlier.

Investigators found a bulletproof vest in his car and another rudimentary explosive device at his home, where over the past few months he had received several packages, including some that had potentially hazardous material. The FBI gained access to Crooks cellphone, scoured his computer, home and car, and interviewed more than 100 people so far.

But much of his communication was done in encrypted messages; investigators were reviewing more than 14,000 images on his cellphone and have learned Crooks had also searched online to study bullet trajectory.

But the investigation has of yet failed to lift the mystery surrounding the biggest question: Why did he do it?

___

Long and Jalonick reported from Washington, and Balsamo reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer and Rebecca Santana in Washington and Maryclaire Dale in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  As of July 16, there are approximately 27 wildfires burning more than 256,500 acres of land across the state of Oregon, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

An air tanker performs a drop on the Cow Valley Fire on July 14. (Jeremiah Maghan, Inciweb)

An infrared map of the Cow Valley Fire on July 16. (Inciweb)

The largest of these wildfires is the Cow Valley Fire burning in northern Malheur County. The Cow Valley Fire ignited on July 11 and is 133,408 acres in size and 16% contained, as of Tuesday afternoon. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but is thought to be human-related.

Larch Creek Fire evacuation areas possibly targeted by looters, residents say

Firefighters handling the fires incident management team and structural task force were unassigned to the fire Tuesday morning after firefighting efforts minimized the risk of structural damage in the area, Fire Commander Ian Yocum announced. However, 337 wildland firefighters will remain in the area to fight the fire.

All of the Cow Valley Fires containment is on the northern end and the fire continues to spread to the south. Firefighters managing the fire say that dry vegetation and extreme fire weather conditions are fueling the fires growth. Structures, sage grouse habitat and communication towers remain threatened by the wildfire. Evacuation warnings are in effect for the area.

The Oregon Fire Marshal announced Tuesday that the Falls fire in now 85,348 acres in size. (Oregon State Fire Marshal)

The latest map of the Falls Fire burning in Harney County. (Oregon State Fire Marshal)

The Falls Fire burning 25 miles northwest of Burns in Harney County is the second-largest active wildfire in the state. The Falls Fire grew from 64,225 acres to 85,348 acres on Monday and remains completely uncontained.

The Falls Fire experienced significant growth again Monday because of hot and dry conditions and strong outflow winds from passing thunderstorms, the Oregon State Fire Marshal announced.

Tuesday, the fire is predicted to be active with elevated rates of spread. Firefighters will construct additional control lines and hold the fire along established control lines using aerial and ground resources. Firefighters will continue to scout for future control lines to the north and east.

The fire was human-caused but remains under investigation, firefighters say. Westerly winds are steadily pushing the fire to the east. Approximately 891 firefighters are assigned to the fire. Aerial crews assigned to the fire include three helicopters, two cranes, six single-engine air tankers, two large air tankers and two large air tankers.

Evacuation orders and notices remain in effect in Grant and Harney Counties.

The scene of the Lone Rock Fire. (Oregon State Fire Marshal)

(Gilliam County Sheriffs Office)

(Gilliam County Sheriffs Office)

Washington Supreme Court upholds ban on sale of high-capacity magazines

The Lone Rock Fire burning in the corner of Gilliam, Morrow and Wheeler Counties is the third-largest active wildfire in Oregon. The Lone Rock Fire was initially estimated to be 30,000 acres on the morning of July 15. However, with more accurate mapping and continued growth, officials announced Tuesday that the fire is now 64,860 acres in size. Firefighters estimate the fire is 1% contained.

The Oregon State Fire Marshals office said that the fire has been fast-moving since it ignited on July 12. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The next few days are going to be extremely challenging with excessive heat, red flag warnings, and forecasted lightning, Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. We are watching the weather forecast closely and have plans in place if new fires start.

Levels 2 and 3 evacuations are in place in Gilliam, Morrow and Wheeler counties. Roughly 333 firefighters are assigned to the fire.

The Larch Creek Fire (KOIN)

The Salt Creek Fire in Jackson County, Oregon, July 8, 2024 (Courtesy to KOIN)

Other notable wildfires burning in Oregon:

Larch Creek Fire

Location: Wasco County

Acres: 18,689

Containment: 14%

Cause: Human

Started on: July 9

Evacuations

Salt Creek Fire

Location: Wasco County

Acres: 4,102

Containment: 73%

Cause: Human

Started on: July 7

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Conflagration Act for the Cow Valley, Falls and Lone Rock Fires. The Emergency Conflagration Act allows local authorities to receive additional aid when wildfires threaten lives, safety or property.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN)  A gunshot sensor could soon be installed at one Rutherford County school.

Rutherford Countys school board is scheduled to take a vote on Wednesday evening about whether or not to install a gunshot sensor at Central Magnet High School. The request to install that sensor came from the Murfreesboro Police Department.

PREVIOUS: Murfreesboro Police installing gunshot sensors around the city

If approved, Central Magnet High School would be the first school in Murfreesboro to deploy a sensor  and likely the only one.

The sensors are part of the police departments Real Time Crime Center. The devices detect sounds that could potentially be gunshots and tell police the approximate area it came from, allowing for quicker responses to possible instances of gun violence.

The Murfreesboro Police Department told News 2 that the location of Central Magnet High, about one mile from their police station, made it a logical choice for a gunshot sensor. However, the department added that they do not plan to put sensors at any other Murfreesboro schools.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County

The police departments request is not related to any specific issues involving safety at the school. The request is based on the schools geographic location which will work as part of a larger network of sensors. Statement from Public Information Officer Larry Flowers

The department has planned to install about 200 gunshot sensors before the network is officially up and running. As of print, Flowers said that theyve installed around 160.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A naked kayaker was rescued in Lake Erie Wednesday, the United States Coast Guard says.

The Coast Guard received a report Wednesday of a man who was naked and stranded on a water intake crib, it said in a social media post. It said he had been kayaking in the lake when his kayak capsized.

Crews from the Coast Guard Cleveland Harbor station, along with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, were sent out to rescue the man. They successfully brought him to shore to EMS.

The mans condition is unknown, and the Coast Guard did not specify why he was naked.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Nancy Pelosi will headline North Carolina Democrats annual Unity Dinner on Saturday, July 20. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will address North Carolina Democrats this weekend, as the party aims to regain momentum nationally and consolidate support around Joe Biden as its presidential nominee.

Pelosi will join Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein, Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and other statewide candidates in Raleigh on Saturday for the state partys annual Unity Dinner.

Unity will be top of the mind for many attendees. Bidens performance at a June debate and in subsequent interviews has spurred questions in recent weeks about his ability to effectively campaign for and win a second term.

Some elected Democrats have called for him to step aside as nominee in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, while others have reaffirmed their support for Biden; the president has repeatedly said he intends to stay in, and that only the Lord Almighty could change his mind.

Pelosi, Saturday evenings headliner, has been quietly fielding calls from Democrats in vulnerable districts who are concerned about Bidens ability to win and impact other races, POLITICO reported on Tuesday.

She no longer wields the gavel or the reins over House Democrats, but remains an influential voice in the party. And in an MSNBC interview last week, she stopped short of fully endorsing his reelection efforts, saying its up to the president to decide if hes going to run. (Biden, at the time of that interview, had already said he intended to stay in the race.)

The presidents reelection campaign has held a steady series of appearances in North Carolina during recent weeks, including two visits from Harris and one from First Lady Jill Biden.

Clayton, the state party chair, told reporters last week that we are fully behind Joe Biden and Kamala Harris leading our ticket.

The Democratic National Committee has also spent $1.2 million in North Carolina so far for this election cycle in an effort to support the top of the ticket and down ballot candidates.

On Wednesday, Clayton said that the dinner would be focused on mobilizing voters to win races as well as thanking party volunteers that have been involved in organizing over the last year.

We have to make sure that were reaching voters where they are, Clayton said. I think that for a long time as a party, weve expected people to come to us. And so, Im expecting to hear a lot about the fact that we need to go out there and chase every single one of your friends, neighbors, the people you may be afraid to talk to right now about politics.
Naomi Pomeroy, the Portland-based Top Chef Masters contestant who was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest in 2014, died Saturday in an accident on the Willamette River, according to multiple reports. She was 49.

Pomeroy was reportedly one of several people floating down the river near Corvallis via a paddle board and inner tubes that were lashed together. The assembly got stuck on a snag in the river and, according to AP, Pomeroy was pulled under the water and trapped as the paddle board leash would not let her up. Her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and one other person were also caught, but escaped to shore. Pomeroy did not.

More from Deadline

Both yesterday and today, the Benton County Sheriffs Office had staff  both Marine Patrol Deputies and Search and Rescue personnel, on the water, continuing the effort to recover the victim. Debris in river, currents, and ragged rocks, make it unsafe for divers to conduct any exploratory search under water. We will continue our efforts to recover the victim, to bring [closure] to the family and the community, Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall told Eater late yesterday.

Pomeroy and her sous chef Mika Paredes opened Beast on September 2007. The restaurant put her on the map, leading to her being named one of Food & Wine magazines 10 Best New Chefs in America in 2009. Beast closed around the time of the pandemic. Her most-recent project was Expatriate, a bar she and Webster started. The bar was temporarily closed on Monday after her death.

On Top Chef, Pomeroy competed for Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloom plant varieties.

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Boeing engineers stand like ants against the humungous butt of the Space Launch System rocket as it is rolled out of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, in New Orleans, July 16, 2024. | Credit: Space.com / Josh Dinner

NEW ORLEANS  The core stage of the first rocket to launch astronauts to the moon in over 50 years has left its manufacturing facility, and is bound for vehicle integration and assembly ahead of its launch next year.

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis 2 booster was rolled out of the space agency's Michoud Assembly Facility, in New Orleans today (July 16), 55 years to the day of NASA's Apollo 11 launch to the moon. The 212-foot (65-meter) booster, with its four RS-25 engines, was escorted a mile down the roadway to be loaded onto NASA's Pegasus barge for shipping to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida, ahead of the second mission of the Artemis program.

The Artemis 2 mission will launch four astronauts around the moon in 2025, the first humans to make such a lunar trip since since the 1970s. Its SLS booster began that epic trip by rolling out of the tall hangar doors of Michoud's Vertical Assembly Center Tuesday, around 7:30 a.m. CDT (1230 GMT). A few hundred onlookers, mostly Michoud workers and their guests, gathered early in the humid New Orleans morning to witness their historic rocket stage transferred to the next stop in its journey toward a lunar mission liftoff.

The ceremonious event began with "Oh When the Saints" from the Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, a local school marching band, kicking off the morning's panel of speakers as the booster made its way past a large gate leading to the main parking lot. Nearly out of view, the booster turned onto the main road and rolled onward toward Pegasus.

A bald man in a collared shirt with a nasa logo stands a a clear podium with a nasa logo, in front of a hangar in the background.

"For more than six decades, Marshall and Michoud have been a part of leading some of this nation's greatest achievements in space exploration, from the amazing accomplishments of the Apollo missions, through 135 shuttle missions, to the milestone that we're here today to celebrate," said Joseph Pelfrey, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, as he addressed the crowd during opening remarks.

Speaking to the crowd of mostly employess  engineers' whose hands have worked on this SLS booster for the past several years  he emphasized, "we're here today to celebrate the hardware, but it's the people that have brought us this far to achieve the milestones to help meet our mission goals."

Two men in the distance stand before a tall building blockgin the sun. It has a nasa logo near the top. They address a large crowd, stretching the rest of the frame.

As small milestones are reached in the preparation for each Artemis mission, the Artemis Program as a whole comes into sharper focus. NASA's goal with Artemis is to establish a permanent presence on the moon near the lunar south pole, which contains high concentrations of water ice  an incredibly useful resource in space that could be used to create necessities from drinking water to rocket fuel. The idea is for such an outpost to serve as a springboard to hone technologies and requirements to someday replicate something similar on Mars, but that is still a long way off.

Related: 'That's part of space exploration': Artemis 2 astronauts unfazed by moon mission delays (exclusive)

The launch of the Artemis 1 Space Launch System rocket as seen from the press site at Kennedy Space Center.

The first Artemis mission launched on Nov. 16, 2022, carrying an uncrewed Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon. It returned back to Earth a few weeks later, on Dec. 11, for an ocean splashdown. Artemis 2 won't last quite as long (about 11 days), nor will it technically enter lunar orbit.

Instead, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will launch on a lunar free-return trajectory around the moon, circling it once, before being gravitationally flung back toward our blue planet. Such a trajectory ensures Orion's return to Earth as the Artemis 2 crew performs the first crewed flight of the spacecraft.

When it launches, Artemis 2 will be the first excursion to carry astronauts within orbital proximity of the moon since the final Apollo mission in 1972, which is far from the only 'first' being checked off by the upcoming flight. Three of Artemis 2's four crew members represent demographics that will be flying to the moon for the first time in history. Glover, who is serving as mission pilot, will be the first person of color to fly around the moon, Koch, the first woman, and Hansen, the first non-American.

Two men in blue jumpsuits laugh while sitting in a crowd.

Wiseman and Hansen were in attendance as well, and marveled as they watched the booster that will fly them to space.

"I mean, that is, that is an awesome sight," Wiseman told Space.com. "We talk a lot about Artemis, about flying to the moon, and I think it gets lost sometimes that the hardware is here," he said, continuing, "the Orion spacecraft is at Kennedy Space Center. Our boosters are at Kennedy Space Center, we just watched the core stage roll by. Its next stop is Kennedy Space Center, all the parts are coming together. And when you actually look at the rocket, and you think about all the people here in Mississippi, in Louisiana, in Alabama, and then across the U.S. that have put this thing together, from dreaming it up to actually building it; it's what America is all about. I love it. It's wonderful," Wiseman said.

Following the success of Artemis 1 in 2022, Artemis 2 had been scheduled for November 2024, but NASA made the decision to delay the mission following the suboptimal performance of a few systems on the Orion spacecraft, including issues with its heat shield during reentry, as well as problems discovered with some of the life-support hardware built into Orion for Artemis 2.

A large orange rocket booster stage lays horizontal on wheels outside a tall hangar and a water tower.

"If we want to accomplish great things, we all need to collaborate, all contributions need to be put into the effort. And this [booster] is just one tiny example of this. And it's a very visual example, as we throw four humans around the moon on Artemis 2," Hansen told Space.com after the booster had rolled out of sight.

With Artemis 2 slated for no earlier than September 2025, NASA also delayed the next mission by a subsequent year, aiming to launch Artemis 3 no earlier than September 2026. Though, that mission has its own hardware dependencies that may delay it further.

Artemis 3 is the first of the program designed to land astronauts on the lunar surface, but to do that, key pieces of mission hardware will also need to be finished  namely, SpaceX's Starship, which NASA has contracted for use as the mission's moon lander.

the sun sets behind a giant rocket

Test flights on Starship have already begun, with its fifth expected before the end of the summer, but for a spacecraft that has not yet even been to orbit, 2026 is an aggressive timeline. Newly-designed extravehicular activity spacesuits for Artemis 3 astronauts to don as they traverse the lunar surface are being built by Houston-based company, Axiom Space, are also still awaiting completion.

The butt of a rocket booster with four red-tarped engine caps is seen making its way slowly toward a tube-shaped barge, seen in the distance on the right.

As for the Artemis 2 booster, after its 1-mile journey Tuesday morning, the rocket will rest aboard NASA's Pegasus barge as it departs the boggy waters of New Orleans for a 900-mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Pegasus is scheduled to arrive at that spaceport on July 23, where the stage will then be transferred off the barge and into the Vehicle Assembly Building, across the street.

Related Stories:

 NASA inspector general finds Orion heat shield issues 'pose significant risks' to Artemis 2 crew safety

 'We are ready:' New NASA documentary looks ahead to Artemis 2 moon mission (video)

 NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission: Live updates

Once inside, the booster will undergo a series of system and hardware checks before being outfitted with the remaining components and stages of the rocket, including its two solid rocket boosters, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage used to bring Orion to orbital velocity around Earth and for Orion's proximity operations demonstration, the Orion spacecraft itself and its service module.
NASA Says a Meteor Burnt Up Over the Statue of Liberty

Boom Clap

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a meteor?

NASA Meteor Watch has confirmed in a Facebook post that a loud booming and shaking heard and felt throughout New York City and New Jersey were caused in part by a meteor burning up over Midtown Manhattan on July 16.

Per a "very crude determination of the trajectory of the meteor," as the meteor department described it, the "daylight fireball" was first visible about 49 miles above the New York Harbor before burning up just over the Statue of Liberty, disintegrating just 29 miles above the famous landmark.

The agency added that any additional building rumblings could have been the result of "military activity in the vicinity around the time of the fireball" and that no known debris fell to Earth.

Scared City

All the same, the situation no doubt freaked out New Yorkers who not only dealt with a surprise earthquake earlier this year but who are still forced to contend with 9/11's psychic damage.

"No one from the federal government reached out to us," recounted Aries Dela Cruz, a spokesperson for the NYC Office of Emergency Management, in an interview with The City.

Dela Cruz, whose now-viral tweet about the incident alerted locals to the source of the sound, said that his office spent much of the day reaching out to law enforcement in the surrounding areas to try to figure out what happened.

In a subsequent statement, NASA Meteor Watch attempted to explain itself.

"Many folks are under the impression that NASA tracks everything in space," the department explained. "We do keep track of asteroids that are capable of posing a danger to us Earth dwellers, but small rocks like the one producing this fireball are only about a foot in diameter, incapable of surviving all the way to the ground."

"We do not (actually cannot) track things this small at significant distances from the Earth," it continued, "so the only time we know about them is when they hit the atmosphere and generate a meteor or a fireball."

The meteor department got one last quip in, too.

"NASA watches the natural stuff," the statement reads. "The Department of Defense keeps track of satellites and orbital debris."

More on space rocks: China Planning to Smash Asteroid in Planetary Defense Test
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell announced plans to renew several unsolved Civil Rights-era bombing cases that happened in Music City.

Those plans were announced after the release of a Nashville authors book captured Metros attention. Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the bombers beyond their control, by Betsy Phillips follows her research as she tried to solve three bombing cold cases that took place during the Civil Rights era.

The Hattie Cotton school bombing, the Jewish Community School bombing and the bombing of council member Z. Alexander Loobys house, Phillips explained.

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Authorities at the site of the Hattie Cotton School (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Archives)

The book detailed stories about members of the Ku Klux Klan that planted bombs in minority communities around the country to prevent integration efforts. Phillips told News 2 that research for the book began in 2017.

Phillips added that she encountered several hurdles along the way when communicating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). On top of that, she added that there was little in the way of historical records from Metro police.



It took a long, long time, partially because the FBI was not forthcoming about the files that they had or didnt have, and I had to get Congressman Jim Cooper to force them to give me the file on the Looby bombing, said Phillips. Every police file from before 1963 is gone. Every. One. Not just to the Looby file  every single unsolved murder. I dont know why.

Nashville Jewish Community Center bombing (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Archives)

Metro government has stepped in.

For 64 years, the question of who is responsible for three bombings has gone unresolved, a statement from O Connell read, in part. The book doesnt have all the answers, but it can be the beginning of new discovery and a new conversation.

In that same statement, OConnell announced that he asked the Metro Nashville Police Department to assign an investigator from the cold case unit to lead investigations about these decades-old bombings.

Additionally, the Metro Law Department is to work with the Metro Public Records Commission on recommendations for improvements to records retention so that other important records are not lost.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Phillips told News 3 that she was not expecting the renewed investigations of these unsolved bombings. She hopes that her book will lead to the truth and she aims to recognize voices that went unheard during that time.



It is beyond my wildest dreams. [] I had no idea it would lead to a reopening of the cases and just the difference between what the police can do now versus what the police could do then, said Phillips. This [the bombings] was meant to end the progress of Black Nashville and it didnt. They failed.

News 2 reached out to Metro Police for comment on the announcement of the renewed investigations and for further details on investigator assignment to the cases, but did not receive a response as of this publication.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock has been on fire for the past few years for a very good reason: The company's dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market. Nvidia holds an 80% share, and due to its commitment to innovation, this leadership could continue. All of this has translated into triple-digit earnings growth and investor optimism about the company's future.

And that helped Nvidia continue its path higher this year, soaring nearly 150% in the first half. The stock has taken a bit of a pause in recent weeks following its stock split, but I don't think this lackluster performance will last for long. In fact, my prediction is Nvidia stock will climb in the second half thanks to one game-changing move the company is about to make.

Image source: Getty Images.

Nvidia's biggest business

First, a quick recap of Nvidia's path so far. The tech giant sells the world's top-performing graphics processing units (GPUs), chips that drive the most essential AI tasks, and an entire ecosystem of products and services for customers developing AI projects. Nvidia's GPUs originally were most known for powering video games -- and the company still generates revenue here -- but today AI has become the company's biggest business.

In the recent quarter, data center revenue surged to a record of more than $22 billion -- that's on a total of $26 billion in revenue. Nvidia also is highly profitable, generating more than $14 billion in net income and growing gross margin to about 78% from 64% in the year-earlier period.

All of this has helped the stock advance not only this year but in recent years. Over the past five years, Nvidia has soared 2,900%, and the stock roared past $1,000 back in May. The company recently completed a 10-for-1 stock split, bringing down its shares to less than $130. Though this doesn't change anything fundamental about the company such as its market value or valuation, the move does make it easier for a broader range of investors to get in on the stock.

After Nvidia's mind-blowing performance though, some investors worry the stock might lose its momentum. But here's the one game-changing move that could send this innovative player higher in the second half. I'm talking about Nvidia's upcoming launch of its Blackwell architecture and its best-performing chip yet. Demand for Blackwell already has surpassed supply, and the company expects this to continue into next year. The system is in production right now, with Nvidia aiming to make it globally available later this year.

The Blackwell rollout strategy

The company predicts "fast and broad adoption" across its range of customers and their projects thanks to its rollout strategy. More than 100 original equipment manufacturer and original design manufacturer systems will include Blackwell at the launch -- and every major computer maker will be part of this.

Why is Blackwell such a big deal? Because the architecture delivers 4 times faster training and 30 times faster inference than Nvidia's current top performer, the H100. And when customers save on time, they not only make their AI projects operational faster, but they also save on costs. In fact, Nvidia says Blackwell results in a 25 times lower total cost of ownership for a customer compared to its current Hopper architecture. So, Blackwell should be a major step forward for Nvidia and its customers.

My prediction for gains

Now let's talk a little more about my prediction. Since Nvidia plans to release Blackwell later this year, I would expect to see the impact on revenue growth next year -- but I still think this launch could act as a positive catalyst for stock performance in the months to come, especially if Nvidia continues to report high demand in upcoming quarters. As investors anticipate earnings growth ahead, they may choose to get in on this stock now -- and potentially benefit as Blackwell revenue starts rolling in.

I wouldn't expect Nvidia shares to replicate their triple-digit first-half performance, but considering the company's earnings growth over the past several quarters and the idea that Blackwell could serve as a significant new growth driver, I wouldn't be surprised to see Nvidia stock climb in the double digits in the second half. After all, analysts forecast average annual earnings-per-share growth of more than 46% over the coming five years.

Finally, here's the best news of all: Even if I'm wrong and Nvidia stock falters in the second half, the company, thanks to its solid market position and innovation, has what it takes to benefit from AI growth over time -- and this could lead the stock significantly higher in the years to come.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Metro Nashville police are continuing to search for several rape and homicide suspects who remain at large.

The Metro Nashville Police Departments list of Most Wanted fugitives is updated every Wednesday on the Criminal Warrants Divisions Facebook page. According to detectives, those featured on the list are often considered to be some of the most violent offenders in the city.

Crime in Nashville: Violent crime down, property crime up halfway into 2024

Of the suspects on this weeks list, all but two are wanted for either homicide or charges related to alleged sex crimes. The rest of Nashvilles Most Wanted suspects are accused of crimes such as aggravated robbery and facilitating aggravated kidnapping.

Half of those featured on this weeks list are wanted for rape, including the newest addition, who is facing an additional charge for solicitation of a minor. As the search for these suspects continues, the list has aided police in several arrests.

Four people were recently arrested within the span of just one week, and officers got into a shootout on Monday, July 15 while trying to make what would be their 121st arrest since the Most Wanted program was launched in October 2022.

Investigators said they received information that led them to an apartment complex on Skyline Ridge Drive, where they found murder suspect, 31-year-old Miqueal Williams, getting into a car. As they approached the vehicle, Williams reportedly took out a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire.

Metro officer shot in leg while trying to arrest murder suspect

One officer was struck in the leg and Williams was wounded in the hip. As of last notice, Williams was still being treated at TriStar Skyline Medical Center. However, officials said he is in non-critical condition. The officer was released from the hospital later Monday evening.

With over 100 arrests, investigators have largely attributed the programs success to tips theyve received from the public. Below is a list of the suspects who made the police departments Top 10 Most Wanted list the week of July 17, 2024.

1. Adrian L. Cameron

Adrian Cameron (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

At number one, Adrian Cameron, 19, is considered this weeks Top Most Wanted fugitive, according to the MNPD. This is the tenth week in a row Cameron has appeared on the list. However, police have been looking for him since mid-April.

Investigators said Cameron is one of three suspects in the death of 32-year-old rapper Chris King, who was shot and killed just before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. King and his friends were reportedly hanging out in an alleyway between Hayes Street and Church Street that night.

RELATED: 1 killed, 1 injured in shooting along Hayes Street

Eventually, three other men began interacting with the group. Kings friends told police it started out cordial, but after some time, the three suspects allegedly tried to rob them. Thats when gunfire ran out, injuring King and his 29-year-old friend.

Both of them were brought to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but King did not survive. Cameron, who was out on bond for the 2021 murder of 50-year-old Josh Evans at the time, was identified as a suspect in the shooting only days later.

Officials believe Cameron cut his ankle monitor shortly after the shooting. Cameron had just turned 17 years old when police said he turned himself in for Evans murder. Evans was found shot and wrapped in trash bags in the Cumberland River in Sept. 2021.

Unbelievable: Mourning Lebanon family outraged teen murder suspect was out on bond, accused of killing again

Cameron was arrested again for gun charges in Rutherford County less than four months after turning himself in for the 2021 murder. Hes now charged with criminal homicide in connection with Kings death, as well as failure to appear.

However, efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful. Anyone with information on Camerons whereabouts is asked to contact the MNPD at 615-862-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

2. Lagarrion L. Blacksmith

Lagarrion Blacksmith (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Lagarrion Blacksmith, 35, has been at the top of Nashvilles Most Wanted list for several months as police continue to try to track him down.

He was initially added to the list on Nov. 29, 2023, after investigators said they were able to connect him to a deadly shooting that took place outside a Dickerson Pike bar last year.

Officers found 35-year-old Chancellor Eddins lying on the ground just outside of Trvth Lounge on Feb. 18, 2023. He had been shot and later died at the scene. Another man who had also been hit by the gunfire was able to give officers an account of what happened.

REALTED: Man wanted for homicide, other charges following fatal February shooting on Dickerson Pike

According to police, the injured man told them he and Eddins had gotten into an argument with the suspect inside of the bar. Then, shots were fired as they left the location. At the time, the identity of the alleged shooter was unclear.

Months later, investigators announced Blacksmith had been identified as a suspect. On Nov. 22, 2023, officials said arrest warrants had been issued against Blacksmith for criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and felon in possession of a handgun.

However, efforts to locate him have reportedly been unsuccessful.

3. Michael A. Yarlett

Michael A. Yarlett (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Michael Yarlett, 29, is wanted on three counts of aided and abetted rape, according to authorities. Court documents indicate he is one of two suspects in the incident, which happened in September 2022.

Yarlett was added to the Most Wanted list on Nov. 22, 2023. Officials said his last location is unknown.

4. Ladonte J. Groves

Ladonte Groves (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Ladonte Groves, 24, was added back to the list on April 3 after first being featured among Nashvilles Most Wanted on Aug. 16, 2023. Police said Groves has since been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges related to alleged sex crimes.

Leo Jane Doe identified: Who was the musician, TV personality found in the Cumberland River?

The charges against him include two counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery and one count of domestic assault. Authorities said Groves was last seen in the East Nashville area. However, efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful.

5. Kendrick D. Horton

Kendrick D. Horton (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Kendrick Horton, 25, is a new addition to Nashvilles list of Most Wanted fugitives. Officials said Horton was recently indicted by a grand jury on charges for rape and solicitation of a minor. His last location is unknown.

6. Diego Camaja-Santiago

Diego Camaja-Santiago (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Police are continuing to search for Diego Camaja-Santiago, 24, after he initially appeared on the Most Wanted list nearly a year ago on Aug. 16. He was added back to the list on June 12 after being indicted by a grand jury on several charges related to alleged sex crimes.

According to authorities, Camaja-Santiago has outstanding warrants for two counts of aggravated rape with bodily injury, two counts of statutory rape and probation violation. His last location is unknown.

7. Edgar Monje-Alfaro

Edgar Monje-Alfaro (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Edgar Monje-Alfaro, 24, is wanted by the MNPD after recently being indicted by a grand jury on two counts of statutory rape. Monje-Alfaro was added to the Most Wanted list on July 3. Officials said his last location is unknown.

8. Adrian Abernathy

Adrian Abernathy (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Adrian Abernathy, 30, is believed to have been behind the wheel of a stolen car in a deadly October 2022 crash on the Rosa L. Parks Boulevard exit ramp from I-65 North.

Abernathy has outstanding warrants for vehicular homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, felon in possession of a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a firearm, reckless endangerment and making a false report.

RELATED: Man wanted after allegedly lying about driving stolen car involved in deadly crash

According to police, Abernathy initially said he was a backseat passenger in the stolen Lincoln Navigator SUV. However, over the course of the investigation, detectives determined the seating positions were reversed and Abernathy was the one driving the car.

Authorities said he was traveling over 100 mph shortly before the crash, which killed 29-year-old Todd Bryant of Antioch.

Abernathy has been featured on the Most Wanted list several times since early February 2023. He was added back to the list on May 1 after last being featured in November. Officials said he was last seen in Hermitage.

9. Marisah D. White

Marisah D. White (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Marisah White, 21, is wanted on outstanding warrants for robbery, two counts of facilitating aggravated kidnapping and theft of property, according to police.

Court records show she is one of two people involved in the alleged crimes, which took place more than two years ago on April 4, 2022. White was added to the list on June 19. Officials said her last location is unknown.

10. Joshua R. Starkey

Joshua R. Starkey (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Joshua Starkey, 19, is among some of the youngest suspects to appear among Nashvilles Most Wanted. Police said Starkey is wanted for one count of aggravated robbery with a weapon or object. He was added to the list on July 10. His last known location was in Hermitage.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

Anyone with information on any of the suspects listed is asked to contact the MNPD at 615-862-8600 or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Nashville's Metro Council roundly condemned several recent displays of antisemitic hatred in Nashville on Tuesday evening, and a leader of the Jewish community asked for rigorous enforcement of existing ordinances barring masking for disguise on public property and mass marching without giving advance notice, after neo-Nazi rabble rousers disrupted Council proceedings with jeers and hateful comments.

Ahead of the Metro Nashville Council meeting on Tuesday, about a dozen members of the neo-Nazi group Whites Against Replacement signed up to speak during the bodys public comment period. One wore a red shirt with a swastika emblem; another covered his face with a black T-shirt and sunglasses inside the Council chamber.

An elevated presence of Metro Nashville Police and Tennessee State Troopers was noticeable inside and outside the courthouse.

I want to say to all these visitors from out of town: Youre not welcome here, At-Large Council Member Zulfat Suara said, kicking off the announcements phase of the meeting. You have the right to march, but there is no room for hate here."

Council member Zulfat Suara condemns racist and antisemitic displays in Nashville during the Metro Council meeting at Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

As Suara spoke, the Nazi group jeered and heckled from the back of the room, yelling racist expletives, pornographic allegations and mocking comments.

"This council and Nashville government condemns all forms of hate," Suara said. "When you come for one of us, you come for all of us, and we will continue to stand together as Nashvillians."

Council Member Jacob Kupin, who serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, strongly defied the Nazis sitting less than 50 feet behind him.

My grandfather liberated concentration camps from the Nazis  we're here and will continue to be here," Kupin said. "As we said in February, when hate rears its head, we will fight back stronger and harder and united together."

After further racially and sexually offensive outbursts from the gallery, Suara ordered the gallery cleared to allow the body to continue business. Metro Police escorted all spectators  including peaceful guests and public commenters  out of the gallery until the meeting began at 6:30 p.m.

The groups appearance comes days after they were seen parading down the streets of downtown Nashville, and less than two weeks after a large demonstration by the far-right group Patriot Front through downtown to War Memorial Plaza. Several times in recent weeks, antisemitic leaflets were dropped in the Sylvan Park neighborhood.

Outside, the group met a handful of counterdemonstrators dressed in black, some with faces masked in disguise, identified by Metro Police as affiliated with Antifa. There was a brief confrontation of expletives, as the Nazi group raised their hands in a salute and yelled Sieg Heil several times on the front steps of the historic Metro Courthouse.

After taking photos and videos of themselves provoking outrage on their phones, the Nazi group walked off toward their cars, followed by Metro Nashville Police. They did not return to the meeting for public comment.

Members of the Goyim Defense League, wearing shirts with the words Pro White on the front and Whites Against Replacement argue with counter protesters while standing in front of a banner of Civil Rights activist Diane Nash, displayed outside the Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Rabbi asks council to enforce ordinances

During the meetings public comment period, Rabbi Daniel S. Horwitz, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, asked the city to enforce existing ordinances that would prevent such displays from happening.

"With the laws on the books not being enforced, you can come march with your mask on during the day, go honky-tonk with your buds at night, without any concerns that you'll lose your job on Monday," Horwitz said.

He noted the groups have violated city ordinances banning masking for disguise on public property and marching with 20 or more people on public property without providing advance notice.

"If you truly want Nashville to be a place where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive, the status quo can't stand," he said. "We shouldn't have to do it alone."

Members of the Goyim Defense League, wearing shirts with the words Pro White on the front and Whites Against Replacement argue with counter protesters while before being cleared out of the gallery at the Metro Council meeting at Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Council delays resolution to condemn political violence

Ahead of the meeting Council Member Courtney Johnston filed a resolution condemning the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, honoring the victims of the attack on Saturday and the swift response of the U.S. Secret Service, and condemning all political violence.

Vice Mayor Angie Henderson opened the meeting condemning the neo-Nazi display and asking members to support Johnston's resolution.

Political violence and intimidation threatens our democracy and our constitutional freedoms of assembly and speech. No one in the United States of America should ever fear attending a political event, a festival or worship service, or a public meeting, Henderson said.

When the resolution was brought up, Council Members Ginny Welsch and Terry Vo objected to taking up the resolution immediately. The resolution will be delayed until the next Council meeting.

"Tonight, two members of Nashville's Metro Council blocked my resolution honoring the victims of Saturday's assassination attempt. This was a vile action by extremists on the council that regrettably has become all too common," Johnston told The Tennessean in a statement. "Every Tennessean, and certainly every Nashvillian, should be ashamed that these two council members could not denounce the murder of an innocent man, and the attempted assassination of former President Trump. In the United States, we settle our political differences with ballots, not bullets."

Legislation would bar 'likes,' 'retweets' of racism by police

Council Member Jeff Preptit introduced a resolution that would disallow Metro Nashville Police Officers from any kind of association with hate groups and paramilitary gangs, including prohibiting display of any tattoos or "posts, 'likes,' jokes, memes, retweets, and other statements that advocate racism, violence, misogyny, homophobia, or other kinds of hate or discrimination." Preptit said Tuesday that groups intentionally recruit from law enforcement.

"The reality is that throughout the South, we still live with the residual effects of a legacy of our institutions being targeted by criminal hate groups and unlawful militias that perpetuate political violence against constitutionally protected citizens," Preptit said.

Preptit deferred his resolution for three meetings to continue to address First Amendment concerns.

Mayor condemns Nazi displays

Mayor Freddie OConnell condemned the rise of racist groups in Nashville with a quote from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

I was convinced that hatred among nations and among people perished in Auschwitz. It didnt. The victims died but the haters are still here. New ones.

I got to hear Elie speak during his life. And I will continue working to defeat Nazis. For him and all of us, OConnell shared in a social media post Tuesday. We are a city that must always orient toward love and a welcoming spirit because we understand the lessons of the past and despite our ghosts. We enjoy freedoms that allow hatred to exist among us, but it cannot be allowed to come between us.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Council condemns neo-Nazi group as jeers disrupt proceedings
A NATO flag flies in the wind during the "National Guardian 2024" exercise as part of the "Quadriga" series of Bundeswehr exercises at the Oberlausitz military training area. Robert Michael/dpa

NATO has appointed Patrick Turner to be the alliance's special envoy in Kiev, the defence alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced in a press release on Wednesday.

Turner is to lead the NATO Representation in Ukraine (NRU) from September. Stoltenberg said the high-ranking British official "brings years of leadership and experience to the role."

The official is tasked with coordinating the political and practical support of the alliance on the ground as Ukraine continues to defend itself against the full-scale Russian invasion.

Turner previously served as NATO's assistant secretary general for operations, and assistant secretary general for defence policy and planning.

NATO has had official representation in Kiev for almost a decade, including a liaison office and an information and documentation centre that has existed since the late 1990s.

Among other things, it handles contacts with Ukrainian ministries and authorities and aims to promote political dialogue and practical cooperation with NATO.

The appointment comes after a NATO leaders' summit in Washington, where allies formally adopted a plan for NATO to coordinate military aid to Ukraine for the first time under a formal mission called the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

So far, NATO allies have coordinated military aid not through NATO itself, but through the United States-led Ukraine Contact Group.

NATO's position is that it is not a party to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

But the contact group's reliance on US coordination has European allies worried that it could falter if November's presidential election returns Donald Trump to the White House, because they doubt Trump's willingness to support Ukraine's war effort.

NSATU is to be headquartered in the German city of Wiesbaden.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO said on Wednesday it had appointed a senior official to lead the alliance's work in Ukraine as part of a broader effort to intensify support for Kyiv as it fights Russia's invasion.

Patrick Turner, a British official who has held senior posts inside NATO, will serve as the alliance's Senior Representative in Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"I am sure he will excel in this important role as NATO continues to step up its support to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.

At a summit in Washington last week, NATO leaders agreed the transatlantic alliance would take on a major role in coordinating military aid and training for Ukraine.

While NATO as an organisation does not supply lethal aid to Ukraine, many of its members are leading suppliers of arms and ammunition to Kyiv in its fight against Russian forces.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
The Port Chicago 50, a group of Black sailors charged and convicted in the largest U.S. Navy mutiny in history, were exonerated by the U.S. Navy on Wednesday, which called the case "fundamentally unfair."

The decision culminates a mission for Carol Cherry of Sycamore, Ill., who fought to have her father, Cyril Sheppard, and his fellow sailors cleared.

The Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, said the sailors' court martial contained "significant legal errors that rendered them fundamentally unfair."

"Yet, for 80 years, the unjust decisions endured. Now, I am righting a tremendous wrong that has haunted so many for so long."

Sheppard was a third-class gunner's mate in the Navy in Port Chicago, California. He and fellow Black sailors in the Bay Area were tasked with a dangerous job they weren't trained to do  loading live munitions onto ships.

"The dangers under which those sailors were performing their duties, loading those ammunition ships without the benefit of proper training or equipment. Also being requested to load those ships as quickly as they possibly could without any sense of the dangers that itself would present, it's just an injustice that, you know, is just wrong," Del Toro told CBS News Chicago.

After Sheppard left work one night, there was an explosion. And then another. Three hundred twenty were killed, and 390 were hurt on July 17, 1944. It was the worst home-front disaster of World War II.

When Sheppard and other Black sailors were ordered to resume the same dangerous work, they refused.

The Port Chicago 50 were convicted of mutiny and sentenced to prison. Cherry said her father was in prison for nearly two years.

Another 206 sailors, who eventually agreed to return to work after being threatened, were convicted on a lesser charge of refusing an order. Two other sailors had their cases dismissed.

Following the 1944 explosion, white supervising officers at Port Chicago were given hardship leave while the surviving Black sailors were ordered back to work. The Navy's personnel policies at the time barred Black sailors from nearly all seagoing jobs. Most of the Navy ordnance battalions assigned to Port Chicago had Black enlisted men and white officers.

None of the sailors lived to see this day.

Wednesday's action goes beyond a pardon and vacates the military judicial proceedings carried out in 1944 against all of the men.

Del Toro's action converts the discharges to honorable unless other circumstances surround them. After the Navy upgrades the discharges, surviving family members can work with the Department of Veterans Affairs on past benefits that may be owed, the Navy said.

When reached by CBS News Chicago, Carol Cherry was boarding a flight from O'Hare International Airport to San Francisco for a ceremony marking 80 years since the disaster.

"The Navy had reached out to me," Cherry said. "I had two different officers call, and they're going to meet me in San Francisco because they have some good news to share.

"We are so delighted. Our dad would be very happy about this. The men and their families are all very deserving of acknowledgment and exoneration. That's the biggest thing.

"He had nothing to be ashamed of. He had nothing to be afraid of. They did the right thing, so I wish he had gotten to the point where he thought he would be seen as a hero, but it was a heroic thing that they did."

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Republican-appointed leaders of the Environmental Management Commission have twice declined to advance proposed rules that would restrict industrys release of some forever chemical pollution into drinking water supplies across North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality wants to regulate eight specific chemicals that are found in drinking water in North Carolina, compounds understood well enough to determine their safe exposure levels.

That could both reduce peoples exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl pollution and lower communities expanding cost to clean up drinking water, DEQ officials say.

The department is seeking two different regulations. Surface water rules would aim to protect drinking water supplies and wildlife by setting limits on chemicals released into rivers, creeks and other above-ground water. Groundwater rules would largely impact how much existing contamination companies will need to clean up.

Approving the surface water rule alone would cost companies and public utilities about $9.5 billion over the next 36 years, according to a fiscal analysis approved recently by the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management.

That same analysis determined that it would also produce nearly $10 billion in savings, including avoided health costs, reduced water treatment costs and preservation of property values.

DEQ wanted EMC members to vote both the groundwater and surface water standards out of its committees in May, which would have put them on the full commissions agenda this month. They did not.

This photo shows the groundwater treatment system Chemours built at its Fayetteville Works plant to remove forever chemicals from contaminated groundwater beneath the facility. A United Nations panel of experts has accused the company of violating the human rights of residents in the Lower Cape Fear region by contaminating drinking water for decades.

Last week the committees again decided to not vote on the rules, delaying any movement forward until at least September. To further complicate things, the groundwater committee also asked DEQ to remove five of the eight chemicals from the list of what it wants to regulate.

An increasingly frustrated DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser, appointed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, said the commission is stalling full committee evaluation of the new rules, a departure from previous practices.

I hate to say that it wasnt a huge surprise that they once again found reasons to move the goalposts and to not take action. Its very frustrating, Biser said.

At the end of Thursdays full commission meeting, JD Solomon, the EMCs chairman, stressed that he prefers a more deliberate process.

This is rulemaking. We dont have temporary rules to do immediately. This is a long game, Solomon said.

Forever chemicals in North Carolina

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals dont easily break down in the environment and can accumulate in peoples bodies. They are prized by manufacturers because of their durability and water resistance, the same traits that cause many of them to pose a threat to human health.

About 3.4 million North Carolinians drink water supplied by public water systems with forever chemical levels exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards approved earlier this year, according to a recent DEQ analysis. Another estimated 200,000 people who drink well water face exposure levels above those the EPA set, although the federal standards do not apply to private wells.

Southeastern North Carolina residents who have been exposed to per- and polyfuloroalkyl substances and N.C. DEQ staff are growing frustrated with the delays.

Biser has grown increasingly critical of the commission in recent months, particularly over its unwillingness to move the forever chemical rules forward.

In early May, Biser sent letters to EMC members and the NC Chamber, the powerful business lobby, criticizing both for what the secretary characterized as unnecessary stalling on the rules.

Actor Mark Ruffalo spoke at the North Carolina General Assembly in 2020. He, legislators and community members called for action against Chemours and DuPont to better protect the public from chemical pollution of drinking water.

These commissioners are unable or unwilling to understand the science. They are unable or unwilling to take action that would actually protect the health and pocketbooks of North Carolinians. We know that the science is clear, Biser said in an interview.

The rules would need to clear several other steps before becoming enforceable, even after passing out of the committees.

The EMC would need to approve them. Then they would head to public comment, be potentially changed based on feedback from interested parties, receive a final approval from the full commission and need to withstand scrutiny from the states Rules Review Commission. They might also need to survive legislative review.

Declining to regulate a real soup of PFAS

After more than 70 minutes of presentations and debate at last weeks EMC Groundwater and Waste Management Committee, commissioners abruptly decided to ask DEQ to revise the regulatory impact analysis and remove five of the eight chemicals from consideration for groundwater rules.

The only chemicals the committee wants to consider during its September meeting are GenX, PFOA and PFOS. It would remove PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBA and PFHxA from consideration for a groundwater standard.

There were eight compounds within what was proposed. The committee elected to go forward with three of those with concern about the departments desire to relax the current regulatory structure in place for the other five, said Joe Reardon, an EMC commissioner who chairs the groundwater committee.

N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser, right, and U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox tour the Wilmington-area Cape Fear Public Utility Authoritys under-construction granular activated carbon filters in 2022. Fox, who oversees the EPA Office of Water, was the agency leader who announced lifetime health advisory levels for four forever chemicals at a conference.

Reardon, appointed by Republican Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, said that PFOA and PFOS are the only two of the eight chemicals the EPA classifies as likely carcinogens.

In groundwater, DEQ is able to regulate human-made chemicals like PFAS at the level at which they are detected unless there is a specific rule setting a different standard.

Adopting new, higher standards for those chemicals is backed by health studies and would reduce costs of complying with the rules, DEQ staff members say.

Take PFBS, for example. At current detection level of three parts per trillion, 86 of North Carolinas 103 landfills would need to remove the chemical from their groundwater. But at DEQs suggested 2,000 ppt standard, only one landfill would need to remove the chemical.

EMC member Jaqueline MacDonald Gibson, chair of NC State Universitys Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, argued for the full rules, citing recent well water sampling her students have conducted in Southeastern North Carolina.

PFOA, PFOS and GenX accounted for a little less than half the total PFAS MacDonald Gibson and her students found in Southeastern North Carolina wells.

Were really seeing a real soup. Its really not just those three things, said MacDonald Gibson, a Cooper appointee.

Failing to adopt the looser standards would hurt well owners who are afraid that having levels above the practical quantitative limits in their well water could impact their ability to sell their land or their property values, MacDonald Gibson said, even if research indicates a much higher level is safe.

Waiting on surface water rules, too

Earlier Wednesday, the commissions Water Quality Committee had voted to delay until September consideration of DEQs proposed surface water rules for the eight chemicals

The presentation was the fourth time the committee had heard from staff on the proposed rules, although committee members declined to hear a presentation in May, saying they did not receive the impact analysis with enough time to consider it.

After voting to postpone a vote on the surface water rules to Septembers meeting, Steve Keen, the committees chair, said, Once you set a surface water standard, its extremely difficult to get the EPA to allow you to adopt something less strict.

Adopting a rule too hastily could lead to companies paying to install treatment technology, even if the standard is ultimately proven to be unnecessary, he added.

Im just curious how many more meetings members are going to ask for detailed questions and revisions before well actually act? said Marion Deerhake, a committee member appointed by Cooper.

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. If you would like to help support local journalism, please consider signing up for a digital subscription, which you can do here.
The number of health screenings conducted for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students took a steep nosedive last school year after the passage of Senate Bill 49, Mecklenburg County Health Department data show.

Vision screenings declined 65% among CMS students  from 37,816 in 2022-23 to 13,214 last school year. Dental screenings declined 82%  from 20,253 in 2022-23 to 3,624 last year. Hearing screenings declined by a similar margin following the passage of Senate Bill 49, often called the Parents Bill of Rights. CMS officials are asking state legislators to change the law as a result.

Students typically receive yearly vision screenings in pre-K, kindergarten and grades 1, 3, 5, and 7. Students in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade also typically receive dental screenings and hearing tests.

The North Carolina Parents Bill of Rights has required parents to opt-in to health screenings instead of the usual opt-out procedure. Thats meant a sharp decline in the number of

Those screenings are often the first indicator that theres some sort of health issue that may affect learning, CMS Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed told The Charlotte Observer.

Sneed says she started wearing glasses as a child as a result of a vision screening at school.

There is a very concerning amount of students who are now not receiving the screenings they would typically receive, Sneed said.

Its not because parents dont want their kids to be screened; its because the rules changed, Sneed said.

Senate Bill 49 becomes law

Senate Bill 49 became law in Aug. 2023 after the North Carolina General Assembly overrode Governor Roy Coopers veto. The law institutes a set of sweeping provisions related to the kind of student information parents in North Carolina have access to.

The controversial statute requires parents to be notified if their child asks to use a different name or pronouns in school as well as prohibits instruction on gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality, in kindergarten through fourth grade. The law, however, does not define what counts as that kind of instruction, and both liberal and conservative critics have called for the law to be made less vague.

SB 49 also made it so parents must expressly opt in if they want their children to receive health screenings at school, including routine hearing, vision and dental screenings. Previously, students received such screenings unless parents chose to opt their child out.

The new law meant an onslaught of new forms CMS parents needed to fill out for each student at the beginning of the school year, indicating their childs name and pronouns as well as opting in for health screenings and sexual education programming, if they desired their children to receive those services.

If parents do not submit forms opting in for health screenings and/or sex ed, students do not receive them by default.

What Ive heard from my constituents is its not that they have an opposition to their children receiving these types of screenings, Sneed said. If they want their kids to receive these screenings, in the past, they havent had to sign any forms, so they may not be paying attention to them.

Since the legislation took effect in August, participation in health screenings as well as sex education plummeted in CMS. Dozens of classes about domestic violence prevention were canceled or postponed in CMS as a result of the law.

Parents Bill of Rights change?

CMS board members and Mecklenburg County public health leaders say the trend is worrying. In May, school board members included changing the provision on their legislative agenda for the North Carolina General Assembly.

Charles Jeter, CMS executive director of government affairs, policy, and board communications, sent an email on June 18 to five Charlotte-area members of the General Assembly requesting the opt-in provision for health screenings be modified during this summers legislative session.

With an opt-in requirement, most parents are not opting in to any screenings and these students are not benefiting from this program, Jeter wrote in the email later sent to The Observer. Respectfully, were asking yall to allow an amendment to pass to change dental and vision screenings to an opt-out rule. We believe this request is widely supported.

So far, the state legislature has not amended the provision. The 2024 short legislative session began Apr. 24 and is scheduled to adjourn July 31. The house and senate are each next set to convene July 29.

Its definitely concerning to see a decrease in preventative screening data, said Kimberly Scott, Mecklenburg County assistant health director. Having access to these screenings is crucial to academic performance and learning.

Scott says Mecklenburg County Public Health has taken steps to expand access to its services, including two mobile health units deployed in Charlotte. Its first mobile dental unit will roll out this fall.

We are still dedicated to ensuring that families have access to appropriate resources, said Scott. Public health is still here.

Sneed says the CMS school board will continue to advocate for the law to change.

We have to, Sneed said. We have to be proactive to make sure were putting all the pieces in place to ensure our students are successful.

In the meantime, the district is focused on communicating with parents to make sure they know about the new requirements.

We continue to work to improve the communication to parents to ensure families understand the importance of these screenings, a spokesperson for CMS told The Observer. All forms will be available in multiple languages.
NC teen girl dies in rip currents at Ocean Isle Beach; man drowns in ocean at Surf City

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (WNCN)  Two people have died in swimming-related incidents at the North Carolina coast since Sunday after this month started with more than 190 rip current rescues.

One death happened Sunday afternoon and was due to rip currents at Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, according to the National Weather Service.

A teenage girl who died at Ocean Isle was caught in a rip current between 12:30 and 1 p.m., the weather service and WECT-TV reported.

The girl was a student at Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, the Morganton News-Herald reported. A school official said she was at the beach as part of a school robotics team trip.

First NC rip current-related death reported among 23 this summer, national report says

The mayor of Ocean Isle Beach told WECT that three teens were caught in the rip current, but two were rescued. The girls name was not released Monday.

As recently as last Tuesday, there were 14 rip current rescues at various beaches in adjacent New Hanover County, the National Weather Service in Wilmington reported.

File photo of ocean rescue crews at Wrightsville Beach.

I am heartbroken by this tragic news, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus told WGHP. I want the family, and our Reynolds students and staff to know that our district will provide any support they need at this incredibly difficult time. Our prayers are with all of you, and we mourn this loss with you.

The most recent ocean death on the North Carolina coast happened late Monday morning at Surf City in Pender County, according to the Surf City Fire Department. Just last week there were at least four rip current rescues at that beach, the National Weather Service said.

The Surf City call was just after 11:25 p.m. in the ocean near Beach Access No. 3 on N. Shore Drive.

Ocean Rescue crews found people on the beach trying to help a person in the water. The people were already involved in CPR with the victim and rescue workers continued those efforts, Surf City Fire officials said.

The victim, 57-year-old Minh Ha Nguyen of Richmond, Virginia, was later pronounced dead.

Nearly 200 rip current rescues at NC beaches over July 4th week

Over the four days of July 3 to July 6, there were nearly 200 people rescued from rip currents at the North Carolina coast.

According to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, in New Hanover County alone, there were over 190 rip current rescues over those days including the Independence Day holiday.

The first North Carolina rip current death happened earlier this month on July 4 at the Outer Banks, according to the National Weather Service. An 18-year-old man died in that incident at Nags Head and is one of 23 people who have died from rip currents in the United States this year, the weather service reported.

WNCT-TV contributed to this report

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
On Wednesday 17 July, the Russian forces were mostly engaged on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kharkiv fronts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; information as of 16:00 on 17 July

Quote: "Today, the number of clashes has increased to almost a hundred, there have been 99 recorded as of now."

Details: According to reports, there were fifteen combat clashes on the Kharkiv front since the start of the day. All of the Russians resources were directed at storming Vovchansk and Hlyboke. The Russians also stepped up their assault activities on the Kupiansk front.

There have been 17 attacks on the Toretsk front, while 21 combat clashes were recorded on the Pokrovsk front.

Additionally, the Russians carried out assaults on the Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Vremivka and Orikhiv fronts.

Additionally, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, "the invaders twice unsuccessfully tried to squeeze the Ukrainian soldiers from their positions" on the established bridgeheads on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river.

Background: Russian troops have attacked on 11 fronts over the past day, with the most active fighting occurring on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts, where 24 and 23 assaults took place respectively. A total of 112 combat clashes have occurred throughout the day.

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NEW YORK, July 17, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) (together with its affiliates, "Ralph Lauren") notes recent media reports in Indonesia relating to disputes between PT Manggala Putra Perkasa (operating using the confusing "Polo Ralph Lauren Indonesia" name in Indonesia) and other parties in Indonesia.

We would like to clarify that this company is not affiliated with or related to Ralph Lauren in any way and that these disputes do not involve Ralph Lauren.

Ralph Lauren currently does not directly operate any stores in Indonesia, nor has it authorized or entered into an agreement with any partner or distributor to operate any "Polo Ralph Lauren" or other "Ralph Lauren" branded store in Indonesia. To address the demands of our customers in Indonesia, we have been selling our products only via certain third-party retailers.

We are aware of several third parties, including PT Manggala Putra Perkasa, who have registered certain trademarks in Indonesia that are similar to Ralph Laurens trademarks. PT Manggala Putra Perkasa has also set up a subsidiary that is named "PT Polo Ralph Lauren Indonesia".

We recognize that these trademarks and names are a source of confusion. Ralph Lauren is committed to taking every necessary measure to ensure that its copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights are not violated, as part of its efforts to provide authentic products and experiences to consumers in the region.

ABOUT RALPH LAUREN

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of luxury lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, footwear & accessories, home, fragrances and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren has sought to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. Its reputation and distinctive image have been developed across a wide range of products, brands, distribution channels and international markets. The Companys brand names  which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children and Chaps, among others  constitute one of the worlds most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, visit http://investor.ralphlauren.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716394606/en/

Contacts

Corporate Communications:

rl-press@ralphlauren.com
An investigation spearheaded by Senator Bernie Sanders examining Amazons practices found that nearly half of the company's warehouse workers get hurt around the Prime Day rush.

The report comes out on the heels of this year's Prime Day  July 16 and 17  when the megashipper offers deeply discounted deals on a huge selection of products.

The new interim report, produced by the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committtee chairman Bernie Sanders says the rush around Prime Day deliveries results in a notable number of workplace injuries at Amazon's warehouses.

During Prime Day 2019, "just under" 45 out of 100 workers documented were injured, or "nearly half of the company warehouse workers" according to the report. The data used for the report was provided by Amazon to the Senate.

Weve cooperated throughout this investigation, including providing thousands of pages of information and documents. But unfortunately, this report (which was not shared with us before publishing) ignores our progress and paints a one-sided, false narrative using only a fraction of the information weve provided, Amazon told The Independent. It draws sweeping and inaccurate conclusions based on unverified anecdotes, and it misrepresents documents that are several years old and contained factual errors and faulty analysis.

According to the report, injuries noted include smaller ones that Amazon is not required to report to OSHA, like paper cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

Packages move down a conveyor system were they are directed to the proper shipping area at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Sacramento, California. A new Senate report found that just under half of Amazons warehouse workers are injured around the companys Prime Day event (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Of the more serious injuries that did require OSHA reporting, Amazon had a rate of 10 injuries per 100 workers, which the Sanders report noted was "more than double the industry average."

Sanders laid into Amazon after the report released, accusing the company of treating "its workers as disposable."

"That is unacceptable, and that has got to change," Sanders said.

An Amazon spokesperson said some of the information in Sanders report was drawn from incorrect reporting on their part.

As we previously explained to Senator Sanders staff, the graph they published in their report came from a five-year-old internal document that had flawed methodology and gaps in the research, Amazon told The Independent. The document was reviewed, refuted, and rejected by experts who specialize in data analysis  and the Senator and his staff know this. Whats more concerning is that they intentionally disregarded four years of continuous improvement with regard to Amazons safety metrics  despite having access to our safety data from 2019-2023.

The spokesperson said that since 2019, weve made significant progressreducing our recordable incident rate (which includes anything that requires more than basic first aid) in the US. by 28 per cent, and our lost-time incident rate (which only includes more significant injuries that require an employee to miss at least one day of work) by 75 per cent.

Sanders report argues that Amazons accidents would be partially avoidable if the company increased its staff, especially during its busiest operating days.

The report claims that Amazon has too few employees working, which leads to over reliance on its current workforce, and workplace injuries as a result.

In 2021, Amazon produced an internal report called "Prime Day Lessons Learned." In that document, Amazon's researchers noted that the company had only hit 71.2 per cent of its hiring targets between May and June of 2021  a fact that the Senate pointed to as evidence of its understaffing.

Bernie Sanders said the situation was unacceptable and the status quo has got to change (Getty Images)

Fewer staff means the workers who are on the warehouse floors need to move faster to keep up with demand. Pushing themselves harder and harder to allow Amazon to do more with less, the report argues, is driving up the injury rates on busy days.

These workers not only confirmed that the company sets unsustainable productivity requirements and that serious injuries are common, they also told Committee staff that Amazons busiest periodsPrime Day and the holiday seasonare by far the most dangerous, the report said.

Sanders accused Amazon of "corporate greed" on Tuesday in response to the report.

The incredibly dangerous working conditions at Amazon revealed in this investigation are a perfect example of the type of corporate greed that the American people are sick and tired of, Sanders said. Despite making $36 billion in profits last year and providing its CEO with over $275 million in compensation over the past three years, Amazon continues to treat its workers as disposable and with complete contempt for their safety and wellbeing. 
A slew of Donald Trump's former rivals took the stage at the Republican National Convention this week to proclaim their loyalty to the man they once ran against. The most notable turnaround was that of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who stayed in the 2024 race the longest and battered Trump as "unhinged" and his potential election to a second term as "suicide for this country."

The decision by Trump to invite Haley, and Haley's acceptance, came just hours after an assassination attempt on the former president, perhaps underscoring the unifying effect it's had on the Republican Party, though she had already agreed to release her delegates to him before that. On Tuesday night, she told her supporters in her speech that "you dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.

Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period, she said, with Trump watching from his VIP suite.

Other presidential rivals also paid homage, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott, who eulogized Trump as an "American lion" who was saved by God from a gunman's bullet.

One 2024 candidate who did not join the lineup was former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was among the first mainstream GOP candidates to endorse Trump in 2016 after his first failed run that year. Instead, he went on ABC News, where he is a regular contributor, to criticize Haley for her opportunism.

"What we saw in her speech tonight was neither courage nor convictions, it was really tortured ambition," Christie said. "She was on that stage because she is tortured by her own ambition. She had to go up there if she wanted to run again in 2018  in her own mind. And that was more important than standing up for the things she represented in the Republican primaries about Donald Trump being unfit, unhinged, unqualified to be president of the United States."

Haley's supporters, some of whom voted for her in primaries even after she had dropped out, are "not going to be persuaded by Nikki Haley to vote for someone, they're going to be ashamed they voted for her in the first place," Christie continued.

Haley's not the only MAGA convert trying to run away from her history of criticizing Trump. The former president's own pick for vice president, JD Vance, once called Trump a "moral disaster" and possibly "America's Hitler," but strove to make amends since running for a Senate seat in 2022.
Neo-Nazi leader indicted for plotting to kill minorities in NYC on New Year's Eve

A reveler lies in confetti in Times Square for the New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City on Jan 1. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Georgian national with having plotted a mass causality event to take place on New Year's Even in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- The leader of an Eastern European neo-Nazi White supremacist group has been indicted in the United States for planning to kill minorities in New York City by having a recruit dress up as Santa and hand out poisoned candy on New Year's Eve.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old Georgian national who went by the name Commander Butcher, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, N.Y., on four counts stemming from soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, the Justice Department said in a statement.

He was arrested July 6 in Chisinau, Moldova, under an Interpol arrest warrant.

"The defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his neo-Nazi ideologies," United States Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.

"His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals."

The indictment accuses Chkhikvishvili of being the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, which federal authorities said promotes violence against racial minorities and those it deems "undesirables," including members of the Jewish community.

The group espouses terrorism and violent acts to achieve its goals through fear and chaos. A handbook Chkhikvishvili is accused of giving to recruits encourages school shootings and to use children in suicide bombings that target racial minorities, authorities said.

Federal prosecutors allege in the indictment that Chkhikvishvili as early as July 2022 solicited people via encrypted mobile messaging platforms to commit violence hate crimes in New York.

The charging document states that among those he was in communication with was an undercover FBI agent, posing as a prospective member of the MKY.

In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili is accused of urging the undercover agent to commit bombings and arson and of planning a mass casualty attack for New York City on New Year's Eve.

"The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn," the Justice Department said.

He crafted step-by-step instructions for the attack and shared with the agent manuals for creating lethal poisons and gases, the indictment said, adding that some of the materials he provided to the agent were linked to radical Islamist groups designated as foreign terrorists, such as the Islamic State.

Chkhikvishvili said he planned for the attack to be "bigger action than Breivik," according to federal prosecutors.

Anders Breivik is a far-right White supremacist who killed 77 people in Norway on July 22, 2011, by setting of a bomb and then opening fire at a youth camp while dressed as a police officer.

Chkhikvishvili allegedly boasted of having "murdered for the White race" and would do so again.

If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum of 20 year's imprisonment for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years for distributing information about the making and use of explosive devices and five years for transmitting threatening communications.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, known as the Butcher, is charged in a four-count federal indictment with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen in 2022. Olsen helped announce the charges against Michail Chkhikvishvili on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Federal authorities allege that the leader  who calls himself the Butcher  directed the man to dress in a Santa uniform  replete with a big beard, eyebrows, makeup and glasses. Then, he allegedly was to hand out poisoned candies to many racial minorities and traitors in New York City.

The step-by-step instructions allegedly sent to an undercover agent on a messaging platform in November are screenshotted and included in a federal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York and reviewed by PEOPLE.

Per the alleged instructions, the man was to purchase the costume, along with poison materials and chocolate candies anonymously using delivery services or paying with cash and to execute the Santa scheme on New Years Eve.

Specifically, prosecutors allege in a press release announcing federal charges against the so-called Butcher: The scheme also involved providing candy laced with poison to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn.

Afterward, the man was to take a taxi to another location where he would have a change of clothes and then burn Santa clothes and equipment.

Commander Butcher Michail Chkhikvishvili  the White supremacist leader of a group that calls themselves the Maniac Murder Cult  is charged in a four-count federal indictment with one count of conspiracy to solicit violent felonies, one count of solicitation of violent felonies, one count of distribution of information pertaining to the making and use of an explosive device and transmission of threatening communications, according to the indictment reviewed by PEOPLE.

It's not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney.

His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace claimed in a statement. We will not hesitate to find and prosecute those who threaten the safety and freedoms of all members of our community, including members of minority communities, no matter where in the world these criminals might be hiding.

Getty Charges are filed against Michail Chkhikvishvili at the Eastern District of New York federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

The 20-year-old Georgian national was arrested in Chisinau, Moldova as part of an Interpol agreement on Saturday, July 6, 2024, according to prosecutors.

John Marzulli of the Eastern District of New York tells PEOPLE that Chkhikvishvili is still in the Eastern European country as of Wednesday, July 17.

It was not immediately clear when Chkhikvishvili would be extradited to the United States, with such travel arrangements routinely kept confidential until after the fact.

The alleged Santa Claus scheme was part of a larger planned mass casualty attack on New York City set for New Years Eve, according to prosecutors, who allege that Chkhikvishvili sent bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to the undercover agent.

Quoting from the messaging platform, prosecutors allege Chkhikvishvili hoped the attack would be bigger action than Breivik, referring to Neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011.

By September 2021, a teenage Chkhikvishvili had distributed a Neo-Nazi manifesto he called the Haters Handbook, which prosecutors allege, encourages members to participate in mass violence  like school shootings, suicide bombings and mass terror attacks  targeting racial minorities for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. Such violence was specifically encouraged within the United States.

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Chkhikvishvili previously traveled to Brooklyn, where he stayed with his grandmother, in June 2022, according to prosecutors.

By the following month, he repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via encrypted mobile messaging platforms, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence for his criminal organization, prosecutors allege.

By November, he had allegedly sent the undercover agent detailed manuals for making and mixing lethal poisons and gasses, as well as instruction to make ricin-based poisons in both powder and liquid form, according to prosecutors, who have linked some of the materials to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations, including ISIS.



In his handbook, Chkhikvishvili allegedly writes that he has already murdered for the white race.

On messaging platforms, Chkhikvishvili allegedly said he was glad I have murdered, and that he planned to murder more.

But, he allegedly wrote, he would make others murder first.



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By Bart H. Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Netherlands commemorated on Wednesday the 298 victims of flight MH17 that was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago with a ceremony attended by the bereaved and representatives from Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Belgium and Ukraine.

Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board, including 196 Dutch citizens, were killed, leaving the plane's wreckage and the remains of the victims scattered across fields of corn and sunflowers.

Based on an international investigation, a Dutch court in 2022 said there was no doubt the plane was shot down by a Russian missile system and that Moscow had "overall control" of the forces of the separatist "Donetsk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine from May 2014. Russia denies any involvement.

During Wednesday's ceremony, which took place at the MH17 monument in the village of Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam, loved ones read out loud the names of all the victims.

Mark Rutte, who was prime minister when the disaster happened and a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since, drew applause for his efforts during his time in office to keep the international spotlight on the incident.

The Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia of murder for their role in the transport into eastern Ukraine of the Russian military BUK missile system used to down the plane.

"Justice requires a long, long breath," said Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who took office earlier this month, adding that "a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars".

Commemorating the victims in his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message: "There is no doubt that the judicial process and the overall work of international justice will inevitably lead to entirely fair sentences for all responsible for this crime."

His Foreign Minster Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on X that Russia had twice killed the victims. "First with a missile. Second, with lies that abused their memory and hurt their relatives."

RUSSIA DENIES RESPONSIBILITY

Moscow denies any responsibility for MH17's downing and in 2014 it also denied any presence in Ukraine. However, the EU's outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called on Russia to finally accept its responsibility.

"The evidence presented makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation," Borrell said.

"No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law."

(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, additional reporting Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Gareth Jones and Marguerita Choy)
Netherlands says it will give F-16 jets to Ukraine "in the near future"

Ruben Brekelmans, Dutch Defence Minister, has stated that F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands will arrive in Ukraine "in the near future".

Source: Brekelmans in a comment to Ukrinform in The Hague, reports European Pravda

Details: The official stated that the F-16s will come shortly and that the Netherlands is working hard to make this happen as soon as possible. However, he did not provide any details. He also did not specify how many fighters will be transferred in the near future, "because this is also valuable information for Russia". According to Brekelmans, all arms transfers should be safe and reliable.

Quote: "The argument is not that I don't want to inform the public; rather, I want to inform everyone as much as possible. However, we know that the F-16 is also a target for Russia, and sharing data, such as the exact day and time, will be extremely significant intelligence to the Russian leadership. And we don't want them to be more informed than they are now.

I believe that what Ukrainian pilots are doing now is just fantastic. Dutch pilots typically require many years, sometimes more than five years, to learn the F-16, which is a complex system. Ukrainian pilots now complete it in a year and a half. So this is just fantastic."

Background:

Brekelmanss predecessor, Kajsa Ollongren, said in early July that the Netherlands would soon begin supplying Ukraine with the first of 24 promised F-16 jets.

On 10 July, the leaders of the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands, who head the fighter jet coalition, announced that Ukraine will receive its first F-16s this summer.

According to Bloomberg, Ukraine is expecting to receive six F-16 fighters from its Western partners this summer and a total of up to 20 aircraft by the end of 2024.

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Nikki Haley calls for unity, not just among Republicans but as one country

Former U.N. Ambassador and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley fully endorsed President Donald Trump in a speech designed to show unity among Republicans and explain why Americans who dont always agree with him  like her  should support him too.

Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period! she said to start her 11-minute speech Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump! she said as people in the crowd got on their feet in applause, including the former president.

However, she continued, We should acknowledge that there are Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time. I happen to know some of them, she said with a grin, and I want to speak to them tonight.

You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him, she continued. Take it from me: I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.

Haley, who worked for Trump as his first ambassador to the United Nations, had avoided formally endorsing the former president for months after dropping out of the GOP presidential primary.

Trumps last challenger, Haley wished him well as she exited the race following Super Tuesday in early March. But she specifically declined to endorse him, saying he needed to earn the votes of her supporters.

On Tuesday night, Haley said the stakes are too high not to support him.

Im here tonight because we have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential to saving her, she said to chants of U-S-A!

She reminded the audience of a line she repeated throughout the primary  that a vote for President Joe Biden would be a vote for Kamala Harris, the vice president, to replace him as commander in chief. A year ago, her suggestion was dismissed during a TV interview.

After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true, she said, referring to Bidens performance during the presidential debate with Trump last month.

With either one of them in the Oval Office, Haley said, America would be badly worse off.

Haley said she and Trump agree on keeping America safe and strong, comparing Biden and Trump on foreign policy and border security.

She accused Biden of sending every possible sign of weakness on the world stage. She blamed him for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and for Iran being able to fund Hamas in its attack on Israel last October, igniting a war that continues.

A strong president doesnt start wars. A strong president prevents wars, she said, noting a lack of invasions during Trumps presidency.

As for the Middle East, between Israel and Hamas, Donald Trump is clear on who is our friend and who is our enemy, she said.

Even now, when Hamas is still holding Americans hostage, Biden is pressuring Israel instead of the terrorists, she said to boos from the audience.

Haley was initially not even invited to attend the RNC. But she told her 97 delegates last week to support the former president. On Sunday, though, she was announced as a speaker.

The invitation followed the shooting of Trump Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania, when a would-be assassins bullet hit the former presidents right ear just as he turned his head. One rally attendee was killed and at least two other people were injured before authorities killed the shooter, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

She spoke during the second night of the convention, when the theme was make America safe again.

Following Haley on stage was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another former Trump rival whose withdrawal from the race in late January created a two-way contest between Haley and her former boss. Unlike Haley, DeSantis endorsed Trump as he exited the race.

Even after losing her home state of South Carolina by 20 percentage points, Haley refused for weeks to bow to increasing pressure to withdraw, saying voters deserved a choice.

Haley began Tuesdays speech by saying Trump asked her to speak at the RNC in the name of unity.

The South Carolina-born daughter of Indian immigrants concluded by saying the party not only needs to unify behind Trump, but it also needs to expand and welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences.

Former U.N. Ambassador and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley waves to the crowd after speaking on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Our foreign enemies win when they see Americans hate each other, Haley said. They see that today, whether its on college campuses or in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Let us come together as a people, as one country strong and proud, she concluded. Lets show the world that even on our worst day, were blessed to live in America.

Haleys message of unity was a pivot from an often-harsh primary.

Before she dropped out in early March, Haley questioned the mental competency of both Biden and Trump and called the former president a chicken for refusing to debate her. Trump called her birdbrain and questioned the whereabouts of her husband, who was deployed in Africa with the South Carolina National Guard at the time.

The Biden-Harris campaign used Haleys own words to make the case against Trump and invite her voters to back Biden.

Ambassador Haley said it best herself: Someone who doesnt respect our military, doesnt know right from wrong, and surrounds himself in chaos cant be president, Austin Weatherford, the campaigns 2024 national Republican engagement director, said in a statement Tuesday night.

Thats why millions of Republicans cast their votes in protest of Donald Trump and his attacks on our institutions, our nations allies, and civility, Weatherford said of primary voters. Those millions of voters across the country deserve a president who shares their commitment to bipartisanship, to Americas standing on the global stage, and who respects our nations brave men and women in uniform. Theres a home for every single one of these voters in the coalition President Biden is building of patriotic Americans who will always put country over party.

While Haley fell far short of being the GOP nominee, she made history as the first woman to win a GOP presidential primary. She ultimately won two contests: Washington, D.C., and Vermont.

Haley spent three terms in the state Legislature before voters elected her South Carolinas first minority and first female governor in 2010. She was halfway through her second term as governor when Trump nominated her to be ambassador for the UN. She held that role until 2018, when she resigned.

A month after leaving the presidential contest, Haley joined the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. In a speech for the Institute in May, Haley said she would be voting for Trump in November but stopped short of wholeheartedly supporting him.

The next day, Trump told a reporter he appreciated what she said, adding shed be on our team in some form.

Its not the first time Haley has been critical of Trump before backing him.

In the runup to the 2016 election, Haley initially backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, then  after he dropped out  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, while criticizing Trump as irresponsible and everything governors dont want in a president. As Trump wrapped up the nomination, however, Haley endorsed him.
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley appeared at the Republican National Convention as part of Donald Trumps new, feigned bid for unity, and was predictably booed by his base.

As Haley was introduced to the stage Tuesday night, loud boos could be heard among the crowd. Some booing reportedly continued throughout the speech. So much for unity, then.

Haley said that Trump had asked her to speak in the name of unity, and she offered her strong endorsement of the Republican nominee.

You dont have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, said Haley, referencing her totally abandoned criticisms of the former president.

I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree. We agree on keeping America strong. We agree on keeping America safe. And we agree that Democrats have moved so far to the left that theyre putting our freedoms in danger.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who ran his own long-shot anti-Trump presidential campaign, had harsh words for Haley after her speech Tuesday.

We have enormously challenging times in our country right now, and what we need are leaders who have the courage of their convictions. What we saw in her speech tonight was neither courage nor convictions, it was really tortured ambition, Christie said during an interview on ABC News.

She was on that stage because she is tortured by her own ambition. She had to go up there if she wants to run again in 2028in her own mind. And that was more important than her standing up for the things she represented to the voters in the Republican primaries about Donald Trump being unfit, unhinged, just unqualified to be president of the United States.

Christie said Haleys flip-flop plea for unity would be unconvincing to her centrist voters. I dont think any Haley voter is gonna care, he said.
Nikki Haley rows all the way back as she endorses Trump and praises his foreign policy

Nikki Haley has called for Republican unity as she formally endorsed Donald Trump, reversing her previous stance on his foreign policy plans.

The former South Carolina governor, who fought a lacklustre primary campaign against Trump earlier this year, addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Appearing on the stage to a mixture of applause and booing, Ms Haley tore up the message of her campaign to suggest the world would be safer if he won a second term.

She said those who vote for him dont have to agree with him 100 per cent of the time and stressed that he would accept input from others when in office.

For those who have some doubts about President Trump, I want to tell you a few things about the commander-in-chief I know and worked with as ambassador to the United Nations, she said.

I had a front row seat to his national security policies. We sure could use those again.

A mix of cheers and boos when Nikki Haley walked on stage at the RNC. pic.twitter.com/Q4V9bQBKgO  Cate Martel (@CateMartel) July 17, 2024

Ron DeSantis, another former rival, appeared later to praise Trump and criticise Joe Biden over his age.

Ms Haley put her views on foreign policy at the centre of her campaign, as she argued for an interventionist stance in Ukraine and the South China Sea.

Trump proposed the opposite, pledging to end the war in Ukraine in one day and suggesting the US would be less willing to protect Taiwan from a Chinese invasion under his leadership.

At the time, Ms Haley said Trump had a bromance with Vladimir Putin and had sent love letters to Kim Jong-un, arguing that the US cant afford to go down that road.

Less than five months ago, she vowed not to kiss the ring if she lost to Mr Trump and said he was a disaster for the Republicans.

However, on Tuesday Ms Haley made a direct appeal to her own supporters  a small minority of delegates at the convention  and urged them to support him in Novembers election.

We should acknowledge that there are some Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump 100 per cent of the time, she said.

My message to them is simple: you dont have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him.

Take it from me. I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.

'A strong President doesn't start wars, a strong President prevents wars.'



Nikki Haleypic.twitter.com/ICLQ5wYxgt  Team Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaleyHQ) July 17, 2024

Ms Haley, who won just one state and Washington in the Republican primary race, said she had appeared at the conference to underscore a message of unity in the party.

If we had four more years of Biden or a single day of [Kamala] Harris, our country will be badly worse off, she said. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.

Ms Haleys stance on foreign policy was considered one of the main reasons she failed to make headway in her battle for the nomination. Most Republicans believe the US should dial back its support for Ukraine and focus on domestic priorities.

On Tuesday, she pointed to Trumps record in Ukraine and the Middle East, arguing that terror groups and dictators would be less likely to attack allies under his premiership.

She said that Mr Putin invaded Crimea when Barack Obama was president, and launched a full-scale war under Mr Bidens tenure in the White House.

But when Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing, she said. Putin didnt attack Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough.

A strong president doesnt start wars; a strong president prevents wars.

Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully ran against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, addresses delegates - GETTY IMAGES

Telling the audience that Trump appreciated advice and input in office, she tried to counter Democrat claims that he would pursue erratic policies based on personal whim.

She praised his decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal, but did not mention Nato.

Trumps critical position on the alliance was one of the starkest differences between their foreign policy plans on the campaign trail.

Several former primary contenders spoke to the convention on Tuesday night, after Trump launched his new campaign message of national unity and a slogan: Fear not.

The shift in messaging came in response to an attempt on Trumps life on Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump has called for an end to divisive rhetoric in US politics, while many of his supporters have blamed Mr Biden for the attack.

RNC warms up the crowd for Trump's arrival tonight with a minute-long montage of him doing his dance, set to the YMCA pic.twitter.com/5ONPcGFdME  Tony Diver (@Tony_Diver) July 17, 2024

Mr DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy also gave speeches in which they appealed to their own supporters to back Trump.

Mr Ramaswamy appealed to immigrants, millennials and Gen-Z voters, arguing that Trump would make it easier for them to buy houses and protect their freedom of speech

None were successful in securing space on Trumps ticket as his running mate. On Monday, he announced that he had chosen JD Vance, a senator from Ohio, as his campaigns vice presidential candidate.

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As her onetime opponent looked on, Nikki Haley took to the stage on Tuesday and declared that a man she said was mentally diminished and unqualified for elected office should be her partys nominee for president.

It was a moment that would have been galling anywhere but the modern Republican Party, and thats exactly who Haley addressed onstage in Milwaukee as she made clear that she sees a political future in a MAGA-fied GOP.

The former governor of South Carolina spoke for just a few minutes onstage, an address that was something of a surprise given that it had initially appeared that she would not attend the gathering. But, said Trump asked him to speak in the name of unity, which has been Trump's call since he was wounded by a bullet on Saturday.

"Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period," Haley told a cheering audience, which showed none of the anti-Haley vitriol evident during the primary race.

Nikki Haley spoke to the RNC on Tuesday and gave Donald Trump her endorsement despite their differences during the primary season (AP)

Though she did much to eliminate the daylight between her and the former president, Haley directed her remarks at her former supporters and political independents who dont fit so easily under the MAGA tent.

Pointing to Joe Bidens hoarse and mentally-wandering debate performance, she argued a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris, his vice president, whom she said would ruin the country after just one day as president.

I know there are people out there who dont agree with Donald Trump 100 percent. I happen to know some of them, said Haley. I want to talk to them tonight. My message is simple: You dont have to agree with Donald Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him.

It was far from what Haley was saying earlier this year when it became clear that she was the only candidate who would even have a shot of being competitive in the Republican primary after Iowa; at the time, the former governor was giving her harshest criticisms of her ex-boss to date and made a number of statements indicating that her differences with Trump went beyond policy.

The former president, she was arguing this spring, was no better suited to the executive office than Biden, for many of the same reasons: a perceived diminishing of mental faculties, as well as other issues like his temperament and respect for the position.

She would even go as far as saying that she did not trust Trump to keep US troops out of harms way, a searing critique for any politician but especially for an intra-party spat.

"He showed that with that kind of disrespect for the military, hes not qualified to be the president of the United States, because I dont trust him to protect them," she said in February.

The problem now is he is not the same person he was in 2016," she continued in that interview. "He is unhinged; he is more diminished than he was, just like Joe Bidens more diminished than what he was.

It was far from what Haley was saying earlier this year when it became clear that she was the only candidate who would even have a shot of being competitive in the Republican primary after Iowa (Getty Images)

Angry at Trump for attacking her husbands military service, she continued: "This wasnt a slip of the tongue for Trump. When he goes off his teleprompter, thats him speaking from the heart, and its a pattern.

But on Tuesday there was zero sign of that version of Haley. She was once again welcomed into the Trumpworld fold  or at least tolerated onstage for a few minutes.

Her strongest line of the night, which elicited a standing ovation, was a direct reversal of her past criticism on Trumps respect for the military.

Pointing to the ongoing conflict of Gaza and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, echoing claims from other right-wingers who have argued that Biden failed to provide the deterrence against Russia that Trump supposedly represented. It also effectively raked the entire Bush-era neoconservative foreign policy doctrine, to which Haley was once seen as a champion, over the coals.

Strong presidents dont start wars, Haley told the crowd. They prevent wars.
Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako: Target Was Church Assets

Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako asserted, on Wednesday, that recent actions, including the revocation of his decree and "malicious" complaints, were aimed at the assets of the Chaldean Church rather than himself personally.

Sako expressed gratitude for the "strength and wisdom" God granted him in facing these challenges. He clarified that "the target was not me personally, but the properties of the Chaldean Church, as confirmed by an official."

During a synod session with bishops and church fathers, Sako thanked attendees for their participation amidst sensitive ecclesiastical challenges and complex social, political, and security circumstances. He praised the "unity and solidarity shown by church leaders and congregants, whose prayers played a crucial role in restoring justice and strengthening the church."

Sako also expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani for his "courageous initiative to issue an order recognizing the patriarch as the custodian of the church's properties."

In addition, he emphasized the importance of "collective responsibility among church leaders to advance the church and the nation, avoiding divisive rhetoric that misrepresents the church's reality." Sako called for a "focus on responsible, collective efforts based on love, wisdom, and humility, fostering true unity through mutual respect and listening."

"United in our work, responding to the call of the Holy Spirit, we enhance our credibility and strengthen the trust people place in us," Sako stated, acknowledging that problems may arise but should be addressed through the synod and responsible, honest dialogue rather than through disengagement.

On July 8, 2023, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid issued a presidential decree revoking Decree No. (147) of 2013, which appointed Patriarch Louis Sako as the Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans in Iraq and the world and as the guardian of its endowments.

In April 2024, Sako announced his return to his seat in the capital, Baghdad, following an invitation from Prime Minister Al-Sudani. Sako stated that he endured "nine months of suffering, pain, and anxiety" during his absence from the bishopric in Baghdad.

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako decided to withdraw from the patriarchal seat in Baghdad and relocate to a monastery in Erbil, Kurdistan, marking a new chapter of tension between him and President Rashid, as well as the leader of the Christian Babylon Movement, Rayan Al-Kildani.
Cash-strapped former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani spent about $30,000 in the one week since a judge threw out his bankruptcy case.

The Wednesday afternoon hearing revolved around the terms of the dismissal of Giulianis Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which a Judge Sean Lane ordered on Friday, July 12.

Lawyers for Giuliani and his bankruptcy creditors were trying to figure out how the former mayor would pay the administrative fees that have incurred throughout the case  but the terms hinge on how much Giuliani had in his bank.

Giulianis bank statement from just one account revealed that he had spent about half of the $60,000 that he had since the last hearing on July 10.

About half of the debtors cash in this one account alone has been dissipated since last Wednesdays bankruptcy hearing, Rachel Strickland, lawyer for the defamed election workers, told the court after reading the statement.

Giuliani accused of spending tens of thousands in a week since the bankruptcy case was dismissed (REUTERS)

The former mayor spent an unknown sum of cash at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee  where he was seen falling over  but most of it went toward expenses for his two homes, Strickland said.

A check for $14,000 for New York condo expenses and a wire transfer for $25,000 for the Florida condo association were sent since the July 10 hearing, Strickland said. There were also a series of relatively small charges to marketing firms, as well as to Amazon and Apple, she said. The exact sum spent on the other expenses is not immediately clear.

The debtor, I think, is up to Giuliani shenanigans yet again, the lawyer continued. She also told the court that she had requested statements from all of his bank accounts. That account is his main checking account, one of his lawyers clarified to the court.

The amount in the accounts was a crucial point of the hearing, since Strickland had proposed that the dismissal order require Giuliani to pay the amount that is in his accounts be required to fund the administrative expenses.

Debtors counsel said he doesnt have that much money. So we werent quibbling with the concept of getting blood from a stone, Strickland said.

Instead, we proposed that we look at his bank accounts, the ones that are property of the estate as of July 11Whatever it is in cash that should come right off the top, she argued.

Earlier in the hearing, the judge asked Strickland what she understood to be the amount in Giulianis bank account.

I dont have an understanding because this is not a debtor that is remotely forthcoming, Strickland said. She then asked Giulianis financial records on the date of dismissal to be used to pay admin fees because bank statements dont lie.

Story continues

Creditors want to denude the debtor of every liquid asset for cash on hand that the debtor needs to operate going forward, said Gary Fischoff, a lawyer for Giuliani.

Your client holds the key, Judge Lane said. I dont want to hear hes hard to get in touch with, I dont want to hear that any of this is a surprise. People have been trying to get all the same information for many months.

Its the same song over and over again, the frustrated judge said in terms of Giulianis lack of transparency around his assets. Even a dismissal, which your client wants, you cant get out of your own way.

The judge then told Giulianis lawyers: I strongly, strongly urge you and your client to sit down and figure out what you really want the end game to look like here.

Giuliani pictured falling onto chairs at the Republican National Convention (AFP via Getty Images)

Judge Lane said hes a patient man and has tried to be reasonable, but threatened: There are ways to do this that include requiring your client to come in and sit in that box over there and have a discussion about the available liquid assets that can be used to pay these professionals. So does your client want to do that?

At the end of a hearing that spanned an hour-and-a-half, Judge Lane said the fact that no one has thought about what the next steps are, is frankly unbelievable and uniquely unhelpful.

He then directed the former mayors lawyers to update the other lawyers before 11am on Thursday. Then by high noon, appropriately theatrical, he asked for an update to be filed on the docket and then he will make a decision on the order.

Complaints about Giulianis lack of transparency are not new in the seven-months-long bankruptcy case.

The judge wrote in a scathing filing that the courts record reflects Mr Giulianis continued failure to meet his reporting obligations and provide the financial transparency required of a debtor in possession.

The judge added: The lack of financial transparency is particularly troubling given concerns that Mr Giuliani has engaged in self-dealing and that he has potential conflicts of interest that would hamper the administration of his bankruptcy case.

After Strickland proposed an order, Fischoff called the proposed terms onerous, punitive, and overreaching in a July 15 letter to Judge Lane. The creditors want it both ways, Fischoff wrote. They want the case dismissed while they also exercise complete control over Giuliani.

Following the objection, Giulianis legal team met with Strickland, who came to the conclusion: We are even more concerned that Mr Giuliani has more shenanigans up his sleeve.

So, she offered up a counter proposal that takes into account the fact that his Manhattan condo does not appear close to being sold despite being on and off the market over the past year and tha Giuliani seems keen to avoid paying the freight he incurred by filing a voluntary bankruptcy petition.

At Wednesdays hearing, Fischoff said that the Upper East Side condo is actively being marketed, adding that Sothebys and Giuliani might have to consider a price reduction on the unit. The price of the Manhattan place has already been slashed significantly since it was first put on the market nearly a year ago.
Editors note: Contributing columnist David Mastio is covering the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee for McClatchy Opinion.

Former Donald Trump rival and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley gave a masterful speech to unite the Republican Party by making a molehill out of a mountain. In her carefully crafted words, fundamental differences and inconvenient facts disappeared. If I wasnt prepared for the performance, I might now be a Trump voter.

It is true, you dont have to agree with Trump to vote for him, but it sure helps if you ignore his record.

On Trumps abdication of the pro-life position in the party platform she was silent. On traditional Republican precepts of faith in a market economy and open trade with the world called into question by Trumps choice of J.D. Vance as vice president, she was silent. NATO got not a word. Of her transformation from Trump lieutenant to critic and back to the MAGA tent, she said nothing.

It was only on foreign policy where Ambassador Haley made her case concrete.

She used her credibility on global affairs to describe a world that has seemingly been set ablaze by President Joe Bidens weakness. Of the botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sickening Hamas attack on Israeli civilians funded by Iran, Haley said such things would never have happened on Trumps watch.

A strong president doesnt start wars. A strong president prevents them, she said.

And if that were all there was to it, then Haley might be right. If you care about a strong foreign policy you could vote for Trump  but only if you forgot the role that Trump played in setting those three disasters in motion.

In Afghanistan, it was Donald Trump who started the countdown on our withdrawal from that country without putting a serious plan in place to remove our troops, U.S. citizens and loyal Afghan allies alike. Theres no excuse that an old foreign policy hand like Biden didnt fix Trumps mistake. Nevertheless, Trump cant deny his role.

As for Ukraine, Trumps attacks on NATO, our most vital alliance, signaled to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the alliance was riddled with fissures. Maybe that didnt matter while a tough and unpredictable Trump was at the helm, but it did matter when someone with a reputation for appeasement walked into the White House. Trump tore down the bulwark of Western security that we would need when someone like Biden took power.

Moreover, Trumps first impeachment revealed that the Donald blackmailed Ukraine for dirt on his political rivals, something no president would do if Ukraine was a vital American interest. It was Trump who signaled to Putin that he could invade Ukraine without consequence as much as Biden did.

And with Iran, Trump indeed tore up Barack Obamas ill-considered nuclear agreement and took a tough stance on the Shia theocracy that is the worlds chief terrorism funder. But Trump didnt do anything of consequence to stop Iran from restarting its nuclear program.

The near-term prospect of a nuclear weapon is one factor that may have given Irans mullahs the confidence to back Hamas in a big enough way for them to pull off the Oct. 7 terror attack.

Nikki Haley is right that Bidens weakness has set our world aflame, but she cant hide the fact that Donald Trump put the kindling in place and handed the matches to the worlds most odious regimes.

David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com
Sen. Martin Heinrich and other Democrats told federal officials Tuesday they need to put resources into outreach so DACA recipients can access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. (Photo by Megan Gleason / Source NM)

WASHINGTON  Worried about the outcome of the 2024 election, a slew of congressional Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to take steps to ensure Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients can actually access health insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act when they become eligible this year.

The Biden administration published a final rule in May, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, that will allow DACA recipients to apply for coverage through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, where they may qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase quality health insurance.

But for DACA recipients to take full advantage of the expansion as early as possible, HHS needs to put resources into outreach, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and 86 other Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and provided first to States Newsroom.

The lawmakers praised the recently finalized rule, while noting that for this expansion to be successful, HHS must ensure that every newly eligible individual is fully informed and supported during the enrollment process.

A total of 73 U.S. representatives and 15 U.S. senators from across the country signed the letter. The letter is dated Monday, when members agreed on the final language, and the lawmakers sent it to HHS on Tuesday.

Signatories from New Mexico include Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich, and Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez and Melanie Stansbury.

With DACA recipients eligible for health insurance benefits as early as December if enrolled by Nov. 15, the lawmakers want to ensure that the recipients are able to navigate the registration process so that they can take full advantage of their new access to medical care.

The lawmakers pressed Becerra on the actual implementation of this imminent accessibility, including how the department plans to minimize barriers to enrollment for a group that has historically faced challenges in verifying their identity.

They also asked the secretary to address what steps the department will take to make sure the recipients are aware of the special enrollment period, what resources will be allocated for media outreach, how the department will ensure the information is shared to this group and how they will help prevent instances of scams or fraud targeting the recipients throughout the enrollment period.

HHS did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Future of DACA in the balance

The letter comes as DACAs future remains unknown.

Former President Donald J. Trump  officially nominated Monday as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee  tried to end the program during his first term.

Recipients of DACA are awaiting a court case to determine the legality of the program after Trump sought to end it.

DACA  an Obama-era program created in 2012  was designed to protect children who were brought into the country illegally from deportation. The Biden administration said that its final rule released in May is set to help more than 100,000 uninsured young people.

Representatives for the 2024 Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday regarding DACA.
No, Starbucks Isnt an RNC Sponsorbut It Is Providing Coffee to Cops

Starbucks made headlines Tuesday night when social media users pointed out that the coffee company was listed as a corporate sponsor for the Republican National Convention.



After years of identifying as a progressive employer, Starbucks is now sponsoring the Republican National Convention, read one since-deleted viral post on X (formerly Twitter).

The Hill picked up the story with the headline Starbucks sponsors Republican National Convention. The story has also since been deleted.



In reality, Starbucks was listed as a sponsor for the Milwaukee Host Committee for the RNC, not the RNC itself. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson clarified that the company had not donated any money to the convention.

We are not providing a cash sponsorship of any kind, Anderson said in an email to The New Republic. Instead of financial support, Starbucks is providing in-kind support directly to the MKE 2024 Host Committee by providing coffee onsite to the first responders who are serving the city during the convention.

Cops, such as the out-of-town police officers who shot and killed an armed man outside the RNC Tuesday afternoon, can access Starbucks coffee and other beverages at the five RNC venues in Milwaukee.

On the Milwaukee Host Committees website, the union-busting companys logo is pictured next to far-right groups like Turning Point USA, The Heritage Foundation, Rumble, and more.



Screenshot of MKE sponsors logos

The Host Committee is proud to have several partners who are supporting our mission to promote Milwaukee to the world, Evan Hafenbreadl of the Milwaukee Host Committee said in a statement to The New Republic.



As expressed on its website, the Milwaukee Host Committee is a nonpartisan entity created to work with the City of Milwaukee in preparing for and successfully producing the Republican National Committee (RNC) convention.



In its statement, Starbucks clarified that it will provide the same services at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago. Our support of first responders and volunteers at the conventions is an extension of our ongoing commitment to the communities where we operatewhich includes Milwaukee and Chicago, wrote Anderson.



In 2016, Starbucks also provided support for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland by keeping its downtown stores open 24/7 during the event.



Starbucks Workers United had no comment for The New Republic.
"These are the cases that are gray. They're not black and white"

Shanna Reece Noah Presgrove

Despite all the unanswered questions swirling around the death of Noah Presgrove, everyone agrees on this: The 19-year-olds naked body had severe wounds when it was found by the side of the highway on Sept. 4.

Noahs autopsy, released to PEOPLE in May, details the extent of the blunt force trauma that killed him, including major head and skull injuries  the middle base of his skull was split in two  as well as life-threatening fractures of his spinal vertebrae and more.

But his official manner of death remains "undetermined."

According to 911 calls, Noahs body was found shortly before 6 a.m. local time on Labor Day 2023 along Highway 81, just a few miles outside Terral in southern Oklahoma.

He was naked except for a pair of mismatched shoes, his autopsy states. A pair of white printed shorts were nearby that showed no "observable damage, along with three pieces of a white metal chain as well as part of a tooth [that were] present several feet [away].

(The chain  one of Noah's favorites  was never recovered in its entirety, one first responder tells PEOPLE.)

A clump of hair was found on his body, according to his autopsy; another clump was nearby. But no vehicle debris was observed, the autopsy states.

The teen was first spotted by two passing drivers, the 911 calls show. State authorities are still investigating  and, nearly a year later, his family is also digging for answers.



Investigators have said they arent looking at the death as a murder but have declined to comment further, citing their ongoing work.

Outside experts say the detailed findings of the medical examiners report hold some clues as to how Noah died while also showing how difficult it may be to solve the key mysteries.

The problem with this case is that there's so much unknown, Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, tells PEOPLE.

Related: All the Unanswered Questions Around Oklahoma Teen Noah Presgrove's Death

Madison Rawlings/GoFundMe Noah Presgrove

Banerjee is unconnected to the investigation but reviewed the autopsy and discussed her views in an interview.

Whatever happened to cause these injuries was a lot of force, she says. You don't get a skull fracture, you don't get vertebral fractures, you don't get rib fractures, all this bleeding, without the body being struck with a lot of force. I think the difficulty is this all could be consistent with a hit and run, possibly with some dragging, but I can't really exclude some of this coming from a fight.

Banerjee says that according to the autopsy, Noah appears to have been predominantly hit on the left side of his head. There's a significant force applied that causes the base of his skull to fracture, she says, also noting bleeding around and into his brain.

She singles out a large wound to the top left part of his head  whats referred to in the autopsy as an abraded laceration. "That's where his scalp is basically torn and lifted off the skull," Banerjee says.

But that's a weird part to get to, the top of your head is hard to reach, she explains. You don't just fall back and injure that. Something happened there where a force hit him or he hit something."

According to Noah's autopsy, that wound was nearly 8 inches in total area, revealing bone; there were also scrapes or cuts on his left eyebrow, left eye and left cheek as well as his left ear and the left side of his neck and on the left side of his tongue.

Though some of the first people on the scene, including Jefferson County Sheriff Jeremie Wilson, have told PEOPLE that they didnt observe as much blood as might have been expected given Noahs injuries, Banerjee notes that Noah's neck and skull injuries "would mean a rapid death and thus yield little bleeding."

Moving down his body, Banerjee highlights road rash-like injuries on his back plus abrasions (or scrapes) on his shoulder, butt, arms and legs.

Was he hit and dragged a little bit? she says. Possibly.

He suffered major trauma to his torso as well as his head, with less damage to his arms and legs, Banerjee says, citing the autopsy: He has a lot of bleeding within the chest cavity. Both of his shoulder blades are fractured, he has lots of rib fractures, left and right. His spinal column has multiple fractures, and he has bleeding within the sides of the chest and around the heart. Both of his lungs are punctured.

Courtesy of Madison Rawlings Noah Presgrove

Related: Authorities Reveal Suspicions from Strange Scene Where Noah Presgroves Body Was Found (Exclusive)

Banerjee also calls attention to what the autopsy shows was not present  like no vehicle parts or debris.

If it was a hit and run, there should be car parts like a broken tail light, a broken headlight.  Thats not necessarily the case, but usually there's some debris, Banerjee says. If someone's left on the side of the road, more often than not, we think of a hit and run. But you also have to be worried that someone was dumped.

Medical examiners cannot investigate themselves; that is the province of the police.

I can't look at the injuries and say I know exactly how these occurred and that's why it's undetermined, Banerjee says. Was it a car accident, like a hit and run? Was it an intentional strike with a vehicle? Did someone beat him up and dump him? There's so many possibilities, and nothing about the injury pattern will help narrow it down further.

Some key details have been publicly confirmed including that, before he died, Noah was partying with friends over the Labor Day weekend not far from where his body was found on Highway 81.

According to Noahs autopsy, he had a roll over incident while riding an ATV during the party on Sept. 3 but then returned to the party where he got into an argument and subsequently left.

I don't think any significant injuries that caused his death were related to the ATV because we know that he was alive and returned to the party. Could he have bumps, some of the scrapes, some of the bruises? Sure, Banerjee says. Then  did someone push him out of a car, run him over? I just don't know. Was there a motor vehicle incident after? Probably.

The information from Noahs injuries only answers some but not all of the questions. These are the cases that are gray. They're not black and white, Banerjee says.

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Noahs best friend, Jack Newton, was at the party with him that weekend. Jack tells PEOPLE that Noah and some others went riding on Jacks ATV around 3 a.m. on Sept. 4  while Jack was sleeping  and, while Noah was driving, It just turned over on the side.

No one was seriously injured, Jack says, and Noah showered and then walked off at 3:30 a.m., less than three hours before being found dead.

But Jack also says that this is what he was told later, because he says he was asleep. Various accounts conflict.

Everybody I asked will tell you a different story, he says of one of the details, about Noah getting cleaned up after the ATV incident.

Courtesy of Madison Rawlings Noah Presgrove

Related: 911 Calls Reveal How Oklahoma Teen Noah Presgrove's Body Was Found by Highway: 'Looked Awful Odd'

Everett Baxter Jr., a forensic analyst and former Oklahoma police officer, echoes Banerjee in saying that Noah likely didnt sustain his serious trauma, such as the vertebrae fractures, on the ATV.

If that occurred during the crash ... he wouldve been dead. He wouldnt have moved, Baxter says.

At the same time, Baxter, who like Banerjee is unconnected to the case but reviewed the autopsy as an expert, suggests that Noah could have suffered some kind of head injury on the ATV that affected his behavior and demeanor.

But even so, the way in which Noahs body was found is so odd: You've got to go back and answer that question, why was he nude? Baxter says.

Did the clothes come off because he took them off or did they come off because somebody else took them off? he says.

Police have said they are continuing to look at what really happened to the teenager.

But to Baxter, it feels like some people are not sharing all of the information.

That's common with that part of the state, he says, referring to the rural communities along the Oklahoma-Texas border, which follows the twists of the Red River.

"That part of the state, people  they don't share information freely, he says.



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Read the original article on People.
In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz claimed Democrats want the votes of people who are in the country illegally during a Tuesday speech at the Republican National Convention.

Cruz, whose remarks in Milwaukee focused on the impacts of illegal immigration across the southern border, decried the Biden administration for allowing violent criminals to in the country illegally. (Though people who enter the U.S. illegally are not more likely to commit crimes, according to experts.)

How did we get here? Cruz posed from the convention stage. It happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children.

He didnt go as far as saying non-U.S. citizens are voting in elections, but some may wonder: Is that happening? Its not, according to experts.

PoltiFact was quick to debunk that idea Tuesday night, pointing to a fact check of a similar claim by former President Donald Trump that was labeled as Pants on Fire on its Truth-O-Meter, assessing the validity of claims. The fact-checking website notes that only U.S. citizens can vote and cases of non-citizens voting are rare and that they found no effort by the left to register people in the country illegally.

The Brennan Center for Justice conducted a study of voting in the 2016 general election, finding 30 incidents of non-citizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast in 42 juristictions across the country.

A scholar at the CATO Institute, as the Brennan Centers director of Voting Rights pointed out in his own piece, also found that people who are not U.S.. citizens do not vote in detectable numbers.

There are likely many problems with Americas voting system and there is no doubt that a non-zero number of non-citizens illegally voted, but there is no good evidence that non-citizens voted illegally in large enough numbers to actually shift the outcome of elections or even change the number of electoral votes, Alex Nowrasteh, the CATO Institutes vice president for economic and social policy studies, wrote in a November 2020 piece.

Looking beyond the question of whether people who are not U.S. Citizens are voting illegally, election experts have said theres little evidence of widespread voter fraud, including in Texas and in Tarrant County.




NEW YORK (PIX11)  The rent in New York City is too high. One nonprofit is helping fight for more affordable housing to be created during this housing crisis.

Jorge Romero, 38, volunteers for a nonprofit called Open New York. This grassroots organization is made up of everyday New Yorkers like Romero, who volunteer to attend community board meetings, help rally for change in policy and make their voices heard.

More Local News

Its supposed to be an exciting time for Romero. Hes about to be a dad, expecting his first child next month with his wife. He works at a tech company. Romero said he should be able to afford a bigger apartment; he cant afford to stay in the neighborhood he loves.

Jorge is not alone. According to the citys Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the vacancy rate in New York City is just 1.4%, the lowest since the 1960s.

More Monica Makes It Happen

HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. said his team is working overtime to help place families like Romero into homes that match their budget. Carrion said theres a new zoning proposal called the City of Yes for Housing opportunity.

The city council will vote on the plan this fall. Carrion said it would help fix outdated zoning laws driving up rents across the five boroughs.

Romero, a first-generation Mexican American, said the high rents put the American dream out of reach. He hopes he can be a small part of a solution.

If you have a story, reach out to Monica Morales at monica@pix11.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
North Carolina Man, 27, Robbed Stores at Gunpoint, Then Posted Photos of Himself on Social Media: Prosecutors

Hasahn Riyardt Flowe shared photos of himself online with the same weapon used to commit the crimes

Getty Images crime scene  stock image

A North Carolina man has helped police put him in prison after he shared photos of himself on social media with the weapon he used to commit two crimes, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, July 16, Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced that 27-year-old Hasahn Riyardt Flowe was sentenced to 117 months in prison, or over nine years. He will also serve three years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department joined King in announcing Flowes sentence.

Related: Man Who Brought Child to Bank Robbery Inside a Texas Walmart Is Being Hunted by the FBI

According to the press release, the 27-year-old committed two armed robberies in 2023.

The first incident took place on Jan. 22, 2023, when Flowe entered the Sams Mart at 2630 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte at 6:17 p.m. with the lower part of his face concealed by a red bandana. He was armed with a pistol.

When he entered the convenience store, the only other person inside was an employee. Court documents identified the person as A.R.

Per the U.S. Attorneys office, the documents added that Flowe told A.R. that he just got out of prison and to shut up or he would shoot her. During this time, he also pointed his gun at her and demanded that she give him the money from the register. The woman complied, and Flowe took the money and fled the scene.

The second incident happened on Feb. 8, 2023 at the 7-Eleven at 4255 Statesville Road in Charlotte at 6:29 p.m. Flowe used the same red bandana to cover the lower part of his face and carried the same pistol as the previous robbery.

The 7-Eleven was empty other than one employee identified as T.R.

Related: A Bank Robbery 74 Years Ago Baffled Investigators for Years - Until One of the Thieves Turned on the Others

Once again, Flowe showed the convenience store employee his weapon and demanded that they give him the money from the register. This time, the employee ran out of the back door after seeing the gun.

Flowe tried to get the money out of the register himself. While he was behind the counter, a customer walked in but backed out into the parking lot when they saw what was going on.

Unable to get the cash drawer open without the employee's help, Flowe grabbed the purse they left behind and fled the scene.

Police were able to find Flowe a week later after he shared photos on his social media account of himself holding the same pistol used in the robbery and attempted robbery. He was arrested on Feb. 15, 2023. When he was arrested, police found the firearm used in the robberies, prosecutors said.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Flowe pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2023, to Hobbs Act robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean land mines could be swept into South Korea by flooding, South Korea's military warned Wednesday, after the North has recently placed tens of thousands of additional deadly explosives along the rivals' heavily fortified border.

North Korea's minelaying is part of construction at the border that's been going on since April, which also includes adding anti-tank barriers and reinforcing roads. South Korea officials believe North Korea aims to boost its frontline security posture and prevent its soldiers and citizens from defecting to South Korea.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff told local reporters that flooding caused by summer rainfall could wash the mines over the border, adding that North Korea might also deliberately float mines downriver as a provocation.

The contents of the briefing were shared with The Associated Press.

Concerns about possible North Korean provocation have deepened after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatened new countermeasures Tuesday against South Korean civilian activists' efforts to drop leaflets over the north by balloon. North Korea has earlier responded by flying trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, which have not caused major damage.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korea's military has suffered many casualties" from about 10 mine explosions and heat exposure during the intense border works.

An estimated 2 million mines are believed to be strewn in and around the Koreas' 248 kilometer (154 miles)- long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles)-wide land border. Experts say both Koreas have poorly managed their mines and dont know exactly how many they have planted or where they are.

Its not unusual for wooden North Korean mine boxes to wash downriver in summer, causing deadly incidents in South Korea. A 2015 mine explosion blamed on North Korea maimed two South Korean soldiers and pushed the rivals to the brink of an armed conflict.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it's its also looking at other possible provocations by North Korea, such as firing across the border at incoming South Korean balloons. It said the South Korean military is strengthening its readiness to repel any potential aggression by North Korea.

North Korea is extremely sensitive to South Korean activists' efforts to scatter anti-Pyongyang leaflets, seeing them as a threat its political system and a challenge to its ban on access to foreign news for most of its 26 million people, experts say.

In 2020, North Korea destroyed an unoccupied South Korean-built liaison office on its territory in a furious response to South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns. In 2014, North Korea fired at balloons flying toward its territory and South Korea returned fire, though there were no casualties.

Animosities between the rival Koreas have been running high in recent years, with North Korea extending provocative weapons tests and South Korea expanding its military drills with the United States in a tit-for-tat cycle.

North Korea says it was compelled to pursue nuclear weapons to cope with U.S. military threats, though the U.S. and South Korea have steadfastly said they have no intentions of invading the North.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  North Las Vegas police are asking for the publics help in identifying a person of interest in a May shooting.

Police said the incident occurred on May 12 around 6:50 p.m. in the area of Clayton Street and Craig Road. North Las Vegas detectives believe that the incident started as the result of road rage and ended in a shooting that left an 18-year-old seriously injured, police said.

The person of interest is described as a man last seen wearing a light-colored shirt. The vehicle of interest is described as a newer model white Chevrolet Malibu.

Police said the incident occurred on May 12 around 6:50 p.m. in the area of Clayton Street and Craig Road. North Las Vegas detectives believe that the incident started as the result of road rage and ended in a shooting that left an 18-year-old seriously injured, police said. (NLVPD)

Police said the incident occurred on May 12 around 6:50 p.m. in the area of Clayton Street and Craig Road. North Las Vegas detectives believe that the incident started as the result of road rage and ended in a shooting that left an 18-year-old seriously injured, police said. (NLVPD)

Police said the incident occurred on May 12 around 6:50 p.m. in the area of Clayton Street and Craig Road. North Las Vegas detectives believe that the incident started as the result of road rage and ended in a shooting that left an 18-year-old seriously injured, police said. (NLVPD)

Anyone who recognizes this person or has any information regarding this incident is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department by phone at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or online at crimestoppersofnv.com

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
By Elena Fabrichnaya

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia should accelerate the creation of infrastructure for payments in cryptocurrencies but carefully weigh the associated risks, its money laundering watchdog said on Wednesday, ahead of a parliamentary vote on digital assets legislation.

Russia has faced significant delays in international transactions with major trading partners such as China, India, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, after local banks, under pressure from Western regulators, have become more cautious.

The new legislation, expected to be reviewed by parliament on July 23, will allow the use of cryptocurrency transactions in international payments to maintain trade flows.

"This is a need for businesses, especially in cases involving sanction mechanisms, when they need to enter the international market, and it can't always be resolved through standard methods," said the watchdog's head, Yuri Chekhanchin.

Countries such as Venezuela already use transactions in cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions, prompting concerns among U.S. lawmakers who have raised the issue with the Biden administration.

Chekhanchin highlighted loose cryptocurrency legislation in some countries as the main risk and said his watchdog should have the right to block such transactions when they break Russian law. He did not name the countries he had in mind.

Cryptocurrencies are currently not allowed for payments inside Russia, and the new law is unlikely to change that. Earlier, the central bank admitted that payment problems were one of the key challenges for the Russian economy.

President Vladimir Putin also spoke on Wednesday at a government meeting on the use of digital currencies. Apart from his opening remarks, the meeting was closed to the public.

Putin praised the experimental introduction of a digital rouble, a blockchain-based asset backed by the central bank.

Russian and Iranian central banks are working to connect their digital currency systems, which would allow the two sanctioned countries to carry out bilateral transactions. Similar negotiations are underway with China and Belarus.

Putin said the massive energy consumption of cryptocurrency mining farms posed risks to energy supplies in some regions of Siberia, where many such farms have sprung up exploiting low local electricity prices.

He said tax and electricity tariff regulation for mining farms should be part of the new law.

(Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya, writing by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Gareth Jones)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Officials have declared a Northern Nevada lake unsafe after an algae bloom.

Little Washoe Lake between Reno and Carson City is under a HAB (Harmful Algal Bloom) Warning, according to a dashboard updated daily by Nevada Public Health and the Office of State Epidemiology.

Eight other ponds, lakes and reservoirs around the state are under watch conditions, meaning hazardous conditions are likely present. The closest site to Las Vegas is Eagle Valley Reservoir in Lincoln County.

Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Las Vegas  the three lakes monitored in Clark County  are currently listed as clear.

No human or animal illnesses associated with algae blooms in Nevada have been confirmed.

STATE DASHBOARD: Harmful Algal Blooms in Nevada

Little Washoe Lake is just north of the larger Washoe Lake in Washoe Valley along U.S. Highway 395/Interstate 580.

Naturally occurring blue-green algae can multiply quickly and cause discoloration, scum and mats on the water. Blue-green algae are actually single-celled aquatic organisms called cyanobacteria. Some types produce nerve or liver toxins that are hard to predict.

Because it is hard to tell whether an algal bloom is harmful or not it is recommended to avoid contact with any floating mats, scums, and discolored water, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Blooms generally occur in the late summer and early fall.

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Not Appropriate: Charlotte rape, murder suspect back behind bars after judge increases bond following release in first 24 hours

Not Appropriate: Charlotte rape, murder suspect back behind bars after judge increases bond following release in first 24 hours

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  On Tuesday afternoon, a judge sent rape and murder suspect, Raphael Omar Wright Jr., back to jail, saying his initial $50,000 bond set by another judge was not appropriate.

Judge Reggie McKnight had a hearing Tuesday after prosecutors filed a motion to revoke or modify Wrights bond. The judge ultimately set a new bond of $850,000 resulting in Wright being back in handcuffs.

Man accused of raping, killing Charlotte woman posts bond within 24 hours

He is a danger to this community, and not to mention based on what he says and based on what happened, he flees, hes a flight risk, said Nikki Robinson, Assistant District Attorney during the court hearing.

Wright was arrested at the end of June for first-degree murder and first-degree rape, but jail records show that not even 24 hours later, he was released from the Mecklenburg County jail.

District Court Judge Jennifer Fleet only gave him a $50,000 bond leading up to his release.

Wright is accused of raping and killing 27-year-old Michelle Schechter on Glenwood Drive in June.

This is not fair; his bond should be higher than that, Carolyn Douglas, grandmother to the victims daughter, said in court. Matter of fact it should be revoked, he should be locked up because its a life gone.

Michelle Schechter has a 9-year-old daughter with Douglas son, the womans longtime boyfriend.

She is not here to raise her daughter, and now Im forced, Im 53 years old, and now Im forced to do something that Im not prepared for, said Douglas.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at the time disappointed didnt even begin to describe how he felt about the low bond

Wright is claiming self-defense but police say theres no proof of that.

According to court documents, Wright says he met the victim through an escort service at a Charlotte hotel and that someone else hid out in the bathroom and attacked him, pointed a gun at him and he shot back, striking and killing the woman.

Police say there is no surveillance video of anyone else going in and out of that hotel room other than Wright at the time the victim was killed.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW)  Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown on Tuesday visited a union electrical workers training center in Valley View promoting legislation that would put more solar panels on homes across Ohio.

We are working to make solar panels and the energy bill savings that come with them available to more families in Cleveland, Brown said.

The visit comes one day after Ohios other U.S. Senator, Republican JD Vance was selected as Donald Trumps running mate.

Great day for Ohio: Politicians around state react to JD Vance VP selection

The man who introduced Vance for affirmation at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin is Browns opponent Bernie Moreno, in a closely contested race with Brown trying to keep his senate seat.

Reacting to Vances candidacy Browns campaign sent out a statement saying : Donald Trump and the entire GOP establishment are laser-focused on flipping my seat red because they know itll decide Senate control

When asked to explain, Brown told Fox 8 News well, this has always been a targeted race. I know that people in politics spend a lot of money to take people like me out.

His campaign has also stated that they believe more outside dark money will now be coming into the state by outside republicans to support his Trump-endorsed challenger.

Brown on Tuesday, however, would not comment on any impact Vances vice presidential candidacy will have on elections in Ohio.

Im not a pundit. I dont have any thoughts on what it means to the presidential election, said Brown.

I dont judge my colleagues. I mean, I welcomed [Vance] to the senate. Ive worked with him on East Palestine. I will continue to work with him for as long as he is in the Senate. Im not going to play pundit here and say things about him. he added.

Sen.-elect JD Vance (R-OH) is seen during a photo opportunity with newly elected Republican Senators in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Likewise Brown on Tuesday continued to avoid offering any opinions regarding a continued clamoring by his opponent and by others for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.

God stepped in: Lee Greenwood, Trumps favorite singer, reacts to assassination attempt

Brown would only say Ohioans have legitimate concerns about what President Biden does and this campaign, my job is to talk about what we are doing for workers here and what we are doing for the airbase in Youngstown [which he was visiting Tuesday afternoon].

Brown was publicly more concerned about his race than any impact Vance might have on any race in his home state.

Ill continue to do my job, he said. They will continue to spend money and I will continue to fight back.

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo.  A former resident of a Festus, Missouri, nursing home remains hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation after attempting to strangle a fellow resident last December.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Offices probable cause statement, the crime took place on December 27 at Superior Manor Nursing Home along State Road TT.

Investigators said Marla D. Williams (age not provided) tried strangling another resident by wrapping a wire hanger around the victims face and neck. A staffer at the nursing home witnessed the attack.

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Williams allegedly admitted to the attack but denied it several minutes later. Investigators said she appeared to be in an altered state.

The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Williams with second-degree assault. An arrest warrant has been issued, along with a $10,000 bond.

No future court date has been scheduled.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Some nursing home operators say they haven't been paid since the state transitioned to managed care on July 1. (Getty Images)

Jeff Huffman and other nursing home operators in the state say they havent been paid for their work since the state transitioned to managed care for certain Medicaid services on July 1  marking two weeks in limbo for providers in the PathWays to Aging program.

Basically, we rely on Medicaid reimbursements to keep our bills paid and keep operating. When all of a sudden the spigot gets turned off  thats not going to last long for a small company, said Huffman, the chief operations officer and chief development officer of The Strategies.

The Strategies operates five nursing home and rehabilitation facilities across the state in Muncie, Loogootee and Vincennes and employs roughly 300 Hoosiers to care for 230 residents.

Were two or three payrolls away from not being sure what were able to do, Huffman said.

Paul Peaper, the president of the Indiana Health Care Association that represents the interests of operators like Huffman, said hes heard from several facility teams about issues submitting claims.

Weve got three different managed care entities all with their own claims portals. As youre submitting your claims into each of their claims portals, it looks different and reports out different information at different times, Peaper said. Its trying to track  okay, is this claim pending? Is this claim denied? Is this claim rejected? Is this claim paid?

But certainly there have been some challenges in that new system and some issues on the tech side of that to facilitate the claim.

Adding more complications to the process, providers bill on different schedules  either weekly, twice a month or monthly. So while the first rounds of weekly providers have started billing, only a handful of bimonthly providers have started billing and monthly bills havent been submitted at all.

The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) tasked with overseeing the transition to managed care clarified that electronic nursing facility claims are not considered late until after 21 days.

During the transition period, FSSA has sent periodic updates to stakeholders about continuity of care, essentially saying that the Managed Care Entities (MCEs) couldnt withhold payments due to issues like prior authorizations.

The July 1st transition

Under managed care, the state contracts with major insurers Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana Healthy Horizons in Indiana and United Healthcare Community Plan to pay for and manage the health care of a Medicaid population. While the delivery model stabilizes expenses for states, enrollees have more mixed results.

Hoosiers enrolled in the Healthy Indiana Plan or traditional Medicaid were already under managed care but Indiana shifted its last major population  elderly and disabled Hoosiers utilizing long-term services and supports  on July 1.

Long-term care providers vigorously tried to delay  if not outright stop  the states managed care proposal, pointing to reported issues and costs in other states.

At the heart of it, were dealing with an aged and disabled population in a small care setting. Theres just a real concern that putting any layer  a la a managed care entity  in between the care our members provide and their residents could delay or impact their care, Peaper said.

Post-rollout, Huffman said hes had varying levels of success communicating with the managed care entities about the denials.

Theyre aware of the issues, I just dont think anyones aware of the ramifications. I think from an FSSA standpoint, from a (managed care entity) standpoint, this is just one of those things that happens in a transition. But a small, family-owned company like ours, with only five buildings, we dont have $10 million laying around to get through expenses and payroll until (they) figure out how to start reimbursing correctly.

Ive talked to some of the biggest companies in the state and some of the smallest companies in the state, and were all feeling pretty stressed, he concluded.

Prior to the transition, Huffman said that Indiana was the most efficient Medicaid system in the country, saying that facilities could bill on a Friday and get paid on Wednesday or Thursday the following week.

Peaper said much of that efficiency came from having just one portal for one payer  the state  and the processing seemed to be near instantaneous.

So now that there is a lag or a delay  or its maybe not even populating  theres immediate concern, Peaper said. Thats been, certainly, a real challenge.

Additionally, long-term care facilities operate on thinner margins than their counterparts, Peaper said. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are also the one segment of the health care industry workforce that has yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of the day, the concern is: if the timely and steady payment systems dont continue, then youre going to have potential cash flow issues that impact your payroll, Peaper said.

Potential remedies ahead?

State law does permit providers, including nursing homes, to petition for emergency relief in the first 210 days of the managed care transition period.

The office of Medicaid policy and planning shall establish a temporary emergency financial assistance program for providers that experience financial emergencies due to claims payment issues while participating in the risk based managed care program, Senate Enrolled Act 132 reads.

Under the law, a financial emergency is when claims denials exceed 15% during one billing cycle or when a provider goes 21 days without payment for a minimum of $25,000 in aggregate claims.

Additionally, the states Medicaid director has the discretion to categorize something as a financial emergency for providers. To qualify, providers must have participated in the claims testing process and submit relevant documentation to FSSA. The state agency then has seven days to respond and  if the circumstances qualify as a financial emergency  then the office shall direct the managed care entities to provide an emergency payment within seven days.

However, that payment will only cover 75% of the average claim  which is kind of like giving the insurance company a 25% discount, Huffman said.

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The insurers then shall reconcile the temporary emergency assistance payment funds with actual claims payment amounts, according to the law.

The law also authorizes a workgroup, made up of MCEs, state officials and providers  including nursing homes, Area Agencies on Aging and home health services  to address claims issues.

Everyones trying to make sure that these early issues  as theyre identified  are resolved quickly, said Peaper.

Peaper isnt a member but the IHCA does have a representative with the claims workgroup.

Still, he expressed caution when monitoring the rollout of PathWays, noting the importance of getting the program right considering the ramifications on providers and residents.

I think over the next week or two, well have an answer to the question on how its going, Peaper said.

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of Nvidia Corporation is seen during the annual Computex computer exhibition in Taipei

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's CytoReason, which uses AI to develop disease models, said on Wednesday it had raised $80 million in a private funding round.

Nvidia, Pfizer, Thermo Fisher and venture capital investor OurCrowd participated in the round, CytoReason said.

The company said it aims to expand the application of its models into additional indications and grow its proprietary molecular and clinical data.

It also plans to establish an office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, later this year.

In 2022, Pfizer expanded its partnership with CytoReason with a $20 million investment that could reach $110 million by 2027.

"The rapid expansion of new technologies, like artificial

intelligence, holds tremendous potential to help transform what is possible in human health," said Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer's chief scientific officer.

"Our collaboration with CytoReason leverages its cutting-edge immunology multiomics platform to augment Pfizers own R&D capabilities and generate invaluable insights into new drug development pathways for patients."

CytoReason said six of the worlds top 10 pharma companies use its technology to make data-driven decisions in immunology, inflammation, immuno-oncology, metabolism, and other therapeutic

areas using an AI platform of computational disease models.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; editing by Jason Neely)
A red flag warning  an alert that weather conditions could quickly produce fires  has been issued for Western Washington, the National Weather Service announced Tuesday afternoon.

The warning takes effect through 11 p.m. Wednesday. The warning was issued because of the chance of dry thunderstorms and gusty outflow winds.

The affected areas include the Olympic mountain range and the central slopes of the Cascade mountain range above 1,500 feet, according to NWS.

Possible impacts:

 Scattered lightning hitting dry fuels can cause multiple fire starts, NWS officials said. Thunderstorms also can bring sudden sharp wind shifts to existing fires, causing rapid changes in a fires rate and direction of spread.

 Thunderstorm outflow winds can be a threat for several hours following a new lightning-caused fire. If a fire were to begin, air quality may diminish in the surrounding area.

 Any fires that develop will likely spread quickly. While the NWS said outdoor burning is not recommended, Thurston County already has banned outdoor burning on all county-regulated lands due to fire danger. Washingtons Department of Natural Resources also issued a burn ban last week on all the forest land it controls across the state.
EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (PIX11)  After a violent few weeks in the East Village, Mayor Eric Adams called on the NYPD to implement a plan to combat crime directly.

PIX11 saw firsthand how teamwork and technology were being used to achieve this last month; crime was rampant in the East Village around East 14th Street.

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Illegal vendors were selling various goods, a practice born from the pandemic. Ultimately, tensions boiled over, resulting in a fatal triple stabbing. Since that tragic incident, significant changes have been made.

There are currently no vendors, and there has been a continuous police presence day and night, said native New Yorker Rona Economou.

More officers are now on patrol, supported by new digital surveillance in the area.

If our officers are addressing another issue two blocks away, these cameras will provide live updates so we can redeploy them, explained Inspector Dan Orlando of the NYPDs 13th Precinct.

For the first time, officers in the 9th and 13th Precincts are equipped with live cameras. The CCTV feeds are accessible on their mobile devices and inside the station houses. Thus, there is no more waiting for a 911 call to respond to an emergency or incident.

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Another new approach is the collaboration between the two precincts, which are no longer divided by the double yellow line on East 14th Street. Gone are the days of ignoring problems on the other side of the street, explained Ins. Orlando and Capt. Pamela Jeronimo.

We must collaborate on joint operations and solutions, said Jeronimo, the commanding officer of the ninth precinct.

The neighboring precincts are intensifying efforts following incidents, including stabbings and consecutive shootings in Tompkins Square Park. But despite double-digit drops in major crimes this year, the mission has not yet been accomplished, police said.

When residents thank me on the street, I know were on the right track, said Inspector Orlando.

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In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, Odyssey Online Learning stands out as a beacon of innovation and accessibility for students across South Carolina. Odyssey Online Learning is not just adapting to the digital age but leading the charge with its flexible, student-centered approach. As a free public charter high school, Odyssey Online Learning provides numerous advantages that cater to the diverse needs of modern students.

Odyssey Online Learning

Accessibility and Flexibility

One of the standout features of Odyssey Online Learning is its accessibility. As a tuition-free public charter high school, it ensures quality education is provided to all high school students in South Carolina, regardless of their financial background. This inclusivity is vital in a time when educational disparities can significantly impact a students future.

Odyssey Online Learnings virtual platform offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing students to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. This is particularly beneficial for students with unique circumstances, such as those balancing part-time jobs, family responsibilities, extracurricular activities, or health issues. With Odyssey Online Learnings synchronous and asynchronous learning model, students can access coursework and resources making it easier to stay on track with their education ensuring they can balance their studies with other responsibilities without sacrificing other important aspects of their lives.

Customized Learning Experience

Odyssey Online Learning is dedicated to providing a personalized educational experience. The school employs certified, highly qualified teachers who are adept at online instruction and committed to student success. Each student receives individualized attention and support, ensuring mastery of material and successfully achieving their academic goals.

The curriculum at Odyssey Online Learning is comprehensive and rigorous, covering all required core subjects and while offering a variety of electives to cater to diverse interests and career aspirations. Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment courses are available for students seeking to advance themselves and earn college credit as well as their high school credit. This variety ensures that every student can find courses that engage and motivate them, fostering a love for learning.

Innovative Technology and Resources

Odyssey Online Learning leverages cutting-edge technology to enhance the learning experience. The schools online platform is user-friendly and interactive, featuring multimedia content, interactive assignments, and real-time feedback. This tech-savvy approach not only makes learning more engaging but also helps students develop essential digital skills that are increasingly important in todays workforce.

Students have access to a wealth of resources, including virtual libraries, one-on-one sessions with teachers and support staff, and college and career preparation as the goal is for students to be prepared to be productive members of society. These resources are designed to support students academically and help them plan for their future, whether that involves higher education or entering the job market.

Odyssey Online Learning

Community and Support

Despite being an online institution, Odyssey Online Learning fosters a strong sense of community among its students and staff. Regular virtual meetings, discussion forums, clubs, in-person field trips, and student and parent events provide opportunities for students to interact, share ideas, and build meaningful relationships. This sense of community is crucial in an online learning environment, helping students feel connected and supported.

Preparing for the Future

Odyssey Online Learning is not just about meeting the present educational needs of students but also about preparing them for the future. The skills and knowledge gained through Odyssey Online Learnings program is designed to equip students for success in college, careers, and life. By promoting critical thinking, time management, and self-discipline, Odyssey Online Learning helps students develop the attributes necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Conclusion

Odyssey Online Learning is revolutionizing high school education in South Carolina by offering a free, flexible, and high-quality online learning option. With its focus on accessibility, personalized learning, innovative technology, and strong community support, Odyssey Online Learning is setting a new standard for what online education can achieve. Odyssey Online has been voted States Best Online High School and Lowcountry Parent Moms Choice for Online Public School. For South Carolina students seeking a dynamic and adaptable educational experience, Odyssey Online Learning represents a gateway to success.

Mom's Choice | postandcourier.com (secondstreetapp.com)

The State's Best | The States Best (votedthestatesbest.com)

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Odyssey Online Learning: Transforming Education in South Carolina
Police officer hit by car while responding to call for person with gun outside Boston church

Two suspects were arrested and three firearms were seized after police say an officer was struck by a fleeing vehicle while responding to a call for a person with a gun in the parking lot of a church in Boston on Tuesday night.

Markeith Walton, 21, of Marlboro, and Robert Scott, 26, of Mattapan, are slated to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on firearms and trespassing charges, according to the Boston Police Department.

Officers responding to a report of a person with a gun in the area of St. Matthews Church at 33 Stanton Street just after 11:30 p.m. learned a group of four people, two of whom had firearms, were in a no-trespassing zone, police said.

As officers approached the individuals, two suspects jumped over a fence and another entered a vehicle and attempted to flee, according to police.

The vehicle accelerated towards officers at a high rate of speed, striking one officer forcing him onto the hood and rolling off the side, the department said in a statement Wednesday morning.

The officer who was struck was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

One suspect was arrested in the parking lot, while another suspect who hopped the fence was also tracked down and taken into custody. Officers also recovered a Polymer 80 with one round in the chamber, a Smith and Wesson M&P with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine, and a Glock 43 with six rounds in the magazine.

There was no immediate word on the search for the other two suspects who evaded capture.

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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NEW BEDFORD  Seastreak began offering high-speed ferry service from New Bedford State Pier in 2005.

It did not make money for the first few years.

"It was tough going," said Jim Barker, Seastreak president and founder.

But the ferry services from New Bedford State Pier grew to such an extent that, by 2023, 175,000 people a year were coming in and out of Seastreak's New Bedford State Pier terminal.

Seastreak began offering high-speed ferry service from New Bedford State Pier in 2005. By 2023, 175,000 people were coming in and out of Seastreak's New Bedford State Pier terminal per year, company officials say.

A change in New Bedford

"Things have really changed in New Bedford," Barker said.

The company, which has headquarters in New Jersey and operates in New York and New Jersey as well as New England, operates 10 high-speed ferries today.

That includes its newest vessel, the Courageous.

It's the largest high-speed passenger vessel in the United States, Barker said. It has a 600-person capacity and can travel at 35 knots.

These "bow loaders" are specially designed to fit into docks at New Bedford State Pier and at the Steamship Authority's facilities on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Seastreak has a license that allows use of the authority's facilities.

Cuttyhunk: New Bedford State Pier's Cuttyhunk Ferry is a 'lifeline' to tiny Cuttyhunk Island

The Seastreak proposal can be summed up succinctly. nJim Barker, Seastreak president and founder, said, "We're basically proposing to do what we have always done."

Expanding to year-round service to Martha's Vineyard

Barker said they've expanded this year to offer year-round service from New Bedford State Pier to Martha's Vineyard.

They're not making money with that service right now, but they're already close to breaking even and hope to surpass that threshold next winter.

Seastreak is tapping into the need on Martha's Vineyard for skilled labor, which can be provided by the New Bedford market, he said.

Barker added that the 175,000 people traveling by Seastreak through New Bedford State Pier "obviously come to town and spend their money at local stores, restaurants, and shops."

Cruise Lines: New Bedford State Pier park facility proposed by American Cruise Lines

Proposal can be summed up succinctly

Barker made that point during a May meeting hosted by MassDevelopment in which seven current proposals for New Bedford State Pier's redevelopment were aired.

The Seastreak proposal can be summed up succinctly.

Jim Barker, left, Seastreak president and founder, presented his company's proposal during a meeting in May hosted by MassDevelopment.

Barker said, "We're basically proposing to do what we have always done."

The company needs its parking area but doesn't need any additional terminal space.

The current lots provide valet parking and drop-off and pickup of luggage and passengers. They're also used to stage cars for people returning from their trip to the Islands.

Barker said the company wants to develop a cafe with a full-service kitchen and a retail shop in the current terminal building. That would require a five-year lease to justify the expense.

Story continues

The cafe and retail space would work well with servicing their growing customer base, Barker said.

BASE: New Bedford State Pier proposal makes fishing a destination attraction. What to know.

Service from Providence to the Islands via New Bedford

Seastreak is currently offering linkage to regional transportation networks, he said.

Seastreak can connect Amtrak passengers through Providence to the ferry. "You can book your Amtrak ticket straight to Nantucket or straight to Martha's Vineyard through New Bedford  seamless."

Servedwell: Could a restaurant on New Bedford State Pier bring 200,000 people downtown? What to know.

A MassDevelopment review committee is considering the seven proposals, including Seastreak's, and will make recommendations. A decision deadline has not been set.

The committee could recommend accepting the proposals in total or partially, or reject them all. Leases for successful proposals could run up to 35 years.

MassDevelopment is the states development finance agency and land bank, and manages the 8-acre, state-owned property.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Seastreak makes proposal for New Bedford State Pier redevelopment
Ohio looks to remedy law enforcement shortages with new online tool, campaign

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A new online tool and campaign announced by state officials aims to assist law enforcement agencies with recruitment efforts as a local official says the Columbus Division of Police is struggling to fill positions.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Andy Wilson, announced a new website this month, powered by OhioMeansJobs.com, that allows the states over 900 law enforcement agencies to post their job openings in one place.

Who owns the tallest buildings in Columbus

The goal is to connect new recruits with immediate job openings. The portal was created through a partnership between InnovateOhio, the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Our law enforcement agencies are struggling to fill their essential positions, which are crucial for safe communities, Husted said. This specialized recruitment tool will give them a recruiting edge and save them time and money.

The tool also allows prospective recruits to search for jobs by agency and county, as well as by current location from police departments, sheriffs offices, park districts and state agencies.

In addition to the recruitment website, the state has launched a marketing campaign called Join the Blue to encourage residents to explore a career in law enforcement. The campaign directs individuals to connect with the Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

If you have a lack of police officers, who is going to be impacted? said Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel, who supervises the lodge for central Ohio. Its the community we serve. These are people calling 911, having domestic violence, having car accidents, all the realities of our city; theyre waiting longer for an officer to get there.

Officers from Columbus involved in fatal shooting near Republican National Convention

Steel, who is a lieutenant with Columbus police, said the department is among the law enforcement agencies in the state struggling to hire officers. A February 2024 study named Columbus as the fastest-growing city in the United States, leaving police to catch up with population growth.

Theyre absolutely not keeping up, but its not to their fault right now, Steel said. I think the recruiting team is doing their absolute best. They just have an uphill battle and its not going to get better anytime soon.

Steel said the department is working to fill positions through hiring events and cutting down the amount of time it takes to become an officer. He points to widespread police criticisms and civil unrest in 2020 after the death of George Floyd  and Columbus leaders response to it  as a potential reason the department is struggling with recruitment.

The mayor said we were a racist, rogue police department and called for reform, Steel said. We want officers to reflect the communities they serve and it is very difficult to get an officer, let alone a minority officer, because of the scar tissue and how police were vilified in 2020 in this city by its own leadership.

Police release surveillance photos, videos of three suspects in Alexa Stakelys death

Steel said he believes city leaders comments caused long-lasting harm and that it is going to take about 10 years for the negative perceptions of Columbus police to fade away. Mayor Andrew Ginther told NBC4 he is really proud of his comments during that time.

I think the people of this community understand that systemic racism exists everywhere, Ginther said. We have to acknowledge it exists, then we have to own the remedy. Thats what weve done in this community is put in place historic reforms for transparency, oversight, accountability, while investing a number of resources into officers.

The Columbus Division of Police had 1,866 officers in 2020, 1,819 officers in 2021, 1,827 officers in 2022 and 1,884 officers in 2023, statistics provided by Columbus police from Dec. 15 of each year show.

From 2020 to 2023, Columbus population grew by 6,747 people, from 906, 418 to 913,175, according to statistics from the Census Population Estimates Program, which are recorded as of July 1 of each year.

Columbus changes city code to hold landlords accountable

The International Association of Chiefs of Police states a universally applicable staffing standard does not exist. How many police officers a law enforcement agency should employ depends on factors such as officer availability and workloads, according to the Center for Public Safety Management.

Steel said in 2024, elected officials and the public have begun publicly supporting police officers again, which he believes may help in solving staffing challenges.

Husted emphasized that the website is just one of multiple recent tools from the DeWine-Husted administration to bolster the ranks of law enforcement agencies in the state, pointing to the distribution of approximately $100 million to first responders since the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program launched in 2022.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
These officers, who are not from this area, took it upon themselves to act to save someone's life today," said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman

Jim Vondruska/Getty Officers near scene where man was shot and killed by police in Milwaukee on July 16

A man wielding knives was shot and killed by Ohio police officers who were in Milwaukee, Wis., on duty for the Republican National Convention, according to officials.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said in a press conference, shared by ABC affiliate WISN 12 News, that on Tuesday, July 16, at approximately 1:10 p.m. local time, over a dozen officers from the Columbus, Ohio police department were in a briefing in their assigned zone a couple of blocks away from where the RNC was taking place when they saw a 43-year-old man engage in an altercation with another unarmed individual.

Norman said the 43-year-old man, who held a knife in each hand, refused to listen to the officers commands to drop the weapons. Police say the man then charged at the other individual with the knives, which led five officers to shoot him, according to Norman.

Body camera footage released by the police and obtained by the Associated Press reportedly showed officers chatting on bikes before one officer spotted the man with the knives and said, Hes got a knife.

Jim Vondruska/Getty

Several officers can then be heard yelling at the man to Drop the knife! as they ran toward him before firing their weapons as the man with knives made a move toward the other individual.

This was a situation in which somebodys life was in immediate danger, Norman said at the press conference. These officers, who are not from this area, took it upon themselves to act to save someone's life today.

The man sustained fatal injuries from the shooting and there were no other reported injuries," police said. The mans knives were recovered at the scene.

Jim Vondruska/Getty Mourners gather for a candlelight vigil near where Samuel Sharpe was shot and killed by police

According to the AP, the man who was killed in the incident was identified as Samuel Sharpe. Mourners gathered near the scene to hold a vigil and march hours after the shooting occurred. Some members of the community have expressed outrage at the increased police presence due to the RNC.

"They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed, per the AP. What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?"

Norman said the incident is under investigation by the Milwaukee police departments investigative team. Several police from multiple state jurisdictions are helping the Milwaukee Police Department provide security for the area around the RNC convention.

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The U.S. Secret Service also shared in a statement to Fox 6 News that the shooting did not occur within the security perimeters of the convention and was unrelated to the convention.

The Secret Service further said that it remains confident in the national security plan for the Republican National Convention and has not identified any issues at this point that would warrant changes to the security measures currently in place."

As the convention progresses, the U.S. Secret Service will continuously adapt as needed in order to ensure the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers and the City of Milwaukee, the Secret Service said in its statement.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley shared in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) that his heart goes out to the families, the community and all those affected by the tragic events that occurred during the incident. He further called for full accountability and transparency along with more details about how this situation unfolded that resulted in deadly force and loss of life.

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For Ohio US Sen. JD Vance, is not backing Ukraine more important than the fight against fentanyl?

U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, celebrate as he is nominated for the office of Vice President alongside Ohio Delegate Bernie Moreno on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his partys presidential nomination. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Newly named GOP vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance made his mothers struggles with opioid addiction a part of his public story, and he started a nonprofit to fight the scourge in 2017.

But earlier this year, the Republican senator from Ohio voted against an anti-fentanyl bill that he had co-sponsored. When asked why, Vances office said it was because the senator didnt want to vote for $60 billion in support for Ukraine, which is under attack by Vladimir Putins Russia.

So does that mean that it was more important to Vance to oppose supporting Ukraine than it was to fight fentanyl in opioid-ravaged states like Ohio?

Vances office hasnt responded when asked multiple times. But some critics say that Vance has taken several positions that have been convenient for Putin, while others say that the GOP VP nominee wasnt serious about fighting opioids in the first place.

Vance published his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in the summer of 2016. It described growing up in Middletown in southwest Ohio, his mothers drug and domestic struggles, and how he spent time with a more-stable grandmother in Eastern Kentucky.

The book purports to speak for a huge swath of left-behind America. And when Donald Trump won the presidency in a stunning upset four months after its publication, many in the chattering classes turned to it and its author to learn what theyd missed about the malcontented masses.

The following year, Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School, announced that he was moving back to Ohio to address the problems confronting communities oppressed by the feeling that the only way to get ahead is to get away  to someplace where opportunity actually exists. In a March 16, 2017, op-ed in the New York Times, Vance described living in Silicon Valley.

Its jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse, he wrote. And Ive suspected that this optimism blinds many in Silicon Valley to the real struggles in other parts of the country. So I decided to move home, to Ohio.

Vance didnt mention an ambition to seek political office, but he did say in the column that he was founding an organization to combat Ohios opioid epidemic.

He ended up running for office and in 2023 began his political career from a lofty perch in the U.S. Senate. Once there, Vance continued to voice concerns about fentanyl.

When we talk about fentanyl trafficking in particular, I worry a lot that were always a few years behind whats actually going on in our country,  Vance said during a January hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. And I think back to my own very personal experience with opioid addiction in my family. Ten years ago, what everyone was talking about was prescription painkillers. But of course, ten years ago prescription painkillers were sort of giving way to street heroin. Then five years ago, everyone was talking about street heroin, but heroin was kind of giving way to fentanyl and now, of course, were all talking about fentanyl.

When Democratic Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown authored the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, Vance signed on as a co-sponsor. Becoming law in April, it declares the crisis a national emergency, creates new powers to disrupt money-laundering and distribution networks, and it creates new sanctions.

But before the measure came to a final vote, Vance had a change of heart. His office told Spectrum News 1 that the senator couldnt support the $60 billion to help Ukraine defend itself against Putins invasion that was part of the package, and thus couldnt vote yes.

Vance has said he opposes support for Ukraine because it doesnt have the capacity to push Russia back across Ukraines pre-invasion boundaries. But Charles Kupchan of Georgetown University and the Council on Foreign Relations told the Capital Journal that simply cutting off support and telling Ukraine to negotiate would only embolden Putin.

And Bill Browder, one of Putins leading foes, said that Vances positions on support for Ukraine sound a lot like the Russian authoritarians own.

In any case, Vance placed stopping support to Ukraine over at least one front in the domestic fight against fentanyl, and his office wont comment on why. A political opponent said that one reason is that Vance never really cared that much about the scourge of fentanyl.

His vote on the law is entirely consistent with the fact that J.D. Vance has never cared about protecting Ohioans from fentanyl or opioid addiction, said Justin Barasky, a national Democratic political consultant who managed Browns 2018 re-election campaign. Vance launched his political career taking advantage of the fact that Ohio had a serious problem with (opioids.) He started a fake organization that he said was going to address the crisis. It spent zero dollars on treatment, and instead hired political advisors, did a poll, and even brought in a woman who was a mouthpiece for big pharma. So the vote was entirely consistent with his past actions.

The nonprofit Barasky referred to was called Our Ohio Renewal.

The group drew criticism for hiring a doctor for a year-long residency who had long cast doubt on the role pharmaceutical opioids played in fueling the epidemic of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl. She also worked for the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank that has received substantial funding from Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma.

Some of the doctors claims relied on research that was funded by the opioid maker, ProPublica reported. In 2007 Purdue pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to misleading regulators about how addictive its products were, the New York Times reported.

Also, Our Ohio Renewals biggest expenditure was paid to Vances top political advisor, Business Insider reported.

Regardless of his motives, Vances actions on the FEND Off Fentanyl Act show that he prioritized blocking Ukraine aid over the fentanyl fight, said University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven. He said he found that confusing.

Youre a U.S. senator from Ohio, and youve got all kinds of Ohio battles to fight in a state thats been economically trailing the nation and where you are out in front is stopping aid to Ukraine, Niven said. Youve got a political message thats your whole reason for being, and yet thwarting efforts to aid Ukraine wins the day in what he does and what he says.

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Zanesville, OH (WTRF)  An Ohio woman has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of calls to emergency services, effectively using local first responders for unnecessary ambulance rides to the hospital, officials say.

Kesha S. Kennedy, age 34, of Zanesville, pleaded guilty to felony disrupting public services, felony making false alarms and 25 counts of misdemeanor misuse of 911 systems.

More Local News

Kennedy will be sentenced at a later date.

Officials say that beginning in 2020, Kennedy called 911 almost 400 times, complaining of various illnesses. The South Zanesville Fire Department (SZFD) handled the responses and said they became strained by her improper and frequent use of emergency resources.

Ambulances and first responders transporting Kennedy for nonexistent emergencies say they were unavailable to service those experiencing actual emergencies.

According to Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch, SZFD responders couldnt respond to a call involving a person unable to breathe because they were transporting Kennedy for a fake call. The person with breathing trouble later died. In another case, SZFD was understaffed for a fire due to personnel attending to Kennedy.

Kennedy called 911 multiple times every week, sometimes calling for first responders several times on a single day, officials said.

At Genesis Hospital, Kennedy was repeatedly informed that she had no medical issues or emergencies. However, the hospital was forced to triage her every time she arrived. The taxpayers funded each transport and visit through Medicaid.

Before her plea, Kennedy was evaluated by a forensic psychologist. Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle, who handled the case, stated in court that she demonstrated a factitious disorder, which means that shes a liar.

How to contact 911 in New York if youre unable to call

Officials said Kennedy has a history of squandering the emergency resources of other counties, too. They say her behavior was similar in Licking, Guernsey, Franklin, and Cuyahoga counties.

In 2023, Kennedy was found guilty of misusing the 911 system in Licking County.

Newark Police Department officers had previously warned Kennedy on several occasions that subsequent non-emergency calls to 911 would result in her arrest.

On Aug. 23, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a behavioral emergency at Licking Memorial Hospital involving Kennedy. Officers questioned Kennedy, and she pretended she was suddenly unable to stand or walk.

After being helped into a sitting position on a bench, Kennedy pretended to be unconscious. She then pretended to wake up and told officers that she did not understand the meaning of being read her rights because she was disabled.

Newark law enforcement spoke with doctors at the hospital, who confirmed that Kennedy was not disabled, and did not need medical treatment or transfer to another hospital.

Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle said better tracking of nuisance non-emergency calls to 911 would prevent abuse of the system.

Obviously, some type of check or balance needs to exist so that this type of abuse is more quickly reported by EMS to law enforcement because 350 pointless ambulance runs is absolutely ridiculous, Litle said.

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Hundreds of people, most of them Latino, attend a Hispanic Cultural Day rally outside the Oklahoma State Capitol on May 15 to protest the newly enacted House Bill 4156, which creates the criminal offense of impermissible occupation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Wednesday appealed a court order putting the states controversial immigration law on hold.

A federal judge in June put the measure on hold pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

House Bill 4156 is a powerful tool to counter criminal activity largely being fueled by illegal immigrants coming to our state, said Drummond, who encouraged legislative leadership to pass the law.

Drummond filed his appeal with the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

House Bill 4156 creates a new crime called impermissible occupation for willfully entering the state without legal authorization to be in the United States.

The first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by one year in county jail and a fine of up to $500 or both.

The person would be required to leave the state within 72 hours.

A second offense is a felony with up to two years in prison, a fine of $1,000 or both.

Opponents, who have sued to block the law, allege the state is trying to regulate immigration, which is under the purview of the federal government.

It is preempted by federal law and thus violates the Supremacy Law of the United States Constitution, the federal government alleged in the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District in Oklahoma City.

A second lawsuit, filed by an individual and advocacy organization, was filed two days later.

The suits were consolidated.

In granting the injunction, the judge wrote that the state law is likely preempted by federal law.

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While Donald Trump's announcement that U.S. Sen. JD Vance would be his running mate in the presidential election has been greeted with surprise and skepticism in some quarters, Oklahoma delegates to the Republican National Convention praised Trump's choice, calling it a home run by the former president.

On Monday, just days after he survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Trump named Vance as his choice for vice president.

Vance has served in the U.S. Senate for about two years. He is a former Marine and a venture capitalist with a law degree from Yale. He wrote the popular book, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis," about growing up in Appalachia. The book later became a movie.

Monday, Trump said Vance's selection will bring focus to the people he fought for, "the American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and far beyond."

"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio, Trump, said in a social media post.

Majority Floor Leader Rep. Jon Echols shown speaking on the House floor in 2023, was among GOP leaders praising the selection Monday of JD Vance as former President Donald Trump's running mate.

Trump's choice was praised by Oklahoma House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, a delegate to this year's Republican National Convention.

"Senator Vance was a great choice," Echols said. "He's the first millennial in U.S. history to appear on a presidential ballot."

Echols and Pollard: Vance brings excitement to race, a 'home run' pick

Choosing Vance, Echols said, buttresses Trump's effort to reach working-class families.

"His upbringing from a working-class family really plays into Trump's message," he said.

Echols said he believed Trump and Vance have a close working relationship. Still, Echols acknowledged that Vance's age could be seen as a negative by some.

"Senator Vance will have to convince the American public, and I think he will, that if something were to happen to President Trump that he is ready and capable of being the next commander and chief," Echols said. "So overall, I thought it was a home run pick."

More: Why did Donald Trump pick JD Vance? Loyalty, MAGA views and fundraising

Pam Pollard, former chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party and a delegate to the convention, said she, too, was pleased by the choice of Vance for vice president.

"People are very excited," Pollard said. "Every time I talk to someone about JD Vance, they are excited, and that makes me excited. I'm glad the president chose him."

Pollard said Vance's story was compelling and brought energy to the party.

"He wanted to make himself better, he wanted to make his life better," she said. "Is that not the greatest story anyone could have? I'm just grateful to the Republican Party that we have that story."

Like Echols, Pollard said Vance's life story makes him a compelling candidate. Vance is very relatable to working class Americans, she said.

"He's very relatable," she said. "He never gave up, and he's proof that the difficulties in your life don't have to hold you down."

Vance replaces Pence on ticket

Vance replaces former Vice President Mike Pence, who distanced himself from Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Pence was in the Capitol that day, when a pro-Trump mob attacked police officers, broke into building and attempted to stop Congress certification of the electoral college votes.

Pence, who briefly considered a run for president, also has been critical been critical of the Republican Party's changes to its platform. Pence and other members of the party's right wing have complained that the party eliminated abortion from the platform.

Echoing Pence, state Sen. Dusty Deevers, a Republican from Elgin, issued a scathing media statement last week, criticizing the RNC for its platform choices.

Weigh in: Former President Donald Trump chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. Share your thoughts with us

Notably, the opposition to abortion and support for a Christian definition of marriage present in previous platforms were removed, Deevers said.

The RNC platform committees decision to remove from the platform Christian values regarding abortion and marriage is a reprehensible attack on Gods Word, pre-born children, and the Christians who have shed blood, sweat, and tears for the party because they believed it would fight for their values. Nothing is done that is not before the face of God and He will hold accountable those responsible for conspiring to secularize the Republican Party," Deevers' statement said.

Deevers urged all RNC delegates, especially those from Oklahoma, "to reject the platform adopted by the committee and work to amend it such that it calls for abortions abolition and marriage to be defined as the union of one man with one woman.

As expected, Democrats criticized Trump's choice of Vance.

Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldnt on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people, said Jen OMalley Dillon, chair of the Biden-Harris campaign. Over the next three and a half months, we will spend every single day making the case between the two starkly contrasting visions Americans will choose between at the ballot box this November."

The Republican National Convention continues through Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma RNC delegates call JD Vance a 'home run' vice president pick
The ombudsman appeals to ICRC to facilitate the return of the bodies of tortured Berdiansk teenagers. Source: Lubinets on Telegram

Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Commissioner for Human Rights, has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to assist in repatriating the bodies of the teenagers from Berdiansk, Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov, who were tortured and killed by the Russians, to their families. The Russians intend to bury them in secret, refusing to hand them over to the Ukrainian side.

Source: Lubinets on Telegram

In May 2023, 16-year-olds Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov from the occupied Berdiansk were accused by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation of allegedly preparing sabotage on the railway. They faced imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Human rights activists say Tihran was interrogated and tortured harshly for five days. He was pressured to confess during this time.

Quote: "As soon as I received this information, I immediately contacted the Russian side to provide all the information about the teenagers and return them home. The European Parliament adopted a resolution regarding Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov, demanding that the occupiers release them from captivity.

Nevertheless, on 24 June 2023, Russian occupiers in Berdiansk killed the Ukrainian teenagers! They were executed extrajudicially!" stated Lubinets.

The ombudsman said the Russians refuse to return the boys' bodies to their parents or to the Ukrainian side and plan to bury them secretly.

"I have appealed to the ICRC demanding that they fulfil their mandate and allow the families to bury their children. The ICRC is the only international organisation with access rights to the territory of Ukraine. It is their responsibility to facilitate the repatriation of bodies and resolve such situations!

The impunity of Russia and the inaction of responsible international organisations have led to the occupiers not only refusing to release the boys from captivity but also, contrary to all norms, killing them! And now they are denying them a dignified burial," Lubinets emphasised.

Background: Human rights activists reported that the Russians are torturing Ukrainians in all occupied territories. Beating and applying electric shock are most commonly used methods of torture.

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One year ago, a New Bedford detective was shot in the face. Where does his case stand?

NEW BEDFORD  A year ago, Detective Lavar Gilbert was working undercover.

It was a Monday night, and the 17-year veteran New Bedford police officer was in an unmarked vehicle. He was conducting surveillance in the city's south end, near the intersection of Rivet and Orchard streets.

Gilbert was assigned to the NBPD's Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau.

Officials held a press conference to discuss the investigation into Detective Lavar Gilbert's shooting with the media last July. Front row, from left, Chief Paul Oliveira, Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn, Lt. Scott Carola, and Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Gilbert's role in OCIB investigations

The OCIB primarily investigates drug cases. It targets suppliers who provide drugs to street-level dealers. The unit works closely with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

OCIB detectives made a raid and arrest in May that netted 37 pounds of cocaine.

The unit seized nearly $1.3 million from two alleged drug traffickers in 2022, along with 830 grams of fentanyl and 28 grams of cocaine.

The lead investigator in that case was Lavar Gilbert.

Miraculous: Though shot in the face, New Bedford detective drove himself to the hospital

'Tireless commitment to his work'

OCIB Commander Lt. Justin Kagan said at the time that Gilbert had "a tireless commitment to his work in the narcotics unit."

Gilbert's career also includes being part of the OCIB team that took 16 pounds of fentanyl off New Bedford streets following a monthlong investigation in 2021. It was the largest such seizure in city history at that time. The drugs had a street value of $400,000.

Shot in the face, officer responds in 'miraculous' fashion

Police said about 8:30 that Monday night in July 2023, four shots were fired near the intersection of Rivet and Orchard streets where Gilbert was staked out.

Gilberts window was shattered, and he was struck in the face by a bullet.

It lodged in his sinus cavity.

Gilbert did not lose consciousness, but drove himself to St. Luke's Hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment.

Another man standing nearby in a crowd on the corner was also shot in the foot.

Police Chief Paul Oliveira later called Gilbert's response and subsequent actions "miraculous."

Gilbert was discharged from a Boston hospital four days after the shooting, though further treatment would be required.

Reaching out: Detective was upset his Reds' jersey was ruined after being shot. Cincinnati responded.

Denzel Gomes was arraigned in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in the shooting of New Bedford Police Detective Lavar Gilbert.

An investigation turns up a suspect

Police said Gilbert was not the target of the shooting.

An investigation was launched that included state police and ATF agents.

It grew to involve officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Denzel Gomes was arrested in February as he stepped off an arriving international flight from Portugal at Logan Airport in Boston.

Police believe he was the shooter.

Suspect arraigned: New Bedford man, 18, held without bail in shooting of NBPD Detective Lavar Gilbert

Court date for suspect is coming soon

Gomes is charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury; assault and battery with a firearm; two counts of attempted assault and battery with a firearm; and carrying a firearm without a license.

He is being held without bail. His next court date is July 25 in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River for filing of motions.

Prosecutors said Gomes initially fled the country to avoid prosecution.

Cheybane Vasconcelos-Furtado is also being held without bail in connection with the shooting. His next court date is Aug. 15 in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River for status review.

Police believe he drove the car to the shooting. He was 20 at the time of his arrest last July.

Possible links: New Bedford detective's shooting tied to fatal shooting two weeks earlier

He is charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, two counts of wanton destruction of property over $1,200, and one count each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon-serious bodily injury, carrying an illegal firearm and carrying a loaded illegal firearm.

Gilbert, who has declined requests for an interview, remains out on injury leave. There is currently no date for his return.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Suspect in New Bedford Detective Gilbert shooting due back in court
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. Buying under-rated businesses is one path to excess returns. For example, the The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) share price is up 100% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market return of around 83% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 23% in the last year, including dividends.

The past week has proven to be lucrative for Sherwin-Williams investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's five-year performance.

Check out our latest analysis for Sherwin-Williams

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Over half a decade, Sherwin-Williams managed to grow its earnings per share at 19% a year. This EPS growth is higher than the 15% average annual increase in the share price. So it seems the market isn't so enthusiastic about the stock these days.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Sherwin-Williams' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Sherwin-Williams, it has a TSR of 109% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Sherwin-Williams' TSR for the year was broadly in line with the market average, at 23%. That gain looks pretty satisfying, and it is even better than the five-year TSR of 16% per year. Even if the share price growth slows down from here, there's a good chance that this is business worth watching in the long term. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Sherwin-Williams you should know about.

Sherwin-Williams is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of small cap companies at attractive valuations which insiders have been buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  One person was injured in a crash involving a motorcycle and two other vehicles Wednesday morning on Interstate 805 near North Park, authorities said.

According to California Highway Patrol, a motorcyclist crashed into a Chevrolet Silverado shortly after 6 a.m. while traveling northbound on I-805 near University Avenue. The rider lost control during the collision and then crashed into a Toyota van.

The motorcyclist, whose identity was not released, was transported to a local hospital with major injuries. No one else was hurt during the multi-vehicle collision.

CHP said everyone involved in the crash remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators. No further details were immediately released.

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The News

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, once an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, gave her strong endorsement of the former president at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, urging the Republican party to rally around Trump  regardless of whether they agree with everything he does.

You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him, she said. Take it from me, I havent always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree. We agree on keeping America strong. We agree on keeping America safe. And we agree that Democrats have moved so far to the left that theyre putting our freedoms in danger.

The former Trump cabinet member urged Republicans to look beyond their differences and coalesce behind Trump. Ill tell you something you wont hear from the critics, she said.He appreciated advice and input. Americans were well served by his presidency, even if they didnt agree with him on all things.

Haley also swung at Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of exacerbating the disaster at the US-Mexico border. Our country is at a critical moment, we have a choice to make, Haley said. For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris. After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true.

Know More

Haley wasnt initially invited to the convention. But after the attempted assassination of Trump, his campaign asked her to speak. It marked a moment of unity for the party after Haley, who has a fraught history with Trump, challenged him for the presidential nomination last year.

On the campaign trail, she spent months attacking the former president as unhinged, but the two appeared to have made amends to some degree. Haley, who worked in Trumps first administration, didnt immediately endorse him after announcing the end of her campaign, but said in May that she would vote for him.

Last week, she called for the party to come together as she instructed her 97 delegates to vote for Trump at the convention. The convention speech could also signal an important comeback for Haley, who has laid relatively low since leaving the presidential race. Trump has said she will be in his next administration in some form.
Operation Homefront to give out backpacks, school supplies to military children in Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  The national nonprofit Operation Homefront is set to distribute backpacks filled with essential school supplies to military children on Saturday.

The 17th annual Back-to-School Brigade is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Norfolk Premium Outlets.

During the event, 360 pre-registered children of military families will receive backpacks and school supplies. Those who are interested are able to register by creating an account on My Operation Homefront.

According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, on average, families in Norfolk with two children require two adults to work full-time for at least $25 an hour in order to properly support themselves.

The Back-to-School Brigade hopes to ensure that military children have the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom, while also easing the financial burden parents in the military can face.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps nomination of J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate has sent shockwaves across the Western alliance, particularly Ukraine, which is on the front lines of Western liberal democracys battle against authoritarianism.

Vance has been strident in his message that Europe has, for too long, free-ridden on the coattails of the U.S. security umbrella. He has also questioned whether supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia is in U.S. interests, viewing it as a distraction from the greater battle with China for global hegemony. The assumption now is that a Trump/Vance victory in the upcoming U.S. presidential election would see the new administration force Ukraine to the negotiating table with Russia or risk losing U.S. support.

The general assumption is that Vance would suggest a deal that freezes the front lines at their current state. Russia would be offered assurances of no further NATO enlargement east, while Ukraine might be given certain security guarantees  or at least a commitment from the U.S. and its allies to supply sufficient arms to defend against future Russian attacks. Vance et al. may also accept Russian territorial gains in Ukraine in exchange for a commitment to no further Russian advances or attacks on Ukraine and perhaps even sanctions moderation.

The fear is whether Russian President Vladimir Putin can be trusted to abide by any such deal. He has not honored numerous prior agreements, including the Budapest Memorandum or the Minsk agreements. Notably, in the run-up to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin and his entourage continuously stressed they had no intention of invading Ukraine  though, by that stage, they would say that, wouldnt they? Putin also has a long track record of invading Russias neighbors.

Read also: The Counteroffensive: A JD Vance vice presidency would be a disaster for Ukraine

This also begs the question of whether Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine was to secure only those five Ukrainian oblasts, which give him a land corridor to Crimea, and to push back on eastward NATO enlargement. I think not, as his writing suggests that Putin has a fundamental problem with the very existence of Ukraine as an independent, sovereign state, which I believe explains the invasion. He wants the whole of Ukraine.

Hence, Putin might just take any such deal or gift from Vance, banking the territory he currently occupies, regrouping, rearming, and preparing to go again to take further territory. Ultimately, the end game would be the total reconquest of Ukraine. Imagine then the ultimate result of Vances plans for peace: Russia greatly expanded, adding Ukraines significant military-industrial complex to its own.

This would also send tens of millions of Ukrainians west, further destabilizing Europe and fanning the flames of populism and centrifugal forces. Europe, a major U.S. ally, would be significantly weakened, providing more opportunities for Russias further expansion. Vance will have breathed new life into the murderous Putin regime, resurrecting Russia as a near-peer competitor with the U.S. and China.

For Ukraine, any peace deal currently suggested by Vance et al. would be painful to accept after two and a half years of valiant defense. Politically, it would be difficult for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sell at home. A recent opinion poll by the Razumkov Center showed increased support (44%) for peace talks with Russia, but 83% in the same poll rejected the idea of a Ukrainian military withdrawal from the oblasts partially occupied by Russia, which Putin has demanded as a prior condition for talks. Any such peace talks, and a subsequent ceasefire, might undermine political stability in Ukraine, sowing internal discord that Putin could exploit to attack further and take more territory.

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with his now-vice-presidential running mate, J.D. Vance, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., on July 15, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski /AFP via Getty Images)

Even if Ukraine accepted an unpopular peace, such an agreement would need to be adequately financed. Ukraine would require significant and continued financial support to ensure successful recovery and reconstruction, underpinning the economy to finance its future defense. There is little in the messaging from Vance et al. to suggest there is U.S. appetite for this, and the experience of G7 support for Ukraine has been inconsistent. Is Europe willing to provide the likely hundreds of billions of euros needed for reconstruction to ensure Ukrainian stability and defense against future Russian aggression? So far, the West has shown a lack of coordinated effort, and while support does eventually come, it often appears too little too late.

Understandably, the prospect of being forced into a peace deal that falls short of expectations might not appeal to many Ukrainians. However, the threat of losing U.S. support, finance, and weapons might still concentrate their minds and encourage participation in peace talks. Being forced to the negotiating table by an outside power like the U.S. might also help Zelensky politically sell peace talks at home.

The question is, does Ukraine have any alternative? Can Ukraine fight on without U.S. support?

U.S. support for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion has been significant. However, despite what Vance et al. might think, U.S. support has been eclipsed by that of Europe and other allies. According to the Kiel Institutes Ukraine tracker, U.S. support for Ukraine from the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 to the end of April 2024 is 74 billion euros ($81 billion), compared to 102 billion euros ($111.6 billion) from Europe. Adding $15 billion euros ($16.4 billion) from other allies and over $10 billion euros ($10.9 billion) from various multilateral lenders, the U.S. share of support comes in at just under 40% of the total.

Given Europes 20 trillion-dollar-plus economy, it could presumably cover the financial void left by the U.S. stepping back. However, its notable that the U.S. share in military support is around half of the 100 billion euros ($109 billion) provided by Western allies through the end of April. The issue is not just money but the U.S. provision of key equipment and military-technical assistance, which will be very difficult for European allies to cover. Europe simply lacks Patriots, HIMARS, and other critical equipment to fill the gaps left by the U.S. pulling back.

A question arises: Would a Trump administration be willing to say no if Europe and Ukraine came knocking to purchase the full list of U.S. weaponry and munitions? Vance argues that the U.S. simply lacks the industrial capacity to supply Ukraine and now needs to refill stocks for its own list of priority threats, particularly those from China. However, it will probably still be hard to say no to orders for tens of billions of dollars for military equipment made in red states.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and then-U.S. President Donald Trump arrive for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Presumably, U.S. President Joe Bidens administration is already preparing for the possibility of a Trump win in November. I assume that a significant portion of the $61 billion in U.S. assistance for Ukraine, approved by Congress in November, will be front-loaded. Additionally, much of the new $50 billion G7 facility for Ukraine, which securitizes the interest stream on frozen Russian assets, could also be earmarked for Ukraine to purchase weapons. This infusion will bolster Ukraines purchasing power. Furthermore, Ukraine still retains $40 billion in its own foreign exchange reserves.

All this suggests that Ukraine could sustain itself well into 2025 and possibly beyond, even if a Trump administration cuts financing and supplies upon taking office. Ukraine could fight on for some time, in the event that any imposed peace is just too unpalatable. Europe, particularly the U.K., the Baltic states, Poland, and Scandinavia, which understand the Russian threat well, would likely continue to support Ukraine. However, as Ukraine depletes its U.S. military munitions supplies, it faces increased vulnerability, particularly as its air defenses weaken and casualties mount. Ultimately, this could diminish support for prolonging the war.

But even if U.S. support is withdrawn, Russia might struggle to immediately seize the initiative. Ukraine could still potentially bog Russia down in a long, debilitating war. Russia would still face the monumental challenge of capturing and occupying Ukraine, a vast country. Such an occupation against a resistant population would likely result in stubborn resistance, costing Russia significant blood and treasure, both of which are finite resources. Russia's position in the Black Sea would also remain vulnerable to Ukrainian use of maritime drones and long-range missiles supplied by countries such as the U.K., France, and potentially Germany and Italy in the future.

Read also: Opinion: Ukraines volunteer hacker army is pioneering a new era of cyber warfare

All of the above suggests that U.S. pressure to force an early end to the war may not achieve that outcome. Ukraine might choose to continue fighting against the odds. Events since February 2022 have shown that Ukrainians cannot be underestimated  they have bravely held back a supposed global superpower for over two and a half years

Meanwhile, the type of peace deal Vance and others might consider imposing on Ukraine might not be sustainable. Russia is unlikely to adhere to its terms; Putin could accept concessions made by Vance on behalf of Ukraine and later pursue further gains. This outcome would be disastrous for Ukraine and, ultimately, for European security.

Considering these risks, Ukrainians might prefer to persevere, hoping they can endure and potentially witness another scenario akin to the Yevgeny Prigozhin incident, leading to Putin's downfall and their liberation.

Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

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The right to access abortion is a core issue for Democrats, and J.D. Vance is on the record supporting a national ban. The Ohio senator wont be saying that anymore now that hes Donald Trumps running mate, but hell be reminded of that and other inconvenient truths by a practiced prosecutor, Vice President Kamala Harris, when they meet next month on the debate stage.

The vice-presidential debate is one of the few bright spots for Democrats, beset by infighting over whether to replace President Biden as their nominee. Harris will take him to the cleaners, says Elaine Kamarck with the Brookings Institution, who has done extensive research on the power of the abortion issue to drive votes. One of her strengths is as a prosecutor, and you can see her taking Vance apart on the issue.

Theres plenty to take apart in statements Vance has made and positions he has taken that make him a natural for the MAGA base. His selection as vice president received a muted reception at the first night of the GOP Convention in Milwaukee. A freshman senator just two years into his term whos never been elected to anything else doesnt have much of a calling card in an arena where Trump is king. But he brings a keen intellect and a fighting spirit to a ticket where Trump sees him as a legacy pick, cementing Trumpism into the future should they win in November.

Why J.D. Vances Wife Usha Isnt Raring to Become Second Lady

The veep contenders bring generational change with Vance, at 39, the youngest person nominated to a national ticket this century, and Harris, 59, 22 years younger than Biden. They also personify a diversifying America, with Harris who is both Indian and African-American and Vance married to the daughter of Indian immigrants.

All the ingredients are there for a charged and deeply personal skirmish in the culture war with Harris ready to call out Vance for a long list of objectionable statements, and Vance prepared to echo Trumps favorite line about Democrats favoring abortion into the eighth, ninth month, even after birth, a false assertion on its face, but which allows Republicans to label Democrats the real extremists.

Vance has railed against what he calls the childless left, elected Democrats like AOC, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg (who since became a father), lamenting as a senatorial candidate three years ago that in America, family formation, our birth rates, a ton of indicators of family health have collapsed.

In a debate with Democrat Tim Ryan in October 2022, Vance said he has always believed in reasonable exceptions to abortion prohibitions. The Cleveland Plain Dealer followed up and called his campaign to find out what those exceptions were. There were none cited.

Asked in 2021, in an interview with Spectrum News in Ohio, whether anti-abortion laws should include rape and incest exceptions, he replied: Two wrongs dont make a right. Elaborating, he said: At the end of day, we are talking about an unborn baby. What kind of society do we want to have? A society that looks at unborn babies as inconveniences to be discarded? 

When pressed, he criticized the question: Its not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, its whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that childs birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society.

This is culture war stuff, and Harris shouldnt let Vance obfuscate what he has said while Vance will be under orders to temper his most explosive lines. Trump campaign advisers are looking at an open field for victory if they can reassure independents that a Trump-Vance ticket wont be too extremist.

I dont think hell directly attack her for not having children of her own, says Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College, but hell recognize his own role as a parent and as someone who believes in traditional families. Hell say, Im in touch with the struggles of ordinary families in a culture that makes it much harder. The Harris campaign shouldnt underestimate him. Hes Trump with good grammar.

Vance and his wife, Usha, a lawyer whom he met when they were both at Yale Law School, were married 10 years ago and have three children. Vances 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy chronicles his difficult childhood raised by his grandparents while his mother was in the throes of addiction with multiple marriages and divorces. That experience shaped his views, including his views on women staying in violent marriages, a characterization that he disputes.

In his book, Vance describes his grandmother pouring lighter fluid on his grandfather and striking a match after he came home drunk, threatening to follow through on her previous threat to kill him if he came home drunk again. Yet they stuck it out, they stayed together, which Vance commends while faulting the sexual revolution for making people think they could shift spouses like they change their underwear, thats going to make people happier in the long term. And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though Im skeptical. But it really didnt work out for the kids of those marriages.

Vance is a novice on the national stage, not unlike Republican Senator Dan Quayle, vaulted to the vice presidency at a young age by George H.W. Bush. Quayle was quickly in over his head and is remembered mainly for misspelling potato with an e and launching a culture war attack against Murphy Brown, a fictional television broadcaster, for having a baby while unmarried. In May of 1992, as the presidential campaign was heating up, that was the wrong message for a generation of women coming into their own. Vance too makes some good arguments, but for women worried about losing their reproductive rights, he sounds too pat and opportunistic to be trusted.

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Donald Trump has long put on the aspirational persona of strongman and savior chosen by God, a charade not unlike those performed by many authoritarians and autocrats before him. And as has also been the case throughout history, gullible conservatives eat it up: His male fans are practically salivating over his masculine virility.

In the wake of his attempted assassination, this persona has taken on exaggerated formand demands the help of the women around him. A strongman needs to display not just male strength, but divine consecration, as strong men must exist by the grace of God. A strongman also needs to exist for the protection of fragile women. Trump and the Trump women all know their roles in this performance.

Both Trumps wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka have released statements thanking God and law enforcement for his survival. Melanias well-meaning but somewhat bizarre two-page ode was full of flowery prose and attempts at loftiness that read less like the former first lady and more like an AI chatbots imitation. Its easy to parse the statements odd language, and ungenerous to disparage the rare effort from the Trump team to appeal to decency, empathy and kindness. But more interesting is its overall aim: To attribute to Melania a soft voice that emphasizes Trumps humanityand does the feminized work of encouraging love, family, and reconciliation.

Face It, the Way Biden and Trump Look Matters to Voters

Ivanka, more of the quintessential successful daughter than the subservient wife, also leaned into gratitude, invoking her deceased mother and even suggesting Ivana Trump had some hand in protecting Trump.

This gentle path of thankfulness and reconciliation is not one the former president has taken himself, even while he encourages the country to UNITE. Trumps post-shooting social media posts are far from his most vitriolic, perhaps because he rightly senses that this moment is one in which the wind is at his back.

Instead, he frames the attempted assassination as part of a greater and even Biblical war between good and evil, in which the blessed (and strong) will triumph. This is in line with his long-standing efforts to portray himself as a God-like figure, now welcoming campaign merch that shows him being sanctified by Jesusor even a Messiah himself.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening, he wrote on his social media platform TruthSocial over the weekend. (The narcissistic subtext here, parroted by other leading Republicans and even some conservative religious leaders, is that God, in his infinite wisdom, apparently directed bullets away from Trump into several innocent rally-goers, killing one of them and seriously wounding others.) We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.

Elon Musk and other tech bros are championing Trump as a hero. Hedge fund provocateur Bill Ackman threw his support behind him. Former presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy wrote that the assassination attempt showed Americans our next Presidents true character, unvarnished. He took the fire, he took the hit, he felt the blood, and then he stood right back up for the people he was put here to lead.

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah sent out a string of tweets extolling Trump as a dynamo, both with cat-like reflexes and like a duck in the rainand, he wrote, sometimes we really need a man like that. (In case that wasnt clear enough, he appended one more: Pretty sure this is one of those times.) At Evangelical churches across the country, Sunday services portrayed Trump not just as lucky, but as chosen for greatness and uniquely protected by Gods hand.

Uniquely blessed, uniquely strong: This is Trumps message in the shootings aftermath. Its also hard to argue that Trumps behavior in its immediate aftermath wasnt a moment of unmatched political brilliance either, as Ramaswamy and other fanboys also gushed: Standing up, his face streaked with blood, to raise a fist and yell fight!no campaign ad could be as effective. The images of him standing strong in this moment are indelible, and show a formidable man unbowed, even, by bullets. It's a picture not just of resilience, but of unbridled machoism.

In a race where vigor and vitality are at the core, this is a nightmare for President Joe Biden. For Trumps base, though, its a fantasy come to fruition. For years, political observers have puzzled over the white Evangelical fealty to Trump, wondering how self-styled values voters could embrace a man with, well, so few morals. But experts have argued that the Evangelical worldview is premised on the idea that the fallen world is a dangerous, evil, scary place; sometimes, you need a strong protector, even if hes a sinner and a bad guy. Sometimes, God will work through a fallen man to defend the flock.

Trump, the tough guy who stands tall after a near-miss from a bullet, face still streaked with blood, encouraging his fans to fight onin the white Evangelical world, this is evidence not just of masculine fortitude, but of Gods endorsement. Anadolu

And in the world of MAGA and white Evangelicals, that strong leader can only be a man. Men, this religious worldview teaches, are meant to lead, while women are gentler and naturally maternal. They must be led (by force if necessary).

Gender traditionalism, and the patriarchal dominance that defines it, is a cornerstone of right-wing authoritarianism on both the macro and micro levels: In government, in law, and in the home. Trump, who like too many men prizes traditional compliant femininity in his wife while wanting ambition, strength, and success for his daughter (technically he has two, but poor Tiffany seems to be a pervasive afterthought). That successful daughter is granted much more leeway than the obedient wife, but still complies with hyperfeminine norms: Dresses and skirts, long hair, always perfectly appointed in public.

That Ivanka is poised and beautiful is, of course, not a bad thing. But that her appearance is protective against accusations shes a too-ambitious ball-buster and that she knows how to leverage feminine mannerisms to get her way tells us quite a bit, though, about the people around her and what they demand.

Melania, too, uses her clothing and appearance to speak even while she stays quiet. She has donned military-style outfits in moments when her husband has been at his most hard-charging, but generally favors modest feminine dresses.

The clothing signals exactly what Trump intends: He is married to a woman who has flat-out said that when it comes to their relationship, we know our roles. As one old friend of Melanias put it to journalist Julia Ioffe for GQ, Its about all that power and protection. Apparently Melania, like so many of Trumps fans, needed a strong man, a father figure.

The men who seem to be practically crushing on Trump in the wake of the shooting also seem to crave a strongman father figure. They are enthralled not just by Trumps policies, but with the whole divine and invincible protector packageand therein the implication that if they show sufficient devotion then they, too, will be kept safe, and may even be granted some respect and admiration in their own lives.

Donald and Melania Trump may not be the most devout couple to ever ascend to the White House. But they know better than any First Family in recent history how to appeal to those who live at the intersection of belief, fear, and desire for control. And when disaster struck, both knew exactly which parts to play.

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After the horrific assassination attempt against himand the murder of former fire chief Corey Comperatoreat his rally last Saturday, Donald Trump gave an interview to Salena Zito of the Washington Examiner. His mood seemed reflective, almost spiritual, saying it was, God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.

Trump vowed to use the incident to turn away from his caustic rhetoric, ripping up the humdinger speech hed planned on delivering as an attack on Democrats and President Joe Biden in favor of something more temperate. This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together.

New Video Shows Where Trumps Shoes Went During Assassination Attempt

Theres something deeply ironic about a man who had the opportunity to bring people together during his time as president now turning to a Biden-like message of unity only after something terrible happened to him personally. Nevertheless, I choose to take the man at his word. Perhaps the bullet that grazed his ear also pierced his heart. And so, I would like to offer my services to the former president at crafting kinder and gentler language that still preserves the Republican Party platform.

For example, the first two planks of the platform deal with the sticky issue of immigration. Item 1 is about sealing the border. Item 2 reads, in all caps like the rest of the planks: CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Hmm.

Gotta be honest here. This might be a little tricky. How do you reframe sending National Guard shock troops into cities and communities around the nation to forcibly round up millions of undocumented neighbors and ship them to the massive internment camps that will be necessary to hold them until they can be kicked out on their asses? Kind of a tall order.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by security personnel after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. ABC/US Network Pool

Plus, theres the issue of Trumps previous language regarding immigrants. For years, Trump has been calling them rapists, criminals, vermin, mental hospital patients, and prisoners. So how does he now reframe his message in kinder and gentler terms?

Maybe he could stop calling human beings vermin and start referring to them as merely sub-human? Admittedly still not great, but at least its an evolutionary step closer to homo sapiens.

Or, instead of saying, as he did, that immigrants are poisoning the blood of the country, with its unfortunate echoes of Mein Kampf, maybe start saying, Immigrant blood is no different from our blood except that it is riddled with disease. Again, I admit not great.

But when youre talking about expelling millions and millions of people, the vast majority of whom have committed no crime greater than cutting the line, its a little tough.

Maybe theres a better example. Item 7 in the platform should be an easy one to rally the nation behind. It reads (again, in all caps): DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

What patriotic American could disagree with that sentiment? I mean, we love the Constitution, dont we, folks? Who would argue against our fundamental freedoms? Not THIS American. After all, its the First Amendment that guarantees the government will not impose a religion or religious tests on its populace. Id like to see Trump really run with this message, by saying something like, We love all Americans, regardless of their religious beliefs. Which is why I am asking my fellow Republicans tonight to turn away from the growing Christian Nationalist movement and to embrace the many faiths of our great nation, all of whom have as much claim to the truth as Christians.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump walks during Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 15, 2024. Cheney Orr/Reuters

That should go over well, I think. Healing, unifying, generous. A great message. Now, Im no fan of the Second Amendment, but I recognize that THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS is important to many Americans, so maybe Trump could find some unifying language on that front. Something like, Our great Second Amendment needs to be preserved, but after I came within an inch of losing my life to a bullet, I now recognize that more can be done to preserve our rights while also protecting our citizenry. Which is why I am announcing my support for commonsense gun reform that majorities of all Americans want to see passed and I will work with Democrats and my fellow Republicans to get it done.

See how easy this is? What about No. 8, which reads, PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY -- ALL MADE IN AMERICA

Ok, thats a tall order so lets break it down a little bit. Preventing World War III. Great, no notes. Nobody would argue with preventing another global conflagration. Love it.

Moving on to restoring peace in Europe and in the Middle East. See, when we get down to specifics, the sledding gets a little rougher. Just look at the European component for a second. Trump has, famously, tried out his unity message with Putin well before he decides to try it out on his own country. So he has some experience. The problem is that Trumps plan for ending the Ukraine war is to give Putin everything he wants. And yes, that may bring peace to Europe, but at the cost of the entire nation of Ukraine.

Maybe he could say something like, My dear friend Vladimir Putin, who is a genius like me, knows a little something about land management. After all, Russia is a very big, beautiful place. I know it very well. When I am President, I will instruct President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to allow my friend Vladimir to manage Ukraine. Doesnt that sound better than the very negative occupy? Or the equally belligerent annex?

Same thing in the Middle East. A two-state solution is obviously not going to happen in a second Trump administration, so Trump could encourage Netanyahu to continue to redevelop Gaza. He could say something along the lines, Nobody knows construction better than me. Some of these buildings in Gaza needed refurbishment and my dear Benjamin Netanyahuwhere are you, Bibi?has volunteered to redevelop the entire area at no cost to the Palestinian people. aside form their lives.

Hmm. As I read that back, Im realizing that its kind of hard to dress up inhumanity. The problem with a message of unity and healing that isnt backed up by policies that promote humanitarianism, generosity, empathy, and kindness is that the words, however gentle, belie the intentions. I am grateful that President Trump wasnt seriously injured the other day. I am hopeful for his newfound belief in national, and global, unity. However, I am extremely doubtful that his deeds will match his words.

I do not doubt that almost losing your life refocuses your priorities. I do not doubt his sincerity in the moment. But it will take more than a grazed ear for me to trust anything he says. Having survived a terrifying ordeal, a man who has spent a lifetime lying to the public now appears to be lying to himself.

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We were given fair warning that Donald Trumps relationship to God had strengthened (even more) after the attempted assassination on Saturday. Shortly after the shooting in Milwaukee he posted on Truth Social, It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.

But no-one could have been prepared for the former president attracting Pope-like devotion as he administered to the congregation, I mean audience, at the RNC convention this week.

A CNN reporter noted on Tuesday night that the behavior of the audience at the RNC was more akin to a Catholic mass. The audience-turned-congregation was now taking a cue from the priest, in this case Trump, he reported. As the ex-president grants speakers at the podium a standing ovation, his flock, and also, pointedly, his disciples in the VIP seating area, quickly follow suit.

John 13:15: Jesus says, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

Trump Ally Rudy Giuliani Goes Down Hard at Republican National Convention

The first sign that Trump has assumed celebrant (as opposed to celebrity) status came shortly after he appeared at the RNC on Monday night. After the initial introductions in the VIP seating area (the fight, fight, fight chant was a deviation from the scriptures) he took his seat. Others followed suit. J.D. Vancerelieved that he had passed his first official V.P. nominee duties without incidentcut an especially relaxed figure as he sank deep into his chair with both arms resting on the arms.

Moments later, after speaker Mark Laws told the crowd that Cutesy time was over (another deviation from the gospel of forgiveness), Trump leaned forward, grabbed the arms of the chair and hoisted himself upright. Directly behind him, almost immediately, Eric Trump followed suit. J.D. Vance got the memo too, and soon the rest of the VIPs behind him rose in unison.

It started as it meant to go on. It happened again for the next speaker, Randy Sutton, a former police lieutenant.

And then, as if to properly mimic the Catholic mass, there was the bit where the priest stands for an awfully long time and, your mind wanders and you wonder when you'll get to sit down again.

That moment came when Trump stood to greet Teamster Union boss Sean O'Brien. O'Brien was perhaps the strangest addition to his flock. This was the first time a Teamsters president had ever addressed the Republican National Convention. That may account for what happened next. Trump rose to greet O'Brien and then, no doubt to the growing horror of those around him, stayed standing.

Leviticus 19:33-34: When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt.

At some point during O'Brien's speech Trump must have realized that there was now no suitable point at which to sit downespecially as O'Brien launched into a full-throated attack on CEOs and corporate bosses. To sit would surely express disapproval of the union boss's polemic. Instead, rooted to the spot, Trump, looking by turns bored and annoyed (at himself), and flashed the occasional rictus grin.

Sean M. O'Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks during Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 15, 2024. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

O'Brien, uniquely amongst speakers, offered no endorsement for Trump. This was literally the worst possible occasion for Trump to stay standing for the entire speech.

O'Brien went on. And on. He was at the podium for 17 minutes. The former President and his dutiful flock, standing behind and by his side the entire time. (Catholics have first-hand experience of these incidents of being left standing during an especially dull address. First one thinks, God, this is going on a bit..., your next thought is OK, this isn't funny anymore, and finally you look around for someone to stage an intervention.)

Clearly, Trump is not used to the role of celebrant. And the 17-minute standing for O'Brien was a terrible miscue. Some may feel that this was another sign that the former president is unsuitable for the role.

They might cite his felony conviction (guilty on 34 charges), the fact that a judge concluded that he did rape E. Jean Carroll, his numerous attempts to subvert the last election, and various other misdemeanors as evidence that his moral code seems not entirely aligned with the Christian faith.

Skeptics might also point to Trump's hilariously evasive interview when questioned about his love of the bible by Bloomberg in 2015. When asked what some of his favorite bible verses were, he replied, not entirely convincingly, I don't want to get into it. Its very personal. Asked again whether there was a verse that means a lot, he demurred, "I don't want to get into specifics.

Pressed, then, as to whether he was a New Testament or an Old Testament guy, Trump pauses and then, after a pause, declares, Probabbbbbly equal. And then, a word salad, I think it's incredible. The whole Bible is an incredible...I joke, very much so, they always hold up the Art of the Deal and I say 'my second favorite book.

If thats not a man of the cloth...

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott speaks during Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 15, 2024. Mike Segar/Reuters

Indeed, there has been a cloak of religiosity across the entire RNC proceedings. Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, a Republican from California, led the hall in a Sikh prayer on Monday evening. That same day there were prayers from a Greek Orthodox bishop and a Catholic Archbishop. Towards the end of the evening a Lutheran bishop offered a benediction.

In his speech on Monday Tim Scott, an evangelical Christian never knowingly accused of understatement, even summoned the notion of miracles to describe Trump's survival. Thank God Almighty that we live in a country that still believes in the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega. Our Godour Godstill saves. He still delivers. And he still sets free. Because on Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle. But an American lion got back up on his feet, and he roared.

Trump's papal-like behavior continued through Tuesday night and followed the same pattern. First it was Nikki Haley who came to hail someone she had recently forsaken. Barely minutes into her speech she said, Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period.

She then looked to the VIP podium where, on cue, Trump rose. His disciples rose in unison.

Luke 15:4-7: When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.

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Opinion: This is a turning point for Trump. What will he make of it?

Not since President George W. Bush ascended the rubble of 9/11 and grabbed his famous bullhorn has any president or national political figure had a chance to unify the country the way Donald Trump does this week.

One inch (or less) is all that separated Trump from death or serious injury Saturday night in Butler, Pa. While the picture of Trump with his fist raised and the American flag above his head will live on, the image I cant stop thinking about is the incredible shot of Trump speaking, with the streak of a bullet showing up behind his head, possibly the bullet that grazed his ear.

Im not supposed to be here, Im supposed to be dead, Trump told the New York Posts Michael Goodwin. Im supposed to be dead.

Read more: GOP nominates Trump for the third time, as he selects Vance as his running mate

Since that moment, President Biden has addressed the nation four times in at least a partial effort to regain the narrative or even a sliver of our collective attention. But the president hasnt succeeded, and now the most important moment in Trumps political life is upon him  and with it, the chance to take away Bidens argument for his political existence.

Biden is supposed to represent stability. And yet, many Americans perceive economic and political turmoil, if not downright chaos.

Biden ran to be a unifier. To heal the soul of the nation. But now it feels like we are more divided than ever.

Read more: Would-be assassin got astonishingly close to Trump, had a clear shot. How did security measures fail?

And Biden was supposed to be the adult in the room with a promise to rise above politics and move the country forward, especially in restoring Americas standing in the world. While some of our allies may be happier with Biden than they were Trump, it hasnt translated to domestic political success. Bidens disastrous August 2021 pullout from Afghanistan sucked his job approval deeply underwater, and it has never recovered. Purely as a political matter, Biden has struggled to wash off the feeling that he and his team are anything other than slow and indecisive amateurs whose performance doesnt match the hype.

Trumps framing of the 2024 election has always been simple: his strength versus Bidens weakness. That message was already paying big returns following Bidens disastrous debate performance, but now its at an entirely new level.

The image of Trump rising up amid the scrum of Secret Service agents and imploring the rally crowd to fight stands in stark contrast to Bidens withered appearances.

Read more: Column: As the Republican convention begins, our columnists debate the 'tone it down' mandate

Discussion of what Trump will do with his acceptance speech this week is on the lips of all the delegates in Milwaukee, where the Republican Party has gathered to officially give Trump his third chance at the presidency. And it seems like Trump himself may be having something of a personal epiphany in the wake of his near-death experience.

I had all prepared an extremely tough speech, really good, all about the corrupt, horrible administration, Trump told Goodwin. But I threw it away.

Will this be the week that Trump dispenses with his pugilistic animal spirit and rises above the fray? It may well be.

In 2016, his campaign often felt less Republican than it did independent. He took on both parties. He rejected long-held Republican policy orthodoxy. He ran against the Washington swamp and everyone in it, sparing neither partys elites in the process.

Read more: Opinion: J.D. Vance's book 'Hillbilly Elegy' was a con job. Don't let it slide

Trump was not a lifelong Republican when he won the GOP nomination then, but today he is the unquestioned leader of a party remade in his image. His choice for vice president, 39-year-old Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, signals a MAGA succession plan for American politics that could long outlive Trump himself.

But inside Trump, there has always been an independent  even a moderate  bubbling below the surface of a major party nominee.

I want to try to unite our country, Trump said to Goodwin. But I dont know if thats possible. People are very divided.

Read more: Trump shooting points to growing threats of political violence

Maybe we are. But wouldnt it be nice to see a presidential candidate try to unite the country around something better and more hopeful?

Yes, there will be never Trumpers for as long as any of us are alive. And there will be old-style Republicans who arent all that comfortable with Trumps new populist platform.

But this week, Trump has our national attention. He has the leverage. He has the political capital. And he has the moment.

And on Thursday night, he could deliver a speech that leaves his opponent to history and begins to shake this country free from the grip of disunity that has paralyzed us for too long. Will he?

Scott Jennings is a contributing writer to Opinion, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and a senior CNN political commentator. @ScottJenningsKY

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox looks to shake hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after they signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the Audubon Room of The Grand America Hotel as part of the National Governors Associations 2024 Summer Meeting held in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 12, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys recent visit to Utah for the National Governors Association meeting is a testament to Utahs growing influence on the international stage. His visit demonstrates that as Utahns, we take immense pride in our ability to think outside the box, uninhibited by the constraints of political rhetoric. This visit underscores the unique role our state has in international relations.

For many Utahns, Ukraine is not just a distant country; it represents a nation striving for democracy, freedom and the same values we cherish. Our states history of religious freedom, community building and resilience in the face of adversity parallels Ukraines ongoing struggle for sovereignty and self-determination. These shared values create a natural bond between our people, making Ukraines success our concern, especially with the exciting announcement of Utah and Kyiv Oblast becoming sister-states.

One tangible example of the ties between Utah and Ukraine is the presence of Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants in our communities. These individuals contribute to the rich tapestry of Utahs cultural and social life. By embracing and supporting Ukraine, we also support our neighbors, friends and fellow Utahns who have personal connections to the country.

Additionally, Utah has a strong tradition of delivering humanitarian aid, like the $4 million raised by the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation and Community Foundation of Utah for Ukrainian refugees in the early days of the conflict. This spirit of generosity and solidarity is a hallmark of our states character and reinforces why we should care about Ukraines future.

International connections, exemplified by organizations like Utah Global Diplomacy, have been at the forefront of diplomacy in our state, hosting thousands of international exchange delegations, including hundreds of Ukrainian government leaders, teachers, journalists, faith leaders and professionals. The simplistic beauty of this work is that we build bridges between cultures and countries, and it is done one handshake at a time. People-to-people connections are the backbone of this approach, showcasing the strength and effectiveness of diplomacy.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Zelenskyy is introduced during the National Governors Associations 2024 Summer Meeting held at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 12, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Diplomacy takes many forms, such as exchange student programs, au pairs, camp counselors, teachers, tourism work programs, sister-cities, Fulbright and Gilman scholars, and professional and cultural exchange programs. All of these contribute more than $300 million annually to our states economy.

The values we hold dear as Utahns  integrity, community and forward-thinking collaboration  are what I consider The Utah Way and are precisely what the world needs more of. Our efforts in global diplomacy are a shining example of how these values can be translated into action. By hosting international delegations, we not only strengthen our states global standing but also contribute to a more interconnected and harmonious world.

Utahs approach to diplomacy also highlights the importance of innovation in solving global challenges. Our state has a long history of pioneering new ideas and technologies. By thinking creatively and being willing to try new approaches, we can find solutions to even the most contentious problems.

Zelenskyys visit is a perfect example of this. It is not just a political event but an opportunity for Utahns to hear and learn from a global leader. This kind of understanding can lead to greater empathy and a deeper understanding of the complex issues facing our world today. Through these personal connections, we can build a more peaceful and collaborative global community.

Utahs involvement in Ukraines journey toward a democratic society reflects our broader commitment to supporting emerging democracies worldwide. Our state has consistently demonstrated leadership in fostering international cooperation and understanding, proving that local actions can have a global impact. I am proud to be among the many Utahns whose efforts in global diplomacy are an example of how local actions profoundly impact international relations and how Utah once again leads on the global stage.

Felecia Maxfield-Barrett is the president and CEO of Utah Global Diplomacy, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to promoting respect and understanding between the people of Utah and other nations.
GEORGIA (WJBF)  An Oregon fugitive who escaped a prison work detail in 1994 has been captured in arrested in Macon, Georgia.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Steven Craig Johnson, AKA William Cox, 70, was serving a prison sentence for sexual abuse and sodomy and escaped a prison work detail on November 29th, 1994.

Authorities say that Johnson had been resident in Macon and living under the alias William Cox since 2011 while being wanted on an Oregon arrest warrant for escape.

ALSO ON WJBF: Suspect in Fort Eisenhower baby killing to use insanity defense

According to investigators, it was revealed that Johnson had stolen the identity of a child that died in Texas in January 1962 and was able to obtain a copy of the childs birth certificate and eventually able to obtain a Social Security number in Texas in 1995, and that he first obtained a

Georgia Drivers License in 1998.

Authorities state that Johnson was captured and taken into custody by the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Macon on Tuesday, July 16th at approximately 2 P.M. at an apartment complex on Vineville Avenue in Macon.

According to the U.S. Marshal Service, the case was adopted by USMS in 2015 at the request of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered flags at public institutions in the state to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday in memory of the life and service of Oregon's longest-serving legislator, Peter Courtney.

Courtney died from complications related to cancer on Tuesday at the age of 81. He was surrounded by family at his home in Salem, according to a release from the governor's office.

Hours later, Kotek, other lawmakers, state leaders and friends of Courtney gathered at the Oregon State Hospital Cremains Memorial to recognize Courtney's leadership. The Oregon State Hospital has been officially renamed the Peter Courtney Salem Campus of the Oregon State Hospital.

The renaming was ordered by Gov. Kate Brown in one of the last executive orders she made as governor. The order recognized Courtney's work around mental health services during his 38 years as a state legislator. He was also a champion for seismic safety issues and animal rights.

Tributes following the announcement of his death outlined Courtney's powerful legacy in Salem and the state. Courtney served on the Salem City Council from 1974 to 1980 and never missed a meeting before joining the Legislature.

He served in the Oregon House from 1981 to 1984 and was elected to the Oregon Senate in 1998. He became Senate president in 2003 and held the leadership position until his retirement after the 2022 legislative session.

President Courtney truly lived by example: he cared deeply for our state, for the people that he worked with, and above all, for his family with vigor, compassion and courage," Kotek said in her order lowering flags Wednesday. "It was an honor to serve alongside him and I know his legacy will live on through his many efforts on behalf of Oregonians and in the memory of those who knew him."

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Tina Kotek orders flags lowered in memory of Peter Courtney
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Oregon leaders are mourning the death of former Senate President Peter Courtney, who set a record for his service in the state legislature after he spearheaded local politics for 38 years.

Current Sen. President Rob Wagner referred to Courtney as the most influential lawmaker in the history of Oregon as news rushed in of the political giants death Tuesday afternoon.

Award-winning Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy drowns in Willamette River

After serving for nearly 20 years as Senate President, Courtney announced in 2022 that he did not intend to run for the position again.

It has been an honor and a privilege to have been allowed to serve locally on the Salem City Council and for all these years in the Oregon State Legislature. I hope Ive helped, he said.

In his statement, Sen. Wagner recalled seeing Courtney at work in Salem  referring to the spirit of governing that he brought to Oregon.

The Oregon State Hospital Salem campus was named for Peter Courtney, the legendary Oregon legislator who died July 16, 2024 (KOIN)

The sounds of the Capitol were never complete without Peters voice reverberating through the halls, Wagner said. He was bold and hard-charging, but also tender and caring, always looking for private moments to help a young lawmaker find their way.

Larch Creek Fire evacuation areas possibly targeted by looters, residents say

Sen. Ron Wyden took to social media to share his thoughts on Courtneys legacy.

Peter Courtney worked long and hard in the Legislature he loved so dearly to achieve good for his district in the Willamette Valley and all of Oregon. He was a human juggernaut for his constituents, and will be tremendously missed, Wyden said.

Oregon House Speaker Larry Campbell said he had a special relationship with the former Senate President as the pair shared a working relationship that spanned more than a decade.

He was fun. He was serious. He was a man who was always true to his word, Campbell said. We disagreed on numerous policies, but always approached issues from a principled perspective. Oregons loss is also a personal loss to the Campbell family.

Graffiti returns to I-84 within 24 hours of state-funded removal

Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Taylor said Courtney epitomized the idea of a life lived in public service.

He was fiercely devoted to serving his constituents, the institution of the Senate, and Oregon as a whole, Taylor said. He will live on in the people and communities he transformed for the better  and I am so lucky to count myself as one of them. For 10 years, I was honored to call Peter a mentor and a friend.

According to former Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Courtney exemplified the true meaning of service in every aspect of his life, whether to his family, his friends, or in elected office. He also said he most admired Peters profound knowledge of and appreciation for the legislative process. Peter understood the nuts and bolts of the legislative processhe could get things done.

Rep. Ricki Ruiz shared the following statement on social media:

My condolences to Senate President Peter Courtneys family on the passing of the great Senator. As the longest-serving Senate President, his dedication and leadership left an indelible mark on Oregons history. His commitment to public service will be greatly missed.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Oregon one of seven states with very high levels of COVID-19 in wastewater

Oregon one of seven states with very high levels of COVID-19 in wastewater

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Oregon is one of seven states with high levels of COVID-19 detected in its wastewater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Oregon Health Authority spokesperson Jonathan Modie explained that the CDCs system compares current levels of SARS-Cov-2, which causes COVID-19, with the lowest levels found in wastewater over the past six months.

Illicit substances detected at Oregon State Hospital

The federal agencys most recent figures from July 11 show an activity level of 10 across 23 wastewater treatment plants in Oregon with recorded data. Activity is classified as very high once it exceeds level eight.

In the spring, Oregon had very low COVID-19 transmission, and it has been increasing since May  and that is why our COVID-19 levels appear very high right now on the CDC dashboard, Modie told KOIN 6 in an email.

Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and Texas were the only other states at this level.

People living, dumping on Oregons public lands overwhelming Bureau of Land Management

The CDC reported that sewage tests are a helpful tool in determining whether an infectious disease is spreading throughout a certain area. People who are infected by SARS-Cov-2 often shed the virus in their feces before they notice any symptoms.

For the final week of June, the Oregon Health Authoritys respiratory virus databoard recorded an 8.9% rate of positive COVID-19 tests. The rate hadnt been that high since mid-February.

And according to Modie, 45% of Oregon communities have COVID-19 wastewater levels in an increasing or sustained increasing pattern. He also said COVID-19-hospitalizations have recently increased, although they are still low compared to previous data.

Portland police make some progress helping undocumented crime victims

At the turn of 2024, new strain JN.1.  a variant of Omicron  made up 86% of Oregons COVID-19 cases. That particular strain has appeared to slow down, but several over Omicron subvariants of it have popped up in the time since.

Scientists recommend staying up to date with vaccines to have at least some protection from the multiple variants.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Fire crews rushed late Tuesday to a fire burning near the McKenzie River north of Springfield.

Amid red flag conditions, crews from multiple agencies were on the scene at about 7:30 p.m., working to keep the fire from cresting a nearby hill to the north.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Burning trees could be seen on the ground from McKenzie View Drive, where crews were lined up working to keep the flames from crossing the roadway.

By 8 p.m., crews had secured a defensive line around the fire and had stopped it from progressing any farther, helped by the late hour and slowing winds.

Fire Chief Andrew Smith of Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire & Rescue, said the blaze was halted at about one acre but crews would likely need to stay throughout the night to keep it contained.

Firefighters battle a vegetation fire along McKenzie View Drive northeast of Springfield Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

The exact cause of the fire was unknown. Smith said the initial call was for a brush fire. Large electrical lines in the area suggested there may have been an electrical issue, something Smith said was a possibility.

No injuries or damaged structures were reported, although there were homes nearby, closer to the banks of the river.

A red flag warning was issued Tuesday for the Willamette Valley and the length of Western Oregon due to the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning. Red flag warnings are issued when conditions create the likely chance of wildfires igniting or rapidly spreading, but it doesn't mean a fire is imminent.

Fire burns up a tree along McKenzie View Drive northeast of Springfield Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

The red flag in northwest Oregon was set to be in effect until 8 a.m. Wednesday.

David DeMille is the news editor at The Register-Guard. Reach him at DDeMille@RegisterGuard.com.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Fire erupts near McKenzie River north of Springfield, Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Oregon woman who was found guilty of sending violent threats to her coworkers online will spend six months and three weeks in federal prison.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon reported that 56-year-old Cottage Grove resident Elizabeth Ballestros West was sentenced on Tuesday.

Oregon one of seven states with very high levels of COVID-19 in wastewater

Officials said the FBI launched its investigation into West in late September 2023, when the bureau received an anonymous tip claiming that she had been threatening colleagues on Facebook.

Investigators found her profile on X, formerly known as Twitter, later in November. According to the Attorneys Office, the woman would post and repost videos, statements and memes with violent messages about the Black community, Jewish people and immigrants.

The agency further alleged that several of her posts featured images of handguns, a shotgun and an AR-style assault rifle.

USAO said she confessed to sharing the violent messages and possessing multiple firearms in early January 2024.

When the FBI conducted a search warrant of West, her residence and vehicle, they recovered 12 handguns, 16 rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm accessories, and a journal that appeared to contain writings and drawings that included additional hateful and violent statements.

Cant solve everything: What are authorities doing to stop repeat graffiti on I-84?

The Attorneys Office charged West with criminal complaint for transmitting a threat in interstate commerce on Jan. 12, when she was also arrested at her workplace in Eugene.

She was indicted on Jan. 18, and pleaded guilty later on May 29.

In addition to her prison sentence, West is expected to serve three years of supervised release.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Organizers load boxes of signed petitions seeking to get a measure on the November ballot that would repeal a new Nebraska law providing taxpayer money for private school tuition, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Lincoln, Neb. Support Our Schools organizers say they turned in more than 86,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Public school advocates say they have enough signatures to ask Nebraska voters in November to repeal a law that provides taxpayer money for private school tuition, marking the latest twist in a long-running fight with state lawmakers who have repeatedly opposed efforts to let voters weigh in on the public funding plan.

Organizers of Support Our Schools said they had gathered more than 86,000 signatures of registered voters  well over the nearly 62,000 needed by Wednesday's deadline. The group delivered dozens of boxes of the petitions to the Nebraska Secretary of State's office, which will check the validity of each over the coming weeks to see if there are enough to make the November ballot.

The underestimated anger among voters about being denied their earlier chance to vote is palpable, Cynthia Peterson with the League of Women Voters said at a news conference to announce the signature total. Nebraskans deserve the opportunity to vote on school vouchers  yes or no.

If the repeal measure is approved for the November ballot, organizers fully expect school choice supporters to file a lawsuit to try to thwart the referendum, said Tim Royers, incoming president of the state's teachers union, the Nebraska State Education Association, and a Support Our Schools organizer.

Were very confident that, should they choose to try and file a court challenge to get us off the ballot, we would successfully defeat that challenge, Royers said.

It's the second time in a year public school advocates have had to carry out a signature-gathering effort to try to reverse a legislative measure to use public money for private school tuition. The first came last year, when Republicans who dominate the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature passed a bill to allow corporations and individuals to divert millions of dollars they owe in state income taxes to nonprofit organizations. Those organizations would, in turn, award that money as private school tuition scholarships.

The private school scholarship program saw Nebraska follow several other red states  including Arkansas, Iowa and South Carolina  in enacting some form of private school choice, from vouchers to education savings account programs.

Before Nebraska's measure was even enacted last year, Support Our Schools began organizing a petition effort, collecting far more signatures than was needed to ask voters to repeal the law.

But rather than letting Nebraska voters decide, school choice supporters sought to thwart the petition process. Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who introduced the private school funding bill, first called on Secretary of State Bob Evnen to reject the ballot measure, saying it violated the state constitution that places the power of taxation solely in the hands of the Legislature.

When that failed, Linehan successfully pushed a new bill to dump the tax credit funding system and simply fund private school scholarships directly from state coffers. More significantly, because Linehan's new bill repealed and replaced last year's law, it rendered last year's successful petition effort moot  perfecting what Linehan called an end run around the effort to have Nebraska voters decide whether public money can go to private schools.

That move is in line with a growing trend among Republican-dominated state legislatures to find ways to force through legislation they want, even when it's opposed by a majority of voters. A number of those efforts center on citizen-led petitions for law changes.

They know that this is not popular with the public, Royers said. They know that every time vouchers have gone on the ballot in other states, it's been defeated.

Supporters of school choice say it's needed for students and their families who are failed by low-performing public schools  particularly low-income families unable to afford private school tuition on their own. Opponents say private school funding programs end up being too costly for states to maintain and that they violate the Nebraska Constitutions prohibition against appropriating public funds to nonpublic schools.

When Linehan's new direct funding of private school tuition passed this year, opponents again launched a petition effort to repeal it  but with less time and more obstacles than they had last year.

Royers noted that lawmakers waited until the last day of the session this year to pass the new private tuition funding bill. It then took days for Republican Gov. Jim Pillen to sign it into law and for Evnen  also a Republican  to approve the language for a new petition effort.

They also had to start before most public schools were out for the summer, leaving teachers unable to help with signature collection early in the process. Most difficult, Royers said, was having to explain to people who had signed the repeal petition last year why they had to sign again if they wanted voters to have a say.

Linehan said she expects the fight over school choice will probably end up in court, but that the decision to file a lawsuit to stop the ballot measure would likely be up to the Nebraska Attorney General's office.

The Nebraska Catholic Conference, a lobbying group representing Roman Catholic-run schools in the state that would receive most of the scholarship funds, hinted in an email to supporters that it also could take action, saying low-income children remain at risk if the scholarship bill is repealed.

School choice champions and stakeholders in Nebraska are assessing the situation and planning how best to protect this important legislation, Tom Venzor, the conference's director, said in the statement.

Even if Support Our Schools succeeds in getting the repeal question on the ballot, Linehan said she expects voters will reject it. That's because the scholarships are meant to help people  including foster children and military families  without the means to send their children to private school, she said.

I dont think if Nebraskans understood the situation, if they will vote to take those scholarships away from those kids, she said.

-

This story has been corrected to show that organizers needed to collect nearly 62,000 signatures, not roughly 86,500.
OSBI: Missing woman last seen in Del City

DEL CITY (KFOR)  According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Muscogee Creek Lighthorse Police are looking for a missing woman last seen in Del City.

According to Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), 26-year-old Anzhiai Loftis is 61, 150 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. Her tribal affiliation is Potawatomi and she was last seen the week of July 7.

LOCAL NEWS: One in custody after two people set on fire in NW Oklahoma City

Anzhiai Loftis.

Anzhiai Loftis.

Officials say Loftis has tattoos on her hands, one possibly saying the name Kason.

If seen, contact Muscogee Creek Lighthorse Police at 918-732-7800.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Outgoing FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh can hang around as long as she likes, Mayor Adams said Tuesday, brushing aside allegations that her decision to resign stemmed from a lack of support from his office.

I told her, You can be commissioner as long as you want in the FDNY, and if you want to still hang around, theres other roles I need done, Adams said at a press conference in City Hall.

Kavanagh announced Saturday she would be stepping down as fire commissioner to embark on her next professional challenge.

Yet sources within the department claim her departure comes after nearly three years of butting heads with the departments staff chiefs, a handful of whom are suing her.

In recent months, Kavanagh had lost touch with the membership, one FDNY source said.

She was becoming a bit more of a divisive figure, the source said. There were a lot more negative stories coming out of the department and that got the attention of the mayor.

Kavanagh will remain with the department for the next few months to help the citys new fire commissioner get up to speed.

When shes ready to transition to her next role, shell come in and say, Eric, Im ready to transition into my next role,' Adams said. If thats outside the administration or inside the administration, thats fine with me. She did exactly what I needed for her to do, and I think that shes a great, great leader. And so its up to her.

Adams hasnt named a replacement for Kavanagh, but sources close to the decision predict he will pick a man of color for the spot, insiders said.

One person named as a possible successor is Dr. Kwame Cooper, who was named the departments chief diversity and inclusion officer. Cooper had been offered the job once before, but turned it down, a well-placed source within the FDNY said.

As Adams searches for a replacement, the FDNY unions have put together a wish list of priorities they want the new leader of the countrys largest fire department to focus on.

Bringing back a five-man engine crew and focusing on the rising number of cancer deaths among firefighters have made the top of a short list from the Uniformed Firefighters Association as well as the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

We look forward to working with the new commissioner. An agency as dynamic and vital as the FDNY requires strong leadership that adapts to the ever-changing risks we face on the fireground, James Brosi, president of the FDNYs Uniformed Fire Officers Association said, adding that the next commissioner must immediately prioritize the plague of lithium-ion battery fires.

FDNY officials said Kavanagh was on the front lines of the fight against lithium-ion battery fires. She reconfigured department resources and personnel to inform the public about their dangers and encouraged e-bike owners to charge their batteries outside. At the same time, she had the fire marshals ramp up inspections of e-bike shops and lobbied both City Hall and then Congress to ban the sale of batteries not certified by Underwriters Laboratories or other testing labs.

As a result, injuries and deaths related to lithium-ion batteries have dropped considerably this year, FDNY officials said.

As of Monday, 52 people were injured and one person died from fires due to exploding lithium-ion battery packs. This time last year, 85 people had been injured and 13 people died, the FDNY said.

The number of fires remained roughly the same at around 120, but the FDNY noted that the number of fires inside homes or buildings dropped this year, while the number of lithium-ion batteries to occur outside have increased.

This indicates that people are hearing our safety messaging and changing their behaviors, an FDNY spokeswoman said, adding that more and more people are now keeping their e-bikes and scooters outside their homes.

The Uniformed Fire Association hopes the new commissioner lobbies to bring back the fifth firefighter on NYC engine companies in order to reduce response times.

By having increased staffing you can lower response times, Andrew Ansbro, the president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association said. They will also have no choice but to take a strong stance on reversing Mayor Bloombergs decision to close firehouses which over time has resulted in increased response times, due to the loss of resources.

The city had agreed to return the fifth firefighter to the engine companies in 2018, but the extra member was pulled again to make up sick leave numbers and other personnel issues.

In March of 2023, a half-dozen experienced FDNY brass filed an ageism lawsuit against Kavanagh and the city, claiming they were harassed, maligned and ultimately demoted because they seemed too old in Kavanaghs eyes. Each plaintiff was between 54 and 62 years old when the complaint was filed in March 2023.

The department refuted the claims, arguing that, as of February, the average age of an FDNY staff chief is 57 years old. A deputy chief, which would replace the staff chiefs, is just 56  a year younger.

Adams admitted that breaking in as the first female commissioner at the FDNY was never going to be easy.

When youre taking leadership positions like she did, these institutions are tough. She went into an institution that historically didnt even have women in there, he said. We are breaking barriers, and when you break barriers, theres a lot of discomfort.
AS Tallinna Sadam





The TWIN-PORT VI project has received a funding decision from the EU. The four-year project is a continuation of the long-term cooperation between ports of Tallinn and Helsinki, aiming to reduce transport system emissions and to improve conditions for passenger and freight transport operations.

AS Tallinna Sadam (hereinafter: Tallinna Sadam) focuses on environmental impacts in the project and plans to build on-shore power systems in Muuga Harbour so that ro-ro and container vessels can use electricity from the shore power grid. The Port of Helsinki aims to develop the Vuosaari Harbour. The total cost of the project covering two harbours is 30.8 million euros, half of which is financed by the European Union. Budget of Tallinna Sadam for the entire project is 20.3 million euros, and about 10.5 million euros is estimated by Helsinki Port. If the supervisory board of AS Tallinna Sadam approves the investment, planning and execution of the works will begin as soon as possible.

Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries  OU TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OU TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel Botnica for icebreaking and offshore services in Estonia and projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder of an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services.

Additional information:

Angelika Annus

Head of Investor Relations

Tel. +372 5649 6230

E-mail: angelika.annus@ts.ee








An illegal pot operation was targeted near Saddleback Butte State Park in the Antelope Valley. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

California authorities raided illegal cannabis grow sites near a pair of state parks, seizing more than 5,200 plants and 14 firearms.

The state law enforcement action, announced Tuesday, took place near Saddleback Butte State Park in the Antelope Valley and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Allensworth. Among the illegal firearms recovered were three ghost guns and two assault weapons.

Read more: Full Coverage: California's problem with contaminated weed

"Were committed to supporting the legal cannabis market in California," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "The illicit market endangers our communities, our environment, and Californias growing legal and safer cannabis industry."

A series of Times investigations in 2022 found that the 2016 legalization of recreational cannabis caused explosive growth in illegal cultivation and widespread exploitation of workers.

Read more: Cannabis workers face death and exploitation. California is stepping in after Times investigation

In a news release, the governor's office said Newsom had directed state agencies to "aggressively target the organized criminal enterprises involved in the illicit cannabis market," and since January authorities have captured illegal cannabis products worth more than $120 million.

In addition to ending exploitation of workers, authorities said they want to stamp out the use of illegal pesticides and other practices that hurt the environment, including water quality.

Read more: Lawmakers want investigation, hearings into 'Wild West' of California cannabis and farm work

Federal authorities have taken similar action to halt illicit cannabis operations affecting parklands.

On Tuesday, the U.S. attorney's office announced the sentencing of a man for conspiracy to cultivate marijuana in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Custodio Ibarra Nunez received 10 years in prison and must pay nearly $18,000 in restitution.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The British Left were always bound to loathe any running mate of Donald Trump. Yet theyve launched into J.D. Vance in record time. And its all because of a joke.

I was talking with a friend recently, Mr Vance told a recent conference of American conservatives, and I [asked], What is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon? And we were like, Maybe its Iran, Maybe Pakistan already kind of counts. And then we finally decided, Maybe its actually the UK, since Labour just took over

His audience laughed. The British Left have not taken the joke quite so well.

We need to call that out for what it is: its Islamophobic, thundered Carla Denyer, the Green Party co-leader. Labour MP Clive Lewis said there was no doubt that Mr Vances words were aimed at the sort of Islamophobic sentiments we have seen online and elsewhere aimed at Sadiq Khan in particular. Mr Lewiss Labour colleague Rosie Duffield called the joke racist.

Of course, dismissing opponents as racist is a longstanding habit on the Left. But in this case, at least, theyre demonstrably wrong.

First, its important to acknowledge that Mr Vance was being satirical. He was using comic hyperbole. He was not solemnly announcing that, in July 2024, the UK is an Islamist regime, comparable to the Middle Eastern territories controlled by the terror group ISIL in 2015. Watch the widely available footage of Mr Vances remarks, and its obvious that he was purposely exaggerating, in order to make his audience of American conservatives laugh. Which they duly did.

At the same time, of course, Mr Vance will be aware that the UK does have serious problems with Islamism. He will know that, less than three years ago, a British MP, Sir David Amess, was murdered by an Islamist. Mr Vance will also know of the various Islamist terror attacks on Britain in 2017, including the suicide bombing at Manchester Arena, which killed 22 people  many of them children  and the attack on Parliament that left a police officer, PC Keith Palmer, dead. And Mr Vance will doubtless have heard that a British schoolteacher, in Batley, West Yorkshire, has been forced to spend the last three years in hiding, after receiving death threats for showing a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad during a religious studies lesson. When responding to Mr Vances speech, his critics should bear this context in mind.

But the second and even more important point to make concerns the Lefts accusations of Islamophobia. Mr Vances joke would have been Islamophobic if hed been attacking ordinary Muslims. But he wasnt. In fact, he didnt even mention ordinary Muslims. Instead, he specifically referred to Islamists  i.e., extremists.

At any rate, the butt of his joke is made clear in his final five words: since Labour just took over. Quite plainly, he was suggesting that Keir Starmers party is soft on extremism.

The Left may argue that this joke is unfair on Labour and that the party isnt soft on extremism at all. They may also argue that it bodes ill for relations between the UK Labour Government and a potential future Trump administration, given that the 45th presidents pick for VP has just publicly ridiculed the UKs current governing party.

What the Left shouldnt do, however, is resort to knee-jerk cries of Islamophobia. They should at least be honest about what Mr Vance meant. Because his target wasnt Muslims. It was the Left themselves.

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Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts talks about Project 2025 at an all-day Policy Fest just blocks from the Republican National Convention on Monday. Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom

MILWAUKEE  Despite former President Donald Trumps denial of any connection to the conservative presidential transition plan known as Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation promoted the project mere blocks from the Republican National Convention.

Officials and personalities from the partys most conservative wing were on hand Monday as Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts described the plan as the unification of the conservative movement at an all-day Policy Fest near the convention Monday.

For once in modern American history, we have a plan among a unified movement to speak on behalf of the everyday American, the forgotten American, Roberts said.

The reason progressive Democrats hate these ideas so much is because they are a threat to their power, Roberts continued from the stage at the Bradley Symphony Center, just five blocks from the Fiserv Forum where the RNC was just getting underway.

Democrats have attacked the plan in recent weeks, warning of its ambitions  passing the most stringent abortion ban the next Republican administration can get through Congress and lowering the corporate tax rate, among others  while Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has sought to distance himself from it.

But the multipronged project, featuring a 922-page policy prescription and a training academy, was praised by conservatives attending the convention and ancillary events. It promises to overhaul government agencies and restore the American family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.

The foundations event on the first day of the convention featured a slate of conservative speakers, including Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and media personality Tucker Carlson.

Awaiting a Trump presidency

I think President Trump has learned a lot over the last few years about where the movement is, where the country is, and also some real hot spots around the world that didnt exist when he left office, Roberts told reporters.

Ive been very impressed during the campaign by signals that President Trumps involving a lot of voices, he said. I think this is going to be an administration that is very efficient.

Stitt told the audience during the afternoon session that were here this week to fight for the American dream, and really our way of life.

You know, to our founders, the American dream meant freedom to worship, for you to assemble, freedom to speak ones mind, Stitt said. It meant that there was no limit to what someone could accomplish, and freedom from a government not controlled by the government.

Democratic warning

The Democratic National Committee, President Joe Bidens reelection campaign and Democratic lawmakers have seized on Project 2025 in recent weeks  a unifier for the party message after Bidens poor debate performance exposed party fractures.

The Biden campaign and its surrogates continued their weeks-long focus on the project Tuesday at a counter convention press event around the corner from the hotel where Trump is staying.

Its all written down in Project 2025, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said at the event, which was primarily focused on economic policies outlined in the plan. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want to ransack the public treasury to hand out massive tax cuts to billionaires and stick working Americans with the bill.

Trump on Monday tapped Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, as his running mate.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joined the event and warned that Project 2025 would affect Social Security.

When youve worked all your life and paid into Social Security, and you hear what Republicans are trying to do, from their policy groups, in Congress, all the way to what youve heard and read in Project 2025, folks that want to limit benefits, Booker said.

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said voters should ask yourself, Does this Project 2025 agenda make my life better if it were to become law?

Trump denial

Trump has denied any connection to the project.

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it, Trump wrote Thursday on his social media platform Truth Social.

The Radical Left Democrats are having a field day, however, trying to hook me into whatever policies are stated or said. It is pure disinformation on their part, he continued. By now, after all of these years, everyone knows where I stand on EVERYTHING!

Roberts navigated the tug-of-war by telling reporters Monday that Project 2025 is meant to be a menu of options.

It is impossible for any individual conservative, I think, to agree with everything thats stated in the project, he said.

The platform adopted by the RNC ahead of the convention, short in length, drew criticism from some conservatives, particularly for shying away from supporting a nationwide abortion ban.

When asked about any potential friction between Trump, the partys platform and Project 2025, Roberts said he sees very positive conversations ahead, despite differences.

Presidential campaigns are one lane, the RNC is in another lane, Heritage and Project 2025 and the conservative movement writ large is in another lane, Roberts said. There will always be differences of opinions. We will work on those when were talking about specific legislative vehicles in January, and we know that those conversations are going to be very positive.

We may not always agree, but I think the time now for the center-right in this country is to recognize the American people want one thing to happen and that is for power to be devolved from Washington, D.C., he said.

The post On outskirts of RNC, Heritage Foundation touts controversial Project 2025 plan appeared first on Maryland Matters.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA)  The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) confirmed that a planned closure will be taking place on eastbound Interstate 70 beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday in Effingham County.

The closure will be between Effingham and Montrose. The purpose behind the closure is to remove a tractor trailer. IDOT said it is expected to last seven to eight hours, as the truck must be unloaded before it can be towed.

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Effinghams Tripower Towing & Recovery will be assisting IDOT and the Illinois State Police (ISP) in the effort.

During the closure, traffic will be detoured north onto Interstate 57 to the first Mattoon exit. Drivers will then go onto highway 45 south to 121. On 121, drivers will head to the Montrose blacktop, which will return them to I-70 east.

Motorists should expect delays during this time.

WCIA has reached out to ISP for more information on how the truck got there, and is awaiting a response.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
View a 2022 report on the rising costs to build the newest addition to the Columbus skyline in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Combined records from county agencies reveal the owners of the tallest buildings in Columbus, as well as the history of sales that led to who holds them in 2024.

Some of the citys skyline exists in part thanks to the Ohio Building Authority. During James Rhodes tenure as governor in the 1960s and early 1970s, newspapers reported that he planned for the agency to provide long-range financing and orderly growth. One of those projects commissioned was a $45 million building later named after him. The Ohio Building Authority later held ownership of a number of properties that became skyscrapers in Columbus, before releasing them to other branches of government that moved in.

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A 2021 image of 88 E. Broad St. in Downtown Columbus, Ohio (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

For some of Columbus skyscrapers, the ownership is clear-cut, such as when they were purpose-built for government agencies. But the true owners of others, oftentimes in private or company hands, can be buried under limited liability corporations and other filings that mask them.

One of Columbus skyscrapers in particular is engulfed in a legal battle over its ownership. The KeyBank Building at 88 E. Broad St.  previously owned by a New York real estate mogul through a local shell company  went into receivership in May after a creditor claimed it failed to make payments on a multimillion-dollar mortgage.

View a list below showcasing the ownership of the tallest buildings in Columbus, in order by height.

Rhodes State Office Tower

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The Rhodes State Officer Tower is located at 30 E. Broad St. Originally named the State Office Tower when construction finished in 1974, it was renamed in 1979 after Rhodes.

It stands 624 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and is tallest mid-block building in Ohio. Only four buildings in the state surpass it in height: SkyscraperPage lists these as the Great American Tower in Cincinnati, and 200 Public Square, Terminal Tower and Key Tower in Cleveland.

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The Rhodes has needed some repairs over the decades, as in 2017 when a fragment of granite fell from the building. The American Lung Association also hosts an annual fundraising event in the tower, where people race 40 floors up Rhodes stairs.

Ownership moved to the Ohio Department of Administrative Services in 2012 for $0. Before construction even started, auditor records tie the propertys ownership to the Ohio Building Authority dating to 1969.

LeVeque Tower

LeVeque Tower in 1933. (Columbus Metropolitan Library Digital Collection, Courtesy David Lucas)

An inflatable gorilla on the LeVeque Tower in Columbus, Ohio, in November 1987

An inflatable gorilla on the LeVeque Tower in Columbus, Ohio, in November 1987

LeVeque Tower in 2022. (Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

LeVeque Tower in Columbus, Ohio, in July 2022 (Carolyn Yaussy/NBC4)

The LeVeque Tower is located at 50 W. Broad St. and stands 555 feet tall, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. It holds the record as the seventh-tallest building in Ohio, and for decades was the tallest building in Columbus.

The skyscraper is owned by Tower 10 LLC, who has held it since at least 2014 and acquired it for $0. Stephen M. Griffith signed as the agent for the LLC, on behalf of Taft Stettinius & Hollister, a law firm in Cincinnati, according to business records from the Ohio Secretary of State. But Franklin County Recorder documents relating to renovations also point to Bob Meyers, a local real estate investor, as the designee for the company.

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Joseph Korom Jr. wrote about LeVeques origins in his book, The American Skyscraper 1850-1940  A Celebration of Height. The building was commissioned for construction by the American Insurance Union, a secret society and social club formed in 1894 by U.S. Rep. John Lentz. The building was originally called the American Insurance Union Citadel and finished construction in 1927.

When the AIU collapsed during the Great Depression, the tower changed hands until it was ultimately sold to Leslie LeVeque and John Lincoln in 1945. The pair rebranded it as the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower. When Leslies daughter-in-law took control of the building through a trust in 1977, it was rebranded again to the LeVeque Tower. As the Rhodes went up in 1974, it seized LeVeques title as the tallest building in Columbus.

NBC4 has had a connection with LeVeque for decades as well. In 1987, the tower hosted an inflatable gorilla before an airing of the 1954 movie Gorilla at Large, a promotion that came from the people at Rax restaurants. And LeVeque is a staple in the Columbus skyline during fireworks season, as attendees gather in the Scioto Peninsula yearly for the station-sponsored event, Red, White & BOOM!

William Green Building

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The William Green Building is located at 30 W. Spring St. and stands 530 feet tall, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation acquired the tower from the Ohio Building Authority at no cost in 2015. The Ohio Building Authority held ownership starting in 1993, three years after construction finished. An unlisted owner presided over the grounds in 1986 as the skyscraper was being built, Franklin County Auditor records show.

Huntington Center

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The Huntington Center is located at 41 S. High St., directly across the street from the Ohio Statehouse. It stands at 512 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The headquarters of Huntington National Bank, it dodged going up for sale at the beginning of 2024. Three of the banks other towers, including the Wyandotte Building, were listed as part of a revitalization effort Downtown, according to the companys president.

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The original owner from 1985  when construction finished  was Huntington Center Associates, before being acquired by Huntington Center Owner, LLC in 2012.

Jody V. Crowley signed for Pacific Registered Agents, Inc., the agent listed for the LLC in Ohio Secretary of State business records. But Kevin Shannahan, former CEO of Hines Consolidated Investments in the Midwest, claimed through a string of shell companies that his corporation was the sole member of Huntington Center Owner in a 2012 deed filed with the Franklin County Recorder.

Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts is located at 77 S. High St. It stands at 504 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The building is named after Democratic Rep. Vernal Riffe Jr., the longest-serving Speaker of the House in the history of the Ohio Statehouse.

In June 2023, Republican lawmakers in the House introduced a bill that would have removed Riffes name from the building. In his place, they would change the title to the Tawnya Salyer Memorial Center for Government and the Arts. Salyer was an apprentice pipefitter who worked on the construction of the building but died from a fall, Richard Schneirov wrote in a historical book on Columbus plumbing and pipe industry. Legislative records showed it was sent to a House committee in September and never left.

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services has owned the building since 2012, acquiring it at no cost from the Ohio Building Authority, which first held the property in 1982, according to auditor records. Construction finished on the building in 1988.

One Nationwide Plaza

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

One Nationwide Plaza is located  as the name suggests  at 1 Nationwide Plaza. It stands 485 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The headquarters of its namesake insurance company, it actually lost a tax incentive  $1.7 million in 2021  from Columbus as around half of its employees began working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Auditor records show Nationwide Mutual has owned the property since 1973, and construction on the building itself finished in 1976.

Franklin County Courthouse

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Courthouse)

The Franklin County Courthouse is located at 373 S. High St. and stands 464 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The Franklin County Commission has owned the property since 1980, acquiring it for $0. Construction on the courthouse finished in 1991.

AEP Building

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The headquarters for American Electric Power is located at 1 Riverside Plaza and stands 456 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

AEP bought the property for $4 million in 1980, before construction on the tower finished in 1983. In an apparent internal shuffle, it transferred ownership to American Electric Power Service Corp. for $0 in 2023.

Borden Building

The Borden Building is located at 180 E. Broad St. and stands 438 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The tower is owned by Terra Funding  Continental Plaza LLC, which acquired it for $0 in 2013. Before that, it had a lengthy sale history, which also showcases the propertys declining value. In 2004, 180 E. Broad Partners LLC bought the building from Trizec Realty Inc. for $28,950,000. Trizec, going under multiple iterations, received the building for $0 from University Town Center, which bought it for $47,852,836 in 1998. That company took it from Equitable Life Assurance, who owned it since 1989. Construction finished in 1974.

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Kimberly Aquino signed as vice president for Terra Funding in a lease agreement for the Borden Building, according to the Franklin County Recorder. Shes also listed online as a managing partner for the Shidler Group, a Hawaii-based investing firm and parent company to Terra.

Three Nationwide Plaza

Three Nationwide Plaza is located, as the name suggests, at 3 E. Nationwide Blvd. It stands 408 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The property has been owned by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. since 1975, even before construction on its towers finished in 1988.

One Columbus Center

One Columbus Center, a next-door neighbor to LeVeque, is located at 10 W. Broad St. It stands 366 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Auditor records show a lengthy ownership history. The building is owned by One Columbus Property LLC, who acquired it in 2019. Before that, it was owned by 10 W. Broad Owner LLC. TNHYIF Reiv Echo LLC bought the building in 2011 for $27,000,000 from VV USA City LP, who previously bought it in 1999 for $51,000,000. An unlisted buyer acquired the building for $50 million in 1993, from another unlisted buyer who bought the space in 1985 for $2.1 million. Construction finished on the tower in 1987.

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While auditor records listed One Columbus Property as getting the building at no cost, the company actually acquired it by taking out a mortgage with Accordia Life And Annuity. Franklin County Recorder listed a total loan agreement of up to $43 million available to One Columbus Property. That document also revealed the LLC as a shell company for Square Deal Investment Management, Inc., a corporation based in Oklahoma. Grant Soderberg, then-president for Square, signed for the agreement.

Hilton Columbus Downtown Tower

(Courtesy Photo/Franklin County Auditor)

The Hilton Columbus Downtown Tower is located at 402 N. High St. and stands 361 feet, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

One of the more recent additions to Columbus skyline, the Hilton Columbus Downtown Tower was completed in 2022. While Hilton has name branding on it, the hotel company isnt the owner of the building. Instead, the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority holds that title. It acquired the tower in 2021 for $0 from the City of Columbus, which previously acquired the space in 2019 from Anthony Roseboro, a senior attorney with the city and a trustee over certain properties.

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Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the most prominent and powerful elected official in the county, expressed doubt Wednesday about President Joe Bidens mental acuity.

Bradshaw declined in an interview to say whether Biden should step aside as the partys presidential nominee so another Democrat can lead the ticket.

Bradshaw, 76, is seeking a sixth term as sheriff.

Given the recent questions surrounding Biden, who is 81, Bradshaw was asked if people should have any concerns about his fitness to serve another four years. If reelected, the sheriff would turn 80 during the final year of his next term.

No, he said. People who know me know that Im a young 76. My mental acuity is nowhere near the presidents.

Bradshaw clarified what he meant during follow-up questions and answers  and it wasnt positive about the president.

Reporter: Sheriff, when you said my mental acuity is nowhere near the presidents, what did you mean? Did you mean it wasnt as good or it wasnt as bad? What were you saying?

Bradshaw: Its not as bad. We all watched the debate. We all watched the stumbling through it, and I felt really sad for him to be honest with you. But people will tell you Im sharper than that.

Bidens disastrous performance in last months presidential debate, in which he sometimes fumbled answers and failed to complete his thoughts, prompted some Democratic elected officials and donors to worry that the party will lose the presidency, and possibly many other offices, if he remains the nominee.

The discussion occurred during an interview with opinion writers and a reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel as the newspapers Editorial Board weighs endorsements for the Aug. 20 Democratic primary for sheriff.

Bradshaw declined to say if he thinks Biden should step aside and let someone else have the nomination.

Well, you know what, thats a conversation that needs to be had between him, his family and his closest advisers. Im not next to it like that. I never tell anybody to get out of the way. Thats kind of going to happen on its own because theyll realize its their time, Bradshaw said. And its, its  theyve got a lot of talking to do.

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That didnt come across as sounding like an endorsement of Biden staying as the head of the ticket.

I dont know, Bradshaw responded. To be honest with you, its not going to matter to me whos the head of the ticket.

Though hes running for renomination in the Democratic primary, for most of Bradshaws election victories the office was nonpartisan until the Florida Supreme Court ruled nonpartisan elections for such jobs arent permissible under the state Constitution. (Bradshaw said he thought that decision was a mistake.)

So I dont think in terms of Democrat or Republican or independent. I think in terms of a lawman that wants to provide the best protection for this community. Thats how I make my decisions and thats how I look forward every day to protecting the people, Bradshaw said.

During his time in office, Bradshaw has often appeared with Republican elected officials, and supported their initiatives when hes seen them as favoring law enforcement.

Bradshaws health

Bradshaw has had health issues midway through his current term.

In May 2022, the Sheriffs Office announced he had a heart procedure, and was away from work for an extended period, prompting speculation in political circles that he might leave office early.

In July of that year, a video posted to the Sheriffs Office Facebook page  featuring Bradshaws voice and a collage of past photographs  the sheriff said he would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and thoughts during the past few weeks while I was dealing with a health issue. Despite all the rumors and misinformation regarding my health, I am out of the hospital at home and continue to recover. Im feeling good and look forward to returning to the office very soon.

On Wednesday, Bradshaw said he is physically able to serve.

Im in good health. I do everything that I need to do. Im very active and most people say they cant even keep up with my schedule, he said. So, you know, my health and my mental acuity is as good as it could be. And Im perfectly fit to carry on this job.

Alex Freeman, who lost to Bradshaw in 2020 and 2016 and is challenging him again, said in the Editorial Board interview that word has been shared with me that people in southern Palm Beach County are now supporting him for sheriff because theyre not sure Bradshaw would serve a full term if he wins reelection.

Yes, that is a huge concern. Also in terms of health. Hes speaking very well about his health, but that is a huge concern that if he won again he might not fulfill those four years and so those folks down there are now supporting me, Freeman said. He didnt identify the purported supporters.

Bradshaw rejected the notion that he wouldnt complete a sixth term. I can tell you right now, Ill be here every single day of the next four years.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
Panama says migration through border with Colombia is down since President Mulino took office

FILE - Venezuelan migrant Minorca Parra holds her daughter Karin Alvear as she lines up to receive food in a temporary camp after crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia in Lajas Blancas, Panama, June 27, 2024. Migration through the Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama has declined significantly this month since Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino took office and ordered authorities to get control of the dense jungle frontier, the countrys border police said Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

PANAMA CITY (AP)  Migration through the Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama has declined significantly this month since Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino took office and ordered authorities to get control of the dense jungle frontier, the countrys border police said Wednesday.

Still, migration through the Darien remains close to what it was in a record-breaking 2023, when more than 500,000 migrants  more than half Venezuelans  made the treacherous journey.

The National Border Service reported Wednesday that 11,363 migrants had crossed the border since July 1, about 9,000 fewer than the same period last year.

The agencys director general, Jorge Gobea, attributed the reduction to the installation of about 3 miles (5 kilometers) of barbed wire on five trails in an effort to funnel migrants to a humanitarian corridor.

He also said the governments announcement of its more aggressive efforts and plan to deport migrants back to their countries, as well as heavy rains, could have affected the number of border crossers.

Mulino took office promising to stop illegal migration through the Darien Gap. The U.S. government agreed to pay for deportation flights for those migrants deemed inadmissible, but those flights have not started.

So far this year, more than 212,000 migrants have entered Panama through the Darien. Besides Venezuelans, others crossing include migrants from Ecuador, Colombia and China.

Panamas active efforts to stop and deport migrants would be a massive shift.

Under the outgoing administration, Panama had sought to help migrants cross the country quickly and in an orderly fashion. Migrants generally emerged from the jungle, registered with authorities and were swept across the country to the Costa Rican border.

Strengthening enforcement efforts in Panama could potentially reduce the number of migrants reaching the U.S. border, at least for a time until new routes are established. But it could also force migrants to use riskier paths and be a boon for smugglers.

U.S. arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico plunged 29% in June, the lowest month of Joe Bidens presidency, according to figures released Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Arrests totaled 83,536 in June, down from 117,901 in May, to mark the lowest tally since January 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

A seven-day average of daily arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border fell more than half by the end of June from Bidens announcement on June 4 that asylum processing would be halted when daily arrests reach 2,500, which they did immediately.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Papua New Guinea's sidelined minister to fight domestic violence charge in Sydney court next year

Papua New Guinea's former Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina, left, leaves Downing Centre Court in Sydney, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Maladina appeared in the court to have a hearing date set over an alleged incident of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute in an apartment in the expensive Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi on July 6. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

SYDNEY (AP)  Papua New Guineas sidelined Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina will appear in an Australian court in March next year to fight a charge of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute.

The 58-year-old appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to have a hearing date set over the assault that allegedly occurred July 6 in an apartment in the expensive Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi. The woman's identity has not been made public for legal reasons.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson set a hearing date of March 20, despite defense lawyer Margaret Cunneen requesting an earlier date.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced July 10 that Energy Minister Thomas Opa had taken over the petroleum portfolio since Maladina stepped down during the court process.

Maladina remains a government lawmaker and hopes to return to the South Pacific island nations cabinet after being cleared of the charge of assault resulting in bodily harm, which carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison.

It was Maladinas second court appearance. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea at his first appearance July 11.

He was arrested soon after police were called to the Bondi apartment and found a 31-year-old woman with facial injuries.

Maladina is free on bail with restrictions on contact with the woman. But there are no bail conditions that would prevent him returning to Papua New Guinea, Australias nearest neighbor and biggest recipient of Australian foreign aid.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lawrence told the court Maladina had given two police interviews since the complaint. The video-recorded interviews would be presented as evidence to the trial, which will be heard by a magistrate without a jury.

Lawrence said Maladina had referred in the police interviews to events that had allegedly happened in Papua New Guinea. Australian police were making inquiries into those allegations, Lawrence said, without elaborating. He also said two children were inside the apartment when the assault allegedly occurred and both might be called to testify.

The accuser's lawyer, Michael Lowe, agreed to relax some restrictions on Maladina contacting her.

Neither Maladina nor his lawyer have made any media statements surrounding his two court appearances.

Shortly after his arrest, Maladina said he was cooperating with the authorities. He said in a statement that he held himself to high standards as a public servant and that violence was never acceptable.
Parent of Charlotte daycare facing criminal charges, says her kids are safe there

Parent of Charlotte daycare facing criminal charges, says her kids are safe there

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Parents are now speaking out in defense of a daycare facility that was accused of putting childrens lives in danger.

In March, the state shut down Midwood Learning Academy on Central Avenue after video surfaced showing workers transporting young children in a van without securing them in car seats or seatbelts.

I leave my kids with them because I feel like they are safe, said parent Danielle Brown, whose three children go to the school, so I know for a fact they wasnt in danger.

Not Appropriate: Charlotte rape, murder suspect back behind bars after judge increases bond following release in first 24 hours

Parents who send their children to Midwood Learning Academy are defending the daycare after two workers were fired for not properly securing kids in the back of a van while leaving a nearby park. The incident in late February also landed daycare director Leslye Torrence behind bars for child abuse. Torrence will go on trial Wednesday to fight the charges.

Twice, following the allegations, Queen City News went to Midwood Learning Academy to get their side of the story.

In March, we knocked on the door, and said to the owner and Leslyes mother, Shirley Torrence, Were interested in talking about some of the charges against Leslye.

Midwood Learning Academy was shut down by the state following charged of child abuse by the facilitys director.

She shut the door on us, however, today she and others, held a news conference to say they want Leslyes charges dropped.

When asked why she wasnt receptive to our questions months ago, but she is now, Shirley Torrence said, I was told initially by the state not to speak to anyone. Its an ongoing investigation, and then they turned around and said, well, we cant tell you not to speak to anyone.'

Leslye Torrence who was visibly upset at the event, begins her trial Wednesday morning. She faces six counts of child abuse. The warrant worksheet states Torrence took the kids to the park; however, she says wasnt there when the incident happened, and that theres a reason the driver sped off.

Her child repeatedly says, the lady tried to snatch my friend.' Shirley Torrence said.

The group claims the same woman who told police that the children were unsupervised at the park and unsecured in the vehicle was allegedly trying to kidnap one of the children. They say the daycare workers sped off to escape what they perceived as danger.

It may have been dangerous because the door was open, said the parent, Brown. Somebody could have fell out, but if the lady was not intervening in what they were doing, none of that would have happened.

For now, one of the two daycare locations, which sit side by side, remains open. The owner says they take care of 25 kids, and all past violations stating staff didnt complete first aid or CPR training have been corrected.

Its the daycares that dont have violations that are hiding something, Shirley Torrence said.

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The girl's father, Jason Struhs, 52, was charged with murder while her mother, Kerrie Struhs, 49, was charged with manslaughter

Getty A stock image of a bottle of insulin and an injector

The parents of an 8-year-old child are on trial for her murder in Australia after prosecutors argued that they withheld her insulin leading up to her death, according to news reports.

The judge-only trial, which began on Wednesday, July 17, at the Queensland Supreme Court comes over two years after Elizabeth Struhs was found dead on Jan. 7, 2022, in a home in Toowoomba, which is located about 80 miles west of Brisbane, according to the BBC, The Guardian and the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC).

According to the outlets, Elizabeth allegedly died from diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a complication that occurs when a persons body isnt able to produce enough insulin, per the Mayo Clinic, after being denied diabetes medication to treat her type 1 diabetes.

Her father, Jason Struhs, 52, was charged with her murder, along with the leader of an Australian religious group known as the Saints to which the family belonged, Brendan Stevens, 62. The girls mother, Kerrie Struhs, 49, and brother Zachary Struhs, 21, alongside several other members of the religious group were also charged with manslaughter in her death, according to the BBC.

The 14 defendants reportedly pleaded not guilty and refused to enter a plea deal on the first day of the trial.

MICHAEL FELIX/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A courtroom sketch of Jason Richard Struhs (L), Kerrie Struhs (2-L, second row) and religious group leader Brendan Luke Stevens (L, second row) at Brisbane Supreme Court, in Brisbane, Australia, on July 10, 2024.

Prosecutor Caroline Marco argued in court that the religious group believed that God would heal Elizabeth from her diabetes and denied her diabetes medication and care due to their extreme beliefs, according to the outlet.

Marco also argued that the Saints convinced Jason and Kerrie to reduce the amount of insulin given to their daughter before taking her completely off of the medication on Jan. 3, 2022, just days before her death, per the BBC and The Guardian.

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Louise Conwell, who worked at Queensland Children's Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit as a senior endocrinologist, testified during the trial that Elizabeth had been admitted to the hospital for a severe case of diabetic ketoacidosis in July 2019, the outlets reported.

She also said that Elizabeth had been extremely emaciated and malnourished, having weighed only 13kg (28 lbs.) when she was admitted to the hospital. She said the little girl appeared to be minutes from death and needed to be intubated, The Guardian and ABC reported.

She was the most seriously unwell child Id ever seen in this context in that 20 years [of my career], Conwell told the court.

She testified that she had later called the girls mother who had not gone with her to the hospital to stress the importance of Elizabeth using insulin, however, Kerrie did not believe [Elizabeth] would need any of the medical care that I was describing, including the insulin, according to The Guardian.

Over 60 witnesses are scheduled to testify and over 70 hours of phone intercepts and video recordings are set to be presented during the trial, the outlet reported. The trial is scheduled to last about three months.



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Siam Legal International

The revamped Thailand Elite Visa program with Siam Legal International offers a streamlined and extended stay in Thailand.

Bangkok , July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The revamped Thailand Elite Visa program offers a streamlined and extended stay in Thailand. Unlike other visa options with lengthy and strict application processes, US citizens can now more easily acquire membership to Thailand Privilege and obtain the accompanying Elite Visa via Siam Legal International.



Siam Legal International

In addition to longer stays, Thailand Privilege provides various exclusive benefits designed to enhance the lifestyles and travel experiences of its members within the country. The new privileges include discounts at retail outlets and dining establishments, complimentary hotel stays, financial advisory services, medical care, and more.

The New Thailand Elite Visa Packages

There are four distinct membership options, each with differing visa durations and amounts of benefits.



Thailand Privilege Gold Membership Package

Cost: 900,000 THB

Duration: 5 years

Privilege Points: 20 points annually

2. Thailand Privilege Platinum Membership Package



Primary Applicant Cost: 1,500,000 THB

Additional Applicant Cost: 1,000,000 THB per applicant

Duration: 10 years

Privilege Points: 35 points annually

3. Thailand Privilege Diamond Membership Package



Primary Applicant Cost: 2,500,000 THB

Additional Applicant Cost: 1,500,000 THB

Duration: 15 years

Privilege Points: 55 points annually

4. Thailand Privilege Reserve Membership Package



(Note: Reserve Membership is available by invitation only from Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd.)

Primary Applicant Cost: 5,000,000 THB

Additional Applicant Cost: 2,000,000 THB

Duration: 20+ years

Privilege Points: 120 points annually

Thailand Elite Visa Benefits



Thailand Privilege Card members have access to a range of benefits, including:

5-year multiple-entry visas, renewable depending on membership duration at no additional cost

Up to 1 year of uninterrupted stay in Thailand, reset upon every re-entry

Streamlined application process

No annual fees

Enrollment in the Thailand Privilege Points feature, which provides a yearly allotment of points to be redeemed for a diverse selection of free perks

Option to add family members to the Platinum, Diamond, and Reserve tiers for a reduced price

Option to upgrade membership packages to higher tiers

Travel in and out of the country without needing a re-entry permit

Access to the premium lane at airports for expedited services

Services of an Elite Personal Assistant (EPA) at the airport

24/7 Member Contact Center hotline

Complimentary health check-ups once per membership validity

Complimentary personal accident insurance during the first year of membership

Seasonal gifts and promotional offers

Discounts at restaurant and shopping center chains

Story continues

Siam Legal and Thailand Privilege Partnership





Siam Legal International

Siam Legal Thailand, a General Sales and Services Agent (GSSA) for the Thailand Elite Visa program in the USA, received the Best Sales Performance Award (Western) in 2024 at the GSSA Awards.

The Thailand Privilege GSSA Awards ceremony took place on March 20, 2024, at the Siam Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The event recognized organizations for their contributions to the Thailand Privilege Visa Program and shared updates on the latest developments.

This award, given by Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (TPC), highlights Siam Legal's role as a provider of immigration services in Thailand and their commitment to service for Thailand Elite Visa clients in the USA.

Contacting Siam Legal



Siam Legal International

Prospective Thailand Privilege members can consult Siam Legal International for a smooth application process. With over 20 years of experience and visa professionals fluent in multiple languages, Siam Legal provides free and expert support to Elite Visa applicants.

Applicants can contact Siam Legal to schedule a consultation and get answers to their questions, including which Thailand Privilege membership to apply for. During the meeting, applicants can complete their application with direct GSSA assistance if they have the required documents. Siam Legals team will provide the necessary forms, take the applicants photo, and photocopy their passport. Once ready, Siam Legal will check for errors or missing documents and submit the application.

Siam Legal aims to minimize the risk of application delays and rejections for Thailand Elite Visa for US citizens, ensuring a smooth application experience.

###

Media Contact



Name: Siam Legal International (Bangkok Office)

Address: Two Pacific Place 18th Floor Unit 1806, 142 Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Phone: +66 80-005-9642

Email: thailandelite@siam-legal.com

Contact us: https://www.siam-legal.com/elite/

Siam Legal International (Bangkok Office)












Paris mayor swims in Seine to show how clean the water is ahead of 2024 Olympics

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has swam in the Seine on Wednesday morning in a showcase of how clean the river is for the outdoor swimming events at the 2024 Paris Olympics which opens in just nine days.

The Seines water quality, however, remains questionable and has repeatedly failed tests in advance of the 33rd Olympiad.

"On the eve of the Games, when the Seine will play a key role, this event represents the demonstration of the efforts made by the city and the state to improve the quality of the Seine's waters and the ecological state of the river," Hidalgo's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

MORE: Paris Olympics in limbo about whether Seine will be safe enough for swimming events

PHOTO: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the Seine, in Paris on July 17, 2024, to demonstrate that the river is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics later this month. (Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Hawks and Hounds: Inside the weird and wonderful world of Wimbledon's working animals

The Paris mayor entered the Seine at approximately 10 a.m. local time.

The 65-year-old mayors swim was reportedly postponed from last month when river samples were deemed to be too unhealthy for her to swim in.

She was accompanied by Tony Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing champion who successfully led Paris's bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and is serving as the head of the organizing committee, as well as the top security official for the greater Paris region, Marc Guillaume.

President Emmanuel Macron, who had promised to join them in a show of unity, was not there for the swim on Wednesday morning.

During heavy rains, sewage can overflow into the river. For example, on June 18, after several days of rain, E. coli levels in the Seine River jumped to roughly 10,000 Colony Forming Units per milliliter, more than 10 times the safety limit.

MORE: Inside the cutthroat world of becoming a Wimbledon ball boy and ball girl

PHOTO: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the Seine River, in Paris on July 17, 2024. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Wimbledon takes over New York City as the tournament expands beyond UK borders

According to findings published by Paris City Hall earlier this month, the last week of June saw four days when the water was clean enough to swim in, according to European standards, but no days when it was clean enough to swim in according to U.S. standards.

Paris Olympics officials initially insisted there would be no plan B, but organizers revealed their contingency plans on July 5, saying that open-water swimming might take place in the Marne River instead. In addition, officials said they could delay the triathlon event or, in the worst-case scenario, eliminate the swimming portion of the competition altogether.

The Seine is set to be used for the swimming leg of the Olympics triathlon on July 30, 31 and August 5, as well as the open-water swimming on August 8 and 9.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Paris mayor swims in Seine to show how clean the water is ahead of 2024 Olympics originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Patrick McDowell, man who killed Nassau deputy Joshua Moyers in 2021, sentenced to death by judge

Judge James H. Daniel sentenced to death on Wednesday a man who killed a Nassau County deputy.

Action News Jax told you in March 2023 when Patrick McDowell pleaded guilty.

McDowell shot and killed Deputy Joshua Moyers during a traffic stop in 2021.

The shooting led to a manhunt where McDowell was seen crawling from a concession stand bathroom after hiding for five days.

RELATED: Jury recommends death for Patrick McDowell, man who killed Nassau deputy in 2021

In April, McDowell said he doesnt deserve to live.

I killed a hero of a deputy who was doing his job, he said at the time. This is not a plea for my life, this is a plea for justice for Deputy Moyers and his family.

On Wednesday, Daniel said he didnt consider McDowells previous words.

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I have not considered the defendants request in arriving at my decision, Daniel said.

Daniel also said he assigned only moderate weight to McDowells post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service, as he had a great support system and was offered plenty of resources.

The defendant had resources that many did not have, Daniel said.

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Daniel said McDowells decision to kill Moyers and pull the trigger three times was not a result of his PTSD but an effort to avoid going back to jail.

In April, the jury agreed McDowell deserved death by an 11-1 vote.

Daniel said Wednesday he agreed with the jury. Daniel told McDowell that the sentence would go under automatic review.

We caught up with McDowells attorney, Alan Chipperfield, who said the defense team was fighting for life in prison.

I dont think theres any question that we wouldnt be here if it hadnt been for PTSD, Chipperfield said. The PTSD wouldnt exist if it hadnt been for Iraq. So, its a sad day.

Back in April, McDowell took the witness stand, shocking even his own attorneys. He told jurors he deserved death.

Its Patricks case. Patrick has a very strong conscious. He feels really bad about what he did, Chipperfield said. Lawyers and clients dont always see eye to eye.

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Peace group member accused of assaulting Van Orden says congressman tried to shove past her

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden at the National Federation of Republican Women's luncheon at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, June 16, 2024. Van Orden has been accused of shoving past a woman in line for the event outside the hotel, and has accused her of assaulting him. (Ashley Murray | States Newsroom)

A Wisconsin member of Congress and a staff member of the peace group CODEPINK are each accusing the other of assault in an incident outside a Republican National Convention event Tuesday.

In a statement CODEPINK said the groups staff member, Nour Jaghama, was shoved from behind by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) while Jaghama and other CODEPINK members were in line for an event.

The event was a Republican womens luncheon. In his own account of the incident, Van Orden posted on X that he was assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK. The post did not describe the actions that he said constituted an assault.

A nearby police officer witnessed this assault and I understand they have been arrested, Van Ordens post stated.

The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. outside the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, where people were in line to go into the building for the event in the hotels grand ballroom, said Melissa Garriga, a CODEPINK spokesperson.

CODEPINKs statement said Jaghama was peacefully waiting in line to enter an event when she was intentionally bumped into by a bald, white member of Congress while he tried to shove past her.

The statement said Jaghama did not react to the incident, but was accused of assault by a Texas State police officer who was at the scene and who took her into custody. Milwaukee Police subsequently arrived and made the arrest.

CODEPINK made a post on X about the incident with a video made on the scene, apparently just after the incident and while some other people were still in line to enter the hotel. CODEPINK published the post at 3:27 p.m. Tuesday.

In the video, Jaghama says of Van Orden, He cut me in line, so I stood in front of him, because I was first.

In a video on CODEPINKs website, one of the groups members says that Van Orden as soon as he ran into her said, You are assaulting a member of Congress.

CODEPINKs statement described Jaghama as visibly Palestinian. The statement said two other CODEPINK staff members ahead of Jaghama had gone into the building without any issues, raising concerns of racial profiling.

Garriga said Jaghama was taken to the Milwaukee Police Department District 3 station after her arrest. We do not know what the charges are as of now, Garriga told the Wisconsin Examiner in an email early Tuesday evening.

Van Ordens post on X about the incident was time-stamped at 5:26 p.m.

In his post, Van Orden wrote, This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this. Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence.

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Peace group member accused of assaulting Van Orden says congressman tried to shove past her

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden at the National Federation of Republican Womens luncheon at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. Van Orden has been accused of shoving past a woman in line for the event outside the hotel, and has accused her of assaulting him. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

A Wisconsin member of Congress and a staff member of the peace group CODEPINK are each accusing the other of assault in an incident outside a Republican National Convention event Tuesday.

In a statement CODEPINK said the groups staff member, Nour Jaghama, was shoved from behind by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) while Jaghama and other CODEPINK members were in line for an event.

The event was a Republican womens luncheon. In his own account of the incident, Van Orden posted on X that he was assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK. The post did not describe the actions that he said constituted an assault.

A nearby police officer witnessed this assault and I understand they have been arrested, Van Ordens post stated.

The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. outside the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, where people were in line to go into the building for the event in the hotels grand ballroom, said Melissa Garriga, a CODEPINK spokesperson.

CODEPINKs statement said Jaghama was peacefully waiting in line to enter an event when she was intentionally bumped into by a bald, white member of Congress while he tried to shove past her.

Nour Jaghama. (Cropped screenshot from CODEPINK video, used with permission)

The statement said Jaghama did not react to the incident, but was accused of assault by a Texas State police officer who was at the scene and who took her into custody. Milwaukee Police subsequently arrived and made the arrest.

CODEPINK made a post on X about the incident with a video made on the scene, apparently just after the incident and while some other people were still in line to enter the hotel. CODEPINK published the post at 3:27 p.m. Tuesday.

In the video, Jaghama says of Van Orden, He cut me in line, so I stood in front of him, because I was first.

In a video on CODEPINKs website, one of the groups members says that Van Orden as soon as he ran into her said, You are assaulting a member of Congress.

CODEPINKs statement described Jaghama as visibly Palestinian. The statement said two other CODEPINK staff members ahead of Jaghama had gone into the building without any issues, raising concerns of racial profiling.

Garriga said Jaghama was taken to the Milwaukee Police Department District 3 station after her arrest. We do not know what the charges are as of now, Garriga told the Wisconsin Examiner in an email early Tuesday evening.

Van Ordens post on X about the incident was time-stamped at 5:26 p.m.

In his post, Van Orden wrote, This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this. Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence.

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Pelosi Ally Adam Schiff Calls on Biden to Drop Out of the Presidential Race

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Wednesday became the latestand most prominentDemocrat in Congress to call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

[Biden] has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better, Schiff, a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November, he added.

Schiff, who is running for U.S. Senate in California, said the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, adding that Biden should pass the torch.

Schiff's call for the president to exist the presidential race is essentially a proxy the Democratic leadership in Washington.

Thats Nancy using her drone, its the SAME as Obama using Clooney, a Hill aide told Puck, referring the George Clooneys New York Times op-ed calling on Biden to drop out.

Schiff is the highest-profile Democrat to tell Biden to step aside after the divided party had decided to pause its pressure campaign on the president in the wake of the failed assassination attempt Donald Trump at a campaign rally.

This is not the time, a donor told The Hill's Amie Parnes.

Schiffs call comes after the Democratic National Committee announced earlier on Wednesday that it would move forward with its plan to virtually nominate Biden as the party's nominee ahead of its convention in Chicago next month.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) is leading the charge to halt the virtual roll call vote. He drafted a letter to the DNC on Tuesday calling on the organization to cancel the virtual nominating session.

Its a really bad move by the DNC. Somebody thinks its a clever way to lock down debate and I guess by dint of sheer force, achieve unity, but it doesnt work that way, Huffman told Politico of the virtual roll call vote.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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An Eastern Oregon Proud Boy and his brother have pleaded guilty for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

Jonathanpeter Klein, 24, of Pendleton, and Matthew Klein, 28, now living in Baker City, entered a plea deal Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Pendleton is about an hour south of the Tri-Cities and Baker City is further down Interstate 84 heading toward the Idaho border.

They were both facing six federal charges: conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, destruction of government property, entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a restricted building. Each charge has enhancements attached that could lengthen their sentences.

Jonathanpeter Klein

On Monday, felony charges were added for Jonathanpeter Klein for civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers on the obstruction charge. It now appears those charges were added as part of the plea deal.

The brothers were in court in Washington, D.C., before U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss.

Jonathanpeter Klein pleaded guilty to one count of civil disorder and one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer. Both are felonies.

Matthew Klein was pleaded guilty to a charge of a felony charge of civil disorder and a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted area.

Their other charges were dropped. They will be sentenced on Nov. 15 in U.S. District Court.

Former President Donald Trump has indicated that if reelected, he may pardon Jan. 6 rioters.

Its unclear how much prison time they could be facing, but Moss recently sentenced another rioter to 20 months in prison and two years supervised release for the same charges listed for Jonathanpeter Klein.

Matthew Klein

The conspiracy and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder charges are felonies, according to Justice Department news releases.

Jonathanpeter Klein appears to have agreed to mediation to settle a civil lawsuit for his role with the Proud Boys during the riots. His brother was not named in that lawsuit against the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers, who prosecutors accused of planning the insurrection.

Key leaders of both the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers have already been sentenced for their roles, including some on seditious conspiracy charges.

Jonathanpeter Klein, 24, is accused of using a crowd barricade to help rioters scale the walls of the capitol as they were breaking in.

Jonathanpeter Klein, wearing goggles and flag neck gaiter, had made his way from the Senate side of the Capitol, through a line of law enforcement officers to the House of Representatives side by 2:29 p.m. Jan. 6, 2021, according to the FBI. He then proceeded up a flight of stairs to the Capitols Rotunda.

They have been awaiting trial in the custody of third-party guardians since May of that year. Recent court orders have lifted some of their restrictions, allowing them to travel to Washington and Idaho for work.

The brothers are among a number of insurrection cases that have been repeatedly delayed for more than three years as federal prosecutors work through the larger organizational charges.

Many of those sentenced already have received prison terms of two to three years with an average sentence of 2 years 5 months, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Of the 1,470 charged so far in the riot, about 750 have gone to court. Of those 750, more than 600 have been sentenced to prison time, home confinement or a mix of both.

This series of images shows Matthew Klein as he enters the U.S. Capitol Building at approximately 2:18 p.m. Jan. 6, 2021 and waited in the lobby area, presumably for brother Jonathanpeter Klein, before heading further into the building, according to the FBI.

Jan. 6 involvement

Earlier filings described Jonathanpeter Klein as an active participant, who helped Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and other rioters breach the Capitol building.

He is a self-admitted member of the Proud Boys, a far-right organization that has gained notoriety for violence at protests.

Court documents say Jonathanpeter Klein was using a police barrier as a makeshift ladder to help others scale the wall of the building away from the main staircase.

After pushing their way past another barricade, Proud Boys member Defendant Klein obtained and used the police barricade to help others climb the Capitol walls and gain access to an external stairwell, said the initial complaint documents.

Matthew Klein, in green jacket and holding flag at left, appears on the wall within the restricted area of the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., at 2:11 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, according to FBI officials.

His brother is also accused of breaching the Capitol and attempting to use a Gadsen Flag as a weapon. The Proud Boys and other related organizations allegedly used flag poles as weapons.

When they were arrested in March 2021, the men spent about two months in jail, because a judge found their parents in the Pendleton area were unfit to serve as guardians after encouraging them to destroy cellphone data and keep quiet, allegedly telling the men, Braggers get caught. Pendleton is about 70 miles south of the Tri-Cities.

Jonathanpeter Klein was later named in a civil lawsuit brought by the District of Columbia, along with more than 100 members of the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers accused of substantial acts during the riots.

Portions of that lawsuit have been resolved for those in positions of leadership, and most of the remaining defendants appear to have agreed to participate in mediation, according to court documents.
(WHTM)  Wheres the beef? Well, two women who worked for a Pennsylvania Arbys may know after State Police alleged they stole thousands of dollars worth of beef from the restaurant.

According to court documents, Stephanie Davis, 63, and Shaniyah West, 21, both of Williamsport, allegedly worked together to steal the food and other items from a Lycoming County Arbys over the course of two months.

In total, the duo allegedly stole $3,495.37 worth of items while they worked at the fast-food restaurant. Below is the list of items and the monetary worth that the duo stole, according to the court documents:

56 units of beef  $2,800

143 drinks  $370.37

16 fried food items  $80.49

Other items  $245

The duo would allegedly slice beef and put it in an oven that wasnt being used, then put the beef in garbage bags and take the bags home with them.

State Police say the investigation into the stolen beef began when they were called to the Arbys, located at 1726 E 3rd Street in Loyalsock Township, on July 31 last year just after 7:30 a.m. for a reported theft.

Employee in Lancaster County charged for using company card to buy personal items; police

The restaurant owner told State Police they noticed a discrepancy in the beef sheet logs, but originally thought it was from the food being wasted. The owner says they later learned that two employees, West and Davis, were taking the beef home with them, according to the charges.

It was also reported by the manager that there was a night when Davis and West were working with each other, and they noticed the duo had sliced a large amount of roast beef. State Police say they were told the pair were eager to take the trash out, and when the manager checked the trash after they did, there was no roast beef in any of the bags.

According to Arbys policy, extra roast beef is supposed to be thrown out unless employees are given permission to take it home, the manager told State Police.

Davis claimed she wasnt stealing the roast beef since it was trash and denied taking anything else, while West acknowledged the stolen roast beef, according to the charges. State Police say West also claimed employees were allowed to have free food and drinks.

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The duo was also caught on surveillance video stealing the roast beef, fried food, and other items, Troopers say.

Both West and Davis face felony charges of conspiracy and theft.

The duo is out on unsecured bail set at $15,000 and are scheduled to be formally arraigned Aug. 5.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  A man was sentenced to 50 years in prison after he was found guilty of second-degree murder for an incident that happened in 2022, according to the Florida State Attorneys Office.

The dogs are doing wonderful: Okaloosa County Sheriff provides update on dozens of dogs after rescue

35-year-old Charles Tyree Moore III was sentenced to 50 years in state prison after he was found guilty by an Escambia County jury in the murder case of Durrell Dupree Palmer.

The homicide happened May 23, 2022, at a Circle K in Cantonment. According to the news release, the two men were involved in a heated conversation over an argument that started on social media.

Surveillance cameras at the Circle K captured the incident, and multiple people at the gas station witnessed it.

The release said Moore pulled a handgun from his pants and shot Palmer four times in the torso at close range.

I truly thought that she was going to die on the beach that day: Mobile nurse helps save shark attack victim

Moore fled from the scene but later called 911 to turn himself in.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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FILE PHOTO: Undated picture shows Jack Douglas Teixeira who was arrested by the FBI, over the leaks online of classified documents

By Nate Raymond

BOSTON (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who has pleaded guilty in federal court to a massive leak of classified U.S. national security documents online, will face a court-martial on charges that he also violated military laws.

Teixeira, 22, will face a trial on military charges that he obstructed justice following the discovery of one of the largest leaks of classified documents in years and failed to obey a lawful order, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Those charges were officially referred to trial on July 2, the spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Wagner, said in a statement. The trial, to take place at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, has yet to be scheduled, Wagner said.

The referral followed proceedings in May in which Air Force prosecutors urged a hearing officer, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Raming, to make a recommendation to a more senior officer that Teixeira face a trial by general court-martial.

The Air Force in May said it had decided to pursue military charges against Teixeira after he pleaded guilty in March to separate, earlier charges brought by the U.S. Justice Department.

Defense counsel for Teixeira did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His lawyers argued in May that the charges violate Teixeira's right to not be prosecuted twice for the same offense.

Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 after being accused of carrying out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years while working as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist.

Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors.

Teixeira shared classified information on the messaging app Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging that he had access to "stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China," according to prosecutors.

He faces at least 11 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 27 in the Justice Department's case. Prosecutors plan to seek a sentence of more than 16 years.

Air Force prosecutors have accused Teixeira of ignoring ordering from military superiors to cease his "deep dives" into classified information. They have said he also obstructed justice by disposing of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone after the leaks were uncovered and instructing people online to delete their correspondence with him.

(This story has been refiled to remove an incorrect picture)

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi)
United Airlines on Wednesday reported that its second-quarter profit rose 23% to $1.32 billion, as record crowds at U.S. airports helped the carrier overcome sharply rising costs for fuel and labor.

However, United warned that third-quarter results will fall short of Wall Street expectations because of a glut of U.S. flights that has airlines cutting prices to fill seats.

Delta Air Lines gave a similarly dim forecast last week. The airlines said, however, that across the industry carriers are trimming their schedules for mid-August and beyond, which should boost their pricing power.

Since the start of the second quarter on April 1, the number of travelers screened at U.S. airports has increased more than 6% over the same period last year, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. The nine busiest days in TSAs history have occurred during that span, although two were after the second quarter ended June 30.

However, Delta reported last week that its second-quarter profit fell 29%, and it gave a weaker-than-expected forecast for its third-quarter profit.

United said Wednesday that it expects to earn $2.75 to $3.25 per share in the third quarter, which is below the average $3.38 forecast among analysts in a FactSet survey. Alaska Airlines also gave a weaker third-quarter outlook, citing a moderating domestic revenue environment.

Both Delta and United indicated that demand for premium travel  sitting in the front cabin  is strong. United said revenue from premium passengers grew 8.5% from a year earlier.

Pricing is weaker, however, for cheaper seats in the main cabin because airlines collectively have added so many flights. Delta executives called out budget airlines such as Spirit and Frontier for expanding too rapidly.

Its not just the little guys, however. TD Cowen analyst Thomas Fitzgerald said he is concerned that aggressive discounting this summer by American Airlines is hurting revenue trends.

United contributed to the oversupply too. Its passenger-carrying capacity in the second quarter was 8.3% higher than in the same period last year. The airline said it will cut its planned U.S. capacity in the fourth quarter by about 3% from the company's previous plan.

American, Southwest and, just this week, Spirit have all cut their forecasts of second-quarter revenue in recent weeks, each citing a different reason.

Chicago-based United said its second-quarter profit worked out to $4.14 per share, excluding one-time gains and losses. Analysts expected $3.93 per share, according to a FactSet survey.

Story continues

Revenue rose 6% to $14.99 billion, slightly below the analysts forecast of $15.04 billion.

United said its fuel bill rose 11% and labor costs increased 10.5% compared with a year earlier. Landing fees and other rents jumped 13.2%, although they make up a much smaller chunk of United's spending.

Shares of United Airlines Holdings fell immediately after release of the weak third-quarter outlook, but they were around break-even after about an hour of extended.

United executives are scheduled to discuss the results with analysts and reporters on Thursday.

Alaska Air Group, the parent of Alaska Airlines, said it earned $220 million on $2.9 billion in revenue during the second quarter, beating analysts' profit forecast.

The Seattle-based company, which also owns regional carrier Horizon Air, said that it expects to earn between $1.40 and $1.60 per share in the third quarter because of a slowing U.S. market and the cost of a tentative new contract for flight attendants. Analysts had expected $2.06 per share.
Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who pleaded guilty to federal offenses for leaking sensitive information online, will now face a military court-martial, according to the U.S. Air Force.

No trial date has been set yet for the military legal proceedings, which will take place at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

Teixeira faces charges alleging he violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to a statement from the Air Force.

MORE: Air Force preps new military charges against convicted Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira

The first charge alleges he failed to obey an order to "cease and desist from accessing information not pertaining to his duties" on or about Sept. 15, 2022, and on or about April 13, 2023, according to the statement.

The second charge alleges that he "dispose[d] of an iPad, computer hard drive, and cell phone, with intent to obstruct the due administration of justice in the case of himself" sometime between March 1, 2023, and April 13, 2023, according to the statement. It also alleges he similarly directed another person to delete Discord messages he sent "with intent to obstruct the due administration of justice in the case of himself" on or about April 7, 2023.

PHOTO: An undated picture shows Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the U.S. Air National Guard, who was arrested by the FBI, over his alleged involvement in leaks online of classified documents, posing for a selfie at an unidentified location. (Social Media Website via Reuters)

Teixeira was indicted by a federal grand jury last year on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense. Federal prosecutors said Teixeira "accessed and printed hundreds of classified documents" and posted images of them on Discord prior to his arrest in April 2023.

He pleaded guilty to all six charges and agreed to accept a 16-year prison sentence in March. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to charge him with additional counts under the Espionage Act.

MORE: Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira agrees to accept 16-year prison sentence

His sentencing is set for Sept. 27.

The U.S. military reserves the right to separately prosecute a service member who has already been convicted in a federal court.

An Air Force evidentiary hearing was held in May to determine whether his case should move forward to an Air Force court-martial.

Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira to face military court-martial, Air Force says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The U.S. military will permanently dismantle the pier meant to deliver humanitarian assistance off the coast of Gaza, putting an end to the troubled effort to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians via the Mediterranean Sea, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

The mission to install and use the temporary, floating structure is complete. So theres no more need to use the pier, Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters.

The pier, along with support vessels and equipment, is currently in port in Ashdod, Israel, after it was removed June 28 due to bad weather. Humanitarian aid shipments will soon be shifted to the port, where aid will be offloaded onto trucks and driven into northern Gaza, Cooper said.

Defense officials last week said they were wrapping up operations on the mission, known officially as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, after continued wind and rough seas in the region prevented the pier from being reattached to shore.

The piers removal marks the end of a project that has frequently been the target of ridicule due to its exorbitant price tag and frequent breakdowns, which have resulted in far less aid delivered into the embattled territory as had been envisioned.

The structure had to be removed three times since it was installed on May 17, first on May 25 after being damaged by high winds and waves. Army vessels became beached in Gaza and Israel, and three of the roughly 1,000 troops assigned to build and operate the pier sustained injuries during that time.

The pier was reconnected on June 7, but a week later on June 14 it was again removed due to weather. It was reattached days later, but further rough seas once again damaged the structure and it was never put back.

President Biden, who first announced the pier in his State of the Union address in March, last week said he was disappointed with the effort meant to ferry aid positioned in Cyprus to the pier to then be unloaded in Gaza and dispersed through various humanitarian organizations.

Ive been disappointed that some of the things that Ive put forward have not succeeded as well, like the port we attached from Cyprus. I was hopeful Cyprus, that would be more successful, Biden said during a news conference in Washington.

Following the announced end of the project, Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) lambasted the effort as a national embarrassment.

The only miracle is that this doomed-from-the-start operation did not cost any American lives, Wicker said in a statement. While I am glad it has finally concluded, we cannot buy back the $230 million needlessly spent, and significant questions remain about the Biden administrations poor planning for this mission.

Cooper did note the projects price tag is going to come in well underneath the $230 million initially estimated.

The pier was only used for 20 days to deliver about 20 million pounds of aid, but Cooper insisted the operation was a success.

The pier has done exactly what we intended it to do, he said.

Cooper said theres at least 5 million pounds of aid in Cyprus still remaining, and the personnel remain on mission to get that delivered in the quickest way possible.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Hover over the Redmond Municipal Airport on Google Maps and scroll north of the Ochoco Highway. From a distance, the parcels of public land look like undisturbed patches of Oregons high desert: Western juniper trees scattered between brown and green tufts of bunchgrass and sagebrush set in the rain shadow of the High Cascades.

But zoom in on the desert plains east of Redmond and satellite images reveal hundreds of acres of trash and dozens of makeshift neighborhoods of trailers, motorhomes and junked cars. This property, whose ownership is divided between Deschutes County and the Bureau of Land Management, is an example of the countless parcels of Oregons public land where homeless people are taking refuge in violation of local and federal laws.

Depending on the jurisdiction, the enforcement of these laws falls to the Bureau of Land Management  which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior  the state, or to county and city law enforcement. The added expense of removing the trash left behind at these locations can also cost these government agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Satellite imagery show expansive swaths of land dotted by vehicles that are both inhabited and abandoned, officials told KOIN 6 News. People leave behind garbage, human waste and drug paraphernalia in these areas, which require large community cleanups and the occasional hazmat team. (Satellite images from Google Earth and Google Maps)







BLM spokesperson Samantha Ducker told KOIN 6 News that the federal agency, which owns about 25% of Oregon, knows that people are living and dumping on public lands. While the public is encouraged to camp on BLM land, BLM regulations prohibit people from camping in an area for more than 14 days. Once the two-week limit is reached, campers are required to move 25 miles away from their previous campsite. If people remain in the area past the deadline, BLM Law Enforcement officers can issue a $250 fine. But with 25 law enforcement officers and five special agents employed across the entire state, BLM officers are overwhelmed by the number of illegal long-term campsites in Oregon.

The BLM is experiencing many problems with unauthorized, illegal long-term occupancy of public lands, Ducker said. This is distinctly different from camping for recreational purposes. These long-term occupancies are overwhelming the agencys resources to deal with them, and in many cases result in hazardous wastes that require specialized contractors for removal and remediation.

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The BLMs Oregon and Washington office requests $100,000 each year to clean up the illegal dumping, Rebecca Hile, assistant district manager of BLM operations in Northwest Oregon, told KOIN 6 News. These cleanups are often related to illegal, long-term campgrounds, the agency said. However, the BLM makes no distinction in its records between the removal of dumped trash and the cleanup of long-term campsites.

Kyle Sullivan, spokesperson for the BLMs Medford office, told KOIN 6 News that people often dump old RVs and other vehicles on public land instead of paying to take them to the landfill, making it difficult to determine if any one cleanup is related to illegal camping.

In many cases, Sullivan said, the BLM partners with various local organizations and government agencies to clear these frequented dumping grounds, which can extend into city, county, state, Forest Service and private properties.

Illegal dumping cleared by the BLMs Medford District. (Bureau of Land Managment)



Local organizations do their part to clean up Central Oregon

Tate Morgan, the founder of the off-roading organizations Gambler 500 and Sons of Smokey, told KOIN 6 News that the groups have helped to remove 2 million pounds of trash in Central Oregon since 2017. Most recently, the group of volunteers cleared roughly 250,000 pounds of trash from public lands in Deschutes County in a single weekend. Morgan said that roughly half of the trash comes from the areas homeless population and half is dumped there by local residents and businesses.

Bend and the surrounding areas are the worst weve seen anywhere in the U.S., Morgan said. Fast growth, zero planning for affordable housing, adjacent public land which they have pushed their houseless population onto with no accounting for trash byproducts.

Past Gambler 500 and Sons of Smokey cleanup events held in Central Oregon. (Photos courtesy of Tate Morgan)





Although organizations regularly host cleanup events around the country, large community cleanups arent appropriate for areas still occupied by homeless people or sites that contain hazardous waste. When hazardous waste is discovered, government agencies like the BLM hire special hazmat teams to complete the work. According to records obtained by KOIN 6, the BLM spent more than $477,000 on hazmat remediation in Oregon between 2021 and 2023.

We find a lot of asbestos, needles, chemicals, Sullivan said. Theres a lot of potentially hazardous situations that dont lend themselves to community cleanups.

Deschutes County attempts to relocate homeless campers

In Deschutes County, county officials have spent the past 20 years working to swap the troubled property east of Redmond with the Oregon Department of State Lands.

In 2015, the two agencies agreed to exchange 137 acres of the property east of Redmond for 140 acres south of the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center, which the county will use to extend its fairgrounds. But in the spring of 2023, the Oregon Department of State Lands added a stipulation that the county must clear the land of trash and illegal campers before the deal can be completed, Deschutes County Deputy Administrator Erik Kopp told KOIN 6 News.

ODSL sent a letter saying, in order for land swap to move forward, the county-owned land needs to be removed of people and debris, Kopp said.

While illegal camping also occurs on state-owned land, ODSL and Oregon State Parks officials told KOIN 6 News that its uncommon. Camping is generally limited to 30 days on designated tracts of ODLS land and 14 days in Oregon State Parks. Although each incident is unique, ODSL spokesperson Katrina Scotto di Carlo said that making contact with the campers often solves the problem.

We occasionally see people living on DSL-managed lands, particularly parcels close to populated areas, Scotto di Carlo said. When this happens, our team and partners  including public safety partners  let people know the rules for camping  Letting people know camping isnt allowed has worked for us in many situations.

The area of public land that Deschutes County plans to swap with the Oregon Department of State Lands (blue), and the area where the county plans to relocate the homeless residents living there (green). (Deschutes County)

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In April, the Redmond City Council and the Deschutes Board of County Commissioners held a joint meeting to discuss the land exchange. During which, officials supported moving the homeless campers into a 45-acre space south of the proposed property exchange.

That property also contains the Oasis Village  a homeless shelter that the county spent $367,500 building in 2022, The Bend Bulletin reports.

However, with an extensive swath of BLM land neighboring the property, officials are uncertain about their ability to contain the campers in a single area.

[Its] important to acknowledge that even if the 45 acres was designated as a relocation option, individuals living on the 137 acres could not be forced/required to move to the specific location identified, a Deschutes County staff report reads from April 17 reads.  There will be many challenges to implementing the relocation plan, including topography; access; securing and storing abandoned personal property; enforcement; addressing new encampments; the storage and removal of vehicles; weather issues; and, once people are relocated, keeping the 137 acres clear.

Enforcing camping laws

In county jurisdictions, sheriffs offices can conduct code enforcement sweeps to help clean up county land. Code enforcement, for example, can allow for the towing of vehicles used for illegal camping. But the BLM does not offer a similar level of enforcement.

Michael Roop, the chief ranger for BLM Law Enforcement in Oregon and Washington, told KOIN 6 News that the agency doesnt arrest people for illegally camping or littering on public land, and once citations are issued, its up to the Central Violations Bureau and U.S. District Courts to move forward with the cases.

Weve done what we can do by issuing the citation, Roop said.

Although theres no guarantee that Deschutes County will be able to keep the public land included in the proposed property exchange clear of campers for an extended period of time, county officials have budgeted $400,000 to clean up the area in 2025. Kopp said that the county hopes to handle the relocation and cleanup humanely by providing the homeless residents with amenities like water, hand wash stations, trash bins and portable toilets in its relocation zone.

One thing we want to avoid is closing county-owned land and having people move from county land to other agency-owned lands, Kopp said. Part of the strategy is talking to commissioners, identifying acres of county land [for the exchange] and telling people thats where you can go right now  When we ask people to move, we give them plenty of notice and plenty of time to prepare, and ideally, have an alternative [place for them to go].

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
For U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, the July 13 Trump event in Butler County started off as a typical political rally. Seated with other Republican officials just off stage, Meuser watched as former President Donald Trump addressed the crowd.

"Seven or eight minutes into the speech, just as (Trump) was showing the legal immigration graph on the big billboard, the shots rang out," he said. "We heard two shots at first, very rapid fire, and I don't think everybody knew what was going on immediately. Then the third shot, I saw President Trump grab his head and hit the deck, and it was clear he was under fire."

On the Butler Farm Show grounds Saturday afternoon, a 20-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at the former president. Trump narrowly escaped being killed in the assassination attempt, being nicked in the ear with one shot.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter is dead after injuring former U.S. President Donald Trump, killing one audience member and injuring another in the shooting.

When he heard the first "crackles" as events were unfolding, Meuser said it didn't cross his mind that it could be gunfire. But by the third shot it was clear to everyone what was happening.

"People were crying, yelling," Meuser said. "Concerned about Donald Trump. Concerned about themselves. Concerned about their family."

Video showed Trump appeared to be clutching his ear as Secret Service agents swarmed in to protect him. As agents attempted to get the former president up and into a nearby vehicle, Meuser said the mood of the crowd seemed to change.

"When Trump stood up, waved his fist in the air and said 'Fight, Fight, Fight'...it really cooled the scene," Meuser said. "Everybody was leaving not in panic, but just everybody asking 'Are you OK?' 'God bless you' 'God bless the president.' Just really felt he was OK. So it was a very strong move on his part to have the wherewithal, the strength of character to do that."

In a news conference Sunday, Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed that 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, of Sarver, in Butler County, was killed by gunfire in an attempt to protect his family. Meuser said Compertore may have been sitting 12 rows behind him on the the bleachers when the shots rang out.

James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Allegheny County, and David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, in Westmoreland County, were also wounded in Saturday's shooting. Officials said both were in stable condition on Sunday night.

The 20-year-old nephew of U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, was also nicked in the neck during the shooting, according to Meuser.

"It's just a tragedy," he said about the victims.

The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the shooter behind the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Officials said Crooks was perched on a rooftop about 150 yards away, and was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper sharpshooter perched on a different building moments after he fired.

The shooting is still under investigation. Meuser said there was clearly a lapse in the outer perimeter security that officials need to get to the bottom of going forward.

"We need to be more diligent, we need to be on heightened alert," he said. "You saw the news, it was 30 minutes prior somebody reported seeing somebody up on that roof. So that's very concerning, and then a minute and 26 seconds they saw a gun. ... That's just seriously sad and inexcusable."

Rhetoric shift

Many residents across both parties, including in Central Pennsylvania, have called for the negative political rhetoric to be toned down after the events in Butler County. Meuser said that there is talk of this becoming a "unifying moment" for the country.

"I think Republicans are willing and want to do our part," he said. "President Trump even said he's rewriting his speech to make it more unifying and less critical of Biden. But the challenge I'm making to Democrats is let's stop the personal attacks completely, or at least minimize them and focus on policy."

Meuser, who serves on the Trump campaign's Pennsylvania leadership team, said that President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee put out messages like "Donald Trump's a tyrant" and "Our country is in danger."

"Those are very untrue comments, and they're very, very personal and they're baseless," he said. "And things like that need to not be included in the political narrative."

Speaking with Republican leadership at the national convention in Milwaukee this week, Meuser said that everyone he speaks with wants to "stay on the same vein of thought." That includes avoiding personal attacks and having a real policy discussion that "hopefully can be more fruitful and more useful to the American people."

"We need to make conscious efforts to cool the situation, improve the type of dialogue and have a responsible commentary," he said. "I'm not sure what that means, but responsible. It's hard to find, but we know it when we see it or hear it."

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser talks about Trump rally shooting in Butler County
Perspective: What is the appropriate response to people who said terrible things after Trump was shot?

Broadly speaking, there were two potential responses to the horrifying attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, an event which had enormous potential to spiral out of control.

One response is to blame the other side and double down on efforts to defeat your political enemy. The other is to unequivocally condemn the violence, take a hard look at ourselves and to try mitigate tensions in our polarized age. The first is easy and counterproductive. The second is hard and requires real leadership. America desperately needs the latter, and there are promising signs in much of the response.

Unfortunately, there were also despicable responses on both sides of the political aisle, some of the worst coming from the left.

Jacqueline Marsaw, who last week was an aide to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., was fired by her boss after she posted on Facebook, I dont condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you dont miss next time and later saying, Thats what your hate speech got you!!

This unfortunate event has a lot to teach America.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. | Gene J. Puskar

Thompson, who appropriately condemned the violence without qualification, was right to fire Marsaw. First, it is never appropriate to cheer political assassinations, no matter how much you disagree with the intended victim. Second, doing so is even worse for someone like Marsaw, who should have known that what she says reflects on her boss. Thompson is not only a senior member of Congress but the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, as well as the former chairman of the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol Attack. He can least afford to be affiliated with comments like this.

We dont fully know the motives of the shooter, but we do know that the assassination attempt comes in a time of hyperpolarization unique to modern times. There is no way to reduce such tensions without leaders taking direct action within their zones of control, to encourage and even mandate better behavior.

In that sense, Thompson firing Marsaw is an act of civic hygiene. The First Amendment gives us an almost unlimited ability to say what we want, but it should not shield us from all consequences for our actions, particularly when you report to a person in a position of power and influence like Thompson.

But more must be considered. I cant help but worry about Marsaw, and people like her. I dont know her personally, but indications are that, aside from a few wrongheaded social media posts, shes a normal, and even admirable person. Shes 61 years old, seems to have started working with Thompson early last year, and has served as the chairperson of the local chapter of the NAACP and an organizer for other civil rights organizations. Her work includes arranging parades for Martin Luther King Day in the heart of a state where, within her lifetime, civil rights activists were murdered for trying to register Black people to vote. Marsaw also organized a group for grieving parents whose children had died, after discovering how many mourning parents there were in her community after a Stop the Violence march she also organized.

You dont have to agree with her politics to find something admirable in Marsaws life work.

It is easy to see the hypocrisy in organizing marches celebrating Martin Luther King, the patron saint of nonviolent activism in America, and organizing Stop the Violence campaigns, while making the kind of statement she did. But thats the point: Her statement is not emblematic of her whole life. Marsaw has admitted, I got overwhelmed in the moment and said it was intended to be comic, and not serious. That does not excuse the remark, but shes not the first person to say something terrible on social media without thinking it through.

The Libs of TikTok account on the social media platform X has been calling out a number of people who have said similar things and advocating for them to be fired. Marsaw, as a staffer for a congressional leader, was in a very different position than, say, a lab assistant at a medical facility. Maybe some of these people should be disciplined in various ways, maybe not. It depends on the details.

But we should think twice about ruining peoples lives over a few unwise social media posts. This is true, both for the sake of the individuals, as well as society as a whole.

While such statements are indeed moral failings, they do not occur in a vacuum, but are instead byproducts of our societys toxic polarization. Indeed, much of the partisan warfare we have seen in recent years encourages this kind of response, especially on social media.

Saying this in no way justifies any of the despicable comments, but is to show that we should hold people accountable but be careful in our response. What will Marsaw, or those in her tribe learn if their entire lives are destroyed by a social media post? Itll teach them they can only trust their own bubble.

In times like this, everyone should take the difficult but necessary step to hold people accountable, but also to show sufficient grace. There is no substitute to recognizing that we are all Americans, and we are all products of our own bubbles, and that we can only fix what is inside our own bubbles. When my fellow American, Jacqueline Marsaw, has her next job interview, I hope her prospective employer grills her about lessons learned from this unfortunate episode, and, should her answer be sufficient and her skills a good match, give her the job.

It is in small things like that that America can slowly change for the better.

Cliff Smith is a lawyer and a former congressional staffer. He lives in Washington, D.C., where he works on national security related issues. His views are his own.
Newly released photographs from the Peruvian Amazon show dozens of uncontacted Indigenous people, members of the Mashco Piro tribe, only a few miles from an area where logging is set to begin.

The new photos are irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies, said Alfredo Vargas Pio, head of the Indigenous organization FENAMAD. The logging workers could bring in new diseases which would wipe out the Mashco Piro, and theres also a risk of violence on either side.

Several logging firms hold claims to lands belonging to the Mashco Piro, who are believed to be the largest uncontacted tribe in the world. One firm, Canales Tahuamanu, has built more than 100 miles of roads through Mashco Piro territory in preparation for new logging. Caroline Pearce, head of Survival International, which gathered the photos, said the operation is a humanitarian disaster in the making.

Even though the Peruvian government has acknowledged that logging claims fall within Mashco Piro lands, the Forest Stewardship Council has certified the Canales Tahuamanu operation as sustainable and ethical. Pearce is calling on the council to withdraw the certification, saying that failure to do so will make a mockery of the entire certification system.

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When JD Vance first met Peter Thiel in 2011, Vance was a student at Yale Law School and Thiel, a venture capitalist, gave a speech at the university criticizing modern society.

Vance later wrote that he was trying to find his place in a highly competitive atmosphere, and Thiels speech awoke something in him that made him realize he didnt want to practice law.

Vance would go on to work for Thiel at his venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. More than a decade after they met, Thiel would help Vance win a seat in the U.S. Senate with $15 million to support his campaign, which launched Vance to his selection Monday as former President Donald Trump's running mate.

Vances first claim to fame may have been his rise from rags to riches, but Thiel was key to his political success.

I had no idea what to expect at the time, Vance wrote of when they first met.

Who is Peter Thiel and what does he believe?

Thiel made his fortune as an early investor in PayPal in the 1990s and Facebook in the 2000s. He's also known as the financier of a lawsuit against Gawker that bankrupted the website and a longtime Republican donor who has spent more than $49 million on campaigns since 2000.

A self-described libertarian, Thiel has expressed opinions and associated with figures on the far-right fringe. In a 2009 essay, he wrote, "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible," and that women gaining voting rights "rendered the notion of 'capitalist democracy' into an oxymoron." In 2016, he hosted a "Right Wing Dinner Squad" that included white nationalist Kevin DeAnna.

Vance moved San Francisco, where he worked for Thiels firm, in 2013, according to TechCrunch.

Thiel has heavily supported an eclectic mix of right-wing Republicans, including former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has said the U.S. should return to the gold standard, and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, an immigration hardliner who gained national notoriety for toughening the states voting laws while serving as secretary of state.

During the 2022 midterms, Thiel backed Rep. Harriet Hageman, who unseated Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, and unsuccessful House candidate Joe Kent in Washington, who spread the racist and antisemitic Great Replacement theory on the campaign trail.

Thiel did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Nor did the Trump campaign or Vance's Senate office.

Peter Thiel is seen in 2022 in Miami.

Peter Thiel invested in Rumble with JD Vance

One of Vance and Thiel's earliest joint forays into politics may have been in 2021, when they invested in Rumble as a conservative alternative to YouTube. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, social media companies cut the far-rights access to their platforms.

The investment went through Vances Cincinnati-based private equity fund, according to the Wall Street Journal. Vances financial disclosure from 2022 valued his firms stake in Rumble between $15,001 and $50,000.

This will be a major play against Big Tech, Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of the company, told the Wall Street Journal in 2021.

By 2022, Rumble became one of the leading social media news platforms on the right, according to the Pew Research Center. More than three-quarters of people who got news from the site leaned Republican.

(L-R) Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and entrepreneur Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel backed JD Vances 2022 Senate campaign

When Vance expressed interest in running for a Senate seat opening up in 2022, he went up against a crowded primary field that included included several wealthy individuals who gave tens of millions of dollars to their own campaigns. Vance, who by now was rich from his venture capital career and sales of his book "Hillbilly Elegy," gave his campaign $1.4 million.

But Thiel, whom Vance once described as a good friend, became Vances biggest backer by far. Thiel gave $15 million Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC that ran ads supporting Vance's candidacy. The PAC spent more on ads to elect Vance than all of the money Vance's campaign raised on its own. And it's one of the largest amounts Thiel has ever spent on a single candidate.

During the campaign, Vance offered top donors to his campaign an invitation to a small group dinner with him and Thiel.

Some of the ads Thiels PAC ran for Vance boasted his endorsement from former President Donald Trump and said Vance would help secure elections. Another said Vance would help finish Trumps border wall, end welfare for illegals, and defund sanctuary cities.

Although Thiel enthusiastically backed Trump in 2020, he expressed disappointment with Trump's tenure and stayed on the sidelines in 2020.

Thiel hasn't backed any candidates in the 2024 campaign. He said last month that he'd vote for Trump "if you put a gun to my head."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How PayPal founder Peter Thiel made JD Vances political career
Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association and sponsor of the Support Our Schools ballot referendum, leads supporters in transporting more than 86,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State. July 17, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  Nebraskans appear likely to vote this November on whether to repeal the revamped version of Nebraskas first major school choice legislation in a generation.

Public schools advocacy group Support Our Schools on Wednesday announced that it was turning in more than 86,000 signatures gathered from people seeking a chance to weigh in.

The group had only 67 days to collect the roughly 61,000 valid signatures it needed from 5% of registered voters, including 5% in at least 38 of Nebraskas 93 counties.

Why 67 days? State senators passed Legislative Bill 1402 on the last day of the legislative session in April. And Gov. Jim Pillen, a school choice supporter, held the bill before signing it.

Support Our Schools then worked with its lawyers on petition language and organized an effort to gather signatures, the second in as many years.

The second go-round

The same group gathered signatures last year to put the original version of the school choice law, Legislative Bill 753, on the ballot. That law was replaced this year by the new LB 1402.

The group used 2,800 volunteers to gather signatures this summer, after using 2,100 last year, said Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association.

We want it to go to the ballot, and thats whats going to happen, she said Wednesday. Were not going to get it taken this time.

Once signatures are verified, the Secretary of States Office said it would work with the Attorney Generals Office to verify that constitutional and statutory requirements are met.

Cynthia Peterson, of the League of Women Voters, said she wore the same red Support Our Schools T-shirt this week that she did the first time the group turned in petitions in August 2023.

She said Wednesday felt like deja vu.

School choice supporters changed the law

LB 1402 will replace LB 753s tax credit for donating to scholarships for needy students attending private K-12 schools with a school voucher program.

This is the first year of students attending private schools using up to $25 million-a-year scholarship tax credits. LB 1402 creates a $10 million-a-year voucher program.

Supporters of both efforts have said they hope to increase the amount appropriated over time and to increase the number of students eligible, while still favoring families in need.

The author of both bills, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, has said LB 1402 responded to critics of the earlier tax credit. She has also acknowledged wanting to sidestep the first ballot push by passing the new legislation.

Linehan said the petition effort hurts our kids by taking school choice away from families that need it the most. She said repealing the law would hit low-income families hard.

She said 48 states provide state support for private K-12 schools, including neighboring Iowa, which revamped its approach to let state funding follow the student to a chosen school.

Voucher supporters did not organize a Decline to Sign campaign, as they did in 2023.

They have said they expected Support Our Schools and the Nebraska State Education Association to collect enough signatures.

But no matter how much money they spend or how many signatures they collect, supporters of school choice wont stop fighting for parents rights and for our kids, Linehan said.

Linehan criticizes Support Our Schools

Linehan again criticized teachers unions and Democratic donors Susie Buffett and Barbara Weitz and her daughter, Katie, for funding a network of nonprofits backing Support Our Schools.

Buffett is one of the top funders of programs supporting additional needs of public schools through her foundations. Barbara Weitz is a University of Nebraska regent who does similar work.

Benson said Linehan, along with U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other school choice funders are the ones who deserve scrutiny.

She defended the Nebraska teachers funding unions at the local, state and national levels, saying they care about all kids. She said private schools can choose which students they serve.

Support Our Schools has raised $1.37 million and spent more than $1.2 million for this second petition effort, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

When Senator Linehan  does all these tricks to block Nebraskans from voting, it doesnt work, Benson said. Dont poke the bear. They poked the bear, friends.

Organizations say people should get to vote

Brad Christian-Sallis of the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, one of the nonprofits Linehan criticized, said some politicians and wealthy special interests tried to block the vote.

He said people stepped up and made sure that we got this work done. The Rev. Dr. Karla Cooper noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law 60 years ago this month.

I dont know about you, but Im tired of ignorance, Cooper said at the Support Our Schools event. If we dont get this right, wrong will always be the lot of our lives.

Rebecca Firestone of OpenSky Policy Institute, another of the groups Linehan named, said most of the families that benefit from voucher programs were already attending private schools.

Petition organizers said nine out of 10 Nebraska students attend public schools. They stressed potential harm to rural students from LB 1402, saying 48 of the states 93 counties have no private schools.

Lina Traslavina Stover, executive director of the Heartland Workers Center, said immigrants often need help from their public schools to learn English and assimilate.

Andy Grosshans, a school board member in Waverly, said that Nebraskans dont want to spend tax dollars on private schools and that the state doesnt hold such schools accountable.

Diverting those funds from public schools is only going to damage the public schools, he said. The taxpayers cannot afford to support two school systems.

Linehan: State can afford voucher program

Linehan and others have said the state can do both. Lawmakers last session added new funding for public schools, including a $1 billion fund being used to provide a baseline of state aid and special education, among other priorities.

Pillen has considered using some of that funding for possible offsets to help fund property tax relief during a promised special session this summer on property taxes, starting as early as next week.

Benson and Tim Royers, the NSEAs president-elect, said they will be watching how Pillen and others approach Pillens proposal to have the state assume more K-12 costs.

Royers said most Nebraskans have voted on school choice proposals before, and each time they have sided with maintaining their public schools.

Our opponents are somehow trying to capture the narrative that theyre the ones trying to do this for all kids, Royers said. Their goal is to undermine public education and profit (from private schools).

Jeremy Ekeler, executive director of a scholarship-granting organization under LB 753, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, said in a statement that his group is already helping students.

More than 2,000 students have applied for funds through his organization, one of several that provide them, and has awarded 508 scholarships.

He and spokeswoman Lauren Gage said the organization hopes to award more than 1,500 by September. They shared statements from parents saying they are excited about the program.

One of them, Brandon Keeler, said he knows that many families can benefit from the help. He encouraged people to preserve and potentially expand the scholarships because our younger generation is who will make this world a greater place.

Stats provided by the organization show about 45% of the scholarship applicants were rural and 55% were urban. The group says 30% of its applicants are students of color.

Tom Venzor, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, called the ballot measure frustrating beyond measure.

It demonstrates a blatant disregard for thousands of students in need of more educational options, and it undermines the fundamental rights of parents as the primary educators of their children, he said.

The Legislature could change the law again

Benson was asked what Support Our Schools would do if the Legislature tried to pass another version of the school choice law during a special session to sidestep the initiative.

She said the group would work to make sure Nebraskans on all sides of the political aisle communicate with state senators about the importance of letting Nebraskas second house vote.

We always have those concerns, she said. The more those 49 people  hear from people, the better off we are. Use your voice.

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Pevely man accused of stealing over $5,000 worth of jewelry

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo.  A Pevely, Missouri, man is accused of stealing over $5,000 worth of jewelry from a home in Crystal City.

According to the Crystal City Police Departments probable cause statement, the theft occurred sometime between the evening of January 6 and the morning of January 7 at the victims home.

Police said the victim allowed Robert C. Baker (age not provided) to stay with her for a period of time.

The victim told police she woke up on January 7 and discovered Baker was no longer there and that $5,460 worth of jewelry was missing.

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The victim said this was not the first time Baker had stolen from her home. However, this was the first time he had items of substantial value.

Police said they questioned Baker about the theft, but he denied stealing the jewelry.

The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Baker with stealing  $750 or more. Baker was issued a summons to appear in court on September 9.

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A sea change is taking place in China's venture capital (VC) industry as the two-decade marriage between US investors and mainland start-ups comes to an end, casting a shadow over the country's technology landscape, according to industry insiders and market data.

While US dollar funding from global investors, brokered by a generation of Chinese dealmakers who shuttled back and forth across the Pacific, facilitated the rise of the country's most successful tech firms over the past decade, the money is quickly drying up. Foreign capital in China's venture capital industry plunged 60 per cent year on year to US$3.7 billion in 2023, just 10 per cent of the peak in 2021, according to research firm Dealogic.

The "cycle is broken" and the bifurcation of US funds and China tech start-ups is set to widen, said Winston Ma, a law professor at New York University.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

American investors reaped big returns when Chinese start-ups pursued their initial public offering (IPO) in the US, but the channels for cashing out have significantly narrowed in recent years - especially after Beijing initiated a cybersecurity probe into the New York listing of Didi Chuxing in the summer of 2021. The ride-hailing giant later delisted and paid a US$1.2 billion fine.

An American flag is seen in front of the logo for Chinese ride hailing company Didi during its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, June 30, 2021. Photo: Reuters alt=An American flag is seen in front of the logo for Chinese ride hailing company Didi during its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, June 30, 2021. Photo: Reuters>

International investors in China's most successful unicorns, including TikTok owner ByteDance and fashion giant Shein, are still waiting to cash out, as their IPO plans remain up in the air. The South China Morning Post reported this month that Shein's plan to float its shares in London, after the company was turned away by New York regulators, has hit regulatory roadblocks.

Meanwhile, Washington is increasing its scrutiny of US investments in certain Chinese sectors, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. US investment houses GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures and Walden International were subject to a probe by a US Congressional committee last year over their deals in China in sensitive technology areas.

Story continues

The situation marks a far cry from two decades ago, when global investors rushed into China in search of returns. In 2004, Silicon Valley Bank brought a group of 25 US investors to China, including Sequoia Capital founder Donald Valentine, according to Thomas Tsao, co-founder at Gobi Ventures who helped host the delegation.

In the following years, Sequoia and many other venture firms set up shop in China, supporting the rise of Chinese internet giants, and reaping handsome returns for their limited partners back home.

Sequoia alone invested in more than 1,200 Chinese start-ups under Neil Shen, who ran its China business until the US firm split the operation off as an independent entity called HongShan in 2023 amid geopolitical tensions.

As private capital dried up in China's venture capital industry, local governments and state-owned enterprises moved in, becoming the major players and profoundly changing the business landscape.

Neil Shen, founder of venture capital firm HongShan, formerly Sequoia China. Photo: Handout alt=Neil Shen, founder of venture capital firm HongShan, formerly Sequoia China. Photo: Handout>

By 2023, China had established 2,086 so-called government guidance funds, with a target size of 12.2 trillion yuan (US$1.7 trillion) and committed capital of about 7.13 trillion yuan, according to data compiled by local research firm Zero2IPO.

The retreat of market-led capital and expansion of state-backed funds, which are typically risk-averse and prioritise investments in their own jurisdictions, has stirred debate over the future of the Chinese venture capital industry.

Wang Ran, the founding partner and CEO of CEC Capital, said in a recent speech that China's primary capital market was "dead" as government funds, which have a low tolerance for any losses, took over.

One Chinese venture industry executive in Shanghai, who declined to be named, said many firms are making efforts to adapt to the style of state-owned investors but that the transformation was not easy.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
(Bloomberg) -- A Philippine official denied Wednesday a report that the government has lifted a moratorium on energy exploration in the South China Sea, after shares in upstream oil and gas company PXP Energy Corp. jumped 50%.

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News outlet Vera Files reported, citing an unnamed source, that the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in Reed Bank in the South China Sea has been lifted. The move would allow PXP unit Forum Energy Ltd., which holds Service Contract 72 in the Reed Bank, to contract survey ships and start drilling in the area, the report said.

Asked for comment, Energy Undersecretary Alessandro Sales however said that the moratorium hasnt been lifted based on his knowledge.

PXP hit the Philippine Stock Exchanges upper threshold to close at 4.50 pesos a share, the highest in nearly a year. The company told the bourse on Wednesday that it wasnt aware of any information that could have influenced its share price.

Forum Energys Service Contract 72 covers the Sampaguita gas discovery, which has contingent resources of 2.6 trillion cubic feet of gas. It was previously in talks to partner with China National Offshore Oil Corp. for potential exploration.

The Southeast Asian nation, which imports almost all its fuel requirements, has been trying to start energy exploration in its waters as a key local gas field nears depletion. However, tensions with China had prompted the Philippines in recent years to suspend exploration activities in the area.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro early this year said the government wont allow any joint exploration that doesnt recognize the nations right to exclusively exploit resources.

Shares of two other Philippine explorers also rose. Atok-Big Wedge Co., which has an indirect stake in Forum Energy, surged 37%. Apex Mining Co., Forum Energys partner in the service contract with a 30% stake, rose nearly 3%.

(Updates with energy officials comment.)

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More development could be coming south and east of downtown after the Phoenix City Council expanded its Central Business District in an effort to revitalize areas city leaders have targeted.

The district effectively brands a 12-square-mile area surrounding downtown and supercharges incentives for developers in certain sections. The boundary extends from McDowell Road on the north to roughly Broadway Road on the south, between 23rd Avenue and 20th Street. It's a change from Phoenix's previous business district, which was roughly 2 square miles.

The expansion comes after state law changed the formula cities must abide by to determine the size of their business districts. In Phoenix's case, the change meant the city's district could be enlarged.

It also comes after months of debate and controversy over how the changes might or might not affect historic districts and buildings.

What is being revitalized?

The Central Business District is little more than a branding opportunity on its own, but when paired with designated "redevelopment areas," the overlapping sections qualify for 8-year property tax cuts. The redevelopment areas alone qualify only for reduced-rate excise taxes for 25 years.

There are eight redevelopment areas within the new Central Business District.

City Hall staff are moving forward with the recommendation of modifying the boundaries of the central business district in response to the legislature, Phoenix Economic Development Director Christine Mackay said.

"It used to be that we could draw the central business district exactly where we wanted it to go. Since they changed the law in 2018, states have had to go back and look at how we meet the new requirement of not more than twice as wide as it is long," Mackay said. "We look at opportunities on making this a revitalization tool that is successful."

The target areas South and East of downtown are areas that city officials say they want to revitalize specifically the Rio Salado area.

Since 2023, the city has presented different options for the boundary lines before settling on the current updated plan. One previous proposal for the boundaries the city presented was a perimeter that included Grand Avenue area near the Arizona State Fair Grounds.

But the business district's expansion had detractors.

Why was there pushback?

City Council was initially slated to vote on the expansion in February, but it was repeatedly delayed after community groups raised concerns about historic preservation.

The city ultimately changed the boundaries to address residents' concerns in the Grand Avenue area, but some residents were still unsettled.

Neal Haddad, member of the Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix, says people are most concerned about how this expansion will affect historic properties due to how it intermingles with the recently passed HB 2721.

The bill, signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs in May, allows duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes of at least two floors in all single-family residential zones within one mile of a city's designated business district. Those areas are typically homes to historic neighborhoods.

"With 2721, anyone within the boundaries of the Central Business District and up to one mile beyond the boundaries, any residential property is subject to being able to have someone come in and develop these multiplexes on any of those residential properties. So, you can't be zoned out of that; it must be allowed," Haddad said.

HB 2721: Will new Arizona housing laws mean more duplexes, casitas in your area?

Haddad said most neighborhoods like Encanto, Palmcroft, Del Norte and Willo are concerned that there are no protections for historic properties.

Planning and Development Director Josh Bednarek said from his initial reading of the bill, historic properties should not be affected.

"Even though further readings need to be done by lawyers, from my initial reading of the bill, I don't see a provision in there that could supersede the historic preservation overlays that are in place today," Bednarek said.

A historic preservation overlay acts as a zoning tool that protects and preserves neighborhoods that consist of architecturally and historically significant structures. To potentially be eligible for the property tax reduction the individual should list it in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Preservation overlay protections only go so far. The protections make it difficult for developers to bulldoze a property in a historically designated community, but not impossible.

When a developer makes a request for demolition there is an administrative demolition approval policy where certain scopes of demolition can be approved administratively by staff without a hold.

If there is a primary building in a residential historic district proposed for demolition, even if it qualifies for administrative approval, the applicant would need to have a redevelopment plan approved in advance.

These redevelopment plans go through a public hearing process.

When a property does not receive administrative approval and the application is denied, it is subject to a one-year stay. The applicant can then choose to file an economic hardship application which is also a public hearing process.

If the economic hardship claim is unsuccessful, the stay of demolition remains in place.

With this process, city officials believe it's unlikely for Haddad's concerns to come true.

While the commission could reject the request, they also have the authority to accept it. That's a risk Haddad is concerned about.

Susan Edwards, president of the Arizona Neighborhood Alliance, disputed Bednarek's claims, saying construction can happen wherever according to the bill.

"The city is limited to two stories and a 50% floor-area ratio, which means ... on a 10,000 square foot lot you could build a two-story, 2,500-square foot building and you are required to have at least two off-street parking places," Edwards said. "There is no protection whatsoever for historical preservation from short-term rental use."

Despite concerns, Phoenix City Council approved the expansion in a 9-0 vote. During the City Council meeting Vice Mayor Debra Stark expressed her confidence in historic properties not being affected due to this expansion and House Bill 2721.

"I feel pretty strongly that the historic preservation overlay will trump this particular bill," Stark said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix expands Central Business District after months of controversy
PINE BLUFF, Ark.- The City of Pine Bluff has partnered with an economic development consulting firm with the hopes of enhancing the citys retail & restaurant landscape as well as revitalizing the local economy.

This collaboration with Retail Strategies, initiated through the Department of Economic & Community Development, looks to boost local economic growth and enhance residents quality of life.

You know, were very excited about the partnership with Retail Strategy, Pine Bluff Director of Economic & Community Development Lori Guelache said.

City leaders hold groundbreaking for new Pine Bluff park

Clay Craft, vice president of client services at Retail Strategies, highlighted the focus on reactivating and reimagining the Pines Mall, utilizing its potential for revitalization and attracting a mix of uses that match the citys consumer profile.

One of the target developments is the Pines Mall, it is in close proximity to where some of the newer developments are happening with the casino, Guelache said.

The Pines Mall closed in June 2020 and has sat vacant since, not benefiting the city. City officials said that is going to change.

Pines Mall buyer has history in Arkansas

Retail Strategies is an economic development consulting firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. City officials said they will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the citys market potential, develop result-driven retail and restaurant recruitment plans, implement the plan, and promote the city of Pine Bluff through marketing.

The consultants told us that there are potentially 30 companies that have an interest or that match our profile here in the community, Guelache said. Were interested in seeing who they are and how they can benefit us as a community and how we can benefit them.

Mayor Shirley Washington expressed confidence that working with Retail Strategies will bring growth and opportunities to the city, enhancing the quality of life for residents.

New Pine Bluff High School site plans appear to be light at the end of the tunnel for struggling district

We have a number of people who commute into our community to work and so were hoping on the long-term that investments and the quality of life will also make them consider being residents of Pine Bluff, Guelache said.

Guelache said this will help them to decrease the amount of leakage in the community, keeping peoples money inside the city.

We have data that talks about how much money we lose on an annual basis just for people who work here but dont live here, Guelache said.

Tax initiative in Pine Bluff gets pushback from community

Were talking about quality of life, and being able to offer families some option is going to be a part of that quality of life, Guelache said.

By increasing local economic development, they hope to become the best version of Pine Bluff they can for their residents.

City officials said that also means curbing the trend of violence by boosting the population and creating positive places for people to spend time.

Crime is always a function of population, so when you have a shrinking population base, your crime is always going to look more amplified, Guelache said.

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Rashad Harrell never thought about being a teacher.

The 48-year-old spends his weekdays as a paraprofessional, supporting teachers at Pinellas County Schools Nina Harris Exceptional Education Center; his weeknights, a supervisor at UPS. He found the Nina Harris job seven years ago when a UPS coworker told him about an opening.

Now, a new partnership between the school district and St. Petersburg College means he has the opportunity to gain a tuition-free bachelors degree and become a full-time teacher.

It feels like a gift that fell from heaven, Harrell said.

Twenty-nine district employees with an associates degree will spend the next two years training under a mentor and taking online classes at St. Petersburg College. The participants are working toward a bachelors degree in special education or primary pre-K education, and teacher certification.

The goal is a pipeline of local, high-quality teachers. Legislators in 2023 established the apprenticeship program in partnership with the Florida Department of Education as one of several ways districts could combat teacher shortages. Florida had more than 4,000 teacher vacancies in January, according to the Florida Education Association.

The Pinellas program targets vacancies for special education teachers and early elementary education from pre-K to third grade. Those are specific needs, said Nicole Gallucci-Landis, a human resources director for the district. There were 17 special education teacher vacancies and 17 early elementary teacher vacancies as of July 8, she said.

Grow your own programs, which focus on recruiting community members such as paraprofessionals to address local teacher shortages, have existed for decades, said Amaya Garcia, director of pre-K-12 research at the left-leaning think tank New America. But their presence has increased since the pandemic.

Eighteen states funded a grow-your-own program in 2019, compared to 35 states and D.C. now, according to Garcias research. Lawmakers allocated $5 million in December to support Floridas program.

District employees like paraprofessionals are a smart population to draw from, Garcia said, because theyre already connected to the school and have experience working with students. And they often boost educator diversity.

For a paraprofessional in particular, becoming a teacher can mean almost everything, she said

The average paraprofessional in the district makes approximately $20,580 for 10 months, compared to an average teacher salary of around $52,600, Gallucci-Landis said. For the next two years, apprentice teachers will receive an hourly differential, $3 for the first year and $5 for the second, and mentor teachers a $2,000 annual stipend.

Garcia said theres not yet much research about the impact of grow-your-own programs on students.

But Roddy Theobald, a principal researcher at the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Educational Research, said it helps when the programs are specialized towards specific teacher groups, such as special or pre-K and primary educators. He said those programs are the most likely to have positive effects, such as increasing teacher retention and diversity, and student outcomes.

Nationally, he said special education teachers are always at the top of teacher shortages.

Joycelyn Avery-Wright, Harrells mentor who has taught in the district for 20 years, said special education teachers are a special breed, because their kids require more.

You have to love it, she said. Its not for the faint of heart. As a teacher, Im changing diapers, Im cleaning noses, Im tying shoes.

Avery-Wright views being a mentor to Harrell as helping her peers to get a step up in life.

Its going to be a huge salary increase once they finish, and we all need that boost because we dont get paid enough for what we do, she said. Im going to help him, whether its with homework or whatever, to help make sure that he takes that walk across the stage.

In late June, Harrell worked with one of his students, Talha Hussain, in an extended transition classroom, where students aged 18-22 learn job readiness, life training and communication skills. It was the last day of a summer bridge program for special education students.

Harrell assisted Talha as he assembled a white-and-black PVC pipe, working on his motor skills. They also practiced identifying his name from several options printed on a green sheet of paper. Those were exercises a teacher developed that Harrell was helping implement. Over the next two years, he will work on creating his own exercises for students, learning to manage a classroom and ensure his students are learning from what hes teaching.

He said goodbye to Talha with a special handshake: Dap up, high five, fist bump. Harrell will work in extended transition next year, but with a different group of students.

He cant wait to come back to the classroom in August to start this new journey.

If not now, when? he said.
The Iowa Supreme Court chamber in the Iowa Judicial Building on Feb. 22, 2023. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

The Iowa ACLU is asking the state Supreme Court to rehear the case on Iowas six-week abortion ban Friday as implementation is set to potentially begin.

The Iowa Supreme Courts 4-3 decision in late June directed the district court to lift the temporary injunction on the states so-called fetal heartbeat law that restricts most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law, passed during a special session in 2023, bans most abortions, with narrow exceptions, after cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo.

In the June decision, the Iowa Supreme Court sided with the state of Iowas argument that abortion laws should be subject to rational basis test, a lower standard that determines a law is constitutional if the state has a legitimate reason to enact it. While the state Supreme Court laid out its new standard for abortion laws, the ACLU of Iowa and Planned Parenthood have requested the court reconsider its ruling and put in place a higher legal standard for abortion laws.

In April oral arguments, Peter Im, staff attorney at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, argued abortion should receive a higher standard of legal protection from restrictive laws, despite the U.S. Supreme Court and Iowa Supreme Court rulings that abortion is not a guaranteed right under the federal or state constitutions. Im said Wednesday that the petition is a means to ask the state Supreme Court to review, and potentially revise, its June decision.

Legal experts say the court does not often take up rehearing requests. However, the rehearing request would ask for the Iowa Supreme Court to consider applying a higher legal standard, as was argued for in the suit brought forward by health care providers that perform abortions like Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Emma Goldman Clinic, as well as Dr. Sarah Traxler and ACLU of Iowa.

The request comes as the date for possible enforcement of the abortion ban nears. Before the law can go into effect, a Polk County district court judge must first officially lift the injunction as directed by the Iowa Supreme Court decision. The earliest that motion can be made is Friday, but the court could decide to take up the action at a later date. Before the injunction can be lifted, the court must first dismiss the motion for review.

The district court judge hearing the case has scheduled a virtual meeting Friday with attorneys on both sides. Details have not been released on what will be discussed at the status meeting.

Im said Wednesday that in addition to the rehearing petition, Planned Parenthood is looking at other options to ensure abortion access is legal in Iowa.

This doesnt foreclose future challenges and I think were exploring all of our options right now, Im said.  We really are just committed to leaving no stone unturned in this fight to ensure access whatever that looks like.

Until judge lifts the injunction, abortion remains legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, as is current law.

Advocates say nearly all abortions will be banned

Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, told reporters Wednesday that the organization is estimating 97% to 98% of abortions performed in Iowa would be banned by the law going into effect. Many women are not aware that they are pregnant at six weeks when embryonic cardiac activity can begin to be detected, reproductive health care advocates say, meaning the law would effectively make abortion illegal in the state.

Richardson said that when the injunction is lifted, Iowa Planned Parenthood providers will continue to provide abortion services legally  until embryonic cardiac activity can be detected. If a person seeking abortion services comes to the organization after cardiac activity is detectable, Richardson said Planned Parenthood navigators are prepared to help them seek medical services outside of the state.

She said state abortion restrictions like the Iowa law have a disproportionate impact on low-income and other marginalized communities.

I just think its important as we have these conversations to continue to lift up the reality that abortion bans do not ban abortions for everyone, Richardson said. They ban abortions for people who dont have the means or the opportunity to travel. And so thats why the work of our patient navigators are so important to break down those barrier, to ensure that people have the funds that they need to travel or the other support that they need in order to get to their to their appointments.

Planned Parenthood has been preparing for Iowa abortion restrictions for several months, Richardson said, and have expanded abortion care at their health centers in surrounding states, including facilities in Omaha, Nebraska and Mankato, Minnesota.
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (ABC4)  An early morning fire in a Pleasant Grove neighborhood has been confirmed as fatal, according to the Pleasant Grove Fire Department.

Fire Chief Andrew Engemann said crews responded to the fire just before 2 a.m. and found flames and smoke coming out of the back of the home near 600 East and 100 North.

Crews were quickly able to knock down the fire and in the process found two victims as well as two pets inside the home. Engemann said crews found the first victim, who he described as an elderly woman, near the back of the home near the fire.

They were able to pull her out and provide aid on the scene before taking her to the hospital in serious condition where she later died.

New season of Hulu true-crime docuseries focuses on Riverton mans child sex crimes

The second victim, described as a man in his 50s, was found near the front of the home. Despite life-saving efforts, Engemann said he had died at the scene, likely due to smoke inhalation. Two pets, a dog and a cat, were also found dead inside the home.

Engemann said the two were mother and son and lived together in the home. Neither victim has been identified.

Engemann said the Utah State Fire Marshall was on scene and conducting an investigation into what started the fire.

Currently, it is believed to have been sparked by a possible electrical issue in the back of the home.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
VinFast Auto announced it had opened its first three dealerships in the Philippines as Vietnams electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer continued its push into neighbouring markets in south east Asia.

The automaker said the three outlets, Aseana, EDSA and Alabang, were in prime locations in the Metro Manila region and have begun selling the VF5, VF7, and VF9 battery powered SUVs imported from Vietnam.

VinFast Philippines CEO Ms Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc said in a statement: The grand opening of [our] first three dealerships in the Philippines marks a significant milestone in our journey to conquer the potential EV market here. With an expanding dealer network, [we are] committed to bringing Filipino consumers high quality products and dedicated service."

VinFast said it planned to expand its dealer network to include major centres and cities in the Philippines in the second half of 2024 with the aim of increasing brand awareness and meet growing demand for electric mobility in the country.

The company began selling vehicles in Indonesia earlier this year and this week it broke ground on a new vehicle assembly plant there, scheduled to be completed in late 2025.

In March VinFast signed agreements with 15 dealers in Thailand with the aim of opening 22 outlets in the greater Bangkok area by the end of the year. The company is expected to establish a presence in Malaysia by the end of the year.

VinFast also began building an assembly plant in India earlier this year, to tap the significant growth potential of this market.

The company had previously said it plans to be in 50 countries worldwide in the next few years.

"VinFast opens first outlets in Philippines" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
HSUS's Maine state director, Katie Hansberry, hands out pamphlets at farmers market in the state in 2013, urging a referendum to be put on the ballot to ban bear hunting by baiting, with hounds or by trapping.

I have been an editor at Outdoor Life for 14 years, so I like to think that I have a good sense of how readers will react to any given story. I was surprised, however, by reader comments last month after we published executive editor Natalie Krebs extensive feature on the extreme anti-hunting movement in Australia, which has similarities to anti-hunting efforts here in the U.S. The most common sentiment was that could never happen here, sentiment following this story, which I did not expect  mostly because at least some of it is happening here.

These comments came even despite our coverage on Washington state banning spring bear hunting, the infiltration of anti-hunters into state game commissions, and the continuing slide of Americans approval of hunting.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Most recently, animal welfare groups in Colorado likely got enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot that would effectively ban regulated mountain lion and bobcat hunting in the state. Its formally called Initiative 91 and it reads as follows:

THE VOTERS OF COLORADO FIND AND DECLARE THAT ANY TROPHY HUNTING OF MOUNTAIN LIONS, BOBCATS, OR LYNX IS INHUMANE, SERVES NO SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE OR ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL PURPOSE, AND FAILS TO FURTHER PUBLIC SAFETY. TROPHY HUNTING IS PRACTICED PRIMARILY FOR THE DISPLAY OF AN ANIMALS HEAD, FUR, OR OTHER BODY PARTS, RATHER THAN FOR UTILIZATION OF THE MEAT. MOREOVER, IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS CONDUCTED BY UNSPORTING MEANS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, USING PACKS OF DOGS WITH ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO PURSUE AND ENTRAP AFFECTED ANIMALS IN PLACES FROM WHICH THEY CANNOT ESCAPE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE KILL. THEREFORE, IT IS APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY TO BAN TROPHY HUNTING OF MOUNTAIN LIONS, BOBCATS, AND LYNX IN COLORADO.

So for this episode of the podcast I sat down with Brian Lynn, vice president of communications and marketing for the Sportsmens Alliance. Full disclosure: Hes also a former Outdoor Life editor who I worked with previously.

A billboard calling for an end to the wolf hunt in Montana. Anti-hunting campaigns are well-funded and appeal to the public by misrepresenting sustainable hunting. Photo by William Campbell / Getty Images

According to Lynn, many of the ballot initiatives to ban hunting in a variety of states over the years are not one-off, random, grassroots efforts. Rather, they are the result of a larger strategy by national anti-hunting groups. These groups target states that have favorable laws around ballot initiatives, have large metropolitan populations that typically vote Democrat, and have regulated predator hunting or trapping opportunities, Lynn says. He paints a somewhat gloomy picture of the political landscape in which hunters are the underdogs.

Read Next: Public Approval for Hunting and Recreational Shooting Continues to Decline in the U.S.

So if you were one of the that could never happen here commenters, I hope you listen to Lynns explanation of how these anti-hunting organizations operate and the strategic advantages they enjoy. The conversation isnt meant to alarm you, but to educate you on one of the most successful processes for banning hunting.

Listen to this episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
An operation called "Safe Podlasie" (Bezpieczne Podlasie) will commence at the border with Belarus in Poland on 1 August, involving approximately 17,000 military personnel (Podlasie, Poland's eastern region, shares a border with Belarus  ed.).

Source: RMF24, citing Polish Defence Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, as reported by European Pravda

During a press conference with the Polish Minister of Interior, Tomasz Siemoniak, Kosiniak-Kamysz assessed that the decision to establish a buffer zone on the border with Belarus has had a positive effect  the number of attempts to cross the border and actual crossings has decreased.

The 18th Mechanised Division of Polish Armed Forces will be responsible for the operation.

The Defence Minister added that police officers, including those who participated in UN missions in Kosovo, were deployed to train soldiers at the border.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also stated that anyone who harms Polish soldiers or officers defending the Polish border will be held accountable.

In turn, Siemoniak pointed out that the number of attempts at illegal border crossings has halved.

Quote: "This is a very concrete result, linked to the fact that we have pushed smugglers away from the border itself," noted the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Siemoniak mentioned that joint efforts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are underway to ensure that citizens of countries where illegal migrants originate from understand that their planned crossing of the Polish-Belarusian border is a crime.

"We are also consistently exerting political pressure on Belarus to abandon this procedure," he added.

The minister noted that Poland is also demanding cooperation from Belarus in the investigation to find the killer of a Polish soldier who died after being wounded at the border.

Background:

Poland significantly increased the number of military personnel on the border with Belarus due to attempts by Lukashenko's regime to exert pressure on the country using migrants.

Earlier, it was reported that Poland hopes to involve border guards and police officers from Finland, Germany, and Greece in patrolling the border with Belarus.

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Justice Department officials testify in front of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on June 23, 2022. The Justice Department said it arrested one man on Monday in connection with the attack. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- Authorities arrested a 32-year-old Florida man for assaulting law enforcement officers and other charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

Police arrested Garth Nathaniel Walton, of Yulee, Fla., on Monday and he made his initial appearance in the Middle District of Florida court. Walton was charged in Washington, D.C., with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

He was also charged with several misdemeanors, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building.

The Justice Department said more than 1,470 individuals have been charged for crimes related to the breach at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, including 530 who were charged with assaulting law enforcement officers.

According to body cameras worn by authorities at the scene, Walton is accused of pushing a metal barricade into officers while at the West Plaza stairs of the U.S. Capitol and then he picked up a white pole and threw it at officers defending the building.

Earlier this month, Jay Johnston, the voice of Jimmy Pesto on the animated comedy Bob's Burgers, pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder in connection to his participation in the U.S. Capitol attack. He will be sentenced Oct. 7.

He was accused of interfering with law enforcement, disorderly and disruptive conduct and impeding passage on Capitol grounds.
STAUNTON  Police in Staunton arrested a man Tuesday after he was indicted on four felony counts amid allegations he sexually assaulted a child.

Malachi J. Mosley, 36, of Staunton, is facing two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child and two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child.

The Staunton Police Department said the child, a girl, is under the age of 13, and said the alleged incidents took place in December 2023.

Mosley, who recently moved to Freeport, Florida, to live with his parents, came back to the area and turned himself in to police Tuesday after being in the Sunshine State for just four days, according to court records.

Mosley, who has a master's degree in healthcare administration, listed his occupation as unemployed in a recent court filing.

The Staunton grand jury issued direct indictments against Mosley on Monday.

He is being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona, police said.

The investigation into the sexual assault allegations is ongoing.

More: Virginia psychologist surrenders license after years of fighting with patient

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More: Augusta Aces qualify for Florida baseball tourney, need help to quickly raise funds

Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton man accused of sexually assaulting child
16-year-old nephew of Rayshard Brooks shot to death, mother says

A mother says her 16-year-old son was shot and killed overnight.

Family identified him as the nephew of a man who died in a 2020 police shooting.

Channel 2s Steve Gehlbach reported from Cato Street where police put up crime scene tape in front of a home.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Officers responded around 4:30 a.m. and found a person shot to death. The victim, Jakari Brooks, 16, is the nephew of Rayshard Brooks.

His mother, Stardrecous Brooks, told Gehlbach that she heard five gunshots and when her son didnt come home Tuesday night, her other son went looking for him.

Hours later, her sons friend found Jakari shot to death.

I was walking around trying to find him. I didnt want to think it, but I said my baby was probably laying up in the woods. I kept saying that, Stardrecous Brooks said.

Police have not confirmed what led up to the shooting.

His uncle, Rayshard Brooks, was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer outside a Wendys in 2020 that sparked protests and got national attention.

That case led to weeks of protests.

Garry Stokes was one of the protesters.

Different circumstances, but thats too much emotions and confusion set on a family right now, Stokes said.

He rushed to the scene Wednesday when he heard the victim was the nephew of Rayshard Brooks.

Atlanta police arent saying anything about what led up to the shooting or who pulled the trigger.

Stardrecous Brooks said her son was in the area to get a scooter from a home when he was shot.

It was about a scooter. I dont know what the situation is, she said.

Late Wednesday, Channel 2s Audrey Washington spoke with a man at the home.

He said two boys were trying to steal from the house when the homeowner fired in self-defense.

Stardrecous Brooks says she wants more answers, but the friend her son was with ran from the scene.

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IN OTHER NEWS
Police identify victim killed in weekend shooting in Jamaica Plain

Police have identified the person killed in a shooting in Jamaica Plain late Sunday night.

Andy Baez Manan, 35, of Boston, died following the shooting, police said.

At about 10:17 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a report of a person shot at New Washington Street and the Arborway in Jamaica Plain.

When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds, police said.

The man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made. The Boston Police Departments Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.

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
Police Initially Said No Foul Play in 8-Year-Old's Death. Weeks Later, Police Reveal How He Was Killed

The body of Noah Bush was found in a borrow pit on May 16, a day after he was reported missing, per police

GoFundMe Noah Bush

Authorities in Georgia are investigating the homicide of a 8-year-old boy weeks after saying the boy's death seemed accidental.

Law enforcement officials say they found the body of Noah Bush, 8, in a borrow pit in Jesup, Ga., on May 16, according to WSAV 3, WTOC and First Coast News.

Police initially said there was no evidence of foul play in Noahs death, WJCL, WTOC and First Coast News. However, weeks later, their assessment has changed.

A medical examiner's office revealed that the manner of Noah's death was homicide and the cause of his death was drowning, per WJCL, WTOC and First Coast News.

Wayne County officials have now charged two children, ages 10 and 11, in connection with Noahs death, First Coast News, WJCL and ABC Chicago reported, citing the local sheriffs office.

Authorities also arrested Natalie Hardison, 35, the mother of one of the two arrested children, on three charges, per WSAV and WJCL.

Online court sheriffs county records show Hardison was arrested on Wednesday, July 10, on charges of providing false statements, probation violation and mandatory education for children between ages 6 and 16, a statute that holds parents responsible for mandatory education for children in that age range.



Noah was reported missing on May 15, after he was last seen in Jesup a few hours prior, per Wayne County authorities, WJCL reported at the time. His body was found the next morning.



Even though police initially claimed there was nothing suspicious about his death, and that he had drowned accidentally, Noahs family maintained from the very beginning that there was foul play, WJCL reported.

"I want answers," his mother, Demetrice Bush, said at the time, per the outlet. "I want to know what happened to him. I want to know who hurt him."

His sister Alayzia McClinton said, "My brother apparently jumped into a creek and drowned, but my brother did not like water."

The allegation that foul play was involved came after Wayne County officials invited the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into Noahs death.

"This finding was based on the fact that one of the two juveniles whom were with Noah pushed him into the deep portion of the borrow pit they were wading in," the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

Bush's family attorney spoke to ABC Chicago and alleged, "Noah and the two juveniles involved in this got into some argument, and an argument led to them pushing Noah into the water and possibly holding his head underwater."

[Noah] walked away with people he believed were his friends and trustworthy, Johnson said, according to WTOC.

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In Georgia, juvenile charges are not public record, WTOC reported.

Johnson said both young boys are facing charges of criminal trespassing and concealment of a death, per authorities, First Coast News reported. The 11-year-old faces additional charges, including involuntary manslaughter.

It wasnt immediately clear if Hardison and the children have entered pleas or retained attorneys.



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Read the original article on People.
MILWAUKEE  The theme of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday was Make America Safe Once Again. The words appeared on a towering digital screen in Fiserv Forum above a GIF of three fighter jets against an orange sky. The GOP wanted the thousands of journalists here to know: Unlike Democrats, we support our military and our police. We are the party of law and order.

I believe in an America where we defend the police, not defund the police, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), thought to be Donald Trumps pick for attorney general if he wins a second term, said from the main stage. President Trump will make that dream a reality, and thats why we need him back in the White House!

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum on July 16. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images

Members of the predominantly white crowd sauntered around the arena, buying beers and cocktails, or stepping outside to play cornhole or smoke cigars. Thank you for your service, some of them told the many cops stationed there to protect them. The cops nodded in appreciation. Some of them posed for smiling photos next to the conventions massive TRUMP 2024 sculpture, or could be heard chatting about what a nice assignment this was. Inside the arena, the crowd broke into a chant of Back the Blue!

About a mile away from the RNC on Tuesday evening  past byzantine barricades and checkpoints and tall black cages blocking off sidewalks; past gaggles of armed cops sent from Florida and Indiana and Michigan to guard these assembled Red Hats; past a freeway that has long demarcated Milwaukee, the countrys most segregated city, into Black and white neighborhoods  there was a much more somber scene.

David Porter, an unhoused man living in a tent encampment, walked onto West Vilet Street and fell to his knees in prayer. Next to him, the street was stained with the blood of his friend, an unhoused Black military veteran named Samuel Sharpe, who hours earlier had been shot and killed by police officers from Columbus, Ohio. He didnt bother nobody, Porter said of Sharpe. He was just a homeless guy trying to get by like everyone else.

Why are cops from Ohio way out here? Porter said. Had that been Milwaukee PD, that man would be alive right now. I know that because they know him. They would have used non-lethal force.

A Milwaukee Police Department car cruised by as Porter spoke. What happened here was completely unnecessary, he said, tearfully staring down the block, where people from the community were gathering for a candlelight vigil. Completely unnecessary.

He was out here struggling like everyone else, just trying to get by and survive. What happened here was totally uncalled for. pic.twitter.com/DyBm3ryL5h  Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) July 17, 2024

Body camera footage released hours after the shooting shows Columbus police officers  some of the 4,500 or so officers, in total, sent to Milwaukee for the RNC  spotting Sharpe, who they said was brandishing a knife, in an argument with another man. As Sharpe appears to lunge toward the man, the cops from Ohio begin firing multiple shots, until Sharpes body crumples on the concrete.

The incident took place in the outer perimeter of the RNC, within the operational zone to which our officers were assigned, Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said in a statement. CPD officers encountered an armed individual threatening another person and subsequently discharged their weapons.

At the vigil Tuesday evening, near the site of the shooting, Alan Chavoya, a member of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said the citys poorer communities had long feared a scenario like this.

We warned them for years that it would be out-of-state police, Chavoya said through a megaphone. We are eight blocks away from the barricades of the RNC. How does the Milwaukee police, how does the city of Milwaukee, allow officers from Columbus, Ohio, to be unattended, unguarded, off their leash here, so far into Milwaukee? We told them this would happen.

The assembled mourners and protesters held up signs reading Justice For Sam Sharpe and No Justice No Peace.

Mourners gather at the site near King Park where a man, identified by family and friends as Samuel Sharpe, was shot and killed by police about a mile from Fiserv Forum, on July 16. Jim Vondruska via Getty Images

The city is so concerned with outside agitators and protesters and people who actually give a damn about this community, said a woman, who gave her name as Laura and described herself as a co-chair of MAARPR, as she took her turn on the megaphone. Forty-five hundred outside law enforcement officers. Those are the outside agitators they should be worried about. Those are the people that are doing violence in this community. This did not have to happen.

Maria Hamilton, whose unarmed brother, Dontre Hamilton, was shot and killed by Milwaukee police in 2014, spoke next. I know we still got another 72 hours of this invasion, she said of the RNC. Its an invasion. Please be safe. Please be safe.

We do not condone the invasion, she added, before addressing the RNC participants directly. Do what you came to do and get the hell out of our town! Her brothers death did not lead to charges for the police officer involved, though he was fired.

There were prayers and moments of silence as members of the community lit candles. An unidentified man who briefly spoke to the crowd noted that if a small percentage of the money that the city spent on the RNC had been given to the members of the nearby homeless encampment Sharpe frequented, they would have all had homes  warm beds and a place to rest their heads  for years to come.

That brother was a veteran, Galen Tyler, an activist with the Poor Peoples Army, said of Sharpe. Earlier that day, Sharpes family members had told the press hed served in the military. Im a veteran too, Tyler said. And since Ive been out of the military, I have received no love from the United States government. I have received no love from them.

Milwaukee spent millions and millions of dollars to make sure the people down there [at the RNC] are having a good time, Tyler added. Theyre down there drinking champagne, eating all types of food. But yet they send police to a neighborhood where people arent getting their basic necessities, and prey on them.

The protesters then went on a march, reminding each other not to step on the part of the street still stained with Sharpes blood  a sign of respect.

Back at the arena, the RNCs night of Make America Safe Once Again speeches had concluded. Drunk delegates made their way out, marching past the security perimeter and stumbling into bars. At the Saint Kates Hotel, journalists gossiped over martinis and Manhattans, spying on the various Republican politicians as they relaxed after a day of hobnobbing and interviews and posing for photos with fans.

There was Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sitting with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, all laughing loudly at some joke. A waiter brought a tray of shots for the group, and they enlisted the help of the nights musical act, a man with a guitar, to sing Happy Birthday to one of their companions.

The guitarist, his Venmo handle displayed on a piece of paper pleading for tips, started to play Stealers Wheels Stuck in the Middle with You.

Trying to make some sense of it all, he sang. But I can see it makes no sense at all. Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor? Cause I dont think that I can take anymore.

Related...
Columbus police have killed more than 60 people since 2013, outpacing many peer cities

After Columbus police shot and killed a man armed with knives near the site of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Tuesday, a total of eight people have been shot by Columbus Division of Police officers in 2024, and seven have died.

Where does Columbus rank compared to other U.S. cities when it comes to police violence against citizens?

Up-to-date data on police killings is not readily available from any official or government source, but nonprofit organizations and news sources have worked to aggregate and analyze police killings across the nation based on a variety of sources, including police reports and local media accounts.

The Washington Post has logged 9,893 deaths nationwide since 2015. Another project, Mapping Police Violence, has tallied 13,328 since 2013.

Scene of a police involved shooting near North 14th and West Vliet Streets outside of the security perimeter for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Mapping Police Violence is run by Campaign Zero, a nonprofit police reform advocacy group.

The data includes both police shootings and deaths at the hands of police by other means, such as people struck and killed by police vehicles or suffocated in restraints. It does not document all police killings since any that go unreported by media are not detected or included.

How does Columbus compare when it comes to police violence against citizens?

Data from Mapping Police Violence is current as of July 4, and does not include Tuesdays shooting at the RNC.

Columbus has had 63 total killings since 2013 and six in 2024, according to the data. An April shooting by Whitehall police is also not included, as it took place outside the Columbus city limits. None of the shootings have resulted in criminal charges against the officers, and none have inspired significant protests or similar public outcry.

The shootings have largely taken place after subjects charged police with knives or posed similar risks to the public.

In one instance, police fatally shot Ali Hamsa Yusuf, 22, in a confrontation on Columbus' West Side. Yusuf, a contracted security guard, attempted to shoot his supervisor in the back of the head at close range at an Amazon warehouse west of West Jefferson. One Columbus officer was shot during the encounter, but was protected by a bulletproof vest and not seriously hurt.

Columbus population was projected at 913,175 people in 2023, according to U.S. Census Data. The city ranks high among similarly sized cities. Compared to seven similarly sized cities, Columbus had the second most killings total, behind Jacksonville, Florida with 69 since 2013.

Columbus also ranks third for police killings in 2024, behind Indianapolis and Austin, where seven people have been killed. Tuesdays death could bring that to a tie.

Four of the citiesFort Worth, San Jose, Charlotte, and San Franciscohave had no police killings so far this year.

Here are the stats for comparable cities, along with their 2023 projected population:

Jacksonville: 985,843 people. 69 total killings, two in 2024

Columbus: 913,175 people. 63 total killings, six in 2024

Austin: 979,882 people. 59 total killings, seven in 2024

Indianapolis: 879,293 people. 55 total killings, seven in 2024

Fort Worth: 978,468 people. 46 total killings, zero in 2024

Charlotte: 911,311 people. 39 total killings, zero in 2025

San Jose: 969,655 people. 30 total killings, zero in 2024

San Francisco: 808,988 people. 29 total killings, zero in 2024

Milwaukee, with a population of 561,385, has had 32 since 2013 and one in 2024.

So far, 709 people have died at the hands of police nationwide in 2024, according to Mapping Police Violence. Thats 56 more people than this time last year.

The project also notes that Black people are 2.9 times more likely to die at the hands of police than white people. The man killed Tuesday was a Black man named Samuel Sharpe Jr., though aid organizations said they knew him as Jehovah and that he was known to live in a tent encampment.

Police say they fired when Sharpe charged another man while wielding two knives.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: After RNC-area shooting, how do Columbus cops compare to peer cities?
Police search for missing, endangered Riverdale man, last heard from on July 14

RIVERDALE, Utah (ABC4)  The Riverdale Police Department is seeking the publics help in the search for a missing man who is considered endangered.

Gregory Alan Hill is described as being bald, being about 62 tall, and weighing about 200 pounds. Officials said he had an unknown clothing description as of July 16.

LEARN MORE: What should you do if someone goes missing?

An undated image of Gregory Alan Hill. Hill is missing and endangered and was last in contact with family on July 14, 2024. (Courtesy: Riverdale Police Department)

An undated image of the Camry Gregory Alan Hill may be driving. Hill is missing and endangered and was last in contact with family on July 14, 2024. (Courtesy: Riverdale Police Department)

According to the Riverdale Police Department, Hill last made contact with his family on Sunday, July 14.

Gregory is possibly driving a silver 2010 Toyota Camry with UT plate # B689BT, police said in the release.

A family member close to Hill told ABC4.com that he is believed to be heading north. Hill had reportedly used his bank card to make purchases at a shop in Garden City near Bear Lake early morning on July 16.

Anyone who has seen Hill or may know of his whereabouts has been asked to contact the Riverdale Police Department at 801-394-6616, or Weber County Dispatch at 801-394-8221.

What to do when speaking to law enforcement about a missing person

More than 600,000 people go missing each year in the United States, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind if someone you know goes missing.

Utah officials suggest taking notes on interactions with law enforcement to keep track of details such as officer names, dates and times of interactions, the case number, and what the officers say.

When working with local law enforcement to report a missing person, it is recommended one shares as much information as possible about the missing person, including but not limited to:

Full name or nicknames.

Recent photos.

Date of birth and age at the time they disappeared.

Gender/sex.

Detailed physical description (including unique scars or tattoos).

Date of disappearance.

Medical conditions.

Last known location.

Social media accounts.

Additional resources

For more information, the Department of Public Safety has a page on its website dedicated to resources for missing persons, as well as pages to view missing persons from Utah.

Additional hotlines and resources originally compiled in a 2021 guidebook are available below:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs): 833-872-5176

National Runaway Safeline: 800-786-2929

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

StrongHearts Native Helpline: 844-762-8483

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The VW logo stands on the brand tower at the Volkswagen main plant. Julian Stratenschulte/dpa

German carmaker Volkswagen is putting a new electric car range on the market in China. The vehicle under the brand name "ID. Unyx" is to hit showrooms this summer, a spokesman said on Wednesday as the new model was presented in Anhui in south-eastern China.

Four further models are to follow up to 2026, with VW seeking to profit from the booming Chinese market for electric cars, where Chinese maker BYD has had the upper hand.

"Electric models, like the new ID. Unyx are the key to winning over young, lifestyle-oriented target groups," VW China brand head Stefan Mecha said. The new sub-brand is to be marketed at a higher level than the VW core brand and have its own dealer network with 40 display rooms in 20 cities.

The first ID. Unyx model is similar to the Cupra Tavascan, which will be also produced at the Anhui plant for export to Europe from the autumn. However, the ID. Unyx has a completely redesigned passenger compartment.

The Cupra Tavascan is the first and only VW model to be built in China and exported to Europe. It will not be on sale in China.

VW has struggled to respond to demand in China, where buyers are looking for more software and networking in their vehicles, including software linked to social media. There is also keen competition on price in the world's largest car market.

VW surrendered its leading role on the Chinese market to BYD last year, which sells more electric cars that VW does across its entire range.

While VW is still ahead on combustion engines, it has failed thus far to crack the electric car market in China. Of the 1.345 million VW units sold in China in the first half, a little over 90,000 were electric.
Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, and his wife Sophie riding in an open carriage at Sarajevo shortly before their assassination in 1914. Credit - Henry Guttmann Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The assassination attempt against Republican Presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday stunned Americans. While elected officials uniformly expressed shock and horror at the shooting, which led to the death of one man in the crowd as well as other critical injuries, many Democrats quietly worried that sympathy for Trump and revulsion at the attack would boost him electorally come November.

However  while Trump may win  history, especially the weeks preceding World War I, suggests that it is unlikely to be the result of a sympathy bump or calls for unity. While Americans may briefly come together to turn down the temperature, as some political leaders, including President Biden, are urging, it is even more likely that competing interests will soon reassert themselves, overshadowing efforts to calm the roiling waters.

On June 28, 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand  heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire  and his wife, in Sarajevo, shocked the world. The assassin, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, was a young Bosnian nationalist and a member of the Black Hand, an anti-Austrian terrorist organization supporting Slav unity.

At the time, tensions were high in Central Europe. The leaders of Serbia, a small kingdom on the Balkan peninsula, were interested in unifying the Slavs of southern Europe into a Greater Serbia, or a nation of South Slavs (Yugoslavs). However, many ethnic Slavs remained under the control of Austria-Hungary, including those in Bosnia. Uniting Serbians risked shattering the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian empire  which its leaders were already struggling to hold together. The political atmosphere in Europe was further inflamed by conflicts between individual European countries, including Germany and France, England and Germany, and Russia and Austria.

Read more: Behind the Cover: Interview With the Photographer of the Trump Image

The system of alliances that had emerged in Europe in the late 19th century made the situation even more fraught. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been allied since 1879. Meanwhile, France had defensive agreements with Russia and Great Britain. This system of alliances created the prospect of a domino effect in the case of any regional military conflict. In addition, as fellow Slavs, Russia enjoyed a special relationship with Serbia, prompting them to offer support against Austrian encroachment.

Initially, the assassination of Ferdinand temporarily threw all pre-existing political loyalties into question. Because of the near universal horror over the assassination  except in Serbia, where newspapers cheered the death of the heir to the Hapsburg throne  Austrian leaders believed that they had the opportunity to crush Serbia and its threat to their territorial integrity once and for all. Their military ally, Germany, supported them unconditionally, urging Austria to retaliate forcefully, extending a blank check to deal with Serbia. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was certain that the Russian Tsar, his cousin, would not in this case place himself on the side of the regicides. German political leaders were further convinced that through this act of political violence, the Serbians had so strongly alienated European public opinion that no one was likely to intervene on their behalf.

Had Austria-Hungarys leaders acted quickly, this prediction mightve proved right, and the ensuing conflict between the empire and Serbia might have remained a local one. Indeed, their German ally urged quick action, before international outrage died down and before Russia, if it did choose to support Serbia, would be able to mobilize.

But the leaders of Austria-Hungary failed to listen. They took almost a month to make very harsh demands of Serbia, ordering them, among other actions, to suppress all anti-Austrian publications and organizations, to remove all propaganda against Austria-Hungary from schoolbooks and public documents, and to fire specified civilian and military personnel. The demands also included bringing all accessories in the assassination to trial and allowing Austro-Hungarian law enforcement officers into Serbia to take part in the criminal investigation. Only Serbias unconditional acceptance within 48 hours would be enough to avert a war.

Yet, while Austria-Hungary was slowly formulating these demands, animus around Europe toward Serbia had cooled and longstanding political interests and alliances once again took priority. In addition, the harshness of the demands convinced Russia that the Austrians were using the assassination as a pretext to do something that they had wanted to do for a long time: destroy Serbia and its perceived threat to their empire.

Austria-Hungarys rejection of Serbias carefully conciliatory response to its draconian ultimatum reinforced this perception. While Serbia rebuffed the presence of Austro-Hungarian law enforcement officers in their country as impinging on their sovereignty, they responded diplomatically to the other terms. But instead of negotiating, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Office claimed that the Serb response created a false impression of acquiescence. The Russians and others, including France, disagreed and saw Austria-Hungarys posture as a cynical stance adopted to provoke war with Serbia at all costs.

This fundamental divergence meant that none of the major powers on either side  the Austrians, Hungarians, Germans, Russians, and French  dialed back their rhetoric nor their demands in the weeks leading up to war. Instead, they insisted that their opponents were at fault as things spiraled. The result was a world war that lasted four years and led to the loss of tens of millions of lives.

The situation is different in the modern U.S. Yet, as in Europe in 1914, tensions are high as Americans move toward an election against the backdrop of extreme political polarization and violent rhetoric. In the aftermath of the assassination attempt against Trump, now-Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance alleged that President Bidens claim that Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs . . . directly led to President Trumps attempted assassination. Vance made this assertion despite the fact that there was no evidence at the time  and still isnt  that the shooter, a registered Republican, had a political motive. Democrats swiftly clapped back with examples of incendiary language from the former President and his supporters, as well as the violent attempted coup that Trump supporters incited on Jan. 6, 2021.

While the conflict in the U.S. is between political parties, whereas the battle lines in pre-World War I Europe were between countries and alliances, the situation that provoked World War I suggests that any sympathy bump for Trump will be short lived, if it registers at all. Democrats remain convinced that they must prosecute the case against a GOP Presidential candidate they consider a threat to democracy, while Republicans continue to insist that Democrats are the problem. History shows that despite brief moments of sympathy and unity after political violence, when the roots of conflict are deep, the sides have every incentive to retreat to their corners quickly.

Christine Adams, a former American Council for Learned Societies and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fellow at the Newberry Library, is professor of history at St. Marys College of Maryland and author of The Creation of the French Royal Mistress with Tracy Adams.

Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.

Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com.
Insights from Politico, The New York Times, and BET News

The News

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say US President Joe Biden should step aside and let the party nominate a different candidate to face Donald Trump in November, according to an Associated Press poll released Wednesday. Overall, 70% of those polled said Biden should bow out of the race. Among Democrats, the number was 65%, compared with 73% among Republicans.

Polling following the Trump assassination attempt has begun to trickle in, with several indicating that Biden is slipping slightly  though the election still remains statistically tied. Only about three in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, down from the 40% recorded in February.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Schiff calls on Biden to step down, possibly jumpstarting wider effort

Source: Politico

Rep. Adam Schiff, a high-ranking Democrat expected to become Californias next senator, called on Biden to step aside on Wednesday. Schiff, a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is the first Democratic lawmaker to make the call since Saturday nights assassination attempt on Trump  and one of the highest-ranking Democrats to make it at all. The shooting led to a brief pause in the growing clamor for the president to bow out, but the statement from Schiff, who is widely respected in the party, will likely be seen as political cover for more Democrats to come forward, Politico reported.

Polls undercut Biden campaigns claims

Source: The New York Times

The latest polls have undercut the Biden campaigns claims following his disastrous June 27th debate that everyday Democrats still stood with the president, The New York Times wrote. In early July, fewer than half of Democrats said Biden should bow out of the race, a number that clearly increased after the debate. The AP poll isnt the first to show a majority of voters calling for Biden to step aside, but it does highlight that most of those in the presidents own party are calling for a different nominee.

Conditions under which Biden would drop out keep shifting

Sources: BET News, The New York Times, ABC News

Biden said in an interview released Wednesday that he would re-evaluate his reelection bid if his doctor told him a medical condition emerged that made it necessary. Thats the latest in a series of shifting explanations by the president about what might cause him to reconsider, The New York Times wrote. Last month, Biden said he would only leave the race if the Lord almighty told him to, and days later said he wouldnt bow out unless his aides showed him proof that he couldnt win.
As the threat of a dockworker strike lingers across 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, the Port of Long Beach is bringing market share back to the coastal gateway.

The San Pedro Bay port achieved its busiest June on record, with the hub attributing the traffic to a combination of factors, including vibrant consumer spending, potential tariff increases and the ongoing union labor contract negotiations.

More from Sourcing Journal

On June 25, some 160 U.S. trade organizations sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to work with the International Longshoremens Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) to resume their contract negotiations. In that letter, the shippers observed a larger trend: We are starting to see a shift back to West Coast gateways, where a long-term contract is in place, especially as we enter the busy peak shipping season.

We are recapturing market share and consumer spending is driving cargo to our docks as we head into the peak shipping season, echoed Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero in a statement. I see modest growth for the second half of 2024 as we strengthen our competitiveness and continue to invest in our rail infrastructure projects that will maximize cargo velocity efficiently and sustainably for decades to come.

Inbound cargo volume drove much of the added traffic to the Port of Long Beach, with imports at the gateway increasing 53 percent to 419,698 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while exports rose 4 percent to 98,300 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port increased 42.1 percent to 324,448 TEUs.

Overall, there are 842,446 TEUs that flowed through the Port of Long Beach in June, a 41.1-percent increase over the year prior.

Our waterfront workforce and terminal operators are delivering top-notch customer service by promptly processing a hefty increase in containers during the very busy summer months, said Bobby Olvera Jr., president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission. We are focusing on our efforts to keep cargo flowing smoothly and secure our position as the premier gateway for trans-Pacific trade.

While there had been a clear trending decline in total TEUs and vessels entering the Port of Long Beach since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, data from Project44 further indicates that the strike threat could be starting a reversal. For example, the 66 ships inbound in the port as of June 1 is up from the six-year nadir of 54 vessels as of Feb. 1.

Ocean freight rates between the coasts appear to have been slightly impacted due to the cargo shifts thus far, but not at an outsized degree. In general, rates throughout 2024 continued to escalate amid the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea as well as the ensuing port congestion at major global gateways in the Asia Pacific and Mediterranean regions.

According to the Drewry World Container Index, spot freight rates for 40-foot containers on the Shanghai-to-Los Angeles trade lane have skyrocketed 123 percent since May 2 to $7,512 on average. Containers travelling from Shanghai to New York rose 114 percent to $9,387. If more cargo continues to be pushed west, added congestion could further create a pricing gap where rates into the California ports are more expensive.

The shift of cargo back to the West Coast mirrors the shift toward the East Coast ports in 2023, which occurred ahead of a strike threat out west. Last February, 60 percent of import shipments arrived on the East Coast, but that number increased to 68 percent just four months later as shippers got spooked out of moving goods to the West Coast ports, according to FourKites.

In 2023, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles handled approximately 29 percent of all containerized international waterborne trade in the U.S.

As more product moves through the Port of Long Beach and its sister port, the Port of Los Angeles, the West Coast gateways are receiving $112 million for construction upgrades and operations and maintenance activities.

Even with the strike concerns at play, U.S. ports on both coasts are seeing a rebound across the board, handling 2.02 million TEUs of inbound cargo in April, a 13.2 percent year-over-year increase overall last year, according to the Global Port Tracker.

The flurry of cargo across U.S. ports is likely due to the pulling forward of goods into the U.S. ahead of and during the August-to-October peak season as they aim to ensure sufficient inventories for the holiday season. Additionally, many shippers want to get out in front of increased tariffs on goods from China set to take effect next month.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Portland City Commissioner, and mayoral candidate, Rene Gonzalez has ramped up security after receiving a death threat, according to Gonzalezs office.

A spokesperson for the City of Portland said they learned about the threat on July 14, but it is unclear when the online threat was initially made, as first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

According to Gonzalezs Chief of Staff Shah Smith, enhanced protection has been placed at Gonzalezs office.

People living, dumping on Oregons public lands overwhelming Bureau of Land Management

The Portland Police Bureau confirmed the agency is investigating the threat.

A City of Portland spokesperson told KOIN 6 News that all current elected officials receive the same resources when threats require additional security  noting the city does not provide security or unelected members of the community running for office.

The social media post in question that raised concerns was on X (formerly Twitter). It depicted an altered picture of Gonzalez on his bike to show him in the crosshairs of a gun with the comment You can always clean up Portland by getting rid of Rene.

The head of security recommended and approved additional security for the commissioner after the post was discovered over the weekend. The City of Portland provides city commissioners with security detail 24/7 based on if they determine a higher threat level.

Its already changed the way my family lives, in some respects. So if Im going to be out in public, I evaluate whether we need security in that instance, Gonzalez told KOIN 6 News on Wednesday. Its affecting the way we campaign. Its affecting the way we live. But youre also trying to continue to be accessible.

The enhanced security for the mayoral candidate comes months after he announced plans to stop riding MAX after claiming he was accosted on the train.

PHOTOS: PDX airport debuts immersive, forest-like terminal Aug. 14

For my entire career, I have been multimodal: A frequent TriMet user and regular cyclist, Gonzalez said of the MAX incident in January. Last Friday, I was accosted by a woman on the train. What I experienced was deliberate, unwanted physical contact, followed by criticisms of the citys policies regarding homelessness.

The public argument occurred two weeks after a family car caught fire outside Gonzalezs Sellwood-Moreland home on Jan. 12. The fire is being investigated as a possible arson case.

Given the targeted events my family has endured, city security and my family have asked that I stop taking public transit for a period of time, Gonzalez said. It is unfortunate, because I have always viewed taking our public transit system as a core part of Portlands identity.

This is a developing story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A report released by the Portland City Auditors Office on Wednesday, found the Portland Police Bureau has started to implement recommendations to improve its visa program for undocumented crime victims after a previous report found the bureau had a serious misunderstanding of the law.

The report, sent to PPB Chief Bob Day and Mayor Ted Wheelers Director of Community Safety, is a follow-up to a 2023 report on the bureaus U visa program, which encouraged undocumented crime victims to cooperate with law enforcement for the opportunity to apply for legal status in the United States.

According to the city auditor, the police bureau  once a leader among Oregon law enforcement agencies  dropped below the state average under its U visa program.

PHOTOS: PDX airport debuts immersive, forest-like terminal Aug. 14

The report found that over an 18-month period beginning in 2021, PPBs certification rate for U visa applications dropped from nearly 90% to below 50%.

The city auditor highlighted several areas of concern, including cases in which officials misunderstood and misapplied the law when reviewing applications, and misstated facts while drafting denial letters.

The initial report also found insufficient policies and training to ensure consistency in the review of certification requests. The office said possible contributing factors include high turnover, inconsistent approach to using qualified interpreters, and the potential need for more training on helping victims of domestic violence, according to the report.

Graffiti returns to I-84 within 24 hours of state-funded removal

Four recommendations made

The report included four recommendations to ensure PPB handled U visa applications per federal, state, and city policy and to fix the harmful impact the bureaus handling of applications had on dozens of potentially eligible crime victims who were denied certification.

The city auditor waited several months after releasing their initial review to give PPB a chance to implement the fixes.

It is worth noting that the Bureaus certification rate rebounded in mid-2022 after a personnel change and has been at 83% in the 20 months since then, Deputy Ombudsman Tony Green said in the report.

One of the auditors recommendations were implemented and three are in progress.

Largest Habitat for Humanity project planned for Southwest Portland

The first recommendation is to review and take appropriate action on more than four dozen applications the ombudsman identified as potentially eligible for certification.

Officials said this recommendation has been partly implemented.

Before releasing their 2023 report, the auditor gave the bureau a list of 53 certification requests that were initially denied, but the office believed warranted further review.

Multnomah County opens one of its largest libraries after $27M upgrade

In response to the report, PPB said a lieutenant reviewed the applications and reached out to all attorneys of record. As a result, three previously declined applications were certified.

Earlier in 2024, the city auditor reviewed the remaining 50 applications  discovering 16 have been certified, and another 12 applications should be reconsidered.

Among the recommendations in progress, the auditor says PPB should revise its procedure to include the purpose of the federal program along with statutory deadlines for processing applications, and the requirement that crime victims be given the benefit of the doubt for being helpful.

Moulton Falls bridge jumper saved in dramatic rescue

According to the report, PPB initially declined to update its procedure, but earlier in 2024, the police commander overseeing the certification process said the bureau committed to re-writing it and expects a completed procedure by early fall.

Next, the city auditor recommended the bureau to consider aligning initial review responsibility to a long-term staffer who has a background in victim advocacy to ensure consistency, compliance, and a victim-centered approach.

This recommendation is also in progress, according to the city auditor.

Oregon study finds wildfire smoke comes with unanticipated benefit for trees

PPBs bureau commander reported funding was not available to fully implement the recommendation, but the bureau did agree to the recommendation, including a requirement to seek a second opinion from the Oregon Department of Justice Immigrant Crime Victims Rights Subcommittee for any applications the bureau plans to decline.

The last recommendation in progress is for the bureau to offer training that includes information on how victims of domestic violence and sexual assault may respond to trauma. That training should include a legal explanation of which state and local crimes could fall into the general U visa categories, the report said.

So far, the bureau has conducted a one-day regional training for law enforcement officials in 2023 that covered the recommended topics.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
As the Secret Service faces increased scrutiny in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last Saturday, social media users have made misleading claims about the employment record of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Cheatles biography on the Secret Service website notes that she was previously head of PepsiCos security division. Some users have claimed her experience at the food and beverage corporation was insufficient to prepare her to lead the Secret Service.

Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle probably thinks that U.S. military snipers can only fight wars in flat terrain



This is what happens when you hire a woman whose only prior security experience is issuing key cards at Pepsi Co facilities. pic.twitter.com/Uu0opjgvtV  Kingsley Wilson (@KingsleyCortes) July 16, 2024

Before Kimberly Cheatle was director of the Secret Service, she was the head of security at Pepsi



Perhaps guarding warehouses full of chips and soda doesn't translate well to protecting Presidents.  Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 14, 2024

The Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly A. Cheatle, speaks about her DEI program for the Secret Service.



Her previous job was security for Pepsi pic.twitter.com/M8jKgXShKv  Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) July 14, 2024

Even Elon Musk made a reference to Cheatles past work at PepsiCo.

So before being in charge of protecting the President, she was guarding bags of Cheetos   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024

Cheatle did indeed work for PepsiCo, but these social media claims omit that she spent 27 years working for the Secret Service before taking that job. From her Secret Service bio:

Before joining PepsiCo, she served with distinction for 27 years in the U.S. Secret Service, most recently as Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Operations. In this position, Ms. Cheatle managed a $133.5M budget and collaborated with ten operational divisions and the Technical Security Division to research, develop and deploy technologies that reduce risks to protectees, protected facilities, and protected events. Prior to serving as Assistant Director, Ms. Cheatle served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office, providing oversight for all mission related investigations, protective intelligence and protective visits in the state of Georgia. Ms. Cheatle was appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in February 2016 as the Special Agent in Charge of the James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC). There she directed and coordinated all aspects of training and career development for the organization, later serving as the Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Training. Prior to her SES appointment, Ms. Cheatle was the Special Agent in Charge, Office of Strategic Planning and Policy, where she developed and deployed an innovative web-based communication platform designed to promote open and transparent communication within the organization.

Cheatle also had a leadership role on Joe Bidens security detail while he was vice president. Jill and I know firsthand Kim [Cheatle]s commitment to her job and to the Secret Services people and mission, Biden said when he announced Cheatles appointment as Secret Service director in August 2022. When Kim served on my security detail when I was Vice President, we came to trust her judgement and counsel.

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

Read more at The Dispatch

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery achieved grate-ness at the American Cheese Society Annual Competition this year.

Competitors traveled to Buffalo, New York to face off against both small farmsteads and multinational manufacturers in producing American-made cheeses. Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery entered four categories and earned medals in each one  including gold in three of the four, proving Prairie Fruits is the real big cheese.

Here are their awards in each category:

Gold for their Everything Bagel Chevre in Flavored Fresh Cheese

Gold for their Mixed Milk Feta in Feta

Gold for their Camembert-style cheese, Little Bloom on the Prairie, in Soft Ripened Mixed Milk

Bronze for their Ukrainian Farmers Cheese in Fresh Cheese

Illinois 4-year-old boy competes in National Mullet Competition

We are incredibly proud of our teams accomplishments this year, Owner Lauren Brokish said. Although we are a small dairy, these awards demonstrate that our team is crafting some of the very best cheese available in America today. Our Head Cheesemaker, Kato Lindholm, and our Creamery Manager, Lisa Little, bring extraordinary talent and dedication to our creamery. Our teams expertise and passion, along with our happy goats, are the keys to our success.

Additionally, this was the competition debut of their Ukrainian Farmers Cheese, so Prairie Fruits Farm said they are thrilled for it to have already placed third.

For more information on the farm, visit www.prairiefruits.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Praise pours in for Merkel as she celebrates 70th birthday privately

Then German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a plenary session at the German Bundestag. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Praise poured in from across the political spectrum for former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday as she chose to celebrate her 70th birthday privately with those closest to her, according to her spokeswoman.

German politicians have already offered their congratulations and paid tribute to Merkel, who stood at the helm of Europe's largest economy for 16 years. She was the first woman to hold that job.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised his predecessor, stating that she could "look back on an impressive political career."

"She began brilliantly with the triumph of democracy in East Germany and German reunification, which moves me to this day," the Social Democrat (SPD) politician wrote on the platform X, adding: "She tirelessly worked for the country."

The leader of the conservative bloc in the German lower house, or Bundestag, Friedrich Merz, also sent Merkel "heartfelt congratulations" via the social media platform X.

Merz, who is also chairman of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, added: "For around three decades you have shaped the politics of our country and assumed responsibility: in the CDU, in parliament and in government."

The CDU is looking forward to the ceremony in honour of Merkel's birthday in the autumn. The reception is scheduled for September 25 at the Berlin Academy of Sciences as part of the CDU series "Berlin Talks." Art historian Horst Bredekamp is expected to give a lecture.

In 2002, Merkel ousted Merz from the chairmanship of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The relationship between the current party and parliamentary group leader and the former chancellor has been considered strained since then.

In a post on X, the CDU federal party stated about Merkel: "Her ability to remain calm in difficult situations and make prudent decisions has made her one of the most significant stateswomen of our time."

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Greens paid tribute to Merkel with a personal post on X: "Dear Mrs Merkel, you stood for 16 years with humanity and perseverance for the cohesion of Europe  always in the deepest conviction for democracy and international law," wrote Baerbock.

"[Merkel] opened further doors for women of my generation. All the best from the bottom of my heart!" Baerbock wrote.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured Merkel as a "role model and a hallmark" of German democracy ahead of her birthday.

Merkel had decisively shaped the path of a united Germany as chancellor, he said.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder, whom Merkel succeeded after the 2005 elections, also extended his congratulations.

"Of all political opponents, she is a special one. After all, she won," Schroder said in an interview with Stern magazine.

Merkel was born in Hamburg on July 17, 1954, but her family moved to the former communist East Germany briefly afterwards.

She studied physics at the University of Leipzig and holds a doctorate in quantum chemistry.

Merkel's political career began as a deputy spokeswoman for East Germany's first freely elected government.

Following German reunification in 1990, she was elected to the German parliament for the centre-right CDU and later served as minister for women and youth and minister for the environment.

Merkel led the CDU from 2000 to 2018 and served as chancellor from 2005 to 2021.

She was also the first chancellor to have been raised in East Germany.
First Amendment of the US Constitution text, with other Constitution text above. (iStock/Getty Images Plus)

(iStock/Getty Images Plus)

It was Newspaper Day 2020 at the South Dakota Legislature. The morning was filled with press conferences featuring the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties. Then newspaper editors and publishers hosted a lunch at the Ramkota for their legislators, using the time to explain why House Bill 1241, which sought to change the definition of a legal newspaper, was such a bad idea.

Well fortified, the legislators made their way back to the Capitol for a brisk afternoon of debating and lawmaking. Thats when Gov. Kristi Noem stopped in to say a few words to the journalists. Seen through the lens of 2024, what Noem had to say that day seems out of character. She was full of praise.

You really are the heart of every single community, Noem told about 30 people who worked for newspapers. It really is important work.

More Dana Hess commentary

The mood in the room changed swiftly when Noem was confronted by her own words in a political fundraising letter. In part, the letter said: You know as well as I do that we cant trust the liberal media to tell the truth.

Jack Marsh, former executive editor of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and co-founder of South Dakota News Watch, asked Noem which of the media organizations represented in the room could not be trusted to tell the truth.

Visibly shaken by the confrontation, Noem said her comments were directed at the national media. Everyone in this room knows, in their heart of hearts, that this doesnt apply to all of them.

Its likely Noem didnt dream up the message in the fundraising letter all by herself. She was parroting Donald Trump, whose message about fake news is still popular in conservative circles today. Its a theme that Noem hit on more than a few times in her new book, No Going Back. In the book, she has a few choice four-letter words for the media like woke and fake.

No Going Back includes a perfect example of a conservative leader praising our freedoms while simultaneously trampling on them. Near the end of her book, Noem notes the tendency of presidential candidates to talk about what they would do on day one of their administration. Noem gives that a try, and among her day one priorities is signing a 22-point Declaration of Common Sense. Number 15 is enough to warm the heart of anyone who loves the First Amendment. It says: Free speech is sacred (including speech that you might not like).

Its odd to hear Noem espouse that freedom, since a couple of times earlier in her book she took credit for banning critical race theory from the states universities.

Critical race theory, a 40-year-old academic idea, asserts that racism is more than a personal bias, but also ingrained in legal systems and policies. Somehow the idea became hot in conservative circles, with right-leaning state legislatures across the nation banning the teaching of a concept that some educators had never heard about.

If No. 15 in the Declaration of Common Sense is true, Noem should have been fighting to protect the right of college professors to teach critical race theory, not leading the charge to get it banned from state campuses.

Throughout her book, Noem talks about how much she engages with the public. This engagement must be harder work for her than it needs to be, because she does it by largely bypassing the South Dakota media. While she makes her case for being engaged with the public, journalists find her distant and her office often unresponsive. That makes sense, however, because as far back as 2020, she said journalists couldnt be trusted.

This remoteness from the state media is particularly apparent during the legislative session, where Noem has taken to shunning events like Newspaper Day as well as giving up on the governors traditional weekly news conference.

Her standoffish attitude toward the media changed during the recent flooding as she held daily news conferences to keep the public informed. This has to send a mixed message to the people who are accustomed to hearing from Noem that the media is dishonest.

Noems description of the media in her 2020 fundraising letter remains a common theme for the governor and politicians like her. Because of their dubious efforts, distrust of the press is at an all-time high. That distrust is exacerbated by politicians like Noem, who use the press to get out vital information, then label the news as fake when journalists insist on telling the truth.

EDITORS NOTE: This commentary has been updated since its original publication with a correct former title for Jack Marsh.

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Dive Brief:

Walgreens has launched an assortment of health-focused foods and drinks under its Nice! private label line, the pharmacy chain announced Tuesday.

The more than 150 items included in the new product tier, known as Nice! For You, are free of artificial flavors and sweeteners, synthetic dyes and high-fructose corn syrup.

Walgreens is looking to tap into the better-for-you foods trend that has swept across the grocery industry in recent years to help steady its finances.

Dive Insight:

The new product line is arriving in Walgreens stores as the ailing retailer strives to sharpen its value proposition with shoppers in the wake of a disappointing third quarter.

Nice! For You is an add-on to Nice!, the house brand Walgreens rolled out in 2011 as part of an effort to simplify its private label portfolio and draw attention to its selection of value-priced essential goods.

Walgreens said the Nice! For You product tier includes items with bold flavors, such as oatmeal, dried fruit, jerky, frozen foods and baking products. Some of the goods sporting the new name are organic and gluten-free.

Walgeens noted in the announcement that all products under the broader Nice! line meet national brand standards of high-quality ingredients, but indicated that it decided to carve out a niche in the better-for-you space to better connect with shoppers focused on eating healthier.

The retailer pointed to research from Statista showing that half of U.S. shoppers define themselves as healthy eaters as a reason why it created Nice! For You.

The evolution of our Nice! brand is designed to offer an efficient, highly relevant customer experience that meets their changing needs and preferences, while maintaining our commitment to deliver high quality products that taste great at an incredible value, Tracey Brown, president of Walgreens Retail and the companys chief customer officer, said in a statement.

Before assuming her role at Walgreens in mid-2021, Brown was CEO of the American Diabetes Association, a role in which she helped build relationships with retailers.

Walgreens is aiming to beef up its house brand grocery selection at a time when private label sales are becoming increasingly important for food retailers. Private labels accounted for a fifth of unit sales in the grocery industry last year, a record level, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

Retailers across the board have recently been focusing on growing their presence in the private label space. In April, Walmart added a line of quality, trend-forward foods known as bettergoods, while Target in February introduced Dealworthy, a line of basic goods that includes paper towels, body wash and cotton balls.

Story continues

Walgreens decision to enliven its range of house-branded foods comes as the retailer has run into difficulty pivoting from its traditional pharmacy business toward healthcare delivery. The company said in June that it aims to close a significant portion of its stores in the United States in an attempt to improve its fortunes.

This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter.
Pam Johnston will serve as new president and CEO of the Rhode Island public media organization formed from Rhode Island PBS and The Public's Radio. (Dominic Chavez)

A Massachusetts broadcast journalism veteran will head up Rhode Islands newly merged public media organization.

The joint board overseeing the merger of Rhode Island PBS and The Publics Radio named Pam Johnston as its new president and CEO Tuesday. Johnston brings 30 years of experience to the job, most recently serving as general manager of news for GBH in Boston, according to an organization statement.

The possibilities before us for public media in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts are incredibly exciting, and Pam Johnston has the passion, expertise, and creativity to build a world class organization, Elizabeth Delude-Dix, co-chair of the organizations board and former chair of the board of directors of The Publics Radio, said in a statement. Pam is a visionary leader who has a deep understanding of audience engagement, practical expertise in digital transformation, and innovative ideas for the future.

Johnston, who will start Aug. 19, replaces David Piccerelli, formerly president of Rhode Island PBS, and Torey Malatia, formerly the president, CEO, and general manager of The Publics Radio. Piccerelli and Malatia have served as co-CEOs since the merger was set in motion, and will be available during the leadership transition, the statement said.

A spokesperson for the new organization declined to disclose Johnstons salary.

The two Rhode Island media organizations first announced plans to merge as a single entity in November, citing the benefits of combined talent and resources. The merger received requisite approvals from the Federal Communications Commission and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General in January and April, respectively.

Since announcing this merger, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our team, viewers, listeners, and beyond has reinforced our belief that we will be stronger and more dynamic together, Dave Laverty, the former chair of the Rhode Island PBS Foundation Board said in a statement. Pam recognizes the magnitude of this opportunity and will be ready on day one to bring people together, and leverage our collective strengths to lead a more powerful and trusted public media source to better serve the community.

Johnston served four years as general manager for GBH news before stepping down in May, according to her resume.

Under her leadership, the GBH news team earned numerous awards and accolades, increased its digital output and reach, and doubled its total audience footprint. Prior to that role, Johnston was a senior leader at PBSs flagship investigative documentary series, FRONTLINE, where she focused on audience development and expanding journalism onto new platforms.

My passion for public medias mission and service to our local community has never been stronger. I am honored to be stepping into this role at such a vital moment, Johnston said in a statement. At a time when trust in the media is eroding and societal gaps are widening, public media can play a critical role in fostering understanding, goodwill, and connection. I believe that here in Rhode Island we have the team, talent, and resources to redefine the very best of what public media can be.

Johnston also held leadership roles with Beth Israel Lahey Health and Gather.com, both based in Massachusetts. Earlier in her career, Johnston worked in local TV in Boston; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Portland, Maine.

She has a bachelors degree from Syracuse University, according to her resume.

The merged organization will launch in the coming months following a public engagement process involving existing staff, supporters and community members to develop a new name and brand, according to a statement.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden renewed his call for stronger gun control Tuesday following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump after staying quiet in the immediate aftermath of the shooting about the AR-15-style gun that nearly killed the former president.

Biden did not mention guns or gun violence during his first three public remarks on Saturday's shooting including during a primetime Oval Office address Sunday night. But in a speech Tuesday in Las Vegas at the NAACP National Convention, Biden finally did  declaring it's time to ban assault weapons like the one used in the shooting at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pa.

"An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump, just as it was assault weapons that killed so many others including children. It's time to outlaw them," Biden said, drawing applause from supporters.

More: Trump's would-be assassin had little time to prepare  and left little trace of plot

Throughout his three and a half years in office, Biden has responded to the nation's gun massacres by reviving calls for stronger gun laws including reinstating the nation's ban on assault weapons, which expired in 2004, and requiring background checks on all gun purchases. But the proposals have gone nowhere because of Republican opposition in Congress.

"More children in America die of gunshot wounds than any other reason. That's stunning and that is sick. And it's sheer cowardice if we do nothing about it," Biden said Tuesday. "So if you want to stand against violence in America then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America."

President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The gunman at the Trump rally, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, used an AR-15-style gun that was reportedly purchased 11 years ago by his father. Crooks was perched atop the roof of a nearby building about 150 yards from Trump as he fired on the former president, killing one spectator and injuring two others while grazing Trump's ear with a bullet.

Biden's calls for gun reform haven't moved Republicans in Congress

Biden waited three days following the Trump assassination attempt to make his latest appeal on guns. Biden had initially steered clear of an emotional and polarizing debate over guns at a time when he's called for the nation to "cool down" the temperature in politics.

"Now, just because we must lower the temperature of our politics, it doesn't mean we have to stop telling the truth," Biden said in his remarks to NAACP members.

The brand of the gunman's rifle, a DPMS AR, was similar to one used in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorism attack where a married extremist couple targeted a Christmas party at a banquet hall, killing 14 and wounding another 22.

Following past gun massacres during his presidency, Biden has been quick to renew his gun control push, usually on the day of each shooting.

After a gunman in 2022 used an AR-15-style weapon to massacre 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the president said, "Its time to turn this pain into action."

More: AR rifle used in Trump shooting from company with winding history, campaign visit

Biden made a similar plea for "commonsense gun laws" in 2023 when a gunman opened fire on the campus of Michigan State University, killing three people. "I'm going to say something thats always controversial: There is no rationale for assault weapons and magazines that hold 50, 70 bullets.

And after a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian elementary school killed seven, Biden said, "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping at the very soul of the nation."

Not surprisingly, Republicans have avoided any talk about overhauling gun laws since the Trump assassination attempt.

Republicans, who have long opposed major gun reform, defended the right to carry firearms during the second night of the Republican National Convention Tuesday in Milwaukee, which was devoted to the theme "Make America Safe Again."

"The insinuation that we're going to just eradicate this country of guns is a ridiculous one. So you better arm yourself accordingly, Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, warned while speaking at an event near the convention.

In fact, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, which advocates for gun ownership for safety purposes, promoted an AR-15 giveaway at a table inside the convention.

More: 'Arm yourself accordingly': What the GOP is saying about gun control after Trump shooting

Another missed moment for change, gun control advocates say

Gun control advocates said they hoped for a larger national discussion about gun reform following the assassination attempt  but have applauded the efforts of Biden.

More: Trump assassination attempt unlikely to have lasting political impact, observers say

"It's incredibly disheartening that we're not hearing more calls to talk about the ways in which this shooter was able to really be empowered to shoot the president because of the easy access to a high-powered rifle," said Christian Heyne, chief policy and programs officer at Brady, a gun violence prevention group. "I do think that the Biden administration has been doing everything they can."

Brady was named after Jim Brady, press secretary for President Ronald Reagan who was shot and paralyzed during a 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, who was seriously injured.

"Not only have we allowed it to happen again, but we're not having an honest conversation about how it was able to take place in the first place," Heyne said.

Biden launched the Office of Gun Violence Prevention last year to expedite the implementation of several executive actions he's taken on gun violence and measures in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in 2022 as the first significant overhaul in federal firearms laws in 30 years.

The law created a $750 million funding pot to incentivize states to create "red flag laws," which allow police or family members to get a court order that temporarily confiscates firearms from individuals who pose a danger.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden renews gun control push after attempted Trump assasination
President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House confirmed Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Biden, 81, tested positive for the virus earlier in the day after an event in Las Vegas. Biden was scheduled to speak at the UnidosUS conference Wednesday night, but the groups president announced that he would no longer be able to attend.

Jean-Pierre said the President will be returning to his home state of Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. She added that he is vaccinated and boosted.

The President told reporters before departing Las Vegas, "I feel good." He did not appear to be wearing a mask as he boarded the plane, following the positive COVID-19 test.

I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes.



I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people.  President Biden (@POTUS) July 17, 2024

Biden had scheduled several events this week, following questions about his health and mental fitness after a poor debate performance in late June. The President said in an interview that took place before the COVID-19 diagnosis that he would consider dropping out of the presidential race if his doctors told him he had a medical condition. He last tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022.

Read More: If Biden Steps Down From Campaign, Heres What Historians Think Will Happen Next

Dr. Kevin OConnor, the Presidents physician, said in a statement that Biden came down with a runny nose and non-productive cough with general malaise on Wednesday afternoon.

He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus, the physician continued. Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals. PCR confirmation testing will be pending. His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth.

Get alerts on the biggest breaking news stories here

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday after an event in Las Vegas, the White House confirmed.

He is experiencing mild symptoms and went to Delaware to self-isolate.

He is vaccinated and boosted.

He was supposed to speak at a conference and hold a campaign rally Wednesday in Las Vegas.

The President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general mailaise, the presidents doctor stated in a news release.

No additional details have been made available.

This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.
Joe Bidens fight to continue his re-election campaign amid concerns over his mental fitness has suffered a major blow after he tested positive for Covid.

Mr Biden had to suddenly abandon his campaign stops in Las Vegas on Wednesday as news came through of his diagnosis after greeting customers at a Mexican restaurant in the city.

The US president was said to be looking slower and less energetic than the previous day by reporters as he was held up in the diner before the result was revealed.

It meant his immediate campaign schedule had to be ripped up with him canceling a speech at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening.

Images of the 81-year-old withdrawing from the campaign trail are in stark contrast to the reception received by a bandaged but energetic Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention this week, as well as the enduring image of the Republican raising a fist for the cameras after surviving an assassination attempt at the weekend.

Although Bidens symptoms are said to be mild, it adds to the mounting pressure on the president to stand down from his campaign following calls by senior Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.

President Joe Biden walks down the steps of Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after abandoning his campaign trail in Las Vegas after contracting Covid (AP)

Just hours before the diagnosis, Mr Biden said he would stand down from the presidential election race if he was advised to do so over a medical condition.

The White House said Mr Biden would now be self-isolating at his home in Delaware.

A statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the news and said the president would be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidelines, but continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.

Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for Covid-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms, the statement read.

He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The White House will provide regular updates on the Presidents status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.

A note from Bidens doctor added he had experienced a runny nose, a cough and general malaise.

The US president was said to be looking slower and less energetic than the previous day at the Mexican restaurant before his Covid diagnosis (REUTERS)

PCR confirmation testing will be pending and the presidents symptoms were described as mild. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth, Delaware.

Biden has conducted multiple campaign events, including rallies and press interviews across the country throughout the week. On Monday he sat down with NBCs Lester Holt in the White House for a special interview.

He has been in Las Vegas, Nevada, since Monday night, appearing on Tuesday night on the last night of the NAACPs 115th national convention. The president also sat for an interview for BET on Tuesday.

The president was asked during the interview what would have to happen for him to consider dropping out of the race.

Bidens determination to stay in the 2024 race despite calls from Democratic voters and lawmakers comes just as Congressman Adam Schiff joined 20 other House Democrats to call for the president to step away from the race, saying it was time for him to pass the torch.

If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem, Biden said in an excerpt released on Wednesday, shortly before the announcement about his Covid diagnosis emerged.

The news is the latest setback for the Biden campaign, which has endured weeks of calls for the president to step down from the presidential race due to his age and mental capacity.

A recent report by Puck detailed a Zoom call the president held with moderate Democratic lawmakers described by one participant, speaking anonymously to the outlet, as worse than the debate. The source claimed that Biden frequently lost his train of thought during the call.

During a one-on-one debate with Donald Trump last month, seen by many as disastrous for the president, he was also said to be suffering from a cold, and appeared onstage with a raspy voice.
President Biden tests positive for COVID, taking him off campaign trail during critical time

President Joe Biden leaves the podium after speaking during the 115th National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) National Convention in in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024.

President Joe Biden leaves the podium after speaking during the 115th National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) National Convention in in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024.

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden has again tested positive for COVID-19.

Biden tested positive following an event Wednesday in Las Vegas, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

He is vaccinated and boosted, and he is experiencing mild symptoms, she said.

Biden will return to his home in Delaware, where he will self-isolate, Jean-Pierre said. "The White House will provide regular updates on the presidents status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation," she said.

Biden gave a thumbs up to reporters from the window of his presidential vehicle as his motorcade arrived at the tarmac at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to head to Delaware. He did not wear a face mask as he boarded Air Force One.

Good, Biden said when asked how he was feeling. I feel good."

Later, Biden said in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, that during his isolation, "I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people."

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One as he departs Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 17, 2024, en route to Delaware.

Its the third time the 81-year-old president has tested positive for COVID.

Biden first tested positive on July 21, 2022, and experienced mild symptoms. Nine days later, he tested positive again in a virus rebound that patients treated with the antiviral medicationPaxlovid sometimes experience, his doctor said.

The latest positive test came while Biden was in Nevada for a series of events, including the UnidosUS annual conference in Las Vegas. Biden was scheduled to speak to the group, which is the nations largest Latino civil rights organization. But he did not come to the podium as scheduled.

Regrettably, I was just on the phone with President Biden, and he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events as we all know, and just tested positive for COVD, said Janet Murguia, president and CEO of UnidosUS.

"We understand that he needs to take the precautions that have been recommended, and he did not obviously want to put anybody at risk, Murguia said.

More: Biden's age makes COVID risky. Is his health in danger?

Shortly before testing positive, Biden was taking selfies and talking to customers at The Original Lindo Michoacan Restaurant as he campaigned in Las Vegas before he was set to appear at the UnidosUS conference.

The White House released a note from Bidens doctor, Kevin OConnor, who said the president had upper respiratory symptoms including a runny nose and non-productive cough, with general malaise. Bidens symptoms remain mild, the doctor said, and his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%.

He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus, OConnor said in the note.

More: Full-blown crisis puts Biden on his heels. An inside look at campaign's pitfalls.

Biden's positive COVID test comes amid a crucial period in his reelection campaign against former President Donald Trump, who on Monday was formally handed the GOP nomination at the party's national convention in Milwaukee.

Biden's diagnosis  which could take him off the campaign trail for several days  punctuates whats been a brutal stretch for him that began with a disastrous June 27 debate against Trump. Biden's uneven performance during the debate ignited calls from Democrats for him to withdraw from the race.

Biden has repeatedly rejected calls to quit, saying he's in the race to stay. He has increased his campaign appearances and interviews on television and radio to try to reassure Americans that he is up for a second term while many Democrats push for a new nominee.

Biden said in an interview with BET on Tuesday that he would consider dropping out only "if I had some medical condition that emerged, if the doctors came to me and said you got this problem or that problem."

Older adults face greater risk from COVID

Older adults face the highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People over 65 account for more than 81% of COVID deaths  and the number of deaths among the age group is 97 times higher than for people aged 18 to 29. The odds of getting acutely ill also go up for people with other illnesses.

Your risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases as the number of your underlying medical conditions increase, the CDC said.

Hospitalizations and emergency room visits are far less frequent than in January when more than 2,000 people a week died from COVID. As of June 15, the CDC estimated fewer than 150 people died of COVID-19.

Michael Collins and Joey Garrison cover the White House. Follow Collins on X @mcollinsNEWS and Garrison @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden has COVID for a third time, taking him off campaign trail
President Joe Biden and Maritza Rodriguez, Biden for President Latina adviser, greets patrons at Linda Michoacan Mexican Restaurant, during a stop in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. | Susan Walsh

President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19.

Biden was scheduled to give a speech at the UnidosUS Annual Conference Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas, but was unable to attend after testing positive for COVID-19, UnidosUS President Janet Murguia announced at the conference.

Murguia told those who had come hear Biden he had spoken to the president, who promised to make it up, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

#AHORA El presidente estadounidense Joseph R. Biden da positivo a covid-19, asi lo anunciaron en la conferencia de la organizacion Unidos US, en Las Vegas, Nevada, donde hoy daria un discurso.pic.twitter.com/keIR3bTqtW  Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica (@ForeignAffairsL) July 17, 2024

According to a press release from the White House, Biden began exhibiting a runny nose and cough in the afternoon. After his first event of the day, the president was subsequently tested and confirmed positive with COVID-19.

According to the press release, Bidens symptoms remain mild, with a normal respiratory rate and temperature. He will return to his home in Delaware to self-isolate and continue to work. The White House will continue to give updates on his status during that time.

According to reports, Biden, 81, has kept a full schedule in Nevada this week, following questions about his health and capabilities after a dismal debate performance in late June.

Biden last tested positive in 2022.
Protesters in Atlanta, Georgia, before council members voted 11-4 to approve legislation to fund the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, AKA Cop City, on 6 June 2023. Photograph: Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Georgias attorney general has responded to two motions from defense attorneys that call into question the states integrity in prosecuting an alleged criminal conspiracy behind protests against the controversial police training center colloquially known as Cop City.

The responses come on the heels of public pressure and media coverage that brought the motions to light.

In one case, John Fowler, the deputy attorney general, sent an email last week to the dozens of attorneys defending the 61 people accused of racketeering, to schedule visits by the end of July to the South River Forest near Atlanta  including the Cop City construction site and a public park where protesters camped for more than a year.

Weve been trying to schedule this visit since at least January, defense attorney Xavier de Janon said. Its likely due to public pressure  the media, social media  that the state is finally allowing defense attorneys to see it.

Fowlers email followed De Janons motion filed in late June describing months of attempts to visit the forest, which the state calls a crime scene. The attorney petitioned Kimberly Esmond Adams, a Fulton county superior court judge, in the motion to dismiss all charges related to the forest due to the states stonewalling. In an 8 July story, the Guardian independently confirmed that other defense attorneys also hadnt been able to schedule visits; one sent emails to Fowler at least six times about the matter, only to be ignored.

Adams ordered Fowler at a court conference in early May to schedule visits by the end of June, adding that the jury in an eventual trial may also need to do so. Fowler emailed defense attorneys, but never followed up to schedule visits, ignoring the judges deadline.

Meanwhile, construction on the $109m training center has continued apace, in effect changing some of the physical conditions on the ground forever, De Janon noted in his motion.

The other motion centering on Fowlers behavior asserted that the state had violated attorney-client privilege by sharing emails between members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail fund, and their attorney. The Guardian independently confirmed that the deputy attorney general had shared them, as the motion alleges  and that he did the same with the communications of other defendants.

After coverage in the Guardian and elsewhere, the attorney generals office responded to the motion last week, asserting: The State certainly did not know that the defendant and attorney exchanged confidential communications over gmail 

The series of events began with a Swat-style raid on the funds Atlanta house in May 2023, with Atlanta police seizing computers, cellphones and other devices. Don Samuel, the funds lead attorney, soon told Fowler that confidential, privileged emails and texts between the fund and himself were on the devices, according to the motion.

Over the next year, Samuel advised Fowler several times to employ a filter team to ensure that privileged material is not reviewed. The state never did, and separately obtained emails from Google for two of the funds three members. Atlanta police investigators have now seen these emails, and they have been shared with all the defense attorneys as part of discovery.

Samuel sought in his motion to have the judge hold a hearing on the matter and disqualify both the attorney generals office and Atlanta police from the case.

After the states response last week, Samuel filed a reply: The Attorney Generals Response questions, How were we supposed to know that the communications in the Gmail accounts were privileged? He continues: When defense counsel advised the prosecutors repeatedly that the laptops and phones and other devices seized have privileged communications [...] there was no way to misconstrue the message [...] . [D]id the prosecutors think perhaps there were pieces of paper or post-it notes tucked under the covers of the devices, or hidden in the inside of the devices?

The reply asked the court again to hold a hearing on the matter.

Also last week, the attorney generals office sent an email to defense attorneys with this request: While we believe no attorney or legal professional would read communications between another attorney and client, it would appear that a specific request to not do so is needed.

Journalist Will Potter  who details the federal governments legal campaigns against environmental activists in his book, Green Is the New Red  said the recent events from the Cop City prosecution have been seen in previous court cases involving political protest, in the civil rights and environmental movements.

Every step of the way  the government needs to be held accountable, Potter said. Journalists, activists, lawyers all need to be paying attention  just to get the government to do the bare minimum under the law, as required.
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG)  Officials have recognized a Prichard schools outstanding educational program, News 5 has learned.

Mobile Police, U.S. Marshals asking for publics help in finding kidnapping suspect

The Alabama Independent School Association said Prichard Preparatory School was a 2023-2044 AISA Blue Ribbon School Award recipient.

In order to be considered for the AISA Blue Ribbon Award, a school must complete a rigorous application process and exemplify excellence in scholastic achievement, professional learning, student involvement, and community interaction, an AISA release said.

These schools received the award:

Abbeville Christian Academy

Advent Episcopal School

Autauga Academy

Bayside Academy

Chambers Academy

Clarke Preparatory School

Coosa Valley Academy

Cottage Hill Christian Academy

Crenshaw Christian Academy

Escambia Academy

Evangel Christian Academy

Faith Academy

Fort Dale Academy

Glenwood School

Hooper Academy

Jackson Academy

Lee-Scott Academy

Lowndes Academy

Macon-East Academy

Morgan Academy

Patrician Academy

Pickens Academy

Pike Liberal Arts School

Prichard Preparatory School

Riverhill School

South Choctaw Academy

Southern Academy

Springwood School

Success Unlimited Academy

Sumiton Christian School

The Donoho School

The Lakeside School

I truly thought that she was going to die on the beach that day: Mobile nurse helps save shark attack victim

These schools have demonstrated a high level of excellence in their academic and student programs and are very worthy recipients of the AISA Blue Ribbon Award, the release said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
PRINCETON, WV (WVNS)  Princetons Salvation Army has run into serious issues getting donations.

Beckley Salvation Army to launch Boys and Girls Club

Workers with Princetons branch of the Salvation Army noticed a downward trend of donation dollars, resulting in a crisis.

Sergeant Melissa White, the Corps Administrator of Princeton Salvation Army told 59News, We had a $25,000 shortfall this year in our kettle program, and overall giving is down for nonprofits right now.

This money is normally given to the less fortunate and to those affected by disasters.

The lack of donation money was not the only issue. They also were negatively impacted by the lack of volunteer help.

Sgt. White explained that they even offered to pay their volunteers last year, but still ran into issues finding anyone willing to help.

They are looking for more volunteer help from around the community even now.

One way how you can get involved is with their Christmas in July event.

We are having Christmas in July this Saturday at Grants IGA Supermarket on Athens Road in Princeton from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If youd like to come by and ring the bell or putting something in the kettle, it will all be used to go back out in the community. Its just a reminder that were already signing up for Christmas. If youd like to be a part of that solution for our community, said Sgt. White.

Mercer County Salvation Army desperately seeking donations

To find out how you can be a volunteer for the Salvation Army you can mail in money or checks to P.O. Box 1090, Princeton, WV 24740. You can also drop off your donations at 300 Princeton Avenue.

You can also give online at Tithe.ly. Once you access this link, search Salvation Army to make your donations.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) is a stock that is in deep trouble. It isn't trading just at 52-week lows, it's trading at levels it hasn't seen in more than 20-plus years. The company's new CEO, Tim Wentworth, faces an uphill battle trying to turn things around for the struggling business, as well as convincing investors it's worth buying shares of the pharmacy retailer.

Walgreens cut its dividend this year, but I believe the pharmacy specialist should outright suspend it, because that could play a big role in the company's overall turnaround.

Why a dividend doesn't make sense for Walgreens anymore

Walgreens isn't a stock that should be paying a dividend. It's normally when a business is doing well and has strong enough financials to support recurring and regular distributions to shareholders that it makes sense for it to pay a dividend. But with Walgreens, that just isn't the case anymore.

In recent years, it has become common to see Walgreens generate insufficient free cash flow to cover its dividend payments.



Fundamental Chart data by YCharts.

By slashing its dividend nearly in half this year, Walgreens has reduced how much it needs to allocate to its recurring payouts, but it's still too much of a burden for the struggling company. In three of the past five quarters, Walgreens has reported negative free cash flow.

Trying to focus on growth while paying a dividend could be a recipe for disaster

In recent years, Walgreens has been pursuing an aggressive strategy that involves the launch of hundreds of primary care clinics at its locations. Healthcare remains a key growth opportunity for the business, but that's also going to require a lot of resources, including cash, for the company to pursue that, which could exacerbate an already challenging financial situation.

Walgreens recently said that it would be "simplifying and focusing the U.S. healthcare portfolio" in an apparent sign that it might scale back its efforts, at least to some extent. The company also only recently achieved profitability in the segment, reporting an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) profit of $23 million for the period ending May 31. While it's not a true accounting profit, it's a step in the right direction. It also highlights just how much more effort management still needs to put in for this business to be profitable.

Suspending the dividend would free up a lot of money for Walgreens

Walgreens can still afford to pay its dividend -- for now. But given the company's lack of growth in recent years, slim profit margins, and disappointing free cash flow, there's a lot to fix and not a lot of resources to help make that happen. Walgreens reported cash and cash equivalents of $703 million as of the end of May. Its total current assets of $16.3 billion are far below the company's current liabilities, which total more than $25 billion, meaning it has a negative working capital. This necessarily implies the company is facing problems meeting its short term financial obligations.

The dividend still costs the business $216 million per quarter, or roughly $864 million over the course of a full year. That's after Walgreens already slashed its payout. The simpler option would be to suspend it entirely and not have to worry about the dividend for now, because there are arguably much larger concerns.

Until the dividend is suspended, investors should steer clear of Walgreens

I suspect many dividend investors likely aren't rushing to buy Walgreens shares right now. While a near-9% yield may look attractive, there's not a whole lot of benefit to collecting that kind of payout when the stock's losses could wipe out that income anyway. And it's hard to be too optimistic about the long run for Walgreens given how tough of a situation the business is in today. Investors only need to look at rival Rite Aid, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, as a reminder of how bad things can get if it isn't able to turn things around quickly.

The dividend doesn't matter if the business isn't on solid financial footing. The priority should be for Walgreens to get its house in order and strengthen its financials, and only then should it consider paying a dividend. Investors who buy the stock for its dividend today are taking on enormous risk, because there's little assurance that the company will be able to afford to pay it for much longer. Even if it can, the shares' troubling performance could negate any income investors generate from the dividend.

Walgreens is a risky stock to own, arguably too risky for most dividend investors to consider. One way it can set itself up for a better future is by parting with its dividend entirely. It may not be the news income investors want to hear, but it can go a long way in helping turn things around, and that's the most important thing for investors in the long run.

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CHICAGO (WCIA)  Illinois proposal to create a new quantum computing campus has a new partner with a federal agency.

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the partnership of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Defense, with Illinois quantum computing campus Tuesday. The partnership is named Quantum Proving Ground.

The future of quantum is here, and its in Illinois, Pritzker said Tuesday at a news conference announcing the collaboration.

The state previously allocated $500 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget for the campus. With it, officials estimate the project will generate up to $60 billion in economic impact and create thousands of jobs.

Proposal to attract quantum computing jobs passes Illinois House

With the support of our federal partners, Illinois quantum campus will generate the sort of competitive research that has driven our most important American innovations, all while injecting billions of dollars into our states economy and creating hundreds of local jobs, the governor said.

State leaders said DARPA will continue leading technological innovations in Illinois with the investment on the new campus. Some inventions DARPA previously invested in include GPS miniaturization, weather satellites, and the modern internet.

Illinois has long held the spirit of invention, innovation, and influence. The quantum computing campus further establishes Illinois as a as a global hub for technology and innovation, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. Through the combined efforts of Illinois National Labs, world-class universities, industry leaders, and now our growing partnership with the Department of Defense with this Quantum Proving Ground, our state will continue to champion technologies and industries of the future.

Sen. Rose leads measure against proposed stricter OSHA firefighting requirements

DARPA is already encouraging companies to apply help develop new hardware on the campus.

We urge small and large companies and research institutions across the country who are developing quantum computing hardware to come and work with DARPA and our partners, Dr. Joe Altepeter, the DARPA program manager leading the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, said. We just issued a special notice on the federal governments SAM.gov website as a heads up that the QBI solicitation is coming soon.

Both DARPA and the state are committing up to $140 million in matching funds for the Quantum Proving Ground. DARPA invites companies interested in working in industrial quantum to apply on the federal governments SAM.gov website.

On the campus, the space is planned to have shared cryo facilities, equipment labs, and spaces for both private companies and Illinois research universities to collaborate. No location has been announced yet for the quantum campus.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Problems with new federal application could mean thousands fewer SC students in college

The Tiger, Clemson University's mascot, leads a parade of students receiving scholarships from the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund at Charleston's Gaillard Center on Sunday, June 23, 2024. Scholarship recipients will be able to attend college free of charge but the process was not without issues due to the botched rollout of a new federal financial aid application. (Meeting Street Scholarship Fund/Provided)

CHARLESTON  More South Carolina high school graduates are seeking state-funded, need-based grants that help them afford college. Unfortunately, thats the aid most impacted by the U.S. Department of Educations botched rollout of a new application.

The revamped Free Application for Federal Student Aid  FAFSA for short  was supposed to make things simpler for those seeking federal student loans and grants. Instead, the application came out three months behind schedule and was plagued with technical glitches.

The number of completed FAFSA applications dropped by more than 11% for the Class of 2024 compared to last year, both in South Carolina and nationwide.

For the Palmetto State, that means about 3,300 fewer high school graduates are enrolling in college this fall. Nationwide, numbers are down by about 250,000 students, suggesting more students are putting off college or opting not to attend altogether.

To make matters worse, of those students who did apply, some are still waiting to find out whether theyll receive the money they need to cover their tuition.

That includes a growing number of students seeking South Carolina grants distributed based on need, rather than academic performance. The first step for applying for a need-based grant is to complete the federal aid application, which determines how much aid a students eligible to receive.

Determining who is eligible for need-based aid is complicated. It comes down to more than just family income. The federal formula also measures the cost of the college theyre attending, family size, as well as outside circumstances that may affect a familys ability to pay, such as unemployment or excessive medical expenses.

An endless loop

For Jorden Myers, applying for financial aid for college was a frustratingly endless loop.

The Dillon High School graduate had completed the FAFSA, but despite meeting all the criteria for the maximum amount of federal financial aid available, her application results came back as ineligible for a low-income Pell Grant. She didnt understand what had gone wrong.

She spent two hours on the phone with staff from the federal aid program.

But they kept telling me stuff I already knew, Myers said, simply repeating the list of Pell qualifications rather than offering an explanation for what may have caused the error.

Staff members of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, a private, Charleston-headquartered foundation that covers gaps in financing to give low-income Pell Grant students a free college education, said it perplexed them as well.

Myers called Clemson University, where she had applied. But the school had not yet officially accepted her and told her they couldnt help.

Luckily, the University of South Carolina last year implemented a program automatically admitting the top 10% of every South Carolina high schools graduating class. It was there that financial aid staff gave Myers the advice to start the application process from the beginning, taking time to look up terminology she did not recognize to ensure she was answering all of the questions correctly.

A lot of the language they were using, I didnt quite understand it, Myers said. I was having to Google it, and I still ended up answering questions wrong because I couldnt make sense of the questions.

Finally, with just two weeks to go before the deadline for the Meeting Street funding she was counting on to make her college dreams a reality, Myers results came back the way they were supposed to. She received the financial aid she needed to pursue a biological sciences degree from Clemson. She wants to be a dentist.

It was very stressful, Myers said. There were definitely times Id look at my mom and be like, Ive worked so hard, and Ive tried so hard to get these scholarships to be able to go to college, and Im still not going to be able to do it financially. 

Myers will be the first in her family to attend college. And, thanks to the Meeting Street fund, her tuition will be fully covered.

Never did me or my parents think Id have the opportunity to have a full ride, she said. Theyre all tickled.

Myers said she hopes to be a role model to her twin younger siblings.

Thats always been my inspiration  my brother and sister, she said. I tried to do my best and show them you can do it if you put everything into it. Theyve seen me cry about getting a certain grade on a test, and theyd say its not that serious. Id be like, Yes, it is. 

Still waiting

While Myers now has her financial aid in hand, others are still waiting.

At Trident Technical College in North Charleston, about 10% of students who submitted a FAFSA have been delayed due to errors in the application system, said Nicole Burton, the tech schools associate financial aid director.

Those students needed to send in additional documentation or make corrections but were only recently able to do so, she said. Even now, technical glitches are a hindrance.

Its really difficult when students are turning to us for answers, and were still waiting on guidance from the (U.S.) Department of Education, Burton said. Our goal is to get them in and be successful, and were just working as hard as we can to make that possible.

Burton said some of the application questions had particularly complicated language that tripped up students.

Theyre having a hard time understanding what the question is actually asking, so many of them have answered those questions incorrectly, she said. Thats been a bit frustrating for students.

For example, theres a question about whether or not the parent provides financial support for the student. Students who are paying their own way through school may answer no. But by answering the question in that way, they inadvertently disqualify themselves for a Pell Grant, or work study and some state aid.

Myers said she has heard of no planned wording changes on the application for 2026, set to open up in less than three months.

So unfortunately, I dont see the confusion clearing up for the future, she said.

While every student aid package is different, students attending Trident Tech tend to rely more heavily on need-based aid, Myers said. For these students, the FAFSA is particularly important as it determines their eligibility for both state and federal funding.

More than 40,000 South Carolina residents received a $3,500 need-based scholarship, funded by proceeds from the state lottery, for the 2022-2023 school year, according to the latest data from the state Commission on Higher Education.

Thats 10,000 more students than three years earlier, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The total amount awarded jumped more than 2 times higher, with $80.6 million distributed in 2022-23, compared to $31 million in 2019-20.

For more than 46,500 students attending technical colleges in the state in 2022-2023, the state provided need-based aid of $80 per credit hour. In all, $55.7 million was awarded for enrollment in two-year schools.

The state higher education agency does not yet have data to determine how the FAFSA snafu could impact these awards. South Carolina scholarships awarded based on academic performance are not reliant on the federal aid application. Neither are scholarships provided to technical college students enrolled in high-demand career fields, such as manufacturing, building trades, cybersecurity, hospitality, teaching and nursing.

A material impact

College freshmen arent the only ones impacted. The application has to be completed annually for any income changes.

When Allen Gomez, a rising senior at Clemson, went to fill out his application this year, his familys account no longer existed. It was inexplicably deleted rather than rolled over into the new system, so he couldnt log in.

I remember I called for about a month and I couldnt talk to anybody, he said, adding he got only an automated message.

Gomez hopes to go on to medical school after finishing his biochemistry degree.

A childhood accident after his family moved back to Ecuador amid the Great Recession is what drove him to go into medicine. Macas, where his grandparents lived, is a small town, maybe a mile wide, in the middle of the jungle. In his first week there, Gomez slipped while swinging on the monkey bars at a local park playground and broke his hand.

He needed surgery, but the nearest hospital said it would be four days before a surgeon would arrive.

That experience set Gomez on a path to seeking a medical degree so he might one day be able to help others in underserved areas. Having the financial aid that has kept him debt free as an undergraduate is helping make medical school a possibility.

Its a substantial amount of funding  upwards of $20,000 annually  thats at stake between the Pell Grant, state need-based scholarships, and the Meeting Street fund, for those who qualify, said John Huber-MacNealy, program director with Meeting Street.

So, were talking a real, material impact, he said.

This year Huber-MacNealy and his colleagues fielded a much higher volume of calls from students trying to navigate the federal financial aid process.

When people think about what keeps students from under-resourced families from going to college, the obvious answer is money, he said. Maybe even more critically, they dont have the knowledge to navigate the financial aid process. And so, I have seen just as many students held back by that gap.

Of the larger state schools, both Clemson and USC say they are on track to meet goals for freshman enrollment despite the woes caused by FAFSA.

Preliminary numbers at USC show a freshman class size similar to the 7,200 who enrolled at the states largest college last fall. Clemson did not provide estimated enrollment numbers for this fall, but the Upstate school had 4,500 freshman last year. Winthrop Universitys freshman enrollment is tracking upwards by 6%.

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SC Class of 2024 seniors completing the federal aid application

These 10 school districts saw the biggest percentage drop in high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid:

Saluda County: -38.6% Bamberg County: -34.9% Spartanburg 4 (Woodruff): -34.3% Barnwell County Consolidated: -30% Lee County: -28.9% Hampton County: -27% Abbeville County: -26.5% Spartanburg 3 (Glendale): -26% Aiken County: -25.9% Greenwood 51 (Ware Shoals): -25%

Only 14 districts total statewide saw no decrease. These are the 10 biggest increases:

Allendale County: +243% McCormick County: +31% Limestone Charter: +19.4% Laurens 55 (Laurens): +11.9% Lexington 3 (Batesburg-Leesville): +11.4% Calhoun County: +10.8% Lexington 4 (Swansea): +7.4% Union County: +5% Fairfield County: +4.3% Governors School for the Arts: +3.8%

Source: National College Attainment Network

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Wes Moore speaking to Maryland Corps and Service Year cohort at Camden Yards in front of the Maryland Flag. Photo by Elijah Pittman

Gov. Wes Moore (D) speaks to the Maryland Corps and Service Year cohort at their Camden Yards graduation ceremony. Photo by Elijah Pittman

One will go to the military, another will continue his education and a third plans to continue on with an organization that works to combat the poverty-to-prison pipeline.

They were just some of the 231 members who were among the inaugural class of Maryland Corps and Service Year Option graduates who were applauded Tuesday at their commencement ceremony.

Yall can have a sense of pride, because generations from now when you see people doing their service years all over the state, yall can look back and say it started with us, said Gov. Wes Moore (D) at the event held in Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The programs were among the first priorities of the Moore administration.

The Service Year Option is a first-of-its-kind program that allows recent high school graduates between ages 18 and 21 to complete a year of service at over 100 businesses, agencies, and organizations across the state. It was merged with Maryland Corps, a 2016 program that is open to people of all ages and provides them with vocational training as well.

The service year program was created last year under the Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration (SERVE) Act. Sen. Cheryl Kagan, one of the sponsors of the Senate version of the bill, explained some of the value of the service year and the act.

They were part of a team, and learned how to lead, and to follow, how to be reliable, and this sets them up so well for the rest of their lives, said Kagan, who was also at Tuesdays event.

Justin Peleska speaking to Maryland Corps and Service Year cohort at Camden Yards. Photo by Elijah Pittman.

Some are going to go on to further education, some are going to go on to jobs, and a couple told me theyre going to be in the military, she said.

Justin Peleska, a recent high school graduate who participated in the Service Year program, introduced Moore after speaking to the cohort about his experience in the program.

I have had the opportunity to serve with the Love Wins Movement in Anne Arundel County, which serves as a local food pantry while also running multiple addiction recovery houses throughout the Glen Burnie area and South Baltimore, Peleska said.

Working the distribution line in our food pantry on Thursdays was one of the first things I was introduced to at Love Wins, he said. Months later I can say that I saw change and growing happiness within my community, and thats what counts.

Moore highlighted a few members of the cohort and their plans for whats next: A service year graduate named Juan who is going into the Air Force, Trey Taylor from Maryland Corps who will continue his education, and Deja Wilson, also from Maryland Corps, who works with B-360 to combat the poverty to prison pipeline.

Paul Monteiro, the secretary of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation, said in his remarks at the commencement that the program will have more than 500 people starting in September. And he said other states are launching programs like Marylands.

The eyes of the country are watching what we do, Utah has already followed suit, the state of New York has already followed suit, theyve launched their own Service Year programs, he said.

Kagan said more states will follow.

Utah is one year behind us, and then Colorado, Minnesota, California, and New York are among the other states that are working on launching a program but weve already had one year of launching a successful cohort, she said.

Kagan said that next year not only will the program expand, but there will also be a new program.

Next year, theyre also going to have a climate corps  50 of the 600 will be working directly or indirectly to address the climate crisis, Kagan said.

I think that is really exciting, it doesnt just train and inspire the young people in the program but its actually going to help save our state and our planet, she said.

The post Service Year program graduates first class of workers with skills, experience appeared first on Maryland Matters.
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  Domestic violence is a real concern in the United States and more locally, in the Mountain State.

According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, 33.6 percent of West Virginia women and 41.2 percent of West Virginia men experience domestic violence.

The Raleigh County Day Report Center is starting a Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program.

Beckley Gaming Expo gearing up for fifth year

The goal of this program is to reduce the rates of domestic violence by implementing a 32-week program at the center.

Zach Hazelwood, Clinical Supervisor with the Raleigh County Day Report Center, told 59News that domestic violence seems to be overlooked and pushed under the rug.

As far as the BIPPs program, I would say that I think that domestic violence is a bigger problem than you might know around here. Especially dealing with the court system, its all the time. I think domestic violence is one of those problems that is hush hush and not a lot of people talk about it, said Hazelwood.

This program offers a different approach to tackling the issues of domestic violence.

Beckley Police Department officers discuss fentanyl threat to officers

James Miller, Director of the Raleigh County Day Report Center, explained the approach.

Then, we are able to offer services to that batterer and thats one of the very few situations in domestic violence where an alternative can be implemented. An alternative to an outright dismissal if the victim does not want to cooperate or is scared to cooperatea conviction where that person has conviction but nothing has been done to address the behavior, said Miller to 59News.

Miller said some Raleigh County Day Report Center staff will be trained on the program.

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The exterior of the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center in Sioux Falls, pictured on Oct. 21, 2022. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rich Ohm was going to say no. He and his wife are busy with their Watertown-based business, their children are all grown, and they aim to spend up to two months each year traveling out of the country for missions.

But he surprised himself  and his wife. He said yes to becoming the first court resource family in the state, becoming a licensed foster family and opening their home to low-risk juvenile offenders.

Its rewarding, Ohm said. Youre building good, positive relationships with someone who might not have that opportunity with many adults.

Rich Ohm and his wife, Beret, have opened their home to children in the Codington County Court Resource Home program. (Courtesy of Rich Ohm)

Ohm and his wife, Beret, have one of two licensed South Dakota court resource homes, which is a new program aiming to keep children out of detention and the justice system as a whole. The need for the program is reflected in juvenile justice statistics: At the end of fiscal year 2023, 84 South Dakota children were placed in a facility or program, such as a detention center, shelter care program, group home or the Human Services Center, while another 93 were receiving aftercare.

A court resource home is used for children who cant remain with their family or be placed with extended family while working through the legal process. The program is meant to be a cost-efficient alternative for mid-sized counties instead of sending children to facilities in cities such as Sioux Falls.

Studies show children placed in detention unnecessarily are negatively impacted mentally and physically, and their education and future employment suffer. The cost to keep a child at the Juvenile Detention Center or Arise Shelter Care in Sioux Falls is hundreds of dollars a day, not including the cost to drive the child hours away from home and remove one law enforcement officer from the streets for transport.

The program is in its third year of operation, but is only active in Codington County, where Ohm lives, and in Davison County. Yankton County was awarded funding this year to start its own program, while Brown County has been searching for a family to commit to the project since 2021.

Our youth will eventually be back within our community and reunited with their families, said Katie Buschbach, Davison County youth diversion coordinator, so getting services set up right away and fixing the issues within our own community while supporting the family with wrap-around services is the most beneficial way to begin the healing process.

A chart shows the decline of children being placed or supervised by the state court system on June 30 each year from 2014 to 2023. "Aftercare" includes supervision and monitoring systems, while "placement" includes detention centers and shelter programs. (Courtesy of the state Department of Corrections)

Finding and keeping a family in place to serve such children is the most difficult part of the program. Davison Countys original family moved shortly after being licensed, but the county licensed a new family earlier this year.

Kelsi Vinger, the diversion and juvenile detention alternative initiative coordinator for Brown County, said counties seek families who can be flexible, are willing to work with the court system and have connections to services within the community for the child.

Children can stay with a court resource home for up to seven days, and hosts must be willing to accept a child on short notice. In 2023, seven Brown County kids were identified as being good fits for a court resource home, but they were unnecessarily held in secure detention because there wasnt a licensed family, Vinger said.

Ohm served as a law enforcement officer for 15 years before he retired from the profession, choosing to teach self defense and martial arts and lead a ministry center in Watertown. Being a cop fit his values, but he wanted to prevent bad things from happening instead of reacting to them. His wife has professional training in human services.

We know how to start wading through those crises with people based on our experience. Unfortunately, theres not a lot of people who do what we do or have done what weve done in general, Ohm said.

The Ohms serve as short-term role models and mentors to children. They have served three children since theyve become licensed. The Davison County family, licensed earlier this year, has served one child.

Its less children served than either county estimated, but its still worth it, said Louis Canfield, the director of youth diversion for Codington County.

It just wouldnt make sense to have a standalone facility, Canfield said. Even if its just one kid a year that has to sit in jail, that isnt fair to that child. Its traumatizing.

The South Dakota Council of Juvenile Services oversees state awards for court resource homes from the federal Formula Grants Program. This summer, the council awarded $30,000 to Brown County, $21,860 to Codington County, $25,564 to Yankton County and $29,500 to Davison County.

Counties can apply for up to $30,000 a year, which covers the cost of operating the program. Costs can include a coordinator salary stipend, a family home study or a licensing renewal fee, and monthly monitoring services from Lutheran Social Services.

The foster family receives an on-call stipend of $100 a week with increased compensation up to $550 a week when the family takes in a child. That money is used at the discretion of the foster family for things such as food, transportation to school or court, or any other needs of the child.

Ohm would like to see the licensing process streamlined so its easier for interested families. He said the process was cumbersome and took months to complete when most of the training  intended for foster parents  wasnt relevant to his familys situation.

They make you go through it, he said.

Diversion coordinators across the state want to see court resource homes expanded to other counties. Vinger said the state might need to consider regionalization, since not all counties can afford the program. Such a decision might require guidance from the Unified Judicial System or the Legislature.

I hope that we can get these programs up and running across the state so we have fewer kids unnecessarily going into our secure detention facilities, Vinger said. That plays a role in recidivism and keeping the public safe if we can meet these kids where theyre at, rather than throwing them into a facility because its closest and easiest for us.

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By now, you may be asking yourself, what is Project 2025? The plan from the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation aims to remake society under the next conservative president. Over 100 conservative groups contributed to the Project 2025 book, Mandate for Leadership, which lays out a detailed plan of action over its nearly 1,000 pages, including many policy proposals that have the potential to relegate women back to second-class status.

Today, the American family is in crisis, the document claims in the introduction. Forty percent of all children are born to unmarried mothers, including more than 70% of black children. There is no government program that can replace the hole in a childs soul cut out by the absence of a father. Fatherlessness is one of the principal sources of American poverty, crime, mental illness, teen suicide, substance abuse, rejection of the church, and high school dropouts.

In an effort to presumably rescue their nuclear, heterosexual, married family ideal, Project 2025 would further curtail reproductive rights, make childcare and applying for welfare benefits more difficult for single parents, and introduce marriage and relationship education to federally funded family planning programs.

If implemented, Project 2025 would be the latest attack in Donald Trumps full-on assault on reproductive freedom, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a recent speech.

Perhaps the scariest part is that the book makes it pretty clear that this is only phase one.

Here are some of the proposed policies that they envision:

Gender Equality

Starting off strong, the Project 2025 book states, The president should immediately revoke Executive Order 14020 and every policy, including sub-regulatory guidance documents, produced on behalf of or related to the establishment or promotion of the Gender Policy Council and its subsidiary issues.

Executive Order 14020, signed into law by President Joe Biden, established a White House Gender Policy Council, whose purpose is to, advance gender equity and equality, with sensitivity to the experiences of those who suffer discrimination based on multiple factors, including membership in an underserved community.

In February of 2023, the council released its first progress report on its efforts to improve gender equality, which included introducing protections for pregnant workers and addressing gender-based violence.

Reproductive Rights

The Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning Roe v. Wade was a big political win for the far right, and Project 2025 shows that they have every intention of curtailing reproductive rights further. The document does not call for a nationwide abortion ban, as some conservative politicians have put forward. Instead, it lays out a strategy for using existing laws to further hamper peoples ability to access abortion.

One particularly frightening policy suggestion in the Project 2025 book is to substantially increase nationwide abortion surveillance. Currently, state health departments report abortion data to the CDC on a voluntary basis. Project 2025s plan would make abortion data reporting mandatory, and in far greater detail, explicitly to address abortion tourism.

Because liberal states have now become sanctuaries for abortion tourism, HHS should use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mothers state of residence, and by what method, the document states.

For years, Republicans have made sure that no federal funding is used for abortion care through the Hyde Amendment. This plan would take that even further, making sure that no federal funds could be used to assist anyone traveling to a different state for an abortion, and defunding all abortion providers, starting with Planned Parenthood.

Project 2025 would also revive the attempt to force the FDA to rescind its approval of the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol and, as a bare-minimum interim measure, ban prescribing the pills through telehealth.

Furthermore, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that Project 2025 imagines would, Ensure that training for medical professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) and doulas is not being used for abortion training.

Contraception

Currently, the HRSA-supported Womens Preventive Services Guidelines, in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), recommends that adult women have full access to all forms of contraception, including surgery and emergency contraception.

Project 2025 wants coverage of what it calls the week after pill removed from the guidelines, as they claim it is a potential abortifacient. They are referring here to Ella, a morning-after pill that is not an abortifacient, but can be effective up to five days after unprotected sex. Project 2025 then goes a step farther, and even calls for the elimination of the male condom from the guidelines.

None of this amounts to an outright ban on contraception, but it does show a serious effort to limit the availability of all kinds of birth control.

Childcare

Numerous studies have shown that access to affordable childcare is critical to womens success in the workplace, and that universal childcare leads to better overall employment and financial outcomes for women. While a long way from true universal childcare, the governments Head Start programs offer free, federally funded pre-K to children of low-income parents.

Project 2025 proposes eliminating Head Start altogether, stating, Research has demonstrated that federal Head Start centers, which provide preschool care to children from low-income families, have little or no long-term academic value for children. Given its unaddressed crisis of rampant abuse and lack of positive outcomes, this program should be eliminated along with the entire OHS.

However, the Brookings Institute found in 2016 that participation in Head Start programs improved educational outcomes, helped with social and behavioral development, and promoted positive parenting.

But Project 2025 doesnt just want to do away with Head Start. It also rejects the notion of universal childcare altogether in favor of incentivizing home-based childcare solutions.

Instead of providing universal day care, funding should go to parents either to offset the cost of staying home with a child or to pay for familial, in-home childcare, it reads.

While these policies would not explicitly eject women from the workforce, it is reasonable to predict that they would naturally drive many women to choose the more affordable, stay-at-home option.

Welfare

Project 2025 asserts that families with two married, heterosexual partners lead to objectively better outcomes for children, and so suggests tying federal assistance to marriage.

For instance, it proposes diverting child welfare funds to a conservative Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) program, even though a recent 2022 study found that such programs have non-significant effects on child well-being.

In a section on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the document just stops short of calling for these benefits to be contingent on marital status.

Additionally, TANF priorities are not implemented in an equally weighted way, the book states. Marriage, healthy family formation, and delaying sex to prevent pregnancy are virtually ignored in terms of priorities, yet these goals can reverse the cycle of poverty in meaningful ways. CMS should require explicit measurement of these goals.

Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Divorce

What is Project 2025s goals for these issues? Unclear. The plan has no policy goals or recommendations that directly address any of these issues, only a consistent conviction that heterosexual marriage must be incentivized and promoted wherever possible.

The cumulative total of these policies, if enacted, would only be to make it more difficult for women to leave a dangerous or abusive marriage than it already is.

Originally Appeared on Glamour
Former President Donald Trump is trying to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.

Project 2025 is a map for ultra-conservative activists to enshrine their agenda should Trump win.

While Trump's ties to the project are deeper than he admits, the playbook can go ahead without him.

Former President Donald Trump is attempting to distance himself from Project 2025, a political road map created by The Heritage Foundation that lays out steps Republican activists can take during the next presidency to enshrine extreme conservative policies into law and, critics argue, erode the US government's checks and balances.

But while Trump's ties to the project are deeper than he admits, some experts on political extremism and pro-democracy activists say one real cause for concern is how the ideology behind the playbook can  and is  moving ahead with or without him.

The architects of the plan will continue to try to push forward its policy goals through the courts and Congress no matter who is elected  and even without Trump's complete endorsement, issues central to the playbook are already incorporated into his platform.

What does Project 2025 say?

Among the four pillars of Project 2025 is an over 900-page playbook for conservative activists to follow in the first 180 days of the next Republican administration to "bring quick relief to Americans suffering from the Left's devastating policies."

The plan includes a wish list of right-wing ideological outcomes, including banning pornography and imprisoning its creators, mass deportations, a ban on abortion medications, firings in the federal branch and cutting some federal agencies outright to "deconstruct the administrative state," and generally pursuing policies to promote "marriage, work, motherhood, fatherhood, and nuclear families."

It would also enable an inclined president to take total control of the Justice Department to weaponize it against their enemies, slash climate protections, and eliminate the Department of Education, which oversees the public school system, among other initiatives "to bend or break the bureaucracy to the presidential will."

Through its website, the project is gathering applications for jobs across each federal agency to pass along to the next Republican administration  from the Department of Agriculture to the Federal Reserve  that can be used as leverage to advance its agenda in the event of a second Trump presidency.

Many roles would be immediately ready to be filled with loyal followers, while other jobs would be cut entirely. Historian and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who is critical of both Trump and Project 2025, argued in a recent Substack article that such cuts would result in "more influence for the 'inner sanctum' of sycophants and extremists who, as in regimes everywhere, are the real source of power."

How Project 2025 'runs on autopilot'

According to some critics, among the unique concerns about Project 2025 is the fact that, while the overall objectives would be easiest to achieve under a conservative administration like Trump's, some of the policy goals laid out in the plan don't require the direct involvement of the presidency at all.

Angelo Carusone, president of the nonprofit journalism watchdog Media Matters for America, told Business Insider that, though Project 2025 is focused on action at the federal level, it also lays out specific goals that can be advanced by local and state governments, or ruled upon by sympathetic judges.

The Supreme Court, for example, in a series of rulings this term, eroded the power of the executive branch by rolling back the power of administrative positions in the executive branch while strengthening the presidency itself. The rulings  made by a polarized, conservative-majority court  align with Project 2025 policy goals to deconstruct the administrative state and strengthen the "presidential will."

Ben-Ghiat noted in a recent Substack that "it's as though these jurists made their decisions with Project 2025 in one hand and an autocrat's playbook in the other."

"And so that's how it sort of runs on autopilot and just moves," Carusone told BI.

Some members of Congress have already embraced policies that makeup portions of Project 2025's agenda.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has repeatedly introduced measures to abolish the Education Department. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia in 2022 introduced a measure to make it a felony for physicians to provide gender-affirming care to children and prevent federal healthcare facilities from providing such care.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance  now Trump's pick for the vice presidential ticket  told Newsweek the project has "some good ideas." He has previously supported abortion bans without exception for rape and incest, and in June voted against a bill that would have cemented access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

With even partial control of the legislative and judicial branches, Carusone noted, even if Trump doesn't win in November, the goals behind Project 2025 can still be pushed forward.

"So you don't need Trump's thumb on the scale, or even his direction, because it's going to move on its own," Carusone said.

Trump's close ties to Project 2025

The former president's proposed policies for his hypothetical second term, Agenda 47, include numerous areas of overlap with Project 2025. Among them are the defunding of the Education Department, instructing federal agencies to end programs that promote sex and gender transition at any age, and the niche promise to reissue Executive Order 13957, which made federal employees easier to fire.

The independent outlet Popular Information first reported that 31 of the 38 people who wrote and edited Project 2025 had been either appointed or nominated to positions in Trump's first administration or his transition team.

A CNN review found over 140 Trump administration members had contributed to Project 2025. The Washington Post described The Heritage Foundation as a "revolving door for Trump officials."

After The Heritage Foundation created its "Mandate for Leadership" ahead of Trump's first term, the conservative group proudly announced that Trump applied 64% of its policy recommendations in the first two years of his presidency, CBS News reported. The recommendations included leaving the Paris Climate Accords, ramping up military spending, and increasing offshore drilling.

In February, Politico reported that Russell Vought, a Project 2025 consultant and president of the conservative think tank The Center for Renewing America, included "Christian nationalism" as among the top priorities for a second Trump term.

Vought, the outlet reported, was the director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trump's first term and is a likely pick for his Chief of Staff if he's elected again.

What Trump said about Project 2025  and its leaders about him

"I have no idea who is behind it," Trump wrote July 5 on Truth Social. "I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them."

Danielle Alvarez, a Trump spokesperson, told Business Insider that Agenda 47 and President Trump's RNC Platform are the only policies endorsed by President Trump for a second term, adding that "Team Biden and the DNC are LYING and fear-mongering because they have NOTHING else to offer the American people."

Though he denies knowing anything about the project, the playbook mentions Trump's name more than 300 times.

Kevin Roberts, the president of The Heritage Foundation, noted in a July 10 episode of "The Vince Coglianese Show" that there's a "tremendous" amount of overlap between Trump's Agenda 47 and Project 2025  and the standard Republican platform more generally.

Roberts said there were "no hard feelings from any of us at Project 2025" about Trump's statement denouncing their agenda, saying "he's making a political tactical decision there" in response to a swath of bad press about the playbook's extreme policies.

"I think what you're going to see is the beginning of a golden era of conservative reform," Roberts added. "Not just because of President Trump, although he deserves most of the credit, but because the rest of the conservative movement has realized this is the moment if we have the leader and the plan that we're able to begin to undo all of the wreckage of the radical left of the last several decades."

Read the original article on Business Insider
What are Project 2025s ties to the Trump campaign?

(NewsNation)  Questions surrounding former President Donald Trumps connections to the controversial conservative plan Project 2025 are intensifying as hes set to accept the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention this week.

Trump has previously disavowed the plan, posting on his social media site that he has no idea who is behind Project 2025 and knows nothing about it, but dozens of people who worked closely with him and helped shape his administration are involved in the plan.

I disagree with some of the things theyre saying, and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal, Trump wrote. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

What is Project 2025?

The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that wrote Project 2025, said its a guide on what the next president needs to do so they can undo the damage to America they claim has been caused by liberal politicians.

Critics, though, say Project 2025 is extremist, authoritarian and even dystopian.

The plans authors have said in a statement to NewsNation that they are not affiliated with any candidate and that they do not speak for President Trump, who was not involved with the creation of the Mandate for Leadership. They also said that Trumps running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is not involved.

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 is a nearly 1,000-page document written by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.

It lays out a multiprong blueprint to overhaul the federal government for the next Republican administration.

A main component of Project 2025 is the firing of as many as 50,000 federal workers who conservative groups say will impede the presidents agenda.

Under Project 2025, agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education would be eliminated, and others, like the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and Justice Department, would be put under the presidents control.

A so-called top-to-bottom overhaul of the Department of Justice would end FBI efforts to stop misinformation. The Pentagon would abolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives if Project 2025 is adopted, and service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine would be reinstated.

On abortion, Project 2025 calls for restricting the procedure through a limit on mail-order pills and penalizing providers. Other health care services and social services like Medicare and Social Security would be scaled back and privatized as well, and any of the Biden administrations climate change policies would be reversed through Project 2025.

Dozens of former Trump officials are working on Project 2025

Trump has disavowed Project 2025, but many top officials and political advisers who worked under his administration and some who are currently involved in his campaign have contributed to the plan.

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary, is allegedly seen in a video promoting Project 2025s Presidential Administration Academy, which, according to the plans website, will prepare and equip future political appointees now to be ready on Day One of the next conservative Administration.

Secret Service ramped up Trump security before shooting due to Iran plot

She appears to be one of the seasoned leaders highlighted in the academy.

The Heritage Foundation said they have no specific knowledge of Karolines participation.

The video was produced in September 2023, when Leavitt was serving as a spokesperson for pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., which is a separate entity from the Trump campaign, reported ABC News.

Leavitt joined the Trump campaign in January, and since then, shes called out the project she helped create in her official capacity as Trumps spokesperson. Project 2025 is not related to our campaign and does not reflect official campaign policy, she told New York Magazine.

Stephen Miller, who served as Trumps senior adviser for policy and White House director of speechwriting, is also on the promotional video as a leader.

Hes also since tried to distance himself, saying, I have no involvement with the project whatsoever, in a statement to ABC News.

At least six of Trumps former Cabinet secretaries have either authored or advised on Project 2025.

Russ Vought, Trumps former Office of Management and Budget director, wrote a chapter on Executive Office of the President for Project 2025.

Vought also serves as the policy director of the Republican National Conventions platform committee, an appointment the Trump campaign agreed to.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, former deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn, former Justice Department senior counsel Gene Hamilton and former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller have also all worked on Project 2025.

At least 140 other people who worked in the Trump administration have also had a hand in Project 2025, CNN reported.

Why has Trump publicly rejected Project 2025?

Several close allies of Trump have signed off on the plan, but Trump has maintained his distance likely because it is so politically controversial, experts told NewsNation.

They add that its highly unlikely he knows nothing about it as hes claimed.

His campaign folks are not dumb, and theyre saying you got to distance yourself from it because it wont appeal to the voters he needs, Beau Breslin, a political science professor at Skidmore College, said. If it was politically popular, he wouldnt distance himself from it in some ways.

Trump also loves taking credit for policies, he added, so by accepting Project 2025, he gives that credit to something else.

Trump: Project 2025 goes way too far on abortion

Given all the connections with former administration officials, its very unlikely Trump doesnt know about the plan and at least approved some of the major campaign platforms, Casey Burgat, director of the legislative affairs program at George Washington University, said.

Trump has shown that he lets those on the ground do the work in his name, but that doesnt mean that he hasnt seen or been briefed on the broad strokes or overall objectives outlined within Project 2025, Burgat said.

Its too long of a bridge to accept that he has nothing to do with it given not only the connections but just how that platform supports a lot of the main policy objectives that President Trump has outlined in his first term,  he said.

But the optics could hurt Trump at the polls so he has to avoid it, he said.

The more people are talking about it, particularly the more negative side effects of it being implemented; Trump is trying to find a magical path forward of distancing himself while still getting the policy benefits if and when it should be implemented.

Trumps other ties to Project 2025

Project 2025 is backed by more than 100 other right-leaning organizations.

Some of these groups have worked closely with Trump during his time in office.

The Heritage Foundation created a Mandate for Leadership in 2015 ahead of Trumps first term. Two years into his presidency, it touted that Trump had instituted 64% of its policy recommendations, ranging from increasing military spending and leaving the Paris Accords, CBS News reported.

JD Vances comments on violent marriages resurface

Trump has praised the group in the past, saying, at an event sponsored by the Heritage Foundation in April 2022, Theyre going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do and what your movement will do when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America.

Other groups that have worked closely with Trump are also a part of Project 2025. These include Turning Point USA, the Center for Renewing America, the Claremont Institute, the Family Policy Alliance, the Family Research Council, Moms for Liberty and America First Legal, reported NBC News.

NewsNations Cassie Buchman contributed to this story.

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BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (PIX11)  Protesters and the NYPD clashed during a demonstration against a planned homeless shelter in Brooklyn on Wednesday, leading to eight arrests, according to the NYPD.

A group of 150 protesters descended upon 2501 86th St. in Bensonhurst, which has been the site of numerous demonstrations, according to the NYPD.

Councilwoman Susan Zhuang was among those arrested, her spokesperson told PIX11 News. She allegedly bit a police officer during her arrest and is being charged with assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration, according to the NYPD.

Six others arrested at the rally were given desk tickets, according to police. An eighth person was arrested but is not believed to be connected to the protesters, according to authorities.

More Local News

A video posted on Citizen App showed a large group of people in front of the building, which was barricaded off by police. A sign on the planned shelter read, Fight against proposed homeless shelter at 25 Ave & 86 St.

Protesters were grabbed and tossed the barricades police officers put up, another video posted by Oliya Scootercaster to X showed. Police detained several people in the video.

Construction workers were also seen on video boarding up the building, a video posted by Scootercaster showed.

In a statement, a representative of City Hall said the building owner has the proper permit to demolish the existing building, and Mayor Eric Adams team is supportive of the shelter.

The Adams administration is committed to building this much-needed shelter  the first of its kind in this community, said a spokesperson for City Hall. Every community must have the resources they need to support their most vulnerable neighbors, and this community has no shelters.

Zhuang has been outspoken about the planned homeless shelter, saying it should be built in a different location. The planned homeless shelter would be for single men.

Its next to a school; theres five schools nearby, across the street, theres a senior center here, also a day care center here, this is not the proper location, Zhuang previously told PIX11 News.

Its slated to open in late 2024.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
"If [our drivers] are at a customers yard we can geofence that truck to the customer yard speed limit," said Daniel Patterson, director of safety at Western Express. (Photo: FreightWaves)

This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves Enterprise Fleet Summit on Wednesday.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Navigating an ever-changing safety landscape

DETAILS: Daniel Patterson, director of safety at truckload carrier Western Express, discusses the ways his company is addressing safety challenges in trucking.

KEY QUOTES FROM PATTERSON:

On tailored orientation programs: The driver thats been to different companies before and has some experience as an over-the-road driver is a much different driver [from the one] that graduated truck driving school and were his first company.

On adaptive-speed technology: Its on every one of our trucks. If [our drivers] are at a customers yard, we can geofence that truck to the customer yard speed limit.

On AI cameras on trucks: It kind of skips that middleman where its auto-classifying. We can review the data and then do training based on that.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden

The post Western Express talks safety at Enterprise Fleet Summit appeared first on FreightWaves.
As protests go on, Massey's family expected to view body cam footage with State Police

A protest organizer verified that family members of Sonya Massey, a Black woman fatally shot by Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputies in her home July 6, are meeting with Illinois State Police officials Wednesday to view officers' body camera footage and the details of the case.

Tiara Standage of Springfield said the meeting is taking place at the Springfield Branch of the NAACP, 801 S. 11th St., in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, a person close to the Massey family who would not go on the record, said that civil rights attorney Ben Crump will visit Springfield on Friday, the day of Massey's funeral at Second Timothy Baptist Church.

More: A Springfield alderman is trying to get Black Lives Matter street signs up again downtown

A press representative for Crump did not immediately confirm the trip.

Standage, staging a third day of protests outside of the Sangamon County Building on Ninth Street Tuesday evening, could not confirm when the footage would be released to the public.

A protester makes a statement standing on Ninth Street in front of the Sangamon County Building on July 16, 2024. Supporters of Sonya Massey, who was killed by Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputies in her home on July 6, have continued to push authorities for the release of body cam footage.

Master Sgt. Christopher "Joey" Watson, a spokesperson for the State Police, asked Tuesday afternoon about a timeframe for the release of the footage to the public, said via email the investigation was "ongoing" and that State Police wasn't able to release additional information at this time.

Watson referred a State Journal-Register reporter to a July 10 State Police release stating that "body worn camera video and additional information related to the incident wasn't being released in order to protect the integrity of the legal process and the right to a fair trial in the event charges are filed."

Sangamon County States Attorney John Milhiser, reached Tuesday, declined to go on the record.

A member of Massey's family at Tuesday's protest declined to speak at Crump's directive.

Crump announced that he had been retained by Massey's family last week.

Crump, who has represented families in several high-profile civil rights cases, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Peggy Jill Finley and Peter Cadigan and their employer, LifeStar Ambulance, Inc., based in Centralia, Illinois, in the Earl Moore Jr. case in 2023. Finley and Cadigan, emergency medical services workers at the time, are both charged with first-degree murder.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump answers questions in Springfield on Feb. 19, 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Crump has been retained by the family of Sonya Massey who was fatally shot by Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputies responding to an intruder call at the home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue early on July 6.

Following Tuesday's city council meeting, Mayor Misty Buscher said she has been in contact with Massey's father, James Wilburn.

Buscher said she was "deeply saddened by the passing of Sonya Massey" and has been praying for her family and children.

Buscher also wanted "to make sure people have the right to have their voices be heard and protest."

Buscher and Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette have had ongoing stakeholder meetings with representatives from the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, the NAACP and Black Lives Matter-Springfield.

Scarlette, reached Tuesday, said there were "no credible threats (of violence) that I'm aware of and if there were, we would be handling them appropriately.

Sonya Massey

"It is our duty and I have a diligence to ensure my community is safe, that the men and women of the Springfield Police Department are safe, that critical infrastructure throughout Springfield is safe. That's our goal at this point."

Scarlette said patrol officers have been doubling up "so they have an extra set of eyes, again, mainly for their own safety and security."

Five skywatch cameras were employed around the Springfield municipal complex late last week "more as a preventive measure than anything," he said.

Standage, the founder of Intricate Minds, a north end social service agency, said protesters have sought justice for Massey's family.

"They want prosecution of the officers, if it's found that they did wrongdoing and murdered her for no reason," Standage said.

She also downplayed any violence by the group.

"I've seen releases that we're going to riot," Standage said. "I haven't heard anything about a riot. We've been peacefully protesting, exercising our rights and we just expect transparency and accountability. Her family deserves it, but the community is very distressed about what happened.

"I don't foresee any violence from the community. They just want answers and a peace of mind for her mother, her children and her family."

About 15 or so people helped chalk the sidewalk in front of the county building with messages like "Justice 4 Sonya Massey."

Sheriff's deputies responded to Massey's home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue because of a possible intruder. A news release from the county said that deputies reported shots had been fired about 30 minutes after the 911 call.

Massey, 36, died of a single gunshot wound, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.

Sangamon County spokesperson Jeff Wilhite confirmed that the two deputies who initially responded are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Family of Illinois woman fatally shot will review body camera footage
The palace on the shores of Lake Valdai is the situated between Moscow and St Petersburg

Vladimir Putin has been forced to beef up defences around his heavily-guarded palace north of Moscow to defend against deep Ukrainian drone strikes.

Satellite images revealed at least seven medium-range air defence systems have been stationed close to the perimeter of the sprawling forest estate on the shores of Lake Valdai, according to the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Ukraines relentless drone strikes, that have successfully targeted Russian air bases, have forced Moscows military command to prioritise limited air defence assets to cover what it deems high-value targets, the ISW said.

The satellite images, taken on May 6, appear to also show the Pantsir-S1 air defence units are accompanied by surface-to-air missiles and a long-range radar station.

A Pantsir-S1 air defence system spotted near Vladimir Putin's Valdai residence

There are reports the new defence systems have been operational since the spring, when Ukraine began stepping up its attacks on enemy infrastructure hundreds of miles inside Russia.

However, such static coverage of a singular target is likely meaningless because it allows Ukrainian drones to bypass the air defences and strike from uncovered directions, analysts warned.

The vast property in Russias Novgorod region, prominently located equidistant from both St Petersburg and Moscow, features several gold-coated palatial mansions and is Putins most-private residence, where he almost never holds meetings.

Once considered far out of reach from Ukrainian threats, that myth was broken this January when Kyivs security sources said their forces had flown a drone right over the palace en route to attack an oil terminal near St Petersburg.

The bedroom of one of the president's daughters on the third floor of Putin's residence

It marked the first time a drone had targeted Putins home region, Leningrad, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

The response to prioritise the palace has, however, stretched thin the defences in the surrounding region and St Petersburg, according to the Russian Telegram channel, VChK-OGPU.

The channel, which claims to have links to Russian security services, said on Sunday that sources reported an acute shortage of technical means for detecting small air targets and mobile air defence missile systems capable of shooting them down.

Reports also suggest Putin has been shoring up the defences surrounding his Black Sea estate, an imperial-like dacha reportedly worth $1 billion (738 million) close to Sochi, since Ukrainian drone attacks began to target the area in October 2023.

The 190,000ft winter palace has been protected by a no-fly zone overhead since 2021 and is rumoured to have a complex tunnel system built for his safety, an ice rink and pole-dancing room.

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R.I.s next housing secretary job is not yet posted but here are two potential applicants

Pawtucket Director of Planning and Redevelopment Bianca Policastro left, and HousingWorks RI Director Brenda Clement, right, have both expressed interest in the position of Rhode Island housing secretary. Both have decades of experience. (Photo of Policastro by Pamela Bhatia; photo of Clement courtesy of HousingWorksRI)

Two leading women in Rhode Islands housing sector have signaled their interest in succeeding the states housing czar after he steps down this week from his cabinet-level job that pays more than the governor.

After about a year and a half on the job, Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor announced June 27 he would step down from his $238,597-a-year post for an unspecified private-sector job. His last day working for the state is Wednesday when an interim housing secretary will be named, said Olivia DaRocha, press secretary for Gov. Dan McKee.

All options will be considered in the search for a permanent Secretary and we will certainly keep you updated on the process, DaRocha said via email.

In the meantime, the question of who will replace Pryor raises a discussion about the experience and qualifications needed to solve Rhode Islands housing crisis. Both Brenda Clement, who since 2016 has served as director of HousingWorks RI, and Pawtucket Planning and Redevelopment Director Bianca Policastro believe they have what it takes to do a job they cant officially apply for yet.

Each boasts decades of experience in the field but have taken different approaches in making their interest in the job known.

Clement confirmed her interest after being prodded by reporters. Before taking the helm at Housing Works RI at Roger Williams University, which conducts research and analyzes data to inform public policy on housing, Clement was executive director for the Citizens Housing and Planning Association in Massachusetts from 2012 through 2016. Clements resume states the association helped push the passage of a $1.4 billion housing bond in 2012  the largest in the Bay States history at the time.

Clement was also the director of the Housing Coalition of Rhode Island and helped found the Housing Network of New England in 1994.

I come from the grassroots, Clements said in an interview with Rhode Island Current, and that has shaped the way I like to work, which is collaborative and to not assume that I know all the answers.

Policastro first made her intentions public during an interview with WPROs Tara Granahan on July 8.

Id like to see the momentum that Secretary Pryor built continue regarding consensus and meeting each individual municipality where theyre at, she told Granahan. I have that continuity and those relationships. So I was like you know what, I might as well throw my name out there and see what happens.

Whats the worst? That they can say no thank you? Policastro added.

Policastro has served as Pawtuckets planning and redevelopment director since January 2022. Before that, she was planning and redevelopment director for the city of Woonsocket from July 2021 through the start of 2022. Since 2016, Policastro has also served as vice president of the Policastro Group, her familys consulting firm that specializes in health, education, workforce and social welfare initiatives for nonprofits and municipalities.

Policastro was also the senior grant writer and director of development and program planning for the Blackstone Valley Community Action Program from 2006 to 2016.

Ive worked across the aisles  Ive worked with the providers on all different levels, she told Rhode Island Current.

Clement served on the General Assemblys Special Legislative Commission to Study Housing Affordability. The panels leader, Rep. June Speakman, a Warren Democrat, was not initially aware of Clements interest when she learned of it from a reporter but called Clement a strong candidate.

Brenda is one of the leading experts on housing here in Rhode Island, Speakman said, who also serves on the advisory board for RI Housing Works.

Speakman was less familiar with Policastro but said the Pawtucket planning director had an impressive resume.

Those two make sense to me as people who would be interested, Speakman said. Others say you need to have fresh eyes from the outside, Im not sure right now thats quite a good idea.

Pryors annual salary is over $75,000 higher than the $163,295 McKee earns as governor. The Housing Department declined to specify what his next move is, though WPRI reported Pryor accepted a position at an out-of-state investment firm that specializes in manufacturing, housing and education.

Pryor was picked by McKee to take over the Housing Department in early 2023, replacing former housing secretary Joshua Saal  who resigned amid criticism over missing deadlines to submit reports required by the 2022 law that set up the department and its cabinet-level leader. Pryor previously led the states commerce department after then-Gov. Gina Raimondo was elected in 2014.

In his resignation letter to McKee, Pryor touted the addition of more than 300 shelter beds last winter along with a 30% increase in new residential units permitted to start 2024.

Double standards on ambition

Women walk a fine line when seeking to climb to higher positions of power, said Susan Colantuono, who served as co-chair of Vision 2020 Rhode Island, a nationwide initiative to advance womens equality ahead of the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

While women are encouraged to raise their hands, those who voice ambition can face a double standard of being thought of as aggressive, said Colantuono, founder of Be Business Savvy, a career development firm that empowers women to advance in their careers.

Would a man who goes on the radio and expresses an interest in a job be considered bold? she said.

As excited as she was to see Policastro and Clement taking the initiative for the cabinet position, Colantuono lamented that women still have to break barriers in 2024.

This means that they face roadblocks and barriers that arent necessarily dealt with by men, she said.

Not interested in the job

While McKees office remains mum on the search process to replace Pryor, others who are considered highly qualified for the job have made it clear they have no interest in throwing their hat in the ring.

Among them: Jennifer Hawkins, president and CEO of ONE Neighborhood Builders, a nonprofit housing developer that has led or partnered on development of affordable housing projects in and around Providence.

Its flattering that folks have inquired about my interest, but honestly, thats not a job Im looking at right now, Hawkins, who is stepping down from the nonprofit at the end of September, said Monday. I hope that Governor McKee acts quickly to appoint a permanent Secretary who has a proven track record and is fully committed to resolving Rhode Islands housing crisis.

The Department of Housing is a vital agency and it needs dedicated and stable leadership, she continued.

Richard Godfrey, the executive director of the Roger Williams University Cummings Institute for Real Estate who led RIHousing for 21 years, also said he had no interest in joining McKees administration.

At this point in my career, I am happy at Roger Williams University seeking to educate and inspire a new generation of professionals who deeply care about creating just, sustainable, and resilient communities, which include housing that is affordable to the extreme variety of household needs and abilities to pay, he said Tuesday.

A RIHousing spokesperson declined to comment on whether Executive Director Carol Ventura wants to take on the cabinet-level position.

And McKees office declined to say if Deputy Housing Secretary Deborah Flannery expressed any interest in a promotion.

What makes a good housing secretary?

As McKees office starts the search for Pryors successor, Speakman said she would prefer someone familiar with Rhode Islands housing sector to be the next secretary.

Others say you need to have fresh eyes from the outside, Im not sure right now thats quite a good idea, she said.

Advocates such as Housing Network of Rhode Island Executive Director Melina Lodge said it is critical that the new housing secretary be someone with pre-existing relationships with local housing and homeless service organizations.

Rhode Islands really lucky in that regard, she said. Were able to really work together because of our small size  in other larger states, people dont have those same opportunities.

But even with organizational support, a new housing secretary will need to make sure Rhode Islands municipal leaders are on board with meeting the states goal to construct additional housing.

You have 39 cities and towns, all with different needs, Speakman said. One size doesnt fit all.

Such has been the case with the town of Narragansett, which has pushed back against pro-density housing changes passed by the General Assembly. In May, town leaders approved an ordinance banning multi-family units in high-density areas.

Policastro said she understands the hesitancy coming from rural municipalities, but would seek to find some sort of compromise to spur new housing development. To achieve that, she said there needs to be a perception shift among local leaders  something the state is working to achieve in Bristol and Washington counties via investments from a $3.8 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

We need to be able to educate and translate it down to a very digestible level, Policastro said.

Clement said she would like to sit down with municipal leaders to find out where growth makes sense in their communities. But she also had a message for towns who continue to push back against change.

In a state where one out of three Rhode Islanders are cost-burden, that means there are people in every single community who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads., she said.

Balancing short-term fixes to the states rising unhoused population and long-term housing projects will also be key.

You cant just do one or the other, Lodge said. If were just focusing on the short-term, then there arent resources to build more units. But if we just focus on the long-term, were really creating a lot of harm for people that need help today.

But that balance cant be achieved unless the Housing Department gets fully staffed. The department is currently positioned short of filling the 38 that are budgeted, said spokesperson Emily Marshall.

Without out that being a well-oiled machine, were going to continue to struggle with this housing crisis, Lodge said.

Godfrey said the next housing secretary should have at least 15 years experience in high level and broad-based housing finance experience.

The person must be able to negotiate a highly fraught political environment and be able to make the toughest decisions when there is only enough money to fund about 20% of our housing needs, he said. Each income segment of Rhode Islands population requires distinct and complex housing finance strategies and, in many cases, additional services and home economics education.

Whoever the governor ends up picking, that person has the power to greatly shape how the department administers the states housing policies, Lodge and Speakman both agreed.

We all have an interest in this working out right, Speakman said.

The governors choice would require approval from the Rhode Island Senate.

The Senate will conduct its diligence through its advice and consent process, said chamber spokesperson Greg Pare.

A final choice also likely hinges on the support from House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who has made housing his top priority as legislative leader. Shekarchi downplayed his influence in a statement to Rhode Island Current.

It is not my selection to make, however I hope that a full and wide-ranging search is thoroughly conducted because Rhode Island is in the midst of a housing crisis, he said. The General Assembly has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in housing initiatives, and this is a critical position that needs to be filled with a highly qualified individual.

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FILE - The Louisiana Capitol is seen, April 4, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. The race for Louisianas new mostly Black congressional district is heating up as three candidates officially submitted their political filings Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith, File)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  In a critical election year, the race for Louisiana's new mostly Black congressional district is heating up as three candidates  including a longtime Democratic state lawmaker and former congressman and an 80-year-old Republican who is a former state senator  officially submitted paperwork on Wednesday to run in November.

State Sen. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, and former GOP lawmaker Elbert Guillory turned out on the first of three days for candidates to qualify for Louisiana's 2024 elections. Also signing up was newcomer Quentin Anthony Anderson, a 35-year-old Democrat who is the executive chairman of a social justice non-profit.

All three men, who are Black, are hoping to win the seat of Louisiana's 6th Congressional District, which was redrawn by lawmakers earlier this year to create a second majority-minority district.

Given the new political map, which the U.S. Supreme Court recently ordered the state to use during the upcoming election, and a wide-open race that is absent of an incumbent, Democrats are looking to seize the opportunity to flip a reliably red seat blue. Across the aisle, Republicans, who have occupied the state's 6th Congressional District seat for most of the last 50 years, are fighting to preserve the GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Fields is looking to make a return to Washington, D.C., where he served in Congress in the mid-1990s for several years before making an unsuccessful run for governor.

Im looking forward to serving in Congress to finish many of the important projects I started 27 years ago, Fields, 61, said during a news conference on Wednesday. The lawmaker, who has served in the state senate for a total of 22 years, said his top priorities are education, healthcare and infrastructure.

Joining the race is Guillory, who served in the Louisiana Senate for six years until 2016. The Republican said he wants to crack down on crime and migrants entering the U.S. illegally and cutting down on federal spending abroad.

Crime affects every single family, every single person in Louisiana and we have to stop it, Guillory said.

Anderson also placed his name on the ballot Wednesday, saying that this is an open race and all of the candidates will need to make our case to the voters for the first time in a district with new boundaries.

In January state lawmakers passed Louisiana's new congressional map with a second majority-Black district, marking a win for Democrats and civil rights groups after a legal battle and political tug-of-war that spanned nearly two years. Out of Louisiana's six congressional seats, currently there is one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, who is also the states sole Black member of Congress.

In May, the Supreme Court ordered Louisiana to hold this year's congressional elections with the new map, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. Black voters in Louisiana make up one-third of Louisianas population

The new boundaries of the district, which now stretches from Baton Rouge to Acadiana to Alexandria to Shreveport, came at the expense of U.S. Rep. Garret Graves. The white Republican announced last month that he would not seek reelection, saying that it no longer made sense to run under the new map.

Candidates for Louisiana's congressional races have until Friday evening to qualify for the Nov. 5 election.
Rain causes flooding all over East St. Louis, creating headaches for citizens, motorists

Water, water and more water.

Nearly every block of the city of East St. Louis experienced flooding Tuesday due to heavy rain, causing headaches for residents and motorists alike.

In some cases, the water was so high that people couldnt leave their homes and businesses were shut down.

City Manager Robert Betts was out all day surveying the impact on the city.

The city of East St. Louis is being inundated by water right now, he said Tuesday afternoon.  We are praying the rain will ease up. We have multiple intersections that are flooded out.

He said 3rd Street and Broadway was flooded out under an underpass. He said motorists should find an alternative route.

Other areas with flooding included these and more:

52nd Street and Ohio Avenue

Interstate 255 at State Street was inundated with water.

Bond Avenue around Mt. Sinai Baptist Church and the New York Cleaners.

There was at least eight to 10 inches of water in the street, he said.  Its above the curb line. I am looking at 52nd and Ohio right now and water is in the peoples yards. The whole intersection right here is not good.

Betts said the more he gets out in the community during flash flooding, he sees that  a lot of the water we are taking on is coming off the interstates.

It floods East St. Louis streets, he said.

Betts said some video he shot shows the water rolling right down into the low set at Third and Broadway.

He says he plans to contact the State Department of Transportation to see whether they can control the surface water coming from the interstate.

I plan to ask them if they can come up with a plan to mitigate some of that flooding, he said. Otherwise we will be flooding every time it rains.

Traffic has to be detoured and cars have to be rescued. Its just a mess,  Betts said.

He said he plans to ask the state to consider designating the 52nd Street and Ohio Avenue area a buyout area.

I know the people at 52nd and Ohio are starting to give up, he said.  This is the same situation as a month or two ago. Water got all in the peoples yard, their basements.. And its just a repeat. It really has to be taxing on the citizens.

Henry Cotton, a former Public Works employee for the city of East St. Louis said he called the Public Works Department and told them he was coming out to help them.

Its something that happens and we have to do what we do. Im retired, but I went out because I love the city of East St. Louis and I care for the citizens, he said.

Cotton cleared some streets that he knew he could drain.

The streets were flooded. I took the shovel and cleaned off the storm grates, Cotton said.  I was at 22nd and Martin Luther King, the 1400 block of Baugh Avenue, and I went to 16th Street south of State Street and the 1900 block of Missouri Avenue.

Describing the water he saw, Cotton said,The water was full across the streets.
Raleigh City Council member Corey Branch has withdrawn from the race to be the citys next mayor but he hopes to remain on the council.

Branch, 46, withdrew from the race Tuesday. He announced at a Wednesday news conference that he would instead run for re-election to keep his District C seat representing southeast Raleigh.

We live in a world, a nation, a city that shifts and changes quickly, said Branch, with his wife beside him.

Think of where you were yourself in October of last year, he said. Since my initial announcement, my life has changed. And I also heard from a number of constituents, who told me how much they value how and what I brought to the city of Raleigh, in District C, and they felt my continued service inside the district, outweighed the opportunity to serve as mayor.

He was one of the first candidates to announce he would seek to replace Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, who isnt seeking re-election. He filed to run in July.

Two weeks later, he declined to say why he changed his mind in the last few days.

There were calls and the concerns and just residents saying, Hey, we want you to continue to be our representative here within the district, he said. And, being a native son, you know, you have to listen.

The filing period for City Council candidates runs through Friday at noon. Branch said he plans to file for re-election on Thursday.

Four candidates have filed to run for mayor so far. Branch said he didnt speak with them about his decision to drop out of the race nor did a recent campaign finance deadline influence his decision, he said.

I didnt come to this lightly

Branch was elected to the Raleigh City Council in 2015.

His initial plan to run for mayor opened his Southeast Raleigh seat for the first time in nearly a decade, and six candidates filed to replace him, making it the most crowded field of the election.

Branch reached out to some of the other District C candidates to let them know he was seeking re-election so they would not be surprised, he said.

He said residents want someone to focus on economic development, community safety, transit, jobs, training for our young people, dignity for our seniors and affordable housing. Those are issues facing the entire city, but especially in Southeast Raleigh.

I didnt come to this lightly, Branch said. ...Those who live in District C have historically had fewer resources and less focus has been placed on needs. Over the past nine years, voters have sent me to the City Council to raise concerns and work on their behalves, which I have done. I recognize that there are many people who were excited and supported my campaign for mayor. I hope that energy is transferable.

2024 election

Baldwin announced she would not seek another term as mayor earlier this year, leaving the field open since she was first elected in 2019.

Four candidates have filed so far:

Janet Cowell, former Raleigh City Council member and state treasurer,

Paul Fitts, mortgage broker

Eugene Myrick, community advocate

James Shaughnessy IV, pre-law student

Terrance Ruth, an N.C. State University professor, has also announced his candidacy but had not filed as of Wednesday morning. Ruth received 41% of the vote against Baldwin during the 2022 municipal election.

Branch declined to name a mayoral candidate he planned to support but said experience matters.

I believe not all have filed, but I do believe experience matters, he said. I think what someone has done in the past, where they have served, is very important and very key. And thats what I will be looking at.
GRUNDY, Va. (WJHL)  A Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic will return to Grundy, Virginia on Oct. 12 and 13.

Organizers are seeking volunteer medical, dental and vision professionals and support staff for the clinic. The nonprofit said it also needs volunteers for the overnight parking lot and interpreters.

RAM seeking volunteers for October event in Hawkins Co.

Those interested in volunteering are asked to click here or call 865-579-1530.

The free, no ID required event will be at Riverview Elementary/Middle School (27382 Riverside Drive) in Grundy.

All services are done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some of the services offered at the clinic include dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, x-rays, eye exams, eye health screenings, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, womens health

exams and general medical exams.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Joe Biden got nasty at times in a tense Zoom meeting with dozens of moderate Democratic lawmakers who called his viability on the presidential ticket into question on Saturday.

Among them was Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), a former Army Ranger who served three tours in the Middle East, who found himself on the brunt end of a personal attack from Biden after he asked about the importance of national security to voters in November, Puck reported.

First of all, I think youre dead wrong on national security, the president said to Crow. You saw what happened recently in terms of the meeting we had with NATO. I put NATO together. Name me a foreign leader who thinks Im not the most effective leader in the world on foreign policy. Tell me! Tell me who the hell that is!

Bidens response then got personal with Crow.

Tell me something youve never done with your Bronze Star like my son, Biden said, according to Puck.

Jason Crow served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was elected to Congress in 2018. Jason Crow For Congress

Crow reportedly remained calm, responding, Its not breaking through, Mr. President, to our voters.

You oughta talk about it! Biden shot back, according to Puck. On national security, nobody has been a better president than Ive been. Name me one. Name me one! So I dont want to hear that crap!

Crow didnt appear to take offense to the interaction. After the meeting, he told CBS on Sunday that politics can be a tough business and that theres a lot at stake.

Emotions can run high, he said. I think the President heard our message very clearly, and in fact he promised to come back to us with more information.

The Bronze Star is awarded for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.

Joe Biden, then vice president, met with his son Beau Biden on the outskirts of Baghdad in 2009. Reuters

Bidens son, Beau Biden, received the medal for his service in Iraq in 2008 and 2009 as a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Crow received his citation in 2003 for his actions as a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Battle of Samawahthe largest sustained urban combat that paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne had been involved in since World War II.

Calls for Biden to bow out of the presidential race have reduced to a minimum after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, which took place about an hour after Bidens Zoom meeting. Thats despite polls showing Biden is slated to be soundly defeated in key battleground states.

Bidens call on Saturday did little to calm the nerves of Democrats in tight races of their own, with lawmakers telling Puck that Biden was rambling, dismissive of concerns, and unable or unprepared to present a campaign strategy.

One lawmaker on the call told the website that theyd lost a ton of respect for Biden after the meeting.

He was rambling, the unnamed lawmaker said. Hed start an answer then lose his train of thought, then would just say whatever. He really couldnt complete an answer. I lost a ton of respect for him.

Publicly, however, many lawmakers praised Biden after the meeting, including Reps. Lou Correa, Veronica Escobar, Robert Garcia, Pramila Jayapal, Brad Sherman, and Nanette Barragan.

What I saw was the President Biden that we saw at the post-NATO press conference, not the Biden we saw in the debate, said Sherman.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas judge has granted probation for rapper Blueface, whose real name is Johnathan Porter, after he was accused of violating probation already previously granted in the same case.

Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney granted probation for up to three years while suspending a two-to-five-year prison sentence, meaning Porter does not have to serve time in prison if he complies with conditions.

Delaney also sentenced Porter to 30 days in jail but gave him credit for time served as he is already in jail in an unrelated California case.

Delaney had issued a bench warrant for Porter on Feb. 1 for violating the terms of his probation. Porters Las Vegas attorney, Kristina Wildeveld told the 8 News Now Investigators the probation violation was related to a cell phone video that circulated after a show in Salt Lake City last December. Porter appeared to pull a woman on stage and told his fiancee to get her as the fiancee tried to throw punches.

The 8 News Now Investigators obtained court records from a hearing on June 24. Porter was on the telephone from California during the hearing, records showed.

In the judgment of the parole and probation office, Porter violated conditions of probation, according to records.

This was a first technical violation with only temporary revocation available for a maximum of 30 days, an amended judgment of conviction stated.

Conditions of the probation included no use of alcohol or drugs including marijuana, staying out of the Las Vegas Strip and downtown corridors unless he has a work application or other legitimate basis to be there, attending impulse control counseling, having no contact with the victim of the shooting, to maintain full-time employment, to comply with a curfew, to report to parole and probation, and to provide access to communication devices and social media apps to the Division of Parole and Probation.

Wildeveld said Porter was cooperating with law enforcement authorities and looked forward to moving on with his career.

Delaney originally gave Porter a two-to-five-year suspended sentence, meaning probation, on Oct. 2, 2023, for a shooting outside a Las Vegas strip club the year prior.

Delaney issued stern warnings to Porter, particularly about guns.



If you get caught doing that, you get brought back here on any kind of probation violation especially anything involving weapon, I will not hesitate to put you in prison for significant period of time, Judge Delaney said. You are playing with your liberty, your life obviously. But youre playing with your liberty if youre going to have guns and do anything thats going to violate your probation in that regard.



The Oct. 8, 2022, shooting left one man injured.



The victim said he was shot in the hand outside of Euphoric Gentlemens Club on Windy Road off the Las Vegas Strip, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. He recognized Porter in the venue and had spoken with him earlier in the night. The victim said he made a joke about Porter speaking with some females in a cheap vehicle, documents stated.



Prosecutors initially charged Porter with attempted murder. The plea deal lowered the charges to battery and discharging a firearm at or into an occupied structure. A judge ordered Porter to pay the now-closed strip club more than $13 million in damages as a result of the shooting.



The clubs owner claimed that the clubs licenses were revoked immediately after the shooting.



Police arrested Porter on a robbery charge as he was entering court in June. Detectives said he had stolen a fans phone at the Palms casino. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charge after Porter was sentenced in the shooting case, records showed.

Porter is in custody in Los Angeles County for a probation violation related to an assault case in California. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 29.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Rapper Slim 400 onstage at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 2018. (Scott Dudelson / Getty Images)

A Los Angeles superior court judge sentenced a man to 32 years in prison for killing rapper Slim 400.

Born Vincent Cohran Jr., Slim 400 was 33 years old when he was fatally shot outside his Inglewood home by Michael Lanell Terry. Hours before the shooting, Slim 400 had released a music video for his track "Caviar Gold" on Instagram.

Terry shot Slim 400 while he was getting out of his car and pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter and admitted to using a firearm and having a felony strike for a prior conviction, the Los Angeles district attorney's office announced in a news release.

On Tuesday, Judge Altus Hudson sentenced Terry in an Inglewood courthouse.

Read more: Slim 400 becomes the latest rapper to die in gunfire. Here's a look back at prior cases

A second person, Tamra Lynn Bell, has also pleaded guilty to felony accessory after the fact in the killing and is scheduled to be sentenced next year.

Our hearts go out to the families of Mr. Cohran, an artist in the Los Angeles community who was taken far too soon by a tragic act of gun violence, Dist. Atty. George Gascon said in a statement.

Born in Germany and raised in Compton, Slim 400 was known for songs such as Goapele, featuring YG, and Piru, featuring YG and Redrum 187.

In 2019, Slim 400 was shot nine times in Compton and survived the attack after undergoing surgery and a 15-day stay in the hospital.

Several months before his death in December 2021, Slim 400 described in an interview that he saw a "black light, or a dark cloud" after the 2019 shooting.

It was dark, and I was just kind of reminiscing with my homies, he said.

In an interview with Nick Cannon, Slim 400 talked about his recovery in the hospital.

"I was basically talking to God. 'Look, get me up out of here. I'm going to do right, bro. I ain't going to be in the streets. I ain't going to be doing the dumb stuff. Just give me another chance to show you that I can do better,'" he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dive Brief:

Whole Foods Market has partnered with Too Good To Go to make excess food available for purchase at a reduced price for customers, according to a Wednesday announcement.

More than 450 of the specialty grocers stores are now connected to the food waste companys app.

This partnership is Whole Foods latest effort as it works to cut food waste in half by 2030, and comes as other grocers have forged similar partnerships aimed at reducing the amount of perishable food they throw away.

Dive Insight:

Whole Foods tie-up with Too Good To Go stretches nationwide, allowing customers to purchase Surprise Bags containing surplus food from nearby Whole Foods stores.

Too Good To Go, a Denmark-based company, provides food retail partners a platform to sell bags of soon-to-expire but still edible excess food through its mobile app. The company uses its app to notify customers when stores have available bags and let them confirm they will pick up the food.,

Whole Foods customers can choose between Prepared Foods Surprise Bags that offer soups and ready-to-eat meals, or Bakery Surprise Bags that include breads, muffins, scones and cookies. The prepared food bags will be priced at $9.99 for $30 worth of goods, while the bakery bags will be sold for $6.99 for $21 worth of items, according to the press release.

Too Good To Go, which has more than 100 million registered users across the globe, noted that its work with Whole Foods will simplify surplus food management for the specialty grocer. Along with Whole Foods, Too Good To Go has partnerships with New York City-based grocer Gourmet Garage and convenience store chain Circle K.

This partnership builds on Whole Foods food donations efforts, which include nearly 34 million pounds of food given to food programs across the U.S., Caitlin Leibert, the grocers vice president of sustainability, said in a statement. Recently, the grocer revised its standards for animal welfare and third-party certifications for meat products sold in its stores.

This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter.
MANHATTAN (KSNT)  Riley County Police Investigations Division Captain Erin Freidline joined the 27 Morning Show on Tuesday to discuss happenings in the community.

27 News asked Freidline about a current engagement project going on in the community.

As part of our succession planning, we are looking to engage our corporals which is our first level of supervision at our department, Freidline said. You know we have assigned them projects throughout our communities Each of these corporals is trying to take ownership of a particular community or project.

Freidline also talked about the importance of improving engagement at the local level. Freidline said the local individuals are the ones who help the RCPD solve crime.

If we dont have any engagement or partnerships with them were really going to struggle. Police wont be as successful, Freidline said.

Freidline said if you want to have police at your events for safety or community engagement you can visit the RCPD website engagement form.

K-State professor gets life-threatening meat allergy from tick

27 News asked about a series of car burglaries in the area. Freidline said the biggest commonality is unlocked vehicles.

I know some people just think, oh, theres nothing too important in there or something, but I mean, theyre still leaving wallets behind or computers or some general cash, Freidline.

Freidline said she hasnt been seeing forced entries to cars and that most were already unlocked. She said you should always report a car burglary because it could help police find a pattern.

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Savannah Chrisley is being given a primetime slot at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night to roast the Department of Justice, according to a new report.

The reality star, whose parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, are currently serving time for tax evasion and bank fraud, revealed her plans to TMZ Tuesday. We need to have a justice system that is fair, and right now, we have a very two-faced justice system, Chrisley told the outlet. She also called the department corrupt.

Savannah has been an outspoken advocate for her parents since they were incarcerated in January 2023 and has worked tirelessly to get their convictions overturned. Last month, some change was made in Julies case after judges ruled that she should be resentenced, according to ABC News. Currently, Julie and Todd are serving 12 years and seven years, respectively.

Savannah has been open about her support for former president Donald Trumps reelection on social media and even spoke out when he was convicted in his hush money trial. On her Instagram, Savannah posted a photo of herself and Trump with a lengthy caption detailing her feelings.

Today weighs heavy on my heart as we witness the verdict regarding President Donald J. Trump. It is undeniably a somber day, not only for his supporters but for anyone who believes in the principles of fairness and justice, her caption read in part. Alongside my sadness, there is also a profound sense of concern regarding the perceived abuse of power within the Department of Justice, she added.

As well as her attempts to get her parents convictions reversed, Savannah has complained about the treatment her father has received while behind bars.

In addition to Savannah Chrisley, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Arkansas), and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) are all expected to give speeches Tuesday evening.

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REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH)  A public health advisory has been issued in Ohio after an over-the-counter mushroom product called the future of microdosing was linked to multiple illnesses and a potential death.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture issued the advisory Tuesday for all Diamond Shruumz brand infused cones, chocolate bars and gummies. While the brand was recalled by California-based Prophet Premium Blends  the company behind Diamond Shruumz  in late June, ODA said the products are still being sold in Ohio stores.

Two people found dead at Reynoldsburg home

Thirty-nine illnesses have been reported across 20 states, including Ohio, after using Diamond Shruumz products. Those have included the following symptoms:

Seizures

Central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion and sleepiness)

Agitation

Abnormal heart rates

Hyper/hypotension

Nausea

Vomiting

One death was also potentially linked to the product, according to the ODAs news release.

Diamond Shruumzs website called its products the future of microdosing and said they contain Lions mane, Reishi and Chaga mushrooms. The brands products contain adaptogens, according to its website, which it said reduce stress, boost energy, improve cognitive function, regulate mood, support the immune system and promote overall well-being.

Think of it as a candy for the creative soul, the Diamond Shruumz website said.

The companys website also included notice of the recall, confirming it was doing so in coordination with the FDA. It said the Prophet Premium Blends prioritizes the health and safety of its consumers above all else.

Pictures of what Diamond Shruumz products being sold in stores were provided by the FDA.

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA has issued a public health advisory warning about recalled Diamond Shruumz products still being sold in Ohio stores. (Courtesy Photo/FDA)

The ODA emphasized that all Diamond Shruumz products have been recalled and should not be available for sale. With the advisory, the department warned retailers to pull the products from their shelves, and for consumers not to purchase or consume them.

Zanesville woman pleads guilty on felony charges for calling 911 nearly 400 times

Anyone who knows of retailers still selling Diamond Shruumz brand products is asked to alert the ODAs Division of Food Safety at foodsafety@agri.ohio.gov or at 614-728-6250.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Do you recognize them? Police believe 3 men are involved in shooting death of 16-year-old

Atlanta police are seeking the publics help to identify three suspects captured on surveillance video who they believe are connected to the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy last week.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Maurice Weemss body was discovered on July 10 around 4 p.m. outside the Reserve at Hollywood apartment complex on Hollywood Road in Northwest Atlanta.

Residents of the complex didnt want to speak on camera due to fear of retaliation, but told Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes that they dont believe Maurice lived there.

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A memorial with flowers has since been set up at the spot where police collected evidence.

Investigators have released new surveillance footage showing three men who they consider suspects in Maurices death. The footage shows the suspects at the apartment complex around the time of the shooting.

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Atlanta police paid several visits to the complex in the past. In September, a shootout between two men left one dead and another injured. About six weeks ago, officers arrested a 61-year-old woman for stabbing another woman.

Police are urging anyone who recognizes them to come forward with information.

People who provide tips that lead to a conviction can receive a reward without revealing their identity by contacting CrimeStoppers.
The Red Sea crisis appears to be going nowhere any time soon.

According to recent newsletter from Alphaliner, most industry stakeholders [are] now banking on continued Cape of Good Hope diversions until 2025 at least. The mass rerouting of container ships around southern Africa has been consistent since December, weeks after the Yemen-based Houthis began launching drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

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The shipping research tool and database said that although container ships have added shipping capacity across 2023 and 2024, this additional capacity has easily been absorbed.

Roughly 2.3 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of new tonnage was delivered last year, and a further 1.7 million TEUs added to the 30 million TEU fleet this year, according to Alphaliner. Yet the Red Sea crisis has pushed many vessels onto a route 20 percent longer, the firm said.

Maersk said that Asia-to-Europe ocean freight capacity across the entire container shipping industry would fall anywhere from 15 percent to 20 percent in the second quarter. But the ocean freight giant is now anticipating that the knock-on impacts have gone beyond the Asia-to-Europe trade lane into its entire global network.

The cascading impact of these disruptions extends beyond the primary affected routes, causing congestion at alternative routes and transshipment hubs essential for trade with Far East Asia, West Central Asia and Europe, Maersk said in an online advisory Wednesday. Ports across Asia, including Singapore, Australia and Shanghai, are experiencing delays as ships reroute and schedules are disrupted, caused by ripple effects from the Red Sea.

For example, Maersk said its Oceania network was hit by congestion in Southeast Asian hubs caused by equipment shortages and capacity constraints stemming from the Red Sea disruption.

On top of the port delays and bottlenecks, the networks have been reorganized with more vessels being moved to different regions to better meet the demand for capacity.

The container shipping giant said it is working to minimize customer disruptions through several key investments and operational adjustments, which include securing additional containers and exploring further capacity enhancements.

Along with the capacity concerns, large container ships are in short supply. According to a report from Linerlytica, almost all large vessels have been chartered until 2025, causing liner and feeder operators to turn their attention to smaller vessels, whose owners are seeking to lock-in higher rates for longer periods.

Availability of prompt tonnage is extremely scarce at the moment, especially for ships over 2,000 TEU, the report said. The charter market remains effectively sold out for the larger vessels until next year. Charter rates continue to rise through the course of the week, although activity levels have slowed down noticeably.

Linerlytica noted that while capacity was still being added to services from Asia to the U.S. West Coast, South America and the Indian subcontinent through August, there was still a shortage of vessels.

Alphaliner said rates will continue at high levels due to the diversions, with additional impacts hitting the ship scrapping marketin which vessels are deconstructeddespite ever more stringent environmental regulations and pressure to phase out the less-efficient ships.

Vessel-scrapping numbers fell from 77,000 TEUs in the first half of 2023 down to just 48,600 containers in the 2024 period.

While the impacts of the ongoing Houthi attacks to the wider container shipping industry have largely resulted in a mass exodus from the Red Sea and its chokepoints, there are still vessels traversing the waterway that are enduring the potential risks.

On Tuesday, the Houthi rebels released video that showed what they claim is an attack on an oil tanker, the Chios Lion, conducted the day prior.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on the attack Monday, saying the Houthis struck the tanker with an unmanned surface vehicle in the Red Sea, causing damage to the vessel. No injuries have been reported.

CENTCOM also said the Houthis launched multiple attacks on the MT Bentley I tanker vessel.

Between October and April, the Houthis carried out at least 53 attacks on commercial vessels, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Maritime Administration reported in April.

The jury is still out on whether another vessel could have potentially been attacked by the Iran-backed militant group.

One such vessel, the Prestige Falcon oil tanker, capsized 25 nautical miles off the coast of Oman Monday. That event has not been confirmed to be an attack by the Houthis.

Of the 16 crew members on board, nine have so far been rescued, according to Omani authorities. Search and rescue operations were still ongoing to locate the crew.
A flag flies near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 18. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Two Maine students were among 150 winners across the country of a nationwide essay contest reflecting on what America means to them.

The two students from Acton and Oxford were among 75 second-place winners of Americas Field Trip, a national competition encouraging students to reflect on what America means to them. Each second-place winner wins a $500 cash prize, while first-place awardees receive special behind-the-scenes experiences at American historical or cultural sites, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York City, or the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

The contest is a part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence signing.

These young Mainers see the best of Americas promise and give me so much hope for our countrys future, said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows in a statement. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I look forward to seeing more of what our states young people have to say.

One of the essays, written by a high school student identified as Sam D. from Acton, emphasized the importance of checks and balances within our system of government. As an example, the essay described former president Bill Clintons 1996 veto of a partial-birth abortion ban, which she said stopped the implementation of laws that could limit the types of abortion procedures that could be offered.

As a young woman in America, this veto is very important to me since it helps protect abortions in cases where the mothers life could be endangered, she wrote. Furthermore, the veto to me displays the importance of the president, which is to provide oversight.

Sam D. also highlights a U.S. Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, in which the high court ruled students protesting the war in Vietnam were protected under the First Amendment.

The other winning Maine essay, by Oxford elementary school student Delaney B., got its point across in a few short sentences: America is freedom. Its diversity. Its my home and the place I love. I recently traveled to NYC and I was so excited to see all the landmarks and actually be in the places Ive learned about. Im excited for my future because I feel like theres a lot to look forward to. I feel like if us Americans work together we can achieve anything. That means coming together, doing the right thing and working towards goals. I think those goals are respect, inclusion and peace.

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Relatives of those killed when MH17 was shot down mark 10 years since tragedy that claimed 298 lives

Dutch King Willem Alexander, left, together with Piet Ploeg, lay flowers during the commemoration at the national monument in Vijfhuizen, Netherlands, Wednesday July 17, 2024, to mark the tenth anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, which killed all 298 people on board. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)

VIJFHUIZEN, Netherlands (AP)  Grieving families recited the names and ages Wednesday of all 298 passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago, as they marked the anniversary of the tragedy at a solemn ceremony near Amsterdam.

The relatives, some weeping or choking back tears, named brothers, sisters, parents, grandchildren, grandparents nieces and nephews in a litany of lost lives that lasted 30 minutes.

It's a black day, said Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his daughter and son, Frederique, 19, and Robert-Jan, 18, along with their grandparents.

Whats very important is that we mentioned the name of the loved ones ... and its very important that we remember them, he added.

An international investigation concluded that the Buk missile system that destroyed MH17 belonged to the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and was fired from territory controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. The investigation concluded the missile launcher was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down.

Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility. In 2022, a Dutch court convicted in absentia two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist for their role in the jets downing.

Although the court formally found Russian puppets guilty, the Kremlin authorities led by Putin and his accomplices are behind this crime, Ukraines General Staff said in a statement published on Facebook.

Commemoration services took place Wednesday in the Netherlands, Australia and the site of the crash in the Russia-controlled part of the Donetsk region, as the war in Ukraine raged on.

Hundreds of family members were joined by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, politicians and diplomats at a memorial in the Netherlands close to Schiphol, the airport the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777 departed from on July 17, 2014.

Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus represented his country at the Dutch memorial site, where 298 trees commemorate each victim.

Today we remain unwavering in our determination to ensure truth, justice and accountability for the victims and their loved ones, Dreyfus said.

Many of the families carried sunflowers like those that grew at the scene of the crash, and laid them next to trees. Flags of the countries that lost citizens hung at half-staff next to a field of blooming sunflowers.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof pledged to keep up the fight to hold accountable those responsible.

And I know it too: justice takes time, he said. But we have the time. And the patience. And the perseverance. That is my message to the guilty parties, and my promise to you.

The ceremony in Australia was held at the Parliament House in Canberra.

I dont think anyone intended to bring down a passenger plane. So in that sense, Im heartbroken that the (Ukraine) conflict continues, Paul Guard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. His parents, Roger and Jill Guard were among 38 Australian citizens and permanent residents killed.

But I think that a lot of families would really have just liked an acknowledgment that what happened was wrong and that Russia should not have been waging war, the son added.

Russia continues to be pursued under international law by the Netherlands in the European Court of Human Rights and by Australia and the Netherlands jointly through the International Civil Aviation Organization Council, or ICAO, over its alleged role in bringing down MH17.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Wednesdays service in Canberra that she was appalled that Russia had withdrawn from the ICAO proceedings in June.

The case will continue and we will not be deterred in our commitment to hold Russia to account, Wong told the gathering.

At the crash site in the village of Hrabov, several dozen local residents brought flowers, stuffed animals and even a model airplane to a small memorial stone installed in a field near where some of the wreckage was found. Some struggled to hold back tears, recalling the explosion that shattered windows in their homes and bodies falling from the sky. It hurts, one woman said. I feel sorry for the people."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Wongs remarks, reiterating that Moscows position on the matter is well known. He said: No arguments from the Russian side were taken into account, we did not participate in the investigation, and therefore our attitude to these conclusions is well known.

The Netherlands was home to 196 of the victims while 38 hailed from Australia. Victims also came from Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, the United States and South Africa.

Malaysia also reiterated its commitment to seek justice and hold those responsible for the tragedy accountable.

The Government of Malaysia is resolute that the process must pursue truth, justice and accountability, the transport ministry said in a statement.

___

McGuirk reported from Melbourne, Australia.
MILWAUKEE  It was only a few hours into the Republican National Convention when Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, evoked a spiritual battle with former President Donald Trump at its center.

Our God still saves. He still delivers, and he still sets free. Because on Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle. But an American lion got back up on his feet, and he roared," Scott said, sparking gathered delegates to respond with a roar of their own. "Oh yea, he roared."

There was a wide array of religious symbolism on the floor of the Fiserv Forum the first night of the convention, where a panoply of screens beamed images of the American flag and Christian cross onto an eager crowd between speeches. But the through line firmly centered on Trump, whose emergence from Saturday's assassination attempt with a minor injury has been framed in Milwaukee as a miraculous, divine intervention.

Religion and politics have long been intertwined in America, regardless of political ideology. This year's Republican National Convention is certainly not the first to feature speakers that use Scripture and faith to bolster their chosen candidate. Some of the same Biblical verses have been used by both major political parties throughout the years to advertise their nominee.

People bow their heads during a prayer during a Prayer Vigil for America Sunday, July 14, 2024 at Zeidler Union Square in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The park is located five blocks from Fiserv Forum, site of the Republican National Convention that starts Monday. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Via OlyDrop)

In the Republican Party of 2024, however, Trump has emerged as an unlikely spiritual figurehead as a political leader, experts said, fusing faith and politics at a level never seen before.

Arizona State University religious studies professor Terry Shoemaker said feelings of fear in the wake of the Pennsylvania shooting, relief at Trumps recovery and excitement for his reelection chances could be a perfect storm for "a more profound kind of civil religious experience" in Milwaukee this week.

Indeed, signs of it were already present.

Inside the RNC, civil leadership and Christianity merged on top of one merchandise table, where images of Trump sat atop stacks of Bibles for sale to the GOP party faithful next to cutting boards shaped in Trump's likeness.

Sellers framed one photo of Trump pumping his fist, blood streaming down his face as he emerged from under his Secret Service detail moments after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt. For $75, RNC attendees could purchase the "God Bless the USA" Bible, officially endorsed by Trump, which includes the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Pledge of Allegiance, and the lyrics to the chorus to Lee Greenwoods God Bless The USA.

Trump as a civil religion

The Republican National Convention could be a hotbed for civil religion, a term popularized in the 1960s that refers to a devotion and dedication to (ones) nation-state that mirrors a kind of traditional religious devotion, Shoemaker said.

Republican National Committee co-chair Michael Whatley asked attendees to observe a moment of silence and prayer for those affected by the July 13 shooting, there was a performance of Greenwoods God Bless the USA, and an invocation by Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Archbishop Elpidophoros.

Grant unto the delegates the powerful recognition of purpose, to bear witness to divine providence which has shielded this great land through the centuries and drives us to a more perfect union with one another, ever building on the labors of those pioneers of patriotism who went before us, Elpidophoros said at one point during his nearly two-minute long prayer.

Catholic Archbishop of Milwaukee, the Most Rev. Jerome Listecki, also referenced the Declaration of Independence in his prayer.

Shoemaker described the invocations as a civil religious blessing.

This is taking away from traditional Judeo-Christian ideas and linking them directly with the special foundation of the United States with its founders, Shoemaker said.

Though the number of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated has increased over time  sitting at 26% in 2023, according to the Public Religion Research Institute  Americans strong belief in God endures.

Thats why Shoemaker said it wasnt surprising to see people flock to a prayer vigil in Milwaukee the day after the assassination attempt. Similar gatherings were organized after events such as the 9/11 terror attacks and a 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and nine others, he said.

"This is a religious rally, and Im not even sure Id call it a civil religion. Civil religion has always been there in generic appeals to God," said John Fea, a religious historian from Messiah University who said the religious rhetoric surrounding Trump seems unique.

"Theres something different here."

"Now what were beginning to see is Christian nationalism, if you want to call it that, a fusion of politics and theological Christianity."

A woman sign a canvas with get well wishes for former President Trump during a Prayer Vigil for America Sunday, July 14, 2024 at Zeidler Union Square in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The park is located five blocks from Fiserv Forum, site of the Republican National Convention that starts Monday.

Does RNC religious rhetoric veer into Christian nationalism?

"There is a spiritual battle underway," right wing commentator Tucker Carlson told a Milwaukee crowd on Monday afternoon.

Carlson was speaking at a "policy fest" held by The Heritage Foundation, one of the country's preeminent conservative think tanks. Heritage's profile has risen in recent weeks due to its Project 2025, a sweeping, 900-page playbook intended for the next conservative administration to follow to implement right-wing social and political priorities.

Trump has sought to distance himself from the plan, which would expand presidential powers and enshrine some conservative social ideals into law, though numerous people who worked in Trump's administration were involved in drafting the Heritage proposal.

For four decades, researcher Frederick Clarkson has tracked a rise in the "theocratic vision for American government," or Christian nationalism.

The Christian nationalists, as we've come to understand them, believe  an idea that God and the Founding Fathers intended America to be a Christian nation, but somewhere that vision got derailed along the way and somehow has to be restored, said Clarkson, a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, a think thank studying anti-democratic and anti-human rights political and social groups.

The movement for years had sat on the political sidelines, but it has gained traction, especially within conservative Catholic and evangelical circles. Many in the movement have become prominent influencers in the Republican Party and even advising Trump directly.

Ed Stetzer, author and dean of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, in La Mirada, California, said that the term Christian nationalism has become frequently misused.

People are motivated by their faith, and they're often mobilized by their faith. So, I don't think we would be surprised to see religious people in the political sphere, Stetzer said. Ultimately, though, we do live in a pluralistic society, and we can, should and must respect the religious liberty of people of different faiths and no faith.

Still, Stetzer said, there are real dangers to think about in religion and politics, but an overreaction to any mention of God and country in the same sentence doesnt do anyone any favors.

Praying for God to bless America wouldnt be an example of Christian nationalism, but saying that America is Gods special nation would be, to Stetzer, an inappropriate use of Christianity.

Faith outreach isn't being made just to Christians

Though evangelical Christian themes undergird much of the RNC's programming this week, the Milwaukee stage also featured speakers from other faith traditions.

Closing out Monday night's program, Harmeet Dhillon, a prominent Republican lawyer and close Trump ally, recited the Ardas, a Sikh prayer, in front of Trump and other convention attendees.

We thank you, dear God, for protecting his life," Ardas said.

On Tuesday, Republican Jewish Federation CEO Matthew Brooks spoke from the RNC stage, calling the 2024 election a "critical moment for the American Jewish community and for Israel."

"This is our chance to continue the pro-Israel legacy of the most pro-Israel president in history, Donald J. Trump," Brooks said.

VP pick 'strategic' move for Christian vote

That politics and religion, namely conservative Christianity, have fused so completely under the Republican leadership of Trump, a two-time divorcee beset by moral scandals who did not have a history of publicly talking about his church or his faith, is somewhat unusual in the American political tradition. Trump was raised Presbyterian and attended occasional Episcopal services during his first presidential term. In 2020 he announced he now identifies as non-denominational Christian.

"He rarely uses the kind of language many of his Christian supporters use  a personal relationship with God, seeking Gods voice or following his will, being moved by the Holy Spirit, Emily Crews, the executive director of the Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School, said.

Still, Trump's surrogates and supporters often invoke that language for him. On Tuesday, Lara Trump compared her father-in-law to "the righteous" Proverbs 28 states are "as bold as a lion."

"Two days ago, evil came for the man we admire and love so much," U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said at a Monday night speech. "I thank God that His hand was on President Trump.

On Tuesday, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson referenced the book of Romans, telling delegates, "When God is with us, nobody can stand against us."

"With this assurance from the Almighty, even the face of evil itself cannot shake our resolve," Carson said. "We will keep fighting, we will keep praying, and by the grace of God we will save our country and reelect President Trump."

And Fea said Trump has fulfilled decades-long goals of the Religious Right that even Ronald Reagan and other GOP presidents didn't fully realize, particularly on social issues such as abortion.

"Donald Trump is advancing the idea that America is a Christian nation they have been praying for since the 1970s. They see Donald Trump as the result of decades of praying and lobbying and fighting and trying to make America Christian, or reclaim a Christian consensus," Fea said. "Within the evangelical worldview, God uses flawed people to accomplish Gods ends. I think the assassination attempt only strengthened their idea that clearly the hand of God is on this man."

Now Trump has tapped his next surrogate in JD Vance, which Crews called a "wise strategic move" given the political conservative hasn't embroiled himself in scandals or criminal trials.

Christians who are looking to vote for someone who regularly invokes his religious identity, but who has a more polite veneer and more pragmatic perspective on politics than Trump, could find Vance really compelling, she said.

Vance is also in line with other Christian conservative values. Hes openly adoring of his wife and children while maintaining a family values perspective," Crews said.

And his background in Appalachia and small-town Ohio make him appealing to Americans who live in rural states or those who buy into Trumps critiques of political elites, she said. In short, Vance covers a lot of ground for Trump, especially in contested states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Vance is a convert to Catholicism who was baptized into the faith in August 2019, as reported by The American Conservative. In an exclusive interview with the outlet that month, Vance said he was raised a Christian but never had a super-strong attachment to any denomination, and was never baptized.

Vance, once sharply skeptical of Trump, is working this week to distance himself of past critical comments.

In a 2016 column he penned for USA TODAY, he differentiated the religiosity of Trumps voters and those of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, saying the former candidates voters had largely abandoned the faith of their forefathers and myriad social benefits that come with it.

Progressive faith leaders push back

Outside the RNC's security perimeter, local progressive faith leaders have pushed back on what they characterized as rhetoric of white, Christian nationalism arising from conservative circles.

The Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, an interfaith social activism group, drew hundreds on Sunday at an event to criticize the rise of Christian nationalism.

On Monday, the Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom stood with protesters under the searing midday sun as hundreds marched for progressive causes. Nordstrom ministers the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, though she said she was at the protest in a personal capacity.

Nordstrom said she shares a "deep concern about the fusion of white Christian nationalism and politics" with members of her congregations.

"Separation of church and state is fundamental to who we are as a country in order for everyone to be free," Nordstrom said. "Those two things have to be separate. We believe deeply in the practice of freedom, free religion. Everybody gets to practice their faith, everybody is welcome, no matter what religion."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: At 2024 RNC, Trumpism and religion strike a chord
Archaeologists in Rome may have uncovered the remains of a medieval palace for popes that long preceded the Vatican, officials announced on Wednesday. If the ancient structure did in fact serve the purpose they believe it does, then learning more about it could provide new insight into the earlier eras of the papal seat in Italy and the power struggles that shaped it over time.

While excavating a piazza around the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in central Rome, a team of archaeologists happened to discover an advanced hidden structure, surrounded by walls that could have been built as early as the 9th century A.D., and as late as the 13th century, the Italian Ministry of Culture said in a news release.

The wall was potentially constructed as a means to physically create and protect the patriarchate of the time, which consisted of the patriarch, or leader, as well as his office. It may have encircled a castle or other fortified structure where various popes were said to have lived during the years it still stood.

Sangiovanni / Credit: Italian Culture Ministry

Italian officials said that the remains could have ties to the former Roman Emperor Constantine, who would have begun to oversee construction on the building, in his own vision, in the 4th century. Constantine ordered the construction on the same site that held barracks for the emperor's mounted card. Although the patriarchate was first limited to only a basilica  which was huge on its own  the area was expanded and renovated multiple times throughout the Middle Ages and ultimately became the papal seat until conflict with France temporarily pushed the popes out of Italy in 1305. When they returned, the papal seat was transferred to the Vatican.

What archaeologists found beneath the square in Rome marked the first extensive excavation of its kind on the property, and with that, a number of opportunities to learn about Italy's history and its connections to the Pope and Catholicism.

"The new discoveries in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano are yet another demonstration of the richness of the territory of Rome, an inexhaustible mine of archaeological treasures," said Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sanguiliano in a statement.

"Every single stone speaks to us and tells its story: thanks to these important discoveries, archaeologists will be able to learn more about our past. I would like to express my satisfaction for the commitment and passion that researchers are putting into their work. It is essential to combine the protection of our history with the need to protect and modernize the urban fabric," the statement said.

The basilica structure that existed within the borders of the walls found in the excavation took a long period of time to plan, build and renovate, according to the culture ministry. During that period, Rome faced intermittent raids from neighboring adversaries as well as conflict within the city of Rome itself, as aristocratic people vied for access to the Italian throne.

After the papal seat was returned to Italy  having been pushed from there to Avignon for decades between 1309 and 1377, the terms of seven consecutive popes between 1309 and 1377  it was ultimately transferred to the Vatican.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders says "not even an assassin's bullet could stop" Trump in RNC speech

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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks during the House Judiciary Committee markup hearing to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, Thursday, May 16, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. In a statement on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Schiff called on President Joe Biden to step aside and allow another Democrat to run. | Jose Luis Magana

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff called on President Joe Biden to step aside and allow another Democrat to run. Later, the Washington Post reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have told Biden his continued candidacy imperils the Democratic Partys ability to control either chamber of Congress next year.

The Post report said the conversations happened in separate private meetings last week.

In the meetings, each congressional leader discussed their members concerns that Biden could deprive them of congressional majorities, giving Republicans a much easier path to push through legislation, according to four people briefed on the meetings who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private encounters, the Washington Post reported.

What Adam Schiff said about Biden

Schiff, who is running for Senate in California, spoke to donors in East Hampton on Tuesday, where he reportedly said I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose.

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election, Schiff said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

After the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, talk about Biden stepping aside appeared to quiet, but Schiff has now become one of the most prominent elected Democrats to call on Biden to drop out.

Schiff has long feuded publicly with Trump, especially during the former presidents first term in office, when Schiff was the impeachment manager during one of Trumps impeachments. In his statement, according to CNN, Schiff brought up his concern that Trump could beat Biden in November.

A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November, he said.

Schiff said he would support whoever was the nominee in November, including Biden if he remains in the race.
More details are continuing to emerge about a new public-private nonprofit taking the lead on economic development in Louisville, as its board members met for the first time Wednesday.

The Louisville Economic Development Alliance, or LEDA, was formally established this month but has been in the works since late last year, growing out of a recommendation from the city's economic plan, Growing Louisville Together, released in December.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has cited a need for greater collaboration on economic development topics and more nimbleness in the city's business attraction and expansion processes and said he believes LEDA will fill that need.

Board members of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance looked on as Deputy Mayor Pat Mulloy made remarks during their inaugural meeting at the Humana Waterside building in Louisville, Ky. on July 17, 2024.

However, LEDA has already drawn some controversy as the subject of an ethics complaint filed against the mayor, along with two members of his administration.

The nonprofit's board met at the downtown office of one of its members, Humana, where it largely discussed organizational and procedural issues as the new entity got off the ground.

Greenberg said he thinks it is important that the board itself help answer all of the unanswered questions about the new organization and stressed the flexible nature of the organization as it finds its footing.

"There is a plan, but theres a lot left to fill in, Greenberg said at the Wednesday meeting. Theres a lot of room for input, for ideas, for direction

While much has yet to be defined, heres what weve learned about the new entity.

Board picks interim CEO, approves national search

Louisville Deputy Mayor Pat Mulloy, right, made remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance at the Humana Waterside building in Louisville, Ky. on July 17, 2024.

Wednesday's meeting marked the first gathering of the 55-member board of directors.

Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Pat Mulloy was approved to serve as interim CEO until a permanent leader is selected later this year. As interim CEO, Mulloy is empowered to create a bank account for LEDA, file documents, and explore office locations, among other duties.

Mulloy was poised to negotiate fiscal agreements with the Louisville Metro Government as part of his CEO duties, but Louisville Metro Council President Markus Winkler questioned this arrangement, given Mulloys role as a city employee.

Board members agreed to amend the duties to empower the boards vice chair, Kim Halbauer, regional president of Fifth Third Bank, to negotiate those agreements instead.

When you're playing a dual role, there's a bit of a challenge there, Winkler told The Courier Journal after the vote. And just making sure that we're setting things up to be successful and be transparent, and don't have any sort of questions of conflicts of interests later on.

Winkler believes transferring those duties to Halbauer makes sense.

Story continues

Another member, Heine Brothers co-founder and CEO Mike Mays questioned the age diversity of the board, which skews middle-aged and older. Greenberg said the group would be mindful of age as well as other forms of diversity.

Mike Mays, center, co-founder of Heine Brothers Coffee, addressed a question to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg during the inaugural meeting of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance at the Humana Waterside building in Louisville, Ky. on July 17, 2024.

A national CEO search was also approved Wednesday. The board will hire a firm to conduct that search, which is anticipated to wrap by autumn.

The search committee is composed of eight members: Greenberg, Steve Trager of Republic Bank, John Crockett III of LG&E, Susan Diamond of Humana, Evon Smith of OneWest, Kim Schatzel of the University of Louisville, Jennifer Hancock of Volunteers of America, and Tom Miller of UofL Health Now.

LEDA board comprised mostly of private-sector figures

LEDA is a public-private partnership, with the vast majority of its board of directors coming from outside of government.

Board membership includes leaders from several large private companies, including Churchill Downs, Ford, GE Appliances, Humana, Kroger, and UPS.

Bankers, developers, lawyers and leaders from various nonprofit, health care and educational institutions are also on the board, which can have up to 60 members.

A smaller executive committee of 17 people from the larger board is empowered to meet and carry out LEDA business outside of full board meetings.

Winkler, Democratic Councilwoman Paula McCraney, and a Republican council member will be on the board as non-voting members alongside Todd Dunn of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council and Greater Louisville Inc.'s Sarah Davasher-Wisdom.

Initially, Greenberg will chair the board, though he told The Courier Journal he will eventually have a smaller role in the organization, likely after a CEO search is completed. Greenberg  and whoever becomes mayor after him  will remain a voting member.

No standing meeting schedule has been determined, though LEDA bylaws require the board to meet at least twice each year. With a majority of its funding coming from public dollars, LEDA is subject to Kentuckys open records and open meetings law.

Funding is largely public dollars  for now

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, left, chatted with Condrad Daniels, of HJI Supply Chain Solutions, following the inaugural meeting of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance at the Humana Waterside building in Louisville, Ky. on July 17, 2024.

The private-public partnership proposed in the Growing Louisville Together plan contemplated a $6 million budget. LEDAs estimated budget is close to that figure, at just over $5.6 million.

Most of that first-year budget comes from taxpayer dollars.

Greenberg successfully sought $1.5 million in upstart costs from the Louisville Metro Council, which approved that funding in June, despite one council member voting against the budget after raising concerns about LEDA.

Approximately 20 positions within Louisville Metro Governments Cabinet for Economic Development will be leased to LEDA, accounting for about $2 million in already existing taxpayer-funded salaries.

A third stream of funding comes from board member dues. A precise dues structure will be figured out by the board, though Greenberg said some members currently arent paying while others are paying up to $100,000.

The goal for LEDA is to become financially self-sustaining and not rely on the government for future cash infusions, though during budget hearings before the Metro Council in the spring, Mulloy could not guarantee he wouldnt be back asking for more funds next fiscal year.

The alliance is a 501(c)(6), a nonprofit thats also referred to as a business league, or a group of individuals with common business interests. Common examples include chambers of commerce and real estate boards.

LEDA positioned as 'lead economic development entity'

City leaders have billed LEDA as the lead economic development entity for Jefferson County.

As such, its taking on responsibilities previously handled by the citys Cabinet for Economic Development as well as Greater Louisville Inc., the chamber of commerce serving 15 counties, including Jefferson.

LEDAs primary responsibility will be to attract new businesses to Louisville and create incentives for business expansion alongside the Kentucky state government. It will also create a new city brand and collaborate with Louisville Tourism and GLI to promote it.

Business retention will be a shared responsibility between GLI and LEDA, according to a handout provided by the city. GLI will remain the lead on business education and recognition efforts with support from LEDA as appropriate.

GLI will remain a complementary but distinct organization, serving its members business interests, according to the handout.

Economic development cabinet employees leased to LEDA will focus on talent and economic development, business attraction and retention, research and policy, small businesses, and entrepreneurship, according to the city.

Meanwhile, the city cabinet will continue to handle planning and zoning as well as codes and regulations, among other responsibilities.

As said previously, Greenberg and Mulloy noted the new nonprofit isnt taking away powers currently vested in the Metro Council, such as the power to approve tax incentives.

Who are LEDA's board members?

Board members attended the inaugural meeting of the Louisville Economic Development Alliance at the Humana Waterside building in Louisville, Ky. on July 17, 2024.

Here is the list of board of directors members provided by Louisville Metro Government after Wednesday's meeting:

Dave Christopher, AMPED

Carlos Sanchez, AT&T

Jim Allen, Baird

Lawson Whiting, Brown-Forman Corp.

Brad Smith, Cherry Bekaert

Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs Inc.

Lance Mann, Dean Dorton

Jeff McKenzie, Dentons

Greg Pope, Ernst & Young

Kim Halbauer, Fifth Third Bank

Tony Reinhart, Ford Motor Co.

Jennifer Barber, Frost Brown Todd

Kevin Nolan, GE Appliances

Todd Dunn (non-voting), Greater Louisville Central Labor Council

Sarah Davasher-Wisdom (non-voting), Greater Louisville Inc.

Kate Latts, Heaven Hill

Mike Mays, Heine Brothers' Coffee

Condrad Daniels, HJI Supply Chain Solutions

John Hollenbach, Hollenbach-Oakley

Susan Diamond, Humana

Ty Handy, Jefferson Community and Technical College

Paul Costel, JPMorgan Chase Bank

Jake Cannon, Kroger

Jim Lancaster, Lantech

Lisa Dischinger, LDG Development

John Crockett, LG&E

Mayor Craig Greenberg, Louisville Metro Government

Spencer Bruce, Louisville Water Company

Kevin Attkisson, Manna Capital Partners

Mitchel Denham, McBrayer PLLC

Markus Winkler (non-voting), Louisville Metro Council

Paula McCraney (non-voting), Louisville Metro Council

Republican member (non-voting), Louisville Metro Council

Russell Cox, Norton Healthcare

Dennis Heishman, Old National Bank

Tony Fluhr, NTS Development Co.

Evon Smith, OneWest

George Bell, ORI Louisville

Caroline Miller Oyler, Papa John's

Kristen Byrd, PNC Bank

Steve Poe, Poe Development

Larry Benz, Pro Rehab

Steve Trager, Republic Bank

Brian Cromer, Stites & Harbison

Ja Hillebrand, Stock Yards Bank

Sandra Frazier, Tandem Public Relations

Matt Thornton, Thornton Capital

Eli Capilouto, University of Kentucky

Kim Schatzel, University of Louisville

Tom Miller, UofL Health Now

Bill Moore, UPS

Jennifer Hancock, Volunteers of America

Mariah Weyland Gratz, Weyland Ventures

Franklin Jelsma, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP

Scott Catlett, YUM Brands

Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at mglowicki@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4000. Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Who's leading Louisville's new economic development group?
Rep. Adam Schiff publicly called on Wednesday for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, becoming the highest-profile figure in the Democratic Party to make such a move.

The California Democrat and Senate candidate cited serious concerns that Biden can successfully win against former President Donald Trump in November, according to a statement first obtained by the Los Angeles Times and later confirmed by HuffPost.

Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better, the congressman said in his statement.

But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) appears on NBC's "Meet the Press" in Washington, D.C., on July 7. The California Senate candidate publicly called on July 17 for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race to beat former President Donald Trump. William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images

During a campaign trip in Las Vegas, reporters asked Biden on Wednesday if he had any response to Schiffs comments. The president did not stop to answer, according to the press pool.

As a loyal establishment Democrat, Schiff had been one of Bidens strongest champions until recently. A spokesperson for the congressman declined to answer HuffPosts question of whether Schiff believes his statement will sour his relationship with the president.

Schiffs public support for Biden began dwindling after the presidents startlingly poor performance during his first debate against Trump. The event resulted in a wave of Democrats, mostly privately and sometimes publicly, expressing concern about whether the president should step aside and let a younger candidate serve as the partys nominee.

Biden has since pushed back on those calls, doubling down on his decision to continue running for reelection. In an interview with BET News that aired Wednesday, the president said he would consider dropping out of the race if a doctor advised him to.

Schiff is a very close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who has reportedly been fielding concerns from the Democratic caucus about Biden. Its unclear if Pelosi was previously aware of Schiff publicly calling for Biden to drop out.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) listens as then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters following a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2022. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election, Schiff said in his statement.

But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed, he continued. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.

Schiff hinted at his position on the matter earlier this month during an interview with NBCs Meet the Press, where he told host Kristen Welker that hes unsure of whether Biden has the vigor to defeat Trump.

Given Joe Bidens incredible record, given Donald Trumps terrible record, he should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump. Joe Bidens running against a criminal. It should not be even close, he said in the July 7 interview. And theres only one reason it is close, and thats the presidents age.

On Saturday, Schiff warned donors during a private fundraiser that the Democratic Party will likely face overwhelming losses in this years election if Biden were to remain the nominee, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose, he reportedly said. And we may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House.
Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden on Tuesday accused an anti-war protester of assault during an incident in downtown Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention, prompting a police investigation.

Code Pink, the protest group involved in the incident, denied an assault took place and rather said Van Orden tried to shove past the activist.

The interaction occurred near the 400 block of East Wisconsin Ave. shortly after 11 a.m., according to the Milwaukee Police Department, who said they are investigating the incident as an assault.

U.S Representative Derrick Van Orden for the Third Congressional District speaks on a Federal Legislator panel during the 2024 Republican Party Of Wisconsin State Convention on Saturday May 18, 2024 at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center in Appleton, Wis.

Van Orden, a Prairie du Chien Republican, in a statement on X said he was assaulted by a member of Code Pink in what appears to be an incident of political violence as he was in line for an event. He referred to the group, which has protested the war in Gaza, as a pro-Hamas group.

The U.S. Conceal Carry Association held a Defend and Protect event at the Pfister Hotel at the time. A Republican Women Lunch was scheduled at the hotel for 12:30 p.m.

Milwaukee police told the Journal Sentinel that a 24-year-old woman battered the victim and was taken into custody. The victim, police said, referring to Van Orden, sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention on scene.

A spokeswoman for Van Orden did not respond to Journal Sentinel questions, including about Van Ordens reported injuries.

It was not clear Tuesday afternoon whether charges had been filed against the woman. Milwaukee police said only that charges "will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorneys office."

Code Pink in a statement after the arrest identified the woman involved in the incident as the groups Palestinian campaign organizer, Nour Jaghama.

The group said Jaghama, whom they described as visibly Palestinian, was intentionally bumped into by Van Orden while he tried to shove past her.

He tried to cut me in line so I stood in front of him because I was first, Jaghama said in a video posted by the group to X.

Other Code Pink activists in the video said they were in line for a Republican womens brunch when someone came up and shoved her, one activist said in the video, referring to Jaghama. It ended up being Derrick Van Orden, a member of Congress from Wisconsin, who, as soon as he ran into her said, You are assaulting a member of Congress.

Van Orden, who is running for re-election in the state's 3rd Congressional District, has been involved in confrontations before. In 2021, he reportedly threatened a teenage librarian over an LGBT book display. And he drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike for cursing at a group of high school-aged Senate pages during a late-night tour of the U.S. Capitol.

In his statement after the incident, Van Orden repeatedly mentioned political violence and referred to Saturdays assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

There is no place for political violence in this country and I have repeatedly called for people who choose this path to be prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law, he wrote. Nothing will change until these people are held accountable.

Alison Dirr of the Journal Sentinel contributed.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Derrick Van Orden accuses Code Pink protester of assault during RNC
Former President Donald Trump's security detail was increased weeks before Saturday's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania due to a threat from Iran, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI

July 16 (UPI) -- An unrelated assassination threat from Iran prompted U.S. Secret Service to increase former President Donald Trump's security weeks before Saturday's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

U.S. intelligence learned of an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump several weeks ago but have not found any ties with the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally where Trump was grazed by a bullet and a spectator was killed, three U.S. officials first told CNN, which was later reported by CBS and NBC News.

"Upon learning of the increased threat, NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting," a national security official told NBC News.

"USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump," the official added. "All of this was in advance of Saturday."

Trump's campaign would not elaborate on whether it was made aware of the Iran threat.

Former President Donald Trump is rushed off stage by secret service after he was shot in the ear and a spectator was killed during Saturday's campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, it was revealed Trump's security was increased weeks ago following reports of an unrelated Iranian plot. Photo by David Maxwell/EPA-EFE

"We do not comment on President Trump's security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service," the campaign said Tuesday in a statement.

The National Security Council added that there is no known link between the rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot and killed by Secret Service, and the Iran threat.

"The investigation of Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Trump is active and ongoing," NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. "At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic."

Trump is not the only target of the Iranian assassination plot, according to reports. John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are also receiving tightened U.S. government security detail due to threats from Iran, which are "likely in retaliation" for the U.S. military's January 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian military's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

On Tuesday, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations denied the Iranian assassination plot, according to CNN.

"These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious. From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani," a spokesperson for the mission told CNN.

"Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice."

While Trump frequently holds outdoor rallies, the former president and his new vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance announced Tuesday that they will hold their first rally together on Saturday, exactly one week after the assassination attempt, at an indoor venue in Grand Rapids, Mich.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, commanding a prime-time speaking slot on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, started his brief address Tuesday night by paying homage to former President Donald Trump and then leaning into the newly minted nominee's signature issue of unlawful immigration.

"Every day, Americans are dying: murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released," Cruz told the delegates inside Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum. "Every damn day."

There is no evidence that migrants have contributed to an increase in crime in major U.S. cities, although there have been several high-profile crimes that have dominated national headlines, according to an analysis from NBC News published earlier this year.

But the phrase became something of a mantra for the 7-minute speech by Cruz, who back in Texas is engaged in a spirited and expensive race for a third term in the Senate against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas.

"We can fix it, and when Donald Trump is president, we will fix it," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said of the problems at the border during his Tuesday night speech at the Republican National Convention. "We know this because he's done it before."

Just before the 53-year-old junior senator from Texas took the stage, Trump was introduced to the convention where he was greeted by, and appeared to make small talk with, his running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio. Trump made no public remarks, which gave Cruz a clear opening to invoke Saturday's assassination attempt that left the former president with a wound to his right ear.

"God bless Donald J. Trump," said Cruz, to which Trump, who was wearing a large white bandage over his wound, responded by mouthing "Thank you" in the Texan's direction.

More: Trump shooting fact check roundup: False claims about rally attack spread online

Cruz, who challenged Trump in a bitter battle for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, made no mention of his own Senate race in November, sticking to the evening's theme of the GOP's promise to roll back Democratic President Joe Biden's immigration and border policies, which Cruz said Trump would make good on.

"Here's the good news: We can fix it, and when Donald Trump is president, we will fix it," Cruz said. "We know this because he's done it before."

Moments after Cruz left the stage to a hearty applause, Texas Democrats issued an email blast noting that the Republican senator voted against an immigration bill embraced by Biden and some GOP senators that would have boosted funding for immigration agents at the border  a proposal the conservative-leaning Border Patrol union had endorsed. Senate Republicans turned against the bill after Trump urged them to reject the measure to keep Biden from getting a legislative win during an election year.

More: Matt Gaetz-Kevin McCarthy feud erupts at RNC: 'You'd get booed off the stage'

Ted Cruz has been given every opportunity to work across the aisle to secure our border, and every single time he says no," said Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki. "Thats because he cares more about political games than actual solutions."

Speaking to delegates moments before Cruz took the stage was Republican Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who, before his election to the nonpartisan city office, had been a Democratic state House member. Johnson said he abandoned the Democratic Party because it has lost touch with ordinary voters.

"Democrats are good at using safe words but terrible at building safe neighborhoods and safe cities," he said. "But there is a better way. Dallas bought national trends and achieved a remarkable three straight years of violent crime reduction."

Senior USA TODAY national political reporter Rebecca Morin contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ted Cruz addresses Republican National Convention. Here's what he said
A delegate bows his head in prayer at the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Photo by David Banks/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- The third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee will feature several prominent speakers while promoting the theme of Make America Strong Once Again.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, will deliver the keynote address for the third day's activities after being named by former President Donald Trump as his running mate on Tuesday.

Other scheduled speakers include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump Jr., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conway.

Members of several Gold Star families also will appear.

Medal of Honor recipient and retired Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, decorated war hero and Horse Soldier Bourbon founder Scott Neil and D-Day veteran Sgt. William Pekrul are among those scheduled to speak during Wednesday's RNC activities.

A delegate sings the national anthem during the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday. The third day of the convention is expected to focus on national security and foreign policy. Photo by Matt Marton/UPI

So are the Neutra family, whose 22-year-old son Omer, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, has been held hostage by Hamas for more than 280 days, and Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish-American graduate of Harvard University.

The evening starts with a video presentations in the early evening, followed by a long list of speakers, starting with Rep. Brian Mast of Florida at about 6 p.m.

The third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee promotes the theme of Make America Strong Once Again. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

The third day of the Republican National Convention got underway at 9 a.m. with an advance private screening of the 2024 film Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as the iconic Republican president.

The film is due in theaters on Aug. 30.

A Texas delegate sings the national anthem during the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Photo by Matt Marton/UPI

The Great American Farm Fair was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Malchine Farms. The GOP Farm Committee, the Farmers & Ranchers for Trump Coalition and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson hosted the event.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., held a book signing from 2 p.m. to 4, and the Harley Davidson Museum was hosting what it called a Europe Night later.

Republican delegates say the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday. The third day of the convention is expected to focus on national security and foreign policy. Photo by David Banks/UPI

Convention participants also could view the world premiere of Theocracy of Terror: A Documentary on Murder, Oppression & the Rise of Iran's Radical Regime during Tuesday's scheduled activities.

Also, country music artist Brian Kelley, the Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ Choir and the "UNC Frat Boys" were scheduled to entertain convention attendees late Wednesday night.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday named Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance his running mate, and Vance will deliver the keynote address during the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee Wednesday night. Photo by Matt Marton/UPI
MILWAUKEE  At a presidential debate party he organized last month in western Miami-Dade's vecindarios, Juan Fiol didn't hesitate when asked why former President Donald Trump's White House comeback campaign has drawn legions of Latino voters.

"In Miami, it's always been, and will always be, until there is freedom in Cuba, against socialism," he said, pointing to the largely Cuban-American, and older, crowd at the Mojitos restaurant that evening. "That's our number one reason, and it's always been our reason and it's always going to be our reason."

It's a mantra that has duct-taped many of South Florida's virulently anti-communist exiles to the Republican Party, yes. But across the United States today, the Grand Old Party, polls show, has the attention of a broader swath of Latino voters who represent a multitude of nationalities, interests, beliefs, life experiences and cultural differences.

The adhesive now is not one issue, party strategists at this week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee claim, but a broad menu of policies and mottos for populations that defy monolithic categorizations. And whose daily worries are in sync with concerns shared by the rest of the country, ultimately cooking a GOP melting pot message for all.

"There is not a 'Latino' vote. Latinos vote in different ways," said Jaime Florez, the Republican National Committee's Hispanic outreach director. "And at this particular moment, we're not just Latinos. We're already Americans, we live in this country, and we're facing a very difficult economy and many other things."

So in 2024, Florez said, the GOP is stressing everyday life issues - inflation, crime and the unfairness of an "open border."

"We're using the same message for the rest of the country because what is really moving Hispanics is the reality in the country," he said.

RNC 2014: Florida's GOP delegation open convention agenda with somber reflection

An attendee holds a "Make America Safe Again" sign during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024.

As Reagan said, just a matter of time before Latinos realized they're Republicans

Republican Party officials gathered in Milwaukee say their traditional family values positions appeal to the exponentially growing numbers of Hispanic evangelicals.

They add that Trump's often repeated calls for "common sense" government draws those who own small businesses and executives at larger enterprises alike. Same for the emphasis on safe streets and neighborhoods and the aspirational rhetoric of a rugged individual's want to control their fate rather than depending on a paternalistic state, they insisted.

By and large, said Florez, U.S. voters of Hispanic origin, descent and identification have come to accept what Ronald Reagan claimed decades ago  they were Republicans at the core but had not realized it yet. That's why the number of Latino Republican voter registrations have risen while the polling gap with Democrats has narrowed, he said.

Early this month, a nationwide poll by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research found President Joe Biden topping Trump among Hispanic voters by just 3.8 percentage points, 38.6% to 34.8%. In a survey of Latinos in key Midwest battlegrounds last month, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Trump trailed Biden by just 6.6 points, 43.2% to 36.6%.

Those numbers, if they pan out at the polls in November, would be a sharp departure, and spell enormous trouble for Biden. According to one survey based on data from the past 14 presidential elections collected by the American National Election Survey, Hispanic-identifying voters have not gone red at rates approaching more than 20%.

An electronic billboard advertisement paid for by the Florida Democratic Party reading "Never Forget" (in Spanish) and showing US President Donald Trump throwing a roll of paper towels is seen along the Florida Turnpike in Kissimmee, Florida, on January 16, 2020.

2024 election: Republicans eye chance to make 2024 presidential election 'foregone' conclusion at convention

Give me your tired your poor, but especially those looking for safe communities

Bertica Cabrera Morris said she would not be surprised if Tuesday night's RNC convention theme - public safety - caught the attention of people in the communities around her.

The Orlando resident is a Cuban-American but identifies closely with Puerto Rico, where she has spent a considerable amount of time and where her father is buried. In Central Florida, where she works helping developers assemble plans and teams for major construction projects like stadiums and airport terminals, Cabrera Morris has watched the migration of Puerto Ricans, and their political transformation.

"As soon as they land in Orlando, they change their voter affiliations to Republicans," she said.

A large factor in that decision, she believes, is "security, security, security." Puerto Ricans moving from the territory to the mainland embrace the GOP message of safe streets and communities. The homicide rate on the island in 2022 was 19.3 per 100,000 people - way more than the 7.2 per 100,000 rate in Florida for the same year.

"They have left Puerto Rico because they feel unsafe," she said. "They feel they are more safe here, and they feel their money is more secure."

Luis Figueroa, a commercial real estate broker, said crime in Puerto Rico has been just one factor driving people out of the island and to the Republican Party.

One, he said, is that people were fed up with "radical" COVID policies. He added they resented the incompetence of an electric utility that was exposed by hurricanes, but given a free pass by the governor. Then there was the corruption scandal that rocked the island's government five years ago, again revealing malfeasance and improprieties.

"What they find here is a safe haven for common sense policies," said Figueroa, who moved to Florida from the island in 2007 with just $100 to his name. "What they find, too, is stability. They get to breathe that fresh air and to be a little bit more stable day-to-day in addition to security."

Cuban-American first time voter Sophia Hildalgo applauds as Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden speaks during a drive in rally in Miramar, Florida on October 13, 2020.

Conservative Latinos hear 'Obamacare' and they ask, what's the catch?

In the waning weeks of the 2020 election campaign, former President Barack Obama ventured to northern Miami-Dade County for a rally in support of Biden, his former vice president, and running mate, then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris. In his stump speech that day, Obama touted the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance measure he signed into law in his first term.

Obamacare has been popular in Florida, which has often led the nation in its health insurance plan enrollments. But even with all that, Democrats have seen their leverage erode precipitously.

Ariel Solorzano, a Nicaraguan-American living in Miami, said it's because the idea of government largesse is not what immigrants, refugees and exiles coming to America  legally  aspire to.

"The idea is to have economic freedom," said the data security specialist who has lived in the United States since the age of 17. "Let me work. Let me protect my family."

Solorzano said that when he, and others he knows, hear politicians offering promises and government programs, suspicion enters their mind.

"Basically it's they give me, and what's the catch?" he said.

He and others are Trump Republicans, he said, because they oppose what they see as a Democratic Party penchant for centralizing power, encumbering private enterprise, and stifling freedom of expression.

"Everything that has made this country great, they are taking us down the ladder in the wrong direction, lowering the index of economic freedom as opposed to going up the ladder.

Supporters of former U.S. president Donald Trump gather outside of the Crotona Park rally venue on May 23, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

GOP a magnet for evangelical Hispanics who reject LGBTQ agenda?

While the GOP has long pitched itself as the family values party, Trump has aggressively courted evangelicals, and especially Latino believers. In January 2020, he helicoptered aboard Marine One from Mar-a-Lago to southern Miami-Dade to address the El Rey Jesus megachurch to spotlight the "Evangelicals for Trump" coalition.

Evangelicals and conservative Christians cheered the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing individual states to pursue restraints on abortion and other reproductive measures. Lately, they have also been at the forefront of moving the party toward the right on LGBTQ+ issues.

Last year, a Pew Research Center study estimated that 10 million U.S. Hispanics considered themselves as evangelical or Protestant. The share of Hispanic Republicans that said they were "evangelical Protestants was nearly a third, 28%.

Like non-Hispanic evangelical Christians, the Latino segment of faith voters is speaking out - and voting.

"Hispanics want to see strong families," said David Borrero, who worked as a government grants manager for a South Florida municipality. "They don't identify with the LGBTQ agenda. They don't want that shoved down their throats."

Borrero, who won a Florida state House seat representing a northwest Miami-Dade district, blames higher education for selling a "confusing" gender identification narrative to Gen Zers. Now, he said, you are seeing a counter-reaction, and a surge of alignment with Republican positions espousing traditional gender roles based on biology.

"Identifying as a man when you're a woman is morally wrong and incorrect. Traditionally it's never been part of the culture or the norm from countries that Hispanics come from in Latin America," said Borrero. "The Republican Party represents the views of the traditional family values. It's easy for Hispanics to say, 'Oh the Republican Party believes what I believe so let me identify with them.'"

Former President Donald Trump holds a rally in the historical Democratic district of the South Bronx on May 23, 2024 in New York City.

Inclusiveness as well as simplicity and clarity in government regulations

Fabio Andrade manages government relations for a commercial charter plane company. What Latinos most want, and what they find so alluring about Trump's message, is equity, inclusiveness and fair-play, he said.

"I just like it that they were very inclusive and they were not looking down at me," said Andrade, who was born in Colombia. "They were very much my values, which have been hard work and work hard, to do for yourself what you can do for yourself don't wait for someone to give you a hand out."

He particularly embraces Trump's call for a "common sense" approach to business regulation and governance he said "resonates with me a lot." In Latin America, many times people rebel against state rules and policies because, he said, they don't want to comply or are looking for an advantage.

"In that regard, no, that's not what we want," he said, explaining that the ask here is for rules not to be constantly modified and made ever-more complex. "What we want is, tell me what the process is and I will work within the process and make it simple the process for me to be here and succeed."

Biden administration and Democratic policies that have resulted in complicated rules have stacked the deck against business and reminded people of why they left their countries of origin in the first place. But Andrade said he has never been overtly partisan, having supported a local political figure, Alex Penelas, a Democrat, and a Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Republican.

"What's happening in their homeland they don't want it to happen here. And they see a few situations similar patterns that is happening," he said. "That's why Trump is appealing to Latinos."

Immigration, yes, but legal, vetted and for people who want to work in America

Latino support for Trump, and his long-held beliefs in tough border control may seem contradictory, but it's not, say his supporters.

As she waited on June 14 for a rally to celebrate Trump's 78th birthday to begin, Marianela Joli spoke about how she came to the United States in 1990 with her father and three sisters from the Dominican Republic.

Joli, who works in immigration law along with her sister, said she particularly embraced Trump's message of hard work and a secure border.

"I work in an immigration office. I have learned a lot about people there. I listen to them to know if they are really coming with a true purpose to grow, or to seek handouts," said Joli, who added that two of her three sons are serving in the U.S. military. "You come to this country to work."

Andrade notes that his parents complied with the legal requirements and did not move to the United States until permission to enter the country was granted. Through the years, he has had family visit from Colombia and sometimes they ask to stay, but are told by him and relatives here that unless they have permission they need to go home, hire an attorney and do it legally.

"We think it's the right way to do things," he said. "Values are very important, family is key, and so is rule of law."

The flow of millions of people through the U.S. southern border is unsustainable and unsafe, he said. He questions how much vetting can be carried out with people who have little or no documentation. He knows many others harbor the same fears.

"A lot of the Latinos, no matter where they're from, we don't like illegal immigration," he said. "We believe in understanding who's coming through the pipeline. A lot of us have family in the process that are being left behind because people are cutting in front."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump, GOP play for Latino voters pays off. Hispanics explain why.
Are Republicans worried about running against Vice President Kamala Harris?

The short answer: No. They dont even see it as a possibility.

Wednesday dawned over Milwaukee as delegates returned for day three of the Republican National Convention (RNC)  the partys four-day nominating event  and were met with a badly-needed respite from the muggy heat which had hung over the city for the first half of the week. And as the party prepared to hear the first address from their vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, it was clear that GOP delegates had no expectations of Vances upcoming debate opponent being elevated to the top of the ticket. Or anyone else, either.

Major figures in and around Trumpworld who spoke to The Independent laughed off the prospect of Biden stepping aside, which they said hed never do. And none saw any possibility in the idea that the criticism coming from the presidents party would grow loud enough to force him out.

Larry Elder, a conservative radio host in California who challenged Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election and lost, was adamant that the Democrats in Washington privately raising concerns about the presidents diminished faculties are not going to force Biden out.

Theyre stuck with Biden. If Biden doesnt want to go, you cant drag him out. Hes got the delegates to win, said Elder.

Elder, who himself is Black, added that he believes Black women who make up a key part of the Democrats base would stay home if Biden stepped aside but failed to engineer Kamala Harris winning the partys nomination.

If the successor is anybody other than Kamala Harris, Black female voters, who are the most loyal part of the Democratic base, will be livid, he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two to depart on campaign travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 13. (REUTERS)

Another one of those Republicans who dismissed the possibility of Kamala Harris or another Democrat accepting the nomination in lieu of Joe Biden was former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The former California congressman appeared at the RNC on day two, where he would end up clashing with long-time rival Representative Matt Gaetz in full view of the media and convention delegates.

McCarthy told The Independent that President Trump just wins if Biden steps aside; but said that wouldnt happen.

I think President Trump wins either way, he added.

Polling is less clear on the issue. It has registered a clear competitive head-to-head matchup between both Biden and Harris in national polling, while swing state polling (which actually matters) is, as always, even murkier. One thing is definitely true, though: polls are a snapshot in time, and recent surveys of Bidens support both at the national and state levels shows a serious downward trend. The incumbent is now down by various margins in polls of states he will need to win the election: Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Other states, like Florida where the statewide Democratic Party chapter is undergoing a rebuilding process, seem distantly out of reach.

But Joe Biden is not showing any signs  yet  of heeding the calls for him to step aside. Still, the tide continues to turn against him; while many had predicted the calls would die down, in actuality the incumbent president seems to be facing a full-scale rebellion from frontline Democrats being shepherded and implicitly blessed by none other than Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats most prominent congressional leader of the past few decades.

Joe Biden speaks on Saturday at the NAACP annual convention in Las Vegas as polls show him slipping further behind Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

The leaks are not getting any less damaging, either. On Tuesday evening, as delegates listened to the final speeches of the night from Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Dr Ben Carson, Puck News broke a story revealing an episode from Saturday when the president, during a call with a purple-district Democrat who had served in the Army Rangers, grew angry and began shouting at the congressman. Biden did so, reportedly, because he blamed him for his campaign messages failure to land with voters  and even went as far as taking an apparent shot at the Bronze Star the congressman, Representative Jason Crow, earned during his military service.

Name me a foreign leader who thinks Im not the most effective leader in the world on foreign policy. Tell me! Biden shouted at Crow in the audio recording obtained by Puck, before adding: Tell me who did something that youve never done with your Bronze Star like my son!

Facing unprecedented dismay and a morbid outlook on November, Biden is now heading into the general election in one of the weakest positions of any Democratic candidate in decades.

Strategist and pollster Kellyanne Conway echoed that fact in an interview with The Independent on Tuesday before giving her thoughts on Harris ascending to the top of the ticket. Biden, she claimed, was a guaranteed loss  one that Democrats on the hill fully see coming, but have yet been unable to stop.

I think that Chuck Schumer sees the writing on the wall, she said. Hes gonna want to protect these down-ballot races and start telling everybody to [vote for a] check and balance on Donald TrumpThat means these Republican candidates in the swing seats, I hope theyll really start laying out their plan and their vision and take the case right to these Democrats.

[Harris]s got even more controversial statements from the Democratic primary debate stage in 2020. And everybody would go back and comb through those comments, which apparently didnt earn her a single electoral vote, a single delegate from the Democratic primary and caucus race, Conway added. She left that race with as many electoral votes as you and I had: zero.
Republicans say Biden's America is awash in immigrant-driven crime. What do the data say?

One after another, Republican leaders painted a dire picture of America from the Republican National Convention stage in Milwaukee on Tuesday, suggesting the nation is awash in violent crime driven by an "invasion" of "illegal aliens" and "Chinese fentanyl" at the southern border.

Echoing many of the evening's other speakers, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Republicans were the "law-and-order team," while President Biden and Democrats intent on a "borderless, lawless" future were responsible for "dramatic increases" in violence and drugs in the country.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that "every damn day," Americans are killed and raped by illegal immigrants that Democrats let into the country. "Every damn day," the crowd chanted back in a chorus.

Read more: California Republicans, long in the minority at home, get a Trump boost at RNC

The crime picture in the United States is much more nuanced than suggested, according to federal and state data, which vary across the country and from city to city.

For example, Los Angeles officials in January touted a large drop in violent crime in 2023, compared with the year prior  with killings down 17% and shootings down 10%, according to Los Angeles police data.

But just last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would quadruple the number of California Highway Patrol shifts in Oakland, where city data last year showed violent crime had increased 21%, robbery by 38% and vehicle theft 43%.

The clearest recent trend in national crime data  which Democrats have cited to rebut the Republican claims and which Republicans dismiss as misleading  is that violent crime is down.

Read more: Photos: Trump, Vance and all the Republican National Convention fanfare

Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics, has studied national crime trends for years. In an interview with The Times, he said the Republican talking points about rising violent crime "would have been better in 2021 and 2022 than they are in 2023 and 2024."

Violent crime  including homicides  did increase, and substantially, in those earlier years amid the social upheaval associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Asher said there has been a clear decline in the two most recent years, according to available federal data and state-by-state figures he has gathered.

"All of the data we have points to  especially in regards to murder  a really large decline last year," Asher said, and "so far this year an even larger decline."

The declines are "not everywhere, but across a large swath of American cities," and "to, in some places, pre-COVID levels," he said.

Read more: Project 2025, GOP platform blast California, teeing up critiques of Biden stand-ins

"Reasonable people can disagree on who's to credit for it, what's the cause, what policies are working, what policies aren't working, where is it coincidental," Asher said. "The evidence of declining gun violence and murder in the U.S., though, is incontrovertible."

Declines in both blue and red states are contributing to the improved picture nationwide, Asher said.

California saw 1,892 homicides reported in 2023, which was "roughly in line" with annual figures seen from 2016 to 2019  and well below the state's historic high for homicides and its levels during the peak of the pandemic.

In 1992, the city of Los Angeles alone saw 1,092 homicides. In 2022, there were 392. In 2023, there were 327.

In 2019, there were 253 homicides in L.A., so the recent decline has still not brought the city back to its pre-COVID levels of violence.

As for crime by immigrants, Cruz and others cited a handful of specific cases to bolster the claim that such incidents are common.

Again, the data suggest a more nuanced picture.

Ran Abramitzky, a Stanford University economics professor, helped lead a nationally representative study of incarceration rates for immigrants and U.S.-born citizens from 1870 to 2020. The study included all immigrants, not only those in the country illegally.

It found, Abramitzky said in an email to The Times, that "as a group, immigrants have had lower incarceration rates than the US-born for 150 years."

It also found that "relative to the US-born, immigrants' incarceration rates have declined since 1960," and "immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated"  and "30% less likely even relative to US-born whites." That was true for immigrants from all regions, he said.

Abramitzky said he has also studied political rhetoric surrounding immigration, analyzing "200,000 congressional speeches and 5,000 presidential speeches since 1880."

Read more: Trump says millions of immigrants are criminals. Biden says he's lying

That research, he said, found that "attitudes towards immigrants in congressional speeches have overall improved over the last few decades, but they also become increasingly more polarized by political party.

"Democrats are increasingly more positive and pointing to immigrants' contributions to the U.S.," Abramitzky continued, "and Republicans remain negative and increasingly focus on issues of crime and legality when they talk about immigrants."

Data show fentanyl deaths in the U.S. did increase under Biden. But they also increased under then-President Trump.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in May that U.S. drug overdoses, including from fentanyl, decreased in 2023 for the first time since 2018. Deaths attributed to fentanyl specifically decreased to 74,702 in 2023 from 76,226 in 2022.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Republican Party wants you to be afraid. Very, very afraid.

Under former President Donald Trump, the party is playing up fears of violent crime, even as crime rates have fallen from their pandemic-era spike. And in the process, it is abandoning the modest yet meaningful moves toward criminal justice reform it made in recent years.

This much was clear on the second night of the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC), whose theme was "Make America Safe Again." Several of the presenters spoke of the need to get tough on crime.

"We are experiencing a plague of crime across America," said retired police Lieutenant Randy Sutton. "It's all made America more dangerous than ever before."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis charged that Democrats, like President Joe Biden, "have unleashed progressive prosecutors across our nation who care more about coddling criminals than about protecting their own communities."

If Trump's choice of running mate signaled how thoroughly he has bent the GOP's economic policy to his will, Tuesday night at the convention provided an unfortunate indication of how thoroughly the party platform has abandoned any prospect of criminal justice reform.

Trump accepted his party's nomination the first time, in 2016, during what he called "a moment of crisis for our nation."

"The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life," he warned. "Decades of progress made in bringing down crime are now being reversed by this Administration's rollback of criminal enforcement." He detailed frightening statistics from big cities: murder rates up 50 percent in Washington, D.C., and up 60 percent in Baltimore; more than 2,000 victims of gun violence in Chicago in the previous year alone.

"The first task for our new Administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threatens their communities," Trump pledged. "In this race for the White House, I am the Law And Order candidate."

Trump conveyed similar fears at the 2020 convention, held amid the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide racial-justice protests. "Your vote will decide whether we protect law abiding Americans, or whether we give free reign to violent anarchists, agitators, and criminals who threaten our citizens," he said.

In each case, the message was clear: Violent criminals lurk around every corner, and only by voting Republican can we hold back the deadly hordes.

Of course, that wasn't quite true in either year: While murders in the 30 largest U.S. cities rose by more than 13 percent in 2015, a study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that "half of that change occurred in just three cities"Trump's cherry-picked examples of Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. "Murder nationally is still similar to what it was in 2012, at historic lows."

And while 2020 did see a nationwide spike in violent crime amid summer protests, murder rates fell precipitously in 2023, and preliminary data for the beginning of 2024 suggests that overall violent crime has continued falling and may again hit record lows by the end of the year.

But ginning up fears of violent crime was key to Trump'sand by extension, his party'spitch to America. In his inaugural address, he warned of "the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives" and pledged, "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

This was an unfortunate break with the party's platform in recent years, when the GOP at least feinted toward less punitive criminal justice policies.

"While getting criminals off the street is essential, more attention must be paid to the process of restoring those individuals to the community," read the 2012 Republican Party Platform. "Prisons should do more than punish; they should attempt to rehabilitate and institute proven prisoner reentry systems to reduce recidivism and future victimization."

While the 2012 platform still advocated punitive punishments for certain crimesincluding the death penalty for capital murder, "mandatory prison time for all assaults involving serious injury to law enforcement officers," and "a national registry for convicted child murderers"it also hinted at alternatives. The party praised "faithbased institutions that have proven track records in diverting young and first time, non-violent offenders from criminal careers," and said that governments should emulate these groups' "emphasis on restorative justice, to make the victim whole and put the offender on the right path."

Even in 2016, when the GOP first nominated Trump, its platform praised "the Republican Governors and legislators who have been implementing criminal justice reforms like those proposed by our 2012 platform." (Of course, the party did not draft a new platform in 2020, simply carrying over the 2016 document unaltered.)

As president, Trump even signed the FIRST STEP Act, which accomplished many laudable goals, like reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes and allowing federal inmates to accumulate more credits toward early release. In the law's first year, thousands of people left federal prison early as a result of shortened sentences.

But then the effort stalled. While Trump bragged about signing the FIRST STEP Act and ran ads in 2020 touting his ability to accomplish criminal justice reforms, he had soured on the law by the end of his term. By the time he announced his bid for reelection in 2022, Trump had stopped talking about the bill altogether and was calling for anyone "caught selling drugs, to receive the death penalty." Some Republican-led states that implemented reforms are now repealing them, even in places where the measures were successful.

The FIRST STEP Act was not only one of the most successful reform initiatives in recent years, but it represented a truly bipartisan effortprogressive activist Van Jones still brags about working with Republicans to get it passedbut it became verboten in GOP circles.

The 2024 GOP platform makes no mention of criminal justice reform and instead pledges to "restore law and order," "stand up to Marxist Prosecutors," and "restore safety in our neighborhoods by replenishing Police Departments, restoring Common Sense Policing, and protecting Officers from frivolous lawsuits"presumably a reference to Trump's stated pledge to give cops "immunity from prosecution."

On the second night of the RNC, with immigration and crime as its theme, speakers stuck to the party line: Many presenters spoke of immigration and crime as if they are inextricably linked, and nobody mentioned criminal justice reform, other than one mention of "comprehensive prison reform" by Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump as one of Trump's first-term accomplishments.

It's a shame that on an issue like paring back the needlessly punitive aspects of the criminal justice systemon which Republicans and Democrats broadly agreed with one another very recentlythe GOP has completely turned its back.

The post Republicans Have Completely Abandoned Criminal Justice Reform appeared first on Reason.com.
Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) trimmed its outlook for the second quarter, just hours after an analyst warned the company could have trouble remaining airborne.

Investors are headed for the exits, sending Spirit shares down 11% in late afternoon trading.

A rough journey from here

Spirit is flying into a lot of headwinds right now. The entire airline industry is adjusting to softening demand trends.

Spirit has some company-specific issues including rebounding after its proposed sale to JetBlue Airways was scuttled by regulators and the fallout from an RTX engine issue that has grounded part of Spirit's fleet.

On Tuesday evening after markets closed, Spirit said that it expects to report $1.28 billion in revenue in the recently completed second quarter, down from previous guidance for $1.32 billion to $1.34 billion in sales. Spirit expects to report an adjusted loss of $173 million to $160 million, down significantly from a previous loss estimate of $145 million to $120 million.

The disclosure came just hours after TD Cowen analyst Thomas Fitzgerald downgraded Spirit to a sell from a hold, writing, "We do not believe the company has a realistic path toward profitability through 2026 and think there is substantial risk of a restructuring or bankruptcy."

Is Spirit stock a buy?

Spirit ended the first quarter with $1.2 billion in the bank, but the projections for the second quarter show that number will likely be lower when results are made official. Spirit also has about $1 billion in debt to deal with later in the year.

The airline has a lot of options, including renegotiations with creditors or returning planes to lessors to free up capital. But none are long-term answers, and all create future problems. At best, Spirit will find it hard to generate growth. At worst, as Fitzgerald notes, Spirit could be flying toward bankruptcy.

The near-term outlook for the stock could be volatile, especially since there is a heavy short interest in the stock. But given the uncertainty, long-term focused investors should stay away from Spirit.

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The 2024 Republican National Convention is a happy place. Thats unusual. In recent cycles, whether the nominee has been John McCain, Mitt Romney, or Donald Trump, there have always been substantial pockets of discontent within the arena. If theres broad discontent within the party among attendees this year, theyre doing an awfully good job hiding it.

The sunny vibe is especially unusual because the now-official party nominee was shot in the ear on Saturday, coming literally within an inch of his life. What could explain the way delegates and other conventiongoers so quickly moved beyond that trauma and pivoted to joy?

The only way to put it is that Republicans are feeling invincible.

Trump was already leading the election before Joe Bidens catastrophic debate performance kicked off an ongoing multiweek spectacle of the Democratic Partys destroying itself in the broad light of day. Trump was then leading by more. Then he survived an assassination attempt. If possible, he is now likely leading by even more. Republicans are riding a euphoria they have never quite experienced during Trumps time in politics. Its unusual. They cant help but speculate about divine intervention.

Theres almost a providence about it, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall told me and another reporter.

Republicans arent worried about the little stuff these days. If there was any discontent heading into the convention, it was the Trump campaigns rewriting of the party platforms abortion section, which for the first time in decades doesnt call for a federal ban at a certain stage of fetal development. After the shooting, no one cared about that anymore.

But theyre not even sweating the rather large question of which Democrat Trump will run against in November. Marshall, for one, speculated that after the assassination attempt, I dont think you could give Kamala Harris the nomination. She would say no to it. In other words, she wouldnt want to be the sacrificial lamb in a year that Democrats, in Marshalls view, appear poised to lose.

It wasnt the only time I heard that line of thinking. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, a social conservative group, assessed that Democratic efforts to oust Biden would peter out after the assassination attempt because ultimately they dont want to waste one of their up-and-coming stars now that the country is much more likely to elect Donald Trump.

I spoke to Schilling and Marshall at a doozy of an event that the American Principles Project was throwing at a Milwaukee bar outside the Fiserv Forum. The APP, in conjunction with Orange County Choppersthe custom motorcycle maker chronicled on the much-memed show American Chopperwas gifting Riley Gaines, the former college swimmer protesting the inclusion of transgender women in womens sports, a new custom motorcycle that it unveiled at the event. Schilling, Marshall, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and American Chopper star Paul Teutul Sr. were there for the honors and to share their beliefs against boys in girls sports.

Teutul told me, at first, that he didnt care whom the Democrats ran.

All I look at is that [Trump] needs to win, he said. I dont look at who hes running against. Then, though, he said in a quieter voice, definitely Joe Biden. But Teutul has felt really good about Trumps chances ever since that controversy with them trying to arrest him and stuff like that.

Greg Reiman, a guest of a Wisconsin delegate (his wife), was strolling around the plaza outside the Fiserv Forum Tuesday morning. He showed me a photo of how close he had sat to the Trump family the previous night and noted that Eric Trump had smiled when he had said hi to him.

Reiman has been taking a little pleasure in watching the Democratic infighting of late. He did concede, however, that theres only a twinge, and just a twinge, of feeling bad for Joe Biden because maybe hes been held in a bubble and doesnt realize how bad hes looking.

If theres anything keeping Republicans euphoria in check, its a feeling that the sinister Democrats might still have more tricks up their sleeve. One thing that truly locked-in partisans on, yes, both sides have in common is a belief that the other sides operatives, strategists, and other pooh-bahs are masters in dark magic, capable of anything.

The [Democratic] Congress members, the senators, it seems like theyre kind of giving up because they know Joes not going anywhere, Reiman reasoned. But the Carvilles, the real operatives behind the scenes, theyre too cutthroat, too mean. They play to win, and they dont give a shit who gets run over in the process. Even Joe Biden.

The guys behind the scenes, he said, would unplug your life support machine just to charge their phones.

Whether its by divine providence, sorcery from party operatives, or something else, political fortunes can flip in a switch. Theres no better example of that than the 2016 election, when Trump was written off as having any chance of winning, for a new reason, every day. And around the 2016 convention, much of the conversation was about which major party figures werent even bothering to attend the event, either for personal political reasons or to keep their fingerprints off Trumps takeover of the GOP.

Thats less of a conversation this time. The party really is united. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellwho didnt speak with Trump and for more than three years would barely say his namemade a point of announcing Kentuckys delegates for Trump during the roll call of the states. (He was booed throughout, which was funny. Reintroduction into Trumpworld doesnt happen overnight.) McConnells deputy and potential successor as Republican leader, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, also had a strained relationship with Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election. He was right there on the convention floor too during Trumps nomination.

I know, at least on the Senate side, were very unified. The Trump campaign, the president himself, our Senate leadership, all the entities, everybodys working together, Thune said. I think that we are very, very unified coming out of this, which I think is exciting.

Trumps felled rivals from the primary, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, both were last-minute additions to the program, after initially planning not to come. I did, however, run across one Republican primary candidate who was not yet on board with the team. Asa Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor whose anti-Trump positions made him a ripe target for Trumps jokes about his low polling numbers, was loitering around inside the conventions security perimeter Tuesday morning. But even he is beginning to sound as if hes getting close.

He certainly has shown strength, resilience, and now a tone that reflects the need to bring America together, so I applaud that, he said of Trump. He would take that into consideration as he determines where I go in this election.

When you look at what the Republicans offer versus what the Democrats offer, he said, Im a Republican.

I was speaking on the convention floor Monday to Forgiato Blow, the right-wing rapper behind such songs as Boycott Target. He was wearing a T-shirt featuring the now-famous Evan Vucci photograph of Trump raising his fist onstage in Butler, Pennsylvania, above which read IMPEACHED. ARRESTED. CONVICTED. SHOT, and below which read, STILL STANDING.

I asked Blow what his first thought had been, seeing the news about the attempt on Trumps life. Anger? Concern? No.

I said, The elections over. 
Republicans on Tuesday made clear how theyre running against Vice President Kamala Harris, and it involves calling her the border czar. A lot.

A range of speakers on the second day of the Republican National Convention went after Harris, who some Democrats argue is the partys best option if President Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race.

She was also Bidens appointed lead working with Central America to deter migration at the southern border, prompting Republicans border czar moniker.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, said he had never seen anything like the Biden-Harris open border policy.



Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) accused the pair of opening the border to terrorists, to criminals.

And Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton accused Biden and Harris of welcoming a third world invasion.



It was a forceful attempt to define Harris image in the public eye, taking advantage of the bright lights of the primetime RNC stage. And it serves as a potent reminder that the Democratic field in the wake of Bidens dismal debate performance remains somewhat uncertain. If Biden remains the nominee, going after Harris now helps undermine the ticket anyway  and if she somehow rises to replace him, theyve laid the early foundation for their future attacks.

After tanking the bipartisan border deal, Donald Trump has resorted to lying about the vice presidents record, said Brian Fallon, a Harris campaign spokesperson. As a former district attorney and attorney general, she has stood up to fraudsters and felons like Trump her entire career. Trumps lies wont stop her from continuing to prosecute the case against him on the biggest issues in this race.

Immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border were frequent topics during the night of the convention dubbed Make America Safe Once Again. More than a dozen lawmakers and other speakers sought to tie border policy to a range of other problems, including fentanyl overdoses, unrest in major cities and specific crimes committed by undocumented immigrants  a common theme espoused by the party.



Much of their anger was directed at Biden, with speakers painting a dark picture of a country in decline. Florida Sen. Rick Scott said he has a nightmare that in a second Biden administration, the southern border will be erased and that Biden will fly so many illegals into our country that the cartel started getting frequent flier miles. Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake said Arizonas border has been handed over to cartels and criminals, and that deadly drugs are pouring in and killing children. Wisconsin Senate candidate Eric Hovde said Biden has allowed criminals and terrorists to enter our country.

It was a page taken directly from former President Donald Trumps playbook, tying immigration to crime and arguing that Bidens policies have created an unsafe America. Its a message that frequently dominates Trumps campaign rallies and one thats expected to be a key part of the GOP nominees speech on Thursday.

And Harris was also a favorite target, with speaker after speaker calling her the border czar.



The term, anointed by the GOP, is a reference to how Biden named Harris the lead on immigration issues back in 2021.

Harris actual immigration assignment was more narrowly tailored than the sweeping title bestowed by the GOP suggests. She was given a diplomatic mission to address the root causes driving migration from three Central American countries  Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala  with the aim of easing the economic pressures and political strife that was prompting so many people to flee.

That distinction mattered little to Republicans. Biden had put her in charge, and Republicans quickly made her the face of the administrations struggles to contain the glut of asylum seekers at the southern border.

And though her visits with Latin American leaders helped build her foreign policy experience, Harris did herself few favors with her public handling of the assignment. Her work was overshadowed by bungled media appearances and she faced backlash from the left for her clumsy Dont come plea to Guatemalans considering crossing the border.

Conservatives had a field day with her 2021 interview with NBCs Lester Holt after he pressed her about why she hadnt visited the U.S.-Mexico border.

And Ive never been to Europe, she replied, a remark many criticized as glib.

Within a month of the interview, Harris made her first visit to the border.

After border crossings still surged to historic levels in 2023, Democrats made significant legislative concessions backing a bipartisan border security bill that would have tightened asylum standards and shut down the southern border to illegal crossings if encounters surpassed a certain threshold. But the bill failed to gain traction after Trump called on Republican lawmakers to oppose it.

Even as border crossings have dipped and Biden signed an executive order to clamp down on migrants seeking asylum at the border, Republicans have seized upon the issue to go on the attack against Biden, referring to the flow of migrants seeking asylum as an invasion and promising to bring back Trumps promised border wall.

Tuesday night indicated it was an argument they feel very comfortable applying to Harris, too.

Dave McCormick, who is challenging Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, slammed what he called the Biden-Harris-Casey border policy  and called Harris the border czar. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) accused Biden and Harris of wanting to allow illegals to vote.

Their message was bolsted by speeches from what the RNC has designated everyday Americans who fit the theme, including the family of Rachel Morin, who was raped and killed in 2023. A man who entered the country illegally from El Salvador was arrested for her murder in June.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who long argued during the primary campaign that supporting Biden was akin to calling for President Harris, pointed to the border issue in a broader dig at a potential Harris presidency.

Kamala had one job. One job, Haley said. And that was to fix the border. Now imagine her in charge of the entire country.

Anusha Mathur and Madison Fernandez contributed to this report.
MILWAUKEE Its called fashion, look it up.

The Daily Beast on Tuesday spotted a number of attendees at the Republican National Convention wearing bandages over their ears in an apparent act of solidarity with former President Donald Trumpwith many predicting that the impromptu trend would only gain steam in the coming days.

Trump made a surprise appearance while sporting his own bandage Monday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where the convention is being hosted, walking out to raucous cheers. His arrival came just days after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, during which a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at Trump from a nearby rooftop.

Trump escaped with only minor injuries to his right earhis former doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), said that he examined the wound Tuesday and said a little bit was missing.

He was lucky though, the Texas representative said. It was far enough away from his head that there was no concussive effect from the bullet, and it just took the top of his ear off.

Former President Donald Trump sports a bandage on his ear after being wounded in an assassination attempt. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The bandage worn by Trump, a conspicuous reminder of the attempt on his life, quickly reached high-fashion status at the Republican gathering in Milwaukee in the hours after Trumps appearance.

One woman spotted by The Daily Beast styled the bandage with a cowboy hat and a red lanyard featuring pins for the GOP in Texas and Arizona.

Trump bandage A woman at the RNC, who declined to be named, wears a bandage over her right ear. Jake Lahut

Joe Neglia, a delegate from Tempe, Arizona, gave an interview to CBS News about his own makeshift bandage, which he said was made from an envelope that he fashioned on the way to the convention Tuesday morning. He called it the newest fashion trend.

2162342803 Joe Neglia, a delegate for Arizona, appears with his makeshift bandage made from an envelope. LEON NEAL

Everybody in the world is going to be wearing these soon, its the latest thing, Neglia told the network.

In another video posted on X, a man dressed in an Uncle Sam costume wears a fake bandage on his ear while performing a cover of Lee Greenwoods God Bless the U.S.A. on a harmonica.

Some dude is playing Proud to be an American on harmonica in an Uncle Sam outfit with a bandage on his ear saying fight fight fight pic.twitter.com/f8xCn3cdgn  Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) July 16, 2024

Trump survived the assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania after a gunman armed with an AR-15 style rifle fired eight rounds from a nearby rooftopgrazing the former presidents ear, critically injuring two people, and killing one supporter.

The former president arrived at the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin wearing a thick bandage over his ear.

A person has a American flag bandaid on his ear on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Researchers make disturbing discovery about health risks in Southern US communities: 'The longer it stays in our community, the sicker that we are going to become'

A new study from Texas A&M University researchers has found that West Dallas, Texas, residents are being exposed to extremely high levels of air pollution and have been for years, KERA News reported.

What's happening?

According to the study, West Dallas residents are exposed to particulate matter at a rate "as great as eleven times the average for Dallas County."

The company that is reportedly primarily responsible for the pollution is the GAF Materials Corporation (slogan: "We protect what matters most"), one of the leading manufacturers of roofing and waterproofing materials in North America, which has its GAF shingle factory nearby.

Why is air pollution concerning?

This is far from the first time that people living near industrial plants and factories have reported adverse health effects due to air pollution.

In West Dallas, residents who have felt their concerns have been ignored by city officials were eager to make their voices heard. Almost 40% of the residents in the study area participated in the Texas A&M survey.

Of those, "60% said that air quality is poor or very poor in our area. 84% said air pollution 'makes me and my family sick,'" said Janie Cisneros, the leader of Singleton United/Unidos, a resident empowerment group that opposes the factory.

Of respondents, 61% said they "avoid experiencing outdoors and open their windows" for fear of air pollution.

In the United States, corporations have a long history of placing polluting factories, plants, and roadways next to communities that consist primarily of people of color, condemning them to bear the brunt of the adverse health effects  a practice known as environmental racism.

What's being done about the GAF shingle factory?

GAF has said that it plans to leave West Dallas in 2029  but for the people who live there, enduring another five years of air pollution is not an acceptable outcome. Singleton United/Unidos is calling for elected officials to step in and shut the factory down.

"The longer it stays in our community, the sicker that we are going to become," said Cisneros. "These numbers are not going to get any healthier as long as GAF is operating."

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CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill.  Many residents throughout the viewing area have been left with damage caused by heavy flooding Tuesday.

Residents of Cahokia Heights are finding themselves trapped by unprecedented flooding, one of many areas devastated by the relentless rain.

Residents in the Private Mathison Apartments woke up to a nightmare, discovering their parking lot was submerged in water at 4 a.m. Power outages plagued the area until 2 p.m.

Many families remain trapped inside, waiting for the water to drain. Despite a visit from the Housing Authority, residents are still in the dark about any plans to address the issue.

Meanwhile, in south St. Louis, Jamiesha Steed of Ridge Crest Apartments faced a terrifying ordeal when her ceiling caved in during the extreme downpour.

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My ceiling came in for one. A week ago, the light was leaking and I let the leasing office know. They told me they couldnt do nothing about it then. But I feel like they couldve prevented it, because now I dont have a room Steed said.

She also faces mold and water damage, with little to no response from maintenance. The leasing office referred FOX 2 to New Earth Corporate, but calls went unanswered.

They came out here and they looked at it and they told me they cant do anything about it and to close the door, Steed said.

In St. Louis County, Castle Point resident Chanel Howard shared her distressing experience. Her basement flooded due to backed-up pipes, with water reaching a foot and a half deep.

From the rain, the pipe backed up, I guess, or the drain backed up, and now my basement was flooded, she said.

Howard remains without help, and her planned bedroom for her and her baby is now ruined.

I wanna cry, honestly. I got stuff from my mom that passed thats damaged now, she said.

The stories of just some residents paint a grim picture of the impact of the relentless rain across our region, leaving residents seeking answers and urgent assistance.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
A view of the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site in an undated image. (Screenshot from EPA YouTube)

This story originally appeared in Capital & Main.

Unique Colorado environmental rules are being put to the test as residents who live near one of the nations most polluted industrial sites in suburban Denver are fighting a proposal to drill for oil and gas under a reservoir that stores their drinking water.

An attorney hired by homeowners has filed a motion with state regulators asking that residents receive as much time during hearings in front of state regulators to rebut the 156-well plan as the operator, Civitas Resources Inc., is given to show it merits approval. The Energy & Carbon Management Commission will consider whether to grant that request at a July 30 hearing.

The action marks the first time residents here have retained legal counsel to advocate their position against such a large-scale drilling proposal. This months hearing is the culmination of a heated 21-month debate over Civitas proposed Lowry Ranch oil and gas comprehensive area plan. Whats known as the CAP process is designed to prioritize citizens health and safety over fossil fuel development.

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Hundreds of members of Save the Aurora Reservoir want to effectively as possible make their case in front of commissioners that they should reject the drilling plan, said Mike Foote, the groups attorney and a former state legislator who helped draft a 2019 law that required the commission to strengthen its oil and gas rules.

In a response filed with regulators on June 24, Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC, a Civitas subsidiary, wrote that the community groups equal-time argument is flawed because none of its members live within the required distance of the proposed well pads. Since the six-member commission started implementing new rules in 2021 to focus on public health and the environment in oil and gas hearings, it has approved three such comprehensive area plans, which call for hundreds of wells north and east of Denver. The Lowry Ranch proposal, which would span 50 square miles, is perhaps the most controversial yet, with horizontal pipes extending miles underground, including beneath homes and schools in Aurora, the states third most populous city.

The tension between suburban residents in communities stretching out from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains and the fossil fuel industry, a major economic driver in the state, has escalated in the last decade as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, unlocked vast energy reserves miles below the Earths surface.

The process  in which water, sand and chemicals are injected at high pressure into shale miles below the surface, causing fissures and releasing oil and gas  allowed industrial operations to move into cities and prompted municipalities to enact moratoriums or bans on such development. Courts threw these out, increasing pressure on state legislators to pass the 2019 law changing regulators focus from encouraging fossil fuel extraction to ensuring public health.

Even with protections under the new law, balancing the rights of mineral owners to profit from fossil fuel deposits and residents concerns about the health impacts of such activities has proven complicated. The energy commission denied a request by Civitas to drill new wells on an existing pad near neighborhoods northwest of Denver in January. In response, the operator sued in district court, saying the agency violated its own rules and the state Constitution when it rejected its application to permit 18 new wells in Weld County. The case remains unsettled.

An hours drive south in Arapahoe County, the stakes are even higher for neighborhoods near the proposed Lowry Ranch project. Federal regulators have expressed concern on multiple occasions that drilling could imperil a decades-long, multimillion-dollar effort to prevent carcinogenic chemicals stored on the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site from leaking into the groundwater. Civitas assured the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it will not drill under the site and that its activities would not disturb the bedrock cradling millions of gallons of toxic waste in 78 unlined trenches.

The operators commitment, accepted by the EPA, did not mollify homeowners. With the help of the advocacy group Environmental Integrity Project, they retained a geologist, an acoustics engineer and a toxics and remediation specialist to urge state regulators to return the Lowry Ranch drilling proposal to Civitas for further scientific study.

Experts comments, filed with the commission in May, argue that regulators must require the operator to determine if fracking risks triggering earthquakes in nearby faults that could damage homes, the Aurora Reservoirs dam and containment efforts at the Superfund site.

These hazard assessments should include adequate geological and geophysical studies at each well pad and along each proposed horizontal well bore and for at least one mile beyond to demonstrate there are no known faults that could extend into the shale fracture zone and upward into regional aquifers, Brian OMara, a geological engineer and hydrogeologist, wrote to regulators.

He added that these concerns are magnified because the horizontal well bores will extend under 10 square miles of residential neighborhoods with hundreds of homes and at least 10 schools.

The energy commission does not require operators to conduct such studies before they submit development proposals to state regulators, Megan Castle, an energy commission spokesperson, said in an email. After a February Capital & Main story revealed federal and state regulators concerns about the projects possible interference with containment activities on the Superfund site, Civitas sought to reassure the community its project would be safe. In an April 11 online informational meeting, Dan Harrington, Civitas asset development manager, said, This is really important to note that there is no evidence of earthquakes triggered by oil well drilling completions and production anywhere in the (Denver-Julesburg) basin.

Every time we ask (regulators) a question we are continuously told no one has done this before.

 Marsha Goldsmith Kamin, president of Save the Aurora Reservoir

Residents in dense neighborhoods around the Aurora Reservoir organized to oppose the Lowry Ranch proposal after Civitas introduced it in October 2022. Since then, homeowners have spent thousands of hours knocking on doors, writing letters to state and federal regulators and lawmakers, testifying at public hearings and researching voluminous studies of the regions geology and groundwater system and air quality.

The communitys efforts persuaded the energy commission to hold its first-ever local public hearing on May 16 at a fairground near where the well pads would be built. More than 50 people spoke against the plan. No one spoke in favor of it.

Many of the estimated 250 in attendance expressed concern that toxic pollutants released during oil and gas exploration will exacerbate their families existing breathing problems. The nine-county Denver metropolitan area has repeatedly failed to meet federal air quality standards for ozone, which scientists have said causes health issues including higher incidences of asthma.

In an appendix that Civitas submitted to state regulators in June to supplement its drilling proposal, air monitoring consultants found that the wells would present no adverse health risks to nearby communities. Conrad Huygen, a retired Air Force judge advocate and adjunct professor of law, who lives near the proposed project, dismissed Civitas statement as a conclusion straight out of the big tobacco playbook.

He added: I searched everywhere and asthma wasnt mentioned once  Thats among the parade of horribles and they didnt talk about any of it in their application.

In its June 24 filing with the commission, Civitas said that it has moved its well pad locations farther away from neighborhoods and the reservoir at the request of residents, and that it will erect sound walls and reduce lighting to shield industrial activities.

Save the Aurora Reservoir is also testing the limits of new oil and gas rules adopted by Arapahoe County Commissioners that were prompted by Civitas Lowry Ranch proposal. The five-member body voted 3 to 2 in November to increase setbacks between wells and reservoirs and occupied structures to 3,000 feet  greater than a 2,000-foot setback required by state rules  and to require operators to file water quality plans and do routine on-site air quality and noise testing.

The new regulations are allowed under the 2019 state law, which provided municipalities the power to regulate surface activities of oil and gas companies. The state oversees underground drilling operations.

Arapahoe Countys public information officer told Capital & Main in February that the commissioners would discuss the potential for earthquakes and other issues as they develop regulations. Even so, the county, in an action that runs parallel to the state process, is currently considering four well pad applications filed by Civitas as part of its Lowry Ranch proposal. County administrators planned to consider these requests administratively, without a public hearing, according to the agencys oil and gas website.

On June 5, residents delivered a petition signed by more than 630 Coloradans demanding that the county commission hold public hearings on Civitas Lowry Ranch well pad requests. The county has yet to respond to the request. Its representative didnt return email and phone requests from Capital & Main asking if it would hold public hearings.

In the meantime, members of Save the Aurora Reservoir redoubled efforts to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay legal costs in their continued fight against the 156-well Lowry Ranch proposal.

Every time we ask (regulators) a question we are continuously told no one has done this before, said Marsha Goldsmith Kamin, the groups president. Its costing us a lot of money.

Copyright 2024 Capital & Main

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A top European Union official criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on July 16 for launching a self-styled Ukraine "peace mission" without EU backing. This move included talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Russia and China.

In a letter to fellow leaders of the 27-nation bloc, Orban said that Trump, the U.S. Republican presidential candidate, is prepared to act "immediately" as a peace broker in the Russia-Ukraine war if elected in November.

Charles Michel, the chair of the European Council of the EU's national leaders, reprimanded the Hungarian premier and stressed that he had no mandate for talks on the war.

"The rotating Presidency of the Council has no role in representing the Union on the international stage and received no European Council mandate to engage on behalf of the Union," Michel told Orban in a letter seen by Reuters.

Many European officials fear that Trump could reduce U.S. support for Kyiv and push Ukraine into peace talks that would grant Moscow a significant portion of Ukrainian territory, potentially encouraging Russian leader Vladimir Putin to undertake further military actions.

Hungary, which has maintained close ties with Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, assumed the EU's rotating six-month presidency at the beginning of July.

Read also: Kremlin blames Democrats, Ukraine for Trump assassination attempt

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Richland County Dog Shelter will get new kennels that will give dogs more room and make it easier to clean thanks to the efforts of shelter volunteers.

The county commissioners on Tuesday accepted a donation of $24,267 from the nonprofit My Dog Shelter Friends that will pay for the purchase.

Dog Warden Missy Houghton told the board the money was raised through a GoFundMe drive and donated to My Dog Shelter Friends by a group of shelter volunteers who wanted to replace the kennels along the wall in the main shelter area to make better housing.

The way that it is right now is they dont really drain out so the floors stay wet longer, Houghton said. Its essentially going to be the same setup, but the floors, you can adjust them so the water goes back towards the drains, and it will keep the floors drier, and it will be significantly larger for the dogs that are in there.

The Richland County Dog Warden's Office is in the Richland County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center on North Home Road.

Houghton said the new kennels will be 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide and will not have a partition in the middle like the current kennels, which are about 25 years old and were designed for smaller dogs.

Its newer-quality material than what we have currently and there will be about five or six kennels in a line, she said, adding that the county maintenance department will install the equipment.

Nonprofit, volunteer efforts are making a big impact

Houghton told the board My Dog Shelter Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was established to raise money to assist dog shelters in the quality of life while the dogs are in the shelters.

The woman who organized the 501(c)(3) has actually been doing fundraisers for our medical fund for the past several years, so she just incorporated into a 501(c)(3) so she could work on a broader scale, she explained. Theyre donating money to help us purchase heartworm tests for the dogs. Theyre giving us money to go towards medical funds, things of that nature.

Richland County Dog Warden Missy Hougton credits the nonprofit My Dog Shelter Friends and volunteers for assisting the shelter in improving the care and adoption of dogs that come into the facility.

According to Ohio law, a county dog wardens office is required to be self-supporting through fees and fines.Houghton said volunteers provide more opportunities for dogs in county care than the office and shelter would be able to provide with just self-sustaining funding.

"For the past four years they have covered any medical expense that we have incurred through Phillips Animal Hospital, so any dog that comes that has skin issues, infections, broken legs, needs surgery, all of that has been covered without our having to pay anything, she told the board.

Houghton said volunteers also come in every day to make sure every dog gets walked.

We have play yards now from fundraising from volunteers and the community where were able to put groups of dogs out in the play yard, which enhances their social skills and increases the adoptability of the dog because you can see how well they do with other dogs," she said." It makes their behavior in their kennels better because it reduces the stress."

Houghton said studies have shown that 20 minutes of a play group for dogs is more effective than a normal walk.

We can get more dogs mentally stimulated and exercised throughout the day because of those volunteers and thats something we would not be able to fund by ourselves.

The Richland County Dog Shelter now houses 98 dogs. That figure is down from the all-time high of 143 dogs last year.

Commissioner Tony Vero said the board is pleased with the operation of the Dog Wardens Office and the work by taxpayers and volunteers to step up and assist where necessary to help with a tight budget.

We have a great group of volunteers that allows our shelter to care for a large number of dogs beyond what we usually have, Vero said.

New sidewalks, landscaping planned at Longview Building

In other business Tuesday, commissioners accepted two quotes totaling $68,020 from Purdy Construction Co., of Mansfield, to replace sidewalks on the north and east sides of the Longview Building and do follow-up landscape work. The action came after they rescinded acceptance of quotes earlier this year from HK Concrete Creations for the sidewalk work and Liberty Lawncare and Landscaping for the landscaping.

Commissioners Chairman Darrell Banks said they tried to communicate with HK Concrete since accepting the companys quote in March but have heard nothing back.

Commissioners said they vacated action on the Liberty Lawncare quote because the county was on a waiting list for the work and Purdy could do both jobs.

Commissioners also awarded a contract to Cargill Deicing Technology, of Cleveland, for winter road salt for the county highway department at a cost of $54.19 per ton. That compares to $64.38 per ton the county paid to Compass Minerals of Overland Park, Kansas, this past winter.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Commissioners accept donation for Richland County Dog Shelter kennels
RICHMOND, Ind.  Richmond police on Tuesday said they had arrested three juveniles in an attack on a homeless man who was sleeping in a local parking garage.

According to a press release issued by Adam Blanton, assistant chief of police, investigators used "surveillance footage, witness statements, and forensic evidence to track down the suspects."

The names of the suspects were not released because of their ages. They were taken into custody and face charges including vandalism and assault.

"We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all members of our community, including our most vulnerable, Police Chief Kyle Weatherly said in the release. "This arrest is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers, and the cooperation of our community members. We truly see the power we all have to make this city great when we work together.

More: Homelessness in Richmond: How prevalent is it?

According to the news release, the Richmond Police Department "continues to work closely with local social service groups to provide support and resources to the unhoused population and to address the root causes of such incidents."

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Juveniles held on attack on homeless man in Richmond
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) stands against the other aerospace and defense stocks.

The world has been rocked with conflict over the last few years. The war between Russia and Ukraine has gone beyond 860 days, with no immediate end in sight. Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to engage in a regular exchange of fire after the latter lost control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azeris in 2020. The Middle East is up in flames, with defense experts describing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as the worst crisis in the region since the Arab-Israeli War in 1973.

While the human impacts of war are undeniably tragic, it is also a time when defense companies make money and lure investors into loading up on their stocks. According to a report on CNN earlier this year, defense companies in the United States and Europe have thrived since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetalls share price had surged by a staggering 315% in two years following the start of the conflict, while BAE Systems posted a 105% gain. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin also witnessed an increase in their share prices by 18% and 10%, respectively.

When the war broke out, industry analysts expected the aerospace sector to be affected by western sanctions placed on Russia. According to KPMG, the country is the source of 30% of the titanium used by Boeing and other large engine producers that power fighter jets and commercial aviation. Titanium is a key material that goes into the development of jet fan blades and landing gears. However, the supply of titanium from Russia to these companies has largely remained unaffected despite sanctions.

While sharing his insights on commercial aviation at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago on June 26, Tony Bancroft from Gabelli Funds said that he had noticed a significant growth in aircraft orders lately, with both Airbus and Boeing having a 12-year backlog of orders. He believes there are three reasons driving it. The first catalyst, according to him, is China which accounts for 20% of the growth in orders to cater to the growing middle class in both China and India who want to travel more. Another critical factor he cited during his talk was that business travel has finally returned to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Lastly, Tony highlighted the the rising middle class in the United States, and the world, which is increasing air travel and contributing to the economic growth in the industry.

Story continues

Furthermore, Bancroft identified Textron as his hot stock pick in the aerospace and defense industry. He believes the stock is undervalued at its current share price of $85, and anticipates its value to hover around the $125 range in the future. Last year in March, the US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.3 billion contract to the company to develop helicopters to replace the aging Blackhawk fleet.

Another top stock that hedge funds are talking about is Carpenter Technology Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty alloys that holds a market share of roughly 40% in the aerospace industry. It was among the top picks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York back in April. Mohammed Anjarwala, the managing director of Advent Global Opportunities, shared the following remarks about the company during the conference:

We think Carpenter is one of the best ways to play the growing backlog of planes at Boeing and Airbus, as they ramp up their billing rates.

At the time of the conference, the stock was trading at around $70 per share. Anjarwala forecasted that the value could go up to around $200 per share or 20 times forward P/E. It is currently valued at $107 per share.

Methodology

Insider Monkeys database of 920 hedge funds was assessed, as of the first quarter of 2024. We have chosen the 10 best aerospace and defense stocks to buy now based on the hedge fund sentiment towards each stock. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge fund holders in each company.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An aerial shot of a modern commercial jetliner in flight, its wings glinting in the sunlight.

TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78

TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) is an American aerospace company headquartered in Cleveland that manufactures engineered aircraft components, such as avionics, pumps, and valves. It is the best aerospace and defense stock to buy right now, according to Insider Monkeys database with 78 hedge funds bullish on the company, with their stakes collectively amounting to $6.62 billion. Mark Massey's AltaRock Partners is the largest stakeholder among hedge funds in the company.

During the second quarter of the year, the company reported an EPS of $7.99, smashing estimates of $7.42 per share. President and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Stein, credited the strong results in the quarter to the global commercial aviation trends, as the industry continues to recover and return to normalization amid an increase in demand for air travel. He also believes that there is much progress to be made ahead as OEM aircraft production rates are still well below the pre-pandemic levels.

Investors are optimistic about the growth prospects of TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) as well. ClearBridge Global Growth Strategy stated the following in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

U.S. aircraft parts manufacturer TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) was our largest addition. TransDigm is a steady compounder with strong pricing power coming from regulatory barriers that limit the number of competitors and due to its proprietary intellectual property, which makes it a sole supplier of many certified aircraft parts. We believe the company will see long-term duration of growth ahead as it benefits from the expansion of the aerospace aftermarket and acquisitions in this still-fragmented space.

Moreover, there is consensus among analysts about the stocks Buy rating, backed by an average share price target of $1,384, which is an upside of 11.5% from its current value. The price adjustments reflect recent developments such as the Calspan unit divestiture, acquisition of Raptor Scientific, and cash buy of CPI's Electron Device Business, which are set to bolster TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG)'s financial outlook.

Overall TDG ranks 1st on our list of the best aerospace and defense stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now to see the other aerospace and defense stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of TDG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TDG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Interstate 40 is the third longest interstate and is commonly referred to as the drug pipeline.

I-40 stretches from the west coast to the east, making it one of the most popular routes to transport illegal drugs.

Arkansas State Police take 11,000 pounds of illegal drugs, $1.4 million off Arkansas highways in 2023

Of the 2,559 miles of pavement, 285 miles run through Arkansas, leading to a game of hide and seek between those looking to make a lot of money and state police who are on the lookout trying to stop them.

Courtesy of Arkansas State Police

In 2023, Arkansas State Police scored big time seizing more than 11,000 pounds of illegal drugs and $1.4 million. So far this year, they have already seized more than 6,000 pounds of illegal drugs and $2.4 million.

Its astounding when you think about it, Lt. Dennis Overton with ASP said. The amount of money, just pure currency that goes down this interstate, its just the tip of the iceberg of what were seeing.

Arkansas State Police seize 400-plus pounds of marijuana, cash in Conway County traffic stop

Overton said those transporting the illegal drugs come from all levels of society and some are quite shocking.

We are stopping 75-year-old ladies out here traveling down this interstate by themselves and the whole back end of the car is full of drugs, Overton said. It is crazy.

Courtesy of Arkansas State Police

Troopers have also encountered Rent-a-Families, a tactic commonly used by traffickers to try and deceive law enforcement.

Weve actually made stops out here where the person driving the car and the kids were not even related, Overton said. They borrowed the kids for the trip or rented them.

As for where these drugs are coming from, Overton said the landscape has changed.

We dont see marijuana coming from Mexico now. Thats not their market. Their market are the opioids, the cocaine, the meth.

Arkansas State Police seize almost 900 pounds of illegal marijuana from I-40 traffic stops in the last 10 days

He says the marijuana market has moved to the United States and a substantial portion of what is being seized along I-40 in the Natural State is coming straight from one of our neighbors.

Oklahoma has legalized marijuana. They have opened the floodgates in the marijuana trade, Overton said. They have over 8,000 registered grows in Oklahoma alone. Thats a lot of marijuana so the only way to move that much product is on the black market.

Courtesy of Arkansas State Police

And that product is moving right through central Arkansas. Authorities say most of it is found during routine traffic stops stuffed in duffel bags in the trunks of cars. Other illegal drugs are found in hidden compartments that are sniffed out by K-9s.

Arkansas State Police seize 267 pounds of contraband in Crawford County traffic stop

Tracking it all down requires manpower, skill and luck but make no mistake, troopers are active, ready to act if and when they see anything suspicious.

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PROVIDENCE  On Rhode Island Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor's last day in one of the state's most critical jobs, Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday named a former high-ranking state lawmaker from his hometown of Cumberland  Daniel Connors  as Pryor's interim replacement.

A former Senate majority leader, Connors  who quit a job as a top aide in the Raimondo administration after his arrest for driving under the influence  has most recently been chief of staff in the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, making $184,000 annually.

In announcing that Connors would be interim housing secretary, McKee spokeswoman Andrea Palagi said: "With more than 15 years of experience across Rhode Island state government, Mr. Connors is well positioned to provide transitional support during this time."

"He is not being considered for the permanent position and will return to his role at EOHHS at the end of this process," she said.

McKee's office will interview local candidates for the permanent position over the coming weeks, she said, but a national search may be needed if a qualified candidate cannot be found.

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who championed the creation of the Department of Housing, gave a thumbs up to Connors' short-term appointment, adding, "It is critical that the permanent housing director, when appointed, has a good working relationship with the General Assembly. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars and have passed more than 30 pieces of legislation to address Rhode Islands housing crisis, and it is critical that we maintain that momentum.

Behind the scenes: Leaks and infighting

It is not yet fully clear why McKee chose a former lawmaker over any of the better-known names in the Rhode Island housing arena, including Deputy Housing Secretary Deborah Flannery or Assistant Secretary Hannah Moore.

The Department of Housing is responsible for managing hundreds of millions of previously dedicated state dollars and selling a proposed $120-million housing bond to voters.

But the picture that has emerged in recent days is one of an agency beset by employee infighting, leaks about end-runs in the award of contracts and complaints to the governor's office about the management styles of both Pryor and Moore, whom Pryor brought into the department with him.

The governor's office has not responded directly to a Journal inquiry about the alleged complaints that at least one employee of the housing agency brought to the attention of McKee's senior staff. But it referred the inquiry to the Department of Administration, which said it "does not comment on personnel matters."

And Pryor made no mention of the hornets' nest he would be leaving when in late June he announced his intention to leave state government within weeks for a still-undisclosed job in the private sector.

"There's never a perfect time to leave," Pryor told The Journal.

But after nearly a decade leading Rhode Island's economic development efforts as its first commerce secretary and, for the last year-and-a-half as head of the Department of Housing, Pryor said: "This seems a nearly optimal time to transition, given the opportunity that's been presented to me which will enable me to continue contributing in some of the fields that are so crucially important."

Who is Daniel Connors?

Connors, a lawyer, returned to state government in March 2023 as chief of staff to the super-agency that oversees Rhode Island's Medicaid program and its network of health and human services agencies.

He quit an earlier job as a senior adviser to then-Gov. Gina Raimondo in 2020 after Narragansett police charged him with driving under the influence.

Daniel Connors, then-majority leader of the Rhode Island Senate, in 2010.

Raimondo said at the time that Connors had conducted himself in a manner that was inconsistent with the values of her administration, and that she had to accept his resignation.

His lawyer, then-Rep. Christopher T. Millea, told the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal at the time that Connors "accepted responsibility for his actions," according to previous reports in The Journal.

Court records indicate that Connors was found guilty of refusal to submit to a chemical test.

In 2004, Connors had come under scrutiny after he crashed his brothers Chevrolet Tahoe into a telephone pole, splitting the pole at its base after leaving a fundraiser for then-Cumberland Mayor McKee.

Others seeking job

Others have floated their names as candidates to become the state's third housing secretary since December 2021.

The list includes Brenda Clement, executive director of HousingWorks RI, who told the Boston Globe: Ive been working on this space for a long time in a number of capacities."

On July 8, a relative unknown  Bianca Policasto, the director of planning and redevelopment in Pawtucket  went on WPRO talk show host Tara Granahan's show to announce she wanted the job and believed she was qualified.

Policasto described her background as "a little unique," coming from an anti-poverty background, and while she didn't know what Pryor did day to day, she has been "boots on the ground" and worked with state government and nonprofits.

"So I said, 'You know what? I might as well throw my name out there and see what happens.' What's the worst they can say? No thank you?"

Melina Lodge, executive director of the Housing Network of Rhode Island, issued a statement in which she offered "to work with the Governors Office in making recommendations about the qualifications, skills and qualities that the permanent housing secretary should possess."

"The chosen candidate must have a deep understanding of Rhode Island's unique housing needs and opportunities, while demonstrating the ability to collaborate effectively with our states long-standing network of community development corporations, nonprofit housing developers, and service provider organizations,'' she said.

Asked about her interest in the job, she said: "I do not plan to throw my hat in the ring."

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Former Senate Majority Leader Dan Connors named RI's interim housing chief
MILWAUKEE  Overseas official business. Logistical nightmares. Honoring the retiring director of her home state's potato board.

Those are just a few of the reasons why some of the nation's elected Republican senators and governors have opted to skip traveling to the 2024 battleground state of Wisconsin to celebrate their party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and his newly named running mate, J.D. Vance.

Their varied excuses for staying away from this week's Republican National Convention underscore the schism between the party's traditional and MAGA wings that has only grown since Trump shocked the establishment in 2016 with his primary upset.

It's an awkwardness GOP officials will need to continue to navigate as Trump further elevates his status as the king of his party and with a rematch ahead against President Joe Biden.

The traditional Republicans are not going to be given speaking slots, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former top economic adviser to John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign, told USA TODAY. There's no reason for them to be there for that, and as a result, there's less pure political attraction to be made.

Top Indiana Republicans who won't be at the convention include outgoing Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Sen. Todd Young, neither of whom have been Trump vocal supporters.

More: Ohio Senator JD Vance is Donald Trump's pick for vice president

The list of no-shows also includes Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who told reporters last week that she planned to write in former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on her ballot in November. Collins has a full schedule of events planned in her home state that will keep her far from Wisconsin.

She will be in Maine with a schedule that includes attending a memorial service, dedicating a new fire station for which she secured funding, and honoring the retiring director of the Maine Potato Board, said Annie Clark, a spokesperson.

Young and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also filled their calendars with commitments that will keep them away from Wisconsin this week, according to their Senate offices. Murkowski is in Alaska for official business, and Young is out of the country on official travel.

Changing roles of conventions

This week's RNC comes 48 hours after an assassination attempt against Trump and when safety is top of mind in a period of heightened political rhetoric.

"I am so relieved to not have to go," former Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., told USA TODAY on Saturday. "I dont know many people who are looking forward to being there.

Political conventions also are changing in ways that dont make attendance necessary, said Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, who also is not attending. Advances in technology have simplified some convention procedures, especially after the 2020 national political conventions during the coronavirus pandemic, Holtz-Eakin said.

Presidential campaigns also have become less policy-intensive, which has made national conventions less of a place for lawmakers to discuss the partys policies and future legislation, he said.

More: RNC 2024: We're ready to answer your questions and give you a (virtual) backstage pass

There are also the logistics of attending often massive and national conventions with thousands of like-minded people and swarms of media.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said in an interview with a local television station in late June that the event would be a logistics nightmare and that he wouldn't be attending. The two-term governor backed Haley in the 2024 Republican primary, but he emphasized his absence doesnt signal a defiance of Trump. He said he would be supporting the former president from his home state.

Ive had my criticisms with the former president. I stick by all those, actually, he told WMUR 9. But at the end of the day, its about choices, and I think its pretty widely understood that no one really loves both candidates at the top, but people want change.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young listens during Indiana's oath of office ceremony Jan. 9, 2023, at the Indiana Statehouse. Hoosiers Young and Gov. Eric Holcomb, on the left, are both sitting out the Republican National Convention this year.

Passing on the baton

Prominent Republicans who had the spotlight at past GOP conventions are also nowhere to be found in Milwaukee. That list includes 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, now a U.S. senator for Utah, and his former running mate, Paul Ryan, who stepped down as House speaker during the Trump administration.

Also AWOL from Wisconsin: former President George W. Bush.

I dont think (Bush is) hankering for the spotlight, Matt Schlapp, a conservative activist who was political director in the George W. Bush White House, told USA TODAY.

Schlapp, whose group organizes the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, added that he isnt surprised some of the old Republican order are opting out of the convention.

Theres always a bridge to the next generation of leadership, and thats true today."

Britanny Carloni is a state politics reporter for IndyStar. Sam Woodward is an election reporting fellow for USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: RNC 2024: Who is staying away from Milwaukee?
Supporters of reproductive rights protested outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as justices heard oral arguments over access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortion. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

This story was originally published by The 19th.

The Republican Party last Monday adopted a Make America Great Again! policy platform ahead of its national convention that does not call for a federal ban on abortion, but supports states establishing fetal personhood through the Constitutions 14th Amendment, which grants equal protection under the law to all American citizens.

If established by legislation, fetal personhood would have the practical effect of prohibiting abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Its impact could become national if courts affirm state-level laws that extend the application of the 14th Amendment to fetuses.

The platform, released ahead of this weeks Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, adopts a states-centered approach to protecting or restricting reproductive rights, including abortion. It states: We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those rights.

The 16-page document, approved by the Republican convention platform committee and circulated by Trumps campaign, goes on to say that Republicans will oppose Late Term Abortion  a political term not used by doctors to refer to abortions in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy  while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF.

The platform does not call for a national legislative abortion ban or for Congress to set a gestational limit or other restrictions on the medical procedure. In extending 14th Amendment rights to fetuses, though, it follows a path the anti-abortion movement favors to achieve fetal personhood.

Fetal personhood is widely seen as being in conflict with in vitro fertilization (IVF), which creates embryos outside of the uterus that are later implanted. Fetal personhood bestows the same rights currently reserved for people to embryos from the moment of fertilization. The GOP platform said the party supports mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments). It does not explain how they plan to support IVF while also supporting fetal personhood policies that would render it illegal.

Students for Life Actions Kristan Hawkins called the inclusion of the 14th Amendment language the most significant contribution the platform makes to ending abortion.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, also touted the platforms mention of the 14th Amendment, noting its role as a potential basis for national abortion restrictions.

Under this amendment, it is Congress that enacts and enforces its provisions, Dannenfelser wrote in a statement. The Republican Party remains strongly pro-life at the national level.

The document does not mention the Comstock Act, another lever abortion opponents have argued could be used to restrict abortion nationally. The 1873 anti-obscenity law, which was never repealed but has not been enforced in decades, bans the mailing of every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion. More than 60 percent of U.S. abortions are now done with medication  restricting access to the drugs has become a top priority of the anti-abortion movement since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the federal right to an abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed a case against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration brought by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine over the abortion pill mifepristone. Abortion opponents said the FDA should not have approved the drug, and argued that the anti-obscenity law should be used to bar the mailing of medication abortion. The case was dismissed on standing  a technical ruling in which the court held that the plaintiffs had not shown they had the right to sue  but the issue could return to the high court in the future.

The RNC document comes after a public, protracted GOP battle over how to handle abortion. Most Americans oppose the overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs, and those who support abortion rights are more likely to say it will shape how they vote.

Donald Trump, the partys presumptive nominee, has been hesitant to publicly support a national abortion ban, even while taking credit for Roes fall. Trump has not said how he would address the Comstock Act specifically, though the law is frequently cited in Project 2025, a public policy blueprint crafted by former Trump advisers through the conservative Heritage Foundation.

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Days after Donald Trump was shot with an AR-15-style weapon, at a campaign rally, attendees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee can get their hands on one for free.

The assault weapon is part of a giveaway at a booth for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, an advocacy organization that promotes gun ownership for safety purposes.

On their table, the group had a flyer promoting the AR-15 giveaway from Daniel Defense, an arms manufacturer whose firearms were used in the 2022 Robb Elementary School mass shooting and found in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooters stockpile.

Those interested can enter the giveaway by following the QR code on the flyer to a browser that asks for an email and phone number, according to Rolling Stone.

They are currently having an AR-15 giveaway at the Republican convention, yall. I kid you not! pic.twitter.com/Nu296CwZKe  Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 15, 2024

A representative at the booth told Rolling Stone that some people expressed surprise at the giveaway but defended the firearm as one of the most effective and important tools that we have.

The Independent has asked the U.S. Concealed Carry Association for comment.

The U.S. Concealed Carry Association said in a statement after the shooting that they were heartbroken by the attempted assassination of Trump and that political violence is abhorrent and has no place in America.

The group says they oppose any legislative efforts at the state and federal level that week to strip law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment right without due process.

On June 13, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump using a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Federal law enforcement has not released the exact make and model of the firearm.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania (Getty Images)

The former president suffered a minor injury to his right ear. Rally-goer Michael Comperatore, 50, was killed and two other men were injured.

The AR-15 was first developed for military use in the 1950s by the company ArmaLite Rifle before the patent was sold to Colts Manufacturing Company. Other gun manufacturers have based their own version of the AR-15 on the original design.

Over the last 20 years, AR-15-style rifles have become extremely popular with roughly one in every 20 American adults owning one. The lightweight firearms are easy to use, have little recoil and can be customized with accessories.

But it is also one of the deadliest weapons. It has been used in five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings since 2002.

Nine states have passed laws banning the sale and possession of the AR-15 but that does not apply to all assault-style rifles.
On a night devoted to the theme Make America Safe Once Again, specifically from undocumented immigrants, Republicans toggled between recasting former President Donald Trump as unifier-in-chief and blaming President Biden for murders, assaults and rapes. This is Yahoo News' succinct wrap-up of day two of the RNC in Milwaukee. Heres what you need to know:

The second night of the GOP convention was a more scattershot affair than the first. Swing-state Senate candidates recited their stump speeches to a national audience; GOP House leaders bragged about holding the line against Biden despite their narrow majority. Ultimately, two main themes emerged, each in tension with the other: that Republicans think Democrats are to blame for a border bloodbath  and that a change in power will somehow lead to unity.

Humanizing Trump. Despite the fact that Trump has been in the public eye for decades  or perhaps because of it  he can seem more like a personality than a person. On Tuesday, two speakers who know him well  Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former White House press secretary, and RNC co-chair Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law  did their best to humanize the former president. Sanders recounted how Trump comforted her after comedians and cable news hosts called her vile and unfit to be a mother; Lara Trump described how Trump welcomed her into the family and offered steadfast support in times of need. Maybe you got to see a side of Donald Trump on Saturday that you were not sure existed, until you saw it with your own eyes, she said, referencing the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pa. Notably, Sanders and Lara Trump spoke near the end of the night, in primetime  when the largest audience of swing voters was likely to be watching.

Fight! Fight! Fight! With those same voters in mind, Lara Trump also framed her father-in-laws response to the recent attempt on his life  to stand up, raise his fist and shout, Fight! Fight! Fight!  as a message not just for the audience at the rally, not just for his supporters, but for all America. Donald Trump knew how defining that moment would be for our country, she said  a symbol that no matter what, America will prevail. But other speakers  especially those who came earlier in the night, when a more partisan audience was likely to be tuning in  saw it differently. Were watching the principles of faith, family and freedom that once defined our nation trampled underfoot by the radical left, said House Speaker Mike Johnson. As President Trump did when he raised his fist and gave a rallying cry Saturday, now is our time to fight  and we will. Several others said essentially the same thing: that the fight was against other Americans, not with or for them.

"Unity"  but for whom? In the wake of Saturdays shooting  and the sadness and sympathy it sparked across the political spectrum  Republicans have recast this weeks convention as a moment for unity. But what does unity actually mean in the midst of such a contentious campaign? Tuesdays speakers clarified matters somewhat. Three of them  or technically four, if you include little-known candidate Perry Johnson  ran against Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. And on Tuesday, all of them preached a very specific kind of unity: Republican unity.

Haley does a 180. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was Trumps most enduring primary challenger  and when she dropped out in March, she conspicuously withheld her endorsement. The problem now is he is not the same person he was in 2016, Haley said during her campaign. He is unhinged. He is more diminished than he was. She insisted that another Trump term would be "like suicide for our country. Yet in Milwaukee, Haley started her speech by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period. Claiming that Democrats have moved so far to the left that theyre putting our freedoms in danger, Haley went on to frame the election as a choice between an imperfect Republican and a catastrophic Democrat. You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him, she concluded. Im here tonight because we have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her.

Trumps other former challengers are all-in, too. Unlike Haley, Florida Gov. DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, both of whom endorsed Trump long ago, barely acknowledged their own bids for the nomination, or the doubts and disagreements that inspired them. Instead, Trumps former rivals treated GOP unity as a given  and then characterized any broader kind of togetherness as something to be imposed rather than nurtured. DeSantis boasted that in Florida, the Democratic Party lies in ruins [and] the left is in retreat  and vowed that electing Donald Trump gives us a chance to do this all across America. Ramaswamy waved away the idea that Trump could unite this country through words of reconciliation, claiming he would do it through action instead. Success is unifying, Ramaswamy said. Excellence is unifying.

A darker, more divisive tone. Mondays program featured a diverse lineup talking about kitchen-table economic issues like gas and grocery prices; it was all rather business as usual. In contrast, Tuesdays immigration theme  Make America Safe Once Again  was an invitation to indulge in darker, more divisive rhetoric. Prior to primetime, Tuesdays main talking point was that America is experiencing a plague of crime, as former police officer Randy Sutton put it  and that an endless tsunami of illegal aliens are now making the country more dangerous than ever before. Politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz blamed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for inviting an invasion on our southern border, alleging that every day, Americans are dying  murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released. Victims family members took the stage to blame Biden and Harriss policies for killing their loved ones. In the crowd, rank-and-file Republicans held signs that read Bidens Border Bloodbath. How did we get here? Cruz asked. It happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children.

Reality check on crime. Individuals will always break the law, some gruesomely so. But statistics tell a more accurate story than anecdotes. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 30% spike in the U.S. homicide rate; violent crime went up 5% overall. Since then, however, crime rates have been falling. According to numbers released last month by the FBI, violent crime from January to March dropped 15.2% compared to the corresponding period in 2023, while murders fell 26.4% and reported rapes fell by 25.7%. The same goes for property crime (down 15.1%), burglaries (down 16.7%) and motor vehicle theft (down 17.3%). Its plausible that this will be, by far, the largest one-year decline in American history, Jeff Asher, a criminal justice analyst, recently told CNN. The U.S. has now reverted to its long-term, pre-pandemic trend of falling crime and could soon go below it, according to John Roman, a criminologist at the University of Chicago.
At RNC, signs of how Ron DeSantis left his mark on Donald Trumps Republican Party

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didnt make it far in the Republican presidential primary, but if the Republican National Convention is any indication, he still managed to leave his mark on Donald Trumps party.

DeSantis influence was apparent Tuesday night on the floor of the Fiserv Forum, where reception to the governors bravado-filled, prime-time speech was warm despite his attacks on Trump during early this year the Republican primary.

And it was subtly written into the positions that Republicans voted overwhelmingly this week to adopt in a new party platform  the first for the GOP since 2016.

The document  a streamlined 16-page outline that at times read like it was lifted from one of Trumps rally speeches  was widely seen as a testament to the former presidents influence over the GOP, abandoning long-held Republican dogmas on free trade, immigration and abortion rights.

But buried in the platform were a bevy of references to some of DeSantis biggest policy priorities: cutting funding for schools that push critical race theory, restoring so-called Parental Rights in Education and cracking down on woke  a catchall term used frequently by DeSantis to deride progressive ideology.

The platform underscores how DeSantis has helped mold modern Republican ideology, despite GOP voters rejection of his bitter and ill-fated primary challenge of Trump.

DeSantis had a huge impact on the party, said Saul Anuzis, a Republican consultant and former Michigan GOP chairman. Hes led by example, and that plays well for him, both in the short term and in what his potential future is.

Prime-Time Speech

DeSantis reputation was on display this week at the partys nominating convention, where the party is suddenly focused on unity following the attempt to assassinate Trump over the weekend. DeSantis got a prime-time speaking slot despite initially being left off the gatherings speaking roster.

Spectators jammed into an already-noisy Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee ahead of DeSantis remarks, while Trump settled in to listen to speeches from the Florida governor and another former Republican primary rival, ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

When DeSantis took the stage, he received applause and cheers before he launched into some of his greatest hits  railing against diversity, equity and inclusion programs, destroying the woke mind virus in Florida and transforming the state from a longtime political battleground into reliably Republican territory.

For decades, my home state saw elections determined by razor-thin margins, DeSantis said. Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins. The left is in retreat, freedom reigns supreme, the woke mind virus is dead and Florida is a solid Republican state.

Electing Trump in November, he said, would give Republicans the chance to do for the country what he did for Florida.

Trump, who once called DeSantis ungrateful, looked on approvingly from his seat in the arena.

DeSantis standing in the GOP

Anuzis, the former Michigan GOP chairman, said that it wasnt only smart, but necessary for Trump to bring DeSantis into the convention. Regardless of DeSantis own presidential ambitions, he said, the Florida governor will have a role to play in the partys future.

Hes part of the next generation of leaders in the Republican Party that represents where the mainstream of the party is, Anuzis said. Hes willing to fight the fight in a way that makes sense to people.

For now, however, DeSantis own presidential ambitions are on hold. Not only has he already failed once to capture the Republican presidential nomination, but Trumps decision to tap 39-year-old JD Vance as his running mate sets the U.S. senator from Ohio up to succeed Trump as the GOP favorite in 2028, when DeSantis is believed to be eyeing another White House bid.

One longtime DeSantis ally and donor said that the governor is less concerned for now with his political future and more focused on the 2024 elections, including helping Trumps campaign and opposing a pair of proposed constitutional amendments in Florida that would legalize recreational marijuana and safeguard abortion access in the state.

On Tuesday, ahead of DeSantis convention speech, a newly formed political action committee tied to DeSantis  Restore our Nation  blasted out a message to donors urging them to watch the governors remarks and donate to support Donald Trump for president.

Still, DeSantis met in Milwaukee Wednesday with members of the convention delegation from Iowa, the state that holds the first vote in the Republican presidential nomination process, generating talk about 2028.

On the convention floor Tuesday evening, reaction to DeSantis involvement in Milwaukee was generally positive, but muted. Most Republicans who spoke to McClatchy said they like him, but he ought to wait for a better opportunity.

He has a good future, said Joanna Harbour, an Oregon attorney.

The future of the party is Trump-Vance, said Brandon Gill, a congressional candidate from Flower Mound, Texas.

David Pickren, a chief technical officer at an AI company in Houston, said no when asked if DeSantis should be president anytime soon. Hes doing a heck of a lot of great things. The way the train is moving, Vance blocks him for the short term.

But Michael Barnett, a Palm Beach County commissioner and Florida delegate, thought DeSantis would run for president in four years  and win.

Its going to be a crowded primary, Barnett said. DeSantis wins. He has a two term track record with an amazing economy in South Florida.
At the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Tuesday night, speakers drilled the Biden administration on its handling of immigration and the border, linking current migration trends to increased crime and disorder across the country. The night's official theme was "Make America Safe Again," but the programming was light on specific ideas about how to do that. Instead, there were a lot of individual lurid tales of migrant crime.

"Americans are dying, murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released," Sen. Ted Cruz (RTexas) argued. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called the border "the single biggest threat Americans face." House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (RLa.) warned that "prisons are being emptied," suggesting that those people are now free to cross the border into the United States.

Politicians told horrific stories of migrants attacking American women and girls, while family members of people killed by illegal immigrants blamed the Biden administration and its border policy. There's no question that some migrants have crossed the border and gone on to commit heinous acts, but Tuesday's speakers painted an exaggerated picture of the link between immigration and crime.

Crime is down in the cities that received the most migrants through Texas' busing efforts under Operation Lone Star, an NBC News analysis found in February. "Overall crime is down year over year in Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, New York and Los Angeles," NBC reported.

More generally, numerous studies have found that immigrantsboth legally and illegally presentdo not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans.

A 2018 meta-analysis by criminologist Charis Kubrin and sociologist Graham Ousey, which looked at studies spanning two decades, found no significant relationship between immigration and crime. A 2015 report by the Migration Policy Institute indicated that undocumented immigrants have a lower felony conviction rate than the overall U.S. population. Illegal immigration doesn't lead to an increase in violent crime, found a 2017 study by sociologists Michael Light and Ty Miller, relying on data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., from 1990 to 2014.

"A disproportionate number of undocumented immigrants are convicted of driving without a license" or "using a false Social Security Number," notes the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. But immigrants "are less prone" to committing crimes that are unrelated to their immigration status, it continues. "Existing evidence shows that immigrants do not represent a threat to public safety any more than every other segment of the population."

Several RNC speakers, particularly those with recent immigrant backgrounds, spoke positively about legal immigration. The conversation rarely got more nuanced than that.

No one came close to conveying just how difficult it is for the vast majority of people to immigrate to the U.S. legally. The "migrant crime" narrative, which has become a favorite campaign trail subject of former President Donald Trump, was far more popular.

Tuesday night's speakers echoed Trump's tone, repeatedly calling for the border to be closed and scores of undocumented immigrants to be deported. But these aren't statistically informed conclusions, nor are they attainable or realistic policy goals.

The post RNC Speakers Give Exaggerated Impression of Immigrant Crime appeared first on Reason.com.
When former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, formerly Donald Trumps most formidable presidential primary opponent, ascended the Republican National Convention stage Tuesday night, she sounded a conciliatory note with her onetime rival.

There are some Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time, she said. I want to speak to them tonight. My message to them is simple: You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, I havent always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree.

But Haleys genteel remarks were the exception, rather than the rule, on the second night of the RNC in Milwaukee.

In a number of other speeches, GOP officials, figureheads, and handpicked everyday Americans, the themes went darker. Many speakers gave ominous, over-the-top descriptions of urban crime, border chaos and election shenanigans now occurring in the U.S.  second only to predictions of the Mad Max-type lawlessness that would ensue in the event that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris secure a second term.

It was a pivot from Trumps declared intention to soften his message and promote a theme of unity after surviving an assassination attempt just a few days before. But that promised shift in rhetoric didnt last.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, now the GOP Senate nominee for his state, summed up the theme in a speech alongside his bulldog, Babydog.

The bottom line for why were here, the bottom line to every single thing going on in this great country today, is one thing: We become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November, he declared.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is up for reelection this November, set out to detail the kind of supposed dystopia that Biden has enabled.

Never before has an election mattered so much, he warned. We are facing an invasion on our southern border  not figuratively. A literal invasion.

Channeling Trump, Cruz said the numbers of unauthorized border crossings do not show us the true price our country is paying.

Keep your eyes open, because these people want to cheat, and they do cheat, and frankly, it's the only thing they do.Former President Donald Trump

Cruz chose to highlight a number of tragic cases in his remarks, including the Aug. 2023 rape and murder of Rachel Morin, a suburban Maryland mother of five.

Morins brother, Michael Morin, spoke later on in the evening  one in a series of five speakers who recounted about their experiences with crime, drugs and unauthorized immigration.

Speaking about his sisters alleged murderer, who is undocumented, Morin said the Biden White House opened our borders to him and others like him, empowering them to victimize the innocent. Yet, to this day, we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.

Madeline Brame, a Black New York City resident, shared how she believes she was wronged by a progressive prosecutor. Brames son, Afghanistan War veteran Hason Correa, was beaten and stabbed to death during a scuffle in Harlem in 2018.

He received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City, she said.

Her sons assailants were convicted and some were given long prison sentences, but Brame faulted the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for downgrading some of the charges against the defendants.

While Bragg is generally seen as more progressive than Biden, she suggested the two men are birds of a feather. Bragg, who also spearheaded Trumps successful Manhattan prosecution for falsifying business records, is a particular bugaboo for Trump supporters, and the crowd booed heartily at the mention of his name.

The Democratic Party that poor minorities have been loyal to for decades, including myself  they betrayed us. They stabbed us in the back, Brame said to cheers from the crowd. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who claim to represent us, have abandoned us. They neglected the poor minority communities across America.

Finally, though Trump is not set to speak from the podium until Thursday evening, he delivered pre-taped remarks encouraging viewers to make a plan to vote. Even in such a brief, mundane address (and one in which Trump pretended he had never opposed mail-in voting), the former president managed to fan baseless fears of Democratic election fraud.

Whether you vote early, absentee, by mail or in person, we are going to protect the vote, Trump said. Thats the most important thing we have to do, is protect the vote. Keep your eyes open, because these people want to cheat, and they do cheat, and frankly, its the only thing they do.

Turning out in sufficient numbers to win by a large margin is another way to prevent Democratic cheating, Trump said.

Many Republicans like to vote on Election Day, and we must swamp the radical Democrats with massive turnout on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The way you win is to swamp them, he said.

If we swamp them, they cant cheat. It just doesnt work out. But if you cant make it, you need to make a plan, register and vote any way possible.

Arthur Delaney and Lilli Petersen contributed reporting.

Related...
Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford speaks to the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Griswold | Source NM)

MILWAUKEE  The public safety theme on the second evening at the Republican National Convention included a message from Forest County Potawatomi Chairman James Crawford.

His introductory remarks had a land acknowledgement tone for the host city, despite it not being explicit on the evening speech program.

It was once home to several Potawatomi villages, including a village close to where we sit today, Crawford told Republican delegates. Our ancestors occupied these lands for hundreds of years, fishing area rivers and lakes, hunting the land, tapping maple tree groves for sugar and harvesting crops and fields each fall.

There was no direct endorsement for the ticket, but he did extend goodwill in working with a Donald Trump-J.D. Vance administration in one of his last remarks to the delegate floor. I look forward to working with everyone here to make America safe again, Crawford said.

The speech lasted just under five minutes. Crawford hit on safety issues related to drugs and violence against women.

The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country. And Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels. So tonights theme, make America safe again, is especially important for us.

He did not specifically mention more federal programs to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous People that could use panels in states or under the Interior Department as models. He didnt mention additional congressional support and funding for the Violence Against Women Act, which helps with prosecutions. And he didnt get into widespread concerns about police discrimination against Native American victims that families have said theyve experienced during investigations.

Crawford is the only Native American slated to speak during the 2024 convention.

Republican comments about drugs and cartels on tribal lands are lately growing louder. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem right now is the most prominent voice with the messaging that reservations are safe havens for drug cartels. This skews public perception on the real issues with illicit drugs, said former South Dakota federal prosecutor Brenden Johnson.

Suggesting that theres some sort of pipeline between Mexico and the reservations is silly, Johnson said in a series on the topic by South Dakota Searchlight. It would be tantamount to saying, Yeah, the cartels are really focused on Ipswich. Thats stupid, and people wouldnt believe it. Unfortunately, people are more inclined to believe it (about reservations), because they have less knowledge on the reservations.

In an interview on the floor Tuesday, Montana delegate and former DEA supervisor in the state Stacy Zinn said her job was to, make positive relationships with the reservations and to do what we could to help do investigations that would negate the cartel presence.

In her role, she said, she works with multiple federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI to operate investigations on and around tribal lands. She pointed to issues in Montana with jurisdiction between local, county and state police. These problems stall or delay investigations, she said.

She had a suggestion for a fix, and its something that some tribes across the country are already doing with states. They create a legal memorandum of understanding to allow cross-jurisdictional police investigations.

If a tribe is going to be robust, and really is serious about taking care of their crime on their their lands, then I would I suggest, based on my experience, and what Ive seen, you want a (memorandum of understanding) with the local law enforcement in order to build that strength in numbers, Zinn said.

That does require a bit of a working relationship between tribes and the states. In places like New Mexico, a friendly governor can make that happen through policy. But in places like South Dakota, where the governor is banned from all nine reservations thanks to her comments, poor government-to-government relationships can stunt any progress.

If we can just lower that animosity at times, Zinn said, then the main goal is to keep the community safe.

She also acknowledged that all police agencies need to get on the same page.

If this is how were going to do things, then its a force multiplier, she said. The relationships between law enforcement all across the board should be a positive experience.

This story is part of a collaboration between Koahnic Broadcasting, ICTNews.org and States Newsroom covering the Republican National Convention in 2024 with a focus on Native America.

This story was originally produced by Source New Mexico which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montana, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
MILWAUKEE  When he was invited to offer a benediction at the Republican National Convention, Pastor James Roemke settled on a prayer from the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Its based loosely on Jeffersons 1801 prayer for the nation, and Roemke followed the supplication nearly verbatim: You have given us this good land as our heritage ... Bless our land ... Save us from violence, discord and confusion.

Then, Roemke added his own section. We give thanks to You for keeping President Trump safe, he said. We pray for the families of those affected by the demonic violence at the rally on Saturday, and we pray You would send Your holy angels to guard and keep President Trump from all harm and danger.

The addition was intentional and scripted, Roemke told me, and it was approved by the RNC team. (All convention speeches and prayers are vetted in advance.) They said it was perfectly fine, he said.

The insertion, as evidenced by other speeches and prayers, was not just fine, but likely celebrated. Two other Monday prayers included gratitude for God protecting or shielding Trump from harm during Saturdays assassination attempt. A majority of speeches on Monday did, too, and several on Tuesday.

At the Republican convention, with the partys chosen candidate still bandaged from a gunshot wound to his ear, a theological question has arisen: did God intervene to protect Trump? And if He did, as has been repeated throughout the convention, how?

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump appears with vice presidential candidate JD Vance, R-Ohio, during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. | Paul Sancya

A host of politicians have tried to answer that question. Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, told me she thinks there was probably divine intervention there in protecting Trump. Thank God almighty, said Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, in his convention speech Monday, our God still saves, still delivers, still sets free. Because on Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle. But an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared.

At an event for Western states delegates Tuesday, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, said he truly believe(s) that God protected President Trump. Moments later, Donald Trump Jr. said it had to be, sort of, divine intervention, before admitting he doesnt often get all that spiritual. That evening, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas, said in her convention speech that God Almighty intervened because He is certainly not finished with President Trump.

Others were more specific in their theories. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas thanked God in his convention speech Tuesday for turning his head when the shot was fired, so the bullet only grazed his ear. Shortly after, Ben Carson  who ran against Trump in 2016  said God lowered a protective shield around the former president. Charlie Kirk, the activist and Turning Point USA founder, spoke Monday night; he previously suggested that a gust of wind may have pushed that bullet ever so slightly, adding that wind is often associated with the Holy Spirit. On social media, one theory linked the time of the shooting  6:11 p.m. ET  with Ephesians 6:11, the Bible verse that encourages believers to put on the armor of God.

These theories are tethered to spiritual warfare, or the idea that Christians are engaged in a daily battle between good and evil, God and the devil, with prayers of the faithful thwarting evil plans, said Robert P. Jones, president of Public Religion Research Institute, to WIRED. But this worldview trades in a kind of ex post facto theology, where being saved from danger or sickness or other disaster is seen retroactively as evidence of divine protection. That rear-view perspective is essential, Jones argues: Im certain, for example, that none of these voices would be saying it was Gods will had Trump been assassinated.

But some, in fact, are. Roemke, the pastor from Messiah Lutheran Church who offered Mondays benediction, said a fundamental part of prayer is accepting Gods will. No matter what our prayers are, were told that His will is greater, Roemke said. It seems it was Gods that Trump was spared. Im grateful for that. But had the outcome been different, Roemke would have nonetheless ascribed Gods will to it. I wouldve been mad about that, but that would have been Gods will, he added.

The motivator of Roemkes belief that God preserved Trumps life, then, was his desire that God preserve all life. As a Christian, I want President Trump to be safe, just like I want President Biden to be safe, he said. I want the stranger in the street to be safe.

That desire leads Maloy, a first-term congresswoman from Utah, to pray for the leaders of our country, regardless of party  something shes done her whole life, she said. She has heard a similar sentiment from Speaker Mike Johnson, an evangelical Christian, who encourages House Republicans in conference meetings to follow Christs injunction to pray for all, including our enemies.

I believe in those prayers, she said.

But what about others at Saturdays rally who, unlike Trump, were seriously injured by the gunmans bullets? Was God protecting Trump, but not protecting Cory Comperatore, a fireman and father who lost his life while shielding his family?

We dont know why some people go through great difficulties or trials, or why others are spared, Roemke said. Im grateful it wasnt much worse, based on the amount of bullets we heard. Roemke drew a theological lesson from Comperatores choice to protect his loved ones: He gave his life for them, just as Christ gave his life for the church.
Ron DeSantis is kissing the Trump ring again, saying the US needs a strong commander, not 4 more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency

Ron DeSantis is kissing the Trump ring again, saying the US needs a strong commander, not 4 more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency

Ron DeSantis supported Trump and slammed Biden during his Republican National Convention speech.

"America cannot afford four more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency," DeSantis said.

Despite past tensions, DeSantis and Trump appear to have reconciled ahead of the 2024 race.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has joined the chorus of conservatives backing former President Donald Trump and slamming President Joe Biden ahead of the November elections.

Speaking on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, he said: "Our enemies do not confine their designs to between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we need a commander in chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week."

This point from DeSantis appeared to reference Biden saying  after his disastrous CNN debate versus Trump  that he just needs more rest and should stop holding events after 8 p.m.

"America cannot afford four more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency," DeSantis said, drawing loud cheers from the audience and making Trump crack a smile.

"Weekend at Bernie's" is a 1989 dark comedy about two insurance employees who try to conceal that their boss, Bernie, is dead while on a weekend retreat at his beach house in the Hamptons.

This joke from DeSantis was a clear jab at Biden's health and fitness. There have been concerns, however  from Democratic lawmakers and donors alike  that Biden, who has had more than his fair share of gaffes in recent weeks, may not be the party's best pick for 2024.

But Biden is hanging in there despite at least 18 House Democrats and one Democratic senator calling on him to step aside. Biden has also said he only plans to quit if he gets "hit by a train."

While DeSantis is now voicing full-throated support for Trump, the two share a complicated history.

He started out as Trump's protege and clinched a win for Florida governor in 2018 with Trump's endorsement. Trump has credited himself with DeSantis' win.

But their relationship soured after DeSantis embarked on a 2024 presidential run, posing a challenge to Trump.

Trump told reporters in November 2022: "I don't think it's nice."

"I'm a very loyal person. So, I don't understand disloyalty. I really don't. But you see it. You do see disloyalty in politics," he said.

Trump also gave DeSantis several nicknames, including "Ron DeSanctimonious."

DeSantis quit the race in January after losing key support in early-voting states.

The two men may since have buried the hatchet. The Washington Post reported in April that they met in Florida at Miami's Shell Bay Clu, where Trump sought DeSantis' help with his presidential campaign fundraising. DeSantis said he was open to it, per The Post.

Representatives for DeSantis, Trump and Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ron DeSantis called out Martha's Vineyard in RNC speech. Here's the history behind the jab

During his speech at the Republican National Convention on Night 2, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a reference to one of his most famous political stunts.

With a theme of "Make America Safe Again," DeSantis spoke about immigration when he took to the podium, and on stage he made a jab at Massachusetts and other liberal leaning states.

"They support support open borders allowing millions and millions of illegal aliens to pour into our country and to burden our communities, but just don't send any to Martha's Vineyard then they get really upset," he said.

That moment references the 2022 political stunt when he sent two charter planes of about 50 migrants from Venezuela to the state to make a point about sanctuary states. The move to send the migrants unannounced was controversial.

Here's what to know.

Who is Ron DeSantis?

U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Republican Florida governor candidate Ron DeSantis speaks during a Make America Great Again Rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida on July 31, 2018.

DeSantis is the current governor of Florida, his term beginning in January of 2019. He has generally leaned politically conservative in his ideological and policy choices.

The "Don't Say Gay" Bill, the near-absence of COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures at the peak of the pandemic and his legislation to prevent transgender people to use the government-owned bathrooms that most reflects their gender identities are key moments in his tenure as governor.

In his speech, DeSantis prodded at the Democratic Party for its support of the LGBTQ community, saying that the Democrats can't parse out a clear definition of the word woman, a jab at transgender women, specifically. He also pushed the narrative that "gender ideology" was being impressed upon military members and small children, alike.

DeSantis, a longtime critic of more open immigration policies, signed three bills in March to put pressure on undocumented immigrants living in Florida, increasing the severity of prison sentences for returning deported migrants.

Nearly two years ago, he pulled a political stunt to show his opposition to President Biden's immigration policies.

RNC Convention 2024: J.D. Vance went to Yale Law School. Here's what to know about his time there.

Why did Ron DeSantis send a plane of migrants to Martha's Vineyard?

DeSantis was part of a string of governors sending migrants who crossed the U.S. border illegally to blue states in 2022. Around the same time as the Martha's Vineyard plans, 100 migrants reportedly arrived outside the home of Vice President Kamala Harris. Previously, buses loaded with migrants were sent from Arizona and Texas to Washington D.C., New York and Chicago.

Florida's legislature approved $12 million to fund shipping migrants out of Florida.

After news of the planes arriving on Martha's Vineyard broke, DeSantis' communications director said, "States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as sanctuary states...'"

RNC Convention 2024: How a Massachusetts man made history at the RNC on Monday: What he said

At the time, the move was called a blatant disregard for human life by a joint delegation of Venezuelan-American groups who also accused DeSantis of lying to Cuban and Venezuelan people when they said he pledged not to send migrants from either country out of state.

After they arrived at Martha's Vineyard, the migrants were voluntarily moved to Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne, where many remained for a period of time before further arrangements could be made. Officials said some returned to Marthas Vineyard for work and living arrangements.

Has Ron DeSantis talked about sending more migrants to Martha's Vineyard?

As recently as this March, DeSantis has talked about repeating the political stunt.

On a podcast, DeSantis suggested in March he would send a potential influx of Haitian migrants to Marthas Vineyard. The comments, made on a podcast hosted by the conservative radio host Dana Loesch, were in regards to a question about an influx of migrants fleeing Haiti.

We do have our transport program also that is going to be operational, DeSantis said on the podcast. So, if Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop may very well be Marthas Vineyard.

More: DeSantis said he might send Haitian migrants to Martha's Vineyard. Island leader responds.

What is a sanctuary state?

While having no strict legal definition, a sanctuary state has been defined as a jurisdiction that limit cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement, like failing to provide information about immigration status and curtailing the length of immigration detainers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The following states have been labeled as sanctuary states by immigration hardliners:

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Illinois

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Oregon

Rhode Island

Vermont

Washington

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: DeSantis called out Martha's Vineyard in RNC speech. What he said.
Commenting on this photo, Rosie Duffield said: 'These tiny children can have no real concept or meaningful understanding of sexuality/gender identity'

Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP, has criticised a primary school after it shared an image of young students posing alongside a trans-inclusive flag.

The primary school in London posted the image on social media, with about 20 children holding up a large Progress flag to celebrate Pride Day last month.

Ms Duffield hit out at the school, posting on X, formerly Twitter: These tiny children can have no real concept or meaningful understanding of sexuality/gender identity.

They should be left alone to discover these things for themselves as teenagers/young adults, not while still using dummies!

The trans-inclusive flag is a modified version of the traditional rainbow which includes pale pink and blue stripes to represent transgender people.

The Progress flag has previously drawn criticism because it promotes the idea you can be born in the wrong body.

Nick Fletcher, the former Conservative MP, complained to the Ministry of Justice after the Progress flags were flying at HMP Pentonville and HMP Wandsworth, with the two prisons ordered to take the controversial flags down.

Following the ruling by Alex Chalk, the then justice secretary, Mr Fletcher, the former Tory MP for Don Valley, said: The Progress Pride flag promotes the idea you can be born in the wrong body. You cant. This ideology harms vulnerable people. Im pleased the Secretary of State for Justice has taken action.

Ms Duffield, a prominent feminist campaigner who believes a persons sex cannot be changed, has previously faced criticism from within her party for her stance on gender ideology.

In 2021, Sir Keir Starmer criticised Ms Duffield for saying that only women have a cervix, saying that her comment is something that shouldnt be said. Its not right.

The Labour leader later said that biologically, she of course is right about that when asked on ITVs Good Morning Britain last April if her statement was right or wrong.

Ms Duffield has also been heckled by male colleagues on her benches while speaking about trans issues in the Commons, which prompted her to accuse Labour of having a woman problem.

In the past Rosie Duffield has been criticised by her own Labour MPs for her stance on gender ideology - Julian Simmonds

James Esses, the co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists, a group of counsellors and psychologists concerned with the impact of gender ideology on young people, posted to social media: Pride Month is over, yet here is a London primary school forcing ideology on young children.

One of the children in this photo is even holding up a sign which reads, I cant even think straight. Stop sexualising and indoctrinating children.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Esses added: The school has not apologised to outraged parents or promised to do things differently.

Instead, it has deleted the posts on X and the head teacher has blocked me. This is concerning. It suggests that they will simply continue this ideological indoctrination and sexualising of young children behind closed doors.

The school had posted the picture with the caption: Being proud of who we are and celebrating pride values.

However, following the backlash the photo, and others showing children with rainbow flags, was deleted from social media and the schools website.

The school has previously celebrated Pride, asking pupils to wear bright colours on and donate 1 which would reportedly go to the lobbying group Stonewall.

Guidance published by the Conservative government in May said primary schools have discretion over whether to discuss sexual orientation or families with same-sex parents.

However, it also states: Schools should not teach about the broader concept of gender identity.

A spokesman for the school said: As a school with LGBTQ parents, we celebrate Pride by allowing our children to attend in non-uniform. All our personal, social and health teaching is in line with the national curriculum.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Well, Brian Brennan made it. Sure, he was attacked once by a shark, and another time his rowboat hit a manatee. There were some bears that kept him up one night and by the time he was done, his hands were calloused and he had lost 25 pounds. But Brennan had done it. The Navy veteran and retired chiropractor had rowed a small boat from Pensacola to Key West Florida on a months-long, nearly 900-mile journey to raise money for disabled veterans.

Brennan took off from Flounder's on Pensacola Beach on March 31  Easter morning  on his 18 foot long, 3 foot wide skiff, Daily Oar Deal. He had hoped to arrive in his destination of Key West on his 67th birthday on June 7 but missed by a month because of weather delays. He finally arrived in Key West on July 6, spending his birthday rowing alone without cell service in the Everglades.

The goal of the rowing mission was to raise money and awareness for the Disabled American Veterans organization. Brennan met veterans during his stops along the way, and did press with media during the trip, which raised $12,400 for the nonprofit organization. As a chiropractor and in civil service, Brennan helped treat disabled veterans in the past.

He spent months in preparation for the excursion, rowing regularly from Bayou Texar to Pensacola Beach, then back again. Brennan had to to prepare him for what was to come, which included wildlife adventures.

"I got attacked by a shark,'' he said back in Pensacola, the skiff  still stuffed with maps, dehydrated food packets, radar and other electrical equipment and other gear  now in the driveway. "It was a six-foot Mako shark, and he came by and tried to bite (the oar) and missed it and rolled over on his back and tried to bite the back of the boat, but he couldn't get his teeth around it." Soon, the shark was off somewhere in the waters off Horseshoe Beach in Florida's Big Bend area.

"I ran over a manatee,'' he said of one encounter off Marco Island near Naples. "He picked me and the boat up about a foot in the air and then shook me to the side."

Each day, weather permitting, Brennan would row about 12 to 22 miles a day, sleeping in a tent in some areas, his boat at times, and sometimes in hotels before heading out the next day.

One night near Carrabelle, east of Apalachicola, Brennan camped in an area where he was warned there was bear activity. Someone gave him an air horn to use just in case.

"It usually scared them away,'' the man told Brennan. "Usually."

It was one of his worst nights of sleep, he said.

Still, the trip was worth it, he said, noting the need to help veterans and their families.

"I met a lot of veterans and their families,'' Brennan said of his journey. "Everybody has a veteran story. If it's not you, it's your grandfather or brother or best friend. I got a lot of donations along the way. At restaurants, waitresses would give their next tip. It was impressive."

So is Brennan, said his "cheerleader" and cousin Shubob Seymour.

"I've never heard of anyone trying to attempt this and he was talking about this 30 years ago when he was a lifeguard in New Jersey,'' Seymour said. "Move 30 years forward and he flippin' does it and now he's 67. We both are but I could never accomplish when he did. And the best thing is, he's giving back to the community and to the veterans."

To donate to Brennan's ongoing fundraiser, go to https://support.dav.org and look for "900 Mile Row. Pensacola to Key West for DAV" or "Brian Brennan" in the fundraiser search.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola man Brian Brennan rows to Key West for disabled veterans.
Giuliani himself addressed the fall in a social media post, writing, "The eyes of the world are on Fiserv Forum and the RNC, so my trip was seen by many"

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani says he is doing fine after taking a public tumble at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The former Trump lawyer could be seen falling on the floor of the convention on Tuesday night, in a moment that was caught on live footage and shared on social media.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman said, Mayor Rudy Giuliani appreciates everyones concern after tripping over a dip in the walkway on the convention floor of the convention."

"The mayor and I were both filming footage for his social media and livestream programs on the floor of the convention, when he turned to set some equipment on a chair and tripped over a dip between the walkway and chairs," Goodman added.

Related: Rudy Giulianis 60-Point Dive in Popularity Poll Stuns Data Reporter: Never Seen Anything Like This

"Those falsely suggesting anything else are misleading the public for their own agendas. Anyone who wants to question Mayor Giulianis stamina or abilities should check out the half dozen interviews he had just completed before coming over to the convention floor," the statement continued. "The mayor immediately stood up and continued with his jam-packed schedule, collecting video footage and talking with reporters."

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images Rudy Giuliani

Giuliani himself addressed the fall in a post on X, writing, "The eyes of the world are on Fiserv Forum and the RNC, so my trip was seen by many."

The former mayor of New York was recently disbarred in the state over the lies he spread about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.

On July 2, the First Department of the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division ruled that Giuliani lost his right to practice law for violating "some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession."

Related: Rudy Giuliani Disbarred in New York for 'Flagrantly Misusing' His Power to Spread 2020 Election Lies

Giuliani's close connection with former president Trump, and his attempts to bend the law on Trump's behalf, have led to a near-unraveling of his legal career.



In 2021, a New York appellate court ruled that Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer during the post-election frenzy, made "demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large" related to the election, in which Trump lost to Biden by about 7 million votes but nonetheless claimed it was rigged.

The court then temporarily suspended Giuliani's law license in New York. Shortly after that, his D.C. law license was temporarily suspended.

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Read the original article on People.
Rudy Giuliani took a tumble at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

The former New York City mayor, who is 80 years old, had been walking in the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when he suddenly tipped over into some empty chairs, according to video footage of the incident.

A few people appeared to offer a hand to the recently disbarred lawyer, previously the personal attorney to former President Donald Trump, eventually helping him up. Meanwhile, a couple of photographers were seen snapping pictures of Giuliani as he rose.

In a Tuesday night response on X, formerly Twitter, Giuliani acknowledged the fall and thanked people for their concern.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is helped to his feet after falling on the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16. PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images

As video clips of the fall made their rounds online, some social media users speculated that Guiliani had been drinking alcohol, which he has faced some scrutiny forthrough the years.

Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, confirmed to HuffPost Wednesday that Giuliani was unharmed and able to continue his plans for the day.

Those falsely suggesting anything else are misleading the public for their own agendas. Anyone who wants to question Mayor Giulianis stamina or abilities should check out the half dozen interviews he had just completed before coming over to the convention floor, Goodman said.

The mayor immediately stood up and continued with his jam-packed schedule, collecting video footage and talking with reporters, Goodman added. Mayor Giuliani is thrilled to be here in support of his friend, the 45th and soon-to-be 47th President of the United States, Donald J Trump.

Michael Ragusa, the head of Rudy Giulianis security detail, also confirmed in a statement to HuffPost Wednesday that Giuliani was not hurt.

Unfortunately, Mayor Giuliani was not notified there was a step off the decline at the RNC venue yesterday. He took a misstep and fell over, Ragusa said. He was uninjured and unfazed by this incident.

The Trump ally has been livestreaming throughout the convention for his online show, The Rudy Giuliani Show. (A New York radio station had been airing his show up until May, when the station canceled it for his baseless 2020 election conspiracies.)

Years after pushing lies about the 2020 election  lies that fueled the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection  a Manhattan appeals court disbarred Giuliani earlier this month.

Giuliani also recently filed for bankruptcy after two Georgia election workers won $148 million in a defamation suit against him last year, but a judge threw out his bankruptcy case on Friday.

A reporter asked Giuliani if he carried any regret for defaming the two election workers in an interview at RNC Tuesday, according to CNN.

I have no regrets at all. Im on the side of justice, right and truth, Giuliani said.

Related...
It hasn't been a good month for Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani, the ex-New York City mayor and personal lawyer to former President Donald Trump, lost his law license in New York earlier this month when a court found that he lied when he argued the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.

It was a continued fall for a man once called "America's mayor."

Giuliani had another fall, literally, on Tuesday.

More: 5 takeaways from RNC Day 2: Rudy Giuliani still fighting the not-so-good fight

This time at the 2024 Republican National Convention inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Giuliani tripped while holding an Osmo camera Tuesday. He had to be helped up but appeared to be OK.

Rudy Giuliani fall at the 2024 RNC

Rudy Giuliani takes a tumble at Republican National Convention. pic.twitter.com/zWLiCPmP5Y  Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 16, 2024

Giuliani addressed his fall on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday evening.

He thanked people for their concern and offered a quote without citation: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

Thank you for your concern.



I tripped as I was checking out the convention floor. The eyes of the world are on Fiserv Forum and the RNC, so my trip was seen by many.



As a famous person once said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."  Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 17, 2024

Why is Rudy Guiliani at the 2024 RNC?

Giuliani is broadcasting The Rudy Giuliani Show from the convention.

The Rudy Giuliani Show Live from RNC https://t.co/UNoueCLkXF  Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 16, 2024

Rudy Giuliani's relationship with Donald Trump

Giuliani is a former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former US Associate Attorney General. He is arguably most known for being New York City's mayor in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Giuliani advised Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign and then joined Trump's legal team during his presidency.

Giuliani was a key figure after the 2020 presidential election, making false claims about the election being stolen.

He was indicted by a Georgia grand jury in August 2023 on 13 charges in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has also been charged in the case.

Giuliani's charges included falsely claiming that mail-in ballots were incorrectly counted, election workers were stealing votes and felons and dead voters cast ballots, the indictment says, according to USA TODAY. Giuliani had also been ordered to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers he defamed, a jury found last year.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rudy Giuliani takes a fall at 2024 RNC in Milwaukee
Rudy Giuliani took a tumble while walking through the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is taking place.

Giuliani was walking up an aisle in the main convention hall when he suddenly fell sideways into a row of chairs before falling onto the floor, video on social media showed. Passersby stopped to help the 80-year-old stand up and continue down the aisle.

He was helped back up and seemed no worse for wear - except maybe for some slight embarrassment.

Giuliani took a misstep and fell over, his head of security Michael Ragusa said in a statement.

He was uninjured and unfazed by this incident, Ragusa said. It is shameful that the left-wing media took this opportunity to try and dehumanize Americas greatest Mayor who accomplished, and continues to accomplish so much for this great country.

Rudy Giuliani pictured falling onto chairs at the Republican National Convention (AFP via Getty Images)

The incident happened on day two of the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The former New York City mayor is attending the convention just days after a federal judge tossed out his bankruptcy case.

Giuliani sought to declare bankruptcy after a judge ordered him to pay nearly $150 million to the election workers he defamed with baseless claims about fraud in the 2020 race. This ruling opens the door for these workers to recover the money theyre owed.

The former mayor now finds himself strapped for cash. In recent months, Giuliani has slashed the price of his Manhattan apartment by $400,000 and launched a coffee business to bring in revenue.

One of Giulianis former employees has also requested the judge in her sexual assault case against him to restart as soon as possible now that his bankruptcy case has been dismissed.

The RNC will continue through Thursday, when Donald Trump is expected to speak. Trump was officially named the GOP nominee on Monday after announcing Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate.

That night, the president made a surprise appearance at the convention with a bandaged ear after he was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The crowd met him with deafening cheers and chants of USA as he walked to take his place next to Vance.

This article was updated on July 17 to include comment from Michael Ragusa.
If you search for "home still" on Amazon, you will see a bunch of products that are explicitly advertised as tools for producing liquor. But while it is legal to make beer, cider, or wine at home for your own consumption or to share with friends, unlicensed production of distilled spirits remains a federal felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.

That law is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Texas ruled last week. In addition to potentially protecting at least some DIY distillers from a daunting threat, the decision offers hope of constraining a federal government that has expanded far beyond the limited and enumerated powers granted by the Constitution.

"This decision is a victory for personal freedoms and for federalism," said Dan Greenberg, general counsel at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), which represented the hobbyists who challenged the ban on home distilling. The ruling, he noted, "reminds us that, as Americans, we live under a government of limited powers."

That is easy to forget, given the chilling arrogance exemplified by the unsolicited letter that one of the plaintiffs in this case, Scott McNutt, received from the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The TTB said it had learned that McNutt "may have purchased a still capable of producing alcohol," warned that "unlawful production of distilled spirits is a criminal offense," and noted the potential penalties.

To avoid those penalties, the TTB explained, anyone who wants to concentrate the alcohol in a fermented beverage must first obtain the requisite federal permits. But those permits are not available to home distillers.

That policy, the government argued, is justified by the need to safeguard federal revenue by preventing evasion of liquor taxes. But U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman concluded that the challenged provisions, which apply to noncommercial producers who owe no such taxes, do not count as revenue collection or as a "necessary and proper" means of achieving that goal.

One of those laws makes "distilling on prohibited premises" a crime, while the other prohibits stills in "any dwelling house." Those provisions, Pittman notes, make "no reference to any mechanism or process that operates to protect revenue." And while "prohibiting the possession of an at-home still" meant to produce alcoholic beverages "might be convenient to protect tax revenue," he says, "it is not a sufficiently clear corollary to the positive power of laying and collecting taxes."

Pittman also rejected the government's claim that the ban was authorized by the power to regulate interstate commerce, which Congress routinely invokes to justify legislation. He notes that "neither of these provisions connect[s] the prohibited behavior to interstate commerce."

Home distilling, the government argued, "substantially affects interstate commerce in the aggregate." But to justify regulation of noncommercial activity under that "substantial effects" test, Pittman says, requires showing that it is necessary to execute "a comprehensive statute that regulates commerce on its face," which is not true in this case.

In that respect, Pittman thinks, the ban on home distilling differs from the medical marijuana ban that the Supreme Court upheld in 2005, which supposedly was justified as part of a comprehensive regulatory scheme established by the Controlled Substances Act. Dissenting from that decision, Justice Clarence Thomas warned that its logic would allow Congress to "regulate virtually anything."

As Pittman sees it, however, the Commerce Clause is still not quite the blank check that Congress would like it to be. He issued a permanent injunction that bars the government from enforcing the home-distilling ban against McNutt or other members of the Texas-based Hobby Distillers Association.

"While the federal government has become more enthusiastic about inflating the scope of its powers over the last century, this case shows that there are limits to the government's authority," said CEI attorney Devin Watkins. "If the government appeals this decision to a higher court, we look forward to illuminating those limits."

 Copyright 2024 by Creators Syndicate Inc.

The post Ruling in Favor of DIY Distillers Affirms Limits on Congressional Power appeared first on Reason.com.
Russia ready to work with any US leader, says Lavrov

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia is ready to work with any U.S. leader - elected by the U.S. people  who is willing to engage in "equitable, mutually respectful dialogue," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

He noted, during a news conference at the United Nations, that during former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration there was still dialogue underway despite serious U.S. sanctions on Moscow.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols)
Russia says dialogue with US was the only good thing about Trump's presidency

US President Donald Trump speaks with Putin during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Dmitry Peskov, the Russian rulers spokesman, has said that "nothing good was done for Russia" under Donald Trump's presidency in the United States, but the positive thing was that there was a dialogue between the countries.

Source: Russian propaganda agency RIA Novosti

Quote from Peskov: "Under Trump, nothing particularly good was done for Russia, on the contrary, more and more restrictions were introduced under Trump. But, nevertheless, there was a dialogue. This can probably be classified as positive."

Background:

The other day, US presidential candidate Donald Trump said that he did not l endorse of sanctions.

Earlier, Trump said that if the US had a "smart president", countries such as Russia, China and North Korea (DPRK) would cease to be enemies of the United States.

Trump's headquarters said that the priority of his potential second term would be to end the war between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible.

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In southern Ukraine, farmers are losing dozens of hectares of crops as a result of arson attacks by the Russian army.

Source: Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, at a briefing

Details: With the start of the harvest season, the Russian army began to deliberately strike Ukrainian fields with FPV drones to burn the crops.

Quote: "In Kherson Oblast, there are a lot of cases when Russians launch FPV drones to deliberately burn crops. And people who have cleared their land of mines, small areas of 100, 200, 400 hectares, lose 20, 30 hectares at a time. This is a huge amount of money because it is borrowed money, and they wanted to pay back the loans and plan their business life accordingly," Marchuk said.

He said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure has suffered losses of more than US$50 billion.

Background:

Due to the record drought in the southern oblasts of Ukraine, wheat and barley yields may decrease by 5-7% compared to last year.

Ukraine has harvested about 100,000 tonnes of various crops so far into 2024.

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(Bloomberg) -- Russias top diplomat signaled a preference for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and especially his running mate JD Vance, praising their vocal interest in cutting a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Although the previous Trump administration imposed more and more sanctions on Russia, at that time, dialogue was underway between us and Washington at the highest levels, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday. Right now, there is no such dialogue.

Trump has said hell bring the war to an end even before taking office if hes elected in November, and vice presidential nominee Vance has said he opposes any further financial support to Ukraine. Its a sentiment that has gained favor among many Republicans who criticize the billions spent for weapons and other aid to Kyiv since Russias full-scale invasion in 2022.

Hes in favor of peace, in favor of ending the assistance thats being provided, Lavrov said of Vance. And we can only welcome that because thats what we need  to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons. And then the war will end, and then we can look for solutions.

The Republican tickets stance contrasts with that of President Joe Biden, who said last month that the US and its allies would stand with Ukraine until it wins the conflict with Russia. Biden has overseen the flow of more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began, and his administration opposes forcing Kyiv into negotiations that would freeze in place Russias occupation of the eastern Donbas region.

Lavrovs comments follow remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said this month that he believes Trump sincerely hopes for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Despite the encouraging comments on the Republican ticket by Russian officials, Lavrov said Russia is ready to work with whomever the American people elect in November as long as they are willing to engage in equitable, mutually respectable dialogue.

The Biden-Harris campaign seized on Lavrovs comments. James Singer, a spokesman, said in a statement that of course Vladimir Putins regime supports Donald Trump and JD Vance because Trump green-lit Putins expansion into Europe and signaled that a Trump-Vance administration wouldnt protect its allies or stand up for Americas core values in the world. The Trump-Vance campaign didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

--With assistance from Gregory Korte.

(Updates with Biden campaign comment in final paragraph)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least one person and injured at least 14 over the past day, regional authorities reported early on July 17.

In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and seven injured in Russian attacks, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

The figures include one person killed and another injured in a strike against Pivnichne near Toretsk, as well as four injured in Pokrovsk, one injured in Illinka, and one injured in Ukrainsk.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast injured seven people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

A kindergarten, a shop, a cell tower, high-rise buildings, houses, and other civilian property were hit, he added.

Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits Russian S-300 system in Donetsk Oblast, Syrskyi says

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Russian companies have exponentially increased their recruiting in Africa, the Russian state-controlled media outlet RBC reported on July 17, citing industry data.

Amid the combined impacts of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and the subsequent exodus of hundreds of thousands of working-age men, as well as preexisting factors, including Covid-19 mortality and an aging population, labor shortage has become an increasing issue in Russia.

The data analyzed by RBC indicated that seven of the 10 countries with the highest increase in vacancies posted by Russian companies were in Africa. In Kenya, the country with the largest growth in Russian vacancies, the figure increased from just 161 in the first half of 2023 to almost 6,500 in the first half of 2024.

Beyond Africa, Albania, Belgium, and Pakistan also saw an increase in Russian job listings.

At the same time, Russia's neighbors Kazakhstan and Belarus still formed the bulk of job postings in foreign countries.

While the most sought-after spheres for foreign workers have largely remained the sameIT, customer service, marketing, and other white-collar jobs, construction and agriculture have also increased in recent years, RBC said.

Russia has long been a destination for migrant workers from Central Asia, who often do manual labor or other blue-collar work, but as the work is typically informal, it is unclear if RBC included this data in their analysis.

The bulk of foreign workers who entered Russia in 2024 came from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, in line with previous years.

Foreigners have also been increasingly sought after to join Russia's military fighting in Ukraine. Sometimes, they are recruited directly, but there have also been numerous reports of foreigners being duped by false job listings and then forced to join the military upon arrival in Russia.

Read also: UK Defense Ministry: Russia likely facing worst labor shortage in decades

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Russian court sentences Ukrainian-Russian national to 26 years in prison for arson against enlistment offices

A court in Moscow sentenced a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen to 26 years in prison for allegedly trying to set enlistment offices on fire, the independent Russian media outlet Mediazona reported on July 16, citing the court's press service.

More than 500 people have been arrested in Russia since the beginning of the full-scale war for acts of vandalism or arson against enlistment offices.

If convicted, the charges can result in lengthy prison sentences.

The man, 53-year-old Ivan Nedilsky, was convicted of treason and various terrorism related charges connected to two reported arson attacks around the Moscow region.

The court proceedings occurred behind closed doors, and a court spokesperson claimed that Nedilsky had "fully admitted his guilt and repented."

The previous month, a Saint Petersburg woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly trying to burn down a military enlistment office.

Read also: UK Defense Ministry: Increase in arson attacks at Russian enlistment offices likely signals disaffection amid war, potential mobilization

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Russian firms looking for migrant workers in Africa due to labour shortages

Russian companies have started looking for workers in Africa amid a growing labour shortage caused by the war in Ukraine.

Source: Russian online newspaper The Moscow Times, citing data from the recruitment service hh.ru.

Details: The newspaper notes that the number of vacancies for African workers increased 10-fold in the first half of 2024.

The number of vacancies from Russian companies saw the highest increase in Kenya, soaring 39 times from 161 vacancies in the first half of 2023 to 6,400 in the first half of 2024. Zimbabwe experienced a 15-fold rise, Cameroon a 9-fold increase, and Zambia an 8-fold growth. Additionally, Algeria saw a sevenfold surge, reaching 1,700 vacancies.

The number of invitations for foreign workers increased by 68%, for agricultural specialists by 63%, and for workers in the field of raw materials extraction and construction by 53% and 51% respectively.

"The recruitment of migrants for labourers and construction workers (generally for low-skilled positions) is traditionally typical for Central Asian countries, and this year  for a number of African countries," says Natalia Danina, the chief labour market expert at hh.ru.

Background: The Russian State Duma (lower chamber of the Russian parliament) predicts a collapse in property prices in Russia.

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Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, has claimed that the discussion concerning the organisation of the second Peace Summit regarding the situation in Ukraine contains approaches that are unacceptable for Russia and "many other" states.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Lavrov at a UN press conference on 17 July

Details: Lavrov claimed that "Zelenskyys formula" lies at the core of the discussions concerning the second Peace Summit, and "everybody has long been aware of its unacceptability".

"Speaking about what they [the participants of the potential second Peace Summit  ed.] will be up to, everyone listed the approaches that are absolutely one-sided and absolutely unacceptable for us and for many others who are sincerely interested in peace," Lavrov said.

Background:

Earlier, Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, stated that Ukraine is determined to hold the second Peace Summit by the end of 2024.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, stated that the representatives of Russia must be present at the second Peace Summit.

Zelenskyy reported that the plan for the second Peace Summit must be ready in November.

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The Russians destroyed a crossing over the Oskil River in the Kupiansk hromada of Kharkiv Oblast with a missile. The situation in this area remains difficult (A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.).

Source: Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov in a commentary to journalists, quoted by Ukrinform news agency

Quote: "The situation on the Kupiansk front is equally difficult (as on the Kharkiv front  ed.). We record even more combat clashes and enemy attempts to assault the positions of Ukrainian servicemen on the Kupiansk front. The enemy destroyed the Oskil river crossing once again last night. We will take all measures to restore and rebuild it. Unfortunately, this is a typical situation for us.

The enemy demonstrates that this is a crucial issue for them, as they used to hit it with guided aerial bombs or other weapons. A Kh-type missile struck today, so we understand that this target is a priority for the enemy. The Kupiansk front remains high on the enemy's list of priorities, along with intensified assaults and the destruction of crossings."

Details: Syniehubov emphasised that the crossing will be restored as it is used, among other things, for evacuation.

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Russians drop guided aerial bombs on Borova, Kharkiv Oblast: houses and cafe damaged

Photo by the prosecutor's office

Russian forces targeted the village of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast on the night of 16-17 July, severely damaging residential buildings, a cafe and a car wash.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Syniehubov: "04:40, the village of Borova, Izium district.

The enemy launched guided aerial bombs, damaging the premises of a cafe, a car wash and three houses."

Details: The official provided no other details of the nighttime attack.

However, he noted that on the Kharkiv front, Ukrainian and Russian forces clashed seven times near the settlements of Hlyboke and Vovchansk.

On the Kupiansk front, Russian forces mounted nine attacks. Ukraine's defence forces repelled Russian assaults near the settlements of Synkivka, Andriivka, Pishchane, Berestove and Stepova Novoselivka.

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President Volodomyr Zelensky has marked the 10-year anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 by saying Russia's accountability for the tragedy is "inevitable."

"Its been 10 years since Russian murderers shot down the MH17 passenger plane in the skies over Ukraine," he said in a post on social media.

"The whole world witnessed then who came to wage war against Ukraine and that Russian evil is a threat not only to us but to all."

Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport July 17, 2014.

Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraines Donetsk Oblast.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, among them 196 Dutch citizens, were killed.

Two Russian nationals, Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinsky, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, were found guilty of shooting down MH17 at a Hague District Court in November 2022.

Russia never claimed responsibility for the disaster, instead fanning conspiracy theories to shift the blame elsewhere.

It has also refused to cooperate with the international investigation investigating the downing, and none of those deemed responsible have ever been brought to justice.

Also speaking on July 17, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said "a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars."

"Justice requires a long, long breath," he added.

Read also: The downing of MH17, and Russias responsibility

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Russias State Statistics Service has excluded the total number of deaths from external causes in its annual report, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on July 16, citing demographic expert Aleksei Raksha.

Statistics service includes deaths caused by external factors such as road accidents, homicides, and suicides, rather than diseases. Analytics and journalists have been using that data to extrapolate the number of Russian soldiers killed in the invasion of Ukraine, something the Kremlin has refused to disclose.

Meduza, in collaboration with another independent outlet Mediazona, and electoral statistics researcher Dmitry Kobak, uses Russias State Statistics Service data to calculate Russian military losses. According to their latest estimate, excess male mortality in 2023 is almost double that of 2022.

Additionally, studies based on data from the Registry of Hereditary Cases provide an estimate of the actual number of deaths. This estimate suggests that approximately 120,000 Russian military personnel have died in the war since 2022, with a margin of error ranging from 106,000 to 140,000.

In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 180,000 Russian troops had been killed since the beginning of the all-out war, while over 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had lost their lives during the same period.

Western officials have provided similar estimates regarding Russian battlefield losses. In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that at least 350,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded.

Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 500,000, Putin buries future demographic risks at home

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Hannah Gutierrez was the armorer in charge of weapons on the set of 'Rust,' where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in 2021 (Eddie MOORE) (Eddie MOORE/POOL/AFP)

The manslaughter conviction for the armorer on the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" will stand, a US judge ruled Monday, dismissing her argument that withheld evidence could have changed the jury's verdict.

Hannah Gutierrez was in charge of weapons on the set of the budget Western film when a gun Baldwin was holding went off, killing the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding its director.

The 27-year-old was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter for accidentally loading Baldwin's prop gun with a live round.

Baldwin's own trial spectacularly collapsed in July when it emerged that prosecutors had not turned over a batch of bullets that detectives had found during their investigation into the October 2021 tragedy in New Mexico.

Gutierrez, also known as Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was already in the process of appealing her conviction prior to the Baldwin trial.

But her lawyers then filed an expedited motion for a new trial or dismissal of charges due to "severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state."

That application was dismissed in a written ruling issued Monday.

"Defendant has not established that there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been available to Defendant, the evidence would have produced a different verdict," Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer wrote.

hg/jgc
Rust Armorer Files to Have New Trial or Conviction Tossed, Demands Immediate Release

Following the dismissal of the manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin for the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, an attorney for the films armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has filed for her conviction to be overturned or for a new trial.

Either way, lawyer Jason Bowles is asking for his client to be released immediately, according to documents obtained by TheWrap.

Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez-Reeds conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring that the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system that has been watched all over the world, Tuesdays filing reads, citing egregious prosecutorial misconduct.

Baldwin, who was a producer of the ill-fated western as well as its star, was on trial for the October 2021 accidental killing of Hutchins.

On the third day of Baldwins trial, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer granted the defenses request for a dismissal after it emerged that authorities and prosecutors deliberately withheld evidence in the case. How real bullets got into Baldwins gun that fatally wounded Hutchins is still a mystery.

Gutierrez-Reed was separately convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and is currently serving her 18-month prison sentence.

Bowles and his fellow attorney of record Monnica L. Barreras state that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was in on the decision to hide the rounds and report on them in another file.

They also allege that crime scene technician Marissa Poppell and Morrissey misled the jury on July 11 when they claimed the rounds from ammunition supplier Troy Teske were not similar to those found on the set of Rust.

That was proven false a day later when this Court opened the box and inspected the Teske rounds, the filing notes.

The State withheld bombshell exculpatory evidence that it had a constitutional

obligation to disclose and that would have resulted in a fundamentally different trial and likely a different outcome [for Gutierrez-Reed], her attorneys say.

It was only on May 31, 2024  by which time Ms. Gutierrez-Reed was already at the Western New Mexico Womens Prison in Grants for intake and classification  that special prosecutor Morrissey admitted to Mr. Baldwins counsel that the State fail[ed] to disclose a key report for almost nine months, they continue.

The report further indicates that there were unknown markings on the bullets, contrary to the trial testimony of criminologist Lucien Haag. If that information had come out during her trial, her lawyers argue, Gutierrez-Reed would have been able to claim that unexplained alterations to the firearm caused it to fire without anyone pulling the trigger.

Her lawyers also state that this missing evidence was the critical factor in the jurys decision to convict their client.

Lastly, they allege that prosecutors withheld the written statements of witness Seth Kenney, including that he had never heard allegations that Gutierrez-Reed was acting in an unsafe manner onset.

The post Rust Armorer Files to Have New Trial or Conviction Tossed, Demands Immediate Release appeared first on TheWrap.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed hears her sentence on April 15, 2024 in Santa Fe, NM. - Credit: Luis Sanchez Saturno-Pool/Getty Images

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the Rust armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, is asking the New Mexico judge who dismissed a related involuntary manslaughter indictment against Alec Baldwin to let her off the hook as well.

In a new motion filed Tuesday, Gutierrez-Reeds defense lawyer Jason Bowles argued that severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state give Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer adequate grounds to overturn his clients March 6 conviction, vacate her 18-month prison sentence, and dismiss her case forever. He said such violations include the states suppression of the ammunition evidence that came to light on Friday during the stunning hearing that led to the immediate termination of Baldwins trial and permanent dismissal of his criminal case.

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This Court stated on July 12 that the integrity of the judicial system demanded that the court dismiss Mr. Baldwins case with prejudice. How can it be any different with Ms. Gutierrez Reeds case, with this proven litany of serious discovery abuses? Bowles wrote in his new 23-page motion obtained by Rolling Stone. Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez Reeds conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring that the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system, that has been watched all over the world.

He alleged prosecutors buried evidence on multiple occasions, including when they failed to turn over a supplemental report written by a gun expert last August. He called the states conduct exactly the evil necessary to warrant a dismissal.

In his filing, Bowles alleged that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey lied to this court several times on Friday after she called herself to the witness stand and testified about the batch of live ammunition that was surrendered to the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office on March 6, the same day Gutierrez-Reed was convicted. Bowles noted that the man who surrendered the bullets, Troy Teske, was known to him before Gutierrez-Reeds trial started because he was a friend of his clients father, Thell Reed. But he said much about Teskes interaction with law enforcement was revealed to him for the first time during Baldwins blockbuster hearing.

Before Morrissey took the stand on Friday, Judge Marlowe Sommer heard testimony and evidence that Teske surrendered the live bullets on March 6 with the explanation that he had been storing the ammunition for Reed and was concerned the bullets might match the live rounds found on the Rust set. While Morrissey testified that such a link would have only further implicated Gutierrez-Reed, Baldwins lawyers argued that it could have cut another way. They said jurors could have concluded that a match corroborated Reeds claim that he gave a can of live ammunition to props supplier Seth Kenney as a write off after the men conducted a cowboy training with actors on a different movie prior to the start of Rusts filming at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe. Kenney would go on to supply blank and inert dummy rounds to the Rust production, and according to previously reported conversations with investigators, Reed alleged it could have been Kenney who allowed live rounds from the cowboy training to make their way on set and into Baldwins gun.

In a shocking moment last week, Judge Marlowe Sommer personally inspected three Starline brass bullets with silver primers that were surrendered by Teske on March 6. The bullet that killed Hutchins was a Starline brass cartridge with a silver primer. (Kenney has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, saying he personally checked each round to make sure it wasnt live before he boxed up the ammunition sent to Rust. He was never charged with anything related to the deadly tragedy.)

In her ruling tossing Baldwins case, Judge Marlowe Sommer said that the sheriffs office and prosecutors committed egregious errors when they booked the Teske bullets under a different case number and never mentioned them to Baldwins defense. There is no way for the court to right this wrong, said Marlowe Sommer as Baldwin broke down weeping in the Santa Fe courtroom. Your motion to dismiss with prejudice is granted.

According to Bowles new motion, Morrissey lied to this court several times during her testimony. He said while Morrissey testified that she didnt know the bullets were booked under a different file number, the lead investigator on the case, Corporal Alexandria Hancock, testified that Morrissey was in on the decision. Bowles also pointed out that while Morrissey said under oath that her co-prosecutor Erlinda Johnson resigned on Friday because she didnt want a public hearing on the alleged evidence violations, Johnson later said in media interviews that she told the court she was stepping down because she believed the case should be dismissed.

In an email sent Tuesday, Morrissey declined to comment on the new motion. Our only statement will be our written response, she wrote.

Addressing jurors at Gutierrez-Reeds trial, prosecutors said the rookie armorer failed to check each cartridge and negligently loaded a live bullet into Baldwins replica Colt revolver before he pointed it at Hutchins during a rehearsal inside a makeshift wooden church. For his part, Baldwin maintains he did not pull the trigger before the gun accidentally fired the live bullet that ripped through Hutchins upper torso, perforating her lung and spinal column. The same bullet then wounded director Joel Souza and was recovered from his shoulder.

Bowles told the jurors that Gutierrez-Reed was a scapegoat and the least powerful person on that set. He said his client was asked to split her time between two competing jobs  armorer and props assistant  and that due to budget restrictions and mismanagement, she ended up working with a confusing mix of cheap ammunition with varying characteristics. He said one dummy round recovered from the set had no hole or rattle to signify it was inert.

Ms. Gutierrez Reed was faced with a situation on this set of dealing with a mishmash of dummies, cheap dummies  [an expert] will call it garbage  that were just thrown together, Bowles said in his opening statement. Shes being rushed. She had to perform two jobs. Shes asking for more resources and help from her manager, and shes not getting it.

Bowles previously asked for a mistrial with the argument prosecutors withheld bombshell exculpatory evidence in the form of a supplemental report written about Baldwins replica revolver last August. In the report, a state-hired expert said he couldnt explain how internal components of the gun ended up with microscopic diagonal toolmarks on their surface. The expert, Lucien Haag, later testified at a pre-trial hearing in Baldwins case that after he wrote the report, he reconsidered and concluded that the marks must have come from testing by the FBI that damaged the gun. Either way, Haag testified that the marks would not have affected the functionality of the firearm.

Ms. Gutierrez-Reeds trial strategy was built on the assumption that there was no evidence suggesting the gun may have been modified or damaged at the time the incident occurred. Had the state disclosed the third Haag report, Ms. Gutierrez-Reed could have used its content to sow reasonable doubt as to causation generally and foreseeability. Ms. Gutierrez-Reed never got the opportunity, Bowles argued in his motion filed Tuesday.

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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was previously sentenced to 18 months in April after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March

Jim Weber - Pool/Getty Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on March 1, 2024

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the Rust armorer who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, is seeking to dismiss her conviction or have a new trial after Alec Baldwin's criminal case was dismissed mid-trial.

In court documents filed in New Mexico on Tuesday, July 16, and obtained by PEOPLE, Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys Jason Bowles and Monica L. Barreras sent a motion to the court asking for the armorer to either receive a new trial or have her conviction dismissed in the wake of "an egregious discovery violation" made by New Mexico's special prosecutors.

Baldwin's case was dismissed in a surprise twist on Friday, July 12 after the actor's attorneys argued the prosecution buried evidence related to the case without the defense's knowledge. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who also presided over Gutierrez-Reed's criminal trial, dismissed Baldwin's case with prejudice, meaning Baldwin, 66, cannot be charged with involuntary manslaughter again.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys argued in this new motion that prosecutors "withheld bombshell exculpatory evidence that it had a constitutional obligation to disclose and that would have resulted in a fundamentally different trial," for the armorer, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins' death on March 6.

Related: Whats Next for Alec Baldwin After Rust Case Dismissal? A TLC Show with His Family, the Release of the Western and More Lawsuits

Eddie Moore-Pool/Getty Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on April 15, 2024

Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of prop weapons on the Western movie Rust, which Baldwin, 66, starred in and co-produced, when a gun Baldwin was holding discharged and killed Hutchins, 42, on Oct. 21, 2021, in New Mexico. On April 15, Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence of 18 months of incarceration at a New Mexico women's correctional facility. She was separately cleared on a separate charge of tampering with evidence during that trial.



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Gutierrrez-Reed's attorneys are asking the court to outright dismiss her conviction or grant her a new trial in light of misconduct discovered during Baldwin's trial, per court documents obtained by PEOPLE. They also asked that the court alternatively release Gutierrez-Reed pending an appeal and that special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey be removed from the case.



Related: Alec Baldwin and Wife Hilaria 'Didn't Celebrate' After Rust Case Was Dismissed: 'There's No Winning Here' (Source)

Eddie Moore-Pool/Getty Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on April 15, 2024

Despite Gutierrez-Reed's new motion, Emily D. Baker, a legal expert and former Los Angeles district attorney, tells PEOPLE the movie's armorer "is in a much different position" to have her case dismissed or receive a new trial.

"With the swiftness of that conviction and the evidence, including Hannah's own statements to police that she loaded the weapon, I don't know if any of this coming forward would change the jury result that she didn't do her job as the armorer," Baker says. "The position of Baldwin was much stronger. Hannah's position to get released and to get this overturned is not as good as Baldwin's. It's a much weaker argument for her."



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the associated press Greg Lopez speaks in Hugo on March 28 at a meeting of Republicans who selected him to run in a special election to serve out the final months of U.S. Rep. Ken Bucks term. Lopez won the vacancy election and was sworn into Congress on July 8.
(FOX40.COM)  A Sacramento County library was evacuated after a bomb threat, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

Around 4:45 p.m., deputies said a library employee informed them of a threat and suspicious item left near the Arden-Dimick Library building at 891 Watt Avenue. SCSO said a suspect has was detained and a search warrant was issued for the suspects residence.

Pounds of explosive materials found after bomb threat at a Sacramento library

The item reported to be at the scene turned out to be a bag filled with miscellaneous items, however, a search of the home revealed several explosive materials, according to SCSO.

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Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

Last fall  in the wake of a scathing audit of Capital Public Radio  Sacramento State President Luke Wood said the school was working on a deeper review of the stations finances.

Yet more than nine months later, the findings from that examination have not been released.

Its still going through review and revision and we hope to have it out soon, said Brian Blomster, a spokesman for the university.

Blomster declined to disclose the initial findings from the latest review, or who was conducting it. But he said it was a top accounting firm.

They want to be thorough and want to make sure that were finding what needs to be found, Blomster said. This is all about getting it right.

The results of the new review are highly anticipated because they could affect the future of the beleaguered  but well-loved  National Public Radio member station. It is currently under financial control of the university, which holds the broadcast licenses for its main stations KXJZ-FM (90.9) and KXPR-FM (88.9).

The forensic audit came after the Chancellors Office of the California State University system in September released their audit, which identified widespread financial problems and concerns.

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They included poor record-keeping and a lack of oversight and documentation. CapRadio was more than $1.8 million behind on payments it said it would make to the university and that it did not have proper board approval for more than $1.1 million in lease agreements for studio equipment and furniture.

The revelations came as the station was pushing forward on a plan to leave the Sac State campus and move to two downtown Sacramento buildings. It also came shortly after layoffs and programming cuts.

Sacramento State President Luke Wood talks about Capital Public Radios financial situation last year.

In October, Wood said Sac State had spent $12 million to prop up CapRadio and blamed total financial mismanagement for its issues. In one example, Wood said the station reported it had $3 million in reserves when it actually had $85,000.

At the time, Wood said the university was already working on the second audit  the one that has yet to be released  that he had expected to be released early this year.

There have been other challenges since the fall. Station boosters pushed for the university to sell its broadcast license to, and merge with, KVIE, Sacramentos public TV station. A stated goal of the move, they said, was to free the university from having to deal with the stations problems and expenses.

Instead, the proposal led to a rift between Sac State and the stations endowment board over who owns a broadcasting tower and the land it sits on in Elverta.

But there have also been positive developments.

Chris Bruno, the stations chief marketing and revenue officer, said the broadcasters finances have improved, listenership and engagement has gone up while membership revenue has increased.

Were in a much better position financially and were now a stable organization, Bruno said. That included paying off debts and catching up on over 1,000 invoices.

Were currently projected to have no issues throughout the remainder of the year.

In addition to KXJZ and KXPR, CapRadio operates North State Public Radio, which is owned by Chico State, and a handful of repeater stations and translators, including one held by the University of the Pacific and another owned by Cal Poly Humboldt.

Station officials said they are in the process of finalizing its budget for the fiscal year which began July 1, Bruno said.
(FOX40.COM)  One person was arrested in connection with an armed robbery at Del Campo High School, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

Around 1 p.m. on July 9, SCSO said it responded to Del Campo High for a report of a student being robbed at gunpoint by another student during summer school. Del Campo High School and nearby Will Rogers Middle School were placed on lockdown, as the suspects whereabouts were unknown.

Thousands of inmates at an overpopulated California state prison without power

Detectives said they learned that the suspect approached the victim from behind in

the restroom, brandished a handgun, and stole the victims necklace. Afterward, the suspect fled on foot, according to SCSO.

Del Campo High Schools administrative office and the sheriffs office identified the suspect as a 15-year-old freshman who attended the school. He was arrested on July 11 and booked into the

Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility.

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The Sacramento regions big climate change threat is water - either too much during floods or not enough to satisfy regional demands. Our biggest problem in preparing for a drought is pretty simple. Its local government, way too much of it.

Surviving long droughts means jointly preparing to store more water underground in wet years because our rivers will provide less. And that demands a seamless regional water plan to start preparing.

But Sacramento County alone has 14 water districts north of the American River. Thats way too many. And none have agreed to merge for nearly a generation, endangering the future water reliability of their ratepayers while driving up costs created by way too many fiefdoms.

After a series of merger efforts that failed due to board members who did not want to lose their local power, an era of consolidations may finally be upon us in Sacramento County. The two largest water districts north of the American have agreed to discuss combining yet again. And one of the smallest is on a path to joining one of the biggest because a slew of financial and water problems.

Opinion

For Dan York, a 40-year water veteran and general manager of the Sacramento Suburban Water District, merging forces makes all the sense in the world.

To be honest, he said, the biggest challenge is the governance aspect of it. When it comes down to it, its the boards who vote.

Sacramento Suburban is the product of the last merger of water districts in the north half of the county, some 22 years ago. The 40,000-connection district, serving some 200,000 residents, combined the previous Northridge and Arcade water districts.

Granted, this marriage initially got off to the worst of starts - first-class travel by the boss, and extra pay outside of the payroll system for the top two ranking people, which led to legal trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. It led to a new management and board majority that realized it had way too many wells for use in wet years. Sacramento Suburban began to dramatically lower pumping in wet years and relying on abundant river supplies. That led to more stormwater naturally percolating into the ground.

We have banked over 240,000 acre-feet of water by doing that, said York, of a water strategy known as conjunctive use. Put another way, in the last 22 years, Sacramento Suburban has banked enough water for the equivalent of seven years.

Separate water agencies in Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orange Vale and Citrus Heights all exist as silos that cannot remotely achieve the groundwater banking or any economies of scale that Sacramento Suburban is achieving. Maximizing the potential of these systems only happens by merging them and making the investments that prove most cost-effective on a broader, regional scale.

Sacramento Suburban began trying to merge with the nearby San Juan Water District, which provides water to 150,000 residents in Sacramento and Placer counties. By 2015, the entire San Juan board was ready to merge, said York, but the Sacramento Suburban board backed away in a 3-2 vote.

Three years later, the two started talking again. Seven agencies in all agreed to talk. In 2020, Sacramento Suburban and the Carmichael water districts hired a consultant to analyze a possible merger. But then the Carmichael board this March voted to walk away.

The merger should have been a no-brainer, but politics of the silliest kind got in the way.

Five residents of Carmichael get to sit on the local water district board. Only one would likely sit on the Sacramento Suburban board if the two districts merged. I think that issue affected the attitudes of the Carmichael board members themselves, said Paul Helliker, general manager at San Juan.

Meanwhile, a shotgun marriage of sorts is underway.

The square-mile Del Paso Manor Water District, subject of a blistering 2021 Sacramento County grand jury report for a host of water quality and management problems, is in the process of dissolution by a county commission. With no other viable option, it is now in merger talks with neighboring Sacramento Suburban. Their two joint meetings to date have gone very well, York said.

Sacramento Suburban is also talking to San Juan again. If they merge, they create a regional water agency of about 400,000 residents. And then, hopefully, the rationale to fight climate change together, rather than apart, begins to make sense for the smaller agencies north of the river that will struggle to go it alone.

Water is all about preparing for future generations and asking the current one to make the right investments and decisions. Our board is really concerned about 50 years down the road, said York. What does it cost a customer to pay your water bill and make sure theres water? The answer is one water team for the American River, not 14. And the political courage and wisdom of todays leaders to get there.
(FOX40.COM)  On Sunday, the Sacramento Zoo annoucned the addition of six animals from three different species.

The zoo welcomed Kivuli, its third and only female okapi.

The zoo said the okapi population in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing challenges and that it hopes Kivuli will pair up with one of its existing male okapis named Mo.

Sacramento Zoo releases new renderings for proposed new zoo site

One of the zoos mongoose lemurs, Dahlia, gave birth to a baby lemur on July 8th. The baby, the second offspring for Dahlia and Elmo, can be seen clinging to its mothers underbelly in its enclosure.

The zoo said mongoose lemurs are critically endangered and that there are only about 100 in captivity.

The zoo also announced the birth of four baby flamingos and said that there are a few more eggs in the enclosure that have yet to hatch.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  Months after a family of four was tragically killed while they were waiting at a San Francisco bus stop, city officials approved a plan to improve traffic safety in the area.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board voted on Tuesday in favor of making safety improvements around its West Portal Station in light of the quadruple fatal accident.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto, 38, and their two children, 1-year-old Joaquin and 2-month-old Caue, were killed when an SUV plowed into the Muni bus stop on March 16. The family had planned to take the bus to visit the zoo.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, Matilde Ramos Pinto, and their young children pose for a family photo. (Photo courtesy the Pinto and Oliveira family)

Investigators said the Mercedes SUV driver, 78-year-old Mary Fong Lau, was speeding and driving the wrong-way into oncoming traffic when her SUV jumped a sidewalk curb and crashed. Lau is facing vehicular manslaughter charges.

Families with children who attend West Portal Elementary regularly travel through the area.

An SUV crashed into Munis West Portal Station on March 16, 2024. (Benjamin Fanjoy /San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

SFMTA officials wrote, West Portal Station is a key connection point in San Franciscos transportation system. Three rail lines and two bus routes serving 50,000 daily riders intersect at West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street, where the Twin Peaks Tunnel links the light rail lines to the Market Street Subway. Its also home to a vibrant commercial corridor full of unique restaurants and shops. Many youth also travel in the area including students from nearby schools like Hoover Middle School and St. Brendan Parish School, who cross the intersection to board transit and visit neighborhood businesses.

SFMTA officials said the project will clearly define pedestrian, vehicle, and transit movements, create spaces designated for only pedestrians, and remove vehicle traffic from train tracks.

West-Portal-Station-Safety-ImprovementsDownload

District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar said, West Portal is one of the most travelled and cherished neighborhoods in San Francisco. Its station should exemplify the name: a portal to the westside. But our current station is in dire need of improvements to make it safer for people going to work, school, and frequenting our small businesses. My office is working closely with the SFMTA and the Mayors Office to be bold and swift with the necessary improvements at the West Portal Station Project.

City officials are expediting the project with hopes of completing it in the fall.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Cattle gather along a fence in Burleigh County on July 11, 2024. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

A North Dakota investor says the purchase of a financially-troubled meat company is progressing with a percentage of the profits being used to pay back investors in the alleged Ponzi scheme over several years.

Wylie Bice of Killdeer, who is among those who lost money by investing in Texas-based Agridime, told the North Dakota Monitor that a price has been agreed upon to buy the company.

Our offer is reasonable, Bice said.

But several steps remain before the deal can close.

The court-appointed official overseeing the company said in a July 8 update on Agridime.com that federal law requires three separate appraisals for each parcel of property being sold, which is not a quick process.

The update did not say a deal has been reached, but when it is, it would be submitted to the court for a 30-day review and objection period before it can close.

Bice said the final agreement would likely include a percentage of the profits of the company be used to pay back investors over a designated period of years.

Theres always a chance they might get more than they had invested if things go really good, Bice said.

Investors in several states, including a high-concentration in North Dakota, lost millions of dollars by investing in Agridime. Agridime bought cattle, had them brought up to market weight at feedlots and processed in retail cuts of meat. The company then direct-marketed the beef through its website.

It also sold investments in calves, promising as much as a 30% return on investment without having to do the work of ranching.

The Securities and Exchange Commission in December accused the company of operating as a Ponzi scheme by taking money from new investors to pay off previous investors instead of investing that money into cattle.

The North Dakota Securities Department said a Killdeer-based sales agent, Taylor Bang, earned $6 million in commissions from illegal cattle investment contracts through Agridime.

Bang told the North Dakota Monitor in December that the figure was way high.

While it is under investigation, a slimmed-down version of the company has continued to operate as American Grazed Beef.

Bice said that if the deal is approved, he and his partners would likely keep the American Grazed Beef name.

The investments in calves, however, would not be a part of the business plan.

No, I dont think theyll fall for that twice, Bice said.

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Bice, Bang, and other North Dakota investors lost an estimated $40 million in the Agridime scheme.

Overall, investors in at least 15 states are out an estimated $191 million.

The July 8 update also says investors should be notified by the end of the month with a calculation of what they are owed.

Investors will have 30 days to review these calculations and notify the court-appointed receiver of any issues.

There were approximately 40,325 transactions made by Agridime between 2021-2023, and it took a bit of work in the companys bank records to determine what amounts were being paid to whom, the update said.

It also said a motion will be filed with the court outlining the forensic accounting analysis of Agridime between 2021 and December 2023. The motion will provide insight into the companys operations during that time period and whether the company was paying returns on older investor contracts with money received from new investors.

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Cars drive across the East North Street bridge over the Smoky Hill River in Salina. The river channel that winds through downtown Salina has been dry after a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood mitigation project diverted part of the river in 1961. Now, there is renewed interest  and funding from the federal government  to bring flowing water back to the downtown channel. (AJ Dome for Kansas Reflector)

SALINA  The Smoky Hill River may flow more freely through Salina in the next decade if a long-term development comes to fruition.

On Monday, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Salina signed a cost-share agreement to be funding partners for a portion of the proposed Smoky Hill River renewal project. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran announced an additional $400,000 in federal dollars to help cover part of the citys cost toward commissioning a project design draft from USACE.

City documents indicate $13.7 million will come from federal sources and $7.6 million from a citywide sales tax. Salina city officials previously received $22 million in federal infrastructure grants for improvements along the river, which leads through the city, including bridge replacements and revamped boat docks.

Deputy city manager Jacob Wood said the project was pitched to city leaders several years ago by residents who wanted to see improved access to the natural waterway.

Itll be a few years before anything happens, but this was really born out of an idea from the community, Wood said.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran stands over Salina Mayor Bill Longbine and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Travis Rayfield as Rayfield and Longbine sign a cost-share agreement, indicating the first step toward a project to bring flowing water back to the downtown portion of the Smoky Hill River.

The cost-share agreement signed Monday is the first step toward getting water flowing in the Smoky Hill River through downtown Salina after more than 60 years of being controlled. Wood said the agreement means city engineers will work with the Army Corps of Engineers in the coming months to draft a design and construction plan that also includes some downtown revitalization efforts. Voters in Salina approved a local sales tax to benefit downtown modernization along the riverbank in 2022.

Weve done some small incremental things, added some trails here and there to try and get momentum going, but this (cost-share agreement signing) is kind of the first step of a really big process of getting the water flowing, Wood said.

The project includes nearly seven miles of the so-called Old Channel remnant of the Smoky Hill River. A cutoff channel and levee were built in 1961 as part of an Army Corps of Engineers flood mitigation plan, which halted water flow into the Old Channel on the northeast side of the city. Over time, the Old Channel area has built up with sediment, and natural wetland habitats have been lost.

Salina Mayor Bill Longbine said he can remember growing up with water flowing in the Smoky Hill River inside the city.

During my youth, we enjoyed small boats and fishing along the river, Longbine said. Thanks to the dedication and persistence of many of our citizens, we will see a flowing river once again.

Longbine signed the cost-share agreement along with Army Corps of Engineers Col. Travis Rayfield, commander of the USACE Kansas City District. Rayfield said the project feasibility study should be completed in early 2026 so that design and construction can begin in 2027. The goal is for engineers and city officials to see water flowing in the Old Channel by the end of 2030.

Wood said he sees the Smoky Hill River project as a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the trajectory of the future of downtown Salina.

Theres a whole corridor along the river thats prime for different economic development prospects, like businesses and restaurants and nightlife, that we just dont have the opportunity for right now, Wood said.

Wood said hes hopeful to receive a completed first draft of the feasibility study within 12-18 months.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said his office has declined to file any charges against three officers involved in the shooting death of a West Jordan man in August 2023 in a press conference Wednesday morning.

Aaron Zimmerman, 46, was shot to death after he appeared to fire a small handgun at officers responding to a domestic situation on Palm Frond Ct. in the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 2023.

Gill walked through bodycam footage from the crime scene in which Zimmerman, hiding behind a garbage can, was seen firing on a trio of officers. Officers returned fire, shooting off between 18 and 22 rounds. Zimmerman died on the scene.

Gill said the investigation, handled separately by the Salt Lake City Police Department, showed that the officers involved were justified in their actions.

Second call of the night

Gill explained that two officers had responded to the home earlier that same night. A 911 call had come in explaining that an intoxicated Zimmerman was threatening his girlfriend and the girlfriends son. Officers Quin Wilkins and Jesus Camacho responded to the scene, speaking with the family and with Zimmerman to diffuse the situation. Within the hour, officers decided to let Zimmerman go, provided he left the property and stayed the night with a friend further down the street.

However, Zimmerman returned to the house shortly after midnight. Police were called back out, and this time Wilkins and Camacho were joined by Sgt. Lindee Dawson.

Gill showed in bodycam footage that the three officers began inspecting the homes garage, where Zimmerman was known to stay. While they did not find him there, Gill said the three officers heard noises from behind a garbage can outside the garage. As the officers  with Dawson in the lead  began to move toward the can to investigate with flashlights, footage showed Zimmerman brandishing what appeared to be the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP .45-caliber pistol later found near his body.

Gill showed footage and screenshots of what appeared to be consistent with muzzle fire from Zimmermans gun. Shell casing and bullet hole locations appear to show Zimmerman trying to follow Dawsons movements with his shots. Zimmermans shots peppered a nearby car and utility boxes near the garage, but ultimately did not harm anyone.

Gill said investigators looked at the officers movements in responding to the perceived threats as a way to determine if their response to Zimmerman was justified. Gill called their reaction reasonable.

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A teacher at Santa Barbara Charter School in Goleta is accused of secretly recording minors undressing, including children at his school.

Steven Schapansky, 54, was arrested on Saturday and booked on a charge of invasion of privacy with a recording device, a misdemeanor, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department. He has since been released.

Schapansky teaches fifth and sixth grade at the charter school. However, as of Tuesday, his profile on the schools website was gone.

These recordings were captured at various locations, in areas where juveniles would change clothing, the department said. Detectives are conducting extensive follow-up on this case to identify the juvenile victims who were recorded without their knowledge.

The department said the recording devices were found in Schapanskys possession.

Detectives were working closely with school administrators to coordinate outreach and support services.

Potential victims are urged to contact the District Attorneys Office Victim-Witness Assistance Program at 805-568-2400 or toll-free at 855-840-3232.

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As Sarasota's school board grapples with politics in meetings, the board approved several new policies that revised public comment, began implementing student-athlete endorsement guidelines and reorganized a district department.

The board voted unanimously to begin implementing a new Name, Image and Likeness policy, outlining how Sarasota County's student-athletes can profit off of their own image. The board will vote on the final approval of the policy at a future board meeting. It also approved a new public comment policy that splits the time into two sections, and an organizational restructuring to establish an Office of Strategic Improvement and Multilingual Learning.

The new department includes positions such as a private school specialist, a grant specialist and a family engagement specialist. The department would oversee the district's federal funding and grants for English Language Learning students  which was previously overseen by a Budget Services department, Sarasota Schools Superintendent Terry Connor said.

"This will really move us beyond compliance to a more tailored support that we're strategically allocating our resources," Connor said.

Board member Robyn Marinelli said she felt the organizational restructuring and new positions were "very much needed." She added that more support for teachers through this department will help raise the district's achievement, which Chairwoman Karen Rose echoed.

Allowing student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) has shifted the amateur athletics landscape nationally since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of it in 2021. The Florida High School Athletic Association voted in June to allow Florida athletes to profit off of NIL endorsements, and the advertised Sarasota Schools policy would keep the district in compliance with state and FHSAA statutes.

The revised public comment policy brings the district back to how public comment was conducted before the current board majority broadened it following their swearing-in almost two years ago. The policy comes as several activist groups have rallied public commenters in waves to speak at meetings dating back to December when news broke of board member Bridget Ziegler's involvement in a three-way relationship with another woman stemming from a rape investigation into her husband.

Ziegler was not accused of wrongdoing, and the state attorney declined to charge Christian Ziegler.

Public comment changes are among 18 policies revised by the board following a month-long public advertisement. Other policy changes include a locked-door policy in all schools, limitations on book challenges for non-parents/guardians, and other language revisions to bring the district in compliance with state statutes.

The changes to public comment will:

Split public comments into agenda-based comments before board business and general comments after new business.

Allocate three minutes for agenda-based comments and two minutes for general comments.

Give priority in each section to Sarasota County residents, parents and guardians of district students, district employees and district students on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler.

While many in public comment were critical of the changes to public comment, Ziegler expressed her support for the revised policy.

"I will say Mr. Edwards and I agree on the fact that the one policy that we've probably discussed more than anything, as a school board, is the public comment policy. Truly," Ziegler said. "You (Edwards) and I both share that aspect of: I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to move forward."

She said the new policy prioritizes taxpayers and parents.

Board member Tom Edwards said he voted in support of the changes because it helps him in his role as a board member and helps better inform his votes.

"It just compartmentalizes it in case a constituent comes through the door and says 'Hey, did you notice a firewall wasn't protected?' or 'Did you know this specific thing needs to be researched?" Edwards said.

Protest and public comment

Before the meeting, the SEE Alliance  a local activism group founded by Pine View alumnus Zander Moricz  rallied students, parents and activists outside of the board chambers to call on the board to put students over politics.

The protesters led chants such as students first and every student, every day as they rallied against the conservative board majority.

Prior to the meeting, a group of student activists rallied outside the board chambers urging the board to listen to students and put politics aside: pic.twitter.com/LDsLNKMM9r  Steven Walker (@swalker_7) July 16, 2024

Chairwoman Rose took a point of privilege ahead of public comment to urge the public to leave politics at the door. She criticized press coverage of the school district and said the activists were misleading the public.

Sarasota County School Board chair Karen Rose.

"For the first time in my history in this school district you are using this chamber and public comment to run political campaigns for school board seats and misleading the public with misinformation that holds zero evidence," Rose said.

She added that an attendee was struck at a prior meeting, and said "parents and taxpayers are afraid to attend."

Several people who spoke during public comment rebutted Rose's criticism, pointing out that she called those who come to speak at meetings "leftist extremists" in an interview.

Steve Russell said it was ironic that Rose criticized the public commenters for having an agenda, as he said she had a political agenda sitting on the board.

"You saying that was almost like a child saying 'I know you are, but what am I?'," he said.

Mother and coordinator with the SEE Alliance, Julie Forestier.

Julie Forestier, a mother and coordinator with the SEE Alliance, said she was concerned that the new public comment policy would be too restrictive.

"This is a way to silence speakers by making public comment more inaccessible," she said.

Not all who spoke were critical of the board's decision to split public comment time. Conni Brunni, the chair of the local Moms for Liberty chapter and notable Republican leader, said the change gives people more time to address the board.

Alex Leiberman, a current student at Pine View School, asked the board to not raise school meal prices.

At the board workshop Tuesday afternoon, the district's food services department presented a plan to slightly raise prices to keep up with rising supply chain costs and to compensate for the loss of federal funds.

"I encourage you to find a better way to fund the school meals to best accommodate all students regardless of income," Leiberman said.

A vote to finalize meal prices is expected at a future board meeting.

Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota School Board posts NIL policy, approves public comment changes
To save the bees, a Kansas scientist is building an app to identify thousands of species

Just a few decades ago, bee enthusiasts across much of North America could count on spotting one of the continents most common bumblebee species buzzing from flower to flower.

Today the American bumblebee is in trouble. Its numbers have dropped sharply, and it has vanished entirely from large swaths of its range.

Yet the fact that biologists even know of this pollinators plight marks a key step toward helping it, because population trends steer conservation efforts.

By contrast, scientists remain in the dark about how most of the other estimated 4,000 bee species in North America are handling habitat loss, pesticides, global warming and other challenges.

A new smartphone app called BeeMachine harnesses artificial intelligence to tackle a key hurdle to figuring this out: Right now, experts struggle to tell many species apart.

Its a huge problem, said entomologist Brian Spiesman, the apps creator and a professor at Kansas State University. We bring back a few hundred specimens (from fieldwork) and we spend much longer identifying them in the lab than we do actually collecting them.

Bee ecologists mail tricky specimens  many species are nearly identical and tiny as gnats  to specialized taxonomists.

But these taxonomists are in short supply, so Spiesman and his collaborators are training artificial intelligence to help. As an added bonus: The app lets the public participate in documenting bees, too, by snapping photos when they spot one.

This type of citizen science has the potential to get more eyes out there sighting bees than any single study could ever hope for, Spiesman said. Better tools for crowdsourcing are really important.

The publics sightings can offer valuable intel on which bees live where.

In the Midwest, for example, a hiker wandering trails or a gardener scouting their flower beds could find a Southern Plains bumblebee or an American bumblebee, both of which are currently under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for potential listing as threatened or endangered.

A bee forages on a swamp milkweed in the wetlands just south of Lawrence. BeeMachine identified it with 100% confidence as a Southern Plains bumblebee, a dwindling species currently under review for potential federal protections.

A separate project from Cornell University, E-Bird, has already proven the power of large-scale public participation by turning passionate birdwatchers into a wellspring of data for avian research and conservation efforts.

So far, BeeMachine can distinguish between more than 350 kinds of bees at the species or genus level.

The goal: teaching it to identify all of the estimated 20,000 bee species worldwide.

That will require international collaboration, though, because Spiesman and his colleagues need high-quality photos of accurately identified specimens to train BeeMachine.

Bees without borders

Spiesman and his colleagues corral photographs from museums and other reliable sources around the world.

Theyve taken thousands of images themselves and have pulled others from international projects such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, a multigovernment-funded online repository of species data.

Natural history museums hold a treasure trove of specimen collections that have already undergone painstaking identification. Those specimens let BeeMachine correctly learn the minutiae of tricky species.

Yet getting images of these specimens remains a challenge. It can require a lot of specimen handling and imaging work.

Museum staff often dont have the time to pull specimens and definitely dont have time to photograph them for us unless we have an existing collaboration that is already funded, Spiesman said.

As BeeMachine grows and gets smarter, it has the potential to collect and accurately identify sightings on every continent and make the information available to researchers globally.

Already, the project partners with data collection efforts in Japan and Argentina, for example.

Ultimately, Spiesman hopes that BeeMachine will let scientists identify more bees in the field without needing to kill the creatures and scrutinize them under microscopes.

Researchers could, for example, aim a camera at a flower and leave it there to gather images of foraging pollinators for BeeMachine to analyze.

So far, data gathered by BeeMachine isnt viewable online, but that will change soon  likely this month. Users will be able to view each others sightings on the projects website.

Popular naturalist apps, such as Seek, do a good job of identifying the largest and most common bees, but Spiesman says ecologists need a more powerful tool to tell apart the many tiny, near identical species that exist.

We are not replacing taxonomists at the rate that theyre retiring, he said.

Taxonomy requires specialized expertise and rigor. Taxonomists say their field is widely underappreciated and misunderstood, exacerbating the shortage of professionals.

After dead bumblebees turned up in a Raymore, Missouri, backyard, BeeMachine identified them with nearly 100% confidence as American bumblebees, a species that has vanished from parts of its range.

How many kinds of bees exist?

About 90% of plants cant reproduce through wind pollination. They depend on animals to do the work, and bees rank among the most important of pollinators.

Yet bees remain as mysterious as they are important.

Scientists are still figuring out how many species of them exist. Estimates vary, but they commonly range around 20,000 worldwide and 4,000 in North America.

That staggering biodiversity is typical of invertebrates. For comparison, North America has fewer than 500 mammal species.

But what scientists know so far skews toward bigger species that are easier to observe and identify. Thousands of small bee species remain poorly understood.

Case in point: About 40% of the bee species assessed so far by the International Union for Conservation of Nature are bumblebees. This is despite the fact that bumblebees constitute a tiny sliver of the bee universe.

Based on the documented plight of some of the worlds best studied bees, though, scientists worry that their smaller counterparts could struggle, too.

Habitat loss and climate change have hit many insects hard. Insecticides inadvertently poison beneficial pollinators, and herbicides lead to fewer wildflowers on many farms.

Microscopic parasites spread to wild bee species from infected European honeybee hives that people ferry from region to region to pollinate crops.

Introduced honeybees compete for food in areas without enough of it to go around, and wild, native bees face undernourishment.

On some other continents, introduced bumblebees cause similar problems for native pollinators.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is the environment reporter for the Kansas News Service, which is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio. This story was published by KMUW and is republished here as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of several media organizations, including The Wichita Eagle.
at who saved its owner's life before missile strike rescued from rubble of apartment building in Myrnohrad

Cat who saved the life of its owner was rescued from the rubble of an apartment building in Myrnohrad. Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine on Facebook

Rescue workers pulled a cat out of the rubble of an apartment building in Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast, after it was hit by a Russian missile.

The cat had saved the life of its owner by meowing before the attack.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Details: The woman said the cat started meowing loudly and persistently calling her to another room a few minutes before the attack.

The missile did not destroy this part of the apartment.

Rescue workers found the animal during the search operations. The cat stayed under the rubble for almost a day, fortunately unharmed.

The rescue workers handed the cat over to its owner.

Background: The Ukrainian military has found a dog guarding the ruins of his house in Lyman, Donetsk Oblast.

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SCs Nikki Haley gives voters her case to support her once-rival Donald Trump in November

If Nikki Haley and Tim Scott had their way, they would have been speaking on night four the Republican National Convention accepting the GOPs nomination.

Instead, the two South Carolinians who sought the 2024 Republican nomination for president were speakers on the first two nights of the convention where Donald Trump was nominated for the third time by the GOP.

But Haleys speech was among the most anticipated of the convention on whether she would call on her supporters to vote for Trump in November.

Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear, Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period, Haley said at the beginning of her remarks.

Haley was the last Republican candidate to drop out ceding the nomination to Trump. During her campaign Haley called Trump unhinged, diminished and insecure.

When Haley dropped out she called on Trump to reach out to people, including independents and suburban women, who supported her to earn their support. In May, she said she would vote for Trump in the November election, but didnt give a ringing endorsement.

Haley ended the primary cycle with 97 delegates. But last week, she released her delegates allowing them to vote for Trump. She also wasnt initially invited to speak at the convention, but an invitation was extended over the weekend for party unity.

Her remarks Tuesday echoed much of her comments while on the stump during her presidential campaign, including saying a vote for President Joe Biden would lead to a Kamala Harris presidency,

If we have four more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off, Haley said. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.

Haley, who heard received some boos in the convention hall when she walked onto the stage, also acknowledged that she doesnt always agree with Trump and made the pitch to her supporters who dont want to support the former presidents 2024 White House run.

To my fellow Republicans, we must not only be a unified party, we must also expand our party, Haley said. We are so much better when we are bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences. And right now we need to be strong to save America.

Haley spoke on a night when the theme of the convention was Make America Safe Once Again. She served as Trumps ambassador to the United Nations in 2017 and 2018. She has been an advocate for funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israels war against Hamas.

She made the case the countrys national security was better under Trump.

When Barack Obama was president, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. With Joe Biden as president, Putin invaded all of Ukraine. But when Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing, Haley said. No invasion, no wars. That was no accident. Putin didnt attack Ukraine, because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesnt start wars, a strong president prevents wars.

Also on the convention stage Tuesday night were other former primary rivals of the former president including Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as the GOP wanted to project unity at its convention.

Scott touts GOP economic policies

Scott, who was part of an initial short list to be Trumps running mate this cycle, had his turn in the limelight on Monday when the conventions theme was Make America Wealthy Once Again.

Scott argued Republican policies do a better job at lifting people out of poverty.

Scott touted how he wrote the opportunity zones portions of the Trump-era tax cut legislation. The program, one of Scotts signature achievements, is meant to encourage investment in economically distressed areas.

Its conservative values that restore hope. Its Republican policies that lifts people up, Scott said. I partnered with the greatest president of my generation President Donald J. Trump on the biggest tax cuts ever, for working people, and single moms and opportunity zones for neighborhoods that need the most.

During his presidential campaign, Scott touted how $200 billion had been invested in opportunity zones since 2018 to help spur job growth.

Were not just the grand old party of the past. We are the great opportunity party of Americas future, Scott said.

As he often does on the stump, he alluded to how he and his brother were raised by a single mother.

We had plastic spoons, non silver spoons but she taught me to work hard to take responsibility and reject victimhood, Scott said.
MILWAUKEE  Former President Donald Trump didnt just select a running mate here  he doused political kerosene on the raging Republican fire over foreign policy.

By tapping the 39-year-old Sen. J.D. Vance, one of the partys leading national security doves, Trump strengthened the hand of the isolationist forces eager to undo the hawkish GOP consensus that has endured since the Reagan era.

Should Trump prevail in November, the non-interventionists will have one of their most articulate advocates at Trumps side. What worries the hawks is that Vance may also be the last adviser in the former presidents ear.

While toeing the party line and praising Vance in their public comments, in private the interventionists ranged from horrified to merely alarmed that one of the loudest critics of aiding Ukraine could soon be first in line for the presidency. The grimaces, sighs and whispered frustrations from the old guard as they made their way through the convention reception circuit were easy to find in the day after the selection.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who oversees military spending as the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee chair, told one associate, according to a person familiar with the exchange: The Ukrainians better hurry up and win.

Another influential congressional Republican simply told me about the Vance selection: Im scared to death.

While he had it on before Trump announced his running mate, the Ukrainian flag pin on the lapel of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, neatly illustrated without the necessity of words the gulf between so much of the GOP and Vance on the war in Europe.

The Vance pick was a significant victory for the former presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who pushed in public and private for the Ohioan.

The younger Trumps allies couldnt help but gloat in the hours after the announcement. On Monday night, Tommy Hicks, a close friend of Trumps son and former RNC co-chair, sent an email to Karl Rove, the former George W. Bush strategist, who had praised North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as a potential running mate. Karl  you fucked up, Hicks wrote in the note, which has been forwarded to others who showed me, in the day since. We will remember.



With President Joe Biden still under pressure from his own party to withdraw from the race and Trump lifted after surviving an assassination attempt, high-ranking Republicans have never felt so optimistic this year about their prospects. That confidence, along with the selection of Vance, accelerated conversations here about who should fill Trumps cabinet, the sort of discussions that usually begin taking place in the fall.

In a series of interviews, Republicans from the Reaganite wing openly urged Trump to counter Vances influence by appointing more hawkish national security officials.

After praising the former Marines political talent and up-from-poverty story  trumpeting the value he brings to the campaign  the lawmakers turned to governing.

I would love to see more like-minded people in cabinet positions, Sen Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told me, citing former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), both hawks, as Ernst-esque picks.

After insisting that Trump believes in peace through strength, the Reagan credo, I asked Ernst if Vance does.

He does because Trump does, she shot back.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the second-ranking Senate Republican, extolled Vances talents as a political messenger and predicted his colleague would wipe the floor with Vice President Kamala Harris in their debate, while also turning from July to January.

It would be good, as they think about populating their cabinet and these key agencies and positions, to make sure that all those voices within the Republican heritage when it comes to national security policy are heard, Thune told me, citing the same names as Ernst.

When I wondered how ferocious the internal debates would be between Vance, Cotton and Pompeo, Thune, whos running for Senate Republican Leader, acknowledged theyd be very robust, adding that Trump would surely delight in presiding over the Situation Room scrum. He thrives on that, he said of the former president.

The hawks are eager to install Pompeo at the Defense Department, see Cotton at the CIA or inside the White House and are supportive of Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) or Robert OBrien, Trumps first-term national security adviser, as Secretary of State. The fiercest clash may be over Ric Grenell, the troll-happy ambassador to Germany in Trumps first term who is widely thought to covet the State Department or National Security Adviser.

The loudest voice for maintaining the partys traditional posture on national security also happens to be a talented Republican in-fighter, but outgoing Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has little direct influence with Trump.

McConnell (R-Ky.) has been boasting in recent weeks about how his faction was on the march, citing the strong Senate majority for Ukraine aid, Speaker Mike Johnsons hawkish turn on the issue and how every congressional Republican supporting the package emerged unscathed through the primary season.



Yet he had little to say about the Vance pick, only raising an eyebrow when I asked him about it immediately after it became public and declining to speak any further. For all his dedication to the Reaganite cause, McConnell is a party man first and was unwilling to distract from the unity of the week.

In a private session Tuesday with the International Republican Institute, an internationalist group founded in the Reagan era, McConnell walked attendees through history, reminding them that the party has long had brushes with isolationism. He cited one of Vances Ohio Senate predecessors, Robert A. Taft, as an illustration of how powerful the currents had been in the World War II era.

The ascension of Dwight Eisenhower, of course, steered Republicans away from Taftism but the party also changed because of another Midwesterner who went from isolationist to fervent internationalist: former Michigan Sen. Arthur Vandenberg.

It was surely unintended, but what an irony of history that the Trump campaign announced the new tickets first campaign stop together would be this weekend in Vandenbergs hometown: Grand Rapids.



Politicians, however, can turn both ways on foreign policy and the hawks should be sobered by the comments of another Trump vice presidential runner-up.

We need to prioritize our national security with our national interest in how we make those decisions as opposed to pretend we can be everywhere doing everything, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told me.

I asked Rubio, who ran for president in 2016 as the beau ideal for so many Reaganites, if he still considered himself in that realist camp.

I think the world has no doubt changed and I recognize that as I see it evolve, he told me. Whats happening in Europe is important, what could happen in the Pacific is even scarier.

As for those Republicans calling for internal balance, or competition, with Vance, well, Rubio all but said pipe down.

Advisers, he said, exist to implement Trumps decisions and Republicans arent voting to surround the president with a bunch of people that are there to undermine the work.

It was a reminder of Trumps first term, when his more traditional cabinet and staff sought to limit his isolationist instincts.

Those internal battles will likely return should Trump reclaim the White House.

No less a dedicated Vance supporter than Donald Trump Jr. said the selection of the Ohioan represented a win but not the end of the internecine war.

I dont know if it ever ends, right? Trump told me when I asked if he was ready to declare victory.

This time, though, the vice president wont be a Reaganite like Mike Pence.
Rep. Schiff calls on Biden to drop out, citing 'serious concerns' that he can't win

Rep. Adam B. Schiff, a candidate for U.S. Senate, called Wednesday for President Biden to end his reelection bid. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Rep. Adam B. Schiff has called on President Biden to drop out of the White House race, becoming the most prominent Democrat in Congress to do so.

Wednesdays statement from Schiff  the heavy favorite in his U.S. Senate bid and a frequent guest on cable news  brought a jolt to an effort that had grown quieter after the weekend assassination attempt on former President Trump.

The Burbank congressman cited serious concerns about Bidens ability to beat Trump in November.

He is the latest Democrat to call for the president of his own party to exit the race amid growing questions about Bidens age and mental fitness to do the job  worries that became more public last month after a disastrous debate performance, in which the incumbent at times appeared confused.

In a statement reported first by The Times, Schiff said Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nations history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.

But our nation is at a crossroads, he said. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Read more: Column: Republican National Convention is an exercise in collective amnesia

Schiff said that the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Bidens alone, but that he believes it is time for Biden, who tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19, to pass the torch and secure his legacy of leadership by allowing another Democrat to beat Trump.

The congressman also said he will fully support whoever ends up at the top of the Democratic ticket.

I will do everything I can to help them succeed, Schiff said. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.

Before his announcement, the Washington Post had tallied 22 other Democrats in Congress asking Biden to drop out. Schiff is a notable addition to the list.

He is considered close with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a party leader whose position on Biden has been guarded  though she suggested at one point that the president was running out of time to decide whether to leave the race.

When she was speaker, Pelosi used her authority to appoint Schiff to lead the House Intelligence Committee, which is among the most important posts in Congress. She later appointed him to lead the first impeachment against Trump, one of the highest-stakes decisions in her career  and one that helped Schiff rise to national prominence.

When Schiff decided to run for Senate, she endorsed him against two progressive women.

A source close to Pelosi, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about her communications on the matter, said that Schiffs announcement came as news to her and that Schiff did not consult her on it.

Late Wednesday, ABC News reported that during a private meeting over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Biden it would be "better for the Democratic Party and better for the country if he were to bow out.

A Schumer spokesperson called the report "idle speculation. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden told Schumer, as well as House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, that "he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families, the Associated Press reported.

Biden has dismissed the calls to step aside. He has said that he has a strong record in the Oval Office and that average Democrats want him to remain in the race even if big names do not.

He has tried to run out the clock on those critics and withstand their pressure long enough to make replacing him as the nominee logistically difficult, if not impossible.

Im all in, he told a cheering crowd at the NAACP national convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Biden has also suggested that those voicing concerns about his candidacy may be more concerned about their own chances of winning in down-ballot races.

The truth of the matter is, I understand the self-interest of a candidate. If they think that, you know, running with Biden at the top of the ticket is going to hurt them, then theyre going to run away, he said at a news conference Thursday.

Schiff is expected to win a Senate seat that was long held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and is currently held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, whom Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed to serve out the remainder of Feinsteins term after her death in September.

Schiff faces former Dodgers All-Star Steve Garvey , a Republican, after beating other leading Democratic contenders in a crowded primary this year.

After Trump was shot at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, the pace and volume of calls for Biden to get out of the race fell, leading some political observers to wonder whether the shooting would end such calls. Schiffs announcement  delivered in the middle of a Republican National Convention, where Republicans have appeared unified and Trumps former rivals in the party have lined up behind him  shows that is not the case.

Schiffs decision also came the day an Associated Press poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Democrats believe Biden should withdraw.

A polling memo by the Democratic firm BlueLabs Analytics, first published by Politico, found that alternative candidates perform 3 percentage points better than Biden in a theoretical matchup with Trump in battleground states.

Though Vice President Kamala Harris was among those who tested better than Biden, she performed worse than several other would-be replacements, including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Read more: Nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw, poll finds

But Harris would have advantages if Biden were to drop out. She would have the easiest access to the campaigns infrastructure, including its fundraising account.

And she was on the ticket with Biden when he was elected in 2020 and in office when he became the presumed nominee this year.

Harris has many backers if Biden withdraws, including Rep. James E. Clyburn, an influential South Carolina Democrat with deep ties to Biden.

But many Democrats have been pushing for a new process that would allow alternatives, often citing Harris poor poll numbers.

We have a deep bench, Rep. Scott Peters, a San Diego Democrat who has argued Biden should drop out, said in a recent interview with The Times. I would love to hear from a lot of folks about their perspectives. I think that it could be exciting and could get a lot of attention if we paraded out all the amazing leaders we have who are governors, senators, many elected from the swing states themselves.

Asked why he did not mention Harris, Peters said she was one of the people he was referring to. Shes got a strong case and is very talented, he said. But we have to be really focused on who can win.

Newsom also has been floated as a potential candidate. But the governor, a Biden surrogate, has said he has no intention of running and would not run against Harris.

Biden has been dismissive of polls, calling them inaccurate and misleading. I can give you a series of polls where you have likely voters, me versus Trump, where I win all the time, he said.

Democrats are planning to hold a virtual vote before the Aug. 19 convention in Chicago, perhaps this month. But some members of Congress are pushing back, circulating a letter urging the party to wait.

Peters said Biden "is being protected" from bad news by his advisors if he's not seeing polls that show he can't win, "because that's what the polling shows."

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Schiff had warned attendees at a Democratic fundraiser on Saturday that the party would lose the Senate and miss out on a chance to take the House if Biden didn't drop out.

Schiff's statement further increases the pressure on Biden and could prompt other lawmakers who have private concerns to come out publicly.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs cabinet approved a draft budget for next year, backing the contentious finance plan that was sealed this month after weeks of squabbling over limited funds.

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The budget blueprint, which foresees net new federal borrowing of 43.8 billion ($47.8 billion), now faces a bruising passage through parliament, with some lawmakers in the ruling coalition deeply unhappy with the belt-tightening forced on them by Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

Lindner, who heads the fiscally hawkish Free Democratic Party, has insisted on restoring a strict borrowing limit  known as the debt brake  that was suspended to help deal with the pandemic and the energy crisis.

Critics of the mechanism, installed in the wake of the financial crisis, argue that as long as its in place Germany will be unable to deploy the hundreds of billions of euros needed to deal effectively with challenges like climate change, the transition to cleaner energy, expanding its military and an aging population.

Lindner is due to discuss his budget planning at a news conference in Berlin later on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was one minister spared the savings drive and will get enough cash to ensure Germany continues to meet NATOs goal of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense.

Labor Minister Hubertus Heil and Transport Minister Volker Wissing were also largely exempted from Lindners thrift, while Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was upset not to get a bigger share of the pie.

Opposition lawmakers have argued that Lindners numbers dont add up.

The draft 2025 budget includes a projected financing gap of around 17 billion, which the government hopes will be closed due to stronger-than-projected growth and tax revenues and lower-than-expected outflows of earmarked funds.

Helge Braun, a member of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, said hes concerned about the shortfall and accused the government of low-balling spending estimates and using inflated revenue projections.

When we get to 2025 and reality catches up with us, there is a risk that the gap will end up being even bigger, Braun, who also chairs the lower house of parliaments budget committee, said Wednesday in an interview with rbb24 Inforadio.

That raises the risk that funding programs that citizens or companies were counting on are suddenly stopped or not implemented at all, he added.

Scholz and his cabinet also backed a supplementary budget for this year, including an additional 11.3 billion in net new debt that lifts the total to 50.3 billion, as well as another package of measures to boost the economy.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck, a member of the Greens who is also the vice chancellor, has said they could add 0.5 percentage points to Germanys rate of expansion.

The package includes steps to strengthen private and public investment and speed expansion of renewable energies, additional tax write-offs for companies and incentives for people to work longer. The government will also extend tax relief on electricity costs for manufacturers and accelerate efforts to cut red tape.

Rolf Muetzenich, head of the parliamentary caucus for Scholzs Social Democrats, has said the option of suspending the debt brake again remains on the table, though Lindner has repeatedly ruled that out.

Once lawmakers have completed the process of scrutinizing the budget, it would be expected to win approval in both the lower house, or Bundestag, and the Bundesrat upper house, where the 16 regions are represented, by the end of the year.

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Scholz to set up raw materials partnership in Serbia this week

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz waits for the start of the Federal Cabinet meeting in the German Chancellery. Michael Kappeler/dpa

The groundwork for enhanced cooperation in the development of raw materials is set to be laid later this week during a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Serbia.

Scholz is scheduled to meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday, and then, together with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, to participate in a summit on critical raw materials, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Wednesday.

At the meeting, a declaration of intent for a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric vehicles is expected to be signed between Serbia and the European Commission.

Additionally, a letter of intent between the Serbian government and several European and Serbian companies is due to be concluded.

Hebestreit said: "The background is a project for sustainable lithium mining in Serbia.

"Overall, it's about the further development of a European raw materials agenda and the diversification of raw material sources."

He added that the declaration of intent includes "a commitment to high environmental and sustainability standards."
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  Nearly 500 preselected families lined up bright and early outside of Olivewood Elementary in National City Wednesday, one week before the start of the new school year.

Parents and their kids entered the campus to enjoy a free shopping spree.

Its our first time getting invited to one of these, so I told my kids were going to do it and so its kind of like an outing for them. I really appreciate it because I know I struggle every school year, said Sandra Vasquez, a single mother of two.

The annual school supply giveaway is hosted by the National Police Department.

Weve been doing this program for a long time and weve been modifying it this year, said Police Chief Alejandro Hernandez. I think its kind of unique. We are really wanting to help the community and help the schools here.

From regular clothes to school uniforms, families also got to select backpacks, pick out school supplies, and some kids even got a free haircut.

By partnering up with the National School District, the yearly event is made possible thanks to the generous contributions made by community partners.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Schumer, Pelosi increase pressure on Biden to step aside, US media reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top Democrats including U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have increased pressure on President Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection campaign over concerns he cannot defeat Republican challenger Donald Trump, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

Schumer told Biden in a meeting on Saturday it would be better for the country and the Democratic Party if he ended his reelection campaign, ABC News reported.

U.S. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has expressed similar views directly to Biden, ABC News reported, citing a source familiar with the conversation.

CNN reported on Wednesday that Pelosi, too, has told Biden polling shows he cannot defeat Trump and that the president could destroy the Democrats' chances of winning back control of the House of Representatives.

Pelosi spoke to Biden in a recent telephone call, CNN reported, citing four sources briefed on the call. None of the sources indicated Pelosi told Biden he should leave the race, CNN said.

Biden responded by telling Pelosi he has seen polling indicating he can win, according to one CNN source.

A Pelosi spokesperson told CNN that Pelosi has not spoken to Biden since Friday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly call for Biden to drop out of the race.

Schumer's office responded to the report about his meeting with the president with a statement calling it "idle speculation" and said Schumer "conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday."

Jeffries' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Biden has repeatedly rejected calls from Democrats to drop out of the race after his halting performance in a debate last month against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"The President told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

(Reporting by Eric Beech and Jeff Mason in Washington, and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Costas Pitas, Deepa Babington and Tom Hogue)
Its normal to forget a word here and thereespecially when youre put on the spot. But new research suggests that regularly struggling with finding the right words within a reasonable time could signal changes in the brain linked to Alzheimers disease.

The study, which was published in the journal Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, suggests that verbal reaction time could be an important thing for doctors to keep tabs on in the future.

Meet the Experts: James Powers, MD, is professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Clifford Segil, DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

Heres what the study found, plus how it impacts you.

What did the study find?

Researchers recruited 125 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 90 and asked them to describe a scene in detail. Their descriptions were recorded and analyzed by artificial intelligence software to pull out elements like how fast the people spoke, how long they paused between words, and how much they varied the words they used in their descriptions.

The study participants also did a standard set of tests to measure concentration, thinking speed, and planning and carrying out tasks. That included a picture-word interference task, which had participants see pictures of everyday objects like a broom while hearing an audio clip of a word that was related (like mop) or that sounds similar (groom).

Researchers discovered that drops in these abilitiesusually classified as being part of your executive functionwere closely linked to the pace of a persons speech, which suggests a decline in more than just trouble finding the right word.

What are the takeaways from the findings?

Its important to note that the study didnt find that people who speak slowly or have trouble finding words are experiencing cognitive decline. Instead, it found a link between several tests used to measure the beginning stages of cognitive decline and trouble with word-finding.

Still, this lines up with what we have believed all along, says James Powers, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Powers says that there are several theories on why someone may have trouble with word finding when they have Alzheimers disease or related dementias. "It seems to be that processing speed is the issue.

Powers stresses this, though: Struggling with word finding and speaking more slowly doesnt mean you have dementia. But in some people, it can be the first sign of dementia, he says.

Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, agrees. There are a lot of older people that talk slowly that dont have dementia and there are a lot of younger people who talk slowly who dont have dementia, he says.

How can I improve my executive function as I age?

This is a little tricky. Speech and speech patterns are highly personal. Its tough to say that if youre, say, a slow talker, or if you tend to freeze up in social situations and forget certain words that youre on the path to cognitive decline.

Powers say it can be tough to improve how fast you speak and how long you pause between words as you get older, but there are a few things you can try.

Mind exercises, mind games, and memory games are definitely not harmful, he says. While they wont necessarily prevent cognitive decline, Powers says that they can help to retrain the brain.

Reading regularly can also be helpful to keep your brain engaged, Segil says.

Staying social, which requires you to think and react during conversations, can boost your brain power, too, Powers says. But Segil stresses that having actual conversations is important.

Texting, typing, and emailing are not the same as talking, he says.

If youre concerned about your cognitive health, its a good idea to check in with a doctor. There are a lot of things that can cause you to have trouble finding your words, and getting evaluated is the best way to get to the bottom of things.

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A massive asteroid will come close to Earth in 2029. But we'll be ready to learn.

When a massive asteroid whizzes just past Earth in a few years  at a distance 10 times closer than the moon  a space mission will be ready to greet the big rock, and send it on its way.

The European Space Agency announced Tuesday that a spacecraft called Ramses is prepared to "rendezvous" with an asteroid the size of a cruise ship that's expected to shoot just 19,900 miles past Earth in 2029. An object the asteroid's size coming so near Earth is exceptionally rare, scientists said, and likely won't happen again for another 5,000 to 10,000 years.

Scientists have ruled out the possibility that the asteroid, Apophis, will collide with Earth during its "exceptionally close fly-by." But in the future, there could be more dangerous asteroid encounters, researchers warn. The point of the Ramses mission is to gather data about the huge asteroid, to learn how to defend our planet in the future, the European Space Agency said.

"Researchers will study the asteroid as Earths gravity alters its physical characteristics," the agency said. "Their findings will improve our ability to defend our planet from any similar object found to be on a collision course in the future."

An art visualization shows how the European Space Agency's "Ramses" mission will approach the massive asteroid Apophis.

'Extremely rare' massive asteroid

The enormous Apophis asteroid, named after an ancient Egyptian god of disorder, measures nearly a quarter of a mile long, and will be visible to the naked eye from Earth when it shoots past in April 2029, scientists said.

The Ramses spacecraft, which must launch a year ahead of time, will meet Apophis before it passes by Earth and accompany it on its way out of our orbit. During that time, the mission will observe how the surface of the asteroid changes from being in such close proximity to Earth, said Patrick Michel, director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface," Michel said.

Apophis will be visible in clear night skies throughout much of Europe, Africa and some of Asia, but will "draw the attention of the entire world," in April 2029, the European Space Agency said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A massive asteroid will race past Earth in 2029. But we'll be ready.
Scientists warn that ancient Greek sanctuary could be sinking into sea: 'Condemned to disappear in around 50 years'

Like the famed fictional city of Atlantis, a very real historic Greek site may soon find itself lost to water and under the sea. Scientists have warned that rising sea levels caused by a climate in chaos could lead Delos, an ancient site known for its temples, to be lost forever within decades, Phys.org reported.

What's happening?

Delos, a UNESCO heritage site a short boat ride from Mykonos, is doomed to disappear, scientists have warned. The ancient Greeks knew it as the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis, and its 2,000-year-old buildings provide information on daily life during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Phys.org detailed that a study done last year by Aristotelio University in Thessaloniki found that the chemical makeup of certain materials used in cultural monuments is greatly affected by rising global temperatures and high humidity levels.

"Delos is condemned to disappear in around 50 years," said Veronique Chankowski, head of the French School of Athens, an archaeological school that has been excavating the site for the past 150 years.

She noted that the sea level has risen by up to 20 meters (66 feet) in some parts of the island in 10 years. While the effects of rising temperatures threaten the buildings, rising sea levels threaten to wash away the land itself, not just the structures that sit atop it.

"All coastal cities will lose significant areas currently located at sea level," said Athena-Christiana Loupou, a Greek archaeologist and Delos guide.

Why is the impending loss important?

The loss of this archeological site would be devastating and mean more than just lost history. Many of the plants and animals that inhabit the island would also be lost. Further, what is threatening Delos also threatens islands like Gardi Sugdub off Panama's coast and coastal areas where people live.

Rising sea levels are a result of rising global temperatures caused by human activity. If we don't slow down our planet's rapid overheating, entire communities, ecosystems, and human lives may be lost.

What's being done to protect Delos and other coastal communities?

Wooden support beams have been used to hold up some walls on Delos' structures, Chankowski told Phys.org, adding that the issue will require a multi-disciplinary response.

As far as the bigger picture, experts are working to strengthen shorelines, and some are even designing floating homes and neighborhoods. Even sea otters are being put to work.

As individuals, we can all take steps to stop Earth's overheating and keep sea levels from rising further. Some actions include electrifying our transportation and installing clean energy at home, donating to causes on the ground, and voting for pro-climate candidates.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Scores of ISIS operatives killed in Iraq, Syria in first half of year, CENTCOM says

A soldier deployed to At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, cleans an 81 mm mortar tube during a readiness exercise (pictured, 2022). On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command reported that from January to June 2024 the ISIS terrorist group claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. File Photo by Staff Sgt. William Howard/U.S. Army

July 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday that from January to June 2024 the ISIS terrorist group claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria, indicating a reconstitution attempt.

CENTCOM said 44 ISIS operatives were killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024.

Military officials said in a statement the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its comeback included 196 missions in Iraq and Syria in conjunction with Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

"The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj," said CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla in a statement.

In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations killed 14 ISIS operatives and 92 captured ISIS operatives, according to CENTCOM.

CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said Wednesday efforts are ongoing to stop the reconstitution of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. In the first half of 2024 CENTCOM said that effort included 196 missions alongside Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces. ISIS claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria from January to June. Photo courtesy of Defense Department

"The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria," CENTCOM's statement said. "These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations."

There are an estimated 2,500 ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria still at large, by CENTCOM estimates.

CENTCOM said the their continuing pursuit of ISIS fighters is critical to "the enduring defeat of ISIS."

Ongoing international efforts are working to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in Syria.

More than 43,000 individuals and families are also still in the Al Hol and Al Roj camps and need "repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration," according to CENTCOM.

At the peak there were 70,000 people in the camps in 2019.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on the tenth anniversary of the global effort to defeat ISIS in April that while the "territorial defeat of ISIS" has been achieved, the organization remains a threat.

In June the U.S. joined Turkey in sanctions on four people allegedly connected to an ISIS-linked human smuggling network.

The U.S. Treasury Department vowed to continue to leverage a "full suite" of tools to identify and disrupt what it said were "the illicit networks that support ISIS operations."

Gen. Kurilla's Wednesday statement said CENTCOM is continuing to focus efforts on "those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces."
Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R), one of former President Trumps closest Senate allies, called on the Biden administration Wednesday to deliver daily briefings about its investigation into the shooting at Trumps rally in Butler, Pa., over the weekend.

The security of our Republic is being questioned. The Biden administration cant wait until the investigation is complete to release details. It needs to start today, Scott said in a statement.

He said it is imperative for FBI Director Christopher Wray, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to hold a daily public press conference to share updates with the American people and answer questions about what happened, who is being held accountable and how we make sure it never happens again.

He issued his statement shortly after Wray, Cheatle and other FBI and Secret Service officials briefed all senators Wednesday afternoon about their investigations.

Other Republican senators voiced deep dissatisfaction with the Secret Services failure to intercept the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, before he fired off several shots, grazing Trump, killing one rallygoer and leaving two others seriously injured.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for Cheatle to be replaced as head of the Secret Service.

Last weeks near-assassination of former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy. The nation deserves answers and accountability. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction, he said in a statement posted on social media.

Details of Trump shooting security breakdown start to emerge

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) called the briefing unbelievably uninformative and immediately submitted a list of follow-up questions to the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and FBI.

He asked Biden administration officials to describe the size of the security perimeter set at the Butler rally, the total number of FBI personnel involved in the security preparations for the rally, and the total number of state and law enforcement officers who worked on securing the site.

He also asked for a detailed list of countermeasure equipment deployed at the rally and a description of the screening procedures used.

Both Scott and Johnson are members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Scott Peterson continues to fight for new trial. Lacis mom says We endure the pain

Convicted murderer and former Modesto resident Scott Peterson, 51, filed a motion this week asking prosecutors for over 600 items of material, further prolonging his years-long bid for a new trial, according to various news sources.

The motion came after San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill rejected DNA testing for 13 items his defense requested. One item was accepted by Hill  a piece of duct tape found on a piece of Laci Petersons clothing after her body was discovered in April 2003.

Peterson is serving a life sentence for the murder of Laci and the couples unborn son, Conner. The search for Laci captivated the nation when she was reported missing. Peterson was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to death. In 2020, Peterson was resentenced to life in prison.

Petersons new defense team, the L.A. Innocence Project, has reinvigorated his efforts for a new trial, filing several motions this year. This recent motion appeared to have annoyed prosecutors, who have been fighting to keep Peterson behind bars for two decades, and worn down the resolve of Lacis family.

Theyre asking for anything and everything but the kitchen sink. How is that reasonable, said Stanislaus County Deputy District Attorney Ahnna Reicks, Sacramento channel KCRA reported.

Lacis mother, Sharon Rocha, delivered a letter read at the hearing, saying that attending hearing after hearing is becoming tiring for her and her family.

We endure the pain of reliving Lacis murder ripping the scab from the wound with each attempt (Peterson) makes for freedom, the letter reads. Scott Peterson continually claims to have new evidence that exonerates him, but none has ever been produced. He continues and is allowed to file claim after claim. I believe this is not about proving his innocence but, instead, his relentless pursuit of freedom from prison.

Because of the cases long timeline, prominence and Petersons multiple appeals and court appearances, there are thousands of pages of discovery items. Petersons defense has the ability to scour these and bring Peterson back into a courtroom for months, if not years,

Petersons defense continued its orange van theory, which is based on the idea Laci was abducted by being pushed into a van at La Loma Park while walking her dog. The van was found with a bloodstained mattress inside, which already was tested for DNA when detectives were investigating Lacis murder.

A DAs Office response stated that a male profile was developed and that there is no legitimate DNA test that will turn the male profile into a match for Laci.

The approved DNA testing on the duct tape item will be tested by a Redlands-based lab called Pure Gold Forensics. Both sides agreed to this testing.

Hill is required to provide a written ruling on the defenses motion for further items within 90 days.
Search for Georgia girl expands to Texas, 6 other states. Have you seen Maria Gomez-Perez?

Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, has been missing from Gainesville, Georgia since May 30.

Have you seen Maria Gomez-Perez?

The search for a missing Georgia girl has now expanded to several states, including Texas. Here's what we know.

12-year-old Georgia girl missing for over a month

Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, was reported missing from Gainesville, Georgia on May 30. She had been last seen in the driveway of her home the previous day.

Maria stands at 5'3" and weighs 100-110 pounds. She has brown eyes and long black hair.

 : Tips have slowed, but HCSO investigators continue their search for Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, of Gainesville, missing for more than six weeks. See more here:https://t.co/rMcR1o6oXZ pic.twitter.com/CeVmkFttbJ  Hall County Sheriff (@HallCountySO) July 12, 2024

Local law enforcement at the Hall County Sheriff's Office have collaborated with the FBI, Homeland Security and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, among other agencies, to look for the missing girl. Resources such as intelligence, translators and drones have been used in attempts to locate Maria.

Although tips in the case have declined, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch says authorities are still determined to bring Maria home. According to a July 12 update, digital evidence as well as evidence collected from the search has "provided hope for a break in the case and continue to be the best investigative resource thus far."

"The sheriffs office and our law enforcement partners continue to develop more information from social media, the community as well as all other avenues," Couch said in a statement. "Our only goal is to find Maria and bring her home. If anyone has information about Marias disappearance and has not shared it, I would implore them to contact us."

In the sixth week since Maria went missing, Couch said the community has played a significant role in keeping the public aware of the case.

"Whether pledging reward money, organizing signage or sharing fliers, each one of you is appreciated," Couch said. "It is also important to note that scammers have tried to take advantage of this incident using social media. Please remember that the sheriffs office social media platforms should be your point of reference for legitimate and accurate information on the case."

Search expands to 7 other states

In addition to Georgia, law enforcement has expanded the search to Texas, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Hall County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information regarding Maria's whereabouts to call its Special Investigations Unit at 770-503-3232 or email intelrequest@hallcounty.org. People may also report tips by dialing 911. There is now a $50,000 reward for anyone who helps locate Maria.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Search for missing Georgia girl expands to Texas, 6 other states.
Second floor of Fox Commons will open to Lawrence University students this fall

Construction workers with The Boldt Co. renovate the exterior of Fox Commons on College Avenue in downtown Appleton.

APPLETON  The $33.6 million transformation of City Center Plaza into Fox Commons will reach a milestone in August with the completion of the second-floor apartments that will house Lawrence University students.

Work on the first-floor tenant spaces will be finished by the end of the year or early next year, and the buildout of the Lawrence University apartments on the third floor will be done before the start of the fall 2025 semester.

The developers behind Fox Commons  Dark Horse Development and The Boldt Co.  sold 34,000 square feet of space on the first and second floors as a condominium to Mosaic Family Health for its new Appleton clinic. That renovation is a separate, concurrent project that will be finished later this year.

Cole Alsbach, vice president of operations for Dark Horse, said a lot of headway has been made since construction started 11 months ago.

Cole Alsbach

"We've definitely encountered some difficulties with this project being an adaptive reuse type building, but it's nothing that we haven't been able to work through and get over," Alsbach told The Post-Crescent. "Ultimately, we've been very happy with how this project has progressed thus far."

More: Here's what to know about the young developers taking on Fox Commons

The 180,000-square-foot complex at 10 E. College Ave. promises to be a hub of downtown activity. In addition to the apartments and health care and wellness services, it is being marketed as retail space, commercial offices and food and beverage outlets.

The property also will serve as a pedestrian way between downtown and the College North Neighborhood that includes the new $40.4 million Appleton Public Library, the site of the new $26.8 million Appleton Transit Center and housing developments such as Urbane 115, Rise Apartments and Crescent Lofts.

The pedestrian way will be available to the public late this year or early next year.

Alsbach said the renovation of the College Avenue facade has generated positive comments from the public.

"We definitely put a lot of time and effort in that exterior facade making sure it blended with all the other architectural elements along College Avenue," he said. "We really made it feel like separate buildings, rather than one long monolith that it once was."

The south facade of Fox Commons is designed to replicate the look of College Avenue storefronts.

Before the property became City Center Plaza, it was the Avenue Mall.

Who are the tenants of Fox Commons?

The first floor will be occupied by Mosaic Family Health, Prevea Health, gener8tor and The Wild Goose Exchange.

Leasable spaces of 12,000 square feet, 8,000 square feet and 1,552 square feet remain available on the first floor.

"We're seeking local retail and food businesses to help fill up that space," Alsbach said.

The second floor will be occupied by Mosaic and Lawrence University, and the third floor will be occupied solely by Lawrence.

Across the two floors, Lawrence will lease 95,000 square feet of space and have 173 beds in 49 apartments. The setup will enable students who are pursuing business, entrepreneurship and pre-health majors to study and work alongside organizations in their fields of study.

Fox Commons will provide a link between College Avenue and Washington Street.

Mosaic is a downtown clinic that provides health care to underserved populations in the Fox Valley. It received more than $7.7 million through the American Rescue Plan Act to help fund its relocation and expansion.

Mosaic Executive Director Lee Vogel said the clinic will be located on the first floor and its educational partner, Fox Valley Family Medicine Residency, will be located on the second floor.

"We plan on moving in the first week of December," she said.

Vogel said Mosaic's current building at 229 S. Morrison St. will be sold to U.S. Venture. The company sought the property before it decided to make the 222 Building its corporate headquarters.

The north facade of Fox Commons will get a refreshed look.

Is city money involved in the project?

The Common Council approved an agreement with Fox Commons that states Appleton will provide nearly $4.4 million in public funds to make the project happen.

The money will be funded through Tax Incremental Financing District 11 and will be paid to the developers over time  estimated at 15 years  as sufficient property taxes on the new development are collected.

As part of the agreement, Appleton negotiated several provisions to further its long-range plans, including the pedestrian easement, the pedestrian orientation of the first floor and a prohibition on converting any housing units to tourism rooming houses.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Fox Commons will open to Lawrence University students this fall
Correction: An earlier version of this story included an error regarding the start of the Republican National Convention. The convention began Monday.

The new pastor at Fort Smith United Methodist Church is a writer. The Rev. Blake Bradford has penned five books, so he is used to carefully choosing his words in sentences. Sometimes those words are hard to find and more needed before a sermon. He found a way to amend his sermon and share thoughts the morning after the shooting of former president Donald Trump. It was Bradfords second sermon as pastor at the church.

As a people of faith, were horrified and saddened by the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I condemn violence as an affront to the message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation that I hold dear, Bradford said after meeting church members Sunday right after the service.

The Rev. Blake Bradford, the new lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.

The historic church on Fort Smiths northside is a few blocks from downtown. There are members from across the River Valley, about 1,200 of them today. Rev. Bill Bud Reeves retired after nine years at the church, and Bradford took over July 14. Bradford, of Little Rock, is the former district superintendent for Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Churchs northwest Arkansas district. He oversaw 120 churches, steering rough seas as Methodists broke away from churches nationwide. More than a quarter of the Arkansas United Methodist churches have disaffiliated, leaving 415 United Methodist churches statewide.

He said he is getting to know Fort Smith and the congregation here and offered a response to the shooting and the fear it prompted.

When we gather as United Methodists we are focused on peace. We are focused on reconciliation, and we are focused on healing, and we are not to be distracted by fear, Bradford said.

Fort Smith United Methodist lead pastor The Rev. Blake Bradford meets members Dick Appleton, center, and Joann Gedosh at the church Sunday, July 14, 2024.

During the prayer time of Sundays service and in his sermon, he spoke about political violence.

It is a challenging season in which we are doing ministry, Bradford said.

We at First United Methodist Church will be lifting up our prayers for Trump and his family during this challenging time, along with the families of those who were killed in yesterdays violence, asking for Gods comfort and peace.

Similar words were echoed from inside the Fort Smith First Baptist Church a few blocks away, and in places of worship across the world.

The Rev. Greg Addison, senior pastor at Fort Smith First Baptist asked the congregation Sunday to pray for peace in our culture and for peace at the Republican National Convention that started Monday.

We are going to pray for Milwaukee, so things dont break out there. We are going to pray for our president who is leading our country. We are going to pray for former president Trump, for his safety and his family and his advisers. We are going to pray for law enforcement, Secret Service, ... FBI, state and local. You never know in a moment like this what could break out. We pray for the rhetoric and the discourse in our nation to find a different path than it has been on, Addison said.

Bradford, 49, is now the youngest lead pastor at Fort Smith United Methodist. Also joining him is associate pastor, The Rev. Abbey Maynard who started July 1, as well.

The Rev. Abbey Maynard, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.

Maynard is a lifelong United Methodist who graduated from Hendrix College and Candler School of Theology, with experience in pastoral roles focused on community ministries. Previously, she served as pastor of community ministries at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, according to a news release.

Fort Smith First United Methodist members Susan Pate and Sherri Staggs meet the new associate pastor, The Rev. Abbey Maynard at the church Sunday, July 14, 2024.

Bradford also has been reaching out to an audience on social media.

Abby and I are unloading our boxes and getting to know folks here in Fort Smith, he said in a Facebook post.

Bradford brings nearly a decade of experience as a district superintendent and staff member of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church, culminating in his role as dean of the Bishops Cabinet.

More: Arkansas loses 67 more United Methodist churches

Bradford is a seasoned leader with a deep commitment to growing disciples and connecting the church to the community.

Bradford authored and co-authored five books on church leadership and governance, and presented workshops at conferences nationwide, according to a church news release.

"First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith has a legacy of outstanding fruitfulness in ministry, and the congregation has been a leader both in the River Valley and in the UMC for decades. As the church faces new opportunities in this next season ahead, I am excited to journey alongside such faithful disciples as we, together, seek to make a God-sized impact in and with the people of the larger Fort Smith community," Bradford said.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: New Fort Smith pastor joins others in addressing Trump shooting
Tattoos are famously permanent, so when you're looking to get new ink, it's important to find somewhere and someone you trust.

If you've thought about getting a tattoo for a while, you're probably looking for a specific style. It is a good idea to find an artist who specializes in that area whether it's neo-traditional, color, line work, realism or something else.

Thankfully, Colorado Springs is full of talented tattoo artists who have mastered their craft in a wide range of styles.

In honor of National Tattoo Day, July 17, the Gazette has compiled a list of the best tattoo shops and parlors around Colorado Springs, according to readers who voted for the Best of the Springs.

7. Work of Heart Tattoo

Located at: 5879 Palmer Park Blvd.

This tattoo shop is women-owned and has multiple artists who cover a range of different styles from traditional to color to anime and beyond.

"We work from the heart and it shows in our quality of work," their introduction reads. "Come in as a guest and leave as FAMILY!"

You can see some of their work on the shop's Facebook page and learn more about the individual artists here.

6. King Louie's Tattoo Parlor

Located at: 3315 W. Carefree Circle

This tattoo shop is owned by Louis and Anna Colon, an artist couple each with their own specialty, according to their website. Louis is an expert of covering up old tattoos to make something fresh and he also does photorealistic art.

Anna has a more feminine style and has mastered floral bouquet designs and stipple shading, according to their website.

You can find their portfolio and book an appointment here.

5. Ink Inertia Custom Tattoo and Art Gallery

Located at: 2921 N. Murray Blvd.

Tattoo artists Phil and Joel first opened Ink Inertia Custom Tattoo in 2011. Today, a group of eight independent artists fuel this shop with unique skill and style.

"If I could rate these guys higher, I would in a heartbeat. If you want quality work, a comfortable and judgment free place to go this is more than the right place for you, a review on their website by Alicea Sanchez says.

You can book an appointment or learn more about their individual artists on the shop's website.

Featured Local Savings

3. West Side Tattoo (tied for third best shop)

Located at: 2031 W. Colorado Ave.

112322-news-tattoos 2.jpg Zach Krueger puts a stencil of a rainbow pride tattoo on the leg of a customer at West Side Tattoo as a part of a fundraiser for the victims

Brothers Aaron and Brian Moore opened West Side Tattoo in 2005. They now have 21 different artists, allowing them to offer expertise in nearly every tattoo style imaginable.

"Step into our creative sanctuary, and let our skilled hands bring your imagination to life, leaving you with a permanent work of art that tells your story for a lifetime," the introduction on their website reads.

You can learn more about this shop and book an appointment on their website.

3. R U Tattooed (tied for third best shop)

Located at: 5352 Montebello Lane

R U Tattooed is a Christian-owned tattoo shop run by four different artists, two of whom specialize in realism and neo-traditional.

Their website homepage opens with a scripture and then provides information of each of their artists.

All of their artists book differently, so it's recommended to reach out to them individually. You can find the list of artists here.

2. Fallen Heroes Tattoo & Piercing

Located at: 524 W. Colorado Ave.

DavidBrenda2.JPG Brenda and David Brown are the owners of Fallen Heroes Tattoo on West Colorado Avenue and the founders of Redemption Ink. The nonprofit has ma

This large tattoo shop has another location in Florida. Their name is in honor of local heroes who they don't believe get enough fanfare such as teachers, firefighters, first responders, veterans, police officers and active duty military.

"These are our fallen heroes. These cornerstone occupations have molded the communities that we live in. Those few that will step up where others might yield. ... You will always be VIP at Fallen Heroes Tattoo & Piercing"

Their Colorado location has over 20 artists, you can book an appointment on their website.

1. Timeless Body Art

Located at: 23 E. Kiowa St.

The most voted for tattoo shop is located in downtown Colorado Springs. Sean Drake opened the shop in 2009 after finishing his apprenticeship. He specializes in black and gray and color realism.

"We provide a clean, safe, comfortable environment for all; from portraits, American traditional, custom pieces, to group walk-ins, we do it all!"

You can learn more about Timeless Body Art or book an appointment on their website.
"This is the secret": Away from the stage, Trump allies plot Project 2025 agenda at his convention

MILWAUKEE  The conservative policy director and attorney behind the Project 2025 manifesto took to the stage at a Republican National Convention sponsor's event to mock liberals' fear over the conservative movement's plan to transform the federal government under a second Trump administration  all while laying out a vision to take down the so-called "deep state."

"I think that that's what's really gotten under the left's collar, is that this is really a way for us to make sure when we ultimately get in in the driver's seat, that we're ready to move out," said Paul Dans, the Project 2025 director who served as chief of staff and White House liaison at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump.

Dans  and former Trump administration employees who are championing Project 2025 ideas  spoke Monday at an hours-long event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, the activist think tank that has fueled the U.S. right-wing movement for decades and is now behind the 2025 Presidential Transition Project.

Dans repeatedly described Project 2025 as an antidote to the deep state that he described as behind everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to the attempted assassination of Trump over the weekend.

"Remember everyone who died from COVID?" Dans said. "Remember that disastrous pullout in Afghanistan? Even remember what happened on Saturday? All these are products of this deep state, and we need to re-infuse political control over this bureaucracy. And that's the importance of Project 2025."

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah who spoke before Dans, said that opposition to bureaucracy is key to Trump's success  and the reason that "they" continue to attack him.

"This is the secret to why Trump has been successful," he said. "It's also the secret to why we need Trump so much today, and the secret to why they're doing everything they can, why they tried to imprison him, why somebody tried to kill him."

Dans says the Biden campaign is pushing a "fake attachment" between Trump and Project 2025, which he said launched over two years ago.

"We are not running for president," Dans said. "President Trump is running for president. We're a group of private citizens advocating for better government."

He claimed the media has "debunked" any connection with Trump.

But CNN found that at least 140 former Trump administration employees have served in Project 2025 roles such as authors or contributors. That includes six of his former Cabinet secretaries.

In total  CNN found "nearly 240 people had ties to both Project 2025 and to Trump."

Dans chastised the Biden campaign's Twitter account for sharing a list of some of those individuals.

"It's a loathsome abuse of power for the most powerful person in the world to direct fire on his fellow Americans," Dans said.

Trump, for his part, has called the project "absolutely ridiculous and abysmal," claiming he has no idea who's behind it and denies he has anything to do with it.

But in an April 2022 speech before the Heritage Foundation, Trump applauded them for lay[ing] the groundwork for his next administration.

Theyre going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do, Trump said of the Heritage Foundation and their efforts to  as they describe on the Project 2025 website  pave the way for Trumps next administration.

Dans claimed that Project 2025's critics are pointing to "a lot of made up policies... that are just nowhere found."

Dans claimed "90%" of the media's characterization of Project 2025 is false. He deemed criticism from Democrats as "probably the greatest misinformation campaign since, I don't know, the Russia hoax."

"To be sure, the people who are screaming the loudest about it have the most to lose," Dans said. "They are really the ones defending this deep state. They are defending the anti-democracy. This is really Projection 2025 on behalf of the left."

Dans spoke little about the particulars of the over 900-page Project 2025 agenda, instead saying that the overriding goal is to quash the administrative state.

Project 2025 contains a lengthy wishlist of conservative and far-right goals: from moving the Justice Department and its FBI under presidential control, to slashing climate change regulations, to eliminating the federal Department of Education, to ending public funding for "transgender surgeries or to facilitate abortion for servicemembers."

The word abortion appears 198 times in Project 2025: from prohibiting Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from receiving Medicaid funds, to having the government cut funding for states that don't report every abortion, stillbirth and miscarriage.

Project 2025 would also have the FDA reverse its approval of abortion pills and direct the agency to stop allowing the mailing of abortion pills. And Project 2025 would eliminate the requirement for insurance providers to cover the emergency contraceptive Ella.

Project 2025 targets the "toxic normalization of transgenderism"  it aims to prevent transgender individuals from serving in the military, to rescind anti-discrimination regulations protecting transgender individuals and to make it harder to get gender reassignment surgery.

And Project 2025's authors vow to end illegal immigration and seal the 1,933 mile-long U.S.-Mexican border. Other immigration policies include eliminating visas for crime victims and making clear that ICE deportation officers can deport "immigration violators anywhere in the United States, without warrant where appropriate, subject only to the civil warrant requirements of the [Immigration and Nationality Act] where appropriate."

Trump himself said at a Michigan rally this spring that: "On day one, we will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history."

When asked whether he would build new detention camps, he told Time Magazine this spring that he expects he'd deport people so quickly they may not be needed but said: "I would not rule out anything."

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

At the Heritage's Monday event, Trump's former acting ICE Director Tom Homan denied that the Trump administration would build "concentration camps" and sweep neighborhoods for his massive deportation program.

But Homan  a Project 2025 contributor who championed the increased separation of children from parents at the border  promised a reinvigorated deportation effort in a second Trump administration.

"Bottom line is under President Trump, he's still going to prioritize national security threats and criminals, but no one's off the table," said Homan, the former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and currently a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation's border security and immigration center. "If you're in the country illegally, it's not OK. If you're in the country illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder, because it's not OK to enter this country legally."

The Trump administration, according to Homan, would focus on enforcing removal orders for people who unsuccessfully seek asylum under federal law.

"So they're going to be ordered removed, they'll get a federal order saying you must leave," Homan said. "What is the option? We have to execute these orders."

He continued: "A federal judge says: 'You must go home.' The Trump administration gon' make them go home."

Another former Trump official-turned Heritage Foundation staffer called on Trump to use the first day of his second term to revoke all federal guidance on sexual orientation and gender identity  including Biden's executive order expanding sex discrimination prohibitions to include gender identity or sexual orientation.

"That is the primary responsibility, I think, of the next administration is to make sure that they don't sacrifice children on the altar of woke progressivism," said Sarah Parshall Perry, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who previously worked as a senior counsel for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education on Trump.

Perry said Trump should take away loan amnesty for student loans and instead give parents educational vouchers and credits  a move that opponents have long said would decimate the U.S. public school system and access to education.

To quash the administrative state, Project 2025 would instead create an administration composed solely of political appointees to replace the U.S. system of nonpartisan civil servants.

"Political appointees who are answerable to the President and have decision-making authority in the executive branch are key to this essential task," reads Project 2025.

On Monday, Dans described Project 2025 as a guidebook for conservatives to "take back the government."

"Even when we win, we can still lose if we aren't working to put the policy in place," Dans said. "The day after the election is just day one. You're at the starting gate, and it takes outsiders. That's what's so amazing about President Trump, is that this system is only going to change when outsiders come into Washington and make the change. And that's really the call of Project 2025. It's a threat to the system, because it's you taking back your own government."

The Heritage Foundation, founded in 1973, came up with a guide for former President Ronald Reagan that "ultimately became the Bible of the Reagan Revolution," Dans said.

"What we've done here is basically put up the solution set," he said. "This is the source code of how this whole thing works."

Dans said Project 2025's primary focus is going up against the "fourth illicit branch" of government: federal agencies designed to roll out federal programs.

He argues progressives have built up the power of those agencies for decades.

"Really it's the anti-democracy at work," Dans said. "This is a class of people making laws, making policies that come right out of the Ivy League academies, and they're thrust upon you."

Dans  who says he earned his bachelor's and graduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology  said for too long, conservatives have failed to offer a "full-throated approach to what to do about this unaccountable, unconstitutional fourth branch of government."

Dans praised a recent Supreme Court ruling that reigned in the "administrative state" by overturning the Chevron doctrine, which granted federal agencies deference when rolling out federal laws and programs.

Other rulings this term further limited the power of agencies to pass regulations  a development that scholars say increases public risk from unsafe products and leaves the environment vulnerable.

Conservative groups including the Heritage Foundation have pushed such steps for decades. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's wife Ginni Thomas worked as the Heritage Foundation's director of executive branch relations during George W. Bush's administration.

Dans' talk was moderated by the editor-in-chief of the conservative online magazine The Federalist, Molly Hemingway, who concluded the event saying: "See, Paul's not near as scary as the media says he is."
Secret Service head 'needs to go': senators call for ouster after Trump attack briefing

WASHINGTON  Multiple senators are calling for new leadership at the Secret Service after a Wednesday briefing on the attack against former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania political rally.

"This was a 100% cover-your-ass briefing," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., posted on X. "Someone has died. The President was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go."

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on X that getting new leadership at the Secret Service would be an "important step" toward answers and accountability.

Campaign signs and empty water bottles are seen on the ground of a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Officials at the FBI and Secret Service gave senators updates Wednesday afternoon on the investigation into the shooting at Trump's campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed by a bullet that took off a piece of his right ear, and Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed as he tried to shield his family from the attack. Two other men were injured.

Senator tells USA TODAY director needs better explanation

Law enforcement officials were notified about suspicious activity around or on the building 20 minutes before shots were fired Saturday and the suspect was killed, according to a senator who attended the briefing.

The length of time between the suspicious activity and authorities taking action deeply troubled the senator, who talked about the briefing on condition of anonymity. It will be difficult for the director of the Secret Service to lead the agency without a better explanation for the delay, the senator said.

Officials have interviewed at least 220 people as part of the investigation and still do not have a motive for the attempted assassination, the senator said. There is no indication that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks had accomplices or help from a foreign government.

The suspects father is a gun enthusiast, the senator said, and had more than 20 weapons in the home.

The briefing was held the same day the Butler Township Manager said in a news release that local police searched for a "suspicious" person near the rally and one officer, who hoisted himself up to the roof, saw Crooks moments before the attack.

"The officer was in a defenseless position and there was no way he could engage the actor while holding onto the roof edge," Township Manager Tom Knights said. The officer let go and fell to the ground, and local police immediately communicated Crooks' location and that he had a weapon, Knights said.

'So much smoke and mirrors'

The drumbeat for political consequences  and calls for heads to roll  began within hours of the Saturday evening rally, where 20-year-old sniper Crooks came within an inch of assassinating the former president.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that "a bunch" of senators raised their hands to ask questions of the Secret Service at the briefing, but the call was cut off after only a few questions.

"So much smoke and mirrors," Lee said in one post. "So little accountability."

Initially, scrutiny about the Secret Services failures focused on how the shooter was able to scale a nearby building and gain a direct shot at Trump from about 150 yards away with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle. Thats far less than the 1,000 yard perimeter considered appropriate for such countermeasures, former Secret Service Director Julia Pierson told USA TODAY.

In recent days, calls for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign have grown as more information has emerged, including that bystanders were trying to alert police and the federal protective agency to the shooter on the roof long before Crooks began shooting.

Cheatle is expected to testify Monday before the House Oversight Committee at the request of its Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky. Comer subpoenaed Cheatle on Wednesday to appear, writing that, "The assassination attempt of the former President and current Republican nominee for president represents a total failure of the agencys core mission and demands Congressional oversight."

Independent review will look at 'all aspects': Secret Service

Questions also have been raised about how quickly the Secret Service  and local police  reacted to reports of a man acting suspiciously in the crowd.

Barrasso posted that Crooks was identified as suspicious an hour before the attack, although the senator didn't clarify who identified Crooks. He said the Secret Service lost sight of Crooks, who had a range finder and a backpack.

It was also disclosed that local police officers had been stationed inside the building, but none on the roof.

In an interview with ABC News, Cheatle called the shooting "unacceptable" but said she will not resign.

President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said an independent review would be launched into the Secret Services operational conduct and on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general announced he too would be conducting an investigation.

The Secret Service falls under the Department of Homeland Security.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service spokesman, told USA TODAY in response to questions about the the Secret Service efforts on Saturday that "there is an independent review panel that's going to look at all aspects of this."

Also Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a bipartisan task force within the House that will investigate the assassination attempt, saying "we need answers for these shocking security failures."

In a post on X, Sen. Rick Scott, R. Fla., called on FBI Director Christopher Wray, Cheatle, and Mayorkas to hold a daily public press conference to share updates and answer questions about what happened, who is being held accountable, and how to ensure "it never happens again."

Contributing: Riley Beggin

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senators want Secret Service head's ouster after Trump attack briefing
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle privately acknowledged in dual congressional briefings on Wednesday that her agency had made mistakes  but it wont be enough to stem a wave of bipartisan criticism over Saturdays attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Instead, the House is now expected to have a classified briefing next week once the chamber returns to Washington  a step both Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed on a call between top Secret Service, FBI officials and lawmakers, according to a person on the briefing and two people familiar with it.

Cheatle is at the center of a storm of congressional ire as lawmakers dig into a sweeping investigation of the shooting, including how the gunman was able to get on a roof roughly 200 yards from where Trump was speaking.

She appeared to acknowledge that frustration on Wednesday, telling lawmakers that there was a failure by the Secret Service at Trumps rally. One of the people familiar with the briefing said that Cheatle acknowledged mistakes and gaffes.



But the details shared on the call did little to quash the laundry list of questions that lawmakers, including Democrats, have about the shooting. Shortly after the Senate briefing ended, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Cheatle should step down.

Last weeks near-assassination of former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy. The nation deserves answers and accountability. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction, McConnell said in a statement.

Other Republicans, in particular, vented afterward that they got little new information and that lawmakers were able to ask only a few questions.

This was a 100 percent cover-your-ass briefing.  No one has taken responsibility. No one has been held responsible. Someone has died. The president was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said after the briefing.

Both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for the administration to brief their respective chambers. Johnson, in particular, demanded that Cheatle and Wray take part, according to one of the people familiar with the briefing.

Lawmakers were also told there were roughly 20 minutes between when Secret Service notified local police of a suspicious person and when shots were fired, according to the second person familiar with the briefing. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) publicly confirmed that detail in a series of posts on X  largely complaining about the briefing. Trumps Secret Service detail made a call asking about a person they saw on a roof in the outer perimeter of the event  presumably the gunman  and made a call about it. The shooter fired at the president during that call, one of the people said.

Wray and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate also updated lawmakers on the status of the FBIs investigation, noting that the bureau had so far interviewed roughly 200 people.



The FBI told lawmakers that the shooter searched major depressive disorder on his primary cellphone and that the FBI found searches and images of both President Joe Biden and Trump, the person on the call and the second person familiar with the briefing added. The gunman also scoped out the site of Trumps rally in advance, including traveling to the fairgrounds on July 7 and earlier in the day on July 13, those two people said.

Law enforcement has struggled to publicly nail down a motive for the gunman, but officials have said publicly  and reiterated privately on Wednesday  that so far there isnt evidence of others involved or a foreign tie.

Instead, Abbate said people who knew the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, told investigators that they never heard him talk about politics or ideology, according to one of the people who shared details about the call. He also said investigators found a tactical vest in the shooters car. His computer didnt have any ideological information  an absence that was notable in this case. A search of his cell phone, meanwhile, showed a snapshot of live online coverage of Trumps Pennsylvania rally taken at 6:01 p.m. the day of the shooting. It also had pictures of guns and U.S. government figures, as well as content related to a mass shooting in Michigan.

On July 6, the shooter searched for information on where Trump would speak on July 13, as well as for information on where the Democratic National Convention would be held. His phone used encrypted platforms linked to Germany, New Zealand, and Belgium. The Bureau has sought information from 30 companies, and is waiting on responses from more than a dozen.



Abbate also said investigators questioned an instructor at the gun range where the shooter frequented. That person called him quiet and non-aggressive.

And the FBI and Secret Service officials got questions from Johnson about if they were sharing information on credible threats, including an Iranian plot against Trump, in real time with Congress and the Capitol Police, the two people familiar with the call said.

But lawmakers fumed afterward that there wasnt enough time to ask questions, with approximately four members on both the Senate and House call able to get one in. And even those who did werent satisfied. Both calls were scheduled for 30 minutes but both ran long.

A spokesperson for Sen. John Cornyn confirmed that he was one of four senators who got a question in during that chambers call but added that the Texas Republican is not confident after the call that those in charge at the USSS are up to the task.

Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) told POLITICO afterward that the House would have a classified briefing and that my takeaway was it was an absolute failure in leadership.

Briefing was awful ... not enough time for questions, he added.

Republicans ire at Cheatle is only likely to grow after the Department of Homeland Security notified Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on Wednesday that Cheatle will not appear before his committee Monday, after he issued a subpoena for her appearance earlier Wednesday.

Given her travel and operational commitments, we would appreciate the opportunity for Director Cheatle to appear before the Committee on July 25, July 26 or during the week of July 29, 2024 rather than July 22, DHS wrote to Comer in a letter obtained by POLITICO.

An Oversight Committee spokesperson appeared to reject that request, saying that Cheatle has agreed to comply with Chairman Comer's subpoena and the hearing will take place as scheduled on Monday, July 22.

Anthony Adragna and Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Researchers may have finally discovered the secret behind the Greenland shark's startling longevity. | Credit: Doug Perrine / Alamy Stock Photo

Greenland sharks can live for hundreds of years, but scientists have never understood why. Now, researchers may have finally discovered the secret to the animals' startling longevity: their never-changing metabolism. The surprising finding goes against scientists' previous assumptions and could have major implications for how these animals adapt to climate change.

Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) have an average lifespan of at least 250 years but can potentially reach over 500 years old, likely making them the longest-living vertebrates in the world .

These sharks dwell in the Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 8,684 feet (2,647 meters).

The exact reasons for their long lifespans have been hard to pin down. Researchers have long assumed that their longevity was related to their super-cold environments  they can survive in waters as cold as 29 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 1.8 degrees Celsius)  and minimal movements, according to a statement about the latest findings .

But the new research, which was presented at the Society of Experimental Biology Conference held in Prague from July 2 to July 5, suggests the sharks' longevity could be related to their metabolic activity, which does not seem to change over time like it does in other animals.

"This is important for us as it shows the sharks don't show traditional signs of aging," study lead author Ewan Camplisson , a doctoral student at the University of Manchester, told Live Science in an email.

Related: Searching for 'Makozilla'  the supersized mako sharks in the North Pacific

Metabolism is the chemical process in which enzymes break down nutrients into energy and the processes that use this energy to build and repair tissues. In most animals, the rate of metabolism decreases over time. This leads to reduced energy production, slower repair and regeneration of cells, as well as a reduced ability to remove cellular waste products that can cause further cell damage.

To measure the sharks' metabolism in the new study, the researchers took tissue samples from the muscle of 23 Greenland sharks that were caught on the south coast of Disko Island in central Greenland.

On frozen ground, a greenland sharks lays as two people collect tissue samples.

The team then measured the activity of five different enzymes in the samples to work out their metabolic rate and their response to different environmental temperatures.

The researchers then calculated the age of each shark by measuring their body length  a 2016 study created a model to estimate the age of Greenland sharks from their total body length which was used here. They found that the sampled sharks ranged from 60 to 200 years old.

Surprisingly, when the researchers compared the sharks' enzyme activity, they found that there was no change across the different ages.

"In most animals, you would anticipate seeing some enzymes have reduced activity over time as they degrade and become less efficient," Camplisson said. But this is not the case with Greenland sharks.

The stable metabolism across Greenland sharks' ages suggests they don't degenerate like other animals do, which is likely the reason for their long lifespans.

Tests also showed all enzymes had "significantly higher" activity at warmer temperatures  a finding that was expected, as enzymes tend to have higher activity at increased temperatures.

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"We wanted to investigate if the Greenland shark's enzymes were specifically adapted to work more effectively in cold conditions, but we did not see this trend," Camplisson said. "The higher activity in warmer conditions would suggest that if these sharks were forced into a warmer environment, then their metabolism would increase significantly which would likely alter their lifestyle."

This finding is particularly relevant, as global sea surface temperatures are expected to increase by 2.1 F to 5.8 F ( 1.2C and 3.2C) by 2100 due to global warming . And the Arctic's average temperature has already risen three times faster than the global temperature, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature .

Camplisson hopes to test more hallmarks of aging and investigate the sharks' metabolism further to better understand how to protect them as global warming impacts their environment.
TechCrunch

Lawyers representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX CEO and co-founder who was convicted of fraud and money laundering late last year, are seeking a new trial. Following crypto exchange FTXs collapse, Bankman-Fried was found guilty on all seven counts, then sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture. Bloomberg reports that Bankman-Frieds appeal focuses on the behavior of U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, alleging that Kaplans rulings were not just erroneous but unbalanced and that the judge continually ridiculed Bankman-Fried during trial, repeatedly criticized his demeanor, and signaled his disbelief of Bankman-Frieds testimony.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) exits Federal Court following his bribery trial in connection with an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, in New York City, U.S., July 16, 2024.

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez told CBS News on Wednesday he had no plans to resign after being convicted of corruption charges, refuting an earlier report saying he told allies he was going to quit.

NBC News, citing two people familiar with the conversations, reported earlier that Menendez told allies he was going to resign.

"I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so called allies ... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement. Anyone who knows me knows that's the worst way to achieve a goal with me," Menendez told CBS News on Wednesday.

Editorial: The time has come, Sen. Menendez. For New Jersey's sake, resign

Pressure has been growing on Menendez to step down following his conviction on Tuesday on all 16 criminal counts he faced including bribery at his federal trial in Manhattan.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Sen. Bob Menendez denies report that he will resign
Sen. Patty Murray toured the Lummi Nation Health Center and met with Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire on Tuesday to address federal and tribal government collaboration in responding to the fentanyl crisis as she works to secure funding for additional supportive resources.

The Health Center is uniquely designed as a central location for patients to access all of their health and medical needs in one location, including things like dental care, physical therapy, and substance abuse treatment.

The New Life Center, which is directly next to the health center, focuses on stabilization and recovery for patients going through opioid withdrawal.

The Lummi Nation Health Center is designed as a central location for patients to access all of their health and medical needs in one location. This includes dental care, physical therapy, and substance abuse treatment.

We are thankful to Sen. Murray for taking the time to come to Lummi and learn more about our efforts to overcome this fentanyl crisis and protect our home from the ongoing threats to our way of life, Chairman Hillaire said in a press release about the meeting. We look forward to our continued partnership to ensure treaty and trust responsibilities are upheld.

Sen. Murray is currently working to secure $10.4 million in funding for the Lummi Nation to construct a detox facility to help respond to the opioid crisis.

Senator Patty Murray gets a Lummi Nation Health Center tour on July 16, 2024.

The opioid crisis has been devastating for communities across Washington state  and it has hit Tribal communities especially hard, Sen. Murray said in the release. I fought tooth and nail to secure billions in funding for substance use disorder treatment and prevention programs to help tackle this crisis. The Lummi Nation Health Center provides the kind of culturally-informed care our Tribes need, and I will continue to support the Lummi as Chair of the Appropriations Committee in their fight against this deadly epidemic. Todays visit was a reminder of just how important federal funding is, and why resources to help build a detox facility are so critical.

The Lummi Nation continues to be one of the communities most affected by the opioid and fentanyl crisis in all of Northwest Washington. Late last year, the tribe saw a spike in overdose deaths  four overdose deaths occurred in one week.

American Indian and Alaska Native residents across Washington State continue to experience the highest rate of opioid overdose death. Those rates have been rising sharply over the past five years.
Sen. Thom Tillis was censured by the North Carolina Republican Party last year for supporting same-sex marriage.

But Tillis set aside his differences with the state party in a show of unity to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

He made the decision to come after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday during Trumps rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

I had it on the calendar to try and be here for a day, Tillis told reporters in a conference room at a Hilton in Milwaukee. But I thought, the events of last Saturday, the presidents focus on unity, that it was very important for me to be here.

Other Republicans who werent planning on attending were also on their way to the RNC, including Sen. Ted Budd and congressional candidate Brad Knott.

Tillis arrived in Milwaukee Tuesday and plans to stay through Friday, allowing him to witness Trumps acceptance of the partys nomination.

And so far, the North Carolina Republican Party has welcomed Tillis with open arms.

Ive got a great relationship with the chair of the GOP, the district chair, the folks that are really serious about keeping the majorities that I helped gain in 2010, Tillis said. I can have a disagreement with anyone, but where youre going to have problems with me, is when you engage in discourse that threatens the work that weve done since 2010, to turn the state around and maintain Republican majorities.

Party platform and choice of JD Vance

He added that the new party platform  a narrowly focused 16-page document cut from 66 pages  no longer includes the very plank that was used as a basis for censure.

This years national Republican platform is silent on the question of same-sex marriage. Previous platforms have said marriage should only be between one man and one woman.

Delegates at an NCGOP convention voted in June 2023 to censure Tillis for his blatant violations of our party platform, The News & Observer reported. While the resolution didnt cite examples, Tillis had voted for a law that codified the right to same-sex and interracial marriages, which conflicted with a plank in the state Republican Party platform that said traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a civil society, The N&O reported.

Tillis said its been under-reported how moderate the new platform is.

I do think that the president has done a good job of also sending a very clear message on issues that I think divide Republicans and also alienate potential voters for a Republican base, and people ought to read the 16 pages of our platform, Tillis said. Im very happy with it, and I know the presidents fingerprints are literally all over the document.

Tillis said he is also supportive of Trumps pick of Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio, as his running mate and said he considers Vance a friend.

I think hes a great pick, Tillis said.

He added that he considers Vance a friend, and despite some public disagreements, they share many policy priorities in common.

I think hes a great pick, Tillis said. I think he improves our chances of winning in Ohio. Were going to win in Ohio, but I think it improves our chances of winning the Senate race there.

Personal attacks

Tillis said hes hoping Vance, in a speech to the convention Thursday, continues Trumps calls for unity.

I hope that we set an optimistic tone, Tillis said. We show respect for our political adversaries, our political opponents, but also not dehumanize them because thats, I think, a part of the problem and political discourse today at either end of the spectrum.

And Tillis said he believes that political discourse is what led to the violence over the weekend.

Trump was speaking on stage Saturday night when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop, law enforcement officials say. A bullet struck Trump in the ear, barely missing his skull.

But a person attending the rally, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, died in the shooting and two others were seriously injured.

Our rhetoric is actually mirrored sometimes in deadly ways, Tillis said, by, like, the shooter on Monday. It matters. It puts people at risk and it also takes us away from the things that people really want to hear, about whats our future, whats our priorities for America, whats our priorities for North Carolina.

But nobody should be surprised that it happened.

The current session of Congress has gone down in history as one of the least productive. Intra-party battles among Republicans have taken lawmakers attention away passing policy.

In October, the House came to a complete halt after eight Republicans joined Democrats in ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership role, at the behest of Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida.

On Tuesday night, Gaetz saw McCarthy giving an interview on the convention floor and tried to interrupt McCarthy by heckling him over not having a speaking role during the weeks events.

GOP infighting didnt stop after the party coalesced behind its new speaker, Mike Johnson.

In March, Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Sean OBrien, president of the Teamsters union, got into a heated exchange in a committee that threatened to escalate into a fistfight  the same day Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, accused McCarthy of elbowing him in the kidney.

And then there have been personal attacks by lawmakers both in speech and online.

If you take a look at how the hyperbolic language over the past several years, its just continued to escalate, Tillis said. If thats the only way you can get attention, number one, youre not going to be an effective legislator and number two, you should wonder whether or not you should even be in this business.

Under the Dome

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The Scoop

Senate Democrats and campaigns have been circulating polling from a liberal outside group showing President Biden hurting their candidates in comparison to other potential nominees, a source familiar with the survey told Semafor.

The source added that Democrats who had reviewed the survey included people known to speak with the president.

Semafor obtained a memo describing the survey, which was conducted by Welcome PAC, a group that focuses on winning voters in red-leaning states and districts. The poll was conducted July 8  before the recent attempt on Donald Trumps life  and polled 3,044 voters in 11 states with relevant races.

In it, they asked voters whether they would support their states Senate candidate if Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer were on the top of the ticket after being presented with a short biography of each.

Their conclusion: While Senate candidates remained in strong shape overall in relation to Biden, with an average 55-45 lead over their opponents, their lead expanded modestly with Harris atop the ticket (56-44) and slightly more with Whitmer (57-43).

This research suggests there may be merit to the concern about the down-ballot effect of an unpopular presidential nominee, a memo attached to the polling said.

The survey also modeled estimated gains for candidates in one illustration, which appeared to be especially pronounced in Whitmers home state of Michigan, which projected a double-digit shift. Harris pushed the Senate candidate up by marginally more than Whitmer in Arizona, but no other state.

A source familiar with the polling methodology said the section, which was separate from the topline polling of individual candidates, was based on a multi-level regression that incorporated a variety of individual, state-level, and demographic factors.

Semafor/image from Welcome PAC memo

Benjys view

You can take the findings with a grain of salt  its not impossible to use question wording, models, or other special sauce to gently nudge polling towards a desired outcome.

But the surveys circulation points to the urgent interest in the Senate  where support for Biden has been especially lukewarm  in determining his strength as the leader of the Democratic ticket. Public polling has typically shown Senate candidates running ahead of Biden, sometimes by a wide margin, but has zeroed in less on the impact of other nominees on their position.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has kept his cards close to the vest while hearing out member concerns, telling reporters Im with Joe or Im for Joe when asked, but otherwise staying out of the debate over Bidens status.

Semafors Joseph Zeballos-Roig reported on Wednesday that Schumer and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were privately among the Democrats who pushed the DNC to scrap a plan to nominate Biden by virtual vote as soon as next week, which Bidens critics saw as a brute force play to move past questions around his nomination. NBC News initially reported Schumers involvement.

Notable

The Biden campaign and DNC argued that Democrats needed to confirm him early in order to address an issue in Ohio that threatened to keep him off the ballot . But spokesman for Ohios governor and Secretary of State told Semafors David Weigel that they had already fixed the issue with a new state law and had no plans to revisit Bidens status.

Bidens problems may run deeper than with Congressional Democrats. A new AP-NORC poll found nearly two-thirds of Democrats want him to drop out of the race.
As Colorado swelters, people naturally take to the water. But this year is on track for a record number of drownings in the state's lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

A man who fell off of his inner tube and drowned while on the Arkansas River last weekend became Colorados 25th water-related death this season, which is on course to become the worst on record according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.

Its very scary and very alarming. Its a record no one wants to really hold, said CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose, who added that most of the people who have died on Colorados state lakes, rivers and reservoirs were not wearing a life jacket.

Its paddle boarders, its people trying to swim out to trees, its people who are rafting or hit their head on a boat, she said.

In all of 2023, CPW tracked 32 water-related fatalities. The state record was set in 2022 when 42 people died. In 2021, 22 people drowned in state waterways and 34 people perished in 2020.

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Van Hoose said this years unofficial number is ahead by three deaths from the same point in 2022  Colorados worst year for water-related fatalities.

Those who died this season include a 57-year-old man who fell into the South Platte River near Deckers on July 4, a 65-year-old college professor who fell off her of electric bike into Boulder Creek June 28, and a 24-year-old kayaker and father of two who capsized during an unexpected storm June 25 on a reservoir near Larimer County.

Van Hoose warned that even experienced swimmers can succumb to Colorados often unpredictable weather.

In Colorado we have powerful windstorms that roll in in the afternoons," she said. "Its difficult to swim against them.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) pressed AT&T and data cloud company Snowflake for answers this week following a breach that exposed the call and text records of nearly all of AT&Ts customers.

We write demanding information regarding the breach of AT&Ts private customer data and seek answers about how AT&T failed to protect such profoundly sensitive information from cybercriminals, the senators wrote in a letter to AT&T CEO John Stankey.

AT&T revealed Friday that the records of most of its cellular customers between May and October 2022, as well as one day in January 2023, were illegally downloaded on a third-party cloud platform.

The data identifies phone numbers that AT&T customers interacted with and, in some cases, cell site ID numbers. However, it does not include the content of calls or texts, time stamps or any identifying information.

Taken together, the stolen information can easily provide cybercriminals, spies, and stalkers a logbook of the communications and activities of AT&T customers over several months, including where those customers live and traveled  a stunning and dangerous breach of its customers privacy and intrusion into their personal lives, the letter reads.

The senators also wrote to Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake, noting the AT&T breach is the latest to affect the cloud companys clients. Ticketmaster, Advance Auto Parts and Santander Bank have all recently suffered breaches related to Snowflake.

Blumenthal and Hawley pointed to several cybersecurity failures at the companies  including malware infections and failures to update passwords, implement firewall access and turn on multifactor authentication  that seemingly reflect gross negligence.

Disturbingly, the AT&T breach appears to have been easily preventable, they wrote Tuesday.

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Senators were told during a briefing call Wednesday that the Secret Service had flagged Thomas Matthew Crooks as suspicious more than an hour before he shot from a rooftop at former President Trump, and that a countersniper spotted him as a potential threat 19 minutes before the shooting, according to a person familiar with the call.

Senators held a half-hour conference call Wednesday with U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and FBI Director Christopher Wray, as well as with Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

They were also told the shooter visited the rally site for 20 or 30 minutes on July 7 to scout out the location and also visited it the morning of the rally.

A law enforcement sniper spotted Crooks using a range finder before he used a ladder to climb up onto the roof of a building adjacent to Trumps rally site and radioed an alert to a command post.

Law enforcement hasnt been able to determine the shooters motive or to find any ideological materials that would shed light on why he tried to kill the former president. But the briefers noted that Crooks was using encrypted communications platforms that they have yet to penetrate, according to the source.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked the Secret Service whether it had the ability to deploy drones during the event to detect potential threats from elevated positions and was told by Cheatle that the agency has that capability but that drones were not in use at the rally in Butler, Pa.

Republican senators quickly vented their displeasure with the briefing.

So far theyre flooding us with details that arent all that helpful. I have yet to hear them substantively address the failures that led to this tragedy, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted on the social media platform X.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) panned the briefing as unbelievably uninformative.

Only 4 questions were allowed. The rest of us are supposed to submit questions. I already have. Awaiting a response. Not holding my breath, the Wisconsin senator fumed.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) called on the Secret Service and FBI to hold daily briefings to update the American public about the findings of their investigations as it progresses.

The security of our Republic is being questioned. The Biden administration cant wait until the investigation is complete to release details. It needs to start today, Scott said in a statement.

He said it is imperative for Wray, Cheatle and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to hold a daily public press conference to share updates with the American people and answer questions about what happened, who is being held accountable and how we make sure it never happens again.

Soon after the call ended, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) called for Cheatle to be replaced as head of the Secret Service.

Last weeks near-assassination of former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy. The nation deserves answers and accountability. New leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction, he said in a statement posted on social media.

The briefers held a 45-minute call with House members just after the Senate one, in which a source familiar with the call said members received only limited information in response to their questions.

Although the briefers confirmed on the call there is an increased threat, that did not match the threat posture and information Congress is seeing, according to the source. The timeline also did not match what Congress has been told.

A classified briefing with House members is being planned for next week, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)  who earlier on Wednesday called for Cheatles resignation  reiterated that he looks forward to the Secret Service and FBI directors cooperation.

Emily Brooks contributed.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior Republican U.S. senators have asked President Joe Biden to provide a complete list of options developed by the Pentagon and State Department to help support the Philippines in recent standoffs with Beijing over a contested shoal in the South China Sea.

Central to tensions is the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty warship manned by a small crew that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims. It regularly sends supply missions to troops stationed there.

Tensions in the disputed waterway have boiled over into violence in the past year, with a Filipino sailor losing a finger in a June 17 clash that Manila described as intentional-high speed ramming by a Chinese coast guard vessel.

The United States is bound by a seven-decade-old mutual defense treaty to defend the Philippines against an armed attack on its aircraft, or public vessels, in the busy waterway.

"We must respond with visible and concrete demonstrations of our support. Anything short of this risks our appearing unwilling to honor our bilateral commitments," read a July 12 letter to Biden, seen by Reuters, from Senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch, the highest ranking Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We request your administration provide us with a full list of military, diplomatic, and economic options developed by the Departments of State and Defense to support the Philippines and deter further escalation by the PRC (People's Republic of China)," the letter said.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said Manila needs to do more than protest China's "illegal action" against its navy, without elaborating.

The Philippines has not asked the United States for support in resupplying its troops, according to its ambassador in Washington. The United States is providing some limited intelligence support to the Philippines.

The South China Sea, vital to global trade, has become a major flashpoint in the testy relationship between China and the United States.

The senators' letter said the Biden administration must move quickly to support the Philippines "in countering China's aggressive behavior .... Limiting our response to verbal assurances of the applicability of Article IV undermines the credibility and value of these commitments."

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
North Korea has laid tens of thousands of mines in the DMZ in recent months, Seoul's military said Wednesday. A sign warns of mines at Camp Greaves inside the Civilian Control Zone of the DMZ near Paju. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI

SEOUL, July 17 (UPI) -- North Korea has planted tens of thousands of new landmines in the DMZ that could wash into the South during torrential rainfalls, Seoul's military warned Wednesday.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik held an emergency briefing to prepare for mounting dangers as North Korea ramps up frontline activity during the monsoon season.

"We are now facing a complex crisis situation in which we must prepare for the threat of North Korea's provocation and unpredictable natural disasters," Shin said.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff shared an update on North Korean activity inside the DMZ with reporters on Wednesday, saying that the North has planted tens of thousands of landmines over the past few months.

The work recently resulted in more than 10 landmine explosions that caused multiple casualties, according to the update. The South's military also warned of the possibility of mines being swept into the South due to ongoing heavy rainfalls or dam releases by the North.

Photos released Wednesday by the South Korean Defense Ministry showed various types of land mines the North uses, including those resembling leaves that may be hard to distinguish with the naked eye.

Tensions have risen near the DMZ in recent weeks, triggered by provocations such as North Korea floating balloons carrying trash and manure into the South.

Activist groups of North Korean defectors in the South, meanwhile, have continued a longstanding practice of sending balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USB drives across the border.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned Tuesday that the South would pay a "gruesome and dear price" if it doesn't rein in the defectors.

Her statement hinted at new tactics to respond to the balloons, which South Korea's military said it was monitoring and preparing to counteract.

In addition to laying mines, North Korean soldiers have been seen clearing land and installing barriers in the DMZ.

Seoul is preparing for the possibility of defections due to poor working conditions, which include daily shifts of 12 hours or more and flimsy accommodations, the JCS said. Female soldiers have also been mobilized in some areas, according to surveillance footage.

The frontline work may also lead to inadvertent crossings of the military demarcation line, the JCS added. North Korean troops have crossed the border at least three times over the past month, prompting warning fire from the South.
Sergio Pino, a prominent Miami developer who founded a company that became the largest Hispanic-owned home builder in the nation, died Tuesday in an apparent suicide after FBI agents descended on his Coral Gables home amid an investigation into threats against his estranged wife. He was 67.

Pinos death was a shocking conclusion for one of Miami-Dades most influential and high-profile businessmen, who for several weeks had been the subject of reports detailing sordid allegations in what the FBI now says was a murder for hire investigation. Pino had not been charged and denied any involvement in the incidents.

For decades, Pino had been a leading developer, philanthropist and political fundraiser in the community. A company Pino founded in the mid-1990s, Century Homebuilders Group, has built over 16,000 homes in South Florida.

We plan and build communities that people can enjoy, Pino, who was the companys CEO and president, told the Miami Herald in 2016. Since I can remember, I always wanted to be a builder. I love doing what I do  building things.

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1956, Pino fled to the United States with his family at the age of 12.

They moved into a small apartment in Miami, and Pino worked part-time at a laundromat, where his mother ironed dress shirts and he cleaned hotel welcome mats, according to a 1997 profile in the Herald. Pinos father, who had owned a grocery store in Cuba, earned $1.35 an hour as a plumber.

Pino graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1975 and attended Miami-Dade Community College for two years, hoping to become an architect. Instead, he borrowed $6,000 from his father in 1977 for a down payment on a tiny plumbing store in Hialeah. That business, Century Plumbing, quickly took off. Today, under the name Century Wholesale, the company has operations in South Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Eugenio Pino (right), and his son Sergio Pino (left), who founded Century Plumbing, are pictured with Carlos Pino (top) in October 2007.

In 1989, Pino became president of the powerful Latin Builders Association, a Coral Gables-based construction group that he led for three years. In 1997, he created the real estate holding company Century Partners Group, which quickly raised millions of dollars to develop single-family housing in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

His influence in the community grew. After joining Florida International Universitys board of directors in 2003, Pino announced a $2 million endowment for the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center in honor of his father.

Pino was a force in Republican politics, spending tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for local, state and federal candidates. He was a friend and staunch supporter of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and also backed former president George W. Bush, donating a building in 2004 to headquarter George W. Bushs reelection campaign in Miami.

Developer Sergio Pino responds to a question at the A Free Market Cuba, Post Castro Conference as Florida legislator Marco Rubio looks on in October 2005.

Over the years, Pino came under the scrutiny of local, state and federal law enforcement, though he was never charged with a crime in connection with his home-building business and other investments or his prodigious political fundraising activities.

In 2002, Pino and his minority partners in the duty-free concessions business at Miami International Airport came under fire in a report by the Miami-Dade County inspector general for earning more than $14.6 million for their cut of a hefty airport contract despite having performed no actual work. Pino said he did nothing wrong and pulled out of the business when the contract expired in 2005.

In 2006, the Herald reported that a federal grand jury was investigating allegations that Pino hosted then-Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose Pepe Diaz on a weekend trip to Cancun in exchange for Diazs support of a large-scale project in Doral. Part of the investigation focused on a May 2004 fishing trip to Cancun aboard Pinos private jet. Charges were never brought against anyone in the probe.

Pino was also a co-founder of U.S. Century Bank, which saw success in the early 2000s in its mission of creating the largest Hispanic bank in Miami. But by 2011, the bank was teetering on collapse and was hit with a federal enforcement order amid concerns about its financing and use of insider loans to the banks directors or officers, including millions of dollars for Pinos development projects.

He resigned from the banks board that year, saying he wanted to focus on his real estate business.

Sergio Pino, the president, CEO and founder of Century Homebuilders Group, takes in the view from a two-bedroom unit at his Midtown Doral residential complex sales center on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.

As Century Homebuilders continued to expand its footprint in recent years, Pino occupied a leading role in Miamis construction industry.

In the early days of the COVID pandemic, he issued a public plea for the industry to shut down construction sites to prevent outbreaks among their workers. He was the first developer in Miami-Dade to cease work at one of his sites, a $100 million mixed-use project on Le Jeune Road, after two of his workers tested positive for coronavirus.

Everybody is doing their part and we should do ours, Pino told the Herald at the time. Our industry is not going to suffer from shutting down for 10 days. I dont think we are an essential business. Were not gas stations or pharmacies or supermarkets.

Pinos death Tuesday came weeks after the FBI raided his waterfront home as authorities investigated his possible connection to assaults against his estranged wife, Tatiana Pino, and her sister that led to the arrests of four men, including a household employee of Sergio Pino.

After 30 years of marriage, Tatiana Pino had filed for divorce in April 2022, and the dissolution proceedings were still ongoing at the time of Sergio Pinos death. In court documents, both parties brought up alleged threats they had received in recent years while the divorce case was pending.

Sergio Pinos lawyer, Sam Rabin, said Tuesday that Pinos death was a very tragic ending to an investigation that we were confident we could successfully defend.

Pino was married twice and had four children. He and Tatiana Pino were wed in 1992 and raised two daughters together.
Serial thief tells women their tire is flat, then steals their purses: MPD

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man is accused of tricking women into thinking their tire is flat so that he can steal their purses, Memphis Police say.

Local grocery store forced to close due to frequent thefts

Danyell Craft, 42, is charged with Theft of Motor Vehicle $10,000-$60,000, two counts of Motor Vehicle Burglary, Theft of Property $1,000-$2,500, Fraudulent use of six counts of Credit/Debit Card $1,000 or Less, and six counts of Identity Theft.

On June 25, a womans rented Mitsubishi Outlander was stolen from the Sheraton Hotel on Main Street. She told police she left the car running in a valets custody, and a man who was loitering, later identified as Craft, took it.

On June 30, a woman was at Sams Club on Covington Pike when Craft allegedly told her that her front tire was going flat. When she got out of her car to take a look, Craft reached inside her car and took her purse, police say.

Her purse contained a Capital One card, earbuds, two bracelets, a Hyundai key fob, and prescription glasses. The items totaled at $1,195. Craft allegedly attempted to use her card at a supermarket for $506.95.

Two women arrested after posting disturbing video of toddler on social media

On July 3, a woman was at a supermarket when Craft told her that her tire was going flat and he could help, according to MPD. When she got out of her vehicle, he allegedly took her purse and fled the scene in a gray Mitsubishi SUV.

Police say the womans purse contained an Apple iPhone, cash, reading glasses, a Citi Bank credit card, and a Lowes credit card. The items added up to around $830.

Craft successfully charged her credit card for nearly $500 at a Frayser liquor store and at a food market, police say.

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On July 9, a man pulled up to The Hampton on Peabody Place and handed his keys to Craft, who was allegedly pretending to be a valet attendant. After the man took his bags out, Craft drove off in the 2022 black Chrysler 300 TX.

On July 10, a woman told police that Craft helped her take her groceries to the car on Summer Avenue. Records state that Craft stole her purse which contained $48 in cash and a flip phone from the back seat. He drove off in a 2022 Chrysler 300, police say.

A week later, police found the stolen car in a North Memphis neighborhood with Craft walking nearby. He was arrested on the scene.

Police say many of the robberies were caught on camera.

Danyell Craft was positively identified by the victims and is set to appear in court on Thursday morning.

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A man whose record includes seven felony convictions now faces an attempted murder charge after prosecutors say he opened fire with a machine gun on two Los Angeles police officers, grazing one of them.

Malcolm Darnell Guss Jr. is accused of using a fully automatic AR-style rifle to shoot at Officers Stefan Carutasu and Joshua Rodney after they tried to stop his white Chevrolet sedan at around 9:30 p.m. on July 3 in Willowbrook near Broadway and Rosecrans Avenue, just south of Los Angeles.

Guss allegedly unloaded on the officers before they could get out of their patrol car, resulting in two graze wounds to the head. Both officers suffered lacerations from the glass fragments of the patrol vehicles windshield. Guss fled the scene but was apprehended July 12. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty in Compton court to attempted murder and other charges for allegedly using a machine gun in the attack.

Court records show Guss' prior convictions include two strikes for residential burglaries in July 2014 and December 2018. Since 2020 he's been charged three times with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In December 2020, records show, Guss was arrested with drugs and a gun by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. He was sentenced to two years in prison after striking a deal to plead no contest to a single felony charge in March 2021. That same month, he received another two-year sentence in a separate gun case that stemmed from a September 2020 incident.

The district attorneys office in a statement said the two convictions had concurrent prison sentences

Read more: LAPD chief candidate field narrows to about 10, a mix of outsiders and insiders

Guss was arrested again in the Antelope Valley in May 2022, charged with resisting arrest and assault with a deadly weapon. He pleaded no contest to the resisting offense and got 16 months in prison, according to court records.

In February 2023, a judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he allegedly violated the terms of his release. LAPD officers in Newton Division arrested Guss on July 10, but he was released a month later, county jail records show.

Announcing the charges Tuesday, Dist. Atty. George Gascon said Guss opened fire "during what should have been a routine traffic stop," and called the incident "absolutely horrific.

This unprovoked attack is a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers confront," Gascon said. "This act of violence is not only an assault on the officers, but also on the values of safety and justice of our community."

Jamie McBride, vice president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank and file officers, called Guss "a coward."

"Theres only two places for him. Life in prison or six feet down, McBride said.

Guss is due back in court on Aug. 10. He is being held with bail set at just over $2 million.

The district attorney's office said a conviction would subject Guss to sentencing under the state's "three strikes" law. He faces a maximum of life in prison.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Several pounds of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine found hidden in muffler at U.S.-Mexico border

OTAY MESA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  Several pounds of narcotics were intercepted from a vehicle attempting to cross the border into the United States last week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, authorities said.

CBP reports officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry discovered 4.62 pounds of fentanyl powder, 7.71 pounds of black tar heroin, 2.46 pounds of brown powder heroin, and 2.11 pounds of cocaine concealed in the muffler of a vehicle while a 28-year-old man was applying for admission into the country from Mexico around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Two charged with smuggling nearly 3,000 bullets to Mexico

Officers were alerted to the narcotics by their K-9 team while the vehicle was undergoing inspection. CBP says the traveler and the vehicle were then sent to secondary inspection for further examination.

During the secondary inspection, CBP officers report they found irregularities in the muffler during a full scan of the vehicle. Thats when border officers found 10 packages in the vehicles muffler that contained fentanyl powder, black tar heroin, brown powder heroin, and cocaine, weighing a total of 16.9 pounds.

Volunteers leave bottled water for migrants in deadly smuggling corridor

The 28-year-old driving the vehicle was turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

CBP officers seized both the vehicle and the narcotics.

Over 500 pounds of meth found within wooden furniture cabinets

Our CBP officers successfully intercepted a significant narcotics seizure ingeniously concealed within a vehicles muffler, said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry. This singular event highlights the innovative, yet desperate measures used by drug trafficking organizations. Our dedicated officers remain vigilant, continuing to safeguard our communities from the dangers of illicit drugs.

The Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office, Sidney Aki, posted on X that between July 8 and July 14, CBP officers prevented 1,610 pounds of narcotics from reaching the streets and communities of San Diego.

The seizures are the result of Operation Apollo, a counter-fentanyl effort that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Severe thunderstorm warning issued for parts of Franklin and Delaware counties

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for east central Franklin County, southeastern Delaware County and Licking County until 4:30 p.m.

At 4:07 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located near Johnstown in Licking County, moving east at 45 mph.

Severe thunderstorms moving through central Ohio

The storm could produce 60 mph wind gusts, and the NWS warns to "expect damage to trees and power lines."

Among the communities that will be impacted: Newark, Reynoldsburg, Heath, Granville, Pataskala, Johnstown, Hebron, Utica, Hanover, Granville South, Marne, Beechwood Trails, Summit Station, New Albany, Jersey, Alexandria, Hartford, St. Louisville, Gratiot, and US Route 62 at State Route 661.

In addition, motorists traveling I-70 in Ohio between mile markers 137 and 144 should be aware of gusting winds.

A strong, isolated thunderstorm was also moving through east central Fairfield County as of 4:15 p.m.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph and very heavy rain were expected. The gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, the NWS warns. Visibility will be poor and hydroplaning is possible.

Communities affected by that storm include Lancaster, Bremen, Pleasantville, Rushville, West Rushville, North Berne, and Dumontville.

jwilhelm@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio weather: Thunderstorm warning for Franklin, Delaware counties
Former Wall High School teacher Julie Rizzitello, who faces charges of having sex with a student, appears before Superior Court Judge Marc C. Lemiuex. Freehold, NJ Tuesday, July 16, 2024

FREEHOLD - The new charges filed against a former Wall High School teacher accused of having an affair with one of her students involve allegations of a sexual relationship with a second student, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said Wednesday.

The additional complaints against Julie Rizzitello, 36, of Brick  sexual assault and witness tampering  were revealed at a brief court proceeding Tuesday, although it wasn't clear at that time that they related to a second victim.

Rizzitello was arrested July 3 on charges related to an alleged affair she had with another student from April to mid-June.

Santiago, in a news release announcing the new charges, said a continuing investigation revealed Rizzitello previously had a sexual relationship with a different student, beginning in 2017.

Details of the charges: Wall teacher Julie Rizzitello had sex with pupil in car, sent nude photos, cops say

Santiago said the investigation revealed Rizzitello engaged in various sexual acts with the second victim on multiple occasions in Brick.

The new complaint charging Rizzitello with sexual assault alleges she had intercourse with a 17-year-old pupil on various occasions between Nov. 23, 2017, and Jan. 21, 2018.

That victim told a detective on Monday that he had sex with his teacher in her home, according to an affidavit of probable cause to lodge the new charge against Rizzitello. The victim was able to describe the interior of Rizzitello's home and the locations where the sexual activity took place, the affidavit said.

The victim also provided the detective with pictures and text messages on his phone that corroborated his statement, affidavit said.

The new witness-tampering complaint alleges Rizzitello contacted that victim on July 2  a day before her arrest  and instructed him to delete the material from his phone.

Rizzitello already had been charged with two counts of sexual assault, three counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of witness tampering related to the first victim, who was over 18 when the affair occurred. Despite that, Rizzitello's alleged activity is a crime because the victim was her student.

Rizzitello has been held in the Monmouth County Jail without bail on those charges since her arrest. Just before her arrest, with an investigation underway, she resigned from her job as a teacher at Wall High School.

Sex crimes: Eatontown man gets 48 years in prison for sexual assaults on two Monmouth girls

The initial investigation revealed Rizzitello engaged in various sexual acts with the first victim on multiple occasions in at least three jurisdictions  Belmar and Wall in Monmouth County and Brick in Ocean County. Regarding that victim, she is alleged to have had sex with him in his car and at other locations. She also is alleged to have sent the victim nude photos of herself and exchanged numerous sexual photos and communications with him.

Rizzitello faces a hearing Tuesday to determine if she will continue to be held without bail at the Monmouth County Jail to await trial in the case.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Rizzitello's activities to contact prosecutor's Detective Joe Rodriguez at 800-533-7443 or Wall Detective Devin Corso at 732-449-4500.

Another case: Freehold special education teacher accused of sex with 8th-grader freed from jail

Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wall teacher had sex with a second student, prosecutor says
A Colorado teacher faced a backlash after expressing disappointment that former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on Saturday.

In a social media post, Jennifer Ripper, an elementary school teacher in Jefferson County, said: "Looks like he ALMOST got taken out."

"My thoughts exactly," she said in response to a post from someone who had commented, "Dammit !!! They missed !!"

"I'm a teacher. I think for myself and want others to do the same," Ripper said. "No matter, now he's a martyr."

Trump was holding a rally in Butler on Saturday, Pennsylvania when a gunman shot him. A bullet pierced Trump's ear. The former president was quickly whisked from the stage by Secret Service agents, his ear covered in blood. The gunman was killed and a bystander also died.

Ripper did not return requests for comment.

Her name has been taken off the staff list at Semper Elementary School. She was still listed as a teacher on the school's website on July 15  but not on July 16.

In an email, a spokesperson for JeffCo Public Schools confirmed that Ripper is an employee of the district.

The district also distanced itself from Ripper's social media post. "Please know that Jeffco Public Schools does not endorse violence of any kind," the district said in a statement to The Denver Gazette.

"The District has social media guidance that encourages our employees to conduct themselves in a professional manner and refrain from posting inappropriate content on personal social media channels."

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The district added: "While our employees are entitled to their own perspectives, please know that when they share those perspectives, they are not speaking on behalf of our district."

Calls to the district were being routed to a recorded message that appeared to acknowledge the controversy over Ripper's post.

"Thanks for reaching out to share your concern about the social media post," the recording said.

Ripper appears to have taken down her LinkedIn account.She described herself as an experienced special education teacher with a "demonstrated history of working with students with challenging behaviors and students identified as twice-exceptional."

The social media group Libs of Tik Tok first brought attention to Ripper's post.

Others chimed in. "Does this fit with the mission statement of Semper Elementary?" the Jefferson County Republican Party said. "Jennifer Ripper just told Rep Woodrow to hold her beer," Rep Brandi Bradley, a Republican, said on X.

Bradley was referring to state Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Democrat who deleted his X account after tweeting that the "last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil" following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday.

Woodrow faced backlash from both Republicans and members of his own party. "The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are," Woodrow had tweeted.

In a statement, Woodrow called his tweet "inarticulate" and apologized "that my words caused additional pain."

"Just when you think comments cant get any worse, you have a teacher condoning violence," Bradley added.
Sex offender in Jefferson County accused of new child sex crimes

ST. LOUIS  A registered sex offender living in Park Hills, Missouri, appeared in federal court on Tuesday after being arrested for child sex crimes.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said a federal grand jury indicted Reginald M. Miller, 56, on July 10.

Miller was charged with enticement and coercion of a minor as a repeat offender, attempted travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct as a repeat offender, solicitation of child pornography as a prior offender, receiving child pornography as a prior offender, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and commission of a felony involving a minor as a prior offender.

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Miller pleaded not guilty to all six counts.

Prosecutors said Miller attempted to coerce a minor younger than 15 into engaging in sexual activity, crossing state lines to commit a sex act with someone under the age of 15, soliciting child pornography, receiving child pornography, and sending pictures of his own genitals.

The crimes are said to have happened between Dec. 1, 2023, and April 29, 2024.

If convicted, Miller faces at least 10 years in prison and up to three consecutive life sentences on the enticement charge. The attempted travel charge carries a sentence of up to 90 years. He also faces between 15 and 40 years in prison for solicitation as a prior offender.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay joined the 27 News Morning Show to discuss recent homicides and his offices handling of cases.

27 News asked about the recent death of 9-year-old Zerick I. Ozuna who was allegedly killed at the hands of their mother, Shyla M. Goracke, 29. Kagay said that while it was an unspeakable tragedy, the case was never brought to the District Attorneys office because the suspect is deceased.

Kagay spoke about a couple of recent homicides and how the suspects were released without being charged.

When law enforcement does their investigation theyre collecting evidence, when they make an arrest thats a legal burden that we refer to as probable cause, Kagay said. Probable cause is a very low standard and when we file formal charges in the case we have a very high standard. So there is a difference between when law enforcement performs an arrest and when you see my office file formal charges. Just because someone is arrested for a particular offense does not mean my office will be in a position to file formal charges.

Kagay said when his office takes a case to trial they must prove the suspect is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Kagay said beyond a reasonable doubt is the highest legal burden there is.

RCPD talks car burglaries, community engagement

Kagay said one of the cases mentioned was referred back for additional investigation. In another case, the court found there wasnt enough probable cause to hold the suspect.

Were charging them in a way that we believe we can prove that they committed that crime, Kagay said.

Kagay said the charging deadline is typically within 48 hours of an arrest. Kagay said even if they believe the crime was committed if there isnt enough evidence, his office has an ethical duty to not file charges.

K-State professor gets life-threatening meat allergy from tick

Just because charges are not filed at one particular moment in time does not mean we will not be filing, Kagay said.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
A Shawnee man was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after fatally shooting his pregnant girlfriend in 2022.

According to court records, Doniel Lee Sublett Jr., 30, was arrested and charged with murder on September 20, 2022, after police discovered 25-year-old Kathleen Dampier in an apartment building in the 7400 block of Flint Street with a gunshot wound to the head.

A second charge of first-degree murder followed after Dampiers autopsy revealed that she was pregnant, according to court documents and previous reporting by The Star. The charge of murder based on Dampiers pregnancy comes under Alexas Law, a Kansas statute allowing for charges including murder when an act of violence against a pregnant person impacts the well-being of a fetus.

There was a witness to the shooting had a witness, and a second gunshot was heard while Shawnee police officers were first encountering Dampiers body, The Star reported in 2023. Shawnee police arrested Sublett near the apartment building after a brief foot chase.

Sublett pleaded guilty to both murders in November, The Star reported.

A Johnson County judge on Tuesday handed down two life sentences, according to the office of the Johnson County district attorney.

The life sentences are to be served concurrently, according to the district attorneys office. Sublett will not be eligible for parole for the first fifty years, in a sentencing style known as Hard 50.

Sublett, who lived in Shawnee, and Dampier, who lived in Kansas City, Kansas, had been dating on and off for at least three years, The Star previously reported. Dampier was a mother of three, according to social media.

According to court documents, Sublett and Dampier had come to the apartment on Flint Street to do laundry together before the shooting. Sublett initially denied being at the apartment during the shooting, according to court documents.

Sublett was initially held on a $3 million bond. Court records indicate he had been previously convicted on domestic violence charges in 2019.

Reporting by The Stars Bill Lukistch and Katie Moore was used in this article.
Joyce Jackson is a mother and grandmother who's satisfied with the life she lives and says she still has plenty to do.

She's done plenty already.

As a child during the late 1950s, Jackson joined other members of the NAACP Youth Council led by Clara Luper in Oklahoma City to desegregate lunch counters at John A. Brown, the Kress Five-and-Dime, and Anna Maude's Cafeteria, among others.

Jackson, the publisher of the Shades of Oklahoma magazine and the president and chief consultant of Communications Plus, is a life-long civil rights activist who became the first Black American female journalist on Oklahoma City television.

As a young adult, she joined Luper and others to help Oklahoma City's Black sanitation workers strike for improved rights, pay and promotion opportunities.

She was hired by John Harrison at KOCO-TV as an executive assistant in 1970 and was encouraged within months to co-host several different community programs before eventually joining the station's news desk. She worked there until leaving in 1982 to take a job as a public information officer at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Jackson also was engaged by the National Institute of Corrections to consult about media relations with other corrections programs across the country, an opportunity that ultimately led to her employment in 1997 at the Illinois Department of Corrections as its communications director.

More: 65 years after OKC's sit-in, Clara Luper's 'radical love' still reverberates today

She returned to Oklahoma in 2005, and today remains involved in promoting civil rights by helping to lead projects to restore Oklahoma City's Freedom Center, to build a Clara Luper Civil Rights Center right next door and to establish a memorial remembering the monumental sit-in at Katz Drug Store on Aug. 19, 1958, an event leading to years of sit-ins that eventually transformed the city, the state and nation.

Jackson is in the Oklahoma Black Journalists Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.

Joyce Jackson joined dozens of other Black children, led by Clara Luper, to desegregate numerous downtown Oklahoma City eating establishments in the late 1950s. Today, the media professional continues to promote racial equality through supporting the restoring of the Freedom Center and the building of a new Clara Luper Civil Rights Center next door on Martin Luther King Avenue.

Here is some of what Jackson recently told The Oklahoman about her life's experiences and her goals today.

Q: You split time as a child growing up between living with your mother in Oklahoma City and your father in already-desegregated California. How did that make you feel, and what did you tell your Oklahoma classmates about it as you sought the same rights here?

A: It was an entirely different type of world. I just remember being surprised when they sent us to school out there because there were all kinds of people in the classes, and no one really made a big deal out of the fact you were [Black]. I remember a young Hispanic boy in California asking me if I drank a lot of coffee because I was Black. I told him, 'No, my grandmother doesn't let me drink coffee.' I thought that was so funny. Coming back to Oklahoma was different. I never could understand how adults would want to call us names and not want to be next to us, just because of the color of our skin. Mostly, I would tell my friends it wasn't like that in California.

Q: Your mother forbade you from participating in the landmark sit in at Katz Drug Store on Aug. 19, 1958, because she feared for your safety. But you participated in other sit-ins that eventually desegregated lunch counters at John A. Brown, Kress Five-and-Dime, other stores and Anna Maude Cafeteria. What motivated you to be involved?

Joyce Jackson continues to promote racial equality through supporting the restoring of the Freedom Center and the building of a new Clara Luper Civil Rights Center next door on Martin Luther King Avenue.

A: Clara Luper. She always made history so interesting, and always made us feel like we were a big deal and that we would make a difference. But I was so shy, it was frightening. She told us all the time, 'Hold your head up. Speak up. Walk like you know where you are going and talk like you know what you are talking about.' I realized later our protests were some of the most peaceful in the country, at the time.

Q: You returned to Oklahoma in 1969 from California to find Luper helping to organize a strike of Oklahoma City's Black sanitation workers as they sought better pay, benefits and the same rights other white city employees enjoyed. You decided to become involved, as well. What was that like?

A: I walked picket lines and took part in a couple of big marches, including one that we called Black Friday when the students from Douglass High School came downtown and joined. I remember when the National Guard surrounded us in a circle when we were at the front of the line with Mrs. Luper. They had their guns out, and I remember all of us looking at each other, with Mrs. Luper telling us to just remain calm. That was the most frightening thing I ever encountered. They couldn't lock up everybody, so we were allowed to disperse after Mrs. Luper talked with them.

Joyce Jackson, a media professional, continues to promote racial equality through supporting the restoring of the Freedom Center and the building of a new Clara Luper Civil Rights Center next door on Martin Luther King Avenue.

Q: Unlike the efforts you have discussed so far, the role you played in helping to desegregate Oklahoma's television news market happened differently. Did you do that intentionally?

A: No. I was working at the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County, helping its executive director seek local employers' support to prepare our students for careers at their businesses. She asked if I would check with a television station, suggesting I start with my favorite. At the time, it was KOCO because me and my son loved to watch Ho-Ho the Clown (Ed Birchall) and Pokey the Puppet (Bill Howard). I met John Harrison, a vice president at the station, who hired me to be his personal assistant. I gave station tours, helped people coming to the station for interviews and other assorted tasks. John was always teaching. One day, he called me in and asked me if I had ever thought about being on television. Just the idea people from all over would be looking at you frightened me so much, I started crying. But we did a lot of practicing, and he decided to put me on the air.

Q: Once on the news desk, you were asked to do a documentary about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. My generation never learned about it. Had yours?

A: Black [people] were not taught about it either. People didn't discuss it. John told me his father was a journalist for The Oklahoman, and he gave me something his father had written about it. That helped me capture a love of history. Oklahoma's in particular was unique, given how it was settled by First Americans, then Black [people] before the runs, when many lost what they already had settled. People need to know about our history to prevent past mistakes from being made in the future.

Joyce Jackson says about the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center: "We want to adequately remember and celebrate the advances we made through not only the Oklahoma City sit-ins, but other civil rights efforts that happened across our state."

Q: You remain an active civil rights promotor today through your efforts to help lead the restoration of the Freedom Center, to build the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center and to establish the downtown monument remembering the Katz Drug Store sit-in. Why?

A: The restoration of the Freedom Center and construction of the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center celebrates Mrs. Luper's legacy  all the things she was part of  and to correct history because for the longest time, people would say North Carolina sit-ins were the first in the nation. But ours happened two years earlier. We want to adequately remember and celebrate the advances we made through not only the Oklahoma City sit-ins, but other civil rights efforts that happened across our state. Today, we are trying to motivate our youngest generation to get out there to vote and fight for our rights, against today's idea of doing away all with the work we did to open the doors for people to be treated equally.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC civil rights activist Joyce Jackson works to energize next generation
Matthew Tschudy is the new executive director at Lutheran High School in Sheboygan.

SHEBOYGAN  Matthew Tschudy has begun his new role as executive director at Sheboygan Lutheran High School.

Tschudy began July 1, with main responsibilities focused on strategic planning, financial development and enrollment advancement, according to a news release. He takes over the role from Derek Bult, principal and interim executive director. Paul Gnan previously served as executive director.

I am thrilled to be part of Sheboygan Lutheran High School, where everything centers on the truth of the Bible, Tschudy said. Our school not only prepares its students for a lifetime of learning and leadership, but it instills Biblical values that will positively impact our students today and into eternity.

He has 18 years of ministry experience and previously held educational leadership roles, including being a principal at Lutheran High School Northwest in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and an assistant principal at Metro East Lutheran in Edwardsville, Illinois. He taught there for 11 years prior.

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He earned a bachelors degree in secondary education and a masters degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University Wisconsin.

He recently completed coursework at Van Lunen Centers Ascending Leaders Program in preparation for taking on the leadership role.

Tschudy said: Christian education matters. The four years that one spends in high school will go by quickly. At the same time, those four years will have the greatest impact on a young mans or womans life."

Boat capsizes: Boat capsizes on Lake Michigan, killing two and leaving one survivor

Have a story tip? Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan Lutheran High appoints new director, Matthew Tschudy
Sheriff: Man on lake in northern Wisconsin dies after having possible medical event on boat

WASCOTT, Wis. (WFRV)  A 71-year-old Wisconsin man is dead after possibly suffering a medical event causing him to fall out of a boat while fishing with his partner on July 12.

According to a release, authorities were called to the scene in the area of Red Lake Drive in the town of Wascott during the evening hours.

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The victim, identified as Michael Andersen, 71, had been out on Red Lake with his fishing partner, a 92-year-old Hayward man, for about three hours when the man heard Andersen yell from the front of the boat and fall into the water.

The wind was blowing the boat away from Andersen, and by the time the Hayward man was able to get the boat back to him, Andersen was face down and unconscious. The man was unable to get Andersen back into the boat but held onto him as he yelled for help.

People on the shore heard the yelling and responded to assist. They were able to get Andersen onto their pontoon boat, where CPR was administered. This continued until first responders arrived and took over.

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The Douglas County Sheriffs Office reports that Andersen was unable to be revived. Circumstances indicate Andersen may have suffered a medical event, causing him to fall off the boat.

The incident remains under investigation, and no additional details have been provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Iraqi Shiites mark the month of Muharram in Karbala, Iraq, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Muharram commemorates the death of Prophet Muhammed's grandson, Hussein Ibn Ali, who was killed during the Battle of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashoura. ( (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

BEIRUT (AP)  Shiite Muslims Wednesday in Lebanon and Iraq commemorated Ashoura, marking the 7th-century death of Prophet Muhammads grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith, while paying tribute to Palestinians as the Israel-Hamas war entered its 10th month and tensions heightened between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

The rift between Islam's two main sects deepened after Sunnis killed Imam Hussein in battle in the Iraqi city of Karbala, south of Baghdad. It continues to this day to play a key role in shaping the identity of Shiites, who represent over 10% of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims.

In the Shiite community, Ashoura is viewed as a symbol of struggle against injustice and tyranny. Participants usually wear black and set up black funeral tents, a sign of mourning, while carrying red flags that represent Hussein's blood. Clerics recount the story of his death as Shiite Muslims cry and beat their chests.

In the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, youth scouts held portraits of the militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah, Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr who has been missing since 1978. Thousands attended the procession which paid tribute to hundreds of Hezbollah militants killed in monthslong clashes with the Israeli military in southern Lebanon, many waving the groups yellow flags.

Nasrallah previously said that Hezbollah wouldn't hold Ashoura processions in southern Lebanon because of the ongoing clashes.

After the outbreak of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, following Hamas' surprise attack, Hezbollah  an ally of the Palestinian militant group  launched attacks against Israel, killing 17 soldiers and 13 civilians in the last 10 months. Israeli airstrikes on south Lebanon have killed over 450 people. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the tense Lebanon-Israel border have since been displaced.

In a televised address to commemorate Ashoura Wednesday, Nasrallah warned the Israeli military against targeting civilians in Lebanon, saying the group will target new Israeli towns and villages otherwise.

If your tanks came to Lebanon and southern Lebanon ... you won't have any left.

In Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslim pilgrims commemorated Ashoura in Karbala at Husseins shrine, the largest Islamic gathering except for the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Iraqis often chant against rampant corruption, but this year, they also held Palestinian flags in support and chanted in support of Hezbollah.

Some beat their backs bloody with chains and knives in ritual bloodletting known as tatbir, meant to recreate the blood flowing from the slain Hussein, a practice that has become debated among Shiite clerics in recent decades.

The leader of one of the militias, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, said in a statement Husseins battle in Karbala is still ongoing to this day as they fight Israel and the United States. Abu Alaa al-Walae said, referred to an alliance of Iran, Hezbollah, and other Tehran-backed groups as the camp that champions the rights of Hussein."

Iraqi security forces were on high alert for potential attacks. Since the war in Gaza erupted, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, calling themselves the Islamic Resistance, have claimed attacks on U.S. military bases and positions in Iraq and in eastern Syria, demanding an end to the war and for American troops to leave both countries.

Ashoura this year also witnessed a rare attack against Shiites commemorating the occasion Monday night in Oman that killed six people and wounded 30. The extremist Islamic State group claimed the attack without providing clear evidence. The group's Aamaq news agency released a video allegedly showing the three attackers opening fire at worshipers at a Shiite mosque in the capital Muscat, a shocking event in the peaceful Sultanate.



Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Historical drama "Shogun," the sweeping story of a struggle for power in feudal Japan, racked up 25 nominations on Wednesday to lead this year's contenders for television's Emmy Awards.

The first season of the FX network series will compete for best drama, the top Emmy trophy, with the final installment of Netflix's British royal saga "The Crown," "The Morning Show" from Apple TV+, among others.

Another FX show, nail-biting restaurant tale "The Bear," earned 23 nominations, a record for a comedy. Its second season - which explores the quest to turn a Chicago sandwich shop into a world-class dining destination - will compete again for best comedy, a category it won at the last Emmys.

Other comedy nominees included ABC's "Abbott Elementary," set in an underfunded Philadelphia school, and HBO's "Hacks" about a septuagenarian comedienne and a millennial writer.

"Baby Reindeer," the Netflix series about a bartender stalked by a customer, was nominated for best limited series, one of its 11 nods. Creator and star Richard Gadd has said the tale reflects a true story, though a defamation lawsuit argues its portrayal of the stalker is exaggerated.

Competitors for limited series include Netflix's psychological thriller "Ripley," FX's "Fargo" and HBO's "True Detective: Night Country."

Netflix topped all networks with 107 nominations, including 18 for "The Crown." FX followed with 93 nods, just ahead of the 91 for Warner Bros Discovery's HBO and streaming service Max.

Winners of the Emmys, the highest honors in television, will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony broadcast live on Walt Disney's ABC on Sept. 15. The honorees will be chosen by the nearly 22,000 performers, directors, producers and other members of the Television Academy.

The last Emmys were held just six months ago, in January, when strikes by Hollywood writers and actors prompted a delay in last year's ceremony.

DIVERSITY AMONG NOMINEES

For the upcoming awards, 36 performers vying for trophies are first-time nominees.

They include five "Shogun" actors, including Japanese stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai in the lead drama actor and actress categories. The series, a remake of a 1980 miniseries, is set in the year 1600 with dialogue in English and Japanese.

"We saw increases in representation across the board this year," said Angelique Jackson, senior entertainment writer for Variety.

For the first time, women of color dominate the comedy actress field, Jackson said. The nominees include Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary," Ayo Edebiri for "The Bear," Selena Gomez for "Only Murders in the Building" and Maya Rudolph for "Loot."

Indigenous actors Lily Gladstone, a supporting actress in "Under the Bridge," and Kali Reis of "True Detective" also were nominated. "Reservation Dogs," about four indigenous teenagers in Oklahoma, earned a best comedy nod.

Oscar winner Jodie Foster scored her first Emmy nomination as an actor for "True Detective," a series set in Alaska and filmed in Iceland. Foster thanked her colleagues on the show.

"We couldnt love and trust one another more, after holding on for dear life through the snow, finding our way in the dark," she said in a statement.

Carrie Coon, star of best drama nominee "The Gilded Age," praised the crew members who brought the period drama to life.

"The industry's really been struggling since the strike," said Coon, a best drama actress nominee. "It was hard on everybody, I would say, especially our sort of utility players behind the scenes. The hours they work are so unbelievable.

Other acting nominees include "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White, Jean Smart for "Hacks" and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon for "The Morning Show."

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David, who plays a curmudgeon who delivers blunt critiques of bothersome behavior, was nominated for lead comedy actor and the series for best comedy.

"It warms my heart to see that misanthropy is finally being recognized as an art form," David said in a statement.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross and Dawn Chmielewski;Editing by Mary Milliken and Aurora Ellis)
A short history of the rise, fall and return of Detroits Michigan Central Station

Detroit celebrated the reopening of its iconic railway station Michigan Central in June 2024 with a grand outdoor gala featuring an extravaganza of Detroit musical royalty  Diana Ross, Big Sean, Patti Smith, Jack White and Eminem  in the adjoining Roosevelt Park.

For years, the decaying structure had been a sore reminder of Detroits economic rise and fall. Now, after three decades of dormancy, an extensive restoration, spearheaded by the Ford Motor Company, has breathed life into the building again.

We are urban planners at Wayne State University in Detroit interested in the socioeconomic impact of urban policy.

Like most Detroiters, we are curious about the stations history and buoyed by the new investment in it, and as urban planners, we are watching to see how its development will impact residents of the Motor City.

A monument to Detroits early industrial might

When it first opened, the stations grand interior spaces were accessible to all.

Millions of immigrants seeking a better life arrived in Detroit by entering Michigan Central  which was sometimes referred to as Detroits Ellis Island.

The Beaux-Arts gem completed in 1913 served as a monument to Detroits early industrial growth. The same year it opened, Henry Ford implemented the automated assembly line at the Highland Park plant.

Construction of the Michigan Central Railroad Depot in Detroit was completed in 1913. Courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library. Burton Historical Collection

Designed by Warren & Wetmore and Reed & Stem, the architects behind New Yorks Grand Central Terminal, the building exemplified the early 20th Century City Beautiful movement. With a roof height of 230 feet (70 meters), it was the tallest train station in the world at the time.

Lunch counter in the Michigan Central Station Depot. Courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library.

The station consisted of a waiting room canopied by tiled vaulted ceilings adorned with medallions and bronze chandeliers. It housed a light-filled concourse and a columned ticket lobby towered by an 18-story office complex. The 500 offices were reserved entirely for the railroad industry and accommodated train personnel, passenger auditors and other workers.

The stations original purpose was to connect the newly constructed Michigan Central Railway Tunnel with Windsor, Ontario  a 1 3/8-mile tunnel under the Detroit River that replaced ferry transit for railroad cargo. Due to the distance to downtown, passengers transferred via electric streetcar to and from the station.

During peak operation in the early 1940s, Michigan Central Station served more than 4,000 travelers daily.

Post-war decline

By the 1950s, inner-city streetcar transit ridership began to decline due to the introduction of public transit buses and increasingly affordable private automobiles. Detroits streetcar system went offline in 1956, isolating the station from the central business district.

At the same time, Detroits population began to diminish, with the destruction of entire neighborhoods and the development of five expressways that displaced tens of thousands, mostly African-American, residents.

By 1974, the Ford Motor Company closed its last plant in the city.

In 1988, Michigan Central Station terminated service.

Decades of dereliction and urban explorers

By this time, Detroit hosted a landscape of abandoned skyscrapers, attracting urban explorers and photographers alike.

Although the stations splendor had faded  or precisely for that reason  it was featured in Michael Bays post-apocalyptic film Transformers and revered by musician Carl Craig in the documentary film Techno City.

Testimonials from urban explorers describe the ease of entering the abandoned station in the 1990s  considered a sort of rite of passage for young Detroiters that one art student compared to a visit to the museum.

After the station had survived three decades of failed restoration proposals, Detroit City Council ordered then-owner billionaire Matty Moroun in 2009 to demolish the heavily deteriorated building. A lawsuit contested the resolution, citing the stations landmark status under the National Historical Preservation Act of 1975, and saved it from the wrecking ball.

New life

In 2018, the Ford Motor Company acquired the station with the goal of creating a hub for its foray into electric vehicle manufacture and new destination for tech and venture capital startups.

The building had suffered severe damage, caused by years of neglect and vandalism. The basement was flooded, most of the tiles had fallen from the ceilings, and the steel roof had nearly collapsed.

Ford hired the architecture firm Quinn Evans, which sorted through historical photos and archives of architectural plans to assist in restoring the building.

Twenty-nine thousand Gustavino tiles were reinstalled  nearly all original. Designers 3D-printed replicas of former medallions and cast massive replacement chandeliers.

Before and after views of the tiles ceiling at Michigan Central. Source: Michigan Central

A stonemason spent 428 hours hand-carving a capital column from a 21,000-pound limestone block, supplied by an obsolete quarry in Indiana, which had been resurrected solely for the purpose of the stations restoration.

Stonemasons restored the capital column at Michigan Central in Detroit using limestone sourced from the original quarry. Amy Sacka

In all, more than 3,000 tradespeople dedicated 1.7 million hours to the project.

In the spirit of a city whose Latin mottos translate to English as We hope for better things and It will rise from the ashes, many once-looted items, such as parts of the iconic ticket lobby clock, were anonymously returned.

Informal history was preserved as well, including a section of graffiti and blemishes carved into the original marble floors by the thousands of shoes that had traversed the station.

Details from Michigan Centrals era of abandonment, such as this graffiti, were preserved as part of the final restoration. Amy Sacka

Fords vision for a global mobility innovation hub

Ford invested US$950 million into the restoration of the railway station, as well as the design and construction of the surrounding 30-acre Michigan Central campus, which includes recreational spaces and a variety of other buildings with offices, retail, a restaurant and parking facilities.

The adjacent former Detroit Public School Book Depository houses one of Fords main partners, Newlab, a tech incubator founded in New York City.

Newlab in Michigan Central aims to nurture tech startups and venture capital firms. Amy Sacka

In an interview with WXYZ-TV Detroit, executive chair Bill Ford Jr. said that he is committed to an open platform and welcomes collaboration with other car companies.

When asked why he chose Detroit for Fords next chapter, instead of another city with an already existing tech infrastructure, he said that Detroit is: an incredible place to work, where your family will also love to be, and its affordable.

Detroiters concerns about the future

The City of Detroit and the State of Michigan pledged an estimated $240 million in property tax abatement and favorable policies  such as the new Transportation Innovation Zone, which fast-tracks novel mobility and robotic testing around Michigan Central  to backstop Fords investment.

In 2016, Detroit approved an ordinance requiring developers who receive tax incentives larger than $1 million for projects valued higher than $75 million to negotiate with the surrounding community potential benefits to offset the projects negative impacts in the neighborhood  for example, invest in affordable housing. According to the latest compliance report, Michigan Central has satisfied most agreements.

But for some Detroiters, the development is a double-edged sword. With significant investment from Ford and its top tech partners, Detroit and its Corktown neighborhood expect a rise in population, tourism and spin-off business dollars that some fear could lead to a rise in housing costs and displacement.

With the grandeur of Michigan Central restored, Detroiters hope a new era of prosperity will include them. Amy Sacka

Indeed, Fords investment began shifting neighborhood housing dynamics long before Michigan Centrals grand opening, with a surge in housing costs hitting renters hardest. With project boosters comparing the new Michigan Central to Californias Silicon Valley, a place that has some of the most expensive housing markets in the nation, many residents worry that they eventually will be priced out of the neighborhood. In anticipation of a big boom, rents for retail space have increased substantially; however, many storefronts have remained empty.

How Michigan Central will affect housing, job market and business in its adjacent neighborhoods is yet to be revealed. For now, visitors and tenants alike can revel in the wonders of walking on the historic grounds of Roosevelt Park into the restored grandeur of the Michigan Central Station.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Mila Puccini, Wayne State University and Jeffrey Horner, Wayne State University

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Nothing to disclose.

Mila Puccini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Two men face several fentanyl-related charges after a near-death incident at the El Paso County jail last month.

Tommy Mills, 45, was found unresponsive in his cell after ingesting a "small amount" of fentanyl June 1, according to a news release from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. He was resuscitated after he was given multiple doses of Narcan.

Mills was transported to a local hospital, where he told deputies that he willingly ingested a small amount of fentanyl.

Detectives found 4.1 grams inside the cell and discovered that Mills' cellmate, Ryan Morgan, 46, smuggled the drug into jail.

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Morgan was recently sentenced to the Department of Corrections, so detectives believe he intended to sell the drugs once he was transported.

Morgan faces charges of distribution of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substances among others and is being held at DOC.

Morgan does not have an upcoming court date yet, but his bond is set at $50,000.

Mills faces charges that include second-degree possession of contraband and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.

Mills' next court date is Thursday, when his charges will be formally read.
Initiative 2066, and the more than 546,000 Washingtonians who signed in support, sends a very strong message to Olympia that energy choice and housing affordability are top priorities among the people of this great state.

I-2066 received the most signatures for a ballot initiative in over 50 years, and the second most in state history. This tremendous result showcases how Washington voters were able to unite behind preserving energy choice.

This initiative preserves energy choice for consumers while also prohibiting any future attempts to ban natural gas. This is a crucial and timely initiative, especially considering that the early forms of House Bill 1589 sought to bring a premature ban on natural gas for Puget Sound Energy customers. This initiative was important not only to the building industry, but also to the hospitality industry and natural gas consumers at large. It is ultimately the consumer who benefits the most from this initiative, as they are the ones who ultimately foot the bill for costly regulations. At a time when housing is downright unaffordable for most of the population, lawmakers should be focusing on easing the affordability crisis instead of making it worse.

At its core, this initiative preserves the freedom of Washington residents to choose. It does not force people to use natural gas, nor does it take away incentives or rebates for other energy sources. The cost to convert from natural gas to electricity can be extreme, and this initiative aims to prevent the levying of an unfair cost burden onto homeowners who cannot afford it.

The Kitsap Building Association is proud to have been a vital partner in the signature gathering effort throughout Kitsap. We are pleased to have helped provide an opportunity for Washington voters to vote yes and preserve energy choice.

Ian Harkins, Kitsap Building Association

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Signatures show support for initiative to stop ban on natural gas
How Silicon Valleys shift to the Right propelled JD Vance to Trumps side

If the polls are correct, JD Vance, 39, could soon become America's first millennial vice president - JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Were it not for Peter Thiel, JD Vance might now be a successful but largely unknown partner at a prestigious US law firm, instead of Donald Trumps running mate and political heir.

In 2011, Vance was studying law at Yale University when Thiel, the contrarian PayPal founder and billionaire Facebook investor, came to town to spread his gospel.

Thiel did not dish out the uplifting fare that lectures from business leaders typically provide. Instead, he told the audience that they risked being stuck in a perpetual competition, trading their youth and social lives to climb a corporate ladder that provided little meaning.

Vance described it as the most significant point in his studies. I looked to the future and realised that Id been running a desperate race where the first prize was a job I hated, he later wrote in Catholic journal The Lamp.

Vance immediately made plans to leave the law profession.

After graduating, he moved to San Francisco, where Thiel arranged a job at biotech company Circuit Therapeutics before he joined the billionaires venture capital firm Mithril, named after the impenetrable armour worn by Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit (Tolkienesque references are a constant in the investors orbit).

The connection would go on to help secure Vance, 39, the coveted spot on Trumps ticket and, if polls are correct, catapult him to be Americas first millennial vice president.

Elon Musk, a confidant of Thiel and vocal Trump backer, reportedly called the former president to lock in Vances place as running mate, while factions of Silicon Valley erupted after his announcement.

WE HAVE A FORMER TECH VC IN THE WHITE HOUSE. GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH BABY, Delian Asparouhov, a partner at Thiels Founders Fund tweeted after Mondays announcement.

Vances ascent caps a remarkable rise for someone who only assumed office last year, having won a Ohio Senate seat in 2022s midterms. It is also the culmination of a red wave sweeping through the notoriously liberal tech industry whose major figures have now become kingmakers.

Although Vance is best known for chronicling the industrial decline of Americas Rust Belt and the poverty it has bred, the biggest winners from his rise could be tech billionaires.

Silicon Valley has famously been a Democrat power centre. Senior staff moved between Barack Obamas White House and Google so frequently that the relationship was likened to a revolving door.

Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg was a former chief of staff in Bill Clintons Treasury Department, and Obamas senior officials Jay Carney and David Plouffe took jobs at Amazon and Uber.

When Thiel, a multi-billionaire who was the first outside investor in Facebook, poked his head above the parapet and backed Trump in 2016, he became a pariah. Thiel donated $1.25m (960k) to the Trump campaign and spoke at the Republican convention, declaring: I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican.

The unconventional bet  one of many in Thiels career  paid off. After Trump beat Hillary Clinton, Thiel became an influential voice in the new administration. Palantir, the data analytics firm he had founded (another Lord of the Rings nod, this time referring to the wizard Sarumans all-seeing orb), won a series of government contracts.

Thiel became disenchanted with the administration, however, and avoided backing him four years later, saying the Trump White House was crazier and more dangerous than he had imagined and that it couldnt get the most basic pieces of the government to work. In 2020, 85pc of residents in San Francisco county voted for Joe Biden over Trump.

The latest wave of pro-Trump tech bros, however, are a different breed of moguls. These are not the globalist, social liberals that dominate the ranks of Apple, Google and Facebook, where environmental credentials, mission statements and diversity reports are daily bread. This is alt-Silicon Valley, a world that rails against woke ideology, that sees cryptocurrency as the future of money, and where big government and the mainstream media are the enemies.

Many in the movement have been turned off Left-wing politics by the decline of Democrat-run San Francisco, where homelessness, drug use and working from home means the citys downtown serves as a useful symbol of urban decay. In 2021, a coalition of tech investors including David Sacks, another former PayPal executive, funded a bid to unseat the citys Left-wing district attorney.

It served as a turning point. Sacks, a 52-year-old serial entrepreneur who sold the social network Yammer to Microsoft, has become the face of techs Right wing, attacking the Biden administration on immigration and Ukraine. Sacks, Musk and Thiel are known as members of the PayPal mafia, an enduringly influential set of tech figures who worked at the payments company a quarter of a century ago.

On Monday, Sacks spoke at the Republican National Convention, saying Democrats had turned San Francisco into a cesspool and accusing Biden of taking America to the brink of world war three.

Musk  who says he voted for Obama, Clinton and Biden  formally endorsed Trump last weekend shortly after his shooting. He is reportedly planning to give up to $160m to a Superpac promoting Trumps election.

Marc Andreessen, the Netscape inventor who has become Silicon Valleys most famous venture capitalist, confirmed his support for Trump on Tuesday night.

Other tech industry Trump backers include Palantirs co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and Palmer Luckey, the 31-year-old founder of the defence tech firm Anduril (another Lord of the Rings-inspired Thiel investment).

Vance, who once described himself as a never Trumper, has been on a similar journey. His career in San Franciscos tech industry was short-lived; after the success of his memoir Hillbilly Elegy he left Silicon Valley, but remained close to Thiel.

In 2019, Vance set up his own investment firm Narya Capital  backed by Thiel and Andreessen, and named after one of Tolkiens rings of power.

By the time Vance decided to run for an Ohio Senate seat in 2022, he had converted to the Maga cause, but retained many of his tech allies. Thiel, despite being disillusioned with Trump, donated an extraordinary $15m to send him to Capitol Hill. Vance revealed in campaign disclosures that he owned as much as $250,000 in cryptocurrency on the exchange Coinbase, in which Andreessen is a major investor.

Vance has been a key link between Silicon Valley and Trump, helping to organise a $50,000-a-head Trump fundraiser at Sacks San Francisco mansion in June. The event was a sell-out, in part thanks to cryptocurrency investors such as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the Olympic rower twins famous for suing Mark Zuckerberg over the idea for Facebook.

At the dinner, the former president cracked jokes about AI and warned that Democrats were going after crypto.

Under Biden, Democrats have pushed to regulate artificial intelligence, crack down on cryptocurrency and proposed doubling capital gains taxes for high earners  a move that would massively hit the tech industry where workers are disproportionately paid in company stock.

On Tuesday, Andreessen called the capital gains tax proposals the final straw that led to him endorsing Trump. This makes start-ups completely implausible, he said.

A Trump White House, by comparison, could fill venture capitalists pockets by making it easier to push through lucrative takeover deals. Defence tech companies like Anduril  which Vances firm was an investor in  might hope for a surge in government orders for its drones and border surveillance technology.

As Vance has joined the ticket, Silicon Valley bosses have pledged huge sums to help return Trump to the White House. Having their own tech bro in the building  and perhaps seeking his own presidency in four years  may be worth the price.

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Silver Spring man sentenced to 13 years for killing man, leaving his body in parked car, police say

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) said it sentenced a Silver Spring man on Friday to 13 years in prison for the 2021 killing of 18-year-old Noel Prince Nicol of Silver Spring.

According to USAO-DC, 23-year-old Jordan Jones of Silver Spring pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in December 2023 for the fatal shooting of Nicol on Oct. 11, 2021, in Southeast.

Superior Court Judge Michael OKeefe sentenced Jones to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release, according to a press release from the office.

Librarians share several programs as people find ways to stay cool during extreme heat

According to court documents, Jones agreed to meet Nicol in Southeast the day after he arranged to purchase a 9mm handgun, the same caliber as the murder weapon.

Police said they did not locate Nicol until three days after his death when they were investigating an anonymous tip and discovered Nicolss body in the drivers seat of a car parked on Savannah Place SE.

Police said detectives obtained surveillance footage from the vicinity of the car and determined Jones as the suspect.

Jones admitted to police in his post-arrest interview that he was in the car at the time of the shooting and that he and Nicol struggled over the gun, according to investigators.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Jack Greiner, partner of Faruki PLL

A Baton Rouge police officer will not be permitted to proceed with his personal injury suit against the leader of a Black Lives Matter protest according to a federal court sitting in Louisiana. The United States Constitution, which protects the right of association, precludes the suit.

The Baton Rouge police officer, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, alleged in his lawsuit that he responded to a demonstration that took place on July 9, 2016. Doe contends that Defendant DeRay Mckesson le[a]d the protest, acting on behalf of Defendant Black Lives Matter. Doe alleged that Black Lives Matter is a national unincorporated association, of which Mckesson is a leader and co-founder.

Doe alleged that Mckesson and Black Lives Matter were in Baton Rouge for the purpose of demonstrating, protesting[,] and rioting to incite others to violence against police and other law enforcement officers.

Doe conceded that the demonstration was peaceful when it commenced. But Doe contended that the protest turned into a riot, when activist[s] began pumping up the crowd. Thereafter, according to Doe, demonstrators allegedly began to loot a Circle K, taking water bottles from the business and hurl[ing] them at the police officers who were positioned at the demonstration. Once the demonstrators had exhausted their supply of water bottles, Doe contended that an unidentified demonstrator picked up a piece of concrete or [a] similar rock[-]like substance and hurled [it] into the police. Does alleged he was struck by this object, causing several serious injuries.

Does suit named Mckesson and Black Lives Matter as defendants. In his complaint, Doe contended that Mckesson and Black Lives Matter knew or should have known that the physical contact[,] riot[,] and demonstration that they staged would become violent . . . and . . . that violence would result. Doe contended that the unidentified demonstrator who threw the object was a member of . . . Black Lives Matter and was under the control and custody of Mckesson and Black Lives Matter. Therefore, according to Doe, Mckesson and Black Lives Matter are liable for the injuries caused to Doe by the unidentified demonstrator.

Doe faced what turned out to be two insurmountable hurdles to his lawsuit. First, as to Mckesson, [t]he First Amendment . . . restricts the ability of a tort plaintiff to recover damages from an individual solely because of his association with another. The court ruled that [c]ivil liability may not be imposed merely because an individual belonged to a group, some members of which committed acts of violence. And it noted that [f]or liability to be imposed by reason of association alone, it is necessary to establish that the group itself possessed unlawful goals and that the individual held a specific intent to further those illegal aims. Here, Doe failed to allege facts that Mckesson had any intent other than to lead a peaceful protest.

Does conclusory allegations that Mckesson was in charge of the protests[,] and he was seen and heard giving orders throughout the day and night of the protests were insufficient. As the court noted, [Doe] does not state in his Complaint how Mckesson allegedly incited violence or what orders he allegedly was giving. Does threadbare recitals were not enough to overcome the Constitutions protection for the right to associate.

As to Black Lives Matter, the court concluded that Black Lives Matter, as [Doe] uses that term in his Complaint, refers to a social movement. Although many entities have utilized the phrase black lives matter in their titles or business designations, Black Lives Matter itself is not an entity of any sort. Therefore, all claims against Black Lives Matter must be dismissed because social movements lack the capacity to be sued.

As the court noted, Black Lives Matter was not created through a contract of association and is not an entity whose personality is distinct from that of its members, and therefore it is not a juridical person that is capable of being sued.

I suspect Doe will appeal this decision, but for now, the right of association lives in Louisiana.

Jack Greiner is a partner at Faruki PLL law firm in Cincinnati. He represents Enquirer Media in First Amendment and media issues.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Social movements' can't be sued | Strictly Legal
FBI agents raided the home of Abdimajid Mohamed Nur of Shakopee. He was later indicted as part of a bribery investigation. Photo by Madison McVan/Minnesota Reformer.

The Minnesota Attorney Generals Office, where I previously worked as a fraud investigator, announced last year its largest ever Medicaid fraud case, charging 18 people with stealing $9.5 million. Not long after, the AG charged three people with stealing nearly $11 million, again in Medicaid funds. In May, eight were charged with defrauding Medicaid of $2.6 million. Last month, the AG charged five people with stealing more than $10 million. These cases  all charged in the past year  carry a combined dollar amount greater than the sum of all 261 criminal convictions for Medicaid fraud secured by the attorney general since October 2018.

You may not have read or seen much about these cases, but youve surely heard about the five people found guilty last month of multiple charges in the first trial in what has become known as the Feeding Our Future fraud.

In total, 70 people have been charged in the scheme to bilk the federal government of more than $250 million meant to feed hungry children during the pandemic. The Reformer reported that almost half the defendants who were charged in the federal meals program had other businesses that received funds from the state.

We must grapple with something that is uncomfortable and true: Nearly all of the defendants in the cases Ive listed are from my community. The Somali community.

We began arriving in the U.S. to escape civil war and famine in the early 1990s. Minnesota, with its unforgiving winters, became an unlikely magnet for many of my people. But word spread that Minnesota is an inviting place, with generous social programs and a history of welcoming immigrants. Minnesota is now home to the largest Somali population in the United States. The vast majority of us are working people, joining the throngs of immigrants who have come before us from all over the globe, in search of freedom and opportunity.

Somalis set up a plethora of businesses and nonprofits to meet the needs of our community. Many of these businesses and nonprofits rely on taxpayer-funded programs that provide services to low-income Minnesotans.

My fellow Minnesotans have wondered  almost always privately  why so many fraud stories have centered on the Somali community. My experience as a fraud investigator has taught me that fraud occurs when desire meets opportunity.

My community, like others, has its share of people who are poor, desperate and seek shortcuts. Many were skilled professionals whose experience and education credentials are not recognized in the U.S. As a result, they have had to resort to working menial jobs, which can be emotionally debilitating while failing to deliver financial security.

Additionally, a significant number of Somalis are the sole providers for extended family members who live back home, where the annual per capita GDP is about $600. The remittances they send every month sustains their extended family members and keeps afloat the local economy.

That covers the desire, and heres where opportunity comes into play: Minnesotas public programs dont adequately guard against organized fraud.

The systems intended to catch fraud are mostly designed to root out recipient fraud. It is exceedingly difficult to guard against providers who collude with recipients, which is the type of fraud most pervasive in the Somali community. It is both time-consuming and resource-intensive to investigate complex fraud schemes involving providers who work with recipients to defraud the government, though investigators have trained their eyes: The charges in the most recent Medicaid fraud case allege that the co-conspirators paid kickbacks to lure recipients to their agency.

Let me explain how providers are often duping or colluding with recipients: Both in tradition and culture, and as refugees living in another country, we are a tight-knit community. We share the same language, culture and faith.

Unlike the wider American society, which is increasingly fractured and mistrustful of each other, Somalis inherently trust one another. This creates a vast opening for fraudsters.

The conduit for fraud in publicly funded programs are the recipients, who require services. Somali recipients face language and cultural barriers. In an unfamiliar country, they lean heavily on other Somalis. Somali providers are in a position of trust, and some have taken advantage.

Whats often lost is that Somalis are usually the victims in many of these cases  their identities have been stolen by providers, or they have been used by providers to get state money but never receive the services that they need  like desperately needed mental health services, for instance.

Somali recipients are often courted by Somali providers based on clan ties and familial relations, not necessarily the quality of the service they intend to provide. This relationship, which blurs the traditional boundaries between a recipient and a provider, can enable fraud.

Legitimate providers in my community say its challenging to keep recipients because some rival providers offer kickbacks to induce recipients to switch. Somali recipients may not always be aware that they are partaking in or enabling fraud. When they are, fear of ostracism can prevent them from reporting fraud or cooperating with investigators.

The close community bond also magnifies and accelerates information sharing. For those inclined to commit fraud and who operate a business that receives public funds, this includes the vulnerabilities in publicly-funded programs. Word spreads quickly of new programs and their vulnerabilities.

The Feeding Our Future fraud is the most notorious example. Some in my community opened meal sites, and invited their family and friends to do the same after restrictions were loosened due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to court documents, various meal sites throughout the state engaged in the same scheme to defraud the government, with some using the same names of children, some generated by a website.

Our system of qaaraan provides a social safety net in the form of financial assistance to those who have fallen on hard times. Unfortunately, it has also been used to financially support people who have been charged with defrauding the government. Funds raised by the community have gone towards paying bail and expensive legal bills incurred by fraudsters. This assistance from the community has reduced the stigma once associated with criminality and enabled fraudsters to offload onto others the financial costs associated with their crimes.

Fraudsters have also sought to exploit the burgeoning political power of the Somali community, and the feckless fear that establishment politicians and state agencies show when confronted with charges of racism or Islamophobia.

Consider: In November 2020, the Feeding Our Future nonprofit sued the state Department of Education and alleged that thousands of qualified children in low-income and minority communities are going without desperately needed federal food programs because MDE refuses to process Feeding Our Future applications.

In June 2021, more than 100 people, mostly Somali, protested outside MDEs office. Many held signs that read F.O.F. Feeds our kids, MDE wont and accused MDE of discrimination. So far, at least two people who attended that rally are among those charged.

MDE officials told the Office of Legislative Auditor that the threat of legal consequences and negative media attention affected MDEs decisions about the regulatory action it did and did not take against Feeding Our Future.

Then there was the attempt to bribe juror No. 52 the day before jury deliberations were expected to begin in the first Feeding Our Future fraud trial. Five people were indicted in this alleged bribery attempt. According to the indictment, the juror was selected in part because she appeared to be the only person of color on the jury.

According to the FBI, the alleged conspirators prepared written arguments for juror 52. One argument read, We are immigrants: they dont respect or care about us. Another stated: Why why why is it always people of color and immigrants prosecuted for the fault of other people including Kara Lomen and even the Governor.

During my time at the Office of the Attorney General, I witnessed some members of my community who were under investigation by our office brazenly level false accusations of discrimination against my colleagues. Rather than retain an attorney to argue their case in court, some sought out the attorney general at public events; others reached out to Somali elected officials.

Members of my community must cease the leveraging of race and religion to avoid accountability, and Minnesotas (mostly DFL) politicians must muster the courage to address the systemic fraud in our publicly funded programs.

Fraud in government programs leaves taxpayers feeling resentful, and rightfully so. Rampant fraud in these programs erodes public support for them and in the long run hurts our community and those who rely on them.

Of course, as long as there are people who possess the desire and opportunity to commit fraud, fraud will occur, and I implore my fellow Somalis to respect the law.

But the responsibility for preventing the fraud rests with our elected leaders. Lets hope they get to work.
(Bloomberg) -- South Africa must fix a dysfunctional work permit system or sacrifice economic growth, the countrys new Home Affairs minister said, pledging to resolve a crisis that employers say limits investment.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A byzantine application process that can extend beyond a year has contributed to a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications, while miring his department in lawsuits from people demanding rulings on their submissions.

Thats been accompanied by a national debate where foreigners are routinely accused of stealing South African jobs, in a country with an unemployment rate of more than 30%. Thats despite the Treasury saying a dearth of skills is the second-biggest threat to the economy after power cuts, and skilled workers create jobs for those less qualified.

A German-South African business association, which represents companies including Volkswagen AG, has said the chaos threatens operations that support 100,000 jobs.

Wont Grow

This countrys economy will never grow if we dont open our doors to people who want to lawfully come here and make a contribution and help us get on track, said Leon Schreiber, appointed as minister last month in a coalition government dominated by his Democratic Alliance party and the bigger African National Congress.

It is one of the jobs of political leadership to go out and actually make these kind of arguments to say this is where the problem actually is, he said in an interview on Wednesday. Dont scapegoat and include people who are trying to actually help us build the country.

One of the 35-year-old ministers priorities includes adopting a points system to allow skilled workers to take up employment based on their qualifications, job offers and income level.

Another is resolving confusion around a so-called nomad visa, which is designed to cater to remote workers who want to base themselves in South Africa. It became law earlier this year but has frustrated potential applicants because the requirements are unclear.

The points based system is, I think, fundamental to overhauling the whole system because itll do away with these different requirements for different categories, said Schreiber, who is the second-youngest member of the 34-member cabinet. It will streamline that whole process.

He also said repairing the hostile relationship between Home Affairs and permit applicants is key to turning the department into an economic enabler focused on job creation.

This is the only department that has the capability to, within a relatively short period, bring in the skills that companies need, he said.

Angry Tourists

In addition to the work permit problem, Schreiber said he will focus on complaints about getting tourist visas, with some visitors being deterred by the difficulties in securing permission to visit South Africa.

Theres huge markets in China and India that are sending a lot of complaints through about how those processes are conducted, he said.

To tackle the work permit problems the department is working with the help of resources from Business Unity South Africa, a grouping of the countrys biggest businesses, and Deloitte LLP, he said. He will meet with a unit of FirstRand Ltd. for further assistance. Schreiber also plans to revive the countrys Immigration Advisory Board.

Still, Schreiber touted some recent success.

Since April, the backlog of work permit, spousal visa and permanent residence applications has been cut by 30% to about 213,000, he said.

Home Affairs could be central to addressing the skills shortage in South Africa, he said. That is not a curse. Its a great opportunity.

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South SF police warn of vehicle burglaries at gas stations and shopping centers

(KRON)  Recent vehicle burglaries in South San Francisco have prompted police to issue a safety alert. According to the South San Francisco Police Department, several strong-armed robberies and smash-and-grab vehicle burglaries have occurred at gas stations and shopping centers.

The burglaries, which police call a crime of opportunity, are being committed in the Westborough neighborhood and surrounding cities, SSFPD said.

During the incidents, the suspects broke into vehicles while they were occupied and/or while the victims were filling up their gas tanks, police said. The suspects have stolen purses, luggage, and other valuable items and then fled the scene in carious get-away vehicles.

Thieves are breaking into Danville homes using garage clickers

In response, South San Francisco police said it has increased patrols in the targeted areas. Police advise not contacting potential burglars in order to preserve safety, and suggest being the best witness you can be.

SSFPD offered a list of things to remember to prevent becoming a target:

Always be aware of your surroundings

Park in a well-lit area

Roll up your vehicles windows and lock all doors when stopped or parked

Hide personal belongings and store items in the trunk when possible

Do not leave purses, bags or luggage on vacant seats

Keep electronics out of sight

Use GPS tracking devices when possible

Report suspicious activity to the police

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
A 34-year-old woman in Riverside County has been arrested for allegedly hitting and killing a man with her vehicle in what authorities described as a domestic altercation.

Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department responded to the 1200 block of Hamner Avenue in Norco Tuesday just before 12:30 a.m. on reports of a collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.

At the scene, deputies located a 57-year-old man from Riverside, later identified as Bahman Nowrozi, suffering from severe injuries consistent with a traffic collision, a RCSD news release stated.

The 57-year-old was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Deputies also located Riverside resident Aubrey McGee, the driver of the vehicle that struck the man, at the scene.

Aubrey McGee

Authorities said that once it was preliminarily determined that the traffic collision was the result of a domestic dispute, the scene was secured, and the Riverside County Sheriffs Departments Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

Burglary suspect in Southern California busted in the act by police drone

McGee was taken into custody for murder and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center.

While the investigation is ongoing, officials said no additional suspects are believed to be outstanding.

Authorities did not provide any information about the nature of McGees relationship to the victim.

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact Riverside County Sheriffs Department Investigator V. Magana of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator S. Budnik of the Jurupa Valley Sheriffs Station at 951-955-2600.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Not even an afternoon thunderstorm could dampen the mood at Pikes Peak State Colleges Rampart Range campus.

Even as the rain rolled into Colorado Springs Tuesday afternoon, spirits were high as representatives and attendees huddled into the new Delta Dental Oral Health Career Center for its ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The crowd's sense of optimism comes as the newly renovated facility will hopefully increase the number of needed dental hygienists and dental assistants in the region and state.

This is a crucial step to addressing the workforce shortages and promoting diversity across our healthcare community, the foundation's Chief Operating Officer Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya said.

As its name suggests, the latest addition to the Pikes Peak State College was made possible predominately by a $2.5 million grant from the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation. The donation is the largest given out by the foundation and the largest the school has received.

It is also part of a series of recent grants dedicated to expanding and diversifying dental hygiene programs across Colorado.

"Colorado ranks 48th in the nation for dental training facilities, resulting in a critically high demand for these professionals," said Adam Cermak, executive director of the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges.

"This is especially true for El Paso County which, until now, has had no dental hygiene school. Dentists, for years, have been asking for this program."

A former child care center, the renovated facility currently houses PPSC's dental assistant program and, starting in Fall 2025, will be home to a brand-new dental hygiene program.

Attendees at the event explored the facility and observed its two clinics with 20 patient chairs, sterilization room and 13 simulation stations for low-risk and high-impact learning. The program will also incorporate advanced dental technology into the curriculum like 3D imaging and same-day crown design and production.

PPSC President Lance Bolton said that the university received accreditation for the new program last month and can now begin the process of enrolling students.

He noted that the accreditation process included visits from multiple colleges across the country with their own respective programs to help them develop their own.

The final result is a state-of-the-art facility has been touted as among the best in the country.

They got back to me and said, we dont have a single recommendation, Bolton said.

Dental Deserts

According to the Colorado Dental Hygienists Association, there are currently only five college programs for dental hygiene in the state: Colorado Northwestern Community College, Pueblo Community College, Colorado Mountain College, Community College of Denver and Concorde Career College.

For the Pikes Peak region and its near-one million population size, this means that those seeking a degree in dental hygiene would have to travel north to Denver or Aurora, south to Pueblo or northwest to either Rangely or Edwards.

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Seeing this and other gaps across the state, Front Range Community College, Community College of Denver and Colorado Mountain College also received grant funding from the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, totaling nearly $5 million to develop or expand their respective dental hygiene programs.

The massive wave of donations come as the industry recovers from a fallout of licensed professionals in the wake of the COVID-19. The American Dental Association reported an overall decline in hygienist jobs since following the pandemic, with an 11% decrease in dental practice capacity across Colorado.

The Colorado Dental Association's Executive Director Molly Pereira said, like with many industries, the pandemic led to early retirements while increasingly high costs of education exacerbated the incoming workforce.

As it pertains to Colorado, she added the overall high cost of living in recent years has also made it difficult to fill positions from out-of-state.

We cant blame everything on one factor, because its a ripple effect, she said.

This dearth in workers has rippled to the quality and access to care with dental offices taking less patients and rescheduled appointments taking longer.

I dont have to tell you that, when you miss a dental appointment, youre looking at about three months out before you can get back in again, Bolton said. "That's what I've heard more than anything when I tell people about this new program."

'Not an overnight fix'

Bolton said that the university was a good fit for this expansion, due to their existing dental assisting program, the community's diverse population and the amount of interest from students to continue on to a dental hygienist program.

To kickstart the career paths for aspiring local students, roughly on third of each incoming class will come from the school's existing dental assistance program. The dental hygiene program looks to enroll over 30 students and the expanded dental assisting program 30 students each year.

The program also looks to increase dental care access to its local communities as part of its curriculum. 15-week low-income clinics will offer hygiene services in the fall and spring, with a 15-week general-services clinic in the spring. Services will also be provided for 10 weeks during the summer semester.

Once operational, the dental hygiene program will serve around 200 patients per week, with fees ranging from $0 to $75. All clinics will be operated under the supervision of a licensed dentist.

Other initiatives to address this workforce shortage have included the state-funded Care Forward Colorado Program to provides a free education to students interested in becoming certified dental assistants along with other positions in the medical field.

During this year's legislative session, lawmakers passed the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact into law which saw Colorado join a pact of seven other states to provide opportunities to practice in the other states while increasing mobility, improving public safety and reducing licensure burdens.

Pereira said that the solution to this workforce shortage is "not an overnight fix" given the time it takes to become completely certified, but the recent steps taken are encouraging.

"They are really doing a lot here to expand either with new these new programs or expanding the student population," she said. "So, with all that being the case, we really expect the population to double, or even triple, by 2028.
Pedro Sanchez brands media that accused wife of corruption as enemies of democracy

Pedro Sanchez has threatened the media that accused his wife of corruption - Oscar Del Pozo/AFP

Pedro Sanchez, Spains prime minister, is threatening to force media organisations which accused his wife of corruption to disclose their financial backers, it has been claimed.

Mr Sanchez announced a democratic regeneration plan which proposes compelling the media to publish the source of public funding which they receive and the identity of their owners.

The proposed law change comes after a series of reports in online media relating to the prime ministers wife, Begona Gomez.

In April, a court opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of business corruption and influence peddling involving Ms Gomez, who will appear in court in Madrid on Friday. Her husband has said that she has done no wrong.

The original complaint was filed by the anti-corruption activist group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands) using a legal instrument known as the peoples accusation, which allows private individuals to bring criminal complaints against third parties.

The Far-Right party Vox and Iustitia Europa, a group best known for its activism against the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, later joined the lawsuit.

Ms Gomez has not commented publicly on the case, but Mr Sanchez has repeatedly and vehemently denied the accusations against his wife, saying they were baseless and orchestrated by Right-wing political opponents.

Pedro Sanchez has denied any wrongdoing on the part of his wife Begona Gomez - Javier Soriano/AFP

At a hearing on July 5, Ms Gomezs lawyer Antonio Camacho said: She is perfectly fine as are people who are innocent, notwithstanding the fact that this is something unpleasant.

The court has said the ongoing investigation seeks to evaluate Ms Gomezs conduct since Mr Sanchez became prime minister in 2018.

At the time the judicial probe was launched, Mr Sanchezs reaction was to take five days off official duties to consider his future but he then returned to his post.

He accused Right-wing politicians, the media and the judge investigating Ms Gomez of actively conspiring to overthrow him.

Democracy has old enemies but with new tools that question reality with hoaxes, Mr Sanchez told the Spanish parliament on Wednesday.

Enemies of democracy use fake news to poison our coexistence.

The Spanish government will canvas the opinion of other political parties on the proposed media law change before voting in parliament.

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of the conservative opposition Peoples Party (PP), said that the prime minister was only targeting the media for personal reasons.

If the media tells the truth, you discredit them. The only reason this debate is taking place is because the prime ministers wife is being investigated in court, he said.

In March, the online newspaper El Confidencial ran a series of stories about Ms Gomezs relationship with executives from Globalia, a sponsor of Africa Centre, whose airline subsidiary Air Europa received 475 million (398 million) of pandemic bailout funds in 2020. Ms Gomez worked for Africa Centre as a consultant between 2018 and 2022.

In a joint statement in March, Globalia and Air Europa said that the aid received from the Spanish government was in line with the parameters of other aid received by different companies in the sector in Spain and the rest of Europe, and it considered itself a victim of political crossfire.

Spains conflict of interest office cleared Mr Sanchez after the PP said he should have recused himself from the cabinet meeting at which the bailout was approved.

The Spanish government has pointed out that a police investigation, carried out in response to the judges probe, found no evidence of wrongdoing by Ms Gomez.

Madrids public prosecution authority appealed against the opening of the investigation, and a higher court has confined the probe to the letters of reference for public contracts, leaving the Air Europa bailout out of the proceedings.

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Another one of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump is coming to Atlanta.

Earlier this weeks, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon tossed out the classified documents case against Trump, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has now formally filed the appeal against Cannons decision, and the case will now go in front of the 11 Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown Atlanta.

The appeal is expected to tee up a court fight that might reach the U.S. Supreme Court and could result in the reinstatement of the indictment and even conceivably the reassignment of the case to a different judge.

The judges 93-page order held that Smiths selection as special counsel violated the Constitution because he was named to the position directly by Attorney General Merrick Garland instead of being appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Prosecutors vigorously challenged that argument when it was raised by Trumps lawyers, and filed a formal notice of appeal Wednesday to initiate the process.

Its impossible to say whether the opinion will stand or be reversed on appeal, though other judges in other districts in recent years have reached opposite conclusions of Cannon, upholding the constitutionality of special counsels who were appointed by Justice Department leadership and funded by a permanent indefinite appropriation.

Even though Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas raised questions this month about the legality of Smiths appointment, no other justice signed onto his concurring opinion in a case conferring broad immunity on former presidents.

Trump on Monday said the dismissal should be just the first step and the three other cases against him, which he called Witch Hunts, should also be thrown out.

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Cannon, a Trump appointee, has exasperated the Justice Department since even before the indictment was filed, meaning if prosecutors do seek her removal, they could presumably cite a laundry list of grievances with her handling of the case.

Weeks after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago for classified documents in August 2022, Cannon granted a Trump team request to appoint an independent arbiter to review the seized records  a decision later overturned by a unanimous federal appeals panel. In April, prosecutors rebuked Cannon over potential jury instructions she floated that they said rested on a fundamentally flawed legal premise.

It is unclear if Smiths team will seek to have Cannon reassigned in the event that the appeals court reinstates the case. A Smith spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday on that possibility. Its an unusual request and one prosecutors in this case had avoided making.

But there is precedent for appeals courts taking that step, including in the same judicial district where the Florida case was charged.

I think it would be quite a statement if the Circuit Court removes her from the case, but I think in this instance it would be warranted, said Cheryl Bader, a Fordham University law school professor and former federal prosecutor. There does seem to be a pattern of Judge Cannon bending over backward to create delay and obstacles.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

RELATED NEWS:
Special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday filed an official notice of appeal of federal Judge Aileen Cannon's order dismissing former President Donald Trump's classified documents case.

Judge Cannon, in a surprising ruling Monday, dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional because he was not appointed by the president or confirmed by Congress.

MORE: After judge dismisses Trump's classified docs case, special counsel authorized to appeal

Responding Monday, a spokesperson with the special counsel's office said in a statement, "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel."

Representatives with the special counsel's office said Wednesday that they would not be commenting further.

Wednesday's filing by Smith indicated that he will appeal the decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump arrives at the New York State Supreme Court in New York, on Oct. 2, 2023. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back.

Trump has denied all charges.

Special counsel files notice of appeal in Trump's classified documents case originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends the second day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

US special counsel Jack Smith filed an official notice of appeal on Wednesday in the case regarding classified documents retained by former president Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after he left the White House.

On Monday, federal judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed that case, citing doubts about the legality of the US Justice Department's appointment of Smith.

In a statement, Smith wrote: "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel. The Justice Department has authorized the Special Counsel to appeal the court's order."

The former president was indicted in the documents case last year, but the case stalled and had not been expected to begin before the US presidential election in November, which Trump is set to contest as the Republican Party nominee.

In the case, Trump was accused of unlawfully storing highly sensitive information from his term as president from 2017 to 2021.

In August 2022, federal investigators raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion and seized several sets of documents classified as top secret.

Trump was also accused of conspiring to obstruct the investigation.

He was alleged to have tried to use associates to make footage from surveillance cameras disappear and to have boxes of documents taken away.

He pleaded not guilty when the charges were presented in Miami last year.
US prosecutors on Wednesday formally appealed a federal judges decision just two days ago to throw out the criminal case accusing Donald Trump of illegally stashing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence and elsewhere after leaving the White House in 2021.

The office of special counsel Jack Smith filed a notice in court in Florida indicating it would ask the 11th US circuit court of appeals, based in Atlanta, to revive the case and reverse the 15 July ruling by the Florida-based US district judge Aileen Cannon, who unexpectedly decided that Smith had been unlawfully appointed in the first place by the US attorney general, Merrick Garland.

Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by the former president in 2020 during his one-term presidency, ruled that Smiths 2022 appointment by the Department of Justice violated the US constitution.

Related: Florida judge dismisses criminal classified documents case against Trump

She argued the violation was because the US Congress did not authorize Garland to name a special counsel with the degree of power and independence wielded by Smith.

The decision shocked many legal experts and was the latest in a series of legal victories for Trump, in his series of cases and following his conviction in a New York criminal case earlier this year. The US supreme court ruled on 1 July that Trump has broad immunity from prosecution for official actions taken as president.

The supreme courts ruling has had a domino effect on the other charges Trump faces, with a delay to sentencing in the New York hush-money trial in which he was convicted of 34 felonies. Trump has also used the ruling to try to block evidence and delay hearings on the election subversion charges brought by Smith.

Trump still falsely claims he won the 2020 presidential election, not Joe Biden, claims and related actions that have landed Trump in court in Washington DC and Georgia on election interference charges.

Cannons decision broke with decades of rulings by other federal courts that have upheld the authority of the attorney general to empower a special counsel to handle politically sensitive investigations.

The practice has been used for decades by administrations of both political parties. Special counsels have also investigated Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

But her decision aligned with arguments Trumps lawyers have made and with Clarence Thomas, the US supreme court justice, who wrote in a concurring opinion to the presidential immunity ruling that the special counsel didnt have the authority to pursue the case. Cannon cited his concurrence in her ruling multiple times. It is part of a pattern where Thomass writings signal to the rightwing legal world potential strategies and theories to use in court.

Cannons ruling dismissed the charges against Trump and co-defendants Walt Nauta, a personal aide to Trump, and Carlos De Oliveira, a property manager at Mar-a-Lago, where the documents were found during an FBI search.

Trump was accused of illegally retaining sensitive national security documents, including records related to the US nuclear program, and Trump and the two co-defendants also were accused of obstructing the federal investigation, which they all deny.

Six of the 12 active judges on the 11th circuit were appointed by Trump. The 11th circuit has dealt Trump a defeat earlier over the classified documents case. In 2022, before the charges were filed, a three-judge 11th circuit panel reversed a ruling by Cannon to appoint a third-party special master to vet evidence FBI agents seized during a search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.

Reuters contributed reporting
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  A man from Springfield has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a drug conspiracy involving a known street gang.

Prosecutors said Christopher Wallace, 32, was indicted in December of 2020 for his role the drug conspiracy. He was arrested two years later and he pleaded guilty in February of this year. Hes been in custody since then.

Monticello man charged with cruelty to animals

During Wallaces sentencing hearing, Judge Sue Myerscough found that Wallace and his conspiracy were responsible for distributing large amounts of controlled substances in the Springfield area; he was directly responsible for 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds, of cocaine.

The most serious charge Wallace was convicted of was conspiracy to distribute cocaine. That crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and parole for life.

The case against Wallace was part of an investigation into the Springfield-based Boss Playas street gang. The DEA, FBI, Illinois State Police and Springfield Police Department were all involved.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
A St. Paul man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for fatally shooting a man in the head outside a University Avenue bar in 2019.

Devante Lattrele Jennings, 29, pleaded guilty in May to the murder of 33-year-old Michael Gray of St. Paul at the now-closed Johnny Babys at University Avenue and Chatsworth Street. Jennings was charged in April 2023 while incarcerated on an earlier firearms conviction out of Ramsey County.

According to the criminal complaint, St. Paul police responded to reports of a shooting outside Johnny Babys about 2 a.m. on May 4, 2019, where they found Gray lying in the parking lot with gunshot wounds to the back of his head and an arm. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police recovered four bullet casings, all fired from the same gun.

A witness told police that Gray had been by a silver sedan that was occupied by three people. The witness said it looked like Gray was trying to get into the rear passenger side seat when the front passenger leaned out of the car and shot him.

Investigators learned a Kia sedan with Wisconsin license plates was at the scene when the shooting occurred and traced it to a man identified in court documents by the initials TC, who knew the cars owner. They also found a cigarette butt in the vehicle with Jennings DNA on it.

Jennings initially told investigators in July 2019 he had bought drugs from TC months earlier and smoked a cigarette in the front seat, but denied being at Johnny Babys at the time of the shooting.

Surveillance footage

Surveillance footage outside Johnny Babys captured the shooting.

Jennings, TC and a third man arrived at the bar in the Kia sedan about 1:30 a.m. The third man, identified in court documents as WB, got out of the car and walked into the bar, bumping into Gray on his way inside, the complaint says.

WB walked back out to the parking lot about 1:42 a.m. and remained there with Jennings and TC until about 2 a.m., when the three men got back into the Kia. Gray approached the Kia and appeared to speak with Jennings, who was in the front passenger seat, before backing away and walking toward the back of the car. Jennings then leaned out of the front passenger window and shot Gray.

WB was killed in September 2019 near the St. Paul Saloon by friends of Gray, the complaint says.

In March 2023, while interviewing Jennings at the Moose Lake prison, investigators showed him still frames from Johnny Babys surveillance footage. They told Jennings they had identified him as the person in the footage.

Related Articles

Jennings looked at the photos and sighed, the complaint says. Jennings did not deny he was the person in the photos. Jennings then said he would wait to talk to the investigator at the Ramsey County jail with an attorney.

Jennings, whose first name is also spelled Devonte in court records, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second-degree intentional murder charge at sentencing.

Johnny Babys, which had been the site of several shootings in recent years, closed in March 2020 and was renovated into a retail establishment.
Tyrone McKillen, who leads an eight-person brokerage team in LA, is leaving Official Partners.

It's the first major departure after Official's cofounders Tal and Oren Alexander were accused of rape.

Official has distanced itself from the Alexanders and is "assessing options" for its future.

Tyrone McKillen, a high-profile residential-real-estate agent based in Los Angeles, is leaving Official Partners, the luxury brokerage company that was thrown into turmoil after two of its cofounders were accused of rape.

McKillen said he hadn't formally parted ways with the New York firm but was arranging his exit. The 36-year-old broker's sales group, Plus Real Estate, will operate independently under that brand going forward. He said that eight brokers who worked with him at Official would remain with Plus in its breakaway from the firm.

"We have been building the Plus brand over the past 10 years, so it's a natural progression for us," he said.

Nicole Oge, Official's chief growth officer, said that she and McKillen "have a deep amount of respect for one another" and that "I support him in his decision."

The team is the most visible departure so far from the once ascendant brokerage in the aftermath of startling allegations against Tal and Oren Alexander, sibling agents who were among the cofounders of Official when it launched in 2022.

In June, The Real Deal, a real-estate publication, reported that two women had filed separate civil lawsuits in March against Oren Alexander and another brother, Alon, accusing the men of raping them more than a decade earlier.

Shortly afterward, news broke that a third woman alleged in a New York civil case filed that month that Tal and Alon Alexander raped her in 2012 as Oren Alexander watched.

The three brothers have denied the allegations.

In a response to the lawsuit against him, Tal Alexander said his accuser's claims were "fabricated allegations for financial gain." His attorney has sought to dismiss the case.

Official has distanced itself from the Alexanders

In the aftermath of the allegations, Oge announced that "Oren was immediately isolated from the business" and that "the process of removing him from ownership is well underway."

An attorney for Tal Alexander announced in a statement in late June that he and Official had mutually agreed that he would "take a leave" from the firm as he focused "fully on clearing his name."

Nonetheless, the close association between the Alexanders, who were among the country's most successful real-estate brokers, and Official has dealt collateral damage to the company's image and business pipeline, even as it seeks to distance itself from its once marquee stars.

JDS Development Group plans to remove the company this week from the sales assignment for 888 Brickell, a high-rise condo tower the firm is building in Miami, a person with direct knowledge of JDS's decision-making said.

Michael Shvo, a builder planning a luxury condo project at the Raleigh hotel in Miami Beach, recently dropped Official from that development's marketing efforts.

John Hudak, a broker based in New York who worked under the Alexanders, also left the company in June, moving to the rival firm Compass.

"You don't go through something like this as a business and be completely unaffected," Oge said.

Oge said that the firm was "in active and productive discussions to move forward as a strengthened entity." She declined to say whether that included a rebranding or reorganization of the company's ownership structure that would seek to more thoroughly eliminate its connection with the Alexanders.

"We have spent time assessing options to determine what's best for our agents and clients," Oge said.

McKillen was a much-heralded addition to Official when he joined the firm in early 2023, credited with overseeing a team that had tallied $1.8 billion of pricey home sales.

In 2017, he arranged the $88 million sale of a Bel Air mansion to the megastar music couple Beyonce and Jay-Z.

"Tyrone is the ultimate exemplification of Official's vision," Richard Jordan, the company's CEO, said in a statement at the time of his hiring.

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Editors note: The Hill took down a story, published Tuesday, about Starbucks and the Republican National Convention. It did not meet our editorial standards, and we regret the error.

Starbucks is providing in-kind support to the Republican National Conventions Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee in the form of on-site coffee for first responders at the convention, Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said. The company is similarly partnering with the host committee for the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago.

The companys donations are nonpartisan.

The Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee is a bipartisan entity that has worked with the city to produce the Republican convention, according to its website.

The company is not providing a cash sponsorship of any kind, Anderson said.

Our support of first responders and volunteers at the conventions is an extension of our ongoing commitment to the communities where we operate  which includes Milwaukee and Chicago, she said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Keir Starmer spent the UK election campaign promising to reset a European relationship soured by Brexit. Just two weeks into his tenure, hes immersing himself in that endeavor as he hosts more than 40 of the continents leaders at Winston Churchills ancestral home.

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The Labour prime minister was able to take advantage of the general elections serendipitous timing to meet with many key allies at last weeks NATO summit in Washington. But the summit of the European Political Community on Thursday  bringing together leaders from inside and outside the EU on British home turf  gives him the opportunity to burnish those nascent ties.

The informal format of the gathering means Starmer can essentially speed-date his counterparts through one-to-one bilateral meetings over scones, afternoon tea and strawberries and cream at Blenheim Palace, a huge country pile in Englands genteel Cotswolds area.

While US President Joe Biden wont attend, the outcome of Novembers presidential election will hang over the discussions, because of the different approaches he and his Republican opponent Donald Trump say theyd take to Russias war in Ukraine. Trumps new running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has been critical of American support for Ukraine and suggested that the UKs new Labour government would make it the first Islamist country with the bomb.

Starmer hosted Irish leader Simon Harris on the eve of the summit and was due hold a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron later, an attempt to rebuild ties with the UKs closest neighbors. Leaders are set to hold workshops on migration, energy and connectivity, and defending and securing democracy.

King Charles III, who formally proclaimed the Starmer governments intention to reset European ties in his speech at the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday, will host a reception at Blenheim Palace for visiting leaders in the afternoon. A thread running through the conference will be security, with the threat posed by Russia at the fore.

European security will be at the forefront of this governments foreign and defense priorities, Starmer said in a statement on the eve of the summit. I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.

As Bloomberg reported this week, the UK and some European nations plan to launch a call to action to target the so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers that Russia uses to skirt international sanctions, and are also set to publish further evidence of Russias attempts to spread disinformation and undermine democracies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to attend, and a British official told reporters that Starmer aimed to use the summit to reaffirm UK and European military and financial support for Kyiv. Yet, away from the headline agenda items, private conversations between leaders and officials will be focused on the potential upheaval across the Atlantic.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy spent the past year while in opposition forging relationships with Republicans, including Vance. But in private Labour officials are disturbed by the Republican vice presidential nominees remarks about the new British government.

Look, I dont recognize those comments, Lammy told Sky News from the Blenheim estate on Thursday, although he stopped short of criticizing Vance. Lammy noted how he and the Republican senator have been able to find common ground discussing their poor backgrounds, Christian upbringing and family addiction issues.

Vances comments about withdrawing support from Ukraine have also raised the alarm across the continent. Starmer, who spoke by phone with Trump after the attempt on his life at the weekend, is likely to face questions about Vances remarks in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

The UK sees the EPC as an essential opportunity to move Britain closer to Europe should the special relationship with America become less stable, people familiar with the matter said. Their main concern about a potential second Trump term is his unpredictability, and Britain plans to strengthen ties to countries in the Indo-Pacific and Africa as well as Europe, in an effort to reduce reliance on the US, they said.

Theres a real desire by the prime minister and foreign secretary to make sure that Britain plays its proper role in the world and a sense that thats not happened for some years, Catherine Ashton, former EU high representative for foreign affairs, told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. While a Trump second term would certainly be different from a Biden one and from his own first period in office, a lot will depend on how far he sees Americas interests being partly about the relationships that he has outside, and of course Europe is critical to that, she said.

The attempt to kill Trump and the image of the bloodied Republican nominee raising his fist in the air cemented his position as the clear favorite to win the presidency in the eyes of some officials who will attend the EPC. Not only that, those officials  who would prefer a Democrat president  said they feared the events had lifted some of the political pressure for Biden to step aside, when they had privately hoped his party would swap in a candidate with a better chance of winning.

The uncertainty over what a Trump victory would mean for the Russia-Ukraine war, US trade relations with Europe and a surge of populism across the continent provides the context for Starmers efforts to mend UK-EU ties.

Supporters of the campaign to remain in the bloc in 2016, Starmer and Lammy are ideologically predisposed to better relations with the EU  though they didnt shout about their views in the election campaign.

Starmer wants to forge closer trade ties, but has also pledged to keep the UK out of the EUs customs union and single market, a stance which makes it difficult for him to deliver a significantly different trading relationship.

Instead, the premier has chosen to focus on security and defense. Seeking a quick pact between the UK and EU, Starmer will use the EPC to make the case for closer relations in these areas, people familiar with the matter said. Hes picked a close ally, Nick Thomas-Symonds, to oversee talks.

However, EU officials cautioned that a comprehensive UK-EU defense and security pact may take time to agree. While Starmers team wants it to also cover economic and climate security, EU officials fret it may be used to alter post-Brexit trading arrangements that were the product of months of intense negotiations.

Migration will also feature, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Albanian premier Edi Rama leading discussions on the topic. While some European leaders had previously been uneasy about talking tough on migration, the debate has shifted and all governments agree on a need to confront people-smuggling, a British official said.

In an effort to stem a record influx of asylum seekers in small boats across the English Channel, Starmers administration is planning new funding for programs to incentivize would-be migrants to stay in their home countries  or in transit nations, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Labour has moved UK policy away from former premier Rishi Sunaks failed plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was accompanied by threats to ignore rulings by the European Court of Justice and even to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

That shift may make it easier to cooperate with Europe, a UK official said. If Trump makes it back to the White House later this year, that enhanced cooperation may become a necessity.

--With assistance from Francine Lacqua.

(Updates with David Lammy comment in 11th paragraph.)

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Bustling on the first floor of UK HealthCares main outpatient clinic, youll find a haven for caffeine lovers and coffee addicts.

The Starbucks in the Kentucky Clinic on UK HealthCares main Lexington campus brings in an annual revenue of $1.2 million with an average of 650 customers each day. Later this year, the coffee shop will undergo a $2.3 million renovation to be more efficient for todays coffee needs.

The original store was built over 20 years ago, and the coffee world has changed drastically, said Lee Mitchell, UK Dining Resident District Manager. Back then, cold coffee was not an option, but now its about 50% of our business.

The renovation will not expand the 1,550 square-foot space, but it will make the coffee bar longer so theres more space to prepare hot and cold coffee. UK HealthCare will contribute up to $1.4 million for the renovations, and UKs dining partner Aramark will give up to $900,000.

Mitchell called the Kentucky Clinic Starbucks a nexus between several worlds, drawing business from patients, healthcare workers, students and researchers who all find themselves on UKs medical campus..

For our regulars, grabbing Starbucks before work or during a break is a ritualistic routine, a comforting part of your day. Theres also a social gathering aspect to that location. When you walk by, youre almost guaranteed to see someone you know standing in line  maybe even someone you havent seen in a while, she said.

It gives you a chance to strike up a conversation and chat with others across the health care campus that you may not see in your day to day work.

Co-Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Eric Monday told the UK board of trustees the renovations will make the space more efficient and generate more sales.

The Starbucks will close for 12 weeks during renovations, which are projected to start in October, but that timeline is not finalized, according to UK Spokesperson Allison Perry.

Luckily, coffee lovers wont have to go too far to get their caffeine fix while the Kentucky Clinics location is closed  theres another Starbucks right across the street in UKs Healthy Kentucky Research Building.
Will new state police crime lab come to Worcester? Here's the pitch

WORCESTER  The developer behind the private portion of the Polar Park redevelopment has submitted a bid to host the state police's Central Massachusetts crime lab in a Green Island parcel near the ballpark.

Denis Dowdle of Madison Properties confirmed Monday that a bid was submitted for a parcel in front of the Green Island Boulevard Garage.

"We believe we put together a very viable proposal," Dowdle said. "I just think it will be a great thing for Worcester."

Dowdle said the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance is now reviewing the bids and he is awaiting a response.

According to the request for proposals, the state is seeking approximately 180,000 to 200,000 usable square feet of space that could be used for a laboratory, evidence storage, office, records storage and meeting space. The term would be for 20 years, with two 10-year extension options.

The request specifies the state police are looking for space in one of the following municipalities: Worcester, Auburn, Berlin, Boylston, Grafton, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Millbury, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Upton, West Boylston or Westborough.

The state police currently have a crime laboratory in Sudbury.

According to the request for proposals, proposals for buildings that are located in close proximity to on-and-off ramps of one or more major highways will be rated higher.

The office is expected to receive approximately 40 visitors a week.

The state is targeting an occupancy date of November 2026.

In addition, the state's property objectives for acquiring leased space include efforts to reduce energy consumption and prioritize buildings deemed historic landmarks, and those located in Gateway Cities, such as Worcester.

In September, the City Council adopted a new state building code, or specialized stretch code, that requires the electrification of new construction starting July 1.

A public records request filed by the Telegram & Gazette for all of the bids the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance received from the request for proposals was not returned by Wednesday.

The city-financed construction of Polar Park had a goal of covering the borrowing with new property taxes, lease revenues and other new revenue sources generated by private development associated with the project.

Madison Properties' plans include residential projects, a hotel and lab space.

Timothy P. Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the parcel would be "the ideal site" for the crime lab, allowing the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to negotiate a fair lease while meeting several of the stated policy goals of the Healey-Driscoll administration.

"You're talking about a major investment that would be facilitated by a state lease in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood," Murray said. "You'd have a state-of-the-art environmental building in terms of fuel efficiency."

Murray also pointed to the proximity to Union Station and the potential for new jobs in the city, particularly for residents of the Green Island and Canal District neighborhoods. Local colleges could also collaborate with the lab on employment opportunities, he added.

The visitors could also support other nearby businesses in the Canal District, Murray said.

"The vision was a mixed-use district and this would continue in that vision and also pay taxes into the ballpark plan as well," Murray said.

Murray said the chamber has advocated on behalf of the Green Island bid to the office of Gov. Maura T. Healey. Members of the city's legislative delegation have also supported the bid, Murray said.

Thomas Matthews, a spokesperson for the city, said the city was aware of the bid and supportive of it.

"The City of Worcester is aware of and in support of Madison Properties submission to the states Request for Proposals for the State Police Crime Lab," Matthews said. "The master plan for the area along Green Island Boulevard has always included a vision for a laboratory-type use and this opportunity would fit that vision well."

More: New 83-unit affordable-housing complex opens in the Canal District. Take a look inside

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester developer pitches site for state police crime lab
State rescinds $10M grant to build tiny homes in San Diego; county still moves forward with controversial plan

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Governor Gavin Newsoms administration has pulled a $10 million grant that was set to go toward building 150 tiny homes in San Diego, after his office says the county didnt come up with a plan fast enough.

The announcement came in a letter Monday, saying the state has terminated its agreement to provide the funding to San Diego County and will now send it to another jurisdiction.

More of San Diegos most vulnerable grappling with homelessness

Hours after the letter was sent, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors finalized a plan. But its too late to use the states $10 million grant.

During the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, leaders voted unanimously, with Supervisor Nora Vargas absent, to fund the building of 70 sleeping cabins in a vacant lot near the intersection of Troy Street and Sweetwater Road in Lemon Grove.

Downtown cafe on a mission to end youth homelessness

Its estimated to cost about $11.1 million in construction for the cabins and communal spaces. Theres expected to be 24/7 security as well.

The county expects the annual operating costs to be around $3 million.

California voters pass proposition requiring counties to spend on programs to tackle homelessness

Theyve approved the plan using county funding for now.

Anytime we lose money, its not a great thing, said County Board of Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe.

San Diego mayor responds to Supreme Courts homeless encampments decision

The $10 million state grant was slated to build 150 tiny homes to house the homeless in Spring Valley, but after pushback, the plan was put on pause, and moved to the vacant lot in Lemon Grove instead.

The grant intended to build the tiny homes by the end of 2025. Through the back and forth and delays, the Governor rescinded the grant.

Neighbors are still pushing back against the plan.

Im going to oppose it, David Castillo said. He has lived near the intersection of Sweetwater Road and Troy Street for 16 years. Now, the vacant lot directly next to his house is slated to be the site for the unhoused.

Father Joes converting East Village homeless shelter into detox center

I think its a bad idea, I really do for me, especially right here, its in my backyard, Castillo said. He agrees something needs to be done to address the homeless, as he often sees them wandering around in his area, but he is concerned for his safety and his property value.

There will always be pushback and we understand the pushback, Steppe said. Theres many people impacted.

Pair of planned homeless sites in San Diego move forward

Despite the letter alerting the county they will no longer receive the $10 million from the state, Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said she is still pushing for progress in finding solutions for the unhoused, and no letter, is going to stop that.

I am confident that when the governor and his administration see our commitment from this particular project then we can open up the conversation again, Steppe added.

San Diego County could not move with the urgency the housing and homelessness crisis demands. The Governor is committed to accountability, and we will not allow local delays and opposition to impede the states unprecedented efforts to get people off the streets and into housing, a spokesperson from the Governors Office said in a statement.

A community Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Community Center.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year

A soldier with the South Dakota National Guard stands near the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass on Sept. 11, 2023. (Photo by Justin Hamel)

More than a dozen Republican governors gathered in Eagle Pass in February, heeding a call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to confront what he labeled President Joe Bidens border crisis. The governors, along with other GOP state leaders, vowed to send another round of National Guard troops from their states to the Texas-Mexico border.

With shifts in pandemic-era federal border policies, thered been a sharp increase in migrant encounters in the latter half of 2023. But then January saw a steep 50% drop.

Still, the governors told their constituents that they needed to send more people to assist Texas in fending off an invasion, as both Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have called it, or fight drug smuggling. But the deployments have been widely criticized as political grandstanding  opportunities to take photos near personnel in uniform on the border while feeding nationalism and fear during an election year.

States Newsroom outlets across the country have tracked state deployments and expenses so far this year as part of a collaboration with Texas Tribune and Stateline to get a sense of what becomes of these promises, and what those deployments look and feel like at the border.

States generally chip in anywhere from five to 200 troops for deployments that can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Typically, the funding comes from state budgets and state emergency funds.

The federal government also deploys thousands of National Guard members to the border year-round.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau who will retire Sept. 1, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in mid-June that nearly 2,500 troops were serving at the southwest border under federal command. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, asked the general about the impact of this deployment on the guards other duties.

There is no military training value for what we do [on the border], Hokanson said. For our guardsmen there, they might as well be deployed to Kuwait or somewhere overseas, because theyre away from their families. Theyre there doing mission sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set. That time, I think, would be better utilized building readiness to deter our adversaries.  Marisa Demarco

STATE DEPLOYMENTS

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, soon after Biden took office. Since then, the state has deployed thousands of people from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard along the roughly 1,250-mile border it shares with Mexico.

It was an unprecedented activation of soldiers for a state operation. Usually the federal government, not a state, deploys troops for long-term assignments and gives them much more notice. Soon after the operation began, guard members began to complain about being paid late or not at all, living in cramped mobile homes and feeling underutilized.

Today, 97% of troops currently on the mission volunteered to be deployed, according to guard leadership. The state also just finished building the first phase of a new base in Eagle Pass to house National Guard members. The base is designed to house up to 2,300 people.

Texas has spent more than $11 billion on Operation Lone Star to date, but its not clear how much of the money has been spent on the National Guard deployment, and the state hasnt divulged exactly how many people have been sent to the border.  Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune

South Dakota

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems deployment of 60 National Guard troops in the spring is the states fifth deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021.

Noem initiated three of the deployments in response to calls for help from Texas, and the other two were federal.

One of the deployments Noem initiated was mostly funded by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson. That donation and Noems use of it sparked criticism from Democrats, who said it gave the appearance that the South Dakota National Guard is available to do the political bidding of wealthy donors.

Noem funded the remaining costs and the two other deployments she initiated with money from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund, despite a state law that defines emergencies and disasters as events in any part of the state. She declined to deploy guard troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota in late June. Her use of the fund has drawn bipartisan criticism from some legislators, but a majority endorsed the practice during the last legislative session.

Previous deployments have cost the Emergency and Disaster Fund at least $1.3 million, and $1.5 million is budgeted from the fund for this years. No further deployments are planned yet.  Seth Tupper / South Dakota Searchlight

Montana

After Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte made a trip to the border earlier in the year, he declared that he would send members of the Montana National Guard to Texas at the request of the Texas governor, a fellow Republican.

Ten troops were called to active duty for vehicle repair and maintenance.

They returned home in mid-May after a monthlong deployment, where Gianforte met with them for breakfast, and he declared May Military Appreciation Month in Montana.

Despite public document requests being filed in April, no information has yet been released on the expense.  Darrell Ehrlick / Daily Montanan

Indiana

Indianas National Guard has estimated the cost of a 10-month, 50-member deployment at $7 million. The troops were called up under state active duty, meaning Indiana pays their salaries. That budget also covers transportation, supplies and maintenance.

Guard officials have said they will use existing appropriations in their budget for the costs.

Gov. Eric Holcomb made the move this year  his last in office. He didnt need legislative action. There has been little debate on the matter. Republican lawmakers issued supportive statements, and Democrats have been opposed.

Troops deployed in early April. That month, an Indiana guard member assigned to Operation Lone Star shot a migrant who was attacking another migrant, according to a U.S. Border Patrol bulletin.

I am beyond thankful to this individual who potentially saved two lives by defending them and themselves. Im reassured that the training that they got before they deployed and assumed this active duty on the southern border was beneficial, Holcomb told reporters on a Zoom.  Niki Kelly / Indiana Capital Chronicle

New Hampshire

New Hampshire National Guard troops have been deployed to the southern border twice since 2020, each time for about a year and by the federal government. From April through early June, 15 soldiers from New Hampshire were stationed at a Texas National Guard base camp in Del Rio, about an hour from Eagle Pass.

Two months earlier, during an hourlong discussion with Gov. Chris Sununu, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees Democrats in February asked the governor how much of an impact 15 National Guard members could have at a border crossing seeing thousands of migrants a day.

Sen. Lou DAllesandro, a Manchester Democrat, said a better response could come from Republicans in Congress who blocked a border deal that cleared the U.S. Senate. Although its a wonderful thought in terms of support, it seems to be that the real issue is that Congress isnt funding what they should be funding to protect the southern border, DAllesandro told Sununu.

The committees Republicans praised Sununus plan to send troops to the border. Senate President Jeb Bradley noted the governor had requested the funding for the 2024 deployment under the civil emergency law to address the states drug overdose deaths, which have topped 400 yearly since 2015.

The three-month deployment cost the state $850,000, which covered salary and benefits. New Hampshire paid the Texas National Guard $200 a day per soldier for room and board, as well as other expenses at its base in Del Rio.  Annmarie Timmins / New Hampshire Bulletin

Idaho

In Idaho Gov. Brad Littles State of the State Address in January, he announced he would send two teams of five state police troopers to the border to learn the best tactics to respond to those who smuggle and abuse vulnerable people.

The 10 officers were sent to the border in April for three weeks and partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety for the mission.

We are determined to utilize this training to enhance our efforts in Idaho and to combat human trafficking with utmost efficiency, Idaho State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said. Its vital for our troopers to face repeated real-world scenarios to sharpen their skills.

The governor this year recommended $200,000 to the Idaho state police budget to send troopers to the Texas-Mexico border for training. The total cost of the trip was $205,655.

One state police officer said the majority of the time was spent along the border wall assisting the Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Guard with traffic stops and arrests, then turning people over to the Border Patrol.  Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun

Nebraska

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen has continued a push by his predecessor, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, to send state-paid law enforcement and National Guard members to the Texas border with Mexico.

In 2023, Pillen sent 61 National Guard members and 10 state troopers to the border, and Ricketts sent 32 state troopers to the Del Rio area in 2021.

This year, Nebraska sent 24 National Guard members for roughly three months from April 1 through June 27. Ten state patrol troopers deployed for two weeks from April 14-28. No additional deployments have been announced.

This years two border deployments ordered by Pillen cost a combined $1.27 million. The state says it paid $1.2 million of that total using interest accrued from the second wave of $48 million in federal pandemic relief funds that Congress set aside for rental assistance.

State taxpayers covered the remaining $71,675 from the states general fund, the Nebraska state patrol confirmed.

Pillen has argued that public safety and national security dictate the need for every state to send help, speaking often about the importance of doing what it takes to stem the flow of migrants at the southern border. He has dismissed questions about the cost-effectiveness of state efforts.

Pillen, like Ricketts, has faced criticism of his efforts from some Democrats and from groups that advocate for immigrant rights and those representing Latino voices in Nebraska. They argue that his push is political and his rhetoric about crime and drugs at the border contributes to the animosity and fear local Latinos face.  Aaron Sanderford / Nebraska Examiner

Iowa

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has deployed National Guard troops and state law enforcement officers to the border multiple times in recent years. There are currently five Iowa National Guard troops in Texas who arrived April 1 and will be there through Sept. 30, providing public affairs assistance and vehicle maintenance for Operation Lone Star. Earlier this year, 110 troops were deployed to the Texas border from April 1 through May 3, assisting the Texas Military Department. Eight Iowa Department of Public Safety troopers and two sergeants went to work with Texas DPS from March 31 through April 27.

The cost of the 2024 border deployment has not yet been released, according to Iowa National Guard officials.

Previous deployments saw 109 National Guard members and 31 Iowa DPS personnel assisting at the border in 2023, and 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers in 2021. While the deployments over the past two years have been financed using federal American Rescue Plan funding, with the 2023 mission costing $1.93 million, according to the governor, the 2021 deployment was paid for with $300,000 in other state funds

Reynolds has also spoken in favor of the 2023 Texas law  currently under injunction  allowing state law enforcement to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the country. She signed into law a similar measure this year that was set to take effect July 1 but is under a preliminary injunction following challenges from the U.S. Department of Justice and civil rights organizations.

The blocked Iowa statute would have also allowed state law enforcement to arrest and charge immigrants if they have been previously deported, removed or denied admission from the U.S., or if they have an order to leave the country. Judges would have been allowed to order people charged with illegal reentry crimes to leave the country or face prison time, with state agencies and law enforcement authorized to transport them to U.S. ports of entry to ensure they leave the country.

State Attorney General Brenna Bird appealed the injunction ruling on Iowas law in June, seeking to begin enforcement.  Robin Opsahl / Iowa Capital Dispatch

Missouri

When Gov. Mike Parson announced a deployment of 200 National Guard troops and 22 state highway patrol officers in February, he cited a visit to the region that he said showed it was a crisis. There has been some debate over the deployment, which was funded in part by a special appropriation bill.

During a February budget hearing, lawmakers focused on short-staffing at the state patrol, noting that the officers were being sent despite being 132 short of full strength.

Does that not put Missouri at risk when were sending even more troopers away when we already have a deficit of 132? asked state Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat from Manchester.

Col. Eric Olson, superintendent of the patrol, said only volunteers were going, and they had been selected from eight of the patrols nine regions.

Geographically, we spread that out, Olson said, and we feel like we will be able to manage this event as well as take care of our duties here at home.

There was very little opposition to the actual spending once troopers were deployed in March. National Guard members were sent on rotations of 50 over three months at a cost of $2 million, while patrol officers were split into two teams and sent to Texas for 32 days at a cost of $206,000. The deployments were set to end on June 13. The money came from the states general fund.

The Missouri budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 included $8.8 million to continue deployments for a full year, but Parson has said he will not extend the deployment and vetoed $6 million of that appropriation.

We dont need that money, he said. I think that was more of a political statement people were trying to make.

In his letter to lawmakers explaining the veto, Parson wrote the National Guards deployment to the southern border has already concluded. If there is a need to deploy again, Parson wrote, there is enough money already in the budget to support another short-term mission.  Rudi Keller / Missouri Independent

Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee has continued to deploy Tennessee National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021, when he first sent 300 troops on a yearlong mission.

In March, Lee affirmed he would send two waves of 50 active-duty soldiers as part of Operation Lone Star, in addition to the 123 deployed in October 2023.

State funding for these deployments have ramped up through the years. In fiscal year 2022, Tennessee spent $500,000. In 2024, it jumped to $1.4 million. The state governments fiscal year 2025 started July 1, and $5 million in nonrecurring funds was budgeted.  Holly McCall / Tennessee Lookout

Utah

After Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs February visit to Texas southern border, he deployed a small number of troops. The Republican governor announced he would send five people from the Utah National Guard engineer battalion to maintain military equipment, plus one sergeant and four officers from the Utah Highway Patrols Criminal Interdiction Team, which specializes in drug investigations.

The deployment for both groups was scheduled on Feb. 26. The highway patrol team went for 30 days at a cost of $100,000, while the Utah National Guard battalion was sent for 14 days costing $50,000. Funding came from the Governors Offices emergency fund.

Legislative leaders at the helm of the Republican-supermajority Utah Legislature applauded the deployment when it was announced earlier this year, while Democratic leaders pushed back, arguing it shouldnt be Utahs role. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, agreed, however, that Congress and the White House should seek solutions to the nations broken immigration system.

The Utah Democratic Party criticized Cox for playing a part in the MAGA Republican partys ongoing political grandstanding in immigration.

Asked whether the governor has sent or will send any additional resources, a spokesperson said, to her knowledge, no additional deployments are promised or planned. A spokesperson for the Utah National Guard echoed that.  Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch

Arkansas

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has spent more than $2 million in state funding to send 120 Arkansas National Guard members to the southwest border twice since taking office in January 2023.

Eighty guard members were deployed for a mission that lasted from June 24 to Aug. 5, 2023, and cost $1.3 million. This year, another 40 were activated for a $1 million mission from April 1 to May 30.

Both active-duty missions ordered by the governor were paid for with state funds, said Maj. Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, Arkansas National Guard spokesperson.

Additionally, 50 guard members were deployed to the southwest border from October 2022 to October 2023 for a Title 10 federal mission in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ramirez-Rodriguez said. The state guard also sent 40 members to the southern border in 2021 for 90 days. That mission was primarily to recover and repair vehicles belonging to a Texas task force.

Troops from the Arkansas Guard were deployed between 2006 and 2008 in support of the federal Operation Jump Start under former President George W. Bush, with the state providing more than 750 soldiers and airmen in support of Border Patrol.  Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

Louisiana

Gov. Jeff Landry announced July 1 that engineers with the Louisiana National Guard would deploy in Texas to assist with border security through mid-November. Their assignment extends Louisianas commitment of 150 personnel from its state militia spread across three 30-day rotations.

Landry said the additional time guard members will spend in Texas will not create an additional cost to taxpayers. State lawmakers approved $3 million for Operation Lone Star earlier this year, and there is $800,000 remaining from that allocation, according to the governors office.

Landry is one of many Republican governors who have sent National Guard troops to Texas in support of Abbotts border policies. In addition to busing migrants to Democratic-led cities, the Texas governor placed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to hinder unauthorized border crossings.

In a letter to legislative leaders, Landry said Abbott and the Texas National Guard leadership requested additional engineering support from Louisiana. The governor said he has worked with Brig. Gen. Thomas Friloux of the Louisiana National Guard and Jacques Thibodeaux of the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to ensure that this will not impair our ability to mobilize troops here at home if necessary.

Louisiana National Guard members are among the first emergency response personnel put to work ahead of a pending disaster and during the recovery stages. The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1 and lasts until the end of November.  Greg LaRose / Louisiana Illuminator

Georgia

The Georgia Army National Guard has fewer than 20 troops supporting Texas border operations, according to spokesman Maj. William Carraway.

Carraway said the deployments are paid for through Texas Emergency Management Assistance Compact and directed questions about funding to the Texas National Guard and Texas governors office. He declined to give a specific timeline but said the troops likely arrived in early May and that they wouldnt be there long.

Its a short-term thing, he said. Theyre just going over there, and theyre coming back. So theyre not going to be over there for years or anything like that.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the deployment in a Feb. 13 press conference in the Georgia Capitol, where he blamed Biden for what he termed a crisis on the southern border. Kemp said the troops will be responsible for assisting with the construction of a forward command post on the border.

Kemp has made multiple visits to the U.S.-Mexico border since he was first elected in 2019 and made immigration a major issue in both of his successful campaigns, suggesting in a 2018 commercial that he may need to round up criminal illegals in his big truck.  Ross Williams / Georgia Recorder

Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Feb. 1 that Florida would deploy up to 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to assist Texas with Operation Lone Star. That was in addition to the more than 90 officers from the Florida highway patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Law Enforcement that were already on the border.

A couple of weeks later on Feb. 23, DeSantis announced he would send more troops to Texas for border security  50 National Guard members and another 76 Florida highway patrol officers.

How many troops were sent or what it cost the state remains unknown. Gov.Ron DeSantis press office did not respond to requests for comment.

The state budget this year provides nearly $20 million to restore and build upon the Florida State Guard, one of the state agencies that has been sent to deter migrants in Texas and South Florida.

Gov. DeSantis signed measures in 2022 and 2023 that included an additional $12 million to continue to relocate immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. This year, there is no funding specifically allocated for those relocations.

A spokesperson for the Florida National Guard said troops have also deployed as part of the federal mission in 2021 and 2023, with the next company set to depart in October and return a year later.  Mitch Perry / Florida Phoenix

FEDERAL DEPLOYMENTS

North Dakota

About 100 members of the National Guard deployed to the southern border in August 2023 under state orders from Gov. Doug Burgum. Members of the 188th Engineer Company, they were integrated into the Texas Department of Public Safety and Military Department for one month as part of Operation Lone Star. The North Dakota Emergency Commission authorized up to $2.2 million for the deployment through a loan with the Bank of North Dakota. About $1.7 million was spent.

Since 2021, members of the North Dakota National Guard have supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents every October under federal orders through the Department of Defense. North Dakota National Guard members will complete their third yearlong deployment to the southern border in the fall.

The deployed units, consisting of between 100 to 125 soldiers, are tasked with assisting with surveillance efforts, maintenance and other needs, according to the National Guard.

The 142nd Engineer Battalion will head to the southern border in the fall on federal orders under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, according to a guard spokesperson. The unit will consist of about 50 service members.  Michael Achterling / North Dakota Monitor

Ohio

After a request from Texas governor, in June 2023, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine authorized 14 Ohio state highway patrol officers and supervisors to go to Texas to help with border surveillance for two weeks. They were not tasked with making arrests. A spokesperson for DeWine said in May that he did not believe Ohio highway patrol troopers had been down to the border at all in 2024.

Ohio National Guard spokesperson Heidi Griesmer said Ohio troops have had a continuous presence at the border since October 2020.

Over the past four years, Ohio has deployed approximately 375 Ohio National Guard members to support the Southwest Border operations at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Northern Command, including Ohio National Guard members who deployed in October 2023 and remain there today, she said.

For operational security reasons, she said, they would not reveal the number of guard members currently at the border. Nor could she confirm whether there would be future deployments. When asked for the costs, she said they dont have a figure for expenditures.

Ohio National Guard members deployments have been paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense, Griesmer said.  David DeWitt and Marty Schladen / Ohio Capital Journal

Alaska

Alaska plans to send 20 National Guard members and two helicopters to the border as part of the federal Department of Defenses ongoing border mission, according to a spokesperson for Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican. They are scheduled to support the federal Border Patrol for an estimated nine months, starting in early October. While there are no official orders yet, the state continues to move forward with planning.

This mission is entirely federally funded and not related to Texass Operation Lone Star, according to Dunleavys office. The state does not have plans to send the Alaska National Guard to support Operation Lone Star, the governors spokesperson said.

Dunleavy said in February that he was interested in supporting Texass operations, but cited the cost as a potential concern. The estimated cost was $1 million per month to support 100 guard members, and the Legislature did not include funding for this in the annual budget it passed in May, which Dunleavy signed into law in June for the budget year starting in July.  Andrew Kitchenman / Alaska Beacon

LEGISLATIVE PRESSURE

Kansas

The Kansas Legislature allocated $15.7 million to send Kansas National Guard troops to Texas to assist with the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the funding, but she was overridden by GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate. That means the funding remains in place through fiscal year 2025 but is unlikely to be spent.

As the Kansas National Guards commander-in-chief, it is my constitutional authority to direct the National Guard while on state duty, Kelly said when she vetoed the funding. It is not the Legislatures role to direct the operations or call out the National Guard.

The governor also said lawmakers in Washington must act to solve this issue.

Still, there are Kansas National Guard troops at the U.S. border as part of federal security efforts, whose deployments are federally funded by the Department of Defense.  Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector

Michigan

Dave Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Michigan National Guard, said there are no troops deployed to the U.S. southern border, nor any scheduled for fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30. While negotiations are ongoing for the FY 2025 budget, there has been no discussion of additional funding for deployments to that region.

However, that hasnt stopped the Michigan Freedom Caucus, a small group of far-right lawmakers in the Michigan House, from demanding Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer send guard troops to Texas or Arizona.

The legislators banded together during the current session after Republicans moved into the minority in Lansing for the first time since 2010. The caucus says the military personnel are needed to help stop what they referred to as sabotage of the nations borders. Several members also visited the border in February.

Whitmers office has noted that the Michigan National Guard has made several deployments to assist at the southern border in the past few years as part of federal operations, during both the Trump and Biden administrations, including 175 members of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, who were sent to locations in Fort Bliss, Laredo and El Paso, Texas, from March 2020 to March 2021.  Jon King / Michigan Advance

Pennsylvania

In March, the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate voted along party lines 27-22 to pass a resolution urging Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to send Pennsylvania National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Introduced by Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the resolution came the same day as a U.S. Supreme Court preliminary ruling that allowed state authorities in Texas to deport people who crossed the border into the U.S.

Mastriano, who ran for Pennsylvania governor in 2022 and lost, argued that immigration was as big a concern for Pennsylvania as it is for border states, noting that in 2006, then-Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, authorized 500 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen to deploy to the Texas border on a volunteer basis for Operation Jump Start during the George W. Bush administration.

Shapiro ultimately did not send troops. This issue requires leaders in both parties to step up and deliver real, comprehensive solutions  not more the failed talking points and political grandstanding that have brought us decades without immigration reform, Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said.  Peter Hall / Pennsylvania Capital-Star

This article was reported and written in collaboration with The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year

A soldier with the South Dakota National Guard stands near the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Justin Hamel for the Texas Tribune)

More than a dozen Republican governors gathered in Eagle Pass, Texas, in February, heeding a call from Gov. Greg Abbott to confront what he labeled President Joe Bidens border crisis. The governors, along with other GOP state leaders, vowed to send another round of National Guard troops from their states to the Texas-Mexico border.

With shifts in pandemic-era federal border policies, thered been a sharp increase in migrant encounters in the latter half of 2023. But then January saw a steep 50% drop.

Still, the governors told their constituents that they needed to send more people to assist Texas in fending off an invasion, as both Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have called it, or fight drug smuggling. But the deployments have been widely criticized as political grandstanding  opportunities to take photos near personnel in uniform on the border while feeding nationalism and fear during an election year.

States Newsroom (the nonprofit news network that includes the Phoenix) outlets across the country have tracked state deployments and expenses so far this year as part of a collaboration with Texas Tribune and Stateline to get a sense of what becomes of these promises, and what those deployments look and feel like at the border.

States generally chip in anywhere from five to 200 troops for deployments that can last from a couple of weeks to months. Typically, the funding comes from state budgets and state emergency funds.

The federal government also deploys thousands of National Guard members to the border year-round.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau who will retire Sept. 1, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in mid-June that nearly 2,500 troops were serving at the southwest border under federal command. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, asked the general about the effect of this deployment on the guards other duties.

There is no military training value for what we do [on the border], Hokanson said. For our guardsmen there, they might as well be deployed to Kuwait or somewhere overseas, because theyre away from their families. Theyre there doing mission sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set. That time, I think, would be better utilized building readiness to deter our adversaries.  Marisa Demarco

State deployments

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, soon after Biden took office. Since then, the state has deployed thousands of people from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard along the roughly 1,250-mile border it shares with Mexico.

It was an unprecedented activation of soldiers for a state operation. Usually the federal government, not a state, deploys troops for long-term assignments and gives them much more notice. Soon after the operation began, guard members began to complain about being paid late or not at all, living in cramped mobile homes and feeling underused.

Today, 97% of troops on the mission volunteered to be deployed, according to guard leadership. The state also just finished building the first phase of a new base in Eagle Pass to house National Guard members. The base is designed to house up to 2,300 people.

Texas has spent more than $11 billion on Operation Lone Star to date, but it's not clear how much of the money has been spent on the National Guard deployment, and the state hasn't divulged exactly how many people have been sent to the border.  Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune

South Dakota

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems deployment of 60 National Guard troops in the spring is the states fifth deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021.

Noem initiated three of the deployments in response to calls for help from Texas, and the other two were federal.

One of the deployments Noem initiated was mostly funded by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson. That donation and Noems use of it sparked criticism from Democrats, who said it gave the appearance that the South Dakota National Guard is available to do the political bidding of wealthy donors.

Noem funded the remaining costs and the two other deployments she initiated with money from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund, despite a state law that defines emergencies and disasters as events in any part of the state. She declined to deploy guard troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota in late June. Her use of the fund has drawn bipartisan criticism from some legislators, but a majority endorsed the practice during the last legislative session.

Previous deployments have cost the Emergency and Disaster Fund at least $1.3 million, and $1.5 million is budgeted from the fund for this year. No further deployments are planned yet.  Seth Tupper / South Dakota Searchlight

Montana

After Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte made a trip to the border earlier in the year, he declared that he would send members of the Montana National Guard to Texas at the request of the Texas governor, a fellow Republican.

Ten troops were called to active duty for vehicle repair and maintenance.

They returned home in mid-May after a monthlong deployment. Gianforte met with them for breakfast and declared May Military Appreciation Month in Montana.

Despite public document requests being filed in April, no information has yet been released on the expense.  Darrell Ehrlick / Daily Montanan

Indiana

Indianas National Guard has estimated the cost of a 10-month, 50-member deployment at $7 million. The troops were called up under state active duty, meaning Indiana pays their salaries. That budget also covers transportation, supplies and maintenance.

Guard officials have said they will use existing appropriations in their budget for the costs.

Gov. Eric Holcomb made the move this year  his last in office. He didnt need legislative action. There has been little debate on the matter. Republican lawmakers issued supportive statements, and Democrats have been opposed.

Troops deployed in early April. That month, an Indiana guard member assigned to Operation Lone Star shot a migrant who was attacking another migrant, according to a U.S. Border Patrol bulletin.

I am beyond thankful to this individual who potentially saved two lives by defending them and themselves. Im reassured that the training that they got before they deployed and assumed this active duty on the southern border was beneficial, Holcomb told reporters on a Zoom.  Niki Kelly / Indiana Capital Chronicle

New Hampshire

New Hampshire National Guard troops have been deployed to the southern border twice since 2020, each time for about a year and by the federal government. From April through early June, 15 soldiers from New Hampshire were stationed at a Texas National Guard base camp in Del Rio, about an hour from Eagle Pass.

Two months earlier, during an hourlong discussion with Gov. Chris Sununu, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees Democrats in February asked the governor how much of an impact 15 National Guard members could have at a border crossing seeing thousands of migrants a day.

Sen. Lou DAllesandro, a Manchester Democrat, said a better response could come from Republicans in Congress who blocked a border deal that cleared the U.S. Senate. Although its a wonderful thought in terms of support, it seems to be that the real issue is that Congress isnt funding what they should be funding to protect the southern border, DAllesandro told Sununu.

The committees Republicans praised Sununus plan to send troops to the border. Senate President Jeb Bradley noted the governor had requested the funding for the 2024 deployment under the civil emergency law to address the states drug overdose deaths, which have topped 400 yearly since 2015.

The three-month deployment cost the state $850,000, which covered salary and benefits. New Hampshire paid the Texas National Guard $200 a day per soldier for room and board, as well as other expenses at its base in Del Rio.  Annmarie Timmins / New Hampshire Bulletin

Idaho

In Gov. Brad Littles State of the State Address in January, he announced he would send two teams of five state police troopers to the border to learn the best tactics to respond to those who smuggle and abuse vulnerable people.

The 10 officers were sent to the border in April for three weeks and partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety for the mission.

We are determined to utilize this training to enhance our efforts in Idaho and to combat human trafficking with utmost efficiency, Idaho State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said. It's vital for our troopers to face repeated real-world scenarios to sharpen their skills.

The governor this year recommended $200,000 to the Idaho state police budget to send troopers to the Texas-Mexico border for training. The total cost of the trip was $205,655.

One state police officer said the majority of the time was spent along the border wall assisting the Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Guard with traffic stops and arrests, then turning people over to the Border Patrol.  Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun

Nebraska

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen has continued a push by his predecessor, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, to send state-paid law enforcement and National Guard members to the Texas border with Mexico.

In 2023, Pillen sent 61 National Guard members and 10 state troopers to the border, and Ricketts sent 32 state troopers to the Del Rio area in 2021.

This year, Nebraska sent 24 National Guard members for roughly three months from April 1 through June 27. Ten state patrol troopers deployed for two weeks from April 14-28. No additional deployments have been announced.

This years two border deployments ordered by Pillen cost a combined $1.27 million. The state says it paid $1.2 million of that total using interest accrued from the second wave of $48 million in federal pandemic relief funds that Congress set aside for rental assistance.

State taxpayers covered the remaining $71,675 from the states general fund, the Nebraska state patrol confirmed.

Pillen has argued that public safety and national security dictate the need for every state to send help, speaking often about the importance of doing what it takes to stem the flow of migrants at the southern border. He has dismissed questions about the cost-effectiveness of state efforts.

Pillen, like Ricketts, has faced criticism of his efforts from some Democrats and from groups that advocate for immigrant rights and those representing Latino voices in Nebraska. They argue that his push is political and his rhetoric about crime and drugs at the border contributes to the animosity and fear local Latinos face.  Aaron Sanderford / Nebraska Examiner

Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds has deployed National Guard troops and state law enforcement officers to the border multiple times in recent years. There are five Iowa National Guard troops in Texas who arrived April 1 and will be there through Sept. 30, providing public affairs assistance and vehicle maintenance for Operation Lone Star. Earlier this year, 110 troops were deployed to the Texas border from April 1 through May 3, assisting the Texas Military Department. Eight Iowa Department of Public Safety troopers and two sergeants went to work with Texas DPS from March 31 through April 27.

The cost of the 2024 border deployment has not yet been released, according to Iowa National Guard officials.

Previous deployments saw 109 National Guard members and 31 Iowa DPS personnel assisting at the border in 2023, and 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers in 2021. While the deployments over the past two years have been financed using federal American Rescue Plan funding, with the 2023 mission costing $1.93 million, according to the governor, the 2021 deployment was paid for with $300,000 in other state funds

Reynolds has also spoken in favor of the 2023 Texas law  currently under injunction  allowing state law enforcement to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the country. She signed into law a similar measure this year that was set to take effect July 1 but is under a preliminary injunction following challenges from the U.S. Department of Justice and civil rights organizations.

The blocked Iowa statute would have also allowed state law enforcement to arrest and charge immigrants if they have been previously deported, removed from the U.S., or denied admission, or if they have an order to leave the country. Judges would have been allowed to order people charged with illegal reentry to leave the country or face prison time, with state agencies and law enforcement authorized to transport them to U.S. ports of entry to ensure they leave the country.

State Attorney General Brenna Bird appealed the injunction ruling on Iowas law in June, seeking to begin enforcement.  Robin Opsahl / Iowa Capital Dispatch

Missouri

When Gov. Mike Parson announced a deployment of 200 National Guard troops and 22 state highway patrol officers in February, he cited a visit to the region that he said showed it was a crisis. There has been some debate over the deployment, which was funded in part by a special appropriation bill.

During a February budget hearing, lawmakers focused on short staffing at the state patrol, noting that the officers were being sent despite being 132 short of full strength.

Does that not put Missouri at risk when were sending even more troopers away when we already have a deficit of 132? asked state Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat from Manchester.

Col. Eric Olson, superintendent of the patrol, said only volunteers were going, and they had been selected from eight of the patrols nine regions.

Geographically, we spread that out, Olson said, and we feel like we will be able to manage this event as well as take care of our duties here at home.

There was very little opposition to the actual spending once troopers were deployed in March. National Guard members were sent on rotations of 50 over three months at a cost of $2 million, while patrol officers were split into two teams and sent to Texas for 32 days at a cost of $206,000. The deployments were set to end on June 13. The money came from the states general fund.

The Missouri budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 included $8.8 million to continue deployments for a full year, but Parson has said he will not extend the deployment and vetoed $6 million of that appropriation.

We don't need that money, he said. I think that was more of a political statement people were trying to make.

In his letter to lawmakers explaining the veto, Parson wrote the National Guards deployment to the southern border has already concluded. If there is a need to deploy again, Parson wrote, there is enough money already in the budget to support another short-term mission.  Rudi Keller / Missouri Independent

Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee has continued to deploy Tennessee National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021, when he first sent 300 troops on a yearlong mission.

In March, Lee affirmed he would send two waves of 50 active-duty soldiers as part of Operation Lone Star, in addition to the 123 deployed in October 2023.

State funding for these deployments has ramped up through the years. In fiscal year 2022, Tennessee spent $500,000. In 2024, it jumped to $1.4 million. The state governments fiscal year 2025 started July 1, and $5 million in nonrecurring funds was budgeted.  Holly McCall / Tennessee Lookout

Utah

After Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs February visit to Texas southern border, he deployed a small number of troops. The Republican governor announced he would send five people from the Utah National Guard engineer battalion to maintain military equipment, plus one sergeant and four officers from the Utah Highway Patrols Criminal Interdiction Team, which specializes in drug investigations.

The deployment for both groups was scheduled on Feb. 26. The highway patrol team went for 30 days at a cost of $100,000, while the Utah National Guard battalion was sent for 14 days costing $50,000. Funding came from the Governors Offices emergency fund.

Legislative leaders at the helm of the Republican-supermajority Utah Legislature applauded the deployment when it was announced earlier this year, while Democratic leaders pushed back, arguing it shouldnt be Utahs role. Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, agreed, however, that Congress and the White House should seek solutions to the nations broken immigration system.

The Utah Democratic Party criticized Cox for playing a part in the MAGA Republican partys ongoing political grandstanding in immigration.

Asked whether the governor has sent or will send any additional resources, a spokesperson said, to her knowledge, no additional deployments are promised or planned. A spokesperson for the Utah National Guard echoed that.  Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch

Arkansas

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has spent more than $2 million in state funding to send 120 Arkansas National Guard members to the southwest border twice since taking office in January 2023.

Eighty guard members were deployed for a mission that lasted from June 24 to Aug. 5, 2023, and cost $1.3 million. This year, another 40 were activated for a $1 million mission from April 1 to May 30.

Both active-duty missions ordered by the governor were paid for with state funds, said Maj. Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, Arkansas National Guard spokesperson.

Additionally, 50 guard members were deployed to the southwest border from October 2022 to October 2023 for a Title 10 federal mission in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ramirez-Rodriguez said. The state guard sent 40 members to the southern border in 2021 for 90 days. That mission was primarily to recover and repair vehicles belonging to a Texas task force.

Troops from the Arkansas Guard were deployed between 2006 and 2008 in support of the federal Operation Jump Start under former President George W. Bush, with the state providing more than 750 soldiers and airmen in support of Border Patrol.  Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

Louisiana

Gov. Jeff Landry announced July 1 that engineers with the Louisiana National Guard would deploy in Texas to assist with border security through mid-November. Their assignment extends Louisianas commitment of 150 personnel from its state militia spread across three 30-day rotations.

Landry said the additional time guard members will spend in Texas will not create an additional cost to taxpayers. State lawmakers approved $3 million for Operation Lone Star earlier this year, and there is $800,000 remaining from that allocation, according to the governors office.

Landry is one of many Republican governors who have sent National Guard troops to Texas in support of Abbotts border policies. In addition to busing migrants to Democratic-led cities, the Texas governor placed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to hinder unauthorized border crossings.

In a letter to legislative leaders, Landry said Abbott and the Texas National Guard leadership requested additional engineering support from Louisiana. The governor said he has worked with Brig. Gen. Thomas Friloux of the Louisiana National Guard and Jacques Thibodeaux of the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to ensure that this will not impair our ability to mobilize troops here at home if necessary.

Louisiana National Guard members are among the first emergency response personnel put to work ahead of a pending disaster and during the recovery stages. The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1 and lasts until the end of November.  Greg LaRose / Louisiana Illuminator

Georgia

The Georgia Army National Guard has fewer than 20 troops supporting Texas border operations, according to spokesman Maj. William Carraway.

Carraway said the deployments are paid for through Texas Emergency Management Assistance Compact and directed questions about funding to the Texas National Guard and Texas governors office. He declined to give a specific timeline but said the troops likely arrived in early May and that they wouldnt be there long.

It's a short-term thing, he said. They're just going over there, and they're coming back. So they're not going to be over there for years or anything like that.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the deployment in a Feb. 13 press conference in the Georgia Capitol, where he blamed Biden for what he termed a crisis on the southern border. Kemp said the troops will be responsible for assisting with the construction of a forward command post on the border.

Kemp has made multiple visits to the U.S.-Mexico border since he was first elected in 2019 and made immigration a major issue in both of his successful campaigns, suggesting in a 2018 commercial that he may need to round up criminal illegals in his big truck.  Ross Williams / Georgia Recorder

Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Feb. 1 that Florida would deploy up to 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to assist Texas with Operation Lone Star. That was in addition to the more than 90 officers from the Florida highway patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement that were already on the border.

A couple of weeks later on Feb. 23, DeSantis announced he would send more troops to Texas for border security  50 National Guard members and another 76 Florida highway patrol officers.

How many troops were sent or what it cost the state remains unknown. Gov.Ron DeSantis' press office did not respond to requests for comment.

The state budget this year provides nearly $20 million to restore and build upon the Florida State Guard, one of the state agencies that has been sent to deter migrants in Texas and South Florida.

Gov. DeSantis signed measures in 2022 and 2023 that included an additional $12 million to continue to relocate immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. This year, there is no funding specifically allocated for those relocations.

A spokesperson for the Florida National Guard said troops have also deployed as part of the federal mission in 2021 and 2023, with the next company set to depart in October and return a year later.  Mitch Perry / Florida Phoenix

Federal deployments

North Dakota

About 100 members of the National Guard deployed to the southern border in August 2023 under state orders from Gov. Doug Burgum. Members of the 188th Engineer Company, they were integrated into the Texas Department of Public Safety and Military Department for one month as part of Operation Lone Star. The North Dakota Emergency Commission authorized up to $2.2 million for the deployment through a loan with the Bank of North Dakota. About $1.7 million was spent.

Since 2021, members of the North Dakota National Guard have supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents every October under federal orders through the Department of Defense. North Dakota National Guard members will complete their third yearlong deployment to the southern border in the fall.

The deployed units, consisting of between 100 to 125 soldiers, are tasked with assisting with surveillance efforts, maintenance, and other needs, according to the National Guard.

The 142nd Engineer Battalion will head to the southern border in the fall on federal orders under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, according to a guard spokesperson. The unit will consist of about 50 service members.  Michael Achterling / North Dakota Monitor

Ohio

After a request from Texas governor, in June 2023, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine authorized 14 Ohio state highway patrol officers and supervisors to go to Texas to help with border surveillance for two weeks. They were not tasked with making arrests. A spokesperson for DeWine said in May that he did not believe Ohio highway patrol troopers had been down to the border at all in 2024.

Ohio National Guard spokesperson Heidi Griesmer said Ohio troops have had a continuous presence at the border since October 2020.

Over the past four years, Ohio has deployed approximately 375 Ohio National Guard members to support the Southwest Border operations at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Northern Command, including Ohio National Guard members who deployed in October 2023 and remain there today, she said.

For operational security reasons, she said, they would not reveal the number of guard members currently at the border. Nor could she confirm whether there would be future deployments. When asked for the costs, she said they dont have a figure for expenditures.

Ohio National Guard members deployments have been paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense, Griesmer said.  David DeWitt and Marty Schladen / Ohio Capital Journal

Alaska

Alaska plans to send 20 National Guard members and two helicopters to the border as part of the federal Department of Defenses ongoing border mission, according to a spokesperson for Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican. They are scheduled to support the federal Border Patrol for an estimated nine months, starting in early October. While there are no official orders yet, the state continues to move forward with planning.

This mission is entirely federally funded and not related to Texass Operation Lone Star, according to Dunleavys office. The state has no plans to send the Alaska National Guard to support Operation Lone Star, the governors spokesperson said.

Dunleavy said in February that he was interested in supporting Texass operations but cited the cost as a potential concern. The estimated cost was $1 million per month to support 100 guard members, and the Legislature did not include funding for this in the annual budget it passed in May, which Dunleavy signed into law in June for the budget year starting in July.  Andrew Kitchenman / Alaska Beacon

Legislative pressure

Kansas

The Kansas Legislature allocated $15.7 million to send Kansas National Guard troops to Texas to assist with the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the funding, but she was overridden by GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate. That means the funding remains in place through fiscal year 2025 but is unlikely to be spent.

As the Kansas National Guards commander-in-chief, it is my constitutional authority to direct the National Guard while on state duty, Kelly said when she vetoed the funding. It is not the Legislatures role to direct the operations or call out the National Guard.

The governor added that "lawmakers in Washington must act to solve this issue."

Still, there are Kansas National Guard troops at the U.S. border as part of federal security efforts, whose deployments are federally funded by the Department of Defense.  Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector

Michigan

Dave Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Michigan National Guard, said there are no troops deployed to the U.S. southern border, nor any scheduled for fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30. While negotiations are continuing for the FY 2025 budget, there has been no discussion of additional funding for deployments to that region.

However, that hasnt stopped the Michigan Freedom Caucus, a small group of far-right lawmakers in the Michigan House, from demanding Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer send guard troops to Texas or Arizona.

The legislators banded together during the current session after Republicans moved into the minority in Lansing for the first time since 2010. The caucus says the military personnel are needed to help stop what they referred to as sabotage of the nations borders. Several members visited the border in February.

Whitmers office has noted that the Michigan National Guard has made several deployments to assist at the southern border in the past few years as part of federal operations, during both the Trump and Biden administrations, including 175 members of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, who were sent to locations in Fort Bliss, Laredo, and El Paso, Texas, from March 2020 to March 2021.  Jon King / Michigan Advance

Pennsylvania

In March, the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate voted along party lines 27-22 to pass a resolution urging Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to send Pennsylvania National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Introduced by Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the resolution came the same day as a U.S. Supreme Court preliminary ruling that allowed state authorities in Texas to deport people who crossed the border into the U.S.

Mastriano, who ran for Pennsylvania governor in 2022 and lost, argued that immigration was as big a concern for Pennsylvania as it is for border states, noting that in 2006 then-Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, authorized 500 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen to deploy to the Texas border on a volunteer basis for Operation Jump Start during the George W. Bush administration.

Shapiro ultimately did not send troops. This issue requires leaders in both parties to step up and deliver real, comprehensive solutions  not more the failed talking points and political grandstanding that have brought us decades without immigration reform, Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said.  Peter Hall / Pennsylvania Capital-Star

***

This article was reported and written in collaboration with The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Read the second part of this report here.
The Confucius-Aristotle Symposium 2024, co-organized by the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences, the Mencius Foundation, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), was held in Beijing on July 11-12.

Themed "The Commons in Intellectual Traditions and Future Practice," the two-day event was attended by 101 scholars from 17 countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Greece, with 66 international participants.

The forum aims to expand thinking on the concept of "community" and explore solutions to various contemporary global challenges, such as unequal development, changes in the international order, ecological and climate crises, and technological iterations through discussing how to draw upon the wisdom of ancient civilizations in the East and West.

Qiu Yong, Party chief of Tsinghua University, Jeffrey Sachs, president of UN SDSN, and Meng Liang, chair of the Mencius Foundation, delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremony.

In his opening speech, Qiu remarked that the current changes in the world and this era are unfolding in unprecedented ways. To address the common challenges facing humanity, it is essential to harness the power of cultural dialogue to eliminate discrimination and prejudice, enhance understanding and trust, promote people-to-people connectivity, and strengthen unity and cooperation.

"The profound and enlightening thoughts of Confucius and Aristotle, as outstanding representatives of ancient Eastern and Western civilizations, transcend the course of history," Qiu said.

Hailing the event as a cross-temporal dialogue of civilizations and an academic feast of cultural exchanges, Qiu said his university is willing to play an active role in promoting educational exchanges and contributing to the creation of a better future for humanity.

Sachs noted the NATO-led military alliance is exacerbating global geopolitical tensions and escalating the risk of hegemony.

"But in my view, most of the world wants to find a way for peace, peaceful co-existence, and especially sustainable development that can bring us to safety on the planet with sustainable development entailing economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental sustainability," he said.

Sachs argued that ancient Eastern and Western philosophical thoughts, especially the concept of "harmony in diversity" embodied in Confucianism, hold significant relevance in addressing present-day challenges. He also called for collaborative efforts to develop a shared understanding of what content in the ancient Eastern and Western philosophies should be taught to students in the 21st century.

Meng emphasized that Mencius, as the inheritor and advocate of Confucian philosophy, put forward the concepts of "community" and "benevolent governance." He illustrated that Mencius exhorted feudal rulers to look beyond the narrow horizon of their palaces to cultivate a common bond with their ministers, clerks, and the masses and extend their ren, or benevolence, to the governed to preserve their wealth and power.

Meng saw a strong similarity between Mencius' teachings and Aristotle's theories of "justice" and "virtue", both still holding great relevance to contemporary governments and political leaders.

Keynote speakers including Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a Malaysian economist; Zhang Zhiqiang, director of the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Chen Xiaoxia, a professor with Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies; shared their insights into the rich connotations of "community," the transcendent nature of Chinese civilization, and the contemporary value of the concept of "community."

The symposium included five panels: Civilization in History: Principle, Transfiguration, and Rebirth; The Public in Pre-Modern Polity: Governance, Wealth, and Ethnic Groups; Indra's Net: Ecology as a Methodology; Sustaining the Mind: From Embodied Skills to AI Platforms; Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on the Commons and Contemporary Practices of Commoning.

During the panel discussions, conference participants delved into the theory and practice of "community" from various dimensions such as classical studies, political philosophy, ecology and religion, artificial intelligence, and public policy-making.

The event also featured a holographic dialogue between Mencius and Aristotle presided over by Sachs and Meng.

Meng said that as the 79th-generation descendant of Mencius, he established the Mencius Foundation in 2018. Each year the foundation organizes multiple international forums intending to better communicate Confucianism, show the world the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and promote cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

Meng said his foundation plans to hold its signature program, the Oriental Civilization Summit Dialogue, which has been held four times in China, in Europe soon.

Jointly initiated by UNSDSN and the Athens Academy, the ConfuciusAristotle Symposium was first held in Athens in 2019 and has since been organized three times.
States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year

A soldier with the South Dakota National Guard stands near the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. (Photo by Justin Hamel)

More than a dozen Republican governors gathered in Eagle Pass in February, heeding a call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to confront what he labeled President Joe Bidens border crisis. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, other GOP governors, along with other GOP state leaders, vowed to send another round of National Guard troops from their states to the Texas-Mexico border.

With shifts in pandemic-era federal border policies, thered been a sharp increase in migrant encounters in the latter half of 2023. But then January saw a steep 50% drop.

Still, the governors told their constituents that they needed to send more people to assist Texas in fending off an invasion, as both Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have called it, or fight drug smuggling. But the deployments have been widely criticized as political grandstanding  opportunities to take photos near personnel in uniform on the border while feeding nationalism and fear during an election year.

States Newsroom outlets across the country have tracked state deployments and expenses so far this year as part of a collaboration with Texas Tribune and Stateline to get a sense of what becomes of these promises, and what those deployments look and feel like at the border.

States generally chip in anywhere from five to 200 troops for deployments that can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Typically, the funding comes from state budgets and state emergency funds.

The federal government also deploys thousands of National Guard members to the border year-round.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau who will retire Sept. 1, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in mid-June that nearly 2,500 troops were serving at the southwest border under federal command. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, asked the general about the impact of this deployment on the guards other duties.

There is no military training value for what we do [on the border], Hokanson said. For our guardsmen there, they might as well be deployed to Kuwait or somewhere overseas, because theyre away from their families. Theyre there doing mission sets that are not directly applicable to their military skill set. That time, I think, would be better utilized building readiness to deter our adversaries.  Marisa Demarco

STATE DEPLOYMENTS

Georgia

The Georgia Army National Guard has fewer than 20 troops supporting Texas border operations, according to spokesman Maj. William Carraway.

Carraway said the deployments are paid for through Texas Emergency Management Assistance Compact and directed questions about funding to the Texas National Guard and Texas governors office. He declined to give a specific timeline but said the troops likely arrived in early May and that they wouldnt be there long.

Its a short-term thing, he said. Theyre just going over there, and theyre coming back. So theyre not going to be over there for years or anything like that.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the deployment in a Feb. 13 press conference in the Georgia Capitol, where he blamed Biden for what he termed a crisis on the southern border. Kemp said the troops will be responsible for assisting with the construction of a forward command post on the border.

Kemp has made multiple visits to the U.S.-Mexico border since he was first elected in 2019 and made immigration a major issue in both of his successful campaigns, suggesting in a 2018 commercial that he may need to round up criminal illegals in his big truck.  Ross Williams / Georgia Recorder

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, soon after Biden took office. Since then, the state has deployed thousands of people from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard along the roughly 1,250-mile border it shares with Mexico.

It was an unprecedented activation of soldiers for a state operation. Usually the federal government, not a state, deploys troops for long-term assignments and gives them much more notice. Soon after the operation began, guard members began to complain about being paid late or not at all, living in cramped mobile homes and feeling underutilized.

Today, 97% of troops currently on the mission volunteered to be deployed, according to guard leadership. The state also just finished building the first phase of a new base in Eagle Pass to house National Guard members. The base is designed to house up to 2,300 people.

Texas has spent more than $11 billion on Operation Lone Star to date, but its not clear how much of the money has been spent on the National Guard deployment, and the state hasnt divulged exactly how many people have been sent to the border.  Alejandro Serrano / The Texas Tribune

South Dakota

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems deployment of 60 National Guard troops in the spring is the states fifth deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border since 2021.

Noem initiated three of the deployments in response to calls for help from Texas, and the other two were federal.

One of the deployments Noem initiated was mostly funded by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson. That donation and Noems use of it sparked criticism from Democrats, who said it gave the appearance that the South Dakota National Guard is available to do the political bidding of wealthy donors.

Noem funded the remaining costs and the two other deployments she initiated with money from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund, despite a state law that defines emergencies and disasters as events in any part of the state. She declined to deploy guard troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota in late June. Her use of the fund has drawn bipartisan criticism from some legislators, but a majority endorsed the practice during the last legislative session.

Previous deployments have cost the Emergency and Disaster Fund at least $1.3 million, and $1.5 million is budgeted from the fund for this years. No further deployments are planned yet.  Seth Tupper / South Dakota Searchlight

Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Feb. 1 that Florida would deploy up to 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to assist Texas with Operation Lone Star. That was in addition to the more than 90 officers from the Florida highway patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Law Enforcement that were already on the border.

A couple of weeks later on Feb. 23, DeSantis announced he would send more troops to Texas for border security  50 National Guard members and another 76 Florida highway patrol officers.

How many troops were sent or what it cost the state remains unknown. Gov.Ron DeSantis press office did not respond to requests for comment.

The state budget this year provides nearly $20 million to restore and build upon the Florida State Guard, one of the state agencies that has been sent to deter migrants in Texas and South Florida.

Gov. DeSantis signed measures in 2022 and 2023 that included an additional $12 million to continue to relocate immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. This year, there is no funding specifically allocated for those relocations.

A spokesperson for the Florida National Guard said troops have also deployed as part of the federal mission in 2021 and 2023, with the next company set to depart in October and return a year later.  Mitch Perry / Florida Phoenix

FEDERAL DEPLOYMENTS

North Dakota

About 100 members of the National Guard deployed to the southern border in August 2023 under state orders from Gov. Doug Burgum. Members of the 188th Engineer Company, they were integrated into the Texas Department of Public Safety and Military Department for one month as part of Operation Lone Star. The North Dakota Emergency Commission authorized up to $2.2 million for the deployment through a loan with the Bank of North Dakota. About $1.7 million was spent.

Since 2021, members of the North Dakota National Guard have supported U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents every October under federal orders through the Department of Defense. North Dakota National Guard members will complete their third yearlong deployment to the southern border in the fall.

The deployed units, consisting of between 100 to 125 soldiers, are tasked with assisting with surveillance efforts, maintenance and other needs, according to the National Guard.

The 142nd Engineer Battalion will head to the southern border in the fall on federal orders under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, according to a guard spokesperson. The unit will consist of about 50 service members.  Michael Achterling / North Dakota Monitor

Alaska

Alaska plans to send 20 National Guard members and two helicopters to the border as part of the federal Department of Defenses ongoing border mission, according to a spokesperson for Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican. They are scheduled to support the federal Border Patrol for an estimated nine months, starting in early October. While there are no official orders yet, the state continues to move forward with planning.

This mission is entirely federally funded and not related to Texass Operation Lone Star, according to Dunleavys office. The state does not have plans to send the Alaska National Guard to support Operation Lone Star, the governors spokesperson said.

Dunleavy said in February that he was interested in supporting Texass operations, but cited the cost as a potential concern. The estimated cost was $1 million per month to support 100 guard members, and the Legislature did not include funding for this in the annual budget it passed in May, which Dunleavy signed into law in June for the budget year starting in July.  Andrew Kitchenman / Alaska Beacon

LEGISLATIVE PRESSURE

Kansas

The Kansas Legislature allocated $15.7 million to send Kansas National Guard troops to Texas to assist with the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the funding, but she was overridden by GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate. That means the funding remains in place through fiscal year 2025 but is unlikely to be spent.

As the Kansas National Guards commander-in-chief, it is my constitutional authority to direct the National Guard while on state duty, Kelly said when she vetoed the funding. It is not the Legislatures role to direct the operations or call out the National Guard.

The governor also said lawmakers in Washington must act to solve this issue.

Still, there are Kansas National Guard troops at the U.S. border as part of federal security efforts, whose deployments are federally funded by the Department of Defense.  Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector

***

This article was reported and written in collaboration with The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein (L) has thus far raised significantly more in campaign contributions than his Republican opponent in the fall gubernatorial race, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (R) (File photos)

The election for governor in North Carolina is garnering millions in donations and spending  but in recent months, Attorney General Josh Stein has hauled in significantly more money than Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in one of the most closely-watched races this cycle.

Fundraising is happening in full force down the ballot, too, as well-financed contests develop for lieutenant governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and more.

Stein, a Democrat, raised $13,792,245 in the quarter spanning February 18 through June 30. Thats by far the most of any North Carolina state-level candidate in that time, as Democrats aim to maintain control of the office.

The campaign spent heavily in recent months, to the tune of $10,591,788. Heading into July, Steins campaign has $15,913,586 on hand.

Headed into the final four months of this campaign, our supporters have put us in a strong position to underscore the clear choice facing voters in this election: Josh Stein, who will fight and deliver for North Carolinians, or Mark Robinson, who would fight job-killing culture wars, Steins campaign manager Jeff Allen said in a statement.

Robinson, a Republican, trails Stein with a haul of $5,074,498 in that same four-month period. His campaign spent $2,977,283 during that timeframe and heads into July with $6,560,597 in the bank.

Thanks to this record-setting fundraising, were on the air with not one but two TV ads to introduce our candidate to the voters, senior advisor and general consultant Conrad Pogorzelski, III said in a statement. And as the most well-funded Republican governor candidate in North Carolina history, Mark Robinson is well-positioned to make his case directly to the voters down the stretch and win in November.

The race to succeed Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is expected to be one of the most expensive in North Carolina history and will likely also draw significant outside spending.

Steins campaign has raised a total of $32.9 million thus far in the cycle; Robinsons has raised just shy of $15.8 million.

Despite the race having garnered national attention, the majority of funding for both campaigns continues to come from in-state. Stein received $4.6 million in donations from those whose addresses are listed outside of North Carolina; Robinson received $850,726.

Money alone cant win a race, but campaign filings can provide insight into which candidates are attracting buzz and support among their respective party donors in the lead-up to November.

Democrat Hunt outraises GOPs Weatherman in lieutenant governor race

The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor more than doubled the amount raised by her Republican opponent in recent months.

Sen. Rachel Hunt has raised $963,985 since February, compared to $404,871 raised by GOP nominee Hal Weatherman.

Weatherman outspent Hunt during that period, spending $349,659 to Hunts $293,222. The Democrat heads into July with just over $1 million in the bank, compared to Weathermans $113,854.

Bishop has millions heading into AG matchup with Jackson

Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, who is running for attorney general, raised $1,423,496 last quarter, and has $2,651,524 on hand.

He faces Democrat U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson, whose campaign has not filed a report with the Board of Elections as of Tuesday afternoon.

Mo Green more than triples Michele Morrows fundraising total in superintendent contest

Mo Green, a Democrat, raised more than three times as much as Republican Michele Morrow in the race to oversee public education in North Carolina.

Green raised $667,132 from February through the end of June. Morrow, who narrowly defeated the sitting superintendent Catherine Truitt in a Republican primary, raised $206,974.

Morrow ends the fundraising quarter with $50,661 on hand, while Green holds $578,384.

GOP nominee for auditor raises and spends big through primary

Dave Boliek, a Republican running for state auditor, spent more than half a million dollars in recent months as he won a contested primary to face Democratic incumbent Jessica Holmes.

Boliek has $62,474 on hand. Holmes raised $134,259 and has $112,509.

Republican holds slight fundraising edge in open treasurers race

The contest to succeed Treasurer Dale Folwell, a Republican, has well-financed candidates on both sides of the aisle.

Republican Brad Briner raised $544,078 and has $503,091 on hand. And Democrat Wesley Harris raised $418,411 and has $274,586 on hand.

Democratic senator amasses war chest as she seeks insurance post

Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Democrat, raised $281,092 in recent months as she challenges Republican Mike Causey to be Commissioner of Insurance.

Causey raised $38,035 and has $43,812 on hand; he slightly outspent Marcus over the last four months.

Incumbents leading money races for several offices

In several other statewide races, incumbents hold comfortable fundraising leads over their challengers.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a Democrat, raised $298,483 and has $335,185 on hand. Her Republican challenger Chad Brown raised $36,425 and has $39,932 on hand.

Spending, raising in agriculture commissioner race

Steve Troxler, the Commissioner of Agriculture and a Republican, raised $140,970 and has $191,490 heading into July. Sarah Taber, his Democratic opponent, raised $165,180 and has $101,454 on hand.

Correction: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect figure for how much Sarah Taber, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture, raised in the second quarter. She raised $165,180.09.
Stephen Colbert pushed Elizabeth Warren for a straight answer about the current state of unity within the Democratic party, and the CBS host didnt let her off the hook when she attempted to sidestep the matter.

Broadcasting live after the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, Colbert joked with the senator that, though the RNC is not that fun of a show to watch, the Republican party does have one big thing going for it: unity.

Theyre 100% behind Donald Trump. Washington Democrats seem to be in opposite place right now, Colbert said. Its died down a little bit but, as someone who knows the inner life of Washington, are things as contentious behind the scenes, about Joe Biden being the leading candidate right now, as it seems to the rest of us?

Warren conceded that people are worried, from all political parties, but largely pivoted to warning viewers what could happen if Trump were to be reelected. And, while Colbert agreed, that wasnt the answer he was looking for.

OK, but lets get back to  I understand the stakes, he said calmly. Thats describing the stakes of the moment. What is going on in terms of party unity?

To that, Warren evaded a bit again, but touted President Bidens accomplishments. Warren also reiterated the stakes of the election and argued that, if voters take them seriously, were gonna win this.

Whoever the candidate is. OK, Colbert said, with Warren confirming that caveat. Cause thats the issue Im getting at, you realize.

Things never got contentious between the two, both staying calm and clarifying their points, but Colbert let the topic drop after that.

You can watch the moment between Warren and Colbert in the video above.

The post Stephen Colbert Pushes Elizabeth Warren for Answer on Behind-the-Scenes Division Among Democrats | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Steve Bannon took 15 hours of video of Jeffrey Epstein in the months before Epstein died in jail.

He said it was for a "documentary"  a claim that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Sources say Bannon was friends with Epstein and was trying to rehabilitate his reputation.

Before his 2019 death in jail, Jeffrey Epstein spent hours being interviewed on camera by Steve Bannon.

A clip published by the New York Post in 2021 shows Bannon verbally sparring with Epstein.

Epstein declared he was a "firm believer and supporter" of Time's Up, the organization founded to fight sexual harassment.

"I made my living from old thinking," Epstein said from his palatial Manhattan home. "But the future is for the way women think."

Bannon pushed back.

"Is that kind of sop because of all the depravity you've done against young women?" he asked.

It was vintage Bannon. The right-wing operator threw a Molotov cocktail into the political left's arena, hoping for chaos. And he promoted himself by lashing out at Epstein.

The clip supposedly promoted a documentary, "The Monsters: Epstein's Life Among the Global Elite," from Bannon's production company Victory Films. Before Epstein went to jail on sex-trafficking charges in July 2019, Bannon spent months in the financier's homes in Manhattan and Paris. He boasted that he shot 15 hours' worth of video.

Three years later, no documentary has been released. And Bannon's close relationship with Epstein has been curiously memory-holed.

Bannon grew closer to Epstein in the summer of 2018, advising him on how to handle his myriad legal and media investigations. They continued to spend time with each other through the following summer, when Epstein was arrested in Manhattan on sex-trafficking charges.

The footage remains under wraps.

It has not surfaced anywhere  not in the criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of assisting Epstein's sex trafficking, nor in numerous civil lawsuits from his victims.

Bannon's explanation that he was producing a documentary about Epstein was nonsense, according to people who spent time with both men around the time they were in each other's lives.

In reality, the two acted like friends around each other. And Bannon, these people said, was trying to help Epstein  a notorious sex offender  with his public-relations problems.

Bannon met Epstein in December 2017, shortly after he stopped working in Donald Trump's White House. Epstein had his own history with Trump; participants in the Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, social scenes, they befriended each other in the 1980s but had a falling-out in the 2000s.

After Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial, a compensation program funded by his $630 million estate identified about 150 of his victims. Later litigation put the number closer to 200.

Bannon is serving a four-month sentence after a jury found him guilty of contempt of Congress for flouting a subpoena from the House panel investigating the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. He's also awaiting trial on criminal charges over his role in We Build the Wall, an organization whose cofounders enriched themselves with money donated for the purpose of building a US-Mexico border wall.

Recent media coverage of Bannon has seldom mentioned Epstein. A 10,000-word Esquire magazine article published last fall about Bannon's machinations in right-wing media, including his role in the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, made no mention of Epstein.

Bannon, who frequently speaks to journalists, did not respond to numerous voicemails, emails, and text messages from Business Insider over the course of several years requesting comment about his relationship with Epstein.

He did not respond to an additional request for comment in a letter mailed to him on July 9 in the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, where he is incarcerated.

Alexandra Preate, a spokesperson for Bannon, told BI in December 2021 that the documentary about Epstein would be screened "probably around Labor Day." The date came and went. Preate has not responded to follow-up queries in the two years since, including a request for comment sent Tuesday.

On tape, Epstein talked about his relationship with Trump

Bannon first publicly claimed the footage was for a "documentary" in September 2021, more than two years after Epstein's death. He told the Daily Mail in a statement at the time that the footage was part of "a planned 50 hours of open ended no holds barred interviews with Epstein for a 8 to 10 hour expose on his deep relationships with the global elites in finance, science, education, medicine, politics and culture."

But people who spoke with Bannon around the time he was shooting the footage told BI that he was trying to improve Epstein's public image. He also may have just wanted some of Epstein's money.

Mark Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein's brother, said Bannon was trying to help his brother "rehabilitate his reputation" after the Miami Herald in 2018 published a series of articles  which ultimately led to an indictment by federal prosecutors in Manhattan  about his sexual abuse of girls in Palm Beach.

Donald Trump, Melania Knauss, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida. Davidoff Studios/Getty Images

Mark Epstein told BI that his brother had sent him footage of some of Bannon's interview with him.

In that interview, Mark Epstein told BI last year, "Jeffrey said he stopped hanging out with Trump when he realized Trump was a crook."

In the 2000s, Trump and Jeffrey Epstein fought over Trump's purchase of a Palm Beach mansion that Epstein coveted. The Miami Herald also reported that Epstein lost his Mar-a-Lago membership after he harassed another member's daughter.

Mark Epstein said he inquired about the footage in a meeting with Bannon in New York after his brother's death but that Bannon refused to share more information.

"He told me he had like 16 hours of videotaping with Jeffrey in his vault," Mark Epstein said. "And he told me it was protected because it was witness preparation and it was protected under attorney-client privilege. But the thing is, Bannon's not an attorney."

Do you have any information about Steve Bannon's footage of Jeffrey Epstein? Contact Business Insider Legal Correspondent Jacob Shamsian at jshamsian@businessinsider.com or on the secure messaging app Signal at JacobShamsian.07.

Mark Epstein said Bannon asked him for money, saying he needed $6 million to complete the documentary. Mark Epstein told BI he declined.

Jeffrey Epstein died in jail before he could go to trial. A years-in-the-making 121-page Justice Department watchdog report published last year found that he killed himself in his cell, but Mark Epstein found it unpersuasive, telling BI last year that it was "blatant bullshit."

Mark Epstein said his brother told him that Bannon recorded the video to help prepare him for testimony. At the time, Jeffrey Epstein was facing civil lawsuits from accusers that could have led to depositions.

"I have also tried to reach Bannon about it a couple of times since our meeting and get no response," Mark Epstein told BI in an email this week.

Mark Epstein said Jeffrey Epstein told him he wasn't subpoenaed for any depositions at that time.

But Mark Epstein said his brother told him that if he had to testify in the future, he "would've had fun with it" and "channeled" Brett Kavanaugh during the now Supreme Court justice's Senate confirmation hearings.

"You know when Kavanaugh was going through his confirmation hearings and he said to the senator: 'Senator, I like beer. My friends like beer. Do you like beer, Senator?'" Mark Epstein said.

"So Jeffrey said he's going to channel Kavanaugh and say: 'Senator, I like pussy. My friends like pussy. Do you like pussy, Senator?'" he said.

The footage hasn't come up in any of the Epstein lawsuits

If Bannon actually needed money, he didn't seem to mention it to his usual financial backers.

Mike Lindell, a long-standing sponsor of Bannon's media empire through his ads for MyPillow, told BI in a recent interview that Bannon never asked him for money to complete the purported documentary.

"I've never heard about it in my life," he said, before launching into a digression about Dominion Voting Systems.

It's also not clear whether Bannon sought money from Guo Wengui, a Chinese business tycoon who is said to be a billionaire and who was a member of Mar-a-Lago. Guo  who also uses the names Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Guo  served as a financial backer of Bannon, allowing the right-wing firebrand to live on his yacht and promoting Bannon's various media projects to his social-media audience of Chinese dissidents. Evidence in Guo's criminal fraud case in Manhattan shows Guo told his followers to watch some of Bannon's other documentaries, but no discussion of Epstein appears in the records.

A representative for Leon Black, the former CEO of Apollo Global Management who maintained a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, told BI that Bannon never asked for money from Black, adding that Bannon did not have a camera during the one occasion when Black and others met with Bannon in Epstein's home. The representative said that the meeting took place shortly after the strategist left the White House and that the group discussed politics.

David Bossie, the president of the right-wing advocacy group Citizens United, who produced other Bannon media projects around this period, didn't respond to a request for comment.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

Though the footage would offer a window into the final months of Epstein's life, it doesn't appear to have been subpoenaed for any legal cases involving him or his estate.

Bobbi Sternheim, an attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, said federal prosecutors didn't subpoena the footage for Maxwell's trial, which was part of the same criminal investigation into Epstein.

Gloria Allred and Arick Fudali, two other attorneys who each represent numerous Epstein victims, also each said they were not aware of the footage being subpoenaed in any case. An attorney representing Epstein's estate executors didn't respond to a request for comment. David Schoen, an attorney who represented both Bannon and Epstein, told BI in an email that he didn't know anything about the footage.

Brad Edwards, an attorney who represents dozens of Epstein's accusers in numerous lawsuits, said the footage hadn't been a part of any of his cases  yet.

"To my knowledge nobody has served a subpoena on Bannon for them, but I see no reason why not," he told BI in an email.

However, he wrote, "there are a couple pending cases now where those tapes will likely be subpoenaed."

Bannon planned to rehabilitate Epstein's reputation

The New York Post story featuring the purported trailer was cowritten by Emma-Jo Morris, who also worked with Bannon to disseminate the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop. Morris told BI she hadn't seen any of Bannon's other Epstein footage and didn't know what happened to the project.

Bannon's time in Epstein's orbit was recounted in the book "Too Famous," published in October 2021 by Michael Wolff, who heavily relied on Bannon as a source for his books about Trump's White House.

In a section titled "Monster," Wolff wrote that Bannon sought to change the public perception of Epstein.

Bannon believed Epstein needed a public-facing communications strategy in response to Julie K. Brown's "Perversion of Justice" series in the Miami Herald. Brown reported Alexander Acosta, who, as a US attorney in Florida in the 2000s, oversaw a criminal investigation into the financier, arranged a light plea deal even though law-enforcement agents were aware that Epstein had abused dozens of girls. Acosta resigned from his position as labor secretary in the Trump administration following the publication of the series.

Wolff's book says that in a March 2019 conference call, Bannon, Epstein, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Epstein's defense attorney Reid Weingarten discussed whether Epstein should give a primetime TV interview. They floated the idea of going on CBS's "60 Minutes" or interviewing with Rachel Maddow or Gayle King, Wolff reported.

At one point, Wolff wrote, Epstein "made the gesture of the noose above his head" to express his distaste at the idea of being interviewed by King.

Former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon. Patrick Semansky/AP

According to the book, Bannon said that recording videos would help Epstein prepare for an interview that would convince the world "he's not a monster."

"He's got to sit there and watch the tape all the time, that's how you learn," Bannon said, according to Wolff. "This is like preparing for a deposition, except this is preparing for the court of public opinion."

Wolff's book includes long excerpts of conversations between Epstein and Bannon, as well as descriptions of Epstein's activities during the time he was close with Bannon. The book does not disclose whether Wolff viewed Bannon's footage.

Quotes in the book suggest that during sit-down interviews with Bannon, Epstein created an air of mystery: He was evasive about his interactions with girls, declined to name the wealthy people he advised on financial issues, and said he'd "escorted" Princess Diana "on occasion."

Bannon also said he believed Epstein was an "intelligence asset," though it doesn't describe any evidence he offered to support the claim.

Bannon, who was the chairman of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, believed Epstein knew "dangerous secrets about Trump," Wolff wrote.

"You were the only person I was afraid of during the campaign," Bannon told Epstein, according to Wolff's book.

Wolff wrote that Epstein said Trump "regaled him with the torrid details" of his sexual encounter with E. Jean Carroll in Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s. A civil jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the Manhattan department store and defaming her by lying about it.

Wolff wrote that Bannon also appeared skeptical of Epstein's many stories.

"Come on, dude. This is a stinking fish." Bannon told his camera operator, according to Wolff.

"God, it's all such bullshit. Nothing makes any sense in this story," he reportedly said. "Which is what makes it so fucking compelling."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui was found guilty Tuesday in his trial of defrauding investors as part of a colossal fraud.

Jurors heard how victims were drawn to Guo, a longtime ally of former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon, by his self-styled crusade to bring down the Chinese Communist Partywhich at one point even saw him announce the formation of a New Federal State of China.

Chinese Mogul Funneled Millions to Bannon, Fox, Gettr, Docs Show

Instead, their millions were pumped into sundry schemes, from cryptocurrencies to club memberships, funding not only plush mansions and fast cars but also, prosecutors alleged, multiple entities set up by Guo and Bannon.

After falling foul of the Chinese regime in 2015, Guovariously known as Ho Wan Kwok, Miles Guo, and Miles Kwokmoved to New York and quickly set about establishing a new network of high-powered political contacts. By the time Trump formally took office in January 2017, the billionaire had become a member of Mar-a-Lago and later applied for political asylum after publicly accusing senior Chinese officials of graft.

Is Miles Guo a real political activist or not? I dont know, I dont care, and neither should you, assistant U.S. attorney Juliana Murray told a federal jury last week.

It was on Guos multimillion-dollar yacht that Bannon was arrested in 2020 for allegedly defrauding donors to his We Build the Wall initiative. Trump pardoned Bannon during the last few hours of his presidency, though the former White House adviser still faces related state charges in New York and began a four-month prison sentence this month for contempt of Congress.

Following Guos own arrest last March, details soon emerged of several investment vehicles used as part of his scheme, as well as branches of a sprawling media operation used by Guo and Bannon to cast themselves as anti-Communist heroes and spread misinformation about, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nor was Bannon the only political figure to have been caught up in proceedings against Guo. Other names featured in court documents included George Santos, Donald Trump Jr., and ex-White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

While Guos sentencing is set for Nov. 19, it remains to be seen whether he will follow Bannon to prison. The New York Times reported that there is a remote possibility the billionaire may be extradited back to China.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs speaks at the grand opening of the Reinvent Stockton Foundation's Social Distance Studies study hub on the rooftop at the Bella Vista envoy space in downtown Stockton. The idea of the hub, which is being piloted through October, is to provide college age students a safe space with access to high-speed internet, snacks and fellowship with others of their own age.

Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is officially launching his campaign for California lieutenant governor in 2026.

Tubbs has served as a special adviser for economic mobility and opportunity to Gov. Gavin Newsom since 2021. He said this experience, coupled with his journey raising three young children, are the reasons why he decided to throw his hat in the ring.

"I've been up and down the state meeting with community groups and community leaders, talking not just about guaranteed income, but about poverty, about the economy, really about California and how to make it work," Tubbs said in an interview with The Record ahead of Wednesday's announcement. "It was striking to me that no matter where I was, whether it was Antioch or Los Angeles or Ontario or San Bernardino, the problems were all the same and people thought somehow I had a way to help them without being elected."

Tubbs said he figured the best way to help Californians with their concerns surrounding affordability, higher education, and homelessness would be to return to office so he could have a role in the policymaking process.

"The work we did in Stockton was instructive to me about what needs to be happening statewide," Tubbs said. "The state is at a crossroads where in the next 10 years, the choices we make will determine the next 100, and particularly for young folks. California just isn't affordable. We often times are not able to buy houses. We're not able to settle here. I'm tired of seeing my friends leave California to go elsewhere, so I'm running to make sure that my children have a California even better than the California that I remember, and have enjoyed and have lived in my entire life."

Several other notable politicians have launched campaigns for the 2026 lieutenant governor race, including state Treasurer Fiona Ma, state Sen. Steven Bradford, and Sausalito City Councilmember Janelle Kellman.

A humble upbringing

05/8/14 CALIXTRO ROMIAS Tasha Dixon, aunt, Michael Tubbs, Racole Dixon, mother, and Grandmother Barbara Nicholson, in Racole home in Weston Ranch.

Tubbs was raised by a single mother in south Stockton and attended Franklin High School. His father was incarcerated most of his life.

He received a need-based scholarship to continue his studies at Stanford University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and a Master of Arts in Policy, Leadership and Organization Studies in 2012.

After graduating college, Tubbs returned to his hometown to run for the Stockton City Council. He was elected to serve as the District 6 representative the same year, and served on the council until his election to the mayor's office in 2016.

At 26 years old, Tubbs became Stockton's first Black mayor and the youngest person to be elected mayor of a major U.S. city.

"Being from a community like Stockton, it gives you something. It gives you a little bit of hustle. It makes you very resilient. It's also taught me how to work with people who are different than me, who look different from me, who speak different from me," Tubbs said. "When I was mayor, we had three Republicans and three Democrats on the council. You just learn how to get things done."

He garnered national attention for establishing one of the nation's first universal basic income pilot programs, and was the subject of a HBO documentary entitled "Stockton On My Mind."

Despite the recognition, Tubbs ultimately lost his reelection bid in 2020 to current Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln by nearly 13 percentage points, continuing the city's trend of one-term mayors.

He moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Anna, and their children the following year after accepting a job offer from Newsom.

Looking to the future

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, holding his month-old son Michael Malakai, arrives at an election night party Tuesday with his wife, Anna Nti-Asare-Tubbs, at Mile Wine Restaurant to greet supporters. [CALIXTRO ROMIAS/THE STOCKTON RECORD]

If elected, Tubbs said there are several issues he would like to focus on, including "continuing the fight for a CSU in Stockton."

The lieutenant governor serves as a voting member of the Board of Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges system.

Some politicians have advocated for a CSU Stockton since 2014, when then-Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman introduced a bill to require the state to weigh the feasibility of a full-fledged California State University campus in Stockton.

Stockton, Tubbs said, is the fastest growing metro area in the state, one of the youngest areas in the state, and the second largest metro area in the country without a public institution of higher learning.

"It's not going to get done tomorrow, but it has to be part of the discussion," he said. "How do we expand higher education access and how do we make sure that the Central Valley, and particularly Stockton, has a CSU?"

Expanding guaranteed basic income programs is another top priority for Tubbs.

"Even though it's not a formal part of the job of lieutenant governor, the platform provides the ability to have those conversations and continue the momentum we've helped build from the work in Stockton," Tubbs said.

He said he would also strive to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start and expand businesses by "looking at our regulations and seeing which ones are burdensome and which ones are unnecessary."

Ultimately Tubbs said his goal is to make sure Stockton, and similar communities, are considered when decisions are being made.

"Often times, communities like Stockton and people who come from backgrounds like mine aren't part of the discussion. They're never at the table. They're on the table. They're on the menu. They're never there to articulate and speak about this particular region and its particular needs," Tubbs said. "It's important for all of California to have the voices in leadership that can speak to the diverse experiences that make California what it is."

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs running for CA lieutenant governor
Kerrie Hirte, whose daughter died in the Milwaukee County Jail, and Jeffrey Watson, who was previously incarcerated at the Green Bay and Waupun prisons, joined a protest outside the Brown County Courthouse late Sunday afternoon, as similar protests around the state demanded change in Wisconsins correctional system. | Photo by Andrew Kennard for Wisconsin Examiner

A small group of protesters gathered by the Brown County Courthouse late Sunday afternoon, demanding change in Wisconsins correctional system.

I dont want any other mothers to suffer the way I am, Kerrie Hirte said.

Hirtes daughter, Cilivea Thyrion, died in the Milwaukee County Jail and her death was ruled a suicide, FOX6 News Milwaukee reported. Hirte believes that if her daughter had been in a mental health facility instead of a jail, she would still be alive.

At the protest, she said that our jails are breeding grounds for inhumanity, and the conditions inside have amounted to torture and death.

Just by me telling me and Ciliveas story  and by all of us telling our stories, then the message will spread more, Hirte told the Examiner. Because people will begin to understand, theyre not the only ones.

Groups of protesters demonstrated in Brown, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine and Kenosha Counties on Sunday, according to Dante Cottingham, a founding member of the Stop the Torture Coalition who used to be incarcerated in Green Bay Correctional Institution.

[People] also spoke about how important it is for the [district attorneys] and the judges to be accountable for the sentences that they hand down, Cottingham said. Look, we know the judges and the DAs have a job to do. But we also want the judge and the DA to be accountable for keeping our loved one safe no matter if they made a mistake or not.

The protests come after a Waupun warden and eight others were charged last month with crimes related to the treatment of incarcerated people. Advocates, formerly incarcerated people and former staff testified about problems in the prison system before the Assembly Committee on Corrections on July 9.

In a letter to the committee, Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Jared Hoy gave examples of operational changes made over the last several months to ensure the safety of staff and incarcerated people, such as enhancing training and frequency of security rounds. He also said the department is in contract negotiations with a consulting and management firm for a third party review.

While the past several weeks have been challenging, there have been countless occasions where I am reminded of how our dedicated staff and the individuals in our care remain at the heart of our mission, Hoy said in the letter.

Jeffrey Watson, who also attended the Brown County protest, said he was previously incarcerated at the Green Bay and Waupun prisons. He hopes the protests raise awareness.

I left [Waupun] in 2019, Watson said. So I know how they deal with mental illness [with] someone even just calling out for help.

Hirte called for the closure of the prisons in Green Bay and Waupun. She also advocated for [confronting] the root causes of mass incarceration and reducing the prison and jail population so that it becomes unnecessary to build new facilities.

[Children with mental illness] should not be put in jails, in prisons, when they can be helped outside, in our communities, Hirte said. That only happens if the communities come together and fight for our children.

Cottingham hopes for protests in all 72 of Wisconsins counties. Another protest will take place in the middle of next month.

Part of the strategy of the protest is to get statewide and then, ultimately, national attention, Cottingham said.

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Storm causes damage across Jefferson County

PERRY (KSNT)  Communities are still picking up what is left after damaging storms rolled through Northeast Kansas during the morning hours of July 16.

Jefferson County was one of the areas that was impacted by the storms. The strong winds from the storm caused damage to trees of all sizes. Some larger trees were even uprooted from the ground. Some people across the county also lost power. There have been no reported injuries from the storm.

Will recent rain in NE Kansas help crops longterm?

KSNT 27 News spoke to the Jefferson County Emergency Manager who said that the damage spans across the county.

We saw almost county wide trees down towards the east, along with the wind line, said Jefferson County Emergency Manager Keith Jeffers. Anywhere from six inch trees or branches down up to this one behind us, thats about five feet in diameter.

Jeffers also said that the majority of the power in the county is back on after crews were fixing that issue all day.

K-State professor gets life-threatening meat allergy from tick

KSNT 27 News also spoke to a few residents who had their property damaged by the storms. Two of the people had damage to their fences. They said they were thankful the trees did not fall on their homes and that everyone was ok.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
July 2 marked the 60th anniversary of the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act  perhaps the most consequential statute in American history  outlawing discrimination in public accommodations and facilities, in education and employment.

Ironically, the destructive U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Trump immunity case was handed down only the day before the anniversary. History travels in curious directions.

Gene Nichol

Speaking in 2014 about the impact of the Civil Rights Act, then-Congressman John Lewis recalled it as: a time when people were arrested and taken to jail just for sitting beside each other on the bus. It was against the law for black and white people to ride in the same taxicab or stay in the same hotel. Peoples home were bombed. Their lives were threatened for taking a simple drink from the same water fountain... And when people said nothing had changed, I said, come and walk in my shoes and I will show you change.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg similarly reminded: When I graduated from law school in 1959 there was no Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act). Legal employers were perfectly up front in saying were not interested in hiring women. The usual excuse was we had a woman once and she was dreadful. My answer would be, and how many men have you had that didnt work out. Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act) stopped all that.

No wonder Project 2025  the plan by former and possible future Trump administration leaders to remake America  seeks to amend and repeal some of the most important provisions of the Civil Rights Act.

The 1964 statutes enactment, in many ways, stuns todays reader.

First, there was its ambition. My students no longer expect that legislatures might do something huge, something larger than themselves and their momentary prospects, something nation-defining. Much less taking up what Lyndon Johnson would term the unending search for justice within our borders. Or that some lawmakers, or even many, would do so out of obligation, duty  recognizing that personal costs would follow. Another era.

Second, and equally surprising, that lawmakers would sometimes carry out that work on a bipartisan basis. The Civil Rights Acts famed 75-day filibuster was broken on a 71-29 vote, 27 Republicans supporting cloture. The bill passed 290-130 in the House, relying heavily on Republicans to overcome the intense opposition of southern Democrats.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen cast his vote saying: this act must pass if we are to honor the pledges we made when we...took an oath to...to carry out the Constitution. And that noble sentiment was uttered only after Lyndon Johnson had pressed his fingers to Dirksens chest saying: Everett, you come with me on this bill and 200 years from now, school children in Illinois will know only two names: Abraham Lincoln and Everett Dirksen. The Johnson treatment.

Third, heroic work on the statutes behalf was, no doubt, done by Johnson, Dirksen, Robert Kennedy and other noted political leaders. But many of the most crucial efforts came from folks outside government. Civil rights leaders, of course, led national crusades. But, more surprising, labor unions pressed mightily for passage  the UAW, AFL-CIO, steelworkers, United Packinghouse Workers of America, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

And, most amazing, the churches. The massive National Council of Churches, the Synagogue Council of America, the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Sen. Richard Russell complained bitterly that segregationists could have sustained the filibuster but for interference from churches back home in folks districts.

And finally, there was the acts profound moral clarity. President Johnson signed it saying: We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are denied equal treatment. The reasons (for this) are deeply embedded in history... But it cannot continue. Our Constitution...forbids it. The principals of our freedom forbid it. Morality forbids it. And the law I will sign tonight forbids it.

Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
The Strange Way Republicans At RNC Are Marking Donald Trump Assassination Attempt

Some Republicans at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee have been photographed and filmed sporting fake bandages and Band-Aids on their ears in apparent solidarity with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, whos worn a large bandage on his right ear after it was wounded during the attempt on his life over the weekend.

Former President Donald Trump wearing a bandage over his ear during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Leon Neal via Getty Images

This is the newest fashion trend. Im getting this going, Arizona delegate Joe Neglia told CBS News Ed OKeefe on Tuesday.

Everybody in the world is going to be wearing these pretty soon. Its the latest thing, Neglia continued. My wife calls me and tells me I dress like an engineer, but Im setting new fashion ground here.

OKeefe asked Neglia, And you just made this in your hotel room today with an envelope or what?

No, I folded it up on the bus on the way here, the delegate replied.

Watch the exchange here:

It's the latest trend at the RNC: Donald Trump's supporters are wearing fake bandages on their right ear after he survived the assassination attempt.



"Everybody in the world is going to be wearing these pretty soon," one man wearing a bandage tells @edokeefe on the convention pic.twitter.com/QAPDU6ZTzl  CBS News (@CBSNews) July 17, 2024

One delegate appeared to use tape:

Andrew Harnik via Getty Images

Another sported an adhesive bandage with an American flag:

Leon Neal via Getty Images

The Independents Eric Michael Garcia shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, of someone outside the convention who was dressed as Uncle Sam with a bandage on his ear.

The Daily Beasts Jake Lahut and The Hill also posted photographs of people making the fashion statement.

Related...
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  According to a recent study, Oklahomans arent so interested in having a social media presence.

Over the last year, a study from Hearts.co reviewed nationwide Google search volume for certain keywords relating to online growth. With that data, it was determined which states are the most interested in gaining followers and which states dont really care.

LOCAL NEWS: Where do Oklahoma cities rank among best, worst tap water?

According to Hearts.co, Oklahoma ranks #12 among states who arent worried about making a name for themselves online.

States least interested in growing an online presence

New Mexico West Virginia Montana Alaska Maine Iowa South Dakota Kentucky Wyoming Wisconsin Nebraska Oklahoma North Dakota Mississippi Minnesota

States most interested in growing an online presence

Florida Georgia New York Utah Nevada New Jersey Delaware California Texas North Carolina Maryland Connecticut South Carolina Hawaii Virginia

LOCAL NEWS: OMMA terminates 10 percent of staff, cites restructuring need

With the influencer lifestyle offering the opportunity to earn a high salary, choose your own hours and work remotely, it has fast become a popular career choice. said a spokesperson with Hearts.co. This is especially true for the younger generation, as many already live their lives very publicly online anyway, so being able to earn a living from it makes influencing a dream job,

Officials say the study looked for phrases like Growing followers on Instagram, Elevate your YouTube presence and Boost engagement on TikTok being searched.

Oklahoma averaged about 44.6 monthly searched per 100,000 residents, which according to the study, is 17 percent below the U.S. average of 53.5.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
How to be a successful Nimby (even if you dont call yourself one)

Local communities fearing development tend not to like the term nimby, evoking as it does a selfish homeowner pulling up the ladder behind them. Those battling to block unpopular plans prefer to couch their objections in terms of valid concerns about impact on local services and environment.

There is broad agreement that new infrastructure and more housing is needed; the question is where to put it (and what measures will be taken to ensure that roads, services, surgeries arent overrun). That, often, is the sticking point.

Its one that the Government desperately hopes to unstick. This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to take the brakes off Britain and build 1.5 million new homes in an effort to tackle the countrys housing crisis and unlock economic growth. In Labours first Kings Speech on July 17, it was announced that planning laws would be changed to speed up this process.

My ministers will get Britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing, the King said.

Communities will have a say only on how, not if new homes and projects such as roads, railways and reservoirs are built. Mandatory housing targets, dropped by the Conservatives, will be reintroduced, and Labour will make it easier for councils to redraw green belt boundaries, allowing for more development.

The Government knows not everyone will be happy, and has admitted as much. So what, then, to do if you find yourself facing an unwelcome proposed new housing development in your backyard, so to speak? What options do you have if you actually quite liked at least some of the brakes that are about to be removed? Heres a guide for self-declared not-Nimbys still keen to have their say.

1. Get informed about local projects

Its a little late to start objecting once the diggers have already rolled in. To have any chance of influencing building in your area, you first need to be aware of whats being planned. You can intervene at each stage [of planning], says Rosie Pearson, a community and environmental planning campaigner. The earlier the better.

Check if your local council already has a Local Plan setting out planning policies and proposals for new development. If it does, read it thoroughly and consider its implications. Scan local newspapers for information on planned development.

'To have any chance of influencing building in your area, first be aware of what's being planned' - Alamy

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) advises keeping in touch with your local district or county branch of the organisation, as they would usually receive weekly lists of planning applications.

Its important local communities engage fully in the planning system and especially the Local Plan process in their area, to make sure their local councils do all they can to defend their green belt, countryside and green spaces when they plan future development, says Andy Smith, honorary secretary of London Green Belt Council.

2. Pick your battles

Which means: be realistic. Even if you go the full Swampy, and tunnel yourself into the proposed building site, you wont be able to block everything. (Nor should you, since homes have to, and will, go somewhere). Be discriminating  and consider the potential upsides, such as local economic development and jobs, as well as any downsides of new projects.

In my experience, local communities usually agree with appropriate housing that meets local needs, says Smith. Its only the wrong sort of development (i.e. thousands of unaffordable executive homes and urban sprawl) that people are against.

Councils must consult on their Local Plan. This gives communities a chance to try and shape what their future looks like, says Pearson.

You cant change the overall direction of travel, but you can identify where proposals clash with other imperatives, and raise objections accordingly.

3. Mobilise

Depending on the extent to which you have a full time job/ family/ social life, there are multiple ways of doing this. Start a local campaign group. Print leaflets to inform your community about a controversial proposal. Hold a meeting. Put up posters. Start a petition. In Surrey, a Change.org petition launched in 2022 to Keep Epsom and Ewell Green Belt attracted more than 12,000 signatures. This doesnt mean the Draft Local Plan there will automatically be rewritten in accordance with campaigners wishes, but it does help show the strength of community feeling.

One development in Brentwood, Essex, is proposing 250 homes on green belt land - Alamy

Petitions carry little weight in the planning process, but they are useful in helping to get people on your side, helping put your case forward, says Pearson. Facebook groups are brilliant [for mobilising people] too.

In Epsom, theres a strong grassroots movement to protect local green space. We have rallies to inform and try and explain to councillors [and others] whats going on and why, says Alex, who is part of the Save Epsom Green Belt campaign group.

4. Work out what your reasons for objecting are

Hell is other people, Jean-Paul Sartre wrote. And I dont want them living near me. He did not actually add that last bit and nor should you, as you cannot object to new housing on the grounds that youd simply rather not have any more neighbours, thank you very much.

But there are legitimate grounds for objecting to a planning application. These include environmental impact (will it, for instance, destroy a local ecosystem or area of natural beauty?), and impact on traffic and road networks, noise levels and pollution, local amenities and services.

Pearson, who chairs the Community Planning Alliance, helped get a plan for a new town of 24,000 homes near her house in Essex thrown out by identifying its legal weak spots. We fought through the system, all the stages, and were fortunate that the planning inspector agreed the plans were not legally compliant, she says. You have to focus relentlessly on what the policies are.

In her case, the plan for a new town was thrown out twice, in 2018 and 2020, because the infrastructure required to support it wasnt financially deliverable. For example, there wasnt even a new sewage plant for 24,000 new homes, and they couldnt prove that it wasnt going to introduce a load of extra traffic onto the roads.

Pearson recommends becoming familiar with whats in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out the governments planning policies for England and how they are expected to be applied. Then you can say things like, The NPPF requires sustainable travel in paragraph X, so wed like to see more bike paths, for instance.

This way you can help shape the development in your area.

5. Get your voice heard

Make noise, says Pearson. Contact local papers, your local councillor. Work positively with your councillor and get them to support you, because they know how the council works in terms of positive shaping of the Plan.

The CPRE suggests arranging a face to face meeting with the planning officer handling an individual application, as you may be able to better bolster arguments this way or argue against different viewpoints.

6. Talk to your local MP

Theyll be expecting to hear from you, and the Government is expecting MPs to be awkward on this  even the Labour ones. Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said before the Kings Speech that he had no doubt local MPs, including some from his own party, would raise objections to specific developments. [I]n the real world, therell be some developments that some people dont like, he said. Thats always going to be the case.

Smith advocates mobilising your representative. People should talk to their Members of Parliament and press them to stand up for local democracy, he says.

7. Be prepared to stick at it

Local authorities tend to be under-resourced (or bankrupt) and local planning processes can be notoriously slow. There are no overnight results, whether you want something built or blocked. Pearson, whose Essex battle lasted five years, recommends keeping a cool head when supporting or opposing planning, and has this advice: You have to be persistent and dogged, she says. And do a lot of hard work.

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The intense summer heat is causing soda cans to burst after being loaded on some Southwest Airlines flights, the airline confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday.

Airline officials say they are aware of a series of incidents where cans of carbonated drinks have ruptured, often while being opened, resulting in an onboard mess and reports of about 20 injuries to employees so far this summer.



There have been a few hand injuries reported by flight attendants because of the issue, including one that resulted in stitches. Southwest says the injury reports are similar to last year. The issue is generating more focus this year because it appears, at least anecdotally, to be occurring more frequently this summer.

Southwest Airlines says it is aware of a series of incidents where cans of carbonated drinks have ruptured, often while being opened, resulting in an onboard mess and reports of about 20 injuries to employees so far this summer. / Credit: Facebook

Southwest Airlines officials say they are implementing measures to address the issue, including at several of its hotter provisioning locations such as Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento.

Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, said the airline has been "communicating to our employees about it throughout the spring and summer."

"We've developed a mitigation plan to address it," Perry said.

The issue may have to do with how Southwest stores and loads drinks on planes in extreme heat. Unlike other airlines, Southwest does not stock perishables on board, so it is not required to use air-conditioned catering trucks to deliver meals and drinks to the aircraft. Instead, drinks on Southwest provisioning trucks are more frequently exposed to outside temperatures.

In an internal email obtained by CBS News from July 12 sent to flight attendants titled "Hot & Bursting Cans: Provisioning Procedural Changes," company leaders said finding "viable solutions to bursting hot cans is our top priority."

The message, from Rachel Loudermilk, managing director of base operations, and Matt Sampson, provisioning director, tells the airlines' 21,000-plus flight attendants that "none of us are satisfied that we are still seeing reported events."

Pictures of cans deformed by heat or cans that have exploded on flights are circulating online in postings to Facebook groups dedicated to Southwest employees. / Credit: Facebook

The email lays out a series of changes Southwest has undertaken, especially in cities with hot temperatures, to address the problem since the beginning of the summer, including stocking fewer cans on provisioning trucks to limit the amount of time the cans spend on the flight line (and in the heat), placing carbonated drinks in coolers on trucks in hot weather locations, monitoring truck and can temperature with thermometers during shifts, and "not boarding product when the outside temperature reaches levels known to elevate the risk of bursting cans."

The airline confirmed it has also told employees not to open cans that are noticeably hot to the touch or appear deformed due to heat exposure.

But the email adds that the airline has come to "recognize that additional immediate solutions are necessary." The airline is now halting the onboarding of cans with a temperature of 98 degrees or more. Beverages at 98 degrees or over will be returned to the warehouse to cool down.

The airline is also considering positioning refrigerated trailers at its warehouses to keep cans cool before they are loaded onto provisioning trucks to be brought to the flight line.

The email says Southwest began testing air-conditioned provisioning trucks this month and is having conversations with Coca-Cola to analyze the viability of the current cans and to consider alternatives, including a 7.5-ounce option. The airline currently stocks traditional 12-ounce soda cans.

As part of the testing in Arizona and Nevada, cans are being marked so they can be identified if they originated from refrigerated or non-refrigerated trucks.

Perry, the Southwest spokesperson, stressed that the airline is taking the issue seriously.

"We are investigating the issue and looking at changes to ensure safety for our employees and customers in the midst of extreme temperatures and climate change," he said.

TWU Local 556, the union that represents Southwest Airlines flight attendants, did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but pictures of the burst cans are circulating online in postings to Facebook groups dedicated to Southwest employees. Many posts express frustration and concerns over safety. Some noted the cans that burst did not appear to be hot at the moment.

Southwest operates about 4,200 flights a day.

Kathryn Krupnik contributed reporting.

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Right now, cities and counties throughout Central Florida are scrambling to come up with tens of millions of dollars to cover the cost of SunRail.

So I have a proposal: Instead of digging into your pockets or general tax coffers, local leaders should follow the lead of other tourist towns by using hotel taxes to fund the costs.

Right now, Orange County takes in more hotel taxes than it can sensibly spend  more than $330 million a year that county leaders keep throwing at Visit Orlando and never-ending expansions to the convention center.

If leaders redirected just a fraction of that money to SunRail  probably no more than 20%  cities and counties could cover their costs.

This idea makes sense for a bunch of reasons:

1) Local residents are taxed enough. We neednt raise sales taxes when there are existing revenues available.

2) SunRail already serves tourists. Plus, the next plan is to expand service to the airport. It makes sense to spend tourist taxes on projects with such a clear tourism nexus.

3) We need to fund rail a heckuva lot more than we need another million square feet at the convention center.

4) Its way past time to use tourist taxes in more ways that benefit this community.

Other tourist towns already get this. In Las Vegas  Orlandos No. 1 competitor  hotel taxes pay for schools, parks and more.

Whats more, Las Vegas visitors bureau (their version of Visit Orlando) actually runs that regions rail system. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020 and has run the much shorter system ever since.

When I asked why, a spokeswoman for the Vegas convention authority said rail helps move tourists around town and reduces congestion for everyone. Bingo.

I floated the idea of using hotel taxes in Central Florida to cover the cost of SunRail six years ago. Why? Because I knew the taxman was coming. And I thought local residents were taxed enough.

Back then, some local leaders  including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and then-county mayor Teresa Jacobs  said they thought that idea or some variation of it made sense. Dyer suggested an additional penny in hotel taxes that I had not. But there was general interest in looking at hotel taxes.

I was even foolish enough to pen an unusually optimistic column back in 2018 with the headline: Hotel taxes on police, transit? Finally, we may say yes!

Hotel taxes on police, transit? Finally, we may say yes!

What a dupe I was.

After that, the tourism lobby got its claws into all the local politicians and made them promise to keep hoarding the money for the industrys own pet projects  including yet another expansion of the mammoth convention center that is rarely fully occupied and usually runs a deficit.

In the 2018 county mayors race, I asked all three candidates if any of them would aggressively push to diversify the use of hotel taxes for things like transit and public safety. None said yes.

Mayoral hopefuls talk taxes, guns, wages, rail and biggering the convention center (again)

Most local politicians, especially state legislators, instead tout the tourism industrys talking points  that tourism taxes should only be spent to promote more tourism. Other tourist towns disagree.

If you care about this issue, heres a helpful rule of thumb to consider when choosing candidates this election season: Most candidates endorsed by any kind of tourism or hotel association have vowed to carry the industrys water.

If you doubt that or want to test my theory, just ask any candidate a simple question: Will you push to spend hotel taxes on transit?

If they say yes, you have your answer.

If they give you any other kind of mealy-mouthed, gobbledygook response or excuse, well, you probably have your answer as well.

Would it take work to start spending hotel taxes on transit? Absolutely. Right now, state laws are very restrictive  at the request of tourism lobbyists. Thats why, if you care about this issue, you need to start electing state legislators, county commissioners and city council members who promise theyll work to change the laws.

Some will tell you they cant do it quickly. Thats why some of us suggested doing this six years ago. There are always excuses.

Some Central Florida governments feel sticker shock at SunRails future costs

The costs that local governments are about to start bearing for SunRail, once the Florida Department of Transportation shifts operational costs to them next year, range from around $300,000 for Maitland to $18 million for Orlando.

All told, were looking at around $65 million a year for all the partners in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties.

That may sound like a lot. But its literally a fraction of what Orange County alone pulls in from hotel taxes each year  more than $330 million. All four counties collect hotel taxes.

So the question is: Do you want to pay for transit or another wing at the convention center? Budgets are always about choices.

Some folks knock rail in general, screaming: BUT IT LOSES MONEY! I often ask those people how much money they think roads like Orange Avenue and State Road 50 earn. Not one darn dime.

Also, rail does something concrete doesnt: It gets cars off the road.

The Vegas visitors bureau says its monorail carries nearly 5 million people every year, including 67,000 for every trade show, reducing the number of taxi trips by 22,334 per show.

We cant pave our way out of this regions congestion problems. And we cant tax our way out of it either. Nor is there a need to when existing resources are available. If local leaders will only try.

smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com
Ruben Gutierrez, who has been on death row for 25 years, asked the Supreme Court to intervene in his execution (AP)

Minutes before a death row inmate in Texas was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection, the Supreme Court handed him a lifeline and halted the execution to consider his claim of innocence.

Ruben Gutierrez, 47, has been on death row in Huntsville since 1999 after he was convicted of capital murder for the killing of Escolastica Harrison, an 85-year-old woman who Gutierrez and two others intended to rob after discovering she kept $600,000 in cash inside her mobile home.

For the last 13 years, Gutierrez has asked state and federal courts to allow him access to the physical evidence obtained during the murder investigation so he can seek DNA testing. He claims this would prove he had a limited role in the murder.

Gutierrezs attorneys argue that multiple items recovered from the crime scene, including blood samples, loose hair, nail scrapings and more were not tested.

But state courts denied his request, saying Texass post-conviction DNA testing statute does not allow for testing that would prove innocence if it would impact only the sentencing or punishment an individual received.

Gutierrez appealed to the federal courts, claiming that limitation in Texass post-conviction DNA testing statute was unconstitutional. But in February, the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court rejected his claim.

They ruled Gutierrez had no justifiable reason, known as standing, to bring his claim forward.

But the Supreme Court may revise that decision.

Gutierrez was scheduled to be sentenced at 6pm CDT on Tuesday. Twenty minutes before, at 5.40pm CDT, the Supreme Court agreed to consider his appeal and paused the execution.

Prison spokesperson Amanda Hernandez told The Associated Press that Gutierrez became visibly emotional when she informed him of the Supreme Courts pause on his execution.

He turned around to the back of the cell, covered his mouth. He was tearing up, speechless. He was shocked, Hernandez said.

The stay on Gutierrezs execution will remain until the justices formally decide if they should review his appeal. If they deny the appeal, the execution would immediately unpause.

The Supreme Court rarely grants review and oral arguments in these types of appeals. But this is the second time the Supreme Court has temporarily paused Gutierrezs sentencing.

The first time, in June 2020, Gutierrez requested a stay on his execution because a newly-passed Texas law barred his spiritual adviser from accompanying him to the death chamber.

At the time, reality TV star Kim Kardashian championed the decision to pause Gutierrezs sentencing until the issue was resolved.

Months later, in January 2021, the Supreme Court court asked lower federal courts to consider Gutierrezs request for his spiritual adviser to be present and then lifted the pause on his execution  allowing for it to be rescheduled.

An attorney for Gutierrez told AP that they are hopeful they will be able to carry out DNA testing to prove his innocence.
Rachel McMorris and Calon Milan, homeless at that time, sit on the front steps at St. John's Catholic Church on Temple Street last month.

Data from the yearly count of the states unhoused conducted in communities across Massachusetts at the end of January is still being processed and analyzed. However, it appears the numbers of individuals and families that are in unstable housing situations has increased in fits and starts over the last 11 years.

The general trend reflects an increase, according to Gordie Calkins, of the states office of Housing and Livable Communities. Shelters in Massachusetts are bursting at the seams.

He was speaking at a meeting organized through the Interagency Council in Housing and Homelessness Tuesday, attended by officials from the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassHealth and the state Department of Mental Health, among others.

The count, at 6,950 individuals and 22,485 homeless individuals in family units, only reflects a point in time, Calkins said, warning that many factors influence the final numbers, from the weather on the night of the count to the volunteers helping with the process.

Overall, the state count reflects that 29,435 homeless individuals are living in Massachusetts, up 54% from the 19,107 counted in 2023.

Chronic homelessness, defined as those unsheltered over the course of a year or unsheltered on four occasions over the course of three years, has increased from 1,577 in 2013 to 2,021. Families that are chronically homeless have increased over that time from 538 to 864, according to the states numbers.

Having young adults help with the search for homeless youth results in more accurate numbers, said Alice Colegrove of Homeless Youth Services. She noted that peers can better recognize each other and are less likely to be missed when trying to blend in with the general population of young adults.

If the weather is terrible, there are more people in the shelters, Calkins said. However, those who sleep outside are harder to locate in foul weather as they may hunker down earlier in the evening and find less traditional places to sleep. He noted that since the influx of migrants into Massachusetts and the myriad agencies referring people to shelters, it is more challenging to get an accurate picture of who is housed where.

The fluctuations in numbers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect eviction protections put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the American Rescue Plan Act funding and benefits paid to families. Recent increases also take into account the new arrivals to Massachusetts.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Surge in Massachuetts' homeless seen in yearly count
Survivors of childhood abuse ask for trial for former Missouri boarding school owner

Advocates with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests speak in front of the Missouri Supreme Court Building Wednesday afternoon before delivering a letter to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

Survivors of abuse are asking Missouris attorney general to proceed with the trial of the co-owner of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, a now-shuttered boarding school for troubled girls in Cedar County.

Stephanie Householder, who ran the school with her husband Boyd Householder, faces 21 charges of child abuse and neglect alleged by former Circle of Hope students. Her husband had nearly 80 charges, including allegations of sexual abuse.

But he died of a cardiac incident, according to his attorneys statement published by KCUR.

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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey offered Householder a plea deal in 2023 if she would testify against her husband. She rejected the offer.

David Clohessy, Missouri volunteer director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, told reporters on Wednesday that he suspects and fears the attorney general will offer her another plea deal.

The attorney generals office told The Independent it has no pending offers of a plea deal.

For me, (a plea deal) is a huge slap in the face, said Maggie Drew, who lived at Circle of Hope from 2007 to 2013. That woman never showed mercy to any of us, and I dont think it should be shown to her now.

Drew said she broke bones while at Circle of Hope and was told to walk it off by Householder.

I never thought Id make it, Drew said.

Survivors delivered a letter to Bailey Wednesday asking him not to extend additional deals. Householder is scheduled for a jury trial in October.

While the trial will be emotionally very hard for many of us in the short term, in the long run, we are convinced that it will be a powerful deterrent to others who might commit or conceal crimes against children, Householders daughter Amanda wrote in a letter on behalf of a group of survivors.

Clohessy said a trial is important for survivors to speak their truth and inform the public beyond what has already been reported.

Adria Keim, who worked at Circle of Hope at the age of 19, said the environment was manipulative. Within a month of working at the boarding school, she was left overnight with almost 20 teenage girls to manage, she alleged.

She said the schools Christian affiliation did not align with the leaders actions.

I know that God absolutely hates what was done at Circle of Hope in his name, Keim said.

Clohessy wants Bailey to investigate other Christian boarding schools for troubled teens after such schools in Missouri have been forcibly shut down.

He asked Bailey in April to begin proactive investigations, saying the schools lack oversight.

Clohessy wasnt sure what other state attorneys general have done about reports of abuse at boarding schools and camps, for the problem extends beyond Missouri. But he expects that some states are taking a better look.

It would be hard to do worse than to do absolutely nothing, he said.

Before delivering the letter to Bailey, the group packed letters to send to county sheriffs asking for local investigations as well.

Our goal, Clohessy said, is to beg sheriffs and prosecutors to be proactive and investigate the facilities in their counties.

In a statement, the attorney generals office explained Bailey only steps into criminal cases when appointed by the governor or local authorities.

As a former prosecutor, Attorney General Bailey takes crime very seriously, a spokesperson said. We have seen a 133% increase in requests from local law enforcement and prosecutors to prosecute cases since Bailey took office.

This story has been updated to include comment from the office of Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man accused of killing one person and wounding four others in a 2018 shooting  and who allegedly reenacted the incident in a rap video  has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder, according to prosecutors.

Christopher Nathaniel Kenney, 25, is being held without bail in connection with the shooting that killed Jeremy Charles Littlejohn  a rival gang member  and wounded four others outside a garage on Chandler Court, authorities say. Hes due back in court in September.

Kenneys DNA was found on shell casings located at the scene, investigators say in court documents.

Also, someone told police Kenney knew ahead of time where Littlejohn would be. That person said Kenney afterward bragged about the killing because he wanted recognition in the gang, according to the documents.

Its alleged Kenney participated in a reenactment of the shooting in a rap video titled Fonk Season posted on YouTube.

The video starts with a skit which depicts Kenney sneaking up to a subject in an apartment complex before shooting and killing him, a Bakersfield police investigator wrote in the documents. The depicted victim in the music video bears resemblance to (the name is redacted, but apparently Littlejohn) by way of race and overall build and body type.

Kenney was charged earlier this year and arrested in Georgia last month. The Kern County Sheriffs Office website shows he was booked into Lerdo Jail on Friday.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A 40-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection with the death of an innocent bystander during an armed robbery at a Wilson County marina last month.

Two restaurant employees were injured and a bystander was shot and killed in the adjacent parking lot of Cedar Creek Marina on Saturday, June 29.

Investigators with the Wilson County Sheriffs Office said a cold-blooded murder unfolded in the parking lot of the Cedar Creek Marina and Restaurant off Saundersville Road around midnight.

Innocent bystander killed after armed robbery at Mt. Juliet restaurant, police say

Adrian Alex McLean (Courtesy: Wilson County Sheriffs Office)

Deputies were called to investigate shots fired when they found a 27-year-old man dead from a gunshot wound in his car in the parking lot. They soon determined the shooting followed an armed robbery at the marinas restaurant.

The bystander appeared to be a boater. At the request of the family, Wilson County Sheriffs Office Capt. Scott Moore initially did not release the name of the victim. He has since been identified as Bailey Gardner, of Kansas.

Boaters call armed robbery, deadly shooting at Mt. Juliet marina unusual

The owner of the restaurant said they were closing up for the night and employees were counting money in an office when hooded robbers got inside, pistol-whipped two of the employees and forced them to open the safe. The employees were treated for injuries and released at the scene.

The proprietor of Scoreboard Cedar Creek, Barrett Hobbs, released a statement on Facebook thanking law enforcement for their continued efforts. He also said, This was a targeted hit from an outside crime ring and it is concerning that gang activity like this is attacking our safe, family friendly business.

However, the Wilson County Sheriffs Office would not confirm if anyone involved in this case was part of a gang.

Authorities were reportedly searching for as many as three suspects.

Cold blooded murder: Hunt for 3 suspects in marina robbery, shooting

Adrian Alex McLean was apprehended Wednesday morning in Nashville with the assistance of the Metro Nashville Police Departments S.W.A.T. and Homicide units, following a joint investigation by the Wilson County Sheriffs Office and the Mt. Juliet Police Department, according to a release.

Moore said a crime like this can happen anywhere.

Do we think that we have a problem here? No, Moore explained. This was an isolated incident, but as businesses and people who close late at night, its very good to have that surveillance system there.

Moore told News 2 the restaurants surveillance video has aided in their investigation.

McLean was charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated robbery. Investigators are currently working with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement as McLeans temporary citizenship has expired, with officials saying McLean is from Jamaica.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The Mt. Juliet Police Department is investigating the restaurant robbery, which falls within city limits, and the Wilson County Sheriffs Office is investigating the deadly shooting in the parking lot, which took place on county property. Moore said the two agencies are working diligently together along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

Today, we took a significant step forward in our pursuit of justice for the victims of the tragic incident at Cedar Creek Marina. The tireless efforts of our detectives, in collaboration with the Wilson County Sheriffs Office, have led to the apprehension of a suspect in this case. This arrest is a testament to the determination and teamwork of all involved, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to bringing those responsible for this senseless crime to justice. We extend our deepest condolences to Bailey Gardners family and friends, and we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the safety and security of all those in our community. Chief Michael Mullins, MJPD

The arrest today is the product of diligent cooperative police work by the Wilson County Sheriffs Office, the Mt. Juliet Police Department, Metro-Nashville Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The dedication of time and resources to this investigation by these agencies as well as the skillfulness of their investigators is a credit to law enforcement in the pursuit of justice. Jason L. Lawson, District Attorney General, 15th Judicial District

No additional information was immediately released.

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 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
A homicide suspect was arrested Tuesday morning in connection to the 2020 shooting death of a 20-year-old man in Woodland, according to the Woodland Police Department.

Law enforcement officials found that Dennis Jaramillo, a 20-year-old man from the Colusa County town of Grimes, fled to Mexico following the shooting of Isaac Morales at his home on Jan. 9, 2020, the Woodland Police Department said Wednesday in a news release.

The case remained cold until Woodland police investigators found that Jaramillo had crossed back into the U.S. and confirmed his location in Colusa County, according to the news release. Authorities arrested Jaramillo around 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Jaramillo was booked at the Yolo County Jail for homicide and participating in a criminal street gang, according to Woodland police.

Morales death was the third in a string of unsolved shootings that occurred in Woodland within three months of each other in late 2019 and early 2020, resulting in the deaths of Alvaro Gamera, 16, and Raymond Ortiz, 44. The Woodland Police Department formed a gang task force following the homicides and offered reward money for tips, the Daily Democrat newspaper reported.
A suspect in the 2015 murder of rapper Chinx has plead guilty nine years later for his role in the slaying.

On Monday (July 15), Quincy Homere pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter in connection to the late rap stars death. Homere, who was initially charged with second degree murder, will be sentenced on Aug. 12 and is facing a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 25 years.

In 2015, Homere and a second suspect, Jamar Hill, allegedly trailed Chinx, born Lionel Pickens Jr., from a venue in Brooklyn following a live performance. Upon reaching Queens, the vehicle Homere and Hill was in pulled up beside the vehicle Chinx and another man were traveling in, upon which Chinx and his passenger where shot multiple times as their vehicle idled at a red stoplight.

Chinx Performing

While no arrests were immediately made in the wake of Chinxs death, Homere and Hill were named as suspects in 2017, and both men were incarcerated on separate charges. In April 2018, Homere and Hill were formally charged with one count each of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The alleged motive for the slaying was a previous beef between Homere and Chinx that turned physical on Rikers Island years prior. Were not exactly sure what the fight was about but our perpetrator Quincy probably got the worst of it and he wanted to get back at Chinx, NYPD Lt. Richard Rudolph said in 2017.

Prior to being charged with Chinxs murder, Homere had been arrested on federal charges stemming from a 2015 bank robbery on Long Island. He would later admit to plotting the brazen holdup and be sentenced to 18 years in federal prison. The charges against Hill, who remains incarcerated, are still pending.

Chinx Wearing Jewelry

Janelli Caceres-Pickens, Chinxs widow, shared her reaction to Homeres guilty plea, which she says she was dissatisfied with, as she hoped the gunman would receive the harshest punishment possible by law.

We definitely believe it should have been at least a murder 2 charge, but unfortunately with the odds that were against us, and the laws of the state of New York, it made it very hard to pursue that, Caceres-Pickens said.

We are not happy with this charge but one can not dodge whatever GOD has planned for him! she also wrote in an Instagram comment. Manslaughter has me livid [and] heartbroken. He deserves to spend his life in jail.

Hip-hop artist Chinx attends BET 106 and Park on June 11, 2014 in New York City.

However, Caceres-Pickens commended the NYPD and prosecution for their efforts in seeking justice for her husband and their family.

Its closure for us so now I know there are no more court appearances after this, someone is being held accountable for what happened, so its a start.

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Two in custody after apparent road rage on Interstate 10 in South MS, authorities say

Two suspects are in custody after an apparent road rage on Interstate 10 in Jackson County left one person injured and closed all eastbound lanes Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Two people involved in the incident are in custody, said Bailey Martin, the press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Landon Orozco said Wednesday that shots were fired during the apparent road rage. Martin said one person suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident involved two cars, Orozco said.

It occurred on I-10 between Exit 50 and 57, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said a crash just after 4 p.m. Wednesday on I-10 at Exit 57 had blocked all eastbound lanes. An MDOT traffic map showed backups at 5 p.m. Wednesday in eastbound and westbound lanes near Gulf Hills. All lanes have reopened.

MBI is investigating the alleged road rage incident, Martin said Thursday morning.

MBI did not immediately identify the suspects in custody or respond to questions about possible charges or what kind of weapons may have been involved in the incident. Ledbetter and Orozco said no further information was available.

Due to this being an ongoing investigation, no further comment will be made at this time, Martin said Thursday morning.

This is a developing story and may be updated.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The suspect who was detained for a fatal stabbing in the early hours of Monday was released and not charged with a crime, Portland police said Tuesday.

The stabbing near the intersection of SE 136th and Clinton left Kenny L. Housman critically wounded around 12:30 a.m. Monday. The 73-year-old later died at a nearby hospital, officials said.

A person suspected in the stabbing was detained at the scene. But investigators later said the suspect was cooperating with detectives and was released from custody.

Man dies after Rose City Park neighborhood shooting

The investigation continues. Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact Portland police.

Housmans death was one of five homicides over the weekend in Portland. Four other people died in three separate shootings. The crimes happened in different parts of the city and PPB Assistant Chief Chris Gjovik said none of the deaths are connected.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Oregon state officials are investigating the unlawful take and waste of a deer who was shot with an arrow in Madras.

According to the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife, troopers got a report of a dead mule deer doe on June 13. The animal was located near Northwest Hart Street and had likely been killed the same day and left to waste, officials said. Its unclear where exactly the deer was shot and killed.

Anyone who has information on identifying any suspects responsible for killing the deer is encouraged to contact Oregon State Police.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Suspect stole copper downspouts worth $10,000 from stores in SLO. Do you know him?

The San Luis Obispo Police Department is searching for the person who stole $10,000 worth of copper downspouts from stores in the Irish Hills Shopping Center late Wednesday night, the agency announced in a post on X.

At about 11:30 p.m., the suspect ripped at least 40 downspouts from the outside of the buildings, police spokesperson Christine Wallace said. A downspout is a vertical pipe that moves water out of a buildings gutter.

At least 10 businesses were effected by the theft, she said. The shopping center includes Costco, Old Navy and Home Depot.

The stolen downspouts ranged from a few feet to 30-feet long, Wallace said.

People with information about the theft can call the investigating officer at 805-594-8093 or Crimestoppers at 805-594-STOP. Reference the case number 240715061 when discussing the theft with police, the agency said.

We need help identifying the person who stole $10,000 in copper downspouts from 10 businesses at Irish Hills Shopping Center on July 10th, around 11:30pm. Contact Ofc. Stevens at 805-594-8093 or Crimestoppers at 805-594-STOP, referencing case # 240715061 with any information. pic.twitter.com/vYooyjXqNf  San Luis Obispo Police Department (@SLOCityPolice) July 16, 2024
By Adrian Portugal and Jay Ereno

TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - A suspect in the July 10 killing of an Australian couple and their Filipino relative at a Philippine hotel has surrendered, police said on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old man was handed over to police on Wednesday after turning himself in to local officials late Tuesday over the killing of David Fisk, 57, his Filipino-born Australian wife Lucita Cortez, 55, and her relative Mary Jane Cortez, 30, the Tagaytay city police said in a statement.

The three were found dead at the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay, a tourist destination near Manila. They were face down with both hands and feet tied and their faces covered in packaging tape, according to the police.

The police withheld the suspect's identity, but described him as a former employee of The Lake Hotel where he worked as a pool attendant before being fired for stealing items from a hotel room in March. He was previously arrested for violating gun laws and is a known gambler, police said.

Police and the town mayor have said the attack was an isolated case.

(Reporting by Adrian Portugal and Jay Ereno; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Anaissa Medina of Salida had childhood dreams of becoming a doctor but didnt have financial resources to see a clear path to achieving her goal.

Medina began medical school last week thanks to a collaboration between a Sutter Health equity program and Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Southern California.

The Stanislaus County native was in the first group of five students awarded full-tuition scholarships to attend the nationally accredited medical school, which opened in 2023.

I am loving it here, Medina said in a telephone interview this week. With the amount of resources and support they are giving me, I can now achieve my goal of becoming a physician.

Medina said her inspiration for helping underserved communities came from watching, as a young girl, her grandmother Juanita encounter serious barriers to health care. Once, her Spanish-speaking grandmother attended a free health fair at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Modesto, where a screening showed her blood pressure was dangerously high.

A lack of insurance stopped the woman from going to the hospital emergency room, but the family discovered a free nonprofit clinic called St. Lukes Family Practice in Modesto. Family members brought blankets and lined up outside the clinic before the doors opened at 8 a.m.

At the first visit to the clinic, Medina saw her grandmothers tension melt away when the staff greeted her in Spanish. She let out a sigh of relief and welled up with tears, Medina recalled. She had found the place where she could get help without financial stress.

Medina often was with her grandparents as a child while her parents  Ernesto and Lorena Medina  worked. She accompanied them to doctor and hospital visits to translate information between her grandparents and medical staff.

Anaissa Medina with her grandparents William and Juanita Huerta.

When she was 8 to 10 years old, Medina wrote doctor notes on slips of paper for family members, revealing her early interest in becoming a physician.

Her parents and grandparents encouraged Medinas education, and she excelled in science courses at Gregori High School. Medina attended California State University, Stanislaus, and volunteered at Doctors Medical Center, where she saw the acute need for bridging the cultural barriers to health care in Stanislaus County.

As a requirement to apply for medical school, Medina returned to the St. Lukes clinic to shadow doctors. She ended up working there as a medical assistant.

We realized how dedicated she was and so we offered her employment, said Ericka Carranza-Perez, a physician assistant and office manager for the clinic. She is a well-rounded person. She is kind, empathetic and has the desire to help underserved patients. I think she will make a great doctor.

Charles Drew University is a historically Black college that for years partnered with UCLA to train physicians to work in disadvantaged areas of Los Angeles. Now, its educating future doctors through its own medical school. Medina said shes excited about the support and plans to take advantage of the schools learning experiences, such as street medicine programs.

Sutter Health said it made an initial investment of $7.5 million for full-tuition scholarships for five students entering the medical school each year, or a total of 25 scholarships. Sutters scholars program aims to increase diversity in the health care professions by widening pathways for underrepresented aspiring physicians in California, a recent news release said.

The scholarship recipients were chosen based on academics, personal and professional accomplishments and dedication to community service.

Shortage of primacy care doctors

According to the California Health Care Foundations Health Care Almanac, the San Joaquin Valley had 47 primary care physicians per 100,000 people in 2020, the second-lowest ratio compared to other regions of the state and far less than the 60 to 80 recommended.

Sutter Health plans to launch an internal medicine residency and a three-year family practice training program at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto in 2025, with 26 training slots in internal medicine and 13 in family practice. Medina could apply for the resident physician training at Memorial after graduating from medical school, but getting approved would depend on the national resident matching process.

Liz Madison, a Sutter spokeswoman, said there isnt a formal connection between Sutters scholarships for medical students and the new residency programs, though both are designed to address physician shortages in the region.

Charles Drew University said its medical school is responding to the nations need for physician diversity and healthcare access in underserved communities.

Medina said her current interest is family medicine and she would like to work in the Central Valley.

There is a huge need in the Central Valley, Carranza-Perez said. People call it a medical wasteland. We do need more providers here.
The commander of the Swedish Air Force, Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman, has led the flying force since December 2022, overseeing the integration efforts of Sweden into NATOs deterrence and defense posture since joining the alliance in March. He spearheads a force of 2,700 military personnel and fighter fleet numbering almost 100 aircraft. Sweden has proposed to increase its defense spending to 2.6% relative to the size of its economy by 2030.

In an interview ahead of the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom, which runs July 22-26, the air chief touched on the dogged obstacles of information-sharing among allies, the lessons from the air war in Ukraine, and how air forces must be prepared to fight in more contested electronic warfare environments in the future.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman is chief of the Swedish Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

What are some of your observations from the air war in Ukraine, and what lessons should the training of the Swedish air force personnel entail as a result?

First of all, speaking from a national perspective, theres a lot of experiences that have confirmed our earlier beliefs. One of them is the control of the air, where the necessity of controlling the airspace is quite obvious if you want to control your territory. If Ukraine had been able to control the air over Kyiv in the first few days of the full-scale invasion, we would have potentially seen a whole different kind of outcome.

The war makes it evident and reminds us as commanders that we need to convey to a larger audience the necessity to be prepared from day one to control our airspace and of having Day Zero capability as well as air defense. An example of this is the Nordic cooperation, where one of the foundations is the need to operate together in peace time and have the capability in place.

Sweden goes back to the drawing board for a next-gen warplane

Connected to that, the effect of having a strong and integrated air defense, as well as the potential we hold in combining our ground-based and air-based air defense  that has become a higher priority for all of us since looking at Ukraine.

With air defense being arguably more important than ever, what does that focus look like for you?

We already have our ground-based air defense, which belongs to the Swedish Army in peacetime and to the Air Force in wartime. We have bought Patriot systems and are looking forward to procuring more systems capable of defending at the brigade and wing level since we have medium-range air defense weapons but need more short-range ones.

Sometimes when we talk about air defense and integrated air and missile defense, we talk about defending assets, aircraft, and other ground-based systems. However, the overall concept is also important  for Sweden, which comes from a history of total defense, we normally look at defense capabilities on a wider scale.

In my perspective, integrated air and missile defense includes everything from export control to the left-of-launch all the way through the military part of it  which is ground- and air-based air defense but also our nations capability to withstand an attack. There also needs to be a whole-government approach to air defense that we need to adopt as well.

Based on what we are seeing unfold in Ukraine, where drones have taken on a huge role, what changes or modifications around unmanned systems is the Swedish Air Force making when it comes to training and new acquisitions?

We have made adjustments to our plans. We are procuring more counter-UAS systems to protect our bases and airspace, we are also trialing within all the branches of our armed forces how we can be more effective using drones ourselves.

We are also buying a brigade-level unmanned aerial vehicle, but have not yet decided to procure more strategic ones like the MQ-9 Reaper mostly because it does not fit our size or budget. However, we are looking into cooperation within Europe, NATO, and the Nordics to be able to have access to that kind of capability all the time.

Overall, we try to follow everything happening in Ukraine where the development speed is mind-blowing. Everybody is attempting to draw conclusions about where the war is heading, while also trying to be careful not to conclude where its going.

For us, one obvious area is the capability to counter different kinds of UAS, including one-way attack drones or whichever other system it might be with electronic warfare or early warning systems.

So far, our focus has been more on countering than attacking with drones. We are all trying to figure this out but for the moment, with our current plans thats the focal point  but like everybody else we are also trialing unmanned and artificial intelligence assets.

Many countries are considering a loyal wingman drone or remote carriers to accompany their next-gen fighter. What is your view on the utility of those concepts and how could current technology residing in Swedish companies (autonomy, AI, etc.) support it?

I get this question a lot and I always have to say the same thing. We are still early in our process so I try to be careful not to decide or set my mind on which road to go down. Of course, I also see future systems being AI-supported and some combination of manned-unmanned, to me thats quite clear.

When we look at future fighting systems or a next-generation fighter, we are focusing a lot on the platform of one or two, or the combination of two platforms. For Sweden, going back to our history, as a small air force under perceived big threats, we have had to combine different kinds of capabilities into one system.

Currently, we are using low-personnel usage, dispersed operations as a concept and are looking into what would be our future concept. To us, it is very much about the use of systems of systems, and in that, it is obvious that we will have an unmanned-manned system.

Whether that is a typical loyal wingman or another asset, I dont know yet.

In the area of air combat and air defense, how can Europeans cooperate more effectively to strengthen their defensive posture?

Overall, what I see right now in all my contacts with the European and NATO air chiefs is a whole different mindset regarding cooperation than before. Historically, some of the problems we have had were related to never being on the right timeline or never having the right economy for more cooperation projects. It is also important to note that every nation has its own kind of goals and targets, which has made the setting up of a greater number of common initiatives challenging.

Now, it is the effect of the common view of the security situation in Europe and the sense of urgency that really affects how we view cooperation for the future. I see very clearly in my conversations that cooperation we didnt have before or didnt want previously because it was perceived as ineffective in building our own air forces, now all of a sudden, it is necessary since we share the same goal.

For us, to cooperate more effectively requires overcoming some of the existing obstacles  an obvious one being information sharing, but we are trying to address that when it comes to operational coordination between our capabilities and those of other nations. Everything from intellectual property to national security threats  the area of information sharing is one where we really have to make some changes.

Is there the same sense of urgency felt all across Europe or is it your view that some nations might still not feel an acute need to strengthen their own and collaborative defensive posture?

Certainly, there are differences amongst nations that stem from having a different sense of urgency, sometimes connected to the distance a country has between itself and the threat. However, everyone agrees on the overall problem of needing to cooperate more effectively and address information-sharing issues  it is very high on the agenda.

For instance, for NATO Allied Air Command, one of the main priorities is enhancing information sharing, both now with current capabilities and for future cooperation.

However, we are all struggling, all of us, as there are many built-in obstacles within the industry, nations, and different armed forces that exist to protect each of their functions but make this complex. I choose to stay positive since we are only a few years into this kind of newer situation where this is needed and have realized what we need to do

In your opinion, when looking at the barriers that make sharing data difficult, does one of them stem from a level of distrust, even amongst allies, or simply put there is always a general sense of uneasiness in disclosing sensitive information?

I see what you mean. One part is to, of course, build trust, but I dont think that this is the main obstacle right now. We have built information systems as well as security protocols and regulations that were set up to protect all information, rather than being set up to share it as effectively as possible.

It has a lot to do with turning these processes around and setting the right goal  before it was to make sure no data was supposed to be somewhere else. Now, the aim for all of us is operational capabilities and that means we need to fundamentally change the way we process information.

A lot of it is bureaucracy in its best form, and I understand that we come from a different history and have established information laws with distinct setups for a reason. For us, as a new NATO member, it is very obvious that to figure out how to match our piece of the puzzle in the bigger context and have information about capabilities and systems, new ways of sharing data are necessary.

I am not a lawyer here, but it is quite obvious to us since joining NATO that we need to change a lot of the regulations and laws to be able to share information and operate together, train together, and that on different territories.

One part is to have the right rules in place, and the other is to delegate mandate and have the kind of processes in place to share or change information on the level where actual capabilities can be combined.

How is the Swedish air force personnel preparing for operating in GPS-denied or jammed environments, a problem that has become acute in Ukraine?

When it comes to GPS navigation systems, that is not a particular problem for us  we have our systems set up to be able to operate without them. It is of course a problem for the security of the nation, which we need to encounter. But when it comes to our operations within the Air Force, we are quite familiar and prepared for it.

I would rather focus on the electronic-warfare aspect on a wider scale. We are preparing for a future conflict where the electronic spectrum will be much more contested. Thats one of the main reasons we have these future capabilities on the Gripen-E fighter, which has a high electronic warfare capability as we believe that it will only have to work in a more contested and tougher environment in the future.

We need to refocus on this and have started to do so. Back in the day, we as a nation used to be good at fighting in an environment where radio traffic was jammed. Then, for a few years we lost a little bit of our culture when it came to our position and mindset on electronic warfare.

So now, we are reevaluating whether or not we need more education on every level when it comes to electronic warfare to be able to fight in future settings. Thats really important to us to account for this and there is room for progress in this respect for us and many others, I think.

What would progress look like for you to address this? For instance, would it entail dedicating a whole unit to electronic warfare specifically or would you rather see it implemented at every level into military training?

The tip of the spear is always constructed by the organization behind it. So if we want to be really good at this in the future, including in the procurement of equipment, we need to build a base for that and that starts with knowledge on all levels  this is the aspect I am talking about, including basic-know how of electronic warfare for every Swedish airmen.

Other than that, different units  maybe. I think the greatest potential, to go back to your question about enhancing European defense cooperation, would be to look at how we best combine assets.

For instance, how do we form the Gripen-E and our capabilities on other platforms to fit in a wider context? How do we combine the Gripen-E with the F-35 when it comes to electronic warfare and how does that look in the future?

Some bigger nations would possibly be able to procure special assets or have special electronic warfare units, which we could merge with our efforts. Electronic warfare today is a common challenge that should be addressed and rooted in cooperation.

What patterns have you observed lately when it comes to Russian military aircraft near Scandinavian airspace?

The overall situation and the fact that we have a war in Europe certainly affects our area of operations when it comes to the Baltic Sea and our territory  everything is connected. We see the same kind of atmosphere going on in different areas over the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.

So there are a lot more assets in our vicinity  that is NATO assets, our national assets, but also Russian assets. The level of activity is definitely higher than it used to be, and of course, the overall atmosphere has also translated into our airspace.

Our readiness when it comes to defending our territory is on a higher level than it used to be, and we do more QRA [quick reaction alert] sorties than we used to do. The intensity is higher and that means we need to also be ready to observe, collect information, and defend our territory and NATOs.

We have instances where Russian aircraft are very close to our territory, even violating it like it happened a few weeks ago but I dont want to exaggerate the situation either.

The word I would use to describe the general mood is high-intensity, where activity is higher, there are a lot of aircraft, a lot of capabilities, everybody is increasing their capability and the overall atmosphere is thus affected. In terms of Russian activity, we do observe that there is jamming going on, but we dont see any attacks towards us.
A 33-year-old Tacoma man pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Portland to charges accusing him of damaging two power substations in Oregon in 2022.

Zachary Rosenthal was charged with three counts of damaging an energy facility for allegedly attacking two facilities at substations located in Portland suburbs on Nov. 24 and Nov. 28, 2022, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced Tuesday. The charges came after a federal grand jury returned an indictment.

Federal prosecutors allege that Rosenthal intended to interrupt or impair the function of both facilities in Oregon City and Clackamas. According to a news release, both substations transmit and distribute electricity. He is accused of causing damages exceeding $100,000 at the Oregon City substation and $5,000 at the substation in Clackamas.

An alleged accomplice, 30-year-old Nathaniel Adam Cheney of Centralia is accused of helping Rosenthal damage the Clackamas substation on Nov. 28, 2022. Prosecutors said he was arraigned April 10, 2023 and pleaded not guilty to two counts of damage to an energy facility. He was released with conditions pending a jury trial scheduled to begin Aug. 20.

Rosenthal made his initial appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jelderks, according to court records. After he pleaded not guilty, Rosenthal was detained pending further court proceedings. Before the arraignment, court records show Rosenthal was housed at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton.

A second indictment was unsealed Tuesday that charged Rosenthal with stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Prosecutors allege he stole 24 guns in January 2023 from a licensee in the Portland area. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the gun dealer was a pawn shop in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Damaging an energy facility and causing more than $100,000 in damages is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years supervised release. Damaging an energy facility and causing more than $5,000 in damages is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and three years supervised release.

On Christmas Day 2022, attacks on four power substations in Pierce County put at least 15,500 people in the dark and caused $235,699 in damages. Two men, both from Puyallup, were charged in federal court and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to destroy energy facilities. Jeremy Crahan was sentenced Dec. 8, 2022 to 18 months in prison, and Matthew Greenwood was sentenced Jan. 19 to three years of probation, including one year of home confinement.
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwans premier touted his islands moves to better defend itself, after Donald Trump declared the chip hub should pay for US protection against Chinese military aggression.

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Taipei has increased defense spending and extended military conscription from four months to one year, Premier Cho Jung-tai said in response to a question on the former US presidents comments to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Its our shared responsibility and goal to maintain the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, Cho added at a briefing in Taipei on Wednesday. Taiwan-US ties had been solid in recent years, he said.

The Republican presidential candidates latest remarks cast doubt over the US commitment to defend Taiwan from Beijing, which views the self-ruled democracy as a breakaway province. I dont think were any different from an insurance policy, Trump said. Why are we doing this?

I think Taiwan should pay us for defense, he added.

While Trump said China had the ability to bombard Taiwan, he played down the chances of an invasion anytime soon. They dont want to do that because they dont want to lose all those chip plants, the Republican added.

The Taiwanese equity benchmark closed nearly 1% lower. The indexs heaviest-weighted member Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. declined 2.4% ahead of its scheduled second-quarter earnings release Thursday. Thats after adding more than 9% this month through Tuesday.

Given that Trumps chance to win the US election is pretty high now, many of his policies and stances could be implemented, said Huang Wen-ching, vice president at Taishin Securities Investment Advisory Co. There is some level of concern priced in, though I wont say theres a panic.

Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the remarks of a presidential candidate during a US election campaign.

When asked about Trumps remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing that his nation is against the US election taking advantage of China.

Trump has galvanized supporters since dodging an assassins bullet at a campaign rally last weekend, giving him a lift in a tight November rematch with President Joe Biden. Both candidates are jockeying to be seen as tough on China, whose leader Xi Jinping has vowed to claim Taiwan at some point, by force if necessary.

Trumps running mate JD Vance named China the biggest threat to America after being named to the ticket this week. Hes previously called for the US to prevent any Chinese invasion of Taiwan. It would be catastrophic for this country, he said in a speech last year at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. It would decimate our entire economy.

Biden has repeatedly pledged US military forces would defend Taiwan from any Chinese attack, adding uncertainty to Washingtons longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity toward the island. The US broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan after it officially recognized the Communist government in Beijing in 1979, but has maintained a close relationship with the democratically run island  often to Chinas anger.

While Trumps latest comments contrast with the widespread bipartisan support Taiwan enjoys in Washington, they also reflect his transactional approach to diplomacy.

When asked last July if hed defend Taiwan as president, Trump told Fox News that answering would put him in a very bad negotiating position with Taipei, which he criticized for taking Americas chip business  a claim he repeated.

Taiwan took our chip business from us, he told Bloomberg Businessweek. I mean, how stupid are we? They took all of our chip business. Theyre immensely wealthy.

Despite his hawkish tone on the campaign trial, Trumps last administration brought the island closer to America. Trump normalized Washingtons arm sales to the democratically ruled archipelago. His administration approved more than $18 billion worth of arms sales to Taipei, bolstering its self-defense capabilities with fighter jets and missile systems.

Trump also signed into law an act that would allow high-level officials from the US to visit Taiwan, and leaders from the island to meet their counterparts in America. Taiwanese factories were a winner of his trade war with China, as companies shifted production back to the island economy.

Such policies likely came from officials around Trump, rather than the president, said Chen Fang-yu, assistant professor of the department of political science at Soochow University.

Trump still sees the island as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, or something affiliated to China affairs, Chen added. He himself does not care about Taiwan at all.

--With assistance from Cindy Wang, Charlotte Yang, Betty Hou, Chua Baizhen, Rebecca Choong Wilkins and Dan Murtaugh.

(Updates with comments from Chinas Foreign Ministry.)

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When do Tampa Bay area students go back to school?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Summer is almost over, which means students will be heading back to school next month.

Heres when each county is anticipating the return back to the classroom for the 2024-2025 school year:

Hillsborough County : Monday, August 12

Pinellas County : Monday, August 12

Pasco County : Monday, August 12

Polk County : Monday, August 12

Manatee County : Monday, August 12

Sarasota County : Monday, August 12

Highlands County : Monday, August 12

Hernando County : Monday, August 12

Citrus County: Monday, August 12

Although all Tampa Bay area public schools began on the second Monday of August, some districts have early release for the first day back.

For a complete 2024-2025 school year calendar, check your countys approved school calendar.

As students and parents anticipate the new school year, Floridians can take advantage of the back-to-school sales tax holiday begins Monday, July 29, and runs through Sunday, August 11. Items under $100, including certain school supplies, clothing and footwear will be tax-free. To learn more, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Inside Look stories give Star-Telegram subscribers exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes reporting. Story suggestion? Editors@star-telegram.com.

Residents of a gated community about a half an hour northwest of downtown Fort Worth feel they got less than they bargained for when they bought their homes. Their most ardent complaint: theres not enough water.

Amanda Jones and her family spent last week splashing in the pool instead of taking showers due to a boil water notice. It was lifted on Saturday morning, but she and other residents of The Resort on Eagle Mountain Lake, off Morris Dido Newark Road in unincorporated Tarrant County, are now on mandatory Stage 1 water restrictions because of continued low levels.

Jones, who has lived in The Resort since 2009, pointed out that the fire hydrants in the neighborhood are painted black to alert firefighters that there is not enough water in the system to connect hoses to them in the event of a fire.

Neighbor Frank Romeo complained of high water bills and poor service. He compared his bill to that of his son, who lives in Fort Worth, showing that he pays three times what his son does in the city.

Its a rip off, and I will say its overpriced, said Romeo, who has lived in The Resort since 2004. But beyond the price, the service is atrocious. The water quality is awful. We have outages frequently. We have boil your water deals frequently.

He, Jones and others said they have around three boil water notices a year due to insufficient water in the system. They blamed these and a litany of other water issues on the private water company Aqua, which supplies water to the subdivision.

Romeo, a professional engineer, said the problems could be fixed by either installing a water tower or a redundant pump system, one in which a second water pump takes over when one fails. All residents said they have demanded better service and maintenance of Aquas system for years.

The company pointed to factors like water scarcity in the region and residents watering practices as causes. Representatives for Aqua initially blamed last weeks boil water notice on an equipment malfunction at the neighborhood plant, but the notice residents received on July 10 stated that the issue arose from excessive landscape watering.

The Resort is on the shores of Eagle Mountain Lake, but Aqua gets water for the subdivision from the Trinity Aquifer below, according to data from the Texas Water Development Board.

The residents pull the water down so low that the aquifer has to rebuild itself, according to Rich McCorkle, an Aqua field supervisor.

He has witnessed over a dozen houses at a time watering in the heat of the afternoon in June, he said.

If we dont water smart, if we dont conserve this resource responsibly, then this is the kind of issue that we could run into, he said.

An Aqua spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the average resident at The Resort uses around 9,000 gallons per month and that some households have been recorded using over 200,000 gallons a month.

The average Texas household uses just over 5,600 gallons of water a month, according to the Texas Municipal League, which conducts an annual water and wastewater survey of hundreds of cities across the state.

Stage 1 water conservation measures were implemented in The Resort at Eagle Mountain Lake community to protect the drinking water supply as a result of high demand for outdoor water use, the Aqua spokesperson said. In addition to serving our customers, one of our main priorities is protecting potable water sources. Water is a finite resource and to ensure future availability, we must all work together.

Residents werent buying it. Romeo and others expressed dismay at Aquas inability to provide enough water for the subdivision, considering it is not filled to capacity. Development on The Resort began in 1999, and dozens of lots remain empty.

A map of lots on the website of home builder Our Country Homes shows that 65 lots are listed as Available, Hold or Future Spec. Another 68 lots are listed as Sold, but several of those have been built, according to satellite imaging by Google Maps.

The residents pointed out that Aqua has also overused water. Last year, the company was fined almost half a million dollars for pumping nearly double its permitted limit in Hays County, leading to the popular swimming hole Jacobs Well running dry for months.

Folks at The Resort are not alone in their water troubles. Water has become a hot commodity in recent years, as North Texas has experienced rapid growth and worsening drought.

The Resort sits atop the Trinity Aquifer, which is one of the most used groundwater resources in Texas and has suffered some of the biggest declines in the state, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Municipal pumping is the biggest contributor to this decline, especially along the Interstate 35 corridor from McLennan to Grayson Counties.

A Water Development Board study of Texas aquifers published in 2016 showed that water levels in the Trinity Aquifer around Dallas and Tarrant Counties rose from 1995 to 2010, but then declined again in the following five years.

This is not an isolated issue that these communities are facing, nor will it be an isolated issue for communities in Texas as we move forward into the future, said Kyle Garmany, water and agriculture program director for The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works to protect land and water in Texas and across the globe.

Groundwater decline in the Metroplex has been greater than anywhere else in the state, he said.

Tarrant County is not experiencing a drought, but conditions are abnormally dry, according to federal data on drought information found on the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District website.

Just across Eagle Mountain Lake from The Resort, residents in Azle have been under Stage 1 water restrictions since July 3.

There is a lot of summer left, and if previous years are any indication, the region could only be beginning to see summer water scarcity issues.

The Wise County city of Rhome saw water restrictions from June to September of last year. And Azle saw critically low water levels in October as well.

In July 2022, excessive water use and low rainfall led to Stage 5 restrictions and boil water notices in Reno in Parker County.

Broader regional water access problems are little consolation for Romeo and other residents at The Resort who question how Aqua plans to provide water as the neighborhood fills out.

Youre 20% under the total maximum utilization, and yet you run out of water, he said. What happens when you fill up the other 20% of the lots?
The doctor in charge of medical care at the Tarrant County jail failed to provide lifesaving care to a woman who gave birth in the jail to a baby who later died, according to federal court records filed Tuesday in Fort Worth.

Chasity Congious gave birth on May 17, 2020, but jail officials did not notice until some time later, when they found the child not breathing and with a faint heartbeat. The baby died 10 days later.

An obstetrician named Melanie Carter told Aaron Shaw, the jails medical director at the time, that Congious needed to be induced into labor and transferred to a medical facility or monitored around the clock hours before she gave birth, according to the document.

Details of the medical staffs alleged failure to provide adequate care were included in a court order that reopened the lawsuit against Shaw on Tuesday. Shaw was a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a guardian of Congious in January 2022 alongside the county, the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and others. The court dismissed all defendants except the county in April 2023.

Congious suffers from several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders, as well as an intellectual disability, and was likely unable to recognize a contraction, Carter told Shaw, the memorandum states. Carter contended that this put her pregnancy at risk.

After her last check-up with Carter, Congious ate breakfast and began to feel abdominal pain the morning her baby was born, the document states. The pain did not abate after using the toilet, and she banged on the window of her cell in an attempt to get guards attention. She was being held in solitary confinement.

Guards did not come to her aid and she ended up giving birth alone in her cell, according to the memorandum. Guards came some time later and called paramedics after seeing blood from the delivery and found the baby with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.

Congious was put on suicide watch on the day her baby died 10 days later, according to the lawsuit, which also states that she was denied compassionate release in order to attend the childs funeral.

She lacks the ability to fully understand the situation and continues to ask where her baby is, the memorandum states.

The Tarrant County Sheriffs Department declined to comment citing the pending litigation, a spokesperson said.

Shaw is being represented by attorneys at Cantey & Hanger LLP. Attorney Jordan Parker told the Star-Telegram that the firm does not comment on pending litigation. Carter could not be reached for comment.

Tarrant County commissioners voted in May to award Congious a record $1.2 settlement in the case.
Teacher at South High in Worcester charged with child rape in Rutland; placed on leave

A Worcester teacher faces child rape charges after investigators in his hometown of Rutland reviewed allegations of sexual assaults over several years.

There is no indication that any of the victims are from Worcester Public Schools, according to a school spokesman.

Shawn Baillargeon, 54, who has taught at South High Community School, was arrested Tuesday on charges of rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, according to authorities.

Baillargeon is a vocational instructor, having been a mechanic before switching to education a decade ago, according to a 2014 story in Worcester Magazine.

Jeffrey Creamer, South High principal, notified staff of the arrest in a letter sent Wednesday. He said Baillargeon is on leave while the allegations are investigated.

"I understand, given the serious nature of these allegations, how upsetting and distressing this is to our community," Creamer wrote. "The safety and well-being of all students and staff is our top priority. We are committed to providing guidance and assistance to our South High community."

Baillargeon was arraigned in East Brookfield District Court. He was released on $3,000 bail.

"The Rutland Police Department would like to commend the bravery of the victims in this case who came forward," Rutland police wrote on social media. "We encourage all victims of sexual abuse to come forward, and we promise to do everything in our power to offer support."

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Teacher at South High in Worcester charged with child rape in Rutland
Teamsters president Sean O'Brien tried to sell bipartisanship to the RNC, but critics say all he did was legitimize Trump

Teamsters president Sean O'Brien tried to sell bipartisanship to the RNC, but critics say all he did was legitimize Trump

The Teamsters' president, Sean O'Brien, spoke at the RNC  a first for the union.

O'Brien's message sought to foster bipartisan cooperation toward labor goals.

Critics argued that O'Brien's speech legitimized Donald Trump's anti-union record.

Even before the Teamsters' president, Sean O'Brien, made a historic move Monday by being the first president of the union to speak at the Republican National Convention, fellow members were upset by his getting cozy with Donald Trump.

In a scathing op-ed article published last Wednesday, the Teamsters' vice president at large John Palmer said O'Brien's planned appearance "regardless of the message, only normalizes and makes the most anti-union party and President I've seen in my lifetime seem palatable."

And in January, when O'Brien met with Trump, James Curbeam, the national chairman of the Teamsters National Black Caucus, called the former president a "scab masquerading as a pro-union advocate," The New York Times reported.

Amid scrutiny from his union members and some right-wing anti-union groups at the RNC, O'Brien made it clear his goal of speaking at the convention was to invite bipartisan cooperation in achieving the labor movement's goals.

"The Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party," O'Brien declared onstage in front of hundreds of delegates and the former president himself.

But Rick Smith, a nationally syndicated radio host and Teamster member, said that while O'Brien might have had good intentions in trying to uphold his union's interests, he had assumed the role of the Republican Party's "dancing show pony that they're going to ride to the election."

Smith told Business Insider that he agreed with much of what O'Brien said onstage: In a room full of conservatives, the union boss railed against the US Chamber of Commerce and The Business Roundtable, "corporatists," and "greedy employers." But O'Brien also applauded Trump, calling the former president "a candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud, and often critical voices."

"The problem is none of those people in that room care," Smith said. "They knew why O'Brien was there. He was there to legitimize Trump's horrible record."

Smith said O'Brien also sent a message that "both sides suck for workers," which Smith said was untrue. He pointed to President Joe Biden's putting billions of dollars toward bailing out the Teamsters' pension fund in 2022.

"Going into the RNC and saying 'everybody sucks and it's all bad' was of kind of a slap in the face, considering Joe Biden bailed out the Teamsters pension fund, considering that Donald Trump's record was so bad, and Joe Biden's has been very good," Smith said.

O'Brien and the Teamsters have continued to defend his decision to speak at the right-wing convention.

"The Teamsters have never been afraid of democracy, but self-interested ideologues  on the left and the right, within and outside the union  are terrified of democracy," a Teamsters spokeswoman, Kara Deniz, previously told the Times.

Smith said that in the case of bipartisanship, "every time we have some bipartisanship, it's working people who take it on the chin." He said O'Brien's appeal to the Republican Party would instead divide workers.

"In a time when we have unprecedented interest in people joining and forming unions, this kind of division in the labor movement, I don't think it's helpful," Smith said. "This kind of platforming of someone destructive is not helpful."



The Teamsters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ted Cruz blames migrants in US illegally for murders, rapes, assaults. How common is it?

In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs Republican National Convention speech Tuesday focused on the impact of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. He claimed that every day Americans are dying murder, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released.

Teenage girls and boys, wearing colored wrist bands are being sold into a life of sex slavery, Cruz continued. This is evil, and its wrong, and its happening every damn day.

He later went on to say that, Today as a result of Joe Bidens presidency, your family is less safe. Your children are less safe. The country is less safe.

But experts say people who enter the U.S. illegally are not more likely to commit crime.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, told the Star-Telegram in May that people who enter the country illegally are not drivers of crime.

When you look at the data, the data shows quite strongly  this is specifically data from the Texas prison system  that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens, though at slightly higher rates than people who come through the legal immigration system, he said at the time. So we know that theres really no correlation between increased migrant arrivals and spikes in crime.

Some have argued that any crime committed by a person in the country illegally is too many. That argument has a certain strength to it, but misses the broader picture, Reichlin-Melnick said in his earlier interview with the Star-Telegram.

Because undocumented immigrants commit crime at lower rates, the more undocumented immigrants are in that area, the lower the overall crime rate will be, even if the raw number of crimes might go up slightly, he said. They are not drivers of crime.

Locally, law enforcement officials have not been able to provide data or documentation showing an increase of crime rates in their communities as a result of people living in the country illegally.

Cruz pointed to several specific instances of crimes allegedly committed by people in the country illegally in his remarks before Republican National Convention delegates in Milwaukee.

He mentioned Kate Steinle, who was shot in San Francisco. The man accused of killing her is a Mexican citizen and had been deported five times, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He was acquitted in 2017 of murder and homicide. A conviction for being a felon in possession of a gun was later overturned by an appellate court, according to the newspaper.

Cruz also noted Laken Riley, a nursing student killed at the University of Georgia. The man charged in her killing is a migrant from Venezuela who entered the United State illegally in 2022, according to ABC news. Cruz mentioned Rachel Morin of Maryland, whose brother spoke at the convention Tuesday. A man from El Salvador who was in the country illegally is accused of raping and murdering Morin, according to CBS News.

Cruz referred to Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old from Houston whose accused killers are Venezuelan migrants who entered the country illegally, according to The New York Times.

Tonight, I speak for Kate and Laken and Rachael, Cruz said. Tonight I speak for Jocelyn.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A suspect has been arrested in connection to a fatal shooting last month in Portlands Mt. Scott-Arlet Neighborhood.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, 18-year-old Portland resident Adrian G. Garcia has been arrested and accused of homicide for the death of Hunter Hecker. Heckers family has been notified, police said.

People living, dumping on Oregons public lands overwhelming Bureau of Land Management

Garcia was arrested on Tuesday after detectives assigned to the Portland Police Bureaus Homicide Unit, with assistance from the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), served a search warrant at a home in the 6700 block of Southeast 86th Avenue, police said in a release.

Garcia has been lodged in the Multnomah County Detention Center and faces charges that include second-degree murder and unlawful weapon use.

The fatal shooting happened on June 27 near Southeast 82nd Avenue in the evening. Police responded to reports of gunfire around 11:44 p.m. and found the victim, later identified as Hecker, dead at the scene.

Cooler, hazier Wednesday expected around the PNW

A medical examiner later confirmed he died of homicide by gunshot.

According to a statement from Heckers family, via their attorney Chris Heywood, the shooting happened after Hecker and his girlfriend went out to a local bar near their home.

Later that evening, Hunter was shot in front of the establishment in a senseless act of violence, the statement said. Hunter passed away in the arms of his girlfriend on the sidewalk.

Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez beefs up security after threat

Hecker was described by his family as a gentle spirit and heavily involved in Portlands restaurant scene, having moved to the area from Princeton, New Jersey.

Anyone with additional information about the incident who has not yet spoken to authorities is encouraged to contact the police.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A police chase and subsequent car rollover are believed to have preceded the death of a 14-year-old boy found dead in the Illinois River earlier this month.

The Peoria County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday that 14-year-old Leron Griffin drowned in the Illinois River while fleeing from police after he and another teenager led officers on a chase after having been allegedly caught in a stolen vehicle.

"Unfortunately, these teenagers made several wrong decisions during this incident that led to one of them losing their lives," the Peoria Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with Leron Griffins family."

Around 4:03 a.m. on July 4, a Canton police officer pulled over what is believed to have been a stolen vehicle out of Bloomington with two juveniles inside. The teens fled the traffic stop, leading police on a chase into Peoria County.

More: Man faces animal cruelty charge in Peoria after leaving dog in sweltering vehicle

During the chase, the juveniles wrecked the vehicle at the intersection of Adams Street and Route 24 in Bartonville, rolling the vehicle over multiple times.

Police apprehended the driver, who was also a 14-year-old, but dashcam footage obtained by officers showed a passenger crawling out a car window, continuing to flee on foot.

That passenger was wearing the same clothing Leron Griffin was when he was found dead in the river on July 6.

Police later observed who they believe to be Griffin running across the street in front of the Bartonville McDonald's. Soon after, the same person was spotted by police walking on the shoulder of Interstate 474. When he noticed officers, the male ran into the woods.

While continuing to flee from police, investigators believe that Griffin tried to cross the Illinois River near the dam in Bartonville and was drowned by the heavy currents in the area. He was found dead near the damn by a fisherman on the morning of July 6.

An East Peoria K9 Unit and the Peoria County Sheriff's Department assisted in the search for the suspect.

Police determined it was Griffin who fled the vehicle after the driver admitted that Griffin was the passenger in the vehicle who crawled out the passenger window and fled from police.

According to police, the two boys had stolen a vehicle in Bloomington and drove it to Macomb to visit family. On their way back east, they were pulled over in Canton and the events that led to Griffin's death unfolded.

More: Victim of 'suspicious death' identified as 61-year-old Canton man

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Stolen car, police chase led to Illinois drowning death of 14-year-old
Teen who filmed aftermath of deadly crash pleads no contest to vehicular homicide

A Port Orange teenager pled no contest Tuesday to a charge of vehicular homicide after he filmed the aftermath of the crash and left the scene, according to police.

As part of a plea agreement, Braden Lafferty, 19, was sentenced to a year in the county jail for the death of a woman he was drag racing.

He was sentenced as a youthful offender to 364 days in the Volusia County Branch Jail followed by two years under house arrest.

Circuit Judge Karen Foxman withheld adjudication, according to the terms of the plea agreement, meaning Lafferty will not have a felony conviction for the charge if he succesfully completes probation.

Kayla Lawrence, 32, of Port Orange, was killed in the crash which happened Dec. 23, 2023, at 1:15 a.m. on Dunlawton Avenue near Spruce Creek Road.

The two had stopped at a railroad crossing. As soon as the track was clear of the train and the crossing arms raised, they raced off. A surveillance camera showed Lawrence traveling at 82 mph in her Cadillac and Lafferty going just over 79 mph in his Infiniti, about half a vehicle length behind Lawrence, police said. The speed limit is 45.

Lawrence was killed when she ran off the road at about 86 mph, went airborne and wrapped the car around a concrete power pole, police said.

Lafferty sped away from the scene but took the time to make a U-turn and film the crash aftermath on his iPhone. He then went to his home less than a mile away, and inspected his car to see if it was damaged, the crash report said.

Laffertys phone showed on Snapchat that he recorded the vehicle crash scene in front of the Port Orange Post Office.

Police investigators also said they found "numerous narcotics-related communications" between Lafferty and other individuals on his phone. After the crash, Lafferty traveled to New Smyrna Beach to sell narcotics to someone identified as "Tj," according to the report.

Laffertys defense attorney, Aaron Delgado, said that as part of the plea deal, the state agreed to dismiss a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, which was punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Prosecutors also agreed to dismiss a charge of racing, a misdemeanor.

Delgado also said that according to records Lawrence's blood alcohol content was well above the limit of 0.08 at which a person is considered legally intoxicated.

He added that by agreeing to the plea deal his client avoided rolling the dice in a trial. He also spared the decedents family the need to have to endure a trial and subsequent appeals.

Delgado said everyone regrets what happened.

My client felt terrible about anyone losing their life, Delgado said.

Lafferty must serve three years probation and must abstain from using alcohol or drugs while being subject to random screenings. He's also required to attend school or get a job, is prohibited from having a firearm, will be electronically monitored for a year, and must make restitution.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Port Orange teen gets 1 year in jail for race that killed woman
Teen Texted Im Scared After Alleged Violent Fight with Boyfriend. Then Police Say He Ran Her Over

Cooper Oullette has been charged with first-degree manslaughter and delivery of alcohol to a minor in connection with the death of 17-year-old Sophie Ringquist

Sophie Rinquist/TikTok Sophie Rinquist

A Connecticut man is accused of running over his 17-year-old girlfriend with his truck last year in what authorities are calling a domestic violence incident, according to an arrest warrant obtained by multiple news outlets.

Cooper Oullette, 19, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter and delivery of alcohol to a minor in connection with the 2023 death of 17-year-old Sophie Ringquist, per the warrant, which was cited by the Hartford Courant, WTIC-TV and WFSB.

Oullette surrendered to Connecticut State Police on July 12 and was released on a $50,000 bond, according to the warrant. He was expected to appear in court on July 15. Its unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

An investigation began on May 21, 2023, when Ringquist was brought to Bristol Hospital in Bristol, Conn., by family members after purportedly falling out of her boyfriends Chevy pickup truck earlier that evening in Burlington, Conn., according to the warrant cited by WFSB. She later died from her injuries.

The warrant states that prior to the alleged incident, Oulette, who was 18 at the time, and Ringquist were attending a party in Terryville, where a witness allegedly reported that the two were engaged in multiple incidents of physical domestic violence, WTIC-TV reported. Oulette allegedly drank alcohol, kept some in his truck, and distributed some at the party, the warrant states. Authorities reportedly said the two were in an on-again, off-again relationship.

The couple then left together in Oulettes truck that night after he allegedly interrupted efforts for her to get another ride home, according to the warrant cited by WTIC-TV. Police claimed Oulette was driving erratically and at one point pulled over to a side road and began recording Ringquist with his phone. In the clip, authorities allege Rinquist tried getting out of the truck while Oullette accelerated, knocking the girl to the ground.

Connecticut State Police Cooper Oullette

According to the warrant cited by the Hartford Courant, Ringquist then sent a text to someone saying, Im scared. Authorities believe thats when Ringquist got back into the truck and Oulette drove in the direction of her home. However, evidence including cell phone data and witness statements, allegedly shows Oulettes truck speeding through the girls neighborhood. Authorities said, per the warrant, that Ringquist sent a photo to someone showing herself with a bloody nose and a mark on her face.

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Investigators believe that at some point, Oullette accelerated when Ringquist was outside the truck, causing her to get crushed by one of the truck's tires, per the warrant cited by WTIC-TV. He then dropped her off at home. Oulette initially claimed to police that Ringquist fell from the truck after she felt like she had to vomit and that he stopped the truck before she fell, the outlet reported.

Ringquists obituary states she died on May 21, 2023, as a result of a senseless accident. She was described in the obit as a passionate young woman who was expected to graduate from Lewis Mills High School a semester early and study construction management.

In a statement shared with NBC Connecticut, Ringquists family thanked law enforcement for their hard work in the case.

We implore anyone who has been a victim of or witness to domestic violence to stand up for the victim and report it to the police, the statement read, in part. We would like to thank all friends, family, and people Sophie had an impact on for their continued prayers as we negotiate this part of the process in our continued search for truth and justice for Sophie.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



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Read the original article on People.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A 17-year-old Wichitan was sentenced to prison for the fatal shooting of Seaquori Smith in January 2023.

The Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office said Makyh Townes was sentenced to 128 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault on May 24.

The judge sentenced him to 128 months for the involuntary manslaughter charge and 31 months each on the aggravated assault charges, but the cases will run concurrently, meaning his total sentence is 128 months, which equals out to 10 years and eight months.

Campers overturned, power out as severe storms move through Kansas early Tuesday

The shooting happened in January 2023 in the 2200 block of Millwood St. Officers responded to a shooting call and found Smith with a gunshot wound to his upper body.

Smith was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Wichita Police Department said an investigation found Smith and Townes were hanging out inside the house while Townes was recklessly manipulating a firearm when a shot was fired and hit Smith.

Townes called 911 and reported the incident. He was arrested and later charged as an adult.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Temecula optometrist accused of trying to meet with teen boy for sex

TEMECULA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI)  A Temecula optometrist was arrested and charged on suspicion of trying to meet with a teenage boy for sexual contact in San Diego, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday.

The suspect, identified in a criminal complaint as Brandon Zoeckler, is accused of trying to connect with a 14-year-old for lewd purposes.

Man shot in head six times while driving in San Diego

The complaint was made against the man in July 2022 after an investigation found that the suspect allegedly sent explicit text messages and pictures, Bontas office explained. When he planned to meet up with a teen boy, the suspect discovered that he was actually texting with an adult and fled the scene.

Let me be absolutely clear: Using the internet to target children for sex is a reprehensible and despicable crime, said Bonta. If you go after our children, we will hold you accountable. Im deeply grateful to our partners in the Department of Consumer Affairs for their efforts to help keep our kids safe. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to protect the children of our state.

The arrest was part an investigation conducted by the Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation on behalf of the California Board of Optometry.

The California Department of Justices Cybercrime Section will be prosecuting the case. This unit investigates and prosecutes technology-related crimes in California, including internet crimes against children.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Tenn. Man's Estate Awarded $2M Over Scalding Hotel Shower That Led to His Death Months Later

Alex Chronis died in June 2022, seven months after he sustained third-degree burns from scalding hot water in a Kentucky hotel's shower, according to the lawsuit

Google Maps Econo Lodge on Donaldson Road in Erlanger, Kentucky

A Tennessee man's estate has been awarded more than $2 million after a scalding shower in a Kentucky hotel led to his death months later.

Alex Chronis, 76, was staying at the Econo Lodge on Donaldson Road in Erlanger on Nov. 19, 2021 when he went to take a shower and was "almost immediately bombarded with scalding hot water," according to a lawsuit filed by his family and viewed by PEOPLE.

Upon hearing him fall and scream, two associates he was traveling with "rushed into the bathroom" and came to his aid.

In the immediate aftermath, Chronis, a food vendor who had traveled to the area for work, attempted to use nonprescription medicine for the burns, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. He then visited a local hospital, but left against medical advice so he could continue working.



Related: Mom Suing Over Death of 8-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead Inside Houston Hotel Pool Pipe

However, two days later, Chronis reportedly was back at the hospital, where he remained for nearly five months straight, per the outlet. In addition to having surgery to address his wounds, Chronis was also treated for what the Sentinel described as unspecified medical issues," which allegedly developed while he was in the hospital.

Overall, Chronis "spent months in hospitals, underwent numerous medical procedures, and endured substantial conscious pain and suffering before succumbing to his injuries and died on June 19, 2022," per the lawsuit.



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Four months after Chronis death, his niece sued Aspyn, LLC, which operates the Econo Lodge, and Sanjay Patel, listed on the lawsuit as a member/manager of Aspyn, for damages, pain and suffering and lost wages. (According to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Patel is the owner of the hotel, per CBS affiliate WKRC-TV and the Sentinel.)



The lawsuit accused the defendants of egregious conduct and claimed they acted with reckless disregard for the safety for hotel guests.



Related: Calif. Couple Sues Hyatt Hotels After Toddler Fell to His Death Through Window at Mexico Resort

The case went to trial in late June. On July 3, a Kenton Circuit Court jury found both Aspyn, LLC and Patel failed to exercise ordinary care in inspecting and maintaining the hotel rooms at the Econo Lodge, according to the Sentinel and ABC affiliate WATE.

Chronis estate was awarded more than $2 million, including over $1.2 million in medical expenses, $500,000 in punitive damages, $250,000 for Chronis pain and suffering and about $16,000 for funeral expenses, WATE reported. The verdict is subject to appeal.

Attorneys for both parties did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs requests for comment.

When reached by the Sentinel, Chronis' family had no comment.



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Read the original article on People.
Early voting is underway and two Democrats are battling for the Tennessee House District 86 seat: incumbent Justin J Pearson and David Page.

No candidates qualified for the Republican primary, but the winner of the Democratic primary will face one Independent candidate in November.

Early voting will run through July 27, with election day on Aug. 1.

The Commercial Appeal reached out to both Pearson and Page and asked a series of questions to inform voters. Candidate responses have been put in the order they will appear on the ballot.

Some edits have been made to responses for formatting and clarity.

David Page

David Page, Tennessee House District 86 Democratic candidate

Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?

A: I have 25 years of teaching experience at all grade levels, which has given me a deep understanding of the educational system and the needs of our youth. I served as the former president of the Westwood Neighborhood Association and have been an active community activist. During my tenure, I implemented several initiatives to address crime, including The Ticket Program (www.TheTicketProgram.com), which was introduced in several schools and resulted in a significant decrease in disruptive behavior. This program also included a parent component to help parents improve their parenting skills.

Thanks to Former Representative Barbara Cooper, this program was introduced to the state and signed into law in 2016. Additionally, I served as an assistant to Rep. Cooper for two years before her passing, where I gained a comprehensive understanding of the responsibilities and duties of a state representative. Rep. Cooper, a strong Democrat who believed in positive relationships with all political parties, introduced me to key leaders at the state capitol and instructed me on who to talk to in order to avoid making costly mistakes if elected. She endorsed my campaign before her passing, which is a testament to her confidence in my ability to serve our community effectively.

Q: Why are you running for this position?

A: I am running for State Representative of District 86 because I believe in the potential of our community and want to be a strong advocate for our residents at the state level. I have seen firsthand the challenges we face, particularly with the rise in crime among our youth, and I am committed to bringing positive change through dedicated leadership and collaborative efforts. My goal is to ensure that our communitys voice is heard in Nashville and that we receive the support and resources we need to thrive.

Q: What issues are the most important to your constituents?

A: The most pressing issues for our constituents include improving public safety, enhancing public education, ensuring access to quality healthcare, and creating good-paying jobs. Our community is also concerned about affordable housing and the need for comprehensive criminal justice reform.

Q: How will you work to address the major issues impacting your constituents?

A: I plan to address these issues by working closely with local leaders, community organizations, and my fellow legislators to develop and implement effective policies. For education, I will advocate for increased funding and support for our schools, ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. For healthcare, I will work to expand access to affordable care and support initiatives that address health disparities.

To create jobs, I will promote economic development programs and support small businesses. Regarding public safety, I will work on reforms that build trust between law enforcement and the community while ensuring that our neighborhoods are safe. My experience with The Ticket Program has shown me the importance of addressing the root causes of crime and providing support for families, which will be a focus of my efforts.

Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?

A: My top three priorities for District 86 would be:

Public Safety: Implementing programs and policies that reduce crime, particularly among our youth, and support community-based initiatives like The Ticket Program that have proven successful in our district. Education: Ensuring that our schools are well-funded and that students have the resources they need to succeed. Constituent Engagement: Utilizing the TN Voter Connection (www.TnVoterConnection.com), a tool created by Rep. Cooper, to provide a checks and balance approach to addressing the needs of all constituents. This system allows voters to call, email, or submit their comments, concerns, and suggestions to the state representative and stores the results to ensure the job is done. With me, all of my constituents are important, and I work for them.

More information about Page's campaign can be found on his campaign page davidpagefordistrict86.com.

Justin J Pearson (incumbent)

Justin J. Pearson, Tennessee House District 86 Democratic candidate

Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?

A: I have proudly served as Tennessee State Representative for District 86 for the past 18 months. Since my election Jan. 24, 2023, at the age of 28, I have overcome unprecedented challenges. Tennessee Republicans expelled me from office for protesting gun violence on the House floor following a tragic school mass shooting in Nashville, TN, and ridiculed me for wearing African attire to honor my ancestors during my swearing-in. Although my expulsion was unjust, it propelled our Movement for Justice rooted in love. Local officials reappointed me to the seat and I won reelection in a second special election in less than six months, amassing nearly 94 percent of the vote.

Since then, I have served as a national thought leader on justice and democracy, appearing on CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and in the Washington Post, New York Times and Rolling Stone, among others. As State Representative, I have had the privilege to forge exceptional partnerships with local, state and national organizations that aim to protect democracy and the environment and end gun violence. I have held town hall meetings with constituents in Memphis, worked with legislators and community activists in Nashville and traveled the country extensively to champion justice issues. My personal experience as a community activist informs my service.

During the pandemic, I co-founded the environmental and climate justice nonprofit Memphis Community Against the Pollution (MCAP). We galvanized residents from across Shelby County to successfully defeat a multi-billion dollar crude oil pipeline project that would have poisoned Memphiss drinking water for one million people and stolen land from South Memphis residents. Prior to leading MCAP, I served as the Special Assistant to the CEO of Year Up, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education and justice for all young adults--no matter their background, income or zip code.

Q: Why are you running for this position?

A: My parents taught me to never tolerate injustice and to do what I could to bring justice to those who have been denied it. Ever since high school when I fought for textbooks for my fellow students at Mitchell High School, I have been drawn to fight for my community. When a multibillion dollar pipeline was slated to cut a swath through the community that made me who I am, simply because we were seen as the path of least resistance, I, along with others who cared about protecting our soil and water from those who would pollute it for profit, stood up against big oil and stopped the pipeline.

We protected our environment, our land and our community from being plundered thanks in part to the help of Dr. Barbara Cooper, my predecessor. Dr. Cooper showed me the impact of a hardworking, committed public servant. I was honored to follow her as the next District 86 Tennessee State Representative and am working to live up to her legacy while blazing a new path of Democratic service where young voter engagement reaches all-time highs and asserts unprecedented influence on the path forward for our city, state and country.

Q: What issues are the most important to your constituents?

A: The issues most important to my constituents are poverty alleviation, safer communities through common sense gun legislation and criminal justice reform, economic opportunity through workforce training and jobs that pay family-sustaining wages; clean air, soil, water and communities; access to affordable housing and healthcare and additional investment in public education, transportation and recreation spaces.

Q: How will you work to address the major issues impacting your constituents?

A: We will organize, mobilize and activate People Power through increased civic engagement. We sponsored constituent visits to Nashville this past legislative session so that concerned residents could communicate with legislators and testify on the House floor in support of or opposition to proposed legislation. We will increase this investment and continue to build infrastructure that not only provides a means for residents to engage with elected officials, but also inspires them to do so. There is power in numbers and showing up. We will give The People the reason and the means to show up through continued communication and engagement with social media, town halls and other community meetings and events, email campaigns and coordinated trips to the state capitol.

Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?

A: The top three priorities for the district if I am elected are: 1) Public safety: Passing gun laws that promote responsible gun ownership and repealing permit-less carry and other injurious gun laws that have made the district and surrounding communities less safe; 2) Economic investment: Advocating for and passing legislation that provides additional investment in public education and workforce investment, including raising the minimum wage; and 3) Infrastructure enhancement: Sponsoring legislation that supports increased investment in the Districts housing and transportation infrastructure.

More information about Pearson's campaign can be found on his campaign page votejustinj.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What to know about Tennessee House District 86 candidates from Memphis
A man awaiting trial after the 2021 shooting death of his estranged wife, killed minutes after police said they could not arrest him on a protection order violation, has died in a Nashville prison.

James Leggett, 29, died on July 4 at Riverbend Maximum Security Insitution, Tennessee Department of Corrections spokesperson Dorinda Carter said by email Tuesday.

"His cause of death is pending official determination by the medical examiner," she said.

More: Nashville police officer mishandled woman's case before she was fatally shot, internal investigation shows

Leggett faced a host of charges after Michaela Carter, 24, was killed in November 2021. At the time of the shooting, Leggett was on a 10-year suspended sentence with probation for a robbery conviction. Upon his arrest in the Carter case, he was transferred to prison to serve the remainder of the suspended sentence.

Michaela Carter

Carter first took out a protection order against Leggett after a July 2021 incident in which she said she was attacked with a glass liquor bottle. Leggett was charged with aggravated assault. The charges were dismissed less than two weeks later, but a judge granted Carter's protection from abuse petition.

In November 2022, Leggett began calling Carter repeatedly and sent her text messages from an unknown number, things he was barred from while under the protection order, court documents show. Carter, who was with her mother, pulled over and called police, later showing them evidence of his attempts to contact her, documents show.

Police told her they were not able to verify there was a violation of the order, but told Carter to swear out a warrant and escorted the two women home. Minutes after the officers left, Leggett showed up to the apartment, kicked down the door and shot Carter twice and her stepfather three times, according to court records.

Carter died a week later.

The inaction by the police sparked a lawsuit, filed by Carter's mother Kimberly Jones-Mbuyi. In February, that lawsuit settled for $250,000 and the Metro Nashville Police Department made two changes to its domestic violence policy as a result.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Man accused of killing wife, awaiting trial, dies in Nashville prison
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A national hospice care provider has settled federal and state false claims lawsuits, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

A Wednesday press release from the DOJ stated that this settlement also resolves allegations made in a 2021 complaint the United States filed in conjunction with the state of Tennessee. The 2021 complaint had been filed against Curo Health Services and related entities. The state of Tennessee will receive $448,800 from the settlement.

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From 2010 until February 2020, the defendants knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for hospice services provided to Avalon hospice patients in Tennessee who were ineligible for the Medicare or Medicaid hospice benefit because they were not terminally ill, the release stated.

This most recent settlement also resolved allegations that defendants improperly concealed or avoided Avalon Hospices obligation to repay hospice claims.

The announcement added that Gentiva, the successor to hospice care provider Kindred at Home, has agreed to pay over $19 million to resolve allegations that Kindred at Home and other Kindred entities knowingly kept overpayments from hospice patients.

The affected patients were reportedly unable to receive hospice care benefits under other federal healthcare operations. Additionally, the settlement resolved allegations against SouthernCare and SouthernCare New Beacon hospice facilities that knowingly submitted false service claims. Those facilities were located across the Southeast and the Midwest, but not in Tennessee or Kentucky.

Hospice provides vital care and support for terminally ill patients and their families. Medicares and TennCares eligibility requirements ensure that federal and state health care money is properly used to support hospice programs, said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. We are committed to holding accountable health care companies and providers who prioritize profits over patient care by ignoring these requirements.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Liability has yet to be determined in this case. The DOJ added that tips or complaints about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Heath and Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  Lawmakers tasked with policing House rules and legislators ethics will convene at the state capitol Wednesday morning to consider new business.

The Texas House General Investigating Committee meets when prompted by a need to investigate alleged violations of House rules or state law. Their business is conducted in private, and there are no public indications of the subject of Wednesdays inquiry.

Last year, the committee sent waves through the Texas political world by investigating Attorney General Ken Paxton, which led to the House impeaching and temporarily relieving Paxton of his duties. The committee could not make their case to the Senate, which voted to acquit Paxton and return him to office in September.

The committee also spearheaded the expulsion of a member for the first time in nearly 100 years. The House voted to remove East Texas representative Bryan Slaton from his seat after the committees investigation found he had sex with his 19-year-old intern after serving her alcohol at his Austin apartment.

Chairman Andrew Murr entered the committee into executive session shortly after 11 Wednesday morning. Lawmakers will now consider business in private.

This coverage is ongoing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Texas House Committee on General Investigating begins a formal meeting Wednesday morning before going into executive session behind closed doors at the Capitol.

Under wraps, the Texas House Committee on General Investigating met Wednesday for an undisclosed purpose a week after state Attorney General Ken Paxton made an unfounded claim that the panel is again considering his ouster.

Having previously denied Paxton's concern, Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, the committee's chairman, declined to comment Wednesday on the nature of the group's meeting, only indicating that no official actions or decisions were made during the private forum.

"The chair notes for the record that no decisions were made or voted upon in the executive session," Murr said, noting that the committee's reason for assembling had "been completed."

More: Gov. Greg Abbott to highlight Texas-Mexico border hardline at GOP convention Wednesday

Each member of the five-person panel, with Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission, absent, declined to address any aspect of the committee's work Wednesday.

Last week, ahead of the committee's previously scheduled hearing, Paxton sounded an alarm that he is concerned the panel, which was ultimately responsible for his brief suspension from office last year, is again looking into impeaching him.

The Texas Committee on General Investigating's chair, Andrew Murr, R-Junction, hits the gavel to go into an executive session Wednesday.

Their bitter obsession with taking me down knows no bounds, and they will stop at nothing to remove me from office, Paxton said in a statement last week.

Immediately afterward, Murr, who is not seeking reelection, said there was no truth to Paxton's "fantasy" claim.

"Our committees agenda was never related to the attorney general; the House General Investigating Committee will be convening on a completely unrelated matter," Murr said in a statement to The Texas Tribune at the time.

Frequently forgotten during the course of a legislative session, the Investigating Committee last year not only spearheaded Paxton's impeachment in the House, but it also removed a House member for the first time in nearly 100 years.

General Investigating Committee Vice Chair Ann Johnson, D-Houston, center, greets Reps. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, left, and Charlie Geren, R- Fort Worth, before Wednesday's meeting.

Bryan Slaton, a former state representative, was unanimously expelled from the chamber after a presentation on the House floor by the Investigating Committee detailing allegations that Slaton had sex with a 19-year-old legislative aid, provided alcohol to underage staffers and took steps to keep the situation from becoming public.

Slaton, who resigned a day before the House vote, was barred from the chamber by a 147-0 vote.

Fresh off Slaton's expulsion, the committee again rocked the Capitol with a surprise 20-count impeachment case against Paxton last May, accusing the attorney general of misconduct including bribery and abuse of office. In bipartisan fashion, the House overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton, before the Senate, after an impeachment trial, acquitted the attorney general.

On Wednesday, the committee did not announce when it will next meet.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House Investigating Committee meets for private deliberation
A Houston restaurant is set to open after being shut down for a week after Hurricane Beryl hit Texas, causing power outages to over 2 million CenterPoint Energy and Entergy Texas customers.

Dandelion Cafe, a popular brunch spot in Houston's Bellaire neighborhood, will open its doors on Wednesday. The restaurant is one of many in the Houston area that said it took a financial hit because it had no power.

Dandelion Cafe loses over $50,000 in business due to power outages

Dandelion Cafe owner Sarah Lieberman said via Zoom that her business lost nearly $50,000 from the power outages. Many of the resources needed to run the cafe, such as eggs, buttermilk, etc., could not be saved. Liberman said what made it even more frustrating was that a business next to hers had power. Power returned to the cafe on July 15.

I didn't think we were going to be out this long, Liberman said. We were here during Harvey. We've been open almost eight years and [during] Harvey, we didn't lose power at all. So I wasn't that worried about it. And Bellaire in general it is pretty stable when it comes to our power grid here. And so I really wasn't anticipating it being out. I knew it might be hard to get product, but [I] definitely wasn't anticipating a week and a half."

How did the Dandelion Cafe make money while the power was out?

Customers bought gift cards from Dandelion Cafe and shared their purchases on social media, helping to create a buzz. Lieberman found creative ways to keep business going by sharing the Dandelion Cafe's location on social media, where they would be selling their beverages.

Customers show support to Dandelion Cafe on Instagram

Houston attorney plans to sue CenterPoint on behalf of restaurants that lost power from Beryl

According to The Houston Chronicle, The Buzbee Law Firm, representing a cohort of Houston restaurants, is filing a class action lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy. The lawsuit has not been filed yet, so it is not known what restaurants are looking to sue.

Lieberman said the Dandelion Cafe is not part of the class action lawsuit but did speak with the law firm about potential action.

Texans still without electricity a week after Beryl

Over 200,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power struggled with the heat one week after Hurricane Beryl swept through southeast Texas.

CenterPoint Energy, the Houston-area utility that maintains the infrastructure for more than 2.8 million customers across Texas, said it has restored power faster than in recent storms. However, the company estimates that about 226,000 customers will still not have their power back eight days after Beryl struck. Some of those customers won't have power until Friday, according to the company's tracker.

More: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is demanding answers for ongoing power outages week after Beryl

CenterPoint power restoration map

CenterPoint restoration map

The map doesn't show when power will come back, but it does show areas across Houston highlighted in four colors.

Green means power is back, though isolated outages to individual homes could remain.

Light green means power is back, but with potential nested outages.

Blue means crews have been assigned to restore the power and work is being done.

Orange means CenterPoint is still assessing damage.

Restoration progression: Search for your address in CenterPoint's new power restoration map.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Houston restaurant reopens after more than a week without power
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Texas Tech University students visited deputies with the El Paso County Sheriffs Office on Tuesday, July 16.

Students must visit local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and first responders to get an idea of the type of calls they respond to, especially medical-related calls, according to the Sheriffs Office.

During the visit, the students had the opportunity to explore the sub-station, learn about the daily operations of the patrol office, and engage in discussions with deputies. The students were informed of the challenges and responsibilities in their commitment to maintaining public safety, the Sheriffs Office said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
(Bloomberg) -- Thailands top constitutional judges will rule next month on whether to disband the nations largest opposition party, which is accused of breaking election rules over a campaign to amend a stringent royal defamation law.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The nine-member Constitutional Court will convene at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 to discuss its decision on the Move Forward Party and will read out a verdict from 3 p.m. in Bangkok, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The ruling will come more than a year after the party, which finished first in the elections, was blocked from forming a government by conservative lawmakers irked by its pledge to loosen the law protecting the monarchy from defamation.

The top court may also ban Move Forwards party leadership from politics for 10 years, including Pita Limjaroenrat, a progressive politician and the groups former leader who was initially in the running to become prime minister. Earlier this week, Move Forward leader Chaithawat Tulathon urged the court to call for a trial and take time with witness testimonies in order to ensure fairness in a case with such a hefty penalty.

An unfavorable verdict for Move Forward, the nations most popular political party, may stir political unrest in Southeast Asias second-largest economy. Thailand was rocked by anti-government protests and unprecedented calls to reform the monarchy in 2020 after Future Forward, a predecessor of Move Forward, was disbanded.

The court has received sufficient evidence and heard enough witnesses to conclude hearings and rule on the issue, it said in the statement. The party and its accuser, the countrys Election Commission, may request to submit their closing statements by July 24, the court said.

Its a shame that there would be no trial, because we believe there are factual issues that need to be resolved first, Chaithawat told reporters on Wednesday. However, were still confident in our legal defense.

Move Forwards flagship campaign to amend the lese majeste law, also known as Article 112 of the Thai penal code, was found by the charter court in January to be an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. The group was ordered to stop all attempts to amend the law, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years of jail for each offense.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 272 people, including 20 under the age of 18, were charged with the crime between November 2020 and May 2024.

The partys pledge to reform the law resonated with young and urban voters, helping it sweep 40% of the popular votes in the general election in May last year. However, members of the military-appointed Senate and conservative parties want the laws to be left intact as they say the monarchy needs to protected at all costs as a matter of national security.

(Updates with comment from Move Forward Party in sixth paragraph.)

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A general view of Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, which believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok

A general view of Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, which believed that at least 6 people have been reported dead, in Bangkok

By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Cyanide poisoning caused the deaths of six foreigners whose bodies were found in a room in a plush Bangkok hotel, Thai authorities said on Wednesday, with the suspected killer among the dead.

Traces of the rapid-acting, deadly chemical were found during autopsies of the bodies and on drinking glasses and a teapot in the room at the luxury Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel where the dead were discovered late on Tuesday, according to police and a hospital.

Interviews with relatives of the three women and three men who died revealed there had been a dispute over debt related to an investment, according to police, who said they were investigating how the cyanide was obtained.

The six were all of Vietnamese ethnicity, two of those U.S. nationals. Police said the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation had assisted with the investigation.

"We can assume that the six died from cyanide," Chulalongkorn Hospital's Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin told reporters, adding that results of further tests would be available on Friday.

The U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the situation and local authorities were responsible for the investigation.

Vietnam's foreign ministry confirmed four of the dead were Vietnamese nationals and its embassy in Thailand was coordinating closely with authorities.

"We hope that the victims' families soon overcome this great loss," foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan, operated by Erawan Group, has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants.

News of the deaths, initially reported by some Thai media as a shooting, could be a setback for Thailand as it bets heavily on its vital tourism sector reviving an economy that has struggled since the pandemic.

The government had been eager to quickly get to the bottom of what happened, concerned bad publicity could impact a sector that is expecting 35 million foreign visitors this year and tens of billions of dollars in spending.

Trirong Phiwpan, commander of the Thai police evidence office, said the investigation indicated drinks in the hotel room were spiked with cyanide by one of those who died.

"After staff brought tea cups and two hot water bottles, milk and tea pots... one of the six introduced cyanide."

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um; Additional reporting by Khanh Vu in Hanoi; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by John Mair and Angus MacSwan)
Thinking about jumping into a lake or stream in L.A. to cool off? Here are the ones to avoid

A water bird forages near a mashup of shopping carts in the Los Angeles River in Long Beach in 2021. Fed by heavy rain runoff, large amounts of waste are transported by the river, with some flowing into the sea and onto local beaches. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Angelenos searching for an aquatic adventure at one of Los Angeles County's many inland waterways during the latest summer heat wave should do some research before taking the plunge, according to Heal the Bay's River report card released Wednesday.

Heal the Bay analyzed water quality at 35 freshwater sites along Malibu Creek, the Los Angeles River and the San Gabriel River last summer. Of the sites reviewed, 63% received grades ranging from A+ to B, which indicate low health risks for swimmers. Another 37% of sites received C, D or F rankings, indicating higher levels of bacteria and possible health risks.

Six sites along the Los Angeles River, dubbed "freshwater fails," showed the highest levels of bacteria where contact with water should be avoided, according to the report.

Read more: Cool, gentle Tujunga stream draws masses. Piles of waste, traffic, illegal parking follow

Here are river locations in the Los Angeles area that pose the highest risk of illness

1. Compton Creek (lower L.A. River watershed)

2. L.A. River below the Compton Creek confluence

3. Bull Creek (lower L.A. River watershed)

4. Tujunga Wash at Hansen Dam (upper L.A. River watershed)

5. L.A. River at Willow Street (lower L.A. River watershed)

6. L.A. River below the Rio Hondo confluence (lower L.A. River watershed)

"We're seeing a lot of the recreational areas in open spaces or close to open spaces are getting good grades," said Annelisa Moe, associate director of science and policy at Heal the Bay. "When we work down into the L.A. Basin and there's more urbanization, we're seeing those grades decline, which is not surprising, but very telling of where the source of pollution is coming from, which is that urban runoff."

Garbage and debris collect behind a boom at the mouth of the Los Angeles River in Long Beach in 2021. (Luis Sinco)

All the sites on the lower Los Angeles River aside from Compton Creek have concrete riverbeds and banks and none are designated for recreational use. However, the river channels are frequently used by runners, cyclists, bird watchers and others.

"These failing sites are located within urbanized areas of the watershed, likely reflecting higher bacteria levels from various sources such as animal waste and human activities," the report states.

The report card is similar to Heal the Bay's annual list of the cleanest and dirtiest California beaches. Urban runoff that pollutes the ocean frequently begins in these fresh rivers, but, unlike for beaches, there is no statewide oversight, standardization or funding for freshwater pollution monitoring in California.

"There are many places in Los Angeles where the closest place to recreate is a freshwater site, a river location, a swimming pool or a lake, so to fill the gap we've been monitoring these recreation areas since 2014," Moe said.

Read more: These are California's dirtiest beaches. Where are you swimming this summer?

The report identifies 10 locations  five in the upper L.A. River watershed, four on the San Gabriel River and one on Malibu Creek  where bacteria levels consistently remained below health standards.

Those sites are: Hansen Dam Lake, Hidden Springs, Big Tujunga Creek at Vogel Flats, Big Tujunga Creek at Delta Flats, Gould Mesa, San Gabriel River Upper West Fork, San Gabriel River Upper East Fork, San Gabriel River East Fork at Cattle Canyon, San Gabriel River Upper Cattle Canyon and Rock Pool in the Malibu Creek watershed.

Following a heavy rain, trash is trapped by a boom at the mouth of the L.A. River in Long Beach in 2024. Unlike for beaches, there is no statewide oversight, standardization or funding for freshwater pollution monitoring in California. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

To rank water quality in recreation areas, Heal the Bay scientists compared water samples collected weekly between June and September 2023 and data from other monitoring programs and government agencies. The samples measure the presence of fecal indicator bacteria pollution.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A third arrest has been made as the Columbus Police Department is still investigating a major fraud case stemming from a Navy Federal Credit Union branch.

Columbus police said Curtis Davis, 40, was arrested and charged with third-degree forgery and theft by deception.

Police said their investigation revealed two checks totaling $122,225.98 were deposited into the Navy Federal account belonging to Christopher Upshaw. Upshaw is currently incarcerated in federal prison, according to police.

Police said surveillance footage captured Steven Verrett, a former employee of Navy Federal, and the first person to be arrested in this investigation, depositing both checks with Davis providing the check once.

Police said the other check was deposited while Verrett used innocent customers as cover due to video surveillance.

Money was then withdrawn through cashiers checks, ATM withdrawals and counter cash withdrawals, according to police.

Police said Davis was recorded receiving cash from Verrett on multiple occasions. Bank records also indicate Davis deposited cash from one of the cashiers checks withdrawn from Upshaws account into his own private bank account, according to police.

Davis was scheduled to appear in Recorders Court at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Previous arrests in this Columbus fraud case

Columbus police previously arrested Verrett and Demetrius Redding.

Verrett was the first to be arrested in May and was charged with the following:

Forgery third-degree (five counts)

Identity fraud (three counts)

Criminal attempt theft by deception (two counts)

Theft by deception (two counts)

Financial transaction card forgery

Computer trespass

Computer invasion of privacy

Computer forgery

Redding was arrested in July and charged with four counts of third-degree forgery and four counts of criminal attempt of theft by deception, according to police.
UPDATE 7/18/24 3:48 p.m.: New details of the Columbus Navy Federal Credit Union fraud investigation were revealed as a third suspect appeared in Recorders Court on Thursday afternoon.

Curtis Davis, 40, is accused of working with Steven Verrett, a former employee of Navy Federal Credit Union, to steal more than $120,000.

Verrett was arrested back in May  and police say he was at the center of the scam working from the inside out.

According to police, Davis deposited two checks into an account belonging Christopher Upshaw, who is currently in federal prison after an assault on an FBI agent.

Funds were later withdrawn from Upshaws account through cashiers checks, ATM withdrawals and counter cash withdrawals. Police say Davis ended up with that money.

Davis attorney Michael Garner had this to say on the case.

So they got checks going here and there, and theyre different people, different companies. And theyve made a case against some other people, one of them who works at the credit union, said Garner. And apparently, from what I can find out, this is the person that is doing all this. And hes got various people to help him in different ways. And, Ive only had this case two days. So, Im trying to figure out whats going on.

The total amount stolen or attempted to be stolen is about $2.4 million.

Columbus Police Department Sgt. Jane Edenfield spoke with WRBL on the investigation.

Its kind of like peeling an onion, you know? said Edenfield. Its we think we know where were headed, and then we peel a layer of an onion and then its something else. We get something then it hangs a left. Right now what were looking at, I mean, Mr. Verrett, its at the top. You know that that may not be the case when we get to the end of this.

Judge David Ranieri ordered Davis be held without bond. Garner said he will go to Superior Court to get a bond. Davis was free on bond from a credit card fraud case four years ago.

Police say additional arrests and charges are coming.

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  A third suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation involving Navy Federal Credit Union has turned himself in, according to the Columbus Police Department.

Curtis Davis, 40, turned himself into police on Monday after warrants were obtained for his arrest.

According to CPD, the investigation shows two checks totaling in $122,225.98 were deposited into a NFCU account belonging to Christopher Upshaw, who is in federal prison. Police say surveillance footage showed former employee Steven Verrett depositing both checks, with Davis providing the check in one instance.

More Information: Second suspect in Navy Federal fraud scam has first appearance in court

The other check was deposited while Verrett used customers as cover, according to CPD.

Funds were later withdrawn from Upshaws account through cashiers checks, ATM withdrawals and counter cash withdrawals. Police say Davis was reported to have received cash from Verrett on multiple occasions.

Police added that records indicate Davis deposited cash from a check withdrawn from Upshaws account into his own private bank account.

Davis is being charged with third degree forgery and theft by deception. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, July 18 at 2 p.m.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
Will third time be a charm for Edgemont village incorporation bid in Greenburgh?

Armed with a new map, proponents of creating a village of Edgemont in Greenburgh filed a petition on Monday with more than 1,400 signatures, setting up another battle with the town administration over whether a vote will be held later this year.

It marks the third time since 2017 that the Edgemont Incorporation Committee has filed petitions to establish Greenburgh's seventh village.

Voters in the proposed village, however, have yet to vote. Two earlier petitions were invalidated by the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, sustaining objections to maps that set the boundaries for the would-be village.

Our mission has always been to provide everybody with the best possible information about becoming a village, and to have a vote on establishing the village, said Jeff Sherwin, the EICs co-chair. We feel this submission will help us fulfill this mission.

Edgemont incorporation proponents Jon Lewis, left, and Jeff Sherwin of Edgemont at the corner of Old Army Road and Wyndham Road, where they found an old property marker showing the border of Yonkers and Greenburgh July 16, 2024.

The proposed village, which would have about 8,000 residents, is roughly co-terminus with the Greenville Fire District and includes all homes within the Edgemont school district. The towns existing villages of Tarrytown, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Ardsley and Elmsford include about 51% of the town of Greenburghs population.

The third petition includes a newly drawn map, which village proponents say will eliminate objections raised to previous maps that were based on existing boundary lines for the Greenville Fire District. Those lines have been in force for decades to levy fire district taxes, but challenges to the boundaries 100 years ago were raised in court papers, casting doubt on the lines.

New map offers different boundaries

The map submitted Monday was drawn by Eliot Senor, of Gabriel E. Senor PC, of Hartsdale. He sought out municipal boundary markings dating to the 19th century, some embedded in granite ledge or standing on concrete posts.

The petition was filed with the town by Sherwin and EIC Co-Chair Jon Lewis on Monday afternoon. The filing sets the stage for a public hearing, yet to be scheduled before town Supervisor Paul Feiner. He will determine whether any objections to the petition aired at the hearing have merit.

Feiner has twice backed objections to the prior petitions, invalidating them. Those objections were later rejected in state Supreme Court by then-Justice Susan Cacace, but then upheld by the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Brooklyn.

Theres a chance the Edgemont incorporation bid could end up in court again.

The latest petition was filed six months after the state Legislature reformed the states process to create new villages, giving a state board the power to decide whether a vote should be held, based on a study of the proposal.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, whose district includes Edgemont, insisted that Edgemont be excluded from a state reform effort on the incorporation of villages.

But Edgemont was exempted from the new law, on the insistence of Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, who represents the Edgemont section of Greenburgh, and New York state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, who also represents Greenburgh.

So it's still up to Feiner to certify whether the petition and proposed village map meet state standards.

Greenburgh has been preparing for court, again

After the state legislation was passed in January, the Greenburgh Town Board authorized $50,000 to pay for litigation on the issue, with former Court of Claims Judge Paul Sherwood tapped to argue the case for the town. The town has waited for the petition to be filed before deciding whether to proceed.

More: Greenburgh digging in to fight Edgemont's campaign to create town's 7th village

The Greenburgh Town Board would have to vote to file the suit, Feiner said.

Feiner has said that he thinks the new law is unconstitutional because Edgemont is singled out for exemption.

We now have to decide whether there are grounds for a lawsuit, he said.

Former Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, D-Mount Pleasant, had made opposition to the new law a centerpiece of his unsuccessful bid in the June Democratic primary to oust Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky, D-Greenburgh. But his message failed to resonate among voters, who backed Shimsky by 60% to 40%.

What it means that Edgemont is exempt from new state law

Under the states new rules, which don't apply to Edgemont, attempts to incorporate a new village require study of the financial impact, both on those within the proposed village and those in the town.

A yet-to-be-created, three-member state commission must review the report and decide if a new village is warranted.

The amendment for Edgemont still requires a report. But it spares Edgemont from seeking approval from the state board. Instead, Feiner gets to rule on the adequacy of the petition, and if it clears that hurdle, then it's up to Edgemont voters to decide.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, said that a state report about the Edgemont proposal found that incorporation could have minimal impact on Greenburgh, depending on the outcome of negotiations for shared services.

Its as if the town doesnt have confidence in their own abilities to negotiate," she said. "Instead the town prefers to cost taxpayers more money with another lawsuit.

More: State high court backs Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner on blocking Edgemont village creation

Village proponents say state report backs their case

Sherwin said that Edgemont deserves the right to vote on its future government. In 2020, Tax Watch estimated that Greenburgh had spent $250,000 in legal fees to stop Edgemont incorporation.

How much more taxpayer money is Feiner going to spend just to prevent the people of Edgemont from having a vote? he said. Hes particularly worried because an independent state-financed study refuted his oft-repeated arguments that Edgemonts incorporation would be financially devastating to the town. Instead it showed that the town could easily manage it through prudent financial decisions that are common among municipalities.

The town, however, has disputed the report, saying that it failed to take into account several financial issues, including Edgemonts liabilities for debt service and retiree health-insurance benefits earned while the employees worked before incorporation.

One of the main drivers of Edgemont's incorporation fight is dissatisfaction with Greenburgh's land use boards. Villages control their own land use through their own planning boards and zoning boards of appeal.

Controversy over Greenburgh's Planning Board could put a dent in the opposition to Edgemont incorporation. One of the leaders of the opposition to incorporation was Greenburgh Planning Board Chairman Hugh Schwartz, who has come under fire for helping found a nonprofit to promote affordable housing.

Hugh Schwartz, the Greenburgh Planning Board chairman, is among planning board members targeted by the Greenburgh Town Board for removal from town service because he founded a group that wants to build affordable housing in the town.

A resolution passed last week by the Town Board appears likely to prohibit Schwartz from serving on the Planning Board, citing a possible conflict of interest.

Schwartz said he was done with helping the Town Board on the Edgemont issue.

"I will not come out and defend the board," he said. "Im done with them."

Sign up for Wilson's weekly newsletter for insights into his Tax Watch columns.

David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Edgemont NY village supporters file petition seeking vote for 3rd time
Odessa water department employees work through the night as they attempt to repair a broken water main on June 14, 2022. The City Council on Tuesday approved $25 million to improve water infrastructure. Credit: Courtesy Odessa American/Eli Hartman

ODESSA  After three years of citywide outages that left thousands of residents without running water, the city council here will spend $25 million on projects that leaders hope will fix the issue.

The approved plans call for replacing nearly 200 of the citys water valves, which help control the flow of water through 700 miles of pipes that carry roughly 28 million gallons of water daily into homes and businesses. The city will also replace 17,000 feet of pipe, more than three miles along two major roadways.

Council members and city staff hope the investment, paid for by profits from wastewater sales to an oil and gas company, will lead to lasting repairs to the citys decades-old infrastructure that has languished with little more than temporary fixes.

This is our problem to solve, we cant point fingers, said City Manager John Beckmeyer.

Water experts said the disruptions in Odessa underscore a problem in Texas: Hotter weather, drought and underfunding are hurting the states infrastructure. Voters last November approved $1 billion to upgrade Texas water infrastructure and supply. And yet, it is not enough. The Texas Water Development Board, which manages the states water supply, said it will take at least $80 billion in repairs to upgrade every water system and accommodate the states growing population, according to its 2022 water plan.

Texas cities like Odessa feel the strain. At the center of the booming oil and gas industry, Odessa's decades-old water infrastructure is eroding and collapse-prone. When the valves leak, they cant withstand the pressure, forcing crews to repeatedly shut down the entire city's water supply.

[Odessa shuts off entire water system due to leak in water line]

The first significant outage was in June 2022, when a broken main line left Odessa without water for almost 48 hours. This year, the city issued alerts for leaking valves or water line breaks at least six times. Despite crews' efforts to isolate the leaks, two resulted in outages that left tens of thousands without water for hours. When crews replaced those pipes and valves, a water boil notice followed, and residents couldnt consume the water for another 24 hours.

Those problems also led to water loss, an extra cost to taxpayers. Crews must also release the pressure exerted on the valves while shutting down the plant by releasing water through fire hydrants.

City officials have yet to estimate the amount of water lost to leaks and outages  and how much it cost. One report released in May suggested that one outage cost the city upward of $4 million.

Odessa Mayor Javier Joven has sharply criticized the previous administration for dismantling a crew dedicated to maintaining the citys roughly 3,000 valves. The city council hopes to reinstate the crew and include them in next years budget, set for approval in October.

These are the things that we inherited, Joven told the local economic development board. Not things that have been created today, but what has been inherited. And this is what we're tasked to deal with. We can't ignore it and cannot afford to kick the can.

Joven and the city council found surplus funds from waste water it sold to an oil and gas company to afford the repairs. They will use the revenue to pay for projects. The city had previously sought to use money intended to boost tourism for the repairs, an effort that would have required a change in state law. Joven asked the local economic development board and state Rep. Brooks Landgraf to consider the option. They will resume those discussions in August.

Im counting on and pleading the [Odessa Development Corporation] to  find a path that could give us a bump up relief to be able to access money that goes beyond what we have in the budget, Joven said.

The city also plans to apply for the Texas Water Fund, which will distribute $1 billion for infrastructure projects across Texas. The state water board said it will release details in late July. Its the first time Texas has invested significant money toward water infrastructure in years.

Jeremy Mazur, senior policy advisor with Texas 2036, said the problems in Odessa are emblematic of what will occur if cities and the state stall in securing the necessary resources to repair water and wastewater systems.

He said cities in Texas should not wait for state funding to address issues with their water infrastructure, adding that he acknowledges more rural cities may not have the necessary resources.

Mazur said that hotter temperatures strain pipes and accelerate corrosion. The states water plan predicts that continuing deterioration will cost Texans more than $150 billion in repairs and water loss in the next 50 years.

The fact that [Odessa] is exercising due diligence is a good thing. Especially with communities that may have the financial capacity and wherewithal to underwrite their own repairs, he said. But there are also hundreds if not thousands of other systems, particularly in small communities or rural communities, that just may not have the capacity to do this.

The Environmental Protection Agency predicts Texas will spend $61 billion in the next two decades fixing and upgrading water infrastructure.

Texas most populous cities are already losing billions of gallons of water. Cities that reported their losses to the Water Development Board said they lost 88 billion gallons of water in 2023.

People need to understand that if you don't want to have these problems, and if you want continuous, adequate and reliable water and wastewater service, you're going to have to pay for it, Mazur said.

Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Three Jackson-Madison students relish in reading rewards as district ELA scores improve

Three lucky students from the Jackson-Madison County School System were rewarded for their achievement in reading, or a combined total of more than 14,000 minutes spent reading books.

As part of the district's "Leap Up for Literacy" campaign, students and teachers alike were encouraged to read 20 minutes per day for 40 weekdays.

A total of 293 students met the district goal of each student reading 700 minutes or more, but three students went above and beyond.

Genevieve Warren of Andrew Jackson Elementary checks out books to buy inside the Walmart Supercenter located on 2196 Emporium Dr. Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.

From South Side High School, Elizabeth Alexander was the high school district winner, reading 7,116 minutes.

JASA's Jovanni Estrada was the middle school district winner, reading 5,000 minutes.

Genevieve Warren from Andrew Jackson Elementary read 2,092 minutes and was the elementary winner.

An honorable mention was given to Isaac Lane School pre-school student Joshua Fletcher who read 1,550 minutes.

More: Lincoln Elementary surpasses 1 year's academic growth, reaching 'Level 5' status

More: Summer Learning Camp comes to end for JMCSS students, bridging learning gap

More: Jackson-Madison Co. schools retest 3rd graders in reading as state reports low scores

Elizabeth Alexander of South Side chats with her mother about the games on display inside the Walmart Supercenter located on 2196 Emporium Dr. Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.

District winners received special recognition, an iPad, and a $500 gift card to Walmart. When asked how the $500 would be spent, Warren decided upon slime, fidget toy and more books.

Alexander noted that she seldom has to push herself to read because of the outlet it provides her.

"Going into another world and experiencing something, it's a release really. It's a way of getting away from the stress of things and enjoying your free time," she said.

Genevieve Warren of Andrew Jackson Elementary goes down the toys section inside the Walmart Supercenter located on 2196 Emporium Dr. Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Parents and JMCSS Superintendent Marlon King accompanied the winners on Monday for the Walmart shopping spree.

"We want the community to just get behind us as we push literacy in schools to read more," King said.

Resurrecting the value of reading

Striving to bring a heightened awareness to the importance of literacy, the reading incentive program launched at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

Genevieve Warren of Andrew Jackson Elementary pushes a shopping cart around as they get ready to shop inside the Walmart Supercenter located on 2196 Emporium Dr. Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Spearheaded by Dr. Vivian Williams and Dr. Tiffany Spight, Leap Up for Literacy promotes bringing an interest and love back to reading.

"Yes, there's always a focus on test results and scores and standards; that's important. But what about just a natural love for reading books," Spight said.

She says the benefit of literacy campaigns is tangible and that preliminary English-Language Arts (ELA) scores on standardized tests reflect as much.

District makes TCAP gains

The ELA portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests a student's ability to meticulously read and analyze text, and then answer questions that demonstrate an understanding of state standards and the English language.

Elizabeth Alexander of South Side browses through CDs inside the Walmart Supercenter located on 2196 Emporium Dr. Jackson, Tenn., on Monday, July 15, 2024.

In 2023, 19.59% of enrolled students met or exceeded proficiency in ELA.

Recent 2024 TCAP data shows that the percentage rose to 24.4%, according to the Tennessee Department of Education State Report Card scores.

"As far as overall in our TCAP results, we've seen improvements in ELA, and it just makes your heart happy," Spight said.

As the state focuses on third-grade retention, 2024 TCAP scores demonstrate an increase in the number of students meeting standards.

"The more the children read, the better they can read. So the more we can encourage them to read, their confidence will come, they'll learn new vocabulary words, and their background knowledge will be built."

Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson-Madison students win shopping spree, district makes TCAP gains
A column of smoke rises from the Miller Peak fire on July 16, 2024 (Photo courtesy of Northern Rockies incident command).

As of Tuesday, three large active fires in Montana had spread across more than 46,000 acres, or a combined area of more than 70 square miles. The three fires  Deadman (which includes four different fires), Horse Gulch, and Miller Peak, also span the state as forecasters call for very high temperatures coupled with wind  dangerous fire conditions that may continue into next week.

The largest of the fires in southeastern Montana, Deadman, are actually four different fires (Deadman, McGhee, Prairie and Four Mile) that cover more than 31,000 acres and were started by lightning on July 12 and 13. As of the mid-morning, the fires were less than 25% contained in total. The fires are located south of Birney and north of the Tongue River Reservoir in Big Horn and Rosebud Counties, with the Bureau of Land Management, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation as well as Rosebud and Big Horn counties battling the fires.

The BLM reported that crews had conducted several burnouts along the north area of the McGhee fire, which had grown to 3,553 acres as of Monday. Those efforts were also supported by large air tankers also doing fire retardant drops.

Big Horn County authorities have issued an evacuation warning to residents from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East For Canyon Road south to the intersection of Birney Road and Montana Highway 314; from the intersection of Highway 314 and Birney Road east to the county line. In Rosebud County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents along the Tongue River Road from the Tongue River Bridge at Wall Creek to the southern Rosebud County line.

Horse Gulch Fire

The human-caused Horse Gulch fire continued to grow north of Helena and five miles south of York, Montana. On Tuesday morning, officials reported the fire grew to 13,299 acres. The fire was at 10% contained. More than 600 personnel were working the fire.

Residents who had previously been displaced were allowed to go back home, but remained under an evacuation warning, and much of the area is still closed to the public, including Canyon Ferry Road from Canyon Ferry Village to the Broadwater County line.

The fire suppression includes hand lines on the northeast portion of the fire that was inaccessible to heavy equipment. Authorities also connected those lines with existing dozer lines created to stop the fire. Some mop-up and hot-spot monitoring has begun, according to the Tuesday update.

Aerial support to firefighters on the ground was key to the progress made on the Horse Gulch Fire, said the update from the Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team.

Even though there is a slight chance of rain in the forecast for later into Tuesday or Wednesday, the command team said it will bring a very small potential for any impact on fire activity. Meanwhile, forecasters are calling for possible thunderstorms and temperatures reaching beyond the 90s into the low 100s.

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest have closed some areas close to the fire, and the BLM has closed some lands near the fire area as well.

Miller Peak Fire

The Miller Peak fire began on Sunday and is in Lolo National Forest. Commander Joe Sampson said the cause of the fire is still not know.

Authorities said the priority for the fire, which stood at 0% containment on Tuesday morning, has been protecting homes and structures in the Miller Creek drainage area as well as the Interstate 90 corridor, critical energy infrastructure/powerlines, and communications towers on Miller Peak.

The fire had grown to 1,760 acres in size with 134 crew members, nine engines, two helicopters and one hand crew on site.

Steep slopes, rugged terrain and the extremely active fire behavior all pose challenging situations for firefighters on the ground, officials said.

Weather forecasters predict very hot and very dry weather, including a 10-20% chance for a thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon, which could bring more headaches for firefighters because that means gusty, erratic winds and little precipitation.
Time is of the essence: Emery County crews rescue man wedged in slot canyon walls

EMERY COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A man was rescued from the Zero Gravity slot canyon in Emery County after becoming wedged between canyon walls.

According to Emery County Sheriff Tyson Huntington, around 10:30 p.m. dispatch received a report of three people stuck in the slot canyon via a Garmin device. He said one person was wedged between the walls which made the situation even more pressing.

READ NEXT: Major water well fixed in Utah-Arizona border town, but some restrictions remain

Our experience in the past has shown that when someone is wedged between canyon walls, time is of the essence, he said in a social media post.

Search and Rescue volunteers retrieved the equipment necessary and arrived at Zero Gravity after midnight. Huntington said the team built the rope system to prepare for the rescue before sending search and rescue members down the canyon.

A man was rescued from the Zero Gravity slot canyon in Emery County after becoming wedged between canyon walls. (Courtesy of Emery County Sheriffs Office)

A man was rescued from the Zero Gravity slot canyon in Emery County after becoming wedged between canyon walls. (Courtesy of Emery County Sheriffs Office)

A Department of Public Safety helicopter assists a search and rescue in Emery County (Courtesy of Emery County Sheriffs Office)

A man was rescued from the Zero Gravity slot canyon in Emery County after becoming wedged between canyon walls. (Courtesy of Emery County Sheriffs Office)

Crew members used ropes to drop below the man who was wedged and loosened him from the canyon walls, according to Huntington.

All three hikers were safely rescued thanks to the rescue team and the Department of Public Safety, which deployed a helicopter and a two-man task force.

The rescue was a success and all victims were saved and were able to avoid serious injury. Our victims were extremely grateful for the services they received. If it wasnt for the SAR Team and their abilities, the outcome may have been quite unfavorable, Huntington said.

The sheriff said the search and rescue crews arrived home around 6:30 a.m. just in time to go to work.

I cannot overstate the importance of our Search and Rescue Team. All of our members are just regular people with huge hearts and a desire to serve others at the cost of themselves, he wrote.

He called the Emery County Search and Rescue team a band of brothers and said they serve in the purest sense of the word.

In the past, talk of compensation came up and the team collectively scoffed at the idea so loud that the National Weather Service noticed an anomaly in the wind patterns over Castle Country, Huntington joked. We are lucky to have them.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
If they werent already ringing, the decision by Donald Trump to pick Ohio senator JD Vance as his running mate should sound serious alarm bells in Europe regarding Americas future defensive role on the Continent. It is the clearest indication yet that he is adopting an America First, Europe Last policy, which will have major ramifications for the conflict in Ukraine and the future of Western security.

Trumps new running mate is no hawk: as Russia prepared to invade Ukraine in February 2022, the maverick Ohio Senator said: I gotta be honest with you, I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another. Since then, aside from urging Ukraine to fold its resistance and negotiate with Russia, Vance has railed against what he sees as Europe and Natos entitled reliance on the USs security umbrella.

Under a Trump-Vance administration, in short, there is a very real chance that Europe risks standing alone against the Russian threat. If there was any time to panic, it is now.

After all, for many months now countries on Europes eastern flank  like Poland and Estonia  have warned about the prospect of a more direct war with Russia within two to three years, depending on what happens in Ukraine. Their point  too often ignored  is that Russias key objective long-term is to erode, and eventually destroy, the idea that Article 5 of Nato is watertight, making the alliance a strategic irrelevance. They also point to the fact that once the war in Ukraine ends, most likely with some sort of negotiation rather than outright victory for Kyiv, that the armies Russia has mobilised could be turned elsewhere.

Despite Russias military travails in Ukraine, the narrative that Article 5 is a bluff has gained widespread acceptance in Moscow. After all, there are many ways in which Russia can test Article 5 without launching a full-scale conventional war. Russias revanchist views on Baltic Sea boundaries could inspire maritime aggression; deniable terrorist attacks and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are plausible; a small-scale military attack on the Baltic States or Swedens Gotland might also be considered. If America or any country were to question the doctrine of Article 5 in these instances, then it would give Russia a green light, some leaders believe, to continue its probing until it can fatally destabilise several nations.

Unfortunately, in some European capitals there is still denial about Russias willingness to test Natos Article 5  unable to see the nuances of how it can be probed without being crossed  with memories of Trumps relatively-stable first term breeding complacency.

Aside from Europes delusions, the lack of consensus around acceptable escalation risks with Russia is also concerning. It is not projecting strength, and without US support, these divisions could surely widen and paralyse Europes response to a Russian challenge to Article 5. Fundamentally, Europe is still psychologically unprepared to go-it-alone.

The combat readiness picture is equally bleak. Take Germany. Despite Chancellor Olaf Scholzs creation of a 100-billion-euro special fund to purchase modern weapons, Parliamentary Commissioner for the German Armed Forces Eva Hogl recently lamented that the Bundeswehr has too little of everything. Although Hogl wants the German army to increase its ranks from 181,000 to 203,000, manpower declined by 1,537 in 2023.

Similar issues plague the British Armed Forces. In February, the House of Commons Defense Committee was warned that manpower and war materiel shortages would exhaust Britains military capabilities after two months of war. Defense contractor Northrop Grumann recently warned that Britains air defences are very limited, to the point of being negligible.

Europes defense-industrial base is also unprepared to stand alone without America. Last month, the EUs commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton announced that the EU would produce 1.7 million 155mm shells in 2024. European arms industry insiders warned that the EUs actual production would likely be one-third of that total. These estimates are likely on the mark. The EU only met 30% of its March 2024 one-million shell delivery target to Ukraine. An alarming trend, as Russia produces between 2.5 to 5 million shells a year and can import countless more from Belarus and North Korea.

So it is a bleak picture indeed. As such, now is the time to inject a vital sense of urgency into European decision making. The Continents defense spending is slowly rising. In February, Natos outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that European alliance members would collectively spend $380 billion on defense in 2024; a marked increase. Poland even plans to increase its defense budget to 5% of GDP in 2025 and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius ponders a 3.5% of GDP military outlay.

The EUs European Defense Industry Strategy is also helping governments take over civilian arms production in the event of an emergency and loosens regulations on third country arms sales. Command structure reforms, such as Germanys integration of structures overseeing domestic and foreign deployments into a new central command, are encouraging, as is the appointment of clear-headed hawks like Estonias former prime minister Kaja Kallas to chief diplomat in Brussels.

But given the scale of post-Cold War neglect, much, much more needs to be done.

While Trump provided lethal arms to Ukraine and used the threat of a U.S. withdrawal from Nato to scare European allies into increasing defense spending, his second term would be quite different. Vance is firmly convinced that U.S. military resources should be redirected to the Indo-Pacific region and is more committed to a Middle East footprint than a European one. House Speaker Mike Johnson and many of his colleagues think differently, but they are unlikely to torpedo a unified Trump-Vance position.

As Trumps frontrunner status hardens, Europe must become more self-reliant. Not just for Ukraines sake, but for the continent-at-large. Yesterday was already too late.

Dr Samuel Ramani is an Associate Fellow at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute

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Time may not be a fundamental element of the universe but rather an illusion emerging from quantum entanglement, a new study suggests.

Time is a thorny problem for physicists; its inconsistent behavior between our best theories of the universe contributes to a deadlock preventing researchers from finding a "theory of everything," or a framework to explain all of the physics in the universe.

But in the new study, researchers suggest they may have found a clue to solving that problem: by making time a consequence of quantum entanglement , the weird connection between two far-apart particles. The team published their findings May 10 in the journal Physical Review A .

"There exists a way to introduce time which is consistent with both classical laws and quantum laws, and is a manifestation of entanglement," first author Alessandro Coppo , a physicist at the National Research Council of Italy, told Live Science. "The correlation between the clock and the system creates the emergence of time, a fundamental ingredient in our lives."

It's about time

In quantum mechanics , our best theory of the microscopic world, time is a fixed phenomenon  an inexorable, unidirectional flow from the past to the present. It remains external from the bizarre and ever-changing quantum systems it measures and can be seen only by observing changes to outside entities, such as the hands of a clock.

Related: Atoms squished closer together than ever before, revealing seemingly impossible quantum effects

Yet, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity  which describes larger objects, such as our bodies, stars and galaxies  time is interwoven with space and can be warped and dilated at high speeds or in the presence of gravity. This leaves our two best theories of reality at a fundamental impasse. Without its resolution, a coherent theory of everything remains out of reach.

"It seems there is a serious inconsistency in quantum theory," Coppo said. "This is what we call the problem of time."

To resolve this problem, the researchers turned to a theory called the Page and Wootters mechanism. First proposed in 1983, the theory suggests that time emerges for one object through its quantum entanglement with another acting as a clock. For an unentangled system, on the other hand, time does not exist, and the system perceives the universe as frozen and unchanging.

By applying the Page and Wootters mechanism to two entangled but noninteracting theoretical quantum states  one a vibrating harmonic oscillator and the other a set of tiny magnets acting as a clock  the physicists found that their system could be perfectly described by the Schrodinger equation , which predicts the behavior of quantum objects. Yet, in place of time, their version of the famous equation ran according to the states of the tiny magnets acting as a clock.

This insight is not new, but the team's next step was. They repeated their calculations twice, assuming first that the magnet clock and then the harmonic oscillator were macroscopic (larger) objects. Their equations simplified into those for classical physics, suggesting that time's flow is a consequence of entanglement even for objects on large scales.

"We strongly believe that the correct and logical direction is to start from quantum physics and understand how to reach classical physics, not the other way around," Coppo said.

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Other physicists have expressed caution. Despite finding the Page and Wootters mechanism a fascinating idea for the quantum origins of time, they said it has yet to produce anything testable.

"Yes, it is mathematically consistent to think of the universal time as the entanglement between quantum fields and quantum states of 3D space," Vlatko Vedral , a professor of quantum information science at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the work, told Live Science. "However, no one knows if anything new or fruitful will come out of this picture  such as modifications to quantum physics and general relativity, and corresponding experimental tests."

Despite these doubts, building ground-up theories of time from quantum mechanics may nonetheless be a promising place to start  so long as they can be shaped to fit experiments.

"Maybe there is something about entanglement where it plays a role," Adam Frank , a theoretical physicist at the University of Rochester in New York who was not involved in the study, told Live Science. "Maybe the only way to understand time is not from some God's-eye perspective, but from the inside, from a perspective of asking what is it about life that manifests such an appearance of the world."
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JD Vance will introduce himself to the American public in a speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Dont be surprised if he makes a good impression.

Vance has a good story about himself to tell, and he can tell it eloquently, as readers of his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, know. And thats to say nothing of those beautiful blue eyes that Donald Trump reportedly found so captivating when he was choosing Vance to be his running mate.

Whether Vance can charm more Americans into voting for the Trump ticket in November is another matter.

Many Republican strategists hope that Vance, the Ohio senator knownforhisTrumpy brand ofconservatism, can help rally voters in the industrial Midwest. Its no coincidence that the campaign has scheduled his first joint appearance with Trump to take place on Saturday in Michigan, where Vances history of bashing free trade and speaking up for striking auto workers last fall will find friendly audiences.

But the available evidence suggests that Vance mainly appeals to constituencies that Trump already commands, like white working-class men. Even when Vance was winning his Senate seat back in 2022, he lost among women voters, according to exitpolling, performing 10 points worse than both his Democratic opponent and the Republican governor seeking reelection on the same ballot.

Women in Ohio may have been reacting to Vances opposition to abortion rights or to his suggestion at a 2021 event that they should be more willing to stay in abusive marriages. Or maybe it was the time Vance told Tucker Carlson (then still on Fox News) that the country was being run by childless cat ladies.

Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), could be in a position to influence his administrations governing agenda and the future of America. Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Regardless, it would seem that nationally, Vance has more potential to boost turnout among already sympathetic voters than to attract skeptical ones, which is what Marco Rubio might have done for Latinos or Nikki Haley for college-educated suburbanites had Trump picked either of them.

But if you support the Democrats and are taking comfort in that prediction, you might want to contemplate what could happen if Vance ends up in the White House. More than any vice president in recent memory, he could be in a position to influence his administrations governing agenda and the future of America.

Its all because of the unique circumstances of the election  and the unique governing style of Trump.

The President Who Didnt Like Governing

Among the many ironies about Trump, who wants so badly to be president again, is that he has so little interest in the daily work of governing.

He famously has no patience for policy detail and prefers advisers keep briefing memos to a single page. He likes the pomp of public appearances, and he certainly enjoys negotiating. But as many reporters have observed  and I too heard repeatedly while researching my history of the Affordable Care Act debates  its the determination to win, more than the urge to achieve things, that drives Trump.

Thats why Trump, in his first term, outsourced substantive work on policy whenever he could. Inside the White House, he leaned heavily on his advisers with experience at governing: figures like former chiefs of staff Reince Priebus and John Kelly, budget director Mick Mulvaney and, of course, Vice President Mike Pence. In Congress, Trump deferred to GOP leaders, especially former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

In the end, Trump wasnt able to accomplish much in the way of lasting legislation, aside from his 2017 tax cut. And while Trump obviously had a more lasting impact with his judicial nominations, including the three justices he put on the Supreme Court, he frequently failed at issuing regulations and had only partial success at redirecting foreign policy.

It wasnt for lack of trying, and theres no single or agreed-upon explanation for why Trump didnt fare better. But you can make a good case that a big factor was the mismatch between Trumps instincts  a nontraditional, ill-defined mix of nativism, isolationism, populism and authoritarianism  and the priorities of his advisers and allies, most of whom came from the Republican establishment.

Enter, Vance.

He too can supply policy knowledge, just as Trumps first-term advisers and allies did.And like those former advisers, Vance is generally a reliable conservative  the kind who once signed the famous no new taxes pledge and who gets perfect ratings from right-wing groups like Americans for Prosperity.

But Vance breaks with old-fashioned, business-oriented GOP orthodoxy in ways that match Trumps own apostasies almost perfectly. Whether its the nativism (Vance is a hero to anti-immigration groups), the isolationism (Vance has led the fight against support for Ukraine), the populism (Vance worked with Elizabeth Warren on anti-banking legislation) or the authoritarianism (Vance said he would have backed Trumps effort to recognize Trumps false electors in 2020).

Vance would still have to vie for influence, as any member of Trumps administration would. But he has already proven himself to be unusually adept at ingratiating himself with Trump and, no less importantly, with Trumps family. (Hes become especially close with Donald Trump Jr., according to multiple accounts.)

Vance can also draw on outside support for lobbying and information, which are two crucial weapons in White House power struggles.

One of those sources could be industry titans who, as HuffPosts Christopher Mathias has chronicled, have been promoting Vance ever since he went to work for Silicon Valley financier and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel more than a decade ago. Another could be the network of conservative intellectuals who are part of the New Right and helped put together Project 2025, a set of principles and proposals designed to give a second-term Trump precisely the sort of policy roadmap he didnt have in 2017.

A Lame-Duck Presidency, An Heir Apparent

But Vances biggest asset inside the White House could be his position as Trumpsheir apparent. Unless Trump figures out how to suspend the constitution, Vance is likely to run for the presidency in 2028. Hed have strong odds of winning the nomination and, inevitably, a pretty good shot in the general election too.

The timing is highly unusual. Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden werent assumed to be four years away from their own serious shot at the presidency when they joined their tickets. Neither was Kamala Harris, even if conservative conspiracy theorists thought so (and even if she actually could end up the nominee this November if Biden decides at the last minute to step aside).

With the prospect of Vance becoming president so real and so immediate, at least in political time, other Trump officials would have more reason to curry his favor and less incentive to challenge him. Its human nature: Youre going to think twice about marginalizing somebody who could have even more power in just four years, especially if that power includes the ability to decide whether you still have a job.

None of this is guaranteed, even if Trump wins. Even as a vice president and likely 2028 GOP front-runner, Vance could still fall out of favor by crossing Trump himself, as has been known to happen in Trumps chaotic world.

Vance could also fail at trying to push an agenda. Turning ideas into policies requires skills like understanding how to coordinate with congressional committees or knowing how to navigate the rules of the federal bureaucracy, which even some of the most gifted politicians take decades to develop. Vance has spent less than two years in elected office.

Still, the ability to manipulate the levers of a democratic government matters a lot less if the focus of your efforts is actually undermining democratic government  say, by ignoring the Supreme Court or firing agency officials en masse. Or maybe just contesting legitimate election results.

Vance has advocated all of those steps, which, by the way, could help him stay in office  and wield power  long after Trump is gone. Wednesday nights speech could be a glimpse of the future in more ways than one.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Naomi Pomeroy, an author and award-winning chef who competed on Top Chef Masters, died in a tragic accident in an Oregon river on Saturday, authorities said. She was 49.

Pomeroy drowned in the Willamette River near Corvallis after the group she was tubing with got caught on an exposed snag in the water, the Benton County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Pomeroy was pulled under the water and trapped by a paddle board leash attached to her, Captain Chris Duffitt said. The group had tied their inner tubes and paddle board together.

Authorities said they safely recovered the other two people on the shore and transported them to a boat launch.

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The sheriffs office said it is still working to recover Pomeroys body. It searched the area using sonar, underwater cameras and drones but was unable to find it due to heavy debris.

I am dedicated to locating Naomi to bring her home to her family and loved ones, Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall said in a statement. I want to thank all involved in the search and recovery mission and support during this difficult time.

Naomi Pomeroy on Top Chef Masters, undated (Photo by Nicole Wilder/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Close friends and those who worked alongside Pomeroy told Nexstars KOIN that she helped shape Portland into a culinary destination.

She was a rockstar chef, said Portland foodie Gary Okazaki. When they write the history of the Portland culinary scene, shes going to have her own chapter.

Okazaki, a longtime patron and one of her countless fans, fondly remembers dining at her communal restaurant, Beast, where you could watch her do her magic in the open kitchen.

It was it was her personality, the cult of personality of Naomi. Just the magnetism. When she was around, you could feel it, he said. Diners flocked to Beast, and at one point it was considered maybe the best restaurant in Portland.

KOIN spoke with Pomeroy during the pandemic after she closed Beast. She talked about fighting to keep the food industry alive both in Portland and across the country.

Barstools Dave Portnoy rescued by Coast Guard

Pomeroy is one of the founders of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a group calling on Congress to pass a $120 billion fund to help restaurants and their laid-off workers.

Now, Okazaki said, Pomeroys lasting legacy is Expatriate, a bar that she owned with her husband. The bar temporarily closed Monday as they grieve her death.

He also said Pomeroy was in the process of opening another restaurant which is slated to be at the site of the former Woodsman Tavern on Southeast Division. Another friend told KOIN that Pomeroy had just gone to New York to do research for this new bistro and was ready to start.

Whenever I saw her, she was incredibly generous and kind and hospitable. And she always had a big smile on her face when she saw me, Okazaki said. And I feel for Kyle Webster, her husband, and especially her daughter August. I cant imagine what theyre going through right now.

Naomi Pomeroys Expatriate in Northeast Portland was closed after news of her death became known, July 15, 2024 (KOIN)

Naomi Pomeroys Expatriate in Northeast Portland was closed after news of her death became known, July 15, 2024 (KOIN)

Naomi Pomeroys Expatriate in Northeast Portland was closed after news of her death became known, July 15, 2024 (KOIN)

Naomi Pomeroy on Top Chef Masters, undated (Photo by Nicole Wilder/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Portland Chef Naomi Pomeroy, 2021 (KOIN, file)

Portland Chef Naomi Pomeroy, 2021 (KOIN, file)

People stopped to leave flowers, notes, candles and cards outside Cornet Custard in Northeast Portland over the death of noted Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy, July 15, 2024 (KOIN)

Heather Wallberg, who owns Gabbianos, across from Expatriate, reiterated that Pomeroy made the Portland food scene what it is today.

Wallberg, whos been in the business for more than a decade, said its a tight-knit corner of restaurant owners. She said she reached out to Expatriate to offer whatever help they need.

Events like this reminds you of the fragility of life, she said.

Longtime friend Bryon Beck summed up the feelings of many.

We love her and will miss her so much, Beck said.

In a statement to KOIN, Rep. Earl Blumenauer said: What a loss. Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being. Her impact went far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed.

Ryan Magarian of Oven & Shaker also released the following statement: I have no words for the immediate emotion on this to be honest. In remembering her at this moment, though, all I can say is that the Portland Restaurant Community lost a GIANT todayan all time Portland Advocate and Artisan. Over a span of two decades, no culinary talent has made a mark on this city in the way that she didfrom her early years doing Family Suppers and Ripe to Top Chef to Beast to Expatriate with her husband Kyle. This is an unimaginable moment and loss, and my heart especially hurts for her family right now.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Topeka ER & Hospital will be giving people free admission to the Topeka Zoo this weekend along with a special giveaway of two pairs of tickets to the Jelly Roll and Warren Zeiders Concert for its fourth anniversary.

Topeka ER & Hospital will be holding the anniversary event at the Topeka Zoo this Saturday, July 20. The first 500 guests at the event will get in free. The event will go from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Two pairs of tickets to the Jelly Roll and Warren Zeiders Concert will be given away in partnership with 94.5 Country Radio as part of the Summer Concert Roadtrip.

We are incredibly pleased to serve Topeka and the surrounding communities, said Jared Schreiner, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Topeka ER & Hospital. Weve expanded access for over 22,000 patients in need of prompt emergency care. We have seen growth in our inpatient care as well as the number of people choosing our outpatient advanced imaging and laboratory services.

K-State professor gets life-threatening meat allergy from tick

Attendees will be able to purchase a variety of treats from Pineapple Dream, Kona Ice and Sunflowers Cafe & Grill.

This event is to celebrate another year of success, and to celebrate our patients and their families who have entrusted us with their emergency care year after year, said Karly Rogers, Director of Operations for Topeka ER & Hospital.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Cars are partially submerged in flood waters in the Don Valley following heavy rain in Toronto. Arlyn Mcadorey/Canadian Press via ZUMA Press/dpa

Torrential rain has flooded streets and caused widespread power outages in Toronto, according to the Canadian Press news agency.

On Tuesday alone, the fire brigade rescued 14 people from their cars on the Don Valley Parkway city motorway which connects the north part of the city and downtown Toronto.

Photos showed some vehicles submerged up to their roofs.

Firefighters also freed people trapped in stalled lifts and other enclosed spaces. There were initially no reports of injuries or major damage.

The deluge affected several main roads and Union Station, a major transport hub in the city.

Flooding occurred in many communities in the greater Toronto area, which was also hit by heavy rainfall. Here too, parts of roads and motorways were suddenly underwater, and many cars were stranded, according to the Canadian Press.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed alarm, the agency wrote.

"We really seriously have to deal with climate change because these kinds of days are going to be a lot more frequent," Chow told reporters. In view of the storm, she said that preventive measures against flooding would now be reviewed.

Cars are partially submerged in flood waters in the Don Valley following heavy rain in Toronto. Arlyn Mcadorey/Canadian Press via ZUMA Press/dpa
After nearly two hours of debate, the Lakewood City Council narrowly voted to allow police to remove people camping on public property and their belongings after giving them 24 hours to vacate, mirroring language of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

An amendment to postpone the vote until next month to give council more time to discuss the topic failed Monday, as did an amendment that would have made the ordinance enforceable only if the person refused available shelter services. Itll go into effect in 30 days.

Last month the Supreme Court upheld an Oregon citys ban on people sleeping outdoors even if no shelter beds were available, saying the city of Grant Pass didnt violate the Constitutions prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling gave cities and municipalities more authority to enforce bans on camping in public spaces.

The ordinance Lakewood passed, on a 3-2 vote with two council members excused, would ban anyone from sleeping on public sidewalks, streets or alleyways, as well as any property abutting a public sidewalk.

If the person does not vacate after a 24-hour notice, the Lakewood Police Department is now authorized to remove the campsite, litter and all personal belongings there. Any personal property that is not disposed of or held as evidence would be stored by the Police Department for at least 30 days, the ordinance said. Anyone found to be in violation of the ordinance could be cited for civil infraction and barred from city parks and facilities for 30 days, according to the ordinance.

In addition to any other remedy provided by law, any person found in violation of this section may be immediately removed from the premises, the ordinance states.

The ordinance passed without amendments, with Mayor Jason Whalen, Deputy Mayor Mary Moss and council member Ryan Pearson voting in favor. Council members Mike Brandstetter and J. Trestin Lauricella voted against. Council members Paul Bocchi and Patti Belle were excused.

City officials said the ordinance is intended to maintain public spaces and public safety and be one tool of many to address issues related to homelessness. City spokesperson Brynn Grimley told The News Tribune on Wednesday the ordinance itself doesnt stipulate any criminal sanctions or fines, but if the person is violating other sections of either city code or state law that have fines or criminal consequences, that would be enforced.

Last year the Lakewood City Council banned overnight camping on public property within 15 miles of Lakewood City Hall and also banned the use and disposal of dangerous drugs in public. Violating that overnight camping ordinance could result in a misdemeanor and violating the dangerous drug ordinance could result in a gross misdemeanor, as previously reported by The News Tribune.

At Mondays meeting Whalen emphasized the importance of the council taking immediate action and giving the Lakewood Police Department more tools to address homelessness.

The focus is not to punish homelessness, and, yes, we all believe in being compassionate, he said. I think what we are doing is being compassionate because sometimes compassion requires tough love, in my opinion.

Three strikes or else?

At Mondays meeting Capt. Peter Johnson, who oversees the Lakewood Police Departments patrol division that will be enforcing the ban, told the council his team is good at connecting with people experiencing homelessness, but its been very limiting not having any legal ramifications to a lot of these issues.

Johnson said his team routinely hands out all-day bus passes and informs people about emergency-housing options, as well as food options, substance-abuse treatment programs and mental health access.

We understand that there are needs  and we want to meet those, he said. Unfortunately, what we come up against right now is often people, they know we have those resources, we offer those and because they dont have to take them, they dont. They dont want to meet the low-threshold and barriers they need to meet to go into those programs.

Moving forward, Johnson said, he envisions his team working similarly to how its working now. Police will inform people they are violating the law, issue a warning and connect them to resources, he said. If someone continues to violate the ordinance, the officer will write a formal trespass report.

If you choose to do it a third time, thats when this new law would come into play, after weve exhausted someone utilizing their own agency to either get help or move elsewhere if they dont want to darken a doorway in Lakewood where they know its privately owned or public property, Johnson said.

The department has built a storage facility that could be used to store seized property, he said.

City attorney Heidi Wachter said Monday that Pierce County has several therapeutic courts that offer intensive wrap-around services as well as a Veterans Treatment Court for people who served in the armed forces.

We have avenues, once they are in the criminal justice system, to plug them into services yet again, just with a different motivation this time, Wachter said.

Knee-jerk reaction? Others say time is of the essence

City officials say Lakewood is already doing a lot to address homelessness and the affordable housing crisis and this ordinance is another tool. Not everyone on the council agreed.

Council member Brandstetter said Lakewood isnt dealing with the level of encampments Grants Pass was seeing and should use the opportunity to engage with the community and be less reliant on the Police Department.

Bragging about this and saying were doing enough is a bit self-serving and not really the case, Brandstetter said. I think our reaction to the Supreme Court decision by just modeling a new ordinance after a Grants Pass ordinance is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.

Efforts from Brandstetter to push back the vote to Aug. 19 failed, as did an amendment that would have not given the Police Department authority to remove a campsite and all personal property after a 24-hour notice to vacate.

Council member Lauricella also expressed concerns about the council effectively criminalizing people who are experiencing homelessness and dont have anywhere else to go by passing the ordinance. An amendment he brought forth that would have made the ordinance enforceable only after someone refused shelter services failed.

Whalen said despite some of the citys best efforts to provide services, shelter, food, mental health services and transportation to people experiencing homelessness, We still have challenges with a few folks choosing to hang out here on public property because they can, not because they have to, in my opinion.

Those people create a deleterious impact on our public amenities here in Lakewood, he said. I dont believe that we need to overly accommodate the few to the detriment of the other 99% of the residents in the city, given all the work we have done today. I am fine having another discussion about what we can do. What Im not fine with is further kicking the can down the road.

Deputy Mayor Moss said she supported approving the ordinance Monday.

The more we procrastinate, the larger the groups going to get, she said. Weve managed to keep our number of people low, not out, but low. But if we dont put something and take it to the next step thats where Im having a challenge of not delaying it.

Council member Pearson said he hopes the ordinance is a way to get people out of inhumane living conditions by encouraging them to make a different choice.

I think the community, businesses, everyones been looking for something like this, he said.
The family cemetery in Breathitt County where J.D. Vance's grandparents and other ancestors were laid to rest, a place he evoked in a recent speech. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Kevin Nance)

JACKSON  In the 24 hours after J.D. Vance became Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps running mate, Stephen Bowling, director of the Breathitt County Public Library, fielded more than a dozen calls from news media outlets large and small.

J.D. Vance is scheduled to speak at 9:31 p.m. Central Time, says the RNC schedule.

The place that Vance in his best-selling memoir wrote would always have my heart is back in the spotlight, as the freshman U.S. senator from Ohio prepares to address a national television audience and the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Searching for traces of Vance in his ancestral home takes you down winding blacktop through the deep shade of creeksides, past bright fields of Queen Annes lace and bottomland plots of corn. It takes you onto peoples porches to ask directions, where, contrary to popular stereotype, an approaching stranger is no big deal. It takes you into a place that is steeped in political violence.

Bloody Breathitt, as it came to be known, was the scene of one of Appalachias deadliest feuds.

The violence unfolded in the late 19th century at a time of economic upheaval that sometimes inflamed lingering Civil War animosities. The arrival of the railroad and the coal industry set off a boom that created winners and losers and an explosion of wealth that Bowling says communities struggled to manage.

We still shoot at each other today, he adds. We just do it on Facebook. We still shoot a warning shot over peoples heads. We snipe at people. We do it from a keyboard.

Still a place of conflicting political loyalties, Breathitt County votes Republican in national elections while most of the voters and local elected officials remain registered Democrats. Breathitt sent a Democrat to the Kentucky House until Republicans redrew the district. In both his runs for president, Republican Donald Trump carried Breathitt. So did Democrat Andy Beshear in both his runs for governor.

Breathitt Countys 13,500 residents have not escaped the bitter polarization dividing the country, says Mark Wireman, who was giving a tour to a reporter from a national news outlet.

Wireman, who was Gatewood Galbraiths running mate in the 2007 Kentucky Democratic primary for governor, describes himself now as a Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, Mike Lee Republican. Wireman worries the nations debt is unsustainable and blames President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for kicking that can down the road.

A longtime family friend who knows Vance, Wireman says the former Marine, Yale Law School graduate and recent venture capitalist is intelligent, conscientious, God-fearing.

I guess Im happy for him. Some people, his family are scared for him due to what is going on in the country, a reference to last weekends assassination attempt on Trump. Its a crazy time. Ill be praying for him and the country.

Vances grandparents migrated to Middletown, Ohio, where his grandfather worked in an Armco steel mill and where Vance was born in 1984. The family often returned to Breathitt County, where Vance also spent time during summer vacations.

Vance evoked his Kentucky roots in a speech July 10 at a conference organized by the New Right group National Conservatism in which he criticized U.S military aid to Ukraine, free trade policies and immigration. Building to a conclusion, he spoke of driving down Kentucky Route 15 to Jackson where all my relatives came from, the deep heart of Central Appalachia and recalled proposing to his wife. I said, honey, I come along with $120,000 worth of law school debt and a cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky.

He said he hopes he, his wife and children will be laid to rest in that small mountain cemetery, bringing its inhabitants to seven generations of people who have built this country, who have made things in this country, and who would fight and die to protect this country if they were asked to.

Whitney Haddix said a friend sent her a clip from Vances speech and his words touched her. Haddix, her husband, Brandon, and their three children live just a few hundred yards down the hill from Vances family cemetery, one of countless small cemeteries dotting the mountains.

I feel like he remembered where he came from, that he has appreciation for where he came from and that he hasnt forgotten, and that means more than words, she said. We are not Eastern Kentucky hillbillies. We are not just barefoot and pregnant. We are human beings who actually work hard and who do our best and who are the type of people who will take their shirt off their back to help people. Thats what we do. Thats whats ingrained in us.

The Haddix familys home is near Frozen Creek in a three-acre clearing on the edge of a steep old forest; they also own her grandparents nearby farm. Vance has bought more than 100 acres in the area, a buffer that protects the cemetery and tombstone of Bonnie Blanton Vance, the beloved mamaw who brought stability to a childhood roiled by Vances mothers addiction.

Sitting on her porch, under which a litter of kittens played, Whitney Haddix said, I feel like J.D. Vance would do what is right. I feel like he would fight for our country. Im not a Republican. Im not a Democrat. I go with what I feel, but I feel as though we need somebody who will stand up for us, for the people they are elected to protect and take care of.

A registered nurse, Haddix also praises Democrat Beshear, especially for his leadership during the pandemic.

We are Trump supporters, she said, adding, intriguingly, that she also is waiting to see who the Democrats nominate for president.

Breathitt residents are aware that the book that put a 31-year-old Vance on the national stage in 2016 to explain the working-class white backlash that helped elect Trump also spurred a backlash among Appalachians. Hillbilly Elegy has been criticized for perpetuating the worst stereotypes about the region and its people. The memoir was made into a Netflix movie by producer Ron Howard.

J.D. Vance is not representative of the Appalachia I know and love, says Mandi Fugate Sheffel, a Breathitt County resident and founder and owner of a bookstore in nearby Hazard. Hes not for working people.

She says she guides customers browsing the Read Spotted Newts Appalachian section to books that provide a more complete, nuanced view than Hillbilly Elegy of the regions ethnic and racial diversity and its complexity, including the systemic forces and extractive industries that have saddled it with widespread poverty.

She recommends Elizabeths Cattes What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia and Appalachian Reckoning published by the West Virginia University Press; memoirs Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia and No Son of Mine by Jonathan Corcoran (University Press of Kentucky), and fiction by Silas House and Robert Gipe.

Its so frustrating that people who live away from here think Hillbilly Elegy is the narrative of Appalachia.  It gives them permission to believe everything they believed about Appalachia and to write off the region as unredeemable and unworthy of attention and assistance. She said Vance leaned into his Appalachian roots so he could brag about overcoming them and that he has flip-flopped from his earlier opposition to Trump.

Bowling, the library director, says Vance accurately portrayed his family over the years. The book became a bigger symbol of Appalachia than he intended. If any place has a right to be aggrieved by Vances portrayal, says Bowling, its his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Vance returns to Breathitt County fairly often to pay respects with family at the cemetery and to visit the public library, where he and his sister sometimes research family history, though less frequently, says Bowling, since winning the 2022 Senate race.

Behind the cash register at Indian Hollow Liquors in Jackson, Aaron Combs said hes familiar with Vances story and local connections. But Vances joining the GOP ticket does not seem to have swayed his view of the presidential choices awaiting voters. I dont like either one of them, to be honest.

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Headstones mark the family cemetery in Breathitt County where J.D. Vances grandparents and other ancestors were laid to rest.

The family cemetery in Breathitt County where J.D. Vances grandparents and other ancestors were laid to rest, a place he evoked in a recent speech. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Kevin Nance)

JACKSON, Kentucky  In the 24 hours after J.D. Vance became Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps running mate, Stephen Bowling, city council member and director of the Breathitt County Public Library, fielded more than a dozen calls from news media outlets large and small.

J.D. Vance is scheduled to speak at 9:31 p.m. Central, the RNC schedule says.

The place that Vance in his best-selling memoir wrote would always have my heart is back in the spotlight, as the freshman U.S. senator from Ohio prepares to address a national television audience and the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Searching for traces of Vance in his ancestral home takes you down winding blacktop through the deep shade of creeksides, past bright fields of Queen Annes lace and bottomland plots of corn. It takes you onto peoples porches to ask directions, where, contrary to popular stereotype, an approaching stranger is no big deal. It takes you into a place that is steeped in political violence.

Bloody Breathitt, as it came to be known, was the scene of one of Appalachias deadliest feuds.

Stephen Bowling, executive director of the Breathitt County Public Library, has been fielding calls from national media since former President Donald Trump chose J.D. Vance as his running mate. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Kevin Nance)

The violence unfolded in the late 19th century at a time of economic upheaval that sometimes inflamed lingering Civil War animosities. The arrival of the railroad and the coal industry set off a boom that created winners and losers and an explosion of wealth that Bowling says communities struggled to manage.

We still shoot at each other today, he adds. We just do it on Facebook. We still shoot a warning shot over peoples heads. We snipe at people. We do it from a keyboard.

Still a place of conflicting political loyalties, Breathitt County votes Republican in national elections while most of the voters and local elected officials are still registered Democrats. Breathitt sent a Democrat to the Kentucky House until Republicans redrew the district. In both his runs for president, Republican Donald Trump carried Breathitt. So did Democrat Andy Beshear in both his runs for governor.

Breathitt Countys 13,500 residents have not escaped the bitter polarization dividing the country, says Mark Wireman, who was giving a tour to a reporter from a national news outlet.

Vance often spent summer vacations with family who lived in the area around Panbowl Branch and Lake in Breathitt County. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Kevin Nance)

Wireman, who was Gatewood Galbraiths running mate in the 2007 Kentucky Democratic primary for governor, describes himself now as a Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, Mike Lee Republican. Wireman worries the nations debt is unsustainable and blames President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for kicking that can down the road.

A longtime family friend who knows Vance, Wireman says the former Marine, Yale Law School graduate and recent venture capitalist is intelligent, conscientious, God-fearing.

I guess Im happy for him. Some people, his family are scared for him due to what is going on in the country, a reference to last weekends assassination attempt on Trump. Its a crazy time. Ill be praying for him and the country.

Vances grandparents migrated to Middletown, Ohio, where his grandfather worked in an Armco steel mill and where Vance was born in 1984. The family often returned to Breathitt County, where Vance also spent time during summer vacations.

The hillside plot where Vances maternal grandparents are buried. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Kevin Nance)

Vance evoked his Kentucky roots in a speech July 10 at a conference organized by the New Right group National Conservatism in which he criticized U.S military aid to Ukraine, free trade policies and immigration. He spoke of driving down Kentucky Route 15 to Jackson where all my relatives came from, the deep heart of Central Appalachia and recalled proposing to his wife. I said, Honey, I come along with $120,000 worth of law school debt and a cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky.

He said he hopes he, his wife and children will be laid to rest in that small mountain cemetery, bringing its inhabitants to seven generations of people who have built this country, who have made things in this country, and who would fight and die to protect this country if they were asked to.

Whitney Haddix said a friend sent her a clip from Vances speech and his words touched her. Haddix, her husband, Brandon, and their three children live just a few hundred yards down the hill from Vances family cemetery, one of countless small cemeteries dotting the mountains.

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I feel like he remembered where he came from, that he has appreciation for where he came from and that he hasnt forgotten, and that means more than words, she said. We are not Eastern Kentucky hillbillies. We are not just barefoot and pregnant. We are human beings who actually work hard and who do our best and who are the type of people who will take their shirt off their back to help people. Thats what we do. Thats whats ingrained in us.

The Haddix familys home is near Frozen Creek in a three-acre clearing on the edge of a steep old forest; they also own her grandparents nearby farm. Vance has bought more than 100 acres in the area, a buffer that protects the cemetery and tombstone of Bonnie Blanton Vance, the beloved mamaw who brought stability to a childhood roiled by Vances mothers addiction.

Sitting on her porch, under which a litter of kittens played, Whitney Haddix said, I feel like J.D. Vance would do what is right. I feel like he would fight for our country. Im not a Republican. Im not a Democrat. I go with what I feel, but I feel as though we need somebody who will stand up for us, for the people they are elected to protect and take care of.

A registered nurse, Haddix also praises Democrat Beshear, especially for his leadership during the pandemic.

We are Trump supporters, she said, adding, intriguingly, that she also is waiting to see who the Democrats nominate for president.

Breathitt residents are aware that the book that put a 31-year-old Vance on the national stage in 2016 to explain the working-class white backlash that helped elect Trump also spurred a backlash among Appalachians. Hillbilly Elegy has been criticized for perpetuating the worst stereotypes about the region and its people. The memoir was made into a Netflix movie by producer Ron Howard.

J.D. Vance is not representative of the Appalachia I know and love, says Mandi Fugate Sheffel, a Breathitt County resident and founder and owner of a bookstore in nearby Hazard. Hes not for working people.

She says she guides customers browsing the Read Spotted Newts Appalachian section to books that provide a more complete, nuanced view than Hillbilly Elegy of the regions ethnic and racial diversity and its complexity, including the systemic forces and extractive industries that have saddled it with widespread poverty.

She recommends Elizabeths Cattes What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia and Appalachian Reckoning published by the West Virginia University Press as well as fiction by Silas House and Robert Gipe.

Its so frustrating that people who live away from here think Hillbilly Elegy is the narrative of Appalachia.  It gives them permission to believe everything they believed about Appalachia and to write off the region as unredeemable and unworthy of attention and assistance. She said Vance leaned into his Appalachian roots so he could brag about overcoming them and that he has flip-flopped from his earlier opposition to Trump.

Bowling, the library director, says Vance accurately portrayed his family over the years. The book became a bigger symbol of Appalachia than he intended. If any place has a right to be aggrieved by Vances portrayal, says Bowling, its his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Vance returns to Breathitt County fairly often to pay respects with family at the cemetery and to visit the public library, where he and his sister sometimes research family history, though less frequently, says Bowling, since winning the 2022 Senate race.

Behind the cash register at Indian Hollow Liquors in Jackson, Aaron Combs said hes familiar with Vances story and local connections but his joining the ticket does not seem to have swayed his view of the presidential choices awaiting voters. I dont like either one of them, to be honest.

U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, celebrate as he is nominated for the office of vice president alongside Ohio Delegate Bernie Moreno on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his partys presidential nomination. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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This report was first published by Kentucky Lantern, part of the States Newsroom nonprofit news network. Its supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and X.
The family cemetery in Breathitt County where J.D. Vances grandparents and other ancestors were laid to rest, a place he evoked in a recent speech

The family cemetery in Breathitt County where J.D. Vances grandparents and other ancestors were laid to rest, a place he evoked in a recent speech. (Kevin Nance for Kentucky Lantern)

JACKSON  In the 24 hours after J.D. Vance became Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps running mate, Stephen Bowling, city council member and director of the Breathitt County Public Library, fielded more than a dozen calls from news media outlets large and small.

The place that Vance in his best-selling memoir wrote would always have my heart is back in the spotlight, as the freshman U.S. senator from Ohio prepares to address a national television audience and the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Searching for traces of Vance in his ancestral home takes you down winding blacktop through the deep shade of creeksides, past bright fields of Queen Annes lace and bottomland plots of corn. It takes you onto peoples porches to ask directions, where, contrary to popular stereotype, an approaching stranger is no big deal. It takes you into a place that is steeped in political violence.

Bloody Breathitt, as it came to be known, was the scene of one of Appalachias deadliest feuds.

The violence unfolded in the late 19th century at a time of economic upheaval that sometimes inflamed lingering Civil War animosities. The arrival of the railroad and the coal industry set off a boom that created winners and losers and an explosion of wealth that Bowling says communities struggled to manage.

We still shoot at each other today, he adds. We just do it on Facebook. We still shoot a warning shot over peoples heads. We snipe at people. We do it from a keyboard.

Stephen Bowling, executive director of the Breathitt County Public Library, has been fielding calls from national media since former President Donald Trump chose J.D. Vance as his running mate.

Still a place of conflicting political loyalties, Breathitt County votes Republican in national elections while most of the voters and local elected officials remain registered Democrats. Breathitt sent a Democrat to the Kentucky House until Republicans redrew the district. In both his runs for president, Republican Donald Trump carried Breathitt. So did Democrat Andy Beshear in both his runs for governor.

Breathitt Countys 13,500 residents have not escaped the bitter polarization dividing the country, says Mark Wireman, who was giving a tour to a reporter from a national news outlet.

Wireman, who was Gatewood Galbraiths running mate in the 2007 Kentucky Democratic primary for governor, describes himself now as a Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, Mike Lee Republican. Wireman worries the nations debt is unsustainable and blames President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for kicking that can down the road.

A longtime family friend who knows Vance, Wireman says the former Marine, Yale Law School graduate and recent venture capitalist is intelligent, conscientious, God-fearing.

I guess Im happy for him. Some people, his family are scared for him due to what is going on in the country, a reference to last weekends assassination attempt on Trump. Its a crazy time. Ill be praying for him and the country.

Vances grandparents migrated to Middletown, Ohio, where his grandfather worked in an Armco steel mill and where Vance was born in 1984. The family often returned to Breathitt County, where Vance also spent time during summer vacations.

Vance often spent summer vacations with family who lived in the area around Panbowl Branch and Panbowl Lake in Breathitt County

Vance evoked his Kentucky roots in a speech July 10 at a conference organized by the New Right group National Conservatism in which he criticized U.S military aid to Ukraine, free trade policies and immigration. Building to a conclusion, he spoke of driving down Kentucky Route 15 to Jackson where all my relatives came from, the deep heart of Central Appalachia and recalled proposing to his wife. I said, honey, I come along with $120,000 worth of law school debt and a cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky.

He said he hopes he, his wife and children will be laid to rest in that small mountain cemetery, bringing its inhabitants to seven generations of people who have built this country, who have made things in this country, and who would fight and die to protect this country if they were asked to.

Whitney Haddix said a friend sent her a clip from Vances speech and his words touched her. Haddix, her husband, Brandon, and their three children live just a few hundred yards down the hill from Vances family cemetery, one of countless small cemeteries dotting the mountains.

I feel like he remembered where he came from, that he has appreciation for where he came from and that he hasnt forgotten, and that means more than words, she said. We are not Eastern Kentucky hillbillies. We are not just barefoot and pregnant. We are human beings who actually work hard and who do our best and who are the type of people who will take their shirt off their back to help people. Thats what we do. Thats whats ingrained in us.

The Haddix familys home is near Frozen Creek in a three-acre clearing on the edge of a steep old forest; they also own her grandparents nearby farm. Vance has bought more than 100 acres in the area, a buffer that protects the cemetery and tombstone of Bonnie Blanton Vance, the beloved mamaw who brought stability to a childhood roiled by Vances mothers addiction.

The hillside plot where Vances maternal grandparents are buried.

Sitting on her porch, under which a litter of kittens played, Whitney Haddix said, I feel like J.D. Vance would do what is right. I feel like he would fight for our country. Im not a Republican. Im not a Democrat. I go with what I feel, but I feel as though we need somebody who will stand up for us, for the people they are elected to protect and take care of.

A registered nurse, Haddix also praises Democrat Beshear, especially for his leadership during the pandemic.

We are Trump supporters, she said, adding, intriguingly, that she also is waiting to see who the Democrats nominate for president.

Breathitt residents are aware that the book that put a 31-year-old Vance on the national stage in 2016 to explain the working-class white backlash that helped elect Trump also spurred a backlash among Appalachians. Hillbilly Elegy has been criticized for perpetuating the worst stereotypes about the region and its people. The memoir was made into a Netflix movie by producer Ron Howard.

J.D. Vance is not representative of the Appalachia I know and love, says Mandi Fugate Sheffel, a Breathitt County resident and founder and owner of a bookstore in nearby Hazard. Hes not for working people.

She says she guides customers browsing the Read Spotted Newts Appalachian section to books that provide a more complete, nuanced view than Hillbilly Elegy of the regions ethnic and racial diversity and its complexity, including the systemic forces and extractive industries that have saddled it with widespread poverty.

U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, celebrate as he is nominated for the office of Vice President on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She recommends Elizabeths Cattes What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia and Appalachian Reckoning published by the West Virginia University Press as well as fiction by Silas House and Robert Gipe.

Its so frustrating that people who live away from here think Hillbilly Elegy is the narrative of Appalachia.  It gives them permission to believe everything they believed about Appalachia and to write off the region as unredeemable and unworthy of attention and assistance. She said Vance leaned into his Appalachian roots so he could brag about overcoming them and that he has flip-flopped from his earlier opposition to Trump.

Bowling, the library director, says Vance accurately portrayed his family over the years. The book became a bigger symbol of Appalachia than he intended. If any place has a right to be aggrieved by Vances portrayal, says Bowling, its his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Vance returns to Breathitt County fairly often to pay respects with family at the cemetery and to visit the public library, where he and his sister sometimes research family history, though less frequently, says Bowling, since winning the 2022 Senate race.

Behind the cash register at Indian Hollow Liquors in Jackson, Aaron Combs said hes familiar with Vances story and local connections. But Vances joining the ticket does not seem to have swayed his view of the presidential choices awaiting voters. I dont like either one of them, to be honest.

This story was produced by Kentucky Lantern, a States Newsroom affiliate.
Travis Scott is lending a hand to those affected by Hurricane Beryl by offering emergency housing to those displaced by the storm in his native Houston area.

Yesterday, Scotts Cactus Jack Foundation partnered with the Houston Food Bank to provide relief in Missouri City, Texas, offering essential aid including water, ice and food. Scotts brother Joshua Webster, sister Jordan Webster and mother Wanda Webster were on hand to help out. Hurricane Beryl, which affected nearly three million homes and businesses, knocked out power for over two million residents in Missouri City, where the drive was held to assist people in need.

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Cactus Jack Foundation partnered with Houston Responds to launch an emergency hotel grant fund for those displaced from their homes, offering temporary housing in nearby hotels. Additionally, those who attended were able to apply for housing grants. Those who couldnt make the drive can request vouchers at Houston Responds site.

Over the past few years, Scotts Foundation has provided humanitarian relief in Houston for residents in need. This past December, he held his fourth annual pop-up Winter Wonderland Park toy and food drive, giving 1,000 families food and toys. Cactus Jack also assisted in the fallout of other natural disasters, launching an emergency food program after Houstons winter storm in early 2021.

The rapper founded the Cactus Jack Foundation in Nov. 2020 and, along with the announcement, launched the HBCU Waymon Webster scholarship program to cover tuition fees for college students who were experiencing financial challenges during the pandemic. The fund was named after his grandfather who attended HBCU Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

Waymon Webster was a dean of the Prairie View A&M graduate school, said Scott at the time. My grandfather wanted me to take it all the way through college. I feel there is a power in education so to be able to give someone the opportunity to fulfill that dream as my papa thought for me is amazing.

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MANATEE COUNTY (WFLA)  Nearly four years ago, authorities were called to the 11300 block of White Rock Terrace in a subdivision called Central Park at Lakewood Ranch for reports of a shooting.

A 911 caller told said his neighbor, Ashley Benefield, ran to his house claiming to have been attacked by her husband, Doug Benefield, who she then shot.

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After five weeks of investigation, deputies charged the then-28-year-old Benefield with second-degree murder.

Officials with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office said throughout the course of the investigation, detectives found no evidence that the woman was acting in self-defense when she shot and killed her 59-year-old husband. A MCSO report stated entry wounds indicate Douglas was shot while facing away from his wife.

The couple was separated and in the middle of a custody battle involving their 2-year-old daughter at the time of the shooting. Investigators learned that since the time Benefield learned she was pregnant, she made several allegations against her husband, but none of the cases involved allegations of physical domestic violence.

During an injunction hearing before the shooting took place, a judge openly advised that she did not find Ashleys story to possess a scintilla of truth' and granted Doug access to visitations with the child.

It appears that Ashley had exhausted all legal means of keeping the child away from Douglas before the shooting, a law enforcement report stated.

Last year, Benefield claimed the shooting was a Stand Your Ground case; however, the court system ruled that defense did not apply to this case.

Benefield, who is out on bond, appeared in court Tuesday for the final hearing ahead of the start of her murder trial.

Outside the courthouse, loved ones, including Benefields daughter marched along Manatee Avenue, chanting for her freedom. Some of their signs read punished for surviving, we stand with Ashley and make self defense legal again.

Following a series of motions Tuesday, Judge Mathew Whyte told Benefield that if she is found guilty, she is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

Benefields attorney declined to comment following the hearing Tuesday.

Jury selection in the case is set to begin on Monday, July 22. The trial is expected to last around two weeks.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  The jury trial for a Farmington man accused of murdering his wife has been delayed for a seventh time, according to court documents.

Jason Dunigan, 42, is accused of killing his wife Amber after her body was found with a gunshot wound in a car off of Arkansas Highway 16 in May 2021.

Dunigan was arrested on a capital murder charge in February 2022 and pleaded not guilty in March 2022.

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This will be the seventh time Dunigans trial has been delayed. According to an order of continuance dated July 16, the trial was postponed because a mental evaluation had not been completed.

September 30, 2022, was the original trial date. It has previously been rescheduled for Jan. 27, April 25, Aug. 3 and Oct. 20, 2023. On January 2, 2024, it was rescheduled to July 16.

Dunigan has a plea hearing set for September 27.

Click here to read the full story of Dunigans arrest.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
Triple-digit temperatures are returning to Sacramento area  along with heat risk

Another heat wave could be creeping into the Sacramento area.

The National Weather Service is forecasting the return of triple-digit temperatures in the capital region starting on Friday.

The weather service said there will be a moderate heat risk from Thursday through Sunday.

This level of heat affects most heat-sensitive groups, especially those without adequate hydration and/or cooling, the agency said. Consider shifting timing of outdoor activities to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Moderate HeatRisk returns late this week along with above-normal temps. This level of heat affects most heat-sensitive groups, especially those without adequate hydration and/or cooling. Consider shifting timing of outdoor activities to avoid the hottest part of the day. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/f6J43deHdo  NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 16, 2024

Whats in the weather forecast for Sacramento?

According to the weather services seven-day forecast, Sacramento will see high temperatures in the 90s and light afternoon winds on Wednesday and Thursday.

The highs will reach around 94 and 99 degrees, respectively.

The low for Wednesday is expected to be around 61 degrees, and Thursdays low will be near 64.

Temperatures will begin soaring in the Sacramento area Friday.

The weather service forecast a high near 102 degrees on Friday with a low near 69.

Saturdays high will be near 100 with a low around 66.

On Sunday, the temperature is expected to reach around 101 degrees. Itll dip to about 68 at night.

The heat will continue into next week, the weather service said, with highs on Monday and Tuesday teetering toward 104 and 105, respectively.

Gavin Toscno, 6, of Rancho Cordova, cools down in a water fountain at Village Green Park on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Rancho Cordova.

How to stay cool

The best way to avoid Sacramentos relentless heat is to spend time inside air-conditioned spaces and staying hydrated, according to experts.

There are cooling centers in the area, as well as as well as libraries, community centers, swimming pools and spray parks.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
BUTLER  Once he realized what was going on, Beaver County Republican Rico Elmore was one of those who jumped into action Saturday night at the Butler Farm show field to help others in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.

Invited to the local event as a speaker, Elmore, vice chairman of the Beaver County Republican Committee, was one of many from western Pennsylvania who had a chance to speak before Trump took the stage on July 13. He was the last speaker on the stage before Trump was introduced.

As the former president was speaking to the crowd, addressing slides on a screen nearby, Elmore was watching the presentation from a "VIP section" that included other candidates and lawmakers.

"Trump is speaking, and then you hear those shots ring out," he said. "We thought that the first shot was fireworks or something similar. It's like, 'Why is someone bringing the fireworks into this kind of venue? That's crazy.' And then we heard the other shots and I know it's shots being fired."

A drone view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 14, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

Serving as a technical sergeant for the Air National Guard, the sound was an immediate call to action for Elmore and others in his section to go into "military mode." The group of lawmakers and politicians immediately jumped into action, rushing to help people around the crowd and encourage them to get to safety.

As he was rushing to help the audience, Elmore also heard cries indicating somebody was hit by the gunfire.

"I made contact with someone who was yelling for a medic and they're saying that 'he's been hit.' I grabbed a water bottle, I yanked my tie off and I ran towards the guy who was hit," Elmore said. "I hopped over the barricade and I tried to perform life-saving techniques."

At this time, many of the cameras at the day's event were focused on the chaos around former President Trump, who could be seen bleeding from his ear as he was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents. As the federal agents assisted Trump off the stage, it became increasingly clear an assassination attempt had taken place, with federal agencies and local police working to secure the area.

Rico Elmore, who was covered in blood, told me when he heard shots fired at Trumps rally he jumped over the barrier and put his hand on the head of the attendee who was profusely bleeding. Elmore was one of the speakers at the rally. pic.twitter.com/haL1QEc46H  Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) July 14, 2024

Jumping the barrier, Elmore joined a doctor in their attempts to save the life of 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, of Sarver, Butler County. Reporters from USA Today have shared that Comperatore, who served as the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, was believed to be shielding his family at the time he was shot.

"Corey, he was like stuck, sort of hunched over where he was shot," Elmore said. "We pulled him up, turned him over and started to perform CPR. I was holding his head where he was shot, trying to hold the blood and everything in so that we could save his life. We came to find out later that we were unsuccessful with that. He's the one who did pass away from the gunshot wound."

As additional medical personnel arrived, Elmore joined the efforts to help clear the area and ensure people got to safety. Elmore joined the groups of people helping the Comperatore family and others in need get to safety, reuniting them with family out of the danger zone.

"It was a traumatic and painful experience," Elmore said. "They could not walk, literally they were just falling. Me and the doctor put the mother's arms around us and we carried her out. We took kids out on our shoulders. We carried them out, we got people into safety and I just kept running back into the danger area to get people. There were soldiers and other people helping, it was just insane."

Later that day, federal agencies and the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park. The motives for the assassination attempt remained under investigation as of Tuesday morning, but federal investigators determined Crooks fired several rounds from what has been described as an "AR-15 style rifle."

In addition to injuring the former president's ear, Crooks is responsible for the death of Comperatore and severe gunshot wounds to 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township. This mass shooting occurs as political tensions are high across the country, with the divisive atmosphere being a focal point of discussions following the incident.

"As a community, as a state, and as a nation, you never know when your time is up," Elmore said. "We cannot sit here and be separated because of political means, because of anger and animosity. We have to stand together as a unit, we're the United States of America. Every other country in this world that I've been to, they want to be like us and enjoy the freedoms that we have. Let's not allow that to vanish because of political divisiveness."

A moment of silence was held for Corey Comperatore, the man killed, and for the others injured at the rally. Donald Trump supporters rallied late afternoon Sunday at the southwest corner of Pineda Causeway and Wickham Road in Melbourne, following the Saturday assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

While the national lens is likely to stay focused on the law enforcement responses and the motives of the attempted assassination in the coming weeks, Pennsylvania communities have already shown an outpouring of support for the Comperatore family online and raised over $4 million via GoFundMe for the three victims' families.

"The honor that their father showed is unremarkable, a true American hero who put his life on the line for his family," Elmore said. "He was a volunteer firefighter, who spent his time saving people, and those instincts kicked in at a time of terror and disorganization. Find comfort in that he was a true hero."

As local communities continue to try and make sense of the tragedy at the farm show, Elmore doesn't want to be labeled as a hero for jumping in to help people who were in need at the event. Like many of the people from Southwestern Pennsylvania, he says he was simply being a good neighbor and helper.

"I am not a hero," Elmore said. "I did what was right, what I was trained to do. Corey and the doctor? Those are the true heroes of that day."

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County man tried to save father fatally shot at Trump rally
I truly thought that she was going to die on the beach that day: Mobile nurse helps save shark attack victim

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  A Mobile nurse jumped into action to help a girl who was attacked by a shark last month.

The attack happened on June 7, 2024, in Walton County near Rosemary Beach.

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Fifteen-year-old Lulu Gribbin of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was attacked by a shark while swimming with friends and family.

Nurse Delanie Quinnelly Richardson, with USA Health Childrens and Womens Hospital, believes it was divine intervention she was there.

Lulu Gribbin pictured before the shark attack in June (Photo courtesy of the Gribbin family).

As a busy nurse in the maternity ward at the hospital, Richardson looked forward to a girls weekend in June.

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She was attending a bachelorette party for her sister-in-law on Highway 30A at Seacrest Beach, Florida. They planned on enjoying the clear water and relaxing waves.

However, her serene weekend abruptly changed.

She and her party were out in the water when she decided to return to shore. As she waded, she couldnt believe what she saw.

Delanie Quinnelly Richardson is pictured in June with her friends and family during a bachelorette party.

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And I turned around, and thats whenever I saw just the swimming pool size amount of blood that was in the middle of the water, Richardson said.

She ran toward a young girl who had been bitten by a shark and was badly injured.

I basically just zoned out, Richardson said. I dissociated, and I just started sleepwalking towards the scenario.

That young girl was Lulu Gribbin, a 15-year-old, who was at the beach with her family. Several men including two doctors, saw the attack and dragged the young girl to shore.

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And I just remember, What can I do on this beach right now to prepare for whenever they bring her in?'

Richardson saw Gribbins hand was missing, so she grabbed a drawstring from a mans bathing suit to use as a tourniquet for her arm.

Because Im a nurse, I knew that the amount of blood in the water did not match just her hand, Richardson said. And so I remember praying like, please let it be something that she can live with, something that she can survive, that she can make it through this. And so meanwhile, Im trying to find a tourniquet. I am trying to find anything I possibly can.

She realized the young girls leg also had been badly injured. So while others focused on that, she tied the drawstring around Gribbins arm to stop the bleeding.

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I got my education. If its not tied, its not working, Richardson said. Theyre going to beg you to take it off. And you have to leave it on to save their life. Its better to have a missing limb than to lose your life. And so that was just echoing in my head as I was inflicting more pain on this, this sweet little child that had just been just torn apart.

The others placed a cooler strap tourniquet on Gribbins leg, and they all prayed as they waited for the paramedics.

I remember asking her, Im like, Whats your name? I wanted to see if, you know, if she was with it enough that she would remember her name, Richardson said. And she said, with all her might, she said in a whisper. She said, Lulu. I truly thought that she was going to die on the beach that day.

Richardson had only been a nurse for nine months when the attack happened. She works on the fifth floor at USA Health Childrens and Womens Hospital taking care of moms and babies.

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In fact, in nursing school, she only spent one day in the emergency room studying trauma. She proved that her instincts for nursing can take over.

It just was second nature to me, just walking towards her and doing everything that I can because thats how I would want somebody to treat me, Richardson said. If that was my sister on the beach, Id want somebody to do that.

Id want somebody, anybody whos a medical professional, whether youre a mother, baby nurse or whether youre a trauma nurse, whether youre a retired or nurse, whether youre whoever, whatever specialty walk, background, whatever, if you can help, Id want someone to do the same for me.

Earlier this month, Richardson had the opportunity to visit LuLu in the hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the flood of emotions hit her.

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Richardson and Lulu pictured in Charlotte, NC at the hospital.

I remember being like, Can I please hug you? Thats whenever I started crying, Richardson said. This feeling like the warmth of her body and being able to feel her, you know, up against me and be able to hug her and her wrapping her arm around me and just feeling that shes healthy, and shes alive, and shes made it.

Richardson feels forever connected to Lulu and her family, and while the trauma of that day has hit her hard, she also feels relief to know she played a part in saving the teenagers life.

The fruits of my labor, you know, as a nurse behind the scenes, just, you know, working my night shifts while everybody else is sleeping, Richardson said. Its just been so great to be able to know that I have helped her live and that I can help her live her life. Though its different. Its going to be different. But shes different, and shes amazing.

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This young nurse does not want to be called a hero but no doubt she was a hero for Lulu Gribbin.

To hear Richardsons entire interview unedited, watch it below.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
A Trump advisor just got out of a Miami prison. Hes scheduled to speak at the RNC

Peter Navarro, a key figure in the Trump White House, was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami on Wednesday  just in time to appear as a prominent speaker at the Republican National Convention.

The former Trump aide was released Wednesday from a low-security facility in southwest Miami-Dade County, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons database.

In 2023, Navarro was found guilty of contempt for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. As a result, Navarro began serving a four-month prison sentence in March of this year.

Navarros name appeared on a RNC press release detailing headliners who are planned to speak at this years convention. He was scheduled to speak Wednesday evening.

Who is Peter Navarro?

Navarro has been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, joining his 2016 campaign as a trade advisor and serving in Trumps administration as the Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. In the White House, Navarro was known for his protectionist trade policies and as one of the architects behind Trumps trade war with China.

In the aftermath of Trumps loss in the 2020 presidential election, Navarro promoted baseless claims of voter fraud, and was subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Navarro defied this subpoena and was charged with contempt of Congress.

At trial, Navarro, argued that he could not cooperate with the congressional investigation because Trump had invoked executive privilege. The court rejected Navarros claims and convicted him of contempt on Sept. 7.

Before beginning his prison sentence in Miami on March 19, Navarro addressed reporters and called his conviction the partisan weaponization of the judicial system.

After Navarros conviction, Trump referred to him as a good man and a great patriot, saying that Navarro had been treated very unfairly, according to the Associated Press.

Navarro has spent the last four months in the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, a low security prison south of Kendall. Sam Mangel, Navarros prison consultant, told ABC News that Navarro had made it through his time in prison with surprising grace and fortitude but that he is happy its over.

Navarro is not the only former member of the Trump administration who has been sentenced to prison. Steve Bannon, another former Trump advisor, also was convicted of contempt of Congress and is currently serving a four-month prison sentence of his own.

Trump himself was recently convicted of 34 felonies in New York for falsifying business records. His sentencing has been postponed until September.
Milwaukee  A top Trump campaign official is pledging that a new Trump administration would stock the federal courts with pro-gun judges and fight for policies to allow citizens the ability to carry their firearms and protect themselves. The remarks were made by Chris LaCivita, one of the top honchos of the Trump 2024 campaign.

The gun event at the Republican National Convention where LaCivita spoke was not sponsored by the beleaguered National Rifle Association. Rather, it was put on by a Wisconsin-based, rising giant in the firearms world, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, or USCCA, which claims 850,000 members and also operates a dark money action fund that seeks to influence federal and state-level gun policy.

The USCCA may not yet be a household name, but it doesnt lack clout. At the convention, it is not only sponsoring a booth with an AR-15 giveaway, just days after Trump was shot with one. It also had the sway to bring a top Trump campaign architect  senior adviser LaCivita  and several pro-gun Congress members into a dialogue about expanding gun access as the convention celebrated its Make America Safe Again theme Wednesday.

Ironically, for an event sponsored by a concealed-carry group, the event was firearm free. The meeting was hosted at the glitzy Pfister hotel, where many MAGA VIPs are staying. The hotel was crawling with federal agents, and included an airport-like screening at the entrance, where a Secret Service member was shouting out, No Guns!

Hosting a gun event so soon after the assassination attempt on Trump was awkward business. The meeting began with a moment of silence for the victims who were killed and injured in Pennsylvania. But it quickly pivoted to red-meat issues for the second amendment advocates in the crowd.

The leader of government affairs for USCCA is Katie Pointer Baney, who is also the executive director of USCCAs politics arm. We just saw one of the most protected men in the world almost killed by a deranged, evil individual, Pointer Baney said to LaCivita. Whats the campaigns message to Americans today about ensuring we maintain the right to protect ourselves?

LaCivita responded: Im personally a very big supporter of the Second Amendment, as is President Trump. The burly former Marine elaborated on his own heat-packing practices: If Im not traveling with the boss, I carry concealed. Thats just what I do. LaCivita described his hobbies as hunting and unwinding at the range  Its very therapeutic for me.

The Trump campaign official said he was focused on turning gun-rights activists out to the polls. The world is controlled by those who show up, he said. And if you dont vote, in my world, you dont matter.

The Second Amendment is on the ballot in 2024, LaCivita said, primarily because of the next presidents ability to shape the courts through the appointment of, in Trumps case, pro-gun judges. Thats what we can do to have the biggest impact, he said. This is what scares the hell out of Democrats and the left. There is reason to be wary: Trump appointed three justices with an expansive view of the second amendment to the Supreme Court, who were endorsed and promoted by the gun lobby. Those justices have already issued one ruling that invalidated many state laws restricting handguns, and another that reversed a Trump-era ban on bump stocks  which turn semiautomatic assault rifles into the functional equivalent of machine guns.

Trumps focus from issue standpoint, LaCivita said, is expanding the rights of citizens to carry guns in public. Pointer Baney and LaCivita commiserated about the pain points of carrying a concealed gun. A primary legislative focus for USCCA is pushing reciprocity so that concealed-carry gun owners can travel freely among states with their guns, despite varying state regulations and eligibility requirements. LaCivita bemoaned how restrictive it is to go in and out of airports. The one thing I dont want to do is put my backpack through the TSA machine and then read about it the next day in the newspaper.

LaCivita contrasted Trumps approach on guns to what he characterized as the Biden administrations extreme, anti-firearm policies. Despite the shot taken at his candidate, LaCivita insisted that gun violence should be addressed by working to curb problem individuals  rather than trying to ban whats clearly been defined by the Constitution as a right.

In the second half of the USCCA event, Pointer Barney hosted GOP members of Congress in a panel discussion. Wesley Hunt, a fiery freshman legislator from Texas, argued that the notion of gun control is dead  so Americans better get with the program and buy a firearm instead. The insinuation that were going to just eradicate this country of guns is a ridiculous one. So you better arm yourself accordingly and make sure that you can that you have the ability to respond, Hunt insisted.

Hunt is not your typical Republican. Hes Black Iraq War vet, and he strayed from the unity themes the MAGA convention has been attempting to foreground in Milwaukee. Hunt encouraged anyone who believes differently about easy access to guns to have your head examined. And he warned about a threat from within: We have fellow countrymen, he said, that want to see Americans dead.

A second lawmaker on stage, Kat Cammack of Florida, used the language of anti-government extremists to celebrate recent setbacks at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, or the ATF, which implements federal gun policy. Cammack blasted nameless, faceless bureaucrats in a basement for having imposed restrictions on gun owners  referring to the agency as ground zero for Democrats weaponized political agenda.

Cammack celebrated the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn the ban on bump stocks. The fact that the original restriction had been put in place by the Trump ATF seemed to get lost in the shuffle.

Hunt piled on, insisting: They cannot go after our bump stocks. Because the second we allow them to infringe on that, we are letting the fox in the hen house. He then defended the AR-15  the weapon that was used to try to kill Trump  insisting the left is trying to demonize the AR-15 to make it seem like everybody is a crazed mass shooter.

Unfolding outside of the spotlight of the main convention stage, the event nonetheless served to underscore that the MAGA GOP remains committed to an extreme agenda on firearms, even as they try to paint their position as common sense.

After the event, Pointer Barney explained USCCAs role at the RNC to Rolling Stone: We wanted to partner with the host committee to help execute really a safe and successful convention, she said. So were on the ground all week, talking to folks about situational awareness, personal responsibility, and how to stay safe, while theyre in town. Thats our focus.

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Former President Donald Trump is missing a little bit of his ear after the assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trumps former doctorand Texas CongressmanRonny Jackson said in an interview on Monday.

The former White House physician, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Texas 13th district in 2020, said he dressed the wound and examined it earlier this morning, according to an interview with conservative media personality Benny Johnson.

I checked his ear out, Jackson said. I went up and dressed his ear this morning.

Jackson was not at the rally in Pennsylvania, but previously said his nephew attended and was grazed by a stray bullet while sitting in the former presidents friends and family section.

Few details about Trumps wounds have been released since the assassination attempt, and Trumps campaign has not yet disclosed what he was treated for after being rushed to Butler Memorial Hospital.

He was lucky though, the Texas representative said. It was far enough away from his head that there was no concussive effect from the bullet, and it just took the top of his ear off.

It was bleeding like crazyyou know the ear is pretty vascular, it bleeds pretty badly, Jackson added.

Jackson claimed that Trump was saved by moving his head just before the shot was fired. If he hadnt have done in that exact millisecond that he started, that bullet would have entered his head, Jackson said, calling the encounter divine intervention.

Jackson, a former rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, previously served as physician to the president for both Trump and former President Barack Obama. Earlier this year, a Pentagon report found that his office dispensed prescription medications, including controlled substances, to ineligible White House staff.

Jackson was retroactively demoted to the rank of captain after a Defense Department investigation in 2021 found that he drank on duty and harassed female subordinates.

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Once the leader was on his throne, the ritual capitulation could begin.

Donald Trump looked on with an ethereal gaze Tuesday as a parade of Republican presidential candidates whose dreams he crushed staged a parade of the vanquished at the Republican National Convention. On another night awash in emotion after Trump escaped an assassination attempt just days before, speakers joined a choreographed attempt to soften his hardman image, portraying him as a caring and even benevolent, leader, boss and grandfather while smoothing the rougher edges of his populist and authoritarian worldview.

The message on night two in Milwaukee was double-edged and impossible to miss: this is indisputably and irrevocably Trumps party now and the GOP is united in pursuit of victory.

Donald Trump has my full endorsement, period, said former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who warned during primary season that Trump would foment global and political chaos and who declared in February, I feel no need to kiss the ring. Her genuflection, which came shortly after Trump made another triumphant entrance into the arena, might have come through gritted teeth, but it closed off the unfinished business of an acrimonious primary race that saw the former UN ambassador win hundreds of thousands of votes long after her campaign ended.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis once billed himself as Trumpism without the pandemonium and as a potential president who could actually enact the MAGA agenda. But on Tuesday night, he implored the crowd, Lets make the 45th President of the United States the 47th President of the United States.

DeSantis, whom Trump first saw as a protege, and then a traitor, drew a rare guffaw from the ex-president at someone elses joke when he declared, America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernies presidency, referring to the 1989 dark comedy in which two employees pretend their dead boss is still alive.

Many grassroots Republicans who backed Trump confided on this years campaign trail that they saw the Florida governor as a potential successor  once the ex-president had moved on. But Trump watched Tuesday alongside his newly anointed MAGA heir apparent, vice presidential nominee JD Vance. The first, affectionate flush of their political infatuation was obvious and it laid bare the price DeSantis may pay for ignoring the maxim of Omar from The Wire: You come at the king, you best not miss.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has spent years paying penance for his bitter 2016 primary fight with Trump, which has seen him swallow his fury at the ex-presidents insults over his father and wife. Hes long since dropped any hope that he can be a powerful political operator outside Trumps shadow. And he made sure many seconds did not elapse on Tuesday before roaring, God Bless Donald J. Trump.

The poetry of Trumps red-hatted followers

In 2016, Trump obliterated Marco Rubios hopes of a generational transformation of the Republican Party. The Florida senator was once a GOP hawk and orthodox conservative who backed comprehensive immigration reform in the mold of the GOPs spiritual leader before Trump, former President Ronald Reagan. But to remain politically viable, Rubio has undergone the reeducation in populist nationalism that anyone who wants a future in the GOP must endure.

On Tuesday, he used his personal political heritage as a platform to lionize Trump for turning the GOP into a party for the working class, in a soaring speech that showcased the eloquence that once led pundits to put him on a fast track to the Oval Office. Those ambitions clearly have not been fully sated  one possible reason why Trump passed him over for a spot as his vice presidential nominee.

Rubio sought to imbue Trumpism and the millions of supporters who crowd into the ex-presidents rallies with a kind of poetic nobility. For those still wondering in the press and many watching at home, these, these are the Americans who wear the red hats and wait for hours under a blazing sun to hear Trump speak, he said. What they want, what they ask for, it is not hateful or extreme. Rubio said these citizens just want the basics  good jobs, lower prices, secure borders and safety from criminals and terrorists.

There is absolutely nothing dangerous or anything divisive about putting Americans first.

A mix of hero worship and personal ambition

Tuesdays myth making came as no surprise. Trump has long cultivated a personality cult in the Republican Party. He demands total loyalty from subordinates and basks in public praise  as demonstrated in on-camera Cabinet meetings when officials lined up to laud him. His curated image of strength and bombast honed on the Apprentice developed along lines that delighted his fans. But it horrifies many Americans since his grasps for unaccountable power often cross into demagoguery. His vows to use a second term to enact retribution could augur contentious days ahead, despite his pledge to forge national unity after narrowly avoiding death in a Pennsylvania park on Saturday afternoon.

The idea of Trump as a superhuman leader has taken on a theocratic dimension since the attempt to kill him. Almost every speaker at the convention has argued that divine intervention spared the ex-president so he could be installed once again in the Oval Office on a mission of national salvation. As Trumps former White House press secretary and current governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, put it: Not even an assassins bullet could stop him. God Almighty intervened because America is one nation under God and hes certainly not finished with President Trump. The idea that a greater force is at work is deeply felt by many delegates in Milwaukee amid an overwhelming sense that Trump has been divinely blessed.

But as Trump sat alongside Vance overlooking the arena, it was also hard not to draw comparisons with the imagery of the Soviet Union, as a rotating MAGA politburo of officials and family members moved in and out of his balcony box and subordinates around him followed his every move  popping up out of their seats to join him in standing ovations and looking for cues as he pumped his fist.

In bowing before Trump, his supplicants look to a distant future

But Tuesday night was not exclusively about elevating Trump.

His former foes had their self-interest at heart. Even Trump cannot go on forever. And on a distant day where the once and possibly future president has moved aside, there will be a GOP vacancy. Vance might have leapfrogged Trumps past rivals by snaring the vice-presidential nomination after an intense effort to impress his new ticket mate. But in any future contested fight for the Republican nomination, the approval of the Trump base will be paramount.

By 2028, or whenever the next contested Republican race takes place, Rubio will be an elder statesman  far older than Vance, whos 39 and will be a heartbeat away from the presidency if the GOP ticket wins in November. Cruz may still have designs on the social and evangelical conservative sector of the GOP  which is critical to launching GOP presidential campaigns in Iowa. Huckabee Sanders could rival him for those voters. Shes always been with Trump and figures to be a prominent female MAGA standard bearer in future presidential campaigns.

Haley, who does well with the hawkish, internationalist wing of the party, will need to bolster her support with MAGA voters if shes to do better in a primary race in the coming years.

After offering her endorsement of Trump, she effectively loaned Trump her voters  many of whom were repelled by the ex-president. There are some Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time, she said. My message to them is simple: You dont have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.

Haley smartly stressed areas where she and traditional conservatives might agree with Trump  for instance, on a hardline policy that is pro-Israel and anti-Iran. But the most remarkable foreign policy content of her speech came when she sought to reframe the ex-presidents frequent cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is a devotee of the staunch US foreign policy creed of Reagan, whom Republicans once memorialized for winning the Cold War.

But 40 years on, a Democrat, President Joe Biden, has assumed Reagans role of facing down Moscows tyrant. So key GOP figures are whitewashing Trumps hero worship of Putin by suggesting that in office he wielded some kind of mystical inner strength that deterred the former KGB lieutenant colonel. Putin didnt attack Ukraine, because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesnt start wars; a strong president prevents wars, Haley said.

Her willingness to paper over her glaring foreign policy differences with Trump was another sign that the former South Carolina governor shares the reality of all the GOP presidential candidates Trump left in his wake.

The only possible path to power in the future lies in homage to Trump now.

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(Bloomberg) -- Nikki Haley once called Donald Trump totally unhinged and diminished. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis previously said the former president would embrace the most worthless Republicans if they kiss the ring.

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On Tuesday, they said hes the best man to be the next president.

A parade of Trumps primary rivals took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to line up behind the man they once derided, a required public show of loyalty to ensure their future in a party firmly in Trumps grasp.

The evening offered a chance for Trump to broaden his appeal beyond his most loyal supporters in his bid to defeat President Joe Biden. But the appearances by his challengers, along with 2016 opponents Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz  was an unmistakable sign of Trumps total control over the party.

The former president has flexed his hold in recent months, tapping his daughter-in-law as a co-chair of the Republican National Committee and by helping draft the partys platform.

It also made clear that the talk of unity following the attempted assassination against Trump referred to the Republican Party and not to the nation as a whole. While Haley urged Republicans to sway more people to their side, saying were so much better when were bigger, other speakers accused Biden of allowing the country to be overwhelmed by illegal immigrants and fentanyl.

Go for Trump

Haley wasnt originally scheduled to speak at the convention but agreed to after her team and Trumps discussed her appearing at the event in recent days. Haley walked on stage to applause and some boos, telling the audience Trump invited her to speak in the name of unity.

For the sake of our nation, we have to go for Trump, Haley said, casting her support for him as strong and leading Trump to stand up from his seat next to his running mate, JD Vance.

The two listened from plush white chairs in a blocked off section of the arena. Trump still wore the white bandage over his right ear three days after it was grazed by a would-be assassins bullet at a Pennsylvania rally.

He smiled politely when Haley noted their differences, saying we agree more often than we disagree. We agree on keeping America strong.

He also appeared to mouth the word true when Haley suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attack Ukraine under the former presidents watch because Trump was tough. During the primary, Haley split with Trump over Ukraine, backing continued US assistance to Kyiv.

The former UN ambassador under Trump said her speech was aimed at those voters still skeptical of backing the former president.

My message is simple, you dont need to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him, Haley said.

DeSantis took the stage after Haley, urging voters to make the 45th president of the United States, the 47th president. Also at the convention, DeSantis is meeting with Iowa Republicans, a sit-down to court the early caucus state if he decides to run to be the 48th president.

Border Crisis

Successive speakers touched on the evenings theme  making America safe again  with repeated criticisms of Bidens border policies, painting his presidency in apocalyptic terms, including with a video that sought to blame Biden for sex traffickers, drug gangs and terrorists crossing the border.

We are facing an invasion on our southern border, not figuratively, a literal invasion, Cruz told the crowd.

The surge in migrants has proven to be one of Bidens most vexing challenges. Republicans have seized on the crisis, which polls show is a defining issue for voters, rejecting at Trumps urging a bipartisan Senate compromise that aimed to bolster border security and in the process denying Biden a political win.

The president has turned to executive action to crack down on the border with new restrictions that seek to deter migrants ability to seek asylum.

Trump is vowing to enact sweeping immigration reforms if elected that would test the boundaries of US law, including mass deportations. During the campaign, the former president has seized on violent crime allegedly committed by migrants, dubbing it Biden migrant crime.

--With assistance from Hadriana Lowenkron and Stephanie Lai.

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Republicans appear to have completely forgone the unity convention theme this week in favor of a much more divisive brand: a total call to arms.

In a prerecorded message to the convention Tuesday night, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump insisted that Democrats are destroying our country, and once again claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him, urging supporters not to let what happened that year happen again.

We must use every appropriate tool to beat the Democrats, Trump said. These people want to cheat, and they do cheat, and frankly its the only thing they do well.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump twisted an old lie into something new, trying to convince his base that Democrats are attempting to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.

But Trump wasnt the only Republican stoking the flames. In his own speech, Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise nodded toward a white supremacist, alt-right conspiracy known as the great replacement theory while baselessly advancing the idea that Biden and Harris want illegals to vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson shared a similar idea, telling the conference that Republicans cannot allow the many millions of illegal aliens [the Democrats] allowed to cross our borders, to harm our citizens, raid our resources, or disrupt our elections.

Of course, undocumented immigrants (and any other noncitizens) cannot vote in U.S. elections. But that didnt stop Texas Senator Ted Cruzwhose state overwhelmingly identifies as Hispanicfrom mindlessly hopping on the bandwagon.

[Illegal immigration] happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children, Cruz said Tuesday.

Senate candidate Kari Lake, whos running to represent 2.3 million Latino voters in Arizona, also advanced the bold-faced lie that Democrats voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election.

But few summed up the aggressive mood of the convention better than West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who told conference-goers on Tuesday that the bottom line for Republicans is this: We become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November.
By Joseph Ax, Nathan Layne and Gram Slattery

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) -Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, presented himself to the nation on Wednesday night as the son of a neglected industrial Ohio town who will fight for the working class if elected in November.

In chronicling his hardscrabble journey from a difficult childhood to the U.S. Marines, Yale Law School, venture capitalism and the U.S. Senate, Vance, 39, introduced himself to Americans while using his story to argue he understands their everyday struggles.

"I grew up in Middletown, Ohio, a small town where people spoke their minds, built with their hands and loved their God, their family, their community and their country with their whole hearts," Vance said, formally accepting the party's 2024 nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. "But it was also a place that had been cast aside and forgotten by America's ruling class in Washington."

He accused "career politicians" like President Joe Biden - who Vance noted has been in politics longer than he has been alive - of destroying communities like his with ill-fated trade policies and foreign wars.

"President Trump's vision is so simple and yet so powerful," he said. "We're done, ladies and gentlemen, catering to Wall Street. We'll commit to the working man."

In a sign of his potential value to the ticket, Vance also appealed to the working and middle classes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin specifically - three Rust Belt swing states likely to decide the Nov. 5 election.

Vance's prime-time debut, less than two years after assuming his first public office, capped a meteoric rise that coincided with his transformation from a fierce Trump detractor to one of his most devoted defenders. He is one of several high-profile Republicans, such as U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, whose reversals from critics to loyalists underscore Trump's takeover of the party.

For Trump's political opponents, his hold on the party portends a darker moment if he follows through on promises to vastly expand the power of the presidency, exact revenge on his enemies and threaten longstanding democratic institutions.

Author of the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy ," Vance has helped to shape Trump's populist instincts into a policy agenda that would pull the U.S. back from its dominant role in global affairs. As the first millennial on a major party's ticket, he is positioned to carry Trump's Make America Great Again movement beyond a potential second Trump term.

His speech embraced many of Trumpism's core tenets, promising to prioritize domestic manufacturing over Chinese imports and warning allies they would no longer get "free rides" in securing world peace.

Vance has opposed military aid for Ukraine and defended Trump's attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. He has argued the government must do more to assist the working class by restricting imports, raising the minimum wage and cracking down on corporate largesse. Those positions, at odds with the Republican Party's traditional pro-business stance, nonetheless track Trump's program closely.

Democrats have already gone on the offensive around Vance's strict anti-abortion views. In a statement on Wednesday, the Biden campaign said Vance would advance "an agenda that puts extremism and the ultra wealthy over our democracy."

Biden, 81, was forced off the campaign trail on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, compounding his woes after three tumultuous weeks struggling to reassure panicked Democrats that he can still defeat Trump, 78, following an anemic debate performance on June 27.

Trump, his right ear still bandaged after it was grazed by a would-be assassin's bullet at a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, walked into the convention to roars and the sound of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" playing throughout the arena. Trump will close the convention with a Thursday speech.

In his speech Vance described his grandmother, "Mamaw," who raised him while his mother struggled with addiction, and acknowledged his mother Beverly, who was on hand to watch him speak.

"I am proud to say that tonight my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober," Vance said. "I love you, Mom."

A visibly moved Beverly Vance mouthed, "I love you, J.D.," while delegates gave her a standing ovation.

HARD-HITTING SPEECHES

The evening featured a hard-hitting, emotional video in which families of soldiers killed during the 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan blamed Biden for their deaths. The relatives then took the stage and voiced their anger, with some in the audience wiping away tears.

Several speakers leveled aggressive and sometimes baseless attacks against the Biden administration. The heated tone contradicted the message of national unity Trump had promised to deliver after the attempt on his life at Saturday's rally.

Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was released from prison earlier in the day after serving four months for contempt of Congress, received a huge ovation as he took the stage.

Navarro, who was convicted for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, said he, like Trump, was a victim of Biden's "Department of Injustice."

Trump has frequently claimed, without evidence, that his four indictments since leaving office were part of a Democratic conspiracy to prevent his election.

Others focused on Biden's border policies, a favorite target for Trump.

Tom Homan, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, said Biden was the first president in history to "unsecure" the border.

"This isn't a choice," he said. "It's national suicide."

As he spoke, delegates waved signs that read, "Mass Deportation Now!"

While border crossings reached record highs during Biden's tenure, arrests dropped sharply in June after the president implemented a broad asylum ban.

Trump has pledged to launch the largest deportation effort of illegal immigrants in U.S. history.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, Nathan Layne and Gram Slattery in Milwaukee; Additional reporting by Helen Coster, Costas Pitas and Alexandra Ulmer; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Howard Goller)
Bamboo flutist Liu Songtao held a concert on July 12 at Zhejiang Concert Hall in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, showcasing a blend of classical and contemporary compositions. Throughout the performance, he demonstrated the versatility of the flute by performing solo pieces, collaborating with fellow musicians and joining forces with the orchestra.

After graduating from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Liu was trained by veteran Chinese musicians, including Zhan Yongming and Jiang Guoji. He has won national music awards and performed with the Zhejiang Chinese Orchestra.

One of the concert's highlights saw the musician playing the classical piece Youlan Fengchun (Silent Orchid Greeting the Spring) composed in 1979 by Zhao Songting and Cao Xing. Zhao was the teacher of Zhan and Jiang. As a third-generation flutist, Liu displays the legacy of the ancient Chinese musical instrument passed down by generations of musicians.

Founded in 1957, the Zhejiang Chinese Orchestra, part of Zhejiang Song & Dance Theatre, has a large repertoire of traditional Chinese music works. During the past few years, the orchestra has promoted young musicians through the project Xin Song, which supports young musicians with opportunities to perform as soloists. Liu is among the young musicians selected from the project.
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Nikki Haley, who during the GOP primary warned that having Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee would be like suicide for our country, claimed Tuesday that she strongly supports his bidfor the sake of our nation.

Walking onto the Republican National Convention stage to a mixture of applause and boos, Haley immediately sought to gloss over her past criticisms of the former president, in whose administration she served as United Nations ambassador.

My fellow Republicans: President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity. It was a gracious invitation, and I was happy to accept, she began.

Ill start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period, she stated, as Trump rose to applaud.

Our country is at a critical moment. We have a choice to make. For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris. After seeing the debate, everyone knows its true. If we have four more years of Bidenor a single day of Harrisour country will be badly worse off, she argued. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.

Haley then acknowledged portions of the electorate who may not be sold on a Trump-Vance ticket.

There are some Americans who dont agree with Donald Trump 100 percent of the time. I happen to know some of them. And I want to speak to them tonight, she said.

My message to them is simple: You dont have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree. We agree on keeping America strong, we agree on keeping America safe, and we agree that Democrats have moved so far to the left that they bring our freedoms in danger.

Haley was followed on stage by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who also made an ultimately futile attempt to challenge the former president for the 2024 nomination. He too gave a full-throated endorsement.

Donald Trump has been demonized. Hes been sued. Hes been prosecuted, and he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down, and we cannot let America down, he urged.

DeSantis, alluding to Trumps reaction shortly after last Saturdays assassination attempt, concluded his speech: Lets heed the call of our partys nominee to fight fight, fight for these United States.

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By Gram Slattery, Michael Martina and Simon Lewis

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - A top national security adviser to Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Taiwan needs to boost its defense spending significantly in the face of potential Chinese aggression.

The comments by Robert O'Brien, Trump's fourth and final national security adviser, follow remarks by the former president in which he said Taiwan should pay the United States for its defense.

Speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek in a June 25 interview published on Tuesday, Trump said: "I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business. I think Taiwan should pay us for defense."

O'Brien, asked about Trump's comment at a Bloomberg Roundtable on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, said he believed Trump meant to indicate Taiwan should contribute more to its own defense.

"They've got to ramp up their spending to contend with the PRC and CCP, and we can help them, we can be part of that. But I think what President Trump is saying is ... we've got to have burden sharing," O'Brien told reporters, referring to the People's Republic of China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

He suggested Taiwan should consider spending at least 5% of its gross domestic product on its military to keep up with China, though he implied that figure was a rough estimate.

While O'Brien is not part of the Trump campaign and made clear he was expressing his personal views, he is in frequent contact with the former president on national security matters.

Washington has been eager to create a military counterbalance to Chinese forces, building on an effort known within the Pentagon as "Fortress Taiwan", as Beijing's military makes increasingly aggressive moves in the region.

Taiwan typically purchases weapons it receives from the U.S. rather than relying on aid, though America and its allies do have significant military assets in the region, which are intended in part to deter Chinese aggression against the democratically governed island that Beijing claims as its territory.

If you look at the support that we have provided, the security cooperation that we have provided them over decades, it has been Taiwan actually purchasing military (equipment) from the United States," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday.

"It has not been any way charity from the United States."

Taiwan's de facto embassy in Washington said preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is in the interest of the U.S. and the international community.

"Taiwan is doing its part by actively strengthening deterrence capabilities with the support of the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act," it said in a statement, citing the "threat of military coercion."

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

INCREASED DEFENSE BUDGET

Taiwan has significantly expanded its defense budget in recent years. From 2017 to 2023 its military spending rose to 2.5% of GDP from 2%, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Taipei announced a defense budget for 2024 of about $19.1 billion.

But the island's overall level of spending still pales in comparison to China's massive outlays and the historic build-up of the People's Liberation Army, which dwarfs Taiwan's forces. In March, Beijing unveiled an annual defense budget of some $230 billion, a 7.2% increase on the year before, though analysts say actual spending is likely much greater.

The Democratic ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan select committee on China, Raja Krishnamoorthi, called Trump's comments a betrayal.

"Failing to provide for Taiwan's defense would not only be potentially illegal under the Taiwan Relations Act, it would be a betrayal of American values and our democratic institutions," he said in a statement.

During the Trump administration, Washington agreed to sell billions of dollars worth of U.S. weaponry to Taiwan, but Taipei has complained of delays to weapons deliveries, including of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery, Michael Martina and Simon Lewis; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis)
Jack Smith studied at the Oneonta State University before going on to Harvard Law School - SAUL LOEB/AFP

When Alexi Schacht was asked to defend Manzoor Qadar, who was accused of murdering his nieces husband as part of an honour killing, he thought it would be a doddle.

The prosecution was relying on thin circumstantial evidence to prove his client had travelled from Blackburn, Lancashire, in 1996 to shoot Shaukat Parvez dead in Queens in exchange for a 46,000 bounty.

So confident was Mr Schacht that the case would fall apart, he branded it at the time as one of the weakest prosecutions Ive ever seen.

But the one thing the lawyer hadnt factored into the trial at Brooklyn federal court was his opponent: Jack Smith.

While press conferences have offered onlookers polished insights into the composed special counsel who has brought two criminal cases against former president Donald Trump, the vast majority of Americans are yet to see him unleashed in a courtroom.

Yet the 2024 election is shaping up to hinge as much on the performance of this bearded, 55-year-old triathlete than anything - or anyone - else.

Mr Smith is the man who could put Trump, the Republican candidate, in prison.

Described as an aggressive prosecutor, the father of one had hoped to bring a speedy trial for charges alleging Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

Lawyers acting for Trump have been aggressively jostling to push the proceedings back until after polling stations close next November, knowing the 78-year-old could make all his legal woes disappear if his re-election bid is successful.

In the first of two legal victories for Trump, the US Supreme Court ruled on July 1 he had a presumption of immunity as a former president in most of the charges that accused him of attempting to overturn the election.

The ruling made it all but certain that the Trump will not face trial ahead of the election.

But Mr Smith hasnt given up. In response to the decision, he promised to challenge it all the way back to those who architected his escape.

Trump landed a second victory on July 15 when Mr Smiths classified documents case, related to accusations Trump removed US secrets from the White House and hid them in his estate in Florida, was thrown out.

Judge Cannon, who was nominated by Trump, agreed with the former presidents legal team that the appointment of Jack Smith as a special prosecutor was unconstitutional and dismissed the case.

Again, Mr Smith vowed it was far from over. In a statement on X, he added: Appeal incoming. Buckle up.

Raised in Clay, a town of around 60,000 people in upstate New York, the persistent prosecutor studied at the Oneonta State University before going on to Harvard Law School.

He previously described himself as not very talented, but [if] you field a lot of ground balls, youre a good shortstop.

After graduating in 1994, he cut his teeth at the Manhattan District Attorneys office under the tutelage of Robert Morgenthau, who was known for taking some of the citys most high-profile cases against organised and white-collar crime. Mr Smith used to ride his bicycle to crime scenes and picked up conversational Spanish from his caseload.

Five years later he became an assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.

It was at this point in his career he faced Mr Schacht during an intense case which resulted in a jury convicting Qadar after just two hours of deliberation. He was handed a mandatory life sentence.

So impressive was Mr Smiths performance that one juror supposedly called across the street asking him to represent them.

Smith is not afraid to lose

I remember his closing argument was very strong, Mr Schacht told The Telegraph.

A good, emotional plea to the jury about the horror of the case - which was good in a case that was a little bit thin on the facts.

But the pitch was by no means delivered in an emotional way as thats not his personality, Mr Schacht said.

Hes kind of even tempered, but he was able to convey a dramatic quality to things, he added, noting Mr Smith had a firm, serious, confident, non-nervous quality.

But one thing Mr Smith doesnt have, according to Mr Schacht, is a commanding presence - because it is usually down to the defence lawyer to bring the theatrics into the courthouse.

A good prosecutor, like him, wants to try and keep the jury focused on the evidence, whereas the defence lawyer usually wants to kind of distract from the evidence. So its not really in the prosecutors interest to be too commanding, Mr Schacht said.

One of Mr Smiths most valuable assets is that hes not afraid to lose, he added.

While many federal prosecutors choose to dodge cases over fears they could be embarrassed, it is not something that fazes Mr Smith.

I dont mean hed bring a case if theres no reason to bring it. But you know, like the Florida case, just because its in a Republican part of Florida, a case could be tough to win. He wasnt afraid to bring the case there, Mr Schacht said.

That sentiment echoes something Mr Smith previously said about himself.

If I were the sort of person who could be cowed  [if I thought:] I know the person did it, but we could lose, and that will look bad  I would find another line of work, he told the New York Times.

I cant imagine how someone who does what I do or has worked with me could think that.

Despite being trounced by Mr Smith in 2002, Mr Schacht said he would prefer to go up against him again over most of the prosecutors he has met.

Hes not the kind of prosecutor, and of whom there are some, who are tricky or dishonest or something like that... Its very important to have an adversary whos clear, honest and trustworthy. So, it doesnt matter that hes a good trial lawyer, Id rather have him than many other prosecutors, he said.

Mr Smith may be a good operator, but he has also surrounded himself with extremely good prosecutors, Mr Schacht added.

Former president Donald Trump arrives to board his plane after facing a judge on federal conspiracy charges - Alex Brandon/AP

Developing young talent is something Edward J Loya Jr, who was part of Mr Smiths team at the Department of Justices Public Integrity Section (PIN), remembers well.

Mr Loya Jr, who is now a partner at firm Epstein Becker and Green, said Mr Smith got a kick from progressing the careers of hungry junior prosecutors.

He told The Telegraph that learning from Mr Smith between 2010 and 2013 was the highlight of my career as a young lawyer.

Smith taught us to always do the right thing

Mr Smith arrived at the department as someone with a lot of gravitas and he epitomised what it means to be a prosecutor who tries difficult cases.

He taught us to always do the right thing, and to make the correct decision on the merits, no matter how difficult a task might be or how much the odds appeared to be stacked against the government, he said.

While some anonymous former colleagues previously accused Mr Smith of shifting the unit away from complex crimes to low-hanging fruit, he did secure some key convictions, including Bob McDonnell, the former Virginia governor, and his wife for taking gifts from a businessman as well as Rick Renzi, a former Republican congressman from Arizona, for taking bribes.

Following his time at the helm of PIN, Mr Smith went on to become acting US attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee before a stint as chief prosecutor in The Hague working on Kosovo war crimes cases.

Now he has been given arguably the biggest job a prosecutor could be tasked with.

Mr Schacht said he can think of no one better than his old rival to step up to the plate, and I know loads of prosecutors all over the country.

Previously describing what inspires him to do his job, Mr Smith said he does it for people like his parents.

They pay their taxes, follow the rules and they expect their public officials to do the same, he said.

In a separate interview in 2018, he said: Like most people, I think, I want to devote my energies to making the world and my community a better place for my daughter to grow up in.

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Donald Trump signals he would not defend Taiwan from Chinese invasion

Trump took to the stage displaying a bandage on his ear after the assassination attempt at the weekend - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump has signalled the US would not defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion under his presidency  because the country had grown rich by stealing US microchip production.

The Republican 2024 nominee said Taipei should pay Washington to support its defence, adding that the island nation was 9,500 miles away and doesnt give us anything.

His remarks call into question whether US support for Taiwan would continue if he won a second term, as the polls suggest, in Novembers presidential election.

Asked whether he would defend the island, which Beijing has vowed to annex, Trump declined to answer explicitly, telling Bloomberg: I think Taiwan should pay us for defence.

You know, were no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesnt give us anything.

Trump also complained that the island took all of our [semiconductor] chip business and was immensely wealthy. I mean, how stupid are we? he added.

The self-governing island produces around 90 per cent of the worlds advanced semiconductor chips, which power everything from smartphones to AI applications. It is a major supplier to some of Americas biggest companies, including Apple and Nvidia.

Washington does not diplomatically recognise Taiwan, but it is a key partner and major weapons provider to the country, and Congress recently passed with bipartisan support a military aid package worth $8 billion (6.15 billion) aimed at countering Beijing in the region.

Taiwan's military has made use of American equipment such as TOW missiles - Ann Wang/Reuters

The longstanding US policy towards the island is one of strategic ambiguity. However, Joe Biden has said on several occasions he would come to Taiwans aid in the event of an invasion.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Trump described Taiwan as the apple of President Xis eye and noted that it is 9,500 miles away from the US, while it is 68 miles away from China.

The former president said China had been very aggressive since he left office in 2021 and he wouldnt feel so secure right now if he was Taiwan.

Xi has ramped up unification rhetoric

Beijing has refused to rule out the use of force in bringing Taiwan under its control, while Xi Jinping has ramped up rhetoric about unification being inevitable.

In response to Trumps comments, Cho Jung-tai, Taiwans premier, pointed out that Taipei had steadily boosted its defence budget in recent years.

We are also clear that Taiwan-US relations have been very strong in recent years, he said.

Maintaining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region is our common responsibility and goal.

Countering a rising China is a key aim of Republicans in Congress, even among isolationists who broadly share Trumps America First approach.

Donald Trump at the RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday preparing for his keynote speech on Thursday - Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Trumps latest rhetoric around Taiwan appears contrary to that of his running mate, JD Vance.

The Ohio senator described Beijing as the biggest threat to our country in an interview this week and has said we should make it as hard as possible for China to take Taiwan in the first place.

Mr Vance was due to address the Republican national convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, his first introduction to voters on the national stage since being named the GOP vice-presidential candidate.

Former rival Haley booed as she endorses Trump

Earlier, former Trump rivals took to the podium and called for Republican unity  but received a mixed response.

Nikki Haley, Trumps former UN ambassador, received some boos from the crowd when she appeared on stage.

Ms Haley, who dropped her challenge to Trumps candidacy after losing every state but one in the early slate of contests, was a last-minute addition to the programme.

She began her speech by noting she had been invited to speak by Trump in the name of unity, and used the occasion to explicitly endorse Trump, something she has delayed doing for months.

She said: You dont have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.

Trump, who watched from a private box, sat unsmiling for most of her remarks, but let out a laugh when Ms Haley talked about their disagreements and applauded her calls for the party to come together.

On Thursday night, the 78-year-old will formally accept the GOP nomination with a keynote address.

He has reportedly altered his speech in the wake of the assassination attempt on him to focus the party on presenting a united front.

Other former Trump rivals, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also enthusiastically backed him as the party nominee in their convention speeches.

Im gonna be president, boasts Trump

The Trump campaign is increasingly optimistic of victory in November following Mr Bidens disastrous debate performance and Democratic in-fighting over the 81-year-olds electoral viability.

In his interview with Bloomberg, Trump boasted: Im doing well in the polls and Im gonna be president.

He brushed off suggestions that his criminal conviction in New York could be a concern for voters, saying he had taken in hundreds of millions of dollars since his guilty verdict.

Trump ruled out pardoning himself over the federal charges he faces if he returns to the presidency.

He also discussed his warm relations with Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, and revealed he is in occasional contact with him.

Its been a while, but I have a very good relationship [with him], he said.

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The attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania put Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) in the spotlight as he took on a consoling and unifying role following the incident.

The governor, in particular, garnered praise from Republicans and Democrats alike for his tribute to the Trump supporter who was killed at the rally, Corey Comperatore, describing him as a fellow Pennsylvanian who died a hero.

Shapiro was already among a group of rising-star Democratic governors who have been floated as potential 2028 presidential hopefuls.

The 2024 campaign took an unexpected and tragic turn when a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally Saturday in western Pennsylvania. Comperatore was killed and two others were hurt.

Democratic and Republican politicians across the country were quick to call for national unity and for political rhetoric to be toned down. But Shapiro, governor of the state the shooting took place in, was forced to confront the tragedy head-on.

In a press conference the day after the shooting, Shapiro addressed law enforcements investigation before painting a compassionate picture of Comperatore.

Corey was the very best of us, Shapiro said. Corey died a hero. Corey dove on his family to protect them last night. Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community.

Shapiro notably went on to highlight Comperatores passionate support of Trump, a rarity coming from a Democratic governor ahead of a highly divisive election against Trump.

Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be there last night with him in the community, the governor said.

Shapiro said that he spoke with Comperatores wife and two daughters prior to the news conference, adding that his wife asked the governor to share that her late husband died a hero and dove on top of his family to protect them during the shooting.

Pennsylvania Democrats say Shapiros compassionate and empathetic tone is nothing new.

Having been a prosecutor, he knows what its like to engage with victims families, said TJ Rooney, the former chair of Pennsylvanias Democratic Party. Hes always able to channel the right tone having unfortunately done it before.

He has been faced with a few very challenging moments during his term and hes handled them quite well, Rooney said. You can oftentimes tell when an officeholder is in over their head, when they had an event like Josh did the other day, you can sense their nervousness. But his composure is what sets him apart, his ability to unite is unique.

One of Shapiros first major tests as governor was responding to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in February of last year. The derailment took place near the border with Pennsylvania and impacted many of the states western residents. Five months later, Shapiro was forced to contend with the Interstate 95 bridge collapse on the other side of the state, in Philadelphia.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, has also been vocal about speaking out against the rise of antisemitism in the U.S., particularly in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War.

Generally speaking, he always seems to have a knack for striking the right tone regardless of the situation, said Pittsburgh-based Democratic strategist Mike Mikus. Hes one of the rare politicians thats able to remain to themselves politically and his beliefs while not necessarily alienating people who may not agree 100 percent of the time, and I think the other night was a perfect example of that.

There are people that sometimes surprise me when they say, I really like Gov. Shapiro, and I hear that quite a bit, he added.

Shapiro has garnered some praise from Republicans following his response to the shooting.

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick praised Shapiros leadership in the aftermath of the shooting in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.

This has been a tough few days for our commonwealth. Grateful to @JoshShapiroPA for his strength and leadership following the tragedy in Butler on Saturday. Great to see you today at the FOP conference in Bethlehem, McCormick wrote, attaching a picture of him greeting Shapiro at the gathering.

A source familiar with the GOP response told The Hill that the governor has been in direct contact with several elected officials to whom he reached out and who have reached out to him in recent days.

I was really heartened to see the governor take the track that he did and not try to call out rhetoric or this or that and just act like an American and call for unity, said Christian Nascimento, chair of the Montgomery County, Pa., Republican Committee. I appreciated that, and Im sure a lot of Pennsylvanians whether theyre Democratic or Republican appreciated that.

Shapiro is considered broadly popular in the state, making him an asset for Democrats going into Novembers general election. A Franklin and Marshall College survey released last April found Shapiro with a 54 percent approval rating, making him the most popular Pennsylvania governor at that point during a first term.

That, plus his exposure to the national spotlight, has led to Shapiro being floated as a potential 2028 contender, along with fellow Govs. Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.) and Wes Moore (Md.).

Shapiro and Pennsylvania Democrats will face a battle in November when President Biden competes at the top of the ticket in the must-win state, boasting 19 electoral votes. A New York Times-Sienna College poll released Monday showed Biden trailing Trump by 3 points in the state.

While he is not on the ticket this time around, a win for Biden in Pennsylvania would play well for Shapiro going forward. Shapiro did not face a particularly tough gubernatorial election battle in 2022, defeating Republican Doug Mastriano by more than 14 points. However, Democrats point to his strategy of appealing to more conservative parts of the state that could bode well for other candidates, like Biden.

I think Gov. Shapiro has a ton of credibility in the state and not just in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Mikus said. Shortly after he was first elected attorney general, the one thing I noticed was him spending a lot of time in a lot of those rural counties, he continued, noting that while Shapiro did not win many of these counties, he still benefited from that additional time.

The way you win in Pennsylvania statewide is you do well in Pittsburgh and Philly and a few other cities like Erie and Scranton, but you do a little bit better than Hillary Clinton did in some of these rural counties, and it just adds up, he said.

When asked about his aspirations beyond 2024, Shapiros supporters emphasize that he is focused on his task at hand as governor. But that isnt taking him off the list of 2028 Democratic contenders.

He keeps his cards close to the vest, Mikus said. If things continue with this administration the way they have and the way people have received him, I think it would be a mistake for him not to look at potentially running in 2028.

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Who said there are no second acts on the American public stage? The good fortune of Donald Trumps narrow escape from an assassin is a powerful recent exception to that rule, along with his GOP nomination this week after his 2020 election loss. Now Republicans are pressing their luck, bringing back Berkeley law professor John Yoo who is attempting to hitch his wagon to the second act of Donald Trump.

Yoo first came to prominence on the national stage two decades ago, in 2002, when he authored a series of infamous memos providing legal justifications for the Bush administrations post-9/11 use of torture. Recently, Yoo has again broken out of the pack of the right-wing chattering class and returned to the limelight as a regular commentator on Fox News.

Because of his ardent defense of former President Trump and advocacy of revenge and reprisal as legitimate tools in a second Trump Administration, as Rolling Stone Magazine notes, Trump and his allies are increasingly smitten with John Yoos work and his views on punishing their enemies and expanding presidential power.

They may well be drawn to Yoos contention that prosecutors who investigated and charged the former president have to be prosecuted by Republican or conservative DAs exactly the same way for exactly the same kind of things until they stop. Yoos May 29 essay in the National Review laid out that case in detail.

According to Rolling Stone, one of Trumps advisors labeled that essay The Vengeance Memo, a playful, if chilling reference, to Yoos Torture Memos.

Along with the authors of Project 2025, Yoo is laying the groundwork for an assault on constitutional governance and making the case for his appointment as Attorney General or to the United States Supreme Court should Trump win in November.

On July 8, Yoo used a startling point of reference to expand on his vision of what a second Trump Administration should do. If were not going to become a banana republic, Yoo said, Unfortunately, were going to have to use banana republic means.

You could be excused for thinking that Yoo mistakenly inserted the word not into that sentence. But he made no such mistake. As the New Yorkers Robin Wright explains, Over the past century, banana republic has evolved to mean any country (with or without bananas) that has a ruthless, corrupt, or just plain loopy leader who relies on the military and destroys state institutions in an egomaniacal quest for prolonged power. Wright reminds us that one of their favored means is to use the justice system to try to crush and intimidate political rivals.

Trumps advisors admire Yoo because, as one told Rolling Stone, He knows how to get things done.

Before looking more closely at Yoos thoughts about the use of banana Republic means, lets look at the things he has gotten done in the past.

Thirty years ago, Yoo was a rising star in the conservative legal firmament. As the journalist and podcaster James LaRock argues, He did everything a rising right-wing lawyer should: clerking for a Reagan nominee on the D.C. Circuit, and then for Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court, and then working on the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee.

Along the way, Yoo laid out an expansive vision of presidential power that turned the idea of separation of powers and checks and balances in a constitutional Republic on its head. He argued that any president had the authority to start wars unilaterally.

As LaRock reports, in 2000, Yoo wrote glowingly about President Bill Clintons authority to order American troops into what was then Serbia, as well as Clintons other military actions in Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Macedonia, and Rwanda. Congress didnt usually authorize these missions.

Not surprisingly, Yoo took an originalist position and argued that unilateral executive war power could find support in the Constitutions text and original understanding. He mocked scholars whom he said, whined about Congresss enumerated responsibility to declare war, saying that they had failed to describe reality.

In July 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him Deputy Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel, where Yoo would show what he could get done when he authored the Torture Memos. As the superb legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick says, those memos redefined severe pain or suffering by cherry-picking language from a health benefits statute to argue that severe pain must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.

Yoo provided specious legal cover for the Bush Administrations post-9/11 use of waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation, shackling in stress positions, and exposure to extreme cold and heat. Those un-American techniques were used against any Muslim captured on foreign soil and suspected, often wrongfully, of being a terrorist.Per his memos, those methods might even include the maiming, drugging or applying scalding water, corrosive acid or caustic substance on detainees, according to Time Magazine. Lithwick rightly called Yoos handiwork the the lowest low point in post-9/11 legal thought.

The Justice Departments Office of Professional Responsibility later recommended that Yoo be referred for bar discipline, but higher-ups gave him a pass. And what do you know? Like others, when lawyers escape consequences for misconduct, they show up later with more of the same.

Yoos record reminds us that the law can be misapplied and used as an enabler, rather than as a restraint on unlawful power. Now Yoo is back in the good graces of powerful people, trying again to use his well-cultivated skill in manipulating the law in service of what he takes to be Trumps political agenda. Yoo won favor with the former president by criticizing the New York hush money trial, seeing it as a damaging precedent while echoing the usual, right-wing talking points.

As he wrote, "Make no mistake, Democrats have crossed a constitutional Rubicon. For the first time in American history, they have brought criminal charges against a former president. . . . To prevent the case against Trump from assuming a permanent place in the American political system, Yoo urged Republicans to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents. A Republican DA will have to investigate Joe Biden for influence-peddling at the behest of a son who received payoffs from abroad.

And on July 1, Yoo took to Fox News to crow about the radical Supreme Court majoritys presidential immunity decision. Donald Trump today won the most important decision of any President before any Supreme Court at any time in our history Yoo claimed.

If Yoo has been mounting a charm offensive aimed at Trumps inner circle, it appears to be working.

Since late May, Rolling Stone reports, some attorneys and Trump confidants have briefed Yoos legal theories and writings directly to the ex-president, who in turn has privately lauded Yoos recent defenses of Trump in conservative media, particularly on Fox News.

Theres a recent model for someone auditioning to be Trumps Attorney General. It happened in June 2018 when private citizen William Barr circulated a memo attacking the Mueller investigation. That memo was music to Trumps ears; six months later, he nominated Barr to replace Jeff Sessions. Yoo certainly watched that happen.

Responding to the report of his influence in the former presidents orbit, Yoo issued a for-public-consumption coquettish non-denial denial of his ambition. As he told Rolling Stone:

I am bemused that Trump aides are saying that my writings have any influence in Trumps inner circle. I havent discussed these issues with anyone on the campaign or legal teams or Trump himself.

He may be bemused. We should not be.

American voters need to pay careful attention to what Yoo is saying. In November, it will be up to us to decide if we want to follow the course he is charting.
The message from the second night of the Republican National Convention was clear  and brutal: Elect Donald Trump this November or the United States will be overrun with brown people and drugs that will kill you, your family, and everyone you care about.

The GOP trotted out an array of lawmakers throughout the nights programming, dubbed Make America Safe Again, to deliver their well-worn lines about migrant crime and the need to build a border wall, but the gist of the evening was best captured in an interstitial video rife with garish imagery  including stock footage of a cadaver in a morgue, a family crying at a funeral, and, for some reason, a nuclear bomb exploding.

This is the man responsible for your familys safety, the video began, showing a string of unflattering clips of President Joe Biden. And hes failed you  terribly.

The video keyed on comments Biden made during a 2020 Democratic primary debate about how the United States is ready and willing to accept migrants seeking asylum. Clips of crowds of migrants played as an ominous narrator warned of drug gangs, sex traffickers, and ISIS terrorists. Its all putting America on high alert for an attack and your family at great risk  and its all the weak and incompetent Bidens fault.

As the crowd watched the video and listened to the series of Republican speakers dishing out lurid, horrifying details, many of the assembled delegates, audience members, and conservative luminaries whooped, hissed, chanted, and at times fist-pumped. Everyone appeared conditioned and desensitized to the tales of terror, having heard versions of these tales of out-of-control bloodletting numerous times before on Fox News and elsewhere. Meanwhile, attendees waved signs that read STOP BIDENS BORDER BLOODBATH.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) seemed inspired during his speech to the convention, which immediately followed the video. Americans are dying, he said. Murdered, assaulted, raped by illegal immigrants that the Democrats have released.

Cruz highlighted the deaths of Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and Kate Steinle  whose stories are fixtures in right-wing fear-mongering about migrant crime  asserting they happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children.

Studies have shown that immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crime than Americans born in the U.S., including in Cruzs home state of Texas.

Most of the nights speakers referenced the border. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said we cannot allow the many millions of illegal aliens theyve allowed across our borders to harm our citizens, drain our resources, or disrupt our elections, nodding to the Great Replacement conspiracy theory that Democrats are deliberately trying to flood the nation with immigrants to win elections. So did Johnsons fellow Louisianan lawmaker Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). Biden and Harris want illegals to vote now that theyve opened up the border, he said.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) lamented Bidens wide-open border and the sanctuary cities in her state. Sen. Tim Scott (R-Fla.), who wants to be the next Senate majority leader, joked about how in his nightmare, Biden erased the border and flew in so many illegals into our country that Mexican cartels started getting frequent flyer miles. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) spoke of a third-world invasion and detailed his own real-life nightmare of a flight he was on being full of these migrants.

It wasnt just lawmakers, either. Michael Coyle, who runs an Instagram page that chronicles drug use in Philadelphia, spoke about the opioid epidemic in the city. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the ones who opened our southern border and allowed Chinese fentanyl to pour in unconditionally, he said, before describing how some tranq addicts smell of rotting flesh, and how Trump will end the urban nightmare.

Republicans projected migrant-fueled doom and gloom all night, but they also looked ahead to what will happen to them should Trump win another term in November. Well start by securing the border. If you came here illegally under Joe Biden youre going back to where you came from under Donald Trump, said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.). Vivek Ramaswamy, Trumps primary opponent turned lapdog, said that electing Trump is the only way to seal the border and restore law and order in this country.

Somehow, Trumps plan to crack down on immigration is even more terrifying than the Republicans who spoke on Tuesday night let on. He wants to round up undocumented migrants across America and toss them in detention camps until they can be kicked out of the country. Hell do away with due-process hearings to make it easier to do so, and will even contract the military to help with the eradication effort. He told Newsmax earlier this year that hell also give local law enforcement immunity to crack down on migrants however they see fit.

Trump has also spoken in far more denigrating terms about undocumented immigrants than most of his minions would dare. He has echoed Adolf Hitler by saying migrants are poisoning the blood of our country, describing them throughout the campaign as violent criminals  just as he did in the summer of 2015 when he appalled America by kicking off his first presidential campaign by saying Mexico was sending rapists across the border.

Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention was yet more proof of what has long been obvious: that Republicans have not only embraced Trumps disgusting rhetoric about immigrants over the past decade, they want it to define the party.

The grisly programming of the conventions second night was perfectly in line with Trumps B-movie-grade, gory vision of what law and order should look like in modern America.

In conversations Id been in the room for, President Trump would explicitly say that hed love a country that was totally an eye for an eye  thats a direct quote  criminal-justice system, and hed talk about how the right way to do it is to line up criminals and drug dealers before a firing squad, a former Trump White House official previously told Rolling Stone.

You just got to kill these people, Trump would often say while in the White House, this ex-official recounted.

He had a particular affinity for the firing squad, because it seemed more dramatic, rather than how we do it, putting a syringe in people and putting them to sleep, the former official said. He was big on the idea of executing large numbers of drug dealers and drug lords because hed say, These people dont care about anything, and that they run their drug empire and their deals from prison anyways, and then they get back out on the street, get all their money again, and keep committing crimes  and therefore, they need to be eradicated, not jailed.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
Trump is furious Taiwan's chip business is doing so well

Trump is furious Taiwan's chip business is doing so well

Trump told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan has taken away the US's chip-manufacturing business.

Trump wants Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, to pay the US for protection.

Taiwan is the world's chip powerhouse. It produces about 90% of all advanced microchips globally.

The US's relationship with Taiwan is likely to be a sore point should former President Donald Trump secure a second term in office.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan's dominance in the chip industry made the island rich. He offered no evidence in the interview to support his claims about Taiwan.

"Taiwan took our chip business from us," he said to Businessweek in an interview before the failed assassination attempt on Saturday. "I mean, how stupid are we? They took all of our chip business. They're immensely wealthy."

Taiwan is a semiconductor chip powerhouse. It produces 92% of the world's most advanced microchips, according to the US-based Semiconductor Industry Association.

In 2021, Taiwan's chip industry generated $137 billion in output and accounted for nearly 25% of total global chip sales, according to a November report from the US International Trade Commission.

Taiwan's chipmakers benefit US companies. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the world's largest contract chipmaker. The company supplies chips to end users in America like Apple, which uses them in their consumer products. The AI chipmaker Nvidia is also a big TSMC customer.

However, Beijing claims self-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has been stepping up military activity around the island in recent years. That has sparked fears of a Chinese invasion of the island that could majorly impact the global economy and chip supply.

The US has been ramping up chip manufacturing at home to diversify some of its chip supply from Taiwan with the $52 billion CHIPS for America Act that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022.

The US is still obliged by law to protect Taiwan by providing the island with military means to defend itself.

"I think, Taiwan should pay us for defense," Trump told Bloomberg. "You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

Taiwan-listed shares of the chip powerhouse TSMC stock fell as much as 3% on Thursday following Trump's complaints.

In response to Trump's statement, Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Thursday that the US and Taiwan maintain a good relationship and that Taipei has strengthened its defense budget.

"We are willing to take on more responsibility to defend ourselves and ensure our security," Cho said at a scheduled press conference.

China probably hasn't decided if it prefers Trump or Biden

It's not the first time Trump has complained about Taiwan's dominance in the chip business. Last July, he also griped to Fox News about the same issue.

"Remember this, Taiwan took our business away. We should have stopped them, we should have taxed them, tariffed them," he said at the time.

China earlier highlighted the US's potential turnaround from Biden's stance that the US would defend Taiwan if it's attacked.

"The United States always pursues 'America First,' and Taiwan may change from a 'chess piece' to a 'discarded piece' at any time," Chen Binhua, a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in January.

But it's likely China has not decided whether it would prefer a Biden or Trump presidency, Yun Sun, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote on May 31.

After all, Trump's first term saw his administration lifting US government rules restricting interactions between American and Taiwanese officials  a deepening of their relationship.

"China doesn't believe Trump wanted a war with China over Taiwan, but they do see his indulgence of his team on Taiwan as the result of his overall 'maximum pressure' campaign to force China to cave on other fronts, such as trade," Sun wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Trump says Taiwan should pay more for defense and dodges questions if he would defend the island

FILE - Presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, appears during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Monday, July 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Former President Donald Trump demanded the self-governed island of Taiwan pay for U.S. protection, dodged the question of whether he would defend the island from Beijing's military action and accused the island of taking the computer chip industry away from the United States.

Taiwan should pay us for defense, the Republican presidential candidate said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. You know, we're no different than an insurance company."

Trump's remarks, made public Tuesday, add uncertainty to Trump's approach to Taiwan at a time his running mate, JD Vance, has called China the biggest threat to the United States. President Joe Biden has said he would send troops to defend the island.

In Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai responded that Taiwan is willing to take on more responsibility" and would defend itself.

In a statement, Taiwan's de-facto embassy in Washington said it is in the interest of the U.S. and the international community to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait because it is an indispensable part of global prosperity.

"As the threat of military coercion increases, Taiwan is doing its part by actively strengthening deterrence capabilities with the support of the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office said.

As the rivalry between Washington and Beijing heats up, Taiwan  an island that broke away from mainland China in 1949 following a civil war  has become one of the thorniest issues in U.S.-China relations.

Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and vows to take it by force if necessary to achieve unification. Washington insists any differences be resolved peacefully and U.S. law obligates it to supply Taiwan with hardware and technology for self-defense. In the past several years, ties between Washington and Taipei have grown stronger, as Beijing ratchets up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.

Last month, the Biden administration approved a $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material. Taiwan pays for the military equipment.

Citing the arms sale and other unspecified U.S. moves to undermine Beijing's interests and trust between the two countries, China's foreign ministry announced Wednesday it was canceling talks with the U.S. on arms control and nonproliferation.

The responsibility full lies with the U.S., said Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry.

In the interview, Trump said he didn't feel so secure over the Taiwan Strait, where Beijing has been very aggressive and got ships all over the place." He suggested that China could easily take over the island but has not done so because of Taiwan's prized semiconductor industry, which make the computer chips that power everything from smartphones to cars and satellites.

That's the apple of President Xi's eye, Trump said, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He suggested that Taiwan has a stranglehold on the computer chip industry over the U.S. and because of that, it has the means to pay.

I mean, how stupid are we? They took all of our chip business. Theyre immensely wealthy, Trump said.

Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called Taiwan a perfect example of what we want all our allies to do," as demanded by Trump.

They have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons for its defense, said McCaul, a Republican, who travelled to Taiwan last month to affirm the U.S. support for the island.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, accused the former president of betraying Taiwan.

Former President Trumps threat to abandon our nations longstanding, bipartisan commitments to Taiwan would mean betraying one of the worlds most vibrant democracies to the Chinese Communist Party," said Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the House Select Committee on China.

Failing to provide for Taiwans defense would not only be potentially illegal under the Taiwan Relations Act, it would be a betrayal of American values and our democratic institutions, he added.

Trump did not say the U.S. won't defend Taiwan, said Miles Yu, who previously served in the Trump administration and is director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank. The former president said Taiwan should share more of the costs for such a collective defense, which is far less of a problem for Taiwan than for other U.S. allies in the region, he said.

The defense of Taiwan is enshrined in the Taiwan Relations Act, Yu said. The joint defense of Taiwan is a national consensus. To change that will be extremely difficult.

But, compared to Biden, Trump would place utmost importance on building credible deterrence over Taiwan, Yu said, adding Trump has said he would bomb Beijing if it should invade Taiwan.
Donald Trump and his campaign see his running mate, Senator JD Vance, as a way to expand Trumps voter base, according to sources familiar with the matter, intending to lean into past criticisms from Vance to convince voters who disliked the former president to back him in the election.

In the years before Vance ran for the US Senate, he repeatedly criticized Trump and his presidency in interviews where he made clear he never liked the former president and considered him cultural heroin and in private conversations, where he suggested Trump was Americas Hitler.

But the criticisms, which once angered Trump, are now being seen by the Trump campaign as a unique asset that could resonate with voters who could be in a similar position: people who have previously found Trump unsavory but might prefer him to Biden, the sources said.

The Trump campaign has suggested it wants Vance to lean in to the fact that he was previously a so-called Never Trumper, with the hope that it could give independent and uncommitted voters a path towards supporting the former president in November.

Vance could be the standard-bearer for that message in TV appearances and on the campaign trail through battleground states on the Rust belt, the sources said. One aspect that Trump is said to admire in Vance is his ease with appearing on adversarial networks such as CNN and MSNBC.

Related: Theyll do good work: in JD Vances hometown, Trump is already the winner

The thinking offers a window into how the Trump campaign intends to deploy Vance over the next four months and explains in part their confidence that the Biden campaign highlighting Vances prior attacks against Trump could ultimately play into their hands.

A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump announced Vance as his running mate on Monday at the Republican national convention after deciding against the two other leading candidates shortlisted for the vice-presidential pick, the Florida senator Marco Rubio and North Dakotas governor, Doug Burgum.

A source close to Trump described the former president as vacillating on whom to pick until the very end, even more so than in 2016, when he ultimately settled on Mike Pence, who was seen as a candidate who could bring evangelical voters otherwise skeptical of Trump.

The other two candidates had problems: Rubio had the residency problem  Trump now lives in Florida, and so Rubio might have had to move to comply with rules that say the president and vice-president must be from different states  and Burgum was seen as lacking nationwide presence.

But Trump did not commit to a running mate choice even in private and was floating the pros and cons of each while on the flight to Milwaukee, a day before the Republican partys nominating convention began, the source said.

Vance appears to have ultimately received the nod in large part because he gelled with Trump personally, had the endorsement of several key players who had Trumps ear, and was comfortable sparring with critics on TV and on the debate stage back when he ran for the Senate, the source said.

Trump first met Vance in person at his Mar-a-Lago club in February 2021, shortly before Vance announced his bid to be the junior US senator from Ohio, and their encounter started with Trump bluntly saying Vance had said nasty things about him, according to a person close to Vance.

Vance, the author of the bestselling memoir about his troubled upbringing, Hillbilly Elegy, needed Trumps endorsement in the race. In that moment, Vance decided to apologize and explained he had been misled by what he described as media lies.

The apology disarmed Trump. At the end of the meeting, Trump told Vance that the other candidates in his primary had begged for his endorsement. Vance told Trump he would not do that  and suggested Trump endorse him down the line if he thought he was running a good race.

Starting in that meeting in 2021, Vance also proved his loyalty to Trump  one factor that has remained crucial for the former president. Vance promised Trump he would not attack him in the media, a vow that has carried through to his recent appearance on NBCs Meet the Press.

Vances close relationship with Trumps eldest son, Don Jr, also appears to have been helpful. The younger Trump has endorsed Vance for months and made the case to his father, on Vances behalf.
The world was stunned as a bullet grazed Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturdaya brazen assassination attempt that left the former U.S. President bleeding from his right ear. But as condemnations poured in from around the world, the shocking incident was also a reminder of the raft of violence world leaders have faced in recent years amid increasing polarization and growing political divide.

In May, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico survived three gunshots fired at close range by a lone wolf while greeting members of the public in the town of Banska Bystrica. The populist leader, who shares an ideological alliance with Trump, said the Trump shooting was a carbon copy of previous attempts made on his own life: Trumps political opponents are trying to imprison him, and when that doesnt work, they incite the public to the point where some poor soul picks up a weapon, Fico wrote on Facebook. Similarly, Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, who has drawn comparisons to Trump, was stabbed in the stomach at a campaign rally a mere month before the elections in 2018. The eerie moment fired up his base and propelled him to power.

Read More: Eyewitness Accounts From the Trump Rally Shooting

Far-right leaders are not the only ones who have faced imminent danger in recent years. In July 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was tragically assassinated. A few months later, Pakistans former Prime Minister Imran Khan was critically injured after a surprise shooting. In January this year, South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, a leading presidential candidate for the next election in 2027, was stabbed in the neck while speaking to reporters at a public appearance. Last month, Danish premier Mette Frederiksen, a socialist democrat, was also attacked in the street two days before Denmark voted in the EU election.

What explains the skyrocketing political violence in recent years? Research finds that countries with heightened competition during elections are particularly at risk of experiencing election-related violence. Thats because the people who carry out the violencewhether a political party, outsourced militias, gangs, or ordinary citizensfeel strongly about a potential shift in the balance of power and a partisan division based on identity, according to Rachel Kleinfeld, who studies this trend at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This is made worse by weak institutional constraints on violence.

In the U.S., the increasingly volatile political climate has been driven by a Manichean us-versus-them approach to politics, says Georgios Samaras, an assistant professor of public policy at the Kings College in London. The polarization not only deepens the divide between political factions but also fosters an environment where violent acts become more conceivable, he says.

Read More: Europe Braces for a Possible Trump Return

Yet, when right-wing leaders weigh in on such incidents, their response is usually charged with rhetoric that amplifies attacks on the media, political opposition, and prosecution. In response to the Trump shooting, Argentine President Javier Milei called it the authoritarian agenda of the international left, while U.K. right-wing firebrand Nigel Farage blamed it on a liberal narrative from political opponents. Similarly, in the Netherlands, far-right leader Geert Wilders accused leftish politicians and media of playing with fire in a post on X. And on Sunday, the Kremlin went a step further, accusing the Biden Administration of numerous attempts to remove Trump from the political arena through legal instruments like the courts and the prosecutor's office, which it said was done to politically discredit and compromise the candidate.

These calls are directly connected to a trend of more polarized and coarsened political debate in Europe, says Richard Youngs, a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at Carnegie Europe. When leaders call for de-polarization, they tend to mean that their adversaries need to moderate their language and policy positions, rather than applying the injunction to themselves, he says.

Trumps supporters and Republican voters, who strongly believe Trump's conviction was politically motivated, are likely to interpret the assassination attempt similarly, adds Samaras. This incident provides a rallying point, reinforcing their belief in a conspiracy against Trump and galvanizing their efforts as the election approaches, he says. The political climate is thus charged with heightened emotions and intensified rhetoric.

Read More: Column: The Danger of Treating Politics Like War

But experts point out differences between the polarization in Europe and its U.S. variant, too. For example, the response to Trump has been swift and compassionatea stark contrast to Fico in May and Bolsonaro in 2018, where the disconnect between many European nations and Brazil resulted in less support and understanding, says Samaras. These double standards highlight Trump's influence and how he is perceived on the world stage.

In the wake of several crucial European elections this year, debates have intensified about the best way to deal with far-right parties. After Fico was almost killed, Slovakias major civil rights groups issued a statement condemning the attack on the Prime Minister, before adding: "Blaming the opposition, ideological and political opponents, the media or the nongovernmental sector starts a spiral of fear, hatred and further possible violence.

The events of last weekends rally shooting will only make this debate an even more difficult and fraught one across Europe, says Youngs.

Write to Astha Rajvanshi at astha.rajvanshi@time.com.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (pictured in D.C., 2023) faces calls for her resignation in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. File Photo by Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE

July 17 (UPI) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, days after agents killed a gunman who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

Speaking to Fox News from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Johnson said he will call for her resignation.

"Look, I think it's inexcusable," Johnson said. "Just beyond the classified parts, the things that we all understand, her explanation to the media that there was a slant on the roof, so there was safety concern, it doesn't wash."

Briefings were scheduled Wednesday on the political rally shooting for House and Senate lawmakers from the FBI and other federal officials.

The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday its inspector general will review the Secret Service security process preceding the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Wednesday called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, days after her agents killed the man who shot former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

Johnson said he would use a special bipartisan House task force to investigate the shooting and security breakdowns starting Monday.

"We are going to move quickly," Johnson said. "I'll be setting up on Monday a task force, a special task force within the House, and the reason we're going to do it that way is because that is a more precise strike. It goes quicker, there's not a lot of the procedural hurdles, and we'll have subpoena authority for that task force as well. It'll be comprised of Republicans and Democrats to get down to the bottom of this quickly, so the American people can get the answers that they deserve."

Cheatle has said in media interviews the shooting was unacceptable, the Secret Service was solely responsible and the buck stops with her. She said the agency is performing a review of the security processes as well.

Johnson said his initial conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas was not satisfactory and said real questions remain.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called for Cheatle's resignation Tuesday.
Duane Schwingel, aka Uncle Jam, shows off an ear bandage that reads 'Fight Fight Fight' - Dominic Gwinn/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Ear bandages have become the accessory du jour for Republicans in tribute to Donald Trumps gun wound.

The former president arrived at the Republican National Convention wearing a large white bandage over his right ear after it was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The dressing has inspired copycat versions from supporters who have gathered in Milwaukee to select him as the Republican nominee for Novembers presidential election.

Joe Neglia, a delegate from Arizona, said his bandage represented the newest fashion trend.

Donald Trump is given a warm welcome by supporters as he arrives at the Republican National Convention - Brian Snyder/Reuters

Speaking to CBS News, he added: Everybody in the world is going to be wearing these pretty soon.

Mr Neglia explained how his bandage had been made by folding up a piece of paper on the bus ride over to the Fiserv Forum.

I put it on to honour Trump

In a separate interview on Tuesday, Mr Neglia told Fox News: Yesterday when he came in, and there was that eruption of love in the room, I thought, what can I do to honour the truth? What can I possibly do?

And then I saw the bandage and I thought, I can do that. So, I put it on simply to honour Trump and to express sympathy with him and unity with him.

Theres a male version and a female version... because there are only two genders!

Stacey Goodman, another Arizona delegate who was wearing a piece of paper over her ear, told CBS News it was done in solidarity with my president, Trump, not the current thing thats in the administration.

Jim Justice, the West Virginia governor, addresses the convention alongside his pet dog, named Baby Dog - J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Other attendees were also spotted sporting the look.

One womans ear accessory was displayed under a cowboy hat, while a man dressed in an Uncle Sam costume wore his fake bandage while performing a cover of Lee Greenwoods God Bless the USA on a harmonica.

Trump was wounded on Saturday when a bullet fired by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks pierced his skin. One man was killed in the attack and two others were hospitalised. The shooter was killed by Secret Service snipers.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's two-year-old son cheers his mother on as she addresses the convention - Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press Wire

In other tributes at the convention, an image of Trumps head was added to cardboard cutout of a Rambo-style figure holding an assault rifle while one delegate donned a striking pair of leggings depicting the candidates face.

However, it was less of a heroic opening for one of Trumps chief lieutenants.

Rudy Giuliani is helped up after falling into a row of chairs - Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Rudy Giuliani records the action at the Republican National Convention with a hand-held camera - Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Rudy Giuliani, his former lawyer, was seen tumbling sideways into a row of chairs in the arena before falling onto the floor.

Fellow attendees stopped to help the 80-year-old stand up and he appeared unhurt.

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(Bloomberg) -- When Teamsters chief Sean OBrien called Donald Trump one tough S.O.B. on Monday night, the former president beamed and his supporters cheered.

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But the rest of OBriens address to the Republican National Convention  the first of its kind by a head of the storied American union  laid bare the ideological challenges facing the party of big business as it embraces populism and recasts itself as the defender of the American worker.

OBriens convention speech was an unusually overt hint from an American labor leader that his unions 1.3 million members were open to supporting the Republican presidential nominee  and even that a formal endorsement could be in play.

But it also doubled as an exhortation to union membership and a denunciation of corporate greed  messages that are still anathema to large swaths of the Republican Party and the well-heeled donors who provide its financial backing even as it tilts with Trump toward populism.

Its only when Americans band together in democratic unions that we win real improvements on wages, benefits, and working conditions, OBrien said, criticizing private equity firms, corporate behemoths like Amazon.com Inc., the US Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable.

The biggest recipients of welfare in this country are corporations, and this is real corruption, OBrien said. We must put workers first.

The Teamsters have endorsed Republicans before, OBrien noted, including Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

But over the last 40 years, the Republican Party has rarely pursued strong relationships with organized labor, he said. There are some in the party who stand in active opposition to labor unions. This, too, must change.

More than a decade removed from a candidate who famously declared that corporations are people, Republicans in the convention hall reacted coolly to some of OBriens most pointed lines denouncing economic terrorism against workers.

Kind of Cringing

A day later, Republican leaders and delegates were trying to square the circle, confident the party is peeling off voters from Democrats with populist appeals, while resistant to fully embracing some of the practical implications of OBriens position  particularly the push for more widespread unionization.

There were parts of the speech last night where Im kind of cringing, but its the dialogue, said Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra in an interview with Bloomberg News. Its the discussion. The whole thing about growing and keeping businesses in America, that resonates.

Where OBrien criticized Amazon, Hoekstra took aim at one of his home states corporate icons: General Motors Co.

It used to be the phrase was, whats good for GM is good for America, he said. Its not true anymore. Whats good for GM is good for GM, but it may or may not be good for Americans.

President Joe Bidens campaign is dismissive of Trumps appeals to labor unions. Biden was endorsed for reelection by more than 30 unions, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a written statement, and by joining a group from the United Auto Workers became the first president in modern times to walk a picket line.

The campaign also highlighted its efforts to shore up union pension funds  including for the Teamsters  while criticizing Trump for appointing judges and labor-relations officials hostile to union interests during his term in office.

Donald Trump does not care about workers or their families  and he never has, she said. He only cares about himself and his corporate donor friends.

Biden won a crucial endorsement in January from the UAW, representing about 400,000 employees.

Some 10% of American workers were represented by labor unions in 2023, or 14.4 million people, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Union Overtures

OBrien singled out Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trumps running mate, for praise. Vance has previously said Americans have grown too reliant on cheap labor. But Vance also came to politics following a venture capital career in Silicon Valley, a place notoriously hostile to union labor.

The Teamsters arent the only union keeping their options open for Trump.

Following the failed assassination attempt against Trump on Saturday, Harold Daggett, the longtime president of the International Longshoremens Association, urged his 85,000 members to pray for Trump and reiterated praise for the former president.

Trump has promised to support the union in fighting automation of cargo terminals at US ports, Daggett said, and also listened to my concerns about Federal Right To Work laws that ban workers from being forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment.

The union overtures are putting traditional business-minded Republicans in an unusual spot.

The party is open and a big tent for all, said Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, a former private equity executive, in an interview with Bloomberg. Does that mean were taking sides in any particular union-corporate confrontation? No, thats not what it means.

But Republicans are confident Trump will appeal to union members, regardless of whether labor leaders formally endorse him or his policies.

I think the hearts and minds of the rank and file have been with us for some time, and its growing, Hagerty said.

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Trump wants to project a unity message after the assassination attempt. How long will it last?

After Donald Trump survived a shooting at a campaign rally that officials were investigating as a domestic terror attack and an attempted assassination, the former president suggested he had been changed by the near-death experience and wanted to project a message of unity.

But two days after Trump said he would try to bring the country together, it was unclear whether the message would catch on  and how long it might last.

Trump told the New York Post in an interview on Sunday that he had intended to deliver biting remarks against Joe Biden in his speech at the Republican national convention until the shooting at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, prompted him to throw it out.

Related: Republican convention speakers ramp up anti-Democratic rhetoric despite campaign promise of unity

Trump is understood to have been reworking his remarks with his speechwriter Ross Worthington since the shooting, according to a person close to the former president, and has discussed making himself sound like he is still the president, as opposed to just a candidate.

The conventional political approach to a unity theme would revolve around calling to move past partisan divides or to tone down incendiary rhetoric, but whether Trump adopts or sustains such a message remains unclear.

It may yet be that Trump now considers himself as the unifier-in-chief  taking the mantle from Biden who campaigned on that message in the 2020 election to great effect  and will leave it to his surrogates pursue the more caustic and ad hominem attacks against Biden. This was on display to some extent in speeches from senators and allies at the convention on Tuesday night.

Still, at an event hosted by Georgetown University on the sidelines of the Republican nominating convention, Trumps co-campaign chief Chris LaCivita suggested the unity messaging would not come at the expense of winning the election in November.

This is obviously an opportunity to bring our country together. But lets not forget were in the middle of a campaign, LaCivita said. Our focus is very much on putting everything back squarely on the issues that are hurting everyday Americans and providing them an answer to those.

At a separate event on Tuesday hosted by Axios, Trumps eldest son, Don Jr, suggested that even if Trump shifted to a gentler tone, his core political attacks were likely to continue.

You can be nicer on the margins but you still have to call out insanity when you see insanity, Don Jr said when asked about more caustic language turning off potential voters, for instance on transgender issues. Thats different, thats not about tone.

Don Jr also said that even though he believed that Trumps unity tone would last until the vice-presidential debate, he expected Trump to counter-punch if attacked by Biden, who recently urged the country to tone down the political rhetoric in a televised address from the Oval Office.

I think hes going to be tough when he has to be, Don Jr said when asked if Trumps tone will be permanently changed. Thats never going to change. Hes not going to just take an attack. My father will always be a fighter, thats never going to change, but hes going to do his best to moderate that.

Hes never going to stop being Trump when attacked, thats what makes him an effective leader because he doesnt cower under fire  quite literally.

Don Jrs comments may be the rationalization that surrogates and top Republicans have been searching for, after struggling to balance the unity message with attacking Biden often using jarring language in front of a Republican party animated for years by Trumps partisan grievances.

The test of whether Trump will lead the effort to promote a spirit of unity, or whether it was more of a directive aimed at his surrogates, will probably come on the final day of the convention when he delivers his speech on Thursday.
Trump Watches As Former Rivals Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis Kiss His Ring At The RNC

MILWAUKEE  She once called Donald Trump unstable and unfit to serve a second term in the Oval Office. He once questioned the former presidents age and stamina, mocking him for losing to Joe Biden in 2020.

But on Tuesday, the second day of the Republican National Convention, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis bent the knee in front of Trump, who sat in a red VIP box and ate up the scene alongside family members, dozens of elected officials and thousands of cheering RNC delegates.

Its a redemption arc so common in the modern GOP that Trumps own running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, followed it: He went from a staunch critic who once called Trump noxious and Americas Hitler to a loyal ally on his ticket.

The message the GOP sought to portray was clear: Unlike the Democratic Party, in its state of disarray, we are united in our effort to win the presidency and take total control of Congress in November.

Haley was met by some boos when she stepped onstage. But she quickly won over the crowd by endorsing Trump for another term, saying the country would be worse off under four more years of Biden.

We have to acknowledge there are people who dont agree with Donald Trump 100 percent of the time. I happen to know some of them, and I want to speak to them tonight, Haley said. My message to them is simple: You dont have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him. Take it from me: I havent always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.

We have a country to save and a unified Republican Party is essential to saving her, she added, bringing the delegates to their feet and eliciting chants of USA.

The former South Carolina governor, who was the first prominent woman of color to seek the GOP presidential nomination, also included a plea to expand the party. We are so much better when we are bigger, she said.

DeSantis speech, by comparison, was far more aggressive and focused on attacking Democrats and woke policies, a favorite theme of his GOP primary campaign.

Lets be honest here. Biden is just a figurehead. Hes a tool for imposing a leftist agenda on the American people, DeSantis said, before teeing up an attack on Bidens age.

America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernies presidency, he said.

The Florida governor who spoke Tuesday night couldnt have been more different from the defiant version of DeSantis GOP voters saw on the primary campaign trail. DeSantis said of Trump in January: You can be the most worthless Republican in America, but if you kiss the ring, hell say youre wonderful.

Most attendees at the convention downplayed Haleys past criticism of Trump and welcomed her back into the fold.

People say a lot of things in politics. And I think Donald Trump has enough thick skin by now, Rick Lawrence, an RNC delegate from Aurora, Illinois, told HuffPost.

But Debbie Epling, chair of the Aiken County GOP in South Carolina, said she didnt think Haley had really changed her thinking on Trump  just her political calculations.

I think its politics, she said. I have never seen an election where one person got up on a debate stage and said, I cant stand this person, I cant stand that person, and after the primary, theyre best friends.

Some of Trumps former 2016 presidential rivals, now strong backers of the nominee, also delivered prime-time remarks at the convention Tuesday.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who ended his convention speech in 2016 by telling delegates to vote your conscience following a bitter rivalry with Trump, issued a glowing endorsement of the former president in an immigrant-bashing speech, embracing his slogan to Make America Great Again.

And Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a foreign policy hawk who once called Trump a con artist that couldnt be trusted with the presidential nuclear codes, also heaped praise on the former president and his MAGA agenda. In his speech, the senator warned that another Biden term in office would make the world less safe.

There is nothing dangerous or divisive about putting Americans first. Putting Americans first must be what this election is about, Rubio insisted, garnering applause from Trump.

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If Trump wins in November, here is who could replace Ohios JD Vance in U.S. Senate

Photo by: Scripps News / WEWS.

Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance was announced as the vice presidential candidate Monday, but the race is already on to replace his U.S. Senate seat if he and former President Donald Trump win the election.

The most popularly floated names around Capital Square in Columbus, according to numerous strategists and politicos, are state Sen. Matt Dolan, RNC Committeewoman for Ohio Jane Timken, and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy  but Gov. Mike DeWine would get the final say.

The 39-year-old author and Trump loyalist Vance was elected to Congress in 2022.

Sometimes things go pretty straightforwardly, but sometimes you see a bunch of political gamesmanship, Case Western Reserve University constitutional law professor Jonathan Entin said.

While Vance is running, he doesnt need to step down from his seat, Entin explained, but if he wins, the governor will need to appoint a replacement.

You often get a lot of political maneuvering anyway, especially if you have multiple people who are interested in the position, the professor added.

The appointees typically fall into three categories, he said: a prior candidate, a sitting member of Congress, or a statewide elected official.

Republican Strategist Bob Clegg said the governor has a lot of options in front of him.

The governor is gonna pick somebody that will do a good job, will have good conservative beliefs, will be able to represent the majority of Ohioans, Clegg said.

Even if DeWine has a preference, the strategist says the most important thing the governor will need to consider is reelection viability.

Somebody who can win and hold that seat both in a primary and a general election, he said.

The appointee would need to run in a special election in 2026 to keep the seat, but Entin offered that DeWine could appoint a placeholder instead.

Sometimes the governor will decide, Lets just go with somebody who isnt controversial, who doesnt have long-term political ambitions so that we can just get through this time period, Entin said.

DeWine is trying to focus on the upcoming election, but he has started thinking about it, he told our team at the RNC.

But we really need to focus on getting Bernie Moreno elected, three members of the Ohio Supreme Court, theres a lot of congressional races, a lot of things going on, DeWine said. Were going to kind of set that aside until after November.

Some people have already started throwing their hats in the ring, but DeWine is deflecting.

Ive heard a lot of names mentioned and we got a lot of good people who could serve in the United States Senate, he said. I dont have a short list because I dont even have a long list yet  so well work on that in time.

DeWine would be open to hearing thoughts from Trump, noting that he had a good working relationship when he was president, just like he has a good one with President Joe Biden.

Its important for the governor of Ohio to have a relationship with the president of the United States that just is beneficial to Ohio, he said.

DeWine has broken with Trump on plenty of policy decisions and has a near-opposite personality. However, DeWine is supportive of the presidential nominee in his race to regain the White House.

At the end of 2023, in a one-on-one with DeWine was asked if Trump becoming president again would be a threat to democracy. He would not answer.

Onto the names

This list is not exhaustive and only reflects the views of two dozen Ohio political insiders in different offices and professions. Individuals will likely come out of the woodwork to express interest to the governor.

Prior candidates

Matt Dolan

State Sen. Matt Dolan would be the most obvious pick, according to Clegg and about a dozen other politicos spoken to.

The governor endorsed Dolan in the last U.S. Senate Republican primary, but he finished second to Bernie Moreno.

Senator Dolan and Governor DeWine have wisely stated that our focus must remain on victory in November. Theyre exactly right, Dolans spokesperson Chris Maloney said.

Jane Timken

Jane Timken is another popular name. She is a Trump ally who ran in 2022 and is currently the RNC Committeewoman for Ohio.

She did not respond to a request for comment.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, despite not having run for U.S. Senate before, was also proposed by a dozen insiders.

Ramaswamys team told us that he wasnt able to do an interview. But he told Politico that he was interested.

If I were asked to serve, I would strongly consider it, he said.

Frank LaRose

Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose was mentioned as a possibility. He ran and came in third for the 2024 Republican U.S. Senate nomination. However, Vance and Donald Trump Jr. have routinely criticized and insulted LaRose on social media. It is unclear if that could play into DeWines decision.

His team did not respond to a request for comment.

Bernie Moreno if he loses in 2024

Bernie Moreno is the Republican candidate facing off against U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. If Moreno ends up losing, politicos predict he could be appointed.

This is nonsense contrived by Sherrod Browns enablers who know hes on the path to defeat. The only person who will be looking for a job in November is Sherrod Brown, Morenos spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said.

Sitting members of Congress

Jim Jordan

Congressman Jim Jordan has been a member of Congress since 2007, representing areas around Lima and Mansfield. He is a Trump ally and chairs the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Jordan is focused on his work at the Judiciary Committee and getting President Trump and Vice President Vance elected, a spokesperson said.

Dave Joyce

Congressman Dave Joyce has been a member of Congress since 2013, representing Northeast Ohio. He is a moderate with views closely aligned with DeWines. He chairs the Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

A source familiar said that Joyces name has come up, but he is reserving conversations until after the RNC out of respect for Trump and Vance.

Others

Other politicians mentioned were Congressmen Mike Carey and Warren Davidson.

Statewide electeds

Dave Yost

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has been floated the most of the statewide officials. However, the AG seems more interested in continuing his run for governor.

Were blessed to have a number of candidates who would make a great U.S. senator. Dave has always felt called to an executive office, and is actively raising money for a 2026 run for governor. But right now his focus is on flipping the Senate by electing Bernie Moreno, and sending Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to the White House, Yosts campaign spokesperson Amy Natoce said.

Jon Husted

Although not as frequently brought up as Yost was, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is being floated. Husted is expected to run against Yost for governor.

The Lt. Governors focus is on getting President Trump, J.D. Vance and Bernie Moreno elected in November. Any speculation around J.D. Vances Senate seat is a distraction and only stands to benefit Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown, Husteds spokesperson Hayley Carducci said.

Intraparty battle

Entin believes there may be some bargaining here if the governor wants to help out his LG. To be clear, DeWine has not endorsed anyone for governor yet.

If he thinks that Yost would be interested in the Senate seat, he might be inclined to go in that direction to try to clear out at least one other candidate from the gubernatorial field, Entin said.

It would not surprise him if the governor was trying to figure out how to minimize the prospect of a bitter intraparty battle, he said.

That being said, appointing Husted could give the LG more name recognition for his gubernatorial run in 2026.

State lawmakers?

Some other high-ranking state lawmakers are interested in the seat, but appointments like that dont typically happen, according to Clegg. Name recognition is important, and most state lawmakers dont have that.

Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on X and Facebook.

This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.

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Donald Trump has said he wouldnt consider pardoning himself should he return to the Oval Office in November.

The newly confirmed Republican presidential candidate still faces federal cases against him, despite charges over the mishandling of classified documents being dismissed earlier this week. In May, he became the first former president to be convicted of a felony, after a New York jury found him guilty on 34 state counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels. He also faces charges over alleged election interference in Georgia.

Speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump was asked about the idea of using his executive power to pardon himself  should he regain the presidency.

I wouldnt consider it, he told the outlet.

Donald Trump has said he wouldnt consider pardoning himself of federal crimes should he win election in November, he told Bloomberg (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

His remarks come in contrast to reports by The New York Times, which came in the final days of his presidency in 2021. The outlet reported then that Trump had suggested to aides that he wanted to pardon himself  in the wake of the storming of the Capitol on January 6.

The Times also reported that Trump had considered a range of pre-emptive pardons for his family, including his three oldest children  Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, as well as Jared Kushner and Rudy Giuliani.

The former president had expressed concerns to advisers that a Biden Justice Department might investigate all of them, the outlet reported.

Trumps legal issues were eased slightly this week, after federal judge Aileen Cannon threw out a criminal case over his alleged hoarding of government documents and classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago compound after leaving office.

He was also accused of then obstructing law enforcement attempts to get them back.

His remarks come in contrast to reports by The New York Times, which came in the final days of his presidency in 2021. The outlet reported that Trump had suggested to aides that he wanted to pardon himself  in the wake of the storming of the Capitol on January 6 (REUTERS)

The bombshell decision from Judge Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, argued that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution and usurps the role of Congress in funding that office.

Also on Tuesday, a Georgia appeals court set a December hearing for arguments on the appeal of a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against the former president.

Trump and other defendants had asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments in the case  which will now take place on December 5.

The timing means the lower court proceedings against Trump, which are on hold while the appeal is pending, will not resume before the November general election, after which Trump may  despite his claims  once again have the power to pardon himself.
No Free Hunch

Howdy, fellow Americans. Do you enjoy having free access to weather forecasts and crucial extreme weather alerts? Well, here's a rude reminder that you've been taking that government amenity for granted, which could very soon be ensnared by the tentacles of privatization.

As The Atlantic reports, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which gathers the overwhelming majority of all the data used by the National Weather Service and even commercial services like AccuWeather, is the target of being defunded into the ground by allies of former President and once-again presidential candidate Donald Trump.

That would have massive consequences for meteorology and climate science in the US  but its most immediate to the average American is that they would no longer get free, government-provided weather forecasts. Instead, by kneecapping the agency, Trump-hopefuls aim to free up room for a commercial market  thus paving the way for a future where accessing even basic weather reports is locked behind something resembling the tiers of a Netflix subscription.

"Every non-billionaire American should dread this plan," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) told The Atlantic.

The Brewing Storm

The bold proposal is detailed  and buried  in the roughly 900 pages of Project 2025, a policy agenda put forward by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation. It states, per The Atlantic, that NOAA "should be dismantled and many of its functions eliminated, sent to other agencies, privatized, or placed under the control of states and territories."

Supposedly, by fully commercializing the NWS's weather forecasts  and weakening NOAA, which gathers some of the most valuable weather and climate data in the world  this would actually improve weather forecasts for everyone. The flip-side of the coin, of course, is that this would also limit which Americans get quality forecasts on the basis of money. In a fully commercial market, poorer municipalities could be locked out of getting the same level of forecasts as a wealthier one, which could be disastrous in our age of increasing extreme weather events and deadly heat.

Beyond worshiping its conception of a free-er market, there's another politicized motive at play. Project 2025 also calls for culling NOAA's scientific research arm, because its authors are offended by the agency's alleged "climate alarmism."

"The preponderance of its climate-change research should be disbanded," it states.

Outlook: Cloudy

As The Atlantic notes, Trump has publicly tried to distance himself from Project 2025. But not only was he caught on tape cheering the project, some of its authors are alumni of his administration.

Regardless, the conservative animus towards the agency has transparent origins. It's thanks to NOAA's data repository, which includes the much-vaunted ice-core and tree-ring samples, that climate science exists as it does today  and by extension, why we know climate change is real and human-driven.

For being at the forefront of climate science, NOAA is regularly accused by some conservatives, especially those at the fossil-fuel-industry-funded Heritage Foundation, of having a "climate agenda." But to meteorologists just trying to do this job, these accusations are baffling.

"We're not pushing an agenda," JoAnn Becker, a senior meteorologist at NOAA, told The Atlantic. "We're looking objectively at the changes in our climate overall."

More on weather: Dozens of Americans Die in Brutal Heat Wave
Trump's past GOP rivals line up behind him at convention, say he'll make U.S. 'safe again'

Former President Trump's top rivals in the Republican Party lined up behind the 2024 nominee on Tuesday, promising he would "make America safe again" from violent criminals and dangerous undocumented immigrants who they suggested are invading the nation via an "open" southern border.

After questioning his abilities and integrity during the primaries, they gave full-throated backing to a man they once loudly reviled, saying that unifying behind their former foe was crucial for the nation's future. Trump, who entered the convention hall to thunderous applause, looked on approvingly as his former opponents urged voters to return him to the White House.

"For more than a year, I said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for President Kamala Harris," said Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley. "After seeing the debate, everyone knows it's true. If we have four more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump."

But Haley said her message was aimed at voters who may have qualms about the former president.

Former Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

"We should acknowledge there are some Americans who don't agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time. I happen to know some," said Haley, whom Trump nicknamed "Birdbrain" during their 2024 primary contest. "My message to them is simple. You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me, I haven't always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree."

Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, entered the Milwaukee arena shortly before speeches by Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he bested in a testy 2024 GOP primary, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, one of his opponents in the 2016 election.

Read more: Republicans say Biden's America is awash in immigrant-driven crime. What do the data say?

"Let's send Joe Biden back to his basement and let's send Donald Trump back to the White House," said DeSantis, whom Trump nicknamed "Ron DeSanctimonious." "Our border was safer under the Trump administration and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander in chief. Joe Biden has failed this nation."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Haley and DeSantis apparently learned a lesson from Cruz  aka "Lyin' Ted"  whose failure to endorse Trump after losing to him in the 2016 GOP primary earned him boos at that year's convention and some enmity from Trump loyalists. He has since fallen back in line with the man who suggested his father was potentially involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The praise of Trump was interspersed with speeches about crime and immigration, and some of the most moving and powerful moments of the night came from families of crime victims.

On Tuesday, Cruz listed the names of Americans allegedly killed by people who are in the country illegally, including Kathryn Steinle, a 32-year-old woman who was shot in 2015 while strolling with her father on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

"As a result of Joe Biden's presidency, your family is less safe. Your children are less safe. The country is less safe. But here's the good news: We can fix it. And when Donald Trump is president, we will fix it," Cruz said. "We know this because he's done it before."

Read more: Photos: Trump, Vance and all the Republican National Convention fanfare

Tuesday night's convention theme was "Make America Safe Again."

Speaker after speaker, from politicians to law enforcement officials to people labeled "everyday Americans," blamed crime in the U.S. in part on an "invasion" of criminals crossing into the country from the southern border with Mexico  though studies for years have shown immigrants are less likely to commit crimes here than natural-born U.S. citizens.

Kari Lake, a prominent 2020 election denier who lost a 2022 bid to become Arizona governor and is now running for the U.S. Senate, blamed "disastrous" Democratic policies for the surge in fentanyl and other opioid deaths in the country and along the southern border  which she said Trump would end.

Kari Lake speaks at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Lake said President Biden and Democrats "have handed over control of my state, Arizona's border, to the drug cartels," and that "because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in and our children are dying."

Anne Fundner, a mother from California, said her 15-year-old son, Weston, died from fentanyl in 2022  which she blamed on the "open border" policies of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"This was not an overdose, it was a poisoning. His whole future, everything we ever wanted for him, was ripped away in an instant  and Joe Biden does nothing," Fundner said.

She said Trump must be elected to help end fentanyl's scourge on American families like hers. "This fight is not for me. My son is gone," she said. "This fight is for your children."

Crime and homelessness are perennial campaign talking points among Republicans, often couched as the result of liberal policies in states such as California.

Republicans claim the title of the "law and order" party, which has been a particularly useful point of political redirection for Trump as he has faced multiple criminal investigations and been convicted of dozens of felonies in recent years.

Democrats dismiss the Republican criticisms as inaccurate or overblown. Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco do struggle with crime and homelessness issues, Democrats say, but not to the extent Republicans suggest  and cities in red states struggle with similar issues.

Democrats also blasted Republicans for platforming individuals at the RNC who were involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and siege on the U.S. Capitol.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump leaves the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Officer Michael Fanone, a Capitol Police officer who was injured in that attack, condemned the presence of insurrectionists at the convention.

"What happened on January 6th almost cost me my life and brought our democracy to the brink," Fanone said in a statement. "This is a moment to come together and oppose those who call for violence in politics, but the RNC's decision to give a platform to the same people who rioted against our democracy on January 6th does the opposite."

Read more: California Republicans, long in the minority at home, get a Trump boost at RNC

Crime data vary across the country and within individual states.

However, the clearest trend in crime data in recent years nationwide, experts said, is that violent crime is down. Republicans often dismiss such data by saying they are fabricated or the result of lower reporting rates.

Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
MILWAUKEE  It's his party.

Former President Donald Trump's takeover of the GOP has been on full display at the Republican National Convention  an even more complete transformation than at the two previous conventions that nominated him and propelled him to four years in the White House.

With a big win in 2016 and a volatile loss in 2020, Trump has managed to replace Ronald Reagan as the party's touchstone, excised the Bush dynasty that had been a political power and launched two presidencies, and pummeled the ranks of moderate Republicans into flight or silence.

His chief primary rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, drew both cheers and boos when she was introduced on the convention stage Tuesday night. During her campaign, she had denounced Trump as "dangerous" and "unhinged."

"We should acknowledge that there are some Americans who don't agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time," she said. "I happen to know some of them." There was a scattered laughter at that.

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum.

"My message to them is simple: You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I haven't always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree," and she delivered a call for Republican unity and her "strong endorsement, period."

Another primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, spoke next, embracing Trump. A third, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, did the same.

Not on the program was former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, a primary contender who was critical of Trump and hasn't endorsed him. A year ago, he declared he wouldn't vote for a convicted felon for president  an unprecedented status that Trump has since attained.

But even Hutchinson is no longer so certain about that, saying in an interview that he has been impressed by Trump's call for national unity in the aftermath of the assassination attempt he survived at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday.

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump attend a campaign rally at Trump's golf resort in Doral, Florida, U.S., July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

"I said it, and I meant it," he said of his pledge. "But a lot has changed since that moment."

It's now possible he will vote for Trump, too.

A realignment, 'Trump-style'

When Trump announced his first bid for the presidency, with that iconic ride down the escalator at Trump Tower, Republicans were split in their welcome. In a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll in July 2015, 42% of Republicans had a favorable opinion of him, only a tick higher than the 40% who had an unfavorable one.

That's changed. In a USA TODAY/Suffolk poll this July, Republicans had a positive view of him that was approaching universal at 87%.

There's also been a shift in the views of groups considered part of the Democratic base. Among Black voters, Trump's favorable rating has nearly doubled, from 11% to 19%  still low, but a warning sign to Democrats who for decades have relied on solid Black support.

The favorable rating for Trump among Hispanic voters has doubled during those nine years, too, from 18% to 37%.

Since Trump's emergence as the face of the GOP, an analysis by the Pew Research Center shows the GOP remains overwhelmingly white, but a bit less so. Now, the party is 79% non-Hispanic white, compared with a near-monolithic 93% in 1996.

Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump speaks with Eric Trump during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is seated at the left.

Republicans have also gained support among blue-collar workers and lost it among the most highly educated voters, some of whom have moved to the Democratic Party.

Trump has forged his distinctive coalition with a message that is suspicious of elites, leery of foreign entanglements, energized by opposition to illegal immigration, and willing to disrupt traditional norms.

"It's less about ideology and more about personal philosophy and personal circumstance," Frank Luntz, a pollster and communications analyst with roots in the GOP, said in an interview. "If you feel ignored, forgotten, betrayed; if you feel the elite doesn't understand you, doesn't care about you, and you've been left behind  that's the new Republican Party."

The sight on the convention stage Monday night of a significant number of blue-collar and Black speakers, delivering speeches that criticized corporate America and the status quo, reflected "the realignment of American politics, Trump-style," he said.

Former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley speak to people as she does her walk-thru on the stage ahead of Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.

Missing in action: The old guard

Consider who wasn't speaking at the convention, or even attending it.

The ranks of the missing included the party's only living former president, George W. Bush, who rarely speaks publicly about politics.

Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, a persona non grata since he refused Trump's entreaties to try to overthrow their defeat in 2020. And Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee; he decided not to run for reelection this year.

When veteran Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was recognized during the roll call in the convention hall Monday, casting Kentucky's delegation in support of Trump, his words were drowned out by a cascade of "boos" from other conventioneers.

Jul 15, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY) casts votes for Kentucky during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.

Many of the Republican voices who opposed Trump at the start have now left the party, fallen silent, or joined the ranks of the converted.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for one, ran against Trump for the 2016 nomination and failed. When he spoke at the Republican convention in Cleveland that summer, he created a firestorm when he pointedly declined to endorse Trump. "Stand and speak and vote your conscience," he said as an angry chant of "We want Trump!" rose in the hall.

Since then, Cruz has taken pains to reconcile with Trump. He was rewarded with a three-minute speaking slot Tuesday night. This time, he left no doubt about whom he was endorsing.

Jul 16, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, delivers remarks during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The second day of the RNC focused on crime and border policies. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY

His opening words: "God bless Donald J. Trump!"

The rising figures at the convention included several named Trump  son Donald Trump Jr. and daughter-in-law Lara Trump  and Trump's hand-picked running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a MAGA convert now poised to become his political heir.

A new platform, passed by acclamation

During this week, Trump and his team have determined who would speak from the dais and reviewed beforehand what they would say. They overhauled the platform to cut some conservative positions and add some populist priorities.

The party's 40-year commitment to a national abortion ban? Gone.

The emphasis in the last platform, drafted in 2016 to cut fiscal deficits? Nowhere to be seen.

The previous platform's endorsement of expanding free-trade agreements with friendly foreign nations? That was replaced by a promise to increase tariffs on foreign imports, to deport millions of undocumented immigrants  endorsing the policies and often echoing the language that Trump uses on the campaign stump.

The delegates shouted their approval of the platform on Monday by acclamation. There were only a handful of shouted objections in the hall.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's takeover: Populism and a new coalition reign in new GOP
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance's opposition to more U.S. aid for Ukraine is stoking anxiety among Kyiv's supporters about sustained U.S. support and Ukraine's ability to fend off Vladimir Putin's invasion.

"I do not think that it is in America's interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine," Vance said during a speech in May, adding "we've done more than our fair share."

Although Vance's isolationist approach to foreign policy has even vexed members of his own party, he has candidly voiced his skepticism since the earliest days of the conflict.

"I gotta be honest with you, I don't really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another," Vance said in February 2022, amid an explosion of bipartisan support for country in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist alongside Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, July 16, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: US to send additional $2 billion in Ukraine aid, Blinken says

Two U.S. officials and a European official tell ABC News they see Donald Trump's decision to pick Vance as his running mate as a clear sign the former president intends to double down on his "America First" vision if he wins a second term by disengaging from international concerns.

They expressed concern that if Trump, who has described Ukraine as a burden, is able to cut off aid to the country, Ukrainian troops may be unable to hold current lines and Kyiv's position at any negotiation table would be severely weakened.

In April, Vance broke with Senate Republican leaders to vote against a foreign aid package that included nearly $61 billion for Ukraine, asserting Moscow's threat to global stability had been overstated.

"Vladimir Putin is not Adolf Hitler. It doesn't mean he's a good guy, but he has significantly less capability than the German leader did," Vance said in a speech on the Senate floor.

"If Ukraine thinks that it's getting another $60 billion supplemental out of the United States Congress, there's no way," he later told reporters.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks alongside Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during the Ukraine Compact initiative on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2024. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Senate passes $95B foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan: What's next?

Vance has also defended his pessimistic outlook on Ukraine's ability to triumph over Russia, calling himself a "realist."

In an April op-ed in the New York Times titled "The Math on Ukraine Doesn't Add Up," Vance argued that the U.S. could not possibly provide enough munitions to Ukraine to turn the tides of the war and called Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's goal of restoring the country to its 1991 boundaries "fantastical."

At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance also said that focusing on Ukraine was distracting Washington from confronting other challenges such as China.

"There are a lot of bad guys all over the world. And I'm much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe," Vance said.

But despite Trump and Vance's apprehension on assistance for Ukraine, many of their fellow Republicans have so far remained steadfast in their support.

In April, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a hawkish conservative, called Vance's arguments against assistance for Ukraine "garbage."

"I challenge J.D. Vance to go to Ukraine and get a briefing from the Ukrainian military and talk to the Ukrainian people," he said in a televised interview.

PHOTO: Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell casts the vote for Kentucky on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In an interview with Punchbowl News earlier this month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- one of Ukraine's most influential allies on Capitol Hill -- predicted that future support for Kyiv would depend not only on the outcome of the election in November, but also on whether Ukraine makes progress on the battlefield in the coming months.

"The conflict over the summer and how it is perceived to turn out is extremely important in answering the question inevitably coming up in democracies -- can they win?" McConnell said.

Trump's VP pick Vance opposes US aid for Ukraine, intensifying fear for Kyiv's future originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
When is Tucker Carlson speaking at the RNC?

The speaker list for the Republican National Convention this week ranges from politicians to celebrities to  in the case of political commentator Tucker Carlson  a former Fox News figure.

Carlson, founder and host of his own online talk show, is scheduled to take the stage at Fiserv Forum tonight. Here's what to know about when Carlson is speaking and what he's been up to in Milwaukee.

When is Tucker Carlson speaking at the RNC?

Carlson will speak between 7 and 7:30 p.m. tonight.

What events has Tucker Carlson done in Milwaukee so far?

Though he has yet to take the stage, the conservative advocate has been keeping busy in Milwaukee.

On July 15, the opening day of the convention, Carlson addressed an audience of several hundred at The Heritage Foundation's daylong policy festival at the Bradley Symphony Center. In his 20-minute talk, Carlson criticized politicians of both parties, applauded the choice of Sen. J.D. Vance (Ohio) as vice presidential nominee and praised Trump's resilience during the assassination attempt against him.

Carlson described Vance as "one of the only members of the Senate with a happy marriage" and criticized "all the bad people" who opposed the senator as a VP pick.

Carlson also railed on the "forces of chaos and destruction, which are fundamentally anti-human, which are against people." Supporters of transhumanism, advocates of artificial intelligence, those opposing climate change and Biden administrators are all lined up in opposition to Christians, he said.

"There is a spiritual battle underway," Carlson said, adding that the "religion of Jesus" angers these people.

Aaron Rodgers on Tucker Carlsons show: Ex-Packers quarterback 'definitely' thought about being RFK Jr's running mate, calls Vladimir Putin 'thoughtful

Why did Tucker Carlson leave Fox News?

Carlson's popular Fox News show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," shuttered in April 2023 after the network terminated his contract. He was the most-watched host on Fox News at the time.

Carlson's firing came as Fox News settled a nearly $800 million lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, which accused the network of airing false claims and conspiracy theories following the 2020 presidential elections. Several of Carlson's revealed text messages played a central role in the case.

In one such text, Carlson wrote to his producers hours after the Jan. 6 insurrection that a video of Trump supporters beating a protester was "not how white men fight," the New York Times reported.

Daniel Bice contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What time is Tucker Carlson speaking at the RNC tonight?
A stray dog rests outside Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. A Turkish parliamentary commission on Wednesday began a tense debate on a bill designed to manage the country's large stray dog population which animal rights advocates fear could result in the widespread killing of the animals. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  A Turkish parliamentary commission began a tense debate Wednesday on a bill to manage the country's large stray dog population that animal advocates fear could result in the widespread killing of the animals.

The legislation, submitted to parliament by President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party, is pitting groups advocating for safer streets free of the feral dogs against animal rights activists who are demanding the withdrawal of the bill.

Erdogan has stated that approximately 4 million stray animals are wandering the streets and rural areas of Turkey. While many of them are docile, an increasing numbers of dogs are seen roaming in packs and numerous people have been attacked.

The legislation being debated in parliament's agriculture and rural affairs commission is a diluted version of an initial proposal that would have required the strays to be rounded up, housed in shelters and euthanized if they are not adopted within 30 days.

That proposal, which was leaked to the media, had ignited a public uproar, with animal rights activists arguing it would result in the mass extermination of unadopted dogs.

The revised proposal forces municipalities to remove the stray dogs from the streets and place them into shelters where they would be neutered and spayed. Dogs that are sick, believed to have rabies or exhibiting aggressive behavior would be euthanized.

Municipalities would also be required to build dog shelters or improve conditions in existing shelters by 2028.

The revised bill has failed to ease concerns, with activists arguing that certain municipalities may opt for the easy solution of conducting a mass culling of the stray animals instead of allocating resources toward shelters.

The parliaments agriculture and rural affairs commission meeting began tumultuously when the committee chair demanded that media, NGO representatives and other observers exit the room, citing insufficient space to accommodate everyone. The meeting was later moved to a larger room.

Meanwhile, activists staged a protest in a park close to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for a second day despite the rain, shouting: withdraw, withdraw, withdraw the legislation! and we won't allow a massacre.

The center-left, main opposition Republican People's Party and other smaller parties oppose the bill. Erdogan's ruling party and its nationalist allies, however, hold a majority in parliament, and the bill is likely to pass when it reaches the full assembly for final approval.

A report released by the Safe Streets and Defense of the Right to Life Association, an organization campaigning for the removal of all stray dogs from the streets, says that 65 people have died in street dog attacks since 2022.

Erdogan has said at least 55 people also were killed in the past five years in more than 3,500 traffic accidents that were caused by cars swerving to avoid strays. He also has warned that the dog population increases the risk of rabies.

The government promised to tackle the issue earlier this year after a child was severely injured when attacked by dogs in the capital Ankara.

Existing regulations requires stray dogs to be caught, neutered and spayed, and returned to the spot where they were found. But a failure to implement those rules over the past years has caused the feral dog population to explode, animal rights groups say. They argue that proper implementation of the existing regulations would be sufficient to control the population.
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)  Two caregivers were arrested following an investigation into reports of neglect involving a vulnerable adult in Carter County, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

Last week, a Carter County grand jury indicted Kwabena Kwakye, 45, and Polly Ridinger, 25, on one count each of neglect of a vulnerable adult, according to the TBI.

$2 million awarded to TN family of man fatally burned by Kentucky hotel shower

The TBIs Medicaid Fraud Control Division launched an investigation into the two caregivers, who were employed by Support Solutions of Greeneville, in March after receiving a referral from Adult Protective Services about alleged neglect involving an adult in Elizabethton.

Investigators determined that on March 17, Kwakye, while employed as a caregiver, was involved in a car crash with the victim and left the scene to avoid authorities, according to the TBI. He was later found by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and reportedly charged with traffic and drug offenses.

The TBI received another report of neglect involving the same victim in May. According to the agency, an investigation determined that Ridinger, while employed as a caregiver, failed to watch the victim, which led to him urinating on himself, removing his clothes, and leaving the home. She reportedly did not know the victim was locked out of the home until another staff member arrived.

Kwakye and Ridinger were arrested Tuesday and booked into the Carter County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

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From the two-child benefit cap to votes at 16: What was missing in Labours first Kings Speech?

King Charles gave his Kings Speech today, marking the opening of parliament as the first Labour government in 14 years is ushered in.

As is tradition, the speech gave the new government an opportunity to lay out their plans for the coming months in the form of legislative bills. Sir Keir Starmer took the chance to signal his desire for change, as a massive 39 bills were announced overall.

Amongst these was new legislation to get Great British Energy off the ground, crack down on failing water companies and bring rail operators into public ownership.

For the latest political updates, follow The Independents live coverage

Rebuilding our country will not happen overnight, said Sir Keir. The challenges we face require determined, patient work and serious solutions, rather than the temptation of the easy answer.

This Kings Speech sets out a clear destination for our country.

However, the speech left some disappointed as measures they expected  or hoped  would be offered didnt make the cut.

Heres an overview of what was missing in the Kings Speech:

Scrapping the two-child benefit cap

Pressure has been mounting on Labour to scrap the two-child benefit cap since they came into power, with many hoping the new government would use this ceremony to accept demands.

This was not the case, as the two-child benefit cap made no mention in the speech. Instead, the King introduced the Childrens Wellbeing Bill, which aims to raise standards in education and protect children.

Latest figures show that around 1.6 million children are missing out on thousands of pounds a year due to the two-child benefit cap.

Action for Children described the policy as cruel in the wake of the statistics, echoing the previous words of The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby who said the measure is neither moral nor necessary.

Responding to the Kings Speech, the Child Poverty Action Group said: The new Government pledged an ambitious approach to tackling child poverty but there was little to help achieve that aim in the speech today.

The two-child limit is the biggest driver of rising child poverty and teachers, struggling parents and even children themselves can testify to the harm the policy is causing to kids day in, day out.

All eyes will now be on governments first budget, which must commit to scrapping this policy. Delaying its abolition will harm many more young lives and undercut the governments poverty-reduction plans.

Labour has not responded to calls to scrap the measure yet, insisting that public funds cannot allow it.

The measures announced today will strengthen child protection, require free breakfast clubs at every primary school, and limit the number of branded items of clothing a school can require.

Lowering the voting age to 16

With Labour pledging to lower the voting age to 16 in their manifesto, many expected the Kings Speech to push through the plans  but the policy did not make an appearance.

Instead, King Charles said the government will work to encourage wide participation in the democratic process.

It was recently revealed that Sir Keir does not intend to bring in the new voting rules in time for the 2025 local elections, leading many to wonder what the timeframe is for giving votes to 16- and 17-year-olds.

However, speaking to reporters about the reform, he had said: Youll have to wait for the Kings Speech for that.

But Ive got a number of priorities as we come into government and they are around my missions and economic growth is the number one.

It would seem those who expected to hear about the measure today will have to wait a little longer.

(PA Wire)

Little new public spending or revenue raising

A key criticism lodged at Labours manifesto was its lack of spending measures. At 4.7 billion, it was the lowest of all major party manifestos  even the Conservatives 17.7 billion.

While the NHS did receive a mention from King Charles, its unlikely to alleviate fears that Labours plans could be relying on a source of income which is too unreliable. Labours headline NHS policy is reducing waiting times, but no new revenue raising measures made an appearance in the speech.

And while chancellor Rachel Reeves has made clear her vision to prioritise economic growth and attract private investment to fund public services, some economists have called this method into question.

Responding to Labours manifesto in June, Director of the respected IFS think tank Paul Johnson said the partys spending plans were trivial, adding that there was no clear plan for where the money would come from.

Renters reform  but no rent caps

A crucial piece of leglisation brought forward in the Kings Speech today is Renters Rights Bill  a remixed version of the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill that previous governments had not pushed over the line.

Its key measure is scrapping the controversial Section 21 no-fault eviction notices which allow landlords to evict tenants from their properties without giving a reason.

Labour bringing this bill back after the Conservatives dropped it ahead of the election will come as good news to renters rights activists. However, private rental costs have soared over the past few years  increasing 8.6 percent over the past 12 months while wages have only gone up 5.9 percent  with some saying more needs to be done.

Tom Darling, Campaign Manager at the Renters Reform Coalition said Labours new bill is welcome, adding that the group is concerned, however, that unaffordable rent increases will continue to be no-fault evictions for many renters.

The Government should be warned that its welcome and ambitious vision for renters will come unstuck if it doesnt have an answer to the affordability question.

While a recent report comissioned by Labour recommended introducing rent caps in England and Wales for those struggling to afford rates, the party has not adopted the measure as official policy. The new bill will likely form the bulk of their policy on renters for the next year.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Nearly two months after a student was shot during school hours near Alger Middle School, parents continue to ask the district questions, including how and why the two boys involved were able to leave the school building in the first place.

Recordings provided to News 8 by a Grand Rapids Public Schools parent show that immediately following the shooting on May 21, dispatch was flooded with calls from concerned parents whose kids had texted or called them.

My daughter just called me from Alger Middle School. Theres something going on there. I dont know if the cops know about it or if you can tell me whats going on. But she was terrified, one frantic mother said.

My daughter is a student at Alger Middle School. Can you just verify to me that she is safe at school? I dont know whats happening, another woman asked Grand Rapids police. Nobody will talk to me.

Student shot, injured in park near Alger Middle School

An eighth grader named Javeon Childrey had been shot in the face, near the ear. His mother told News 8 that the 13-year-old is doing OK as he continues to recover physically and mentally.

Javeon Childrey. (Courtesy family)

The shooting happened near a bathroom at the Alger Park splash pad next to the school building, after which Javeon ran back to the school for help. School security and police officers responded quickly. Police have described the shooting as accidental. Javeons mother previously told News 8 that the boys friend, another eighth grader, shot him  though she doesnt think he meant to.

Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom said this week that his officers are completing their investigation and will hand it over to the county prosecutor in the upcoming days.

Parents are rightfully looking for answers. I think its s a very basic thing to want your child to be safe at school, Winstrom told News 8. And I hope by and large were able to do our part as a police department and I know GRPS feels the same way  to provide a safe environment for our kids.

911 CALL: HES SHOT

The day after the shooting, News 8 requested security camera footage from Alger Middle School through the Freedom of Information Act. GRPS granted the open records request in part  if half of the $11,000 bill was paid upfront to cover the cost of school district personnel reviewing and exporting such footage.

Parent Lucas Leverett requested similar footage and was met with the same response and bill.

Thats the loophole. Thats the sidestep that government is able to use for this very important law that we have that requires these disclosures, Leverett said. The only defense they have to keep secrecy is to shut out (people asking questions).

While neither News 8 nor Leverett opted to pay the cost, Leverett did obtain 911 call recordings from that day through a separate FOIA request filed with GRPD.

He shot. Yes, hes shot. Please, please, a woman can be heard reporting in one of those recordings from the first 911 call at 12:08 p.m.

Maam, calm down, the dispatcher said.

Oh my God, hes been shot. He looks bad, the caller said.

Police respond to Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids on May 21, 2024.

Police respond to Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids on May 21, 2024.

A log of incoming and outgoing calls (PDF) to and from emergency responders that Leverett gave to News 8 indicates that the children were playing with the gun near the splash pad bathroom. The firearm was said to be in a trash can. There was blood found on a nearby SUV.

Shooting near Alger Middle School was an accident, mom says

A call from Grand Rapids dispatch to the school at 12:11 p.m.  only a few minutes after the first 911 call came in  notified the person in the schools office of the shooting.

We just want to let you know and give you a chance if you need to follow the lockdown procedures. It sounds like there was a shooting just outside of the school, the dispatcher said.

OK, Ill let you go. Thank you for making me aware, the office attendant replied.

Leverett was alarmed by that exchange.

How in the world could they not have understood that their kids were outside of school? And then when they responded, how come were listening to phone calls that indicate that they really hadnt even gone into lockdown? he asked.

The log shows the schools public safety director was aware of the incident by 12:20 p.m. and the school was on lockdown.

The day of the shooting, GRPS Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety and School Security Larry Johnson stated and reiterated that the shooting happened off school property. A search of online county property records shows the school district owns the entire block that the school and park sit on. However, the district has an agreement with the citys parks department that allows the public to utilize the green space. In return, the city maintains the grounds.

PARENT CRITICIZES LACK OF TRANSPARENCY

Leverett  whose son attends City High, not Alger Middle  told News 8 the shooting was indicative of a wider-reaching problem: a lack of transparency and security from GRPS.

The reason the Alger event fires me up is that its officially as close as we can get to tragedy, he said. It doesnt matter that its not my school, its not even my quadrant of the city. Its one more piece of proof that this school system doesnt have the right people having the right kinds of conversations and doing the right things to keep people safe.

GRPS looking into how students left Alger Middle School before shooting

Since the shooting, Leverett said he and many concerned parents have been met with silence from the school district. Even during board meetings, he said, basic questions have not been answered.

Every request Ive had for more information as a citizen and as an interested parent and concerned individual  has been either met with silence or sidesteps, he said. Most people would have communicated by now: Heres what we know, heres what we want to know, heres what well never be able to share if we do find it out; were doing our best. We dont get that attitude from this group.

News 8s request for an interview with the GRPS security director Johnson or Superintendent Leadriane Roby was not granted, but Johnson did provide a statement in which he said GRPS added alarms to doors at Alger Middle following the shooting and that it was still considering when to use metal detectors there.

Thanks to our dedicated staff and the safety protocols that we have in place, our schools remain among the safest places in our community for our children. To help ensure that our scholars remain in that safe environment, we have added alarms to exterior doors at Alger Middle School to notify staff when they are opened. Our Public Safety & School Security Department will also continue to work with school leaders to determine when to use metal detectors at building entrances. We strive every day to create places that support our scholars emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health. We are looking forward to the start of school on August 19. Larry Johnson, GRPS chief of staff and executive director of public safety and school security

The next GRPS Board of Education special meeting is scheduled for July 22. Leverett said he and many other concerned parents will continue to ask the board for answers and transparency.

Who was keeping track of these kids? Where did their parents think they were? Where did the school think they were? Leverett wondered.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Six people were found dead at an upmarket Bangkok hotel on Tuesday night in what seems to have been a poison plot gone awry.

Two of the victims at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel have been confirmed as U.S. nationals. Reuters reports all six were Vietnamese and that the assumed perpetrator is among the dead.

The U.S. State Department said it is monitoring the situation, adding that local police are pursuing inquiries. Meanwhile the Vietnamese foreign ministry has also made contact with Thai authorities, with a spokesperson stating we hope that the victims families soon overcome this great loss.

The New York Post has IDd the two US nationals who were killed as 56-year-old Chong Sherine and 55-year-old Dang Hung Van, adding FBI officials are presently en-route to Thailand to help with the investigation.

Autopsies revealed all three women and three men had traces of cyanide in their bodies. Its not clear at this stage how the fast-acting toxin was obtained, but police believe it was probably used to spike a tray of drinks the party had ordered to their room.

After staff brought tea cups and two hot water bottles, milk and tea pots one of the six introduced cyanide, said Trirong Phiwpan, a local police commander.

Further toxicological tests are still being carried out, with results expected sometime on Friday. Based on interviews with relatives of those who died, police have a working theory the incident was likely related to a dispute over an investment debt.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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U.S. intelligence agencies say they are tracking Iranian threat against Trump, separate from PA shooting

The Butler Farm Show, site of a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, is seen Monday, July 15, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Trump was wounded on July 13 during an assassination attempt while speaking at the rally. | Gene J. Puskar

In the weeks before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, U.S. intelligence agencies were tracking a separate plot by Iran to kill Trump, according to a report from The New York Times.

Ahead of the shooting on Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, this intelligence reportedly led the Secret Service to amp up security for Trump. Officials say they have not found ties between Saturdays shooting and the Iranian plot.

Since Saturdays shootings, there have been calls for Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign in the wake of what Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas called a failure in an interview with CNN. Officials are conducting a review of what happened that resulted in an injury to Trump, the death of former fire chief Corey Comperatore and injuries to two others.

As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration, said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, to The New York Times. These threats arise from Irans desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassim Suleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority.

The Trump campaign was reportedly told about the threat not long before Saturdays shooting.

Intelligence reports: Iran is trying to influence U.S. elections

The report of the Iranian plot to target Trump comes after a statement from director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that was issued on July 9 about Irans attempts to influence U.S. elections.

Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, as we have seen them do in the past, including in prior election cycles, said Haines. They continue to adapt their cyber and influence activities, using social media platforms and issuing threats.

Haines said Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza. This is different than Americans participating in rallies in good faith, he said.

We have observed actors tied to Irans government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters, said Haines, adding freedom to experience different views is important. But it is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes.
This year is being touted as an unprecedented year of elections with consequences across the globe. Hundreds of millions have voted from India to Indonesia to Mexico. This past month it was the turn of two of Americas most significant European allies, the U.K. and France, the two Western states that sit alongside the United States as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. In November, of course, it is Americas turn.

Drawing inferences across political spaces that have their own political cultures, electoral peculiarities, granular public concerns, and personalities can be wading in hazardous waters. But a wave has been washing over the Western democratic political expanse these last months that could hold important clues and lessons for November.

That wave is the dramatic and unprecedented public mobilization in response to events in Gaza. The decades-long Israeli denial of Palestinian rights and freedoms has been a focus of any universal or progressive approach to human rights. Israels long-standing violations of international law are no justification for the crimes committed in southern Israel on October 7. At the same time, Israels subsequent assault on Gaza, its unrelenting failure to adequately distinguish between civilian and combatant, the death and destruction inflicted on an already blockaded population, and the vast litany of self-incriminating Israeli statements, actions, and images appear to have impacted a reservoir of Western and global public opinion.

That wave of protest has spread from the streets and campuses of the U.K. and the U.S. to France and elsewherethe slogans and the outrage at Western policy have had much in common. At its core, this wave wasnt singling out Israel but rather acknowledging that in no other instance is the West so transparently and relentlessly undermining its own claim to stand up for international law, universal values, and human life. What helped was also the global connection drawn across movements around the world that saw Gaza as a central issue of injustice, as represented in the #NoClimateJusticeWithoutHumanRights campaign.

It is hard to miss the Wests undermining of international law to support the war in Gaza. The fact that the United States and U.K. have been arming Israel even as the chief justice of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, issues requests for arrest warrants for war crimes and the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, calls for urgent provisional measures to prevent irreparable harm to the Palestinian population has only intensified the outrage.

It was against that backdrop that the British and French electorates recently went to the polls, and it is against that backdrop that Americans will vote in November.

The circumstances of those elections have naturally been very different. The British voters have been through 14 years of Conservative governments, and more recently two back-to-back unelected and deeply unpopular prime ministers, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. The U.K. was primed for change, and Labour, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, had for months been accumulating a handsome and ultimately unassailable lead in the polls.

That was borne out with a landslide victory in terms of parliamentary seats. But scratch beneath the surface, and Labours blowout House of Commons majority looks a little more precarious. Despite a relentless Conservative campaign of self-harm, Labour under Starmer received 6 percent less of the U.K.-wide vote than his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, did in 2017, and in England failed even to improve on Corbyns 2019 vote share (a time when the previous Labour leader was being hounded by accusations of radicalism and antisemitism).

Labour ended up winning 64 percent of parliamentary seats with only 34 percent of the popular vote (distortions are a common occurrence in British politics under its first-past-the-post system, but this level of mismatch had never been seen before). A chunk of Labours traditional core vote had simply deserted the party, and the issue driving that is clear: Gaza.

We know this because a new phenomenon emerged, including the mobilization of a grassroots campaign calling itself The Muslim Vote. A slew of independent candidates, not all Muslim, was fielded in districts across the country. The Green Party had also led on Gaza, calling early and clearly for a cease-fire and respect for international law, securing four seats, up from one in the previous Parliament, in what is being viewed as a potential breakthrough election for that party.

The centrist Liberal Democrats also positioned themselves to Labours left in relation to Palestine-Israel. A high-profile Labour front-bencher lost his seat to one of these independents, and Wes Streeting, the most popular figure in the party, its new health minister, and a top contender for leadership in the future, came within a whisker (528 votes) of losing his district to a former unknown British Palestinian, Leanne Mohammed.

Starmer himself saw a drop in support in his own Holborn and St. Pancras constituency with votes siphoned off by Andrew Feinstein, an independent running against the Gaza war and U.K. arms sales and a former ANC member of South Africas Parliament to boot. Labour had spent several months refusing to endorse a cease-fire, disciplining parliamentarians who dissented on the issue, and failing to offer voters a clean break with the Conservative governments policies on Gaza, including on arms sales to Israel.

Among Muslim voters and a slew of progressive and younger voters, positions on Gaza had translated into electoral choices. That had never happened before in U.K. politics. While some of it may have been a luxury vote, assuming an inevitable Labour win, Britains governing party is well aware of the consequences for maintaining its rule if this trend cannot be reversed. In sum, the evidence suggests that the narrative that Labours aggressively distancing itself from Corbyn-era criticism of Israel by aligning with the Sunak government on Gaza was an essential element of its success was not only wrong but precisely wrong, with that shift acting as a drag on the party in the current circumstances.

The French election is a very different story. A snap parliamentary election was called by President Emmanuel Macron following an unparalleled defeat in Junes European Parliament elections, in which Le Pens Rassemblement National, or R.N., secured the largest share of votes (31.37 percent) of any French party in European elections since 1984.

Macron almost dared the French electorate to put the far right into power. What happened next was probably not in Macrons scriptnavigating decades of division, the French left and greens assembled a plausibly viable alliance named the Nouveau Front Populaire, or NFPmade up primarily of the left of La France Insoumise, the Green Party, the old traditional and much enfeebled Socialist Party, the French Communist Party, and the new kids on the block of Raphael Glucksmanns Place Publique. As negotiations to form a government continue, that alliance is showing signs of cracking.

Frances electoral system tends to produce second-round run-offs, and the NFP managed to reach sufficient common ground with Macrons Renaissance to block Le Pens R.N. in the second round. The remarkable result was the dominant showing of the NFP alliance, which now forms the largest block in Frances Assemblee Nationale.

The key driving force in France was keeping the extreme, divisive, unashamedly racist/xenophobic and authoritarian far right out of power. Instructive in this story, though, was the degree of mobilization and enthusiasm on the progressive side, particularly among the youth. At the heart of that mobilization was Gaza, on which the left offered a clear and principled message.

France has witnessed its own popular mobilizations in response to events in Gaza, including protests at major universities such as the Sorbonne and Sciences Po. Polls show that most of the public supports both a ban on arms trade with Israel and the prosecution of Israeli officials for war crimes.

What has helped close the enthusiasm gap for the left, whereby previously momentum, energy, and excitement were all on the right, was a set of commitments in the manifesto of the NFP alliance. Those included support for an immediate cease-fire and enforcement of the ICJ and ICC rulings, calls for an embargo on arms deliveries to Israel, and calls for French and other European sanctions vis-a-vis Israel for its human rights and international law violations.

Is it a stretch to offer a read across from the U.K. and France to November in the United States? It shouldnt be, given what we already know about the electoral realities that Democrats, and especially the partys presidential campaign, are facing.

A clear message from the American electorate in the lead-up to the 2024 election is the desire for change and frustration with Washingtons seeming disconnect with the sentiments of many voters. The Uncommitted movement already garnered over 100,000 votes in Michigans Democratic presidential primary. That was people who were ready to make the effort to go to the polls and submit that Gaza protest ballot rather than staying home. The latter is considered the bigger threat in November.

Bidens approval rating among Arab Americans, a key community in Michigan, hovers around 20 percent. A May poll of five battleground statesMichigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Arizonafound that one in five voters was less likely to vote for Biden because of Gaza. One can argue that this impact is marginal, but the fact is that the presidential election will be won or lost on the margins.

What we have witnessed are two messages, both of which should resonate.

First, in the U.K., there is a constituency simply not willing to hold its nose and vote for its traditional political home when the stakes on an issue so important to them are so high. Second, in France, a demonstration that enthusiasm and mobilization could shift in response to politicians listening and laying out an improved set of policies and doing the right thing.

As for the United States, while foreign policy rarely determines elections, a July 2024 Century Foundation/Morning Consult poll indicates that 2024 might be an exception. According to the Century Foundation report, Many core constituenciesincluding independents, swing state likely voters, and Democratic Party activistsare angry at Bidens unqualified support for the Israeli assault on Gaza... Nationwide, nearly four in 10 voters (38 percent) say they are less likely to vote for President Biden because of his handling of the war in Gaza.

It is still not too late for Democrats to change course. They have a harder task, as unlike their victorious U.K. and French counterparts they have not been in opposition but rather in the drivers seat of a catastrophic policy of arming and supporting the devastation in Gaza. But one thing is clear: Palestine will matter in November.



This article has been updated.
Then-IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria arrives in Jan. 2017 to hear sentencing arguments in the military court in Tel Aviv, Israel after he fatally shot a Palestinian attacker in Hebron, West Bank. The U.S. on Wednesday applied travel sanctions to him. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI

July 17 (UPI) -- The State Department on Wednesday revealed extra steps it is taking to "promote accountability" in the West Bank for alleged human rights violations, placing travel sanctions on a former Israeli military official for a 2016 killing of an impaired Palestinian girl.

State Department officials accused Elor Azaria, a former sergeant in the Israeli Defense Forces, of the alleged "gross violation of human rights" for what the U.S. claimed was an "extrajudicial killing" that took place nearly a decade ago in the the disputed West Bank territory.

"Promoting accountability and justice for any crimes, violations, and abuses committed against Palestinians and Israelis is essential to a stable, just, and enduring calm in the West Bank and the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller wrote in a news release.

Azaria was 20-years-old when convicted in 2017 of manslaughter after he fatally shot an immobilized knife-wielding Palestinian attacker in the head. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but only served nine months.

The department says it aims to promote accountability for what it called "gross violations" of human right in the West Bank and actions for the undermining of peace, security and stability in the disputed territory bordering the Kingdom of Jordan.

Elor Azaria (seen in 2017 in court with his parents) was 20-years-old when convicted in 2017 of manslaughter after he fatally shot an immobilized knife-wielding Palestinian attacker in the head. The court denied Azaria's appeal to his 18-month sentence but only served nine months. Pool Photo by Dan Balilty/UPI

The incident, part of which was recorded, occurred in the West Bank's occupied city of Hebron after 21-year-old Palestinians Abdul Fatah al-Sharif and Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier as part of a wider outbreak of attacks that killed over 42 people.

Since Azaria's release from prison, he has protested in support of soldiers who have been accused of beating Palestinian suspects and even appeared in a primary election campaign ad for a Likud lawmaker, The Times of Israel reported.

Azaria and his family members will now be deemed "ineligible" to enter the United States as a result of his actions at the time, according to the State Department, also announcing it was taking steps to impose restrictions on other individuals for similar alleged actions.

Immediate family members of the named individuals may also be subject to travel restrictions, officials noted. Specifically, the visa restrictions are being pursued against those accused of "violence against persons or property, or unduly restricted civilians' access to essential services and basic necessities to include access to food, water, electricity, or medical supplies."

The United States on Wednesday "once again call on the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to hold accountable anyone responsible for violence in the West Bank and reiterate that we will not hesitate to take our own actions to promote accountability," Miller's statement read.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official on Wednesday was critical of the U.S. decision to slap sanctions on Azaria.

"The State of Israel has an independent, robust judicial system that is both capable and willing to punish under Israeli law," former IDF chief of staff and defense minister Benny Gantz posted on X.

Gantz says there is no reason why the State Department should impose sanctions against Israeli civilians.

"Such is the case with Elor Azaria that was investigated, tried in court, convicted while serving in the IDF and ultimately held accountable, like in other cases," he said. "I want to convey to our American friends -- there is no justification to interfere in Israel's internal legal processes."
U.S. Sen. Menendez convicted of bribery, all other charges in federal corruption trial

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024 in New York City. Menendez and his wife Nadine are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car, and cash in exchange for using Menendezs position to help the government of Egypt and other corrupt acts according to an indictment from the Southern District of New York. The jury found Menendez guilty on all counts. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted Tuesday of taking bribes from three New Jersey businessmen to do favors for Egypt and Qatar and to meddle in two criminal investigations, bringing an end to a wide-ranging case that one prosecutor said revealed shocking levels of corruption.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island urges Menendez to resign in statement

Senator Menendez was given a presumption of innocence, which is extended to all defendants. He had his day in court and got a fair trial. The jury has spoken. Sen. Menendez has been found guilty and should resign.

The jurys verdict of guilty on all counts came on the third day of deliberations and after a nine-week trial at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. It makes Menendez just the seventh sitting U.S. senator to be convicted of a federal crime.

Menendez, a Democrat and New Jerseys senior senator, told reporters outside the courthouse that he is deeply disappointed in the verdict.

I have every faith that the law and the facts did not sustain that decision and that we will be successful upon appeal. I have never violated my public oath. I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent, he said.

Two codefendants who stood trial with the senator  businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana  were also convicted on all counts. Their attorneys also vowed to appeal.

Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Menendezs years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end.

This case has always been about shocking levels of corruption. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz. This wasnt politics as usual, this was politics for profit, Williams told reporters.

Hanas attorney, Lawrence Lustberg, said his client is disappointed.

Hes surprised, as a person is who is convicted of something that they didnt do. As an immigrant from Egypt, hes disappointed that the American system of justice has let him down, Lustberg said.

Attorney Cesar de Castro, who represents Daibes, said they were extraordinarily disappointed.

We respect the jury process, we respect this particular jury of course, but we think the result was wrong, de Castro said. We do not think the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Daibes  undisputed friend of Sen. Menendez for 40 years  bribed him for any reason.

Federal prosecutors in New York first indicted Menendez, his wife, Nadine, Hana, Daibes, and Jose Uribe in September.

They charged the senator then and in several subsequent superseding indictments with bribery, extortion, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and acting as a foreign agent for offenses they say occurred between 2018 and last year.

Hana is an Egyptian immigrant who prosecutors say bribed the senator with gold bars and cash, paid his wifes mortgage, and gave her a no-show job at his halal meat company. In exchange, Menendez steered military aid and arms to Egypt, gave information about staffing at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to Egyptian officials, ghost-wrote a letter for Egyptian officials to influence his Senate colleagues, and otherwise helped the Egyptian government, which had given Hanas company a monopoly on halal meat imports.

Daibes is a real estate developer and bank founder in Edgewater who prosecutors accused of bribing Menendez with gold bars and cash to interfere in a federal bank fraud case he faced and to publicly support the Qatari government so that a company owned by a Qatari royal would invest in one of Daibes developments.

This wasnt politics as usual, this was politics for profit.

 Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York

Menendez was chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the scheme. He surrendered his leadership role shortly after his indictment, although he remains on the committee.

Scenes from court

The courtroom was packed when jurors sent word about 12:30 p.m. that they had reached a verdict. Williams and many of his top staff were there, along with the senators daughter, MSNBC host Alicia Menendez, and older sister Caridad Gonzalez, who testified in his defense last week.

Jurors filed in about 12:50 p.m. and handed over their completed, folded verdict sheet. Judge Sidney H. Stein took it, silently reviewed it, and returned it to the court clerk, who handed it to the jury forewoman.

As the clerk asked how the jury decided each of the 18 counts for the three defendants, the forewoman repeated guilty 29 times. The court clerk read the verdict into the record and then polled jurors, one by one, to ensure their unanimity. All 12 said yes, that the verdict reflected their vote. Altogether, they deliberated about 13 hours over three days.

Menendez watched it all without any noticeable reaction, resting his hands together against his face. Just after 1:05 p.m., Stein excused the jury, 64 days after they first reported for jury duty.

Stein set a deadline of Aug. 19 for post-judgment motions. He set sentencing for all three men for Oct. 29, beginning at 2 p.m.

Hana has been under home detention with GPS monitoring, with a 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew. That allowed him to go to court, meet with his attorneys, go for doctors appointments, and do other such business during daytime hours, Lustberg said.

Prosecutor Daniel Richenthal asked Stein to heighten his detention to home incarceration, under which he wouldnt be permitted to leave his home at all. Stein, though, declined the request after Lustberg pointed out that Hana returned to the U.S. from Egypt to face trial, but ordered home incarceration on weekends.

Hana also put up additional security on bond  $237,000 worth of one-kilgram gold bars and his collection of 14 luxury watches.

It was all over by 1:15 p.m.

It was a well-tried case, Stein told prosecutors and defense attorneys before leaving court himself.

The other codefendants

Prosecutors say Nadine Menendez acted as an intermediary in many of the schemes and charged her too, but Stein postponed her trial to August after she disclosed last spring she had breast cancer and needed medical treatment.

Uribe pleaded guilty in March in a cooperation deal. He testified during the trial that he paid Nadine Menendez almost $50,000 over three years for a new Mercedes-Benz convertible to replace one she wrecked in December 2018 when she hit and killed a pedestrian. In return, he wanted Menendez to help kill the prosecution of a friend and stop the New Jersey attorney generals related expanding insurance fraud investigation that threatened to ensnare his own company. He told jurors Menendez told him, I saved your little a**, not once but twice.

Jurors learned that FBI agents found more than $500,000 in cash, 13 gold bars, and other riches in the couples Englewood Cliffs home and his wifes bank safe deposit box during a June 2022 search. Prosecutors brought some of the cash and gold bars to court and passed them around the jury box for inspection.

Prosecutors added the obstruction of justice charges in March, accusing the senator and his wife of trying to conceal the bribery scheme by mischaracterizing the car and mortgage payments as loans, repaying Hana and Uribe $44,000, and causing their attorneys to lie to authorities.

This was Menendezs second corruption trial in seven years. His first, where he also was accused of trading his influence for gifts, ended in a mistrial in November 2017 after the jury deliberated four days and deadlocked.

Menendez resisted calls to resign after his indictment and last month filed to run for reelection in November as an independent candidate. Rep. Andy Kim (D-03) is seeking to succeed Menendez and will face Republican Curtis Bashaw in the fall.

Outside court Tuesday, Menendez refused to answer reporters questions about whether he will resign his Senate seat or give up his bid for re-election.

New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com. Follow New Jersey Monitor on Facebook and X.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  To combat Chinas growing influence in the Pacific, and a possible invasion of Taiwan, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas.) led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan in May.

Chinas getting very aggressive. Very hostile, McCaul said.

McCaul said Taiwan is vital to the world economy. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, more than 90% of the worlds most advanced microchip manufacturing was located in Taiwan as of 2021.

If China was to invade, that would shut down and create an economic crisis, McCaul said.

Many lawmakers believe China is gearing up to be ready to invade Taiwan by the end of this decade, as early as 2027. They believe Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to create an imperial China.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) was part of the bipartisan delegation to Taiwan. Houlahan said, while members of Congress were in Taiwan, the Chinese military encircled the island.

That encircling can be interpreted as nothing other than provocation coming from PRC, because it looked every bit like a blockade, Houlahan said.

McCaul said the U.S. military is watching Chinas aggressive military actions toward Taiwan.

They studied this very closely, in terms of what they would be doing in the event of an invasion of the island, McCaul said.

The Pentagon pushed back on the notion of China preparing to invade Taiwan.

Secretary Austin has said he does not believe that an invasion of Taiwan is imminent or inevitable, said Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon Press Secretary.

Houlahan and McCaul said engaging with Taiwan and nations in the pacific will help fight the growing influence of China in the region.

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  The University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt announced plans to retire on July 16 after nearly 13 years leading the school system, according to a press release.

The release says Bobbitt plans to retire as president effective January 15 or earlier if a successor is selected before that date. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas Chair Kelly Eichler said she will call a special meeting of the board in the coming days to discuss Bobbitts retirement.

Start-up company converting former Washington County nuclear reactor site into research facility

Bobbit said he is bittersweet about the decision after fulfilling the goal he set for himself when he became president in November 2011 to leave the system in better standing.

Susan and I are thankful for the opportunity the Board of Trustees has provided us the past 13 years to serve a university system that has played such a large and important role in our lives. One of the great privileges I have been afforded through my time as president was the chance to work with an exceptional group of colleagues who served as the Chancellors and CEOs of our campuses, divisions and units, and with the very talented staff in the UA System administration. Each and every day they carry out the complex responsibilities of their position, keeping first and forefront the mission of this system to serve Arkansas and its citizens. It has equally been an honor to serve the many students across the UA System and help them achieve the dream of improving their lives through higher education. University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt

Bobbits start as president was November 1, 2011, succeeding Dr. B. Alan Sugg, who led the system for 21 years before his retirement.

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University of California regents voted Thursday to ban political opinion from main campus homepages, a policy initially rooted in concern about anti-Israel views being construed as official UC opinion.

Political opinions may still be posted on other pages of an academic unit's website, according to the policy approved at the regents meeting in San Francisco. It will take effect immediately.

The main homepage of a campus department, division or other academic unit will be reserved for news about courses, events, faculty research, mission statements or other general information.

Opinion must be published on other pages specifically labeled as commentary, with a disclaimer that they dont reflect the entire university or campus. Those who want to post statements on their department websites must follow specific procedures and allow faculty members to weigh in through an anonymous vote.

Regent Jay Sures, vice chairman at United Talent Agency, has pushed for such action for the last few years, previously saying he has been troubled by abuse and misuse of departmental websites featuring anti-Israel sentiment and other opinions that do not reflect official university views.

After initially proposing a more restrictive policy, Sures said the final draft reflects a better balance between free speech and acknowledging both those who want to make statements and those who oppose them.

This reflects that we value academic freedom, and it provides a very inclusive environment for the individual departments to put out statements and reflecting minority opinions within those departments, he said.

Regent Rich Leib, who also strongly endorsed the policy, called assertions that regents were trying to quash free speech BS and said they were aiming for transparency by making clear who supports the political views posted on websites.

He added that some statements posted on websites were seen as incendiary and repugnant but would still be allowed under the new policy, which is content neutral.

Sean Malloy, a UC Merced associate professor of history and critical race and ethnic studies, asserted that regents were trying to gag faculty speech and that the proposed policy reflected efforts to repress the growing movement for Palestinian solidarity across UC campuses.

He noted that regents never tried to intervene in faculty statements on the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyds killing, on climate change or in defense of immigrant students.

It is only when faculty speech threatened to upset support for Israel and Zionism that the Regents saw fit to enact such a policy, Malloy said in a statement to The Times. It must be seen along with the dispatch of police against UC students, faculty and staff, as well as the newly adopted measures aimed against encampments as part of an effort by a group of Regents to hold the UC hostage to their own commitment to Zionism in the midst of a genocide against Palestine.

Sures first took up the website issue after the UCLA Asian American Studies Department posted a statement in 2021  along with colleagues in feminist, Middle Eastern and gender studies  decrying a surge in Israeli violence against Palestinians as the latest manifestation of seventy-three years of settler colonialism, racial apartheid, and occupation.

After Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a massive, ongoing assault on Gaza, some faculty in other UC departments also spoke out as protests inflamed campuses with rallies, encampments, sweeping police actions and arrests.

UC Santa Cruzs critical race and ethnic studies department posted a call on its website for academic institutions to act now to end Israels genocidal attack on Gaza.

The UC San Diego ethnic studies department published a statement grieving the loss of lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war and supporting calls to end Israels occupation and dismantle the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.

The department also has posted statements opposing racism against Black people, Asian Americans and Muslims, along with caste-based discrimination. It now displays the comments on a section of its website marked statements and commentaries and includes the disclaimer that they do not necessarily represent the views of all faculty and graduate students at the Department of Ethnic Studies, the Regents of the University of California, or the University of California, San Diego.

The proposal to shift such comment from a departments landing page to a separate spot specifically marked as commentary has gone through several iterations. The Academic Senate raised objections to an earlier version, saying it was too ambiguous, lacked clear measures for implementation and enforcement and potentially threatened to limit academic freedom.

But Sures and Regent Lark Park, who led board efforts on the website proposal, worked with the Academic Senate to incorporate some recommendations from a systemwide faculty committee review of the issue in 2021.

That review concluded, in consultation with university attorneys, that departments have the right to weigh in on political and social issues, although they cannot endorse candidates. The Academic Senate provided guidelines, such as making clear that statements represented faculty members or groups and not the university and ensuring that minority or dissenting views are not squelched.

The policy now includes most of those guidelines but makes them mandatory. It requires campus departments to come up with procedures to develop statements, anonymously poll members to reduce pressure on those who may hold minority views and disclose how broadly the opinions are backed  by a supermajority, for instance  along with vote totals.

Sures praised faculty leaders for helping regents navigate the process. "The passage of this policy is proof that shared governance is at its best when all sides work collectively toward a common goal," he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
King Charles III delivered a speech on Wednesday, 17 July outlining the new Labour government's legislative programme. The Kings speech also mentioned Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda; website of the UK government

Details: In the foreign policy section of the Kings speech, which sets out the new UK governments plans, Charles III stressed that London's "commitment to NATO will remain unshakeable" and that it will ensure a "strong defence".

"My Government will continue to give its full support to Ukraine and its people and it will endeavour to play a leading role in providing Ukraine with a clear path to NATO membership," the King added.

In addition, Charles III said the Labour government would "seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdoms trade and investment relationship with the European Union".

The cabinet appointed by Keir Starmer, the newly elected UK Prime Minister, will also seek to secure "long term peace and security in the Middle East" based on a two-state solution  that is, the existence of "a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state".

Background:

David Lammy, the new UK Foreign Secretary, has confirmed that the previous Conservative governments plans to support Ukraine, including funding, remain in place.

Lammy has also said that the government is considering Ukraine's request for authorisation to use Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.

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(Bloomberg) -- UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is planning to channel extra foreign aid spending toward measures to encourage people to remain in their own countries rather than migrate to the UK, according to people familiar with the matter.

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As much as 100 million ($130 million) will initially be plowed into measures to incentivize would-be migrants to Britain to either stay in their home nations or settle in countries along the migratory route to the UK, according to the people, who requested anonymity discussing unannounced plans. It wasnt clear if that sum will come from the existing aid budget or represent additional expenditure. The foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The money will be spent on boosting regional economic opportunities, skills and improving health care access in those countries, with the aim of reducing the pull factor of the UK jobs market and welfare system, the people said. An announcement could be made as soon as Thursdays meeting of the European Political Community hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The move is part of efforts to stem the flow of migrants to Britain  particularly those crossing illegally in small boats from France  that surged to record levels under the last Conservative government. Starmer scrapped the as yet unimplemented Conservative policy of deporting arrivals to Rwanda and had said instead hell focus on breaking up people smuggling gangs.

The aid policy is geared more toward tackling the reasons why migrants head for the UK in the first place, and it marks a notable shift in approach from Starmers Labour Party, which previously focused development funding on humanitarian causes and fighting poverty, reforms to financial systems in low and middle-income countries and policies improving the rights of women and girls.

While those objectives will remain, raising aid spending specifically with the purpose of reducing immigration shows Starmer is keen to sell development funding to domestic voters. Typically, some Tories and right-wingers like Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have criticized foreign aid spending.

Starmer, Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also want to announce bilateral deals with nations such as Slovakia and Slovenia to combat people smuggling gangs, as well as increasing cooperation with European Union agencies like Europol and Frontex, people familiar with the matter said.

Starmers predecessor as premier, Rishi Sunak, reduced overseas aid spending to 0.5% of GDP from 0.7% when he was chancellor of the exchequer in 2020, blaming the state of the public finances after the Covid pandemic, a decision that was controversial at the time. Labour has committed to increasing it back to 0.7% when the public finances allow, but has not put a time-frame on when it plans to hit that target.

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A Ukrainian officer with the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade fires rockets from a pickup truck at Russian positions in Donetsk - AP

Ukraines cash-strapped and under-resourced military is using munitions that had been designated for disposal before Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Its defence ministry said on Tuesday it had returned a significant amount of ammunition of various calibres which had been transferred to enterprises for disposal as surplus.

The rounds, largely artillery shell and small arms munitions, are undergoing thorough quality checks before being sent to the front, the ministry added.

Kyiv has been pleading with its allies for more weapons and ammunition to help shore up its frontline defences after suffering long delays and shortages that allowed Russian forces to advance in the east.

We understand that today every shot, missile, and ammunition is vital on the battlefield, Yuriy Dzhyhyr, the deputy defence minister, said in a statement. Instead of disposing of the ammunition, we are disposing of the enemy, he added.

It comes as the Kremlin denied its major ground offensive in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region had failed as it seals off more than a dozen Russian border villages in order to protect its civilians from ongoing Ukrainian shelling.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacks deep within Russia have forced Moscow to beef up its defences around Vladimir Putins heavily-guarded palace north of Moscow.

03:38 PM BST

Todays live coverage has ended. Heres a roundup of the days events:

China and Russia kick off live-fire naval drills

Ukraine and Russia release 190 POWs

Kremlin denies its major ground offensive in Kharkiv failed

Ukraine joining Nato means war, says Putin ally

Boris Johnson urges Donald Trump to stand by Ukraine

Japan to use frozen Russian assets to loan Kyiv billions

Relatives of victims of MH17 vow to hold Russia responsible

Putin fortifies palace over fears of Ukrainian drones

Greece planning to send 32 F-16s to Ukraine - report

Ukrainian drones kill a couple in car

03:28 PM BST

EU greenlights 4.2bn boost for Ukraines economy

The European Commission has green-lighted a 4.2 billion boost to Ukraines war-stricken economy.

Ursula Von Der Leyen, the Commissions president, said: The people of Ukraine are fighting an atrocious war.

And at the same time they need functioning schools and hospitals, access to water and electricity, trains, roads and bridges to keep the country running.

The blocs member states will have to also rubber-stamp the decision before the money can be fully dispersed.

03:01 PM BST

Germany to halve military aid to Ukraine

Germany will halve military aid for Ukraine next year despite the possibility that Republican candidate Donald Trump could return to the White House and curb support for Kyiv.

German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion (3.3 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget.

Berlin hopes Kyiv will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 billion (38 billion) in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets agreed by the G7 and that funds earmarked for armaments will not be fully used.

Ukraines financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans, German finance minister Christian Lindner said on Wednesday.

02:41 PM BST

Kremlin denies offensive in Kharkiv failed

The Kremlin has denied its major ground offensive in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region had failed as it evacuates border villages in order to protect civilians from ongoing Ukrainian shelling.

Russia launched a surprise assault on the Kharkiv region, which sits across the border from Russias Belgorod region, in May in a bid to push Ukrainian forces back and establish what Vladimir Putin called a security zone.

However, Belgorods regional governor on Tuesday announced that 14 Russian border villages would be sealed off given the ongoing intensity of Ukrainian cross-border attacks.

Asked on Wednesday whether that decision meant the Kharkiv offensive had failed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: No, it doesnt. This operation is ongoing, it will continue until it has been successfully completed.

Rescuers evacuate an injured Ukrainian woman in the aftermath of a Russian rocket strike in the village of Budy, Kharkiv - Shutterstock

Police officers struggle to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on a residential neighbourhood in Bilyi Kolodiaz, Kharkiv - AP

02:08 PM BST

Watch: Moment 95 Ukrainian POWs return home

Footage has shown the moment 95 smiling, but frail-looking Ukrainian prisoners of war returned to their homeland on Wednesday after being released from captivity in Russia.

The released soldiers raised their fists in the air and posed for photos with flags as cheers rang out.

01:56 PM BST

Ukraine and Russia exchange 190 prisoners of war

Russia and Ukraine released 190 captured soldiers in the latest prisoner swap between the two sides on Wednesday.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russias defence ministry each said 95 of their soldiers had been freed in an exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

We continue to bring our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity, Mr Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the prisoners were from the army, national guard and border guards.

Vladimir Putin said in June that 1,348 Russian soldiers were being held in Ukrainian captivity, and that Russia had detained 6,465 Ukrainian POWs.

Smiling Ukrainian POWs pose for a photo as they reach their homeland - AFP

Russia and Ukraine released 95 captured soldiers each in the latest prisoner exchange between the two sides - AFP

President Zelensky said the returned Ukrainian POWs were from the army, national guard and border guards - AFP

01:36 PM BST

Ukrainian drones kill couple in car, says Russian official

A Ukrainian drone killed two people in Russias Belgorod region Wednesday, the governor said, a day after he announced plans to restrict access to over a dozen border villages due to continued bombardment.

An FPV-drone attacked a passenger car with a young married couple in it in the vicinity of the Tserkovnyi hamlet. As a result of the car fire, the couple died on the spot before an ambulance crew arrived, Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Mr Gladkov this week shut off access to 14 villages for most civilians excluding military and government officials, citing the extremely difficult situation there due to Ukrainian shelling.

12:48 PM BST

Greece planning to send 32 F-16s to Ukraine

Greece is reportedly planning to send 32 F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.

The Hellenic Air Force, one of the largest air powers in Nato, is said to be about to decommission 32 older F-16 Block-30 fighter jets as it upgrades its force.

According to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera, Greeces preferred plan is to sell the jets back to the US, who will upgrade them and send them on to Kyiv.

The US Congress has also cleared the way for Greece to purchase up to 40 fifth-generation F-35 multirole fighters, which Ukraine has said it wants.

It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this week that the first batch of the long-awaited F-16s is set to arrive in Ukraine imminently, with the second due to arrive by the end of the year.

12:11 PM BST

Germany jails man for selling military electronics to Russia

A German court on Wednesday sentenced a dual German-Russian citizen to six years and nine months in prison for selling electronics to Russian companies for military use in violation of sanctions.

The EU prohibited such business after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 as part of a wave of sanctions that have increased since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

The Stuttgart court said the 59-year-old man delivered 120,000 parts to Russia that could be used for military purposes between January 2020 and May 2023.

The parts included those used in the Orlan-10 drone deployed by Russia against Ukraine, the court said.

11:54 AM BST

North Korea official visiting Russia drowns

A North Korean official visiting Russia has drowned while swimming in a pond outside Moscow, according to Russian media.

The official, Kim Geum Chol, whose name matches that of a man cited by the secretive states media as the leader of a military training contingent, is said to have died on July 11 in Zelenograd, a city just northwest of Moscow.

North Koreas state KCNA news agency reported earlier this month that a North Korean elite military training delegation had left for Russia on July 8, the first military exchange between the two countries since their leaders signed a pact pledging closer military cooperation.

KCNA said that Kim Geum Chol, whom it described as the president of the Kim Il Sung Military University where Kim Jong-un attended, was leading the delegation.

Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin smile during the Russian leader's state visit to North Korea in June - Pool Sputnik Kremlin

11:34 AM BST

Putin fortifies palace to protect against Ukrainian drones

Ukrainian drone attacks deep within Russia have forced Moscow to beef up its defences around Vladimir Putins palace, 250 miles north of Moscow.

Satellite images revealed at least seven Pantsir-1 medium-range air defence systems have been stationed around the sprawling forest estate on the shores of Lake Valdai, according to the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraines relentless drone strikes, that have been successfully targeting Russian air bases, have forced Moscows military command to prioritise limited air defence assets to cover what it deems high-value targets, the ISW said.

Such static coverage could prove futile as Ukrainian drones can still bypass the air defences and strike from uncovered directions, analysts warned.

Vladimir Putin's Valdai palace, his best-guarded and most private residence north of Moscow

A satellite image showing a Pantsir-S1 air defence system near Vladimir Putin's Valdai palace as the Russian leader shores up defences over fears of Ukrainian drones - Twitter

11:08 AM BST

Hungary: Efforts continue on second peace summit for Ukraine

Efforts are being made to hold a second peace summit on Ukraine this year, Hungarys foreign minister Peter Szijjarto told Russias RIA state news agency on Wednesday.

I believe that if we want to hope for any peace conference in the future to be successful, we need to make sure that both sides are represented, Mr Szijjarto told the agency.

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that Russia should be represented at the second summit, marking a major about-turn after banning Moscow from the first.

10:39 AM BST

Relatives of MH17 victims vow to hold Russia responsible

Relatives of passengers killed when Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine gathered with officials at Australias Parliament House on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives.

One of those relatives, Paul Guard, mostly blames the conflict raging in eastern Ukraine a decade ago for the missile attack that killed 38 Australians, including his parents.

I dont think anyone intended to bring down a passenger plane. So in that sense, Im heartbroken that the conflict continues, Paul Guard told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

But I think that a lot of families would really have just liked an acknowledgement that what happened was wrong and that Russia should not have been waging war, he added.

The pro-Russia rebel-held border region from where a Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile was fatefully launched and where much of the debris landed is now territory controlled by the Russian military.

Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility for MH17s destruction and refused to hand over two Russians and a Ukrainian convicted by a Dutch court in absentia in 2022 of murder.

Relatives of passengers killed in the downing of MH17 gather in Sydney to mark 10 years since the incident - Shutterstock

Tributes to the victims are laid on the floor to mark the anniversary - Shutterstock

10:05 AM BST

Pictured: The aftermath of a Russian airstrike in Donetsk

Emergency services attempt to extinguish the fire, which broke out as a result of the Russian airstrike in Donetsk on Tuesday - Anadolu

Civilians observe the damaged area after the attack - Anadolu

The ruinous landscape of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region continues to be battered by Russian strikes and shelling - Anadolu

09:43 AM BST

Ukraine: Russia loses 1,100 troops and 11 tanks in past day

Ukraine claimed on Wednesday that Russian forces lost over 1,100 troops, 11 tanks, nine armoured vehicles and 43 artillery systems in the past 24 hours.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the losses, adding them to its overall toll of 563,620 Russian troops killed or wounded since February 2022.

Kyiv also added that Russian troops had attacked on 11 fronts over the past day, with the heaviest fighting taking place near to Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in Ukraines shattered Donetsk region.

09:18 AM BST

Watch: Chinese tourists fire guns and drive tanks in Russia war games holidays

Chinese tourists are visiting the snowy landscapes of Russia to drive tanks, fire grenades and play with guns for the countrys war games holidays.

Footage shows the strange new phenomenon where young Chinese, dressed in princess costumes, attend Russian winter camps to let off steam while holding AK-47s and rocket launchers.

Read more on the bizarre experience here.

08:52 AM BST

Japan to use frozen Russian assets for Kyiv

Japan is said to be making the final arrangements to loan $3.3 billion to Ukraine using interest from frozen Russian assets.

The loan will amount to roughly 6 per cent of the G7s total $50 billion package, the Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday, citing diplomatic sources.

The package, where the US and EU each lend $20 billion and Japan and Britain and Canada lend a combined $10 billon, is set to be approved at a G7 meeting in Brazil later this month.

08:33 AM BST

Boris Johnson urges Trump to stand by Ukraine

Boris Johnson urged Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine after the former president picked a running mate who strongly opposes American support for the war.

Mr Johnson met Trump on the fringes of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday for almost an hour to discuss the war.

The Republican nominee has chosen JD Vance, a hard-line Ukraine sceptic, as his vice-presidential candidate for Novembers election.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator has previously called for Washington to negotiate directly with Moscow over the war, and believes Ukraine will never recover territory lost after Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Read the full story here.

Boris Johnson met with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention - PA

08:14 AM BST

Putin ally: Ukraine joining Nato means war

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned the accession of Ukraine to Nato would be a declaration of war against Moscow and the alliance was perilously close to shattering the planet into pieces.

Mr Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russias Security Council and a leading voice among the Kremlins hawks, told Russian media that Ukraines membership would go beyond a direct threat to Moscows security.

This, in essence, would be a declaration of war - albeit with a delay, he said in remarks published on Wednesday.

Nato leaders pledged at their summit last week to support Ukraine on an irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including Nato membership, but left open when that membership could happen.

Dmitry Medvedev is pictured with Vladimir Putin watching a concert marking the 870th birthday of Moscow in 2017 - TASS

07:53 AM BST

Ukraine and Russia to exchange 180 prisoners of war - report

Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 180 prisoners of war on Wednesday in a deal facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, according to Bloomberg.

Each side plans to release 90 prisoners, a source familiar with the matter told the outlet. The swap will be the sixth exchange this year facilitated by the UAE.

Last week, Ukraines Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, said that Kyiv was planning a big prisoner exchange with Russia soon, with the help of the UAE.

07:49 AM BST

China and Russia begin live-fire naval drills in South China Sea

China and Russia have kicked off live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea as the two countries continue to strengthen military ties in the face of US sanctions.

The opening ceremony of the joint naval drills Maritime Cooperation - 2024 took place in the Chinese port of Zhanjiang, which will be followed by three days of exercises, the Russian defence ministry said.

During the sea maneuvers, crews of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy are expected to conduct joint air defense exercises, anti-submarine drills and artillery firing.

Wang Guangzheng of the PLA Navys Southern Theatre said: The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields... and effectively enhanced the ability to the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats.

The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the port of Zhanjiang during the Joint Sea-2024 China-Russia naval exercise - Russian Defence Ministry

The live-fire naval drills will take place over three days starting on July 17 - Russian Defence Ministry

07:32 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

We will be bringing you all the latest updates from the war in Ukraine.

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Ukraine will find battlefield solutions regardless of who wins US election, defense minister says

Ukraine will find a way to combat Russia's forces even if former President Donald Trump wins a second term and jeopardizes vital U.S. support for its defense, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on July 17.

In carefully framed remarks to an audience of U.S. policymakers and journalists, Umerov highlighted the diplomatic and military challenges facing Ukraine as Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance gain momentum in the U.S. presidential race.

Vance, an Ohio senator, has worked in Congress to block U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine, while Trump has promised to bring the war to an immediate end if he wins in November.

"We believe in U.S. leadership, and we believe America wants its partners and allies to be strong as well," Umerov said, according to the Associated Press as he was speaking remotely to government officials at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "At this stage, we will focus on the battlefield," he noted. "Whatever the outcome" of the U.S. elections, "we will find solutions."

Umerov reportedly refrained from saying whether Ukraine would continue fighting or agree to a cease-fire deal that ceded territory to Russia if the U.S. were to withdraw its support.

Although other members of the military alliance of European and North American countries also provide arms, money, and other aid to Ukraine, U.S. support has been the most crucial since Russia launched its full-scale war in early 2022.

For now, Umerov emphasized that Ukraine  which has expanded its mobilization efforts to enlist more troops beyond the four million currently registered  would continue fighting to regain territory already lost to the Russians.

Read also: F-16s are on their way to Ukraine  heres how they can help fight Russia

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Ukraine's sanctions on Russia's Lukoil halting oil deliveries to Hungary, Budapest says

Ukraine's hardened sanctions against Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer, has stopped the company's deliveries to Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed on July 16.

Ukraine strengthened sanctions against Lukoil in June 2024, effectively removing the possibility that Ukraine can be a transit country for its oil.

Szijjarto made the comments after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a U.N. meeting in New York.

"There's now a legal situation in Ukraine based on which Lukoil is not currently delivering to Hungary," Szijjarto claimed, according to Bloomberg.

"We are now working on a legal solution that will enable us to resume supplies because Russian oil is important from the perspective of our energy security," Russian state news agency TASS quoted Szijjarto as saying.

Szijjarto has previously said that 80% of its crude oil supplies in 2022 came from Russia.

Hungary has maintained close ties with Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Szijjarto has made regular trips to Russia, unlike other European foreign ministers.

Read also: Orban pitches peace proposal to EU after Kyiv, Moscow trips

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A soldier launching a drone. Stock photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian regional authorities have explicitly stated that they cannot rely on Russian air defence at the federal level and that the regions must counter the drones themselves.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Ukrainian drone incursions deep into Russian territory are significantly challenging Russia's air defence network. On 6 May, satellite images revealed that Russian forces have stationed at least seven Pantsir-1 medium-range air defence systems around Russian leader Vladimir Putin's residence in Valdai, Leningrad Oblast.

This deployment underscores the Russian military's inability to relevantly protect all critical sites in western Russia, as they struggle to defend even crucial targets in supposedly secure areas. To counteract these deficiencies, the Russian military initiated the formation of mobile fire groups in March 2024, adopting a strategy that Ukraine successfully used to fend off Russian Shahed-136/131 drone strikes.

The ongoing strain on Russia's air defence infrastructure has prompted certain regional authorities to declare that Russian businesses and local governments must no longer depend on federal air defences and instead should establish their own anti-drone defences.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 16 July:

Ukrainian drone strikes deep within Russia continue to pressure Russia's air defence umbrella and force the Russian military command to prioritise allocating limited air defence assets to cover what it deems to be high-value targets.

Ukrainian forces continue targeting Russian air defence systems in occupied Ukraine and in Russias border areas to set conditions to field F-16 fighter jets following their anticipated Summer-Fall 2024 arrival to Ukraine.

The Russian 235th Garrison Military Court released former 58th Combined Arms Army (CAA) Major General Ivan Popov from the pre-detention centre on 15 July and placed him under house arrest until 11 October.

Armenian police detained another Russian citizen in Armenia, likely at the request of Russian authorities, amid deteriorating Armenian-Russian political and security relations.

An investigation by Russian opposition outlet The Bell found that approximately 650,000 people left Russia following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and have not returned.

Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Avdiivka.

The Russian government is continuing to improve Russia's bureaucratic mobilisation and conscription systems.

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By Alistair Smout and Andreas Rinke

BLENHEIM PALACE, England (Reuters) -Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, hailed European unity on Thursday, saying deeper defence and security cooperation would better support Ukraine while shared intelligence could help tackle illegal migration.

Closing a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) of more than 40 nations at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Starmer said stronger relationships had been developed at the summit, the first step in his efforts to reset post-Brexit ties with the European Union.

His push for closer cooperation takes place against the backdrop of the possible election of Donald Trump, who alongside his pick for White House running mate, J.D. Vance, has suggested cutting U.S. support for Ukraine, leaving Europe to cover the loss.

"We are going to deepen our cooperation on defence and security and on illegal migration, where we are resetting our approach," Starmer told a news conference at the EPC, a grouping distinct from the EU that was created after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"I'm proud to leave this summit with stronger relationships across Europe and to leave the EPC in a stronger position," said Starmer, who took office two weeks ago after an election that gave his Labour Party a large majority and ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

He had offered other European leaders a clean slate, distancing himself from the previous government, which had threatened to withdraw from an international treaty on human rights and to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

"We are going to smash the (migrant trafficking) gangs ... and we'll do this, not by committing taxpayer money to gimmicks but with practical solutions that are in line with international law," he said.

Fresh from his first international trip as prime minister to NATO in Washington, Starmer took to the international stage again, calling on Europe to do more to support Ukraine.

UKRAINE SUPPORT

He said the summit had made a commitment to crack down on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers used to break sanctions.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy again called on Western allies to allow long-range strikes on Russia, in particular on military airfields.

So far, NATO members have taken varying approaches to how Ukraine can use weapons they supply. But in a move that should better coordinate military support for Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said a command would be operational in Germany from September.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has the current rotating presidency of the EU and whose talks this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a rebuke from other EU members as well as from Zelenskiy, took a different tone, saying the solution to war in Ukraine would be found at the negotiating table, not the battlefield.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Orban was representing only his own country, not the EU.

EU TIES

Starmer has been determined to reset EU ties after Britain's vote to leave the bloc in 2016 sparked years of rancour. He has said he does not see Britain rejoining the single market or customs union in his lifetime.

European leaders welcomed Starmer's defence cooperation plans, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying: "This is a great opportunity for a reset."

The NATO and EPC meetings gave Starmer the opportunity to advance early talks on the relationship with Europe.

Officials stress that the ultimate goal of negotiating a security pact, covering a range of areas such as energy, supply chains, pandemics and migration, will come much later in talks where the EU has been clear there will be no "cherry picking".

At Blenheim Palace, Starmer said Britain had agreed to increase its presence in Europol and would use 84 million pounds ($109 million) of new funding for aid projects to try to stem illegal migration to his country.

"I'm really pleased that most of the leaders, if not all of them, are leaving here with a sense of renewed confidence in their relationship with the UK," said Starmer, who was due to entertain Macron over dinner later on Thursday.

($1 = 0.7711 pounds)

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill and Andreas RinkeAdditional reporting by Justyna Pawlak, and Muvija M, Kylie MacLellan in LondonWriting by Elizabeth PiperEditing by Sharon Singleton, Angus Macswan, Philippa Fletcher and Frances Kerry)
UN climate talks leader says financial help for poor nations is urgent goal of negotiations

FILE - A man stands next to a business destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in Clifton, Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucanus Ollivierre, File)

The head of upcoming climate negotiations told world leaders Wednesday that a new financial aid package for poor and disaster-struck nations is the urgent, make-or-break goal of United Nations talks this fall.

Time lost is lives, livelihoods and the planet lost, said Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijan ecology minister and president-designate of November climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the same time, Simon Stiell, the United Nations top climate official, made an emotional plea for a stepped-up fight against the growing cost of unchecked climate carnage  from his hurricane-demolished hometown of Carriacou, Grenada, in some of the first video from the devastated island.

Beryl is yet more painful proof, Stiell, executive secretary of the UN's climate agency, said from the remnants of a neighbor's house that had lost its roof and walls. Every year fossil fuel-driven climate costs are an economic wrecking ball hitting billions of households and small businesses. If governments everywhere don't step up, every economy and 8 billion people will face this blunt-force trauma head-on on a continuous basis.

Beryl, a record-breaking storm that rapidly intensified, destroyed or severely damaged 98% of the island's homes with devastation that has become all too familiar to hundreds of millions of people all around the world," Stiell said.

He noted this year's four-figure death toll from heat in India, more than 1,000 dead from heat in Saudi Arabia during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and millions of people left without power during a brutal heat wave in Texas in calling global warming a national security threat to every country.

Stiell cited a scientific study saying the world is locked in to a yearly $38 trillion economic hit from climate change, saying it puts poorer countries into a spiral of debt that prevents them from providing education or health care or digging out of the financial hole from disasters.

That's at the heart of two of key issues to be discussed in November in climate negotiations in Azerbaijan. In his letter to world leaders, negotiations president-designate Babayev said a new international goal for climate financial aid from rich to poor countries is the centerpiece and most pressing issue.

Governments have to agree on a new goal to improve upon the annual $100 billion that rich countries once pledged to give to poorer nations to help them move to less carbon polluting economies. Countries promised in 2009 they'd hit that $100 billion a year mark by 2020. They finally reached it earlier this year.

Meetings in Germany in June to lay the groundwork for some kind of new money agreement didn't get the "necessary progress'' needed, Babayev wrote.

In a statement, Babayev said his country can help build a bridge between rich and poor "but we all need to walk across it. In fact, we need to start running."

So Babayev is asking the head climate negotiators from many countries to come to Azerbaijan later this month for an informal retreat to push things along. He's also asked veteran negotiators from Denmark and Egypt to chart the path toward a new agreed-upon financial aid goal.

On top of financial aid for decarbonization, there's a fund agreed to in 2022 and enacted in 2023 called loss and damage. It is a version of reparations from wealthy nations that burn more heat-trapping fossil fuels than less developed nations, like Grenada, that not only don't use as much carbon but get hit with a disproportionate share of climate-related disasters.

Babayev said another goal is to get the loss-and-damage fund moving so it can pay out "much needed and long-awaited funds as soon as possible.

The only way out of this is together, Stiell said from Carriacou. What the climate crisis did to my grandmother's house must not become humanity's new normal. We can still prevent that."

___

Follow Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears

___

The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

___

Read more of APs climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment
Rare images of members of the worlds largest uncontacted tribe show them emerging from the Peruvian Amazon  only miles from where companies are controversially logging pristine rainforest.

The photos and videos show around 50 men, women and children from the Mashco Piro tribe on a sandy bank of the remote Las Piedras river in the jungle region of Madre de Dios, near the border with Brazil.

With long hair and wearing nothing but loincloths, the elusive hunter-gatherers can clearly be seen from a distance picking up branches to build temporary shelters.

The images were released by Survival International, an indigenous rights group, which is warning that the logging is illegal and poses an existential threat to the extremely vulnerable tribe.

It says that the companies trucks, chainsaws and other heavy machinery are terrifying the Mashco Piro and could provoke them into responding with violence. In 2022, members of the tribe killed one company worker with an arrow roughly six feet long.

Members of the Mascho Piro tribe appear outside the forest to gather supplies for shelters - Survival International

The Mashco Piro are also at risk from infections, with no immunity to many illnesses common in the outside world. Meanwhile, the nomadic tribes dependence on wide swathes of the rainforest is also recognised under international law.

Various international treaties, including United Nations agreements, bar outsiders from initiating contact with the dwindling number of tribes still living in voluntary isolation and even require vast buffer zones be set up around them.

Yet despite that, successive Peruvian governments have authorised logging concessions on land long thought to be used by the Mashco Piro.

In 2007, the president at the time, Alan Garcia  who shot himself dead in 2019 as he was being arrested on corruption charges  warned that Peru could not be barred from exploiting natural resources in the Amazon because of unknown but presumed to exist indigenous groups.

Alfredo Vargas Pio, the president of local indigenous federation FENAMAD, warned: This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies.

Caroline Pearce, Survival Internationals head, added: This is a humanitarian disaster in the making. Its absolutely vital that the loggers are thrown out, and the Mashco Piros territory is properly protected at last.

Traumatic experiences with outsiders

The Mashco Piro are thought to number around 750, spread out across the eastern Peruvian Amazon and spilling into Brazil.

Anthropologists say they have deliberately retreated deeper and deeper in the rainforest over the years following traumatic experiences with outsiders.

In the Peruvian Amazon, which is almost the size of Spain, many natives were enslaved or massacred during the rubber boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

More recently, oil companies, including Shell, have drilled on indigenous land, including even inside reserves set up for uncontacted tribes.

The Mashco Piro do occasionally visit isolated indigenous villages, where locals speak Yine, a language related to that spoken by the Mashco Piro, to ask for cassava, bananas or rope, but they carefully avoid non-Amazonians.

Survival International is also calling on the Forest Stewardship Council, a nonprofit based in Bonn, Germany, that certifies forest products as sustainable, to stop approving timber from companies on Mashco Piro land.

The FSC has said in the past that it has no reason to believe the concessions affect the tribe. The Peruvian government has also claimed for years that it is looking into the logging concessions but has provided no timeline for resolving the problem.

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Forced Out

Fascinating footage shows members of one of the most isolated Indigenous tribes in the world leaving the rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon, mere miles from where logging companies were recently allowed to cut down trees.

As the Washington Post reports, the Mashco Piro tribe remains one of the largest communities believed to live without any form of contact with the outside world. But now that loggers are encroaching on their home, the tribe has increasingly been making its way to the nearby Las Piedras River, as footage shared by human rights group Survival International shows.

It's a sad reality, highlighting humanity's relentless greed and the extent of deforestation affecting one of the largest and most biodiverse tracts of land in the world.

https://twitter.com/Survival/status/1813263339553964485

Humanitarian Disaster

Local Indigenous advocates are appalled.

"This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies," said the president of local Indigenous organization FENAMAD Alfredo Vargas Pio in a statement.

"The logging workers could bring in new diseases which would wipe out the Mashco Piro, and theres also a risk of violence on either side, so its very important that the territorial rights of the Mashco Piro are recognized and protected in law," he added.

The Mashco Piro inhabit an area nestled between two natural reserves in Madre de Pios, a southeastern region of Peru's Amazon Basin. Another local community called the Yine, who speak a related language, reported that the Mashco Piro were angered by the presence of loggers, according to Survival International.

Government estimates suggest there are around 750 Mashco Piro living in the area. They're one of as many as 20 isolated tribes in Peru, according to WaPo.

Meanwhile, a local logging company has built more than 124 miles of road for trucks, operations that were approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which argued that its operations were both sustainable and ethical.

Logging, both legal and illegal, remains a massive environmental problem. According to the Amazon Conservation Association, the rainforest is approaching a "tipping point" where it can no longer generate enough rainfall to support its ecosystems due to deforestation.

"This is a humanitarian disaster in the making  its absolutely vital that the loggers are thrown out, and the Mashco Piros territory is properly protected at last," Survival International director Caroline Pearce added. "The [Forest Stewardship Council] must cancel its certification of Canales Tahuamanu immediately  failure to do so will make a mockery of the entire certification system."

More on the Amazon: Scientists Find Ruins of Ancient Cities in Amazon Jungle
Union leaders, reality stars and rivals: How the GOP is trying to appeal to everyone

MILWAUKEE  There was the former President Trump rival turned endorser. There was the union leader making his debut at a Republican convention. There was the hard-line MAGA congressman, and there was the model and reality TV star speaking about becoming a Trump convert.

This years Republican National Convention has had speakers of many stripes: Ones to appeal to Trumps base, others to moderate Republican voters, some pleading to union workers, and others to young and minority voters.

Its a sign of how Trump has transformed the party in doing away with traditional conservative orthodoxy. It also serves as a signal that the GOP is hoping to expand its outreach heading into November.

The reality is in America, were not going to agree on everything, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said Tuesday. And if you can disagree with your spouse, or you can disagree with your parents, what the hell makes you think youre going to agree with the politician 100 percent of the time? Youre not.

So you know, to me, its always a false narrative, he continued. The reality is, we are a big tent, we do have disagreements. Were not all going to agree on every little thing that is said or done or proposed, but we have an opportunity here to address the challenges facing the American people.

If the theme of the week has been a unified Republican Party in support of Trump, there have also been signs that Trumps party is hoping to win over less traditional GOP voters.

Mondays keynote speakers to close out the evening were two unusual choices. One was Amber Rose, who is best known as a model who has appeared in hip hop videos and helped launch a feminist demonstration in Los Angeles called SlutWalk. The other was Teamsters President Sean OBrien, who was the first leader of the labor group to address a Republican convention and who railed against corporate greed.

Tuesdays most high profile speakers were two of Trumps fiercest rivals earlier this year: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, the latter of whom did not endorse Trump until she took the stage Tuesday night. Both extolled the importance of putting Trump back in the White House, with Haley in particular urging Republicans who may not always agree with Trump to support him in November.

And Lara Trump, the former presidents daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, closed out the night by trying to portray a softer side of the GOP candidate as she described Saturdays assassination attempt on Trumps life.

Lara Trump argued the Trump coalition included Veterans, teachers, blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, active duty military, police officers, firefighters, small business owners, Latino supporters, Christian supporters, Jewish supporters, Black supporters, white supporters, Asian supporters, gay supporters, Republicans, independents, and yes, even Democrats.

You may not have liked everything that he tweeted, but you cannot deny you were better off when he was in office, she said.

The Trump campaign has been adamant that they can draw in more Black and Hispanic voters in November than previous Republican presidential campaigns. Trump met with OBrien earlier this year and has bashed United Auto Workers leadership as he seeks to peel away rank-and-file union members, a key voting bloc for the Biden campaign.

There are some Republicans who still arent welcome in Trumps GOP. Former President George W. Bush, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and Trumps own former vice president, Mike Pence, were nowhere to be found at this weeks convention.

And some of Wednesdays speakers were among the most hard-line Trump supporters in the party, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) and former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

Some conservatives, particularly those in the anti-abortion movement, have expressed frustration that Trumps takeover of the party has meant abandoning long-held principles on trade, abortion and foreign policy in favor of political expediency.

We are not appreciating enough how much there has been a marriage between populists and conservatives supporting the Republican party over the years and last night was truly [a] repudiation of conservatism, Marc Short, a top Pence adviser, posted Tuesday on social platform X. The platform is walking away from life and traditional marriage and fully embracing protectionism.

The Biden campaign has been adamant it still sees an opening to win over Republican voters who remain skeptical of voting for Trump in November, even as Haley, DeSantis and others have fallen in line.

Ambassador Haley said it best herself: someone who doesnt respect our military, doesnt know right from wrong, and surrounds himself in chaos cant be president, Austin Weatherford, director of the Biden campaigns Republican engagement efforts, said in a statement.

Thats why millions of Republicans cast their votes in protest of Donald Trump and his attacks on our institutions, our nations allies, and civility, Weatherford said. Theres a home for every single one of these voters in the coalition President Biden is building of patriotic Americans who will always put country over party.

Mychael Schnell contributed.

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The Teamsters have yet to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, but the powerful unions president sent a strong message by delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention on Monday. Sean OBrien delivered an impassioned address about how big business and corporate lobbying groups are waging a war against American workers to a room full of people who worship Donald Trump  who wants to lower the corporate tax rate to 15 percent.

OBriens turn at the RNC was not appreciated by everyone at the Teamsters. The unions official Twitter account bashed him on Tuesday after he shared a piece about his speech by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). The piece, titled The Promise of Pro-Labor Conservatism, begins by suggesting that American workers are getting screwed because companies are using profits to push diversity, equity, and inclusion and the religion of the trans flag.

Unions gain nothing from endorsing the racist, misogynistic, and anti-trans politics of the far right, no matter how much people like Sen. Hawley attempt to tether such bigotry to a cynical pro-labor message, the Teamsters account wrote on X, adding: You dont unite a diverse working class by scoffing at its diversity.

Its deleted now but took a screengrab pic.twitter.com/J5tUAF5kXf  Matt Pearce  (@mattdpearce) July 17, 2024

The Teamsters X account also shared a post from The Nation which said, Despite Sean OBriens support for Trump at the RNC, lets be clear: A second Trump term would not be a win for the labor movement. The account separately shared an X post asking: Did anyone ask Sean OBrien if he read the part in Project 2025 about Republicans wanting to end overtime pay? Do his union members know about this? (Project 2025 is conservative groups controversial policy agenda for a second Trump term.)

Neither post currently appears on the Teamsters feed.

The Teamsters social media manager wasnt the only pro-labor party miffed by OBriens speech. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that White House aides were furious over the appearance given President Bidens embrace of the labor movement. The Teamsters might not endorse anyone in the presidential race, but the United Auto Workers endorsed Biden in January, and its president Shawn Fain has been fiercely critical of Trump. Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker, Fain said while endorsing the president.

OBrien himself acknowledged what Biden has done for the labor movement this week. He is definitely the most pro-labor president weve ever had, he told CNN.

Teamsters President O'Brien: President Biden is definitely the most pro-labor president we've ever had. You're right, he did fix pensions nationwide. He's done a lot of work on behalf of the Teamsters Union pic.twitter.com/DOlZvEGotm  Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 16, 2024

The Teamsters have tried to spin OBriens appearance at the RNC as a means of exposing the corporatists at the RNC, as spokesperson Kara Deniz put it in a statement provided to the Post. The Teamsters refuse to be pressured to fall in line by those who continue to applaud a broken system, she added. We will continue to participate in the political process at all levels on behalf of working people.

OBrien also insisted in the speech that the Teamsters are not beholden to anyone or any party. He praised Trump during the speech, as well, calling him one tough SOB.

OBrien wants to have it both ways, but the labor movement is skeptical, as is his own union  as evinced not only by the rogue post on X, but what its vice president at large, John Palmer, wrote last week ahead of OBriens appearance at the RNC: It is unconscionable for any Labor leader to lend an air of legitimacy to a candidate and a political party, neither of which can be said to have done, or can be expected to do, anything to improve the lives of the workers we are pledged to represent.

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The University of Maryland, College Park will pay a $500,000 settlement for allegedly failing to disclose the foreign funding of three researchers who simultaneously received federal grants, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office of the District of Maryland.

Federal prosecutors alleged that the researchers, who collectively received five federal research grants between 2015 and 2020, were also the principal investigators on projects funded by three Chinese companies, Huawei Technologies, Taobao and Alibaba.

For Huawei, a big technology company, the Maryland researcher was studying high energy density FeF3 conversion cathode materials and Li metal anodes, according to a news release. For Taobao, an online shopping platform, the research was large-scale behavior learning for dense crowds. For Alibaba, a large online retailer, the research was about the cyber-manufacturing of customized apparel.

The federal grants were from the National Science Foundation, which provides about a quarter of federal grants to colleges and universities, and the U.S. Army, both of which require grant applicants to disclose all current and pending support, including foreign government sources, received by their institution, according to the release.

Complete and accurate disclosures are essential to federal agencies that make decisions on awarding federal grants, Erek L. Barron, United States attorney for the District of Maryland, said in the release. Those individuals and universities that knowingly fail to do so skew the grant awarding process in their favor and will be held accountable.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  University of New Mexico experts are weighing in on the Surgeon Generals push for warning labels on social media. Last month, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require social media platforms to put warning labels on their apps much like cigarette and alcohol labels.

Official 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta poster released

UNM journalism Professor Carolina Contreras said it wont be easy and would be difficult to figure out where a digital label would go and whether consumers would actually see it. She said the label warnings are a step in the right direction but its only a start. Contreras said the push for labels should be followed by a public awareness campaign and digital literacy programs.

To read more about what Contreras and other experts said about social media and screen time for kids and teens, click this link.

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. military-built pier to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza will be dismantled and brought home, ending a mission that has been fraught with repeated weather and security problems that limited how much food and other supplies could get to starving Palestinians.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander at U.S. Central Command, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that the pier achieved its intended effect in what he called an unprecedented operation.

After last-ditch effort, the Gaza pier aid mission is coming to an end

As the U.S. military steps away from the sea route for humanitarian aid, questions swirl about Israels new plan to use the port at Ashdod as a substitute. There are few details on how it will work and lingering concerns about whether aid groups will have enough viable land crossings to get assistance into the territory besieged by war between Israel and Hamas. But Cooper said the Ashdod corridor will be more sustainable.

Critics call the pier a $230 million boondoggle that failed to bring in the level of aid needed to stem a looming famine. The U.S. military, however, has maintained that it served as the best hope as aid only trickled in during a critical time of near-famine in Gaza and that it got close to 20 million pounds of desperately needed supplies to the Palestinians.

President Joe Biden, who announced the building of the pier during his State of the Union speech in March, expressed disappointment that it didnt do as well as hoped.

Ive been disappointed that some of the things that I put forward have not succeeded as well  like the port we attached from Cyprus, Biden, a Democrat, said during a news conference last week. I was hopeful that would be more successful.

Planned as a temporary fix to get aid to starving Palestinians, the project was panned from the start by aid groups that condemned it as a waste of time and money. While U.S. defense officials acknowledged that the weather was worse than expected and limited the days the pier could operate, they also expressed frustration with humanitarian groups for being unable and unwilling to distribute the aid that got through the system, only to have it pile up onshore.

A critical element that neither the aid groups nor the U.S. military could control, however, was the Israeli defense forces whose military operation into Gaza put humanitarian workers in persistent danger and in a number of cases cost them their lives.

As a result, the pier operated for fewer than 25 days after its installation May 16, and aid agencies used it only about half that time due to security concerns.

Stuck in the middle were the more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors who largely lived on boats off the Gaza shore and struggled to keep the pier working but spent many days repairing it or detaching it, moving it and reinstalling it due to the bad weather.

A U.S. Army landing craft broke free from the Gaza pier and beached on the Israeli Coast in May after being swept by wind and current. (Tsafrir Abayov/AP)

The tensions played out until the final moments, as senior Biden administration officials signaled the end of the pier project days ago but U.S. Central Command balked, holding out hope the military could reinstall it one last time to move any final pallets of aid ashore.

Most would agree that use of the maritime route and what is known as the Armys Joint-Logistics-Over-the-Shore capability, or JLOTS, fell short of early expectations. Even at the start, officials warned of challenges because the sea is shallow, the weather is unpredictable and it was an active war zone.

The U.S. also had to train Israeli troops and others on how to anchor the pier to the shore because no U.S. troops could step foot on Gaza soil, a condition Biden has had since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel conflict in October.

However, enough aid to feed 450,000 people for a month flowed through the pier, according to the United States Agency for International Development, which coordinated with the United Nations and others to get supplies to people in need. As important, humanitarian leaders say, the pier operation laid the groundwork for a coordination system with the Israeli government and military that they can expand on.

The one place where deconfliction with the Israeli military worked well was at the pier, which came online at a time of some of the greatest despair and food shortages, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said. She said Israel and the military have now agreed to extend that coordination plan to all of Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday that a new Pier 28 will soon be established at Israels Ashdod port for delivering aid to the Gaza Strip as a replacement for the U.S. military-built pier. He did not say when it would start operating.

Other aid groups, however, slammed the U.S. military pier as a distraction, saying the U.S. should have instead pressured Israel to open more land crossings and allow the aid to flow more quickly and efficiently through them.

Three US troops on Gaza pier mission sustain non-combat injuries

Everyone has agreed all along that land crossings are the most productive way to get aid into Gaza, but the Israeli military routinely has blocked routes and slowed deliveries due to inspections. Aid groups also were terrorized by attacks, from Hamas, gunmen who stripped convoys of supplies and the Israeli military. More than 278 workers have been killed in the conflict, Power said.

As the Pentagon and the Army take stock of how the pier did, questions will loom about whether officials underestimated the persistent weather challenges and security hurdles that hindered the operation.

The system is run by the Armys 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. And its like a huge LEGO system  an array of 40-foot-long pieces of steel that can be locked together to form a pier and causeway.

Its unclear if U.S. forces were adequately prepared for the unpredictable and turbulent weather in the Gaza region. Nine days after the pier was installed on the Gaza shore, bad weather broke it, forcing troops to dismantle it and take it to the Israeli port at Ashdod for more than two weeks for repairs.

Weather forced troops to detach the pier from the shore two more times and move it to Ashdod. It was detached for the final time on June 28, and poor weather prevented the U.S. from reinstalling it.

Aid groups struggled to distribute the supplies from the pier into Gaza, and their efforts came to an abrupt halt after a June 8 Israeli military raid that rescued four hostages but killed hundreds of Palestinians.

Troops used an area near the pier to land a helicopter and fly out the hostages. To have even a small part of an Israeli military operation so close to the pier creates problems for aid groups who rely on being independent and separate from troops to remain safe.

As a result, the U.N. suspended all World Food Program deliveries while it conducted a review, which has not been released. WFP personnel have not distributed aid from the pier since but hired contractors to move aid that piled up on shore to warehouses so it would not spoil.
Russias foreign minister on July 16 accused the United States of holding the entire West "at gunpoint" and obstructing international cooperation, a claim the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations denounced as "hypocrisy" from a country that invaded Ukraine.

The exchange took place during Russias showcase event as the current president of the U.N. Security Council, focusing on "Multilateral cooperation for a more just, democratic, and sustainable world order." Russias top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, flew in from Moscow to preside over the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, Ukraines U.N. Ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, read a statement on behalf of about 50 countries, including the United States, with several dozen U.N. envoys surrounding him. The joint statement asserted that the international community must not be distracted from Russias "flagrant violations" of Ukraines territorial integrity and from Moscows "cynical attempt to present itself as the guardian of the multilateral order."

"The Russian Federations continued illegal actions and blatant hypocrisy undermine multilateral and international cooperation, exacerbate regional tensions, and endanger international peace and security," read the statement.

In an unusual move, no U.N. official or outside expert briefed the Security Council.

Instead, Sergey Lavrov opened the meeting by criticizing the U.S. for declaring "its own exceptionalism." Quoting George Orwells famous novel "Animal Farm," Lavrov said: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

In response to Lavrovs 20-minute speech, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield noted: "I thought I was in the wrong room because this seemed to be a session whining about the United States and the West, and I hardly heard the word multilateralism mentioned."

She added, "As we speak, Russia continues to erode confidence in our institutions, while willfully and flagrantly violating the core tenets of the United Nations Charter: territorial integrity, respect for human rights, international cooperation."

Read also: Stuck in legal limbo, Ukrainian civilians endure torture in Russian prisons

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Biden administration imposed visa restrictions on former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sergeant Elor Azaria for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely an extrajudicial killing in the West Bank, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced Wednesday.

As a result of the action, Azaria and his immediate family will generally be blocked from coming to the United States.

The State Department is also taking steps to impose visa restrictions on an additional group of individuals for having been involved in or meaningfully contributed to undermining the peace, security, or stability in the West Bank, Miller said in a statement.

Specifically, these visa restrictions are being pursued against those who have used violence against persons or property, or unduly restricted civilians access to essential services and basic necessities to include access to food, water, electricity, or medical supplies, he said. The immediate family members of these individuals may also be subject to these restrictions.

The Biden administration has taken a series of punitive measures against those accused of perpetrating violence and human rights violations in the West Bank. Last week, the administration imposed its latest tranche of sanctions on an extremist organization and settlements in the Palestinian territory. US officials have called on the Netanyahu government to take further action to hold violent settlers accountable.

There hasnt been appropriate accountability across the board in response to the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Miller said at a press briefing Wednesday. Miller added that it appeared the Israeli government was taking note of the measures, and had taken some steps to crack down on settler violence, but said they need to take further steps.

Part of the point is not just to impose accountability on people whove engaged in acts of violence or people whove engaged in other acts that increase instability in the West Bank, it is also to let others know that we are paying attention and we are watching and were not going to hesitate to act, Miller said.

However, the Biden administration has yet to make a decision on whether to restrict aid to one IDF battalion  Netzah Yehuda  which the US found to have committed gross violations of human rights prior to the start of the war in Gaza. A CNN investigation found that former commanders of that unit have been promoted to senior positions in the IDF and are now active in training Israeli ground troops as well as running operations in Gaza.

Azaria in 2016 was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a wounded Palestinian assailant. He was sentenced to 18 months in military prison in 2017.

A Palestinian, Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, 21, was one of two men accused of stabbing another Israeli soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron in March.

Charges were brought against Azaria after video footage emerged showing him shooting Sharif in the head as he lay on the ground, injured and already subdued. The second Palestinian suspect had already been shot dead.

At the State Department briefing Wednesday, Miller explained that the US is required to impose visa restrictions on officials found to have committed gross violations of human rights.

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MANILA, Philippines  The United States on Friday renewed its call on China to stop its aggressive actions in the South China Sea, saying a broader web of security alliances has emerged to preserve the rule of law in the disputed waters.

Washingtons top diplomat in Manila was joined by counterparts from key Western and Asian allies, including Japan and Australia, in a Manila forum to express alarm over increasing hostilities in the contested waters, particularly between China and the Philippines. They committed to help defend a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the worst confrontation so far, Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives, spears and an axe aboard motorboats repeatedly rammed and destroyed two Philippine navy supply vessels on June 17 in a chaotic faceoff at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal that injured Filipino sailors and led to the seizure of seven Philippine navy rifles.

China and the Philippines blamed one another for the incident, the latest in a series of high-seas confrontations since last year. Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have been locked in the decades-long territorial conflicts.

"With the backing of an increasingly interconnected latticework of alliances and partnerships, the United States continues to urge the PRC to cease escalatory and dangerous harassment of Philippine vessels lawfully operating in the Philippines exclusive economic zone, U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson told the forum, referring to the Peoples Republic of China.

China should cease interfering with freedom of navigation and overflight of all states lawfully operating in the region, Carlson said. The volume of condemnation from the international community is loud and getting louder and it speaks to our common resolve in support of the international rules and norms that benefit us all."

The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of security alliances in Asia as a countermeasure against an increasingly assertive China. That has dovetailed with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcoss efforts to boost his countrys territorial defense.

Beijing has opposed Washingtons alliance-building and has repeatedly vowed to defend its territorial interests at all costs.

The forum marked the anniversary of a 2016 ruling by an arbitration panel in The Hague, Netherlands that invalidated Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing refused to join the Philippine-initiated arbitration, rejected the ruling and continues to defy it.

Dozens of protesters separately held a rally Friday to mark the anniversary of the arbitration ruling in suburban Quezon city, waving small Philippine flags and displaying posters that read: China out! and Long live the arbitral ruling victory."

Australian Ambassador HK Yu said the June 17 incident at the shoal was an escalation in a deeply concerning pattern of behavior by China  which threatens lives and creates risks of miscalculation and escalation.

The Philippines is not facing this challenge alone, Yu said. I can tell you this, you can count on Australia.

"As allies, partners and friends, we stand united in navigating these uncertain waters and uphold the fundamental principles that safeguard our shared waters, Ambassador Kazuya Endo of Japan told the forum that was attended by Manila-based diplomats and top Philippine security officials.

Japan, which has its own dispute with China in the East China Sea, has provided patrol ships and a coastal radar system to boost to the Philippines ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea.

Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano called for international support in pushing for Chinese compliance to the arbitration ruling.

Manila, he said, would seek peaceful resolutions to the disputes but we will continue to stand our ground and push back against coercion, interference, malign influence and other tactics that seeks to jeopardize our security.
(Photo: Getty Images)

More money is flowing into the campaign coffers of candidates in North Carolinas first district than any other congressional contest in the state.

Its the states most competitive congressional election. The district covers much of the northeastern part of North Carolina.

Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Davis was the only congressional candidate to break into seven figures for fundraising in the second quarter, taking in slightly more than $1 million. Hes seeking his second term in office.

After spending $246,010, hes left with $2,621,138 in his war chest. Out of the states candidates seeking seats in Congress in November, Daviss total trailed only U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5), who has held her seat since 2005. Foxx raised $249,078 and had $2,938,047 in the bank.

a map shows North Carolina's 14 congressional districts

The FECs second quarter, spanning from April to June, marks the first full period after candidates advanced from the primaries. Candidates were responsible for filing their quarterly campaign finance reports by Monday night.

Daviss Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout raised $704,440. Unlike previous periods, she did not loan her campaign money from her personal funds. A retired Army colonel, Buckhout previously contributed more than $1 million of her own money to the campaign.

After spending $342,888, she has $600,021 on hand, about a fourth as much as Davis.

In District 9, an independent has raised thousands of dollars, a rare development in a state in which its challenging for unaffiliated candidates to appear on the ballot.

Army veteran Shelane Etchison is likely the first independent candidate to make it onto the ballot in a North Carolina congressional race, NC Newsline previously reported.

Etchison raised $141,499 in the second quarter. She spent $58,321 and has $109,594 on hand.

The independent is facing GOP U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson and Democrat Nigel Bristow.

Hudson, whos been in office since 2013, reported a comparatively sizable war chest of $1,717,431. He raised $555,662 and spent $684,001 over the three months.

By comparison, Bristow raised just $5,004. He has $861 on hand after spending $4,143.

In all nine districts with a returning member of Congress, incumbents outperformed their challengers.

Republican candidates raised more in each of North Carolinas five open seats.

Addison McDowell is unopposed in District 6. The Trump-backed candidate received $92,654 and spent $132,514, leaving him with $9,500 in the bank. Incumbent Kathy Manning (D) opted not to seek reelection after the maps were redrawn.

In District 8, GOP candidate Mark Harris raised $227,298, spent $99,240, and has $179,939 on hand. His Democratic opponent, Justin Dues, has not filed with the FEC.

There are three candidates seeking election in District 10.

Republican Pat Harrigan raised $189,346, spent $160,607, and finished the quarter with $260,292 in his war chest. Libertarian Steven Feldman received $54,935, leaving $32,529 in the bank after spending $32,453. Democrat Ralph Scott Jr. did not file a report with the FEC.

In District 13, Republican Brad Knott massively outraised Democrat Frank Pierce. Knott received $282,651 compared to Pierces $8,968. Knott also received the endorsement of former president Trump.

Knott spent $341,677 and still has $34,432 on hand, while Pierce spent $7,321 and has $2,216 in the bank.

North Carolina House of Representatives Speaker Tim Moore raised $122,446 in his quest for the District 14 congressional seat. He spent $127,679 and has $714,601 remaining. Democrat Pamela Genant has not filed a quarterly report.

Most of the campaign finance reports reflect the fact that the latest round of congressional redistricting enacted by the GOP-dominated state legislature is designed to ensure that their partys candidates will dominate in the fall. Republicans are all but assured of winning at least 10 seats, while three Democratic incumbents  Representatives Alma Adams (Dist.12), Valerie Foushee (District 4) and Deborah Ross (District 2)  are expected to win easy reelection in districts that heavily favor Democrats. The current delegation, which was elected in 2022 under maps drawn by court appointed special masters, is evenly split 7-7.
MILWAUKEE  U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, who is leading Illinois 64-member delegation at the GOPs national presidential nominating convention, on Tuesday blamed former President Donald Trumps low standing in Illinois on the news media and said that if gun owners in the solidly blue state showed up to vote Republicans could flip the state red.

Miller, 64, symbolizes the new leadership of an Illinois Republican Party moving ever rightward in deference to Trump. Voted by her fellow state delegates to take the lead role in Milwaukee, her unwavering support of the former president, including a visit to his hush money trial in New York, puts her in politically good stead if he wins the presidency and the GOP maintains control of the House.

All three Republicans in Illinois 17-member congressional delegation are backing Trump, but Miller has worked hard to court his support and he has called her a hard worker and an America First Conservative in backing her for Congress.

Millers comments on Tuesday came during a rare appearance before a group of mostly Chicago-area reporters following a delegation breakfast at a hotel outside of Milwaukee. The two-term downstate congresswoman, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has gained a reputation for refusing to respond to media requests for comment.

Im happy to talk to people. But we would like fair coverage from the media. The media has demonized President Trump. Name-calling. Thats what my little kids did. Name-calling, said Miller, of Hindsboro, about 40 miles south of Champaign, Ill. I always told them when you use bad language and you name-call, that shows that youre of low intellect or you dont have anything positive to say.

Miller didnt address the fact that Trump has made name-calling a hallmark of his political career, from his successful 2016 run for the White House through his term as president and in his presidential bids in 2020 and this year.

He has referred to President Joe Biden as Crooked Joe, 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as Lyin Hillary, and unsuccessful 2024 GOP presidential rivals Nikki Haley as Birdbrain and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as Ron DeSanctimonious and Meatball Ron.

For her part, Miller has used social media and conservative news outlets to attack President Joe Biden as anti-American, question his cognitive decline and urge the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying Bidens tenure has made the U.S. a banana republic. She has labeled Democrats as radical Marxists and called New York Attorney General Letitia James a communist for successfully prosecuting Trump and his business organization for civil fraud.

Millers anti-abortion rhetoric also has been inflammatory.

The message from Democrats to women in our country is kill your baby, she posted in March on the social media platform X. They are not pro-women because half of the babies they work to kill are baby girls. They are not pro-choice because they tried to force you to get the COVID shot or you would be fired from your job.

Miller on Tuesday accused Biden and his administration of treasonous actions regarding the nations border crisis.

Biden and some Republicans have called for the rhetorical heat to be lowered in the wake of Saturdays assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania. But politicians from both sides seem unwilling to drop the vitriol.

On Tuesday, Ill. Gov. J.B. Pritzker reiterated that theres no place for violence in politics but doubled down on his criticism of Trump, again calling him a convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist and a congenital liar who is unfit for the office of president of the United States. He also accused some Republicans of calling for retaliation for the assassination attempt on Trump.

Having said that, I am very pleased that he (Trump) remains relatively unharmed, Pritzker said, a day after Trump appeared at the RNC with a bandage on his right ear as a result of Saturdays attack.

Asked on Tuesday what Republicans needed to do to sell Trump in once solidly Republican suburban areas that have become more Democratic over the years, Miller put the onus on the media to accurately report who President Trump is and what hes done for the American people, what the America First agenda is.

Miller, an unabashed supporter of the Second Amendment, also said more Illinois gun owners need to cast a ballot.

We need to get people out to vote. If just gun owners would come out and vote in Illinois, we could flip the state red. So, get people out to vote. Everybody has a realm of influence. Get busy, people, Miller said.

That might be a stretch in a state where Trump has twice lost by 17 percentage points.

Miller was elected to the House in 2020, winning a four-way GOP primary with more than 57% of the vote before collecting nearly 74% of the vote in the general election to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, who retired in 2021 after 24 years in Congress.

Only days after taking office in 2021, Miller faced calls for her resignation after saying in a speech that Hitler was right on one thing, the importance of winning the hearts and minds of our children to determine the future. She subsequently offered an apology while also accusing critics of trying to intentionally twist my words to mean something antithetical to my beliefs.

Miller made the comment at an event hosted by Moms for America, a conservative group attempting to influence school board elections and policy, a day before Trump supporters trying to block the Electoral College vote count that made Biden president rioted at the Capitol.

Former Will County Board member Debbie Kraulidis of Plainfield, who attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally and later said she was making sure that only legal votes were counted, is a vice president of Moms for America and on Monday delivered the Pledge of Allegiance for the RNCs opening session.

Miller won reelection in 2022 over veteran U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville, who served in Congress for more than a decade. She opted to challenge him in the GOP primary after the Illinois General Assemblys Democratic supermajority redrew congressional district maps.

The backward C-shaped district now covers a swath of central and southern Illinois from the Indiana border westward to the Mississippi River, and is split in the middle by a new Democratic district.

Crucial to Millers victory was an endorsement from Trump, who joined her days before the primary election at a rally in western Illinois. It was there where Miller stirred more controversy when she took the stage and called the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade a historic victory for white life.

A Miller representative sought to clarify her remarks later that evening by saying the then-freshman congresswoman misspoke and meant to say Right to Life instead.

A Sunday school and vacation Bible school teacher, the former Mary Meyer was raised in Naperville, Ill. In her senior year at Naperville Central High School, she was co-captain of the girls track team and a member of the schools senior class council in 1977, according to a high school yearbook. She later graduated from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, according to her House biography.

Her husband of more than 40 years, state Rep. Chris Miller, chairs the Illinois General Assemblys House Freedom Caucus and is part of a group of Republicans known as the Eastern Bloc, a group of lawmakers mainly from southern or southeastern Illinois considered to be the most conservative members of the legislature. The group has championed an evangelical populist agenda that has included separating Chicago from the rest of the state and opposition to abortion, taxes and COVID-19 mitigations.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune from his office in Springfield earlier this year, Chris Miller, who owns a farm in mostly rural Coles County, explained what appeals to voters in his wifes district and in swaths of southern Illinois. Miller said truth, logic and common sense carry more weight than maybe a Ph.D. or anything like that.

Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, said one reason for the rightward political shift in rural Illinois is the lack of white-collar jobs, such as those in the tech industry, which entice less conservative younger voters to move elsewhere.

Both parties are polarized, said Burge. But the Republicans have moved much further to the right than the Democrats have moved to the left.

One example of the divide between the parties is their differing positions on the war in Ukraine. Early in the conflict, Mary Miller was the only member of Illinois congressional delegation to vote against a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putins-led invasion.

During her campaign for reelection in 2022, she explained her vote to a group of Menard County paramedics during a tour of an emergency medical services facility in Petersburg, about 20 miles north of Springfield.

Were diminishing the value of our dollar, number one, and were not taking care of the immediate needs, the things that Americans care about, like funding our EMT or our police or our schools, Miller said.

She was the only lawmaker from Illinois in 2021 to vote against the more than $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act, the annual legislation that decides the countrys defense budget. In a statement, Miller said she voted against the act partly because of Bidens disastrous withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

Miller has also been a close ally of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who, among other controversial positions, has sought to perpetuate Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Miller and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro both voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

Greene, who was stripped of her committee assignments by the House over her bigoted rhetoric, was the keynote speaker at a Miller fundraiser in Effingham, Ill., in July 2021, where she said she and Miller arent the popular girls in Washington and are not considered nice girls in the swamp.

Miller, Greene and 19 other Republicans voted against legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

When House Republicans gained control of the chamber last year, their infighting brought much of its business to a halt when they sought to oust Kevin McCarthy of California as House speaker. Miller voted against McCarthy several times before voting in October to retain him as speaker to avoid any kind of power-sharing compromise with Democrats. But McCarthy was ultimately ousted by a vote of 216-210.

I agree with President Trump that right now, we should be focused on stopping the radical Democrats, Miller said in a statement after her October vote. I voted against Kevin McCarthy 15 times in January, but no one else has stepped forward to run for Speaker and I will NOT surrender the majority to a coalition government with the Democrats through a power-sharing agreement with extreme liberals (former Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and (Minority Leader) Hakeem Jeffries.

Burge, the political science professor, said Millers unwillingness to compromise has become a hallmark for todays Republicans.

The kind of Republicans that are being elected in rural Illinois and Iowa and Indiana and the Midwest are burn-it-down Republicans. No-compromise Republicans, Burge said. And I think that portends a really difficult future for a country that relies on compromise.

_____

(Chicago Tribunes Olivia Olander contributed.)

_____
MILWAUKEE  U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, who is leading the Illinois 64-member delegation at the GOPs national presidential nominating convention, on Tuesday blamed former President Donald Trumps low standing in Illinois on the news media and said that if gun owners in the solidly blue state showed up to vote Republicans could flip the state red.

Miller, 64, symbolizes the new leadership of an Illinois Republican Party moving ever rightward in deference to Trump. Voted by her fellow state delegates to take the lead role in Milwaukee, her unwavering support of the former president, including a visit to his hush money trial in New York, puts her in politically good stead If he wins the presidency and the GOP maintains control of the House.

All three Republicans in Illinois 17-member congressional delegation are backing Trump but Miller has worked hard to court his support and he has called her a hard worker and an America First Conservative in backing her for Congress.

Millers comments on Tuesday came during a rare appearance before a group of mostly Chicago-area reporters following a delegation breakfast at a hotel outside of Milwaukee. The two-term downstate congresswoman, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has gained a reputation for refusing to respond to media requests for comment.

Im happy to talk to people. But we would like fair coverage from the media. The media has demonized President Trump. Name-calling. Thats what my little kids did. Name calling, said Miller, of Hindsboro, about 40 miles south of Champaign, I always told them when you use bad language and you name call, that shows that youre of low intellect or you dont have anything positive to say.

Miller didnt address the fact that Trump has made name calling a hallmark of his political career, from his successful 2016 run for the White House, through his term as president, and in his presidential bids in 2020 and this year.

He has referred to President Joe Biden as Crooked Joe, 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as Lyin Hillary, and unsuccessful 2024 GOP presidential rivals Nikki Haley as Birdbrain and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as Ron DeSanctimonious and Meatball Ron.

For her part, Miller has used social media and conservative news outlets to attack President Joe Biden as anti-American, question his cognitive decline and urge the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying Bidens tenure has made the U.S. a banana republic. She has labeled Democrats as radical Marxists and called New York Attorney General Letitia James a communist for successfully prosecuting Trump and his business organization for civil fraud.

Millers anti-abortion rhetoric also has been inflammatory.

The message from Democrats to women in our country is kill your baby, she posted in March on the social media platform X. They are not pro-women because half of the babies they work to kill are baby girls. They are not pro-choice because they tried to force you to get the COVID shot or you would be fired from your job.

Miller on Tuesday accused Biden and his administration of treasonous actions regarding the nations border crisis.

Biden and some Republicans have called for the rhetorical heat to be lowered in the wake of Saturdays assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania. But politicians from both sides seem unwilling to drop the vitriol.

On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reiterated that theres no place for violence in politics but doubled down on his criticism of Trump, again calling him a convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist and a congenital liar who is unfit for the office of president of the United States. He also accused some Republicans of calling for retaliation for the assassination attempt on Trump.

Having said that, I am very pleased that he (Trump) remains relatively unharmed, Pritzker said, a day after Trump appeared at the RNC with a bandage on his right ear as a result of Saturdays attack.

Asked on Tuesday what Republicans needed to do to sell Trump in once solidly Republican suburban areas that have become more Democratic over the years, Miller, who grew up in Naperville, put the onus on the media to accurately report who President Trump is and what hes done for the American people, what the America First agenda is.

Miller, an unabashed supporter of the Second Amendment, also said more Illinois gun owners need to cast a ballot.

We need to get people out to vote. If just gun owners would come out and vote in Illinois, we could flip the state red. So, get people out to vote. Everybody has a realm of influence. Get busy, people, Miller said.

That might be a stretch in a state where Trump has twice lost by 17 percentage points.

Miller was elected to the House in 2020, winning a four-way GOP primary with more than 57% of the vote before collecting nearly 74% of the vote in the general election to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, who retired in 2021 after 24 years in Congress.

Only days after taking office in 2021, Miller faced calls for her resignation after saying in a speech that Hitler was right on one thing, the importance of winning the hearts and minds of our children to determine the future. She subsequently offered an apology while also accusing critics of trying to intentionally twist my words to mean something antithetical to my beliefs.

Miller made the comment at an event hosted by Moms for America, a conservative group attempting to influence school board elections and policy, a day before Trump supporters trying to block the Electoral College vote count that made Biden president rioted at the Capitol.

Former Will County Board member Debbie Kraulidis of Plainfield, who attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally and later said she was making sure that only legal votes were counted, is a vice president of Moms for America and on Monday delivered the Pledge of Allegiance for the RNCs opening session.

Miller won reelection in 2022 over veteran U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville, who served in Congress for more than a decade. She opted to challenge him in the GOP primary after the Illinois General Assemblys Democratic supermajority redrew congressional district maps.

The backward C-shaped district now covers a swath of central and southern Illinois from the Indiana border westward to the Mississippi River, and is split in the middle by a new Democratic district.

Crucial to Millers victory was an endorsement from Trump, who joined her days before the primary election at a rally in western Illinois. It was there where Miller stirred more controversy when she took the stage and called the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade a historic victory for white life.

A Miller representative sought to clarify her remarks later that evening by saying the then-freshman congresswoman misspoke and meant to say Right to Life instead.

A Sunday school and vacation Bible teacher, the former Mary Meyer was raised in Naperville. In her senior year at Naperville Central High School, she was co-captain of the girls track team and a member of the schools senior class council in 1977, according to a high school yearbook. She later graduated from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, according to her House biography.

Her husband of more than 40 years, state Rep. Chris Miller, chairs the Illinois General Assemblys House Freedom Caucus and is part of a group of Republicans known as the Eastern Bloc, a group of lawmakers mainly from southern or southeastern Illinois considered to be the most conservative members of the legislature. The group has championed an evangelical populist agenda that has included separating Chicago from the rest of the state and opposition to abortion, taxes and COVID-19 mitigations.

In an interview with the Tribune from his office in Springfield earlier this year, Chris Miller, who owns a farm in mostly rural Coles County, explained what appeals to voters in his wifes district and in swaths of southern Illinois. Miller said truth, logic and common sense carry more weight than maybe a Ph.D., or anything like that.

Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, said one reason for the rightward political shift in rural Illinois is the lack of white collar jobs, such as those in the tech industry, which entice less conservative younger voters to move elsewhere.

Both parties are polarized, said Burge. But the Republicans have moved much further to the right than the Democrats have moved to the left.

One example of the divide between the parties is their differing positions on the war in Ukraine. Early in the conflict, Mary Miller was the only member of Illinois congressional delegation to vote against a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putins-led invasion.

During her campaign for reelection in 2022, she explained her vote to a group of Menard County paramedics during a tour of an emergency medical services facility in Petersburg, about 20 miles north of Springfield.

Were diminishing the value of our dollar, number one, and were not taking care of the immediate needs, the things that Americans care about like funding our EMT or our police or our schools, Miller said.

She was the only lawmaker from Illinois in 2021 to vote against the more than $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act, the annual legislation that decides the countrys defense budget. In a statement, Miller said she voted against the act partly because of Bidens disastrous withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

Miller has also been a close ally of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who, among other controversial positions, has sought to perpetuate Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Miller and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro both voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

Greene, who was stripped of her committee assignments by the House over her bigoted rhetoric, was the keynote speaker at a Miller fundraiser in Effingham in July 2021, where she said she and Miller arent the popular girls in Washington and are not considered nice girls in the swamp.

Miller, Greene and 19 other Republicans voted against legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

When House Republicans gained control of the chamber last year, their infighting brought much of its business to a halt when they sought to oust Kevin McCarthy of California as House speaker. Miller voted against McCarthy several times before voting in October to retain him as speaker to avoid any kind of power-sharing compromise with Democrats. But McCarthy was ultimately ousted by a vote of 216-210.

I agree with President Trump that right now, we should be focused on stopping the radical Democrats, Miller said in a statement after her October vote. I voted against Kevin McCarthy 15 times in January, but no one else has stepped forward to run for Speaker and I will NOT surrender the majority to a coalition government with the Democrats through a power-sharing agreement with extreme liberals (former Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and (Minority Leader) Hakeem Jeffries.

Burge, the political science professor, said Millers unwillingness to compromise has become a hallmark for todays Republicans.

The kind of Republicans that are being elected in rural Illinois and Iowa and Indiana and the Midwest are burn-it-down Republicans. No-compromise Republicans, Burge said. And I think that portends a really difficult future for a country that relies on compromise.

Chicago Tribunes Olivia Olander contributed.
Public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff called on President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid in a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, becoming the 20th congressional Democrat to do so.

"A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November," Schiff, a California Democrat who is running for the Senate, was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Democratic concern about the 81-year-old incumbent's ability to beat Republican challenger Trump, or to serve another four years in office, surged after Biden's halting June 27 debate performance.

Trump is currently in Milwaukee where his fellow Republicans are formally nominating him as candidate, days after he narrowly escaped an assassin's bullet at a Pennsylvania campaign stop.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Rami Ayyub and Alistair Bell)
The Biden administration on Wednesday sanctioned a former Israeli soldier who was convicted in 2016 and served jail time for the extrajudicial killing of a wounded and disarmed Palestinian.

The sanctions target Elor Azaria, a former sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces, who an Israeli military court convicted of manslaughter in 2016. He served nine months of an 18-month sentence, in a high-profile episode that exposed deep divisions in Israeli society.

The decision to sanction Azaria is part of the administrations broad look at violence carried out by extremist Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians in the West Bank and also addressing gross violations of human rights by a government official, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday.

The Israeli Embassy in the U.S. said that Azaria is not a government official.

The sanctions bar Azaria and his immediate family members from entering the U.S. The Times of Israel reported that Azaria has protested in support of Israeli soldiers accused of beating Palestinian suspects and appeared in a primary campaign ad for a Likud lawmaker. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is part of the Likud political party.

The State Department also said it was imposing visa restrictions on a dozen additional individuals for having been involved in or meaningfully contributed to undermining the peace, security, or stability in the West Bank.

These visa restrictions are being pursued against those who have used violence against persons or property, or unduly restricted civilians access to essential services and basic necessities to include access to food, water, electricity, or medical supplies. The immediate family members of these individuals may also be subject to these restrictions, Miller said.

The State Department said it was mandated to keep those names confidential because the visa restrictions are being imposed under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The visa restriction on Azaria is being imposed under an authority of the State Department Appropriations Act, which permits making the identity of sanctioned individuals public, according to Miller.

The State Department generally has a policy of not publicizing the names of individuals it imposes visa restrictions on but does do so in selective cases.

The move drew pushback from Israeli government officials.

Benny Gantz, a member of the political opposition in Israel, slammed the U.S. action, saying there is no reason the U.S. should impose sanctions against Israeli civilians.

The State of Israel has an independent, robust judicial system that is both capable and willing to punish under Israeli law, Gantz said in a statement.

I want to convey to our American friends  there is no justification to interfere in Israels internal legal processes.

The Biden administration has imposed numerous rounds of sanctions against Israeli individuals and groups it determines are contributing to instability and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ships carrying humanitarian aid from Cyprus are anchored off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The United States is to permanently halt operations using the temporary pier erected off the Gaza Strip coastline, the US military command responsible for the region has announced. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The United States is to permanently halt operations using the temporary pier erected off the Gaza Strip coastline, the US military command responsible for the region has announced.

An alternative route using the Israeli port of Ashdod to the north is in the planning stage, but details have not yet been released.

From the outset, the pier was seen as a temporary solution to the problem of bringing aid in, but there have been repeated problems since it was put into operation in May. Rough seas severely damaged it, and distribution of aid from it to the population proved difficult.

US Central Command nevertheless termed the project a success as it brought in a great deal of aid and helped ensure that it reached the population of the Gaza Strip quickly.

The Pentagon estimated the pier's cost at around $300 million. Initial expectations were high, with around 90 trucks of aid planned per day, rising to 150 at a later date.
As part of the regular monitoring of bathing water quality, a significant proliferation of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue algae, has been observed in the Lac de la Haute-Sure at Rommwiss beach.

In view of the health risks, a bathing ban has been imposed with immediate effect on Rommwiss beach at Lac de la Haute-Sure in accordance with the amended Grand Ducal regulation of 19 May 2009 determining special protection measures and programmes for monitoring the condition of bathing water.

Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can pose a health risk to humans, aquatic fauna, domestic animals and livestock. As a result, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has been commissioned to monitor the proliferation of cyanobacteria in official bathing areas. Analyses carried out on 17 July 2024 revealed the presence of toxic cyanobacteria and toxins above the action threshold in the Rommwiss (see the national cyanobacteria alert plan).

Problems associated with contact, ingestion or inhalation of these substances vary in nature and intensity, and may include headaches, skin irritation and/or burns, or nausea. If you experience any health problems after swimming, please contact your GP, mentioning any possible contact with toxic cyanobacteria.

For lakes where a significant proliferation of cyanobacteria has been observed, the Water management agency, on the basis of the Health Department's assessment, also recommends the following to the public:

Do not allow dogs or other pets to drink the water;

Avoid all contact with the water;

Avoid all water activities (e.g. water sports, fishing).

And especially when fishing:

Avoid contact with fish;

Do not eat the fish caught;

Refrain from fishing if cyanobacteria blooms are visible.

Any sighting of blue-green algae in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg can be reported via the Bloomin'Algae app and will be assessed by a LIST expert. All reports can be viewed on cyanowatch.lu.

For the time being, swimming is still permitted on the other beaches of Lac de la Haute-Sure and in the ponds at Weiswampach, Echternach and Remerschen.

The current situation regarding the opening and closing of official bathing sites can be followed on the website of the Water management agency: www.waasser.lu.

Press release by the Water management agency
US State Department comments on Trump's vice-presidential nominee's position on Ukraine

The US Department of State has commented on the position of Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, on Ukraine.

Source: US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at a briefing, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Miller was asked whether there would be a threat to US relations with Ukraine if Vance is elected vice president.

He replied that Ukraine is supported not only by the US administration but also by the American people.

Quote: "They [the American people  ed.] strongly support allowing Ukraine and helping Ukraine to defend itself against Russias aggression."

More details: Miller stressed that "its not just the American public, but its bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress".

Miller also pointed out that during the vote on the supplemental funding bill in Congress, "we saw an overwhelming vote in support of military assistance".

Background:

Vance is an active critic of aid to Ukraine. He has suggested that Kyiv should declare a neutral status, negotiate with Russia, and be ready to make territorial concessions. He urged the US to focus on its rivalry with China instead.

On Monday, Trump picked Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his likely vice-presidential running mate.

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Many Republicans have welcomed Usha Vance, the Indian American wife of vice-presidential nominee JD Vance, as a symbol of generational change and growing diversity in the party ranks.

Usha, 38, a corporate lawyer who used to be a registered Democrat, is the daughter of Indian immigrants and a practicing Hindu.

Danny Willis, 25, chair of Delaware Young Republicans, said: With this ticket, with the show of diversity in what would be the second gentleman and second lady of the United States, Im extremely proud to be a Hispanic male and a Republican.

Usha has a very different story to tell from the last Republican second lady, Karen Pence, a white grandmother and devout Christian from Indiana who was an elementary school teacher and watercolour artist.

She is the daughter of Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri, who hail from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and later settled in California. Krish is an engineer and university lecturer; Lakshmi a biologist and college provost. They are part of a tight-knit community of Indian American academics in suburban San Diego.

Usha recalled in a recent Fox News interview: I did grow up in a religious household, my parents are Hindu, and I think that was one of the things that made them such good parents, that make them really very good people.

Even as a child, Usha seemed a stranger to self-doubt. In a 2022 profile in the New York Times, Vikram Rao, a family friend who works in Silicon Valley, was quoted as saying: By age five or six, she had assumed a leadership role. She decided which board games we were going to play and what the rules were going to be. She was never mean or unkind, but she was the boss.

The same Times article noted that, between 2007 and 2010, Usha posted 65 read books to her Goodreads account, including novels by Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Foer and Vladimir Nabokov, as well as nonfiction by Nina Burleigh and Nicholas Kristof. Then her account went dormant for six years.

Usha met JD Vance at Yale Law School, where together they organised a discussion group on social decline in white America  a theme he would return to in his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

The book chronicles his upbringing in a poor Appalachian family and the start of his relationship with Usha, played in a 2020 Netflix film adaptation by the Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto.

The couple did not seem an obvious match but, in Hillbilly Elegy, JD praises Usha as a Yale spirit guide who helped him negotiate campus life. She instinctively understood the questions I didnt even know to ask, and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didnt know existed, he wrote.

For her part, Usha once told NBC News: We were friends, and I liked that he was very diligent. He would show up at 9am appointments that I would set up for us to start working on the brief together.

Among the pairs Yale Law classmates was the businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination this year.

Usha served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology and took part in classes offering free legal advice on supreme court and media freedom issues.

She also gained a masters in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Her final project focused on the methods used for protecting printing rights in seventeenth-century England, according to her biography on the universitys website.

JD and Usha married in an interfaith ceremony in Kentucky in 2014. That same year, she clerked on the influential DC circuit for Brett Kavanaugh, who would be nominated by Donald Trump and confirmed to the US supreme court in 2018.

Usha was also a law clerk to the supreme court chief justice, John Roberts, during the 2017-2018 term. During that term, Roberts wrote a 5-4 ruling upholding Trumps travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries.

At the 200-lawyer firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, Vance, an associate, focused on civil litigation and appeals. The firm  which calls itself radically progressive  has counted Berkshire Hathaway, Bank of America, and PG&E among its clients. Ushas own clients there included a division of the Walt Disney Company and the Regents of the University of California.

Usha was a registered Democrat who voted in that partys primaries as recently as 2014, public records show, but she voted in the 2022 Republican primary when her husband was a Senate candidate for Ohio.

Last month the couple were interviewed by Fox News at their home in Cincinnati, Ohio, about the possibility of JD becoming Donald Trumps running mate. Usha said: I dont know that anyone is ever ready for that kind of scrutiny. I think we found the first campaign that he embarked on to be a shock. It was so different from anything wed ever done before. But it was an adventure.

And so I guess the way that I put it is, Im not raring to change anything about our lives right now. But I really, you know, believe in JD, and I really love him. And so well just sort of see what happens with our lives.

On Monday, as JD entered the Republican national convention hall and members of the Ohio delegation chanted his name, Usha was at his side. She has proved to be an anchor at such moments.

Related: From anti-Trump to vice-president nominee: JD Vance in his own words

Usha definitely brings me back to earth a little bit, and if I maybe get a little bit too cocky or a little too proud, I just remind myself that she is way more accomplished than I am, JD told the Megyn Kelly Show podcast in 2020. Im one of those guys who really benefits from having, like, a sort of powerful female voice on his left shoulder saying: Dont do that, do do that  it just is important.

Usha said in a statement late on Monday that she is resigning from the firm to support her family  they have two sons, six-year-old Ewan, four-year-old Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel, who is two. A Munger spokesperson said Usha had been an excellent lawyer and colleague.

Republicans at the convention praised the Vances but some were unwilling to weigh in on what they perceive as identity politics. Virginia Zemel, 66, from Downers Grove, Illinois, said: You dont look at the persons skin colour and ethnicity. Its the character of the person and what they stand for.

America started as a melting pot and we include everybody. President Trumps leadership, first lady Melania Trump and his wonderful family, and now JD Vance as vice-president and his wife and family will be a message to bring the strength of our country back.

But some political analysts believe that, less than four months before election day, Ushas arrival could be an asset on an otherwise all-white Republican ticket.

John Zogby, a pollster and author, said: Second lady candidates hardly ever figure into the mix. However, Indian Americans are rising in influence in the United States. Theyre heavily Democratic  or at least they have been  in their voting patterns so if theres an opportunity to chip away at that and even get a small percentage that could be vital and especially in those swing states that everybody talks about.

He added: Its good optics, shes a smart lady and anything that could swing a few voters could be thunderous in an election like this.
As Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance was getting ready to make his debut as former President Donald Trumps new vice presidential pick on the first day of the Republican National Convention, he stopped for a second to soak in the moment with his wife, Usha Vance.

.@realDonaldTrump's running mate J.D. Vance of Ohio, shares a light moment with his wife Usha Vance backstage before being introduced to the Delegates at the RNC Convention Center in Milwaukee. @JDVance1 pic.twitter.com/PxLsinBtki  Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 15, 2024

The couple, who met at Yale Law School, shared a kiss backstage and then strode onto the floor together, greeted by a wave of cheers and J.D. chants reverberating through the arena as he was nominated by voice vote to be Trumps running mate. The moment culminated a dramatic evolution for the first-term Senator and former Trump critic who has quickly ascended to become a pivotal figure in the MAGA movement. But it also marked a significant new chapter for Usha Vance, as she was thrust into the national spotlight alongside her husband.

Notably, if the Trump-Vance ticket were to win in November, Usha Vance would make history as the first Indian American and first practicing Hindu to serve as Second Lady.

When she took the stage on the third night of the convention to introduce her husband, she remarked on their cultural differences: That J.D. and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry is a testament to this great country, she said. It is also a testament to J.D., and it tells you something about who he is He wanted to know everything about me, where I came from, what my life had been like. Although hes a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food for my motherIndian food. Before I knew it, hed become an integral part of my family.

J.D. Vance has spoken highly of his wife in interviews, describing her as exceptionally intelligent and more accomplished than himself. Heres what to know about Usha Vance.

She has degrees from Yale and Cambridge

Usha Chilukuri Vance, 38, was raised in a San Diego suburb by Indian immigrant parents. Her mother is a biologist and serves as the provost of Sixth College at the University of California, San Diego, while Ushas father is an engineer. Usha received an undergraduate degree from Yale University and later completed a Master of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, after having received the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

Following her time at Cambridge, she returned to Yale for law school, where she met J.D. Vance and served in editorial positions at the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of Law & Technology. In his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance recounted how they initially connected through a class writing assignment in which they were paired as partners, leading him to develop a deep affection for her. In a place that always seemed a little foreign, Ushas presence made me feel at home, he wrote, adding that she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didnt know existed.

The couple graduated in 2013 and married the following year. They have three children together: Ewan (age 7), Vivek (4), and Mirabel (2).

The J.D. I knew then is the same J.D. you see todayexcept for that beardand his goals in this new role are the same that he has pursued for our family: to keep people safe, to create opportunities, to build a better life and to solve problems with an open mind, Usha Vance said at the convention. Its safe to say that neither J.D. nor I expected to find ourselves in this position, but its hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream.

She clerked for conservative justices

After law school, Usha Vance spent a year between 2014 and 2015 as a clerk for Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his tenure on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, followed by a year clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts from 2017 and 2018.

Both Roberts and Kavanaugh, the latter of whom Trump nominated to the Supreme Court in 2018, are prominent conservative justices and were among the majority who recently ruled in favor of Trump in a Supreme Court case involving presidential immunity for official acts.

Read More: What the Supreme Courts Immunity Decision Means for Trumps Criminal Cases

Following her clerkships, Usha Vance joined the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson as a trial lawyer, working in their San Francisco and Washington, D.C., offices. She departed from the firm this week shortly after her husband was selected as Trumps vice presidential running mate.

Usha Vance has largely kept her political views private and has not been very vocal about her positions. As of 2022, voter records indicate that Usha Vance was registered as a Republican in Ohio and participated in the states Republican Senate primary in which her husband was a candidate. However, earlier voter records indicate that Usha Vance was registered as a Democrat until at least 2014, according to the New York Times.

J.D. Vance credits her with reconnecting him to his faith

J.D. Vance has often praised his wife in interviews, describing her as a powerful female voice and saying that she holds considerable influence over his career.

Usha definitely brings me back to Earth a little bit, and if I maybe get a little bit too cocky or a little too proud, I just remind myself that she is way more accomplished than I am, Vance said in an interview on the Megyn Kelly Show podcast in 2020. Im one of those guys who really benefits from having, like, a sort of powerful female voice on his left shoulder saying, Dont do that, do do thatit just is important.

The daughter of immigrants, Usha Vance says she was raised with Hinduism and continues to practice the faith. I did grow up in a religious household, my parents are Hindu, and I think that was one of the things that made them such good parents, that make them really very good people, she said in a recent interview with Fox News. J.D. Vance said during the same interview that his wifes faith was a key factor in his decision to re-engage with Christianity later in his life, which he says Usha has been supportive of.

Asked if shes ready for the scrutiny that comes with being Second Lady, Usha Vance told Fox: Im not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I believe in J.D. and really love him, and so well just sort of see what happens with our life. She also suggested it was too soon to discuss what political causes she may champion if her husband becomes Vice President.

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The USS San Diego (LPD-22), which is the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to have San Diego in its name, will be deployed to Sasebo, Japan for a decade, military officials said.

The amphibious transport dock will replace USS Green Bay (LPD 20), which will return to its new homeport of San Diego, the Navy said in a news release.

Commissioned in 2012, the USS San Diego was involved earlier this year in NASAs Artemis II flight crews recovery test in preparation for their mission around the Moon set for 2025.

What the new California law on LGBTQ+ student privacy means for San Diego schools

The forward presence of San Diego supports the United States commitment to the defense of Japan, enhances the national security of the United States and improves its ability to protect strategic interests, the Navy said. San Diego will directly support the Defense Strategic Guidance to posture the most capable units forward in the Indo-Pacific Region.

The Navy says it requires ships capable of rapid response times with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability to bear in the timeliest manner to conduct security in the Indo-Pacific.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
BYU student Ashley Beazer works at the turf grass research plot on BYUs campus. Brigham Young University researchers, along with counterparts from Utah State University, are celebrating a decision by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Foods Noxious Weed Board to allow the planting of a hybrid species of Bermudagrass. | Jaren Wilkey/BYU

Brigham Young University researchers, along with counterparts from Utah State University, are celebrating a decision by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Foods Noxious Weed Board to allow the planting of a hybrid species of Bermudagrass.

Its been a 20 year effort that involved two separate test plots to evaluate how well this hybrid performs in drought conditions compared to Kentucky Bluegrass, the grass of choice in Utahs landscaping.

I may seem nerdy in saying this, but the delisting of hybrid Bermudagrass as a noxious weed in Utah nearly brings tears to my eyes, said BYU professor Bryan Hopkins, who specializes in plant and wildlife sciences. This will have such an important impact on future water conservation.

During testing over the last couple of years, Hopkins and fellow BYU professor Neil Hansen, with the urging and assistance of BYU Grounds Director Glenl Wear, tested hybrid Bermudagrass against Kentucky Bluegrass by shutting off the water on two grass test plots for up to six weeks. The bluegrass withered away within a week, but the hybrid grass didnt show any signs of stress until the end of the six-week period.

We watered it at the end of those six weeks, and then we went another six weeks before watering it again  and it stayed healthy throughout the summer heat, Hopkins said. Bottom line: using this type of grass in a lawn could reduce watering to only two to three times a season.

He emphasized, however, that additional research will need to bear that out for the hybrid. That research represents the next stage, but Hopkins said it could reduce outdoor water consumption by as much as 50 to 60%.

BYU researchers test drought-tolerant hybrid Bermudagrass. Brigham Young University researchers, along with counterparts from Utah State University, are celebrating a decision by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Foods Noxious Weed Board to allow the planting of a hybrid species of Bermudagrass. | Jaren Wilkey/BYU

Not all Bermudagrass is created equal

Up until now, hybrid Bermudagrass hasnt been approved mostly due to its cousin, common Bermudagrass. Common Bermudagrass is considered an invasive weed in the state because of its aggressive nature.

But researchers say hybrid Bermudagrass doesnt act the same as its common cousin; the seed it produces is not viable, so it does not spread as easily. Most importantly, hybrid Bermudagrass requires much less water to maintain and generally does not die in the winter of cooler habitats.

Hybrid Bermudagrass is the No. 1 turfgrass species used in the southern United States due to its excellent properties. With the onset of a warming climate, the use of the grass is moving northward in the states. In addition to research plots in Utah, hybrid Bermudagrass has recently been grown successfully in many states with cool seasons, such as Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and all of the states near Utah: Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, etc.

BYU, with an assist from USU, appealed the classification of the hybrid Bermudagrass to the states Weed Control Board which took the matter up for advisement and put a reprieve in a rule change that went out for public comment. The rule was formally approved this week.

I applaud the willingness of the Weed Board to move in this direction for water conservation, as well as giving an opportunity to have an excellent grass species available in our state, Hansen said.

Hopkins said it will take time for the hybrid to catch on in Utah. Because it is a hybrid, it is like a mule and does not reproduce but rather is grown from vegetative material and sprigs. It will have to be shipped in from out of state where it has been legal to grow and then planted here.

Were a ways out, you know, next year at the earliest, before we start seeing it, but it is probably two years before its here in a big way.

Hopkins added that the potential impacts are enormous.

The water savings are dramatic; we can say with certainty that using this grass breed will result in water savings in the urban environment, Hopkins said. This is a critical need in Utah with the preponderance of drought conditions, water scarcity and concerns for the possible demise of the Great Salt Lake. I cant help but be a little proud, especially of my students.

The Utah Division of Water Resources notes that most homeowners over water by as much as 50% and for years the division, water conservancy districts and others have been urging residents to reduce consumption through water wise landscaping, enhanced technology and being mindful of weather conditions. More information on the divisions Slow the Flow watering guide can be found on its website.

BYU student Clarissa Peterson works at the turf grass research plot on BYUs campus. Brigham Young University researchers, along with counterparts from Utah State University, are celebrating a decision by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Foods Noxious Weed Board to allow the planting of a hybrid species of Bermudagrass. | Jaren Wilkey/BYU
Democratic strategist Van Jones criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) speech Tuesday evening at the Republican National Convention, saying he sounded like ChatGPT for mean people.

He was terrible. Ron was terrible, Jones said during a panel on CNN in response to the convention speech. He just sounded like ChatGPT for mean people.

I mean, just every mean thing a Republican could say, he said it, really fast, he continued. And it didnt really work very well.

Day 2 of the convention in Milwaukee concluded after hearing from a number of high-profile figures  including Senate candidates, House leadership and former rivals of former President Trump and his vice presidential hopefuls. The former president chose Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who will speak Wednesday, as his running mate Monday.

DeSantis, once seen as the top Republican alternative to beat Trump in 2024, received roaring applause from the crowd at the start of his speech. He knocked President Biden amid concerns about his age and mental fitness, calling the administration a Weekend at Bernies presidency.

Our enemies do not confine their designs to between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.  We need a commander in chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week, DeSantis said. America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernies presidency.

The Florida governor, who dropped his own bid for president in January, rejected the idea that his state is in play for Democrats this fall.

For decades, my home state saw elections determined by razor-thin margins. Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins. The left is in retreat, DeSantis said. Florida is a solid Republican state.

Biden and his campaign team have said theyll target flipping Trumps home state in November.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was Trumps last remaining primary rival until she suspended her campaign in March, was added to the conventions speakers list at the last minute. She opened her speech acknowledging she was there at the former presidents request in the name of unity.

After a heated primary race against the GOP nominee, Haley said Tuesday at the convention that Trump now has her strong endorsement.

Jones knocked her for her performance.

Nikki Haley looked like somebody who had to go to her ex-husbands wedding and give a toast, he said Tuesday. She was miserable saying it, and Trump was miserable hearing it. So all that stuff just did not work at all.

Jones said Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), Trumps former press secretary, gave the speech of the night.

But Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she was incredibly compelling to me, Jones said. She told personal stories that landed. You know, theres a sense of aggrievement, I think, that conservatives feel  that liberal culture demeans them, attacks them, cancels them. She didnt use rhetoric. She told a personal story, and it was moving, and it was powerful.

I think having a Southern storyteller to bring that stuff home worked really, really well for them, he added. So, I think she gave the speech of the night.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Van Jones on Tuesday offered a blistering critique of two speeches given on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The CNN commentator also named which conservative speaker he believed was incredibly compelling.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said Jones, was terrible.

Ron was terrible, Jones repeated. He just sounded like ChatGPT for mean people. Every mean thing a Republican could say, he said it really fast and it didnt really work very well.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, meanwhile, looked like shed been made to attend her ex-husbands wedding and give a toast, Jones joked.

She was miserable saying it and Trump was miserable hearing it. So all that stuff just did not work at all, he summarized.

Both DeSantis and Haley fiercely criticized Trump during the Republican presidential primary race but have now endorsed the partys nominee.

In contrast, Jones said Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was incredibly compelling to me because she told personal stories and didnt use rhetoric.

She gave the speech of the night, he argued.

Jones also called out the way that immigrants were portrayed during multiple speeches, saying that to falsely blame them for the majority of crime is unfair and unwarranted.

Watch the video here:

Related...
In a camp in Guam, prisoners of war bow their heads as they hear a radio broadcast of Japanese Emperor Hirohito announcing the surrender of Japan in World War II. Photo courtesy of War in the Pacific National Historic Park ()

Editors Note: The story was first published on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam.

He must have been a unique man and quite a character, the late Adolfo Camacho Sgambelluri.

The son of a Navy man, Sgambelluri was a policeman in pre-war Guam and then a police official for the Japanese occupation authorities, a role which did not endear him to island residents.

Nevertheless, his record as a policeman and then as an investigator was sterling in pre-war Guam, and his abilities must have appealed to the efficiency-conscious Japanese authorities during the occupation.

Marine Capt. Charles S. Todd, the chief of police of Guam when World War II erupted, said Sgambelluri and fellow policemen Juan Taitano and Juan Roberto were outstanding staff. Roberto and Sgambelluri were the detectives who investigated all the incidents involving the local people, and I dont recall their leaving any case uncleared. They were feared, but highly respected. In many instances, they assisted in other cases involving naval personnel and their dependents, Todd said.

The chief also tasked Sgambelluri with responsibilities that helped the policeman develop skills that would prove invaluable to American officials in the post-war period. ...they were also assigned as intelligence officers collecting information considered adverse to the military and United States government. They collected information and prepared profiles on all Japanese, German and other foreigners considered not friendly to the United States, Todd said.

During the Japanese occupation, Sgambelluri was a policeman of sorts, acting as a liaison between island residents and military authorities. His work brought him into close contact with Japanese officials. As a result, he was able to warn Chamorros about investigations and searches. The policeman was invaluable in particular in helping people move George Tweed, the sailor who was able to evade Japanese authorities for the 31 months of the occupation, whenever officials intensified efforts to locate the Navy man.

After the Liberation, Sgambelluri was incarcerated along with others accused of aiding or sympathizing with the Japanese. Because of that, he carried a certain stigma and his arrest was viewed by some as justice.

However, his incarceration was voluntary. Sgambelluri asked to be put in the stockade and, using the skills he gained while as an intelligence officer in pre-war Guam, he was able to obtain information that assisted prosecutors in their cases against people accused of war crimes and of assistance to the enemy.

His efforts, not only during the post-war era but also during the occupation when he helped circumvent Japanese investigations of Chamorros and their activities, were recognized and lauded by U.S. officials, including USMC Maj. General Henry L. Larson, Island Commander in the time immediately after Liberation, and Col. Teller Ammons, U.S. Army Judge Advocate, Military Commission of Guam.

I personally appreciate all the assistance you have given, and you have rendered an exceedingly patriotic service to your people on Guam and the Government of the United States. Now I am sure you have a complete satisfaction that you served in the best interests of the people of Guam, Ammons wrote Sgambelluri.

Once jeered as an enemy sympathizer, Sgambelluri died at age 73 on Dec. 12, 1985, and he was buried with honors for outstanding service to his country.

September 2, 1945 The Japanese formally surrender to the Allied powers in a ceremony aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Van strikes pedestrians on residential Fall River street, killing 1 and injuring the other

FALL RIVER  Police are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred in the city this afternoon.

According to Fall River Police spokesperson Sgt. Moses Pereira, two pedestrians were struck by "a large moving van" at around noon Wednesday at the 200 block of Joseph Drive, located off Meridian Street.

Fall River police are on the scene of a fatal pedestrian crash involving a box truck on Joseph Drive in Fall River on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

One of the pedestrians was pronounced dead at the scene, police say. The other has been transported to a local trauma center with significant, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Fall River Police Major Crimes Division in collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit.

The story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Fall River police are on the scene of a fatal pedestrian crash on Joseph Drive in Fall River on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: One dead, one injured following pedestrian crash in Fall River
Vance wants the US military to focus on China over Russia. There's one big problem with that plan.

Donald Trump on Monday selected Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate.

Vance has suggested the US should focus on the threat presented by China, rather than Russia.

But Russia and China are working together against the US, say analysts.

Donald Trump unveiled his vice president pick and likely political heir, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to a rapturous welcome at the RNC conference in Milwaukee this week.

But in European capitals, Trump's selection of Vance was greeted with deepening concern.

Vance, like Trump, has long cast doubt on the necessity of the US commitment to NATO, which for decades has been the main bulwark against Russian aggression in Europe.

He has also questioned US support for Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion.

A US withdrawal from NATO could pave the way for a Russian victory in Ukraine and, European leaders fear, an attack on NATO itself.

Instead, Vance, in common with other so-called "Asia First" Republicans, wants the US to instead focus on what he views as a far greater challenge to US security: China.

In a Monday interview with Fox News, Vance called China the "biggest threat" to the US, adding that Ukraine was a distraction.

Vance claims that the US needs to counter China's economic might, and has backed an increase in tariffs on China that he claims would help boost US industry.

Supporters of refocusing on the China threat believe that the US needs to pick its battles carefully. They believe Ukraine is draining resources the US might need in a confrontation with China, which has the world's largest military.

"China's rapid military build-up has changed the calculus, especially for the 'Asia First' crowd, who see US allies in Europe as more than capable of carrying a heavier burden when it comes to their own defense," said Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group.

But there's a major problem with that view, say analysts.

China and Russia are working together

Focus solely on the threat posed by Beijing ignores the extent to which China and Russia are interlinked.

"Retrenchment in the face of Russian aggression in Europe would undermine US strategic competition with China in the Indo-Pacific, not enhance it," wrote Michael Green, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Gabriel Scheinmann, the executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society, in an article in Foreign Policy in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion.

Far from being isolated threats that the US can separate and prioritize, Russia and China are, in fact, working closely together to topple US global power.

China has provided Russia with diplomatic, economic, and military support in the form of dual-use goods for its war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside China's leader Xi Jinping in May. Allowing a Russian victory in Ukraine would empower China, analysts say. Kremlin via Anadolu via Getty Images

In the past month alone, China has held joint military exercises with Belarus, a Russian ally, on NATO's border, and the Chinese and Russian navies have engaged in joint naval exercises.

"Though one could certainly articulate putting a region first in terms of resources and effort, ignoring one of the threats altogether makes little strategic sense," Paul Cormarie, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told Business Insider, pointing to the close cooperation between the authoritarian powers.

Experts, such as Hal Brands at Johns Hopkins University, believe that China is watching the Ukraine war carefully for signs of Western weakness and will likely launch a campaign to seize control of Taiwan if Russia is victorious.

According to critics of Vance's position, by allowing Russia to seize territory and build its military power in Europe, the US would be helping embolden China's aggression.

It's a threat that US allies in East Asia understand clearly, with Japan having provided Ukraine with billions in aid, knowing that a defeat for the European country directly increases the threat it faces from China. Taiwan and South Korea have also provided Ukraine with support.

Will Trump and Vance follow through?

It remains to be seen whether, if elected, Trump and Vance will follow through on their rhetoric, reduce US NATO support, and compel Europe to pay for its own security.

Despite his incendiary claims on the 2016 campaign trail, Trump, while in office, continued to support NATO. Vance himself has said that US allies in Europe should not be entirely abandoned but simply placed lower on the list of US security priorities.

But this time, observers say, Trump likely won't be retrained by figures such as HR McMaster or James Mattis, officials in his administration who acted as "guardrails" diverting the president from acting on rash impulses.

Instead, he'll likely be surrounded by figures such as Vance, who back his hardline brand of nationalism and narrow focus on China.

Indeed, Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton, believes that Trump would almost certainly seek to withdraw the US from NATO if elected.

A second Trump term could lead to celebrations not just in Moscow, but in Beijing if Trump and Vance act on their declared hostility to NATO and US support for Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Vargas leads Bacon in campaign cash after Q2 in U.S. House race

Nebraska voters in the state's 2nd Congressional District will face a rematch between Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas, left, and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. (Courtesy of the candidates; Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

OMAHA  Democratic donors in and beyond Nebraskas borders are focusing more money and attention this year on the Omaha-area rematch race for the U.S. House.

From April 1 to June 30, Democratic challenger State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha outraised the four-term Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Papillion.

Vargas reported raising $1.36 million in the second quarter, with $2.5 million in cash on hand. Thats more than double his cash on hand at this point in 2022, campaign finance filings show.

Bacon raised $970,000 for his campaign, plus another $80,000 for his Bacon PAC, the filings show. He listed $2.2 million in cash on hand, more than double his campaigns tally in July 2022.

Contrast that with the second quarter of 2022, when Bacon raised $409,000 and listed $1.2 million in cash on hand and Vargas raised $550,000 and listed $533,000 in cash on hand.

Vargas outpacing 2022 tallies

Vargas appears to have held onto his local Democratic donors and expanded his reach with national donors, with much of his money coming to his campaign through online donations portal ActBlue.

U.S. House fundraising, second quarter

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon

Pre-primary $92,300

July quarterly $878,000

Cash on hand $2,215,000

State Sen. Tony Vargas

Pre-primary $216,000

July quarterly $1,144,000

Cash on hand $2,524,000

***

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood

Pre-primary $38,000

July quarterly $283,000

Cash on hand $501,000

State Sen. Carol Blood

Pre-primary $6,900

July quarterly $23,000

Cash on hand $20,000

***

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith

Pre-primary $68,000

July quarterly $296,000

Cash on hand $1,096,000

Daniel Ebers

Pre-primary N/A

July quarterly N/A

Cash on hand N/A

Source: Federal Election Commission

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said recently it would steer donors to spend more money on a smaller number of races this year, including Nebraskas 2nd District.

The Vargas campaign has said donors also see that Bacon is coming off a primary in which nearly 40% of Republican voters chose another candidate, Dan Frei, who raised and spent very little.

Nebraskans across all political parties are making it clear theyre fed up with Don Bacon hurting middle class families and siding with his party bosses, just to protect his political career, Vargas said in a statement. Thats why my campaign is seeing more grassroots support and momentum than ever before.

Bacon ahead of schedule, too

Bacon, like most long-term incumbents, raised much of his money from groups and people with business before Congress. He also appears to have maintained his support with local GOP donors.

To date, Bacon has raised and spent the most on this election cycle, because he was fending off a primary challenger, which forced him to spend funds earlier on advertising and door-knocking.

In all, Bacon has raised $4.3 million this cycle and spent $2.1 million, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks congressional campaign spending. Vargas has raised $3.5 million and spent $1.1 million. Vargas did not face a primary challenger.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has been ramping up its support for Bacon and other targeted GOP incumbents. It has pledged that Bacon will have all the support he needs.

Bacon, in a statement, thanked his supporters for putting our campaign in its strongest-ever position to win this fall. He has said his voting record matches the district and its values better than Vargas.

We had a competitive primary. Tony Vargas didnt, said Matthew Zacher, Bacons campaign manager, who pointed out that the district retains a slight GOP lean. We have been outraised three of four election cycles and won each time.

Looking ahead to November

Bacon beat Vargas by about 3 percentage points in 2022.

Polling touted by both campaigns has shown the race within the surveys margin of error, with each side highlighting a result that shows their candidate leading.

Many political observers expect the race to take on a harder edge than in 2022. That year, more than $18 million was spent on the race, including more than $11 million from outside groups.

Other House races

In eastern Nebraskas 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., raised $283,000 and listed $501,000 in cash on hand, federal campaign finance records show.

His Democratic opponent, State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, raised $23,000 and listed $20,000 in cash on hand.

In Nebraskas PAC-MAN-shaped, largely rural 3rd District, one of the most conservative districts nationally, Republican U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith continues to outraise Democratic opponents.

Smith raised $296,000 and listed $1.1 million in cash on hand at the end of June. His Democratic opponent, Daniel Ebers, had not filed a campaign finance form with the Federal Election Commission. Candidates must file if they raise $5,000 or more.

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In 1990, Maj. Raymond Thomas learned that he was not selected to become a lieutenant colonel. Having been passed over twice, he left the Air Force at 17 years, 10 months and, for his efforts, received $30,000 in separation pay.

More than 30 years later, Thomas, now rated 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs and receiving disability compensation, is being asked to pay the federal government back, minus taxes.

At 75 years old, living in a recreational vehicle pulled by a Ford F-450, both paid for with his disability pay, Thomas was stunned by a letter from VA saying his $3,737.85 monthly check would not be coming and future payments would be zeroed out or docked.

Read Next: Navy Officer Convicted in Bribery Scheme Tied to Fraudulent Afghan Visas

"I fail to comprehend how or why they intend to cut me off for several months without even negotiating a lesser but [survivable] monthly contribution. I also fail to understand why it took 34 years for VA to come up with this [scheme]. Why now?" Thomas wrote in an email to Military.com shortly after receiving the letter in March.

By law, the VA is prohibited from paying disability compensation to veterans who received voluntary or involuntary separation pay from the Defense Department until the money has been recouped.

While the VA has been required to recover the money since the 1940s, many veterans, such as Thomas, are unaware of the prohibition on concurrent receipt, also known as double dipping.

And some, like Thomas, are finding out decades later.

Thomas, who goes by his call sign Bear, first received disability compensation in 1996, rated at 10%. That $100 a month gradually grew as he subsequently received higher ratings for his cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses.

In 2018, he was awarded 100% disability but still wasn't made aware that he would be required to reimburse his separation pay.

It wasn't until March, after he had been receiving more than $3,000 a month for six years, that he learned he owed $26,000 to the federal government.

"At the turn of the century, I was at about 40% disability, making an amount where they could have started taking money," he said. "I could have afforded it then."

According to Rand Corporation, roughly 79,000 veterans were required to pay back various types of separation benefits from 2013 through 2020. Last year, 9,298 veterans were required to pay the VA, according to data provided by the VA to Military.com.

Earlier this month, NBC News reported on three of those veterans. Like Thomas, they faced financial hardship as a result of the VA's effort to claw back the money. One, Army veteran Vernon Reffitt, also received $30,000 in the early 1990s to leave the service and learned just recently that he needs to pay the money back.

"That's wrong. You can't just up and take it back," Reffitt told the news outlet.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Military.com there has not been a concerted effort to increase recoupment efforts at VA. Data provided by the department shows that since 2020, roughly 8,500 veterans have faced repayments each year, less than 1% of all VA disability pay recipients.

"It is part of the normal, legally required process during completion of the initial claims application which asks claimants if they received a separation bonus and the amount received," Hayes said.

It appears that the recoupment efforts against Reffitt and Thomas were triggered by secondary claims filed by both veterans. According to NBC, Reffitt's separation pay was found after he filed a claim under the PACT Act.

And according to the VA, Thomas' was related to a claim he filed in 2022. When the former pilot first completed forms for the VA shortly after discharge, he erroneously marked that he had not received separation pay. Subsequent claims did not turn up any evidence of separation pay. But when he filed a claim in 2022, the VA again asked the Defense Department whether Thomas had received separation pay and was told yes, triggering the recoupment, according to a VA response to a congressional inquiry from Thomas' senator, Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly.

Thomas said when he received the letter from the VA in March, he requested a hearing to describe his financial hardship but also offered a compromise -- to pay $500 each month toward recoupment until it was complete.

He again received a letter from VA saying it would take the entire amount and appeared to have either not received the $500 offer or ignored it, Thomas said.

On July 11, a day after Military.com emailed VA regarding the case, Thomas received a phone call from a VA representative saying the department had accepted his $500-a-month repayment plan.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., sponsored a bill last year that would have eliminated the requirement for VA to recoup separation pay and incentive payments for veterans who receive disability compensation.

The bill was referred to the House Veterans Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee but has not been considered by the panel.

In a press release following introduction of the legislation, Gallego said the change is important because the practice of concurrent receipt for decades-old separation pay is "shameful" and "slaps thousands of veterans with unconscionable financial penalties."

Bilirakis described the recoupment as an "injustice."

"This important legislation will provide immediate relief for one group of veterans who have been facing unreasonable financial penalties and unnecessary bureaucratic roadblocks when attempting to access the benefits they have earned," Bilirakis said.

During an interview Wednesday, Thomas said he is relieved that he will continue receiving VA disability compensation and while losing $500 a month would place a "crimp" in his budget, he can handle it.

"I can cut out some of the things in my food budget. I probably should cut out the sweets entirely," he joked.

Related: All Combat-Injured Vets Would Keep Their Full Retirement, Disability Pay Under Proposal
VIRGINIA (DC News Now)  Support for President Joe Biden in Virginia is declining, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) poll, which showed former President Donald Trump up by three points.

President Biden won by 10 percentage points in 2020, but now seems to be sinking in the commonwealth.

The poll was done at about the same time as the 2024 presidential debate, where Biden had a disastrous performance. Political experts spoke with DC News Now and said this VCU poll shows more of the writing on the wall.

The Democratic Party crisis after Bidens debate spirals with no clear ending

Ive seen polls just in the past week from 11 other states. They pretty much show the same thing: Joe Biden is sinking, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

The VCU poll shows Biden with 36% in support, a drop from the last poll, which showed the President at 42% in December.

[T]he age of Joe Biden really is affecting his performance and that was brought home to people in a dramatic way with the debate with Donald Trump, Sabato said. It wasnt that Trump was so good, it was rather that Biden was so bad.

He noted that the poll doesnt say much about the former president, but speaks volumes about Biden.

Virginia is not inclined toward Trump, Sabato explained. They rejected him against Hilary Clinton by five points. They rejected Trump against Joe Biden by 10 points. Theyll reject him a third time if they have a decent Democrat to vote for  who is able and capable and young enough to do the job. I dont know how to be any blunter.

Joe Biden staying in the 2024 presidential race: Im not going anywhere

In a breakdown of the numbers, VCU showed the different ways in which Biden has lost support  not just in regard to Trump.

In December, 67% of Black voters said they would support Biden. Now, only 46% of Black voters share that sentiment.

Overall, only 36% of those polled said they approved of Bidens performance as president, compared to 58% voicing their disapproval.

With the poll reflecting such a shift in numbers, Sabato reflected on whether theres anything Biden could do to secure a win in Virginia.

He could still win Virginia but if he does, it will be by a point or two or three. And that means hes losing nationally. It wont be close in the electoral college. If its competitive in Virginia, Joe Biden is losing and probably badly, he said.

He needs to find the nearest available time machine and go back about 10 years and re-appear in 2024 [] hell look younger and act younger and he might be able to win, he continued. Unless you can find that time machine, the handwritings on the wall.

Why Youngkin wasnt chosen as Trumps running mate, and whats next for Virginias Governor

Bidens numbers, however, dont necessarily suggest smooth sailing for Trump. The VCU poll also showed a majority of Virginia voters (53%) saying theyre less likely to vote for Trump because of his conviction on 34 felony counts in New York.

Still, 31% say theyre more like to vote for him because of it.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
MILWAUKEE  Chicago police personnel assisting with the Republican National Convention here say theyre learning valuable lessons they can employ when the Democrats visit the Windy City next month.

Police from the host city have been supplemented with nearly 4,000 federal agents and local officers from as far away as Miami. That includes about 80 Chicago officers who are manning posts around the Fiserv Forum, staffing checkpoints and conducting foot patrols.

While weve been up here, weve been walking through their perimeter because itll be very similar to Chicagos  the checkpoints, the vehicle inclusion zones and the way bike teams and everyone patrols the area. Very informative for us, said Deputy Chief Duane DeVries, the head of Chicagos counter-terrorism unit.

Cheesehead of Donald Trump appears at IL delegation breakfast in Milwaukee

RNC: Two shirts become hot merch items

Concrete barriers and fencing expand the perimeter around the convention center by several blocks. The arena in the heart of the city means a good portion of Milwaukees downtown is off-limits to anyone without credentials.

By comparison, the Democratic National Convention will be held in the United Center, which is a bit of an island to itself on Chicagos West Side.

With it being the United Center, youll still have thoroughfares shut down with the buses, with the president and vice presidents movements, DeVries said. Theyre still going to be shutting down streets and different areas will be shut down while that movement is going on.

Chicagos Office of Emergency Management and Communications plans to have its app updated with real-time information about street closures when the convention is held Aug. 19-11.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Violence is not the way to go; John Hinckley Jr. in recent social media post

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania has sparked more than just politicians to take to commenting on social media.

John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted the assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to condemn violence.

Related coverage: Timeline: The history of presidential assassinations and attempts in America

The social media post reads: Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.

Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.  John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) July 17, 2024

Trump was injured after a bullet grazed his ear at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13. Additionally, a former firefighter, attending the rally, was killed while shielding his family, and two others were hurt.

Although Trump was not specifically mentioned in Hinckleys post, many have interpreted this as a response to the recent shooting at the Trump rally.

Individuals have been taking jabs at the post, saying that Hinckleys sentiment was perhaps a little ironic considering his own history.

Hinckley currently resides in Williamsburg and was granted unconditional release in June of 2022. For around 34 years, he spent his time at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington D.C.

In previous Only On 10 coverage from March, 10 On Your Side interviewed Hinckley who said he is turning his life around through his music.

Editors note: The video above is from an exclusive interview WAVY conducted with John Hinckley Jr. in March.

Previous Coverage: Only On 10: John Hinckley Jr. changes life through music after assassination attempt on Reagan

I had a lot of therapy, Hinckley said, back in March. I had a lot of time outside on the grounds. I developed a cat colony at the hospital when I was out on my grounds privileges. I took care of a bunch of cats and they helped me get through my day.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
A former VIP guest at Beau Rivage Casino Resort wants $2.5 million in damages after security officers handcuffed him, put him under citizens arrest for trespassing and, he says, permanently injured his left hand and pride.

The civil lawsuit that Florida resident Brent Nettles filed against the casino is being tried this week before Judge Taylor McNeel in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. Nettles is accusing casino security of intentional battery and false imprisonment.

The Beau Rivage contends the casino had every right to arrest Nettles because he was drunk and refused to leave the casino bar. The casino denies causing Nettles any permanent injury and maintains the arrest was reasonable.

This all comes down to one bad decision that was made by one individual, Beau attorney Michael Kelly said during opening arguments. And that individual was Mr. Nettles.

Nettles attorney David Harris told jurors that security guards used excessive force during the arrest. Think about what was taken from Brent Nettles, he said, listing the normal use of his hand, his pride and enjoyment of life.

Arrest at South MS casino

Nobody disputes the basic facts.

Nettles, his wife and his parents arrived at the Beau Rivage as VIP guests with complimentary accommodations on March 10, 2022. The next day, Nettles lost $5,000 at the casino. He was drinking that evening with his family at the Beaus Eight 75 lounge off the casino floor.

Nettles caught a security guards attention as he was returning from the bathroom, where accounts begin to diverge. The guard said Nettles had glazed eyes and was staggering, Kelly told the jury.

Harris said the bartender that night will testify that Nettles was not overly intoxicated or disturbing anyone.

A security manager was called and Nettles was asked to leave. Their initial interaction, without sound, was caught on surveillance video. Nettles was leaving at one point, but then turned and headed back to the bar. While Harris said his client simply wanted to pay the bar tab, Kelly argued that Nettles told security he was not going to let anyone tell him what to do.

Security officers either tackled him to the ground, as Harris claims, or they all fell in a heap during a struggle, as Kelly says. The security officers restrained Nettles with zip ties and escorted him across the casino floor to a holding room, where they belted him to a bench and called Biloxi police.

Trial expected to wrap this week

Nettles said he complained from the moment he was restrained that the handcuffs were too tight, while security officers say the handcuffs were loosened when he first complained in the back office.

Biloxi police took Nettles into custody before releasing him. The trespassing charge was later dismissed.

The handcuffs left Nettles with a tremor in his left hand, he claims. Nettles is unable to hold a glass in that hand, Harris said. The attorney also said the outgoing Nettles has grown reserved since the incident.

Kelly says no doctor is lined up to verify that the handcuffs caused Nettles injury.

The trial is expected to conclude this week.
From the Dispatch Faith on The Dispatch

Happy Wednesday! We hope youll understand why this edition of Dispatch Faith is hitting your inbox several days later than usual. As details were becoming clearer Saturday night about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which injured him and two others and left another man dead, we decided to focus all our editorial efforts on covering an unfolding national crisis. Publishing anything else not directly related to that didnt seem right.

The questions and challenges stemming from that tragedy continue, but the immediate crisis seems to have abated. That being the case, we wanted to share with you what we had planned to publish Sundayespecially given that the Republican Party approved its new platform Monday night.

The Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade more than two years ago was supposed to mark a new age of increasingly life-affirming legislation and a receding abortion regime. But since then the pro-life movement has faced defeat at the ballot box in multiple states and a newly galvanized opposition. And now, taking its cues from Trump, the Republican Party seems to be marginalizing its most committed pro-life members by finalizing big changes regarding abortion to the party platform.

Writer, scholar, and Baylor University professor Matthew Lee Anderson argues that in the face of these new political realities, pro-lifersparticularly religious pro-lifersshould refocus on two key virtues: forbearance and patience. Failing to do so may keep them from achieving what they want most.

Note: Youre receiving Dispatch Faith because you were formerly a reader of David Frenchs French Press. We hope youre enjoying the new offering and will consider forwarding it to others. And as always, let us know how we can make the newsletter better; we plan to experiment with different formats in the coming weeks and months.

Matthew Lee Anderson: Forbearance and Patience Will Be Key For Pro-Lifers

Pro-life supporters gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., ahead of the March for Life on January 20, 2023. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

While the pro-life movement has floundered politically since Roe v. Wade was overturned, last week marked a new phase of its ongoing crisis.

First, two senators who at that time were being vetted to be Donald Trumps running mateJ.D. Vance and Marco Rubioboth sought to distance themselves from the pro-life movements aspirations of a federal abortion ban. While Rubio cited the political reality that such bans are unpopular, Vancewhom Trump selected as his vice presidential candidate on Mondaywent further and endorsed mifepristone access outright. The Republican National Committee followed by revamping the party platform, removing the call for a constitutional amendment to protect human life that Republicans had endorsed since 1980 while adding support for contraception access and in vitro fertilization.

Some pro-life activists sought to make the best of it: Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America suggested that the platform remains strongly pro-life because it affirms that the 14th Amendment entails that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process, a position echoed by Americans United for Life, Students for Life, and others. Yet when Trump announced his position of returning abortion to the states in April, Dannenfelser said she was deeply disappointed and last week described weakening the platform as a mistake.

However pro-life activists want to spin things, the Republican Partys amendment of the platform represents a deliberate marginalization of the pro-life movement. It took 50 years for the movement to pull the right levers to overturn Roe v. Wadewhich will likely prove the easy part of the journey toward significantly reducing abortions in our country. By comparison, it took nearly a century for the temperance movement to pass a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale and transport of alcohol.

What happens over the next few years will profoundly test the movements forbearance and demand that it carefully reconsider its political strategies. The movements sense of urgency elected Trump and subsequently overturned Roebut the shift in the prevailing political winds demands a different political disposition.

For religious pro-lifers, at least, endurance in the face of injustice stems from the hope we place in God. How long, oh Lord? the Psalmist cries in the face of injustice and wrong. In most contexts, the answer is: longer than we might like. Martin Luther King Jr. made famous the idea that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice. But he also said the arc was long: God often seems to be in no hurry to bring about the social transformation we desire, in part because the sources of wrongdoing often run deeper than we realize or imagine. So pro-lifers must persist in hope for a society we will likely not see in our own timeremembering above all that our hope for the little lights of justice here and now are only a sign of our great hope in the dawning light of God, the only hope that Saint Paul tells us will not disappoint.

But the pro-life movement does face a crisis: The political approach that got us to Dobbs may not be able to take us beyond it. But forbearance is not inaction and patience is not quiescence. Instead, forbearance and patience demand we look anew at the world for opportunities that had been previously hidden from view. The GOP might not be quite a pro-choice party, as The Gospel Coalitions Joe Carter suggests. But though the transformation of its platform signals the end of Reagan-era pro-life politics, it also represents the opportunity to rethink pro-life politics from the ground up (just as Trumps election prompted many conservatives to re-evaluate their economic policies). The political pressures the movement faces are novel, but they also offer a unique opportunity to creatively and faithfully work to persuade all Americans to protect embryonic human life.

To do so, pro-lifers need to come to terms with the fact that Marco Rubio is right: Dobbs definitively reshaped the landscape of reproductive politics in ways that are hostile to pro-life views. The challenges are twofold. On one side, Roes dissolution meant that policy positions that could have been dismissed as the delusional pipe dreams of a small handful of activists suddenly became real. The human life amendment was always aspirationalbut so long as Roe was the law of the land, it was strictly symbolic. No longer. Dobbs meant that formerly symbolic positions suddenly became substantive, inherently raising the stakes for endorsing restrictions on abortion.

On the other side, Dobbs liberated Trump from any debt to the pro-life movement, allowing him to return social conservatives to their historical position of being the GOPs ugly stepchildren. His alliance with pro-lifers was one of mutual necessity: In 2016, both were fringe outsiders to the Republican Partys mainstream. Social conservatives had enough votes and enthusiasm in each cycle to make their candidates a contender (like Mike Huckabee in 2008), but never enough to get a win. Republicans could reliably count on such votes, but rarely (if ever) catered to them once in office. Trumps outsider status mirrored pro-lifers own: He needed pro-lifers as much as they needed him.

All that has changed. Trump has remade the party in his own image and no longer needs the pro-life vote. Where else can pro-lifers goand why would they betray the president who gave us our most significant political victory ever? The pro-life movement needs Donald Trump at this point more than he needs the movement. And that likely means this will be the most socially liberal iteration of the GOP ever. Despite the moral panic about Christian nationalism, Trump has gone out of his way to court voters whom the Religious Right has historically opposed. The pro-life movements furor about the platform changes obscured the fact that the RNC also dropped the opposition to gay marriage and said nothing about supporting families. Such changes are reflected at party conventions. Peter Thiel was the first openly gay speaker at the Republican National Convention in 2016. The first openly bisexual presenter who organized a Slutwalk, Amber Rose, presented this year. We have come a long way to somewhere from Pat Buchanan decrying the raw sewage of pornography that so terribly pollutes our popular culture from the convention stage.

The pro-life movements effort to legislatively restrict abortion access will invariably run aground on the moral impulses and attitudes that fuel social liberalization. After Dobbs, the pro-life movement barreled ahead with talk of a national ban. Fueled by polling that indicates Americans widespread opposition to abortion after 15 weeks, the movement seemed emboldened to think that the urgency that elected Trump would translate into more electoral victories. However, Americans discomfort with abortion invariably collides with our fundamental American impulse: the desire to be left alone and do likewise to our neighbors. When abortion was permitted, Americans were opposed to itnow that it can be restricted, we will fight to preserve it. It is one thing to tell a pollster you are opposed to a practice; it is another to vote to outlaw it. Our countrys social and economic structures are built to reinforce this basic impulse, which makes persuading the unconverted to vote for prohibitions on abortions far more difficult than voting for a president who is promising them other benefits (Build that wall!).

This does not mean the movement should simply eschew legislative politics. We should give no quarter to the canard that pro-lifers should change hearts and minds before striving for concrete legislation that would support families and restrict abortion access. The law can help a society cultivate virtue, if it does so not suddenly, but gradually, as Thomas Aquinas writes. Aquinas understood well that overly restrictive legislation on people who are unprepared for it will generate backlashes. As he observes, imperfect people burdened by precepts demanding perfection will reject them and break out into yet greater evils. While unvirtuous people are clearly capable of abiding by prohibitions on abortion, widespread social disagreement about what abortion does suggests Aquinas counsel applies. Pro-lifers need more than polls demonstrating a majority of Americans think abortion should be restricted: For our laws to be stable over time, we need Americans to think abortion should be restricted for the right reasons.

In the interim between now and whenever America finally turns away from its adherence to abortion, the pro-life movement should take seriously the imperative to find consensus on imperfect policies in order to acclimatize the country to new cultural mores gradually. In other words, it should listen to Nikki Haley, whom pro-life advocates criticized last November for staking out almost the same position they now want to sell as strongly pro-life. Idealism and principles are the fuel for philosophersbut profound social revolutions have often been accompanied by what in retrospect seem like horrific moral compromises.

Slavery ended in both America and Britain only with brutal, unsavory concessions. England sought to remove the sting of abolition by compensating slave owners. (Perhaps the relevant pro-life analogy would be not merely making birth free, but paying for a car and housing for birth mothers.) And though Lincoln went to war, he was a gradualist: He sought to end slavery while publicly maintaining that black Americans would be denied the vote because he understood that mores can only be transformed through painfully slow progress. The law has a role to play in such a transformationbut only a limited role, and one that can easily backfire if the social conditions are unsuitable for it.

Such creative measures depend, ultimately, on the limits of our forbearance with injustice and evil. The idealism behind eliminating abortion or making it unthinkable is admirablebut succeeding requires answering head-on what evils we must allow to make abortion less thinkable than it is today. Pro-lifers may not want to answer such a questionbut it is the question on which a real pro-life politics depends.

More Sunday Wednesday Reads

Catholic bishops in the U.S. are also reckoning with changing abortion politics, including the Republican Partys impending platform change. JD Flynn of The Pillar recently analyzed how that might have an effect on the bishops plan to revise Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenshipa guide meant to help U.S. Catholics think through their political preferences. Some bishops will want to continue their political guidance in a business-as-usual manner, with language that some observers say signals implicitly to Catholics that the Republican Party is more aligned with Catholic values. But other bishops will likely see the platform change as a moment to emphasize that Catholics should push back demonstrably against a bipartisan scheme in which pro-lifers have fewer and fewer allies in federal government.

Dissatisfaction may be the key descriptor for lots of groups this election season. Thats also true for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jacob Hess of Deseret News offers an interesting deep dive on why: Artist Esther Hiilani Candari described shifting towards more political independence after candidates being nominated by the party she formerly supported no longer reflected the kind of person I wanted to be, even if their core policies still did align. She compares the drift in her formerly comfortable party affiliation to watching someone you grow up with all the potential in the world  end up hanging out with the wrong friends, and then life becomes a dumpster fire.

Were thrilled to feature the cultural critic and novelist Tara Isabella Burton making her Dispatch debut with a review of Charles Taylors new book, Cosmic Connections. If youre not familiar, Taylor is a Canadian Catholic philosopher who has, among other things, studied the historical and intellectual roots of secularism in the West. Burtons essay serves as a great introduction to Taylors recent work, including one way he sees our secular age still pining for the eternal: through beautiful art and, in particular, through the poetry of the Romantic era. She writes: [Charles Taylor] wants us, I take it, to be open to the possibility that even after the collapse of a shared concept of the cosmos, artistic experience of the sublime is evidence not just of the profundity of our own souls but of the strength and depth of some force, even as we approach, but can never reach, the full expression of what it is.

A Good Word

Were a little late in spotting this, but Jason Nark of the Philadelphia Inquirer last month reported on a Bible study with a growing reach aimed at a group most of us probably dont think about. In a restaurant where truckers often eat alone, still wearing their headsets and staring into their phones and mashed potatoes, Blackmans Bible group takes up a loud corner that cant be ignored. They fill the space with laughter, some gentle ribbing, and a steady stream of tears. They analyze the menu before they get to the New Testament, Nark writes. When somebodys feeling vulnerable or down or that their life is falling apart, were here, Blackman said. Sometimes these truckers go days without interacting with anyone. One guy, I asked him to give me a hug, which is a terrible thing for me to do, but I did it, and all of a sudden he broke out in tears. We break down walls here.

Read more at The Dispatch

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I visited friends in a small town in Maine and found a hidden gem I'd travel to again and again

I recently visited Belfast, Maine, which is full of history, local culture, and coastal views.

Belfast offers a stark contrast to busy urban life and is perfect for city escapes.

I think it's an underrated travel destination.

When I went to Belfast, Maine, for the Fourth of July, I expected nothing more than a wholesome, long weekend with my friends to take a break from the hustle and bustle of my life in NYC.

I got all that  and more.

It was my first time in Maine, and this particular small town, which I'd never heard of before my friends moved there last winter, surprised me with its history, local culture, and dramatic coastal views.

According to the city's website, Belfast is a budding town on the rise.

After my trip, I've decided that Belfast is a hidden gem for tourists, and I'll go back again and again for my big-city escapes.

Belfast, Maine, is about 100 miles up the coast from Portland.

Belfast is a small town in Maine. Google Maps

To reach the small town on Penobscot Bay, we flew from NYC to Portland, Maine, and our friends picked us up from the airport for a two-hour drive up the coast to their abode.

The town is rooted in maritime history.

Front Street Shipyard in Belfast. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Belfast was incorporated as a town in the 1700s, but it started to prosper in the 19th century as a hub for maritime workers, according to the city's website. For about 100 years, Belfast residents built wooden sailboats, operated steamships, and transported goods from ice and apples to hay and fertilizer.

Then, in the 1980s, creatives flocked to the town and transformed it into an artist's oasis with galleries and warehouse studios.

Today, Belfast maintains the same 19th-century seaside feel.

Belfast's downtown area. halbergman/Getty Images

The waterfront town has 7,000 residents, according to World Population Review.

The architecture in Belfast combines traditional New England-style homes with old-world styles from the Italian and Greek Revival eras, according to the Boston Globe. I thought this gave the town a European twist on the classic New England aesthetic.

My friends said Belfast gets tourists in the summer, but it didn't feel crowded overall. We never waited too long for a table at a restaurant, and I didn't see many large clusters of people.

The town is filled with historic inns.

Captain Nickels Inn just outside of Belfast, Maine. Jon Lovette/Getty Images

Strolling through the town, I saw more historic inns than traditional hotels, which made me think that tourists visit Belfast for unique accommodations.

These accommodations look like gigantic mansions, and seeing them up close made me wish I'd booked just one night in one of them, like the Jeweled Turret. The bed and breakfast, decorated with antiques, is a 19th-century Victorian landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the inn's website.

There's also the Alden House Inn, a Greek Revival building dating back to 1840. On a weekend afternoon, I spotted its porch filled with guests and longed to hang out there.

But I stayed with friends. Their neighborhood was surprisingly walkable for a small town.

The author's friends take a stroll through Belfast. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

According to Walk Score, Belfast is pedestrian-friendly, scoring 74 out of 100.

From my friends' apartment, we got to hiking trails, the waterfront, and the downtown area  all on foot.

My friends also live steps away from a farmers market and the Belfast Armistice Bridge, which pedestrians use to cross the Passagassawakeag River.

We went hiking without having to hop in a car.

A view of Passagassawakeag River. from the Rail Trail Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My friends live less than five minutes from the Rail Trail that lines the Passagassawakeag River.

I spent one day working remotely from Belfast, and we took a quick hike during my lunch break.

I was impressed with the hillside views and land masses covered in rich green trees in the distance. It was an ideal place to refresh in the middle of a shift.

We could also walk to the town's many small businesses and shop for locally sourced food.

The author and her friends purchased locally-sourced foods. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My friend told me that one of the coolest things about Belfast is that there are so many local shops. There's no Walmart, Target, or Costco in town. The only brand-name stores I saw were Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar General.

According to the Press Herald, Maine towns are known for their small businesses. Belfast, in particular, has a plethora of locally owned retailers, from a general store and a DVD rental store to shops selling vintage dollhouses and handmade clothing and furniture.

The Press Herald reports that these independent stores draw customers with a unique personalized shopping experience as store owners get to know their regulars.

We went to a farmers market selling local produce and foods during my trip, and my friends cooked up a feast.

We had a watermelon and feta salad, roasted duck, lobster mac-and-cheese, and potato salad with duck fat and herb-infused dressing, dill, parsley, and garlic scapes.

The ingredients tasted so fresh, and so did the local pastries and bagels we got there for breakfast.

There were some places we drove to, like Acadia National Park.

Snapshots of Acadia National Park. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Acadia National Park is just a 90-minute drive from Belfast. We took a day trip there on a foggy Saturday, and I was surprised to find that the park wasn't as crowded as most national parks I've visited on weekends.

The coastal park, surrounded by islands, looked majestic in the hazy weather. We hiked through forests to the rocky coastline, where we went tide-pooling and found a massive cave. It was even more picturesque than the trails in Belfast, and it helped me see how the state of Maine inspired my favorite American writer, Stephen King.

Belfast and surrounding areas are dog friendly.

The author and her friends brought a dog along for their excursions. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My friends in Maine have a super sweet and active dog, Zeus. He accompanied us on nearly every adventure during our trip, from restaurants to the Rail Trail and even Acadia, one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the US, according to the National Parks Service.

Taking Zeus with us made the trip so much more goofy and fun. It wouldn't have been the same without him. And it made me want to bring my dog next time I trek to Belfast.

I could have stayed so much longer, and I'll definitely be back.

The author enjoys her trip with her friends. Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Aside from being a unique town with so much to offer, I thought Belfast would be an ideal destination for tourists looking to travel sustainably. Eco-travel experts say that supporting local businesses and getting around without a car are responsible practices for the health of our planet.

Next time I go to Belfast, I'll spend more time browsing local shops, book a stay at a historic inn, and take more day trips to places like Portland. Plus, I'd love to see Acadia on a day with clear skies.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Do visiting Republicans also think The Hop is a boondoggle?

No tickets or vouchers are needed for Downtown Milwaukees free streetcar service, The Hop. Riders can jump on and off to connect to shopping, entertainment, dining and more.

Monday morning, The Hop streetcar pulled slowly into the intermodal station stop, just one block south of the Baird Center, where the Republican National Convention had been holding events for over two hours. Two passengers got off. Neither headed to the convention. The streetcar was quiet and empty.

Republicans in-state have called The Hop, Milwaukee's free streetcar, a "boondoggle" hogging funds from essential resources. The Republican-led Act 12 cut off The Hop's funding sources and complicated any attempt to expand its route. But what do out-of-state Republicans say?

It's unclear  they don't seem to be riding it.

One Hop driver said Monday morning that they did not notice an increase in riders due to the RNC. Another said the same thing later that day.

Lisa Moreno, a Republican delegate from California, said that her itinerary  and transportation  are locked-in, leaving little time to navigate the city independently.

"Part of being a delegate is accepting you have to go where you're told," Moreno said.

Her staff said it was unlikely they would be riding The Hop or other public transportation during the convention.

Moreno and staff members used charter buses to navigate the city. They said they were staying at a hotel in Brookfield. A charter bus picked them up and took them to the Summerfest grounds Sunday, where they went to the "Red, White and Brew" party that kicked off the convention.

Attendees could have taken The Hop to the "Red, White and Brew" party  if they wanted to walk 15 additional minutes under freeways from the nearest stop.

In theory, The Hop is a convenience to RNC guests.

Both City Hall stops are a short walk from the West State Street entrance to the RNC soft perimeter. The M-Line southbound station is near East Kilbourn Avenue and North Broadway and takes riders to the Third Ward and Intermodal Station. The M-Line northbound line is located near East Kilbourn Avenue and North Milwaukee Street, and takes riders to Burns Commons. From there riders can explore Yankee Hill, walk east to a staircase that leads to Veterans Park, or walk north to explore the lower east side.

The L-Line also picks up and drops off at both City Hall stops, taking riders in a loop downtown and to the lakefront near Discovery World.

Nevertheless, RNC guests steered clear of The Hop Sunday evening and Monday.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hop ridership picked up substantially  a streetcar leaving from Burns Commons was nearly standing room only  but it appeared there still weren't many convention attendees.

Tiffany Shepherd, spokesperson for Milwaukee's Department of Public Works, said they did not have preliminary ridership numbers for The Hop during the first days of the RNC.

She said that The Hop would be affected like any car traffic downtown by motorcades that had happened routinely Monday and Tuesday during the RNC. She did not have any data on such disruptions.

"There has been some traffic due to the RNC that slowed us down a little bit with service," she said. "Otherwise we are up and running as normal."

Shepherd said that riders can use The Hop app, or follow @HopAlerts on X.

"It's a safe and efficient way to get around, and it's easier to navigate than a car," she said. "Take the loop, ride it around and explore."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: RNC visitors aren't riding Milwaukee's Hop streetcar
After a resounding defeat last year, a divided Oviedo City Council decided to ask voters again this November for approval to borrow tens of millions of dollars to build a larger police headquarters.

But theyre cutting costs for the project in hopes of getting approval this time around.

Last November, 64 percent of voters opposed a bond referendum to allow the city to borrow $35.5 million to replace the building constructed in 1990.

On Monday, the council voted 3-2 to put a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot asking if the city should borrow up to $20.4 million for the project. The city would repay the money with a property tax increase.

I think we need to move forward on this and not kick the can down another year and let the current police station fall into additional disarray, Council member Bob Pollack said before voting with two others to put the issue on the ballot.

Under the proposal, the city would build a 28,800-square-foot building with a 10,000-square-foot annex. The annex would remain an unfinished shell space in anticipation of growth.

Last year, the city proposed a 47,000-square-foot building costing roughly $47 million. But a consultants report in April showed that a smaller building with annex would satisfy the departments current needs with space for the future.

Police officials have long said space is too tight in their 11,000-square-foot building. Officers and detectives must share cubicles, theres a lack of storage space, no area for K-9 units and little space for new technology. Officers must leave the city to conduct defensive and Taser training.

This building needs a lot of work to be maintained, police Chief Dale Coleman said. Theres a lot of water leaks  And over time, this department has gotten bigger and the calls have gone up.

The department currently has 82 employees, including 73 sworn officers  nearly double when the headquarters was built.

Mayor Megan Sladek supported an alternative plan pitched by city staff Monday to wait until November 2025 to put the referendum on the ballot. She joined council member Keith Britton to oppose putting the issue on this years ballot.

No one from the public asked to speak on the issue at the meeting.

If the ballot measure is approved, the city would tack on just over 47 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value to a property owners tax bill for the next three decades. According to city estimates, the owner of a home with a current taxable value of $350,000 would pay an additional $169.84 in taxes. Taxable value is calculated annually so the amount could fluctuate.

Free State of Florida welcome signs touting DeSantis motto cost $60K

The $20.4 million borrowed under the proposal would be added to $11.4 million voters approved in 2016 under a separate bond referendum for a police building.

But that amount was based on a preliminary study and wasnt nearly enough. After a more-extensive evaluation in 2017, the city was told it would need at least 42,000 square feet of space  more than double the size proposed at the time  so officials didnt move forward.

According to the city, bonds approved in the 2016 referendum, together with those from the one later this year, would collectively raise $31,815,822.

The alternative plan supported by the mayor and Britton calls for a smaller bond referendum in November 2025.

Property owners would be taxed slightly more than 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value  a home with a current $350,000 taxable value would be taxed an additional $88.37. The city would make up the shortfall using revenue from the countys penny sales tax and by raising water, sewer and stormwater fees.

If the sales tax is adopted, then were pretty good, City Manager Bryan Cobb told council members regarding the alternative plan. To be honest with you its not a bad deal  I think its something definitely worth considering.

Sladek agreed: I do think its a better way to do it.

But council member Natalie Teuchert opposed using a portion of the citys share of county sales tax money for police headquarters. It would mean taking money away from other infrastructure projects the sales tax revenue would pay for, Teuchert said.

Im always on board with saving taxpayer money, she said. But were basically gutting our penny sales tax fund  which we all know is not enough.

We get complaints all the time about potholes and sidewalks and I think we do a pretty good job. But we cant cut our future [sales tax] funding  almost the entire fund  and then make up for it with fees.

If the referendum fails again, Cobb said the council could consider moving forward with the alternative plan supported by Sladek and Britton.
VP Harris and JD Vance speak by phone after the Democrat agrees to possible debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, former President Donald Trumps newly tapped running mate, spoke Tuesday by phone, a source familiar with the conversation told USA TODAY.

Harris had tried unsuccessfully to reach Vance by phone on Monday  and left a voicemail  shortly after he was named Trumps vice-presidential nominee.

RNC 2024 live updates: When does the RNC start tonight? When are DeSantis, Haley speaking?

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two to depart on campaign travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland in July 13, 2024.

Trump announced Vance as his running mate on Monday afternoon amid the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, ending months of speculation. The 39-year-old Ohio senator first rose to fame for his best-selling 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which was also made into a film. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022  the veteran and former investors first public office  and garnered a celebrity-like status among conservatives.

The conventions pageantry and accompanying celebrations over Trumps VP pick also come at a tense time for the GOP and larger political climate, unfolding in the shadow of Saturdays assassination attempt against the former president. One man was killed in the shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, and two were seriously injured. A slate of Republican speakers called on Americans across the country to unite in the wake of the attack.

FILE PHOTO: JD Vance speaks during former U.S. president Donald Trump's rally in Youngstown, Ohio, U.S., September 17, 2022. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse/File Photo

More: Biden calls for national unity, says he's ordering independent review after attempted assassination of Trump

While the pair have made contact, its unclear whether voters will see them together on a debate stage.

President Joe Bidens reelection campaign accepted an invitation by CBS News to a vice presidential debate for either July or August, but there has been no word yet on whether Vance will also accept.

Vice-presidential debates, though less anticipated than presidential nominees, still garner interest from millions of voters.

In 2020, 57.9 million people watched the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and then-Sen. Kamala Harris, according to Pew Research Center, making viewership 8% lower than the least-popular Biden-Trump debate. Its higher than the 37.2 million who tuned in for the 2016 debate between Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine, but still not nearly as watched as the 2008 debate between then-Sen. Biden and then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. That event drew in 69.9 million, Pew data says.

Trump and Biden have already agreed to a second presidential debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: VP Kamala Harris and JD Vance speak by phone after VP nomination
MILWAUKEE  Sen. JD Vances (R-Ohio) selection as former President Trumps running mate could have major implications for the GOPs potential succession fight, putting him in early pole position to become the partys standard-bearer in a post-Trump era.

Trumps vice presidential selection decision was always going to have major ramifications, but those are magnified further as he is limited to a single term, setting up a potential primary battle in 2028 to carry on the ex-presidents mantle.

Vance, 39, has now rocketed toward the top of the list in the eyes of many top Republicans who argue that a successful stint as vice president would put him in a prime spot to lead the America First agenda well into the future.

Were getting ahead of ourselves a little bit here, but hes got a very bright future, and obviously if we are successful and can serve as vice president, he, Im sure, will be on a lot of peoples lists  for a long time to come, said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), a top contender to become Senate Republican leader next year.

Hes a powerful messenger, Thune continued. Very articulate, and whether you agree with him or not, he  always makes a really good argument, makes his case, and I think hell be a ferocious defender of President Trump and his policies.

Trump announced Monday he had chosen Vance as his running mate, opting for the first-term senator over other finalists including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

In doing so, Trump sent a signal that he was focused not just on winning in November, but on setting the trajectory of the party well into the future.

Parts of Trumps base had been skeptical of Rubio, a more traditional conservative, and Burgum was not considered a candidate who would excite Trumps followers.

Vance is viewed as someone who could not only appeal to working-class voters in Pennsylvania in the upcoming election, but could also communicate directly with Trumps supporters, is aligned with Trump on policy and could serve as a younger face of the America First movement.

Donald Trump, I think, is thinking these days a lot about the future, and the future is JD Vance, said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is close with both men.

JD Vance is proworker, hes strong on the border, hes tough on China. He understands whats at stake. And he aligns with Donald Trump on all of the issues, said Banks, whom Trump endorsed in this years Indiana Senate race. I think thats what it comes down to: He represents the future of the party and the movement.

Donald Trump Jr. is close with Vance and was a vocal proponent of his father picking him as a running mate.

Trump Jr. brushed aside concern that Vances inexperience or his youth could be a liability. Instead, he argued, it would be an asset and a way to carry the party into the future.

I love that JD is young. My father built Trump Tower at 37. You can be young and accomplished, Trump Jr. told reporters on the convention floor after the pick was announced.

I love that hes young, because I see him as someone who can actually kind of carry that America First movement forward, Trump Jr. added. Its about a new generation of Republican Party. Hes a young guy that can carry that.

Vances own evolution reflects how Trump has completely reshaped the party. He was once a fierce Trump critic, decrying him as noxious and an idiot around the 2016 election.

But the senator has spoken repeatedly about how he was wrong about Trump and has since become one of his staunchest supporters. Vance has adopted Trumps views on trade, the border, cracking down on China and stopping additional U.S. aid to Ukraine.

The Ohio Republican has also shown during his initial year and a half in the upper chamber that he is unafraid to throw his weight around  a fact that was not lost on his more like-minded colleagues.

He hit the ground running for us, and Im thinking, Man, heres a rookie coming in and he let the leadership know real quick what he thought, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), pointing to his repeated comments opposing more aid for Ukraine or the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that has put him on the other side of many Senate Republicans.

Tuberville declined to get into 2028 possibilities for Vance, pointing to the more pressing need to reelect the former president in November.

It does give you a lot of name recognition, but cant worry about that right now, Tuberville said. Weve got to get Trump and he elected and then let em take it from there.

With Trump a lame-duck president should he win a second term, there are already signs of some in the party keeping an eye toward 2028.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign this cycle, is set to speak at an Iowa Republican Party event being held here during the convention.

Vance, who hails from a Midwest state, would hypothetically be attractive to voters in Iowa, top Republicans argue.

I would say it puts him in the drivers seat for being a national leader, said Jeff Kaufmann, the chair of the Iowa Republican Party.

DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), Trumps foremost primary challengers, both addressed the convention Tuesday night.

No matter the wishes of others, Vances potential promotion could give him a platform many Republicans could only dream of.

If hes not the heir apparent today, I dont know who is, one Republican operative said.

But some high-profile party figures believe that while its a big move for him, it wouldnt come close to sealing anything in 2028. They specifically point to a potential second Trump Cabinet that could be chock-full of potential White House aspirants ahead of the next presidential cycle.

I dont know that that would be the case, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said. [Trumps] going to have a lot of people in there, and so theres going to be a lot of very capable people [interested].

No telling that gives him some advantage, McCarthy continued. But I still dont think it locks it in for him.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
As the summer season heats up, Beijing's dining scene is experiencing a boom, with a significant increase in customer traffic and revenue at numerous restaurants, and some unique cuisines witnessing overwhelming demand.

Data from China Central Television News shows that orders for Beijing specialty snacks and fast food like doufunao (bean curd jelly) and douzhi (mung bean milk) have surged by 85 percent year-on-year this month.

Douzhi is not only distinguished by its special odor, but also for its long and glorious history dating back to the Liao and Jin dynasties (916-1234). Traditionally, it's often served with crispy fried loops (jiao quan) and a small amount of pickle.

"Since July 5, foot traffic has noticeably increased," said Guo Yongzhen, the manager of a douzhi brand in Beijing. "Currently, we serve around 4,000 customers daily, with approximately 80 percent being tourists from outside the city. The daily sales of douzhi range from 3,000 to 4,000 bowls."

At a douzhi shop on Qianmen Street, a renowned commercial area in the capital, queues have been forming as early as 9 am.

According to the shop, many people line up before 5 am. To accommodate the surge in customers, operating hours have been extended by two hours daily, and the number of staff has increased by 20 percent.

Tourists primarily try douzhi out of curiosity to experience its renowned "challenging" taste, widely discussed across social media platforms. The hashtag "Beijing Douzhi" has accumulated more than 1.75 billion views on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, while the hashtag "Douzhi Challenge" has 390 million views.

Opinions on its taste vary greatly.

"I think it's fine for me, just like the pickled vegetables in my hometown," said Wei Zhiming, a traveler from Hebei province. "And this kind of fermented food is good for your health."

However, another visitor from Hebei, surnamed Wan, found it unacceptable, saying, "It's sour and astringent, and I could only drink a few sips."

The manager of a popular douzhi chain shop, surnamed Jia, said, "Despite being a neighborhood shop, we attract visitors from all over, and many find the taste quite challenging."

To cater to visitor preferences, the chain has introduced a new product  douzhi ice cream  which has become a bestseller.

Apart from douzhi, Peking duck remains a quintessential Beijing delicacy. At a Peking duck restaurant in Wangfujing, all 180 tables in the five-story establishment were occupied by eager diners by early afternoon.

The restaurant's management said private dining rooms have been fully booked over 10 days in advance since the start of summer vacation, with most reservations made three to five days earlier than usual.

Liu Qingfei, the restaurant manager at a renowned Peking duck brand in Wangfujing, said: "We serve over 200 portions of Peking duck daily, with queues exceeding two hours during the summer. Before the summer season, the average wait time was half an hour."
By James Oliphant

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - When Senator J.D. Vance takes the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday, he will be viewed by many Republican Party faithful as the newly anointed inheritor of Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement.

Trump's choice of the 39-year-old Vance, a fire-breathing populist, as his vice-presidential pick signaled the former president, 78, views his MAGA movement as something that could stretch beyond his own time in power. If Trump wins the Nov. 5 presidential election he can serve only until 2029.

Vance's task on Wednesday and in ensuing months will be to reassure those dubious about his MAGA credentials of his bona fides while bringing voters skeptical of Trump into the fold, having once compared Trump to Adolf Hitler before his conversion to stalwart Trump defender.

Erick Erickson, a prominent conservative commentator, believes Vance, who rose to national fame after writing a bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," can thread that needle.

"J.D. Vance can speak Trump to people who dont understand Trump," Erickson told Reuters in an interview. "He can explain his agenda."

That MAGA agenda, he said, is largely a loose form of economic populism that focuses on the middle class and favors more government involvement in the economy and seeks to avoid foreign alliances and entanglements.

The MAGA movement itself is both an exercise in media branding and an all-purpose term to define Trump's diehard supporters. They include those who nurse deep-seated racial grievance and many who follow his lead on policy matters regardless of where they fall on the ideological spectrum.

In Trump's hands it's just instincts and impulses, some of which emerge from white grievance, said Damon Linker, a political science lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. But in Vance's (formulation), it's much bigger than that. Or at least he wants it to be.

Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School and a former venture capitalist, is now well positioned to help mold Trumps often scattershot vision into something coherent for the future, he said.

Where Trump often traffics in simple but memorable phrases, Vance can delve deeply into policy nuances at conservative forums and in extended interviews with the media.

"He does bring an intellectual firepower to whatever MAGA stands for," Erickson said.

That could be crucial because Trump's movement has never been ideological, but based on the instincts of Trump himself, Linker said. Without the right successor, it could die with him.

The question for Trump's movement going forward is whether somebody with less charisma than Trump, a former reality TV star, "can communicate this message in a way thats effective," said Suzanne Schneider, a historian who studies conservatism at Oxford University.

Trump's critics are doubtful and say the force of his celebrity and personality has given him influence that would be nearly impossible for a would-be successor to replicate.

SENATE FRESHMAN

Elected to the U.S. Senate less than two years ago, Vance has spent much of his brief political career arguing the government needs to do more to assist the working class by advancing policies that boost wages.

Those policies, according to Vance, can take the form of limiting illegal immigration, restricting imports, raising the minimum wage and cracking down on corporate largesse - positions that aren't entirely in line with Republican orthodoxy but track Trump's MAGA agenda closely.

Last year, Vance partnered with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren on legislation that would penalize bank executives when their institutions fail.

Some at the convention viewed Vance's selection as a sign the MAGA movement has advanced to where Trump can eventually pass the baton to others.

I see the selection of J.D. Vance as the continuation of Donald Trumps policies, of America First policies, said Chuck Hernandez, chair of the Chicago Republican Party. Were at the point where we needed to mature and go and continue.

Vance isn't alone. An entire new generation of MAGA acolytes could be scrambling for power and influence when Trump leaves the stage.

Potential rivals include Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, the tech entrepreneur who ran for president this year and enjoyed a spurt of popularity among Trumps base, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, 41, who served in the Trump White House as press secretary, and perhaps Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., 46, who has worked steadily to make himself a behind-the-scenes kingmaker in the party and who strongly backed Vance.

There is an entire movement behind him full of people who are younger and smarter and will be better and more efficient in governing, Schneider said.

Carla Sands, a former U.S. ambassador to Denmark and a fundraiser for Trump who attended the convention as a delegate from Pennsylvania, said the MAGA movement will have legs beyond Trump because of its focus on the middle class.

The working people in our country over the last 30 years have been left behind, Sands said. I consider them to be the forgotten men and women. And theyre forgotten no more under this movement.

(Reporting by James Oliphant; additional reporting by Helen Coster and Alexandra Ulmer; editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
Shaw University will replace St. Augustines University as the higher-education partner for Wake Countys two early college leadership academies, the school board voted unanimously Tuesday.

Students in the Wake Young Mens Leadership Academy and Wake Young Womens Leadership Academy previously took tuition-free college courses at St. Augs. But the Wake school board voted in March to end its partnership with St. Augs at the close of last school year because of the schools financial and accreditation struggles.

I cannot be more excited to have Shaw University as our partner, school board member Sam Hershey said. They are everything that our families, our students and our staff are looking for. They are incredibly enthusiastic about this partnership and presenting opportunities for us to grow with them, particularly on the leadership side.

The school district is on track for the Shaw academies in the 2025-26 academic year, thanks to a bill passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper that allows a new early college partner and the continuation of state funding under North Carolinas Cooperative Innovative High Schools program.

For the upcoming school year, students will take early college courses at Wake Technical Community College while preparations continue for the 2025-26 year. The academies will follow the Wake Tech calendar for the 2024-25 school year, with students first day of class being Aug. 7.

How did the school district select Shaw University?





Administrators narrowed the list of contenders for the next partner down to N.C. State University and Shaw last month after meeting with administrators from the two schools, along with N.C. Wesleyan University, Wake Tech and William Peace University.

Seydric Williams, Northwestern Area Superintendent for the school system, said key contributors in the decision to select Shaw included courses offered on campus, leadership development opportunities, university amenities the students will have access to, academic support and proximity to the academy main campuses.

It was an easier choice because we knew one option gave parents almost all of the things that they wanted, Vice Chair Monika Johnson-Hostler said in a work session Tuesday.

Shaw provided audited financial statements for four fiscal years to the school board for review. Founded in 1865, Shaw is a private historically Black university in Raleigh. It touts its title as the Souths first historically Black institution of higher education.

Johnson-Hostler expressed excitement about selecting an HBCU to be the districts university partner during Tuesdays regular board meeting.

Its about the importance of that rich history being spread to all of our students, she said.

In the work session Tuesday, Williams hinted that Shaw was on board with having Wake County staff teach on the universitys campus for early college courses  while N.C. State was not.

One particular university said yes without a doubt, he said. The other one said only university courses.

What are the next steps?

On Tuesday, the school board approved the 2024-25 calendar for the two academies in addition to selecting Shaw as the partner.

Next, staff will complete the paperwork to officially identify the university partner to the state Department of Public Instruction. They will then work with academy principals to plan for the 2025-26 school year.

In early October, Wake County staff will present an application to NCDPI that will outline the logistics and details of the partnership with Shaw.
The News

Former Wall Street Journal reporter Selina Cheng claims she was fired after refusing to step down from her role as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, a press advocacy group accused by Chinese state media of destabilizing the city.

Cheng on social media Wednesday said a supervisor had told her that helming HKJA would be incompatible with her position, and she was terminated three weeks later. The Journals publisher said only that it had made personnel changes, the Washington Post reported.

In a statement, HKJA said other media outlets had discouraged their reporters from advocating for press freedom at the association and at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club, out of fear of retaliation from local authorities.

The incident is the latest to rock Hong Kongs once-vibrant press corps since the implementation of the citys draconian National Security Law, which criminalized virtually any speech critical of Beijing. Cheng said she is deeply shocked that the Journal appears to fear press advocacy in Hong Kong, even as it champions press freedom in other countries such as Russia, where its reporter Evan Gershkovich remains in prison.
(Bloomberg) -- At Institutional Investor, keeper of Wall Streets version of the Oscars for financial analysts, the winner in one category this year is  nobody.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The red carpet is being formally rolled up for the three letters, ESG. The 57-year-old II has dropped the label, short for environmental, social and governance, from its annual analyst rankings.

In its place is sustainability, a synonym many banks and money managers are using instead, amid the increasingly politicized debate over climate change and corporate diversity in the US.This is how it is these days for ESG in American finance. The label, which emerged from obscurity only to be hyped by Wall Street and then attacked by Republican politicians, is being scrubbed from some investment products and job titles.

Banks arent all in like they were during the boom days, said Michael Karp, who runs recruitment firm Options Group in New York.

Financial firms have been navigating a fraught path in the US for much of the past two years. Theyre much less vocal about topics like climate change to avoid the ire of oil-rich red states, but not completely silent so as to not alienate clients in blue states and cities, as well as those in Europe, where ESG  both the term and the investment business  remains a potent force.

At stake are more than a few letters: The historic hurricane that battered the Caribbean and then Texas, and recent wildfires in California show the gravity of an overheating planet. And thats stoking demand for niche but fast-growing corners of ESG investing, including climate-transition funds and debt instruments such as catastrophe bonds, where issuance is at a record high.

In addition, global investment in the energy transition rose 17% last year to a record $1.8 trillion and the numbers continue to grow, according to researchers at BloombergNEF. The US posted strong growth in 2023, spending $303 billion, BNEF said.

While some US firms, including Neuberger Berman, are sticking with ESG, others say the label is diminished. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has replaced ESG in analysts job titles with the words sustainability and transition. Wellington Management Co. and Lazard Asset Management have cut jobs. Bank of America Corp. has reorganized its ESG research team and merged the groups activities with clean energy.

Representatives for the firms declined to comment or didnt respond to messages seeking comment.

The narrative around ESG has certainly changed. Bank chiefs, who were talking up net zero emissions goals just a few ago, continue to do business with fossil-fuel companies. State Street Global Advisors and other investment giants have abandoned groups set up to fight global warming. Investor support for environmental and social shareholder proposals has declined, and mentions of climate change, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, are now much less common on company conference calls.

Other headwinds for ESG include a seminal climate rule from the US Securities and Exchange Commission thats being challenged in the courts and the Federal Reserve, which has thwarted efforts to make environmental risks a focus of global financial rules. Another big worry is the possibility of a second Trump administration that would be even more hostile to climate initiatives and environmental regulation than the first.

Perhaps most importantly, wind and solar, a big part of the green-energy pitch, has simply been a bad investment lately. The S&P Global Clean Energy Index has plummeted more than 50% from its peak in early 2021, even as the S&P 500 ascended to record highs.

Small wonder, then, that US funds with ESG goals are falling out of favor. Despite gains in the broader stock market, the sectors assets have fallen to roughly $335 billion from a peak closer to $365 billion at the end of 2021, according to researchers at Morningstar Inc.

And investors are pulling money at a faster pace. In the first three months of this year, they withdrew a record $8.8 billion from these funds, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of outflows, Morningstar reported. The industry malaise also forced hedge fund manager Jeff Ubben to shutter his sustainable-investment fund late last year, saying the strategy hasnt been rewarded in financial markets.

At the same time, the once-promising business of ESG bonds has gone from hot to not for Wall Street underwriters. About $38 billion of ESG-linked corporate bonds were issued in the US during the first six months of the year, down from about $70 billion in the first half of 2021 when the industry took off.

Institutional Investor, for its part, is simply following the lead of the industry it chronicles, according to David Enticknap, who runs II Research. Whilst there may be a perceived backlash against the term ESG, we understand that most sell-side firms have retained some analysts in the field, Enticknap said in an email. Changing the category to sustainability made sense, he said.Ever since the label was conjured up by United Nations staffers two decades ago, its often confused people inside and outside of the financial industry because it covers a diffuse set of overlapping topics. That didnt stop Wall Street from using ESG to sell everything from mom-and-pop investment funds to complex financial products.

The industry has been overpowered by those who simply have their short-term financial interest in focus, said John Streur, a champion of socially responsible investing since the 1990s who stepped down in March as chief executive officer of Calvert Research and Management.

We're still a niche, let's face it, said Streur, whos currently working on an ESG data project.

After ESG topics such as worker strikes drove down shares of US automakers and wildfires in Europe hurt the tourist industry last year, investors can ill afford to totally shun the label.

If we dont have ESG, company valuations will be bumpy and there could be events that drive companies out of business, said Alison Taylor, who teaches sustainability at New York University.

But some US firms are staying the course on ESG topics. Jim Coulter, co-founder of private equity giant TPG Inc., featured in a video posted on the firms website titled Capital and the Climate Revolution. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. rank among the top global underwriters of green bonds this year, while Bank of America, Neuberger Berman and Wells Fargo & Co. sponsored conferences in New York and Chicago as recently as last month that focused on ESG topics.

And while BlackRock CEO Larry Fink  a target of GOP officials for promoting ESG  has stopped mentioning the label, George Walker, who runs Neuberger Berman, isnt shying away. The second cousin of former US President George W. Bush said his New York-based firm was at a loss in understanding how investments can be managed responsibly without regarding financially important ESG risks and opportunities.

The term ESG has been used imprecisely in the industry, creating a perception that those who embraced it were beholden to a social or even political agenda, Walker wrote in Neubergers annual report. The only agenda the firm has is to meet its clients objectives, and that always requires us to try to be aware of all financially material risk exposures, he said.

Walker also pointed to a New Hampshire bill that was introduced earlier this year  and quickly rejected  that sought to criminalize the use of ESG factors.

The incident, he said, speaks to the moment of hyper-polarization and politicization of these issues.

--With assistance from Caleb Mutua.

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STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  A woman from Triangle was taken into custody after she was accused of trying to commit fraud at a Target in Stafford County, according to the Stafford County Sheriffs Office (SCSO).

On July 14 around 8:30 p.m., deputies went to the Target on S. Gateway Drive to investigate a woman trying to return items.

During their investigation, deputies learned that staff recognized 32-year-old Chloee Davis, of Triangle, from an incident at the store on July 2. However, she drove away in a BMW before they arrived.

Motorcyclist killed in crash involving pick-up truck in Calvert County

While on I-95, deputies spotted the BMW and conducted a traffic stop. During this time, the SCSO said they recovered 13 Canon cameras valued at $8,449 and two VR Systems valued at $999 in the vehicle.

Deputies recovered 13 Canon Cameras and 2 VR Systems during a traffic stop in Stafford County on July 14. (Photo Courtesy: Stafford County Sheriffs Office)

She was charged with attempted false pretenses, possession of stolen property, possession with intent to distribute stolen property, and driving suspended. Deputies said Davis was wanted in Virginia Beach for failure to appear.

FPD: Fredericksburg man charged after police seized cocaine, marijuana, $17k, gun during drug investigation

The Sheriffs Office also obtained warrants for the incident on July 2 and Davis was charged with shoplifting and false pretenses. She was being held on a $5,000 bond.

The SSCO said another woman, in the BMW, was wanted in Newport News for failure to appear. She was arrested and held on a $2,000 bond.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Two Democratic lawmakers are pushing the Biden administration to strengthen oversight of gun exports to foreign governments, raising alarm about American-made firearms used in El Salvador gang violence, a mass shooting in a nursery school in Thailand, and in Israel against Palestinian civilians.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo shared exclusively with The Hill, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) call for stricter oversight and restrictions on the export of assault weapons and small firearms.

The letter was sent July 1, the final day to submit comments for a proposed rule announced by the Commerce Department in April that restricts all small arms exports to nongovernment entities in high risk countries.

Elizabeth Warren, Joaquin Castro (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File/Carolyn Kaster)

It would be a mistake for the Department of Commerce to finalize a rule that allows U.S. military-style weapons to keep fueling violent, needless killings around the world, Warren said in a statement to The Hill.

Strengthening safeguards for assault weapon exports is a national security priority.

Warren and Castro are critical of the Biden administration maintaining former President Trumps transfer of authority from the State Department to Commerce Department for the commercial export of firearms.

While they welcome the introduction of the proposed rule in April, the Democrats are calling on the Commerce Department to tighten the rules surrounding the export of firearms to foreign governments and commit to publishing data publicly on such sales.

While we continue to support returning all firearms export controls to the State Department, we urge the Commerce Department to incorporate the recommendations in this letter as part of its policy review in the interim, in order to strengthen export controls and end-use checks and to crack down on unnecessary export promotion of weapons used in brutal killings abroad, they wrote.

In particular, they raise concern about the Israeli government supplying citizens  including many who are settlers in the West Bank  with firearms amid an increase in violent confrontations with Palestinians, in particular since Hamass Oct. 7 attack.

In December, the Biden administration reportedly paused a sale of 20,000 U.S.-made rifles to Israel over concerns about attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank.

A State Department spokesperson told The Hill on Tuesday that the agency is restricted from publicly confirming or commenting on details regarding pre-decisional direct commercial defense sales licensing activities.

All U.S. weapons transfers are subject to rules governing their use, including as the Secretary said, the imperative of respect for humanitarian law, the statement continued.

But the lawmakers are calling for the Commerce Department to take additional steps beyond the April rule to implement adequate oversight of the transfer of weapons to governmental end users.

Without safeguarding against and thoroughly vetting the threats of human rights abuses by governmental end users, the rule functionally allows for a free flow of weapons to military and police forces in many countries, they said, citing text from an advocacy group seeking to crack down on how U.S. weapons are used in human rights abuses by security forces, or the illegal trafficking of U.S.-purchased guns in Mexico.

They also raise concern that the April rule does not comprehensively restrict the sale of firearms to nongovernment actors abroad, nor does it ban the commercial resale of assault weapons outside the U.S.

Additionally, Warren and Castro call for the Commerce Department to commit to releasing firearms export data.

The public deserves to know whether their government is rubber stamping approvals of assault weapons licenses and transfers that end up in the hands of malicious actors that threaten U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the lawmakers wrote.

Transparency regarding export approvals data and how American firearms are used once abroad is one of the key ways Commerce can be held accountable.

Investigations by media and think tanks on the impact of U.S. sales of firearms abroad rely on a range of different data sources to try to piece together the scale of such exports.

The Center for American Progress (CAP), citing trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau, said U.S. exports of firearms increased 15 percent by volume and 33 percent in value between 2020 and 2023, illustrating the impact of weapons exports when placed under the authority of the Commerce Department.

By comparison, exports decreased when comparing both value and volume from the four years before 2016 to the years after, the CAP report notes.

The lawmakers in their letter point to violent incidents outside the U.S. where American-made weapons were involved, underscoring the seriousness of implementing reforms. They point to an October 2022 shooting at a nursery school in Thailand by a police officer who killed 36 people with a sugarcane machete and an American-made Sig Sauer pistol.

And they raise the example of concerns over human rights violations by security forces in El Salvador and incidents of firearms used in homicides, particularly in 2022, as coinciding with a rise in the export of U.S.-sold semiautomatic firearms.

We are concerned that the changes fail to include key reporting requirements and do not go far enough to prevent assault weapons from ending up in the hands of dangerous actors around the world, the lawmakers wrote.

National security must come before commerce.

The Commerce Department told The Hill it had received the letter and will reply through the appropriate channels.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Roughly 143,000 students in Washington receive special education and related services. (Richard Ross/Getty Images)

Washington lacks qualified special education teachers and teachers aides, but the state doesnt know how bad the problem really is  just that at least 1.5% of the teachers arent qualified for their jobs.

Thats according to a new state audit, which found that alongside high vacancy rates in special education, a significant number of those in the classroom do not hold full teaching endorsements for special education or are comparatively inexperienced in this field.

While the percentage may appear relatively small, its nearly three times higher than the percentage of instruction statewide provided by underqualified teachers in other content areas. The next highest percentage of under qualified instructors is in elementary education, at 0.6%, according to data from a 2024 Professional Educator Standards Board report.

Roughly 143,000 eligible students in Washington receive special education and related services, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The office did not immediately provide the exact number of total special education teachers in Washington, but reported 5,813 full-time equivalent classroom teachers in the special education program during the 2022-2023 school year.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said it appreciated the efforts of the auditors office to study the issue and said theyre making good progress in this area.

In our state and across the nation, special education is consistently an area with above-average educator turnover, Katy Payne, the offices spokesperson, said in a statement. We are proud of our efforts to attract and retain high-quality educators into these critical positions.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction touted its teacher residency program, which is focused on training future special education teachers. Several residents from the first cohort just got hired for permanent jobs, Payne said.

The agency has also advocated for funding a hiring bonus for teachers within a districts special education program and pointed to multiple requests to provide more funding for special education and data tracking to accurately estimate vacancies.

Its not surprising that there are comparatively more under-credentialed special education teachers in Washingtons classrooms than in other content areas, said Josh Taylor, assistant professor of special education at Washington State University.

I was surprised the number was as low as it was, Taylor said.

Taylor said shortages in special education are routine across nearly every state in the country, if not every state. Districts hire teachers without special education certifications because turnover and vacancies are so high, and they need staff  but then those teachers leave because they arent well-prepared.

That becomes this nasty, cyclical problem, Taylor said. We just need to devote more resources at a systemic level, both in preparing more teachers, preparing them better and then supporting them when theyre in a place to stick around until they can become experienced teachers and mentor others.

Washington does not track statewide teacher vacancy data, but the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said in a 2024 state budget proposal that the vacancy rate for special education teachers was much higher than for general elementary teaching positions.

A 2021 University of Washington study analyzing district job postings found that about 20% of vacant teaching positions were for special education, a rate three times higher than for elementary education teachers.

Inexperienced teachers and teachers aides, also known as paraeducators, are also common in special education settings, the audit found. Paraeducators are particularly important in special education, Taylor said, and the profession has long seen high turnover rates. Nearly 50% of Washington paraeducators have less than five years of experience, the audit says, citing a 2023 study from an education research center that includes 11 universities, including the University of Washington.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction attributes paraeducator turnover to low wages. The average hourly wage for paraeducators in Washington is $22 an hour, according to the agency. The office recommended the Legislature raise wages by $7 an hour during this years legislative session. Instead, lawmakers gave districts additional funds that they can use on paraeducator wages but arent required to.

Taylor, a former paraeducator, said the profession needs much more support from lawmakers. He also wants to see lawmakers support more pathways for aspiring special education teachers  many of whom begin as paraeducators  and incentivize pursuing special education as a profession. Mentorship and guidance once educators begin teaching, he said, is also sorely needed.

Research also suggests high turnover could be partly attributed to changing perceptions of the field of education, according to Taylor.

Some of the criticism, I think, of K-12 education has had a detrimental impact on morale, Taylor said. I talk to teachers who are wavering about staying in the field and feel like theyre just not valued by society in the same way they felt like they were when they went into the field. And that stinks.

Hopefully, itll change, because education is really important, and our teachers should deserve to know that the work that theyre doing matters, he added.

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Washington State Standard, like Oregon Capital Chronicle, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and X.
Washington man accused of causing $105k in damage to Oregon energy plants in 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man has been accused of causing $105,000 of combined damage to two Oregon energy plants in 2022.

According to the Department of Justice, 33-year-old Tacoma, Washington resident Zachary Rosenthal faces charges that include three counts of damaging an energy facility.

Former Senate President Peter Courtney, legend of Oregon Legislature, dies at 81

On November 24 and 28, 2022, Rosenthal is accused of knowingly and willfully damaging two energy facilitiesthe Ostrander Substation in Oregon City, Oregon and the Sunnyside Substation in Clackamas, Oregonwith the intent of interrupting or impairing the function of both facilities. The indictment further alleges that Rosenthal caused damages exceeding $100,000 to the Ostrander Substation and $5,000 to the Sunnyside Substation. Both facilities are involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity, the DOJ said.

Oregons Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs reopens this week

Additionally, a second indictment was also unsealed, charging Rosenthal with stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

According to this indictment, in January 2023, Rosenthal is alleged to have stolen 24 firearms he was restricted from possessing from a federal firearms licensee in the Portland area, officials said.

Rosenthal made his first appearance in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

An alleged accomplice, 30-year-old Nathaniel Adam Cheney of Centralia, Washington, was also named in the Sunnyside Substation incident in 2022, which caused $5,000 worth of damage. Cheney made an appearance in federal court on April 10 and pleaded not guilty. He was released pending a two-day jury trial set for August 20.

Damaging an energy facility and causing more than $100K in damages is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the DOJ.

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This file photo shows a power line in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Washington man who is accused of damaging two energy facilities in Clackamas County in 2022 was arraigned Tuesday in federal court in Portland.

A Washington man who is accused of damaging two energy facilities in Clackamas County in 2022 was arraigned Tuesday in federal court in Portland.

Zachary Rosenthal, 33, of Tacoma, was indicted on charges of intentionally damaging the Bonneville Power Administration's Ostrander Substation in Oregon City and the Portland General Electric's Sunnyside Substation in Clackamas with the aim of disrupting operations.

Rosenthal was charged with inflicting more than $100,000 in damage to the Ostrander Station and causing more than $5,000 worth of damage to the Sunnyside Substation on Nov. 24 and 28, 2022, according to the indictment.

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The indictment also names a man accused of being an accomplice, also from Washington, Nathaniel Adam Cheney, 33, of Centralia. Cheney also is accused of causing damage to the Sunnyside Substation. He was arraigned in April and is scheduled to go to trial on Aug. 20.

A second indictment unsealed Tuesday charged Rosenthal with stealing 24 firearms from a federal firearms licensee in January 2023 and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

Rosenthal pleaded not guilty on all charges and was detained until further court proceedings.

The attacks were part of a series of attacks on substations in Oregon and Washington in 2022 that may have been tied to Neo-Nazi extremist groups, OPB reported.

Convictions of charges of causing more than $100,000 in damage to an energy facility are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and three years' supervised release, while convictions on charges of causing more than $5,000 in damage are punishable by up to five years in prison with three years' supervised release.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Zachary Rosenthal charged with damaging energy facilities
Workers at the Washoe County Registrar of Voters counting early ballots in 2020. The process was live-streamed online. (Screengrab via YouTube)

Two of the three Washoe County commissioners who refused to certify the results of two primary election recounts reversed course Tuesday, acknowledging that certification is mandatory and that delaying the process could potentially subject them to criminal prosecution.

The Washoe County Commission, in a 4-1 vote, certified the results of the two primary election recounts, which resulted in only minor changes to total vote counts. Commissioners had rejected certification 3-2 on July 9, though they had approved the original canvas of the election 3-2 earlier in June.

Commissioner Clara Andriola  who voted to certify the original results, then voted against certifying the recount, then asked that the board reconsider that vote  said in prepared remarks that the Washoe County District Attorneys Office had provided clarifying direction on the nature of our duties to canvas the election returns. She also acknowledged that the secretary of state and attorney general had quickly petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to intervene and force certification.

Essentially, it is my crystal clear understanding that canvassing elections  whether its a primary, general, or recount  as defined in statute is a legal duty and affords no discretion to refuse, Andriola said. In America, in Nevada, and right here in Washoe County, we can and must do everything we can to restore faith and confidence in our elections.

Andriola said she had met with the countys interim registrar of voters about the concerns that compelled her vote against certification and now felt assured they would be properly addressed.

Commissioner Mike Clark, who twice rejected certification of the primary election results, also acknowledged he was required to certify, though he added he was doing it with a heavy heart and made it clear he remains uncertain about the validity of election results.

Clark said District Attorney Christopher Hicks sent him a letter after last weeks vote stating the commissioners could be subject to criminal prosecution and forfeiture of office for not certifying the results of the recount.

As such my vote today is being made under extreme duress under the threat of both my position and prosecution, Clark added.

Commissioner Jeanne Herman, the third Republican on the commission, again voted against certification, as she has with previous elections.

There are hills to climb on and there are hills to die on and this might be one of those, she said. My constituents come to me with reports of fraud. Weve had people come here and report over and over and over the hardships (they face) to go to the election and have their vote count. I always felt it was my duty to protect the voters rights by not certifying a bad election canvas.

The day after Clark, Herman and Andriola voted against certifying the recount results, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to confirm the legal obligations of county commissioners and require the entire Washoe Board of County Commissioners to canvass and certify the accurate, recounted election results.

The ACLU of Nevada filed an amicus brief in support of the secretary of state and attorney general, with Executive Director Athar Haseebullah saying in a statement that a quick resolution is necessary in advance of November, when election deniers are likely to use this tactic and others to perpetuate absurd conspiracy theories in an effort to undermine our democracy.

Commission discusses possible 2025 bills

Washoe County commissioners on Tuesday also discussed policy priorities for the 2025 Legislative Session, which will begin in February. Washoe County can directly sponsor two bills and is a member of the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO), which sponsors additional bills.

Clark proposed sponsoring a bill that would allow for automatic recounts of close elections. In existing law, candidates must request  and pay for  recounts regardless of how close the races are. Lily Baran in this years primary lost the opportunity to advance in a Reno City Council general election by just 15 votes. The progressive candidate requested a recount but withdrew her request after being inundated with criticism for accepting money from right-wing activist Robert Beadles to pay for the recount.

Clarks motion to direct county representatives to pursue that as a bill draft request was unanimously supported by the commissioners.

Commissioners learned that NACO is considering sponsoring a bill to clarify in state law that voter signatures are not considered public records that can be requested from county election officials. The thought process, the countys legislative liaison explained, is that there is no public value to distributing copies of peoples signatures.

The proposal would not change the in-person observation of ballot processing at county election offices and signatures would still be considered public record for that purpose.

Despite that clarification being noted, several public commenters expressed opposition to the proposal and suggested it would make the countys election process less transparent. Clark suggested it would be ineffective at protecting anyones information because signatures can be gathered from other places, such as driver licenses.

Other policy priorities discussed by the commission were not related to elections.
Joe Biden said he would stand down from the presidential election race if he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

The US president, 81, admitted that he would step back under a doctors orders, as he faced a growing rebellion among Democrats.

Asked if there was any reason he would leave the race, Mr Biden said: If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem.

Hours after the interview aired, Mr Biden tested positive for Covid-19. The White House said he would self-isolate at his home in Delaware, and cancelled a planned speech in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

It is the second time Mr Biden has hinted that he could step down under certain conditions, after he said last week that he could exit the race if polls showed he was unable to win.

It comes as Adam Schiff, a California congressman, became the most prominent Democrat to publicly call for Mr Biden to stand down.

On Wednesday, he said that Mr Biden should pass the torch, citing serious concerns about whether he could beat Donald Trump.

Adam Schiff, a California congressman, is the most prominent Democrat to publicly call for Mr Biden to stand down - MANDEL NGAN/AFP

Worries over his health have grown since his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, which was followed by a series of gaffes in interviews and speeches.

On Tuesday, he lost his train of thought during a speech about rent controls, a new policy designed to appeal to Left-wing voters.

Mr Bidens team has denied that he has Parkinsons disease, after questions were raised about a neurologist who has made several visits to the White House in the last year.

A new poll shows that Mr Biden would perform worse in some swing states in November than some other Democrats, including Kamala Harris, his vice-president. Pollsters expect Trump to gain in the polls after his assassination attempt.

Mr Biden has insisted he will not stand down, saying first that only the Lord Almighty could tell him to leave the race, then that he would concede if he did not believe he could beat Trump.

His allies have launched a bid to have him nominated as the Democratic candidate earlier than the partys convention in August.

Mr Biden said in Wednesdays interview that he had previously hoped to move on from politics, but decided to run again because of political division and the threat of a second Trump presidency.

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Watch: Biden says he will cap rent rises at $55 after struggling to read teleprompter

Joe Biden struggled to read from a teleprompter on Tuesday, muddling the announcement of a major new policy.

The US president, 81, was speaking at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention in Nevada, where he was expected to announce a new five per cent cap on rental increases nationwide  but instead mistakenly said he would be capping rent rises to $55.

Mr Biden has relied heavily on teleprompters during public appearances, often trailing off and losing track of his thoughts without one.

But on Tuesday, he appeared to lack sufficiently good eyesight to decipher what was on the screen in front of him. Gripping the sides of his stand, he leaned forward, squinting before almost whispering: Im about to announce that they cant raise it more than $55.

He looked dazed after he uttered the words, pausing before shooting a worried look to the side of the stage.

At another point in the speech, he got the policy correct but trailed off as he attempted to explain its significance. So corporate landlords cant... guard... anyway, he said.

The gaffe is the latest in an increasingly alarming stream of bizarre speech blunders, as the US president struggles to quell the Democratic Partys panic about his age and fitness for office.

At last weeks Nato summit in Washington, an event meant to showcase his leadership to the world stage, Mr Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Putin.

President Putin? he said, correcting himself. President Zelensky. Im so focused on beating Putin.

Mr Bidens new proposal to halt rent increases in the US would cut off tax credits for landlords who try to raise rent by more than five per cent.

The policy would apply to landlords who own more than 50 units, comprising about 20 million rental units across the country, according to the Biden administration.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Left-wing Congresswoman, has pushed the White House to take more aggressive action on housing in recent private interactions with officials.

Mr Biden recently endorsed two ideas pitched by Bernie Sanders  eliminating medical debt and expanding Social Security benefits  at a rally in Michigan. Both Mr Sanders and Ms Ocasio-Cortez have backed Mr Biden recently as support drains away from his candidacy.

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Watch: Burglary suspect busted in the act by police drone in California

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KTLA)  A burglary suspect in Santa Monica was taken into custody over the Fourth of July holiday after a police drone returning to the station spotted him breaking into vehicles in the parking lot near the pier, authorities announced.

The July 6 incident unfolded as the Santa Monica Police Departments drone pilot was flying the unmanned aircraft back from a radio call and decided to first survey the crowd situation near the Santa Monica Pier.

More US and World News

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

A Santa Monica police drone pilot spotted a burglary suspect in the act of breaking into vehicles and directed ground officers to the location where the man was taken into custody on July 6, 2024. (SMPD)

As he was flying over Lot 1 North (the large lot just north of the Pier), the pilot noticed a male subject wandering through the lot acting suspiciously, SMPD said in a social media post.

Footage of the incident shows the man, wearing a backpack over a gray hoodie, sidling up to a dark-colored SUV, pulling a screwdriver out of his pocket and quickly using it to punch open the locked drivers side door.

He is then seen getting inside the vehicle where he spent several minutes, presumably rifling through the owners belongings.

While he was in the vehicle, the pilot called for officers to respond to the lot, SMPD said. While they were on their way, the suspect used the same tactic to break into another vehicle, this time a truck.

The drone pilot was able to direct responding officers to the right row of spaces in the lot where they detained the man.

More Crime News

Officers found the suspect in possession of multiple stolen items and placed him under arrest for vehicle burglary and various other theft crimes, police added.

Santa Monica PDs Drone as First Responder Program launched in November 2022 and was modeled after a similar program in Chula Vista, which is south of San Diego, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.

The program employs a sworn officer pilot who deploys the drone from the roof of the citys Public Safety Facility and can be airborne almost immediately after a call.

Once on-scene, the pilot can provide updates, check for suspects fleeing and give a direction of travel, and guide in responding officers, SMPD says. All of this significantly increases our chances of successfully and safely ending dangerous incidents.

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What to watch on Day 3 of the RNC

What to watch on Day 3 of the RNC

The Republican National Convention is entering its third day on Wednesday, with Sen. JD Vances (R-Ohio) prime-time speech marking the marquee event of the day.

Vance will formally accept the partys vice presidential nomination, while other expected speakers include Donald Trump Jr., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

Here are three things to watch on Day 3 of the convention.

Vances big moment

Vance will step into the spotlight Wednesday as he formally accepts the nomination of vice president on the GOP ticket.

Wednesdays speech will be a major moment for the first-term senator, who will be introducing himself to a significant part of the country and seeking to articulate former President Trumps vision for a second term.

Vance is expected to lean heavily on his biography, including his childhood in Appalachia, his experience growing up with poverty and his service in the Marines. He will also speak about how he has come around to become one of Trumps most ardent defenders.

Organizers are hopeful Vances message will resonate with working class Americans, particularly in the Rust Belt and swing states like Pennsylvania.

Wednesdays speech will be the first Vance has ever given at a political convention.

How intense do attacks get

Day 1 of the convention featured few personal attacks against President Biden and Democrats as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for dialed down rhetoric following an assassination attempt at a Saturday Trump rally.

But by Day 2, the attacks were more common and at times more visceral.

West Virginia Senate candidate Jim Justice (R) warned that the country would become totally unhinged if Biden won in November. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) painted a dark picture of an America overrun by crime, while former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson accused the media of trying to divide us along lines of race, class and gender, rather than uniting us around our shared bonds as Americans.

Trump and his team have said multiple times that he ripped up his original speech for Thursday and rewrote one that was toned down and more unifying in the wake of Saturdays tragedy.

The question is if others will follow suit.

The theme of the day is Make America Strong Once Again, with a focus on border security and foreign policy. And some of the expected speakers are firebrands, including Trump Jr., former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Team Biden counterprograms

The Biden campaign for the first time is sending both members of its ticket out onto the trail to try and counter the Republican convention.

President Biden, who addressed an NAACP gathering Tuesday, will speak to the Latino community at a UnidosUS event in Nevada on Wednesday.

Vice President Harris will be in Michigan for a campaign event in Kalamazoo, where she will participate in a conversation with former Trump administration official Olivia Troye and with former Republican voter Amanda Stratton, who has spoken about GOP efforts to roll back abortion access.

Harris will travel Thursday to North Carolina, marking her seventh trip to the state this year as Democrats seek to flip it blue in November.

Biden campaign officials have in recent days resumed attacking Trump over his policies in the wake of Saturdays assassination attempt, and Harris hit Vance as a would-be rubber stamp for Trump in a potential second term.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took the podium at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday to discuss the issues within President Joe Biden's presidential term.

The Republican National Convention is in Milwaukee through Thursday where former President Donald Trump on Thursday will formally accept the partys nomination for the 2024 Election.

USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network have nearly 40 journalists on the ground in Milwaukee and you can follow along with our live blog for updates throughout the day.

RNC 2024 live updates: Sam Brown takes the stage; Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis set to speak

What to know about Ron DeSantis:

DeSantis won the race for governor of Florida in 2018, with the help of an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, after representing Florida's 6th District in the U.S. House from 2012 to 2018.

A staunch MAGA conservative, DeSantis a culture warrior in the same vein as former Trump.

Before entering the Republican primary, he was widely seen as an avatar of, and then a possible alternative to, Trump but he dropped out of the race in January after a disappointing performance in the Iowa Caucus and brutal personal attacks from Trump, which went largely unanswered.

DeSantis came in third in terms of Republican primary delegates, with 9, compared to Nikki Haley's 97 and Trump's 2,268.

"Our border is a disaster, crime infests our cities, the federal government makes it harder for families to make ends meet, and the president flounders. But decline is a choice, success is attainable, and freedom is worth fighting for," DeSantis said in announcing his presidential run in 2023, summarizing some of the key points of his platform.

On Tuesday night, the theme remained largely the same, but this time Trump was named as the person who could stem the tide: "We need a Commander in Chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week," he said. "America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernie's presidency."

When and where is the Republican National Convention?

The Republicans' convention will take place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, will be the main venue for the RNC.

There also will be events at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.

How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC from start to finish, and you can watch it here starting Monday, July 15:

Updates from the RNC will be available at gopconvention2024.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Ron DeSantis speech at Republican National Convention: Watch
July 17 (UPI) -- A Florida man was caught on video running through a fire station in Jacksonville and catching an alligator taking shelter under a truck.

Mike Dragich, a licensed alligator trapper, said he was called to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue station because the 8-foot alligator had been living in a pond next to the station and was preventing city workers from checking a meter.

Dragich, aka the Blue Collar Brawler on social media, ended up pursuing the gator through the station and pulling it out from its hiding place under a fire truck.

He wrestled with the reptile and held its snout shut with his bare hands until a firefighter could secure it with tape.
Former reality TV personality Savannah Chrisley took the podium at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday to discuss her family's accusations of fraud and are serving a combined sentence of 19 years.

The Republican National Convention is in Milwaukee through Thursday where former President Donald Trump on Thursday will formally accept the partys nomination for the 2024 Election.

USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network have nearly 40 journalists on the ground in Milwaukee and you can follow along with our live blog for updates throughout the day.

RNC 2024 live updates: Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis set to speak; Babydog takes the stage

What to know about Savannah Chrisley:

Chrisley starred in the USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best" from 2014 to 2023. The show centered around Georgia real estate magnate Todd Chrisley, Savannah's father, and their family.

Todd and his wife Julie Chrisley were convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and other financial crimes and Savannah has publicly advocated for them since then.

Savannah also starred in the spinoff "Growing Up Chrisley" with her brother Chase from 2019 to 2022.

"We have a two-faced justice system. Just look at what they're doing to President Trump," Chrisley said Tuesday night at the convention. "All while, let's face it, Hunter Biden is roaming around free and attending classified meetings."

When and where is the Republican National Convention?

The Republicans' convention will take place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, will be the main venue for the RNC.

There also will be events at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.

How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC from start to finish, and you can watch it here starting Monday, July 15:

Updates from the RNC will be available at gopconvention2024.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Savannah Chrisley speech at Republican National Convention: Watch
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  One man is injured and another is on the run after police say they were involved in an argument that led to a shootout at a South Memphis gas station on Saturday.

According to Memphis Police, around 1:30 a.m., officers responded to an aggravated assault call at the Valero gas station located at 2337 Airways Boulevard.

Man left critically injured after shooting at Downtown apartment complex

Reports state that two unknown men got into a verbal fight with one another. The suspect allegedly showed a handgun multiple times during the argument. That is when gunfire was exchanged.

During the time of the shooting, police say other customers were in the store. The victim involved in the argument sustained injuries along with property damage to the gas station.

The suspect is described as a man wearing a white shirt, stonewashed jeans with rips, white Nike Jordan shoes, and a blue cap with AX [Armani Exchange] on the front.

Police say no arrests have been made at this time, but this is still an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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How to watch JD Vance, Donald Trump speak at the 2024 RNC

The Republican National Convention is in full swing in Milwaukee, with its highest-profile speakers slated for Wednesday and Thursday night.

Looking to catch Ohio's own JD Vance, now officially Donald Trump's running mate? Or just want to see Trump's speech on Thursday? Here's what you need to know.

How to watch JD Vance at the 2024 RNC

Vance, a Republican U.S. Senator from Ohio, is expected to speak Wednesday evening, according to NPR. The day's theme is "Make America Strong Again."

The RNC will livestream events across multiple online platforms.

USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube every night of the RNC, Monday through Thursday, including here at Dispatch.com.

The RNC will stream events live on YouTube and X. The following television networks will also provide coverage of the 2024 RNC:

C-SPAN

CBS

NBC News

ABC News

Fox News

CNN

MSNBC

When will Donald Trump speak at the RNC?

Trump, now the party's official nominee, is expected to speak on the last day of the Republican National Convention on Thursday. Streaming and viewing options will be the same as they are Wednesday.

Are there Columbus watch parties?

The Franklin County Republican Party is hosting an RNC Convention Watch Party at 3665 Park Mill Run Dr. from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, the night Trump is expected to speak.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: JD Vance speaks Wednesday at the 2024 RNC. How you can watch
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (KFOR)  On day two of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters sat down for an interview to discuss his views on school choice, the role of the federal government and utilizing the Bible in schools.

Since taking office in January 2023, Walters has become a polarizing figure in his role as State Superintendent, facing opposition from both Democrats and fellow Republicans at the state level.

Live updates: Haley, DeSantis set to speak at RNC

Over the course of less than two years, Walters has been involved in several legal battles over issues including banning books in public school libraries, clawing back teacher bonuses and prohibiting students from altering gender records.

The Republican National Convention continues through Friday, July 19.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas spoke at the Republican National Convention Tuesday to to continue the night's theme of chronicling criminal justice in America under President Joe Biden.

The RNC is taking place in Milwaukee through Thursday where former President Donald Trump will formally accept the partys nomination for the 2024 Election.

USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network have more than 60 journalists on the ground in Milwaukee and you can follow along with our live blog for updates throughout the day.

RNC 2024 live updates: Elise Stefanik takes the stage; Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis set to speak

What to know about Ted Cruz

Who is he: U.S. Senator from Texas.

What role does he play: He also ran for president in 2016.

Key quote: "Every damn day"

When and where is the Republican National Convention?

The Republicans' convention will take place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, will be the main venue for the RNC.

There also will be events at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.

How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC from start to finish, and you can watch it here starting Monday, July 15:

Updates from the RNC will be available at gopconvention2024.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ted Cruz speech at Republican National Convention: Watch
The right way to fight about politics

An anti-abortion demonstrator, left, and a abortion rights activist, right, protest outside the Supreme Court, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Washington. | Mark Schiefelbein

This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.

Two days before Saturdays shooting at a rally for former President Donald Trump prompted a national discussion about political violence, I was at a religious freedom conference reflecting on the issue of polarization  and how it can fuel political violence.

The conference organizers at the University of Notre Dame had no way to know their gathering would be so immediately relevant. But then again, it was already relevant. Even before this weekends events, it was clear that the country was losing track of how to civilly disagree.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades, who leads the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana, spoke on that issue Thursday morning, describing the difference between healthy conflict and more toxic disputes.

When politics turns toxic, the Rev. Rhoades said, political opponents aim to do more than win policy debates. They want to crush the other side and to take all the spoils of the war.

A healthier system of politics would still involve plenty of disagreement, he added. But everyone would be focused on creating a better world instead of hurting one another.

In a healthy culture, you could still lose in the sense that your proposed policy doesnt become law. But you would respect your political sparring partners and truly believe they want whats best for the country, too.

Kevin Rhoades, bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., speaks during a news conference at the Fall General Assembly meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Baltimore. | Julio Cortez

The Rev. Rhoades said he believes it could be generations before we get American politics depolarized and return to the healthy, pluralistic democratic system were meant to have.

I was pretty depressed to hear that, but the good news is that we can all start working on depolarization right away.

Here are some steps we can take to reduce political violence and to disagree better, according to the Rev. Rhoades:

Stay focused on what your community needs instead of on why youre frustrated with your political opponents.

Build relationships with your opponents outside of the context of politics. Get to know them as human beings.

Seek out whats best for the country as a whole instead of whats best for you and your political allies.

Build your life around timeless moral values and moral truths, not around fleeting culture wars.

Deserets editor, Sarah Jane Weaver, was with me at the Notre Dame conference. Read her coverage to learn more about how to combat polarization.

The case for religious liberty hinges on restoring faith in faith

What one Latter-day Saint leader learned after Californias Proposition 8 about peacemaking

Fresh off the press

Political and religious leaders call for prayers for Trump and the country after shooting

Why some Christians cheered the recent layoffs at the Southern Poverty Law Center

Why Nick Saban said sports is like a religion

British celebrities are speaking out in favor of a controversial form of worship

A minor league baseball game just ended with a public baptism

Term of the week: The Rev. Pounds

Beloved fitness instructor Richard Simmons died over the weekend at age 76. Hes being remembered for his silly and and yet inspiring workout programming, in which he portrayed a number of memorable characters, including the Rev. Pounds.

The Rev. Pounds was a man of the cloth  the tablecloth who said things like Though I waddle through the valley of linguine and clams, I shall fear no evil, according to The New York Times.

Simmons team tweeted about his portrayal of the Rev. Pounds just last month.

I loved playing Reverend Pounds. I stood behind a pulpit with a stained glass window in the back. I talked about the evils of certain foods. I wore a white wig, white tuxedo, holding a pair of white gloves with a holy book in my hand, the post said.

What Im reading...

Many Christian leaders took to social media after Saturdays shooting at a Trump rally to call for prayers for the former president. Then, many of the same people gathered together on a phone call to thank God for keeping Trump safe, according to Christianity Today.

A source close to Trump told The Washington Post that the former president is feeling spiritual after the shooting. He thinks he was handed a gift from God. He cant believe it, the source said.

Earlier this month, I wrote about efforts to incorporate religious texts into public school curricula, including a new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana classrooms. In response to the same trends I covered, The Conversation published a helpful analysis on what the Supreme Court has said in the past about studying the Bible in public schools.

Odds and ends

If you, like me, are in need of something to lift your mood (or serve as a happy distraction) during this difficult news cycle, check out Barbecue Showdown on Netflix. It is a cooking competition show with an incredible amount of heart (and heat!).

The Olympics are about 10 days away. Let me know if there are any religion angles youd like me to cover.
WCSO asking for publics help after ATM burglary in Gray

GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Authorities are asking for the publics help identifying two people involved in an ATM burglary in Gray on Monday.

The Washington County, Tennessee Sheriffs Office (WCSO) reports the burglary happened between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.

The pictures below provided by the WCSO show the alleged suspects and vehicle.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriffs office at 423-788-1414 or by submitting a tip online here.

People who can provide information about the burglary may remain anonymous, the WCSO said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Webster officer found off-duty cop reportedly passed out in a car. He didn't test or arrest him.

A Webster police officer has been disciplined for failing to properly investigate an incident in which a Rochester police officer was found possibly drunk and passed out in his personal car.

The Rochester officer, Brian Abrams, reportedly passed out in his vehicle, also became the focus of an internal investigation.

The Webster officer, Sgt. Michael Wilder, turned his body-worn camera off during the April 1 interaction with Abrams on Orchard Street in the Village of Webster. Wilder also did not investigate whether Abrams was drunk. Instead, he allowed the officer to be taken away from the location.

"Shortly into his investigation, Sgt. Wilder deactivated the BWC camera, so the rest of the interaction was not captured, and no documentation was generated," said Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier.

Sgt. Wilder also waved off emergency medical responders.

Internal discipline has been meted out to Wilder, and he is challenging the disciplinary decision, Kohlmeier said.

What happened with reportedly 'passed out' cop in car?

Body-worn camera of Webster police incident

Webster Chief Kohlmeier said his office reached out to the Monroe County District Attorney's Office about the incident on April 2.

First Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles said the conversation focused on the decisions by the sergeant, Wilder, who has been honored for past police work, and not on whether Abrams could be prosecuted.

More: Two traffic stops, two outcomes: Comparing Doorley and Taylor incidents

In a statement, Rochester Police Capt. Gregory Bello said, "We are aware of an incident on April 1st, 2024, involving an off-duty member of the Rochester Police Department. Upon learning of the incident, Chief Smith immediately ordered an internal investigation by the Professional Standards Section. It should be noted, that the Officer was on leave at the time of the incident and remains on leave."

The Democrat and Chronicle received the Webster police video and has reviewed the footage. According to Kohlmeier and a review of the video:

The department received several calls about a man passed out in a car April 1 in the Village of Webster. Sgt. Wilder responded. The video shows the car stopped in the street. It's unclear if the car is running. Abrams is in the driver's seat.

Wilder tells Abrams that he can go home, "just not in your current condition." He allows Abrams to try to reach someone to pick him up.

As the video shows, Wilder sends responding emergency medical workers off  Abrams should have been checked for a medical emergency, Kohlmeier said  then talks with Abrams, who is having difficulty speaking.

After only minutes, Wilder turned off the camera. This broke department policy, Kohlmeier said.

Later, Wilder's superiors learned of the incident and opened an internal investigation.

Kohlmeier said that Wilder's actions are not indictive of the department's practices, and that's why the disciplinary investigation was quickly started. If Wilder had questions about how to handle the incident, he should have called a superior, Kohlmeier said.

Without an investigation, Abrams is still able to have a valid driver's license.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Sgt. Michael Wilder didn't test or arrest cop passed out in car
'We're forcing everyone away,' Trump says on Russia sanctions

When asked if the easing of sanctions on Russia would be part of a potential peace plan, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said that he "doesn't love sanctions" in an interview with Bloomberg published on July 16.

As is often the case with Trump, he did not directly answer the question about potentially easing sanctions, but instead spoke about the subject generally.

"So what we're doing with sanctions is we're forcing everyone away from us. So I don't love sanctions," Trump said.

"I found them very useful with Iran, but I didn't even need sanctions with Iran so much. I told China that, and Russia is in a similar position," he added.

Trump has repeatedly promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has not publicly elaborated on how he plans to do so. One plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia.

Senator J.D. Vance, who was recently chosen as Trump's running mate, is thought to be an even more outspoken opponent of U.S. support for Ukraine, and has openly endorsed territorial concessions as part of a potential peace deal.

The former president then quickly pivoted to bashing President Joe Biden and giving a long, winding answer on tariffs and economic relations with China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out his conditions for a ceasefire in June, which included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the end to Ukraine's NATO ambitions, and the cessation of Western sanctions against Russia.

Trump was sometimes hesitant to impose sanctions on Russia while president, citing a desire to improve relations with the country.

But his rhetoric often did not match the actions of the administration, which introduced dozens of sanctions while he was in office.

Read also: I dont care  JD Vance on Ukraine, in his own words

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
West Haven man confronted by swarm of teens after he allegedly offered to pay 15-year-old for sex

SANDY, Utah (ABC4)  A Weber County man is facing felony charges after he allegedly offered to pay a minor $700 for sex and was confronted by over 20 teens at a Sandy mall.

According to court documents, Bryce Stephen Ray, 49, of West Haven used Snapchat to talk with a 15-year-old high school student. During their conversation, Ray reportedly never shared his real name but did send a picture of himself through the app.

Ray later offered the victim money in exchange for sex so she could buy clothes. Despite the teen telling Ray she was a minor, the two agreed to meet at the Shops at South Town Mall in Sandy.

On Monday, July 9, a Sandy Police Department officer responded to the mall after getting reports of a group of teenagers confronting a man. When the officer arrived, he reported finding approximately 20 teenagers yelling at an older man, identified as Ray, calling him a pedophile.

New season of Hulu true-crime docuseries focuses on Riverton mans child sex crimes

According to the Sandy Police Department, Ray had a check for $360 on him and had agreed with the teen to send her another $350 through CashApp.

Ray was charged with one count of enticing a minor and one count of sexual solicitation of a child, both second-degree felonies.

Ray had his initial hearing on Tuesday, July 16 where he was appointed a defense attorney. A detention hearing was scheduled for Monday, July 22. Ray is currently being held without bail, pending the detention hearing.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Do West Richland residents still oppose cannabis stores? They have a chance to weigh in

West Richland voters have a unique opportunity to influence cannabis sales in their own city as well as in neighboring Richland in the Aug. 6 primary.

The West Richland City Council is asking its voters to share if they want the city to end its 10-year ban on cannabis sales. Proposition 1 asks voters to advise the council of their preference for or against allowing cannabis retail sales.

Ballots are being mailed , starting July 17.

The outcome is advisory only. The elected council is the citys decision-making authority and it has not said if it will bind itself to the outcome of the vote.

West Richland isnt the only city eager for input.

Richland city officials too will be watching the outcome for similar reasons: Richland and West Richland both received applications from cannabis retailers who want to end the bans and open stores in their jurisdictions.

Both cities enacted bans after 2012s voter-approved Initiative 502 legalized recreational use in Washington.

West Richlands ban was called into question in 2023.

Ken Weaver, owner of Slow Burn, a Yakima-based cannabis store, submitted an environmental impact report to Washington state the could have opened the door for it to allow retail sales in industrial areas that qualify under state law.

Slow Burn, with stores in Union Gap, Yakima and Moxee, asked West Richland to rezone certain areas to allow retail cannabis sales, with an eye toward opening a store of its own.

Last fall, the citys planning commission voted 3-1 to recommend the city council approve the change. The council, faced with fierce opposition from some residents, opted to canvas voters for their thoughts.

Pros and cons

The voters pamphlet offers familiar arguments for and against cannabis sales.

Ending the sales ban would bring West Richland in line with the state and allow the city to tap into tax revenue generated within its jurisdiction. Supporters of ending the ban say it would generate $1.6 million over 10 years to support municipal spending on parks, recreation, roads and public safety.

Banning sales wont keep marijuana out of West Richland, supporters assert in the voters guide.

The West Richland City Council should not deny their residents their freedom of choice to purchase marijuana within their own community, the pro argument goes.

Opponents counter that residents can avail themselves of Nirvana Cannabis Co., a legal store on Arena Road, just feet from the West Richland city limits in unincorporated Benton County.

Referring to cannabis as pot, opponents call it a gateway to substance abuse and mental health issues and say neighbors of Nirvana feel less safe and are affected by increased criminal activity.

Widespread availability promotes the false perception that cannabis use is safe and without detrimental consequences. Strong evidence links marijuana to substance use dependency, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and suicide, they wrote.

Tax bonanza?

The two sides differ on the possible benefit to the city treasury. . Supporters say the city stands to bring in $160,000 a year, a city-generated figure cited by the Washington CannaBusiness Association, while opponents say the benefit is overblown.

West Richland currently receives no tax revenue from legal cannabis sales.

Statewide customers have purchased more than $3.1 billion worth of cannabis and related products since legalization took effect in 2014 and the first quarter of this year, according to the state Department of Revenue.

Cannabis is subject to sales taxes and a 37% excise tax that generates hundreds of millions of dollars. The state distributed $11 million to cities and $11.1 million to counties last September.

Cannabis is not a major revenue source for local jurisdictions.

Benton County, for instance, received $450,000 in 2023. Franklin County and the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland received no money.

Aberdeen and Anacortes, with populations comparable to West Richland, received $57,400 and $43,000, respectively. Seattle, with 44 residents for every one in West Richland, received nearly $2 million.

Locally, Benton City received $5,900; Kahlotus $236; Mabton, $3,200; Mattawa, $5,600; Moxee, $12,300; Omak, Prosser, $23,300; Union Gap, $67,300; Walla Walla, $105,000; and Yakima, $258,100.

Richland is watching

Richland is watching the election because it faces a similar request to the one behind its neighbors ballot proposition.

In January, Fire Cannabis Co., with stores in Omak and Yakima, asked Richland to amend its code to allow a store at 2415 Robertson Drive, in the Horn Rapids Industrial Park.

The city council discussed the request in a workshop session, with the city attorney saying she would recommend a no vote because the request wouldnt create the proper legal framework for legal sales.

The council informally indicated it is 4-3 in favor of keeping ban, but would watch the West Richland vote with interest. No additional action has happened since then.

Fire Cannabis owner Shanna Kaiser previously confirmed the application is on hold while the city takes a larger look at the issue.

We want to be good partners with the city and council, and understand that they are taking this under consideration on a global level, notably we understand that they are watching West Richland outcomes for guidance, she told the Tri-City Herald in late June.

Only registered voters who live in West Richland will see the question on their ballots.

Uneasy history

The August primary ballot echoes the uneasy history between the Tri-Cities and legal cannabis.

Cannabis is legal statewide. Any adult consumer may possess it. But cities and counties govern whether retailers may sell it in their jurisdictions.

Residents of communities that ban it are free to purchase it elsewhere and bring it home.

But I-502 was unpopular in the Mid-Columbia, with a majority of voters in both Benton and Franklin counties rejecting legalization. Most, though not all local jurisdictions, opted to ban marijuana sales, the now-discredited term for cannabis.

Franklin County together with the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland banned sales.

Benton County followed suit, but only after stores opened in unincorporated pockets near Kennewick and West Richland and in the Prosser area.

Whatever West Richland or Richland do, they wont be the first  Pasco and Benton City both removed their bans.

The state has authorized three stores in Pasco. Two opened last November.

Green2Go Recreational is led by Steve Lee, and Lucky Leaf is led by David Morgan. The tax benefits to Pasco wont be clear until September, when the state makes its annual cannabis distributions.

Aug. 6th vote

Ballots must be returned or postmarked by Aug. 6.

To register or to update voter registration go to votewa.gov through July 29. Otherwise you can register in person at your county auditors office up til 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Benton County auditors offices are at 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland, and 620 Market St., Prosser.

In Franklin County, the auditors office is at the county courthouse, 1016 N. Fourth Ave., Suite A206, Pasco.

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The westbound Washington Bridge is coming down in September. What to know about the contract.

PROVIDENCE  The McKee administration has given the go-ahead to a team assembled by Aetna Bridge Co. of Warwick to demolish the condemned westbound span of the Washington Bridge.

In state lingo, the administration executed a "purchase order" for the $45.8-million demolition contract on Tuesday, which is tantamount to what state officials call a "notice to proceed."

The demolition is not likely to begin until September.

When will the bridge be rebuilt? No company bid on the separate contract the state offered to replace the bridge.

The closed westbound span of the Washington Bridge as seen from the Seekonk River.

When will the Washington Bridge demolition start?

Asked about the timing of the demolition, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisbeth Pettingill told The Journal: "We anticipate that mobilization [will] start in August and actual demo in late September." Asked what mobilization entails, she said, "Setting up the site, getting the barge in place, moving equipment and resources to the site."

In late June, a DOT review team chose Aetna Bridge Co.  which built the bridge in 1968  over the one other bidder for the demolition contract, even though Aetna's $45.8-million bid was slightly higher of the two bids and at least 48% higher than the $31 million projected cost.

If the job gets done earlier than anticipated, Aetna could get another $3 million in incentive payments.

Aetna went into the competition with a team that included:

Jacobs Engineering Group as lead designer, J.R. Vinagro as the demolition subcontractor, Siefert Associates for construction engineering, Freeman Companies for traffic engineering, Narragansett Engineering for surveying, Oliveira Infrastructure for highway design support, Thielsch Engineering for construction quality control and Advocacy Solutions for public relations.

Seven months after the bridge closure, McKee administration officials acknowledge they do not have any sense of:

When a new bridge will be built

How much it will cost

Who will build it

How decades of repair projects failed to maintain the bridge's integrity or even identify hidden deterioration within the pre-stressed concrete beams

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge demolition will start in September
Where are the Trump children during the RNC?

From business to politics, former President Donald Trump has famously appointed his children to high-ranking roles in his ventures.

But this week his daughter, Ivanka, and his wife, Melania, have been noticeably absent during one of the most public moments of Trump's latest presidential campaign. Neither were in the audience Monday night, when Trump was both formally confirmed as the GOP presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and made his first appearance after surviving an assassination attempt.

Here's what we know about which Trump children will and won't be taking the stage at Fiserv Forum this week.

Will Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner speak at the RNC?

Ivanka was perhaps the most public-facing Trump child during her father's presidency, with both her and her husband, Jared Kushner, serving as senior advisors to the president. Ivanka also spoke at both the 2016 and 2020 RNC, making the case for her father as president and often campaigning on his behalf.

This time around, Ivanka has been far more absent from the campaign trail, releasing a statement in late 2022 that she will be less involved in politics to prioritize her family.

Currently, neither Ivanka nor Jared are on the list of speakers for the convention in Milwaukee. The couple have been absent during the first two nights of the convention but are expected to make an appearance Thursday  the closing night of the RNC when Trump will address delegates.

Over the weekend, Ivanka released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the assassination attempt on her father.

"I continue to pray for our country. I love you Dad, today and always," she wrote.

Thank you for your love and prayers for my father and for the other victims of today's senseless violence in Butler, Pennsylvania. I am grateful to the Secret Service and all the other law enforcement officers for their quick and decisive actions today. I continue to pray for our  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) July 14, 2024

Will Tiffany Trump speak at the RNC?

Tiffany Trump has been less politically involved than her siblings, but she also spoke at the 2016 and 2020 RNC to campaign for her father.

Tiffany is not currently on the list of speakers for the convention in Milwaukee. However, she was in attendance Monday night, alongside her brothers Eric and Donald Jr., and posted a video of the siblings on the convention floor.

Tiffany, Eric and Donald Jr. are also serving as Florida delegates during the RNC this week.

Will Barron Trump appear at the RNC?

Barron, the former president's youngest son, was also invited to attend the RNC as a Florida delegate alongside his siblings. However, Melania Trump's office issued a statement in May that the 18-year-old would turn down the invitation.

While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments, his mother's office said.

Barron is not currently scheduled to speak at the convention nor expected to make an appearance in Milwaukee.

Which Trump children are speaking at the RNC?

Though Ivanka, Tiffany and Melania are absent from the convention lineup, plenty of Trump family members will still address delegates at Fiserv Forum this week. Eric and Donald Jr. are scheduled to speak, along with Lara Trump, Eric's wife and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Jr.'s fiancee.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where are Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Tiffany Trump during the RNC?
While Kari Lake chanted at the RNC about a wall, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was fixing a border

At around the same time Tuesday that Kari Lake was leading the Republican National Convention in a build the wall chant  You remember, dont you? The wall Donald Trump said he would force Mexico to build?  Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was posting on social media that she had produced legislation, again, that actually will provide Arizona and the United States with genuine border security.

And this bill, hopefully, will get passed.

It relates to the Shadow Wolves, a Native American tactical patrol unit based in the Tohono Oodham Nation. Im wondering if any of the MAGA faithful have even heard of them.

The unit patrols Tohono Oodham land, a massive expanse that includes 76 miles of border with Mexico. It conducts interdiction operations aimed at smugglers. All kinds.

The tribal unit does so by using high-tech equipment, and by using the tracking skills that have been passed down for generations, cutting for sign  footprints, tire tracks, etc.

Bill offers opportunities to tribal unit working to protect us

The Shadow Wolves have been in existence since 1974, but a few years ago Sinema sponsored legislation that got the unit classified as special agents under ICE Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).

Most recently, she teamed up with Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota on legislation to further enhance and expand career opportunities for Shadow Wolves officers.

In a statement, Sinema said, Tohono Oodham Nations Shadow Wolves are critical partners combating drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other illicit activity on our border. Our bill ensures career mobility and fair compensation for Shadow Wolves Agents so they can continue keeping the Tohono Oodham Nation and Arizona safe and secure.

The Shadow Wolves, and legislation to help them thrive, is what actual border security looks like.

It doesnt involve chanting.

Republicans prefer to obstruct on border, then complain about it

It involves working to come up with bipartisan solutions to a border security problem that cannot be solved by a bunch of comically dressed individuals in an air-conditioned arena repeating a BS slogan.

Sinema, Republican Sen. James Lankford and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut earlier this year fashioned a bipartisan bill that would have gone a long way toward enhancing border security.

Unfortunately, it was killed on Trumps orders and with the help of misinformation spread by bootlickers like Republican Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane, along with Lake, who followed the edict of Dear Leader.

Back in March Sinema pointed out on social media that under my bipartisan border bill, the border wouldve been shut down all 64 days of this year. Cut the politics, secure the border.

If Sinemas earlier bill had passed there might have been no opportunity  and no need  for Tuesdays RNC chanting about a wall. But showmanship, apparently, is more important to some people than actual border security.

It isnt that way to Sinema, however. And it isnt that way to the Shadow Wolves, who do the work. And who, when the chanting is done and the politicians return to Washington, D.C., should be rewarded for their efforts.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: On border, Kari Lake offers a sound bite, Kyrsten Sinema a solution
Who is Babydog? W.Va. Gov. Justice brings his canine sidekick to the RNC stage.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice brought his English bulldog Babydog with him to the Republican National Convention stage on Tuesday night.

"I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy, so if Babydog could come out here," Justice said to applause.

The dog was brought out to a seat neat next to Justice's podium.

"Now, as the world watches, you didn't really expect that, did you? But with that being said, let me say just this: She makes us smile and she loves everybody. And how could the message possibly be any more simpler than just that?" he asked Tuesday night to cheers.

Justice, who is running for the Senate this year, proceeded to give a pitch for Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Republican candidates generally. The governor closed his speech by saying Babydog had predicted that the GOP would win both houses of Congress and the White House.

Shortly after the speech, CNN reporter Phil Mattingly interviewed Justice and referred to Babydog as "probably the No. 1 star of the convention up until this point."

Babydog, dog of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Babydog's background

Babydog was a gift from Justice's children in 2019. According to Justice, she got her name as a puppy because he would walk around saying, "Whered that baby dog go?'

And so we named her Babydog.

The English bulldog quickly became a fixture in West Virginia politics, not only sitting beside the governor at official events but starring in a Do it for Babydog COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Justice frequently talks about Babydog, including her love for Wendy's chicken nuggets.

She also has her own Twitter account, which mapped her journey to Milwaukee.
As a child in Ivory Coast, West Africa, Tidiane Ouattara would gather with friends in his village to stargaze. The group, who dubbed themselves the Moon Club, would lay on the ground, looking up at the cosmos.

We believed we could talk to the moon, he told CNN in a video interview. Since that moment, space was a curiosity for me.

His childhood interest in space never waned, and in 1994 it led him to Canada, where he earned a PhD in remote sensing and geographical information systems. He planned to return to Africa when he finished, but he was dissuaded by a civil war in Ivory Coast and a lack of technology. There are no computers in the laboratories here, one mentor said to him, why are you coming back?

So, he stayed in Canada, where over the years he worked for several government departments. But he continued to think about the continent where he grew up. I felt a little bit guilty every single time I met a young African planning to study space, he said. It was really giving me a hard time in my mind.

Now Ouattara is helping to lead Africa into space. In 2016, he joined the African Union Commission (AUC), where he worked on its space strategy. Early this year, Ouattara became the first president of the African Space Council, which oversees the newly inaugurated African Space Agency (AfSA).

A Long March 2C carrier rocket carrying three satellites, including Egypt's remote-sensing satellite MISRSAT-2, blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China on December 4, 2023. The MISRSAT-2 was jointly-developed by China and Egypt. - VCG/Getty Images

Africas space industry could be worth $22.6 billion by 2026, up from $19.5 billion in 2021, according to the consultancy Space in Africa. The AfSA could help supercharge that growth and improve the lives of Africans in the meantime. It is a huge opportunity for us, said Ouattara.

After several years in the making, the AfSA was officially inaugurated in January 2023, and it signed an agreement to make Cairo, Egypt its headquarters. The AUC has laid out a six-year implementation plan for the agency, with a budget of more than $35 million to reach full operationalization, according to Temidayo Oniosun, the managing director of Space in Africa.

We want to improve our daily lives

Africa sent its first satellite into orbit more than 20 years ago. But more pressing priorities and a lack of resources has limited progress.

A handful of nations  like Egypt and South Africa  can manufacture satellite technologies, but they rely on foreign-built rockets and overseas launch sites, according to Oniosun.

When Ouattara first returned to Africa, he says he fielded questions from officials about why they should care about space when their populations faced issues like a lack of access to clean water. Ouattara said that African leaders are now convinced that investing in the space sector can improve terrestrial life.

Africa has around 60 satellites in orbit, which can be used to boost agricultural yields, surveil borders, monitor water quality, and prevent illegal mining and fishing. Better data from Earth observation could unlock more than $2 billion in value for Africa, according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum.

Satellites can also enhance connectivity; although internet use is rising, only 36% of the population had access to broadband in 2022, according to the World Bank Group.

Ouattara points to other tangible benefits. A few years ago, a fishermans association in Ghana began providing weather forecasts  based on satellite information  to locals who use traditional canoes that can be dangerous in bad conditions. Ouattara said that from 2017 to 2022, there was only one canoeing death, compared to about 15 to 18 deaths annually before the system was implemented.

Off the coast of Egypt, satellites are being used to detect oil spills so environmental agencies can act fast to limit damage, he said.

Kenya deployed its first Earth observation satellite, Taifa-1, into space in April 2023. It was developed and designed by Kenyans, but manufactured in Bulgaria. Here, Kenya Space Agency (KSA) engineers Aloyce Were (L), Deche Bungule (C) and Andrew Nyawade hold the prototype of Taifa-1 satellite at the University of Nairobi in April 2023. - Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images

Benefits like this may be why interest is growing so quickly. More than 20 countries now have national space programs, and African nations budgeted more than $400 million for the sector in 2024, according to Space in Africa.

We are not in space to explore the cosmos. We are not in space to go and seek what is happening on Mars and Jupiter, said Ouattara. We want to improve our daily lives.

Creating space for the next generation

Africas population is set to grow to at least 2.4 billion people by 2050, per the African Development Bank Group. For Ouattara, thats a big market to consume space-derived products.

He hopes Africans can take the drivers seat in every part of the space value chain  from building satellites and ground infrastructure to launching satellites to services and creating products based on space information to help Africans manage their daily lives.

We want to do everything, because we have the right to do everything, he said. But we need to prioritize. We must go step by step.

There are some practical matters for the AfSA to attend to  like finalizing the members of its 10-person council and recruiting a director general who will oversee daily operations  but Ouattara has no doubt about what the priorities should be for boosting Africas space industry.

A workforce will need to be trained in everything from space diplomacy and law, to how to build small, affordable satellites. Our biggest challenge will be human capital, he said. Its not about money.

From there, work will need to be done to harness the data provided by satellites.

Its about better accessibility to high quality data that can provide valuable insights in different areas, said Oniosun, of Space in Africa. And then applications upon this data that can actually address critical problems on the continent.

Experts are hopeful about the impact the new agency will have. While not competing with national agencies, it will create a regulatory framework and coordinate space activities across the continent to enhance efficiency and make it easier for foreign partners, like the European Space Agency, to collaborate with Africa because they can work through the AfSA, instead of approaching countries individually.

It could also help get continent-wide initiatives off the ground, like a constellation of Earth observation satellites that could provide high-resolution imagery for all of Africa, Oniosun said.

The AfSA is a way of coming together for everyone, Oniosun added. A lot of people are really excited about whats going to come out of the agency.

Ouattara is working on turning that excitement into concrete opportunities.

The young people, theyre willing to be in this space era, said Ouattara. But we have to build strong curricula and once trained, to use them properly, to create opportunities to employ them.

Then perhaps the next generation of Africans wont have to travel to across the world to Canada to make their mark in space.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  If they were to ever make it to California, the invasive spotted lanternfly have the potential to wipe out the states grape industry.

Earlier this spring, California narrowly escaped bringing in spotted lanternfly eggs on an art installation that was headed for the Golden State. The egg masses were intercepted at the Truckee Border Protection Station, originating in New York and bound for Sonoma County.

The East Coast knows them well. Spotted lanternfly quarantines are currently in place in 17 states, mostly on the East Coast.

Spotted lanternfly eggs intercepted at California state line with Nevada

The invasive pests from Asia were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, and have left destruction in their wake. They are not only pesky insects as they reproduce quickly; they pose a major threat to an areas ecosystem health and agricultural economy, including apple orchards and vineyards, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

California is the No. 1 wine producer in the entire country, and the No. 4 producer of wine in the world behind Italy, France and Spain, according to the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Across the state, wine grapes are grown on 608,000 acres in 49 of 58 counties.

The Golden State is also a big producer of strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, pistachios, and lettuce  just some of their most valued agriculture commodities, the California Department of Food and Agriculture reports. But some of those crops that the state relies on are the very food for spotted lanternflies.

Spotted lanternfly: Should you be worried about them?

According to the state department of food and agriculture, spotted lanternflies feed on plants like grape, hop, apple, stone fruit, maple, poplar, walnut, willow and the tree of heaven.

When the insects feed, they suck sap from stems and branches. This can weaken the plant and contribute to its death, the state department of food and agriculture says. Although this feeding is damaging to plants, the only plants it is known to kill are grapevines, the tree of heaven and black walnut saplings, PennState Extension reports.

The feeding from the invasive insects can cause the plant to ooze or weep, causing a fermented odor, the state department of food and agriculture says. The insects excrete large amounts of fluid called honeydew, which promotes mold growth and attracts other insects.

The invasive insects spread rapidly when introduced into new areas and can lay eggs on nearly any surface, including vehicles, trailers, outdoor equipment and patio furniture, according to the state department of food and agriculture.

Are giant parachuting spiders spreading in the US this summer?

No live spotted lanternflies have ever been found in the environment in California, the state department of food and agriculture says. But over the past few years, multiple dead spotted lanternflies have been intercepted in airplane shipments as well as at border stations.

A state exterior quarantine has been in place in California since 2021, which prohibits the introduction of the spotted lanternfly into the state.

Invasive species are particularly a cause for concern because they are able to invade quickly and successfully as they have no naturalized predators.

As a state or county, you dont want to be under a Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine. Heres why.

Anyone transporting goods from a quarantined area to a non-quarantined area has to comply with the quarantine order, undergo training and obtain a permit to move goods and equipment. However, the exact rules vary by state.

When a quarantine order is in place, it prohibits the movement of spotted lanternflies in any living stage, including egg masses, nymphs, and adults, and regulates the movement of items that could harbor the insect  like landscaping waste, firewood, grapevines, packing materials, mowers, grills, fire pits, mobile homes, patio furniture, along with any equipment or vehicles that are not kept in a garage.

Violations of a SLF quarantine could result in criminal or civil penalties and/or fines.

The U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has tips on what to look for, how to prevent the pest and how it is treated. California residents can report any SLF finds to the CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. Report a pest online here.

A quarantine is only put in place in an area when evidence of reproduction is found. So its important to stay vigilant and to keep an eye out for the colorful insects and to destroy them if you see one by stomping or squishing it.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Bernie Sanders has said that while no one believes Joe Biden is "the best candidate in the history of the world', he is the best candidate the Democrats have' - Jim Watson/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders said he supports Joe Biden even though he has trouble completing a single sentence as the US president appears to be swinging to the Left to save his candidacy.

The veteran senator, who ran twice for the White House, said no one believes Mr Biden is the best candidate in the history of the world but he is the best candidate the Democrats have.

His lukewarm endorsement came after Mr Biden pushed for a series of Left-wing policies designed to appeal to the partys core base ahead of Novembers election.

The 81-year-old president has faced weeks of calls for him to hand the nomination to a younger candidate, as polls reveal he is losing ground in swing states and alienating young liberal voters.

Mr Sanders told the New Yorker: Im not aware that anyone thinks that Joe Biden is the best candidate in the history of the world, or that hes an ideal candidate.

Sometimes he gets confused about namessometimes he doesnt put three sentences together. It is true.

But the reality of the moment is  in my view  he is the best candidate the Democrats have for a variety of reasons, and trying in an unprecedented way to take him off the ticket would do a lot more harm than good.

Suggested to Mr Sanders that Mr Biden has trouble completing a single sentence, he replied: He does.

He then called on voters and the party to focus on substantive issues rather than personality politics.

As a nation, we do a very poor job  both in Congress and in the media  of focusing on issues that impact the working class, he added.

US senator Mr Sanders ran twice for the White House - Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Mr Biden is expected to announce plans for major reform of the Supreme Court  including term limits for justices  in a bid to win back voters concerned about its recent rulings on abortion and Donald Trumps immunity from prosecution. The plans would also see justices constrained by an enforceable ethics code.

Mr Biden also suggested capping rent increases, eliminating medical debt and expanding Social Security benefits.

He floated several of the policies during a recent call with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a Left-wing group of legislators.

Brad Sherman, a Democrat on the call, told Axios it was not a complete coincidence as he was trying to appeal to progressives in the party, who have been less vocal about his age.

Although considered a lifelong centrist, Mr Biden has been forced to change his election strategy in light of concerns over his age and calls for unity after the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday.

Other Left-wing figures such as Alexanda Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congresswoman, have come to Mr Bidens aid and appeared in videos with him in recent weeks.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez previously pushed the White House to take more aggressive action on housing in private interactions with officials, while Mr Sanders endorsed the policies on medical debt and expanding Social Security benefits.

Adam Schiff, a prominent Democrat in California, became the latest figure to call for the president to stand down his nomination on Wednesday, arguing there were serious concerns over his ability to beat Trump.

Commentators suggested his comments were coordinated with Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, who is close with Mr Schiff and has been equivocal on whether Mr Biden should run again.

Mr Biden said he would pass on the nomination only if polls showed he could not win the election, or if a doctor told him he had a serious medical condition.

Christopher Galdieri, a professor of politics at Saint Anselm College, described the move as a horse trading with the progressives who have been pretty quiet about the calls for him to step aside.

Mr Galdieri said Mr Biden is now willing to move on [his] priorities in a way that he wouldnt have been say 20 or 30 years ago simply because thats the direction the party is moving.

The president faced a fresh wave of pressure to stand down this week when it emerged his supporters were plotting to bring forward his confirmation as the Democrats presidential candidate in a virtual vote.

However, Mr Bidens response was marred by more gaffes and difficulty in public appearances since his disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27.

On Tuesday, he struggled to read from a teleprompter and muddled the announcement of one of his progressive policies.

Speaking at the NAACP national convention in Nevada, he was expected to announce a 5 per cent cap on rental increases nationwide but mistakenly said instead that he would be capping raises of rent to only $55 (42).

Trumps campaign attempted to draw a contrast between Mr Bidens flailing campaign and the Republican Party at its convention in Milwaukee earlier this week.

The former president launched a new message of unity and announced the working-class senator JD Vance as his running mate.

The assassination attempt against Trump ahead of the convention rallied the Republican Partys base and gave him fresh evidence for his claims that powerful forces in US politics are trying to prevent him winning the election.

John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said he thought the attempt on Trumps life would relieve some of the pressure on Mr Biden to step aside.

In fact, it appears to have intensified the pressure on Biden because of the concern that it has improved [former] president Trumps standing among voters in the Republican Party, Mr Hansen said.

He can hang on with support from within the party but the biggest problem for him right now is his support among the American people and among voters, he added.

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Mailboxes stand outside a United States Post Office in Claremont, Calif. Credit - Mario Tama/Getty Images

Catherine Venis no longer drops letters in the mailbox near her home in Flushing, N.Y. Instead, she walks six blocks to a post office and deposits them there. Shes noticed mail like birthday cards increasingly dont get to her, and says her neighbors say the same.

A lot of people around here have had missing mail, she says of her neighborhood in Queens, where Congresswoman Grace Meng recently pushed the U.S. Postal Service to launch an investigation into the rise of mail theft.

Since the pandemic, mail theft has boomed. There was an 87% increase in reports of high-volume theft from mailboxes between 2019 and 2022, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. A report from the Government Accountability Office shows that the number of investigations into serious crimes investigated by the service nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023, from 609 cases to 1,198, an increase driven by a jump in robberies of mail carriers.

What Venis fears most about mail theft is having her identity stolen and her personal account information used by criminals. Those fears arent unfounded. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert to financial institutions in Feb. 2023 asking banks to be vigilant about check-fraud schemes targeting the U.S. mail. In many cases, scammers take checks, use chemicals to wipe the writing off of them, and then rewrite them for tens of thousands of dollars. If consumers dont let their banks know of the fraud in time, they cant recoup their money. There were nearly 250,000 reports of suspicious activity around checks in 2021, the most recent year for which there was data available, a 158% from 2014, according to the Department of Treasury.

Read More: Defrauded? Banks Might Not Give You Your Money Back.

The Postal Service attributes the rise in theft to a few things: how easy its become to commit financial crimes using information stolen through the mail, the general uptick in fraud during the pandemic, and what it calls a lax prosecutorial climate for property crimes. It launched Project Safe Delivery in 2023 in an effort to shore up protections and launch technology and data to do more investigations.

But Edna Sepulveda thinks she has a better explanation for whats causing the problem. Sepulveda is a retired Postal Police Officer (PPO), part of a force responsible for preventing mail theft and protecting carriers. For 29 years, in Newark, N.J., Manhattan, and Florida, she patrolled high mail-crime areas, staked out mailboxes, and made arrests of people stealing mailsometimes as they were fishing letters out of blue collection boxes.

Yet in 2020, the Postal Inspection Service told employees that PPOs could no longer work off Postal Service premises, according to a lawsuit filed in 2023 D.C. District Court by the Postal Police Officers Union. The 350 or so people who now work as PPOs can no longer do the type of work Sepulveda did; instead, they guard post office properties. That, according to Sepulveda and her union, the Postal Police Officers Association (PPOA), is part of what is driving the uptick in mail theft. So long as were there, were going to deter crime, Sepulveda says. Now, the criminals have no fear.

The policy is a break from how the Postal Service has conducted security for two decades. Starting in the 2000s, the Postal Inspection Service decided that having PPOs at facilities wasnt the best use of resources, and started deploying them on the street, according to Frank Albergo, president of the PPOA. PPOs targeted zip codes where mail theft was prevalent. The idea was to prevent crime in the first place, Albergo says, rather than catch people, investigate them, and imprison them.

Read More: How Easy Lending Can Lead to Fraud.

The new policy has motivated two lawsuits, a Congressional bill to reverse the policy, as well as pleas from postal workers to restore the police. We cannot allow these kinds of assaults upon carriers and other postal employees to continue, Ivan D. Butts, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, said in one such plea. Greater PPO surveillance and patrols of high-risk neighborhoods, especially along the routes that carriers cover, is necessary. The number of PPOs has shrunk from 425 in 2020 and 3,000 in the 1980s.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told TIME that PPOs are assigned to specific facilities to protect those facilities, and that the Postal Inspection Service has determined those facilities require a high level of security. Removing officers from those facilities would put employees and customers at risk, the organization said. In addition, the Postal Inspection Service deploys postal inspectors to investigate and prevent crimes like robberies of letter carriersthey are like detectives to the PPOs beat officer.

The reassignment of PPOs correlates with a decrease in mail theft arrests and mail theft convictions and an uptick in mail carrier robberies. Whether it is the cause of those changes is up for debate. A May 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office shows that robbery, burglary, and assault crimes off USPS property are soaring, reaching 707 in 2023, while crimes on USPS property have fallen slightly between 2022 to 2023.

The GAO report also found that the US Postal Inspection Service has not fully documented its processes for determining the size and location of its postal inspectors and PPOs. The Inspection Service has not assessed the size and location of its workforce since 2011, the report found, adding that it is unclear how long the Inspection Service will rely on outdated information to determine how to align its postal police workforce with current security needs.

Banks and customers alike are scrambling to deal with the fraud that frequently happens after mail theft. Irv Acklesburg, a lawyer living in Philadelphia, says his credit-card company recently called to ask whether hed used a new credit card to buy gas and take out cash. He hadnt; it turned out the credit card had been stolen on its way to him. A postal inspector followed up to find out more, he says. He didnt lose any money, but he knows that people cantwo of his clients had a $84 check stolen in the mail, changed to $45,000, and cashed. They still havent gotten their money back.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
I just burst into tears at the doctors surgery, Sue Crocombe recalls. Id had to cancel grandparent duty and swap my shifts, only to be told I couldnt see my GP because Id ticked the wrong box on the form.

The intensive care nurse had spent several days desperately trying to get an appointment at Whitecliff Surgery in Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Not long ago, a simple phone call would have sufficed. But the 64-year-old had instead been forced to contend with a new online-only system, introduced two months prior, called Anima. It was now the only way to see her GP.

Yet, despite considering herself tech-savvy, she found the website questionnaire impossible to navigate, constantly sending her round in a loop.

It took two further calls to the surgery  and what felt like a lifetime on hold  before a receptionist eventually filled out the form for her over the phone.

Having pulled in favours from colleagues and family to get to the midweek appointment, she arrived at the surgery only to find shed accidentally been booked in with a nurse. It would be another weeks wait before she could see a doctor.

Driven to despair, Mrs Crocombe jumped onto social media and asked her followers: Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me? She was not alone. Dozens of users shared their own tales of frustration after finding their local surgeries were also now requiring them to fill out an online form before they could get a doctors appointment. At best, the forms were confusing, impersonal, and seemed no better than the 8am scramble on the phone, they complained. At worst, they were leaving them locked out of the health service.

Sue Crocombe turned to social media to ask whether others had faced similar experiences - Russell Sach

It is fair to say that you may not yet recognise this system  but you likely will soon. GP practices across the country are increasingly adopting this new method of dealing with patients. Called total triage, a doctor at the surgery sits at their computer and goes through every online request to decide whether the patient needs to come in or might instead benefit from a telephone consultation or something else.

Anima, the source of Mrs Crocombes frustrations, is not the only total triage platform on the market  in fact there are dozens, each with varying quality and functionality. It is left up to each GP practice itself to choose which one, and how to implement them. Some doctors even use a handful at once. Unsurprisingly, it has led to a confusing patchwork of apps across the UK.

But, despite its rather slapdash introduction so far, total triage is here to stay. It is seen as a silver bullet for primary care by politicians and healthcare experts alike. And with more than five million patients a month in England waiting longer than a fortnight for an appointment, there has never been a greater need for one.

In theory, it makes sense. By stopping unnecessary visits, it frees up more slots. By getting people to fill out a form online, it frees up the phone lines. And by explaining what the issue is before arriving, it saves valuable time during the 10-minute appointment for the GP to actually help.

So why then the considerable grumbles from patients already using total triage? Well, as is ever the case with digital rollouts, the rush to implement the latest tech appears to have forgotten one of the most crucial parts of the system  the people using them. Or more pertinently, those unable to. Over a third of patients who contacted their GP practice online find it difficult, according to this years GP Patient Survey, published on July 11.

The technology relies on patients having both access to the internet and the skills to navigate it. Its digital exclusion, plain and simple, says Dennis Reed, director at Silver Voices, which represents over-60s. One in six of his members last year reported their surgery would now only let them book an appointment online. Many told how they went straight to A&E instead or used up the savings and went private.

In a campaign backed by The Telegraph, Silver Voices recently forced the NHS to change policy so that GP practices had to provide the same level of service to anyone trying to make an appointment  whether they walk in, phone, or use online services. Yet Mr Reed said many were just paying lip service to the new guidance. Like in Mrs Crocombes case, when they do get through to a receptionist, they are simply guided through the online form  and expected to come back once theyve received a call or text to confirm if they need to come in.

The campaign groups concerns are echoed by GPs too. Dr Lewis Whittingham said that his practice in Hampshire had decided against only using total triage over fears it would leave elderly patients locked out of the service. Theres an assumption now that people are quite tech-savvy, he says, Undoubtedly, younger people find the system way easier to get appointments because they know how things work online. But we just felt that people in their 80s and 90s were going to struggle with that. We didnt want to feel we were prioritising the young.

The founders of Anima are not quite so sympathetic it seems, describing those who struggle with the system as laggards. Co-founder Shun Pang, 30, says this subset of people are set in their ways, they just dont want to even give it a try. The hard data from the 200 surgeries using their software shows it is effective, Pang says, highlighting how it reduces average phone waiting times from 32 minutes to just two, while more than doubling the number of patients seen. Even if people struggle to use it, he says, they still indirectly benefit.

The rather unfortunate language however hides the very good intentions behind Anima. Pang and his co-founder Rachel Mumford, 28, who met at Cambridge University, set up the company during the pandemic after both suffering scarring episodes at the hands of NHS admin errors. For Mumford, it was losing her grandmother after she was given the wrong prescription. For Pang, who spent time on placement at a GP practice while studying medicine, it was having to tell a mother with late-stage liver cancer she should have been diagnosed six months prior  but the surgery had forgotten to send her the results.

Vowing to improve primary care, they designed Anima not only to make surgeries more efficient but also to ensure nothing like what happened to them could slip through the cracks again. It is one of the more ambitious apps on the market, bringing together all surgery admin in one place, from triage and appointment booking to recording and transcribing patient notes.

Its a hard sell, but its not yet convinced everyone. One of Animas first and main clients, Your Health Partnership (YHP) in Sandwell, West Midlands, this week cancelled their contract after two years using the platform. A survey by the GP practice, which has seven sites and serves 53,000 people, found Anima was a big source of frustration among patients.

Judging by the dozens of one-star Google reviews for YHP name-checking Anima, frustration may be an understatement. Absolute shambles, says one, succinctly reflecting the views of many. Another, under the name Sabrina Crichlow, writes: It seems theyre just speeding through [the requests] with generic responses because of the vast numbers. I have never actually met my doctor in person, she liaises with me via text. Where is the personal touch? Its such an impersonal system, the care aspect has totally been erased, and I think its a disgusting way to treat patients.

When put to Pang, he politely suggests Anima is perhaps the fall guy here. YHP had been struggling to match demand to capacity for a long time before Anima arrived on the scene, he says, adding: They often think we are the practice, they dont treat us separately. Its unfortunate.

And this perhaps goes to the very heart of the issue  supply just doesnt meet demand right now. Whatever system is put in place to deal with it will struggle, and any system on the frontline will bear the brunt of abuse.

Researching this piece, countless experts told me total triage was the way forward. While it cant tackle the rising demand or train more doctors, they are convinced it is the best way to create more space for those who need it. The problem wasnt the idea, it wasnt really the technology either, they said, it was the implementation. More money needs to be spent integrating it better into current systems, and more time needs to be spent teaching patients how to use it.

Anima hasnt been singled out here because its the worst in the class, its just a useful case study. It highlights the immense difficulties of integrating a potential panacea into the complex, patchwork, and underfunded world of primary care. Were optimists, Pang says. We believe we can make things better.

Until they do, Mrs Crocombe says she has gone back to a rather more old-fashioned method. Still, at a loss at how to work Anima, she told The Telegraph this week she and her husband had instead resorted to writing a letter asking for an appointment and dropping it through the surgery letterbox the night before.

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Harmeet Dhillon of San Francisco covers her head before delivering the invocation during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Tuesday, July 19, 2016. | J. Scott Applewhite

The Republican National Convention is not a religious event, but prayer still plays a prominent role.

People of faith are invited on stage throughout the event to deliver invocations or benedictions  and to call on God to protect former President Donald Trump.

In other words, its not controversial to mix religion and politics at the Republican National Convention.

But some of the prayers offered so far this week have still been met with pushback, especially one offered on Monday by a Sikh woman.

Sikh prayer at Republican National Convention

Harmeet Dhillon, a representative from the Republican National Committee for California, spoke Monday night about Saturdays shooting at a Trump rally before offering a Sikh prayer.

I am honored to share with you, my fellow Republicans and guests tonight, a prayer from my faith tradition, practiced by over 25 million worldwide, she said, according to a video shared by Asian News International.

#WATCH | Civil Rights attorney and Republican Party leader Harmeet Dhillon offers 'Ardas' at Republican National Convention, in the presence of Donald Trump



(Video source: Republican National Convention/ YouTube) pic.twitter.com/RGktivZAua  ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024

Dhillon explained that shed be reciting the Ardas prayer, which Sikhs say before a new endeavor in order to praise God and ask for protection.

She sang the prayer in the Punjabi language and then added a prayer in English.

Dear Vaheguru, our one true God, we thank you for creating America as a unique haven on this earth where all people are free to worship according to their faith. We seek your blessings and guidance for our beloved country. Please bless our people with wisdom as they vote in the upcoming election. And please bless with humility, honesty, skill, and integrity all those who conduct the election, Dhillon said.

Prayer controversy at Republican National Convention

The Sikh prayer at the Republican National Convention sparked controversy for a number of reasons.

Some Christian leaders criticized the GOP for leaning into an interfaith approach.

Republicans rocking a Sikh prayer at the RNC. It would be better to have no prayers than this type of COEXIST pabulum, said Thomas S. Kidd, a professor at Midwestern Seminary, in a post on X.

Other viewers questioned why images of Christian crosses were projected on the screens behind Dhillon as she delivered the Sikh prayer and behind a Jewish woman as she offered a Jewish prayer.

The wall of giant screens behind her projected images of American flags flying next to Christian crosses and churches, Religion News Service reported.

Still others said the Republican National Conventions organizers did not appropriately prepare them for what to expect from Dhillons remarks.

There was a woman that came out who was Sikh. I told them, I have to be off the stage completely when she prays. I dont want there to be confusion. As a follower of Christ, I cant be on the stage while this woman is praying to, I dont know what. Unfortunately, that was a miscommunication, said the Rev. James Roemke, who also prayed from the stage Monday, to Deserets Samuel Benson.

Religion at Republican National Convention

Although Dhillons prayer faced pushback because it came from a non-Christian faith, its actual content was par for the course at this weeks event.

Multiple speakers have offered prayers in which they called on God to bless the country and thanked God for keeping Trump safe, as the Deseret News previously reported.

We give thanks to You for keeping President Trump safe, said the Rev. Roemke in his on-stage prayer. We pray for the families of those affected by the demonic violence at the rally on Saturday, and we pray You would send Your holy angels to guard and keep President Trump from all harm and danger.
Its not every day that you see a teamster walk a tightrope, but on Monday night, Sean OBrien, president of the mighty Teamsters union, was doing just that at the Republican National Convention.

On one hand, OBrien was seeking to cozy up to Donald Trump, eager to stay on his good side in case he wins the presidency in November. But on the other hand, OBrien gave a speech that was no doubt anathema to many Republican bigwigs and business donors: He said that far too many greedy corporations exploit their workers and that Americas laws make it far too difficult for workers to unionize and get contracts that lift their pay and benefits.

One can easily imagine OBrien boasting afterward that he was Daniel in the lions den, speaking truth to pro-corporate power. But OBriens decision to appear at the convention stirred furious criticism within the labor movement, especially when many union leaders insist that Joe Biden is the most pro-union president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some Teamsters slammed OBriens plan to appear at the convention; they feared that he was unwittingly letting the Trump campaign turn him into a show horse, a trophy that they could hold up to make the case that Trump and the Republican Party have the Teamsters seal of approval and are thus true friends of Americas workers and unionsdespite the Trump presidencys many anti-worker and anti-union moves.

John Palmer, vice president at large of the 1.3-million-member Teamsters union, slammed OBriens decision to speak at the convention. In an op-ed, Palmer wrote that it normalizes and makes palatable the most antiunion party and president Ive seen in my lifetime.  It is unconscionable for any labor leader to lend an air of legitimacy to a candidate and a political party, neither of which can be said to have done or can be expected to do, anything to improve the lives of the workers we are pledged to represent.

OBriena combative former Boston truck driver who became Teamsters president in 2022certainly knows that during his four years as U.S. president, Trump and his administration repeatedly undermined the interests of workers and unions. Trump didnt raise a finger to increase the abysmally low $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage. Trump rolled back regulations that protected coal miners and farmworkers. Trump fought hard to repeal Obamacare, a move that would have pushed up medical costs and taken away health coverage from millions of working families. Trump appointed fiercely anti-union officials to the National Labor Relations Board, who moved in many ways, large and small, to make it harder for workers to unionize. Trumps three hard-right appointees to the Supreme Court have also been consistently anti-union. Trump once said that if Congress passed it, he would sign a National Right to Work Bill, a move that would badly weaken unions by letting workers opt out of paying union dues. Not stopping there, Trump once urged union members not to pay union dueshow can a union survive and fight for higher wages if its members dont pay dues?

Early this year, OBrien began flirting with Trump, having invited him to speak to the unions executive board. James Curbeam, chairman of the Teamsters National Black Caucus, denounced OBriens move and called Trump a scab masquerading as a pro-union advocate after doing everything in his power to destroy the very fabric of unions.

In his Monday night speech, OBrien paid no heed to Trumps anti-labor record. His focus seemed to be on flattering Trump with the hope that Trump, if elected, would be nicer to the Teamsters and to all of labor. OBriens other objective was to educate Republicans and a national audience about the injustices and tough times that millions of workers face.

I see American workers taken for granted, OBrien said. With a powerful and at times angry voice, he proceeded to denounce corporate elites, including Amazon, saying their loyalty is to the balance sheet at the expense of the American worker.

OBrien argued that the nations labor laws were pathetically weak. Americans vote for a union, but can never get a union contract, he said. Companies fire workers who try to join unions and hide behind toothless laws that are meant to protect working people but are manipulated to benefit corporations. This is economic terrorism.

As part of his tightrope walk, OBrien told a hugely partisan MAGA convention that the Teamsters will create an agenda and work with a bipartisan coalition, ready to accomplish something real for the American worker.

As OBrien talked, the crowd was at times quiet, uneasy. But it roared with approval when he lauded Trump, saying, President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud, and often critical voices, and I think we all can agree, whether people like him or they dont like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough S.O.B.

In his speech, OBrien also praised Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican representing Missouri, noting that Hawley had walked on several Teamster picket lines (just as Biden joined a United Auto Workers picket line last fall). OBrien also lauded Hawley for criticizing C-suite executives for selling out the U.S. by shutting factories and gutting American jobs. The Teamsters and the GOP may not agree on many issues, but a growing group has shown the courage to sit down and consider points of view that arent funded by big-money think tanks, OBrien said.

Teamsters officials defended OBriens decision to speak at the convention, noting that the union has not endorsed a presidential candidate and that OBrien sought invitations to speak at both the Republican and Democratic conventions. The Democrats have not invited him, at least not yet.

Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, said rank-and-file Teamsters would dictate any endorsement decision. She noted that the union has held member roundtables with Trump and Biden and conducted town halls at roughly 300 local unions to discuss issues and candidates. We are getting our members input in a variety of ways and using that to inform whatever decision is made, she said.

The vast majority of the nations major unions have endorsed Biden, and it would be a sizable blow to him if the Teamsters make no endorsement or back Trump.

Many Democrats are no doubt fuming that OBrien is playing footsie with Trump even though Trump and his party opposed what was long the Teamsters No. 1 legislative priority, the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act, a bill that devotes $86 billion in federal funds to rescuing the pensions of over 2 million union members, including over 400,000 Teamsters. After the Democrat-controlled House passed the bill in 2019, Trump and the GOP-controlled Senate did nothing to advance it.

After Biden was elected, he successfully pushed to enact the Teamsters-backed legislation. The House approved it, with Democrats voting 235 to 0 in favor and Republicans voting overwhelmingly against, 29 to 168. The Butch Lewis Act was passed in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan that not one Republican senator voted for.

On Monday morning, OBrien spoke to Republican delegates from Massachusetts and criticized Biden for failing to deliver on some things, such as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize. Biden pressed hard for the bill, which is the AFL-CIOs top legislative priority, but unanimous GOP opposition prevented it from overcoming a Senate filibuster. In what seems like wishful thinking, OBrien dismissed suggestions that it would be impossible to pass the PRO Act with Trump in the White House.

All in all, OBriens showing at the RNC was a huge gamble. He seemed to dream that he could somehow persuade Trump and the GOP to stop being fiercely anti-union and often anti-worker as well. But maybe his hard-hitting speech could lead to some incremental change.

More likely, OBrien has done Trump a huge favor by seemingly giving his unions seal of approval to the GOPhelping Trump woo blue-collar workers, a pivotal voting bloc that could help ensure a Trump victory, especially in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. If Trump wins and if his coattails bring GOP control of the House and Senate, that, despite OBriens wishes, could be a disaster for labor unions. That would mean more anti-union appointees to the NLRB and Supreme Court, more efforts to kill regulations that protect workers, more years of failing to pass the PRO Act, and more tough times for Americas unions. OBriens appearance at the Republican convention wont prevent that.
Why Ukraine  and much of Europe  is alarmed over Trump's selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, right of him, watch delegates from the stands at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Out of wartime necessity, Ukrainians tend to be keen observers of U.S. politics. And for the Ukrainian government  as well as its European backers  the tumult of this American campaign season is viewed with growing alarm.

Those worries were crystallized this week by the selection of J.D. Vance , a vociferous critic of U.S. aid to Ukraine, as running mate to former President Trump.

Over the last 21/2 years, as Ukraine has struggled to fend off a Russian onslaught, billions of dollars worth of military assistance from the United States and its European allies have been a critical lifeline . Now, the outlook for long-term support appears more clouded than at any point in the war.

There was already considerable concern about the durability of the future U.S. commitment to Ukraine, and more broadly about the commitment to NATO, said Ian Lesser, a distinguished fellow with the German Marshall Fund in Brussels.

The choice of Vance for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket, he said, is only going to reinforce those concerns.

Read more: NATO's birthday-bash summit in Washington comes at a gloomy time

Publicly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has telegraphed confidence his government can weather whatever storm might be approaching.

On Monday, he told reporters in Kyiv that we will work together with any U.S. leadership.

Echoing that, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in a remote address to the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday, said that whatever the outcome of the U.S. election, Ukraine would find solutions.

At this stage, we will focus on the battlefield, he said.

Some in Zelenskys circle are already pointing out that a vice presidents foreign policy views traditionally do not carry great weight in U.S. administrations, and that in the event Trump were elected, his voice would be the only one that would count.

President Biden with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO gathering in Washington last week. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

But many close observers of the war in Ukraine believe a Vance vice presidency, if it came to pass, would serve to amplify what analyst Jessica Berlin called Trumps worst impulses  including a notable willingness to take a benign view of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vance is an outspoken proponent of pro-Russian, pro-Putin policies, said Berlin, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. And hes particularly dangerous because he is a sharper communicator than Trump.

Like Trump, his running mate has called for a quick end to the war  which Zelenskys camp considers code for a demand that it cede territory to Russia, consigning Ukrainian citizens in occupied cities, towns and villages to a brutal fate.

In February, Vance startled some attendees at the Munich Security Conference, a showcase gathering for the Western foreign policy establishment, by minimizing the Russian threat to Europe, and showing no interest in engaging with those who wanted to talk about why a Russian victory would be so dangerous.

Although it garnered little attention at the time, one particularly stark comment from Vance  who was then in the midst of what would turn out to be a successful campaign to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate  still makes Ukraine backers bristle.

Read more: Zelensky to Europe: A Russian victory in Ukraine would lead to the unthinkable

I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other, he said in a 2022 podcast interview with Trump ally Stephen K. Bannon that aired just two days before Russias full-scale invasion began.

For supporters of Ukraine, Vances selection is also a reminder of his prominent role in a congressional battle that resulted in a six-month holdup of a $61-billion U.S. aid package, a logjam that broke in April when House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) allowed a vote to release the assistance.

At the time, Ukraine hoped the long delay, whose ramifications are still being felt on the battlefield, was an aberration that did not reflect a lack of U.S. public support for the Ukrainian cause.

Even before Vances addition to the Republican ticket, the internal Democratic struggle over whether age and infirmity should preclude President Biden from serving another term had been causing jitters in Europe, although allied leaders have carefully refrained from any public expression of concern over Bidens fitness to run.

But the triumphal spectacle of this weeks Republican convention  which came on the heels of an assassination attempt against Trump at a Pennsylvania rally  coincided with quiet efforts on the part of some key European leaders to avoid being caught off guard if events seemed to be tilting in Trumps favor.

Read more: Trump was nearly assassinated in their small town. Now they grapple with politics, grief and anger

In Germany, for example, Chancellor Olaf Scholzs center-left party dispatched a delegation to the Republican convention in Milwaukee to assess the mood.

We want to be better prepared for a possible Trump victory than we were eight years ago, the partys foreign policy spokesman, Nils Schmid, told Germanys RND network.

Sitting European leaders, with a few exceptions, are generally circumspect about internal U.S. politics, but former ones offered up some acid commentary about Vances selection.

More champagne popping in the Kremlin, Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister, wrote Tuesday on X about the new vice presidential candidate.

Some in Ukraine expressed hopes that Vance, a former U.S. Marine, might yet change his stance on the conflict if they were able to show him personally what was at stake. After all, they reasoned, the onetime Never Trumper changed his mind about Trump.

We need to try and convince him, Yevhen Mahda, executive director of the Institute of World Policy think tank in Kyiv, told the BBC. He fought in Iraq, therefore he should be invited to Ukraine so he can see with his own eyes what is happening, and how American money is spent.

Among the European far right, though, the selection of Vance rekindled hopes that if Trump were elected, figures such as Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has tried to quash European backing for Kyiv, would have a powerful new ally in Washington.

A Trump-Vance administration sounds just right, Orban political aide Balazs Orban, who is not related to the prime minister, wrote on X. Vance is definitely the best choice.

As a rule, foreign policy does not loom large in U.S. presidential contests. In a speech Wednesday night at the Republican convention, intended as a self-introduction to the nation, Vance dwelled on a hardscrabble early life and was effusive in his praise of Trump  but did not mention Ukraine.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Fundraising totals for candidates in the Knox County general election are trickling in, and some candidates are making a splash.

Democrat Matthew Park has far outpaced his Republican opposition, Andy Fox, in fundraising for the District 9 Knox County Commission race. Park raised almost $30,800 while Fox raised about $17,500. In the most recent campaign finance filings, Fox only received 14 donations, while Park received 327.

Their independent opponent, Stacey Bryan Smith, declined to raise money throughout the campaign.

Park benefitted from donations from some well-known local Republicans, among them Mike Arms, former Knox County commissioner and chief of staff to former Mayor Mike Ragsdale, and Joan Ashe, wife of former longtime Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe.

Arms donated $150 and Joan Ashe donated $250.

Early voting for the Knox County general election and Tennessee General Assembly primary election is under way. Voters can vote early until July 27 and on Primary Election Day, Aug. 1. Knox News has information about all the candidates in the 2024 Aug. 1 voter's guide.

'I look for someone who's not afraid to cross party lines to build coalitions'

Arms has donated to Democrats in the past, including Knox County Commissioner Courtney Durrett and state Rep. Sam McKenzie. Arms told Knox News he's a moderate Republican, and wants county leaders to look for opportunities to build coalitions.

"He's trying to become a great inside candidate," Arms said of Park, adding that Park has met with county officials to learn about the budget and has experience in emergency medical services.

Arms said he's heard Fox speak and knows he's "pretty much anti-development." Raising taxes is a sore subject in Knox County, but the only way to avoid it is through the economic growth that comes with development, Arms said.

"In local government, Rs and Ds shouldn't be that important," Arms said. "(The reason you vote for someone should be) what kind of commitment they can bring to the body."

'I just don't think partisan politics are that important at the local level'

Joan Ashe had a similar thought process.

She considers herself "middle of the road" and wants to vote for candidates who are as well.

"Let's say I'm aligned more like the old Howard Baker Republicans," she said. "I try not to swing too far to the right."

Because Knox County can sometimes feel like a small town, Ashe encouraged voters who normally vote for just one party to get to know the candidates personally. It's important to understand their thoughts on local issues that are outside the contentious national news cycle.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Republicans donate to Democrat Matthew Parkin commission race
For the record:

10:47 a.m. July 17, 2024: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to defense attorney Danny Davis as a prosecutor. Glenn Stevens was the prosecutor who was criticized for not disclosing questionable statements by Judy Johnson, the initial complainant in the McMartin sex-abuse case.



Judy Johnson's stories were growing increasingly bizarre.

At first, she told police that a teacher had molested her 2-year-old son at the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach. Soon, she said the abuse had involved altars, candles, a decapitated baby, an airplane flight and a figure called "the goat man."

The family-run school had had an impeccable reputation, in an affluent South Bay beach town populated by professionals. Her claims sparked the largest sex-abuse case in American history, involving seven defendants, hundreds of children and more than 300 counts of child molestation and conspiracy.

It ended with zero convictions, and "McMartin" became a byword for social contagion, hysteria and the epic failure of trusted institutions: law enforcement, courts, the child-therapy establishment and the media.

Even the former Los Angeles County district attorney who brought the case to trial  the longest in the annals of U.S. law  acknowledges it was a mistake, so poisoned was the evidence by suggestive interviewing techniques. Few of the now grown-up McMartin children have spoken publicly, but some have described the pressure to fabricate stories or disbelieve innocent memories in favor of traumatic ones.

In September 1983, spurred by Johnson's complaint, local police arrested 25-year-old teacher Raymond Buckey, grandson of the preschool's founder, and sent letters to 200 current and former McMartin parents.

Please question your child to see if he or she has been a witness to any crime or if he or she has been a victim, it read, including oral sex, fondling of genitals, buttock, or chest area, and sodomy, possibly committed under the pretense of taking the childs temperature. Also, photos may have been taken of children without their clothing.

Panic engulfed parents, and the district attorneys office began referring families to Childrens Institute International, a Los Angeles therapy center, where social workers interviewed 400 children ranging in age from 4 to 10.

An April 1988 photo shows the former McMartin Preschool decaying among weeds. (Alan Hagman / Los Angeles Times)

CII's techniques were controversial. Kids were given anatomical dolls and encouraged to use puppets, such as Pac-Man, to communicate what was otherwise unspeakable.

They were presented with lurid and grotesque scenarios and told that their classmates had already divulged yucky secrets. When they insisted they were not victims, the social workers kept pressing.

The institute said 360 of the McMartin kids reported abuse. Children had spoken of being taken to secret rooms and tunnels, of being tied up, photographed naked and forced to play a game called Naked Movie Star. They spoke of mutilated animals and Satanic rites. One veteran child-abuse prosecutor articulated the article of faith underpinning the case: No amount of questioning can make a child believe what he doesn't believe.

In March 1984, then-Dist. Atty. Robert Philibosian, in the thick of a campaign to keep his job, filed charges of child molestation against Buckey and six women  his sister, his mother, his 76-year-old grandmother, and three teachers. It was a conspiracy involving millions of items of child porn, a prosecutor alleged.

At the 19-month preliminary hearing, amid huge publicity, 14 former McMartin students testified. Some spoke of being forced to drink rabbits blood at the preschool, of being taken to a cemetery to watch a corpse dug up and mutilated. Asked to ID his supposed abusers, one child picked two men  the city attorney and action star Chuck Norris  out of a photo lineup.

Defense attorney Danny Davis, who represented Raymond Buckey in court, received death threats during the case. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times)

Danny Davis, the defense attorney who represented Raymond Buckey, cross-examined the children thoroughly and assailed the government's scientific testimony, which relied on controversial "colposcopic evidence"  magnified scars alleged to show sexual abuse.

Davis endured death threats from people who believed he was defending monsters. I was the face of it, said Davis, now 78. I was Darth Vader in their mind.

He said Buckey, locked up without bail, would grind his teeth at night down to the quick.

A credulous media exacerbated the hysteria with an echo chamber of horrors, in the words of Times media critic David Shaw, who eviscerated the pack-journalism coverage. He itemized his own newspaper's sins, which included the headline, "Brutality at McMartin's School Revealed."

On the McMartin story, most of the media didnt light a match within three miles of the D.A.s feet during the first year or two of the case, Shaw wrote.

Glenn Stevens was one of the prosecutors. His belief in the case withered as the preliminary hearing progressed. Despite a massive search, not a single photograph turned up suggesting a child porn ring. Nor did evidence of trapdoors, subterranean rooms or tunnels at the school.

Glenn Stevens, who was one of the McMartin prosecutors during the preliminary hearing, developed strong doubts about the case and resigned from the district attorney's office. (Rosemary Kaul / Los Angeles Times)

I was out there with an entire investigative team from the Sheriffs Department, Stevens, now 71 and a real estate attorney in Beverly Hills, told The Times in a recent interview. They had ground penetrating devices. They pulled up the floor, and there was a concrete slab on grade, and underneath it was dirt.

The alleged abuse could not have plausibly occurred anywhere in the high-visibility school, he said. It had no curtains on the windows. It was on the busiest street in Manhattan Beach. There are no locks on the gate, so anybody could have come in while this was happening.

Then there were the tapes  hundreds of interviews conducted by Childrens Institute International. He said the D.A.s team didnt study them until the case was already moving through the courts, a process he described as ass-backward. Watching the tapes in chronological order, he was chilled. The accounts became wilder and more embellished, and what had seem like cross-corroboration now seemed a clear case of cross-contamination.

When you start watching about 20 or 30 of these things, you really see whats happening  theyre pulling information from particular victims and asking that stuff to subsequent victims. The case just ballooned, monstrously so.

He said Judy Johnson, whose report about her son launched the case, showed signs of paranoia and mental instability and refused to let him interview her son.

To Stevens, a conspiracy among McMartin staff seemed increasingly remote. How do you find seven people who have the same lustful interests and get them all to work at the same preschool? How is that even done? Stevens said. None of them had a record of any kind, even a traffic ticket.

Stevens shared his misgivings with the media, embarrassing the office, and soon after resigned.

The same month, a judge decided there was enough evidence to send all seven defendants to trial. To the outrage of McMartin parents, the new D.A., Ira Reiner, dismissed charges against five of the defendants, calling the evidence against them incredibly weak.

But he allowed the case to proceed against Raymond Buckey and his mother Peggy Buckey, 59, a decision he now regrets.

Because the evidence had been corrupted beyond repair by Childrens Institute International, "I made a mistake by not dismissing against all the defendants," Reiner told The Times recently. They operated on a single principle, which was a fallacy: No child can make up such stories, therefore it was OK to lead them and push them. These kids believed what they said because it had been planted in their heads.

Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner threw out charges against five of the seven McMartin defendants, calling the evidence "incredibly weak," but took Raymond and Peggy Buckey to trial. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times)

Defense attorneys questioned the mental stability of Judy Johnson, the initial complainant, and were furious that Stevens and other prosecutors hadn't revealed some of her more unhinged statements. Among her allegations: an AWOL Marine had sodomized the family dog. She was found dead in December 1986, just before she was expected to testify, of an alcohol-related illness.



By the time the trial began in summer 1987, the news coverage had grown tougher-minded, but prosecutors did not relent. In their hands, Buckeys quirks were presented as potentially sinister. A believer in pyramid energy, he slept with a big pyramid over his bed and sold pyramid-shaped hats at a UFO convention.

In January 1990, after a 30-month trial, the jury acquitted the Buckeys on 52 counts but deadlocked on 13 others. Raymond Buckey was retried, and after another deadlock, the D.A. finally dropped the case.

The estimated cost to taxpayers was $15 million. The Buckeys business had been destroyed, and the damage to their names was permanent. Raymond Buckey and his sister are still alive but through a friend declined to be interviewed.

Zoe Klemfuss, associate professor at UC Irvine who researches childrens eyewitness testimony, said the case spurred dramatic improvements in child-interviewing protocols. It is now widely accepted that we can get kids to say all kinds of things that arent true just by showing them what we want them to say, she said.

Raymond Buckey and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, confer during court proceedings in Los Angeles, April 6, 1984. (Joey Terrill / Los Angeles Times)

As horrific as it was on so many fronts, the only silver lining to take from it is the research field really took off, and this fuel came literally from the McMartin case.

Kevin Cody covered the case extensively for the community newspaper he publishes, the Easy Reader. He attended almost every day of trial and concluded the McMartins were innocent.

They went through every minute of Raymond Buckey's life. He was the perfect scapegoat, Cody said. Do not leave the impression that we'll never really know. We do know. We know in hindsight the McMartin case was a fraud.

The parents of the McMartin accusers were doctors, lawyers, engineers, he said, and they believed what the supposed experts were telling them.

Manhattan Beach is just 2 miles long, and Cody still runs into some of the parents.

Nobody talks about it at all, he said. The parents are just in a horrible position and so they just bury it.

In the decades since, some former McMartin students have shed further light on the case. One accuser, Kyle Zirpolo, who was 8 when he spoke to CII therapists in 1984, said the stories he told about McMartin teachers  including the claim that kids were stripped and photographed  were not false memories but fabrications.

He hoped to win the love and attention of the adults around him, and he grasped what they wanted him to say.

I would try to think of the worst thing possible that would be harmful to a child, he told journalist Debbie Nathan. He conjured satanic details by imagining his own family church.

To one of the prosecutors, the McMartin school's location on a busy streetand its physical layoutmade allegations of mass child abuse seem unrealistic. (Lacy Atkins / Los Angeles Times)

From going to church, you know that God is good, and the devil is bad and has horns and is about evil and red and blood. I'd just throw a twist in there with Satan and devil worshiping.

Maureen Flannigan, 50, a Los Angeles-based documentary filmmaker, calls herself a unwitting victim. She attended McMartin as a child and was interviewed by Kee MacFarlane, the CII social worker who became known as the puppet lady during the case.

Flannigan was given an Officer McGruff puppet and anatomic dolls. She told MacFarlane nothing bad had happened at the preschool, but her denials were interpreted as fear and repression.

I was introduced to sexual concepts, not between a mom and a dad but between teachers and babies, basically, Flannigan told The Times in a recent interview. My 10-year-old brain exploded ... I knew early on if I didnt give her what she wanted, I wasnt getting out of that room.

Despite her denials, she said, CII told her parents she had most likely been abused, and she came to believe that she had been, which haunted her for decades.

They really did think they were doing the right thing. It was really under the banner of saving children.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Firefighters are working to contain an over 1,100-acre forest fire that broke out on Tuesday at a military range in New Jersey after the Air National Guard engaged in what it called a "controlled, loud activity." The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said that no structures were threatened by the fire, and that there were no evacuations or road closures.

The fire service responded to the outbreak at Warren Grove Air to Ground Range, which is used by elements of the New Jersey Air National Guard. A New Jersey Forest Fire Service official told Military.com that the fire was 80% contained as of Wednesday morning following overnight rain.

The official, Jim Douglas, said that fire services were requested at the range late Tuesday morning. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service, or NJFFS, said that as of late Wednesday morning, fire crews remained on scene to monitor the perimeter of the blaze.

Read Next: Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Unjustly Punished in 1944 After a Deadly California Port Explosion

"The 177th Fighter Wing thanks the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for its help in the management of fires on its Warren Grove Range property yesterday," a spokesperson for the 177th Fighter Wing told Military.com in an email. It was not immediately clear which specific unit was using the range at the time of the fire.

"The Wing can confirm that controlled, loud activity took place on the range shortly after 11:30 a.m. yesterday, at which point fires began," the spokesperson said. "New Jersey State Forest Fire Service assisted with management of the fires in the designated area."

Military.com asked the spokesperson what the specific activity was, what unit was conducting said activity, and if said activity started the fire, but did not hear back by publication.

This is not the first time a fire has erupted from the range grounds. In 2007, a massive fire spread across Ocean and Burlington counties after an Air National Guard plane dropped a flare over the Warren Grove range, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Tuesday's fire, which was first reported as 150 acres in size, has since octupled and has been named the "Whip-poor-will Wildfire," according to NJFFS. The state's fire service deployed ground crews, as well as a helicopter, to assist with observation.

In a post to X on Wednesday, NJFFS said that it "continues to be in unified command with the New Jersey Air National Guard on scene" of the fire.

The Warren Grove Range was used during World War II as a weapons research site, according to the service. Roughly 3,000 flights occur at the range each year, and it is used by Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and the Federal Aviation Administration, among other entities.

Related: How New Jersey Guardsmen Thwarted One of the Largest Somali Terror Attacks in Decades
Donald Trump's family has been front and center at the past two Republican National Conventions. The 2024 RNC in Milwaukee is largely similar, though some Trumps are shying away from the spotlight this time around.

Here's a breakdown of which Trump family members have spoken and what to expect in the convention's final night.

Melania Trump

Melania and Donald Trump in 2022 just after he announced another run for president. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Former first lady Melania Trump appeared at the convention on Thursday, when the former president gave his keynote address.

But she is not on the speakers' list this year and appears to be taking a smaller role. It is a decades-long tradition for the nominees' spouses to address the delegates.

In both 2020 and 2016, Melania gave speeches to the GOP conventions supporting her husband's candidacy. She has mostly kept out of the limelight this year; the Associated Press reported that she has skipped public appearances at a number of political events.

Donald Trump Jr.

JD Vance speaks with Donald Trump Jr. onstage next to Kimberly Guilfoyle. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Trump's eldest son, the 46-year-old and executive vice president at the family's Trump Organization is one of his father's most public advocates. Trump Jr. spoke on Wednesday night ahead of vice presidential nominee JD Vance. Trump Jr. is friends with Vance and reportedly advocated for his selection as running mate.

During his speech, Trump Jr. hailed his father as having "the heart of a lion" and paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, who was killed in Saturday's shooting at a Trump rally.

Trump Jr.'s fiancee, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, also spoke in Milwaukee on Wednesday evening.

Kai Trump

Trump's granddaughter, 17-year-old Kai, spoke Wednesday night at the RNC. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The former president's 17-year-old granddaughter addressed the RNC on Wednesday night, introduced by her father, Trump Jr.

"To me, he's just a normal grandpa. To me, he gives us candy and soda when our parents aren't looking," she told the audience of Trump. "He always wants to know how we're doing in school."

She also called her grandfather an "inspiration" as she closed her speech.

Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump campaigns for her father in 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Trump's older daughter, Ivanka Trump, is the only one of the former president's children to work directly for him at the White House. She served as an official adviser along with her husband, Jared Kushner,

Like Melania Trump, Ivanka was not on the speakers' list but appeared in the arena Thursday when the former president addresses the delegates. Ivanka, 42, also addressed the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions.

Ivanka's absence from the spotlight isn't surprising as she signaled years ago that she would step away from politics. "I love my father very much," she said in a 2022 statement issued moments after her father announced his third campaign for the White House. "This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family."

Eric Trump

Eric Trump with the Florida delegates during the roll call of states. Tiffany Trump, Lara Trump and Donald Trump Jr. join him. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Like Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump is an executive vice president at the familys Trump Organization and has taken a public-facing role advocating for their father's political agenda.

Eric, 40, is listed on the official speakers' list for Milwaukee, and is slated to address the convention between 8 and 9 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Standing next to Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump Jr., Eric also spoke for Florida's delegation next to back their father.

Eric's wife, Lara Trump, is the Republican candidate's handpicked co-chair of the Republican National Committee and gave the keynote address Tuesday night.

Tiffany Trump

Tiffany Trump sits near Donald Trump and JD Vance during day two of the Republican National Convention. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Tiffany Trump, 30, mostly shied away from politics during her father's presidency and two previous campaigns. She addressed the 2020 and 2016 conventions but is not listed on the official speakers' list this year.

She is attending the 2024 Republican convention as a Florida delegate and stood on the floor with her two older brothers during the roll call nomination of their father.

Barron Trump

Barron Trump graduates at Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this year. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump's youngest child, Barron Trump, was initially selected by the Florida Republican Party to serve as an official delegate in Milwaukee, which would have had him stepping into the political arena with his brothers and sisters. But the 18-year-old withdrew his name from consideration and is not on the speakers' list.

Earlier this month, Barron attended one of his father's campaign rallies for the first time. It's unclear if he might take a more public role.

"He's now going to college, got into every college he wanted to," his father said at the Florida rally. "He made his choice, and he is a very good guy."

After a standing ovation, his father joked: He might be more popular than Don and Eric ... we gotta talk about this."
Plans are underway for the reconstruction of a 115-year-old Wilmington community center. A groundbreaking on Monday at the Peoples Settlement Association drew current and former community center participants  including elected officials, nonprofit representatives and civic leaders. The turnout reflected the influential role the Peoples Settlement Association has played in the city's history, serving as a hub for community engagement and personal development.

Founded on the city's East Side near Old Swedes in 1901, the Peoples Settlement Association was established to support newly arrived European immigrants and working-class families.

Records from New Castle County show the existing 1,350 square-foot two-story building located at 408 E. Eighth St. was built in 1920 with a newer wing added during the Sills administration. The redesigned building will be modernized to include upgraded facilities and equipped with elevators, classrooms and a gymnasium.

The renovations are funded by a $12 million allocation in this year's bond bill, a statement from state Sen. Darius Brown said. Elected officials said funding for the center is part of a larger plan to reinvest in the beleaguered community.

A 'full circle moment'

The ceremony featured remarks from former and current leaders of the association, as well as political leaders including Gov. John Carney, Mayor Micheal Purzycki and former Mayor Jim H. Sills Jr., and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. Many distinguished guests shared nostalgic anecdotes of their youth, reminiscing about participating in activities at the community center or launching their careers in leadership there.

Brown, who has deep roots in the East Side neighborhood, advocated for funding to renovate the community center. Over the years, the center and the surrounding neighborhood have suffered from disinvestment and neglect. Many people stopped attending its programs. Brown stated that one of his priorities as a senator was to restore the community center to its former status as a cornerstone.

He was joined by legislative colleague Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, who also grew up in the neighborhood and participated in activities as an East Side resident. Rochester attended the event and recalled the many hours she spent at the community center, where her late father, Ted Blunt, began his leadership career in Wilmington. They all emphasized how instrumental the Peoples Settlement Association was in their lives and the importance of providing younger generations with the same opportunities and support.

Tiana Sanders represents one of the newest generations who have reaped the rewards of the community center's programs. Raised on the East Side, she went to Bancroft Elementary and engaged in after-school programs and summer camps at the Peoples Settlement Association. This involvement connected her with the community and led to her career in dance, which began at the Christina Cultural Arts Center when she was 5 years old.

Today, Sanders is a hip-hop dance instructor at Christina Cultural Arts Center. Reflecting on her journey, Sanders describes it as "a full circle moment."

"Being able to have my students come and perform where I grew up, and giving them a chance to perform and giving them a chance to show their professionalism, shows them that dance can take you a lot of places," Sanders said.

The renovation of the Peoples Settlement Association follows recent investments in the neighborhood including $84 million to construct the newly named Maurice Pritchett, Sr. Academy, scheduled to open this fall. Pritchett, a beloved principal of Bancroft Elementary, has a strong legacy in the neighborhood. Both schools are located across the street from the Peoples Settlement Association.

You can contact Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Groundbreaking ceremony for Peoples Settlement Association in Wilmington
Dogs have stolen the show at the Republican National Convention  including Lambeau, a 7-year-old purebred English Labrador retriever service dog.

"I had no expectations of anything. I didn't know what to expect. It's the first time to be at a convention, and I am stunned. I was worried about, 'How do I keep a low profile?' And everyone wants to talk to him and meet him," his human, Wisconsin delegate Terrence Wall, said.

Lambeau has gotten his photo taken at least 250 to 300 times a day, Wall said. He met someone from California at Convention Fest whose her daughter saw Lambeau on TV and said "you gotta track him down and get a selfie."

Lambeau, a 7-year-old English Labrador retriever, with his owner Terrence Wall, a delegate from Middleton Wisc., 2nd congressional district finance chair of the Republican Party of Dane County during the first day of the Republican National Convention.

"I'm just his agent," Wall joked. Wall is a former U.S. Senate candidate and a real-estate developer.

So, did Lambeau meet Babydog, who appeared on stage with her owner West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice during his speech Tuesday night?

"By total coincidence, I stepped out with him to go to the bathroom" when Babydog came out, Wall said. "Which is probably good, because if he saw (her), he would probably want to go greet her and lick her and say hi."

More: Who is Babydog Justice? Meet the English bulldog charming RNC attendees in Milwaukee

Lambeau has a red-and-black harness that says "No. 1 Republican service dog." The name Lambeau, obviously, is an ode to the Green Bay Packers  Wall's wife is from Green Bay.

"We thought it was so clever, until we found out lots of people have dogs named Lambeau," Wall said.

Wall said his delegate experience has been "fantastic" and that everything has been well-organized.

"I think Milwaukee and the Republican party really pulled it off," he said. "For us, as a delegate, it's just running so smoothly. I'm sure they're paddling under the water like crazy, but we don't see it."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meet Lambeau, 7-year-old English lab who's stealing the show at RNC
A resident of Picuris Pueblo walks inside the tribes former grow house, which was out of use after being raided by federal officers in 2017, though medical marijuana was legal in the state of New Mexico at the time.

A resident of Picuris Pueblo walks inside the tribes former grow house, which was out of use after being raided by federal officers in 2017, though medical marijuana was legal in the state of New Mexico at the time. Five years later, the state set agreements with tribes as the sale of recreational cannabis launched statewide. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM)

MILWAUKEE  A leader with the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa said lifting federal prohibitions on marijuana would allow for the sovereign nation to enter the billion-dollar industry sweeping the country.

Cannabis in all forms  except for CBD products  is illegal in Wisconsin. Bordering states Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois all allow recreational sales. This locks Lac Courte Oreilles out of the market, said Bill Trepanier, the tribes secretary and treasurer.

The states surrounding us, they all have gone legal, and theres a lot of tax money leaving the state, and were just wondering why the state of Wisconsin is not really making a move here, he said.

Trepanier joined radio news show Native America Calling on Monday during the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin to discuss what his tribe would like to see the U.S. government achieve for tribal nations across the country.

LISTEN TO THE FULL NATIVE AMERICA CALLING SHOW

https://sourcenm.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/071524.mp3

Cannabis legislation is a sovereignty issue, he said. And until Wisconsin lawmakers act on reform, all 11 tribal governments in the state will be restricted from creating marijuana businesses as other tribes in the country have.

We got about 80,000 acres on our reservation, Trepanier said. Were always trying to grow our land base. We have a lot of forests and lakes and streams here. Its a very beautiful place.

Until federal law changes, the U.S. president can direct his administration to either harshly prosecute marijuana infractions  as President Donald Trump did with his first attorney general appointment Jeff Sessions. Or he could deprioritize enforcement and lessen penalties, as is the policy under President Joe Biden, who also pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law.

People walk through the concourse at the Fiserv Forum during the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM)

In states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana like New Mexico, tribes are active in the industry  growing, operating and investing in businesses. New Mexico not only changed state law but set agreements that allow tribes in the state to follow that law, despite the federal restrictions.

An administration change in the U.S. government could harm these businesses. For instance, on the Picuris Pueblo, federal agents raided a marijuana grow in 2017 that was supported by tribal leaders there. Now, with support from the New Mexico government, Picuris, a remote community high in the Rocky Mountains, has cannabis businesses in Santa Fe, the state capital.

Lac Courte Oreilles Band will not have an ally in altering federal law with U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin).

Orden serves the 3rd District just north of the Lac Courte, though he does represent the Ho-Chunk Nation, which decriminalized marijuana arrests this year.

I do not support the legalization of recreational marijuana, Van Orden said during an interview at the convention Tuesday. Medical marijuana never should have been made legal ever. That is across the board.

While Van Orden wont advocate for legalization in Congress, he also said he wont interfere with or attack sovereign laws if the Ho-Chunk, or any tribe, are in line with U.S. laws and policies. Its something he would want to study more, he said, along with better understanding Native relations with the U.S. government.

If the Ho-Chunks want to do one thing, and its in alignment, were good, Van Orden said. Im an American citizen. So, if the Ho-Chunk are doing this as a sovereign nation, you know, I dont know where the constitutional line is there.

This story is part of a collaboration between Koahnic Broadcasting, ICTNews.org and States Newsroom covering the Republican National Convention in 2024 with a focus on Native America.
It had been less than 48 hours since the attempted assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, and for four Wisconsin voters, it was yet another sign of how divided the nation has become.

Valori Schmidt, a Republican living in Milwaukee, described the shooting at the former president's Pennsylvania rally as a "wake-up call."

"Unfortunately, it wasn't necessarily a surprise because the climate of hatred has escalated to such a high level," Schmidt said. "The wake up call is we must take the temperature down. We must become more civil, and we must start being factual and not not name calling and just saying awful things about one another."

Next to her, Gary Berns, a fellow Milwaukeean who votes Democratic, replied: "I can't disagree with that."

Berns and Schmidt, joined by other local residents Julie Buckholt and Charlene Abughrin, sat down with ABC News at Miss Katie's Diner just as the Republican National Convention was kicking off in their hometown.

At times, their conversation showed clear divides between the parties -- especially when it came to the two presidential candidates vying for their votes come November: President Joe Biden and former president Trump.

PHOTO: Wisconsin voters sit down with ABC News at Miss Katie's Diner in Milwaukee to discuss the 2024 election. (ABC News)

"As far as the loudness and the anger calling, I mean he brings that on himself," Berns said of Trump. Schmidt later countered that Trump, "has been vilified as a Hitler, as an anti-American, as an extremist  it's been nonstop from all aspects."

Abughrin, a former Democrat who has supported Trump since 2016, jumped into say Americans should be able to express their views without it devolving into dangerous scenarios.

"We have freedom of speech. This is America, right? And so with that all of us being adults, we should be able to agree to disagree without it leading to violent acts like an adult," she said.

Trump 2016 versus Trump 2024

Abughrin said Trump is "better" than he was eight years ago because he's learned from his past experiences and will be able to be more effective.

"He's going in it with eyes open this time," she said. "And so I think he'll just be definitely do that much more for the community."

Schmidt, also a Republican, had a similar view.

"He wasn't a politician when he got in, and certainly, there's probably things he would say, 'Oh, maybe I won't do that again,'" she said. "But I tell you what, Saturday night did one thing that people should have taken note. He got up because he wanted the people to know. 'I'm okay.' We're in this.  I thought it showed his leadership and his faculties, I mean it was unbelievable."

PHOTO: Wisconsin voters sit down with ABC News to talk about the Republican National Convention and the 2024 election. (ABC News)

PHOTO: Wisconsin voters sit down with ABC News to talk about the Republican National Convention and the 2024 election. (ABC News)

Berns and Buckholt, meanwhile, expressed concern about a possible second Trump term.

"I think Donald Trump is a worst candidate," Berns said, "because if he's gonna be elected with a stack Supreme Court, he knows what you can get away with in the courts, what the back and forth. So I just think it'd be a terrible thing."

Buckholt said she agreed with Berns, and explicitly expressed concern about Project 2025 -- a sweeping plan to overhaul the federal government proposed by a closely aligned conservative group.

"I believe it's going to be worse for all of us," she said.

Biden's age and the CNN debate

Both Berns and Buckholt, the two Democrats, conceded that they believe Biden is too old to run for office.

"Yes I believe that he is too old. But I also believe he's still able to do the job," said Buckholt. "I believe that Trump is also too old. And if we talk about mental capacity I believe that [Biden] still there mentally and can do the job."

PHOTO: Wisconsin voters sit down with ABC News to talk about the Republican National Convention and the 2024 election. (ABC News)

The group then engaged in back and forth over Biden's age and whether it impacts his mental fitness.

"He had a bad debate," Bukcholt said of Biden's performance. "He wasn't feeling well, we all have bad days  I think he's an honest man, I really do. And we need an honest man in office."

America's divisiveness

"How could we become less divided? That's a really tough question," Berns said.

"I think it is turning down the temperature," he continued. "I think it's no more name calling. It's no more telling if the other person is elected, the world's gonna end. I think we need to go back to talking policies, and not nothing else. That's what matters. I think that will help."

Everyone appeared in agreement.

Abughrin said she "100%" agreed that Americnas should "stick to the policy, stick to the topics, no more the mudslinging."

PHOTO: Wisconsin voters sit down with ABC News to talk about the Republican National Convention and the 2024 election. (ABC News)

Buckholt said the country's become so fraught that sometimes families can't talk to each other.

"Families are divided," she said. "You can't even have family get-togethers because you have arguments and fights, people walking out. So I also think that this needs to start at home with families and they need to listen to each other."

"We need to stop trying to absolutely portray people as someone that people -- all people -- would be afraid to meet on the sidewalk," said Schmidt. "We just need to get to the issues and verify our sources research, do not be a puppet for what you've heard or someone's said or even a segment ont he news."

Wisconsin voters speak on Trump, Biden and America's divisions in wake of shooting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Investigators are working to identify the shooter in a fatal home invasion robbery at an apartment complex in Talmadge that took the life of a 38-year-old woman.

The shooting occurred in the 4400 block of Euclid Avenue Monday evening.

Woman shot, killed while trying to stop robbery; suspect at-large

It happened at the Talmadge Gateway Apartments, a 55-and-up affordable housing complex for the formerly homeless. So far, the victims name has not been released, but residents say she did not live there and are questioning how the gunman got inside the complex.

The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. Monday night. San Diego police officers swarmed the area after at lease one shot was fired inside an apartment on the second floor.

Man killed by police after firing in officers direction identified: SDPD

The first clue I got was the helicopter circling overhead, said Alex Woycik, a resident who lives across the hallway. The building has security features including surveillance cameras, entrances that require a key, and a security gate around the parking area.

Investigators say the victim was a 38-year-old woman who was visiting a 59-year-old man in his apartment when a dark-skinned man entered through the front door and attempted to rob the male resident. When the woman intervened, she was shot, police say.

Police identify victim in fatal Mira Mesa stabbing; woman arrested

The shooter fled on foot, and officers later detained a 30-year-old man who was seen running in the area. Matched the description, did have a firearm on him, said Lt. Jud Campbell. However, investigators determined that man was not involved in the shooting, though he was arrested for probation and weapons charges.

As officers try to identify the shooter, they are hoping nearby businesses will have surveillance video of the suspect. In the meantime, some residents say the crime has left them shaken.

I dont go out at nightthats how scary it is, said resident Harold Wilbur.

Investigators say the shooter got away with the male residents wallet. They urge anyone with information about the crime to come forward.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Woman charged with murder for intentionally running down California cop during traffic stop

Woman charged with murder for intentionally running down California cop during traffic stop

A woman has been accused of deliberately running down and killing a California police officer.

Serena C.J. Rodriguez, 24, of Auburn was charged with felony murder, with enhancements for murder of a police officer, use of a deadly weapon and use of a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Rodriguez was allegedly driving a vehicle that hit motorcycle Officer Matthew Bowen, 32, of the Vacaville Police Department, at around 10.30am on Thursday.

She was booked into the Justice Center Detention Facility, Fairfield on felony charges of murder and DUI causing bodily injury. She was also charged with a misdemeanor of providing a false ID to police.

The Solano County District Attorneys Office said in a statement Monday afternoon charges included a special circumstance stating Bowen "was intentionally killed while he was engaged in the performance of his duties.

Boden was conducting a traffic stop at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive according to apress realease by the California Highway Patrol when he was struck from behind by a car.

Matthew Bowen had joined the Vacaville Police Department a year ago (Vacaville Police)

Investigators say Rodriguez then crashed into other cars.

Medical aid was provided at the scene, but Bowen later died in hospital from his injuries.

Rodriguez allegedly attempted to flee on foot but was detained by bystanders, according to the California Highway Patrol.

She was under the influence of drugs when she was taken into custody after the collision, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Rodriguez appeared in court on Monday for Arraignment, and is scheduled to return to court on July 22. She is being held without bail.

Several dozen police officers from the Vacaville police department attended the hearing to show their support for Bowens family.

Bowen joined the Vacaville Police Department one year ago, and was previously an officer with the nearby Concord Police Department, Vacaville police said in a Facebook post.
Woman Dead, Parents in a Coma After Hiking in Extreme Heat: Just Trying to Have a Good Time

"She was just trying to have a good time with her family," a friend of the family said of Belyruth Ordonez

Belyruth Ordonez/Facebook Belyruth Ordonez

Scorching temperatures have left a 30-year-old woman dead and her parents in critical condition following a family hike in Utah.

Belyruth Ordonez went for a hike at Snow Canyon State Park with her parents, Dario and Humbelina Ordonez, on Saturday, July 13. Temperatures that day reached more than 100 degrees.



Related: Father and Daughter Found Dead at National Park After Running Out of Water While Hiking in Extreme Heat

All of them suffered severe heat exhaustion. Heartbreakingly, Belyruth Ordonez, their only child, lost consciousness and passed away. Dario Ordonez (65) and his wife Humbelina (63) Ordonez are currently in the ICU, valiantly fighting for their lives, a message on a GoFundMe account for the family reads.

Friends of Belyruth told local news outlet KSL News the 30-year-old moved to the area for the close-knit church community and she eventually formed close bonds with those in her circle.

"She was just trying to have a good time with her family," her friend Marlon Olaya told KSL. "It was just really hard to believe."

Yeraoldine Calderon, who was close to the Ordonez family, said Belyruth was always just very welcoming.

She was very humble, she was very happy... and she was always putting others first," Calderon said.

Belyruth Ordonez/Facebook Belyruth Ordonez

"She loved to explore, so it wasn't shocking that they were hiking," Calderon told KUTZ.

A search and rescue team found the family after being alerted at 3:30 p.m. by a caller who mentioned two hikers who were suffering from heat-related stress.

The Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department said in a press release a unified team comprising the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Santa Clara -Ivins Fire and Rescue, Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department, State Park Rangers, and Gold Cross worked together and located Dario and Humbelina.

Dario and Humbelina were treated for heat exhaustion and first responders transported them by ambulance to St. George Regional Hospital.

Getty Snow Canyon State Park, Utah

However, as the parents were receiving medical care before being transported, a hiker who was passing by informed the search and rescue team that a third person, later identified as Belyruth, was lying unconscious a short distance away.

Belyruth was dead when the police found her.

As temperatures soar, it's absolutely vital to maintain a regular intake of water, especially when outdoors," the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department said in its press release. "Dehydration can lead to serious health issues, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Remember, your body may still need water even if you don't feel thirsty. Watch for signs of dehydration, like dizziness or excessive fatigue. Stay safe and well-hydrated.

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 celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Devan Chavez, associate director of Utah State Parks, also urged visitors to exercise caution.

People often overestimate their abilities, head out and think, Oh, Im just going to be gone a short while. I only need one bottle of water or I have experience and have hiked a lot," Chavez told the Salt Lake Tribune. But even the most experienced hikers can run into problems out there.

We do our best to help visitors make informed decisions about the parks they plan on visiting," Chavez wrote in a separate statement to PEOPLE. "Our parks also share similar messages and updates on their individual social media accounts.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
A woman whose body was found inside a south Charlotte home Sunday had been reported missing by her family, police said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said they were investigating someones death around 1:30 p.m. Sunday at a townhome in south Charlotte. Officers were called to the 5500 block of Werburgh Street near Park Road at Tyvola Road. Its in the Magnolia Park community.

On Tuesday, police said they were investigating the case as a homicide after they consulted with the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office.

PREVIOUS: CMPD upgrades south Charlotte death investigation to homicide case

The next day, CMPD identified the victim as 32-year-old Whitney Elizabeth Hurd. According to CMPD, Hurds family had reported her missing to police on July 11.

Detectives asked for help Wednesday finding Hurds SUV. They described it as a white 2014 BMW X3 with North Carolina tag KJP-9368.

On Thursday around 10 a.m. four days after Hurd was found dead  police confirmed they found the car and were processing it.

A woman whose body was found at a south Charlotte home Sunday had been reported missing by her family, police said. Now, detectives are asking for help finding Hurds car. They described it as a white 2014 BMW X3 with North Carolina tag KJP-9368.

A community shaken

Hurds neighbors told Channel 9s Erika Jackson they want answers.

Its crazy, Hill Gage told Jackson. I live on the street over with my wife. We never wouldve expected to be interviewed about a homicide investigation in SouthPark.

ALSO READ: 1 shot, killed in east Charlotte, police say

Neighbors said their townhome were surrounded by police cars and yellow tape Sunday afternoon.

Mike Zeinemann lives two doors down from Hurds unit, where he said he saw police searching.

It was a little bit of a concern, obviously, so close to home, he said. Not sure if someone broke in, or there wasnt a lot of information that was being told that day.

According to a missing persons report, a family member told police the last time they saw Hurd was at her home on July 4. They reported her missing a week later, on July 11.

It wasnt until July 14 that detectives entered her home for the first time.

Hearing it was a homicide and they dont know who did it, its a little more concerning, Gage said. Kind of freaks you out a little bit.

He said he and his wife are following the case closely.

We just got a protect ourselves I guess, until we figure out whats going on, Gage said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 704-432-TIPS, or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

(WATCH BELOW: Police search for armed robber who held up south Charlotte Starbucks)




The Georgetown-Scott County Airport Corporation is facing a lawsuit that claims an employee sexually assaulted a female subordinate and discriminated against her when they terminated her position.

The woman filed suit Monday in Scott County Circuit Court against the airport corporation and its operations manager, Scott Hampton, claiming sexual harassment, hostile work environment, pregnancy discrimination, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Herald-Leader does not identify alleged victims of assault.

The plaintiff was employed by the airport from January 2023 through April 2024, and reported directly to Hampton.

James Toole, the manager of the airport, declined to comment when contacted by the Herald-Leader on Tuesday.

The airport has not yet responded to the plaintiffs filing, court records show.

According to the lawsuit, Hampton would make inappropriate comments toward the woman, including:

Once you go Black, you dont go back.

These are my magic hands, as he put his arm around the woman and rubbed her back.

Id squeeze (a womans breasts) every day if I could.

The woman did not consent to being touched and would reply, Thats not appropriate, Do not touch me, and Do not talk to me like that, according to the lawsuit.

Hampton is alleged to have made additional hateful, shocking and prejudiced comments regarding women and African Americans, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges Hampton retaliated against the plaintiffs rejection by freezing her out of work assignments and treating her differently than other employees.

On October 17, 2023, the woman reported a complaint to Toole, and submitted a written complaint two days later.

As a result, the woman was placed on administrative leave by the airport, while Hampton was permitted to continue working.

After an investigation, the woman was notified she would report to Toole and would not be supervised by Hampton. She was permitted to perform administrative work to avoid being around Hampton.

Court documents allege Hampton was allowed to stay at the airport overnight one evening, while the woman was on the night shift  leaving her alone with him.

In March 2024, the chairman of the airport board, Steve Woodrum, informed the woman she would again report to Hampton, according to the complaint. During that same meeting, the woman reported she was pregnant, and would not be able to perform certain line duties  lift heavy objects or inhale jet fumes  as a result.

Woodrum reportedly responded that the airport had never had a pregnant employee, so he was unsure if she could continue her employment because she could not do line work, and the administrative work was suddenly unavailable to her.

During a March 20, meeting, the board made it clear that it was not interested in accommodating pregnancy-related requests and mandated she work directly with Hampton, who she previously made complaints about regarding sexual harassment, the suit claims.

The woman was constructively discharged from her employment at the airport on April 3, according to court documents.

As a result of the sexual harassment, retaliation, and refusal to accommodate her pregnancy, (the plaintiff), will require therapy, in order to properly diagnose and help (the plaintiff) through this traumatic chapter in her life.

...The working conditions at the airport were so difficult, unpleasant and grotesque that a reasonable person in (the plaintiffs) position would have felt that there was no other choice but to resign.

The woman is seeking compensatory damages for past and future lost wages and future lost benefits, and damages related to emotional distress, mental anguish and humiliation.

We feel very strongly that (the plaintiff) was unlawfully treated in this situation, attorney Bradley Zoppoth told the Herald-Leader. Her employment was a strong one. She had no performance or attendance issues and unfortunately she was subjected to a lot of bad, unfortunate comments  unlawful comments  of a sexual nature that shouldnt be tolerated anywhere, especially in the workplace.
City workers demolished a major homeless encampment by the Dan Ryan Expressway early Wednesday as the city prepares for next months Democratic National Convention.

Residents of the tent city, which was on a grassy patch of land between the expressway and the 1100 block of Desplaines Street, said that officials had stopped by multiple times to warn them of the upcoming clearing of the site. All occupants were offered resettlement in city-run shelters, particularly at the former Tremont Hotel off the Magnificent Mile, where many from the encampment are now living, according to the Department of Family and Support Services.

Residents who havent taken up the offer of relocation say they dont know where to head next. Carrying their belongings in bags with them, multiple former homeless residents of the tent city lingered in the area Wednesday afternoon after the demolition.

Brent Blanton, 57, from Oklahoma City, said he had lived in the tent city for about a month. He didnt think he was eligible for relocation to a city shelter, as he believed the offer was only extended to longer-term residents of the encampment.

I dont know what to do, Blanton said, adding that he may try to head to New York City.

City officials said in an interview with the Tribune that all present at the encampment had been given the chance to connect with local shelters, but only 29 individuals identified as regulars were offered access to beds at the former Tremont site.

I thought (the deadline) was tomorrow, said Nyah Williams, 33, who has been living in the tent city for over a year. Im not sure where to go.

The removal of the encampment was fast-tracked in time for the DNC because of worries that security officials with the convention could suddenly request the tent city to be evacuated, leading to a traumatic displacement of the occupants, said Maura McCauley, managing deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

However, health and safety concerns at this particular encampment had also informed their decision to clear it and connect residents with more permanent housing options, McCauley said.

The DNC is scheduled to be held from Aug. 19-22.

But in a post-Council news conference Wednesday, Johnson emphatically denied his administrations earlier statements attributing the action to the DNC, a direct contradiction of McCauleys statements.

We offered people a place to stay, and most of them took it, Johnson told reporters. So this was not a response to the DNC. Because guess what? Its not like because the DNC is here that there are not homeless people in the country. And it certainly doesnt mean that homelessness is going to go away once the DNC leaves.

Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, a progressive who has become a frequent mayoral critic, questioned why Chicagoans were being moved for a political elite.

Theres just something about that that I think tarnishes the integrity of the values of Chicago, Vasquez said. I understand if youre hosting something, you feel like youre inviting people, you want to make the place look as best as possible. What this move is inherently saying is, These are undesirable people who we dont want anyone to see. Thats not what Chicago is about.

Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, whose ward includes the Dan Ryan encampment, followed the mayor in denying the recent action was at all because of the DNC.

We actually initiated (the sweep) about three months ago based on being out there, based on speaking with some of the advocates, Ervin, a Johnson ally, said. Because at the end of the day, people were looking for meaningful shelter, right, which is what I think that they will come across. The conditions out there were squalid and horrible, and I think it is the right thing to do.

Johnson shrugged off the notion that Ervin asked his administration to sweep the camp, however, instead quoting Chaka Khan to reporters: I do it naturally.

Then he responded to notion that other residents of the Chestnut Street shelter were being displaced by saying, There are instances where room is made, but in this instance, I dont know how theyre coming to that conclusion.

By noon Wednesday, nothing was left of the encampment but a flattened field of dirt. The citys cleaning teams had arrived at 9:30 a.m., by which point all occupants had evacuated.

As the last few outreach workers piled into vans and drove off, bulldozers and workers from over a dozen Department of Streets and Sanitation trucks continued their work along the block.

Wire fencing materials sat in the back of multiple vehicles in preparation for the upcoming walling off of the site, which officials said would be in place indefinitely.

Patricia Nix-Hodes, director of the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said that it is very positive that the residents of the Dan Ryan encampment are being connected with permanent housing, as no one should lose their place to stay due to a major event like the DNC happening.

However, she expressed concerns about possible permanent closure of the site, which she said could cut off homeless people from a well-known place to shelter that has been relied upon for more than a decade. The encampment is centrally located in the city, which allows occupants to access central transportation routes, service providers and employment opportunities, she said.

Its common for people to move in and out of homelessness, and people lose their housing and become homeless every day, Nix-Hodes said. Permanently closing the spot and making it unavailable to people in the future really doesnt address homelessness. Theres not enough housing in the city. Theres not enough shelter in the city. So its not a solution to just make space unavailable.

Twenty-five former residents of the Dan Ryan encampment have moved into a city homeless shelter at 100 E. Chestnut St., a building that previously housed the Tremont Hotel and then the Selina Hotel before its conversion at the end of last year.

The shelter is not our final goal here, McCauley said. Were really focused on helping people move into long-term, sustainable housing.

Previous occupants of the Magnificent Mile shelter have resettled in order to make room for those being displaced from the Dan Ryan encampment, McCauley said. Officials held accelerated moving events to try to connect residents from the winter shelter program  which was slated to end June 30  to new housing options. The majority have found a place to live, officials said.

This Chestnut Street shelter is the locus of the citys overall summer encampment initiative, which is underway at eight tent cities across Chicago including the Dan Ryan site cleared Wednesday.

Occupants of other encampments will also be offered rooms at the Tremont, McCauley said. And one other demolition is scheduled: a tent city along the North Shore Channel near Bryn Mawr Avenue will be permanently closed and fenced off July 30, she said.

After living in the Dan Ryan encampment city for six months, a 49-year-old man from the South Side, who asked to not be identified by name due to an ongoing legal case, said that moving into the Tremont shelter a week ago has brought him to the next chapter in life.

I got hope today, Ive got more hope today than yesterday when I got here, he said. Ive paid taxes since I was 17, and this is the first time Ive had help from any source.
Lake Tobesofkee could become a profitable tourist attraction with a more than $23 million unsolicited proposal offered to Macon-Bibb County to transform amenities at the 1,800-acre lake.

Lovejoy Capital, led by a descendant of one of the most politically powerful families in Georgia history, wants to build a luxurious and immersive experience in nature with exotic glamping. Imagine tent pods up in the trees, birdhouse-like structures, environmentally-friendly accommodations on the ground, a comprehensive network of trails with elevated canopies, suspension bridges, inclusive playgrounds, a general store, new food and beverage locations and an intricate maze by an internationally-acclaimed designer of more than 700 major attractions in 42 countries.

Under the expansive public-private partnership legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2015, W. Murphy Talmadge, grandson of the late Georgia governor and U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge Sr. and great-grandson of the late Georgia Gov. Eugene Talmadge, recently submitted an unsolicited proposal to Macon-Bibb Countys procurement office.

A qualifying project under the Partnership for Public Facilities and Infrastructure Act is broadly defined as meeting a public purpose or public need.

After an executive session in the Pre-Commission meeting at City Hall, commissioners agreed to entertain the proposal and post it on the county website, but formal acceptance of the proposal is at least three months away.

Lovejoy Capital submitted images, including this one, with its proposal to invest $23 million in a public-private partnership to turn Macon-Bibb Countys Lake Tobesofkee into a luxurious and immersive experience in nature that includes a world-class maze and glamping.

Under Georgia law, the county must seek competing proposals by issuing a Request for Proposals, or RFP, that will be active for 90 days to give other firms an opportunity to bid according to the countys criteria set for development through the procurement process.

The county will rank the proposals and attempt an agreement for the top-ranked proposal.

Lovejoy Capital will provide the necessary funding for expenses related to the development plan, but a specific financial breakdown will depend on final land lease terms and agreement with Macon-Bibb County, if approved.

In the first year alone, Lovejoys preliminary figures show the county would bring in close to a million dollars through more than $700,000 in revenue sharing and nearly a quarter of a million dollars in hotel-motel tax. Also in that first year, the proposal estimates Macon-Bibb will save nearly $4.8 million if Lovejoy picks up the cost of operating and staffing the lake, advertising, professional services, security, maintenance, landscaping, repairs and contributing to the facilitys replacement fund.

The financial projections show the countys Lake Tobesofkee revenue increasing to nearly $18 million after 30 years.

Macon-Bibb County employees currently on staff at the lake also could be absorbed into the new entity which wants to implement an advanced booking platform for reservations and intensify marketing efforts to attract a larger pool of visitors.

Lovejoy Capital, presumably named for the companys Clayton County home, noted that Macon-Bibb County will not be required to provide any direct capital expenses, significant investment or general obligations bonds.

This means that Macon-Bibb County will not be obligated to assume the traditional financial risks associated with a project of this magnitude, stated the proposal.

Lovejoy Capital submitted these images with its proposal to invest $23 million in a public-private partnership to turn Macon-Bibb Countys Lake Tobesofkee into a world-class attraction. Courtesy Macon-Bibb County.

New maze to replace water park

One of the signature elements of the Tobesofkee project will be to transform the site of the defunct Sandy Beach Water Park into a year-round attraction featuring a meditation labyrinth designed by Maze Maker Adrian Fisher, a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Fishers Marlborough Maze built at Blenheim Palace in the United Kingdom in 1991 is featured on British currency and is credited with boosting visitors at Winston Churchills birthplace.

The Jewel maze in the heart of Singapores International Airport covers more than a million square feet on five levels with the worlds largest indoor waterfall. Fishers work there is called an architectural marvel that blends nature with urban life.

Fishers firm uses a variety of materials in the designs, including the traditional hedges, mirrors, wood, metal and other elements. The Sandy Beach feature could include a restaurant in the middle of the maze, said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller.

Lovejoy also plans to contract with an outdoor adventure construction company to build elevated trails, canopies, zip lines, lawn game locations, and playgrounds for all ages to engage in physical activity.

Existing infrastructure will be improved at Claystone and Arrowhead campgrounds to provide enhanced comfort and amenities.

Lovejoys proposal includes funds to address deferred maintenance at the parks, pay for the upkeep to prolong the longevity of the grounds and preserve the areas natural resources including the scenic Duck Ponds where eagles have been sighted.

In fall of 2022, the mayor led commissioners on a tour of the ponds of the former fish hatchery that he described as an untapped resource. At the time, Miller removed about 200 acres of land along Rock Mill Road off the countys surplus property list to prevent the sale of the countys access to this valuable asset.

Lovejoy plans to enhance the countys recreational activities at the lake as it builds the new attractions.

We propose investing in improvements to the existing mountain bike trails and offering onsite gear rentals. This will encourage outdoor enthusiasts to explore the natural beauty of Macon, Georgia, while providing them with the necessary equipment for an unforgettable experience, Talmadges introduction to the proposal stated.

Lovejoy requested 12 months from the signing of an agreement to begin construction, which is estimated to take an additional year.

At the same time, the community is preparing for the expected approval of Georgias first national park at the Ocmulgee Mounds on the east side of the county.

Visit Macon is studying the development of the nations newest national parks to learn best preparation practices to accommodate a surge in tourists.

Mayor Miller said this project is perfectly timed.

One reason this is important to the national park is that it attracts the same people who want to go to nature, he said.

 Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at fabian_lj@mercer.edu or 478-301-2976.
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Over the past three decades, trail cameras, also known as camera traps, have given us a rare and invaluable glimpse into the natural world, and they have proven essential tools in the conservation fight around the world.

However, in a firstofitskind study published in Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation it would appear that camera traps are sorely missed in areas that need their vital data the most.

The study, entitled, Global disparity of camera trap research allocation and defaunation risk of terrestrial mammals, highlights that there is a huge disparity between locations of trail cameras studies and regions with the highest risk of mammalian extinction.

Factors that influence the ability to conduct trail camera studies in almost two thirds of locations include income, accessibility, mammal diversity, and environmental factors.

Graph on the temporal and spatial patterns of camera trap research

Areas where trail camera studies have increased over the past two decades, which include Southeast Asia and India, 64.2% were placed outside areas with the highest animal extinction risks.

Higher-income, and uppermiddleincome countries such as the U.S, Australia, and China were involved in the highest amount of trail camera studies, while African nations such as Mauritania and Angola had fewer than five apiece.

Angola is home to over 300 species of mammals, many of which are endangered due to intense deforestation. The black rhinoceros, for example, is a hard animal to approach, and is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Threatened Species.

Earths biodiversity is under threat from human activities, from urban expansion and deforestation, to poaching, climate change, and mining. Trail cameras can keep tabs on species both endangered or otherwise, and make serious positive changes to the cause.

You can think of a camera trap as an automatic and restless field assistant that sits in the field, rain or shine, day or night, [and] just captures [images or videos of] whatever walks in front of it, says Jorge Ahumada, a tropical biologist who leads the largest camera trapping platform in the world, called Wildlife Insights, and reported by Mongabay. Its just collecting a lot of information in a standardized way, which will not be possible by humans.

This is exactly why its essential to deploy trail cameras in the right places: biodiversity hotspots that face the biggest threats.

I think it is fair to say that we need more trail cameras proportionally to areas with higher biodiversity, says study co-author Badru Mugerwa from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany. The study is a good first start to look at relationships between the production of science in different parts of the world and factors that affect that [process].

What really jumped out from this research is that some of the areas that are currently being hammered by human activities  the Amazon and the Congo basins  received the least amount of camera-trap research in the past two decades, Mugerwa adds, There is something wrong going on here.

Take a look at our guides to the best trail cameras, and the best cameras for wildlife photography.
NEW YORK (PIX11)A New York man is suing the Department of Conservation to get back his 750-pound alligator.

Tony Cavallaro kept an alligator as a pet in his home in a Buffalo suburb for years. The alligator, Albert, was seized from his home in March. Cavallaro said he purchased the alligator at an Ohio reptile show in 1990 when Albert was two months old.

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This undated photo, provided by Tony Cavallaro, shows his 750-pound alligator, Albert, in Cavallaros personal enclosure, in Hamburg, NY. Cavallaro, whose alligator Albert was seized, is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet hed raised for more than 30 years. (Courtesy Tony Cavallaro via AP)

FILE  In this photo provided by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC officers secure an 11-foot (3.4-meter) alligator for transport after it was seized from a home where it was being kept illegally in Hamburg, N.Y., March 13, 2024. Tony Cavallaro, whose alligator Albert was seized, is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet hed raised for more than 30 years. (New York DEC via AP, File)

FILE  Tony Cavallaro holds a photo of his alligator, Albert, March 19, 2024, in Hamburg, N.Y. Cavallaro, whose alligator Albert was seized, is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet hed raised for more than 30 years. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson, File)

This undated photo, provided by Tony Cavallaro, shows his 750-pound alligator, Albert, in Cavallaros personal enclosure, in Hamburg, NY. Cavallaro, whose alligator Albert was seized, is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet hed raised for more than 30 years. (Courtesy Tony Cavallaro via AP)

Cavallaro initially had a license for the massive beast, but it expired in 2021, and the state of New York refused to renew it, according to court documents.

Since March, Cavallaro has been tirelessly working to bring back his beloved pet, who he considers an emotional support animal and a gentle giant.

In his lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Cavallaro argues that the agencys denial of his license wasnt factually based, Cavallaros attorney said.

Albert the Alligator now lives in a rescue facility in Texas.

It remains unclear if Cavallaro has had the chance to visit Albert in Texas, where the alligator now resides.

This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
(This is the second of two columns focusing on the surrender of York to the Confederates in late-June 1863  a pivotal moment in York Countys story. Civil War historian Scott Mingus served as a resource for this piece, which explores why were talking about this moment of capitulation 161 years later - why it matters.)

First installment: Who paid the Confederate requisition after Yorks Civil War surrender? And who did not?

The other day at Seminary Ridge Museum in Gettysburg, a Civil War talk turned to the surrender of York in 1863.

An audience member asked at the end of a presentation about a second surrender of York 31 years after that first one in the days before Gettysburg. That came on the March evening in 1894 when the city welcomed back the man who had accepted the surrender after Yorks leaders sought him out, retired Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon.

Gordon gained a heros welcome and loud applause after his speech at Yorks premier public venue, the York Opera House on South Beaver Street.

The Georgian was a leader in the Confederate raid into the county, stealing horses, emptying smokehouses, trampling harvest-ready fields and killing a defender of the Susquehanna River Bridge in Wrightsville. His men terrorized farmers and townspeople in his march to the Susquehannas west shore.

Despite these acts, when he mounted the opera houses stage to deliver his Last Days of the Confederacy speech, he was given a pulpit to preach a sermon on the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Such thinking glorified a society of honor and chivalry in the prewar South, contending that enslaved people were not mistreated. Lost Cause thinking shifted the authentic impetus for the war away from slavery to states rights and other counterfeit causes.

A year before Gordon visited York, a Selma, Alabama, newspaper gushed over Gordons Last Days, lecture: Every southerner, who cherishes the memory of the Lost Cause, should hear Gen. Gordon if it is possible for him to do so  .

So when prominent York industrialist A.B. Farquhar, the man who catalyzed the surrender of York, wrote that slavery was better in practice than in theory, he reflected this Lost Cause philosophy even before the cause  the war  was lost. And he demonstrated that the Lost Cause was still alive and well north of the Mason-Dixon Line when he wrote in 1922.

Indeed, the Civil War is one war in which the loser, not the winner, tells its history. And Gordon, on the losing side, faced a Northern audience eager to hear that story in York.

What is going on here?

Well, when a community makes a bad decision  seeking out the enemy in a theater of war to surrender as did York in 1863  its possible to compound that mistake going forward if leaders and laypeople dont own up to it.

With family and business connections in Baltimore and points South, the majority in York County supported the Peace Democrat position that called for a negotiated end to the war that would have left slavery in place in the South and on the table as new states were admitted into the U.S.

Why not? Slavery, in their minds, was not that bad. Enslaved people were not prone to rebellion  all they wanted was three meals a day, Farquhar wrote in 1922. The freedom of a whole race of people was not worth splitting a nation.

Chief Burgess David Smalls Peace Democrat newspaper, the York Gazette, regularly carried a headline that summed up the Copperhead majority view in York County: The Union as it was, the Constitution as it is, the Negroes where they are.

Everyone knew who was involved

This pervasive low view of Black people in York County  the type of opinion that would make it OK to celebrate a former Confederate general known for his racist views  has prompted conflict many times in county history.

Heres just one example: Yorks Black residents rebelled over oppression and unaddressed grievances in the 1960s, contributing to the York race riots, which erupted 55 years ago this week. With the goal of quelling ongoing racial conflict, city and county leadership chose not to prosecute two deaths from 1969.

"Everyone knew who was involved," Mayor Charlie Robertson told Time magazine in 2001. "But everyone just thought it was even. One black had been killed and one white  even."

The through line can be seen between what I call unprincipled pragmatism that led to expediency over justice in 1863 and 1969. Compare Robertsons summary with Farquhars argument to York leaders in 1863 that they should meet the Confederates before they entered town and could see how little property had been moved to safety. He promptly left to cut a deal with the invaders without authorization.

There was a concern about property, not a consideration about righting an injustice with resistance against what the Confederates really were fighting for: securing the institution of slavery.

That through line of expediency over justice reached the 21st century when the race riot assailants were finally brought to trial. Key York leaders unsuccessfully pressured the district attorneys office and the judiciary to not reopen the case.

A lot of us misunderstood and viewed reopening the (race riot) investigations as unnecessary, one leader would say later after another racial incident in 2017. I dont think we appreciated the unhealed wound that was still there.

To their credit, community leadership gathered themselves in the aftermath of that racial incident in 2017  the calling of police after five Black golfers allegedly played too slowly at a Dover Township golf course.

There is a disease among us  a cancer that must be attacked  the cancer of division, fear and bias that holds us back as individuals and as a community, leaders said in a newspaper advertisement. A diverse and welcoming community is not only just and right for all, but is the underpinning of the most dynamic and highest performing regions in our country. We can do better. Indeed, we must.

Thats the type of moral certitude missing when our leaders sought out the Confederates to cut a deal and later invited a former Confederate general back to York for a heros welcome.

Since this moment of coming clean in 2017, city and nonprofit leadership has denounced other acts of racism, stepped up diversity training and accelerated representation of people of color in top community positions.

After a community does a right thing, its more likely to do the next thing right.

Seeking higher purposes

This is a good moment to go more deeply into reasons some people supported the seek-out-and-surrender tactic in 1863  a position with echoes today.

One argument is that the town was undefended so residents did what was best for their families and property. That line of thinking can be used to justify a decision or ease ones way out of almost any tough situation. You know, like shutting down prosecution in two riots-era murders a century later.

Arent we called as humans to not fall prey to undue pragmatism, to look for higher purposes beyond our own interests? The thousands of York County men who were fighting the Confederates on the ridges of Gettysburg and other battlefields did not use that excuse to escape service.

Jacob Miller, a Black man who sat on the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge pier facing down Gordons charging brigade, used his cigar to ignite the fuses to the mined bridge designed to drop a span into the Susquehanna. He put himself at risk to hold Gordons 1,800 men at bay. Remember, Gordon and his brigade were the same men who so threatened Farquhar and Small.

Perhaps Miller, as did many other Lincoln supporters among Yorks population, understood that Farquhar and Smalls overwrought concerns for properties and families in town meant a lack of concern for other Americans. Those were the families of thousands of Black men, women and children in the South, who would remain enslaved if the Confederates prevailed.

The York County soldiers who were fighting against the likes of Gordon with their blood saw a higher purpose. Their vote in the 1864 presidential election went for Lincoln against their former commander Gen. George McClellan, a Democrat, by a wide margin.

Conversely, at home, York County voters backed McClellan 7,785-4,690. Smalls York Gazette thanked the Democratic voters for making York County an oasis in the desert of national and statewide support for Lincoln.

Then, as now, our partisan political views influence our actions. And we tend to look at the polls or party as factors about what is right rather than from a big-picture view. Small was York Countys chief Democrat, and Farquhar, a Southern native who later argued he knew Republican and Democratic presidents, acquired Smalls Democratic newspaper about five years after his death. Their politics were similar to those of the invaders.

Some York voters could point to the 1867 election as justification that their anti-Lincoln vote and pro-surrender decision were right. In that election  a kind of referendum on local decision-making in the war  Democrat David Small won his sixth term against his Republican cousin David Etter Small.

But history shows the majority was wrong. The right view would have been to support David Etter Small, who offered to serve in the military but could not: He had lost his arm in an industrial accident so was not able to rapidly load a gun.

David Etter Small served in another way. The railroad car maker was an operator on the Underground Railroad. Indeed, Black leaders in the Grand Army of the Republic named their post after this David Small. According to local historian Stephen H. Smith, it was rare for a GAR post to be named for a civilian, and this post of Black veterans was possibly the only one in the country named after a white civilian.

David Etter Small saw a higher purpose in the Civil War and did something about it, though in the minority in York County. We can learn from that. Its right to be involved in politics, but not blind partisanship.

Troubling, terrifying times

So what could have Yorks leaders done?

First, they could have let their Union military commanders do their jobs, even with a sparse force.

They could have listened to Union Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin and prepared for the invasion rather than panic when the Confederates stepped on county soil. The native York countian correctly wrote about the approaching invaders, who exacted extensive property damage throughout the county: His invasion will destroy your property, will degrade you and your country, and if allowed to proceed without strenuous resistance, will make you objects of contempt and scorn to your own country, and the remainder of the civilized war.

At the worst, Yorks leaders could have stayed home, standing beneath the waving flag in Yorks square as leaders, two pastors, did in Hanover. When a Confederate commented on the men of military age in that southwestern York County town, one Hanoverian pushed back: "We will all soon join the Union Army.

Clearly, these were troubling, terrifying times.

But one lesson emerges that is true today: If Yorks leaders instead had looked beyond self-interest and party politics and searched out those in greatest need beyond our borders  enslaved people in the South  they would not have felt compelled to seek out the enemy. And the Civil War sacrifices of Yorks fighting men on the field and townspeople back home would have become a point of pride as it is in Hanover, Wrightsville, Carlisle and other Northern towns.

What can we do today?

We must realize theres an impact downstream when partisanship or self-interest overwhelms a crisis. Unprincipled pragmatism can trump the rule of law.

A community that lacked courage and blinded itself to the big picture in the 1860s failed to do the right thing in prosecuting murderers the 1969.

Further, we must stop defending, as some do today, such a humiliating, dishonoring manner of surrender, which has exercised such a devastating downstream community impact well beyond its welcome of Gordon in 1894.

York Mayor Bill Althaus refused to surrender in this mock event on the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1988. We are no longer unprotected, having the finest police department in the country, he said.

Correcting a mistake

There is one last moment to reflect on, a small moment of clarity when York owned up to its mistaken outreach to the Confederates in the 1863 surrender as well as reaching out its hand to Gordon in 1894.

That moment came in 1988 and helped sparked a renaissance in Civil War writings evident today.

Republican Mayor William J. Althaus got it right when asked to hand over the towns keys during a reenactment of the surrender on the 125th anniversary of the Confederate occupation.

His reply to the mock demand to surrender?

Hell no.

Sources: Scott Mingus Flames Beyond Gettysburg, James McClures East of Gettysburg, A.B. Farquhars First Million the Hardest, YDR files

Upcoming events

Jim McClure will sign copies of his newly published general history of York County, Never to be Forgotten, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 2, during the formal opening of the new York County History Center Museum, and from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 3, as part of the museum's opening weekend. He will sign books before and after his presentation about the book and York Countys 275th anniversary at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at Red Land Community Library.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Yorks Civil War surrender of 1863: Why it matters
TechCrunch

The U.K. government has introduced a new bill to Parliament that proposes new legal protections for digital assets such as cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and carbon credits. The bill comes as the crypto sector contends with a range of regulatory headwinds: In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ruled that certain crypto assets are securities, and earlier this year, the SEC approved the first U.S.-listed exchange traded fund (ETF) to track Bitcoin. The European Union (EU), meanwhile, is also introducing new laws to regulate cryptocurrency and make transactions easier to trace.
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's military said on Thursday it plans to ask civilian staff to volunteer for layoff packages and to make other cuts as it tries to plug a NZ$130 million ($79.04 million) budget shortfall.

The military had identified ways to reduce spending by NZ$100 million, but a further NZ$30 million needed to be found to remain in budget, a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said.

New Zealand reduced its defence spending for the current fiscal year to 0.9% of gross domestic product, down from 1% the prior year, according to the defence force.

The drop in budgeted spending came as recent government reports have warned about old equipment, and the military has struggled to hire and retain personnel resulting in three of the country's nine ships being idled.

"The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) can confirm that it informed staff yesterday that a process has begun to rapidly reprioritise its budget as it works to keep ships, aircraft, equipment and personnel ready to respond where needed," the spokesperson said on Thursday.

The military in August would invite expressions of interest in voluntary layoffs from the civilian workforce, the spokesperson said, with other cost savings measures to be considered including restricting recruitment and cutting some vacant positions.

There will be no increases in civilian staff and health practitioners' pay or military base pay, the spokesperson added.

New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement the financial shortfall was an "operational matter" and it would be inappropriate to comment.

Despite the budget challenges, the government wants to improve the state of the country's armed forces and take on more regional and global missions as it raises concerns about increasing geopolitical challenges.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said last week that New Zealand needed to stand up for the international rules-based order as potential military flashpoints loom in the Indo-Pacific region.

($1 = 1.6447 New Zealand dollars)

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defence Council on Ukraine's new maritime security strategy.

Source: Zelenskyy's evening video address on 17 July

Quote: "This document takes into account the security modifications and innovations that we have implemented, particularly in the Black Sea, during the development of our forces. This is a modern strategy that we are executing with our partners. In the near future, I plan to explore the specifics of this strategy with them. With those who, like us, seek stable security in their regions and around the world."

Details: Furthermore, Zelenskyy stated that on Wednesday, he met with the President's Office's foreign policy team and the Foreign Ministry to discuss working with partners.

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(Bloomberg) -- The African National Congress met to decide whether to terminate former South African President Jacob Zumas party membership, after he campaigned for a rival group in this years election.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Zuma, 82, insists he remains an ANC member, even though he led the rival uMkhonto weSizwe Party in the May 29 vote and secured almost 15% of the ballot.

That haul accounted for the bulk of the more than 17 percentage-point drop in the ANCs support that deprived the party of its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades.

The ANCs disciplinary committee has begun the process that will ultimately decide Zumas fate, the party said in a statement on Wednesday.

A verdict will be announced once the committee has received and reviewed all representations, it said. We cannot specify the time-line for this process.

Zuma served as South Africas president from 2009 to 2018. While he campaigned for the MK Party, he was barred from running as a candidate himself. The electoral authorities disqualified him over his 2021 conviction of contempt of court, after he refused to testify at an inquiry into the plunder of more than $27 billion of state funds during his presidency.

ANC expulsion, while rare, is not unprecedented and includes that of the partys former youth league president Julius Malema. He went on to form the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party, which garnered 10% of the vote in this years election.

Zuma is expected to return to parliament on Thursday as a special guest for the first time since his ousting as president in 2018. He has previously boycotted every address by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded him.

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The News

HP said this week it plans to release what it calls the worlds highest performance AI PC, raising the stakes in the battle among tech giants to infuse their technology with artificial intelligence.

Much of what the public thinks of as artificial intelligence is cloud-based, requiring an internet connection, but more tech companies are leaning into hardware thats ingrained with AI from the start: Apple and Microsoft have both bragged about their respective AI hardware capabilities in recent weeks, while HP competitors like Samsung and Dell also rolled out their own AI-ready, Windows-based laptops.

HPs computers are powered by an advanced chip that can run AI commands without an internet connection and largely appear aimed at improving how people do their jobs  rather than just for fun  including a camera that can track your face while you move around during meetings, an on-device AI companion, and the ability to build a library of documents that you can query with a large language model-based chatbot.

AI computers are expected to make up nearly 60% of all global PC shipments by 2027, IDC data shows. The PC industry saw a massive decline over the last few years, but rebounded this year: HP reported its first increase in PC sales in two years in the last year, thanks to a rise in commercial sales. Consumer sales, meanwhile, slipped.

The companys new AI computers will be available for consumer sale, but its also heavily aimed at offices.

Every board of directors is asking their executive staff to make AI real, said Alex Cho, president of HPs Personal Systems business.





J.D.s view

The rollout of the new PC feels like an effort from HP to reduce skepticism surrounding AI laptops  and whether they can actually do more than popular web-based systems.

All the talk around AI PCs has been ambition and opportunity, Cho told me, and now people have been asking us, So what can I do?

At an event for journalists, analysts, and industry partners in New York last week, Cho and other HP executives reiterated the message that they want to make AI real, which was repeated in marketing materials for the new PCs. And apps like Zoom and an AI-powered DJ software showed off how they benefit from the tech upgrades.

I got some brief hands-on time with one of the new AI-infused laptops, and found it has some helpful work functions, like the ability to create the custom library. Realistically, though, the tools will only be used in concert with cloud-based systems. As I queried HPs on-device AI companion chatbot, I also had the option of pulling up Microsofts Copilot bot, which can search the web.

It all gave me the sense that were heading toward a future of work where well have to wade through a variety of different bots with differing capabilities, datasets, and access to the internet.

We think its going to be a hybrid environment, Cho told me.

Another benefit of a localized AI is security. Cho pointed out that a law firm that wants to query sensitive documents, or someone parsing through medical records, would rather not have to first upload that information to a cloud-based AI system.

Room for Disagreement

For some office workers who get the new HP PCs  or any AI computer, for that matter  many of the advancements may go unnoticed, and instead will simply feel like standard technological improvements that come with a laptop upgrade, like a better camera and battery.

Compared to some generative AI advancements, its not necessarily flashy stuff, which could make AI PCs a harder mainstream sell.

The push comes as we enter an AI-in-everything era, which could make users feel disillusioned, Chris Stokel-Walker wrote in Fast Company. The less satisfying peoples experience with these AI-powered tools, the quicker theyre likely to tire of the tech.
WESTBOROUGH  The site of one of only five locations like it in the country, the Amazon Fulfillment Center on Otis Street was firing on all cylinders Tuesday  Prime Day.

"This facility does about 35,000 packages per day, on average, but during Prime Day we're expecting to do about a 25% increase on that number," Andrew Schwarz, site lead at the Amazon Fulfillment Center at 64 Otis St., told a Daily News reporter who was visiting for the day.

Prime Day is a semi-annual sales blitz during which Amazon treats its Prime members to deals on several of its top brands. This summer's edition fell on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Amazon's Fulfillment Center on Otis Street in Westborough was humming for Prime Day, July 16, 2024.

'Celebration of value': When is Amazon Prime Day 2024? Dates, deals and what to know about summer sales event

An Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 a month, or $139 annually. It includes various perks including free delivery options and streaming, shopping and reading benefits. Prime members can share their membership with other family members.

Amazon's Westborough fulfillment center opened in October. It provides same-day delivery throughout MetroWest and eastern Massachusetts.

Amazon has other facilities in Central Massachusetts. A warehouse on the site of the former Greendale Mall in Worcester is expected to be online by the end of the year. The 121,000-square-foot building has been dormant since construction wrapped up in late 2022.

Westborough fulfillment center designed for fast, efficient delivery

The fulfillment center, one of several buildings Amazon has in Westborough, is small by Amazon standards  about 200,000 square feet, or roughly the size of a WalMart Supercenter. Some of the online commerce giant's fulfillment centers cover more than 1 million square feet. The Westborough location, though, was designed for sleek efficiency, providing same-day delivery over a relatively short geographic distance.

"This building is super-unique. There are only five of these building types in the entire North American network," Schwarz said.

Bella Gonzalez, an employee at Amazon's fulfillment center in Westborough, moves inventory during the company's Prime Day promotion Tuesday.

The Westborough site is designed to be one of the most technologically advanced spaces in Amazon's vast warehouse empire. The evolution and growth of robotic systems have led to what Schwarz said is efficient design to satisfy customer need.

"We have the latest design features, which only five sites in the entire network have," he said. "We are what's called a sub-same day facility, which is really focused on same-day delivery when people order our products. It's an expanding business line and we're growing pretty aggressively."

Robots are at the center of Amazon's delivery process

The robots, most of which are built by the Amazon Robotics factory in an adjacent building, take center stage and are used throughout the facility. The most notable contributors are what Amazon calls its robotic drives, roomba-like robots that carry lofty pillars of inventory ranging from bubble gum to headphones to air purifiers.

The system works with inventory arriving at the warehouse, where it is then sorted by employees into different cubbies that are on pillars being carried by the robots. Each piece of inventory is tagged by the robotic system, so that the system that dictates the entire warehouse knows where the product is located. The robot then carries the pillar of inventory onto the warehouse floor.

Andrew Schwarz, site lead at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Westborough, said the facility does about 35,000 packages per day, on average. "But during Prime Day, we're expecting to do about a 25% increase on that number," he said.

'Epicenter of robotics innovation': Amazon new manufacturing hub in Westborough

When an item is ordered off Amazon.com, the robot carrying the pillar that contains the ordered item is programmed to move to the warehouse's packaging area, where an attendee picks the ordered item off the pillar and places it down a short chute, where another employee packages the item and sends it on its way down a conveyor belt.

The Westborough facility utilizes 200 of these robots and they roll around the center of the warehouse, carrying pillars of inventory as bees do with honeycomb. The system has largely replaced manual labor systems that have historically been used in warehouses.

"Traditional fulfillment, you would just have rows and rows  almost like a library  and you would take a handcart and just walk up and down, and you would have a hand-scanner, find the item and then place it in the queue," Schwarz said. "That item would then just sit on that cart until you finish doing the serpentine, in order for it to get packed out. Now, as soon as that item is picked (ordered) it goes right to being able to be packed."

Balancing labor between robots with human employees

Robots continue to play a major role as the package continues on its way to delivery. An automated scanner system places a sticker on each package, which indicates which delivery route it should be placed on determined by where it's being shipped. The package continues along an elaborate conveyor belt that seems to stretch around the entire warehouse, until stopping and being automatically scanned and slid off into one of dozens of basins, which are all sorted by geographic location. Basins are then emptied by employees and placed into vehicles for shipment.

Packages make their way to so-called "flex drivers" inside the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Westborough Tuesday.

The Westborough facility employs more than 300 workers. Schwarz said that while the robotic system plays a major role in the process, the company still focuses on human employees.

"This is still a people-facing business. The drives are cool and they do a lot of the heavy lifting, but it's all with the intention of not replacing our people  it's to make their job safer and make sure we can serve our customers in a more effective manner," Schwarz said.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Robots on display during busy Prime Day at Westborough Amazon site
A chemical compound of the same type as minerals found in alkaline rocks could be "key" to making solid-state batteries the dominant kind on the market, theoretically able to energize electric vehicles even in boiling temperatures  with high conductivity.

It's the result of analysis happening at the Tokyo University of Science regarding a pyrochlore-type oxyfluoride used in place of sulfides as the electrolyte conductor material.

The pyrochlore-type conductor solves a big problem suffered by other, commonly studied types. Importantly, the Tokyo formula doesn't create toxic hydrogen sulfide when exposed to air moisture, according to the abstract of the researchers' recent study published in the journal Chemistry of Materials and posted by ACS Publications.

"We have discovered an oxide solid electrolyte that is a key component of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which have both high energy density and safety. In addition to being stable in air, the material exhibits higher ionic conductivity than previously reported oxide solid electrolytes," research lead Professor Kenjiro Fujimoto said in a university report about the research.

Solid-state batteries differ from common lithium-ion power packs that use a liquid electrolyte, the part of the battery where ions move between the anode and cathode during operation. Solid versions are touted by many experts, including the Tokyo researchers, as having higher energy density, or storage capacity, and little fire risk. Both would be big perks for the EV industry.

Researchers put the pyrochlore electrolyte through a series of high-tech tests, including X-ray diffraction.

Its conductivity outperformed "known oxide solid electrolytes" and performed well at low temperatures, per the summary. The experts list the operating range at 14 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling point for water. As Scientific American notes, standard lithium-ion batteries can best operate, on average, at 32 degrees to 140 degrees.

"We believe that the performance required for the application of solid electrolytes for electric vehicles is satisfied," Fujimoto said in the lab report.

Solid state innovations are plentiful at labs around the world, often billed as "breakthrough" and "next generation." In January, Germany-based Schaeffler debuted a solid-state battery at a Vegas tech show, promising extended range, short charge time, and great safety. Those are all solid checks for potential EV buyers.

A growing number of motorists are plugging in to reap the already great value that can be realized by parking a gas guzzler. More than 3 million EVs were sold globally in the first quarter of the year, a 25% increase over the same period in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency.

You may be able to leverage $7,500 in tax breaks for many models and save up to $1,500 a year on gas and maintenance after the purchase. The U.S. Energy Department notes that EVs produce far less planet-warming air pollution than gas vehicles on average nationally  2,727 pounds per year for an all-EV, compared to 12,594 for gas. The difference varies by state, based in part on how electricity is generated.

By cutting gas exhaust, you can lessen the amount of toxic fumes that medical experts report can cause a wide range of health problems.

If the Tokyo team's electrolyte can provide for the improvements it lists, the result could expand cleaner EV use. For now, researchers said they are excited about future research.

"The application of this material is promising for the development of revolutionary batteries," Fujimoto said.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
FILE PHOTO: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) logo is seen while people attend the opening of the TSMC global R&D center in Hsinchu

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defence as it does not give the country anything, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Bloomberg Businessweek, sending shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC lower on Wednesday.

"I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defence," Trump said in interview on June 25 that was published on Tuesday.

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

The United States is Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier, but they have no formal defence agreement, unlike what Washington has with South Korea and Japan. The U.S. is, however, bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

Taiwan's government has made defence modernisation a priority, including developing its own submarines, and has said many times the island's security rests in its own hands.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai, responding to Trump's comments, said Taiwan and the U.S. have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, and is dedicated to bolstering its own defences.

"Taiwan has steadily strengthened its defence budget and demonstrated its responsibility to the international community," he told reporters in Taipei.

"We are willing to take on more responsibility; we are defending ourselves and ensuring our security."

Taiwan's foreign ministry declined to comment on Trump's remarks.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has complained of repeated Chinese military activity over the past four years as Beijing seeks to pressure the democratically governed island which rejects China's sovereignty claims.

U.S. President Joe Biden has upset the Chinese government with comments that appeared to suggest the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, a deviation from a long-held U.S. position of "strategic ambiguity".

Washington and Taipei have had no official diplomatic or military relationship since 1979, when the U.S. switched recognition to Beijing and terminated a mutual defence treaty.

TSMC is the dominant maker of advanced chips used in everything from AI applications to smartphones and fighter jets, and analysts believe any conflict over Taiwan would decimate the world economy.

There was no immediate reaction from TSMC which is currently in its quiet period ahead of its second quarter earnings report on Thursday.

TSMC SHARES DOWN

Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple and Nvidia supplier, closed down 2.4% on Wednesday. The broader market ended down 1%.

"Trump's comments were plainly blunt. We see it as political rhetoric," said Allen Huang, a vice president at Mega International Investment Service. "TSMC is an excellent company, and it has won out in the market over many rival companies in the United States."

TSMC is spending billions building new factories overseas, including $65 billion on three plants in the U.S. state of Arizona, though it says most manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.

Taiwan also has a backlog worth some $19 billion of arms deliveries from the United States, which U.S. officials and politicians have repeatedly pledged to speed up.

Since 2022, Taiwan has complained of delays in deliveries of U.S. weapons such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers focused on supplying Ukraine to help it battle invading Russian forces.

In April, the U.S. Congress had passed a sweeping foreign aid package which includes arms support for the island, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.

China held two days of war games around the island shortly after President Lai Ching-te took office in May, saying it was "punishment" for his inauguration speech, which Beijing denounced as being full of separatist content.

China has also been using grey zone warfare against Taiwan, wielding irregular tactics to exhaust a foe by keeping them continually on alert without resorting to open combat. This includes sending balloons over the island and almost daily air force missions into the skies near Taiwan.

Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, who says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future, has repeatedly offered talks but been rebuffed.

(Reporting By Ben Blanchard, Jeanny Kao and Faith Hung; Editing by Neil Fullick, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry and Miral Fahmy)
Candidates running for the 4th District congressional seat representing Central Washington shared their reactions to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Trump was shot and injured Saturday during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rally attendee was killed, two were injured, and the shooter was killed by a Secret Service sniper. The suspected gunman, Thomas Crooks, was on the roof of a nearby building and used an AR-style rifle.

Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump, with a bandaged ear, made his first public appearance since the incident. He told The New York Post and The Washington Examiner that he revised his nomination acceptance speech in the wake of the shooting.

President Joe Biden called Trump personally to check in on him and delivered a televised address in the Oval Office. "Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy," Biden said, adding, "but politics must never be a literal battlefield or God forbid, a killing field."

As of Tuesday, investigators continued to search for the gunmans motive.

Washington state voters receive their primary ballots this week and can drop them off in the mail or in ballot boxes anytime before Aug. 6. Eight candidates are running for Congress in Washingtons 4th District.

The two candidates with the highest number of votes, regardless of party, will move forward to the general election. Dan Newhouse, the Republican incumbent, faces challenges from fellow Republicans Jerrod Sessler and Tiffany Smiley. Mary Baechler, Barry Knowles and Birdie Jane Muchlinski are running as Democrats with Benny Garcia filing as an independent and John Malan as a pro-Trump MAGA Democrat.

Below are the congressional candidates responses, in alphabetical order by first name, to the assassination attempt:

Barry Knowles

Democrat, Covington and Yakima

Knowles was shocked by the news. Any political violence is terrible, he said. Moving forward, Knowles suggested, the rhetoric on both sides need to be toned way down, pointing to Bidens wording in the recent debate and Trumps language on Jan. 6. The candidates have to be more careful about what they say, he said.

Benny BG3 Garcia

Independent, Grandview

As a combat veteran, there is no way that should have occurred, said Garcia, citing negligence by the Secret Service and law enforcement. He called for complete transparency from federal agencies about the ongoing investigation. To be honest, the head of Secret Service needs to be fired and those in leadership need to be held accountable, said Garcia.

Dan Newhouse

Republican, Sunnyside

On Saturday, Newhouse tweeted that the attempt was appalling and that Americans cannot and should not tolerate this type of violence. He thanked law enforcement officers for their quick response and said he was grateful Trumps injuries were not serious. He also paid respects to the family of the killed bystander and those injured at the rally.

"Birdie" Jane Muchlinski

Democrat, Richland

Muchlinski emailed the Yakima Herald-Republic, saying at no point should we witness violence towards our political leaders, no matter the disagreement. She asked leaders to deescalate political tensions and deliver messages of hope. She also advised people to avoid theories and allow investigators to do their best work-the FBI is a respected and intelligent group of trained and skilled professionals. Respect the process.

Jerrod Sessler

Republican, Prosser

Sessler texted the Herald-Republic saying, We thank God for protecting the life of President Trump. Those who have contributed to this atmosphere of hate against him have a lot to answer for. Sessler said that while he is skeptical of most politicians, he supports Trump and his pick for vice president, J.D. Vance.

John Malan

MAGA Democrat, Grant County

I was so sad at the near miss of this incident that it brought tears to my eyes this weekend. Donald Trump is definitely being protected, by God Almighty himself, Malan wrote in an email to the Herald-Republic.

Mary Baechler

Democrat, Yakima

Baechler said she was horrified as the photos of the attempt emerged. She said she is grateful that Trump survived and will recover, and so sorry for the father who lost his life and the others hurt. Baechler thinks the young gunman shouldnt have had such easy access to an assault weapon, noting that Trump originally supported a ban against assault weapons and suggested longer waiting periods for purchasing a gun in his book The America We Deserve.

Tiffany Smiley

Republican, Pasco

In a news release, Smiley wrote Today, we're praying for President Trump, the victims in attendance and their families. Our president showed extraordinary courage under fire, and I'm thankful God protected him. She reiterated her support for Trump in the November election, adding, We will not fear, but rise together because we live in the greatest country on earth.
Jordan Allyn is a news reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic. She reports on labor, politics, and the environment. Email jallyn@yakimaherald.com or call 509-577-7664.
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We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste.

Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters.

Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month.
Shenzhen to introduce 20 self-driving buses soon, with fare set at 1 yuan

Global Times) 08:33, July 17, 2024

Photo: Official WeChat account of Shenzhen Bus Group

After the recent implementation of driverless ride-hailing vehicles sparked heated discussion, a total of 20 self-driving buses will be put into operation in Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province within the year, according to local media reports. Experts told the Global Times on Tuesday that the future of autonomous driving applications still faces many challenges including safety concerns.

Four self-driving bus routes have been currently approved and are expected to officially launch by the end of July, with a fare of 1 yuan ($0.14) for each ride. The routes will cover subway stations, commercial and residential areas, central business districts, industrial parks, and scenic spots.

According to the reports, the driverless buses are equipped with high-definition on-board cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and LiDAR for 360-degree accurate perception of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, and changes in road conditions.

The vehicles are also equipped with the country's leading automated driving system, enabling quick judgment and decision-making comparable to an experienced driver. This system allows for precise control of the vehicle, ensuring safe navigation along predetermined routes.

The buses feature an intelligent interactive display screen inside, which provides real-time information on the surrounding traffic participants perceived by the vehicle's sensors, the vehicle's autonomous driving status, and the planned driving route, local media reported.

During the operation, the vehicles can accurately recognize lane markings and traffic lights, perform overtaking maneuvers, and efficiently handle various challenging urban driving scenarios. For instance, it can safely execute unprotected left turns at intersections without traffic lights, navigates intersections with mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic, identify and yield to vehicles encroaching on the lane and construction areas, give way to pedestrians, and precisely stop at stations.

In Ji'nan, the capital of East China's Shandong Province, the first batch of driverless buses have also started trial operation to collect map data, according to local media reports on Sunday.

Ji'nan has introduced a total of four driverless buses, with the first driverless bus to undertake 240 hours or 1,000 kilometers of on-road testing and other preliminary work after completing the map collection. When the requirements are met, it will enter the demonstration application phase.

On July 3, government departments jointly released a list of pilot areas for the application of the intelligent network integrating intelligent vehicles, smart roads, and real-time cloud technologies, with 20 cities selected, including Jinan and Shenzhen.

Shanghai is also set to begin public testing of autonomous cars as early as next week, offering free rides for residents throughout the trial period.

According to an earlier report, concerns about the safety of autonomous driving have been raised following one of Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing platform Robotaxi's vehicles colliding with a pedestrian on a street in Wuhan. Central China's Hubei Province.

Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the trend toward automated driving continues to be acceptable, but there may be challenges ahead for large-scale development. It may be used more frequently in some closed and relatively simple route scenarios.

Self-driving technology is undoubtedly becoming more mature, with its iterations happening relatively fast, but the public still has concerns about the level of maturity of this technology, Wu said.

Wu also noted that people have concerns regarding the lack of clarity in assigning responsibility. If no one is sitting behind the wheel, the question of whether the accident was solely due to a communication network problem, a software problem, or an underlying problem with road infrastructure remains unclear.

From a technical perspective, in the absence of vulnerabilities, autonomous driving technology is certainly safer than human driving. However, its greatest risk lies in software control. If the program is maliciously altered, accidents could become more severe, Wu said.

According to the local government in Pingshan district of Shenzhen, the application of the intelligent network integrating intelligent vehicles, smart roads, and real-time cloud technologies, is opening up a new track as many enterprises in the industry chain are pursuing the opportunity, and Shenzhen has nearly 460 intelligent networked automobile-related enterprises, generally forming a comprehensive ecosystem.

However, Wu noted that there is a high cost associated with purchasing and operating autonomous driving applications, with few companies or individuals willing to pay for it, which is also one of the challenges the industry has to face.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
As the new quality productive forces will serve as a major economic driver for China during its ongoing efforts to deepen economic transformation, more policies supporting technology companies, especially the small and medium-sized ones, can be expected after the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said experts.

They made the prediction after smaller-cap technology companies showed strong growth as of Tuesday. While the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose a tad on Tuesday, ChiNext in Shenzhen, where technology-focused companies are traded, climbed 1.39 percent.

ChiNext-listed machinery equipment maker Nanjing Railway New Technology and electronic equipment company Sunwoda Electronic saw their respective share prices surge to the daily limit of 20 percent on both Monday and Tuesday. Solar energy equipment provider Suzhou Maxwell Technologies and lithium battery company EVE Energy, two well-known ChiNext companies, saw their prices rise 5.44 percent and 3 percent, respectively, on Tuesday.

The Beijing Stock Exchange, home to shares of many technologically advanced small and medium-sized companies, also saw robust trading on Tuesday. Only four out of the 249 BSE-listed companies reported a loss on Tuesday, lifting the BSE 50 Index by 2.68 percent.

Xiu Qiang, joint chief strategist of CITIC Securities, explained that the A-share technology sector has seen a business turnaround since mid-2023. Electronic companies' profitability has been especially noticeable over the past two quarters.

The bullish performance of these technology companies will be further consolidated by clearer plans for the development of new quality productive forces after the ongoing third plenum, he said. More supportive policies may be introduced for the low-altitude economy, the digital economy and biomedicine after the meeting, he said.

Ying Ying, chief computer industry analyst at China Securities, anticipates more support to technology-advanced SMEs, given that a number of stimulative measures to further facilitate technological innovation have been introduced over the past few months.

The third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund was launched on May 24, with a registered capital of 344 billion yuan ($47 billion), outnumbering the size of the previous two phases. A 500 billion yuan reloan to serve technology innovation and transformation was set up in mid-June, among which 100 billion yuan will be used to support tech startups and SMEs.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, released a set of measures on June 15 to facilitate the high-quality development of venture capital firms. Four days later, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the country's top securities watchdog, issued eight new measures to deepen the reform at the STAR Market of the Shanghai bourse.

"The capital market will attach greater importance to A-share technology companies amid central regulators' emphasis and accelerated planning for technological innovation," said Ying.

The capital market has already taken action in this direction. The exchange-traded fund tracking the largest 100 ChiNext companies in terms of market capitalization, launched by China Asset Management in 2017, received net capital inflows of over 12.9 million yuan over the past 10 days, according to market tracker Wind Info.

A quick review of the market performance during the previous third plenum meetings since 2000 showed that rebound of growth-oriented enterprises had a probability of about 75 percent, said Li Meicen, chief strategist at Caitong Securities.

Small-cap tech companies with higher price elasticity, including those specializing in TMT (technology, media and telecommunications), power equipment and new energy, usually show stronger growth in the two months after the third plenum. Based on the top regulators' previously launched fundamental research plans, companies focusing on quantum information, synthetic biology and the low-altitude economy may gain more support after the third session, he said.

The average valuation of A-share tech companies is much lower than their peers in overseas markets, said experts from Everbright Securities on Tuesday. In anticipation of more policies to boost technology innovation, these companies' valuations will likely be adjusted significantly in the medium term, they said.
The safety match is a seemingly simple yet revolutionary invention. It transformed daily life by providing a reliable and safe means of creating fire.

The story of the safety match is closely linked to Hungarys inventive minds, particularly that of Janos Irinyi, whose contributions in the 19th century laid the foundation for this indispensable item.



Early Attempts at Creating Matches

Before the invention of the safety match, creating fire was difficult and often dangerous. Early matches, developed in the early 1800s, were made using a combination of chemicals that ignited when struck against any surface. However, these early matches were prone to catching light accidentally posing significant risks.



Janos Irinyi's Breakthrough

Janos Irinyi, born in 1817 in Albis, Hungary, was a chemist and inventor whose work revolutionized the production of matches. In 1836, as a young chemistry student, Irinyi devised a safer and more reliable match by replacing the potassium chlorate with lead dioxide.



This significantly reduced the risk of spontaneous ignition, making the matches safer to handle.



Irinyi's innovation came about while he was studying under the renowned chemist Justus von Liebig in Germany. Seeing how dangerous existing matches were, Irinyi was inspired to create a safer version.



He used a phosphorus-based compound that only ignited when struck against a specially prepared surface, reducing the likelihood of accidents.



The Development of the Safety Match

Irinyi's safer matches, initially called "noiseless matches," soon caught on with manufacturers and soon became popular. When he returned to Hungary, Irinyi patented his invention and began to produce and sell these matches.



His matches were not only safer but also easier to use, and created a spark without the loud, sometimes startling, noise of the earlier matches.



In 1845, Irinyi sold the patent to Istvan Romer, a Hungarian pharmacist and businessman, who improved the production process and established a factory in Budapest. This factory became a large-scale match production facility, spreading the use of safety matches throughout Europe.



Impact and Legacy

The invention of the safety match had a profound impact on society. By making fire creation safer and more accessible, the safety matche became an indispensable household item. It played a crucial role in various aspects of daily life, from lighting stoves and candles to igniting lamps and fires for warmth.



Irinyi's innovation paved the way for further advancements in match technology. The basic principles of his safety match design remain in use today, underscoring the enduring significance of his work.



Modern safety matches, while improved with additional safety features and more environmentally friendly materials, still rely on the fundamental chemistry pioneered by Irinyi.



Recognition and Honours

Although Janos Irinyi's contribution was recognised in his lifetime, his legacy has grown over the years. In Hungary, he is celebrated as a national hero and an example of ingenuity and practical problem-solving. Various statues and plaques honour his achievements and the impact he had on daily life.



Conclusion

The invention of the safety match by Janos Irinyi represents a remarkable achievement in the history of everyday technology. By transforming a hazardous necessity into a safe and reliable tool, Irinyi's work exemplifies the profound impact that a single innovation can have on society.



His legacy continues to burn brightly - a testament to the enduring importance of Hungarian ingenuity in improving and safeguarding our daily lives.



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Laszlo Lorant Keresztes, a lawmaker of opposition LMP, on Tuesday said he has asked the Constitutional Court to review a new law on the privatisation of state-owned historic stately homes.

The amendment submitted by Janos Lazar, the construction and transport minister, was passed by the deputies of allied ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrats in mid-June, Keresztes noted in a video post on Facebook.



Lazar is seeking to put 47 protected stately homes with adjoining buildings, riding halls and parks into the private hands of companies and various private individuals under his own decision as early as August, he said, adding that the list of properties included the Nadasdy Castle of Sarvar, the Festecsics Mansion of Deg and the Bishops Palace of Sumeg.



Those who want to execute such a plan are abusing their power and robbing the nation, he said.



The LMP politician called it utterly unacceptable that various companies or private individuals should become the owners of protected buildings of historic significance which are currently owned by the Hungarian people and the Hungarian state.





Update from Hungary Around the Clock: Fee Set at HUF10 Million to Adopt a Castle



Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar would charge a fee of Ft 10 million to gain access to documents in the much-discussed castle adoption programme, according to a draft executive decree.



In exchange for the Ft 10 million, interested parties would only receive the documentation related to the allocation request, and the Ft 10 million would remain with the state even if the applicant does not ultimately obtain use of a castle.



The Ft 10 million charge appears in a draft executive decree related to the revised "castle law" approved in June.



Lazars initial proposal was criticised for permitting private ownership of state-owned castles, palaces and stately homes, under certain circumstances.



It has been amended following a Constitutional Court ruling and objections from then-president Katalin Novak.



The updated law, with 26 points of the original text having been rewritten, requires new owners of such properties to renovate, maintain, and operate them and stipulates that public collections must be accessible for at least 300 days a year.



The draft executive order, recently posted for public consultation, specifies that only full ownership transfers are allowed, with property management companies no longer an option.



The decree also outlines stricter requirements and oversight for property maintenance and public access.



The decree lists 47 properties eligible for the scheme, such as castles in Szabadkigyos, Edeleny, and Fuzerradvany.



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Hungary's number one reggae festival will also be held in 2024 in Lakitelek, at the Toserdo Car Camping site, from July 23-27

From Wednesday to Saturday main stage features 4 local and international bands daily.



Bands, sound systems, selectors, MCs and DJs, concerts, acoustic music, parties, jam sessions at four different music venues. Campers can also expect additional programs such as lectures, discussions, games, excursions, sport and beach activities. Everything thats Reggae!



Ticket prices:

5-day season ticket - 39.000 HUF

5-day parking pass (only for vehicles) - 10.000 HUF

The price of the 5-day ticket includes participation in all Reggae Camp activities, camping in the designated area of the Toserdo Autoskemping between 23 and 28 July, 2024, and also the use of the Toserdo Pool during its official opening hours between 23 and 27 July, 2024.

The price of the 5-day ticket does not include the parking of vehicles in the Reggae Camp area. An additional parking fee of 2000 HUF/day is available for cars, caravans and motorhomes. (Bicycles, scooters, mopeds and motorcycles are not included.)

The price of the 5-day ticket does not include the tourist tax (IFA), which has to be paid at the reception of the Toserdo Autoskemping on arrival.

Daily tickets (later)

Tuesday, 23 July - 7.000 HUF

Wednesday, 24 July - 9.000 HUF

Thursday, 25 July - 9.000 HUF

Friday, 26 July - 9.000 HUF

Saturday, 27 July - 9.000 HUF

For residents of Lakitelek and Toserdo, the daily tickets cost 5.000 HUF (with address card and ID)



Tickets available via Ticketportal



Click here for the detailed program



More:

reggaecamp.com/en
New Delhi: A consumer commission here has directed New India Assurance Company Limited to pay Rs 50,000 compensation to a customer, saying despite having a valid insurance policy, he had to suffer because of the insurer's "irrational decision" of only partly paying the medical claim.

Noting that the company had failed to reimburse the complainant's entire claim of around Rs 4.77 lakh and only reimbursed around Rs 2.15 lakh, the commission has also ordered it to provide the remaining amount of around Rs 3.25 lakh with interest, along with the litigation cost of Rs 25,000.

The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (Central District) was hearing the complaint of Nishchal Jain alleging deficiency in services by the insurer for repudiating his insurance claim that caused him "financial as well as physical trouble, inconvenience, harassment and mental agony".

Taking note of the evidence before it, the commission comprising President Inder Jeet Singh observed that the denial of the claim by the insurance company was "arbitrary, without any valid ground and contrary to the terms and conditions of the policy", besides amounting to a deficiency in services.

The bench, also comprising member Rashmi Bansal, said due to the denial of the claim, the complainant had suffered financial loss, physical trauma, harassment and mental agony.

"Despite having a valid insurance policy and despite being diligent in paying the premium regularly, the complainant had to suffer because of the irrational decision of the opposite party or OP (insurance company), therefore, complainant's plea for entitlement of compensation is found justified and is quantified to Rs 50,000," the commission said.

"Since the complainant had to initiate legal action against the OP in the absence of settlement of his insurance claim, which in the opinion of this commission makes him entitled to the cost as claimed, that is, Rs 25,000," it added.

In its order dated July 10, the commission also directed the company "to reimburse the complainant an amount of Rs 3,25,643, along with 6 per cent interest per annum, from the date of rejection of the claim, which is January 9, 2015, till its realisation by the complainant".
New Delhi: An encounter took place between police and Naxalites on Wednesday in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra near the Chhattisgarh border, officials said adding at least 12 Naxalites were killed and two security personnel were injured.

According to Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Nilotpal, the prolonged exchange of fire broke out in the afternoon between C60 commandos and Naxals near Wandoli village, lasting for six hours. The police have recovered 12 bodies of Maoists from the incident spot and also found automotive weapons, including 3 AK-47s, 2 INSAS rifles, a carbine and an SLR, he added.

One of the killed Naxals was identified as DVCM Laxman Atram alias Vishal Atram, in charge of Tipagad Dalam. Further identification of Maoists and area search is continuing.

Following the incident, Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a Rs 51 lakh reward for C60 commando teams and Gadchiroli Police, Nilotpal said.

"The injured persons include a sub-inspector of C 60 and one jawan. They are out of danger, evacuated from the spot, and shifted to Nagpur," the SP added, PTI reported.
In a strategic move before the upcoming assembly elections, the Haryana government under the BJP has declared a 10% reservation for 'Agniveers' in various state government roles, including constables, forest guards, and jail wardens. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also unveiled a scheme to support Agniveers who aspire to become entrepreneurs, offering interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh. At a press conference, he said, "Agniveers will be granted a 10% horizontal reservation in direct recruitment for the positions of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden, and special police officer."

Additionally, Saini announced an age relaxation benefit for Agniveers applying for Group C and D positions, extending it to three years, with a special provision of five years for the inaugural batch. For Group C civil posts, a 5% horizontal reservation will be implemented.

The Chief Minister didn't stop there; he also promised incentives for industrial units that hire Agniveers, including a Rs 60,000 annual subsidy for units that pay a monthly salary exceeding Rs 30,000. Moreover, Agniveers will be given priority in the issuance of arms licenses.

The Agnipath military recruitment scheme, launched by the central BJP government in June 2022 for short-term military service, has been met with significant opposition. During the lead-up to the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the scheme in Mahendragarh, Haryana, vowing to discard it if the INDIA coalition seized power.

Following the central announcement in 2022, the then Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had committed to ensuring employment for Agniveers post their tenure in the armed forces. This series of announcements reflects the government's ongoing efforts to integrate Agniveers into civilian roles and the broader workforce.
As Uttar Pradesh gears up for crucial by-elections on ten assembly seats, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath convened a key meeting with BJP ministers today to strategize the party's approach. The meeting, which excluded both Deputy Chief Ministers and organizational leaders, focused on preparing for the upcoming electoral challenges. However, the absence of both Dy CMs Keshav Maurya and Brajesh Pathak and no representation from the organization has raised eyebrows. Sources suggest that a major reshuffle is on the cards, with changes expected in the cabinet and party organization.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Anant Tyagi analysed the developments that have sparked intense speculation in political circles of Uttar Pradesh, with all eyes on the BJP's next move.

The BJP's 3-level review report, which analyzed the party's performance in the 2022 elections, is likely to play a crucial role in the reshuffle. The report highlighted that several ministers and MLAs had distanced themselves from party workers and failed to deliver on their responsibilities.

Speculations are rife that several ministers may be dropped or reassigned, while some may be sent back to the party organization. UP BJP President Bhupendra Chaudhary has been meeting with top leaders in Delhi, including Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Party President JP Nadda, fueling speculation about the impending changes.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya has assured that the organization and government are strong and will repeat the 2017 victory in 2027. However, the opposition is skeptical, with the Samajwadi Party and Congress suspecting that the BJP is planning to make changes in the state government.

Watch tonight's episode of DNA for a detailed analysis here:
In his first reaction to the devastating Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives on July 2, Narayan Sakaar Hari, alias Bhole Baba, has spoken out, saying that a conspiracy was hatched to tarnish his name and reputation. The self-styled godman, in an interview with news agency IANS, expressed his distress over the tragedy but claimed that a poisonous substance was sprayed amid the gathering, leading to the stampede.

"We are very disturbed and distressed after the July 2 incident. But, who can avoid the inevitable? Whoever has come to this Earth will have to depart one day, although the timing may differ," Bhole Baba said, seemingly resigned to the tragedy.

However, he quickly shifted gears, alleging a conspiracy to sully his name and reputation. "Our counsel A.P. Singh and eyewitnesses told us about a poisonous spray at the gathering. This proves that a conspiracy was hatched to tarnish our name and reputation," he claimed.

IANS Exclusive



Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh: "My lawyer, AP Singh, and I, along with eyewitnesses, told about toxic spary is entirely true, and there is definitely some conspiracy involved... We trust the SIT and judiciary, and believe that truth will prevail and conspirators will be pic.twitter.com/AG18go6MAc July 17, 2024

Despite the allegations, Bhole Baba expressed faith in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the incident. "Truth will prevail, and the conspirators will be brought to book," he said, confidently.

The SIT, too, has hinted at a "major conspiracy" angle behind the incident, holding the event organisers, local police, and state administration guilty. However, Bhole Baba was spared any charges. The state government has since suspended several officials, including the sub-divisional magistrate, circle officer, tehsildar, station house officer, and two local police outpost in-charge officers.

IANS Exclusive



Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh: "Through my lawyer AP Singh, I have requested all committee members to stand with the victims, and everyone has followed that. I thank them all..." - Narayan Sakar Hari (Bhole Baba) on the Hathras Stampede pic.twitter.com/9tYC4xFH27  IANS (@ians_india) July 17, 2024

The tragedy occurred on July 2 at a spiritual congregation in Phoolrai village, where over 2 lakh people had gathered for a 'satsang'. The FIR lodged in the case stated that permission was taken by the organisers for a gathering of 80,000 people, raising questions about the lack of preparedness and security measures.
You must have heard or read that there used to be restaurants or places where Indians or people wearing dhoti-kurta or saree were not allowed to enter. You may think that those were hard times for Indians as they had to face such discrimination and you may be thanking the gods that those things came to an end. However, even after 75 years of independence, there are such organisations still running in India which follow such rules.

According to reports, a mall in Bengaluru stopped a farmer from entering the premises only because he was wearing a dhoti. Fakeerappa, a farmer in his seventies, went to the G. T. Mall on Magadi Main Road in Bengaluru with his son to watch a movie at a multiplex. However, they were stopped at the entrance because of his traditional attire  a dhoti and a white shirt. His son recorded the interaction, in which the security supervisor stated that the farmer would be allowed entry if he changed into pants.

Denied entry for wearing Panche (Dhoti). They came to watch the movie



The incident happened in Bengaluru #GTMall



The Mall should correct this mistake and provide one year free movie pass to the old person as a compensation pic.twitter.com/fMUaVdyq4V  (@ChekrishnaCk) July 16, 2024

Speaking to the media, Fakeerappa expressed his views, stating, "I am an illiterate farmer who understands the importance of education. I have ensured that all five of my children received an education and they are now well-placed. However, I cannot abandon my culture and traditional attire to conform to wearing pants just to visit a mall. It is disheartening that people in our own State feel inferior about our own dressing style and culture."

Members of Pro-Kannada and Pro-Farmers organizations staged a protest after an elderly farmer was denied entry to GT World Mall in Bengaluru for wearing a dhoti.

In February of this year, a farmer wearing a dhoti was prevented by security guards from boarding a Namma Metro train, even though he had a valid ticket. In response, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) dismissed the security supervisor who had stopped the farmer.
After Mehbooba Mufti and other political parties countered DGP RR Swain's statement related to regional political parties and their leaders today, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order, Vijay Kumar, distanced JKP from the Police Chief's statement, saying JKP is apolitical and a professional force, and that what the DGP said reflects his personal views.

The DGP's statement stirred controversy when he addressed a function at IIAM in Jammu, alleging that mainstream regional politics had enabled Pakistan-based infiltrators to manipulate civil society during times of terrorism. This claim drew sharp criticism from local politicians across party lines.

Earlier, the Director General of Police said, Pakistan infiltrating Kashmir civil society and cultivating leaders of terror networks to further their electoral prospects.

"Jammu and Kashmir Police has always been an apolitical force. The DGP's statement may reflect his personal views. Jammu and Kashmir Police is apolitical, professional, and impartial," ADGP told reporters during his visit to downtown Srinagar on the 10th Muharram procession.

Yesterday, Mehbooba Mufti demanded the sacking of the Police Chief, accusing him of favouring a particular party.

Meanwhile, the NC advised the DGP to refrain from making political statements and focus on his professional duties to achieve better outcomes.
New Delhi: Police on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the killing of former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahnis father, with the arrest of the prime accused after he confessed his involvement in the crime.

Earlier in the day, police had detained four persons, including the prime accused, for questioning in connection with its probe into the murder of Jitan Sahni, father of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni.

The accused, identified as Qazim Ansari (40), a resident of Supaul Bazar locality where the former ministers ancestral home is also located, has confessed his involvement in the crime. During interrogation, Ansari told police that he had borrowed a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh from Sahnis father against a piece of land he owned.

The accused was unable to take back the piece of land back because of his inability to pay, it said.

Ansari further revealed that on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, he along with his associates entered Jitan Sahnis house and asked for the documents of his land. When Sahni refused to hand over the land documents to Ansari, he started stabbing him. His associates assisted him in the act, the statement said.

A case has been registered against Ansari and his associates, and search is underway to trace them, police said.

Jitan Sahni, 70, was found stabbed to death at his home in Darbhanga district on Tuesday.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the district police was formed to investigate the case.

The ghastly incident sent shock waves across Bihar, with many in the opposition flaying the Nitish Kumar government over the law and order situation in the state.
The strategic shift of terror incidents and targeted killings from Kashmir to Jammu has raised serious concerns, with 50 soldiers losing their lives in the Jammu region over the past 32 months. The surge in terror attacks and targeted killings in Jammu since 2021, following the abrogation of Article 370, has led to a grim escalation in violence, destabilizing the region.

The recent attack on an army vehicle in Doda has brought the death toll of armed forces in Jammu to 11 this year, following a gunfight that claimed the lives of four Army personnel, including a captain. This attack occurred just a week after another deadly assault on the army in Kathua, where five soldiers were killed. These incidents have heightened concerns within India's security establishment.

The resurgence of terrorism in Jammu involves different operational tactics than those seen in the past, prompting security agencies to reassess their counter-terror strategies. Intelligence sources suggest that the increase in terrorism in Jammu is part of a larger tactical plan by terrorist groups and their backers across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Several factors have contributed to this shift, including the successful blocking of major terrorist infiltration routes in the Kashmir Valley and the dismantling of local terrorist recruitment networks post the abrogation of Article 370. This has forced terrorist groups and their backers to shift their focus towards the Jammu region.

The Jammu region offers advantages for terrorists, such as year-round opportunities for infiltration and less visibility of security forces along the LoC due to troop redeployments following the Indo-China conflict near the Line of Actual Control. The presence of mountains also provides hiding spots for terrorists after launching attacks on armed forces, and terrorists have established an Over Ground Worker (OGW) support network in the region.

Given these evolving dynamics, a fresh counterterrorism approach is imperative for the Jammu region. The successful strategies employed in Kashmir may not be effective here, warranting a new, technology-driven approach to address the escalating threat posed by terrorism. As the region grapples with mounting security challenges, greater accountability and a comprehensive strategy are being demanded from all sides.

In the challenging terrain of Jammu, with its towering mountains, vast plains, and dense forests, military operations against terrorist groups present significant hurdles. The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security forces are collaborating on strategies to combat the resurgence of terrorism in the region.
New Delhi: The surprising incident unfolded in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur where an old man in a rugged and worn-out dhoti, rolled on the floor of the Collectorate office with folded hands. In the viral video, the old man was seen saying, "What should we do now?" to officers of the collectorate office and visitors looking on.

The farmer identified as Shankarlal, claimed that despite lodging complaints, no action had been taken, leading him to roll on the floors of the collectorate to attract attention.

The video was filmed inside the Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur Collectorate office dispites a distraught farmer pleading against the unlawful takeover of his land by a local mafia.

An elderly farmer from MP's Mandsaur says that his complaint is not being heard anywhere. He alleges that some people have usurped his land through fake documents... He returned disappointed from the Collector's office... pic.twitter.com/mMiJ9bm75z July 17, 2024

Shankarlal said that he is troubled by the land mafia, the Tehsildar makes a mistake, and the farmer suffers. "They make the mistake, and I suffer the consequences. I am unhappy with the government and the administration," the farmer said, NDTV reported.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Dilip Yadav informed that all the cases that come in the public hearing are resolved immediately.
In Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh, two senior police officials were transferred overnight for allegedly mulling action against an errant Medical College director, according to reports. Hapur's SP Abhishek Verma was removed from his position and has been kept on waiting for his next posting. Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, who was stationed in the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate, has been appointed as the new SP of Hapur. Additionally, only a few hours later, ASP Rajkumar Agarwal was also removed from his post and reassigned as Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate.

The news of these transfers has sparked widespread discussion. While Abhishek Verma's transfer is being viewed as a routine administrative move, ASP Rajkumar Agarwal's transfer is speculated to be linked to a complaint from the Rama Medical College management. It is rumored that his transfer followed the hospital management's complaint.

On Tuesday, July 16, a person called Dial-112 alleging that a patient at Rama Medical College and Hospital was being held against their will and not discharged. Responding to the call, a police team arrived at the hospital.

The police claim that officials and doctors from Rama Medical College misbehaved with and shoved a police officer. SP Abhishek Verma then sent ASP Rajkumar Agarwal to the scene. Agarwal addressed the management of Rama Medical College and mediated a resolution.

Sources within the police department claim that a senior official from the medical college lodged a complaint against the ASP, alleging that the college was unnecessarily turned into a police camp, damaging its reputation.

Speculation is rife that the actions taken against both the SP and ASP are a direct result of the complaint from Rama Medical College management. Additionally, sources indicate that preparations are underway to take action against the CO and Inspector involved in this matter.
Mumbai: The reason why Amitabh Bachchan is unstoppable even at this age is because the angry young man of Bollywood has seen the worst downfall in his life. There was a time when Big B was bankrupt and was in a deep financial crisis. Amitabh Bachchans production company ABCL failed miserably and he became bankrupt. But there was one person who offered the Kalki actor financial help and it was Dhirubhai Ambani. Amid Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding an old video of Big B has resurfaced online where he is seen talking about how Dhirubhai Ambani offered him help by sending his son Anil Ambani who was also his good friend.

Watch the video of Amitabh Bachchan revealing how he was offered financial help by Dhirubhai Ambani during his bankrupt days but he refused

Amitabh Bachchan was seen talking at an event where Mukesh Ambani was present along with his wife Nita Ambani, where he revealed of being bankrupt, his bank balance went zero, and was jobless, and how Dhirubhai learned about his situation and sent help via his son Anil Ambani. Big B added that the financial help would solve all his problems and he was overwhelmed with this generosity by Dhirubhai, but he refused.

Amitabh Bachchan reveals how years later things went normal and he was back on track, Dhirubhai at one of his events revealed that he was proud of him for fighting back when he fell. Bachchan was in tears as he recalled his toughest day.


New Delhi: In a shocking move, the daughter of Dubai's ruler, Shaikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has publicly declared divorce from her husband, Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, on Instagram.

The announcement has surfaced a mere two months following the couple's blissful introduction to parenthood. Shaikha Mahra posted a statement on her Instagram account, saying,

"Dear Husband,

As you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care.

Your ex-wife."

The news has sparked a frenzy on social media, with many noticing that the couple has unfollowed each other on Instagram and deleted all photos of each other from their profiles. Some speculators believe the pair may have blocked each other, while others wonder if Ms. Sheikha Mahra's account was hacked.

The couple got married in May last year and welcomed their daughter 12 months later. Shaikha Mahra had previously gushed about her "most memorable experience" giving birth and thanked her doctor and hospital staff for their care.

Just weeks ago, the princess shared a cryptic post on Instagram, cuddling with her baby, writing, "Just the two of us." Some are now speculating that this may have been a hint at the trouble brewing in her marriage.

Shaikha Mahra is an advocate for women's empowerment and local designers in the UAE. She holds a degree in International Relations from a university in the UK and also has a college degree from the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Administration.

The divorce announcement has sparked a mix of reactions.

One user praised the princess for her "courage and bravery," expressing, "I'm proud, YOUR DECISION!"

Meanwhile, others speculated, questioning, "But the divorce will occur from Husbands side, right ?

And Wife have to choose Khul ?"
Mumbai: Only if you thought the wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Ambani were over. Some reports claim the Ambanis are planning to host post-wedding festivities in London and this news has definitely got the fans excited who were enjoying watching all the glimpses from the wedding of the year. As the news is making the rounds of Ambanis hosting a pre-wedding ceremony in London, an insider close to us reveals there will be no Bollywood celebrities making their presence at the event.

An insider tells us, "Its a fact there is no one like Ambanis and they have proved it every time. Anant and Radhikas grand wedding celebration is not over yet and yes there are plans that they are planning to host a post wedding in London. However, this will be more like a business meeting as all the business partners of the Ambani's will be marking their presence. The venue and date are yet to be out in public, but the preparations have definitely begun. Also as this post-wedding function will be more from the business meeting point of view, there will not be any Bollywood celebrities making their presence known".

The insider further adds, "Radhika and Anant will most likely stay in Jamnagar as Vantara needs the attention. Anant is also very fond of Jamnagar and so is Radhika, while they will be visiting their Mumbai abode Antilia often".

Radhika and Anants wedding was a grand affair and the choti bahu of the Ambani parivar credits her mother-in-law for everything and calls her the CEO of her wedding.


Mumba: Actress Hina Khan is a fighter and her posts on her social media have only shown how the actress has a never-give-up attitude. Just a few weeks ago Hina Khan shared the news of being diagnosed with breast cancer and since then she has been showing the world how to cope with life when it takes an unexpected turn. Just a few hours ago Hina Khan shared the news of undergoing breast cancer surgery and mentioned how she is still in pain.

Hina Khan shared the picture of her from the hospital bed and mentioned being in pain."Being constantly in pain. Yes, constantly. Every single second. The person is smiling? Still in pain. The person doesn't mention it? Still in pain. The person says, 'I'm fine'. Still in pain"

Hina Khan shares the heartwarming note received from doctors after her surgery.

The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actress shared the handwritten note picture by the doctors of the Kokilabean hospital. "Dear Hena Khan. I know this surgery has been hard for you, but I am so glad you are on the way to making a full recovery... (heart symbol). Wishing you a quick and full recovery. Hope you feel better very soon. Get well soon."

Hina Khan continues to work despite dealing with breast cancer

The actress on Monday shared the video of her first work assignment after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. "My first work assignment after my diagnosis.. Walking the talk is challenging, especially when facing lifes biggest challenges. So, give yourself a break on bad days; its okay you deserve it. However, dont forget to live your life on the good days, no matter how few they are. These days still hold importance. Accept the change, embrace the difference, and NORMALISE it".

Hina Khan is truly a courageous woman and everyone wishes for her speedy recovery.
Mumbai: Radhika Ambani and Anant Ambani were welcomed in a grand way at their hometown - Jamnagar. The crowd went berserk to see the newlywed as they market their first presence after their grand wedding. Radhika and Anant received a lot of love from the people gathered and they went uncontrollably to have one glimpse of the couple. The videos of newlywed Radhika and Anant have been viral and one video that has caught everyone's attention is where the choti bahu of Ambani parivaar, is graciously seen receiving all the love and stopping her bodyguards to not push the people who have been impatiently waiting to have a closer look at them.

Watch the video of Radhika Ambani calmly asking her bodyguards to not push the crowd in Jamnagar.

In the video, you can see how Radhika Ambani is one of the most generous Ambani bahu and this gesture of the business tycoon's wife is winning hearts and how.

Not only Radhika, but even Anant Ambani's simplicity too has won hearts and how. During his wedding ceremony, one video of him went viral where he humbly introduced his wife Radhika to the Mysore cafe owner. The netizens are overwhelmed to see how the Ambani family is equally well-cultured and setting a great example.
New Delhi: The Halwa ceremony that marks the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2024-25, was held in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the lock-in process of officials involved in the Budget preparation begins. The Union Budget 2024-25 is to be presented on 23rd July, 2024.

No Halwa ceremony was done during Budget 2022, FM distributed sweets instead! What was the reason?

Breaking away from the tradition of the customary `Halwa ceremony` before the commencement of the Budget Session of the Parliament, in 2022 sweets were provided to the core staff due to undergoing "lock-in" at their workplaces.

The move was deemed fit due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, keeping the health and safety concerns of people.

Union Budget: Significance Of Halwa Ceremony

The halwa ceremony is celebrated to recognise the efforts of all the employees involved in the making of the countrys budget for the particular year. Finance Minister serves the sweet dish (halwa) to the officials of the ministry.

As per tradition, the Finance Minister would serve officials with bowls full of halwa at the North Block to thank his team for their hard work. Everyone directly related to the Budget making process receives a bite of the dessert usually prepared in a large vessel.

Traditionally, once the event is over, top officials and employees engaged in the printing and budget-making process are supposed to stay back at the basement of the Finance Ministry headquarters till the time the budget is finally presented by the minister.

The step is taken to ensure that not a word about the budget goes out in public till the due time. All the officials and support staff remain cut off from their friends and families in the time period between the halwa ceremony and budget presentation. A few top officials, however, are allowed to leave the place.
OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55: In the competitive world of mid-range smartphones, the OnePlus Nord 4 and the Samsung Galaxy A55 stand out as two formidable contenders, each promising top-notch features under Rs 45,000. Both brands have earned a reputation for delivering quality devices that strike a balance between performance, design, and affordability.

The OnePlus Nord 4, known for its sleek design and powerful internals, goes head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy A55, a device that boasts impressive display technology and a versatile camera setup.

The OnePlus Nord 4 comes with utility and camera-centric features powered by artificial intelligence (AI), including AI Speak, AI Eraser, AI Clear Face and AI Linkboost, designed to help users reconnect to their mobile network faster than ever before. Notably, the company claims that there is no waiting and no lagging.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A55 features such as Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, AI-enhanced camera features, and the secure Samsung Knox Vault. This comparison aims to simplify the decision-making process, helping users determine which phone best suits their needs and preferences. (Also Read: WhatsApp Allows Users Set Contacts And Groups As 'Favourites' For Quick Access; Here's How To Use)

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Price And Colour:

The phone comes in three storage models: 8GB RAM+128GB, 8GB RAM+256GB and 12GB RAM+256GB. The OnePlus Nord 4 is available at Rs 29,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, Rs 32,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, and Rs 35,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option. The new phone comes in Mercury Silver, Obsidian Midnight and Oasis Green colour options.

The Samsung Galaxy A55 is available in three storage options: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage priced at Rs 39,999, 8GB RAM with 256GB storage priced at Rs 42,999, and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage priced at Rs 45,999. The smartphone comes in Awesome Iceblue and Awesome Navy colour options only.

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Specifications:

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Display:

The OnePlus Nord 4 features a 6.74-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2772  1240 pixels, up to 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,150 nits. Meanwhile, the smartphone features a 6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits brightness.

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Battery:

The OnePlus Nord 4 smartphone is loaded with a 5,500mAh battery which can charge the phone from 1 to 100 percent in less than half an hour. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A55 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, supporting fast 25W charging and run on Android 14 with One UI 6.1.

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Camera:

In the camera department, the OnePlus Nord 4 gets a 50MP LYT600 primary shooter and an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16 MP shooter on the front. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A55 houses a triple camera setup with a 50 MP primary sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 5 MP macro lens. For selfies and video chats, it offers a 32 MP selfie camera. (Also Read: OnePlus Pad 2 Launched In India With AI Toolbox Under Rs 45,000 Alongside Stylo 2 And Smart Keyboard; Check Specs, Price)

OnePlus Nord 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy A55 Processor:

The OnePlus Nord 4 is powered by latest Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 and Qualcomm AI Engine. The Samsung Galaxy A55 is powered by an in-house Exynos 2480 processor. It runs on the Android 14-based OneUI 6.1 and will receive updates up to Android 18.
The Indian Navy along with its surveillance aircraft has successfully rescued nine crew members of the sinking oil tanker Prestige Falcon. The nine crew members including 8 Indians and one Sri Lankan have been rescued alive from MT Falcon Prestige during the search and rescue operations. The search and rescue operations to find the remaining five crew members is still underway.

The Comoros-flagged oil tanker with 13 Indians and 3 Sri Lankans as crew members has capsized off the coast of Oman, the country's Maritime Security Centre said on Tuesday.

Indian Navys warship INS Teg has been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with the Omani vessels and personnel to carry out search and rescue missions after a Comoros-flagged vessel with its crew including 13 Indians capsized. The Indian warship was carrying out an operational turnaround in the area from where it was directed on July 15 to carry out search and rescue missions. The warship had located the capsizing oil tanker on July 16 morning, reported ANI.

"A Comoros-flagged vessel, MT Falcon Prestige, transmitted a distress call around 2200 hrs on 14 July 2024 off the coast of Oman. The merchant vessel has a crew of 16, of which 13 are Indian seafarers. The vessel seems to have capsized. Our Embassy in Oman is in constant touch with the Omani authorities. A search and rescue operation for the seafarers, coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Center (OMSC), is on. Indian Navy has also joined the search and rescue operations," defence sources told ANI.

The tanker was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to shipping data by LSEG. The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007, LSEG's shipping data showed. Such small tankers are generally deployed for short voyages.
An oil tanker, named 'Prestige Falcon,' carrying 16 crew members capsized off the coast of Oman. The crew of the oil tanker included 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans, as confirmed by Oman's maritime security centre on Tuesday. The vessel capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, near the Omani port of Duqm, on Monday.

The vessel was en route to Yemen's Aden Port when the incident occurred. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the missing crew members.

Oman reports that the entire crew of the Comoros flagged Prestige Falcon oil tanker is missing after the vessel capsized off the coast.



The ship had 16 crew members on board, including 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans. pic.twitter.com/ylrKYqsg9Q July 16, 2024

Current Status of the Vessel

According to the reports, the 'Prestige Falcon' remains submerged and inverted. However, there has been no confirmation regarding the vessel's stabilization or whether oil or oil products are leaking into the sea, as per a statement from Oman's maritime security centre to Reuters.

The 'Prestige Falcon' is a 117-meter-long oil products tanker, built in 2007, typically used for short voyages.

Duqm Port, located on Oman's southwest coast, plays a crucial role in the country's oil and gas industry. It is a major hub for oil and gas mining projects and houses a significant oil refinery within its vast industrial zone, which is considered Oman's largest economic project.
Israeli airstrikes killed more than 60 Palestinians in southern and central Gaza overnight and into Tuesday, including one that struck an Israeli-declared safe zone crowded with thousands of displaced people. Airstrikes in recent days have brought a constant drumbeat of deaths of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, even as Israel has pulled back or scaled down major ground offensives in the north and south.

Almost daily strikes have hit the safe zone covering some 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) along the Mediterranean coast, where Israel told fleeing Palestinians to take refuge to escape ground assaults. Israel has said it is pursuing Hamas militants who are hiding among civilians after offensives uprooted underground tunnel networks.

Tuesday's deadliest strike hit a main street lined with market stalls outside the southern city of Khan Younis in Muwasi, at the heart of the zone that is packed with tent camps. Officials at Khan Younis Nasser Hospital said 17 people were killed. Apparently referring to the strike, the Israeli military said in a statement that it targeted a commander in Islamic Jihads naval unit west of Khan Younis. It said it was looking into reports that civilians were killed.The attack hit about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from a compound that Israel struck on Saturday, saying it was targeting Hamas top military commander, Mohammed Deif.

That blast, in an area also surrounded by tents, killed more than 90 Palestinians, including children, according to Gaza health officials. It is still not known if Deif was killed in the strike.The new airstrikes came as Israel and Hamas continued to weigh the latest cease-fire proposal. Hamas has said talks meant to wind down the nine-month-long war would continue, even after Israel targeted Deif.

International mediators are working to push Israel and Hamas toward a deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.Israeli forces have repeatedly had to launch new offensives to combat Hamas fighters they say have been regrouping in parts of Gaza that the military has previously invaded. Still, the military has sounded increasingly confident that it has severely damaged the militants' organization and infrastructure in its 9-month-old campaign.

The military said Tuesday that it has eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas' military wing and that some 14,000 militants have been killed or detained. It said it killed six brigade commanders, over 20 battalion commanders, and approximately 150 company commanders from Hamas' ranks, and that over the course of the war, it has hit 37,000 targets from the air within the Gaza Strip, including more than 25,000 terrorist infrastructure and launch sites.

The figures could not be independently confirmed. Israel's ground campaigns have focused on northern Gaza and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, where it says it has destroyed extensive Hamas tunnel networks.

The offensives have left entire neighborhoods flattened. While ground operations continue in Rafah, airstrikes now appear to be hitting heavily in the areas untouched by previous offensives in the center and the coastal safe zone.Strikes late Monday and on Tuesday hit the Nuseirat and Zawaida refugee camps in central Gaza.

Strikes on four houses killed at least 24 people, including 10 women and four children, according to officials at Al Aqsa hospital in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah.Another hit a U.N. school in Nuseirat where families were sheltering, killing at least nine people.

AP footage showed the school's yard covered in rubble and twisted metal from a structure that was hit. Workers carried bodies wrapped in blankets, as women and children watched from the classrooms where they have been living.Israel's military said Hamas militants were operating from the school to plan attacks. Its claim could not be independently confirmed. Other strikes in Khan Younis and Rafah killed 12 people, according to medical officials and AP journalists. An AP journalist counted the bodies at the hospital before a funeral was held at its gates.The military said air force planes struck some 40 targets in Gaza over the past day, among them observation posts, Hamas military structures and explosives-rigged buildings.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militants operate in densely populated areas.The Israeli military said Tuesday that it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week  a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government and trigger more large protests in the community.

Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men  an exemption that created resentment among the general public in Israel.The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,600 people, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger. Hamas October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Violence has also surged in the West Bank. On Tuesday a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli policeman, wounding him lightly, before another officer opened fire, killing the assailant who was identified as a 19-year-old from Gaza.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has worked with federal agencies on cyber issues for more than two decades. While the priorities and likely types of threats have shifted as technology has advanced, food and agriculture entities must take cybersecurity in all its forms seriously.

Last month, seven U.S. government agencies plus Canadian and British agencies worked together to create a fact sheet to address pro-Russian hacktivist activity among four of the nations 16 critical infrastructure sectors  water and wastewater, dams, energy, and food and agriculture.

Most people think of ransomware when they think of hackers. This involves people breaking into systems and demanding payment to unblock the data or system they have blocked. This is a very real concern, and the food processing industry alone has as many as 100 or more ransomware attacks per year. However, ransomware is not the food and agriculture sectors only risk. This new government fact sheet focuses instead on industrial control systems that are attacked not to be extorted for ransom but rather to destroy the systems and negatively affect our nations critical infrastructure.



By exploiting software weaknesses, weak passwords, and passwords without two-factor authorization for internet-connected operational technology (OT) devices, pro-Russia hacktivists can cause disruptions that could range from mildly annoying to catastrophic. For example, already in 2024 pro-Russia hacktivists have manipulated access points known as human machine interfaces (HMIs) at water and wastewater systems in North America and Europe. The hackers altered machine settings, turned off alarm mechanisms, and changed administrative passwords to lock out operators.

While disruptions like these are  for now  smaller scale, a targeted attack that could disrupt or destroy enough infrastructure to cause chaos remains a real risk. For dairy, that risk is largely borne by processors, which have many more internet-connected systems than an average dairy farm. Still, the risk to farms rises as more dairies integrate high-tech and internet-connected devices into their operations. Processors and farms should be particularly diligent with any internet-connected devices that could cause serious harm if compromised, such as refrigeration equipment or rotary and robotic milking equipment.



The fact sheet linked above identifies numerous resources that help improve an entitys cybersecurity, along with several recommendations that will help ward off ransomware attacks and attacks on OT. Among many holistic and system-wide mitigations, government agencies recommend three actions to take today if you have systems that may be open to attack:

Immediately change all default passwords of OT devices. Limit the exposure of OT systems to the internet. Implement multifactor authentication for all access to the OT network.

NMPF will continue the dialog on this issue with federal partners and will keep the dairy industry informed. In the meantime, everyone is encouraged to share the government fact sheet with anyone who might find it useful.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024

July 11, 2024
A staff member checks newly harvested wheat at a storehouse of a grain and oil company in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Amid the summer grain harvest progressing in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one of the country's major grain barns, the region has set yield records for wheat in the country.

According to assessments certified by an expert panel sent by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the per-mu (about 0.067 hectares) yield of winter wheat on three large fields measuring 500 mu, 1,200 mu and 10,490 mu in Xinjiang all broke national records.

A record yield of 795.8 kg per mu was achieved in a 500-mu wheat field in Huocheng County, which shares similar meteorological and soil conditions with Provence in France due to their similar latitudes.

"We chose the wheat variety 'Shidong 0358' for planting, adopted water-efficient irrigation techniques, and used foliar fertilizer to boost plant growth," said You Chengyong, of the agricultural service station in Huocheng, noting that currently, Xinjiang has completed 70 percent of its summer grain harvest.

"The increase in per-unit wheat yield is one aspect demonstrating the comprehensive improvement of grain production in Xinjiang," said Tang Yiwu, an official of the regional agriculture and rural affairs department, adding the high yields previously achieved in experimental fields have now been realized across large swathes of wheat fields in the region.
If Jesse Helms were alive, would he be supporting the gubernatorial candidacy of Mark Robinson, the states current lieutenant governor?

Helms, who died on July 4, 2008, was North Carolinas longest serving U.S. senator (1973-2003).

In Righteous Warrior: Jesse Helms and the Rise of Modern Conservatism, William Link, retired professor at the University of Florida, followed Helms from his birth and youth in Monroe to the time of his announced retirement from the Senate. Helms noted that if reelected in 2002, he would finish his term at age 88, and this was something that my family and I unanimously decided I should not do, and ladies and gentlemen, I shall not.

His fellow senator Joe Biden described him as one of the most thoughtful, considerate and gracious senators I have ever served with.

Somehow, Helms was able to cover his extreme right-wing views with a genuine, at least seemingly genuine, personal respect for his political adversaries.

On the other hand, Mark Robinson is usually unable or unwilling to apply a soft touch to his conservative feelings.

An online article by Ryan Adamczeski in the Advocate dated March 6, 2024, gave a sample of Robinsons provocative statements:

Robinson said during a 2021 sermon that theres no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.

And yes, I called it filth, he doubled down. And if you dont like that I called it filth, come see me and Ill explain it to you.

Robinson accused former first lady Michelle Obama of secretly being a transgender woman, referring to her as he in a 2017 Facebook post where he called her an anti-American, abortion and gay marriage supporting, liberal leftist elitist. Ill be glad when he takes his boyfriend and leaves the White House.

Robinson said in other posts that Obama speaks ghetto and wookie, and that she emanates the stench of human waste.

In another Facebook post, Robinson said that Black people who vote for Democrats are slaves being controlled by the Democratic National Committee. Half of black Democrats dont realize they are slaves and dont know who their masters are, he wrote. The other half dont care.

In yet another Facebook post, Robinson likened LGBTQ+ rights to pedophilia, and said that people being gay is leading to the collapse of society. We have pushed homosexuality over the top. Mark my words PEDOPHILLA (sic) is next, which will be closely followed by the END of civilization as we know it.

Although Helms might have agreed with much of what Robinson said, he would have been careful not to incite his readers and listeners unnecessarily. Would he have been willing to support Robinson for governor?

I dont know. But according to Link, Helms was a longtime and genuine segregationist as shown by his reluctance as a church official to seat Blacks seeking to attend his church.

Link writes, In the 1950s Helms also opposed the integration of churches. As an usher and deacon at Raleighs First Baptist Church, he refused to seat black people and warned other ushers about this as the potential problem he even threatened to resign, should the church seek to seat black visitors.

So, would Helms be able to set aside his own segregationist views and any worries about Robinsons rough communications methods to support someone like Robinson?

Probably so.

Times are changing.
KANNAPOLIS - An 18-year-old Salisbury is dead and another person is being treated for life-threatening injury following a shooting late Tuesday, according to the Kannapolis Police Department.

Kannapolis Police Investigators are asking for the publics help in finding the person(s) responsible for the homicide.

At around 11:45 p.m., Tuesday, the Kannapolis Police Department responded to the 600 block of Caribbean Court in reference to shots fired in the area.

Upon their arrival, officers found Damien Carter Senesaynho, 18, of Salisbury deceased at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound. Another victim was transported by Cabarrus EMS to Atrium Cabarrus for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

No suspects are in custody at this time and investigators have determined this is an isolated incident with no threat to the public.

If you have any information regarding this ongoing homicide investigation, please contact Sergeant Alex Quigley at 704-920-4048 (aquigley@kannapolisnc.gov) or Investigator Arthur Reid at 704-920-4070 (areid@kannapolisnc.gov).

To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, the public may also contact Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME or go to www.cabarruscrimestoppers.com. All information given to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Information leading to the location and arrest of any wanted offenders may qualify the tipster for a reward of up to $1,000. All calls, texts, and emails are masked and cannot be traced to ensure anonymity.
GUEST OPINION: Generative AI, or gen AI, can significantly improve the work of customer support service. This branch of artificial intelligence uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms, namely deep learning, that simulate the work of human brains. The algorithms are responsible for the analysis of vast volumes of data, determine patterns, and use the knowledge obtained to deliver relevant responses to customer inquiries.

Chatbots and conversational AI tools belong to gen AI. They interact with customers in real time, delivering personalized care and assistance to them. Thanks to natural language processing (NLP) algorithms, chatbots understand what customers need and generate relevant responses. They are of use when routine processes are aimed to be automatized. Conversational AI tools are much more sophisticated. The most common types include virtual assistants that can be integrated through emails, chats, or voice channels. With generative AI, companies can create a seamless experience for their customers when they interact with the machines.

Capabilities

The capabilities of Generative AI are huge. The AI-based tools can work with various types of data in their inputs and outputs, be it text or videos, images or audio. All of them can hardly be distinguishable from human-created content. That's why this AI solution has become so popular in the customer support segment. Here's what automation with gen AI in customer support can bring:

Individualized and Dynamic Responses . Based on the data input (history of transactions, tickets, customer inquiries), gen AI makes personalized responses. It enhances the overall customer experience and builds trust in the support provided.

. Based on the data input (history of transactions, tickets, customer inquiries), gen AI makes personalized responses. It enhances the overall customer experience and builds trust in the support provided. Productivity Boost . AI for customer support can save agents some time that can be spent on activities requiring critical thinking skills. According to McKinsey & Company, with generative AI, we have the potential to delegate almost 60% or 70% of our activities to machines.

. AI for customer support can save agents some time that can be spent on activities requiring critical thinking skills. According to McKinsey & Company, with generative AI, we have the potential to delegate almost 60% or 70% of our activities to machines. Complex Query Handling . Gen AI can analyze conversations and generate coherent, contextually appropriate responses to the clients.

. Gen AI can analyze conversations and generate coherent, contextually appropriate responses to the clients. Challenges and Oversight . Inaccuracies may happen since gen AI is just software. However, it is easy to address them with the human input. Customer support specialists should constantly monitor the tool and be engaged in advanced cases. These days, the technology focuses on non-crucial or specific cases, but in the near future, the scope of gen AI might increase.

. Inaccuracies may happen since gen AI is just software. However, it is easy to address them with the human input. Customer support specialists should constantly monitor the tool and be engaged in advanced cases. These days, the technology focuses on non-crucial or specific cases, but in the near future, the scope of gen AI might increase. Future Transformation. Following up with McKinsey & Company, more companies apply gen AI in their work. The trend will continue in the future. The technology may transform the whole customer care service, reshaping it. Firms should be ready for that to avoid losing time on implementation when the market moves forward.

Benefits of Customer Support

Generative AI offers several benefits for customer support automation:

Improved Efficiency . Generative AI automatizes tasks, allowing faster responses to customer inquiries.

. Generative AI automatizes tasks, allowing faster responses to customer inquiries. Cost Savings . By addressing routine queries, the tool reduces the need for human agents, saving costs.

. By addressing routine queries, the tool reduces the need for human agents, saving costs. Scalability . Generative AI can manage large volumes of requests simultaneously.

. Generative AI can manage large volumes of requests simultaneously. Enhanced Customer Experience . Personalized and contextually relevant responses improve customer satisfaction.

. Personalized and contextually relevant responses improve customer satisfaction. Reduced Errors . While not perfect, it still minimizes human errors in repetitive tasks.

. While not perfect, it still minimizes human errors in repetitive tasks. Valuable Insights . Analyzing interactions provides data-driven insights for process optimization.

. Analyzing interactions provides data-driven insights for process optimization. Language Support . Generative AI can respond in multiple languages, catering to diverse clients.

. Generative AI can respond in multiple languages, catering to diverse clients. Competitive Advantage. Companies adopting gen AI stay ahead in customer service.

Current and Future Trends

Forbes mentions that the time has come to transform customer service ecosystems. With the gen AI, customer support agents can perform much better, providing faster responses and quicker resolutions. Building trust is important, as many people express concerns about AI. Companies should ensure data security and human intervention when necessary to address data security questions. Finally, 2024 is the year of transformation from human-driven to AI-supported customer service, and CX (customer experience) leaders understand that.

Risks

We mostly talk about AI's benefits, forgetting about the risks involved. They can appear at any stage of implementation, from inaccurate inputs to biases in training data. As a result, they can impact our lives and even the whole industries. Companies looking to address gen AI risk can consider the following steps to make the process quick and easy:

Assess the risks of AI before starting any project.

Create a clear understanding of all possible risks of AI across all use cases and domains. This will allow you to prescribe preventive solutions and measures to take in every situation.

Integrate the governance framework into an operational model that incorporates end-user training and makes use of organizational expertise.

Fostering Benefits

Photo by vackground.com on Unsplash

Customer support can benefit from gen AI tools if their implementation is properly planned and executed. The technology is popular these days, and studies shared above prove that. The good news is that it is still in its development stage, so new methods of gen AI use for customer support constantly appear. You can be at the frontline while implementing gen AI for your customer service now.
GUEST OPINION: The Australian governments hefty near $1 billion investment in quantum computing technology has piqued global interest and positioned Australia as a leader in this cutting-edge field. This investment highlights the significance of quantum technology in advancing science, but also the threat it poses to cybersecurity.

Quantum computers, despite their current limitations of being too small and error-prone, represent a future threat to encryption standards that safeguard sensitive data. This has led to global, albeit secretive, agreements among nations to impose identical export controls on quantum computers. Countries such as the UK, France, Spain, and the Netherlands have set specific bans on the export of quantum computers with more than 34 qubits and below a certain error threshold without fully disclosing the scientific reasoning behind these specifications. Such measures seem to be aimed at preemptively curbing the distribution of potentially more capable machines that can be used to break todays conventional encryption.

The rest of the world is not standing idly whilst we await the first quantum computers. Senetas and its cybersecurity partner Thales have been actively engaging with stakeholders in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, discussing the future landscape of cybersecurity in a quantum age. Senetas has also signed deals of significance this year with customers in the Middle East, where it is a trusted supplier in the whole region.

Currently, the dialogue with many of these nations focuses on the necessity for agile cybersecurity solutions that can swiftly adapt to new encryption standards (once established) by authorities like the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST has stated that the industry can expect a quantum-safe crypto standard to be announced in the coming months.

How can you prepare against a threat, when no proven cryptographic or algorithmic standards have been proven to be a capable defence? Developing platform, cryptographic, and network agility is the key.

In plain English, this means ensuring that systems implemented today can quickly adapt to new encryption standards once they become available without extensive overhauls. They must be capable of working with all known networks, data types, topologies, etc.

With the advent of quantum around the corner, the optimal approach is agility. Viable methods of encrypting data are essential for maintaining security and operational continuity around the world. For some this will be adoption of new encryption standards (for example those put forward by bodies such as NIST) and for others the ability to deploy custom encryption standards (such as those used by some nation-states) is paramount.

The tech community, particularly the cybersecurity industry, has discussed the impact of quantum technology by bad actors for over a decade. The enactment of international export controlsdespite current quantum computers' limitationssignals a cautious approach to handling the technologys potential implications for national security and a tacit recognition that what is still currently theory may soon become practice. Nation-states are acting now, and corporate custodians of sensitive information will be sure to follow.
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The fifth China-Croatia joint police patrol commenced in Zagreb on Tuesday, with eight Chinese police officers joining the one-month mission in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Plitvice Lakes National Park, four of Croatia's top tourist destinations.

Addressing a launching ceremony, Qi Qianjin, Chinese Ambassador to Croatia, said a total of 30 Chinese police officers have joined the initiative since it was launched in 2018, aimed at providing security services for both Chinese and foreign tourists.

"The joint police patrol is not only a symbol of the law enforcement and security cooperation between the two countries, but also a vivid manifestation of the stable and healthy development of bilateral relations," Qi said.

Qi also expressed the hope and belief that the Chinese police "will be able to demonstrate politeness, friendliness, enthusiasm and professionalism, earning the trust and recognition of tourists and Croatian people."

For her part, Vlatka Vulic Petkovic, representative from the Croatian Police Headquarters, praised the high-level professionalism of Chinese police officers and the joint police patrols' contributions to making Croatia a safe tourist destination. She also expressed confidence in the success of this year's collaboration.

Meanwhile, Han Zhuoqi, representative of the Chinese joint patrol team, said that all the Chinese police officers will work with their Croatian counterparts to ensure success of the joint patrol mission.
The Triads three main hospitals combined for just one national specialty-care listing in the high-profile U.S. News & World Report rankings for the second consecutive report.

The magazine released its Best Hospitals ranking for 2024-25 Tuesday at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings. It is the 35th annual ranking.

There were 19 North Carolina hospitals reviewed, led by Duke University, which was selected fourth among the 20 hospitals on the U.S. News nationwide honor roll.

Moses Cone slipped from being tied for fifth to a three-way tie for sixth. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist improved from ninth to the three-way tie for sixth. Forsyth Medical Center went from tied for 16th to a three-way tie for 14th.

Cone was ranked No. 41 nationally for rehabilitation services, down from 36th in the 2022-23 ranking. None of the three Triad hospitals had a high-performing national listing.

Novant said in a statement "foundational to everything we do is our commitment to safety and the highest quality of care. Were proud to share that the report recognized Novant Health hospitals with 39 high-performing designations for remarkable care, including for major heart and vascular, cancer and orthopedic procedures."

Atrium focused much of its statement that on its Charlotte-area hospital facilities while pointing on Baptist being ranked tied with Cone in the Triad.

"This year, U.S. News & World Report has honored nearly three dozen of our Advocate Health system hospitals as among the nation's very best," said Eugene Woods, chief executive of Atrium and Baptist parent Advocate Health.

Cone said in a statement that its ranking also reflects performances by Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro and Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville.

It is great to be recognized for the truly exceptional care that we provide at Cone Health, said Dr. Mary Jo Cagle, Cone's president and chief executive.

Choosing the right hospital to match your needs shouldnt be a guessing game, said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.

The 2024-2025 edition of Best Hospitals provides patients and their families clear, data-driven insights on hospital performance and empowers Americans to choose the facility best suited to their specific health care needs.

How it works

U.S. News said its procedures and conditions methodology are based entirely on objective measures of quality, such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, patient experience, level of nursing care and how successfully each hospital helps patients get back home.

Hospitals performance is evaluated on objective measures, such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care, using data from millions of records provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

For the 2023-24 review, U.S. News added new data on care provided to patients with Medicare Advantage insurance and on care provided to outpatients, nearly doubling the number of patients included in its annual data analysis.

Nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide were reviewed in 15 adult specialties and 21 surgical procedures.

US News defines a high-performance specialty ranking as being outside the top 50 nationally, but was significantly better than average and typically in the top 10% in the category.

The number of individual procedures and conditions were 20 in the latest report. They are: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; back surgery (spinal fusion); aortic valve surgery; heart bypass surgery; heart failure; colon cancer; COPD; diabetes; gynecological cancer surgery; heart attack; hip replacement; hip fracture; kidney failure; knee replacement; leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; lung cancer surgery; pneumonia; prostate cancer surgery; stroke; and TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement).

Cone was ranked in 12 out of 20 categories: abdominal aortic aneurism repair; heart bypass surgery; heart failure; colon cancer; COPD; heart attack; hip replacement; knee replacement; lung cancer surgery; pneumonia; stroke; and TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement).

Baptist also was ranked in 12: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; aortic valve surgery; heart bypass surgery; heart failure; colon cancer; COPD; gynecological cancer surgery; kidney failure; leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; lung cancer surgery; prostate cancer surgery and stroke.

Forsyth was ranked in eight categories: heart bypass surgery; heart failure; colon cancer; COPD; hip replacement; knee replacement; lung cancer surgery; and pneumonia.

Alamance Medical Center was ranked separately in three categories: heart attack; heart failure; and pneumonia

As has been the pattern for U.S. News for several years, the rankings tilted again toward academic medical centers, both in North Carolina and nationally.

Of the 13 non-academic medical centers in N.C. reviewed by U.S. News, only Cone and the main WakeMed campus in Raleigh had a nationally ranked adult specialty.

In 2019, U.S. News made a significant change in how it measures the hospitals performance in the 15 specialty categories.

The methodology change enhanced the way we account for differences in patient populations, and how those differences affect hospitals performance, and incorporated additional patient-centered measures reflecting patient satisfaction and how often patients go directly home from the hospital, U.S. News said.

The 2019 change left Baptist without a top 50 specialty listing in the last five reports after achieving a specialty category ranking annually for more than a quarter-century.

Mixed response

The release of the annual U.S. News report stirs discussion about the value of hospital rankings as more groups produce listings.

Some advocacy groups, such as the American Hospital Association, complain that academic medical centers get lower quality scores on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compares, in part because they treat the sickest of the sick, along with a significant number of low-income patients without insurance.

Medicare officials say the rankings are risk-adjusted to take into account the kinds of patients a hospital serves, and that hospitals with more stars have tended to have lower death and readmission rates.

Other hospital ratings include www.leapfroggroup.org, www.ahrq.gov, www.healthgrades.com and www.drscore.com.

Healthcare systems tend to cite the rankings that put them in the best light. For example, Novant has said national health-care watchdog The Leapfrog Group is the rating system that we particularly measure ourselves against ... for safety, quality and patient experience.

In the spring 2024 Leapfrog report released in May, Forsyth Medical Center retained its A rating for patient safety, while Cone and Wesley Long Hospital were lowered from A to B. Forsyth was rated an A for the 11th consecutive report, while Cone dropped to a B after five consecutive reports at A.

Meanwhile, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist remained at B for the second consecutive report.

Leapfrog researchers said they have determined that when compared with a hospital rated an A, patients face on average a 35% greater risk of avoidable death at a B hospital, an 88% greater risk at a C hospital and a 92% greater risk at a D or F hospital.

Novant said in its U.S. News statement that "while each industry ranking differs in regards to criteria and methodology, each rating system has its own merit, empowering patients with resources to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves."

"As always, our expert care teams will continue to innovate as we deliver the highest quality care for every patient in every setting."
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People are seen in a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on July 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The latest strikes across Gaza reportedly killed and injured dozens of people, and one attack was uncomfortably close to the UN operations base, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said one of the multiple strikes across Gaza occurred just a few hundred meters from the UN Joint Humanitarian Operations Centre.

OCHA said UN agencies and non-governmental organizations use the base located in Deir al Balah to coordinate work throughout the Gaza Strip.

On the displacement side, humanitarians report families continue to move from Gaza City to Deir al Balah, with more than 1,000 people observed crossing in just the past week.

The office said they travel mainly on donkey carts, but also use cars, tuk-tuks and travel on foot, carrying only a few belongings. They have been displaced multiple times and cannot afford another displacement financially.

"These people are among the most vulnerable, and our teams have been deployed daily along their displacement routes to provide basic life-saving assistance, such as water, hot meals, food parcels, and health and nutrition support," OCHA said.

The humanitarians said the lack of electricity and fuel continues to impact essential service providers, including hospitals, ambulances, bakeries and aid trucks. Over the past two weeks, the United Nations has collected an average of about 80,000 liters of fuel per day, up from about 45,000 liters per day in the last two weeks of June.

"While this represents an improvement, the requirement for the most basic humanitarian operations stands at 400,000 liters per day, and the Israeli authorities are still not allowing the allocation of fuel to key local humanitarian responders, preventing them from transferring supplies within Gaza," OCHA said.
"Everybodys got so much loss and worry as it is, them coming back to work is one of our biggest priorities, and I dont know how to do it.
RACINE  Cinthia V. Esqueda was chosen to serve as alder of Racines Eighth District at the Common Council meeting Tuesday.

Esquedas appointment fills the vacancy left by Marcus Wests resignation in June.

Esqueda was sworn in as alder following the councils unanimous approval of her appointment at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave.

In a statement, she thanked everyone who supported her and encouraged her to fill the alder seat, and said that as alder, she will focus on community safety, economic development and inclusivity.

Addressing these issues will foster a thriving, cohesive community, Esqueda said.

The council also approved a resolution accepting funding through the Wisconsin Department of Transportations 2024 Public Transit Assistance Program for capital projects.

The program will provide $1.37 million to the city and requires a local match of $342,900.

In other business, the council:

Authorized the mayor and city clerk to sign multiple transit grant agreements, including: the Urban Mass Transit Assistance  Operating 2024 Program Grant Agreement with the Federal Transit Administration awarding the city $4.25 million; the Urban Mass Transit Assistance  Operating 2024 Program Grant Agreement with WisDOT, awarding the city $1.86 million; and the 2024 Urban Mass Paratransit Assistance Contract with WisDOT, awarding the city $103,859.

Authorized the mayor and city clerk to sign a contract for RYDE Racine to provide public transit service to the Racine Unified School District for the 2024-25 school year. The contract will provide $429,331 in revenue.

Approved the Fiscal Year 2024 Housing and Urban Development Entitlement Annual Action Plan and associated allocations and eligible activity uses.

Approved the allocation of $163,852 of 2023 Emergency Solutions Grant funds for Administration, Homeless Shelter, Prevention, Rapid ReHousing, Homeless Management Information Systems.

Approved the allocation of $9,978 from HOME funds to the Two Men and a Truck company for relocation costs for displaced residents from the 2200 Washington Avenue complex fire in December.

Granted permission to the Racine Art Guild to close Wisconsin Avenue from Dekoven Avenue to Carol Butler Drive to Roosevelt Park Drive, on Aug. 4 for the Annual Starving Artist Fair at the Dekoven Center.

Granted permission to the Downtown Racine Corporation to close Main Street from State Street to Sixth Street, Sixth Street from Lake Avenue to Grand Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue from Fourth Street to Seventh Street for Party on the Pavement on Sept. 21

Awarded a contract for a sidewalk replacement project to A.W. Oakes & Son in the amount of $809,083. This resolution passed with a 6-5 vote and two alders abstaining.

Awarded a contract for downtown lighting improvements to WIL-Surge Electric Inc. in the amount of $98,118

Approved the Community Development Block Grant Home Repair Loan for 819 Ninth St., as well as a Home Repair Loan and forgivable grant for 1720 Grand Ave.

This story was updated to include a statement from Cinthia Esqueda and a photo from her swearing in Tuesday.
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People stand among the rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on July 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held a phone talk with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

During the call, Sissi briefed Macron on Egypt's mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, while highlighting the need for uniting international efforts to ensure the success of mediation and deliver adequate humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Macron expressed appreciation for Egypt's persistent efforts since the onset of the ongoing Israel-Palestine crisis. The two leaders agreed on the importance of enhancing international cooperation to prevent the conflict from expanding and the region from slipping into further turmoil.

The two leaders reiterated the need to advance the two-state solution as the best way to achieve lasting security and stability in the region, according to the statement.

Egypt and Qatar hosted a new round of negotiations over the past week, with the participation of the United States, aiming for a ceasefire agreement and a detainee swap deal between Israel and Hamas. However, little progress has been made.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since Oct. 7 last year has killed so far 38,713 Palestinians and injured 89,166 others, according to an update released by Gaza's health authorities on Tuesday. The Israeli offensive in Gaza followed a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israeli towns, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 200 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli reports.
1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

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While the dictionary doesnt include the word stockmanship, most livestock producers know what it means: handling livestock in a calm, quiet manner that results in animals that are healthier and gain faster. Stockmanship skills will be a major focus of the upcoming NCBA Stockmanship & Stewardship event at Lancaster, Wisconsin, on Aug. 28-29. Extension organizations, beef councils, and cattleman associations from Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, have joined with the National Cattlemen Beef Association to hold this event, which runs from 12:30 p.m. Wednesday through 1:15 p.m. Thursday.

A highlight of the event is the Thursday morning stockmanship demonstration and chute-side sessions with Dr. Ron Gill from Texas A&M and Curt Pate. Ron and Curt will explain how working with the animals natural instincts helps improve cattle flow, and makes handling easier and safer for both humans and animals. They will demonstrate skills in training cattle to move quietly and smoothly through a working facility and chute, and will offer tips to help cattle flow better. In addition to their traditional demonstration, the duo also will do a demonstration using dairy cross cattle with all their unique quirks! Other opportunities for attendees include networking with fellow cattlemen and women, learning innovative management techniques for improved cattle performance, and becoming BQA certified.

Wednesday afternoon topics and speakers will set the stage for increasing producer knowledge, beginning with the keynote address, How Sustainability & Consumers Influence Supply Chains, by Allison Demer, Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Culver Franchising System. Other topics and speakers are Vitamin and Mineral Impacts on Calf Health from Conception to Harvest, Dr. Dathan Smerchek, Iowa State University; Hairy Heel Wart Management, Dr. Doerte Doepfer, University of Wisconsin; Winter Manure Management Considerations to Benefit Water Quality, Jay Solomon, University of Illinois; and Best Management Practices to Optimize Calf Performance in the Feedlot Receiving Phase, Dr. Grant Dewell, ISU.

Wednesday evening features a tour of the Lancaster Ag Research Farm and demonstrations on pasture management, fitness for transport, and trailer inspection and maintenance. Following dinner, a panel of national stewardship award winners, including Jerry Huth, Justin Robbins, and Dave Petty, will offer information and answer questions.

Following the Thursday morning cattle demonstrations, attendees will hear about carcass quality and defects and a panel discussion on genetic selection for sustainability. Any producers who want to certify or renew their BQA certification can take the exam at the end of the event.

Registration for the event is $75 and includes three meals. For more information, including the complete agenda, fees, and registration form, visit www.StockmanshipAndStewardship.org. A list of local hotels can also be found at this site. Cattle producers attending Stockmanship & Stewardship are eligible for reimbursement through the Rancher Resilience Grant. To apply for a grant to cover registration costs and two nights hotel, visit www.ncba.org/producers/rancher-resilience-grant.
WEST SALEM  Attorney General Josh Kaul came to West Salem on Tuesday to promote the Office of School Safety and advocate for the funding necessary to keep the office alive past 2025.

Kaul visited West Salem High School as it was hosting a training session designed to prevent acts of violence on school grounds by identifying potentially violent students in advance.

We know we can reduce the likelihood of acts of targeted violence from happening, Kaul said. There are evidence-based practices that can keep schools safe, and thats why we provide this training.

The Office of School Safety was created in 2018 after a student at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, opened fire and killed 17 people. Kaul said the office has been functioning with grant money since its inception but the grant money runs out next year.

Kaul said it costs $2 million annually to staff the office, which provides behavioral and threat assessment management training to K-12 schools throughout the state.

At a time when weve got literally billions of dollars in surplus, I think this is an incredibly wise investment for the state to make, Kaul said.

The training in West Salem is one of 11 regional sessions around the state. The focus of the training is to increase understanding of who poses a threat and how to respond through the development of an intervention plan. The training was open to educators, counselors and law enforcement.

Trish Kilpin, director of the school safety office, said an important part of the training is the speak up, speak out tip line that receives reports of potentially violent students. She said schools in Wisconsin have received 261 tips about students who have made violent threats and have access to a weapon.

Kilpin said firearms safety in the home is an important part of the effort.

The vast majority of school shooters have gotten their weapon from a family member, she said.

Kilpin said the tip line does more than identify potential violence. She said it also can identify students who have been bullied or feel suicidal.

We can resolve those issues early on to prevent them from deteriorating and getting worse, she said.

West Salem superintendent Ryan Rieber said school safety training is both a safety and academic issue.

The most important job that we have is to keep children safe when they come to school every day, Rieber said. For students to be successful in the classroom, they first must feel safe.
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This photo taken on May 17, 2024, shows a view of China Wu Yi (Kenya) Precast Company Limited in the industrial town of Athi River, Kenya. [Photo/Xinhua]

Kenya is keen to partner with China to expand its industrial parks, a government official said on Tuesday.

"We see China as a partner that can help us revitalize the country's manufacturing sector through building more industrial parks," said Juma Mukhwana, principal secretary for the State Department of Industry in the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, on the sidelines of the Kenya Geothermal Congress in the country's capital of Nairobi.

According to Mukhwana, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the country's economy declined to 7.6 percent in 2023 from 11 percent in 2011.

The two-day event brought together experts, policymakers, financiers, and investors in the geothermal sector from 20 African countries to enhance the use of renewable energy sources on the continent.

Mukhwana said the current demand for space in existing industrial zones exceeds the country's capability to establish more industrial parks, and Kenya is keen to learn key lessons from China's success in developing industrial zones.

The East African nation has identified industrial zones in each of the 47 counties that can utilize locally available raw materials for the production of finished goods. With China's support, Kenya hopes to become Africa's manufacturing hub, Mukhwana said.

Kenya is keen to work with international partners, including Chinese investors, to build and operate industrial parks, he said, adding that collaboration with China is expected to attract manufacturers from the Asian nation to establish local operations with the aim of exporting to the international market.
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Currently the most urgent matter and the most realistic goal over the Ukraine crisis are to cool down the tension as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone call with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto.

Szijjarto briefed Wang of his views on the current situation, especially on the Ukraine crisis as well as Hungary's recent related efforts, saying that China is an important force supporting the promotion of peace.

Hungary is willing to work with China to prevent the escalation of the conflict and accumulate conditions for a political settlement, Szijjarto said.

Wang said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a visit to China recently, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping had strategic communication with him on important issues concerning peace, demonstrating mutual trust and friendship between the two leaders and the high level of China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era.

Hungary has played a constructive role in mediating for peace, he said.

All parties must reach a consensus as soon as possible on the principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning by any party over the flames, so as to create conditions for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks, he said.

China is ready to join hands with Hungary to bring together more forces supporting peace, make more rational voices, and push the situation towards a political settlement, he said.
On 16 July Mexicos ruling left-wing Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional (Morena) claimed in documents submitted to the electoral court (TEPJF) that Presidentshowed signs of bias in the campaign leading up to the June general elections, but these were insufficient to materially influence the number of votes cast.

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On 16 July a second group of Kenyan police officials arrived in Port-au-Prince as part of the multinational security support mission (MSS) to Haiti, according to international media reports.

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On 16 July the governor of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil,, hosted Italys Presidentto oversee humanitarian relief efforts in areas of the state which were devastated by severe flooding in May.

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A new study says that Americans have increasing questions about the value and cost of a college education. Most of the people taking part in the study felt that higher education in the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction.

Gallup and the Lumina Foundation carried out the study. It found that only 36 percent of adults said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education.

That confidence level has decreased steadily from 57 percent in 2015. That was the first year in which Gallup measured confidence in higher education.

The decline is seen in all subgroups of people including sex, age, and political ties. Among Republican Party members in the study, the number of people with high confidence in higher education has dropped 36 percentage points over the last 10 years. That is far more than for Democratic Party members or independents.

Some of the opinions in the study might show concerns about the high cost of college and how race and other subjects are taught.

Fifty-nine-year-old Randy Hill is a registered Republican in Connecticut and a driver for a car service. He told the Associated Press, Its so expensive, and I dont think colleges are teaching people what they need to get a job. Hill said his nephew plans to do a welding apprenticeship after high school instead of going to college.

The June 2024 study found that 36 percent of adults feel strong confidence in higher education. That percentage is unchanged from the year before.

But the researchers said they were concerned that fewer Americans were saying that they had some confidence, and more were reporting very little or none. This years findings show almost as many people have little or no confidence, 32 percent, as those with high confidence.

Experts say that fewer college graduates could worsen labor shortages in fields from health care to information technology. For those who do not go to college, it often means lower lifetime earnings.

Georgetown Universitys Center on Education and the Workforce said lifetime earnings for those without a bachelors degree could be 75 percent less than for those with a degree. The center also said that during an economic downturn, those without college degrees are more likely to lose their jobs.

Courtney Brown is a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit group. It aims to increase the number of students who seek education beyond high school. She said, Whats shocking to me is that the people who have low or no confidence is actually increasing.

This years study added new, detailed questions in an effort to understand why confidence is shrinking.

Almost one-third of people in the study said college is too expensive. About 25 percent thought students are not getting the right education or taught what they need to succeed.

The study did not ask about the protests against the war in Gaza this year that divided many college communities. But people who took part said they had concerns about indoctrination, political bias, and that colleges are too liberal. Among those who said they lack confidence in college, 41 percent said political activity was a reason.

Other findings

Sixty-seven percent of adults in the study said colleges are headed in the wrong direction. That is more than two times higher than the 31 percent who think that colleges are going in the right direction.

Gallup noted that when people express confidence in higher education, they are thinking of four-year colleges. But the study found that more people have confidence in two-year community colleges.

Forty-nine percent of adults said they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in two-year programs, compared with 33 percent of Americans who feel that way about four-year colleges.

California college student Kristen Freeman said she understands why.

Its about saving money. Thats why I went to a two-year. Its more bang for your buck, said Freeman who is a 22-year-old sociology major at Diablo Valley Community College. She plans to go to San Jose State University for the final two years of college.

Freeman said she understands the concerns about indoctrination and whether college prepares students for life and work. But she feels the only way to change structural problems is from the inside.

I am learning about the world around me and developing useful skills in critical thinking, Freeman said. I think higher education can give students the spark to want to change the system.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

And I'm Anna Matteo.

Jocelyn Gecker reported this story for The Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Is College Worth It? Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

confidence n. a belief that something is good or worthwhile

decline n. the process of becoming smaller, less effective or worse

expensive adj. costly

apprenticeship n. a position where a person is taught a trade and serves as an assistant to an established tradesman

bachelors degree n. a degree given by a college or university for completing a course of study that usually takes four years

indoctrination n. a process that conditions people to believe certain ideas

bias n. the condition of being influence more by one set of ideas than another

more bang for your buck idiom doing something that gives the greatest effect at the lowest cost

spark n. a small amount of fire or electricity that can start a fire
Different versions of bird flu have been spreading around the world in recent years.

The virus, officially known as H5N1, is believed to have killed millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. Some other animals have also been infected.

The virus infected a very small number of people as well. But, H5N1 largely has remained outside the human population. Most of the few human cases involved direct contact between people and infected birds.

Reuters news agency recently explored areas of the world where versions of H5N1 have infected humans.

United States

In the United States, the first known cases of infected dairy cows happened in Texas in March. Currently, dairy cow groups in at least 12 states have been affected.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has said tests so far suggest the virus identified in cows is the same H5N1 found to have infected wild birds and farm birds, also called poultry. Four dairy workers who tested positive for the virus this year showed only minor signs of sickness, such as conjunctivitis, an eye condition.

Officials from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) said in a report the H5N1 virus spreading in the U.S. is related to a version only identified in North America so far.

Mexico

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on June 5 that a resident of Mexico died with the first known cases of H5N2 bird flu in humans. Mexico's government disputed that cause of death, saying instead the person died of another sickness. Officials said the person had no known contact with animals.

Australia

On June 7, the WHO said a child reported by Australia to have H5N1 had traveled to Kolkata, India. Genetic testing showed the virus was a version of H5N1. That version was known to have been spreading in Southeast Asia and has been identified in previous human infections and in poultry.

Separately, Australia is dealing with three outbreaks of different bird flu versions on poultry farms. These include H7N3, H7N8 and H7N9. Officials said those versions likely arrived on farms through wild birds.

India

In India, the WHO reported a case of human infection with bird flu on June 11. It was caused by the H9N2 version in a four-year-old child in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. The agency said it was the second human infection of H9N2 bird flu from India following a case in 2019.

The H9N2 virus generally only causes mild sickness. But the WHO said further human cases could happen because this version is one of the most common at poultry farms in different areas.

Vietnam

In March, Vietnam reported a 21-year-old student had died from the H5N1 virus. He had no existing medical conditions. But officials said the student had had contact with wild birds from hunting a couple of weeks before signs of sickness appeared. No contact with dead or sick poultry was reported at the time.

The EFSA said Vietnam also reported an outbreak of H9N2 in a 37-year-old man.

Cambodia

Cambodia has reported five human cases of H5N1 as of June 20.

China

This year, China has identified human cases caused by the H5N6, H9N2 and H10N3 versions. Two deaths were reported with H5N6 cases in the countrys Fujian province. The EFSA said both individuals had contact with household poultry before they showed signs of sickness.

The case of H10N3 bird flu was the third one ever reported worldwide.

Germany

Germany reported a rare outbreak of H7N5 bird flu on a farm in a western part of the country near the border with the Netherlands. The case was identified July 4 by the World Organization for Animal Health. The group said it was the first outbreak anywhere of H7N5 on the groups public records.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

__________________________________________

Words in This Story

domestic adj. relating to the home and family relationships

dairy  n. containing or made from milk

positive  adj. in a medical test, positive means the person being tested has a disease or condition
South Koreas spy agency said yesterday that a senior North Korea diplomat based in Cuba has fled to South Korea, the latest in a series of defections by members of the Norths ruling elite in recent years.

The National Intelligence Service said media reports on the defection of a North Korean counselor of political affairs in Cuba were true. A brief statement by the NIS public affairs office gave no further details.

South Koreas mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported earlier yesterday that diplomat Ri Il Kyu fled to South Korea with his wife and children in November.

Chosun Ilbo cited Ri as telling the newspaper in an interview that he had decided to defect because of what he called disillusionment with North Koreas political system, an unfair job evaluation by Pyongyangs Foreign Ministry, and the ministrys disapproval of his hopes to visit Mexico to treat his neural damage. He said that hospitals in Cuba didnt have the necessary medical equipment to treat his health problem due to international sanctions.

Other South Korean media outlets carried similar reports later yesterday.

Ri defected before South Korea and Cuba established diplomatic ties in February, an event that experts say likely posed a political blow to North Korea, whose diplomatic footing is largely dependent on a small number of Cold War-era allies like Cuba.

The Chosun report said Ri had been engaged in efforts to block Cuba from opening diplomatic ties with South Korea until his defection. The report said Ri won a commendation from leader Kim Jong Un for his role in negotiations with Panama that led to the release of a ship detained in 2013 for allegedly carrying banned items like missiles and fighter jet parts. The report said Ri was then a third secretary of the North Korean Embassy in Cuba.

The South Korean government says the number of highly educated North Koreans with professional jobs escaping to South Korea has steadily increased in recent years. But its still unusual for a member of the Norths ruling elite to come to South Korea.

About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea to avoid economic hardship and political suppression since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. A majority of them are women from the Norths poorer northern regions who arrived in South Korea since the mid-1990s, when North Korea suffered a devastating famine that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.

In 2016, Tae Yongho, then a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, defected to South Korea. He told reporters in Seoul that he decided to flee because he didnt want his children to live miserable lives in North Korea and he fell into despair after watching North Korean leader Kim execute officials and pursue development of nuclear weapons. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, MDT/AP
Hong Kongs government is testing the citys own ChatGPT -style tool for its employees, with plans to eventually make it available to the public, its innovation minister said after OpenAI took extra steps to block access from the city and other unsupported regions.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said on a Saturday radio show that his bureau was trying out the artificial intelligence program, whose Chinese name translates to document assistance application for civil servants, to further improve its capabilities. He plans to have it available for the rest of the government this year.

The program was developed by a generative AI research and development center led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in collaboration with several other universities.

Sun said the model would provide functions like graphics and video design in the future. To what degree it would compare to the capabilities of ChatGPT was unclear.

Suns bureau did not respond to The Associated Press questions about the models functions.

Sun said on the radio show that industry players and the government would play a role in the models future development.

Given Hong Kongs current situation, its difficult for Hong Kong to get giant companies like Microsoft and Google to subsidize such projects, so the government had to start doing it, he said.

Beijing and Washington are locked in a race for AI supremacy, with China having ambitions to become the global leader in AI by 2030.

China, including Hong Kong and neighboring Macau, is not on the list of supported countries and territories of OpenAI, one of the best-known artificial intelligence companies.

The ChatGPT maker has not explained why certain territories were excluded but said accounts in those places attempting to access its services may become blocked.

According to a post on OpenAIs online forum and local media reports, the company announced in an email to some users that it would be taking additional measures to block connections from regions not on the approved list starting July 9. It did not explain the reasons behind the latest move.

Francis Fong, the honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, said it was hard to say whether the capabilities of the program in Hong Kong could match those of ChatGPT. With the input of AI companies in the city, Fong said he believed it could technologically catch up with the standards.

Will it become the top? Maybe may not necessarily be as close as that. But I believe it wont be too far behind, he said.

He also said a locally developed AI program might more accurately address local language and localized issues, but adding it would make sense if the final product appears to be politically correct.

Like most foreign websites and applications, ChatGPT is technically unavailable in China because of the countrys firewall, which censors the internet for residents. Determined individuals can still gain access via commonly available virtual private networks that bypass restrictions.

Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Baidu have already rolled out primarily Chinese-language AI models similar to ChatGPT for public and commercial use. However, these AI models must abide by Chinas censorship rules.

In May, Chinas cyberspace academy said an AI chatbot was being trained on President Xi Jinpings doctrine, a reminder of the ideological parameters within which Chinese AI models will operate.

Also in May, SenseTime, a major Chinese artificial intelligence company, launched SenseChat for users in Hong Kong, where most of the population speaks Cantonese as their mother tongue rather than Mandarin. A check yesterday found the application could not provide answers to questions, such as what the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 and Hong Kongs protests in 2019 were about. KANIS LEUNG, HONG KONG, MDT/AP
A recently signed agreement will open a direct line of communication between China and the Philippines presidential offices to try and prevent any new confrontation from spiraling out of control in the disputed South China Sea, according to highlights of the accord seen by The Associated Press on yesterday.

China and the Philippines have forged such emergency telephone hotlines at lower levels of their bureaucracies in the past to better manage their disputes, particularly in two fiercely disputed shoals where the Philippines has accused Chinese forces of increasingly hostile actions and China says Philippine ships have encroached despite repeated warnings.

The territorial faceoffs, however, have persisted uncontrollably in the past year, sparking fears of a larger armed conflict that could involve the United States, which has repeatedly warned that its obligated to defend the Philippines, a key Asian treaty ally, if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the disputed waters.

In a confrontation between Chinese and Philippine forces at the Philippines-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in August 2023, the Philippine government said it was unable to reach Chinese officials through an established maritime communication mechanism for several hours as the clash happened. That emergency telephone hotline was arranged after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in January 2023.

Chinese and Philippine officials dealing with the territorial disputes held crucial talks in Manila on July 2, following a violent confrontation in the Second Thomas Shoal in which Chinese coast guard personnel reportedly wielded knives, an axe and improvised spears in a chaotic faceoff that injured Philippine navy personnel and damaged two of their motorboats. The Chinese forces also seized seven Philippine navy rifles, said the Philippine military chief, who demanded China return the firearms and pay for the damages.

Both sides recognized the need to strengthen the bilateral maritime communication mechanism on the South China Sea and signed an arrangement on improving Philippines-China maritime communication mechanisms, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement after the talks in Manila, but did not provide a copy or details of the agreement.

A copy of the highlights of the agreement, seen by the AP, said it provides several channels for communication between the Philippines and China, specifically on maritime issues, through the representatives to be designated by their leaders.

The hotline talks could also be done through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterparts, including at the foreign minister and vice foreign minister levels or though their designated representatives, it said, and added without elaborating that Philippine officials were in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this arrangement.

There was also a plan to set up a new communication channel between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards once the corresponding memorandum of understanding between them is concluded, according to the agreement.

During the recent talks in Manila, China and the Philippines agreed on two other confidence-boosting steps to intensify cooperation between their respective coast guard authorities and the possible convening of a maritime forum between Chinese and Philippine scientists and academic leaders.

Both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction, the Philippine department of foreign affairs statement said after the talks. It added that China and the Philippines affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions.

It said that there was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but acknowledged that significant differences remain. JIM GOMEZ, MANILA, MDT/AP
The second edition of the Teamfight Tactics (TFT) Macau Open will take place from Dec. 13 to 15, 2024. This prestigious Esports tournament will feature 512 competitors from all around the world who will be vying for a share of the USD300,000 (MOP2.4 million) prize pool, the Tacticians Belt, and the Macau Open title. The winner will take home USD100,000 (MOP805,000).

Following a successful inaugural event in Las Vegas, Riot Games announced plans to host the second TFT Open in Macau.

The main event will take place over three days, with players competing in multiple rounds of matches. Players will initially be seeded based on their rankings in the previous set (Set 12), then split into lobbies of eight to play three games each. The top four point earners from each lobby will advance to the next round.

Everything, from when we timed the event to how we brought people in and qualified people, and how we did things like co-streaming, are all part of how we build this event experience that feels like it can help broaden out the interest of esports to the TFT audience as a whole, said Michael Sherman, global head of esports for Teamfight Tactics and 2XKO.

Teamfight Tactics, a strategy game and League of Legends spinoff released by Riot Games in 2019, has a strong following in Asia. Riot selected Macau, the worlds largest gambling hub, as the next destination for the tournament it piloted in Las Vegas. Macau is such a great way for us to bring this experience to Asia without alienating players from all over the world, said Sherman. Like its American counterpart, Macau is an ideal tourism and travel hub for an international event.

The events location has not yet been confirmed, and two types of passes, competitor and spectator, will be sold. Nadia Shaw
Top officials of the European Union will boycott informal meetings hosted by Hungary while the country holds the EUs rotating presidency, after Hungarys pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held a series of rogue meetings with foreign leaders about Ukraine that angered his European partners.

The highly unusual decision to have the European Commission president and other top officials of the body boycott the meetings in Budapest was made in light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian (EU) presidency, commission spokesperson Eric Mamer posted Monday on X.

Hungary took over the six-month rotating role July 1, and since then Orban has visited Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, and the United States on a world tour hes touted as peace mission aimed at brokering an end to Russias war in Ukraine.

That angered many leaders in the EU, who said they had not been informed in advance of Orbans plans and rushed to emphasize that the nationalist leader was not acting on behalf of the bloc during his surprise meetings with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

Hungarys European affairs minister, Janos Boka, lashed out at the commissions decision, writing on X on Monday that the body cannot cherry pick institutions and member states it wants to cooperate with.

Are all Commission decisions now based on political considerations? Boka wrote.

A Hungarian government spokesperson, Zoltan Kovacs, also suggested the decision was a product of political bias, writing on X: Sacrificing the institutional setup for private political purposes and disregarding (the Commissions) role for ideological and political motives.

The decision by the European Commission applies to informal meetings hosted by Hungary, and means senior civil servants will attend instead of top officials like the European Commission president, currently Ursula von der Leyen.

Orbans government has gone against the European mainstream by refusing to supply Kyiv with weapons to deter Russias invasion and by threatening to block financial assistance to the war-ravaged country.

In an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet on Monday, Orbans political director said that following his trip to Moscow  the first such visit from an EU head of state or government in more than two years  the prime minister had briefed the leaders of other EU countries in writing about the negotiations, the experiences of the first phase of the peace mission and the Hungarian proposals.

If Europe wants peace and wants to have a decisive say in settling the war and ending the bloodshed, it must now work out and implement a change of direction, said Balazs Orban, who is not related to the premier.

But von der Leyen accused Orban of trying to mollify the Russian leader with the trip, writing on X: Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Hungarys government has long argued for an immediate cease-fire and peace negotiations in the conflict in Ukraine, but has not outlined what such moves might mean for the countrys territorial integrity and future security. It has exhibited an adversarial posture toward Ukraine while maintaining close ties to Moscow, even after its full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022.

Orbans critics have accused him of acting against the unity and interests of the EU and NATO, of which Hungary is a member, and of pursuing an appeasement strategy concerning Russias aggression. JUSTIN SPIKE, BUDAPEST, MDT/AP
Trump campaign officials were upset with the number of empty delegate seats on the floor during Tuesday's convention session, officials with the Wisconsin delegation said Wednesday morning.

They were mad last night, because it just wasnt us not in their seats, it was a lot of delegations," RNC committee member Tom Schreibel said at Wednesday's Wisconsin delegate breakfast.

This is a highly produced move that were a part of  this is for the nation, for us to shine so we have to be in our seats to have this movie pulled off," Schreibel said.

Wisconsin has 41 delegates and 38 alternates in Milwaukee for the four-day convention.

Last night we had 23 seats open at one point," delegate and former Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Paul Farrow told delegates. "Now heres the thing, Ive got people upstairs who are dying to come down on the floor and we want to make sure weve got the seats full."

Farrow urged delegates to remain in their seats for Wednesday night's session, where Vance will speak, or coordinate with an alternate to take an empty seat if they'll be away.

If youre not there tonight, Im not letting you have your delegation tag tomorrow," Farrow said. "Tomorrows the big one and weve got to have it filled out. So Im going to be the A you-know-what, and thats whats going to happen because weve got to have people there."

Faces of the RNC: Republican Latinos praise Trump These people are out here to enjoy themselves and support what they believe in. And thats all it is. Theres a lot of love.

Trump has appeared at the previous evening's sessions, but isn't expected to take the stage until Thursday.
Highlights from Day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Expect more speakers Tuesday to praise the former presidents strength and resilience after the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania.

MILWAUKEE  Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot and killed a man who was wielding two knives near the convention, Milwaukees police chief said Tuesday.

Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, the chief said.

Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them says, He's got a knife.

Several officers then yell Drop the knife! as they run toward two men standing in a street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police fired their weapons.

Someones life was in danger, Norman said. These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someones life today.

Thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that began Monday and concludes Thursday.

The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.

The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukee's mayor and a spokesperson for the conventions joint command center, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.

A cousin and others identified the man killed as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe.

Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention.

About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.

They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park, said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?

Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.

Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to deescalate the situation.

David Porter, who said he knew Samuel Sharpe and is also homeless, was angry that officers from outside of Milwaukee were in his neighborhood.

If MPD would have been there, that man would still be alive right now, Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.

Norman, the Milwaukee chief, said 13 officers who were part of a bicycle patrol from Columbus were within their assigned zone having a meeting when they saw the altercation.

The officers observed a subject armed with a knife in each hand, engaged in an altercation with another unarmed individual, Norman said. They only fired after the armed man ignored multiple commands and moved toward the unarmed man, the chief said.

This is a situation where somebody's life was in immediate danger, Norman said.

The Columbus Division of Police has received attention because of its special unit deployed to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relationships and had a visible role in guiding the largely uneventful protests on Monday.

The shooting happened near King Park, roughly a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters gathered before marching on Monday. That demonstration was followed by dozens of Columbus police officers, wearing blue vests that read: Columbus Police Dialogue.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office said an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
Highlights from Day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Expect more speakers Tuesday to praise the former presidents strength and resilience after the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania.

MILWAUKEE  Wisconsin delegates and attendees at this weeks Republican National Convention have embraced a message of unity behind former President Donald Trump, despite some sharp disagreements over abortion, election administration and other topics in a party platform that has been molded to fit Trumps wishes.

Ive never seen the Republican Party so united and so much together and Ive been coming to national conventions for 48 years, this is my 12th convention, former Gov. Tommy Thompson said Tuesday. Its never been like this.

The Republicans believe in a new direction, and weve diversified the party and were more together, the four-term governor said. I think were going to win.

That unity appeared to be in jeopardy earlier this month after the Republican National Committee struck the call for a national abortion ban from its platform for the first time in 40 years. While the document states Republicans will oppose late term abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments), its silence on a national ban reflects Trumps view that the issue should be left to the states.

It also allows Trump to sidestep the issue  which has proven difficult for conservatives to navigate after the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court  heading into his November matchup with President Joe Biden. Trump has taken credit for overturning Roe by appointing three of the justices who ruled against Roe, something liberals frequently seek to remind voters of.

An AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2023 found that about two-thirds of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The poll also found that 6 in 10 Americans think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

Some anti-abortion Republicans have criticized the change in the partys position. In a post on X, former Vice President Mike Pence calling the platform a profound disappointment to the millions of pro-life Republicans that have always looked to the Republican Party to stand for life.

Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director Matt Sande told WisPolitics.com earlier this month Republicans were shirking their responsibilities, their accountability to the pre-born.

Democrats, who expect abortion rights to play a critical role in the election, particularly among more-moderate voters and suburban women, a voting bloc Trump has struggled to secure, said they arent buying the messaging behind a softened stance among Republicans on the issue of reproductive health.

It comes to the fact that the Republican Party understands they are on the wrong side of these issues and they are trying to moderate themselves, but the American people have seen where they really stand, Bidens principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told reporters in Milwaukee Tuesday.

Reproductive health advocates say they expect the issue to drive Democratic votes this fall in Wisconsin, which is again expected to be one of just a handful of states to decide who takes the White House.

Voting early?

The party platform also calls for a radical shift in how voters across the country would cast their ballots that doesnt align with what the Republican Party of Wisconsin and other state parties have been pushing for.

RPW Chair Brian Schimming in June last year called for more Republicans to vote early, arguing they need to use every tool they have to win future elections. Just six days later the RNC in Wisconsin launched its first early voting initiative in the country.

Yet, chapter nine of the platform would limit voting to one day only  Election Day  using highly sophisticated paper ballots.

While Schimming and other Wisconsin Republicans are calling for their party members to bank their votes early, Trump and his lawyers in 2020 attempted to have more than 200,000 absentee ballots in Wisconsin disqualified over complaints about how some early absentee ballots were handled, which would have given Trump the win over Biden.

On Tuesday, Schimming went even further, suggesting he may urge some Republican areas in Wisconsin to use ballot drop boxes after the state Supreme Courts liberal majority earlier this month reversed an early decision by a previous conservative court that had largely banned the use of drop boxes.

So we have a variety of potential things we may be doing on drop boxes, Schimming said. Some of them may be observation of some of those drop boxes, which is legal to do. Some of it might be in Republican areas encouraging use of drop boxes.

Under the ruling, clerks in Wisconsin are allowed to set up secure drop boxes around their communities for voters to drop absentee ballots into in the November election. Under the courts earlier ruling, clerks could only install drop boxes in their offices, and nobody other than the voters themselves could place their ballots in the box.

Schimming said he wishes the high court had decided differently but argued Republicans need to do what they can to beat Biden.

Im not leaving any votes on the table, he said. Im done. Im done leaving a 100,000-vote margin for the Democrats on Election Day and having us try to make it up in 13 hours.

Winning strategy?

It remains to be seen how much GOP disagreements over the platform  or Democrats efforts to highlight it to draw a stark contrast between Trump and Biden  will move the needle with voters, Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin said.

I think there are very few voters who are going to go out and actually read the platform, Franklin said.

You can always attack on issues that you think are unpopular, Franklin said. But beyond the abortion language, he said, I havent become aware of any other flashpoints in the platform.

Thompson, who was the national platform chair in 2000, said the only people who care about the platform are convention goers.

Nobody else gives a damn, he said.

You find one person and bring them up to me, and Ill give you $100 if he says, Im voting on the platform, Im going to vote for President Trump because of the platform, Im going to vote for Joe Biden because of the platform. Nobody does. They vote for the person, his policies or her policies.

While he said Trump had a heavy hand in deciding whats in the platform, Fond du Lac District Attorney and Wisconsin RNC Delegate Eric Toney said were going to, as conservatives, agree with 99% of it, and thats the important part.

And I think when we have somebody at the top of the ticket, they should have a lot of say in what that platform is, he said.
Parts of south-central Wisconsin Monday evening were battered by rain, high winds and even a possible tornado in Evansville amid a seemingly never-ending string of storms since February.

County officials and the National Weather Service said that Mondays storm mainly impacted Lafayette, Rock and Green counties.

Mark Gehring, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, said Green County endured the brunt of the storm, which caused downed trees and flooding that resulted in road closures on several streets.

According to Gehring, there were many downed trees between Brodhead and Albany due to straight line winds. Belleville saw hail 1 inches in diameter.

In Brodhead, according to a volunteer who shares data with the National Weather Service, wind speeds measured 78 miles per hour.

In Rock County, the National Weather Service received reports of a funnel cloud that may have resulted in a tornado in Evansville, but thats still being determined, according to Gehring, and wind speeds in Evansville measured up to 63 miles per hour. In Footville, wind speeds reached 84 miles per hour.

Rainfall totaled almost 3 inches in parts of south central Wisconsin, he said. A gauge in Postville measured 2.66 inches of rain. In Afton, which is south of Janesville, rainfall levels reached 2.2 inches. A gauge in Argyle measured 2.52 inches of rain.

There could have been some areas with rainfall levels even higher than that, according to the Doppler radar, he said.

Safety officials assess damage

Gary Ziegler, emergency management director for Green County, said that the power was out in the Albany area. It has since been restored.

Albany saw several downed trees along with some flooded roads. Ziegler said that the Brodhead portion of the Sugar River could cause moderate levels of flooding, but no one had needed to be evacuated yet. No homes or businesses were damaged.

I know our public works department spent well over 125 hours collecting brush and chipping from the last big storm, Ziegler said. Weve been really fortunate that there hasnt been much residential damage.

The circumstances are about the same for Rock and Lafayette counties.

Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill said for the most part, we didnt have much for damage. A few trees down. Some high water. Some roads closed. The water looks like its starting to recede a bit.

The biggest impact we are going to see is crop damage, as we have been really inundated with rain this year, he said.

Tammy Kettleson, deputy emergency management director for Rock County, said that county had some downed trees and some culverts plugged up that caused some flash flooding.

I would say that was mainly south of the Evansville area, she said.

Of continuing storm recovery efforts for Rock County, Kettleson said: Weve been busy. We are doing the best we can with the resources we have. Weve been kind of slammed.

Storms hit other parts of Midwest

Storms spawning multiple tornado reports blew through Iowa, Illinois  including Chicago  and Indiana on Monday, downing trees and power poles and cutting power to more than 460,000 customers and businesses. A woman in Indiana died after a tree fell onto a home, authorities said.

The 44-year-old woman died Monday night in Cedar Lake, Indiana, the Lake County Coroners office said.

There were some tornado reports, but damaging winds in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana were the main concern, said Roger Edwards, lead forecaster with the National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center. There were numerous wind gusts in the 75 mph to 90 mph range and a report of a 101-mph wind gust in Ogle County, Illinois, Edwards said.

The weather service confirmed a tornado hit Des Moines, Iowa, as storms rolled through Monday afternoon and into the night. Des Moines police were responding to calls about utility poles that had apparently snapped in two.

The storms then moved east into northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, which saw multiple tornado warnings, wind and drenching rain. Multiple tornadoes were reported along the line of storms that moved through the city, according to the National Weather Service, which planned to survey a number of areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An umbrella network of business organizations voiced its support for the recommendation of economic managers to completely ban POGOs, saying the revenues from the industry are outweighed by its social costs.

While the Philippine Business Groups (PBG) acknowledged the potential job losses associated with the ban, they urged the government to prioritize reskilling initiatives and create alternative job opportunities for affected Filipino workers.

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Data from the National Economic and Development Authority showed POGOs contributed a mere 0.2 percent to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.

Previous reports cited concerns that POGOs have been linked to a range of criminal activities, including human trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering.

In 2022, Philippine National Police data indicated that 55 percent of the 31 kidnapping cases were POGO- related.

NEDA said the crimes related to POGO investments can hinder growth, affect investor perception, and potentially affect bilateral and multilateral relations.

We want investment inflows that will promote not only the economic but also the social aspects of our development, said NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

The PBG is composed of the Alyansa Agrikultura, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Foundation for Economic Freedom, Institute of Corporate Directors, Justice Reform Initiative, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, and the UP School of Economics Alumni Association.

In a letter sent to President Marcos, economic managers earlier recommended a total ban on POGOs despite a potential revenue loss of as much as P20 billion, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said It (P20 billion) may be a big number, but the cost and particularly social cost of POGOs are quite high.

We are trying to position our country as a legitimate place for business where we are trying to attract investors to come, tourists to come and so the least that we want is, to have a reputation. The criminals are still here, Balisacan added.

As this developed, a joint committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for an immediate and decisive crackdown on 402 illegal POGOs across the country to put an end to the widespread criminal activities linked to them.

The call was made during the joint meeting of the Committee on Public Order and Safety and the Committee on Games and Amusements, as it began its motu proprio inquiry into the proliferation of criminal activities associated with illegal POGOs on the instructions of Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Santa Rosa City Lone District Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the public order and safety panel, underscored the need for interagency cooperation to address the growing problem involving POGOs, as he highlighted the role of local government units in the effort.

Fernandez said that the mayors and heads of Business Permits and Licensing Offices (BPLO) in cities and municipalities hosting POGO hubs must take responsibility for verifying and enforcing the closure of these illegal operations.

It was revealed during the hearing that while there are 78 legal POGO operations supervised by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), a significant number of illegal operators continue to function.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission provided intelligence on the locations and operations of 402 illegal POGOs across the country.

Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, the PAOCC executive director, said the 402 includes canceled POGOs, as well as identified scam farms.

The role of LGUs was particularly emphasized following recent raids on POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga.

These operations uncovered extensive illegal activities, including human trafficking and other criminal enterprises, highlighting the need for local authorities to be vigilant and proactive.

Rep. Joey Salceda, meanwhile, said he expects President Marcos to address the issue of POGOs in the latters State of the Nation Address on Monday.

The National Security Council (NSC) also on Wednesday said POGOs are not a national security threat that needs direct involvement of defense forces.

During a Senate hearing, NSC Assistant Director General Francis Jude Lauengco said the agency considers several elements before they consider a matter as a national security threat.

Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: Philippine Business Groups advocate for total ban on POGOs
This comparison highlights the insufficient government funding allocated to digital infrastructure in the Philippines



The Philippines needs to beef up its digital infrastructure investments as it is already behind other Southeast Asian countries in terms of internet speed and coverage, said a public policy reform think tank.



In a column shared on its Facebook page, CitizenWatch PH lead convenor Orlando Oxales said: The country needs to invest more in digital foundation, as addressing the broadband infrastructure gap between the Philippines and other neighboring countries will help empower people and industries in the internet world.



Citing findings from Ooklass Speed Test Global Index, Oxales stressed that the countrys current broadband speeds are trailing behind Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore by more than half.



The convenor of CitizenWatch attributed the Philippines dismal performance to the lack of investment in digital infrastructure compared to the other countries.



The 2023 budget for the National Broadband Plan under the Department of Information and Communications Technology totaled only P1.9 billion, or $0.032 billion, compared to Indonesias $2.06 billion, Malaysias $5.1 billion, Singapores $2.8 billion, and Chinas $1.4 trillion.



According to the 2024 World Bank report dubbed Better Internet for All Filipinos: Reforms Promoting Competition and Increasing Investment for Broadband Infrastructure, the Philippines internet connectivity is the most expensive in the Southeast Asian region but is relatively slow compared to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.



In a 2023 study conducted by international consulting firm Arthur D. Little dubbed Can required digital infrastructure of Southeast Asia be built profitably in the next 5 years, it showed that the Philippines recorded the second lowest cumulative investment in fiber coverage and targets among SEA countries.



Oxales said the Philippines needs to invest more or at least match neighboring countries investment in broadband infrastructure, implement reforms like incentives, invest in education and training, and collaborate better with the private sector to properly leverage the countrys resources and expertise.



A coordinated approach where both the government and private sector would align their resources and strategies is crucial to enhancing the countrys digital capabilities and ensuring broadband connectivity that meets global standards, Oxales said.



By aligning government resources with the aggressive and forward-looking investment outlook of the private telcos, the country can bridge the connectivity gap, and enable local industries to compete and thrive in the borderless global digital economy, he added.



More investments in telco towers

One way to increase internet speed in the Philippines is by adding more cell sites in the country and giving incentives to telcos, which is supported by several stakeholders in the telecommunications industry.



According to data from the National Telecommunications Commission, the Philippines has only around 23,000 cell sites, while neighboring countries like Vietnam have 90,000 cell towers and Bangladesh has 30,000.



The Philippines needs an additional 60,000 cell sites by 2031 in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas, according to data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).



The World Bank said policymakers should focus on reforms and invest more budget to improve the Philippines broadband infrastructure, as the slow internet connection affects many people and future opportunities.



The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) has earlier urged the present administration to increase its spending on developing the countrys digital infrastructure to give a P60 billion annual budget for DICT to increase the number of cell towers and the penetration rate of internet services in the country.



The NEDA board recently approved a P16.1 billion World Bank-financed Philippines Digital Infrastructure Project which is set to construct a public broadband infra network to help increase broadband connectivity in far-flung areas.


Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner, Jr. welcomed General Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) of the United States (US), at the Department of National Defense (DND) on Tuesday, to discuss areas of mutual interest and strengthen the longstanding partnership between the Philippines and the United States.

Secretary Teodoro emphasized the DNDs commitment to supporting the discussions between General Brown and General Brawner.

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Reflecting on the recent talks with US Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary Teodoro reiterated the importance of the continued cooperation between the two nations defense establishments, DND Spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

The defense chief also highlighted the recent signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, expressing optimism for similar agreements with other like-minded countries. He also stressed the need to address critical concerns, especially in the information and communications technology (ICT), and cyber domains.

Our cyberspace is the most vulnerable in the defense establishment, and the most aggressive attacks come from state and non-state actors. In this age of disinformation, maintaining robust cybersecurity is paramount, Secretary Teodoro stated.

General Brown, for his part, acknowledged the strong relationship between the Philippines and the United States, emphasizing the importance of his visit in sustaining the momentum of bilateral cooperation.

Both officials expressed optimism about the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), noting that it is on a positive trajectory.

General Brawner, meanwhile, expressed the AFPs satisfaction with the visit of his counterpart, seeing it as a reaffirmation of the robust Philippines-US military relationship.

This visit sends a strong message to our neighbors and signals that our military-to-military relationship is strong. We hope that General Browns visit will be beneficial for both the Philippines and the US, General Brawner stated.
The Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) controversy is not a national security that needs direct involvement from the countrys defense forces, the National Security Council (NSC) said on Wednesday.

Currently, we do not view POGOs per se as a national security threat at the level that would necessitate the direct involvement of the defense forces, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

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NSC Assistant Director General Francis Jude Lauengco said that the NSC considers several elements before they consider an issue as a national security threat.

We look at some elements like territorial integrity, sovereignty, social cohesiveness, political stability. And at this point in time, we dont see that happening, he said.

But we are, of course, we are now in consultation with the National Intelligence Board and the other agencies to get that assessment. So that this would help the president, later on, come up with a better appreciation on how to look at this POGO issue, added the NSC official.

Ano, on the other hand, said that the NSC is watching closely the ongoing Senate investigation into POGO operations in the country. On its own, we are also doing our own assessment of its implications to national security, he noted.

At the moment, the NSC views POGOs as a national concern that law enforcement and regulatory agencies can address. Our lawmakers may also need to look into the pros and cons of allowing its continued operations, their statement read.

The NSC noted there are legitimate POGOs that are duly licensed and regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and other government agencies, but illegal POGOs and those involved in scams and illegal activities should not be tolerated.

The issues related to illegal POGOs, such as illegal activities and regulatory violations, can be addressed within the framework of existing government regulations and law enforcement mechanisms and does not warrant the intervention of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Ano said.

The NSC assured that it will continue to work closely with relevant government agencies and stakeholders to gather comprehensive data and insights, providing a balanced and informed perspective.

It said this approach will help them ensure that any policy regarding the future of POGOs and other related operations in the Philippines are made with a clear understanding of their implications to national security.

We appreciate the vigilance and dedication of our public officials and stakeholders in bringing this issue to the forefront as it brings awareness to our people and promotes a security mindset, the NSC chief said.

The NSC remains committed to protecting the interests and safety of the Filipino people, and will rigorously examine all aspects of POGO operations to ensure they do not pose a threat to national security, Ano added.
The Philippines and the United States on Tuesday tackled the security aid and utilization of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. had meetings with the Philippines National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Armed Forces Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. in Manila.

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The US Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office on Wednesday said the leaders discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the alliance.

These include bilateral security assistance, utilization of (EDCA) agreed locations and the importance of maritime domain awareness to counter illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.

The leaders also shared their assessments of the regional security environment, including recent events in the vicinity of Second Thomas Shoal, and the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, the readout stated.

The US Department of Defense meanwhile said Brown toured a US rotational access site designated as part of the EDCA.

The sites are designed to strengthen combined training, exercises and interoperability between the two countries, the department said.

Signed in 2014, EDCA grants US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities, allowing them to build facilities and preposition equipment, aircraft, and vessels. There are currently nine EDCA sites with the US in the Philippines.

On the part of the Philippines, Brawner said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Armed Forces continue to engage in various joint activities like training exercises, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response operations.

These aim to further solidify their Philippine-US partnership and readiness to respond to any contingencies.

Our alliance with the United States remains a cornerstone of our national security. Through continued collaboration and mutual support, we fortify our defense capabilities and ensure the stability of our region, Brawner said in a statement.

This visit sends a strong message to our neighbors and signals that our military-to-military relationship is strong. We hope that General Browns visit will be beneficial for both the Philippines and the US, he added.
Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested three foreign fugitives wanted for numerous crimes in Japan.

Arrested were identified as Ueda Koji, Kiyohara Jun and Suzuki Seiji, who were caught inside a subdivision in Paranaque City.

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The trio were arrested pursuant to a mission order issued by BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, after receiving information from the Japanese government about their crimes.

Records show that they have outstanding warrants of arrest since May 2024 issued by the Omiya Summary Court for Fraud in Violation of the Japanese Penal Code.

BI Fugitive unit chief Rendel Sy also reported the arrest of another Japanese, Sawada Masaya, who was apprehended at the premises of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

All four subjects are said to be founding members of a telecom fraud syndicate based in Cambodia with criminal charges related to Unlawful Capture, Confinement, Extortion, and Fraud. Tansingco said that all four are facing deportation charges for undesirability.
The port of the capital Dakar reported a record 200,000 tons of cashew exports last year as the port, also used by DP World, a logistics company, as a cashew export hub.

The same port has in 2023 received 2000 tons of cashews from Guinea Bissau, DP World said, noting that most shipments went to India and Vietnam.

Over the past 16 years, DP World has invested over $300 million in modernizing the Port of Dakar.

Cashew farming holds significant importance for Senegal, particularly for small-scale farmers and vulnerable households in rural areas.

Cashew trees were initially introduced to Senegal in the 1950s as part of reforestation efforts. Today, they serve as a cash crop for local farmers.
A brutal assault by armed militiamen has left at least 72 people dead, including nine soldiers and a soldiers wife, in the village of Kinsele in western Democratic Republic of Congo. The attack, which occurred approximately 100 kilometers east of Kinshasa, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between rival communities in the region.

The perpetrators are believed to be members of the Mobondo militia, a group claiming to defend the interests of the Yaka people. This attack is the latest in a series of violent clashes that have plagued the Kwamouth territory for the past two years, stemming from disputes between the Teke and Yaka communities over land rights and customary claims.

Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered in April 2024 by President Felix Tshisekedi, the violence has not only persisted but intensified in recent weeks. The conflict, which erupted in June 2022, has its roots in tensions between the Teke, considered historical inhabitants of the region, and more recent settlers from various ethnic groups, including the Yaka.

The Congolese government has responded to the crisis by dispatching the Defense Minister to assess the situation on the ground. Authorities have emphasized the strategic importance of the affected Kwango province as a security buffer for Kinshasa.

This outbreak of violence in western Congo adds to the nations security challenges, as the government continues to grapple with widespread unrest in the eastern regions, where over 120 armed groups vie for control of valuable natural resources.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Most U.S. teens aren't always getting the social and emotional support they need, and most of their parents have no idea, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a nationwide survey conducted after the most isolating period of the COVID-19 pandemic, only 28% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 said they "always" received the social and emotional support they needed. However, 77% of their parents who responded to a related survey said they thought their children "always" had that support.

At the other end of the spectrum, 20% of the teens said they "rarely" or "never" had enough social and emotional support. That realization was shared by just 3% of their parents, according to the report published Tuesday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

This perception gap was shared to some extent by families in all racial and ethnic categories and across all levels of household income, the CDC statisticians found. The same was true for families with teen girls and for families with teen boys.

Parents with college or advanced degrees underestimated their teens' need for social and emotional support, as did parents with a high school diploma or less. Likewise, parents misjudged their kids' feelings regardless of whether they were raising their families in large cities, rural areas and communities in between, the researchers reported.

Jean Twenge, who has spent decades studying the mental health of adolescents, said the new findings were in line with long-term trends.

"We know from research that a lot of teens are struggling and don't always share that with their parents," said Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of "Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents and What they Mean for America's Future."

In part, those struggles can be traced to the fact that compared with their predecessors, today's teens spend less time hanging out with their friends in person and more time communicating through smartphones and other digital devices, she said. That type of asynchronous communication can make people feel anxious as they wait for a reply.

What's more, reading someone's words instead of hearing them spoken face to face "doesn't feel as emotionally deep," Twenge said.

It may be tempting to dismiss the teens' survey responses as typical adolescent angst. But the CDC researchers found significant links between the frequency with which teens wished they had more social and emotional support and their physical and mental health.

For instance, 14% of those who said they "sometimes, rarely, or never" got the support they needed described their physical health as "fair" or "poor." That compares with 5% of those who "always or usually" felt socially and emotionally supported.

In addition, 67% of those with less social and emotional support rated their sleep quality as "poor," compared with 37% of those with more support.

Among those who "sometimes, rarely, or never" received the social and emotional support they needed, 33% had signs of anxiety, 31% had symptoms of depression, and 14% had "very low life satisfaction." The corresponding figures for those who "always or usually" had the social and emotional support they needed were 13%, 8% and 1%, the researchers reported.

While the link between emotional well-being and health is firmly established, the relationship between them is less clear.

"It could be that people who don't get the emotional support they need are thus more likely to feel anxiety," Twenge said. "It could also be that when you have anxiety, you don't perceive that you're getting the emotional support you need. That's the keythis is not an objective thing."

Overall, 52% of girls said they "always or usually" received the social and emotional support they needed, compared with 65% of boys, the researchers found.

Additionally, 42% of Black teens, 50% of Latino teens, 61% of Asian teens and 66% of white teens "always or usually" had sufficient support, according to the report.

Finally, 44% of teens who identified as a member of a sexual or gender minority said they "always or usually" had sufficient support, compared with 64% of those who did not describe themselves as a member of one of these groups.

The CDC surveys were conducted between July 2021 and December 2022. That coincides with the period when COVID-19 vaccines became available to adolescents and schools that had leaned into distance learning required students to return to campus.

Other federal health surveys show that in-person social interactions were on the upswing between 2021 and 2022, but there's still a long way to go, Twenge said.

"People are coming out of that a little," she said, but "the numbers are still much much lower than they were in the '80s or '90s."

The pandemic's effects on children and teens prompted U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy to issue a rare advisory on youth mental health in late 2021. The advisory noted that 20% of young people around the world were experiencing anxiety and 25% had symptoms of depression, and that both figures had doubled since the start of the pandemic.

These and other signs of increasing psychological distress were more difficult to spot when schools were closed and other lockdown measures were in place, the advisory said.

2024 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Heat probably played a role in at least four cases of bird flu in poultry workers confirmed by U.S. health officials Sundaythe first cases in poultry workers in two years.

Sweltering temperatures in Colorado rose to at least 104 degrees, which is suspected to have contributed to the human cases, according to Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The barns where poultry workers were culling chickens were "no doubt even hotter," Shah said during a press conference on the most recent outbreak of bird flu in humans.

The new cases bring the U.S. total to at least nine cases since the first human case of the current outbreak was detected in 2022, also in a Colorado poultry worker. Eight of the nine were reported this year.

The workers were separating chickens that were going to be killed to stop the spread of the virus. The fans may also have contributed to the human infections because, while helping to keep the environment cooler, they "also spread things like feathers around which are known to carry the virus," Shah added.

The large and strong fans also make it difficult for protective goggles and face masks to stay in place, he said.

About 60 workers at the poultry farm showed symptoms of illness and were tested for bird flu. Four tested positive for bird flu and one additional presumptive case is awaiting confirmation.

The illnesses were relatively mild, with symptoms including conjunctivitis and common respiratory infection symptoms like fever, chills, coughing, sore throat and runny nose, according to the CDC. None were hospitalized, officials said. The other U.S. cases have also been mild.

Officials said they are bracing for more cases.

The CDC says the risk to the general public remains low and the health agency is not recommending livestock workers be vaccinated against bird flu given the "mild symptoms noted thus far," Shah said.

An initial analysis of virus samples from an infected poultry worker does not show any changes in the virus that would make it easier to spread among people and there is no evidence of person-to-person spread in the U.S.

"It's important to note that this assessment is based on what we know today and may change," Shah said. "CDC is constantly looking for key changes that may alter our risk assessment of the virus, such as the severity of illness that it causes, the ease with which it can transmit to humans or changes to its genetic fingerprint."

At the request of Colorado's officials, the CDC sent a 10-person team to Colorado to help the state manage the bird flu outbreak in humans and poultry. The team included epidemiologists, veterinarians, clinicians and industrial hygienists.

Shah also noted it was a bilingual team. Overall in the U.S., it is estimated about half of farm workers are Latino.

An analysis of the virus from an infected worker indicates that the infections at the chicken farm are "largely the same" as the strain detected in dairy herds in Colorado and other states, according to Shah. But an investigation is ongoing to determine exactly how the outbreak is spreading between wild birds, chicken and cattle.

Since 2022, a highly contagious strain of bird flu has spread across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate.

Georgia's powerhouse poultry industry, which produces more broiler chickens than any other in the country, has mostly dodged the kinds of major outbreaks that have resulted in the deaths of more 90 million birds in commercial and backyard poultry flocks in the U.S.

About 1.8 million chickens will be killed at the Colorado poultry farm after these latest bird flu cases were detected.

In late 2023, ducks at a commercial breeding farm in Sumter County, Georgia, tested positive for H5N1. This year, in March, the virus made a jump to a mammal species that surprised many scientists: cows.

With a significant dairy industry, plus even larger beef and poultry interests, the potential arrival of the virus here threatens Georgia's economy and the health of residents.

As of Monday, the H5N1 virus has been confirmed in 158 dairy herds in 13 states, according U.S. Agriculture Department.

So far in Georgia, there have been no bird flu cases in cattle, and there have been no human cases.

Since the unprecedented spread of H5N1 in poultry in 2022, the Georgia Department of Public Health has quietly monitored 132 people for signs of the virus, according to DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam. Those tracked were either first responders to one of the state's few virus outbreaks in backyard and commercial poultry flocks or farmworkers where the infections occurred. Of those monitored, fewer than 10 people were tested for H5N1 and none came back positive.

Since the virus was discovered in cattle, a small number of first responders from Georgia who went to other states to help with investigationsfewer than 15have also been monitored for signs of illness.

Federal officials said Tuesday they still believe they can eliminate the bird flu virus from dairy herds, even as the number of herds infected continues to grow. The latest state to recently report infected dairy cattle was Oklahoma. North Carolina is the only state adjacent to Georgia to report an infected dairy herd.

Eric Deeble, acting senior adviser for the H5N1 response at the USDA, said investigations show the virus is spreading among cattle through cattle moved from one herd to another and the shared use of milking equipment. It can be contained through enhanced biosecurity measures such as thoroughly cleaning milking "parlors" and equipment, separating sick cows, and having dairy workers wear protective equipment.

Deeble also noted USDA scientists are also working with partners to develop a cattle-specific H5N1 vaccinea process requires many steps and will take time.

The USDA is also exploring the possibility of developing a poultry vaccine as the number of bird flu cases soar, and outbreaks lead to the slaughter of millions of farmed birds. But USDA and industry stakeholders point to challenges that would hinder a vaccination program.

The biggest sticking point is around trade.

Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation, said mass vaccination would be impractical for several reasons, including the fact that the industry would lose its lucrative export market: The United States and many of its trade partners restrict the import of poultry products or eggs from countries affected by the highly pathogenic strain or flocks that have been vaccinated against it.

"(Bird flu) has been, from an animal health standpoint, our top concern," Giles said. "The challenge, and I think the industry has responded to it well, has been maintaining the state of preparedness and urgency and focus on biosecurity, and I think that has been accomplished."

2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Because of a sharp increase in deaths among older adults with dementia during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of older adults with the disorder declined faster from 2011 to 2021 than it did through 2019, according to a University of Michigan study.

With heightened social isolation brought about by the onset of the pandemic, many speculated that dementia would become more commonplace among older adults, dampening the pre-pandemic trend toward lower rates. The researchers, led by University of Michigan Institute for Social Research scientist Vicki Freedman, found some support for this idea in 2020, but by 2021, the pattern was better described as an accelerating downward trend.

"Before the pandemic, dementia rates were declining in the U.S. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of dementia increased slightly, as many expected," Freedman said.

"But these increases were swamped by sharp increases in deaths among older adults living with dementia that occurred in 20202021. As a result, the downward trend in dementia for 2011 to 2021 was even steeper than the pre-pandemic trend."

The rate of dementia declined from 11.9% in 2011 to 9.2% in 2019, and, after a small uptick to 9.6% in 2020, dropped to 8.2% in 2021. In average yearly terms, the decline was 2.8% from 2011 through 2019, and 3.1% from 2011 through 2021.

The study results are published in the The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Freedman and co-author Jennifer Cornman of Jennifer C. Cornman Consulting used the National Health and Aging Trends Study to examine over time the percentage of the older population with dementia, developing dementia, and dying with and without dementia.

The researchers used information from approximately 48,000 annual interviews with adults 72 and older that took place from 2011 to 2021. Part of the National Institutes of Health, NHATS is designed to study trends in disability and functioning of the older U.S. population, including cognitive functioning.

"Research that assesses national trends in dementia across important life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic requires robust data like this," said John Phillips, acting deputy director of NIA's Division of Behavioral and Social Research.

"NHATS captures social, behavioral, economic and environmental data longitudinally in a nationally representative population sample to track trends in older adults so that researchers can understand changes over time and in turn better inform policies and practices to prepare for the future."

Each year, NHATS participants were identified as having dementia if they had a reported diagnosis, screened for dementia based on answers from a proxy reporter, or scored low on multiple tests evaluating cognitive function.

The research also explored reasons for the decline. Previous work by Freedman and colleagues through 2015 pointed to the larger, better-educated generation entering their 70s in the mid-2010s as driving a good portion of the decline. Freedman found that now these factors are having less of an effect.

"We see that age and education are accounting for a smaller fraction of the decline in dementia trends once we incorporate the post-COVID period," Freedman said. "Because of these longer-term population shifts, the U.S. can no longer expect sustained declines related to the 'younging' of the population or increases in education."

Freedman says shifts in the composition of race and ethnicity of the U.S. population could also slow declines in dementia prevalence in the future. Rates of dementia are often higher among minority race and ethnic groups, which will make up a larger share of the older U.S. population in the future.

Freedman notes there are lingering questions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population-level dementia trends.

"The longer-term effects are still unclear, including the consequences of having an increasing share of the older population experiencing multiple bouts of COVID-19 infection or lingering health effects," Freedman said. "These are important questions for future research to address."

More information: Vicki A Freedman et al, Dementia Prevalence, Incidence and Mortality Trends Among US Adults Ages 72 and Older, 2011-2021, The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae105
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Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are at significantly higher risk of a number of mental health issues, including mood and anxiety disorders, a study from a team in the UK and the Czech Republic has found.

The findings highlight the urgent need for monitoring and support for the mental health of young people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The work appears in Nature Mental Health.

According to the charity JDRF, there are 8.7 million people living with type 1 diabetes around the world, including over 400,000 people in the UK. It is a chronic, life-threatening condition, usually diagnosed in childhood, that has a life-long impact.

Currently, people with type 1 diabetes rely on a routine of finger-prick blood tests and insulin injections or infusions, because their pancreas no longer produces insulin itself, although recent developments in artificial pancreas technology are helping transform this care.

Previous studies have shown potential links between childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and a number of mental health disorders in adulthood. However, it is not clear whether these links can be best explained by the impacts of living with the condition and its treatment, or whether underlying common biological mechanisms may be implicated; for example, the impact of unstable blood sugar levels on the developing adolescent brain.

To help answer this question, a team of researchers turned to data from over 4,500 children with type 1 diabetes on a national register in the Czech Republic and from large-scale European DNA studies.

From the national register data, the researchers found that children diagnosed with type 1 diabetescompared to children without the conditionwere over twice as likely to develop a mood disorder and more than 50% more likely to develop an anxiety disorder. They were also more than four times more likely to develop behavioral syndromes, including eating and sleep disorders.

Conversely, children with type 1 diabetes were at a much lower risk of developing psychotic disorders, such as schizophreniaalmost half the risk compared to their peers.

The findings are consistent with the results from two other national register studies in Sweden and in Denmark, suggesting that the results would likely apply to other countries, too, including the UK.

The team used a statistical technique known as Mendelian Randomization to probe causal links between type 1 diabetes and these various psychiatric disorders, but found little evidence in support of a common underlying biological mechanism.

Tomas Formanek, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic, said, "Although we found a concerning increase in the risk of mental health problems among people living with type 1 diabetes, our studyand others before itsuggest this is unlikely to be the result of common biological mechanisms. This emphasizes the importance of prevention and sustained attention to the mental health needs of children and young people with type 1 diabetes."

The researchers say that mental health problems in later life may be a result of children with type 1 diabetes being forced to make significant changes to their lives, with a constant focus on monitoring their food intake and a need to check blood sugar levels and administer insulin injections. This often leaves these children feeling excluded from social events and singled out by peers, teachers and even family members.

Dr. Benjamin Perry from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, said, "We know that people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can experience 'diabetes distress.' This can include extreme frustration with blood sugars and feelings of isolation and can lead to burnout, hopelessness, and a feeling of lack of control. It's little wonder, then, that they are at risk of compounding mental health problems, spanning into their adult lives."

Professor Peter Jones, also from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, added, "Our findings emphasize the urgent need to support children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, look out for signs of mental health problems and offer timely, expert help. That way, it may be possible to help these children early, before these problems fully take root."

More information: Formanek, T et al. Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes and Subsequent Adult Psychiatric Disorders: A Nationwide Cohort and Genome-wide Mendelian Randomization Study, Nature Mental Health (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00280-8 Journal information: Nature Mental Health
IHK Chinese-German dual vocational base established in Shanghai to cultivate skilled talents

08:38, July 17, 2024 By Yu Xi ( Global Times

Representatives from companies and schools from China and Germany visit the training center of Shanghai Industrial Technology School on July 16, 2024. (Photo: Courtesy of the organizer)

The Shanghai IHK Giessen-Friedberg Sino-German Dual Vocational Education Training Center was officially established at the Shanghai Industrial Technology School on Tuesday, marking the first time that an IHK dual-system vocational base of this kind has been established in the city, aiming to cultivate high-quality skilled talents with a unique international perspective.

The base will provide talent training programs and curriculum services for three majors including mechatronics, industrial machinery, and mold machinery. It will focus on building teaching resources in the dual system and promoting international collaboration between industry and education.

"The education and training models for different majors are different. Currently, our school focuses on the three majors as part of this project. It's possible that other schools can choose other sectors such as bakery or automobile processing in the future cooperation," Li Qiming, secretary of the CPC Shanghai Industrial Technology School committee, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The employment scope is relatively wide, and vocational education in Germany is very detailed as well, Li said. Our school prioritizes industry-aligned education and practical training to prepare students for seamless entry into the workforce, ensuring students are ready for employment without the need for additional training, Li noted.

Vocational education in China is gaining prominence as the economy develops and industrial structure upgrades, with a focus on new and practical outcomes to meet the demands of high-quality development and new productive forces.

The dual system vocational education model in Germany, led by organizations like IHK, combines theoretical learning in vocational schools with practical training in companies. Integrating education and industry enhances students' competitiveness in the job market.

Matthias Leder, CEO, IHK Giessen-Friedberg, told the Global Times on Tuesday that after several years of contacts and observations with Chinese friends, he found that the Chinese are willing to learn, and they are fantastic at mathematics and natural sciences. People from both sides will have great benefits from the exchange and can learn from each other including knowledge related to culture and technical skills, said Leder.

In 2023, there were over 6,500 vocational schools offering about 52,000 manufacturing-related programs nationwide, showing growth from the previous year. The emphasis is on advanced, intelligent, and green manufacturing, with a focus on expanding programs in advanced manufacturing areas like high-speed rail communication technology, according to China's Ministry of Education.

Yang Zhenfeng, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, and representatives from companies and schools from China and Germany attended the opening ceremony held in Shanghai.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
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A landmark study from researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U), the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the U, and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that women with severe endometriosis are 10 times more likely to get ovarian cancer, compared to women who do not have the disease.

Prior studies have shown a causal connection between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. But in using the Utah Population Databasea repository of linked health records housed at Huntsman Cancer Instituteinvestigators were able to analyze the incidence rates of different types of endometriosis and subtypes of ovarian cancer for the first time.

Their research, which included a cohort of over 78,000 women with endometriosis, has been published in the JAMA.

"These are really important findings," says Jennifer Doherty, Ph.D., MS, investigator and co-leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of the population health sciences department at the U. "This impacts clinical care for individuals with severe endometriosis, since they would benefit from counseling about ovarian cancer risk and prevention. This research will also lead to further studies to understand the mechanisms through which specific types of endometriosis cause different types of ovarian cancer."

The project began as a collaboration between Doherty, Mollie Barnard, ScD, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and Karen Schliep, Ph.D., MSPH, associate professor of public health at the U. Schliep served as senior and corresponding author of the study.

"Karen [Schliep] was researching endometriosis, and Mollie [Barnard] and I were working on ovarian cancer. We mutually approached each other about putting the data from our two studies together, and that's how this very powerful combined analysis happened," says Doherty. "It's hard to have a large enough study to be able to observe the results we didall thanks to the Utah Population Database."

In the Utah-based cohort, researchers found that women suffering from more severe types of endometriosis are more likely to develop type I ovarian cancer.

"That's where we found a 19-fold increased risk, which compares to the connection between smoking and lung cancer," says Schliep. "As an epidemiologist, seeing numbers like that is really striking."

In their calculations, they also found that women with any kind of endometriosis have a 4.2-fold risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to those who do not. They also have over 7 times the risk of developing type I ovarian cancer, which is slow to develop but also does not respond well to chemotherapy.

The National Cancer Institute says that ovarian cancer has a five-year survival rate of 50%.

"The big question for women is 'what can I do about it?' This is important data for women to have as they're weighing what kind of treatments they should maybe undergo to avoid any kind of disease down the road," says Schliep. "I'm very passionate about giving women the right information and then having them be able to make shared decisions with their physician."

As a preventative measure, women with endometriosis could pursue surgery, including a hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries. But these are invasive procedures, and investigators say more research is needed to know if these are the right measures.

Barnard, a former postdoctoral student at Huntsman Cancer Institute, feels hopeful about the study's ability to make an impact in women's lives.

"I chose to become an epidemiologist to make a difference in people's lives, and often we're several steps away from drug development or clinical practice," says Barnard. "But this feels like it's just a few steps away from where it might take just a couple of clinical studies or implementation studies to figure out how this information can best be leveraged by doctors and their patients."

Other Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers who contributed to this landmark study include Britton Trabert, MS, MSPH, Ph.D., Huong Meeks, Ph.D., Myke Madsen, MSTAT, Emily Guinto, MS, Lindsay J. Collin, Ph.D., MPH, and Kathryn Maurer, MD

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disease in which the tissue that lines the uterus grows elsewhere in the pelvic cavity, creating lesions on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or behind the uterus. An estimated 11% of women in the United States6,500,000 in totalhave the condition, which often leads to chronic pain and infertility.

According to the World Health Organization, the disease presents in three main forms. Superficial endometriosis is mainly seen on the mucous membrane around the pelvic cavity. More severe forms are found as cysts within the ovaries called endometriomas and as deep infiltrating endometriosis, which affects the organs near the uterus, like the ovaries, bladder and bowels.
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Nitya Mehrotra uses her skills as an animator to create more than just artshe's building a community.

The Chicago grad student is the founder of an online platform called "Stories by Strangers" that supports the physically and mentally abused.

Mehrotra, 23, created the safe space for abuse survivors to anonymously share their struggles and trauma. It's an outlet to help others with similar stories that also provides resources for those still coping. According to the site, over 2,000 stories have been submitted via email since 2023.

Mehrotra, who uses the pronouns she and they, collaborates with people who submit their stories to create art that reflects their individual narratives. Mehrotra, who's pursuing a master's degree in film and animation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, then animates the art for a short that features the survivor's words accompanied by music.

The shorts showcase gender neutral cyclops characterswith names such as Kuku, Oli, Bib and Vitraset against a backdrop of moody colors that are posted on an Instagram account with over 43,000 followers. It usually takes her a week to do two animations.

"I give them an idea of how they can represent themselves (in the story)," Mehrotra said. "Since it's a collaborative process, they tell me if they would like to customize the character in a way that helps them take more control of the story or maybe makes them feel better about it."

Changing colors or the way the character looks are both possibilities.

"I collaborate with the person who submitted the story to craft a vision that they like," Mehrotra said. "What features would they like (their character) to have? Do horns on the head give you more power and control over the telling of this traumatic story? We do all of this over email.  I ask questions, they explain their vision, and based on that, I come up with these fantastical looking animations."

She said making the characters abstract figures allows people to feel comfortable sharing their stories, which mainly come from people age 16 to 24. "Most people are trying to share success stories because they want to share that you're not alone and it does get better," Mehrotra said.

"Stories by Strangers" animations aim to disrupt the flow of desensitized media portrayals of abuse, she said.

"One thing that is very specific to the ethos of this project is not to censor," she said. "The whole idea is to make sure the story is told the way the storyteller needs to tell it. I ask them: Are there any parts of it that you would not like me to put on social media? And I edit that out for them. But apart from that, there's no editing."

Part of the story submission process includes queries such as: Would you like to be contacted by a therapist? Mehrotra responds to everyone who submits stories with resources and outreach. Although her primary collaborations are with people in South Asia, she has also found people through nonprofits, including End Violence Against Women. She's trying to make more inroads stateside with therapists willing to volunteer their services. Mehrotra has also connected with an art therapist for a collaboration set to begin in August.

Since 2020, Mehrotra has compiled a makeshift team of artists and therapists abroad that volunteers with "Stories by Strangers." They help her go through stories and have conversations with the contributors.

Mehrotra juggles her commitments for the platform with classes and and her work, which entails serving as a teaching assistant at SAIC and assisting the next generation of artists at Urban Gateways, an arts nonprofit. In her down time, she's collaborating on a short film with someone who shared a story on the site about being a refugee in Chicago.

"They're sharing how their family's mental health suffered in the process of fleeing from their country," Mehrotra said. "They're trying to focus on how, "Yes, we faced a lot of political problems and physical issues, but the main thing that we all have to stick with for the rest of our lives is the mental health that it destroyed.'"

Coming to the United States at age 17 for her undergraduate degree, Mehrotra said the impetus for "Stories by Strangers" stemmed from her hometown of Delhi, India. The city often gets ranked as unsafe for and by women. Mehrotra said that in 2020 she was angry about the persistence of the data and used her art to address it.

"Once I realized that I could produce art, I realized that this was one way I am able to express that anger," she said. "The method of attacking or the weapon of attacking changes, but it's still very present. I talked to my father about it, and he showed me a lot more articles and facts, like 1 in 3 women worldwide will experience some sort of physical or sexual violence in their life. Reading that was heartbreaking for me.  That was my breaking point where as a young person, I was like, "I gotta do something." I am an artist. So I built upon that with my art."

She began building the "Stories by Strangers" community when she started putting her own artwork out for the public as someone who is adamant about talking about sexual violence awareness. They were animations and videos that centered on consent and mental health related to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The response she received was positive and garnered trust, which led to the growth of the online community. Mental health professionals reached out to her along with fellow artists who wanted to help people.

One collaborator in Bangladesh, who joined Mehrotra's team after becoming disillusioned with the way corporations and nonprofits work, wanted to help young women with a more direct approach. "I knew that these people are actively seeking help and bettering themselves," the collaborator said in an email. "Even though I was not doing in-person work with you.  I hope I can help more in the future."

Mehrotra said people find solace from the anonymity that the platform offers. The website doesn't collect identities from the storytellers. Providing a name, email and a country of origin are optional. An email is used solely to continue the conversation with Mehrotra to post the story. She says she gets submissions from countries around the world.

"I think that attests to the site's power.  Even when you don't attach an identity to a story, it speaks to everyone and that I think speaks to how great it is that all of these abstracted figures find a way to relate to people's stories all around the world," Mehrotra said.

"After getting stories from many countries, one thing I've realized is that people are the same everywhere. If a problem exists in India, a problem exists in Chicago; if a problem exists in Chicago, it exists somewhere else. It's just the priority is given very differently."

Mehrotra hopes those who encounter "Stories by Strangers" are inspired to actto support survivors, to support queer artists and to support those who are talking about the female narrative. She said there's a difference between just being aware and offering tangible support.

"I found my way to filmmaking through painting  understanding I want to talk about trauma in a form that I know visually can imprint in someone's mind," she said.

"When I was younger, I always wished my paintings could move and that's 100% the reason that I went into animation. Maybe the idea of collaboration with all the people who tell their stories also comes from this, because I want to be able to turn a story into a visual that can be experienced (in a way that is helpful) rather than hurt."

2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Associations between lower birth weight (BW) and adverse metabolic phenotypes are more pronounced in children with obesity, according to a study published in the July issue of eBioMedicine.

Sara Elizabeth Stinson, Ph.D., from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues used data from the cross-sectional HOLBAEK Study with 4,263 participants to examine the modifying effect of childhood obesity on the association between BW and a polygenic score (PGS) for BW with cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents.

The researchers found that BW and a PGS for BW were associated with cardiometabolic risk and plasma protein levels in childhood and adolescence.

The associations between BW and measures of insulin resistance were modified by childhood obesity, including Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (0.12 and 0.04 for obesity and normal weight, respectively), c-peptide (0.11 and 0.02 for obesity and normal weight, respectively), and systolic blood pressure standard deviation score (0.12 and 0.06 for obesity and normal weight, respectively). The associations between BW and plasma levels of 14 proteins were also modified by childhood obesity.

"This study underlines the importance of early intervention and prevention in the effort to combat the pandemic of obesity and cardiometabolic disease," the authors write.

More information: Sara Elizabeth Stinson et al, The interplay between birth weight and obesity in determining childhood and adolescent cardiometabolic risk, eBioMedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105205 Journal information: EBioMedicine

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Asst Prof Anissa Widjaja viewing experimental data as part of her study on IL11. Credit: Duke-NUS Medical School, Norfaezah Binte Abdullah

An aging population will bring colossal health, social, and economic challenges over the coming decades. As people live longer, staving off the physical decline and frailty that come with age has become a holy grail, with effective interventions projected to unlock significant societal and economic benefits. Estimates suggest that a slowdown in aging that increases life expectancy by one year alone is worth US$38 trillion.

In a discovery published in Nature, a team of scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore may have found a key to slow aging.

The team demonstrated in preclinical models that the protein interleukin-11 (IL-11) actively promotes aging and that giving an anti-IL-11 therapy not only counteracts the deleterious effects of aging but also increases lifespan. Their discovery has the potential to play a significant role in countries' efforts to help their population live more years in good health.

IL-11 leads to fat accumulation and muscle mass loss, two key hallmarks of aging

In preclinical studies, the team found that with age, organs expressed increasing levels of the IL-11 protein, which, in turn, promoted fat accumulation in the liver and abdomen, and reduced muscle mass and strengthtwo conditions that are hallmarks of human aging.

According to the team, these results are the first in the world to demonstrate that IL-11 is a principal factor in aging.

First and co-corresponding author Assistant Professor Anissa Widjaja from Duke-NUS' Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, said,

"This project started back in 2017 when a collaborator of ours sent us some tissue samples for another project. Out of curiosity, I ran some experiments to check for IL-11 levels. From the readings, we could clearly see that the levels of IL-11 increased with age and that's when we got really excited."

Anti-IL-11 therapy counteracts effects of aging

After establishing IL-11's role in aging, the team demonstrated that by applying anti-IL-11 therapy in the same preclinical model, metabolism was improved, shifting from generating white fat to beneficial brown fat. Brown fat breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to help maintain body temperature and burn calories.

The researchers also observed improved muscle function and overall better health in their study, as well as an increased lifespan by up to 25 percent in both sexes.

Unlike other drugs known to inhibit specific pathways involved in aging, such as metformin and rapamycin, anti-IL-11 therapy blocks multiple major signaling mechanisms that become dysfunctional with age, offering protection against multimorbidity from cardiometabolic diseases, age-related loss of muscle mass and strength as well as frailty.

In addition to these externally observable changes, anti-IL-11 therapy also reduced the rate of telomere shortening and preserved mitochondria's health and ability to generate energy.

Senior author Tanoto Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Center Stuart Cook, who is also with Duke-NUS' Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, said, "Our aim is that one day, anti-IL-11 therapy will be used as widely as possible, so that people the world over can lead healthier lives for longer. However, this is not easy, as approval pathways for drugs to treat aging are not well-defined, and raising funds to do clinical trials in this area is very challenging."

Assessing the potential of the research, Professor Thomas Coffman, Dean of Duke-NUS, said, "Despite average life expectancy increasing markedly over recent decades, there's a notable disparity between years lived and years of healthy living, free of disease. For rapidly aging societies like Singapore's, this discovery could be transformative, enabling older adults to prolong healthy aging, reducing frailty and risk of falls while improving cardiometabolic health."

The team's previous research on IL-11's role in the heart and kidney (published in Nature in 2017), liver (published in Gastroenterology in 2019) and lung (published in Science Translational Medicine in 2019) led to the development of an experimental anti-IL-11 therapy.

In this latest work, the Duke-NUS team collaborated with scientists from the National Heart Center Singapore; the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences in the UK; the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Germany; and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
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Insurance coverage, ethnicity and location may all play a role in a person's ability to receive care after a stroke, according to a study published in the July 17, 2024, online issue of Neurology Clinical Practice.

"Receiving the right care after a stroke is crucial to recovery and minimizing disability," said study author Shumei Man, MD, Ph.D., of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Unfortunately, decisions about care may be influenced by factors such as race, insurance, and geographic location. Our study found a distinct pattern of disparities in care after stroke in the U.S. for uninsured people, especially for uninsured Hispanic people, who had the lowest chance of receiving additional care after a stroke."

For the study, researchers looked at 1.1 million people who had a stroke. Of the total, over one million hospital admissions were due to ischemic stroke. Race/ethnicity for people with ischemic stroke was 67% white, 18% Black, 9.5% Hispanic, 3% Asian-American/Pacific Islander and 0.4% Native American.

Outcomes after hospitalization were: discharged to a facility, such as a rehabilitation facility or nursing home; discharged to home with home health care; or discharged to home with no services.

Overall, 3% of people died in the hospital after ischemic stroke, 36% were discharged to a facility, 15% to home health care, 43% to home with no services and 1% left the hospital against medical advice.

Researchers then looked at race, ethnicity and insurance, comparing each racial and ethnic group within each insurance coverage level. They also looked at geographic regions.

Researchers found that 49% of Hispanic people were discharged to home without home health care, compared to 42% of white people. They also found that only 29% of Hispanic people were discharged to a rehabilitation facility or skilled nursing facility, compared to 37% of both white and Black people.

Researchers found disparities in service access were affected by insurance status even after adjusting for other factors that could affect care, such as age, the severity of stroke, and other health conditions.

Compared with people with private insurance, people with no insurance were 56% less likely to be discharged to a health care facility over home and 21% less likely to be discharged to home health care services over home with no service.

Among those with Medicare or Medicaid insurance, Hispanic people were 20% less likely to be discharged to a facility over home than white people with the same insurance.

Among those who were uninsured, Hispanic people were 26% less likely to receive home health care than white people. These disparities were not seen among people with private insurance or Black people. Man said, "In fact, compared with white people, Black people were 33% more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility over home, and 42% more likely to be discharged to home health care over home without service."

When looking at geographic regions, researchers found that hospitals in the New England area were the most likely to discharge a person with a stroke to a facility over home discharge, as well as home health care over home with no health care. A person with stroke would be twice as likely to be discharged to a facility over home if they were hospitalized in New England versus the Pacific regionwhich includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaiiwhich had the lowest odds of referring people to a facility.

"These findings indicate that targeted efforts are needed to improve access to care after stroke for people without insurance, especially Hispanic people, as well as those in specific regions to ensure optimal recovery and successful community transition for all people across the country," Man said.

A limitation of the study was that for discharge to a facility, the study was unable to separate rehabilitation facilities from skilled nursing facilities. Another limitation was that not all social factors that could affect a person's access to care were considered, including the presence of other caregivers at home or whether they were married or had a partner.

More information: Neurology Clinical Practice (2024)
Blackfeet Tribal Health Operation Walking Shield

What: Free health and veterinary services, open to the public

Where: Browning High School (105 U.S. 89, Browning, MT)

When: July 18-27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special hours on July 20

Transportation: Transit is offered for people in Heart Butte and Babb on July 22 and for Seville and East Glacier on July 23.

Appointments: Appointments are only required for veterinary services. Email 7359vetdet@gmail.com for vet appointments (including spay and neuter services for dogs and cats).

For more information, visit Blackfeet Tribal Health Operation Walking Shield Facebook page or call 406-338-5606
A Cameroonian man and more than 20 Chinese citizens received lengthy prison sentences and fines in a Zambian court for online fraud activities on 8 June 2024. The convicts worked for a Chinese-owned call centre in a suburb of Lusaka. The company exploited digital platforms to deceive victims within Zambia and globally from Singapore to Peru.

Two months before, on 10 April 2024, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi of Lagos, Nigeria pled guilty in an international sextortion case. Sextortion victims are coerced into sending explicit images or videos only to be blackmailed for more. In 2022, the Ogoshi brothers targeted Jordan DeMay of Michigan. DeMay died by suicide six hours after his online interaction with the brothers. They were extradited to the US in August 2023 and are awaiting sentencing.

Governments, businesses, and churches across Africa are also vulnerable to global cybercriminals. In July 2023, Kenyas government fought off a cyber-attack that affected services on a key government online platform for almost a week. A group calling itself Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility. A report by cyber-security provider Truesec, noted that Anonymous Sudans Telegram account lists its users location as Russia.

In May 2024, Malawian Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs Reverend Brian Kamwendo spoke to faith leaders about cyber vulnerabilities at a training session organized by the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in Lilongwe.

We are all witnesses today that the religious institutions, often assumed to operate outside the realm of technological risks, are finding themselves exposed to a new kind of threat, Kamwendo stated. He further explained that a cyber-attack on these institutions could affect service schedules, events, or their communications channels and the impact may be felt far into the future.

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It is against this background that the Government of Malawi thought it imperative to equip religious leaders with skills and knowledge on how they can protect themselves, he explained.

Kamwendo also stressed the importance of regular data backups to ensure safety and accessibility. He advised engaging with cybersecurity specialists who understand religious institutions and can provide tailored guidance. By doing so, religious leaders can effectively address the multifaceted nature of cyber threats.

In an interview with CDI, United Nations Environment Programme Information Technology Specialist Brian Mbanga explained that understanding the cyber threat landscape and implementing practical mechanisms to avoid cyber-attacks is critical. Mbanga holds an MSc in cyber security from Liverpool John Moores University, UK.

theres an indispensable need to invest in the education and training of staff and congregants, equipping them to discern and thwart looming cyber threats, he noted. This involves adopting robust cybersecurity protocols, such as stringent password policies, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, punctual software updates, and secure communication platforms.

Mbanga suggested that faith leaders should provide guidance and training to church members and students on safe social media practices. He emphasized the importance of open conversations with children about technology and its impact on their well-being.

He also noted that the church can play a crucial role in addressing these threats by tackling the underlying issues of idolatry and materialism that drive people to engage in cybercrime.
Liberia's President has announced that he will reduce his annual salary from US$13,400 to $8,000  a 40% cut  to demonstrate solidarity with Liberians burdened by the rising cost of living. Mr. Boakais office said the president had taken the step to demonstrate his commitment to running a responsible and transparent government, a call that has been reverberating across Liberia and other countries in Africa.

President Boakai, who defeated George Weah in the November 2023 run-off election, campaigned on a platform of tackling corruption and financial mismanagement. In addition to declaring his assets upon assumption of office, he strengthened the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and the General Auditing Commission. The Commerce and Industry Minister Amin Modad also pledged to cut his salary by 40% soon after the presidents announcement, indicating that the rest of the executive might follow the presidents footsteps.

Speaking at the International Christian Fellowship Church in June, President Boakai reiterated that his administration came in as a rescue mission.

We didnt come in to rescue with weapons, but we came asking God to help us to rescue our country and set up a new beginning and I am sure God is in this, said Boakai, who has served as a Senior Deacon with Effort Baptist Church.

Liberians have high expectations of Mr. Boakais promise of economic revival and good governance riding on his popular rallying call of Think Liberia, Love Liberia, Build Liberia. This comes on the back of former President Weahs administration which was accused of widespread corruption, misappropriation of public funds and extravagant lifestyle of politicians. Thousands of Liberians took to the streets to protest broken promises and endemic graft barely two years after George Weahs first term in office, a factor that cost him his second term, despite his pledge to cut his salary by 25%.

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The latest austerity move by Boakai will resound across Africa where protests ignited by the rising cost of living and corruption are reverberating in several African states amidst calls to slash salaries of MPs and senior leaders in government.

Kenya President William Rutos government has been grappling with countrywide protests which started as a citizen opposition to tax hike plans in June but snowballed to demands for greater transparency, accountability and good governance. After an initial violent response to the protest that saw 39 young Kenyans lose their lives over three weeks, President Ruto conceded to the demands.

He first withdrew the controversial Finance Bill 2024 and then announced new measures to curb wastage in government including cutting the number of advisers by half, defunding unconstitutional positions such as the Office of the First and Second lady, and slashing 47 state corporations that have overlapping mandates. On July 11, he dissolved the cabinet by firing all ministers and committed to a wider consultative process to fill in the vacant positions.

The widespread demonstrations dubbed Occupy Parliament also forced Kenyas Salary and Remuneration Commission to backtrack on a plan to increase MPs salaries. Kenyan lawmakers are among the highest paid in the world taking home US$102,000 in annual salary and allowances despite a lower per capita income of $7,800.

The ripple effects of the protests in Kenya are being felt in other countries in Africa where citizens are facing higher cost of living and youth unemployment in an environment of government extravagance and misplaced priorities.

In Nigeria, social media posts are mobilizing citizens to hold peaceful anti-government protests demanding a review of high taxes, electoral reforms and an end to anti-people policies.

Although Liberian President Boakais remuneration includes allowances and health insurance not accounted for in the amount of his salary, the announcement to reduce his gross pay made headlines in major news outlets in West Africa igniting a conversation on the need for leaders to show empathy and commitment to good governance.

One user on social media commented that President Boakais decision to cut his salary by 40% is commendable and sets a positive example of leadership. It shows a genuine effort to align with the economic realities facing Liberian citizens and prioritize transparency in government finances. Such actions are crucial in fostering public trust and demonstrating commitment to addressing economic challenges.
On Monday evening, Muscatine was hit by severe storms, with the weather being strong enough to knock down tree branches and cause a brief power outage for over a thousand downtown residents.

According to Meteorologist Brian Pierce at the Quad Cities National Weather Service, it was reported the storm started in central Iowa and blew through Muscatine. The Storm Prediction Center classified Monday's storms as a derecho, according to the NWS Quad Cities Facebook.

Pierce said the station is still awaiting on specific, local data as of Tuesday morning.

The Muscatine Municipal Airport reported 50 mph wind gusts, although this wind picked up in speed once it moved out of Muscatine and into the Quad-Cities area and northern Illinois.

As for rain amounts, while these varied around the Muscatine County area and an official report has not yet been given as of Tuesday morning, Pierce estimated Muscatine received around an inch of rain.

Looking at this weathers impact, Gage Huston, director of Power Production & Supply at Muscatine Power and Water said it was a relatively low outage impact considering the type of event and heavy winds.

Only one circuit out of the utilitys Pine Street substation was tripped, Huston shared, with the circuit then locking open.

All of our circuits have a re-closer scheme, so if something touches the circuit once, it would trip and re-close," he said. "But in this case, it went through that scheme and there was something still on the line, so it locked open.

This resulted in around 1,143 customers  or around 10% of the utilitys electricity customer base  throughout the area around the substation losing power at around 7:28 p.m. The outage was reported on MPWs Facebook page as crews waited for it to be safe enough to go out into the field.

Once a crew was deployed, it was discovered that tree limbs had fallen onto the circuit. With there being no significant damage to the line, the crew was able to remove the limbs and get the circuit back on after an hour and a half at about 8:56 p.m.

Alongside the relief that this most recent storm didnt cause any severe damage, Huston expressed his gratitude for those customers who used the MPW Smart Hub app to report the outage, providing the crew with crucial information prior to their trek out to the site that allowed for a speedier response.

We always encourage folks to share that information with us," he said.

Huston also thanked customers who left supportive Facebook messages and, in the case of one customer, a supportive phone message for the MPW crews.

Its just really neat, getting to see that recognition from customers on social media, he said. Weve got some great people here, but weve also got some really awesome customers.

Even as women outpace men in graduating from college, their earnings remain stuck Even as women outpace men in graduating from college, their earnings remain stuck More women than men are likely to earn a college degree Engineering environment continues to challenge women The glass ceiling still not breaking easily for women
Another 200 Kenyan police officers have left for Haiti under a UN-backed mission to quell rampant gang violence in the troubled Caribbean nation, senior police officers said Tuesday.

This deployment follows the East African nations June dispatch of 400 officers to the violence-ravaged Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, as part of a contentious plan to send approximately 1,000 police to help stabilize the country.

President William Ruto, who is grappling with anti-government protests at home, made the promise, which faced persistent legal challenges in Kenya.

We have 200 police officers who left last night, and they should land in Haiti this morning, one senior police officer told AFP on Tuesday. They are joining their colleagues who are already on the ground.

Another senior police source confirmed that the officers departed on Monday night via a chartered plane, adding, More will be departing soon until we have all 1,000 officers there.

The deployment comes two weeks after Kenyan police dismissed rumors that seven officers had been killed in Haiti. The forces deployed had been received warmly and were all safe and ready to discharge their clear and specific mandate, police said in a statement on July 1.

The Kenyan officers are working closely with their host, the Haitian National Police, and have so far undertaken strategic mapping of the likely areas of operational concerns and conducted several joint patrols within Port-au-Prince, according to the statement.

On Monday, July 8, Haitian police chief Normil Rameau revealed that the Kenyan police had retaken control of the countrys largest public hospital, which gangs had occupied for over four months. The operation took place on the night of Sunday, July 7, successfully reclaiming the Hospital of the State University of Haiti, also known as the General Hospital.
The National Council of Churches Kenya (NCCK) has condemned President William Rutos assertion that foreign powers were orchestrating the current wave of protests in the country.

Canon Chris Kinyanjui, the councils General Secretary, clarified in a media interview that no foreign entities were funding the protests, attributing the unrest to an incompetent government.

From my own assessment and looking at the people I do not think there are foreign forces funding the protests, remarked Chris Kinyanjui.

He emphasized, How did we come here, we reached here because we have a govt that does not listen to his people or to those that can advise it in the right direction.

In addition to criticizing the governments handling of protests, Kinyanjui accused the Ruto-led administration of neglecting to hold accountable those implicated in corruption scandals across various ministries.

The grievances, lamentations Kenyans are talking about are still in our faces, we have scandals on edible oils, where billions were put out from the taxpayers money and the fake fertilizer scandal, what the government has not communicated is how it will deal with corruption, Kinyanjui highlighted.

The clergyman also criticized the governments lack of communication on how it plans to tackle these issues.

Furthermore, Kinyanjui pointed out the governments failure to address public concerns coherently and accused it of contradicting itself in its communications. He also reproached President Ruto for reneging on his promise not to involve politicians in church affairs and for making substantial donations at fundraisers.

We witnessed the president in church on Sunday making political remarks and also gave out a large donation, Kinyanjui observed.

On July 15th, President William Ruto accused the American NGO Ford Foundation of financing the ongoing anti-government protests, alleging that the Foundation deployed thugs to incite chaos and cause property damage during demonstrations.

In response, the foundation refuted Rutos claims, asserting its commitment to a non-partisan approach in all grant-making activities and affirming respect for Kenyans right to peacefully advocate for a fair and just Kenya.

We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grant-making, the Foundation stated.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, suspected of murdering multiple women and dismembering their bodies before disposing of them in a quarry in the Kware area of Embakasi South, alleged police brutality before a Magistrates court in Nairobi,

On Tuesday, the 33-year-old appeared at the Makadara Law Courts, where the magistrate approved a police request to detain him as investigations continue. Initially, confusion surrounded his case when authorities first took him to a court in Kiambu. This court stated it did not have jurisdiction over the case, leading to his transfer to the magistrates court in Nairobi.

Through his lawyer, John Maina Ndegwa, Khalusha claimed that police tortured him into confessing to the murders of 42 women that allegedly occurred over a two-year period starting in 2022. He also appealed to the court for access to medical care.

My client, as he sits there, is in dire need of urgent medical attentionfor reasons that during the period under detention, he was subjected to molestation, torture and the confession that the public is being treated to having murdered 42 persons is laughable, Ndegwa argued.

My client has been subjected to horrendous inhuman mistreatment so that he can confess to issues which are alien to him. I pray that the court directs for urgent medical attention even as they do their investigations, he added.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) dismissed the allegations of abuse, stating that only one police officer recorded the suspects statement.

The DCI requested to detain Khalusha for 30 days to conclude their investigation into the murders, arguing that his release could lead to further criminal activities.

The investigative agency also informed the court of their need for additional time to trace witnesses and the families of the victims, who are scattered across the country. They indicated plans for DNA sampling, an identification parade, and a mental assessment of the suspect.

However, the defense opposed this request, urging the court to limit the polices detention of the suspect to only 14 days as investigations continue.

Much of what has been presented to this court is mere speculation and apprehension, so my client still has the right to bail. Nothing concrete has been submitted, argued lawyer Ndegwa.

While the investigating officer and prosecution have the right to conduct investigations, my client, under Article 50, is entitled to a fair trial. They cannot have unlimited time. We will not agree to the 30 days and will request only 14 days, he added.

Despite the defenses objections, Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi granted the DCI permission to detain the suspect at any police station for the requested 30 days to complete their investigations.
Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor updated the public on the progress of examining the bodies of the Kware victims. He explained that some bodies had parts separated, with cuts through the lumbar area where the killer severed the spine.

The lumbar area, which is the lower abdomen, is where the person cut through the spine. The next body will be examined on Wednesday. We are committed to identifying all the other parts in the body bags, he revealed.

He added that they had identified upper body parts with head injuries, indicating that the victim succumbed to excessive brain bleeding.

The upper part of the body had head injuries, likely caused by a blunt object, which resulted in severe brain bleeding, he revealed.

Dr. Oduor stated that the examinations will continue to unpack all body parts still in body bags. He emphasized that the exercise will persist until all retrieved bodies are examined, ensuring an accurate count of the victims.

Preliminary investigations revealed that all the initial eight bodies recovered were female and had been severely dismembered.

Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed this, stating, Nairobi Funeral Home is currently preserving eight bodies. Investigations reveal that all recovered bodies were female, severely dismembered, and in various stages of decomposition.

He indicated that it would take police and investigative agencies 21 days to unravel the mystery behind the dismembered bodies found at the Kware dumpsite in Embakasi South.
Senior Counsel Dr. John Khaminwa has asked Kenyan youth to refrain from actions that could in the long term severely hurt the country both politically and economically.

In their demand for just governance, the lawyer argued that Kenyans should be alive to the fact that some actions may spell doom for the country and might prove difficult to reverse.

In the ongoing anti-government protests, that have lasted one month, Dr. Khamnwa said the voices of the young people in Kenya have had an impact and can no longer be ignored. He, however, wants them to drop hardline positions and give room for the demands to be acted upon.

Our youths have spoken. They have been heard by the establishment. Let them not go further, to do so would bring disaster as there would be no Kenya to talk about and complain against, he said in a letter to Kenyans.

He warned that all Kenyans must be cautious not to let the country follow the path of nations that have faced ruin due to uprisings or civil war. Above all, he urged Kenyans to resolve issues peacefully.

Past and contemporary history reminds us of murders, assassinations, torture, detentions without trials, kidnaps etc. We have, however, deliberately avoided civil war or revolutions. Take, for instance, Raila Odinga whom I visited at Manyani detention, notwithstanding what he went through, he still preaches peace, he said.

Gitobu Imanyara whom I witnessed being dragged from his home in the wee hours of the morning in the presence of his young children for fighting for human rights and the rule of law has retired without uttering a word that would promote a revolution, Khaminwa added.

He stated that the tough economic situation in Kenya also mirrors challenges in other parts of the world and urged Kenyans not to disregard the advice of experts in economics and finance regarding the current state of affairs.

To ignore or dismiss what they say is likely to lead to disaster. I will never forget my experience in Uganda when Amin Dada came to powerchaos, murders, kidnappings, economic collapse, and rampant violence. One learns a great deal about human nature by studying history, he said.

Amid widespread criticism of the countrys political leaders, Dr. Khaminwa emphasized that some are honest and hardworking.

Not all are corrupt. Not all are dishonest. Not all are thieves, and not all are murderers, he said.

He stated that Kenyans have the power to remove unsuitable leaders from office through the ballot.

In light of President Rutos dismissal of his Cabinet, he urged the head of state to consider reinstating some ministers whom he believes are trustworthy, hardworking, and not corrupt. He expressed confidence that the President can demonstrate to the majority of Kenyans that he is committed to serving their essential economic interests and nothing else.
The prime suspect in the Mukuru kwa Njenga murders, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, was yesterday arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts. The court granted investigators 30 days of custodial orders to complete their investigations into the case.

In a related development, the family of Roselyn Akoth Ogongo, one of the victims, identified her body at the Nairobi Funeral Home (City Mortuary) on Monday. They also witnessed the autopsy process conducted at the same facility.

On Tuesday, the family visited the Homicide offices to record their statements and further identified Roselyns handbag, which was recovered from the suspects house. Roselyns sister mentioned that the last time she saw her sister, she had stepped out of the house with the handbag.

The family of another victim, Imelda Judith Karenya, who was allegedly the suspects wife and his first victim, also identified her identity card. This ID was among the nine found at Khalushas residence.

Police Detain Two More Suspects

Investigators have also detained two other persons of interest to assist in the ongoing investigation. Amos Momanyi Mogusu was found with the mobile phone belonging to Roselyn Akoth.

Upon his arrest at City Cabanas, Momanyi led detectives to the house of Moses Ogembo in Mukuru kwa Reuben. Ogembo was found with a total of 154 used mobile phones stashed in his home. He admitted to having previously bought used phones from the prime suspect.

In a statement, Mr. John Marete, Director of Liaison and Corporate Communications at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), expressed his condolences to the affected families.

Once again, the DCI wishes strength and comfort to the affected families and pledges our utmost commitment to deliver justice to the victims of these merciless and abominable killings. We extend our gratitude to the families and friends of the deceased, and the public for continuously sharing valuable information with our investigative team, enabling significant progress in this inquiry, Marete said.
Evangelical identity in Europe Today: Unity in Diversity will be the thematic focus of the 2024 conference for the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians (FEET) this summer.

FEET is organizing the event in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Lausanne Movement, alongside the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) and Sdruzeni Evangelikalnich Teologu (SET), an evangelical body for Czech theologians. The conference takes place in Hotel Olsanka, Prague, Czechia, from August 23 to 27.

Pieter Lalleman, a member of the FEET executive committee, told Christian Daily International that the event will be readdressing what it means to be evangelical and even whether the term itself is still appropriate in the current political, cultural and societal climate.

At a time when the very label evangelical is discredited by evangelicals supporting [former U.S. President] Donald Trump and when post-evangelicals have appeared on the scene, this is a relevant subject if ever there was one, Lalleman said. Some of us want to abandon the word evangelical altogether because of the unhelpful associations it conjures up, although I would personally rather claim it for ourselves.

This is a time when theologians and believers generally need to look at the wider picture with evangelism, according to Lalleman.

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Are we evangelicals fundamentalists? Probably not. How large are the differences between evangelicals in western and eastern Europe really? How do we relate to reformed and orthodox churches? What can we learn from Christians in the global South? Is John Stott indeed the model we still want to follow? All these and more questions will be on the table in Prague.

FEET boasts a record number of members, added Lalleman, who believed the fellowship was therefore in a good position to organize such a conference addressing evangelical identity.

The organization currently has 108 direct members plus a larger number of associate members via partner bodies such as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Biblisch Erneuerte Theologie (AfbeT, Switzerland) and Arbeitskreis fur Evangelikale Theologie (AfeT, Germany).

FEETs history began as an offshoot of the 1974 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, which launched the Lausanne Movement, motivating evangelicals to work together for the gospel.

David Kramer, a lecturer in systematic at the church-affiliated Internationale Hochschule Liebenzell in Bad Liebenzell, Germany and FEET secretary, explained that the 50th anniversary of Lausanne had been deemed a good moment to address the question about the state of evangelicalism in Europe today.

The conference involves evangelicals from diverse traditions, backgrounds and geographies to include wide historical and sociological perspectives, with scholars highlighting specific countries for illustrations.

At the same time, the conference will explore evangelical foundations, such as the authority and role of the Bible and biblical hermeneutics, as well as how evangelicals see themselves and are seen by non-evangelicals.

More specific questions will be studied in workshops such as the relationship between European evangelicals and nationalist or populist movements, world missions, the Global South and post-evangelicalism.

Questions of evangelical identity have become pressing for evangelicals in Europe, because of the way evangelical has become associated with specific political forces, e.g. in the United States or Brazil, said Kramer.

Some wonder whether this is still a useful uniting label; others point to the terms pedigree and ability to unite Christians from different backgrounds in a focus on the gospel. All this seems to make the question both acute and opportune and to promise lively discussions.

The last FEET conference was also held in Prague in 2022 under the theme: Hope for the World: Eschatology as a Source of Life for the Mission of the Church.
Former investigative journalist turned politician, Moha Jicho Pevu, has issued a rallying call to Kenyan media outlets, urging them to practice responsible journalism during the countrys current political instability.

Addressing Citizen TV Kenya and NTV Kenya directly, he underscored the significant role media plays in either mitigating or exacerbating conflict in troubled regions.

Dear Citizen TV Kenya and NTV Kenya, As you scramble for viewership at this critical turning point in our countrys history, I urge you to remember the role media plays in perpetuating violence in conflict-torn countries due to the absence of constructive news reporting, Moha stated.

The Nyali MP expressed deep concern over how the media portrays youth-led political unrest. He warned that such narratives can distort reality and serve self-interest at the expense of national unity and peace.

Moha called on the Media Council and Communication Authority of Kenya to hold media houses accountable for their influence on violence in the country.

He emphasized the long-term consequences of irresponsible reporting, noting, If we tarnish Kenyas image and contribute to burning this country, there will be no viewers to tune in, and we will serve as an example of a failed country to the very Western players that are pushing and financing this chaos.

Moha also highlighted the involvement of foreign players, including NGOs, in funding youth to destabilize the country. He warned that instability and violence could dismantle institutions and disrupt livelihoods across Kenya.

There is no doubt that there are foreign players including NGOs who are currently funding some youth to burn this country.

We must remember that when the wave of instability and violence rocks a country, it wipes out every standing institution and affects all livelihoods, he cautioned.

In his statement, Moha praised KTN News Kenya for its constructive news reporting and urged other media houses to follow their example. He concluded by calling on all community stakeholders to strive for unity and give dialogue a chance in forging a new chapter for Kenya.
Citizen TV journalist Stephen Letoo has openly criticized National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula for attempting to gag journalists.

In a recent statement, Letoo alleged that Wetangula plans to bar him and fellow Citizen TV reporter Seth Olale from covering parliamentary events. This reaction comes after they shared footage of the Occupy Parliament invasion.

Letoo, a political affairs reporter, further stated that Wetangula intends to relocate other parliamentary journalists outside the premises during sessions. He emphasized that this move aims to protect members of Parliament (MPs) from potential future attacks by the public.

So now Wetangula, National Assembly Speaker and PSC Chair, wants to kick out journalists covering Parliament from the precincts (Media Centre) on the grounds we are a source of insecurity to MPs following #OccupyParliament coverage! Letoo stated.

In response to these allegations, Seth Olale mentioned that he had not received any direct communication from parliament regarding the issue.

However, he indicated that reliable sources within Parliament confirmed that journalists were being moved out.

Reliable sources within the Parliament of Kenya confirm that I have indeed been banned from Parliament alongside my colleague Stephen Letoo because of our role in highlighting #OccupyParliament. This reported move by PSC is ill-advised and against media freedom, Olale stated.

Letoo had previously revealed that Olale faced trouble with Wetangula for sharing video footage showing MPs escaping Parliament through a private tunnel during the invasion.

Olale was part of a team of journalists inside Parliament with the MPs during the invasion on June 25. Letoo added that apart from relocating parliamentary journalists outside Parliament, there is a resolution to ban certain journalists, including himself, from the new area.

Other than the relocation of Parliamentary Journalists to outside Parliament, there is a resolution to BAN some journalists, myself included, who covered #OccupyParliament from stepping in the new area. Seth Olale, who exposed the MPs escape tunnel, is also banned, Letoo added.
Tatu City management has declined the Kiambu County Governments invitation to discuss delays in approving their revised Kes.4.3 billion land plan.

Preston Mendenhall, Group Chief Operating Officer at Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City, stated on Monday that the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, at the County headquarters in Kiambu, would not resolve any ongoing issues.

Mendenhall emphasized that their claims against the governor had garnered significant support from Kiambu County residents and businesses.

When investors anywhere in the world catalyse Ksh.385 billion of investment and create 20,000 jobs within a few years, they receive a thank you from their local governor, rather than face extortion. Frankly, Tatu City finds itself too busy to respond to the ravings of a governor, Mendenhall remarked in a statement.

Last week, Tatu City held a press conference accusing Governor Wamatangi and County Executive for Land Salome Wainaina of intentionally delaying the approval process.

Wamatangi has demanded that Tatu City cede ten percent of their land for public use, a condition Tatu City deems unconstitutional. As a private developer, they argue that no laws compel them to comply with such a provision. Mendenhall suggested that the county government should instead purchase the intended 54 acres of land.

In response, Wamatangi insisted that Tatu City should surrender the land in accordance with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act 2019. This standoff has prompted the Kenya Institute of Planners (KIP) to call on authorities, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), to investigate the extortion allegations.

Furthermore, KIP urged the Kiambu County government to conduct a comprehensive audit of all surrendered land to ensure compliance with existing laws. The planners emphasized the urgent need to eliminate corruption and streamline the approval process across the sector.

Amid this dispute, Tatu City has highlighted several community projects they have undertaken, accusing the county government of negligence.

Over the weekend, we held a free public event for 5,000 people that used public utilities and amenities at Tatu City. Runners and revelers enjoyed a free day of health, wellness, music and culture in Kiambu County. The event was supported by dozens of leading businesses, Mendenhall said.

He continued, The event also supported the state primary schools at Tatu City, which Kiambu County has literally starved of funds. Currently, Tatu City feeds 2,000 Kiambu County school children daily. Over the last 10 years, we have provided more than 1.8 million free meals to Kiambu County children, mostly from the neighboring communities of BTL and Ruturo. Primary school enrollment has increased 10 times, and nutrition in children and their exam results have risen significantly.

Additionally, over the weekend, Tatu City reportedly renovated classrooms and created a sports pitch at a state primary school they have adopted.

This was a long-planned event and done in support of the local community. The schoolchildren, all from Kiambu County, have been abandoned by it, Mendenhall noted.
The ministry of La Villita church, from New Life Community Church (NLCC) in Chicago, performed a wedding ceremony in which six Venezuelan and one Mexican couple decided to do things right and formalize their relationships following Scripture, by way of marriage.

NLCCs main pastor, Mark Jobe, preached and invited the couples to live right before Gods eyes in a clear call to other couples who are not wed yet. Responding to the message, several couples came forward to show their willingness to comply with Gods will for their lives.

New Life Centers is a community ministry of NLCC that provides help and services to the city of Chicago. They work jointly with the city in monitoring individuals in gangs. The city asked the church to support the immigrants who came to the area. Later, a special program was created so that the church became a host for immigrants support.

Florentina Guerrero, a member of the congregation, who had a profound desire to help couples in their walk of faith, became involved in the making of this collective wedding.

What we live with these collective weddings is historic, said Jose Guadalupe Guerrero, Florentinas husband, who worked with his wife to organize the ceremony. It is historic for everybody.

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The ceremony was the result of the collective efforts of several people from La Villita. Members and volunteers united to gather funds for the great wedding. Brides gowns, food and decorations were provided by the church and volunteers.

I enjoyed seeing the response of the congregation and the community in general, said Jose Guadalupe. Each one contributed what they could. It was good to develop the logistics, from planning the wedding day, helping them with legal procedures, up to the banquet at the end.

The couples were assigned godparents to help with ceremony preparations. These godparents will also have the responsibility to care for the newlyweds even after the ceremony, and walk with them.

At an event of this kind, it was also crucial to provide the couples with a Bible to help in their first steps. When we heard of this need, we immediately decided to help, says Ivan Leon, who leads Biblia QR. Each couple received a copy of this new edition of the Bible that features 1,500 Principles to Live By in the form of commentaries and videos, alongside the Bible text. We trust that these resources will help them establish their families in accordance with Gods design.

I was so glad, it was such a joy from God, said Jose Guadalupe. An answer to prayer, and the opportunity, not only for us as a congregation, but beyond that, for the city, to be part of this historic blessing.

Pastor Paco Amador, who officiated the big ceremony, said that the experience was a tremendous blessing. I had never done anything like this, he added. And to me, the most important thing is that it was a church effort.

The couples took classes and workshops on marriage before and after the wedding, to be strengthened in their walk of faith. One way in which we have been able to meet people to help them and serve them was through these regular pre-marriage classes, said Pastor Amador. We figured it would be a good way to disciple and impact people regularly.

The ministry is getting ready to start a new preparation for marriage course, and eleven couples are already registered.

To those who make the choice to leave their country of birth in search of a better future, Florentina says, Look to God, always. Do not let greed rob you of the blessing. Invest in your marriage and your family.

Jose Guadalupe exhorts immigrants to join a church, as a way to help them make friends. Try to congregate and participate so you can start to leave behind all the traumas that you went through in your journey, so you can become part of a community and grow, so you can find friendship and a sense of belonging in the community.

The ministry not only helps Venezuelans, but also supports immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. The church also helps an immigrant shelter for 225 people, and is seeking to expand their support to other shelters in the future.





Originally published on Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting with Italian Deputy PM Antonio Tajani on the sidelines of the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Italy. The leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in investments, start-ups, and energy between India and Italy. Minister Goyal also congratulated the Italian Deputy PM for successfully hosting the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting. Minister Goyal is on an official visit to participate in the outreach session of the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting scheduled for July 16-17 in Italy. The visit is part of the government's efforts to showcase the immense trade and investment opportunities that India has to offer to the world. In a social media post, Minister Goyal stated, "It was a pleasure to meet @Antonio_Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in investments, start-ups, and energy. Looking forward to working together to further strengthen our bilateral trade. Congratulated him for successfully hosting the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting. Villa San Giovanni, Italy." Minister Goyal also held a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The leaders discussed plans to deepen bilateral economic relations between India and the United Kingdom. India and the UK are engaged in FTA negotiations to foster trade between the two countries. Minister Goyal added that both India and the UK will finalize an agreement that will be mutually beneficial for both countries. Additionally, Minister Goyal met with Robert Habeck, the German Minister for Economic Affairs & Climate Action. During their meeting, the leaders discussed opportunities to elevate the growing Indo-German trade and economic partnership, especially in the run-up to the next Inter-Governmental Consultations and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in Delhi. Prior to his visit to Italy, Goyal was in Switzerland on July 14th and 15th for business and official meetings. The key objectives of the visit were to discuss the next steps for the implementation of the historic India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which was signed on March 10, 2024, in New Delhi, and to identify ways to realize the ambitious target of USD 100 billion in investment and the creation of one million jobs in India by EFTA countries over the next 15 years, as provided for in the Agreement. (ANI)
Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 17: MOURI Tech and Vertisystem celebrated their merger with a vibrant Collaboration Day event at their Indore offshore office. Associates from both companies participated in various activities, including an office tour, a group plantation drive, a team balloon release, and a gala evening event. Led by global leaders from both organizations, the event emphasized the united message of "soaring high together" as associates from across the globe joined in the festivities.

Excitement for the Future

Speaking on this occasion, Anil Yerramreddy, Global CEO of MOURI Tech, expressed his excitement, stating, "Vertisystem joining the MOURI Tech group is a major step forward. We plan to invest 200 crores over the next three years and expand our Indore headcount to 1,000 people." This significant investment underscores the commitment to growth and Indore's potential.

Mr. Rakesh Sadhwani, CEO of Vertisystem, echoed Mr. Yerramreddy's enthusiasm. He highlighted the "rich, untapped talent pool" in Indore and Madhya Pradesh, stating, "We aim to provide global opportunities, especially in artificial intelligence, data analytics, IT infrastructure, cloud & security solutions, and digital transformation." This focus on attracting talent aligns with the vision of becoming a leader in these critical sectors.

Global Impact, Local Celebration: A United Front

The acquisition and Collaboration Day resonated powerfully with associates from both MOURI Tech and Vertisystem worldwide. Vertisystem's team embraced the opportunity to join a larger, dynamic force, and a palpable sense of excitement permeated the air. The event solidified a shared vision and unwavering commitment to growth, innovation, and IT sector leadership. This Indore celebration marked the beginning of a collaborative journey - MOURI Tech and Vertisystem, soaring high together.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Nga mihi ki te hunga e whai ana i to ratou whainga (Greetings to everyone who is pursuing their purpose),



The text for this post is Isaiah 62:10-11 (NLT), Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. The LORD has sent this message to every land: Tell the people of Israel, Look, your Saviour is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. They will be called The Holy People and The People Redeemed by the LORD. And Jerusalem will be known as The Desirable Place and The City No Longer Forsaken.

I am no supersessionist. I dont believe that Gentile followers of Jesus the Messiah have superseded Israel or the covenant that God established through Abraham and directed through the Mosaic law. The people for whom Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors have their own responsibilities and privileges. All of which are fulfilled in Jesus, whom they must recognise as their Messiah in order to find satisfaction for their millennia of yearning. As I noted in my previous blog post, we Gentiles are settlers to a well-established faith, the Jews (the blood line of Israel) are indigenous. We are grafted into their story. By Jesus blood, which has become our blood by faith, securing our inheritance. We are grafted, whangai, adopted, into that story. And the story of every ethnicity in Christ now interweaves with the biblical narrative, past, present, and future. It is the massive tree containing birds of every kind that began as a small seed. It is the increasingly large river that holds fish of every kind. It is the city of New Jerusalem that attracts and welcomes the nations. It is the New Creation.

Without the canon that has been collected by wise teachers of earliest Christianity and passed down to us by wise translators today, our faith is unmoored.

Each and all of the metaphors used in Scripture to describe New Creation are bounded. There is a border between what it is and what it is not. There is no escaping this. We cannot theologically or conceptually wish it away. Entrance to New Creation requires a valid visa in ones passport of life to allow entry. Western liberal Christians who argue for open inclusivism would prefer this not be the case. For it not to be necessary, they need to disassociate themselves from the authority of Scripture. They make compelling arguments that seek to relegate the Judeo-Christian texts to a level of helpful historic anecdote that one can take or leave. But without the canon that has been collected by wise teachers of earliest Christianity and passed down to us by wise translators today, our faith is unmoored. We remain immature like children tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth (Ephesians 4:14). Jesus becomes whoever we want Him to be. We might suppose we can create a Jesus from cherry-picked verses, but the result is about as substantial as cotton woolit feels wonderful but doesnt protect us from reality.

On the contrary, Jesus established Himself in Scripture as the monarch of an alternate realitya Kingdom. He is the anointed ruler long prophesied by the seers and soothsayers of Israel. His first coming challenged (and successfully undermined) one of the greatest empires in history and continues to undermine every empire sinceeven those who would attempt to co-opt and exploit His name. In the text above, one of those prophets imagined the coming reign as a revitalised Jerusalem, a city bounded by a broad and high wall providing safety and protection but whose gates remain open to the north, east, south, and west (see also Revelation 21). People from every point of the compass may come in, find sanctuary, settle, and enjoy the blessings of the city and its ever-present King so long as they have a valid visa. Once there, they must adapt to the ethic of the polis, the way of living according to the expectations of the King. There is no doing whatever you like, but once youre in, what you will like to do is to please the King, and there is nothing despotic about the Kings will.

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New Creation is the dreamed place, worthy of a harsh and hazardous journey of discovery, to find that place where our vision of the good life is fulfilled.

Emissaries of the King are told, in the passage above, to go out through the gates and make the way as smooth as possible for people from all nations to find their way to the city. They are welcome. Therein, they will find plenty. The emissaries testify to this because they are from there and can point the way to it. I am a sucker for dystopian fiction, and I confess to finding some brutal film depictions of post-apocalyptic worlds intellectually stimulating. Most sagas depict a universal human longing for safety and plenty (consider the attraction of Psalm 23s still waters and green pastures). The hero(ine)s journey is the pursuit of a place that they have only dreamed about from whispers handed down. The best of these stories end with the promise of fulfilment, hope renewed. It is a plot as old as humanity, brought to followers of Jesus by ancient Hebrews in the manner of Genesis, Exodus and the history of Israel. A narrative that can be just as brutal as any dystopian movie, with the fall in Genesis 3 as the point of initial cataclysm. New Creation is the dreamed place, worthy of a harsh and hazardous journey of discovery, to find that place where our vision of the good life is fulfilleda heros journey.

The promise of New Creation is of a transformed humanity. A safe and trustworthy society where all work for the common good in holy matrimony. We are wedded to one another by a covenant more potent than the marriage bond. Our mutually intimate interconnection and eternal fidelity in the resurrected reality will eclipse all debates about sexuality and gender like waking from a restless dream. Hence the Apostles referring to the community of Jesus followers as the bride of Christ and other familial metaphors (consider also Jesus in Mark 3:31-33). We will be a holy people, rescued, redeemed, renewed, restored, revived, renovated transformed. Human longing entirely fulfilled. But it is not a promise that we can lift out of Scripture and take as our own vision by way of progressive human evolution and leave behind the rest of Scripture that tells us how it plays out and how to participate in it. One must follow the instructions in order to achieve that outcome. The gates to the city of promise are open wide, but as Jesus himself said, the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:14 NLT). Thats why the emissaries have to go out and show others the way, which they have made appropriately smooth for every context even as it remains tight and tough.

Post-colonial sensitivities seem to have created a new breed of inclusivists, who refrain from requiring any great change from people. Always get the latest news by following Christian Daily International on WhatsApp!

In a recent conversation with a brother from Papua New Guinea, we were comparing and contrasting perspectives of what scholars call inclusivists over and against that of open exclusivists. Post-colonial sensitivities seem to have created a new breed of inclusivists, who refrain from requiring any great change from peopleto obliterate any boundaries to faith in Jesus, to fell the walls of New Jerusalem, and erase the borders of New Creation. Come one come all, fellowship with us as you are, they might say. My brother wryly commented that if these types of Christians were the emissaries to first come to Papua New Guinea to start churches, his people would still be cannibals but cannibals for Jesus. This is, of course, a caricature of the inclusivists view but it is not far from the truth if we assume that change is not required to enter New Creation. It most certainly is, but it is not a change that is enforced from without. It is a change that emerges from within, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, made available only through allegiance to Messiah Jesus. Furthermore, it is a change developed as we participate in the holy community of the people of God, guided by the authority of the holy Scriptures as the arbiter of what is and is not acceptable.

We cannot enter the gates while carrying the baggage of our old allegiances. We might find our way to this good place, and even camp outside the gates without realising we havent actually entered yet. But we cannot go in unless we renounce our faith in former ways, former sources of hope, former dependencies for our life and wellbeingour former gods. Whether such sources of spiritual sustenance are guardians of the physical world, principalities of cultural philosophies, or deep commitments to ideologieslike nga atua Maori, Hindu darshana, or evidence-based empirical science. Such dependence must be relinquished in order to acquire a valid visa for entry into New Creation. That which supported our identity is exchanged for a new source, one which raises us to who we were born to be as bearers of the image of God. Far from our earthly identity being diminished, it is amplified as we are transformed from one degree of glory to another in ever increasing measure by our living commitment to Christ, the King of New Creation (see 2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

Everything has its purpose.

Does that render our former comprehension of reality invalid? No. But it transforms our understanding of it, and we become no longer reliant on how we used to live in it. For example, as Maori, I can still perceive, and respect nga atua Maori (the Maori spiritual powers) as delegated authorities appointed to guard the oceans, forests, skies, waterways, crops, and living beings; but in Christ I am no longer bound to them, nor the law required to appease them. I do not need to pray to them or any other spiritual entity, let alone use wicked means to achieve power from them like cannibalism and other forms of what the Bible calls witchcraft. In my reliance on Christ alone, I give thanks to God for the physical world and all that it provides for me and my family. I can also give thanks to God for the spiritual order that Jesus has created and ultimately controls to sustain the physical. Everything has its purpose.

Similarly, I can still allow evidence-based scientific findings to inform my understanding of Jesus creation and marvel at the intricate harmony that God has woven together, trusting that we will find nothing that contradicts Gods revelation. Instead, it enlarges my sense of wonder and worship of God, even as it might force me to revisit some theological assumptions. Faith in science believes that all remaining mysteries will eventually be explained through evidence-based or empirically tested theories of the material world. Faith in Christ believes that all mysteries will eventually be revealed in an eternity of co-creative experience in a New Creation where the veil is lifted between the seen and unseen. But you wont get that opportunity if you have not entered New Creation before you cross the death divide (or before Jesus returns). Dont be fooled. Faith is a driver of everything we pursue in this world, whether it is recognised as a religion or not. Choose this day who you will serve.

Our Saviour is closer today than He was yesterday, bringing His reward with Him. Let us encourage one another with this as we go out into the all the world as emissaries, co-creating New Creation.

Arohanui ki a koutou e haere ana ki te ao (love to you all as you go into the world),




NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 17: PAN Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., is a leading hygiene product manufacturing company based in Gujarat, recently organized a grand celebration for the "SABKA SATH SABKA VIKAS" initiative for their distributors, channel partners and team members, which reiterated Chirag Pan's vision of inclusive growth of all associated members of the company whether it is channel partners, employees or associates. The company, known for manufacturing baby diapers under the Little Angel brand, adult diapers under the Liberty brand, and sanitary napkins under the Everteen brand, saw remarkable participation at this event. Over 500 members, including 150+ esteemed channel partners and winners, along with the dedicated sales team from the North region attended the celebration. Chirag Pan, CEO and Managing Director of PAN Healthcare, says, "PAN Health was born out of a commitment to make superior quality hygiene products accessible to the masses at an affordable and budget-friendly price point. We are proud to make in India and make for the world. The rapid strides we have made over recent years would not have been possible without the unrelenting efforts of our PAN Health family, comprising our business partners and staff. Today's grand ceremony in Lucknow is a testament to our promise of 'SABKA SATH SABKA VIKAS' and a focus on rewarding meritocracy. In line with our vision to be the globally preferred brand in hygiene and our fast-paced growth, our focus this year will be on the mantra of 'reform, perform and transform'." The event recognized and rewarded the outstanding performances and contributions of the company's channel partners and sales team members. "SABKA SATH SABKA VIKAS" was designed to foster growth, innovation, and excellence within the company, focusing particularly on baby diapers and adhering to the Make in India mission. The initiative has yielded remarkable results, and the felicitation ceremony stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of all participants, motivating numerous others. From the company's management, the event was graced by several key figures. Chirag Pan, CEO and MD, Alpesh Pan, CFO, Jatin Panchani, Amber Patel motivated the attendees with their vision and the strategic direction of the company. Additionally, Rakesh Sinha, President of Sales, acknowledged the efforts of the sales team and channel partners. The event featured an exciting lineup of felicitations, reflecting the company's values for its top performers. The facilitation ceremony included an array of prizes which included 9 Luxurious Cars ranging from Kia Seltos to Wagon R 45 Stylish bikes like Royal Enfiled's, Bajaj Pulsar and many more 28 foreign trips for two or stylish two wheelers like Honda Activa 77 foreign trip and 108 Android Phones for top achievers in various categories. These felicitations are not just tokens of appreciation but a recognition of the relentless efforts and dedication of the channel partners and sales team, as expressed by the management. This is very much in line with company's vision of inclusive growth not only comes to the company but to all to associated channels partners. Pan Health continues to strive for excellence and aims to achieve greater milestones with the support and commitment of its valuable team members, adding to the rich legacy of the company and its stakeholders. PAN Health is India's pioneer in manufacturing baby diapers. The state-of-the-art facility spans over 5,00,000 sq. ft., where the company upholds stringent quality tests to deliver premium hygiene products. Committed to a healthier India and environmental protection, Pan Health proudly supports the Make in India mission, ensuring their products are available nationwide. The company's vision is to nurture happier, healthier lives by providing the best care, utmost protection, and maximum comfort for women, children, and elders. Company USPs: * Modern state-of art hygiene product manufacturing plant* All india more than 6.00 lac outlets, also exporting to more than 12 countries. Serving goal of Make in india made for world* Online more than 5 million orders direct to consumer* More than 5 lac sq. ft. of ultra-modern world-class manufacturing facility* The first Indian manufacturer of adult diapers.* Commitment to environmental care and protection.* Stringent quality tests to maintain product standards.* Commitment towards a healthier India. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 17: The Indian apparel industry is gearing up for the spectacular show of trends, innovation and business opportunities at the most awaited 79th National Garment Fair (79th NGF) by CMAI scheduled to take place from 23-26 July 2024 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre and the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. With a massive 1 million square feet of exhibition space, this NGF is set to highlight the latest collection in men's, women's & children's clothing. This bi-annual trade show being organized by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) attracts 1100 apparel manufacturers and more than 30000 pan India Retailers. NGF stands as a symbol of exclusiveness and holds significant prestige in the industry as India's foremost comprehensive sourcing fair that maximizes both time and cost efficiency for all stakeholders. Rajesh Masand, President, CMAI, said, "Despite the consumption slow down prevalent since 2023, we are optimistic about a rising demand in the domestic market during the upcoming festive season. Indian consumers distinct fashion choices, demand for unique prints, special designs and premium merchandise does provide a solid foundation for growth. We anticipate that the later half of the year will see a notable improvement across all categories, marking 2024 as a stabilizing period that sets the stage for our brighter future." Speaking about NGF, Rohit Munjal, Vice President and Chairman of the Fair Committee, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) said, "National Garment Fair attracts national level manufacturers, distributors, retailers, industry professionals, promoting B2B sourcing relationships and offers access to new business opportunities that help drive growth. The four-day extravagant trade show is anticipated to attract over 30,000 trade buyers from all over India. To facilitate this large quantum of trade visitors and ensuring a productive experience for all stakeholders involved, we have bifurcated the total exhibition space of 1 million square feet across two largest venues of Mumbai - Men's Wear & Women's Wear at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon and Kid's wear at Jio World Convention Centre in BKC thus showcasing latest collections of over 1300 apparel brands for trade bookings." Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor of CMAI, said, "As we gather to showcase cutting-edge apparel trends and foster business collaborations at the NGF, we are also embracing the future with a focus on sustainability and novelty. NGF symbolizes our collective vision for an industry that is not only fashionable and dynamic but also responsible and forward-thinking. It's a platform where tradition meets modernity, and where the seeds of a sustainable future are sown." The NGF consolidates itself as the largest conglomeration of retailers and manufacturers, providing a single sourcing destination. This consolidation enhances efficiency and nurtures seamless networking and collaboration opportunities within the garments & apparels ecosystem. As a biannual celebration of garments & apparels, the NGF not only showcases the latest trends but also contributes to building a sustainable and thriving future for the Indian apparel industry. The 79th edition is expected to be a monumental chapter in the journey of the same. The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) is the most representative association of the Indian apparel industry having over 5000 members and serving more than 25,000 Retailers across India. Its Membership consists of Manufacturers, Exporters, Brands, and ancillary industry. CMAI advocates regarding policies and also guides and encourages its members on ESG related matters and initiatives. In 2019, CMAI launched the SU.RE initiative to encourage members to embrace sustainability. Established sixty-one years ago, CMAI has contributed immensely towards development of the industry. In 1978, CMAI had led the creation of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). CMAI is also authorized by the Government of India to issue Certificate of Origin (Non-Preferential) to Exporters. CMAI is the only Indian Association that represents the entire Indian Apparel Industry & Trade on prestigious international forums such as International Apparel Federation (IAF) headquartered in Netherlands. Visit: www.cmai.in | Follow Twitter: @CMAI_Official (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
This center will deliver IFEC services to a range of clients, including Air India and Vistara, as well as various global airlines in Europe, Middle East and North America.

"From here (pune) Panasonic avionics center support most of the global clients in Middle East , Europe and North America based airlines company," Ken sain, Panasonic avionics CEO told ANI.

Over 200 leading airlines and 15000 planes worldwide have installed (narrow and wide body planes) Panasonic Avionics' in-flight services, satellite Wi-Fi connectivity, and digital services on their aircraft.

Panasonic Avionics on Wednesday has inaugurated in-flight Engagement and Connectivity solutions on the presence of Murlidhar Mohol, the Minister of State for Aviation, inaugurated Panasonic Avionics' Service Centre in Pune on Wednesday. The event was attended by Panasonic Avionics' CEO Ken Sain and CTO Satyen Yadav along side other dignitaries and industry leaders.

Speaking at the inauguration, Minister Murlidhar Mohol highlighted the importance of such initiatives in strengthening India's aviation infrastructure and creating job opportunities.

"The government's commitment to supporting the growth of the aviation sector and the role of partnerships with leading technology providers like Panasonic Avionics," he said.

Panasonic Avionics' CEO Ken Sain expressed enthusiasm for the new center, stating, "This facility underscores our commitment to providing unparalleled service and support to our clients. We are excited about the opportunities this center brings in terms of innovation and customer satisfaction."

The CTO Satyen Yadav of Panasonic Avionics added, "Our new Sonic Eion Service Centre will play a crucial role in our global operations, enabling us to maintain the highest standards of service excellence and technological advancement."

The establishment of the Panasonic Avionics Service Centre in Pune marks a significant milestone for Panasonic Avionics, further solidifying its presence in India and its dedication to supporting the region's burgeoning aviation industry. (ANI)
VMPL Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 17: Risaya, a leading innovator in the education sector, proudly announces the launch of its cutting-edge Drone Program at Ethiraj College, Chennai. Additionally, Risaya has an advanced Sound Engineering Program at Loyola College, demonstrating its commitment to providing state-of-the-art educational opportunities that align with industry demands and technological advancements. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Bangalore, Risaya has rapidly established itself as a trailblazer in delivering specialized educational programs across various disciplines. The company operates primarily in the higher education segment, offering innovative courses tailored to meet the needs of both students and industry professionals. Drone Program at Ethiraj College Risaya's newly launched Drone Program at Ethiraj College is set to revolutionize the way students engage with and learn about drone technology. This program is designed to provide comprehensive training in drone engineering, technology, and business applications, equipping students with the skills necessary to excel in this burgeoning field. Speaking about the program, Rathish, CEO of Risaya, stated, "Our Drone Program is an exciting addition to our educational offerings. We aim to empower students with the knowledge and practical experience they need to succeed in the rapidly evolving drone industry." Sound Engineering Program Showcased at Loyola College In addition to the Drone Program, Risaya showcased its advanced Sound Engineering Program at Loyola College today. This program, which focuses on the technical and creative aspects of sound production, has already garnered significant interest among students. Rathish commented, "Our Sound Engineering Program is designed to provide students with hands-on experience and a deep understanding of the latest technologies in sound production. We are thrilled to bring this program to Loyola College and offer students the opportunity to explore careers in this dynamic field." A Commitment to Excellence and International Collaboration Risaya's mission is to bridge the gap between traditional education and the evolving needs of the industry. The company's focus on emerging technologies, creative arts, and professional courses ensures that students are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. "At Risaya, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality education that is both relevant and impactful," said Rathish. "Our programs are crafted to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their chosen careers." Risaya is proud to have established international university tie-ups, allowing students to benefit from global perspectives and opportunities. These partnerships enable students to partake in exchange programs and gain exposure to international best practices. "Our collaborations with esteemed international universities ensure our students receive a world-class education," noted Rathish. Industry Tie-ups for Placements and Internships In addition to academic excellence, Risaya places a strong emphasis on employability. The company has forged significant industry tie-ups to facilitate placements and internships for its students. These partnerships ensure that students have access to practical experience and professional networks that are crucial for their career development. "We believe in the importance of industry engagement and continuously strive to create opportunities for our students to connect with leading companies," remarked Rathish. Innovative Programs and Future Prospects Risaya's educational programs are characterized by their innovative curriculum and industry partnerships. The company's collaboration with leading institutions and experts ensures that its courses are not only academically rigorous but also aligned with industry standards and practices. "We believe in the power of collaboration and continuously seek partnerships that enhance our educational offerings," said Rathish. "Our goal is to create a learning environment that is both inspiring and conducive to professional growth." As Risaya continues to expand its footprint in the education sector, the company remains committed to its vision of providing transformative learning experiences. With a focus on emerging technologies and creative disciplines, Risaya is poised to shape the future of education in India and beyond. "Our journey has just begun, and we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead," said Rathish. "We will continue to innovate and adapt to ensure that our students receive the best possible education and are prepared for the future." For more information about Risaya and its educational programs, please visit https://www.risaya.global/ Risaya is a premier education provider specializing in higher education and school segments, offering a wide range of programs in emerging technologies, creative arts, and professional courses. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Bangalore, Risaya is dedicated to delivering high-quality, industry-relevant education that prepares students for successful careers. Contact Information: Sankar S Chennai 7550050166 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Industry body Nasscom, which represents the technology and software landscape in the country has expressed its concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024.The Karnataka state cabinet on Monday approved a bill enforcing 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries. Expressing its disappointment The Nasscom urged the state government to withdraw the Bill. "Nasscom members are seriously concerned about the provisions of this bill and urge the state government to withdraw the bill. The bill's provisions threaten to reverse this progress, drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state. At the same time, the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce, the statement read. Nasscom said that the tech sector contributes to 25 per cent of the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), houses a quarter of the country's digital talent, over 11000 startups, and 30 per cent of the total GNU Compiler Collection (GCCs). Restrictions could force companies to relocate as locally skilled talent becomes scarce, the body said. It further said that The bill's provisions threaten to reverse what the state has achieved in the field of technology and software. It further added that in today's highly competitive landscape, knowledge-led businesses will locate where talent is as attracting skilled workers is crucial for success. "Nasscom is seeking an urgent meeting for industry representatives with state authorities to discuss the concerns and prevent the state's progress from being derailed," the industry body urged. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar however allayed the fears of industry saying that the the government would be holding further discussions. "No investors need to worry. We want investors to come to Karnataka. There are certain sections of the people who are talented and have come from outside the state. We want them to work in Karnataka. Bengaluru's population has grown to 1.4 crores because of the outsiders coming here to work. We just want to give them scope... We are more worried than both the employer and the employee. We will see where we can accommodate Kannadigas..." Priyank Kharge said, "The bill has been brought in by the labour department. They are yet to consult with the industry, the Minister of Industry and the Department of Information Technology. I am sure that before coming up with the rules of the bill, they will have due consultations with the respective ministries and more importantly, a wider consultation with the industry. So there is no need to panic. We are going to safeguard the jobs for the state as well as encourage investments in the industries with their consultation..." Earlier on Wednesday, several industry leaders in the state objected to the move, saying that it was "discriminatory" and raised apprehensions that the tech industry may suffer. (ANI)
SMPL New Delhi [India], July 17: India's first career-oriented boarding school, The Academic City School, has taken a significant step forward by launching the School of Common Science Programme. This pioneering initiative is designed to ensure that students acquire essential "everyday sciences" knowledge alongside their academic curriculum. The programme focuses on practical life skills, bridging the gap between theoretical education and real-world application, thus providing a holistic learning experience for the students. Prof. Pallavi, Principal, The Academic City School says, "It is with great pride that I announce the implementation of The School of Common Science Programme. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to blend academic excellence with essential life skills, ensuring our students are equipped for the challenges of the real world. In an era where education must extend beyond textbooks, The School of Common Science Programme exemplifies our commitment to fostering an environment where students can thrive both academically and practically. We believe that by providing these experiences, we prepare our students not just for exams, but for life." In a country where academic excellence has long been prioritized, The Academic City School recognizes that true success encompasses more than just book knowledge. Essential 'street smart' skills, vital for navigating real-life challenges, are often overlooked in conventional education systems. Being 'book smart' can lead to good academic performance in predictable, controlled environments with known syllabi and exam patterns. However, real life presents challenges that are often unpredictable, with no shortcuts and many situations that are out of syllabus. Their School of Common Science programme addresses this gap by fostering holistic development, preparing students to tackle unpredictable life situations with confidence and competence. Discover the Benefits of The School of Common Science Programme Activities: 1. Farming: Food is the foundation of life. In the fast-paced urban environment where today's generation often only sees fruits and vegetables in supermarkets, students of The Academic City have a unique opportunity. They utilize the farm space on the 9-acre campus to experience the joy of growing fruits and vegetables themselves. What do they learn? Students come to value food and develop gratitude towards farmers, who provide it. They also learn about different soil conditions necessary for growing food, the amount of water required, steps to maintain soil fertility, and the ideal temperature conditions. These hands-on experiences are directly related to their academics, leading to a more comprehensive and lasting understanding of social science subjects. 2. Skills of Carpentry, Plumbing, and Electrical Work: Independence is a crucial skill in today's evolving world. In the 'School of Common Science' Programme children pick up the essential skills of basic carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. These skills educate children to value resources like wood, water, and electricity, how to optimize their usage, and develop problem-solving abilities. As they focus on real-life solutions, solving textbook problems becomes more engaging and interesting. 3. Firewood Cooking: Weekend treks offer students the thrill of hiking long distances, building stamina. Additionally, they learn to cook using firewood to satisfy their hunger. This fosters independence, ensuring that they can take care of themselves and others, even when away from home. 4. Martial Arts: Self-defense is an essential skill, and our martial arts classes equip students with the ability to protect themselves. Additionally, these classes enhance concentration, focus, listening skills, and self-discipline. 5. Financial Literacy: Financial literacy is an important everyday science that empowers students to manage money effectively. It teaches students about saving, budgeting within available resources, and handling situations that necessitate borrowing and managing debt. At The Academic City, financial literacy education begins as early as fourth grade, when students start managing their imprest accounts while staying on campus. 6. Career Counseling: A common question a child is often asked is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question, whether knowingly or unknowingly, encourages them to start thinking about career choices. Their answers often change from year to year--from wanting to be a doctor, then an engineer, then a fashion designer, or a musician. These aspirations are based on what they observe around them, with little understanding of what it actually takes to pursue these careers. As India's first career-oriented boarding school, The Academic City School provides students with ample exposure to various professions, helping them understand the requirements and allowing them to make informed choices based on their true inclinations. The Academic City School is redefining education by blending academics with real-life activities, preparing our students for a successful and fulfilling future. If you are a parent wanting to know more, you can reach them out at: https://theacademiccity.com/boarding-school-in-bangalore-karnataka-india For more information, please visit - * https://theacademiccity.com/ * https://theacademiccity.com/how-to-choose-the-boarding-school (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Bengaluru, (Karnataka) [India], July 17, ANI: Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has announced the opening of a new Customer Service Centre in Bengaluru. This centre will be part of Pratt & Whitney's India Capability Centre, legally known as UTCIPL, and aims to enhance customer service and operational support for Pratt & Whitney Canada's fleet of 68,000 engines in service globally. The facility is expected to employ more than 150 aerospace experts and engineers. These professionals will support a global customer service ecosystem and will be co-located with Pratt & Whitney's supply chain operations, engineering, and digital transformation centres of excellence in India. "With the new Customer Service Center, we are leveraging our existing investments in India and using regional talent to augment our world-class product and service dependability and customer experience service level," said Nivine Kallab, Vice President, Customer Programs, Pratt & Whitney Canada. Employees at the Customer Service Center will provide a wide range of services, including maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) support, spare part management, engine leasing, engine reliability analysis, and contract administration. The centre's clientele is expected to include Indian and global airlines, original equipment manufacturers, MROs, regulatory bodies, and small operators. "We have invested over USD 40 million in India across our centres and expanded our talent pool to over 600 employees within the last three years. The Customer Service Center will aim to enhance our worldwide service transformation and deliver operational excellence," added Sandeep Sharma, Director, India Capability Center, Pratt & Whitney (UTCIPL). Pratt & Whitney Canada's turboprop engine families power a significant portion of India's regional aviation fleet. Indian airlines such as IndiGo, Alliance Air, Fly91, and SpiceJet operate over 90 ATR-72, ATR-42, and DHC-8-400 aircraft powered by PW127, PW127XT, and PW150 engines. Additionally, the PW127G engine powers the Indian Air Force's C-295 aircraft, while the PT6A powers its PC-7 trainers. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, the PW100 engine family is renowned for its low fuel consumption, consuming 25 per cent to 40 per cent less fuel on routes of 350 miles or less and reducing CO2 emissions significantly compared to similar-sized regional jets. With an Indian workforce of more than 6,000 employees across Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace, RTX boasts one of the largest presences among aerospace and defence firms in India. (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 17: Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA), Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) SkillsDA - Center for Advanced Training And Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL). The Bharath Data Protection Officer (DPO) Training and Certification Program has been officially inaugurated by the Speaker of Puducherry, Embalam Selvam, at the Rashtriya Raksha University, Puducherry campus on Friday. The event was graced by the presence of the Education, Home, and Industries Minister, A. Namassivayam, along with distinguished dignitaries from the Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA), Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), SkillsDA - Center for Advanced Training, and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited. In adherence to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023 and global data protection regulations, SASTRA in collaboration with SkillsDA and TCIL, is providing a three-day certified training program named Bharath DPO. The program aims to provide participants with a holistic understanding of the DPDP Act along with a comparative analysis of major international data protection laws. Kottaram V Ramesh, Managing Director of Ingu's Knowledge Academy (SkillsDA), extended a warm welcome to all the dignitaries and participants. Inaugurating the program with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, the Speaker of Puducherry, Embalam Selvam, delivered a inaugural address to the participants. He emphasized the critical importance of data protection, highlighting its significance not only for safeguarding individuals but also for the security and development of the entire nation. Sri Selvam pointed out that despite comprehensive protection measures, data theft through advanced methods remains a persistent challenge. He underscored the necessity for a permanent and robust solution to safeguard both individual and government data. The Puducherry government, he assured, is committed to supporting initiatives like this program, which promise substantial benefits to the participants. The Education, Home, and Industries Minister, A. Namassivayam, addressed the gathering, emphasizing the complexities of data protection in today's technologically advanced era. He remarked that while technology is widely accessible, safeguarding individual rights over personal data remains challenging. The current situation allows for unprecedented access to personal data, transforming data from being merely a form of wealth to a potent weapon. Namassivayam stressed the critical importance of data protection and welcomed initiatives like this program, recognizing their vital role in addressing this pressing issue. Following the Minister's address, Col. Nidhish Bhatnagar, Managing Director of SASTRA has highlighted key aspects of the DPDP Act, focusing on its provisions concerning data principals, data fiduciaries, data processors, and consent managers. Col. Bhatnagar noted that, as per Section 10, subsection (2) of the Act, Data Protection Officers play a significant role in overseeing and ensuring organizational compliance with data protection obligations. The program consists of more than 15 modules, including various aspects such as privacy governance, risk management, data breaches, ethical considerations, and so on, with various simulation exercises and assessments for the participants. This certification is considered essential for data protection officers and Chief Information Officers (CIOs), compliance officers, data protection lawyers, and other professionals entrusted with data management and protection. It will provide in-depth knowledge and essential skills and expertise required for proficient management and processing of digital data. The mentors in the program are Vaidyanathan Chandramouli, a distinguished techno-management leader with over twenty-five years of experience in governance risk and compliance, and Mahesh Balakrishnan, a senior professional in integrated risk management, cybersecurity, and cyber forensics. Lt. Col. Prabhat Singh, General Manager, TCIL extended vote of thanks to all the dignitaries and participants of the inaugural session. SASTRA: Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA) is a Section 8, Not-for-profit Company under the Companies Act 2013, set up by Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), an Institution of National Importance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. SASTRA's primary objective is to facilitate a quadruple engagement between academia, industry, innovators and the government for innovation, incubation and technology acceleration in the space of national security and policing. The agenda is to accelerate India towards an Atmanirbhar and AtmaSurakshit Bharat. RRU Rastriya Raksha University aims to become an academic-research-training ecosystem for national security and the police. With the aim of expanding the university's presence and service to the nation (sec. 4(4) of the RRU Act 2020), RRU inaugurated its fourth extension campus in the union territory of Puducherry recently. This campus offers a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Police Administration, as well as the Postgraduate Diploma in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics program. SkillsDA: SkillsDA--Ingu's Knowledge Academy Pvt. Ltd. is a unique platform that brings academia, industry, and skilled staff together to delight end customers. It is a training and upskilling ecosystem that caters to all four stakeholders across several sectors that are in dire need of high-quality experience. TCIL: TCIL, a prime engineering and consulting company, is a wholly owned Government of India public sector enterprise under the administrative control of the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India. On the final day, Kottaram V Ramesh, MD of SkillsDA delivered the valedictory address highlighting professionalism and simulation-based training to the participants, appreciating the attention of this first cohort, in the all-important topic, Data privacy and Data protection. Participants were given certificates and the winning team of the DPO simulation was awarded. He also said that the " Bharat DPO program will now be delivered across the country in Government, Industry and Academia". (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, participated in the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting held at the picturesque Villa San Giovanni in Reggio Calabria, Italy. According to a press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on the sidelines of the meeting, Goyal engaged in several high-level bilateral discussions with international counterparts, showcasing India's dedication to strengthening global economic partnerships. During talks with Antonio Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the two ministers agreed to boost bilateral trade and investment, industrial co-production, and collaboration in clean technologies. Minister Goyal also commended Tajani for hosting a successful G7 Trade Ministers' meeting. Discussions with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, centered on enhancing India-EU trade and economic collaborations, including ongoing FTA negotiations, read the press release. They explored opportunities to bolster cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. In his meeting with New Zealand's Trade Minister, Todd McClay, Goyal discussed ways to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties for mutual growth, aiming to further enhance the robust trade relationship between India and New Zealand. Minister Goyal congratulated Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on his appointment and discussed deepening bilateral economic relations. They also addressed advancing discussions on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK, read the press release. In a conversation with Dr Robert Habeck, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs & Climate Action, Goyal discussed elevating the growing Indo-German trade and economic partnership, focusing on upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in Delhi. These bilateral engagements are anticipated to significantly advance India's trade relations with key international partners. Goyal's participation in the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting highlights India's proactive approach in engaging with global economies to foster trade and economic cooperation. During the session, Goyal thanked Antonio Tajani for the invitation and emphasized the importance of analyzing the robustness of global supply chains in times of crisis, referencing the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the Red Sea crisis. He highlighted the efforts of various countries to build resilient supply chains through platforms such as the G20 Generic Framework for Mapping Global Value Chains (GVCs), the 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) association, the Trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Shri Goyal discussed India's initiatives with strategic partners like the US, GCC countries, and the EU, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to strengthen supply chains, and emphasized India's domestic measures to enhance multimodal connectivity for an integrated supply chain with markets, distribution systems, and logistics, read the press release. The minister proposed collaboration among trusted partners to reinforce global supply chains in critical sectors such as critical minerals, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and green energy. He advocated for public-private partnerships, investments in critical infrastructure, innovation, and consistent regulatory frameworks across G7 countries and partner nations. He addressed the impact of the "3 Cs" - Covid, Conflicts, and Climate Change - on global value chains, stressing the need for robust partnerships and cooperation. He also introduced the concept of the "3 Fs" - fragmented, fragile, and fraught with uncertainties - characterizing the current global context, and urged greater alignment of investment, trade, environment, and energy policies to fortify global supply chains. Minister Goyal underscored the necessity for resilient supply chains that can endure beyond the current generation. (ANI)
Makers of 'Bloody Ishq' starring Avika Gor and Vardhan Puri unveiled the thrilling trailer and is sure to send chills down your spine! Directed by the master of horror films, Vikram Bhatt and produced by Mahesh Bhatt. Taking to Instagram, streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar treated fans with the trailer video on Tuesaday. https://www.instagram.com/p/C9eNusXPXQx/ The trailer opens with a woman who's lost her memory after an accident. As she arrives on an island with her husband, she begins to experience unexpected situations inside her home. The trailer takes fans to a flashback of Vikram's other previous hit film Raaz (2002), starring Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea. The scenes of ghosts and the air of the movie seem to be on similar lines. Gor said, "I feel very fortunate that Vikram Sir (Vikram Bhatt) thought of me when he was visualizing this film. Horror is something I enjoy as a genre and to land this role was interesting and challenging. This is entirely different from my roles in 1920: Horrors of the Heart or Mansion 24. I'm really grateful that when it comes to strong, emotional female characters I'm considered and it gave me this great opportunity to work with the Bhatts again.Neha's character helped me explore my inner abilities as an actor and I thoroughly enjoyed working with Disney+ Hotstar." Talking about the film, director Vikram Bhatt said, "It may be hard to believe me, but I am scared of watching horror films, even though I absolutely enjoy making them for the viewers. I had been wanting to make a horror love story for the longest and when I spoke to Bhatt sahab about it, without a second thought, he jumped in and then Bloody Ishq happened. I wanted to retain some elements of a horror film like a dark setup, ghosts and spirits while also adding my own twists to the tale and giving it a fresh mix of a love story, suspense and horror. Avika Gor is one of the most talented actors in the industry and after 1920: Horrors of the Heart, I just knew I had to have her in Bloody Ishq and she has outdone herself with her performance. I am sure that the film will leave an unforgettable mork on Disney+ Hotstar's audiences." Sharing his thoughts, producer Mahesh Bhatt added, "It is always great to create new films with Vikram as our vision is very similar and we are always on the same page when it comes to giving the audiences what they would love to watch. Bloody Ishq is a one of a kind gripping story that will keep the viewers thinking about the film even when the film is over. We received constant support from Disney+ Hotstar which made working with them a pleasurable experience. A gripping storyline, unexpected twists and horrors that will constantly haunt, Bloody Ishq has all this and more and I am confident that Disney + Hotstar's audience will definitely enjoy the film." The film is set to release on July 26 on Disney+ Hotstar. (ANI)
The Landrace restaurant's wood-burning grill in the Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk has been shut down as a result of a temporary injunction issued last year. The neighboring Hotel Indigo has alleged that smoke and odors from the restaurant have damaged the hotel. Mike Sutter /Staff The Hotel Indigo says it has lost more than $250,000 in profits as a result of hotel rooms it had to close due to the alleged smoke and odors. The Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk is seeking millions in damages from the Hotel Indigo over the malicious prosecution of a civil claim. Mike Sutter / Staff The Hotel Indigo, located along the River Walk across from the Tobin Center, estimates it will cost more than $2 million to replace furniture and fixtures damaged by smoke and odors allegedly coming from the Thompson San Antoio-Riverwalk property next door.

After the owners of the Indigo Hotel filed a lawsuit in 2022 over smoke and exhaust fumes allegedly emanating from a neighboring River Walk hotel, they obtained a temporary injunction to put a stop to the problem.

The alleged source of the smoke and odors, a wood-burning grill at the Landrace restaurant inside the Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk, had to shut down as a result of the judges March 2023 order. It must remain idle at least until September, when the case is set for trial.

The Thompson recently fired back with its own claims against the Indigo over the grills shutdown.

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Thompson operators 101 Lexington LLC and Lex Avenue Hotel LLC are seeking damages ranging from $7.4 million to more than $10.9 million against the Indigo for malicious prosecution of a civil claim. The damages consist of lost profits and the grills lost value, though the restaurant has remained open. They also seek unspecified punitive damages.

The temporary injunction physically interfered with Defendants property thereby causing the complete shutdown of Defendants restaurants specially designed wood burning grill, they alleged in their countersuit filed last month.

Indigos owner and operator, 830 N. St. Marys Hotel Ltd. and a company affiliated with Boernes Phoenix Hospitality Group, last week sought a court ruling striking down the counterclaims and new defenses raised by the defendants.

During a hearing Friday before state District Judge Marialyn Barnard, a lawyer for the Indigo's owners called the counterclaims and defenses untimely because they came more than two years after their lawsuit was filed and nine weeks before the scheduled trial.

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Going from defending against no claims to defending against $11 million in damages claims, we ask that your honor find this (filing) untimely and strike it accordingly, attorney Clayton Matheson said.

Barnard denied the Indigos request in a written ruling issued later that day. She didnt give any explanation for her decision.

Bond battle

David Calvillo, a lawyer for the Thompsons operators, said his clients were pleased.

We look forward to presenting our case to a Bexar County jury in September or whenever the court schedules it, he said. Matheson declined to comment on the ruling.

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After granting the Indigos temporary injunction last year, a judge required its owners to post a $130,000 bond as protection against damages to the defendants. The Thompsons operators say that is remarkably low and want it increased from $7.4 million to more than $10.9 million. Barnard set the request for an Aug. 7 hearing.

In its latest petition, the Indigo says it operations and reputation have suffered damages as a result of the smoke and odors that have been blowing from exterior vents on the southwestern side of the Thompson facing the Indigo.

The fumes and odors from the smoke have seeped into the carpet, furniture, and fixtures on several floors and numerous guestrooms, " the Indigo says.

It adds that it will cost more than $2 million to replace everything that has been damaged. It also says it has sustained more than $250,000 in lost profits for the rooms it has had to close.

Appeal

During a two-day hearing on the Indigos request for a temporary injunction in March 2023, a Thompson representative testified how its exhaust system was redesigned, with the exhaust point moved about 100 feet and raised from 30 to 40 feet above ground in an effort to address the issue.

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Nevertheless, state District Judge Mary Lou Alvarez ordered the Thompson to not operate the wood burning grill until the time of trial after finding the Indigo was suffering and would continue to suffer irreparable injury.

The Thompson appealed the injunction ruling to the 4th Court of Appeals, arguing the trial court abused its discretion in granting it. In August, though, the appeals court disagreed with the Thompsons argument and affirmed Alvarezs ruling.

In its latest petition, the Indigo said the Thompson parties asserted that two Houston engineering firms share responsibility for any liability found on the plaintiffs claims. So Indigo sued the engineering firms for negligence and other claims.
Actor Glen Powell shared that he will finish most of his college degree over Zoom while filming 'The Running Man' in London, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Glen will head back to the University of Texas at Austin's campus for exams. "I'm not going to be sitting in a class with other students on the regular," said Powell. "I'm basically going to be coming back because I have to finish up, but I'm going to be shooting The Running Man in the fall. So I'm going to be in London, but I am going to be going back for proctored exams. So, they're letting me figure it out with distance learning." The 'Hit Man' star stated the hybrid schedule will see him coming in two or three times a semester, and highlighted that 'The Running Man' director Edgar Wright "has been very nice about letting me finish my degree in the middle of his massive movie." Powell shared about his plans to finish his degree in May when he said that he was heading back to Texas. "It's like I've earned the ability to go back to my family," he said of his recent career success. "I think this is going to be good for my head, heart and soul," he said of the move. He will complete his degree in Spanish and Early American History next year. "I think it's really important to my mom and it's more of an emotional thing for me," he said of finishing the degree he started before hitting it big in Hollywood. "Plus, I'm so close, I can taste it," as per The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reiterated state governments to issue ration cards within four weeks to migrant or unorganised sector workers registered on the e-shram portal. A bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also directed that the Central government should release extra foodgrains for states that have issued ration cards to migrant workers and unorganised sector workers who are registered on E-shram but do not possess ration cards. The court took serious note of the slow pace at which states are carrying out the exercise of verifying and issuing ration cards. They directed that all states must complete the work within four weeks and file compliance reports failing which the court would initiate proceedings against concerned officials. During the hearing, it was pointed out on behalf of the petitioners that several states had noted in their affidavit that their quota under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) had been exhausted and that they would only be able to issue ration cards to migrants/unorganised sector workers if the Central government provided additional foodgrains. In its earlier orders of March 2024 and 2023, the Court had directed all State/UT governments to issue ration cards under NFSA to the 8 crore persons who are registered on the eShram portal but do not possess ration cards. In today's hearing, the court reiterated that the ration cards must be issued irrespective of the quotas defined in section 3 of the NFSA. In its earlier orders, the court had taken cognizance of the fact that the coverage of persons getting rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) is to be determined on the basis of the latest census, and as the census of 2021 has not been undertaken, the coverage continues to be on the basis of the 2011 census even though the population has increased- thereby leading to exclusion of more than 10 crore people from the purview of the food security net. Counsels Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl D'Souza represented the petitioners in the matter. Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander & Jagdeep Chhokar are petitioners who have moved miscellaneous applications in the suo motu petition initiated by the court itself. The top court was hearing a petition in the case 'Re Problems and Miseries of Migrant Labourers' and has given important directions to ensure food security for migrant workers and unorganised sector workers. The court had earlier observed that migrants and other workers are the backbone of the country and they must be provided rations at subsidized rates. (ANI)
A landslide on the national highway near Shirur in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district is feared to have claimed the lives of seven people, including four members of a single family. The government has taken this matter seriously and has directed the district administration to provide immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased, Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda informed the assembly on Tuesday. Providing details about the Ankola accident during the legislative session on Tuesday, he said, "The national highway runs between a river and a hill, where some unauthorised small canteens have been set up along the roadside. The incident occurred when tanker drivers transporting cooking gas (LPG) stopped their vehicles for tea." The landslide swept away the tanker lorry and the canteens into the river. It is suspected that seven people, including four family members and the tanker drivers, have died. The deceased have been identified as Lakshman Naik (47), Shanti Naik (36), Roshan (11), Avantika (6), and Jagannath (55). The body of Shanti Naik was recovered during the rescue operation, Minister Gowda informed the assembly. The rescue operation is ongoing, with fire brigade and NDRF teams dispatched to the site. Additionally, the district in-charge minister has rushed to the location. Officials from Indian Petroleum Limited are also on-site, working to safely retrieve the gas cylinders washed away in the water. The district administration has been instructed to provide immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victims. Although the drivers are not from our state, they were here for work and met with this unfortunate accident. Therefore, compensation will be provided to them as well, he stated. Responding to the cause of the accident in the assembly, Minister Gowda said, "I visited this area last year during heavy rains. The national highways are not constructed scientifically. Moreover, the canals of the Kaiga nuclear power plant are also not systematic. I had already warned about the possibility of landslides, but the National Highway Authority officials did not heed our warnings," he expressed dissatisfaction. Responding to the cause of the accident in the assembly, Minister Gowda said, "I visited this area last year during heavy rains. The national highways are not constructed scientifically. Moreover, the canals of the Kaiga nuclear power plant are also not systematic. I had already warned about the possibility of landslides, but the National Highway Authority officials did not heed our warnings." He expressed dissatisfaction and said, "National Highway Authority officials do not listen to us. Whatever we say, they simply respond by saying their central office is in Delhi and that they will write a letter. However, the government has taken this incident seriously." "Discussions with the National Highway Authority officials will be held today itself. Additionally, a letter will be sent through the Chief Secretary of the government. All necessary steps will be taken to prevent such accidents in the future," Minister Gowda assured the assembly. (ANI)
In the wake of the tragic incident that recently occurred in Ganda Twisa, the Tripura government has announced immediate financial assistance for people affected by the violence. Officials said that the government aims to expedite relief measures to support the victims and their families. The state administration has allocated funds from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, along with additional resources from the Disaster Relief Fund. This financial aid includes a substantial amount for the rehabilitation and compensation of the victims. The government has decided to provide Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased, while those with severe injuries will receive Rs 2 lakh each. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh will be given to individuals who have sustained minor injuries. District authorities have been instructed to swiftly process and distribute the financial aid. Affected families are urged to contact local administrative offices to facilitate the necessary procedures. The Tripura government emphasizes its commitment to ensuring timely and adequate assistance to all those impacted by the incident. The administration has also assured that efforts will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide further support as needed. This initiative underscores the government's dedication to addressing the immediate needs of its citizens and aiding in their recovery process. (ANI)
Balamurugan was hacked to death while walking in Madurai's BB Kulam area on Tuesday morning, Police Commissioner Loganathan stated.

The police said in a press release that during the preliminary inquiry, it came to light that a property dispute existed between Mahalingam and his brother's son-in-law, Pandiyarajan, over sharing the properties.

In this context, in support of Pandiyarajan, his brother Balamurugan frequently troubled Mahalingam, they added.

To resolve the property dispute, Pandiyarajan arranged the marriage of his daughter Priya to Alaguvijay, Mahalingam's son. Subsequently, due to a misunderstanding between Priya and Alaguvijay, Priya filed a maintenance and divorce case against her husband, the release said.

In March 2024, when Pandiyarajan demanded that Mahalingam give the share of the property meant for his daughter, a quarrel erupted. A case was registered based on Pandiyarajan's complaint, and Mahalingam, along with his relatives, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Under these circumstances, Priya contacted her husband Alaguvijay and informed him that her father, Pandiyarajan, was planning to assault Mahalingam with the help of her uncle Balamurugan, the release said.

As a result, Mahalingam, his son Alaguvijay, and their associates Bharath, Naga Irulvel, Gokulakannan, and Penni murdered Balamurugan, who was a known rowdy.

All the accused have been arrested. The murder was the result of ongoing matrimonial issues and property disputes between the two factions, the release stated. (ANI)
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay responded on Wednesday to allegations made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, who claimed that 228 kilograms of gold were stolen from the Kedarnath Temple. Speaking exclusively to ANI, Ajay said that Swami Avimukteshwaranand's statements regarding the disappearance of gold in Kedarnath Dham are very unfortunate. He urged the Shankaracharya to present the facts. "The statement made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand regarding the disappearance of gold in Kedarnath Dham is very unfortunate, and I would like to request him, and also challenge him, to bring out the facts," Ajay said. Ajendra Ajay added that instead of making statements, Swami Avimukteshwaranand should approach the competent authority and demand an inquiry, or he can go to the Supreme Court or High Court and file a petition if he has evidence. "He should go before the competent authority and demand an inquiry, and if he doesn't trust them, he should go to the Supreme Court or High Court, file a petition, and ask for an inquiry if he has evidence," Ajay stated. The Temple Committee Chairman further mentioned that the Shankaracharya doesn't have the right to harm the dignity of Kedarnath Dham. He suggested that if Swami Avimukteshwaranand is acting to further a political agenda, it is very unfortunate. "He doesn't have the right to hurt the dignity of Kedarnath Dham or create controversy over it. If he is doing this just to protest, create controversies, and further the agenda of Congress, it is very unfortunate," Ajay added. On Monday, July 15, Swami Avimukteshwaranand alleged that 228 kg of gold was missing from Kedarnath. "There is a gold scam in Kedarnath; why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kg of gold is missing from Kedarnath; no inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?" Swami Avimukteshwaranand said. The Shankaracharya further claimed that demands for an investigation into this issue had been raised with the Commissioner, but he didn't investigate the case properly. "Earlier, it was said that 320 kg of gold had been missing, then it decreased to 228, then it became 36, 32, and 27 simultaneously. Whether the number is 320, 228, 36, 32, or 27, the problem is, where did it go? How can gold turn into brass? Demands for investigation have been raised with the Commissioner, but he didn't investigate the case properly. What are the reasons behind the missing gold from the temple? This is a huge scam," Swami Avimukteshwaranand said. (ANI)
Tragedy struck Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district as two jawans lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Anantnag area of Jammu and Kashmir. Sanapala Jagadeeswara Rao (40) from Vallabharayudupet village in Nandigam mandal and Donkari Rajesh (26) from Mekrem Tandra village of Santabommali mandal, both from Srikakulam district, were killed in the attack in the early hours of Monday. Jagadeeswara Rao's was about to retire in three years. On Monday morning, army officials called Rao's family members to inform them of his death. Jagadeeswara Rao and his wife, Samatha Dimilada, have two daughters, Mokshapriya and Dikshitha. Samatha Dimilada works at the village secretariat. Jagadeeswara Rao joined the Army in March 2003. Villagers and friends remember him as a person who got along with everyone in the village. Jagadeeswara Rao's body will arrive in his village on Wednesday, and the family is currently making arrangements for his last rites. Vigneswara Rao, the elder brother of Jagadeeswara Rao, said they are saddened by his death but also feel proud of his sacrifice. "In March, he spent his holidays in our hometown and then returned to the battlefield. His death is unfortunate, but he passed away serving the country. We feel sad, but at the same time, we are proud of his sacrifice. He told us we would purchase a Royal Enfield motorcycle after he returned home, but unfortunately, this incident happened," Vigneswara Rao said. Venkatarao and Rajarao, uncles of the deceased Jagadeeswara Rao, stated that he used to be friendly with all of them and that his death has left them in deep sorrow. "He is my brother's son. This incident is unfortunate," they said. (ANI)
Gujarat has successfully steered the pilot of 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' initiative in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts. In a landmark decision, the central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi established a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen the cooperatives nationwide, affirming the path of 'Sahkar Se Samridhhi'. According to a press release, under the successful leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has successfully steered the pilot of 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' initiative in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts. Notably under this initiative, envisioned by Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, over 4 lakh new accounts were opened by cooperative societies and their active members in the District Cooperative Banks of these two districts, resulting in a jump of over Rs. 966 crores in the bank deposits.Significance of Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives Model The initiative aims to enhance cooperation among Gujarat's thousands of cooperative societies by centralising their bank accounts and deposits under the aegis of District and State Cooperative Banks. The initiative consolidates the existing bank accounts of cooperatives and their members operating in various commercial banks and brings them under a centralised District Cooperative Bank/State Cooperative Bank. This helps in consolidating the collective capital of these cooperative societies under one centralised bank, resulting in enhanced deposit pool for loans, increased financial liquidity among cooperatives, addressing their credit needs and ensures that the collective capital of cooperatives comes to the dedicated use of other cooperatives. In this way, the capital and deposit of one successful cooperative society comes to the use of other societies, benefiting the entire cooperative sector of Gujarat. Cooperation Among Cooperatives Model to be Emulated Across Gujarat Minister of Cooperation, Jagdish Vishwakarma, speaking about the significance of these achievements, said, "A strengthened cooperative sector will be a robust pillar in the foundation of a Viksit and Atmanirbhar Gujarat, propelling us towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047." Thanks to the successful pilot of the initiative, Gujarat government has decided to implement the 'Cooperation Among Cooperatives' initiative across all 33 districts of Gujarat. The District Cooperative banks will be able to extend their services on the village level and ensure that the capital and funds of Gujarat cooperatives' stay within the community and come to the aid of other cooperative societies. Successful Pilot Run of Cooperation Among Cooperatives Between June 2023 to January 2024, Gujarat launched the pilot initiative in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts. During the pilot period, the existing bank accounts held by 1048 Milk Societies affiliated with Milk Unions were consolidated into the District Central Co-operative Banks along with the complete transfer of surplus funds into their new bank accounts. The two districts saw the opening of over 4.7 lakh new savings accounts in the Cooperative banks enhancing the existing deposits of these banks by a whopping Rs 966 crore. A total of 3.32 lakh RuPay debit cards were also issued to the societies and the active members. In order to enhance banking facilities and financial liquidity at village level, a total of 1736 societies in these districts including prominent Milk Societies affiliated with Milk Unions were also equipped with micro-ATMs and affiliated as Bank Mitra.Commission rates have also been established to ensure these societies generate substantial income, incentivizing the effective utilization of micro-ATMs. Mindful of the challenges faced by the members in accessing financial services, over 1631 employees associated with the Cooperative societies were also given a comprehensive training on digital transactions, including micro-ATM operations, cash withdrawals, and deposits. (ANI)
The Karnataka government held a cabinet meeting in which it was decided to present seven bills including 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in Category C and D jobs in all industries in the state. The bill seeks to reserve 50 per cent of management jobs and 75 per cent of non-management jobs for locals in the private sector. The Karnataka government is also contemplating 100 per cent reservation for locals in "C&D" grade government jobs. The bill is called the State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024. In his post on X, Karnataka CM Siddaramiah said that the state government's priority was to look after the welfare of Kannadigas. "The Cabinet meeting held yesterday approved a bill to make it mandatory to hire 100 per cent Kannadigas for "C and D" grade posts in all private industries in the state. It is our government's wish that the Kannadigas should avoid being deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada and should be allowed to build a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of Kannadigas," he posted on X. The Bill drafted by the Labour Department claimed that jobs of industries operating in the state are going to the states of North India. The Bill states that industries that get infrastructure including land and water from the state should give reservations for jobs to the locals, and this has been approved in the cabinet meeting. Earlier, the Sarojini Mahishi Committee report stated that in large, medium and small-scale industrial units with more than 50 workers, 65 per cent and 80 per cent of the jobs in A and B categories respectively would be reserved for Kannadigas, and 100 per cent in C and D categories would be reserved for Kannadigas. However, no policies were formulated regarding guaranteeing reservations for Kannadigas in jobs. Moreover, in the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act presented by the Department of Kannada and Culture in 2022, it was said that reservations should be given to industries that have received tax exemptions and other facilities from the state government. However, no policy rules have been formulated for this. In the Cabinet meeting held on Monday, the bill to provide 100 per cent job reservation for Kannadigas in C and D grade jobs was approved. Officials from the Labor Department said that the Bill will be presented and passed in the same session. In addition to this, seven bills including the Karnataka Goods and Services (Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Irrigation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 have been approved, sources said. (ANI)
A day after resigning from his post, the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief of Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Gavhane said that he along with some other party workers who have also resigned from their post will be going to seek blessings from NCP's Sharad Pawar. "I resigned yesterday and today all the ex-corporators will be holding a meeting and strategising on our next moves. We will also take the blessing of Sharad Pawar," Gavhane said speaking to ANI on Wednesday. The Nationalist Congress Party split last year when Ajit Pawar led some MLAs and joined the ruling Eknath Shinde Sena and BJP government. Gavhane claimed that the development work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. "If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been ruling PPMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). The development work here was done in a wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here and the sitting MLA is responsible for it," Gavhane said. Speaking about other party leaders who have resigned from their posts, Gavhane said, "Along with me, corporators like Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj and Yash Sane have resigned." When asked if he is interested in contesting the upcoming state assembly elections, Gavhane said, "Yes, I am interested in contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections." Ajit Pawar's NCP suffered a big blow on Tuesday as Pimpri-Chinchwad chief, Ajit Gavhane, resigned from his post and submitted his resignation letter to party president Sunil Tatkare. Two former corporators from Pimpri Chinchwad also sent their resignation letters to Sunil Tatkare. (ANI)
Frances Hall, the San Antonio wife who was convicted of killing her husband during a highway chase with him and his lover, is shown in 2018 as she is released from prison. She avoided a second prison sentence last week after pleading guilty for her role in a $9 million fraud scheme. Andrew B Church, Visual Journalist, Master's Candidate, Baylor JPRNM / Photo by Andrew B Church

Frances Hall, who was convicted of murdering her trucking magnate husband in 2013, has avoided a second prison sentence after pleading guilty in a $9 million workers compensation fraud scheme.

Hall, who lives in Helotes, was sentenced last week by a Travis County judge to 10 years of deferred adjudication  a form of probation  and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution, the Texas Department of Insurance said Tuesday. She also must undergo treatment recommended by a probation department.

Fraud investigators with the agencys Division of Workers Compensation determined that from 2009 to 2016, Hall underreported payroll information to Texas Mutual Insurance Co. and concealed payroll reports to get lower insurance premiums for Bill Hall Jr. Trucking  a San Antonio gravel hauling business she and her husband operated. Hall, 61, continued to run it after his death.

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Frances Hall underreported payroll information to an insurance company in an effort to get lower insurance premiums on her family's gravel hauling business from 2009 to 2016. Bexar County Sheriff's Office

The courts website indicates she pleaded guilty in May to securing execution of a document between $100,000 and $200,000, a second-degree felony.

Frances Hall, right, confers with lawyer Adam Cortez, left, in a Bexar County courtroom. Hall was convicted of murder in 2016 for running her husband off the road. Ron Cortes, Freelance / For the San Antonio Express-News Frances Hall, the San Antonio wife who was convicted of killing her husband during a highway chase with him and his lover, is a free woman after her release from prison in this 2018 file photo. (Photo by Andrew B Church) Andrew B Church, Visual Journalist, Master's Candidate, Baylor JPRNM / Photo by Andrew B Church

Hall had been indicted in 2022 for securing execution of a document over $200,000, a first-degree felony. She could have faced life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, the agency had said.

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Leigh Cutter, a San Antonio attorney who represented Hall in the insurance case and her murder trial, couldnt immediately be reached for comment. But the lawyer told the San Antonio Express-News in 2022 that Hall denied the allegations in the indictment.

State corporate records show Bill Hall Jr. Truckings charter was forfeited in 2017.

Hall gained notoriety in the 2013 homicide of her husband, Bill Hall Jr. He was riding his Harley Davidson on Loop 1604, less than 2 miles from the trucking companys far Southwest Side headquarters, when she chased him down with her Cadillac Escalade.

He was struck, run off the road and later died, police said. He was 50.

Police ruled the death a homicide, the consequence of an alleged love triangle involving his wife of nearly 32 years and his girlfriend Bonnie Contreras  nearly 20 years his junior. Frances Hall also rammed the Halls Range Rover that Contreras had been driving.

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The case generated national tabloid television coverage.

During a three-week trial in 2016, Hall sobbed throughout her testimony, telling jurors she never meant to kill her husband.

Jurors found her guilty and she faced the prospect of from five to 99 years or life in prison. But a judge allowed the jury to consider when deciding punishment whether Hall acted under sudden passion.

The jury decided she had, which reduced the possible sentence to a range of two to 20 years. The jury assessed two years on the murder charge and two years on an aggravated assault against Contreras.

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Hall got to serve the sentences concurrently and was released from prison in 2018.
The man's wife was sent to hospital in an injured condition.

Saran Police said that the two accused, Sudhanshu Kumar alias Roshan and Ankit Kumar from Rasulpur, murdered Tarakeshwar Singh alias Jhabar Singh and his two minor daughters with a sharp weapon at the victims' residence on Tuesday night.

"Last night, information was received through Dial 112 that three people have been murdered with a sharp weapon on the roof of the house of Tarakeshwar Singh, alias Jhabar Singh, in Dhanadih village under Rasulpur police station," police said in a statement.

Based on statements given by Tarakeshwar Singh's wife and intelligence gathered, the accused- Sudhanshu Kumar alias Roshan and Ankit Kumar were taken into custody within an hour of crime.

The police said that the triple murder stemmed from a love affair between one of the deceased girls and Sudhanshu Kumar. The murder weapon was recovered from the scene.

Murder weapon recovered, police said.

All the bodies have been sent to Chapra Sadar Hospital for a postmortem. (ANI)
Several Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and corporators returned to the Sharad Pawar camp a day after resigning from the Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday. At Sharad Pawar's residence in Pune, the former NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, Ajit Gavhane, was among the leaders who joined his faction. Three other senior leaders of the NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit--Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane--who quit the party on Tuesday also joined the founder's camp. In reaction to this, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) working president Supriya Sule said that Sharad Pawar has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years, and even people from the opposition look at him with great hope. "I think many people in the party have different experiences. We have always ensured that our ideology of development remains strong. Pawar sahab (Sharad Pawar) has been continuously working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years. We have faith in Pawar sahab's ideology, and at the same time, many people in the opposition also look towards him with great hopes, which is why people are joining him," Sule said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Ajit Gavhane said that he, along with some other party workers who have also resigned from their posts, will be seeking blessings from NCP founder Sharad Pawar. "I resigned yesterday, and today all the ex-corporators will be holding a meeting and strategizing our next moves. We will also take the blessing of Sharad Pawar," Gavhane said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday. The Nationalist Congress Party split last year when Ajit Pawar led some MLAs and joined the ruling Eknath Shinde Sena and BJP government. Gavhane claimed that the development work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. "If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been ruling PPMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). The development work here was done in the wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here, and the sitting MLA is responsible for it," Gavhane said. Speaking about other party leaders who have resigned from their posts, Gavhane said, "Along with me, corporators like Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane have resigned." When asked if he is interested in contesting the upcoming state assembly elections, Gavhane said, "Yes, I am interested in contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections." (ANI)
West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari urged his party to dissolve its Minority Morcha, saying that they had raised the slogan "Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas" (development for all) for a long time but now the time has come to say, "'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath" (We are with those who support us). "I had spoken about nationalist Muslims and you too had said 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (development for all). But I will not say this anymore. Instead, we will now say, 'Jo Hamare Saath, Hum Unke Saath' (We are with those who support us). Stop this 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. There is no need for Minority Morcha," Adhikari said. The 'Sabke Saath, Sabka Vikas' slogan has been coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has been popularised by the BJP in various campaigns. The senior BJP leader also claimed that the fight to save Hindu and the Constitution will continue and urged his workers to support him. "I have already said what I had to. The fight will continue. Will all of you join us? Will we fight like before together? We will win. We will save Hindus, save the Constitution," Adhikari said. The BJP had lost all four seats in the recently held Assembly bypolls to the ruling Trinamool Congress. West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday alleged that more than 50 lahks "Hindus" were not allowed to vote in Lok Sabha polls and over two lahks were refrained from voting in the by-polls respectively. Adhikari told ANI that he will start a legal battle against this. "Democracy is dead in Bengal. We have started a mass movement today. Nearly 50 Lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. More than 2 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the 4 by-polls held in the state. I am launching a portal. Whoever was not allowed to vote, can register themselves and full secrecy will be ensured. I will start a legal battle also," he said. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP dropped from 18 to 12 seats. The TMC had won 29 out of 42 seats in West Bengal. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to visit Ranchi on July 20 to strategise for the upcoming assembly elections. During his visit, Amit Shah will not only address the extended meeting of the Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executive committee but will also plan for the upcoming state assembly elections. The BJP executive committee meeting, scheduled to be held at Prabhat Tara Ground around 1 PM, will see the participation of over 25,000 office bearers from the block to the state level. The extended executive committee of Jharkhand includes all office bearers from the 260 blocks and 27 districts of the state, along with morchas, organizations, and state-level officials. Through this meeting on July 20, the BJP plans to showcase its strong organizational structure in the state. The Home Minister's visit will reinforce the party's commitment to fighting the assembly elections unitedly. In preparation for the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections, newly appointed election in-charge, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and co-in-charge, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, have been visiting Jharkhand almost every week. They are touring different areas and engaging with leaders and workers at various levels. Earlier on Tuesday, former Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that in Jharkhand, conditions are fit for corruption and there is no will in the government to bring in investments and develop the state. "Why do investments do not come in Jharkhand? This is because there are conditions here fit to fuel corruption and there is no will for development or investment," Thakur said while speaking to reporters in Ranchi on Tuesday. The Hamirpur MP said that though it has been two decades since Jharkhand was formed, it has not been able to reach new heights of development as it was expected. "I would like to offer my tributes to the land of Birsa Munda. The dream to make Jharkhand a separate state was fulfilled by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It has been more than two decades. There was an opportunity to take Jharkhand to great heights. But due to some reason, if we look at the last five years, the promises made before coming to power were not fulfilled by them. The way Jharkhand could have been developed was not done," Thakur said. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won eight seats, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won three seats, the Congress won two and the All Jharkhand Students Union Party (AJSUP) won one seat. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 30 seats, BJP won 25, Congress 16, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha three, the AJSUP two and two seats were won by Independents. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday clarified that the cabinet, in its Monday meeting, approved a bill enforcing 50% reservation for administrative posts and 75% for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries. Earlier the CM had indicated that the government would seek 100 percent reservation for Kannadigas in C&D category jobs. However, in his amended post the CM has not included this. Taking to his official X handle, the CM said, "The cabinet meeting held on Monday approved the bill to fix 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries and other organizations of the state." The CM further asserted that it is the government's priority to look after the welfare of Kannadigas. "It is our government's wish that the Kannadigas should avoid being deprived of jobs in the land of Kannada and should be allowed to build a comfortable life in the motherland. We are a pro-Kannada government. Our priority is to look after the welfare of the Kannadigas," he said on X. Earlier, State Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil said that they will have wide consultations, resolve the confusion and ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected along with those of industries after industrialists from Karnataka expressed their apprehensions about the new Bill approved by the cabinet that mandates 100 per cent reservation for Kannadigas in "C&D" grade government jobs. "I have seen that many people have apprehensions regarding this...We will resolve this confusion...We will sit with the CM and resolve this so that it does not have any adverse effect...," Patil said speaking to ANI on Wednesday. "Keeping the interests of #Kannadigas paramount, I will discuss this issue with the Hon'ble CM Sh @siddaramaiah, IT-BT Minister, Law Minister, and Labour Minister. We will have wider consultations. We will ensure that the interests of Kannadigas are protected, alongside those of the industries," Patil said in a post on 'X'. The Karnataka Minister also emphasised that all states should be at their "competitive peak" in the "competitive era" of manufacturing and the industrial revolution. "India is currently experiencing a manufacturing and industrial revolution driven by the global China Plus One policy. In this competitive era, states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana are striving to be at their best. It is of utmost importance for all states to be at their competitive peak," Patil said. Patil pointed out that Karnataka cannot lose in the "once-in-a-century race of industrialization" and will ensure that everyone's interests are safeguarded. "Karnataka is a progressive state, and we cannot afford to lose in this once-in-a-century race of industrialization. We will make sure that everyone's interests are safeguarded. The Industries are assured that they need not have any fear or apprehensions and can rest assured," the Karnataka Minister said. On Tuesday, the Karnataka cabinet approved a Bill that seeks to reserve 50 per cent of management jobs and 75 per cent of non-management jobs for locals in the private sector. On Wednesday several industry leaders in the state objected to the move saying that it is "discriminatory" and raised apprehensions that the tech industry may suffer. (ANI)
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday said that India needs to have a world-class regulatory framework to match the country's global reputation as 'Pharmacy of the World'. "For India to become the global leader in drug regulation to match our global reputation of 'Pharmacy of the World', we need to have a world-class regulatory framework matching our scale of operations and international expectations," Nadda said. He was reviewing the regulation of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, and senior officers of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Union Health Ministry were present at the high-level review meeting. Highlighting the global position of India as the leading producer and exporter of drugs, Nadda stressed the need for CDSCO to draw a roadmap with timelines for achieving global standards in its mandated activities. He stated that the upscaling needs to be systems-based, focusing on the highest standards of uniformity, technical upgrades, and futuristic approach. For export of drugs and pharmaceuticals, the system should be designed for proper intervention to maintain the quality of drugs being exported, he emphasized. Nadda underscored the importance of transparency in the workings of CDSCO. He stated that "In order to achieve global standards, our focus needs to be on the transparency of procedures at CDCSO and within the drug and medical device industry.". Both the Drugs Regulatory body and the industry should work on highest principles of transparency to ensure that the products manufactured and sold by India meet the highest indices of global quality standards, he said. The Union Health Minister stated that it is important for CDSCO to be in continuous dialogue with the drugs and medical devices industry to understand their issues and support them to fulfill the quality expectations and standards of CDSCO. "Our focus should be on developing mechanisms that ensure easy of doing business for the drugs industry within the regulatory requirements. For this, CDSCO needs to be a user-friendly organization with state-of-the-art facilities matching global standards", he stated. On the topic of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in drugs manufacturing and the issues faced by the small scale industries to meet quality standards, the Union Health Minister "Let us understand the issues faced by MSME sector and support them to strengthen their capacity and quality of products on the one hand, and encourage them to meet the regulatory requirements on the other." Shri Nadda was briefed about the mandated activities of CDSCO, its achievements, future plans and various issues and challenges faced by CDSCO. The Minister was also updated on the progress of the Scheme for strengthening state drug regulatory system with a budget of Rs.850 crores which was launched in 2016 during his earlier tenure. The Union Minister was briefed on the roles and responsibilities of the central and state drugs regulatory bodies, and some of the challenges faced in alignment between them. Noting that the States are integral part of our regulatory value chain, Shri Nadda underscored the importance of working in tandem with the States so as to enhance their skills and capacities, and also encourage them to align with quality standards of the Central Government. "This is especially important in view of upgradation of Good Manufacturing Practices to global level embarked upon by CDSCO", he added. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi today and apprised him about the vulnerability of the state to natural disasters and urged for speedy release of funds pending with the ministry for effective management of disasters. The Chief Minister requested to release Rs 9,042 crore as financial assistance under post-disaster assessment done by the central team after the state witnessed one of its worst natural disasters during last year's monsoon, triggered due to excessive rain resulting in flash floods and landslides. He further said that the matter was still pending with the ministry and added that the state requires the fund urgently given that the monsoon has already started this year. He also informed that Rs 61.07 crore, under the State Disaster Response Fund for the financial year 2019-20 as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, was due to the state. The Chief Minister apprised the Union Home Minister that as per the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission, Himachal Pradesh was entitled to Rs 200 crore for financial years 2021-26 for effective management of landslides and earthquakes in hill states. He also requested a speedy release of the pending Rs 60.10 crore under the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). He also requested speedy approval for a detailed project worth Rs 125.84 crore submitted to the Union Ministry under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund. The Chief Minister also underlined the necessity of setting up the NDRF campuses in the state and urged for initiating construction work of the campuses at Mandi, Rampur and Nalagarh. He also demanded appropriate action on unauthorised possession/encroachment on the state government's land in the inter-state boundary between Lahaul Spiti and Ladakh at Sarchu and Shinkula. (ANI)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar on Wednesday spoke on the state government's decision to reserve jobs in the private sector for Kannadigas and emphasized that investors need not be concerned. The Karnataka state cabinet on Monday approved a bill enforcing 50 per cent reservation for administrative posts and 75 per cent for non-administrative posts for Kannadigas in private industries. While speaking with the reporters, Shivkumar said, "No investors need to worry. We want investors to come to Karnataka. There are certain sections of the people who are talented and have come from outside the state. We want them to work in Karnataka." He added further, "Bengaluru's population has grown to 1.4 crores because of the outsiders coming here to work. We don't want to harm anyone. We just want to give them (local people) scope." There are some suggestions which have come on this issue, we are looking at it." The deputy CM further said that they are more worried than the employer and the employee. "We will see where we can accommodate Kannadigas," Shivkumar said. On being asked about Nasscom's statement on the decision, Shivkumar said, "Nasscom should not be disappointed, we will listen to them." Industry body Nasscom, which represents the technology and software landscape in the country, expressed its concern regarding the passage of the Karnataka State Employment of Local Industries Factories Establishment Act Bill, 2024. Expressing its disappointment, Nasscom urged the state government to withdraw the Bill. "Nasscom members are seriously concerned about the provisions of this bill and urge the state government to withdraw the bill. The bill's provisions threaten to reverse this progress, drive away companies, and stifle startups, especially when more global firms (GCCs) are looking to invest in the state. At the same time, the restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce, the statement read. Nasscom said that the tech sector contributes to 25 per cent of the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), houses a quarter of the country's digital talent, over 11,000 startups, and 30 per cent of the total GNU Compiler Collection (GCCs). Restrictions could force companies to relocate as locally skilled talent becomes scarce, the body said. It further said that the bill's provisions threaten to reverse what the state has achieved in the field of technology and software. It further added that in today's highly competitive landscape, knowledge-led businesses will locate where talent is as attracting skilled workers is crucial for success. "Nasscom is seeking an urgent meeting for industry representatives with state authorities to discuss the concerns and prevent the state's progress from being derailed," the industry body urged. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday provided appointment letters to 212 candidates selected from government polytechnic institutes under the Technical Education Department at Mukhya Sevak Sadan, located at the Chief Minister's residence. CM Dhami said that the priority of the state government is to connect the youth of the state with employment. These final-year students of government polytechnic institutes have jobs in various companies. So far this year, 65 per cent of the youth have gotten employment from government polytechnic institutes. While congratulating the youth who received the appointment letter, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the appointment letter is the first step to the dreams of all the youth. It is also an honor for the work done with hard work and dedication. Every student will discharge his responsibilities with full dedication. He said that the state government is trying to provide proper employment opportunities to the youth in every field. "The private sector is also playing an important role in providing employment within the state. The development of non-government industrial units is the main pillar of our economic development. There is no dearth of talent in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the state government is working to give these talents the right direction and proper opportunity in the state," CM Dhami said. The Chief Minister said that increasing employment opportunities for the youth is an important link to achieving the goal of developing India and Uttarakhand. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many historic works have been done in the fields of technology, employment, and skill development in the last 10 years. "The youth have an opportunity to move forward in every field in the country. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, innovation and technology have been given priority in the country. Schemes like Startup India, Make in India have started a new industrial revolution in the country," he added. The Chief Minister said that an online training and placement center has been built in the state for the students of technical education, through which students will be given training to provide better employment. He told the students that the work and experience done by you will always remain with you as your capital. "The priority of the state government is to connect the youth of the state with employment as much as possible. In the last 3 years, the state government has given appointments to more than 15000 youth in government departments. The recruitment process in the state has been made completely transparent. From examinations to appointments, everything is happening within the stipulated time," he added. The Chief Minister said that the transparency in the recruitment process has increased the trust of the youth towards the government. This transparency motivates the youth to participate in the recruitment process. He said that during his visit to various areas of the state, people/youth are especially thanking the government for implementing the anti-cheating law. "This transparency is possible only when the policy and intention of the government are clear. The state government is continuously working for every section of the state. Integrated development is the priority of the government," he added. He said that Uttarakhand has come first in achieving the goals of sustainable development issued by Niti Aayog. (ANI)
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Friday blamed the administrative set-up for the trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar controversy and said that earlier, there was a dialogue with the administration, but nowadays only directions are given. "In this country, three states were famous for their good administration: Gujarat, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Earlier, we too were good. We had a good dialogue with the administration. But nowadays, this dialogue is missing. There are only directions that can be seen these days," Sharad Pawar told reporters. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Pune initiated an inquiry against Dilip Khedkar, father of Puja Khedkar, to investigate the unaccounted wealth owned by the family. IAS Puja Khedkar, who secured an All India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, has been allegedly abused for abusing her authority. The complaint against her father, Dilip Khedkar, was made a few months ago.After Puja Khedkar's issue has come to the fore, the complainant has approached Pune ACB again. Action has been initiated on the complaint. ACB SP Atul Tambe said that a detailed report of the investigation has been drafted and has been sent to the HQ for further action. He said that the name of the complainant cannot be disclosed as it is confidential. "There was a complaint against Dilip Khedkar with ACB a few months ago. We have drafted a detailed report of our investigation and complaint. It has been sent to the HQ for further action. The name of the complainant cannot be disclosed as it is confidential," Tambe said.Earlier, Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar raised questions about Khedkar's appointment, alleging that she did not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer as her father had assets worth Rs 40 crore. "As per the rules, only those who come under the OBC non-creme layer category whose parents have under Rs 8 lakh per annum of income, but their income shows that it is Rs 40 crore. Her parents contested the recent Lok Sabha polls and all the property details are there in the affidavit," he said. Kumbar also claimed that based on the election affidavits filed by Dilip Khedkar in the Lok Sabha elections, the total assets amount to Rs 40 crore. "Her father, Dilip Khedkar, in his Lok Sabha polls affidavit showed a conservative estimated wealth of Rs 40 crores and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh. The information is in the public domain. Based on the election affidavit filed by her father in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the total assets of Khedkar's father amount to Rs. 40 crore," he claimed. (ANI)
Mexican-style ceviche can be made with a number of fish varieties and chles. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Ceviche, seviche, cebiche. However you spell it, this method of preparing raw fish in a bath of acidic juice is the perfect food to slice through the stifling heat of San Antonio summers.

With a bright bite of lime juice and (often) a hit of chile, ceviche is a refreshing tonic that can counter the most brutal rays of sunshine beating down right now.

The dish is widely believed to have originated in Peru, perhaps as far back as 2,000 years. The word "ceviche" (and its various spellings) are most often credited to the Quechua people, to whom "siwichi" can be interpreted as "fresh fish."

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But like most of the world's great culinary achievements, food migrates and evolves, taking on new lore and flavors along the way.

In Peru, ceviche is often prepared with hearty ingredients such as sweet potatoes and large-kerneled corn in an acidic broth containing ingredients such as grated ginger and garlic. In Mexico, where the dish has taken root, ceviche is more often prepared with a lime-heavy pico de gallo, where tomatoes and jalapeno chiles lend a fire to the dish.

Raw seafood cooked in lime juice stars in ceviche from El Bucanero, a Mexican seafood restaurant on Blanco Road in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff file photo

Mexican-style ceviche is a fixture in San Antonio-area restaurants that celebrate the coastal cuisine of the country. The best of those can be found at spots including El Bucanero, El Remedio and Mariscos El Marinero, among others. You'll find most versions around these parts pay tribute to the West Coast Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora, with occasional variants incorporating fresh fruit and fiery chiles of the Yucatan found on Eastern shores.

The science behind ceviche is fairly simple. Acid from citrus fruit does most of the work. It's often said that the juice of limes or lemons "cooks" fish, but this is inaccurate. Acid causes the proteins in the fish to denature in a way similar to heating, but despite the flesh taking on a "cooked" firm appearance, it's still a raw dish  and anyone with fish allergies should take note.

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Ceviche, in its many forms, is easy to make at home with a few key ingredients  namely citrus juice  to do most of the heavy lifting. Here are three recipes for ceviche varieties you'll frequently find in Mexico.

Ceviche can be made with a wide variety of fish and other seafood. Paul Stephen/Staff

Basic Ceviche

1 pound white fish, diced

4 large limes, juiced

2 white onions, finely chopped

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

1 bunch radishes, finely diced

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste

Instructions: Place the fish in a bowl. Add the lime juice, covering the fish completely. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and slightly firm. Add the onions, tomato, cucumber, radishes and garlic, and toss to combine. Gradually add jalapeno and cilantro to desired taste (the spiciness of the jalapeno will grow stronger while marinating). Serve with tortilla chips or tostadas.

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Makes 4 servings

Mango Shrimp Ceviche

This form of ceviche is right at home on the Yucatan coastline with ripe mangoes and fiery habanero chiles.

1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined, cut into small cubes

4 large limes, juiced

1/2 orange, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green chile pepper, chopped

2 mangoes, cut into cubes

5 green onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: Combine the fish or shrimp, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil and chile pepper in a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 90 minutes. Mix in the mangoes and green onions; cover and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes more. Gently fold in tomatoes and cilantro and serve.

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Makes 4 servings

Aguachile verde with scallops is part of the menu at El Siete Mares, a Mexican seafood restaurant on West Commerce Street in San Antonio. Paul Stephen/Staff file photo

Scallop (or shrimp) Aguachile

In many Mexican seafood restaurants around San Antonio, aguachile is a staple dish. It's similar to ceviche, but typically is made from shrimp or scallops and served with little time (typically 15-30 minutes) for the seafood to marinate in citrus juice.

1 pound very fresh dry-packed sea scallops, sliced horizontally into 1/4 inch thick rounds

Sea or kosher salt

2 medium jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded and roughly chopped (about 3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup diced seeded cucumber plus 3/4 cup seeded and thinly sliced cucumber half-moons, divided use

4 tablespoons fresh juice from 4 limes

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

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Instructions: Arrange the scallops in an even layer on a large plate and sprinkle all over with salt. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, blend the jalapenos with water in a blender or with an immersion blender until thoroughly smooth. Add the diced cucumber and blend until pureed. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and blend until cilantro is finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

In a mixing bowl, toss scallops with jalapeno-lime marinade, onion and remaining cucumber half-moons. Season once more with salt and pepper and serve right away with tostadas and avocado.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday announced a series of steps for ex-Agniveers, saying they will be provided 10 per cent horizontal reservation in direct recruitment to the posts of Constable, Mining Guard, Forest Guard, Jail Warden and SPO done by the state government. Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister announced that a relaxation of three years will be provided to Agniveers in government's group B and C posts. The Centre had launched Agnipath scheme on June 15, 2022 to recruit male and female aspirants into 'below the officer's rank' cadre of the three services for a period of four years as Agniveers. Agniveers undergo optimised basic military training and specialised trade training followed by up-skilling courses, as required. The scheme provides that on completion of four years of service, up to 25 per cent of each specific batch of Agniveers will enrolled in regular cadre of the Armed Forces based on organisational requirements. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also made arrangements for 10 per cent quota for ex-Agniveers in constable level posts. There has been debate over the scheme, with INDIA bloc parties including Congress, saying that they will repeal it if they come to power at the Centre. Saini said if ex-Agniveer is given a salary of more than Rs 30,000 per month by any industrial unit, then Haryana government will give a subsidy of Rs 60,000 per annum to that industrial unit. "Agnipath scheme was implemented by PM Modi on 14th June 2022. Under this scheme, Agniveer is deployed in the Indian Army for 4 years. Our government will provide 10% horizontal reservation to Agniveers in Haryana in direct recruitment to the posts of Constable, Mining Guard, Forest Guard, Jail Warden and SPO recruited by the state government," he said. "We will provide these Agniveers a relaxation of 3 years in the maximum age prescribed for government posts in Group B and C. In the case of the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be 5 years. The government will provide 5% horizontal reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to civil posts in Group C and one per cent horizontal reservation in Group B. If Agniveer is given a salary of more than Rs 30,000 per month by any industrial unit, then our government will give a subsidy of Rs 60,000 per annum to that industrial unit," he added. Haryana will face assembly polls later this year. (ANI)
A group of farmers, along with a pro-Kannada organization, protested in front of a mall in Bengaluru on Wednesday after an elderly man was allegedly denied entry to the mall because he was wearing a 'dhoti.' The incident reportedly occurred at GT World Mall on Tuesday evening. "A farmer had arrived here, wearing a 'dhoti', but the security guard didn't let him inside. So, we are protesting here," a protester told ANI. Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the Congress-led Karnataka government. Sharing the purported video of the incident on 'X', BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the farmers are being "abused and insulted" in Karnataka. Further targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over 'Nyay' campaign and asked if this was the nyay (justice) for farmers https://x.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/1813469052620165146 "Under Karnataka Congress govt patronage. Farmers are being abused and insulted for wearing Dhoti? Banned entry in a mall!. Karnataka CM wears a dhoti!. Dhoti is our pride.. should farmer wear a tuxedo in a mall? How is Karnataka Congress allowing this? They are most anti farmer! They even increased prices of diesel & betrayed farmers. Now they are insulting farmers by denying entry in Dhoti. Where is Rahul Baba ? Is this Kisan ke saath Nyay?" Poonawalla said in a post on X. Karnataka Congress MLA NA Haris, reacted to the incident, calling the Bengaluru incident "unacceptable" and said he would urge the state government to take action. "This is unacceptable...Dhoti is our traditional dress...We will tell the government to take action," Haris told ANI. Congress leader Rizwan Arshad also condemned the incident, saying that the Karnataka Congress government will not tolerate the discrimination and will take strict action. Speaking to ANI, Arshad said, "This is a kind of discrimination... If someone is decently dressed, (then) they should be given respect. If somebody has done that (referring to the Bengaluru mall incident), the strictest action has to be taken against that institution, and in our government, we will not tolerate this." "A poor farmer has a right to come and visit any place authorized for him... so this discrimination will not be tolerated, we will take strict action," he added. (ANI)
BJP MP Raju Bista and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday paid tribute to Captain Brijesh Thapa who lost his life in the Doda encounter. Bista and Shringla paid tribute to Captain Brijesh Thapa at Bengdubi Military Station in Siliguri, Darjeeling. Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Tuesday. The encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Desa Forest area in Doda on Monday evening. The soldiers killed in action have been identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay. While speaking with ANI, Bista said, "On behalf of the countrymen, I pay tribute to the brave martyr Brijesh Thapa. This is a very sad incident. At the age of just 27, he has made the supreme sacrifice. I want to tell his parents that 140 crore countrymen are their family." The BJP MP further said that the people of Darjeeling have always been ahead when it comes to protecting the country. "Be it during the independence or after the independence, the youth of Darjeeling have always sacrificed their life for the nation. Such incidents make you disturbed and sad. I also want to say to Pakistan, 'baap baap hota hai aur beta beta hota hai, aur Hindustan baap hai.'" Meanwhile, Shringla said, "It is a very sad incident that our youth from Darjeeling, who belongs to the Gorkha community, has lost his life in the service of the country." He added, "Whatever I can do on behalf of the Darjeeling Welfare Society of which I am the president, for the family, for our community, if any scholarship is to be done in the society in his name, I talked about it." Talking about the Gorkha community, he said, "The contribution of Gorkha community has been very significant for our country, for the service of our country, and especially in the military." He added, "There is a lot of anger in our country that such incidents are taking place and I think we must give a befitting reply to this. We cannot tolerate this." (ANI)
The Union Government has written a letter to States and Union Territories and asked them to ensure that members of the queer community (LGBTQ+) get equal rights in prison and there is no discrimination in access to goods and services, especially with reference to prison visitation rights. The letter written by Director (Prison Reforms) reads that it has been the constant endeavour of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to reach out to all States and Union Territories and share contemporary guidelines and best practices on varied aspects of efficient prison administration and management. It has come to the notice of this ministry that members of the queer community (LGBTQ+) are often discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation and often face violence and disrespect. With the objective of ensuring that there is no discrimination in access to goods and services to the queer community, which are available to the public at large, especially with reference to prison visitation rights, the following guidelines are reiterated. The Model Prison Manual (2016 reads that every prisoner shall be allowed reasonable facilities for seeing or communicating with his/her family members, relatives, friends and legal advisers for the preparation of an appeal, procuring bail or for arranging the management of his/her property and family affairs. He/she shall be allowed to have interviews with his/her family members, relatives, friends and legal advisers once in a fortnight. On admission, every prisoner should submit a list of persons who are likely to interview him or her and the interview shall be restricted to such family members, relatives and friends. The conversation at the interviews shall be limited to private and domestic matters and there shall be no reference to prison administration and discipline or to other prisoners or politics. The number of persons who may interview a prisoner at one time shall ordinarily be limited to three. Interviews with female prisoners shall, if practicable, take place in the female enclosure/ward. It is reiterated that these provisions equally apply to the members of queer community and they can meet a person of their choice without any discrimination or judgement. It further reads that the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023, states that prisoners may communicate with their Visitors, namely family members, relatives and friends through physical or virtual mode, under proper supervision of prison authorities. Visitors to inmates shall be verified/authenticated through biometric verification/identification. Foreign prisoners may communicate with their family members and consular representatives, as prescribed under the rules. Every prisoner shall be allowed reasonable facilities of meeting or communicating with their family members (natal or chosen) relatives, friends and legal advisers for preparation of appeal or for procuring bail or for arranging the management of their property and family affairs. They shall be allowed to have interviews with their family members, relatives, friends and legal advisers. It is reiterated that these provisions equally apply to the members of queer community and they can meet a person of their choice without any discrimination or judgement. All state and UT Prison authorities are requested to take note of the above and sensitise the concerned officials at all levels to ensure that all persons are treated equally in a fair and just manner and no person, especially those belonging to queer community, are discriminated against in any manner whatsoever. (ANI)
Security arrangements have been heightened across different places in Mumbai in wake of Muharram procession underway on Wednesday. The police said that they have beefed up the security for a smooth conduct of the procession. "The Muharram procession was taken out today. A large number of people come into it. The police have made a lot of arrangements for this. The police have deployed forces in large numbers. Our arrangements are strong. People are requested to follow the guidelines given by the police," Abhinav Deshmukh, Additional Commissioner of South Region, Mumbai, told ANI. Also, on Tuesday, Mumbai Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory in view of the Muharram procession. The procession is being carried out in the area of Dharavi, from Dharavi 60 ft. road, 90 ft. road, Mahim Sion Link road, Sant Rohidas Road, and other adjoining areas. The traffic arrangements on a temporary basis are in place from 3pm on July 17 until midnight. The Muharram procession also took place in Hyderabad, Telangana. A large number of people took part in it. Meanwhile, security measures have also been heightened in Delhi. Elaborate arrangements are in place to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the processions across the national capital, officials said. "Security arrangements have been made on the routes of the procession. Strong arrangements are in place," Achin Garg, Additional DCP, South District, Delhi, told ANI. "Full preparations have been made by the traffic police...Traffic staff has been deployed. Local police has also been deployed... Traffic will be diverted as per requirement... Everyone has been informed about the routes with the help of social media," Additional CP (Traffic) of Eastern Range Dinesh Kumar Gupta. Visuals from the Jama Masjid area showed heavy police deployment. Earlier, the Delhi Traffic Police also issued an advisory in view of the Muharram processions on Wednesday. As per the advisory, major routes and areas affected include Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazar, Okhla, Kamra Bangash, Mehrauli, Old Police Chowki, and Nizamuddin. The movement of city buses will be restricted and regulated on certain routes from Wednesday afternoon until night. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the Muharram observances. "Twelve companies of the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed as part of the security measures. We are also monitoring the situation via drones, and our media cell is keeping an eye on social media to ensure no rumours are spread," Lucknow Joint CP (Law and Order) Kirit Rathod told ANI on Tuesday. On Tuesday, a rare traditional Muharram procession was held at the world-famous Dal Lake in Srinagar on the occasion of Muharram, the day before Ashura, marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. Similarly, in Maharashtra, people attended a Muharram Tazia procession in the Dongri area of Mumbai. Earlier this year, the All India Shia Personal Law Board had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure adequate security arrangements for the Muharram processions. The board urged the Prime Minister to ensure security on the routes determined by the state governments so that unruly elements cannot disturb law and order. (ANI)
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday wrote letter to CM Eknath Shinde in connection with the encroachment at Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur and said this kind of mob rule does not suit Maharashtra and its ideology. Nana Patole in his letter to CM Shinde said that the Vishalgad violence is unfortunate and alarming. "The case of Vishalgad violence in Kolhapur is a dark one for Maharashtra. In the name of encroachment on Vishalgad, people of the same religion were attacked in Gajapur village and their houses, shops and properties were severely damaged, it's a disturbing social harmony is being committed and that too only for political gain, it is a very unfortunate and alarming situation in the state," he said. "Maharashtra is the land of sadhus, saints, noble men, thinkers and social reformers. Maharashtra is known as a progressive state based on the ideas of Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar. But for the past few days, some leaders of the ruling party have consciously trying to create a Hindu-Muslim rift in the state by making provocative statements for their political gain. This type of deliberately creating religious discord in the run-up to the assembly elections is extremely dangerous and tarnishes the image of Maharashtra," the Congress leader said in the letter. "There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the encroachments on the vast fort should be removed. The legacy of the forts of our god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be preserved. This case of encroachment has gone to the court, the government lawyer is not present during the court hearing, and the government party is wasting time, suddenly the issue of encroachment has been brought to the fore by making some such moves. In the name of encroachment on Vishalgad, on the 14th, the houses of the people of religion in Gajapur village, 4 kilometres away from Vishalgad, were attacked and beaten. This type is blackening to humanity. The encroachment on Vishalgarh and the riots in Gajapur village are both separate issues," he added. Patole condemned the statement made by state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the incident and said that the violence in Vishalgad is a crime done with the support of the administration. "The statement made by Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis in this matter is not related to establishing peace in the state or taking action against the rioters, but to scare a particular religion and gives a different colour to this matter, the statement of the Home Minister is in a way supporting the rioters, we also condemn this statement. The violence that took place on July 14 is not only a failure of the government and the administration but a crime with the support of the administration," he said. Deputy CM Fadnavis who also holds the home portfolio said that the anti-encroachment drive at Vishalgad Fort in Kolhapur district will continue while also ensuring the prevalence of peace in the region. The Congress leader further said in his letter that the government should help the people who have suffered damage in Gajapur village and should conduct a thorough investigation in this regard. "MP from Kolhapur Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje had given a call regarding the removal of encroachment on Vishalgad, Kolhapur. Despite the idea that thousands of youths would come to Vishalgad for that, the administration and the police did not take proper precautions. The government should immediately help the people who have suffered damage in Gajapur village and give confidence to the villagers who are in great fear," Patole said. "The government should conduct a thorough investigation in this regard and take action against the guilty officials. As the head of the state, it is our responsibility to put an end to such abuses in order to maintain social harmony and peace in the state. Anyone trying to spoil the atmosphere in the name of religion for political gain will never be tolerated. Keep politics aside and crush these evil tendencies for the benefit of Maharashtra", the Congress state president added. Vishalgad in Kolhapur holds significant historical importance as it served as a refuge for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, the Vishalgad fort has recently fallen victim to illegal encroachments. (ANI)
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari to declare 39.20 km Ranital-Kotla and 41.50 km Ghumarwin-Jahu-Sarkaghat roads as National Highways. The Chief Minister said that these roads have already been constructed to National Highway standards and stand declared 'in-principle National Highway'. He said that roads were the major mode of transport in the hill state. He added that no new National Highway has been declared for Himachal in the last 8 years. The Chief Minister was speaking in the review meeting of National Highway Projects chaired by the Union Minister in New Delhi last evening. CM Sukhu requested to release Rs 172.97 crore for the restoration of various state roads adjoining National Highways that got damaged due to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season last year. He said that these roads include Kullu- Manali, Mandi-Kamand-Katola-Bajaura Road and Chail-Gohar-Pandoh Road. The Chief Minister informed that an announcement was made by the Union Minister, during his visit to the state after the monsoon-led disaster caused heavy losses in the state, that the centre shall provide adequate funds for the repair and restoration of damaged state roads within a distance of one km from the National Highways. He said that these roads were of significance as they ease traffic congestion on the National Highways and also proved vital during the previous monsoon season wherein many road stretches were damaged on the Kullu-Manali Highway. The Chief Minister said that Shimla-Mataur National Highway is an important highway of the state providing connectivity to eight districts with the state capital and adjoining states. He said that the development of highway corridors in different configurations is not advisable from a road safety point of view and requested to issue directions to authorities for uniform upgradation of the highways to four-lane standards instead of two-lane standards. CM Sukhu also informed that 69 in-principle National Highways were declared by Gadkari. Alignment reports for 58 in-principle National Highways were submitted to the Union Ministry for approval in 2018-19, he stated, adding that approval for these alignment reports was awaited and requested for speedy action. Gadkari assured the Chief Minister of appropriate action on each of the issues. He also directed contractors for the timely completion of the works. PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, CPS Sundar Singh Thakur, Chief Minister's Principal Advisor Ram Subhag Singh, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Chief Minister's Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Resident Commissioner Meera Mohanty and officers of the concerned departments from the State and Centre were present during the meeting. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Locket Chatterjee on Wednesday alleged that no one was allowed to vote in the by-polls. "There was no election in the by-election... in the polls, no one was allowed to vote. Suvendu da also said that Hindu people were not allowed to vote," Chatterjee told ANI. Notably, the BJP had lost all four seats in the recently held Assembly by-polls to the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP leader further stated, "Winning and losing is a part of elections. But, it is not that the West Bengal BJP has come to an end or that there is a need for a new formation...Our vote percentage did not reduce...BJP is the biggest party in the country. Our next mission is 2026." Earlier, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had alleged that more than 50 lahks "Hindus" were not allowed to vote in Lok Sabha polls and over two lahks were refrained from voting in the by-polls respectively. Adhikari told ANI that he will start a legal battle against this."Democracy is dead in Bengal. We have started a mass movement today. Nearly 50 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. More than 2 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the 4 by-polls held in the state. I am launching a portal. Whoever was not allowed to vote, can register themselves and full secrecy will be ensured. I will start a legal battle also," he said. Trinamool Congress continued on its winning spree in the West Bengal Assembly by-polls, clinching all four seats, three of which were earlier held by its rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's seat count decreased from 18 to 12. The TMC secured 29 out of the 42 seats in West Bengal. (ANI)
The vigilant jawans of Border Security Force (BSF) arrested an Indian smuggler with 9 gold bricks and 21 gold biscuits while attempting to smuggle the gold by throwing the consignment over the fence. The consignment weighed around 7.87 kg and was valued at Rs 5.82 crore, said BSF in an official statement. According to the BSF, based on the intelligence received, the BSF laid a special ambush in the suspicious area. Around 8:35 a.m. when several suspicious individuals were seen approaching from Bangladesh near the fencing, the jawans prepared for action. When the Bangladeshi smugglers threw the gold over the wire fencing, the jawans swiftly apprehended the Indian smuggler as he tried to collect the consignment. Despite the Jawans' efforts to capture the Bangladeshi smugglers, they managed to flee across the international border into Bangladesh, taking advantage of the darkness, thick bushes, and jute plantations. Nine gold bricks of various sizes and 21 gold biscuits, wrapped in six packets, were recovered from the arrested smuggler. The total weight of the seized gold is approximately 7.87 kg, with an estimated value of Rs 5.82 crore. The arrested person is identified as Mathur Das (changed name), village Gede (North Majherpada). During the initial interrogation, he said that he works for Sanatan Biswas, a resident of his village and today he had come to collect the gold on his request. He also admitted that he had done similar work earlier as well. For which he gets good money. The arrested person was handed over to DRI, Kolkata, along with the seized material. (ANI)
Braving heavy rains and challenging weather conditions, the Indian Coast Guard has successfully coordinated a search and rescue operation for a stranded Indian fishing boat off the Ponani coast of Kerala. "During the late hours of July 16, an Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft that was on maritime surveillance located and sighted a distressed Indian fishing boat (IFB) along with 11 crew members 50 Nm off Ponani (80 Nm from Kochi). Indian Coast Guard District Headquarters No.4 (Kerala & Mahe) diverted ICGS Saksham, which was on patrol, and successfully coordinated the search and rescue operation for stranded IFB Aashni," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "The IFB was in distress due to uncontrolled flooding from a hull rupture near the keel and loss of propulsion, resulting in a threat to the safety of the crew. Considering the gravity of the situation and inclement weather conditions, ICG immediately launched an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) at 0205 hrs from Kochi for the rescue of crew in distress," the statement added. The Coast Guard said that ICG ship Abhinav was also deployed to augment SAR (Search and rescue) effort for the distressed IFB. According to the Coast Guard, the ICG ship Saksham reached the datum with the maximum available speed and embarked a technical team on board the distressed boat. The technical team at Saksham undertook rigorous de-flooding operations and provided vital technical assistance, water, and rations to the distressed IFB, despite challenging weather. The sea-air-coordinated operation resulted in timely assistance to the distressed IFB. The operation ensured the safety of 11 crew members on board the IFB, which is being towed to Kochi. The rescue operation once again showcased unwavering commitment and reach of the Indian Coast Guard in our maritime zones, said the statement. (ANI)
Boerne High School was one of three Boerne ISD campuses to suffer water damage in recent weeks. Boerne ISD

The Boerne Independent School District will bypass its typical process for hiring contractors as the district rushes to repair damage at three of its campuses.

Separate incidents at Boerne High School, Curington Elementary School and Cibolo Creek Elementary since June 8 led to water damage on those campuses, Mark Stahl, Boerne ISDs chief operations officer, told the districts board of trustees during an emergency meeting on July 8.

The board voted to authorize Superintendent Kristin Craft to bypass the standard bidding process to hire contractors to make the needed repairs at those schools.

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Texas school districts are typically required to field competitive offers for construction and other work, but state law allows for exceptions during emergencies and when the delay caused by the bidding process would prevent or substantially impair the conduct of classes or other essential school activities.

Boerne ISD classes are scheduled to resume on Aug. 12.

The first incident occurred on June 28, when a subcontractor working in Cibolo Creek Elementary raised a construction lift into a sprinkler pipe, Stahl said. The pipe dislodged, flooding 19 rooms and causing substantial damage.

On June2 9, a fire broke out in a band room at Boerne High School, Stahl said, as an electrical shortage caused stage lights to catch on fire. The fire engaged the schools sprinklers, resulting in water damage. The stage lights belonged to the Bridge Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Boerne. The groups insurance provider will work with the district to cover the cost of the damage.

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On July 3, a mistake by a contractor working at Curington Elementary caused isolated flooding in the schools library and an adjacent hallway, according to Stahl.

Officials expect the repairs to be made before classes start, and the district will not have to pay for the damage, Stahl said. District spokesperson Bryan Benway declined to provide a cost estimate for the repairs, telling the Express-News to file an open records request for that information.

Construction crews have been hard at work to repair the damaged areas, with the expected completion date for most projects being prior to the start of school, Benway said by email. Our operations department is in constant contact with the construction crews as they work to complete the repairs.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed in detail the Chhattisgarh Vision @ 2047 created for the long-term development of Chhattisgarh. "During this important meeting held at his residence in New Delhi, the Chief Minister informed the Union minister that the state government has identified eight different areas towards developed Chhattisgarh. He added that a working committee has been formed to accelerate development in these areas, which is regularly discussing with the common people and experts and preparing an effective action plan," as per a press release from Chhattisgarh Chief Chief Minister Sai also apprised the Union Home Minister about the effective action being taken against the supply and funding network of Maoists in the state. He informed that the state government has taken strict steps to curb the activities of Maoists and dismantle their financial network. The Chief Minister also informed the Home Minister about Naxal operations and development works in Maoist-affected areas. He added that infrastructure is being expanded rapidly in Maoist areas, and the state government has conducted special campaigns for education and health services in these areas. During the meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah appreciated the efforts of the Chhattisgarh Government and assured full support of the Central Government to maintain peace and stability in the state. Earlier in the day, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met with the Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and held discussions regarding new rail line in Chhattisgarh. While speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Sai said, "Along with our Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, I met with the Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and held discussions regarding new rail line in Chhattisgarh. Railways cover is less in the state but after PM Modi came to power for the third time, we have huge expectations...In the coming times, Chhattisgarh will get 4 new rail lines...Discussions were held regarding the upcoming developments in the state regarding the Railways sector." (ANI)
The operation, initiated around 10 am, involved seven C60 parties led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations). The assault was based on credible intelligence regarding the presence of 12-15 Naxals camping in the area.

A heavy exchange of fire ensued in the afternoon and continued intermittently for over six hours into the late evening. During the area search, security forces recovered 12 bodies of naxals, including DVCM Laxman Atram, also known as Vishal Atram, the in-charge of the Tipagad Dalam.

The operation also yielded a significant haul of weapons, including seven automatic firearms: three AK-47 rifles, two INSAS rifles, one carbine, and one self-loading rifle (SLR).

One Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) of the C60 unit and one jawan sustained bullet injuries during the encounter. Both have been evacuated and shifted to Nagpur, where they are reported to be out of danger.

One Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) of the C60 unit and one jawan sustained bullet injuries during the encounter. Both have been evacuated and shifted to Nagpur, where they are reported to be out of danger. (ANI)
In a major breakthrough against organised crime, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police and Bathinda Police arrested three associates of Lawrence Bishnoi and USA-based Goldy Brar Gang, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday. Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh of Bhikhi in Mansa, Maninder Singh alias Munshi of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and Harcharanjit Singh of village Bir Khurd in Mansa. All the accused persons have a criminal history with cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act and NDPS act registered against them. Police teams have also recovered two .32 calibre Pistols along with six cartridges from the possession of arrested accused persons. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on the reliable inputs, AGTF teams under the overall supervision of ADGP Promod Ban along with Police teams from Bathinda apprehended accused Harcharanjit Singh, who was also wanted in attempt to murder case by the Mansa Police, with cooperation of Rajasthan Police. Police teams were headed by AIG Sandeep Goel and led by DSP Rajan Parminder.He said that during interrogation, accused Harcharanjit revealed that he is working on directions of notorious gangster Manpreet Singh alias Manna, who tasked him to help accused Gurpreet and Maninder Munshi to eliminate a rival gang member. Gangster Manna, who is currently lodged in Ropar Jail, is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. The DGP said that following the disclosure of accused Harcharanjit, Police teams launched a big manhunt to nab both the accused persons and managed to arrest them from Mansa Road in Bathinda. Further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he added. DGP Gaurav Yadav also thanked DGP Rajasthan for the excellent support given to the Punjab Police in accomplishing this inter-state operation. In this regard, a case FIR no 72 had been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Maur in Bathinda. (ANI)
Amidst the recent defection of 29 former corporators, including city unit chief Ajit Gavhane from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP to Sharad Pawar's faction in Pimpri Chinchwad, speculation is rife about leaders from Pune City following suit. However, NCP Pune President Deepak Mankar has denied such speculation, asserting that they will remain loyal to Ajit Pawar. Mankar said, "The defection in Pimpri Chinchwad won't have a significant impact on the state level. He revealed that Ajit Gavhane had discussed his decision with him, citing his desire to contest against local BJP MLA Mahesh Landge due to a rift. Mankar expressed confidence that even if leaders leave, they won't benefit from it." When questioned about his own loyalty, Mankar emphatically stated that "the party in Pune City is intact, and no one is leaving. He acknowledged having certain demands, such as a seat in the Maharashtra assembly council, but clarified that he wouldn't leave the party even if those demands weren't met. Mankar said, "The party in Pune is very intact. No one is leaving the party. We will stay with Ajit Pawar till we die. He was with us in a difficult time. We have certain demands. I was expecting a seat for Pune in the Maharashtra Assembly Council, but that doesn't mean that if this is not given, I would leave the party. I will stay with Ajit Pawar even if nothing is given to me." Mankar also emphasized that people have joined Ajit Pawar on a development agenda without expectations, making it unlikely for them to abandon him. He even hinted at leaders from other parties intending to join the NCP soon. (ANI)
Expressing concern over Tamil Nadu BSP chief K Armstrong's murder, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough investigation. Athawale on Friday met the family of Tamil Nadu BSP chief K Armstrong at their residence in Chennai today. Athwale also criticised the state government for not providing adequate security to leaders hailing from reserved communities. Addressing the media after visiting the family of the slain leader of the BSP, K Armstrong, he demanded strong action on the death of Armstrong and also on maintaining law and order in general. "I request Tamilnadu Chief Minister MK Stalin ji to transfer this Armstrong murder case to CBI probe. Even the Party demand for CBI Probe. I appeal to Tamilnadu Chief Minister to protect the Dalit leaders in Tamilnadu," he said in an address after meeting the slain leaders' family. Armstrong was hacked to death last Friday evening by a group of unidentified men near his residence in Perambur, Chennai.The Chennai police suspect the involvement of associates of gangster Arcot Suresh, who was murdered in August last year, in the murder.In an interview with ANI on Sunday, Asra Garg, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), North Chennai, said, "After sustained interrogation, due analysis, and diligence regarding the facts and circumstances of each suspect, we have arrested eight people. We have seized seven blood-stained weapons, one Zomato t-shirt, a Zomato bag, and three bikes that were used in the commission of the offence."Highlighting the suspected motive behind the killing, ACP Garg mentioned that the associates of gangster Arcot Suresh, who was assassinated last year, believed it was "conspired" by Armstrong."In August 2023, Arcot Suresh was murdered by a gang; his family and associates believe it was done under the direction or in conspiracy with Armstrong, who was murdered on Friday," he stated.The Chennai police formed special teams to comprehensively probe the case. (ANI)
Acting on the resolve of the Delhi Government to develop and maintain industrial areas in Delhi, Industries Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday met the representatives of the associations of factory owners from 27 different industrial areas at the Delhi Secretariat. Senior officials from the DSIIDC department were also present at the meeting. Talking to the trade organizations during the meeting, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Delhi Government is serious about the development and maintenance of 27 unplanned industrial areas, stated an official release of the Delhi government. He mentioned that the government has been working with trade organizations for a long time to develop these areas and has come up with a scheme for their revamp. Under this scheme, 90% of the costs associated with the layout plan for the development of these industrial areas will be borne by the Delhi Government, while 10% will be borne by the factory owners. This ensures shared responsibility between the government and the trade organizations in these industrial areas, he added. During the meeting, Brijesh Goyal, Chairman of CTI, an apex organization of traders and entrepreneurs, requested the minister on behalf of all trade organizations to consider reducing the high fees for MCD map approvals in these 27 unplanned industrial areas. Goyal highlighted that there are 29 authorized industrial areas and 27 unplanned industrial areas in Delhi. Factory owners from these unplanned areas have requested the government to include the cost of MCD map approvals under the scheme, the release mentioned. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj agreed to this demand and instructed officials to consider a policy where map approval fees are in line with the government's scheme. Vijay Virmani, President of the Delhi Manufacturing Federation, welcomed the Delhi Government's scheme during the meeting. He stated that for the first time in 30 years, a government has taken an interest in the concerns of traders. He mentioned that there are small factories in industrial areas like Dabri, Khayala, Hastsal, Nangli Sakravati, Nawada, Peeragarhi, Rithala, Mandoli, Haiderpur, Karawal Nagar, Shalimar Village, Samaypur Badli, Libaspur, Tikri Kalan, etc., where middle-class traders run their businesses. Thousands of people work in these small industrial areas, which support the livelihoods of lakhs of families. Virmani praised the Kejriwal Government's initiative as a commendable step towards making the lives of these millions of people easier and more comfortable. He added that the development of these industrial areas will not only benefit the trader community but also promote industries, create new job opportunities, and improve Delhi's economy. (ANI)
A panel of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department of the Maharashtra government has recommended action against two Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members for "procedural lapses" in granting bail to the minor accused in the Pune Porsche crash case. "We have submitted our final report to the Maharashtra government after due investigation and replies over show cause notices given to members of JJB with recommendations that disciplinary action may be taken against the two members of JJB (appointed by the state) for procedural lapses," Prashant Narnaware, the Women and Child Development Commissioner said. The case pertains to the May 19 incident. A Porsche car, allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated condition, hit two IT professionals, killing them at Kalyani Nagar area in Pune. There was a nationwide uproar after JJB granted bail to the accused on very lenient terms, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety. The uproar caused the Women and Child Development Department to form a panel to investigate the conduct of JJB members in giving bail to minors. As part of his bail conditions, the minor was required to submit an essay on road safety, highlighting the importance of responsible driving and the consequences of reckless behaviour. Earlier this month, the 17-year-old minor accused submitted the 300-word essay on road safety as part of his bail conditions. The minor was released from an observation home last month after the Bombay High Court ruled that his remand orders were illegal. The incident took place on May 19 at 2.30 am in Pune's Kalyani Nagar, where the minor, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, drove a Porsche car into a two-wheeler, resulting in the deaths of two software engineers. Notably, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had assured on June 26 that legal action would be taken against all the accused involved in the Pune car accident. "As far as the case is concerned, the investigation is being done as per the evidence which is received. We will ensure that legal action is taken against all," Kumar had told ANI. On June 21, the Pune district court granted bail to Vishal Agarwal, the father of the accused teenager, in the primary case where he was booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called on Governor Anandiben Patel in Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday. CM Adityanath also chaired a meeting of his cabinet in Lucknow. The meeting was called for the upcoming assembly by-elections in the state. Earlier on Wednesday, the CM reviewed the preparations for the holy Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, and provided necessary guidelines. The meeting was attended by ministers of water, power, urban development, energy, and the PWD. Directing the PWD, Irrigation and Urban Development Department, the chief minister said that the remaining repairing works of roads across districts falling along the Kanwar Yatra route should be completed in the next 72 hours. The Chief Minister said that the entire Kanwar Yatra route should be kept clean throughout the month of 'Sawan'. There should be no dirt or waterlogging anywhere. Ensure solid waste management, as well as good lighting on the entire Kanwar Yatra route. For this, additional street lights should be installed and arrangements made for transformers, he directed. The Chief Minister asked them to set up assistance camps for the help of the general public along the Yatra route. Arrangements should also be made for the distribution of cold drinking water, lemonade, etc. Take the help of social organizations in setting up of camps, but verify the credentials of those operating it. The Yatra route should be monitored using drones, and flowers should be showered on devotees on important occasions, the CM said. The Chief Minister said that the DJ should be played by Kanwariyas as per the prescribed standards and the height of the DJ must not exceed the set limit. The Chief Minister said that a large number of devotees visit Shiva temples in urban areas of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bareilly, Ayodhya, Basti, Prayagraj, Kashi, Barabanki etc. The local administration should manage the crowd in Shiva temples by communicating with the temple management. He also mentioned receiving reports of dead animals flowing in the Ganga canal and instructed officials to ensure that it stops immediately. (ANI)
India has once again called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to recommit to time-bound negotiations on the council's reform, criticising the manipulation of the council's mechanisms by major countries and groups as "detrimental" to the multilateral spirit. "The primary reason the multilateral system has failed to deliver is that it is still stuck in a 1945 vintage binary outlook reflected clearly in the composition of this Security Council. The core of India's position on reformed multilateralism, therefore, lies in a call for the reform of the UN Security Council that is reflective of contemporary realities of today," Ambassador R Ravindra said. https://x.com/IndiaUNNewYork/status/1813305648274092308 Calling for a recommitment to time-bound negotiations on UNSC reforms, he further asserted that, "Sabotaging of negotiating processes and mechanisms by big countries or groups in the narrow interest of their own positions is detrimental to the multilateral spirit and must be called out wherever necessary." The diplomat stated that multipolarity is here to stay. "While we may have succeeded in preventing another world war, this does not hide the reality of the UN's inability to respond to increasingly complex global challenges such as terrorism, pandemics, climate change, threats posed by emerging technologies, cyberattacks and the disruptive role of non-state actors..." the ambassador said while delivering India's statement at the UNSC Open Debate. Notably, reforms in the global systems have been an issue continuously raised by India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the global stage. India, a founding member of the UN in 1945, played an active role in the drafting of the UN Charter and has been a vocal proponent of reforming the UNSC. During his concluding address at the G20 Leaders Summit here in the national capital, PM Modi reiterated his stance of making global systems in accordance with the "realities of the present" and took the example of the United Nations Security Council. "When the UN was established, the world at that time was completely different from today. At that time, there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200. Despite this, the permanent members in UNSC are still the same," the Prime Minister had underlined. (ANI)
His remarks came as he visited the site of the Civil Service College project in Reduit.

"'Delivered by India' emerging as a symbol of trust. Happy to interact with those making this a reality at the site of the Civil Service College project in Reduit. Laud their commitment and professionalism," Jaishankar said while sharing a post on X.

"They keep the flag flying high abroad," he further added.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1813269721057309026

During his two-day visit to Mauritius, Jaishankar called on Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jagnauth in Port Louis and appreciated the further broadening of the special and enduring partnership between both nations.

He also conveyed the warm greetings of PM Narendra Modi to Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jagnauth.

On Wednesday, Jaishankar attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the "Maitree Udyan."

He also thanked Mauritian Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin for joining the ceremony.

"The 'Maitree Udyan' is a symbol of our everlasting friendship. Appreciate FM @ManeeshGobin for joining in its Ground-Breaking Ceremony. #Plant4Mother is now rooted in Mauritian soil," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Jaishankar's visit comes around a month after PM Jugnauth visited India for the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi, along with his new cabinet and Council of Ministers.

The visit marks one of Jaishankar's first bilateral engagements following his re-appointment in the PM Modi-led government. Previously, Jaishankar visited Mauritius in February 2021. (ANI)
Alerts issued as China braces for heavy rainfall, flooding

Xinhua) 09:00, July 17, 2024

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Seasonal rainfall during this summer has affected many parts of China, prompting local authorities to beef up flood control and rescue efforts.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, central China's Henan Province issued a red alert for rainstorms, the highest level in the country's four-tier weather warning system, according to the province's meteorological observatory.

From Monday to Tuesday morning, heavy downpours lashed many parts of the province, with a maximum precipitation of 638.5 mm recorded in Sheqi County.

The meteorological observatory forecasted that from 9 a.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, heavy rainfall would continue in some areas of the province, accompanied by strong convective weather, including thunderstorms and gales.

On Tuesday, a Level I emergency response for flood control was activated in the city of Nanyang, while a Level III emergency response for flood control was issued in other nine cities including Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, according to the province's flood control and drought relief headquarters.

As of 10 p.m. Monday, 382 teams had been dispatched to Nanyang for drainage and rescue work, and 6,417 residents had been relocated.

Relevant provincial departments also issued a high-risk warning for farmland waterlogging and flooding disasters on Tuesday, and have adopted a range of defensive measures to ensure effective drainage and the preservation of crop health.

In northwest China's Gansu Province, multiple provincial departments jointly issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents, an orange alert for geological disasters and a Level  emergency response for heavy rainfall on Tuesday, as the province is expected to see rainstorms from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Due to increased water discharge from the upstream Three Gorges Reservoir, the water level of Dongting Lake, China's second-largest freshwater lake located in Hunan Province, is rising again, posing a significant challenge to flood prevention efforts.

Since mid-June, Hunan has endured intense rainfall, leading to a sharp rise in water levels in Dongting Lake and significantly increasing flood control pressure.

Rescue personnel successfully sealed a 226-meter breach in a dike at Dongting Lake on July 8. The breach, caused by torrential rains, prompted the evacuation of over 7,000 residents after the dike burst.

Due to heavy rainfall in parts of southwest China's Sichuan Province, some trains passing through the province will be delayed, returned, or suspended from Tuesday to Thursday, according to local railway authorities.

Heavy rain is forecast to batter the southern part of Shandong Province between Tuesday night and Thursday morning. In response, the provincial authorities issued meteorological alerts for geological disasters and mountain torrents on Tuesday.

China's meteorological and water resources authorities issued a warning of impending mountain torrents in some regions at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

According to an orange alert issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration, mountain torrents are expected to occur in parts of Shaanxi and Gansu between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The two departments also issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents in parts of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Henan, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency-response system, with Level I being the most severe response as well as a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Beto Altamirano addresses supporters during his mayoral campaign launch event at The Friendly Spot on Saturday, June 1, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Tech entrepreneur Beto Altamiranos campaign touted an impressive fundraising haul of more than $110,000, but left out that nearly two-thirds of that money came from the candidate himself.

Altamirano loaned his campaign $50,000, according to a campaign finance report filed Monday. Thats in addition to the $20,000 he reported donating to his campaign.

Still, the first-time candidate has outraised the other contenders for San Antonio mayor since the start of the year  and his campaign has more money in the bank.

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The mayors race is still far off: filing for the open seat begins in January, and the election isnt until May 3, 2025. That means theres still plenty of time for fundraising. The next finance reports are due in mid-January.

With a race like this, where there are so many candidates, its going to be a higher spend than weve seen before, especially seeing how early it started, said Brielle Insler, managing partner at San Antonio-based political and marketing consulting firm Duable.

Duable isnt currently working for a mayoral campaign, but it has recently done consulting work for District 6 Melissa Cabello Havrda, who is expected to launch her mayoral campaign later this fall, if not earlier.

Candidates will need anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 to make it into a June runoff, Insler said.

But those from outside City Hall, like Altamirano, will have to spend at the top of that range, or more, since they are less known to voters and cant rely on a track record and name ID.

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Altamirano, who is CEO of Irys Technologies, is the first outsider to join the mayors race and will attempt to reverse San Antonios pattern of electing City Council members to the mayors office. He reported bringing in $61,861 in cash contributions from Jan. 1 through June 30. His first outside campaign donations came in on May 15, a few weeks before he formally announced his campaign on May 31.

He was the only candidate to send out a news release about his campaign finance report.

In just over a month, this community-driven campaign has raised over $110,000, he said in the release. This strong investment is a clear indication that San Antonians are ready for change.

District 9 Councilman John Courage, who was the first to announce his mayoral bid in late January, raised $19,317 over that same period. Courage loaned his campaign $25,000.

District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, who made his mayoral campaign official in early April, brought in $46,766.

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Cabello Havrda reported raising $15,800. Once she names a campaign treasurer for her mayoral bid, shell be able to collect $1,000 from donors every contribution cycle, up from the $500 limit for City Council candidates.

District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, another potential mayoral candidate, raised $1,950.

Insler said she was surprised how much some of the candidates spent during this first half of the year, when so few voters are paying attention to the 2025 mayors race.

Altamirano reported $51,574 in expenditures. Pelaez spent $51,865 over the first six months of the year, with the bulk of that  $38,369  coming after he launched his campaign. Courage spent $27,890 and Cabello Havrda reported $20,004 in expenditures. Rocha Garcia spent just $4,521.

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That doesnt leave a lot in their campaign bank accounts. Altamirano led with $60,000, followed by Cabello Havrda, who reported $48,500 cash on hand. Courages campaign has $26,000 in the bank, while Pelaezs campaign was sitting on $9,000. Rocha Garcia has $24,000 cash on hand.
Following Donald Trump's assassination attempt, which took place last week, US President Joe Biden said that more children in America die of gunshot wounds than any other reason, describing the situation as stunning and sick. Delivering his remarks at the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday (local time), Biden called for taking the weapons out from the "streets of America," as he went on to criticise Trump's policies simultaneously. "More children in America die of gunshot wounds than any other reason that is stunning and that is sick and it's sheer cowardice if we do nothing about it. If you want to stand against violence in America, then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America," Biden said. Criticising Trump for his policies during his previous tenures, Biden remarked, "He (Donald Trump) tried to repeal Obamacare to kick millions, I mean, millions of black Americans off their health insurance. He had a USD 2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefited the super-wealthy, the biggest corporation, and exploded the federal debt larger than anyone the one president has in one term." Speaking further, Biden blamed Trump for the "mismanagement of the pandemic" as well. "He left no room for us to do what we should be doing, invested in things that affect people's lives, like childcare, elder care, and so much more, that grow the economy and help people. This mismanagement of the pandemic was especially devastating to black communities," Biden said. "As Harry Truman said, I've never delivered giving anyone hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell. Well, here's the truth about why Donald Trump's presidency was hell for black Americans," President Biden said. As the US presidential elections draw near, Trump made his pick for Vice President, selecting JD Vance as his running mate on Monday. Trump confirmed Vance's candidature through a post on social media. President Joe Biden launched his re-election campaign in April 2023, describing the contest between him and Trump as a "stark choice" for voters between the continuation of democracy in America and its possible "destruction" under Trump. Meanwhile, Trump launched his bid to reclaim the White House in November 2022. He aims to reclaim the White House after his bitter exit in 2020, as he looks forward to becoming only the second commander-in-chief to win two non-consecutive terms in office. (ANI)
The organizing committee of the forum praised the innovative models presented by the Fujairah Club.

The members of the Fujairah Scientific Club delegation participated in dialogue and discussion sessions related to artificial intelligence and other scientific topics. (ANI/WAM)
French President Emman Macron has formally accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. According to a press release from the Elysee Palace, the French presidential office, Macron has asked Attal to continue running the caretaker government until the appointment of the next government. The development comes ahead of the Olympics that is due to start in France from next week. In the recent parliamentary elections in France, the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) emerged as the largest bloc, but the infighting among the member-parties had meant that they have failed to build consensus and put forward the name of their prime ministerial candidate. The NFP, a cluster of several parties including from the far-left France Unbowed party to the more moderate Socialists and the Ecologists -- won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest group but well short of the 289 required for an absolute majority. The bloc, however failed to put up a name for the prime minister's post. A per custom, the French president appoints a prime minister from the largest group in parliament but there is still no clarity on which party from the NFP it would be. In a July 16 press release from the Elysee Palace, Macron said, "In order for this period to end as quickly as possible, it is up to the republican forces to work together to build a rally around projects and actions in the service of French women and men." In the parliamentary run off elections last week, Macron's Ensemble (ENS) alliance won 163 seats took second place. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies were relegated to third place with 143 seats. Attal had immediately after the elections offered to resign but Macron had refused to accept his resignation and asked him to remain as a caretaker until a new cabinet is appointed. Meanwhile, French lawmakers are set to meet on Thursday to elect the president of the National Assembly, in two votes requiring a majority of the 577-seat body, CNN reported. If the first two votes don't elect someone, the candidate with the largest support in parliament will be selected in a third vote. Following their resignation, Attal and his fellow ministers who are lawmakers will be allowed to vote in the election of the National Assembly president, potentially providing key ballots in the divided body, CNN reported. (ANI)
The US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J Austin, said he discussed the latest round of hostage negotiations with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant on Wednesday. Austin said he underscored the US's commitment to Israel's security and right to self-defence, remains ironclad. In a post on X, Lloyd said, "I spoke to Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant today about ongoing attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hizballah, enhanced U.S.-Israel military cooperation, and the status of the JLOTS temporary pier. We discussed the latest round of hostage negotiations and reaffirmed our commitment to secure the release of all the hostages held captive by Hamas, including American citizens. I underscored that our commitment to Israel's security and right to self-defence remains ironclad." https://x.com/SecDef/status/1813384201129119960 Earlier on June 11, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution vote on the US proposal for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza. The US-drafted text calls for Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal announced on May 31 by President Joe Biden that has already been accepted by Israel. The resolution was notably adopted with 14 votes in favour, zero against, and one abstention by Russia, as the country chose not to exercise its veto power. The resolution that is adopted aims at reaching a comprehensive ceasefire deal in three phases, according to UN News. The first phase calls for an "immediate, full, and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners." It demands that Israeli soldiers leave Gaza's "populated areas," that Palestinians be allowed to return to their homes and communities anywhere in the territory, including the north, and that humanitarian aid be distributed widely and safely. (ANI)
"The merchant vessel has a crew of 16, of which 13 are Indian seafarers. The vessel seems to have capsized," the source said.

A source said that the Indian Embassy in Oman is in constant touch with the Omani authorities.

"A search and rescue operation for the seafarers, coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Center (OMSC), is on. Indian Navy has also joined the search and rescue operations," sources said.

Indian Navy's warship INS Teg has been deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with the Omani vessels and personnel to carry out search and rescue missions after a Comoros-flagged vessel with its crew including 13 Indians capsized.

The Indian warship was carrying out an operational turnaround in the area from where it was directed on July 15 to carry out search and rescue missions. The warship had located the capsizing oil tanker on July 16 morning

The oil tanker, Prestige Falcon to capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah. This is near the Omani port of Duqm.

The Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X, "A Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah. SAR Ops initiated with the relevant authorities. #MaritimeSecurityCentre"

https://x.com/OMAN_MSC/status/1812902199963369815?

The tanker was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to shipping data by LSEG.

The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007, LSEG's shipping data showed. Such small tankers are generally deployed for short voyages. (ANI)
Jerusalem [Israel] July 17 (ANI/TPS): A 13-year-old Israeli boy hiking with his father on Mount Carmel stumbled across an 1,800 year-old bronze ring engraved with the image of the mythological Roman goddess Minerva, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Wednesday. "While hiking I noticed a small green item and picked it up. It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt. I thought about heating it, but then fortunately I understood it was a ring. At home, I saw it had an image on it. At first glance, I thought it was a warrior," said Yair Whiteson, of Haifa. The ring, preserved in its entirety, features the image of a helmeted naked figure holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other. Yair, accompanied by his father, who had just returned from a four-month stint in the army reserves, was passing through Khirbet Shalala, an area known for its remains of a Roman farmstead and a nearby ancient rock quarry. Yair's curiosity was piqued by a small, green item lying on the ground. "I'm curious about fossils and rocks and love to collect them," Yair explained, adding that it became apparent that this was not a fossil. Recognizing the potential value of the ring, the family contacted the Antiquities Authority. Dr. Eitan Klein and Nir Distelfeld of the Antiquities Authority identified the figure as Minerva from Roman mythology, also known as Athena in Greek mythology. "Yair's identification of the figure as a warrior is very close to reality," they explained. "This goddess, who was very popular during the Roman period in the Land of Israel, was considered, among other things, as the goddess of war and military strategy, and also as the goddess of wisdom." The researchers dated the ring back to the Late Roman Period, the 2nd-3rd Century CE. Khirbet Shalala also features burial caves at the edge of the quarry, raising speculation about the ring's origins. "The ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm. Or, it might have fallen from a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering from these nearby graves. There are many possibilities," the researchers noted. The ring will be displayed in Jerusalem. (ANI/TPS)
The Indian High Commission in Singapore thanked Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs for his insights and guidance.

In a post on X, it said, "The 2008 batch of Indian Foreign Service officers is undergoing a module @LKYSch as part of their Mid-Career Training Program. They were honoured to call on Singapore Foreign Minister H.E. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday. We thank FM @VivianBala for his valuable insights & guidance."

Earlier on March 25, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong exchanged views on deepening engagement in fintech, digitalization, the green economy, skills development and food security.

He was on an official visit to Singapore from March 23-25, the first leg of his visit to Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia.

Jaishankar called on Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and also met with Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Singapore.

"They exchanged views on deepening engagement in the identified pillars of our cooperation, including fintech, digitalization, the green economy, skills development and food security," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The EAM had several bilateral engagements with the leadership and the senior ministers of the Cabinet.He also met Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security. Moreover, Jaishankar held comprehensive discussions with Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

During his visit, Jaishankar also paid homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the INA marker in Singapore.

He met members of the Indian community and interacted with them. He also witnessed a short video on the 'Saga of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose', created by members of the Indian Community. (ANI)
Nepal's newly appointed Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli is set to take a vote of confidence on July 21, a week after he took over charge of the office. Oli, 72, the chairman of the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal--Unified Marxist Leninist), was appointed Prime Minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel on July 14 after his predecessor Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a vote of confidence in parliament. Oli was sworn in as the Prime Minister for his fourth term on July 15. According to CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula, Prime Minister Oli has informed the Parliament Secretariat about it stating that an early vote of confidence would help him work comfortably. "As per the constitution, a Prime Minister is mandated to take the vote of confidence within 30 days of formal appointment over the post. Prime Minister Oli will be taking the vote of confidence on Sunday (July 21) because it would give me more confidence and allow me to work properly," Bartaula confirmed to ANI over phone. On July 12 this month, Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel called on political parties in the Nepal Parliament to stake claim for the Prime Minister after Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a trust motion. The President had called for the claim of stake as per Article 76(2) of the Constitution. On the same day, Oli staked claim for the prime minsterial post, he and Nepali Congress party President Sher Bahadur Deuba jointly signed an application for the President to appoint the UML chief as the country's new PM on Friday evening. Oli, backed by the Nepali Congress and other smaller parties had on Friday submitted the signatures of 165 lawmakers claiming majority support in the parliament for the Prime Ministership. The Constitution of Nepal mandates a Prime Minister to have the support of a majority of 138 members in the 275-strong House of Representatives to take over as Prime Minister. Moreover, the Prime Minister is also mandated to take a vote of confidence within 30 days of appointment to prove support. Oli became the Prime Minister for the first time in October 2015, soon after the promulgation of the Constitution that year, and remained in power until August 2016. Right after the general election in 2017, Oli, who was able to usher in nationalist sentiment amongst the people siding with China, formed a government and remained in power from February 2018 to May 2021. Oli was again appointed Prime Minister under the constitutional provision of 76(3) from May 2021 to July 2021 after staking claim as the parliamentary leader of the largest party in parliament. While in power, Oli twice dissolved the parliament but the Supreme Court issued a mandamus resinstating it. According to the July 2 deal between Congress chief Deuba and UML chairman Oli, the two parties will lead the government on a rotational basis until the next general elections in 2027. The deal, however, has not been made public yet. (ANI)
As the United States observes Captive Nations Week, the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) is urging the US and the global community to remember the ongoing plight of East Turkistan under Chinese occupation. The ETGE recalled that on October 12, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) invaded East Turkistan. By December 22, 1949, the independent East Turkistan Republic was overthrown following the assassination of its leaders, an act facilitated by the Soviet Union in support of the PRC occupation, a press statement by ETGE said. In 1955, the PRC rebranded much of East Turkistan as the "Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region," a move seen as an attempt to legitimise its occupation and suppress the East Turkistani people's desire for liberty and independence. For the past 74 years, the East Turkistani people have steadfastly resisted Chinese occupation, seeking to restore their freedom and independence. The Captive Nations Law, enacted by America on July 17, 1959, underscores the importance of upholding the aspirations for liberty and independence among captive nations. East Turkistan, also known as Turkistan, along with Tibet and other nations, was listed among these captive nations. East Turkistan, home to the Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples, remains a captive nation enduring severe repression, systematic genocide, and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Chinese government. "The East Turkistan Government in Exile reiterates our urgent call to the US Government and U.S. Congress to formally recognise East Turkistan as a country occupied by China," Salih Hudayar, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, said. "Condemning the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan, the root of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity faced by our people, is a critical step towards justice and freedom," he further stated. The ETGE urged the US Senate to swiftly pass the Uyghur Policy Act (S.1252), including the establishment of a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani/Uyghur Issues at the US State Department, as passed in H.R.2766 by the US House of Representatives on February 15 this year. This legislation is seen as vital to ensuring that the plight of East Turkistan is addressed with the urgency it deserves and that a coordinated, whole-of-government response is implemented to address China's ongoing campaign of colonization, genocide, and occupation. Furthermore, the ETGE called on the US government to treat East Turkistan on par with Tibet by confronting and countering China's relentless propaganda, cultural and physical destruction, and systematic genocide in occupied East Turkistan. (ANI)
Nepal's embassy in Dhaka has issued an advisory for Nepali students to stay indoors and follow the instructions of their respective universities and college administrators after the students' protest intensified over the government jobs quota. The advisory follows Bangladeshi government's decision to shut down all public and private universities after protests by students against a quota system for government jobs. There has been escalation in violence following protests with media reports stating that six people were killed on Tuesday. "The students are also requested to contact the embassy in case the administrators ask them to move to safer places or if the situation at their current accommodation is unsafe," the advisory reads. The embassy urged students to stay indoors and follow the instructions of their respective university and college administrations. The embassy further stated that they are closely monitoring the situation and are in constant contact with concerned government agencies and college administrative bodies for the safety of Nepali students. The embassy has also given two contact numbers for any assistance. Yojana Bamjan, second secretary at the Nepali Embassy in Dhaka: +8801880691013 and Riya Chhetri: +8801745407958. Bangladesh has seen protests over quota system that reserves significant number of civil service posts for certain groups, including children of those who took part in the country's 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. (ANI)
Ruben Gutierrez was sentenced to death in 1999 for the stabbing and beating murder of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison during a home robbery. The Supreme Court stayed his execution on Tuesday. - /Texas Department of Criminal Jus /AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court halted a scheduled Texas execution late on Tuesday, the day Ruben Gutierrez was set to be put to death for the 1998 murder of an elderly woman in Brownsville.

Gutierrez has spent the past decade fighting for DNA testing of evidence that he says would prove he did not kill her.

Two people have been executed by the state so far this year. For the rest of 2024, Texas has scheduled five more executions, the same as all other states combined, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

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Gutierrez, 47, was sentenced to death in 1999 for the stabbing and beating murder of 85-year-old Escolastica Harrison during a home robbery. Harrison, who lived with her nephew in the mobile home park she owned and who distrusted banks, had $600,000 stashed in her home at the time of her death, according to court records.

Alex Hernandez, the victims nephew and godson, drove six hours from his home in Brownsville to the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville to attend the execution with his girlfriend and a few friends on Tuesday. He had made the trip in 2020 and was in the waiting room when the warden told him the U.S. Supreme Court had halted Gutierrezs execution just over an hour before it was set to take place. He thought the news then was a really bad joke.

On Tuesday, the high court made a similar decision, to send the case back to a lower court for more deliberations.

Before the latest decision, Hernandez had said on Monday that it was really heart-wrenching, heartbreaking again having to relive it.

Hernandez, 55, remembered his aunt, whom family members affectionately called Aunt Peco, as a really happy person, always wanting to sing and always having a smile on her face.

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She taught ESL at the local elementary school, where Hernandez said she was a really strict teacher intent on helping her students, many of whom were migrants, learn English. Hernandez spent summers growing up with his aunt and uncle, and he recalled chasing butterflies around the trailer park and eating peaches plucked off the trees that surrounded Harrisons home.

She was just the most beautiful person, he said. She wasnt just some old lady.

Gutierrez and two other suspects  Rene Garcia and Pedro Gracia  were accused of planning to rob Harrison, but each pegged the other two for the murder. Garcia, who pleaded guilty, is serving a life sentence. Gracia was released from jail on a $75,000 bond and vanished. He has been wanted by authorities since.

Gutierrez has maintained that he did not kill Harrison, that he was not inside her home when she was killed and that he did not know of nor consent to any intention to kill her.

In multiple appeals, Gutierrez has requested, and been denied, DNA testing of evidence that was collected at the scene but never tested, including fingernail scrapings, a hair found in Harrisons hand and blood stains. He has argued that DNA testing of those materials would corroborate his claims that he did not kill Harrison, and because the court has denied his requests for testing, Gutierrez has argued that his due process rights were violated, rendering his execution unjust and premature.

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I just dont understand what theyre afraid of, Shawn Nolan, Gutierrezs lawyer, said. If the case happened today, he added, they would test everything. Thats what they do with these cases, always, especially in a murder case, and especially in a capital case.

His lawyers also argued that a jury would not have sentenced Gutierrez to death if the results of DNA testing pointed to another suspect as the killer.

A juror whos going to decide whether theyre going to sentence somebody to death or not surely should know whether that person was the actual killer, Nolan said. In this case, the prosecution argued to the jury that Ruben was the actual killer, even though there was no direct evidence of that.

Cameron County prosecutors argued that because there may have been multiple killers, any evidence tested that did not match Gutierrezs DNA would not prove his innocence.

Prosecutors also argued that under Texas law of parties  which allows all those involved in a crime to be held criminally responsible for it, even if they did not carry it out themselves  Gutierrez remained eligible for the death penalty, regardless of any DNA test results, given his admission that he had planned the whole rip off.

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Gutierrez maintained that the statement he gave about planning the robbery was false, and that he had assented to it only after detectives threatened to arrest his wife and take away his children, his attorneys said in a June 2019 court filing.

Gutierrezs lawyers further argued that evidence suggested that Harrisons nephew, Avel Cuellar, masterminded the robbery. Cuellar, who is now dead, was initially considered a suspect by law enforcement but then dropped from the investigation. Cuellar was reported to be living with Harrison.

In 2019, Gutierrezs attorneys also challenged the constitutionality of a Texas law that limits when evidence can be DNA-tested after conviction. That law requires a convicted person, in order to get DNA testing, to show that he would not have been convicted if exculpatory results had been obtained through DNA testing.

Its a catch-22, Nolan said.

Nolan argued, and a federal district court agreed, that Texas DNA statute was unconstitutional because it denied Gutierrez the ability to test evidence that would demonstrate his innocence and challenge his death sentence. But the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling this year, saying the federal district court did not have jurisdiction over Gutierrezs lawsuit.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a petition filed by Gutierrezs attorneys for a review of the 5th Circuits ruling and a stay of his execution. It came four days after Gutierrezs application for clemency was denied unanimously by the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole.

Gutierrezs execution has been delayed several times since he was sentenced to death 25 years ago.

In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court halted his execution just over an hour before he was set to die on the basis of an appeal he had filed saying that a new Texas policy banning religious advisers in the execution room with inmates violated his religious freedoms.

His execution was previously stayed in October 2019 by Texas highest criminal court due to a clerical error. Gutierrezs attorneys had argued his death warrant was invalid because it didnt have the proper seal from the court when it was delivered to the sheriff and an attorney. Before that, a federal district judge halted a September 2018 execution date to give Gutierrezs new attorney more time to investigate his case.

Hernandez, the victims nephew and godson, said on Monday that he had promised his mother that he would bear witness to Gutierrezs execution.
Enforced disappearances remain a major concern in Balochistan, sparking ongoing protests over the abductions of political activists, students, and journalists. A sit-in of victim families has continued against enforced disappearances for the last three days in front of the Kech DC office, demanding the safe release of their loved ones, but the district administration has failed to secure their release. The protesters blamed security agencies and state-backed armed groups for the abductions. A young man identified as Siraj Ahmed, son of Shafee Muhammad and a resident of Nodaz, has reportedly been abducted by a state-backed armed group, reported The Balochistan Post. He was forcibly taken a few days ago while having lunch at a hotel. Witnesses claimed that the armed men tied his hands and feet before taking him away in a vehicle, The Balochistan Post reported. Moreover, the kidnappers are believed to be members of a government-backed armed group locally known as the 'Death Squad.' These groups are reportedly active in various parts of Balochistan and are accused of numerous criminal activities, including kidnappings for ransom, enforced disappearances, extortion, and targeted assassinations of political activists. Political and human rights activists alleged that these 'death squads' are supported by the Pakistani army and secret agencies as part of efforts to counter the ongoing independence movement in Balochistan. In a post on X, the International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons informed about the disappearance of three more Baloch from Kharan. It said, "The occupying Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies, while carrying out a search operation in Kharan yesterday, forcibly disappeared three persons from the Kharan Kabadani neighbourhood and transferred them to an unknown location." The forcibly disappeared persons have been identified as Hafeezullah, son of Fazl Muhammad Chanal, Manzoor Ahmed, son of Abbas Yelanzai, and Ziaullah, son of Fazl Muhammad Chenal. It informed that Manzoor Ahmed and Ziaullah were later released, while Hafeezullah is still missing. Meanwhile, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) will organise the Baloch Raaji Muchi (Baloch National Gathering) in Gwadar on July 28 in response to the Baloch genocide. The committee runs a hashtag on the social media platform X called #MarchAgainstBalochGenocide and has appealed to the people to unite in the face of evil and send a clear message by joining the Baloch Raaji Muchi. (ANI)
China has not been able to assimilate or absorb Tibet and it has not been able to win the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people, former Indian ambassador Dilip Sinha said during the launch of his book titled 'Imperial Games in Tibet: The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty'. The book 'Imperial Games in Tibet: The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty' authored by Sinha was unveiled at the India International Centre in the national capital on Tuesday. Sinha, in his book titled 'Imperial Games in Tibet: The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty', highlighted how Tibet became the playground for global geopolitical ambitions and what the future may hold for this region fighting for statehood. Dilip Sinha, the author of the book, stressed that China is doing what they do best, which is to try and control them by force. "China has not been able to assimilate or absorb Tibet and the Tibetan people; it has not been able to win the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people. So China is doing what it does best, which is to try and control them by force, and that is not acceptable to the Tibetan people, which is why we have a movement. But the very fact that China has to impose all kinds of restrictions shows that there is a lot of resentment against Chinese rule," Sinha told ANI. The book is a deep dive into Tibet's past and future, based on several documented events, international records, archives, and documents. It provides the reader with an analysis of how Tibet became the playground for global geopolitical ambitions and what the future may hold for this region fighting for statehood. The event also featured a brief panel discussion between Dilip Sinha, India's former Foreign Secretary, Shivshankar Menon, and Claude Arpi, a renowned author and Tibetologist. The discussion covered various topics from the book, including the brief history of Tibet, its complex geopolitical entanglements, the rise of Tibetan Buddhism, and its annexation by China in 1950. Shivshankar Menon, calling the book 'an honest account' of Tibet's history, said, "The strength of the book is that it is an honest account of what happened--the Great Power Rivalry, how it affected Tibet and how it affected us (India). And it is not only about the great powers, as the Tibetans also had a say, they had agency in their future.' He further said that it is a straightforward account based on the accounts of what happened in the region. "It is not partisan historiography; it is a straightforward account based on the accounts of what had happened. It shows you how these things work and how they have worked in the past and it triggers fresh thinking about how you approach the question (Tibet)," Menon said. While speaking to ANI, Claude Arpi shed light on China's tactics for Tibet's cultural assimilation. Referring to China's intervention in the Dalai Lama's reincarnation, Arpi said, "It is very strange, as they are a communist nation and what do they know about the reincarnation! And China as a state should not intervene in such matters. Moreover, it's a private decision of His Holiness Dalai Lama to reincarnate or emanate, whatever he decides," Arpi said. Praising India as it has never intervened in the matter, he said, "And in this matter, India is much wiser, as Delhi has always said that it will not intervene, and if the 15th Dalai Lama comes to India, he will be welcomed, just like the 14th Dalai Lama had been welcomed." During the discussion, when Claude Arpi was asked about how Tibet has its own identity, the Tibetologist said that Tibet was indeed independent as it had its own currency, passport, flag and representatives. "Tibet had its currency, its passport, its representatives, and their flag. So Tibet was indeed independent. But I see something else also in the tragedy of the Tibetan people, His Holiness, but it is also a tragedy for the Indian border," he said. (ANI)
The Tibetan community in Shimla held a grand ceremony at the Sambhota Tibetan School on Wednesday to thank the US and President Joe Biden for enacting the 'Resolve Tibet Act' which calls for a resolution to the Tibet-China dispute. Last week, US President Joe Biden signed the 'Resolve Tibet Act', which states that China's ongoing occupation of Tibet must be resolved per international law peacefully and not through repression. The Tibetan community said the legislation is a historical milestone and sends a strong political message to China, seven decades since the People's Republic of China (PRC) illegally occupied Tibet and forced the Tibetan delegation to sign the so-called 17-point Agreement in 1951 under duress. During the celebration, Tibetan students, elders and others performed traditional dances at the Tibetan Sambhota School in Shimla. The Traditional circle dance (Gorshey) was also performed by Tibetans. Tsewang Phuntsok, Chief Representative Officer of the Central Tibetan Administration in Shimla, said this will help the international community to send a strong message and enforce China to start dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. "The Tibetan community in Shimla has gathered to celebrate the signing of the Tibet Issue Resolve Act. This will help the Tibetan community and international community to send a strong message and enforce China to start dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and between the democratically elected representatives of the Tibetan government-in-exile and China," Phuntsok said. Calling it a "landmark for the Tibetan issue," he said, "This is the first ever such act signed by any country in the past seven decades." Phuntsok said that the function is organised by the Tibetan community to pay gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the US. "It's important, as it's Wednesday today, that we organise the traditional circle dance (gorshey). We take this day as the birth of the Dalai Lama as per the Tibetan lunar calendar," Tsewang Phuntsok added. The Tibetan community said they are happy that the bill was passed with overwhelming support. They said the signing of the legislation further reiterated the current policy of the China's systematically eradicating the Tibetan religion, culture, language, history, way of life and environment. Tibetan freedom activist Tenzin Palden said that this is a "landmark legislation" for their freedom struggle. "This is an important day for us. We have gathered here to thank the United States of America for signing the Act for Tibet. This is a landmark for us, as since 1959 it has been an act, which makes it important for us as a landmark of our freedom struggle. They have made it an act and law and it will send a message to China and to the countries of the world as the friends of Tibet across the globe are coming forward," he said. Palden added that they are expressing their gratitude to US President Joe Biden and the people of the US for signing this act favouring the resolution of the Tibet issue. "It is a historic milestone for us," Palden said. The young Tibetan generation are happy to know that powerful Nations like the USA are coming forward to understand and recognise the issue of Tibet. Dawa Choedon, a young Tibetan activist, said the young generation is happy that strong nations like the US are coming forward to understand and recognise the issue of Tibet. "On July 12, US President Joe Biden signed an Act to resolve the Tibet issue. We, the Tibetan diaspora here in Shimla, have gathered to celebrate this day. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the US, as it is a very important day for us. Today is White Wednesday, which we usually celebrate, and today is a very special Wednesday because of the support we get from the world, especially the powerful countries like the USA, as they are recognising our problems." Choedon added that this would enforce China to realise its mistake, recognise our problems and resolve them. "As I said, this is the first milestone that we have achieved, the young Tibetan population across the globe are happy for this and are thankful to the United States of America," Choedonb said. (ANI)
The second day of the Republican National Convention witnessed a display of unity from former President Donald Trump's onetime rivals and staunch critics, with former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urging voters to re-elect Trump and pave his return to the White House. Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor, who was Trump's final challenger in the GOP primary, addressed her supporters and endorsed Trump. Haley offered her "strong endorsement" to Trump, and said the choice should be clear in November. "I'm here tonight because we have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her," Haley said. "My message to them is simple: You don't have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him," Haley said. She was followed by another direct critic of Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. "Donald Trump has been demonized. He's been sued. He's been prosecuted. And he nearly lost his life," DeSantis told the crowd. "We cannot let him down. And we cannot let America down." Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, speaking at the Republican Party's National Convention, made an appeal to key voting groups in his primetime speech. "Our message to Black Americans is this: The media has tried to convince you for decades that Republicans don't care about your communities, but we do. We want for you what we want for every American -- safe neighbourhoods, clean streets, good jobs, a better life for your children and a justice system that treats everyone equally, regardless of your skin colour and regardless of your political beliefs," the Indian American added. The Indian-origin leader also asserted that the illegal immigrants will be 'returned' to the country of their origin. "Our message to illegal immigrants is also this; we will return you to your country of origin. Not because you're all bad people, but because you broke the law and the United States of America was founded on the rule of law" said the 38-year-old who dropped out of the presidential race earlier this year. (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 17 (ANI/WAM): The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) has launched the second phase of its animal-assisted therapy programme as part of its efforts to implement Dubai Social Agenda 33 under the slogan" "Family: The Foundation of Our Nation." The launch of the latest edition underscores the Foundation's commitment to achieving Dubai Social Agenda 33, which are designed to build happier, closer, and more tolerant families that adhere to the national identity. This stems from the belief that the family is the cornerstone of a prosperous future and inclusive, sustainable growth in society. As part of the programme, DFWAC organised a workshop at its premises, presented by Zahra Poonawala, a licenced professional counsellor and Certified Equine and Animal Assisted Therapist. The workshop targeted 30 service providers and professionals in the field of social home care for women & children, as well as workers in the police sector specialising in children's and women's protection. Sheikha Saeed Al Mansouri, Acting Director General of the foundation, emphasised that the launch of the second phase of the animal-assisted programme builds on the substantial achievements made by the first phase, which delivered impressive outcomes. She highlighted that this innovative programme not only reflects the foundation's commitment to innovation and providing comprehensive health and psychological solutions but also significantly contributes to enhancing the quality of life for those it serves, aiming to enhance their quality of life and boost their mental and physical well-being. She added that DFWAC has achieved remarkable success in the first phase, as evidenced by the clear positive impact on participants and their interaction with animals. The programme has proven effective in relieving stress and anxiety, and improving mood and emotions. She stressed that the launch of the second phase aims to expand the scope of the program to include professionals who work with women and children victims of violence and abuse, in collaboration with the foundation's partners. Al Mansouri stated that the animal-assisted therapy programme is fully in line with Dubai social strategy, which aims to build a cohesive and sustainable society where members enjoy health and happiness. She emphasised the foundation's commitment to achieving these goals by developing innovative initiatives and programmes that contribute to the well-being of individuals and enhance social cohesion. The second phase includes training participants during the workshop on the use of animal-assisted therapy to spread knowledge and expand the range of beneficiaries. Whereas the first phase of the programme was limited to training the foundation's employees,. The three-day workshop featured an intensive training program aimed at introducing participants to the concept of animal-assisted psychotherapy, its origin and history, and the scientific evidence proving its efficiency and effectiveness in addressing trauma caused by violence or various negative experiences. Additionally, the workshop provided participants with training on the mechanisms of structuring and implementing treatment sessions, as well as the ethical standards that must be followed to ensure the safety of both animals and patients. The final day of the workshop included practical training on integrating animals into therapy sessions, featuring trained animals that are qualified by specialised companies. In 2022, DFWAC launched the first phase of the programme, which integrated trained animals into the psychological services provided to develop new and innovative methods to support children and adults affected by violence and exploitation and enhance the adaptive and interactive capabilities of the victims. Over the past two years (2022-2023), the programme's impact was demonstrated through 63 visits and 202 sessions, benefiting 255 children and women. This was achieved in collaboration with strategic partners such as PoshPaws, Al Marmoom Initiative, the Police K9-Unit, and the Dubai Mounted Police. Initially, many participants exhibited behaviours such as hesitation, reluctance to engage, withdrawal, introversion, distraction, loss of eye contact, feelings of boredom and fatigue, and resistance to participation. However, post-program assessments revealed significant improvements, including increased participation and integration, cooperation, enhanced concentration and attention, and the effective use of visual, auditory, and sensory senses, leading to greater acceptance and responsiveness. The program was designed to enhance the social functionality of victims, foster their ability to build healthy and positive relationships, alleviate the pain from traumatic experiences or injuries, improve their mood, increase happiness levels, and relieve the psychological stress caused by trauma and violence. The animal-assisted psychotherapy programme is an innovative and unique initiative undertaken by the Dubai Foundation for Women & Children as part of its long-term vision aligned with Dubai's social strategy, which focuses on enhancing family life quality and fostering a cohesive family system that supports sustainable development. Animal-assisted therapy offers an alternative or complementary approach to traditional psychological sessions. This therapeutic method involves the incorporation of animals, where trained pets such as horses, dogs, rabbits, fish, and birds are utilized to enhance the social, psychological, and adaptive performance of children and adults, particularly those who have experienced significant trauma or negative events such as illness, loss, violence, abuse, and exploitation (ANI/WAM)
Senior officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) recently lambasted the local administration in a meeting concerning the rampant corruption and shady recruitment processes for government jobs and projects in the PoGB, a local news source from PoGB reported. During a meeting, a senior PWD official said that there are several people in the local administration who have been reported for taking cuts to give government jobs, which has been the main cause of corruption and unemployment. As real talented people in PoGB are not able to afford their cuts. The official said, "There are some developmental projects in PoGB, but the corrupt officials must understand that the money that is being invested in these does not belong to them. It belongs to the people and the government has invested it to ease the life of the general public.' He further lamented that this money is not being invested to provide luxury to these officials. "However, the current situation in the PoGB depicts that this money is being controlled by these shady officers." The official added there are some mafias in the government who have been enjoying these projects, but we will show them their real place in the upcoming elections. "There are some mafias in the government who have been enjoying these projects and these grants, we will show them their real place in the coming elections, as this will not be tolerated, that the young and talented youth of PoGB struggle while these mafias enjoy riches. These people should leave their posts or leave corruption. They often take cuts. Very often, parents in PoGB are forced to sell their lands to afford the education of their children. Now how will these people afford the money that these corrupt officials ask for jobs? Is it a fashion now in PoGB that people will first pay for getting an education and then pay for getting a job?" the senior PWD official said. The PWD engineers demanded that 50 percent of the jobs that are supposed to be offered under PoGB developmental projects be reserved for PoGB residents only. They added that free electricity or minimally priced electricity must be provided to the citizens of PoGB, as the same report claimed. Emphasising that this is the biggest tragedy for the local youth, another local PWD official said that the "corrupt people sitting on high posts select people who are typically incapable and sometimes even underqualified or uneducated to bear the responsibilities of these projects." He added, "Then somehow, these incapable people are also made permanent by either twisting the rules or twisting the selection process. This end leaves our people jobless and poor, which is injustice to the people who deserve these posts". (ANI)
The nine rescued crew members included eight Indians and one Sri Lankan national.

"9 crew members from MV Falcon Prestige (8 Indians and 1 Sri Lankan) have been recovered alive during the search and rescue operations. The search and rescue operations to find the remaining crew members will continue in the area," the Indian Navy said.

https://x.com/indiannavy/status/1813600625524920390

The MV had capsized about 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, Oman, on July 15 and search and rescue efforts in coordination with Oman authorities have been in progress since July 16.

The MV is reported to have had a total of 16 crew members, including 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans.

The search and rescue of Indian and Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough seas and strong winds. The Indian Navy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in the search for survivors, the Indian Navy stated.

The Indian Embassy in Oman has said it is in constant touch with the Omani authorities.

https://x.com/Indemb_Muscat/status/1813595280077709427

Giving the latest update on the rescue effort, the Indian Embassy in Oman also posted on X, "Embassy is coordinating SAR operations with Omani authorities and the Indian Navy for MT Prestige Falcon, a Comoros-flagged vessel that capsized off the coast of Oman on July 15th."

"9 crew including 8 Indians have been rescued today by INS Teg. The search for the remaining survivors continues," it added. (ANI)
Following the shooting incident in Oman in which six people, including an Indian national, were killed, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said it is closely following up on the well-being of the Indian community. The embassy also issued condolences to those killed in the incident. The mission said it is working for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased Indian national. https://x.com/Indemb_Muscat/status/1813561303157629106 "Embassy is closely following up the well-being of the resident Indian community in the aftermath of the shooting incident in Muscat city on July 15, 2024," the Indian embassy said in a statement on Wednesday. Indian Ambassador to Oman, Amit Narang, spoke with Tausif Abbas, son of Basha Jan Ali Hussain, who was killed in the shooting. He also spoke with the families of those who sustained injuries and assured them of their full support. "Ambassador assured full support of the Embassy for repatriation of Shri Hussain's mortal remains back to India and all other support that the family may need, Embassy officials have visited the 3 Indian nationals who have sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment in Khoula hospital. Ambassador Amit Narang also spoke with their families and assured full support," the statement added. The Indian envoy also conveyed his "sincere appreciation" for the "prompt action" taken by the Omani security agencies in dealing with the crisis and protecting the lives of innocent civilians. "The Embassy conveys its sympathies with the families of those who have tragically lost their lives in this incident and wishes speedy recovery to all those who have been injured," the Indian mission added. The incident took place in the Al Wadi Al Kabir area on Monday night. Six people including one Indian national was killed. Another Indian sustained injuries. As per the Oman News Agency, three attackers have been killed. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the military and security services announced the conclusion of procedures for addressing the shooting incident, the Oman news agency said. Four Pakistanis and a policeman were among those killed and at least 28 other people from different nationalities were injured. The injured have been transferred to health institutions for treatment, and the investigations into the circumstances of the incident have begun. (ANI)
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Wednesday attended the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting held at Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Italy, which served as a platform for discussions on enhancing global trade relations and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the meeting, Goyal engaged in several high-level bilateral meetings with his international counterparts, reflecting India's commitment to fostering stronger economic partnerships globally, a press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. The Union Minister also took to his official X handle and posted about his visit to Italy. He said, "The past two days in Italy have been productive with several bilateral meetings and participation in the 'Outreach Session for Strengthening the Resilience of Supply Chains' at the G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting." He added, "Had the opportunity to present India's growth story and highlight how our country offers greater avenues for trade and investment. Under PM Narendra Modi, India is committed to collaborating with the global community to further deepen our economic cooperation and achieve mutual growth." During discussions with Antonio Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, both Ministers agreed to boost bilateral trade and investments, industrial co-production, and cooperation in clean technologies. On the other hand, discussions with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission focused on promoting India-EU trade and economic collaborations, including ongoing FTA negotiations. Both sides explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, the press release added. Goyal in talks with New Zealand's Trade Minister, Todd McClay explored opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investment ties for mutual growth. The discussions aimed at giving further impetus to the existing strong trade relationship between both the countries. Goyal also discussed deepening bilateral economic relations with Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Their conversation included plans to take forward the discussions on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK. Goyal, in talks with Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany, discussed opportunities to promote the growing Indo-German trade and economic partnership. The discussions focused on the upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in Delhi. During this session, Goyal thanked Italy's Deputy PM for the invitation and underscored the significance of analysing global supply chains' robustness in times of crisis, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the Red Sea crisis. Goyal also emphasised the efforts of various countries to build resilient supply chains under platforms like the G20 Generic Framework for Mapping GVCs, the 14-member IPEF association, the Trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and India-EU TTC, the release said. He discussed India's initiatives with partners such as the United States, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations (an alliance of six Middle Eastern countries--Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman), and the European Union, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to strengthen supply chains, and highlighted India's domestic measures to enhance multimodal connectivity for the supply chain integrated with markets, distribution systems, and logistics. The Union Minister also proposed collaboration among partners to reinforce global supply chains in sectors like critical minerals, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and green energy; and advocated public-private partnerships, investments in critical infrastructure, innovation, and consistent regulatory frameworks across G7 countries and partner nations. Goyal also addressed the impact of the 3 Cs--COVID, Conflicts, and Climate change - on global value chains, highlighting the necessity for robust partnerships and cooperation. He also introduced the concept of the 3 Fs - fragmented, fragile, and fraught with uncertainties - characterizing the current global context and urged for greater alignment of investment, trade, environment, and energy policies. (ANI)
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 17 (ANI/TPS): Israel struck Hamas terrorists operating in a United Nations school in the central Gaza area of Nuseirat, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday. The strike marks the second attack on terrorists in a UNRWA facility in Nuseirat this week. According to the army, Hamas used the school as a base to plan and direct attacks on soldiers. "The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and population as human shields for its terror attacks against the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. Steps were taken to mitigate the risk of collateral damage to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and other intelligence measures. On Sunday, Israeli aircraft eliminated several Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists holed up in the UNRWA-run Abu Oraiban School, also in Nuseirat. They had used it as a hideout and launching point for attacks against Israeli troops. UN schools in Gaza are operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA, which supports Palestinian refugees, has been under fire for months, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency's staff participated in Hamas's October 7 attacks. The Israeli government is bypassing UNRWA in distributing humanitarian aid. The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee recently advanced legislation designating UNRWA as a "terror organization," stripping the agency of its diplomatic immunity, tax-exempt status, and other legal benefits. Israel's largest bank froze UNRWA's account in February over suspicious financial transfers that the agency failed to adequately explain. That same month, Israeli forces discovered a Hamas complex located directly under the UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters and connected directly to the agency's electricity system. The facility included numerous computer servers belonging to the terror group. More than 100 survivors of Hamas's October 7 attacks filed a $1 billion lawsuit against UNRWA, accusing the agency of "aiding and abetting" the terror group. Palestinian refugees are the only refugee population with its own dedicated UN agency. The rest of the world's refugees fall under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Israeli officials have called for UNRWA to be closed and for Palestinian refugees to be brought under the responsibility of the UNHCR. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead. (ANI/TPS)
Jacob Beltran covers crime, breaking news and general assignments for the Express-News. He can be reached at jbeltran@express-news.net.

A San Antonio native, Jacob began his journalism career in 2010. He's worked for the student-run newspaper for San Antonio College, The Ranger, and for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, The Mesquite.

He enjoys video games, photography and exploring during his free time.
Surangel Whipps Jr, President of Palau, a Taiwanese ally, has accused China of interferenceand criticized Beijing for blocking a travel industry delegation's visit to Macau, Taiwan News reported Whipps also accused China over the two cyberattacks faced by Palau thisy year,. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Whipps said that China was taking its actions against Palau to a "new level." He further said that a Palauan delegation aimed to participate in an international travel industry conference in Macau in May but was denied visas due to Palau's diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. Speaking on the two significant waves of cyberattacks faced by Palau, Whipps alleged a Chinese hand behind it. Talking about the first cyberattack, Whipps said that in March, thousands of government documents were stolen and released on the dark web, with an investigation tracing the suspects back to China, as reported by Taiwan News. He added that the second cyberattack in July targeted the country's customs and border protection system, probably to try and disrupt the country's tourism industry. He further said that the second cyber incident could not be confirmed as coming from China, but in both instances, ransomware was involved. The President further said that the second cyberattack was prevented due to support from countries such as the United States, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, which helped Palau in upgrading its electronic systems, . Notably, Palau will have presidential and legislative elections in November this year. Meanwhile, China has intensified its cyberattacks against Taiwan as well. The cyberattacks had increased to the extent of 2.5 million a day ahead of the presidential inauguration, Taiwan News reported citing the National Security Bureau (NSB) stated. Following the January 13 presidential and legislative elections, the intelligence agency found that China was launching 1 million cyberattacks daily. The surge ahead of the May 20 presidential inauguration is mostly directed against government bodies. According to Taiwan News, NSB officials responded to lawmakers' inquiries, stating that disinformation and cyberattacks were frequent. However, they affirmed that they would continue to monitor Chinese activities and identify loopholes in Taiwanese networks. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the authorities were investigating allegations that confidential documents had ended up on a hacker's website. Officials emphasised that all secret documents at the ministry are marked with a watermark or password, making it unlikely that insiders leaked the information. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received a 'Bhojpuri Geet Gawai' welcome at the Grand Bois Medi Clinic in Mauritius on Wednesday. Sharing a video of the same, Jaishankar, in a post on X, wrote "Mauritius is a home away from home!" "Delighted to witness a Bhojpuri Geet Gawai welcome at the Grand Bois Medi Clinic, symbolizing the enduring bond between India and Mauritius," he said, asking his social media followers to "Have a look." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1813621132471533903 The Mediclinic project at Grand Bois was inaugurated by Jaishankar in Mauritius on Wednesday. It is built with Indian grant assistance, which the EAM called the "newest expression" of friendship between the two nations. Speaking at the inauguration of the project, Jaishankar said that the initiative will provide secondary healthcare for 16,000 people in the Grand Pois area. "It was described as the newest expression of our friendship and it will provide secondary healthcare for 16000 people in the Grand Pois area, and we feel very proud to be a partner in this collaboration," he said. Expressing pride, Jaishankar said that health is a priority and all of us have become health conscious. "We worry about things rightly. But we also believe--all of us believe--that health is our right. And right today, every government has a duty to deliver. And for me, to be part of such an important delivery event is something which is a matter of great satisfaction," he said. Jaishankar emphasized that India's partnership is contributing to the well-being of Mauritius and it is a "permanent commitment from India." "We are today helping each other. We are helping the region. We are doing good for the world. And I want to say that our partnership today is contributing to the well-being of Mauritius, to connectivity within Mauritius, to the prosperity of Mauritius and that is a permanent commitment from India," he said. He further commended Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jagnauth for the collaboration. "I commend the PM for the initiative, for this collaboration that is associated with us...and will truly make life better for the ordinary people, the common citizens of this country," he added. (ANI)
Insights from Right Silver, Nikkei Asia, and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

The News

Two Chinese solar panel firms  TCL Zhonghuan and Jinko Solar  will build $3 billion of new solar farms in Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, as the kingdom invests heavily to localize its renewable power production.

The massive deals highlight Chinas dominance in the Middle Easts energy transition and reflect a strategic decision to diversify away from the West to avoid punitive trade barriers.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Western tariffs lead China to look to the Gulf to export cheap green tech

Sources: Right Silver, Bloomberg

Western tariffs on solar panels and wind turbine parts have pushed Beijing to look to the Gulf as its main export hub for cheap green technology, with Riyadh a top customer. Chinese solar panel companies have become the dominant force in Saudi Arabias clean energy market, Right Silver, a Hangzhou-based solar cell manufacturer, wrote on WeChat. Chinese investment also aids the kingdoms political ambitions of diversifying its economy away from oil and becoming a big player in clean power, Bloomberg reported.

China diversifies electric vehicle market in Gulf

Sources: South China Morning Post, CNBC, Nikkei Asia

Chinese electric vehicle makers are also eyeing the Middle East as they seek to divert their exports following setbacks in the West, according to the South China Morning Post. But their strategy is somewhat different than in other markets: unlike Europe and Latin America, where BYD and other Chinese EV-makers have made headway with ultra-cheap vehicles, companies such as Nio  a luxury EV manufacturer  are expanding fastest in the Middle East and securing funding from local investors, because Gulf customers tend to favor high-end vehicles over lower-cost models.

Nuclear power a key opportunity for Beijing in Saudi Arabia and beyond

Sources: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Reuters, Voice of America

With Riyadh eyeing nuclear energy, Beijing has emerged as the top contender in helping the Kingdom build its first reactors. But Chinas ambitions extend beyond Saudi Arabia: Turkey is also considering Beijing as a partner as it expands its nuclear energy infrastructure. While Russia helped construct Turkeys first nuclear reactor, Ankara is hoping to find a more geopolitically stable investor, Voice of America reported. Washington too has expressed interest in helping Turkey achieve its nuclear energy ambitions, but the country is more likely to choose Beijing because the West is not prepared to bring finance to Turkey, one Turkish energy consultant told VOA.
What does JD Vance believe about Ukraine? - Ukraine: The Latest, Podcast

Today, we bring you the latest news from Ukraine, discuss Trumps nominee for Vice President, controversial Ohio senator JD Vance and we look at how the EU is reacting to the maverick diplomacy of Hungarys Victor Orban.

Listen to Ukraine: the Latest, The Telegraphs daily podcast, using the audio player at the top of this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.

War in Ukraine is reshaping our world. Every weekday The Telegraphs top journalists analyse the invasion from all angles - military, humanitarian, political, economic, historical - and tell you what you need to know to stay updated.

With over 70 million listens, our Ukraine: The Latest podcast is your go-to source for all the latest analysis, live reaction and correspondents reporting on the ground. We have been broadcasting ever since the full-scale invasion began.

Ukraine: The Latests regular contributors are:

David Knowles

David is Head of Audio Development at The Telegraph, where he has worked for over three years. He has reported from across Ukraine during the full-scale invasion.

Dominic Nicholls

Dom is Associate Editor (Defence) at The Telegraph, having joined in 2018. He previously served for 23 years in the British Army, in tank and helicopter units. He had operational deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

Francis Dearnley

Francis is Assistant Comment Editor at The Telegraph. Prior to working as a journalist, he was chief of staff to the Chair of the Prime Ministers Policy Board at the Houses of Parliament in London. He studied History at Cambridge University and on the podcast explores how the past shines a light on the latest diplomatic, political, and strategic developments.

They are also regularly joined by Telegraph reporters and correspondents around the world, including Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent), James Kilner, (Foreign Correspondent and Editor of the Central Asia & the South Caucasus Bulletin), Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent), Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent), Colin Freeman (Foreign Correspondent), Danielle Sheridan (Defence Editor), and Tony Diver (US Editor).

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New Hampshire Republican candidate suspends campaign after his 1989 murder conviction revealed

A New Hampshire Republican candidate Mark Edgington suspended his campaign after his 1989 murder conviction was revealed (Mark Edgington for Hillsborough 38/Facebook)

A New Hampshire Republican candidate has suspended his campaign after his 1989 murder conviction was revealed.

Republican Mark Edgington, 53, told the New Hampshire Bulletin last week that he had hoped voters would look past his 1989 second-degree murder conviction, but that it becoming public had caused him and his family distress.

He also claimed that the Journals reporting of him has been unfair, inaccurate, and salacious.

When I embarked on this, I expected fair, respectful treatment by the press and my party, and to serve my constituents, Edgington said. [The reporting] is causing me mental stress and affecting my family relations. I dont need this.

Mark Edgington was 18 when he pleaded no contest to a second-degree murder charge (Courtesy of Mark Edgington campaign)

Edgington was 18 years old when he pleaded no contest in Florida to a second-degree murder charge in connection with the beating and strangulation death of a motel manager. He maintains his innocence and told the Bulletin that he was hiding in the motel bathroom during the killing was carried out by a friend.

Edgington was sentenced to 25 years in prison but served eight years.

New Hampshire House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne, a Republican, backed Edgington in his campaign but the New Hampshire Republican Party did not, the Bulletin reported.

I am disappointed to see members of our party pander to the liberal media and feign outrage without giving the candidate the dignity of so much as a phone call, Osborne told the Bulletin.

Mark made a horrible mistake 37 years ago and has spent his life doing good in this world, good which party leaders willfully ignore. Still I look forward to putting this in the rearview and continuing to work to expand our Republican majority in the House.

On Friday, the New Hampshire Republican Party issued a statement endorsing Edgingtons opponents.
JD Vance endorsed a candidate in a hot Ariz. congressional race. It's not who Trump picked

MILWAUKEE  President Donald Trump and his freshly nominated running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, are backing different Republican candidates in the increasingly bitter GOP race to replace the retiring Rep. Debbie Lesko in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has thrown his weight behind former Arizona attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh, an ally of U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake.

Vance, nominated Monday at the Republican National Convention as the GOP vice-presidential candidate, previously had endorsed venture capitalist Blake Masters to represent much of the West Valley in Congress.

Hamadeh and Masters have become fierce rivals in the six-way primary race that also includes former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, state Sen. Anthony Kern, Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma and political newcomer Patrick Pat Briody.

Vance endorsed Masters last year, long before he was tapped by Trump. But Masters reupped the endorsement Tuesday on social media in light of Vance's big curtain call at the Milwaukee convention.

Thrilled to be ENDORSED in my House race by our next Vice President, J.D. Vance!  pic.twitter.com/xl8EiikTke  Blake Masters (@bgmasters) July 16, 2024

Masters posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a photo of him and Vance.

"Thrilled to be ENDORSED in my House race by our next Vice President, J.D. Vance!," Masters wrote.

Masters traveled to the GOP gathering at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum this week "to be here with friends, to see Trump, and I didn't want to miss history," he told The Arizona Republic on Monday evening.

He described Vance as a "personal friend." Both are allies of the tech entrepreneur and billionaire Peter Thiel.

Earlier this month, a top Trump adviser asked Masters to take down or revise a TV ad suggesting that Trump had endorsed his candidacy.

Trump did back Masters in his unsuccessful 2022 Senate bid, but is not backing him in his House race.

The TV ad in question puts "Trump endorsed Masters" in capital letters on the screen. It added, in a smaller type font, moments later: In Senate campaign.

On Tuesday, Masters posted a photo of himself with Donald Trump Jr.

Masters is holding a Vance hat. "So ready to elect President Trump and Vice President Vance!"

So ready to elect President Trump and Vice President Vance! @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/xocPNrThbJ  Blake Masters (@bgmasters) July 16, 2024

With two weeks to spare before the July 30 primary election, the 8th Congressional District race is without a clear frontrunner.

The solidly Republican district covers parts of Maricopa and Yavapai counties, including Glendale, Peoria, Sun City West and New River.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: JD Vance breaks from Trump in West Valley congressional endorsement
North Carolina at the RNC: What do Trump, Vance picks mean for the state and country?

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (NC) speaks during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.

"The road to the White House runs directly through North Carolina," was a line that has been used by the state's Republican gubernatorial candidate, who spoke July 15 on his party's biggest stage.

N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has become known for extreme rhetoric used in his race against Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, including his statement in a church that "some folks need killin.'" But speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, he kept a lid on eye-popping statements, instead leaning on a personal story of struggle and achievement.

The effect of Robinson's performance  or the convention's biggest news: Trump's nomination and pick of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance for running mate  remains to be seen. And the nation's eyes will be watching as the campaigns battle for the support of N.C.'s swing state voters.

Latest polling: Trump has edge over Biden in NC

The latest polling shows purple N.C. favoring Trump by 5% over Democratic President Joe Biden, though the counts were conducted before the July 13 assassination attempt against the former president and his choice of Vance for vice president. And there's still four months of political ups and downs that can cause voter shifts.

Here's a sampling of what North Carolinians said about Trump's nomination, Vance's ascendance and other aspects of the convention:

Mark Robinson: The GOP gubernatorial candidate talked about growing up poor, the ninth of 10 children with an abusive and alcoholic father, and also of being laid off from a job. But there is hope. And I am proof. My wife and I never gave up, Robinson said. We kept our faith; we worked hard and made it through those tough times. Now I stand before you on the verge of becoming the first Black governor of North Carolina.

Michele Woodhouse

Michele Woodhouse, 11th N.C. District GOP chair: The leader of the party entity covering the state's most westerly congressional district, including liberal Asheville and conservative rural counties, is attending the convention. She called Vance "a tremendous choice," despite the Ohio senator at one time worrying Trump would be "America's Hitler." "The youngest VP candidate in decades. I will take J.D. Vance at his word when he states that Trump's policies and leadership as the 45th POTUS changed his mind. I am already hearing from young voters they are thrilled about this selection, and it solidifies their vote for Trump (and) Vance in November."

Dory MacMillan, spokesperson for the N.C. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign: "Under Donald Trump, N.C. lost nearly 9,000 manufacturing jobs, and once Joe Biden was elected, he helped bring our state back, overseeing the creation of more than 400,000 new jobs, including 12,400 manufacturing jobs since taking office." MacMillan said Robinson and Trump are "pushing the same extreme MAGA agenda" taking away rights, reducing health care "and our access to good-paying jobs President Biden created."

Chris Cooper, Western Carolina University political science professor: the author of the soon-to-be-released book "Purple State," said the convention, including Trump's nomination and Vance's selection, will likely not matter much in terms of changing votes. But it might bring in money. "Vance is the youngest major party candidate since the 1800s. That's interesting, but I don't think that's going to drive voters either way. We are so locked in our corners and calcified as North Carolinians and Americans that frankly there's not much that moves the needle anymore," he said. "The one thing that conventions do a good job of is preach to the converted. And the kind of people who give money to the Republican Party are more likely to watch the convention."

More: Asheville trial: NC church linked to gay beating; members fundraise for GOP gov. hopeful

Amid Trump assassination attempt, political division, Asheville's clergy call for healing

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trump, Vance  what would Republican ticket mean for swing state NC?
Sen. Ted Cruz has a cash advantage over Democratic candidate Colin Allred, with $12.1 million cash on hand compared with $10.4 million for Allred, according to the latest campaign finance filings. But Allred raised more funds in the second quarter, $10.5 million compared with $7.9 million. Associated Press file photos Sen. Ted Cruz has a cash advantage over Democratic candidate Colin Allred, with $12.1 million cash on hand compared with $10.4 million for Allred, according to the latest campaign finance filings. But Allred raised more funds in the second quarter, $10.5 million compared with $7.9 million. Associated Press file photos

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Colin Allreds campaign outraised Sen. Ted Cruzs in the second quarter of 2024, though the Republican senator has amassed a larger campaign war chest going into the final stretch of the race.

Cruzs campaign took in $7.9 million from April to June, according to a filing submitted Monday, slightly more than he raised during the same quarter during his last campaign in 2018.

Allred, a Dallas Democrat, brought in a record $10.5 million this quarter. He continues to outperform former Rep. Beto ORourke, who raised $10.4 million during the second quarter of 2018 when he ran against Cruz. ORourke shattered fundraising records in his highly watched Senate bid, though he ended up losing by less than 3 percentage points.

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Cruzs campaign now has a cash advantage, with $12.1 million cash on hand compared with Allreds $10.4 million. The senator also has additional funds raised in affiliated accounts, including his joint fundraising committee and leadership PAC, though some of that money was raised on behalf of other candidates.

We continue to see growing support for Senator Cruz in every corner of the Lone Star State, Cruz spokesperson Nate Maddux said in a statement. This quarters record-breaking fundraising numbers are indicative of Texans steadfast support for Senator Cruz, but the job isnt done yet.

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, gestures toward the crowd during an award presentation at the North Dallas Chamber on Oct. 4, 2022, in Dallas. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News/TNS) Shafkat Anowar/TNS

Allreds $10.4 million cash on hand is roughly the same as what he had six months ago. His campaign has spent aggressively on television ads in San Antonio, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.

National Democrats have shown early confidence in Allreds campaign but have yet to plow the kinds of funds they have spent in other states, where they are defending vulnerable Democratic incumbents. The latest polling shows a competitive race in Texas, with Allred just 3 percentage points behind Cruz.

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TOKYO, Jul 17 (News On Japan) - Toyota announced that it will continue to halt the production of three models beyond August due to a certification fraud issue affecting mass production of automobiles.

Toyota had initially suspended production of three models, including the Yaris Cross, until the end of July after discovering fraudulent certification practices.

However, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism continuing its investigation, Toyota confirmed the production halt would extend into August.

On July 5, Toyota stated that no new instances of fraud were identified in other models. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has vowed to address the issue rigorously.

Meanwhile, Mazda is set to resume production of two models affected by similar issues from the 18th of this month.

Source: ANN
TOKYO, Jul 17 (News On Japan) - Panasonic Holdings plans to sell its commercial large projector business to Orix for around 100 billion yen ($633 million). Panasonic's commercial large projectors were used during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and are scheduled to be used in the upcoming Paris Olympics starting next week.

These projectors were also used in the projection mapping at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which was recognized by the Guinness World Records.

According to sources, Panasonic has decided to sell this business to Orix, with the sale price expected to be around 100 billion yen.

Panasonic intends to use the proceeds from the sale to invest in growth-anticipated businesses.

Source: YOMIURI
IBARAKI, Jul 18 (News On Japan) - Six Vietnamese nationals have been arrested for allegedly cultivating approximately 1500 cannabis plants for sale in a warehouse in Ibaraki Prefecture.

The suspects, including 32-year-old Dinh Chung Phong, are accused of growing the cannabis plants in pots at a warehouse in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in April. According to police, the street value of the cannabis exceeds 350 million yen. The suspects had installed LED lighting and ventilation systems in the warehouse to control the temperature and facilitate the cultivation of the cannabis plants.

The cultivation operation was uncovered following a fire last May at a warehouse in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, where a distribution board caught fire. The fire report led to the discovery of the cannabis cultivation.

The police have not disclosed the suspects' statements regarding the charges. In addition to the Kazo City warehouse, the police have raided three other cannabis cultivation facilities in Chiba Prefecture and elsewhere, seizing nearly 2000 cannabis plants in total. The investigation is ongoing.

Source: ANN
Thinking about a Beauty Trip to Istanbul? Youre in for a treat. Istanbul, with its perfect mix of history and modern amenities, is a hotspot for health tourism. Whether youre looking to enhance your features, rejuvenate your skin, or explore new cosmetic treatments, youll find top-tier clinics and experienced professionals here. Istanbul offers a unique blend of sightseeing and self-care, making it an ideal destination for a beauty-centric vacation.

As you plan your journey, focus on the top beauty procedures the city has to offer. From advanced dermatological treatments to cutting-edge cosmetic surgeries, Istanbul is renowned for its high standards and affordability. Scheduling consultations and researching the best clinics ahead of your visit will ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Dont forget to take full advantage of Istanbuls rich culture. Wander through bustling bazaars, savor exquisite Turkish cuisine, and soak in the breathtaking views from historical landmarks. Combining beauty treatments with exploration makes this trip not just a makeover but a memorable adventure.

Discovering Istanbuls Beauty Scene

Istanbul is a bustling city where modern health tourism thrives. It stands as an international hub for beauty exploration, offering a range of world-class treatments and experiences.

Why Istanbul?

Istanbul provides a rich blend of historical charm and cutting-edge medical treatments. With renowned skin clinics, breast implant clinics, and hair restoration centers, the city attracts beauty enthusiasts worldwide.

Renowned for affordable yet high-quality procedures, Istanbul has specialists in various fields. Top facilities offer services like cosmetic dentistry, facials, and more. Expect expert care at prices significantly lower than in Western Europe or the U.S.

Beyond the treatments, Istanbuls blend of historical and modern attractions makes your stay enjoyable. Picture-perfect sites, such as the Hagia Sophia, make every visit memorable.

Defining Beauty Tourism

Beauty tourism involves traveling to another country to undergo cosmetic or reconstructive treatments. Istanbul excels in this niche, featuring advanced medical technology and trained professionals.

Focusing on non-invasive treatments, Istanbul caters to various needs, from anti-aging procedures, hair transplants, to breast transplants. The cheapest state to get breast augmentation is in Istanbul. The citys health sector is meticulously regulated to ensure you receive safe, top-tier care.

Plan visits to reputable clinics, often located near major international hubs. Lists of certified practices help navigate choices. Pair your medical appointments with cultural and shopping excursions for a unique, holistic experience.

Planning Your Beauty Journey

When planning your beauty trip to Istanbul, its essential to consider the right clinic, understand various treatment options, and navigate the pricing and packages available. This guide will help you grasp these key elements.

Selecting the Right Clinic

Find a clinic that fits your needs and offers state-of-the-art facilities. Research and read reviews on the cosmetic and medical services they provide. Check if they specialize in the treatments you are considering.

Make sure the professionals are certified. Look into the technology they use. Clinics offering both top-tier treatments and dental procedures can be a bonus.

Create a list of potential clinics. Compare them based on service quality, certifications, and reputation. Contact them directly and ask specific questions about their facilities and treatments.

Understanding Treatment Options

Explore the different cosmetic and medical services available. Istanbul offers a wide range, from simple skincare treatments to advanced dental procedures and plastic surgery.

Identify what treatments align with your goals. For instance, if youre seeking non-invasive options, look into Botox or filler injections. For more extensive changes, consider surgeries like rhinoplasty or hair transplants.

Understand the recovery time and potential risks involved. Speak with professionals to get detailed explanations of the procedures. Make informed decisions based on the information available.

Once youve decided on the treatment and the best option for it, make sure to pack your essentials accordingly. Get the best packing cubes so you dont miss anything.

Packages and Pricing

Evaluate the packages offered by clinics. Many places provide a standard package that includes basic treatments and consultations. Premium packages often offer additional services like personal assistants, luxury transfers, and extended aftercare.

Compare the pricing of these packages. Budget-friendly options might be appealing, but sometimes spending a bit more ensures better quality and comprehensive care. Use a table to track various package details and pricing.

Make sure there are no hidden costs. Ask about additional charges for follow-up visits or extended care. Plan your budget carefully to include treatment costs, travel, and accommodation.

Navigating the Process

To make your beauty trip to Istanbul smoother, its essential to understand what to do before, during, and after your treatment. Well cover everything you need to knowfrom preparations to recovery routines.

Pre-Treatment Preparations

Before you even step on the plane, some planning is crucial. First, research the doctors and clinics. Look for board-certified specialists with solid reputations. Check online reviews, and dont hesitate to ask for a virtual consultation. Knowing your doctors track record can give you peace of mind.

Next, gather your medical records and history. Clinics often need this information to ensure youre a good candidate for the treatment. If you take any medications, inform the clinic upfront so they can advise on any necessary adjustments.

Lastly, make a checklist of items to pack:

Medical documents and test results

Comfortable clothing

Any medication you regularly take

Travel insurance details

Ensure your passport and visa (if required) are up-to-date.

Day of the Procedure

The day finally arrives. Start with a light meal unless instructed otherwise. Follow any pre-op instructions given by your doctor, such as what to wear or when to arrive. Generally, loose, comfortable clothing is recommended.

Double-check the clinics address and the appointment time. Make sure you have written down any last-minute instructions your doctor provided, such as medication to take or avoid. Having a companion can be helpful for both moral support and practical help.

Once at the clinic, youll likely go through some standard checks. This might include signing consent forms and having a brief discussion with your doctor. This is also a good time to address any last-minute questions you may have.

Post-Procedure Care and Recovery

Post-procedure care is critical for a smooth recovery. Youll likely receive detailed post-procedure care instructions. These might cover activities to avoid, medications to take, and tips for reducing swelling and discomfort.

For the first few days, take it easy. Rest and avoid strenuous activities. Follow the doctors guidelines on wound care if applicable. Keeping the treated area clean and dry usually helps prevent infections.

Regular follow-up appointments are common. These visits let your doctor monitor your progress and address any complications early. If you experience unusual symptoms, like excessive swelling or severe pain, contact your doctor immediately.

Beyond Treatments

While in Istanbul for your beauty treatments, immerse yourself in the citys rich history and vibrant local culture.

Exploring Istanbuls Rich History

Begin with a visit to Hagia Sophia, a stunning example of Byzantine architecture. Its massive dome and intricate mosaics offer an unforgettable experience.

Next, head to the Topkapi Palace, once home to Ottoman sultans. Wander through its opulent rooms and treasure troves, imagining life in centuries past. Dont miss the Imperial Harem and the Royal Jewels.

The Basilica Cistern, an underground marvel, features ancient columns rising from the water. Its a tranquil escape from the bustling city above.

Round off your historical exploration by visiting the Blue Mosque. Its six minarets and impressive courtyard make it a modern marvel of religious architecture.

Experiencing Local Culture

Dive into the local culture by exploring the Grand Bazaar. Here, youll find spices and textiles perfect for souvenirs.

Sample traditional Turkish cuisine at a local eatery. Try meze, kebabs, and the delectable dessert baklava. Each dish offers a taste of Istanbuls rich culinary heritage.

Experience a Hamam, or Turkish bath, for a relaxing end to your day. These traditional baths have been part of the citys culture for centuries, offering a unique wellness experience.

Dont miss the lively Istiklal Street in the Beyoglu district. Its an international hub of activity. Its a great place to people-watch and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.
By Olasunkanmi Akoni

says no restriction on last Saturday of July

Lagos State Government has debunked viral news on social media described as fake, that the State has re-introduced the monthly environmental sanitation and will not be starting any movement restriction by the end.

In a statement by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Wednesday, described the viral news as the work of mischief makers who were keen on confusing residents.

He urged all residents to disregard the content of the viral fake news and go about their lawful business endeavour, adding that there will be no restriction of movements on the last Saturday of July as erroneously included in the fake news.

Wahab explained that what Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Sunday during a sanitation sensitisation exercise at Campos playground Lagos Island was that the state will start a weekly community-based sensitisation and awareness exercise that will involve all residents.

According to him: The Governor also stated that State Government officials will lead from the front every week by going round to join residents in voluntarily cleaning their environment while preaching the message.

Wahab added that at no time did Mr Governor make a pronouncement that the monthly exercise and restriction will start in July or any other month for now.

The commissioner, therefore, urged all residents to imbibe the culture of cleaning their surroundings all the time and not wait until the government declares a particular month for the commencement of sanitation or restriction of movement.
By Ikenna Ngere

The Police in Akwa Ibom have confirmed the abduction of eight individuals, including a Naval Rating, from Ibaka in the Mbo Local Government Area.

Naija News gathered that the incident occurred on Monday night at the Classic Point Hotel in Ibaka.

As of the time of reporting, the victims whereabouts remain unknown.

Police Public Relations Officer for the Akwa Ibom Command, Timfon John, confirmed the incident.

He stated, Upon receiving the information, Commissioner of Police Waheed Ayilara led a team of security personnel to the community. I can assure you that with the CPs visit and other strategic approaches, normalcy will return.

The Naval authorities in Akwa Ibom have not yet commented on the situation.

This abduction follows closely on the heels of another incident where a bus driver and 18 passengers traveling from Uyo to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were also kidnapped, with their whereabouts still unknown.

Meanwhile, an officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector Aminu Muhammed, has been reportedly arrested over alleged involvement in armed robbery and car theft.

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the officers arrest in a statement issued on Tuesday, stating that the erring personnel is currently in detention.

Naija News understands that Muhammed was accused of stealing from the homes of individuals near his assigned area, the C Division in Lokoja, the capital of the state.

The states police spokesperson, William Ayah, who confirmed the arrest on Tuesday, stated that the police inspector has been taken into custody and is currently in jail.
P.E.O. Chapter IQ-LP

Having recently held a fourth and fifth business meeting, following its merger in March, Chapter IQ-LP of the P.E.O. Sisterhood met on June 12 and July 10 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church.

Held in good form, the June meeting was under the direction of President Beverly Fletcher. Fresh from attendance at the P.E.O. State Convention in Des Moines on June 1 and June 2, Fletcher gave an interesting overview of the convention as a whole which among the highlights was an outline of The Iowa Chapter Challenge.

She described the challenge as addressing the advantages of staying connected to embrace the current and past membership  by identifying and inviting new members, as well as seeking candidates for our international and state projects  are all positive and excellent ways to enhance chapter vitality.

Serving as co-hostesses for the month of June were Fletcher and Cheryl Punteney.

The July meeting was preceded by a summer buffet luncheon, which was deliciously enhanced with homemade salads in colorful array arranged by co-hostesses Jeanette Brown, Brenda Flores and Punteney, and prepared by individual sisters of the chapter.

In keeping with the program format of Sisters Meeting Sisters in sharing hobbies, talents and travels, the June 12 program featured Flores in an illustrated talk on her trip to Israel last fall, which was abruptly interrupted by the Oct. 6 catastrophic attack on Israel by Hamas. This created an urgent need to return to the United States, Flores was quick to add, but she called it an experience she shall never forget.

As a change of pace, the July program  entitled Sew & Tell  was a showcase of talent in the design and sewing skills of quilting and cross-stitching, as described by members Monica Sciortino, Debra Ebke and Pauline Larsen, who each displayed and commented on the inspiration for their creative and colorful work.

The business meeting included a discussion of the chapters proposed Bridge & Brunch fundraising event. Scheduled for Oct. 16, this annual activity will be held at the YMCA Healthy Living Center. Planning chairs, Punteney and Brown, stated that this event will mark the chapters sixth year to sponsor fundraising bridge parties with proceeds earmarked for educational scholarships on behalf of aspiring college students.

In closing, several new names of prospective members were brought forth for consideration by Monica Sciortino. Following these preliminaries, the recommended individuals were approved for membership.

Chapter IQ-LP will meet again on Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the reception hall of Prairie Gate with welcoming co-hostesses Barb Kriesfeld and Jan Stroy. Fletcher will preside at the meeting, which will be followed with a fascinating thematic program entitled The Stone Catcher presented by chapter member Becky Nickerson, faculty member in the education department of Creighton University.
Defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerina, 19, attends his trial at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Xitlally Acosta gives testimony at defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerinas trial at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Jonathan Jacob Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Defense attorney Tim Molina, left, speaks to defense attorney Kelly Pittl, right, at defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerinas trial at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Jonathan Jacob Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Prosecutor Austin Stout, right, questions Xitlally Acosta, left, during her testimony at defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerinas trial at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Jonathan Jacob Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Defense attorney Kelly Pittl, left, and prosecutor Austin Stout, right, speaks to Judge Jennifer Pena, center, at the trial of defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerina at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Jonathan Jacob Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News

Witnesses on Tuesday placed a San Antonio teenager at the scene of a fatal shooting outside a hookah bar on the Northeast Side.

Takhai Michael was shot dead on May 29, 2022, in the parking lot of the Blow Hookah Lounge.

Authorities say Jonathan Jacob Tijerina, 19, was one of six people who robbed Michael and his girlfriend at gunpoint while they sat in a vehicle with some friends. Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery in connection with the shooting. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.

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Haven Lopez gives testimony about security camera footage at the trial of defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerina, 19, at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News

Alejandra Garcia, 20, testified that she was sitting in the car with Michael, her boyfriend at the time, when Tijerina, then 17, approached the vehicle, asked Whats up? and pointed a gun inches away from her face.

A big dude then ran toward them and began beating up Michael, she testified. Garcia said she went after the man and started punching him and was struck with a pistol in the back of her head.

Haven Lopez gives testimony about security camera footage at the trial of defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerina, 19, at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News

The next thing she remembered was hearing a gunshot and seeing Michael fall to the ground, Garcia testified through tears.

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I ran towards him and sat there with him, she said. I remember his eyes moving but he was unconscious.

Another witness, Haven Lopez, 20, told the jury that she was in the car with Michael and Garcia at the time of the shooting. She said Tijerina was holding a gun and told her to get out of the car, while individuals on the other side of the vehicle beat Michael up and stole his belongings.

He went to try to get his bag back, and next, he got shot, she said.

Jurors were shown photos of the crime scene and distant security footage depicting a group of individuals fighting around a vehicle and then fleeing.

Lopez said Tijerina approached Michael, who was lying on the ground surrounded by shell casings, and asked, What happened? Who shot you? before running off.

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Tijerina is the fifth of six defendants to go to trial in connection with the shooting. Aaron Trevino, 22, and Nathan Sanchez, 24, were sentenced to 50 and 35 years, respectively, for murder as part of a plea agreement earlier this year.

Haven Lopez gives testimony at the trial of defendant Jonathan Jacob Tijerina, 19, at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in San Antonio. Tijerina is charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News

Sitting in the gallery of the courtroom in downtown San Antonio on Tuesday was Victoria Rosario, a lifelong friend of Tijerinas who said she was there the night of the shooting. Rosario claimed Tijerina jumped out of the car to look for his friend when gunfire erupted. She said it was a case of his being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I just dont want people to have this narrative that hes such a bad person, she said. Yes, hes done things in the past, but it was always to help people and be a bodyguard for people, and that was his problem that night.

Tijerinas mother, Lucia, echoed the sentiment, describing her son as an empathetic person who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.

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Lucia grew emotional at the possibility of losing her son to life in prison for a crime she insisted he didnt do.

People make mistakes, teenagers make mistakes, she said, clutching rosary beads outside the courtroom. You have to give them a chance to learn from them.
Protesters took to the streets in various Kenyan cities calling for President Ruto to step down, as police shot tear gas and clashed with demonstrators.

At least one person was killed in the renewed protests, despite president Ruto firing most of his cabinet members, Reuters reported.

The protests erupted against tax hikes a month ago, following a contentious legislation that aimed to raise 78 billion dollars to address the countrys soaring debt.

In the countrys major cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, protesters set tires to fire and blocked roads as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds.

In total, at least 50 people have been killed in the protests according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which also cited cases of enforced disappearances.

The demonstrators and the failure of the government to meet the aspirations of the youth, known as generation Z, put President Ruto under a rough test.

The tax reform is part of IMF conditionality for a 2.34 billion loan issued in April 2021.
Several African and Arab countries have sounded the alarm over the dire food situation and risk of famine in Sudan.

Moroccos Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva said that Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Mauritania, Chad, Comoros Islands, Guinea Bissau, Seychelles, Senegal, Benin, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Mozambique, and Nigeria had expressed, in a joint statement, their deep concern over the report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), published on June 27, 2024, which concluded that fourteen months into the conflict, Sudan is facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country.

The disturbing results in the report reveal an unprecedented level of food insecurity in Sudan, leaving 25.6 million people in high levels of acute food insecurity and 14 areas at risk of famine, the statement said.

These countries are particularly concerned about the IPC reporting a stark and rapid deterioration in food security and point to the dire impact of the deteriorating situation on the safety and well-being of the civilians, including many thousands of children, suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

They also express their deep concern over the repercussions of prolongation of the conflict on Sudan and on the neighboring countries, and particularly recognize that the deepening food insecurity in Sudan presents a significant humanitarian challenge with potential repercussions for displacement, refugees, and migration dynamics. This underscores the importance of a coordinated international response to the crisis, the joint statement said.

Alarmed by the worsening humanitarian crisis and the tragic consequences of the conflict on the Sudanese people, these countries recall the UNSC request for the parties to the conflict to allow the rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, including by removing bureaucratic and other impediments.

They also stress that all parties must facilitate the urgent issuance of visas and travel authorizations for humanitarian workers and essential supplies, in accordance with resolution 2736 adopted on June 13, 2024.

These countries also call on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately halt hostilities, respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions.

They reiterate their call on all foreign actors to cease providing armed or material support to the warring parties to refrain from any action that would heighten tensions and fuel the conflict.

These countries are also urging the international community to deliver an immediate and coordinated international response to address the urgent needs of those affected in Sudan.

In this respect, they note that the international community must scale up its humanitarian aid, and support the IPC recommendations to increase nutrition interventions, restore productive systems and improve data collection.

These countries also stress the urgent necessity to address the crisis and prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the impending risk of famine in Sudan including working towards achieving a sustainable resolution of the conflict in Sudan.
The Royal Air Maroc (RAM) CEO Abdelhamid Addou recently visited Boeings facilities in Seattle, USA, following an earlier similar meeting with Airbus in Toulouse, France.

These visits, according to the Moroccan website Aeronautique, are part of RAMs efforts to finalize an order for 188 new aircraft, aligning with Moroccos tourism strategy for 2023-2026.

RAM delegation members received a warm welcome from Boeings executive team, the website said, adding that they visited the Boeing 737 MAX factory to take note of the quality measures and supply chain challenges.

The RAM-Boeing meeting revisited over 70 years of shared history, highlighting the excellence of the relationship between the two sides since the airlines inception.

RAM recently reaffirmed its confidence in Boeing by ordering two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and ten 737 MAX 8s to meet its short-term needs.

These acquisitions reflect RAMs ongoing commitment to Boeing products, despite the manufacturers recent challenges, the website said, noting that the American multinational corporation has played a crucial role in the development of the aviation sector in Morocco.

It pioneered initiatives such as the creation of Matis Aerospace and Casa Aero, a joint venture with RAM.

In this regard, RAM CEO underscored Boeings ongoing commitment to investing in Morocco, recognizing the kingdom as a regional hub of excellence in aerospace.

He also emphasized the potential of Moroccos significant investments in renewable energy and green hydrogen and invited Boeing to partner with RAM in realizing this ambitious vision.

The visit was meant to strengthen partnership between RAM and Boeing, while also opening up new opportunities for collaboration in sustainable aviation and aerospace development in Morocco, Aeronautique satated.
Morocco expressed on Wednesday its condemnation of the shooting near a mosque in Wadi al-Kabir district in the Omani capital Muscat, which resulted in several deaths and injuries.

The Kingdom reaffirms its solidarity with the brotherly Sultanate of Oman in all measures taken to preserve its security and stability, as well as the safety of its citizens and residents, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Omani Police said on Tuesday that nine people were killed in the shooting, including the three perpetrators and a policeman. More than two dozen people of various nationalities were injured, including four Omani first responders, the police said.

The jihadist ISIS group has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement late on Tuesday that three of its suicide attackers fired on worshippers at the mosque and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces until morning, Reuters reported.
Moroccos top port operator, Marsa Maroc, said it will operate terminal 1 and 5 in Cotonous port after winning an international tender issued by the company in charge of cargo handling, Societe Beninoise des Manutentions Portuaires (SOBEMAP).

Marsa Maroc saw its shares in the Casablanca stock exchange surge following the announcement which marks the first expansion by the port operator outside Morocco.

The operator said it will sign an agreement with SOBEMAP to start operations as soon as possible within the set deadlines.

The Port of Cotonou handles an average of 80 to 90 commercial vessels per month and accounts for 90% of the countrys international trade.

Marsa Maroc operates nine Moroccan ports including Tanger Med 1 terminal.

It has signed in June a 25-year agreement to operate a 3.4 million TEU terminal at the Nador West Med Port.
Illustration: Zohar Lazar

Theres a moment that inevitably comes after your insurance company has denied a claim. Youve read your member handbook and pored over your policy, bills, and explanations of benefits. Youve asked your primary-care doctor to send a letter to your insurance company. Youve meticulously tracked and stuck to your appeal deadlines, sent out rafts of documents to various P.O. boxes, and dialed the 800 number on the back of your insurance card half a dozen times. And then you check the mail. Where you find yet another denial. Ah, you think, Im going to lose my mind.

Tens of millions of health-insurance claims are denied in the U.S. each year for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes patients get services during the course of an appointment that arent covered on their plan  they go in for a skin check and end up getting a mole removed. Sometimes they fail to get preapproval for a procedure because they didnt know they had to get preapproval, a long and complicated process in and of itself. Sometimes the insurance company just makes a mistake  someone in a billing department submitted a claim incorrectly, say, with the wrong codes. A lot of people choose not to appeal at all; they cant figure out how or its just too maddening. But for those who do, its almost universally an exercise in frustration. Because there are so many different types of health insurance  public and private, employer-sponsored and not, fully funded and self-funded  theres no standard appeal process, which means patients are left to work out how to do it on their own. And its really challenging to get a helpful person on the phone to aid you in sorting through the mess. Major insurers are huge diffuse bureaucracies that employ thousands of claims specialists scattered around the country and, in some cases, the world. Every time you call, you get another person, says health-insurance advocate Adria Gross. Or you get someone who answers the phone in the Philippines. Unfortunately, its actually worth it to try. By some estimates, says Patricia Kelmar, senior director of health-care campaigns for the nonprofit U.S. PIRG, up to 50 percent of patients win their cases. Last year, class-action suits were filed against UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and Humana for using AI programs and algorithms that allegedly automatically batched claims and wrongfully denied or decreased patients care. The very act of initiating an appeal can trigger a chain reaction, flagging a patients file so that its pulled out of a pile of denials for a second look. By starting the process, theres a greater likelihood that a human being is going to look at that claim and make a determination, says Kelmar.

If this all gives the impression that insurance companies overcomplicate the appeals process on purpose to make more money  well, some people think they do. Insurers get to keep the money they dont pay out on claims, says industry whistleblower Wendell Potter, who left his post as Cignas communications VP in 2008. These companies know that a percentage of people simply will not appeal, often because people dont think its worth the time and effort or just because it is a chore, Potter says. Even postponing paying claims can benefit an insurance company. When youre looking at millions upon millions of disputed claims in various stages of adjudication, says Ron Howrigon, a fellow former Cigna executive who started a health-care-consulting firm 20 years ago, thats a massive amount of money. Insurers take these realities into account when theyre making business decisions, Howrigon and Potter believe.

Frustratingly, some of this should have gotten ever-so-slightly better by now. In 2022, the No Surprises Act  a law that protects patients from receiving surprise bills from out-of-network providers  went into effect. The law also requires that health-care providers and insurers give patients EOBs (or AEOBs, for advanced explanation of benefits)  what their out-of-pocket costs for nonemergency care would be before they actually receive that care. Having those documents in hand should help consumers anticipate how much it will cost before they go in for that MRI or surgery, which would theoretically help them avoid denials and appeals in the first place.

The problem is two years after the law went into effect, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services still isnt enforcing the EOB reform. An industry-led working group composed of payers, health providers, and others is drawing up rules for its implementation. But movement on this has been slow. You can imagine how powerful it would be to know in advance exactly what your insurance is paying for, Kelmar says. But were all still sitting around, waiting. Here, four people who successfully challenged their denials.

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After seeing how difficult it was for her mother to get the end-of-life care she needed, Dr. Georganne Vartorella gave up her career in internal medicine to create her own patient-advocacy firm. Since then, she has helped scores of people successfully appeal their insurance claims. Last year, a severely ill patient at risk of having her colon removed came to her. A specialist had recommended she try weekly infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin, which uses antibodies drawn from the plasma of healthy people to stop the body from attacking itself. Uncovered, IVIg is expensive: Treatment can cost upwards of $100,000 yearly.

I got a phone call from a patient who was beside herself. She had developed autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility; she couldnt get rid of digested food. She consulted a well-known GI specialist. But her insurer wouldnt pay for the treatment he recommended  even after the specialist, whos one of the top experts on this disease, wrote an appeal letter. After she called, I reviewed the patients insurance policy to see which diagnoses her insurance company would cover the treatment for. Autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility wasnt on the list. But stiff-person syndrome was  the rare neurological disease Celine Dion has, which causes painful, stiff muscles and muscle spasms. My client had never been given a stiff-person diagnosis. But her medical records showed that shed had symptoms consistent with it.

I couldnt give her a diagnosis because I no longer practice. But her primary-care doctor could. So I called him to see what he thought. He agreed, and he referred her to a neurologist, who confirmed the diagnosis  opening the door for my client to be able to get her therapy covered. Georganne Vartorella, M.D.

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Soon after Robert Daniels, 66, was diagnosed with ALS, his neurologist tipped him off to a study about a new combination therapy that wasnt yet FDA-approved. One of the elements in the therapy was a supplement he could order online, and the other was a generic medication he could fill at the pharmacy. But Roberts insurance plan wouldnt pay for the generic drug. Until his daughter, Nicolette Andolfo, 39, got involved.

I remember being at his house and seeing one of his EOBs. He was paying about $2,000 a month for the drug out of pocket and had already spent $14,000. My dad was no longer able to work at his hvac company, and my stepmom had retired to take care of him. To start my dads appeal, I followed the instructions on his EOB. It was denied, so something called an external appeal was his final shot. For that, I wrote a personal letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department, citing the results of a just-published New England Journal of Medicine study of the drug and explaining why it was so critical. I tried to be professional but honest about what my father was up against: I want him to be able to enjoy the time he has, free from the burden of trying to shoulder the exorbitant cost of the medication that may allow him to extend that time. Then I attached the NEJM study and sent it. Attaching the study seemed to work. I was shocked when we won. From that point on, the treatment was covered. My dad even got reimbursed for some of the money hed already spent out of pocket. Nicolette Andolfo

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For the past nine years, Melissa D., 52, has had to battle her insurance company to get her severely autistic, nonverbal adult sons weekly intensive applied-behavior-analysis therapy covered. Jacob, now 28, started ABA when he was 6. After years of trial and error, Melissa knows how much therapy her son needs to be stable. In 2015, her insurance started trying to cut Jacobs therapy hours.

ABA therapy is critical for Jacob. The summer we started it, he was still in a diaper. He was also hard to control. But by the end of the summer, with the help of ABA, Jacob was potty-trained and much calmer. After my husband switched jobs in 2015, and we got new insurance, getting Jacob pre-authorization for his ABA was initially smooth. Then the insurance started giving us trouble. Jacob wasnt making enough progress, they said. We knew Jacob needed six hours of one-on-one care five days a week  but they wanted to cut the hours down to 12 per week. I stumbled onto a nonprofit that helps people with problems like ours. I started working with an attorney who knew state and federal insurance law inside and out and put together an amazing appeal. We worked with him for four years and won every time. Finally I said to our lawyer, Look, if you give me the letter you use, I think I can take it from here. He agreed, and Ive been handling the process since. To make sure Jacob gets his hours, we need to reapply for prior authorization every three to six months. We always expect a denial. To prepare for those denials, I make an appointment with Jacobs primary-care physician, scheduled before the decision comes  the appeal requires a current prescription for his therapy and a record of his most recent physical. Then I contact his ABA therapists to make sure all of his info is accurate and up to date so they can write out a progress report for him, a treatment plan, and an explanation as to why the treatment is medically necessary. Then I write a letter using the lawyers template, which cites a lot of state and federal law, as well as our insurance plans schedule of benefits and member handbook. Melissa D.

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Five months after the birth of her daughter, Sasha Lazare, 33, received a notification from her insurer, Oscar Health: Oscar was refusing to cover Sashas early induction, alleging it wasnt medically necessary. The costs hovered around $85,000. Sasha hadnt wanted to deliver early, but shed had no choice; her doctor had ordered it. After her midwife sent Oscar her complete medical file, which included more information on her induction, she didnt hear from the company again. She assumed it was resolved, but then, last fall, she got a new bill for $1,844.60.

After my midwife helped me overturn my claim rejection in 2021, I never heard from Oscar again. I switched jobs after that, and we got new health insurance. So when I got this bill last fall, I had no idea what it was for. It wasnt itemized. I had lost access to my Oscar portal after I switched, so I couldnt see whether it was related to the original rejected claim. One of my new employee perks is having access to a health advocate. I called that person and asked for help to see what was going on. It took her months of going back and forth between the hospital and Oscar, but finally she helped us figure out what we now believe was the root of the problem: Someone at the hospital had gotten my daughters date of birth wrong when they filed the claim for reimbursement. She was born on December 18. Someone had put December 23, the day her birth certificate was printed. So I think the hospital messed up  though the hospital seemed to think it was Oscars fault. Either way, the health advocate told us that the outstanding bill was actually legitimate because when I had given birth, we hadnt yet met our deductible. Somehow, though, the advocate managed to get someone at the hospital to cut the bill in half  if I paid in 24 hours. Sasha Lazare
Nikki Haley onstage during the second night of the Republican National Convention. Photo: Mark Peterson

In Milwaukee, Tuesday night was losers night.

The prime-time lineup for the second day of the Republican National Convention was full of speeches from various politicians who once ran against Donald Trump only to come to the Fiserv Forum to glorify him. Sitting in the VIP box chatting with newly minted vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance, he watched former adversary after former adversary go onstage and give praise. Vance will do the same when he speaks on Wednesday, a one-time critic who went so far as to ask in 2016 if Trump might be Americas Hitler.

The most notable speech came from Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who finished second to Trump in this years primaries. As recently as four months ago, she called him diminished and unhinged. It wasnt until a few days ago that she was even invited to speak to the convention in the name of unity, following Saturdays assassination attempt against Trump. Given her persistent attacks on Trumps fitness for office, there was some trepidation about how Haley would be received in a room crowded with the MAGA faithful. Delegates were warned not to boo her.

Instead, she was welcomed with loud cheers just for walking onstage, where she began by offering Trump her strong endorsement. After that, the cheers died down and the room became indifferent to just about everything else she said. When she conceded to the crowd that not everyone agrees with Trump 100 percent of the time, a gruff voice barked out on the floor, Thats their problem. Through it all, CNN played her speech on a split screen, with Trump in the corner of the screen, watching her every word.

Next up was Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the 2024 primary before Haley did, following a second place finish in Iowa. As if he were still running for president, the Florida governor gave a warmed-over version of his stump speech, complete with allusions to the threat of the woke mind virus as he praised Trump, who had previously mocked him as DeSanctimonious.

Donald Trump has been demonized, hes been sued, hes been prosecuted  and he nearly lost his life, he said. We cannot let him down, and we cannot let America down.

Marco Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016 calling him a con man and even mocking his small hands, also spoke. A few days earlier, he was in contention to be in the VIP box with Trump as his running mate, but lost that campaign to Vance, who speaks MAGA fluently. After eulogizing Corey Comperatore, who was fatally shot at the Trump rally on Saturday, Rubio praised the Trump movement. Anyone who is offended about putting America First has forgotten who America is and what America needs, he said.

It was a far cry from the divisive convention in 2016 that culminated when Ted Cruz ended his convention speech by urging attendees to vote their conscience as Trumps fans jeered the Texas senator, who called their nominee a sniveling coward and utterly amoral. Eight years later, Cruz ended his speech with Trumps signature line make America Great Again as he offered up a red-meat harangue on the dangers of illegal immigration to the crowd.

A convention might be full of the party faithful, but there is a bigger crowd beyond the arena that a speaker needs to carefully reach. The biggest thing you have to remember is the audience at home, said Scott Walker, the former governor of Wisconsin who ran for president in 2012. Dont get caught up in the moment. Dont yell.

Ben Carson, who was the only candidate ever to surpass Trump in national polls during the 2016 primary before joining his administration, offered prayer for the welfare of the former president after the assassination attempt. He invoked scripture with a paranoid edge. And then they tried to kill him and he is still alive, Carson said, baselessly linking the attempt to the array of criminal and civil litigation Trump is facing.

The implicit message sent by all of these former candidates is that they might have some say in defining the party going forward. The future of the Republican Party is not cast in stone. Donald Trump is making it somewhat in his image right now, but its not going to stay the same, said Rick Santorum, who ran in 2012 but lost to Mitt Romney. I wanted to deliver a particular message that we wanted to be a blue-collar party. I felt really excited about at least planting a flag and it was nice to see it furl. The only difficulty is that, as their own turns show, there is no future for a Republican who criticized Trump unless they praise him.
Photo: Mark Peterson/(C) Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures 2024

Back in January, Nikki Haley said that Donald Trump was just toxic, that he lacks moral clarity, and that he didnt know the difference between right and wrong.

On Tuesday night, she told the Republican National Convention that for the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.

Last October, Ron DeSantis mocked Trump for losing to Joe Biden in 2020 and needled him for using campaign funds to pay for lawyers in his many legal travails.

On Tuesday, he walked up to the stage and loudly proclaimed, Lets send Donald Trump back to the White House!

The second night of the convention was full of Republicans who not only used to denounce Trump but said he represented a mortal threat to the party and the nation. Utterly immoral in the words of Ted Cruz (who began his speech by intoning God bless Donald J. Trump). A con artist, as Marco Rubio put it, whose supporters would have to one day answer for powering his rise. (On Tuesday: Donald Trump has inspired a movement.)

But if saying bad things about Trump were disqualifying, the Fiserv Forum would probably be empty. Even Trumps running mate, J.D. Vance, once called him Americas Hitler and cultural heroin and said Christians supporting him needed to seek absolution.

While some of those who criticized Trump dismiss what they once said as a product of being caught in the heat of the moment during hard-fought primary campaigns, others, like Vivek Ramaswamy and Elise Stefanik (both of whom also spoke on Tuesday), had aired their moral reservations about the former president before competing against him, if they ran against him at all.

The presence of Vance here raises a question: If, eight years ago, you thought Trump was a wannabe authoritarian, an agent of chaos, or morally unfit to lead the nation, but you no longer think so, why did you change your mind? Calling someone the next Hitler is a serious charge. What has Trump done since then to make you realize you were wrong?

I was certainly skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016, but President Trump was a great president and he changed my mind, Vance told Fox News Sean Hannity on Monday night. Hannity did not press him on how exactly he so badly misread Trump. I think he changed the minds of a lot of Americans, Vance added.

In 2015, Trump  the reality-TV star and real-estate magnate  was seen as about as serious a contender for the GOP nomination as a dancing bear that sings show tunes. The 2016 convention nearly dissolved into chaos before eventually nominating him.

Its not that I didnt like him, said Randall Dunning, a Texas GOP official who has attended the past five Republican conventions and in 2016 supported Ted Cruz for president. Its this: Weve had in the past a Republican Party that will put in people who are not what we call movement conservatives. And they pledged to be conservative, but they get in and they RINO out. They start making deals with the Democrats, and the conservative wing of the party ends up feeling like we got our noses smashed up against the window with no say whatsoever. And I feared very much thats what was going to happen with Trump.

Dunning wore a large pro-life button on his shirt and said he had even come to see Trumps baroque personal life as no longer a cause for concern.

Trump was a product of New York Democrat society, he said. Thats where he came from. And youll notice most of his peccadilloes and all that were very common in New York and in New York Democrat society. He was beloved by the Democrats until one day he comes down the escalator and says hes a Republican, and suddenly, hes the Devil incarnate to Democrats.

Trump made an unscheduled appearance at the convention on Tuesday night, arriving before Cruz spoke and sticking around long enough to hear Haley and DeSantis praise him. And although a large wall covering by the concession stands featured a quote from Trump  I will be your retribution  and despite his promise to exact revenge on his perceived enemies, he evinces a special joy when onetime enemies become supporters, especially when those who once declared him morally repugnant profess support.

Darrell Issa, the former California congressman who warned in 2016 that Trumps nomination would lead to a wipeout for the GOP before endorsing him a few months later, couldnt resist a dig at some of his past colleagues who had been more skeptical of Trump only to be rewarded with plum administration posts  figures like Mick Mulvaney and Mark Meadows. I was campaigning for Trump while they were still on the fence, Issa said. Everyone thinks he holds grudges, but hes proven that he doesnt. Hes picked people that were on the other side as long as they can come in and work loyally for him.

Donors and political operatives here, many of whom were not necessarily anti-Trump but at least would prefer that the Trump Era come to an end, said they were now mostly resigned his hold over the party. Everyone knew that the party needed to become more populist, that it needed to make appeals to the working class, said one operative who had worked on several Republican presidential campaigns in the pre-Trump past. I dont think anyone thought it would happen like this, but it had to happen and you are hearing from politicians who have largely reconciled themselves to that.

Another major Republican donor who confessed to being alarmed at what some of Trumps policy proposals  including his plans to increase tariffs and deport millions of immigrants  would mean for the economy, said four years of Democratic warnings that Trump would spell the end of democracy had left him inured to further dire predictions: Think about it. Donald Trump was president for four years. He cut taxes, and thats pretty much it. Did anything bad really even happen?

And say this for Trump: If he has one genius, it is for jumping to the front of the parade and acting as if hed been there all along. When the cultural vibe in the 1980s was Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, he became an avatar of great wealth. When, at the end of the 1990s, Ross Perots Reform Party was having a moment, Trump explored running for president on a third-party ticket. A few years after that, as Barack Obama and the Democrats came to power, he changed his party registration to Democrat and sent appreciation notes to Nancy Pelosi. Two years later, as the Tea Party backlash took hold, Trump refashioned himself as a leading birther who regularly dialed up Fox & Friends.

If Vance rose to fame by explaining why, and lamenting that, dispossessed white Americans were finding meaning in Trump, becoming a regular on cable news and in lefty magazines only to refashion himself as a MAGA acolyte, it is hard not to imagine that Trump looks at this with grudging respect.

That Donald Trump picked him, I actually think that says a lot about Donald Trump, said Illinois congressman Darin LaHood. I mean, the party has been transformed.
Annasofia Scheve covers trending news for the Express-News. She can be reached at Annasofia.Scheve@express-news.net.

Annasofia has bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Missouri. She is an Ohio native, and wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Express-News in 2023.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Teamsters president Sean OBrien frustrated many members of the powerful union when he agreed to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday night. This was the first time in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 121-year history that its leader spoke at the convention of the party that is overall extremely hostile to labor.

OBrien, who has been courting Donald Trumps favor for months now, called the former president a tough SOB. Still, RNC attendees grew quiet after OBrien stopped talking about Trump and held the line on the unions general opinion of the GOPs power base, calling out the big businesses and corporate interests waging a war against American workers. In the hours after, there wasnt too much outward criticism from within the Teamsters ranks, aside from some lone members criticizing OBrien for making his play at the RNC.

The next morning, Senator Josh Hawley wrote up a fairly pro-worker response praising OBriens speech. His point: Unions are a vital piece of the fabric of a nation that depends on working people, and the Republicans should turn the corner on labor and get the party back to its roots.

Notably, Hawley did not mention that zero Republican senators are supporting the PRO Act, the sweeping labor-rights bill to boost Americans rights to unionize. He also took a tangent into some of his most trodden anti-woke territory. Unfortunately, OBrien posted a link to the Hawley blog post and said Hawley is 100% on point.

If you're a Teamster of color, are LGBTQ+, Sean O'Brien has just said he doesn't give a fuck about you. https://t.co/Ton5xr2I1G pic.twitter.com/LYvHIuhehY  Daily Union Elections (@UnionElections) July 16, 2024

That message of support for an anti-LGBT politician apparently hit one social-media manager for the Teamsters the wrong way.

The rogue Teamsters social media manager is a real one, holy shit pic.twitter.com/kIWyXK5UlZ  Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) July 17, 2024

The message this sends to Teamsters of color, Teamster women, and LGBTQ Teamsters is that they are not welcome in the union unless they surrender their identity to a new kind of anti-woke unionism, read the post on the Teamsters official account, which, screenshots say, went up after 2 a.m. You dont unite a diverse working class by scoffing at its diversity.

Other labor reporters said they had seen the post too, which has since been deleted. OBrien should know as well as anyone that a motivated Teamster wont back down from a fight, and that probably goes double for people with the log-in to the social accounts.
The Democratic Party and progressive intellectuals unambiguously condemned the attempt on Donald Trumps life. In response to this, conservative intellectuals, perhaps disappointed that they couldnt hold their adversaries directly responsible for the shooting, began to make an indirect argument. The Democrats are hypocritical for opposing the assassination. If they truly consider Trump a threat to democracy, they should support any steps to stop him, including murder.

This argument may sound so facile that no serious person could possibly propose it. But I promise that numerous conservative analysts  professional commentators, not random social-media users  have made this exact claim.

For instance, take Matt Walsh (If Trump is really an evil supervillain dictator who wants to destroy our system of government or whatever, then assassinating him would be morally justified). Or Rich Lowry (If the idea that Trump is just months away from overthrowing the Constitution and establishing a fascist regime in America is taken seriously and literally, it would justify any means of resistance).

Or Nate Hochman (If Trump really was an existential, unprecedented threat to democracy, why wouldnt any and all means of preventing his rise be justified?). Or the Washington Free Beacon (The ultimate dissonance comes from the well wishes of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and other pooh-bas of the Democratic Party. Get well soon, Donald, so you can get back to destroying our democracy! Either they didnt actually believe their self-interested talking points about Trump the tyrant or they are coming to the realization that the public doesnt buy it).

These are merely examples I happened to stumble across without searching for them. The conservative intelligentsia apparently considers this a clever point.

Obviously, conservatives themselves reject the notion that Trump poses a dangerous threat to democracy. (Their methods range from directly endorsing his coup attempt to whataboutism to sneering at our democracy or insisting the U.S. is actually a republic, not a democracy.) Importantly, though, their argument does not rely on denying that Trump poses a threat to democracy. Instead it posits a contradiction within the liberal belief system. Democrats, they propose, can either believe Trump poses a potentially mortal threat to American democracy or believe that gunning him down in cold blood is wrong, but not both.

If this were valid, they would have discovered a horrifying paradox in liberal-democratic thought. If a true authoritarian threatened to win power, small-d democrats would be forced to endorse that candidates assassination or else forfeit their credibility.

Luckily, there are convincing replies to this childish taunt.

One answer is that liberal democracy entails a series of important rights and norms in addition to free and fair elections. One of those is a strong norm against political violence. Liberal democracy can survive assassinations, but it cant survive a regime where parties condone them.

If Democrats endorsed murdering Donald Trump, the conditions for sustaining liberal democracy would quickly unravel. Destroying the system in order to save it is no solution. And so the only possible response to authoritarian politicians is to oppose them democratically.

A second answer is that murdering Trump would not eliminate the authoritarian threat. Trump may be uniquely dangerous, but he could do only so much damage without the cooperation of a willing party apparatus. Republicans partially withheld that cooperation during Trumps first term, especially during the decisive endgame when Mike Pence blocked Trumps coup attempt. But they have grown much more willing to cooperate, in part because they have seen, contrary to their expectations at the time, that Republicans who opposed Trumps most authoritarian maneuvers saw their political futures disappear.

For instance, J.D. Vance, Trumps vice-president and successor, is deep in the postliberal world and has attacked Pence for failing to support Trumps coup attempt, urged Trump to simply defy court orders, etc. So theres little reason to believe killing Trump would save democracy from the rights efforts to undermine it.

I do think its important to understand that democracy and authoritarianism are a continuum, not a binary. Trump is likely to weaken the systems liberal-democratic character and possibly topple it altogether. But politics would not end with a Trump election. The struggle for liberal democracy would continue under riskier and more dangerous conditions, with an elevated potential for tail-risk scenarios.

If conservatives are unable to understand how anybody can oppose an authoritarian politician without resorting to violence, that says more about their inability to grasp democracy than it does about the objects of their mockery.
The list of elevated tail-risk outcomes under a second Trump administration is quite long. Many of those disaster scenarios are versions of Donald Trumps erratic first term, when he pushed up against democratic norms and played footsie with Vladimir Putin. But an underrated risk is that he emboldens China to invade Taiwan.

Taiwan is a democracy off the coast of China. It used to be part of China until the Chinese civil war left it de facto independent. The Chinese Communist Party has never recognized Taiwans independence. And the CCP has taken an increasingly belligerent posture toward its neighbors, including Taiwan.

The United States has always adopted a posture of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan  which is to say it has supported Taiwans defense without formally committing itself to go to war in the event of an invasion. That strategy, while far from perfect, has succeeded in maintaining Taiwans independence and preventing war.

Trump, however, is blowing it to smithereens. In an interview with Bloomberg, he implied the United States under his presidency would not defend the island from a Chinese attack. Taiwan is 9,500 miles away, he explained. Its 68 miles away from China.

And he fleshed out his reasons for refusing to defend Taiwan using his familiar gangster logic:

Taiwan took our chip business from us. I mean, how stupid are we? They took all of our chip business. Theyre immensely wealthy  I dont think were any different from an insurance policy. Why? Why are we doing this?

The traditional reasons for preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan include supporting democracy, which is if anything a negative in Trumps mind (he admires dictators of all stripes, very much including the Chinese Communist Party). The most important reason is to avoid bloodshed, chaos, and disruption.

The United States has maintained a global peace for decades. That era has obviously fallen far short of perfect and involved more than a few cases of military overreach. But the rules-based international order has nonetheless resulted in vastly fewer wars and deaths than the eras that preceded it.

Installing a president who neither understands nor believes in that system, and who increasingly feels emboldened to defy the traditional Republicans who surrounded him like court-appointed guardians in his first term, brings risks of terrifying breakdowns. The list has grown so long it is difficult to keep track of them all. But opening the door to a potential war between China and Taiwan alone is enough to disqualify him.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

On Monday, Donald Trump revealed that his 2024 running mate will be 39-year-old J.D. Vance, the junior senator from Ohio. Most will remember Vance, whose government career began just 18 months ago, as the writer of Hillbilly Elegy, the memoir (and, eventually, movie) that in 2016 earned him the role of elite-friendly interpreter of the white underclass. After a few years straddling the discourse as a moderate conservative pundit  during which he publicly compared Trump to a deadly drug and privately likened him to Hitler  Vance expediently declared his support for the former president, begged for forgiveness, ran for office as a MAGA hardliner and 2020-election denier, and won.

Vance presents as an outsider-insider, a Trump-style elite class traitor, and a convert, all of which are useful identities in the Republican Party of 2024. But hes also something else: a former venture capitalist with extremely close ties to some of the most powerful people in tech. His nomination is, among other things, an invitation from the Republican party to Americas tech elite  one that an increasing number are eager to accept.

Before starting a VC fund of his own, Vance worked for billionaire investor Peter Thiel, who in 2016 broke with his peers to publicly support Trump. Thiel eventually became Vances patron, donating record-setting amounts to his Senate campaign, and his arrival on the ticket represents an enormous payoff for Thiel, whose esoteric right-wing politics have been echoed by the nominee. It also comes as Thiel finds himself with quite a bit more company: Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, who run one of the most influential venture firms in the world, have been telling their employees they plan to make large donations to Trumps campaign, according to The Information. Elon Musk announced his formal endorsement of Trump within an hour of Saturdays assassination attempt; meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports that Musk plans to donate up to $45 million a month to a new super-PAC led in part by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale (other major donors include billionaires Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss). Influential investor and podcaster David Sacks spoke on the first night of the RNC, while some prominent pro-Trump VCs now see things turning their way:

JD Vance announced as Trump's VP!



The tide is turning  pic.twitter.com/Y61ttnbT5h  Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) July 15, 2024

There are two very different ways to process this change, which presages greater alignment between big tech and the Republican Party, especially, but not only, if Trump wins the election. Those in and around Silicon Valley voicing their support for Trump tend to sound a lot like Vance, describing disillusionment with the Democratic Party and progressivism. Their narratives have similar shapes  the crazy left made me do it; I underestimated Trump; the media lied, and I believed them  but on closer inspection, they tend to get more specific. Musk is genuinely obsessed with the threat of the woke mind virus but also now identifies with Trump in the incredibly narrow and personal sense that he lives in constant fear of assassination. In his speech at the RNC, Sacks vented to the Milwaukee crowd about how Democrats ruined San Francisco. There are policy objections regarding the Biden administrations regulatory approach to AI, its antitrust and tax policies, and the SECs aggressive treatment of cryptocurrency. Theres ample space to claim that this is a matter of being simply pro-tech, whatever that may mean.

In response, Trump has signaled flexibility on subjects he previously didnt care much about, flipping his positions on crypto and the TikTok ban.

The 45th and potential 47th President of the United States...



Giving remarks at the 2024 Hill and Valley Forum at Capitol Hill



4 years ago you had to issue an apology if you even said you voted for him



In 2024, every major defense tech fund is sharing a stage with DJT pic.twitter.com/iRGL9r8Fyk  delian (@zebulgar) May 1, 2024

Whatever their stated reasons for supporting Trump, techs new MAGA cohort tends to emphasize conversion: I was a Democrat, or at least not a Trump supporter, until I had no choice. Like Vances conversion narrative, theirs are convenient and likely overstated.

Big techs ties to the Democratic Party are well documented but indicative above all of an industry that multiplied in size during the Obama administration, when it all but openly sought and achieved some level of regulatory lenience. California is a blue state, San Francisco is an even bluer city, and big-tech employees across the industry tend to support Democrats, but the firms they work for are large corporations whose leaders believe they could make more money with less regulation and lower taxes. While some tech leaders in charge of or affiliated with large public companies had previously been critical of Trump  Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, for example  they have since been cowed by a hyperpoliticized tech backlash and official threats during and after Trumps presidency. Some have retreated into political illegibility and studiously apolitical image-making. After the assassination attempt, more restrained tech leaders offered condolences and condemnations, reasonable responses to a broadly significant event but also a valuable chance to soften their tone about a movement that has been and can once again be turned against them.

This brings us to the other way to process the growing MAGA-tech alliance: Of course! What took them so long? This has always been a natural fit in the ways that matter most, and now a lot of people think Trump is going to win. Silicon Valley, despite its popular reputation as a hub for consumer products, was built on defense contracting; in 2024, defense tech is once again booming. Crypto is fundamentally a libertarian technology. Tech leaders and investors are spooked by a nascent labor movement against which they have fought aggressively. Theyre annoyed by meddling regulators and contemptuous of the critical press. Theyre fed up with activist employees. That the tech industry as a whole could in any material way be considered a genuinely progressive force was at best a misunderstanding and at worst a successful political campaign to pull them further in the other direction.

The tech elites current MAGA turn is led by particular sorts of players, many of whom are already major government contractors or, as investors, see the government as both a potential funder and the largest possible client. Theyre people who feel relatively immune among their peers to the influences that might have been holding them back from speaking more like powerful people in other industries, in which support for Trump by the extremely wealthy is regarded not so much as a mystery as an obvious product of aligned interests and favor-seeking with a dash of more personal intra-elite solidarity. The fact that all of them except Thiel but including Vance are terminally online X posters is no small thing (their diversely aggrieved posts are worth keeping in mind when they suggest, for example, that its really all about taxes). Some of them are VCs who dont need to worry about resistance from employees or shareholders in the ways executives at major public companies do and who dont mind the falling social cost of publicly embracing Trump  a significant but ultimately flimsy factor in how they talked in public until now. One owns the social platform they all use to talk to one another and has made it abundantly clear that, from his rare position of extreme power, he doesnt have to care what his employees or investors think.

Vances presence on the ticket gives permission to industry figures who might have been reluctant to voice support or donate. Hes one of them! He even posts like them! But its also an implied threat to the sorts of cautious tech executives who, burned by their every encounter with partisan politics over the past decade, may otherwise want to keep quiet. Vance has staked out a position on AI that is both anti-regulatory and highly skeptical of major AI firms on specific ideological terms, praised FTC commissioner Lina Khan for some of the agencys aggressive antitrust actions, and been critical of Section 230 protections but specifically for large tech companies (he is an investor in Rumble, a YouTube alternative). It sketches out the sort of conditional promise with which Vance is personally familiar: You can have what you want in exchange for your loyalty.
Game of Thrones George RR Martin falls foul of Glasgow sci-fi events strict rules https://t.co/glLLod4pVg  Guardian Books (@GuardianBooks) July 17, 2024

Author George R. R. Martin continues to avoid writing those main series ASOIAF books by recently posting about his upcoming travels, including his schedule for the upcoming WorldCon, a fan run convention of the World Science Fiction Society. Organized by different people every year as well as hosted in a different city every year, the convention is most notable for administering/hosting the Hugo Awards, a literary award for science fiction and fantasy achievements which are nominated and voted on by WorldCon attendees. GRRM has attended WorldCon since 1971 and hosts a Hugo Losers Party. But in recent years he's run afoul with other attendees of the convention. For 2019's Dublin WorldCon, organization for his Hugo Losers Party went awry when the booked venue reached maximum capacity and no longer let people inside, leaving partygoers stranded outside while it was raining. He posted a longass non-apology explanation as this failure to organize a pissup in a brewery went viral in certain sff book parts of twitter at the time.When the pandemic forced the convention to go virtual for 2020's convention (it was going to be held in Wellington, New Zealand), toastmaster GRRM was the virtual host of the Hugos and reportedly did a terrible job wherein he mispronounced many nominees' names as well as publications and going on a bit too long about the old days of the convention. A writeup of his flubs entitled " George R.R. Martin Can Fuck Off Into the Sun " was nominated for a Hugo the next year.Fastforward to recently where he posted (but not on LJ!) about not making it into this year's programming. This year's convention is being held in Glasgow, Scotland starting August 8, a few days after the second season of House of the Dragon finishes. The programming deadline for the convention was in April."I will be in Glasgow, attending the con, but whether youll see me, I dont know. I am not on any programming. It is not for lack of trying, though. I wrote the cons programming chair back in January, and again in February, asking for his phone number so we could discuss the details.I did not give up there, however. Several months later, when I learned how many of my Wild Cards writers would be at the con (about a dozen, all told), I wrote again and offered to organize a Wild Cards event for them [...]. A month or so after that, I tried again. Howard Waldrop died in January, and I thought it would be nice to do a memorial panel honoring the man and his work. Several other friends [...] said they would be delighted to be part of such a panel.As regular readers of my Not A Blog know, I have also been producing a series of short films based on some of Howards classic short stories [...] The films are not in theatres yet, but I offered to screen them in Glasgow, as part of the film programme (if there is one) or that proposed Waldrop Memorial Panel.So... yes, I will be at Glasgow. I will check out the art show, as I always do, maybe attend some bid parties, and I will be wandering the dealers room (the hucksters room, as us old timers call it). The rest of the time I guess I may hang out in the bar, drinking with friends both old and new, toasting Howard and Gardner and all the other friends we lost.Maybe Ill see you there."source: 1
China has long been building inroads into Africa, while the U.S. backs down from the region, leaving a gaping hole in the Wests influence over the final frontier. Now, however, were seeing all that soft power and oil-backed loans fizzle out as various think tanks note that China is increasingly choosing Arab oil over African crude.

Back in 2002, at the end of Angolas 27-year civil war, the central African country pioneered the so-called Angola model wherein it received oil-backed loans from China to finance the building of roads, hydroelectric dams, railways, and the like. It didnt last very long, though. Unfortunately, this model did not last long. Indeed, as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has noted, Angola has fallen down the list of leading crude suppliers to China as Beijing has increasingly turned to the Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Russia, and other Asian countries.

While Angola was the No. 2 exporter of oil to China in 2010, second only to Saudi Arabia, by last year, it had plummeted to No. 8, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The Angolan Model worked just fine in the early years, with SCMP citing Boston University data showing that between 2000 and 2022, Angola borrowed a whopping $45 billion from China, repaying some of it in oil. But when oil prices crashed in 2014 at the peak of the shale boom, Angola found itself having to pump much more aggressively in order to pay its Chinese debts in one of the many stories of pitfalls of Beijings easy money. It was an impossible task for Angola.

Related: WTI Crude Soars on Tailwinds of Saudi July Export Cuts

Angolaand other African oil producershave a hard time luring investors to further develop its oilfields and boost infrastructure. And while initially there was a significant amount of excitement on the part of the oil majors for the countrys massive deposits, (think: BP, Exxon, Chevron), the deterrents remain, including unfriendly tax regimes, corruption and, in some cases, lack of security for assets.

Angola has repeatedly failed to even meet OPEC production quotas.

Today, Angola is one of the smaller OPEC producers, pumping ~1.15 million barrels per day in November, good for 3.0% of OPECs daily output at 38.19 million barrels. Angolas production when it joined OPEC in 2007 clocked in at 1.66 million b/d, peaking at 1.88 mb/d a year later. From there the countrys output somewhat plateaued, dropping slightly to 1.80 mb/d by 2015 before going into a steep decline in the subsequent years.

Angolas current level of production is slightly higher than its OPEC target of 1.10 mb/d. Relations between the South African country and OPEC came to a head last year when OPEC gave the green light to the United Arab Emirates to increase its production by 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 3.2 million barrels in 2024, but lowered Angolas quota slightly in-line with Angolas declining production. The move has not gone down well with Angola.

And in the meantime, China has increasingly turned to more predictable production infrastructure of the Gulf countries and Russia. As the Carnegie report notes, Imports increased by over 40 per cent for nearly all of Chinas top oil trade partners in Asia, with the exception of Iran, whose oil is transshipped via countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia,

Similar to Angola, aging oilfields have been a major cause of the decline in production by many African producers, mostly notably, Nigeria, but also smaller producers such as South Sudan, whose oil development is in a constant state of stop-and-start, most recently due to an ongoing civil war in neighboring Sudan.

And now that supermajor attention is shifting to other offshore venues, such as Guyana and Namibia, the traditional African players are being left further behind. With the exception of a discovery in Block 15 offshore Angola in 2022, Exxon has been silent on Africa.

China has moved on, and its pivoting heavily to the GCC, aggressively seeking energy tie-ups with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Last year, according to data published by China Daily, China imported ~200 million metric tons of crude oil and 18 million tons of LNG from GCC countries. That figure represents one-third of Chinas total oil imports and around one-quarter of its total natural gas imports.

And its not just about fossil fuels, either. China is targeting GCC tie-ups in the renewable energy sector, as well as in nuclear.

Huang Mingang, the chief economist of China National Nuclear Corp, told China Daily that Beijing is leveraging its comprehensive nuclear industry supply chain and technical service capabilities to provide Arab countries with integrated nuclear energy solutions and full life cycle services.

The West lost to Chinese soft power in Africa, and now it stands to lose ground in the GCC, as well, but the battle for this region rages on, and Washington still has plenty of leverage here.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Goldman's Jordan Alliger released his latest supply chain congestion note on Monday, informing clients that for the first time in 1.5 years, the supply chain congestion index is on the verge of rising from two to three, with ten being the most congested. This resurgence in snarled supply chains is driven mainly by increasing container ship backlogs and soaring ocean container shipping rates.

"While our weekly bottleneck scale remained slightly below the level of '3' this week as the overall scale remained unchanged at '2', the absolute level of our congestion index increased once again versus the prior week (+3.5% w/w; Exhibit 1); should next week's index reading show an increase of just ~1%, the weekly bottleneck scale would push up to a level of '3' for the first time in over a year and a half," Alliger explained.

He continued, "As noted last week, while the recent uptick bears monitoring as it continues to reflect a combination of steadily rising container ship backlogs and re-surging ocean container shipping rates (China-to-US ocean container rate was up over 500% YoY at the beginning of July), we stress that even at a scaled bottleneck reading of '3' (should the index continue to rise from here), system-wide supply chain fluidity still appears quite favorable relative to the index reading of '10' experienced during peak levels of Covid-induced supply chain congestion."

A seasonal view of ocean container shipping rates between China/East Asia and North America's West Coast is very concerning. Global container capacity is stretched thin due to ship reroutings from the southern Red Sea around Cape of Good Hope, which adds more time to sails. Robust demand for shipping could pressure rates higher. However, it remains to be seen if rates follow the 2021 summer surge.

"The key question remains whether the last stumbling blocks around congestion ease in the US - notably the improving warehouses as well as the East Coast port backlogs. Should this continue to mitigate, then it is conceivable we could see the index being back to a '1' in 2024," Alliger pointed out.

While congestion outside US East and West Coast ports is far from Covid highs, there are still signs of backlog at East Coast ports.

The door-to-door shipping of a container from China to the US is now 48 days, down from +80 days during the supply chain mess in 2021-22.

In a separate note, Apollo Management Chief Economist Torsten Slok warned supply chain stresses are coming back as container rates soar:

Container freight rates are rising, and it currently costs $9,000 to transport a 40-foot container from Shanghai to New York. At the peak of Covid, the cost was $16,000, see the first chart below. The sources for the rise in transportation costs are Suez crossings significantly below normal levels, disruptions at some Asian ports, and growth in demand due to restocking. The rise in transportation costs is very specific to containers. Freight rates by truck, rail, and air have generally not increased by the same magnitude. Only the Baltic Capesize Index is trending significantly higher. Most importantly, if the global economy was slowing down rapidly, then all transportation costs would be falling. That is not what we are seeing, which suggests that global growth continues to be fine.

The critical takeaway is whether this emerging supply chain congestion gains momentum or is just a blip.

By Zerohedge.com

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Canadas oil and gas industry has seen its share of the countrys merchandise exports jump over the past two decades, and energy is now a crucial contributor to Canadian trade and economy.

While the federal government is looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a proposed cap on emissions from oil and gas and additional carbon taxes, facts and figures of the past decade show that energy exports are now nearly a quarter of the value of Canadas total exports.

This will likely continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, considering the still robust global oil demand, the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and expected start-ups of Canadian LNG export projects, according to Jock Finlayson, a senior fellow of the Fraser Institute.

Alongside surging production, Canadas oil and gas exports jumped in the period 2002 to 2022, with export value soaring from US$26.7 billion (C$36.5 billion) in 2002 to US$133 billion (C$182 billion) in 2022 and most of it going to the United States, the Canadian Energy Centre said earlier this year.

In 2002, oil and gas accounted for 9% of Canadas most exported products. That share jumped to 23% in 2022, making oil and gas the single largest export category.

Related: Thai Tycoon to Create $20 Billion Firm With Energy and Telecoms Merger

Canada saw a record-high oil production in 2023 amid expanding oil sands output, data from Statistics Canada showed. Exports in terms of volumes also hit an all-time high last year, rising by 3.2%, although the value has declined somewhat due to lower crude oil and natural gas prices compared to the 2022 highs.

This year, Canadian output of crude and natural gas continues to rise as producers ramp up activity now that they have 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of additional egress for their crude with the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline. More oil and gas exports are also in the cards in the coming years as TMX is now delivering more crude to Canadas Pacific coast for export via tankers to the United States and Asiathe most prized export market for any producer.

With improved access to global markets, Canadians can look forward to receiving higher value for our energy resources, meaning more money coming back into the economy, Lisa Baiton, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), said.

The completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion will help Canada play an enduring strategic role in ensuring our allies and trading partners have access to a reliable and trusted source of critical energy, Baiton added.

Combined, crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas exports accounted for roughly 20% of total Canadian exports last year, CAPP said in a presentation earlier this year.

In tandem with the development of Albertas oil sands, Canada has steadily grown its crude oil exports, which averaged about 4.2 million bpd in 2023, more than double the 2008 levels of about 2 million bpd.

In its key export market, the United States, Canadian crude has taken market share from Venezuela and OPECs Middle Eastern producers in recent years, while Canada is expected to have its first LNG exports in 2025 from the West Coast, with the start-up of LNG Canada Phase 1, CAPP says.

Other LNG projects could also boost Canadian natural gas exports and diversify Canadas gas customers to the Asian market, compared to the sole market in the U.S. at present.

Last month, the Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corporation decided to move ahead with the Cedar LNG project, a floating LNG export facility on Canadas West Coast, and the worlds first indigenous majority-owned LNG project.

Together with another project on the Pacific Coast, Shell-led LNG Canada, Cedar LNG in Kitimat, British Columbia, would be one of the first Canadian export projects and would take advantage of the proximity of the Pacific Coast to the key importing markets in Asia.

These projects are set to boost Canadian oil and gas exports in terms of volumes, while the TMX start-up is expected to boost the price of Canadas heavy crude oil for years to come.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The European Union (EU) targets a ban on Russian fuel imports by 2027. However, nearly half of Russia's pipeline gas supplies to Europe and Moldova are still passing through Ukraine, totaling 13.7 billion cubic meters (Bcm) in 2023. As the EU discusses the possibility of involving Azerbaijan in a future transit deal, the current five-year gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine is set to expire by the end of 2024, leading to concerns about the future flow of these gas volumes. Rystad Energy predicts that Russia's gas will need to be rerouted to Europe through alternative paths, requiring an additional 7.2 Bcm per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace the gas transiting Ukraine. Supply disruptions may occur sooner than initially expected, as indicated by the Austrian company OMVs market warning in May.

Slovakia, Austria and Moldova are the European nations most dependent on transit volumes, importing about 3.2 Bcm, 5.7 Bcmand 2.0 Bcm, respectively, in 2023. Last year, Russian gas passing through Ukraine supplied EU countries via entry points in Slovakia and Moldova. Moldova is adjusting its supply while having agreed with Ukraine on a continuous flow of Russian gas until the end of 2025, largely supplied to the pro-Russia separatist region of Transnistria. In 2023, the country imported 74% of its gas through Ukraine and, for the first time, received gas from Romania and the south through reverse flows via the Trans-Balkan pipeline. Italy's energy company Eni and Hungary also imported Russian gas through Ukraine, while Slovenia and Croatia have been smaller takers of Russian gas via Ukraine.

Halting Russian gas pipeline flows via Ukraine would significantly impact countries relying on these volumes. For example, when the transit extension expires after 2025, Moldova would need to reroute its 2 Bcm supplied via Ukraine, possibly through reverse flows of the Trans-Balkan pipeline. To reach Moldova, Russian gas could use the Isaccea entry point between Romania and Ukraine, but a transit agreement for the short 25-kilometer distance through Ukraine would be required. The Trans-Balkan pipeline has been operated in reverse flow since the end of 2022, with 0.54 Bcm of gas entering Moldova via Ukraine from Romania through the Isaccea entry point in 2023. Additionally, gas from the Southern Gas Corridor in Azerbaijan, as well as from Turkish and Greek LNG import terminals, can reach Moldova via the south. When the Russia-Ukraine transit agreement ceases, the only alternative supply routes for Central and East European countries would be the Balkan Stream and the Horgos entry point between Serbia and Hungary.

Russian producer Gazprom and European importers are keen on continuous supplies via Ukraine, while Ukrainian officials deny any intention for a renewed agreement with Russia. Without Azerbaijan or another third party transiting the gas following a swap deal with Russia, the EU will require about 7.2 Bcm of gas to be sourced from the LNG market. Terminals in Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Italy could forward these volumes to the most affected counties, such as Slovakia and Austria,

Christoph Halser, Gas & LNG Analyst, Rystad Energy

Learn more with Rystad Energys Gas & LNG Solution.

Rystad Energy forecasts potential changes to the 2023 gas balance for affected countries under the assumption of 50% and 0% flow of gas via Ukraine and capacity limitations at relevant entry point alternatives. Without Russian gas, Slovakia would find itself at the end of the flow chain, requiring about 4 Bcm of gas delivered through the Lanzhot entry point from Czechia. With additional regasification capacity in Poland only available in 2025, a zero-flow scenario may even entail reverse flows from Austria into Slovakia.

Austria, the largest offtaker of Russian gas in 2023, would pivot towards increasing imports from Germany via the Oberkappel entry point, expected to operate at a maximum annual capacity of 8 Bcm. However, for Rystad Energys baseline year of 2023, the import capacity at Oberkappel will not be sufficient to close the 8.53 Bcm import gap. Without short-term capacity adjustments, gas transits to Hungary would decline, and outflows to Italy would be stopped. If all Russian gas flows via Ukraine were to cease, Austria would need to import up to 2.5 Bcm from Italy via the Arnoldstein-Tarvisio crossing point.

Italy has several options to replace Russian gas pipelines and has largely achieved independence from the Ukrainian transit. However, the country would be required to source about 3.75 Bcm for Slovakia and Austria. These additional supplies could come from the Ravenna floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) 5 Bcm per year from 2025and 1.23 Bcm from pipeline supplies through Tunisia.

Hungary would face large challenges in case of a complete halt of Russian gas flow through Ukraine. Assuming Moldova is supplied via the south, capacity via the Trans-Balkan pipeline from Romania would be fully allocated, halting inflows from Romania. Furthermore, Austria would be unable to forward gas to Hungary, while Croatia won't have additional regasification capacity available before 2025. Hungary would have to rely solely on increased gas flow through the TurkStream pipeline, whereby the Horgos entry point would be required to operate continuously at its maximum capacity of 9 Bcm per year. Alternatively, if Austria could source sufficient LNG from Italy, Hungary could receive additional gas through reverse flows at the Mosonmagyarovar entry point from Austria.

Central and Eastern European countries are preparing for a possible halt in the Ukraine gas transit and have joined forces to create a Vertical Gas Corridor under the EU's Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity Initiative (CESEC). This year, on 19 January, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Athens involving EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson and the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and Moldova. The corridor would utilize existing infrastructure in Ukraine and Moldova and enable LNG imports from Greece and Turkey to reach Slovakia, Hungary and possibly Poland.

Furthermore, Turkey's transmission system operator BOTAS and Bulgaria's operator Bulgartransgaz signed an agreement in January 2024 to increase gas entry capacity at the Strandzha 1 entry point, enabling increased gas flows from Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea region into Europe. This expansion could aid in raising Azerbaijan's EU gas exports from 13 Bcm to 20 Bcm per year by 2027 and, in the long run, potentially transport Iranian gas through the Solidarity Ring Initiative.

By Rystad Energy

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Once a Donald Trump critic, J.D. Vance, right, shifted to a supporter and now may be the nation's next vice president. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/TNS

The road from critic to sycophant is paved with deceit and mendacity.

J.D. Vance rode that highway all the way to the second spot on the Republican presidential ticket, hand-picked by the presumptive nominee for president, Donald Trump.

Both will be officially anointed later this week at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

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The selection came on Monday, two days after a gunman wounded Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., nicking him in the right ear  an act of terrorism that prompted Vance to issue a statement.

Today is not just some isolated incident, Vance wrote on social media. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trumps attempted assassination.

Vance did not express concern for the president, his family or the families of the three supporters shot at the rally, one killed, the others critically wounded. He subsumed those concerns in the service of the very political malfeasance he condemned. It was the wrong message at the wrong time.

Trump rewards loyalty, however, and the statement may have sealed a race that seemed tight. The other hopefuls were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Both were more measured about the horror in Butler.

(Vance) will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond, Trump wrote on a social media post announcing his selection.

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Trump stood next to his running mate at the convention Monday night, a thick white bandage covering his right ear. The crowd chanted fight, fight, fight, the same refrain the ex-president shouted as Secret Service agents escorted him off the stage. Trump smiled.

Its a moment Ill never forget, Vance said of his selection.

Elected to the Senate in 2022, Vance was a striking pick as a running mate  a virtual duplicate of Trump who would be hard-pressed to attract voters beyond MAGA world.

That was not always so. He launched harsh attacks against the ex-president as far back as 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton for the presidency:

 Trump is cultural heroin, he wrote in The Atlantic.

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 I think that hes noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place, he said on NPR.

  hes Americas Hitler, he wrote to a friend.

Vance would later explain what looked like a shockingly hypocritical turnaround, saying he was radicalized by the anger toward Trump, even though he expressed the same ire.

He mirrors the ex-president of several key issues. Vance is anti-abortion and anti-aid to Ukraine, and he said he would not have immediately certified the results of the 2020 presidential election.

If you even acknowledged that there were reasonable things that Donald Trump was saying, there was this complete overreaction, he said.

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Trump noted the change, and the two became allies.

Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades, Trump wrote on social media before Vance won his Senate seat in Ohio.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Vance rose to prominence when his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," was published in 2016. The New York Times called it a compassionate, discerning sociological analysis of the white underclass that has helped drive the politics of rebellion, particularly the ascent of Donald J. Trump. It became a bestseller.

Born in Middletown, Ohio, in 1984, he escaped the poverty that had afflicted so many of his ancestors from Appalachia  millworkers, sharecroppers, coal miners. Vance became a frequent guest on cable political shows, riding that celebrity to the Senate and now, perhaps, the White House.

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Global liquefied natural gas markets (LNG) are in a prolonged state of flux. The ongoing Russian war in Ukraine has continued to create waves in global energy markets, and the instability has resulted in significant price volatility across markets. While LNG prices have fallen recently, they are still extremely high, at double the average price for liquified natural gas over the last five years, placing a major squeeze on net importers of the fossil fuel.

Just this week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that it will introduce new mechanisms to stabilize prices, promote greater transparency, and facilitate easier trade between countries with excess LNG to places in need. The IEA will set up a body as early as this year to share and analyze information on purchasing and anticipated demand of natural gas across different countries, and to issue recommendations to the agency's 31 member countries, Nikkei Asia reported over the weekend.

The volatility of the global LNG market has had a particularly large impact on Japan, which is reliant on imports for natural gas, which is absolutely critical to the countrys energy security, as it represents nearly a third of the national energy mix. Japan is working hard to reduce this reliance, as well as the chances of shocks, by both stockpiling LNG and lowering its share of the overall energy mix. The Japanese government has encouraged the private sector to buy up huge volumes of LNG to keep a 100 million tonne stockpile at all times. And, by 2030, natural gas is expected to represent 20% of Japans energy mix, down from the current 30%.

Due to this combination of factors  increased LNG supply and lowered LNG consumption  Japan could actually end up with a problematic surplus of natural gas reserves, an ironic problem for a nation that produces virtually none of the stuff. Due to what could prove to be an overcorrection and over-purchase of LNG supplies in the near future, Japanese firms are now scrambling to invest in markets across Asia to court potential buyers.

"Japanese LNG demand is uncertain, but the government wants to secure stable supply over the long term," Yoko Nobuoka, senior analyst at LSEG, recently told Reuters. "Developing its own trading capability and creating an Asia-wide gas market would help to increase energy security and hedge risks of LNG surplus," she continued. This would mark a huge role reversal for Japan, which up until last year (when it was overtaken by China) was the biggest purchaser of LNG in the world.

Consumption of natural gas has soared across Asia in recent months as extreme temperatures have driven up demand. As the summer months set in, prices are expected to increase even further, placing a painful squeeze on emerging Asian economies. Demand has soared in South Asia where temperatures have been and will likely continue to be dangerously hot, and other nations including the Philippines and Vietnam have recently begun importing LNG for the first time, making the marketplace even more crowded.

Establishing a stable and secure LNG market is therefore of critical importance to the energy security of the entire Asian continent. Its also of integral importance to many Asian nations decarbonization plans. Many Asian markets are counting on increased use of natural gas as a bridge fuel to help regional economies move away from dirtier coal and oil toward renewables and other zero-carbon alternatives such as nuclear energy.

However, there is a considerable amount of pushback against this strategy, which many climate experts see as an inadequate and even dangerously greenwashed measure. Recent debates have called into question whether natural gas is really any less carbon intensive than other fossil fuels. Nevertheless, LNG remains squarely at the heart of many countrys energy strategies in coming months and years, and the market  not to mention the climate  is set to stay hot.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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Greece plans to tax its natural gas-fired power producers with a one-off windfall tax in August and September to raise funds to subsidize electricity bills as wholesale power prices spiked this summer.

Power demand in Greece has soared amid heat waves in recent weeks, leading to a jump in wholesale electricity prices, which have been weighing on consumer bills. Due to the interconnected power grids in countries in Europe, rising power demand in neighboring countries has also lifted wholesale prices in Greece.

Therefore the government has decided to impose a one-off levy on gas-fired power producers and use the proceeds to be able to alleviate electricity bills in August, Greeces Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was quoted as saying in an interview with broadcaster Skai TV.

Greece will have to cope with a temporary distortion of the European regional European electricity market, Mitsotakis added.

To smooth out this distortion in the regional power market, Greece will have a one-off tax on gas-fired power producers in the next two months.

The funds will be used to subsidize part of the August household bills because the current wholesale prices point to the fact that consumers are set to see a sharp increase in electricity prices next month, the prime minister said.

Power consumption in Greece peaks in July and August as households crank up air conditioning in high temperatures. This summer, Greece has seen a constant heat wave with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).

Across the EU, the average monthly wholesale day-ahead prices jumped in June compared to May, according to data from energy think tank Ember. Greece saw one of the biggest monthly increases in day-ahead power prices in June compared to the previous month.

Electricity prices are set to rise in Europe by the end of the year, judging by the forward curve, Andriy Tarasenko, chief analyst at GMK Center, said last week, commenting on the jump in power prices so far this summer.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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North Dakotas crude oil production declined by about 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May compared to April, marking the lowest monthly output in the state since the freeze in January which curtailed output.

Oil production in North Dakota stood at 1.195 million bpd in May, down by 3.9% from 1.24 million in April, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources said in its monthly release on Tuesday.

The decline in May production was a little surprising but likely due to the road restrictions still in place and lower-than-expected completion numbers, Mark Bohrer, Assistant Director at the department, said.

Natural gas production, however, increased in North Dakota, home to the Bakken shale, in May, the assistant director added.

North Dakotas oil production in May fell to the lowest level since January this year, when extreme cold in the middle of January nearly halved crude production in the state. Due to freezing temperatures, a number of operational issues at production sites arose.

In May, 97% of North Dakotas oil output came from the Bakken and Three Forks formations, and just 3% from legacy conventional pools, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources said.

The drilling rig count was at 37 in May and June, rising to 39 as of mid-July, the data showed.

Yet, it is a fairly low number and according to Bohrer, it is due to mergers and acquisitions. The rig count is expected to return to the mid-forties with a gradual increase expected over the next two years, the assistant director said.

There are 14 frac crews currently active in North Dakota.

Drilling activity is expected to increase slightly and operators continue to maintain a permit inventory of approximately 12 months, the ND department said.

Completed wells numbered 55 in June, according to preliminary data, down from 67 in May.

We need that to be in the 90-100 range to achieve production growth, Bohrer said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Despite the fact that EU pipeline crude imports from Russia are not banned by the embargo, Russia is not delivering crude oil to Hungary at present after Ukraine imposed stricter sanctions on Russian oil giant Lukoil, effectively banning it from using Ukraine as a transit for oil exports.

Lukoil was supplying Hungary with crude via the southern leg of the Druzhba oil pipeline which crosses Ukraine. With the toughened sanctions Kyiv imposed on Lukoil in June, Russian oil does not reach Hungary now.

However, Hungary  whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking ties with Vladimir Putin and even visited Moscow earlier this month  is currently working with Russia to restore Lukoils oil deliveries to the central EU country, which has tried to keep friendly ties with Russia despite EU objections.

Hungarian energy firm MOL and Lukoil are working on a solution to the issue, trying to restore Russian crude flows to Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto met on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York.

Theres now a legal situation in Ukraine based on which Lukoil is not currently delivering to Hungary, Szijjarto was quoted by Bloomberg as saying after the meeting.

Russias TASS news agency reported that Szijjarto said following the meeting with Lavrov, As for oil supplies, there is a new legal situation in Ukraine now, on the basis of which Lukoil is currently not making deliveries to Hungary. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]

We are now working on a legal solution that will enable us to resume supplies, because Russian oil is important from the perspective of our energy security, the Hungarian official added.

In May this year, Fitch Ratings said that MOL could see a risk of supply mainly from the Druzhba pipeline. MOL plans to use around 40% of non-Russian crude oil this year and estimates full replacement will be possible from 2026, Fitch said.

However, the company does not rule out the possibility of continuing to purchase Russian crude, depending on market and regulatory conditions, the rating agency noted.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The United Arab Emirates is considering building a second nuclear power plant to meet surging electricity demand, a government official has told Reuters.

Home to 10 million people, the UAE commissioned the first unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in 2020, becoming the first Arab country to build a nuclear power plant.

The UAE completed the fourth unit of the power plant in 2023 with total construction costs approaching $25 billion. The final reactor of the UAEs only nuclear plant is set to start commercial operations in the current year.

The government is looking at this option. No final decision has been made in terms of the tender process but I can tell you that the government is actively exploring this option, Hamad Alkaabi, permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates to the IAEA, has told Reuters.

According to Alkaabi, any new power plant would likely consist of two or four reactors.

Abu Dhabi is projecting there will be a substantial increase in electricity use over the next decade mainly driven by population growth and an expanding industrial sector.

The UAE awarded Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) a $20 billion contract in 2009 to design, build and operate Barakah Nuclear Energy Plants four reactors in Abu Dhabi towards the border with Saudi Arabia.

The UAE is a close security partner of the United States, having signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Washington in 2009. The country buys the fuel it needs for its reactors from the international market to avoid enriching uranium which can be used to make nuclear bombs.The country has declared that its nuclear programme is peaceful and solely for energy purposes in a bid to lower its reliance on oil.

Its interesting to note that the UAE sits right across the Gulf from Iran, which the US accuses of illegally enriching uranium in a bid to develop nuclear weapons. The UAE also shares a border with Saudi Arabia, which is in talks with the United States over ambitions to develop its own civil nuclear power industry.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has eased some sanctions on Venezuela but retained sanctions on PdVSA. OFAC has issued a new license allowing certain transactions related to the export or re-export of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Venezuela until July 8, 2025. However, transactions with Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company in which PdVSA has a 50 percent or greater interest, remain prohibited under the sanctions imposed by various executive orders.

The previous general license permitted transactions related to oil or gas sector operations in Venezuela but expired on April 18. The United States holds that Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and his representatives have failed to fully meet the obligations outlined in the electoral roadmap signed with the opposition in Barbados in October 2023.

Tensions have continued heating between Venezuela and its neighbors. Relations between Argentina and Venezuela have worsened after a diplomatic spat between the two South American nations. Back in March, Argentina accused Venezuela of cutting the power supply to its embassy in Caracas after its diplomats invited Venezuelas opposition leaders due to concerns about the deterioration of the institutional situation and the acts of harassment and persecution directed against political figures in Venezuela.

In a statement released by the Office of Argentine President Javier Milei, Argentina lamented that the embassys power was turned off in a deliberate action that endangers the safety of Argentine diplomatic personnel and Venezuelan citizens under protection.

Tensions between Buenos Aires and Caracas have been simmering after Venezuelas socialist President Nicolas Maduro criticized far-right Mileis election victory in November last year, claiming the neo-Nazi extreme right had won power. The situation reached fever pitch a couple of weeks ago after Argentina announced diplomatic actions against Venezuela following Maduros ban on Argentine-licensed aircraft from accessing Venezuelan airspace.

Venezuela's crude oil production has declined sharply from 3.2 million b/d in 2000 to 735,000 b/d in September 2023 mainly due to sanctions and poor maintenance; in contrast, Argentinas crude output has been increasing with Milei vowing to shake up the system.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Jeremy Wallace has covered politics and campaigns for more than 20 years. Before joining the Hearst Texas newspapers in 2017 he covered government and politics for the Tampa Bay Times, The Miami Herald and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Previously he covered Congress for the Boston Globe and Detroit Free-Press. Originally from San Antonio, he attended the University of North Texas and earned his bachelors degree from the University of Missouri.

Jeremy also authors the Texas Take with Jeremy Wallace newsletter, where he shares insights from inside the Capitol along with the occasional Willie Nelson reference. You can sign up here.

You can follow him on Twitter, @JeremySWallace, or email him at Jeremy.wallace@chron.com.
The Douglas County Health Department is urging residents to report standing water concerns resulting from recent heavy rains and flooding.

Standing water can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, including those that can carry the West Nile virus. Residents concerned about standing water near their homes can contact the departments sanitation section at 402-444-7481 to request an inspection. If necessary, the team will apply larvicide to eliminate mosquito larvae before they become adults, said Lindsay Huse, Douglas County health director.

The department last month confirmed the first sample of mosquitoes carrying the virus.

West Nile virus season has started early, Huse said in a statement. We need the publics help to reduce the risk.

Preventive measures for reducing the risk of West Nile include removing standing water, using repellents with DEET, avoiding outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, and wearing protective clothing.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of July 2024
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has vowed to sue an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social media, Lauretta Onochie, for over N2bn as she has failed to apologize and pay him the sum of N500 million after allegedly defaming his character.

Atiku had on Sunday written a letter to Onochie accusing her of character defamation by linking him to terrorism and saying that he was on a security watch list in the United Arab Emirates.

The former Vice-President subsequently asked her to publish a written apology in six national dailies and pay the sum of N500m or meet him in court where he would sue her for N2bn.

However, Onochie said on her Facebook page the next day that Atiku was a depressed man who was trying to distract her as the legal battle to unseat President Buhari, her boss, gets intense.

During an interview with PUNCH on Tuesday evening, Atikus lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) revealed theyre heading to court because the 48 hours given to Onochie to settle the matter out of court had lapsed.

He further stated that instead of paying the N500m and writing an apology as demanded by Atiku, the Presidents aide went ahead to insult the former Vice-President again on social media. Mike Ozekhome said:
One person has died and at least 11 are injured  including a child  after a mass shooting at a party near a playground in Brooklyn.

Police and EMS response teams rushed to the scene at Brownsville Playground in New York City after gunfire reportedly broke out at 10pm.

A block party  called the Old Timers Day  was being held outside at the time, with many locals out celebrating.

Several victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, but their conditions were unknown.

According to the New York Post, one shooter  still at large  is thought to be behind the attack.

A 66-year-old witness told the paper: I heard shots and I ducked.

When I stuck my head up, and the smoke cleared, it was pure pandemonium,

The person shot dead is said to be male and aged 38.

Video from the scene showed a chaotic scene and a large crowd of people. Police were trying to move people away from the scene.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: We had a terrible shooting in Brownsville tonight that shattered a peaceful neighborhood event. Our hearts go out to the victims.

We will do everything in our power to keep this community safe and get guns off our streets.

A live update from crimewatch app Citizen said personnel from the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information report that the number of wounded people maybe between six and 11 but possibly more.
About 300 houses have been set ablaze in the latest of the clashes between the Jukun and the Tiv in Taraba State.

Jukun militants are suspected of attacking a Tiv village  Tor-Damsa, in Donga local government area- in the early hours of Saturday.

But a Tiv activist in the state, Stephen Butu has urged calm, warning against reprisals by the Tiv.

Butu asked the Tiv to support Governor Darius Ishaku in resolving the age-long crisis between the two ethnic groups.

Eyewitnesses said thousands of people have been rendered homeless in the aftermath of the attack.

Terkuma Tsetim, a resident of the affected community, claimed that the attackers numbering 500 wore military uniform.

Hundreds of lives have been lost and property estimated at billions of naira destroyed in the recurring clashes.



Private and public schools, health facilities and places of worships are not spared.

The Federal University, Wukari was recently shut down when the violence spilled to the campus.

The major cause of the crisis is the claim by the Jukun that the Tiv are settlers, in Taraba State, and therefore, have no ownership right to the land they occupy and should leave.

Governor Darius Ishaku, though Jukun, does not share the view.

Tiv have been in Taraba for long. They are indigenes and that is why I appointed them as commissioners, special advisers and senior aides in my cabinet, he said recently.

Butu hailed Ishaku for his bold and honest pronouncement, and asked the Tiv to support the governor in his peace efforts.

He advised them to shun the temptation of resorting to reprisals over the attack on Tor-Damsa,saying: The Jukun/Tiv crisis is a source of worry to the governor. His wife is Tiv.

Ishakus statement, that we are indigenes in Taraba, did not come to me as a surprise. He has only stated the truth, which I know him for.

All the governors of Taraba State, including Darius Ishaku, were chosen by God. That is why when Taraba slipped into crisis, God brought Ishaku to steer Taraba.

When Ishaku came onboard in 2015, Tiv were displaced in Gashaka, Bali and Gassol, and their lands were confiscated. His first project was to suspend traditional rulers who were responsible for the crime.

The governor made sure all displaced Tiv people returned to their homes. That was when he coined his popular peace slogan: Give me peace and I will give you development.

If Ishaku doesnt love Tiv, he wouldnt have done that. If he hated Tiv, he wouldnt have married a Tiv woman and made her First Lady of the State.
Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) lecturer, Tene John has been sacked for sexually assaulting one of his female students, Anjola Ogunyemi, in his office when she found herself alone with him.

According to Anjola, she had learnt that the lecturer was ill and other students had gone to visit and wish him a speedy recovery, so she too decided to do same on December 13, 2019.

However, when she was alone with him, the lecturer allegedly pinned her down and placed his tongue on her vagina, in a bid to have sex with her.

Anjola said it was only a promise to willingly give him the so-desired sex the next day that saved her from the sex-hungry lecturer.

Although the lecturer denied the allegations, the institution went ahead and dismiss him.

The school however pointed out that the female student, Anjola, had just returned from a one-year suspension over the indecent dressing and gross misconduct.

Read the full statement of NIJ on the incident below:

Our attention has been drawn to a post on the social media, by one of our students, Ms. Anjola Ogunyemi in National Diploma One, alleging sexual harassment against one of our part-time lecturers, Mr. Tene John.

Ms. Ogunyemis petition to the school on the alleged sexual harassment was received on December 19, 2019  the day of our vacation. And the Provost called her on that same day to acknowledge the receipt of her petition, assuring her that the matter will be looked into appropriately.

The institution, thereafter, set up a panel of three lecturers: two females and a male. The panel sat and took evidence from the two parties and witnesses concerned. On Friday, January 17, 2020  the last day of its sitting, the accused and the accuser were made to confront each other at the panel.

It was difficult for the panel to establish concretely a case of sexual harassment in its report because there were glaring contradictions in the testimonies of the two parties and witnesses.

We wish to place on record that Ms. Ogunyemi walked out on the panel and ran to the social media to tell her story on the day the panels final sitting.

In view of our institutions zero tolerance for improper conduct on the part of the staff and students, and in light of the interest the matter has generated, the following decisions have been taken: the lecturer concerned, Mr. Tene, who has been on our faculty for over a decade has been relieved of his appointment, we thank him for his services and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Ms. Ogunyemi, who has just returned from a one-year suspension over the indecent dressing and gross misconduct is advised to adhere strictly to her matriculation oath of channeling her grievances to the authorities of the institution.

We wish to reiterate that our staff and students are governed by rules and regulations and it is important we comply accordingly.

KanyiDaily recalls that a UNIBEN Lecturer had defended his colleagues saying some female students dresses half nude to class in order to obtain Sexually Transmitted Degree (STD).

He was reacting to a documentary video where they secretly filmed randy lecturers in West African Universities trying to use their positions to demand sex from young ladies in order to favour them academically.
Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed this while briefing journalists in Makurdi , the state capital, shortly after the announcement by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.

Samuel Ortom

The Benue State Government, on Saturday, confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus disease otherwise known as COVID-19, Punch Metro reports.

Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed this while briefing journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, shortly after the announcement by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.

He gave the name of the patient as Susan Okpe, who returned from the United Kingdom, adding that the state action committee had already commenced contact tracing of about eight persons.

The governor explained that he disclosed the identity of the patient so that those who had made contact with her could take the necessary steps.

He said the patient is presently being managed at the State Treatment Centre located at State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

The governor said he had ordered his deputy, Benson Abounu, to be tested for coronavirus.

He said 70-year-old Abounu was at a recently held National Economic Council meeting in Abuja.

The PUNCH reports that two attendees at the meeting tested positive for coronavirus.

He said, We are already tracing of all those Susan Okpe came in contact with.

In addition, samples of two other ladies have been collected but one among them turned to be negative to the virus.

I have also told my deputy governor to go for a test having returned from the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja even though he told me that he had no close contact with those suspected to have contacted the virus.

As of 04:29pm on Saturday, there are 89 cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
It's a time-honoured tradition in the nation's capital. The Changing of the Guard is the summertime ceremony that takes place every morning in Ottawa.

As the Ceremonial Guard marches along the streets of downtown Ottawa toward Parliament Hill, crowds gather to take in the spectacle.

Shelly Cloak and her family travelled from Philadelphia to view the ceremony. "We're waiting for the Changing of the Guard. I think it's important to see something that has been around for a long time and just the history of it," says Cloak.

Emma Marshall and her family are from New York State. They're on a Canadian summer trip from Montreal to Toronto, and they decided to make a stop in Ottawa. "We've never seen this before," says Marshall, "and we thought it would be really cool to see the ceremony."

George and Mary Santulli are visiting from Virginia. A visit to Ottawa to witness the Changing of the Guard ceremony is an item on their bucket list. "It's something we always head about," says George. "It's part of your culture, your history. We don't have that in the United States. It's nice that you continue to keep this history and tradition going." Mary says, "We have (a ceremony) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Memorial Cemetery, but it's very solemn. I think this will be more celebratory."

Every morning for most of the summer, the march starts from the Cartier Square Drill Hall, beside Ottawa City Hall, and arrives at 10 a.m. sharp at Parliament Hill. The colourful spectacle of pomp, pageantry, and music doesn't only dazzle the crowd, but the Ceremonial Guard band members also enjoy the daily event.

Lt. Lucas Denneboom is the band's Director of Music. He says, "This has been a dream of mine since I joined the Canadian Armed Forces. I actually started here as a musician in the band. I was a percussionist. I got to tell you, there's no better feeling than being up there standing in front of all those musicians. It's just a wonderful sound."

Denneboom and Capt. Holly De Caigny, Assistant Director of Music, take turns conducting the band throughout the summer. De Caigny says, "I did Ceremonial Guard as a saxophone player in 2005 and 2008. Now, 16 years later, I'm back, and it's still the same butterflies in your stomach. I think it's a very important thing to make sure that the public sees our military out in the public and presenting free concerts and showing our gorgeous red tunics and everything."

This summer, the ceremony will be scaled down from past years with about a dozen members performing in what the Ceremonial Guard is calling "Canada on the March."

"The reason for the scaled down ceremony," explains Denneboom, "is that the Canadian Armed Forces is extremely focused on training and reconstitution. We're trying to grow our force, and we're really focusing our efforts. This Changing of the Guard ceremony is a tradition that dates all the way back to actually 1959. So it's extremely important to the Canadian Army, to the Canadian Armed Forces, that we keep this going. We are anticipating actually a full return to our full Changing of the Guard Ceremony as soon as we possibly can."

Every Guardsman is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Most of them are university and college student reserves, and each band member goes through extensive training to prepare for the summer heat. "We start well over a month before our first parade on Parliament Hill, which is usually around the 1st of July. The training phase is hard, but it's also where everyone kind of cements their friendships because they live together and work together."

The daily 30-minute concert is free to attend on Parliament Hill and runs every year from mid-June until mid-August.
EUREKA  Members of a union that represents about 20 Woodford County employees in the highway department and the county courthouse are stepping up to help a highway department employee.

In response to a request from AFSCME Local 2908 union members, the Woodford County Board approved a resolution Tuesday allowing union members to donate sick and/or vacation time to a highway department employee who is unable to work while he's battling health issues in a Chicago hospital.

According to the resolution, the hospitalized employee's accrued sick and vacation time will last until mid-August. But he's not expected to return to work until early- to mid-September, according to his doctor.

The sick and vacation time donated by union members will not be returned.

Ben Burmood, president of AFSCME Local 2908 and a maintainer in the highway department, said he isn't surprised by the union members' sacrifice.

"We're more like a team or a family," he said Wednesday. "When we need to take care of each other, we step up."

In other action Tuesday, the board approved:

Increasing the salary of Woodford County Public Defender Andrew Lankton to $186,044, retroactive to July 1. By state law, the salary of a county's full-time public defender must be at least 90% of the county's state's attorney. The salary of Woodford County State's Attorney Greg Minger was raised to $206,715 as of July 1, with the state allowing a 4.7% cost-of-living increase. The state pays for 66 2/3% of the salaries for a county's state's attorney and full-time public defender.

A contract with low bidder H&B Quality Builders of Roanoke for $142,909 to replace the roof on the highway department maintenance building. An original low bid of $150,000 from another company was rejected by the county's road and bridge committee, so the project was rebid.

Paying for 20% of a $600,000 project to replace a bridge on County Road 1200 East off State Route 116 in Metamora. The state will pay for 60% of the project, and the Metamora Road District will pay for 20%. The narrow bridge, with one lane in each direction, is on a gravel road and is used mainly by farm equipment.

The appointment of Austin Baer to the Carlock Fire Protection District board for a three-year term expiring in 2027.

Also, in news from the July 10 meeting of the county board's finance committee, the committee decided to discuss next month if it will recommend that the board place a question on the Nov. 5 ballot regarding the county's participation in an electrical aggregation program. The deadline for putting an item on the ballot is Aug. 19.

A broker hired by the county told the committee that a competitor to Ameren is offering rates of 7.1 to 7.2 cents/kilowatt hour compared to Ameren's current 8.4 cents/KWH, according to board documents. Woodford voters rejected a request to join an electrical aggregation program in 2013.

During budget discussions, the committee also learned State's Attorney Greg Minger is requesting an increase of $5,000 in the Child Advocacy Center line item in his budget, according to board documents. A major funding source for the center has dried up, according to Minger. Defendants in court cases are getting waivers from court fees because of new laws. A percentage of those fees formerly was going to the center. The center is a place where children who have been severely physically or sexually abused can meet with counselors and forensic interviewers.

Finally, the two employees in the county's Veterans Assistance Commission office are now working three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) instead of two days a week to meet veterans' needs. So an increase in the office's budget is needed for office supplies and for the two employees to attend a conference, documents. The commission recently created a Facebook page as well.

Close Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024. Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024. Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024. Photos: Scenes from Eureka, Illinois Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024. Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024. Eureka High School, 200 W. Cruger Ave., is shown on March 11, 2024.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) is seen onstage at the Fiserv Forum during preparations for the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are arriving in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

With six Texans on the schedule to speak this week in Milwaukee, the Lone Star State is once again poised to make big noise at the biggest GOP gathering in America.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, delivered a short speech on Monday and Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to address the Republican National Committee on Wednesday night.

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Since the 1970s, Texans have been in the middle of some of the most memorable and behind-the-scenes drama in convention history. Here are some of the big ones.

Ted Cruz, 2016

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks on day three of the Republican National Convention, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, July 20, 2016. Cruz spoke to mounting boos and chants of Keep your pledge! as he declined to explicitly endorse Donald Trump. DOUG MILLS/NYT

The Houston Republican became Donald Trumps most significant primary challenger in 2016. By May of that year, Cruz would drop out of the race, but not before winning 11 states and amassing the second-highest number of delegates in a battle that frequently turned bitter.

Still, when it came time for the convention in Cleveland, Cruz was given a prime-time speaking spot on the third night of the event, just before Trumps vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence.

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When Cruz was called on stage, he congratulated Trump on his victory, but boos rained down on him as it became clear he would not endorse Trump. The next day Cruz defended his decision by saying, I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father.

Trump had previously suggested without evidence that Cruzs father had something to do with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and he had described Cruzs wife, Heidi, as unattractive.

Ron Paul, 2012

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 28, 2012. Thanks to Tropical Storm Isaac, the convention had a late start, but was met by more than 4,000 delegates that officially made Mitt Romney their choice to reclaim the White House from President Barack Obama and the Democrats. JOSH HANER/NYT

In 2012, Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul ran for president against the eventual nominee, Mitt Romney. Although he lost, Paul built a passionate following with his libertarian views.

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While Paul was offered a chance to speak at that years convention, he had to agree to endorse Romney and to have his speech first reviewed by the Romney camp.

It wouldnt be my speech, Paul told the New York Times at the time. That would undo everything Ive done in the last 30 years. I dont fully endorse him for president.

After negotiations broke down, Romneys team went to Plan B  making a video tribute to Paul that resembled a movie trailer.

George H.W. Bush, 1980

On July 14, 1980, the Republican National Convention convened at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Former Gov. Ronald Reagan of California was nominated for president and former congressman George H.W. Bush of Texas for vice president. Joe Kennedy/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

In 1980, when Houstons George H.W. Bush arrived in Detroit, he did not expect he would leave the city as Ronald Reagans running mate.

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The former CIA director had lost to Reagan in the primary, but Reagan had not named a vice president as the convention started. Reagan and his team were negotiating with former President Gerald Ford about the position late into the evening when the deal fell through. At 11:38 p.m., Reagan called Bush to see if he wanted the job.

No one was more surprised than I was when I answered the phone in my hotel suite and Ronald Reagan was on the other end of the line, Bush said in his book All The Best.

Reagan went to the convention floor just past midnight to announce Bush would be his vice presidential pick.

In joining the Reagan ticket, Bush gave a short acceptance speech on the final night of the convention.

John Connally, 1976

John Connally greets Texas delegates at Texas brunch on arrival of delegation in Kansas City. Mrs. Connally in background. Sam Pierson, Jr./Houston Chronicle

Conventions in the 1970s were very different. In 1976, Ronald Reagan took to the floor of the convention to challenge the renomination of President Gerald Ford. Although Ford appeared to have enough delegates to win, Reagan triggered a procedural vote that was seen as a key test to whether Ford would survive.

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It was right before that vote that former Texas Gov. John Connally was tasked with delivering a speech to distracted delegates in Kansas City as vote wrangling was ongoing.

Connally had been a Democrat as governor, but three years before his speech he switched to the Republican Party. There was a lot riding on the speech. Ford still hadnt named a running mate and Connally was seen as a potential vice presidential candidate who could help Ford win Southern states against the Democratic nominee, Jimmy Carter.

But Connallys speech received mostly polite applause as he failed to mention Ford or Reagan by name during the nearly 30-minute talk. Texas Monthly called the speech a clunker and Ford bypassed Connally, instead picking U.S. Sen. Bob Dole as his running mate. Connally ran for president in 1980, but his campaign never got far off the ground.
CHICAGO  Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration plans to remove the George Washington statue from outside the mayors office, his spokesman confirmed Tuesday while hinting at instead honoring a Black Chicagoan with a City Hall display.

Fielding questions at an unrelated news conference after reports of the statues impending removal, the mayor would not address his reasoning or explain plans for a replacement. But his spokesman, Ronnie Reese, later confirmed to the Tribune that the statue would be moved because were just making some updates to some areas in and around City Hall.

Reese denied the reason was because of the first presidents legacy of owning slaves: No, its literally just moving a statue.

Reese did not answer questions about when it would be moved, the cost of the move or the fate of the Washington statue, which he said was on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago and remained in City Hall late Tuesday afternoon.

But he floated names of local Black historical figures as alternatives, among them Ida B. Wells, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable and Harold Washington  the citys first Black mayor whom Johnson invoked throughout his mayoral campaign.

In terms of monuments, theres a few other individuals that we can consider: Chicagoans, people who are historic in the city and the history of this city, we should continue to consider for statues, Reese said. How about a statue for some of the fallen leaders in the 1919 race riots, right?  Theres a long legacy of famous African Americans, famous Americans from the city that we could be honoring.

Johnson ally Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, added to the Tribune Tuesday that he and Reese support the creation of a public space to hold existing monuments to controversial figures, similar to Hungarys Memento Park of fallen statues of leaders from the nations Communist period. He said the Christopher Columbus statues taken down during former Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration as well as other monuments recommended for removal could go in that space.

I mentioned this idea in passing to the administration as a suggestion of what could be done with statues, and Im glad that Mr. Reese likes the idea, Ramirez-Rosa said, without commenting on the Washington statue.

The pending removal of a statue to the first president outside Johnsons office reflects an ongoing nod from the progressive mayor, a former social studies teacher, to revisit which historical figures get memorialized by city government. Thats a conversation that has long been a subject of spirited debate across the country, including in Chicago, but gained prominence during the 2020 national reckoning on race in America.

Lightfoot removed the Columbus statue in Grant Park after a bloody clash took place there that summer but punted the fate of that statue and others to a monuments commission, which recommended in 2022 that other historical figures statues be scrutinized as well.

Those recommendations have sat untouched under Johnson, but he has sought to make his own mark on reinventing Chicagos philosophy toward monuments. Last summer he announced the city will spend $6.8 million in grant money on eight new monuments, including a memorial for police torture victims.

As Cook County commissioner, Johnson led a charge to rename the countys Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day but the effort fizzled when another commissioner revealed he was descended from Freedmen, or Black Americans who were owned as slaves by indigenous people.

Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022
NASHVILLE, Ill.  Flash flooding Tuesday is forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents of Nashville, Illinois, as authorities warned that a dam failure was "imminent."

Major roadways to the south, north and east of Nashville  including an 11-mile stretch of Interstate 64  have also closed as floodwaters continued to rise.

The 89-year-old earthen Nashville City Reservoir Dam remained structurally sound as of early Tuesday afternoon, even though floodwaters have overtopped it, said Alex Haglund, public information officer for Washington County Emergency Management Agency. But several more inches of rain were expected to hit the area in the coming hours.

"Thats not great," Haglund said.

Emergency officials have contacted nearly 300 homes by phone and ordered occupants to evacuate, Haglund said. Crews are also going door-to-door to urge people to leave. Areas southwest of the reservoir are most at risk, according to the agency.

No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Local emergency officials began warning residents living near the dam about 9 a.m. that "the failure of the Nashville dam is imminent." Areas southwest of the reservoir are considered most at risk. Officials are urging residents to go to the community center or the Trinity Lutheran Church in Nashville.

Nashville, a city of about 3,000 residents, is about 55 miles east of St. Louis and roughly 170 miles southwest of Bloomington.

St. Clair County is helping with the evacuations and any water rescues. One woman was trapped in her home in waist-deep water, Haglund said.

The area has seen between 5 inches and 7 inches of rain in a six-hour period since about 3 a.m. Tuesday, said Patrick Walsh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Weldon Spring.

The weather service issued a "considerable flash flood warning" for Nashville and other nearby Illinois towns. The "considerable" tag means that the area is seeing more than just nuisance flooding and water over a roadway.

I-64 in Washington County, Ill., was closed in both directions between exits 50 and 61, the National Weather Service office said.

Christy Jackson was driving her sedan along I-64 with water so deep she estimated it was along the bottom edge of her car door.

"I was afraid the whole time going through," Jackson said. "I was shook up."

Jackson, of Centralia, works at a manufacturing plant in Nashville. The company lost power Tuesday morning, and workers were told to go home. Jackson got on I-64 from Highway 127 in Nashville and headed toward the Centralia exit. She came around a curve, she said, and saw traffic at a standstill. She said there was no place to pull off the road.

She traveled about a quarter-mile in the high waters, she said. About 75 vehicles were having the same trouble.

Highway 50 near Lebanon, Ill., was also closed. The I-57 on-ramp near Marion, Ill., was flooded and impassable. About five inches of rainwater was drenching the streets near Nashville, and sewers were backing up.

Haglund said similar evacuations were ordered about two years ago downstream in the flood area. Tuesday's evacuations are proving more complicated, he said, because of the road closures.
At the 15th Induction Ceremony of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) Ghana, 237 banking professionals were inducted, marking a significant milestone in the institutes history. This years induction was particularly noteworthy for sustaining gender parity, with female professionals making up 51 percent of the inductees.



This follows last year's historic moment when the number of female professionals surpassed 50 percent for the first time, standing at 52 percent. Over the past four and a half years, the CIB Ghana has inducted a total of 1,017 professionals.



Speaking at the ceremony, held on Saturday, July 13, 2024, First Bank Ghanas Managing Director and CEO, Victor Yaw Asante  who was the Special Guest of Honour  heralded the depth, diversity and quality of the new professionals. He also highlighted the importance of ethics, sustainability, and professionalism in the banking sector, consistent with this year's theme: Ethics, Sustainability and Professionalism.



Addressing the newly inducted members, Mr. Asante emphasised that these values are essential for building a robust and credible banking environment. "Ethics builds trust and credibility, which are essential for long-term success," Mr. Asante stated.



He recounted his own career, guided by a commitment to integrity and transparency, and called on the new inductees to adhere to ethical behavior to safeguard their institutions and careers. Drawing from his experience with Rotary International, where ethics is a core pillar, the First Bank CEO encouraged the new bankers to adopt principles such as truthfulness, fairness, goodwill, and beneficial actions.



Respect and fairness in dealings with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders were highlighted as crucial elements for maintaining a trustworthy and reputable banking environment. Mr. Asante stressed that ethical conduct is non-negotiable, especially in light of past ethical lapses that led to the financial sector clean-up in the country. Additionally, he underscored sustainable practices as a necessity in modern banking. "Sustainability is about ensuring that our banking practices contribute positively to the lives and livelihoods of people, the planet, and profit," he said.



The banker urged the inductees to integrate sustainable practices into their professional lives, emphasising that such commitment drives innovation, customer loyalty, and financial stability. Sustainable banking practices, he said, not only ensure current prosperity but also protect the interests of future generations. Professionalism was also heralded as the bedrock of the banking industry.



Mr. Asante defined professionalism as encompassing integrity, competence, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. He encouraged the new inductees to continually seek to enhance their knowledge and skills to better serve their clients and the wider community. "Excellence is not a destination but a journey, and it requires deliberate and relentless dedication," he noted.



Beyond professional achievements, Asante highlighted the importance of community involvement. Reflecting on his two-decade membership in Rotary International and his role as a Rotary International District Governor, he spoke of the profound fulfillment derived from service and volunteerism. He urged the new inductees to engage in community service, emphasising that giving back to society enriches their lives and strengthens communities.



The CEO of CIB Ghana, Robert Dzato, also highlighted the Institutes commitment to enhancing the banking profession through innovative certifications and programmes. The revamped Chartered Banker curriculum, the new Chartered Banker for Executive Leadership (CBEL) Programme, an Ethics Certification with the Bank of Ghana, and an ESG certification with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were highlighted.



These initiatives aim to foster a competent and ethical workforce, with tailored programs like the Banking Academy and a new Banking Operations Certification for rural and community banks addressing specific industry needs.



Mr. Dzato also emphasised the importance of mentorship and professional development. Upcoming mentorship and internship programs, along with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital banking, and cybersecurity, further support the professional growth of banking professionals.



Addressing the new inductees, Mr. Dzato stated, Remember, the knowledge and skills you possess are not just tools for personal success. They are instruments for shaping a more ethical, responsible, and sustainable future. Africa needs trusted professionals who are competent and ethical. Be the voice of professionalism and ethics.



Among the graduands were Enoch Amoh Berchie, specializing in the law relating to banking at Amenfiman Rural Bank Plc; Dorcas Asantewaa Addo, excelling in management practices at GCB Bank Plc and recognized as the youngest graduand; and Amanda Serwa Minkah, who focuses on the monetary and financial systems at GCB Bank Plc and achieved the distinction of being the Overall Best Inductee.



Also included were Ebenezer Yawson, specializing in financial reporting, planning & analysis at Otuasekan Rural Bank Plc; Jehoshaphat Yayah Hassan, specializing in bank strategic information management at Access Bank Ghana Plc; Ebenezer Oppong, an expert in international trade finance at Agricultural Development Bank; Stephen Kakraba Kotah, excelling in strategic marketing management at CalBank Plc; Michael Terkpetey Narh, specializing in corporate banking - law & practice at Zenith Bank Ghana Limited. Others were Evans Nyarko Narh, focusing on risk management at CalBank Plc; and Vida Kuwornu, specializing in the practice of banking - law & practice at GCB Bank Plc.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has praised the management and board of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) for their significant efforts in addressing the country's unemployment issue.



Speaking at the YEA Beneficiaries Forum in the Ashanti Region, he highlighted ongoing plans to enhance the appeal and effectiveness of YEA's programs, particularly for the youth.



President Akufo-Addo assured that the government would support the security services to consider the beneficiaries' appeals.



He emphasized the importance of the upcoming elections, urging citizens to make the right decision and participate actively in the process.



"The future of Ghana resides in you and your votes", he stated, encouraging involvement in the elections and campaigns.



At the forum held at the Bantama Church of Pentecost in Kumasi, the Minister for Labour also commended YEA's leadership.



He noted the agency's unprecedented achievements with over 100,000 beneficiaries annually, leading to meaningful livelihoods for 400,000 to 500,000 individuals over four years.



The Minister pointed out that YEA has moved beyond traditional roles and now training individuals in various trades such as carpentry, masonry, welding and hairdressing.



He appealed to security agencies to utilize the talents of YEA beneficiaries efficiently.



Kofi Agyepong, CEO of YEA, emphasized the agency's commitment to its beneficiaries, ensuring timely payments and training to boost morale and appreciation.



He shared success stories of beneficiaries creating jobs for themselves and others, noting that 8,496 beneficiaries including Community Police, health workers, and Prison Service employees are in the Ashanti Region alone.



YEA supports 6,011 businesses in the Region, paying allowances to service employees.



Textile model beneficiaries receive 1,857 cedis each for 143 businesses including tailors and seamstresses while large garment companies benefit with over 92,000 cedis each.



Agyepong acknowledged challenges with the sanitation model's payment structure but promised future improvements.



In conclusion, YEA's efforts to integrate beneficiaries into security services and other sectors highlight the agency's role in combating unemployment and fostering economic growth in Ghana.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency in the Central Region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of directors for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). This follows the resignation of Herbert Krapa from the position.



The appointment was confirmed in a letter dated July 16, 2024, signed by Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, and addressed to the Minister of Energy.



"The President of the Republic has nominated Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin (MP), Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (the 'Company')," the letter stated. "Kindly take the necessary steps to give effect to the Presidents nomination in accordance with the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992) and the Regulations of the Company."



Mr. Afenyo-Markin succeeds Mr. Krapa, who has been appointed as Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy. Mr. Krapa's elevation to this ministerial role was approved by Parliament after his nomination by President Akufo-Addo. Previously, Mr. Krapa served as the Deputy Minister for Energy.





Before his new appointment, Mr. Afenyo-Markin chaired the Ghana Road Fund. With his transition to the ECG board, Majority Chief Whip Annor Dompreh will assume the role of board chairman of the Ghana Road Fund. Consequently, Mr. Dompreh will step down from his position on the ECG board, a role that will now be taken over by Deputy Majority Whip in Parliament, Habib Iddrisu.



Mr. Krapa, a lawyer, became ECG board chair on April 9, 2024, while serving as Deputy Minister for Energy. He remained in both roles until his recent resignation.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Nana Akomea, the Chief Executive Officer of the InterCity State Transport Corporation, has asked Ghanaians to cut the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, some slack over the brouhaha about the sale of SSNIT hotels.



SSNIT has revoked its decision to sell 60% shares of its stake in some four hotels to Bryan Acheampong's company, Rock City Hotel, following agitations from Organized Labour and a large section of the public.



The hotels namely Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel and Elmina Beach Resort are said to be in deplorable state and not yielding profits, reason for the intended sale to Rock City Hotel.



Following the revelation that Rock City Hotel had won the bid to buy the hotels, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a tough stance on this issue and blamed Bryan Acheampong as well as call out government for state capture.



But Nana Akomea, reacting to the stance of the NDC, has chronicled some accounts where the opposition party's members have bought State properties.



"Tamale Guest House, there is a politician involved; high-profile NDC politician. Yes, it was sold to him. Sunyani Catering Guest House, it was sold to a top politician at that time. Cape Coast Hotel (Ridge Royal), who are the minority shareholders? They are politicians, NDC politicians who bought it. Kumasi Catering Guest House was also sold to a politician. In fact, the person who bought the Kumasi Guest House sold it to Bryan Acheampong," this, he said, pointing out it is not unprecedented for Bryan Acheampong's company to express interest in buying the SSNIT hotels.



Nana Akomea concluded in his submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show that if, going forward, the yardstick is that no politicians should buy SSNIT properties, then it must apply to every person across the political divide; not Bryan Acheampong alone.



"The record shows that SSNIT has sold a lot of its properties from banks...[2] The record shows that many of them were bought by politicians...Let's take it that today, we are saying SSNIT shouldn't sell its properties, let's take that decision. If we say no politician should buy SSNIT property, let's take that decision and move. Let's not politicize it!"













Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The National Chairman of the Zongo Caucus Working Committee of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has boldly called for the sidelining of divisive "demi-god executives" within his opposition National Democratic Congress.



Alhaji Said Sinare emphasized the need for unity and working towards the common goal of winning the 2024 elections. In a social media post, the partys former National Vice Chairman emphasized that the NDC's chances of winning the election depend on the party's ability to unite and work together as one force.



"We cannot enter the 2024 election as a divided force," Alhaji Sinare emphasized. "It's unacceptable for some individuals to think that John Dramani Mahama should beg for their forgiveness before they can put aside their grievances and work towards our party's success. Any executive who stubbornly refuses to put the party's interests first and make amends for the sake of our collective victory should be sidelined."



The former High Commissioner and Ambassador to Egypt and Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of avoiding internal conflicts and power struggles, stating that any executive who refuses to prioritize the party's victory should be sidelined now.



His call for unity and sidelining of divisive party executives has been well-received by many party members, who view it as a necessary step towards victory.



The NDC has faced challenges in regaining power since losing the 2016 election to the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Sinare's call for unity and sidelining of "demi-god party executives" is seen as a proactive move to address the party's internal conflicts and promote unity."



Alhaji Sinare's comments come after weeks of infighting within the NDC, with some executives accusing each other of sabotaging the party's chances.



"Alhaji Sinare is right," said one party member. "We need to unite if we want to win. Any executive who is not willing to work for the party's success should be sidetracked."



It is sad some people still think John should come and beg them before they join the victory train to rescue suffocating Ghanaians, he said



"We need to act now to ensure our party's victory," Alhaji Sinare said. "We cannot afford to waste any more time on infighting and petty squabbles."



As the election season heats up, the NDC's ability to unite and work towards a common goal will be crucial in determining their chances of victory. Alhaji Sinare's call for peace and unity has resonated with many party members, and it remains to be seen whether the party's leadership will take the necessary steps to ensure victory in the upcoming elections.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party, Richard Ahiagbah, has dismissed an apology issued by an Accra-based media house to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over a contentious social media post concerning nurses' trainee allowances.



Earlier, the 'Media General Group' publicly retracted the post and offered an apology on X, emphasising their commitment to journalistic values.



We refer to a publication by satirist Tilapia da Cartoonist on the issue of nurses trainees allowances. We retract and apologize for the depiction of the NPP flagbearer in the said publication or any related unsavory comments made on any of our platforms in recent times.



As a responsible media organization, we value fairness, accuracy, and respect in our reporting and content creation, the apology read.



However, Ahiagbah also responded on social media, criticising the apology.



He asserted that the media house's apology lacked sincerity and accused them of engaging in propaganda and being aligned with the opposition NDC.



"The apology from Media General's management does not seem sincere. The management approved the publication on June 19, 2024, knowing that it was false, but they went ahead and published it to promote a known NDC propaganda about the Vice President. It is clear that they are working together, and we can see it," the post read.



Read the post below:





The apology from Media General's management does not seem sincere. The management approved the publication on June 19, 2024, knowing that it was false, but they went ahead and published it to promote a known NDC propaganda about the Vice President. It is clear that they are https://t.co/O0uwuRR0X8  Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) July 16, 2024



























Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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San Antonio has seen the frequency of 100-degree days go up in recent decades, culminating with 75 such days in 2023, the most 100-degree days the city ever recorded in a single year. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Its no secret that temperatures have been rising in South Texas in the past few decades. Over the past 30 years, the average annual temperature in San Antonio has risen by 1.8 degrees.

You may be thinking, Its only 1.8 degrees, so whats the big deal?

While the seemingly modest temperature rise may not seem entirely worrisome to your everyday life, its expected to get even worse. In addition, its easier to see the effects of climate change when analyzing the frequency of 100-degree days here in San Antonio.

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From 1994 to 2023, San Antonio has experienced an average of 22 days with highs of at least 100 degrees. In the 30 years before that (1964-1993), the Alamo City had averaged only six days per year where highs touched the triple-digit mark. Having those kind of days more than triple in the past three decades is a staggering increase in a relatively short period.

The increase has been even more noticeable in the most recent 15 years. Since 2009, San Antonio has experienced six summers with at least 30 days of triple-digit heat. Before 2009, that had only ever happened four times since weather records began in 1885. It all culminated last year, when a record 75 days touched at least 100 degrees, from June 16 to Sept. 24.

Justin Claar cools down after a 15-mile bike ride at the Valero Trailhead on the Howard Peak Greenway Trails System along Leon Creek in 100+ degree heat on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer

Expected to get worse

Similar temperature increases are expected as we push into the next 10 to15 years. John Nielsen Gammon, the states climatologist based at Texas A&M University, wrote in a 2024 report about what the weather is expected to look like by 2036, Texas bicentennial year.

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Based on the current climate model projections for 2020 to 2040, average Texas temperatures in 2036 should be expected to be about 1.8 (degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the 1991-2020 average, Nielsen-Gammon wrote. If that were to come true, it would make an average year in 2036 warmer than all but the five warmest years on record so far.

Nielsen-Gammon also mentioned that the frequency of 100-degree days will continue to increase. Triple-digit temperatures in Texas will be about four times as common by 2036 than they were in the 1970s and 1980s, he wrote.

Why is this happening?

One of the biggest reasons why South Texas is warming up so much is a direct result of climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2023 was the hottest year on record for the planet. Not only that, but each of the past 10 years are all in the top 10 hottest years ever recorded. Global records go back to 1850.

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The biggest driver of climate change is the worldwide increase of greenhouse gases. Transportation and industry are big contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, thanks in large part to the burning of fossil fuels.

Last year was the hottest year on record globally since records began in 1850. This NOAA chart notes that global temperatures have not been below average since 1976. NOAA

Another key contributor is the increase of deforestation worldwide. Trees and other vegetation take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Without them, more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise.

According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, the total worldwide greenhouse gas emissions increased by 62% from 1990 to 2022. Progress is being made, though. Global emissions have started to increase more slowly, only up 7% since 2015. The United States actually has seen a slight decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, down 4% since 2015.

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Heat island effect

Urban areas also are experiencing more 100-degree days because of the urban heat island effect, a byproduct of a high concentration of buildings, streets and parking lots. The concrete and asphalt absorb heat and emit it back upward, causing temperatures to be higher than in neighboring rural areas.
Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has stated that, he has taken full responsibility for the proposal of the LI Road Traffic Amendment which proposes that Parliamentarians should be allowed to use sirens and be exempted from speed limits.



An LI was laid before Parliament for consideration. There were outcries from the public as well as from the minority caucus in parliament who have expressed shock over the demands of the LI.



However, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga and a former Attorney-General, who is the Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Dr. Dominic Ayine, in an interview with Citi FMs Umaru Sanda Amadu, stated that, the amendment was just a proposal and not a compulsory directive to the Transport Minister, as has been speculated in the public domain.



He further added that, the inconvenience and displeasure brought by the proposal of the LI has readily been expressed by all Ghanaians in no uncertain terms but added that, it is only a proposal.



He acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the proposal and accepted responsibility on behalf of his committee, stating that he held no position on the matter when it was submitted.



Dr. Ayine said, I didnt say that personally, my position is that MPs must be given sirens and be exempted from the speed limit. I never held any position."



The point is that it came before my committee and Im the Chairman of the committee so I will take responsibility on behalf of my members. As Chairman of the committee, I take responsibility for everything that the committee has done.









Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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The Electoral Commission (EC) has denied undertaking voter registration and vote transfer exercises.



It stated that the 2024 Limited Voter Registration Exercise concluded on May 29, 2024, while the Transfer of Votes Exercise ended on June 14, 2024, but was reopened for students in public universities, prisoners and security personnel from July 3 to 5, 2024.



"Indeed, all the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits used for the Transfer for students were deactivated after the exercise. Therefore they could not have been used to register voters or undertake transfers as alleged by the two in the videos," it said.



This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, in response to two videos featuring two women circulating on social media that the EC was undertaking secret voter registration and voter transfers.



False



"The commission states categorically that both allegations are false," adding that the allegations were "calculated mischief" aimed at tarnishing the commission's image and causing disaffection ahead of the December 7, 2024 general election.



It said the commission had, therefore, called on the Ghana Police Service to arrest and prosecute those behind the fabrications. "The commission finds these allegations dangerous to our democratic process and we entreat the general public to disregard them," the statement said.



The commission further urged all stakeholders, especially the political parties, to stop propagating falsehood which has the potential of undermining state institutions and destroying the peace and stability of the nation.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former deputy chief scribe of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has recounted how his party tagged him as a threat to former President John Dramani Mahama when they were in power.



Koku Anyidoho once a powerful figure during the late Professor John Evans Atta-Mills' government and the NDC at large has been dethroned of his superiority to an 'enemy' of the Umbrella family.



According to him, some now powerful individuals associated with the Mahama-led government ensured he had no access to any party operations and even a visit to the seat of government (Jubilee House) when the NDC was in power.



"Under John Dramani Mahama I was not allowed entry to the Flagstaff House. I was declared an enemy and threat to the president's life," Koku Anyidoho recounted how badly the NDC has treated him over the years.



He, however, told Kasapa FM in an interview monitored by Peacefmonline.com that he was hated for nothing by the party he has worked so much for over the years.



I supported the decision by Prof Mills to choose Mahama as his running mate, even though he wasn't a friend, I had no issues with him, he said.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Development Planning Commission, on Tuesday, July 16 2024, presented the Long Term National Development Perspective Framework, which has been captioned as Vision 2057, to Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana, at the seat of government, the Jubilee House, in Accra.



The Chairman of the Board of NDPC, Professor Gyan Baffour, revealed that the document outlines a comprehensive vision for the country's development when Ghana celebrates her centenary independence anniversary.



The Framework, which was launched at the Cedi Conference Centre of the University of Ghana, Legon, envisions Ghana as a prosperous, self-reliant, environmentally sustainable and is guided by the Black Star Rising: Long-Term National Development Plan commonly known as the 40-year Plan which was to be implemented from 2018-2057.



The NDPC claims that the preparation of the vision 2057 document has became necessary following the exigencies of current development challenges the country has been faced with.



Ghana, had been hit severely with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the recent Russian-Ukraine war, hence the proposal for a more sustainable plan to mitigate the economic challenges that continues to greatly impact the economy.



The Vision 2057 highlights inclusivity, sustainability, and good governance thereby envisioning a a self-reliant nation with a strong economy, equitable social development, environmental preservation, and effective governance with the overall goal to improve the living standards of Ghanaians and attain an upper middle-income country status and recognise the challenges posed by population dynamics, urbanisation, and various risks, and thus provides strategic direction for resilience and preparedness.



President Akufo-Addo, receiving the delegation from the NDPC stated that, to have a plan that accommodates the reality of the multi-party democratic state that we have in Ghana, which allows people to come with different commitments to the seat of government is very important.



President Akufo-Addo further added, today we have a framework with certain targets which can guide all of us going forward, and which can guide us in the shaping of our manifesto whilst recognizing the importance of a manifesto, in the governance of a nation because that is the contract between the parties and the people of Ghana."



They are the products of social engagements. Not everybody would have thought that this Free SHS matter was a priority for the country. There are still people who question it. And if they were in office, perhaps thats not what would have been the emphasis, but for me it was a priority and I said so to the people of Ghana before I came here.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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A group of constituency Women Organizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has petitioned the Functional Executive Council(FEC) over what they consider to be persistent chauvinistic and bigoted actions of the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore.



The petition, signed by over forty (40) constituency Women Organizers in the Greater Accra Region and submitted to the party on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, indicated that Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore has, in the view of the petitioners, displayed male aggression and threatened assault on some leading women in the party.



The petitioners cited three instances where they believe that Nii Ashie Moore exhibited his sexist tendencies by verbally abusing some women in the party.



The latest act of alleged harassment and verbal abuse which compelled the over forty women organizers to petition the Greater Accra Regional executives and the FEC is the supposed abuse and threat of assault against the Regional Women Organizer, Madam Felicia Merkpoi Bortey, by Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore.



Still pursuing his aggressive misogynistic tendencies, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at a meeting of the Greater Accra Regional Executive Committee at the Regional Office, he hurled insults at the Regional Women Organizer, Madam Felicia Merkpoi Bortey, threatening to beat her up. Typical of Mr. Ashie Moore, he once again called her an ashawo.



The group noted the urgency of the situation, explaining that with the Greater Accra Region holding a key and strategic role in the 2024 election, it is imperative that efforts are made by the FEC to whip Emmanuel Ashie Moore in line and ensure that the womens wing of the party executes their duties with utmost confidence to help bring the party back to power.





See attached the full petition

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Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Anyone who got to attend the 2022 Global Citizen Festival: Accra in our iconic Black Star Square will tell you it was an unforgettable night.



But the mission of Global Citizen, the international advocacy organization, is not just to host amazing live events, but ultimately to positively impact people in the countries where they take place.



Its been nearly two years since the Accra festival, and Global Citizen has been outlining some of the impact achieved across Ghana as a result of the pledges made on stage at the event.



One of the aims of the 2022 festival End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign was to empower the girls and young women of Ghana by advocating for investments into their education, family planning, sexual and reproductive health programmes.



In response to Global Citizens campaign work, the European Commission, Denmark, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced significant funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) programmes towards the empowerment of women and girls within Ghana.



Since the festival, Ghanas UNFPA programmes have been able to provide further funding towards the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, the organizations flagship programme on family planning, supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights in Ghana.



Under the UNFPA Supplies Partnership programme, adolescents and women have gained access to a wider range of contraceptives and maternal health medicines.



"A major goal of the UNFPA Supplies Programme is to promote reproductive health, including family planning, as a core component of sustainable development, helping to save and improve lives by delivering modern contraceptives and life-saving maternal health medicines to those in need, Dr. David Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA Country Representative in Ghana, said.



By collaborating with partner organisations like Global Citizen that works with UNFPA at global level in mobilizing resources towards UNFPA Supplies Programme, we can continue our vital work in Ghana and across the continent.



We are grateful to our partners for their groundbreaking commitments which are driving womens economic power, supporting family planning and reproductive healthcare, making a difference for the women and girls of Ghana, Liz Agbor-Tabi, Global Citizens Vice President of Global Policy and Strategic Relationships said.



As a result of the UNFPA Supplies Programme's important work, women and girls are gaining better access to family planning and quality reproductive healthcare medicines no matter where they live.

Source: wcaro.unfpa.org









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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The study area in Garatu Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Credit: Technology in Agronomy (2024). DOI: 10.48130/tia-0024-0009

A research team has investigated the efficacy of AlexNet, an advanced Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) variant, for automatic crop classification using high-resolution aerial imagery from UAVs. Their findings demonstrated that AlexNet consistently outperformed conventional CNNs.

This study highlights the potential of integrating deep learning with UAV data to enhance precision agriculture, emphasizing the importance of early stopping techniques to prevent overfitting and suggesting further optimization for broader crop classification applications.

By 2030, global population growth is projected to reach 9 billion, significantly increasing the demand for food. Currently, natural disasters and climate change are major threats to food security, necessitating timely and accurate crop classification for sustaining adequate food production. Despite advancements in remote sensing and machine learning for crop classification, challenges remain, such as reliance on expert knowledge and information loss.

A research article published in Technology in Agronomy on 28 May 2024, aims to assess the performance of AlexNet, a CNN-based model, for crop type classification on mixed small-scale farms.

In this study, the AlexNet and conventional CNN models were employed to evaluate crop classification efficiency using high-resolution UAV imagery. Both models were trained with hyperparameters, including 3060 epochs, a learning rate of 0.0001, and a batch size of 32. AlexNet, with its 8-layer depth, achieved a training accuracy of 99.25% and validation accuracy of 71.81% at 50 epochs, showcasing its superior performance.

Conversely, the 5-layer CNN model reached its highest training accuracy of 62.83% and validation accuracy of 46.98% at 60 epochs. AlexNet's performance slightly dropped at 60 epochs due to overfitting, emphasizing the need for early stopping mechanisms.

The results indicate that while both models improve with more epochs, AlexNet consistently outperforms the conventional CNN, particularly in handling complex datasets and maintaining high accuracy levels.

This suggests that AlexNet is better suited for accurate and efficient crop classification in precision agriculture, although care must be taken to mitigate overfitting in prolonged training.

According to the study's lead researcher, Oluibukun Gbenga Ajayi, "In light of the observed overfitting, we strongly recommend implementing early stopping techniques, as demonstrated in this study at 50 epochs, or modifying classification hyperparameters to optimize AlexNet's performance whenever overfitting is detected."

Future research will focus on expanding AlexNet's capabilities, optimizing pre-processing, and refining hyperparameters to further enhance crop classification accuracy and support global food security efforts.

More information: Oluibukun Gbenga Ajayi et al, Optimizing crop classification in precision agriculture using AlexNet and high resolution UAV imagery, Technology in Agronomy (2024). DOI: 10.48130/tia-0024-0009
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Children playing in Sar-e Pol, Afghanistan. Credit: Firoz Sidiqy, Unsplash, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

A majority of people in Afghanistan support human rights for Afghan women, and men are especially likely to support women's rights when primed to think about their eldest daughters, according to a study published July 17, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, by Kristina Becvar and colleagues from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Human rights groups have been concerned for the rights of Afghan women in particular since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Since then, Afghan women have been barred from higher education, many have lost jobs, and there are high levels of early marriage and gender-based violence.

To find out how groups might effectively advocate for women's rights in the country, the authors conducted an online survey of Afghans, asking how they felt about women's rights to education, employment, and more.

Among the 7,513 respondents to the question of support for women's rights, the authors found that 66% of respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that human rights for women were a top priority for the future of Afghanistanincluding 45% of those who strongly supported the Taliban's control of the country.

Women, people living in urban areas, and people who rated themselves lower on the economic ladder were most likely to voice support. The authors also found support for the "first daughters" effectthe research that shows that having a daughter affects a father's attitudes toward women.

The authors showed that when fathers were primed to think of their eldest daughters, they were significantly more likely to support women's rights, with support rising to 80%.

Furthermore, in the comments that survey respondents provided, after being primed to think of their eldest daughters, men were 4% more likely to mention equality as an important right, 2% more likely to say women's rights are good for society, and 3% more likely to call for international pressure on the Taliban in support for women's rights.

While the survey could only examine the proportion of the Afghan population who use the internet, the authors suggest that human rights organizations could work to appeal to the fathers of eldest daughters to support women and girls.

The authors add, "Our data shows Afghanseven Taliban-aligned Afghansoverwhelmingly support women's basic human rights, and that fathers of eldest daughters are a particularly receptive constituency in elevating women's status in Afghan society."

More information: The "First daughter" effect: Human rights advocacy and attitudes toward gender equality in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298812 Journal information: PLoS ONE
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The researchers tested their drought prediction models using data on the five regions indicated by colored squares on the map. Credit: Alexander Marusov et al. / Environmental Modelling & Software

Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from Sber have proposed deep learning models that predict droughts using climate data. Long-term forecasts of this kind are sought by agricultural producers planning their operations, as well as by insurance companies and banks evaluating climate risks and fine-tuning corporate credit ratings.

The findings are reported in the journal Environmental Modelling & Software and are also available as a preprint on the arXiv online repository.

In making plans, an agricultural producer has to account for the possibility of a drought affecting its business, and lenders seek to factor those risks into corporate credit rankings. Insurance companies, too, need to quantify climate risks to determine the premium amount.

All these businesses would greatly benefit from accurate long-term predictions of impending drought periods. Such forecasts, however, have remained unavailable due to the stochastic (random) nature of climate phenomena and the complexity of the data used.

Skoltech and Sber researchers propose a complex approach for predicting droughts several months or even a year before they occur. The team's solution fuses AI with classical methods. It relies on spatiotemporal neural networks and openly available monthly climate data.

The models were tested on data from five regions spanning multiple continents and climate zones: Poland, the U.S. state of Missouri, the Goias state in Brazil, the Indian state Madhya Pradesh, and northern Kazakhstan.

"Tests allowed us to identify our modification of the transformer-based EarthFormer model as the best for making medium-term predictions, whereas a modified version of the ConvLSTM model performed the best in long-term predictions. Our model delivers a high quality for a variety of climate zones. Owing to the reliable AI methods used, that quality will remain high for the next 10 years," explained the study's principal investigator, Assistant Professor Alexey Zaytsev, who heads the joint Skoltech-Sberbank Laboratory of Applied Research at Skoltech Applied AI.

The paper's lead author, Senior Research Engineer Alexander Marusov of Skoltech Applied AI, said, "Forecasting droughts is a concern of utmost importance in many parts of our country, including in my native Astrakhan region. This natural phenomenon is, however, difficult to model, because many diverse factors have to be accounted for, global warming among them. Our models make it possible to predict droughts a year in advance."

The results of this research will be used by Russia's largest bank in its risk management system.

Study co-author Nazar Sotiriadi, the executive director of Sber's Integrated Risk Management Department, said, "While climate risks in Russia are not as apparent as in countries with denser infrastructure, they are already making a significant impact on the economy. Droughts create risks for agriculture, energy facilities, and the population.

"We use the results of research carried out jointly with our Skoltech colleagues to increase the accuracy of our ratings both for insurance and loans. In the coming years, managing these risks could have a greater effect on business than we anticipated three to five years ago. And such tasks invariably require models for assessment."

More information: Alexander Marusov et al, Long-term drought prediction using deep neural networks based on geospatial weather data, Environmental Modelling & Software (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.106127. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2309.06212 Journal information: arXiv
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The Great Barrier Reef is world famousit's the largest coral reef system in the world and home to tens of thousands of species. No wonder it is World Heritage listed.

But Australia has three lower profile reefs that are also World Heritage listedNingaloo and Shark Bay in Western Australia, and Lord Howe Island, 600 kilometers off the New South Wales coast, the southernmost coral in the world. Ningaloo has 260 km of coral reef, while the reefs of Shark Bay have less coral but are home to ancient stromatolites, vast seagrass beds and iconic species such as dugongs.

This month, the World Heritage Committee will meet in New Delhi. On the agenda will be how the world's natural World Heritage sites are faring. The Australian government will be under increased scrutiny to prove it has upheld its international commitments to protecting these reefs.

Our new research has found all four of these reefs are in greater danger than we thoughteven those in subtropical waters, such as Lord Howe Island. Our two Indian Ocean reefs at Shark Bay and Ningaloo actually face more species and function loss than the Great Barrier Reef.

At 1.5C of warming, we are likely to lose about 20% of the 400-odd coral species which currently live across these four reefs (equating to about 70 extinctions). At 2C warming, our modeling of species abundance and ecosystem functions predicts an almost complete collapse in reef ecosystemseven for the subtropical reefs. This aligns with predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the future of coral reefs.

We believe our work adds to the need to consider whether Australia's four iconic reefs should be on the list of World Heritage sites in danger.

What does it mean when a reef is World Heritage-listed?

Declaring a natural or cultural site as World Heritage is done to encourage the preservation of locations of immense ecological and cultural value. Nations have to nominate sites they think are worthy of protection. Australia has 20 World Heritage sites, of which 12 are natural.

When sites are formally listed, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) requires the country's government to monitor and care for it. If the site is degrading, it can be listed as in danger.

UNESCO has considered listing the Great Barrier Reef as in danger twice, in 2021 and again in June this year. For the reef to keep its World Heritage status, the government must prove its policies are sufficient to keep the reefs in good health.

In the debate over the Great Barrier Reef, two things have been missedfirst, any mention of Australia's other World Heritage reefs, and second, whether the federal government's current policies to cut greenhouse gases are enough to protect the reefs into the future.

What did we find?

Our new results suggest all four reefs are in trouble. Given current warming trends, they will only deteriorate further in the future if we stay on this course.

While the Barrier Reef has drawn a great deal of attention, it's actually the ecosystems at Ningaloo, Shark Bay and Lord Howe Island that are projected to warm the most. When standardized to park boundaries, temperatures here are projected to increase by up to 1.3C by the end of the century. (This temperature estimate is for sea temperatures, not the overall surface temperature which we use as shorthand when we talk about 1.5C or 2C of warming).

While that might not sound like much, it will be enough to push many corals to potential extinction. Many coral species already exist within 1-2C of the maximum temperature they can tolerate.

Our modeling shows that Shark Bay and Ningaloo actually face a greater risk of species and function loss than the Barrier Reef. It also suggests the ability of our reefs to bounce back will be overcome when warming tips over 1.5C globally.

While these models incorporate the baseline heat tolerance of coral species on these reefs, they don't yet include their potential for genetic adaptation. The question of whether some corals could adapt to this rapid warming is still open. A lot is riding on their ability to do so.

Looming danger

This year, the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island have suffered intense stress from high sea temperaturesthe direct result of burning fossil fuels and producing heat-trapping greenhouse gases. This year is on track to again be the hottest year on record, overtaking the previous record holder of 2023.

Australia is already in the midst of an extinction crisis. Australia has one of the worst track records for extinctions. Since European colonization, 34-38 mammal species have gone extinct compared to just one from the contiguous United States, which covers a similar area.

You might have read that coral covera measure of how much coral there is in an areahit historic highs on the Great Barrier Reef last year.

Coral cover is a helpful and important metric, but it's not perfect. For instance, fast-growing heat-tolerant coral species might expand as less heat-tolerant species die off. Importantly, relying on coral cover alone can mask significant changes in how the reef is functioning.

It's hard to assess how species in our oceans are doing, given the difficulty of access and the large number of species, including many unknown to science. If warming continues unabated, we will likely start to lose species before we have even documented them.

Our results are based on "moderate" climate models of global surface temperature changes. Australia has committed to cutting emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030. While that sounds good, it's not enoughthis decrease is compatible with hitting 3.2C by 2100. To limit warming to 1.5C or below by 2050, we would need to commit to much greater cuts in emissions90% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Our results clearly suggest that Australia's four World Heritage reefs will be dramatically affected by warming in the near future. They will no longer qualify as being maintained under "conditions of integrity." It's hard to see how they can avoid being added to the in-danger list.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.